News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-10-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. - , , , . Crews battled a fire at a home in South Richmond late Thursday night and early Friday morning. Richmond firefighters received a call about the fire in the 4600 block of Menokin Road at 11:11 p.m. Thursday, said Lt. Chris Armstrong of the Richmond Fire Department. When crews arrived minutes later, flames were visible. The roof and a tree outside the house were on fire, he said. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm because of the house's size and because crews were having trouble reaching it given its location and downed trees. The fire was declared out at 12:20 a.m. No one was injured, Armstrong said. The area is close to Riverside Drive and Huguenot Road. It was unclear whether Thursday night's heavy thunderstorms contributed to the fire. Investigators were on their way to the scene early Friday to determine the cause, Armstrong said. Police are searching for two men who robbed a convenience store in Chesterfield County. Police said the 7-Eleven at 121 Turner Road was robbed about 1:30 a.m. Friday by two men who approached an employee, pulled out handguns, demanded money and then fled on foot. Police said the robbers are described as black men in their early 20s, one light-skinned and one dark-skinned. They were both wearing dark hoodies, masks and carrying backpacks. RADFORD Four Radford University students, all members of a now-disbanded fraternity, pleaded guilty Thursday to hazing and alcohol charges related to making pledges do elbow push-ups on bottle caps, and other painful and humiliating initiation rituals. In a Radford General District Court hearing, Theodore Eugene Anna and Andrew Morgan Piccione pleaded guilty to hazing, and Jesse Vaughn Leasure and Evan Ross Satterley pleaded guilty to hazing and also to purchasing alcohol for minors. Judge Erin DeHart sentenced each of the men to a year in jail, but suspended 11 months for each under an agreement between defense attorneys and Radford Commonwealths Attorney Chris Rehak. Each was also fined $500 and ordered to pay court costs. Pi Kappa Phis abuse of pledges led to Radford University revoking the local chapters charter last month and dismissing the group from the university, school spokesman Joe Carpenter wrote in an email Thursday. Rehak said after the hearing that members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity forced pledges to do elbow push-ups, also known as planking, with bottle caps placed under their elbows. This caused wounds and infections that resulted in a hospital stay for one student, he said. In April, after a student was hospitalized for five days, the charter of the Radford chapter of Pi Kappa Phi was suspended, and both the fraternitys national organization and the university began investigations. Radford police began a parallel criminal investigation of incidents that had occurred off-campus. After Thursdays hearing, Rehak shared a list of hazing rituals prepared by a victim who said that besides the bottle-cap push-ups, he and others were kicked and beaten with paddles. According to the victim, fraternity members also forced pledges to drink Mad Dog alcohol and to eat an onion while brothers dumped various spices and items on the onions as we ate them and to wash them down with a drink mixture that made me vomit. Pledges were then forced to crawl through the vomit, according to the victims list. The U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights has opened a new sexual assault investigation at the University of Virginia, according to a report obtained Thursday. Departments spokeswoman Dorie Turner Nolt confirmed Thursday that the office had opened a Title IX investigation at UVa on July 22. Nolt said the investigation involves facts that were not covered as part of the offices investigation into Title IX violations at UVa that was launched in 2011 and ended in September. Title IX is a federal law, enacted in 1972, that prohibits discrimination in educational institutions based on gender.Nolt said she could not provide details about the investigation, but a spokesman for UVa said Thursday that the university was aware that a former male student had filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights alleging that he was discriminated against in the Title IX investigation process based on his gender and disability. Officials would not say whether the male was an alleged victim or perpetrator. The spokesman did not provide more details, but said UVa is fully cooperating with the investigation. The Office for Civil Rights previous, multiyear investigation into UVas Title IX violations ended in September after UVa overhauled its policies for handling cases of sexual assault. According to the office, the university made satisfactory changes, including the creation of a designated Title IX coordinator position to ensure that UVa was in compliance with the law. UVa alumna Kelley B. Hodge was hired to that position last year, but resigned from the post in May. Catherine Spear, the assistant vice president for equal opportunity programs, has served in her stead since. Other policy changes included new measures to protect accusers at the beginning of an investigation by hiring a full-time sexual assault investigator and a review panel made up entirely of trained staff and faculty. The university also implemented new training programs and reached out to students for feedback on the schools policies. UVa received about 600 student comments after the new policies were posted. These important efforts are commendable and speak to a university commitment to embrace its Title IX responsibilities and promote a safe learning environment, read a letter from the Office for Civil Rights last September. UVas old policies for handling sexual misconduct complaints had been sharply criticized for failing to eliminate a hostile environment and provide a prompt and equitable response. For instance, one case took nine months to reach a resolution, leading UVa to institute a new policy that strives to resolve complaints within 60 days unless there is good cause to delay it.In recent years, campus sexual assault has become a hot-button issue across the country. At the time of the original investigation, UVa was one of 130 institutions around the country under review for Title IX investigations. Those institutions were accused of mishandling cases of sexual assault, harassment, stalking and intimate partner violence. As of Wednesday, 202 postsecondary institutions, including several elite universities, are now under investigation for 260 different cases of sexual violence. From Virginia, that list includes the College of William & Mary, James Madison University, the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University and Washington and Lee University, in addition to UVa. Donald Trump told Virginians this week that Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, did a "lousy job" when he was governor of their state. "Less than a week after Tim Kaine became governor of Virginia - one week - he proposed a nearly $4 billion tax increase, $4 billion, including a tax increase on people earning as little as $17,000 a year," Trump said during a rally Monday in Roanoke. In the early 1980s, former Gov. Linwood Holton took a business trip to Boston and visited his daughter, Anne, at Harvard Law School. In an interview Thursday with C-SPAN at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Holton, now 92, recalled that he was standing with his daughter in the back of a big classroom when she pointed out Tim Kaine. You see that boy down there by the teachers desk, with the curly black hair? Anne Holton asked her father. Yes, Linwood Holton said. Hes the one, Anne Holton said. He doesnt know it yet, but hes the one. She told her father: Ive got some competition in Kansas City, but Ill take care of that. And she did, Linwood Holton recalled. She picked him out. She lassoed him. She brought him to Virginia and Virginia made him governor, now senator, now (potentially) vice president of the United States. Linwood Holton, a Republican, served as governor from 1970-74. He made President Richard Nixons short list for vice president after Spiro Agnew resigned, but Nixon wound up selecting Gerald R. Ford. Holton remains a Republican, though he has voted for Democrats in recent years. He says he enthusiastically supports the Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and his son-in-law, the Democratic nominee for vice president. In the interview, Holton spoke harshly of Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president. I join the crowd that calls him a fool, Holton said. The C-SPAN interviewer asked Holton about the prospect of his daughter, a former juvenile court judge and Virginia secretary of education, becoming second lady of the United States. Holton said his daughter is smart and affable and has an almost magic influence on others. He added: Shes not going to be second to anybody. Khizr Khan of Charlottesville, whose Muslim son enlisted in the U.S. Army and died in Iraq protecting his troops, brandished a pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution at Donald Trump Thursday night while speaking at the Democratic National Convention. Donald Trump, youre asking Americans to trust you with their future," Khan said. "Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution? Reaching into his pocket, and shaking the booklet at the television cameras, he said: I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law.' " Khan's son, Humayun S.M. Khan, was one of 14 American Muslims who died serving their country in the 10 years after the 2001 terrorist attacks. In June 2004, while his infantry unit was guarding the gates of their base, a suspicious vehicle appeared. Khan told his men to hit the ground as he went forward. He took 10 steps toward the oncoming terrorist vehicle before it exploded killing him but saving the lives of his soldiers and untold numbers inside the base. Khan was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart posthumously. He was 27 years old. Tonight we are honored to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country, Khizr Khan said, his wife, Ghazala, standing at his side. Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed," he said. "We believed in American democracy - that with hard work and (the) goodness of this country, we could share in and contribute to its blessings." Khan said he and his wife were blessed to be able to raise their three sons in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams. Our son, Humayun, had dreams too, of being a military lawyer, but he put those dreams aside, the day he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers," Khan said. Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son the best of America, he said. If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Addressing his comments to Trump, Khan said: Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots, who died defending the U.S. Youll see all faiths, genders and ethnicities, he said. You have sacrificed nothing. Khan urged "every patriot American," including all immigrants, "to honor the sacrifice of my son" by voting for Clinton, whom he termed "the healer." Sen. Tim Kaine will return to Richmond on Monday for his first appearance since becoming the Democratic Party's candidate for vice president. The event will be from 5 to 8 p.m. at Huguenot High School at 7945 Forest Hill Avenue, according to Hillary Clinton's campaign website. Members of the public planning to go to the event should RSVP to attend at hillaryclinton.com. At the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Kaine officially accepted the nomination as his party's vice presidential candidate. Virginia election officials have set a deadline of Aug. 8 to cancel voting rights of felons who had registered under mass gubernatorial orders that were overturned a week ago by the Supreme Court of Virginia. However, Gov. Terry McAuliffe has reviewed an initial list of 12,500 felons who had successfully registered to vote under his three blanket orders restoring their civil rights and has begun preparing to restore their rights on an individual basis. Those ex-offenders would have to reapply to register to vote once they receive their individual restoration orders. Its very possible we will send them an order and a voter registration application, McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said. We will try to make it as convenient as possible for them to do what they had already done before Republicans filed a lawsuit to take their rights away. House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, and Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, joined with four other Republican voters to ask the Supreme Court to invalidate the governors mass restoration orders as an unconstitutional action that diminished their votes. The court agreed in a ruling on July 22 that directed state election officials and local registrars to cancel the registration of felons whose rights purportedly had been restored by McAuliffe in orders signed April 22, May 31 and June 24. Elections Commissioner Edgardo Cortes advised local registrars on Friday that the state has updated its list of prohibited voters to reflect the courts decision, which reversed the governors orders restoring voting rights to an estimated 206,000 ex-offenders. The commissioner directed registrars to deny applications from voters with felony convictions whose rights had been restored by the governors three mass orders. If an individuals felony conviction record indicates a restoration of rights prior to April 22, 2016, and there is no subsequent felony record associated with that individual, then you should register the individual, assuming all other eligibility requirements have been met, Cortes advised registrars. Richmond General Registrar J. Kirk Showalter said the guidance will require her to deny about 800 applications that had been pending. Thats just for those we havent processed yet, she said. Showalter said her office will wait for confirmation that about 400 ex-offenders who had registered in the city under the governors orders no longer are eligible. They are among the more than 12,500 felons who had registered under the governors restoration orders prior to the Supreme Court ruling. The cancellation and notification to voters the court has ordered removed from the registration rolls will be completed by Aug., 8, 2016, Cortes advised registrars. In the meantime, McAuliffe is preparing to issue individual orders to restore the rights of those ex-offenders who will be removed from the rolls. Anyone whose registration is canceled as a result of the court order will have to register to vote again once he or she becomes eligible, Cortes confirmed in an email. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton hold clearly different views of what American foreign policy should be in 2017. Trump favors a nationalist America first view of our national interests that in some ways resembles the isolationist policies of the Republican Party in the 1920s. Clinton espouses a more internationalist view of U.S. interests thats consistent with those of both Democratic and Republican parties since Dwight Eisenhower was president in the 1950s. The political upheaval in Turkey resulting from a failed coup attempt by the countrys military caused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to arrest thousands of military and police personnel and dismiss tens of thousands civil servants, including schoolteachers along with judges and prosecutors, from their government jobs. Erdogan imposed martial law for three months and is purging anyone who sympathized with the coup. A major issue for Turkeys NATO allies, particularly the United States: Will Erdogan will use the failed coup as justification for imposing firm personal control on the country and move toward authoritarian rule? President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry denounced the coup and supported Erdogan. They also urged him to follow the rule of law, support human rights for his people, and not jeopardize Turkeys fledgling democracy. Still, Turkeys leaders suspect the United States knew about the coup and now harbors a prominent Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who it claims was the instigator of the plot. Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan, resides in Pennsylvania in self-imposed exile. He strongly denies involvement in the coup, but Turkey is demanding his extradition to face charges in a Turkish court. Kerry responded that when Ankara formally asks for Gulens deportation and presents evidence of his involvement in the coup, the State Department will initiate the process of deciding the validity of the case for extradition. This may not satisfy Turkeys government. Erdogans official spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, penned a column in the New York Times July 25 titled, Turkey Demands Justice. He asserts that The United States should not let this man exploit its laws to avoid a fair and legitimate accounting in Turkey. He also issued this warning: It does not make sense for any country to condemn the coup without taking action against the lead putschist. The big question for Washington is this: What happens to U.S. use of a major airbase at Incirlik which U.S. and NATO allies use to bomb ISIS targets? Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump will be obliged in coming months to address Turkeys demand for justice. For Obama, the issue is whether to risk losing influence and perhaps a strategic base in Turkey by concluding that evidence against Gulen does not warrant his extradition to stand trial for treason. Clinton will be conflicted by strong liberal groups in the Democratic Party who will defend Gulens right to asylum because of Erdogans authoritarian policies. For Trump, who supported Erdogans harsh crackdown on opponents, he argues that Washington should not interfere in Turkeys internal affairs and work with Erdogan. He hasnt yet commented on the Gulen case. Turkeys turbulent situation presents Washington with an age-old dilemma in dealing with many other countries: Should U.S. strategic interests take priority over promotion of democracy and human rights in foreign policy? In May 2009, a new president Barack Obama, in a widely-circulated speech in Cairo called on Middle East regimes to practice democratic government and the rule of law. Seven years later, Obama finds himself obliged to support a tough military ruler in Cairo because Egypt is a key political and strategic ally in the Arab world. The president faces a similar challenge in Turkey, where Erdogan imposes increasingly tough measures against opponents. In my view, Turkey is too crucial an ally for Washington to hold back on extraditing Gulen if a valid case is brought by Turkeys government. But Obama should insist as part of the deal that Gulens trial will be open and that U.S. official observers will be present. If Turkey refuses and interferes with U.S. use of Incirlik airbase, we should warn Ankara that its role as a NATO ally will be in jeopardy. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search? Search for: Search A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Anna and Willy Haymaker have brought a taste of the beach back home with them. Their Sunset Slush shop, which opened in May last year, is located at 308 E. Main St., across from Roanoke Colleges West Hall. The couple, who lives in Salem with daughters Adriana, 19, and Makenzie, 21, started operating a Sunset Slush push cart in the summer of 2014 after enjoying the Italian ice treats for several summers on the beaches of Ocean Isle, North Carolina. Wed budget $120 every vacation just for Sunset Slush, Anna said. According to its website, Sunset Slush started in 2004 with a push cart on the beaches of Ocean Isle and Oak Island and has since grown to nearly 50 independently owned locations. When we started three summers ago, there were maybe 13 or 14 locations, Anna said. Now, there are about 50 that says a lot about the company and their product. What makes Sunset Slush different from every other summer slushy treat? The first bite is as good as the last, Anna said. Unlike shaved ice treats, in which the syrup falls to the bottom, Sunset Slush's Italian ice is creamy, with the same flavor throughout, and is scooped out with the texture of ice cream yet dairy and gluten free. Sunset Slush quenches your thirst, Willy said. It leaves you wanting more, of course, but not thirsty." There are more than 50 flavors and flavor combinations from which to choose, all listed in brightly colored chalk on the shop wall. Not sure that you want to commit to a particular flavor? No problem! Samples are freely given to allow the patron to taste before he buys. Combination flavors are scooped in such a way as to blend them so that they look as good as they taste. And there's no need to be shy about asking to mix flavors, either. With a refillable koozie, patrons can sample as many scoops as Sunset's open season will allow and at a discount. School starting back up brings about a change in staff as well as shop hours. Anna, the nurse at Andrew Lewis Middle School, turns the shop over to her parents to run during school hours. And of course, as the days grow shorter, shop hours reflect that as well. On the flip side, fall means Roanoke College students move back in, bringing lots of new faces to fill up the brightly colored bistro sets, both inside and outside of the shop. Roanoke College helps us so much, Anna said. In addition to the students patronage, the Haymakers are invited to bring their push cart to several events throughout the year. Anna and Willy enjoy the freedom of taking their business on the go. We would love to be even more involved in community events, Anna said. Weddings are especially fun. It takes little effort to make Sunset Slush mobile and set up shop for events and festivals even private parties and cookouts. The Haymakers enjoy meeting every customer who comes in the shop. "But its really special when someone comes in and says they [know the] business from Ocean Isle, said Anna. The Haymakers invite anyone needing a tasty, cool treat to swing by Sunset Slush, which is open Monday 2 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday noon to 9 p.m. To keep up with the newest slush flavors as well as shop happenings, visit the location's Facebook page. For more information or to book events, call 793-2050. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it has selected Blue Ridge Cancer Care as one of nearly 200 physician group practices and 17 health insurance companies to participate in a care delivery model that supports and encourages higher quality, more coordinated cancer care. The Medicare arm of the Oncology Care Model includes more than 3,200 oncologists and will cover approximately 155,000 Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. The physicians, nurses and staff of Blue Ridge Cancer Care are excited to help usher in a new way of practicing oncology for our patients with Medicare, said Dr. William Fintel, president of BRCC. The Oncology Care Model is a long-term pilot program that promises to transform care delivery, with our same emphasis on quality care delivered in the communities we serve. Cancer is one of the most common and devastating diseases in the United States: more than 1.6 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed and cancer will kill an estimated 600,000 Americans in 2016. According to the National Institutes of Health, based on growth and aging of the U.S. population, medical expenditures for cancer in the year 2020 are projected to reach at least $158 billion in 2010 dollars, an increase of 27 percent over 2010. A significant proportion of those diagnosed are over 65 years old and Medicare beneficiaries. The Oncology Care Model encourages greater collaboration, information sharing, and care coordination, so that patients get the care they need, when they need it, said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. This patient-centered care model fits within the Administrations dual missions for delivery system reform and the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force to improve patient access to and the quality of health care while spending dollars more wisely. The Oncology Care Model encourages practices to improve care and lower costs through episode- and performance-based payments that reward high-quality patient care. The OCM is one of the first CMS physician-led specialty care models and builds on lessons learned from other innovative programs and private-sector models. As part of this model, physician practices may receive performance-based payments for episodes of care surrounding chemotherapy administration to Medicare patients with cancer, as well as a monthly care management payment for each beneficiary. The two-sided risk track of this model would be an Advanced Alternative Payment Model under the newly proposed Quality Payment Program, which would implement provisions from the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. Practices participating in the five-year Oncology Care Model will provide treatment following nationally recognized clinical guidelines for beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy, with an emphasis on person-centered care. They will provide enhanced services to beneficiaries who are in the Oncology Care Model to help them receive timely, coordinated treatment. These services may include: Coordinating appointments with providers within and outside the oncology practice to ensure timely delivery of diagnostic and treatment services; Providing 24/7 access to care when needed; Arranging for diagnostic scans and follow up with other members of the medical team such as surgeons, radiation oncologists, and other specialists that support the beneficiary through their cancer treatment; Making sure that data! from scans, blood test results, and other tests are received in advance of patient appointments so that patients do not need to schedule additional visits; and Providing access to additional patient resources such as emotional support groups, pain management services, and clinical trials. CMS is thrilled with how many physician groups chose to be a part of the Oncology Care Model, said Patrick Conway, M.D., CMS principal deputy administrator and chief medical officer. We have nearly doubled the number of participants that we anticipated. Its clear that oncology physicians recognize the importance of this new performance-based, episode-based payment approach to cancer care. As a practicing physician and son of a Medicare beneficiary who died from cancer, I know the importance of well-coordinated care focused on the patients needs. The names of those practices and payers participating in the Oncology Care Model, an! d more information about the model, can be found on the models website: http://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/Oncology-Care/. The Oncology Care Model began on July 1, 2016 and runs through June 30, 2021. As part of the Administrations better care, smarter spending, healthier people approach to improving health delivery, the Oncology Care Model is one of many innovative payment and care delivery models developed by the CMS Innovation Center and advanced by the Affordable Care Act. The Innovation Center is committed to transforming the Medicare, Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs and is expected to help deliver better care for individuals, better health for populations, and lower growth in expenditures for Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. Blue Ridge Cancer Care (BRCC) is an independent private practice of 18 physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and blood disorders. BRCCs 10 locations throughout Southwest Virginia provide services and treatments including medical oncology, radiation oncology, hematology, genetic risk assessment and clinical research. As an affiliate of The US Oncology Network, BRCC is united with more than 1,000 physicians nationwide. Blue Ridge Cancer Care participates in clinical trials through US Oncology Research, which has played a role in approximately 60 FDA-approved cancer therapies, nearly one-third of all cancer therapies approved by the FDA to date. For more information, visit www.usoncology.com. Submitted by Alan Repasky PHILADELPHIA Susan Swecker remembers when, as an eighth-grader, she came home from school in Highland County one day to see her mother visibly upset. Nancy Swecker, who had previously worked as a bank teller but left her job to raise Susan and her sister, Elly, had wanted to return to work and saw that her former employer had an opening. She had applied for her job again, and they told her that she could not return, said Swecker. I said, Why not? Youre qualified, recounted Swecker, now 61. She said, Well, they told me they were going to hire a man. There was nothing she could do about it, Swecker, the chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, said Thursday hours before former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made history by accepting the Democratic Partys nomination as the first female presidential candidate of a major political party in U.S. history. I was so darn mad and furious but back then, there was no recourse. I think thats one of the reasons I became so interested in politics and working for change. An emotional Swecker told the story Thursday during a breakfast meeting of the Virginia delegation. She hadnt planned on doing so, but something about Hillary Clintons moment compelled her to think about her mother, who died 30 years ago. I just know that Nancy Swecker is looking down on this moment, saying, You go, girl, Swecker told the audience, holding back tears. Her story was just one of many that emerged from the Virginia delegation on the last day of the convention a convention that until Thursday, with the exception of first lady Michelle Obamas address Monday had featured male office holders in leading roles, including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton and vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine. Women in the delegation interviewed Thursday said Clintons achievement from her time as first lady, to U.S. senator, secretary of state and presidential nominee validates the capabilities of women in any role, and both inspired them and made them grateful for the struggles previous generations of women in their own families overcame to give them an opportunity to succeed. Fairfax delegate Patricia Browns mother Mildred also worked as a bank teller, when it was one of the few jobs women were allowed to do in the financial industry. Only the men were allowed to open the vault of the bank, recalled Brown, 64, the chairwoman of the 10th District Democratic Congressional Committee. On Tuesday when Clinton was formally nominated, Brown also found herself unexpectedly overcome with emotion. Tears just started flowing down, she said, as she reflected on the moment and her mother. This is really, really, breaking the glass ceiling for women and girls, she said of Clintons nomination. Its monumental. The significance of the moment was not lost on delegate Altima Omara, 35 the first African-American president of the Young Democrats of America and only the fifth woman to hold the post in the 80-plus-year history of the organization. Clintons success brought to mind her mother, an immigrant from Africa who came to the U.S. in 1976 and became a nurse, and Omaras grandmother, who prevailed upon her grandfather to let his daughter be educated. As a 12-year-old girl, the former Chesterfield County resident remembers seeing Clinton as first lady try to expand the role, pushing for health care reform and weighing in on policy, even as she was being attacked for her hairstyle. She put herself out there, said Omara, who works for a womens health nonprofit in Arlington County. She said she was impressed that Clinton chose to run when she could have easily stepped away. She could just be a grandmother, enjoy life and travel the world, she said. For Del. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, Clintons history not only makes her think about the past, but about the impact her role will have on future generations, including the lives of her two young children Jack, 5, and Samantha, 15 months. McClellan, 43, and husband David Mills have been in Philadelphia with their children all week. My daughter and my son are going to grow up knowing a black president and a woman president, said McClellan, who is African-American. Clintons moment also made her think of her mother, the first of 14 children in her family to graduate high school, who worked in food service to pay for school, and went on to do doctorate work in counseling while raising three girls. She did that so my sisters and I could do whatever we wanted, McClellan said. McClellan, a lawyer for Verizon, said Hillary Clintons achievement puts to rest the question that a woman in America can do whatever she wants. Still, she says there are times when people think she is the guest, rather than the invited attendee, at events. At the Virginia delegation breakfast, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., had the room rolling in laughter by telling the story of how during a flight with fellow Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., the flight attendant thought she was Frankens wife. To Swecker, it means that America has more progress to make on gender equality, even as Democrats nominated a woman to be the president of the United States. We cant take anything for granted, she said. There are still hurdles, but theres hope. In the early 1980s, former Gov. Linwood Holton took a business trip to Boston and visited his daughter, Anne, at Harvard Law School. In an interview Thursday with C-SPAN at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Holton, now 92, recalled that he was standing with his daughter in the back of a big classroom when she pointed out Tim Kaine. You see that boy down there by the teachers desk, with the curly black hair? Anne Holton asked her father. Yes, Linwood Holton said. Hes the one, Anne Holton said. He doesnt know it yet, but hes the one. She told her father: Ive got some competition in Kansas City, but Ill take care of that. And she did, Linwood Holton recalled. She picked him out. She lassoed him. She brought him to Virginia and Virginia made him governor, now senator, now [potentially] vice president of the United States. Linwood Holton, a Republican from Roanoke, served as governor from 1970-74. He made President Richard Nixons short list for vice president after Spiro Agnew resigned, but Nixon wound up selecting Gerald Ford. Holton remains a Republican, though he has voted for Democrats in recent years. He says he enthusiastically supports the Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and his son-in-law, the Democratic nominee for vice president. In the interview, Holton spoke harshly of Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president. I join the crowd that calls him a fool, Holton said. The C-SPAN interviewer asked Holton about the prospect of his daughter, a former juvenile court judge and Virginia secretary of education, becoming second lady of the United States. Holton said his daughter is smart and affable and has an almost magic influence on others. He added: Shes not going to be second to anybody. After 44 years in politics, Bernie Sanders has finally taken the plunge. At long last hes a regular Democrat. Of course, he doesnt quite want to admit it. I was elected as an independent, so Ill stay (in the Senate) two more years as an independent, he told reporters Tuesday. Indeed, he still wishes it were possible to organize an independent leftist party in the United States, the way European countries do. We dont have that, he said a little mournfully. But after decades of agitation as an outsider, hes decided the best way to pursue his political revolution is to campaign for a ticket he doesnt like very much. And thats pretty much the definition of a party regular: someone who works for candidates he disagrees with as long as they carry the right label and the disagreements arent too wide. Sanders didnt merely endorse Hillary Clinton in his stem-winding speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday evening; he endorsed her wholeheartedly. I am proud to stand with Hillary Clinton, he said. Any objective observer will conclude that based on her ideas and her leadership Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States. He pleaded with his die-hard supporters to join him, and he promised to work not only for the presidential ticket, but also for Democrats running for Congress, state legislatures and local offices. I support Democrats, he said. His main role, he added, will be to make the Democratic Party a 50-state party. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said hes delighted that Sanders is on the team. He can go campaign for us in any of the battleground states, Podesta said, noting that Sanders had energized millions of young voters who still havent warmed to the nominee. Sanders could be especially helpful in the swing states he won during the primaries, such as New Hampshire and Wisconsin. Sanders has supported Democratic presidential candidates before, going back to Walter Mondale in 1984. But that was mostly a low-key affair in his home state of Vermont. This time, hes talking about a much more visible national role, closely coordinated with Clintons campaign. Sanders is also launching a new organization, Our Revolution, to continue pushing the Democratic Party to the left. But itll be a little less revolutionary than it sounds. Its heart will be a very traditional political activity: fundraising. Thats right: Sanders will put his enormous list of donors to work for Democrats OK, progressive Democrats at every level around the country. For decades, leftists in American politics have had a prickly relationship with the Democrats sometimes working within the party (as in the 1972 George McGovern campaign), sometimes breaking with it, sometimes forming third parties or independent organizing committees. Sanders is a part of that history; when he began running for office, in 1972, it was as a candidate of Vermonts almost-forgotten Liberty Union Party. He regularly denounced Democrats as sellouts to a corrupt political system. Even as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, he was initially reluctant to embrace the party label. But Sanders isnt really betraying his past, or his supporters. Hes willing to join the dark side now because its not so dark (to progressives) anymore; in fact, its downright hospitable for small-d democratic socialists. Democratic voters arent what they used to be: In 2000, the Pew Research Center reported recently, only 27 percent of Democratic voters described themselves as liberal; now that number is 41 percent. Case in point: The first President Clinton, Bill, was a champion of business-friendly free trade agreements like NAFTA. If theres a second President Clinton, shell be a self-proclaimed skeptic on trade. In other words, just as the Republican Party has become more conservative, so too have the Democrats become more progressive. (Sanders success is proof of that.) The party apparatus isnt what it used to be, either. Sanders was right when he said the Democratic Party platform is the most progressive one ever. He and his supporters were able to push Clinton to the left on several major issues: a pledge to make public universities tuition-free for most students, a promise to raise Social Security benefits, and opposition to the current version of President Obamas proposed trade agreement with Asia, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Sanders didnt win the nomination; he didnt even come very close. But over the course of the competition, he became a Democrat functionally, if not yet in his own self-image. More important, the Democratic Party became more like him. The break taken since August is long enough. It's time to come out of the block and start churning for the General Election. It is not for lack of mater... 6 hours ago BRITT Pit bulls wont be allowed in Britt as the City Council has directed law enforcement to enforce an existing ordinance that bans the breed. The council discussed the existing vicious animal ordinance at the July 19 meeting. City Administrator/Clerk Shell Anderson said at the July 5 meeting she had gotten questions about the allowance of pit bulls in town. Anderson said the city ordinance bans breeds typically identified as pit bulls, but the ordinance wasnt being enforced. If we have an ordinance, we need to enforce it, council member Curt Gast said. Gast said hed only received input about the ordinance from people who didnt live in Britt. Mayor Ryan Arndorfer said hed received emails but about 20 were from Canada. I feel the ordinance is justified, Britt Police Chief Dan Cummings said. Im aware of two pit bulls in town. Ive told the owners they are illegal but I havent started the process (for removal). The majority of the council said the ordinance was needed, but Arndorfer said he was uncomfortable with a breed-specific ordinance. Dogs known as pit bulls shouldnt be singled out, he said. Another city official, library Director Linda Friedow, who trains dogs, said singling out breeds typically called pit bulls isnt the best ordinance. She helped the city of Fort Dodge write a vicious/dangerous dog ordinance about 30 years ago. The city of Britt will likely need to do DNA testing on dogs if it keeps the breeds specific reference, she said. Pit bull is not a breed but its commonly attached to different terrier breeds. Im accustomed to enforcing pit bull ordinances in other cities, Cummings said. Hes had to use DNA testing twice. The test results showed the dogs were pit bulls, Cummings said. DNA tests cost about $60, Cummings said. Friedow said there are other dogs that are bred for protection that could be considered dangerous or could bite. Owners are responsible for how a dog behaves, she said. Cummings said pit bulls tend to bite, bite, bite when they do bite. Its more of an attack, he said. The citys ordinance says no person can keep, shelter or harbor for any purpose within city limits a dangerous animal. A dangerous animal is defined as any animal which is not naturally tame or gentle and which is of a wild nature or disposition, and which is capable of killing, inflicting serious injury upon or causing disease among human beings or domestic animals and having known tendencies as a species to do so. The ordinance specifies pit bulls, meaning any dog that is an American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Stafford bull terrier or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of those breeds (more so than any other breed) or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club for any of the above breeds. The citys ordinance also bans alligators and crocodiles, bobcats, venomous and constricting snakes, raccoons and other animals defined as dangerous from being kept. A roundup of items of interest from the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia: VILSACK SHARES PERSONAL STORY: U.S. ag secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack wanted to inspire Democratic activists to work hard over the next three months to elect Hillary Clinton as president, so he shared his story of a good friend who worked hard for Vilsack, even in that friends final days. Speaking at the morning gatherings of the Iowa and Wisconsin delegations to the Democratic National Convention, Vilsack implored activists to not be content with their attendance at the convention, but to also go home and start the hard work of the presidential campaign. Vilsack shared the story of his good friend Mark Weiner, a Democratic activist from Rhode Island who died Tuesday. Weiner, who had leukemia, passed away at his home just as he was preparing to come to the convention, according to the Providence Journal. Vilsack said Weiner, also a close friend of the Clintons, supported Vilsack as Clintons running mate and made calls on his behalf, even though he was living in hospice. He cared that much about our country, Vilsack said. Each of us needs to care that much about this election, and if we do were going to make history. Former President Bill Clinton mentioned Weiner during his address to the convention Wednesday night, saying he and Hillary cried when they learned of his passing. STRATEGIC MISTAKES: Just like it was a strategic mistake for him not to campaign in Iowa in the 2004 Democratic caucus campaign, retired Gen. Wesley Clark told Iowa delegates to the Democratic National Convention it would be a strategic mistake to elect Republican Donald Trump. Clark, who now works with Americas Renewable Future, which promotes ethanol and other fuels, said electing Trump would be the biggest mistake in history. No other presidential candidate, he said, has shown less willingness to respect other people, less attention to detail or less respect for his opponent. Clark also suggested Trump violated the Logan Act when he encouraged Russian cyber-hackers to look for Hillary Clintons 30,000 lost emails. The Logan Act forbids Americans from siding with its enemies. -- Compiled by the Des Moines Bureau I ALWAYS associate Tramlines with the best of times and this year was no exception. For me, its synonymous with an eclectic range of music, a city buzzing with exciting venues, sunshine and some of the friendliest festival-goers around. My festival experience started this year with Friday headliner Dizzee Rascal, albeit about 15 minutes into his set, as I must admit it was a struggle to get there for the 8.45pm kick off. Having to await friends arrivals from London, Manchester and Barnsley and get them fed, watered and wristbanded up was like a military operation. But after introducing them to Tramlines several years ago, its now a firm fixture in their diaries and theyre always eager to return. I enjoyed Dizzees classics like Fix Up Look Sharpe and Jus A Rascal from outside the arena as we charged to the gate. Luckily, as promised, there were less queues and more security on the gates so getting in was a much speedier experience. The arena wasnt as packed as I thought it would be, which was a shame, and I wondered if many others also found it as much of a struggle to get there on time. Note to Tramlines: can we push the headline slot forward just a tad next year so I can digest my tea? It was great to catch the rappers energetic big dirty stinking bass again and six years on from my last rendezvous with him he hasnt slowed down, but sadly has added more Calvin Harris duets to his repertoire. Then it was onto Hope Works warehouse near the Wicker for Sheffield Techno Institutes set, and luckily my friends had learned by now that Tramlines was not a festival for heels and that you will cover some (mainly uphill) ground in the Steel City. Although doors were not opening until midnight, the queues were already forming by around 10.45pm. After failing (i.e giving up on queuing) to get into the popular venue twice last year, part two of my military operation involved getting there early and getting comfy. As the clock struck midnight, the bouncers had the ingenious idea of ordering the swathes of people to start queuing from the other side of the gate. Trying to turn a queue on its head is never going to go well and as the confused crowd moved around there was quite a big crush on. It wasnt the most pleasant experience and it seemed dangerously unnecessary, but the gates were finally opened around ten minutes late. The experience was soon forgotten though, once inside, and friends were reunited to dance away the night in the Rave Cave, which took on an unexpected disco feel, or the main room, which also hosted a load of DJs. I confess that, unlike all my friends, I know nothing about techno, but I love Sheffields backstreet, disused-warehouse settings theres something fulfilling being away from the neon lights of West Street and the chains of bars. After a hectic night of it, theres always only one thing for it on a Tramlines Saturday get to the main stage, set up camp in the sun and listen to some soothing reggae, funky beats and groovy RnB pop. So thanks Dawn Penn, George Clinton and Kelis for a perfect Saturday. A personal highlight of mine was seeing Dawn Penn who is best known for her hit You Dont Love Me, No, No, No, walk on stage with her huge handbag and plonk it down in front of the drumkit in a very grandma-like way. I saw some confusion in the evening with festival-goers who were ordered to leave The Harley before 10pm if they didnt have the After Party wristbands. This also led to a very reduced crowd for post-punk trio Cowtown after many people had arrived early to stake their place. I think the wristband system needs simplifying next year a full weekend band should mean full weekend and not having to buy an extra band for Sunday after-parties. The biggest crowd of the weekend was for Sunday headliners Catfish and The Bottlemen, who professed their love for the festival (but I bet they say that to them all!) and reminisced about their last slot years ago at The Frog and Parrot pub on Division Street. Top billing was a huge step up, but after two huge albums they now have the setlist to back it up and a bit of shout-out-loud, anthemic indie was just what I needed. It brought everyone together and there wasnt a song that wasnt sung back full pelt at the band. As ever, I ended Tramlines with arms high, holding onto my mates, with a sunburned nose and a feeling of happy exhaustion from smiling. Buy early bird tickets from 30 for next year here http://tinyurl.com/h7ozoh8. A TEENAGE cancer patient will fly the flag for young people like her after specialists asked her to be a spokeswoman. Caitilin Carroll, who turned 18 last month, has ovarian germ cell cancer - an extremely rare disease which mostly affects young women. But she has taken her treatment - including kidney surgery and five rounds of chemotherapy - in such good humour that cancer charity CLIC Sargent has asked her to be one of its ambassadors and talk to people going through the same experience. Its tiring when youre in hospital for six or seven hours a day, five days in a row, said Caitilin. Its not too bad. I try not to stress because that would make me more poorly. Its so nice for CLIC Sargent to ask me to be an ambassador. Its touching to think that Ive coped well enough with my treatment to help other people through theirs. Hopefully, I could reassure someone by talking to them. I think its something I could be good at. Mum Michelle Bywater agreed that Caitilin had taken the illness in her stride. Shes doing fantastic, said Michelle (57). Some of these kids in hospital are terrified, but Caitilin has been just amazing. Thomas Rotherham College student Caitilin was diagnosed in March after mum Michelle rushed her to hospital when she came home one day with blue hands and feet. My hands, arms and nails had turned blue-grey, said Caitilin. I thought I was having a stroke because I had pins and needles. It was pretty scary. She added: Its a rare cancer and it mostly affects people around my age and a lot of the symptoms can be similar to hormones. My doctor didnt know about it, so we need to raise awareness. Caitilins condition is so uncommon that American researchers are taking the chance to fly over and study her. Michelle said: We want to make every doctor aware of this. It only takes a simple blood test to diagnose it. CLIC Sargent invites young people from across the UK to meet regularly and advise them on the work it does. Rebecca Horder, participation manager, said: Young people like Caitilin are at the heart of everything we do as a charity. She added: Many find that meeting other young people with cancer who understand what they are going through helps them feel less isolated and many friendships have been formed over the years. CHILDREN can get their hands on fruit free of charge when they go shopping at Tesco Extra stores. The initiative, which is being launched in more than 800 Tesco Extra and Superstores across the UK, is aimed at creating healthy eating habits and help children with their recommended five-a-day. The Tesco Extra stores on Drummond Street, Rotherham and on Biscay Way, Wath, are offering free fruit including apples, soft citrus and bananas, for parents to take to give to their children. The Government recommends that children and adults eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. But research has shown that only ten per cent of boys and seven per cent of girls between the ages of 11 and 18 meet the five-a-day recommendation. On average children in England eat only about three portions, with many eating fewer. The move comes after Maria Simpson, a Tesco checkout colleague from a store in Lincolnshire, suggested giving free fruit to parents for their children to eat during shopping trips as an alternative to sweets. The idea was taken up by the store and was so well received by customers that Tesco decided to trial the initiative in Scotland to see how it might work on a bigger scale. Matt Davies, Tesco CEO for UK and ROI said: Were Britains biggest greengrocer, so we want to make it easier for parents to get their children eating more healthily. As a Dad, I know it can be tricky getting children to eat their fruit and vegetables, so were hoping this initiative will help create healthy eating habits that will stay with children as they grow up. The initiative, which is up and running, has been welcomed by health experts and charities and Tesco said it was set to run indefinitely. Natchez Railway, Inc. Elected officials have begun releasing information about projects awarded grants from the eighth round of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. So far, $80.7 million has been awarded to rail specific or rail related projects in Illinois, Rhode Island, Mississippi and Washington state. The known projects to benefit from TIGER VIII are: $25 million to the city of Chicago for the Garfield Green Line Gateway. The $50 million project will completely rehabilitate the Chicago Transit Authoritys (CTA) Garfield Station, which is one of the oldest transit stations in the country. CTA is finalizing designs for the work, which is expected to begin in 2018 and be completed by 2019. $14 million to the city of Springfield, Ill., for the Springfield Rail Improvements Project. The project will relocate all passenger and freight traffic from the Third Street corridor to Tenth Street; construct roadway underpasses at critical rail crossings on both the Tenth and Nineteenth Street corridors; and eliminate train horns in the city between Stanford and Sangamon Avenues. $13.1 million to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to build a new commuter rail station between Dexter and Conant Streets in Pawtucket. RIDOT will work with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to provide service at the station, which will offer a connection to Wickford Junction, T.F. Green Airport, Providence, as well as other stops all the way up to Bostons South Station. $10 million to the city of Natchez, Miss., to upgrade five structurally-deficient bridges along the Natchez railway between Natchez and Brookhaven. The bridge repair work would permit railcars that meet the 286,000-pound industry standard to traverse the bridges and allow trains to travel at 25 mph over the repaired bridges. Trains are currently limited to lighter loads and must travel at 10 mph over the bridges. $10 million to the Port of Everett in Washington state for the South Terminal modernization project. The project will strengthen on-dock facilities and double the ports rail capacity by constructing approximately 3,300 lineal feet of rail to increase on-site storage from 46 cars to 106 cars. $8.67 million to the San Bernardino Associated Governments for the Redlands Passenger Rail Project. The $250-million project will build nine miles of track for new passenger service between San Bernardino and the University of Redlands. USDOT had $500 million available for this round of TIGER, but received 585 applications requesting $9.3 billion. Since 2009, TIGER has provided nearly $4.6 billion to 381 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including 134 projects to support rural and tribal communities. Overall, the U.S. Department of Transportation has received more than 6,700 applications requesting more than $134 billion for transportation projects across the country. In 2016, USDOT said its focus for the TIGER program was on capital projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe and affordable transportation for communities, both urban and rural. This is a developing story, please check back for updates as more information becomes available. BART Twelve rail projects totaling $135.3 million have been awarded grants from the eighth round of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. The majority of the project awards were announced yesterday through elected officials. The July 29 announcement from USDOT included awards for an additional rail projects in California, Oregon, South Carolina, Arkansas and Delaware. Projects that are rail specific or rail related that will benefit from TIGER VIII include: $25 million to the city of Chicago for the Garfield Green Line Gateway. The $50 million project will completely rehabilitate the Chicago Transit Authoritys (CTA) Garfield Station, which is one of the oldest transit stations in the country. CTA is finalizing designs for the work, which is expected to begin in 2018 and be completed by 2019. $15 million to Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to separate the roadway and rail tracks at the intersection of Rosecrans and Marquardt Avenues in Santa Fe Springs, which sees more than 45,000 vehicles and 130 train crossings daily. This intersection has been rated by the California Public Utilities Commission as the most hazardous grade crossing in California. Public Utilities Commission as the most hazardous grade crossing in California. $14 million to the city of Springfield, Ill., for the Springfield Rail Improvements Project. The project will relocate all passenger and freight traffic from the Third Street corridor to Tenth Street; construct roadway underpasses at critical rail crossings on both the Tenth and Nineteenth Street corridors; and eliminate train horns in the city between Stanford and Sangamon Avenues. $13.1 million to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to build a new commuter rail station between Dexter and Conant Streets in Pawtucket. RIDOT will work with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to provide service at the station, which will offer a connection to Wickford Junction, T.F. Green Airport, Providence, as well as other stops all the way up to Bostons South Station. $10 million to the city of Natchez, Miss., to upgrade five structurally-deficient bridges along the Natchez railway between Natchez and Brookhaven. The bridge repair work would permit railcars that meet the 286,000-pound industry standard to traverse the bridges and allow trains to travel at 25 mph over the repaired bridges. Trains are currently limited to lighter loads and must travel at 10 mph over the bridges. $10 million to the Port of Everett in Washington state for the South Terminal modernization project. The project will strengthen on-dock facilities and double the ports rail capacity by constructing approximately 3,300 lineal feet of rail to increase on-site storage from 46 cars to 106 cars. $10 million to the Delaware Transit Corporation for the Claymont Regional Transportation Center. The $40 million project will expand and redesign Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authoritys rail station at Claymont with Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant features and integrate it with a transit-oriented development. $9.7 million to Horry County Government in South Carolina for the Moving the Carolinas Forward: A Rural Freight Rail Project. The freight rail route between Mullins, S.C. and Chadbourn, N.C., will be rehabilitated by replacing more than eight miles of existing rail, install more than 50,000 crossties, surfaces approximately 75 miles of track and upgrade more than two dozen grade crossings. $8.67 million to the San Bernardino Associated Governments for the Redlands Passenger Rail Project. The $250 million project will build nine miles of track for new passenger service between San Bernardino and the University of Redlands. $7.3 million to the Port of Portland for the Portland Marine Terminal Freight and Jobs Access Project. The $19.54 million project will build a grade separation to relieve travel delays of trucks and trains accessing the port. $6.3 million to San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit to refurbish the 19th Street Oakland BART station, including better bicycle and pedestrian access. $6.15 million to the Little Rock Port Authority for the Little Rock Port Authority Growth Initiative. The $10.2 million project will build improvements to the slackwater harbor area, including a new dock with direct dock-to-rail capability and additional rail storage. Additionally, Utah Transit Authority (UTA) was awarded a $20 million TIGER grant and the Maryland Department of Transportation (Maryland DOT) was awarded a $10 million grant. While the grants will not build any rail infrastructure and are not included in the total for rail projects, UTA plans to use the money on several smaller projects to improve access to transit and Maryland DOT will use a portion of its funds for a subway station improvement. USDOT had $500 million available for this round of TIGER, but received 585 applications requesting $9.3 billion. Since 2009, TIGER has provided nearly $4.6 billion to 381 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including 134 projects to support rural and tribal communities. Overall, the U.S. Department of Transportation has received more than 6,700 applications requesting more than $134 billion for transportation projects across the country. With addition of the latest round of awards, approximately 72 rail specific or rail related projects have been awarded more than $1.12 billion in TIGER grants since the programs inception. In 2016, USDOT said its focus for the TIGER program was on capital projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe and affordable transportation for communities, both urban and rural. Editors note: This version updates figures and projects based on USDOTs official TIGER grant press release. French firm Safran (0IU8.L,SAFRF.PK) reported that adjusted net income - group share for the first-half of 2016 declined to 862 million euros or 2.07 euros per share from 1.164 billion euros or 2.80 euros per share in first-half 2015 which included a post-tax capital gain of Euro 419 million from the sale of Ingenico Group shares. Consolidated net income - Group share at 1.818 billion euros, or 4.37 euros per share including a non-cash profit of 1.015 billion euros, before related deferred tax impact, resulting from the change in fair value of the portfolio of currency derivatives used to hedge future cash flows and a capital gain of 368 million euros resulting from the transfer of control of assets and investments contributed to Airbus Safran Launchers. Adjusted revenue was 8.936 billion euros, up 6.3% from 8.403 billion euros in the same period a year ago, reflecting growth in Aerospace (propulsion and equipment) and in Security. On an organic basis, Group revenue increased by 6.5%, or 547 million euros. Safran's expectation for growth on an organic basis is reaffirmed. Safran expects for 2016 on a full-year basis: Adjusted revenue is expected to increase by a percentage rate in the low single digits compared to 2015 (at an estimated average rate of USD 1.11 to the Euro). Adjusted recurring operating income likely to increase by around 5% with a further increase in margin rate compared to 2015 (at a hedged rate of USD 1.24 to the Euro). Starting on July 1, 2016, Safran will account for its share in ASL using the equity method and thus no longer record revenue from space activities. In 2016, the change is expected to reduce revenue by approximately 400 million euros and to have a slightly positive impact on adjusted recurring operating income. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Hungary's producer prices decline worsened in June, figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office showed Friday. Industrial producer prices fell 2.6 percent year-over-year in June, faster than previous month's 2.2 percent decrease. The measure had been falling since August 2015. Domestic market producer prices dipped 4.0 percent annually in June and prices in the foreign market went down by 1.9 percent. During the first half of this year, overall producer prices dropped 1.9 percent compared with the corresponding last year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. Xerox (XRX) reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.30, a 7 cent increase over the same period last year driven by a lower tax rate, fewer shares, and higher operating profits. On average, 11 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report profit per share of $0.25 for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Second-quarter income from continuing operations available to shareholders increased year-over-year to $149 million from $101 million. Earnings per share from continuing operations was $0.15 compared to $0.09. Second-quarter total revenue was $4.39 billion, down 4 percent year-over-year in actual and constant currency. Analysts expected revenue of $4.39 billion, for the quarter. The Services delivered $2.5 billion in revenue, a decrease of 2 percent or 1 percent in constant currency. The Document Technology business delivered total revenue of $1.8 billion, down 7 percent or 6 percent in constant currency. Xerox generated cash flow from operations of $177 million during the second quarter and ended the quarter with a cash balance of $1.2 billion. The company continues to anticipate full-year 2016 cash flow from operations of $950 million to $1.2 billion and free cash flow of $600 to $850 million. Xerox reiterated full-year guidance for GAAP EPS of $0.45 to $0.55. Adjusted EPS guidance continues to be $1.10 to $1.20 per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report profit per share of $1.09. For third-quarter 2016, Xerox expects GAAP EPS of $0.14 to $0.16 per share and adjusted EPS of $0.26 to $0.28. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report profit per share of $0.28. Xerox reported significant progress on its plan to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies. The separation remains on track to be completed by year-end. The company now expects to incur one-time separation costs of $175 to $200 million pre-tax, which is lower than its previous estimate of $200 to $250 million. Xerox also announced that tax-related separation costs are estimated to be $40 to $50 million. The company expects dis-synergy costs of $40 to $50 million in 2017, which will be more than offset by cost savings from the strategic transformation program. Xerox said it has made continued progress on three-year strategic transformation program to deliver $2.4 billion in total cost savings from ongoing and incremental productivity and cost reduction initiatives across its businesses. The company is on track to realize the approximately $700 million in annualized savings it targeted for 2016. Estimated restructuring and related charges continue to be approximately $300 million for 2016. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Greece's producer prices decline moderated in June, figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority showed Friday. The overall producer price index fell 7.8 percent year-over-year in June, slower than the 9.3 percent decline in May. The measure has been falling since July 2014. Domestic market producer prices dipped 7.3 percent annually in June and prices in the foreign market plunged by 9.3 percent. Month-on-month, producer prices slid 0.9 percent in June, following a 1.8 percent increase in the preceding month. In an another report the statistical office revealed that retail sales declined at a faster pace of 8.0 percent yearly in May, after a 4.4 percent drop a month ago. Sales have been falling since June last year. On a monthly basis, retail sales slid 1.7 percent from April, when it dropped by 0.8 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. CEDAR RAPIDS When Donald Trump was asked what a crowd of more than 3,000 people in downtown Cedar Rapids wanted to hear at a rally Thursday night his first here since accepting the GOP presidential nomination his answer was simple. Just me, he told The Gazette minutes before taking the stage to thunderous applause and shouts of U-S-A! at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Convention Center. It seemed that was true. As Trump jumped from topic to topic during a 45-minute meandering talk, the audience laughed, cheered and held up their phones to take videos. The bombastic businessman hit Iowa first Davenport before taking his jet to Cedar Rapids the same night his rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton, accepted her partys nomination for president. Criticism coming from Democrats gathered at their national convention in Philadelphia has been tough to take, Trump said. How would you like to be me watching that convention? Trump asked the crowd. I was hit from every side. I wanted to hit back. I was going to take each one on. But he said hes saving his ire for one person and thats crooked Hillary Clinton. Trump said Democrats are looking at the world through rose-colored glasses if they think America is on the right track. He talked about recent news reports of a French priests murder by terrorists and videos showing Islamic State terrorists drowning prisoners in cages. He mentioned the 2014 mass shooting in San Bernadino, California, as a sign of increasing homegrown terrorism. These are people that have to be stopped, he said. They have to be stopped very strongly and very viciously. In The Gazette interview, Trump brushed aside concerns about whether the Republican National Convention last week in Cleveland was too pessimistic. Some of the critics -- the haters, I call them -- said everything was good, the delivery was good, but it was dark, he said. Most people thought it was very optimistic. It was meant to be optimistic. Well fix those problems. As part of his pledge to make America great again, Trump told the Cedar Rapids crowd he would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, take care of veterans, get rid of Common Core education standards, renegotiate trade deals and pick conservative Supreme Court judges. These issues resonate with Ryan and Kira Markley, 29 and 21. The Cedar Rapids newlyweds think Trump would jump-start an economy that hasnt always been kind to millennials. People nowadays are just trying to get by, said Kira Markley, who does child care. Steve Phelan, 65, of Cedar Rapids, isnt 100 percent sold on Trump. But he likes Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and agrees with a statement the veteran GOP senator made earlier this week, according to Iowa Public Radio that hes more likely to help Trump on the ballot in Iowa than Trump will help Grassley. Thats probably true, Phelan said. Trump acknowledged in The Gazette interview that Grassley, who was not at Thursdays rally because of a schedule conflict, will be a critical ally in Iowa. He could very well be right, Trump said. But Im leading in the polls right now in Iowa. An average of polls on Real Clear Politics shows Clinton up in Iowa by half a percentage point. More than 100 people protested Trump outside the hotel. Cedar Rapids Police Officer Blake Crutchley said five people were escorted out of the rally after being disruptive. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Andy McGuire in a statement called Trump a volatile, irresponsible candidate. I am confident that, after hearing him speak, Iowa voters will understand that Trump does not have the judgment or the temperament to be entrusted with the most powerful position in the world, McGuire said. Hillary Rodham Clinton has officially accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for president, giving emphasis to the idea Americans are always stronger together. The 69 year-old former Secretary of State's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night was well received and historic. Clinton is the first woman to be nominated as the presidential candidate of a major political party in the United States. Her daughter Chelsea introduced the Democratic nominee during an electrifying final night of the DNC in Philadelphia. President Barack Obama described her speech as "Great." "She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS," Obama said on Twitter. Clinton recalled advice from her late mom, Dorothy, saying, "We lost our mother a few years ago but I miss her every day. And I still hear her voice urging me to keep working, keep fighting for right. She never let me back down from any challenge...she was right. You have to stand up to bullies." "Every generation of Americans has come together to make our country freer, fairer, and stronger. None of uscan do it alone," she reminded her fellow Democrats. Clinton didn't spare her rival and vehement critic Donald Trump. She said Trump is not offering real change but empty promises. She called on her countrymen to put themselves in the shoes of young black and Latino people who face the effects of systemic racism and feel their lives are disposable. "I refuse to believe we can't find common ground here," Clinton said. "We have to heal the divides in our country." "Yes, the world is watching what we do. Yes, America's destiny is ours to choose. So let's be stronger together my fellow Americans!" she added as she wrapped up her remarks to a standing ovation. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News DAVENPORT Donald Trump told a Davenport audience Thursday that if Hillary Clinton is elected, she would approve a trade deal with a dozen Pacific Rim nations that would be devastating to Iowa and the rest of the country. Trump was making his first general election appearance in Iowa, a battleground state with six electoral votes. He made stops in Davenport and Cedar Rapids. Trumps appeals to voters on trade could have some resonance in eastern Iowa, which has a strong manufacturing heritage. The Republican presidential nominee has argued that he would make better deals than politicians not only on trade but also on foreign policy. He again complained Thursday that partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization arent paying their fair share. Im going to make phenomenal deals, Trump told the crowd of 2,500 people. On trade, Trump has tried to appeal to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost a primary battle with Clinton but roused progressives by criticizing trade deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Sanders has since endorsed Clinton. Clinton initially praised the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but she came out in opposition to it last fall during the Democratic primary. Trump told the Davenport crowd that Clinton would eventually sign it, however, pointing to comments this week from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton ally, who said he thought she would do so. McAuliffes remarks were disavowed by the Clinton campaign. It will be approved. I hope you dont have to get to watch because that means that we as a movement are gone. And this country is going to be a mess, maybe forever, Trump said. That will make NAFTA, for Iowa and for other places, like baby stuff. So you cant do it. TPP is a disaster. Trumps trade policies arent exactly in step with many Republicans, including some of those who were at the Adler to speak on his behalf. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has said the TPP would help the states agriculture industry. Branstad didnt mention trade in his remarks to the crowd at the Adler but he touted Trumps candidacy. And he said Democrats have abandoned working people, and theyve abandoned middle America. They are now the party of the establishment, the elite in Washington, D.C., the national media and Hollywood. In addition to Branstad, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann joined Trump at the rally. Trumps speech lasted a little more than an hour and he covered a lot of territory. He criticized the Affordable Care Act, federal regulations, speakers at the Democratic National Convention and the Obama administrations nuclear deal with Iran. He noted his second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, and he even took time to praise the balcony of the Adler Theatre, the likes of which he said couldnt even be found in New York. Trumps remarks were punctuated frequently with supportive shouts from the crowd. And at times, the audience reacted to the mention of Clintons name with the chant lock her up, a call that was prevalent at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week. Francisco Maez, a child welfare worker from Monmouth, Illinois, said Trump is his choice for president because hes putting America first. He also said he thinks he would be a good negotiator. He seems pretty tough, Maez said. Hes an alpha male. Patti Lawson, a school bus driver from Alpha, Illinois, said she, too, is backing Trump. I think hes a do-er, Lawson said. I think hes the type to get things done. Lawson added Trump has sometimes gone too far with what he says. I think he kind of has foot-in-mouth disease a little bit, she said, but she added she thinks added emotion is behind many of his remarks and he doesnt really mean it to be as cruel as it sounds. Iowa Democrats greeted Trumps arrival in Iowa with a statement from members of the partys delegation to the national convention. It called Trumps rhetoric divisive and hateful. HAMPTON Alliant Energy officials offered new details on a proposed wind farm expansion south of Hampton in a meeting with Franklin County officialsofficials Friday morning. On Wednesday, the company announced its proposed $1 billion expansion of Whispering Willow Wind Farm in Franklin County. The initial proposal calls for an expansion west of the current wind farm, slated to produce about 200 megawatts of energy, said Ben Lipari, Alliant Energys senior manager for project development. UPDATE: Alliant announces $1 billion Franklin County wind farm expansion CEDAR RAPIDS Alliant Energy announced Wednesday a $1 billion expansion of a wind farm just Lipari said if approved, the construction phase would employ 300 construction workers on the site. Additional jobs would be created in a ripple effect with contractors and other construction during the course of the project, he said. If approved, Lipari said the company plans to finalize its design and have a construction proposal ready in 2017. Construction would begin in spring 2018, with the wind farm going into operation in early 2019, he said. Once construction is completed, Alliant officials estimated it would have a staff about equal to Whispering Willow Wind Farm currently between 16 to 20 employees, including eight Alliant workers and nine contract employees. Company officials said they want to build within their current land agreements. They plan to hold a meeting for public input in August, as well as a separate meeting with landowners. Neither date has been set. County officials praised the announcement. Its extremely good for Franklin County, said Supervisor Gary McVicker. It helps us get over the loss of the Prestage pork plant. Whispering Willow Wind Farm, which spans 33,000 acres, began commercial operation in late 2009 and boasts 121 turbines with a capacity to generate 200 megawatts, or enough to power about 50,000 homes, according to the utilitys website. Alliants five-year plan is to add up to 500 megawatts to the wind farm. The project will generate tens of millions of dollars in property taxes and result in more than 1,500 jobs at the height of construction, according to a statement issued Wednesday. Alliant is seeking regulatory approval for the Whispering Willow expansion and will possibly develop wind energy in other parts of the state, according to Alliant Chief Executive Officer Patricia Kampling. It is part of a five-year project but Alliant is seeking approval now to maximize the the value of renewable energy tax credits, she said. The company also plans to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent from 2005 to 2030. This is the second major expansion of wind energy enterprises in Iowa in the past three months. In April, MidAmerican Energy, which serves parts of North Iowa, announced a $3.6 billion plan to add 1,000 wind turbines in Iowa. 50% of Indian mobile users wish to upgrade to new device in 5G era About 50 per cent of smartphone users in India plan to buy a new device within the first year as 5G ... BELMOND A plat book publishing company in Belmond has filed an open records complaint against Hancock and Dubuque counties over alleged overcharging for geographic information system (GIS) files. Kelly Corkill, plat information coordinator for Farm & Home Publishers, filed the complaints. She claimed the fees the counties are charging for access to those electronic files are in excess of actual cost to the counties. The Hancock County Auditors Office gave her a $1,396 quote for the data she was seeking, while the quote from the Dubuque County Auditors Office was for $5,100, according to the complaints. Last week the Iowa Public Information Board approved an order to consolidate the two complaints and accept them. The order states IPIB staff will work with the parties to reach an informal resolution. Hancock County Attorney David Solheim said the countys procedure for charging for access to GIS data is modeled after policies in other counties throughout the state. He said he is unfamiliar with the mediation process to resolve open records complaints, but in this case it might involve changes to how all Iowa counties charge for GIS data. When contacted for an interview, Corkill referred the Globe Gazette to Farm & Home Publishers CEO Cliff Sheakley. Sheakley did not respond to a phone message the Globe left for him last week or an email the Globe sent this week. If Dajuan Harris Jr. is underrated, its not by those at Kansas A 24-year-old male has been charged for attempting to rape his ex wife. Confirmed by the Police Media officer, Maotaoalii Kaioneta Kitiona, the alleged incident happened in Savaii. The complainant was the defendants wife but they have been separated for a long time now. According to the Police, the accused man met the complainant on 9 July in the morning and tried to rape her. On that same day, the woman lodged a complaint with the Police. The man was found and arrested right away. He remains in custody until his hearing. MOSCOW (AP) Donald Trump has refused to condemn Russia's military takeover of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, saying if elected he would consider recognizing it as Russian territory, in the latest of a series of statements that have raised eyebrows about the Republican candidate's intentions toward the Kremlin. "We'll be looking at that. Yeah, we'll be looking," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. Accepting Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea would be a radical departure from U.S. policy. The United States and the European Union worked together to punish Russia by imposing economic sanctions and have shown no willingness to lift them. Even Belarus, Russia's closest ally and neighbor, did not recognize the annexation. While Trump has sided with Putin on a wide range of issues, Putin has not openly backed the Republican nominee and the Kremlin denies interfering in the U.S. electoral process. Hillary Clinton's campaign claimed that Russia was behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee computers as part of an effort to undermine her candidacy. Although the Russians "will keep their mouths tightly zipped until Election Day," they clearly prefer Trump, said Wayne Merry, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and former diplomat who spent six years at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. "They don't know exactly what to expect from Donald Trump, but they think two things about him: One, that he has a number of advisers who they see as being relatively open-minded if not sympathetic about Russia. And second, they see him as a deal maker," Merry said. "When they look at Hillary Clinton they see somebody they really do not like." On the personal level, Clinton is not the type of leader that Putin likes to deal with, said Mikhail Zygar, a Russian journalist and author of "All the Kremlin's Men." "We cannot imagine them sitting in the pub, drinking beer, or vodka, or whiskey or whatever," he said of Clinton and Putin. "We cannot even imagine them going to the theater or cinema together: They have so little in common, they have no topics to chat about, and that's the very important thing for Putin." "For him, it's very important to be respected and to be treated as a world leader, and to have his own agenda." Here is a look at some of the issues where the views of Putin and Trump coincide: NATO AND THE BALTICS NATO's eastward expansion has long been a sore spot for Putin, who has accused the Western military alliance and the United States of violating what he said were informal agreements not to encroach upon Russia's borders. Russia's support for separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea spooked Eastern Europe, especially the Baltic nations that were once part of the Soviet Union. In 2014, NATO created a rapid-reaction force to protect its most vulnerable members against a confrontation with Russia. Putin has decried the build-up. In sharp contrast to the assurances made by Clinton and the current U.S. administration, Trump has suggested that under his leadership the United States might abandon its NATO military commitments. In an interview with The New York Times last week, Trump said he would decide whether to protect the Baltic states against Russian aggression based on whether those countries "have fulfilled their obligations to us." SYRIA Putin is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been accused of targeting civilians in Syria's ongoing civil war. Western nations including the United States insist that as part of a political transition Assad should step aside. The future of the Syrian president has been a major stumbling block in Syria talks between Moscow and Washington, with Russia insisting that Assad can only be removed through an election. Trump, however, has expressed his opposition to regime change in Syria and said the U.S. and Russia should focus on working together to destroy the Islamic State group. BREXIT On the morning after Britain voted last month to leave the European Union, Putin sought to sound neutral, warning of the "traumatic effect" of the vote. Russia watchers, however, believe that Moscow wants Britain, one of its severest critics in Europe, to leave the EU and relishes any development that could weaken the 28-nation bloc. Trump, however, saluted the British vote, saying "they took back their country, it's a great thing." CLINTON "Crooked Hillary Clinton is unfit to serve as president of the U.S.," Trump tweeted this month. "Her temperament is weak and her opponents are strong." Just like Trump, Putin has been keen to dismiss Clinton as weak because she is a woman. Responding to Clinton's remarks comparing his actions in Ukraine to those of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Putin said in an interview with the RT channel in December: "It's better not to argue with women." "Mrs. Clinton wasn't known for an elegant turn of phrase before," Putin said. "When people cross certain boundaries, the bounds of propriety, it speaks of their weakness, not their strength. But weakness is not a bad quality for a woman." The Japan Trade and Investment Mission at Taumeasina Island Resort yesterday provided an avenue for small businesses to build bridges with potential markets in Japan. Led by Japan Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masakazu Hamachi, the mission saw the exchange of information as well as discussions about investment opportunities for the two countries. Small businesses and local farmers were part of the seminar. Among them was the Samoa Coconut Cluster Company, which focuses mainly on virgin coconut oil. Owned by local farmers, Edwin Tamasese, Alo Kolone Vaai and Isaako Aipovi, the trio realised the value of virgin oil and decided to start up the business. We knew there is a big market for V.C.O. (virgin coconut oil) overseas, said Alo Kolone. We all used to be with W.I.B.D.I. (Women in Business) and then we decided to work on this but by using machineries and technology to make the oil. It is pure coconut oil unlike the refined one. The difference as Alo pointed out, V.C.O. is raw and pure as opposed to the other coconut oil. With interest from overseas, the small business is still waiting for their organic certification before they can resume exporting the product overseas. In the meantime, Alo said the talks with Japan will be a great chance for them to promote their product. We already have interest from Japan but this is bigger because its the government of Japan involved and their other big businesses, he said. We are hoping to expand our market on that side. Also at the seminar is Alos sister, Vicky Va'ai who was promoting her own coconut jam. Owner of Heavenly Water, Ms. Vaai said the coconut jam is an additional and new product for the company. While the coconut jam has already secured its market in New Zealand, Ms. Va'ai saw the Japan mission as a window of opportunity to reach out to another audience. In didnt take long for Ms.Va'ai to set up her stall outside the seminar before she received some positive feedback from the Japanese delegation. Part of the feedback was that they are very conscious about the product and its size, she said. They were interested in smaller jars and it gave me an idea to look at ways to improve the product. On the government level, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peseta Noumea Simi said the mission will prepare businesses in terms of market access. She added that while there are many challenges faced by small businesses, the talks will discuss ways forward. Samoas newest internet service provider, NetVo Samoa Ltd, is officially being launched today. The company promises Samoas most advanced 4G L.T.E network to provide the fastest, most reliable and affordable internet services in Samoa. NetVo is the company that took TV-1 Samoas programming global to an online audience and has been providing high quality internet and network services to numerous government agencies and business client's over the past year on their private point to point network. The official launch will start with a ribbon cutting ceremony at their premises at the Gold Star Building in Matafele, Apia, followed by promotional activities for the public until 1pm and wrap up with the official Corporate Launch event on Saturday evening. NetVo was founded by Stephen Sua Leota, President and C.E.O and the Sua Leota family to provide Samoans with the most modern communications network available. In 2014, Stephen partnered with On Call Communications, a U.S. based Satellite Communications Company, to bring in satellite connectivity to Samoa and to build a 4G /LTE network to deliver fast, reliable Internet access. On Call has been providing cutting edge technology in the United States for over 25 years to government and broadcast clients. I believe that top quality internet access will provide Samoans with more career opportunities, the chance to expand their businesses, increase international trade, improve health care and help families stay connected with loved ones who live far away, said Mr. Leota. NetVo owns and operates their own satellite network and gateway to provide robust access to the internet. This provides NetVo complete control of the service quality all the way to the subscribers device, in doing this they can maintain a faster and more consistent connection. For the user this means a superior user experience. This technology provides Samoans with easy, reliable access at an affordable price supporting business development, personal communications and government services. This will allow NetVo to achieve its Vision: to empower all Samoans to access communications, education and business opportunities through a reliable, high speed wireless Internet network. This vision, and NetVos motto, Amazing is what we do represents the professional, fun, community oriented nature of NetVo and its staff. Although they take the work they do seriously, they want to be the most helpful and welcoming company in Samoa with the best customer service and happiest customers. Initial internet connectivity and services will be available in Apia urban areas. All of their services are available on their website www.netvo.ws, over the phone 29333 or at their headquarters in the Gold Star building in Matafele, Apia. MASON CITY | A 16-year-old from Waterloo has been charged with the sexual abuse of a child under the age 12 in Cerro Gordo County. The criminal complaint charging Matthew Stickley with second-degree sexual abuse, a Class B felony, was filed this week by Assistant Cerro Gordo County Attorney Nichole Benes. The alleged offense took place in December, according to the complaint. Stickley was 15 at the time. An arrest warrant has been issued for Stickley. District Court Judge Rustin Davenport said to his knowledge Stickley had not been arrested as of Friday afternoon. Stickley's arraignment is set for Aug. 9. Mary Pieper Marist Brothers School at Mulivai was forced to close early yesterday. The decision was made for health reasons, the School Principal, Tualasea Kalala Samuelu told the Weekend Observer. A foul smell alleged to have originated from the burnt Chan Mow Wholesale at Togafuafua forced the closure. Tualasea said call was a precaution for the health of the students. While students were already dropped off early in the morning yesterday by parents, the teachers gathered the students at the hall before they were dismissed. The foul smell is inside the classrooms affecting students, said Tualasea. Its not just the classrooms on this side (near Chan Mow) the wind is carrying it around affecting the whole school. So we gathered the students this morning in the hall and decided it was not safe to continue school with the smell. We made a decision to close school earlytheir parents were contacted and some teachers were able to provide transport and take other children to the bus stops. Asked when the school will resume, the Principal said the students have been informed to return to school on Monday. If the smell is still bad on Monday then we will have to make another decision then, said Tualasea. She added that the Ministry of Health had been informed about the stench and had assured they will be down at the area to investigate. There are 687 students attending the Marist Brothers School. The stench is alleged to come from burning meat from the fire that ruined the wholesale on Monday. Other businesses nearby are also affected by the foul smell. Some employees from the nearby businesses were seen wearing masks at work. Think a minuteA famous painting shows a king making a chain from his crown, and a slave making a crown from his chain. Underneath the painting are these words: Life is what one makes it, no matter of what it is made. We each were born with certain abilities, but it is up to us whether we fully use them or not. Are you making the most of what youre made of? Do you give it all youve got? A young man I know named Bob was born with ordinary abilities, but he is living an extraordinary life because of his self-discipline, courage, and faith. When he was only 15-years-old Bob battled cancer for several years. He and his family had to move to another city where the hospital and doctors specialized in childrens cancers. But Bob never gave up! Eventually he won his fight against this deadly disease. In school Bob always had to work harder in his studies than other students, yet he went on to attend one of Americas top universities. After graduating from university, he had to study harder than ever to qualify for medical school. But again, Bob did his part and gave it all he had. Today he is a medical doctor who plans to help the sick in poor Third World countries. How about you? Do you respond to your challenges like Bob? In your life do you give it all youve got? Remember, its not how well you start, but how well you finish that counts. When you die, the question is not How big was your house?, but How big was your heart?. How well did you play your God-given part? Remember, God will do for you what you cannot do for yourself, but He will not do for you what you can do. You must choose to play your part and give all youve got to your character, your marriage, your children, your job and career, your studies, etc. But it all begins with giving all youve got back to your Maker, so He can help you make the most of everything He gave you. From this day forward, wont you ask Jesus to take full charge of your heart and way of living? His way is the only way you can make your life all He intended it to be. Just think a minute NORA SPRINGS Make-a-Wish Iowa is set for its annual Wish Ride on Saturday, July 30. The 13th annual event will start at the Nora Springs Fire Department at 42 N. Hawkeye Ave. in Nora Springs, featuring its motorcycle and classic car ride. The event event will end at the at the Harley-Davidson dealership in Mason City. Registration will be held from 10 a.m to 12 p.m at the Nora Springs fire station. The cost is $40 per rider, $35 in advance. All proceeds from the ride benefit Make-a-Wish Iowa. Before the event, the Nora Springs Fire Department will host an omelette feed from 8 a.m. to noon Omelettes are $5 each. All proceeds from the breakfast will benefit the Fire Department. After the ride, there will be a hog roast at Harley-Davidson of Mason City. It will also feature a silent and live auction. Typically the ride sees at least 50 to 60 riders. The event is one of the organizations largest fundraisers, event co-chair Nancy Lund said. The average wish for a terminally ill child or one facing a life-threatening disease costs $10,186, according to Lund. We never want to say no to a child with a life-threatening condition, she said Their goal is to give something to look forward to when they have some pretty dark days, she said. Those interested in volunteering can call 515-334-2636. More information is also available at the North Iowa Wish Ride page on Facebook. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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 Dean Dishinger OSAGEDean N. Dishinger, age 78, of Osage, died Wednesday, July 27, 2016, at Mercy Medical CenterNorth Iowa in Mason City. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home in Osage with Father Raymond Burkle officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Riceville, Iowa, with military honors at the grave by Osage American Legion Post 278. Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home. Dean was born Feb. 20, 1938, near Little Cedar, Iowa, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Goergen) Dishinger. He attended schools in Little Cedar and Riceville. Dean served in the U.S Army from September 1961 to Aug. 31, 1967, when he received an honorable discharge. He farmed south of Riceville until his move to Osage in 1982. Dean was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Osage American Legion. He enjoyed being with family and friends and riding his moped. Dean is survived by a brother, Ronald (Gloria) Dishinger of Osage; a sister, Delores Brockney of Mason City; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Harold Dishinger and Donald Dishinger, who died at the age of two; and two sisters, Gladys Petty and Matilda Tilly Quiggle. Information available and condolences accepted at www.champion-bucheitfuneralhome.com. Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, 641-732-3706. Zurich, Switzerland -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/29/2016 -- For those who want to increase their security while transacting with bitcoins, that CryptoMixer GmBH is offering a quality bitcoin mixer service may be a great news. CryptoMixer GmBH points out that they are a part of the Bitcoin community. 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Those who transact with bitcoins will have to provide their names and addresses to the sellers for delivery purposes. This means third parties can track activities and future transactions of these people. In other words, those who transact with bitcoins have to compromise on their security and privacy. It is for avoiding this, CryptoMixer GmBH says they are offering high-quality bitcoins mixer services. By exchanging bitcoins, users can transact with "clear bitcoins" because mixing of bitcoins will provide them with extra security. CryptoMixer GmBH also allows users to use two or more forward addresses and also convenient time delays. They delete all archival logs related to the transactions of their customers immediately. About CryptoMixer GmBH CryptoMixer GmBH, that is a part of the Bitcoin community, is offering a quality bitcoin mixer service for increasing the security of those who transact with bitcoins. 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Contact person: David Wein https://cryptomixer.io/ Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/29/2016 -- The report "Dry Type Transformer Market by Technology (Cast Resin, Vacuum Pressure Impregnated), by Phase (Single-Phase, Three-Phase), by Voltage (Low, Medium), by Application (Industrial, Commercial, Others), by Geography - Global Forecast to 2020", provides a detailed overview of the major drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges impacting the global dry type transformer market along with the estimates and forecast of the revenue and market share analysis. Browse 106 tables and 67 figures spread through 131 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Dry Type Transformer Market Global Forecast to 2020" Request for Sample: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsample.asp?id=193779200 The global dry type transformer market is expected to reach USD 5.38 Billion by 2020 from USD 4.16 Billion in 2015, at a CAGR of 5.3%. The dry type transformers market is driven by the increasing demand of energy, reduction of fire hazards, and need to adopt safe methods to distribute electricity for residential and commercial use. Besides, there is no fire protection requirement for dry type transformers, thereby, resulting it to be environmentally safe. However, high costs and lack of governmental investments towards grid expansion and stability may hinder the growth of this market. Globally, several renewable energy and grid upgrade projects are under progress, therefore, the dry type transformers are preferred as they are environment-friendly and offer high-level of safety. Asia-Pacific is the major contributor to the dry type transformers market. The major drivers for the dry type transformers market are increasing demand from emerging economies such as India and China, large number of ongoing grid restructuring & expansion projects, ands smart grid projects. The countries in RoW, such as Iran and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in the expansion and restructuring of power and distribution grids, which is offering high growth prospects for the dry type transformer market. On the basis of technology, the market is divided into Cast Resin, and VPI. The Cast Resin segment is expected to account for the largest share of the global dry type transformer market by 2020. On the other hand, the VPI segment is expected to witness the growth rate of 4.8% during the forecast period. On the basis of phase types, the market is divided into single phase and three phase transformers. On the basis of voltage, market is categorized into medium voltage and low voltage .The geographic segments included in this report are North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW). Major players in this market include Hammond Power Solution Inc. (Canada), ABB Ltd.(Switzerland), Siemens AG (Germany), General Electric (U.S.), Jinpan International Ltd.(China), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Schneider Electric (France), TBEA Transformer Industrial Group (China), Eaton Corporation (Ireland), Crompton Graves Ltd. (India), and Voltamp Transformer Ltd.(India). Make an Enquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=193779200 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is world's No. 2 firm in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India 1-888-600-6441 sales@marketsandmarkets.com Website: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com A group of Japanese entomologists has described and named four new species of the ant genus Pheidole from the tropical rainforests of Papua New Guinea and the Fijian islands. Pheidole is a highly diverse genus of ants, with over 1,000 species recognized so far. The genus has the common name of big headed ants, as Pheidole soldier ants usually have huge heads and jaws to break up large food items. Dr. Eli Sarnat, Dr. Georg Fischer and Dr. Evan Economo from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University incorporated phylogenetic results and a cutting edge 3D imaging technique to identify and model ants in the Pheidole cervicornis group. We present our research on the most spinescent of all 1,000 plus Pheidole known to science, they said. We used 3D X-ray microtomography to illustrate these extreme phenotypes, and to investigate the functional morphology of spinescence. Amongst the Pheidole ants, the scientists discovered two new, highly adorned, dragon-like species P. viserion and P. drogon with distinctive large spines protruding from their dorsal plates. The scientific name of Pheidole drogon refers to Drogon, the black-colored dragon of Daenerys Targaryen, a fictional character from the George R. R. Martins novel A Song of Ice and Fire and TV series Game of Thrones. The name of Pheidole viserion refers to Viserion, the cream and gold colored dragon of the same fictional character. Entomologists previously assumed that the spiky appearance of certain ant species was a defense mechanism. However, the team used micro-CT to reveal that in soldier ants of Pheidole viserion and P. drogon, neck spines contain muscle fibers. Muscles in the spines may help these ants to hold up their massive heads, the researchers said. They have documented their discovery in a paper published in the journal PLoS ONE. In a related study, they described two additional new species of ants from the Pheidole knowlesi species group found in the Fijian Islands. In contrast to their highly adorned New Guinean relatives, Pheidole ululevu and P. kava have a much less dramatic appearance, and were named after their large head and a drink from the Pacific Islands, respectively. _____ Sarnat E.M. et al. 2016. Inordinate Spinescence: Taxonomic Revision and Microtomography of the Pheidole cervicornis Species Group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). PLoS ONE 11 (7): e0156709; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156709 Fischer G. et al. 2016. Revision and Microtomography of the Pheidole knowlesi Group, an Endemic Ant Radiation in Fiji (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae). PLoS ONE 11 (7): e0158544; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158544 These snails are pale as a ghost and may soon end up that way but scientists from the worlds oldest conservation group are determined to save the last of their species in Asias frantic race for economic development. The bizarre creatures live deep within the karst landscape of Hon Chong in southwest Vietnam, a highly biodiverse area of limestone hills and caves that faces severe threat from quarrying by cement companies. Limestone, a nonrenewable resource, is a key raw material for cement. Vietnam is the largest cement producer in South-East Asia, with 58 integrated cement plants producing 91.4 metric tonnes a year, while Indonesia is a far second, with 15 integrated plants and 63.1 metric tonnes of production capacity. [1] We believe nowhere else on earth is there such a high concentration of species that faces such intense risk. Tony Whitten, FFI However, as Vietnam rides a construction boom into karst regions, environmental impact assessments have rarely taken into account the ecologically unique nature of limestone areas or the profound consequences of extracting limestone with respect to biodiversity. [2] Destruction in Hon Chong In Hon Chong, cement companies have already destroyed an estimated 42 per cent of Hon Chongs limestone hills, according to Fauna & Flora International (FFI), a conservation organisation founded in 1903 which operates in 40 countries. Only 258 hectares remain of what was once a 447-hectare archipelago comprising 17 habitat islands housing an array of endemic species, where many of the cave-dwellers have evolved without eyes because these are no longer needed. [3] As a result, the remaining limestone peaks of Hon Chong now house at least 31 threatened species, of which six are critically endangered, reports the FFI, which played a key role in the establishment of major conservation bodies like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). We believe nowhere else on earth is there such a high concentration of species that faces such intense risk the scale of the likely extinctions if cement companies continue their activities unchecked is really quite shocking, says Tony Whitten, FFI Asia-Pacific regional director and a former biodiversity specialist at the World Bank, referring to the findings of the IUCNs Cave Invertebrate Specialist Group, which he co-chairs. Whitten explains that the isolated nature and the extreme conditions often found within karst or limestone ecosystems have created the perfect recipe for high biodiversity. It is thus not unusual for a single hill or cave to be home to species not found anywhere else. Some cave species have become blind or wingless and cannot survive outside the cave or soil where they have evolved. In the case of the Hon Chong ghost snail, from the endangered species of Macrochlamys, it is known only from two Hon Chong caves. About half of the snails original range has already been lost and the remainder faces potential threats from quarrying. Another snail species discovered a year ago on a single hill in the area is probably extinct now because the hill is being quarried, notes Jaap Vermeulen, a biologist and geologist who led a team of scientists in 2014-2015 to survey plant and invertebrate biodiversity in 25 limestone hills at Hon Chong. Another snail species discovered a year ago on a single hill in the area is probably extinct now because the hill is being quarried. Jaap Vermeulen Vermeulen tells SciDev.Net that one remnant of a hill being quarried includes a sinkhole, an environment not present elsewhere in the area, with probably a rich biodiversity. Another hill harbours a substantial population of the Indochinese silvered langur, an endangered primate species. More than 30 assessments of Hon Chongs threatened endemic species have been posted online at the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide. Calls for a nature reserve The cement companies responsible for these threatened extinctions are mostly state-owned but one is a joint venture with Holcim Vietnam, a member of the LafargeHolcim group, one of the worlds largest cement suppliers. The International Finance Corporation, the World Banks private sector arm, provided US$97 million financing to build Holcim Vietnams huge cement plant in Hon Chong, despite warnings in 1995 by Louis Deharveng, an entomologist with Frances National Museum of Natural History,that no comparable ecosystem exists elsewhere in Vietnam. [4] Recent reports indicate Holcim Vietnam is considering pulling out of Vietnam because of cement oversupply in the domestic market. State-owned Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation, which holds 35 per cent stake in Holcim Vietnam, is set to buy it out. However, this arrangement may do little to change the business-as-usual situation at Hon Chong. While Holcim Vietnam has cooperated with IUCN on some proposals for biodiversity management of its quarries, which include mapping the distribution of threatened plants and wildlife, FFI contends that few effective actions have been taken to avoid species extinctions. The local government is considering a nature reserve that would give protection to nine of the 34 hills but only a quarter of the Hon Chong species would benefit. To ensure the survival of a considerably larger fraction of the limestone biodiversity, six more hills should be included in the planned conservation area, Vermeulen stresses. In addition, Whitten tells SciDev.Net, I'd like all the cement companies there to reach out and explore the options in a consultative manner for avoidance and minimisation, as first steps in the mitigation hierarchy. If extinctions in the wild are unavoidable, the companies should be open about this. They should also ensure that people are given the chance to rescue the threatened species, and for plans to be put in place for captive populations to be maintained.He says, this sort of decisions can be made at the companies own expense, as has been done in other parts of Asia. He cites the case of cement firm Lafarge in Malaysia, which said it wont quarry a cave area in their concession where an archaic spider (Liphistius kanthan) and a cave gecko (Cyrtodactylus guakanthanensis) are known to live. Another example is Holcim Indonesia, which agreed to a 200-metre buffer around a cave area inside their concession.For Whitten, its been 21 years now since Hon Chongs beleaguered hills were first brought to his attention. Time is fast running out on its remarkable communities of limestone-restricted biodiversity, which the IUCN quotes as probably one of the worst cases on Earth of multi-species extinctions under direct human action.Why is it so important to keep these little creatures alive? I can only give a moral answer, replies Whitten. I dont think it is right to cause the extinction of those which have survived hundreds of millions of years or so. A conscious decision to destroy a species, by continuing with business as usual, is quite a step to take.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets South-East Asia & Pacific desk. The New York City's Bronx Zoo welcomes the smallest penguin of all, the little penguin in its 120-year history. The cutest little penguin is also known as the fairy or blue penguin. The chick emerged on May 10. It is now exhibited and can also be seen on its YouTube channel. Other of the Bronx colony was hatched at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Then it was moved to New York as part of a breeding program, according to CBS News. The zoo officials said that approximately 15 penguins a year hatch at Taronga, making it the most successful little penguin breeding program in the world. Taronga Zoo is also referred as the city zoo of Sydney, South Wales, Australia. It was opened to the public on October 7, 1916. The little penguin is about 33 cm (13 in) in height and 43 cm (17 in) in length. It has a slate-blue plumage. That is why in New Zealand it is called little blue penguin or blue penguin. It can be found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand. They are known as fairy penguin in Australia because of its size. It has Maori name "korora." Meanwhile, Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States. It is also one of the largest zoos in the world. It has 2.15 million visitors every year on average. The zoo has about 265 acres of park lands and naturalistic habitats. It is situated in the Bronx, a borough of New York City in the Bronx Park. The first Samsung Galaxy Note 7 ad hints at a number of new features, which includes water resistance that would make Samsung Galaxy Note 7 the first waterproof device from Samsung's Note series. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Ad The ad does not show what the device looks like. However, it sort of shows a front-facing flash and a fingerprint scanner that is already present in the newer version of the Galaxy S series. The series of complex finger unlocking patterns can be interpreted as a hint toward the possibility of an iris scanner, Techno Buffalo reported. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 features and numerous leaked photos surfaced on the web over the last couple of weeks and now that the ad is out, it seems almost certain that Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be water resistant as it features the same IP68 rating which Samsung Galaxy S7 already has, IB Times reported. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Specs Some rumored specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 include a 5.7 or 5.8-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon chip. The device is suggested to be equipped with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage which is expandable via microSD. It is reportedly integrated with a large battery with fast wireless charging, enclosed in a water resistant and dustproof design. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 ad makes it clear that Samsung will be naming the upcoming flagship Note 7 although it is the sixth phone in the Note series. This is most likely being done to keep the nomenclature of the Note series in line with the S series of Samsung smartphones, which may avoid confusion among its customers. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 release date is also confirmed in the ad. Samsung had previously announced that an "Unpacking" event will be held on Aug. 2 and it now seems that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be the highlight of the event. DARLINGTON, S.C. Tonya D. Flowers of Darlington founded the House of Refuge Outreach Ministry in 2013 to help battered women and children. Since then her services have expanded to include men. A survivor of domestic violence, Flowers initially wanted to provide a place for people to go to talk and be open about the abuse they were experiencing, in order to receive help. She said there was no place in Darlington for these domestic violence victims to go, so she opened the first transitional shelter in the area. By the volumes being so high (of abuse victims), I later established the first road march here in Darlington that is held every year, annually in October, Flowers said. She wanted to bring awareness to domestic violence, a problem that affects so many people. So then, the Lord led me to try to see what I could do to help the clients that were coming, Flowers said. So we partnered with different counseling agencies, drug rehabs, schools. House of Refuge helps clients receive the services they need, whether it is clothing, jobs, legal help, drug rehabilitation, counseling or continuing of education, Flowers said. But its much more than that. Flowers organization helps with the Darlington Soup Kitchen. In May, the nonprofit organization provided over 3,000 canned goods to feed the community through donations from McCall Farms. Flowers said her phone is constantly ringing with people wanting to help. Kevin Brown, chancellor commander for the Knights of Pythias Shining Star Lodge 235, said the organization recently donated to the House of Refuge, too. I ran upon it. I was coming out of the Darlington Historical Commission, and I saw the baby clothes and baby seats (at the building), Brown said. And I always try to do good work in the neighborhood. Thats what charity is about. He said the Knights of Pythias wanted to make sure they left a blessing for Flowers and demonstrate the organization's motto of faith, benevolence and charity. Flowers provides help to teen mothers and even offers parenting classes. The organization provides clothing to the children of Darlington School District and their families if they are in need. These students are identified by school social workers. Burnout victims and homeless individuals can receive clothing and supplies from the House of Refuge if they have proof of their current situation. The community is welcome to shop in the thrift store that is at the House of Refuge office, 104 City Lane, Darlington. Proceeds benefit the organization and the people it serves. Flowers doesnt call her organization a faith-based one because she doesnt want to discriminate. She helps everyone. You have so much thats needed in your community, and you just cant say no sometimes, Flowers said. Its hard saying no when you know someone is in need, and I just cant imagine me reaching out to somebody and they say, No, I cant help you, Flowers said. So we go the extra, extra mile to help others. Flowers said she never imagined shed be running an organization and helping so many people. My initial plan was just partying, partying and getting high. Thats all I wanted to do. I just wanted to party, get high, club, travel, Flowers said. My mind wasnt on helping, praying, none of that stuff. I just wanted to party and hang out. But God said, Not so. Ive got a work for you to do, sister. You can never say what youre going to do and what youre not going to do because you dont know what the Lord has planned for your life. Flowers was able to overcome her addictions and survive her abuse. Now, she said, she wouldnt take anything for what she does. She can relate to the people she helps. I get joy out of being able to help others, Flowers said. This type of work involves a big heart and a lot of quality time and a lot of prayer. The House of Refuge is at 104 City Lane, Darlington. Flowers said she can be contacted at 843-468-8735. The organization accepts donations. FLORENCE, S.C. Lori and Greg Auten were happy to make the six-hour drive to Florence on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, the Tidal Wave Auto Spa investors were on hand to enjoy a ribbon cutting as the franchise at the corner of Irby and Second Loop celebrated joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. This city welcomes us so much, said Lori Auten, who made the trip with her husband from the companys Thomaston, Georgia, headquarters. We couldnt resist coming. Its been four months since the newest Tidal Wave Auto Spa opened in Florence, joining a West Palmetto Street location now being operated by Adam Hammond, who brings 30 years of experience from the restaurant and hospitality industry, the Autens said. Two new locations will soon open in Beaufort and Dacula, Georgia, Greg Auten said. Were growing all over the Southeast, he said, and theres 10 total (new locations) in the permitting process. Central to the companys success is the convenience and ease of a three-minute carwash, Greg said. The carwash offers a blend of custom-made and industry-standard equipment thats constantly being improved upon to give cars a showroom shine. Soaps, polish and conditioners are proprietary, and we use Simoniz hot wax, he said. Theres a certain way to produce a superior product and were always looking to tweak it and make it better. While the Autens are excited to have Hammond take over the West Palmetto Street location, theyre thoroughly pleased with how owner/operator Coty Stevens has been running the other location in Florence. Coty is fantastic, Lori said. She loves it and shes always smiling, even when its 100 degrees. A membership plan for drivers who seek a clean ride all the time has been a key component in spreading the word of Tidal Wave, the Autens say. Theyre our advocates, Lori said. Its part of our advertising because they will tell other people. Shes also proud of the technological advancements their company has made. Theres more than meets the eye, she said. FLORENCE, S.C. Florence City Councilman Robby Hill wants to see a change in how city elections are held specifically the elimination of Democrat and Republican titles on city ballots. On Thursday evening, Hill gathered officials from the states Municipal Association and the Florence County elections office to inform Florentines on exactly what that would mean and why its important. Hill, a Republican who didnt seek re-election this year, has maintained that the partisan election system makes the election cycle longer and costs taxpayers more money since party primaries are almost always brought into the equation. We dont have locked partisanship here in Florence. I researched going back eight years and I couldnt find one partisan council vote but we all have an R or D behind our name, he said. Were accomplishing things and I dont wish for our city to have partisan politics interfering with the success we have had and will have. I think the partisan systems could lead to that. Florence is one of just seven municipalities in South Carolina to hold partisan elections, and studies show about 23 percent of municipalities nationwide are under the partisan system. Tiger Wells, government liaison for the South Carolina Municipal Association, said the association doesnt hold one system over the other but nonpartisan elections do have some advantages for voters. If your focus is spending less money on an election process, there are ways under the nonpartisan form that will get you there in a way you wouldnt see with a partisan election, Wells said. If you wanted to shorten the overall election season, nonpartisan would also be the way to go. The change would have to be approved by the city council before it could take effect. Hill brought up the nonpartisan idea ast year but gained no traction with other members of the city council. Several council members told the Morning News last month that nonpartisan election are good but an election year is not the proper time to change how city elections are run. David Alford, director of the Florence County Board of VoterRegistrations and Elections, said making any changes during an election year would likely confuse voters If theres any movement to be made, it would be better to do so in an off year, Alford said. I don think there are any state laws that restrict you from changing it during an election but this late in the election process you wouldnt want to do anything to confuse voters. Among the delectable tidbits on which Republicans are feasting are these: one male DNC staffer wrote another male staffer saying "I love you" and added "no homo." Another DNC email referred to Latino voters as "taco bowl outreach." Now ousted DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is exposed as a liar for falsely claiming she was not working behind the scenes to defeat Sen. Bernie Sanders and secure the Democratic nomination for Hillary Clinton. DNC chief financial officer Brad Marshall violated what is for Democrats a sacred doctrine of church-state separation when he wrote in an email to DNC CEO Amy Dacey about Sanders' religious beliefs: "Ask his belief. Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist." Dacey replied, "AMEN." Disclosure of this email particularly outraged the Center for Inquiry, a secular group, which issued a statement that reads in part: "We found it appalling that anyone within the Democratic National Committee would casually suggest attacking a candidate for their alleged atheism. Entertaining such a cynical and bigoted line of attack violates any number of basic American principles: It presumes a religious test for holding office, something expressly prohibited in the Constitution." Amen! Of further interest is evidence of collusion between the DNC and the media. Conservatives already believe most journalists favor all things Democrat, and this should help seal the deal in their minds. According to Breitbart, Ken Vogel, a reporter for Politico, sent a copy of a story he wrote to the DNC's deputy communications director before showing it to his editor. "Per agreement," said the subject line. Should reporters be making agreements with a political party? Numerous other examples of the cozy relationship between reporters and the DNC along with examples of media bias can be found at newsbusters.org. Expect the promised additional emails to add more to the public's dislike of journalists. Thanks to WikiLeaks, the unity Democrats had hoped to present to the country at their convention makes last week's Republican convention look like something out of "Robert's Rules of Order." Supporters of Bernie Sanders are right to be outraged. The emails showing the DNC maneuvered to guarantee Hillary Clinton's nomination prove his point. The system IS rigged. Democrat operatives are spinning webs of conspiracy theories, hoping to divert public attention and perception. Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook, is saying Russia hacked DNC emails to help Donald Trump win the election. It makes the conspiracy theory about Sen. Ted Cruz's father helping JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald look tame by comparison. Democrats are desperate to change the narrative from the contents of the emails to who hacked and released them. As in so many other instances, the DNC emails make the Democrats and their numerous media allies look like cynical manipulators of public opinion. It is the modern equivalent of The Pentagon Papers, but unlike those documents, which helped topple a president, the major media can be relied on to do all they can to keep from reporting the most damaging of the emails or make excuses for those who sent them. Perhaps "reporters" will even submit their stories in advance for approval by the DNC. Republicans and Donald Trump have been handed a gift. They should exploit it right up until the election. Readers may email Cal Thomas A federal judge has ruled that John Hinckley Jr., the mentally disturbed man who tried to assassinate my father 35 years ago, will be set free in about a week. Many people, including members of my own family, think its a terrible injustice that Hinckley, now 61, will be allowed to leave the mental hospital and live permanently with his elderly mother in Virginia. I dont. Before I explain, Id like to remind people of what my father said and did in the days following the events of March 30, 1981. When I walked into his hospital room the next day and saw my wounded father, the first thing he said to me, after Good morning, was Michael, if youre ever going to be shot, dont be wearing a new suit. What? I thought to myself. Well, yesterday I was shot. I know, father. I know. Well, I was wearing a brand new suit I had just picked up the day before. And Im telling you, if youre going to get shot dont be wearing a new suit. When I was on the gurney they cut that suit off me and the last time I saw it it was in shreds in the corner of my hospital room. Thats what they do. They cut it off you. My father was only half done with his story. That young man who shot me, John Hinckley Jr., I understand his parents are in the oil biz. Yes they are, Dad. I understand they live in Denver. Yes they do, Dad. Do you think they have any money? Dad, I said, they are in the oil business and live in Denver. Of course they have money. My dad looked at me and said, Well, do you think theyd buy me a new suit? Humor was my dads way of making strangers feel comfortable in his presence. He was the same way with his family. Before my father was well enough to go back to the White House he did something completely serious. He said he had forgiven Hinckley. Not only that, he wanted to go to meet Hinckley face-to-face and tell him that he had forgiven him. Hinckleys doctors didnt think that was a good idea because Hinckley was too mentally unstable, so it never happened. But it proves, as I always like to say, that my father didnt just recite The Lords Prayer, he lived it. A lot of people cant forgive Hinckley even today. They were shocked in 1981 when he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and they were angry when they found out hed become eligible for release some day. Because of Hinckley, the laws were changed. Today if you shoot at the president you stay in prison for life, no matter how crazy you are. Over the years all of us in the families hurt by Hinckley have watched the courts and doctors slowly but surely release him through the mental health system. Hinckleys not a threat to my family or anyone elses. But hes not totally free and never will be. He may not have bars to look through, but he has his own type of jail. People will be watching him all the time. So will the Secret Service. At first I was very upset and angry when Hinckley got off on the insanity defense. How could a person shoot the president of the United States and be allowed to ever have any freedom at all? Fifteen years ago I was still angry. But 15 years later I want to be more like my father and have a forgiving heart, not an angry heart. So at the same time John Hinckley has been set free, maybe I have been, too. NASSAU, Bahamas, July 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Director General in The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Joy Jibrilu, revealed yesterday that the Ministry's aggressive campaign to attract visitors to The Bahamas and strengthen the country's market share is paying dividends. During a press conference in the British Colonial Hilton, Jibrilu, flanked by Permanent Secretary Harrison Thompson and Deputy Director General Ellison 'Tommy' Thompson, noted that the country is seeing increased interest from tourists around the world. Jibrilu revealed that visitor arrivals are trending upward. "In the first quarter of 2016 overall air arrivals to The Bahamas registered an increase of 2.2 percent over the same period last year," she said. "In the first quarter of 2015, our air arrivals numbers were at 375,962. "Between January and March of this year, we received a little over 8,000 more air visitors, or a total of 384,324 for the first quarter of 2016. As we look back at the comparison in spend between air and cruise visitors, we see that we are going in the right direction." While noting that there was a 1.3 percent decrease in cruise passengers in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015, Jibrilu said those numbers are now trending upwards. New Initiatives The Director General also highlighted several key initiatives that The Ministry is spearheading in 2016. The first is the International Women's Empowerment Summit slated for October. "Under the theme, "Empowering Women to Pursue their Dreams," women from around the world and the Caribbean will meet in this forum for two days of transformative presentations and interactions," she said. "A conservative estimate of attendees expected at this Summit is 400 to 500 people. "This conference is another invaluable opportunity for us to showcase the best of our destination to high net worth individuals." On the roster of summit presenters are renowned speakers such as Folorunsho Alakija, Baroness Michelle Mone, Cynthia Garrett, Charlotte Tilbury, and Melissa Odabash as well as several Bahamian speakers." Sixteen new Bahamas Posters were also unveiled, each telling the story of a Bahamas Family Island. Jibrilu stated that the Ministry has crafted a marketing campaign to capitalize on the distinctiveness of each of our major island destinations. She said the idea is really to market the country not as a block but as 16 individual islands. "Airlift is critical to developing our tourism industry and 2015/2016 has proven to be a banner year for the addition of airlift," she said. Noting new connections and added flights from the U.S. and Europe, Jibrilu said the Ministry is aggressively seeking to add as many flights to The Bahamas as it can. "The Ministry of Tourism is actively pursuing negotiations for direct flights to Nassau from Continental Europe and West Coast, USA," she said. As social media continues to be an explosive component of marketing The Bahamas, Jibrilu pointed out the power of "organic advertising" from socialites and celebrities. "Astronaut Scott Kelly's Bahamas tweets from space about the beauty of The Bahamas was a true highlight," she said. "Over 251,000 stories were written globally about this." She also confirmed that Kelly and his family will visit the country in August. Jibrilu also pointed out that The Bahamas continues to be one of the leading countries in the world for weddings. "In 2015, The Bahamas won the World Tourism Award for Leading Wedding Destination," she said. "Building on this reputation the "16 Weddings" invitation promotion, which was launched in Toronto on February 18, 2016, will further solidify The Bahamas as the premier destination for weddings and honeymoons as 16 Canadian couples tie the knot on November 16, 2016 in the 16 islands of The Bahamas." Jibrilu said The Bahamas is a consistent brand that is known throughout the world. "We do not market in Scandinavia. A survey was done, not by us, just to get a sense of the awareness of The Bahamas. Out of that survey 87 percent of people recognized The Bahamas, way above any other country in the region. So that was just the name Bahamas." Jibrilu said the Ministry of Tourism remains resolute to market the country as a destination with diversity and grit. About The Islands Of The Bahamas The Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone from Nassau and Paradise Island to Grand Bahama to The Abaco Islands, The Exuma Islands, Harbour Island, Long Island and others. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles with some of the world's best scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with preclearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar at par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It's Better in The Bahamas. For more information on travel packages, activities and accommodations, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit www.Bahamas.com. Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40945 http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40946 NEW YORK, July 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We are advised by swimsuitsforall that journalists and other readers should disregard the news release, Summer Style is at Your Fingertips Jamberry Nail Wraps and Matching Plus Size Swimsuits Now Available for Purchase at swimsuitsforall issued July 26, 2016, over GlobeNewswire. SMITHFIELD, Va., July 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of WH Group Limited (HKEX: 288), announced today that the company intends to file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 3, 2016 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, August 16, 2016. A copy of the Quarterly Report will be available on the company's website at http://smithfieldfoods.com/investor-relations/sec-filings. The company will host a live conference call and audio webcast on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 8:30 AM ET to discuss the results. Participants can access the call by dialing (800) 230-1092 (United States callers) or (612) 234-9960 (international callers). The call will be webcast at http://www.smithfieldfoods.com/investor-relations/events-presentations and will be archived at this location. A telephone replay will be available at (800) 475-6701 (United States callers) or (320) 365-3844 (international callers) and will be archived for two weeks. The replay access code is 398088. About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com. Rawabi with an 18.7% stake in Vallianz is the second largest shareholder in the OSV owner following Swiber with 25.2% which filed for winding up early on Thursday morning. In a statement to the Singapore Exchange, Sheikh Abdulaziz AlTurki, group chairman of Rawabi and chairman of RVOS said, As a controlling shareholder and business partner of Vallianz, Rawabi would like to express our confidence in the groups business prospects. Through RVOS, the group has grown steadily to become one of the largest offshore support vessel providers in the Middle East region where offshore oil and gas activities continue to be vibrant. The two companies said they continued to seek new long term charter contracts in the Middle East for Vallianz. It is the second time in 24 hours that Vallianz has issued statements saying its business would continue as normal in the wake of Swibers collapse. VERO BEACH, Fla., July 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchid Island Capital, Inc. (the Company) (NYSE:ORC) announced today that it has filed a prospectus supplement under which it may from time to time sell up to $125 million of shares of its common stock through an at-the-market program. The shares of common stock may be offered through Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., a subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE MKT:LTS), and MUFG Securities Americas Inc, as sales agents. Sales are anticipated to be made primarily in transactions that are deemed to be at-the-market offerings, including sales made directly on the New York Stock Exchange or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. Sales also may be made in negotiated transactions. The Company intends to add the net proceeds from sales of the shares of common stock under the program to its general corporate funds, which it may use for new investments in accordance with its investment policy in place at the time of such sales, to repay indebtedness or other general corporate purposes. The shares of common stock sold under the program will be offered under the Companys existing shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The offering of these shares under the program will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus, which will be filed with the SEC. Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus related to this offering may be obtained by contacting Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., 570 Lexington Ave., 11th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by email at prospectus@ladenburg.com, or MUFG Securities Americas Inc., 1633 Broadway, New York, New York 10019, or by email at prospectus@us.sc.mufg.jp. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the offered shares of common stock or any other securities, nor shall there be any sale of such shares or any other securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. About Orchid Island Capital, Inc. Orchid Island Capital, Inc. is a specialty finance company that invests in Agency RMBS that are either traditional pass-through Agency RMBS or structured Agency RMBS. Orchid Island Capital, Inc. has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes. Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including with regard to the Companys potential sales of common stock under the at-the-market program described above and the intended use of proceeds from such sales. Forward-looking statements typically are identified by use of the terms such as believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, plan, continue, intend, should, may or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future performance, taking into account all information currently available to us. No assurance can be given that any or all of the common stock offered under the program will be sold. Sales of the common stock under the program will be subject to numerous possible events, factors and conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and not all of which are known to it. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible to predict those events or how they may affect us. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to, and do not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2016-154 The Securities and Exchange Commission will hold a meeting of the Equity Market Structure Advisory Committee on August 2, beginning at 9:30 a.m. EDT. The Commission established the advisory committee to provide a formal mechanism through which the Commission can receive advice and recommendations on equity market structure issues. The meeting will focus on recommendations related to market quality and customer issues, as well as updates from the subcommittees. The recommendations are available on the SECs website. The meeting will be held at the SECs headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C., and is open to the public. It also will be webcast live on the SECs website, www.sec.gov, and will be archived on the website for later viewing. Members of the public who wish to provide their views on the matters to be considered by the advisory committee may submit comments electronically or on paper. Please submit comments using one method only. Information that is submitted will become part of the public record of the meeting. Electronic submissions: Use the SECs Internet submission form or send an e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov Paper submissions: Send paper submissions in triplicate to Brent Fields, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1090. All submissions should refer to File Number 265-29, and the file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. ### Agenda 9:30 a.m. Welcoming Remarks SEC Chair Mary Jo White, Commissioners, and Division of Trading and Markets Associate Director David Shillman 10:00 a.m. Market Quality Subcommittee Recommendations to the Committee Recommendations Relating to Market Quality 10:10 a.m. Consideration and Discussion of Recommendations Relating to Market Quality James Angel, Associate Professor, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Stacey Cunningham, Chief Operating Officer, NYSE Group Venu Palaparthi, Senior V.P. - Compliance, Regulatory, and Government Affairs, Virtu Financial John Zecca, Senior V.P. - MarketWatch, NASDAQ 11:30 a.m. Lunch 12:30 p.m. Customer Issues Subcommittee Recommendations to the Committee Recommendations Relating to Customer Issues 12:40 p.m. Consideration and Discussion of Recommendations Relating to Customer Issues Bill Alpert, Senior Editor, Barrons Frank Hatheway, Senior V.P. & Chief Economist, NASDAQ Chris Nagy, Director, Healthy Markets Association 2:00 p.m. Break 2:15 p.m. Regulation NMS Subcommittee Status Report to the Committee 2:45 p.m. Trading Venues Regulation Subcommittee Status Report to the Committee 3:15 p.m. Discussion of Next Steps/ Adjournment THEMATIC ISSUES Children and Armed Conflict Expected Council Action In August, the Council is expected to hold an open debate to discuss the Secretary-Generals report on children and armed conflict and its addendum. Malaysia, the chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and this months president, has circulated a concept note for the meeting noting the achievements over the last 20 years and highlighting key developments in the children and armed conflict agenda in 2015 and 2016. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, as well as the Executive Director for the UN Childrens Fund, Anthony Lake, and a civil society representative, are expected to speak. Key Recent Developments The Secretary-Generals annual report, which Council members received informally around 20 April, the date on the report, but which was only made public in early June, covers recent global trends in the impact of armed conflict on children in 2015 and provides updates on grave violations committed against children. The report included several new listings in its annexes for grave violations against children, including for the first time abductions, following the adoption of resolution 2225. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen was listed for the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals, marking the first listing of an international coalition. However, in an unusual turn of events, on 6 June, the Secretary-General decided to temporarily remove the coalition. It was reported that Saudi Arabia had suggested that it might cut its funding to UN entities, and the Secretary-General stated publicly that it is unacceptable for member states to exert undue pressure. While the Secretary-Generals spokesman said that the coalition had been removed pending conclusions of a joint review, the Saudi Arabia ambassador told the UN media that the coalitions removal was irreversible and unconditional. On 8 June, the Saudi-led coalition sent a letter to the Secretary-General requesting an overview of the methodology used to create the numbers in the report as well as information regarding the UNs sources and invited the UN to Riyadh to discuss the report. On 14 July, the Secretary-General discussed the protection of children in relation to Yemens armed conflict report during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in New York. A UN press release following this meeting said that the Secretary-General welcomed the coalitions readiness to take concrete measures to end and prevent violations against children, and hoped that the coalition would be able to provide information on the concrete actions they have taken. In other developments, on 27 March, Sudan became the last of the seven government armed forces listed in the Secretary-Generals annexes to sign an action plan with the UN to end recruitment and use of children by security forces by the end of 2016. The Children, Not Soldiers campaign was launched in 2014 by the Special Representative and UNICEF to end the recruitment and use of children by national security forces by the end of 2016. The report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping (C34), which met from 16 February to 11 March, included a section on children and peacekeeping that covered the role of child protection advisers in peacekeeping missions. It requested a written briefing on the impact of consolidating protection functions on the implementation of mandated protection functions before the next session of the C34. The consolidation of protection functions was rolled out in three missions earlier this year. Zerrougui briefed the South Sudan 2206 Sanctions Committee on 14 March on the increase in grave violations against children as the situation in South Sudan deteriorated. She cited perpetrators, including the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA In Opposition, and called on the Committee to continue to investigate individuals and to pay attention to command responsibility in the context of grave violations against children. In addition, Zerrougui expressed support for the recommendations of the AU Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan for the establishment of accountability mechanisms. Developments in the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict So far in 2016, the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict has only adopted conclusions on the Secretary-Generals report on children and armed conflict in Afghanistan. The conclusions on the report, which was published in May 2015, were adopted on 11 May. The Working Group had several rounds of negotiations on the conclusions to the Secretary-Generals report on children and armed conflict in the Central African Republic, but at press time there was no date for the adoption. Key Issues A key issue is how to ensure that the open debate generates constructive suggestions for progress in the children and armed conflict agenda. An issue in light of the removal of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition is the credibility of the protection of children and armed conflict mandate, particularly in relation to the listing of parties in the Secretary-Generals annexes. There were already concerns about the integrity of the listing mechanism when the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas were originally listed in the draft report in 2015, for violations against children during the conflict in Gaza in 2014, but were removed before it was published. A related issue is what can be done to refine the children and armed conflict mechanism so that it can better address some of todays conflict situations. When the monitoring and reporting mechanism was created ten years ago, violations against children in armed conflict situations were largely attributable to either government forces or non-state actors operating within the country, with a small number such as Al Shabaab and the Lords Resistance Army requiring a regional approach. Neither the wide-reaching impact on children of armed groups espousing violent extremism, nor conflicts involving a coalition of state parties such as Yemen, were factors when the monitoring and reporting mechanism was set up. A number of issues highlighted in the Secretary-Generals report need further consideration by the Council, including the impact on children of displacement as a result of prolonged armed conflict in several regions and the sexual exploitation and abuse of children by uniformed and non-uniformed personnel in peace operations. Difficulty in getting parties to implement action plans and to sign up to some of the newer triggers, such as attacks on schools and hospitals and abductions, is an ongoing issue. The Working Groups productivity continues to be an issue. In 2015, it adopted only one set of conclusions (South Sudan), and so far this year it has only adopted conclusions on Afghanistan. The effect of the consolidation of protection functions in UN missions on the ability of child protection advisers to implement the children and armed conflict mandate is a possible future issue. Options An option for a more constructive open debate is to recommend that members focus on concrete suggestions for how to strengthen the children and armed conflict architecture, particularly in light of recent challenges. Developing a more clearly defined process of working with parties that are close to being listed is an option to prevent the type of controversial removal of parties seen in the last two years. One possibility may be to offer these parties the opportunity to commit to actions that show they have taken steps to end violations. This would possibly lead to a decrease in violations against children as well as make it clear to parties that they are being seriously considered as candidates for listing. In relation to the monitoring and reporting mechanism, an option is to request the Secretary-General to prepare a lessons-learned study of the mechanisms operation during the last ten years, with recommendations that might improve its functioning. An option related to the consolidation of protection functions is to request the Secretariat to provide a briefing to the Working Group early next year on the impact of the consolidation. Council and Wider Dynamics The overall dynamic in the Council has been generally constructive over the last year. This has not necessarily led to greater productivity because of delays in the drafting of conclusions and in the publication of the Secretary-Generals reports. There has been a lack of strong leadership and new ideas from any of the members, making more innovative development difficult. Instead, the approach has been very much business-as-usual even in the face of possible threats to the children and armed conflict mandate, such as the removal of the Saudi-led coalition, which was not taken up by the Working Group. Members might have been uncomfortable discussing the issue as two members of the coalition, Egypt and Senegal, are currently on the Council, and a number of other members have close ties to Saudi Arabia. However, some, for example Uruguay and Venezuela, have voiced their concern over the removal of the coalition from the annexes. UN Documents on Children and Armed Conflict This was a resolution which added abductions as an additional violation to trigger inclusion of a party in the annexes of the Secretary-Generals annual report. This was an open debate focused on the Secretary-Generals annual report on children and armed conflict and the issue of abduction of children. This was the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict. On 6 June, the Secretary-General removed the Saudi Arabia-led coalition from the listing in Annex 1 of the report, where it had been included for the first time. The removal is considered pending until the conclusion of a joint review of the reports findings with coalition members. This was an Addendum to the annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict that removed the Saudi Arabia-led coalition from the section on parties in Yemen of Annex 1 to the report pending review. This was the Working Groups conclusions on Afghanistan. This was the Working Groups conclusions on South Sudan. ASIA DPRK (North Korea) Expected Council Action In August, the chair of the 1718 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Roman Oyarzun (Spain), is due to brief Council members in consultations on the Committees work. Key Recent Developments Pyongyang has maintained its defiant posture following the Councils decision on 2 March in resolution 2270 to expand sanctions against the DPRK (for further details, please refer to our 26 February Whats in Blue story). The DPRK has since conducted missile launches on 10 and 18 March, 27 and 28 April, 31 May, 21 June, and 9 and 19 July. On 4 May, Oyarzun briefed Council members in consultations on the work of the 1718 DPRK Committee. There was also a discussion about the press statement proposed by the US on 29 April in response to the DPRKs failed missile launches on 27 and 28 April. While initially blocked by Russia, the press statement was issued on 1 June. Council members condemned the DPRKs failed missile launches on 27 and 28 April and 31 May, which they said were in grave violation of relevant Council resolutions. They called on all member states to redouble their efforts to implement fully the measures against the DPRK, in particular those contained in resolution 2270, which expanded sanctions on the DPRK, and to report on these efforts to the Council as soon as possible, while also welcoming efforts to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue. At the request of the US and Japan, Council members held consultations on 22 June and were briefed by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca on the medium-range missile launches conducted by the DPRK on 21 June. After several recent failures, the DPRK successfully launched a Musudan intermediate-range missile with a strike range of 2,500 to 4,000 kilometres. The US and Japan said that, in addition, the DPRK unsuccessfully attempted to launch another Musudan missile the same day. The Musudans range allows it to reach targets in the Pacific islands. In a 23 June press statement, members strongly condemned the launches and reiterated the main elements of the 1 June press statement. DPRK sent a letter to the Council president on 25 June, rejecting the press statement as devoid of impartiality and a product of a double standard. At the end of June, the US, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Japan conducted their first joint missile-tracking drill, off the shores of Hawaii. The DPRK called the drill a military provocation. On 8 July, the US and the RoK announced an agreement to install a battery of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system in RoK by the end of 2017. According to RoK officials, a DPRK submarine conducted a failed attempt to launch a ballistic missile on the following day. The DPRK launched two short-range Scud missiles and one Rodong intermediate-range missile on 19 July, in what it called a simulation of pre-emptive strikes against the RoK and US military facilities on the Korean Peninsula. China and Russia expressed their own reservations concerning the THAAD battery deployment, as its monitoring capabilities could potentially cover their territories. Sanctions-Related Developments The 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee agreed on 25 May on a template intended to help member states prepare on a voluntary basis the national implementation reports requested by the Council in resolution 2270 to be submitted by 30 May. The template was circulated to all member states. The Committee also met on 15 June to discuss implementation of resolution 2270. The Committee had before it 36 national implementation reports, about a third of which were based on the template agreed upon by the Committee. Committee members also exchanged views on the recent reports of missile launches by the DPRK. Key Issues A key issue for the Council is the DPRKs growing threat to international peace and security as it continues to develop its nuclear and ballistic-missile capabilities. Another main issue is whether the tightening of sanctions will achieve the stated objectives of preventing the DPRK from making further progress and inducing Pyongyang to engage with the international community on the issue of denuclearisation. A further issue is the need to ensure effective implementation of the new sanctions by all member states, while avoiding adverse humanitarian consequences or negative effects on legitimate livelihood activities, as specified in resolution 2270. Options One option for the Council is to change the format of the chairs briefing from a closed to an open meetingor conduct bothto provide a forum for Council members to publicly express their concerns about the DPRKs actions and remind member states about the importance of implementing resolution 2270. At the Committee-level, the main option is to work closely with the Panel of Experts to assist states with implementation of the new sanctions measures and provide additional guidance, when needed, without delay. A further option is to encourage more member states to submit national implementation reports, particularly by making use of the template adopted by the Committee. Council Dynamics Council members appear united in their concern about the DPRKs continuing provocations and its nuclear and ballistic-missile tests and are closely monitoring the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Nevertheless, there are no signs yet of any changes in Pyongyangs positions or any readiness to stop its weapons programs and engage with the international community. Council members are therefore mostly focused on ensuring full implementation of the new measures by all member states. One particular matter of concern for some member states is the apparently successful test of the Musudan missile on 21 June. Its successful launch is considered a steppingstone for the further development of long-range ballistic missiles that will be able to reach the western US in the future. The US is the penholder on the DPRK. UN Documents on the DPRK This was a resolution extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee, and deciding that the Panels mandate should apply with respect to measures imposed in resolution 2270. This was a resolution condemning in the strongest terms the nuclear test conducted by DPRK on 6 January 2016 and its ballistic missile launch of 7 February 2016, and demanding that it comply immediately with its international obligations. This was a press statement that strongly condemned the medium-range missile launches conducted by the DPRK on 21 June. This was a press statement that condemned the DPRKs failed missile launches conducted on 27 and 28 April and 31 May which were in grave violation of relevant Council resolutions. This condemned the DPRKs failed missile launch. This was a press statement condemning the ballistic missile launches of 10 and 18 March 2016. This condemned the 23 April ballistic missile launch This was a DPRK letter rejecting the Councils 23 June press statement. This was a letter from the Committee chair containing the list of additional prohibited goods. Four ships were delisted following assurances from China that the ships would no longer use crew from the DPRK. This was the Panel of Experts final report. This was a resolution on the human rights situation in the DPRK. This was a report to the Human Rights Council by the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK. In Hindsight: The Informal Expert Group on the Protection of Civilians The informal expert group on the protection of civilians was formed in 2009 at the initiative of the UK, the penholder on the protection of civilians. The group, which continues to meet regularly in 2016, receives briefings from OCHA and asks questions of OCHA and other UN entities on relevant protection concerns prior to the mandate renewals of peace operations. While the expert group is not a formal subsidiary body of the Council, the idea for it grew out of a recommendation in the Secretary-Generals 2007 protection of civilians report, which called for establishing a dedicated, expert-level working group to facilitate the systematic and sustained consideration and analysis of protection concerns, and to ensure consistent application of the aide-memoire for the consideration of issues pertaining to the protection of civilians. (The aide-memoire, which includes a compendium of protection language in Council outcomes, is designed to facilitate the Councils consideration of protection issues in country-specific situations.) The briefings, which are held in a conference room in the Secretariat building, provide an update on key protection concerns in country-specific situations, describe actions taken to address these concerns and offer suggestions for possible language to be incorporated in resolutions based on the aide-memoire. Proposed languageas well as relevant precedents for such language in other country-specific casesis integrated into a building-blocks document focusing on the situation under consideration that is circulated to Council members in hard copy at the outset of each expert group meeting. While tailored to the specific case, the building-blocks documents nonetheless adhere to the same format. They start with a brief overview of key facts and trends related to the protection environment in the country under consideration, followed by a one-page summary of the key recommendations for language in the mandate. After these introductory sections, the document describes the recommended language (and the rationale for these recommendations) under six separate sections: conduct of hostilities and impact of conflict on civilians; human rights violations and abuses; humanitarian access; protection issues related to displacement; gender-based protection concerns, including conflict-related sexual violence; and specific protection concerns pertaining to children. Preparation for these meetings usually begins several weeks in advance. At that time, OCHA solicits input from its staff in the field and from other UN entities to help inform the development of the building-blocks document for the meeting. This input is solicited in the form of questions focusing on key protection concerns since the prior mandate renewal, together with recommendations for Security Council wording on protection of civilians. OCHA may seek clarification on the information provided by other UN entities, as required, while putting together the building-blocks document. An expert group meeting usually occurs three to four weeks prior to the expiration of the mandate of the mission under discussion. This gives Council members sufficient time to consider language suggestions made in the expert group sessions prior to the distribution and negotiation of the draft resolution renewing the mandate in question. It is worth emphasising that resolutions are not negotiated at these meetings. Rather, the meetings are designed to lay the groundwork for upcoming negotiations, preparing the diplomats with the background to consider relevant protection options before they enter into discussions on the mandates of peace operations. Expert-level Council diplomats whose portfolios include the country under discussion and those covering the thematic protection of civilians issue are invited to participate. Most Council members attend these meetings on a consistent basis. China is the one Council member whose diplomats do not attend these meetings, while Russia attends sporadically. Prior to mid-2013, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) was the only other UN entity apart from OCHA to participate in these meetings, but at that time, the UK started to invite other relevant UN representatives to the meetings to answer questions from Council members. Currently, representatives from various UN entitiesDPKO (for discussions on peacekeeping operations), the Department of Political Affairs (for discussions on political missions), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNICEF, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Mine Action Service, the UN Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, the UN Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict and UN Womenfrequently participate in these meetings. The presence of representatives from other UN entities is critical because this makes it possible for Council members to receive informed answers to questions they may have on particular aspects of a mandate from UN officials with relevant expertise. Expert group meetings generally last about two hours. While the meetings are chaired by the UK, OCHA briefs at the outset. Other UN entities are asked if they have any relevant information to add. This is followed by questions from Council members, which are answered by the UN entity or entities best placed to respond. The discussions are meant to be interactive. On rare occasions, the expert group has met to discuss issues not related to mandate renewals. For example, in February 2012 the group held a thematic meeting on the challenges related to humanitarian access. It also met in December 2012 to discuss the proposed African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA), and in November 2013 to discuss UN support for the AU International Support Mission to the Central African Republic. In 2015, the expert group held meetings on several peace operations: UNAMA (Afghanistan), MINUSCA (Central African Republic), MONUSCO (Democratic Republic of the Congo), MINUSMA (Mali), UNMISS (South Sudan) and UNAMID (Darfur). The groups eight meetings in 2015 are relatively consistent with its level of activity in recent years, including 2011 (ten meetings), 2012 (ten meetings), 2013 (11 meetings) and 2014 (nine meetings). So far this year, the expert group has convened seven times regarding the situations in Afghanistan, the CAR, Darfur, the DRC, Iraq, Mali, and Somalia (AMISOM). It appears that the quality of the briefings has improved in recent years. Furthermore, the presence of representatives from a wide array of UN entities to respond to queries and to contribute to the discussion has made the sessions more informative. Members have noted that the forum is a useful mechanism for discussing protection issues on a consistent basis. However, some maintain that more might be done to further engage the participants and enhance the usefulness of the meetings. OCHA is currently exploring ideas to bring in additional voices, including from the field. Visits of relevant protection field officers to UN headquarters could provide opportunities to convene expert group meetings. Employing video-teleconferencing would be another option for enabling members to hear from relevant voices in the field, as the informal expert group on women, peace and security has done. Another option is to expand the range of meetings to include country-specific situations in which the UN (or the AU) does not presently have peace operations, as well as pertinent thematic issues. In 2015, some interest was expressed in holding a meeting on the impact of Boko Haram on civilian populations, although scheduling difficulties prevented the meeting from taking place. The general practice of focusing on peace operations limits the scope of the groups reach, as recent experience has demonstrated that protection concerns can be most dire in places without peace operations. For example, protection concerns were worse in northern Sri Lanka than nearly anywhere else in the world in 2009, and the conflict in Syria, where there was only briefly a military observer mission in 2012, has claimed more than 470,000 lives since 2011. Defining the scope of the expert groups work in relation to concrete needs rather than the form of the UN presence (i.e. a peace operation) would be consistent with the Secretary-Generals recommendation in his most recent protection of civilians report, which encouraged the Councilto consider broadening [the expert groups] agenda to encompass other situations of concern, including where peace operations are not deployed (S/2016/447). A further possibility is to allow agencies other than OCHA to provide the main briefing at some of the meetings, depending on the protection issues most pertinent to the case under discussion. This is a sensitive matter that has given rise to contrasting views. On the one hand, some have argued that the expert group was established primarily as a humanitarian forum, providing an important avenue for OCHA to interact with Council members on the mandates of peace operations, which are managed by DPKO and the Department of Political Affairs. On the other hand, it is often maintained that there is not a clear dividing line between different forms of protectionwhether under the humanitarian rubric or otherwiseand that in crisis situations various protection approaches and strategies need to be integrated. Making the Executive Office of the Secretary-General the Secretariat for the expert group briefings could be one way of enabling the Council to explore the protection of civilians in a more holistic way and mitigate the effects of inter-system tensions. Hello Whole Foods and bye bye Bedford Cheese Shop. Days after the latest location of the organic grocery paradise opened on Bedford Avenue, the longtime neighborhood cheese shop, located cater-cornered across the avenue, announced they were leaving their home of nearly 10 years at North 4th Street and moving to a larger location nearby. But despite the timing, owner Charlotte Kamin insists the bougie supermarket opening "didn't influence [their decision] at all." "I never felt threatened by it, which I know was baffling, but I didn't really feel anything about it, to be honest," Kamin told Gothamist this afternoon. "At first I thought, 'Well, at least it's literally across the corner.' People are more inclined to walk across the street to get more groceries. New York has a very European, provincial model. People go to the bakery for their bread, the butcher for their meat." And, Kamin is betting, the cheese shop for their cheese. Around August 22nd, the shop at 229 Bedford Avenue will shutter, and the team will load out machinerythey'll have to remove the front window to accomplish this, Kamin revealedand transfer to their new home at 265 Bedford Avenue at North 1st, once home to the now-shuttered location of Khims Millenium Market. (Gothamist) Kamin says they've been contemplating a move for about 16 months, knowing their lease would expire and awaiting a decision from their landlord about what the increased rent would be. They found the new, larger space about 8 months ago. "I found it serendipitous that we found another location on Bedford. This is now the second move we've made on Bedford and it's in our name and is karmic." Sometime around August 29th, the new Bedford Cheese Shop will debut, with four times the amount of space as the current shop and a model that's much more similar to their newer Gramercy shop. The new Brooklyn shop will offering tastings and classes, an expanded menu of prepared foods like sandwiches and salads, and the opportunity to collaborate with chefs to throw dinner parties. "We can't sustain with what we've been doing, knowing we need grow," Kamin says of the move. In a farewell (for now) sign posted on the door of their current location, Kamin gives a shout out to frustrated parents and the lack of space for strollers. "It's a response to the dozens of emails I've gotten over the years that people can't get their strollers through the door," Kamin laughs. "One of our doors is always closed, they think it's a personal attack. It's not! Now we have two spacious doors and a ramp." The London-based, hedge fund-backed cosmetics chain Space NK Apothecary is rumored to be signing a lease on the space once the cheese shop vacates. Provincial indeed. EUROPE Kosovo Expected Council Action In August, the Council is expected to hold its quarterly briefing on Kosovo. Zahir Tanin, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), will brief on recent developments and the latest Secretary-Generals report. Serbia will probably participate at a high level, while Kosovo is likely to be represented by its ambassador to the US. Key Recent Developments The overall political situation in Kosovo has remained stable, but political tensions between the government and the opposition parties have continued to undermine the normal functioning of Kosovos institutions. The political crisis reached its peak during late 2015 and early 2016 when members of the opposition disrupted the work of the legislature on several occasions by activating tear gas and smoke bombs in the chamber. In March, the three main opposition parties started their boycott of the work of the Assembly of Kosovo in an effort to voice their strong objection to several pieces of legislation which were pending approval of the Assembly. On 9 June, the largest opposition party, Self-determination, decided to end the boycott. The border demarcation agreement with Montenegro is the most contentious issue currently dominating political debate in Kosovo. Signed during the 2015 EU-Western Balkans summit in Vienna, the agreement defines the official border between Kosovo and Montenegro. The government, led by Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, has continually repudiated the oppositions claims that Kosovo will lose part of its territory as a result of the agreement. Montenegros parliament has already ratified the agreement, while the Assembly of Kosovo has yet to give its approval. The ratification of such an agreement by Kosovos legislature would require the support of a two-thirds majority, which means that the ruling government coalition would still need the support of some members of the opposition. Following a request by some legislators, the Assembly has agreed to discuss the agreement in a debate on 3 August, although no date has been set for the formal vote on the matter. The opposition is expected to participate in these discussions. During her meeting with Kosovo president Hasim Thaci in Brussels on 22 June, Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, urged Kosovo to ratify the border demarcation agreement. Together with reform of the justice system and adoption of anticorruption measures, the implementation of the agreement is one of the key EU conditions for visa liberalisation measures for Kosovo citizens. The opposition has been equally vocal in its resistance to the 25 August 2015 agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, which among other things, mandates the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities (ASM/CSM) in northern Kosovo. The opposition claims that the creation of these local self-governing units would increase the risk of secession. Though the agreement was signed almost a year ago, there has been little progress on actual implementation. In June, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci announced the formation of a working group that will be responsible for creating the ASM/CSM. The ruling coalition that controls the government has said that both agreementson demarcation and the ASM/CSMwill be implemented despite some opposition in the Assembly. The government pointed out that the Constitutional Court has already upheld the legality of the agreement on the ASM/CSM, paving the way for implementation. Though imminent, the formal establishment of the special court that will be charged with investigating war crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army during the conflict in Kosovo is still pending. In August 2015, the Assembly of Kosovo approved constitutional amendments that would allow the creation of the court. Consequently, the Netherlands announced that it would host the court in The Hague. Final approval for the court needs to be granted by the Dutch parliament, which at press time had not yet voted on the issue. The EU is expected to be the major contributor of funds to the courts budget, with individual countries likely to make additional contributions. The court, which will operate under Kosovo law with international judges, is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year. Ahead of the expiry of the mandate of the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) on 14 June, the Kosovo government indicated that it would like the EULEX mandate to be extended for an additional two years. Since 2008, EULEX has provided support for Kosovos legal institutions. It was also involved in monitoring some highly sensitive criminal cases and could directly take on cases involving organised crime and corruption. While requesting the extended presence of EULEX, the Kosovo government proposed that the mandate limit the scope of EULEXs activities to monitoring and advisory roles only. On 14 July, the Council of the EU approved the extension of the mandate as proposed by Kosovo. On 17 June, the Assembly formally ratified the agreement between the EU and Kosovo to extend EULEXs mandate. On 4 July, France hosted the third annual Western Balkans Summit, which gathered the leaders of prospective EU members from the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) as well as EU members Austria, Germany, France and Italy. As part of a five-year process started in Berlin in 2014, the main aim of the summit is to promote the EUs perspective and regional cooperation in the Balkans. Human Rights-Related Developments On 13 July, UNMIKs Human Rights Advisory Panel (established in 2006 to examine complaints of alleged human rights violations committed by or attributable to UNMIK in Kosovo) published its final annual report, covering 1 January 2015 to 31 May, after completing its docket of 527 registered complaints. During the reporting period, the Panel adopted opinions on the merits of 88 cases: in 83 cases it found violations of human rights by or attributable to UNMIK, including violations of the right to life, the right to be free from inhuman and degrading treatment and the right to an effective investigation under the European Convention on Human Rights. The report highlights the lack of implementation of the Panels opinions, especially with regard to UNMIK paying financial compensation to the complainants, as well as the lack of significant progress of continuing investigations by the EU Rule of Law Mission or by Kosovo law enforcement institutions regarding the Panels cases related to abductions, disappearances and killings. The report concludes: Now that the Panel has concluded its mandate, putting an end to an eight-year process of issuing admissibility decisions, opinions, and recommendations, the Panel is forced to proclaim this process a total failure. Due to UNMIKs unwillingness to follow any of the Panels recommendations and UNMIKs general intransigence, theprocess has obtained no redress for the complainants. Key Issues Amid ongoing political tensions between the government and the opposition, the main issue for the Council is maintaining stability in Kosovo. Another issue is what role UNMIK could play in promoting the implementation of the existing agreements between Belgrade and Pristina. The Council will closely follow the developments regarding the establishment of the special court for war crimes and subsequent cooperation by the Kosovo authorities with the court. Options Should the current political tensions between the government and opposition parties escalate and cause further disruption in the functioning of Kosovos institutions, the Council could consider issuing a statement urging political actors to engage in dialogue as a way of resolving the outstanding issues. The Council could also explore ways in which UNMIK could facilitate the implementation of the existing agreements between Belgrade and Pristina. Given the gravity of allegations brought by the UNMIKs Human Rights Advisory Panel in its final report, the Council could consider seeking more information on the matter by inviting members of the Panel for a briefing or an informal interactive dialogue. Looking ahead, should the agreements between Belgrade and Pristina be fully implemented, the Council could consider modifying UNMIKs mandate, including reducing its presence. Council Dynamics Kosovo continues to be an issue of rather low intensity for the Council. This is mainly a consequence of the pre-eminence of other regional organisations in Kosovo, primarily the EU, NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The issue is only followed closely by a few Council members with a vested interest in the region, such as Russia, the US and EU members of the Council. The profound division between the permanent members shapes the Councils dynamics on Kosovo. While France, the UK and the US recognise Kosovos independence, China and Russia do not and remain strong supporters of Serbias position. Some Council members have been supportive of lengthening the reporting cycle and consequently reducing the frequency of the meetings on Kosovo. However, the division between the permanent members is likely to stall any attempt to change the reporting cycle or alter UNMIKs mandate. Russia has been adamant in its opposition to altering UNMIKs mandate and the possibility of the missions drawdown, citing instability in Kosovo, especially in recent months amidst the political crisis in Kosovo. UN Documents This resolution authorised NATO to secure and enforce the withdrawal of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia forces from Kosovo and established UNMIK. This was a meeting on the Secretary-Generals UNMIK report. MIDDLE EAST Lebanon Expected Council Action In August, the Security Council is expected to extend the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year, ahead of its expiry on 31 August. This years renewal marks the tenth anniversary of the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon and the adoption of resolution 1701 in 2006. Key Recent Developments On 7 July, Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag briefed Council members on the latest Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 1701, covering the period from 26 February to 24 June. The report describes the situation along the Blue Line as being generally calm but notes that progress has remained limited on each partys outstanding obligations under the resolution and that there has been no progress towards a permanent ceasefire. Among the violations of resolution 1701 reported by the Secretary-General are the continuation of almost daily incursions into Lebanese airspace by Israel, and Israels continuing occupation of Ghajar and an adjacent area north of the Blue Line. The absence of progress the delineation of international borders in the Sheba Farms area, in spite of the call made in resolution 1701, remains a source of concern, according to the report. The Secretary-General expressed concern about the continuing presence of unauthorised weapons in the area between the Litani River and the Blue Line and called upon the Lebanese government to take all actions necessary to ensure that there are no unauthorised armed personnel, assets or weapons in the UNIFIL area of operations. He noted that the situation along the Lebanese-Syrian border remained tense during the reporting period, with continued reports of cross-border movements of fighters and arms. The report described the overall security situation as fragile and vulnerable, particularly to terrorist attacks. Also, according to the report, Israel continues to assert that Hezbollah maintains military infrastructure and equipment in southern Lebanon and that there are significant ongoing arms transfers to Hezbollah across the Lebanese-Syrian border. A 17 February letter to the Secretary-General from Israel claimed that Hezbollah had amassed an arsenal of more than 100,000 missiles and rockets, much of which Israel claims is located in civilian residential areas. Lebanon sent letters to the Security Council on 30 March and 23 May that contained statistical summaries of alleged Israeli violations of resolution 1701. On 15 July, Israel responded with a letter that stated that the Lebanese letters contained intentionally misleading accusations against Israel, annexing Israels detailed response to Lebanese allegations of violations between February and April. Meanwhile, Lebanon continues to be unable to elect a president to fill the vacancy left by Michel Sleiman, whose term ended on 24 May 2014. On 13 July, Lebanons Parliament failed for the 42nd time to elect a president due to the lack of a quorum. For the same reason, joint parliamentary committees were unable to meet to resume talks on a new electoral law. On 22 July, the Council adopted a presidential statement that reaffirmed its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon; stressed that the election of a president, the formation of a unity government and the election of a parliament by May 2017 are critical to Lebanons stability and ability to withstand regional challenges; and called on all parties to act responsibly, put Lebanons stability ahead of partisan politics, and show the necessary flexibility and sense of urgency to apply mechanisms provided for by the Lebanese constitution with regard to the election. The Security Council commended the Lebanese government for the timely holding of local elections and further encouraged the authorities to move ahead within the set calendar for the next legislative elections. The statement also condemned in the strongest terms acts of terrorism on Lebanese territory and affirmed that the preservation of Lebanons stability is essential to regional stability and security. It encouraged regional partners to engage constructively in resolving the presidential vacancy and preventing the spill-over of regional crises into Lebanon, and the international community to continue supporting Lebanons political and economic stability, including through the continued provision of assistance. Major General Michael Beary of Ireland took up the post of UNIFIL head of mission and force commander on 19 July, replacing Major General Luciano Portolano of Italy, who had served as force commander for two years. Key Issues The main issue is that whileten years after the adoption of 1701the situation is relatively calm, there has been little progress on its key objectives, as detailed by the Secretary-General in his report. A central issue is that Hezbollah and other non-state actors continue to maintain weaponry that directly hinders the governments exercise of full authority over its territory, poses a threat to Lebanons sovereignty and stability and contravenes its obligations under resolutions 1559 and 1701. In that context, the ongoing crisis in Syria, with Hezbollahs involvement on the side of the regime, and the flow of arms from Syria to Hezbollah remain of utmost concern. Another issue is the inability of Lebanon to elect a president, which has paralysed the countrys parliament and rendered it incapable of passing critical legislation. That has impaired Lebanons ability to address the growing security, economic, social and humanitarian challenges facing the country. Options The main option is for the Council to renew the mandate of UNIFIL for an additional year. Given that the Council has just adopted a comprehensive presidential statement outlining various concerns regarding Lebanon, a further Council outcome at this time seems unlikely. Council Dynamics The Council has been united in its position that UNIFIL contributes to stability between Israel and Lebanon, especially considering the current Syrian crisis. Council consensus includes support for Lebanons territorial integrity and security, condemnation of acts of terrorism on Lebanese territory and recognition of the crucial role the Lebanese Armed Forces play in responding to security challenges. The Council has also repeatedly expressed its united concern at the vacancy in the presidency and resulting political paralysis. France is the penholder on Lebanon. UN Documents on Lebanon This was a resolution extending the mandate of UNIFIL for one year. This resolution expanded UNIFIL by 15,000 troops and expanded its mandate. This was a presidential statement that stressed the importance of Lebanons electing a electing a president by May 2017 in order to maintain stability. This was on the implementation of resolution 1701. This was a letter from Lebanon that contained accusations of Israeli violations of resolution 1701 during February 2016. This was from Lebanon and contained accusations of Israeli violations of 1701 during April 2016. This was a letter from Israel claiming that Hezbollah had amassed an arsenal of more than 100,000 missiles and rockets. This was a press statement that underscored their deepest concern over the vacancy and expressed their intention to continue following related developments with a particular sense of urgency. AFRICA Liberia Expected Council Action In August, the Council is expecting a briefing from Farid Zarif, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), on the Secretary-Generals report, which is due 15 August, and recent developments. Ambassador Olof Skoog (Sweden), chair of the Liberia configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, may brief as well. Key Recent Developments During the past several months, the Councils discussions on Liberia were mainly focused on the imminent drawdown of UNMIL. In September 2015, the Council adopted resolution 2239, which in addition to extending UNMILs mandate until September 2016, set up guidelines for the continuing drawdown of UNMIL and set 30 June as the deadline for the Liberian authorities to take over security responsibilities from the UN mission. In addition, the resolution called for the Secretary-General to conduct an assessment mission to Liberia and to provide the Council with his recommendations by November 2016. In the upcoming months, the Council is likely to evaluate the effects of UNMILs drawdown and ultimately decide on the missions withdrawal, as well as its transition to another form of UN presence in the country. In addition to the ongoing drawdown of UNMIL, the Council had been gradually easing sanctions on Liberia during the past several years. In September 2015, the Council adopted resolution 2237, which modified the sanctions regime by terminating the asset freeze and travel ban measures. In adopting resolution 2288 on 25 May, the Council lifted the remaining sanctions on Liberia, an arms embargo on non-state actors, and effectively terminated the Liberia sanctions regime, which had been active since 2003. Following the adoption, the Liberian representative noted that despite some contesting views about their usefulness, the sanctions played an important role in the post-conflict recovery and stabilisation of Liberia. On 4 June, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held its annual summit in Senegal. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected the next chairperson of the organisation, succeeding Senegalese president Macky Sall. Following the election, Sirleaf outlined some of the main priorities during her leadership of the organisation, which include consolidating peace and security in the region and ensuring that ECOWAS members boost their efforts in fighting the surge of terrorism in the region. Sirleaf will also seek to promote economic development, including financial stability and greater trade integration between the members of ECOWAS. On 30 June, UNMIL formally handed over security responsibilities to Liberian authorities. Both the Liberian authorities and the UN characterised the transition as one of the most important milestones in recent Liberian history, given that UNMIL had ensured security in the country since 2003. Following the transition, the UN mission will still maintain 1,240 military and 606 police personnel, as mandated by resolution 2239. Although Liberia did not meet some of the benchmarks set by the UN before the transition, Sirleaf expressed her confidence that Liberian security forces are indeed ready to assume security responsibilities. Both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Zarif welcomed the transition of security responsibilities in Liberia. In addition to hailing the government for this milestone, Ban recognised the important role played by regional and sub-regional organisations and bilateral partners in supporting the consolidation of peace, security and stability in the country. Zarif said UNMIL would still maintain its presence in Liberia and noted that the Council would ultimately decide on the future of the mission based on the Secretary-Generals recommendations of the assessment mission in November. Some in the political opposition and civil society groups have been vocal in opposing UNMILs drawdown. They claim that Liberian authorities are still not ready for the transition and for ensuring security during the upcoming presidential elections in 2017. On 9 June, the World Health Organization declared Liberia Ebola-free for the fourth time since the initial outbreak, following the most recent flare-up in new cases reported in April. Underlying Problems UNMIL played an important role in the presidential elections in 2005 and 2011 when Sirleaf was twice elected. Given that Sirleaf will not run for re-election in 2017, Liberia will undergo its first democratic handover of the presidency at a time when Liberian authorities will be exclusively entrusted with providing security in the country. Considering these circumstances, the 2017 presidential elections could potentially present a risk factor. In January, Sirleaf and Cote dIvoire President Alassane Ouattara sent a letter to the Secretary-General requesting that UNMILs mandate be extended until after the elections in 2017. Key Issues The most prominent issue for the Council will be maintaining stability in Liberia, given the ongoing drawdown of the mission and the 30 June transfer of security responsibilities from UNMIL to Liberian authorities. Following the recent surge in violent attacks in the region, the threat posed by terrorism is an increasingly pressing issue for the Council. Looking ahead, the potential for destabilisation during and following the 2017 presidential elections could be an issue. Options Although UNMILs mandate does not expire until 30 September, the Council could adopt a resolution that would extend the missions mandate in its current configuration until the end of 2016, pending the Secretary-Generals recommendations based on the assessment mission due by 15 November. Resolution 2239 requires that the Council review by 15 December Liberias overall capacity to ensure security and stability after the conclusion of the security transition on 30 June 2016 and security conditions on the ground, to consider the possible withdrawal of UNMIL and transition to a future United Nations presence. Alternatively, the Council could take no action in August. Council and Wider Dynamics Following the containment of the Ebola epidemic earlier this year and the decision to terminate the sanctions regime in May, the Council seemed to shift its focus exclusively towards the ongoing drawdown of UNMIL and eventual withdrawal of the mission. The Council showed its commitment towards scaling down the UNs presence in Liberia when it adopted resolution 2239, which mandated the transition of security responsibilities to Liberian authorities and the further drawdown of UNMIL. Even though the Council seems unanimous in its view that the UN mission should continue its drawdown towards eventual withdrawal, some members seem to be more cautious regarding the timing of such decisions. While it assumed security responsibilities in June, the Liberian government is facing budgetary shortages that are likely to affect the allocation of funds needed for the transition. There are also a number of institutional and legislative reforms that are yet to be implemented. Moreover, there is a growing apprehension among Liberians regarding UNMILs drawdown, especially considering the potential destabilising effects of the 2017 presidential elections. The P3 in general and the US in particular seem to be supportive of a more rapid drawdown of UNMIL. The US was also one of the main proponents of terminating Liberias sanctions regime this May. The elected members are in principle in favour of an UNMIL drawdown, but more cautious than the P3. However, it seems unlikely that elected members would directly oppose the lead of the US on this issue. The recommendations from the assessment mission, due in November, are likely to influence the course of the Councils actions towards possible termination of the mission. The US is the penholder on Liberia. UN Documents on Liberia This was a resolution that terminated the Liberia sanctions regime, including remaining arms measures, the mandate of the Panel of Experts and the 1521 Sanctions Committee. This was a resolution renewing the mandate of UNMIL until 30 September 2016 and continuing the drawdown of UNMIL, to 1,240 military personnel and 606 police personnel by 30 June. This was a report on UNMIL. Non-Proliferation Expected Council Action In April, the Council will hold a briefing under the agenda item non-proliferation, focused on supporting the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ahead of the 2020 review conference. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is expected to chair the meeting. Briefings are expected from Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano and Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu. The Council may adopt an outcome during the meeting. Background The NPT was opened for signature in 1968 and entered into force in 1970. The treatys main purposes are the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and ultimately complete nuclear disarmament. With 191 parties, the NPT is regarded as the most-observed treaty on disarmament matters. Since its entry into force, the state parties to the NPT have held review conferences at five-year intervals to review the operation of the treaty and address other related issues. The treaty was initially set to expire after 25 years but was made open-ended by the states parties during the 1995 NPT review conference. The Security Council meeting in April will provide an opportunity for Council members to emphasise the importance of the non-proliferation regime and express their commitment to the treatys implementation. The period since the 2015 NPT review conference has been marked by some significant developments on the non-proliferation front. Most notable were the decision of the US to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Irans nuclear program and the intensified US-Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) diplomatic engagement on denuclearisation. Although the US withdrew from the JCPOA, other parties to the agreement have remained committed to its implementation. So far, Iran has continued to implement and verify its nuclear-related commitments under the agreement. Following its withdrawal, the US imposed a series of economic sanctions on Iran and has hindered the ability of Iran to access international financial and oil markets. In January, the EU launched a special trade mechanism that would facilitate legitimate trade between the EU and Iran and circumvent the US sanctions. In the absence of economic benefits granted by the JCPOA, Iran has threatened that it would stop adhering to the agreement and would consider withdrawing from the NPT. In 2017, the Council demonstrated unity in reacting to the increase in ballistic missile testing by the DPRK when it adopted a series of resolutions toughening the sanctions on the country. The tensions on the Korean peninsula have decreased significantly during 2018 in light of renewed inter-Korean and US-DPRK diplomatic efforts. US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un have held two summit-level meetings while Kim and Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in have met three times. The DPRK denuclearisation talks reached an impasse during the February US-DPRK summit; Trump broke off the talks after Kim offered only to dismantle nuclear facilities in Yongbyon in exchange for lifting economic sanctions on the DPRK. This was followed by media reports showing satellite imagery suggesting that the DPRK has resumed activity at some of its missile launch sites and missile production sites. In February, the US announced that it would withdraw from the 1987 US-Russia Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, citing Russias lack of compliance with the treaty. Subsequently, Russia said that it would no longer adhere to provisions of the treaty. The goal of the INF was to prohibit testing and deployment of land-based missiles with a range between 310 and 3,420 miles. The treaty will formally end in August following a six-month withdrawal period unless the US and Russia resolve outstanding issues. While addressing a UN conference on disarmament in Geneva on 25 February, the Secretary-General expressed his concern over the breakdown of international arms control mechanisms. He called on the US and Russia to engage in efforts to preserve the INF treaty and also to extend the New START treaty (a US-Russia treaty on reduction of strategic nuclear weapons) ahead of its expiry in 2021. In May 2018, the Secretary-General unveiled his disarmament agenda, called Securing Our Common Future, which presents a set of practical measures on a range of disarmament issues, focusing on weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons, and new battlefield technologies. Council Dynamics Council members are generally supportive of overall non-proliferation efforts. Council dynamics have varied, however, in specific cases and situations that the Council has discussed. Following its withdrawal from the JCPOA, the US has been isolated in the Council on this issue given that most other members as well as the Secretary-General share the view that the agreement should be preserved. The Council has been unanimous in its support of recent diplomatic efforts on denuclearisation of the DPRK. Council members seem to hold varied positions on how the Council should balance the use of sanctions in light of ongoing diplomatic efforts. Some members, in particular China and Russia, are becoming increasingly interested in considering some form of sanctions relief for the DPRK while the US and most other members oppose this. The 2018 use of a nerve agent in Salisbury has unveiled another dynamic in the Council, pitting the UK and its allies against Russia. UN DOCUMENTS ON NON-PROLIFERATION This was a resolution on the 1540 Committee. This was a resolution that endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran. This resolution established the 1540 Committee and its mandate, affirmed that proliferation of nuclear weapons as well as the means of delivery constitutes a threat to international peace and security. This is a summit-level meeting on countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, chaired by US President Donald Trump. This was an emergency session on the investigation of the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Useful Additional Sources Non-Proliferation Treaty Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Overview There will be two open debates during Malaysias August presidency. Malaysia, also the chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, has organised an open debate on the Secretary-Generals annual report on this thematic issue. Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman is expected to chair the second open debate focused on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Council members will continue to hold straw polls to gauge the viability of candidates that have been nominated for the position of the next Secretary-General. In August, Council members will be closely following developments in South Sudan and Syria. On South Sudan, at press time, the Council was due to briefly roll over the mandate of UNMISS, which expires on 31 July. It is expected that Council members will continue to monitor the situation following last months outbreak of violence in Juba and will adopt a resolution modifying the mandate of UNMISS to enable it to address the latest developments. On Syria, Council members will receive their regular monthly briefings regarding the humanitarian and chemical weapons tracks. They will also be watching to see if the intra-Syrian political process will resume in August. There will be discussions on several other African issues this month: Guinea-Bissau, on the activities of UNIOGBIS and a review of the 2048 sanctions regime in the post-election environment; Liberia, an update on UNMIL ahead of the missions mandate renewal in September; and Sudan/South Sudan, the quarterly briefing north/south issues. Other Middle East issues that will be considered this month are: Israel/Palestine, the regular monthly meeting; the renewal of UNIFIL in Lebanon; and an update on the Yemen political talks and the 2140 sanctions regime. The Council will hold its quarterly meetings on UNMIK in Kosovo and another on the activities of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee. On 22 July, the Council received the Secretary-Generals recommendations for a political mission to monitor the ceasefire in Colombia, but it is unclear what the next steps will be in taking up the recommendations. AFRICA South Sudan Expected Council Action In August, the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) modifying it to address the most recent crisis on the ground. At press time, the Council was poised to adopt a resolution that would briefly roll over the mandate of UNMISS before its 31 July expiry. Key Recent Developments The South Sudan capital city of Juba was rocked by violence from 7 to 11 July, as forces loyal to President Salva Kiir engaged in heavy fighting with those supporting First Vice President Riek Machar, jeopardising the fragile peace deal signed in August 2015. According to reports, the fighting started when Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers stopped and attempted to arrest members of Machars guard at a checkpoint in the Gudele section of Juba; Machars guard members resisted the arrest and a shootout ensued, leading to the deaths of five SPLA soldiers. This was the first of several violent clashes over the next days, which involved the use of artillery, mortars and helicopter gunships. The fighting was only quelled on 11 July when Kiir ordered a cessation of hostilities to take effect at 6 pm that day and Machar reciprocated Kiirs call in a radio broadcast. By the time the ceasefire was declared, over 36,000 people had been displaced, at least 272 combatants and civilians had lost their lives and two Chinese peacekeepers had died. A local UNMISS staff member was also killed. On 22 July, the UN Refugee Agency said that 26,468 people, more than 90 percent of them women and children, had fled South Sudan and crossed into Uganda since the fighting started on 7 July. In the first days of violence (which coincided with the fifth anniversary of South Sudans independence on 9 July, celebrations for which had been cancelled by the government on 26 June), both the Security Council and the Secretary-General actively engaged with the situation amidst fears that the country could descend into full-scale civil war. On the evening of 9 July, Council members issued a press statement in which they condemned the fighting in Juba on 7-8 July and urged the transitional government to take steps to end the fighting and reduce tensions. On Sunday, 10 July, members held emergency consultations, called by the US, the penholder on South Sudan, during which they were briefed by Herve Ladsous, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. An arms embargo, additional targeted sanctions and the reinforcement of UNMISS were among the potential options discussed by Ladsous and members to respond to the situation. Later that evening, Council members issued another press statement condemning the escalation of fighting in Juba. In the statement, members expressed their readiness to consider enhancing UNMISS to better ensure that UNMISS and the international community can prevent and respond to violence in South Sudan, while encouraging states in the region to prepare to provide additional troops in the event the Council so decides. The AU Peace and Security Council condemned the outbreak of violence in an 11 July communique and, among other things, welcomed the convening on the same day in Nairobi of a ministerial meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on the situation in South Sudan. At a press encounter on 11 July in UN headquarters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticised the failed leadership of South Sudan, opining that rarely has a country squandered so much promise so quickly. He urged the Security Council to take action on three fronts: impose an immediate embargo on South Sudan; enact additional targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders obstructing the peace agreement; and strengthen UNMISS to enhance its ability to fulfil its mandate to protect civilians. He announced that he would travel to Kigali to participate in the African Union summit to consult with the Heads of State of IGAD and the region on how to restore and better secure the peace process and report to the Security Council within a week. He further discussed the situation with Council members on 12 July during the monthly lunch, and on 13 July the Council received another briefing on South Sudan from Ladsous, followed by consultations. Addressing the AU summit in Kigali on 16 July, Ban told the leaders there is a crisis and I am here because we need to urgently address it together. He restated his three recommendations made to the Security Council and asked them for their support. While in Kigali, he conveyed similar messages in bilateral meetings with African leaders. In a communique issued during the Kigali summit, IGAD Plus (the eight members of the organisation and several other regional actors) supported the Secretary-Generals recommendation to reinforce UNMISS and called on the Security Council to revise its mandate to include the deployment of a regional protection force to separate the warring parties. This was subsequently supported by the AU. The two other of the Secretary-Generals recommendations, regarding the arms embargo and expanded targeted sanctions, seemed not to have gained traction in Africa. The fighting in Juba ceased following the 11 July presidential decree, but an acute conflict between Kiir and Machar became only more evident. In the days following their respective calls for the cessation of hostilities on 11 July, Machar went into hiding, citing fears for his life and announcing that he would return to Juba only after an international security force was deployed. Kiir expressed his opposition to an international force, and on 21 July issued an ultimatum to Machar saying that he would dismiss him from his post if he did not return to Juba within 48 hours. Machar remained in hiding, believed to be in the bush outside Juba. Through a presidential decree announced on 25 July, Kiir appointed Taban Deng Gai, a former chief negotiator for South Sudans armed opposition, as First Vice President, replacing Machar. According to media reports, on 26 July Kiir signalled his willingness to consider the deployment of a regional protection force during a meeting with Festus Mogae, the chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, a body overseeing the implementation of the August 2015 accord. During the noon media briefing in New York on 27 July, the deputy spokesperson announced that UNMISS continued to document deeply disturbing reports of sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, by soldiers in uniform and men in plain clothes against civilians, including minors, around UN House and in other areas of Juba. Since the start of the current violence in Juba, the Mission has documented at least cases of sexual violence and rape against civilians. Human Rights-Related Developments On 11 July, the special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Chaloka Beyani, released a statement that condemned attacks on IDPs and civilians in South Sudan after fighting in the capital broke out. According to the statement, humanitarian workers had been stopped and threatened at checkpoints when trying to deliver assistance and were unable to reach the populations most in need while civilians, humanitarians and UNMISS staff alike had come under heavy fire in Juba. In a 12 July press briefing, a spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern at reports of civilians being prevented from seeking refuge in UNMISS premises and, in some cases, being shot at while trying to do so. The spokesperson also strongly condemned the killing of two UNMISS peacekeepers the previous day and expressed concern that armed clashes had reportedly erupted the previous day in Central Equatoria State and in Eastern Equatoria State. On 21 July, the special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, released a statement that urged the government of South Sudan to immediately release Alfred Taban, a prominent journalist and chief editor of the Juba Monitor. According to the statement, Taban was arrested on 16 July by National Security Services agents, one day after the publication of an editorial article in which he called for the removal of Kiir and Machar, criticising them for their unsuccessful implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement. According to Amnesty International, Taban has been charged under articles 75 and 76 of the South Sudan Penal Code with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to Southern Sudan and undermining the authority of or insulting the president. The detention of Taban was followed by the arrest on 23 July of Michael Christopher, the editor-in-chief of the independent Arabic-language daily al-Watan, reportedly for publishing inaccurate information. Attacks against journalists and media have been on the rise since December 2013, with several journalists killed or detained without trial, and a number of newspapers ordered to shut down. Key Issues The key and most pressing issue for the Council is the role it can play in preventing the UNs newest member from descending once again into a full-blown civil war. A long-standing issue, made more acute by the latest developments, is to ensure that UNMISS is better able to protect civilians both in the protection of civilians sites and elsewhere throughout the country. An ongoing issue is improving the relations between UNMISS and the government. Options One option for the Council is to take on board all three of the Secretary-Generals recommendationsstrengthening of the mission, imposing an arms embargo and designating additional individuals for targeted sanctionsby including these elements in the resolution renewing UNMISSs mandate. Another option would be to initially focus on the creation of a special security force within UNMISS, with a stronger protection mandate and one allowing undertaking offensive operations, leaving the arms embargo as a possible next step in case of the governments non-cooperation. The Council could alternatively consider requesting member states with requisite military capacity to develop plans for a robust protection force to protect civilians that would be subject to the Councils consideration. While operating under a separate mandate and chain of command from UNMISS, this force could be authorised by the Council and report to it on a periodic basis. Regarding sanctions, an option would be for the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee to target with travel bans and asset freezes individuals that have played a particularly active role in undermining the August 2015 peace accord. Undertaking a visiting mission to South Sudan before deciding on the final shape of the new UNMISS mandate is another option. Council and Wider Dynamics Council members share a sense of responsibility for the future of the UNs newest member state, having contributed significantly to the political process leading up to its independence. But the initial momentum following the outbreak of violence in early July seems to have dissipated, and after a series of meetings and discussions, members went into a holding pattern for about two weeks, apparently waiting for the penholder to propose steps for Council action in a draft resolution renewing the mandate. With the renewed activity as the UNMISS mandate expiry was nearing, there seemed to be diverging positions on the possible approaches going ahead. Several members see the arms embargo as the most promising tool to address the situation. But some would like to see clear support for this measure coming from the region, which at the time of writing was not forthcoming. The US is keenly interested in focusing on the creation of a security force within UNMISS, contingent on securing the host countrys consent. In this context, however, several states are deeply concerned about recent reports of demonstrations, possibly coordinated by the government, against UNMISS. The US is the penholder on South Sudan and Senegal chairs the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee. UN Documents on South Sudan This resolution renewed the targeted sanctions until 31 May 2017. This resolution increased the force structure of UNMISS to a ceiling of 13,000 troops and 2,001 police, while adding additional tasks to the mandate. This was a briefing on South Sudan. Council members condemned the escalation of fighting in Juba. On the evening of 9 July, Council members issued a press statement in which they condemned the fighting in Juba on 7-8 July and urged the transitional government to take steps to end the fighting and reduce tensions. Council members expressed alarm at the fighting in Wau. This was an UNMISS report. Status Update Counter-Terrorism On 2 July, Council members condemned the terrorist attack perpetrated in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, for which ISIL claimed responsibility (SC/12432). On 5 July, Council members deplored the terrorist attacks perpetrated in the cities of Qadif, Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia, for which ISIL claimed responsibility (SC/12435). On 14 July, Council members condemned the terrorist attack which took place in Nice, France (SC/12446). Iraq On 5 July, Council members issued a press statement condemning a 3 July car bombing, claimed by ISIL, that killed hundreds in a largely Shia neighbourhood of Baghdad (SC/12434). On 15 July, Special Representative Jan Kubis briefed the Council (S/PV.7738) and presented the Secretary-Generals reports on UNAMI (S/2016/592) and on Iraq/Kuwait missing persons and property (S/2016/590). On 25 July, the Council adopted resolution 2299 renewing UNAMI for a year. On 29 July, Council members issued a press statement calling on Iraq to continue in its efforts to achieve tangible progress with respect to returning all missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals or their remains, noting the limited progress made on this issue over the past 11 years (SC/12467). Somalia On 7 July, the Council adopted resolution 2297, which extended AMISOMs authorisation until 31 May 2017 with no major changes. On 20 July, the Chair of the 751/1907 Somalia-Eritrea Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno (Venezuela), briefed in closed consultations on the regular 120-day update on the work of the Committee. Haiti On 7 July, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed Council members under any other business on his recent visit to Haiti, aimed at conveying the sense of urgency for a swift conclusion of the electoral cycle there. DRC On 7 July, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson briefed the Council (S/PV.7732) on the latest MONUSCO report (S/2016/579). On 15 July, Council members issued a press statement stressing the crucial importance of a peaceful and credible electoral cycle, in accordance with the constitution, and expressed their concern at increased restrictions of the political space in the DRC (SC/12449). CAR On 8 July, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed the Council on the special report on the strategic review of MINUSCA (S/2016/565). The chair of the CAR configuration of the PBC, Omar Hilale (Morocco), also briefed. Volodymyr Yelchenko (Ukraine), in his capacity as chair of the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee updated the Council on the recent activities of the Committee (S/PV.7734). On 23 July, the 2127 Committee met with the Secretary-Generals Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura. On 26 July, the Council adopted resolution 2301, renewing the mandate of MINUSCA until 15 November 2017. Sudan (Darfur) On 8 July, Zainab Bangura, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, briefed the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee. Bangura apparently reported that sexual violence was a consistent characteristic of the Darfur conflict. She also reported that restrictions on humanitarian access and impunity remained challenges in Darfur. Israel/Palestine On 11 July, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov briefed Council members under any other business at the request of New Zealand to discuss the 1 July report of the Quartet on the Middle East (S/2016/595) and a US-drafted presidential statement on the report which was not adopted as consensus could not be reached. On 12 July, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed the Council at its quarterly open debate on the Middle East (S/PV.7736). West Africa and the Sahel On 11 July, the head of UNOWAS, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, briefed (S/PV.7735) the Council on the Offices most recent report (S/2016/566). The briefing focused on the increasing terrorism threat to the region, the Boko Haram conflict in the Lake Chad basin, electoral developments across the region and progress in the merger of the UN Office for West Africa and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel. The following day, Senegal circulated a draft press statement, reflecting the range of issues discussed during the meeting. Some Council members suggested Senegal upgrade the text to a presidential statement. The statement was finally adopted on 28 July after explicit reference to human rights in The Gambia was dropped (S/PRST/2016/11). Western Sahara On 15 July, at the request of Uruguay and Venezuela, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed Council members under any other business on the status of MINURSO following the expulsion of civilian staff by Morocco in mid-March. On 26 July, Council members were briefed again in consultations by Ladsous and the head of MINURSO, Kim Bolduc. The 26 July briefing was pursuant to resolution 2285, which requested the Secretary-General to brief within 90 days on whether MINURSO has returned to full functionality and expressed its intention, if it has not done so, to consider how best to facilitate this. Iran On 18 July, the Council held a briefing on the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Irans nuclear programme (S/PV.7739). Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman briefed on the Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 2231 (S/2016/589). Ambassador Joao Pedro Vale de Almeida (EU) addressed the Council on behalf of the EU in its role as the coordinator of the Joint Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the agreements implementation. Ambassador Roman Oyarzun (Spain) briefed in his capacity as the facilitator for Council-related tasks in the resolution. Security Council Working Methods On 19 July, marking the tenth anniversary of the adoption of Note S/2006/507, the first comprehensive compendium of Security Council working methods, Japan organised an open debate on this topic in which Council members, 31 member states and one observer participated (S/PV.7740). Japan, as chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, circulated a concept note for the debate earlier in the month (S/2016/585). Japan said that the practical suggestions presented during the debate would feed into Council members deliberation within the Informal Working Group on updating Note 507. Many participants at the debate also welcomed the presidential note issued on 15 July concerning transitional arrangements for newly elected Council members (S/2016/619). Secretary-General Appointment Process Over the month, Council members met informally with nine of the 12 nominated candidates for the position of ninth UN Secretary-General. (They had met with the other three candidates at the end of June.) On 21 July, Council members held the first straw poll to test the viability of the candidates. The president of the Council for July, Ambassador Koro Bessho (Japan), informed each candidate through his or her countrys permanent representative to the UN of how they had done, as well as the lowest and highest scores without attribution. He also informed the president of the General Assembly that the vote had taken place. Although the votes were not meant to be made public, the full results were reported in the media soon after the end of the straw poll. Libya On 22 July, the Council adopted resolution 2298 providing for Libyas category 2 chemical weapons to be transferred and destroyed outside of the country (S/PV.7743). Also on 22 July, head of UNSMIL, Martin Kobler, briefed Council members in consultations on developments in the political process and the challenges to the effectiveness of the Presidency Council. The Secretary-Generals report on the threat posed to Libya and neighbouring countries by foreign terrorist fighters recruited by or joining ISIL and Al-Qaida was also discussed (S/2016/627). After the meeting, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the 1617 July meeting of the Libyan Political Dialogue and the Presidency Council on how to progress the implementation of the Libyan Political Agreement and sought to address the provision of basic services, resumption of oil production and implementation of the security arrangements (SC/12456). Afghanistan On 23 July, Council members issued a press statement condemning the terrorist attack that occurred earlier that day in Kabul, resulting in the death of at least 80 people killed and more than 230 wounded, for which local affiliates of ISIL have claimed responsibility (SC/12457). Cyprus On 25 July, Council members were briefed in consultations by Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar and Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide. Spehar briefed on the latest UNFICYP report (S/2016/598) while Eide reported on the ongoing unification talks and presented the report of the Secretary-Generals good offices mission (S/2016/599). On 26 July, the Council adopted resolution 2300, extending UNFICYPs mandate for six months. Boko Haram Affected-Areas On 27 July, Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and OCHA head Stephen OBrien briefed the Council, at the request of the UK, on the humanitarian, political and security situation in the Lake Chad basin as a result of the Boko Haram conflict (S/PV.7748). Peacebuilding On 28 July, Japans Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida presided over a ministerial-level open debate on peacebuilding in Africa (S/PV.7750). The debate focused on institution-building as outlined in a concept note circulated earlier in the month (S/2016/586). The Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2016/12). Burundi At press time, the Council was expected to vote on 29 July on a resolution that would establish a UN police component in Burundi for an initial period of one year to monitor the security and human rights situation in the country. AFRICA Sudan and South Sudan Expected Council Action In August, Council members are expected to meet for the quarterly consultations on Sudan/South Sudan issues. At press time, no outcome was anticipated. Key Recent Developments On 6 June, high-level Sudanese and South Sudanese officials met in Khartoum to discuss issues dividing the two countries. During the meeting, the parties agreed to continue negotiations on areas disputed by both countries and to refrain from supporting rebel groups on either side of the border. Since South Sudan achieved its independence in 2011, no progress has been made on these matters. The parties further affirmed that they would implement the Safe Demilitarised Border Zone (SDBZ) along their mutual border. The parties agreed on a centre-line for the SDBZ in October 2015, thus defining the boundaries of this buffer zone; however, they have done little to cooperate on implementation of the Joint Border and Verification Monitoring Mechanism established to conduct monitoring and verification activities along the border. The Secretary-General stated in his 15 April report on Abyei that aerial monitoring by the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has been hindered by South Sudans restrictions on flight and landing permissions. In early January, South Sudan requested that Sudan reduce transport and compensation fees on oil flowing from South Sudan through Sudan. A landlocked country, South Sudan must transport its oil through Sudan to reach the outside world. Based on an August 2013 agreement, South Sudan pays Sudan a fixed fee of approximately $25 per barrel for the shipment of oil. As world oil prices have declined, South Sudans oil-derived income has diminished significantly, a contributing factor to the severe economic crisis the country is now experiencing. On 20 January, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir indicated a willingness to review South Sudans request for a reduction in the transit and compensation fees. Nonetheless, after more than six months, Sudan has yet to agree to lower fees. Sudan, which lost 75 percent of its oil production when South Sudan became independent in July 2011, receives significant income from these fees. On 11 July, Hayat al-Mahi, chair of the energy committee in Sudans parliament, expressed concern about damage to oil facilities if the recent outbreak of fighting in South Sudan were to spread to its oil-producing areas. Heavy fighting occurred in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, from 7 to 11 July between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to First Vice President Riek Machar, claiming more than 270 lives and displacing thousands. A ceasefire announced on 11 July appeared to be holding at press time, but the political crisis has deepened after Kiir dismissed Machar from his post and on 25 July appointed Taban Deng Gai, a former chief negotiator for South Sudans armed opposition, as First Vice President. (For more information on the crisis in South Sudan, please see a separate brief in this issue.) Refugees from South Sudan continue to cross the border into Sudan in an attempt to escape conflict and hunger. According to OCHA, 79,571 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Sudan between 1 January and 3 July 2016. More than 230,000 refugees have come to Sudan from South Sudan since 15 December 2013, when the civil war in South Sudan began. In recent months, both the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF)an umbrella group consisting of Sudanese rebel movements in the Darfur region and Blue Nile and South Kordofan statesand the Sudanese government have announced unilateral cessations of hostilities. On 28 April, the SRF declared a six-month cessation of hostilities in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan; however, fighting continued in South Kordofan and Blue Nile through mid-June. The Sudanese government declared its own four-month unilateral cessation of hostilities, effective as of 18 June, in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. On 22 June, the Secretary-Generals spokesman welcomed the announcements of the government and the SRF, saying these commitments should ease the suffering of the people living in the affected areas. However, it should be noted that the time periods covered by these cessations of hostilities largely overlap with the rainy season in the two areas (generally from June to November), a time when roads are difficult to navigate and fighting is usually limited. On 21 March, the government of Sudan signed a roadmap produced by the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, calling for a cessation of hostilities in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The rebel groups and the opposition National Umma Party have not signed the roadmap. They are concerned that the government is attempting to include them in a national dialogue process designed to prop up the regime rather than initiate real political reform. The opposition forces further maintain that the roadmap legitimises the governments control over a non-inclusive and unfair national dialogue process. On 19 June, the government said it would not resume negotiations with the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), the rebel group fighting in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, unless it signed the roadmap. Key Issues Key issues for the Council on Sudan/South Sudan include: how to encourage the two countries to negotiate in a meaningful way on security and economic issues, thus building on the commitments made during their 7 June meeting; how to bridge the gap between the government of Sudan and the opposition forces with regard to a roadmap; how to induce the South Sudan leaders to overcome their internal conflicts and refocus their attention on the implementation, together with the government of Sudan, of the Joint Border and Verification Monitoring Mechanism; and how to renew efforts to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, which is entering its fifth year. Options One option for the Council is to adopt a resolution or presidential statement that: encourages efforts by Sudan and South Sudan to resolve their dispute on oil transit fees; encourages the two countries to step up negotiations to reopen border trade, which would generate significant revenue for both; demands an end to support by both countries of rebel groups on either side of the border; and urges the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N to continue to engage in dialogue on a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access. Members could also consider holding an Arria-formula meeting open to the wider UN membership and NGOs on the humanitarian situation and the need for access in South Kordofan and Blue Nile to ensure that attention on this issue does not wane. Council Dynamics In recent months, the Councils attention on Sudan and South Sudan has been primarily focused on the crises in South Sudan and Darfur. Members recognise that the two countries are mired in and distracted by their own domestic crises, but in resolution 2287, which was adopted in May to renew UNISFAs mandate, they emphasised the need for them to engage more regularly through the Joint Political and Security Mechanism and other joint platforms related to border security. Deep divisions in the Council continue to stalemate efforts to address the longstanding political and humanitarian crisis in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. The US is the penholder on Sudan/South Sudan issues. UN Documents This was a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei until 15 November 2016. This resolution was on Sudan-South Sudan relations and provided a roadmap for Sudan, South Sudan and the SPLM-N to resolve outstanding issues and threatened Article 41 measures. MIDDLE EAST Syria Expected Council Action In August, Council members will receive their regular monthly briefings regarding Syria on the political, humanitarian and chemical weapons tracks. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura is expected to brief on the intra-Syrian political process in August (his July briefing did not take place). The talks were suspended in late April but may resume in August if Russia and the US reach agreement on military cooperation in Syria against Security Council designated terrorist group Al-Nusra Front. The US proposed this in exchange for a renewed nationwide cessation of hostilities and a formula for a political transition. On the chemical weapons track, the final report of the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), the body mandated to determine responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, is due. Key Recent Developments The last time de Mistura briefed Council members on 29 June, he reported that the chances of resuming political talks were remote in the absence of a common vision between Russia and the US. He said that his office would work on bridging proposals to bring the parties closer together on the issue of political transition. It seems these bridging proposals may attempt to address some of the obstacles that have stymied intra-Syrian talks to date: how to devolve power from the presidency to a new government, in particular control over the security and intelligence apparatuses, and whether a political transition is more feasible via the formation of a new transitional governing body or a unity government. US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 14 July to discuss the US proposal for military cooperation to target Al-Nusra in exchange for ending attacks on other opposition groups, talks that would lead to a political transition and a renewed nationwide cessation of hostilities, including the requirement that the Syrian government ground its air force. For the US, this would be a departure from its current counter-terrorism operations in Syria, which almost exclusively focuses on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). While the US has carried out strikes against Al-Nusra targets, they have been extremely limited. Al-Nusra is comprised mostly of Syrians and is regarded by many Syrian armed opposition groups as an effective anti-regime fighting force, which is why such opposition groups often seek to cooperate tactically with Al-Nusra. For Russia, agreement to the proposal would be a change from its military activity in Syria, which has targeted Western-backed opposition groups fighting the government. Aside from Russian air support to the governments Aleppo offensive, other recent examples include two strikes near the Jordanian border: a 12 July strike against a US-backed opposition group and a 16 June strike at the At-Tanf garrison which, according to media reports, also housed American and British special forces. The USs greater openness to military and intelligence cooperation with Russia and the proposals requirement that the Syrian government ground its air force are new aspects of Russian-US dynamics regarding Syria, but the push to define which groups operate in what territory is not new. On 11 February, when Russia and the US, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), announced a nationwide cessation of hostilities (which subsequently failed to take hold), there was an agreement to delineate the territory held by ISIL and Al-Nusra Front, so that those parties and the areas they control would be excluded from the cessation of hostilities. Until now, however, there had been no progress on that task because of concerns that Russia would use such intelligence to target opposition groups rather than avoid them. On 26 July, Kerry said he hoped to announce an agreement on the US proposal in early August. Several issues remain. One is that the proposal does not require the cessation of the regimes ground operations. Another issue is Russias resistance to the US condition for the cessation of hostilities to hold for a period of time before military and intelligence cooperation goes into effect, which Russia views as little more than time for rebels to regroup. Another obstacle has been a live issue since Russia and the US nominally agreed to the delineation task in February: there is significant concern that opposition groups that are not designated terrorist groups but may cooperate tactically with Al-Nusra or are located near Al-Nusra positions, particularly near Aleppo, will be subject to attack, placing any renewed cessation of hostilities on an uncertain foundation. In response to these negotiations between Russia and the US, on 29 July Al Nusra severed its ties with Al Qaeda. There is also the perennial question about the role of President Bashar al Assad in any transition process. As recently as 13 July, Assad said that Russia has never asked him to leave power and that he was not concerned that any deal between Russia and the US would force him from the presidency. UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura met with Russian and US officials on 26 July in Geneva to discuss the bridging proposals his office has been asked to prepare, and to get an update on the negotiations between Russia and the US on their proposed military and intelligence cooperation in Syria. De Mistura announced the possible resumption of intra-Syrian talks in late August. He added that agreement between Russia and the US on military cooperation was not a pre-condition for resuming talks but that such agreement would create a positive environment surrounding the talks. Meanwhile, government offensives, particularly against opposition-held Aleppo, have continued. After months of intensified air strikes, government forces, backed by Russian air strikes and Kurdish ground support, took control of Castello Road on 17 July, severing the oppositions final supply route into Aleppo. OCHA announced that this development left an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 civilians closer to the line of fire and at risk of besiegement. Shelling and attacks against government-held areas of Aleppo have also increased as rebel-held Aleppo is encircled by government and allied forces. The provision in the February cessation of hostilities agreement that neither side would attempt to gain additional territory has been largely ignored, as demonstrated by steady government offensives to advance on Aleppo, Idlib and the suburbs of Damascus prior to any resumption of talks. On 17 July, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the Riyadh-based opposition umbrella group, said the governments advance on Aleppo could jeopardise political talks. In a 25 July Council briefing, OCHA head Stephen OBrien reiterated that eastern rebel-held Aleppo was at risk of becoming another, and by far the largest, besieged area in Syria. He called for a weekly 48-hour pause in fighting to allow humanitarian aid to reach eastern Aleppo. On 28 July, Russia and Syria announced they would open humanitarian corridors for civilians and rebels to leave Aleppo. The HNC condemned the proposal and characterised it as a euphemism for forced displacement. At press time, media reports indicated that no such corridors had been opened and that civilians trying to leave rebel-held Aleppo had been subject to sniper fire by government forces. OBrien released a statement on 28 July noting his awareness of the proposal and the critical need for the security of any such corridors to be guaranteed by all parties. The statement added that people should be able to use such corridors voluntarily and that no one can be forced to flee by any specific route or to any particular location. It reiterated that international humanitarian law required humanitarian access for people to leave and for aid to come in. He reiterated his call for weekly 48-hour humanitarian pauses. The issue of the Berm was also raised at the 25 July humanitarian briefing. The Berm is a desert area near the Jordanian border where 60,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are stranded with extremely limited access to food, water and shelter. The Jordanian border near the Berm has been closed, preventing aid from transiting into Syria to reach these IDPs and impeding these people from seeking refuge in Jordan. On 18 and 19 July, US-led airstrikes in and near Manjib, the last ISIL-controlled area along the Turkish border, reportedly resulted in 75 civilian deaths, including 11 children. The US said it had received enough credible information to open an investigation. On chemical weapons, Acting High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Kim Won-soo briefed Council members on 22 July. The meeting focused on the OPCW Director-Generals report that described discrepancies in Syrias declared chemical weapons arsenal that had not been clarified by Syrian authorities, despite repeated visits to Syria over the course of two years by the OPCWs Declaration Assessment Team (DAT). In particular, the Director-Generals report included information that samples taken by the DAT at several Syrian facilities indicated undeclared chemical weapons activities at multiple locations. Human Rights-Related Developments On 1 July, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution that strongly condemns the continued systematic, widespread and gross violations and abuses of human rights and all violations of international humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities and affiliated militias, and the terrorist acts committed by ISIL and Al-Nusra (A/HRC/RES/32/25). The resolution expresses concern about the escalation in the intolerable suffering of civilians in and around Aleppo. It calls for appropriate international monitoring bodies to be granted immediate access to all detainees and for the Syrian authorities to publish a list of all detention facilities. The resolution was adopted with a vote of 27 in favour, six against (including Security Council members China, Russia and Venezuela) and 14 abstentions. Since March 2015, Human Rights Council resolutions on Syria have decided to transmit all reports and oral updates of the Commission of Inquiry to all relevant bodies of the UN for appropriate action, including the Security Council. In 2015, no report was formally transmitted to the Security Council. In 2016, a 19 April letter (S/2016/358), but only published in the UN Journal on 20 June, drew the Security Councils attention to the Commission of Inquirys 11 February report and provided its document symbol, but did not transmit the actual report. The Human Rights Council resolution adopted in July did not contain the transmittal request. Key Issue With Syria entering the sixth year of a war that has exacted a death toll of 470,000 and displaced half of the Syrian population, including 4.8 million refugees, the essential issue for the Council is to exert effective leadership in supporting a cessation of hostilities and efforts to reach a political solution. Options The ISSG and resolutions 2254 and 2268 have identified roles for the Council in the event that talks in 2016 produce concrete results towards a national ceasefire and a parallel political process. In the near term, however, day-to-day oversight of the implementation of resolutions 2254 and 2268 has been outsourced to the ISSG broadly, and Russia and the US in particular. So long as Russia and the US remain committed to this particular iteration of a political process, options are limited for other Council members to inject new thinking or energy to help resolve the situation. Council Dynamics Many Council members are of the view that the governments offensives, particularly around Aleppo and the suburbs of Damascus, confirm the regimes preference for prolonged armed conflict over a negotiated settlement unless such talks pivot significantly in their favour. There is also broad recognition that if fighting in Syria cannot be controlled, it will be difficult for UN mediation between the government and the opposition to resume with any chance of success. In that context, some Council members view the bilateral negotiations between Russia and the US as a realpolitik necessity to lower overall levels of violence. At the same time, some Council members are also concerned that even if Russia and the US agree on military cooperation and the contours of a political solution, any such deal will be so far removed from the spirit and intent of the June 2012 Geneva Communique that it will be destined to fail. Regarding Aleppo, many Council members have held the view for some time that if rebel-held areas of the city fell to the government, it would deal a severe blow to the armed oppositions viability. Unlike previous months, when the situation in Aleppo received a great deal of attention from Council members, the governments retaking of Castello Road in July did not garner any Council attention outside of the regular monthly humanitarian meeting. In press comments following the 25 July humanitarian briefing, Japan, as president of the Council, said that there was overwhelming support among Council members for OBriens call for a weekly 48-hour humanitarian pause to fighting in eastern Aleppo. However, Council members were unable to agree on a statement to this effect. Most Council members believe this silence was in deference to the ongoing bilateral negotiations between Russia and the US. No Council member has suggested that the 15 July coup attempt in Turkey and the subsequent purge of military, police, judicial and civil servants and the declaration of a state of emergency by Turkish authorities is anything other than an internal matter. Nevertheless, Council members are watching closely what the implications of the Turkish situation might be for Syria in particular and the region more broadly. Most outcomes on Syria are agreed between Russia and the US prior to adoption by the Council. Egypt, New Zealand and Spain lead on humanitarian issues. UN Documents Endorsed the cessation of hostilities and called for the resumption of political talks. This was the first resolution focused exclusively on a political solution to the Syrian crisis. It was adopted unanimously. This was on the humanitarian situation. This was the 33rd OPCW report on chemical weapons. This was a briefing on the humanitarian situation with significant focus on the situation in Aleppo. MIDDLE EAST Yemen Expected Council Action In August, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismael Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is expected to brief the Council. Also during August, the Yemen 2140 Sanctions Committee is due to consider the mid-term report of the Panel of Experts. Key Recent Developments Peace talks continued in Kuwait between the Yemen government and the Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite rebel group, and their allies in the General Peoples Congress (GPC). At a 30 June press conference, the Special Envoy announced the suspension of the talks, which had been ongoing for more than two months, in order for the parties to confer with their respective leaderships before resuming negotiations on 15 July. He said the sides had reacted positively to a roadmap that he had presented, which provides for implementation of resolution 2216 and the creation of a national unity government, but they remained divided over the sequencing of the steps. The Houthis have wanted agreement on a unity government before withdrawing and disarming, while the government wants them to take these actions first. On 10 July, Yemen President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi threatened that the government would boycott the talks if the Special Envoy insisted on the creation of a unity government as part of a roadmap. Foreign Minister Abdul Malik al-Mekhlafi said the government would not return to the talks without guarantees and unless the Houthis recognise Hadis legitimacy. After a one-day delay, talks resumed on 16 July. Host government Kuwait set a 15-day timetable for concluding the round. On 28 July, the Houthis and GPC announced they would establish a governing council to run the country. The Special Envoy said the decision threatened the talks and violated resolution 2216, which demanded all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that undermine Yemens political transition. The cessation of hostilities, which began on 10 April, remains in place. However, clashes have continued around Taiz, Ibb, to the east and northeast of Sanaa and along border areas with Saudi Arabia. Terrorist groups Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) remain a threat, especially in the south, where attacks and assassinations have continued against government forces and officials. These include ISIL-claimed attacks on 27 June against government forces that killed 42 people in Mukalla. On 8 July, a suicide car bomber attacked a checkpoint near a base in Aden, reportedly killing 25 soldiers. On 2 June, the Secretary-Generals annual report on children and armed conflict was made public. The report identified airstrikes by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition as responsible for 60 percent of child casualties in Yemen during 2015 and for nearly 50 percent of attacks on hospitals and schools. As a consequence, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition was listed in the reports annex. The Houthis, which were already listed for recruitment of children, were also cited for killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals. The report triggered strong reaction. Addressing the media on 6 June, Saudi Arabias UN Ambassador, Abdallah Yahya Al-Mouallimi, claimed that the reports information was inaccurate and incomplete, while adding that the reports timing could only be counter-productive for the talks in Kuwait. Later that day, the Secretary-General announced that he was removing the Saudi Arabia-led coalition from the annex and that there would be a joint review with coalition members of the reports findings. At a press stakeout on 9 June, the Secretary-General acknowledged that he took this decision in the face of some member states threatening to withdraw funding from UN programmes. Sanctions-Related Developments On 2 May, the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) became operational. It was established to facilitate the flow of commercial goods into Yemen, while ensuring compliance with the targeted arms embargo set up in resolution 2216. Since then, UNVIM has approved all commercial shipments going to Yemeni ports not under government control and has provided to the 2140 Committee reports of cargoes that have been inspected. The Committee has also received accounts from member states of fishing vessels that were intercepted while transferring arms, believed to be for the Houthis. Committee members were expecting to receive the Panels midterm report in late July. Key Issues How the Council can support efforts to advance peace talks and a political process remains a key issue, which will largely depend on the outcome of the latest round of the Kuwait talks. Adherence to the cessation of hostilities remains an important issue. This is connected to efforts to address the humanitarian crisis created by the war and issues involving protection of civilians. A related issue during August will be the Councils expected discussion of the Secretary-Generals children and armed conflict report. The threat posed by AQAP and ISIL amidst the security vacuum created by the war remains a key concern. Within the 2140 Committee, issues include the enforcement of sanctions, such as reported violations of the arms embargo and the effectiveness of the UNVIM; information on violations of international humanitarian law and obstruction of humanitarian assistance; and how sanctions may be further used to support a peace process. Options If progress emerges from the latest round of talks in Kuwait, the Council may adopt a statement or resolution backing the outcomes. Alternatively, if the sides remain deadlocked, an option for the Council is to consider changing the current UN-brokered framework by including among the participants key member states or other Yemeni groups, while calling on the parties to display more flexibility for implementing security measures and forming a national unity government. For the Committee, the main option will be to consider and agree on any recommendations in the Panel of Experts mid-term report. Council and Wider Dynamics Council members agree that the conflict can only be resolved through political negotiations. They also share concerns over the humanitarian situation and the need for the parties to do more to uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilians. Resolution 2216, adopted shortly after the start of the Saudi Arabia-led intervention, demanded that the Houthis withdraw from captured areas and relinquish seized arms. The resolution has since been widely viewed as one-sided and unrealistic in light of the situation on the ground. The Yemen governments insistence that the Houthis implement these demands from over a year ago before discussing transitional governing arrangements limits the possibility of a compromise solution. The close relations of members, particularly the P3 and Egypt, with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries has restrained the Councils willingness to depart from resolution 2216 as a basis for resolving the conflict. In general, the Council has relied on the Special Envoys mediation efforts. The Council has provided occasional expressions of support for his initiatives to encourage the sides cooperation while members have hoped for progress on a political process that the Council can support. Upon the start of the Kuwait peace talks in April, the Council adopted a presidential statement that was considered useful to encourage the sides to engage beyond positions that the parties had taken based on resolution 2216. More recently, Council members could not reach consensus on a draft presidential statement ahead of the second round of the Kuwait talks. Egypt and Russia both broke silence procedures. Egypt, and at times Senegal, champion positions of the coalition, of which they are members. Russia, on the other hand, often seeks to highlight the perspective of the Houthis and to promote what it considers more balanced Council positions. Members have also been reluctant to exert more pressure on the parties as long as the Special Envoy appeared optimistic that the sides were coming together. Now, after three months of UN-brokered talks in Kuwait that will possibly not yield any significant results, members may be more open to a change in the Councils role. Another important dynamic is the role of the Group of 18 Ambassadors to Yemen. This group includes P5 countries, Egypt, Japan and the Gulf states, which have pressured the sides to remain in negotiations. The Hadi-government depends on Saudi Arabia which hosts it and provides much of its military capacity, and ultimately must acquiesce to Saudi preferences. Kuwait, as host of the talks, has played a key role in bringing the sides together. But having provided the resources for this process, Kuwait says it cannot do so indefinitely and has established the 15-day timeframe for this second round. The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Japan chairs the 2140 Sanctions Committee. UN Documents on Yemen This resolution renewed the Yemen sanctions measures until 26 February 2017 and the mandate of the Panel of Experts until 27 March 2017. This resolution demanded the Houthis to withdraw from all seized areas and to relinquish all seized arms, and established an arms embargo on the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. This presidential statement welcomed the launch of peace talks that started on 21 April 2016 in Kuwait and requested the Secretary-General to provide a plan on how the Special Envoys office can further support the Yemeni parties. This was the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict. On 6 June, the Secretary-General removed the Saudi Arabia-led coalition from the listing in Annex 1 of the report, where it had been included for the first time, pending the conclusion of a joint review of the findings with coalition members. This was a briefing by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Ismael Ould Cheikh Ahmed via video teleconference. The DNC has been in full swing this week, and while it's meant the shattering one of the highest glass ceilings in the country, it's also meant a big week for America's favorite vice president, "Diamond" Joe Biden. Ol' Joe has had run-ins with the cops, has given stirring speeches touching on economic insecurity and institutional sexism, and to cap off his week, will be filming an appearance on Law & Order: SVU today. Now, without hovering over any of those links, try to guess which one of those stories is real. The historic first appearance of a sitting vice president on a crime procedural will take place today, the White House noted on their official schedule. No, Biden will not be playing a perp, a corpse or a hotshot visiting prosecutor with a Top Gun sense of style and a thirst for justice. And fortunately for Biden, the episode isn't actually about him, a fate that's befallen another colorful politician. Instead, Biden will "tape an appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on the rape kit backlog and efforts to end violence against women," according to the White House press office. While we like to have fun with the goofy Joe Biden image, we have to applaud Biden for using his office to call for the testing of rape kits that are stuck in labs across the United States. Last year, the vice president appeared in New York to announce an $80 million federal grant to end the rape kit backlog. Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention is already the stuff of legend. Many were moved to tears and some pundits immediately started conjecturing on a presidential run for the First Lady. The Army Corps of Engineers even started clearing space on Mount Rushmore. Well, maybe not that last bit, but the speech really was extraordinary. It capped a remarkable eight years in which the First Lady championed health and education initiatives from the White House, and cemented her legacy as the coolest First Lady ever. But what exactly are the duties of the First Lady, and how powerful is the position? As Trace Dominguez explains in today's Seeker Daily report, the answers are "none" and "depends," respectively. The First Lady has no official duties or salary. In fact, there is no designated government position at all for the spouse of the president. There is, however, an Office of the the First Lady, with several staffed and salaried positions. That's because the First Lady has many unofficial duties in the executive branch, depending on how busy she wants to be. The role has changed gradually over time. Martha Washington and Abigail Adams, America's first first ladies, were public figures by association, but nothing more. Dolley Madison, our fourth first lady, initiated the tradition of championing social causes from the White House. Madison focused on helping orphaned children and furthering women's rights. RELATED: What Has Obama Accomplished As President? Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with significantly expanding the role of the First Lady. Outspoken in her political views, Roosevelt contributed to newspaper columns and often disagreed publicly with her husband's public policy positions. After her husband left office, Roosevelt stayed involved in government herself, eventually heading up the UN Commission on Human Rights. With Hillary Clinton on the 2016 ballot, it's entirely possible that a former First Lady will be running the country. It turns out that an active First Lady unofficially assumed that role 100 years ago. When President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919, his wife Edith took over many of his duties and essentially ran the executive branch for about a year and half. Of course, if Hillary Clinton does win the presidency, it will result in the unprecedented situation. Former president Bill Clinton will become the inaugural First Gentleman of the United States. As such, Bill will be unofficially in charge of White House social functions, which is like a celestial gift from the comedy gods. Fingers crossed1 -- Glenn McDonald Learn More: The Atlantic: Michelle Obama's Speech For the Ages PBS: The Role of First Lady USA TODAY: What's a first lady to do? Role not specified, highly scrutinized Pacific Standard: Remember the First Ladies Photo: A boundary stone marks the border between Finland and Norway, near the summit of Haltitunturi, which is presently the former's highest peak. Credit: Lothar Sowada, via Wikimedia Commons Last year we reported that a retired Norwegian mapmaker wants his government to roll their eastern border just a bit westward. That would allow Mount Halti to become part of Finland -- a gift for that country's 100th birthday. And now the Prime Minister of Norway has said that she's giving consideration to allow the move. After more than five centuries under Swedish rule, Finland was invaded by Russia in 1808, and the following year became a Grand Duchy under the Russian Czar. In 1917, following the February and October revolutions that ushered in the Soviet Union, Finland declared independence; last year, as the centenary of that declaration approached, former Norwegian geophysicist and government surveyor Bjrn Geirr Harsson wrote to his country's foreign ministry suggesting that Oslo mark the occasion by offering to move part of its boundary approximately 130 feet to the west. RELATED: Barking Norwegian Lemmings Tell Predators to Back Off The reason? The border, a straight line north to south is, Harsson has said, "geophysically illogical," not least because it bisects the mountain in question. Geophysically speaking, Harsson explained, "Mount Halti has two peaks, one Finnish and one Norwegian." Because of the border, however, both of those peaks are in Norway. Shifting the boundary 130 or so feet up the mountain would move one of them, Halditsohkka, into Finnish territory; the 4,367-foot fell would become the highest point in the nation. Harsson points out that the total amount of territory that would be ceded by such a move would be a mere 0.0058 square miles -- about 3.7 acres. Not everybody responded enthusiastically to the idea. The deputy chair of the parliamentary scrutiny committee, Michael Tetzschner, called the plan "bewildering" and "a joke," and said that the constitution "clearly prohibits the surrender by the state of any part of Norwegian territory to another power." But, according to The Guardian, there is precedent for such small-scale changes: Norway's borders with both Finland and Russia had moved in recent times "to reflect changes in riverbeds and the shifting position of sandbanks and islets." RELATED: Arctic Nations Debate Future Certainly, the idea has met with some approval in high places. Prime Minister Erna Solberg acknowledged that, "There are some formal challenges and I haven't yet decided my own view on the matter. But we are considering it." Svein Leiros, the mayor of Kafjord municipality, where the peak is located, said that "The peak would be a wonderful gift to our sister nation. "We want to reach out a hand to our neighbor that we will be able to shake across the summit." WATCH: How Powerful Is Norway? Cancer's roots go down deep into prehistory, says a new study into the fossilized bone of an early human who walked the Earth about 1.7 million years ago. Found at the cave site of Swartkrans, about 20 miles from Johannesburg, South Africa, the foot bone displays the earliest evidence for malignant cancer, pushing back the recorded history of the disease over 1.5 million years. Previously, the oldest possible hominin tumor was found in the rib of a Neanderthal that lived around 120,000 years old. RELATED: Colon Cancer Found in Hungarian Mummy Using advanced high-resolution 3-D imaging, a team of researchers from the Universities of Central Lancashire, U.K., and Witwatersrand, South Africa, discovered that the bone, a left metatarsal (one of the five long foot bones that connect to the toes) was overlooked in a previous investigation. "What was originally diagnosed as a benign exosteal growth is now shown to represent a malignant bone malignancy," the researchers wrote in the South African Journal of Science. The new diagnosis is osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer which usually effects younger individuals in modern humans. The finding challenges the theory that cancer is a modern man-made disease. WATCH: How Radiation Changes Your DNA Pedersen and colleagues Ashley Pooch and Hongwei Liu conducted what they say is the first broad-based assessment of genetic diversity in the English bulldog using DNA analysis, rather than pedigrees. Similar studies have been undertaken for standard and miniature poodles, golden retrievers and greyhounds. "More people seemed to be enamored with its appearance than concerned about its health," he continued. "Improving health through genetic manipulations presumes that enough diversity still exists to improve the breed from within, and if not, to add diversity by outcrossing to other breeds. We found that little genetic 'wiggle room' still exists in the breed to make additional genetic changes." "The English bulldog has reached the point where popularity can no longer excuse the health problems that the average bulldog endures in its often brief lifetime," lead author Niels Pedersen from the University of California at Davis' Center for Companion Animal Health said in a press release. Breeders have wanted to maintain traditional standards while improving the health of English bulldogs, but the new findings published in the journal Canine Genetics and Epidemiology suggest that those breeding efforts could be a lost cause because the existing genetic stock is so low. There's not much hope in saving English bulldogs as a breed , suggests new research that finds these dogs have extremely limited genetic diversity and are among the world's unhealthiest dogs as a result. The researchers examined 102 English bulldogs: 87 from the United States and 15 from other countries. The dogs were genetically compared with an additional 37 English bulldogs presented to UC Davis veterinary clinical services for health problems. All were found to have very low genetic diversity, which can result from inbreeding. Pedersen and his team explained that the breed began with a founding population of just 68. On top of that, breeding since the 1800s has artificially kept population sizes in check. This has caused additional reductions to the English bulldog's genetic diversity. RELATED: Snub-nosed Dogs More Affectionate In the United States, the English bulldog is perhaps best known as the mascot of the University of Georgia. Because of that iconic status, the dogs are particularly popular in the Southeast. The terminology gets a bit confusing, as sometimes the terms English bulldog, American bulldog and just plain bulldog are used interchangeably. The American Kennel Club recognizes "bulldogs" and "French bulldogs." The United Kennel Club (UKC), however, separately lists all of these breeds, and includes a newer one called the olde English bulldogge. Despite the spelling of its name, the olde English bulldogge was actually the product of a breeding project initiated in 1971. "The revival of a healthy dog with the longevity to live well into its teens is a primary goal," according to a UKC fact sheet on the olde English bulldogge. RELATED: Dogs Domesticated Twice in Two Places This project and other efforts to breed the English bulldog with other breeds could improve the dogs' health. Many breeders, however, feel that any deviations from the original standard will produce dogs that are not true English bulldogs. In the meantime, the dogs' health problems appear to be worsening. As Pedersen said, "These changes (due to breeding) have occurred over hundreds of years but have become particularly rapid over the last few decades. Breeders are managing the little diversity that still exists in the best possible manner, but there are still many individuals sired from highly inbred parents." "Unfortunately," he added, "eliminating all the mutations may not solve the problem as this would further reduce genetic diversity. We would also question whether further modifications, such as rapidly introducing new rare coat colors, making the body smaller and more compact and adding more wrinkles in the coat, could improve the bulldog's already fragile genetic diversity." Glaciologists and engineers will soon be extracting cores from a glacier atop a French mountain in the first step of a project to preserve samples of glacial ice from around the world --and the information it contains -- for future generations. On Aug. 15, a 10-person team from France, Italy, Russia and the United States will be traveling to the Col du Dome, a 14,000 foot peak that is part of the Mont Blanc Massif in the French Alps on the border with Switzerland; from then until mid-September, they will drill three cores of approximately 430 feet in length. The cores will be lowered into the valley by helicopter before being transported to the Laboratory of Glaciology and Environmental Geophysics (LGGE) in Grenoble. One will be analyzed to begin building a database available to the entire world scientific community. The other two will be transported by ship to Antarctica, where they will be transferred onto tracked vehicles and carried to the high plateaus of the frozen continent for storage at the Concordia station, which is run by jointly by the French and Italian Antarctic programs. The long-term plan is to have dozens of ice core archives stored in a snow cave at -65F. RELATED: Climate Change Is Actually Moving Mountains The rationale behind the project is to preserve the environmental and climatic history that mountain glaciers contain, such as variations in temperature, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and emissions of natural aerosols or man-made pollutants. Studying glacial ice from numerous locations allows scientists to determine regional disparities in atmospheric pollution, and to characterize the nature and origin of that pollution. However, rising temperatures as a result of climate change are causing glaciers to retreat in many parts of the world, and in the shorter term are prompting systematic percolation of meltwater through the upper layers of snow on the glacier surface. This latter phenomenon will irreversibly alter the chemical composition of the snow strata, potentially destroying the climatological and environmental records forever. Hence, the idea of the Protecting Ice Memory project, which is inspired by the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard. Following the initial ice core extraction in the French Alps, scientists will in 2017 head to the Illimani Glacier in the Bolivian Andes to take samples from there. RELATED: Largest Glacier Side Ever Caught on Camera "Fifty years ago in Antarctica," said Claude Lorius, French glaciologist and pioneer of the science of ice cores, "when I discovered that by analyzing the ice we could reconstruct the Earth's past climate and atmospheric composition from the air bubbles held within it, I could never have imagined the rapid and inevitable disappearance of glaciers that is unfolding before our very eyes. My thanks go to the Grenoble team for taking responsibility for creating this ice core sanctuary for future generations before it is too late." WATCH: If Global Warming Is Real, Why Is Antarctic Ice Growing? Egypt displayed on Monday newly discovered tombs more than 4,000 years old and said they belonged to people who worked on the Great Pyramids of Giza, putting the discovery forth as more evidence that slaves did not build the ancient monuments. The series of modest nine-foot-deep shafts held a dozen skeletons of pyramid builders, perfectly preserved by dry desert sand along with jars that once contained beer and bread meant for the workers' afterlife. The mud-brick tombs were uncovered last week in the backyard of the Giza pyramids, stretching beyond a burial site first discovered in the 1990s and dating to the 4th Dynasty (2575 B.C. to 2467 B.C.), when the great pyramids were built on the fringes of present-day Cairo. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus once described the pyramid builders as slaves, creating what Egyptologists say is a myth later propagated by Hollywood films. Graves of the pyramid builders were first discovered in the area in 1990 when a tourist on horseback stumbled over a wall that later proved to be a tomb. Egypt's archaeology chief Zahi Hawass said that discovery and the latest finds last week show that the workers were paid laborers, rather than the slaves of popular imagination. Hawass told reporters at the site that the find, first announced on Sunday, sheds more light on the lifestyle and origins of the pyramid builders. Most importantly, he said the workers were not recruited from slaves commonly found across Egypt during pharaonic times. Hawass said the builders came from poor Egyptian families from the north and the south, and were respected for their work -- so much so that those who died during construction were bestowed the honor of being buried in the tombs near the sacred pyramids of their pharaohs. Their proximity to the pyramids and the manner of burial in preparation for the afterlife backs this theory, Hawass said. "No way would they have been buried so honorably if they were slaves," he said. The tombs contained no gold or valuables, which safeguarded them from tomb-raiders throughout antiquity. The skeletons were found buried in a fetal position -- the head pointing to the West and the feet to the East according to ancient Egyptian beliefs, surrounded by the jars once filled with supplies for afterlife. The men who built the last remaining wonder of the ancient world ate meat regularly and worked in three months shifts, said Hawass. It took 10,000 workers more than 30 years to build a single pyramid, Hawass said -- a tenth of the work force of 100,000 that Herodotus wrote of after visiting Egypt around 450 B.C. Hawass said evidence from the site indicates that the approximately 10,000 laborers working on the pyramids ate 21 cattle and 23 sheep sent to them daily from farms. Though they were not slaves, the pyramid builders led a life of hard labor, said Adel Okasha, supervisor of the excavation. Their skeletons have signs of arthritis, and their lower vertebrae point to a life passed in difficulty, he said. "Their bones tell us the story of how hard they worked," Okasha said. A dead whale that washed up on a southern Australia beach has something peculiar in its mouth: a sharp and pointy fang, say the researchers who examined it. The whale, identified as a Hector's beaked whale (Mesoplodon hectori), was found south of Adelaide on Waitpinga beach in February. For the past 25 years, the South Australian Museum has done necropsies (an animal autopsy) on "as many whales as it can from its shores," but the museum's researchers didn't expect to find anything unusual when they examined this particular whale - a female juvenile, said Catherine Kemper, a senior research scientist in mammals at the South Australian Museum. Creatures That Live On Dolphins And Whales: Photos Instead, the researchers found an "intriguing" fang, which has never been seen before in a Hector's beaked whale, Kemper told Live Science in an email. [Whale Album: Giants of the Deep] It's possible that the tooth is vestigial - that is, much like a human's appendix or wisdom teeth, it was useful in an ancestor, but isn't useful anymore, she said. Or, maybe it's an evolutionary throwback, also known as an atavism, meaning it was present in ancestors, but still pops up from time to time, much like a human baby born with a tail, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "All whales are derived from animals that had more teeth," Kemper said. "What's happened with time is some of them have evolved. They have lost teeth because they have specialized their feeding to not need them." Diving Into A Humpback Whale Fight: Photos However, it's difficult to say exactly what is going on, largely because scientists know little about beaked whales, said Nicholas Pyenson, a curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, who has not seen the new specimen. Case in point - this is only the third Hector's whale the museum has collected, Kemper told ABC. "Beaked whales, they're among the most mysterious groups of whales," Pyenson told Live Science. Some beaked whale species are only known to science because their skulls have washed ashore, he said. "They're hard to see in the wild, they live off shore, Pyenson said. "They dive very deep into the ocean and don't surface too much." Humpback Whales Get IMAX Treatment: Photos Yet, beaked whales are some of the most species-rich groups of whales, Pyenson said. And although scientists don't know much about them, they're famous for their weird teeth, he said. For instance, the male strap-toothed whale (Mesoplodon layardii) has teeth that curve up and over its snout, preventing it from opening its mouth more than a few inches, Pyenson said. Other whales have extremely long teeth that might be used for male-male sparring, "which we infer happens deep underwater because you find scars all along the bodies of males that wash up," he said. [In Photos: Tracking Humpback Whales in the South Pacific Ocean] Without more specimens, it's hard to say whether this whale's pointy fang is a common variation, an evolutionary throwback or something else, Pyenson said. "It's definitely weird, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's a throwback, because these already have teeth, [this one] just seems to have had an extra, strange tooth," he said. More from LiveScience: Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Original article on Live Science. The beaked whale was found washed up on Waitpinga beach in southern Australia. Barnacles, lice and other creatures live their lives attached to the bodies of dolphins, whales and other marine species, and a new study reveals just how rewarding that choice of "real estate" can be. Some of these freeloaders exclusively attach to certain parts of marine mammals, creating their own microhabitats right on their unsuspecting hosts. Here, barnacles from the species Xenobalanus globicipitis hang from the underside of a dolphin fin. The barnacles are filtering organisms, trapping food particles in water as the bits of food flow by, according to Francisco Javier Aznar, senior author of the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE. "Some years ago, a colleague wrote rather poetically that riding a dolphin would be the dream of a barnacle for two reasons," Aznar, who is a researcher at the University of Valencia's Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology,said. "First, the movement of water the dolphin produces around it during swimming is rather predictable and, therefore, can advantageously be used by barnacles...Second, no predator can chase a fast dolphin to feed on their barnacles!" Underwater World Captured in Stunning Photos Most barnacles use a special substance to essentially glue themselves to things, such as rocky coasts, boats and flotsam. The glue, Azar said, has "extraordinary mechanical properties," so engineers continue to study it in hopes of recreating a similar compound for human use. The various barnacle species that live on marine mammals, on the other hand, have evolved ways of attaching to skin. "Cetacean skin is constantly shedding and, therefore, no glue would work properly on skin as the barnacle would be readily detached, along with the superficial skin, in a matter of hours," Aznar explained. As a result, these barnacles use shells that elsewhere function as protection, in order to penetrate deep into the marine mammal's skin. Aznar added, "This is indeed an evolutionary novelty in the world of barnacles." The Record-Breaking Sex Lives of Barnacles The barnacles living on marine mammals and other marine life (such as sharks) do not seem to cause much, if any, harm. The jury is still out as to how much the marine mammal hosts feel the presence of the barnacles. Aznar said that an anecdotal story some years ago suggested that the barnacles produce itchy sensations on dolphins and whales, such that dolphins -- with nothing to scratch against -- "sometimes jump out of the water and splash to essentially scratch themselves." "As far as I know," he added, "this story has never been substantiated by solid data. In any event, no one knows whether barnacles can produce itch." The Unexpected Beauty of Coral Crustaceans: Photos Barnacles usually are not alone on marine mammals. This image shows both barnacles and lice atop a grey whale. Some barnacles prefer to be on top of the whale's head, while others prefer different locations. Once attached, they literally go with the flow and filter feed as the whale moves. The slightly pink coloration around the barnacles indicates the presence of whale lice. They feed on dead skin and clean wounds that might afflict their whale host, so their presence in reasonable numbers seems to benefit their hosts. When Lice Move In: What to Do Whale lice are members of the family Cyamidae. They take on a pink (per the prior image) or orange color, as seen here. The color comes from algae, which tend to settle on the host's body. The lice then eat the algae, along with the previously mentioned shed skin and other things. In large numbers, the lice can cause minor skin damage, but there are no reports that they have caused significant harm to their hosts. In fact, most species of whale lice are associated with a single species of whale, with the two benefiting each other over the millennia. Gray Whale Breaks Mammal Migration Record Aznar said that whale lice "resemble human lice in that they require physical host contact for transmission and they use their clawed legs to attach." He continued, "Whale lice grab folds of skin in the blowhole, the eyes, or the genital slit." It could be that, before modern bathing, lice benefited our early human ancestors too, by eating dead skin, cleaning wounds and more. Now, of course, human lice are considered a nuisance, with treatments available to get rid of them. While lice can benefit their marine mammals hosts, Aznar said, "As far as we know, marine mammals get no benefit from having barnacles." The barnacles could, however, benefit lice, sometimes providing buffers around them and attracting algae. An entire little ecosystem consisting of multiple species could therefore be living on this Southern right whale's head. Barnacles and lice are just two types of creatures that may live on whales, dolphins and other marine life. There are also small aquatic crustaceans from the genus Pennella. Aznar said they resemble the cartoon character " Plankton ," the archrival of SpongeBob Squarepants in the popular series for kids. Yet another small aquatic crustacean, called Balaenophilus unisetus , lives on the baleens of whales. Baleens are fibrous structures in the mouths of some whales that enable them to filter feed. Another research team found that the tiny freeloading crustaceans primarily eat keratin, which is the protein that makes up the baleens. This is the same protein found in human hair and fingernails, as well as in the feathers, hoofs, claws and horns of other animals. Remoras, such as the one shown here, are slender marine fish that feed on remnants of the meals of others, as well as on parasites, such as the aforementioned whale lice. These fish, as well as lampreys, "have sometimes been reported attached to dolphins and whales," Aznar said. After years of equipping important security checkpoints throughout Iraq with non-functioning bomb detectors, the Iraqi government has finally banned their use. According to an ABC News story, "For nearly a decade, anyone driving through one of Baghdad's many checkpoints was subjected to a search by a soldier pointing a security wand at their vehicle and watching the device intently to see if its antenna moved. If it pointed at the car, it had supposedly detected a possible bomb. The wands were completely bogus. It had been proven years ago, even before 2013 when two British men were convicted in separate trials on fraud charges for selling the detectors." The wand devices, marketed under various names including ADE651 and GT200, were not faulty nor defective; they were completely useless. They had no working electronics in them that could detect bombs or anything else. The device has only one moving part, an antenna-like piece of metal that freely swivels, supposedly detecting explosive and other materials. The devices, which have been compared to dowsing rods, were sold for up to $40,000 each in lucrative government contracts eventually totaling $60 million. RELATED: Why People Believed Fake Bomb Detectors Worked Despite clear evidence that the bomb detectors were fake-ranging from fraud convictions to warnings by the U.S. military-many remained in use for years, not only in Baghdad but around the country. Corruption and complacency played a role, and it wasn't until July 3 that the catastrophic toll of these fraudulent devices became too obvious to ignore. That was the day that a massive suicide bombing killed almost 300 people. According to ABC News, "Officials say the explosives-laden minibus used in the July 3 attack... would have encountered at least half a dozen checkpoints, most of which likely used the wand. Investigators say the vehicle carried a 250-kilogram (550-pound) bomb." The devices have been used in other countries including Mexico and Niger; reporters for Reuters discovered them being used recently at checkpoints in volatile regions of Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. WATCH: The Real Reason The U.S. Military Is Still In Iraq Are you relatively new to this bustling metropolis? Don't be shy about it, everyone was new to New York once upon a time, except, of course, those battle-hardened residents who've lived here their whole lives and Know It All. One of these lifers works among us at Gothamistpublisher Jake Dobkin grew up in Park Slope and still resides there. He is now fielding questionsask him anything by sending an email here, but be advised that Dobkin is "not sure you guys will be able to handle my realness." We can keep you anonymous if you prefer; just let us know what neighborhood you live in. This week's question comes from someone who can't help deriving aesthetic satisfaction from a widely-despised new residential tower. Dear Jake, The other day I was driving back from upstate, stuck in traffic in the Bronx, when I caught sight of 432 Park Avenue silhouetted against some clouds. Now, I hate the rich just as much as anybody, but I was struck for a second by the symmetry of the building and the way it kind of stands heroically tall and apart from the rest of the skyline, and I realized I actually like the way it looks. Does this make me a hypocrite politically? Can you like the way a building looks but hate what it represents? Sincerely, Jenny on the Block A native New Yorker responds: Dear Jenny, It is a monstrous error to consider any work of architecture apart from its historical context. Imagine some clueless tourist wandering over to Ground Zero and saying, "Oh, what pretty fountains, let's take selfies!" or a visitor to Auschwitz cluelessly admiring the metalwork on the "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate, or complimenting the pleasing angles of the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, without thinking about the mountain of skulls that it represents. You'd rightly call such people ignorant and offer a short lecture about what each of those structures really means. Allow me to demonstrate here! 432 Park is a horrible, no-good, evil buildingvisually, politically, and spiritually. 1396 feet tall, built at a cost of $1.25 billion dollars, it features 104 apartments, listed at a bargain price of $12,000+ per square foot (eight appear to be available right now at sums ranging from $17 to $45 million dollars.) It is the distillation, in physical form, of everything that is wrong with our late-capitalist society, and will be remembered, hundreds of years hence, as a grotesque middle finger erected by the rich and pointed at everyone else in New York City. Another luxury supertall tower rises to block out the sun in Brooklyn! (Courtesy Jake Dobkin Private Collection) Inequality, of course, has been rising in America for many years, at least since the Reagan administration began chipping away at the regulations and unions and progressive tax structure that held back the most rapacious of capitalists. It was not, however, until the last 15 years that the flood of cash that this political revolution created, joined by enormous pools of capital expropriated by various foreign oligarchs from their dysfunctional countries, began to take physical form in New York City condo towers. Previously, this type of money would have been stored more discreetly in off-shore accounts, but now, especially after the financial crash of 2008 left most other investment types languishing, and encouraged by zoning changes made during the Bloomberg administration, that money began to congeal in a series of towers, mostly located on and around 57th Street, intended not so much to be occupied but bought and displayed to other one percenters. Sure, you could argue that 432 Park and its brethren are simply "heightening the contradictions" of this period, as the Marxists say, and won't it be convenient when all the enemies of the people are gathered together in a few tall buildings when the revolucion comes? However, this ignores the very real problems these buildings create right now: shadows over Central Park, a speculative bubble in New York real estate at all price levels (as thousands of owners see it and think, "if $12,000/sqft is the top end of the market, maybe asking $2,000/sqft for my studio in Gowanus isn't so overpriced"), and most of all, a visual eyesore seen from every not-rich neighborhood in the city, reminding us just how unequally the spoils of growth have been distributed. A little more on that last point. You complimented the pleasing symmetry of 432 Park, which Rafael Vinoly, the architect, says is based on "the purest geometric form: the square." Indeed, perhaps there is something to momentarily admire in the technical achievement of putting such a tall, square-based rectangular prism on a narrow lot and not having it tip over. Consider, however, that the square is not just the purest geometric form, but also the easiest way to stack a bunch of floor-through apartments without wasting any square footage on exterior ornamentation. Adding twists or undulations or cut-outs or whatever tricks architects can use to make a building interesting from the outside costs money, and would inevitably subtract from the available square footage for sale. Vinoly's square is a perfect representation of what happens when a building is designed solely for its occupants, without a thought given to the people who will have to look at it from the outside. What 432 Park reminds me of most is a stack of square safe deposit boxes, which is, in fact, exactly what it is. Like safe deposit boxes, these apartments will be rarely opened. I expect that unless the building has some sort of automatic lighting system, most of the floors will be dark each night, as their owners will continue to live in Moscow or London or Hong Kong. Occasionally, we will see one or two lights flash on as the beneficial owner has come to inspect their holdings, verify they are still intact, and then silently flit away. It did not have to be this way! It is possible to design a high rise condo that is not visually monotonous to stare at. Consider 56 Leonard Street, the so-called "Jenga" building in Tribeca. Sure, it's still an oligarch nest completely out of context with its surrounding neighborhood, but at least its uneven stack is a little surprising and original. Whenever I go down to Canal Street to check our Post Office box, I see tourists gathered on 6th Avenue pointing at it. That will never happen with 432 Park and its 57th Street neighbors, which to a one are all equally banal glass prisms, devoid of anything worth remarking on besides the deviant cultural conditions which created them. Thankfully, the era of super-tall condos has already begun to wane. Apparently between the Brexit and corruption crackdowns in China, and increasing federal disclosure regulations on real estate, the supply of billionaire condo buyers has begun to wane. It is unlikely, in the near future, that too many more of these buildings will rise, which gives us, as a city, a little bit of time to consider policy responses, such as high property taxes on unoccupied apartments, special sales taxes on high-end apartment transactions, and zoning rules that would block park-endarkening towers. Hopefully, we will have these in place before the next boom, so at least if more ugly towers like 432 Park are built, we can say the city is profiting from them. Until then, I advise using 432 Park as a highly visible meditation device: whenever you see it poking up above the skyline, think of the system that produced it; think of all the corruption, financial malfeasance, and chicanery that allows billionaires to acquire so much wealth while so many have so little; and rededicate yourself to voting for politicians and contributing to social movements that aim to turn things around. N.B.: If you're an oligarch reading this, make sure you never buy an apartment above the 40th floor. I've taken press tours of these spaces, and once you get up above that the view actually gets worse, because you're too high to make out any detail on the streets. If you're going to pay $50MM for a two-bedroom, you want to at least be able to see the peasants below you scurrying around like ants! N.B.2. Rafael Vinoly claims this building was inspired by a $225 garbage can. This is extraordinarily appropriate in ways I need not bother to belabour here. Ask a Native New Yorker anything via email. Anonymity is assured. A federal appeals court in San Francisco revived a challenge to extradition Thursday by a Mexican man who said the evidence against him was obtained by torture, in a ruling written by a judge best known for approving torture of suspected terrorists during the George W. Bush administration. Evidence produced by torture is inadmissible in legal proceedings, even in the streamlined hearings held to determine whether to extradite someone to a foreign country to face criminal charges, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco said in a 9-2 ruling. The court told a federal magistrate in Los Angeles to reconsider the case of Jose Luis Munoz Santos and decide whether his allegations of torture are credible and, if so, whether any other evidence supports his deportation to Mexico. A coerced statement is not competent evidence, Judge Jay Bybee said in the majority opinion, which reversed rulings by a federal judge and a three-judge appellate panel upholding Munozs extradition. Bybee, whom Bush named to the court in 2003, was the Justice Department official who approved an August 2002 memo concluding that waterboarding was not torture and that the president had the constitutional power to authorize torture during wartime. The author of the memo, Justice Department attorney John Yoo, is now a UC Berkeley law professor. Bushs Justice Department later repudiated the memo, and President Obama expressly barred waterboarding and other torture methods after taking office in 2009. Munoz was living in Southern California when he was arrested in 2006 and held for extradition to Mexico, which accused him of ordering the ransom kidnapping of a woman and her two young daughters from their home in the state of Nayarit in August 2005. He was released on bail for several years but has been back in custody since June 2011. Two alleged accomplices, one of them Munozs partner in a clothing business, told Mexican judges that they were following Munozs orders in seizing the victims. One of the girls died during the ordeal. However, both men submitted statements several months later recanting their admissions and saying they had been coerced. They said their captors had beaten them and threatened to harm their families unless they signed statements that police handed them, and one man said he had a bag tied over his head and water poured into his nose and mouth, treatment similar to waterboarding. When Munoz challenged his extradition, however, a U.S. magistrate refused to consider the torture allegations. He cited court rulings that prohibited immigrants facing extradition from presenting evidence that contradicted the governments factual assertions, because such disputes can be resolved only at a trial, in the foreign country, that tests the credibility of the competing claims. Extradition proceedings, the courts have said, are less formal and test only whether the government has offered adequate evidence. But the appeals court said Thursday that evidence of torture does not merely contradict the governments account of a confession but potentially obliterates it as grounds for extradition. U.S. courts must review such claims and decide whether the proposed extradition is based on coerced confessions, Bybee said. In dissent, Judge Consuelo Callahan said the ruling would convert an extradition proceeding into a mini-trial and give U.S. courts powers that the law reserves to immigration officials and foreign governments. She was joined by Judge Sandra Ikuta. If the court had ruled the other way, said Munozs lawyer, Deputy Federal Public Defender Matthew Larsen, it would have tacitly encouraged other countries to keep on torturing and keep on seeking extradition. The U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles declined to comment. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko Hillary Clintons advantage going into the final evening of the Democratic National Convention was her nonstop determination. The former first lady and secretary of state never gave up on her bid to become the first female American president. Unlike Donald Trump, she didnt just stumble into the nomination. She reached the spotlight through steady leadership a euphemism for plodding on after personal scandal on an epic scale and a painful election loss in 2008. It was a convention notable for its role reversals. Break out the tea and cookies: Supporters touted the feminist role model as a great mother first. At some moments the convention seemed like an excursion back in time, to the The Donna Reed Show. The mommy focus served not only to humanize Clinton, but also to distract from the reckless judgment that has dogged her professional life. President Obama talked about how everyone in the public spotlight makes mistakes. Hes right. Two mistakes that have haunted Clinton through this primary, however, were not caused in the heat of chaos when there are no good decisions. To the contrary, Clintons decision to use a home-brew server for her State Department emails, which opened a door to hostile hackers, was not thrust upon her. Likewise her hefty Goldman Sachs speaking fees $675,000 for three talks were not due to complex forces beyond her control. Clinton has a long-standing record of greed. No worries, the mommy theme coos, as Chelsea Clinton turned out great. The Philadelphia confab checked all the boxes on Donald Trumps dark side. Khizr Khan whose Army captain son Humayun Khan, 27, died saving his comrades during a Baghdad suicide bombing shamed Trump when he intoned, You have sacrificed nothing. I dare any American to support a ban on Muslim immigrants after watching Khan extol the U.S. Constitution. Retired Gen. John Allen questioned Trumps judgment on military matters. The most devastating hit on Trump came from disabled Americans and their families. Last November, in perhaps his most puerile and heartless rant, Trump jerked his arms as he made fun of a New York Times reporter with a physical disability. On the first night of the convention, Anastasia Somoza, who has cerebral palsy, slammed Trump as a man who shouts, bullies and profits off of the vulnerable Americans. It had to be said. Policy-wise, Clinton has moved to the left, as has the Democratic Party. She doesnt distinguish between legal immigrants and those who are here illegally. She calls both groups immigrants, as she ignores federal laws enacted by Congress and never overturned. She waited until 2013 to support same-sex marriage, and now voices contempt for anyone so backward as to oppose it. She supports raising the minimum wage as high as $15 per hour. She assumed vanquished rival Bernie Sanders plank to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all. She wants to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United a decision in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld critics free-speech right to criticize Clinton in a movie. Having buried Trump in the fundraising department by about 40-1, she promised Thursday night to get money out of politics. She criticized Trumps temperament handling a tough question from a reporter unencumbered by her own record of not holding a news conference for more than 235 days. For me Clinton will always be the New York senator who voted for the war in Iraq, before she turned against it. (Her Iraq war vote is the reason Clinton lost the Democratic primary in 2008, and a reason so many Democrats were drawn to Sanders.) Her 2008 campaign ran an ad that asked whom voters wanted to answer a 3 a.m. phone call to the White House after things have gone south in a little-known faraway hot spot: The rookie senator or the lady hawk? That was before Benghazi. Now Clinton wants to break the glass ceiling via the mommy track. Clintons biggest selling point is Trump, who shifts positions more readily than Clinton. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons, quoth Clinton. But is Trump, to paraphrase Obama, unlikable enough? Debra J. Saunders is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dsaunders@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @DebraJSaunders Clinton versus Trump A Gallup poll taken July 18-25 finds that Americans have the same dim and positive views of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Before this poll, Trumps negatives were higher than Clintons: 37 percent favorable 58 percent unfavorable The poll demonstrates that, for all the negative reviews, Trump got a bounce out of Cleveland. The Democratic National Convention beat the Republican National Convention ratings-wise in the first nights. Will that bring a bigger popularity bump for Clinton? A week after it started, a fire burning in the Big Sur area has consumed nearly 33,000 acres and continues to threaten 2,000 homes, officials said Friday. The Soberanes Fire has charred 32,930 acres and is 15 percent contained, said officials with the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The blaze has grown by about 5,000 acres since Thursday, but containment was up from 10 percent. Sandy Pearlman, a producer, lyricist, manager, executive and college professor who was a herald of developments from heavy metal and punk to the digital distribution of music, died Tuesday in Novato. He was 72. He had suffered a debilitating cerebral hemorrhage in December and died of pneumonia and other complications, Robert Duncan, his longtime friend and conservator, said. Mr. Pearlman was one of the first serious rock critics, writing and editing for the pioneering rock culture magazine Crawdaddy. He claimed to have been the first writer to use the phrase heavy metal to describe music. But he was best known as the producer, manager and lyricist for Blue Oyster Cult. He produced and co-produced albums for the band from 1972 to 1988. With his longtime business partner Murray Krugman, he produced one of the earliest albums considered to be punk rock, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! released in 1975, and he produced the second album by the Clash, Give Em Enough Rope, in 1978. Mr. Pearlman was also a founding vice president of eMusic, an early online music store that started in 1998, and he lectured and consulted widely on music in the digital era. He was always talking about the future, Lenny Kaye, Patti Smiths longtime lead guitarist, said. It wasnt just what he was going to do in the future but what the culture would require in the future and how it would change. Concert promoter Samuel Clarke Pearlman was born Aug. 8, 1943, in New York. He graduated in 1966 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he promoted concerts. He went on to graduate study at Brandeis University. During his student years, he wrote a cycle of poems that grew into a far-reaching alternate-history, science-fiction epic, The Soft Doctrines of Imaginos. By 1967, he was also writing for Crawdaddy. Mr. Pearlman met musicians in Stony Brook who, he decided, could become his idea of a rock band. He named them the Soft White Underbelly (from a Winston Churchill quote); after some personnel changes, Mr. Pearlman renamed them Blue Oyster Cult. (According to the bands website, its keyboardist, Allen Lanier, added the umlaut.) Mr. Pearlman also came up with Buck Dharma as a stage name for the bands lead guitarist, Donald Roeser. Blue Oyster Cult combined hard rock with concepts from science fiction and apocalyptic fantasy, and a hint of tongue-in-cheek humor, in songs like Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll. Its collaborators on lyrics would eventually include not only Mr. Pearlman but also Smith and novelists Michael Moorcock and Eric Van Lustbader. Top 20 hit The bands audience multiplied with its 1976 album Agents of Fortune, which included Roesers song (Dont Fear) the Reaper, a Top 20 hit that became a perennial favorite on soundtracks. Mr. Pearlman was Black Sabbaths manager from 1979 to 1983, and he also managed other bands, among them the Dictators and Romeo Void. In 1981, he began collaborating with Blue Oyster Cults drummer, Albert Bouchard, on what was originally supposed to be a concept-album trilogy based on The Soft Doctrines of Imaginos. After years of work, it emerged as a Blue Oyster Cult album, Imaginos, in 1988. Mr. Pearlman produced the 1984 album The Medicine Show by neo-psychedelic band the Dream Syndicate. The bands leader, Steve Wynn, later wrote that Sandy Pearlman drove us to the limit and beyond. Recording studio In 1986, Mr. Pearlman founded Alpha & Omega Recording, first in leased space in San Francisco and, since 1991, in San Rafael, with extensive analog and digital equipment. In 1989, he bought the San Francisco new wave and alternative-rock label 415 Records, renaming it Popular Metaphysics. He was a founding vice president of Goodnoise Corp., an early company selling MP3 files online, which later changed its name to eMusic. Mr. Pearlman, who lived in Marin County, had no immediate survivors. In the 21st century, he became a consultant and professor, exploring how the music business could adapt to the digital era. He was a professor at McGill University in Montreal and then at the University of Toronto. There, he taught and created courses in the departments of music, English, religious studies, law and management. Before his cerebral hemorrhage, he had planned to return to teach at Stony Brook. Business is booming at Googles parent company, even as it loses billions of dollars on kooky-sounding projects that may never produce any revenue. Most of the losses are concentrated in Alphabet Inc.s X lab, a wellspring of far-out ideas that has become known as a moonshot factory since Google co-founder Sergey Brin created it about six years ago. The lab is responsible for some once-zany projects, such as Googles self-driving cars, that matured into potentially revolutionary technology. It also has pursued but ultimately abandoned other outlandish endeavors, such as an effort to convert seawater into gasoline. Like going to the moon, exploring new technological frontiers is expensive. Although Alphabet doesnt disclose the X labs specific frontiers, it is believed to account for the majority of the losses in a far-flung category that falls under the Other Bets segment in the companys financial statement. Alphabets second-quarter earnings report, released Thursday, showed an operating loss of $859 million in Other Bets, growing from a $660 million loss a year ago. Its the second consecutive quarter in which losses have deepened. Last year, Other Bets lost $3.6 billion exceeding the annual revenue of many companies. The Mountain View company can afford to gamble, because Google runs the worlds most profitable advertising network, spread across its dominant search engine, YouTube video site and Gmail, as well as millions of third-party websites that draw on its marketing machine. Powered by Google, Alphabet earned $4.9 billion during the April-June quarter, a 24 percent increase from the same time last year. After subtracting ad commissions, Alphabets revenue climbed 22 percent to $17.5 billion. Although Alphabet CEO Larry Page has repeatedly told investors to expect big money to be wagered on Other Bets, the company has been reining in expenses since hiring Wall Street veteran Ruth Porat as its chief financial officer 14 months ago. Astro Teller, who runs the X lab, says he strives for a balance between the pursuit of envelope-pushing technology and Wall Streets demands for some semblance of fiscal prudence. In short, we try to steer X to be responsibly irresponsible as we develop new products, Teller wrote in an online essay published Thursday. The X lab understands that most of its projects will fall by the wayside, but Teller doesnt view that as a waste of time or money. To make progress toward any audacious idea, you have to make mistakes you have to seek out frequent, messy, instructive failure that shows you what to do (or not do) next, Teller wrote. The money that Google spent on areas that have little to do with Internet search and advertising used to frustrate investors who wanted to see bigger profits. BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis says that exasperation is fading away because Porat has made it clear that there will be limits on the spending. Since her arrival, the increases in expenses have not been outpacing the rate of revenue growth, as they had been. Plus, Gillis says, people are starting to realize that technology companies should be plowing some of their profit into research that could pay off in future years to avoid becoming too dependent on a single product. Apple Inc., for instance, has been hurt during the past year by its reliance on the iPhone for most of its revenue, as demand for that device has fallen. Court documents show Facebook has agreed to allow users to request refunds of in-app purchases made by minors as part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit was brought in 2012 by two children and their parents. It claimed the children racked up hundreds of dollars in purchases of Facebook Credits, a since-discontinued currency used by the site. Under the settlement approved by a California federal court in May, Facebook agreed to add an option for requesting an in-app purchase refund on the grounds that it was made by a minor. It also agrees to have a dedicated team to handle such requests. The Menlo Park company didnt responded to a request for comment. China Ride-hailing law approved Ride-hailing services in China have attracted billions of dollars in investments. They have pulled in money from some of the worlds largest tech companies, like Apple and Alibaba. They have become a crucial road test for one of Americas best-known startups, Uber. On Thursday, they finally became legal. In a law announced by several regulators, Chinas government gave the thumbs-up for ride-hailing companies like Uber and its Chinese rival, Didi Chuxing, to operate in the country. The law clears up regulatory uncertainty and lays out a new framework under which ride-hailing companies can operate in the country. Uber and Didi have upended Chinas taxi industry by allowing drivers to take passengers in private vehicles with the help of hugely popular apps. Despite investments in technology, marketing and subsidies, both companies had operated in a legal gray zone, with drivers occasionally being detained by police. Strict government rules have repeatedly tripped up local and foreign Internet companies in China. Yet in the fast-moving Chinese tech industry, an invest first, get approval later model has prevailed. For Uber and Didi, which has a partnership with Lyft, it appears that ethos has paid off. Analysts said the law, which will take effect Nov. 1, signaled a step back from earlier, stricter proposals. Airlines Concern from pilots group The pilots union president said Thursday that American Airlines is reducing its safety margin by manipulating flight plans with tactics that include faster speeds. The union official suggested that American is trying to avoid canceling flights when crews push the limits of their legally allowed work shifts. American did not respond directly to the union leaders claims. A spokesman said the airline takes safety and regulations seriously. Dan Carey, who just started a three-year term as president of the Allied Pilots Association, said in a note to members that pilots were reporting pressure to approve faster flight plans. Federal rules generally limit airline pilots to shifts of nine to 14 hours, depending on when the pilots workday started and the number of flights. They can exceed their limit for unexpected delays such as bad weather, but they cant take off if they know they wont complete the flight under the limit. The rules were designed to prevent accidents caused by fatigue. They were adopted after a Colgan Air flight for Continental Airlines crashed in 2009, killing 50 people. When crews dont have enough time left in their shift to complete a flight, the airline must find replacement pilots or cancel the flight. Either option angers customers and can cause later flights to be delayed or canceled. In the latest government figures, for May, American trailed Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines in on-time arrivals and had a higher cancellation rate. This month, Chief Operating Officer Robert Isom outlined steps American is taking to operate on schedule during the busy summer season. He told employees in a memo that planners and pilots would utilize speed up flight plans to reduce delays involving crew duty times on critical flights. Carey said managers have been directing pilots to redraw flight plans to keep their shifts legal by insisting on speeds that are nearing aircraft limitations, even if routes go through turbulence, which usually forces pilots to slow down. These last-minute manipulations are used to make a flight appear legal when in reality its not or is, at best, on the ragged edge, Carey said. He said the actions caused an erosion of the safety margin. Earnings PG&E misses expectations Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Thursday reported second-quarter profit of $210 million, falling short of analysts expectations. The San Francisco company said it had net income of 41 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 66 cents per share. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 94 cents per share. The company posted revenue of $4.17 billion in the period. PG&E expects full-year earnings in the range of $3.65 to $3.85 per share. Amazon has huge profit Amazon.com Inc. on Thursday reported second-quarter profit of $857 million, or $1.78 per share. The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 14 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.14 per share. The Seattle online retailer posted revenue of $30.4 billion in the period, which also beat Street forecasts. Eleven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $29.73 billion. For the current quarter, Amazon said it expects revenue in the range of $31 billion to $33.5 billion. Analysts surveyed by Zacks had expected revenue of $31.62 billion. Bumpy ride for Ford Ford Motor Co.s net income fell 9 percent to $2 billion in the second quarter as the company struggled with flattening U.S. sales and a tougher market in China. Ford said that its full-year forecast which calls for a pretax profit of $10 billion to $11 billion remains intact but is at risk. The bad news came from North America and Asia. Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks said that after an unprecedented growth streak, the U.S. market is starting to plateau. North American sales were relatively unchanged from a year ago. Chronicle News Services A San Francisco startup looking to become an online marketplace for tourist activities and backed by the likes of Eric Schmidt of Alphabet and David Bonderman of TPG Capital has collected more money from prominent backers. The startup, Peek, said Thursday that it had raised $10 million in a new round of financing. As part of the round, Pete Flint, the founder of the real estate site Trulia, will join the companys board. Among the investors in the round were Flint; Bonderman; Ray Lane, the former Oracle executive and venture capitalist; and Gigi Pritzker, a member of the wealthy Chicago family that built the Hyatt Hotel chain. The new money will help the 4-year-old Peek build its employee ranks. The site operates in the same way as the restaurant reservation site OpenTable, but it focuses on offering deals on events and tourist activities in various cities. The company gives activities operators an online marketplace and the ability to process payments and schedules online. As part of the announcement Thursday, the company added that it was beginning a partnership with Yelp, in which companies that use Peek can add a book now button on their Yelp page. Since its founding by Ruzwana Bashir and Oskar Bruening, Peek has shown considerable growth. Bashir said that the company had quadrupled its revenue since the beginning of the year, to hundreds of millions of dollars, though she declined to provide specifics. Peeks impressive growth, combined with its best-in-class technology, attracted me to invest and join the board, Flint said in a statement. I see lots of similarities with Peek and Trulia, as both companies empower small businesses and are laser-focused on providing the best possible experience for their customers, and there are compelling network effects. Schmidt said, Im very excited to be involved Ruzwanas a fantastic young entrepreneur, and I think theres a huge opportunity to disrupt in this space. This article was first published on NerdWallet.com. No matter how you calculate it, back-to-school shopping is expensive. Families with children in grades K-12 planned to spend an average of $235.39 on clothing, $204.06 on electronics, $126.35 on shoes and $107.76 on school supplies for back-to-school in 2016, according to the National Retail Federation. The high cost of school-related items makes finding ways to save even more important. This year, states across the country are again easing the burden of stocking up on such purchases by eliminating sales tax for a few days. We have everything you need to know to take advantage of these sales tax holidays. What are sales tax holidays? Sales tax holidays, also known as tax-free weekends, are periods of time during which some states remove sales tax on certain types of items, such as apparel and computers. A handful of states hold their no-tax holidays in and around August, just in time for back-to-school shopping. Sales tax holidays are limited to a couple of days in most states hence the name tax-free weekends and typically restrict eligible purchases by criteria such as product and price. For example, you might be able to purchase computer models that cost up to $1,000 tax-free, but not models that cost more. MORE: The dos and donts of back-to-school shopping When are they? Sales tax holidays vary by location not every state has one. Heres a look at the states that will be participating in summer 2017 and the items that will be tax-free, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. In some cases, state sales tax is eliminated, but stores still charge local sales tax. Keep in mind that Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon dont collect a state sales tax. Local governments can still levy tax in those states, though. 2017 Sales Tax Holidays for Back-to-School Shopping State Dates Eligible merchandise / Maximum cost per Item Source: Federation of Tax Administrators Alabama July 21-23 Clothing / $100 Computers / $750 School supplies / $50 Books / $30 Arkansas Aug. 5-6 Clothing / $100 School supplies / No maximum Connecticut Aug. 20-26 Clothing and footwear / $100 Florida Aug. 4-6 Computers / $750 Clothing / $60 School supplies / $15 Iowa Aug. 4-5 Clothing / $100 Louisiana Aug. 4-5 2% reduction (from 5%) on all tangible personal property / $2,500 Maryland Aug. 13-19 Clothing and footwear / $100 MIssissippi July 28-29 Clothing and footwear / $100 Missouri Aug. 4-6 Clothing / $100 Computers / $1,500 School supplies / $50 New Mexico Aug. 4-6 Clothing / $100 Computers / $1,000 Computer equipment / $500 School supplies / $30 Ohio Aug. 4-6 Clothing / $75 School supplies / $20 Oklahoma Aug. 4-6 Clothing / $100 South Carolina Aug. 4-6 Computers, school supplies, clothing, shoes / No maximum Tennessee July 28-30 Clothing and school supplies / $100 Computers / $1,500 Texas Aug. 11-13 Clothing, backpacks, school supplies / $100 Virginia Aug. 4-6 Clothing / $100 School supplies / $20 MORE: What to splurge (and skimp) on for back-to-school How to use sales tax holidays for back-to-school shopping These are our top three tips for leveraging sales tax holidays to save on back-to-school shopping: Reserve major purchases for late July or August. Wait to make major purchases, like laptops, until the tax-free period. If you cant afford to make all of your school-related purchases at once, buy less expensive items, like pens and paper, at another time. Wait to make major purchases, like laptops, until the tax-free period. If you cant afford to make all of your school-related purchases at once, buy less expensive items, like pens and paper, at another time. Use a credit card. Make your tax-free purchases with a credit card to potentially qualify for rewards such as cash back on your spending. NerdWallet handpicked a selection of credit cards that are especially well suited to school-related purchases. Make your tax-free purchases with a credit card to potentially qualify for rewards such as cash back on your spending. NerdWallet handpicked a selection of credit cards that are especially well suited to school-related purchases. Shop around. Eliminating sales tax shouldnt be your only means of saving. Before you go shopping on a sales tax holiday, do your homework. Use websites like Google Shopping to search for products by name and compare their prices at multiple merchants. Courtney Jespersen is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @courtneynerd. This post was updated on July 27, 2017. The article Sales Tax Holidays Save Shoppers Money on Back-to-School originally appeared on NerdWallet. Jacom Stephens/Getty Images A 61-year-old man suspected of having a knife inside a Costco supermarket in Modesto was critically injured Thursday when an off-duty officer shot him outside of the store, police said. Officers were dispatched at 4:53 p.m. to the 3900 block of Pelandale Avenue after reports came in of a man armed with a knife inside the store, said Modesto Police Department Sgt. Chris Adams. Three hundred to 400 customers were shopping at the time of the incident, he said. A suspected child molester wanted by Santa Rosa Police since 2003 died Thursday, just months after police learned he was in Mexico and transported him back to California, authorities said. Grant Lavelle Hudson, III, of Santa Rosa, died at the age of 69 from an unknown illness at about 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, said Sgt. Terry Anderson, a Santa Rosa Police Department spokesman. In May, the department found out Hudson a fugitive for more than a decade had entered a U.S. Consular building in Mexico. He identified himself as a U.S. citizen seeking medical aid, which brought attention to his unlawful flight to avoid prosecution warrant, police said. U.S. government officials tracked Hudson to a medical facility in Mexico days later and flew him to San Francisco. From there, they took him to a San Mateo County hospital for a checkup. His medical condition prevented officials from extraditing him to Sonoma County before his death, police said. In May 2003, Hudson had been in custody on 15 felony charges related to a child molestation case, police said. He had allegedly molested a young female family member over a period of about eight years, according to FBI officials. Months later, 12 of the charges were dropped under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning California from prosecuting decades-old cases. Hudson was released on his own recognizance, but never showed up to a court appearance in October 2003. A detective believed he probably fled or was in the process of leaving the country and issued the unlawful flight to avoid prosecution warrant for his arrest. Hudson was previously a San Francisco resident before moving to Santa Rosa, and was a sex registrant from another case there, police said. Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno BATON ROUGE, La. The gunmans bullets that killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge also targeted the country and touched the soul of an entire nation, Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday at a memorial service for the fallen officers. We need to heal, said Biden, who was joined at a Baton Rouge church by Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, the officers widows and hundreds of others. Biden spoke directly to three officers relatives from the stage. He promised them that a day will come when the memory of their loved ones will bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. They were defined by their courage, he said. It matters who they were, and it matters who we are as a country. Baton Rouge police officers Matthew Gerald, 41, and Montrell Jackson, 32, and sheriffs deputy Brad Garafola, 45, were shot and killed by Gavin Long, an Army veteran from Kansas City, Mo., outside a convenience store on July 17. Authorities say the gunman was targeting police officers. When that assassins bullet targeted our heroes and he was an assassin he not only targeted them, he targeted the city. He targeted his country, and it touched the soul of the entire nation, Biden said. Long, 29, also wounded three other officers before a SWAT officer gunned him down. Long killed the officers less than two weeks after protests erupted in Baton Rouge over the death of Alton Sterling, a 29-year-old black man who was shot and killed during a scuffle with two white police officers. The killing was captured on cell phone video and circulated widely on the Internet. Biden said he heard that Sterlings aunt embraced the father of one of the slain officers during a chance encounter after the shooting. He said they prayed together because loss is loss is loss. Lynch said it can feel as if the world is broken beyond repair after tragedies like the deadly shootout in Baton Rouge. But she said the gathering shows the community is united by collective heartache and a common humanity. Lynch is scheduled to remain in Baton Rouge through Friday afternoon to meet with local police officials and other first responders. The Justice Department is investigating Sterlings death. The two officers involved in that July 5 shooting were placed on administrative leave This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHILADELPHIA It was Hillary Clintons turn. After three days of Democratic stars, including a pair of presidents, asserting she is ready for the White House, Clinton was to make that case for herself on her nominating conventions final night. The first woman to lead a major U.S. political party toward the White House, Clinton was greeted Thursday by a crowd of cheering delegates eager to see history made in the November election. But her real audience was also millions of voters who may welcome her experience but question her character. For Clinton, the stakes are enormous. Shes locked in a tight general election contest with Republican Donald Trump, an unconventional candidate and political novice. Even as Clinton and those who validate her argue Trump is unqualified for the Oval Office, they recognize the businessman has a visceral connection with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. Campaigning in Iowa Thursday, Trump said there were a lot of lies being told at Clintons convention. In an earlier statement, he accused Democrats of living in a fantasy world, ignoring economic and security troubles as well as Clintons controversial email use at the State Department. The FBIs investigation into Clintons use of a private Internet server didnt result in criminal charges, but it did appear to deepen voters concerns with her honesty and trustworthiness. A separate preconvention controversy over hacked Democratic Party emails showing favoritism for Clinton in the primary threatens to deepen the perception that Clinton prefers to play by her own rules. The original Hillary Former Oklahoma Sen. Fred Harris said it was important for his partys nominee to showcase the original Hillary Clinton, before she became so guarded. A parade of speakers at the Philadelphia convention vigorously tried to do just that on Clintons behalf. First lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden each cast Clinton as a champion for the disadvantaged and a fighter who has withstood decades of Republican attacks. Advocates and other Americans who have met Clinton throughout her career spoke of their quiet moments with one of the worlds most famous women. The Clintons daughter, Chelsea, introduced her Thursday night, painting a personal picture of her mother. Obamas high praise The weeks most powerful validation came Wednesday night from President Obama, her victorious primary rival in 2008. Obama declared Clinton not only can defeat Trumps deeply pessimistic vision but also realize the promise of this great nation. Seeking to offset possible weariness of a politician who has been in the spotlight for decades, he said of Clinton: Shes been there for us, even if we havent always noticed. Clinton appeared unannounced on the platform as Obamas closed his remarks to soak up the midnight roar of cheering Democrats. She pointed at the man who denied her the White House eight years ago, smiled wide and gave him a hug. A studious wonk who prefers policy discussions to soaring oratory, Clinton has acknowledged she struggles with the flourishes that seem to come naturally to Obama and her husband. Shell lean heavily on her stronger together campaign theme, invoking her 1996 book It Takes a Village, her campaign said. Criticizing Trump Indeed, the Democratic convention has been a visual ode those mantras: The first African American president symbolically seeking to hand the weightiest baton in the free world to a woman. A parade of speakers gay and straight, young and old, white, black and Hispanic cast Trump as out of touch with a diverse and fast-changing nation. Clintons campaign believes there are opportunities to woo moderate Republicans who are unnerved by Trump. That effort was hammered home Wednesday by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent, who implored Americans to elect a sane, competent person with sane, international experience. Ret. Marine Gen. John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan, underscored the same point. Hes one of several military leaders and service members who have taken the stage to vouch for Clintons national security experience. To Democrats, Trumps comments this week about Russia underscored their concerns about him becoming commander in chief. Seeks Russias help Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump said hed like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. The appearance of him encouraging Russia to meddle in the presidential campaign enraged Democrats and Republicans, even as he dismissed suggestions from Obama and other Democrats that Moscow already was intervening on his behalf. Dem up-and-comers Thursday nights convention lineup also showcased Democratic up-and-comers, including Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro; Katie McGinty, a Senate candidate from Pennsylvania, and Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth, also a candidate for the Senate. Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost her legs in combat, took on Trumps readiness to be commander in chief, saying, I didnt put my life on the line to defend our democracy so you could invite Russia to interfere with it. WASHINGTON Prosecutors said Thursday that they will not retry a man convicted of killing Washington intern Chandra Levy, saying they can no longer prove their case in the 15-year-old slaying that thrust former U.S. Rep. Gary Condit into the national spotlight. The U.S. attorneys office for the District of Columbia issued a statement saying it has moved to dismiss the case charging Ingmar Guandique with Levys 2001 slaying. According to the statement, prosecutors concluded they can no longer prove the murder case against Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt, based on recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week. The statement does not elaborate, and Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney, declined comment. After investigating this information and reviewing all of the evidence in this case, the government now believes it is in the interests of justice for the court to dismiss the case without prejudice, prosecutors wrote in a one-page motion. Levys 2001 disappearance created a national sensation after the Modesto native was romantically linked with Condit. The California Democrat was at one point a prime suspect in the investigation, police acknowledged. Police eventually cleared him, but Guandiques lawyers tried to raise doubts about Condit at his 2010 trial. Levys remains were found in Washingtons Rock Creek Park in 2002. Prosecutors argued her death fit a pattern of attacks Guandique committed on female joggers. He was found guilty in 2010 and sentenced to 60 years in prison. But Guandique was granted a new trial last year after doubts were raised about a jailhouse snitch, Armando Morales, who was the key witness at Guandiques trial. Morales testified that Guandique confessed to the killing. Defense lawyers have argued, though, that Morales lied during the trial and that prosecutors knew or should have known the testimony was problematic. In recent months, Guandiques attorneys have raised questions about Condit. At a January hearing, one of Guandiques attorneys told a judge that Condit misled the jury with his testimony at the 2010 trial, but he did not elaborate. Condit testified at trial that he didnt kill Levy but evaded questions about an intimate relationship. 1 Ex-officer sentenced: Former suburban Chicago police officer Drew Peterson was given an additional 40 years in prison Friday for trying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor who put him behind bars for killing his third wife. During his sentencing hearing, Peterson told Judge Richard Brown he never wanted States Attorney James Glasgow killed and claimed to know all along a fellow inmate was recording their conversations. After the hearing, Glasgow expressed skepticism about Petersons statement, calling him deluded. Peterson was convicted in the case in late May. Peterson, 62, is serving a 38-year sentence for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. He is scheduled for parole in 2047, but Fridays sentence must be served consecutively, making it likely Peterson will die in prison. 2 Officer denied service: Police in suburban Houston say a McDonalds worker has been fired for refusing to serve an officer. Brenham Police Chief Craig Goodman said in a Facebook post that one of our employees, who was off duty with his family, was refused service at a local restaurant simply for being a Police Officer. Goodman said the franchise owners investigated and the employee in question no longer works for their business. Goodman said the workers son is in some legal trouble and that might have sparked her negative feelings toward police. A debt-collection company that uses California prosecutors authority to go after suspected bounced-check writers must face the debtors complaints in open court rather than in private arbitration, a federal judge has ruled. The collectors are using state law to exercise law enforcement powers, and their actions must be subject to judicial review, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of San Francisco said Thursday. The ruling is the first in the nation on the issue and, if upheld on appeal, would apply equally to other companies that have gained government powers, such as private prisons, said Deepak Gupta, a lawyer for debtors in a proposed class-action suit on behalf of hundreds of thousands of Californians against Victim Services Inc. Michael Taitelman, a lawyer for Victim Services, said the ruling was not in line with well-established Supreme Court precedent concerning arbitration. The company is considering an appeal. California law allows district attorneys to designate private companies to run diversion programs for people charged with writing bad checks with the intent to defraud. The program allows debtors to avoid prosecution if they reimburse the victim, take a course in financial responsibility, and pay fees for the class and for each bounced check. The county gets a small percentage of the fees. Victim Services, which does business as CorrectiveSolutions, has operated the programs for prosecutors in many California counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Sonoma. Debtors have accused the company of abusing its authority, and in April 2015 the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered CorrectiveSolutions to stop using district attorneys letterheads, making other efforts to impersonate prosecutors, or trying to extract excessive fees with threats of criminal punishment. Taitelman said Thursday that the company is complying with the order. The proposed class-action suit, filed in December 2014, accused CorrectiveSolutions of charging unauthorized fees and targeting people who had not been singled out for prosecution by a district attorney. In Thursdays case, from El Dorado County, the company sought to enforce a provision in its letter to debtors requiring them to take all disputes to private, individual arbitration, unless they opted out within 60 days. The letter bore the signature of the county district attorney, a practice that was later forbidden by the federal consumer bureau. The debtor challenged the arbitration clause in court. In his ruling, Chhabria said the arrangement between the debtor and the collection company was not a typical commercial contract, which can be subject to arbitration, but an exercise of state police powers that isnt covered by federal arbitration law. The judge did not address the debtors complaints about the companys practices, at issue in the pending lawsuit. But Gupta, the plaintiffs lawyer, said the ruling suggests serious questions about the legality of this program. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko Citizen Saint is careful not to reveal his identity. The 42-year-old St. Louis area man who moonlights as a "community superhero" has been patrolling, in costume, the Florissant, Missouri area in an effort to keep crime at bay. Saint is part of the local neighborhood watch, and operates by the grace of the local police department (sans firearms), but is intent on not revealing his true self to any curious onlookers. Telling SFGATE that his "approach is to provide heroic assistance," Saint refuses to identify himself in the event that a jilted or malicious critic may seek harm against him. "I'm CPR-certified and carry medical equipment with me, however I am armed with non-lethal weaponry and prepared to interfere to stop crime or to defend someone," he tells SFGATE. "In that case, I need to keep my family safe from possible retribution, as well as maintain the image of a superhero as separate from my everyday life. It's much easier to be a symbol for change than it is to be a person asking for it." Citizen Saint was inspired to fight crime and build bridges between law enforcement and the general public in his own neighborhood by a fellow (also costumed) community superhero in Oregon, who goes by the moniker Guardian Shield. Shield has assembled a band of his own sort of Avengers, dispersed primarily around Oregon, Illinois, and with Citizen Saint, St. Louis. "Each of us has unique talents that we bring to the team," Saint says. "We hope to find more folks interested in helping as well." Though Citizen Saint is largely unarmed as he patrols he did just get a cool taser, though based on his Facebook page, he primarily spends his time interacting with the locals, usually bringing a smile to their faces for one reason or another. "Mostly people either wave or holler as I walk past," he says. "Many folks who have not seen me ask what's going on, but when I give them my card and tell them it's my way of doing neighborhood watch, the reaction is incredibly positive! Lots of thank you's and way to go's." And though there are inevitably some haters even Spider-Man had naysayers, remember? Citizen Saint marches on, viewing his superhero role as an opportunity to keep the neighborhood safer by being a "presence within the neighborhood that sends a message to would-be criminals that someone is paying attention." The costume sure catches the attention of the public, too. "By wearing a costume," he says on his Facebook page, "I am encouraging people to look out of their windows even if it's only to see the crazy guy in the shiny suit." Alyssa Pereira is a staff writer for SFGATE. Follow her here on Twitter. 1 Danish nationalists: Denmark should halt immigration from Muslim countries to stem the threat of violence from extremists, the nations second-largest party argued Thursday. The deputy party leader of the anti-immigrant Danish Peoples Party, Soeren Espersen, said the existing 270,000 Muslims in Denmark, a country of fewer than 6 million people, already posed a severe risk of harboring sympathizers to the Islamic State. Denmarks largest party, the opposition Social Democrats, condemned the comments and compared them to the anti-immigrant policies of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. 2 Rebel attack: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday threatened to withdraw a cease-fire order he gave three days ago after suspected communist rebels killed a government militiaman and wounded four others in an attack. After learning about the New Peoples Army attack, Duterte told army troops he asked a left-wing lawmaker to tell the guerrillas they have up to Friday to tell him if they wanted to have a truce, otherwise, both sides can return to fighting. The decades-long communist insurgency has left about 150,000 combatants and civilians dead since it broke out in the late 1960s. For All U of U Health Patients & Visitors When we are born, we cry that we are come unto this great stage of fools." So states King Lear in Montana Shakespeare Company's second production this summer, King Lear. Performances continue from July 28 through Aug. 14 in the Great Northern Town Center Amphitheatre. MSCs artistic director Kim DeLong, who plays King Lear, said this play is considered by many to be Shakespeares finest. As the story opens, the aging but great King Lear has three daughters with whom he will divide his kingdom after they profess their love for him. The two eldest, Goneril and Regan, make extravagant speeches of flattery. However, the third and youngest, Cordelia, is reasonable and measured, declaring half her love for her father and half for a future husband. Lear, in his pride, disowns her and his folly is punished as the elder daughters soon ban him from their new estates. Infuriated by their ingratitude, Lear goes out to the stormy heath in madness. In this production, MSC goes back to the original source of the story in 800 B.C. Historically, there really was a King Lear who divided his kingdom between his three daughters Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. And art matching reality, Lear really was thrown out by his two older daughters. In our approach to the play, Lear is a warlord type of character who led his armies from the front of battle in the conquest of his kingdom, said DeLong. That has taken a toll on his ability to tell real threats from imagined ones, much like modern warriors who have post-traumatic stress disorder. So he lashes out at his most devoted allies, and slips further and further into madness. He has simply outlived his ability to discern reality. This play deals with many universal themes that continue to permeate our current society: hypocrisy, corruption, truth, honor, devotion, betrayal and revenge. The cast includes Robert Tobin as Gloucester and several actors from the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts playing key roles, including DeLongs own daughter, Bella, his third and youngest, who coincidentally, will play Cordelia. Not only do we rehearse and stage these plays, but we create a theater at the Great Northern every year from nothing, DeLong said. The Montana Shakespeare Company completely rebuilds its performance space each summer. This year, new seating, sponsored by Tempest Technologies, allows for much more comfortable viewing. Performances start at 7:30 p.m. from July 28-31 and Aug. 3-7 and 10-14 at the Great Northern Town Center Amphitheatre. Tickets are available online or at the door. General admission is $20, students are $15, and group rates are available. For more information, visit montanashakespeare.org, call 406-459-4385 or email montanashakespeare@gmail.com. Upcoming events Financial Peace University Financial Peace University is being offered at New Life Lutheran Church. This life-changing class taught by Dave Ramsey and the FPU teaching team on video and coordinated by Scott and Angie DeYoung at New Life Lutheran in Helena will help you achieve your financial goals by showing you how to eliminate debt, save for the future, and give like never before. You will be challenged and motivated to make a plan for your money and change your family tree forever. This isnt your typical money class. Financial Peace University is practical, entertaining and fun. The average family completing the course pays off $5,300 and saves $2,700 in just 90 days. Thats an $8,000 change in position. The class will start at 6 p.m. on Mondays from Sept. 19-Nov. 21 at New Life Lutheran Church, 5980 N. Montana Ave. in Helena. For information, call Scott and Angie at 431-5075 or visit www.newlifehelena.org to register. *** Pokemon Rally in Helena Pokemon are taking over the Capital City. Theres soon to be an invasion of Venonats, Vulpixes and Zubats. If you have a Pokemon GO fan in your family, youll have one happy Pokemon goer on Saturday, Aug. 13, when you participate in the Pokemon Rally. The entire downtown area from Reeders Alley to Centennial Park is joining in the fun, offering power plug-ins, free Wifi, lures and exclusive Pokemon discounts. Pick up the Pokemon Stop Scavenger Hunt Brochure from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the St. Peters Hospital Free Family Fun Fest Library Table, and from noon to 5 p.m. you can get this same checklist at the Lewis & Clark Library at 120 S. Last Chance Gulch by checking in at the Reference Desk. Tell them which team you represent. Helenas Walking Mall with limited traffic and many downtown-area parks offers great locations to Pokemon GO. Please keep safety and respect in mind as you Pokemon in Helena. Be sure to visit helenamt.com/pokemon as details will be posted as they become available, and look for the Pokemon Rally in Helena, Montana on area Facebook events. The Hawthorn Bottle Shop and Wine Tasting Room and Ten Mile Creek Brewery are located right next to a Pokemon Stop and Gym, which means that the adults can enjoy a nice glass of wine or a local microbrew while the kids are more than entertained with a Pokemon battle. For more information contact Brie Harrington of The Painted Pot at 406-443-3799 or paintedpot@msn.com; or Heidi OBrien of the Helena Tourism Alliance at 406-465-2938 or hobrien@helenamt.com. *** Announcements HCTV helps produce documentary series Helena Civic Television (HCTV) is proud to have been the lead production entity for the Montana history documentary series "In the Crucible of Change." Most of the 43 hour-long episodes were shot in HCTVs studio in Helena. HCTV staff members performed a myriad of editing tasks to ensure timely completion and distribution of the series, which has been telecast on Helena Civic Television, Community 7 in Billings, Missoula Community Access TV, and statewide across Montana on TVMT public affairs network, which includes Charter and other cable channels in over 60 communities and Montana PBS over-the-air digital broadcast channels in the states urban areas. "In the Crucible of Change" is a remarkable achievement, focusing on the dramatic period of progressive change in the state between 1965 and 1980. The Board of Trustees of the Montana Historical Society (MHS) has honored series executive producer, writer and host Evan Barrett of Highlands College and Montana Tech with its highest award, Montana Heritage Guardian, for his contribution to Montana history and heritage. The award will be presented at the 43rd Annual MHS Montana History Conference Sept. 22 through 24 in Hamilton. The "Crucible" project was supported by Montana Tech and Highlands College, and received grants from Humanities Montana, the Montana History Foundation, the Greater Montana Foundation and the Lee & Donna Metcalf Charitable Trust. Evan Barretts personal political and governmental experience during the period gave him unique access to key historical participants and armed him with the questions that needed to be asked. "In the Crucible of Change" features in-depth discussions with more than 75 of the periods history makers, including former members of the 1972 Constitutional Convention, office-holders, politicians, reporters and judges. Lewis and Clark County officials are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a railroad tunnel west of Helena Friday. Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to the Mullen Tunnel at 10:55 a.m. Friday after Montana Rail Link employees reported finding a deceased man, according to Capt. Eric Gilbertson. The tunnel is approximately 18 miles west of Helena and 10 miles north of MacDonald Pass. Detectives and the Lewis and Clark County Coroners Office confirmed a white male who appeared to be in his mid-60s had died, and they were still investigating the cause Friday afternoon, Gilbertson said. The name of the man has not been released pending notification of family, he added. A backpack and water bottle that belonged to the man were found on a freight train headed toward Missoula, Gilbertson said. Officials stopped the train before it reached Missoula. Detectives are following up on a witness report of seeing a transient get on the train in Helena, he said. The Helena Area Chamber of Commerce's Convention and Visitors Bureau will host Dr. Larry Campbell, who is embarking on a 45-day exploration trip following the Missouri River by car, Sunday and Monday. Campbell is a retired mathematics education professor who, for six weeks this summer, has turned explorer, adventurer, photographer and author. His trip down the Missouri River started in Three Forks, the official source of the river, and will end in St. Charles, Missouri the weekend of Sept. 10. During that time, hell make visits to towns all along the river in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Campbell will also be writing a book on his adventures as he goes. The working title is "Rollin On The River: Sights and Stories Along the Missouri River." While in Helena, Campbell will take in some of the sites and attractions that make Helena special, including a ride on the Last Chance Tour Train and a visit to the Capitol, Cathedral of St. Helena, Montana Historical Society Museum and the Original Governors Mansion. Of course, no trip like this would be complete without a ride on the river at the Gates of the Mountains. Mike Mergenthaler, director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he is excited to host someone who is interested in this part of our local and national history. We oftentimes forget how historical and important the Missouri River is in the expansion and growth of our country and the American West. Im excited to host someone that is really taking the time to explore this portion of our history and then to be able to read about his adventures after the trip," Mergenthaler said. After more than six weeks collecting data on forest ecology, local high school students presented their findings to officials from the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest and community members Thursday morning. Now in its 19th year, the Youth Forest Monitoring Program (YFMP) takes high school students into the forest to monitor four main components: wildlife, streams, weeds and soils. The students monitor 45-50 sites in the national forest. YFMP is an intensive, seven-week internship program for high school students, Liz Burke, YFMP program leader, said. In the program, these students explore forest ecology, discover a variety of natural resource careers, take part in stewardship projects, and supplement ongoing forest health analysis through strong, citizen-led forest monitoring. One of this years projects focused on the recreational impacts in the Webb Lake area of the Scapegoat Wilderness. Among the studies were a look at the proliferation of Ox-eye daisy and eradication efforts, as well as stream health in the area. Students received one week of training alongside Forest Service scientists, learning forest ecology concepts and becoming familiar with field protocol for monitoring streams, soils, vegetation, recreation areas, and black-backed woodpecker populations. After collecting their data, students were required to analyze the information and provide recommendations to the Forest Service with regard to their area of study. With help from the Montana Discovery Foundation and Lewis and Clark County, the student scientists received a stipend for their work. Student recommendations to forest managers are an integral part of the program, Burke said. Forest scientists listen to these students ideas and take them into consideration for future management activities. YFMP data and recommendations have been used to help lead management decisions on impacted sites, such as the Springhill Mine Repository and BlackHall Meadows rehabilitation site. What these students do during their internship matters and is utilized by forest scientists. A long-running lawsuit involving the city of Helenas rights to water from Ten Mile Creek is back before the states Supreme Court. Attorneys for Andy R. Skinner and the Community of Rimini are challenging Water Court Judge Loren Tuckers April 25 decision that preserved nearly all of the citys ability to use the creek for drinking water. The city of Helena has also filed a cross-appeal with the Supreme Court to challenge Tuckers Oct. 14, 2015, water court order that supported a water master who had concluded the city had abandoned much of its water rights to the creek. The city is also appealing Tuckers April 25 decision, which is the subject of the appeal by Skinner and the Community if Rimini. Because this is the opening salvo in the latest development of this legal battle, additional court papers by attorneys for Skinner and the Community of Rimini have not yet been filed. The paperwork that will explain the appeal isnt due to be filed until Aug. 22, according to the Supreme Court website that tracks legal filings. Additional paperwork to explain the citys cross-appeal has also yet to be filed. The April 25 ruling by Tucker concluded the city had abandoned 0.6 cubic feet per second of its 13.75 cfs water right to Ten Mile Creek. A cubic foot of water amounts to nearly 7.5 gallons. The 0.6 cfs that Tucker determined the city had abandoned as a result of at least 63 years of non-use, from 1948 to 2011, represented the difference between the water right that the city claimed and the capacity of its Rimini pipeline. This period easily suffices to raise a presumption of intent to abandon, Tucker wrote in his decision of the 63-year period. A municipal water user qualifies for the presumption of non-abandonment if it uses any part of the water right and meets at least one of four criteria contained in a state law, the decision stated. While there was no dispute that the city did use part of its water rights, the dispute focused on three of the four sections of state law. Tucker concluded the city met those requirements. Construction of the Rimini pipeline met one of the criteria that called for acquiring, constructing or maintaining on a routine basis a diversion or conveyance structure for the future municipal use of the water right. Similarly, a municipal water right qualifies for the presumption of non-abandonment if a formal study is prepared by a registered professional engineer or qualified consulting firm that includes a feasibility assessment and addresses whether the amount of the water right is reasonable for the foreseeable future need. The final point of dispute between the city and the objectors involved use of the water for an emergency. Tuckers April ruling came after his decision in October 2015, when he upheld a water masters 2012 report that concluded the city used only 7.35 cfs of the 13.75 cfs to which it was entitled. The water rights dispute dates back to the late 1990s, according to Water Judge Ted Mizners November 2013 ruling that went to the Supreme Court, which sent it back to the Water Court for further legal review. During the wintry months, when no one is irrigating their lawns, the city typically relies on the creek to provide the city with drinking water. The average daily use is about 3 million gallons, city officials have said. If maintenance work is being performed at the Ten Mile Creek water plant, the city may shut off its plant there and pump water from the Missouri River to meet municipal needs. During the summer months, when daily demand can reach 14 million gallons of water because people are irrigating lawns, Missouri River water supplements the 8 million to 9 million gallons of water each day that the city draws from the creek. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHILADELPHIA Nearly a century after women gained the right to vote, Hillary Clinton on Thursday became the first woman to accept a major partys nomination for president. The celebration of the historic milestone could be seen in the tears rolling down the cheeks of many in the crowd, as Clinton pitched herself as a policy-driven progressive with a much steadier temperament than GOP nominee Donald Trump. She offered an uplifting vision of a country where people work together so we all can rise together and contrasted it with a dark vision of a country led by Trump that is paralyzed by fear and resentment. And she gave a prominent bow to her primary rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, for putting economic and social-justice issues front and center during the primary campaign, and acknowledged to his followers, I want you to know, Ive heard you. Your cause is our cause. But Trump increasingly became her target as the 56-minute speech progressed. She outlined a left-of-center agenda addressing climate change and clean energy, immigration, gun policy and criminal-justice reform that she contrasted with Trumps GOP nomination acceptance speech in Cleveland last week. He spoke for 70-odd minutes, and I do mean odd, and he offered zero solutions, Clinton said. But we already know he doesnt believe these things. No wonder he doesnt like talking about his plans. You might have noticed I love talking about mine. In a direct nod to polls showing Trump is more popular among working-class white people particularly in some key swing states like Ohio Clinton said her primary mission will be to create jobs. But she acknowledged that while Democrats are the party of working people, We havent done a good enough job showing that we get what youre going through, and that were going to do something about it. She appealed to voters who may be attracted to Trumps business experience by pointing out that in Atlantic City, where he owned casinos, Youll find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Donald Trump refused to pay his bills. Imported products Then she pummeled the Republican candidate for making his namesake ties, suits and furniture abroad. Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again well, he could start by actually making things in America again, Clinton said And she really turned up the heat when it came to Trumps temperament, calling him too volatile to handle the pressure of being commander in chief: Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Clinton also spent time reintroducing herself, even though she has 100 percent name recognition after three decades in the public spotlight. She spoke about her parents and her grandfather, who worked in a lace mill for 50 years. But the fiercely private Clinton revealed few insights about herself. In her introductory speech, daughter Chelsea Clinton offered a more intimate picture of her mother as someone who was always, always there for me. When she was away for work, Hillary Clinton would leave her daughter a stack of notes, dated so she would know what day to open each. That feeling of being valued and loved; thats something my mom wants for every child, Chelsea Clinton said. It is the calling for her life. Hillary Clinton was 26 minutes into her speech before she acknowledged its historic import, saying she was happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in between. Happy for boys and men, too, because when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. When there are no ceilings, Clinton said, the skys the limit. For many, the political story line of the evening was second to the cultural one. Many women shared stories. Monica Fitzgerald remembered the day in fourth grade when she learned that there had never been a female president. Pioneering role My heart sunk, said Fitzgerald, a Clinton delegate who teaches history at St. Marys College in Moraga. Now, if Clinton wins in November, there will never be another little girl who feels that way. This week marked the 16th Democratic convention Roz Wyman has attended the Los Angeles resident helped organize the 1984 San Francisco party gathering. Now 85, the oldest California delegate said all she wants on her tombstone is that I was a great mother and I helped elect Hillary Clinton president of the United States in 2016. Los Altos Hills resident Sandi Cook said she was emotional all day Thursday. She was pondering that we like to think about how progressive we are in America, but there are all of these countries in Europe and everywhere else that have women as presidents and leaders before us. Lorna Johnson said that if Clinton prevails, the only people her 9-year-old nephew will have known as president will be a black man and a woman. Johnson, a Clinton delegate from Beverly Hills, said, Men should appreciate this historic moment, but I dont think some white men are, noting how Clinton badly trails Donald Trump among that demographic. I dont think they like her treading on their territory. Heather Hutt, a 57-year-old Los Angeles resident, said Thursdays historical aspect may be lost on Millennials, too. Her three twentysomething children dont get the significance of this. They dont know the struggle. There were some Sanders holdouts in the crowd, though. Bobbi Jo Chavarria was one of several dozen Sanders supporters wearing bright-yellow shirts with his signature phrase, Enough is enough, written across the front. A handful repeatedly tried to interrupt Clintons speech, but were countered by her supporters chanting Hill-a-ry! Hill-a-ry! or U-S-A! Clinton ignored the hecklers, but the interplay between the two groups slowed her speech a bit. Channeling Sanders But Sanders influence showed in Clintons speech when she described how she would pay for her programs: Wall Street, corporations and the super-rich are going to start paying their fair share of taxes. Not because we resent success, Clinton said. Because when more than 90 percent of the gains have gone to the top 1 percent, thats where the money is. And if companies take tax breaks and then ship jobs overseas, well make them pay us back. Despite the euphoria surrounding the historic moment for women in the United States, delegate Fitzgerald noticed, some things remain the same: The fastest-trending search on Google in the hours before Clintons speech Thursday: What will Hillary wear? Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli Live spotlight on Democrats Chronicle senior political writer Joe Garofoli will discuss the convention live from Philadelphia at 8:30 a.m. Friday on KTVU. The people and sheep of the Faroe Islands really want to share their homeland with the world, but due to their remoteness, it's been tough getting a Google Street View car to visit. So the sheep of the Atlantic islands have banded together with cameras to document the scenic roads of their homeland. Q: I recently took a seven-day Road Scholar trip to the national parks in the Florida Keys. Travel insurance was included in the price of the trip. Road Scholar contracted out the trip to a tour operator in Orlando, which provided the vans and tour guides. On the last stop of our trip before heading to the Miami airport, at Biscayne National Park in Homestead, we were advised by our guides that it was OK to leave our carry-ons in the van. When we returned to our van, it had been broken into, and several of us lost our bags. I lost my iPhone, iPad and jacket. National Park police investigated and reported to us that there were no security cameras in the parking lot. When I returned to Boston, I was contacted by Road Scholar. A representative apologized for the incident and gave me a case number. She told me I would be sent forms by Aon Affinity, our travel insurance company, to fill out. She also suggested I contact my homeowners insurance company and the tour operator. I spent $880 to replace my iPhone and iPad. My homeowners policy has a deductible of $1,000. I sent an email to the tour operator asking about its insurance, and returned the filled-out forms to Aon. Aon denied my claim because the van had been left unattended. I am very unhappy with the way I have been treated. Is there anything else I can do, or can you be of help? Patricia Hawkins, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts A: Your tour operator should have found a safe place for your carry-on items. But if it assured you that your items were safe in the van, it should have accepted the liability for those items. Then again, maybe not. A closer look at Road Scholars terms suggests that it isnt liable. According to its registration and program policies on its website, Road Scholar neither owns nor operates any of the suppliers it works with; they are independent contractors. In addition, Road Scholar is not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to person or property in other words, the fine print lets the organization off the hook. Meanwhile, Road Scholar sold you an insurance policy through Aon that, it promises, is an exceptional benefit and value. Turns out the policy didnt protect you as you believed it should have. Effectively, you were cornered between a restrictive travel insurance policy and a tour operator that only viewed itself as a middleman. Not an ideal place to be. You might have appealed this to an executive at Road Scholar. I list their names, numbers and emails on my consumer-advocacy site: http://elliott.org/company-contacts/road-scholar. After we contacted Road Scholar on your behalf, the organization called you and offered to cut you a check for $1,000, which covers the cost of your lost items and your insurance. Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. Find travel tips at www.elliott.org. E-mail: chris@elliott.org Twitter: @elliottdotorg A 7-year-old girl died on Tuesday, following injuries she sustained from a rock thrown by an elephant at the Rabat Zoo in Morocco. The girl was with her family in a visitors' area when a female elephant picked up a rock "nearly the size of half a brick" with her trunk, and threw it, hitting the girl in the back of the head, the Guardian reported. The girl died hours after the incident at a hospital. The female elephant was one of three kept in an open-air enclosure, which the Rabat Zoo said meets international safety standards. The elephants are separated from visitors by a large ditch, along with a wooden fence, CNN reported. The zoo has not had any previous record of injuries or deaths caused by animals. Cell phone footage of the incident has surfaced, showing the moments after the girl was struck. The video shows visitors helping the girl as she is bleeding from the head, as well as the elephant enclosure and the thrown rock. A commenter on the video criticized the lack of an emergency station at the zoo, while others mentioned the "delayed arrival" of paramedics, according to Morocco World News. The zoo issued a statement on the death and offered its condolences to the family, saying, "this kind of accident is rare, unforeseeable and unusual." The statement went on to say that similar accidents have happened internationally, referencing the death of a 2-year-old who was attacked and killed by an alligator at a Disney World resort, and the 3-year-old who fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. PARIS French authorities identified Thursday a second man who stormed a church in Normandy and killed an 85-year-old priest as he celebrated Mass. The Paris prosecutors office identified the man as Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean, 19. Petitjean had been on the radar of police since June 29 for having tried to enter Syria from Turkey, and a foreign intelligence agency sent his picture to French intelligence on July 22 four days before the attack but without a name or description, the prosecutors office said. Petitjean was born in St.-Die-des-Vosges, in Lorraine in northeastern France, but grew up in Aix-les-Bains, in the southeast. He attended a high school there, the Lycee Marlioz, and his father lives in Montlucon, a town in central France, north of Clermont-Ferrand. Interviewed by French reporters Wednesday night, Petitjeans mother expressed astonishment. She said he had last spoken to her early this week. She said: He said, Dont worry, gets some sleep, everything is OK. He had a soft voice. He sounded well. It wasnt worrisome. He has friends, like everyone else. I have friends all over France. The mother told reporters, Daesh is not part of his language, using an Arabic term for the Islamic State, and said of her son, He is not an introvert; he has no psychological issues. She said her son had been visiting a cousin in northeastern France and that she had no idea how he had ended up in St.-Etienne-du-Rouvray, the town in Normandy where the attack occurred, although he appeared to have relatives in Normandy. I was a good mother, she told reporters. I was always there for my children, maybe even too much. Malik doesnt have psychological problems. Hes like all 19-year-olds with ambition, with plans. Hes smart. At 9:25 a.m. Tuesday, officials say Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, also 19, burst into the church, the Eglise St.-Etienne, in St.-Etienne-du-Rouvray, a working-class suburb of Rouen. They killed the auxiliary priest, the Rev. Jacques Hamel, and held five other hostages two nuns and three worshipers. One of the nuns escaped, while one of the parishioners, an 86-year-old man, was critically injured and is now in stable condition. Petitjean and Kermiche were shot dead by police. Kermiche had been detained for nearly 10 months after trying, twice, to enter Syria, but he was released in March over the objections of prosecutors. BERLIN Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged Thursday to do everything humanly possible to keep Germany safe following a string of attacks including two carried out by asylum-seekers and claimed by the Islamic State that she said mocked the country that took in the assailants. The attacks brought Merkel fresh criticism for her decision last year to welcome refugees. More than 1 million asylum-seekers were registered in Germany in 2015, although the influx has since slowed dramatically. Merkel said at a news conference that Germany will stick to our principles and give shelter to those who deserve it. We will manage this, she said, repeating a mantra she coined last August. Merkel called for a better early warning system against signs of radicalization, faster progress on plans to create a center to help crack encrypted messages and better international intelligence cooperation, among other measures. But she said its too early to say in detail what more may be required beyond the tightening of asylum and security laws already undertaken in recent months. Wherever there are gaps, we will have to act just as we have so far so that it is clear that we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure security in our free, democratic state of law, Merkel said. Two of the attacks in a weeklong period starting July 18 an ax rampage near Wuerzburg that wounded five and a suicide bombing that injured 15 outside a bar in Ansbach were the first in Germany to be claimed by the Islamic State. Both of the attackers, asylum-seekers who arrived over the past two years, were killed. In two other attacks a shooting by a German Iranian 18-year-old in Munich that claimed 10 lives, including the attackers, and the stabbing of a woman by a Syrian asylum-seeker at a restaurant in Reutlingen the motive is still unclear but Islamic extremism is not suspected. We will do everything to clear up the barbaric acts, find the people behind them and punish them, and then we will have to decide where further measures are necessary, Merkel said. KRAKOW, Poland Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Thursday at one of Polands most renowned shrines, urging Catholics to embrace the humble love that brings freedom and to shun the lust for wealth and power. To be attracted by power, by grandeur, by appearances, is tragically human, Francis said at the 14th century monastery of Jasna Gora, a pilgrimage site in the city of Czestochowa known for its painting of the Virgin Mary. It is a great temptation that tries to insinuate itself everywhere. But to give oneself to others, eliminating distances, dwelling in littleness and living the reality of ones everyday life: This is exquisitely divine. Later in the day, before an international crowd of 600,000 gathered in Krakow for the World Youth Day celebration, the pope urged people to welcome migrants and refugees, a stance resisted by the Polish government. A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home, Francis said. It is able to build a home and a family for those forced to emigrate; it knows the meaning of tenderness and compassion. A merciful heart can share its bread with the hungry and welcome refugees and migrants. Francis has frequently tried to draw attention to the plight of refugees. Several days before the pope began his trip, his office admonished countries in Eastern Europe that have artificially created fear of Muslims, urging them to be more open to refugees and asylum seekers from places torn apart by conflict. Jorge Carrasco, 25, a volunteer from Spain at the Krakow event, said that after listening to the pope: I think I could share my home with one or two refugees. I mean I have the space, so why not? The pope also talked about finding meaning in life and expressed his concern for young people who waste their lives looking for thrills or a feeling of being alive by taking dark paths and in the end having to pay for it, and pay dearly. The message touched Arturo Sanchez, 21, one of a group of 31 pilgrims from Chile, who called the pope a superhero. I heard of these terrifying attacks in Europe and we are all afraid of the future, Sanchez said. But I believe that the Holy Father has super powers and can change peoples hearts, even bad peoples hearts, with his unconditional love for everyone. On Friday, the pope plans to visit the World War II-era death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. SRINAGAR, India Authorities reimposed a curfew to prevent a protest march to the main mosque in Indian-controlled Kashmirs main city Friday, but fresh street demonstrations and clashes still occurred at more than two dozen places amid outrage over the killing of a top rebel leader earlier this month. Army soldiers fired at protesters in a village in northern Kupwara district, injuring at least three teenage boys who attacked their camp with stones and tried to barge into it, police said. Residents said government forces visited homes in Srinagar before dawn Friday and asked them to stay indoors. One resident, Bashir Ahmed, said police didnt allow bakers and milkmen to deliver supplies in the area. Hundreds of men and women defied the curfew after Friday prayers and marched to a U.N. office on Kashmir and held a protest demonstration. They chanted, We want freedom. Go India, go back. Police fired tear gas and used wooden batons to disperse the protesters. However, youths regrouped in streets later and clashed with the police, hurling rocks at them. Doctors at the main hospital in Srinagar said they have treated at least 50 people for injuries, most of them caused by pellets, in the past three days. The curfew, reimposed after being lifted Thursday, had been in effect since July 9, the day after rebel leader Burhan Wani was killed by government forces. Shops, businesses and schools remained closed as separatists asked people to hold strikes and street protests until Friday. Areas of southern Kashmir where most of the deadly street protests have been centered have remained under curfew. At least 49 civilians, mostly teenagers and young men, have been killed as government forces fired live ammunition and pellets. A policeman also died after protesters pushed his vehicle into a river. About 2,000 civilians and 1,500 police and soldiers have been injured in the clashes. Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in its entirety. The rivals have fought two wars over control of Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training Kashmiri rebels who have been fighting since 1989 for independence for Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan. Islamabad denies the charge. SYDNEY Australian officials confirmed on Thursday that data recovered from a home flight simulator owned by the captain of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 showed that someone had used the device to plot a course to the southern Indian Ocean, where the missing jet is believed to have crashed. There has been confusion over exactly what was found on Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shahs flight simulator since New York Magazine reported last week that an FBI analysis of the device showed Zaharie had conducted a simulated flight to the southern Indian Ocean less than a month before the plane vanished along a similar route. The magazine cited the discovery as strong evidence that the disappearance was a premeditated act of mass murder-suicide at the hands of the captain. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BEIRUT Hamada Bayloun is not particularly religious, but across his entire upper back spreads a large tattoo of the most revered saint in Shiite Islam, Imam Ali. He is one of a growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon who have inked themselves with Shiite religious and political symbols as a show of pride in their community since neighboring Syrias civil war broke out in 2011, fanning hatreds between Shiites, Sunnis and other faiths across the region. The 30-year-old Bayloun got his tattoo a few months after the war began, partly as a response to attempts to bomb Shiite shrines in Syria and Iraq. We cant respond with car bombs, but (through tattoos) we can show our strength and love for the prophet and his family, he said, referring to Islams prophet Muhammad, who was Alis cousin and father-in-law. The Syrian conflict, which began with government forces crushing protests against President Bashar Assad, became a fight between predominantly Sunni rebels against Assads minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiism. The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah has sent thousands of its fighters to Syria to support Assad, alongside Iranian, Iraqi and other Shiite militias. That is why one Lebanese man, Tayseer, got the face of the bespectacled Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, tattooed on his chest, right above his heart. He said its a show of deep love for the man he says is protecting Lebanon from the Islamic State and other Sunni extremists fighting in Syria and Iraq. Everyone should get Nasrallah tattooed, said the 30-year-old civil servant, who asked not to be identified further so as not to jeopardize his job. Tattoos are forbidden by Sunni clerics but are generally accepted in Shiite circles. Among the most popular tattoos is 313, the number of commanders Shiites believe will accompany their last imam, Mahdi, when he returns to save the world from oppression. Tattoo artist Hussein Mistrah, 24, says tattoos in general have become fashionable in Lebanon. His small tattoo parlor in Beiruts Shiite district of Dahiyeh is always busy. He inks an average of three or four Shiite tattoos per week, and among his clients are Hezbollah supporters fighting in Syria. At least 25 of his clients have been killed. These are the ones I know about, he said. While a photographer visited recently, a 21-year-old fighter name Mohammad Talal came in to get Nasrallahs portrait on his chest. He was told the first appointment would be in two months. I could be dead in two months! Talal shot back. BEIRUT A U.S.-led coalition targeting a village in northern Syria held by the Islamic State group killed at least 28 civilians, including seven children, Syrian activists said Friday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said aircraft belonging to the coalition struck the village of al-Ghandour late Thursday. Observatorys chief Rami Adurrahman said another 13 people were killed in the strikes but that he could not say if they were Islamic State fighters or civilians. Al-Ghandour is 15 miles northwest of the town of Manbij, a key hub in the extremist groups Syria network and a supply route to Islamic States de facto capital of Raqqa. The international coalition had no immediate comment on the casualty figures reported by the Observatory. The bombings came a week after air strikes, also blamed by Syrian activists on U.S. aircraft, killed at least 56 civilians in Islamic State-held territory in northern Syria. The Manbij area has seen extensive battles between Islamic State extremists and U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, who have been advancing under the cover of air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition. The town is encircled by the Kurdish-led forces. The Kurdish-led forces were able to evacuate another 1,000 civilians from Manbij on Thursday, according to Mustafa Bali, a local media activist living in the town of Kobani. Late Thursday, the U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East, said in a statement that the American-backed coalition had conducted air strikes in the area of Manbij during the past 24 hours and that it was looking into whether an air strike had resulted in civilian casualties. It was not clear whether the Manbij-area strikes that CENTCOM cited involved strikes on al-Ghandour. Also Friday. the U.N. special envoy for Syria urged Russia to leave the creation of humanitarian corridors around Aleppo to the United Nations and its partners, issuing a gentle snub to Moscow, which had made the proposal a day earlier as pro-government troops tightened their encirclement of rebel-held parts of the northern Syrian city. In comments carried later Friday by Russias Interfax news agency, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said that Russia was willing to work with the United Nations on setting up the corridors. He said that Russia is ready for close and constructive cooperation with all international humanitarian organizations and, of course, with the office of the U.N. special envoy on Syria. Rights groups and civilians trapped in opposition-held neighborhoods in eastern Aleppo have reacted critically to Russias plan, saying it does not guarantee safe passage or give residents a choice of where they flee to. Some residents fear the proposed corridors are intended to restore government control over parts of the city that have been in rebel hands since 2012. U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said he was not consulted on the proposal, which was first announced Thursday by the Russian defense ministry. Thats our job, de Mistura said of the corridors plan at a news conference in Geneva. He expressed support in principle for humanitarian corridors but said it must be under the right circumstances. How do you expect people to walk through a corridor thousands of them while there is shelling, bombing, fighting? de Mistura said. So far this summer, 17 miles of the big river are dry. (Laura Paskus) Despite spring runoff that ripped down the Rio Grande in early June, consistently high temperatures in July are contributing to drying in the Rio Grande, the state's largest river. Under a 2003 plan from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the river is legally allowed to dry south of Albuquerque during irrigation season.This year, it began drying in mid-July as managers allow water to flow into irrigation channels. Currently, there are about 17 miles dry south of Albuquerque, between San Antonio and the southern boundary of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Spring runoff was high. (LP) July has been tough on everyone, says David Gensler, hydrologist with the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which delivers irrigation water to farmers between Cochiti and Elephant Butte. After a pretty easy spring, the high temps have done a number on us, he says. Every farmer from Cochiti to Socorro needs water, and needs it yesterday. The district has already released 24,000 acre feet of water out of storage in El Vado Reservoir. There's a chance, he says, that the district could run out of water before Labor Day, but he's hoping it lasts a week or two longer. But at heart, Gensler is an optimist: he thinks cooler temperatures and monsoon rains will comeand allow farmers a full irrigation season despite the troubles right now. Salvaging the silvery minnow Spring runoff is crucial to the survival of the Rio Grande silvery minnow, an endangered species that needs that spike to spawn. Water managers try to keep certain stretches of the river wet for the fish during irrigation seasonand biologists conduct "salvage" when the river starts to dry. They look for the endangered silvery minnows in puddles, then scoop them up and transport them to a part of the river that's still flowing. "It's amazing how a month of extreme heat and little to no rain can change the situation on the river," says Mary Carlson, public affairs specialist with the US Bureau of Reclamation in Albuquerque. "I watch those clouds roll in each evening, but the rain hasn't come." The USBR has released more than 6,000 acre feet of water from storage this year to supplement flows on the river for the silvery minnow. One acre foot equals 325,851 gallons. So far this year, biologists have found about 6,000 minnows. That's almost six times what they found last yearand a huge number compared to the previous very dry years. In 2012, they found 84 fish; 2013, 9; and 2014, 28. In early June, the Middle Rio Grande was flowing high with runoff. "You get an idea of how important that spring runoff is," says Thomas Archdeacon, with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Earlier this year, Archdeacon's study of the effects of river drying on the rare fish was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. Meanwhile, on the eastern side of the state, water managers have been releasing water out of reservoir storage to keep the Pecos River wet for another rare fish, the Pecos Bluntnose shiner. Reservoir levels on the Pecos are more secure than they are on the Rio Grande. Elephant Butte Reservoir, for instance, is currently at 23 percent of average. Flash drought The hot temperatures aren't unique to New Mexico. This month NASA reported that June 2016 was 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average. That breaks last year's record for the warmest June on record. So far this year, the average global temperature is 1.89 degrees above the 20th century average. That shatters last year's record of 0.36 degrees higher than average. At a meeting of New Mexico's Drought Monitoring Work Group on Tuesday, experts noted how quickly the state has dried out in the past month, particularly in the east. "It's shaping up to be almost a 'flash drought' in the east," said Senior Service Hydrologist Royce Fontenot of the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. During that meeting, forecasters and experts, including state climatologist David DuBois, discussed making changes to the state's drought monitoring map. Based on things like precipitation, temperature, and soil moisture, the group can determine an area's level of drought, ranging from "abnormally dry" to "exceptional drought." Today, they released the new map, expanding "abnormally dry" conditions through northeastern New Mexico (seen in brown) and identifying the southeast (in yellow) as being in "moderate drought." The map also reflects slightly improved conditions in the southwest. Current New Mexico Drought Monitor map.http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ Currently, 96 percent of the state is classified as "abnormally dry"up from 76 percent last week and 50 percent a year ago. About 16 percent of the state is experiencing moderate drought. Monsoon rains picked up in the past week, and while two more months remain of monsoon season, forecasters are already seeing the conditions in place for La Nina. For the southwestern United States, those conditions usually mean drier weather. During the rest of the monsoon season, forecasters are anticipating that Arizona and western New Mexico will see normal to above normal precipitation levels. Fontenot anticipates that fall will be normal, too. But going into winter, precipitation levels are predicted to drop. That could mean bad news for next year's spring runoff in the Rio Grande. This story is part of the New Mexico In Depth project "At the Precipice: New Mexico's Changing Climate." Santa Fe Reporter Shareholders of NZX-listed beer-maker Moa Breweries have been assured again that the company has no "specific plans for corporate activity to talk about". Moa chairman Ashley Waugh used his speech to the annual meeting in Auckland to reiterate the company's message after the exchange operator issued a 'please explain' notice on July 13 following a 47.5 percent jump in the share price to 87 cents. The shares were trading up slightly at 90 cents today, having listed at $1.25 in 2012. One of the company's executive directors, David Poole, who is Moa's salesperson in Australia, had been buying shares at the time of the sharp rise. Waugh said today that "within the category, there are clearly going to be strategic options. We as a board are always thinking about our options.As we speak to you today, we can asssure you that we do not have any specific plans for corporate activity to talk about. Your board is well aware of its responsibilities in terms of continuous disclosure." After suffering distribution problems early in its life as a listed company, Moa has more recently been grappling with inventory control, Waugh told the meeting. It had run out of some of its newly launched, high value specialty range while being oversupplied in its 'Originals' and 'Classic' ranges. The company has invested in Sage, a UK accounting software that New Zealand's Xero is challenging in Britain, to help sales and operational planning. Moa reduced its loss in the year to March 31 to $2.9 million, compared $5.6 million the previous year. Sales rose 35 percent to $8.2 million while total operating costs fell. However, there was still "a way to go to reach a breakeven year," said Waugh, noting a halving of cash burn in the last financial year. The company continues to focus on building sales in Australia, although that has been "modest" so far and the main attention is in Sydney, where the market is beginning to accept the Moa brand. Neither Waugh nor chief executive Geoff Ross gave guidance for earnings in the current year. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SKO - FY23 Interim Results Announcement Date - 23 November 2022 Downer awarded $490 million road maintenance contract SKC - 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS AND TRADING UPDATE TCL - Result of AGM TradeWindow secures U.S. footprint with FoodChain ID October 28th Morning Report October 25th Morning Report Mainfreight Investor Day / Market Update GFI - Greenfern - Offer closes 27th Oct MCY - Quarterly Operational Update New Zealand residential building consents reached their highest annual total in more than a decade, driven by activity in Auckland and surrounding regions. Seasonally adjusted consents increased 16 percent to 29,097 in the year through June, the highest total for a June year since 2004 and the highest annual total since the April 2005 year, Statistics New Zealand said. For the month of June, new home consents rose 16 percent from May and 35 percent from June last year, the agency said. Record net migration has been putting pressure on the nation's housing market where a shortage of supply has pushed up prices in Auckland, the country's largest city, and is spreading to surrounding regions. A plan for Auckland housing released this week has proposed the city be more densely populated with a larger urban area and less prescriptive development rules, to help spur construction and ease the shortage. "After relatively subdued growth over the first half of the year (particularly in Auckland), the number of consents surged in June," ASB Bank senior economist Jane Turner said in a note. "In Auckland, increased consent issuance for townhouses and apartments led the charge highlighting Aucklands housing shortage needs to be addressed with higher density solutions. The proposed unitary plan could add further to building demand of this type, although any lift in activity will be gradual given capacity constraints already emerging in the building industry." In the June month, 12 of 16 regions recorded a rise in building consents issued compared with the year earlier month. Auckland led the increase, with an extra 217 consents, taking the total to 921. Wellington issued 213 extra consents, including 159 retirement village units, taking the total to 275. Waikato issued an extra 128 consents for a total 335, while Bay of Plenty had an additional 101 consents to total 246. Canterbury consents fell by 77, taking the total to 467, as earthquake rebuilding activity winds down. Today's figures show the value of building consents rose 42 percent to $1.82 billion in June from the year earlier month. The value of residential buildings increased 30 percent to $1.08 billion, while the value of non-residential buildings jumped 63 percent to $739 million, boosted by a $180 million consent for a new Acute Services Building at Christchurch Hospital. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SKO - FY23 Interim Results Announcement Date - 23 November 2022 Downer awarded $490 million road maintenance contract SKC - 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS AND TRADING UPDATE TCL - Result of AGM TradeWindow secures U.S. footprint with FoodChain ID October 28th Morning Report October 25th Morning Report Mainfreight Investor Day / Market Update GFI - Greenfern - Offer closes 27th Oct MCY - Quarterly Operational Update NEW YORK (AP) One of the best moments in the carefully crafted Broadway show "Motown: The Musical" is when the unpredictable happens. That's when actress Allison Semmes, who plays Diana Ross, goes off script to ask a member of the audience to join her onstage to sing "Reach Out and Touch." The good-natured Semmes, who has played Ross for 2 years on tour, has seen audience members do everything from giving her suggestion a chilly reception to folks running up the aisle to the stage, screaming. "You never know what you're going to get," said the Chicago native. "Honestly, you feed off that energy. It's kind of like improv. Every night is different." Semmes has been lifted up into the air by an overeager fan and she's had a feather boa wrapped around her. Sometimes patrons refuse to leave the stage or want to clamber up onstage with their drinks. Other times, it's very clear they've had way too much to drink. "I always think, 'What would Diana do in this moment?' And there's plenty of footage of her doing 'Reach Out and Touch' and she's playful and she likes to poke fun and she likes to flirt with the crowd. So I just play along," she said. The song-heavy story of Motown Record's tumultuous history won't last long on Broadway it closes Sunday but it has been an important show for Semmes. It was her first big part and helped her fulfill the dream of singing onstage with Stevie Wonder. Semmes studied opera at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before trying her luck in New York, graduating from New York University and snagging a part in "The Book of Mormon." She was then hired as an ensemble member and understudy for Ross in "Motown" going on twice as the diva before starting a long national tour as Ross, maturing into the role. "Before, I was just extremely careful and extremely conscious with every single choice that I made, making sure that it captured her essence. But as I've done the show and lived in the role, I've found similarities that we have Diana and myself," she said. The show traces the life of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, who wrote the musical's story, and examines how Gordy helped start the careers of Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more. The dozens of songs include "War," ''What's Going On" ''Sign, Sealed, Delivered," ''My Girl" and "Dancing in the Streets." Chester Gregory, who plays Gordy, became friends with Semmes two years before they joined the show. They would send each other messages in which they sang to each other. Then they met up again on the tour "Now we're onstage doing what we did as friends just for fun but now we get paid to do it," he said. "We get to meet, we get to fall in love, we get to break up, we get to handle business together, all in the context of Berry and Diana." One of the biggest nights on the tour was in Detroit, when Semmes and Gregory led the cast in Motown Records' hometown. She got a chance to meet some of the artists, including Wonder. They kept in touch, and when the tour rolled into Toronto, she found out Wonder was also in town for a concert. So she reached out and joined him onstage. "I first met Stevie Wonder wow. I can't believe I'm saying this. That's insane just saying that," said Semmes, laughing. "It was amazing. He's a musical legend and to be close to him and to share a stage with him I'm never going to forget that." One person who hasn't seen her portray Ross is Ross herself, who came to the opening on Broadway but has kept her distance from the show since then. Semmes isn't sure she could handle it if one night she reached out and touched Ross. "I think I'd rather not. I think it would be absolutely too much pressure," she said, laughing. This website is intended for U.S. visitors only. MOSCOW (AP) Jim Mulcahy was sitting with some Russian friends, munching cookies and talking about Roman mosaics, when the Russian police came and took him away, claiming he was planning to perform a same-sex marriage. Hours later, the American pastor was ordered to leave Russia. Mulcahy's arrest this month in the city of Samara braids together several of Russia's most acrimonious issues: gay rights, alleged Western meddling in Russian affairs, and missionary work by religions that don't have state approval. It attracted particular attention because the arrest was filmed by state-controlled channel NTV, whose reports often take an especially truculent, pro-Kremlin stance. The 72-year-old Mulcahy, originally from Boston, looks back on the nervous hours in the Samara police station with stoic bemusement. "I wasn't afraid; I felt like this was something I had to endure," he told The Associated Press by telephone from his home in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. Mulcahy is Eastern Europe coordinator for the U.S.-based Metropolitan Community Churches denomination, which has a strong outreach to the LGBT community. The church performed the first gay marriage in the United States. He says his denomination does not perform or advocate for same-sex marriages as part of its work in Europe, and insists he had no intention of carrying out a gay marriage in Russia. The NTV report questioned the validity of Mulcahy's position as a pastor and claimed that he had converted to Orthodox Christianity, which Mulcahy says is untrue. Reporters also said the pastor gave religious seminars in Russia in addition to performing unspecified ceremonies for homosexuals. Mulcahy said that a post he made on Facebook about his trip to Russia prompted activists from the gay rights organization Avers in Samara, 760 kilometers (475 miles) southeast of Moscow, to invite him to take part in an informal question-and-answer session at their offices. The organization is one of the LGBT groups beleaguered by Russia's growing animosity toward sexual minorities. Although homosexuality is no longer criminalized as it was in the Soviet Union, Russia in 2013 banned the spread of "propaganda" about non-traditional sexual relations to minors. Even before the law was passed, officials routinely denied permission for gay-pride rallies, and those that did take place quickly exploded into attacks by anti-gay protesters who claimed to be following the line of the dominant Russian Orthodox Church. Another recently passed law forbids missionaries and organizations from praying outside of churches or disseminating religious material in private homes the law exempts the Orthodox church. In Samara, Mulcahy said, a group of about a dozen people had just settled around a long table when four uniformed police knocked on the door. They claimed they had received a tip that Mulcahy was performing a gay marriage. One officer took a teacup from Mulcahy's hand and told him he had to come with them. The officers drove Mulcahy to a police station threatening to handcuff him if he refused to cooperate. Police interrogated Mulcahy through an interpreter, who he says spoke limited English. Mulcahy's lawyer, who was denied entry, waited outside. Police refused to let Mulcahy who is diabetic and has prostate cancer return to his hotel to take his medication during the eight hours that they detained him. The Russian LGBT Network, a non-governmental organization, posted about Mulcahy's arrest on Facebook while police questioned him. People from around Russia, including Mulcahy's nephew in Florida, called the Samara police station demanding Mulcahy's release. Mulcahy was then taken to court, where a judge ruled that he violated the terms of his tourist visa by engaging in unspecified religious activity. He had to pay a $30 fine and was given five days to leave the country. The attention motivated Avers activists to install additional locks and an alarm system in their office. They fear that incidents like these will suppress the freedom of LGBT groups in Russia. "We're worried because LGBT organizations are getting labeled as foreign agents or even physically attacked," said Avers spokesperson Vera Bochkareva. "Groups like ours are in a relationship crisis with the authorities." From his home in Ukraine, Mulcahy has appealed the judge's decision. He said he has made many friends among the LGBT community in Russia and wants to return to visit them again as a tourist. "I grew up during the Cold War believing Russia was a cold, gloomy place," Mulcahy said, "but the hospitality of the Russian people changed my opinion once I visited the country." NEW DELHI: In an effort to enhance users' smartphones experience, Karbonn Mobiles has partnered with artificial intelligence (AI) research company Staqu to introduce AI-enabled fashion search feature in its new range of smartphones -- Fashion Eye and Fashion Eye 2.0. "With an aim to bring value-added services to its consumers, Karbonn Mobiles have forged one of the strongest value-added services (VAS) partners network in the country to enrich its users smartphone experience," Shashin Devsare, Executive Director, Karbonn Mobiles, said in a statement on Wednesday. Targeted at youth, Karbonn's new smartphone range comes integrated with a fashion app which allows users to search for an outfit by simply clicking its picture. "Amassing a base of an estimated 20,000 users within the beta phase of the app launch, we are confident about the consumer response to our Fashion Eye range, expecting it to push our VAS revenue streams to go upto 10-15 per cent by the end of this financial year," Devsare added. The AI engine of the app automatically recognises the print, patterns and colours of the outfit to give relevant results aggregated from over four million fashion products. It also allows users to compare prices and pick up the best deals available on outfits and accessories of their choice. "We are excited to be partnering with Karbonn, pioneering the synergy between an Indian AI Research company and an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). We are enabling the native capabilities of the mobile camera, with an intelligent deep learning based engine," said Atul Rai, CEO and Co-Founder of Staqu Technologies. Read Also: 4 Points-Guide To Help You Buy The Correct Fitness Band Gionee Unveils Flagship M6, M6 Plus Smartphones BENGALURU: Chinese global consumer electronics brand TCL Corp on Thursday launched TCL 562 smartphone, two TV models in P1 series -- one curved and one flat Ultra HD -- and two TV models in D2900 series for Indian consumers. All the devices will be available on Amazon. "Our entry into the smartphones and television category in India is a strategic move that reinforces our commitment to lead technology and innovation," said Praveen Valecha, Regional Director, TCL India, in a statement. The 10,990 TCL 562 smartphone features 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, octa-core Helio P10 MT6755M processor, 3GB RAM and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system. The device has 32GB internal memory, 13MP auto-focus rear camera with LED dual tone flash and a 5MP front camera with wide view angle and houses 2960mAh battery. The 37,990 48-inch Curved full-HD smart TV comes in a sleek design and has functions like screen mirroring, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct and App Store. TCL D2900 series includes two models one in 40-inch (priced at 20,990) and another in 32-inch (priced at 13,990) screen sizes, and are equipped with ASIC processor, two USB ports and HDMI port. TCL 43-inch flat Ultra HD TV is priced at 31,990. Read Also: 4 Points-Guide To Help You Buy The Correct Fitness Band Gionee Unveils Flagship M6, M6 Plus Smartphones BEIJING: Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Wednesday rolled out its first laptop, testing the waters in a market that has been flooded with premium tablets. The laptop Mi Notebook Air, runs on Microsofts Windows 10 operating system, sells for 4,999 yuan (around $749 ) for a 13.3-inch display. A slimmed-down version for office use is also available for 3,499 yuan. The laptop is priced at a discount compared to many models with similar specifications from leading brands such as Lenovo, Dell, HP and Apple. It is the Beijing-based firms latest attempt to press ahead with its strategy of releasing top-spec devices at low prices. Xiaomi will continue to roll out budget devices with key components in the same league as those on premium devices, Xiaomi co-founder Lei Jun said during product launch in Beijing. The company also launched a new phone under its budget smartphone line RedMi. The RedMi Pro is powered by MediaTeKs flagship processor Helio X25 and sells for between 1,499 and 1,999 yuan depending on specifications. Xiaomis chief domestic rival, Huawei, rolled out a tablet computer with Windows 10 and a detachable keyboard earlier this year. Global PC shipments have declined for seven consecutive quarters as of the second quarter this year, according to tech consultancy Gartner. Lenovo, the worlds top PC maker, reported a drop in shipments of 2.2 per cent in the second quarter, while Apple, ranked fifth, posted a 4.9-per cent drop in the same period. On the Chinese mainland, shipments slid 6.4 per cent as a slowing economy bit into demand for PCs by both businesses and consumers, Gartner said. Analysts have attributed part of the decline in the PC market to a shift to tablet computers that can handle productivity needs. Devices such as the Microsoft Surface tablet and Apples iPad Pro have sought to replace PCs for consumers who seek a combination of productivity and mobility, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. While its China release is scheduled for August 2, Xiaomi has yet to announce details about the availability of its laptop elsewhere. Huawei has been selling its Matebook tablet in Europe as well as China and other emerging markets. Both companies face hurdles in selling consumer electronic devices in the United States. While Xiaomi has continued to push forward its strategy of packing impressive specs into budget devices, Huawei has sought to create premium products for higher margins. Read Also: Dell Expands 2-In-1 Portfolio With Three Laptops Blackberry Announces Second Android-Based Smartphone NEW DELHI: A bill to amend the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013, was passed by parliament on Thursday doing away with the time limit for public servants to furnish details of their assets and liabilities, which as per the original act was July 31 every year. The Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, was passed by the upper house on Thursday. It allows extension of the time given to public servants and trustees and board members of NGOs, receiving government funds of more than Rs 1 crore or foreign funding of more than Rs 10 lakh, to declare their assets and those of their spouses. Speaking on the bill, Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh said the government had no intention to dilute the Lokpal bill. "We have no intention to dilute or to deviate from the Lokpal bill. Government stands by Lokpal Act and is committed to implement it in letter and spirit," he said. "The message should also not go out that members have joined together to get away from provision of stating their assets. It is also a fact under the Representation of People Act what we are declaring is much more than any other class or section of society," the minister said. He added that the amendment is needed as the deadline for declaration was just two days away. Congress leader Anand Sharma, participating in the short-duration debate on the bill, urged the government to fulfill the task of appointing Lokpal. "This bill is being passed to have time to reach clarity and there is no intent to dilute the bill. It is important for the entire house to bear in mind this country has seen enough turbulence. There was agitation, there was demand and then this bill was brought. It is incumbent on the present government to complete the process and appoint Lokpal, so the purpose of law is achieved," Sharma said. The Left parties refused to support the bill. "The CPI-M and Left do not support the bill. Lokpal should be made more stringent," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader T.K. Rangarajan said. "Normally, the corrupt people put their money on (in the name of)their wife and their children. They have two-three wives... We cannot support all these corrupt people," he said. The bill was later passed with voice vote. Read Also: Over 7 Lakh School Teachers Equipped With IT Skills In India: Microsoft IT-Enabled Power Supply In 4,041 Urban Towns In Next 3 Yrs CAIRO (AP) In a rebuke to the Egyptian government, the top religious scholars of Egypt's Al-Azhar have rejected new government measures to standardize Friday sermons, saying such a step would "freeze" the development of religious discourse. The Council of Senior Scholars of Al-Azhar, the Muslim world's most prominent institution, said in a statement that giving clerics pre-written Friday sermons would eventually "superficialize" religious clerics' thinking. The statement claims that, "The Imam will find himself unable to discuss, debate, and respond to (extremist) ideas and warn people of them." The standardized sermon initiative was launched by Egypt's Ministry of Religious Endowments the government body regulating mosques and houses of worship and has been criticized as the latest government move to tighten state control over religious discourse. Earlier this month, Minister of Religious Endowments Mokhtar Gomaa gave the first-such scripted sermon from a batch of notecards in an attempt to present a model to the country's clerics. He defended the move as aimed at filtering out extremism and promoting religious reform. According to the plan, a committee of state-hired scholars will write each week's sermon for clerics to read word-for-word. Gomaa said the government will prepare 54 sermons covering 52 weeks in addition to religious holidays, and that there was a long-term plan to write for 270 sermons covering five years. A ministerial committee that inspects and monitors the mosques would report on the performance of clerics around the country. In response to Al-Azhar's rejection, ministry spokesman Gaber Tayaa said the ministry was going ahead with "generalizing" the written sermons and would continue to hold meetings to explain the mechanism of implementation, "without forcing them." He added that the written sermons are aimed at ending the "chaos" of the current religious discourse. NEW DELHI: Commerce and Industry Ministry today discussed various issues, including taxation and compliance, with start-ups and decided to take up the matter with the departments concerned, going ahead. The ministry has convened the meeting of founders of 28 start-ups to get a grasp on their issues and concerns. After the meeting, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the budding entrepreneurs raised concerns related to taxation, regulators and compliance. "We were keen to know their views on how their start-up activities are going on, their expectations from the government and the difficulties they have. The difficulties may be relating to various ministries... What is it that they want us to do further," she told reporters. She said they have given their inputs. "Sectoral issues were also there on which I have instructed the secretary (DIPP) to ensure the concerned inter-departmental meetings are held for sectoral purposes," she added. "About the 'funds of funds', they want if things can be simplified from the Small Industrial Development Bank of India (SIDBI) level." Sitharaman assured them that the ministry will work on the matter. A representative from the e-pharma industry too voiced concern about certain regulatory issues at the meeting. An official said the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will hold a meeting with respective departments and regulators to resolve the issue of e-pharmacy. "We will follow all the issues with respective ministries and departments. Most of them talked about reducing the compliance burden in areas like environment, labour and inter-state issues. But many matters were beyond start-ups," the official added. The participants include Practo, mapmygenome, Delhivery, Urbanclap, Ola, Paytm and CarDekho. For mapmygenome CEO Anu Achrya, resolving compliance issues is a priority to promote start-ups in the country. "There are issues related with states and the Centre also," she said. Allinnov Research and Development Director S Sundarpaul acknowledged the government taking steps, but "things are difficult on the ground". "Creating a single window system for start-ups will help them a lot," he added. On tax holiday, the ministry has already demanded an increase in the period to 7 years, from 3. Read Also: India Keen To Deepen Cultural Ties With Australia: Navdeep Sur Indo-US Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group To Meet Today WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama is hopeful that his successor will continue to take forward America's engagement with India, the White House has said. "President Obama's Asia rebalance has included prioritizing the United States' relationship with the world's largest democracy," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday at his daily news conference. "So I think it's an indication of the long-standing warm relationship between United States and India. Some of that is a result of the investment of diplomatic capital that President Obama has made in that relationship," he said. The President is hopeful that his successor will do the same thing, because it benefits the American people, and our economy, and certainly our national security, he said. "And President Obama has traveled multiple times Indian and the president has been warmly received by the Indian people in each visit. I know that he has enjoyed each visit," he said in response to a question. Earnest said Obama has appreciated the effective working relationship that he's had with the leaders of both countries. "Of course, the President and Mrs. Obama hosted by Mr. (Manmohan) Singh and his wife here at the White House for the very first White House State Dinner. And President Obama was able to work effectively with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach an agreement about the commitments that India would make in the context of the Paris Climate Talks," he said. "That was viewed by many as the linchpin of completing the agreement in Paris," Earnest said. Obama, he said, has indicated is that he is committed to ensuring a smooth transition from the Obama administration to his successor. "I'm confident that will include conversations between President Obama and the President-elect when the time comes. I don't know how wide-ranging that discussion will be. It certainly could include India. But whoever it is, President Obama is committed to ensuring a smooth transition," he said. Read Also: Bill's Pitch: Hillary Is The "best darn change-maker" Indian-American To Be Recognised As Emerging Democratic Leader Source: PTI 20816722-mmmain.jpg The shop sells more than 30 kinds of cookies, more than two dozen types of cakes, plus breakfast pastries, doughnuts and crumb buns. ALFONSO'S PASTRY SHOPPE 200 South Ave. East Cranford (908) 276-8802 alfonsospastries.com THE EXPANSION of an Italian pastry shop from Staten Island to Cranford was never intended, but when Christina Campitiello visited the location, she just couldn't resist. It was like a scene from a movie. "The town was so perfect," she says. "We were there for one minute -- it felt like home." Campitiello knows from movie scenes. The original Alfonso's in Staten Island was featured in 1983's "Easy Money." It's a hilarious scene, with Rodney Dangerfield and Joe Pesci navigating, treacherously, a towering wedding cake festooned in pink flowers out of the bakery -- Alfonso's Bakery and Scungilli -- and loading it into the back of a red Dodge van, which belongs to Nicky's Plumbing. (It's secure there, they assure each other, since it's wedged against a toilet.) Campitiello's grandfather, Alfonso Campitiello, made the cake. "He had to make a few of them," his granddaughter says. Alfonso Campitiello began his pastry career in America at The Plaza and opened his Staten Island bakery in 1970. The family now has three bake shops in Staten Island and opened the shop in Cranford last year. The Cranford location sells more than 30 kinds of cookies, more than two dozen types of cakes, plus breakfast pastries, doughnuts and crumb buns. Most popular in town, says Campitiello, are the cannolis. Also the napoleons. And the eclairs. One of the many cakes available at Alfonso's Pastry Shoppe in Cranford. For special occasions, Alfonso's also features a decadent cannoli cake. And the shop makes a point of keeping up with bake-shop trends, which means you'll also find M&M brownies and rainbow bagels. Campitiello has been happy with her reception in the town; many Cranford residents moved into the neighborhood from Staten Island and were already familiar with the shop. Pastries sure to satisfy any sweet tooth can be found at Alfonso's Pastry Shoppe in Cranford. Others remark on the old-fashioned touches. Baker's twine is hand-tied around each box of goodies and the shop offers daily giveaways -- a few slices of crumb cake or a couple of doughnuts -- to customers at the end of the evening. Bread that is not sold is donated daily to a food bank. For cookie purists, though, the real lure of Alfonso's lies in the recipes. It's the reason all those classic Italian cookies you find here don't suffer the fate so prevalent at other bakeries -- all tasting the same, dry and empty, sugary and crumbly, no matter the shape. These cookie recipes came straight from Italy, with Alfonso himself, and today's cookies are made the same as they were in the 1970s. "The same ingredients, the same recipes, since we opened," Campitiello says. MORE FROM INSIDE JERSEY MAGAZINE Follow Inside Jersey on Twitter. Find Inside Jersey on Facebook and Google+ 9/11 families at Guantanamo: Enough about the torture Alison and Jefferson Crowther speaks to reporters on Thursday, July 28, 2016, at Camp Justice, the war court compound at U.S. Navy base Guantanamo. Their son Welles was killed rescuing people in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (Carol Rosenberg/Miami Herald/TNS) GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- Survivors of people killed in New York on September 11 criticized the current focus of pretrial proceedings on the torture of the five men accused of the worst terrorist attack on the homeland in U.S. history. "Torture is living a life without your loved one," said Terry Strada, whose husband Thomas was killed in the World Trade Center, leaving her 4-day-old son and his older brother and sister without a father. Thomas was an executive with Cantor Fitzgerald. "What these five men did on 9/11 was inhumane," said Jefferson Crowther, whose son Welles is remembered as a selfless Samaritan who saved people in the crumbling towers, then perished. "We talk about human rights. They don't deserve human rights. Because they weren't human. They were inhumane," Crowther added. Welles was an equities trader. Strada and Crowther were among eight people -- relatives of the dead and one building collapse survivor -- the Pentagon brought to the base to observe hearings this week ahead of the death-penalty trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four alleged accomplices in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that killed 2,976 people in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. The military judge has yet to set a trial date. An emphasis for some time has been the defense attorneys' access to information about what agents did to the alleged terrorists in the CIA's secret prisons before they were handed over to the military. Just before the victims spoke, attorney Walter Ruiz told reporters that his client Mustafa al Hawsawi, 47, "continues to bleed daily" as a result of rectal abuse in CIA custody. "He continues to have to make a choice between eating and defecating, between taking in nourishment and undergoing the excruciating pain of a bowel movement," Ruiz said, accusing the military of not providing Hawsawi, a Saudi, with adequate medical treatment at the secret Camp 7 lockup. Ruiz also accused the government of withholding the names of people who worked in the spy agency's black sites, as well as their locations -- not for national security reasons, as the chief prosecutor Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins claims -- to cover up embarrassment. "It is without a doubt clear that the rules of national security are being invoked simply to prevent accountability and the identities of the torturers and the identities of the foreign nations and partners in what really amounted to an international criminal enterprise," Ruiz told reporters. "What we did was a crime. The United States agents that acted in concert with foreign agents perpetrated a crime." Ruiz recited a series of CIA tactics -- sodomy, stuffing captives into cramped confinement boxes "for hours and hours and hours on end," left to defecate on themselves, thrown into walls and being hung from them. Martins had spoken to the media earlier. He told the stories of the men who died on 9/11 whose families had come to watch. "We can't say precisely when this trial will go to trial on the merits even as the 15th anniversary of the deaths of their loved ones quickly approaches," he told reporters. "What we can do is commit that the government will never lose interest in this and will pursue trial and justice under law for however long it takes." So the survivors of men killed on Sept. 11 got the last word. They called it an unusual accommodation that the court let Mohammed and the others wear traditional Muslim garb, in some instances topped by a camouflage vest or jacket. They expressed surprise that the Army judge scheduled breaks in court around Muslim prayer times. "It's a mass murder case. It's not a human rights case," said Strada. "A lot of their requests are just annoying delaying tactics," said Alison Crowther, mother of the Sept. 11 hero known as The Man in the Red Bandanna. Earlier, defense attorneys for some of the men said the speediest path to trial was for the prosecutor to strike the possibility of the death penalty. A capital case means defense lawyers must prepare not just for trial but also arguments to try to spare their clients execution if they are convicted. The Pentagon also provides each capital defendant with government-funded "learned counsel," seasoned criminal defense attorneys with extensive background in death penalty cases. None of the victims' family members expressed support for eliminating the death penalty. "It shouldn't be the defendants who decide if it's a capital case," said James Selwyn, whose father Howard worked for Euro Brokers on the 84th floor of the South Tower. "I think that's something that the law determines, not them because they think it will speed up the trial." --- The Miami Herald STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Tyrell Johnson was shot seven times in front of his girlfriend's home on Pine Street in New Brighton on July 30, 2014. The 37-year-old died from injuries on Nov. 2 of that year. His murder remains unsolved, and on Friday, the NYPD made a post on Twitter promoting a $2,000 reward for help finding his killer. Anyone with information please call 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls remain anonymous. #120pct pic.twitter.com/OLqvWW1uXk NYPD 120th Precinct (@NYPD120Pct) July 29, 2016 Johnson was hit in the back, shoulder and neck, and despite regaining consciousness, the shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down. He succumbed to his injuries several months later at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. His brother Jamal Stafford, told the Advance after his death that the shooter ambushed him, approaching him on the right because he was blind in one eye after a 1998 shooting. "When the guy started shooting, he just stood up and turned his back to him. He was afraid that he (the shooter) was going to run in the house and shoot the kids, so that's why he never ran from him," Stafford said, noting that one of his children, and two of his girlfriend's children, were inside. "It cost him his life, but he was more concerned for the kids in the house than his own safety." Johnson had entered a rehab program, learning how to get in and out of his wheelchair, but his health took a turn for the worse, Stafford said. The suspect was initially described as a black man with his hair in cornrows, wearing a black-and-white shirt. A police source told the Advance after the shooting that investigators were looking into whether Johnson's past - he had more than 20 arrests on his record, including some for drug offenses - might have factored into the shooting. "Despite his checkered past, he was a good person, and anyone you would speak to would tell you that," Stafford told the Advance. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-8477 (TIPS), submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers' website or by texting their tips to CRIMES (274637), then entering TIP577. Poland Pope Rabbi Pope Francis, right with back to camera, prays as Poland's chief rabbi Michael Schudrich, left, stands next to Rev. Stanislaw Ruszala, a priest from a village where the Nazis killed a Polish family because it was protecting Jews, as he reads a psalm in Polish during the papal visit to the site of the German Nazi death camp of Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. During Pope Francis' visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday there was an encounter with 25 Christian Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, a powerfully symbolic meeting that Poland's chief rabbi played a key role in orchestrating. (Tomasz Pielesz/ Auschwitz Museum via AP) (Tomasz Pielesz) WARSAW, Poland -- Pope Francis' visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday included an encounter with 25 Christian Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust -- a powerfully symbolic meeting that Poland's chief rabbi played a key role in orchestrating. Rabbi Michael Schudrich, a native of New York City whose grandparents all immigrated from Poland, had long hoped to see such a meeting in Poland between a pope and some of the remaining Poles who risked their lives during World War II to help and protect Jews. Yad Vashem in Israel has recognized 6,620 Polish gentiles who sheltered Jews among the so-called "Righteous Among the Nations." Today fewer than 240 in Poland are still alive. Remembering their sacrifices is an important part of Schudrich's mission as the spiritual head of Poland's Jewish community, and he has often said that one can never do enough for them. In a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Shudrich said the pope's meeting with survivors was "something I have been thinking about for a while: what kind of non-material present, what kind of thank-you, can we give to the 'Righteous'?" He noted that a U.S. group, the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, offers them some financial help. "But I wanted to come up with a spiritual gift and I thought that a special blessing from the pope would make them feel honored because of their unbelievable morality and humanity," he said. He said he approached members of the church hierarchy several months ago with the idea of including a meeting during the pope's visit to Poland this week. They were receptive and then they all got down to the business of organizing the meeting, which happened Friday during the pope's visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Schudrich had tried to arrange a meeting between a group of Righteous and Benedict XVI when that pope visited Poland in 2006, but it did not work out. John Paul II had met with some at the Vatican during his papacy, but it was the first such encounter at one of the former death camps. Francis met with them one by one and presented each one with a gift in a small red box. Schudrich said he was grateful that the pope met with the Righteous and also valued his silent homage to the victims of Auschwitz-Birkenau, most of whom were Jewish. Afterward, when he met Francis briefly, he said he told him: "Thank you for your prayer of silence." He said the pope responded: "Pray for me." Detective Gregory Gordon of the 121 Pct Detective Gregory Gordon of the 121st Precinct reportedly posted racial insults on his Facebook page. Here, Gordon is seen receiving an award from NYPD Commissioner William Bratton at the Staten Island Police Awards in 2014. (Steve White for the Staten Island Advance) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD is conducting an internal review after a Staten Island detective made inflammatory remarks about various New York leaders on social media, according to the Daily News. Detective Gregory Gordon, who works at the 121st Precinct in Graniteville, made remarks on his Facebook page slamming First Lady Chirlane McCray and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, referring to the public as "sheep," and complaining about a lack of media coverage when white people are killed by black suspects, the News reported. Gordon, according to the report, was annoyed that Bratton declined to meet Donald Trump. Screen Shot 2016-07-29 at 3.09.08 PM.png Attorney General Eric Schneiderman speaks at a new conference in New York in this March 21 file photo. (Associated Press) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island auto company is being sued by the state for allegedly inflating their prices, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced. Two Staten Island dealerships owned at the time by SG Hylan Motors Corporation unlawfully sold "after-sale" products and services, including credit repair and identity theft protection services, to over 2,300 customers between 2011 and 2014, according to a release and lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's office. These extra products could sometimes exceed costs of $2,000 per consumer, and the charges were applied without the knowledge of the car buyer, Schneiderman alleges. The alleged activity took place at Honda of Staten Island/Staten Island Honda, Nissan of Staten Island/Staten Island Nissan, a spokesman for the Attorney General's office said. Nissan of Staten Island and Staten Island Nissan have been under new ownership since October of 2015. The accusations stem from before that sale. "When consumers shop for a car, they should not be misled by deceptive dealerships looking to saddle consumers with hidden costs," Schneiderman said. "Unfortunately, some dealers pad their pockets with fees for products and services that unaware consumers don't need, and don't want." According to the lawsuit, the dealerships used deceptive practices to sell credit repair and identity theft protection services that the consumer did not even receive. It is a violation of state and federal law to charge upfront fees for services that promise to help consumers restore or improve their credit. The suit says the dealerships collected more than $2 million from inflated prices, and seeks a court order prohibiting the dealerships from engaging in such practices in the future and directing them to refund all illegally obtained overcharges to consumers. The court papers further allege that the SG Hylan Motors dealerships added on charges for other after-sale items like security systems and special tire protection services without clearly disclosing what they were charging for such services. The costs of these services were often bundled into the vehicle sales price and not separately itemized, Schneiderman alleges. The price of the car stated on purchase and lease documents was inflated by the amount of these after-sale items or services as a result of these practices. The lawsuit is part of the Attorney General's initiative to end the practice that automobile dealers call "jamming," or charging consumers for hidden purchases. Titan Motor Group took over Nissan in October 2015, after the allegations, a company representative said. Staten Island Honda did not immediately return a request for comment. -- Mira Wassef contributed to this report. Hula group creates global connection When the pandemic ushered everyone indoors, Moorpark resident and longtime dancer Lisa Rauschenberger decided to get people back outsidesocially distanced, of course. She began to hold weekly hula lessons at... Hospital offers safe option to dispose of meds, narcotics Los Robles Health System is working to crush the opioid drug crisis by raising awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of... Rotary works to promote worldwide peace, goodwill The Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise recently invited administrators and principals from the Simi Valley Unified School District to attend a meeting and receive the book The Nonviolence Handbook: A... Free books and Halloween treats Big fun awaits kids at local little libraries Simi Valley has about 20 registered Little Free Libraries that offer free books for children, teens and adults. In addition to providing free books to the community, the Little Free... BLOOMINGTON A father and son entered not guilty pleas on Friday in connection with the sexual assault of a woman during the recent Preview student orientation at Illinois State University. Shawn Childs Jr., 19, of Chicago, is charged in McLean County Circuit Court with sexually assaulting an incoming student on July 19 at Hewett Hall, where Preview students and some parents were staying. Childs Jr., who is free after posting $10,035 bond, was in court Friday with his lawyer, Stephanie Wong. The state added two additional charges of criminal sexual abuse to the four counts of criminal sexual assault he already faces. According to police, Childs Jr. also an incoming student when the incident took place came to ISU with his father Shawn Childs Sr. for Preview events ahead of the son starting classes at the school in August. The two men were in a room at Hewett with two incoming female students and a third, unidentified man when Childs Sr. offered to go out and buy alcohol for the underage minors, said police. The elder Childs, who was staying on another floor of Hewett, returned with alcohol and then allegedly sold ecstasy to the unidentified male. The alleged victim told authorities she saw the unidentified male put a pill into a soda that she consumed, said police. The woman, who is from the Chicago area, told police that she left the party when she felt ill, and was assaulted by Childs Jr., who followed her to her room, according to charges. The unidentified male has not been charged. The university has placed Shawn Childs Jr. on interim suspension, according to Eric Jome, ISUs director of media relations. Jome said the interim suspension mean Childs cannot attend classes, participate in any university activities or set foot on campus. He would be subject to arrest if he violates those restrictions, said Jome. While the school has called what happened an isolated incident, it is still reviewing the circumstances and the Preview program to determine if changes are warranted. Childs Sr. remains in the county jail in lieu of $20,035 on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. He was represented Friday by public defender Michael Herzog. The pair were arrested as they were preparing to board a train July 21 for Chicago. Police stated that more than 20 ecstasy pills were found on Childs Sr. when he was arrested. The father and son are scheduled to be in court Sept. 2 for a status hearing. PHILADELPHIA If political conventions tell us anything beyond the predictable, the one held last week in Cleveland and the other going on this week in Philadelphia pose contrasts so stark that one wonders if the two groups hail from the same country. Hint: One of them didn't present a diverse cross-section of America. Whereas Cleveland's arena was a relatively sparsely populated panorama of predominantly pale faces animated by anger, Philadelphia's is a teeming, multicolored mass of (mostly) joyous celebration. In starkest contrast, Bernie Sanders, unlike Republican runner-up Ted Cruz, handed the baton and a passionate endorsement to his party's nominee. The Democratic convention managed to wrestle unity from the Sanders crowd while Republicans left their gathering as divided as ever. Not even the storied email scandal the hacked Democratic National Committee files released on convention eve, not Clinton's private server failed to mute the enthusiasm of delegates. On opening night, a series of speakers carefully culled from the trove of democratic demographics related personal stories that were lovely and touching, if at times it felt like a group therapy session. Then along came comedian Sarah Silverman, who broke the spell with a little reality therapy, telling the "Sanders or Bust" crowd, "You're being ridiculous." This is what passes for scandal when banal DNC emails make one yearn for the days of gloved burglars with flashlights. Even speculation about Russian intelligence being behind the hack and trying to influence the outcome of the presidential election (really?) pales next to the flesh-and-blood drama of Watergate. The Russian conspiracy theories, loosely posited by the Clinton campaign and others, go something like this: Donald Trump has expressed admiration of Vladimir Putin. Trump has recently turned more pro-Russia, suggesting he wouldn't interfere with Russian aggression if NATO members don't pay a fair share for their defense. Oh, and Trump has refused to release tax returns. Might they reveal business associations with certain Russian parties? Then, too, the hackers, who did not breach the Republican National Committee, according to the FBI, could just be messing around. Either the Russians have no interest in what Republicans chat about or they don't need to spy because (cue "Bourne Identity" soundtrack) Trump and Putin are already in constant contact. Actually, rumor has it that Trump's hairdo conceals a chip that feeds his thoughts directly into a computer located in an underground silo in remotest Kamchatka, where analysts celebrate the coming New Russian Empire with shots of Trump Vodka. But I digress. After Silverman, who was paired with the formerly funny Sen. Al Franken, came a series of heavy hitters, including fellow Sens. Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Sanders with affirming and unifying messages. First lady Michelle Obama, who stole the show, was gracious as she serially insulted Trump without once mentioning his name, the ultimate putdown. Contrast this to the direct, full-frontal, name-calling insult-a-thon that has been the Trump campaign. Even winning the nomination failed to improve his mood or personality. Winning has always been Trump's endgame, so why wasn't he happy? By contrast, there's no reason to imagine that the first woman ever to be nominated to the presidency will maintain a grim expression as Trump did following his nomination. He obviously made a decision to forgo the victor's grin and instead bear the countenance of a general about to enter war. Happy warrior isn't in his repertoire. Whatever one's political persuasion, objectively, the future belongs to the party that reflects the nation it aspires to lead. This would not be the party whose platform, though not binding, seeks to undo many of the rights (reproductive choice and same-sex marriage) that most Americans find acceptable. The math simply doesn't support a viable Republican Party without a long period of reconstruction following the Trump demolition. This is true if Trump wins or loses. In the meantime, sentient Americans aren't the only ones worried about what comes next. On Tuesday, I moderated a panel before an international audience hosted by National Democratic Institute. A woman from Africa summarized the sentiments of the larger group with her question. Noting that people around the world depend on the United States to be the shining light for all, she asked: Who is the best to provide the moral leadership of America? The world awaits our answer. Extreme heat waves like the current string of scorching days in the Midwest have become more frequent worldwide in the last 60 years, and climate scientists expect that human-caused global warming will exacerbate the dangerous trend in coming decades. It comes with potentially life-threatening consequences for millions of people. Research has shown that overall mortality increases by 4 percent during heat waves compared to normal days in the U.S. A study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in 2011 suggested that rising summer temperatures could kill up to 2,200 more people per year in Chicago alone during the last two decades of the 21st century. "The climate is changing faster than we've ever seen during the history of human civilization on this planet, and climate change is putting heat waves on steroids," Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, said during a news conference on Thursday. "Heat waves are getting more frequent and stronger." Temperatures this week soared into the 90s from Minnesota to Iowa, combining with high humidity to send heat indices well above the 100-degree Fahrenheit mark, considered a threshold for conditions dangerous to human health. Current temperatures in large parts of the Midwest have been rising steadily for more than 100 years, with accelerated warming in the past few decades. According to the 2014 National Climate Assessment, the average temperature in the region increased by more than 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit between 1900 and 2010. Between 1950 and 2010, the rate of increase doubled, and since 1980, the pace of warming is three times faster than between 1900 and 2010. But while the Midwest joins the overall warming trend, it has not been hit frequently by summer heat waves, according to Ken Kunkel of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information "The Midwest has not experienced any substantial summer warming and this spills over into heat waves," he said. "The period of most heatwaves for the Midwest remains the 1930s Dust Bowl era." In North America, there has been an increase in heatwaves west of the Rocky Mountains, but to the east, generally not, he said That leads to fears that the region is unprepared for the dangerous impacts of a stretch this hot. The lack of preparedness was a big reason a heat wave in Europe in 2003 was so deadly, killing more than 70,000 people. "We see the biggest impacts when we have multi-day events," Hayhoe said. "And when nighttime temperatures don't cool off enough to give us a respite, that's when we start to see an impact on health. Especially the elderly and people with respiratory problems start flooding emergency rooms." "The bottom line is we face a new normal and we're adapting to it on the city and regional level," said Christopher B. Coleman, mayor of St. Paul, Minn., and co-chair of the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative. Also speaking during the press conference, he called the Mississippi River Valley an "acute climate impact zone," and said some of the less obvious impacts of extreme heat includes urban stormwater runoff that creates thermal pollution when it hits hot pavement. The Midwest heatwave is peaking just as NOAA announced that last month was the warmest June on record for Earth. It was the 14th consecutive month that the average global temperature record was broken, making it the longest streak of record-warm months in 137 years, according to the agency's monthly state of the climate report. Averaged across land and sea surfaces, the global temperature was 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average, topping the record set just last year. The last time the global temperature for June was below average was in 1976. "The health consequences of climate change run an entire gamut, from worsening chronic disease, to an increase in vector and waterborne illnesses and disruption to food safety," said Rev. Miriam Burnett, president of Resource and Promotion of Health Alliance, Inc, a faith-based nonprofit focusing on public health in African-American communities. Extreme heat events even have social consequences, including putting strain on human interactions and generating anger and hostility, she said. Scientists say there's little doubt that the buildup of heat trapping greenhouse gases is already causing more deadly heat waves worldwide. The increase has been widely documented and summarized in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment. THUMBS UP! To the variety of summer camps being offered around the area to keep young people busy, engaged and learning. One of our favorites, because it sounds like a load of fun, is the First Gig Rock N Roll camp that ended last week with a concert at Eisenhower High School. Campers get to form their own bands, work on songs and then record and perform them, all within a week. THUMBS DOWN! To Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner for calling Chicago teachers "illiterate in an email exchange that was revealed last week. Rauner apologized for his remarks, although teachers arent likely to forgive him soon. Rauner, who wants to better fund and reform public education, didnt do himself any favors. One of Rauners pitfalls during his first term is that careless rhetoric often overshadows worthy ideas. THUMBS DOWN! To the Democratic Party, which also had a problem with leaked emails this week. The emails showed that many Democratic Party officials, who are supposed to be impartial during primaries, favored Hillary Clinton and made fun of challenger Bernie Sanders. The lesson should be to not put comments in emails that you dont want the world to see. But Sanders supporters should also recognize that politics is a tough game and that their candidate has only been a member of the party for a short time. THUMBS UP! To the United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois, which continues to change the community by offering leadership and funds to programs that are doing good work. In its latest round of funding for a two-year period, the organization included programs that help fathers establish better relationships with newborns and continued to fund programs that help move people into self-sufficiency and aid education results in the community. In all, the United Way supports 55 programs. THUMBS UP! To two high school students that might have made a big breakthrough while attending the American Chemical Societys Project SEED summer research program at Millikin University. David Bruns, of Rosemont, and Connor Dickey, of Decatur, worked together and with other scientists designed particles that are capable of releasing a cancer drug when heated. Thats exactly where previous research had bogged down. Their work is a testament to how advanced some young people are in their studies. THUMBS UP! To the Decatur Park District and the United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois for putting on a challenging and fun 3K obstacle race last weekend. The Big Obstacle 3K, in its second year, added some new obstacles, more heats and a childrens race. The event benefits both the United Way and the park districts scholarship fund. SPRINGFIELD Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed a bill that wouldve blocked changes his administration wants to make to a program that provides services to help keep elderly Illinoisans out of nursing homes. Advocates say changes could mean the loss of services such as assistance with cooking, laundry and bathing for thousands of older residents, which could result in them requiring more-costly nursing home care. But in a veto message, Rauner says the bill would prevent the state from managing ever-rising costs and jeopardize our ability to ensure that essential community services remain available to more than 40,000 people served through the Illinois Department on Agings existing community care program who arent eligible for Medicaid. The program currently serves about 84,000 people. The Republicans administration has proposed shifting those people into its new community reinvestment program, which it believes can save $200 million a year by providing services more efficiently. Department on Aging spokeswoman Veronica Vera wrote in an email earlier this month that the department remains committed to its mission to continue providing the services necessary to keep seniors in their homes longer and do so in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner. The department argues that the changes are necessary in light of the states fiscal constraints and a growing elderly population. Officials have been meeting with the local agencies that will implement the program ahead of a planned January launch, Vera said. But state Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, one of the sponsors of the bill, said the administration is rushing into large-scale changes to a program on which many people rely. Biss said he has seen no evidence of how the community reinvestment program would work or what the governors office has in mind for tens of thousands of Illinois seniors in the current program. Ive talked to a lot of seniors who are very anxious about what the governors office has in mind for them, he said. State Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, the bills main sponsor, called Rauners veto another in his ongoing campaign targeting child care, people with disabilities and senior citizens. We should be encouraging seniors to remain in their own homes and low-cost community settings instead of driving them into more costly institutions and nursing homes, Harris said. The bill also wouldve codified in state law eligibility standards for the program that the Rauner administration had previously attempted to tighten. The governors veto message said thats unnecessary because he has since committed to leaving the standards unchanged. AARP Illinois, which backed the bill wholeheartedly because it saves significant money while also protecting our most vulnerable citizens, was anticipating the veto and has been working to win support for an override, said Ryan Gruenenfelder, manager of advocacy and outreach. The bill was approved with broad support in the General Assembly but didnt garner a veto-proof majority in either chamber, despite backing from Democrats and Republicans. It was a bipartisan piece of legislation, so we want to make sure we hold the votes that supported it when it passed in addition to gaining new supporters, Gruenenfelder said. 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 New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Thunderstorms, some locally heavy this morning, then partly cloudy during the afternoon hours. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High near 75F. SSE winds shifting to WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low 54F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. In connection with the ongoing civil disobedience and unrest in Yerevan, Alex Yenikomshian, an outspoken political activist and journalist, has been summarily arrested. He is blind and physically disabled. Mr. Yenikomshian's physical disabilities render him uniquely vulnerable to human rights violations while in detention. Regardless of the reasons or pretexts for his detention, the physical conditions of the detention of a blind amputee constitute cruel, inhumane and even degrading treatment of the disabled dissident in violation of Armenia's domestic laws as well as its international obligations. To be absolutely clear: even if the act of detention were lawful, the disabled activist must be afforded proper accommodations consistent with international standards concerning the humane and dignified treatment of disabled persons in custody. Furthermore, from our perspective, Mr. Yenikomshian is entitled to the bare necessities of decency and to all of his human, civil, and Armenian rights. He has been provided none of them, despite the fact that he remains all of them: human, civil, and Armenian. Particularly disconcerting is the fact that government authorities have conceded that, with regard to Mr. Yenikomshian, they are confronting a matter of first impression. By all accounts, the authorities appear to lack the most basic facilities necessary to properly accommodate Mr. Yenikomshian's disabilities. Of course, while he is detained in the custody of Armenia's police, his safety is their legal responsibility. That said, their abject inability to meet even the most rudimentary standards of accommodation for disabled detainees requires his prompt release. The detention of Mr. Yenikomshian will be judged as yet another unsavory milestone in this policing authority's assault upon the civil and human rights of its citizens. Clearly, the failure of restraint has become pervasive: policing authorities have employed disproportionate, and often entirely unjustified, use of force; they have carried out mass detentions and have organized group arrests. But this detention surely will be one of their most egregious low points, as it has stripped Mr. Yenikomshian not only of his civil and human rights -- but of dignity itself. It may be said that this vengeful-like ruthlessness should not even be reserved for the enemies of the Armenian Nation, let alone for the Homeland's brave and patriotic sons and daughters. Mr. Yenikomshian has been deprived of his liberty and shorn of his essence. He deserves the immediate return of both. Armenian Rights Watch Committee Armenian Bar Association System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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But the changes have done little to assuage the strong concerns of defence lawyers, who say the new proposal still represents an unnecessary and gross breach of human rights. Attorney-General Simon Corbell has confirmed controversial new powers for prosecutors have been watered down. Credit:Jamila Toderas The fate of the government's legislation, even with its changes, is unclear. Greens MLA and Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury has broken away from his Labor partners and will not support the bill, leaving its passage through the Legislative Assembly in the hands of the Liberals, who were yet to form a position late on Friday. Morrissey is heading back to tour Australia and will include a stop in Canberra but none in Sydney. The former The Smiths frontman will play the Royal Theatre at the National Convention Centre on October 28. Morrissey at the Sydney Opera House when he visited for Vivid 2015. Credit:Daniel Boud The Sydney snub is most likely because his last Australian visit including only Sydney shows for the Vivid festival in 2015, where tickets were available by ballot. Morrissey will also play shows in Wollongong, Newcastle, Adelaide and Melbourne on the Australian leg of a tour which also covers Asia and the United States. Plans for the development, driven by Coles and Canberra-based developers Doma Group, were initially knocked back last year for a failure to meet planning and design requirements and amid strident opposition from some residents. An artist's image of the new development at the Antill and Badham streets corner. The ACT government last month gave the green light to a plan to build Coles and Aldi supermarkets and 140 apartments fronting Antill Street near Dickson shops. Residents groups from north Canberra are banding together to launch an appeal over a controversial decision to build extra shops and units in the centre of Dickson. Residents had voiced concerns over a lack of parking, particularly during construction, the removal of trees, the dated and uninspiring design, traffic congestion, pedestrian safety, and the negative effect on Dickson pool. Planning authorities later accepted the revised proposal, subject to a string of conditions, in an effort to ease ongoing community opposition. But Dickson Residents Group convenor Jane Goffman said on Friday that Dickson Woolworths' landlord, property developers Charter Hall, had filed an application for the decision to be reviewed in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Ms Goffman said the group had joined the appeal given changes to the proposal, which she claimed were "superficial", had not addressed lingering concerns around safety, access, amenity and aspects of the development's interface. "It's not desirable to end up here, which is what we tried so hard to avoid," Ms Goffman said. Australia's largest milk processor, Murray Goulburn Co-operative, has taken another hit, with Woolworths dumping it as its supplier of many of its private-label dairy products. Murray Goulburn said the loss of the bulk of the contract would cost it more than $100 million a year. Bega Cheese won the contract. The new Woolworths contract is a $100m-a-year blow to Murray Goulburn. Credit:Rob Homer "Woolworths has selected a new supplier to manufacture and pack a range of its private label products including cheese, UHT, adult milk powder and cream," it told the market. "MG retains the contract to supply private-label mozzarella shred cheese as well as the contract to supply private label butter, which has been expanded to include additional products and increased ranging. "Many documents were prepared outside the regular established channels; written documentation on some sensitive matters could not be located. The IEO in some instances has not been able to determine who made certain decisions or what information was available, nor has it been able to assess the relative roles of management and staff," it said. The report said the whole approach to the eurozone was characterised by "groupthink" and intellectual capture. They had no fallback plans on how to tackle a systemic crisis in the eurozone - or how to deal with the politics of a multinational currency union - because they had ruled out any possibility that it could happen. "Before the launch of the euro, the IMF's public statements tended to emphasise the advantages of the common currency," it said. Some staff members warned that the design of the euro was fundamentally flawed but they were overruled. This pro-European-Monetary-Union bias continued to corrupt their thinking for years. "The IMF remained upbeat about the soundness of the European banking system and the quality of banking supervision in euro area countries until after the start of the global financial crisis in mid-2007. This lapse was largely due to the IMF's readiness to take the reassurances of national and euro area authorities at face value," it said. The IMF persistently played down the risks posed by ballooning current account deficits and the flood of capital pouring into the eurozone periphery, and neglected the danger of a "sudden stop" in capital flows. "The possibility of a balance of payments crisis in a monetary union was thought to be all but non-existent," it said. As late as mid-2007, the IMF still thought that "in view of Greece's EMU membership, the availability of external financing is not a concern". Bailout's secret bombshell At its root was a failure to grasp the elemental point that currency unions with no treasury or political union to back them up are inherently vulnerable to debt crises. States facing a shock no longer have sovereign tools to defend themselves. Devaluation risk is switched into bankruptcy risk. "In a monetary union, the basics of debt dynamics change as countries forgo monetary policy and exchange rate adjustment tools," said the report. This would be amplified by a "vicious feedback between banks and sovereigns", each taking the other down. That the IMF failed to anticipate any of this was a serious scientific and professional failure. In Greece, the IMF violated its own cardinal rule by signing off on a bail-out in 2010 even though it could offer no assurance that the package would bring the country's debts under control or clear the way for recovery, and many suspected from the start that it was doomed. It got around this by slipping through a radical change in IMF rescue policy, allowing an exemption (since abolished) if there was a risk of systemic contagion. "The board was not consulted or informed," it said. The directors discovered the bombshell "tucked into the text" of the Greek package, but by then it was a fait accompli. The IMF was in an invidious position when it was first drawn into the Greek crisis. The Lehman crisis was still fresh. "There were concerns that such a credit event could spread to other members of the euro area, and more widely to a fragile global economy," said the report. The eurozone had no firewall against contagion, and its banks were tottering. The European Central Bank had not yet stepped up as lender of last resort. It was deemed too dangerous to push for a debt restructuring in Greece. Massively wrong forecasts While the fund's actions were understandable in the white heat of the crisis, the harsh truth is that the bail-out sacrificed Greece in a "holding action" to save the euro and north European banks. Greece endured the traditional IMF shock of austerity, without the offsetting IMF cure of debt relief and devaluation to restore viability. A sub-report on Greece said the country was forced to go through a staggering squeeze, equal to 11 per cent of GDP over the first three years. This set off a self-feeding downward spiral. The worse it became, the more Greece was forced cut - what ex-finance minister Varoufakis called "fiscal water-boarding". "The automatic stabilisers were not allowed to operate, thus aggravating the pro-cyclicality of the fiscal policy, which exacerbated the contraction," said the report. Nominal GDP ended 25 per cent lower than the IMF's projections, and unemployment soared to 25 per cent instead of 15 per cent as expected. "The magnitude of Greece's growth forecast errors looks extraordinary," the report said. The injustice is that the cost of the bail-outs was switched to ordinary Greek citizens - the least able to support the burden - and it was never acknowledged that the motive of EU-IMF Troika policy was to protect monetary union. Indeed, the Greeks were repeatedly blamed for failures that stemmed from the policy itself. This unfairness - the root of so much bitterness in Greece - is finally recognised in the report. "If preventing international contagion was an essential concern, the cost of its prevention should have been borne - at least in part - by the international community as the prime beneficiary," it said. Loading Kevin Rudd has suffered multiple setbacks in his public life, as politicians frequently do. His removal as prime minister in 2010 by mutinous Labor Party colleagues would qualify as the most scarifying of those. The brutal torpedoing of his hopes of becoming the next United Nations secretary-general role by Malcolm Turnbull on Friday would not be far behind, however. Mr Rudd had invested considerable time and effort in advancing his candidacy for the UN job, propelled by an abiding self-belief in his diplomatic skills and networking abilities. To be informed by Mr Turnbull that the government had doubts about his "suitability" would have been crushing. Mr Rudd's first job on leaving university was with the Department of Foreign Affairs, and it's probable he would have risen far within the department had not politics (in the form of a job as Queensland premier Wayne Goss's chief of staff) beckoned in 1988. Mr Rudd's interest in, and aptitude for, international issues, was evident throughout much of his prime ministership. And even his harshest of critics would admit Mr Rudd was an energetic and effective advocate for Australia in forums such as the G-20. Mr Turnbull's curt brush-off of Mr Rudd's bid suggests Australia's much vaunted political bipartisanship on national security, free trade and diplomacy is not as substantial as is generally believed. It's also overturned a long-standing convention that governments support or back the candidacy of Australians seeking leading roles within large and influential international bodies such as the UN or the World Bank, regardless of their political background or allegiances. Among the 50-odd portraits in this year's Archibald, two are stand-out, although not in a good way. Both depict sitting politicians but together they reveal us, or what is embarrassingly close to becoming an Australian world-attitude: dominate, exploit, go. Eat, shoot, leave (the rubbish). Contemporary portraiture peers into the sitter's soul. Abandoning the bombast and braggadocio of traditional portraiture, it seeks some inner truth, even frailty. To browse the Archies, therefore, is to be brushed with sadness and self-doubt as much as charm, cheek and chutzpah. This is its redemption. Against that milieu, two portraits stand in contrast, picked out not by skill or insight but by a smug opacity more aligned with that older habit, portrait as propaganda. "We," they seem to say, "are the fossilised relics of the braggart tradition. We stand for commerce, not creativity; patriarchy, not openness; exploitation, not love." I came to them blind, without recognition. The first, of a man in a field of wheat stubble, is called simply Troy, no doubt aiming for heroism-by-association. Heroic battles, all that (although, remember Hector? The heels?) Not happy, Barrie: former prime minister Kevin Rudd. Credit:Andrew Meares How could it not be a decision about Rudd? The Prime Minister himself said that it was. "This is a judgment about Mr Rudd's suitability for that particular role," Turnbull said on Friday, the only explanation he offered for his decision to refuse to nominate Rudd to enter the contest for the post of UN Secretary General. Perhaps it wasn't clearly explained to Turnbull. It's not a job offer; it's a nomination to an international competition. It's not Turnbull's place to decide the suitability of the next secretary-general. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday. Credit:Louise Kennerley He's not even on the interview panel. There are 15 nations that will choose the next secretary-general. They are the members of the UN Security Council. The five permanent members, each with veto power, have the biggest say. Australia has one point of potential input, and only one. Does it want to nominate a candidate? Australia has now decided that it will not. Does Turnbull insist on personally vetting the members of Australia's Olympics team? Of course not. He waves them farewell and wishes them luck. The athletes have to qualify, of course. So did Rudd. In his case, the Department of Foreign Affairs advised the government that he was a credible candidate. Julie Bishop did her job as minister in carrying that advice to the Cabinet and making the case to nominate him. After qualifying, the athletes go off to compete. In Rudd's case, he would have joined the field of a dozen candidates for a contest to be decided by the Security Council in October. But the Turnbull government has decided, without assessing the dozen others, to prejudge the contest and prejudge the Security Council. There is a persistent misconception that, if not Rudd, Australia can support New Zealand's candidate, Helen Clark. Of course, any country can say what it likes, but this is really a nonsense and Tony Abbott was its originator. When he was prime minister, Abbott said he would support Clark merely as a mechanism to spite Rudd. It's a measure of sheer provincial political bile that Abbott, a proud supporter of the ANZUS alliance, would rather support Clark. As prime minister, Clark continued the NZ boycott of ANZUS. The current leader, John Key, has relaxed it and is returning his country to the alliance. In any case, there is no provision in the UN processes for any such thing. The Security Council's five permanent members the US, China, Britain, France and Russia will choose from among the candidates according to their own interests. The job certainly won't default to Clark. Based on last week's informal straw poll of council members, she's ranked sixth. Portugal's former prime minister, Antonio Guterres, is the clear leader. Following Abbott's lead, in recent weeks the right faction of the Liberal Party ran a bitter campaign of public vitriol against Rudd. It became deranged. The former elder statesman of the conservative faction, Eric Abetz, now a backbench senator, put out a press release headed "Don't inflict Rudd on UN". It's touching, incidentally, that the traditionally UN-sceptic conservatives have suddenly discovered such concern over its choice of bureaucrats. Abetz's opening line: "According to his former colleagues, Mr Rudd is a narcissist, a micro-manager, an impulsive control freak and a psychopath just to name a few." His conclusion: "If Mr Rudd lacked the capacity and temperament to be Labor leader, by his own colleagues' assessment, he lacks the qualities to head the UN." So Abetz's lodestar is suddenly Labor's judgment? This is a new position for him. On this logic, we should assess all politicians according to the insults of their internal enemies. Even you, Eric. This is ridiculous stuff. In the approach to Thursday's cabinet debate, the Liberal right faction ramped up the anti-Rudd theatrics, a political haka performance. Peter Dutton, Scott Morrison, huffed and puffed and stamped and posed intimidatingly. They carried the fight into the cabinet room, determined to overturn the recommendation of Julie Bishop, a moderate, and to spite Rudd and the Labor Party. It was rampant personal and partisan politics. Turnbull presided as a neutral chairman, showing no inclination, as he listened to the arguments for and against. In the face of a divided cabinet, he asked his colleagues for a "hunting licence" permission to take the decision himself and was given one. He should have applied the national frame to the decision. He is Prime Minister for all Australians, including the 4,311,365 who gave primary votes to Rudd's Labor in the 2013 election. Rudd himself was capable of playing hard partisan politics, but he was also notably bipartisan in making appointments. He appointed the former Nationals leader Tim Fischer ambassador to the Vatican, Brendan Nelson ambassador to NATO and the EU and Peter Costello to the board of the Future Fund. Had he wanted it, there was a solid case available to Turnbull to make the national decision. Instead he chose the political. Why? He fears for the unity of his government. He is acutely conscious that he was narrowly returned to power, that he is subject to a lot of biting internal criticism over the campaign, that a small knot of his party's conservatives Abetz, Cory Bernardi, George Christiansen, Kevin Andrews - will enjoy making trouble for him if they can. And he knows that some difficult decisions lie ahead. His authority may be tested on matters including his proposed superannuation reforms, which have generated some heated anger among the party's base. The same sex marriage plebiscite will also test his powers of internal political management. Before the election, when Turnbull imagined his future self to be in a stronger position, he was committed to supporting Rudd in the national interest. As Rudd wrote to Turnbull in a letter he released on Friday night: "You in fact sent me a message on your preferred Wickr system [encrypted message service] where you stated that you and the FM [foreign minister] were 'as one' in your support for my candidature." Newly anxious, Turnbull has preferred to appease his right faction, to yield their personal and partisan vitriol, than to support his deputy leader and foreign affairs minister. He allowed himself to be bullied rather than advised. This is a decision taken in fear. It's a decision about preserving the personal political position of the leader. It's not a decision to enlarge the possibilities for Australia, to allow the country to see one of its own in an international post of some profile and prestige. If Turnbull is so sensitive about his position in the first flush of a new term, it is a poor omen for the three years ahead. If he weighs the national decision against the political and prefers the political, it's a bad sign for the country. The only winners from this decision are the exuberant partisans and bitter haters in the Liberal Party. Turnbull is right that the UN secretary-generalship is not the most important matter before the government. It's not an especially powerful job, certainly not the "leader of the world" as some reporters have misunderstood it. The secretary-general is the chief administrative officer of the UN and answers to the force-wielding Security Council; he does the council's bidding. He can raise matters for the Council but cannot decide any. On Tuesdays, July 26, three French-Armenian organizations (Renaissance Armenienne, Charjoum le Mouvement and CollectifAzatDzayn) gathered in front of Armenian embassy in Paris to support the struggle of the Armenian people. In solidarity they denounced rampant corruption in Armenia and voiced support of the people in their determination to remove the current regime, restore equal justice for all, fight against poverty and restore freedoms. In addition, the organizations denounced the arbitrary arrests of citizens and demanded the release of jJrair Sefilian and Alec Yenikomishian. JeanEckian / Paris Wran did a deal with prison officers. They would get a complete amnesty on an unenforceable gentleman's promise that they would behave in future. Some of the greatest thugs in the prison service went on, in due course, into senior management. It takes more than a judge, or a premier, to bring a Rum Corps to account. If Martin is to concern himself about how mere prison officer brutality to prisoners, or, in this case, juveniles, can be prevented, there are easy answers. But I do not expect that they will ever come into operation, whether he recommends it or not. There is a system of close-circuit television throughout the detention facilities. Normally, however, the public has no access to such tapes. The public, and outside officials should. This time, the public got access, care of Four Corners, because of a 2015 inquiry, by the former NT children's commissioner, Dr Howard Bath, that covered all of the ground that will be traversed by Martin. The Bath report was then ignored by politicians and senior bureaucrats. It was reported in some of the media, but caused no great stir. Warder-prisoner violence, even prisoner-prisoner violence will be drastically reduced by automatic regular outside access to such tapes, including to legal aid and human rights bodies. It should be completely outside the control or discretion of prison management. It should be the same with the exercise of force by police, and treatment of prisoners in custody, and during interrogation. Even lumbering police are dimly aware that maltreatment of a civilian is likely to be caught on camera. But while access to such materials is under police control, the news will not emerge and officers will not be deterred. The immediate instinct of most managers, in police and prison services as much as in political parties or government departments, is to conceal and cover up misconduct, for fear of embarrassment. Governments and agencies love secrecy, delay, and systems they can control. They are seeking to increase, not decrease, such controls, (including, at the moment in the ACT, by threats to public servants from politicised senior bureaucrats for anyone who speaks out of turn). Experience shows that the greatest deterrent to crime and abuse of power (other than in the underclasses) is a risk assessment of the chance of being caught and publicly punished. But crime among the underclasses is not so subject to this proviso. Crime is impulsive, and often illogical. That is another reason why the forthcoming NT inquiry, however searching, is destined to be an expensive distraction and waste of time. Children in the NT juvenile justice system are already well established in the NT underclass. Most are, by now, beyond any capacity of any system presently in place to "save" them. Most were neglected and abused even before it was intensified when well-meaning people "saved" them by bringing them under the umbrella of the welfare or legal system, or, always fatally, both. They have come from dysfunctional families, and a number suffer from the consequences of foetal alcohol syndrome, or chronic substance abuse. In towns such as Alice Springs, they are heartily hated as "ferals" even by middle class Aborigines. What happens to them at the hands of officials or vigilantes invites little local pity or sympathy because of the toll caused by constant thefts, housebreakings, car thefts and ceaseless nocturnal noise and disruption. Their futures are bleak. The system, even when the guardians behave, is incapable of any form of treatment or rehabilitation, let alone preparation for life, education or work. Near babies grow into adults while having been under continuous "care" from the system without any amelioration of their circumstances. Like institutionalised orphans, neglected children and children "in moral danger" or in "need of care and protection" of eastern state welfare systems from the 1940s, their lives have not been made more safe. Their future has not been secured, nor have their chances of fitting into a broader community been enhanced. They are exiting the system worse than when they entered it, with everyone, police, warder, lawyer, judge, social worker or charity worker in despair but complicit in the result. No doubt Justice Martin can find better ways of putting such children behind bars without their facing regular brutalisation from guards. That's good in itself, but will not change prospects or give hope. There are alternatives, including the Justice Reinvestment Program, being coordinated out of the ANU. Around Australia are some underfunded but partly successful programs putting children in low-key security in remote areas under Aboriginal control. But the possibilities of such schemes, at least for those presently trapped inside the system, are limited, simply because of the physical and psychic damage already done. The financial cost is amazing. Those in the inner circle of NT juvenile justice hell cost the territory at least $1 million a year each, after one adds up the cost of police, welfare officers, facilities and supervisors, as well as the cost to the community of the street crime involved. It's not greatly different elsewhere in Australia. Many of those involved will, of course, graduate as adults into that subset of the criminal class which is responsible for 95 per cent of crime. It is, of course, also an underclass problem as well as a consequence of the form of intersection of Aboriginal poverty with white Australia. But while so many of the underclass are of Indigenous background, Indigenous people will figure strongly court, jail and welfare statistics. (Australia's underclass is about eight per cent of the population. Most Aborigines are not in it but those who are represent about 35 per cent of the underclass much more in the NT). These lost Aboriginal children, in the NT or elsewhere, are not to be entirely excused responsibility for their naughtiness or criminality. But they are not, usually, responsible for the fact of coming from, and being unable to escape, the bottom of the heap. For all intents and purposes, the juvenile justice program in the NT is focused on Aborigines. When will authorities design programs around Aboriginal circumstances? And if Aboriginal groups are to be reproached for failing to be partners, why is that surprising given that the most significant consequence (seemingly deliberate) of state and federal policy over the past 10 years has been on disempowering any form of local authority, control or sense of ownership of programs, or say in one's life. The problems of the NT are increased by the size of the Aboriginal population, the incompetence and mismanagement of its politicians and public service, and by the diversion of federal funds, intended for Aboriginal advancement, into funding the plush lifestyle of the non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal middle class inhabitants of its four major town centres. But it should not be supposed that there is anything special about a general punitive set of ideas about law and order, and punishment, and willingness to tolerate almost any misbehaviour by prison guards so long as anyone is watching. There were so many things to like. He was a funny bastard who made me laugh. But he was also a private bloke. And maybe that's why he became such a good mate. He was someone who could always be relied upon. A real keeper of confidences. Oh hell, he sure could keep a secret. Like the night he entered a cold river after swallowing dozens of sleeping pills and a bottle of bourbon and drowned himself. When they finally found his body downstream, all those secrets had gone with him, including the biggest. Why did he want to die? Like any suicide it was the living who suffered the most. Why did he do it? He was healthy, at least physically. In this speech I could have touched on those thinkers who are the pillars of western democratic ideas I would have told of wrestling with John Locke and JS Mill. How they have inspired me yet left me reeling from their implicit harsh judgment of the society and culture that I am drawn from. I would have told of feeling both drawn to the steadfastness and stoicism of conservatism yet wonder how so many of those who lay claim to the mantle conservative today can be so mean spirited and have a deficit of generosity. This speech would have looked to contemporary thinkers like Australian Duncan Ivison. Ivison strives for a theory of justice that enables us to feel at home in the world when we are no longer alienated from the institutions and practices of this society that being at home in the world is not just having to be resigned to accepting or accommodating injustice. I would have quoted the late American philosopher John Rawls and his idea of reconciliation through public reason of people being able to endorse the institutions and practices of society and not merely tolerate them. I would have explored what American political scientist William Connolly has termed the 'vital centre of the nation' I would have returned to John Stuart Mill the Mill who could speak of a centre that could "soften the extreme form and fill up the intervals between us"? This speech I wished to give would have sought amity with a tradition that has excluded us. In this speech I would have sought those things that can unite us not those things that divide. In this speech I would have chosen carefully my words. In this speech I would have sought less to inflame and more to comfort. I cannot give that speech it is best saved for another day. That speech would have come from my head but I wish to speak from my heart. Some of my own people have criticised me for being too faithful to diplomacy. They find fault in my hope or optimism. To my critics I give Australia too much credit. In another week I might challenge them but not this week. This week they are right. This week I have struggled to contain a pulsating rage. I have moved from boiling anger to simmering resentment but the feeling has not passed nor do I wish it too. Even as I write, my words are powered by a coursing fury. My hands hover above the keyboard in a clenched fist. This is an anger that comes from the certainty of being. This is an anger that speaks to my soul. This anger I know to be just. This speech tonight does not look to Lincoln's first inaugural then the great American president spoke words of brotherhood to a fractured nation on the eve of war. "We are not enemies but friends", he said. "We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." How I wish I could say that tonight. Another time yes but not tonight. For this speech I look to Lincoln's second inaugural. Here he stood before a country bloodied and worn. Victory was at hand and slavery at an end. But this president was tired. His country lay in ruin. His assassin lurked in the audience. Lincoln leaned on the gospels to lay at the feet of the nation the sin of slavery: "Woe unto the world because of offenses for it must needs be that offences come, but woe to the man by whom those offences cometh." Woe to the man by whom those offences cometh. What offences we have seen this past week. How can I stand here and speak to the idea of our place in an indissoluble commonwealth when this week my people have been reminded that our place is so often behind this nation's bars. This week we know what Australia looks like. This week Australia is a boy in a hood strapped to a chair. This week Australia is Aboriginal boys tear gassed, locked down and beaten. These are the images on our television screens. These boys who look like my boys. I watched my teenage son as he saw this unfold before him. I saw him lose his place in the world with each scene of horror he became less sure of his country. For he has been raised not to believe in our worst. He has been spared the fate of so many of his people. But on that night he wondered at the difference between himself and the boys on the screen. For in these boys he sees something of himself and he asks how his country can allow this. When I saw the boys I saw a tragedy my son had escaped but I saw a reminder of a brutality his grandfather and my grandfather had endured. I saw in those boys the broken bones and stab wounds and dark ink jail tattoos of my father. I recalled the story of my mother's father dragged from his bed by police accused of drinking. The same man arrested and tied to a tree like a dog. There are those who would rather I not speak of these things. There are those who accuse me of having a nostalgia for injustice. A nostalgia for injustice as if these wounds on the body and soul of my mother and father are things of memory. As if we choose to cling to suffering as if this injustice is a thing recalled and not a thing lived. A nostalgia for injustice such a charge could be levelled only by someone certain of his place in this country. A certainty denied to a people the first people still searching for ours. Estranged in the land of our ancestors. It could be levelled only by someone who sees injustice and brutality as something to be pondered and not endured. It is a charge brought by people comfortable in their own history while they tell us to forget ours to get over it. These are people who value their traditions exalt their heroes and deny ours. I wonder: would they dismiss the memories of the Jewish people so lightly? Are the Jewish memories of suffering too, merely a nostalgia for injustice? These are people who proclaim themselves conservatives but with their meanness debase the very traditions they claim to uphold. These people who seize on difference gay, Muslim, Asian, black to vilify, divide and demonise. All the while reserving for themselves the right to define our country and set the price of inclusion. They are the people who wrap their words in civility to mask the beating heart of their bigotry. How do these people square their supposed conservatism and professed love of country with the words of British conservative writer Roger Scruton when he says: "individuals must be free which means being free from the insolent claims of those who wish to redesign them." Yet these people seek to redesign us to tell us who we should be and how we should think. These people would tell those boys on our television screens this week the boys crying in agony - that they live in an imagined world of pain. They would tell them that they are to blame for their treatment. They would tell the family of a 10-year-old indigenous girl who takes her own life that they live in an imagined world of sadness. They would tell our people in overcrowded housing in communities ravaged by violence and drug and alcohol abuse that they revel in their misery. They tell me I have a nostalgia for injustice. No, we have no nostalgia for injustice because we have not first had the chance to forget. Polish Nobel prize winning poet Czeslav Milosc spoke of his people carrying the 'memory of wounds'. The memory of wounds as Milosc wrote perhaps all memory is the memory of wounds. Certainly for us these memories sit deep within our soul. Rather than long for these memories rather than seek them out to give meaning to my identity in a perfect world I would wish them away. But what has been done cannot be undone. What has been seen cannot be unseen. The scars of my father and the memory of my grandfather these stories and images the graveyard crosses of people gone too young are seared into my minds eyes as surely as the charred flesh and the stench of blood from a lifetime of reporting haunts my night's sleep. The memory of a hooded, bound boy in a cell is now similarly burned in my consciousness. Australia was redeemed in part from complicity in this disgrace only by the national outrage. The Prime Minister responded by calling immediately for a royal commission. It may meet a minimum requirement for action but forgive us if we lack faith. We have been poked and prodded for two centuries. We have been the subject of endless inquiry. The heads of our people rest still in glass jars in foreign museums and our skeletons contained in cardboard boxes the artefacts of inquiry. Two decades ago we held a royal commission into black deaths in custody it was supposed to end the culture of incarceration. Today almost every face man woman and child behind bars in the Northern Territory is black. Nationally, barely 3 per cent of the population comprise a quarter of those in jails. It is not to excuse their individual crimes to make plain the fact that every one of those people indigenous people are a product of this country's history. It is a history still yet to be given its full account. It is a history still yet to puncture the public consciousness. It is a history born of terra nullius the founding of a nation on the lie of the empty land. It is a history lamented in the 1960s by anthropologist W.E.H Stanner as the "'great Australian Silence". It was he said: "A cult of forgetting practiced on a national scale." Half a century later his words ring just as true. Rather than this royal commission how more necessary is a truth and reconciliation commission. A full reckoning of our Nation's past, that may set loose the chains of history that bind this country's first and today most miserably impoverished people. In my caution I have argued against such things fearing it would harden division. Now I accept that we need this mirror into our soul. How can we continue to look at endemic child suicide, intractable disadvantage and our choking jail cells as mere pieces of a policy puzzle scattered on a board devoid of the outline of our troubled past. If we are to remember the fallen of Pozieres and Fromelles, then surely we can remember the fallen warriors who resisted the invasion of their lands on this soil 200-plus years ago. We can remember my people the Wiradjuri and the martial law of Bathurst. We can recall the words of William Cox given the first land grant on the plains west of the Blue Mountains. "It is better that all the blacks be shot and their carcasses used to manure the ground which is all the good they are fit for." And shot they were and poisoned and herded over cliffs others ravaged by disease. Half the population wiped out in a matter of years in what the Sydney Gazette reported as an "exterminating war." And this is just the story of my own blood each of our hundreds of nations has its own similar history. This truth telling would make good on the demand of French philosopher Paul Ricouer: "We must remember because remembering is a moral duty, we owe a debt to the victims. By remembering and telling we stop them from being buried twice." Stop them from being buried twice Australia's war dead are etched on walls of remembrance: 'lest we forget'. Our dead lie in fields forgotten - histories still untold. Without such truth where is our reconciliation? Is it just to be measured in economic statistics? Must closing the gap be the only measure of our justice? Without such truth what is this thing we are calling recognition? I sit on the referendum council and this week the word itself: recognition has felt small. In this week it reeks of incremental shift when we cry out for fundamental change. What is this perversity that we should ask Australia to finally recognise us? That we should ask for others to decide whether we have a place in a constitution that was designed for our exclusion? This recognition lives in the netherworld of symbolism when so many of the lives of our people are crushed by a real world that has never truly recognised them that has rendered them invisible: out of sight and out of mind. We are asking Australia to recognise us when most Australians still admit to having never met an Indigenous person. They may likely hang a dot painting on their wall having never touched the hand of the painter. This recognition doesn't speak to my father he recognises himself when he speaks with the power of his language: still alive when Australia would have seen it silenced. Balladhu Wiradjuri Gibbir dyirramadilinya badhu Wiradjuri! I am a Wiradjuri man proudly Wiradjuri. In this week: how can this recognition excite our people, weary of a struggle for rights so long denied. Support for this recognition feels insipid and its supporters can speak only an air of resignation that the best we can get is less than we deserve. I had thought that recognition may complete our nation that it may fill the unfilled void. I saw it as a chance for Australians to recognise ourselves. I am prepared to say that I put too much store in the power of this symbolism. Now my arguments feel timid. Recognition on these terms feels like betrayal of those who have fought for a justice more deserving: more dignified. Recognition risks shrinking our ambitions to fit a miserable national mood where the polity has lost faith in its politicians. This recognition is hostage to politics and politics is often the enemy of the truth. This recognition demands finding common cause with those who have no interest in enlarging our nation but containing it. This recognition demands a dispiriting compromise with those who seek to do nothing more than the least they can do. To give full flight to our aspirations would be to court failure. What a damning state of affairs in a country that remains the only commonwealth nation not to enshrine the sovereign rights of its first peoples. Are we really so stricken with lethargy on this subject? Must we be comfortable with our laggard status? Do we not look to New Zealand or the United States or Canada and ask why we too cannot negotiate treaties? Treaty even unattainable sings to the heart of indigenous people here in a way that recognition cannot. If recognition is then to mean anything then we need to infuse it with the urgency of now. It needs to speak with hope to the hooded beaten boys in dark prison cells. It needs to rise above the transactions of our daily lives to sing in our hearts. It needs to whisper to the conscience of our political leaders. If it is to mean anything it needs to be imbued with the power to reorder our livesto give real voice to the first peoples. If the constitution is our rule book then we need to rewrite those rules. Anything less will speak to the poverty of our spirit not the breadth of our vision. Can we do this? That part of me that wants to believe struggles with what my eyes this week have seen. Those boys: links in a chain that has bound us for 200 years. This recognition: what is it without truth? To quote the poet Milosc: "Crimes against human rights never confessed and never publicly denounced, are a poison which destroys the possibility of friendship between nations." Can we confess these truths? My people have spoken this country's confession even when no one would listen. Our heroes have sought to fill out this country. They have held its greatness to great account. Our warriors of the frontier: Pemulwuy, Windradyne, Yagun, Jandamarra, Tunnerminnerwait and so many others who resisted invasion and whose names should fall from the lips of schoolchildren as easily as Captain Cook, Arthur Phillip or Ned Kelly. Their spirit has lived in those who have followed. Joe Anderson otherwise known as King Burraga of the Tharawal people who said in 1933: "All the black man wants is representation in federal parliament. There is plenty of fish in the river for us all and land to grow all we want." Victorian Aboriginal leader William Cooper who in 1937 petitioned King George for representation in Parliament. The years have not diminished our struggle. We have fought on many fronts. In 1963 the Yirrkala bark petitions were recognised by the Australian parliament. The Yolngu People asserted the ownership of their lands and the right to be heard. In 1966 Vincent Lingiari walked off Wave Hill station to demand equal pay and won his land when Gough Whitlam poured the sand through Vincent's fingers. Charles Perkins led a bus load of students to smash segregation outback New South Wales. In 1972 a group of activists pitched a tent on the lawns of parliament house. In 1988 Yolngu leader Gallarwuy Yunnipingu presented the Barunga statement to Prime Minister Bob Hawke demanding what the Yirrkala people had demanded in their petition to the Queen: a treaty. Eddie Mabo a man from Murray Island took his battle to the highest court in the land and did not live to see his claim vindicated: this was indeed his land. After the apology to the stolen generations Gallarwuy Yunnipingu gave a speech talking about what he called 'serious business': a final settlement. Still we wait. This week we ask again: how long do we wait? I don't put myself in this pantheon. I live in the enormous shadow they cast. So I turn to words; the words of a man I turned to as I began this speech. I turn to the speech I had hoped to give. I recalled the words of Lincoln's first inaugural, his appeal to his nation's better angels. I return to the words of the weary Lincoln. The Lincoln at the start of his second term, a man whose death stalked him as he spoke. Cooling towers and smokestacks at a LaTrobe Valley power plant in Victoria. Credit:Carla Gottgens The positive vibes preceded election day, including a friendly campaign encounter in Melbourne's Box Hill, parts of which lie in Frydenberg's electorate. Butler's office also describes as "brilliant" the coordination it received from the resources ministry then held by Frydenberg during the caretaker period. By contrast, the relationship with the office of then environment minister Greg Hunt remained one of "trench warfare", much as it had for years. Solar panel prices have dropped 80 per cent in five years. Credit:Mark Metcalfe Frydenberg has responded in kind, complimenting Butler with unusually warmth for Canberra: "I have a great deal of respect for him. He's very capable, he's a good advocate." "There will have to be some handshaking across the aisle, and some deal making and some close consultation in many areas of my portfolio," Frydenberg told the Wednesday dinner. Nearly half of complaints launched with the commissioner were about wind farms that are not yet in operation. While the new minister's comments reflect the reality of an expanded senate cross bench colourfully described as "yellow crazy ants" by Frydenberg his statements made to the summit and elsewhere this week suggest a change of course is under way from the Abbott years. Although dubbed "Mr Coal" during his previous role, Frydenberg said the fuel's role would shrink, nothing that recent investment in new electricity generation in Australia had all been in renewable energy. Wind power prices had dropped by half over the past five years and solar PV prices had dived 80 per cent, and battery prices would tumble too, he said. The current renewable energy target for annual generation of 33,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity by 2020 was "set in stone", he added, sparking applause from the diners. More acclaim, though, was given to comments about the problems in South Australia that had prompted a jump in short-term wholesale electricity prices and triggered one of Frydenberg's first acts in his new ministry to call state and territory energy ministers for a meeting on August 19. Defying urgings from some members in his own government and sections of the media to blame the price surge on SA's relatively high dependence on renewable energy, Frydenberg instead downplayed the sector's role in the "crisis". An ill-timed upgrading of the main power link to Victoria in mid-winter was "the main reason" for the jump, Frydenberg told ABC's Lateline. While the intermittency of renewable energy compared with baseload supplies was a factor, so was a huge jump in gas prices and a cold snap that forced up demand. Moreover, SA's problems preceded most of the clean energy investments. Yes, short-term prices had jumped three times above the $5000 per megawatt-hour mark this year but in the first quarter of 2008, they did so more than 50 times, Frydenberg told the dinner. "People have to understand that this volatility is not a new thing To say it's the fault of renewables is not an accurate assessment," he said. Frank Jotzo, deputy director of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, said Frydenberg's comments about the energy transition and the decarbonising task "are the kinds of things that we have not really heard from the coalition previously". However, while there may be convergence between the Coalition and Labor on the climate challenges ahead, there's still a gulf in how they would address them, Professor Jotzo said. Labor, for instance, supports the re-introduction of a carbon price but the Coalition faces a political problem "because of the past rhetoric" opposed to such a move, he said. Butler, too, cautioned that the next few weeks would be "critically important" for how Frydenberg and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull responded "to those trying to stymie any progress on establishing a more mature consensus". The "real challenge" would be how to "strive for affordable, accessible, and reliable energy supply at the same time as we transition to a lower emissions future", Frydenberg said. Greens deputy leader Larissa Waters said government policy rather than just the market would be needed to drive the necessary shifts. "While we welcome the change in rhetoric on clean energy from warfare to acceptance, actual policy change is needed to deliver and expedite the transition our economy so needs from dirty fuels to clean, and with it the tens of thousands of jobs that we so desperately need," Senator Waters said. For Thornton, of the Clean Energy Council, Frydenberg's comments had given his industry "real heart". There's an emerging prospect of "a different approach and a new era of bipartisanship around clean energy and climate policy more broadly," Thornton enthused. "It's pretty exciting, to be honest." Kylie Sturgess loves science fiction - so much that at the last census, the radio tutor marked "Jedi" in the religion section. Her husband, who has attended several sci-fi conventions with her, did the same. "We thought: why not put down Jedi?" Ms Sturgess said. "It seemed hilarious. "We didn't really reflect on it." Labor's Penny Wong has warned against Australia turning inward from the world at a time of rising concern about security threats and the cost of living. Senator Wong took over as shadow foreign affairs spokeswoman this week against a backdrop of global bad news - the shock of Brexit, China's artificial islands, the steady march of Donald Trump and a spate of deadly terrorist attacks in the US and Europe. At home, the political resurrection of Pauline Hanson has led to high-profile calls to ban Muslim immigration, while Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday also put the kibosh on Kevin Rudd's ambition to lead the United Nations. But Senator Wong said Australia should resist an isolationist attitude. Former Greens leader Bob Brown has called on the party's NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon to resign, citing the Greens' poor performance in her state and emphasising a need for "renewal". A widely respected co-founder of the party, Mr Brown told the ABC's 7.30 program that the Greens had been "held back by the old guard" - a view fiercely contested by Senator Rhiannon. Bob Brown with Senator Lee Rhiannon, left, in Sydney in 2011. Credit:Michele Mossop "Lee has given long service to the Greens but it's time for renewal," Mr Brown said. "The incumbents in NSW - certainly that's Lee in the Senate - have given great service, but are not hitting a chord with voters at the moment and we need to move on." Asked directly whether he thought Senator Rhiannon should stand down, he said: "That would be my advice. I think we should have two senators in NSW, not one, and so I think when the change comes we'll see more senators in NSW, not just a replacement." Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: a persistent, nagging sense that whatever the plan is meant to be, nothing is quite going according to it. Credit:Louise Kennerley A spokeswoman for the PM said Mr Rudd's claim that he had received support in December of last year was wrong, and he was advised in April that the matter would need to go to cabinet. Mr Rudd learned by telephone that he would not be nominated to run for the top UN job, despite requesting a face-to-face meeting with Mr Turnbull and flying to Sydney for that purpose. "Mr Rudd flew to Sydney this morning, requesting a meeting with the Prime Minister, having sought such a meeting the previous evening," said Mr Rudd in a Friday statement. The decision to reject his request for Australian endorsement was a severe blow to the two-time Labor prime minister, who has been campaigning across the world for the past 18 months, on an understanding of official backing at some point. It is also being seen as a defeat for Ms Bishop, who recommended nomination, and who believed he was eminently qualified to at least go forward into what would inevitably be a difficult, complex, and potentially arduous international process dominated by super-power politics. Cabinet colleagues denied suggestions that Mr Turnbull's decision, which had followed an acrimonious cabinet debate, was aimed at eroding Ms Bishop's authority amid ongoing mutterings that a senior figure from the party's conservative wing, most likely Peter Dutton, is positioning for her job as deputy Liberal leader. In an abrupt midday press conference in Sydney, Mr Turnbull revealed that he had told the former prime minister that in his opinion, Mr Rudd was not well suited to enter the nomination race to replace outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "This is no disparagement of Mr Rudd. He is a former prime minister of Australia," Mr Turnbull said in Sydney on Friday. "But my judgment is that he is not well suited for this particular role." "I do not want to add to his disappointment, but the threshold point here is when the Australian government nominates a person for a job . . . is do we believe the person, the nominee, the would-be nominee is well suited for that position?" Mr Turnbull maintained the snub had nothing to do with partisan politics but rather was "a judgment about Mr Rudd's suitability for that particular role". In his statement, Mr Rudd expressed his disappointment for the loss of an historic opportunity: "It would have been the first time in the United Nations' 70-year history that Australia offered a candidate for UN Secretary-General," he wrote. "A nomination by the government would not have granted Mr Rudd a position. It would simply have enabled him to stand alongside the 12 other candidates from across the world, and compete on his merits - that is now not to be" In a sign of internal Liberal Party tensions finding expression though this issue, a senior government figure volunteered that the repudiation of Mr Rudd was not a reflection on Ms Bishop, but turned specifically on Mr Rudd's shortcomings. When asked about what those unsuitable characteristics of Mr Rudd were, Mr Turnbull declined to elaborate, saying he did not want to add to Mr Rudd's disappointment. Acting Labor leader Tanya Plibersek and foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong called the move a "petty decision". "This captain's call confirms that Malcolm Turnbull occupies the office of Prime Minister in name only. Australia is diminished by his weakness," the pair said. Former Hawke government foreign minister Gareth Evans was scathing, declaring that the decision did Mr Turnbull no credit. "Kevin Rudd's international standing is very high. He is regarded as immensely competent and credible, and though facing a number of obvious obstacles (including I think a likely Russian veto) was manifestly seen as a serious candidate for the UNSG position," he said. "This decision is embarrassing for Australia. It will be seen by most governments around the world for what it is: petty, partisan and vindictive. Julie Bishop understood that, and she has been put in a very invidious position by her Leader's failure to stand up for the perfectly reasonable position she took. "It will leave a very bad taste in many mouths. The country is crying out for more bipartisanship on major policy issues, and this is no way to get it." Ministers opted to hand the decision to Mr Turnbull at Thursday's cabinet meeting. Ms Bishop had offered support for Mr Rudd's nomination to succeed Ban Ki-moon, arguing it was appropriate as a former prime minister and would not amount to an endorsement from the Australian government. Senior ministers including Scott Morrison, Greg Hunt and Peter Dutton remained opposed to supporting Mr Rudd, president of the New York-based Asia Society Policy Institute. Right-wing backbencher Cory Bernardi welcomed the move in a statement posted to Twitter. Former prime minister Tony Abbott had pledged to support former New Zealand Labour prime minister Helen Clark, who also has the backing of her country's government. The move has been seen as Mr Turnbull avoiding a fight with members of the Coalition partyroom who were steadfast in their opposition to Mr Rudd, despite the precedent of governments supporting former rivals for international roles. Some member nations have expected a woman to become secretary-general for the first time, while eastern European nations have argued they are due to have a representative in the top job. Of the 12 declared candidates, Antonio Guterres, former prime minister of Portugal, is considered a frontrunner after a strong showing in the first straw-poll vote. Ms Clark has been backed in her nomination by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who is from the conservative National Party. The UN Security Council will consider nominated candidates from next month, before taking a resolution for the role to the General Assembly. The five Security Council permanent member nations, including the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France can veto any nominee. Loading A secret ballot will take place, before the next secretary-general is due to take office on January 1. Sally Obermeder is expecting her second child, via surrogate. The television presenter, who had a one-year battle with breast cancer four years ago, shared the happy news in an Instagram post on Thursday night. "Yes, it's true," the 42-year-old revealed. "Thrilled to bits to share that [husband, Marcus Obermeder] and I are adding to our family thanks to the most incredible surrogate." Obermeder said the family, who have a four-year-old daughter Annabelle Grace, had shared their story of "ups and downs" on this week's episode of Sunday Night. Over recent years, thanks to the rise of social media, the fashion industry has been channelling Mary Poppins. "Think of the children!" pleaded Mrs Banks to her nanny, something the majority of fashion brands are doing in order to get a cut of the surplus income of plugged-in millennials. However, department store David Jones is turning its focus on the type of customer the aspirational, empowered, well-heeled Mrs Banks represents. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key with DJ ambassador Jessica Gomes and David Jones boss Ian Moir at the grand opening of a David Jones store in Wellington. Credit:Maarten Holl While its rival Myer is making changes to appeal to the cool kids by partnering with brands like Topshop, David Jones is on track to become the Barneys or Bergdorf Goodman of Australia iconic luxury stores that stock everything from silk blouses to smoked salmon. Now DJs chief executive John Dixon is hungry, and wants a bigger slice of the premium customer pie. "Customers are seeing retail as a leisure occasion, not just ticking things off a shopping list. Things like food, cafes, free Wi-Fi and beauty services allow them to spend a bit more time. If they want to spend a whole day here, we want to make it easy for them," he told Fairfax Media. The following is a statement issued by the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center (Yerevan) On July 17 2016 an armed group of 31 people called SasnaTsrer attacked the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment of RA Police located in Erebuni district of Yerevan. They declared a revolt and put forward political demands resignation of the president Serzh Sargsyan and the release of political prisoners, including their leader Zhirair Sefilian, arrested on June 20, 2016.One police officer was killed during the attack and 6-7 were held hostage, however the rebels declared about their willingness to resolve issues in a peaceful way and voluntarily released all hostages by the seventh day. The last ones were freed with a condition of opening of a press center, where the rebelsgave a press interview for the first and last time making the public statement of their cause and answering questions.Afterwards they were deprived of the opportunity to get food and medical aid. Four of the rebels were wounded during overnight shootings and taken to Erebuni Medical Center, where three of them were subsequently detained and transferred to the prison hospital without proper care or adequate conditions for recovery. Following these detentions, the group was forced to keep the personnel of the ambulance service in the police station to ensure medical assistance to a wounded member. While many citizens of Armenia do not agree with the method chosen by the rebels to promote their cause, they largely share the demands and understand the roots of the problem. To many, in the situation of a prevalentpoverty, widespread corruption, impunity and lack of justice, consolidated dictatorship, increased violations of human rights and political freedoms (particularly the freedom of conscience, expression, and assembly), eroded trust in public institutions, intensive despair and compulsory emigration, when continuously falsified elections and constitutional changes adopted through a rigged referendum make it practically impossible to change the government and alter the course of development, a revolt appears to be the last resort for saving the countrys future. The consensus on unacceptability of this situation brought thousands of people to the streets of Yerevan and to the police station in Erebuni, where they showed their concerns and support to the rebels and their cause, whileexpressing their willingness to prevent the bloodshed. In response to the peaceful acts of the supporters of rebels, the Armenian police demonstrated disproportionate force and violence. The police equipped with shields, truncheons and guns, and even rocks, tear gas and stun grenades organized several unlawful operations against the unarmed and peaceful citizens. Police utilized a wide arsenal of its tactics to provoke peaceful protesters, damage and confiscate the property of sympathizers of rebels. Police used intimidation techniques and cursing, physical attacks and severe beatings, torture, and humiliation of the detained persons, with no regard to age, gender or health. About 500 peaceful citizens,were apprehended during the last 10 days without due justification and for many hours were kept without food and medical assistance. Almost 60 were injured and hospitalized - both citizens and policemen. About 50 were arrested and several were detained. Among the arrested are prominent human rights defender Levon Barseghyan, the leader of the Journalists Club Asparez NGO and Alec Yenikomshian (who is visually and physically impaired), Head of Monte Melkonian NGO. Most of the detainees were deprived of food, access to a lawyer and to medical assistance, as well as the possibility to inform their relatives of their whereabouts.Internet media outlets such as Radio Liberty, Civilnet and A1Plus ensured live coverage of the events, however, the public TV and other air broadcast media failed to provide any adequate information about the revolt and the related processes. In the context of growing threat to the lives of both rebels and civilians, the Armenian governments reaction to the situation was astonishing. The institutions of the parliament, the president and even the Ombudsman were in total inaction, leaving the problem solving to the police and the National Security Service and further escalating the tension. It should be mentioned that over the years, since 2007, Armenia has grown into a police state whereas the budgetary and extra-budgetary expenditures of police forces have increased by more than 5 times and the number of police is at least 30,000 (as of 2012, 1250 per 100,000 persons) with modernized armament, regular practice of disproportionate force, lawlessness of police officers and their impunity. Police has turned into an enormous structure that uses weapons against unarmed citizens for protecting the authorities and their political or economic interests, executing their illegal orders and cracking down democratic processes contrary to its major role of protecting the people by ensuring the rule of law and public order. We, the undersigned organizations request the assistance of the international human rights organizations and offices: - To condemn and prevent the unlawful acts of the police and violations of human rights; - To deploy missions(and particularly CPT mission) to observe and document violations, including those against the peaceful protesters, arrestees and the wounded detainees; - To drop fabricated charges against detainees as well as the political prisoners immediately; - To resolve the conflictthrough negotiations with inclusion of civil society members. Unions have won an important breakthrough in the farm sector, with Australia's biggest horticulture producer forced to the bargaining table. The agriculture and horticulture industry is rife with worker exploitation, illegal underpayment and poor working conditions. Unions attract few members and have barely had a presence since the 1970s. It is claimed several workers have fainted in recent years while working at the Guyra site. Costa Group, a big supplier to Coles and Woolworths, has consistently resisted a National Union of Workers push for a union agreement at its tomato business in Guyra, in northern NSW. A worker at Costa in Guyra, who asked not to be named, said working conditions and pay at the large Guyra facility were poor. Pell is the subject of a police investigation that he sexually assaulted young boys at the Ballarat public swimming pool in the 1970s. But that is a long way from declaring him a criminal, a predator and child molester. His clipped speech, at times imperious language, and senior position in a church that failed lamentably to deal with paedophiles in its own ranks has left him detested by many. Is there a more polarising figure in Australia than Cardinal George Pell? Earlier this week two complainants told their story to the ABC and the response has been explosive. From Rome Pell has denied all allegations but went further claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy by the ABC and the Victoria Police to destroy his reputation. And the role of the Office of Public Prosecutions, assigned to review the police brief of evidence, has also been questioned. First let's look at the process that is used in historic sexual abuse cases. Police have set up a taskforce named Sano to look at matters raised in the Royal Commission into institutional child sex abuse and it has taken charge of the Pell case. The difficulty is to try and corroborate allegations about events that happened decades ago. Witnesses are hard to find and their memories may be unreliable due to the passage of time. And there will be no forensic evidence to independently support the claims. Australia needs to publicly talk tactics on terrorism approaches to free police from fears of undue criticism, a British counter-terrorism expert has told an inquest. Deputy Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, head of the British team reviewing the response to the Lindt siege, said the "harsh reality" was terrorist sieges always carried a risk of death. Police did not approve a "deliberate action" plan to take the gunman Man Haron Monis by surprise. They entered only after he killed cafe manager Tori Johnson at 2.13am on December 16, 2014. Mr Chesterman told the inquest on Friday he would have preferred NSW tactical assault teams to have gone in earlier. A man who was shot in the back while getting out of his car in front of his home in Sydney's west overnight called triple zero to raise the alarm before he started to lose consciousness, police say. Detectives believe the gunman followed the 24-year-old to his home on Nugent Place in Prairiewood before ambushing him in the cul-de-sac about 10.25pm on Thursday. Superintendent Peter Lennon, the Fairfield Local Area Commander, said the gunman, who was wearing a black hooded jacket, was believed to have fired three shots at the man, hitting him once in the back. The bullet pierced the man's lung, Superintendent Lennon said. The man was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition and was undergoing surgery on Friday morning. Pauline Hanson has waded into the growing controversy over the Baird government's part privatisation of power company Ausgrid, telling federal Treasurer Scott Morrison: "Don't sell our assets". The One Nation senator has posted a video on her Facebook page, noting that Mr Morrison has "on his desk" decisions about three potential asset sales: Ausgrid, gas company Alinta and health company GenesisCare. The sales are being scrutinised by the Foreign Investment Review Board, which will advise Mr Morrison on federal government approval. The NSW government is leasing 50.4 per cent of Ausgrid on a 99-year lease in a deal expected to be worth more than $10 billion. A 12-year-old boy has died in what is believed to be a firearms incident at a property east of Melbourne. Police were called to the farm in Bruthen, about 300 kilometres east of the city, just after 2.30pm on Friday. Police say the boy died at the scene. The exact circumstances surrounding his death are yet to be determined. However, it is understood police are not treating the incident as suspicious. Water police and divers may return to the Maribyrnong River on Saturday morning, as the search for missing mother Karen Ristevski continues. Police scoured the water downstream of the family's house in Avondale Heights on Friday afternoon, in response to information received from a member of the public. Water police searched the river for almost three hours, focussing on an area in Maribyrnong near the Anglers Tavern. The search area is almost six kilometres downstream from the Ristevskis' house in Oakley Drive. Akon Guode drove her car into a lake, killing three of her children, because she allegedly believed a love rival had engaged a witchcraft doctor to kill her. Tensions over a love triangle between Ms Guode and her husband's other wife were escalating in the days before the incident, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Friday. A secret witness told the court she overheard Ms Guode tell a relative she feared she would die and "she did not want the kids to go to [her husband] and the wife, that she wanted herself and the kids to go together, to end it". Akon Guode Ms Guode, 36, drove her car into Lake Gladman on April 8, 2015, killing baby Bol and his twin four-year-old siblings Hanger and Madit. Ms Guode is charged with their murder. She is also charged with attempting to murder another of her children, Aluel, who was also in the car but survived. A coronial inquiry into the WA women who brutally killed her two daughters and then herself has found she had a history of severe mental illness - and that the tragic outcome was evidence of the ongoing need to address mental health issues throughout the community. Coroner Barry King released his findings into the deaths of Heather Glendinning, 46, and two of her daughters, Jane, 12, and Jessica Cuzens, 10, in Port Denison in 2011. The bodies of Jane and Jessica Cuzens were found alongside the body of their mother, Heather Glendinning. Credit:Facebook The crime scene at the new housing estate, 366 kilometres north of Perth, was so gory it was deemed by investigators to be "one of the worst crime scenes that they have encountered". The report found Ms Glendinning was reluctant to seek help because she feared her mental health problems would be used against her in a custody battle with her husband and the girls' father Harley Cuzens. WA's South West is preparing to be hit by damaging winds predicted to reach up to 125 km/h on Friday. The winds were expected to reach the south-west corner of the state around midday. The Bureau of Meteorologist has issued a severe weather warning for areas between Mandurah, Katanning and Bremar Bay including Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River, Bridgetown and Albany, but excluding Mandurah and Katanning. "The pre-frontal trough will reach the southwest corner of the state around midday on Friday, followed by a cold front on Friday evening," the BOM weather warning said. Beijing: China and Russia will hold "routine" naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, China said on Thursday, adding that the drills were aimed at strengthening their cooperation and were not aimed at any other country. The exercises come at a time of heightened tension in the contested waters after an arbitration court in the Hague ruled this month that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea and criticised its environmental destruction there. China and Russia held joint military drills in the Sea of Japan and the Mediterranean in 2015. Credit:AP China rejected the ruling and refused to participate in the case. "This is a routine exercise between the two armed forces, aimed at strengthening the developing China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership," China's defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a news conference. Dayton, Ohio: I'm not sure the moment I decided I was a conservative, but I do know the moment I decided I wasn't. For 20 years, the ubiquity of conservative radio and Fox News in most US suburban and rural households, not to mention offices, restaurants and malls, was nearly complete one of those shows was always on. You go to work, drive home to the radio "news" station with hours of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, G. Gordon Liddy and come home and Fox News was on in the background. There were hundreds of these days, but one in particular made me crack. I can't remember the story. I think it was a kindergarten class that had given condoms away in California (I believe it turned out to be a mistake). If you watched the network, these anecdotal stories burned time between the pundits, talkers and screamers, but served the purpose of feeding rage to an addicted audience. I don't know what happened maybe I was partially tired, or the lack of respect for the audience and myself finally cut too close. I turned it off and threw the remote out of the family room. Trump will stop the drift he's the "law and order" candidate who denounces the first black president as "the most ignorant" in the country's history and in a platform the likes of which has not been seen in US history, he has shredded the narrative that American exceptionalism comes from its embrace of immigrants. Trump would rather hurl insults than mount a rational argument. Credit:New York Times By her very gender, Clinton's candidacy represents more change and her policies offer more still fewer guns, more immigrants; and acknowledgements that black lives do matter. The wagons are circled; this is war. Listen to Massachusetts Senator and Clinton surrogate, Elizabeth Warren: "Donald Trump's America is an America of fear and hate; an America where we all break apart whites against blacks against Latinos; Christians against Muslims and Jews; straights against gays; everyone against immigrants. Race, religion, heritage, gender the more factions the better." Former US president Bill Clinton says his wife is the 'best change-maker' around. Credit:Bloomberg Straddling the middle ground at the Democratic convention on Wednesday evening, Democrat turned Republican turned independent and billionaire former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, urged a vote for Clinton with a passionate plea "we need a problem solver, not a bomb thrower". Polls are published at a furious rate, but most are about how voters feel now not in three months time. Also, the election is not a pure popular vote a body known as the Electoral College appoints the president. The college has 538 electors apportioned among the states based on population and a candidate needs a majority of 270 to secure the presidency. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia does try to look over the horizon, and by his current reckoning, Clinton has it in the bag with 347 college votes that are safe, likely or leaning to her; by contrast, Trump has only 191 votes that are safe, likely or leaning to him. But Sabato hedges, kind-of: "If the election were held today, it would almost certainly be closer than that and Trump could very well win. But the election is still about 100 days away [and] we still see Clinton with an edge." Another analyst who models the data to predict a November outcome is the respected Nate Silver, of website Five Thirty Eight, who writes this week with an abundance of caution "for now, we can say that Clinton isn't just going to glide to victory. Trump has a real chance at becoming president, and although Clinton is still favoured, she's already had a bumpy ride". Trump picked up a post-convention bounce this week, by which he's nudging ahead of Clinton by about one point in the Real Clear Politics average of national polls Clinton can expect a similar bounce in the coming days. As interesting as the polls are the predictions of pundits, conservative and progressive, and their calculations on a dozen or so battleground states where the real war will be fought (in about 40 other states, US elections are mere window-dressing). Michael Moore, the outspoken documentary maker, is adamant the next president will be Trump. Muddling his metaphors, Moore predicts Trump will be carried by a Brexit-like vote in the Rustbelt states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin; and by the so-called "Jesse Ventura effect" if Minnesota could elect a professional wrestler as governor in the 1990s, then all of America is capable of electing Trump, who Moore describes as "this wretched, ignorant, dangerous part-time clown and full-time sociopath". Moore bills Trump's imminent win as "The Last Stand of the Angry White Man". On his blog, he writes: "There is a sense that power has slipped out of their hands, that their way of doing things is no longer how things are done. This monster, the 'Feminazi', the thing that as Trump says, 'bleeds through her eyes or wherever she bleeds', has conquered us and now, after having had to endure eight years of a black man telling us what to do, we're supposed to just sit back and take eight years of a woman bossing us around? After that it'll be eight years of the gays in the White House! Then the transgenders!" In The Washington Post, Chris Cillizza picks up on the Brexit analogy and invokes Lewis Carroll to take a stab at what's going on "amid all of that empirical evidence, it's important to remember that we may be through the looking glass, politically speaking. "Meaning that there are bits of evidence everywhere from Trump's remarkable run to the Republican nomination to the Brexit vote that suggest that not only the old way of doing things, but also the old way of measuring successes and failures is no longer operative." Considered by some as a thinking conservative, commentator George Will was one of the few Republicans who stood on principle in the face of the Trump juggernaut he resigned from the party. Will now urges Clinton to mount an unorthodox version of Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign Reagan won by offering himself as a safe choice over the incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter. And, he writes, she can take advantage of an inbuilt flaw in the Trump persona he radiates anger and the last angry man to be elected president was Andrew Jackson in the 1830s. Will figures that Clinton could take Florida, a state that historically is more Republican than the rest of the country, but these days is rated as a swing state; and he quotes pre-convention polls in which she was leading by good margins in Virginia and Colorado. Mormons are disgusted by Trump, he writes, and they could deliver Arizona, a state in which they account for 11 per cent of voters but which has voted for a Democratic president only twice since World War II. Based on an averaging of polls by Real Clear Politics and with the exception of Florida, which is a virtual tie, Clinton leads by margins of 0.8 per cent to 5.6 per cent in seven other swing states Ohio, 0.8 per cent; Pennsylvania, 4.4 per cent; Michigan, 5.2 per cent; New Hampshire, 3.7 per cent; Virginia, 5.3 per cent; North Carolina, 2 per cent; and Wisconsin, 5.6 per cent. The most recent New York Times/CBS poll has Trump ahead of Clinton, 53-38, among white voters who have not been to college. It's the other way around with whites with a degree Clinton is in front, 47-37. Democratic pollster Mark Mellman explains: "[Trump's] strength is concentrated almost exclusively with non-college-educated whites. And when you put together college-educated whites with minority communities and other groups that he had assaulted and insulted, it's a pretty big majority of the country [that's against him]." And yet, we keep hearing that this is a close contest. If the message from Cleveland was that strongman Trump would belt the US into shape; from Philadelphia, it was that change-maker Clinton would negotiate, cajole and shame Americans into finding the best in themselves. The convention portrait of Clinton reveals a remarkable activist life always finding something that needs to be fixed, at the grass roots for women and children, or in the geopolitical big-picture, in whatever war is in the news, global warming or whatever. In video presentations and speeches by relatives of victims of war and gun violence, Trump seemed always to be talking about going to the coalface Clinton was already at the coalface. Trump was getting off on grief while Clinton was in the room with the victims trying to salve grief; trying to get something done. When the flaws are airbrushed and the endearing tributes from the likes of Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman who survived horrific injuries from an attempted assassination in 2011, and from the Mothers of the Movement, whose children died as a result of questionable police conduct, wash over, the response should be an immediate: "I'm with her." Yes? Well, there's a problem. Selling Clinton is a bit like selling Obamacare to Americans. Display and discuss each aspect of the candidate or the healthcare system, and they like it but bundle them all up as this person or that health scheme, and they baulk. In an appearance that was more a love-letter than convention speech, former president Bill Clinton tried to shake off the perception of his wife as a status-quo candidate, describing her grit as a reformer and billing her as "the best darned change-maker I ever met in my entire life". The former president who wants to be the country's "first gentleman", said of the would-be president who had been a first lady: "You could drop her in any trouble spot, pick one, come back in a month and somehow, some way, she will have made it better." "Making it better" means that Clinton will have to convince a good number of traditional Democratic voters that she can do more for them than Trump might their plight is unemployment, wage stagnation and social disenfranchisement; and Clinton's challenge is to convince them, not only that as a Washington insider she was not an architect of their crises, but that as president she can do something about it. Either by winning or losing, Clinton and Trump will reveal the extent to which white people in particular have lost faith in the American dream Republicans and Democrats alike. In that, the challenge for Trump is easier than for Clinton because she is the insider; he's not. But in rejecting the Trump depiction of modern America, there's a risk that Clinton will be seen to be rejecting or dismissing a malaise that is as real as David Brooks describes in The New York Times: "Americans are no longer confident in their national project. They no longer trust their institutions or have faith in their common destiny. This is a crisis of national purpose. It's about personal identity and the basic health of communal life. Americans' anger and pessimism are more fundamental than anything that can be explained by GDP statistics." That said, an error of the Democrat's convention planning might have been that, in their determination to defend the Obama record, the overall impact was more of the convention as cheerleader for the status quo than a heartfelt understanding of a need for change in the face of great frustration and division in the country. In this context, Clinton policy positions that might deliver substantive change, if executed, were forced on her by the success of the hard-fought primaries campaign by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. The insider-outsider element of this campaign can't be understated. Prominent Republicans have run a mile from Trump, to the extent that he has virtually no boldface named surrogates. By contrast, Clinton has President and Michelle Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, Sanders and Bloomberg and a promised, but yet to be unveiled, team of disaffected GOP big wigs who will campaign for her. That could backfire Trump's followers are so angered, that they are more inclined to believe what he says than to listen to others. At the same time, some will have chosen to believe Sander's depiction of Clinton as the ultimate insider in the course of the Democratic fight for the nomination if only because Trump told them that Sanders was right. By any conventional measure Trump should have been politically dead in the water long ago, with any of his nutty pronouncements serving as the bullet from building a border wall to banning Muslims to inviting Moscow to spy on Hillary Clinton. His obsession with his own body parts, his coarse conduct and his treatment of women and various minorities ought to have ended his run, but Trump is still standing. Cilacap: The fate of 10 death row prisoners who were saved from the firing squad in Indonesia just minutes before the executions took place remains unclear, with the country's attorney-general refusing to confirm if they have won a permanent reprieve. Just four of the planned 14 executions proceeded on the Central Javan island of Nusakambangan known as Indonesia's Alcatraz in the early hours of Friday morning, despite all 14 prisoners being notified on Tuesday that they had just 72 hours to live. Three Nigerians and one Indonesian were killed at 12.45am on July 29, despite claims that some may have faced torture and unfair trials. But the remaining 10 were never taken from their isolation cells. . Istanbul: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused the head of US Central Command of "siding with coup plotters" after the general said American contacts were being swept up in Turkey's post-coup crackdown, deepening a rift between NATO's two largest militaries. "One should be ashamed," Mr Erdogan said in a televised speech outside the police special forces headquarters in the capital Ankara, where 50 personnel were killed when a rogue group of officers carried out the July 15-16 revolt. Mr Erdogan didn't mention General Joseph Votel by name, but it was clearly railing against the American. General Votel said on Thursday that Mr Erdogan's campaign to stamp out dissent was "something to be very, very concerned about." CAYMAN ISLANDS:--- The Caribbean Bone Marrow Registry has hosted two donor registry drives in Cayman in the past month courtesy of Davenport Development Ltd and Decco Ltd., a Dart Enterprises contracting company. In total, the two drives helped to add 143 new donors to the registry. The registrys goal is to reach 1000 registered donors by the end of the year. In the region, where the population is well known for being a melting pot of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, it is extremely important to have as many potential donors as possible. The most recent donor drive was held at the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa construction site in West Bay. The drive was facilitated by Rohan Marshall, Senior Manager at Decco Ltd., who decided to blend the event with a worker appreciation lunch in order to help encourage registrations. You have to break the stigma that accompanies bone marrow donation and registration. Many people are unaware of what the donation process is actually like, Mr Marshall said. Weve had to spend a couple of weeks going through that process. Weve managed to get quite a few registrants today. Deccos donation drive brought in 83 of the 143 new potential donors. One of those 83 Decco workers who chose to register was Michael Jefferson. I dont mind helping people. If it came to a situation where I would need the help I would really like it if someone helped me out, so I decided to get registered, said Mr Jefferson. The process was quick and not difficult at all. Mr Marshall said that deciding to host the registry drive was an easy decision to make. Its good for us, number one, but more importantly its good for the community as a whole, he said. When we have a situation like this, with many regional employees working one location, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference. He added that he would encourage other businesses to get on board and contact the Cayman Islands Cancer Society about hosting their own drives. What if you get sick ten years from now and you need to find a donor? he said. You would hope that your family members can or will help you, but if they are unable to, what comes next? Any companies interested in hosting a registration drive can contact the Cayman Islands Cancer Society at 949-7618. PHILIPSBURG:--- At the Government Administration Building, Prime Minister William Marlin welcomed a field trip group of children on Wednesday, July 28, from Teacher Shanna's Annual Summer Camp 2016. The camp attendees as well as their leaders were all special guests of The Department of Communication Council of Ministers Live Press Briefing and were engaged by several ministers during the one hour session. Upon completion of the Press Briefing, camp attendees were granted a tour of the Government Administration Building and also paid a visit to Prime Minister Marlin's cabinet. While at Prime Minister Marlin's cabinet, camp host Ms Shaderel Cornet took the floor to say "Thank You" to the Prime Minister and also asked the children to do the same for his ongoing support of their summer camp. Cornet stated for the past three (3) years, Prime Minister Marlin made it his custom to contact her every June asking for the camp schedule as he would then choose a day to personally cook and prepare meals for all camp attendees. Though this years meals were not prepared personally by the Prime Minister, they were by his son Cloyd Marlin under his guidance and instructions. Besides the field trip to the Government Administration Building, over the past weeks; camp attendees have also attended several other field trips and engaged in various other activities such as their career Day and a trip to The SXM Airport. Prime Minister Marlin extends his sincere gratitude and support to Teacher Shanna and her team for creating such a positive and uplifting program to edify and engage students during their summer holidays. Prime Minister Marlin not only recognizes the direct positive impact such a program has on our youths but also upholds its benefits of allowing our younger ones to remain active and be less accessible to idleness during their Summer Holiday. Click here to view photos of the visit during the weekly press briefing. PHILIPSBURG:--- The board of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) and its leader Member of Parliament Frans Richardson extend heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Alexander Marlin. In such times there are no perfect words of comfort to extend. Alexander was truly a wonderful human being and decent man, a good man. In this time of sorrow, we all feel a void at Alexanders loss, but at the same time we are all happy that he lived. We also extend our condolences to the families of former Commissioner Julian Rollocks and current Member of Parliament Leona Marlin-Romeo, the party said. Shooting Range and Forensic Lab, and dog brigade now available to investigators. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Korps Politie St. Maarten (KPSM) is moving forward as the current Minister of Justice Edison Kirindongo along with his colleagues in the Council of Ministers work tirelessly to get the police the necessary tools they need to better solve crimes on St. Maarten. On Friday, several dignitaries and invited guests were invited to the former Soremar Building located in Orange Grove Cole Bay where the Minister of Justice officially handed over the keys to the building which will house the police shooting range and the Forensic lab where a team of forensic technicians will be able to do much needed forensic work on St. Maarten rather than in the Netherlands. Some of the work the forensic lab will assist the police in solving are cyber-crimes. Head of the detective department Denise Jacob in her speech explained how easier the additional tools will help KPSM and its detectives in solving crimes. She thanked the officers of the police force whom she said does their work despite the challenges and also commended those that will be working in the Forensic Lab on St. Maarten which is headed by Janine Cecile Muller-Rijna. Apart from the shooting range and forensic lab, the Minister of Justice said that on very short notice the Chief of Police Carl John was able to provide him with an advice and scheduled meetings in order for them to have a dog brigade on the island. The Minister of Justice said four of the dogs were purchased in the Netherlands while training for the dogs was provided free of charge by his colleague Minister of Justice from Aruba. Minister Kirindongo mentioned that finances on St. Maarten is scarce and while the government cannot direct the wind, surely they could adjust their sails to reach their destination. The six weeks training for the dogs who along with their handlers put on a spectacular show for the audience will be completed by mid- August. For the first time St. Maarten has a female dog handler who is currently undergoing training. The dog brigade will be specialized in finding cellular phones, illicit drugs such as cocaine, XTC pills, marijuana and capturing dangerous suspects. While the dogs that will be used to find illegal items and cellular phones the one to capture high-risk suspect is Belgium Shepherd much bigger animal that is well trained in finding and capturing suspects that are armed and dangerous. After the official part of the ceremony, the ribbon cutting was done by Minister of Justice Edison Kirindongo and head of the detective department Denise Jacobs while the keys was handed over to both Jacobs and Muller Rijna. Leader of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) Frans Richardson on Friday congratulated Minister of Justice Edson Kirindongo for yet another accomplishment for the departments that fall under the Justice Ministry. The inauguration of the building to house a new Forensics Lab and Shooting range is the latest in our efforts to give the police force of St. Maarten the tools they need to effectively and efficiently fight crime. We cannot accept an environment where our law enforcement is at a disadvantage so it is crucial that we do what we must to ensure they are well equipped to do their job, Richardson said. Forensic laboratories the world over, he said, are crucial to our criminal justice system. The expertise in our lab will provide invaluable information that aids in the investigation and prosecution of crime through the scientific examination of physical evidence. We are in 2016. The majority of crimes today are solved using forensic science. There are newer technologies every year in this field. I want to see the day come when our lab not only plays a key role for solving crime locally, but can lend a hand to our neighbors as well, Richardson said. The USP leader also lauded the addition and creation of the K9-Brigade which will help officers track down and sniff out contraband and other material that criminal minded individuals might try to hide from law enforcement. Click here to view photos of the ceremony. Zoom(R) Telephonics Reports Results for the Second Quarter of 2016 BOSTON, MA (Marketwired) 07/28/16 Zoom Telephonics, Inc. (Zoom) (OTCQB: ZMTP), a leading producer of cable modems and other communications products, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016 (Q2 2016). Zoom reported net sales of $3.98 million for Q2 2016, up 53.4% from $2.59 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 (Q2 2015) and up 46.1% from $2.72 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 (Q1 2016). The sequential rise in sales from Q1 2016 to Q2 2016 was primarily due to increased sales for three Motorola brand products introduced by Zooms MTRLC subsidiary in Q1 2016. Gross profit was 30.2% of net sales in Q2 2016, down from 32.9% in Q2 2015 and 30.7% in Q1 2016. The primary reason for the decline was a drop in some retail cable modem prices as well as the higher cost of goods associated with Motorola brand products. Operating expenses were $2.17 million or 54.5% of net sales in Q2 2016 compared to $0.93 million or 35.9% of net sales in Q2 2015 and $1.56 million or 57.4% of net sales in Q1 2016. Q2 2016 operating expenses increased over Q2 2015 operating expenses primarily due to Motorola brand royalty payments which began in 2016, increases in personnel related to Motorola brand cable modems, increases in marketing and advertising costs to support Motorola brand products, and increased research and development expenses for certification of new Motorola products. Q2 2016 operating expenses increased over Q1 2016 operating expenses primarily due to increased Motorola brand royalty payments, increased advertising and promotion costs for Motorola brand products, and increased FCC and safety compliance costs for Zooms new Motorola cable modem products. Zoom reported a net loss of $972 thousand or $0.07 per share for Q2 2016, compared to a net loss of $106 thousand or $0.01 per share for Q2 2015 and a net loss of $728 thousand or $0.05 per share for Q1 2016. Zooms cash balance on June 30, 2016 was $96 thousand. Zoom had $606 thousand outstanding in bank debt on a line of credit that was recently increased to $2.5 million. Zoom had working capital of $3.0 million and a current ratio of 1.8 on June 30, 2016. In Q2 2016 we continued a significant ramp in sales due to our Motorola brand cable modems, said Frank Manning, Zooms President and CEO. We are now shipping four major Motorola brand cable modem products, and these are being well received in the market. By the end of July 2016 we will have significantly more shelf space than we did at the end of June 2016. We will continue to push for higher revenues by increasing shelf space of our existing products, new product introductions, and significant advertising. Zoom has scheduled a conference call for Thursday, July 28 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You may access the conference call by dialing (866) 706-2128 if you are in the USA, and international callers may dial (706) 643-5255. The conference ID is 56338946. Shortly after the conference call a recording of the call will be available on Zooms website at . Founded in 1977 in Boston, Zoom Telephonics, Inc. designs, produces, markets, and supports modems and other communication products under the Motorola, Zoom, and Hayes brands. For more information about Zoom and its products, please see MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. and are used under license. This release contains forward-looking information relating to Zooms plans, expectations, and intentions. Actual results may be materially different from expectations as a result of known and unknown risks, including: the potential need for additional funding which Zoom may be unable to obtain; declining demand for certain of Zooms products; delays, unanticipated costs, interruptions or other uncertainties associated with Zooms production and shipping; Zooms reliance on several key outsourcing partners; uncertainty of key customers plans and orders; risks relating to product certifications; Zooms dependence on key employees; uncertainty of new product development, including budget overruns, project delays, and the risk that newly introduced products may contain undetected errors or defects or otherwise not perform as anticipated; costs and senior management distractions due to patent-related matters; and other risks set forth in Zooms filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Zoom cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Zoom expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Zooms expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstance on which any such statement is based. For additional information, please contact Investor Relations Zoom Telephonics Inc. 99 High Street Boston, MA 02110 (617) 753-0897 You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Traders Revenge Review Announced The New Software Launch For Users [Traders Revenge review](http://tradersrevenge.net) was released recently and with it, the announcement of the launch of Traders Revenge, new automatic software for all users, was also made. 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SMP Events June Lee, strategic marketing manager on the forthcoming BIGIT Technology Malaysia 2016 Data Security World Show (19 September only) 4th Big Data World Show BIGIT Exhibition Lutz Finger, Data Scientist from Cornell University Amr Awadallah, Co-founder and CTO from Cloudera Mark Gallagher, Managing Director from CMS Motor Trading (Grand Prix Motor Racing) In view of recent disruption and transformation of the digital economy, we will see the integration of various digital initiatives as part of the primary corporate strategies of many global businesses. With that in place, we will see unification between business visions, functions and digital initiatives that will demonstrate the ways in which businesses generate revenue and manage customer experiences through digital experience. Soon enough, digital transformation will be such an important functional aspect in a business that we foresee there will be a specific task force to oversee this implementation. Key technologies that will form the foundation for digital businesses. Well see the assimilation of big data, intelligent automation, IoT, cybersecurity becoming integral in business operations and processes, customer services and employee workplaces. As such, we will see the rise in demand for digital skills and businesses allocating more IT budget to support digital transformation initiatives as we welcome the new norm on digital reliance. Big data analytics will remain as the core in digital transformation as businesses take advantage of the data collected to deliver personalised services, and discover new insights using emerging classification and analysis. As a result, services that are able to craft highly personalised and contextualised customer experiences with both implicit and explicit data collected will draw out the winners that have successfully integrated and have true understanding of the scope of customer experience. It may be time consuming at first but it is important to clean all data from all sources so as to reduce complexities and maximise cost savings. Whilst planning for digital transformation initiatives or getting the most valuable insights into business performances, it is imperative to ask the right questions, identify business priorities and consider the end goal that would bring the most value to the organisation. For those that are new in implementing big data analytics into their businesses should consider working with a specialist and experienced developer. This would ensure that structures and systems are standardised to avoid inconsistencies that can be costly and time consuming to resolve later on. As businesses begin adopting digital transformation initiatives, it is important to ensure usability and accessibility of the solution for non-technical users for efficient and effective decision-making. Investing in digital skills would be fundamental as we head into the era of digital transformation. This will not just ensure operational efficiency but also manages cost savings for the business. Now some questions for fun Got an interesting story to tell. Get in contact. Im June Lee, strategic marketing manager for the regional BIGIT projects at Olygen. Im responsible for supporting the team to achieve their vision to establish BIGIT events as a distinguished leader in ICT-related conferences and exhibition nationally and internationally. I underpin its achievement through the successful delivery of marketing, digital marketing and PR strategies. BIGIT Technology Malaysia 2016 is jointly organised by BIGIT (a brand of Olygen) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Malaysia's government agency leading the national Big Data Analytics initiative. We are proud to be the anchor event of Big Data Week Asia 2016 where we will feature concurrent conferences and an exhibition:This much anticipated event will be held from 19-20 September 2016 at KLCC Convention Centre. We are honoured to be endorsed by MATRADE and supported by MyCEB and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia.Aimed at positioning Malaysia as the leading Big Data Analytics (BDA) hub in the South East Asia (SEA) region, the BIGIT Technology Malaysia 2016 strives to drive conversations and promote the adoption of big data in SEA.With that, we see the coming together of a strategic mix of influential professionals from private and public sector from the ever-growing data sector converging in this regional platform. Here well continue to reinforce and stay relevant on bringing innovation to technological advancement.With the aim to position Malaysia as the leading big data analytics hub in the SEA region, we see the involvement from across academia, start-up community, data scientists, ICT community and corporates coming together in this enriching platform.We see progressively an aggressive growth of big data in the SEA region and the focus has been driven to understand the concept of big data as a powerful tool in valuing the data and to make the most of it. However, numerous organisations are still rather sceptical and there is a lack of management buy-in. Thus, this event strives to drive the adoption of big data through convincing the value from data assets and learning from case studies on the journey towards big data adoption.BIGIT shows are niche, exclusive and tailored according to market needs of the host city and as we continue our focus to bring innovation in the technology field, our shows are tailored to address the evolving nature of technological advancement.More importantly, our priority is to create value for the audience and to organise an exhibition for industry specialists whilst catering to the end users. In doing so, past attendees have described our shows to have A great balance between business networking and knowledge sharing.This conference is for the data enthusiasts who are eager to learn more based on case studies from other organisations. Its also for those interested to explore big data initiatives to validate value and requirements to encourage big data adoption in their organisation. As we gather industry experts in this regional platform, this will also bring about engaging discussions on how innovative enterprises revolutionise business practices and learn from how other countries are regulating security concerns. Furthermore, the business networking opportunities at the event will witness the foster of regional business partnerships and further encourage trade relations between Malaysia and the world.We bring to this regional platform world-renowned industry experts from world-class organisations, government bodies and academia that will feature expert opinions, insights and case studies presentations related to Big Data and Data Security. Some of our renowned speakers include:Anyone interested to be involved in the event can reach out to me at june.lee@olygen.com for more information.We are extremely proud to be the anchor event for Big Data Week Asia 2016 and with that comes great responsibility to uphold an event of regional scale. To reach out to the community across SEA, we are thankful for our event partners who are ever supportive and willing to go the extra mile for us to ensure this events success.Personally, it is the partnerships that my team and I have built together. It is amazing as we see the expansion of our network grow to include regional partners that have been incredibly supportive as we collaborate to drive conversations on big data.I believe the latest findings that illustrate how artificial intelligence is simulated by the increasing growth of IoT and big data. This will present vast opportunities in the future of machine learning and we will witness the potential of how it will improve nearly every part of our daily lives in the very near future.JL: They can contact me at june.lee@olygen.com or call at +603 2261 4227Keep up-to-date on Twitter @BIGITTechnology and hashtag #BIGITMY2016 I had Korean Kimchi Jiggae with too much rice.I planned a whole day of mini surprises for a close friends recent birthday.Travelling around the world.I went to Niseko, Japan earlier this year with friends for my first ever experience snowboarding.Breakfast with coffee.Telepathy. For the simple reason of fulfilling my curiosity of knowing what goes on in peoples minds and the explanation behind each thought. 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. Here are the raises coming for Mishawaka teachers and administrators From teachers and administrators to bus drivers and substitutes, increased pay is coming to staff across the School City of Mishawaka. 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. 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 An artist's rendering of an Earth-like exoplanet with an atmosphere. The first hints of life could come from an unusual atmosphere composition. A new mathematical formula predicts the ratio of particular molecules in the atmospheres of far-off planets, letting researchers more easily tell when something unusual is happening there. The new method is tailor-made to predict the ratios of nine important atmospheric molecules built from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, so researchers can quickly learn what combination of molecules should be found on a high-temperature planet without using complicated simulations. The first hint of life on another planet might come from seeing something strange in a planet's atmosphere such as molecular oxygen or another gas at higher levels than expected that can't be explained by a planet's geology or chemistry. This method applies specifically to hot exoplanets under certain conditions, but calculations like these offer helpful practice for interpreting signals from alien atmospheres, equipping researchers to identify what to expect in a particular atmosphere and look for those interesting (and perhaps biological) variations. [10 Exoplanets That Could Host Alien Life] "The state of the art in looking at the atmospheres of exoplanets is like looking at the solar system planets a few decades ago," Kevin Heng, an exoplanet researcher at the University of Bern in Switzerland, told Space.com. "When we didn't have ships and probes that we could send to these planets we couldn't have detailed photographs, and all you had was spectra meaning you take the light and you spread it into different colors." Those spectra let you ask basic questions about a planet's atmosphere, Heng said: does it have water, does it have methane, does it have carbon dioxide. "These kinds of simple, basic questions lend themselves to simplifications in the chemistry," Heng said. The habitable zone around stars is a so-called Goldilocks' zone where conditions are just right for liquid water. See how habitable zones work in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist) To calculate the expected levels of different molecules in a planet's atmosphere, one has to know the temperature and pressure conditions on the planet, all the different chemicals available and all the different reactions that can happen between those chemicals. Those reactions can change the ratios of the chemicals over time as the molecules combine with each other in different ways, until they reach a stable mixture (meaning the ratios of the chemicals won't change very much), called an "equilibrium state." The equations describing chemical reactions in a planet's atmosphere are all interconnected, making the overall collection difficult to solve so researchers will use a computer program to simulate all the possible reactions that could take place before the system reaches a balance. Heng's group's solution simplifies this situation significantly for one particular collection of molecules rather than a whole simulation, that final, balanced ratio of molecules is calculated using an equation that can be solved on paper or in a single line of computer code. (The equation is polynomial, which means it's the sum of a variable raised to different powers, and the version that incorporates all nine molecules has 10 terms.) For Heng's work, which involves taking the spectrum created by a planet's atmosphere and "inverting" it to figure out what combinations of molecules and conditions would create it, this offers a dramatic speedup: To find the right match, researchers have to evaluate "millions, if not billions, of different" models in a short period of time, Heng said, and this method can whip up each of those scenarios quickly. Finding a balance and losing it The equilibrium state of a set of molecules, for instance in an alien atmosphere, is the ratios of substances they will eventually settle into, given a constant set of conditions and no outside influence. It's what one will generally expect to see when looking at the planet from afar. "A planetary atmosphere has its own chemistry, but figuring out what the equilibrium state [is] (and therefore the relative abundances of molecules) is a big computational challenge because of all the reaction pathways and individual equilibria and the cross-talk of everything," Caleb Scharf, an exoplanet researcher at New York University, told Space.com in an email. The quick calculations offered for particular combinations of molecules in the gas phase, as well as the authors' other work simplifying exoplanet climates, "is indeed quite a big deal," he added "It's a clever formulation that will speed up and improve the quest to pin down what's in planetary atmospheres" for a wide range of hotter atmospheric temperatures, he said. Heng's group isn't the first to create simplified equations to describe an atmospheric makeup, but their calculations consider "the abundances of some of the most important molecules in exoplanet atmospheres, which can then easily and quickly be evaluated in an atmosphere model," David Amundsen, a researcher at Columbia University and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told Space.com in an email. While detailed atmosphere models will have to take a lot of other factors into account, this can simplify one part of the calculations exactly how much one might expect of each gas in the atmosphere. And if some planet doesn't show an expected balance, does that mean something more interesting is going on? "That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" Heng said. "Because the classical thinking behind finding life is to first detect oxygen, ozone and water, and try to figure out if they're out of chemical equilibrium." If they are, he said, you search for other physical or geological causes for the disparity. "And after you've exhausted these possibilities, then you dare start thinking about life," he added. The new work was accepted to be published by The Astrophysical Journal. Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. "Star Trek" actor George Takei (left) and Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin participated in a special salute to Apollo 11's 47th anniversary July 23 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. A convergence of reality and science fiction took center stage here July 23 during a salute to the 47th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and the 50th anniversary of the iconic "Star Trek" television show and follow-on franchise. An audience of some 250 people took part in the evening event, which was dominated by a huge Saturn 5 moon rocket perched overhead. The occasion raised funds for Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin's ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring children to be passionate about science, technology, engineering, the arts and math. The anniversary gala was hosted by George Takei, best known for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in the original "Star Trek" TV series and movies. [The Evolution of 'Star Trek' (Infographic)] The famous Apollo 11 moon landing occurred on July 20, 1969, and the first "Star Trek" TV episode aired on Sept. 8, 1966. Warp speed recollection Peering out into the audience, Takei spotlighted the 363-foot-tall (111 meters) Saturn 5 booster, calling it an "amazing, amazing rocket." But he was quick to remind Aldrin that the famous "Star Trek" spaceship USS Enterprise was far bigger and far speedier, with the ability to reach warp speed 9. Continuing the comparison, Takei noted that Apollo 11 crewmates Neil Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins visited just one heavenly body, adding: "You know how many we landed on? We sparkled and popped out and beamed down on hundreds of planets." Takei went on to explain that "science fiction and reality really are partners," and that it took an extraordinary artist, storyteller, imagineer and producer Gene Roddenberry to create "Star Trek." In 1976, NASA's space shuttle Enterprise rolled out of its manufacturing facility and was greeted by NASA officials and cast members from the "Star Trek" television series. From left to right: NASA Administrator James Fletcher; DeForest Kelley, who played Dr. "Bones" McCoy on the series; George Takei (Mr. Sulu); James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott); Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura); Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock); series creator Gene Roddenberry; U.S. Rep. Don Fuqua (D-Fla.); and Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov). (Image credit: NASA) "Gene imagined the unimaginable he imagined a metaphor ... he said the Starship Enterprise was a metaphor for starship Earth," Takei said. "He populated it with people of the spirit. The strength of this starship lay in its diversity people of different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, histories, orientations and faiths all coming together to work as a team and working in concert. That's what makes it possible to get out there." Takei recalled that 1966 was a year of two launches that of "Star Trek" and the uncrewed, suborbital Apollo-Saturn 201 mission, which tested the Saturn 1B rocket and the Apollo command and service modules. There was also some symmetry in 1969, Takei noted: The iconic Apollo 11 landing occurred the same year that the "Star Trek" TV series was canceled. Beyond the horizon The science fiction of today is going to be made real by young people, Takei said. "Our horizon is now out in space," he said. "It's a much bigger a far more vast area of curiosity that we have." The first Saturn IB rocket developed by NASA lifts off during the uncrewed Apollo-Saturn 201 test mission on Feb. 26, 1966 the same year "Star Trek" first aired on television. (Image credit: NASA) The goal is actually to boldly go where no one has gone before, Takei said "to ensure that our engineers and scientists will be as boldly imaginative and creative and inventive as Gene Roddenberry was to ensure that we all, our civilization, lives long and prospers." Shatner beams in Takei had a special surprise video beamed in from one of his "Star Trek" crewmates William Shatner, who played USS Enterprise Capt. James T. Kirk. Shatner said he wished he could be present at the Apollo 11 anniversary event. He was in Los Angeles, tied to a previous engagement with the other starship captains of "Star Trek" celebrating the past 50 years, Shatner said. "That's a conundrum," he said. "Does that mean I was in space before Buzz?" Shatner congratulated Aldrin on the first moon landing. "It inspired me," Shatner said, "and hundreds of millions of all the people on Earth." In closing, Shatner said, the Apollo 11 landing "reminds us that peaceful cooperation is possible in this worldto boldly goon to Mars!" Leonard David is author of Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet, to be published by National Geographic this October. The book is a companion to the National Geographic Channel six-part series coming in November. A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Shown here, the first test firing of a used Falcon 9 rocket that was launched and landed in May 2016. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's private spaceflight company, SpaceX, is another step closer to making its Falcon 9 rockets fully reusable. Late yesterday (July 28), the company released this video of its first test firing of a used Falcon 9 rocket stage, one that already launched and landed during a mission in May. The burn lasted for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds, and a brief description of the video said the test was "full duration." Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of flight reliability at SpaceX, said on July 16 that the company plans to launch one of its used rockets this fall, assuming it has a customer for the flight. The company also plans to reuse one of its Dragon cargo capsules for a cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station, representatives of SpaceX and NASA said earlier this month. Musk has voiced his dedication to making rocket boosters reusable, with the goal of significantly lowering the cost of going to space. In most rocket designs, the first stage of the engine is discarded after one use. SpaceX has successfully launched and then landed five different Falcon 9 rocket boosters since December 2015, but the company has not yet reused any of those boosters. The test firing took place at SpaceX's McGregor test center in Texas. The Falcon 9 that is being test fired in the new video originally launched into space on May 6, sending the Japanese communications satellite JCSAT-14 into orbit. That rocket is not expected to fly again, according to SpaceflightNow, but is still important for understanding how the boosters respond to repeated burns. SpaceX is not the only company pursuing reusable rockets. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos is also founder and CEO of the private spaceflight company Blue Origin, which has already done multiple launches of its suborbital vehicle, New Shepard. The company is also working on a reusable orbital vehicle. The private spaceflight company Virgin Galactic (backed by entrepreneur Richard Branson) is working on a plane that could launch spacecraft into suborbital space, and Vulcan Aerospace (backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen) is working on the largest airplane ever built, which could launch spacecraft to even higher altitudes. Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. The USS Discovery will re-launch "Star Trek" onto television in 2017. Is the new starship named after the NASA space shuttle? Four years ago, the Smithsonian swapped space shuttles at the National Air and Space Museum: NASA's prototype orbiter Enterprise was rolled out and the space shuttle Discovery was rolled in. Now "Star Trek," which inspired the earlier shuttle's name, has done the same. "The U.S.S. Discovery [is] the newest Starfleet ship for the franchise's return to television," CBS officials announced in a July 23 release. "The ship's name will also serve as the official title for the highly anticipated new series." ['Star Trek' Starship Enterpise Evolution in Photos] "Star Trek: Discovery" is set to premiere on CBS in January 2017, before moving to the network's subscription service, CBS All Access. The choice of "Discovery" as the fictional starship's name has drawn speculation that it might be inspired by the real NASA orbiter now on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. "I'm hoping someone will find out for sure if CBS intended the name as a tribute to the space shuttle," Jim Banke, a veteran aerospace writer, posted on Facebook. "I hope we will see a picture of a shuttle Discovery launch somewhere in the new ship!" Adding to the conjecture was the starship's registry. On the original "Star Trek" TV series, which debuted 50 years ago this September, the Enterprise had the registry NCC-1701. As revealed in a teaser video for the new series, the USS Discovery has the registry number NCC-1031. NASA space shuttles Enterprise, left, and Discovery meet nose-to-nose during their transfer at the Smithsonian in April 2012. (Image credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi) "It's meant to commemorate the space shuttle Discovery's registration number of OV-103," a commenter speculated on StarTrek.com. "Discovery undertook some of the most dangerous and famous flights in the shuttle program and returned America to flight after the two shuttle losses." If the new "Star Trek" ship was indeed named for the NASA winged vehicle, it would be a reflection and a reversal of the roles played 40 years ago. In 1976, fans of the science fiction series organized a grassroots letter-writing campaign to convince the U.S. space agency to name its first shuttle orbiter after the show's starship. "It certainly would be a nice nod to the most flown of the space shuttle orbiters to name this fictional vehicle after it," said Margaret Weitekamp, the curator for the National Air and Space Museum's Social and Cultural Dimensions of Spaceflight collection, in an interview with collectSPACE. "There is some nice symmetry to the way that the original test vehicle was named 'Enterprise' after a 'Star Trek' ship to now name a 'Star Trek' ship after a very successful, real space shuttle orbiter." NASA's space shuttle Discovery flew 39 missions, logging a total of 365 days in space between 1984 and 2011. Like its sister shuttles that launched into Earth orbit and glided back, OV-103 was named after past vessels of exploration primarily HMS Discovery, one of Captain James Cook's ships that led to the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. "Whether or not this new 'Star Trek: Discovery' starship is named specifically for the space shuttle orbiter, it certainly is following a rich pop culture tradition of tapping into the long existing history of exploration and then extrapolating that to a possible science fiction future." CBS declined to comment when asked if the new ship was in fact named for the space shuttle Discovery, but released a statement from Bryan Fuller, the executive producer of "Star Trek: Discovery," from his recent appearance at San Diego Comic Con. "Discovery is so intrinsic as a concept to the philosophy of 'Star Trek,' it felt like it was a beautiful way to acknowledge that spirit," said Fuller. "There are so many reasons why we settled on Discovery," Fuller said with a smile. "But the chief one amongst them was that I couldn't think of a more 'Star Trek'-themed name for a ship than Discovery." Watch "Star Trek: Discovery" executive producer Bryan Fuller describe what the name Discovery means to the new series at collectSPACE. Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2016 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. 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Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. When Bob Stumm and Mary Bauer of Chippewa Falls get off work, theyre usually headed skyward. Both are accomplished pilots and world-class skydivers. If you live near Lake Wissota, four days a week, you can spot one of their Cessna 182 planes dropping skydivers some new, some experienced above the Indianhead Sport Parachute Club drop zone on Chippewa County K. By day, Stumm works as president of SFR Industries, the plastics company he started in Chippewa Falls in 1978 before moving it to Cadott in 1994. He sounds as enthused about plastics as he is about skydiving. Its never boring, he said of his work, shortly after gliding his canopy in for a smooth landing on a warm Friday evening in mid-June. Thats what gets me up in the morning, because of the inherent challenges of making plastic every day. Stumm arrives at work each morning at 6:30 so he can check in with both the night shift and the day shift of his 24-hour operation. He then works on sales and whatever big project is hot at the moment, then wraps up his day around 5:30 p.m., after the evening shift is well underway. The company extrudes plastic profiles for the furniture and window industry. The company has come a long way since those early days, when the entire operation consisted of Stumm and one machine. Today, SFR has close to 50 employees running 32 production lines around the clock. Young at heart He declines to divulge his age or the year he graduated from Chippewa Falls Senior High School before starting work at another plastics plant. I have no age, Stumm said, to agreement from other members of the club. Stumms significant other and skydiving partner, Mary Bauer, has spent her working days making sure other workers stay safe. After spending 20 years doing inspections and enforcement for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Bauer has spent the last 11 years doing outreach for the agency as a compliance assistance specialist. I do outreach, education, training, coordinate with groups and associations for worker safety and health projects, she said. We look at the workers safety, whether its in manufacturing, construction, retail. We try to target where they are the highest risk. This wasnt Bauers initial career plan. She earned a bachelors degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and was working on a second degree in environmental public health when she decided she had better go to work. I needed a job really bad, Bauer said. When one of her instructors told her about an internship with OSHA, she had to think about what the letters stood for. She took the job and never looked back. The skydiving bug Bauer and Stumms high-flying hobby has taken them all over the world. Bauer first gave skydiving a try as a college student in 1981. In the days before Google, it took a while to track down a place to try it out. A couple of friends just said, Well, lets go do this, Bauer said. It took us a year or so to track it down and find a phone number. She describes her first jump as surreal. You really dont know what youre going to do, youre just going to go along with the program, she said. But once you get out under canopy and this goes back to the round parachute days it is quiet. There is nothing else up there, nothing else around you. Bauer caught the bug. She has now made more than 19,740 jumps. Shes only the 13th person to have that milestone verified by the U.S. Parachute Association. Stumm got started in the sport after being drafted into the Army. While serving in the Army airborne, he joined a sport club on the base at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Since then, he has logged more than 17,000 jumps all over the world. Its always the people that are in the sport itself that keep you going, Stumm said. Its always a lot of fun. Mary and I have been lucky enough to go many places. Spanning the globe One of those places was Thailand. Stumm and Bauer were part of the World Team, which staged world-record jumps in Thailand 2004 and 2006. The king of Thailand invited the group to stage the record-breaking jumps as a demo for the country. Using five C-130 cargo planes provided by Thailands Air Force, the team created formations with 357 skydivers in 2004 and 400 in 2006. The skydivers came from all over the world to create the huge formations, known as Big Ways in the skydiving world. Linking up that many jumpers at one time requires not just a large number of big planes, but an exceptionally high starting altitude 22,000 feet for the Thailand maneuver. Jumpers starting any higher than 12,000 feet must carry oxygen tanks. Local jumpers typically start from around 10,000 feet for free-fall jumps at the Skydive Wissota site. Those complications make such huge attempts rare. World record jumps are more often performed in sequential events, where a smaller number of jumpers take part in multiple maneuvers. Bauer took part in world-record womens sequential jumps in California to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation Jump 4 for the Cure campaign against breast cancer. That event was featured on Good Morning America. Experienced jumpers make up an international community, according to Bauer and Stumm, who have also made jumps in such far-flung places as Italy, Finland and Russia. The thing with skydiving is theres always a drop zone somewhere and youre always welcome, Bauer said. Its a very open thing. Some of their most exciting jumps, though, have been closer to home. Bauer and Stumm both name a 100-member jump in Oshkosh at the 2015 EAA Airventure fly-in convention as a highlight. Spreading the word Bauer estimates she has taught between 3,000 and 4,000 people to skydive over the past 30 years. Many of those are only looking to try it once and take a tandem jump, strapped to an experienced instructor. Stumm says recently, most first-time jumpers have come out to Skydive Wissota seeking to cross the experience off their bucket list. Weve had a large group of older citizens who showed up to do tandems, he said. People 80 to 90 years old come out and make skydives. According to Bauer, it is rare for a jumper to back out after getting up in the plane, though it has happened four or five times over the past three decades. Bauer says her career in worker safety goes hand-in-hand with her role as a skydiver and instructor. Im a certified safety professional, she said. You take those skills and apply them to system safety: good equipment, aircraft, watching conditions, radars, working with the people, making sure they understand. The Indianhead Sport Parachute Club owns the clubhouse at the couples airport. The clubs 30 members volunteer their time to perform duties from giving skydiving lessons to mowing the lawn. The group offers lessons from April through November, but club members jump year-round. The members have varying levels of experience. Bauer says few jumpers turn the sport into a lifelong passion, as she and Stumm have. It takes a lot of commitment to put it into your lifestyle to become a skydiver, Bauer said. In order to do it safely, you have to spend time, learn it, invest in the right gear and equipment, and stay current in it. She plans to continue in the sport as long as she can. Its kind of my second home, being in the air, she said. Staying on the move Stumm has picked up another hobby over the years: collecting cars. Oh, you know how it goes, he said. You get one and then you get something else. I had a 77 vette and then it went from there. Restoring old cars gives him something to do when its too cold and windy to skydive. One particular head-turning car in his collection is an ETV, or Extra Terrestrial Vehicle. Stumm says the car, which reminds many of the time-traveling Delorean from the movie, Back to the Future, is one of just three made and has been borrowed for major car shows. Not all of the hobbies Stumm and Bauer share involve dizzying heights and cool cars. The two also enjoy heading out in their boat from their home on Lake Wissota for an evening of fishing now and then. Whether they are running a plastics plant, making sure workers are safe on the job, jumping out of an airplane tens of thousands of feet above the ground, restoring an old hot rod or wetting a line in the lake, you can count on one thing: life with Mary Bauer and Bob Stumm is never boring. Bir Lehlou, July 29, 2016 (SPS) The Government of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) appealed Thursday to the United Nations, African Union and European Union as well as defenders of justice, freedom and human rights around the world to immediately intervene for the release of Gdeim Izik and all Sahrawi political prisoners languishing at Moroccan prisoners. The government pointed out in a statement that these prisoners are victims of unfair terms and inhuman treatment depriving them of the simplest rights, and their only guilt was claiming their rights peacefully and demanding an end to the illegal occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco and enabling the Sahrawi people to its inalienable right for self-determination and independence. The statement stressed that the continuous deterioration of human rights situation in the occupied part of Western Sahara pushes Sahrawi government to demand urgently expanding the prerogatives of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to include the monitoring and reporting on Human rights. (SPS) 062/090/TRA New York, July 29, 2016 (SPS) - The noose is tightening around Morocco, whose international isolation is more and more felt, as the African Union (AU) stressed the need for Saharawi people to fully enjoy their legitimate rights and the Security Council has just called for the resumption of negotiations between Rabat and the Polisario Front, to reach an agreement on holding a referendum on Western Sahara people's self-determination. The UN Security Council has called Wednesday for the resumption of talks between the Polisario Front and Morocco. The Council's members unanimously stressed the necessity to relaunch the direct negotiations between the parties to the conflict to reach a political solution leading to Western Sahara people's self-determination. The last AU summit (July 17-18), in Kigali, was an opportunity for the pan-African organization to reiterate its immutable position over the Saharawi cause, namely the holding of a referendum on Western Sahara people's self-determination. The Security Council emphasized the imperative of the return of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to full functionality as soon as possible. "We are ready to positively respond to the request of the UN secretary-general and his special envoy (about the resumption of negotiations), but Christopher Ross informed us about difficulties he went through to get Morocco's cooperation for the relaunch of the talks process," Western Sahara's representative at the UN, Ahmed Boukhari, said Wednesday. (SPS) 062/090/700 Growers, seed breeders, exporters, plant health officials, agronomists, scientists, machinery companies, trade and marketing organisations all gather at PiP, making it an essential event in the potato technical calendar. The packed one-day programme takes the form of a full day of agronomy and variety demonstration plots with guided tours, a technical seminar programme, research and trade stands, static and working machinery displays. This years event will be held on Thursday 11th August, at the James Hutton Institutes Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie, near Dundee. Attendees will be able to review crop varieties and the results of new crop treatments, attend live machinery demonstrations and discover the latest research on current issues impacting on the farming industry, as well as network with colleagues, suppliers and experts. For the first time, PiP will feature a range of potato-related talks from members of the visiting European Association of Potato Research (EAPR), chaired by Professor Ian Toth (James Hutton Institute) and Dr Mike Storey (AHDB). EAPR experts. To further demonstrate the positive impacts of international collaboration, we are also pleased to welcome Chinese potato scientists and industry representatives to PiP as part of their visit to the James Hutton Institute that week. A world-first for the potato industry, the James Hutton Limited will launch a new molecular diagnostic service at PiP, resulting from a 5-year industry-wide collaboration supported by Innovate UK and AHDB. The diagnostic is capable of distinguishing with 100% accuracy between the three main groups of free living nematodes. It offers greater precision than traditional microscopic testing, giving growers significantly more insight into one of the biggest threats to their crop quality and yield. Live machinery demos will be held again this year. Euan Caldwell, Head of Farm, Field and Glasshouses at the James Hutton Institute, said: Well see technical demonstrations by Grimme UK, and DuPont will hold a clinic on nematicide application. The machinery demos are scheduled to run twice, at 10:50 and again at 14:00, so therell be an opportunity for all visitors to see them. STAMFORD Two men who police say are part of a Chilean crew suspected of pickpockets throughout the East Coast have been accused of snatching a Darien womans wallet while she was shopping at Home Goods. Luis Nunez Garcia, 34, and Carlos Galvez Catalan, 31, both of Queens, N.Y., recently pleaded not guilty to charges related to distracting the woman last December at the Stamford Home Goods and charging $2,800 on her credit cards at a downtown department store. According to their arrest warrants, Garcia began a conversation with the 54-year-old woman about various oils and vinegars in one of the store aisles. Garcia abruptly ended the conversation and walked away and the woman realized her wallet was missing when she got to the checkout line, the arrest warrant said. The womans husband soon noticed a $2,800 purchase of prepaid gift cards and three Apple iPads at the Stamford Target store, the warrant said. The woman then canceled the credit card and prevented an additional $3,000 purchase at the Target store in White Plains, N.Y., the warrant said. The Home Goods security video showed Garcia having a conversation with the woman while Catalan and an unidentified man and woman entered the same aisle and appeared to be signaling and making eye contact with each other, according to the warrant. When Garcia began speaking with the victim, a female arm can be seen in the video reaching out from behind the display, according to the warrant. Catalan was then seen lunging toward the cart with an outstretched hand while the woman was facing Garcia, the warrant said. Police said members of the Chilean group have been arrested or are suspects in other similar crimes in Virginia Beach, Va., Buffalo Valley, Pa., and University Heights, Ohio. Garcia and Catalan were arrested in January for stealing the wallet of a customer ordering meat at the deli counter in Longmeadow, Mass., their arrest warrants said. The two were extradited from New York in June and remain in custody at the Bridgeport Correctional Center on charges including identity theft, illegal use of a credit card and credit card theft. They have each been held on $25,000 court appearance bonds. MONONA Monona Bankshares Inc., holding company for Monona State Bank, announced Friday it has acquired the holding company for Middleton Community Bank. The merged operations will operate as Monona State Bank. This merger makes sense because both banks are locally owned and focused on their communities, Paul Hoffmann, president of Monona State Bank, said in a statement. Weve always believed that there is strength in neighbors. We look forward to joining together to offer more services to all of our customers. Monona State Banks headquarters will remain in Monona, the banks said in a statement. The merger allows the banks to stay locally owned, and no layoffs are expected. The holding companies of the banks signed a binding agreement on Thursday. The merger requires shareholder and regulatory approval but is expected to close before the end of the year. The combination of the two banks will employ 150 people across nine locations, including Middleton Community Bank locations in Belleville, Brooklyn, Cross Plains, Middleton and Sauk City and will have $775 million in combined assets. Monona State Bank is locally owned and was founded in 1991 with about $475 million in assets. It operates two locations in Monona, one in Madison and another in Cottage Grove. Middleton Community Bank has grown to about $300 million in assets since opening in 1995. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD Last year Connecticuts U.S. attorney, Deirdre Daly, put out an alert. We call on public servants, the vast majority of whom are honest brokers, to not look the other way when they see indications of corruption. We cannot overstate the importance of citizen participation in our fight against corruption, and we urge all citizens to assist us in this effort. With those words, spoken 18 months ago, Daly announced formation of the Connecticut Public Corruption Task Force the first of its kind in a state that for a dozen years has endured the nickname Corrupticut. We cant know how many citizens have heeded that call, but Dalys office has been busy with cases, including one from Stamford that her office picked up in March. It involves the Board of Educations longtime facilities contractor, AFB Construction Management, and its CEO, Al Barbarotta, a friend of Gov. Dannel Malloy who is under investigation for possible extortion. And this month it was revealed that Dalys office is also investigating whether the state Democratic Party illegally raised money for the 2014 re-election campaign of Malloy, a Stamford native and former mayor. Daly said she formed the task force because corruption among public officials has persisted. Help has come from courageous, conscientious citizens, business owners and public officials who have provided information about corrupt activity in their midst, Daly said in a statement on Feb. 4, 2015. The need for courageous citizens may be greater in Connecticut because of a justice system that law-enforcement authorities have complained about for years. The system lacks a key tool for tackling complicated corruption cases, they say. Connecticut, unlike most states, does not have indicting grand juries, which allow state prosecutors to compel people to testify and turn over evidence. The Legislature has refused to reinstate the system, eliminated in 1982. Connecticut, rather, has investigatory grand juries, which only have the power to determine whether there is probable cause that a crime was committed. Prosecutors must then decide whether to press charges. But even investigatory grand juries are rare here, with roughly one convening every other year in the last two decades. So the job of convening grand juries, issuing subpoenas and handing down indictments is left to federal prosecutors. Damage to democracy Daly, a Fairfield resident who became U.S. attorney in 2014 - the first woman to hold the office since it was established in 1789 has made corruption cases a priority. Corruption of our public institutions, officials and elections strikes at the heart of our democracy, Daly wrote after introducing the task force, and the mission of her office is the pursuit of corrupt public officials and government employees who unlawfully put their personal interests above those they serve and to monitor the hundreds of millions of dollars that are distributed annually by federal and state agencies to ensure that taxpayer funds reach their intended recipients without corrupt interference. Its a big undertaking in Connecticut, perhaps because it is a state long dominated by one party, Democrats, and politicians who are re-elected term after term. But the bribery, extortion, kickback schemes, graft and abuse of power have not been limited to Democrats. The Corrupticut nickname began to fly in 2004, when Republican Gov. John Rowland resigned during an investigation. Among the allegations were that Rowland accepted vacations in exchange for state contracts, that state contractors worked on his weekend home for free, that Rowland took bribes from state employees, and that he became a partner in several businesses just before they were given state contracts. Rowland pleaded guilty to fraud charges and served 10 months in federal prison. At the time he was getting into trouble, two big-city mayors were already behind bars. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim was convicted of racketeering, extortion and bribery in 2003, the same year Waterbury Mayor Phil Giordano was found guilty of sex crimes against children. In 2005, state Sen. Ernie Newton of Bridgeport pleaded guilty to charges of bribery, mail fraud and tax evasion. Corruption extended to underlings of major political figures. In 2012 the campaign manager and finance director for former Speaker of the House Chris Donovan were charged with conspiring with Donovans staff to kill legislation in exchange for donations to Donovans re-election campaign. Daly has said the need for the task force was clear because, despite all the high-profile prosecutions, corruption continued. A flock of jailbirds Since the task force formed, a U.S. Postal Service official in Waterbury was sentenced to three years in prison for a scheme in which he overcharged the post office more than $1 million for contracted services and kept the money for himself. The executive director of the West Haven Housing Authority was convicted of taking $1.5 million in bribes in exchange for awarding contracts. The chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in Ledyard was sentenced to 18 months in prison for using a tribal government credit card to charge $100,000 in personal expenses. The finance director of Plymouth was sentenced to 30 months in prison for embezzling $808,000 from the towns payroll account. The chief of staff to the Republican leader of the state House of Representatives was sentenced to a year in prison for taking $100,000 from a company that provides political mailings in exchange for steering business to the company. The director of investigations for the state Department of Social Services was convicted of fraudulently applying for a mortgage under an affordable housing program. The zoning enforcement officer for East Haven was convicted of taking cash in exchange for resolving town zoning violations. Two contractors hired to rebuild a stadium in Hartford were indicted on charges that they submitted invoices to the city to pay subcontractors and then kept the money for themselves. And then there was a repeat on Rowland, sentenced last year to 30 months in prison for his role in an election fraud case involving a 5th District congressional candidate. Now Dalys office is looking into whether Barbarotta used his position as schools facilities director to attempt to win business with another city contractor, and whether state Democrats bypassed clean-elections laws to help Malloy keep his seat in Hartford. Its about so much more than money, Daly has said. While the cost of corruption is sometimes quantified in dollars, the cynicism and distrust it breeds exact an even greater toll. -- angela.carella@scni.com; 203-964-2296; stamfordadvocate.com/angelacarella. Shares of Spectrum Brands stock hit an all-time high Thursday after the Middleton consumer products company reported quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street expectations. Spectrum reported net income of $101.9 million, or $1.71 a share, on sales of $1.36 billion for the fiscal third quarter that ended July 3, up from net income of $44.9 million, or 79 cents a share, on sales of $1.25 billion for the same period last year. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.69 per share, and six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.35 billion in sales for the quarter. Spectrums product portfolio includes Rayovac batteries, George Foreman grills, and Kwikset locks. The company said the higher figures were due, in large part, to the May 2015 acquisition of Armored AutoGroup, whose products include STP motor oil and Armor All protectant. That division contributed $159.8 million in sales and $44.1 million in net income during the most recent quarter compared with $64.4 million in sales and $12.2 million in net income during the same quarter last year. The acquisition was finalized about halfway through the three-month period in 2015. Spectrum Brands stock jumped Thursday to a record high of $127.99 a share before closing at $126.58, up $8.08, or 6.8 percent, from Wednesdays close at $118.50. The Associated Press contributed to this report. When it comes to money matters, Wisconsinites seem to have better knowledge of them compared to the rest of the nation. Thats according to findings of the recently released National Financial Capability Study conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Foundation. Wisconsin performed better compared to the nation as a whole when it came to paying bills on time, avoiding non-bank or payday lenders and keeping up with expenses, said Michael Collins, director of the UW-Madison Center for Financial Security, who is familiar with the study. Wisconsin looks better and tends to do better in some areas, Collins said. Overall consumers showed signs of improving financial knowledge. David Mancl, director of the Office of Financial Literacy, a unit of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, said Wisconsin traditionally does well with personal finance. Were more conservative financially and we do try to save and not take too much risk when it comes to money, Mancl said. According to the study, 16 percent of Wisconsin survey respondents said their expenses exceeded their income, while nationally, 18 percent of respondents said they spent more than they earned. The study also showed Wisconsin had the second lowest percentage of people nationally who had used non-traditional lenders such as a payday loan store, at 15.2 percent. The national average was 25.5 percent. This is the third time since 2009 the survey was conducted. Other surveys were done in 2012 and 2015. The latest research surveyed nearly 30,000 Americans, including about 500 from Wisconsin, on a variety of financial topics, including making ends meet, planning ahead, managing financial products, and financial knowledge and decision-making. While the country overall showed improvement, the results also suggest the state and nation have a lot to learn. The rising tide isnt lifting all the boats, said Gary Mottola, FINRAs lead researcher on the study. When the 2009 survey was conducted, the nation was emerging from one of its worst recessions in history, Mottola said. Since then, he said, Americans learned many valuable financial lessons. More households are establishing emergency savings, and fewer households are spending more than their income, Mottola said. Americans are also more mindful of how they use credit cards, and more say they are paying off balances each month. The study showed that women, millennials, African-Americans, Hispanics and those who lacked a high school education continue to struggle with daily life expenses. Groups including the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County have implemented programs to provide disadvantaged youth with more resources and education to teach them life skills such as personal finance. In 2005, Summit Credit Union helped launch Star Credit Union, which Summit says is the only youth chartered credit union in the world. Kristel Renn, youth credit union leader for Summit, said teaching financial literacy to youth was among the chief reasons Star Credit Union was launched. The idea was to teach kids from at-risk areas solid financial habits before they fell into bad habits like overusing credit cards or borrowing from payday lenders, Renn said. Boys and Girls Club members are taught how interest-bearing savings accounts work. These accounts, which can be opened with 25 cents, offer 5 percent interest, so students can see how interest helps savings grow over time. Star Credit Union currently has 674 youth members, mostly middle- and high school age students, with an average balance of $23. Mancl said the Office of Financial Literacy also has been working with financial institutions around the state for several years on educational initiatives to provide more information to the public. There still are too many people living paycheck to paycheck and too many people living without savings or rainy-day funds, he said. So the things weve been looking at are how we can help or prevent people from getting into situations where they depend on credit cards or high-cost lenders just to get by. This has led to the state providing grants to school districts to help develop financial literacy programs, Mancl said. About $152,000 was awarded in 2016. Many school districts now require personal finance education as a graduation requirement. Mancl said in 2010, about 25 percent of public school districts required at least one semester of personal finance education to graduate, a number that jumped to 64 percent in 2013. UW-Madison also has been active in personal finance education outreach. Collins said his center has worked with elementary schoolchildren on simulated real-life situations where they are taught to budget incomes and pay for living expenses. Collins, who helped FINRA with the research for the 2012 survey, said studies suggest students tended to have better credit scores later in life if they were exposed to financial training. This also is the case for states that require some level of personal finance training for graduation. Mottola said people today are exposed to many things that can get them into financial trouble, which makes being financially literate important. Were living in an increasingly complex financial world, he said. T heresa May has been lauded in many quarters as the new Margaret Thatcher, and shes certainly taken one famous dictum of the Iron Lady to heart: If there is one thing Ive learned in politics, it is never make a decision until you have to. The new Prime Minister has given herself another month to ponder the benighted Hinkley Point nuclear power station project, but unfortunately the choices wont be any better after her summer holiday. Nigel Lawson the Chancellor Thatcher sacked once said to govern is to choose, but May is skewered on Mortons Fork: a decision between two equally undesirable alternatives. If she presses the button on Hinkley and the nuclear renaissance promised by Tony Blair more than a decade ago, she gambles with expensive, unproven technology. She also puts a huge chunk of the UKs future energy security in the hands of the French and the Chinese, and saddles the taxpayer with a 30 billion bill for the next 30 years. Every voter in the land will be reminded of Hinkley when they open their energy bills. But if she abandons the scheme in favour of cheaper alternatives, such as delaying the commitment to close the nations fleet of dirtier coal-fired power stations by 2025 for example, she inflames an environmental lobby already angered by cuts to renewable subsidies last year. That came when the UK signed up to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050. Gas-fired power stations are far cheaper and quicker to build than nuclear. But the Coalitions introduction of a new capacity market paying developers to supply power in four years time has thus far failed to encourage a surge in new gas plants as it awarded tens of millions in contracts to power stations that were open already. UK energy policy is frankly a complete muddle. But the Hinkley Point fiasco is particularly heartbreaking; the UK once led the way in civil nuclear power, but hasnt opened a new nuclear power station since 1995. Thatcher talked a good game on nuclear, but cheap North Sea oil and gas dented the business case, and now half of our nuclear capacity is due to close by 2025. I suspect that the Government is now so far down the track with Hinkley Point that May will give the go-ahead, but its a decision I cant imagine shell take with particular relish. The sorry saga reminds me of the gruesome words of Macbeth: I am in blood/Stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go oer. A cocktail of Brexit currency turbulence, air traffic control strikes and terrorism will cost IAG 228 million (192 million), the British Airways owner has revealed. The national flag carrier took a 148 million hit from the plummeting pound in the wake of Britains decision to leave the EU as it was buffeted by the headwinds facing Europes airlines. Boss Willie Walsh also warned that the Aer Lingus and Iberia parent will take a hit of at least 80 million in the second half as a result of bad weather and French air traffic control strikes, causing over 1000 flights to be cancelled. IAG posted a 555 million operating profit for the second quarter to June 30, up on 530 million last year but missing City forecasts of 568 million. Walsh was cautiously optimistic that the impact of the string of terror attacks, which have blighted the crucial summer period for airlines and travel firms, would not last long. These events do have a short-term impact [on travellers buying tickets] buy typically they dont tend to be long lasting, Walsh said of this months attack in Nice. But, when coupled with uncertainty ahead of the EU referendum in June, IAG said it saw a softer-than-expected trading environment. Walsh said that, in the run-up to the vote, the airline had seen more-subdued demand from business travellers. The company said it expects 2016 underlying operating profits to rise by a low-double-digit percentage. That is down from a 40% increase anticipated prior to the vote. IAG rapidly issued a profit warning following the result of the referendum, sending shares spiralling. The firm was one of the biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 in early trading but bounced back, up 4.7p to 414p. Earlier this week, Ryanair set out plans to move growth away from UK airports in the wake of the vote and slash capacity at Stansted in reaction to the damaging effect of Brexit. It came after easyJet last month said additional economic and consumer uncertainty is likely this summer, and warned revenue per seat will drop by at least 5% in its crucial second half of the year. Liberum analyst Gerald Khoo said: The outlook remains highly uncertain, with no visibility on how business travel trends in particular will develop in the key autumn period. Given the downside risks to GDP growth, business sentiment and consumer confidence, we remain cautious for the moment. Tom Selby, an analyst at broker AJ Bell, said: The airline sector has been the real bearer of bad news over the past month. It would be a brave person who wants to invest in this part of the market at the moment. Lufthansa and Air France-KLM have also warned of the impact from terror attacks and strikes in France. W ere all the same. Its often meant as an expression of a shared humanity, as a riposte to xenophobes and racists or to anyone who seeks to spew hatred or cause division. But what does the person saying it really mean? Usually its that, despite our differences, deep down you are like me. Not, I am like you. So you may be a recently arrived immigrant but given time you will come to think like me, whether it is on female genital mutilation (FGM) or same-sex marriage. Its a belief in the superiority of your world view but without the confidence to say it, perhaps out of fear of causing offence but perhaps also because you have a hard time defining exactly what you believe in or stand for. Differing approaches to integration and assimilation across Europe are under the spotlight again following the recent spate of terror attacks. The French consider a tougher crackdown, the Germans plough on with tolerance and stoicism, while here it is probably only luck that has given us respite. Britain got a head-start on mass immigration and multiculturalism thanks to the Empire, which was primarily about plunder and trade but also a transfer of British culture from language to railways. And it wasnt all one-way. There were black and Asian people living in Britain before the 20th century, but because of their relatively small numbers and the dominance of the host culture they assimilated in other words, they blended. In the modern, globalised world of cheap transit, digital connections and far greater numbers of immigrants, it is much harder to achieve assimilation so we have to settle for integration, which is an acceptance of difference. The question is how much difference can we tolerate? Integration also requires give and take. The minority community must adapt or give up some of its customs but the majority must change as well. This is a negotiation that no European country has successfully resolved yet. And the minority that Europe seems to have the biggest difficulty integrating is Muslims. Despite religions many failings, you know what it stands for and why it has enduring appeal. As an organising principle it offers a sense of purpose, shared identity and community. By way of contrast, what do we believe in the West today? Its rather nebulous. Its been referred to as neo-liberalism, in essence a belief in market forces and a heightened sense of individualism. All ideologies are flawed. Neoliberalism lets down the economically disposable, religion oppresses individuals, usually women. British voters decided that the EU was another failed idea. Perhaps Brexit will give us an opportunity for some necessary self-examination. And perhaps it will be an outsider in the tradition of Hans Holbein, Joseph Conrad or V S Naipaul who will hold up the mirror for us to see who we really are. Its only when we know what our negotiating position is that we can decide what kind of integration we really want. Every YouTube hit is a hammer blow for traditional media The chat show is dead. Long live the chat show segment that became an online YouTube hit and was snapped up by Apple in a multi-million-dollar deal. The success of James Cordens Carpool Karaoke, which most recently featured Michelle Obama and Missy Elliott, epitomises how new media has overtaken old media viewing habits. Despite being nominated for four Emmys, Cordens stateside The Late Late Show normally only picks up around 1.3 million TV viewers. However, the shows karaoke skit, which sees Corden driving around a celebrity as they sing along to music on the radio, generates hundreds of millions of views whenever a new episode is uploaded online. Musicians are desperate to appear for the record sales boost it gives and Apple wants a piece of the pie, meaning Corden is in line for a payout even though he isnt set to present it. No doubt CBS, which broadcasts Cordens show, will also get a slice but the writing is on the wall for the older format and medium. Who wants to stay up past midnight and sit through a whole hour of programming, with adverts, just to see the 10 minutes they actually want to watch? In the digital age good ideas are king. FOMO doesnt extend to feeling the urge to see Harry Potter I might be a bit of a fool to admit this but as someone who has never read an entire Harry Potter book or watched any of the films, my interest in seeing the new stage play is rather limited. Yes, I know it has received five-star reviews and it is probably the theatrical event of the year but six hours over two sittings seems like just too much of an investment to make if youre not already a fan. Whether its TV box-sets or overlong Hollywood movies, fear of missing out and lack of time is the constant culture trade-off. * The capitals newest cultural quarter is rising in Stratford, east London, in the form of the 1 billion Olympicopolis quarter, but critics are already saying it is a poor rival to the Albertopolis area in South Kensington. There is always a degree of snobbery from west to east but surely we need to give it a while before we can compare the two. The 150-year head start is a slight advantage. A yesha Hazarika is telling me about her worst ever stand-up gig. It was an open-mic night in a pub full of rockers and bikers, she recalls. I was dying on my arse, and they just cut my mic and put rock music on. I was still talking when I was plunged into darkness. Once youve experienced that, Labour politics is OK. Hazarika, a former special adviser to Ed Miliband and Harriet Harman quit doing stand-up: The laughter stopped when I started working for the Labour Party. Now, though, shes back with a political show, Tales From The Pink Bus, which shes taking to Edinburgh next month. Theres no shortage of material. I did my first set of previews on the Sunday after Brexit. I thought Id just read out my Twitter feed because nothing was funnier than the news. Politics has surpassed satire. The Labour Party is bonkers, and then you look at America! I actually think the funniest thing Ive seen was the Vice documentary on [Jeremy] Corbyn; people were cry-laughing watching it. Her show explores her work advising on womens issues: It looks at how Labour dealt with feminism and why it was a bit of a sham. Women were not brilliantly represented in the upper echelons of the party we almost felt that they didnt have real power over policy, message or culture which is why we ended up with that ludicrous pink bus. We panicked and thought: Weve got to do something for women lets have a womens campaign! Shit, lets get a bus! A pink bus! Thatll do it! It was Harmans idea initially. At first I was like, Really? Hazarika grimaces. But she talked me through the logic. Harriet had been trying to push more [for women], and it was a constant no, no, no. This was the best we could do for women. Edinburgh Festival in London: Where to see the Fringe highlights 1 /18 Edinburgh Festival in London: Where to see the Fringe highlights If you can't face the Royal Mile this year, don't fret you can catch the best of Edinburgh Fringe in London Browse the gallery for a rundown of where you find the best of Edinburgh, in London. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Bridget Christie: Mortal Its an understatement to say that Bridget Christie had an alright Edinburgh festival in 2013. Her show A Bic for Her won the Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show, and then won plenty more when she got back, with the show going on to become the all-time top-selling comedy show at Soho Theatre when it whizzed down to London. Since then shes published A Book for Her and continued to be hilarious. She takes her 11th solo show Mortal up to Edinburgh this year where she will explain why she got a taxi during a charity walk. Where to see it in London: August 1-2, Museum of Comedy Zoe Coombs Marr - Dave 2: Trigger Warning Zoe Coombs Marrs stand-up is very good, and very meta: it involves her performing in male drag as a very bad stand-up. Her last show was a classic Edinburgh success story, going on to be a sell-out thanks to some glowing word of mouth reviews, and this one promises to be a must-see. Coombs Marr also made headlines for her activism against Australias anti-gay marriage laws: her and fellow comedian Rhys Nicholson were wed in front of each of their respective partners in protest at the laws stopping them from marrying the person they love. Where to see it in London: August 1-2, Soho Theatre James Brown Paines Plough's Roundabout Paines Plough will be taking their portable in-the-round auditorium Roundabout with them on the road to Edinburgh. A programme of wonderful new writing will include Love, Lies and Taxidermy by Alan Harris, Growth by Luke Norris and I Got Superpowers For My Birthday by Katie Douglas, as well as shows by visiting companies. They can all be caught at Hackney Showrooms in July, and are worth taking note of: their previous show Every Brilliant Thing, by Duncan Macmillan, was one of the biggest shows of the xxxx Festival, and will be performed there again this year. Where to see it in London: July 19-24, Hackney Showrooms Torch The songs of David Bowie and Patti Smith will be interwoven with contrasting stories of female experience in a new show from an all-female creative team. Written by Phoebe Eclair-Powell, busy already with her show Fury at Soho Theatre, and Jess Mabel Jones, it draws on an anonymous online survey that invited women to share experiences of gender. Where to see it in London: July 29, New Diorama Simon Slack: The Fantasist Simon Slack is the comic creation of Robert Cawsey - plus a puppet. This show is directed by Vicky Jones, who is currently writing with Stephen Merchant and previously directed Phoebe Waller-Bridges Fleabag, so it already has lots going in its favour. Last year Cawsey took a work in progress to the free fringe and didnt publicise it - so it was fortuante that two reviewers snuck in and absolutely loved it. Where to see it in London: July 26, Soho Theatre Richard Lakos How to Win Against History This show brings together two things that make you feel warm inside: costume dramas and musicals. It tells the story of Henry Cyril Paget, tranvestite and playwright, whose family burned every record of him after he died - which hardly seems fair. It includes members of Punchdrunk and Caroline Hortons creative teams, and promises to be fabulous. Where to see it in London: July 21-23, Ovalhouse The Lounge Inspector Sands are a theatre company who create devised work, and their previous Edinburgh shows have gone on to tour nationally and internationally, so its worth keeping an eye on what they do next. Their new show will explore the difficulty of growing old, in their characteristically absurd style - which is probably how getting old feels. Where to see it in London: July 28, artsdepot The Ruby in the Smoke This is the first stage adaptation of Philip Pullmans The Ruby in the Smoke, and has been created in collaboration with the author himself. Its a tale of Victorian intrigue which seems a perfect fit for the theatre, and its previews in Oxford have already sold out - so if you want to see it in London you need to move fast. Where to see it in London: July 29-30, Courtyard Theatre The Road to Huntsville Stephanie Ridings show blends storytelling with original research - she went to Texas to try and understand the British women who fall in love with men on death row. Love and death are the big ones, so its likely to be a moving show taking a compassionate look at humanity in extreme circumstances. Where to see it in London: 19 July, Old Red Lion Bilal Zafar: Cakes A man called John Lewis has a nightmare on Twitter every Christmas, and recently an ordinary chap called Joe Hart didnt have such a great time either. Bilal Zafars show charts the series of events following his Twitter handle becoming the focus of the global far rights rage - an unfortunate lack of research meant they mistakenly thought it was the account for a Muslim-only bakery. Zafars show demonstrates how he used humour to confront prejudice of British Muslims - which he needed, after facing the wrath of Katie Hopkins and the EDL. Where to see it in London: July 30, Tabard, Tabard Theatre and July 31 Pleasance Islington Pleasance Islington Stories to Tell in the Middle of the Night Francesca Millican-Slaters show takes the form of a late-night radio show. It promises to pay tribute to 2am insomniacs, nocturnal Facebookers, and shift workers - so its probably a bit more profound than Alan Partridge. Where to see it in London: 19 July, Old Red Lion Fabric Abi Zakarians new play looks at a woman trying to salvage her life in the aftermath of a rape. Following the story of a woman who has to move house for the third time following a court case, it asks who is really on trial in cases like these. Nancy Sullivan, previously known for being in Les Miserables and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, takes the lead role. Where to see it in London: July 11-14, New Wimbledon Theatre Two Man Show And heres one for when its all over and everyones banging on about that great show that you didnt see because you were hiding in London. RashDashs burst into the National Theatres temporary space last year like they owned the place - and for a few weeks, they did. They take their new show, which promises to wrestle with masculinity - that pesky blighter - up to the Fringe this summer, their first time there since 2012. It will be a riot - one of the fun sort. Where to see it in London: September 6 - 1 October, Soho Theatre, Old Red Lion Richard Davenport Hazarika also recounts stories of being the only woman in the room, including being repeatedly asked to do Milibands make-up. Often the blokes would give a running commentary on how crap your make-up skills were: Can you not do a bit more under his eyes? Have you got any of that tooch-ay aclat? How much make-up did Miliband need? Quite a lot. Not gonna lie. Ed liked his products: there was a job lot of Touche Eclat and Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. Given the sexism row currently engulfing the Labour Party, her show is timely. Hazarika admits shes in despair at the current state of the party. Whats uncomfortable is that weve always liked to believe weve championed womens issues. But we have got a massive blindspot within the party to institutional, structural sexism. She thinks Labour has accepted the need for more women MPs but not at the top. Its almost like: you can work hard on the front bench but dont get above your station. Running the show is like a Yorkie bar not for girls. Why does she think the sexism has been stoked now? Theres a purity to the hard Lefts goal its a class struggle for the working man. She is now supporting Owen Smith for the leadership but originally backed Angela Eagle. A lot of men on the Left were saying to me but the thing about Angela is, I dunno, has she really done much? Has she really got what it takes? She was good enough to be Jeremys stand-in at PMQs. Now that the Tories have another female leader does Hazarika feel Labour has been left behind? The last governments cuts fell disproportionately on women. You dont want a female prime minister whos Ive got here! Yay, me! Pull up the ladder! Hazarika is 40 now but looks far younger. Its all the fat I eat. Not like avocado, but West of Scotland fat. My body is literally 75 per cent onion rings, cheese balls and Quavers. She grew up in Glasgow and studied law at Hull. She later got a job in the civil service in London doing press stuff. I was like the admin girl. So not the fast stream? The slow stream. The special measures stream. While she was at the Department of Trade and Industry a friend encouraged her to do an evening course in stand-up. It helped me understand that performing is about failing which is probably why Im so good at politics. After 12 weeks, they put on a gig. Your friends and family come so you come off the stage thinking youre Eddie Izzard. Youre like Its a gift! Who knew? Then you get out on the comedy circuit and everyones like Booooooo! Get off! Hazarika did the open-mic circuit for five years while still working at the DTI but her comedy was never political. It was just knob gags and about growing up as a Muslim in Glasgow. My opening joke used to be Hullo, Im Ayesha from Glasgow. I know what youre thinking: brown skin, white teeth normally its the other way around. When Harman offered her a job, she asked Hazarika to stop the stand-up. In the beginning I tried to get Harriet to do jokes because I was trying to find an outlet. And shed say No jokes are not for a serious politicians. Over time, though, Harman softened: People always think women in politics cant be funny but Harriet has a brilliant sense of humour. Are women in politics afraid to be funny because its already tough to be taken seriously? 100 per cent. In this country weve just about got our heads around the fact that we can have women in charge but theres a very narrow field about what those woman are meant to be like youve got to be hatchet-faced, humourless or dour. Last year, while working on the general election campaign with Miliband, Hazarika went to the Women of the World Festival at the Southbank. She ended up having a drink with its artistic director Jude Kelly, who suggested Hazarika do politically-focused stand-up if Labour lose the election. I said, Were not going to lose. Ed will be Prime Minister but we shook on it. Cut to us losing. I got to autumn and I was sitting in my pants, watching the Daily Politics and fighting with people on Twitter. Kelly suggested Hazarika debut her show at the WOW festival. There were queues. Although the lot of female comedians is improving, she still feels theres sexism: I know a lot of excellent women whove been on the circuit for the past 20 years. Theyd be brilliant on TV but they can never get catapulted into being a star whereas a young hot guy will do that. Its also very white, especially among women. People often get me confused with Shazia Mirza because theres only two of us. She points out that shes so much more successful than me! Hazarika is particularly pleased that her material now focuses on diversity in politics rather than her own identity. Often if youre a black or Asian comedian your permission to be on stage is you have to do identity politics. You have to do a joke about your mother-in-law and about how many pakoras you can eat. You almost dont have permission to start talking about something random. This time, she feels she has found her own voice. When I started doing stand-up, I felt I had to talk about my cultural background. Then when I was in politics, I was the voice behind someone else Harriet or Ed, writing speeches. Finally, I can talk about what I want to talk about. Ayesha Hazarika: Tales from the Pink Bus is at the Good Ship Benefit, WC2 on Tues (goodshipbenefit.com), then at the Gilded Balloon Teviot (gildedballoon.co.uk) on Aug 15, 16 & 17 Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout T he mind-boggling tale of a female author whose greatest creation was a flesh-and-blood alter ego, an avatar so sexy, talented and (apparently) authentic that American writers, rockstars and film-makers lionised him for over six years. The prosaically monikered Laura Albert created J T Leroy some time in the late Nineties. She knew she had a way with words but didnt want to write in her own voice. Brooklyn-born, Jewish, married with a small child and (as far as she was concerned) hideously fat, Albert felt more loveable, sexy and creative when pretending to be a blonde, blueeyed boy. Gushing to therapists, publishers and, later, celebrities (in conversations which she bizarrely but rather presciently taped), Albert adopted the persona of a gender-fluid teen from West Virginia, infected by Aids and warped by years of sexual abuse. When her listeners wanted to meet J T, Albert convinced her sister-in-law, Savannah, to dress up and play the part. Imagine a girlish version of River Phoenix (or a tomboyish version of British journalist Miranda Sawyer). Savannah had the looks. Albert had the brains. Together they created quite the pretty-gritty package. Director Jeff Feuerzeig lets Albert (and the tapes) do most of the talking. Our anti-heroine is hypnotic, a speedy hybrid of Andy Warhol, Patricia Highsmith and last but not least Brass Eyes Chris Morris. Whether by accident or design Albert exploited the sloppy eagerness of the famous to jump on bandwagons. Edgy stars such as Bono, Winona Ryder and Asia Argento (who turned one of J T Leroys novels into a film) come out of this looking especially gullible and craven. Tom Waits seems pretty pompous, too. Ironically, the coke-guzzling Courtney Love, uninterested in the concept of dignity, emerges with hers intact. We only hear once from Savannah. You long to know how the ruse impacted on her sanity. You feel a sneaking desire, too, to get a peak at Alberts son Thor. But its probably right that Feuerzeig keeps his distance. Albert, clearly a self-promoter and the dictionary definition of an unreliable narrator, nevertheless avoids turning her life into a soap opera and so does the film. Bleakly illuminating, this is a story about stories. End of. Cert 15, 111 mins Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout Review at a glance T he Bourne franchise had seemed so busted. Robert Ludlums trilogy of novels had all been filmed: The Bourne Identity in 2002, The Bourne Supremacy in 2004 and The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007. Matt Damon starred magnificently in them all and the last two were brilliantly directed by Paul Greengrass (United 93, Captain Philips) whose immersive, quasi-documentary style, using what he calls the unknowing camera the viewer having to keep pace with the action, events occurring a half-second ahead of us, the unknowing camera itself often shuddering wildly, as critic Danny Leigh explains it made them both highly exciting and hugely influential on other action films, notably the more recent Bonds. The films grossed around $945 million altogether. Both Greengrass and Damon, however, declined to get involved with making a fourth. Franchise owner Universal went ahead anyway. Direction of The Bourne Legacy, which came out in 2012, was delegated to the co-writer of the earlier films, Tony Gilroy, and it starred the never terribly charismatic Jeremy Renner, not as Bourne but as another mentally and physically enhanced agent, Aaron Cross, in another secret military programme, dimly called Outcome. I thought at the time it was soulless, busy-busy in an empty way, a two-star movie. Now, however, more than 10 years after we last heard from Bourne (notionally The Bourne Ultimatum left him in 2004), hes back, played again by an ever leaner and meaner Damon, now 45, who in the interim has shown only ever more clearly how well he can hold up an entire film. Astonishing: Matt Damon brings back the Bourne we know and love He is better than before. That Jason Bourne thing of acting so decisively, not appearing to need to assess the situation, not looking behind or to the side but just doing things a lot quicker and more forcefully than you can anticipate, and then being able to blend into the crowd as if he had never been involved, is more striking than ever here. And hes still Matt Damon, which is to say naturally so relatable, as that hopelessly inadequate word has it, so appealing, sympathetic, charming even at least for the ruthless killer with irreconcilable psychological problems he plays here. And Jason Bourne the film rightly claims the simplicity of that title, leaving behind that slightly daft Ludlum format The Corbyn Primacy, etc has been originated again by Greengrass, as co-producer, co-writer with his regular collaborator Christopher Rouse and, critically, as director once more. For Greengrass, whose background was in politically committed TV documentaries before he made his breakout film Bloody Sunday in 2002 and moved into Hollywood action movies, is simply the most intelligent and effective action director out there. He is, as he says, making something smart, right in the heart of the mainstream and his films leave the formulaic superhero production line looking so corporate and uninspired. Even what he says about his technique, how he makes his films move, is remarkably revealing. He talks, for example, about tempo as if it were music. There is the filming tempo, the tempo at which you shoot... Theres also the inner tempo of the movie. Is everybody moving fast enough or are they moving too fast? Youre not likely to be aware of these considerations when youre watching his films precisely because he has thought them out so well that you are just gripped and carried along. For his films combine lurching handheld cameras staying with a scene for longer than seems possible with fast edits that actually take you closer into whats happening, unlike the random jump-cuts of less focused film-makers. While the world has been turned into a system of non-stop surveillance, and mistrust of all governments has been growing, Bourne has been living under the radar, still a deeply tormented man. We first see him earning his living as a bare-knuckle fighter on the Greek-Albanian border. In one contest, he suddenly and decisively walks forward and knocks out a fearsome challenger with his first punch, as we know he can. In another, however, he is masochistically taking a beating, perhaps out of guilt and self-loathing. Then he spots in the watching crowd one of the few of his old colleagues who he ever trusted, Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) and promptly dispatches his opponent. Nicky has hacked the CIAs files and come to tell Bourne what she has discovered about Operation Treadstone and in particular the role his own father played in it (this Oedipal drama is perhaps necessary to Bournes motivation in returning to attack the organisation again but its the films weakest link). However, while getting this information Nicky has immediately come to the attention of the CIA, who now have incredible powers of real-time surveillance around the world and want still more (theres a subplot about them compromising the privacy settings of a social network company called Deep Dream, as it might be Facebook, led by a rebellious CEO called Aaron Kalloor, played by Riz Ahmed). The CIA director, Robert Dewey, turns out to be our old friend Tommy Lee Jones, in fully malevolent mode. At a wild guess. Id say that TLJ has not been consistently applying SPF50 sunblock throughout his 69 years in Texas. To call the incredible corrugations and pouches of his skin leathery is unfair to any good quality leather. He makes a saltwater crocodile look like a tender baby. His eyes are hard black stones. He unleashes on Bourne and Nicky not only large teams of agents but his most deadly assassin, known simply as The Asset, a man with a deeply personal reason for wanting to take out Bourne, played with hatchet-faced determination and almost no words by Vincent Cassel (La Haine, Mesrine). Oddly enough, when he does finally speak, he seems Scottish, although this of course only makes him all the more frightening. But Dewey and The Asset are undermined from within. The cyber head at the CIA, Heather Lee, wants to do good. Heather is played by Alicia Vikander. One of my fellow-reviewers, whose verdicts I have otherwise nearly always agreed with, said she was very prettily miscast here. Such nonsense! A technical impossibility, really, since anybody in his or her right mind would want to see Alicia Vikander, the most touching as well as beautiful actress on the planet, in anything whatsoever, for as long as possible. She is so extraordinary to look at, her skin so glowing (even without the TLJ contrast), her voice so affecting (versus his sinister gravel, for sure), the way she holds herself so gracefully, her brown eyes so meltingly soft... Perhaps you do have difficulty ever thinking she might be a baddie? Who cares? Interestingly, somebody in the making of this film perhaps even the director seems to have just as high an opinion of Vikander as I do, since the camera treats her more kindly, more patiently, than anyone else. Quite right too. There is that about her that brings tears to the eyes. Yes, there are astonishing car chases (in Athens on a motorbike and Las Vegas) and fearsome fights (including one shot here at Paddington Basin, very effectively). In a classic Bourne like this, there is just so much less peripheral baggage and posturing than there is in a Bond: it makes it just so much more exciting. If youve ever enjoyed a Bourne film, youll like this one as much as any of them. Cant say fairer than that. The grudging notices elsewhere are baffling to me. Perhaps theyre still reviewing the last one? Cert 12A, 123 mins Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout T he director of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child says he would not be worried if Daniel Radcliffe came to see the show because he thinks the actor would be really pleased by his characters evolution. Radcliffe, who made his name as Harry in the film adaptation of J K Rowlings books, is expected to follow in the footsteps of his co-star Emma Watson by seeing the play at the Palace Theatre. At the moment he is appearing on stage himself, in the Donmar Warehouse production of Privacy in New York. Director John Tiffany said Watsons visit was very emotional. She asked to be introduced to the shows cast and crew including Noma Dumezweni, who plays the grown-up version of her character, Hermione. I knew she was coming because she had asked to meet us and it was lovely, she was gorgeous about the play and very emotional, Tiffany said. She was emotional just about going back into that world again, she was gorgeous with Noma and she has been very supportive but you look at Emmas choices of work and you realise she has taste and understands ambitious art. "It is the same with Daniel and Rupert Grint [who played Ron Weasley], theyve made really interesting choices and Im not worried about them coming at all because I think they would be really pleased that this is how it has evolved. Harry Potter and The Cursed Child - fans amazed by new play The Cursed Child has received five-star reviews and has its gala performance tomorrow. Tiffany said he was pleased fans had embraced the show, which was written by playwright Jack Thorne. Based on a new story by Rowling, it follows the main characters into middle age. He said: It is a new story, its not an adaptation of something that exists, its a world that exists and its 19 years later so we are being very true to the books. If we do evolve from them for the purposes of the story weve been very clear about why thats happened. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures 1 /25 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - in pictures Manuel Harlan Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout B rixton is one of London's most rapidly changing areas. Each week a new artisan fried chicken bar, cocktail den or smart estate agent seems to open as gentrification sweeps over the south London district. When 'Brixton Boy' David Bowie died in January this year, Brixton was thrust into the limelight further with various street parties held and murals painted in his honour. But it seems the regeneration of Brixton is not just a recent thing. This collection of photographs shows how the area has undergone a number of changes over the years, constantly evolving in character and social stucture. From a middle class suburb in the 1890s, the south London neighbourhood flourished in the Victorian era but turned to urban decay as a result of the Second World War bombings. In the 1940s and 1950s, recently arrived Caribbean communities settled in the newly built council houses in the area, establishing Brixton as the centre of a nascent multi-cultural Britain. A photograph from the early 1900s depicts the days when trams connected Brixton to Kennington and Elephant and Castle, while a picture from 1923 shows a more exotic mode of transport vying for attention - a zebra and trap. Others show young boys delighting in the snow as their toboggan turns over, and a 1930s snapshot of Brixton market - one of London's top attractions today. From the Christmas Lights in the 1920s to the extension of the Victoria line in 1971, these photographs will take you on a journey of Brixton life through the years. One thing's clear from the pictures, Brixton has always been a good place for good night out - perhaps less so for Mick Jagger, who is pictured being driven to prison. Click through our gallery above to take a tour of this ever-evolving south London district. Follow us on Twitter @eslifeandstyle O ne in eight Londoners plans to rent a car in Europe this summer, new research reveals, but what awaits them after sterlings recent fall in value? The good news is that fuel prices remain lower than a year ago, when sterling was at a seven-year high against the euro and other European currencies. According to Post Office Travel Money, the cost of unleaded petrol is down on 2015 pump prices in eight of the 10 countries where Londoners are most likely to drive. This includes a three per cent fall to 99p in Spain, where two in five Londoners habitually drive on overseas holidays. Pump prices have fallen further in Greece by six per cent but a litre of unleaded will still set you back 1.15. Portugal is the most expensive at 1.27, almost six per cent dearer than last summer, while unleaded petrol also costs more than 12 months ago in Ireland up 2.7 per cent to 1.13. Fuel costs account for a relatively small part of car hire expenses in Europe, however. For its annual car rental report, Post Office Travel Money looked at prices in the 10 European destinations where Londoners drive most and discovered that the cost of renting for a week varies by hundreds of pounds. Car hire in Cyprus where unleaded petrol is cheapest at 98p rates as best value. Researchers calculated the cost of a weeks car hire there at 377, based on picking a vehicle up from Larnaca Airport and including sat-nav, wi-fi, additional driver and a tank of fuel. In comparison, renting a car at Faro Airport in the Algarve would cost 60 per cent more, at 604. Spain looks relatively good value at about 457 for a weeks rental in Majorca and 476 in the Costa del Sol. So does France (463), where three in 10 Londoners say they will hire a car and Italy (472), where a quarter will drive. However, they will not fare so well in other countries. Drivers face paying almost 200 more in Germany than in Cyprus (523) and that cost escalates to 586 in Switzerland. There are pitfalls to avoid when renting abroad. Drivers hiring cars in Europe could face excess charges of up to 1,489 if they have an accident or the vehicle is stolen. But 56 per cent of Londoners questioned did not take out excess waiver insurance, which would reduce that charge to zero (see left). Once the cost of extras is added, car hire can become expensive so it is understandable that many motorists opt for the cheapest rate, says Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money. But the consequence could be a much higher bill if you have an accident or if another driver hits your car and leaves without giving their details. Holiday motorists should check the latest regulations to ensure they know the rules, too. Post Office research found that Londoners are more likely to be stopped for driving infringements than motorists from anywhere else in the UK. One in seven were stopped in Spain, where regulations have been tightened in recent years. A quarter of this group were stopped for speeding, for which fines vary between 85-513 at current exchange rates. In France, 11 per cent of Londoners were stopped by police. The most common reason was speeding (38 per cent) with fines of up to 1,282. Check out the rules for motoring overseas at: theaa.com A POINTLESS EXCESS? Some 36 per cent of car hirers buy an excess waiver policy from the rental firm, despite it costing up to 70 per cent more than a specialist policy bought in the UK, a survey reveals. The survey for iCarhireinsurance.com found 42 per cent thought excess waiver policies were a rip off, but 22 per cent felt pressurised into buying it. The average cost of a weeks car hire excess insurance in Europe this summer was almost 90. The costliest in the study was at Europcar, Barcelona, at 152 for a weeks cover. A policy from iCarhireinsurance.com starts at 2.99 a day for Europe or 37.99 for an annual policy. Find out more at moneymaxim.com T hese pictures reveal the Bear Grylls-style survival kit of a London teenager who plotted to join Islamic State in Syria. Middlesex University student Cubeyda Jama, 19, drew up a list of possible jobs he could do for the terrorist group and packed a solar-powered iPhone charger, an electric shaving kit, a map of Turkey and a woollen bobble hat as he tried to quit the UK. Radicalised online, Jama used his student loan to buy a one-way ticket to Romania on the first leg of the journey, downloaded a step-by-step manual to Islamic warfare, and swore an oath of allegiance to IS. However his plans were thwarted when anti-terror police hauled him off a plane on the runway at Stansted on February 5. His belongings included a map of Turkey, protective clothing, torches and a first aid kit Judge Gerald Gordon, sitting at the Old Bailey, said Jama was naive to believe his homemade plot to become a terrorist would succeed, lacking proper planning and enough money to reach Syria. But he said the teen had resolved to do whatever was required of you if he managed to join the radical Islamic extremists. After his arrest, detectives uncovered an instructional e-book detailing how to join IS and listing items needed for the journey. In a search of Jamas flat above a beauty salon in London Road, Thornton Heath, south London, they found a handwritten kit-list subtitled Bear Grills [sic] which also listed potential IS jobs including chef, bomb-making department, and fitness military trainer. A file entitled self-sacrifice saved on a USB drive set out arguments attempting to legitimise suicide bombings, while Jama had also downloaded videos of IS prisoners being beheaded. His backpack contained batteries and a kit of high-powered torches Judge Gordon sentenced the computer science student to three-and-half years in a young offenders institution after he pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. He highlighted Jamas nomadic childhood, leaving his native Finland for Somalia before settling in London in 2010 and having to learn English from scratch, as a possible cause of his radicalisation. No doubt that made you somewhat isolated and with time on your hands, he said. Jama, 19, seen on CCTV at Stansted airport Youre described by the psychologist as naive and I think thats right. You were at obvious risk of radicalisation, be it self-radicalisation via the internet, radicalisation through others or a combination of the two. He was sentenced to three and a half years in a young offenders' institute That is exactly what happened. The judge added: You were not travelling with any developed specific terrorist activities in mind, such as fighting, and in light of your comparative lack of funds, lack of detailed onwards travel planning, and apparent lack of necessary introduction to obtain acceptance into Daesh, your chances of having actually succeeded in your aim was low. But if you did achieve your aim of joining Daesh, you would have had no option but to do whatever was required of you. Jama will serve half his sentence before being considered for release, and will spend an extra year on licence once he is free again. Calling it one of the hardest sentences hes had to decide, a Dane County judge sentenced a Russian immigrant to probation for the stabbing death last summer of her husband at their rural DeForest farmhouse. In nearly his last case, on his last afternoon as a Dane County judge, Circuit Judge David Flanagan sentenced Irina Kolenkina, 55, to seven years in prison, but suspended the sentence and ordered her instead to serve 10 years of probation, for the June 13, 2015, stabbing death of her husband, Vladimir Shevchuk, 52. You could have walked away, Flanagan said. It didnt have to happen. But because he believed that Kolenkina had been honest with police about the incident, had no criminal record or bad behavior and had been subjected to ongoing abuse by Shevchuk, he said there was no need to protect the public from her that warranted locking her away. Because she committed an extraordinarily serious crime, Flanagan agreed to impose the seven years of prison that prosecutors had sought, but suspended it. It was unclear Friday, however, whether Kolenkina would be freed from the Dane County Jail. Because she is not a U.S. citizen and committed a crime, said her lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Dorothea Watson, its likely that she will be deported to Russia. But neither Watson nor prosecutors knew whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had placed an immigration hold on Kolenkina, and jail records were not clear about it, either. ICE generally does not disclose the immigration status of individuals, but a spokeswoman said Friday she was looking into it. Kolenkina was originally charged with first-degree intentional homicide after she told investigators that during a day of drinking, she and Shevchuk argued constantly, and that the argument ended when she pushed him down, jumped on top of him and stabbed him to death. Under a plea agreement, she pleaded guilty last month to second-degree reckless homicide. The plea ended a bid to show that Kolenkina had acted in self-defense when she killed Shevchuk, who was a farmhand. Assistant District Attorney Rachel Sattler argued for a seven-year prison sentence and said that anything less than a prison sentence would unduly depreciate the gravity of what Kolenkina had done. She said that Kolenkina at first claimed Shevchuk had been killed by intruders, then admitted to police she had killed him. She said that in Kolenkinas statements to police, there were numerous red flags of domestic violence, but Kolenkina denied there was anything more than mutual fights and shoving. Her initial statements about killing him were cold, callous and indifferent, Sattler said. At another point, however, Kolenkina told police that Shevchuk was a good man and he didnt deserve to die, Sattler said. But victims of domestic violence disclose it in different ways, she said, and Kolenkina later did disclose it. But at the moment she killed Shevchuk, Sattler said, she was in no immediate danger, and admitted she didnt have to kill him. Watson, who asked for probation, said that initial reports had incorrectly stated that Kolenkina was a butcher back home in Russia, when in fact she had been a meat inspector. Kolenkina didnt remember exactly what happened when she killed Shevchuk, Watson said, but did say in one statement that Shevchuk was strangling her just before she stabbed him. She said Kolenkina initially lied to police about intruders because her only contacts with police had been in Russia, which frightened her. In a statement given in Russian and translated into English, Kolenkina said in court that what happened will be in my soul for the rest of my life.Nothing, nothing is able to take that stone off my soul the weight I am suffering, she said. A US citizen who was extradited to the UK to stand trial has been found guilty of a violent rape he committed 20 years ago. Pierre Antoine Bate, 42,, of Maricopa Drive, Santa Barbara broke in and carried out a violent and sustained attack on a woman in her south London home. During the early hours of July 22 1996 the victim awoke in her Thornton Heath home to find Bate in her bedroom staring at her. He told her that a friend of his was with her children in the room next door, and then placed his arm across her throat and raped and indecently assaulted her several times for more than an hour and a half, when he fled the scene and the victim was able to call police. Detectives investigating the crime managed to recover a partial DNA profile, but at that time it was not enough to identify a suspect. However, in 2011, a forensic review of the investigation was conducted, and material taken at the time of the original investigation was examined using enhanced DNA techniques. As a result, a new DNA profile was obtained, which linked Bate to the crime when it was compared against the national DNA database. Bate was extradited from America on February 23 this year to face trial. He was on the database after he was convicted in 2008 of a sexual offence committed in Kentish Town in 1995. Police identified Bate as the suspect in the Kentish Town attack following a 2004 cold case investigation.. Bate had been extradited from the US to the UK for this 2008 trial and was subsequently sentenced to 26 months imprisonment, but had returned to the US upon his release. Detective Sergeant Karen Bradley, Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "Thanks to developments in forensics and our commitment to identify and arrest people no matter how much time has passed, Bate is today facing a long time in prison. "He had thought that he wouldn't get caught, despite moving to the US we brought him back to London to face justice. He is a dangerous man, who broke into the house that night with the sole intention of committing rape. "The victim has shown huge courage in supporting our investigation and the court case, after a vicious and prolonged attack in her home with her children asleep close by. "I would appeal for any victims of sexual assault to come forward safe in the knowledge they will be listened to and have their allegations fully investigated. We are committed to bringing perpetrators of rape and sexual offences to justice." Bate was convicted today at Southwark Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of eight counts of rape and one count of burglary with intent to rape following a two week trial. He will be sentenced at the same court on August 12. T wo men were jailed today for trying to smuggle 18 Albanian immigrants into the UK before their boat broke down. Mark Stribling, 35, and Robert Stilwell, 33, illegally attempted to help the migrants on a boat from France which had to be rescued in the English Channel. Stilwell, a former European and Commonwealth judo champion, and Stribling were to be paid 2,000 each to make the journey to the south of Calais and transport the migrants, who had paid 6,000 each for the crossing, Maidstone Crown Court heard. The migrants - 15 men, one woman and two children - had waded into the water before climbing on board the white rigid inflatable boat (rib) on the evening of May 28 this year. Mark Stribling and Robert Stilwell on board the boat, which drifted for three hours in the sea / Home Office/PA Wire They had to be rescued by the Coastguard and the crew of HMC Valiant after the boat lost power after they set off France and drifted for almost three hours taking in water. A video from the search and rescue helicopter played to the court showed a migrant using a small container to try to bail out the boat, while Stribling could be seen remonstrating with other migrants. When lifeboat crews arrived, the woman migrant was "showing signs of hypothermia", prosecutor Nina Ellin said. Jailed: Robert Stilwell (left) and Mark Stribling / Home Office/PA Wire It took four return trips to the HMC Valiant, a Border Force cutter ship, to remove all the migrants and the defendants from the rib, taking a total of an hour and a half. Ms Ellin said rescuers overheard one of the defendants - the only English speakers on board - claim they had been fishing and had rescued the migrants, while the other was said to have shouted that the boat had run out of fuel as they did so. Once the pair arrived back at Dover, they appeared in "good spirits" and joked about the strength of the tea and coffee. Stribling, of Hilltop Farm, Farningham, near Swanley in Kent, was jailed for four years and eight months and Stilwell, of Stanley Close, Greenhithe, was sentenced to four years and four months in prison. Both had pleaded guilty to immigration law. Stilwell appeared stunned by the sentence and mouthed "Tell them I love them" as he was sent down, while Stribling smirked. In sentencing, Judge Jeremy Carey said the event was fuelled by the defendants greed, recklessness and deceit and the desire to get easy money. He added: "A tragedy was averted by a whisker." Additional reporting by Press Association. M ore than 500 children have been identified as potential victims of online sexual abuse during a major police investigation. As many as 30 million indecent images were recovered during Police Scotland's Operation Lattise which has resulted in the arrest of 77 people so far. Charges included rape, sharing indecent images of children, some as young as three, sexual extortion and grooming. Of the 523 "victims or potential victims", 122 have been referred to child protection services. The operation was carried out between June 6 and July 15, and involved 134 investigations. More than 390 charges have been brought so far and many of the investigations are ongoing. The six-week operation drew together resources from across Police Scotland, including prevention, investigation, local policing and specialist teams. Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: "Online child sexual abuse is a national threat, the reality is it is happening now, not only in Scotland but across the world, to children of all ages, from infants to teenagers. "Operation Lattise was about shining a light on the scale of this issue, it was focused activity to tackle the many forms of online child sexual abuse by identifying those who pose a risk to children online and, more importantly, identifying victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as preventing more youngsters becoming victims. "Let me make it clear: child sexual abuse and exploitation, which can range from sharing images depicting the rape, sexual torture or assault of a child to grooming or sexually extorting a child, takes place solely because of decisions made on the part of the abuser. "Online child sexual abuse is not a victimless crime: children, from toddlers to teenagers, are being sexually abused and exploited now in Scotland and when an image or video clip is shared or viewed, they are being re-victimised. "Police Scotland is committed to keeping children safe and the protection of children was absolutely at the heart of Operation Lattise. "All children have a right to protection against abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence. We will continue to work with our partners to protect and promote the wellbeing of all children. "Our commitment to tackling this horrific threat will continue." P olice are to launch an investigation after a young black man says he was left bruised and shaken when officers pinned him to the ground and placed a hood over his head during an arrest at a London train station. IK Aihie, 20, was detained by British Transport police at London Bridge station on 21 July at 11.30pm after he allegedly became aggressive towards officers. Police say he threatened to spit at them while he was being held so they placed a covering over his head called a spit guard. The footage filmed by a commuter, Ayda Mosharraf, shows Aihie shouting as police officers hold him on the ground. At one point they are seen putting a full face spit hood over his head. Pinned down: A still from the dramatic video His girlfriend, Jessica McConkey, can be seen in distress in the clip, claiming the couple were having an argument and the police arrested him. Aihie was held in a cell overnight in Islington and released the next day after accepting a caution for a public order offence. McConkey has now complained to the force claiming it used excessive force. British Transport police said it had launched an investigation but said Aihie became aggressive after police intervened in the argument between the couple, and threatened to spit at the officers. Ordeal: The young man was placed in a spit hood Ms McConkey told the Guardian : Both IK and I are law abiding citizens and have the utmost respect for the police force and the work they do. However, in this instance we were treated unfairly and the use of force during IKs arrest was excessive and unwarranted and I have made a complaint to the British Transport police. Aihie told the Guardian: It was a completely terrifying experience for both of us and Ive been left bruised and shaken. Ive never been arrested before and certainly dont intend to be ever again. Mosharraf, 26, filmed the incident and posted the footage on Facebook. She told the Guardian she had never witnessed anything like that before. She said: I saw the guy getting arrested. They were getting pinned to the wall and he was asking why he was being arrested. He was saying, what are you arresting me for? I want to know and they werent answering. That was making him frustrated. He said I havent done anything wrong. I think they could have explained to him why he was being arrested. She added: Ive never witnessed anything like that before. Ive never seen an arrest like that. I didnt know is that the usual way you arrest somebody? Putting on the spit hood what was the reason for that? I didnt see him spit and I was so close. I can understand it makes a person feel like a dog. A British Transport police spokesman said: The incident occurred shortly after 11.30pm when officers intervened in an argument between a man and a woman. The man then became aggressive towards the officers, at which point he was arrested. Whilst being held, he made a threat that he would spit at officers who then placed a spit guard on him. The man has since accepted a caution for an offence under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. The force said a complaint about excessive force was being investigated by its professional standards department. A spit hood is made of mesh and designed to protect officers and staff from prisoners biting and spitting. A London hospital is to continue to divert patients with minor complaints away from A&E after people sought emergency help for a wasp sting, haemorrhoids and thrush. Queens, in Romford, is extending a two-week trial for a further month after telling up to 60 patients a day that their condition did not require urgent specialist care. One patient sought A&E treatment for a cut finger that had stopped bleeding. Another turned up at the hospital one of the busiest in the capital, with up to 550 A&E attendances a day because the timing of an outpatient appointment was not suitable. Of the 60 people a day redirected to a GP or pharmacy after being assessed by a senior doctor, 20 did not need any form of medical intervention and were given advice on how they could look after themselves at home. The pioneering project was launched on July 11 to give emergency department medics more time to concentrate on people with life-threatening illness or injury. Sheraz Younas, who leads the urgent care centre at Queens, said: Patients often come to the emergency department because they dont know the best place to go for treatment, or they may feel their symptoms can only be treated at hospital. During the trial weve found that after weve spoken to people about how to manage their symptoms, whether that be going to their local pharmacy or other primary care services in the community, theyre really happy to have been given this advice by a clinician. Ive yet to come across any unhappy patients. This not only gives us more time to focus on the patients who really need emergency care, it saves a huge amount of people lots of time by going to appropriate services outside our hospital. NHS England figures show that Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS trust, which runs Queens and its sister hospital King George, in Ilford, had the second worst A&E performance in London in May. A total of 81.4 per cent of patients were treated within four hours. The NHS target is 95 per cent. Only the crisis-hit North Middlesex was worse, at 72.9 per cent. The Queens trial, which ran from 8am to 8pm each day and did not include children, was launched as health chiefs had become concerned that long waits were no longer a deterrent to patients seeking help at A&Es for minor complaints. Many said they came to A&E because they were guaranteed to be seen and they have to wait too long for a GP appointment. A rmed police stormed a business park after reports of a gunman at large - only to find the scare was sparked by a delivery driver's handheld PC. Witnesses said officers wielding sub machine guns forced their way into an office in New Malden during the scare. Photographer Mathew Frost reported seeing 18 armed police officers descend on King's Park Business Centre in New Malden around 6pm yesterday. Police later confirmed the call was the result of an "honest mistake". Mr Frost told the Standard: Initially three armed police with sub machine guns arrived and quickly scaled a 10ft high security gate. They then smashed their way into the office building. They were quickly followed by around another 15 armed police. There had been reports of a person dressed in army camouflage entering the office building with a gun. Local businesses were reportedly evacuated while the situation unfolded and worried residents speculated as to what was happening. But officers eventually discovered the man was not armed and was in fact a delivery driver with a handheld PC known as Personal Digital Assistant. Kingston Police later tweeted: We deployed armed officers last night to reports of a man with a gun. Turned out to be a delivery driver with a PDA! A Met Police spokeswoman confirmed the incident was an honest mistake. She said: A member of the public reported a man was in possession of a firearm. Officers, including firearms officers attended the scene. Honest mistake: Police found a delivery driver with his PDA / Shutterstock Enquiries, including CCTV, revealed the man was not in possession of any weapon. No offences were disclosed and the informant was advised. T hese are the first images of a new Elizabeth line train ahead of the launch of the 14 billion Crossrail project next May. It is the first in a fleet of 66 air-conditioned trains, which will operate on the Elizabeth line, linking Shenfield in Essex and Abbey Wood in south-east London to Heathrow and Reading, via Canary Wharf and Oxford Street. Transport for London commissioner Mike Brown was today driving the train on Bombardier Transportations test track in Derby. He said the trains, to be introduced in stages, were a showcase for British design and manufacture. The new Class 345 trains will enter service when the first section of the line, which will be known as Crossrail, opens next May between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in Essex. It is believed the final interiors may differ in design to the first look seen today. Step inside: the interior of an Elizabeth Line train (Twitter/@ianvisits) / @ianvisits The first trains will initially be seven carriages and 160 metres long to fit existing platforms at Liverpool Street. Step inside: the seats on the new Elizabeth line / Railway Gazette International A full nine carriage, 200 metre-long train, with a capacity of 1,500 people, will be introduced on the line from May 2018, initially between Heathrow and Paddington. A test engineer on the first Elizabeth line test train / Joe Giddens/PA Val Shawcross, London's Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: These state-of-the-art trains will play a key role in Londons future helping to deliver a modern, world class transport system through the new Elizabeth line and enabling Londons transport network to cope as our population rises. Alongside the new and modernised stations they will serve, the new trains will transform travel across London and will make life better for millions of Londoners. Launch: How the trains will look / Joe Giddens/PA The rail route will officially become the Elizabeth line when the trains start running through central London in December 2018. Inside the train, seats upholstered in bright orange material line the walk-through carriages. Elizabeth line train building time lapse The outside of the train is splashed with a deep purple in keeping with the Elizabeth lines royal name and colour theme. Transport Minister Lord Ahmad, said: The Elizabeth Line and its new trains are a great example of our commitment to improve passenger journeys by investing in one of the most ambitious infrastructure programmes ever undertaken in the UK. Inside the new Elizabeth line train / Railway Gazette International "This investment will transform the way people travel across London and beyond. And it doesnt stop here. The Government is spending record amounts on upgrading the rail network, providing a huge boost to capacity to keep Britain moving, support economic growth and bring our country closer together. TfL has also released timelapse footage of engineers building the new train piece by piece. The first train will now undergo a rigorous testing programme and will be loaded with over one hundred tonnes of weight to simulate being full of passengers. Once fully launched in 2019, the Elizabeth line is expected to carry about half a million passengers per day. A man with a knife hurled tiles and an aerial from the roof of a house in south-east London in an eight-hour standoff with police. Police, fire crews and paramedics rushed to Erith in the early hours of this morning over reports that the man had climbed onto a roof. Officers cordoned off Slade Green Road at 1am as negotiators worked to talk the man down. Bemused residents took to social media to discuss the events. Mark Gunnell said on Facebook: (He) ripped off tiles (and an) aerial and threw it to the many riot police, firemen and ambulance. Przemek Wolski saw what was happening as he walked his dog around 5am. He told News Shopper that there was a man by the chimney, throwing stuff down to the police. He added: "I saw this guy throwing something heavy on the street. "Roof tiles, or some ceramics from the chimney - not sure. Ongoing police incident Slade Green Rd since 2:45. Hostage or shooting? fire engine, ambulances, police riot gear. A spokesman for the Met said police were called at 1.05am to reports of a man with a knife threatening to self-harm on a roof. He added: He threw a number of objects at police. The man was talked down from the roof at 8.30am. A 40-year-old man has been arrested over affray and criminal damage. He is being held at a south London police station. There were no reports of any injures and Slade Green Road has now fully reopened. A cyclist has suffered life-changing injures after being struck by a lorry in central London during rush hour. Emergency services rushed to the scene after the male rider was hit by the lorry on Victoria Embankment. The cyclist and lorry collided at the junction with Temple Place at about 7.20am. The rider, whose age is currently unknown, was taken to an east London hospital by paramedics. One witness said the cyclist was "smashed up" by the lorry and described the scene as "absolute madness". Another described seeing the rider knocked over by a truck. A new segregated cycle superhighway opened along Victoria Embankment in April this year. A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a Motorcycle Response Unit to the scene alongside London's Air Ambulance. "The first of our medics were at the scene in under seven minutes. We treated a man at the scene for a head injury and took him as a priority escorted by the doctor from the air ambulance to hospital." A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the cyclist's injuries are thought to be life-changing. The driver stopped at the scene and is assisting police with their enquiries. No arrests have been made. Road closures remained in place for more than four hours following the collision. I n the lead-up to last years general election, Russell Brand was our most prominent revolutionary, for better or worse. But when Labour lost, he disappeared to Henley-on-Thames. Now The Londoner hears the guerrilla comedian is plotting an educated return. In February, students at the School of Oriental and African Studies in Bloomsbury saw Brands familiar birds-nest hair bobbing down their corridors. Was he there to the preach to the masses? Nope. It seems he is trying to sign up to be preached to as a new student at SOAS. In a recent podcast, Brand stated that he was keen to return to education. I am going to do a degree in Religion in Global Politics, he said. Im going to spend the next three years doing it part-time. You only have to pop in a day a week. But it still wasnt concrete. Ive not done it yet. Ive got to go for the interview next week. Im hoping theyre going to let me in just on the basis of Come on, let me in, Ive been on the fucking telly. Give us a break. He did not name the institution but SOAS is the only place The Londoner knows of that offers a Masters in Religion in Global Politics. The news is spreading around campus a SOAS student tweeted they had heard of Brands pending arrival but the comedians representatives are less willing to share. SOAS, meanwhile, is playing coy, saying: We attract applications from a diverse range of talented students. Alumni include Aung San Suu Kyi and Brands ex, Jemima Goldsmith. Brand did not do A-levels, so may not strictly meet the entry requirements, but maybe he has hidden talents. ----- Brexit may mean Brexit but it might take a while. David Davis, Secretary of State for the split, speaks only English, while Michel Barnier, the former French government minister and European commissioner, deals only in his mother tongue. With the need for translation thats double the negotiation time. If only Boris had stayed involved: for all his faults, the former Mayor speaks French beautifully. And Italian, as well as passable Spanish and German. ----- Powerful voice in Hinkley nuclear debate To C or not to C? That is the question, as the decision on building Britains first nuclear power station for 20 years at Hinkley Point C has been delayed. Greg Clark, the new Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Secretary, will review the project, despite last week praising EDFs investment plans. Has Clark been badgered by the ghosts of comment pieces past? Nick Timothy, Theresa Mays Chief of Staff and ideas guru, wrote last year on Conservative Home that the project was selling our national security to China, who are partial investors, citing experts concerns that the Chinese might hold us to ransom with a back-door off switch. The Londoner is keen to mind its own Business but does Clark have the Energy to question Timothy, or will this Industrial-scale decision be taken on Strategic grounds? ----- A big cat on the prowl in the Big Apple Spotted: Cara Delevingne about town in New York, sporting a lion-print jacket to match her lion tattoo, her philanthropic work supporting Cecil the Lion and the lions in her Mulberry collection. Is Cara getting in touch with her animal side? She explained her role in the upcoming film Suicide Squad as an ancient sorceress, a feral being, so it was no surprise to see her inner big cat come out on James Cordens Late Late Show this week. In the Drop the Mic segment, she rapped: Your Carpool Karaoke is purely luck, Stevie Wonder is blind and even he can see that you suck. Miaow. ----- Miriams food for thought but no mayo Lawyer Miriam Gonzalez Durantez launched her new book Made in Spain at Waterstones Piccadilly last night. Part cookbook, part memoir, one anecdote within was quoted on Monday to suggest that Samantha Camerons use of Hellmanns mayonnaise was a class statement. Durantez was keen to clarify. At the end of the day, she said, no matter how grand you are, we all eat mayonnaise, were all the same. And after all this free publicity I really think Hellmanns should be sponsoring Inspiring Women. Durantez founded the equality initiative but its an uphill struggle. We bring groups of children of six years old, she explained, and we show them pictures of women and men, and we ask them What jobs do you think these people do? With the men, we got lawyer, doctor, banker. The women tend to be nurses, teachers, models and what really gets me, party organisers. There is a problem with what I call drip-drip sexism, she added. Little comments here and there. Last week I was was referred to publicly on television as Nick Cleggs missus. I know the person, it was not with bad intentions, but its just not on. We are not defined by who we have married or who we sleep with. Clegg was, of course, among the crowd, and when asked if he remembered the first meal his wife made him, he answered diplomatically. It was delicious, he smiled. She didnt remember either. ----- Another day, another conscious uncoupling from Gwyneth Paltrow. The actress created lifestyle website Goop but now suggests she wont be around for ever. At Chicagos Sage Summit this week Paltrow asked how can I separate myself from the brand? ... My dream is one day no-one would remember I have anything to do with it. She may hope for the same lapse regarding some of her films. ----- House will have to wait As rumours of Helen Lederers imminent entry to the Celebrity Big Brother house swept the tabloid press, it seems even the comedian got caught by the buzz, dressed in all her finery, and waited for a car to arrive. But it was not to be. I dont think Im going in, she told The Londoner last night as she waited outside her house. What happened? Ive been waiting for hours and no-one called me, admitting she hadnt had any meetings on details but I figured it was all a big surprise in a way I am disappointed. So why the false reports? I think they thought they saw me going into the hotel which the producers put the contestants in. But it wasnt me, it was Sam Fox. We do look similar from behind, you know. ---- Catfight of the day? The Treasury has recruited a new cat, named Gladstone, to join No 10s Larry and the FCOs Palmerston. Weve got that Friday feline. When Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt was tipped off that a huge drinking, drugs and music party was in the works, he chose the proactive instead of reactive approach, nipping the party when it started and possibly preventing overdoses or drunken driving. Schmidt talked about the party and aftermath in a release on Friday. He got the tip a week ago for the party set to take place last Saturday. "Please bring as many good friends as you can, it's gonna be a rager, bring your own drugs," the information Schmidt received said. The information continued: "I like parties. I'm throwing one this weekend, lots of music beer pong and fun. If your down bring you and your friends, a bunch of people are gonna be there...it's going to be a project x type party. Spread the word, no cops. Going to be lit." The party was going to be on Butternut Trail in the town of Hubbard. Not if the sheriff could help it. "I will not allow this to turn into another drug overdose death in Dodge County," Schmidt said. The Dodge County Drug Task Force and other deputies went into action, and were able to get to the party and shut it down early. Even with an early stoppage, 11 people were arrested or cited, 7 for underage drinking, 3 for possession of drug paraphernalia and 1 20-year-old for operating while intoxicated. "When we show up, it isn't with the intent to harass or ruin a good time, but rather to prevent the tragedies that we see all too often," Schmidt said. "Some would say these are just kids having a good time, but law enforcement officers see first-hand the aftermath when the so-called 'good time' turns into tragedy and death." T heresa May today won backing from Tory supporters for axing Michael Gove and George Osborne, but many of her new Cabinet are unknown to millions of voters. According to a poll, nearly three quarters of people intending to vote Conservative said the Prime Minister was right to sack Justice Secretary Mr Gove, who ditched Boris Johnson in the party leadership contest. The BMG Research survey also found that 54 per cent of Tory backers supported the dismissal of Mr Osborne as Chancellor, with 22 per cent saying it was wrong. The sacking of Education Secretary Nicky Morgan was backed by 38 per cent, with nine per cent against and 53 per cent dont know. Mrs May promoted several Westminster high-flyers into Cabinet. Loading.... But more than a third of adults dont know new Culture Secretary Karen Bradley and new Business Secretary Greg Clark Three out of 10 gave the same answer for Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green, as did more than a quarter for Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Just one per cent were unaware who new Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson was, but 50 per cent of adults are not confident he will do a good job. Forty one per cent said there should be a general election before Britain quits the EU and 42 per cent disagreed. A n 18 billion deal to build a new nuclear power plant in Britain was delayed because of government concerns over Chinese involvement in the project, Labour suggested today. Senior officials from China General Nuclear, which has a stake of a third in the Hinkley Point scheme, and top executives from French energy giant EDF had been due to attend a ceremony in Somerset today marking its go-ahead. But the Government stunned the energy sector last night by announcing a further review into the controversial project. Shadow energy secretary Barry Gardiner told the BBC: The Chinese have come in for a third of the cost that is another thing the Government must review in the project. I believe Theresa May has probably pulled it back because of that very involvement. This belief was fuelled among politicians by previous comments by Nick Timothy before he became Mrs Mays joint chief-of-staff at No10. He suggested last October that it was baffling that the British Government had been welcoming Chinese state-owned companies into sensitive sectors in the UK given concerns over alleged Chinese espionage. Mr Gardiner also called for a root-and-branch review, arguing the base price of 92.5 per megawatt hour that the Government had been set to guarantee was too high and should be renegotiated. Other energy experts, though, also doubted whether EDF had the industrial and financial capacity to ensure the project was delivered on time and on budget. These worries will only have been heightened by the split in the energy companys board, which voted by just 10 to seven, according to sources, to give the green light to the Hinkley C scheme. One member resigned before the decision. EDF Group chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy said he remained confident it would go ahead. I have no doubt about the support of the British government led by Mrs May, he said. China General Nuclear said in a statement: We respect the new Governments need to familiarise itself with a project as important to the UKs future energy security as Hinkley Point C and we stand ready to help the Government in this respect. Downing Street were insisting that the project had not been delayed and there was an agreed timetable with the French government. Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said in a brief statement last night: The Government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn. But with about 25,000 jobs expected to be created by the huge development, GMB union national secretary for energy Justin Bowden said: Theresa Mays decision to review the go-ahead on HPC is bewildering and bonkers. D runks will not be allowed to ruin family holidays under a new government clampdown on alcohol at airports. Airport bars will be stopped from serving customers who want to drink 'excessively', under the new guidelines published today. They include a ban on people drinking alcohol bought at duty free or brought to the airport themselves. The new rules have been issued with the backing from the Department for Transport. Under the plans, any alcohol bought at duty free would have to be stored away from passengers on flights, or in sealed bags which can be checked by cabin crew. Zero tolerance: Lord Ahmad will review airport alcohol sales / Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire Staff in airport bars and restaurants would also be trained to limit or stop the sale of alcohol to prevent or manage disruptive behaviour. The new rules were published today in the UK Aviation Industry Code of Practice on disruptive passengers. Recent police statistics show hundreds of passengers were arrested on suspicion of being drunk on a plane or at an airport in the last two years. Figures obtained following freedom of information requests showed at least 442 people were held between March 2014 and March 2016. New aviation minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon questioned airports being allowed to sell alcohol 24 hours a day due to them not being subjected to licensing laws. He said: If you're a young family travelling on a plane you want to go from point A to B, you don't want to be disrupted. "I don't think we want to kill merriment altogether, but I think it's important that passengers who board planes are also responsible and have a responsibility to other passengers, and that certainly should be the factor which we bear in mind. "In terms of specific regulations of timings of outlets (which sell alcohol) and how they operate, clearly I want to have a look at that." In February six men on a stag party were arrested by German police after a mid-air brawl caused a Ryanair flight from Luton to Bratislava, Slovakia, to divert to Berlin. Another recent case involved a female passenger punching an easyJet pilot in the face after being ordered to leave an aircraft before it took off from Manchester in May. Lord Ahmads predecessor, Robert Goodwill, revealed last year that several airlines had written to the Government to warn about the number of alcohol-related incidents. Glasgow and Manchester airports have trialled a scheme with shops selling alcohol in sealed bags in a bid to reduce problems on flights. A code of practice on disruptive passengers was published earlier this week following collaboration between airlines, airports, the police and retailers. T he worlds most talented young scientists gather in London this week as a survey showed the capital was still a top choice for their studies. The London International Youth Science Forum invites hundreds of the most promising students to share ideas and learn from experts. A survey of LIYSF students found that 90 per cent agreed that studying in the UK was an exciting or attractive idea. However, 38 per cent admitted the UKs departure from the European Union could dissuade them. The survey follows London Mayor Sadiq Khan saying that he was determined to ensure top scientific minds remained in the capital after Britain leaves the EU. During the two-week forum, students will participate in workshops and attend lectures by scientists including Dervilla Mitchell, the engineer behind Terminal 5, and Romain Murenzi, Unescos science policy director. LIYSF director Richard Myhill said: It is essential that we welcome and support current and future students and colleagues from across the world and show them how much they are appreciated. T hree British people have been diagnosed with the Zika virus after arriving back in the UK from overseas. The patients are being treated by doctors at the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. Details of the cases, identified in the period April 1 to June 30, were published in an infection control report to the health trusts board meeting yesterday. The report said: Three patients have tested positive for Zika virus following return from foreign travel. Dr Gavin Boyd, infection control lead at Calderdale and Huddersfield hospitals,said: There is no specific treatment for Zika and it usually wears off naturally after two to seven days. Zika Virus - what you need to know There is extremely low risk of contracting Zika virus in the UK as the mosquito that transmits the infection is not present in the UK, however it can be spread by sexual transmission. It comes just days after a baby was born with microcephaly a birth defect believed to be linked to the virus - in Spain. A total of 53 people have now been treated in the UK for the Zika infection. Zika has been linked to birth defects including microcephaly, which causes babies to have abnormally small heads. Since the Zika epidemic began in 2015, nearly 5,000 cases of microcephaly have been recorded in affected regions. NHS guidelines recommend that pregnant women postphone non-essential travel to areas with active Zika transmission. The virus is usually spread through mosquito bites, but investigators have been exploring the possibility it can also be spread through sex. The mosquitos that transmit the infection are now thought to be able to live in colder climates, like in the UK. P ope Francis today paid a sombre visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. He became the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitlers forces killed more than one million people, most of them Jews. Wearing a white robe and skull cap, Francis walked slowly beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the words Arbeit Macht Frei. He was then taken in a small car past barracks and brought to a spot in front of them, where he sat on a bench, his head bent in contemplation and prayer. He met survivors and one woman kissed his hand / Stefano Rellandini/Reuters Pope Francis met with several survivors of the death camp, stopping to shake their hands and kissing them on both cheeks. One woman kissed his hand. He also took time to exchange a few words with them, though what they said was not audible. He then carried a large white candle and placed it at the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed. As an Argentine, Francis is the first pope to visit who did not live through the brutality of World War Two on Europes soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal historical connection to the site, with the first, John Paul II, coming from Poland and himself a witness to the suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation. His visit in 1979 made history and was part of the Vaticans historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Vatican and Polish church officials said he would express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. Francis had been scheduled to fly from Krakow to Oswiecim, the small town where the former death camp is located, but due to bad weather travelled the 40 miles by car instead. It was his third day of a five-day visit to Poland, and was devoted to the theme of suffering. Francis was later due to visit a childrens hospital in Krakow. Last night he used a speech to an estimated 600,000 young faithful in Krakow to urge compassion for migrants in a country increasingly hostile to refugees and asylum seekers. A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home; a merciful heart is able to build a home and a family for those forced to emigrate; it knows the meaning of tenderness and compassion. A merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants, he told the youths gathered in a large field for World Youth Day, which is actually a six-day jamboree dubbed Catholic Woodstock. Young people from around the world waived flags from Tennesse to Turkey at the massive rally John Paul is no more, but Francis means a continuation of this great love for God that our Polish pope has given us, said student Marcin Zbik. A French Islamic State fanatic who ended up murdering a Catholic priest easily passed a police investigation to become an airport baggage handler, it was revealed today. Abdelmalik Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, both 19, were on terrorist watchlists when they slit Father Jacques Hamels throat in Normandy on Tuesday. Now it has emerged that Petitjean worked full-time at Chambery airport in the Savoie region, which is used by more than 250,000 passengers a year including many Britons, until just three months ago. He started as a porter there in December after completing his baccalaureate at the Marlioz high school in nearby Aix-les-Bains, where he lived. There have been numerous security scares at French airports over the years, and all employees are now meant to undergo stringent tests. Petitjean had no trouble getting through a police investigation and psychological evaluation, said a source. He was considered to be a hard-working, friendly young man who did not pose any danger to passengers or others using the airport. He got through the police investigation easily. Petitjean left the airport in April, and in June was caught by Turkish intelligence services as he tried to join IS in Syria. Last Friday a warning was issued that Petitjean was back in France and ready to strike, and police were desperately trying to find him when he killed Father Jacques. This morning a second video showing Petitjean calling for more attacks on France was released by IS. It came a day after another film was circulated in which Petitjean and Kermiche, who was electronically tagged since last March, were seen swearing allegiance to the terror group. French prime minister Manuel Valls, who is facing calls to resign, today said the anti-terrorism judges who let Kermiche out of prison with the tag should not be blamed. They had to take a different, case-by-case, approach, he said, while admitting the decision to free Kermiche under such weak bail conditions was a failure. He also said he was open to the idea of stopping foreign financing for building mosques in France. T he Romanian man who fled the UK to Spain with a missing schoolgirl has been arrested at an airport in Spain. Ionut Gheorghe, 27, was detained by Spanish police in Los Molinos near Madrid on Friday He was wanted under a European Arrest Warrant after it was suspected he was with a 15-year-old girl missing from her home. The girl was found safe and well with Gheorghe. A manhunt was sparked after the teenager, who is also Romanian, disappeared from her home in London, on Saturday evening, hours after Gheorghe was spotted taking 250 from a cash machine in Enfield. Extradition proceedings are being started. K ate Garraway had an unpleasant shock at the end of Fridays Good Morning Britain. The presenter found herself pulled into an ice bath alongside co-host Ben Shephard while she was fully dressed. Shephard was convinced to get into the icy water after producers pledged to donate money to the Children's Heart Unit Fund, which he has been raising cash for. Although hesitant to do it, Shepherd finally surrendered, saying: Im devastated because they have actually donated so Ive got to do it now." Looking unsure about the challenge, he lowered himself into the bath wearing just a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Amazing - no, its horrible. Come on, Shephard told Garraway as she stood over him with a microphone. The cheeky presenter then suddenly grabbed Garraway by the arm and dragged her into the tub on top of him. Luckily the cameraman was quick off the mark and managed to avoid taking any embarrassing shots of the star. Production assistants quickly rushed over and gave Garraway a towel to dry herself off, but fortunately she saw the funny side. One viewer wrote on Twitter: That was hilarious, reminded me of how my cat looked when she accidentally fell in the bath @kategarraway #gmb #franticlegsandarms. Another added: @GMB @benshephard OMG one of the funniest moments ever Kate being dragged into ice cold bath!! N eighbours actress Vivean Gray has died at the age of 92. The British-born actress was best known for her role as Mrs Mangel in the Australian soap, which she played from 1986-88. The actress also played Ida Jessops in The Sullivans for its entire run as well as roles in Prisoner and Power Without Glory. Network Tens Head of Drama Rick Maier told Australias 9 News: Mrs. Mangel and Mrs. Jessup were two of our most iconic characters from one our very best character actors. Vivean Gray's last scene as Nell Mangel in Neighbours Ramsay Street changed forever, and certainly no secret was ever safe, with Mrs. Mangel on the lookout. Viveans contribution to Australian drama will never be forgotten. It is a very sad day for the Neighbours family. Gray faced fan backlash for her role in Neighbours, in which she played a gossipy Ramsay Street resident who locked horns with Madge Bishop. Speaking back in 1989, she said: I loved Neighbours and the rest of the cast were marvellous. But because it was so successful I could barely set foot outside my own door without someone screaming abuse at horrid old Mrs Mangel. People didnt seem to appreciate it was acting. So I decided to take a break. The role in the popular Australian soap would be her last and Gray went on to live out the rest of her life away from the spotlight. Up to 40 young people were involved in a fight near Falk Elementary School on Thursday in which an 18-year-old man was shot in the shoulder. Madison police said Friday the investigation into the shooting and fight is continuing, with no arrests noted in the report, but several people had been detained after the fight that happened at about 3:20 p.m. Thursday behind the school at 6323 Woodington Way. Thirty to 40 people, described as middle school aged, high school aged and young adults, were involved in the physical fight, said Sgt. Edward Marshall. Some of those involved were armed with bricks, snow shovels and various other items, including some believed to be armed with handguns. The gunshot victim was treated and released from a local hospital. Several residents of the nearby Theresa Terrace/Bettys Lane neighborhood expressed their appreciation for the increased law enforcement presence in the neighborhood as the incident was being investigated, Marshall said. Police did not believe the fight was a random incident and did not indicate if it was gang-related. P olice are searching for Foyle's War actress Honeysuckle Weeks who has been reported missing from her home in West Sussex. The 36-year-old was last seen in Graylingwell Drive, Chichester, West Sussex, at 9pm on Thursday and was reported missing an hour later, Sussex Police said. Detective Kate Witt said: "We are concerned about Honeysuckle as her recent behaviour has concerned family and friends and she has expressed to them she is feeling anxious. "Although she travels around a lot and has links in London and has family in Wiltshire, it is unlike her not to be in touch with family. "If you read this Honeysuckle, please get in touch to let us know you are okay." Weeks, from the village of Petworth in West Sussex, was wearing a blue anorak and faded blue jeans when she was last seen. Police said she is around 5ft 4in and has cropped ginger/blonde hair, and they urged anyone with information about her disappearance or who may have seen her to contact them on 101. Her agency The Artists Partnership said it is currently "unable to get hold of Honeysuckle". It added that she had recently finished working on shooting Lewis for ITV and Sky mystery The Five. The actress is best known for her portrayal of the character Samantha Stewart in the wartime drama Foyle's War, starring in the ITV show from 2002 to 2010 and appearing again in 2013 and 2015. She has also appeared in TV favourites The Bill, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Death In Paradise. Earlier this year the actress was reportedly ordered to wear an electronic tag after she was caught speeding on the A3 in south-west London in August 2015. A child in the back seat was not wearing a proper seat belt and it emerged she was already banned from driving. Weeks married hypnotherapist Lorne Stormonth-Darling in a Buddhist ceremony in the Himalayas in 2005 and the couple have a child, Wade, who was born in 2011. They live in London. A Platteville man wanted on multiple warrants was arrested Friday morning after fleeing from deputies into a cornfield. Alex Weittenhiller, 28, was taken into custody after a brief manhunt in the cornfield conducted by deputies with assistance from the State Patrol, the Grant County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies were called to 798 Clifton Road in the town of Clifton at about 7:20 a.m. Friday for a minor disturbance. "One of the parties involved (Weittenhiller) had warrants from the Department of Corrections for resisting or obstructing an officer, disorderly conduct and bail jumping," the Sheriff's Office said. "He also had a warrant in Grant County for felony escape." Weittenhiller allegedly escaped from custody of the Cuba City Police Department on June 23. He was taken into custody without incident. "At no time did authorities feel there was a threat to the general public," the Sheriff's Office said. "This was an isolated incident." Just a couple grape sodas was all it took for the Trump train to find its whistle. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, revealed this week that while he and Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, were sitting around having a couple grape sodas at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland earlier this month, the two dreamed up what it might sound like to ride the Trump train on which they found themselves. Fitzgerald gifted the world this Trump train call posted on the internet by the Wisconsin Radio Network while speaking at a rally in Waukesha this week for GOP vice presidential nominee Mike Pence. Fitzgerald didnt endorse anyone in the presidential primary, but shortly after Trump clinched the nomination he declared: Were on the Trump train now. State income growth average Personal income growth in Wisconsin has picked up over the past year, though it still ranks about average nationally, according to new data released this week by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Since 2007, Wisconsins annual income growth has averaged 1.4 percent, ranking 33rd nationally and slightly behind the national average of 1.7 percent. But as of the first quarter this year, income growth over the previous year was 4.2 percent, the same as the U.S. average, ranking 25th among the states. Another Pew study released this week showed Wisconsins share of revenue derived from the federal government shrank to 27.8 percent in 2014, ranking 38th among the states. Thats down from a recent peak of 33.2 percent in 2010 when federal stimulus money flowed into the state during the Great Recession. That year the state ranked 33rd. In yet another recent report that ranks the states, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ranked Wisconsin third for its health care system quality behind only Maine and Massachusetts. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Missouri? U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Madison, was misidentified as a senator from Missouri on a Jumbotron hanging over a podium Baldwin used while addressing the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday. Baldwin wasnt the only speaker to be misidentified at the convention this week. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio was labeled a senator on the big screen. Twitter was not impressed. Police in Wisconsin are seeking to clarify their role in frisking a Washington Post reporter as he tried to cover a rally for Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trumps running mate, and later was ejected. And Pence suggested Friday the campaign was having internal discussions over the campaign banning reporters from events. The reporter in the Waukesha incident, Jose A. DelReal, disputed elements of the police account of the episode, which occurred Wednesday night. Washington Post reporter barred, patted down at Mike Pence rally in Waukesha Donald Trump's campaign has denied press credentials to a number of disfavored media organizations, but on Wednesday in Waukesha, the campaign of his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, went even further. DelReal was denied a press credential at the Waukesha County Exposition Center and tried to cover Pences appearance by entering through a general-admission door. He was stopped there by private security personnel and told he couldnt bring his laptop or cellphone into the facility. After dropping those items in his car, he returned but was ordered by security to submit to a pat-down by two county deputies who were seeking his cellphone. They did not find one, but he was nonetheless turned away from the public event, Pences first as the Republican vice presidential nominee. The county sheriffs department on Thursday said it had nothing to do with the decision to eject the journalist. After the deputies confirmed that DelReal didnt have his cellphone, he was allowed to enter the facility by event staff, the department said in a statement. Several minutes later the event staff walked the reporter out of the facility and advised the deputies that he was not allowed back for reasons unknown to the sheriffs department, it said. Trump has banned nearly a dozen news organizations including The Washington Post whose coverage has displeased him, but reporters have generally been able to cover his events by going through general admission lines. Pence told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Friday that were all talking about that. I have a long history ... of advocating and defending for a free and independent press. Pence said he authored legislation to allow reporters to maintain confidential sources. I fully expect in the next 100 days were going to be available to the media, whether theyre fair or unfair, and were going to take our case to the American people directly, Pence said. Timeline in dispute Several parts of the sheriffs departments timeline are in dispute. The sheriffs office, which assisted the Secret Service in providing security, said DelReal arrived after a sweep of the media area and was therefore turned away. But officials at the event told DelReal that he was denied admission at the media entrance because of Trumps ban on Post reporters, not because of his arrival time. In addition, DelReal was specifically singled out at the general admission door by a security guard who had identified him as a reporter. Although others were openly using their cellphones and were admitted at the public entrance with them, DelReal alone was frisked. Wisconsin Republicans unify behind Donald Trump, but some uneasiness lingers Some have shifted from opposing Trump to supporting him, while others remain steadfastly in separate camps. I was told directly by volunteers and staff that I was being singled out because I work at The Washington Post, he said. Any implication otherwise, by the Waukesha County Sheriffs Department or individual officers, is intentionally misleading. DelReal has covered Trumps campaign through multiple states since January and is familiar with security protocols, including those used by the Secret Service. He added, This was far beyond anything Ive experienced previously, and it happened specifically because I work at The Washington Post.Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow said county officers acted within legal boundaries. Just like an event any private citizen would hold, such as a wedding, clients who rent our facilities are able to control who is and is not allowed into their venue, he said in a statement. In this case, a private client requested that an individual leave their event. Local law enforcement complied professionally at their request, and according to standard security protocols. The Wisconsin State Journal contributed to this report. Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald, father of two prominent Wisconsin Republican lawmakers, announced plans to retire Thursday. Fitzgerald will leave his position on Aug. 5, and a new superintendent will be named "forthcoming," according to a statement from Tom Evenson, a spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker. Fitzgerald is the father of the state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and former Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. "Fitzgerald has led the Wisconsin State Patrol with a steady hand for more than five years, and I thank him for his service to our state," Walker said in a statement. According to the statement, Fitzgerald has been in law enforcement for nearly 50 years, serving as a police officer in Chicago and Hustisford, then as Dodge County Sheriff and a U.S. marshal. He was appointed to lead the State Patrol in February 2011, during the debates and protests over Act 10, the legislation that drastically curtailed the power of public unions. 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 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. WASHINGTON The best darn change-maker I ever met in my entire life. So said Bill Clinton in making the case for his wife at the Democratic National Convention. Considering that Bernie Sanders ran as the author of a political revolution, and Donald Trump as the man who would kick over the table (to quote Newt Gingrich) in Washington, change-maker does not exactly make the heart race. Which is the fundamental problem with the Clinton campaign. What precisely is it about? Why is she running in the first place? Like most dynastic candidates (most famously Ted Kennedy in 1979), she really doesnt know. She seeks the office because, well, its the next the final step on the ladder. Her campaigns premise is that were doing OK but we can do better. There are holes to patch in the nanny-state safety net. Shes the one to do it. It amounts to Sanders lite. Or the short-lived Bush slogan: Jeb can fix it. We know where that went. The one man who could have given the pudding a theme, who could have created a plausible Hillaryism was Bill Clinton. Rather than do that the way in Cleveland Gingrich shaped Trumps various barstool eruptions into a semi-coherent program of national populism Bill gave a long chronological account of a passionate liberals social activism. It was an attempt, I suppose, to humanize her. Well, yes. Perhaps, after all, somewhere in there is a real person. But what a waste of Bills talents. It wasnt exactly Clint Eastwood speaking to an empty chair, but at the end you had to ask: Is that all there is? He grandly concluded with this: The reason you should elect her is that in the greatest country on earth we have always been about tomorrow. Is there a rhetorical device more banal? Trumps acceptance speech was roundly criticized for offering a dark, dystopian vision of America. For all of its exaggeration, however, it reflected well the view from Fishtown, the fictional white working-class town created statistically by social scientist Charles Murray in his 2012 study Coming Apart. It chronicled the economic, social and spiritual disintegration of those left behind by globalization and economic transformation. Trumps capture of the resultant feelings of anxiety and abandonment explains why he enjoys an astonishing 39 point advantage over Clinton among whites without a college degree. His solution is to beat up on foreigners for stealing our jobs. But while trade is a factor in the loss of manufacturing jobs, even more important, by a large margin, is the emergence of an information economy in which education, knowledge and various kinds of literacy are the coin of the realm. For all the factory jobs lost to Third World competitors, far more are lost to robots. Hard to run against higher productivity. Easier to run against cunning foreigners. In either case, Clinton has found no counter. If she has a theme, its about expanding opportunity, shattering ceilings. But the universe of discriminated-against minorities so vast 50 years ago is rapidly shrinking. When the burning civil rights issue of the day is bathroom choice for the transgendered, a flummoxed Fishtown understandably asks, What about us? Telling coal miners she was going to close their mines and kill their jobs only reinforced white working-class alienation from Clinton. As for the chaos abroad, the Democrats are in see-no-evil denial. The first night in Philadelphia, there were 61 speeches. Not one mentioned the Islamic State or even terrorism. Later references were few, far between and highly defensive. After all, what can the Democrats say? Clintons calling card is experience. Yet as secretary of state she left a trail of policy failures from Libya to Syria, from the Russian reset to the Iraqi withdrawal to the rise of the Islamic State. Clinton had a strong second half of the convention as the Sanders revolt faded and as President Obama endorsed her with one of the finer speeches of his career. Yet Trumps convention bounce of up to 10 points has given him a slight lead in the polls. She badly needs one of her own. She still enjoys the Democrats built-in Electoral College advantage. But she remains highly vulnerable to both outside events and internal revelations. Another major terror attack, another email drop and everything changes. In this crazy election year, there are no straight-line projections. As Clinton leaves Philadelphia, her lifelong drive for the ultimate prize is perilously close to a coin flip. Countries & Areas Search for country or area A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan B Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote dIvoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia D Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic E Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia F Fiji Finland France G Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana H Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary I Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy J Jamaica Japan Jordan K Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan L Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique N Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway O Oman P Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Q Qatar R Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda S Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria T Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu U Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay Uzbekistan V Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Y Yemen Z Zambia Zimbabwe Its not been a good day, the man grumbles to the desk clerk at the airport hotel. My wife sneezed, went to get a Kleenex and the box was empty. It makes me wonder by what utopian scale this man measures a good day. Amid political angst and daily terrorist threats, our self-indulgence rings like a butlers bell in a four-alarm fire. Perhaps weve forgotten what a good day looks like in America. It looks like this: As our plane drops into Kalispell, Montana, among the rough-sawn peaks of the Rocky Mountains, we begin to see all that has been given to us without asking. A place far removed from the hand of man, yet not immune. Glacier National Park, a vast and wondrous collection of glaciated mountains, pristine lakes, and virgin forests, awaits our exploration at the edge of Kalispell. Its iconic glaciers are fast disappearing due to global warming, yet enough remain to cast a spell on any visitor fortunate to abandon civilization for a day hike into its midst. We find such a hike at Many Glaciers on a trail that skirts Lake Josephine, a blue-hued glacial lake that hangs from the trails edge like a sapphire from a necklace. We run into a couple of hikers who had just encountered a grizzly sow and two cubs a dangerous combination on the upper trail. Caution wins over curiosity. We take the lower trail. At trails end, we find another remote glacial-fed lake surrounded by mountains draped with waterfalls, its beaches strewn with deadwood. The only actor in this tranquil scene is a chipmunk raiding my backpack for granola bars. Armed with bear spray and clapping like a marching band director to ward off bears, we understand we are the interlopers. Grizzlies, moose and chipmunks rule the wild, without any help from man. To the contrary, we need natures help to bring equanimity to a world tipping toward insanity. Nature restores calm following the storm and returns sunshine after darkness. We find quiet when the whole world seems to be talking at once. At Grand Teton National Park, we leave the noisy world behind for a nine-mile hike to Grand View Point. We meet a young couple from France and discover a common language in the wordless poetry of the grand view. Two Ocean Lake sprawls below while the Grand Teton towers above. To say it makes you feel small trivializes the largeness of the awe welling inside. At Yellowstone National Park, we find alien landscapes of geysers, hot springs, mudpots and cavernous canyons of a width rivaled only by our gaping mouths. Every mountain pass opens to a new land of strange revelations. Artist Point, hovering above the rim of Yellowstones Grand Canyon, reveals sculptures cut from rock by the hand of water. Yellowstone River at the bottom of the canyon appears to my eye to flow uphill, rivaling any abstractionists attempt to create illusion. Nature inspires more than artists and poets. It remains a fundamental birthright. The farther we get from nature, retreating to technology and the vicarious stimulation of our electronic devices, the further we get from our own nature. We were, after all, born into this world without accessories. Back in Prairie du Chien and looking out my window at the Driftless mountains of southwest Wisconsin, I am reminded that we do not need to fly anywhere to witness natures grandeur. The largeness of natures wonder lies just outside our door. Out here, we can still find a good day in America. Friday, 29 July 2016 22:40:26 (GMT+3) | San Diego According to Statistics Canada , the Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI) rose 0.6 percent in June, mainly due to higher prices for energy and petroleum products. The Raw Materials Price Index (RMPI) increased 1.8 percent, as a result of higher prices for crude energy products. The IPPI advanced 0.6 percent in June, after gaining 1.2 percent in May. Of the 21 major commodity groups, 14 were up, 4 were down and 3 were unchanged. Motorized and recreational vehicles edged down 0.1 percent in June, led by lower prices for motor vehicle engines and motor vehicle parts (-0.3 percent), passenger cars and light trucks (-0.1 percent), and aircraft (-0.3 percent). Lower prices for motorized and recreational vehicles were closely linked to the appreciation of the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar. The IPPI declined 0.8 percent over the 12-month period ending in June, after falling 0.9 percent in May. Moderating the year-over-year decrease in the IPPI were higher prices for motorized and recreational vehicles (+2.4 percent), specifically passenger cars and light trucks (+2.8 percent) and aircraft (+4.9 percent). Meanwhile, the RMPI rose 1.8 percent in June, after rising 7.0 percent in May. Of the six major commodity groups, four were up and two were down. The RMPI fell 9.0 percent over the 12-month period ending in June. In the first half of the current year, freight volumes handled at large ports in China totaled 5.8 billion mt, up 2.2 percent year on year, according to the latest data issued by China s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). In particular, in the given period the foreign trade freight volume handled at large ports in China totaled 1.86 billion mt, rising by 4.1 percent year on year. Handan Steel Group buys more shares in Hebei Steel Friday, 29 July 2016 11:27:35 (GMT+3) | Shanghai On July 28, Hebei-based Chinese steelmaker Hebei Iron and Steel Co., Ltd (Hebei Steel) announced that its shareholder Hebei-based Chinese steel producer Handan Iron and Steel Group Co.,Ltd (Handan Steel Group) has acquired 97.7134 million shares in Hebei Steel, equivalent to a 0.92 percent stake. In particular, Handan Steel Group bought at the price of RMB 2.89 ($0.43) per share, with the overall value of the purchased shares totaling RMB 282.61 million ($42.37 million). Handan Steel Group now holds a total of 4,218,763,010 shares in Hebei Steel, equal to a 39.73 percent stake. Similar articles The International Steel Trade Association (ISTA) has stated in a letter to the European Commission (EC) regarding the antidumping duty (AD) case launched by the EC against the hot rolled coil imports ( HRC ) from Brazil Ukraine and Serbia that it is concerned at the initiation of this antidumping proceeding and that it believes the introduction of antidumping measures against hot rolled coil imports from the mentioned countries will be an unfair restriction on free trade and will inhibit freedom of choice for users in the market. Friday, 29 July 2016 22:43:41 (GMT+3) | Mexico s economy secretariat, SE, has applied provisional anti-dumping (AD) duties on both Chinese and Taiwanese coated flat steel imports, according to a filing Friday at the nations official gazette, Diario Oficial Federal (DOF). According to SE, imports of Taiwanese coated flats from CSC and all other Taiwan-based exporters will pay a $0.5630 per kilogram tariff. As for the Chinese imports of the product coming from Tangshan, Baoshan and Beijing Shougang, the provisional levies will be $0.4385/kg, $0.1926/kg and $0.3468/kg, respectively. Additionally, Chinese exporter Shougang Jingtang will pay a $0.4188/kg duty, while all the other exporting companies should pay a $0.4385/kg tariff. SE added that while the provisional levies are applied, it will continue its AD probe on the imports of the product for the two mentioned countries. SE said the products subject to the provisional levies and to the on-going AD investigation follow under the following HS codes: 7210.30.01, 7210.30.99, 7210.41.01, 7210.41.99, 7210.49.01, 7210.49.02, 7210.49.03, 7210.49.04, 7210.49.99, 7210.61.01, 7210.70.01, 7210.70.99, 7212.20.01, 7212.20.02, 7212.20.99, 7212.30.01, 7212.30.02, 7212.30.99, 7212.40.03, 7212.40.99, 7225.91.01, 7225.92.01, 7226.99.01, 7226.99.02, 9802.00.01, 9802.00.02, 9802.00.03, 9802.00.04, 9802.00.06, 9802.00.07, 9802.00.10, 9802.00.13, 9802.00.15 and 9802.00.19. Friday, 29 July 2016 22:14:09 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Slab in the basic commercial grades is now being traded at $330/mt, FOB conditions, against $320/mt over the last three weeks, said a major exporter close to SteelOrbis. In his view, is not possible to identify the possibility of an upward trend, as there are mixed signals in the market. The current price is not far from production costs, so the exporters are not willing to accept lower prices, he said. But he warned that the first export sale of slab by Companhia Siderurgica do Pecem (CSP), an integrated slab producer located in the Brazilian northern state of Ceara, will put downward pressure on prices: With more offers, the price has a tendency to decline, he said, adding that the volume traded in the world merchant slab market, currently estimated at 20 million mt per year, will suffer a strong impact from the additional production of CSP. 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Imagine if media outlets ran headlines describing a large gathering of African-Americans as a sea of black faces. Or one like this, Republicans: In Your Black Faces, Young Democrats of America!!! How about this one: Dem Convention Full of Angry Old Black People? Its difficult to envision this going over well, though no one thought twice to write headlines like these about whites. So if everyone knows that treating ethnic and racial minorities as stereotypes is disrespectful, mean-spirited and divisive, why is it OK when it comes to whites? The hatin-on-white people of the world had their latest day of fun last week when Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan posted what U.S. News & World Report gleefully labeled, Possibly the least-diverse selfie, ever. The story went on to repost some pretty puerile race-based putdowns. Many publications joined in the taunting. Paul Ryan Posts a Selfie with a Whole Bunch of White Interns, said Slate. Youll Be Blinded by the White in Paul Ryans Capitol Hill Intern Selfie, said an Esquire post. Until very recently, I had rarely heard people of nonwhite races or ethnicities talk such smack about white people as a whole. But as racial tensions rise, its becoming more common. Its not just the tacky headlines over what is really a bit of distraction Republicans have mostly young white people on staff, stop the presses! (And what would have happened had there been a few brown and black faces in that picture? Any number of tweeters, Facebook posters and others would complain that those few nonwhite people were Uncle Toms, self-hating, etc., etc.) The real problem is that that people who tear down whites as a general group in response to the few whites who are arent tolerant or inclusive of minorities arent doing anyone any favors. It is true that there are real race problems in America and that many of them are due merely to the fact that the power structure has been built around a historically larger population of whites 61.6 percent today than of other races and ethnicities. This dramatic shift doesnt make it all right for those of us who care about racial equality to paint with too broad a brush and start acting as though all white people are angry bigots looking to oppress people based on the color of their skin. And I say those of us who care about racial equality and not people of color because as far as I can tell, some white people seem to feel even more aggrieved about their fellow whites whiteness than anyone else. Michael Moore published Stupid White Men: ... And Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! back in 2001. Chapter Four states: White people scare the crap out of me and lists steps white people should not be hired for jobs, white people should not marry each other for how to correct our race problem. (Moore neednt have worried about that last one. Our demographic changes are in no small part a result of the historically high levels of interracial marriage in this country. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2013, 6.3 percent of all marriages were between spouses of different races, up from less than 1 percent in 1970.) Stuff White People Like, the blog that lampooned affluent, environmentally and socially conscious, anti-corporate white North Americans, who typically hold a degree in the liberal arts, came along in 2008. These days BuzzFeed makes money through viral posts like 21 Things White People Ruined in 2015, 28 Simple Things All White People Just Love To Do and the quiz How Stereotypically White Are You? I repeat, vehemently: There are undoubtedly some racist white people out there, and the number of Ku Klux Klan chapters more than doubled from 2014 to 2015. But lets take a reality check here: They do not represent the vast majority of white people. And even if they did, vilifying whites isnt going to get us any closer to fixing Americas race problems. When we choose to reduce anyone to their race, ethnicity or hair, skin or eye color, we really degrade each other and ourselves. Mackinac Island What a beautiful weekend on Mackinac. The trees are dressed in autumn blaze and on the way to the Grand... Outdoors This Week in the Eastern U.P. OK, first, summer was over. Then, next thing you know, September was gone. Now, October is almost over. People, this... Looking Back 130 YEARS AGO The St. Ignace News Saturday, October 29, 1892 Deer season closed on Tuesday last. The Gospel... President Klaus Iohannis assures the rule of law is functional in Romania and says labels like "Mafia state" could harm the country's international image. "In Romania, the rule of law is functional, and declarations of prosecuted or indicted people questioning or denying it lack credibility. I trust the work of the state's institutions, and I am waiting alongside the whole public opinion for the positive effects of this work. Moreover, labels like 'Mafia state' could damage Romania's image in the world; they could result in making some institutions less credible, and not the least, they prove the incapability of some individuals who hold or have held important public offices in the Romanian state to assume the role for which they have been appointed or elected," the president is quoted in a statement sent to Agerpres by the Presidential Administration. Iohannis reacted to Senate Speaker Calin Popescu-Tariceanu's demand to officially check the truth of allegations of former president Traian Basescu (now head of the People's Movement Party). Basescu had claimed that Romania has turned into a Mafia state. From 2004 to 2014, Wisconsin exports of goods to our free trade agreement partners abroad increased by 86 percent. The states international trade-related employment grew 10 times faster than total employment. That dramatic expansion occurred during a period that included the worst recession since the Great Depression, triggered by a subprime mortgage collapse at home. Without the growth provided by freer global trade, where would we be now? That is a question Wisconsin voters should ask as we consider the anti-free trade rhetoric coming from the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns. The United States began an era of acceleration for global trade with the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. The pact reduced trade barriers, including tariffs and regulations, between the United States, Canada and Mexico. The results have been overwhelmingly positive, especially for Wisconsin. Since NAFTA, Wisconsin exports to Canada and Mexico have increased 286 percent. Today, the United States has more than a dozen free trade agreements with countries ranging from Chile to Singapore to Morocco. In Wisconsin, more than one of every five jobs now depends on foreign trade. And consumers are benefiting from lower prices for televisions, computers, toys and more. Despite these gains, both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton have promised to change the U.S. course. Trump declared he would pull the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multi-nation agreement negotiated by the Obama administration that needs to be ratified by Congress. He wants to renegotiate NAFTA, and he threatened to put a 45 percent tariff on Chinese imports to the United States. Clinton, who once supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership, now opposes it. She also touts her opposition to the 2005 Central American Free Trade Agreement. And the Democratic platform says the United States has signed too many trade deals that have not lived up to the hype. Both parties try to have it both ways, claiming to support freer trade but arguing that so far, our freer trade deals have been unwise, costing us millions of jobs. They are correct that as global markets have become freer, some U.S. industries have suffered because they cannot compete with lower-cost or better quality goods and services from abroad. That was predicted. The best response is to beef up temporary safety nets and education aid, not to reverse a course that has produced such large net benefits. We have been down this road before. In 1930, amid a bout of anti-free trade fever, Congress passed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, which raised taxes on imports. Foreign governments retaliated against U.S. goods, and international trade slowed, prolonging and deepening the Great Depression. Four years later Congress realized its mistake and passed the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act to promote freer trade, but it was too little, too late. Trump and Clinton are wrong. To turn our backs on freer trade now would be a costly mistake. Its funny how political winds can shift. Congress has passed a law requiring mandatory disclosure of genetically modified food ingredients, something the food and agriculture industries have long opposed. Big Food, however, seems overjoyed, while groups that pushed for a labeling law are expressing disappointment. Just Label It, an advocacy group backed by organic food producers, says the bill passed two weeks ago is filled with loopholes and falls short of what consumers rightly expect. The group is especially angry about a provision that lets food companies disclose their genetically modified ingredients by printing a QR code, which is readable by a smartphone. It would direct consumers to a website with the ingredient information. For the anti-GMO crowd, that amounts to hiding the information where most people will never see it. The food industry likes the flexibility. Pamela Bailey, chief executive of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, called the bill the right solution to increase disclosure of information that consumers are seeking without stigmatizing a safe technology. Companies also are pleased that the bill, which awaits President Barack Obamas signature, would invalidate a stricter Vermont law. Their biggest nightmare was having to comply with a patchwork of state labeling requirements. Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant said in a statement that the national law provides certainty for farmers, consumers and anyone involved in how food is produced, marketed and sold. That certainty comes at a cost. Companies will have to redesign their labels, and theyll have to worry about how consumers might react to the new information. A huge portion of the population is not concerned about GMOs, says Carmen Bain, an assistant professor of sociology at Iowa State University. There is a small but important segment of consumers who are. If youre a food company and margins are low or growth is flat, you care about that segment. Hershey, for example, said last year that it will stop buying sugar made from beets, most of which are grown from genetically modified seed. If that fact has to be noted on product labels, more candy companies may follow Hersheys lead. Also uncertain is how activist groups will change their tactics. Bain thinks they may target companies that rely on the QR codes, accusing them of trying to hide important information. So far, the food industry isnt complaining about the cost of implementing the new law. I think there is going to be a cost, but I dont think its going to be an overbearing cost, says Joe Parcell, professor of agricultural economics at the University of Missouri. Printing the words partially produced with genetic engineering doesnt cost much. Nor does developing a QR code and accompanying website, but a company could spend millions of dollars if it decides to revamp its supply chain to avoid genetically modified ingredients. Companies that do so may also be exposing themselves to legal liability. The new law doesnt authorize any specific fines for labeling violations, but food companies should expect anti-GMO groups to run tests and sue over anything that looks like a misstatement. Those activists may be complaining about the law now, but Bruce Chassy, emeritus professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Illinois, thinks they have just won a major victory. It drives companies to go organic and puts people on the defensive about a perfectly safe technology, said Chassy, who has been a longtime advocate of GMOs. They have to say for public consumption that they dont like the bill, but I think theyre laughing up their sleeves. The last building Centene didnt control in the footprint of its massive campus expansion is now part of the project. Centene is now seeking development approval for the entire strip of Forsyth Boulevard between Hanley Road and Forest Park Parkway, adding the building at 7620 Forsyth, where the Wellbridge fitness club is located. The development application to the city of Clayton was updated Friday. Centene has been working to acquire the building and incorporate it into the first phase of its $778 million campus expansion, and it recently signed a letter of intent for the property. A parking structure with 124 residential units that will be built next to a 28-story office tower will now include space for Wellbridge in addition to ground-floor retail. The Denver-based company, which has had a location in Clayton for 18 years, will get a new space in the approximately nine-story structure that adds 5,000 square feet to its existing 35,000 square-foot space. While the new building wont be ready until about 2018, Wellbridge executives said theyve been assured their existing operations wont be disrupted. Were excited about this project, and were excited about being in the heart of the neighborhood, said Wellbridge COO JoAnna Masloski. The current building has been owned by Forsyth Plaza Members LLC since 2003. The company lists Gary Wesolowski, chief financial officer of Don Fergusons Land Dynamics Inc., as its agent. Including the Wellbridge building may require some adjustments to one of the buildings of Centenes massive expansion plan. Centene and its developer plan to formally present the campus expansion project to Claytons Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board at 5:30 p.m. Monday in Clayton City Hall. A state application has detailed a request for $147 million in local tax abatement and state tax credits. Developers say the potential tax benefits and incentives will be between $88 million and $135 million. Some nearby residents have expressed concern with the scale of the expansion. Those who live in the adjacent Crescent condo building on Carondelet Plaza said the building would block their views of the city. Clayco tried to accommodate their concerns by moving the proposed 28- or 29-story office tower further north. Crescent Residential Board member Barb Abbett said in a statement the residents appreciated the effort, but they still wanted the building moved further north. More importantly, they said the city shouldnt try to push through the project too fast and give it due consideration. We understand that Centene wants to move quickly to break ground this fall, Abbett said in a statement. However, many of us believe speed is not the key ingredient to properly plan a development this large and this imposing on hundreds of residents and other businesses. This development will be around for decades and deserves thorough vetting. The developers of Centenes proposed expansion defended their request for public assistance Thursday, arguing the project meets the areas long-term development goals by adding residents and retail near public transit and drawing thousands of high-paying jobs to the regions central corridor. Its hardly in dispute that, if fully developed, the expansion of the Medicaid managed-care companys campus would transform Clayton. As many as three high-rise office buildings could sprout on a downtown corner that has yet to fully develop, bringing as many as 5,000 more employees to the booming seat of St. Louis County. Robert Clark, chairman and CEO of Clayco, which is developing the project for Centene, fleshed out details of the project during an interview in the companys 6-year-old Clayton office tower at Hanley Road and Forsyth Boulevard. The first two phases of the project would add a 28-story office tower and a 34-story office tower to downtown Clayton as well as a parking structure with attached apartments or condos, a total investment estimated at $788 million. The company hopes to start construction on the first office tower and a detached parking garage and residential structure this year, both of which are slated to open by 2018. A second phase would build by 2020 a 34-story office tower, a plaza area, a hotel and an auditorium for concerts and events that Clark described as a very high-end civic center. All three of the structures would include ground-floor retail and parking. In addition, a third phase could add a $250 million, 25-story office tower with parking. Documents submitted to the city said the final phase could open as soon as 2021, but Clark said theres not yet a hard timeline for that building and details are still being worked out. In all, the first two phases would make room for about 5,000 office employees and include 124 condo and residential units, which Clark noted would be near the Forsyth MetroLink station. When you read the (Clayton) master plan, it really calls for a mixed-use project, Clark said. Part of what the community is trying to do overall with MetroLink is to create more transit housing near the stations. Centene anticipates bringing about 2,000 jobs with an average salary of $73,000 to Clayton by the time the second office building opens in 2020. But its building room for 2,800, and thats only roughly half of the building. The company will follow the model it found successful when it built its current headquarters: It will lease out about half of the office space to other tenants. Centenes existing building, for instance, eventually landed law firm Armstrong Teasdale as a tenant after the large firm left its longtime home in downtown St. Louis. Centene itself employs about 1,000 in its existing headquarters. Without public help, however, the project wont get built, at least not at the scale that Centene is now proposing, said Larry Chapman, principal of Claycos CRG Real Estate Solutions. The economics wont work even though the Clayton area has the highest office rents in the region. The reality is that rent wont support the cost of construction of a new building today, he said. It just wont. You cant underwrite it financially. So until that changes, until the rents get high enough to cover costs, youre not going to see any buildings being built except in certain very special and particular circumstances and if theyre helped. Clark said the project would provide a similar, or even greater economic boost, than the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agencys western headquarters being built in north St. Louis. Centene will be paying property taxes, unlike the federal government, and its jobs are higher-paying, he said. The NGAs 3,000 employees will be located in a blighted area that has seen little to no investment, yes, but Clark said only three office buildings have been built in Clayton in the last 20 years. And he argued the overall benefit of the development will stimulate a more walkable, urban landscape in Clayton. Is it going to develop someday? he asked of the land Centene is eyeing. It might, but when you have an employer whos going to add 2,000 high-paying jobs, that drives a lot of other things. Centenes request for incentives drew some consternation because of the large figure drawn from a state application: $147 million in combined state tax credits and local property tax abatement. But Clark disputed those numbers. The true amount wont be known until final salaries and property values are calculated. He said the total value of public incentives, which would be in the form of tax savings over decades rather than up-front money, is likely between $88 million and $135 million. While Centenes request to the state included a $95.6 million local property tax abatement figure, Centene is still finalizing a development agreement with Clayton. Chapman said the company is asking for the same local package it got on its current building: 50 percent property tax abatement over 20 years. The cap is what will be negotiated in its agreement with the city, which he hoped could be finished by next month and possibly ready for a vote by September. Clayco estimates Clayton schools would reap $105 million in additional revenue over 30 years, while Centene would save about $49 million in that time. The city of Clayton would receive $44 million in new taxes over three decades, while Centene saves about $9.7 million in local city taxes. Centene has also asked for about $35.7 million in state Megaworks incentives and $10 million in Missouri BUILD bonds for the project. We dont know what the city is going to say, Clark said. We dont know what their report is going to say. We believe our ask is for under $100 million in total. Clayton Mayor Harold Sanger said in a phone interview if the city can meet Claycos timeline to reach an agreement fine, but it wont be driven by it, and its too early to know if September is reasonable. This is a big project and were going to do it right, Sanger said. He declined to comment on the latest local tax abatement cap negotiations. Updated at 4 p.m. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is taking its first step toward reining in debt collectors, releasing an early outline of rules aimed at preventing them from harassing consumers and trying to collect debts that dont exist. The proposal, discussed Thursday at a CFPB hearing in Sacramento, Calif., would require collection companies to do more to verify information about debts before contacting consumers, limit the number of times a collector can call or email consumers, and make it easier for consumers to dispute debts and put the collections process on hold. Consumer advocacy groups have long complained about the practices of debt collectors, saying they often try to collect from the wrong people, intimidate consumers with nuisance lawsuits and harass borrowers with constant calls. We continue to hear about serious problems with debt collection debiting accounts without authorization, calling at all hours of the day or night, threats of arrest or criminal prosecution, or threats of physical harm to consumers and even their pets, CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in remarks prepared for Thursdays hearing. Consumer groups called the proposal a good first step. But, as with other CFPB proposals, they say they would like to see more stringent consumer protections. A trade group for debt-collection firms, meanwhile, said rules that go too far could prevent some borrowers from getting loans in the first place. If creditors are not able to collect rightfully owed debts, they will be less likely to extend credit to consumers, said Cindy Sebrell, a spokeswoman for trade group ACA International. The proposal, released late Wednesday, is an early step in a process that could take more than a year to produce final rules. The CFPBs initial outline will be reviewed by a panel of small debt-collection businesses before more formal rules are proposed, likely sometime next year. The early proposal calls for debt collectors and debt buyers firms that buy delinquent debt from banks and other lenders, then try to collect from borrowers to contact consumers no more than six times in a week. It also calls for debt collectors to inform consumers if their debts are too old for the collector to take them to court. In a 2013 report, the Federal Trade Commission found that while debt buyers usually, though not always, have the information they need to prove a debt exists such as a borrowers name, the amount they owe and the name of the original lender they often lack documents related to the debt, such as account statements or loan agreements. Whats more, debt buyers usually dont receive any information about whether consumers have disputed a debt or if a disputed debt has been verified information, the FTC noted, that would help determine whether a debt is legitimate. The National Consumer Law Center, which has pushed for tighter restrictions on debt collectors, said the proposal is a good first step but that it would like to see the CFPB put forward even tougher rules. Margot Saunders, an attorney with NCLC, said the CFPBs proposal would create complicated, difficult-to-enforce rules regarding what information collectors have to verify before trying to collect. Whats more, she said one part of the proposal could be confusing to borrowers. In most states, consumers can only be taken to court over bad debts for a certain amount of time after defaulting. The CFPBs proposal calls for debt collectors to inform consumers if their debts are too old to result in a lawsuit. But Saunders said that proposal would flummox consumers. If you received a notice saying, Were collecting this $1,000 debt from you, were informing you that we cant sue you, but you still owe it and need to pay it, would you be confused? Saunders said. Its at best confusing and at worst useless. She wants the CFPB to essentially ban debt-collection firms from trying to collect debts that are too old. Most statutes of limitation are five, six, seven years. That leaves plenty of time for the debt to be collected, Saunders said. Over the past few years, the Federal Trade Commission and the CFPB have gone after debt-collection firms and debt buyers for trying to collect debts without properly verifying them. Theyve also taken action against lenders for failing to tell debt buyers about payments the borrowers made after their debts were sold. Scott Pearson, an attorney at Ballard Spahr who represents financial-services firms, said debt collectors know there are problems in the industry and that the CFPBs proposal could address some of those. There have been lots and lots of consumer complaints resulting from attempts to collect by debt buyers who dont have proper documentation, he said. Most people in the industry would acknowledge this is a problem. There are situations where someone is trying to collect a debt thats already been paid. Nobody wants that. Still, he said he expects lenders and debt collectors alike to push back on the bureaus proposal and argue, as ACA International already has, that rules that make debt collection more costly will make it harder for customers to get loans. If debt buyers have higher costs, they might pay less for bad debts. That could push lenders to be more cautious when they lend, potentially cutting off access to credit for some consumers. When you do this kind of thing, you make every debt obligation less valuable, Pearson said. Theres good reason to have more regulation, but anyone in the industry is going to say CFPB has gone too far. For some St. Louis residents, blighted homes and abandoned properties are an everyday encounter. But the Pulitzer Arts Foundation is putting that issue on display for a larger audience in a new exhibit by architects in the German art collective raumlaborberlin, which opened Friday. The displaced doors, windows and other original parts of a house owned by the citys Land Reutilization Authority will be on display for a few weeks before the brick shell of the original property at 4562 Enright Avenue is fully demolished next month. Then the guts of the home will linger at the Pulitzer until mid-October. For the artists, it was very important this duality between the spaces, says museum executive director Cara Starke. So when our show opens here, it has one version of the house, and that the house in the city still remains. Its also important that its a slow process, that it doesnt just disappear immediately, that we actually observe and recognize that this is the transformation of our city. There are thousands of vacant and abandoned properties across the city, and the LRA owns more than 11,000 of them. The 1890s-era home that is the subject of the Pulitzer exhibit stands for now in the Lewis Place neighborhood, where a search on the land banks website shows 227 LRA-owned properties. Kristin Fleischmann Brewer, exhibit curator and the Pulitzers director of public projects, says the museum received permission from the city to use the property for the project. Artists and museum staff then researched the history of the property and community with help from area residents, historians and Lewis Place Historical Preservation Inc. The neighborhood was once largely filled with middle-class German immigrants and now is predominantly African-American. Past residents of the home on Enright included Irish and Canadian shoemakers, a German carpenter and an English photographer. We talk a lot of the past, present and future and what that means and how its encompassed in a single home, Brewer says. Visitors to the exhibit can expect to take a journey through time to understand the historical shifts of the neighborhood, one devastated by foreclosures and discriminatory mortgage lending practices, says Pamela Talley, a longtime Lewis Place resident and president of the Lewis Place Historical Preservation Inc. This is and has been a dynamic neighborhood, with many firsts for our culture, she says, in an exhibit guide produced by the museum. It is important to recognize and preserve that history. My hope for this project is that it not only helps to inspire and motivate the community, but also impacts the decision-makers in public and private sectors. Museum leaders say they wanted to listen to locals and reinvest in the community. Brewer says that after the building demolition, the money from bricks sold locally will go to a neighborhood youth camp. It was important for us to work with the neighborhood, she says. Coming next Sunday Four people in Florida who caught the Zika virus were likely infected by local mosquitoes, federal health officials confirmed today. The cases mark the first time the virus has been transmitted by mosquitoes in the U.S. "All the evidence we have seen indicates that this is mosquito-borne transmission that occurred several weeks ago in several blocks in Miami," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a statement. "We continue to recommend that everyone in areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are presentand especially pregnant womentake steps to avoid mosquito bites. We will continue to support Floridas efforts to investigate and respond to Zika and will reassess the situation and our recommendations on a daily basis." There are no plans to issue any travel warnings for Florida, Frieden said. The virus spreads primarily through bites from infected Aedes mosquito, but can also be sexually transmitted. It has been endemic in South America, Central America and the Caribbean in the last year. The virus is generally mild, but can cause severe birth defects if a pregnant woman becomes infected. There have been 1,658 other cases of Zika reported among Americans, all related to travel to affected areas. There have been nine cases reported in Missouri and 29 in Illinois. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/zika/. HOUSE SPRINGS Chris Keown, a Jefferson County factory worker who paid a $99.50 fine for poaching a black bear in May, said he shot and skinned it because he was fearful. Not because the bear was aggressive toward him, because it wasnt, Keown said. He did it, he said, in part because hed recently been unnerved by watching the brutal bear attack scene in the frontiersman movie The Revenant. And he says hed do it again if a bear wandered too close to where his third-grade son plays. Keown, 40, told the Post-Dispatch this week in his first public interview, that he was sorry for killing the animal that is a protected species in Missouri. But he said he was shocked that the bear was on his property, only 25 yards from his front door, near where his 8-year-old son, Hunter, bikes and plays. He grabbed his muzzleloader, followed the bear into the woods across the street from his home and shot the bear as it sat in a ditch. He skinned it, leaving the head and hide in the woods, and giving the paws and meat to a friend. Im sorry that I did do it, Keown said. My adrenalin was pumping. About three weeks before that, we watched The Revenant and it was just going through my mind. And you get online and you look up black bear maulings or black bear attacks ... Im not going to take that chance. Keown said the bear wasnt aggressive and actually ran off when Keown opened the front door of his home. Larry Yamnitz, protections division chief for the Missouri Conservation Department, oversees the office that solved the case and cited Keown for the violation. Yamnitz said the case is a good reminder of how much more the department needs to educate the public about the laws and how to deal with bears, as their numbers increase across the state. Yamnitz said bears are afraid of humans. When a bear runs away, where is the threat? He should have just let it go, Yamnitz said. Bear resurgence Black bears, which are making a resurgence in Missouri, are a protected species. The Wildlife Code of Missouri says a black bear can be killed only with prior consent of a conservation agent if it is damaging property or without permission if the bear is attacking a person, livestock or domestic animal. Even then, the killing must be reported immediately. Keown was cited for a misdemeanor offense. On June 29, he pleaded guilty and paid the $99.50 fine and $103.50 in court costs. When Missouri Conservation agents were tipped off in May about what Keown had done, Keown at first denied killing the bear. But a Missouri Conservation agent secured his confession after Keowns adult son, a new sheriffs deputy in Jefferson County, persuaded his father to tell the truth and let authorities search his property. The agent, Lexis Riter, lifted a tarp covering a four-wheeler and found a drop of blood and fur. Keown was at work at the time, and Riter told him on the phone that she knew what he had done and he needed to come home. Keown led Riter to the bears head and hide near a creek. Riter also recovered the meat and the bears paws Keown had given to a friend. Yamnitz lauded Riter for her work to solve the case. Riter, an agent for 2 years, said she'd never seen a bear in the wild before. She admits it was emotional for her to see one for the first time, and it was dead. This is only the second poaching incident of a black bear in Missouri in the last 15 years or so, Yamnitz said. As the bear population increases, Yamnitz expects that number to rise. Our bear population is growing and theres going to be more opportunities for people who dont look at the law as something that needs to be obeyed, Yamnitz said. Were looking for ways to increase our enforcement efforts and to educate people on how to live with bears. Missouri is home to an estimated 300 to 400 black bears. Sightings in Jefferson County arent particularly unusual, officials say. There was one sighting last year in the county, and three bear sightings around the time Keown killed the bear. Black bears were native to Missouri but nearly wiped out in the settlement years in the mid- to late-1800s. They are making a comeback. The majority come from restocking started in the 1950s by Arkansas, which imported bears from Manitoba, Canada. In recent years, bears have been moving into Missouri, but staying primarily south of Interstate 44. There have been sightings in the last several years a little north of the Interstate 70 corridor in the western part of the state. Yamnitz said bears typically do not attack humans. Agents are trying to educate people not to feed bears or even leave cat food on a back deck if bears have been nearby. If you feed them, they will lose fear of humans, and thats when you get interactions, he said. The agency is supporting a bill proposed in the Missouri Legislature that would allow civil penalties on top of fines for someone who kills a black bear. Some states have hefty fines compared to Missouri, while others have less, Yamnitz said. I thought it was a grizzly Keown said he was napping on the afternoon of May 1 when his daughter, 18, told him a bear was in their yard. Keown had never seen a bear in Missouri and assumed she was joking. He couldnt believe what he saw when he looked outside. That bear was big, he said. I thought it was a grizzly. A lifelong hunter, Keown said he didnt know black bears were protected and doesnt know much about bears in general. He said he thought the one in his yard could be a grizzly because of its brown fur. Yamnitz notes that not all black bears are black. They can have cinnamon-colored, blond or light brown fur. They are much smaller than grizzly bears and shaped differently, he said. More importantly, Yamnitz said, grizzly bears have never lived in the wild in Missouri. After Keown spotted the black bear, he opened the front door to take its picture, but it ran off, Keown said. He said he called the conservation agent who had cited him previously for failing to have deer tags, but he got an answering machine. He said he called the conservation departments tips line but also got a voicemail. (Yamnitz said he wasnt able to verify either call.) Keown said he then grabbed his gun and went into the woods to track the bear. After he killed it, he said he had help loading it onto a four-wheeler, but he refused to say who helped him. Im not an evil, mean person. I love animals, he said. I did it for one reason: For my son, because he plays in this road and rides his bike up and down this road. The boy was inside the house when the bear walked by. What will Keown do the next time he sees a black bear? Depends on where I see him, he said. If I see him right here, Im going to kill him, Keown said motioning to his front yard. What are you supposed to do? They say, beat on pots and pans and make noise. What is my son supposed to do? Run around here with pots and pans? Keown said he skinned it because he always tries to use every part of an animal he kills. I wasnt out trophy hunting, Keown said. He said the paws were given to his friend, along with the meat, just because he didnt know what else to do with them. Yamnitz said the missing parts kind of piqued my interest because agents are on the lookout for trafficking of bear parts. He said some people in the southeastern United States have killed for bear paws or bear gall from the gallbladder. Its very highly sought after in the Far East for medications, kind of like ginseng, Yamnitz said. Bears in Asia have been thinned down so there is interest in U.S. bears, he added. The friend turned over the paws and was cooperating with authorities. Yamnitz has no evidence the friend had planned to sell the parts. Authorities have charged two Metro East men and one woman with murder in the stabbing death of a man whose body was found last weekend in West Alton. The three are held without bond in the death of Christopher A. Gernigin. His body was found along U.S. Highway 67 early Saturday morning. St. Charles County prosecutors on Thursday charged: Larry E. Northcutt Jr., 27, of Godfrey, with first-degree murder and "armed criminal action." Natasha R. Smith, 26, of Madison County, with first-degree murder, and Brent A. Jones, 28, of Madison County, with first-degree murder. The Missouri Highway Patrol and Alton Police Department investigated the case. Northcutt had confronted Gernigin recently in a squabble over a woman, according to Jeff Gernigin, one of the victim's brothers. Gernigin worked odd labor jobs and didn't have life insurance, according to Jeff Gernigin. His kids lived with their mother in Marion, Ky. Jeff Gernigin said his brother was working on repairing his relationship with her. Their children are 9, 8, 4, and almost 2. Christopher Gernigin spent some time in prison for burglary. He also struggled with a drug problem, but he had sobered up recently, according to Jeff Gernigin. Jeff Gernigin said his brother could very well have angered the wrong person, but said that he was trying to better his life for him and his kids and their mom. The family is raising money through a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs. The page raised more than $600 by Wednesday afternoon. Nassim Benchaabane of the Post-Dispatch contributed information to this report. JEFFERSON CITY It was a tight squeeze for Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Greitens to get to the podium for a press conference Friday morning, where he denounced national Democrats involvement in whats proved to be a contentious, expensive primary race. Held outside the Missouri Democratic Party headquarters in Jefferson City, he had to make his way through a group of vocal Democrats who'd come outside and joined the many Greitens supporters on the street. The crowd flashed dueling signs, some supporting Greitens and some inviting him back to the Democratic party, a dig at his former Democratic leanings. We have our own candidates, so we dont need him to run for governor as a Democrat, but our party doesnt hold grudges so hes welcome to come back and join us, said Kristin Sosanie, a spokesperson for the Missouri Democratic Party. Just four days before the primary election, a competition as to who can hold the biggest signs the highest is just one more indication of how volatile the contest between former Navy Seal Greitens, former House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, businessman John Brunner and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has become. Missouri Democrats and Eric Greitens supporters having a sign competition before his press conference this morning pic.twitter.com/bWJDuzqY8C Celeste Bott (@celestebott) July 29, 2016 Greitens held the conference to talk about an attack ad allegedly paid for by the "Jobs and Opportunity" Committee, a political group affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association that criticizes the political newcomer for accepting $1 million from a donor accused of sexual abuse. As reported by Politico, the ad is set to air Friday. That donation from Michael Goguen, a California investor who has been sued by a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her for 13 years, has been a constant talking point for Greitens three primary competitors. Goguen filed a defamation suit against Brunner after he said he refused to be lectured by a guy who took $1 million from the owner of a teenage sex slave during a heated primary debate with Greitens on July 13. In the complaint, Goguen's lawyers point out the woman's suit against Goguen doesn't say she was a teenager, and that she hadn't labeled herself a "slave." They also argue Brunner's comments wrongly imply he had been charged with a crime, rather than a civil suit. The Greitens campaigns response has largely been that Goguen is innocent until proven guilty, a sentiment Greitens echoed Friday. This is a civil case, and in a civil case a person can make any allegations, he said. He also said he took the involvement of Washington D.C. politicians in the race for Missouri governor as a sign they feared he would win, hailing his outsider status and grassroots campaigning. This is coming from Barack Obama, Greitens said over chants of Obama and We missed you in Philly. He knows his liberal legacy is going to come to an end when Im governor, he added. The winner of the GOP primary on Tuesday will likely face Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster in the general election on Nov. 8. Koster is seeking the Democratic nomination against three little-known challengers. Asked if it would have been easier to just give the money back, Greitens said he wasnt going to fold like a cheap lawn chair in the face of the Obama political machine and Chris Koster. Also on Monday, Jobs and Opportunity donated $713,082 to Koster's campaign, an in-kind contribution Greitens' campaign says is a coordinated ad buy. Greitens put out an ad Friday in response, saying Washington Democrats "are trying to hijack our Republican primary." JEFFERSON CITY It would cost Missouri taxpayers nearly $13.7 million to bring state employee salaries more in line with the marketplace, a long-awaited study has found. The report, released by Gov. Jay Nixons office on Friday, found that the base salary for 37,906 prison guards, social service workers and other state employees is the lowest in the nation and more than 10 percent below what is considered competitive in the job market. The results are not a surprise. Low wages paid to state workers have been a thorn in the side of state government for years and have led to high turnover rates, costing taxpayers additional money in overtime and training. According to a separate 2015 report filed by the Office of Administrations personnel division, the Missouri Department of Mental Health saw 25.7 percent of its employees leave the workforce that year. The states largest agency the 10,958-employee Department of Corrections had a turnover rate of 16.3 percent. The new report, compiled by St. Louis-based CBIZ Human Capital Services at a maximum cost of $300,000, found benefits, including health insurance, are better than average, but still not enough to offset the low salaries. State employees are hardworking public servants who have dedicated their careers to keeping Missouri a great place to live, work and raise a family, said Doug Nelson, commissioner of Nixons Office of Administration. This study will help determine what can be done to help enhance Missouris ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified workers. Senate Majority Floor Leader Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, said he hopes the study can be used to develop a plan to address the salary issue. "Missouri's state employees are its number one asset, and these employees have grown weary of decades of political-speak about improving their pay. This study will provide a mechanism to move from talk to action," Kehoe said in a statement Friday. Lawmakers and Nixon have attempted to address the low salary levels in recent years, handing out a number of small raises and bonuses. This year, the budget included money for 2 percent raises. But that hasnt been enough to close the gap with other states. As an example of the disparity between Missouri and neighboring Illinois, the advertised pay range for an entry level prison guard in Missouri is $28,260 to $39,084. In Illinois, correctional officer trainees are paid $42,432 annually. After adjusting wages based on a national scale, the study found the average state worker in Missouri earns $39,682. The study shows that Iowa pays its state workers the best in the nation after the wages are adjusted at $70,458. That is more than $2,000 higher than the No. 2 state of California. Illinois is ranked third at $65,343. Kansas adjusted salary level of $52,352 is ranked 21st. Kentucky is 42nd with an adjusted average wage of $46,768. The analysis also address disparities within Missouri. It found that a statewide salary of $44,000 should be adjusted to $46,037 if it were to remain competitive in St. Louis. By contrast, that same pay could be lowered to $40,260 in rural Ripley County, located along the Arkansas border. However, the consultants noted that a state law bars geographic differentials in compensation. By agency, the Department of Corrections had the highest number of employees working for less than the market rate at 1,194. The study found the Missouri Department of Transportation had the fewest number of workers below the threshold among the states largest agencies. The report also found that Missouri is out of step with the labor market when it comes to the time period it takes for workers to qualify for a full pension. The state currently requires a 10-year wait, while a 5-year vesting period for retirement benefits is more common. The state should reduce the ten-year vesting requirement because it is out of step with trends in the market, the study notes. The millennial generation has shown a willingness to change jobs often and typically places a much higher value on benefits that vest quickly and are transportable. Additionally, the ten year vesting creates a challenge in attracting `second career employees, who may be deterred by the ten-year requirement. FREEBURG After a year full of dress code violations, school officials in Freeburg decided to get the message out to parents about what was considered appropriate dress. But the school is now under fire after releasing a flier that some are calling sexist, and is leaving students confused about what they can and cant wear to school. The flier has been circulated on social media since it was released earlier this week. Freeburg Community Consolidated School District #70 handed the flier out at registration this week. The flier was directed at students in fifth through eighth grades, according to Tomi Diefenbach, district superintendent. It was a different way to get the message out to parents and students early enough for them to prepare before the start of school, Diefenbach said. The front of the flier is split into two halves. The top shows illustrations of different dress code violations, such as telling students not to wear thin-strapped or backless tops or short shorts. The only illustrations directed towards boys include violations such as wearing undershirts or pajamas, or pants below the hips. The bottom half demonstrates the "appropriate" way to wear leggings. Two headless girls are pictured, one on the left wearing leggings with a longer shirt, the other wearing a shirt as long as her waist. The girl on the left is captioned with words like lady like and school-appropriate, while the other girl is distracting, revealing and a dress code violation. A similar image is on the back side of the flier, showing an illustration of a girl split down the middle. Half of the girl is wearing acceptable clothes, while the other half is unacceptable. Phrases like reflect RESPECT and If in doubt: DONT wear it! line the bottom of the flier. Audrey Proctor, 18, said she was confused after seeing her eighth-grade sisters wearing shirts too big for them. Why is your shirt so big? she asked one sister. Our shirts have to cover our butts for school, she replied. Heaven forbid you can see an 11- or 12-year-olds underwear lines through their yoga pants, Proctor said. That should have nothing to do with the respect they deserve. Proctor said upon seeing the flier, she wasnt sure if the long-shirt rule applied to just leggings, or tight jeans and shorts as well. Lily Reaka, 15, who also has a sister attending the middle school, was confused as well. Diefenbach said students will only need to wear longer shirts when wearing yoga pants and leggings. Students may still wear shorts and skirts, so long as they are not too short. The dress code has not changed, since last year, she said, but the school will be stricter in enforcing it. We plan to adhere to the dress code we have had all along, Diefenbach said. If there is a better way to get this out, I am open to it. PHILADELPHIA In a luxury suite high above the convention floor, some of the Democratic Partys most generous patrons sipped cocktails and caught up with old friends, tuning out Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on Monday as he bashed Wall Street in an arena named after one of the countrys largest banks. On Tuesday, when Hillary Clinton became the first female nominee of a major party, a handful of drug companies and health insurers made sure to echo the theme, paying to sponsor an Inspiring Women panel featuring Democratic congresswomen. And in the vaulted marble bar of the Ritz-Carlton downtown, wealthy givers congregated in force for cocktails and glad-handing as protesters thronged just outside to voice their unhappiness with Wall Street, big money in politics and Clinton herself. This is a good place to be for a lot of reasons, said former Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, a Democrat now running for Congress, as he glided through the room on Tuesday. We must have set up five fund-raisers today. This is the bank. Its about access After a wrenching yearlong nominating battle with searing debates over the influence of Wall Street and the ability of ordinary citizens to be heard over the din of dollars changing hands, the partys moneyed elite returned to the fore this week, undeterred and mostly unabashed. While protesters marched in the streets and blocked traffic, Democratic donors congregated in a few reserved hotels and shuttled between private receptions with A-list elected officials. If the talk onstage at the Wells Fargo Center was about reducing inequality and breaking down barriers, Center City Philadelphia evoked the world as it still often is: a stratified society with privilege and access determined by wealth. The Clinton people would always argue, Well, theres no connection between the money and the actions that we take, said Jonathan Tasini, a liberal organizer and Sanders delegate from New York. Thats what these cocktail parties and receptions are all about. Its about access and whose phone calls get answered. For many Clinton donors, particularly those from the financial sector, the convention is a time to shed what one called the hypersensitivity that had previously surrounded their appearance at Clintons fundraisers or at her political events, during a period when Sanders repeatedly attacked her connections to Wall Street and her six-figure speaking fees from financial institutions. I think were past that, said Alan Patricof, a longtime donor to Clinton, when asked about the need to lie low during the primaries. Preferred Suites In Philadelphia, donors were handed preferred suites at the Ritz-Carlton and Friends and Family packages created for longtime Clinton hands some of them also longtime benefactors. Some were granted time backstage or in the Clinton family box with former President Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton. Blackstone, the private equity giant, scheduled a reception at the Barnes Foundation on Thursday with its president, Hamilton E. James, one of the leading Wall Street contenders for an economic policy post in a future Clinton administration. The Philadelphia convention offered other symbolic contrasts to the partys last two gatherings, when President Barack Obama sought, with mixed success, to restrict his party from raising money to pay for the conventions from lobbyists or political action funds. Those shackles were thrown off this year, waving a green flag to Washingtons influence industry. Lobbyists and corporate representatives flooded the city, where much of the Democratic Partys elite and potential senior members of a future presidential administration had gathered. The railway giant CSX brought in old railroad cars for a reception led by Rodney E. Slater, the former U.S. transportation secretary turned lobbyist, who also headlined a panel on transportation policy in a future Clinton administration. At the Loews Hotel bar on Tuesday night, old Clinton hands, some now working as lobbyists, caught up with Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, a longtime family friend and one of the partys most prolific fundraisers. Business as usual At a private luncheon on Wednesday at El Vez, a Mexican restaurant, more than a dozen Democratic governors mingled with representatives from a host of labor unions and companies, among them the Apollo Education Group, an operator of for-profit colleges that has faced a series of state and federal investigations into allegations of shady recruiting, deceptive advertising and questionable financial aid practices. Its business as usual, said Libby Watson, who monitored lobbying events in Philadelphia on behalf of the Sunlight Foundation, a group devoted to government transparency. The biggest players gathered at the Ritz-Carlton, where a line of sport utility vehicles and limousines deposited waves of men in suits but no ties and elegantly dressed women bearing expensive handbags. At first-come, first-served seats near the bar, assistants huddled around lengthy spreadsheets, figuring out which donors were entitled to which passes to which events. Outside, a protester walked with a sign denouncing big money. Inside, two stocky men could be heard debating the merits of the different ambassadorships they hoped to earn under Clinton. Even a low-ranking posting meant having ambassador on a childs wedding invitation, the two agreed, and would be helpful in wrangling invitations to sit on corporate boards. A few feet away, Mary Pat Bonner, a gatekeeper to many prominent liberal donors, chatted with her most important client, David Brock, the founder of a cluster of outside groups that has raised millions of dollars to help elect Clinton. The longtime Clinton friend and fundraiser Maureen White strode through the lobby, just missing Rajiv K. Fernando, the Chicago securities trader and Clinton donor, who resigned his appointment to a sensitive intelligence advisory board after questions were raised about his qualifications. Nearby were Heather Podesta, the Democratic lobbyist and Clinton fund-raiser, and Philip D. Murphy, the former Goldman Sachs executive and ambassador to Germany, now running for governor of New Jersey. Occasionally, as bellhops leapt to open the lobby doors for another guest, the chants of protesters outside could be dimly heard. John Graham, a New Jersey insurance executive and Clinton backer, said that after seeing the demonstrators outside the hotel, he had taken his daughter for a walk to meet some of them. Its a little awkward, because guys like me are in here, Graham said. And we need to do something for the young people who are out there. PHILADELPHIA Promising Americans a steady hand, Hillary Clinton cast herself Thursday night as a unifier for divided times, steeled for a volatile world by decades in politics that have left some Americans skeptical of her character. "I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, independents, for the struggling, the striving and the successful. For those who vote for me and those who don't," Clinton said as she accepted the Democratic nomination, becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S. political party. She drew a sharp contrast with her general election rival Donald Trump, calling the Republican supremely unqualified for the White House. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," she said. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons," she said. Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates. But her real audience was the millions of voters who may welcome her experience but question her character. She acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me." But her primary focus was persuading anxious Americans to stick with a Democrat for a third term and put aside their frustration with those who have been entrenched in the political system. Clinton's four-day convention began with efforts to shore up liberals who backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and it ended with an outstretched hand to Republicans and independents unnerved by Trump. A parade of military leaders, law enforcement officials and Republicans took the stage ahead of Clinton to endorse her in the general election contest with Trump. "This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future," said retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan. "We must seize this moment to elect Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America." American flags waved in the stands of the packed convention hall and the crowd broke into chants of "U-S-A!" drowning out scattered calls of "No more war." The Democratic nomination now officially hers, Clinton has just over three months to persuade Americans Trump is unfit for the Oval Office and overcome the visceral connection he has with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. She embraced her reputation as a studious wonk, a politician more comfortable with policy proposals than rhetorical flourishes. "I sweat the details of policy," she said. Campaigning in Iowa Thursday, Trump said there were "a lot of lies being told" at Clinton's convention. In an earlier statement, he accused Democrats of living in a "fantasy world," ignoring economic and security troubles as well as Clinton's controversial email use at the State Department. The FBI's investigation into Clinton's use of a private internet server didn't result in criminal charges, but it did appear to deepen voters' concerns with her honesty and trustworthiness. A separate pre-convention controversy over hacked Democratic Party emails showing favoritism for Clinton in the primary threatens to deepen the perception that Clinton prefers to play by her own rules. Through four nights of polished convention pageantry, Democratic heavyweights told a different story about Clinton. The most powerful validation came Wednesday night from President Barack Obama, her victorious primary rival in 2008. Obama declared Clinton not only can defeat Trump's "deeply pessimistic vision" but also realize the "promise of this great nation." Seeking to offset possible weariness with a politician who has been in the spotlight for decades, he said of Clinton: "She's been there for us, even if we haven't always noticed." Clinton was introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, who spoke warmly of her mother as a woman "driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love." A parade of speakers gay and straight, young and old, white, black and Hispanic cast Trump as out-of-touch with a diverse and fast-changing nation. Khizr Khan, an American Muslim whose son was killed in military service, emotionally implored voters to stop Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future," Khan said. "Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy." The program paid tribute to law enforcement officers killed on duty, including five who died in Dallas earlier this month in retaliation for officer-involved shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana. "Violence is not the answer," Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez said. "Yelling, screaming and calling each other names is not going to do it." On the convention's closing night, Clinton sought to reach beyond the Democratic base, particularly to moderate Republicans unnerved by Trump. Former Reagan administration official Doug Elmets announced he was casting his first vote for a Democrat in November, and urged other Republicans who "believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party" to do the same. Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump said he'd like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. Hours later, Trump told Fox News he was being "sarcastic" although shortly after his remarks on Wednesday, he tweeted that Russia should share the emails with the FBI. Can we be assured that the plant will not pollute our land or water supply so that we are not discovering something decades later like so many areas in Missouri? 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 LONDON MARKET OPEN: Amazon drops 13% as US tech earnings disappoint Friday, October 28, 2022 - 09:19 Big tech became a growing source of concern for stock market investors as a week of US earnings drew to a close, with European markets falling at the open on Friday after a discouraging update from e-commerce platform Amazon. Following sharp share slumps for Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta Platforms earlier in the week, this time it was Amazon's turn to upset. Its shares sunk 13% in after-hours trade in New York, as the company reported a decrease in quarterly net income on foreign exchange headwinds, but did note a rise in sales. Apple fared better after its own quarterly results, the stock rising 0.4% in the after-hours session. The FTSE 100 index was down 61.43 points, or 0.9%, at 7,012.26 early Friday. The mid-cap FTSE 250 was down 226.95 points, or 1.3%, at 17,854.97, and the AIM All-Share was down 4.58 points, or 0.6%, at 804.88. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.8% at 701.18, the Cboe UK 250 down 1.2% at 15,346.29, and the Cboe Small Companies down 0.3% at 12,368.06. In European equities on Thursday, the CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.8%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt was 1.0% lower. In the US on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.6%, but the wider S&P 500 closed down 0.6% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ended 1.6% lower. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde sounded tough on inflation on Thursday, but a slight 'dovish tweak' to the central bank's monetary policy statement has sent the euro below dollar parity. The euro traded at $0.9947 early Friday, down from $0.9984 late Thursday. The ECB said interest rates would need to be raised "further" - a slight change in language after it previously said rates would need to be hiked over the "next several meetings". As expected, the Frankfurt-based central bank lifted its key policy rates by 75 basis points on Thursday. The ECB has now hiked by 200 basis points over the past three meetings. Lagarde told reporters the ECB "still has ground to cover". "ECB rate hike pricing took a tumble, with 25bp being priced out over the upcoming six meetings. This means that the expected terminal rate has declined from 2.80% to 2.54%," Rabobank commented, explaining: "The easiest way of viewing this is the market now thinks it more likely than not that there will no hike at the March meeting where previously it thought it more likely than not that there would be a 25bp hike." Turning to Japan's central bank, the Bank of Japan stuck to its ultra-loose monetary policies on Friday, even as the yen comes under pressure from aggressive tightening by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks. The stark contrast between Japanese and US monetary policy has caused the yen to plummet to 32-year lows against the dollar, prompting the government to intervene to prop up the currency. The dollar was quoted at JP146.91 early Friday in London, up from JP145.90 late Thursday. The Japanese Nikkei 225 index gave back 0.9% on Friday. In London, NatWest was at the bottom of the FTSE 100, losing 7.2%. The bank reported strong income growth in the third quarter, boosted by both increased lending and higher interest rates, but it warned it is keeping a close on eye on any change in behaviour from its customers. In the three months to September 30, operating profit before tax rose to 1.09 billion from 976 million a year before. Putting a cap on the bank's profit, NatWest set aside 247 million in the quarter to cover an expected increase in bad loans, which is reversed from a 221 million gain the year prior. "At a time of increased economic uncertainty, we are acutely aware of the challenges that people, families and businesses are facing up and down the country. Although we are not yet seeing signs of heightened financial distress, we are very conscious of the growing concerns of our customers, and we are closely monitoring any changes to their finances or behaviours," Chief Executive Alison Rose said. Peers Barclays and Lloyds were down 2.8% and 2.3%, respectively. British Airways-parent International Consolidated Airlines lost 1.4%, despite posting a positive quarter. IAG swung to profit in the third quarter, as revenue improved on pre-pandemic levels, despite lower capacity. It swung to a pretax profit of 1.01 billion from a loss of 714 million a year before. Revenue nearly tripled year-on-year to 7.32 billion, from 2.71 billion. Passenger revenue saw the strongest recovery, growing to 6.42 billion from 2.00 billion. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, it was 22% higher. Davy Research said IAG's third-quarter operating profit of 1.21 billion was above market consensus of 814 million and its own estimate of 826 million. Glencore fell 3.3%. The miner saw a drop in production in the first nine months of 2022 across most of its metals, with the exception of strong growth from cobalt and nickel, forcing the miner to lower its annual guidance. In the nine months to September 30, copper production was down 14% year-on-year to 770,500 tonnes, while gold was down 15% to 504,000 ounces. Chief Executive Gary Nagle said: "Operational performance over the third quarter was impacted by a range of events including extreme weather in Australia, industrial action at nickel assets in Canada and Norway - since resolved - and the emergence of significant supply chain issues in Kazakhstan stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war. Full-year 2022 production guidance has, accordingly, been reduced for those affected commodities." Glencore said its commodities trading Marketing arm will make a significantly reduced by still above-average contribution in the second half. Peers Anglo American, Rio Tinto and Anto were down 3.2%, 2.9% and 2.1%, respectively. Elsewhere in Asia, the Shanghai Composite lost 2.3% and the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was 4.1% lower in late trade. The S&P/ASX 200 stock index in Sydney closed down 0.9%. Sterling was quoted at $1.1517 early Friday, down from $1.1573 at the London equities close on Thursday. Gold was priced at $1,653.10 an ounce early Friday, lower from $1,662.60 on Thursday evening in London. Brent oil was trading at $93.82 a barrel, down from $94.75 late Thursday. The economic calendar has a GDP and CPI reading from Germany at 0900 BST and 1200 BST, respectively, before the personal consumption expenditures inflationary gauge from the US at 1330 BST. Core PCE is the Fed's preferred inflationary measure. Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Patrick S and Jon N will be reporting live this week from the 76th Annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show in Las Vegas. Check back regularly for updates throughout the day. Patrick S (1:00 AM PDT): The floor opens at 10 AM here in Vegas and well be there when it does. For more information checkout yesterdays updates and also our preview from last week. Patrick S (10:40 AM PDT): First stop was the giant Altadis section where Janelle Rosenfeld introduced us to to Altadis upcoming releases. On the super premium end is the new Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition, a limited release (retailing for $30 per cigar) that comes in a humidor box with a specially-commissioned painting by the 3D artist Charles Fazzio. Altadis is also releasing the Mi Dominicana by Jose Seijas, a Dominican Puro that will be available this month and will go for $7.50-9 per stick. Other exciting new relases from Altadis include a new box-pressed Maduro Montecristo called the Reserva Negra plus new cigars from the Turrent family and a maduro H. Upmann. Jon N (10:55 AM PDT): Patrick and I made sure to take the hotly anticipated Cubao out for a test drive this morning. We sampled some very pretty lanceros in a medium-brown Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Its a rustic, but attractive cigar packaged in an equally rustic cabinet with a cool, weather-worn look. We would describe the smoke as medium to full with earth, wood and pepper flavors and a slightly dry finish. The burn is nice and even, and the cigars handle flawlessly. Given the look, flavor, $7 price tag, and Don Pepins name, we expect the Cubao to be a big hit. Patrick S (12:25 PM PDT): Our next stop was at the Reyes Family booth, where Frank Santos told us about their three new lines: Reyes Premier, Reyes Vintage, and Reyes Classic. At his recommendation, Jon and I tried the Classic, which is a mild-bodied cigar made with a natural Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and filler from four different countries. The cigar was toasty with buttery flavors and the construction was flawless. Santos tells us that the decision to release cigars under the Reyes name is partially a tribute to Rolando Reyes who, while still actively involved in the company, recently handed the reigns to his 31-year-old grandson. He says the company will be focusing on its new lines and that at least in the short term any new releases (none are planed immediately) will likely be extensions of the lines with new sizes. Patrick S (12:40 PM PDT): We also stopped by to see our friend Kinky Friedman. Kinky is debuting a new size, the Kinky Lady, a 7 inch by 42 ring gauge lonsdale. He also recently introduced a bundled line called Kinksters. Patrick S (3:40 PM PDT): After a quick lunch we jumped back on the trade floor and dropped by the good folks at El Tiante Cigars. Weve favorably reviewed their cigars in the past and now Ive gotten my hands on some samples of their new cigar, El Tiante 23 Corojo, which they say is their strongest creation yet. The oily wrapper is similar in color to the Maduro line. I also snapped a quick picture with the Boston pitching legend himself. Patrick S (4:00 PM PDT): After visiting El Tiante we went to see all the new sticks put out by General Cigar. We covered many of the new releases in yesterdays post, but it seems the most anticipated is the Macanudo 1968, which is the most full-flavored Macanudo to date. Another interesting trend from General is the production of cigars in the thick 6 inch by 60 ring gauge size. A number of their lines, including the new Cohiba Dominicana, come in the new size. They have also completely re-blended and re-packaged the flavored Havana Honeys line (which was recently acquired by General) with a greater focus on quality and consistency. The Hoyo Excalibur Legend is another new smoke by General that we got a look at. The robust blend appears targeted at smokers who may have got their start with the Hoyo Excalibur line, but have moved towards more full-bodied smokes. Patrick S (8:00 PM PDT): It was quite a day, but it isnt over yet. Now Im off to the CAO/Torano party at The Palms. Well be back on the trade show floor tomorrow, so be sure to let us know in the comments what questions you want asked of the top cigar makers out there and well do our best to get you answers. The Stogie Guys photo credit: Stogie Guys As we have since July 2006, each Friday well post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler. 1) Drew Estate has announced an executive-level shakeup. Glenn Wolfson, a graduate of Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management and a Chicago-area resident, will relocate to Miami to oversee the companys day-to-day operations as chief executive officer. Glenn Wolfson is a trusted advisor, and has enjoyed a 36-year career in business as a senior corporate executive and consultant, said Peter Ghiloni, Swishers CEO. Glenn has worked with our team in the past, helping us transform our business dramatically having experience in managing supply chain and operations, marketing, information technology, business strategy, and human resource. Michael Cellucci is stepping down from his post as Drew Estates president to pursue other opportunities, and Rich Cutler returns to Drew Estate in a sales capacity for transitional support. In the fall of 2014, Drew Estate was acquired by Swisher International, the largest cigar company in the world by volume. 2) Cigar Rights of America (CRA) will begin affixing stamp-size labels to cigar boxes from manufacturers who support the cause of cigar freedoms. The Stamp, as it is known, debuted at the industry trade show this week. We wanted to develop a program to recognize those companies that have been and are advancing the cause of CRA as a movement among patrons of great premium cigars, for their resources that have advanced the legislative agenda of CRA in Washington and across the nation, and are giving to this partnership between the manufacturers, community retail tobacconist, and consumers of premium handmade cigars, CRA executive director J. Glynn Loope told Cigar Aficionado. 3) Inside the Industry: Tons of new cigars were introduced this week, and well have plenty to review in the coming months. Generally, new cigars are a result of the creativity and skill of the blender, and limited by available tobaccos. At the IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar debuted the results of a new project to expand the types of tobacco available to its cigar makers. Project Mao seeks to use archived tobacco seeds to redevelop strands of tobacco that otherwise would be unavailable due to the natural evolution of tobacco strains. Both the Partagas Ramon y Ramon and Macanudo Mao use tobacco developed from archived seeds that are over a half century old to attempt to recreate flavors that otherwise have been lost. 4) From the Archives: StogieGuys.com first attended the IPCPR Trade Show in 2008, which was also held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, home to the 2016 show. Check out our coverage of that show here and here. 5) Deal of the Week: Want to fill your humidor with some high-quality cigars on the cheap? This IPCPR 2016 Sampler features ten cigars that will normally run you over $60 combined, for just $29.95. Included are cigars from Drew Estate Undercrown, Surrogates, Miro, La Aurora, and others. The Stogie Guys photo credit: Drew Estate NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) announced a definitive agreement under which a newly formed subsidiary of NextEra Energy will acquire 100 percent of the equity of reorganized Energy Future Holdings Corp. ("EFH") and certain of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including EFH's approximately 80 percent indirect interest in Oncor Electric Delivery Company ("Oncor"), which implies a total enterprise value of approximately $18.4 billion. The definitive agreement will be filed publicly as part of the restructuring of EFH currently before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The definitive agreement is part of an overall plan of reorganization that is designed to allow EFH to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Bankruptcy court approval of EFH entering into the definitive agreement is required for the agreement to be binding upon EFH and Energy Future Intermediate Holding Company LLC ("EFIH"). The parties will request that the bankruptcy court approve EFH's entry into the agreement as soon as practicable. "We are pleased to have reached a definitive agreement to acquire EFH's 80 percent indirect interest in Oncor," said Jim Robo, chairman and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy. "We are incredibly impressed by Oncor's management team and its employees, and we are committed to retaining the Oncor name, its Dallas headquarters and local management. NextEra Energy shares Oncor's strategy of making smart, long-term investments in transmission and distribution to continue to deliver affordable, reliable electric service to its customers. We look forward to working closely with Oncor's leadership team and filing our joint application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. "We are proud to own and operate one of the most efficient, reliable and low-cost utilities in the nation, providing a value proposition for our customers that includes electric bills that are among the nation's lowest, high reliability and award-winning customer service. We believe our deep operating expertise in Texas and across the nation, strong financial profile and experience operating in a regulated utility environment offer uniquely compelling advantages." A proven partner for Texas Since 1999, NextEra Energy has had a significant and established presence in Texas, including Lone Star Transmission, LLC, a transmission service provider. NextEra Energy is a substantial contributor to the Texas economy, having invested more than $8 billion in transmission, power generation, gas pipelines and other operations in Texas. The company provides hundreds of good, well-paying jobs across the state and pays millions of dollars annually in payroll, property taxes and lease payments to local landowners. Oncor: Locally led and locally managed The transaction provides workforce stability and protections for Oncor employees. NextEra Energy is committed to retaining local management, the Dallas headquarters and the Oncor name. NextEra Energy commits to no involuntary reductions to Oncor's workforce as a result of the transaction for at least two years after closing. NextEra Energy also commits that, for two years after closing, current Oncor employees will be provided no less favorable salaries or wage rates and substantially comparable incentive compensation opportunities and employee benefits. NextEra Energy intends to honor all existing union contracts and commitments. Upon completion of the transaction, together with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, Oncor will become a principal business of NextEra Energy. Benefits to Oncor and its customers The transaction will improve Oncor's financial strength and result in tangible benefits for its customers. Oncor will be part of a family of companies that shares Oncor's commitment to making the smart, long-term investments necessary to maintain and support affordable, reliable service. The transaction will extinguish all EFH and EFIH debt that currently exists above Oncor. NextEra Energy has committed that it and its subsidiaries, other than Oncor, will not incur, guarantee or pledge assets in respect of any new debt that is solely or almost entirely dependent on the revenues of Oncor without first seeking approval from the Public Utility Commission of Texas. NextEra Energy's balance sheet and credit rating are among the strongest in the industry. This financial strength should enable Oncor to continue to invest in smart, innovative technologies and execute on its five-year capital plan for the benefit of customers. NextEra Energy expects that Oncor's credit rating will be improved post-closing, generating savings for customers in terms of lower borrowing costs. NextEra Energy, which has been recognized as the top electric and gas utility in Fortune's "Most Admired Companies" ranking 9 out of the last 10 years, will employ a traditional utility organizational structure. The transaction is a straightforward, traditional acquisition by a utility holding company. NextEra Energy's utility, FPL, provides its customers with electric bills that are the lowest in Florida and 30 percent below the national average, as well as award-winning customer service. FPL recently received the top ranking for residential customer satisfaction among large electric providers in the southern U.S., according to the J.D. Power 2016 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM. FPL also is the most operationally efficient among all large utilities in America, the most reliable among Florida utilities and among the most reliable in the nation. This transaction will enable NextEra Energy and Oncor to share expertise and best practices. Benefits to NextEra Energy investors The transaction provides clear benefits for NextEra Energy investors. NextEra Energy expects the transaction to be meaningfully accretive to earnings. NextEra Energy expects the accretion from this transaction to enable it to grow at or near the top end of its previously announced 6 percent to 8 percent per year adjusted earnings per share growth rate through 2018, off a 2014 base. The transaction is consistent with NextEra Energy's focus on investing in regulated and long-term contracted assets. The transaction leverages many of NextEra Energy's core competencies, including investing smartly to improve operations, creating long-term value for both customers and shareholders. NextEra Energy remains committed to maintaining its strong balance sheet. It expects that its credit ratings and its subsidiaries' credit ratings will be maintained post-closing. Benefits to creditors The transaction provides certainty of value for the creditors of the EFH bankruptcy estate. NextEra Energy believes its deep operating experience, strong financial profile, traditional utility ownership model and meaningful Texas presence offer uniquely compelling advantages. With creditor repayment composed primarily of cash, the transaction would deliver a high degree of certainty of value to the EFH bankruptcy estate. Transaction details and approvals As part of the transaction, NextEra Energy intends to fund $9.5 billion, primarily for the repayment of EFIH debt. Of that amount, it is expected that certain creditors will be paid primarily in cash with the remainder in NextEra Energy common stock. The number of shares issuable to such creditors and EFH creditors will be determined based on the estimated cash on hand at EFH at the closing of the transaction, the volume weighted average price of NextEra Energy common stock for a specified number of days leading up to the closing and other factors specified in the definitive agreement. NextEra Energy intends to use a combination of debt, convertible equity units, and proceeds from asset sales to fund cash being provided to creditors. The transaction is not subject to any financing contingencies. NextEra Energy intends to repay in full the EFIH first lien debtor-in-possession ("DIP") financing facility (currently approximately $5.4 billion principal amount) using cash financed by a non-EFH/Oncor NextEra Energy affiliate upon closing. As part of EFH's plan of reorganization, the transaction would extinguish all EFH and EFIH debt that currently exists above Oncor. EFH is not prohibited from soliciting proposals from third parties prior to bankruptcy court approval of EFH entering into the definitive agreement with NextEra Energy. At any time after bankruptcy court approval of EFH entering into the definitive agreement and prior to confirmation of the EFH plan of reorganization, if EFH terminates the definitive agreement because it chooses to proceed with a superior alternative transaction, EFH would be obligated to pay NextEra Energy a $275 million termination fee upon the closing of the alternative transaction. The transaction is subject to bankruptcy court confirmation of EFH's plan of reorganization, approval by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other customary conditions and approvals. NextEra Energy expects the transaction, which has been approved by the boards of directors of both NextEra Energy and EFH, to be completed in the first quarter of 2017. Advisors Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are serving as lead financial advisors to NextEra Energy. In addition, NextEra Energy's other financial advisors include Deutsche Bank Securities, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, UBS Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities. Chadbourne & Parke LLP is serving as lead legal counsel to NextEra Energy. Analyst and Investor Webcast and Conference Call NextEra Energy will host a conference call and webcast to discuss this announcement at 9 a.m. ET (8 a.m. CT) today. The listen-only webcast will be available on NextEra Energy's website by accessing the following link: www.NextEraEnergy.com/investors. The presentation for the webcast may be downloaded at www.NextEraEnergy.com/investors, beginning at 8 a.m. ET (7 a.m. CT) on the day of the webcast. A replay will be available by accessing the same link as listed above. YAMANA GOLD INC. (NYSE: AUY) announced that it has entered into a definitive Share Purchase Agreement (the "Agreement") to sell 100% of its interest in the Mercedes mine in Sonora, Mexico to Premier Gold Mines Limited ("Premier") (herein referred to as the "Transaction"). Pursuant to the Agreement, Yamana will receive consideration in the form of cash and equity securities, the value of which was $140 million at the time of negotiations. Total cash and equity securities consideration is summarized as follows: 1. Cash consideration of $122.5 million; 2. Approximately 6 million Premier common shares; and 3. Approximately 3 million Premier common share purchase warrants (exercisable at C$4.75 per common share for 24 months from the closing of the Transaction). The Company expects to use the proceeds from the Transaction to reduce the Company's net debt position. In addition, the Company will receive a 1% net smelter return ("NSR"), to become payable commencing on the earlier of six years from closing of the Transaction and the date upon which cumulative production of 450,000 ounces of gold equivalent from Mercedes has been achieved. The NSR allows Yamana to retain an economic interest in the potential for exploration success and ultimately mine life extension that exists at Mercedes, which is the Company's sole operating mine in Mexico. With the previously announced decision to recommission the Company's C1 Santa Luz project in Brazil ("C1 Santa Luz"), the Company has identified an internal opportunity to replace gold production from Mercedes beginning in 2018. As per the details provided in the C1 Santa Luz announcement just released, production in the first full year from C1 Santa Luz is expected to be more than 130,000 ounces of gold, with an estimated average annual production of approximately 114,000 ounces of gold over the first seven years. The updated Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimate for C1 Santa Luz shows an increase of approximately 21% in overall Mineral Resources, inclusive of Mineral Reserves but excluding Inferred Mineral Resources, compared to the 2015 preliminary economic assessment. The Company expects cash flows from the assets in its Brio Gold Division, including Riacho dos Machados, to fund the recommissioning of C1 Santa Luz. The Transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory and anti-trust approvals and other customary closing conditions, is expected to close by September 30, 2016. (All amounts are expressed in United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.) Peter Marrone, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yamana, commented as follows: "We are pleased to enter into this transaction with Premier Gold. The proceeds will allow us to accelerate our debt reduction initiatives and thereby significantly reduce our net debt while modestly impacting our consolidated production and cash flow. In addition, we have identified an opportunity within our portfolio, that being C1 Santa Luz, for the replacement of the gold production that will be foregone from Mercedes. C1 Santa Luz has a very modest capital cost, expected average annual production of 114,000 ounces of gold at comparable cost to Mercedes, an expected mine life of more than 10 years, and is in a jurisdiction in which we have a significant presence. This sale is one of a number of strategic initiatives we have advanced to improve our net debt position while ensuring we are positioned to deliver value creation over the longer term." YAMANA GOLD INC. (NYSE: AUY) announce a positive decision to recommission its C1 Santa Luz project ("C1 Santa Luz"), located in Bahia, Brazil. This decision follows the completion of the financial and technical analyses relating to recommissioning which have been ongoing since the project was placed on care and maintenance in 2014 pending further clarification of technical aspects of C1 Santa Luz. C1 SANTA LUZ HIGHLIGHTS -- Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 1.2 million ounces of gold (26.7 million tonnes at 1.42 grams per tonne ("g/t")). -- Forecasted mine life of ten years with average annual production of 114,000 ounces of gold over the first seven years with production in the first full year of over 130,000 ounces of gold. -- Expected overall recovery rates of approximately 84%. -- Average life of mine ("LOM") all-in sustaining cost ("AISC") (1,2) estimate of $846 per ounce. -- Initial capital expenditures of $84.2 million, including an additional vertimill for a higher processing rate, contingencies and all social and owner's costs. -- After-tax net present value ("NPV")(3) at a 5% discount rate of $268 million and an after-tax internal rate of return ("IRR") of 71%. Peter Marrone, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yamana commented as follows: "We are very pleased with the results from the technical effort on recomissioning C1 Santa Luz. The comprehensive geological analysis and metallurgical testwork undertaken has been positive and confirms a significantly larger Mineral Resource and recoveries in line with the preliminary economic assessment completed in 2015. The results support our confidence in C1 Santa Luz's economic parameters and viability and underpin our decision to move this project into the execution phase. A development schedule is now underway with a plan to be in production in 2018." The Company worked with Roscoe Postle Associates Inc ("RPA") with metallurgical analysis and input completed by Ausenco Services Pty Ltd ("Ausenco") to complete the financial and technical analysis for its Technical Report on the re-start of C1 Santa Luz, which was prepared in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101. The analysis and Technical Report include capital and operating cost estimates and recovery parameters, which are at a confidence level that supports a new Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimate for the project. (All amounts are expressed in United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.) (1) Refers to a non-GAAP measure. Reconciliation of non-GAAP measures are available at www.yamana.com/Q12016 . (2) Includes cash costs, general and administrative expense, sustaining capital and exploration expense. (3) Based on consensus Brazilian Real to U.S. Dollar exchange rates and a flat gold price of $1,300 per ounce. Based on the results, the Company has made a decision to advance the recommissioning of the operation. The initial steps of the execution phase will include the completion of a detailed construction schedule with a plan for start-up of production in 2018. Once restarted, C1 Santa Luz is expected to contribute average annual production of approximately 114,000 ounces per year to the Company. "The Technical Report portrays the robust nature of the C1 Santa Luz project," commented Gil Clausen, who heads Yamana's Brio Gold Division. "And, further potential may exist at C1 Santa Luz beyond what has been demonstrated. There is an entire underground Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of over half a million ounces of gold with an additional 375,000 ounces of gold in the Inferred Mineral Resource category, which we intend to further study this year with the focus of converting the Mineral Resource into the Mineral Reserve category. In addition, we plan on drilling other known nearby shallow satellite deposits, which, in conjunction with the potential underground production, is expected to supplement production and add to the current mine life." MINERAL RESERVES AND MINERAL RESOURCES Since October 2015, Yamana has completed approximately 16,400 metres of drilling with the primary purpose of better defining the metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, expanding the Mineral Resource and converting Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves. The updated Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimate for the project is provided in the table below. The overall Mineral Resource, inclusive of Mineral Reserves but excluding Inferred Mineral Resources, increased by approximately 21% from the contained gold ounces in the total Mineral Resource previously announced in the 2015 preliminary economic assessment. Further, a significant portion of the Mineral Resource was successfully upgraded to Mineral Reserves. The LOM plan is based on the open pit Mineral Reserve only, and it does not include the underground Mineral Resource. The Company intends to study the underground potential in the near term as well as exploring other close known shallow satellite deposits on the C1 Santa Luz property. The C1 Santa Luz Mineral Resource is based on historic drill holes plus drill holes from the most recent drilling campaign which occurred from October 2015 to April 2016. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Category of Mineral Reserve Tonnes Gold Grade Contained Gold (kt) (g/t) (oz) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proven - Open Pit 22,354 1.50 1,081,00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probable - Open Pit 2,267 1.11 81,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probable - Stock Pile 2,059 0.89 59,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Proven & Probable 26,679 1.42 1,221,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources. 2. Open Pit Mineral Reserves are reported at cut-off grades for dacite = 0.487 g/t Au, low carbonaceous (CARL) ores = 0.629 g/t Au, and high carbonaceous (CARH) ores = 0.653 g/t Au. 3. A minimum mining width of approximately 40 metres was used. 4. Bulk density is 2.69 t/m3. 5. Mineral Reserves as of June 30, 2016. 6. Mineral Reserves are estimated using a short-term gold price of $1,250 per ounce, and constrained by designed pit. Metal recoveries used in the constraint of the Mineral Reserves were 90% for dacite ores, 81% for low carbonaceous (CARL) ores and 78% for high carbonaceous (CARH) ores. 7. Totals may not add due to rounding. 8. Mineral Resources are exclusive of Mineral Reserves. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Category of Mineral Resource Tonnes Gold Grade Contained Gold (kt) (g/t) (oz) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured - Open Pit 4,259 1.32 181,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured - Underground 125 1.96 8,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated - Open Pit 434 1.14 16,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated - Underground 7,630 2.34 575,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Measured & Indicated 12,448 1.95 780,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred - Open Pit 402 1.53 20,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred - Underground 5,546 2.10 375,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Inferred 5,947 2.06 395,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. 2. Underground Mineral Resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 1.5 g/t Au. 3. Open Pit Mineral Resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.50 g/t Au. 4. Mineral Resources are exclusive of Mineral Reserves. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. 5. Mineral Resources as of June 30, 2016. 6. Mineral Resources are estimated using a short-term gold price of $1,500 per ounce and constrained by a pit shell. 7. Totals may not add due to rounding. Approximately 46% of the open pit Mineral Reserves are dacite ore which are projected to achieve recoveries in the order of 86%. The remainder of the open pit Mineral Reserves are carbonaceous and are projected to achieve average recoveries of approximately 82%. MINING C1 Santa Luz is currently on care and maintenance having operated modestly in 2014. The current effective plant capacity at C1 Santa Luz is approximately 2.0 million tonne per annum ("tpa"). Given the larger Mineral Resource and additional comminution testwork, the Company is planning to increase plant capacity to 2.7 million tpa. As a result, with expected average overall recoveries of approximately 84%, C1 Santa Luz is expected to produce approximately 114,000 ounces of gold per year over the first seven years of its ten year mine life, with lower production in the last three years as mining moves to the lower grade Antas 3 open pit. For its first full year, production is estimated at more than 130,000 ounces of gold. The underground Mineral Resource has the potential to supplement production and extend the mine life. This potential will be evaluated in studies which are scheduled to occur later this year and into next year. A summary of production parameters is provided below. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total material mined (million tonnes) 179.3 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total waste (million tonnes) 152.6 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stripping ratio 5.7 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total ore processed (million tonnes) 26.7 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Average annual production (first seven years) (koz) 114 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total gold production (koz) 1,028 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total mine life (years) 10 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Average gold head grade (g/t) 1.42 ----------------------------------------------------------------- PROCESSING The process flowsheet (see Appendix 1) allows for the processing of non-carbonaceous and carbonaceous minerals at C1 Santa Luz. The flowsheet is a "whole ore leach" of the total plant feed of carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous mineral types mined and processed separately as much as practical. This accommodates the variability in the "preg-robbing" organic carbon concentrations in the plant feed. A significant amount of testwork has been completed in the last year, increasing the confidence in being able to verify and readily separate the dacitic and carbonaceous ores as well as deliver the ores to the mill to allow for an efficient production schedule. The updated processing route, as a result of extensive metallurgical testing, incorporates adding kerosene to the mills and also implements a kerosene removal step ahead of the leaching circuit, in order to blank naturally occurring "preg-robbing" carbon before the gold mineral is leached in cyanide and adsorbed onto activated carbon in a Carbon-in-Leach ("CIL") circuit. The design allows for various addition points and dosages of kerosene (SAG mill and vertimill), in order to accommodate varying concentrations of organic carbon. The expected plant modifications to the existing circuit require the installation of a vertimill, a kerosene removal tank and regeneration kiln, six leaching tanks, a detoxification circuit, additional carbon regeneration capacity (reactivation furnace) and two additional elution columns. This additional testwork has demonstrated improved expected overall average recoveries of 84%. Based on the testwork available, expected average recoveries for both mineral types are as follows: -- Non-carbonaceous dacitic mineral - 86% -- Low to high total organic carbonaceous mineral - 82% -- Weighted average overall recovery - 84% The testwork was performed in Australia by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation ("CSIRO"), in Brazil by SGS and Yamana, and in the USA by Hazen Research Inc ("Hazen") and Resource Development Inc ("RDi"). All of CSIRO, SGS, Hazen and RDi are independent firms from Yamana. The flowsheet was designed in collaboration with Ausenco in Australia. Ausenco also developed the capital and operating costs for the processing plant in Australia and Brazil. CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS The initial capital cost estimate for the planned plant modifications is $42.3 million, which includes the addition of the vertimill that is required for the higher processing rate and grinding optimization, as well as a $8.1 million contingency. The total capital cost for the re-commissioning of C1 Santa Luz is expected to be $84.2 million including contingencies and all social and owner's costs. A detailed capital breakdown is provided below: ----------------------------------------------- Capital Expenditures (in millions) ----------------------------------------------- Plant capital expenditures Plant (includes vertimill) $34.2 Contingency $8.1 Sub-total $42.3 ----------------------------------------------- Other capital expenditures EPCM $5.9 Infrastructure $7.9 Owner's cost $4.6 Tailings dam (improvements) $8.0 Other $9.9 ----------------------------------------------- Sub-total $36.2 ----------------------------------------------- Community related costs $5.6 ----------------------------------------------- Total other capital cost $41.9 ----------------------------------------------- Total initial capital cost $84.2 ----------------------------------------------- Total LOM sustaining capital is expected to be $24.8 million or approximately $20 per ounce of current contained Mineral Reserve ounces. Average LOM AISC, inclusive of royalties, for C1 Santa Luz is estimated at below $850 per ounce of gold. Total operating costs are estimated at $29.71 per tonne milled, which includes mining, processing, direct general and administration ("G&A") expense, dore transportation and stockpile re-handling costs. The plan contemplates using a mining contractor, the cost of which is included in operating costs; and, as such, sustaining capital is significantly reduced and relates only to the plant. A breakdown of operating costs is provided below. ------------------------------------------------------- Operating unit costs(1) ------------------------------------------------------- Mining $1.90/tonne moved Processing - Dacite $12.97/tonne milled Processing - Carbonaceous $15.79/tonne milled G&A and other $2.59/tonne milled ------------------------------------------------------- (1) Based on consensus Brazilian Real to U.S. Dollar exchange rates. PROJECT ECONOMICS Based on consensus Brazilian Real to U.S. Dollar exchange rates, which are 3.65 in 2017, 3.76 in 2018, 3.83 in 2019 and 3.91 long-term, and a gold price of $1,300 per ounce, the after-tax NPV (5%) for C1 Santa Luz is $268 million and the after-tax IRR is 71%. A sensitivity analysis on varying gold prices and Brazilian Real to U.S. Dollar exchange rates was completed on the after-tax NPV. The results are summarized below. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold Price Sensitivity (per ounce) $1,170 $1,300 $1,430 (at consensus Brazilian Real to U.S. Dollar ) (-10%) (+10%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-tax NPV (5%)(in millions) $174 $268 $360 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-tax IRR 48% 71% 93% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brazilian Real Sensitivity (Brazilian (-10%) Consensus (+10%) Real to U.S. Dollar) (at a $1,300 per ounce gold price) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-tax NPV (5%) (in millions) $204 $268 $320 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-tax IRR 50% 71% 91% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Based on a spot gold price of $1,315 and spot Brazilian Real to U.S. Dollar exchange rate of 3.30, the after-tax NPV (5%) is $180 million and the after-tax IRR is 47%. This independent Technical Report was completed by RPA and the incorporated metallurgical analysis was completed by Ausenco. Qualified Persons The Mineral Resource estimate for C1 Santa Luz was prepared by RPA in accordance with standards as defined by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") "CIM Definition Standards-For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves", adopted by CIM Council on May 10, 2014. Messrs. Hugo Miranda, C.P., Mark Mathisen, C.P.G., Stuart Collins, P.E., Andrew P. Hampton, P. Eng., serve as the Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the Technical Report related to C1 Santa Luz. Mr. Mathisen is the Qualified Person for the related Mineral Reserve. Messrs. Miranda, Mathisen, Collins and Hampton, who are independent of the Company, have approved the contents of this news release related to C1 Santa Luz. They have also reviewed and verified that the technical information related to C1 Santa Luz contained in this news release is accurate. The process flow sheet, processing capital costs and operating costs were prepared by Ausenco. Jeffery Bowen, MAusIMM (CP), has reviewed and confirmed the scientific and technical information related to the process flow sheet, capital costs and operating costs for C1 Santa Luz contained within this press release and serves as the Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. About Yamana Yamana is a Canadian-based gold producer with significant gold production, gold development stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Canada. Yamana plans to continue to build on this base through existing operating mine expansions, throughput increases, development of new mines, the advancement of its exploration properties and, at times, by targeting other gold consolidation opportunities with a primary focus in the Americas. Appendix 1: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Yamana728.jpg (Updated - July 29, 2016 1:12 PM EDT) Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) shares advanced Friday after The Information reported that KKR, Apollo, and Carlyle are contemplating a buyout of the company. A deal could be worth more than $40 billion. "Several private equity firms including KKR, Apollo Global Management and Carlyle Group are sniffing around Hewlett Packard Enterprise, contemplating a buyout of the firm, said a person who has had talks with representatives of the firms," the website reported. The company offered no comment on the rumors. "As a matter of policy HPE does not comment on rumors and speculation," Global Communications SVP, Howard Clabo, said in an e-mail to StreetInsider.com. Hewlett Packard Enterprise was separated from Hewlett-Packard Company in 2015. A security guard speaks into a microphone in his sleeve as he stands outside the Viacom Inc. headquarters in New York in this April 30, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo By Tom Hals and Jessica Toonkel (Reuters) - A Delaware judge on Friday ruled that Sumner Redstone's lawyers must defend in a trial his move to oust five directors from Viacom Inc's board and suggested that he wants to get a better picture of the 93-year-old media moguls mental capacity. Judge Andre Bouchard proposed Oct. 17 for the beginning of the trial. In June, Redstone, through his National Amusements Inc holding company, removed five of Viacom's directors, including Chief Executive Philippe Dauman, from the company's board. National Amusements owns 80 percent of voting shares of Viacom and CBS Corp. The move was the latest in the wrangling for control of the media mogul's $40 billion media empire, amid questions over whether Redstone is making his own decisions or is even of sound enough mind to do so. When they made the move, Redstone and National Amusements sought the approval of the Court of Chancery in Delaware, where Viacom is incorporated. Viacom's lead independent director, Frederic Salerno, filed a lawsuit in the same court seeking to block the move, and the ruling on Friday denied a motion to dismiss Salerno's case. In Fridays hearing, the judge said he expected the parties to discuss the possible role of an independent medical examination of Sumner Redstone, but cautioned they were dealing with "issues of human dignity." "My focus will be whether a 90-year-old man in a rapidly declining state of health had the mental health and capacity to make the decisions attributed to him," said Bouchard. Bouchard said discovery could begin immediately and expected medical records to be made available to Salerno. The judge also said he expected the parties to coordinate with a similar case in Massachusetts involving the governance of National Amusements and Redstone's competence. That case, also scheduled to go to trial in October, centers on whether Redstone knew what he was doing when in May he removed Dauman and Viacom board member George Abrams from the seven-person trust that will control Redstone's holdings when he dies or is incapacitated. The trust, officially called the Sumner M. Redstone National Amusements Inc Trust, owns about 80 percent of National Amusements. In a statement, a representative for Viacom applauded the judge's ruling. "We look forward to revealing the truth as we prepare for trial in both Massachusetts and Delaware in October, Viacom said in the statement. "Today's ruling does not constitute a judgment on the merits of this case," a spokeswoman for National Amusements said in a statement. "National Amusements exercised its indisputable rights as Viacom's majority shareholder to make changes to Viacom's board." After their removal from the trust, Dauman and Abrams claimed in a lawsuit in the Massachusetts court that Redstone suffers from dementia, impaired cognition, a slowness of mental processing, a loss of memory, apathy, depression and has been manipulated by his daughter, Shari Redstone. Sumner Redstone has denied that in court filings. (Reporting By Jessica Toonkel; Editing by Nick Zieminski) ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Belden Inc. (NYSE: BDC), a global leader in high quality, end-to-end signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, today announced that the Company successfully completed its offering of mandatory convertible preferred stock, providing for net proceeds of $501.6 million. As a result of the offering, the Company has provided updated guidance to reflect the impact to EPS, absent any deployment of the capital raised. As described below, the revenue guidance is unchanged. On a GAAP basis, the Company continues to expect third quarter 2016 revenues to be $593 $613 million. The expected EPS range is now $0.51 $0.61 compared to the previously guided range of $0.66 $0.76. For the full year ending December 31, 2016, the Company continues to expect revenues to be $2.348 $2.378 billion. The expected range of EPS is now $2.88 $3.08 compared to the previously guided range of $3.23 $3.43. The Company continues to expect third quarter 2016 adjusted revenues to be $595 $615 million. The expected adjusted EPS range is now $1.20 $1.30 compared to the previously guided range of $1.35 $1.45. For the full year ending December 31, 2016, the Company continues to expect adjusted revenues to be $2.355 $2.385 billion. The expected range of adjusted EPS is now $5.15 $5.35 compared to the previously guided range of $5.50 $5.70. BELDEN INC. RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES 2016 REVENUES AND EARNINGS GUIDANCE Year Ended Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 October 2, 2016 Adjusted revenues $2.355 - $2.385 billion $595 - $615 million Deferred revenue adjustments ($7 million) ($2 million) GAAP revenues $2.348 - $2.378 billion $593 - $613 million Adjusted income per diluted share attributable to Belden stockholders $5.15 - $5.35 $1.20 - $1.30 Amortization of intangible assets ($1.61) ($0.41) Severance, restructuring, and acquisition integration costs ($0.55) ($0.26) Deferred gross profit adjustments ($0.11) ($0.02) GAAP income per diluted share attributable to Belden stockholders $2.88 - $3.08 $0.51 - $0.61 Our guidance for revenues and income per diluted share attributable to Belden stockholders is based upon information currently available regarding events and conditions that will impact our future operating results. In particular, our results are subject to the factors listed under "Forward-Looking statements" in this release. In addition, our actual results are likely to be impacted by other additional events for which information is not available, such as asset impairments, purchase accounting effects related to acquisitions, severance, restructuring, and acquisition integration costs, gains (losses) recognized on the disposal of tangible assets, gains (losses) on debt extinguishment, discontinued operations, and other gains (losses) related to events or conditions that are not yet known. Earnings per Share (EPS) All references to EPS within this earnings release refer to income per diluted share attributable to Belden stockholders. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information Adjusted results are non-GAAP measures that reflect certain adjustments the Company makes to provide insight into operating results. GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations in this release and have been published to the investor relations section of the Companys Web site at http://investor.belden.com. Forward-Looking Statements This release contains, and statements made by us concerning the release may contain, forward-looking statements, including our expectations for the third quarter, second half and full-year 2016. Forward-looking statements also include statements regarding future financial performance (including revenues, expenses, earnings, margins, cash flows, dividends, capital expenditures and financial condition), plans and objectives, and related assumptions. In some cases these statements are identifiable through the use of words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, forecast, guide, expect, intend, plan, project, target, can, could, may, should, will, would and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and expectations and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those suggested by any forward-looking statements for a number of reasons, including, without limitation: the impact of a challenging global economy or a downturn in served markets; the cost and availability of raw materials including copper, plastic compounds, electronic components, and other materials; the competitiveness of the global broadcast, enterprise, and industrial markets; disruption of, or changes in, the Companys key distribution channels; volatility in credit and foreign exchange markets; the inability to execute and realize the expected benefits from strategic initiatives (including revenue growth, cost control, and productivity improvement programs); the inability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions in furtherance of the Companys strategic plan; the inability of the Company to develop and introduce new products and competitive responses to our products; assertions that the Company violates the intellectual property of others and the ownership of intellectual property by competitors and others that prevents the use of that intellectual property by the Company; risks related to the use of open source software; the inability to retain senior management and key employees; disruptions in the Companys information systems including due to cyber-attacks; variability in the Companys quarterly and annual effective tax rates; perceived or actual product failures; political and economic uncertainties in the countries where the Company conducts business, including emerging markets; the impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets and the resulting impact on financial performance; the impact of regulatory requirements and other legal compliance issues; disruptions and increased costs attendant to collective bargaining groups and other labor matters; and other factors. For a more complete discussion of risk factors, please see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2016. Although the content of this release represents our best judgment as of the date of this report based on information currently available and reasonable assumptions, we give no assurances that the expectations will prove to be accurate. Deviations from the expectations may be material. For these reasons, Belden cautions readers to not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Belden disclaims any duty to update any forward looking statements as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as required by law. About Belden Belden Inc. delivers a comprehensive product portfolio designed to meet the mission-critical network infrastructure needs of industrial, enterprise and broadcast markets. With innovative solutions targeted at reliable and secure transmission of rapidly growing amounts of data, audio and video needed for today's applications, Belden is at the center of the global transformation to a connected world. Founded in 1902, the company is headquartered in St. Louis and has manufacturing capabilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit us at www.belden.com or follow us on Twitter @BeldenInc. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005448/en/ Belden Investor Relations: 314-854-8054 [email protected] Source: Belden Inc. FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Cardiff International Inc. (OTC PINK: CDIF) today announced that its Board of Directors named Dr. Rollan Roberts II Chief Operating Officer/SVP, effective June 13th. From turning around large, established companies to creating high growth revenue organizations, Dr. Roberts has passionately led with excellence a multi-billion, publicly-held database company along with healthcare, technology, manufacturing and direct sales companies. He has led nearly 1500 employees at a given time servicing clients such as Capital One, IndyMac Bank, State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide along with federal and state government agencies. Dr. Roberts has authored 4 business and leadership books, holds an MBA from Liberty University, a doctorate degree in International Business & Entrepreneurship from California InterContinental University and was recognized as the "Top 100 Most Influential Floridians" of 2015. He has served on several industry and civic non-profit boards along with founding a non-profit that serves entrepreneurs in crisis. "I look forward to being part of the management team at Cardiff and believe Cardiff to have a great future. As part of the management team, our first and foremost priority is to get Cardiff current with all its required filings. I'm proud to say we have just filed our 2014K and are currently in the process of completing our 15 Q's and K followed by the 16Q," stated Mr. Roberts. www.cardiffusa.com Investor Signup future Press Release Distribution by e-Mail Shareholders and interested investors are invited to be added to the corporate e-mail database for future press releases and industry updates by signing up on the website or by simply sending an e-mail with "CDIF" in the subject line to [email protected]. About CDIF: CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL INC. is a public holding company utilizing a new form of collaborative governance. Cardiff targets acquisitions of undervalued, niche companies with high growth potential, income-producing businesses including commercial real estate properties all of which offer high returns for our investors. Our goal is to provide a new form of governance enabling businesses to take advantage of the power of a public company without losing management control. Cardiff provides a platform for companies to raise money in a low risk environment that protects their investors. Cardiff, designed to pay a dividend to our shareholders. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT This news release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks include the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the Company's contracts, the Company's liquidity position, the Company's ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources, and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. Cardiff International, Inc. Investor Relations 844-628-2100 x 705 [email protected] Source: Cardiff International, Inc. NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fitch Ratings has upgraded Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.'s (GOL) Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to 'CC' from 'RD' and its National Scale rating to 'CC(bra)' from 'RD(bra)'. Fitch has also upgraded GOL's fully owned subsidiaries' secured notes from CC/RR3 to CCC-/RR3 and affirmed GOL's fully owned subsidiaries' unsecured bond ratings at C/RR5. A full list of ratings actions follows at the end of this press release. The rating actions reflect Fitch's reassessment of GOL's IDRs and issuance debt ratings incorporating the company's credit quality following its recently executed debt exchange offer. The ratings reflect the company's continued high leverage and weak cash flow relative to debt obligations. GOL's financial and operational strategy included the execution of the following actions: the debt exchange offer with a 21% acceptance, the refinancing of its debt with Brazilian banks reducing principal payments during 2016 - 2017 and obtaining waivers until Dec. 31 2016, reducing the scale of its operations by returning approximately 15% of its total number of aircraft and reducing its total consolidated capacity with a target of 6% to 8% decrease during 2016. Also, the company has negotiated an agreement to postpone aircraft delivery with the aim to materially reduce total capital expenditures (capex) during 2016. Although recent developments provide some relief to the company regarding financial flexibility, Fitch sees only the potential for a limited recovery in the company's operational performance during the next 12 months given Brazil's weak economic environment. GOL's liquidity deterioration - driven mainly by continued weak operational performance - continues to be a key concern. The 'RR3' Recovery Rating (RR) for the new secured notes reflects above-average recovery prospects in an event of default. These notes are secured by collateral that has been valued at USD222.7 million, representing a principal coverage ratio of over 3 to 1. Fitch recovery analysis for the secured new notes resulted in higher values but has been capped at 'RR3' considering that some jurisdiction's issues could affect the recovery prospects. The 'RR5' for the senior unsecured notes reflects below average recovery prospects in an event of default. KEY RATING DRIVERS Demand Decline Continues Brazil's total domestic traffic is anticipated to decline by 8% to 12% during 2016 as demand fundamentals and corporate activity remain weak. In this environment, GOL's total number of transported passengers decreased by 22% and 16% during the second quarter and the first half of 2016 (1H 2016), respectively, when compared to the same periods last year. Fitch's base case considers that GOL's total transported passengers will decline by approximately 15% during 2016. The strengthening of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar, which occurred in recent months, is a positive for the company's operations, as GOL generates approximately 90% of its revenues in Brazilian reals, while around 60% of its total costs and 80% of its total debt are denominated in U.S. dollars. Capacity Adjustments and Fleet Size Reduction Incorporated During 1H 2016, GOL managed to reduce its total capacity, measured as available seat kilometers (ASK), by approximately 7.5%, closing this period with 23 billion of ASK. The company's capacity reductions in the domestic and international segments were 6.3% and 15.6%, respectively. For 2016, Fitch expects the company to reduce its total capacity - in the domestic and international segments combined - by 6% to 8%. GOL has also reduced its flight route network to focus on profitability. In conjunction with these measures, the company is reducing the number of operational aircraft. The company expects to return at least 20 aircraft during 2016 - 15 aircraft already returned by the end of June 2016 - closing the year with a total fleet of 124 aircraft, 84 of those under operational leases and the remaining balance under financial leases. Negative 2016 EBIT Margin, High Leverage Fitch expects GOL to reach negative EBIT margin, around -2%, in 2016. Fitch's 2016 base case for GOL considers a 15% decline in total transported passengers, an increase in yields in the 7% to 10% range helped by the reduction in capacity, and total non-fuel cask around BRL 14.2 cents. Fitch views the trend in yield as one of the key factors for the company's 2016 operational performance. GOL's adjusted gross leverage, measured as total adjusted debt/EBITDAR, was 11x at March 31, 2016, compared with 6.7x in 2014. The company's total adjusted debt was BRL16.9 billion at March 31, 2016. This debt includes BRL7.9 billion in on-balance-sheet debt and BRL9.0 billion in off-balance-sheet obligations related to operating leases with combined rental payments of around BRL1.2 billion during LTM March 2016. Fitch expects the company's adjusted gross leverage to be in the range of 10x to 12x during 2016. Liquidity under Pressure GOL's liquidity is viewed as weak. GOL would need to improve its operational performance, minimize capex levels and continue refinancing its debt to avoid a material decline in its liquidity position during the next few quarters. GOL's readily available cash, measured as total cash plus marketable securities, was BRL1.4 billion as of March 31, 2016. The company has debt principal payments due of approximately BRL439 million and BRL696 million during the second half of 2016 and 2017, respectively. During LTM March 2016 the company's FCF generation was negative BRL1.7 billion, resulting in a FCF margin (LTM FCF/LTM revenues) of negative 16.7%. The company's cash flow from operations for 2016 is forecasted to be negative at around BRL621 million, reflecting the company's limited capacity to cover cash interest expenses and cash taxes, estimated at levels around BRL738 million and BRL246 million, respectively. Without a recovery in the company's operational performance, Fitch believes GOL's 2016 - 2017 FCF generation will remain negative and will continue to pressure its liquidity position. KEY ASSUMPTIONS Fitch's key assumptions within the rating case for GOL's ratings include: --2016 consolidated RPK declines of around 12.5%; --2016 consolidated ASK declines around 6% to 8%; --2016 EBIT margin negative of around 2%; --2016 FCF margin negative of around 10%; --Minimum levels of net capital expenditure levels below BRL100 million in 2016; --2016 Coverage ratio, EBITDAR/Gross Interest Expense + Rents), around 0.7x; --Gross adjusted financial leverage (total adjusted debt/EBITDAR) at levels around 11x by the end of 2016. RATING SENSITIVITIES Negative Rating Action: Future actions that may individually or collectively cause Fitch to take a negative rating action include: --Weaker than expected operational performance in 2016; --2016 FCF margin persistently below negative 13%; --Readily available cash, measured as total cash plus marketable securities, consistently declining; Positive Rating Action: Fitch could consider a positive rating action if GOL generates operational and FCF margins consistently above than those levels incorporated in the ratings, resulting in lower financial adjusted gross leverage while keeping current liquidity profile. LIQUIDITY FULL LIST OF RATING ACTIONS Fitch has taken the following ratings: Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (GOL): --Long-Term Foreign and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) upgraded to 'CC' from 'RD'; --Long-Term National Rating upgraded to 'CC(bra)' from 'RD(bra)'; --USD200 million perpetual bonds affirmed at 'C/RR5'. VRG Linhas Aereas S.A. (VRG): --Long-Term Foreign and Local-Currency IDRs upgraded to 'CC' from 'RD; --Long-term national rating upgraded to 'CC(bra)' from 'RD(bra)'. GOL Finance, a company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands: --USD225 million of senior unsecured notes due 2017 affirmed at 'C/RR5'; --USD300 million of senior unsecured notes due 2020 affirmed at 'C/RR5'; GOL LuxCo S.A.: --USD200 million of senior unsecured notes due 2023 affirmed at 'C/RR5'; --USD325 million of senior unsecured notes due 2022 affirmed at 'C/RR5'; --USD14.1 million of senior secured notes due 2018 upgraded to 'CCC-/RR3' from 'CC/RR3; --USD41.3 million of senior secured notes due 2021 upgraded to 'CCC-/RR3' from 'CC/RR3; --USD18.1 million of senior secured notes due 2028 upgraded to 'CCC-/RR3' from 'CC/RR3; Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Applicable Criteria Corporate Rating Methodology - Including Short-Term Ratings and Parent and Subsidiary Linkage (pub. 17 Aug 2015) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=869362 Distressed Debt Exchange (pub. 08 Jun 2016) https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=882737 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1009717 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1009717 Endorsement Policy https://www.fitchratings.com/jsp/creditdesk/PolicyRegulation.faces?context=2&detail=31 ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005686/en/ Fitch Ratings Primary Analyst Jose Vertiz Director +1-212-908-0641 Fitch Ratings, Inc. 33 Whitehall Street New York, NY 10004 or Secondary Analyst Debora Jalles Director +1-312-606-2338 or Committee Chairperson Joe Bormann, CFA Managing Director +1-312-368-3349 or Media Relations Elizabeth Fogerty, +1 212-908-0526 [email protected] Source: Fitch Ratings With the GOP currently holding a 54-44-2 majority in the U.S. Senate while having to defend 24 seats out of 34 up, a subplot of election night will be many of the Senate races as control of the chamber will partially determine any subsequent fight over Supreme Court justices, among other legislative battles. So lets take a look at some of the more interesting races throughout the country besides our own Kirk vs. Duckworth race: New Hampshire - One term Incumbent Kelly Ayotte (R) faces what will essentially be a make or break race for her career. If she can win a second term, it will become more difficult to dislodge her, even in a swing state like New Hampshire. Her opponent is popular two term Governor Maggie Hassan. A recent poll shows Ayotte pulling in to an 8 pt lead of 49-41 after the Republican convention. Donald Trump is also ahead by similar number in the state so perhaps there is some correlation. Gubernatorial terms in NH are only two years, so Hassan runs the risk of not holding office if she loses this Senate race. Hassan is also under fire somewhat for not living in the Governors mansion and instead living in the mansion associated with Philips Exeter Academy, which is led by her husband who lives there. The mansion at the Academy is more spacious and this has created some backlash. Hassan will try to duplicate the strategy of current senior Senator Jean Shaheen who nipped transplant Scott Brown in 2014 by 16000 votes out of about 480,000 total. Shaheen ran strong in Merrimack County which is anchored by the capital city of Concord winning by 8000 there. She also did well in the more rural and far northern Grafton and Coos counties winning in both by 8000 and 6000 margins respectively. In 2010 Ayotte beat a lesser known opponent by over 100,000 votes and carried every county, although she barely won Grafton county. This is a lot different in the race, though, in that it is in a Presidential year. The last such Senate race was in 2008 between Shaheen and John Sununu Jr.. Shaheen won that race by about 45,000 votes with about 673,000 votes cast. Sununu carried only three of 10 counties and each of those was very close. So, despite the recent poll showing Ayotte up by 8, I expect this race to be one that goes late in to the night. A lot will depend on how high of margins Ayotte can run up in conservative Rockingham and Hillsborough counties as well as if she can hold her own in the city of Concord and the northern counties. She won her race when only 480,000 voted whereas Shaheen won in 2008 when 673,000 voted. That is a big difference and the total votes cast will likely come somewhere in between those totals. Structurally, like many races in Presidential election years, this one must be labeled as advantage Democrat. But this is not a normal year to say the least. Ohio This will probably be the most interesting race of all of them to watch on election night. The incumbent Republican is Rob Portman and he will be facing former Governor Ted Strickland. Ohio is a critical state for both Presidential candidates. I guarantee that this race will not be called early. Ohio is a state with several key urban areas that trend Democratic (Cleveland and Toledo) and then several urban areas where Republicans do better (Columbus and Cincinnati). In fact, in 2010, Portman beat his opponent Lee Fisher in both Franklin County (Columbus) and Hamilton County(Cincinnati). Fisher won in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) by 60,000 votes and in Lucas County (Toledo) by about 6,000. Fisher also won several counties in northeastern Ohio anchored by Youngstown. This area though is more likely to turn out higher vote totals for Donald Trump because of the effects of free trade on local industries. Ever been to Youngstown? It is a city with its best days behind it. If any city in this country can serve as an archetype for the negative effects of free trade, Youngstown is it. But even though Portman beat a weaker and lesser know opponent in 2010 by close to 670,000 votes, this is also the year that John Kasich also won against incumbent Ted Strickland. Kasich won by only 77,000 votes out of about 3.7 Million ballots cast. Stricklands race here is a much better proxy for what will happen in this race considering that once again it is a Presidential year. In 2012, when incumbent Sherrod Brown ran for re-election, the total ballots cast were about 4.3 Million. Brown beat his opponent by 5%, not a resounding win. Unions have generally voted for Democrats in this state over the years. But recently the Fraternal Order of Police union endorsed Portman and quickly thereafter he also picked up the endorsement of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters (which generally backs Democrats). Some Democratic leaders fear Strickland isnt running the best campaign and there are palpable fears by some unions leadership that the rank and file are not going to vote for Strickland this year as they did in past races. So, considering that Portman will have the advantages of incumbency tempered by familiarity by the voters with Strickland as well as Trumps presence on the ticket in the areas most hard-hit by hollowed out factories, this should be a race that goes down to the wire as well. A recent poll showed the race deadlocked at 43%. Portman though has beaten Strickland soundly in the fundraising arena. Ultimately this race will depend on turnout. How much can Trump rely on his unorthodox model to bring new voters to the polls and overwhelm the generally superior ground game of the Democrats? Will this continue to work as it did in the primaries? And wouldnt it be ironic if Trump was able to bring more new voters to the polls because of his views on trade and some of the benefit of this would inure to a man who once served as the US Trade Representative in the second Bush administration? Stranger things have happened in politics. My guess is that Portman will win here by a narrow margin and it will be because of smaller losses in places like Akron, Youngstown, Lorain, and Canton as well as new Republican dominance of the Appalachian counties along the Ohio river. Other U.S. Senate races to watch coming shortly ... VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- The Supreme Court of British Columbia today stayed the proceedings against John Stuart Nuttall, 41, and Amanda Marie Korody, 33. Last year, a jury found both guilty of conspiring to murder persons unknown, for the benefit of a terrorist group, contrary to s. 83.2 of the Criminal Code. They were also found guilty of making or having an explosive substance for the benefit of a terrorist group, contrary to s. 83.2. The PPSC will be reviewing the decision in relation to an appeal. Consent has been given by the PPSC on behalf of the Attorney General of Canada to the laying of informations pursuant to s. 810.011(1) terrorism peace bonds. The Public Prosecution Service of Canada is responsible for prosecuting offences under federal jurisdiction in a manner that is free of any improper influence and that respects the public interest. The PPSC is also responsible for providing prosecution-related advice to law enforcement agencies across Canada. (Version francaise disponible) Contacts: Elizabeth Armitage PPSC Communications 613-946-3821 www.ppsc-sppc.gc.ca Media Relations 613-954-7803 [email protected] Source: Public Prosecution Service of Canada JERSEY CITY, NJ -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- As the leader of customer-focused terminal operations in North America, GCT USA today welcomed the Hyundai Saturn to GCT Bayonne. The Saturn is the first of five Hyundai ships in the G6's New York Express (NYX) service calling the port of New York and New Jersey through the expanded Panama Canal. The Saturn and its sisters are the first Hyundai neo-Panamax class vessels deployed on the Transpacific-US East Coast trade lane, all boasting a cellular capacity of 10,077 TEUs. Serving New York as the first North American port-of-call, the enhanced NYX service connects the largest East Coast market to the carrier's wider network in Latin America and Central/Northeast Asia. Calling state-of-the-art GCT Bayonne, the Saturn is handled at the port's marquee big ship ready facility, which already services the largest vessels transiting the new Panama locks and the Suez Canal. "The G6 and Hyundai were market leaders choosing expanded GCT Bayonne," said John Atkins, President of GCT USA. "Complementing Hyundai's reputation of reliability, our demonstrated ability to consistently deliver high productivity and fast turn times gives carriers the confidence to call GCT terminals on both the East and West Coasts." "Hyundai Merchant Marine has made a significant investment in building and deploying the latest generation of neo-Panamax vessels to serve the vital import/export market in the northeast", said David Arsenault, President & CEO of Hyundai Merchant Marine America. "We are honored to have New Jersey Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno along with many of our valued customers here today to attend this auspicious maiden call at the Port of New York and New Jersey." South Korea-based Hyundai Merchant Marine is a leading container carrier deploying increased tonnages on more fuel-efficient vessels with significantly lower emissions via the Panama Canal. GCT USA completed its expansion of GCT Bayonne in 2014, deploying the lowest emission, most efficient equipment fleet serving the largest ships on the trade lane. About GCT Global Container Terminals Inc. Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, GCT Global Container Terminals Inc. operates four Green Marine certified terminals in two principal North American ports. Through GCT USA on the East Coast, the company operates two award-winning facilities: GCT New York on Staten Island, NY and GCT Bayonne in Bayonne, NJ. On the West Coast, GCT Canada operates two gateway terminals: GCT Vanterm and GCT Deltaport in Vancouver and Delta, BC. Visit globalterminals.com and follow us @BigShipReady to find out more about GCT. About Hyundai Merchant Marine Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) is a leading global shipping company operating over 130 state-of-the-art vessels encompassing more than 50 sea routes to over 100 ports of call. HMM strategically collaborates with customers to develop customized supply chain solutions for dry, refrigerated and other specialized cargo. HMM has formed a global business network of vessels, terminals, railroads, trucks and offices around the world. HMM is highly regarded as one of the world's top integrated-logistics companies with a commitment to operational excellence by our team of industry professionals and state of the art technology. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/7/29/11G108639/Images/hmm_Saturn_2-f802d61bf29d82dbb0d6f0b464765ce0.jpg For more information:Louanne WongGCT Global Container Terminals Inc.T +1 604 267 [email protected] HyattHyundai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd.T +1 972 501 [email protected] Source: Global Container Terminals and Hyundai Merchant Marine BRISBANE, Australia, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Megaport Limited (ASX: MP1) today announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Germany's second largest Internet Exchange operator PEERING GmbH which operates under the brand ECIX, based in Berlin, Germany. ECIX provides services to over 180 customers throughout its 30 points of presence within Germany. Megaport CEO Denver Maddux said: "Europe represents a tremendous opportunity for Megaport and our acquisition of PEERING GmbH gives us depth within Germany, one of the largest economies in Europe where cloud services are forecast to grow significantly." Stefan Wahl, CEO of PEERING, GmbH said: "In terms of culture, capabilities, and neutrality, Megaport was the obvious choice to extend ECIX's industry-changing services outside Germany. We are nimble which gives us the ability to deploy quickly and align our services to our customers' needs. "Megaport is the same and understands the importance of maintaining those values and capabilities while growing their business. The ECIX team are absolutely thrilled to join such a phenomenal company and team and are committed to supporting Megaport's success in Europe," Wahl said. Megaport also announced the acquisition of OM-NIX, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. OM-NIX is a carrier-grade pan-European network services provider with access to key interconnection facilities throughout Europe. Combined, the acquisitions represent 48 European sites. "OM-NIX has extensive reach into Eastern Europe and the Balkans region and, combining these acquisitions with the original Megaport build footprint, we now have extraordinary opportunity to extend our Elastic Interconnection across Europe," Maddux said. Yuliy Nushev, Founder of OM-NIX said: "It was immediately clear OM-NIX could play a big part in Megaport's vision to bring Elastic Interconnection to Europe. Our unique footprint is an excellent complement to the core Megaport footprint and offers a great number of locations and ecosystem partners with which to connect." "This service footprint will provide all our existing customers and partners cloud connection and internet exchange capabilities via Megaport Virtual Cross Connect services (VXCs) as well as Internet Exchange services. The ECIX Internet Exchange service has become one of the top IX platforms in Europe. I could not be happier to welcome ECIX and OM-NIX to the Megaport family," Maddux said. Combined, the acquisitions of ECIX and OM-NIX represent 48 European sites. These acquisitions coincide with Megaport today officially launching its elastic interconnection platform in Europe. As foreshadowed in the IPO prospectus of December, 2015 the Megaport Elastic Fabric is now available in nine sites throughout London, Dublin, Stockholm and Amsterdam with an additional four sites due to come online in the coming weeks. Denver Maddux, Chief Executive Officer, Megaport Limited said: "I'm really pumped that we are formally launching services in Europe as well as announcing the acquisition of these two great companies that are accretive to our business and align with our values and culture. When you consider the market coverage each acquisition brings to our build they dovetail perfectly and leapfrog our initial plans for Europe. On completion of the transactions Europe will become Megaport's largest market in terms of coverage and revenue. That's pretty incredible." Details of Megaport's European launch and acquisitions: Combined European footprint in 13 countries across 19 cities and 57 locations with these acquisitions representing 48 of those . Combined acquisition cost $3.1M AUD with combined estimated annualised revenue of $4.5M AUD and the acquisitions are earnings accretive Acquisitions are all cash consideration funded from current cash reserves Combined acquisitions bring 180+ customers Core PEERING GmbH leadership team will remain as managers of the combined operation The sale and purchase is subject to customary conditions precedent and is anticipated to complete in early August. Supporting Resources Visit Megaport: https://megaport.com/ Follow Megaport on Twitter: @megaportnetwork Like Megaport on Facebook Follow Megaport on LinkedIn About Megaport Megaport is the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. Using Software Defined Networking, the Company's global platform enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services across the Megaport Fabric. Services can be directly controlled by customers via mobile devices, their computer or our open API. The Company's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various markets. Established in 2013 and founded by Bevan Slattery, Megaport built the world's first SDN-based elastic interconnection platform designed to provide the most secure, seamless and on-demand way for enterprises, networks and services to interconnect. Led by industry veteran Denver Maddux, Megaport has been built by a highly experienced team with extensive knowledge in building large scale global carrier networks and connects over 500* customers throughout its 132* locations in 36* markets in 19 countries. Megaport is an Amazon AWS Technology Partner, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Partner, and Google Cloud Interconnect Partner. To learn more about Megaport, please visit: www.megaport.com. * Includes announced acquisition of OM-NIX and ECIX which are due to be completed in August, 2016. Media enquiries about Megaport: Email: [email protected] WENDY HILL SAPPHIRE COMMUNICATIONS PH: +614-2717-3203 EM: [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160510/365602LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/megaport-launches-services-in-europe-300306155.html SOURCE Megaport BARRE, Vt., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Power Systems Corp. (TSX: NPS), (the "Company" or "Northern Power Systems"), a next generation renewable energy technology company, provides this further update to its news release dated March 28, 2016, which announced that the Company would be delayed in the filing of its annual report on form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 (which report consists of audited annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis and the annual information form) as well as the related officer certifications for the year ended December 31, 2015 (collectively, the "Annual Filings"). The Company today announces that it completed the filing of its Annual Filings on July 25, 2016, including a restatement of financial results for fiscal 2013 and 2014, and the first three quarters of 2015. As the Company had announced in a May 24, 2016 press release, the need to restate its financial results for these periods and the corresponding delay in filing its Annual Filing was at the recommendation of its Audit Committee, due to an error in the timing of recognizing revenue for certain overseas transactions. The restatement had no impact on the Company's cash position or cash flow from operations. In connection with the Company's delay in submitting its Annual Filings, the Ontario Securities Commission, the Company's principal regulator, issued a Management Cease Trade Order ("MCTO") which restricts trading in the Company's securities by the Company's insiders, including the CEO and Senior VP for Operations and Finance. Since filing its ninth status update report on July 14, 2016, in accordance with National Policy 12-203, in addition to filing the Annual Filings, the Company and its auditors have continued to work diligently to complete the preparation of the Company's interim financial statements on Form 10-Q for the quarter ending March 31, 2016 (consisting of quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis) ("First Quarter Filings"), which it believes it will be able to submit by the end of August. Pursuant to the requirements of section 4.4 of National Policy 12-203 Alternative Information Guidelines, the Company reports the following: (i) Except as disclosed in this and previous status reports including the Company's May 24, 2016 press release and its July 25, 2016 Earnings Release, there have been no material changes to the information contained in either the March 28, 2016 news release or the subsequent required bi-weekly updates. The Company continues to work with its auditors to fully remedy the default and complete its First Quarter Filings, and is working toward filing the required filings on or before the end of August; (ii) As disclosed above, the Company was required to restate previously filed financial statements. As such, our estimated filing deadline for our Annual Filings was extended to June 30, 2016. The Company requested that the Ontario Securities Commission extend the deadline for our Annual Filings until July 22, 2016 and the Company completed this obligation on July 25, 2016; (iii) Subject to paragraph (iv) below, there has not been, nor is there anticipated to be, any specified default subsequent to the default which is the subject of the Default Notice; and (iv) The Company announced on May 17, 2016, in its fourth default status report, that it would not be able to timely file its First Quarter Filings based on the delay in completing its Annual Filings. The Company is working towards filing its First Quarter Filings by the end of August. The Company and its auditors are concurrently working to complete the Company's interim financial statements on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 (consisting of quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis) ("Second Quarter Filings"). The Company expects to file its Second Quarter Filings with its First Quarter Filings by the end of August. Other than this announcement, there is no other material information about the affairs of the Company that has not otherwise been generally disclosed. The Company confirms that it intends to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines so long as it remains in default of this filing requirement through the provision of bi-weekly, or more frequently if deemed necessary, updates by way of news releases. About Northern Power Systems Northern Power Systems designs, manufactures, and sells wind turbines and power technology products, and provides engineering development services for energy applications, into the global marketplace from its US headquarters and European offices. Northern Power Systems and its predecessors have over 40 years' experience in technologies and products generating renewable energy. Northern Power Systems currently manufactures the NPS 60 and NPS 100 turbines. With over 11 million run time hours across its global fleet, Northern Power wind turbines provide customers with clean, cost effective, reliable renewable energy. Patented next generation permanent magnet direct drive (PMDD) technology uses fewer moving parts, delivers higher energy capture, and provides increased reliability due to reduced maintenance and downtime. Northern Power Systems' FlexPhase power converter platform uses patented converter architecture and advanced controls technology for advanced grid support and generation applications. Northern Power Systems offers comprehensive inhouse development services, including systems level engineering, advanced drivetrains, power electronics, PM machine design, and remote monitoring systems to the energy industry. To learn more about Northern Power Systems, please visit www.northernpower.com. Notice regarding forward-looking statements: This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Northern Power Systems and its business, which may include, but is not limited to, product and financial performance, regulatory developments, supplier performance, anticipated opportunity and trends for growth in our customer base and our overall business, our market opportunity, expansion into new markets, execution of the company's growth strategy and timeline for filing the Annual Filings. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "is expected", "expects", "scheduled", "intends", "contemplates", "anticipates", "believes", "proposes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Northern Power Systems. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, including risks regarding the wind power industry; production, performance and acceptance of the company's products; our sales cycle; our ability to convert backlog into revenue; performance by the company's suppliers; our ability to maintain successful relationships with our partners and to enter into new partner relationships; our performance internationally; currency fluctuations; economic factors; competition; the equity markets generally; and the other risks detailed in Northern Power Systems' risk factors discussed in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including but not limited to Northern Power Systems' Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2015, as well as other documents that may be filed by Northern Power Systems from time to time with the SEC. Although Northern Power Systems has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Northern Power Systems undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ciel R. Caldwell, SVP, Operations and Finance +1-802-661-4673 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/northern-power-systems-provides-update-regarding-filing-of-disclosure-documents-300306423.html SOURCE Northern Power Systems Corp. MINNEAPOLIS, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1,340 graduates, along with about 6,000 guests, attended Walden University's 56th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, July 16, 2016, at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland. Dr. Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico (19942000), was the keynote speaker and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the ceremony. Dr. Zedillo is a leading voice on globalization and economic development. He is currently director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization and a professor of economics and politics at Yale University, as well as a member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders who use their collective experience and influence to promote peace, justice and human rights worldwide. In 2015, he was named a Presidential Counselor by Laureate International Universities, the world's leading higher education network, which includes Walden University. In this role, he advises Laureate and its more than 70 institutions on academic innovation and private and public sector collaboration to increase access to higher education. During his speech, Dr. Zedillo discussed the key role he believes educational institutions have in teaching students to think beyond the classroom as well as the need to close the huge educational and skills gap that exists. He said, "It is not only about providing everybody with an opportunity to be educated, it is also about acquiring the skills required to prosper in a world driven by technology, competition and rapid change. In other words, it is about acquiring education and skills and these must be constantly retooled and even recreated with new knowledge and technologies." Addressing the graduating class, which he noted is one that has already spent several years active in the job market, Dr. Zedillo congratulated them saying, "Your aspiration and drive to fulfill it certainly constitute a highly worthy personal accomplishment, but in addition, these qualities exemplify the attitude that should prevail now and in the future if, as individuals and societies, we truly want to be up to the challenges posed by the 21st century." Twice a year, the Walden University community gathers to honor its graduating students at summer and winter commencement ceremonies. "We are pleased that our newest graduates had the opportunity to hear Dr. Zedillo's message. His words have great meaning and importance in a world that today has too many resentments, too many threats, and too much instability," said Jonathan Kaplan, president of Walden University. "His words will help guide us all as we work to address today's societal challenges together." The Walden graduates in attendance were part of a graduating class of more than 5,330 students, representing 50 states and 96 countries, who have completed bachelor's, master's, doctoral and education specialist degree programs at Walden in the past 6 months. Many of the graduates and guests participated via live webcast. About Walden UniversityFor more than 45 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 52,600 students from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 155 countries are pursuing their bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs with more than 400 specializations and concentrations. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities networka global network of more than 70 campus-based and online universities in 25 countries. For more information, visit www.laureate.net. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160729/394112 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/walden-university-celebrates-56th-commencement-in-national-harbor-maryland-300306220.html SOURCE Walden University Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann (L) is welcomed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker ahead of a meeting at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium January 15, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo By Michael Shields and Philip Blenkinsop ZURICH/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has let negotiators pursue a deal on curbing an influx of foreigners to Switzerland, diplomats said, keeping alive Swiss hopes of avoiding a rupture with its most important trading partner. The talks are crucial for Switzerland, which has threatened to impose unilateral curbs on immigration from the EU next year, but will also be scrutinized for potential hints of what Britain might expect after it voted last month to quit the bloc. Some diplomats had believed the Brexit referendum would kill off the EU-Swiss discussions as negotiations with London would shunt aside consideration with non-EU member Switzerland. But after Switzerland made concrete proposals on immigration directly after the British vote, it appears a window for a deal may stretch to mid-December, likely to be before Britain triggers the start of its exit talks and in time for the Swiss parliament to act. The seismic shift in Swiss-EU relations came after its own binding referendum in 2014 demanding quotas on immigration, including from the EU which has had access to Switzerland through a series of bilateral political and economic agreements. The accords that guarantee free movement and enhanced access to the common market stand or fall together, so eliminating one means the other is also curtailed - a point that will be central to Britain's recalibrating of its ties with the bloc. While it is still too early to predict how the Swiss talks will pan out, diplomats say, the fact that they continue at all after the Brexit vote and ahead of a Swiss-EU presidential meeting in September has encouraged Swiss officials. EU officials paint the talks as more a matter of leaving the door to a deal open a crack. "He (Juncker) gave a prudent green light to go forward which we are now working on. The sense in Brussels and certainly in the capitals of the neighboring countries is that waiting for clarification on the Brexit front is not the solution," one senior Swiss diplomat said. Working out future EU relations with Britain is likely to take at least two years. Switzerland needs a deal this year. The EU is discouraging Switzerland from pushing through legislation quickly, which could derail the delicate talks. But the clock is ticking. Switzerland must amend its constitution by February to reflect the 2014 referendum outcome, which has scared many companies that rely on foreign expertise. TAILOR MADE While not made publicly, the Swiss proposals on keeping the talks afloat focus on how to steer immigration without violating the sacrosanct EU principle that free movement of people is essential for countries that want to join its common market. Any deal must be based on an existing clause in the bilateral accords that allow curbs on free movement only amid severe economic disruptions and if both sides agree. Juncker is due to meet Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann in Zurich on Sept. 19. They met at the Asia-Europe Meeting in Mongolia this month. Juncker has warned his Swiss counterpart that the Brexit vote made the Swiss-EU issue harder to resolve, but the September meeting could result in a joint text, which the Commission could discuss with EU member states from October. Around 1.3 million EU citizens live in Switzerland and 300,000 more commute to the country, where a quarter of the population is foreign, stoking concerns about cultural identity. Outright quotas, as Swiss voters demanded in their referendum, are out of the question. The two sides are instead discussing temporary measures that could, for instance, give hiring preference to Swiss and EU citizens already in Switzerland in struggling sectors with high jobless rates. An EU source said Switzerland could not get a better deal than that agreed in February with then British Prime Minister David Cameron designed to curb abuse of EU free movement rules, such as discriminatory cuts in migrant workers' benefits, and known as the "emergency brake". It could only be seen as applying to Switzerland. "It really has to be tailor made for the Swiss so that it does not open the door for others," the source said. The Swiss diplomat said: "The EU has an interest to make it as Swiss-specific as possible and that's fine with us in order to avoid any repercussions with the UK matter." Even if a deal emerges, it could face opposition from the right-wing Swiss People's Party that championed curbs. Another referendum is possible asking Swiss to choose between preserving the bilateral accords and limiting EU immigration. Predicting EU member countries' reactions to any deal is premature, diplomats said, but members will see any agreement offered to outsider Switzerland through the Brexit prism. Limiting immigration helped drive Britons' Leave vote on June 23, so preserving the principle of free movement will be a key factor in many EU countries' view. "In some ways the Swiss file is a laboratory to test solutions that preserve the essentials but also demonstrate that the politicians are able to respond to legitimate concerns of their people," the Swiss diplomat said. Switzerland and Britain will not strike a joint negotiating position, the diplomat added. "That would be quite toxic. Any alliance would be detrimental to everyone's interests," he said. (Editing by Alison Williams) By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council authorized on Friday the deployment of up to 228 U.N. police to Burundi to monitor the security and human rights situation in the East African country, though four of the 15 members abstained from the vote. More than 450 people have been killed since President Pierre Nkurunziza pursued and won a third term last year, a move his opponents say violated the constitution and a peace deal that ended a civil war in 2005. Government officials and members of the opposition have been among those killed in tit-for-tat violence by rival sides. About a quarter of a million people have fled the violence. "Given an increase in violence and tension the Security Council must have eyes and ears on the ground to predict and ensure that the worst does not occur in Burundi," said French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre. The violence has caused alarm in a region where memories of Rwanda's 1994 genocide remain raw. Like Rwanda, Burundi has an ethnic Hutu majority and a Tutsi minority. So far the violence has largely followed political rather than ethnic lines. But the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said last month he feared increased violence and incitement could turn ethnic in nature. "This time we are not waiting for the worst to occur before taking action," Malaysia's Deputy Ambassador Siti Hajjar Adnin told the council. However, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said the resolution was not strong enough and that the U.N. police would simply be observers to Burundi's problems, warning the situation is "all but certain to deteriorate." "It is not at all clear to me that a council that says repeatedly that it has learned the lesson of Rwanda has in fact done so," Power said. "Police are not being deployed to protect civilians, even though civilians are in dire need of protection. That should embarrass us." Burundi has said it would only accept up to 50 unarmed U.N. police and that its sovereignty must be fully respected. The United Nations needs approval from the Burundi government to send the police. Council veto power China, along with Angola, Egypt and Venezuela abstained from the vote. "On the question of sending United Nations police to Burundi, it is necessary to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Burundi," Chinese U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the council. He said the resolution did not reference these principles which is why China abstained. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish) (Updated - July 29, 2016 12:42 PM EDT) Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) said to consider reinstating buybacks following FTC probe, according to Bloomberg. Notably, the last buyback program Herbalife announced was on May 7, 2014. The company said it entered into an agreement with Bank of America Merrill Lynch to repurchase $266 million of Herbalife's common shares. UPDATE - Stock buybacks would be one of many options for Herbalife as it looks to potentially take an offensive position against short seller Bill Ackman. Herbalife CFO John Desimone said in an emailed statement today: From 2007 to 2014, we utilized approximately $3.7 billion for share repurchase and dividends ... Moving forward, cash management and capital structure are an important part of our strategy and all options are being considered. The last time Herbalife bought back stock, it stopped paying dividends and sold convertible bonds to fund the effort. Notably, while the company bought back shares up through 2014, Ackman's Pershing Square hedge fund has been short the stock since late 2012. Shares are up about $15 since then and have recently gained over 60 percent from lows around $42 reached earlier this year. Investors and traders might question how much more "squeeze" is there left in the stock as buybacks can help improve valuation, but overall company performance remains key. Today, Herbalife shares are up 1.5 percent. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 8-K Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934 July 22, 2016 (Date of earliest event Reported) NEXT GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) Florida 333-148987 20-3537265 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) 1111 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2200, Miami, FL, 33131 (Address of principal executive offices) Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (800) 611-3622 Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions: Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act NOTE ABOUT FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Most of the matters discussed within this report include forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as may, should, potential, continue, expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, and similar expressions. These statements are based on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include the risks noted under Item 1A Risk Factors. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure. On July 19, 2016, we issued a press release, a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this report and incorporated herein by reference. The press release is being furnished pursuant to Item 7.01, and the information contained therein shall not be deemed filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing. Item 9.01 Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits. (d) Exhibits. Exhibit Description 99.1 Press release dated July 19, 2016 titled Next Group Holdings Announces Final Record Date of July 22, 2016 for Special Dividend. 2 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. Dated: July 29, 2016 NEXT GROUP HOLDINGS, INC. By: /s/ Arik Maimon Arik Maimon Chief Executive Officer 3 Exhibit 99.1 Next Group Holdings Announces Final Record Date of July 22, 2016 for Special Dividend Shareholders are requested to obtain interim account statements from their brokers as of the final July 22, 2016 record date MIAMI, July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Next Group Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: NXGH) (the "Company") today announced that it has received final clearance from FINRA with respect to its recently announced special stock dividend and the final record date for the dividend will now be July 22, 2016. Now that the final record date has been set and cleared with FINRA, shareholders should obtain interim statements from their brokers as of the final July 22, 2016 record date. Those shareholders that have already submitted their interim statements to the Company, based on the previous June 28, 2016 record date, will need to request another interim statement from their broker based on the final record date and also resubmit that statement to the Company. For our shareholders convenience, and to assist the Company in processing the dividend, we have posted to the Investor Relations section of the Companys website ( www.nextgroupholdings.com ) a Shareholder Transmittal Letter, which each shareholder should use when transmitting to the Company their interim statement as of the final dividend record date. The Shareholder Transmittal Letter should be completed and signed by the shareholder and then returned to the Company, along with the attached interim account statement, by email or fax as indicated in the Shareholder Transmittal Letter. A form letter that can be used by shareholders to request their interim statement from their broker, as of the final July 22, 2016 record date, is also posted in the Investor Relation section of the Companys website. Shareholders with any questions regarding the dividend can reach the Company by email at [email protected] , by fax at (305)-647-6497 or by telephone at 800-550-9055. About Next Group Holdings, Inc. Next Group Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Miami, Florida, which, through its operating subsidiaries, engages in the business of using proprietary technology and certain licensed technology to provide innovative mobile banking, mobility, and telecommunications solutions to underserved, unbanked, and emerging markets. The Companys principal executive offices are located at 1111 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2200, Miami, Florida 33131, and its telephone number at that location is (800) 611-3622. Its web address is www.nextgroupholdings.com . Filed Pursuant to Rule 433 Registration No. 333-202354 CAPPED LEVERAGED INDEX RETURN NOTES ( CAPPED LIRNs ) Capped LIRNs Linked to the S&P 500 Index This graph reflects the hypothetical return on the notes, based on the mid-point of the range(s) set forth in the table to the left. This graph has been prepared for purposes of illustration only . Issuer Bank of America Corporation ( BAC ) Principal Amount $10.00 per unit Term Approximately two years Market Measure S&P 500 Index (Bloomberg symbol: SPX) Payout Profile at Maturity 2-to-1 upside exposure to increases in the Market Measure, subject to the Capped Value 1-to-1 downside exposure to decreases in the Market Measure beyond a 10% decline, with up to 90% of your principal at risk Capped Value [$11.20 to $11.60] per unit, a [12% to 16%] return over the principal amount to be determined on the pricing date. Threshold Value 90% of the Starting Value of the Market Measure Interest Payments None Preliminary Offering Documents https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/70858/000152041216004672/bac-an5urrfa5weogflm_1523.htm Exchange Listing No You should read the relevant Preliminary Offering Documents before you invest. Click on the Preliminary Offering Documents hyperlink above or call your Financial Advisor for a hard copy. Risk Factors Please see the Preliminary Offering Documents for a description of certain risks related to this investment, including, but not limited to, the following: Depending on the performance of the Market Measure as measured shortly before the maturity date, your investment may result in a loss; there is no guaranteed return of principal. Payments on the notes are subject to the credit risk of BAC, and actual or perceived changes in the creditworthiness of BAC are expected to affect the value of the notes. If BAC becomes insolvent or is unable to pay its obligations, you may lose your entire investment. Your investment return is limited to the return represented by the Capped Value and may be less than a comparable investment directly in the stocks included in the Market Measure. The initial estimated value of the notes on the pricing date will be less than their public offering price. If you attempt to sell the notes prior to maturity, their market value may be lower than both the public offering price and the initial estimated value of the notes on the pricing date. You will have no rights of a holder of the securities represented by the Market Measure, and you will not be entitled to receive securities or dividends or other distributions by the issuers of those securities. Final terms will be set on the pricing date within the given range for the specified Market-Linked Investment. Please see the Preliminary Offering D ocuments for complete product disclosure, including related risks and tax disclosure. PHILADELPHIA - Illinois Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-08) reviewed her life history before the Democratic National Convention Thursday night. She shared how she worked her way through college, and how her colleagues saved her life after the Black Hawk helicopter was shot down. "You are not fit to be the commander in chief!" Duckworth scolded GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. During the practice walk through earlier in the day, Duckworth - who is running to fill the seat President Barack Obama once held - wore a provocative t-shirt with the message, "You can pee next to me," a reference to the ongoing transgender bathroom use controversy. Filed pursuant to Rule 433 Registration Statement Nos. 333-202913 and 333-180300-03 FINANCIAL PRODUCTS FACT SHEET (U1667) Offering Period: July 29, 2016 August 25, 2016 1 Year 7.00% - 9.00% per annum Contingent Coupon Autocallable Yield Notes due August 31, 2017 Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500 Index and the Russell 2000 Index Product Terms 1 Year 7.00% - 9.00% per annum Contingent Coupon Autocallable Yield Notes due August 31, 2017 linked to the lowest performing of the S&P 500 Index and the Russell 2000 Index. Subject to Automatic Redemption, if a Coupon Barrier Event does not occur on an Observation Date, contingent coupons will be paid monthly at a rate expected to be between 7.00% and 9.00% per annum** on the immediately following Contingent Coupon Payment Date; if a Coupon Barrier Event occurs, no contingent coupon will be paid on the immediately following Contingent Coupon Payment Date. If a Trigger Event occurs, the securities will be automatically redeemed and you will be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to the principal amount of the securities you hold and the contingent coupon payable on the immediately following Contingent Coupon Payment Date. Subject to Automatic Redemption, if a Knock-In Event does not occur, you will be entitled to receive the principal amount at maturity. Subject to Automatic Redemption, if a Knock-In Event occurs and the Final Level of the Lowest Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Level, you will be fully exposed to any depreciation in the Lowest Performing Underlying. You could lose your entire investment. Any payment on the securities is subject to our ability to pay our obligations as they become due. Issuer*: Credit Suisse AG ("Credit Suisse"), acting through its London branch. Trade Date: Expected to be August 26, 2016. Settlement Date: Expected to be August 31, 2016. Underlyings: The S&P 500 Index and the Russell 2000 Index. Contingent Coupon Rate**: Subject to Automatic Redemption, expected to be between 7.00% and 9.00% per annum, calculated on a 30/360 basis; if a Coupon Barrier Event occurs, no contingent coupon will be paid on the immediately following Contingent Coupon Payment Date. Contingent Coupon Payment Dates***: Subject to Automatic Redemption, unless a Coupon Barrier Event occurs, approximately monthly, beginning on September 30, 2016 to and including the Maturity Date. Coupon Barrier Event: Occurs if, on an Observation Date, the closing level of any Underlying is less than its Coupon Barrier Level. Coupon Barrier Level**: For each Underlying, approximately 75% of its Initial Level. Observation Dates***: Approximately monthly, beginning on September 27, 2016 to and including the Valuation Date. Trigger Event: Occurs if on any Trigger Observation Date the closing level of each Underlying is equal to or greater than its respective Trigger Level. Trigger Observation Dates***: February 23, 2017 and May 25, 2017. Trigger Level**: For each Underlying, approximately 100% of the Initial Level of such Underlying. Automatic Redemption: If a Trigger Event occurs, the securities will be automatically redeemed and you will be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to 100% of the principal amount, and any applicable contingent coupon on the corresponding Contingent Coupon Payment Date. Knock-In Level**: For each Underlying, approximately 75% of its Initial Level. Knock-In Event: Occurs if, on any trading day during the Observation Period, the closing level of any Underlying is less than its Knock-In Level. Initial Level: For each Underlying, the closing level of such Underlying on the Trade Date. Final Level: For each Underlying, the closing level of such Underlying on the Valuation Date. Redemption Amount: Subject to Automatic Redemption, if (a) a Knock-In Event occurs, Principal Amount x (1 + the Underlying Return of the Lowest Performing Underlying); (b) a Knock-In Event does not occur, Principal Amount. Lowest Performing Underlying: The Underlying with the lowest Underlying Return. Underlying Return: For each Underlying, the lesser of (i) zero and (ii) an amount calculated as follows: (Final Level Initial Level) / Initial Level Observation Period: The period from but excluding the Trade Date to and including the Valuation Date. Valuation Date: August 28, 2017 Maturity Date: August 31, 2017 CUSIP: 22548QCZ6 Fees: Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and any agent (the Agents) may receive varying discounts and commissions of up to $23.50 per $1,000 principal amount of securities and will forgo fees for sales to fiduciary accounts. The Agents may re-allow some or all of the discount on the principal amount per security on sales of such securities by other brokers or dealers. * As used in this document, references to "we" or "our" are to Credit Suisse AG, as Issuer. ** To be determined on the Trade Date. *** Please see the accompanying preliminary pricing supplement for specific dates. Certain Product Characteristics Automatic Redemption if a Trigger Event occurs. Contingent Coupon Rate between 7.00% and 9.00% per annum.** Subject to a Knock-In Event, return of principal. If a Knock-In Event occurs, full downside participation in the depreciation of the Lowest Performing Underlying. Knock-In Level of approximately 75%** of the respective Initial Level for each Underlying. Hypothetical Returns at Maturity Percentage Change from the Initial Level to the Final Level of the Lowest Performing Underlying Underlying Return of the Lowest Performing Underlying Redemption Amount per $1,000 Principal Amount (Knock-In Event Does Not Occur) (1)(2)(3) Redemption Amount per $1,000 Principal Amount (Knock-In Event Occurs) (1)(2)(3) 50% 0% $1,000 $1,000 40% 0% $1,000 $1,000 30% 0% $1,000 $1,000 20% 0% $1,000 $1,000 10% 0% $1,000 $1,000 0% 0% $1,000 $1,000 -10% -10% $1,000 $900 -20% -20% $1,000 $800 -25% -25% $1,000 $750 -30% -30% N/A $700 -40% -40% N/A $600 -50% -50% N/A $500 (1) Does not include any contingent coupon payments on the securities. (2) The hypothetical Redemption Amounts set forth above are for illustrative purposes only and may not be the actual returns applicable to you. The numbers appearing in the table have been rounded for ease of analysis. (3) Assumes a Knock-In Level of 75%**. Certain Product Risks Your investment may result in a loss of up to 100% of the principal amount. If a Knock-In Event occurs and the Final Level of the Lowest Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Level, you will be fully exposed to any depreciation in the Lowest Performing Underlying. The value of the securities and the payment of any amount due on the securities are subject to the credit risk of Credit Suisse. The securities will not pay more than the principal amount, plus unpaid contingent coupons, if any, at maturity or upon Automatic Redemption. If a Coupon Barrier Event occurs on an Observation Date, no contingent coupon will be paid on the immediately following Contingent Coupon Payment Date. The Redemption Amount will be less than the principal amount even if a Knock-In Event occurs with respect to only one Underlying as long as the Final Level of the Lowest Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Level. The securities are exposed equally to risk of fluctuations in the levels of the Underlyings to the same degree for each Underlying. The securities are subject to Automatic Redemption, which may limit your ability to be paid contingent coupons over the full term of the securities. (See "Additional Risk Considerations" on the next page.) FINANCIAL PRODUCTS FACT SHEET Offering Period: July 29, 2016 August 25, 2016 1 Year 7.00% - 9.00% per annum Contingent Coupon Autocallable Yield Notes due August 31, 2017 Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500 Index and the Russell 2000 Index Additional Risk Considerations Prior to maturity, costs such as concessions and hedging may affect the value of the securities. Credit Suisse currently estimates that the value of the securities on the Trade Date will be less than the price you pay for the securities, reflecting the deduction of underwriting discounts and commissions and other costs of creating and marketing the securities. Liquidity The securities will not be listed on any securities exchange. Credit Suisse (or its affiliates) intends to offer to purchase the securities in the secondary market but is not required to do so. Many factors, most of which are beyond the control of the Issuer, will influence the value of the securities and the price at which the securities may be purchased or sold in the secondary market. For example, the creditworthiness of the Issuer, including actual or anticipated downgrades to the Issuers credit ratings, may be a contributing factor. Potential Conflicts We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the securities, including acting as calculation agent and as agent of the Issuer of the securities, hedging our obligations under the securities and determining the estimated value of the securities. The agent for this offering, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (CSSU), is our affiliate. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5121, CSSU may not make sales in this offering to any discretionary accounts without the prior written approval of the customer. The securities will be affected by a number of economic, financial, political, regulatory, and judicial factors that may either offset or magnify each other. As a holder of the securities, you will not have voting rights or rights to receive cash dividends or other distributions with respect to the equity securities comprising the Underlyings. The risks set forth in the section entitled Certain Product Risks on the preceding page and this section Additional Risk Considerations are only intended as summaries of some of the risks relating to an investment in the securities. Prior to investing in the securities, you should, in particular, review the Certain Product Risks and Additional Risk Considerations sections herein, the Selected Risk Considerations section in the preliminary pricing supplement and the Risk Factors section in the product supplement, which set forth risks related to an investment in the securities. Additional Information You may revoke your offer to purchase the securities at any time prior to the time at which we accept such offer on the date the securities are priced. We reserve the right to change the terms of, or reject any offer to purchase the securities prior to their issuance. In the event of any changes to the terms of the securities, we will notify you and you will be asked to accept such changes in connection with your purchase. You may also choose to reject such changes in which case we may reject your offer to purchase. This document is a summary of the terms of the securities and factors that you should consider before deciding to invest in the securities. Credit Suisse has filed a registration statement (including preliminary pricing supplement, underlying supplement, product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, for the offering to which this offering summary relates. Before you invest, you should read this summary together with the Preliminary Pricing Supplement dated July 29, 2016, Underlying Supplement dated May 4, 2015, Product Supplement No. I dated May 4, 2015, Prospectus Supplement dated May 4, 2015 and Prospectus dated May 4, 2015, to understand fully the terms of the securities and other considerations that are important in making a decision about investing in the securities. If the terms described in the applicable preliminary pricing supplement are inconsistent with those described herein, the terms described in the applicable preliminary pricing supplement will control. You may get these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov . Alternatively, Credit Suisse, any agent or any dealer participating in this offering will arrange to send you the preliminary pricing supplement, underlying supplement, product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus if you so request by calling toll-free 1-800-221-1037. This fact sheet is a general description of the terms of the offering. Please see the full description in the applicable preliminary pricing supplement: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1053092/000095010316015148/dp67533_424b2-u1667.htm "It's unfortunate that Governor Rauner didn't keep his campaign promise to steer clear of social issues," Zender said. Illinois Right to Life's Emily Zender wrote in response that the Governor's actions were disappointing. SPRINGFIELD - Friday, Governor Rauner signed into law Senate Bill 1564, which requires medical personnel and pregnancy resources centers to refer for abortions and discuss abortion benefits with their clients. The governor chose to ignore the pro-life community's efforts to stop the bill's progress. "We hosted press conferences, wrote op-eds in the most prominent newspapers, educated state and federal legislators, and delivered nearly 6,000 petition signatures to the governor asking him to veto this bill," Zender wrote. The law does not go into effect until January, 2017. Zender said that law firms like the Alliance Defense Fund and the Thomas More Society are promising lawsuits. Illinois Right to Life launched a resource page on their website for pregnancy help centers in Illinois to assist them in handling this law. (visit it here.) The Illinois ACLU's reproductive rights project director Lori Chaiten was elated with Rauner's action: Governor Bruce Rauner has taken an important step to protect patients in Illinois. The new law carefully balances the needs of patients to get complete information about their medical condition with the ability of health care providers to refuse health care services to which they have a religious or conscience objection. Not surprising, a huge majority of Illinois voters wanted the Health Care Right of Conscience Act balanced in order to include the interests of the patient. That is precisely what this new law does. When Illinois patients go into an exam room, they need no longer worry that they are being denied medical information based on their health care providers religious beliefs. This is a good measure for all Illinois residents. More reactions to come ... UPDATE 1.25PM: Police have named the 29-year-old man who was killed in a accident at a Waihi mine on Thursday night. Western Bay of Plenty man Tipiwai Stainton, 29, died following a work place accident at OceanaGolds Correnso Mine at about 6.30pm. Operations at the mine have been suspended following the death and police have handed the scene over to Worksafe New Zealand and are assisting them with their inquiries. Officers are also continuing investigations on behalf of the Coroner. OceanaGold says its the first fatality in its 25-years of operations in New Zealand, reports Fairfax. The mines general manager Bernie OLeary told a media conference this morning it was too early to speculate about what might have happened. He confirms Tipiwai had been void-filling - which is back-filling waste rock - about 200m below the surface in the 300m-deep mine. Fairfax reports Bernie didnt want to be pressed on how anyone was alerted to the accident, saying it would come out as part of the investigation. EARLIER: A 29-year-old man died following a work place accident at an OceanaGold mine in Waihi last night. The man was killed after the 50 tonne front end loader he was in rolled down a stope in the Correnso mine about 6.30pm. A stope is a step-like underground space produced by mining. An underground mine rescue team carried out a search for the man and his body was found in the early hours of this morning in the loader. WorkSafe and Police are at the scene and are investigating the circumstances of the death. Area Commander Inspector John Kelly would like to thank all those involved in the rescue operation and also offers his sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased man. Police, emergency services and mine rescue staff were called to the Corresnso underground mine last night. An earlier release stated the large front end loader with one person on board roll down a shaft. While the rescue operation was carried out all mining activities in the area were stopped. The mine is the Correnso mine which is a working between 350 and 130 metres below the streeets of Waihi. A schematic of the Mine It might pay to tie down your trampolines and keep a tight grip on your brollies with the MetService has issued a severe weather watch for the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel. While a strong, unstable westerly flow covering the North Island should ease today, a cold front moving rapidly up the country is likely to bring further westerly gales to much of the North Island on Saturday. Watching US President Barak Obama speaking live at the Democratic Party National Convention has left an indelible impression on Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller. For me personally its a highlight, and one of the most impressively delivered and crafted speeches I have ever heard. The seat of the master, it really was, says Todd. Finance Minister Bill English has arrived in Australia today to attend a range of speaking engagements and bi-lateral meetings. Mr English will meet with Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison and New South Wales Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, as well as a range of businesses, to assess the progress of the Australian economy. These meetings are an opportunity to discuss trans-Tasman trade and the close economic ties enjoyed by our two nations. It will also be a good opportunity to gather some insights from the newly-formed Turnbull government and its economic agenda, Mr English says. Mr English will also address a public sector conference and meet with senior public servants who are interested in New Zealands Budget management and social investment policies. Australian Social Services Minister Christian Porter is interested in embarking on a programme of social welfare reform using a social investment model similar to what we are developing. I welcome the opportunity to share some of our ideas and insights with him and others who are interested in changing lives by reducing misery, rather than servicing it. Mr English will return to New Zealand on Wednesday, August 3. SOURCE: Office of Bill English Waikato Police are investigating the aggravated robbery of a Te Kauwhata service station at around 5:45pm Thursday evening. A man entered the station on Main Road armed with what appeared to be a pistol and demanded cash. The offender was in the service station for a reasonable period of time with a number of other customers entering and exiting the store before he presented the pistol. Staff complied with the offenders demands and when further customers entered the store and became suspicious about the offenders behaviour, he has fled through the stores rear exit with a quantity of cash. He is described as Maori or Polynesian, of solid build and during the robberies he wore black scarf across his face. He was last seen running down Wira Street in the direction of Mahi Road, Te Kauwhata. Police praise the actions of the shop workers who remained calm and took notice of everything that the offender was doing. CCTV footage from the service station shows the offender is very similar in appearance to the offender who robbed the Maybelle Superette on Kensington Avenue in Waihi at about 12.50pm yesterday. While no-one has been hurt in either of the robberies, on both occasions the victims have been threatened with a firearm and were emotionally shaken. Police are asking the public to be alert and report any suspicious behaviour particularly around rural and isolated shops and service stations. The male offender involved in these robberies is considered dangerous and should not be approached as he is believed to still be in possession of a firearm. Police are wanting to speak to anyone who may know who this offender is, may have seen either robbery occur or been in the vicinity around the time of the offending. Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Jason Perry on 07 858 6200. Alternatively, information can also be provided anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. SOURCE: New Zealand Police UPDATE 8.46pm: A second person has died following a serious crash on SH29A in Tauranga this evening. One person died at the scene and a second person has died in hospital following the crash which appears to have involved five vehicles and occurred after a car broke down. Bay of Plenty Police are requesting privacy for the officers involved in a shooting incident near Kawerau in March. Name suppression was lifted yesterday by the court, for the five officers directly involved in the shooting says Bay of Plenty Operations Support Manager Inspector Kevin Taylor. About 20 refugees are staying at the Santa Eufemia convent in Antequera, trying to pick up their lives again after being forced to flee :: ALVARO CABRERA Each of the people featured in this report chose a fictitious name for us to use, to protect their identity. They have had few other choices in their lives recently. Certainly not Ruslan, the head of sales at a big company in Azerbaijan who found himself forced to flee his country with little more than he was wearing, together with his wife and two of his three children. The little ones scamper about, playing, happily unaware of the pain suffered by their parents, who had to leave their brother, who is just two years old, behind. Looking at them, this would appear to be a normal family scene, but the baby of the family was detained with his maternal grandmother in the former Soviet republic, the involuntary and sad hostage of a government that was sure that, faced with such a threat, Ruslan would never dare to take this step. Saving two children, and leaving one behind. It is impossible to put yourself in the place of parents who face such a dilemma and manage to still carry on. Experts at CEAR (the Spanish Commission for Refugee Assistance) who now help this family, which is split in two, say that at the first interview with them it was impossible to discover what their story was because they were both sobbing uncontrollably... Nor was there any choice for Alia, a 35 year old Syrian widow whose lined face and hands make her look as if she carries the weight of seven lives on her shoulders. In reality, she bears five: her own, that of her three children and a nephew with serious sight problems who lost both parents in the war. She also took this step two years ago, when her husband was killed in combat: in her case, she left nothing behind, apart from some distant relatives. Her closest family was either dead or spread around Europe. Alia hardly knows 21 year old Walid, but they both share the horror of having escaped from the entrails of a devastated country. Walid, who is also Syrian, realised the time had come to leave everything behind when they killed his father. From Syria he escaped to Lebanon, from there to Turkey and then to Morocco. Thats where we met, he explains, in a mixture of Arabic, English and Spanish. It is not easy to understand him, but you only have to look at his face to see that he is trying to express something good: at his side is Ouidad, a beautiful 20 year old girl, partly covered with a veil, who didnt hesitate to follow him firstly to Madrid, where everything was very difficult then to Melilla and from there to Antequera. Now they are trying to pick up their lives again at the Santa Eufemia convent, which is now a place in which CEAR provides refuge, in the literal sense of the word, to about 20 asylum seekers. Most come from the CETI (Temporary Stay Centre for Immigrants) in Melilla, but some do so from Madrid, depending on where they fled from. Normality for the children Walid and Ouidad, who did at least choose to continue their journey together, tell their story in fits and starts because they dont want to lose sight of their baby, who has just learned to walk. At the convent he is known as the little Messi, and he has learned to say guapo and bombon. The toddler plays happily as if it had none of this is anything to do with him, but unfortunately, it is. With him, and the other six children who bring a touch of normality amid so much adult tragedy: the corridors in the refuge are used for races, and in the little TV room two things bind them together, with their different languages and culture: cartoons and the European Cup. So far there have been no problems among them, says Nora Bouaicha as she walks through the communal areas which everyone helps to keep clean. She is employed by CEAR and is one of the translators for those who are helped by the organisation. The refugee assistance work is shared with ACCEM and the Spanish Red Cross, and even though Malaga province has not yet received any of the asylum seekers who are part of the European quota, there is still a great deal of work to do. There are other ways for refugees to enter Spain and, despite everything, they continue to arrive every day. Mick, who spends most of his free time glued to his smartphone, says his family came from Madrid. They arrived by plane last month, fleeing from Ukraine because things became extremely difficult at work for his father, who was a chauffeur for government officials. This 14 year old stumbles in English as he describes his journey, saying that he, his parents and his 10 year old sister were very scared. Maybe in the streets of Antequera they could pass as a good-looking blonde family of tourists, but behind closed doors the horror they have experienced makes them all equal. At the refuge they have forged close links, maybe because they can communicate linguistically, with Ruslan and his family. The only time Ruslan smiles is when he says that his six year-old son is a karate champion, and that he would like him to take lessons in Antequera when term begins in September. The little boy, who has already learned some Spanish, looks lovingly at his father, clinging to his leg as he is embraced in a hug. What happens to them next depends on whether the youngest member of the family is able to join them here; whether the Spanish government awards them refugee status and they are able to apply for the family to be together. Until that happens, they plan to stay in Antequera. We like it here very much; the people are lovely and they always help you, says Ruslan, who is waiting for an appointment at the local health centre for a GP to look at a small head wound caused by his son when he was playing a few days previously. The agonising wait for Ruslan and his wife is helped by the fact that at least their two other children will start school in Antequera and they know they can stay at the convent for six months (a period which can be extended to nine months) until they are able to fend for themselves. In the meantime, those staying at the refuge spend the mornings on paperwork, Spanish classes and courses to help them find work in the future. The children are also about to take part in a summer camp organised by Cruz Roja. A sense of normality, under these circumstances, is essential. It seems strange, nevertheless, that even though this refuge has not yet been open for two months, the families dont tend to stay there very long. In fact, Walid and Ouidad have been there longest and they only arrived two weeks ago. Mick and his family arrived last week and although they are pleased to have a found a certain peace of mind, they would rather try their luck in a bigger, more modern city, says the teenager, who loves music and is part of a musical family: he plays the guitar, his mother sings, his father is a pianist and his sister loves to dance. Perhaps that is one of the peculiarities of the families who are trying to pick up their lives at the CEAR centre: they all seem to be passing through, apart from Ruslan and Walid, who prefer to bring up their children in this peaceful environment. The rest, in general, move on as soon as they find a relative who can take them in, while their application for asylum is being processed, says Nora, who works closely with a team of professionals including Dunia Hamed and Lucas Sagredo, the director of the centre. Alia, however, has still not decided what to do in the medium term, but she is clear that she will move, she says, to wherever the best treatment for her nephews sight problems can be found, and where there is the best possible education for him and her three children, who all depend on her. For now, though, she is trying to recover some peace of mind at Santa Eufemia and forget the hardest parts of her journey here. The worst thing was the way we were treated by the traffickers when we wanted to cross the borders, says this young widow, who had to pay the inhumane toll when crossing into Turkey and then again when entering Melilla after spending several horrible months in Sudan. Nora stops translating from Arabic to Spanish at this point: Now shes complimenting us, she says, modestly. Alia signals that she wants her to continue: She says we are very hospitable and that they have everything they need, explains Nora. Colour-coded problems Gabriel Ruiz and Manuel Munoz also understand about covering peoples needs. They are from the Medicos del Mundo organisation, and have come to the convent to talk about the health care rights of people in transit. Those who are fleeing something, to put it another way. Gabriel, however, doesnt like euphemisms. There certain things you need to know if you become ill in certain places, he tells them in English, French, Arabic and Spanish, and he shows them a map of Spain with colours to classify the regions where they may find difficulty in receiving medical treatment. Andalucia, the Balearics and Aragon are green - there are usually no problems there, explains Gabriel - and most of the rest are yellow (average) but there is one enormous red area: It is not unusual for problems to arise here, he says, pointing to Castilla y Leon. Im sorry, but thats how things are and they will continue to be like that for at least four years, says this doctor, referring to the election last month. He alternates between indignation and despair because I cant do any more to help them. His colleague feels the same way. When they leave, the heavy door of the convent echoes as they shut it behind them, and go on to attend to the next group on their list. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mari Carmen Perez is preparing everything for lunch and dinner. She was born and bred in Antequera and has learned the hard way that not everybody is delighted at the prospect of a potato omelette. I made one the other day, and nobody touched it, and even though I say it myself my tortillas are delicious. They prefer the potatoes separate and their eggs boiled, they dont like fried food, she says, sighing, as she finishes preparing the meals for the day. Today, she has made soup (but without pork, obviously, she says) and cooked a large halal chicken. They always want to make sure it is halal, she says. The children dont care so much. They are rubbing their hands over their stomachs to indicate that they are hungry. Hambre, they tell her. For the little Messi, it is time for a siesta; his mother has just breast-fed him, his eyes are closed and he is smiling. For him, and for the others, life goes on. Even if, for many, this would seem like half an existence. A lifeguard tried to recover the drug stash but was overwhelmed by a surge of people trying to get their hands on the cannabis resin Officers inspect the area where the incident unfolded. :: SUR Numerous bathers left the beach in Pedregalejo on Sunday with more than a handful of pebbles after a bundle of drugs was washed ashore. The bale, containing bars of cannabis resin, had been ripped open after hitting a breakwater. According to sources, when the lifeguard went to recover the drugs, he was surrounded by a swarm of people all trying to get their hands on some of the hashish. Cornered by bathers, the lifeguard was even advised by onlookers to leave the area to avoid getting attacked. Sources say the lifeguard had intended to collect up the drugs and wait for police officers to arrive so that he could hand them over. The Local Police were alerted at about 4.15pm but even though they arrived quickly, by the time they appeared on the scene the hashish had literally vanished. Witnesses told of having seen bathers load their iceboxes with the drugs or the case of one woman who, after putting as much of the drug as she could in her T-shirt, left the beach only to return in different clothes. More than 20 uniformed police officers were deployed. They launched an operation to identify the bathers who had made off with the drugs and even accompanied some to their cars to check for the hash. However only 500 grammes of the drug could be recovered, while a bale such as this one, probably dropped out at sea by smugglers surprised by the authorities, would normally contain around 30 kilos. Although first indications suggest that the bathers took over half of the stash, the exact quantity is still unknown as some could still be at sea. The police have identified a number of suspects but by Tuesday no arrests had been made. Police have pointed out that keeping drugs found washed up on the beach is a criminal offence. The result of the EU referendum raised fears that demand for real estate on the Costa del Sol could be affected l residents pass a billboard announcing a new luxury development in San Pedro. :: Josele-Lanza QUOTES Gary Oliver. Remax We are still getting daily enquiries from UK buyers and have booked viewing trips since Brexit Michael Liggan. Altavista Property Marbella will always be an option when the dust settles. There is no shortage of European buyers Cesar Crespo. Moneycorp Potential buyers who sit on the sidelines waiting for sterling to rise, in six months or a year, could find a rise offset by higher prices Is a weak pound and the uncertainty accompanying the Brexit vote having or likely to have an impact on the British demand for property in Spain? While demand for property has been growing since 2013, a reversal is anticipated given that the market for UK buyers is driven by the strength of sterling. It is also expected that the buying pond for British owners wishing to sell and return to the UK may also evaporate somewhat in the short term. However this is not a view shared by those on the ground. Gary Oliver, sales director of Remax property agents, thinks not. We do expect some buyers may hold off to see what the coming weeks and months will bring but with little long term impact, he says. We are still getting daily enquiries from UK buyers and have booked viewing trips since Brexit, so were confident that the interest will remain strong. Given that property prices here in Spain are still 30 per cent cheaper than they were before the crash in 2007, a property in Spain is still an attractive prospect. Marbellas mayor, Jose Bernal, has stated that nothing will happen in the short term in terms of status and that, given the size of the British presence in Spain, agreements will be established between Britain and Spain post the UKs EU exit. It is a view shared by property developers. Michael Liggan, owner of Altavista Property, believes that a property in Marbella is a desirable asset. Climate and lifestyle will remain an attractive proposition to buyers and life will move on. Marbella will always be an option when the dust settles. There is no shortage of European buyers so the market will remain positive. The main sticking point is the sterling/euro exchange rate and no one really knows the true ramifications at this point. Most financial experts say its good to diversify your portfolio therefore it may be logical for people not to keep all their assets in the UK, he says. Currency broker Moneycorp is all too aware that the unexpected result has produced UK political causalities and sterling volatility as markets always react negatively to any uncertainty. Cesar Crespo, regional manager of Moneycorp on the Costa del Sol says, There are some points to consider beyond the current state of a low sterling. Firstly, when it comes to destinations that are within a three-hour flight from the UK, that are safe, stable and offer year-round sunshine (mostly), the choice is arguably limited to Spain and Portugal. In addition, should a British person elect to purchase a second property in any other country outside the EU then they will still face the same dilemma with sterling weakness. For example, in the case of choosing Florida, sterling has depreciated more versus the US dollar than against the euro. In the first quarter of 2016 British purchasers made up fewer than 2.9% of all foreign property buyers in Spain. This is important because even if this figure were to fall by 20 per cent, there are still sufficient non-British foreign buyers investing to perceivably keep demand for certain properties on the rise, adds Crespo. Those potential buyers who sit on the sidelines waiting for sterling to rise, in say six months or a year, may find that if a positive rise does occur, it may then be offset by the effect of higher property prices. The Consulate cannot get you health or social care that you are not entitled to, nor use taxpayers' money to cover your costs Contact the British consulate: Email spain.consulate@fco.gov.uk / Telephone enquiries: 952352300 This is our monthly message from Charmaine Arbouin at the British Consulate in Malaga. Charmaine is the Consul for Andalucia and the Canary Islands. Her team help thousands of British nationals in distress every year. Welfare issues, such as lack of money, are one of the top three reasons why British Nationals seek help at the British Consulate Malaga. Since March, we have seen 64 cases of people seeking welfare assistance, including holidaymakers in difficulties because they have no travel insurance, or money, or return flight home. We have also seen families who face huge repatriation costs because a member of the family has died in Spain without insurance. We are regularly contacted by Brits who have bought a one-way ticket to Spain, thinking that they will buy a cheap flight home, only to spend all their money or find there are no flights in their price range. Others have received large medical bills because they have been hospitalised and are without a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and travel insurance. But there are limits to what we can do, and there are things we cant. If you do fall into trouble, we can help you by discussing your options or signposting you to other agencies that may be able help. We can contact family and friends on your behalf to seek financial assistance. However, we cannot get you health or social care that you are not entitled to, or use taxpayers money to cover your accommodation, health, debts or other costs, or give you free flights. In fact, holidaymakers can themselves avoid many of the potential difficulties by following these simple steps: Register for a free EHIC so that you can access public healthcare in an emergency. Even if youre already on holiday, take a few minutes to register now on www.gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card. Buy adequate travel insurance for your holiday, and do declare any pre-existing conditions or other issues that may affect your cover. You need insurance in addition to an EHIC, because the latter doesnt cover things like an air ambulance to the UK or repatriation of a deceased person. Book your return ticket to the UK before travelling to Spain and keep some money aside for unexpected or emergency costs. Catalonian president, Carles Puigemont (c), at the voting session. :: SUR The pro-independence political parties, that hold a majority in the Catalonian Parlament, (autonomous assembly), voted in favour of a route map towards a separate state on Wednesday. The decision goes against the warnings of Spains constitutional court (Tribunal Constitucional) that there would be important consequences and fines for breaking the law. The combined 72 votes of Junts pel Si (Together for Yes), which is made up of the centre-right Convergencia and the left-wing Esquerra Republicana parties, and the CUP party were enough to approve work by a Catalonian commission on the route to independence. This establishes that the Parlament has the authority to unilaterally break away. According to the text which has been approved, the first phase will be public consultation on a future Catalonian constitution. The next stage will be for new laws to be written and a new assembly convened. The final phase will be a referendum to approve the new constitutional arrangements. All this took place amid strong protests from opposition groups and even though the proposed action has been declared illegal. Despite this, the pro-independence politicians have decided to go ahead. The Madrid-based constitutional court has powers to fine or press for criminal charges against the Catalonian breakaway politicians and Wednesdays meeting of the acting central governments cabinet authorised the Spanish attorney general to ask for legal charges to be brought. Against whom those charges were wasnt clear, but it was suggested that the pro-independence president (speaker)of the Parlament, Carme Forcadell would be the focus of initial legal action. The high-speed project for the Antequera area has been shelved, and the state aid is to be reinvested says the rail infrastructure operator The Spanish government shelved the multi-million-euro project to build a high speed train test centre in the Antequera area, known as the CEATF, months ago, and now the European Commission has hammered the final nail into its coffin. After months of investigation the Commission has called for the Spanish government to recover the 140.7 million euros in state aid it awarded to Spains railway infrastructure operator, Adif, to build the circuit that would be able to test high speed trains at speeds of more than 500 kilometres per hour. Adif - which is part of the Ministerio de Fomento in any case, therefore the funds never left central government - has already said that the aid will be paid back into the Treasury. According to the inspectors in Brussels the aid - awarded towards the end of the last Socialist government - failed to comply with EU State aid rules for a number of reasons. The Commission has concluded that aid granted by Spain to railway operator Adif for the construction of a high-speed train test centre in Andalucia does not meet a genuine objective of common interest. In particular, it does not contribute to promoting a sustainable development in the region, says the report issued on Monday. Furthermore the report states that the now defunct project was not viable and was expected to generate losses throughout its entire period of operation. Despite the public funding allocated, no private investor showed an interest in participating in the funding, it says. Neither would the project contribute to sustainable development, said the report. It would only have had limited short-term effects by creating temporary jobs in the construction sector during the building of the infrastructure, it said, adding that Spain was not able to show that the benefits of the project would have offset the construction costs. Adif announced on Monday that the funds would be returned to the Treasury in the coming weeks, a measure that was in fact approved in January this year. The circular test track was due to be 58 kilometres in length and was going to cost a total of 400 million euros. It was designed to test trains at very high speeds (up to 520kph), although, as the Commission pointed out, there does not appear to be any interest in the market to develop products that run at such high speeds. The PP leader was asked to be candidate for PM after all the main party leaders met with the king on Thursday King Felipe VI with Mariano Rajoy on Thursday. EFE Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Partido Popular (PP), has accepted King Felipe VIs invitation to try to gather support to form a government in next weeks investiture debate in parliament. The PP gained the highest number of seats in Congreso after Junes general election. As no party has an overall majority, it is the kings constitutional duty to meet each of the countrys party leaders to seek their views on how a government can be formed. This the king began last week, closing the round of discussions on Thursday with the four main party leaders. Its a sight that Spaniards have become used to since the last general election in December also involved three rounds of meetings. With no party moving position over the last few days, (only Ciudadanos has said it will abstain in a second investiture vote to facilitate a PPgovernment and get Spain moving again), talk has increasingly turned to a third general election if Rajoy cannot get enough support. On meeting the king on Thursday, Podemos leader, Pablo Iglesias reiterated his desire to see his party and the PSOE form a left-wing coalition, but also repeated that it was unlikely. Ciudadanos, under Albert Rivera, said he wished to see all parties abstaining to enable Rajoy to form a minority government. Pedro Sanchez of the PSOE, in turn, wouldnt say if he would abstain in the vote, but committed to finding a solution. Spaniards now wait to see what Rajoy will achieve next week. A 26-year-old man was shot Thursday night in the 300 block of Coolidge Avenue in Syracuse. Syracuse police were dispatched to a call of shots being fired off Bellevue Avenue on Coolidge Avenue at 11:21 p.m. Thursday, according to Sgt. Richard Helterline, a spokesman for the Syracuse Police Department. Police found the man with a gunshot wound. He was transported to Upstate University Hospital by ambulance. The man, who police did not identify, was in serious condition, police said. Helterline said there was no suspect information available. Police did not known if this incident is related to other recent shooting, he said. Syracuse police asked anyone with information on this shooting to call 442-5222. They said all calls will be kept confidential. Anonymous tips may also be submitted using the "SPD Tips" App, police said. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The arrest of an "OG against violence" in Syracuse has prompted a Black Lives Matter protest. The Syracuse chapter of Black Lives Matter will hold a protest at 10 a.m. today (Friday) outside of the Onondaga County Justice Center, announced Herve Comeau, a spokesman for the group, in an email. The jail is located at 555 S. State St. in Syracuse. The protest was organized after Maurice "Mo" Crawley, a well-known local advocate against gun violence, was taken into custody by a Syracuse police officer while filming an arrest. Crawley's arrest was captured in a video he started to stream on his Facebook page around 7 p.m. As of 7 a.m. Friday, Crawley was still listed in the jail's custody. Crawley, 52, has been charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors, according to jail records. Comeau said the protesters are focused on freeing Crawley and ensuring police accountability. "Though the city, the mayor and the police chief have suggested that hiring black police officers would solve the problem, it would not," Comeau said. "The problem is police culture. The problem is the lack of accountability. The problem is that violent police officers can do violence against black bodies without consequence." At the start of his video, Crawley stands across the street from police -- focusing his camera on two officers who are arresting a man. Crawley states he decided to go live to "see what's going on with these boys, make sure they're doing everything they're supposed to be doing." Crawley zooms in as one officer handcuffs and searches the man. "Look at the Uncle Tom," he said. "Yeah, Uncle Tom. Mmmhmm." Crawley then returns to filming the scene, capturing footage of the officers as they searched the handcuffed man. After about a minute of silence, one of the officers speaks. "Hey! Say one word, your (expletive) is going to jail, just so you know." Crawley replied, "I didn't hear you. Say it again, officer. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." The officer crossed the street and told Crawley to turn around and give the officer his hands. Crawley asked why, and the camera swings toward trees, powerlines and the sky before turning green. "Don't (expletive) move, you understand me?" an officer said. "Don't you (expletive) move, I'm a (expletive) you up." The video was reposted on the Facebook page of Syracuse's Black Lives Matter chapter. By 8 a.m., it had been viewed over 10,000 times. Syracuse.com has reached out to police for comment. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Maurice "Mo" Crawley, an anti-violence activist, pleaded not guilty this morning to misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and obstructing government administration. Crawley, an "OG Against Violence," was arrested Thursday night while filming police making an arrest. Sgt. Richard Helterline, a spokesman for the Syracuse Police Department, said today the department is conducting an internal review of the incident. About a dozen supporters attended the arraignment for Crawley at the Syracuse City Court building Friday. They declined to speak with a reporter afterward. City Court Judge Mary Anne Doherty read from the charges filed against Crawley. According to the criminal complaint, Crawley stood across the street during a police drug investigation. Crawley used his hands to make a "circle motion" and made "tornado comments" while officers conducted a search, Doherty said. Crawley's actions presented a dangerous situation and interfered with the investigation, the complaint said. Doherty said Crawley is charged with resisting arrest for refusing to put his hands behind his back or over his head when an officer attempted to handcuff him. When an officer grabbed his elbow he "tensed up" and was then tackled to the ground. Crawley was released on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on Aug. 25. OG stands for original gangsters, although some Syracuse anti-violence activists with OGs against Violence say it stands for "older gentleman." Outside the courthouse, right after Crawley's arraignment, a few dozen activists gathered for a Black Lives Matter protest. May Avenue homicide 2.JPG A memorial for Tyshawn Lemon rests near the front of 110 May Ave. in Syracuse. Lemon, 18, was shot to death Thursday night in the 100 block of May Avenue. (Samantha House) SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A teen shot Thursday night on Syracuse's South Side has died, marking the city's second homicide in one week. Tyshawn Lemon, of Syracuse, died shortly after he was shot on May Avenue, said Sgt. Richard Helterline, a spokesman for the Syracuse Police Department. Lemon was 18 years old. He graduated from William Nottingham High School last month. Police rushed to the 100 block of May Avenue at 9:03 p.m. after a shooting was reported. When officers arrived, they found a wounded Lemon suffering from a gunshot wound, Helterline said. Lemon was rushed by American Medical Response Ambulance to Upstate University Hospital. He died at the hospital. The suspect in the homicide may have been in a light green Mercury sedan that was last spotted driving south on South Avenue, Helterline said. Lemon's death marks Syracuse's 19th homicide this year. He was the second person killed this week. Jamar Bachus, 22, of Syracuse, was shot in the back at 6:55 p.m. Monday in front of 219 Martin Luther King Boulevard. He died at Upstate University Hospital. Less than an hour later, Tyrae J. Tatum, 21, and Laquan O. Kitchen, 23, were arrested and charged with murdering Bachus. Both men are in the Onondaga County Justice Center. Police asked anyone with information about the fatal shooting Thursday night to call (315) 442-5222 or submit tips anonymously through the SPD Tips app. 2016-05-02-dn-nuclear2.JPG Workers wearing protective suits work in the reactor building during a refueling of Nine Mile Point Unit 2 in May 2016. NY regulators are scheduled to vote on zero-emission subsidies that would benefit Nine Mile 2 and other Upstate reactors. (Dennis Nett) The experts who run the New York state electric grid have concluded that every effort should be made to keep the state's nuclear plants running. Without nuclear, the power grid would be more dirty and less reliable, they say. Period. "Retaining all existing nuclear generators is critical to the state's carbon emission reduction requirements as well as maintaining electric system reliability,'' according to officials at the New York Independent System Operator. So why are people complaining about the Public Service Commission staff proposal to subsidize Upstate nuclear plants to the tune of $480 million a year? Some anti-nuclear activists will never accept the proposal, no matter what. (Likewise, some pro-nuclear groups would support the deal on virtually any terms.) But there is a wide spectrum of advocacy groups, business interests and energy analysts who fall somewhere in the middle. Many of them say they support the PSC effort to prevent nuclear plants from shutting down early. They buy the argument that shuttered nuclear plants probably could not be fully replaced by clean wind and solar power, at least in the short term. But they have questions about paying what could amount to $7 billion over 12 years to a single nuclear company. They have concerns that there has not been enough time to consider the details. Here are several of the issues they raise: 1. The nuclear subsidy undermines free markets New York deregulated the electric industry nearly two decades ago. Regulators forced monopoly utilities to sell off their power plants, then set up a competitive wholesale market. The idea was to transfer price risk from customers to power plant owners. If a plant could not make a profit in the market, it would shut down and be replaced by something more efficient. Eventually, regulators tinkered with the market to promote emerging technologies like wind and solar power, which offered added value not fully compensated by the market. Utility customers pay surcharges to provide subsidies. But wind and solar generators must compete for those subsidies. By targeting payments to specific nuclear plants, the PSC would discriminate against other energy suppliers, critics say. PSC analysts argue that nuclear now has special value, like wind and solar, that merits subsidy. But because of the limited number of nukes, the subsidy must be set administratively rather than through an auction. 2. The nuclear subsidy might be illegal Three months ago, the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated a Maryland incentive program for new power plants on the grounds that it interfered with wholesale markets, which operate under federal - not state - authority. To some observers, including a group of non-nuclear power plant owners and energy suppliers in New York, the Supreme Court's decision in Hughes v. Talen Energy Marketing is directly applicable to what New York is attempting. Upstate nuclear plants that receive state-mandated subsidies will have an unfair advantage in the wholesale market and will drive down the prices other power plants can charge, the group argues. Among those making the case: Sithe Independence Station, a large gas-fired power plant just down the road from three Oswego County nuclear reactors. PSC officials are likely to argue that the nuclear subsidy does not impact the wholesale market. 3. The price of the subsidy is too high In April, Exelon told the PSC it would need to recover $50 per megawatt-hour to justify the continued operation of its Upstate nuclear plants. But the PSC staff proposal would guarantee the company $56.50 per megawatt-hour, or 13 percent more. And every two years, the minimum price would be revised upward. Lawyers for the Nucor Steel plant in Auburn suggest that even the $50 price sought by Exelon is more than the nuke operator needs. In comments to the PSC that were redacted because they include confidential information supplied by Exelon, Nucor argues that Upstate nukes could get by on $40. Several industrial customers suggest that Exelon has overstated its financial hardships, especially when it comes to Nine Mile Point Station. "There is absolutely no evidence that the two-unit Nine Mile nuclear generation facility would retire absent subsidies,'' according to a group of 60 industrial customers. Exelon said last week that the PSC proposal provides the "minimum revenue necessary'' for the Upstate nukes. The Chicago-based company owns six utilities and the nation's largest nuclear fleet, with 23 reactors. Exelon reported profits of $2.2 billion in 2015. PSC staff members argue that the benefits of retaining nuclear plants far outweigh the costs. If the nukes close, energy prices would rise, greenhouse gas emissions would rise, and hundreds of high-paying jobs would be lost. 4. The contract term is too long According to the long-term price forecast by PSC analysts, wholesale power prices will rise steadily over the next decade until they exceed the price guaranteed to the nuclear plants. At that point, perhaps six years from now, the subsidies would disappear because the nukes would make enough money in the market, according to that analysis. But long-term price forecasts are notoriously unreliable. National Grid recommended limiting nuclear subsidy contracts to six years. Here's why: National Grid's precursor, Niagara Mohawk, almost bit the dust because of errant long-term forecasts. New York's so-called Six Cent Law of 1981 subsidized the development of certain power plants with long-term price of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (or $60 per megawatt-hour), on the theory that prices would far exceed that over time. (Side note: Exelon is struggling at the current price of about $39.) A huge portfolio of 6-cent contracts pushed Niagara Mohawk to the brink of bankruptcy by 1998, and ultimately led to a $4 billion bailout paid for by customers. 5. There has not been enough time to ponder details This is a big decision. It will affect the Upstate economy and the NY energy industry for years to come. Yet the details of the PSC staff proposal were released just three weeks ago. Comments were accepted for just two weeks. Given the size and complexity of the power grid, the PSC normally churns through policy debates over months, and sometimes years. But time is of the essence now, the commission argues, because Exelon will decide soon whether to continue operating at least two of its Upstate reactors. Critics say the PSC should resist the pressure for an immediate decision and study the issue further. "The total potential impacts - cost and otherwise - of the staff proposal are not known because they have not been properly studied,'' wrote lawyers representing New York City. "The inappropriate limitation of the comment period to 14 days prevents any meaningful assessment from being conducted." Contact Tim Knauss anytime | email | Twitter | 315-470-3023 Germany Mass Killings Asking Why In this Saturday, July 23, 2016 file photo, people mourn with flower tributes near the Olympia shopping center where a shooting took place the day before in Munich, Germany. (Jens Meyer / AP) Jackie Warren-Moore, a poet, playwright, theatrical director and freelance writer, writes regularly for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. She can be reached at jackiewarrenmoore@gmail.com. People have often asked me how I started writing. I tell them it was fear that first prompted me to write. I attended a Catholic elementary school in Elmira. I walked to school through my integrated neighborhood into a white neighborhood. Fear pushed me along the carefully plotted course my mother had laid out for me. "Don't stop, don't talk to anyone and stay on the way I laid out for you," she firmly advised. I wrote poems and stories about the flowers I saw and the cracks in the sidewalk, the people I passed. I was the only student of color for a number of years. Elementary school was where I first learned about fear, hatred, racism and friendship. It was where I was first called the n-word, whispered at recess or shouted out of a passing car. The fear was a solid knot in my stomach. A short, shy, blond girl by the name of Katherine and I were the outcasts. We both stood outside of whatever game was being played. We eventually talked and befriended each other. Together we learned a lesson about fear and prejudice. It seems all the bad things I'd been taught about white people, she'd been taught similar, evil things about black people. It was a valuable lesson that has served me well. The fear and lies we'd both been taught might have kept apart two little scared girls who needed a friend. It all began with a conversation. Our world is in need of some serious conversations right now. I keep hearing people use a new term for a lot of horrific things happening today. They are saying it is "the new norm." Every time a different place is bombed, like France or Germany. Every time there is a mass stabbing, like near Tokyo or on Salina Street. Every time there is a shooting in a bar in Orlando, Florida, or a mall, or church or on West Beard Avenue. I keep hearing the same expression. Every time there is a senseless, unjust shooting of an unarmed black man or a police officer on the job. All the meanness, ugliness keeps getting sloughed off with a few words that are desensitizing us to the anger, pain and horror in this world. I refuse for this to be "the new norm," here in Syracuse or anywhere else in the world. Fear and hatred are deadly first cousins, born of prejudice. Both can rot a body from the inside out. We need some serious conversations and dialogue, or as some folks used to say, "we are in a world of trouble." DEM 2016 Convention Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-NY, speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya) PHILADELPHIA - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo cast the 2016 presidential election as a battle for the "soul of America" and Thursday night offered his state as proof that progressive government can work for the nation. In a speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Cuomo said Republican nominee Donald Trump is using fear and anxiety to drive his campaign. "Their message comes down to this: Be afraid of people who are different - religions, color, language," Cuomo said. "Stop immigration and they believe the nation will automatically rise." He added, "It's not right, it's divisive, it's delusional, and we must expose the truth." As the governor spoke in a booming voice that echoed across the Wells Fargo Center, members of the New York delegation stood on the convention floor, cheering and waving "Hillary" signs. Cuomo delivered his convention address 34 years after his father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, gave his famed keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. The speech helped define liberalism for decades. At the beginning of his speech, Cuomo acknowledged his father, who died last year. He said the 1984 election was essentially about different political philosophies between the candidates. But this November is not about "which person or party wins or loses - at stake is the very soul of America," Cuomo said. The governor, calling New York proof that progressive government works, encouraged Democrats to hold up the state as a model in the presidential election of what's possible with Hillary Clinton and Democrats in control of the White House and Congress. "We raised the minimum wage to $15 because we insist on economic justice," Cuomo said, at the start of a list of his achievements as governor. He noted that New York enacted paid family leave, worked with organized labor, banned fracking, outlawed assault weapons, and legalized same-sex marriage. "Progressive government works, and we proved it," Cuomo said. "And we did it together without leaving anyone out or anyone behind." Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 518.jpg New York state's area codes. (New York State Public Service Commission) COLONIE, N.Y. -- The days of the 518 area code blanketing the Upstate New York region from the Catskills to Canada and from the eastern Mohawk Valley to the Vermont border are coming to a close. A public hearing in Colonie's Town Hall on Thursday allowed residents to ask questions and submit public comment as the state considers how to proceed when all possible phone numbers with a 518 heading are exhausted. The Department of Public Service predicts the supply will be depleted by the first quarter of 2019. In one solution, existing numbers would not be affected, while new numbers would receive a separate area code. In another, the geographic region would be divided into two areas, and all numbers in one of those areas would be assigned the new area code. About 25 people attended Thursday's event. Those who submitted public comment favored the "overlay" method, in which no existing numbers would change. Proponents called it less intrusive for residents and businesses, which would not need to alter marketing. Several people criticized the placement of the geographic line that would split the region into two. The city of Schenectady and Saratoga Springs fall above the line, which cuts through Albany County. The city of Albany and Troy are below. The region that would retain the 518 area code would be determined after the decision on whether to split the region is made. Ronald Galinski, 69, of Latham prefers the overlay. His niece, who lives in Amsterdam, would fall in a different region with the split, and he said he would prefer that they remain in the same area code. "Everything would remain the same in our little world," said Galinski, who is retired. "At my age," he added after the event, "I don't really like change." "It's going to be a pain in the neck either way," said Nancy Benedict, 70, after the information session. 518 is one of 18 area codes in the state, and it is the last of the state's five original codes to retain its original boundaries, DPS assistant counsel Graham Jesmer said Thursday. Either solution, Jesmer said, would last about 49 years. The North America Numbering Plan Administrator, which manages U.S. and Canadian phone numbers, recommended the overlay plan, and DPS staff endorsed that recommendation. Four New York area code changes since 2001 have used the overlay method. It's more than just three digits to many Capital Region residents. A brand of sorts, the 518 area code has helped name multiple magazines and restaurants in the region. Some dub May 18 "518 day." At least one area tattoo parlor - the Dead Presidents Lounge on South Allen Street - has inked "518" on proud residents' hands, legs and arms. ("Five or six years ago," manager Jen Ireland said, "everyone was getting it done.") -- Lindsay Ellis, Times Union, Albany, N.Y. SHARE FRIDAY'S SPECIAL EVENTS Fitness Boot Camp: 6 a.m. July 19-Aug. 11. Tues. & Thurs. Sebastian Karate a Fitness & Self Defense Center, 13248 U.S. 1, Sebastian. Ages: 17+. $100. Register: 772-538-1753. Cat Adoption Event: July 23-Aug. 7. Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, 6230 77th St., Vero Beach. Ages: 18+. 772-388-3331. Friends of the Library Used Book Depot: 4 for $1 fiction sale continues, Christmas in July featured. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 25-30. 1670 14th Ave., Vero Beach. 772-562-0043. Caladiums & Cow Pies!: 24th Caladium Festival & lunch at Cow Pies Country Store in Lake Placid. 8 a.m. July 29. IHOP Restaurant, State Road 60 West, Vero Beach. Ages: 12+. $90. Register: 772-569-8372; www.daytrippintours.com. Adult Dance Masterclasses at Riverside Theatre: Intermediate classes with professional dancers from the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. 10-11:30 a.m. July 29, Aug. 5. $50 both classes/$30 for one class. Riverside Children's Theatre: 772-234-8052. Adult Dance Masterclasses at Riverside Theatre: Advanced classes with professional dancers from the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. July 29, Aug. 5. $50 both classes/$30 for one class. Riverside Children's Theatre: 772-234-8052. Paleo Discoveries: 10:30 a.m. July 29. IRC Main Library, 1600 21st Street, Vero Beach. 772-538-7558; www.irclibrary.org. American Women Love TRUMP: Dinner/film/meeting. To support Donald Trump's Candidacy for President. 6 p.m. July 29. The Plaza, 884 17th St., Vero Beach. $15 per person. Reservation: 772-234-3883; AWLTRUMP@aol.com. Wanda's Karaoke: 7-11 p.m. July 29. Vero Beach Veterans Club, 2500 15th Ave, Vero Beach. 772-778-1299; verobeachveterans.com. Vero Beach Pirate Festival: July 29, 30, 31. Among the Oaks at Riverside Park, Vero Beach. Christian movie Do You Believe: 7 p.m. July 29. First Baptist Church of Wabasso, 4720 86th St., Wabasso. 772-589-5256; firstbaptistwabasso.org. FRIDAY'S RECURRING EVENTS CHILDREN/TEENS Story Time: 1:30 p.m. Brackett Library, 6155 College Lane, Vero Beach. Ages: 2-5 years old. 772-226-3080; www.irclibrary.org. CLUBS Indian River Model Sailing Club: Remote control model sailboat racing. 1-3 p.m. Hobart Lake, 77th St., between 58th Ave. and Dixie Highway, Vero Beach. 772-581-8300. EXERCISE/HEALTH AM Yoga: Balance, Toning, Flexibility, Focus, Stress Relief, Relaxation, Meditation, Refreshing, Strength-Building. 10:30 a.m. IRC Main Library, 1600 21st St., Vero Beach. Adults 16+. Donation. 772-770-5060 ext. 4121; mgoodman@irclibrary.org. The Cloudwalker Place: Breathing and Movements to stretch and massage the body. 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The Cloudwalker Place, 703 17th St., Vero Beach. All ages. $10 per class. 772-217-2887; www.thecloudwalker.com. Lymphedema Therapy Consultations: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Advanced Motion Therapeutic, 2965 20th St., Vero Beach. Reservation: 772-567-8585; Info@amtvero.com. Massage Therapy Consultation: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Advanced Motion Therapeutic, 2965 20th St., Vero Beach. Reservation: 772-567-8585; Info@amtvero.com. Senior Strength Training: Group class using basic strength building exercises. 7:30 a.m., 8:40 a.m. Leisure Square, 3705 16th St., Vero Beach. Ages: 50+. $5. Reservation: 772-321-6003; jasfitness.com. Water Aerobics: Water workout in the pool. Aerobics, resistance and flexibility. 10 a.m. Leisure Square, 3705 16th St., Vero Beach. $5. 772-321-6003; jasfitness.com. GAMES Duplicate Bridge: ACBL stratified duplicate bridge games. 1 p.m. First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian, 1405 Louisiana Ave., Sebastian. $6. 772-581-0539; jcalley620@comcast.net. Duplicate Bridge Game: ACBL Sanctioned 0-299 Pairs Game and Student game. 9 a.m. Vero Beach Bridge Center, 1520 14th Ave., Vero Beach. $7-$9. 772-562-3008; verobridge.com. Duplicate Bridge: ACBL Sanctioned Duplicate Bridge Stratified Open game. 1 p.m. Vero Beach Bridge Center, 1520 14th Ave., Vero Beach. $7-$9. 772-562-3008; verobridge.com. Jackpot Bingo: 11 a.m. Sebastian Eagles Aerie 4067, 9606 Trade Center Drive, Sebastian. Adult. $1 per card. 772-589-6573; empresslp234@gmail.com. MEALS Dinner Dance: 6:30 p.m. Italian American Club, 1600 25th St., Vero Beach. Open to the public. $15. Reservation: 772-778-1522; barbara270@bellsouth.net. Friday Eve with Hamburgers and/or Fish: 6 p.m. Vero Beach Veterans Club, 2500 15th Ave., Vero Beach. 772-778-1299; verobeachveterns.com. NATURE Adventure Kayaking: Naturalist guided kayak/paddleboard tour on the Indian River Lagoon. 9 a.m.-noon, every day. Round Island Park, South Highway A1A, Vero Beach. $50 adult, $25 child. Reservation: 772-567-0522; paddleflorida.com. Motorized Kayak Adventures: A relaxing evening on the lagoon in a motorized kayak. 1 hour before sunset, Daily. Round Island Park, 2201 Highway A1A, Vero Beach. All ages. $35. Reservation: 772-380-6815; www.motorizedkayakadventures.com. Tours through the Mangrove Forests: Motorized Kayak Adventures. Varies based on tides, daily. Stan Blum Boat Launch, 613 North Causeway Drive, Fort Pierce. $48-60; Group discounts offered. Reservation: 772-380-6815; motorizedkayakadventures.com. OTHER Debbie Brown Murphy: Entertainer. 5-8:30 p.m. C.J. Cannon's, 3414 Cherokee Drive, Vero Beach. Karaoke with Wanda Johnson: 7-11 p.m. Vero Beach Veterans Club, 2500 15th Ave., Vero Beach. 772-778-1299; verobeachveterans.com. LaPorte Farms: Self guided tours, pony rides. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. daily. LaPorte Farms, 7700 129th St., Sebastian. Donations. 772-633-0813; laportefarms1@aol.com. Sebastian Eagles Aerie: Live music. 6:30-9 p.m. Sebastian Eagles Aerie 4067, 9606 Trade Center Drive, Sebastian. 772-589-6573. SATURDAY'S SPECIAL EVENTS Saving & Organizing Your iPhone Photos Class: 9:30-11:30 a.m. July 30. Island Images Studio, 2036 14th Ave., Suite 101, Vero Beach. $42-$50. Register: 772-231-3515; www.refreshfotos.com. Pirate Art Festival: Pirate Art Show. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 30. Royal Palm Point, 2 Royal Palm Point, Vero Beach. Christmas in July at Vero Beach Veterans: 6 p.m. July 30. Vero Beach Veterans Club, 2500 15th Ave., Vero Beach. Adults. Call for price of dinner. Reservation: 772-778-1299; verobeachveterans.com. SATURDAY'S RECURRING EVENTS ARTS KidZ Artshop: Gallery tour with studio art activity. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Vero Beach Museum Of Art, 3001 Riverside Park Drive, Vero Beach. Ages: 4-11. 772-231-0707; www.verobeachmuseum.org. CHILDREN/TEENS Karate and Qigong for Children: Japanese Go-Ju Karate and Chinese Qigong and Kung fu. Noon. The Cloudwalker Place, 703 17th St., Vero Beach. Ages: 5-15 years old. $80 per month, Scholarships available. 772-217-2887; www.thecloudwalker.com. EXERCISE/HEALTH Martial Arts for Executives: Japanese and Chinese internal arts training for therapeutic benefits. Noon. The Cloudwalker Place, 703 17th St., Vero Beach. Ages: 15+. $90 per month. 772-217-2887; www.thecloudwalker.com. Pickleball University Open Play: 8:30 a.m. Pocahontas Park, 2140 14th Ave, Vero Beach. All ages and Levels. $2/annual membership $24. 772-50-15685; vbpickle@gmail.com Facebook: Pickleball University. Pilates Reformer Group Class: Reform your body, strengthen your core. Joseph Pilates Techniques. 9 a.m. The Club at Spine and Sport, 1345 36th Street, Vero Beach. Adults. $90 for 6 weeks. Reservation: 772-559-0866; namaste5@yahoo.com. Qigong Self Healing Class with Joane: Spend one hour practicing highly beneficial health enhancing techniques. 10:30 a.m. The Club at Spine and Sport Institute, 1345 36th St., Vero Beach. All ages. $9-$12. Reservation: 772-559-0866; namaste5@yahoo.com. GAMES Triple Play: Noon. Senior Activity Center of Sebastian, 1255 Main St., Sebastian. Ages: 50+. $1. sebastianseniors.org. NATURE Adventure Kayaking: Naturalist guided kayak/paddleboard tour on the Indian River Lagoon. 9 a.m.-noon, every day. Round Island Park, South Highway A1A, Vero Beach. $50 adult, $25 child. Reservation: 772-567-0522; paddleflorida.com. Canoe Trip on the Lagoon: Guided canoe excursion on the Lagoon. 9-11:30 a.m. Environmental Learning Center, 255 Live Oak Drive, Vero Beach. Ages: 8+. $7-$15. Reservation: 772-589-5050; DiscoverELC.org. Evenings on the Lagoon Motorized Kayak Eco Tours: Motorized Kayak Adventures. Every Day 1 hour before sunset. Round Island Riverside Park, 2200 South Highway A1A, South Vero Beach. One hour before sunset, every evening. $35 per seat. Reservation: 772-380-6815; motorizedkayakadventures.com. Tours through the Mangrove Forests: Motorized Kayak Adventures. Varies based on tides, daily. Stan Blum Boat Launch, 613 North Causeway Drive, Fort Pierce. $48-60; Group discounts offered. Reservation: 772-380-6815; motorizedkayakadventures.com. OTHER Bobby and the Blisters: 8-11 p.m. June 11. Osceola Bistro, 2045 13th Ave, Vero Beach. Reservation: 772-569-1299; osceolabistro.com. Dog Obedience Training: Registration required with instructor Shelly Ferger. 9 a.m. Dogs For Life, Inc. Off-Leash Dog Park, 1230 16th Avenue, Vero Beach. Ages: 7 months+. $120. Reservation: 772-567-8969; dogsforlifevb@bellsouth.net. LOOKING AHEAD Sons of the American Legion Sunday Breakfast: 8-11 a.m. July 31. Post 189, 807 Louisiana Ave., Sebastian. $2-$5. Sunday Breakfast: 8-11 a.m. July 31. American Legion Post, 807 Louisiana Ave., Sebastian. $2-$5. Salsquad189@gmail.com. AUGUST Hair Cuttery Back-to-School Share-A-Haircut Program: HC will donate haircuts to a child in need. 9 a.m. Aug. 1-15. All Hair Cuttery locations, 12th St. Plaza, Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 1. VNA Hidden Treasures Vero, 656 21st, Vero Beach. Family Dog Manners: Learn to train your dog to be a great companion. 6:30 p.m. Aug. 1. Humane Society of Vero Beach, 6230 77th St., Vero Beach. $75. Register: 772-978-7863; www.hsvb.org. Bankruptcy and Fair Debt Collections Know Your Rights: Clinics on Bankruptcy and Fair Debt Collections. 2:30 p.m. Aug. 1, Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 7, Dec. 5. Indian River Courthouse, Jury Assembly Room, 2000 16th Avenue, Vero Beach. Register: 772-466-4766; www.FRLS.org. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 8:30-10 a.m. Aug. 2. Gifford Youth Activity Center, 4875 43rd, Vero Beach. Exchange Club of Vero Beach: Noon Aug. 2. C.J. Cannons Restaurant, 3414 Cherokee Drive, Vero Beach. $12. RSVP: 772-713-9004; www.exchangeclubofverobeach.org. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Aug. 3. VNA Hidden Treasures Sebastian, 11646 U.S. 1, Sebastian. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: Noon-2 p.m. Aug. 3. North Indian River County Library, 1001 Sebastian Blvd., Sebastian. Feisty Fido: Instructor approval required to help your socially challenged dog. 5:30 p.m. Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24. Humane Society of Vero Beach, 6230 77th St., Vero Beach. $75. Register: 772-978-7863; www.bestbehaviordogtraining.org. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: 9-11 a.m. Aug. 4. VNA Hidden Treasures Vero, 656 21st, Vero Beach. Jim Sawgrass: 10:30 a.m. Aug. 4. North IRC Library, 1001 Sebastian Blvd., Sebastian. 772-589-1355; www.irclibrary.org. Mulligan's 12 Weeks of Summer: 10% of the evening's proceeds go to Dogs For Life. 5-8 p.m. Aug. 4. Mulligan's Beach House Bar & Grill, 1025 Beachland Blvd., Vero Beach. www.dogsforlifevb.org. Mr. Harley: 10:30 a.m. Aug. 5. IRC Main Library, 1600 21st Street, Vero Beach. 772-538-7558; www.irclibrary.org. The Well Armed Women Indian River County Chapter: Grand Opening. 1st Meeting National Organization of The Well Armed Women IRC. 9 a.m. Aug. 6. Indian River County Shooting Range, 10455 102nd Terrace, Sebastian. Ages: 21+. RSVP: 772-473-1800; www.twawshootingchapters.org. RT Star's Back To School Party: A free community event at Riverside Theatre. 10 a.m. Aug. 6. Riverside Theatre, 3250 Riverside Park Drive, Vero Beach. 772-231-6990; www.riversidetheatre.com. Back to School Physicals, Immunizations Backpack Brigade: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 6. Whole Family Health Center, 981 37th Place, Vero Beach. 772-257-5785. One Pulse Extravaganza: Benefits the One Pulse Fund; live music from Collins and Company, DJ music, a cash bar. 7-11 p.m. Aug. 6. Heritage Center, 2140 14th Ave., Vero Beach. $20. 772-713-5520. Theatre-Go-Round Dinner Theatre: "From Sea to Shining Sea". 4:30 p.m. Aug. 7, 21, Sept. 18. Quilted Giraffe Restaurant, 500 South U.S. 1, Vero Beach. Reservation: 772-252-9341; theatregorounddinnertheatre.com. Think Pink Art Show and Raffle Event: Benefits Treasure Coast 'Friends in Pink'. 5-8 p.m. Aug. 7. Gallery 14, 1911 14th Ave., Vero Beach. 772-562-5525; www.gallery14verobeach.com. Video Bible Study: Do You Believe. 6 p.m. Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28. First Baptist Church of Wabasso, 4720 86th St., Wabasso. 772-589-5256; firstbaptistwabasso.org. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: 11 a.m.-noon Aug. 8. Harvest Food, 1360 28th, Vero Beach. Friends After Diagnosis: Speaker: Allison Snowden acupuncture, integrative medicine for breast cancer survivors. 2 p.m. Aug. 8. First Presbyterian Church, 520 Royal Palm Blvd., Vero Beach. 772-978-9392; www.FriendsAfterDiagnosis.com. American Legion Auxiliary Quarter Auction: 6 p.m. Aug. 8. American Legion, 807 Louisiana Ave., Sebastian. Ages: 18+. 772-882-7352; avondaisy44@aol.com. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-11 a.m. Aug. 9. VNA Hidden Treasures, 656 21st St., Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 10-11:30 a.m. Aug. 9. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop, 5480 85th, Wabasso. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-10:30 a.m. Aug. 10. VNA Hidden Treasures Sebastian, 11646 U.S. 1, Sebastian. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Aug. 11. VNA Hidden Treasures Vero, 656 21st, Vero Beach. Transcendental Meditation: Introductory presentation on the Transcendental Meditation technique all questions answered. 7 p.m. Aug. 12. The Center for Spiritual Care, 1550 24th St., Vero Beach. 772-480-0047; www.tm.org. V.B.E. PTA Indoor Sale: 8 a.m.-noon Aug. 13. Cafeteria, 1770 12th St., Vero Beach. Rent a table $15 call 564-4611. RSVP: 772-564-4611; james.batory@indianriverschools.org. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-10 a.m. Aug. 15. River Park Place, 700 3rd Circle, Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 15. VNA Hidden Treasures Vero, 656 21st, Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 8:30-9:30 a.m. Aug. 16. Christi's Family Fitness, 1250 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-10:30 a.m. Aug. 17. VNA Hidden Treasures Sebastian, 11646 U.S. 1, Sebastian. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Aug. 17. Second Chance Thrift Store & Training Center, 490 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 8:30-10 a.m. Aug. 18. Gifford Youth Activity Center, 4875 43rd, Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-11 a.m. Aug. 18. VNA Hidden Treasures, 656 21st St., Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: Noon-1 p.m. Aug. 18. South Mainland Library, 7921 Ron Beatty Blvd., Sebastian. VNA Blood Pressure Screenings: Noon-1 p.m. Aug. 18. Our Father's Table Soup Kitchen 4221 28th, Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-11 a.m. Aug. 19. VNA Hidden Treasures Sebastian, 11646 U.S. 1, Sebastian. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-10 a.m. Aug. 20. Allen AME Church, 6425 85th St., Wabasso. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 8:30-10 a.m. Aug. 20. Sebastian Gym & Fitness, 345 Sebastian Blvd., Sebastian. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-10:30 a.m. Aug. 22. VNA Hidden Treasures, 656 21st St., Vero Beach. Candidate Forum: August Primary election for School Board and County Commission races. 6 p.m. Aug. 22. Heritage Center, 14th Ave., Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-11 a.m. Aug. 24. VNA Hidden Treasures, 656 21st St., Vero Beach. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 9-11 a.m. VNA Hidden Treasures Sebastian, 11646 U.S. 1, Sebastian. School Supply Drive for Feed the Lambs: Bring supplies to August Vero Beach Christian Business Association luncheon. 11:30 a.m. Aug. 25. The Plaza, 884 17th St., Vero Beach. www.vbcba.org. VNA Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings: 8:45-9:45 a.m. Aug. 28.St. Elizabeth Episcopal Church, 901 Clearmont St., Sebastian. SHARE Derick Wood Darrell Barton Jr. By Lamaur Stancil of TCPalm PORT ST. LUCIE A pair of felons one with a history of committing fraud across the Treasure Coast were charged with ripping off an 89-year-old man of $20,600, the Port St. Lucie Police Department said. Darrell Barton Jr., 33, of the 2300 block of Southeast Pinero Road, Port St. Lucie, and his cousin, Derick Wood, 26, of the 2100 block of South Third Street, Fort Pierce, were charged with organized fraud, theft from a person 65 years old or older and violating a county contract ordinance. They each posted bail Thursday at the St. Lucie County Jail. Barton served nine months in prison last year for grand theft and organized fraud convictions in all three Treasure Coast counties, according to the Department of Corrections. His cousin also was released from prison recently. Wood served three years and six months for drug charges before he was released in April, corrections officials said. Earlier this month, a senior citizen in the 1500 block of Southeast Cutorro Avenue filed a complaint with police about the cousins. They were hired to do roof repairs and mold inspections at the home, but the son of the homeowner determined the cousins didn't have licenses for that type of work, according to the affidavits. Wood has a license for pressure cleaning, police said. Barton and Wood were paid $20,600 by the homeowner, police said. However, Port St. Lucie building officials inspected the home and determined no roof repairs had been beyond slapping a strip of duct tape across some shingles, the affidavit states. The pair also damaged some shingles while they were there, the building inspector said. Dan Hussan listens to the testimony of one of his accusers Tuesday at the St. Lucie County Courthouse in Fort Pierce. Hussan is accused on inappropriately touching several female students while he was an English teacher at Fort Pierce Westwood High School in 2014. (MOLLY BARTELS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) SHARE By Paul Ivice, Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers FORT PIERCE In the wake of a guilty verdict late Thursday against a Fort Pierce Westwood High School English teacher who molested freshman girls in his classes, the attorney for one of the eight victims is asking to expand the lawsuit she filed in March 2015 on behalf of the girl. Alleging the St. Lucie County School Board deliberately hid an investigation into Dan Hussan, 70, of Vero Beach, to avoid bad publicity, Stuart attorney Gloria Seidule filed a motion Friday morning seeking permission to add additional counts to the lawsuit. The new counts add allegations under federal law against St. Lucie County Public Schools claiming the district deliberately covered up known sexual abuse in violation of students' constitutional rights, Seidule said. The School Board also is accused of violating federal law by "allowing a culture of sexually inappropriate conduct by teachers, cover-ups and tolerance of sexual misconduct within the St. Lucie County School Board System," according to the amended lawsuit. Kerry Padrick, chief communications officer for the school district, said in an email: "At no time did the School District or any School District employee 'brush under the rug' the investigation of allegations against Mr. Hussan. Those outrageous allegations by Ms. Seidule are unequivocally denied." In a news release, Seidule said the federal counts allege the school district "knew as early as 2011 that Hussan was sexually abusing girls in his classroom, yet did nothing to prevent him from gaining access to more students, and deliberately buried the allegations and allowed the teacher back into the classroom." She further alleges the school district was deliberately indifferent to repeated reports starting in 2011 by numerous children of sexual abuse by Hussan. Hussan was allowed back into the classroom with little or no supervision where, three years later, he began sexually abusing girls again, the lawsuit alleges. Only after Hussan was arrested in March 2104 did the School Board suspend him from further contact with students, the lawsuit says. The School Board was "deliberately conducting inadequate investigations into reports of sexual abuse, ignoring proven sexual favoritism in grading, and deliberately failing to follow written School Board Policies and Procedures and Florida law by failing to report allegations of Hussan's abuse to police and the Department of Children and Families," Seidule said. It's unclear when a judge may approve Seidule's request to amend her complaint. Treasure Coast Newspapers customarily does not name juveniles who are victims of crimes. SHARE By Nicholas Samuel of TCPalm ST. LUCIE COUNTY Deputies are searching for a stolen Caterpillar track hoe, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. The excavator was last seen on July 24 in the 1800 block of Panther Lane in Fort Pierce. It has a Precision Paving & Excavation Inc. logo on it and has a piece of metal welded over the teeth of the scoop bucket, according to the Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information on the stolen track hoe should call Detective Santiago Martinez at 772-462-7300. Jensen Beach High School SHARE By Andrew Atterbury of TCPalm MARTIN COUNTY A federal appeals court sided with the Martin County School District on Thursday against a group of former Jensen Beach High School students who believed their constitutional rights were infringed when authorities held them out of their prom to administer Breathalyzer tests. The court did, however, agree the 38 students who took and passed the tests in May 2014 should not have been detained as a group while each individual was tested. Twelve plaintiffs originally filed a lawsuit in the Southern District Court of Florida alleging the students' First, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights were violated by the School District and Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, according to court documents. They lost the case in March 2015 and nine students appealed to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, which on Thursday ruled in favor of the defendants. Court documents show those nine students were among 37 to 40 students who arrived to prom at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center on a party bus at 10:15 p.m. 15 minutes after the cutoff time for student admission. They were promptly told by school officials the bus would be searched after it was authorized by the bus driver. Authorities found an empty Champagne bottle and 12 plastic cups, which the students claimed were in the bus before they boarded, according to court documents. School officials then told students they were not permitted to enter the prom until passing a Breathalyzer test. Because of a shortage of Breathalyzer mouthpieces, school officials didn't finish testing students until five minutes before prom ended. The appellants argued the bus should not have been searched, they should not have been detained and students who were heard cursing during the ordeal should not have been punished by school officials. The court disagreed, citing school rules and a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol and cursing at the prom, which students signed. Regarding the bus search, the court upheld that search and seizure rights are different for schools, and a warrant or probable cause is unnecessary in these instances. The court agreed, however, that when a student is exonerated by a test with an immediate result, the student can no longer be detained after passing. Superintendent Laurie Gaylord said the district is pleased with the outcome. "The safety of our students is and continues to be of paramount importance on our school campuses and at school-sponsored events," Gaylord said. A Florida delegate observes during the invocation on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher) SHARE By Michael Collins, USA TODAY PHILADELPHIA Hillary Clinton isn't the only woman making history at this week's Democratic National Convention. Monica DePaul, a Bernie Sanders delegate from Jacksonville, is Florida's first transgender delegate and one of a record-setting two dozen attending from all over the country. An English teacher at the University of North Florida, DePaul, 29, began her male-to-female transition four years ago. Her gender hasn't been an issue during the four-day convention, she said. But had the gathering been held in North Carolina or other states with "religious freedom" laws, she could have been denied service at a hotel or restaurant or even the right to use the women's bathroom. In Philadelphia, "they see me in a bathroom, and they don't bat an eye," DePaul said. "It's no big deal." FORMER CHAIRMEN DROP IN A pair of former Democratic National Committee chairmen swung by the Florida delegation's breakfast at the Democratic National Convention Thursday morning to talk about the presidential race and Sunshine State politics. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who chaired the national party from 2001 to 2005, applauded Hillary Clinton for becoming the first woman to receive a major party's nomination for president. "It is time for a woman," he said. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who led the party from 2005 to 2009, poked fun at Florida Gov. Rick Scott for becoming national chairman of Rebuilding America Now, a super PAC working on behalf of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. "That's about right," he said. "Donald Trump is a Neanderthal nincompoop, and so is Rick Scott. Donald Trump is a guy who's made a lot of money at everybody else's expense, and so is Rick Scott. A pretty good match, I would say." WIN FLORIDA, WIN THE WHITE HOUSE It's probably obvious, former Attorney General Eric Holder told Florida delegates Thursday, but it still needs to be said: If Hillary Clinton wins Florida, she will win the White House. "If we win Florida, it's hard to see how the dynamics work for the other side," he said. "But you should also understand that the possibility exists that come January 2017, Hillary might not be president if we don't work hard, if we don't mobilize in the ways we have to." Holder, who stepped down last year after six years as attorney general under President Barack Obama, urged the delegates to go back home and educate voters on how to register, where they can vote, and what kind of identification they will need to vote. Residents wear masks as they watch U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy take algae samples from Central Marine on July 10 in Stuart. (MOLLY BARTELS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. With good reason. On the heels of our toxic summer, Green '16, comes a rule change by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that may result in even more poisons in our waterways. Last week the Florida Environmental Regulatory Commission signed off on new DEP standards for surface water pollutants which, agency officials insist, will better safeguard our health. Call it better living through chemistry. Poll: Do you think Florida's new water standards will increase cancer risks? For example, DEP points out it will nearly double the amount of toxic chemicals it regulates. That's good, although in some cases the amount Florida will allow exceeds what the federal Environmental Protection Agency recommends. Still, on balance, comparably lax standards are probably better than no standards at all. But if you look at the other 43 chemical compounds that are already regulated and now have new standards, you see funny things. Take benzene. Benzene is used to make plastics, resins, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents and pesticides. It's also found in fracking fluid. The federal Department of Health and Human Services says it can cause leukemia. So you want to be careful; and the new DEP rules limit benzene to 2 parts per billion, or ppb. But the federal Environmental Protection Agency's standard is 1.14 ppb. And previously, Florida's standard was 1.18 ppb. In other words, we are going to allow nearly twice as much benzene in the water (and it could have been worse; DEP originally wanted 3 ppb) and this will make you healthier. DEP officials said the science regarding benzene has changed in recent years, which means higher limits are just fine. But the fact is, as reported by my colleague Jeff Burlew at the Tallahassee Democrat, standards will be loosened for nearly half of the compounds the DEP already regulates. Things get even more interesting and here I use that term loosely when you consider that the DEP used a one-of-a-kind scientific method to determine "safe" levels of toxins. No other state, nor the federal government, uses this method, which is nicknamed I'm not kidding "Monte Carlo." Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen. Both "Monte Carlo" and the method used by every other state and the EPA which for the sake of expediency we'll call the "normal" or "sane" method take a variety of factors into account, including fish consumption. So, surely DEP would use conservative (read: high) estimates of fish consumption, given the prevalence of fishing around here. Except critics accuse the agency of lowballing estimates for fish consumption. You're shocked, I know. But let's be honest. Do we really think Florida is rolling the dice with "Monte Carlo" because it's better than the way every other state and the federal government analyzes water quality? Are we here in Florida just so scientifically superior, so much more concerned about human health than officials in, say, North Carolina or Idaho? Or did we perhaps do it for another reason? "The dozens of chemicals are among those released by oil and gas drilling companies (including fracking operations), dry cleaning companies, pulp and paper producers, wastewater treatment plants and agriculture," wrote Mary Ellen Klas in the Tampa Bay Times. "Many of these industries have come out in support of the new rule." So file this under "distressing but not surprising, especially in Florida." U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and several other members of Florida's Democratic congressional delegation have sent a letter to the EPA, which now must sign off on the new standards, asking for scrutiny and a "more appropriate public comment period." Interestingly, they didn't ask the EPA to reject it outright. And state officials say they've already been assured the feds will sign off on the new rules. So when it comes to chemicals, more will be better. We hope. But take solace, anyway, in the fact that this is undoubtedly going to help Gov. Rick Scott create even more jobs. In cancer wards. Indian River County property appraiser candidates Wesley Davis (left) and David Nolte. (FILE PHOTOS) Will Wesley Davis follow in the footsteps of folks such as Ken Pruitt, Charles Sembler, Stan Mayfield, Gary Wheeler, Joe Smith and Chris Craft? These six men parlayed name recognition and public service into one of the five most powerful and well-paid elected positions in their county. They did so without working in these offices before. All but Mayfield, who died before he could take office, dramatically increased their state-paid pensions. Davis, 46, who has spent 18 years on the Indian River County Commission and School Board, faces eight-term incumbent David Nolte, 73, in the Aug. 30 election for Indian River County property appraiser. The race is an opportunity to question how we select the five executive county constitutional officers: property appraiser, tax collector, elections supervisor, clerk of court and sheriff. In my world, each office would have qualified employees prepared to lead when the incumbent assuming he is doing a good job steps down. Leslie Swan, supervisor of elections, and Jeff Smith, clerk of court, had such experience and are doing well. When there's no clear successor or when the incumbent needs to be replaced, as Davis says of Nolte professionally credentialed members of our community, preferably with a college degree, ought to run. That's what often happens in our sheriff's office, but not always. In 1992, Wheeler, a two-term county commissioner who owned a doughnut shop, was elected sheriff. He had limited law enforcement experience. Longtime politicians, though, have great incentive to become constitutional officers. For starters, they can make up to $131,000 a year, more than doubling or tripling the generous public salaries they make representing us in part-time jobs. In 2000 at age 35, Sembler was elected tax collector after four years as Sebastian Inlet Tax District commissioner and eight years as state representative. For months in 2008, Sembler dodged this newspaper's questions about his re-election plans. Two days before the qualifying deadline after seeing his pension benefits increase almost eightfold he said he wouldn't run again. Stan Mayfield, a former school board member and the state representative who succeeded Sembler, waltzed into the tax collector race on the final day of qualifying. Mayfield was elected, but died before taking office. Carole Jean Jordan, second in the race, was selected to replace him. Then there's Pruitt, who represented Indian River County and the Treasure Coast as Florida Senate president. For almost two decades, he made friends around the region, bringing home hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2010 he was elected property appraiser in St. Lucie County. By serving just six years as property appraiser before opting not to run this year, Pruitt increased his pension fivefold to almost $100,000 a year for life. Jobs such as property appraiser are supposed to be full time. The only oversight, however, comes from voters. From 2010 to 2014, Pruitt earned $2.5 million moonlighting as a lobbyist for special interests, including the sugar industry. St. Lucie County also elected Joe Smith and Chris Craft as clerk of court and tax collector, respectively, after they served as county commissioners. As for Indian River County Commissioner Davis, he makes $58,995 on top of his regular job as a real estate auctioneer. If he beats Nolte, his government job would pay at least $121,991. If Davis is not elected again, his pension for life would be $31,159, plus annual cost-of-living adjustments. If he wins and completes two, four-year terms, his pension would be about $100,000 for life. But money is not the motivating factor, Davis said. "After 18 years of part-time service, I decided to choose a career path for which I am qualified," he said in an email. "As a real estate auctioneer, my profession has required me to assess real estate and personal property values in the real world and I offer a common-sense approach to mass appraisals, and management of the appraiser's office staff. A great staff has been assembled, but it's time to push the office into the future by having a fresh new appraiser heading up the appraiser's office." Davis said he'd give up his auctioneering business to be property appraiser. "I'm not David Nolte, and not Ken Pruitt," Davis said. "I will be a full-time, hardworking, accessible, transparent and professional property appraiser for Indian River County." But one whose first term would give him 22 years as a privileged elected official in the Florida Retirement System, doubling his pension to at least $72, 198. I like Davis, but I'm not a fan of longtime politicians running for constitutional offices. If a change has to be made, I'd rather see folks who have served in the office or have significant executive experience. The way the state pays legislators, school board members, county commissioners and others and gives them pensions is another red flag. There should be no pensions for part-time work. Think about that as you prepare to vote for legislators or constitutional officers. 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. Even though ride-hailing services like Uber and Didi Chuxing have been operating in China for years, their existence has always been a bit of a legal gray area in the country. But a new law has been passed that will formally allow these firms to offer their services starting this November. The companies are requried to follow some rules if they want to keep their legal status; drivers must have three years' experience, no criminal record, and be licensed by local taxi regulators. The new regulations also cover the drivers' vehicles; they must have fewer than 370,000 miles on the odometer, feature alarms and GPS tracking, and have no more than seven seats. Additionally, any user information and data that is collected must be stored within China for at least two years. Bloomberg revealed an early version of the draft last year that would have banned the use of private cars for ride-hailing companies, but this requirement, along with some other stricter rules, were dropped for the final version. Uber said in a statement that it already operates in 60 Chinese cities and plans to expand to 30 more over the coming months. Precisely how the new law is enforced will be up to local cities and provinces. "This is a welcome step in a country that has consistently shown itself to be forward-thinking when it comes to innovation," wrote Zhen Liu, Uber's senior vice president for corporate strategy for its Chinese apparatus. "Uber China is regulation-ready, and we look forward to working with policy makers around the country to put these regulations into practice," he added in a statement. Uber rival Didi Chuxing, which controls over four-fifths of the ride-hailing market in the country, also praised the move. The company told TechCrunch it "welcomes the government's endorsement and encouragement of the industry and China's emerging sharing economy." Tesla boss Elon Musk likes to talk about his Masterplans, ambitions to move the human race to Mars, and belief that we're living in a computer simulated reality, so it's no surprise that he sometimes gets compared to a James Bond villain. Those comparisons now look even more accurate after a sign reading "Top Secret: Project Goldfinger" was spotted inside Tesla's Fremont, California factory. The suspicious notice was discovered by car blog Jalopnik when it visited the site. The publication wasn't allowed to photo the sign, but reported that it was attached to a temporary wall sealing off an area near a stamping section of the factory. Goldfinger is, of course, the title of the seventh Ian Fleming Bond novel that became the third movie adaption of the books in 1964. Mysteriously, neither Tesla's staff nor its spokespeople had any knowledge of what the sign was referring to. When Jalopnik asked Elon Musk about Goldfinger, he simply laughed and dismissed it as "probably a joke," before quickly moving on, which is just what you'd expect a Bond villain to do. Tesla has previously used the title of Bond movies for some of its projects, including "Project Spectre" for the front fascia update of the Model S. And Musk himself is a known Bond fan, having spent $866,000 on the Lotus submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me. Tesla also put a hidden easter egg in the software of the Model S and X that turns the vehicles' internal image into the Lotus sub when the driver is named as "007." Whether Project Goldfinger has some link to the Masterplan part 2, is an as yet unannounced new vehicle, or if it's just where Musk keeps the huge laser he uses to interrogate spies, we don't know. Or it really could just be a joke. Scientists in Germany discovered a new antibiotic right under our noses, literally. And this new antibiotic could kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a dangerous infection-causing bacterium also known as MRSA. Researchers from the University of Tubingen have discovered that the bacteria called Staphylococcus lugdunensis produces the new antibiotic. MRSA commonly infects people in nursing homes, hospitals and other clinical settings, particularly the ones with compromised immune systems. It has evolved to become resistant to antibiotics, including the medicines used in the treatment of staph infections. MRSA infections are known to account for the deaths of approximately 20,000 people every year. For years, researchers have been looking for effective ways on how to kill MRSA. According to University of Tubingen researcher Dr. Bernhard Krismer, there are existing estimates that suggest that in the coming decades, more people could die from antibiotic-resistant bacteria than cancer. For the new study, the researchers analyzed nasal mucus samples from 37 healthy participants and cultured the bacteria with MRSA taken from each sample. Lab tests showed that a compound called lugdunin, which is found in the bacteria Staphylococcus lugdunensis, prevented the MRSA from growing. Using mice subjects, researchers found that the compound was capable of clearing staph infections. They noted the lugdunin was able to penetrate the tissue and act in the skin's deeper layers, which enabled it to clear the infection that is difficult to treat. The team also analyzed mucus samples from 187 patients at a hospital. They found that nearly all 187 samples were populated by one of the two strains of Staphylococcus, but only one of the samples had two of the strains. Findings suggest that this could explain why some people appear to be susceptible to the infection caused by MRSA. While both the lab and mice tests showed great promise for the new compound, researchers said that more studies are needed to confirm if lugdunin could be used in MRSA treatments or preventive measures. "Normally antibiotics are formed only by soil bacteria and fungi. The notion that human microflora may also be a source of antimicrobial agents is a new discovery," said University of Tubingen professor, Andreas Peschel. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studies showed that 33 percent of people have staph in their noses but are typically without illness. About two per 100 people could also be carrying MRSA. The new study was released in the Nature journal on July 28. Photo: Caitlin Regan | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Chinese electronics company Xiaomi that already manufacturers smartphones has launched its first laptop called Mi Notebook Air. Here is a quick comparison of the latest Mi Notebook Air (13-inch) and the Apple MacBook Air (13-inch). Display The MacBook Air (2015) has a 13.3-inch screen with a display resolution of 1,440 x 900 pixels. The Mi Notebook Air has the same screen size as the MacBook Air (2015) but it packs in 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Processor, RAM and Storage The Apple offering has a 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz) processor with 8 GB of RAM. Customers have the option to configure the processor to 2.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz). The Xiaomi laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 dual core processor clocked at up to 2.7 GHz and 8 GB of RAM. The MacBook Air (2015) is available in 128 GB and 256 GB on-board storage, which is configurable to 512 GB. The Mi Notebook Air comes with 256 GB of internal storage option. Battery The Xioami Mi Notebook Air has a 40Whr battery that offers up to 9.5 hours of usage. On the other hand, the MacBook Air (2015) offers up to 12 hours of usage time. "Working together with the power-efficient fifth-generation Intel Core architecture, this battery can post some impressive numbers," says Apple. "Put MacBook Air to sleep for more than 3 hours, and it enters standby mode to conserve battery life for up to 30 days. And if you enable Power Nap, you'll continue to receive new email and calendar invitations while your computer is asleep." Form Factor and Design The Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air weighs 1.28 kilograms, or 2.82 lbs, which makes it slightly heavier than the MacBook Air (2015) that weighs 1.08 kilograms, or 2.38 lbs. Operating System The Mi Notebook Air comes running on Windows 10 operating system and the MacBook Air (2015) runs on Apple's OS X El Capitan. Price The 13-inch Apple laptop has a base price tag of $999, which makes it an expensive option in comparison to the 13-inch Mi Notebook Air that costs 4,999 Yuan, or about $751. The Mi Notebook Pro will be launced in China from Aug. 2. It is likely that the company will also launch the laptop in other parts of the world including the U.S. but Xiaomi has not revealed the price or availability of the Mi Notebook Air outside China. The Mi Notebook Air has impressive specs and the price of the device may still give competition to the MacBook Air (2015). 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Though there is still some room for improvement, robot doctors are becoming a growing trend in the U.S. so much so that experts predict that, in the next five years, one in three surgeries will be performed by them. This charge has been led by U.S. company Intuitive Surgicals' "da Vinci" machines, with the company placing more than 3,600 of its surgical robots in hospitals worldwide. The robots have seen a 16 percent increase in the number of procedures they have been used in compared with last year, and that number is expected to rise even further in the future as they find increased use in India and China. What Is The da Vinci System? Contrary to the autonomous machines that we're used to seeing nowadays, the da Vinci machines are controlled entirely by surgeons in the operating room (there are some instances of such machines performing medical operations, but they aren't as common). To do so, the surgeon sits at a console, which can project 3D and HD images from inside the patient's body, where s/he can watch the procedure and control the robot's four arms. One arm has an endoscope a thin tube with a camera at the end while the other three hold various medical equipment that can be be changed based on the operation and that is completely controlled by the surgeon. Naturally, the surgeon's hand movements translate to movements made by the robot's arms, which can then bend and rotate accordingly. In the end, doctors say that, not only does the robot provide greater precision, but it also helps to reduce fatigue when they have to perform multiple surgeries with little rest. Still Has Room For Improvement Despite da Vinci offering several benefits, and with many American hospitals for cancer treatment, urology, gynecology and gastroenterology already making the plunge, there are still several hurdles the robot must clear before it becomes mainstream. First off, while the robot is indeed designed to alleviate fatigue for doctors who need to perform multiple surgeries with little rest and give them greater precision while in use, some doctors suggest that the machine actually slows operations down. One such doctor is Dr. Helmuth Billy, who, as an early adopter of the da Vinci system 15 years ago, says he rarely uses the machine anymore since equipping the arms with instruments was too labor-intensive. "I like to do five operations a day," Dr. Billy said. "If I have to constantly dock and undock da Vinci, it becomes cumbersome." In a similar vein, there is at least one study that suggests that robotic-assisted surgeries aren't overly advantageous in comparison to traditional surgeries for the patient. Another hurdle is the price. Robotics of this nature are always an expensive affair, and the da Vinci is no different, costing an average of $1.5 million on top of maintenance expenses. Lastly, there are a bunch of features that this machine lacks but that doctors would like to have, such as the ability to feel body tissue remotely, called haptic sensing, and better image quality. Weakness Breeds Competition Thanks to those aforementioned weaknesses, rivals plan to swoop in and potentially overthrow Intuitive Surgicals and da Vinci. For example, Verb Surgical, a venture backed by Johnson & Johnson and Google, is investing around $250 million in its robotics project, saying that creating a faster and user-friendly system is the priority. Meanwhile another rival, Medtronic, has predicted that its own surgical robot will be ready for launch in mid-2018 and has India planned as its first market. Overall, these two newcomers, as well as the likes of others such as TransEnterix and Titan Medical, have the same objective: to produce a new robotic system that is priced low enough to get hospitals and medical centers that have not purchased da Vinci to get their product instead, and convince those who do have a da Vinci to invest in a second machine or switch suppliers. Regardless of advantages and weaknesses, though, the battle among robots for a space at the operating table is only just beginning, and it's believed the amount of surgical robots will more than double by 2021 in the U.S. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For deep space astronauts, flying to the moon and beyond may induce a greater risk of dying from heart disease compared with astronauts in orbit, a new study revealed. The new report, which is the first ever research that delved into the long-term effects of deep space travel, cites the effects of cosmic radiation as the reason for a higher heart health-related mortality rate. Perils Of Deep Space Travel A team of researchers looked into the fate of 42 astronauts from NASA's Apollo and Gemini missions after returning to Earth. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Apollo program had sent nine missions and 24 astronauts beyond Earth's low orbit, with the Apollo 11 being the most prominent lunar expedition. It appears, however, that the missions have taken a toll on the health of astronauts. The rate of cardiovascular-related deaths among Apollo astronauts is about four to five times higher than astronauts from the same period who only went into low-Earth orbit, or even those who never got into orbit at all. This indicates that venturing beyond our planet's protective magnetic field could result in long-term damage to a person's cardiovascular system possibly a consequence of exposure to deep space radiation, researchers say. In fact, scientists assume that exposure to radiation, together with weightlessness, alters the structure of blood vessels in ways that are known to cause heart disease. Among the 35 astronauts who stayed in low-Earth orbit for about 15 days, approximately one in 10 died from cardiovascular diseases. Three of the seven lunar astronauts or 43 percent died from heart-related issues. In a companion study, the team of researchers exposed several lab mice to weightlessness and radiation, and found that the second factor is far more threatening to the cardiovascular system than any other aspect. Weightlessness also did not seem to cause any long-lasting harm to heart health. Why Is The Study Important? These days, private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin are venturing into the prospect of space tourism. NASA is also planning a future manned mission to Mars. Michael Delp, first author and lead scientist of the report, believes that with all of these plans to get into deep space, we only have this one small group of astronauts who have actually done it the Apollo astronauts. "Nobody had ever looked at their long-term health consequences," says Delp. Former NASA astronaut Jeff Hoffman says that when it comes to a lunar or deep space mission, speed might be a crucial factor. He says travelers cannot shield against high-energy radiation in space, especially with current capabilities, but the less time astronauts spend in space, the less they are exposed to radiation. Hoffman adds that checkups are important for astronauts. He says that he goes to NASA every year for a thorough physical examination. If cardiovascular fitness is lacking, NASA can monitor it for the astronaut annually and hopefully reduce the risk of an early death from cardiovascular problems. Details of the new study are published in the journal Scientific Reports. Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Microsoft is gearing up to axe nearly 3,000 jobs by the end of this fiscal year and the layoffs apply to the company's struggling phone business. The fiscal year ends in mid-2017, when 2,850 Microsoft employees involved with phone hardware and sales will get the boot. Microsoft broke the news in its annual report for the fiscal year ended in June 2016, which it filed Thursday, July 28, with regulators. "In addition to the elimination of 1,850 positions that were announced in May 2016, approximately 2,850 roles globally will be reduced during the year as an extension of the earlier plan, and these actions are expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2017," reads the 10-K filing. As a reminder, those 1,850 jobs axed in May were also in the company's smartphone unit as Microsoft ditched Nokia, and followed another 4,500 job cuts as Microsoft sold its feature phone business. The new job cuts follow the departure of Microsoft Chief Operating Officer (COO) Kevin Turner and as part of the reorganization, 900 layoffs have reportedly occurred already in the company's sales unit, the Seattle Times reports. The publication further notes that most people being laid off have already been notified, according to a company spokesperson. If Microsoft holds true to its fiscal year deadline, the rest of the layoffs should be completed by June 2017. The massive layoffs stand to prove that Microsoft's phone business has not been faring all that well, as the company failed to make its Windows Phone OS a true competitor to Apple's iOS or Google's Android, which dominate the market. The latest Windows 10 Mobile brings a number of powerful new features and upgrades over the previous Windows Phone versions, but it remains to be seen whether it will manage to make Microsoft more relevant on the highly competitive smartphone market. Microsoft has not offered any other comment beyond what it disclosed in the annual 10-K filing. Overall, Microsoft's phone hardware business has been somewhat of a sore spot in the company's financials, registering hefty revenue declines over several consecutive quarters, as well as a year-over-year revenue decline. The reorganization might be beneficial for Microsoft's business overall, considering that its cloud business is growing, but only time will tell. All in all, it seems Microsoft is gradually giving up on its dream to be a major smartphone maker, and that may be for the best. We'll keep you up to date as soon as more information becomes available, so stay tuned. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amazon recently announced its third record profit, with almost twice on its profit margins and five quarters in the black in a row. The revenue of the company spiked 31 percent, with a beefy 58 percent coming from the Amazon Web Services sector. The e-vendor, which usually sported razor-thin profit margins, managed to almost double the number, prompting it to make optimistic predictions about the upcoming quarter. After Amazon's earnings call, stock of the company appreciated by 2 percent. "The accelerating revenue growth was a pleasant surprise," says Colin Sebastian, a Robert W. Baird & Co. analyst. He adds that this might create high expectations from stakeholders in the future. The positive results of Amazon land after the company invested massively despite registering quarterly losses. The last time the venture registered five consecutive profitable quarters was in 2012. After that, Amazon redirected most of its revenue back into operations and product development. Opening new warehouses was a key element in assuring faster delivering times for customers. Brian Olsavsky, CFO at Amazon, notes that the company remains faithful to its investment philosophy. He points out that 18 more warehouses are scheduled to be built in the current quarter, which is three times more than last year. One of the most eyed metrics in the earnings call, the operating profit margin, rose to 4.2 percent. This is more than twice as much as the 2 percent from 2015, and a clear signal that Amazon is having a good grip on its costs. Looking at the big numbers, we notice that during the second quarter, Amazon banked $857 million profit. One year earlier, the e-merchandizer and internet service provider scored only $92 million. Sales surged from $23.19 billion to $30.4 billion. One reason for the huge boost was the company's Amazon Web Services cloud computing division, which provides customers with access to computing power over the internet. While in 2015, AWS revenue read $1.82 billion, this year, the service managed to pull $2.89 billion. That arm of Amazon is essential to maintaining investors' faith in the company, as it crafted itself as the best provider of services for large corporations, government agencies and even startups. Amazon polled serious resources to lure large financial institutions and technology firms into using AWS, as rivals from Microsoft and Alphabet are also ramping up their cloud computing business. The e-vendor is preparing to enter harder on the retail market as well. The company scored a higher market value than Wal-Mart in 2015, and it started to deploy its own brick-and-mortar stores around the United States. Amazon also saw the advantages of incentivizing its customers with the $99-per-year Prime unlimited shipping membership. The offer smoothened out the online sales by a long shot, and Amazon decided to upgrade the program. It did so by delivering exclusive video streaming content and music. Also, a select few goods in a number of cities benefit from a one-hour-delivery time frame. The company touted that Prime will soon land in India, a market in which Amazon pledged to invest $5 billion two years ago. The company lets its clients subscribe in a month-by-month offering, which brings both the streaming video service and Prime. Insiders familiar with the matter hint that a music streaming service will be available from Amazon, with monthly based subscriptions. One challenge for the company, if it wants to maintain the growth and profit rates, is managing shipping costs. These expenses surged by 42 percent during the first three months of the year. Previously, shipping costs jumped by 37 percent in the holiday quarter of 2015. According to Amazon's estimation, it spent $3.36 billion in shipping expenses during Q2. The company's attempt to better handle shipping costs means that it must handle the "last mile" of the transport on its own. To make this happen, it purchased 40 planes and branded truck trailers. When looking at the number of new employees, Amazon increased its workforce to 268,900, which is a 9.6 percent jump when compared with Q1. The company is confident that it will rise in both revenue and profits and estimates that Q3 will bring it sales ranging from $31 billion to $33.5 billion. Meanwhile, analysts are gauging the figure at $31.63 billion. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samsung is poised to take the wraps off its much-awaited Galaxy Note 7 on Aug. 2 and now rumors are gathering momentum that the successor to the company's Gear S2 smartwatch could debut at IFA 2016 in September. The news comes courtesy of SamMobile, which does not cite its source of information. The publication also reveals that the Gear S3 smartwatch will boast a svelte rotary bezel, just like the Gear S2. "We can reveal today that the Gear S3 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor and makes use of a rotary bezel, which basically means that Samsung's next smartwatch is round as well," notes the publication, adding that "Samsung is going to unveil the Gear S3 smartwatch at IFA." For the unfamiliar, the IFA is an annual consumer electronics trade event. The 2016 IFA is slated to be held in Berlin, Germany, from Sept. 2 to Sept. 7. In the past, Samsung has launched its popular Galaxy Note smartphones at the trade show. However, with the Galaxy Note 7 poised for an Aug. 2 launch, Samsung could well use the event to promote its popular wearable. Rumors have also been rife that the company is set to unwrap a new tablet from the Galaxy Tab S3 family on Sept. 1. A possibility also exists that Samsung could debut its Gear S3 smartwatch alongside the upcoming tablet. Not much is known about the next-gen Gear S3 smartwatch. However, earlier in June Tech Times reported that Swiss jeweler de Grisogono and Samsung were working on a limited edition of the Gear S3 smartwatch, which would be a Super Luxury variant. The Swiss jeweler has previously partnered with Samsung for a limited-edition Gear S2 and, therefore, a luxury variant of the Gear S3 does not seem improbable. At the time, the leaked drawings of the alleged luxury edition of the Gear S3 showed off a circular smartwatch, which hinted that the next-gen wearable from Samsung, like its predecessor, would boast a round dial. The latest report also hints at a rotary bezel for the Gear S3, which makes the round dial a strong probability. For those wondering what purpose the rotary bezel serves, on the current-gen Gear S2 it can be deployed to navigate through the menu. This is quite handy and enhances the wearable's usability, as one need not rely only on the small touch screen for navigation, which can often be clumsy. The Gear S3 is not expected to get a major overhaul and could tout many features of its predecessor. However, with IFA 2016 not far away, we will have to wait and see what surprises Samsung has in store for fans. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google recently said that its parent company, Alphabet, registered quarterly profits 24 percent higher than last year in the wake of increased demand for mobile advertisements. Alphabet pointed out that the joined effect of businesses purchasing more ads with high customer engagement led to the unexpectedly positive Q2 earnings report. The company's revenue spiked 21 percent, reaching $21.5 billion in the second quarter and overpassing the estimation from experts that gauged it at $20.76 billion. In the wake of the earnings call, the value of Alphabet's shares rose by more than 5 percent and reached $809 per share in after-hours trading. Great news, but why? Thanks to a rapid expansion of smartphones connected to the internet, businesses that rely on ads, such as Facebook and Google, had a lot to win. As more consumers are engaged in the free services of the two firms, both enterprises were able to sell a large number of ads to the companies that want to reach said users. Facebook also banked a lot in Q2 because of mobile ads. At its own quarterly earnings report, the social media company said that its profit of $2.1 billion is almost three times larger than the one from one year prior, and is largely due to revenue from mobile ads. Mark Mahaney, a financial expert with RBC Capital Markets, points out that more handsets means more searches in Facebook, Google and extra YouTube views. He notes that upward trends in profitability for the companies have everything to do with the widespread access to internet-connected smartphones. "The strength of the quarter is about mobile," confirms Sundar Pichai, CEO at Google. Google has an ace up its sleeve that helps it lure additional advertisers and users from desktops or laptops to the mobile version of its search engine. The company's Android smartphone software helps it promote its search engine and various other services on more than a billion mobile gadgets. Google also struck a deal with Apple to make Google the standard search engine on iPhones. In 2015, Google stated that more than 50 percent of its searches were made on mobile devices, and some marketing experts think that more than half of the enterprise's revenue can be traced to mobile ads. During Q2, advertisers invested 63 percent more in mobile search ads. For comparison, all-platform search-ad spending jumped only 10 percent over the period. At its earnings report, Alphabet noted a net profit in the last quarter of $4.88 billion, up from last year's $3.93 billion. The number of user clicks on ads that Google displays spiked 29 percent, on a year-over-year comparison. Also, the company registered the fourth consecutive quarter with a growth of more than 22 percent. One drawback to the increased appeal of mobile ads is that Google recorded a decrease in the sums that advertisers pay Google for each clicked ad. As mobile ads pay less than their desktop counterparts, this meant that the revenue per clicked ad declined, despite the boost in clicked mobile ads. Non-advertising sales also up Non-advertising sales also rose, overpassing the company's 19 percent growth in advertising revenues. The former reached $2.17 billion over the previous year, scoring a neat 33 percent increase. The spike marks a progress for Google's non-advertising business, which consists largely of its cloud business of hosting other companies' data and processing on its servers. Google is confident that the cloud will be the next big provider of revenue and it invests millions into new data centers to make itself future-proof. Other examples of non-advertising arms of Google's business include app sales in Play Store or hardware sales. While Google may report for pretty much all of Alphabet's revenue, analysts and investors had been keeping an eye on the financial evolution of Google's parent company. This way, experts were able to gauge the ins and outs of the company, and what they found was that Alphabet also made some unlucky investments. Revenue for the unsuccessful plans rose to $185 million in 2016, with 2015 showing only $74 million in fluked bets. The operating loss also increased, from $660 million one year ago to $859 million. Last year, Alphabet boosted its team by making Ruth Porat CFO. Porat, an ex-Morgan Stanley executive, is in charge of making sure Alphabet keeps its spending in check: in Q2 2016, total expenses surged by 20 percent and reached $15.53 billion. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It's quite amusing to know that we feel a sense of empowerment with social media at our fingertips. People have had their grievances addressed on social media, some have inspired us with their thoughts and some have shared their creativity. Humanity will be forever grateful for making lives much easier. I still remember during the catastrophic Nepal quake and Chennai floods; it was a huge relief to see your loved ones marked safe. Now having said that, boys and girls, dudes and baes - yall need to know this! The last time we got the basic nuances of social media etiquette right. Lets dig a little deeper now. Firstly, get this concept right - this is social media - what you post, upload and share is for the world to see. Those who read your posts and updates are people from the same freaking planet and the only difference lies in the extent of brain activity. Therefore, I am very politely threatening those morons whose status or tweets read like eNJoyIng mA TiMe wItH #bEsTiEs mAnH- Quit doing it, no really grow up. You dont have the sWaG, you are just a moron who would deliberately give a person reading their posts a chronic headache. Consequences of this $Ty!e : You will remain single, until you find another Dodo like you! Chances you finding a good employment are bleak You are an outcast and you shall be treated like [email protected] The Grammar Nazi will hunt you down Next, when you express your opinion via Facebook or Twitter, get your facts right, double check them. Read them, understand what your choice of words could imply. You dont want to be left red faced on internet. It's the worst place to be caught with your pants down! Here are few examples - Only her family, friends and colleagues knew the existence Justine Sacco a PR consultant until she tweeted: "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!" Remember the furore Shashi Tharoors infamous cattle class tweet created? Holyshit! Oh wait, heres one the most recent tweet that actually broke the internet. A girl expresses her grief and sorrow over the demise of Mohammad Ali through a tweet - and all hell broke loose. These, my friends are called EPIC FAILS!! I feel sorry for those souls who will be trolled on for till the end of time. Social media is brutal and will never ever let you forget your silly, stupid and sometimes innocent mistakes! I was just wondering image the plight of those unfortunate souls who dug their own graves. Will they have to go into hiding or change their identity to redeem themselves from the razor sharp wits and trolls on the internet. The most entertaining and ironically the most immature thing that you would end up in is the Twitter Wars. You have differences of opinions, talk it out behind closed doors and keep it off the internet. With every tweet wasted in a battle, you tend to stoop down to levels that kids call puppy shame! Oh damn, those hot celebrity rants over Twitter are hilarious and yes of course over time we would just want to smack their heads and throw them off a cliff! Politicians from Trump to Smriti Irani, actors like Naseeruddin Shah to Twinkle Khanna, Sonam Kapoor Shobhaa De, and then those who we call unnecessary addition to world population the Kardashians and KRKS - oh dear, what a bloody war that will go down the cyber history. Get a life guys, nobody gives a F about your personal quarrels. Nobody is interested. The rest are happy to know they are not as miserable as you in life. Mind the language you use. What you say defines you and speaks volumes about the kind of person you are. Harvard grad or government school dropout - Internet treats everyone the same, so beware and for a change you may want to try something cool if you havent yet - Put the grey matter to test! Twitter, Facebook A 40 anos de Malvinas "Revisar el pasado es pensar el futuro". La frase de la presidenta de Telam, Bernarda Llorente, resume el espiritu del documental coproducido entre la agencia de noticias y el canal publico de TV sobre la cobertura que los medios de comunicacion hicieron del conflicto, plagada de censura y mentiras. Una autocritica necesaria para mirar hacia adelante en un (ya viejo) contexto de fake news y negocio informativo. In an open letter entitled "Letter to the Brazil of tomorrow," former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2011) promised on Thursday that if elected, he would... | Read More Sync music platform Music Dealers has reportedly been wound down. The Chicago-based company, which also had offices in London, Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta, set up in 2008 and raised more than US$9m in funding between 2010 and 2013. The concept of Music Dealers was different to a typical music licensing company, in that it looked to place music from unsigned, independent and self-releasing artists on different projects. Each project was listed on the Music Dealers website, detailing the type of music the client was after and the fee available, and artists submitted work to the projects of their choice. It also had a search platform enabling producers to find music from its pre-cleared library. The company had worked with more than 600 clients around the globe, including Coca-Cola, Sony, McDonalds and Disney. For four years Music Dealers became Coca-Colas global music partner, but that deal ended last year. Music Dealers told Hypebot, It is with a heavy heart that Music Dealers has made the difficult decision to discontinue operations. We are proud of all we achieved in our eight years in business and disappointed to be in this position. We remain hopeful and focused on finding a partner who will help revive Music Dealers and once again realise its potential." Hypebot also published details of musicians claiming not to have been paid for syncs that had been placed by the company. There is also concern about who now controls the compositions on the Music Dealers website. Share this story 1.7 million-year-old foot bone offers earliest evidence of malignant cancer by Brooks Hays Johannesburg, South Africa (UPI) Jul 28, 2016 Cancer's roots lie deep in prehistory. Swartkrans cave, a rich archaeological site, has yielded a 1.7 million-year-old foot bone with a malignant tumor -- the oldest evidence of cancer yet discovered by scientists. Researchers identified the tumor as osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer found in young people among modern adults. The ancient foot, however, did not belong to a modern adult. Scientists believe the owner of the diseased foot was an early human relative, a bipedal hominin, but can't determine the exact species. At the nearby site of Malapa, scientists found evidence of a benign tumor in the fossilized vertebrae of a Australopithecus sediba specimen. The vertebrae are 2 million years old. Both discoveries -- detailed in separate papers in the South African Journal of Science -- push back the emergence of both benign and malignant cancers in the human lineage. "Modern medicine tends to assume that cancers and tumors in humans are diseases caused by modern lifestyles and environments," Edward Odes, a doctoral candidate at the University of Witwatersrand's Evolutionary Studies Institute, said in a news release. "Our studies show the origins of these diseases occurred in our ancient relatives millions of years before modern industrial societies existed." Previously, the earliest evidence of a hominin tumor was credited to a 120,000-year-old Neanderthal fossil. Researchers used CT scans to diagnose and describe the two tumors. While researchers can't say for sure whether the foot belonged to a child or adult, or whether the cancer was the cause of death, the vertebrae with the benign tumor belonged to a child. "Not only has there been an assumption that these sorts of cancers and tumors are diseases of modernity, which these fossils clearly demonstrate they are not, but that we as modern humans exhibit them as a consequence of living longer, yet this rare tumor is found in a young child," explained Wit professor Lee Berger. "The history of these types of tumors and cancers is clearly more complex than previously thought." Bangkok has been voted the worlds top destination four years in a row, according to Travel & Leisure magazine. Along with that, Thailand is ranked second for tourism in southeast Asia. However, an interesting phenomenon is occurring. Thailand is becoming more than just a tourist paradise it is also a startup paradise. Is Bangkok ready to become the next global startup hub ? Today, Thailand is ready to accept startup founders and entrepreneurs more than ever. In fact, the Thai government believes 2016 will be a golden year for its startup industry. Although its startup scene is still young, Bangkok is said to be one of the fastest booming startup scenes in the world. It is no longer the underdog of the global startup hub. The Thai government launched a 20 billion baht fund, equivalent to USD $570 million, to support the growth of local startups. Their goal is to establish 10,000 startups within the country by 2018. It will also finance some 2,500 existing startups. The fund will be allocated between two industries: tech startups and general startups. Main industry startups in Thailand excel in e-commerce, with fintech at a close second, logistics as third, payments fourth, and gaming fifth. 10,000 does not sound like much unless you know the growth figures of the Thailand startup ecosystem between 2012 and 2016. In 2012, there was only one Venture Capital firm, one accelerator, and zero startups existing in the market. In 2016, there are now over 60 VCs with 6 accelerators in the country and more than 72 startups funded. The following are 10 successful startups in Thailand: Southeast Asia is still a blue ocean market with less than 1% of online-shopping today; however, it is said that the region will eventually become the third largest e-commerce market in the world after China and India. The kingdom of Facebook users A little fun fact: Thailands population is 67 million with 147% of mobile penetration rate. There are 35 million active Facebook users spending average of 2.35 hours per day on the site. This is a tremendous amount of time compared with the US consumer (the average spends 40 mins on Facebook per day). Thai people spend nearly 5 times more than US Facebook users. Facebook recently parented with 2c2p, a Thai payment processing startup, in order to develop its social commerce capability by letting customers purchase within Facebook. Their intent is to reduce the fear of online shopping through its services. Southeast Asia is on its way for growth and development potential. Thailand will no longer be a paradise solely for tourists but also for aspiring entrepreneurs. This article was written by Taiki Beaufils, social media manager at D8ii Limited, a UK startup based in Bangkok. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect the views of Thailand Business News Twitter: @taiki124 The website of Vietnam Airlines is defaced by hackers on Friday Flight information display systems in Vietnam's two major airport and the website of the national flag carrier became targets of online hackers suspected from China on Friday. Flight information screens and advertising screens at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport and Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City were hacked to display distorted information about the East Sea (South China Sea) and insult Vietnam and the Philippines, said Nguyen Nhat, Vice Minister of Transport. The hackers even played a recording on the sound systems at the two airports, in which they introduced themselves as 1937cN.net team. The airport authorities therefore were forced to switch off the flight information screens and sound systems. They also have to shut down servers operating check-in systems at the two airports, a source told Thanh Nien. As a result, manual check-in was required, causing multiple flight delays. Vice Minister Nhat, however, said the incidents did not affect the security or air traffic control at the airports. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines' website was also defaced and displayed the same distorted information between 4 p.m. and 5.45 p.m., before the carrier can regained control of the domain, it said in a statement. Ngo Tuan Anh, Vice Chairman of security firm BKAV, alleged that the same 1937cN team was behind the attack on the website. 1937cN, according to hack-cn.com, a website that ranks hackers' groups in China, is the best-known and most powerful in the country. It has targets many websites in Vietnam for the past years. The hack occurred two weeks after an international tribunal issued a ruling in favor of the Philippines that invalidated China's claims in the South China Sea. Also this afternoon, hackers leaked a list of more than 400,000 members of Vietnam Airlines' frequent flyer program. Ngo Tran Vu, chief executive officer of NTS security firm, suggested that those customers change their account login information to prevent personal information from being stolen. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, police has launched an investigation into the cyber attack. A team of the environment ministry inspects the wastewater treatment facility of Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp. on April 28, 2016. Photo credit: Tuoi Tre Amid rising concern over industrial water pollution, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has said it will begin a nationwide check of factories wastewater treatment systems in August. The main target of the inspection would be firms that discharge 200 cubic meters or more of wastewater a day into seas and rivers across the country, news website VnExpress reported Thursday. It said the results are expected to be released to the media in late October. Industrial pollution has been a hot-button issue in Vietnam since hundreds of tons of fish washed ashore in April in the four central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue. Last month Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp., a subsidiary of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics, admitted it had caused the disaster and promised to pay US$500 million in compensation. Earlier this month the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment inspected a US$1.2-billion paper mill belonging to Hong Kongs Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited after environmental experts voiced concern about its waste treatment system. Though the plant will only begin a test run in 2018, many fear it will pollute the Hau River in the lower reaches of the Mekong River and kill fish when it begins operation. The findings are yet to be made public. A cybersecurity expert monitors telecommunications traffic at a network operations center in a Verizon facility in Ashburn, Virginia in this July 15, 2014 file photo. Photo: Reuters Hackers, most likely from China, have been spying on governments and businesses in Southeast Asia and India uninterrupted for a decade, researchers at internet security company FireEye Inc said. In a report released on Monday, FireEye said the cyber espionage operations dated back to at least 2005 and "focused on targets - government and commercial - who hold key political, economic and military information about the region." "Such a sustained, planned development effort coupled with the (hacking) group's regional targets and mission, lead us to believe that this activity is state-sponsored - most likely the Chinese government," the report's authors said. Bryce Boland, Chief Technology Officer for Asia Pacific at FireEye and co-author of the report, said the attack was still ongoing, noting that the servers the attackers used were still operational, and that FireEye continued to see attacks against its customers, who number among the targets. Reuters couldn't independently confirm any of the assertions made in the report. China has always denied accusations that it uses the Internet to spy on governments, organisations and companies. Asked about the FireEye report on Monday, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: "I want to stress that the Chinese government resolutely bans and cracks down on any hacking acts. This position is clear and consistent. Hacking attacks are a joint problem faced by the international community and need to be dealt with cooperatively rather than via mutual censure." The Cyberspace Administration of China, the Internet regulator, didn't immediately respond to written requests for comment. China has been accused before of targeting countries in South and Southeast Asia. In 2011, researchers from McAfee reported a campaign dubbed Shady Rat which attacked Asian governments and institutions, among other targets. Efforts by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to build cyber defences have been sporadic. While ASEAN has long acknowledged its importance, "very little has come of this discourse," said Miguel Gomez, a researcher at De La Salle University in the Philippines. The problem is not new: Singapore has reported sophisticated cyber-espionage attacks on civil servants in several ministries dating back to 2004. Undetected The campaign described by FireEye differs from other such operations mostly in its scale and longevity, Boland said. He said the group appeared to include at least two software developers. The report did not offer other indications of the possible size of the group or where it's based. The group remained undetected for so long it was able to re-use methods and malware dating back to 2005, and developed its own system to manage and prioritize attacks, even organising shifts to cope with the workload and different languages of its targets, Boland told Reuters. The attackers focused not only on governments, but on ASEAN itself, as well as corporations and journalists interested in China. Other targets included Indian or Southeast Asian-based companies in sectors such as construction, energy, transport, telecommunications and aviation, FireEye says. Mostly they sought to gain access by sending so-called phishing emails to targets purported to come from colleagues or trusted sources, and containing documents relevant to their interests. Boland said it wasn't possible to gauge the damage done as it had taken place over such a long period, but he said the impact could be "massive". "Without being able to detect it, there's no way these agencies can work out what the impacts are. They don't know what has been stolen." Pornchai Rujiprapa, Minister of Information and Communication Technology for ASEAN member Thailand, said the government was proposing a new law to combat cyber attacks as existing legislation was outdated. "So far we haven't found any attack so big it threatens national security, but we are concerned if there is any in the future. That's why we need a new law to handle it," he told Reuters. Chinese hackers left messages that defaced a Vietnamese website during an attack last weekend. Photo credit: WhiteHat.vn More than 1,000 Vietnamese websites, mostly belonging to government agencies and education organizations, were hacked during the weekend, according to a report the countrys leading internet security forum WhiteHat.vn. The hackers left messages related to disputes on the East Sea -- the Vietnamese term for the South China Sea -- and they were alleged to be Chinese, the report said. The attacks happened while the regional security forum -- Shangri-La Dialogue 2015 -- was taking place in Singapore and discussions about the disputes between China and some Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, were underway. According to WhiteHat.vn, more than 200 Philippine websites were also hacked. Ta Duc Thien, an expert in charge of web security at BKAV, said the hackers defaced the websites, with the same techniques they used last year to attack hundreds of Vietnamese websites. Congressional candidates running for office and being supported by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The FBI is investigating a cyber attack against another Democratic Party group, which may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The previously unreported incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers are likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is attempting to meddle in the U.S. election campaign to help Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Hacking of the party's emails caused discord among Democrats at the party's convention in Philadelphia this week where Hillary Clinton was set to accept the party's presidential nomination on Thursday evening. The newly disclosed breach at the DCCC may have been intended to gather information about donors, rather than to steal money, the sources said on Thursday. The DCCC raises money for Democrats running for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The intrusion at the group could have begun as recently as June, two of the sources told Reuters. That was when a bogus website was registered with a name closely resembling that of a main donation site connected to the DCCC. For some time, internet traffic associated with donations that was supposed to go to a company that processes campaign donations instead went to the bogus site, two sources said. The sources said the Internet Protocol address of the spurious site resembled one used by Russian government-linked hackers suspected in the breach of the DNC, the body that sets strategy and raises money for the Democratic Party nationwide. Cyber security experts and U.S. officials have said there was evidence that Russia engineered the DNC hack to release sensitive party emails in order to influence the U.S. presidential election. The release of the emails by activist group WikiLeaks caused uproar in the party because they appeared to show favoritism within the DNC for Clinton over U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who ran a close race for the nomination for the Nov. 8 election. The committee is supposed to be neutral. The DNC and the DCCC share the same office space on South Capitol Street in Washington. The DCCC and donation processing company ActBlue had no comment on Thursday. CrowdStrike, the California-based cyber security firm that investigated the DNC breach, declined to comment. Great concern Russian officials dismissed allegations of Moscow's involvement in hacks of U.S. political groups. "It is so absurd it borders on total stupidity," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. Some Democratic officials have accused Russia of hacking the DNC emails in order to help Trump win the race for the White House. "It's no coincidence someone is hacking into Democratic Party computers. It's almost sounding like a repeat of Watergate," Gilberto Hinojosa, the chairman of the Texas Democrats said, after Reuters reported the DCCC hacking. "This is just the kind of dirty politics we expect from Donald Trump. I have no doubt Donald Trump is behind it," he said, citing the businessman's praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his recent remarks about Russia and Clinton's deleted emails. Trump angered Democrats this week by inviting Russia to unearth tens of thousands of emails from rival Clinton's tenure as U.S. secretary of state. Trump said on Thursday his comment was meant to be sarcastic. Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist who once worked for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, said the possibility of the DCCC being hacked was cause for great concern. Until proven otherwise, I would suggest that everyone involved with the campaign committee operate under the assumption Russians have access to everything in their computer systems, Manley said. The FBI referred questions about the DCCC attack to a statement it made on Monday about the DNC hack: "The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC and are working to determine the nature and scope of the matter. A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace." Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Thursday the U.S. intelligence community was not ready to "make the call on attribution" as to who was responsible for the DNC hack. The White House said earlier the FBI had not disclosed any information about who was behind it. Clapper, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, acknowledged that, "Theres just a few usual suspects out there" who might be responsible for the cyber intrusion, suggesting it was the work of a state actor rather than an independent hacking group. Clapper said in May he was aware of attempted hacks on campaigns and related groups and he expected to see more as the November election neared. The last two U.S. presidential cycles in 2008 and 2012 witnessed a barrage of cyber attacks from a range of adversaries targeting President Barack Obama's campaign and the campaigns of his Republican foes, officials have said. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) waves during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 25, 2016. Twelve years ago, Barack Obamas electrifying speech at the Democratic National Convention brought tears to Andrew Gillums eyes. Now mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, and viewed as a rising star in that state, Gillum did not hesitate when asked to name his political role model. Elizabeth Warren, he replied, referring to the firebrand U.S. senator from Massachusetts. That the 37-year-old African-American mayor of a Southern U.S. city identifies Warren as his political lodestar speaks volumes about the Democratic Party's progressive shift, even as Hillary Clinton officially becomes its presidential nominee after a quarter-century of public service. With the party in transition, Clintons 1990s-era brand of Democratic centrism is slowly being eclipsed by a wave of progressivism personified by Warren and by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a rival of Clinton's until he endorsed her this month. Although Sanders' insurgent presidential bid fell short, leaving his supporters bitterly disappointed, a new crop of Democratic candidates seems determined to carry on his work, with Warren, 67, as their putative leader. Like Obama in 2004, Gillum and many others at the Philadelphia convention sought to boost their profiles, raise cash and network with fellow Democrats, buoyed by the adoption of the most progressive platform in party history, with planks for debt-free college, expanded Social Security benefits and a tax on carbon emissions. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (L) appears on stage with Nevada Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto at a campaign rally at the Laborers International Union hall in Las Vegas, Nevada February 18, 2016. Clinton, too, has moved to the left, embracing many of these causes, separating herself from a more moderate brand of Democratic politics personified by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who was pro-free trade, friendlier to Wall Street and emphasized budget discipline. There is an energy thats coming from the folks that were brought to the process by the Sanders campaign, said Sarah Lloyd, 44, a congressional candidate in Wisconsin who supported Sanders. That can only be a positive thing for the party. Taking the lead More than Sanders, Warren has taken the lead in shaping the Democrats' next generation. Formerly a professor of law, Warren conceived and set up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau formed in 2011 under President Obama. She launched a political action committee to back Democratic candidates and inspired other advocacy groups, such as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, to solicit donations to a bloc it terms the party's Warren wing. A speaker at the convention, Florida's Gillum was frustrated by Sanders because he seemed disinterested in helping other Democratic candidates, in contrast with Warren. Senator Sanders was content to be a movement by himself, Gillum said. Its a revolution when you bring people along with you. Warrens committee has donated to the campaigns of U.S. Senate hopefuls such as Kamala Harris, 51, of California, Jason Kander, 35, of Missouri, and Catherine Cortez Masto, 52, of Nevada. They and Wisconsins Lloyd oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the global trade deal that has split the progressive and moderate elements of the party. The PCCCs slate of "Warren wing" candidates supports a $15-an-hour minimum wage, campaign-finance reform and tighter rules for Wall Street. Tallahassee, Florida Mayor Andrew Gillum speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 27, 2016. One of those on the slate is Zephyr Teachout, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York, who has campaigned in a T-shirt that reads, Im from the Elizabeth Warren wing of the party and who has been endorsed by Sanders. There is a rising and very important populism, talking about money in politics, talking about trade, talking about economic issues, Teachout, 44, told Reuters. Within the party, and across the board, there has been a serious rethinking of trade, rethinking of big banks, rethinking of monopolies that have too much power. Tulsi Gabbard, a U.S. representative from Hawaii, is often mentioned by Sanders supporters as one who could assume his mantle. A cable-news regular, Gabbard, 35, was one of a few Sanders supporters offered a convention speaking slot. Onstage she formally nominated Sanders for president, saying he had become a voice for millions, connecting seamlessly with laborers in the Rust Belt and environmentalists in the West. Other rising Democratic progressives frequently cited by strategists include Julian Castro, 41, the U.S. housing secretary, and his twin brother, Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas, former Ohio state senator Nina Turner, 48, U.S. Senate candidate Pramila Jayapal, 50, of Washington, and former South Carolina lawmaker Bakari Sellers, 31. Brighter than the rest? Harris might be the one to shine the brightest. As Californias attorney general, Harris has been mentioned as a potential U.S. presidential candidate or U.S. Supreme Court justice should she win her Senate race in November. California Attorney General Kamala Harris speaks at the Center for American Progress' 2014 Making Progress Policy Conference in Washington November 19, 2014. She enjoys the support of Warren, Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent, suggesting she can appeal to both the partys liberal and moderate flanks. She joined forces with Bloomberg in his crusade for tighter gun laws, bonded with Warren over helping homeowners struggling through the foreclosure crisis of the late 2000s and joined Obamas efforts to overhaul a criminal justice system that tends to treat black citizens more harshly than white ones. In one campaign ad, Warren is viewed saying, "Kamala Harris was fearless." Harris, in turn, has backed Clinton. In an interview, she rejected the idea that the party is leaving Clinton behind even as it nominates her for president. I strongly believe that these two generations have much more in common than what separates them in terms of fundamental values, Harris said. Police prepare to cross to Indonesia's highest security Nusakambangan prison on Cilacap on July 25, 2016 Indonesia on Thursday rejected mounting international pressure and desperate pleas from relatives to halt the execution of 14 drug convicts who are expected to imminently face the firing squad. The group, including foreigners from Nigeria, Pakistan, India and Zimbabwe as well as Indonesians, have been placed in isolation on a prison island where Jakarta carries out executions. Authorities stepped up preparations, with ambulances seen transporting coffins over to the island and cars heading for the penal colony in the evening carrying convicts' relatives, police and religious counsellors. President Joko Widodo believes Indonesia faces an emergency due to rising drugs consumption and has dramatically escalated the use of capital punishment, putting to death 14 drug convicts, mostly foreigners, since he took power in 2014. Indonesia last carried out executions in April 2015 when it put to death eight drug convicts, including two Australians, sparking international outrage. Family members say they have been told the convicts in the forthcoming round will be executed Thursday night, according to a lawyer and diplomat, a day earlier than had originally been expected. The government could not be reached for comment. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led international condemnation, urging Widodo to halt the imminent executions and declare a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. Ban recalled that under international law, the death penalty should be used for the most serious crimes and said "drug crimes are generally not considered to meet this threshold". The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on Indonesia to end the "unjust" use of the death penalty and the European Union has also urged a halt. But Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir defended the upcoming executions as "pure law enforcement". There have been concerns about legal irregularities in the cases of some facing imminent execution, with Amnesty International citing "systematic flaws" in several trials and noting a handful of clemency appeals were still pending. Forced confessions These included Pakistani Zulfiqar Ali, whom rights groups say was beaten into confessing to the crime of heroin possession, leading to his 2005 death sentence. Rights group the Justice Project Pakistan say that the 52-year-old father of six was "tortured relentlessly" during a three-day interrogation in a house by police, after which he required surgery. Relatives and neighbours of Pakistani national Zulfiqar Ali, sentenced to death in 2005 for heroin possession in Indonesia, protest in Lahore on July 27, 2016. Indonesian woman Merri Utami, who was caught with heroin in her bag as she came through Jakarta airport, claims she was duped into becoming a drug mule, and that police forced her into confessing with beatings and sexual harassment. Rights groups have mounted a campaign to save her, and 10 women's rights activists were detained by police Thursday in Cilacap -- the port city closest to the prison island -- as they rallied in support of her. Family members of Michael Titus Igweh, a Nigerian prisoner, also protested his looming execution, saying his case was still under review. "I don't think this is fair. They should fulfil his legal rights first," Igweh's sister-in-law Nila, who gave just one name, told reporters in the port city. Support for the death penalty in Indonesia is generally high but there has been some public opposition. Dozens of protesters held a vigil late Thursday in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta, arranging candles in the shape of a noose and laying posters emblazoned with a bloody hand and the words "stop the executions" on the ground. Diplomats and lawyers were angered after authorities notified family members the executions would take place Thursday, saying they believed they could only be held Friday after the end of a legally required, 72-hour notice period. Authorities have not released a detailed list of the convicts who will face the firing squad but the Jakarta-based Community Legal Aid Institute said the group consists of four Indonesians, six Nigerians and one each from Pakistan, India, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Indonesia had an unofficial moratorium on the death penalty between 2008 and 2012 but resumed executions in 2013 under Widodo's predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman speaks to reporters after a meeting with Japan's Economics Minister Akira Amari in Tokyo April 19, 2015. Failure to ratify the U.S.-led sweeping trade pact TPP would hand China "the keys to the castle" on globalization and do nothing to solve the real problems underlying American anxiety over jobs, the top U.S. trade official said Thursday. The tariff-slashing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has turned into a hot-button topic in the run-up to the Nov. 8 U.S. election, threatening to dampen support from lawmakers needed to pass a deal critics condemn as a job-killer. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said he was still optimistic Congress would pass the 12-member TPP, in part because China has been moving ahead with a trade deal of its own, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), that would boost its exports and let it set labor and environmental standards in the fast-growing Asia Pacific region. "We're one vote away from either cementing our leadership in this region and in the global trading system or ceding it to China," Froman told reporters in Lima after attending the inauguration of Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. "At the end of the day I don't think Congress wants to be responsible for handing the keys to the castle to China." Froman's defense of the TPP follows weeks of heated attacks on the deal as anti-TPP chants and signs have peppered the Republican and Democratic conventions. Republican nominee Donald Trump has called the TPP a "death blow" for manufacturing jobs and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton has firmed up her opposition to it in recent days. Froman declined to comment on the candidates but said the TPP had become a "scapegoat" for legitimate concerns over income inequality, stagnant wages and jobs lost to automation. "You don't get to vote on the next generation of robots," he said, "you get to vote on trade agreements". But the debate over TPP has also helped broaden support for domestic policies, such as infrastructure development and educational programs, to help Americans adapt to rapid economic change, Froman said. U.S. President Barack Obama wants the TPP passed this year. Froman ruled out renegotiating the "carefully balanced" text, but said issues were being solved by working on country implementation plans. He cited pork producers, dairy farmers and financial services as once-reluctant stakeholders that now back the TPP. "The last major issue outstanding has to do with biologics and intellectual property rights," Froman said. "We're having good constructive conversations" with members of Congress. Men transport a casualty at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held Douma neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria, July 25, 2016. Al Qaeda's powerful Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, announced on Thursday it was ending its relationship with the global jihadist network founded by Osama bin Laden, to remove a pretext used by world powers to attack Syrians. The announcement came as Russia and President Bashar al-Assad's government declared a "humanitarian operation" in the besieged rebel-held sector of Aleppo, opening "safe corridors" so people can flee Syria's most important opposition stronghold. Washington said that appeared to be an attempt to depopulate the city and make fighters surrender. The opposition called it a euphemism for forced displacement. In the first known video statement ever to show his face, the leader of the Nusra Front, Mohamad al-Golani, announced that the group would re-form under a new name, with "no ties with any foreign party". Al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahri speaks from an unknown location, in this still image taken from video uploaded on a social media website June 8, 2011. Social Media Websitevia REUTERS/File Photo. The move was being made "to remove the excuse used by the international community -- spearheaded by America and Russia -- to bombard and displace Muslims in the Levant: that they are targeting the Nusra Front which is associated with al Qaeda," he said. The group would now be called Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. Golani appeared in the video flanked by two other Nusra Front figures, in front of a new white flag for the group. Nusra Front's old flag was black, the color used by ultra-hardline jihadist groups such as al Qaeda and Islamic State. Earlier on Thursday, bin Laden's successor as Al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, gave the Nusra Front his blessing to break away. In his message, Golani thanked Zawahri for putting the interests of Syrians ahead of organizational concerns. The move appeared to be an attempt to appeal to Syrians who have long had deep misgivings about Nusra's links with al Qaeda and the presence of foreign jihadists in its ranks. It could alter the strategic alignment on the ground if the renamed Nusra gains acceptance among other rebel groups. Strong position But Assad and his Russian allies are unlikely to accept the rebranding as a reason to halt military operations that have put the Syrian leader in the strongest position on the battlefield for years. The Nusra Front, one of the most powerful rebel forces in Syria's five-year, multi-sided civil war, was excluded along with Islamic State from a U.S.- and Russian-backed ceasefire this year. Nusra is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Assad's other opponents have long said its presence gave the government and its Russian allies a pretext to abandon the truce and launch advances under the cover of anti-terrorist operations permitted under the ceasefire. The U.S. State Department said Nusra Front fighters remained a legitimate target for U.S. warplanes for now. "We're gonna have to wait and see," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. "We judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves." Western countries are worried that the announcement of safe corridors for people to flee Aleppo could herald a Russian-backed government assault on the city. "This would appear to be a demand for the surrender of opposition groups and the evacuation of Syrian civilians from Aleppo," Kirby said. "The innocent people of Aleppo should be able to stay in their homes safely, and to receive the humanitarian access, which Russia and the regime ... in principle have agreed." Syria's largest city before the war, Aleppo has for years been divided into rebel and government zones. Asserting full control would be the biggest victory for Assad so far, and a potential turning point in a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands, spawned the world's worst refugee crisis and drawn in most regional and world powers. Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front fighters carry their weapons on the back of a pick-up truck during the release of Lebanese soldiers and policemen in Arsal, eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, in this December 1, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Stringer. Any assault on Aleppo would also probably wreck a diplomatic effort by Secretary of State John Kerry to negotiate military cooperation between the United States and Russia. Leaflets The Cold War-era superpowers are running separate military missions in Syria against their common foe Islamic State, but are on opposite sides in the wider civil war, with Moscow supporting Assad, and Washington saying he must step down. Leaflets have been air-dropped on rebel-held parts of Aleppo since Wednesday, telling civilians they would be given safe passage out and providing maps to exit routes. Around 250,000 civilians are believed to be trapped in the rebel zone. The United Nations says food supplies will run out within weeks. Assad said rebels who surrendered within three months would be amnestied. State television quoted the governor of Aleppo as saying three humanitarian corridors would be established for residents to leave. Russia said a fourth corridor would be set up in the north for surrendering rebels. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said helicopters had been dropping baby diapers and meal packs with Russian-language labels over rebel areas. But Syria's main opposition High Negotiations Committee wrote to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon denouncing the corridors as "a euphemism for Russias efforts to alter Aleppos demographics and ensure forced displacement, which it called a war crime. Several international relief agencies said exit corridors were not a substitute for aid access. "Some 250 to 400,000 civilians remain in what was once Syrias largest city not all of them want or are able to leave," Mercy Corps said. "If it is a genuine humanitarian proposal, then clearly it will be accompanied by an end to the bombing campaign," the British ambassador to the United Nations, Matthew Rycroft, told reporters in New York. "Clearly, the U.N. and the rest of us cannot be complicit in anything else, for instance any form of emptying of Aleppo or preparing for an onslaught of Aleppo or indeed any continuation of this medieval siege of Aleppo ..." Corridors not open The proposed corridors did not appear to be open so far. Two rebels and aid workers contacted in besieged Aleppo said the army had fired at civilians in one of the safe corridors, in the Salah al-Din district. A doctor for a medical charity that operates in Aleppo also said the army had fired artillery at families gathering near another corridor, in the opposition-held Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood. Hael Asi Hilal, head of the Syrian Red Crescent in rebel-held areas, said no family had been able to leave via any corridor due to snipers firing at them. Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad walk with their weapons past rubble after they advanced on the southern side of the Castello road in Aleppo, Syria, in this handout picture provided by SANA on July 28, 2016. SANA/Handout via REUTERS. The army, backed by allied militia forces and air support from Syrian and Russian jets, meanwhile took more ground on the northern edge of the city. State television said the army had advanced in the Bani Zeid district, and the Observatory said pro-government forces were in full control. The United States and Russia jointly sponsored the ceasefire earlier this year that led to U.N.-brokered peace talks. But that collapsed in May and since then government forces have been advancing with Russian support. Kerry's talks with the Russians, aimed at building a system to jointly identify targets, have been largely fruitless. A Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said Washington's stance would allow militants to regroup since it required a ceasefire before distinguishing between terrorists and other opposition groups. "There is an element here of a political ruse at least," he said. One U.S. national security official said it was difficult to agree as long as Moscow's and Washington's wider objectives diverged. The Russians want to destroy ISIS (Islamic State) to save Assad, the official said. We want to destroy ISIS to eliminate a terrorist threat and start a political process to remove Assad, who President Obama has said must go. Just a few days after Metro Council members rejected holding a full public hearing on a residency requirement for new Baton Rouge police hires, Councilwoman Chauna Banks-Daniel is looking to revive the idea, this time making it more flexible by mandating that future police officers would need to live within East Baton Rouge Parish boundaries instead of in the city. The residency requirement has been one aspect of a "community policing" model that some local leaders have called for as a way to improve relations between Baton Rouge police officers and the public at large. But critics have argued that these kind of mandates have proven ineffective in the past and that they would present another hurdle to the Baton Rouge Police Department, which is already struggling to recruit. +5 Push to make BRPD officers live in city limits fails at Metro Council A controversial push that would force future Baton Rouge Police Department hires to live wit Banks-Daniel's original ordinance would have required new BRPD hires starting in 2017 to live within city limits. In the new proposal, she tweaked the requirement to allow new officers to live within parish limits after some Metro Council members complained that people in their districts could be paying taxes for the police department but not allowed to work for it. The new ordinance is on the Metro Council agenda for August 10, when it will go for a public hearing and a vote, instead of going for an introduction as Banks-Daniel unsuccessfully attempted this week. Banks-Daniel said she found out after Wednesday's meeting that the ordinance could go straight to a public hearing without first being introduced. In the meantime, Banks-Daniel said she has tried to resolve the problems that other council members have pointed out with the ordinance. "It's the right thing to do, and I think I have settled every argument that went before us Wednesday," Banks-Daniel said. "If there are new issues, it would look extremely hypocritical of my fellow council members to go in another direction." Another complaint about the proposal was simply the timing of the discussion, with the ordinance coming up Wednesday for that initial vote only two days after slain BRPD Cpl. Montrell Jackson was buried, the last of three officers killed more than a week ago to have a service. Jackson, along with other slain BRPD Officer Matthew Gerald and slain Sheriff's Deputy Brad Garafola, all lived in Livingston Parish. The three law enforcement officers were killed by a gunman from Missouri who officials said was purposefully targeting police. Gavin Long, who also shot and injured three other officers in his July 17 attack outside an Airline Highway convenience store, came to Baton Rouge after the city experienced days of protests following the shooting of a 37-year-old black man by a white Baton Rouge police officer. That incident is currently under federal investigation. The death of Alton Sterling inspired protests across Baton Rouge and the country after cellphone video of the officer shooting him was released. Within Baton Rouge, protesters and others in the community have advocated that the shooting should prompt a discussion about how to change policing in the city. Many have advocated for recruiting more black officers for a department that is disproportionately white compared to the racial make-up of the city. Some have also suggested that requiring officers to live in Baton Rouge would create deeper ties between officers and local communities. Some of the ordinance's critics say they still plan to oppose it despite the changes Banks-Daniel has made. Councilman John Delgado called Banks-Daniel's ordinance dangerous, and said a better way to achieve community policing would be for BRPD to hire 200 more officers. "We need more officers than what we have now, not less," said Delgado, who is running for mayor. "And what she is proposing will limit the applicant pool, which will result in less officers on the street, and ultimately increase crime. Her plan puts lives at risk." Banks-Daniel, though, said the residency requirements should help to save lives. It would also make officers safer because they would be better known within the communities where they work, she said. "We have a lot of sick people out there, we have a lot demented people," she said. "When our police officers become our neighbors, we're less likely to shoot and attack our neighbors." She acknowledged, however, that Long, who was killed by the BRPD SWAT team after his attack, was an outsider from Kansas City, Missouri. But she said residency requirements would help to build trust, and she is concerned that BRPD does not try hard enough to recruit within the city-parish. Banks-Daniel did credit Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. for making some strides in inner-city recruitment. Dabadie said a couple of weeks ago that 67 percent to 75 percent of the past four police academy classes for BRPD have been made up of officers of color. Mayor-President Kip Holden's office and BRPD did not respond to a request for comment about the new proposal. Mayor Pro Tem Chandler Loupe called Banks-Daniels' new ordinance divisive and counter-productive. He was a major opponent of the original version as well. "We as a city should be honoring our officers, not trying to mandate restrictions on where they choose to raise their families," Loupe said. "I won't let a a small group of individuals divide our city." Councilman Buddy Amoroso said after Wednesday's meeting that the best time to discuss residency requirements and other police department changes would be in 2017, when a new mayor and Metro Council take office after this fall's elections. Delgado reiterated the need for pay raises for the police department. New BRPD officers earn $32,979, while the starting pay for State Police troopers is $46,610. He said the city-parish should incentivize police officers to live in Baton Rouge with $2,500 cost-of-living allowances for those who do, rather than shut the door on applicants from other parishes. But Banks-Daniel has continued to call the residency requirements a win-win for keeping police officers safe and building trust in the community. "I have continued to get calls from law enforcement and the community, and they just can't understand why anyone would have a problem with this," she said. After two days spent listening to a cross-section of Baton Rouge from first responders to families mourning slain officers and a man killed by police U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch reflected Friday on her time in the capital city. "It was certainly a very powerful message from everyone that I met with today how much they love Baton Rouge. This is a very closely connected community," she said when asked how her experience here compared to other cities she's visited during crises over police shootings. The nation's top law enforcement official said she wants to push forward an ongoing conversation about how to heal the city and address deeply-rooted concerns involving race and community policing. She intended it to come not as a directive from Washington, D.C. but as a signal from the U.S. Department of Justice that the agency will support local grassroots efforts, she said. The visit capped off a week of funerals and memorials and the end of arguably the most emotionally draining month the capital city has seen in years. Lynch, at a memorial Thursday featuring Vice President Joe Biden, paid tribute to the three officers who were killed by a gunman here on July 17. By Friday, she'd broadened her approach to include time devoted to law enforcement officers, community leaders and the families of the fallen lawmen and of Alton Sterling, who was shot dead during a July 5 altercation with police. But Lynch did not announce any new findings in the federal investigation into the police shooting death of Sterling, which had prompted days of protests in Baton Rouge prior to the law enforcement officers being killed. Lynch said Friday there is no timetable for the probe to be finished but promised it would be a thorough and fair investigation. She also said she could not speak about the probe into the actions of Gavin Long, the Missouri man who shot dead Baton Rouge officers Montrell Jackson and Matthew Gerald and Sheriff's deputy Brad Garafola. The news media was not allowed to view the entirety of Lynch's meetings Friday. They included a gathering with some 60 first responders, a separate roundtable of some 20 community leaders, and a private session with four of Sterling's children and their mothers. Lynch had also met with the families of the three slain officers, as well as with the family of East Baton Rouge Sheriff's deputy Cpl. Nick Tullier, who remains in critical condition after being shot in the head and abdomen. The Attorney General said she could not elaborate on what was said during the meetings with the families, but expressed that all hoped for peace and offered condolences to those who lost their lives this past month. Several of the attendees of the roundtable said they appreciated Lynch's time and attention to Baton Rouge issues, but as with many such community dialogues, they said it remains unclear what will come of the conversation. "It kind of was a scraping-the-surface kind of thing. The Attorney General took a lot of notes on what we were all saying, so hopefully she walks away with ideas and some themes that can help her in what she has to do going forward to help our community," said Max Minelli, a local rapper and artist who was invited by the Justice Department to the meeting. +3 Baton Rouge agency offering sessions on processing trauma After shots rang through Baton Rouge and wall-to-wall media coverage displayed protests, cri Earlier Friday, Lynch addressed a group of some 60 police officers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, nurses, firefighters and other Baton Rouge first responders at First United Methodist Church on North Boulevard. She thanked them for their service and said she was impressed by their response to the July 17 shooting of the six law enforcement officers, leaving three dead and three wounded. "I don't think that they ever would have thought that they would become this national symbol of not only tragedy, but also of how connected they were to their community," Lynch said about the slain officers. Lynch told the group of first responders that her office is trying to help with financial assistance for the overtime costs police officers have incurred in recent weeks. The bill from local agencies on overtime this month is approaching some $3 million. She also asked what other type of assistance or training might help law enforcement and first responders prepare for the future, but complimented them on the training law enforcement had already undergone that helped them respond to the shooting. "Thank you for everything that you did on that day, but also, thank you for everything that you did before that day," she said. Before Lynch spoke, Walt Green, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, also remembered the fallen officers and thanked their colleagues. "As I went to the scene on that Sunday, I could not have been more impressed or moved by seeing the sight of hundreds of brothers and sisters in law enforcement who responded to the call," Green said. At a session later on Friday, Lynch presided over a community roundtable featuring about 25 local leaders. Many were church or judicial representatives, including Juvenile Court Judge Pamela Taylor Johnson, Judge John Michael Guidry of the Louisiana 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, the Rev. Raymond Jetson of Star Hill Baptist Church and Father Joshua Johnson of St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Lynch noted that her swearing-in as attorney general on April 27, 2015 came in the midst of uproar in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray, who suffered fatal injuries in police custody. The atmosphere surrounding that event was significant in her approach toward her role, she said. Lynch was joined at the head of a room in Baton Rouge's federal courthouse by other Justice Department officials, including Green; Vanita Gupta, the head of the Civil Rights Division; Synthia Taylor, director of the Community Relations Service's southwestern office; Ron Davis, director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; and Paul Monteiro, Community Relations Services director. Gary Chambers, publisher of The Rouge Collection and one of the attendees, said he thought Lynch fostered a productive conversation. "I told her this didn't just start happening with protests. This is what people of color have dealt with before. We talked about economic development and how the core of what leads to an Alton Sterling is the lack of economic development in north Baton Rouge," Chambers said. "Why does a man sell CDs at 12 o'clock at night? Because there's no economic opportunities in his community." Sterling, who was known for selling CDs in front of a convenience store in north Baton Rouge, was armed in the early morning of July 5 when he was approached by police responding to a report of a man with a gun, according to police. Some have openly wondered why the officers didn't seem to already know Sterling, a regular outside the shop. It would have been illegal for Sterling, who had a felony record, to be carrying a gun. "I felt like I should have been impressed that the attorney general is listening," said Shamaka Schumake, executive director of Baton Rouge Organizing, who was one of the community leaders invited to the roundtable. "Which is great, but to be really candid with you, I don't (care) if she's listening, if things don't change." Schumake added, "I don't believe it was just a photo op. I believe that she was using the weight of her office to start some honest conversation, but that she wasn't committing herself or her office to too much." Some participants also noted that only about three or four people in the community roundtable were white, while the rest were people of color. "Frankly, my first instinct was that I was glad that it was predominantly African American. Because at a lot of tables like that with influence, there are mostly white people there, and hardly ever any, or few black people," said Patti Snyder, pastor at University Presbyterian Church and a representative of Together Baton Rouge. But Snyder, who's white, said much of the work ahead also has to be done by white people in Baton Rouge talking to one another about their racial privilege. "It behooves us to educate ourselves. It's not up to the black community to educate us. We've expected the black community to do that for a long time, or it's come out that way anyway, because we aren't doing it, so the black community has taken it on," she said. Lynch didn't directly answer a question about whether the Justice Department will conduct an investigation into the practices of local law enforcement and city agencies, similar to the sweeping probe the department did in Ferguson, Missouri after a black teenager was shot by a white officer there in 2014. Lynch said the Justice Department's Community Relations Services which by design is a relatively under-the-radar division will continue to work with local actors to address the crisis. "It is true that the eyes of the country, and of the world, are on you," Lynch said to the Baton Rouge crowd. 'This is our turning point': 10 poignant quotes from memorial for fallen Baton Rouge officers 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. Subpoenas were sent out this week to several department heads and city councilmen with the city of New Roads mandating they appear before a grand jury investigating claims against Mayor Robert Myer and the city's former finance director. Officials with the District Attorney's Office for the 18th Judicial District were mum Friday on whether the proceedings have anything to do with the Louisiana Inspector General's Office's investigation into the mayor's use of a city-issued credit card for personal purchases. Inspector General Steven Street said the investigation his office launched in Jan. 2015 into Myer's use of the city credit card was turned over to the District Attorney's Office "a little while ago." "We were asked to look into some stuff but I'm not going to discuss the details," Street said Friday. Assistant District Attorney Tony Clayton didn't reveal any details about the investigation either on Friday, but he confirmed the state's case against Myer and the city's former finance director Cherie Rockforte-Laviolette will be presented to the grand jury in New Roads at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. "We'll see what they want to do with it," Clayton said. According to letters the District Attorney's Office sent to the Clerk of Court this week, subpoenas were handed out this week to all five city councilmen, the city's Secretary/Treasurer Sal Rinaudo, Chief of Police Kevin McDonald and current Finance Director Deloras Malden. Officials from People's Bank in New Roads, a Region's Bank branch in Baton Rouge and several investigators with the state's Inspector General's Office also made the subpoena list. Myer made nearly $134,000 in charges to his city-issued credit card between 2011 and early 2014, according to monthly statements reviewed by The Advocate in Jan. 2015. Those statements revealed nearly $1,700 in charges for dinners and movie tickets. Restaurant charges included a $252 charge to Chophouse New Orleans on New Years Day in 2012; a $178 meal at McCormick and Schmicks in D.C. on March 12, 2014; and a $72 charge at Ichiban Sushi in Baton Rouge on Oct. 2, 2011. Myer also rang up travel expenses during that time which included a $790 charge to Loews Hotel in New Orleans for a two-night stay over the New Years holiday in 2012. The same card was also used to pay for the out-of-state travel and lodging for council members attending conferences. But much of the credit card's use lacked itemized receipts tracking how taxpayers' money was spent, which is required by state law. Seven months after The Advocate reviewed the credit card statements, a Legislative Audit Report called into question roughly $13,100 of the transactions made by city officials in 2014 that lacked receipts explaining purchases and charges. That report also noted that employees have reimbursed the city for nearly all the questionable charges. City financial records from 2015 showed Myer has reimbursed the city $8,680 for personal charges he made with the credit card. Nearly one out of three students who thought they would get a voucher for the 2016-17 school year are going on a waiting list instead, officials said Thursday. Letters notifying families of the latest developments were mailed last week, just days before classes start. Earlier 1,480 new applicants for the aid accepted the awards and registered with their new school. However, 442 of those students have been put on hold because of state budget problems. Vouchers are state aid that allows children from low-income families who attend troubled public schools to attend private schools. Backers say the program offers students a way out of problem classrooms. Critics call the aid a waste of state dollars, and cite studies that show low test scores at some of the schools that accept the students. The state spent $42 million on the program for the 2015-16 school year. That was trimmed by $2.5 million for the 2016-17 school year amid Louisiana's worst budget crisis since the 1980s. State Superintendent of Education John White said Thursday the notifications have set off alarms. "We started getting calls from families," White said. "They have called legislators, legislators are calling us," he said. "But it shouldn't be a surprise to any of us in government that when you cut a program that exists to help people who can't pay for school themselves now they won't be able to pay for school." About 7,100 student got the awards for the past school year. How many will be enrolled this time is unclear. Most of the recipients are minorities, and most live in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Current voucher holders were allowed to retain the aid, according to department documents. However, in some cases siblings will be split in where they attend school because hopes that a brother or sister would join them fell through. Once enrollment is taken for the first quarter of school, some students on the waiting list will qualify for the aid, state officials said. "It is just a shame we have to put a disclaimer on this and play a game of last-minute brinkmanship," White said of the earlier awards, which noted that they were subject to state dollars being available. As Louisiana lawmakers debate issue, 'real people' fret over future of school vouchers in private schools Like lots of parents, Latoya Johnson is anxious about whether her two sons will get state vo Vouchers have been a highly-charged topic, especially this year. Gov. John Bel Edwards, a longtime critic of vouchers, was accused earlier this year of breaking a campaign promise not to reduce the program. Edwards denied the charge and said current recipients of the aid would keep it. Asked if the governor wanted to comment Shauna Sanford, a spokeswoman for the governor, said "Unfortunately, all areas of government are having to take cuts to fill the remaining budget shortfall, including K-12 education, higher education and health care. "However, all current recipients will be keeping their scholarships," Sanford said. "Gov. Edwards had a plan to fully fund state government, but some members of the Legislature blocked that effort and didn't offer a plan of their own." As Louisiana lawmakers debate issue, 'real people' fret over future of school vouchers in private schools Like lots of parents, Latoya Johnson is anxious about whether her two sons will get state vo Ann Duplessis, president of the pro-voucher group Louisiana Federation for Children, called the latest developments heartbreaking. "We are now a week or two before school starts," Duplessis said. "Imagine the confusion that these families are in," she said. "It is just incredible." After 12 hours of public hearings in six cities this week, the top issue is student behavior, state Superintendent of Education John White said Friday. White made the comment during a two-hour hearing at McKinley Middle Magnet School on how the state should change its public school policies to comply with a new federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA. The issue of student behavior, including classroom violence, came up several times in a gathering of more than 100 parents and school officials, including several local superintendents and two members of the state's top school board Jada Lewis and Kathy Edmonston. White said student violence is not on the rise either in Louisiana or nationally, though it is the topic he hears raised the most. He said disruptive students are often those that need to be in classrooms the most, and that sending them home "is not helpful to them or society." "I am hearing a lot about how do we approach issues on student behavior, including aggressive behavior," White said after the meeting. "It is a concern from the perspective of people who feel like there needs to be a more strict approach, and a concern from the perspective of those who feel like being strict has led to a lot of adverse consequences of children in need of support," he said. The issue has spilled into the Legislature too, including controversial bills to restrict student suspensions. In addition, surveys often show that school violence is a top concern of teachers. A state task force is also studying the issue. Any of those recommendations may end up in the state's plan for how to comply with the 2015 federal law, which took the place of No Child Left Behind. Education officials agree, new federal law to replace No Child Left Behind, gives flexibility to improve public schools Education officials, who often clash, agree that a new federal law to replace the No Child L Gretchen Lampe, an official of the Louisiana Association of Educators for East Baton Rouge Parish, said she thinks institutional racism is part of the problem. "We've got a problem and nobody wants to talk about it," Lampe told the group during one of the periods of public comment. Lampe, who is white, said white teachers are routinely sent into classrooms where they "don't know how to have conversations and understand other cultures." Others in the audience blamed racism for a variety of problems in public schools, including why black students are tested less than whites for possible inclusion in gifted and talented programs. LAE President Debbie Meaux repeated her concerns about the value of letter grades on public schools, which she called labels with little meaning. "It doesn't tell me anything about the school," Meaux said. White disagreed. "I am a staunch advocate of putting a grade on a school," he said. White said the state may need to revamp the way school letter grades are calculated. The state Department of Education plans three more hearings on the new federal law next week in Houma, Mandeville and New Orleans. Rival school review panel named by Gov. John Bel Edwards Gov. John Bel Edwards named nine members to a panel Wednesday to recommend changes in public Hearings are also planned before at least half a dozen education groups before the state submits its plans to the U. S. Department of Education next year. Louisiana kicks off review of public school policies LAFAYETTE -- The state should take a new look at its public school testing policies, the val Changes will take effect for the 2017-18 school year. Advocate staff photo by MATTHEW HINTON--A sign on Burgundy Street in the French Quarter advertises an apartment for rent in New Orleans, La. Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016. Many long term residents in the French Quarter are worried that the neighborhood will soon be only rentals, both long term of 30 days or more and short term of a few days or weeks. Advocate file photo by JOHN McCUSKER -- A Walking Warrior spies a target during the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club parade in New Orleans in 2015. Confession time: When Hillary Clinton crossed the threshold this week and became the first female presidential nominee of a major party, I got a little weepy. I didn't really see that coming. Maybe that's because Clinton's been on the public stage for so long that nothing about her feels new, or because she's been part of so many exhausting controversies. More likely it's because I come from a generation of women that has the luxury of taking for granted the opportunities and options that others won on our behalf. That a seriously smart, capable, hardworking woman could rise to the nation's highest office in 2016 feels so obvious that it almost doesn't even seem that remarkable. Except for the fact that it is. I clearly wasn't the only one affected by the moment, and moved to think about the people who worked to make it possible. The names spoken on the Democratic National Convention stage and typed across the internet mostly belonged to larger-than-life barrier busters who didn't live to see this day. People like Shirley Chisholm, the first woman and African-American to seek the Democratic nomination; like 1984 vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro; like sharp-witted Texas Gov. Ann Richards, who got a shout-out on the convention stage from her daughter Cecile, who heads the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. One of the more touching tributes I saw, though, was a virtual toast from another accomplished daughter, to a woman who fought more quietly but just as effectively. "My mother Lindy Boggs worked all her life for this day," broadcast journalist Cokie Roberts wrote on Twitter after Clinton's nomination became official. "Raise a glass in heaven, Mamma! I know the men you got elected will join you. Right?" Boggs, who represented Louisiana in Congress and went on to serve as ambassador to the Vatican, was an admired and beloved figure at home, as well as the first woman to chair a Democratic National Convention. But she doesn't often make national lists of feminist icons. Blame that on her gracious southern style, perhaps, as well as the anti-abortion rights views that she felt doomed her hopes of being Walter Mondale's running mate instead of Ferraro. Still, Boggs, who died in 2013, was responsible for an important step in the quest for equality. She authored the legal language that gave women, single or married, the right to borrow money on their own. The measure allowed women to buy homes, start businesses, provide for their families, and basically become full participants in the economy. Like Clinton's ascent, such legislation seems inevitable in retrospect, but it almost didn't happen. And it wouldn't have, if not for a wily maneuver on Boggs' part. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 originally prohibited lender discrimination based race, religion and age, but it made no mention of gender or marital status. In her memoir, Boggs recounted how, as a member of the House Banking Committee, she quietly inserted more expansive wording into the bill and pretty much shamed her male colleagues into going along. "Knowing the members composing this committee as well as I do, I'm sure it was just an oversight that we didn't have 'sex' or 'marital status' included," she recalled saying, according to "Washington Through a Purple Veil: Memoirs of a Public Woman." "I've taken care of that, and I trust it meets with the committee's approval." And ever since, women have had the legal right to take out a credit card, mortgage or car loan without having to ask a man's blessing, a right that I and countless others have exercised without giving it a second thought. Tuesday night was something of a reminder that we should, that these all the gains we take for granted were both hard-fought and unsettlingly recent. And it's a reminder that, for the next generation, the thought of a women president already is nothing but normal. Michelle Obama said as much, when she described her teenage daughters' take on the election. And when Bill Clinton spoke, more than one parent I know chuckled online when their kids asked whether that guy is Hillary's husband. A former president as just another supportive political spouse? We really have come a long way. New details in rape, voyeurism case against N.O. surgeon emerge in contentious hearing New details in rape, voyeurism case against surgeon emerge in contentious hearing Would-be fugitives rescued off Cuban coast by Disney cruise ship plead guilty to fraud in N.O. Would-be fugitives saved near Cuba by Disney ship plead guilty to fraud in N.O. The ACT government will launch a pilot program into four Canberra schools to equip students with the skills to critically analyse alcohol marketing in the hope of reducing underage drinking rates. Game Changer+ is an initiative of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, which takes a proactive approach to improving public health and minimising risky drinking behaviour. Professor Sandra Jones hopes the school program will empower students to make wiser decisions over alcohol. Credit:Graham Tidy Assistant Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris launched the program on Friday acknowledging that many interested parties in the room had expressed disappointment in the abandonment of a post-3am fee hike and changes to closing times for nightclubs and bars. "If we're reaching younger people when they're starting to make decisions about when to drink, how much to drink, whether to drink at all, then they need to be informed," Ms Fitzharris said. Canberra insurance broker Ali King will be showing her sweet side as she competes to be Australia's top dessert maker on a new reality show. She is one of 12 dessert makers putting their mixers to the test on Zumbo's Just Desserts under the eye of host and judges Adriano Zumbo and Rachel Khoo. Canberra insurance broker Ali King on the set of Zumbo's Just Desserts with Rachel Khoo and Adriano Zumbo. "I've always been a creative person, whether it's painting or arranging flowers or cooking," she said. The show will be on Prime7 after the Olympics. More than 100 Santas are expected to strip to their speedos and brave the Canberra cold on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin this weekend. In Sunday's 6500 Santa Speedo Shuffle in aid of Cystic Fibrosis ACT, competitors will run a course as many times as possible in 65 minutes. Runners in last year's 6500 Santa Speedo Shuffle around Lake Burley Griffin. Credit:Jeffrey Chan Last-minute online entries are open until Saturday. For those less daring, you can participate in a one-lap Dash for Cash around Lake Burley Griffin dressed as your favourite Christmas character. The director of a mobile phone business which sold a faulty USB charger blamed for the death of a 28-year-old woman could face penalties of up to $605,000, a court has heard. Huadi Bi, director of Hau Yang Australia International Trading and Investment Pty Ltd, did not appear in the Supreme Court on Friday, where the NSW Commissioner for Fair Trading launched legal proceedings against Ms Bi and her Campsie store where the faulty charger was sold. Both Ms Bi and her company are being prosecuted for first offences under section 15 of the Electricity Consumer Safety Act. Provided they're well managed, it's easy for underdeveloped economies to grow rapidly as workers move from the farm to a city factory and as existing Western technology is taken off the shelf and applied. But as the economy expands it becomes harder and then impossible to maintain such high rates of expansion. China's less dramatic growth rate of six point something is now "the new normal", as its government says. Further slowing is possible in the next few years. China's economy is still far from being a market economy like ours, and it's not clear the Chinese government wants to make it one. We in the developed world where growth rarely gets much higher than 2 or 3 per cent a year are so unfamiliar with such rapid growth rates that we forget the basic arithmetic involved. At a constant growth rate of 10 per cent, an economy doubles in about seven years. At a constant rate of 6.7 per cent, it doubles in about 10. Consider this: China's growth in 2005 of 11.3 per cent added $US338 billion to its size, whereas growth of 7.4 per cent in 2014 added $US708 billion. It's the absolute size of China's growth its addition to gross world product that matters most to the rest of the world. Another trap for foreign observers is to assume China has a market economy like ours, or that the Chinese government is busy turning its economy into a market economy. That's easy to believe when you're told that, in 2014, China's private sector produced at least two-thirds of its GDP, with the private sector creating more than 90 per cent of the additional jobs and with the public sector accounting for just 11 per cent of China's workforce (compared with 14 per cent in Oz). But China's economy is still far from being a market economy like ours, and it's not clear the Chinese government wants to make it one. Remember China's history. In the 1950s, following the Communist revolution of 1949, private property was expropriated and a planned economy established. All that began changing after 1979, when Deng Xiaoping initiated the far-reaching market-oriented reforms that have brought China's economy to where it is today. China's many remaining state-owned enterprises may not be as dynamic and fast-growing as its private sector, but they remain an important part of the economy. Indeed, they're a drag on the economy, often badly run with problems of overcapacity and overproduction. Many foreign economists are urging China to simply close or privatise its remaining SOEs. And it's true that reforming them would be an important part of raising China's productivity performance. But it's not clear this is the intention of China's President (and general secretary of the Communist Party), Xi Jinping. Some degree of reform may come, but it may involve adopting market mechanisms where thought appropriate rather than eliminating the government-owned business sector. Making China's economy the same as any Western developed economy is unlikely to be Xi's objective, even if the pressure of events causes it to continue drifting in that direction. China remains a one-party state, and the objective of that party is to remain in power. That may mean reforming rather than eliminating SOEs, which are run by party officials. Within the Chinese government, power is shared between the central, provincial and municipal governments, all of them run by party officials. Beijing's power is constrained. Xi is unlikely to initiate any big changes before the Communist Party's 19th national congress late next year, when he will be able to increase his grip on power. Economic reform and year-to-year economic management is guided by the 13th five-year plan. Growth in GDP is not just a measure of economic success, it's a political target. Facebook's future cash flows and results could suffer a major blow if it loses a battle over new US tax liabilities related to the transfer of its global operations to Ireland in 2010. The Internal Revenue Service delivered a notice of deficiency to the social media giant Wednesday for $US3 billion ($4 billion) to $US5 billion ($6.6 billion), plus interest and penalties, based on the agency's audit of Facebook's transfer pricing, the company said in a regulatory filing Thursday. Facebook, which plans to challenge the notice in federal tax court, said its balance sheet could suffer if it's held liable. The IRS asked a federal judge in California to force the company to turn over detailed internal corporate records related to the value of the assets moved to Ireland. Credit:Bloomberg Facebook said in the filing that the liability "could have a material adverse impact" on its finances, results or cash flows. "In addition, the determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment by management, and there are many transactions where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain." The IRS on Monday asked a federal magistrate judge in California to force the company to turn over detailed internal corporate records related to the value of the assets moved to Ireland. They included all operations outside the US and Canada. Melburnians will be unsurprised a person was sleeping in the Bank of Melbourne's well-lit, comparatively warm and CCTV-protected foyer. This is an issue that we failed to confront and as such, homelessness has reached crisis levels. The failure of successive governments, both federal and state, to properly fund public and community housing has left people who are experiencing disadvantage at high risk of homelessness. But with a public relations storm brewing, the bank then came out and cited safety concerns as a justification for the sign. The Bank of Melbourne claimed customers had experienced "aggressive behaviour and intimidation" while trying to do their banking, and assured media sources the person had been linked in with appropriate services. Sadly, the sign has now been replaced with security guards, who patrol the foyer at night to keep the homeless out. The bank's initial response was to apologise for any offence that I might have taken. And happily, the sign was taken down. This week I put a post on the Bank of Melbourne's Facebook page, criticising it for a sign in the window of its Footscray branch. The sign, which was put up late last week, explained the ATM area at the front of the branch has been closed "due to an inconsiderate person using the foyer as a place to live and litter". The ignorance of the sign was almost comical; the notion that the bank (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westpac, which posted a record profit of $7.8 billion last year) was the victim in that scenario was clearly ridiculous. There is currently a 10-year wait for public housing and almost no emergency housing. Further, rapid gentrification has meant low-cost housing such as St Kilda's Gatwick Hotel is being lost to development. The number of rough sleepers in the city has almost doubled since last year. I can concede the Bank of Melbourne cannot be expected to single-handedly fix this issue. But the type of society we live in is determined by the actions companies and people take in response to these situations, and in my view the action taken by the bank has been troubling. First, many have said the bank has a right to ask the person to move on to ensure its customers feel comfortable and safe accessing the ATM. While it is obvious it is neither sustainable or ideal for the person to sleep in the bank foyer, it is completely indefensible for the bank to put up a sign that demonises and belittles a person because of their lack of housing. In my view, the bank has failed to see the humanity of the person, and has failed to treat them with dignity. Secondly, the Bank of Melbourne has now employed security guards to make sure people experiencing homelessness can't access its foyer at night. This type of action is akin to the "homeless spikes" that have been used to prevent people from sleeping out the front of Tesco supermarkets in Britain, and sloping park benches that can't be slept on. These are actions that show hostility towards poverty and social difference, and discriminate against the use of public space by the poor. The Bank of Melbourne has been quick to cite its support for a number of charities, including Melbourne City Mission's "Sleep at the G" fundraiser. But the message is clear: the Bank of Melbourne is supportive of the homeless as long as they do not invade the realm of its business, so long as they take their distress elsewhere so as not to upset the sensibilities of its customers. Without public sector planning, investment and so-called red tape our coal power stations would be much closer to residential areas, and those residential areas would be a chaos of competing networks of electrical wires. Anyone who has travelled to Asia knows what I am talking about. If we had relied on the market to build our "electricity network" then the residents of regional NSW would still be splitting wood to cook dinner. Like our sewers and phone lines, there is no chance that "the market" would provide a joined up network across our vast continent. While we talk about the "market" for electricity, the government has always played a central role in its planning, regulation and construction. If we go back 50 years it was state governments that built the coal-fired power stations, built the mines that feed them and built the poles and wires that distribute the electricity. The fact that many of these assets have been sold to private companies in recent years does not mean we can "thank the market'' for their provision. Which brings me back to the debate about renewable energy and the price of electricity in South Australia. It turns out that, surprise surprise, this not really a debate about "market forces" but a debate about the design of the rules that will govern the National Electricity Market for years to come The absurdity of the notion that it was ''markets forces", not "regulatory design", that mattered most for economic, social and environmental outcomes was always hidden in full view. Indeed, the banks, the mining companies and the media moguls that shouted the loudest about "free markets" have always spent up big on lobbyists to ensure they got the rules they wanted. But now the cat is out of the bag. Everyone knows the TV stations benefits from rules that prevent new competitors. Everyone knows property developers make a fortune by getting planning laws changed. And everyone knows that while they have to pay for water and waste disposal the mining industry doesn't. Just as the "nanny state" required petrol companies to phase out the use of lead in petrol in 1985, John Howard introduced the Renewable Energy Target to begin the phase out of fossil fuels from our electricity generation sector in 2001. As the RET mandates a growing market share for renewable energy it inevitably drives the decline of coal. Unsurprisingly, the coal-fired generators rage against such rules in the same way that cigarette companies rage against restrictions on smoking and the mining industry rages against having to clean up the holes they leave behind when they are finished selling our resources. Just as the invention of mobile phones necessitated the introduction of new road rules the emergence of cheap renewable energy and new forms of battery storage like the Tesla Wall and Redflow ZCell require the creation of new rules for the electricity market. And precisely because rules matter so much, the owners of the coal-fired power stations are legally obliged to try to shape those rules in ways that maximise their profit. But just because we can't blame them for trying doesn't mean we have to listen to them. As more and more batteries are installed in homes and businesses the peak load on the transmission network will be reduced, meaning that we will be able to save billions of dollars on line upgrades within and between towns and cities. Should that windfall accrue to those with an obligation to maintain the network, to the people who install the batteries, or be shared in some way? Rules matter. The recent spike in the South Australian electricity price has as many causes as it does critics. Rule changes have made it more profitable to export gas than to burn it to make electricity in SA. Demand is higher in winter, the wind didn't blow continuously and, most significantly the upgrade of the Heywood interconnector that joins the SA and Victorian networks reduced supply in July but will make electricity cheaper in both states for years to come. South Australia has cheaper electricity today than it had in 2007. There were no black outs during the so-called "crisis" and the vast majority of residential and industrial customers who are on long-term contracts didn't even notice the five-minute surges in the wholesale spot price. When the interconnector upgrade is complete, and if a new interconnector with NSW is built, not only will SA be able to rely on more power from other states when the wind is calm, but SA will be able to export a lot more cheap energy when the wind does what it usually does in SA which is blow hard. Sandy Pearlman a producer, lyricist, manager, executive and college professor who was a herald of developments from heavy metal and punk to the digital distribution of music, died on Tuesday in Novato, California. He was 72. He had suffered a debilitating cerebral hemorrhage in December, and died of pneumonia and other complications, Robert Duncan, his longtime friend and conservator, said. Sandy Pearlman, best known for his association with Blue Oyster Cult. Mr. Pearlman was one of the first serious rock critics, writing and editing for the pioneering rock-culture magazine Crawdaddy. He claimed to have been the first writer to use the phrase "heavy metal" to describe music. But he was best known as the producer, manager and lyricist for Blue Oyster Cult. He produced and co-produced albums for the band from 1972-1988. With his longtime business partner Murray Krugman, he produced one of the earliest albums considered to be punk rock, The Dictators Go Girl Crazy! released in 1975, and he produced the second album by the Clash, Give 'Em Enough Rope, in 1978. When Malcolm Turnbull snatched the leadership of the federal parliamentary Liberal Party back from Tony Abbott last September, it fuelled community hopes that our Prime Minister would moderate the government's position on a number of issues, including anthropogenic global warming. After all, he had unexpectedly lost that leadership by a mere single vote in the party room in 2009 because he was proposing a more robust policy to mitigate climate change by cutting carbon emissions than was Mr Abbott. When he took over late last year, Mr Turnbull's approval ratings in part reflected those hopes he would break with Mr Abbott's support for the coal industry. There is overwhelming international acceptance that burning fossil fuels is the key cause of the dangerous global warming that is occurring. The science is beyond question; the debate is not about whether climate change is happening, but about the best way to minimise global warming by reducing carbon emissions. The new energy and environment minister Josh Frydenberg. Credit:Jay Cronan The dramatic decline in Mr Turnbull's standing and the consequent fall in the government's support, to the point that it nearly lost the recent election, was partly a function of widespread disappointment he had done little to differentiate his administration from that of Mr Abbott. Now that he has won power in his own right, there is reason for cautious optimism Mr Turnbull will buttress the government's efforts to reduce carbon emissions. That inevitably means diminishing the role of coal. Thus, The Age believes Mr Turnbull's move to combine the energy and environment portfolios and place them in the charge of one of the government's most competent ministers, Josh Frydenberg, might well lead to better policies on climate change. Is there anything better than a good downfall story? Harriet Wran's tale has it all drugs, murder, mental illness and the essential binding ingredient of sex. She is a woman undone, the anti-heroine of an updated Edith Wharton novel, with methamphetamine replacing laudanum and the tenements of New York swapped out for a Redfern houso flat. Wran is the pretty premier's daughter who belongs in high society, but instead took up residence on the edges of it. Addicted to ice, suffering from mental illness and partnered up with a fellow drug addict, she took part in the 2014 robbery of drug dealer Daniel McNulty, who was murdered by her companions. The first meetingof the newly expanded cabinet. Credit:Andrew Meares CHRISTOPHER PYNE: [shrugs] To be fair, the post of UN Secretary General is a meaningless sinecure with no power or influence. It's like making someone ambassador to the United States: it's the perfect job for a useless duffer with no skills that's humiliated themselves in public, time and time again, and you just want to boot off somewhere out of sight so they don't embarrass you any further every time they open their mouth. TONY ABBOTT: Now hold on just a min "Hello, I'm the Beatles!" Credit:Andrew Meares MALCOLM TURNBULL: Tony, what the hell are you doing in here? TONY ABBOTT: Um I left my lunch in here. I just came in to get it. [picks up onion] I'll be on my way. [leaves] PETER DUTTON: [reading his phone with mounting horror] Oh my god. Do you know that it's actually illegal to send people back to their country of origin if you know they'll face persecution? It's called "refoulement"! Why did no one ever mention this? MALCOLM TURNBULL: Shut up Peter. Now, we really need to make a decision. I've had Kevin on hold for 40 minutes, and you know how sweary he is when he doesn't get his way. JOSH FRYDENBERG: As Environment and Energy Minister, my biggest concern is that Mr Rudd speaks fluent Mandarin. What if we tells the Chinese about what's happened to the Great Barrier Reef? They might not want to invest in our mines! We can't risk it. MALCOLM TURNBULL: Good point. Scott, what do you think? SCOTT MORRISON: Um jobs and growth? CHRISTOPHER PYNE: [pointedly] Got your heart set on being the next US ambassador there, Scotty? BARNABY JOYCE: As Deputy Prime Minister, I PETER DUTTON: [getting increasingly agitated] Article 31 specifically states that refugees can't be punished for illegal entry into a contracting state! What are we doing? How are we all not in the Hague? GEORGE BRANDIS: [wrestling him] Give me that phone! People have the right to shut the hell up! JULIE BISHOP: Malcolm, wasn't the whole point of crippling the NBN specifically so that people wouldn't go finding things on the internet? PETER DUTTON: [howling] I'M A MONSTER! WE ARE ALL MONSTERS! TONY ABBOTT: [wearing an unconvincing moustache] Sock him Pete! Use extreme Border Force! MALCOLM TURNBULL: Everybody sit down! We have to make a decision today: the UN need a nomination, Kevin's on hold, and KEVIN RUDD: [from speaker phone on desk] I'm not on hold, Malcolm. I'm still right here. [everyone freezes] MALCOLM TURNBULL: Um, Kevin, hi. Sorry about that, just one sec. [places him on hold] George, you told me you put him on hold. He's heard the whole thing! GEORGE BRANDIS: I, um look we just rule that this discussion was a matter of national security and therefore covered under the Border Force Act - if he so much as mentions it, we can jail him for two years. CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Exactly, we just send him to Nauru! PETER DUTTON: [bursts into tears] MALCOLM TURNBULL: Everyone shut up: we need a solution. Scott: come on! SCOTT MORRISON: Um we don't have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem? JULIE BISHOP: Oh great, he's overheated again. MALCOLM TURNBULL: Goddammit, we can't even agree on this? We barely scraped into power, you idiots, Parliament hasn't even sat yet and I've already got the LNP demanding their own party room, a bunch of conservative backbenchers treating Sky News like their personal Mean Girls burn book, and after this I've got yet another meeting with Pauline Hanson to explain, once again, why we can't have a Royal Commission into whether Safe Schools is halal. This is meant to be the easy decision. If we can't manage this, what's this government going to end up looking like? KEVIN RUDD: [icily, from the phone] I'm right here, Malcolm. He spoke of desiring her: her thick blonde hair, her flowery white skirt, her magnetic personality. He was almost titillating as he recalled chasing after her and getting close enough to "touch her back". He used intimate details to reveal her feelings about his three marriage proposals. Never before has a spouse talked about a presidential nominee at a political convention quite like Bill Clinton described Hillary Clinton at the Democratic convention. Then again, a man has never talked about a woman in this context before. Former US president Bill Clinton met a girl in the spring of 1971 and never looked back. Credit:Bloomberg It had always been political wives who shared personal anecdotes to warm up their husbands, especially in the eyes of female voters. Those details were rarely very emotional, though, for fear of feminising the nominees. Future presidents did not want Americans to hear about them crying. A Clinton win in November would obviously give the country a female president. But for 227 years, the presidency has been associated with stereotypically male qualities strength, resolve, fearlessness and the embodiment of power in a deeply patriarchal political system. As Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull agonises over whether to nominate Kevin Rudd for the United Nations, cabinet minister Christopher Pyne says it's a "second-order issue" and that he will ultimately support whatever decision his boss makes. Thursday's cabinet meeting was so strongly divided over the decision with some arguing the former Labor prime minister is sufficiently qualified but others questioning his character that it gave the Prime Minister authority to make a "captain's call". "Whether Kevin Rudd is our nominee for secretary-general of the UN is a second order issue," Mr Pyne, now the Defence Industry Minister, told the Today show on Friday morning. "Cabinet spent most of its discussion yesterday on the royal commission in the Northern Territory, on budget repair and on our agenda for the next three years and quite frankly, the Prime Minister will make an announcement about that today and that will be the end of the matter one way or another." Almost nine in 10 asylum seeker and refugee children at Nauru reportedly do not attend school and have been accused by local students of being "terrorists" and bomb-makers, leaving already vulnerable young people uneducated and badly disadvantaged. The alarming reports, by a Save The Children education specialist who recently returned from the island, also include claims that senior male Nauruan students hit female asylum seekers and refugee children at school, and that classes contain as many as 50 students. The revelations suggests the Turnbull government is failing to meet its human rights obligations to children at Nauru by denying them a proper education. The latest official figures show there are about 50 children living in the Nauru detention centre and Save The Children estimates a further 80-100 are living in the community as refugees. "I'm from a small town in South Texas and if you know your history, Texas used to be part of Mexico," she said. "Now, I'm ninth-generation American. My family never crossed a border, the border crossed us." The 41-year-old actor, who has supported Clinton since her bid for the Democratic nomination in 2008, added that she and her family felt personally offended by Trump's past comments. "When Donald Trump calls us criminals and rapists, he's insulting American families. My father is not a criminal or rapist, in fact, he's a United States veteran. When Trump cruelly mocked a disabled reporter, he was also mocking my special needs sister Lisa and many like her. When he said that a wife who works is a very dangerous thing, he not only insulted me, he insulted my mother who worked as a special-education teacher for 40 years and raised four children while being a wife." 3. Sarah Silverman's crowd control Sarah Silverman may have spent the primaries "feeling the Bern" but, as she told the crowd from the stage she "put some cream on it". The comedian was faced with boos from some Sanders supporters in the crowd for the remainder of her speech, as she explained why they should still vote Democrat in the presidential election. When the boos became too much as she and Minnesota senator Al Franken stretched for time, Silverman delivered one of the conference's most memorable lines: "Can I just say to the 'Bernie or Bust' people, you're being ridiculous." 4. Streep's scream Walking onto the stage in a stars and stripes printed shirt dress to rambunctious applause, Meryl Streep started her speech by waving at the crowd before clenching both of her firsts and screaming in satisfaction. The actor went on to discuss the "grit and grace" demonstrated by those who have become the "first woman" to achieve feats through US history, concluding that, while Clinton may be America's first female president, "she won't be the last". 5. Demi Lovato's candid thoughts on seeking help for a mental illness Former Disney star Demi Lovato spoke candidly about her battle with depression, saying she was "lucky" she was able to afford a stay in a treatment facility in 2010. "I had the resources and support to get treatment at a top facility," she said. "Unfortunately, too many Americans from all walks of life don't get help, either because they fear the stigma or cannot afford treatment." Lovato added that Clinton would be a candidate "who will fight to ensure all people living with mental-health conditions get the care they need to lead fulfilling lives". 6. Sigourney Weaver's wake-up call "Can Donald Trump look these people in the eye and tell them climate change is a hoax?" actor Signourney Weaver asked in a passionate introduction to a video on Clinton's renewable energy policies. Aboriginal groups in the Northern Territory are pushing back against the royal commission into youth detention, claiming Malcolm Turnbull ignored them. They have also attacked royal commissioner Brian Martin for a perceived lack of independence from Adam Giles' Country Liberal Party government. Peak organisations, including the Northern and Central Land Councils and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT and legal groups, rejected the appointment of the former NT chief justice. Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory chief executive John Paterson said the Prime Minister had let Territorians down and further undermined the royal commission by permitting Chief Minister Adam Giles, who had ultimate responsibility for the events at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre, to have a say in drawing up the terms of reference. The Northern Territory's Chief Minister Adam Giles has promised to stop his government counter-suing two boys who are seeking damages for being tear-gassed at a notorious youth detention centre two years ago. The former inmates of Don Dale Youth Detention Centre near Darwin, are being sued for damages totalling $160,000 following a ram raid on the jail after the boys had escaped in a stolen car. They rammed a jail garage door when they returned from their escapade. Disturbing footage of the tear gassing incident at Don Dale Youth Detention Centre near Darwin, as well as vision of a 17-year-old boy being handcuffed, hooded and strapped to a mechanical chair, was aired by the ABC's Four Corners program on Monday. Others find it difficult to resist when colleagues enact or condone abusive behaviour. People who lack self confidence or a strong values system are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure, he says. "Some people have a strong need to belong to the group. Someone who is depressed or anxious tends to have low self-esteem and needs to fit in, to be one of the boys." The United Nations says "most of the children who were held at the detention facility are deeply traumatised". Credit:ABC The lack of transparency within correctional centres and other institutions caring for vulnerable people such as nursing homes, churches and schools tends to exacerbate such personal flaws. "I have always said that the walls of prisons are intended largely to keep the community ignorant of what goes on behind them," says former Melbourne prison chaplain Peter Norden. "They have staff who are poorly paid, poorly trained and liable to use a lot of discretion in their actions, rather than be required to act according to regulations or rules. We have seen this in aged care facilities, intellectual disability institutions and in the royal commission into child abuse. Any concentration of power means there is going to be less accountability, less freedom to report or to object. Young black offenders in Northern Territory institutions are, if you like, the worst possible scenario of that occurring." Youths being isolated at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in Darwin. Credit:ABC Four Corners Norden, an adjunct professor at RMIT University, has worked in the criminal justice system for more than 40 years and over that time has seen prison inmates "bashed stupid" by guards using batons and boots. Some officers are sociopaths who abuse power, he says. Others succumb to job stress and lack the resources to cope. "If you're not professionally trained and you are working in difficult and complex situations, it is difficult at times not to take it out on your work," he says. Footage of the incident at Don Dale showed the guards calling an inmate a "f---ing idiot." Credit:Nicholas Gouldhurst An official report into the 2014 incident at Don Dale cited a lack of adequate training among largely casual staff, "non-existent, outdated and inadequate" detention procedures and a lack of consistency and direction in managing damaged adolescents. Staff were then trained for three days only, which was found to be "grossly inadequate" youth justice officers now undergo eight weeks' off-the-job training. But it's telling that the Don Dale revelations aired the same night the ABC's 7.30 showed footage of a nursing home worker in Adelaide, apparently attempting to suffocate an 89-year-old man with advanced dementia. Separately, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard evidence of systemic mistreatment within churches, schools and the Australian Defence Force. Some argue that the potential for dark acts lurks within us all. The 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, in the United States, divided volunteers into the roles of prisoners and prison guards in a simulated prison environment to test how they would respond. But the brutality of the guards and suffering of prisoners was so intense that the two-week experiment was terminated after only six days. Stanford researcher Philip Zimbardo argues such aggression is "a 'natural' consequence of being in the uniform of a 'guard' and asserting the power inherent in that role". People descend into tyranny because they conform unthinkingly to their assigned role, no matter how malevolent, he suggests also citing atrocities by officers at the US military prison Abu Ghraib. Former NSW inspector of custodial services John Paget, who stepped down in October 2015, says the ethical and moral climate in a prison can override the intentions of officers. "Everyone is accountable for their actions but the situational variables can be more powerful than individual predispositions," he says. While declining to comment on Don Dale, he notes comments the now Northern Territory chief minister Adam Giles made in 2010, while in opposition: that he would put criminals in "a big concrete hole" and "might break every United Nations' convention on the rights of the prisoner". "When you have politicians saying things like that, what message are you conveying as to the expected behaviour of staff?," Paget asks. The majority of corrections officers manage inmates with professionalism and humanity, he adds. "Every now and again you get an incident where a few people let down the many. But what tends to get forgotten is that most of the people locked up get through every night quite safely." NSW Corrections Officer Mark Hutchinson, who works at the maximum-security Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre, in Sydney's west, argues that officers use tear gas as a last resort and then only when authorised to do so. The Four Corners footage does not tell the whole story, he suggests. "Everyone is watching in isolation a five-minute window of a 24-hour day," he says. "Imagine coming in and seeing people eat their faeces or brutal self harm. Imagine you have people who just hit you for no reason. Prison officers aren't thugs. We are just people dealing with other people with major issues." Zimbardo's essential claim, that good people do bad things in unthinking acquiescence to authority, has come under scrutiny. The "guards" in his experiment, rather than being objective participants, were instructed about ways to make prisoners feel humiliated and powerless. Violent disputes were overlooked by Zimbardo, who played the role of prison superintendent. Even then, some guards still acted humanely. "Zimbardo's argument that people just conform like sheep and zombies, and go along with a toxic situation, is not what the evidence shows," says social psychologist Alex Haslam, at the University of Queensland. "People have a choice and they have responsibility and accountability." There are five steps that take such people down the wrong path, he says. Perpetrators first identify as a close-knit group. Second, they exclude another group, which they see as inferior. This outsider group is then perceived as a threat or hurdle. Fourth, perpetrators champion their group as being virtuous and in the right. And finally they celebrate their mistreatment of the other group as being for the greater good. It was the story memorialised in the famous ballad by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody, From Little Things Big Things Grow. This August marks 50 years since a group of Gurindji workers protested against poor work conditions by walking off the job on Wave Hill cattle station in the Northern Territory. Their brave act of resistance became known as the "Wave Hill walk off". It led to their reclaiming of Gurindji land and prompted the Aboriginal land rights movement. It was the culmination of this anniversary with the 40th anniversary of the NT Land Rights Act that gave rise to Subalter/N/ative Dreams, an exhibition at Sydney's Stills Gallery by indigenous cross-disciplinary artists Brenda L.Croft. Her photographic series of self portraits commemorates this defining moment in Australian history and addresses the long shadow cast by colonisation. It also marks the 20th anniversary of the death of her father, a member of the Stolen Generation. Collaborating with her family and the community from Wave Hill and Victoria River in the Northern Territory, Croft draws from personal and public archives to reflect on the cultural dispossession and dislocation of her people and of indigenous people across Australia. full/blood from the series blood/type, 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Stills Gallery, Sydney. Credit:Brenda L. Croft In one series of self portraits, entitled blood/type, Croft stares defiantly at the viewer, with fragments of archival text superimposed across her face. The words full-blood, half-blood, half-caste, native are drawn from terms used to describe her father by colonists. Croft's striking images challenge these descriptors and illuminate the continued use of such simplistic and debasing classifications of Aboriginal people in contemporary language. The highly textural black and white self portraits have been made using an early photographic process called wet plate collodion. Croft, of Gurindji, Malngin and Mudpurra heritage, has a diverse career background as an artist, researcher and curator and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at UNSW Art & Design Australia. "How can I stand here and speak to the idea of our place in an indissoluble Commonwealth when this week my people have been reminded that our place is so often behind this nation's bars," Grant said, beginning to shake slightly, with moistened eyes. SBS journalist Stan Grant at the National Archives in Canberra. Credit:Elesa Kurtz "This week we know what Australia looks like. This week Australia is a boy in a hood in a cell. This week Australia is Aboriginal boys tear gassed, locked down and beaten. These are the images on our television screens. The boys who look like my boys." Grant said he watched his teenage son lose his place in the world as the scenes unfolded: "with each scene of horror he became less sure of his country". "For he has been raised not to believe in our worst," Grant said. "He has been spared the fate of so many of his people. But on that night he wondered at the difference between himself and the boys on the screen." Grant said the images reminded him of his father, who was imprisoned, and his grandfather, who was dragged out of bed and tied to a tree "like a dog" in living memory. He said some people would rather he didn't speak about such events: people who accused him of having "a nostalgia for injustice". "It is a charge brought by people comfortable in their own history while they tell us to forget ours to get over it," Grant said. "These people would tell those boys on our television screens this week the boys crying in agony that they live in an imagined world of pain. They would tell them that they are to blame for their treatment. They would tell the family of a ten-year-old Indigenous girl who takes her own life that they live in an imagined world of sadness. "They would tell our people in overcrowded housing in communities ravaged by violence and drug and alcohol abuse that they revelling in their misery. They tell me I have a nostalgia for injustice. No, we have no nostalgia for injustice, because we have not first had the chance to forget." Grant said that, like "the graveyard crosses of people gone too young", the images of this week were seared into his mind's eye "as sure the charred flesh and the stench of blood from a lifetime of reporting haunts my night's sleep". "Australia was redeemed in part from complicity in this disgrace only by the national outrage," Grant said. "The prime minister responded by calling immediately for a Royal Commission. It may meet a minimum requirement for action but forgive us if we lack faith." Grant called instead for a truth and conciliation commission, a "full reckoning of our nation's past, that may set loose the chains of history that bind this country's first and, today, most miserably impoverished people". "In my caution I have argued against such things fearing it would harden division," Grant said. "Now I accept that we need this mirror into our soul. It is a case study on how to defuse a troll, according to a Muslim man with a lot of experience dealing with them. When a punter messaged the Islamic Council of Queensland wanting to convert to the world's second most common religion one Saturday night earlier this year, ICQ spokesman Ali Kadri suspected it was less than genuine. Islamic Council of Queensland spokesman Ali Kadri has shared how he dealt with online trolling. Credit:Inga Williams/Logan Reporter The would-be troll's first response confirmed his suspicions. "If I convert when can I blow myself up and get 72 virgins?" he asked. CCTV footage has captured the moment a man awkwardly crawled through the back door of a Gold Coast bar eager to get a drink early Thursday morning. The man had wandered down Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise just after 3am looking for a place to get a drink when he stopped outside the back door of Howl at the Moon bar. The bar was closed, but that didn't stop the thirsty gent who picked up a beer keg and began throwing it at the glass door. On his third throw he managed to make a hole big enough to squeeze through head first, lit cigarette in mouth. Every two hours in a Australia, a child is sexually harmed, according to child protection advocacy group Bravehearts. The group is highlighting this alarming statistic ahead of its 20th White Balloon Day. Hetty Johnston says 20 per cent of Australians will be abused before turning 18. Credit:John Donegan "It is likely there is a child in everyone's life, or the life of someone they know, who has been a victim of child sexual assault," Bravehearts Founder Hetty Johnston said. She said one in five Australian children would be sexually assaulted in some way before their 18th birthday. Three people have been charged with manslaughter in relation to the death in June of one-year-old Caboolture toddler Mason Lee. Brisbane man, William Andrew O'Sullivan, 35, from Hazeldean near Somerset Dam, appeared in Brisbane's Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning before chief magistrate Ray Rinaudo. A fourth person has been stood down following the investigation into the death of Mason Jet Lee. The toddler's mother, Annemaree Louise Lee, 27, from Caboolture South, was remanded in custody,after appearing in Toowoomba Magistrates Court. Ms Lee will reappear in Toowoomba Magistrate Court on Monday, August 1, police confirmed. When Sony introduced its three new Xperia X smartphones in Barcelona last year, it said it was "re-imagining" its phone brand, replacing its hoard of confusingly-named, specifically-targeted models with a small, simple line-up. Simplicity seemed to evade the Japanese company yet again however, once more details of the phones got out. The Xperia X line of phones. From left, the X, XA and X Performance. The Xperia X a premium mid-range phone named like a flagship phone and sold at the dangerously-close-to-high-range price of $800 is nice but it's too safe for enthusiasts and too expensive for the mid-range. The Xperia XA, meanwhile, is an entry-level unit that is fine at $500 but drops too many features to appeal broadly. The true flagship of the bunch is the X's souped-up brother the Xperia X Performance and, even though the difference between the two might not be apparent at first glance, it's clear that this is the phone Sony should have been pushing as the leader of the bunch. On the internet everything is also everything else. Any news story is also a joke, any joke is also a news story. When something gets big, everything else about the internet is fed into it, creating an flaring cycle of self-referential humour and serious emotion. This is what happened with Marina Joyce. Stay with me, this will get convoluted. Was Marina on drugs? Had she been kidnapped? Both? On the internet it's hard to tell. Marina Joyce is a moderately popular British fashion vlogger. Over the weekend she tweeted out a link to her latest video. Here begins the conspiracy. The people of Barwon Heads are fighting on multiple fronts to keep development at bay amid fears urbanisation could destroy the town's peaceful village feel. A review of the town's structure, including its residential boundaries, has reignited concerns that undeveloped land surrounding Barwon Heads, the setting for the much-loved TV series, SeaChange, may be rezoned to allow for more than 600 residential lots. Barwon Heads residents are battling to stop this historic house in Bridge Road being replaced by a three-level retail/residential development. Credit:Wayne Taylor And a proposal to redevelop one of the oldest houses in Barwon Heads, believed to date back to the 1890s, has come to symbolise part of the fight. The City of Greater Geelong received an application last year to demolish the house in Bridge Road and replace it with a three-storey building, including shops and dwellings. A drug-addled driver who killed her partner in a crash has been banned from ever driving again. Kaye Jadda Campbell, 43, of Frankston, had prescribed and illicit drugs including amphetamines, opiates and cannabis in her system the night she ran a red light in Dandenong South at about 2.30am on November 12, 2014. Campbell has been banned for driving for life. Credit:Scott Barbour Her partner, Neil Durrance, 32, was thrown from the car, dying after he suffered a severe brain injury. Melbourne County Court earlier heard Mr Durrance died the day before he was to see his daughter for her birthday. Cardinal George Pell was a larger-than-life figure at the Eureka pool in Ballarat through the summers of the late 1970s. This was when it is now sensationally alleged he sexually abused two boys in the pool. "A big, strong, good-looking man," says Paul Tatchell, a former mayor of Moorabool shire and himself a victim of rape by a notorious Catholic priest in Ballarat Edward Dowlan in the bad old days. Pell was on Richmond's reserves list to play footy 20 years before. He gave up sport for the church. But he had kept in shape. Victoria Police are expected to announce charges against Cardinal George Pell on Thursday. "He was never short of admirers," says Tatchell. Pell, now the Vatican's head of finance, would have been 38, 39 years old. "He was in very good nick. Everything he did was done with a grandeur and he reckoned he went all right." Many of the Catholic schools nearby used Eureka as their pool, but the best time to be there was summer school holidays and Pell was always there then, too. Now a 10-year longitudinal study, revealed exclusively to The Age, charts the impact of taking on just such a responsibility. The KCV Longitudinal Study of Kinship Carers 2011-2021, is in its sixth year, and shows carers are facing increasing financial pressures, deteriorating health all while rearing children often suffering physical or emotional trauma. The carers were also anxious about the future, unsure if they would live to see their charges grow up. More than half the grandparents featured in the report will be 70 years old or over when the youngest child in their care reaches 18. Five of them will be 83 a few months past the national average life expectancy. Grandparents Victoria and Kinship Carers director Anne McLeish said two main things emerged from the study, to be released on Monday: kinship carers were making an enormous difference to the lives of the children. And, the role was very difficult, underappreciated and underfunded. An Australian Institute of Family Studies analysis of ABS census data shows that in 2011 there were nearly 47,000 "grandparent families" in the country, with an "absence of parent-child relationships". However, the information does not specify the exact role of the grandparents in such families. More specific is the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's yearly June 30 snapshot of child protection. It shows that in 10 years since 2005, the number of children being looked after in out-of-home care across the nation have almost doubled to 43,399. It is a similar scenario in Victoria with 8567 children found not living with their parents last year up from 4408 in 2005. However, 10 years ago, 56 per cent of the children under the Victorian state care were placed with foster carers, and 30 per cent were being cared for by relatives or kin. Last year that number had swapped, with 54.9 per cent of the children living with relatives, and 17.2 per cent being looked after by foster carers. National Children's Commissioner Australia Megan Mitchell said though there was no clear data, a vast majority of the kinship carers were grandparents. "Anecdotally, we know that there are more and more grandparents taking on the care of [grand] children because [the parents] are not able to care for their own children," Ms Mitchell said. "Many of the children have physical, emotional, behavioural problems. They may have been subjected to abuse and neglect by their own parents. "Here are grandparents who might have thought this was the time when they could relax and retire, and they are having to take on additional demands of re-parenting all over again." And, she said, the official data failed to register those families that made informal arrangements to take on their offsprings' children. In 2013, the federal government commissioned a Senate inquiry into grandparents who take primary responsibility for raising their grandchildren. Tabled in Parliament in 2014, the report made 18 recommendations, including better data collection to identify grandparent-headed families and offering legal assistance. The government has implemented one recommendation, while work is underway on another. A few have been referred to the Council of Australian Governments. They are also giving $350,000 over two years to meet the various demands for increased support for grandparent carers. However, the inquiry's chair Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said she was disappointed the measures didn't go far enough. "Any money is good, but it is not enough to [tackle] the real issues," Senator Siewert said. "It is a bit tokenistic." She said the increase in the number of children being placed in out-of-home care meant the situation in some states had already reached a crisis. Now hear this. The trench is going to be a massive statement piece next season, so get a spring in your sartorial step with this rust trench ($290 down from $645) from Australian label Life with Bird. Its winter sale is in full force, with more than 50 per cent off monochrome dresses, tops and knits. Until sold out. 264 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, and online. Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday Noon-5pm. Life With Bird has more than 50 per cent off winter styles. When the invite says "causal luxury" and you're at a loss, Luxe Deluxe is the store you're looking for. Relaxed jackets, crepe drawstring pants and super-soft sweaters that are still smart enough to wear to the in-laws are all included in the end-of-season sale. 1019 High Street, Armadale. Monday-Thursday 9.30am-5.30pm; Friday 9.30am-6pm; Saturday 10am-5.30pm; Sunday 11am-5pm. A woman has been charged over a crash that killed a taxi driver only metres from his home in Melbourne's north on Saturday morning. Dilawar Shah Gardezi was speaking on his mobile to his family in Pakistan when the woman allegedly crashed into the back of his cab at the corner of Lorne Street and Sydney Road in Fawkner at 4.55am last Saturday. The scene of the fatal crash on Sydney Road, Fawkner. Credit:Laurel Irving/Channel Seven He died in his taxi on the edge of Lorne Street where he lived. Mr Gardezi's friends believe he would have been finishing his shift at the time of the crash and said he was an experienced and cautious driver who would have been using his mobile hands-free. UPDATE: A key witness in the case of Akon Guode, the mother accused of murdering three of her children by driving into a lake, is giving evidence after earlier being arrested for failing to appear in court. The witness, who has not been named, was to give evidence about Ms Guode's "motive and admission". She failed to appear amid claims of threats being made against her, the court heard. Akon Guode with her daughter Awel as a baby (left), and Awel now five. Ms Guode, 37, is charged with murdering three of her children 16-month-old Bol and four-year-old twins Hanger and Madit by driving into a lake in Wyndham Vale on April 8 last year. The three children drowned. An Irishman living in Perth is pleading to be released from a Northam detention centre after being 'wrongly' detained by armed police on Monday over a visa 'bungle'. Bernard Lee, 26, has lived in Perth lawfully for the past seven years. Bernard Lee has been in a detention centre since Monday. Credit:Facebook On Friday, he remained in Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre, after armed police and immigration officers swooped on his Highgate home on Monday night and arrested him. Irish news website, The Irish Independent, said authorities claimed Mr Lee had been issued a letter refusing his application for a resident's visa and cancelling his current business visa, and that he was in breach of the 28-day period to leave the country. A Mandurah teenager has taken a stand against his private school after being told he was not allowed to wear a "man bun" at school. Mandurah Baptist College student Texas Reeks claimed the school's policy for how males could style their hair was "too strict" and that he was constantly getting in trouble for the length of his hair, and tying his hair in a bun. Texas Reeks is fighting for his right to wear a man bun at school. Credit:Facebook The high school student has started a petition to lobby the school to review its policy. "At school we should be able to experiment who we are," he said. Oswiecim, Poland: Seated on a bench near the gate to the site of the Auschwitz death camp in Poland on Friday, Pope Francis prayed in silent tribute to the 1.5 million people, most of them Jews, killed there during World War Two. The third pope to visit Auschwitz and the first not to have lived through the war in Europe, he entered the camp on foot, passing through the iron gates infamous for the sign reading "Arbeit Macht Frei", German for "Work Sets You Free". Visibly moved by the sight of the wooden guard towers, barbed wire fences and inmate barracks, he sat in silent prayer for about 15 minutes. Francis said before the trip that he had decided to make no statement as silence was the best way to honour the dead. He later spent a few minutes quietly greeting 11 Auschwitz survivors, kissing each of them on both cheeks. One man gave the pope a picture of himself surrounded by other emaciated inmates in a bunk, and asked Francis to sign it. Philadelphia: Donald Trump was speaking at an event in Iowa, complaining that America was not allowed to waterboard terrorists, when Khizr Khan and his wife walked up to the microphone at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Khan's son Humayun Khan was a captain in the US Army. When a vehicle packed with explosives approached his compound in Iraq in 2004, he instructed his men to seek cover as he approached it. It exploded, killing Khan instantly. He was awarded the Bronze Star posthumously. "We are honoured to stand here as the parents of Captain Humayun Khan," the elder Khan said, "and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country." Join Auto Lab Live 8-10 AM (EDT) July 30, 2016; Car Comment or Concern? Call 888-692-7234 July 30, 2016 Car Question or Concern? Call Toll Free 888-692-7234 Auto Lab is a 27 year old interactive automotive-focused New York area radio call-in show hosted by Professor Harold Wolchok. Each week a cadre of experienced hands-on automotive experts are in-studio with advice for the New York area's 12 million people, providing listeners with honest, practical and street-smart car repair and buying advice. Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format. AUTO LAB LIVE 8 to 9 am on WMCA Radio Listen Live on WMCA Radio 9 to 10 am on WNYM Radio Listen Live on WNYM Radio New programs air Saturday mornings. After listening to the first hour on WMCA, you will need to close that window and click the link to listen to the second hour on WNYM. After listening to the first hour on WMCA, you will need to close that window and click the link to listen to the second hour on WNYM. Listeners can hear the past 18 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on www.theautochannel.com. Listen - Auto Lab Page (Includes Audio-on-Demand Archives, Auto Programs at Community College Database, Guests Pictures July 30, 2016 - Car Question? Straight Answers From These Auto Lab In-Studio Experts Harold Bendell- Major Auto Ivan Anderson-Brookdale Community College Tim Cacace-Master Mechanix Audra Fordin-Great Bear Auto Repairs & "What Women Auto Know" David Goldsmith - Urban Classics Auto Repairs Jerry Pastore-D & J Diagnostic Johanna Pastore-D & J Diagnostic Joan Porcelli, Esq Michael Porcelli - Central Avenue Auto Repairs & I-CAR Nicholas Prague- MTA and Rockland Community College, SUNY July 30, 2016 - Correspondent Reports: Auto News, Car Reviews, Opinion and Latest Auto World Information Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent, Suffolk England BELLA PICCOLA AUTO'S Sharon Sudol and John Russell Senior Correspondents HYUNDAI ELANTRA TEST DRIVE Russ Rader, Vice President Insurance Institute for Highway Safety HYUNDAI ELANTRA IMPROVES SMALL OVERLAP RATING TO EARN TOP SAFETY PICK + Ivan Anderson, Brookdale Community College and Elizabeth Kruse Second Year Brookdale Auto Tech Student Wins General Motors Scholarship Audra Fordin- NYer of the Week Empower Women with an Automotive Education FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. , July 29, 2016 -- AutoNation, Inc. , America's largest automotive retailer, today reported second quarter 2016 net income from continuing operations of $112 million , or $1.08 per share, compared to net income from continuing operations of $115 million , or $1.00 per share, for the same period in the prior year. Mike Jackson , Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, said, "We achieved record EPS from continuing operations. We benefited from our opportunistic capital allocation strategy, including acquisitions and share repurchase, and we began to see the results of adjusting our cost structure and inventory levels to the current industry selling environment. We remain focused on our strategy to manage costs and reduce our inventory levels going forward and we will continue to take advantage of capital allocation opportunities." Mike Jackson added, "The Takata airbag recall continues to be disruptive to our business. However, in the second half of the year we anticipate improvement due to Takata airbag parts availability and compensation paid by certain manufacturers that will partially offset our costs." Acquisitions In July 2016 , AutoNation completed the previously announced acquisition of four stores, comprised of five franchises, in the Westchester County, New York area, representing approximately $190 million in annual revenue. Upon completion of certain facilities associated with these stores, AutoNation will be awarded a Land Rover franchise and a Jaguar franchise, which are expected to generate approximately $100 million in additional annual revenue once fully operational. AutoNation also completed the acquisition of a Chrysler Jeep store in the Denver market in July 2016 , representing approximately $110 million in annual revenue. Share Repurchase During the second quarter of 2016, AutoNation repurchased 1 million shares of common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $50 million . As of July 28, 2016 , AutoNation has approximately $116 million remaining Board authorization for share repurchase and 102 million shares outstanding. Segment Results Segment results(1) for the second quarter and first six months of 2016 were as follows: Second Quarter 2016 Segment Results Domestic - Domestic segment income (2) was $86 million compared to year-ago segment income of $85 million , an increase of 1%. - Domestic segment income was compared to year-ago segment income of , an increase of 1%. Import - Import segment income (2) was $75 million compared to year-ago segment income of $80 million , a decrease of 7%. - Import segment income was compared to year-ago segment income of , a decrease of 7%. Premium Luxury - Premium Luxury segment income(2) was $93 million compared to year-ago segment income of $94 million , a decrease of 2%. First Six Months 2016 Segment Results Domestic - Domestic segment income (2) was $163 million compared to year-ago segment income of $164 million , a decrease of 1%. - Domestic segment income was compared to year-ago segment income of , a decrease of 1%. Import - Import segment income (2) was $151 million compared to year-ago segment income of $155 million , a decrease of 3%. - Import segment income was compared to year-ago segment income of , a decrease of 3%. Premium Luxury - Premium Luxury segment income(2) was $176 million compared to year-ago segment income of $189 million , a decrease of 7%. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2016 , the Company reported net income from continuing operations of $208 million , or $1.97 per share, compared to net income from continuing operations of $227 million , or $1.97 per share, for the same period in the prior year. The Company's revenue for the six-month period ended June 30, 2016 , totaled $10.6 billion , up 4% compared to $10.2 billion for the same period in the prior year. (1) AutoNation has three operating segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. The Domestic segment is comprised of stores that sell vehicles manufactured by General Motors, Ford, and FCA US (formerly Chrysler); the Import segment is comprised of stores that sell vehicles manufactured primarily by Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai; and the Premium Luxury segment is comprised of stores that sell vehicles manufactured primarily by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Audi. (2) Segment income represents income for each of our reportable segments and is defined as operating income less floorplan interest expense. About AutoNation, Inc. AutoNation is America's largest automotive retailer, currently owning and operating over 360 new vehicle franchises from coast to coast. AutoNation sold its 10 millionth vehicle in 2015, the first automotive retailer to reach this milestone. A commitment to delivering a peerless experience through customer-focused sales and service processes is what drives AutoNation's success. AutoNation supports the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through its Drive Pink Campaign. AutoNation is transforming the automotive industry through bold leadership, technology and innovation. AUTONATION, INC. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS (In millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Revenue: New vehicle $ 3,071.9 $ 2,967.8 $ 5,872.1 $ 5,737.4 Used vehicle 1,259.4 1,216.3 2,501.0 2,409.5 Parts and service 834.7 777.8 1,655.1 1,521.2 Finance and insurance, net 225.4 217.7 448.5 425.3 Other 50.0 44.7 84.3 75.1 Total revenue 5,441.4 5,224.3 10,561.0 10,168.5 Cost of sales: New vehicle 2,909.1 2,801.7 5,560.1 5,409.8 Used vehicle 1,175.4 1,125.2 2,326.0 2,214.7 Parts and service 473.1 440.6 938.8 864.0 Other 42.0 37.7 68.4 61.0 Total cost of sales 4,599.6 4,405.2 8,893.3 8,549.5 Gross profit 841.8 819.1 1,667.7 1,619.0 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 585.2 568.7 1,173.9 1,126.3 Depreciation and amortization 35.9 32.1 70.7 60.8 Other income, net (5.8) (3.8) (10.8) (5.1) Operating income 226.5 222.1 433.9 437.0 Non-operating income (expense) items: Floorplan interest expense (19.3) (14.2) (38.2) (27.4) Other interest expense (28.7) (21.6) (57.0) (43.0) Interest income 0.4 - 0.5 0.1 Other income, net 4.2 0.5 0.8 1.6 Income from continuing operations before income taxes 183.1 186.8 340.0 368.3 Income tax provision 71.0 71.6 131.7 141.4 Net income from continuing operations 112.1 115.2 208.3 226.9 Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes (0.1) (0.1) (0.4) (0.3) Net income $ 112.0 $ 115.1 $ 207.9 $ 226.6 Diluted earnings (loss) per share*: Continuing operations $ 1.08 $ 1.00 $ 1.97 $ 1.97 Discontinued operations $ - $ - $ - $ - Net income $ 1.08 $ 1.00 $ 1.97 $ 1.97 Weighted average common shares outstanding 103.6 115.1 105.5 115.1 Common shares outstanding, net of treasury stock, at period end 102.2 113.4 102.2 113.4 * Earnings per share amounts are calculated discretely and therefore may not add up to the total due to rounding. AUTONATION, INC. UNAUDITED SUPPLEMENTARY DATA ($ in millions, except per vehicle data) Operating Highlights Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 $ Variance % Variance 2016 2015 $ Variance % Variance Revenue: New vehicle $ 3,071.9 $ 2,967.8 $ 104.1 3.5 $ 5,872.1 $ 5,737.4 $ 134.7 2.3 Retail used vehicle 1,122.6 1,109.1 13.5 1.2 2,242.5 2,203.2 39.3 1.8 Wholesale 136.8 107.2 29.6 27.6 258.5 206.3 52.2 25.3 Used vehicle 1,259.4 1,216.3 43.1 3.5 2,501.0 2,409.5 91.5 3.8 Finance and insurance, net 225.4 217.7 7.7 3.5 448.5 425.3 23.2 5.5 Total variable operations 4,556.7 4,401.8 154.9 3.5 8,821.6 8,572.2 249.4 2.9 Parts and service 834.7 777.8 56.9 7.3 1,655.1 1,521.2 133.9 8.8 Other 50.0 44.7 5.3 84.3 75.1 9.2 Total revenue $ 5,441.4 $ 5,224.3 $ 217.1 4.2 $ 10,561.0 $ 10,168.5 $ 392.5 3.9 Gross profit: New vehicle $ 162.8 $ 166.1 $ (3.3) (2.0) $ 312.0 $ 327.6 $ (15.6) (4.8) Retail used vehicle 86.7 91.4 (4.7) (5.1) 180.4 193.9 (13.5) (7.0) Wholesale (2.7) (0.3) (2.4) (5.4) 0.9 (6.3) Used vehicle 84.0 91.1 (7.1) (7.8) 175.0 194.8 (19.8) (10.2) Finance and insurance 225.4 217.7 7.7 3.5 448.5 425.3 23.2 5.5 Total variable operations 472.2 474.9 (2.7) (0.6) 935.5 947.7 (12.2) (1.3) Parts and service 361.6 337.2 24.4 7.2 716.3 657.2 59.1 9.0 Other 8.0 7.0 1.0 15.9 14.1 1.8 Total gross profit 841.8 819.1 22.7 2.8 1,667.7 1,619.0 48.7 3.0 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 585.2 568.7 (16.5) (2.9) 1,173.9 1,126.3 (47.6) (4.2) Depreciation and amortization 35.9 32.1 (3.8) 70.7 60.8 (9.9) Other income, net (5.8) (3.8) 2.0 (10.8) (5.1) 5.7 Operating income 226.5 222.1 4.4 2.0 433.9 437.0 (3.1) (0.7) Non-operating income (expense) items: Floorplan interest expense (19.3) (14.2) (5.1) (38.2) (27.4) (10.8) Other interest expense (28.7) (21.6) (7.1) (57.0) (43.0) (14.0) Interest income 0.4 - 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.4 Other income, net 4.2 0.5 3.7 0.8 1.6 (0.8) Income from continuing operations before income taxes $ 183.1 $ 186.8 $ (3.7) (2.0) $ 340.0 $ 368.3 $ (28.3) (7.7) Retail vehicle unit sales: New 85,654 85,245 409 0.5 164,678 163,805 873 0.5 Used 56,637 57,370 (733) (1.3) 114,740 115,994 (1,254) (1.1) 142,291 142,615 (324) (0.2) 279,418 279,799 (381) (0.1) Revenue per vehicle retailed: New $ 35,864 $ 34,815 $ 1,049 3.0 $ 35,658 $ 35,026 $ 632 1.8 Used $ 19,821 $ 19,332 $ 489 2.5 $ 19,544 $ 18,994 $ 550 2.9 Gross profit per vehicle retailed: New $ 1,901 $ 1,949 $ (48) (2.5) $ 1,895 $ 2,000 $ (105) (5.3) Used $ 1,531 $ 1,593 $ (62) (3.9) $ 1,572 $ 1,672 $ (100) (6.0) Finance and insurance $ 1,584 $ 1,526 $ 58 3.8 $ 1,605 $ 1,520 $ 85 5.6 Total variable operations(1) $ 3,338 $ 3,332 $ 6 0.2 $ 3,367 $ 3,384 $ (17) (0.5) Operating Percentages Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 (%) 2015 (%) 2016 (%) 2015 (%) Revenue mix percentages: New vehicle 56.5 56.8 55.6 56.4 Used vehicle 23.1 23.3 23.7 23.7 Parts and service 15.3 14.9 15.7 15.0 Finance and insurance, net 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.2 Other 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.7 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Gross profit mix percentages: New vehicle 19.3 20.3 18.7 20.2 Used vehicle 10.0 11.1 10.5 12.0 Parts and service 43.0 41.2 43.0 40.6 Finance and insurance 26.8 26.6 26.9 26.3 Other 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Operating items as a percentage of revenue: Gross profit: New vehicle 5.3 5.6 5.3 5.7 Used vehicle - retail 7.7 8.2 8.0 8.8 Parts and service 43.3 43.4 43.3 43.2 Total 15.5 15.7 15.8 15.9 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 10.8 10.9 11.1 11.1 Operating income 4.2 4.3 4.1 4.3 Operating items as a percentage of total gross profit: Selling, general, and administrative expenses 69.5 69.4 70.4 69.6 Operating income 26.9 27.1 26.0 27.0 (1) Total variable operations gross profit per vehicle retailed is calculated by dividing the sum of new vehicle, retail used vehicle, and finance and insurance gross profit by total retail vehicle unit sales. AUTONATION, INC. UNAUDITED SUPPLEMENTARY DATA ($ in millions) Segment Operating Highlights Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 $ Variance % Variance 2016 2015 $ Variance % Variance Revenue: Domestic $ 1,995.1 $ 1,764.2 $ 230.9 13.1 $ 3,843.3 $ 3,429.9 $ 413.4 12.1 Import 1,748.1 1,795.0 (46.9) (2.6) 3,423.1 3,473.7 (50.6) (1.5) Premium luxury 1,644.7 1,633.0 11.7 0.7 3,185.0 3,196.2 (11.2) (0.4) Total 5,387.9 5,192.2 195.7 3.8 10,451.4 10,099.8 351.6 3.5 Corporate and other 53.5 32.1 21.4 66.7 109.6 68.7 40.9 59.5 Total consolidated revenue $ 5,441.4 $ 5,224.3 $ 217.1 4.2 10,561.0 $ 10,168.5 $ 392.5 3.9 Segment income*: Domestic $ 85.6 $ 84.9 $ 0.7 0.8 $ 163.0 $ 164.2 $ (1.2) (0.7) Import 74.6 80.1 (5.5) (6.9) 150.7 155.1 (4.4) (2.8) Premium luxury 92.9 94.4 (1.5) (1.6) 175.9 188.5 (12.6) (6.7) Total 253.1 259.4 (6.3) (2.4) 489.6 507.8 (18.2) (3.6) Corporate and other (45.9) (51.5) 5.6 (93.9) (98.2) 4.3 Add: Floorplan interest expense 19.3 14.2 5.1 38.2 27.4 10.8 Operating income $ 226.5 $ 222.1 $ 4.4 2.0 $ 433.9 $ 437.0 $ (3.1) (0.7) * Segment income represents income for each of our reportable segments and is defined as operating income less floorplan interest expense. Retail new vehicle unit sales: Domestic 30,654 27,871 2,783 10.0 58,407 53,621 4,786 8.9 Import 38,346 40,279 (1,933) (4.8) 74,127 77,193 (3,066) (4.0) Premium luxury 16,654 17,095 (441) (2.6) 32,144 32,991 (847) (2.6) 85,654 85,245 409 0.5 164,678 163,805 873 0.5 Brand Mix - New Vehicle Retail Units Sold Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 (%) 2015 (%) 2016 (%) 2015 (%) Domestic: Ford, Lincoln 14.9 15.8 15.0 16.1 Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC 11.1 10.2 11.2 10.0 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram 9.8 6.7 9.3 6.6 Domestic total 35.8 32.7 35.5 32.7 Import: Toyota 17.4 19.3 17.4 19.0 Honda 13.1 11.3 12.6 11.1 Nissan 7.7 9.8 8.4 9.9 Other Import 6.6 6.8 6.6 7.2 Import total 44.8 47.2 45.0 47.2 Premium Luxury: Mercedes-Benz 8.4 8.4 8.3 8.2 BMW 4.1 4.5 4.2 4.7 Lexus 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.9 Audi 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.0 Other Premium Luxury (Land Rover, Porsche) 2.1 2.4 2.1 2.3 Premium Luxury total 19.4 20.1 19.5 20.1 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 AUTONATION, INC UNAUDITED SUPPLEMENTARY DATA, Continued ($ in millions) Capital Expenditures / Stock Repurchases Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Capital expenditures (1) $ 61.7 $ 71.2 $ 112.4 $ 134.1 Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired (2) $ 6.3 $ 45.4 $ 262.9 $ 73.1 Proceeds from exercises of stock options $ 2.6 $ 6.3 $ 3.2 $ 18.8 Stock repurchases: Aggregate purchase price $ 50.0 $ 50.0 $ 420.6 $ 59.1 Shares repurchased (in millions) 1.0 0.8 8.9 0.9 Floorplan Assistance and Expense Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 Variance 2016 2015 Variance Floorplan assistance earned (included in cost of sales) $ 31.2 $ 29.4 $ 1.8 $ 60.5 $ 56.1 $ 4.4 New vehicle floorplan interest expense (18.0) (13.4) (4.6) (35.9) (25.8) (10.1) Net new vehicle inventory carrying benefit $ 13.2 $ 16.0 $ (2.8) $ 24.6 $ 30.3 $ (5.7) Balance Sheet and Other Highlights June 30, 2016 December 31, 2015 June 30, 2015 Cash and cash equivalents $ 54.7 $ 74.1 $ 65.3 Inventory $ 3,661.4 $ 3,612.0 $ 3,230.7 Total floorplan notes payable $ 3,802.8 $ 3,727.1 $ 3,321.4 Non-vehicle debt (3) $ 2,708.1 $ 2,356.5 $ 2,124.3 Equity $ 2,158.2 $ 2,349.3 $ 2,285.3 New days supply (industry standard of selling days) 73 days 68 days 63 days Used days supply (trailing calendar month days) 44 days 43 days 36 days Key Credit Agreement Covenant Compliance Calculations(4) Leverage ratio 2.65x Covenant less than or equal to 3.75x Capitalization ratio 63.8% Covenant less than or equal to 70.0% (1) Includes accrued construction in progress and excludes property associated with capital leases entered into during the period. (2) Excludes capital leases and deferred purchase price commitments. (3) Pursuant to an accounting standard update effective January 1, 2016, all debt issuance costs have been reclassified, with the exception of those related to our revolving credit facility, as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability for both current and prior periods. (4) Calculated in accordance with our credit agreement as filed with the SEC. Authorities warn about rainbow fentanyl Victims often arent aware theyre taking it The Ventura County Office of Education and state health officials have issued a warning to schools and families about rainbow fentanyl, a form of the potentially fatal synthetic opioid that comes in bright colors. Rainbow fentanyl can be found in... Cancer support community to host remembrance event Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara invites family members and friends of those who have died from cancer to attend the second annual Evening of Remembrance from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 3 at Cancer Support Communitys Garden of Hope,... Grant advances CSUCI research Cal State Channel Islands assistant professor of computer science Scott Feister and assistant professor of mathematics Alona Kryshchenko recently received $112,480 from the National Science Foundation to continue a grant to support their research project, Enhancing Laser Based Ion Sources... Healthcare agency recommends flu shots The Ventura County Health Care Agency offers options for the community to receive flu shots through its Ambulatory Care Clinic system, public health clinics and pop-up clinics. Although seasonal influenza viruses are detected year-round in the United States, they are... A Muslim immigrant whose son, an Army captain, died fighting in Iraq had one question for Donald Trump at the Democrat National Convention on Thursday: Have you even read the United States Constitution? It was Donald Trumps worst nightmare. A proud Muslim-American man, his wife wearing a hijab by his side, telling the country why a ban on Muslims goes against everything that makes America America, as Scott Baio would put it. First, a video aired that showed Hillary Clinton paying tribute to U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who earned a posthumous Bronze Star and Purple Heart after he was killed by a suicide bomb in Iraq in 2004. Then his father, Khizr Khan, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to deliver a sharp rebuke to the anti-Muslim rhetoric of the Republican presidential nominee. Khan received loud cheers for referring to himself and his wife as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country. While Clinton called his son the best of America, Khan said, If it were up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Last December, Trump first proposed his total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. More recently, he began to soften that stance slightly, saying he only intends to suspend temporarily immigration from regions that have been a major source for terrorists and their supporters coming to the U.S. But then, just this past week, he told Meet the Press he was considering an expansion of the policy that could include countries like Germany and France. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? Khan addressed Trump, pulling out a copy of the document from his jacket pocket. I will gladly lend you my copy. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Khan asked Trump. Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing! Khan urged all immigrants, including Muslims, not to take this election lightly. To honor the sacrifice of his son, to told all Americans to vote for the strongest, most qualified candidate, Hillary Clinton. Moments later, despite a smattering of No more war! chants, the vast majority of Democrats responded with a refrain of U.S.A.! U.S.A! that was louder than anything we heard from Republicans at last weeks RNC. To mark the historic occasion of Hillary Clinton accepting the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday, Stephen Colbert welcomed Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer from Comedy Centrals Broad City to his special post-DNC live show. But first, he shared the news with two female delegates from the Second Continental Congress, appearing live via satellite from July 4, 1776. When he told them that the United States finally has its first female presidential nominee from a major party, Jacobsons character said, Well, butter my bonnet! That is incredible! Im going to celebrate by making a meal for my husband, and then cleaning it up immediately! You hear that, Ben Franklin? Women are on top! And not just your French whores! Glazers added. But when Jacobson excitedly said, I cant believe that in the year 1816 we finally have a female president! Colbert corrected her. As he explained, its actually the year 2016. Get the butter out of the barn! Glazer said. Are you telling me it takes us 240 years to get a female president? Well, no, Colbert corrected them again, shes only the nominee. Quoting the All men are created equal section of the Declaration of Independence, they quickly realized their mistake. You knew that was supposed to mean all people, right? Glazer asked. Well, we figured it out eventually, Colbert said. Back in May, Clinton herself appeared on an episode of Broad City in an unsubtle attempt to reach the shows young demographic, which were Feeling the Bern during the primaries. Regardless of where we standand we love HillaryHillary is such an iconic figure, Jacobson said at the time. When the pair appeared as themselves in the next segment of The Late Show, she added, I dont think you could watch tonight and this week full of these amazing speeches and not feel she is just the best candidate. We dont support hillary just because shes a woman and if you dont support hillary, that doesnt mean youre not a feminist either, Glazer told Colbert. But personally, she said, Im heading for the Hills. Hillary Clinton comes across as a self-confident leader, a woman with the knowledge, the stature, and the demeanor to command the greatest military in the world. After four days of Democratsand some Republicans, tooextolling the historic nature of a woman receiving a major party nomination, Clinton was well into her acceptance speech before she acknowledged the milestone. Im standing here as my mothers daughter, and my daughters mother. Im happy this day has comeand Im happy for boys and men because the time any barrier falls in America, it falls for everyone. And then she moved on. Becoming the first woman president is not what will get her elected. Nor will more stories that make her seem warm and fuzzy. She did a minimum of that in her much anticipated speech. She didnt need to go over the case other people have made for her as a many-faceted person, a whole person, a good friend, someone who cares about children, someone who does the right thing when no ones looking. She touched on the professional points in her life that connect with who she is now, and why she got into public service. The service part always comes easier to me than the public part, she said. The polls and the focus groups and the experts find that voters view Clinton as untrustworthy, someone who craves power, who got where she is because of her husband. I get it. Some people just dont know what to make of me, she said, offering a testimonial to her parents and their values, and her Methodist faith as her bedrock. Her mother is her lodestar, who first taught her that bullies must be stood up against, and that no one gets through life alone. Twenty years ago, Clinton recalled in the book she wrote, It Takes a Village, all the resources in addition to the nuclear family that it takes to successfully raise children. Republicans at the time saw it as an assault on family values, but the phrase undergirds Clintons campaign slogan, Stronger Together. She learned early in her Methodist upbringing, Do all the good you can in all the ways you can for as long as you can. Clinton is a striver, and thats a core value she brings to whatever she undertakes. She also learned early when she worked to gain accessibility to school for disabled children that Simply caring is not enough to drive real progress, you have to change hearts and laws. We dont know if Clinton is elected that she would govern differently because of her gender. We do know that women leaders do tend to be more inclusive, and that Clinton would be inheriting a country that is more divided now than it was eight years ago when Barack Obama came to the White House promising he would bring the country together. We also know that another signature Clinton characteristic is her resilience, how she picked herself up after losing the health care fight in 1994, how she reclaimed her marriage in the wake of scandal, and how she became a trusted partner of the man who defeated her in 2008. Her speech was more workmanlike than inspirational, a toting up of what needs to be done, more like a president delivering a state of the union address than a politician serving up red meat for the faithful. This is who she is. Voters looking for authenticity can find it in the many battles she has fought, and in the countless people she has helped without getting or expecting publicity. Delegates chanting U.S.A., victims of the 9/11 attacks highlighted, the families of murdered cops taking the stageit seemed like back to the future as Democrats appropriated the symbols that Republicans once owned. Girl power took a back seat by the time Clinton spoke. The ascendancy of women in the Democratic Party and the country is now so obvious that it didnt need more showcasing. Clinton knows that the road to the White House must include independents and Republicans, and that Donald Trumps candidacy has opened that possibility. Thursday night, as she stood on that sky blue stage in her pearl white pantsuit, you could imagine her in the ring with Trump. For a woman caricatured as humorless, she showed a light touch, noting Trump doesnt talk about his plans because he doesnt have any while, In case you havent noticed, I love to talk about mine. She also knows how to get under Trumps skin, quoting Jackie Kennedy after the Cuban missile crisis saying that her husband feared a war might be started not by big men but by little men moved by fear and pride. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons, Clinton said. Clinton showed in her speech such an easy comfort level with all the aspects of leadership that the presidency requires that its puzzling why it took so long for a woman to break through, and that it isnt just any woman, its the wife of a former president. Thats not something were likely to ever see again. July may be the month that voter suppression died. In the latest of a string of shocking judicial decisions, a federal appeals court Friday struck down North Carolinas voting restrictions, some of the strictest in the nation. Todays action comes after the normally conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Texass Voter ID laws, and a federal district court placed an injunction against Wisconsins. This is a huge victory, Dale Ho, the ACLU lawyer who argued the case in North Carolina, told The Daily Beast. The tide is turning. It could also swing the presidential election. As we reported last February, new voting restrictions were set to block over 1.3 million voters in four swing statesOhio, North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin mostly by eliminating early voting periods and requiring specific forms of identification. North Carolinas 2016 law alone affected more than 1.2 million people: 900,000 people utilized early voting in 2012, 130,000 used same-day registration in 2008, and, surprisingly, more than 200,000 registered voters dont have drivers licenses. As of today, those votes are back in play. By way of comparison, Barack Obama won the state by 15,000 votes in 2008, and Mitt Romney won by 117,000 in 2012. But the Fourth Circuit didnt just strike down North Carolinas new rules. The three-judge panel wrote an opinion filled with fiery rhetoric that condemned the state legislature for acting with discriminatory intent. It noted that after years of preclearance and expansion of voting access, by 2013 African American registration and turnout rates had finally reached near-parity with white registration and turnout rates. African Americans were poised to act as a major electoral force. But that year, after the Supreme Court ruled that part of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional, the state requested data on the use, by race, of a number of voting practices. Upon receipt of the race data, the General Assembly enacted legislation that restricted voting and registration in five different ways, all of which disproportionately affected African Americans Although the new provisions target African Americans with almost surgical precision, they constitute inapt remedies for the problems assertedly justifying them and, in fact, impose cures for problems that did not exist. These are unusually strong words, both in ordinary language and in legalese. Its not just that North Carolinas law happens to affect communities of colorthe Court found that it was intended to do so all along. Thats different from the Fifth Circuits finding that Texass Voter ID law had a disparate impact on minority communities. Its actually calling out North Carolina for racial discrimination. Does that mean that North Carolinas legislators are racist? Not quite. Discriminatory intent means singling out a group on the basis of race and trying to disadvantage them on that basis, Ho explained. It doesnt matter if you hate black voters, or dont like how black voters vote. If youre targeting them, that is discrimination. That, the appeals court found, is exactly what North Carolina did. Inventing a voter fraud crisis that didnt exist, the state required in-person voters to show certain photo IDs, beginning in 2016, which African Americans disproportionately lacked, and eliminated or reduced registration and voting access tools that African Americans disproportionately used. All this correlation, the court ruled, couldnt be an accident. There was no smoking gunno careless comment about disenfranchising black votersbut the way the gun was loaded, aimed, and fired left no doubt about the laws purpose. The only clear factor linking these various reforms is their impact on African American voters, the court held. The record thus makes obvious that the problem the majority in the General Assembly sought to remedy was emerging support for the minority party. The cases in Wisconsin, Texas, and North Carolina represent a sea change in judicial opinion about voting restrictions. And with challenges pending in Ohio, Virginia, and Kansas, it seems like voter suppressions days may be numbered. Ho told The Daily Beast that public opinion is shifting as well. When these laws first got passed, people thought whats the big dealI have ID. But the truth is that while 90 percent of us do have ID, 10 percent dont and its those folks that these laws target. Not everyone has the same advantages that we have or live in the same circles. In the meantime, North Carolinas photo ID requirement, changes to early voting, same-day registration, out-of-precinct voting, and preregistration have all been put on hold. A million more voters will now go to the polls. And while the state could appeal, Ho said, with a little bit of bragging in his voice, I dont like their odds. Dear Madam or Mister President: The United States is facing an emerging national crisis simmering just below the surface, one that risks tearing apart the delicate economic, social, and political fabric that binds this nation together. The economy is no longer providing growth and opportunity for vast portions of the countrymyriad communities and millions of Americans are being left behind. Individuals experiences of the economy increasingly diverge. Those living in super-performing metropolitan centers enjoy vibrant growth; those living just about anywhere else see stagnation or outright decline. Access to the American Dream is increasingly defined by ZIP Code. This gating of economic opportunity is driven in part by the shrinking footprint of U.S. entrepreneurship. New businesses are the seed stock of the industries and jobs of the future. Entrepreneurs turn our innovations into new businesses and industries that fuel productivity growth, create the job opportunities of the future, and drive wages higher. But decades of steady national decline in the rate of new business formation have left such enterprises largely confined to a select handful of innovation hubs. To understand the magnitude of the problem, consider these five statistics: One-Third. How many new businesses were created after the Great Recession compared to the 90s recovery period. Twenty. The number of counties that generated half of the nations net new businesses during this recovery, down from 120 counties in the 90s. 5 percent. The percentage by which job growth in the median countyAnytown, USAtrailed the national job growth rate. 58 percent. The percentage of counties that reduce, rather than boost, the future earnings of low-income children. 50 million. The number of Americans living in economically distressed communities. In spite of the challenges, the United States has the best ingredients for entrepreneurship of any country in the world. We simply need to reorient our policy agenda. As president, you can bring national focus and coordination on support for new businesses for the 21st century economy. This is the only path to dramatically improve U.S. economic dynamism. And, as an all too rare bonus in these increasingly polarized times, there are plenty of bipartisan solutions that can help rebuild some of the collaborative muscle memory in Washington, D.C. Here are three common sense ways we can help entrepreneurs and support new business growth right now: 1. Democratize Access to Capital : Access to opportunity requires ensuring that would-be entrepreneurs have the access to capital necessary to realize their dreams. Small-business lending and community banking is on a steep decline, and nearly 80 percent of venture capital financinga critical element for scaling Americas high-growth startupsis concentrated in only three states. The Investing in Opportunity Act, bipartisan legislation that has been introduced in the Senate (by Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ)) and in the House (by Reps. Pat Tiberi (R-OH) and Ron Kind (D-WI)), would help connect billions of dollars in private capital currently sitting on the sidelines with hundreds of economically distressed communities throughout every state. This legislation could serve as a model for the new types of public-private partnership we so desperately need to build big things in America again. 2. Cut Red Tape : New businessesthose less than five years oldare among the most vulnerable in our economy. They must juggle the everyday challenges of growing a young businessbuilding a brand, hiring a great team, and getting to profitabilitywhile short-staffed and on a shoestring budget. Thats why an accumulation of complex regulations places a disproportionate burden on young companies, giving more established firms, with their teams of lawyers and lobbyists and proven economies of scale, a heavy advantage. Almost everyone agrees we can and must do better to sensibly reduce regulatory complexity and to ease compliance burdens for new businesses. We also need to get rid of excessive and anti-competitive occupational licensing requirements that prevent many Americans from starting their own small businesses. 3. Collect More and Better Economic Data : This should sound obvious, but better economic data will enable us to better understand and address the nations economic challenges. If not for federal investments in the Census Bureaus Business Dynamics Statistics or the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, we would be completely in the dark about whats really happening in important corners of the economy, particularly in our troubled labor market. Despite this, every year the Census and BLS have to fight for their lives in Congress when we should be increasing federal support for more sophisticated data collection instead. Starving these agencies will blind our policymaking processas well as thousands of businesses who rely on the dataat a time of historic economic transformation. By advancing a bold vision to revive the engine of American entrepreneurship, you can help put our economy on a path to a more innovative and dynamic futureone that is rich in opportunity for all people. What better theme for your first 100 days? This is the fifth and final in a series of partnered content from the Economic Innovation Group and The Daily Beast. Steve Glickman is co-founder and executive director for EIG. John Lettieri is co-founder and senior director for policy and strategy for EIG. By Allison Graves, Neelesh Moorthy The Democratic Party has a new presidential nominee, and for the first time for either major political party, she is a woman. Hillary Clintona former secretary of state, senator and first ladyaccepted her partys nomination on the final night of the Democratic National Convention. After being introduced by her daughter Chelsea, Clinton emphasized the importance of standing up to Republican nominee Donald Trump. Thats why Stronger Together is not just a lesson from our history, Clinton told the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Its not just a slogan for our campaign. Its a guiding principle for the country weve always been and the future were going to build. The night also saw speeches by Republicans who decided this election to vote for Clinton over Trump, as well as the families of fallen police officers. The American military was also a major presence on stage, as several service members rallied for qualified leadership and championed patriotism. Lets get to it. (See our wrap-ups from night one, two and three of the convention.) Attacking Donald Trump Clinton critiqued Trumps address at the Republican National Convention a week earlier, saying he spoke for 70-odd minutes and I do mean odd, and should not be trusted. And most of all, dont believe anyone who says: I alone can fix it, Clinton said. Those were actually Donald Trumps words in Cleveland. We looked back at his speech, and Trump really did say this. Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it, Trump said. However, Trump did allude to working with others in different parts of his speech. He said he would work with law enforcement and added this tidbit about working with allied countries: We must work with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying ISIS and stamping out Islamic terror, he said. This includes working with our greatest ally in the region, the State of Israel. With that extra context, we rated Clintons claim Mostly True. On the economy Clinton said that the economy has improved significantly under President Barack Obamas leadership, and said she would continue to build on his progress. Now, I dont think President Obama and Vice President (Joe) Biden get the credit they deserve for saving us from the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, she said. Our economy is so much stronger than when they took office. Nearly 15 million new private-sector jobs. Twenty million more Americans with health insurance. And an auto industry that just had its best year ever. We checked her claim on 15 million new private-sector jobs, and found it needed qualification. That number is accurate, but only if you start from February 2010, a year after Obama took office. Experts told us it made sense to use that figure, however, because Obama could not be held responsible for the recessions effects early in his administration. Starting from when Obama took office in February 2009, the increase is more modest10.6 million jobs. We rated this statement Half True. Clintons claim that the auto industry had its best year ever is a holdover from a couple months ago. This is true by one big measure: Americans bought more cars and trucks in 2015 than ever before. In 2015, Americans bought more than 17.5 million cars. The last peak was 17.3 million in 2000, followed by a collapse to 10.4 million at the height of the recession in 2009. One caveat, however, is that Clintons claim masks the long-term issues with American manufacturers, especially given foreign manufacturers growing market share. Still, experts we asked said sales figures are a good measure of the auto industrys success. We rated this statement Mostly True. Dallas shootings Clinton said she was inspired by the Dallas, Texas, community for its response to a tragic shooting that killed five police officers. Chief David Brown asked the community to support his force, maybe even join them, Clinton said. And you know how the community responded? Nearly 500 people applied in just 12 days. Between July 8, the day after the shooting, and July 20, there were 467 new applications, according to Dallas Police Department data. Thats close to 500. We rate Clintons statement True. One of the best lines in Hillary Clintons acceptance speech came when she quoted Jackie Kennedys relief that little men werent in charge during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world came, as Robert McNamara once told me, just inches from nuclear war. If the Republican candidate for president can be bait[ed] with a tweet, as Clinton so memorably put itif that disqualifies him from handling nuclear weapons, as she saidthen the risk of World War III should be an issue in the 2016 campaign. Beyond his manifestly unsuitable temperament, Donald Trump will endanger the world as we know it, as Sen. Cory Booker put it. If you bust up the architecture of the postwar worldas Trump is threatening to do, either intentionally or out of ignorancethe war-and-peace conversation is not only fair, but necessary. In that sense, this election may be a bit like 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson ran an ad against Republican challenger Barry Goldwater of a little girl picking a daisy while a mushroom cloud explodes in the background. It was a harsh attack, and only ran once, but it reflected deep unease about Goldwater undermining the structure of global relationships that kept the peace. These are the stakes, LBJ intones, as a nuclear weapon detonates. These are the stakes this time, too. We know from history that appeasement invites war. For all his bluster, Trump has already shown himself to be an appeaser, from his America First slogan to his strange unwillingness to utter even a single word of criticism for Russian President and former KGB chief Vladimir Putin, one of the only major figures in the world to escape his insults (Trump, remember, even attacked the pope). Will a President Trump allow Russiastill a serious threat to world peace even after the demise of communismto gobble up not just Crimea and eastern Ukraine but the Baltic states? This would threaten a confrontation with Western Europe much as Adolf Hitlers demand for breathing room in Czechoslovakia and other states kicked off World War II. Clinton would stick with the world order that has served us so well. Im proud to stand by NATO in any threat they face, including from Russia, she said in a little-noticed but important part of her speech. With Trump, wed get a dangerous secret relationship with Russian oligarchs. Three of his top advisersPaul Manafort, Carter Page, and retired Gen. Michael Flynnall have close ties to Russian or Russian-backed thugs and propagandists. And we now know from the FBI that Russia is intervening directly in a presidential election on Trumps behalf by hacking the files of the Democratic National Committee on the eve of its convention. The tilt to our old enemy is mind-blowing. Trump has been dodging questions about his views on Crimea and Ukraine and at the Republican National Convention, Trumpists quietly made a single and suspicious change in the GOP platformthey removed the plank siding with Ukraine against the territorial encroachments of Russia. Whatever Trumps financial connections to Russian oligarchs who already favor Trump Tower apartmentsand well learn more soon enoughthe Trump-Putin Pact is reshaping geopolitics, one tweet at time. But even all of this is less dangerous than Trumps attitude toward American alliances around the world. They make up the centerpiece of what keeps us all safe in our beds at nightsafe not just from terrorists (intelligence sharing is critical to preventing attacks) but from the big wars it has been our immense fortune to have avoided in our adult lifetimes. For more than 70 years, we have kept the peace between large nations through diplomacy, deterrence, and a nuclear umbrella provided by the United States that has prevented most of our allies from feeling the need to develop nuclear weapons. Now that bipartisan commitment to collective securitystrengthened by every president of the postwar erahas been repudiated by Trump, who says he would walk away from outdated NATO and allow Japan, South Korea, and other allies (not to mention adversaries) to obtain nuclear weapons. That is why it was so important that Clinton defended the existing international order. When she spoke Thursday about being stronger together (a smart campaign slogan, it turns out) and dinged Trump for his dangerous I, alone approach, it brought to mind another together speech from more than 70 years ago by an American president whose presence I felt in the convention hall. FDRs the only thing we have to fear is fear itself resonated powerfully, but so did his vision for the postwar world. In the spring of 1945, World War IIthe most destructive conflict in human historyfinally came to a close. It had begun a mere 20 years after the end of World War I, and Roosevelt knew thatgiven the development of nuclear weaponsthe odds of another, even more horrendous, war were high. Working from his home in Warm Spring, Georgia, FDR prepared a speech for Jefferson Day, April 13, 1945, designed to lay out his approach to saving humanity from destruction: If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationshipsthe ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together and work together, in the same world, at peace. Roosevelt died the day before he delivered that speech, but the science of human relationships he had long envisionedbased on diplomacy (centered on his idea of an institution to be called the United Nations), deterrence (continued military strength at home), and a series of alliances to contain aggressionhas endured. FDR called the idea collective security, and it matched his idea of social security at home. It has worked magnificently. In the last 70 years, the world has experienced many wars but no big ones between large nations with nuclear weapons. The 12 presidents since FDR have all embraced collective security and understood that the American nuclear umbrellawhile expensivehas kept the nuclear club small and thus millions of people alive. Asia experienced the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and Europe the Bosnian War, but those historically warlike regions have remained largely secure, prosperous, and at peace for a remarkably long time by historical standards. In a turbulent world, the single biggest question of this election is whether we choose a candidate with deep knowledge of how to strengthen these alliances (Clinton) or one who would jeopardize the safety of us all for reasons we are only now beginning to fathom. After years of performing his state-mandated duty of messing with only somewhat deserving people in Boston, Patrick K. found his tour de force on Wednesday. It might be the most Masshole prank committed to print. Whats the worst goddamn restaurant downtown? he asked Reddit under the name MBTAhole, a nod to the citys defective mass transit system. Looking for some great bad recommendations to give to my shithead brother-in-law who self-identifies as a foodie. Since then, his quest for ways to mess with his in-law has captivated the citys online communities. Hes netted more than 800 responses, all trying to one-up each other with colorfully worded restaurant horror shows. And it had dozens of Massachusetts expats on social media pining for their sometimes passive-aggressive, sometimes just aggressive, always wonderfully angry home. This actually made me homesick, wrote Nerdists Michelle Buchman. Oh my people, wrote another Twitter user. My shitty, dirtbag people. I dont think this is unique to Boston, wrote Patrick. However I probably cant see the forest for the trees. Patrick withheld his last name so he could still send his brother-in-law to restaurant hell with relative anonymity, and The Daily Beast obliged, since it is almost certainly Sullivan or Murphy. After a few years in New York and L.A., Patrick returned to Massachusetts, where he used to gently terrorize the neighborhood as a natural born Masshole, as he called it. Theres really no origin story here. If I had to pinpoint it, Id say it goes to back to being a kid in the neighborhood, he said. Patrick remembers when random people or tourists in cars would yell for directions. If they werent polite or didnt say excuse me, then Id give them directions that sent them the opposite way or to Blue Hill Ave, he said. In 2010, the Boston Phoenix dubbed Blue Hill Ave the New Combat Zone. Thats why hes surprised his restaurant request blew up as it did. I post idiotic shit to Reddit all the time, he said. Like the vast majority of Reddit, Im just bored at work and the site makes it easy to ask whats on your mind. Now, he has a few hundred suggestions to make his brother-in-laws life particularly horrible for about three hours. And dont worry: this man absolutely deserves it. I think its mostly just the way he talks about reductions and claims to never eat fast food or frozen food, he said. Bro, I seen the McDonalds bags in your car. I can smell the stale Wendys. Dont play me, kid. Please contact The Daily Beast if you did not read that last sentence in a Mark Wahlberg voice to receive your prize. In the meantime, consult this thread of restaurant recommendations for Patrick, where you will find sentences simply too beautiful and hostile for Yelp. Jerkoffs dont even know how to [expletive deleted] shuck a [expletive deleted] oyster right, and theyve had 200 [expletive deleted] years to figure it out. Id have to be at gunpoint to go in there. My dad loves this place. So, yes, its utter shit. Im fairly sure the same mop used to clean the floor was used to clean the oven. The people who ran it looked like the family from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So which one is he leaning towards to complete the prank? I dont mean to pick on Southie here but theres a whole row of places there that you could give bad suggestions for, he said. I personally would send someone to Remys or Coppersmith in Southie. Heres Remys ringing endorsement in that Reddit thread: Is Jerry Remys in the seaport still open? Guaranteed food poisoning. Or, as Patricks brother might call it, a reduction. LONDON Did anyone at the Democratic National Convention notice the slaughter of 86-year-old Father Jacques Hamel, as jihadists slit his throat in his own church in Northern France during morning Mass? Well heres why theyd better start paying attention. For our own futures sake, we must understand what jihadists are seeking to achieve through sowing the seeds of such chaos. What possible military strategy could there be in mowing 84 innocent people down to death using a lorry in Nice? How is the cause at all served by murdering 325 mainly Shia Muslims in Baghdad? Or by killing 80 mainly Shia Hazara Muslims in Kabul? In fact, since the start of Ramadan last month, and till the time of writing on July 27, 2016, there have been 75 attacks in 50 days by various jihadist groups globally. This amounts to attacks in 21 countries at a rate of one-and-a-half per day, leaving over 1,169 dead, not including the injured and maimed. The 21 countries and territories attacked have been Jordan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Syria, Israel, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Libya, France, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Malaysia, Turkey, Mali, Palestine, Cameroon, Saudi, Thailand, and Germany. Sixteen of those are Muslim-majority territories. Yes, these attacks were organized by disparate jihadist groupsall professing the same ideologyand many of them have a distinct command and control structure. But sowing the seeds of indiscriminate chaos among their enemy is a tactic modern jihadist groups now all share. So what could they possibly be hoping to achieve? Sadly, there is jihadist method to this madness. ISIS-adopted playbook Idarat al-T awahhush, or the Management of Savagery, elaborates. The so-called Islamic State, widely known as ISIS, seeks not to spark a World War, but to ignite a World Civil War. This book on jihadist war theory first appeared online around 2004 and was attributed to an ideologue who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Bakr al-Naji. Naji instructed followers to incite ethnic, sectarian, and religious hatred throughout the world so that societies end up dividing along mutual mistrust and a desire for revenge. Najis hope was that Sunni Muslims would then largely be blamedas they now areas the cause of this intolerance and violence, rendering them hated and left isolated. Naji even highlights the importance of provoking heavy state military responses against Sunni Muslims everywhere, so that entire populations of Sunnis feel suspected and attacked by everyone else around them, and turn in on themselves. The idea is that through such division Sunnis would find no refuge from angry non-Muslims and over-reacting states, except in jihadists who would embrace them. In turn, Sunnis would end up swelling the ranks of jihadists militias as they began to protect themselves against reprisal attacks. Behold, a world divided along sectarian religious lines, the ideal conditions for a caliphate. If you think this is wishful thinking on the part of ISIS, think again. It is precisely by managing chaosthe Management of Savageryin this way that ISIS became the most effective jihadist group in post-Saddam Iraq. So uncannily did Iraqs Shia majority government under Nouri al-Maliki follow ISIS sectarian game plan, that they unwittingly created a climate north of Baghdad in which Iraqi Sunnis felt isolated, under siege, disempowered, and brutalized by Malikis Shia majority state as it clamped down on jihadist terror. Of course, the government of Iraq was merely reacting to the ever-increasing mass-casualty atrocities orchestrated by jihadists based out of Fallujah against the beleaguered Shia Muslims in Iraq. But crucially, the Iraqi government reacted through a sectarian lens, and failed to isolate the terrorists from Iraqs general Sunni Arab population. These Sunni Arabs eventually turned to ISIS in the hope that they would be a strong hand against the Iraqi regime. There was a grain of truth to that. Fresh from their success in Northern Iraq, ISIS repeated their method of chaos in Syria. Early on, at the start of Syrias civil war, ISIS had not been the main fighting force against Bashar al-Assad. But by continuing to pressure Assads brutal regime to overreact, and Assads eagerness to oblige (a penchant that had been handed down from father to the son), ISIS managed to convince enough of the Sunni Arab population in the south of Syria that they were the only effective fighting force able to resist Assad on the ground, while the international community stood aloof. There was a grain of truth in that. This is how chaos, division, savagery, and hatred suit ISIS. The only master that chaos submits to is the total tyrant. Perpetual civil war, rather than perpetual war between states, suits those who wish to build a new world order carved out of existing states. Equal treatment on a citizenship basis means nothing to jihadists. There is no better way to kickstart dividing people along exclusively religious lines than by committing atrocities in the name of Islam. The hope is that everyone else also begins to identify Sunni Muslims primarily by their religious identities, in reaction to the atrocities. In this way, religious identity has won and citizenship becomes redundant. Unprovoked mass slaughter is a provocation designed to spread panic and fear, aimed at inching Europe closer to a religion-based civil war. Brace yourselves, for there will be many more such provocations. Chaos breeds fear, which creates panic, which leads to both paralysis and spasms of over-reaction simultaneously. We now either witness total denial in that this problem has nothing to do with Islam, or a gross generalization that the problem includes all of Islam and every Muslim. Both of these reactions are born of fear. Doing barely enough, and doing too much, will both exacerbate tensions. Neither are sensible. Of course the problem of jihadist terrorism has something to do with Islam. And course it is a problem that Muslims need to play a very active role in solving, alongside everyone else. Meanwhile, we have never been more divided. Too many Muslims still insist that to challenge Islamist extremism breeds anti-Muslim bigotry, while they fail to grasp that it is the Islamists themselves who provoke anti-Muslim hatred thorough their divisive agenda, and by insisting on defining Muslims against others primarily by our religious identity. Our collective task will be to robustly stand against the division caused not just by the far-right who seek to isolate Europes Muslims, but to challenge the very same division promoted by the Islamists themselves within our Muslim communities. Only by reasserting the universality of our secular liberal democratic citizenship are we able to protect the multiplicity of identities, as opposed to the exclusionary religion-based identification that Islamists and anti-Muslim bigots thrive on. No insurgency can survive without a level of ideological support within the community it seeks to recruit from. To isolate the terrorists from their host population must be a priority for us all. One neednt be black to condemn racism. Likewise, one neednt be Muslim to condemn any expression of theocratic Islamism. All of us must stand together to condemn all forms of hatred and bigotry, without exception. But this will be a generational struggle against the Islamist ideology in its entirety, and not merely against the latest jihadist terror group. For years my colleagues at Quilliam and I have been screaming at every opportunity of a global jihadist insurgency that cannot be defeated merely by law or war, but requires a full-spectrum civil society struggle against it. Understanding this makes it incumbent on us to begin working in earnest to actively avoid this civil war before certain vested interests on the far-right and Islamist extremes succeed in sparking it. For if you were wondering what this global jihadist insurgency looks like, look around you, were in the thick of it. The vilification of Zaharie Ahmad Shah began early. Within a week of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in 2014, it was Shah, the captain flying the Boeing 777, who was being portrayed as the prime suspect. Malaysian authorities staged a very public raid on Captain Shahs home. Police were filmed carrying away his personal computer. Shortly thereafter they said he had a flight simulator program in his computer. (Many professional pilots use simulators to keep themselves sharp in an age when most of a flight is on autopilot.) They suggested that he had used the simulator to rehearse his plan to, in effect, hijack his own airplane. This scenario has been resurrected in the past week, beginning with two reports, one published in the U.S. and one in Australia, and since then has wide coverage around the world. Responses from authorities in Malaysia have been confusing and in some cases contradictory. In order to judge how seriously to take the charge that this was a deliberate case of murder-suicide in the air its necessary to go back to the night of March 8, 2014. Flight 370 had inexplicably broken away from its flight path from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing and, after a series of erratic course changes, headed off into the void of the southern Indian Ocean. Malaysian officials inferred that Shah had rehearsed this exact course on his simulator. Once it became part of the news cycle this explanation was difficult to discredit or dislodge. It was the simplest theory to accept. It didnt involve pursuing complex technical issues about whether some sudden and serious technical failure had overtaken the airplane, its crew and passengers. The pilots (the copilot was a young man named Fariq Abdul Hamid) were missing, presumed dead, and could not respond to the accusations and the airplane itself had left behind few clues to its behavior. The only problem with this scenario was why? Why would a pilot with an impeccable record who, at the age of 53, had flown more than 18,000 hours on commercial jets, 8,659 of those hours on the Boeing 777, go rogue and destroy himself and 238 other mortals? Or, if the crew were innocent but had been overpowered and the airplane taken over by hijackers or terrorists why was there no ransom request or claim by a terrorist group? After a while the trashing of the pilots lost traction. Malaysian officials had proved themselves to be serial bunglers when handling news conferences. Other, more bizarre theories were floated, including by Mahathir Mohammed, a former Malaysian prime minister who still retained enormous political influence, who said that he believed the airplanes navigation system had been hacked by the Central Intelligence Agency and the 777 spirited away to a secret location. Later, according to various reports published at the time, the role of Captain Shahs personal flight simulator was the subject of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in their labs in Washington, D.C.the Malaysians said they had turned over the hard drives on his home computer and, after a few months, they confirmed that the FBI had found nothing incriminating. On the first anniversary of the catastrophe, the international team conducting the investigation issued a report, nearly 200 pages long, called Factual Information. In the absence of any physical evidence to examine according to the normal protocols of a crash investigation this was a gathering of all the technical records and history related to the airplane and the flight, its crew, and the (disastrously muddled) efforts to track its course when it vanished. The report included what amounted to a thorough background check on Captain Shah. It covered his financial affairs (there was no record of him taking out a life insurance policy) and his medical records (he passed all his regular six-monthly examinations). Investigators looked at surveillance video of the captains behavior at Kuala Lumpur Airport while preparing for four flights, including the final one. There were no behavioural signs of social isolation, change in habits or interest, self-neglect drug or alcohol abuse, the report said. And, under the heading of Psychological and Social Events the report concluded: The Captains ability to handle stress at work and at home was good. There was no known history of apathy, anxiety or irritability. There were no significant changes in his life style, interpersonal conflict or family stresses. With that, for most observers any lingering suspicions directed at the pilots seemed to have been laid to rest. Significantly, the Malaysian officials who had once been so ready to malign the crew (in a country where political character assassination was a favored instrument) allowed this seemingly impartial verdict to stand without challenging it. From this it was fair to assume that their conspiracy theory had come up empty. To be sure, some aviation experts and some factions in the aviation industry persisted in believing thatof all the credible scenarios that could explain how the airplane had continued to fly for more than six hours without anyone on board being heard fromthe likeliest explanation was an action by the pilots. For example, David Learmount, the consulting editor for Flight Global and a very respected veteran analyst, admits to no alternative, and a number of airline chiefs feel the same way. However, the belief that Captain Shah carried out a premeditated murder-suicide flight suddenly gained renewed attention a week ago from two sources. Jeff Wise reported in New York magazine that a confidential Malaysian police memo confirmed that Shah had used his simulator to practice a route deep into the southern Indian Ocean. And a similar story by Byron Bailey in The Australian newspaper also added that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, ATSB, leading the undersea search for the airplane, were in denial because they rejected any suggestion of the crews involvement. Since then Captain Shahs reputation has, once more, been traduced with reckless enthusiasm. One reason is that the ATSB has made confusing responses to the new allegations. Initially they said of Baileys assertion that the flight was a planned murder-suicide: There is no evidence to support this claim. Two days later the ATSB appeared to walk back on this rebuttal by fudging. In a new statement they said, This type of scenario is not new and has been reported in the media previously. The [investigating team] has considered the information and it will be dealt with in its final report. And later they said, The simulator information shows only the possibility of planning. Were they confirming the use of the simulator or confirming the media reports of the simulations? The Daily Beast asked the ATSB for clarification, and a spokesman, Tim Dawson, responded (the emphasis below was bold in his statement): 1. It was evident from data recovered from the flight simulator that a course had been flown in the simulator that tracked well south in the Indian Ocean. 2. The simulation may show the possibility of planning, but the simulated flight in itself is not evidence of murder-suicide (i.e. there is no evidence to support the claim that it was murder-suicide). 3. We have known about the FBI report for two years and it was widely reported. This is not new. In fact, the first reports of Shah using the simulator came after the police raid on his home, as I record above. Reports that the hard drives had been examined by the FBI and that nothing incriminating had been found on them came months later. However, the role of the FBI has now come into question. Malaysias national police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, said this weekastonishinglythat his police force had never handed any documents or information to any authority abroad, including the FBI. And Liow Tiong Lai, the Malaysian transport minister, said there was no evidence to prove that Captain Shah had used the simulator to plot the course eventually taken by the 777. We are not aware of that and there is no evidence that he was flying on that route. As of today, the criminal investigation is still ongoing. This confusion should act as a timely reminder to regard any utterance from Malaysian sources with more than usual skepticism. There are many factions within the Malaysian political regime and the police, and as many motives for what they say. In his New York story, based on the Malaysian police document, Wise does prudently include a caveat. However, its not entirely clear that the recorded flight simulator data is conclusive. The difference between the simulated and actual flights are significant, most notably in the final direction in which they were heading. Its possible that their overall similarities are coincidentalthat Zaharie didnt intend his simulator flight as a practice run but had merely decided to fly someplace unusual. Indeed, in a later posting, Wise gives some of the navigation way points that he says were recovered from the simulator and one of them includes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are on a main air lane west from Malaysia to India, and the altitude shown is 40,000 feet, which would be the normal cruise height for the last leg of a flight. It seems highly possible that the southern Indian Ocean route in the simulator was only one of what could have been others that were, in fact, exercises in virtual globe-trotting beyond Shahs normal routine. Its important to recognize that in the beginning, more than two years ago, the case against Shah was reinforced by details that did, superficially, seem sinister. One was that the two key ways the airplane had to keep contact with the ground ceased to function after the pilots drastically altered course: the transponder that sent signals enabling the flight to be tracked by radar, and a system automatically transmitting the technical health of the airplane every 30 minutes. Most of the reporting said these systems had been turned off presumably as the first malicious step by the crew to make the airplane vanish. In fact, the reasoned response would have been to say that the systems had failed, that they had stopped working, as the result of a technical emergency. Also cast as equally sinister was the sudden change of direction of the airplane toward the Strait of Malacca. In fact, this turn to the southwest was consistent with the pilots desperately needing to find the closest airport in an emergency. There was such an airport on nearby Langkawi Island with a 12,500-foot runway, ideal in such an emergency. Experienced 777 pilots believe that the changes of course suggest that the pilots were dealing with cascading technical challenges, not deliberately evading radar and heading off on a prolonged murder-suicide mission. As it turned out, the flight never descended from its cruise height. As it flew northwest over the Strait of Malacca it was tracked by radar until it reached a point midway between Indonesia and Thailand. Langkawi Island was at the southern tip of Thailand, immediately on the right. A few minutes after that last radar contact, the 777 made its final turn toward the southern Indian Ocean. According to calculations made by the ATSB it remained at its cruise height of 35,000 feet and there is no way of knowing whether the autopilot had been programmed to make that turn. The ATSB has, however, been firm in saying that by the end of the 5.8 hours the jet had left to fly before it ran out of gas and crashed into the ocean it was not under the control of pilots. The problem here, once more, is that everybody in this cauldron of speculation, including me, is lacking one thing: incontrovertible evidence. With very little verifiable information to go on there is no real level of confidence that any scenario seeking to explain what overtook Flight 370 will ever be complete enough to solve the mysterythat would need to be informed by the discovery of the remains of the airplane at the bottom of the ocean. The ATSBs position in the controversy is difficult. They are caught between a rock and a wet place, between the Malaysian leadership of the investigation, with all the political pressures that that involves, and their own role in professionally designing and executing the deepwater search. Their most ardent defense is devoted to assuring the world that they have been searching in the right place. The search, delayed by bad weather, is due to end in the next month or so. The governments of China, Malaysia, and Australia have said that when it does, it will be suspended rather than terminated, to be resumed only if credible new evidence appears causing the search to be resumed at a different location. And now that issue has become more acute because of what amounts to conflicting approaches by two teams of oceanographers. Since last summer several significant pieces of wreckage from the Malaysian 777 have turned up on beaches in the western Indian Ocean. An Australian team of oceanographers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO, have taken the locations where debris has been found and reverse-engineered its course using computer programming called drift modeling. If these tracks converge at a point in the eastern Indian Ocean that falls within the area being searched it would increase the ATSBs confidence that they have been searching, all along, in the right place. The Australian oceanographers have not yet published their findings, but another team of oceanographers, based in Italy, has. And they have suggested that a more promising area to search lies some 500 kilometres north of where the current search is about to end. This team, from the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, is using a European drift model that, they say, is so precise that if a new piece of debris turns up they can update the result in a matter of minutes. The Australians have yet to respond. The regulation headstone at grave 7986 in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery bears a crescent moon and a star in keeping with the fallen soldiers faith. The inscription is precisely what it would have been had his religion been signaled by a cross or a star: KHAN, HUMAYUN SAQIB MUAZZAMCPTUS ARMY SEPT 9 1976 JUNE 8 2004BSMPURPLE HEARTOPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM BSM stands for Bronze Star Medal. Khan received it in recognition for his bravery when he saw an orange-colored taxi approaching the gate that he and his soldiers were guarding at their base in Baquba, Iraq on June 8, 2004. Hit the dirt, Khan is said to have ordered his soldiers. The men obeyed and took cover. Khan himself approached the taxi to investigate. The 27-year-old captain had taken 10 steps when the two Iraqis inside detonated a suicide bomb. He was killed and was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart along with the Bronze Star. Khan was buried nine days later in Section 60, a 14-acre area among the cemeterys 624 acres where those who died in Iraq and Afghanistan are interred. An Army chaplain read aloud a letter from Khans commanding officer, LT. Col. Dan Mitchell. He died selflessly and courageously, tackling the enemy head on. We will not forget him and the noble ideas he stood for. Khans parents were among those present at the burial. Khizr and Ghazala Khan had come to America from the United Arab Emirates when their son was 2 and settled in Virginia. He had graduated from a high school named after President Kennedy in 1996. He received a bachelors degree from the University of Virginia in 2000. He enlisted in the U.S. Army with the hope of becoming a military lawyer. Then, two days after his 25th birthday, terrorists flew hijacked airlines into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Khan deployed to Iraq in March of 2004. He had managed to call home on Mothers Day. Ghazala Khan had begun to cry. Dont worry, he told her. Im safe. That all-American observance was the last time he spoke to her. One month and eight days later, she and her husband and the rest of the family stood at the freshly dug grave during the military ritual. An honor guard solemnly folded the American flag that covered the coffin and an officer in dress uniform presented it to the family. On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation, the officer said. An imam then recited the Namaz-e-Janaza, the Muslim funeral prayer. Later that day, the same military ritual was performed at the next grave over, 7987, for Army Special Forces Sgt. First Class Robert J. Mogensen of Leesville, Louisiana. He was 26. He had been killed by an IED in Afghanistan on May 29, 2004. The grave on other side of Khan, grave 7985, was already occupied by Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremiah E. Savage of Livingston, Tennessee. He and two fellow soldiers had been killed by an IED in Iraq on May 12, 2004. He had been buried on May 27. The headstones for Mogenson and Savage both have crosses. They are otherwise identical to Khans. And the parents of any fallen soldier would have immediately recognized the grief that was still so evident in his mother and father when they stood on the stage of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night. At the Republican National Convention last week, Eric Trump had spoken of his fathers great sacrifice in seeking the presidency. To run for the most powerful yet unforgiving office in the world. There is no greater calling, there is no more selfless an act. His sister, Ivanka, echoed her brothers words, seeming equally deluded in the notion that Donald Trump was engaged in something noble by spreading fear and inciting bigotry and telling lie after lie while insisting he was telling it like it is. He sacrificed greatly to enter the political arena, Ivanka said of their father. At the DNC, Khizr now stood with his wife at his side and addressed Trump. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Khizr Khan asked. Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. The father of the hero buried in grave 7986 in Section 60 then told it like it really is. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. A moment people would remember and should be the moment to ensure Trumps defeat came when Khizr reached into the inside pocket of his suit coat. He took out a blue, brochure-sized document such as is given to new citizens. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy, he said. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law. The mother stood in the silence of a parent whose grieving heart was still at that grave in section 60 where the headstone has a crescent moon and a star. If Hell were a version of the journalism business, it might look something like this: dozens of laid-off writers and editors taking to Twitter, of all places, to embarrass their former employer into providing them with a decent severance package and, in some cases, salaries owed from when they were still on the job. But how do you publicly shame a company that is shameless? one of the fired journalists told me about IBT Media, the shadowy owners of Newsweek magazine (which they purchased in 2013 from IAC, The Daily Beasts parent company), the International Business Times and several other digital outlets from which about 50 peopleor an estimated 30 percent of the editorial staffhave been terminated since March, including a mass bloodletting on June 30 and July 1, after continual assurances that their jobs were safe. On Thursdayafter nearly a month of fruitless attempts to negotiate a severance agreement or, more to the point, even get answers from IBT Medias elusive founders, Johnathan Davis and Etienne Uzac, who are mysteriously linked to a Korean religious leader whose followers claim hes the second coming of Christthe out-of-work journalists launched a Twitter campaign to air their grievances to the world at large. The fired employees who have received written severance offers say the company is proposing a weeks pay for each year of service, with less fortunate employees who have worked at IBT even a day less than a year getting absolutely nothing. The campaigning journalists want two weeks pay per year and reasonable severance for the short-timers--a demand the company has so far rejected. Yet some of the laid-off employees say they havent even been notified by company officials that they no longer have a job, but must deduce that theyve been fired because their paychecks have stopped coming. You know whats not fun? tweeted former IBTimes writer Ned Resnkioff. Spending two weeks unsure whether you have health care because the place that laid you off wont email back. @IBTMedia gave zero notice of layoffs, still hasnt paid some peoples last paycheck, and routinely doesnt pay its bills, tweeted former IBTimes staff writer Brendan James, who added in a second tweet: @IBT Media is in the journalism business in the same way Tony Soprano was in the waste management business. Rebecca Grieg, IBTimess laid-off international editor, tweeted: IBTMedia gives lessons on how not to treat staff: mass layoffs without warning & thereafter ignoring all emails & calls. Ross Kenneth Urken, a freelancer for Newsweekfrom which seven editors and writers, or around 10 percent of the staff, were fired in the latest roundcomplained: IBT owes me several thousand dollars for two Newsweek stories I wrote. The refusal to pay despite my follow-ups is disgusting. (Under a corporate restructuring plan announced in late June, along with the layoffs, Newsweek will exist as a stand-alone entity separate from IBTimes.) Former IBTimes managing editor Mark Bonner tweeted: Worked at IBT for 2 yrs and am rejecting my severance offer (2 wks salary) to stand with my colleagues. Journalists deserve better. Appalled @IBTMedia continues to fail to treat its journalists with respect, tweeted Peter S. Goodman, who quit five months ago as the companys editor in chief, before the first round of layoffs in March as his far-flung staff suffered frequent late paychecks and, according to sources, were continually denied the financial resources to do their jobs. In support of those seeking due compensation, added Goodman, an alumnus of The Washington Post and the Huffington Post who is moving to London to cover economic issues for The New York Times. The shaming campaigners hashtag: #IBTWTF. There is a pattern of disrespect for current and former employees of International Business Times, and its really an insult to be treated this way, said fired business writer Owen Davis, 28, a former staffer for Rolling Stone and The Nation magazines who joined IBT Media early last year and is one of the organizers of the shaming campaign. It doesnt do justice to the work we did for the company. The Tel Aviv-based Greigwho was hired last year after working as a producer for the BBCs Newsnight and Al Jazeera Englishtold The Daily Beast that inadequate severance payments are not the worst of it: Greig and her laid-off reporting staff in Ireland, China, and Russia still havent received their salaries for the entire month of June. The new head of HR hasnt responded to a single one of my last 10 emails or to any of my phone calls, said Greig, 30, referring to human resources chief Leiann Kaytmaz, who joined the troubled company shortly after her predecessor departed amid the June 30 layoffs. We cant even communicate with them. They wont respond to the questions we have. Greig said neither she nor her staff were ever formally notified of their termination. Instead, she was apparently supposed to assume the worst when she was instructed to phone from Tel Aviv into a June 30 editorial meeting in New York, and she heard editor in chief Dayan Candappa, who in May joined IBTMedia as Peter Goodmans successor, announce the names of the employees who were still on the team, and neither her name, nor those of her reporters, were among them. HRs Kaytmaz didnt respond to an email seeking comment; nor did IBT Medias chief marketing officer, Mitchell Caplan, to whom The Daily Beast was referred for an explanation of the companys position. A further wrinkle in the current flap is IBT Medias alleged relationship to enigmatic South Korean-born pastor David Jang, the founder of an apparently cult-like ministry called The Community, in which some members whisper that Jang is actually the Messiah. In 2004, according to an investigative article in Mother Jones, Jang founded Olivet University in the San Francisco area, where Newsweek has maintained a satellite office; IBT Media exec Johnathan Davis had headed Olivets journalism school before launching the company and is married to the universitys president, Mother Jones reported, while IBT Medias Etienne Uzac used to be Olivets treasurer and is married to Marion Kim, the Korean-speaking Jangs former personal translator and these days the IBT Media exec who controls the corporate pursestrings. Both Johnathan Davis and Etienne Uzac have consistently denied in press reports that their relationship with Jang has any impact on the editorial content of IBT Media, and several of the fired journalists told me they never saw evidence of any attempt by either executive, or for that matter Jang, to influence coverage at any of the publications. But several journalists complained that Uzacs wife, Marion Kim, whom one described as a modestly dressed woman in her late 30s or early 40s, has overseen a pattern of apparent cash flow problems that, in at least in one instance, resulted in the non-payment of premiums for standard kill & ransom insurance that news outlets typically take out on reporters sent into conflict zones. When they discovered at the last minute that the insurance policy had lapsed and other necessary security expenses were not being paid, editors recalled their reporter from the dangerous Turkish-Syrian border. Meanwhile, several fired journalists speculated that Jangs Olivet University has been draining cash from the company. On Twitter, Owen Davis cited the universitys 990 Form, its public nonprofit tax filing, which indicated that in 2014, IBT Media had donated $1.26 million to Jangs institution. Does IBT have the money? Davis tweeted. Well, they had $1.3m to give to religious institution Olivet University in FY 2014. He added in a second tweet: Its nearly impossible to know how much money has flowed from @IBTMedia to religious orgs that IBT mgmt are involved in. Even if you somehow live in a landlocked state with no access to the media, youll know the name Kelly Slater. The 11-time surfing world championwho holds the dual distinction of being both the youngest, at 20, and oldest, at 39, to hold the titlehas become a pop culture icon, dabbling in acting, modeling, writing, and music. Most recently, Slater parted ways with long-time clothing sponsor Quiksilver to launch his own brand, Outerknown. Teaming up with celebrated designerhe was GQs Best New Menswear Designer in 2014and fellow surfer John Moore, the duo melded classic surf style with sophisticated casual design, all manufactured with sustainability as a key factor. While sustainably sourced surf wear isnt a wholly new concept, with heritage brands like Patagonia paving the way for decades, Outerknown is pushing the boundaries that have long divided outdoorsy and fashion brands. Inspired as much by travel and the lifestyle surrounding avid outdoorsmen, Outerknown have produced a line that is as at home in an upscale West Village cafe or hip internet startup as it is jumping a puddle-jumper in search of secret breaks. Its a concept thats working, with the fledgling brand finding a home for their initial Fall 15 offering in big box fashion mainstays like Bloomingdales, Barneys, and Nordtsrom as well as core surf shops. We caught up with John Moore to discuss the theory behind the label, and see whats next for them. Since surf style is not new, why is it having such a big moment in menswear right now? From my vantage point the surfing lifestyle has always been referenced in fashion, music, cinema, and art since the 50s & 60s. What started as this counter-culture tribe of men & women from Hawaii and southern California has evolved into this intangible cool that transcends eras and trends globally. Its a pretty romantic notionthe idea of a sundrenched lifestyle filled with traveling to exotic destinations while searching for the perfect wave. Designers love a little romance. Key Surf Looks for Summer '16: Print short-sleeved shirt, t-shirt and shorts by Patagonia. What is it about surf style that has so much appeal to men who may have never e ven touched a surfboard? Girls and a good tan... (Laughs) Just kidding. I dunno, its been my experience that everyone dreams of the coast even if youve never been there How did Outerknown come about? Kelly and I were coming off other experiences that made us really question the status quo of manufacturing clothing. We knew what we wanted to do, and we knew it didnt exist in the marketplace today, so we decided to do it ourselves. Print windbreaker and shorts by Patagonia. Do folks who have taken to Outerknown share any common personality traits? The common thread of the man were designing for is that they live these multi-faceted lives that take many twists and turns daily, and they need to be prepared for anything that comes their way. Theyre constantly traveling through life and work, and their outdoor pursuits and family just roll with them. Coastal is our personality, but our clothing is clean and classic so it works in a comfortable and stylish way for a variety of environments and conditions. Knit crewneck sweater and shorts by Outerknown Kelly Slater must have been approached several times to do a clothing line. Why did you think now was the right time? It just felt right for a lot of reasons. The fashion and surf industries are both in a state of great change today in terms of how products are made and distributed and how consumers interact with brands. Outerknown didnt happen overnight, it was a couple years of deeply considering all the reasons we wanted to do this. Kelly has relationships all over the world, and I could have worked with just about anyone in fashion, but we chose to do this together with an amazing team around us that are passionate about building a brand sustainably. Is Outerknown a green brand? If so, what challenges come with designing such a line? Are there advantages? I have a vision for the product, and I do everything I can to manifest that vision using responsible ingredients and practices. Everyone talks about the future of sustainability, but the time is now. Ethically sound decisions are just the way business should be conducted today so we can survive. As a business, we run up against hurdles everyday, mostly because ethical resources arent readily available. But you adapt and learn better ways of working, designing, and distributing. Each season gets better. Knit baja sweater, T-shirt and shorts by Outerknown. How has your background prepared you to create a brand like Outerknown? Brand Experience is everything. These are exciting times. Retail is evolving and the opportunities to interact with your consumer are all around us. Im looking forward What are the key must-haves from Outerknown? Our Blanket Shirts, Evolution Trunks, and Sojourn Pocket Tees are the signature styles weve been doing since our first collection. The Halcyon Blanket Shirt and Baja Stripe Evolution Trunk from summer are my favorite two pieces in the new collection. How can a non-surfer sport surf style without looking totally inauthentic? Just wear clothing that makes you feel good. Dont overthink it. Crewneck T-shirt, cotton and linen pants both by Outerknown. Styled by Wendell Brown A transgender woman in Hawaii is being hailed a hero for secretly recording her supervisors sexual advances on Facebook Live. Now the Honolulu boss is facing criminal chargesand is under investigation for claims, captured on video, that he allowed other community-service underlings to go home early in exchange for sexual favors. Makana Milho, 21, told The Daily Beast she feared for her safety when she began recording her interaction with the creepy city groundskeeper. The universe was spinning, Milho said. I thought he could do basically anything to me. I felt my power was stripped away from me. Then she remembered how Philando Castiles girlfriend recorded his death by a Minnesota police officer on Facebook Live this month. I do watch the news, Milho added. I saw one lady who Facebook-Lived her boyfriends death. I just did it. The student had no idea shed be propositioned when she appeared for community service at Honolulus parks and rec department. Milho was cleaning restrooms for six days in exchange for having a criminal record expunged. (In 2014, she snatched a luxury bag from Neiman Marcus. She pleaded no contest to theft in the second degree in exchange for a case deferral, records show.) But on the fifth day, Milho had a different supervisor. The much-older man allegedly drove her to an isolated park, then made his move. He pinched and slapped her buttocks, then offered to send her home early if she got physical with him, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. In footage reviewed by The Daily Beast, the boss asked Milho to perform oral sexall before bragging about his other community-service hookups, which he said included one young mother who was the best I had in a long time. Milho secretly livestreamed the July 22 encounter on Facebook and got 197,000 views before she removed the video this week after receiving hateful messages online, including from other members of the LGBT community, who accused her of being a prostitute who egged the man on. I took it down because I was getting so much backlash, she said. People were saying its my fault. People were making fun of the situation. I wasnt comfortable being a punchline to something serious that happened to me. On Tuesday, Honolulu cops arrested 47-year-old Harold Villanueva Jr. and charged him with fourth-degree sexual assault, a misdemeanor. Villanueva Jr., who was arraigned Wednesday, was granted supervised release, a spokesman for the prosecutors office told The Daily Beast. Milhos Facebook Live video prompted the police investigation. She recorded about 30 minutes of conversation between her and the Department of Parks and Recreation employee across three separate videos. Honolulu police would not comment on the ongoing investigation. Villanueva Jr., who had worked for the city since 2002, and his public defender could not be reached for comment. According to the mayors office, Villanueva Jr. was placed on administrative leave without pay pending an investigation by the parks department. The community service program is also being probed, the office said in a statement. Milho said if she hadn't recorded her interactions with Villanueva Jr., no one would have taken her seriously. She risked Villanueva Jr. calling her probation officer and being sent to prison. I didnt expect it to go viral, Milho said in an interview Thursday. What people dont get is that I did it for my own personal safety, as proof. I didnt expect people to share it and share it and watch. She said Villanueva Jr. immediately began asking her uncomfortable questions: Was she born a woman? Did she have smaller breasts before? Around 7 a.m., Milho began cleaning a mens bathroom in a park when she heard someone urinating in a stall. Soon after, Villanueva Jr. allegedly appeared and pinched her behind. I said, Stop, what are you doing? He kept on walking away, Milho told The Daily Beast. When she met him in the county truck, he allegedly told her no one would believe her because shes a felon. The first recording begins with Milho saying, So Im doing my community service and this guy, hes been propositioning me, asking me about my tits. Hes coming soon but Im going to leave it online so you guys can all see and see what hes talking about. Its disgusting. With her phone hidden in her handbag, she asks about his self-professed pattern of propositioning young women. So if I was to do something to you, youd let me go home early? Milho asks in the footage. Villanueva Jr. replies, Up to you, but we finish this first, referring to their job. He even admits that one woman in the community service program complained about him, the footage shows. She said that I would proposition her and all that kind of stuff. I said, Ah, we was just talking casually, you know. Then they said not to talk to her, Villanueva Jr. tells Milho in the recording. By the third video, Villanueva Jr. has discussed in graphic detail the sexual acts hes performed with other womenand the ones he could do with her. If you dont want a condom, I wouldnt mind a blow job, Villanueva Jr. says. I can ask my friend if they have a condom, Milho replies. (Milho told The Daily Beast she was in an unfamiliar area and said this with the hope hed drive her to a safer place.) Villanueva Jr. then indicates he wants Milho to jag him off. Oh, I got to kiss you too? Milho asks, to which Villanueva Jr. replies, I dont know. If you like, but I like kissing. Ill think about it, she tells him. Villanueva Jr. is heard telling Milho, Up to you. You can go home pretty soon. If not, Im going to have to keep you at least till 1 oclock. If I dont do sexual stuff, I have to stay till 1 oclock? Milho replies. Yeah, because if not, we have to go back and do whatever, Villanueva Jr. says. Milho tagged the Honolulu Police Department in her viral Facebook video that day. I was doing my community service & this city and county of Honolulu employee told me to do sexual acts for him, she wrote in her post. He said if I told anyone they would not believe me because Im a felon, Milho added. I was uncomfortable and stuck all the way up on Royal summit in the city and county truck. I said anything to keep him on his side of the truck until we got to a more public area. I decided to secretly record as proof and for my safety. On top of that he spanked my butt. This isnt right on so many levels, she concluded. Even worse, Milho has experienced sexual assault as a child and was sent into foster care, her attorney, Myles Breiner, told The Daily Beast. Eventually she aged out [of foster care], then realized her true identity as a transgender individual, Breiner said. The foster parents she was living with told her if she didnt come up with rent money to continue living in their home, theyd kick her out. The foster parents allegedly ordered Milho to steal the handbag that landed her in community service in the first place, Breiner said. The lawyer says hes tried to get the prosecutors office to pursue the case. (The Daily Beast was unable to confirm the foster parent allegation.) She is a victim not only of the probation system, but the guy that assaulted her Hes admitted doing this to other mahu, the attorney added, referring to the Hawaiian term for transgender people. Milho was under court order. If she didnt do the community service, shed lose her deferral of prosecution and possibly go to prison for five years, Breiner said. He said Milho eventually plans to file a civil rights claim against the city over the incident. Without the ability to capture this, it would have been he said, she said, and she would have been found in violation of the program, he said. Milho still has one more day of community service to complete. She says shes been unable to schedule her final hours as the state judiciary reviews the program. Its personal and emotional for me, Milho said. He definitely needs to be held accountable for his actions. He admits in my video hes done this to other people. Something positive definitely needs to come out of this. Utahs suicide rate is nearly twice the national average and the rate of youth suicide rate has tripled in the last 10 years. And last year, the states Department of Health revealed that suicide is now the leading cause of death among 10- to 17-year-olds in Utah. Overall, the states youth suicide rate has increased from 3.0 per 100,000 people in 2007 to 8.5 per 100,000 in 2014. Why? A coalition of Mormon parents of LGBT children is laying the blame at the doors of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, which, beginning in 2008, intensified its anti-gay rhetoric, funding Californias Proposition 8 and, in 2015, excommunicating the children of same-sex couples. I know of four suicides of LGBT Mormon youth in the last week alone, said Kimberly Anderson, director of the Mama Dragon Story Project, which profiles Mormon parents who have lost LGBT children to suicide. The situation is staring us in the face. The correlations are obvious. The trouble is, theres no data to back that up, because so far, Utahs Department of Health hasnt even said the word gay in their official reports. On the contrary, earlier this year, one spokesperson theorized that lower oxygen levels at Utahs high altitudes might be a contributing factor. In response to an inquiry from The Daily Beast, a spokesperson for the DOH says that new reports will indeed focus on pressures on LGBT youth. So far, however, DOH documents have been oddly silent. For example, in their 2015 report, the DOH noted that students who had been bullied at school were 5.8 times more likely to have considered suicidebut didnt address the causes of the bullying. That same report noted higher rates of suicidal ideation among girls, 10th graders, heavy electronics usersbut nowhere are the words gay, lesbian, or even homosexual used, this despite the well-established data that LGBT youth nationwide are four times more likely to attempt suicide than straight kids. Only in response to this story has the Department of Health even said the word gay. In a statement, a spokesperson confirmed that a group that has higher risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) persons. According to the Family Acceptance Project research, LGBT young adults are 8 times as likely to have attempted suicide if they felt they were highly rejected by their parents. Their website has free resources for LDS and general populations to help families support and protect their LGBT children. DOH added that comprehensive data are not available for the number of suicide deaths among LGBT persons because it is not generally collected during a police investigation of a death. We are seeking out additional methods of collecting data for LGBT suicide risk, but at this time we cannot confirm whether LGBT persons in Utah have a higher prevalence of suicide deaths or that LGBT suicide rates have increased. Anderson acknowledges that suicide is completely beyond the scope of one single issuethe causes are incredibly complex. But, she notes, the health department data shifted after 2007, and 2008 is when the really ugly, bitter rhetoric ramped up from the church. The data shows an increase from 2008 onward. Its an interesting parallel. The LDS Church has lately ratcheted up its anti-gay policies. In November 2015, it effectively excommunicated the children of same-sex couples, declaring that they may not be baptized, blessed, officially named, or sent on missionary work. To be accepted into the church, these children must officially renounce their own parents. The Church also ruled that gay or lesbian Mormons must remain celibate, or else be deemed to have committed apostasy. For Debra Coe, a devout Mormon and a member of the Utah Commission on LGBT Suicide Awareness and Prevention, the lack of acknowledgment of LGBT experience is itself a cause of the crisis. In the past, I didnt think I was bigoted, Coe told the Daily Beast. I also didnt think I knew anyone that was gay and I certainly believed our family was not affected by this issue. I said many things that I thought were harmless that I now deeply regret. We found out after reaching out to the LGBTQ students at BYU that our own son was gay. He had been suicidal and thought we would reject him in part because of inappropriate things I had said over many years. Contrast Coes sense of accountability with the LDS Churchs lack of it. A few months ago, Elder Dallin Oaksprobably the Churchs leading spokesman on LGBT issueswas asked if he felt any responsibility for the increase in Mormon suicides. His answer infuriated LGBT Mormons and allies. I think thats a question that will be answered on Judgment Day. I cant answer that beyond what has already been said. I know that those tragic events happen. And its not unique simply to the question of sexual preference. There are other cases where people have taken their own lives and blamed a churchmy churchor a government, or somebody else for their taking their own lives, and I think those things have to be judged by a higher authority than exists on this earth. Anderson said that this type of rhetoric is typical. Members of the church go out of their way to point out dozens of reasons why the church is saying we love them but then ignore all the things they do that incriminate and belittle and Other and dehumanize and shun the LGBT community. Anderson also blamed the LDS Churchs power in the state for the states relative silence. The conversation in Utah dances around the Church, she said. Coe agreed, adding that if the problem were admitted, finding a solution would not be difficult. The number of youth suicides could be reduced with education on LGBTQ issues and helping people understanding the importance of honoring all humanity regardless of differences, she said. For Coe, that doesnt mean compromising on beliefs. On the contrary, she said, charity, reaching out, kindness, love, and empathy are all at the core of our LDS gospel and the foundation of our doctrine. Perhaps one day the church will practice what it preaches. 1 FBI: Second Democrat Group Hacked HACK AT IT AGAIN Elements 8 redesign champions artisan roots Elements Eight, the single distillery rum from St Lucia, is celebrating its 10th anniversary since its inception at the London Bar Show in July 2006. The brand is relaunching with revamped packaging and a focused portfolio. With unchanged rum liquid, the new range pays tribute to the rums artisanal approach and places greater emphasis on its small batch production. The contemporary feel, a key part of the brands identity, has been evolved whereby the bottles are shorter and the foiled label design reflects the hand-crafted ethos of the rum. The rums now comprise three variants: Elements Eight Vendome , a deluxe aged rum, aged for up to six years in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. Vendome makes reference to one of the stills used in the triple distillation process. Louisville, Kentucky is the home of the Vendome Still and is a cross between a column and a pot still which provides the master distiller with new avenues to develop flavoursome rum profiles , a deluxe aged rum, aged for up to six years in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. Vendome makes reference to one of the stills used in the triple distillation process. Louisville, Kentucky is the home of the Vendome Still and is a cross between a column and a pot still which provides the master distiller with new avenues to develop flavoursome rum profiles Elements Eight Exotic Spices , claimed to be the most complex spiced rum in the world, is Infused with 10 fruits and spices (clove; cinnamon; vanilla; ginger; nutmeg; star anise; coconut; orange; lemon; and honey) married with aged rum , claimed to be the most complex spiced rum in the world, is Infused with 10 fruits and spices (clove; cinnamon; vanilla; ginger; nutmeg; star anise; coconut; orange; lemon; and honey) married with aged rum Elements Eight Platinum, one of the pioneering rum brands - it was the first aged white rum. Platinum is aged for up to four years in Kentucky Bourbon barrels and lightly charcoal filtered to remove colour. UK-based founder Carl Stephenson, who has previously worked with Allied Domecq, Moet Hennessy and Wray & Nephew, comments: The rum category in particular the super-premium sector has seen really strong growth. From the outset, our approach has been artisanal, working with St Lucia Distillers, investing in hand crafted production and slow ageing. The new approach will better emphasise these artisanal, craft credentials which really resonate with todays spirits drinkers. Nick Gillett, managing director, Mangrove (UK distributor), comments: "Mangrove is excited to be launching the new packaging of Elements 8. It is the perfect way to celebrate this fantastic rum, which set the category alight with its previous bottle in 2006." Elements Eight is a complex blend of eight single distillery rums and crafted from eight individual elements terroir, cane, water, fermentation, distillation, tropical ageing, blending and filtration. The new look, created by The Brand Foundry, is designed to take Elements Eight into the next decade of its journey. For further information contact Elements Eight Rums via: info@e8rum.com www.e8rum.co Pictured below: E8 bottles before this month's redesign/refocus 29 July 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor Before the film was released and I returned for a second visit to film the farm live on Facebook. But by then a massive gate had been newly installed and padlocked. So I hid my car and walked with my cameraman towards the farm suspecting that the farmer may have been alerted to our interest. We heard a car approach so we rushed into a nearby field and lay on the ground. A beaten up Landrover drew to a halt beside us. An elderly man in the driving seat gave us a menacing glare and asked what we were doing on his land. I said I was just having a cuddle with my boy friend. As I am 57 and my cameraman is a mere 22 years old, he was understandably incredulous. He drove off. We decided to call off our mission and return to my car in case he was letting the tyres down in revenge for the trespass. As we walked back down the lane the farmer returned, this time on foot. We had been rumbled. The farmer's story: 'what else can I do?' The farmer, initially furious and defensive, calmed down once I told him that we were keeping his identity confidential and that our mission, along with promoting the humane treatment of pigs, was to protect British farmers by exposing the impossible situation that they find themselves in due to cheap imports. We ended up having a genial conversation. His farm had been in the family for 200 years and he felt that it was his responsibility to keep it going for future generations. He employed local people who, usually, stayed for life. It was lucky, he told us, that it had been him and not his highly protective workers who had found us. And in case we felt like revisiting, he had now had alarms installed. But for all that he was willing to talk. He told me that he had recently sold all his pigs, disinfected his sheds and bought brand new stock. His old stock had been routinely given preventative antibiotics to prevent respiratory problems brought on by ammonia, part of the toxic cocktail of gases from rotting faeces. But he was concerned about antibiotic resistance passing from the pigs to humans, and thought the practice would probably soon be banned. He had made this investment for the future of the farm despite the odds stacked against him. It was both humbling surprising to come face to face with the farmer whose farm we had exposed, only to find that he believed in the same things that we did. We began with the farrowing crates where sows are kept for five weeks while they suckle their young: "I know you don't like those crates and I don't either", he told me. But he explained how the vagaries of the global economy along with the way British supermarkets treat farmers left him very little room to improve. "It goes back to the repeal of the Corn Laws 200 years ago", he said, "Feed the people cheap, keep wages down and sell your product abroad." With UK politicians wedded to this mantra and advocating reduced CAP payments, he told me that most British farmers relied on the French to mobilize and keep European farming in the competition for ever cheaper meat. Small farmers under constant pressure He had been born on this farm at a time when farms were mixed, he told me, growing a variety of produce, so that when one market failed they had contingency. Now farms are pushed towards specialisation in one product and when the bottom falls out of that market, farms are forced into bankruptcy. When Russia closed their markets to pigs resulting in a glut in the market many of his colleagues were forced out of business. He shrugged and showed me the cuts and bruises on his arms, battle scars of a lifetime eking out a living on the farm he wished to keep for his daughter and his grandsons. In an era of industrialised farming, he knows his small-scale farm is at risk. What then? I explained my ambition to persuade consumers to buy high welfare produce and he agreed that this was a solution, but that it would take too long. He told me I was an idealist and not living in the real world where people like him had a bank manager to answer to. And then he answered to my wish for re-localising farming by describing his close relationship with local consumers, how his pigs only had a mile to go to slaughter, that all processing was done on his farm and his employees had worked for him for up to 40 years. In the past he had the high welfare RSPCA label but, when consumers were not prepared to pay for it, supermarkets returned his meat and he couldn't afford to continue. A friend of his who runs a dairy farm is about to go out of business after the 'villain' discount supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl were undercutting Tesco and Sainsbury's efforts to guarantee to pay over the cost of production to the farmer. As dusk surrounded us and the gentle night bird sounds of the British countryside started up, the great irony occurred to me: this farmer who I had exposed for cruel practices was, in fact, one of the last standing traditional farmers who, if we paid a fair price for our pork, could be a high welfare farmer once again. He was a prime example of the issue that I have been campaigning about for over a decade: a traditional British farmer only forced to cut costs and neglect animal welfare because of cheap imports and industrialised farming practises - not due to malice. And so there we were, standing on the edge of his farm in failing light agreeing with each other. Limiting my harm to him personally by withholding his name, he was my route to showing shoppers how farmers could only up their standards if they were given a fair price. As we shook hands, he told me he was sorry to have gated his farm and, smiling, he said he knew I was trying to mislead him as he didn't think I was having a cuddle. Shoppers - buy only high-welfare meat! As farmers are being pushed to the wall by cheap imports, they are forced into becoming more intensive - which often involves breaking EU animal welfare rules. That's why I see the farmer as the victim of global trade. They have no choice in the matter if they are competing with massive low-cost factory farms across Europe and beyond. And as I found in my conversation with the farmer, he had tried to find an alternative by producing his pork under the RSPCA 'Freedom Food' label - but the demand hadn't been there from supermarket shoppers willing to pay a small premium for a higher standard of animal welfare. That puts the responsibility onto us - ordinary consumers and supermarket shoppers - to seek out and select meat sold under high welfare labels such as 'RSPCA Assured', 'Outdoor Bred', 'Free Range' and best of all 'Organic'. Farmers and consumers together can ensure healthy food and farming. But we must make the change now before any more of our precious local farmers go bankrupt - leaving us with no choice but to buy from remote, gigantic, unaccountable corporate factory pig farms. Tracy Worcester has been a food, farming, animal welfare and health campaigner and filmmaker ever since she began working as a volunteer with Friends of the Earth in 1989. Films: Tracy's films include Is Small Still Beautiful in India, (BBC World 2005), The Politics of Happiness in Bhutan, (BBC World 2005), Pig Business, (Channel 4 spring 2009). Pig Business, now in 21 languages, has been broadcast around the world, screened at the House of Commons, EU Parliament and on Capitol Hill. Via a three minute video, she worked on a consumer outreach campaign called the Pig Pledge - to only buy pork with high welfare labels RSPCA Assured, Free Range, Outdoor Bred and Organic. She launched a new celebrity-led video and poster campaign called #TurnYourNoseUp in May. Released a UK intensive pig farm expose in the Mail On Sunday. Photo provided by Adam Thomas Matthew Turner, Tyler Powell, Kirk Knight, Quentin Peters and Josh Clem pose in front of the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. SHARE Photo provided by Adam Thomas Quentin Peters, Kirk Knight, Tyler Powell, Josh Clem and Matthew Turner pose at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Photo provided by Adam Thomas Kirk Knight, Quentin Peters, Matthew Turner, Tyler Powell, Josh Clem and band teacher Adam Thomas pose for a photo in front of Big Ben in London. Photo provided by Adam Thomas Band instructor Adam Thomas, Matthew Turner, Tyler Powell, Josh Clem, Quentin Peters and Kirk Knight pose for a photo in front of the Grand Canal in Venice. By Erin Schmitt of The Gleaner Traveling through seven countries in 16 days was quite a culture shock for the five Henderson County High School band students who traveled to Europe this summer. However, music was a common language wherever they went. "Music is something that's a part of every single culture," said senior Kirk Knight, the HCHS drum major. "That's something even when we were in Austria, they speak German. If we talked to them they wouldn't understand that conversation, but when we played music they understood that conversation." Knight was one of six HCHS students chosen to participate in the Kentucky Ambassadors of Music Tour this summer along with about 200 other outstanding musicians from the commonwealth. The tour includes stops in England, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy and Germany. The other HCHS students that accepted the invitation were graduated seniors Quentin Peters, percussion; and Tyler Powell, tuba; and incoming seniors Josh Clem, trumpet; and Matthew Turner, percussion. This was HCHS Band Director Adam Thomas' second Kentucky Ambassadors of Music trip to Europe, having crossed the pond a few years ago with another group of students. Several of those students talked up the trip to their younger classmates, telling them that, aside from the jet lag, or heat it was the best experience they ever had. "Some of my best friends went on it and they said it was a trip that you wouldn't want to miss for the world," said Turner, a percussionist. "It was definitely worth the $6,000 that it was to go to Europe. They described it as a very good deal and it was a good deal for seven countries and the nice hotels we stayed in and the provided meals." Switzerland was the most popular destination. Turner touted it as a serene country with the nicest people and best views. "Our hotel room had a balcony looking over a valley," said Knight. "It was amazing." Knight's favorite place to play was in Austria. The group performed on a stage built for the Olympic Games. There were Olympic rings overhead and also an American flag and a map that pointed at Kentucky. The performance in the town square of Rothenberg, Germany was a memorable one for Turner. After the show was over, the crowd demanded an encore. "No one knew what to do because we didn't have a second encore planned," he said. So they improvised, much to the crowd's delight. Each students hauled back a collection of knickknacks and souvenirs. Clem bought a Swiss watch and Swiss chocolate; Knight brought back coins to add to his currency collection; and Turner bought "tons," his favorite being a acrylic London Eye, the famed Ferris wheel, that spins and lights up. Clem thinks the trip improved his people and leadership skills. "I've learned how to talk to other people that I haven't met before," said Clem. Turner said he came back with more musical knowledge. "Now I can see different phrasings in music and realize what's important," he said. "I learn that if I can't hear everybody's part, then I really need to back down because it's important to know when to step up and when you need to back down and realize it's someone else's turn." Thomas said he plans on taking a third group of students to Europe in a couple years. Invitations will be sent out in the spring. "It's a great trip and we have great kids here that I hope get the opportunity to experience it," he said. SHARE By Erin Schmitt of The Gleaner Henderson County Water District has been nominated for the 2016 Wooden Bucket Award. Since 1990, the Wooden Bucket Award has been presented annually to one of the water and wastewater utilities in Kentucky that has shown exceptional efforts in meeting the demands of their community, enhancing their operations and complying with regulatory requirements. Utilities from across Kentucky are nominated and after careful consideration 10 finalists are selected. Each of these nominees receives special recognition during Kentucky Rural Water Association's Annual Conference and Exhibition, according to a news release. This year the conference will be held Aug. 22-24 at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville. The overall winner will be presented with the award during a luncheon on Aug. 24. Henderson County Water Superintendent Pete Conrad announced that the district had been nominated for the award during a Henderson County Water District board meeting held Wednesday night. He called the nomination a "tremendous honor," but added he still wanted to win. Conrad told the board that the nomination was group effort, "from the folks in the field working hard to change meters, fix leaks and keep the system running the best it can, to the ladies in the office working hard to keep accounts current, track issues and work orders and also collect on debts owed." He added that the foresight of the board to take on projects and their diligence in running the district is another major factor in the nomination. In other business, the board was informed there are 202 meters left to change out this year. Also, the district will be accepting a bid for parts from HD Supply for $12,798.99 that will be used to build waterlines in Sandy Lee Watkins Park. This should boost water pressure in the Hebbardsville area. Conrad told the board that he has sent out requests for bids to complete bores to install a water line across a ditch in the rear of the park, as well as the entrance across Kentucky 351. Broadlawns offers ketamine therapy for those with treatment-resistant depression Ketamine treatment has offered one Saylorville, Iowa, man the best relief he has found for his depression in nearly 20 years, he said. NORWALK On Aug. 26 and 27, residents of two local affordable housing buildings will have the opportunity to give their children free backpacks if everything goes as planned. The more backpacks we get, the better, because then Ill be able to donate to anyone and everyone that reaches out that is in need. I would hate for this Family Day event to not have enough backpacks for these children, said Giovanna Pisani, a leading member of the Human Services Community Prevention Task Force. The task force is holding a backpack drive from now until Aug. 12 for the Norwalk residents of Roodner Court and Washington Village. The Human Services Council, 1 Park St.; Norwalk Public Library, 1 Belden Ave.; and the Norwalk Fire Department Station 2, 121 Connecticut Ave., will all serve as drop-off locations. While new or as-new backpacks are a priority need, school supplies are also welcome. We want to make the kids to feel special too, that they have a new backpack like their peers, we dont want them to feel like they are different, Pisani said. The Human Services Council will be putting on two culminating Family Day events to hand out the back-to-school supplies to the children and provide a fun event with food and music for the residents. Its just a huge community barbecue. The family comes together and they all hang out, eat, drink have fun, Pisani said. Family Day began in 1996 in Norwalk, making this year its 20th anniversary. This year the task force will be raffling off three bicycles. Last year, Pisani said almost 300 bicycles were donated. Each location has a large box with a poster-board for backpacks to be placed in. Those interested in more information can contact Pisani at 203-849-1111, ext. 3006 or email her at gpisani@hscct.org. Im hearing that theyve always met quota, but I want to make sure that we do, Pisani said. And if we have extras, yay! Im going to be super excited, then I can go to a family shelter and say Hey, how many children are living here and are going to school? Let me get them a backpack. The Human Services Council is a Norwalk nonprofit works to fulfill unmet community needs through its educational and supportive programs. SFoster-Frau@CTPost.com; @SilviaelenaFF WILTON Flying cars, hoverboards, teleportation when people think of the future, these are a few of the images conjured. While none of these technologies seem particularly imminent, one of the energy sources of tomorrow may soon feature a prominent role in the towns future. During a special meeting on Tuesday evening, the Board of Selectmen unanimously voted in favor of posting the $9,680 performance assurance bond meant to secure the two medium-sized Zero Emission Renewable Energy Credit (ZREC) that makes the solar transition possible for Miller-Driscoll and Middlebrook schools. Moving forward as a town with this solar project, our town will make its fair share of contributions to what we can do to improve the environment and to provide more energy independence, Energy Commission co-Chairman Debra Thompson-Van said. It may not be as flashy as flying transportation, but solar technology has been heralded by some experts as the energy of the future and, thanks to this state-incentivized deal, Wilton has an opportunity to buy in to the technology not only at an unprecedented discount, but with little financial risk as well. Your exposure is that if all of this turns out to be nonviable and everything falls apart, then weve wasted $10,000 of the towns money, and thats a terrible thing to say, but the potential opportunity here is huge, former selectman and current Energy Commissioner Richard Creeth said. Under this arrangement, the two schools will be granted two ZRECs by the Connecticut Green Bank a quasi-public agency charged with leveraging public and private funds to accelerate the growth of green energy in Connecticut based on how many kilowatts of solar power can be generated at the two locations during the 15-year program. Between Miller-Driscoll and Middlebrook, it is estimated that nearly 10,650 renewable energy credits will be earned. Since Wilton was accepted for a rate $124.75 per renewable energy credit (a value that nearly doubles last years average offer of $75 per REC), that means that the town is in store for nearly $1.32 million from Eversource. According to estimates by Ross Solar Group, which facilitated the ZREC deal with Eversource, the switch to solar could save the town $450,000 over 10 years and nearly $1.1 million over 20 years. The opportunity for long-term savings is real and definite, and we do the analysis on the roof, and thats the only potential bump in the road, Director of Facilities and Energy Management Chris Burney said. If we never do the analysis on the roof then well come back next year with the same questions and it will be just like Groundhog Day we didnt do anything, we just asked the same questions. By signing the assurance bond, the selectmen have all but ensured Wilton is committed to a solar future for the schools. Now, all that is left for the town to do is iron out all of the details going forward. Thompson-Van asked members of the board to consider signing a letter of intent to work with Ross Solar Group at their next meeting on Aug. 8, so that the installer could begin working on the plans for the solar array and conducting structure analyses on the buildings at once. If the town decides it doesnt want to move forward with this solar project then the only financial consequence would be a forfeiture of 80 percent of the $9,680 bond. If the town decides to sign a letter of intent with Ross Solar Group, they would also be liable for up to $15,000 upon terminating their agreement. Thompson-Van also informed the selectmen that the Board of Education was considering convening an impromptu meeting at some point in August to discuss the implications of a solar project. If the town elects to move further forward after weighing all its options then the final step in the process would be to decide whether they would prefer to enter a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Connecticut Green Bank or own the solar array themselves. Under the PPA, the Connecticut Green Bank would own the solar array and the town would simply purchase the power from them. In this case, solar energy would be provided to the town at a fixed-rate of $.079 per kilowatt, and the Connecticut Green Bank would be responsible for maintenance of the solar panels. At the end of the 20 years, the town could then elect to extend the PPA, remove the solar panels or could purchase the panels. However, if the town owned the solar equipment, then they would be responsible for maintaining and repairing it. Weve got a long process to go, a lot of benchmarks that have to be met and everybodys going to have to be involved, First Selectman Lynne Vanderslice said. Even if we were to go with the PPA, in which were basically financing it through the Connecticut Green Bank, but we should be doing all of the same procedures, short of a town meeting, that we would do if we were bonding something else. ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1046; Tomlinson_PE The Johnson and Sease family is getting ready to celebrate their 50th annual family reunion. This year, 228 family members are expected to attend during the first weekend in August. In previous years, as many as 350 have attended. Sisters Tina Wilson, Carmen Cunningham and Bonnie Wilson are on the committee to plan this years event. The three are from Edwardsville. The reunion rotates between several cities; this year it will be in Edwardsville, where the first reunion was held 50 years ago. The sisters mother was a Johnson who married into the Sease family. In 1970, it was officially named the Johnson Sease Reunion. Its always the first full weekend in August, said Tina Wilson. The first reunion was spearheaded by Rufus Sease. He is involved in the planning for this year, also. Hes the national chair, and hes never missed a reunion, said Bonnie Wilson. She added that since he is over 80 years old, he has decided to step down as national chair this year. We have people coming from Minnesota, Atlanta, Washington State, Charlotte, Delaware, Michigan, and Maryland, Cunningham said. The reunion is a highly organized event. Each city that hosts has a chair and committee to plan, Cunningham said. They give scholarships to members starting college or vocational school. Each city pays dues every year, and the national organizers keep members posted about births and deaths in family. This year, there will be a 50th anniversary book given to all households attending. Its a way to keep the family together and keep the connection, Cunningham said. Just to know who your family is. We do it every year so you wont lose family connection. The group has recently been using social media to keep in touch, but they still send mailings and send the invitations through the mail. There are several activities planned for the weekend. On Thursday, the group will meet at the American Legion for a hospitality night and meet and greet. Well receive t-shirts and enjoy dinner and fellowship, Bonnie Wilson said. The t-shirts will be in the family colors of blue and white. They voted on that years ago, Cunningham said. On Friday, there will be at family photo shoot at the Mannie Jackson Center in the morning. Our mother and some other relatives went to the Lincoln School, said Cunningham. After the photo, the family will meet in a local park for a picnic. In the evening, there will be bowling at Edisons. In between the picnic and bowling, there will be some downtime. Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton is scheduled to come to the photo shoot to issue a proclamation commemorating the reunion. On Saturday, family members can take an optional bus tour of St. Louis. On Saturday evening, there will be a formal banquet at the Meridian ballroom at SIUE. On Sunday, family members who do not have to leave early will attend church at Mount Joy. The sisters have been attending the reunion since they were kids. Ive only missed three, Tina Wilson said. There are always new people, said Cunningham. Every year you meet someone new. Last year, Tina Wilson said, there were some people attending for the first time. There is a lot involved in the planning, Bonnie Wilson said. Just getting food for a picnic for that many takes planning, she said. We started planning this a year in advance and booking venues, Cunningham added. They reserved blocks of rooms at three different hotels. That is a change from the early years of the reunion, she said, when segregation prevented the family from staying at many hotels and guests stayed with relatives in the host city. The sisters agreed that the planning was worth it. Its about staying connected, said Bonnie Wilson. Its good to know who your family is. While an investigation into the recent death of an inmate at the Madison County Jail led to murder charges being filed against a fellow inmate, authorities have yet to speculate publicly about what might have sparked the violence. Now it appears the man charged with the murder was upset over a dispute over a television at the Day Room in G Block North. The incident was captured on surveillance video, and police used the information gathered in that footage, as well as witness accounts, to back up their request for a search warrant in the case. One witness has been interviewed and indicated to authorities that based on his observations, Terrence Lee struck (John) Newsome multiple times with his hand or fist and that Lee was agitated about a television in the jail, according to the affidavit accompanying the search warrant. Lee, who is 32, has been charged with alleged first-degree murder in the death of Newsome, 61. Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons has said that Newsome did not appear to have provoked the attack. The account presented in the affidavit backs up that contention. Lee is being held at the jail without bond. The incident happened just after 8:30 a.m. on July 18. On the security footage, both men can be seen walking in and out of the Day Room. The last time Lee entered G Block North Day Room, an altercation occurred, the affidavit says. Lee is seen making aggressive physical gestures. No movement is seen on the part of Newsome. Lee is already facing murder charges stemming from a 2014 incident in which he is accused of murdering Kenneth Deal during an alleged robbery attempt. A Madison County grand jury indicted him on those charges, and the case has been set for a jury trial on Aug. 15 at the Madison County Criminal Justice Center. Another man, Turhan Robinson, 37, has also been charged with murder and attempted robbery for an incident in which they were allegedly trying to steal marijuana from Deal in Madison. Deals body was found at an intersection in Madison. Lee was soon arrested in St. Louis. Robinson was arrested in Las Vegas but escaped from a truck stop as he was being extradited to Illinois. U.S. Marshals were able to re-capture him. Robinsons trial in Madison County is also pending. The Edwardsville High School Green LYFE Networks proposed Rally for Climate Justice was approved by the Edwardsville City Council to take place at City Park, Saturday, Aug. 13, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. After being recommended for approval by the Administrative and Community Service Committee, all City Council members were in favor of its endorsement. The Green LYFE (Leading Youth For the Environment) Network has hosted city eco-events, recycle drives, volunteering events, and educational campaigns. David Cipus, president of the Green LYFE Network, said this event will feature several key speakers and live music. Students from Edwardsville High School will speak about their experiences getting involved in the environmental movement, and several students will also play music and lead eco-chants before and after the speeches. We have invited a number of public servants from across the political spectrum to attend so that they may join us on stage and also speak about their commitment to transitioning to a sustainable future, Cipus said. Cipus said the event will spread awareness about whats important in environmental activism. This event will serve as a guide for the kind of activism that other Green LYFE students can engage in across Illinois, advocating for a clean, sustainable future, Cipus said. Eden Vitoff, outgoing president of the Green LYFE Network, said he hopes the club can erase any misconceptions about millennials and really understand what the purpose of the rally is. Were trying to combat this narrative that all millennials are self-absorbed and entitled. We want to give back to our community and we want to help other students across the state get engaged in the political process help them volunteer their time to make their community a green and healthy place to live. We want to help students develop working relationships with their municipal leaders and local legislators and help them support common sense environmental legislation, Vitoff said. The organization branched out from the EHS Environmental Club, and Vitoff said it has grown significantly after reaching out to other students across the state. Through the EHS Environmental Club, we saw that when students have the resources, we can come together and do great things. It occurred to us; What if we were able to give similar resources to students across Illinois? Together we could all make an exponentially greater impact. So, the Green LYFE Network was born, and is an organization dedicated to educating and empowering students across our state to speak out on environmental issues that will define our generation, Vitoff said. To learn more about the Green LYFE Network, search Green LYFE Network on Facebook. (NAPSI)In 2001, William Yarbrough was looking forward to his future. He had relocated his family to Durham, N.C., to pursue his dream job and adopted two young childrengrowing his family of four to six. He decided to visit his doctor to find out why he was feeling constantly fatigued and was shocked when the results of a simple blood test showed he was infected with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). Like so many others diagnosed with this potentially life-threatening liver disease, William was blind-sided; he wanted to see his children grow old. Stories like Williams arent uncommon because HCV is highly infectious and the most prevalent chronic blood-borne infection in the United States, affecting nearly 3.5 million Americans. Baby boomersborn between 1945 and 1965account for 81 percent of adults with this virus. HCV can be spread via contaminated needles from tattoos, needle sticks or intravenous drug use. Before widespread screening of the blood supply in 1992, the virus was often spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Parulian Simanjuntak (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Over the past year, we have seen two cases in which patients have fallen victim to low-quality anesthetics they received while undergoing hospital treatment. In addition, the very recent cases regarding fake vaccines for children are proof that our public health system is under threat. These cases have shown that the use and availability of quality medicines are paramount in sustaining public health and that any treatment with low-quality or counterfeit drugs can drastically affect the outcome of that treatment. It seems that confidence in Indonesias public healthcare sector has been shaken by concerns over such low-quality or fake medicines. Moreover, the reputation of Indonesias healthcare sector may be irreversibly tarnished should such cases recur. Unfortunately we still neglect healthcare even though it is one of our basic needs. Many are ready to spend a lot on material goods and services, but thrifty when it comes to health and wellbeing. They opt to buy medicine at lower cost, despite the risks they may face. It is certainly true that when it comes to high-quality medicines most of which are produced by international pharmaceutical companies people have to pay premium prices. But people tend to take medicine for granted and many still question why some medicines are more expensive than others. Furthermore, people tend to overlook the fact that some medicines are the result of 10 to 15 years of costly clinical research. Drug manufacturers must also comply with good manufacturing practice (GMP) prior to the discovery of the drug itself. In addition, once a drug is produced, the registration process for marketing approval also takes time. And all of this contributes to increased costs. For many Indonesian patients, however, high-quality and brand-name medicines are not a priority. But the sad fact is that such attitudes have the potential to harm the public health. The public should be prescribed, and have access to, genuine and innovative drugs when they need them. Considering this, promoting correct healthcare habits and providing access to innovative medicine as part of the governments approach to improve overall public health should be encouraged through the following approaches. First, the government should remove all regulations that hamper the development of high-quality and innovative medicines in Indonesia. Recently, the House of Representatives deliberated the revision of the draft patent law, which the government believes will complement its efforts in developing the local pharmaceutical industry, as well as the recent revision of the Negative Investment List (DNI). From an R&D-based industry perspective, the revision of the draft patent law would weaken, rather than strengthen, Indonesias intellectual property rights system. It would also dampen foreign investors interest in Indonesias pharmaceutical industry and prohibit patient access to new and innovative medicines. In addition, the draft patent law would prohibit the use of existing patents for new medicines, while new forms of a known substance would be required to demonstrate enhanced therapeutic efficacy. These restrictive patent requirements would be impossible to comply with and would potentially contravene World Trade Organization regulations. Furthermore, such moves could inhibit pharmaceutical companies commitments to clinical trials for new medicines and, in turn, deny the public access to innovative treatments. With regard to the compulsory licensing clause within the draft patent law, which is supposedly aimed at increasing access to better treatments, it is not an effective way to either improve access or accomplish other public health objectives. It also does not necessarily lower the price of high-quality medicine, nor does it allow the public access to them in the short-term or provide a sustainable solution to longer-term challenges. Therefore, the government should reconsider the compulsory licensing provisions within the draft patent law. Moreover, the government also needs to ensure that any future compulsory licensing decisions that are made on the grounds of public health are made through fair and transparent procedures that involve the participation of all stakeholders. Second, the government should make it easier for high-quality medicines to enter the market. One of the factors that result in poor access to innovative medicines is that to register a new drug in Indonesia takes approximately 300 working days, or 60 weeks, to process, while in Malaysia, it takes just 180 working days. With such a long process, patients abroad have access to better-quality and newer medications compared with patients in Indonesia. So it is no wonder that many Indonesians prefer to receive medical services in other countries. We should also consider that every patient has different needs and that it is his or her own right to determine the best medicine for the treatment. If one particular necessity is neglected, it will hamper all of the progress that has been made. As such, it is the duty of the government to address the peoples needs. To conclude, the public needs to be less frugal about its health spending. Healthcare should come first and proper healthcare habits are key to effective treatment. The government wants international pharmaceutical companies to produce affordable and innovative drugs, but the government must realize that doing so requires a lot of hard work and a substantial amount of investment. In order to improve Indonesias healthcare sector as well as to increase access to innovative drugstransparency and aligned commitment are needed between the government and industry players. *** The writer is the executive director of the International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group, a non-profit organization comprising 24 international, research-based pharmaceutical companies operating in Indonesia. The views expressed are his own. --------------- We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Surabaya is coming under the worlds spotlight as it hosts the negotiations of the New Urban Agenda set for the next 20 years. It is not without reason that the government and the UN have chosen Surabaya for the third Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) of Habitat III. Surabayas transformation into a much greener and cleaner place to live under the leadership of dynamic Mayor Tri Risma Rismaharini has catapulted the city to national and international fame. As mayor of Indonesias second-largest city, and sometimes the mother of her citizens, Risma has proven that a good leader requires not only firmness, but also compassion. Physical changes on infrastructure are not sufficient. Equally important, and often more challenging, is how to build the character of society. With more than a half of the worlds population inhabiting cities that contribute the lions share of global gross domestic product (GDP), huge challenges confront them. Many cities are major polluters, while traffic congestion, floods and slum areas (there are around 1 billion slum dwellers worldwide) are just a few of the countless problems that cities and local governments must deal with. With these problems combined, the task to find solutions is evidently daunting, especially when planning is poor and government relatively weak and ineffective. A New Urban Agenda should therefore be seen as an important opportunity, not only for UN member states, but also other key players such as local governments. Demographic trends in the 21st century project that nearly 70 percent of people will settle in urban areas by 2050. Planning and designing cities would be smoother if we considered people the center of action. Good quality and quantity, as well as the proportional distribution of safe public spaces that include streets, sidewalks, public markets, libraries and parks can serve as indicators as to whether a leader places genuine importance on the welfare of the people. If local leaders have genuine minds to govern, their officials and institutions as a whole are capacitated legally, institutionally and financially and people are involved in the decision-making processes, we will see more and more cities morph into comfortable and safe places to live. Local governments need communities to be involved and the private sector to invest. A transparent system in line with good governance principles, in which every stakeholder understands its roles and responsibilities, is imperative. The ideal is to build a humanist city, where people can take full advantage of infrastructure and access to public goods and services and at the same time live in harmony with nature and their fellow inhabitants, respect each others religions, gender, race and ethnicity and preserve local wisdom and values. Living in urban kampung fortifies social bonds, improves safety and curbs violence, without need to spend to CCTV, as people look out for each other. How should Indonesia design its urban future? How can the plan for deregulation of local rules and principles under the Joko Jokowi Widodo administration contribute to creation of effective local governments rather than hindering their progress? It is true that local governments should not take sole responsibility for failure in local actions. The central government may have to review deregulation so as not discourage good mayors and local officials from acting. Jakarta should use a carrot and stick approach to push local governments to perform better. With its relatively little experience in decentralization, Indonesia has achieved much, but there are huge gaps still to fill. Lets hope the UN preparatory meeting in Surabaya will facilitate meaningful negotiations amongst member states as well as local players with big stakes in implementing this New Urban Agenda that will be approved in Quito on Oct. 17 to 20. Lets also hope that foreign delegates get to see what Surabaya and other Indonesian cities have achieved. Thanks to the slogan no one left behind, lets ensure that this New Urban Agenda can open the eyes of the public that we own this agenda and cant wait to see our domestic stakeholders act. Lets act now, before its too late. *** The writer is secretary-general of United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC). This is a personal view. --------------- We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Indonesian short film On the Origin of Fear has been included in the Orizzonti section of the 73rd Venice International Film Festival set to be held between Aug. 31 and Sept. 10 in the Italian city. In many events, it seems clear that violence and the reproduction of violence are part of our states monopoly rights, said the movie's director and writer, Bayu Prihantoro Filemon, who hails from Yogyakarta, discussing the 12-minute film's background that is also his directorial debut. Its no exception if both the state and cinema collaborate in producing violence, terror and fear, under the name of history. The film is a directorial debut for Bayu, who previously worked as cinematographer for A Lady Caddy Who Never Saw a Hole in One, Vakansi yang Janggal dan Penyakit Lainnya (Failed Vacancy and Other Diseases) and Istirahatlah Kata-Kata (Take a Rest, Words). The Orizzonti section is an international competition entered by a maximum of 18 films, dedicated to movies that represent the latest aesthetic and expressive trends in international cinema with special attention given to debut films, young talent, indie features and works that address specific genres. (Read also: Indonesian short movie Prenjak wins award at Cannes) The movie poster of "On the Origin of Fear".(KawanKawan Film, Limaenam Films,/-) my film On the Origin of Fear will be in Venice International Film Fest 2016, in Orizzonti competition!https://t.co/tbehNaB5NK Bayu Prihantoro F (@bayuprihantoro) July 28, 2016 The films producers, Amerta Kusuma and Yulia Evina Bhara, said that the movie was their view of Indonesias history, which they perceive as having been deliberately blurred. It stems from trauma brought about by the reproduction of violence that can be found in a film routinely broadcast every Sept. 30 during the New Order era. On the Origin of Fear, which is a collaboration between KawanKawan Film, Limaenam Films and Partisipasi Indonesia, is one of four short films that were produced as comments on the repercussions of the 1965 killings. Following the movie, the producers are hopeful that there will be room to discuss one of the gloomiest chapters in the archipelagos modern history, one long considered taboo. We hope there will be attempts to resolve [the killings] so that the young generation can face the future without repeating the same tragedy." (kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) San Francisco, United States Fri, July 29, 2016 Microsoft says it is cutting 2,850 jobs, about 2.5 percent of its workforce, as it further scales back its troubled smartphone business. A spokeswoman says the layoffs will mostly affect workers in the company's smartphone hardware operation and related sales teams. She declined to say which geographic locations would be affected but said many of the laid off workers had already been notified. (Read also: Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion) Microsoft Corp. disclosed the planned job cuts in a regulatory filing, which said they're in addition to 9,250 previous layoffs, primarily affecting the company's phone business, over the last 12 months. The giant tech company reported earlier this month that its revenue fell 9 percent in the previous 12 months, but its net income grew 38 percent as it shed unprofitable operations like the phone business. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ryan Pearson (Associated Press) San Diego, United States Fri, July 29, 2016 Two reunions make "Black Panther" an especially personal chapter in the Marvel cinematic universe. The movie, set to begin filming in January, will mark the third time director Ryan Coogler has worked with actor Michael B. Jordan. They teamed up previously on "Creed" and "Fruitvale Station." They're joined by Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira, the star and writer, respectively, of the Tony-nominated play "Eclipsed," which concluded its run on Broadway last month. Chadwick Boseman stars as T'Challa, also known as Black Panther. "They've been doing a really good job of keeping this a secret even from the cast," Jordan said after his role was revealed to fans at Comic-Con over the weekend. "I'm really excited to get back to working with Ryan Coogler." Jordan plays the villain in the movie, set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda. "I'm really, really curious to start diving into a side of my personality that a lot of people don't get a chance to see. It's always cool to show a different side," the 29-year-old actor said. (Read also: Infinity War director confirms Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy crossover) Coogler, 30, is still polishing the script for the movie, which features the first black superhero in comics, at a time of turmoil in the U.S. over police killings of black men. "I feel fortunate and excited to be making a film like this. No time better than now," he said. Though best known for her role in "The Walking Dead," Gurira's "Eclipsed," about five women caught in Liberia's civil war, garnered six Tony nominations. She grew up in Zimbabwe. "To see an epic story like this told with the Marvel engine, the Marvel abilities through the personhood, really, of African people is really, really thrilling," she said. "It's a dream come true for a little African girl who spends her life watching other folks do those types of stories and gets to see Africans do that story. I mean, that's pretty amazing." The Oscar-winning Nyong'o credited "God's good grace" with reuniting her with Gurira, "because I had no say in the matter." "We did a secret jump up-and-down while we were working on 'Eclipsed,'" she said. "I don't mind carrying on the rest of my life with her." "Black Panther" is set for release in 2018. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin I Wayan Juniarta (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar Thu, July 28 2016 Work In Progress: Kedux Garage, the combination of a traditional Balinese compound with a modern motorcycle garage, reflects its proprietors penchant for combining old with new, traditional with modern. A passionate cyclist and a famed motorcycle builder join forces to pay tribute to the first Western artist to visit Bali. 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 Setiono Sugiharto (The Jakarta Post) Thu, July 28 2016 In the context of global citizenship, higher learning institutions are compelled not only to push their academic staffers to publish internationally, but also to equip them with viable strategies of writing for academic purposes. In a bid to boost the quality of the countrys higher learning institutions, Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Mohammad Nasir has recently called for academia to produce at least 15 international publications. The minister believes that more international publications can fortify the reputation of local higher learning institutions in this ASEAN Economic Community era. Whats more, international publication has become the absolute requirement for graduate students to earn a doctorate degree as well as for the promotion of professorship. It is laudable that in encouraging more international journal publications by Indonesian academicians, the Indonesian Directorate General of Higher Learning Institutions (DIKTI) has consistently supported the policy by providing the research grants for local researchers as well as the incentives (up to Rp 100 million) for those whose scholarly works are published in international journals listed in the Thomson Reuter Indexation. Despite being well-intentioned, the policy on writing for international publication cannot be equally applied to all higher learning institutions for reasons that not all members of an academy are poised to write, let alone have their research published in scholarly journals. To complicate this, not all institutions are equipped with supporting facilities needed to get access to publishing journals internationally. After all, the pertinent problem lies not in the ability to design a research proposal and to conduct research, but rather to report research findings in English. As most top-tier international journals are dominated by Western publishing companies, English has undoubtedly become the language of scholarly exchanges in the journals. Generally for non-native speakers of English, writing for international publication requires an assiduous feat, as they need to grapple with the language components such as structural patterns and choice of words appropriate for written language. Yet, for those without a background in the English language, the problem gets even more delicate. Apart from wrestling with the language, they need to develop an awareness that journal articles have a unique rhetorical style and jargon, which are quite distinct from other types of writing like business correspondence, newspaper editorials or short stories amongst others. A revealing empirical study by applied linguist John Flowerdew has shown that common problems for non-native speakers of English in writing and getting published in international journals include lack of facility of expression, lack of vocabulary stock, lack of ability in asserting claims, flowery writing and lack of ability in writing introductions. Nevertheless, as all top-notch international journals are strictly gate-kept by vigilant reviewers, proficiency in written English does not ensure success in publication. Well-written articles may be rejected due to problems that go beyond language matters. These may include lack of appeal to an international readership, no relevance to the scope and aim of the journal, nothing new about the topic proposed, no convincing arguments made for a broader readership, and lack of updated references, just to mention a few. Given these complex writing and publishing challenges, we need to lower our expectations. Developing confidence in writing should become a priority. It is thus wise not just to force members of local academia (especially those having no experience in writing) to publish internationally, but also to help them prepare the right strategies to confront challenges in writing. One initial plausible step would be to familiarize them with the texture of a journal article and the conventions governing it. In this case, reading and consciously analyzing the unique texture of writing for academic purposes is helpful to raise consciousness of what a journal article looks like. These may sound commonsensical, yet it is this exhortation that is often overlooked. Once the control over the texture has been gained, exploration of topics to be written can start. Annotating available research findings from journals is useful for developing strong background knowledge of the topic. It can also help in gaining insights into the state of the art of the topics to be written about. The clear pedagogical value for these exhortations is that they help novice writers sharpen their analytical skill, a skill that is needed for academic writing. Unless we help novice writers and researchers develop confidence in writing for publication, our expectations in obliging them to publish in international journals will merely end in disillusionment. (Setiono Sugiharto) _____________ 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 Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, July 28 2016 Protracted speculation over a Cabinet reshuffle is over after President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced his new appointees for 13 ministerial posts. However, whether the new Cabinet lineup can help the President govern more effectively is another debate. Political experts have said the new composition is only a political accommodation, shown by whom he has kicked and picked in the shake-up. Therefore, they are afraid the new Cabinet will go no further and contribute far below expectations. The reshuffle shows more political compromise rather than performance evaluation. Indeed, its too early to predict whether they will give a better performance than the previous Cabinet, but I suspect that its only the way to provide space for his new supporters, said Gun Gun Heryanto, a political communication expert with Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta, referring to the Golkar Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN). So, dont expect too much, he added. With the two parties having jumped ship to support Jokowi, he has provided ministry seats to accommodate both. The Hanura Party was forced to see two members, Saleh Husin and Yuddy Chrisnandi, kicked out from the Cabinet to provide seats to Golkars Airlangga Hartarto, as industry minister, and PANs Asman Abnur, as administrative and bureaucratic reform minister. However, Hanura chairman Wiranto is now entrusted with leading the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, replacing Luhut Pandjaitan, who has been reassigned as coordinating maritime affairs minister. The swap, Gun Gun said, was only a game of chess, which then sacrificed the posts filled by professional or non-political party members, like Anies Baswedan, Rizal Ramli and Sudirman Said. Politically, kicking out professionals is less risky because they have less political backing, he said. Gun Gun added that among the names on the new Cabinet list, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was the most encouraging one amid the countrys discouraging economic conditions, replacing Bambang Brodjonegoro, who now helms the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas). The World Bank managing directors return is expected to carry the country to a better economic level on account of her experience and proven commitment. Siti Zuhro, a senior political analyst with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said the second Cabinet shake-up was full of political bargaining, thus it would be a difficult task ahead for Jokowi to gain control over his coalition. To make it work, Jokowi must be able to take control and be firm, so that no ministry will run individually like in the previous Cabinet, Siti said. She also pointed out that a high number of parties in a coalition did guarantee a smooth-running government. Looking back to former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos coalition, which accommodated many parties but was faced with difficulties in running his programs. Political researcher Arya Fernandes of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), however, projected that the new Cabinet would strengthen the political consolidation because Jokowi now held 70 percent of the legislative body, although he did not deny that it would not be easy to manage a fat Cabinet because some parties might have contradictory opinions. But the reshuffle shows that Jokowi himself wants to avoid polemic in the government coalition, Arya said. Opposition Gerindra Party executive Desmond J. Mahesa accused Jokowi of having broken his promise to provide fewer political appointees in his Cabinet. It may be preparation for his team to lead the country for five more years, he said. But whether the new Cabinet is more effective depends on Jokowi. The biggest challenge is to ensure that the Tax Amnesty Law is implemented well. It he cant do so, then all these ministers will mean nothing, he added. 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 Teressa Warianto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, July 28 2016 Selfie queen: Cindy Shermans artwork, which includes her dressing up in various costumes, has sold for up to US$3.89 million. (JP/Teressa Warianto) Women in art continue to push boundaries and challenge traditional norms. 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 John Rogers (Associated Press) Fri, July 29, 2016 Although he's one of the most accomplished skydivers in the world, Luke Aikins will tell you what he's about to do jump out of a plane without a parachute is one crazy stunt. "If I wasn't nervous I would be stupid," Aikins, who has jumped 18,000 times with a parachute, said recently as he prepared to jump from 25,000 feet without one. He plans to land in a giant net for a program being broadcast live Saturday on Fox. Crazy perhaps, but only the latest in a long line of outrageous endeavors. Here are 10 of the craziest and most dangerous. Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon Jump: After years of jumping motorcycles over buses, trucks and fountains, and breaking many of his bones, Knievel decided to ride a rocket-powered motorcycle across a mile-wide chasm in Utah's Snake River Canyon on Sept. 8, 1974. He didn't make it, his cycle crashing on the canyon floor below. His escape chute deployed prematurely, likely saving his life. In this Oct. 9, 2012, file photo, Felix Baumgartner, in pressurized suit on platform at left, prepares to enter the balloon capsule in Roswell, N.M. The Austrian daredevil became the first skydiver to break the speed of sound when he jumped from a small capsule 24 miles above the Earth on Oct. 14, 2012, and landed safely on the ground near Roswell, N.M., nine minutes later. Aikins helped train Baumgartner for that stunt and was the backup jumper. (AP/Matt York) Felix Baumgartner's Stratosphere Jump: The Austrian daredevil became the first skydiver to break the speed of sound when he jumped from a small capsule 24 miles above Earth on Oct. 14, 2012, and landed safely on the ground near Roswell, New Mexico, nine minutes later. Aikins helped train Baumgartner for that stunt and was the backup jumper. The Trade Towers Walk: Philippe Petit and his companions surreptitiously strung a wire between New York City's then-recently constructed World Trade Towers on Aug. 6, 1974, and Petit walked across it the next day. He danced, strutted and clowned around for 45 minutes as startled bystanders watched from 110 stories below. The Frenchman's stunt is the subject of the 2008 documentary "Man on Wire" and the 2015 film "The Walk." Karl Wallenda's Final Walk: The patriarch of the famous German high-wire-walking family plunged to his death on March 22, 1978, while attempting to cross a wire strung between two hotel towers in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Although the 73-year-old Wallenda had performed much more difficult stunts, a wind gust caught him off guard and he fell. In 2012, his great-grandson, Nik Wallenda, became the first person to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls. And a year later he tight-roped across the Grand Canyon. Move Over Knievel: Record-setting Australian motorcycle daredevil Robbie Maddison rang in 2009 by flying his bike 120 feet through the air and landing on Paris Las Vegas hotel's 96-foot-high arch. The feat put a gash in one hand that required 10 stitches. Noting afterward that he'd previously broken his neck, wrist and collarbone doing stunts, Maddison said he considered this injury no more than a paper cut. Mad Mike Hughes' Steam-Powered Rocket Jump: Using a rocket powered by the same technology as Knievel's Snake River motorcycle, Hughes soared 1,374 feet across the Arizona desert in January 2014, staggering out of the contraption after it landed. He plans a longer jump later this year. Dean Potter's Last BASE Jump: One of the sport's most acclaimed and safety-conscious jumpers, Potter, 43, was attempting a twilight wingsuit leap from Yosemite National Park's Taft Point on May 16, 2015, when something went wrong and he plunged to his death. Graham Hunt, a friend jumping with him, also died. BASE jumping is an acronym for leaping from a building, antenna, span or Earth and is banned in Yosemite, although it occurs there with some regularity. Johnny Strange's Final Flight: The American adventurer, who at 17 became the youngest person to summit the highest mountains on all seven continents, was 23 last October when crashed into a mountain in the Swiss Alps while filming a video for a new wingsuit. The day before he'd posted on social media stunning close-to-the-ground photos he'd taken, but he'd also noted the weather had been unpredictable. Feats of the French Spiderman: "Urban climber" Alain Robert has scaled the tallest structures all over the world, often without ropes or harnesses and sometimes illegally. On Christmas Day 2004 he climbed to the top of Taiwan's Taipei 101 Building, which at the time was the world's tallest. Braving rain and wind, he climbed for four hours to get to the top, stopping along the way to chat with Taiwan's president. Changing Planes in Midair: That's what Paul Steiner did in 2010 when he climbed out of one glider flying at about 100 miles per hour over Austria, jumped onto the wing of another and then stood up and grabbed hold of the tail wing of the first plane as they flew in tandem. Steiner was wearing a parachute at the time, which he used to get back to the ground safely. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andi Jatmiko & Stephen Wright (Associated Press) Cilacap, Central Java Fri, July 29, 2016 Indonesia executed four drug traffickers on Friday and said it had not yet decided when 10 others convicted of drug crimes would be put to death. Deputy Attorney-General Noor Rachmad said one Indonesian and three Nigerians were executed by firing squad not long after midnight local time. The government had said earlier in the week that 14 people on death row, mostly foreigners, would be executed on the Nusa Kambangan prison island. Those executed Friday were Indonesian Freddy Budiman and Seck Osmane from Senegal and Nigerians Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson. The bodies of Osmane and Titus will be flown to their home country and Jefferson will be buried in Indonesia. Relatives, rights groups and foreign governments had urged Indonesia to spare all 14 lives but it was unclear whether that had any influence on the decision to not carry out all the executions at once. Lawyers and rights groups had raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of the conviction of Jefferson as well as the convictions of an Indonesian woman and a Pakistani man. It was the third set of executions under President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo who was elected in 2014 and campaigned on promises to improve human rights in Indonesia. "It was not a pleasant thing but it was to implement the law," said Rachmad. "The executions are only aimed at halting drug crimes." He said a decision about other executions would be announced at a later time. A convoy of 17 ambulances, most carrying coffins, had arrived Thursday morning at the port town nearest Nusa Kambangan. Officials began tightening security at the prison several days ago, with more than 1,000 police sent to Cilacap, the port town, and the island. Last year, Indonesia executed 14 people convicted of drug crimes, mostly foreigners, sparking an international outcry. Wright reported from Jakarta. Niniek Karmini and Ali Kotarumalos contributed. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said on Friday that he had relayed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairman Megawati Sukarnoputri his decision to drop his independent bid in next year's gubernatorial election. The governor traveled in a car with Megawati and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, also a PDI-P member, to attend a meeting of the leadership of the Golkar Party in Senayan, South Jakarta. I have told Megawati that I will run for election with the support of political parties. She replied, though, that the PDI-P has a mechanism [on how to nominate a candidate], Ahok told reporters at City Hall. The PDI-P has yet to decide if is to back Ahok in the upcoming gubernatorial election, although the governor seems confident that he will garner the partys support. The party holds 26 seats on the City Council, allowing it to run a candidate without having to form an alliance with other parties. The Regional Elections Law requires that contenders be nominated by a party or group of parties that control at least 22 seats to take part in the election. Ahok has already secured a smooth path to the nomination with the backing of three political parties: Golkar, the NasDem Party and the Hanura Party, which have a combined 24 seats. But the governor is still seeking additional support from the PDI-P. Were the party to opt to back the incumbent, Ahok, already considered a frontrunner according to various surveys and supported by a legion of militant supporters online, would be virtually unbeatable. (ary) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 The Jakarta Post made a serious error of judgment on Thursday night when it decided to run on the front page headline story for the Friday edition with the title Firing squads kill convicts. The lead paragraph suggests that 14 people have been executed, and the caption to the photo also says that Zulfikar Ali , the brother of the woman in the photo, was among the 14. We learned later that four were actually executed and the other 10, including Zulfikar Ali, have been spared, but the paper had already gone into circulation and delivered to readers as has the electronic-version of the paper. The failure to do the verification before running the story is completely unprofessional and a serious violation of the main principles of good journalism. The Jakarta Post sincerely apologizes to all our readers, particularly to all those affected by the story, for this major failure. The Editor Endy M. Bayuni Editor-in-chief Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 The government wants to ensure that all investors in the energy sector follow the countrys rules and regulations, including mining giant Freeport Indonesia, newly appointed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Archandra Tahar said on Friday. "We will ensure legal certainty for Freeport. We will ensure that investors that invest their money in Indonesia are doing business according to our laws and regulations," Archandra said in Jakarta. He said he would force Freeport to carry out its divestment obligations as stipulated in Government Regulation No. 77/2014, particularly a plan to construct a smelter in the country. The ministry will also ensure legal certainty for all investors in the energy sector, including oil and gas, power and mineral resources firms, Archandra added. "We must ensure legal certainty for investors, both domestic and foreign investors, in order to make their investments in accordance with our regulations, [which] is intended [to support] the welfare of the people by providing jobs and contributing to boosting economic growth in Indonesia," he explained. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 The executions of three of four death row inmates that were shot dead by firing squad in Batu Prison on Nusakambangan island on Friday breached the 2010 Clemency Law, a legal expert says. We received information that three out of the four convicts had requested clemency, Erasmus Napitupulu from the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) said Friday. The three convicts are Indonesian Freddy Budiman, Senegalese Seck Osmane and Nigerian Humphrey Jefferson. Budiman filed an appeal a day before his execution, Osmane on Wednesday and Jefferson on Monday. According to the 2010 Clemency Law, death row convicts cannot be executed if they or their relatives appeal for clemency and the president has not rejected it. A Constitutional Court ruling in June scrapped a clause within the law that the request for clemency could only be made a year after conviction, meaning the condemned could request a presidential pardon anytime. Attorney General Prasetyo previously said that it was too late for the death row convicts to file for clemency, referring to the article in the law that had been scrapped by the court. That article is not legally binding anymore, Napitupulu said. (wnd/ary) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post) Cilacap, Central Java Fri, July 29, 2016 Four drug convicts executed early Friday morning were big players in the drug trade, which was the basis for the government's decision to proceed with their executions amid global public outcry and local pleas for clemency, an official said on Friday. The government executed four drug convicts Friday and spared 10 others after thorough consideration, Attorney General's Office junior prosecutor for general crimes Noor Rachmad said. Indonesian Freddy Budiman, Seck Osmane from Senegal and Nigerians Michael Titus Igweh and Humphrey Ejike were those executed. "The four convicts were major drug dealers. For example, Freddy trafficked drugs in Jakarta, Medan, Bali and Papua," he said during a media briefing at Wijaya Pura Dock in Cilacap, Central Java, after the executions took place. Moreover, all four convicts had appealed for judicial reviews and all had been rejected by the Supreme Court, Rochmad said. "We conducted thorough and comprehensive consideration as to why the four inmates should be executed," he added. The remaining 10 convicts will face further legal process, including judicial reviews, which was the reason for their executions being put on hold despite the preparations, including coffins, ambulances and funds for body transfer, being made for 14 people. Freddy had been a notorious drug kingpin who was sent to prison on multiple drug charges. Arrested for the first time in 2009, Freddy was sentenced to death by the West Jakarta District Court for attempting to smuggle 1.4 million ecstasy pills from China into the country. He continued to control his international drug network and production despite being locked up behind bars on Nusakambangan prison island. Meanwhile, Osmane was sentenced to death by the South Jakarta District Court for the possession of 2.4 kilograms of heroin in 2004. Nigerians Igweh and Ejike were sentenced to death for 5.8 kilograms of heroin possession in 2002 and 1.7 kilograms in 2003, respectively. Freddy's body was taken to his hometown in Surabaya, East Java, Ejike was cremated in Banyumas while Osmani's and Igweh's bodies were handed over to representatives of their respective countries, Rochmad said. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Fri, July 29 2016 German Ambassador to Indonesia Georg Witschel is leaving Jakarta after a four-year term in the country. The Jakarta Posts Endy Bayuni and Novan Iman Santosa talked with Witschel about the development in bilateral relations during his tenure and what lies ahead. The followings are excerpts from the interview: Question: How would you characterize German-Indonesian bilateral relations during your term here? Which areas can be improved? 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 Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 The government has acknowledged that death threats have been made against Indonesian sailors currently held hostage by Philippine militants, an official said on Thursday. "We will soon invite the relatives of the hostages to Jakarta to obtain confirmation and more details on the alleged interaction with the perpetrators regarding the hostages," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said on Thursday. Arrmanatha reiterated the government's efforts for the safe release of the hostages, citing the bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and her Philippine counterpart Perfeto Yasay during the recent ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos. "The ministers had an open talk where they were able to exchange information and confirm the known details so far from each respective side," Arrmanatha said. Ten Indonesian crewmen have been abducted at sea in separate incidents over the past months by armed militants on Malaysian and southern Philippines waters. It is believed that the men are being held in Sulu province, the Philippines. There have been four recent kidnappings of Indonesian sailors in regional waters, with the government calling for tighter security measures to prevent further incidents from taking place. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29 2016 Police have named two more medical doctors of Harapan Bunda Hospital in Kramatjati, East Jakarta, suspects over their alleged involvement in a fake vaccine case. Yes, there are two more medical doctors, D and H, named suspects, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Martinus said on Thursday as reported by tribunnews.com. The police earlier named a first doctor at the hospital, identified as Indra, when the case broke in July. 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 Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 An official is denying that pressure from foreign governments and international organizations is the reason for the last-minute stays of execution granted to 10 condemned drug convicts on Friday. "No. As the Attorney General's Office has previously said, it was based on legal considerations," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir told The Jakarta Post. A number of foreign missions in Jakarta, including Pakistan's, the case of a citizen of which, Zulfiqar Ali, has captured media attention because of his possible innocence, as well as several organizations, including the European Union, the United Nations and human rights groups, have all voiced concerns over the planned killings of the drug convicts. When asked whether the ministry had influenced the decision in response to international outrage, Arrmanatha firmly said "No!" "All the decisions are made by the Attorney General's Office," he added, insisting that the ministry had not played a part in decreasing the number of those who were put to death by firing squad on Friday. The government had earlier said that 14 people were to be executed early Friday on the Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java. However, only four were executed. The fate of the remaining 10 death row inmates on the list is not yet known. The AGO has not made any official announcement with regard to the status of those whose lives were spared -- whether their executions were merely postponed, or if their cases would be reviewed. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 The Jakarta Post world desk deputy editor Yohanna Constance Ririhena passed away on Thursday evening at St. Carolus Hospital in Jakarta. She was 51. Yohanna , the wife of one of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's expert staff members and former chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights Ifdhal Kasim, worked at the prominent English newspaper since 2011 as an editorial staff member handling foreign issues. Yohanna, commonly known as Hanna or Yo by her friends, died from a brain hemorrhage after attending a high school reunion in Depok, not far from her house, Ifdhal said. She became dizzy after eating laksa (rice noodles in coconut milk soup) and seafood. Friends contacted Ifdhal, who arrived and took her to St. Carolus hospital in Central Jakarta. "When the doctor checked her, her blood pressure was 250 and she fell into a critical condition before passing away just before midnight," Ifdhal said in a telephone conversation, adding that his wife had a history of high blood pressure. She leaves behind a son named Gunar Kasim. A senior journalist, Yohanna started her career at Suara Pembaruan daily before joining the Post. She will be remembered as having a lovable personality, Post editor Irawaty Wardany said. Yohanna's passing is a shock to the entire editorial team. She was looked upon as a mother figure to reporters at the Post. She worked on Thursday and attended an editorial meeting. Post managing editor Primastuti Handayani recalled Yohanna as a hardworking superwoman whom she would treasure working with. "She had vast knowledge on foreign affairs and was known by diplomats for her expertise. Her passing was a shock to us all. We will miss her immensely," she said. A wake will be held Friday at her family home in Depok, West Java. She will be buried at the Cornelis Charlestein Cemetery on Saturday. Rest in peace, Mba Yo. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Erika Anindita Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 President Joko Jokowi Widodo has called for the Golkar Party to throw its unfailing support behind the ruling government, after the party officially backed Jokowis candidacy for the 2019 presidential election. I ask the Golkar Party to be fully consistent. Be consistent in supporting the government even if unpopular and bitter policies that need accelerated implementation are issued for the sake of the people, he said during closing remarks at Golkars leadership meeting (Rapimnas) on Thursday in Jakarta. As an example, he cited the tax amnesty policy, which was implemented immediately to take advantage of momentum. While it may have cost him popularity, Jokowi said, he continued chasing the policys implementation. Consistent support, especially from Indonesias second biggest party, was significant amid the fast-changing global situation, according to the President. We need stability in security, thus we need stable politics, he said. In his remarks, Golkar chairman Setya Novanto highlighted his support for Jokowi, a move that according to Indonesian Survey Institution (LSI) researcher Adjie Alfaraby was aimed at benefiting the party, particularly in terms of promoting candidates for the upcoming regional elections. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agnes Anya and Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29 2016 An unexpected twist has been revealed in the case surrounding murder victim Wayan Mirna Salihin, with the team of lawyers defending Jessica Kumala Wongso, the main suspect in the case, emphasizing the possibility of the involvement of the victims husband and a barista from Olivier Restaurant in the murder. Jessicas lawyer, Otto Hasibuan, grilled the barista, identified as Rangga Dwi Saputra, at a hearing on Wednesday evening. He questioned whether Rangga had taken part in the killing in exchange for Rp 140 million (US$10,682) from Mirnas husband, Arief Soemarko, who may have ordered the barista to poison Mirna with a cyanide-laced Vietnamese iced coffee. 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 (Associated Press) Geneva Fri, July 29, 2016 A leading migration group says more than 3,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year, nearly a 60-percent increase from this time in 2015. The International Organization for Migration said Friday that the discovery of 39 bodies on Libyan shores this week raises the total, as of Wednesday, to 3,034 migrants and refugees who have died trying the crossing in 2016. The figure marks the third straight year in which more than 3,000 people have died in such attempts. IOM says more than a quarter-million migrants and refugees entered Europe, mostly to Greece and Italy, by sea this year. It noted in particular a rising trend of Nigerian women arriving in Italy, pointing to a "sharp increase" since the start of 2015. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya Fri, July 29 2016 The UNs third Habitat Preparatory meeting (PrepCom3) has come to an end, with many agendas on urban development, including the need to create mixed-use urban space to overcome mobility problems. UN Habitat III secretary-general Joan Clos said during a press briefing on Wednesday that the three-day meeting, followed by 2,571 official delegates from 142 UN member countries, had produced the New Urban Agenda, which would be proposed to the Habitat III conference in Quito, Ecuador, in October. One of the most crucial issues is that we consume too much land. Countries should make efforts to create better density and compactness of urban areas in order to control the sprawl of urbanization, he said. 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 Dewanti A. Wardhani and Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29 2016 Thomas Lembong (JP/Ricky Yudhistira) After a year in top government posts, it seems Thomas Lembong is still getting used to the spotlight. Thomas, better known by his nickname Tom, is a successful businessman with many connections. He joined President Joko Jokowi Widodos economic team in August last year as trade minister before being reassigned on Wednesday to lead the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) in a Cabinet reshuffle. Tom, who speaks English more fluently than Indonesian, has lived overseas for much of his life and owns a private equity firm based in Singapore. The father of two is notoriously tight-lipped and private when it comes to his job. During his tenure at the Trade Ministry, he led the office with a notably different style to that of his predecessors. When approached by journalists, Tom, surrounded by bodyguards and staffers, would avoid answering questions by simply saying, not today or next time. Such an approach was different to Gita Wirjawan, for example, who led the ministry from 2011 to 2014. Gita was approachable and would make time to answer journalists questions, making him a media darling. During his tenure, the ministry often held press conferences and provided data and information to the media. Gitas subordinates were encouraged to speak to journalists. Similarly, Muhammad Lutfi, who served in 2014, was known to be friendly and sociable to the media. However, the Trade Ministry seemed to take a U-turn when Tom took office last year. The media received little to no information from the ministry, and officials frequently refused to speak to local media, encouraging reporters to ask Pak Tom instead. Even amid food price hikes before and during Ramadhan, Tom refused to comment on the matter. The ministry later held a joint press conference with the Agriculture Ministry, where he finally issued a statement. Toms new post at the BKPM, however, requires him to be more open, according to Padjajaran University communications expert Deddy Mulyana. The BKPM is the governments front-line investment institution with a challenging task of bringing in more investors and providing a business-friendly climate. Like Cabinet ministers, the BKPM chief also has budgetary authority. It is an interesting coincidence that Lutfi and Gita previously led the agency in the 2005-2009 and 2009-2012 periods, respectively. Deddy acknowledged that Tom was a seasoned businessman, which would greatly help him at the BKPM. However, Tom must change the way he communicates and develop a more open approach, he said. This job requires communication skills. Business skills are not enough, Deddy told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Thursday. Tom, however, seems to be more comfortable sharing his ideas in English. Australian journalist Greg Sheridan, for example, described Tom as a high-energy, fast-talking minister after a conversation with him earlier this year. Toms predecessor at the board, Franky Sibarani, is known to be outspoken and open with the media. In a handover ceremony on Thursday, Franky highlighted the importance of the BKPM connecting with the media. I always try to share BKPM progress with journalists, said Franky, who was reassigned as deputy industry minister during the reshuffle. When asked if he would change his communication style, Tom said he needed time to adjust to the new workplace and would remain in contact with Franky for consultation. Give me time to improve [my communication style], he said. The BKPM is aiming to see Rp 594.8 trillion (US$45.3 billion) of investment come into the country in 2016, up by 9 percent from Rp 545.4 trillion booked last year. The agency reported on Wednesday that realized investment for the January-June period had reached half of the full-year target and said it was upbeat about reaching the full-year target. -------------- 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 Fri, July 29, 2016 Last-minute stays of execution granted to 10 condemned drug convicts on Friday were not due to technical problems, as everything was well-prepared beforehand, a ministry official has said. There was no technical problem at the prison. Operationally, everything went well, Akbar Hadi, a spokesman for the Law and Human Rights Ministrys Directorate General of Penitentiaries, told The Jakarta Post on Friday. The government had earlier said that 14 people were to be executed early Friday on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java. However, only four were executed: Indonesian Freddy Budiman, Seck Osmane from Senegal and Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson from Nigeria. Jeffersons lawyer, Ricky Gunawan, claimed to be unaware of the reason behind the stays of execution granted to the other 10 condemned. Both Humphrey and [fellow condemned drug convict] Merry Utami appealed for clemency before they received the official notification letters of their execution on Tuesday evening. However, Jefferson was executed while Merry was not, Ricky, who is also one of Merrys lawyers, told the Post. He added that public pressure against Merry's execution might have been the reason for postponing her execution, while the Senegalese and Nigerian governments had declined to intervene to halt the execution of their citizens. (wnd/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29 2016 After dominating Indonesias cell phone market for years, Finnish technology giant Nokia is now seeking to introduce another business that will pave the way for the digitalization of the public services system. The former cellphone behemoth claims it is necessary to transform the quality of public services, especially considering the rising level of digital literacy that many Indonesians have shown. Niko Steffanus Sutikno, Nokia Indonesias head of marketing and communications, said the company was preparing to introduce the Internet of things (IoT) which allows everyday objects to be connected into Indonesian public services that need development, such as fire stations, ambulance services and the police. Fire stations, for instance, could benefit from a digitized fire detection system, while the police could gain an advantage from an improved emergency hotline. The World Bank has even highlighted the importance of having a digitalized public services system in its 2016 Digital Dividends report. It illustrated the case of Indonesias Disaster Management Agency that asked the heads of Jakartas 267 wards to map the location of critical infrastructure using OpenStreetMaps technology. More than one million buildings have been mapped so far. Niko pointed out that Australia has already implemented real-time tracking technologies for its emergency hotlines and that South Korea has deployed road temperature and vehicle detector sensors at various roads. For the technology to really work, Nokia says long term evolution (LTE) is crucial because it is the most secure and advanced network to host the technology. Indonesias infrastructure is ready for it in my opinion, but again, we are stifled and held back by regulations and a lack of proper planning, Niko said on Wednesday. The company is now planning to engage with local telecommunications operators to implement the system as the operators are the ones with the infrastructure for the development of the technology. However, Nokia says the government needs to clarify and issue clear regulations surrounding the use of IoT technologies within public services before the company can establish discussions with the operators. The company has voiced optimism that such cutting edge public services technology can be operational in time for the 2019 Asian Games, though the technology will be active in some sectors only. Leo Darmawan, Nokia Indonesias head of mobile broadband networks, said Indonesias digital infrastructure might not be as advanced as other countries, but added that most of the non-technical requirements had already been met, including business partnership know-how and the readiness of parties in the digital infrastructure sector. The technology itself is already available and has already been implemented in countries like the US and the UK. South Korea just finished its initial trial to further implement this technology on a wider scale and we hope we can start in Indonesia soon, he said. -------------- To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. 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 Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post) Cilacap, Central Java Fri, July 29, 2016 The situation on the Nusakambangan prison island has returned to normal after the executions of four drug convicts in the early hours of Friday, suggesting that the executions of the remaining drug convicts may not be imminent. Its back to normal now. We can fish again in the vicinity of Nusakambangan. Unlike yesterday, there were just too many police personnel watching us. We were not allowed to get too close to Nusakambangan, one local fishermen said. Based on The Jakarta Posts observations, the Wijaya Pura port appeared empty on Friday morning. The heavily armed mobile brigade assigned to secure the area were nowhere to be seen and fishing boats could be seen passing through Nusakambangan waters. Molyanto, an official from the Legal and Human Rights Ministry, told the Post that it was unlikely that a next wave of executions would be carried out in the near future. There is no notification yet of another round of executions for the convicts whose executions were canceled, he said. Four death row convictsFreddy Budiman, an Indonesian; Seck Osmani, a Senegali; Humprey Eijeke and Michael Titus, both Nigerianwere shot dead by the firing squad on Friday at 12:46 a.m in Nusakambangan prison. The remaining 10 inmates who had been scheduled to also meet the firing squad on the same day, including Pakistani Zulfiqar Ali, were reprieved at the eleventh hour. (ary) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Pakistan confirmed on Friday that its citizen Zulfiqar Ali had not been executed and stated its readiness to formulate a new strategy to prove Ali's innocence, insisting that the Indonesian judicial system had handed him an unfair sentence. "This is what we wanted, for the execution to be delayed pending the review," Pakistani Ambassador to Indonesia Aqil Naseem told The Jakarta Post, noting the success of efforts made by the government. Naseem said he had spoken to Ali on Friday morning upon hearing about the stay of execution. The ambassador said he was informed by an official from the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, who has been temporarily stationed near Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java, and was responsible for communicating with foreign missions whose citizens are on death row. Naseem noted that the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) had not clarified whether Ali's execution had simply been delayed or that his case would be reviewed. Ali is still being held in a prison on Nusakambangan, he added. Citing a statement from junior prosecutor for general crimes Noor Rochmad, who said the decision not to execute Ali was made after a thorough assessment, Naseem said he assumed the statement implied that shortcomings may have been found in the case. "Even in a perfect judicial system, some mistakes can still be made," he said, while insisting that Ali had received an unfair trial. Following an official notification from the AGO, Naseem stressed that the embassy would immediately contact Ali's lawyer, consult legal experts and formulate the next steps in relation to the case. Indonesia executed four drug convicts in the early hours of Friday, a last-minute change after previously confirming that 14 convicts, including a number of foreign citizens, would face the firing squad. The embassy had earlier said that Ali was among those to be put to death. (dan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Pakistani drug convict Zulfiqar Ali escaped execution in the early hours on Friday on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java, after a comprehensive study of his case, an official said on Friday. The decision to not execute Ali was made after a thorough study, junior prosecutor for general crimes Noor Rochmad told Antara news agency without giving further details. The government executed four drug convicts at 1:46 a.m. on Friday, a last-minute change after confirming on Friday that 14 convicts would face the firing squad. No official statement has been issued by the Attorney General's Office over the change in the number of people executed. There had been mounting demands for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to halt the executions, the third round during his presidency, over possible miscarriages of justice. The government of Pakistan had sought a postponement of Ali's execution and requested a review of his trial. Pakistani Ambassador Aqil Naseem said the government of Pakistan respected the Indonesian legal system, but believed that the legal process against Ali was flawed. Ali was not provided the opportunity of a fair trial, he said, and pointed out that the prosecutors had sought a life sentence but the judges handed down the death penalty. Ali, 52, was arrested in 2004 for the possession of 350 grams of heroin and was sentenced to death by the Tangerang District Court in 2005. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 The Jakarta Police recorded 553 violators of the odd-even traffic policy on the first-day of a trial that started on Wednesday. It indicates that our dissemination activities were successful. The number of motorists that violated it was not so many, head of law enforcement at the Jakarta Police traffic unit, Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. He said that on the second day of the policy trial on Thursday, police officers continued with their dissemination activities, displaying banners and engaging in other efforts to introduce the policy and suggest alternative roads for car users. We have a new way to help motorists be aware of the odd-even policy. While on Wednesday we distributed brochures, today we installed banners and displayed living statues to introduce the policy, said Budiyanto. During the trial period of the odd-even policy, police officers will not ticket violators, but they are to guide the motorists to alternative roads or advise them to shift to public transportation. Separately, transportation expert Ofyar Z. Tamin from the Bandung Institute of Technology said on Thursday that the odd-even policy could potentially reduce traffic by up to 50 percent on the main thoroughfares Jl. Sudirman, Jl. M.H. Thamrin and Jl. Gatot Subroto from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. If the policy is successful it may reduce traffic up to 50 percent. Therefore, the police and the Jakarta Administration should find effective ways to enforce the policy, Ofyar said. (rez/bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Sahabat Sandiaga Uno or Friends of Sandiaga Uno, a volunteer group of the Gerindra party's potential Jakarta gubernatorial candidate, Sandiaga Uno, has invited Teman Ahok to join the group after Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's decision to abandon his independent bid. "If Teman Ahok wants to join us, we welcome them. We will be happy if they join us and help Sandiaga as a leader who has integrity to win," said SSU spokesman Anthony on Friday. He said since the beginning Sandiaga was a consistent figure, who was committed to run with political party support. Ahok on Wednesday announced that he would run on a political party ticket, although his Teman Ahok volunteer group had managed to collect 1 million identity card-backed signatures required for an independent candidate to run. Teman Ahoks Amalia Ayuningtyas said previously that the group supported Ahoks decision. Friends of Sandiaga Uno through its Sandi Uno Digital Volunteer (SOLDIER) program has used social media to promote Sandiaga for the capitals governorship. On Friday, '#GerindraPilihSandiUnoDKI1' even became a trending topic on Twitter because of the SOLDIER program, Anthony said. "People need to know that long before Ahok became governor, Sandiaga had done a lot of things in entrepreneurship, motivation, and the youth development field," Anthony said, adding that the group had 200,000 volunteers across Jakarta. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Noted businessman Sandiaga Uno has secured the support of the Gerindra Party for his gubernatorial bid, bringing him closer to clinching a ticket to run in the 2017 election. The party officially nominated Sandiaga following a party national meeting in the house of Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto in Hambalang, West Java, on Friday. At the conclusion of the meeting, Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto declared Sandiaga a gubernatorial candidate, Anthony Leong, a spokesperson of Sahabat Sandiaga Uno (SSU), told The Jakarta Post. A city councillor from Gerindra, Prabowo Sunirman, confirmed that Sandiaga had been picked as the partys candidate. He was appointed based on Prabowos consideration, he said, referring to the partys chairman. Gerindra is the second-largest political party in Jakarta, holding 15 seats on the City Council. The party, however, has to form an alliance with other political parties to nominate Sandiaga in the election as the Regional Elections Law stipulates that an election contender should have the backing of a party or group of parties controlling more than 22 seats. It is possible that Gerindra will join forces with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which controls 11 seats, to get a ticket for Sandiaga. (ary) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Attorney General M. Prasetyo has said the stay of execution for 10 drug convicts on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java, was a last minute decision after considering various judicial and non-judicial aspects. The decision involved the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and relevant institutions, Prasetyo said, without providing further details on the matter. "It was decided to carry on with executions of four drugs convicts, while executions for the other 10 will be decided later and carried out at an appropriate time," Prasetyo said. Meanwhile, the remaining 10 death-row convicts will be transferred back to their former prisons until a final decision is made, Prasetyo said. He rejected claims that the country had halted the executions as a result of international pressure, adding that even though officials had heard many opinions, all parties should respect Indonesian law. Indonesian Freddy Budiman, Seck Osmane from Senegal, Nigerians Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson were executed in the early hours of Friday. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 The accidental death of a soldier during Operation Tinombala in Poso, Central Sulawesi, was a result of procedure failure resulting a pure accident, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo said on Thursday. The soldier, Second Sgt. Muhammad Ilman, was a member of the Sandi Yudha Intelligence Task Force that received information regarding stockpiles of weapons buried underground that were thought to belong to the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) group. As he and six other soldiers were digging to unearth the weapons, the National Police's Bravo task force received information about unidentified people in the area. A Bravo task force officer mistakenly presumed that Ilman was an MIT member and shot him, Gatot said. "I want to assert that there was no exchange of fire, since the intelligence team know the Bravo task force members are their comrades," he told journalists on Thursday, stressing that it was an accidental shooting while also denying reports that there was an exchange of fire. He further called for TNI members not to be provoked by the accidental death, since the Bravo and Sandi Yudha task forces were doing their best to ensure the success of Operation Tinombala. The TNI is waiting for the results of the investigation following the deployment of an investigative team. The military and the National Police have joined forces to hunt down Islamic State-linked MIT militants in Poso in a massive counterterrorism operation code-named Operation Tinombala, which involves more than 3,000 personnel since January. The personnel are closing in on the terrorist group members operating in the mountainous forest of Poso. Despite tension that has often erupted between the two institutions, the two forces recently demonstrated their ability to cooperate by hunting down and killing MIT leader Santoso, aka Abu Wardah. It is believed that his demise will demoralize and weaken the remaining MIT militants still hiding deep in the mountainous area of Poso. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Fri, July 29 2016 Heated tension over the operation by the indigenous Karo people of restaurants serving pork in the now Malay-dominant North Sumatra regency of Deli Serdang has led the local administration to jump into the sensitive issue on the side of the protestors. The Deli Serdang administration has started to take measures to arrange the Karo roasted pork (BPK) eateries along the trans-Sumatra highways Medan to Lubuk Pakam section following a recent rally held by a number of Islamic organizations. The head of the Deli Serdang Information and Communication Agency, Haris Binar Ginting, however, insisted that no BPK eateries, or other eateries selling non-halal foods, were closed during the process of rearranging their presence in the regency. 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 Ary Hermawan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 The Turkish Embassy in Jakarta has said that it hopes the Indonesian government will support Ankaras fight against a terrorist organization led by Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind behind the recent failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As the embassy, we have for long been expressing our concerns on the activities of the FETO terrorist organization here in Indonesia to top Indonesian officials, the embassy said in a statement released on Thursday, referring to the Gulen movement. The embassy named nine Indonesian educational institutions it said were affiliated to the exiled Muslim cleric, who now lives in the US. The schools are Pribadi Bilingual boarding school in Depok, Pribadi bilingual boarding school in Bandung, Kharisma Bangsa bilingual boarding school in South Tangerang, Semesta bilingual boarding school in Semarang, Kesatuan Bangsa bilingual boarding school in Jogjakarta, Sragen bilingual boarding school in Sragen, Fatih boys school in Aceh, Fatih girls school in Aceh and Banua bilingual boarding school in South Kalimantan. It is noteworthy to state that after the coup attempt perpetrated by the FETO terrorist organization, a number of countries decided to shut down the schools affiliated to it, the embassy said. Among these are Jordan, Azerbaijan, Somalia and Niger. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus authorities decided to list PDY/FETO as a terrorist organization. We appreciate the true solidarity of these countries. We expect and count on the support of the Indonesian people and government in our fight against the FETO terrorist organization, the statement said. (ary) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29, 2016 Newly appointed Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has denied accusations of his involvement in past human rights abuses, amid rampant public scrutiny over his appointment to the Cabinet. The former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief has sought to clarify the human rights abuse allegations and has asked people to point out his alleged wrongdoings. I want them to clearly point out when and where exactly my involvement was. Only then will I explain, one by one, Wiranto told journalists on Thursday after a handover ceremony at his office with his predecessor and newly inaugurated Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan. (Read also : US notes Wiranto's appointment with human rights concerns) Criticism was a typical response every time he served a new position in government, the chairman of the Hanura Party said. The important thing was, Wiranto added, that his assignment as a minister proved he had a clean track record, outlining his capabilities as a government official. Wiranto, who also served as a minister during the administrations of former presidents Soeharto and Abdurahman Wahid, vowed to continue Luhuts efforts in resolving Indonesias past gross human rights abuses in a fair and transparent manner, without endangering national security. The retired military general was among nine new ministers introduced by President Joko Jokowi Widodo in his second Cabinet shake-up announced on Wednesday. Human rights watchdogs have slammed Jokowis decision, citing Wirantos alleged involvement in human rights violations during the referendum of East Timor, now Timor Leste, in 1990 when he served as TNI commander. He has been barred from entering the US and Timor Leste for alleged abuses. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim/Tama Salim/Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, July 29 2016 The public is waiting for newly appointed Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto to walk his talk and complete the ongoing settlement of past rights abuses, as he pledged to do after his inauguration on Thursday. He made such a promise despite concerns over his independence on account of his links to at least two of six rights cases investigated by the coordinating ministers office while under predecessor Luhut Pandjaitans leadership. Luhut had made progress by inviting rights activists, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the police and the attorney general to discuss solutions, whether through judicial or non-judicial means, to solve the six cases, namely those on the 1965 communist purge, the 1989 Talangsari, Lampung, massacre, the Trisakti, Semanggi I and II shootings and the 1998 disappearance of pro-democracy activists. 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 Fri, July 29, 2016 In comparison to other areas in Indonesia, like Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara and Bali, South Sumatra is still considered to lag behind in tourism. To increase visits to the area, the South Sumatra administration has formed the South Sumatra Tourism Promotion Board. Irene Camelyn Sinaga, head of the South Sumatra Tourism Agency, said the Tourism Promotion Board would consist of local and international tourism business entrepreneurs. [The board] will come up with creative innovations to develop South Sumatra's tourism. she told tempo.co, Wednesday. The South Sumatra Tourism Promotion Board is an extension of the provinces tourism development and aims to attract investors. The board comprises the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association, Indonesian Travel Bureau Association, Garuda Indonesia airline and others supporting tourism promotion. Alex Noerdin, governor of South Sumatra, aims to improve the province, which has 17 regencies, to attract more visitors. According to Noerdin, there were many tourism spots that could be improved, such as the 1001 megalith prehistoric site in Lahat, Pagaralam and Empat Lawang regencies. We have a lot of [tourism] spots, but sadly they are not well managed, he said, referring to local tourism management. Noerdin also mentioned the possible marketing of Jakabaring Sport City, which would be an easier spot for tourists to visit once the light rail transit development had been completed. If one tourism site can be developed, it can become a strategic project, he said. (asw) 1. Hookup culture is destroying relationships and intimacy, Nancy Jo Sales declared in a 2015 Vanity Fair article. She quoted everyone from banking bros who bragged about their numbers of Tinder conquests, to social scientists who believe hookup culture is as revolutionary as the introduction of marriage 10,000 years ago. But what if you arent hooking up? Where do you fit in? Emma Rathbone asks these questions in her second novel, Losing It. Her protagonist, Julia Greenfield, is a directionless 26-year-old fixated on the fact that shes still a virgin. Not for lack of interest, but misplaced optimism she declines a high school boyfriends request to have sex in a pool, assuming she could afford to decline, if only to make the next proposition all the more delicious. Except the next proposition never comes, and as the years pass Julias fear of having to tell men shes a virgin consumes her and ruins any chance she has of sex. When her parents suggest she spend the summer with her maiden aunt Vivienne in Durham, North Carolina, Julia decides this will be her opportunity to lose it. A new girl in town during a hot North Carolina summer seems like the perfect scenario, but awkward Julia self-sabotages: taking a boring office job where everyone is old and married; going on online dates with misogynists; and learning that Vivienne is a 58-year-old virgin, Julias own worst nightmare. As she writes, That was the problem to want something so badly was to jam yourself into the wrong places, gum up the works, send clanging vibrations into the cosmos. But how can you step back and affect nonchalance? Were supposed to be rooting for Julia, but just as Julia concludes that there is something too much about Viviennes personality that prevented her from pairing up, there is something likewise lacking in Julias that keeps her single. She picks bad lovers, says the wrong thing, and completely misjudges any romantic moment to tragicomic effect. Its a testament to Rathbones writing that we still find Julia sympathetic even as it becomes clearer that Julias own poor decision-making is part of the issue. She is an anti-hero of her own story, solely because of a fluke of sexual chemistry and opportunity. As a middle-class, well-educated, heterosexual white woman, Julia shouldve had dozens of opportunities to have sex, but she is a statistical anomaly, who doesnt quite fit in with the hook-up generation of her peers, or with the self-declared spinster Gen-Xers before her. 2. If there is a poster girl for sex-positive millennials, its Lena Dunham. In the 2012 pilot of her HBO show Girls, we see Dunhams character engaged in bad couch sex with her not-quite boyfriend. This was her sexually liberated battle cry, that millennial women were hooking up and not ashamed of it. Dunhams own writings have followed suit, with much of her essay collection, Not that Kind of Girl, devoted to her own sexual experiences in college and beyond. In Take My Virginity (No, Really, Take It), Dunham writes about being the oldest virgin in town (with town being Oberlin college) as a college sophomore; already, virginity is a burden that must jettisoned to fit in with the anything-goes sexuality of her liberal arts school and her later career. This freewheeling upper-middle-class millennial archetype appears frequently in fiction, too. Adelle Waldman explores the male perspective in The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P (a book Dunham also praised), in which the titular protagonist sleeps with his intellectual circle as a distraction from the book hes writing. Sex is presented as an afterthought, though clearly it seeps into all aspects of life, even as everyone pretends not to care. The challenge of so-called laissez-faire sex is the main theme running through Katherine Heinys short story collection, Single, Carefree, Mellow. The characters are anything but what the title suggests, spending most of the stories conflicted about their supposedly casual affairs. In these books, its never a question of will they or wont they, but whether it will mean anything after they do. The very impetus of the story is sex, hence there are no stories for the sex-less, intentional or not. The generation ahead of the millennials has reclaimed singledom as a social movement. Kate Bolicks memoir/history book Spinster is about redefining the formerly pejorative word. To Bolick and the women she profiles among them Edith Wharton and Neith Boyce spinsterhood isnt about virginity or chastity, but rather about proudly living as an unmarried, and thus unemcumbered, woman. She concludes that spinster is a dated concept: The choice between being married versus being single doesnt even belong here in the twenty-first century. Rebecca Traister develops the thesis further in All the Single Ladies, her nonfiction examination of just what it means socially and politically when women have more choices than just marriage. The first single women spawned revolutionary movements from abolition to suffrage, and with only 20 percent of Americans married by age 29 today, single women could continue to change the dominant culture. Single women are taking up space in a world that was not built for them. We are a new republic, with a new category of citizen, she writes. Being single is a call to action in these books, but its also a choice. Of course, this new singledom can come with unexpected hitches. In a culture that has more fully acknowledged female sexuality as a reality, it is perhaps more difficult than ever to be an adult woman who does not have sex, Traister writes. She continues to tell the story of sexually willing women who couldnt find the opportunity to have sex, including herself (Traister didnt lose her virginity until age 24), describing it with increasingly negative vocabulary: freighted, loom, frigid, cumbersome. Virginity is pathologized after a certain age. 3. While millennials and Gen-Xers ultimately have different views on singledom and sex, both are fighting against a previous narrative that dictated social mores (particularly for women). But someone like Rathbones Julia Greenfield was never part of the narrative to begin with. This doesnt leave her much room in literature or even culture. Indeed, literary virgins with any agency are few and far between. The most infamous example is Charles Dickenss Miss Havisham in Great Expectations. After being left at the altar, she retreats to a mansion, where she never takes off her wedding dress and is described as a witch. She is a pitiful wreck whose forced virginity pushes her to mental breakdown and full removal from society. Even Jeffrey Eugenidess titular virgins in The Virgin Suicides are more figurative than literal virgins. They are trapped by both their strict parents and the narrative the neighborhood teenage boys impose on them, effectively fetishizing their virginity. All of these womens fates are decided and described by men, both by the domineering men who keep them virgins and the male authors who write about them. They are modern-day cautionary tales. This is what makes Losing It subversive. We understand Julias hesitation, which is almost radical in this world of swipe-happy 20-somethings. But even though her characters may be ashamed of their virginity, Rathbone isnt ashamed on their behalf, and so gives voice to a silent subgroup. This isnt just Julias story; its also Viviennes, and Rathbone decides not to give us a definitive reason for why Vivienne is still a virgin. There are no Miss Havishams here. Sometimes nothing is wrong; sometimes it just doesnt happen. (And sometimes, in Julias case, it does.) Cannicott, who works for Statistics New Zealand, got this idea from the Oceanic countrys no nonsense approach in collecting student loan repayment. Hes authored an entire report on how the UK could learn from New Zealands higher education sector, pointing out the timidity of the steps taken in the UK when it comes to dealing with this particular issue. Former students who fail to make repayments face arrest at the New Zealand border, which is proving to be a strong deterrent. The former Regents University London employee, also explains how breaking the link between income and loan repayments for grads who go overseas, like New Zealand has done, removes bureaucratic barriers that make it harder to hunt down repayment. Brexit presents an opportunity for the UK to learn from New Zealand because there is less need to ensure the repayment terms of EU students are the same as those for domestic students. Cannicott says.Coincidentally, the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) has just published a major comparative report, Higher4 Education in New Zealand: What might the UK learn, on the same topic as Cannicotts comments. The study claims that with New Zealands consistently good performance in international league tables, British universities in this post-Brexit era could stand to take notes on their methods. It also points out that New Zealands total student loan debt is only 6.8 billion, while the UKs sits at around 70 billion. Yes, it is true that New Zealands higher education sector is substantially smaller than the UKs, but what the study suggests is that the UK follow their example and provide a red carpet to international students while simultaneously making an effort to protect quality while easing up on the student number controls. Director of Hepi, Nick Hillman, also supports New Zealands harsh actions against people who avoid paying their loans saying: Tax evasion and benefit fraud rip taxpayers off. Defaulting on your student loan could be regarded as just as bad. Yet it is fairly common among both Brits and EU citizens who study in the UK before working abroad. Whitehall has never gripped this problem fully, but New Zealands experience suggests strong enforcement action works. The Hepi report came after the social mobility charity, Sutton Trust revealed their own study, finding England to have the highest level of debt per graduate than any other country in the English speaking world. 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Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill Prasarn Pitakvoraratana, director of the BMAs Public Works Department (PWD), said a team from the Engineering Institute of Thailand and officials from the department will inspect the building to evaluate the damage. The evaluation will take about a week as the structure must be examined thoroughly. Authorities also declared the building off-limits. The BMAs response came after the blaze broke out at the 16-screen Major Cineplex Pinklao in Bang Phlat district about 11:30am. The fire started at cinema No.8 on the third floor of the building. Firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control, with the flames being fed by the carpet flooring. The building has its own fire extinguishing system but the fire spread too rapidly. About 30-40 fire engines and more than 100 firefighters spent more than two hours extinguishing the fire. The fire caused the third and fourth storeys as well as part of the buildings roof to collapse. Cracks were also found in some walls of the building. However, the building foundations and structure were still intact. Two people, who suffered minor cuts from broken glass, were sent to a hospital and were later released. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Bureau acting commissioner Sanit Mahathavorn said authorities have narrowed down three possible causes of fire: arson, negligence and an accident. An electrical short circuit was a possible cause. A forensics team will also try to determine the cause of the blaze, he added. Thaiwut Khankaew, chief of the PWDs Building Control Division, said the department granted permission for construction of the five-storey building in 1995, and its extensions. Annual structural assessment reports for the building were also submitted to the department. The 16-screen Major Pinklao, owned by the Poolvaraluck family, was built in 1995 on the site of Welco Department store that burned down in 1993. The fire led the share price of the cinema operator, Major Cineplex Group Pcl, to plunge by 2.16 per cent to B34 while the overall Stock Exchange of Thailand Index rose 0.61% to 1524.58 points. Read original story here. Boy, 3, found dead in rain-filled roadside ditch PHUKET: The body of a 3-year-old toddler was found in a rain-filled roadside ditch at a construction site behind a well-known tourist attraction in Kamala yesterday afternoon (July 28). accidentsconstructiondeathpolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Friday 29 July 2016, 09:48AM The ditch were the boy was found had already been cordoned off with cones and ropes with dander warnings attached. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Lt Col Somnuek Damkaew of the Kamala Police was alerted by Kamala rescue workers at 2pm that they had discovered the body of a young boy in a small ditch behind Phuket FantaSea. Upon arrival at the scene, where a new access road is under construction behind the tourist attraction, police saw one backhoe parked above the rain-filled ditch. A rope with danger signs and traffic cones were placed around the ditch. The sign read Danger please be careful, road is under construction. Lt Col Somnuek said, The boy (Weerapol Thasida) had been dead for at least one hour before his body was discovered by Chatchai Srikhan, 29, (the construction site foreman) who drove past the pool and noticed a hand poking out from the water. Mr Chatchai stopped to check, and when he realised it was a body he called for help, he said. We assume that the child was playing at this area and accidentally fell into the pool which was about 1.5 metres deep, he added. Parents Boonsom Chanrangsi, 40, and Thongla Thasida, 45, were devastated by the news of Weerapol's death, at just 3 years 11 months of age. They both fainted when they saw the body, said Lt Col Somnuek. Weerapols body was taken to Patong Hospital for doctors to confirm the time and cause of death. Crutches for a canine Viciously attacked in BKK, rehabilitating in Phuket Friday 29 July 2016, 06:40PM Earlier this year, Theprachen Srisoda, 36, was charged by police after hacking off the two lower front legs of a neighbours puppy with a sword because it had chewed one of his shoes left outside his house. Due to a huge public outcry in the Thai press, and increased pressure via a petition organised by Soi Dog which was signed by over 96,000 supporters from Thailand and abroad, the perpetrator was sentenced to one month detention by the court under the new Animal Welfare Law. Having been rescued by the Bangkok branch of Soi Dog Foundation, the puppy Cola underwent lifesaving treatment at the Rama V branch of the Bangkok i-clinic. The treatment costs ran into many thousands of baht and Soi Dog is happy to report that his recovery was such that he was suitable for having prosthetics fitted so that he can walk again. Head vet Dr Aom, who also holds an engineering degree, manufactured made-to-measure artificial legs for the young dog. Last week Soi Dog Foundation co-founder Gill Dalley, flew to Bangkok and returned with Cola to Phuket to continue his recuperation and rehabilitation. Gill is herself a double amputee as a result of a rare soil-based, gram-negative bacteria that she picked up whilst saving a tranquilised dog in 2004, and as such has built up a special bond with Cola. Gill describes Cola as a perfect dog, intelligent and extremely friendly to everybody he meets. Gill is now teaching Cola to walk again, something she is very familiar with herself, and can regularly be seen walking him on Layan Beach. Even when not wearing his new legs Cola has managed to teach himself to walk on his back legs only holding his front stumps in front of him, kangaroo style. Offers to give Cola a permanent home in the United States have flooded in but it looks like Cola may just have found a home right here in Phuket. In a modern society there is no place or justification for cruelty, and research has shown that those who are cruel to animals frequently exhibit the same tendencies to humans. Thailand now has new animal welfare laws which make cruelty to animals illegal. The maximum penalty that can be imposed under the Animal Welfare Law is a two-year custodial prison sentence and/or a B40,000 fine. The Thai judicial system needs to demonstrate that extreme cruelty to animals will not be tolerated, and start handing out sentences that fit the crime. Hopefully the one-month custodial sentence meted out to the perpetrator of this crime on a defenseless puppy will be the first example of a hardening of attitude and stiffer sentences being handed down by the courts against this type of offence in the future. Soi Dog Foundations mission statement is to improve the welfare of dogs and cats in Asia, resulting in better lives for both the animal and human communities, to create a society without homeless animals, and to ultimately end animal cruelty. For more information visit: www.soidog.org or www.facebook.com/SoiDogPageInEnglish. Japanese stock manipulator arrested SAMUT SAKHON: Police have arrested a 62-year-old Japanese man a decade after he fled B4-billion stock manipulation charges in Japan and had surgery to change his appearance. Immigration police brought Yasuo Tsubaki to a news briefing at their Bangkok office today (July 29). crimepolice By Bangkok Post Friday 29 July 2016, 03:48PM From left, immigration chief Nathathorn Prousoonthorn and national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda bring Yasuo Tsubaki (seated) to a news conference at the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok today (July 29). Photo: Pawat Laopaisarntaksin Japanese police wanted Yasuo for allegedly manipulating stock prices in Japan, the Thai police said. He was arrested at his house on Rama II area in Samut Sakhon province yesterday (July 28). Immigration commissioner Nathathorn Prousoonthorn said the suspect had been a businessman and lawyer in Japan and his group had manipulated the share prices of a company during 2000-05, causing damage estimated at 12 billion yen (B4 billion), Lt Gen Nathathorn said. The suspect fled to Thailand in 2005 but has never worked here. Lt Gen Nathathorn said when Yasuo was seeking a retirement visa, immigration police checked his profile because his face looked different from the passport photo. The check revealed that there was a warrant of the Japanese police for his arrest. Yasuo admitted that he was wanted in his home country, the immigration chief said. Thai police said Japan had informed them he might have had plastic surgery to avoid the arrest. National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda said it was the first arrest by Thai police of a fugitive after having undergone plastic surgery. The Japanese man had kept a low profile in Thailand and used bank accounts and mobile phone number registered under the names of Thai people, Gen Chakthip said. The police also learned that the man had rented a condominium room for over B100,000 a month on Sukhumvit Rd in Bangkok before moving to Maha Chai area on Rama II Rd in Samut Sakhon province. Read original story here. Phuket Lobster Festival starts this Monday PHUKET: Lobster lover gets ready, the Phuket Lobster Festival is coming this August with a total of 35 restaurants across the island offering you a signature menu at a special rate. tourism By The Phuket News Friday 29 July 2016, 12:57PM The Phuket Lobster Festival 2016 Will run the entire month of August. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipyapongtada held a press conference on Tuesday (July 26) at TuKapKhao Restaurant on Phang Nga Rd to announce the Phuket Lobster Festivals 2016 which is scheduled to run from August from 1-31. TAT Phuket office director, Anoma Vongyai; and Managing Director of Pracharat Raksamackee Co Ltd, Mr Veerachai Pranveerapaiboon were among those in attendance at the press conference. Governor Chamroen explained, More than 30 restaurants, including one in hotel, will be participating in this campaign to promote Phuket lobster, with each restaurant creating a signature menu using Phuket lobster as its main ingredient. Today, representatives from restaurants, the lobster farmer community from Phuket and Andaman region, and members of Pracharat Raksamackee Co (Social Enterprise Phuket) are here to present a variety of lobster menus such as grilled lobster, Shushi lobster and Pearl lobster noodle so that everyone in attendance gets an idea of what to expect during the festival, he said. During the Phuket Lobster Festival you can enjoy a signature menu from your favorite restaurant that has agreed to join this campaign. These restaurants will offer a special promotion on their signature menu, they will also offer a very special deal on August 12, he added. Organisers of the Phuket Lobster Festival 2016 aim to promote Phuket lobster to tourists and the general public as a comeback favorite seafood because lobster is consider Phuket's best and oldest seafood of all time. The Phuket Lobster Festival will also generate income to locals and promote the career of lobster farming to a wider audience of people. Social Enterprise Phuket invites all to enjoy the festival and also partake in a photo contest for a chance to win Phuket-Bangkok airline tickets. For more information or to check out the menu, please visit https://www.facebook.com/socialenterprisephuket/ Phuket police on the lookout for mahout and his tourist attraction elephant PHUKET: Police in Cherng Talay are currently looking for a mahout with a five-year-old elephant which he is using as a tourist attraction at various beaches along Phukets west coast, most recently Surin and Bang Tao. animalspolicetourism By Tanyaluk Sakoot Friday 29 July 2016, 11:03AM A photo of the elephant and mahout taken on Bang Tao Beach on Wednesday (July 27). Photo: Vicky Kiely The mahout, who is of Asian nationality, carries a bag of fruit with him as he walks along the beach with the elephant and asks tourists to buy the fruit which they can then feed to the elephant. In a 39 second video taken on Wednesday (July 27) and passed The Phuket News yesterday (July 28), the mahout is seen walking along Bang Tao beach with the elephant and the recorder asks the mahout how old the elephant is, the mahout holds up one hand and the recorder asks five?. The recorder then asks which company the mahout comes from, he shakes his head. Deputy Chief of the Cherng Talay Police Lt Col Jarun Bangprasert told The Phuket News yesterday, After finding out about this incident I have ordered my colleagues to check Surin Beach for any signs of the mahout and his elephant. If we can find them we will ask for the mahouts identification and his paperwork for owning the elephant. We will also ask the mahout the purpose of him having the elephant on the beach. After that we will contact the relevant officials, Lt Col Jarun said. Piyawat Sukon, who as chief of the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area Office in Thalang and responsible for the welfare of wildlife animals in Phuket and neighbouring provinces said, We are not currently aware what kind of elephant this is. So far nobody has been able to trace the mahout or the elephant. Until we receive information from officials or police on the whereabouts of the elephant we will not be able to take any action. However, if we find that the elephant has been taken from the wild it will be our responsibility to deal with the issue. If it is found that the elephant has not been taken from the wild it will be down to the Livestock Office to take care of the matter and make sure the elephant is sent to Lampang province, he said. The beaches of Phuket are not ideal places for a wild elephant to be, I believe they should be in a nature park such as the one currently under construction (see story here), he added. No official from the Livestock Office was available for comment when contacted by The Phuket News. The Phuket News were first made aware of the mahout and his elephant about three weeks ago when he was spotted on Patong Beach. When Patong Police were contacted by The Phuket News at that time they said that they were unaware of such incidents and that they had not seen or been able to find a mahout with an elephant in their area. 4 candidates seek two four-year terms on Codington County Commission Two of the three Codington County Commission seats have challengers this year. Here's what you need to know. New Jersey's Gianni Mandile was out fishing with his dad when he caught a 90 kg sand tiger shark on his fishing rod and succeeded to reel it in. By India Today Web Desk: Imagine you are 13 (hmm, the good-ol'days!), you are walking along a beach one fine morning, and then, you come feet-to-face with a shark. A big, living shark with all its teeth and hunger. What do you do? You run, right? Well, before that you scream, of course, but then, you run for your life and your limbs. Believe it or not, that's not how the story went down when this happened for real with a fellow in New Jersey. advertisement When 13-year-old Gianni was out fishing with his dad Joseph Mandile on the shores of Long Island, his fishing line caught something that just wouldn't come up. At first, Mandile thought it was a stingray, but Gianni knew it was something "bigger". Even before the waves tossed out the large fish Gianni knew it was, well, a shark. Source: Joseph Mandile/ Facebook "He saw it first," Mandile to ABC7NY. "As the wave curled, he saw the silhouette of the shark in the wave and he said, 'Dad it's big, it's a big shark!'" Once Gianni reeled in the 200-pound (90 kg) sand tiger shark, his father managed to wrangle it up on the beach. The duo then clicked away a few pictures to intact the memory before letting the fish swim back into the sea. "To set a hook in a fish and reel it in is an accomplishment, but to do something at this size, this age and that big," said Mandile about his son, who he has been fishing since the age of three. "All my friends, I've caught bigger fish than them, so it's kind of good," said Gianni. Well, congratulations, Gianni. We are glad you not only caught such a big shark at this age, but also released it back into the sea while it was still alive. And you did all this without losing any of your limbs to the shark's mouth. Watch the father-son duo accomplish their "shark wrangling" expedition right here: --- ENDS --- By PTI: Ghaziabad, Jul 28 (PTI) A day after a 13-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide after her father was taken to the police station following arguments with her school teachers over payment of fees, four of the six teachers, booked on the charges of abetment to suicide, have been arrested. Yesterday afternoon, six teachers of the school in Ghookna Sewa Nagar went the house of Ratan Singh Tomar who works as security guard in a private company, and heated arguments ensued over the three-month due fees of his daughter, a class IX student, SP (City) Salmantaj Patil said. advertisement During the argument one of the teachers allegedly slapped Tomar and called police who took him away. Distressed over the incident, the girl allegedly committed suicide, he said. On the complaint of the deceaseds father, the six teachers were booked on the charges of abetment to suicided and four of them were arrested, the SP said. PTI CORR NSD ZMN NSD --- ENDS --- Ajay Devgn's Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi will be an epic, big-budget war film based on the 1897 battle between 21 Sikhs and 10,000 Afghans. (L to R:) Ajay Devgn and first look of Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi By India Today Web Desk: Ajay Devgn shared the first look of his upcoming film Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi today (July 29) on Twitter and though the film shares half its name with Devgn's 2012 hit comedy film Son of Sardaar, the new film does not seem to be a sequel. Instead, the film is a tribute to the historical battle of Saragarhi. advertisement ALSO READ: Ajay Devgn and Baahubali writer will team up on film about Babri Masjid? ALSO READ: Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty to reunite for Golmaal 4? Devgn shared the first look of the film with a caption that read, "My tribute to Warriors of Saragarhi: A tale of Rage, of Love, of Bravery". Unveiling @SonsOfSardaar My tribute to Warriors of Saragarhi: A tale of Rage, of Love, of Bravery. #SonsOfSardaar pic.twitter.com/kjI44uCvzI Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) July 29, 2016 For almost a year, Devgn has been involved in the making of two ambitious films, both of which are being produced by him. The first is Shivaay which is slated to release on Diwali this year. The other is Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi. In a report in Times of India, the Singham actor said, "I run a big enough production company. We can definitely make multiple projects. In fact, why two, we have a third and fourth film also in the pipeline. Yes, I'm currently obsessing over Shivaay that is releasing on October 28, and SOS (Sons of Sardaar), the script of which has covered a lot of ground because that will be the next film in which I will be directly involved." The Battle of Saragarhi was fought between the British Indian contingent consisting of 21 Sikhs who defended an army post against more than 10,000 Afghan and Orkazai tribesmen on September 12, 1897. "It epitomised the strength and valour of the Sikh community. I salute the 21 Sikhs who were the heroes of this mission and I want to show their bravery on screen," Devgn told the newspaper. At present Ajay's team is writing the script of the film. The 47-year-old actor said the script is 60 per cent complete and that once he is done with the post-production work of Shivaay, he will devote himself completely into Sons of Sardaar. Speaking on the ambitious project, Devgn said, "I want this project to have the scale of an international epic. Actually, I want it to be one of the biggest films that comes from India. Hence, the prep and the research is extensive. The budget runs into hundreds of crores. So, we have to ensure our preparation is detailed and perfect. When you are taking a chapter from history, that too, one which is a war epic, you have to go through the script a hundred times over with a fine-tooth comb. For me, SOS is not just an ambitious film, it is also a sentimental one." advertisement While Sons of Sardaar continues to be written, his next film Shivaay's posters have already generated a lot of buzz in Tinsel Town. The action-adventure film will release on October 28 this year. --- ENDS --- Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat One-day strike by a million bank employees, protesting against government-initiated banking reforms, has hit the banking services Banking service in the country came to a near halt as about 10 lakh employees in 80,000 branches of public and private sector banks including foreign banks, went on strike on July 29. They were protesting against banking reforms initiated by the Union government. The strike was called by the United Forum of Bank Unions, representing nine major trade unions. Services hit Though the unions say that they are working tomorrow, the end-of-the month strike has hit banking services including crediting of salaries and pension. Cash transactions through 2,00,000 ATMs have not been affected much. Treasury operations and government bond auction of Rs15,000 crore are unlikely to have been affected, reports said. Banks are bleeding While bad loans have risen to the tune of about Rs13 lakh crore, savings have dropped. Gross non-performing assets (NPA) of public sector have increased to Rs40,500 crore from Rs16,261 crore in March 2015. Managements for reforms Opposing the move of trade unions, Indian Banks Association (IBA), representative body of 201 bank managements in India, had sought legal means and was armed with a restraint order against an earlier strike call. The unions had to withdraw their two-day strike call for July 12 and 13. Unions demand While the unions want more government funds for public sector banks, they say government favours privatisation of public sector banks (PSB). The unions accused the government of pursuing unwarranted banking reform detrimental to the interests of the banking sector. They blame that government is backing out from banking sector with inadequate capital investment, thus enforcing privatisation of banks. The unions are against the merger of five banksState Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Mysore and State Bank of Hyderabad with State Bank of India. Public sector IDBI will turn a private bank with the government decision to reduce its stake to less than 49 per cent. Employees are say that government and the RBI are not taking satisfactory measures to recover bad loans of PSBs amounting to Rs5,39,995 crore (as on March 31, 2016). The Government is issuing licences to corporate houses to start new banks. The unions say this is intended to hand over the banks to very same defaulters. The employees want the government to publish the list of wilful defaulters in order to shame them and declare them as criminal offenders. Government is deliberately protecting default by the corporates and big business enterprises, said the unions. They say that that the default by Vijay Mallya is just the tip of the iceberg and there are bigger sharks in the ocean of bad loans in the banks. Government stand Banks are accumulating losses and there is a need to make them competitive in the global economy, argues IBA. Consolidation of the banks is one solution to loss-making PSBs. The government wants to increase private investment to tide over the situation created by massive bad loans. Mega merger of 26 banks The government has also proposed a merger of small public sector banks with six major lenders. State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank, Bank of Baroda and Bank of India will lead the merger. Unions say consolidation of banks will make them bigger, but will hurt services to the common man. By PTI: Kolkata, Jul 28 (PTI) Army jawans have been deployed to rescue people in the flooded regions of Assam and Bihar. On request from the civil administration, the Army has swung into rescue operations in the flood-affected regions of Golaghat, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Goalpara and Chirang districts of Assam and Katihar district of Bihar, army officials said. One team of approximately 50 persons each alongwith engineer assets and speed boats were dispatched to Golaghat, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Goalpara & Chirang districts of Assam. advertisement So far approximately 250 people were rescued by the Army and the operations were still continuing, they said. Moreover, two columns each having approximate strength of 80 alongwith eight speed boats were rushed to Karwa and Balrampur sub-division of Katihar district, Bihar last evening. PTI NIK SUS ABH --- ENDS --- Grandma would be so, so proud of you tonight, said Chelsea Clinton as she ushered her mother to stage to accept her nomination as the Democratic National Partys presidential candidate. 'Grandma' was Hillary Clintons mother, a woman whose early history must have had a very strong influence on Hilary, and has perhaps hardened the steel in her will and spirit. Hillary pulled aside the curtains just a wee bit on Friday, shining a light into where she comes from. Her family, said Hilary, were builders of a different kind (a dig at rival Donald Trumps construction conglomerate), they came from humble beginnings. Her mother, Dorothy, was abandoned as a 14-year-old by her family and worked as a housemaid initially. Perhaps it was Dorothys story that drove Hillary to work for adopted children, foster families and so many other underprivileged groups. Dorothy, said Hillary, instilled upon her the quality of not backing out, however tough the adversary was. She recounted how she once ran home to avoid a bully, only to have her mother shut the door on her and forced her to face the adversary. Hillary learnt an early lesson that bullies will back off if you stand up to them. In the rough and tumble of her public career, that was perhaps a more valuable lesson than all her smart degrees put together. A lesson that is going to be even more crucial as the face-off between her and Trump begins in the days to come. By her own admission, talking about herself doesnt come easily to Hillary. Through all these years of public service, the service part has always come easier to me than the public part," she said as she proceeded to give a thumb nail sketch of her beginnings. For Hillary, to have opened up even this much must have been a huge step, a necessity she realises, now that she has to compete in the popularity race. Chelsea Clinton shares a moment on stage with her mother Hillary Clinton during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia | AP In her hour long address, the most important one of her career so far, Hillary tried not to leave out anything. While the main ingredient was her plans (she admitted she loved talking about her plans as she had many, hinting that Trump had none), she did attempt a masala package" of a speech, into which she packed in everything a dollop of emotion, a dash of the I am a woman acknowledgment (which again is not easy for someone who sees her gender as incidental and competes in a world of men) and even a rather strained attempt at humour (she commented that Trump spoke for 70 odd minutes, and I do mean odd."). However, what the speech lacked was that sprinkling of magic pixie dust, the ingredient which makes a carefully drafted speech become rousing, inspiring crowds into impromptu (and not stage managed) standing ovations. She was trying too hard, but lacked the flavour which is essential for the person to person connect. Hillarys approach to a problem is not as much as wiping the tear of the victim as it is about developing legal and institutional frameworks to sort it out. Even her approach to gender issues is all about having systems in place. Sample is this: If fighting for affordable child care and paid family leave is playing the woman card, then deal me in. She laid out her plans over the course of an hour, from her approach to climate change solutions to making education affordable, and at every opportunity, juxtaposed these well-thought out plans with Trump-talk. She spoke about inclusion and team work, about raising minimum wage and increasing domestic production. At times, it was easy. Repeating Trumps criticism about the military made it so much better for her to project herself as a better commander in chief. At times, it was a tightrope of a walk. Even as she spoke about injecting vigour into the economy, she had to be careful not to be too critical of the present scenario; that would reflect badly on the Obama regime, and that can be fatal to her run. There is a girl scout zeal to Hillary. In choosing between a populist statement and a practical one, she prefers the latter. This almost became her undoing in the run up to the nomination, where rival Bernie Sanders could promise raising minimum salary to 15 dollars an hour without bothering to explain where the money would come from. Hillary, with her background in governance, would feel compelled to say that she would raise it to 12 dollars initially, and 15 subsequently. No prizes for guessing why the old man had the momentum and why Democrats would still rather 'Feel the Bern'. An important point in Hillarys favour is that shes zealous about her carefully thought out plans and is likely to execute as many as she possibly can given the dynamics of governance. What she needs before that is to get voters to ensure she reaches White House. For that, even as she keeps her Power Puff Girl image intact, she has to soften her approach. Shell have to quickly learn how to talk with the voters, rather than talk down to them. Even as she wears pantsuits and blazes her way, breaking ceilings so that the sky is the limit as she says, it would help her case only if she tempers her internal steel with a veneer of softness. She has to appear, at least occasionally, as one of them with a carefully chosen flaw or vulnerability on display, rather than being this intimidating superwoman all the time. She'd do well to remember that Obama's chainsmoking and his attempts at ridding himself of the habit weren't seen as a weakness by the people. Instead, they only made him more identifiable. Arvind Kejriwal, along with two other Aam Aadmi Party leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khaitan, today got bail in a defamation case filed by Punjab's Revenue Minister, Bikram Singh Manjitha. By Ankit Tyagi: Amidst much political drama in Amritsar Civil Court, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with two other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khaitan, today got bail in a defamation case filed by Punjab's Revenue Minister, Bikram Singh Majithia. The next hearing is scheduled for October 15. In the Judicial Complex of Amritsar, the administration witnessed a bitter war of words between AAP and Akali supporters. Despite heavy security deployment, police forces had a tough time trying to keep both sides away from each other. advertisement Before leaving the court, Kejriwal addressed his supporters and launched a scathing attack on Punjab's ruling family, the Badals. Reiterating his allegation, Kejriwal called Manjithia the drug kingpin of the state struggling with substance abuse. In the run up to the Punjab election, Kejriwal threatened to send Manjithia to jail if AAP came to power in Punjab next year. Ahead of Kejriwal's arrival, Amritsar police imposed section 144 in some parts of the city to avoid any untoward incident. The IPC section prohibits assembly of more than 4 persons at a place. Bikram Singh Majithia had filed a criminal defamation case against Arvind Kejriwal and two other AAP leaders for allegedly "tarnishing" his reputation. Besides Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khaitan were named in the case which accuses them of "tarnishing" the reputation of Majithia and his family members by levelling "false, baseless and malicious charges". The case was filed in the court of Civil Judge Gurpartap Singh, under different sections of CrPC. --- ENDS --- [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat visited Hebron on Wednesday 21 Tammuz. He was toured by long-time Hebron representative Rabbi Hillel Horowitz, who serves as head of the Cemeteries Council in Jerusalem and works closely with Mayor Barkat. Joining the tour was Uri Karzen, Director General of the Jewish Community of Hebron and other local representatives. Mayor Barkat visited the Maaras HaMachpelah during his stay. Inside the monumental Machpelah complex, Mayor Barkat participated in mincha and afterward was honored with a special Misheberach in which Rabbi Horowitz blessed the mayor with continued success in his service for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Standing in front of the ancient Jewish site, Mayor Barkat issued the following statement: First of all, I am happy to be here. I came to see and to share with the residents of Hebron, to come and pray in the City of the Fathers, and Machpelah. I was here a few weeks ago to console the parents of Hallel Yaffa Ariel [the 13-year-old girl who was murdered in her bed by a terrorist], and even then I was impressed by the power of this community and their determination. Today, I am on a more in-depth tour, to sit with heads of the community and to hear about their challenges. I was very impressed by the importance of this place, and was again impressed by the determination of the residents. Barkat compared Jerusalem and Hebron commenting, we have a lot in common. Not just the religious/historical aspect, but also similar challenges in housing, economic development, cooperation with our cousins, and security challenges that we must know how to deal with. We have a lot in common and I came to strengthen and connect with the residents [of Hebron] from Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. When the mayor first arrived and was greeted by the community, Rabbi Horowitz mentioned the words of Israels first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, who stated in the introduction to the book Sefer Hevron in 1970: We will make a great and awful mistake if we fail to settle Hebron, neighbor and predecessor of Jerusalem, with a large Jewish settlement, constantly growing and expanding, very soon Hebron is worthy to be Jerusalems sister. Mayor Barkat requested a framed plaque of Ben-Gurions words for his office. Approximately 700,000 people visit the Machpelah annually, especially on Sukkos and Pesach where the Jewish Community hosts music festivals. Hebron and the adjacent community of Kiryat Arba have a combined population of almost 10,000, while Hebrons Palestinian Authority population is about 180,000. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Yishai Fleischer) Mrs. Leah Goldin, the mother of IDF MIA Lt. Hadar Goldin HYD, spoke out in the harshest terms against MK (Yesh Atid) Elazar Stern and his bill pertaining to prisoner releases in the future. Goldins body was snatched by Hamas fighters after he was killed in Gaza in the summer of 2014 together with Sgt. Oren Shaul HYD. During a discussion pertaining to future prisoner releases between Israel and Hamas, MK Stern stated a ceiling must be placed on such deals. His comments come after the Gilad Shalit exchange which resulted in over 1,100 terrorists being released in exchange for his return. That deal led to a nationwide consensus that a similar deal must never be repeated in the future. Mrs. Goldin spoke with Channel 10 News on Thursday morning 22 Tammuz. She spoke out against the Shamgar Report, which recommends even exchanges, one terrorist for one soldier, which is what one might expect from a bereaved mother. She fears if the recommendations made in the report are adopted by the cabinet, it would further complicate efforts to have her sons remains returned for kvura in Israel. She spoke of the unwritten contract, that everyone sends their children to the army and the latter is responsible to bring them back home. She directed her pain and anger at Stern, who has been speaking out to accept the recommendations of the Shamgar Report. Stern doesnt understand democracy she stated, adding he is driven by fear and hysteria to clear his own conscience. She blames him for creating additional barriers hindering the return of her son and Shaul. It is pointed out that Stern is a retired IDF major-general who also dealt with these issues during his tenure as head of the Manpower Branch. A spokesman for Stern tweeted that his bill has not impact on efforts to get back the bodies of Goldin or Shaul. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) [VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Two flights carrying 235 new immigrants from the Ukraine landed in Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday, 20 Tammuz, with the assistance of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ). The majority of the olim, consisting of 96 families, escaped the war zones in the east of the country and are about to begin their new lives in Israel. These olim are joined by 280 other olim from the Ukraine, who were brought to Israel by the IFCJ about a month ago. Amongst the olim who arrived yesterday are the M. family (Name is kept for reasons of security), who escaped the war zone in the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. When the bombing of the city began I was at work, tells Irena, mother of the family, Helicopters suddenly appeared in the sky and attacked the airport in Donetsk. We found ourselves under siege and without any way of going back home. Later, Irena talks about how their home turned into a base of operations for the rebels, who were stationed in the city for 242 days straight while turning it to a restricted military area, in which heavy fighting with the army was taking place. Never in my life have I heard such loud noises. My son has Asthma and I recall, when the shelling began, how he was embracing his inhaler We were all ready to flee at a moments notice. For two years Irena and her family wondered through various cities in the Ukraine until they realized that it was time to move on to a safer place, where they can live safely. We thought about making Aliyah as soon as we got married, says Maxim the father, But after the birth of our eldest daughter we decided to postpone itNevertheless, we realized that in light of the past two years, the time has come for ourselves and our children to make Aliyah and enable them to live safely while being educated as Jewish. Irena, Maxim, and their children are intended to live in the City of Nahariya, in the north of Israel. Another family who made Aliya was the O. family from Luhansk, who found themselves in the middle of what is known as the The Republic of Luhansk, a separatist state established in eastern Ukraine by the Pro-Russian separatist forces, which in time turned into a battlefield between the two factions. The family talks about how at the beginning of the war they didnt believe that the fighting will come to the city, until one day they woke up to find unknown para-military forces roaming around their neighborhood. We didnt believe that the war will arrive all the way to us and that it will go on for so long, says Alexey, father of the family, adding that as soon as the fighting began he and his family fled their home to a town further from there, where they found shelter for a month. We actually managed to find jobs and we thought that everything will be ok, but soon after we started to feel homesick and so we decided to go back to Luhansk. We stayed for two months after we returned there, Says Alexey, Until we realized that the situation was getting worse and that we are in danger. In addition to that, we couldnt find any way to support our daughter, since there was little to no work in the city, Israel, they say, was a way for them to escape this harsh destiny. We are not afraid to start over. Our lives throughout the past couple of years have taught us how to handle new and changing situations We left almost all of our belonging behind in Luhansk and we came to Israel with nothing but our suitcases. Alexey, Yulia and their 5-year old daughter. Veronica, are intended to live in Netanya. As mentioned, along with the M. and O. families, 200 more Olim came to Israel abroad the flights on Tuesday, with the help of the IFCJ, 66 of which are children between the ages of 4-16 and 8 of which are babies. The youngest of the new Olim is only 6-months-old and the oldest is 95-years-old. The olim are set to live in different cities in Israel, amongst them are Nahariya, Afula, Bat Yam, Haifa, Netanya, and Eilat. The Olim are set to split between a total of 30 different cities across Israel. This flight in joined by 27 other flights arranged by the IFCJ in the last 3 months, as part of its efforts to assist the Aliyah to Israel. As part of these efforts, over 4000 new olim have made Aliyah, coming from the Ukraine, France, South America and more. Upon their arrival in Israel, the IFCJ is assisting the new Olim with grants of $1000 given to every adult and $500 for every child, in addition to funding their flights to Israel. This support by the IFCJ is given in addition to the various grants the Olim are entitled to by the Ministry of Absorption. Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president of the IFCJ, adds that It is very difficult to hear about the suffering and fear the Olim have been going through in the past year and are still experiencing today. I understand how difficult it must be to make to decision to detach the family from the life and home where they grew up, but in light of the harsh situation the Olim are currently in, we are happy to assist to in making Aliyah and get a second chance to live a safer life, in a Jewish environment and education. The IFCJ will continue to aid all those people who want to make Aliyah and require assistance in order to do so. Check to determine modesty level due to summer garb (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: Daniel Bar-On) Politicians and city officials on Thursday morning 22 Tammuz visited a number of areas in the Geula neighborhood of the capital including Pri Chadash, Yeshayahu, Malchei Yisrael and Ezer LYaldot Streets. Taking part in the area tour were local minhelet head Moshe Cohen, Deputy Mayor Yitzchak Pindrus, the head of the citys sanitation unit Tzion Sheetrit as well as representatives of the police and fire departments and other local officials. Following their tour of areas streets, a meeting was held in the home of a local resident to discuss problems in the community pertaining the officials present. They delegation was shown that on some streets, large cooking gas tanks are stationed adjacent to garbage bins. They are fearful when these bins are set ablaze during protests a large explosion could result. An official explained the matter would be handled by the appropriate authorities. The discussion focused on the frequent protests at Kikar Shabbos, which impacts tens of thousands of pedestrians and drivers, as well as public transportation when shut down, citing how placing burning garbage receptacles in the road at that location has become a commonplace occurrence. Police representatives were called upon to act with a firmer hand and to press charges against those who set garbage bins ablaze as well as those littering the streets with countless pashkavilim during a protest. Cohen suggested a mechanism that would lock the bins to the walls, thereby making it impossible to move them to the streets to set them ablaze, which would include permitting sanitation workers to unlock them to bring bins to the trucks for garbage collection. Mr. Tzion Sheetrit explained that in the near future, a pilot project would be launched to address the matter, which will not only prevent burning the bins but prevent the closing down of streets by violent protestors. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) A victory for Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election could affect trans-Atlantic ties, Germanys foreign minister said Thursday. Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in an interview that if the Republican candidate wins the presidency it would mean a lot of uncertainty for the trans-Atlantic relationship. Trumps description of the United States as a country besieged by its enemies was grotesque, Steinmeier told the Passauer Neue Presse daily. He also questioned Trumps pledges to make America great again while keeping the United States out of conflicts around the world. I certainly cant explain how one is supposed to go hand-in-hand with the other, Steinmeier told the newspaper. Chancellor Angela Merkel was more diplomatic in her annual summer news conference Thursday. Asked whether she had experienced any nightmares in which Trump became president, the German leader responded with a clear no. She declined to comment on Trumps assertion Wednesday that, if elected, he would look into recognizing Russias annexation of Crimea. Im not going to meddle in the American domestic election, said Merkel. Im following it with interest, of course, and well await the outcome of the election. Germany has strongly opposed the annexation of Crimea. (AP) A Pennsylvania man shot by Secret Service at a White House gate earlier this year after refusing to drop a gun is facing a new federal charge. News outlets report that 31-year-old Jesse Olivieri of Ashland, Pennsylvania, was charged Tuesday with resisting or impeding certain officers or employees with a dangerous weapon. Hes charged in an information, a document that can only be filed with a defendants consent and usually signals a guilty plea. The charge supersedes a police complaint and carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Olivieri was shot after approaching the gate May 20. Court documents indicate he told police, I came here to shoot people. Olivieri was hospitalized following the shooting, but appeared in court last month and was ordered held. (AP) Officials say a small commercial plane collided with a large bird just before the aircraft landed safely at Logan International Airport in Boston. Cape Air spokeswoman Michelle Haynes says the plane carrying nine passengers had been flying from Marthas Vineyard to Boston on Wednesday. Haynes says that as the pilot approached the runway to land at around noon, a large bird hit the left wing and left a small dent on the plane. She says an emergency was issued so the Cessna 402 could get priority landing as a precaution. No injuries were reported. Haynes says no other damage has been found. (AP) Eight years ago, Hillary Clinton united the Democratic Party behind Barack Obama, helping propel him to the presidency. Four years ago, when Obama was in a close race with Mitt Romney, Bill Clinton defended the presidents record in the most eloquent speech of the 2012 Democratic National Convention. At the time, Obama owed both Clintons a huge debt. Now, after what will probably turn out to be the best speech of this years convention, Obama has paid Clinton back several times over. Why was the presidents speech so effective? Its not just that Obama personally vouched for her, though he did that plenty. There has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill, nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president, he said. It was more important for Clinton and the country that Obama also defined the stakes in this election, arguing that, despite the anti-Hillary frenzy at last weeks Republican National Convention, it is not just about her. Voters have reason to be proud of how far the country has come from the depths of the financial crisis and its place in the world, he pointed out. But economic disruption, social changes and continuing fears about safety have also helped produce a reaction in the form of Trump that is tearing at the countrys political fabric. This is not your typical election, he said. Its not just a choice between parties or policies, the usual debates between left and right. This is a more fundamental choice about who we are as a people. Donald Trump, he said, is selling the American people short. Were not a fragile people. Were not a frightful people. Our power doesnt come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. We dont look to be ruled. In this way, Obama argued that a vote for Clinton is a vote to reject cynicism and reject fear and to summon what is best in us, and it rang true. As he did so, the president cleverly argued that Republicans could vote for Clinton without turning in their conservative cards. In fact, he said, if they took their principles seriously, they would shun him. What we heard in Cleveland last week wasnt particularly Republican and it sure wasnt conservative, he said. What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. There were no serious solutions to pressing problems, just the fanning of resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate. Obama was not the only speaker Wednesday night to argue that voters who would normally reject a Democrat must support one this year. Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, I, took the stage to tepid applause from the Democratic crowd in order to persuade responsible independents to vote for Clinton. No matter what you may think about her politics of her record, Hillary Clinton understands that this is not reality television, this is reality, he said. Bloomberg went on to give Clinton credit for being sane and competent, because those are apparently distinguishing characteristics this presidential race. Once the speeches were through, Clinton joined Obama on stage. The two hugged each other and waved at a roaring crowd for several minutes. The image of the two embracing summed up much of her campaign so far. Whenever Hillary has felt she needed to build credibility on the left, she rhetorically embraced Obama and reminded voters that he trusted her to serve in his cabinet. Wednesday may not be the last time Clinton invokes the president this election year. She may well continue holding onto a relatively popular incumbent in the general election. Obama has all sorts of reasons to rally hard for Clinton. She may begin returning the presidents recent favors starting next year: Much of his legacy, particularly on climate change and health care, depends on Clinton sustaining his policies from the Oval Office over the next four years. But, as the president said, this election is not just about policy. The stakes are much bigger: Defeating Trump is a moral imperative. And he is telling the country so. (c) 2016, The Washington Post Stephen Stromberg The Delhi chief is planning his getaway to meditate in vipassana session in Nagpur, away from media glare for 10 day. By Press Trust of India: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will go to Nagpur to attend a 10-day vipassana session in the first week of August. An AAP functionary said the Delhi Chief Minister will be in a meditation centre in Nagpur and will not have access to newspapers, television or any other media. Also read: Arvind Kejriwal in video message to AAP supporters: Modi is so frustrated he can get me killed advertisement The CM's plan to go for vipassana comes nearly one-and-a-half year after he had gone for the same session after hectic campaign for Lok Sabha elections in May 2014. "Delhi Chief Minister will take a break from work for ten days as he will fly to Nagpur to attend vipassana session from August 1 to August 10 there," said a senior government official. His deputy Manish Sisodia will be in charge of the government till then. Kejriwal is known to be an ardent practitioner of Vipassana. After a hectic campaigning of Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and Delhi Assembly polls in 2013, the AAP chief had taken a break for practising vipassana. Also read: Modi follows people who give death threats to Kejriwal: AAP --- ENDS --- The military situation in Syria has turned against the U.S.-supported opposition over the past year, due mainly to Russian intervention. Now, the failed coup in Turkey and subsequent crackdown there stand to reduce the capabilities of a key U.S. ally. Without some rebalancing now in favor of the opposition to Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, the prospects for a satisfactory negotiated political transition are dim. In a dissenting internal memo last month, 51 State Department diplomats advocated attacks on Syrian government forces to end their aggression against the countrys civilian population, alter the military balance and bring about a negotiated political solution. President Barack Obama has focused instead on fighting terrorism in Syria, but U.S. targets are limited to Sunni extremists such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida affiliates. There is also a Shiite terrorist organization in Syria: Lebanon-based Hezbollah. It should not be immune. Hezbollah was founded to resist the Israeli occupation of Lebanon in the early 1980s and takes credit for the eventual Israeli withdrawal from that country. Tightly allied with and supported by Iran, it has become the dominant political force among Shiites in Lebanon, where it not only participates in national politics but also runs its own security forces and provides social services to Shiite populations. Covertly since 2012, and overtly since 2013, Hezbollah has deployed forces inside Syria, where its thousands of fighters are aligned with Assads army and mainly Shiite and Alawite militias against mainly Sunni forces that Assad regards as terrorists. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps pays Hezbollahs bills and provides its command-and-control operations. Hezbollah forces have been particularly effective along the border with Lebanon, which provides it with strategic depth and supply lines. Hezbollah is a major factor in the military balance in Syria. Along with the Russian air intervention begun last September and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollahs fighters have enabled Assad to make progress against his opponents, especially those associated with the Free Syrian Army fighters backed by the United States. That progress has hardened Assads negotiating stance and blocked the U.N. search for a political solution. Assad is winning, and he sees no reason to accept a transition away from his rule. A shift in the military balance is essential to ending the war, which is what Washington says it wants. But Obama has steadfastly refused to go to war against the Syrian, Iranian or Russian government. Even if he wants to, it is doubtful he has authorization from Congress to do so. But Hezbollah is a non-state actor. It is also a U.S.-designated terrorist group that has murdered Americans, among many others. Most Republicans and Democrats would applaud an attack on Hezbollah, even if some in both parties would bemoan a move that suggested widening commitments overseas. Washington could inform Tehran, Moscow and Beirut that Hezbollah should withdraw from Syria by a certain date or the United States would target any of its troops attacking non-extremist opposition forces in and around Aleppo and elsewhere. If Hezbollah failed to withdraw, the United States would then need to be ready to attack as soon as the ultimatum expired. Hezbollahs withdrawal or U.S. targeting of Hezbollah would send a strong but still limited message to the Syrian opposition and its allies in Turkey and the Persian Gulf: We are prepared to attack Shiite as well as Sunni terrorists, but its up to you to take advantage of the opportunity and come to the negotiating table ready to reach a serious political settlement. It would also send a strong but likewise limited message to Iran and Russia: We will not continue to tolerate your intervention in Syria without responding. The time for a political settlement is now. How would the players in Syria react? Hezbollah would likely try to strike at accessible U.S. assets or citizens in neighboring countries, most likely in Lebanon or Iraq. It might also launch rockets into Israel. The Islamic State, which uses Hezbollahs involvement in Syria as a recruiting tool, would be undermined. Russia and Iran could in theory up the ante, escalating their involvement in Syria, but in practice they both appear to be close to the limit of lives and treasure they are willing or able to expend there. Assad would be outraged and promise revenge, but the Syrian government is even more clearly at the limit of its capabilities. Meanwhile, the non-extremist Syrian opposition would applaud and press hard against the territory where Hezbollah is deployed. Gulf states would likewise welcome the U.S. action and redouble their efforts to support the opposition. Israel knows all too well how to react to Hezbollah attacks in order to reestablish deterrence. Turkey might complain that the United States was not also acting against the U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters whom Ankara regards as terrorists, but the Turks would still benefit from any consequent military progress against Assad by non-Kurdish forces. In short, U.S. targeting of Hezbollah would mostly please and embolden Washingtons friends and discomfit its antagonists. It would also reassert U.S. commitment to fighting terrorism of all sorts, renew Washingtons commitment to holding Hezbollah accountable, hasten an end to the Syrian civil war and make a political settlement more likely. That is not a bad balance of risks and benefits. (c) 2016, Special to The Washington Post Daniel Serwer Following the enactment of Councilman David Greenfields historic school security legislation earlier this year, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services has released official rules and procedures for schools seeking to take advantage of the new law. Councilman Greenfield is encouraging all qualifying schools to apply now for reimbursement under the program. This program is a great opportunity for nonpublic schools in New York to ensure the safety of their students. It is vitally important that all nonpublic schools apply through DCAS to establish their eligibility as soon as possible, Greenfield said. Dont wait until the last minute! Greenfields law provides for nonpublic schools with over 300 students to receive full reimbursements from the city for the cost of hiring security guards to protect students while school is in session or while school-related activities are taking place. Schools with 300 students will be eligible to be reimbursed for the cost of one security guard, while schools with 500 or more students will be eligible for a second guard. An additional guard will be authorized for every 500 additional students. To apply, schools must use the citys online HHS Accelerator system. Schools that are already prequalified in HHS Accelerator may log in to complete an application immediately. Schools that are new to HHS Accelerator will have to prequalify by creating an account and completing HHS Accelerator Business and Service applications. After prequalification is complete, eligible schools will be able to apply for security guard reimbursement. Applications for the 2016-2017 school year will be accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis until November 1, 2016. DCAS will determine whether each application meets the requirements of the program and its final rules. Qualifying schools will be provided with a Memorandum of Understanding describing the schools estimated budget for security services for the 2016-2017 school year. Upon signing the MOU, the school will be eligible for the reimbursement of its security expenses. Every student deserves a safe place to learn, Greenfield said. My law will ensure that every student receives just that. Again, I urge all staff and administrators at nonpublic schools to begin the application process now, and to reach out to DCAS with any questions you might have. (YWN Desk NYC) Pope Francis paid a somber visit in silence to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, with his only public comment a guest book entry begging God forgiveness for so much cruelty. The Argentine-born pontiff made an early morning pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitlers forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, during World War II. Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly in his white robes beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz that bears the cynical words Arbeit Macht Frei (Work sets you free). After meeting briefly with 11 death camp survivors, he moved on to nearby Birkenau, a sprawling complex where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in its gas chambers. There he greeted 25 Holocaust rescuers. Altogether, it was a deeply contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that Francis passed in total silence, except for a few words he exchanged with the survivors and rescuers. Vatican and Polish church officials explained that Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. However, he did express his feelings, writing in the Auschwitz memorials guest book in Spanish: Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty! He then signed with his name in Latin, Franciscus and added the date 29.7.2016. Francis is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live himself through the brutality of World War II on Europes soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal or historical connection to the site. St. John Paul II, born in Poland, witnessed the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation during the war. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before greeting survivors, one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners at Auschwitz were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who sacrificed his life to save that of a fellow prisoner who had a family, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the pontiff. He then traveled 2 miles (3 kilometers) to Birkenau, the vast satellite camp where the Nazis murdered Jews, Roma and others from across Europe. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths there. At one point the deep silence was broken by the wailing of an infant. When Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests applauded. Francis slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Polands chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited, in Hebrew, Psalm 130, which starts: From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord. Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read, first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish. John Pauls visit to the site in 1979 made history because it was the first ever by a pontiff, part of the Vaticans historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. As a pope hailing from another continent, Franciss presence highlights visit the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. The millions who now visit have put increasing stress on the sites aging barracks, prompting urgent conservation efforts that are being funded by governments worldwide. Francis visit is also different in that it had a private character with no speeches. Benedict, for instance, spoke there in 2006 in Italian pointedly avoiding his native German language in a speech questioning why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. The popes visit to Auschwitz came on the third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global celebration of faith. (AP) One police officer died and another was wounded after being shot in a San Diego neighborhood, authorities said early Friday. Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said in a Twitter post that she had left the hospital where the injured officer had come out of surgery and that hes expected to survive. The names of the officers have not been released. There was no immediate word on what touched off the violence, which occurred around 11 p.m. PDT Thursday in the southeastern part of town. Police searched the area for suspects and urged residents to stay indoors. Video footage showed officers out in force with numerous squad cars with emergency lights flashing lining a street, officers on foot, and a helicopter buzz overhead. Police spokesmen did not immediately return calls for further comment, but the department said in a Twitter posting that one suspect was in custody and other possible suspects were being sought. The shooting comes with law officers around the country on alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed the United States for its reaction to a failed military coup in Turkey, accusing it of harboring the man behind the plot. Ankara has demanded the United States extradite Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. The government has accused Gulen of having masterminded the failed July 15 coup, which left 290 people dead. Gulen has denied any prior knowledge of the attempted putsch, while Washington has asked for evidence of his involvement. The president lashed out at an American military official who he said commented on the detention of thousands of military personnel in the wake of the coup. Its not up to you to make that decision. Who are you? Know your place Erdogan said. Instead of thanking this nation that quashed the coup in the name of democracy, on the contrary you are taking sides with the coup-plotters, Erdogan said. Besides, the coup plotter is in your country anyway. You can never convince my people otherwise. (AP) In the end, Carlos Brito, the ruthless tycoon behind Anheuser Busch InBev, prevailed and brewer SABMiller has fallen under the wagon, in the biggest ever takeover of a UK domiciled company. But no one can accuse the robust SABMiller chairman Jan du Plessis of rolling over. He managed to force the price up seven times, with the Belgian-based Brazilian brewer adding an extra pound this week. Deal struck: In the end, Carlos Brito, the ruthless tycoon behind Anheuser Busch InBev, prevailed and brewer SABMiller has fallen under the wagon, in the biggest ever takeover of a UK domiciled company Credit must go to UK institutional investor Aberdeen which fought the good fight for independent shareholders holding some 60 per cent of the stock until the end. Opponents argued that dominant investors Altria with 26.5 per cent of the shares and the Santo Domingo family with 13.9 per cent were getting favoured treatment because they are being paid in paper and cash. The separate and unequal offer will now have to be tested by a High Court judge. The deal does raise bigger questions. Much of the cash part of the deal will be financed by borrowings and, as always, that can only mean taking an axe to costs. The transaction also raises cultural issues. SABMiller, with its roots in South Africa, has been a company with a social conscience working hard in the townships to improve the drinking habits of poorer sections of the population hooked on its Castle beer. InBev is not known for its softer and gentler self. Moreover, Brito and his backers look to be moving in the wrong direction. On both sides of the Atlantic the great growth area is craft beer, with more than 1,000 such breweries in the UK alone. Staley-ing calm Barclays shares have had a torrid time since Brexit and have almost halved in value since the start of the year. The bank has been caught up in the collective guilt affecting European banking shares and fuelled by the crisis among Italian lenders, the ghastly performance of Deutsche and the troubles of Credit Suisse. So the rally in its shares, which followed the release of half-year results, comes as a relief to American chief executive Jes Staley. He is 3m down on his personal investment in Barclays shares and his spouse has been a little anxious. Unlike Lloyds 24 hours earlier, Staley smartly found words to make the best of Brexit. He noted that since the Leave vote of June 23 the bank had advanced 2billion to homebuyers, 8 per cent more than during the same period last year. So the economy hasnt quite ground to a halt as yet. The investment bank also has done a Eurobond issue for Deutsche Bahn and a high-profile Italian equity offer. The strategic decision Barclays has taken, to remove itself from retail banking in Europe, was baked in the cake long before the referendum but was well-timed. The squabbling between the financial core of Europe in Brussels and Frankfurt, and the periphery in Rome, Athens and elsewhere, is taking a terrible toll. Barclays is not Deutsche Bank. Yes, it does have a transatlantic investment banking operation, built by the little-lamented Bob Diamond, but it also has a strong domestic UK banking business and a vibrant credit cards and payments operation where profits jumped 41pc. Such concerns that do exist are whether it can continue to compete with the big boys of investment banking. Casino bank profits fell by 5 per cent (not a disaster), and the focus on credit trading, a core skill, looks to be paying off. Costs are also rapidly being taken out of the business. Like all the banks, Barclays still has regulatory clouds to overcome. Here in the UK there is payment protection insurance, which gobbled up 400million in the first half. And the Serious Fraud Office is still not done with allegations of excess commissions to Middle East investors in the heat of the financial crisis. The US Department of Justice must punish Barclays over its sale of residential mortgage-backed securities. The biggest weakness is the banks sub-optimal capital cushion. It has conserved cash by more than halving the dividend and is hopeful of accumulating extra capital from further divestment of Barclays Africa. There is further repair work to be done. Staley is confident he will reach safer, higher ground before too long. Wheres the beef? No one could have been more surprised by Theresa Mays decision to kick the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station into touch (for the time being) than EDF. The French group and government in Paris moved heaven and earth to get agreement on the go-ahead, overruling recalcitrant trade unions and directors who thought it would be a non-starter. The great irony would be if the more bloody- minded of the Parisians, fed up with the rosbifs, were to change their minds. For three years, savers have been able to invest in risky companies on the Alternative Investment Market through their stocks and shares Isa. And while some will have picked the winners in that time, others could have lost everything. AIM companies tend to be smaller businesses, often start-ups or specialists in niche areas. The rules and regulations for listing on this stock market are less stringent than for the FTSE. And all of that makes investing in this area incredibly risky. But among the 1,000 or so companies on AIM, there are some gems. Hits and misses: AIM companies tend to be smaller businesses, often start-ups or specialists in niche areas. The rules and regulations for listing on this stock market are less stringent than for the FTSE Some have gone on to become household names worth billions of pounds online fashion retailer Asos, for example, or Majestic Wine. Others have not done so well. Chris Hutchinson, manager of the Unicorn Outstanding British Companies Fund, says: Among the dross there are some great businesses. 'But you have to filter through the ones that over-promise, under-deliver, burn through cash or are too specialist. Whittle them down to around 40 and you stand a good chance of getting some decent returns. Get it right and you can make a mint; if you had put 1,000 in Rare Earth Minerals shares three years ago you would now have an incredible 22,765. But getting it wrong can cost dearly. If you had put that 1,000 into diamond and gold exploration company Golden Saint Resources instead, you would have just 6 left today. Because there are so many diverse companies in this market, following it through a tracker fund isnt a great idea. The volatile AIM index has swung from a low of 664 points to a peak of 895 over the past five years its a rollercoaster ride only for the strong-stomached. But investing through a fund, where an expert can try to cherry-pick businesses, can reduce the risk of investing in these firms. The Downing Micro-Cap Growth fund has around 89 per cent of its cash in AIM stocks, while Amati UK Smaller Companies has 59 per cent of its money in this market. They have returned 48.7 per cent and 52.4 per cent over the past three years respectively. Hutchinson avoids any companies with lots of debt, where the managers dont own shares, which are burning through cash or relying on regular rounds of fundraising, and he shuns those he doesnt understand. That tends to mean the fund ignores oil, gas, mining and commodities along with biotech and early-stage tech companies. Hard target: For three years, savers have been able to invest in risky companies on the Alternative Investment Market through their stocks and shares Isa He says: I look for proper businesses where we can understand what benefit the product or service has for customers and where we can be confident that customers will still want or need that product in years to come. Im sure our strict criteria means we end up missing some opportunities. But in my experience it always takes longer and costs more to deliver than many companies say, and Id prefer to avoid those firms. He is particularly keen that the management has a sizeable stake in the firm. Not only does that tend to mean they are investing in the business for the long-term but it often means decent dividends. A favourite of his is flooring specialist James Halstead. The firm is in its fourth generation of family ownership and develops specialised floorings for specific applications, such as hospitals, for example. Their knowledge and expertise means they can earn a decent margin on the product and the firm has increased its dividend for more than 35 consecutive years. The share price has increased from 121.2p to 420.25p over the past five years. Another favourite is Crawshaw, a retail butcher chain which also serves hot food to go. That food often comes from its own stock which means there is little waste, which cuts costs. The Yorkshire-based firm had a tough time after floating on AIM in 2007, just before the recession, but now has 40 stores and is expanding. To help its growth plans it brought in a new boss who spent 16 years at Lidl. Hutchinson likes that even at its lowest ebb it always had cash on the balance sheet. He says: Its one of the most exciting retail stories Ive ever come across it has all of the characteristics of being a future Greggs but no one has heard of it yet. Ben Yearsley, investment director at Wealth Club, says: AIM is often regarded as a poor-quality market, filled with small companies which are all early-stage and speculative. Thomas Cook joined other travel groups in reporting lower bookings and sales as terror attacks across Europe and a failed coup in Turkey have deterred more holidaymakers from travelling. The worlds oldest travel operator said terrorist attacks in Brussels in March and at Istanbuls airport in June dragged sales down 8 per cent to 1.85billion in the three months to the end of June. Summer bookings were also down 5 per cent, due to the continued lower demand for holidays in Turkey, where a coup failed on 15 July leaving almost 100 people dead. Scared to fly: Thomas Cook bookings have been hit by fears of terror attacks across Europe Turkey had been the groups second-most popular market before ten German tourists were killed in a suicide bombing in Istanbul in January. Now, few Brits and even fewer Germans are choosing to holiday in the country opting instead for Spain and, increasingly, Greece. Thomas Cook said it has further reduced capacity to Turkey, redeploying this mainly to Mediterranean destinations. While demand for most other destinations has been strong, demand for Turkey has been volatile and remains significantly below last year's levels, the group said. We have made further capacity cuts to Turkey for summer 2016 and switched this into alternative destinations including Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Cuba and the USA. Thomas Cook also flagged significantly lower demand in Belgium as a result of the Brussels terror attacks, which killed 32 people. In view of the lower bookings, Thomas Cook lowered its full-year profit guidance to 300million from the previous guidance of between 310-355million. Despite the gloomy update, shares rose 7 per cent, or 4.3p, to 64.30p as analysts expectations were even lower. Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: Thomas Cook is facing severe disruptions right now, with political upheaval, acts of terrorism, and the fall in the pound resulting from Brexit all serving to deter holiday makers from travelling. Thomas Cooks bookings to Turkish resorts have naturally been badly affected by the turmoil there, though the company is looking west for new opportunities as it has seen a rise in bookings to Spain, Cuba, and the US. Thomas Cooks chief executive Peter Fankhauser said that while Brexit has had no noticeable impact on bookings, Britain's vote to desert the European Union has added to a general sense of uncertainty - for our business and our customers alike'. Turmoil: A coup attempt failed on 15 July in Istanbul, Turkey, leaving almost 100 people dead Although early in the booking cycle, holiday bookings for this winter are progressing well, Thomas Cook said. 26 people have died, more than 18 lakh have been displaced and Kaziranga National Park has been completely inundated in the Assam floods. By Vishakha Saxena: While images of waterlogged streets of Gurgaon, Bengaluru and Mumbai flood our timelines, an actual flood has crippled the north-eastern state of Assam - and it is the worst one in a decade. Lakhs of people have been displaced and wildlife sanctuaries inundated by an overflowing River Brahmaputra and its tributaries. As many as 26 people have reportedly died in the state and scores of animals have either been killed, washed away or are endangered. advertisement Here's all you need to know about the situation: 1. Nineteen people have died in 72 hours. 2. Almost 18 lakh people have been displaced, but only 2.3 lakh have taken shelter at relief camps. 3. More than 150 villages had to be evacuated. In all, 3,374 villages have been affected by the deluge. Flooded villages in Assam. (Image: Manas Baruah / Facebook) 4. Nine rivers, including the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, are flowing above danger mark along 18 districts and inundating new areas. Breaches have been reported in river embankments in Kokrajhar, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh and Golaghat districts. 5. The NDRF, SDRF and Indian Army have set up more than 517 relief camps and 186 relief distribution centres to help the displaced. NDRF operation at various places in Assam such as Nasumguri banglajhora, Nepalibasti, Goabari & Majuli . pic.twitter.com/sSU54JCa99 NDRF (@NDRFHQ) July 26, 2016 6. Farmers across 22 districts face immense losses with their crops destroyed by floodwaters and their livestock left abandoned. 7. According to a rough estimate by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) around 12 lakh poultry animals and several lakh poultry birds have been affected. 8. Several districts have been completely cut-off from the rest of the state. Chunks of main roads in Morigaon, Jorhat and Dibrugarh districts have swept away, snapping road communications. Mobile phone signals are unavailable in many parts and power transmission lines are down. 9. The situation will remain critical in the coming days, as heavy monsoon rains have been forecast for at least another 48 hours in Assam. (Graphic: Reuters) 10. Kaziranga National Park is completely inundated. The Kaziranga National Park, home to the world's single largest population of one-horned rhinos, has been completely inundated by flood waters. This is the worst flood in Kaziranga since 1988. Of the 2,431 rhinos in Assam, 2,401 live in Kaziranga National Park which is located on the floodplains of the Brahmaputra. In fact, the four national parks in the state account for 80% of the world one-horned rhino population. 11. Vast areas of the other three national parks - Manas, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa - and the Pobitora Wild Life Sanctuary has also been flooded. Wild buffalos swim in flood waters in search of high land in Kaziranga National Park, Assam. (AP Photo) Wild buffalos swim in flood waters in search of high land in Kaziranga National Park, Assam. (AP Photo) advertisement 12. As many as 130 forest camps located in five different ranges in Kaziranga have been completely submerged, while 19 anti-poaching camps have been vacated or shifted to dry land areas of NH 37. 13. Scores of animals have been washed away or left dead. Three rhinos, seven rhino calves and more than 18 deer have reportedly been killed in the deluge. Rescuers were able to save eight rhino babies from being washed away. Aged between a month and a year, the babies had been separated from their mothers and were found in distressed and dehydrated. Rescuers have also saved 42 Swamp Deer and Hog Deer living in Kaziranga and nearby forests. 14. Animals in search of dry land are being hit by speeding vehicles. When floods hit, animals immediately scatter to search for dry land. In Assam, these animals have made it to roads and national highways, and they aren't safe there either. Deer, elephants and rhinos have been pictured walking on NH37, and in the last 24 hours, many animals have reportedly died after being hit by speeding vehicles. Some animals, meanwhile, have even wandered into residential areas. advertisement 15. Meanwhile, an adult rhino was reportedly shot at by forest guards at a tea estate in Karbi Anglong on Friday. The rhino was seriously injured. During floods, adult rhinos try and escape to the Karbi Anglong hills on the southern side of Kaziranga. There are 16 animal corridors on the NH-37 through which various types of animals from the Park side cross over to Karbi Anglong hills during floods. 16. Poaching is a big and very real threat at this time. Rhinos commonly stray into nearby villages during floods, ending up as easy game for poachers. Poachers have killed many Rhinos during floods in the past. State police and forest guards are monitoring Kaziranga to prevent such activity. Forest officials and wildlife conservationists catch a baby Rhino that strayed into an adjacent village following floods at Kaziranga. (AP Photo) 17. At least seven satras (Vaishnava monasteries on Majuli island) are reportedly submerged under water. The island is one of the worst affected areas of Assam - hundreds of houses were washed away and at least 12 villages were submerged after an embankment was breached in upper Majuli. advertisement Recent reports suggest that situation on the island has slightly improved after floodwaters started receding on Wednesday. 18. There's a LOT of anger. People from Assam have taken to social media for the lack of attention towards the state and its current situation. There is anger towards the Centre considering floods are a recurring problem in the state, and towards national media for lack of reporting. A meme being shared on Facebook. 19. And a few slimmers of good news. 20. There is a high risk of epidemics. The first challenge in front of relief workers will be to prepare for possible epidemics. Floods bring with them scores of water-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, cholera and dysentry, and the risk grows manifold in situations akin to the one Assam is witnessing. 21. Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal visited Majuli and Lakhimpur areas to take stock of situation on Thursday. Angry Majuli residents asked Sonowal why no permanent measures were taken to tackle the frequent floods. They also complained that relief material was not reaching them despite announcements. 22. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will take an aerial survey of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kaziranga areas of the state on Saturday. Floods are a recurring tragedy for Assam, as the state faces a deluge almost every year. Just three months ago pre-monsoon floods had affected 1 lakh people in the state. Villagers salvage logs of wood brought by Brahmaputra flood waters in Majuli. (AP Photo) --- ENDS --- Jailed: Three former bankers at Anglo Irish Bank committed 'sham transactions' to inflate deposit levels BANKERS JAILED Three former senior bankers have been jailed, for two years or more each, for concealing the loss of billions in deposits at the now defunct Anglo Irish Bank, the biggest accounting fraud in Irish corporate history. Willie McAteer, John Bowe and Denis Casey committed sham transactions to inflate deposit levels in 2008. LSE DEAL The Deutsche Boerse plan to take over the London Stock Exchange only just scraped over the threshold of investor support. The deal was supported by 63.65 per cent of investors barely above the 60 per cent needed. There are concerns that watchdogs might still block the takeover. KOREAN WOES Nurofen and Durex owner Reckitt Benckiser has toned down its full-year sales outlook after it was hit by a scandal in South Korea, after humidifier sterilisers it sold were linked to deadly lung infections. Shares were down 1.6 per cent, or 116p, at 7322p. ENERGY PROBE SSE is under investigation by energy regulator Ofgem over the way it switched customers to pre-payment meters. The investigation will focus on whether SSE breached Ofgems standards of conduct, aimed at ensuring suppliers treat customers fairly. Shares were down 1.6 per cent, or 25p, at 1516p. PHARMACIES SELL-OFF The owner of LloydsPharmacy will have to sell 12 outlets so it can buy Sainsburys 125million pharmacies business. The Competition and Markets Authority said it found 12 areas where German healthcare firm Celesio, which owns LloydsPharmacy, and Sainsburys operate sites so close to one another the takeover would damage competition. PRICE CUT The owner of credit card business MBNA has cut its price tag to secure a quick sale. Bank of America is seeking to sell the 7billion business, with possible bidders thought to include Lloyds, Virgin Money and several US private equity houses. PUB FIGHT The Government is being urged to replace its new pubs code adjudicator because of his inability to command the trust of pub tenants. Liar loans are back. Less than 10 years after the cataclysmic implosion of the western world's economy as a result of risky lending to borrowers who couldn't pay, a lender has launched with the slogan 'no job, not a problem'. Unemployed Loans, a lender which promises to bring back self-certification mortgages, boasts on its website that it is able to defy UK regulators and offer loans to those without a job and who are unable to prove their income. On its website the firm says: '99 per cent of lenders won't lend to the unemployed. We do! We are not based in the UK, by being based abroad we are able to make our own decisions. One of those decisions is to bring back self cert mortgages.' Self-cert allowed borrowers to apply for a mortgage without 'proving' their income Self-cert, dubbed 'liar loans' at the height of the financial crisis, allowed borrowers to apply for a mortgage without 'proving' their income. They became known as NINJA loans - no income, no job, no assets. They were a disaster - Lehman Brothers collapsed as a direct result of massive over-exposure to complicated and opaque 'packaged' products that essentially failed to pay investors because the underlying mortgages were duff. Homeowners abandoned properties leaving mortgages unpaid, house prices in freefall and investors out of pocket to the tune of billions. Stock markets panicked, banks were brought to their knees and central banks were forced into drastic measures to prevent total chaos. The world believed that afterwards, banks had learned their lesson. But new rules brought in as a result of near-total financial collapse made doubly sure that greed couldn't overcome sense again. Regulators in the UK at least banned companies from offering self-cert mortgages. Liar loans died out as a result but in January this year, a lender called selfcert.co.uk launched - deliberately targeting UK-based borrowers who couldn't prove their income but felt they could afford a bigger mortgage than UK lenders were willing to give them. Lehman Brothers collapsed as a direct result of massive over-exposure to self-cert and sub-prime mortgages By basing themselves in the Czech Republic, selfcert.co.uk got around the rules that banned UK-based lenders from offering self-cert mortgages. Within the first 24 hours of launching it had seen 4,000 potential borrowers register interest, resulting in its systems crashing and the admission that it couldn't take any new applications. In three months it had lent the sum total of its funding of 30million. REGULATOR'S CHECKLIST If you are determined to take a loan from a lender outside of the UK's regulatory scope, the FCA has issued the following guidance. Ask for a copy of the mortgage terms and conditions. Ask for the contact details of the firms regulator. Find out how the firm will deal with borrowers who fall into arrears, plus details of fees and charges. Remember you will not be protected by UK regulation if things go wrong, and you could lose your home if you cannot afford your mortgage payments. The man behind it, Graeme Wingate, confirmed today that selfcert.co.uk isn't planning to offer any more mortgages but he is now in discussions with the UK regulator - the Financial Conduct Authority - to get permissions for Unemployed Loans to offer unsecured loans to unemployed borrowers in the UK. Wingate is also involved with a UK finance company called QuickLoans.co.uk which offers UK-based borrowers unsecured loans if they have 'bad credit'. Although he maintains that Unemployed Loans is not currently lending, the site would have you believe otherwise. It claims that it accepted 352 loans on Tuesday this week and paid out money in an average of 15 minutes. And while it appears only to offer self-certified loans up to 5,000 it does also vow to bring back self-cert mortgages. Wingate said: 'We want to launch Unemployed Loans in the UK for UK borrowers at some point later this year or early next year. 'We want to offer loans to borrowers who are turned away by most lenders - maybe they're retired or they've got a job interview and they know they're going to have an income in the future but they need a loan now. 'Although we expect the vast majority of applicants to be rejected, we're not imposing a blanket ban on the unemployed like there is now.' The website for the lender however pitches it slightly differently: '[We] provide funding to those that mainstream lenders don't want to touch.' It goes on to say: 'Regulatory bodies telling us who we can and can't lend to are always a concern. We will always challenge that in the interests of our customers.' FCA boss Andrew Bailey: Unemployed Loans has called regulatory bodies 'a concern' The Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates all UK-based lenders and which banned self-certification mortgages in the aftermath of the credit crunch, has issued a warning to consumers thinking about applying for a loan. A statement from the watchdog said: 'If you take out a mortgage offered from outside the UK under the Electronic Commerce Directive, you will lose important UK consumer protection benefits, such as the right to refer complaints to the UKs Financial Ombudsman Service and to be treated fairly when facing payment difficulties.' WHAT IS THE ELECTRONIC COMMERCE DIRECTIVE? This is essentially the loophole that allows companies based outside the UK to apply less stringent rules to financial services provision. That means that borrowers can take a loan in the UK but because the company is based outside Britain, if something goes wrong you'll have no-one to complain to and no consumer protection rights. Under the rules firms can only contact customers online, not by telephone or post. This means you will not be able to speak to the firm about your mortgage arrangements. Firms providing online services from an establishment in an European economic area state other than the UK under the ECD have to comply with the law of that state, rather than with UK regulatory law. If anything goes wrong, the responsibility is with the other EEA states authorities. Even if a regulated mortgage adviser in the UK recommends such a mortgage, you will not be able to get compensation from that adviser if it turns out you cannot afford the mortgage payments. This is because the adviser is not responsible for assessing affordability. But Unemployed Loans appears to scoff at this. The site says: 'There are a lot of lenders who are now so scared to take, because of tighter regulations, are scared to take [sic] a chance on certain borrowers. This means that there are a significant portion of the public that can not obtain finance. 'Giving the unemployed loans is tricky, but we are not going to exclude people because they don't currently have a job. There maybe hundreds of reasons why people without employment would benefit from a loan. The least we can do is listen to their reasons and make a informed decision.' The lender offers both single repayment loans up to six months and pay by installment loans over 12 months or longer. Typical rates for loans lasting fewer than 12 months start at 35.5 per cent APR with maximum borrowing capped at 1,500. Loans lasting over 12 months charge around 24.7 per cent APR with applicants able to borrow up to 5,000. For a typical 5,000 loan over three years at 35.5 per cent APR, monthly repayments would be 214 with the total repayable 7,717. David Hollingworth, of mortgage broker London & Country, said: 'There's very good reason why lenders don't offer credit to those that are unemployed. Attempting to circumvent UK mortgage regulation is not in the interests of consumers who would not be able to rely on the same protections that those borrowing through standard lenders in the UK will be afforded.' Andrew Montlake, of mortgage broker Coreco, added: 'The whole concept would be laughable if it wasnt so serious, but needless to say offering self-certified loans to people without a job is a recipe for unqualified disaster. Advertisement Theresa May decided on the last-minute delay on the 18billion nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point last night due to concerns over Chinese involvement in the deal, it was claimed today. The deal to build the new nuclear plant in Somerset was thrown into chaos after ministers ordered a fresh review hours after French energy giant EDF finally approved the project. It left dignitaries from the state-backed China General Nuclear, which has a 33 per cent stake in the deal, humiliated as they flew in from China to take part in celebrations planned for today. But they were left with nothing to celebrate as the champagne was put on ice and a VIP tent that was erected specially for the occasion at the Hinkley Point site in Somerset was left empty. EDF executives had been expecting the Government to sign a series of deals today to press ahead with Britain's first nuclear power station for a generation. The decision to order a further review in the early autumn stunned the energy industry. Greg Clark, the business and energy secretary said he needed until September to study the contract, which many experts have said is bad for British consumers. Labour suggested Mrs May had stepped in to delay the project because of concern over effectively giving the Chinese government significant involvement in the nuclear project. Mrs May's joint chief-of-staff Nick Timothy raised concerns over the involvement of Chinese state firms less than a year ago and some have suggested he could have influenced the decision to delay the project. Shadow Energy Secretary Barry Gardiner told the BBC this morning: 'The Chinese have come in for a third of the cost that is another thing the Government must review in the project. I believe Theresa May has probably pulled it back because of that very involvement.' Scroll down for video French firm EDF last night agreed to press ahead with Britain's first nuclear power station for a generation, despite a last-minute warning that the huge project was far too risky But sources have suggested the new Prime Minister Theresa May wants the deal carefully studied again before it is signed amid claims civil servants were held to ransom by the French company because they were so desperate to get the deal done. Mr Clark said last night: 'The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the Government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of that mix. The Government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn.' His announcement flew in the face of expectations in the City that Ministers would rubber stamp yesterday's historic decision by the board of French energy giant EDF to go ahead. Mr Gardiner described the situation as 'absolute chaos,' adding: 'The government has said for two years now they didn't need a plan B - I was calling for one two years ago. And now at a day's notice they cancelled the final signing agreement. 'I'm hoping what they will do is take this two or three month period to seriously review it. This is a project which is now eight years late. There is no guarantee it's going to be finished by 2025. The cost of it, not in terms of the construction but in terms of the cost to bill payers, has gone up from 6bn to 30bn'. 'The Chinese have come in for a third of the cost that is another thing the Government must review in the project. 'I believe Theresa May has probably pulled it back because of that very involvement.' NOTHING SINCE SIZEWELL B Britain led the way with the development of the nuclear energy industry in the 1950s, but has now lost its key role and British expertise has all but evaporated. The world's first full-scale nuclear power station, Calder Hall in Cumbria, opened in October 1956 but no plants have been built here since Sizewell B in 1995. During the 1970s, as Britain cut back on building, our contractors diversified. Privatisation in the 1980s was another blow as the Atomic Energy Authority, which had driven progress, was broken up. Tony Blair then delayed decisions on new plants wasting a decade. In 2006, British Nuclear Fuels Ltd sold leading manufacturer Westinghouse to Toshiba, losing yet more know-how. Advertisement Downing Street insiders downplayed the suggestion of a U-turn and insisted it was not a formal review of whether to go ahead with the scheme. But EDF officials pulled out of morning broadcast interviews after Mr Clark made his announcement suggesting they expected no delay. EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy told the BBC later on today: 'There is no comment to make. 'The statement made by Mr Clark is perfectly clear. I have no doubt about the support of the British government led by Mrs. May.' The Taxpayers' Alliance welcomed the rethink and said the Government should ditch the project in favour of cheaper alternatives. Alex Wild, research director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'It's encouraging that the government is rethinking this terrible deal that would see consumers paying exorbitant bills for decades. 'The technology is completely unproven and the costs and time needed to build the reactors has already doubled since the initial proposal. 'The new department needs to completely rethink the energy policies and arbitrary targets which are driving up bills and destroying jobs. Even if the government decides more nuclear is capacity is needed, there are far more affordable options available.' Earlier yesterday one of EDF's 18 board members quit just hours before the key vote on the project. Gerard Magnin, an environmentalist, warned it was much too expensive and could bankrupt EDF. Originally slated to cost 10billion, the Government claims Hinkley Point will now cost 18billion. But critics say the final price tag could be as much as 29billion. And, while it is now planned to start generating in 2025, this is several years later than originally promised. There are worries about the type of reactor being constructed at the site. Similar reactors being built in Finland and France are years overdue and many times over budget. The project is also controversial because the plant is, in effect, being built by foreign governments. EDF is 85 per cent owned by the French state, while one third of the cost is being provided by Chinese investors. The Government here was so keen to see the deal going ahead that it agreed to pay 92.50 per megawatt hour produced for 35 years double the going rate. EDF hopes to have more than 2,500 workers on site by next year. The project, which will take 70million tons of concrete to build, will provide about 7 per cent of Britain's electricity enough to power 6million homes. Mr Magnin's resignation follows that of EDF's chief financial officer Thomas Piquemal in March, who warned that the way the project was being fast-tracked was unsustainable. Before the vote, Mr Magnin said the Hinkley Point project was 'very risky' financially, echoing the criticism of French unions which say the project is too big for EDF and jeopardises the survival of the company. EDF has net debt of more than 37billion euros. THE VAST COSTS THAT JUST DON'T ADD UP George Osbornes deal was said to have been doomed from the start. Here are the reasons why: In 2012 the Government promised EDF 92.50 per megawatt hour. This is promised for 35 years from 2025, index-linked, which experts warn could add over a billion a year to energy bills If the project is delayed, Britain still has to pay the premium price The rate is now nearly triple the average wholesale cost of electricity, because of cheaper oil, gas and renewable energy prices If the market price of electricity falls below this level, the Government has in effect said it will make sure EDF receives the difference between the two which could amount to billions The deal contains a poison pill which could leave taxpayers with a 22billion bill if a future UK government closed the plant before 2060 Britain is committed to pay subsidies of up to about 40billion in real terms and provide guarantees on nuclear waste disposal and insurance A loan guarantee means if the plant defaults, the Government will repay the first 10billion to investors Advertisement In his resignation letter to Jean-Bernard Levy, the chief executive of EDF, Mr Magnin said he was disappointed that the company was moving more and more towards nuclear energy. He also raised the possibility that the project could force EDF to go bankrupt, raising the prospect of the French government having to step in to rescue it, as it has with another nuclear firm, Areva, earlier this year. 'Let's hope that Hinkley Point will not drag EDF into the same abyss as Areva,' said Mr Magnin. Mycle Schneider, a former French government adviser on nuclear energy, said: 'There is now a large front inside EDF, inside the nuclear establishment in France, advising against the construction because the sheer size of it could not only put EDF at risk, but the whole state finances too.' Nick Butler, a professor of public policy at King's College London, said: 'The price of every other form of energy is falling. That includes gas, which is plentiful, and wind and solar.' Looming crisis has made us take a gamble on France By Ross Clark ADVANTAGES We need a new power station because Britain faces an acute energy shortage. In January the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said doing nothing would leave a 40 per cent gap between demand and supply by 2025. This is largely down to the closure of coal-fired stations, which generate around a quarter the country's electricity but which the Government has committed to phase out by 2025 to meet CO2 emission targets. Many of the country's 15 existing nuclear power stations are also reaching the end of their lives. Nuclear power works. In France, for example, 58 reactors generate 75 per cent of the country's electricity needs and household bills are among the lowest in Europe We can't rely on wind and solar power because they only produce energy when it's windy or sunny. Maximum energy demand in Britain tends to occur on cold, still nights, when output from wind and solar farms is virtually zero. It's too expensive to store electricity so we need a constant, reliable source. Nuclear power works. In France, for example, 58 reactors generate 75 per cent of the country's electricity needs and household bills are among the lowest in Europe DISADVANTAGES Hinkley C is an unproven kind of nuclear reactor called a European Pressurised Reactor. In theory, it's more efficient and produces less radioactive waste but we don't know whether it will work at all, as no EPRs are yet commercially operational. EDF the French state electricity company building Hinkley Point has two other EPRs under construction, both late and wildly over budget. One, at Flamanville in Normandy, was started in 2007 and due to be finished in 2012. Its budget has trebled from 3.3billion euros (2.8billion) to 10.5billion euros and it won't be ready until 2018. A plant at Olkiluoto in Finland is three times over budget and a decade behind schedule. The budget for Hinkley Point is 18billion but if it over-runs as much as EDF's other two similar nuclear projects, it could reach 50billion or half the annual NHS budget. The phenomenal cost will make Hinkley Point electricity the most expensive in the world. In 2013 the coalition government guaranteed EDF a price of 92.50 per MWh produced by the new power station, rising with inflation for 35 years. It was twice the wholesale cost of electricity then and ever since, with the crash in oil and gas markets, prices have fallen. This means customers will have to fork out far more for electricity than they should do for decades to come. It would be cheaper to lay extra cables under the Channel and buy direct from France. UK power firms already buy some energy in this way, paying 38 per MWh. Not everyone in EDF itself is convinced by the project. There have now been two resignations from the board. The deal gives a French state-owned company a huge hold over British energy policy. Even worse, a third of the estimated 18billion cost is being raised by Chinese investors giving them unprecedented involvement in a strategic national asset. The technology is unproven, begging the question whether it is right to put so many eggs in one basket. Hinkley is designed to generate 7 per cent of Britain's electricity an awful lot of capacity to lose if it had to be closed for any reason. We could build smaller, off-the-shelf nuclear reactors. Sizewell B, finished in 1995, cost just over 2billion (3.5 billion adjusted for inflation) and came in under-budget. It generates a little less than half what Hinkley C is designed to generate, but even it would work out considerably cheaper. Sizewell B is a design we could build again. We could use a more efficient nuclear technology in the form of the APR1400, developed in South Korea, the first of which began generating commercially last winter. South Korea has won a contract to build four for the United Arab Emirates for around 15billion. For that they will get a total power output of 5.6GW compared with the 3.2GW from the 18billion Hinkley C. Because output is split between four reactors rather than the two at Hinkley C, it will mean less disruption if a reactor has to be shut down. Gas power stations, the cheapest way to generate electricity in Britain, are a proven technology and far less risky. They would offer a high level of energy security because we have generous reserves of shale gas. The problem is the Climate Change Act. Gas power stations spew out only half as much carbon as coal ones, but that is still too much to enable Britain to reach its self-imposed, unilateral target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent on 1990 levels by 2050. Assam's districts continued to bear the brunt of the deluge as 5 more were killed in different parts of the state, taking the death toll to 20. By Manogya Loiwal : Assam's districts continued to bear the brunt of the deluge as 5 more were killed in different parts of the state, taking the death toll to 20. Three people were killed in the floods, one in Barpeta district, one from Gogamukh village in Dhemaji district and one death was reported from Kokrajhar. The second wave of the Assam floods have wreaked great havoc in the state, with a total of 22 districts being affected severely. advertisement NO RESPITE With no signs of the flood waters receding, the number of flood-hit districts rose from 18 to 22 in the past two days. Over 18 lakh people have been affected so far in the floods and more than 2 lakh people have been taken to 500 relief camps that have been set up in the districts. Croplands of over 2.13 lakh hectare have been damaged. CM Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday took a tour to assess the situation of the Majuli river island in Jorhat, which is in the Brahmaputra river and also is his constituency. At the directive of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the Water Resources Department has suspended four officials for exhibiting gross negligence of duty during the current wave of flood in Majuli. The district has been one of the worst-hit areas in the state. AERIAL SURVEY BY CM Sonowal took stock of the situation and also reviewed the rescue and operations going on. The Chief Minister also undertook an aerial survey of Nagaon, Morigaon, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts and instructed the officials accordingly to take the necessary steps to help salvage the situation. The officials of the water resources department have been asked to repair the breached embankments and to take preventive measures against those which are in danger of being damaged. Lakhs displaced, rhinos killed: Move over Gurgaon, it's the Assam floods that really need our attention He was accompanied by water resources minister Keshab Mahanta and rural development minister Naba Kumar Doley. The other state ministers also visited the affected areas and reviwed the rescue operations. The National Disaster Relief Force(NDRF)'s teams with deep divers, life boats and other life-saving aids have been keeping a close watch in the affected areas. A mobile medical centre has also been set up in the Mjauli area for the villagers. RIVER BRAHMAPUTRA FLOWING ABOVE DANGER MARK The recent reports from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that the Brahmaputra flowed above the danger level in parts of Guwahati, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Goalpara and Dhubri, while its tributaries Buridihing, Subansiri, Desang, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, Puthimari, Beki and Sankosh are also overflowing. advertisement Some of the worst-affected districts are Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Goalpara, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon and Sonitpur. Also read: Union Home Minister to visit Assam on Saturday to assess flood situation --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Services at around 80,000 bank branches in the country were hit today as employees of public sector banks went on one-day strike to protest the proposed merger of SBI associates with the parent and other issues. However, in a relief to bank customers, all the banks, including private sector lenders which were not part of the strike today, would be working full day tomorrow. The United Forum of Banks Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine bank employees and officers unions representing 8 lakh staffers struck work affecting services like cheque clearances, cash deposit and withdrawals at branches and other facilities. advertisement Commenting on the strike, SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said the bank would take on board all the stakeholders. "People have to understand that the change is inevitable. There have been strike at many occasions but we have to educate them and take them on board," she said. SBI has proposed merger of its five associate banks with itself to create a banking behemoth in the country. According to All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C H Venkatachalam, normal operations at branches across all PSU banks were affected because strike was thrust upon as management and the government was not willing to understand unions point of view. "The conciliation meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner on July 26 did not yield any positive results," he added. "The unions were ready for meaningful discussion, but the government only tried to justify their present policy decision on banking reforms and hence, there was no meeting point," he explained. Ashwani Rana, Vice-President of the National Organisation of Bank Workers, another affiliate of UFBU, said banks will work as usual on Saturday. Unions are protesting against FDI in banking sector and other demands such as no privatisation of public sector banks, he added. Earlier, industry body Assocham had estimated that the strike would hit transactions worth Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore. PTI DP MR --- ENDS --- Nearly 10 lakh employees of private and nationalised banks protested against the policies of Central government, crippling the functioning of banks across India. The unions in the banking sector,earlier this month, had given the strike call protesting against the merger of the five associate banks of the State Bank of India (SBI) with the parent and the privatisation of IDBI Bank. Photo: Reuters By Indo-Asian News Service: Banking operations across the country were hit on Friday as around 10 lakh employees of private and nationalised banks struck work for a day to protest against central government's policies for the sector. "The strike has evoked a good response nationwide as around ten lakh have participated in it. Most of the nationalised banks are closed," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), told IANS in Chennai. advertisement Echoing this, K. Phamaraiselvan, General Secretary of Andhra Bank Employees Union (Tamil Nadu unit) said: "The banking operations have been paralysed nationwide." Earlier this month, major bank unions deferred a two-day strike call for July 12 and 13 following a restraint order by the Delhi High Court. The unions in the banking sector had given the strike call protesting against the merger of the five associate banks of the State Bank of India (SBI) with the parent and the privatisation of IDBI Bank. --- ENDS --- One of the key provisions in the Bill is that if a person is found possessing or consuming liquor at his house, all the other members of the house who are above the age of 18 will be arrested and sent to jail. By Rohit Kumar Singh: Bihar government is all set to introduce on Monday, the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in order to make the existing law more stringent. Bihar government in March this year had passed the new Excise policy following which prohibition was imposed in the state from 1st April onwards. However, there were few lacunae which were found in the last four months which prompted the government to further strengthen the law. In order to make the law stronger, new provisions have been incorporated in the new Bill. The Excise Policy of 1915 is also being repealed. India Today is in exclusive possession of the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2016 where there are some contentious provisions incorporated. One of the key provisions in the amendment Bill is that if a person is found possessing or consuming liquor at his house, all the other members of the house who are above the age of 18 will be arrested and sent to jail. advertisement RESENTMENT OVER THE BILL Now there is massive resentment being seen over the inclusion of this contentious provision in the new Bill to the extent that even the Bihar Excise Minister Abdul Zalil Mastan whose department drafted the entire amendment Bill believes that some of the provisions are wrong. In fact the Bihar cabinet last Tuesday had passed the draft Bill. The admission by the Excise Minister comes as a major embarrassment to Nitish Kumar who is trying hard to give more teeth to the existing law. "I am not in agreement with the provision that one person commits crime and the entire adult members of the family go to jail. Why should others go to jail?" said Mastan. The alliance partner in the Mahagathbandhan government, Congress, too has maintained that the amendments being brought in Excise law was impractical. "Sending all the family members of the house to jail does not look practical," said Congress MLA Ajit Sharma. DEPUTY CM BACKS NITISH However, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav stood firmly behind Nitish Kumar's decision to bring a stricter and stronger law to impose prohibition in state. He too advocated sending all adult members of the house to jail if any person was found possessing or consuming liquor. "We are trying to implement the prohibition law in stricter form. Those who are above 18 years will have to face the law according to new law that will come," said Tejaswi Yadav. The Opposition BJP accused the government of bringing in law which was anti-people and would only lead to harassment of the people of the state. BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav announced his party's displeasure with the Bill when tabled in the Assembly. BJP SLAMS NEW LAW, CALLS IT ANTI-PEOPLE Nand Kishore said, "The new Excise Policy has many flaws. This new law is anti-people and the government is bringing this to torture the people of Bihar. We will oppose the Bill when tabled in Assembly". But, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar made a firm announcement that he has decided to impose prohibition in the state in a strong manner and therefore laws are being made in accordance. Nitish hoped that legislators of RJD and Congress who have reservation over the amendment will support the government in passing the Bill. "I don't think any MLA has to revolt against the new Excise law. May be they have some confusion over the amendments. I firmly believe that those MLA who have confusion will also support the new Excise Policy. Once I have decided to impose prohibition, laws in accordance are being formulated," said Nitish Kumar. advertisement Also read: Prohibition has failed to check crime in Bihar, says Sushil Modi Bihar a dry state from today, declares CM Nitish Kumar --- ENDS --- Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Patrick Donachie Community members gathered in the basement of Calvary Baptist Church in Jamaica Tuesday night for a town hall meeting hosted by Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) about the NYPDs proposed pilot program for equipping officers with body cameras. NYPD representatives said the cameras could act as a deterrent for police misconduct, but some in the community stressed that retraining cops and prosecuting officers who commit crimes were more important. We hope these cameras have a civilizing factor, said Nancy Hoppock, the assistant deputy commissioner for the NYPDs Risk Management Bureau. Everyones watching and everyone knows theyre being watched, so maybe (misconduct) doesnt happen. The program would include 1,000 officers in 20 different precincts and was mandated in a 2013 federal court ruling that found the departments stop-and-frisk policy unconstitutional. Officers would have to turn the cameras on during any instance in which the officer is engaging in investigative activity, including use of force, arrests, summons, searches, stop-and-frisk situations and prisoner transportation. During the town hall, attendees were given a questionnaire about their opinions of body cameras and the NYPD. Speakers expressed distrust about how the collected footage might be used and the discretion officers have in turning on the camera. According to the policy draft, officers have discretion as to whether or not a situation requires turning the cameras on. One audience member suggested that officers should have to keep the cameras on throughout the working day. The cost of keeping 36,000 cameras on 24/7 could bankrupt us, Hoppock said. Andrew Simpson, the youth director at the church, said videos from officer-involved shootings that were made public in the past had not stopped such incidents from occurring. We can produce our own videos, and they have been produced so many times, but it doesnt make a difference, he said. Who do these cameras really protect? Another speaker questioned how the NYPD could police its own members even with the benefit of body cameras, and suggested that the Public Advocates office and the Civilian Complaint Review Board be allowed to provide stronger oversight. It behooves me that the Police Department would start the body camera process under its own roof, the speaker said. We dont need cameras. What we do need is prosecutions. According to Hoppock, officers would not be able to alter or delete any footage. A sheet synopsizing the policy draft stipulates that officers are encouraged but not required to tell people when they are recording, but they do not need their permission to record. Hoppock stressed that the policy was in draft form and could change depending on the input from the surveys. According to the draft policy, in a high-profile incident like an officer-involved shooting, the NYPD will work with the attorney general or district attorney to decide whether it is possible to make the video public without harming a criminal investigation or interfering with a persons right to a fair trial. Wills said the surveys would be available at police precincts in southeast Queens by the end of the week and they were hoping to get paper copies available in other areas. People can fill the survey out online at www.nypdb odyca meras.org , where they can read the draft of the policy. Wills said that he hoped the cameras would help calm tensions, but also encouraged the community to stay involved. Were not saying to get rid of your cell phones, he said. Use your cell phones. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Bill Parry A man who opened fire on two police officers in Jackson Heights in 2011 was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison Tuesday. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Antonio Olmeda, 57, of Manhattan, pleaded guilty earlier this month to the attempted murder of the two cops. Olmeda was wearing a fake beard, a black trench coat, eyeglasses and a fedora near 37-55 76th St. on Dec. 2, 2011 at 3:45 p.m. when uniformed Police Officers Stephen Danisi and Matthew Ferrara, who were on foot patrol, were approached by a civilian who alerted them to a suspicious man. The officers approached and began asking questions, according to the charges. Olmeda refused to take his hands out of his pockets and Danisi placed his hands on the defendants shoulders in order to restrain him. According to the criminal complaint filed by the Queens DAs office, Olmeda then pulled out a gun and the officers took cover. The defendant fired three shots at the officers and fled the scene. The officers, who were not hit, pursued Olmeda and found the fake beard, eyeglasses and hat he was wearing on the sidewalk at 77th Street and Roosevelt Avenue. They were submitted for DNA testing and came back as a match for Olmeda, who had a DNA sample on file in the New York State DNA Index System. Olmeda was arrested on Dec. 19, 2011, on East 16th Street in Manhattan, while sitting in an automobile. A .38 caliber revolver with two live rounds of ammunition was found in the vehicle, along with three spent .38 caliber shell casings. On July 12, Olmeda pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree attempted murder before Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth C, Holder, who sentenced the defendant to 20 years to life Tuesday. This case underscores the real dangers that police officers face every day on the job, Brown said. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Mark Hallum Second-hand goods do not generally come to mind at the mention of the Department of Sanitation. But the city agency recently announced the launch of donateNYC, an online medium for New Yorkers to give and find goods as well as reduce the amount of garbage which ends up in landfills. The donateNYC website and app make it easy for residents to search by material and location for the things they need. It even operates on a larger scale. For city non-profits in need of goods, they can search donateNYC, and businesses can participate by donating to the program. Non-profits, including thrift stores, clothing banks, social service providers, creative arts programs and community-based reuse programs, can partner with donateNYC. Each year New Yorkers throw out nearly six million tons of waste. However, much of what is thrown away can actually be used again, Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said. By donating and reusing goods instead of discarding them, New Yorkers can greatly reduce waste and conserve energy, resources and money. DonateNYC will help us reach our goal of sending zero waste to landfills by 2030, a target included in Mayor de Blasios OneNYC plan. Formerly known as PlanNYC, OneNYC is a multi-faceted approach started in 2015 to make the city a more sustainable place to live over the next few decades through reduction of light pollution to flood mitigation and donations of reusable goods. As New York City contends with the challenge of combating climate change, PlanNYC has been an integral component in outlining our vision to become a truly sustainable city, said Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton), chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and co-chair of the OneNYC Advisory Board. Locally,southeast Queens residents will finally see long- and short-term mitigation measures in their neighborhoods to address flooding along with other expected courses of action to respond to concerns in low-and middle-income neighborhoods. According to Sanitation, donateNYC will reduce the amount of waste which goes to landfills in quantifiable ways so the city can assess progress toward its 2030 goal. In 2015, a similar program known as ReuseNYC diverted 40 million pounds of material from landfills to non-profit partners to the program. This also led to a reduction in 60,000 tons of carbon emissions. Partner organizations served more than 1.3 million New Yorkers through family services, housing and sheltering, health care, workforce development and food bank programs. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Commissioner Bill Brattons decision to close the second chapter on his New York City tour as head of the nations largest police force doesnt come as a surprise. But it creates a vacuum at a point when Queens and the rest of the city are grappling with a racial divide between the police and the community as well as the threat of terrorism. Bratton has kept the lid on simmering tensions, which could have exploded on several occasions. A tough cop who earned his stripes as the top crime buster in the country, he faced the black communitys rage over the Eric Garner killing as he made a strong case that the public should still respect the police. Confronted by dissension in the NYPD ranks over Mayor Bill de Blasios views on policing, Bratton reprimanded his forces when they turned their backs on the mayor at a funeral for one of the two NYPD officers assassinated in Brooklyn in December 2014. Bratton has been a master of the balancing act, overhauling department practices after a federal judge ruled against the wide use of stop-and-risk, which reached record levels in southeast Queens and Jackson Heights. He has tried to build better bridges with the Muslim community and stood solidly behind the members of his department in the public debate over police tactics. Crime has plummeted across the city under his command since he was tapped by de Blasio in 2014. But the city was a far meaner place back in 1990 when he was named head of the citys transit police. Homicides peaked at 2,245 that year. He beat back crime and by the time Bratton took over the NYPD from 1994-1996, murders had fallen below the 1,000 mark. He resigned after clashing with law-and-order Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Despite hitting these milestones, Bratton has taken on his toughest assignment in trying to reshape the relationship between the police and the community. His neighborhood policing approach, which puts officers on the ground in high-crime areas, has paid off in the 113th Precinct in South Jamaica, which led the city with a 15 percent drop in felonies in 2015. But minorities throughout the city still have a deep-seated distrust of the police. A 45-year veteran, he has new challenges on top of his recent role as a reformer: the threat of reprisals against his officers in the aftermath of police shootings across the country, global terrorism and corruption within his department. Bratton has kept the city safe despite daunting odds. We wonder what the next chapter will be after he leaves in 2017. A run perhaps for mayor unless hes had too much of the city. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Gina Martinez FLUSHING A Flushing man has been charged with sexual assault and robbery of a 12-year-old after an attack in Bowne Park last week, the Queens district attorney said. The suspect has been identified as Soloman Hudgins, 24, of Flushing, the DA said. He is awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on charges of sexual abuse, robbery and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the district attorneys office. Hudgins faces up to seven year in prison if convicted. The attack took place at the intersection of Bowne Street and Sanford Avenue in front of the Bowne Park playground early on the morning of July 20. The victim was waiting for friends when she was allegedly jumped from behind by Hudgins and pulled down to ground. She tried to call for help, but Hudgins pulled at her clothes, opened her shorts and sexually abused her, according to Queens DA Richard Brown. The victim also tried to use her phone to call for help, but Hudgins allegedly took her phone. He also is charged with pulling off her shoes and taking two packs of cigarettes and a lighter from the victim before leaving the park, prosecutors said. During the struggle Hudgins dropped his wallet, which contained his ID and was brought to police by the victim, the DA said. No person, young or old, male or female, should have to worry about fending off a sexual attack on the streets of our city at any time of the day or night, Brown said. The offenses of which the defendant has been charged are crimes of violence that pose a serious threat to public safety and which warrant vigorous prosecution. Another attack took place in Bowne Park. On July 14 at around 8 p.m., an unidentified male approached an 8-year-old who was with his mother, NYPD said. The man allegedly picked the child up while grabbing and squeezing his chest, according to police. The man is described as Chinese with black hair. He speaks fluent Mandarin. He was accompanied by a female toddler. The police were searching for the man for endangering the welfare of a child. Anyone with information can call NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Patrick Donachie Jamaica Hospital Medical Center will entirely renovate its hospice care unit, including the construction of a new center that will provide compassionate and comprehensive end-of-life care for patients. As a community-based hospital, we have made a commitment to provide the highest quality hospice care services to all those who need it, Jamaica Hospital President and CEO Bruce J. Flanz said about the renovations. The hospital has supplied inpatient hospice care treatment since 2010, but the development of the Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care will reconfigure the environment for patients and family members. The new development will include family meetings rooms and a lounge that will offer visitors an opportunity to decompress from the situations they are facing. Every detail from the lighting to the tranquil artwork will be carefully considered to offer our patients and families a sense of peace, Dr. Alan Roth, the chairman of Family Medicine and Palliative Care, said about the new design. As hospice professionals, we understand how important a comfortable environment is during what can be a difficult time. Jamaica Hospital is hoping to raise $1 million for the new center with a capital fund-raising program, and the hospital administration said that many supporters had contributed by purchasing memorial plaques and naming opportunities. The hospital recently held a bake sale to raise funds for the project. The new hospice care center is scheduled to begin construction this fall, according to a statement from the hospital announcing the new unit. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Patrick Donachie A New York State appellate court ruled it would not set a primary date for two Republicans in a race to succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Melville), whose district covers part of Queens, and the case may be heading for federal court. Fraud investigator Philip Pidot filed a suit in state court arguing that he had gathered enough signatures to face off against state Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) in a primary race to see who would face Democratic candidate Tom Suozzi in the general election. The 3rd Congressional District seat, which includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties, Bay Terrace, Whitestone, Glen Oaks and Floral Park. The Appellate Court affirmed the State Supreme Courts late June decision that it was too late to include Pidot on a June 28 ballot against Martins and also ruled against setting a new primary date. Pidots campaign released a statement saying that the court had affirmed that the campaign had acquired enough signatures to qualify for a ballot and said that it was likely that federal court would need to make the final decision on a new primary date. Pidot said he would file in federal court, hoping that a decision there would mandate a primary date. We expect that primary election to occur later this summer, Pidot said in a statement. In a recent interview with the TimesLedger, Martins said he did not expect a primary election and criticized Pidot for not following the regulations set by the state Board of Elections for becoming a candidate. The rules are very simple, but somehow thinking everyone should change their rules to accommodate you is a rather poor message to send to the public at large, Martins said. The district magistrate refused to call the flood situation in Gopalganj a crisis and instead asserted that it was mere water logging. District Magistrate of Gopalganj, Rahul Kumar on Thursday visited the affected villages to take stock of the situation. By Rohit Kumar Singh: As the flood situation in Bihar continues to remain grim, District Magistrate (DM) of Gopalganj, Rahul Kumar on Thursday visited the affected villages to take stock of the situation and oversee relief and rescue work in the flood-hit areas. At present, 6 out of 14 blocks in Gopalganj are reeling under severe flood conditions. With the water level rising in Gandak river and flood water entering several villages in the low lying areas, more than one lakh people have been displaced. advertisement District magistrate on Thursday visited the Kuchaya Kot block along with the NDRF team. Speaking exclusively to India Today Television, the DM maintained that Nepal discharged 2.5 lac cusec of water into the Gandak river. On Tuesday, Nepal discharged 3.5 lac cusec of water, prompting the Bihar government to issue an alert in the district. Surprisingly, the DM refused to call the flood situation a crisis and instead asserted that it was mere water logging. "Problem in Kuchay Kot, Gopalganj Sadar and Baikunthpur block is mainly that of water logging. The Gandak river is overflowing," Rahul Kumar said. Kumar said that the district administration was, however, carrying relief work to evacuate people and shifting them to relief camps. "We are distributing dry food packets and are requesting people to go to relief camps," the DM said. The DM also dismissed complaints of affected people that there were no government boats to help victims reach to safer areas. "More than 100 private and government boats are pressed into action to evacuate people," Rahul Kumar said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected districts of Gopalganj, East Champaran, West Champaran, and Muzaffarpur. Earlier during the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected districts of Gopalganj, East Champaran, West Champaran, and Muzaffarpur. Nitish held meetings with the district magistrates and police superintendents of Purnia, Kishanganj, Bhagalpur, Katihar and Araria to review the flood situation and ordered relief work in the affected areas. Also read: Nitish Kumar conducts aerial survey of flooded areas in Bihar --- ENDS --- by Calvin Prashad Unsurprisingly, immigration is a flashpoint in this years presidential election, particularly with the Republican nominee Donald Trumps signature policy goals of border walls and sweeping country and religious-specific bans on immigration. The partys rhetoric has waffled paradoxically between accusing immigrants of not working and living off social services, but also working and taking jobs from Americans. Yet a cursory read of both parties platforms indicate their positions have much in common, particularly focusing on law-abiding immigration, facilitating paths to citizenship by cutting bureaucratic red tape and embracing Americas historic role as a refuge. The Republican platform is still arguably the strictest platform on immigration in recent history, striking a hard line against amnesties, guest worker programs and protections from deportation. Yet, the first few lines of the platforms preamble tout the United States as exception for its historic role as a refuge, while affirming in several places the inalienable rights of people, including political and economic freedom. Notably, the preamble does not mention immigration at all, instead referring vaguely to border security and charging President Obama with refusing to enforce laws he doesnt like. Despite its outsized role in the election, immigration policy is just a page in the over 50-page document. The Republican platform affirms in a number of places the value immigrants add to the country and their necessity for the United States to continue to compete as a world power. Such an admission is anathema to Trumps candidacy, which seems determined to ride anti-immigrant sentiment to the presidency. Yet, the vaunted border wall, the cornerstone of the Trump candidacy, is an afterthought, a measly 40 words in the platform. It simply states, We support building a wall along our southern border and protecting all ports of entry, which must stop both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The border fence built during the Bush administration proved too onerous, even while covering just under a third of the U.S.-Mexican border. The platform contains no language on the walls timetable or implementation. The platform immediately pivots to actual policy, such as expansion of e-verify, revoking federal funding from sanctuary cities and a reform of the guest worker program. The Democratic platform mirrors the Republicans in describing the role of immigrants to the United States. However, it goes into significant policy detail about the broken immigration system, including support for the Dream Act and calling for an end to deportation raids, calling such practices inconsistent with our values and inhumane. The Obama administration has deported more immigrants than any other in history. Immigration activists have protested that the charges against these deportees are intentionally excessive to justify deportations. The platforms differ in notions of granting asylum for refugees. The Democrats favor an expansive system to represent and vet refugees fleeing violence not only in the Middle East, but also in Central America. The Republicans, on the other hand, demand high level vetting from the FBI to approve asylum requests and have then pointed to the onerous burden to do so as indicative of why refugees should not be admitted. Yet, despite the rhetoric, the Republican platform includes language that indicates support for Puerto Rican statehood and the further expansion of constitutional rights to residents of U.S. territories, including Guam, American Samoa and the American Virgin Islands. However, the platform rejects statehood for the District of Columbia, Democrats and Republicans, in theory, think of immigrants in the same waysvaluable to the nation and their inclusion part of our national identity. They differ in how to regulate immigration, which is to be expected and grounds for bipartisan compromise. Those voting this November with hopes of building walls and banning immigration will find that the GOP party establishment has no plans to do so. Hillary Clinton on Thursday claimed her place in history as the first woman presidential nominee of a major US party, promising economic opportunity for all and rejecting Donald Trump\s dark vision of America. Pledging to be a president for "all Americans," the former secretary of state received thunderous cheers from thousands of delegates in the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia where she called for unity in a nation at a "state of reckoning." Clinton repeated the convention\s theme of "stronger together," declaring that her lifelong goal has been to ensure that Americans can use their talent and ambition to strengthen the nation. "And so it is with humility, determination, and boundless confidence in America\s promise, that I accept your nomination for president of the United States," she said, as her president husband Bill and their daughter Chelsea looked on. While she soaked in the historic nature of her accomplishment, the 68-year-old Clinton spent much of the biggest speech of her career taking aim at her Republican opponent, slamming him as a fear-monger with no policy credibility. In an hour-long address, she laid out an optimistic plan to improve the US economy, stressing that "my primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages." Her efforts will focus particularly on places "that for too long have been left out and left behind, from our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country," she said. And in a bold admission for a candidate seeking to build on Obama\s policies, she said the economy "is not yet working the way it should." After a bruising primary campaign against Bernie Sanders, and as she savaged Trump, Clinton extended an olive branch of sorts to her skeptics and critics. "I will carry all of your voices and stories with me to the White House," she said. "I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, and independents," she added. "For the struggling, the striving and the successful. For those who vote for me and those who don\t. For all Americans." The four-day convention has been a parade of party heavyweights including President Barack Obama who stirringly hailing Clinton as his political heir and tweeted after her Thursday speech that "she\s tested. She\s ready. She never quits." Clinton spoke of the strains that have been placed on US society during the toxic year-long campaign featuring heated rhetoric from Trump and other candidates. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid," Clinton said. "We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have." Clinton also rejected much of the Trump rhetoric that has been a constant on the trail, while mocking him as a thin-skinned candidate who "loses his cool" at the slightest provocation. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," she said. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." There are now just 101 days until the election, and the pair will face off in their first presidential debate in late September. Clinton faces a major trust deficit among a US public that has known her for the past quarter century. Rocked by a series of scandals, she is now about as unpopular with voters as her Republican rival. Her remarks signalled a plan to focus attention on down-and-out communities that have felt ignored by the slow and erratic recovery from the Great Recession. Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine will seek to carry her momentum straight onto the campaign trail Friday, taking a three-day bus tour into Rust Belt communities in swing states Pennsylvania and Ohio. Helping Clinton with her task of appearing as the steady hand at the tiller were retired US military generals, Republicans furious over the rise of Trump, and in one of the night\s most poignant moments, a Muslim father with "undivided loyalty" to America and whose son was killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq. "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you have you even read the United States Constitution?" Khizr Khan said, brandishing a copy to loud cheers. "You have sacrificed nothing, and no one!" Clinton also sought to portray Trump as deeply ignorant on foreign policy, mocking him for saying he knew more about the Islamic State group than US generals. "No, Donald, you don\t," she sneared. While Clinton must play to the party\s base and seek to soothe bruised Sanders supporters a key mission was to appeal to crossover voters and independents wary of Trump. In a moment designed to appeal to more conservative Americans, Clinton forcefully said: "I\m not here to take away your guns." And she expressed strong support for the US military, offering a shout out to Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence, whose son serves in the US Marines, and to Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war who Trump said was not a hero. But she spent considerable energy berating her November election rival, saying no Americans should trust a candidate who pledges that "I alone can fix it," as Trump said last week in Cleveland. "Here\s the sad truth. There is no other Donald Trump. This is it." SOURCE: AFP These real PA creatures could become cryptids if we don't save them environment Off-duty Swedish police officer Mikaela Kellner was forced to pin down a pickpocket being clad in nothing more than a bikini. By India Today Web Desk: Swedish police officer Mikaela Kellner was off duty and wearing a bikini but that didn't stop her from pinning down a suspected thief. Kellner, an officer with the Stockholm Police Department for 11 years, was sunbathing in a Stockholm park with her three friends when a a homeless man selling newspapers approached them, she told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. advertisement After he left, one friend noticed her phone was missing. Kellner and a fellow police officer ran after the pickpocket and pinned him down."If I had been naked I would have intervened as well," she said. A photo of Kellner pinning the suspect to the ground was trending on social media in Sweden this week. Now, that's what we call dedication! En stackars hemls kille som man kan tro frsker gra rtt fr sig. Han sljer tidningar istllet fr att tjuva!! Nr vi avbjer att kpa hans tidningar passar han p att stjla min kompis mobiltelefon!! Vldigt skickligt av honom d han smyger ner sina tidningar ver mobilen och fr sedan med sig den med ltthet!! Osis fr denna kille att han rkade sno av tv poliser????????!! Mitt frsta ingripande ikldd bikini under mina 11 r som polis!! Ganska kul och trivsamt mste jag sga ??????! Se upp fr ficktjuvar, hll koll p era vrdesaker!! A photo posted by mikaelakellner (@mikaelakellner) on Jul 27, 2016 at 7:18am PDT --- ENDS --- TIMES RECORD NEWS FILE Vintage china is set out in the dining room of the 1909 Kell House Museum in this file photograph. Antiques appraisers will be at Midwestern State University's Wichita Falls Museum of Art Aug. 6 for the Antiques Roundup. Six specialists from auction house Heritage Auctions of Dallas will be there to appraise that old china, watch, lamp or other heirloom you may have laying around. SHARE By Richard Cater, Special to the Times Record News Everyone owns something they want to know more about, whether it's a family heirloom, a garage-sale find or a unique something from their childhood. The Internet can help your search some, but there's so much to know about a rare old item, including when it was made, who made it, how many were made, and what the market value is. Is it a limited-edition or even a one-of-a-kind item? Where would be the best place to sell your item? You need well-connected experts who know the value of collectibles and own numerous collections experts who could answer questions like these. That's the idea behind the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University's Antiques Roundup from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 6. Six specialists from auction house Heritage Auctions in Dallas, each with specific expertise and considerable general knowledge, will be there to tell people about the objects they bring to the museum. Guests may bring one item for $25, two for $40 or three for $60. "We have lots of requests from people to appraise their objects," Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Director Francine Carraro said. "The museum is not authorized to do that, and I don't have the expertise." The museum brought in the Antiques Round Up in 2014. More than 300 people came in with antiques, collectibles and rare items. "There was a constant flow and no need to wait too long," she said. For 2016, specialists will attend in the following categories: Texas and Western art, Atlee Phillips; decorative arts, Nathan Shults; American, European and contemporary art, Ariana Heartsick; jewelry and timepieces, Jessica Dubrock; arms and armor, Jason Watson; and decorative arts and Native American art generalist, Meredith Meuwly. The appraisers are all networked, so people may bring in objects outside of these categories. Attendees brought in a number of esoteric objects in 2014, Carraro said, and specialists were able to go online with colleagues and give guests a fast response. "We have a lot of resources at our fingertips," Heritage Auctions public relations associate Eric Bradley said. "They are career students of precious objects. They know the business, the items, and they spend time with the person." Carraro said at the last event, someone brought in some late 19th, early 20th century European paintings that made the appraiser's eyes light up. "I think eventually the owners of the work contracted with Heritage to have them sold at auction." She said there were also some extremely rare Native American artifacts that had a very high value because they had survived for so long. The owners did not choose to sell them but were happy to have some idea of the value. Guests also can arrange for a formal appraisal of their object at a separate date, usually in Dallas. The owner would contact the specialist to do the appraisal (usually for insurance purposes) at a separate fee. Bradley said five Heritage Auction offices exist in the U.S. (and others in Europe and Asia), and specialists travel across the country to help people learn about their fine art, antiques and collectibles. "We offer them the opportunity to work with our specialists to develop a history of the piece, a date and its value on the market. We also talk about current market conditions," he said. Proceeds from the Antiques Round Up event benefit the museum. "It's fun for us and a unique fundraising project," Carraro said. "Everyone is pleased because they learn about their objects and, in some cases, they are delighted that they're worth a lot more than they thought. "Even if they're disappointed that they can't retire from selling their object," she said, "they still get a sense of the monetary value and a larger sense of its cultural value and possible value to their family." USA TODAY NETWORK ARCHIVES The Downtown Farmers Market and the Charlie-Thornberry farmers will celebrate the summertime melon harvest with the annual Watermelon Festival Saturday. SHARE USA TODAY NETWORK ARCHIVES Get ready for free watermelon slices at Watermelon Fest Saturday at the Downtown Farmers Market. Besides free watermelon slices, visitors can join in the seed-spitting contest or smash a few melons. USA TODAY NETWORK ARCHIVES Times Record News file Chuck Mabry (right) cuts red and yellow watermelons at the Downtown Farmers Market. By Richard Carter, Special to the Times Record News It's farm-fresh watermelon time again, when Downtown Wichita Falls Development Inc. and the Charlie-Thornberry Farmers Market Association roll out the green gourds for Watermelon Fest at the Downtown Farmers Market. The most popular of the Farmers Market Saturdays, which also have included Peach and Black-Eyed Pea days, to name a couple, runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday. Board members of Downtown Wichita Falls Development Inc. will serve free watermelon slices provided by the Charlie-Thornberry group. Vendors also will sell fruits and vegetables and watermelon-themed items, such as scented candles. Irish folk-rock band FallsTown Saints will perform from 9-11 a.m., except during the seed-spitting contest, which kicks off at 10 a.m. The contest is for youth and adults. This is the fifth year for Watermelon Fest, which began after John Dickinson, who grew up on a farm in upper New York state, recalled similar events from his childhood. The nonprofit downtown group started the watermelon event after taking over management of the Downtown Farmers Market in 2012. The idea, said Executive Director Cynthia Laney, is to help promote those who sell fresh produce and vegetables there and to make the market a popular destination. "It's been an amazing success," Laney said. "In the beginning, we served 64 watermelons and last year, it was 80. We set up tables, slice the watermelons and then serve them to the public." The Charlie-Thornberry Farmers Market Association brings the watermelons and shares the cost with Downtown Wichita Falls Development Inc. The farms include Young's Orchard & Berry Farm, owned by Steve and Jan Young; Given Farms, helmed by Kandis and Eddie Givens; and Morath Orchard, owned by Jimmy and Becky Morath. For customers who want to buy farm-fresh watermelons tomorrow, it's probably a good idea to come a little early, said Jeanette Charos, marketing director for Downtown Wichita Falls Development Inc. "It's going to be one of those items everyone comes for," Charos said. The event's seed-spitting contest is very popular. Last year, the adults and the 13-and-younger entrants filled the 20-contestant limit quickly. Elise Woolf won the 13-and-younger category with a distance of 11 feet, while Jeff Guillroy won the adult section with a phenomenal blast of 32 feet and 9 inches, Charos said. "The little kids especially love to get out there and spit," Laney said with a laugh. The top three contestants in each category receive a medal with a watermelon logo on it. Also, festivalgoers can suit up for the veggie smash area and relieve some stress by obliterating a melon or two, or some squish-worthy vegetables, with a mallet. Laney is pleased with the initial reception to Watermelon Fest and the subsequent growth of the festival, as well as the ongoing development of the Downtown Farmers Market. "We have so many more vendors, and people are making it a regular stop for fruits and vegetables," Laney said. Watermelon Fest is fun for people of all ages, Charos said. "Watermelon is kind of a North Texas staple." Downtown Wichita Falls Development helps organize a number of Saturday morning events at the farmers market. The nonprofit group recently completed the restoration of the Zales building at Eighth and Ohio. The building has been listed with a broker. "We have had quite a bit of interest in the Zales building for new and expanding businesses," Laney said. "We are getting more and more into the community development of putting businesses into place and expanding the businesses that are already down here." The downtown group is involved in a "new, full-blown marketing program a unified plan for buildings, for businesses, for expansions and for recruitment. As that plan grows," Laney said, "we will look at other possible projects. "We want to be more involved with that kind of community development," she said. "The whole purpose of the Zales building renovations and preservation is so that we can get more into the recruitment and expansion of business for downtown." Here's what to know as the annual dove hunting season approaches SHARE Carr Hutchison By Times Record News Two people arrested Wednesday in connection with a suspected burglary operation have been named. Marene Dejuana Carr, 22, and Johnathon Thomas Hutchison, 23, are each facing one count of engaging in organized criminal activity burglary of a vehicle and two counts of abandoning or endangering a child. Bail was set at $7,500 for Carr and Huthison on the burglary charge, but no bail amount was set on the other charges as of Thursday afternoon. The Wichita County Sheriff's Office said a 15-year-old boy was also arrested but will not be named because he is a juvenile. According to the probable cause affidavits: Around 4 a.m. Wednesday, deputies were called to the 700 block of Wellington and Huntington lanes in reference to numerous burglaries of motor vehicles. They noticed two men and a woman lying in a barrow ditch when they got to the area, but the suspects fled on foot behind the residences. While searching the area, deputies located a grey alligator skin wallet with a military ID card belonging to a woman in the 700 block of Wellington Lane. The woman said someone broke into her vehicle. Deputies also located a 1991 blue and white Ford F-150 truck parked on the side of the road nearby. The truck appeared to have run out of gas and the key was in the ignition. The truck was registered to a man living in the Town and Country Mobile Home Park, but he told deputies he sold it to a former maintenance man who also lived at the park. Deputies knocked on the door of the new owner but received no answer. "Fearing that the owner could be inside the residence hurt or possibly dead" and the vehicle then stolen and used in the burglaries, they conducted a welfare check on the occupant of the trailer. Carr was found in the bedroom by the front door with one small child asleep in the bed with her. Another small child was found asleep on the couch in the living room. Carr told deputies no one else was in the house. During a quick search of the residence, deputies located Hutchison hiding in a closet in the spare bedroom, covered up with a mattress. He had a single-shot shotgun inches from his hand and a pistol on the shelf above his head. The pistol had been stolen from a vehicle earlier that day in a burglary in the 4400 block of Kiel Lane. Carr told deputies that she, Hutchison and his cousin, 15, went to the area of the 700 block of Wellington and Huntington lanes and were burglarizing vehicles. She said they were all in the barrow ditch and fled on foot when the patrol car approached them. A search of the house revealed numerous items from the burglaries in that area. A WCSO spokesman said investigators think the arrests may solve as many as 15 burglaries in the area recently. File photo A Times Record News investigation revealed that the Wichita Falls Independent School District does not fund bilingual programs for English language learners proportionate to the need of those students at each campus. By Christopher Collins of the Times Record News Editor's note: This is an installment of the Times Record News occasional series, Equity in Education. The series examines disparities in funding, quality of instruction and other matters in the Wichita Falls Independent School District. The Wichita Falls Independent School District has removed students from bilingual programs earlier than most other comparable school districts in the state, a practice that could have far-reaching negative consequences for students learning to read, write and speak in English, experts say. Enrollment data submitted by the school district to the Texas Education Agency shows that English language learners students whose primary language is not English only receive bilingual services through the third grade, after which they're expected to become proficient in English with little to no instruction in their native language. For many English language learners, that challenge is insurmountable. The student demographic is at a higher risk of dropping out of school than any other student group, state data shows. In the WFISD graduating class of 2014, fewer than 20 percent of English language learners were deemed prepared for college in English or mathematics. None of those students were ready for college in both subjects. Due to dismal student academic performance, the TEA has formally intervened in WFISD bilingual programs for the past two years. The district now is required to submit proof to the state several times a year showing that it's making changes to adequately serve English language learners. "A child needs support in the first language for six or seven years in school before they can transfer into an all-English curriculum to be successful," said Abelardo Villarreal, a past president of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education and an expert on bilingual curriculums in public schools. "It's very hard to say that by the end of the third grade they will be able to exit." Karen Thompson, a bilingual education researcher at Oregon State University, said the longer English language learners are allowed to remain in bilingual programs, the more successful they tend to be. "They're more likely to become proficient in English and to have higher academic outcomes" than their peers who do not receive bilingual classes, Thompson said, citing her own research and studies conducted by others in the field. But the storm cloud has a silver lining. Now, in response to criticism and low proficiency levels, the WFISD may move to lengthen the bilingual services it provides by creating what it calls bilingual "hub" campuses next year. Through that system, English language learners could receive bilingual services up to seven years after enrollment, a district spokeswoman said, a possible remedy to problems faced by the district's program. "The goal is to promote high levels of academic achievement and full academic language proficiency in the student's first language and English," spokeswoman Ashley Thomas wrote in an email to the Times Record News. The campus hub system which would see the consolidation of bilingual services at a handful of district schools has been publicly discussed by administrators at least twice, though it does not appear as if all the details have been laid out. The plan also is not expected to help some of the English language learners already enrolled in the district's bilingual courses. THE OUTLIER The WFISD has about 1,000 English language learners, most of whom are of Hispanic and Mexican descent. But the district is at odds with state trends in how early it removes English language learners from bilingual courses and places them in remedial English-as-a-second-language courses, a Times Record News investigation has revealed. In 2015-16, the district did not offer fourth-grade re-enrollment in bilingual courses for third-grade students who had participated in the programs, effectively ending whatever comprehensive services they had received. Other Texas school districts with similar English-language-learner populations, such as Abilene, San Angelo and Grapevine-Colleyville, allow students to remain in bilingual programs until they reach junior-high age. "Looking at the numbers, it doesn't really make sense that (WFISD) has so many more students in ESL courses instead of bilingual education," said David Hinojosa, a director of the Intercultural Development Research Association in San Antonio. "Wichita Falls appears to just stop the bilingual program after the third grade. If you want it to be effective, you should have a model that doesn't exit students until the fifth or sixth grades." Hinojosa isn't alone in that belief national experts on bilingual curriculums, along with comprehensive studies done on the subject place the time required for English language learners to attain English proficiency at between four and seven years. More of the students are enrolled in first-grade bilingual courses than any other grade in the WFISD, meaning some of them will receive three or fewer years of bilingual instruction. "Kids will progress at different ages but it takes at least five years," said Liliane Vannoy, principal of Tulsa's Dual Language Academy. "When you're telling the kiddo, 'You're done, you're just exiting,' they're not getting the skills they need to survive outside of the program." WFISD's practice of removing students from bilingual programs before the fourth grade is not the status quo for the state, enrollment data shows. San Angelo ISD offers bilingual programs through the sixth grade before exclusively turning English language learners to English-as-a-second-language classes. Abilene ISD provides bilingual services through the fifth grade, as does Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. Desoto ISD offers bilingual courses through the fifth grade, Galveston ISD through the sixth grade, Huntsville ISD through the fifth grade, Lubbock ISD through the eighth grade and Lufkin ISD through the sixth. Even Azle, Kerrville and Krum ISDs, which have much smaller English-language-learner populations than WFISD, offer bilingual services longer. Generally, English language learners at those schools have better showings in state tests than bilingual students in the WFISD, a likely result of longer bilingual programs. AN EARLY EXIT At a July meeting of WFISD's board of trustees, the district's coordinator of English-language-learner services told trustees that the decision to enact an "early exit" system for students in bilingual programs may have contributed to lackluster test scores and low English proficiency levels. "We have an early exit to get (English-language learners) out, but our data shows they're struggling," Greta Benavides, the coordinator, said. Benavides has in the past expressed "concerns about the scores," in part chalking up subpar student performance to an inadequate infrastructure for bilingual programs in the WFISD. "We cannot implement the program properly, so to say the program is not working is not fair," she said at a January school board work retreat. In an emailed statement, Benavides said the district must make decisions about when students are ready to leave bilingual programs on a case-by-case basis that no one student is the same. "Some students arrive with no English at all, while others come with a fairly good grasp of the language," she wrote. "This translates into (English language learners) having different needs and requiring different levels of intervention and support." Despite this, one standard has been universal for all WFISD English language learners: No bilingual services are offered after the third grade, regardless of whether students still need those courses to succeed. In the U.S., bilingual education is defined as instruction given in both the student's native tongue and English. One of the benefits, proponents say, is that abstract or hard-to-grasp concepts are more easily understood by students if they are explained in their native language. English-as-a-second-language classes, however, generally do not emphasize instruction in students' native tongue. Educators certified to teach English as a second language are not required to give instruction in any other language than English, and in many cases are not able to teach in any language but their own. Some question exists about whether the brief window of bilingual education offered to English language learners at WFISD can even be classified as "bilingual." An audit conducted of the programs this year found the district has no "true" bilingual programs, meaning that WFISD places English language learners in the same classrooms as native English speakers and may not give significant instruction in Spanish. Belinda Belmares, a bilingual teacher at WFISD's Lamar Elementary, acknowledged the challenge of teaching English language learners alongside native English speakers, saying she sometimes has to give as much as 80 percent of instruction in English. Her classroom last year comprised fewer than 10 English-language learners the rest only understood English. "It was really hard to help my bilingual students as well as my regular students. Even though I tried to provide a lot of visuals and flip-flop, there were some that I felt were just floating through class," Belmares said. "You see in their faces when you talk to them whether they're really understanding or not." "You have to teach, or at least explain, in the native language," she added. A comprehensive study conducted by researchers at George Mason University found that bilingual educational models "demonstrate the substantial power for enhancing student outcomes and fully closing the achievement gap in the second language." The research spanned more than a decade's worth of data from 23 large and small school districts in 15 states. It indicated that bilingual education is "the only program for English language learners that fully closes the gap" between those students and native English speakers. "In contrast, remedial models only partially close the gap." The study also found a minimum of six years of bilingual education is needed for English-language learners to become proficient, "with eight years preferable for full gap closure." The Center for Public Education, a Virgina-based education advocacy organization, reports that English-as-a-second-language courses may not be adequate for students still trying to learn English. "When possible, include some first-language instruction when teaching (English language learners). Research suggests that support in the child's first language can have long-range benefits for ELL students," the group reports. "Helping individual (English language learners) master academic language is a complex, long-term process, not an event or a program with a clear end date. Belmares, the bilingual teacher at Lamar Elementary, agreed that removing students from bilingual programs too soon "is not going to do any justice to the child," but also said she doesn't think the WFISD is ending the courses prematurely. "We try not to exit the child unless they've had the proper time to be in the program so they can benefit," she said. "(When a child exits bilingual programs) depends on how the child progresses. If they're able to speak, read, write and listen, then that's when you can decide. You meet as a group and make a decision on that child." According to the school district, a committee made up of a student's teacher, an administrator and the student's parent decides whether a student who has been classified as an English language learner is ready to leave a bilingual program. It's difficult to know exactly how these determinations are made at the WFISD. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects from disclosure most types of educational records pertaining to specific students, making it nearly impossible to correlate the academic performance of a student with how that student's grades may have been affected by premature release from a bilingual program. A POSSIBLE REMEDY Currently, English language learners are spread among most of the WFISD's elementary and junior high campuses a fact pointed out by administrators as a possible factor in the students' low academic performance. Those campuses vary drastically in resources provided to bilingual students, a Times Record News investigation previously revealed. Administrators have suggested a possible remedy: concentrating bilingual programs at five elementary and early childhood center "hubs." It has been indicated that Lamar, Scotland Park, Southern Hills and Zundy elementary schools, along with Brook Village Early Childhood Center, would be used in the 2016-17 year as the centralized points of bilingual education. "It was very hard (to educate bilingual students at separate campuses). We have to put them together," Benavides, the district's bilingual coordinator, told trustees at a school board meeting in July. The campuses now scheduled to become bilingual hubs are where the majority of English language learners are educated already. According to school leaders, gathering the students together will allow the district to concentrate resources and teachers where they will be more effective. In the mid-1990s, the WFISD was forced by a court order to bus students to schools outside of their neighborhoods in an effort to desegregate the district. Although busing now has been halted in favor of a "neighborhood schools" approach, administrators have said bilingual students could be bused to bilingual hubs if the schools aren't in their attendance zones. Once at the hubs, pre-K and kindergarten students enrolled in bilingual courses could maintain enrollment in those programs through the fifth grade, administrators have said. The district reportedly aims to have English language learners 50 percent proficient in English by the third grade. Belmares said she hopes the consolidation can resolve problems with the district's bilingual programs. "I'm hoping it works," she said. "I'm excited to see." SP's Youth Brigade's National president, Gaurav Dubey, slammed both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. He said Akhilesh Yadave would be re-elected in 2017. By Siraj Qureshi: Mulayam Singh's Youth Brigade's National president Gaurav Dubey criticized both the BJP and BSP for degrading the level of dialogue to an extent that epithets and slurs are being freely thrown across party lines. This fighting between the two parties has created a very clear path for UP CM Akhilesh Yadav's re-election in 2017 on the grounds of development. advertisement Dayashankar Singh, expelled by BJP for abusing Mayawati, arrested in Bihar Mayawati slur: BJP suspends Dayashankar Singh for six years, BSP files FIR SP SLAMS BJP, BSP Talking to India Today, Dubey said that BJP's bullet train dream could not compete with the Samajwadi Party's Metro Train which was also underway. Nor could stone elephants standing in open fields be compared with laptops and expressways. He said that when Mayawati was the Chief Minister, SP workers had to face lathi-charge and dozens of trumped-up criminal cases, but the Akhilesh Yadav government did not resort to politics of vendetta and only concentrated on the development of Uttar Pradesh. He said that the Samajwadi Party has developed UP to such an extent in the past 5 years that no other government could ever claim of achieving such a rapid pace. VOTERS TO GO WITH SP THIS TIME? Meanwhile, Bhartiya Muslim Vikas Parishad Chairman Sami Aghai, told India Today that the political scene of Agra was changing fast with the onset of the final leg of the Akhilesh Yadav government's rule. BJP National president Amit Shah, BSP's Naseemuddin Siddiqui and UP Congress president Raj Babbar are expected to be addressing political rallies in Agra in the coming week to target Dalit and Muslim votes, but both these communities are now aware of the deception they have been meted out for so long by the political parties. This time, the people will choose not by their heart, but with their minds. --- ENDS --- A general view of the new visitor centre at Stonehenge, England. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) SHARE The refugee crisis and a growing fear of terrorism are pushing Europeans into the lap of populist politicians. The power of far-right officials is on the rise. The United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, or Brexit, was a victory for isolationists, nationalists and populist conservatives around Europe. The next step in that direction might come in Austria. In April, Norbert Hofer the presidential nominee of the Austrian far-right Freedom Party surprisingly won 35 percent of the vote in the first round of this year's election. He lost in the second round. But earlier this month, Austria's Constitutional Court annulled that election because of "improperly handled" postal votes. There will be a re-election in October. Hofer had lost to his Social Democrat rival Alexander Van der Bellen by only 30,000 votes in May. The re-election finds Hofer in a potentially stronger position with voters because of the Brexit results and the recent terrorist attack in Nice, France. The next president of the United States Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump likely will have to deal with many populist politicians in Europe. Crucial relations between the United States and Europe when it comes to trade, tourism and military agreements involving NATO will be on the table for discussion. All of these issues could pose difficult challenges for either one, though Trump on the campaign trail has expressed some similar far-right feelings with his get-tough policies on trade and immigrants. How did we get here? Several years ago while Portugal, Spain and Greece were on edge of bankruptcy the future of the European Union was in question. France and Germany, the big brothers of the union, decided to impose economic sanctions on those countries. That decision triggered political conflicts in Portugal, Spain and Greece while echoing around Europe, which helped empower radical left parties in some countries. They included PODEMOS in Spain and SYRIZA in Greece. SYRIZA's Alexis Tsipras came to power after an election in September 2015. But other than those success stories, the radical left's influence did not give them control of many countries' governments. In the last few years, the refugee crisis hit: Millions of Syrians left for Turkey, Greece, Germany, France and other nations. In turn, fear of the refugees increased as Europeans feared for their jobs, as housing shortages occurred and as terrorist incidents rose. Far-right movements were born from this ongoing period of turmoil. And recent anti-immigration demonstrations in Germany, France, Netherlands and Italy have turned into contests of xenophobia. nAlternative for Germany party (AfD) in Germany stirred up the people against refugees hand in glove with the racist PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West). AfD managed to transform its hatred into political power, as its supporters won a number of local elections. Terrorist attacks in the last week in Munich and on a Bavarian train have triggered even more hate speech against refugees. nMatteo Salvini, leader of the separatist Northern League party, once said that Benito Mussolini did many good things as a World War II ally of Germany's Adolf Hitler. Salvini has helped grow his party from just 3 percent to almost 17 percent support in nationwide polls. Salvini also is Trump's favorite candidate to be the next prime minister of Italy. Salvini never misses any opportunity to insult refugees, women and democrats in Europe. At a rally last weekend, he compared Laura Boldrini Italy's former spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to an inflatable sex doll. nIn France, Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front Party is becoming the strongest one in that country. After the outrageous attack in Nice, Le Pen has emerged as the most powerful nominee in the presidential race to be held next year. nGeert Wilders the Dutch friend of Le Pen and Salvini is best known for his quote, "I don't hate Muslims. I hate Islam." He is getting stronger in political circles in the Netherlands. Wilders attended the Republican National Convention last week and told delegates that Europe was imploding because of immigration. The fear is very real that many European countries will veer into being led by far-right governments. All of that eventually could affect the balance of economic and military power around the globe. The Kansas City Star Associated Press FILE-Hillary Rodham Clinton SHARE Bette Pulliam, Olney It is a fact that big business runs the media and Washington, but I have had a belly full of the anti-Trump editorials. All you have done since he entered the race is put the bad mouth on him. Does the owner of the paper tell you who to back? The cartoon even jabs him. Why don't you give both sides equal time? The media bashing is giving Trump more votes because the common people are fed up with big business and Washington. Now a few words about Hillary. I saw the mother of one of the young men killed in Bengazi. She said Hillary stood in front of the kinfolk of killed Americans and lied like a rug. The mother was so upset about the death of her son and Hillary's lies. Lies such as protesters, emails, Wall Street, the coal industry and jobs. When her mouth is moving she is lying, just like Bill. I believe these five words will follow her to her grave and should be on her tombstone, "what difference does it make?' For those who vote for her because she is a woman or to keep the welfare checks coming have no idea what shape American is in or what needs to be done to correct it. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor a Japanese general contacted Tokyo and told them he feared they had waked a sleeping tiger. They had done just that. Are we a sleeping tiger today? Our enemies are not afraid of us and our allies don't trust us. Go figure. Obama and his motley crew have done more to take us down in eight years than anyone in the last 230 years or Japan in World War II. Hillary is one of the motley crew, and if she is elected we have at least four more years of Obama. Obama, Eric Holder and Al Sharpton have caused more racial unrest than anyone else. By the way, I wonder when Al is going to pay the IRS the $4 million he owes. Just think of what the IRS did to the poor nurse in Wichita Falls who had the disabled kids living with her. She didn't report the donations people had made to help care for the kids. The IRS literally killed her with threats. Al still ain't paid his! My dad was a "yellow dog democrat" until he died 30 years ago. I feel sure if he was alive today he would be a Republican! I was a Democrat once upon a time, but I wouldn't be caught dead with the party that lied to me. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Waterford Union representatives for workers at the Momentive Performance Materials silicones factory in Waterford are denouncing the "last, best and final" contract the company proposed last Friday, saying they do not intend to bring the offer to a vote. Momentive issued a press statement about the offer on Monday, noting that it was up to the union to make the next steps. "As distasteful as it was for Momentive to publicize a contract proposal that was rejected by the bargaining team , we feel we have no choice but to publicize the reasons why the three union presidents from IUE-CWA rejected this latest bargaining proposal," Dominick Patrignani, president of IUE-CWA Local 81359 told the Times Union late Wednesday. Patrignani represents 700 workers at the Waterford plant. Patrignani said that since talks began in June, the IUE-CWA, which also represents workers at Momentive's quartz factory in Willoughby, Ohio, made a wide range of concessions in contract talks. "First and foremost (Momentive) failed to mention upfront concessions the union made for flexibility in the work rules that will save multi-millions of dollars that were done on the premise of a fair contract and with a provision to take care of the affected members involved ," Patrignani told the Times Union. Although the three-year Momentive contract proposal includes a $3,500 ratification bonus and $9,000 in average wage increases, union reps say that money would be wiped out by health care increases. Members would be moved to a new health plan with high deductibles and have their retirement medical plans "drastically" changed, he said. Patrignani said the health care insurance changes are unreasonable, especially when his members work in a dangerous chemical factory, many of them over decades. "The plan they are switching to is consumer driven health care in which a large amount comes out of each family upfront," Patrignani said. "This basically negates the pay increases over the life of this contract... This too is a major loss once again." Patrignani didn't say if the union would vote instead to strike, although one retired union leader told the Times Union it was a possibility. "We all have been extremely cooperative on health and safety, productivity initiatives and improving quality and cycle time reductions and did our best to get through everything with no labor disputes," Patrignani said. "We all hoped that in the end it would be appreciated by this company but we were wrong." lrulison@timesunion.com 518-454-5504 @larryrulison SCHENECTADY - For the third day in a row, Iroquois Pond in the city;s Central Park drew a crowd of anglers looking to land the alligator gar that's lurking in the water. State Department of Environmental Conservation officers tried to catch the fish a member of an invasive species that eats smaller fish on Wednesday. Albany Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have had dust ups recently with Republican administrations and lawmakers from North Carolina and Texas. And now these Democratic politicians are firing back at those Republican-controlled states with legal briefs supporting the Obama administration in disputes over transgender rights. Cuomo last spring instituted a non-essential travel ban against North Carolina by state workers, and Schneiderman did the same with his office. That came after the Tar Heel state passed a law aimed at superseding a measure by the city of Charlotte to allow greater restroom choices among transgender people. The state law, not the city of Charlotte's, has been criticized for rolling back rights for transgender people. Now Cuomo and Schneiderman, in twinned news releases issued Thursday, say they are leading a coalition of 10 states and Washington, D.C., in filing friend of the court, briefs to support the Obama administration's legal challenge to the North Carolina law. They argue that the law isn't needed to protect safety or privacy and it could cause harm to transgender people. Also filing were Washington, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont. The sides are flipped in the Texas case. Texas and 10 other states in May went to court to challenge Obama administration guidelines which aim to ensure that "transgender students enjoy a supportive and nondiscriminatory school environment." Those guidelines say schools should allow transgender students to use restrooms and other facilities that match their stated gender. Texas and its allies contend that poses a safety risk. Lawyers with Cuomo and Schneiderman are rebutting that argument in their friend of the court briefs. The briefs are the latest twist in the legal battle between Democratic and Republican state governments. Earlier in the week, a retired state court judge in North Carolina said that Cuomo, through his travel ban, was violating the Hatch Act, a federal law prohibiting lawmakers from using their position to influence elections. North Carolina's governor Pat McCrory, is up for re-election. The retired judge, a McCrory ally named Robert Orr, filed complaints in New York with the Joint Commission on Public Ethics and with the federal Office of Special Counsel contending that economic development ads the state has run in North Carolina (as well as other states) were essentially a shot at the Republican governor. One of the TV ads touted New York's diversity while referencing newspaper headlines saying "North Carolina bans local anti-discrimination policies." Cuomo's spokespeople have dismissed McCrory's charge, calling it frivolous. Schneiderman was subpoenaed by Texas GOP Congressman Lamar Smith, who heads the House's Science, Space and Technology committee. Smith subpoenaed Schneiderman and Massachusetts Attorney Gerneral Maura Healy about their ExxonMobil Corp. probe. That came after the two attorneys general subpoenaed ExxonMobil. They are exploring whether the petroleum giant was being straight with investors regarding what it knew about the dangers of climate change. If the company withheld pertinent information that impacts its operations, it could be seen as a cover-up for potential fraud. Schneiderman is resisting the subpoena, saying it is overreach by a federal lawmaker trying to impinge on state affairs. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU ALBANY - Clifford S. Davidson, the man who allegedly left containers of excrement and urine in the ceiling of one floor of the state Department of Environmental Conservation's downtown Albany office building, causing a brief shutdown of the agency's head quarters in May, is scheduled to appear in City Court on Friday. Davidson was expected to appear in City Court Tuesday afternoon but the judge pushed the matter back three days. Davidson, 32, is being held on $15,000 bail at the Albany County jail. State Police charged Davidson, 32, with felony criminal mischief on Thursday following a two-month probe into the incident. On Friday, police said they used DNA evidence to link the alleged fecal felon to the more than 40 containers of excrement and urine left around 625 Broadway's fourth floor and above ceiling tiles. Davidson has a criminal record, which helped police match up the DNA sample with one on file with the state Department of Corrections, though they did not elaborate on his past transgressions. Davidson does not turn up in the state's online inmate or parolee databases. Police also discovered a clue that helped them sniff out Davidson: a National Grid bill in one of the bottles. "Criminals are pretty stupid, some of them," State Police Troop G Major William Keeler said at a Friday morning news conference. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened. They occasionally leave a calling card literally." Police said incidents of excrement and urine being left on parts of the fourth floor date back to March, though it wasn't until May that the building where Empire State Develompent, the Environmental Facilities Corporation and State Parks Department also have offices had to be shut down early on the day before the long Memorial Day weekend as the human waste began to seep through the ceiling. The building was reopened after the holiday. Police said the waste was contained to the fourth floor of the building, where Davidson worked for a contractor as a cleaner. He worked nightly from 5 to 9 p.m., police said, meaning he had little contact with state employees. GREENFIELD - Firefighters battled a house fire on Locust Grove Road on Thursday that left six people, including four children in need of help from the Red Cross, the agency reported. The Red Cross said it offered shelter, food and clothing to two adults and the children who were at the home. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Amsterdam A sewer line leaking sewage at approximately 50 gallons a minute into a city creek was still broken Friday, leading officials to call for emergency state funding. The wastewater sewage, which began leaking near 216 Forest Ave. on Monday morning, is making its way to the Mohawk River via the North Chuctanunda Creek, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Mayor Michael Villa said engineers believe they have found the leak and were in the process of bypassing the sewer line on Friday. City engineers, led by Richard Miller, created one bypass around noon Friday, but believed the leak was in "one manhole up," Villa said. "We're pretty confident that we have the right one," he said. "They think they've discovered a pipe that is the one that is the culprit." Both Villa and Miller said they could not estimate how much sewage has spilled since Monday. "This is a situation that, really, we can't afford," Villa said. "This is just one issue of potentially many. If we're being honest about it, we were dealing with infrastructure that's 100 years old in many places." According to a statement released Friday afternoon by the state Department of Conservation, work at the site is expected to continue through the weekend "until the leak has stopped." DEC said it "is monitoring the situation and is requiring daily updates through the NY-ALERT system." Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam, wrote an open letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday urging him to release funds to "address immediate repairs needed to the sanitary sewer infrastructure along Forest Avenue." Santabarbara said an immediate fix to the sewer leak would cost $100,000, and a longer term solution would cost "several hundreds of thousands of dollars more." In his letter, Santabarbara said the leak is "a public safety concern" and "poses a threat to people's health as well as their properties." Amsterdam has applied for a $5 million grant from the New York State Water Grant program, Santabarbara said, but if granted, that funding would go toward "previously identified infrastructure projects across the city," not toward fixing the current leak. Villa said state Sen. George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, also urged Cuomo to release emergency funding. Villa said it was "great cooperation" to see both state representatives work on the city's behalf after the leak. nburroughs@timesunion.com 518-454-5012 @Nickatnews The former vice-president of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit, wanted for comparing the BSP chief to a prostitute, was arrested in Buxar. Dayashankar Singh was expelled by the BJP for 6 years for abusing Mayawati. By Rohit Kumar Singh: Dayashankar Singh, the BJP leader who was expelled by the party for abusing BSP chief Mayawati, has been arrested by the UP STF from Bihar's Buxar town. The former BJP Uttar Pradesh vice-president was arrested from Sugar Mill Colony in Buxar where he was at his relative's place. A Lucknow court had issued a non-bailable warrant against expelled BJP leader for comparing BSP chief Mayawati to a prostitute. advertisement Singh caused widespread outrage last week by characterising Mayawati's ticket distribution for her party as worse than the "conduct of a prostitute". The comments triggered huge protests in Parliament, with Mayawati saying, "His (Dayashankar Singh's) remarks apply to his sister and daughter and not me. The whole country will not forgive BJP people will come on the streets." With the crucial Uttar Pradesh election round the corner, the BJP was quick to apologise, sack Dayashankar Singh as the vice-president of its Uttar Pradesh unit, and expel him from the party for six years. However, the situation became a tit-for-tat after some BSP workers used the same kind of offensive language against women that they were protesting against being used for their leader Mayawati. Singh's wife Swati and her mother-in-law have already lodged an FIR against Mayawati and other senior BSP leaders for using foul and objectionable language against their family. Also Read: 10 sexist slurs that show how ridiculous Indian politicians can be --- ENDS --- Is giving old, non-profitable upstate nuclear plants billions of dollars in ratepayers' money the best way to get New York to a cleaner, renewable energy future? This is the issue at hand as the state grapples with the laudable goal and challenges of moving to clean energy, most immediately meeting Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Clean Energy Standard a commitment to generating 50 percent of electricity from renewable energy by 2030. New York has done a lot of things right by investing in solar, wind, and energy efficiency, and by pursuing smart changes to the grid like distributed generation. These proven clean energy solutions are expanding faster and faster across the country, spurring unparalleled job growth and saving lives as renewable energy displaces dirty and dangerous energy. Cuomo is wise to prioritize making New York the national clean energy leader. Given these priorities, I was among many who were shocked by the Public Service Commission's proposal that the lion's share of the Clean Energy Standard funding would be a nuclear bailout. The plan, which the Public Service Commission may vote on as early as August 1st, would give three upstate nuclear plants an estimated $7.6 billion dollars in subsidies over the next 12 years. That's more than double what the proposal projects would go to renewable energy. This does not make sense for a number of reasons. Allowing these three upstate nuclear plants to close now and replacing them with equal energy output from onshore wind and solar would be cheaper and would create more jobs. Understand that the $7.6 billion to support the nuclear plants for just 12 years is a subsidy. After 12 years, another $11.9 billion is needed from the private sector to build wind farms to replace nuclear power. If, instead, the wind power sources were installed today, we avoid paying the $7.6 billion nuclear subsidy entirely and get a greater carbon dioxide reduction over the next 30 years, since wind turbines emit zero CO2 while spinning, whereas nuclear emits CO2 during its entire life due to the continuous mining and refining of uranium, an energy- and carbon-intensive process. Nuclear also emits heat from nuclear reaction directly and water vapor, a greenhouse gas, during cooling of the reactor, both enhancing the heat island effect to the local community and causing thermal pollution to the local water source. An alternative way of thinking about this is, if we replace nuclear with wind now, then spend the $7.6 billion on additional onshore wind (rather than on nuclear), thereby replacing coal or gas, we would reduce CO2 emissions 60 percent more compared with keeping the nuclear open, but at the same cost. Replacing nuclear today with utility-scale solar PV also reduces cost and carbon to the state relative to keeping nuclear open. As for jobs, fully shutting down the nuclear plants would jeopardize fewer than 2,000 jobs, approximately half of which would remain for years because of the required decommissioning and decontamination of the facilities and the securing and monitoring of the nuclear waste. The total number of jobs that would be created by replacing that energy output with wind and solar would be far greater. For reference, my peer-reviewed study (http://tinyurl.com/q6dlqyk) about converting New York State to 100 percent clean, renewable energy which is entirely possible now would create a net of approximately 82,000 good, long-term jobs above the number lost. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. Also worth taking into account is the fact nuclear energy produces radioactive waste for which there remains no safe disposal. The waste must be stored and funds spent to store it for 300,000 years. New York can do better than this. Furthermore, energy efficiency can play a serious role in closing the gap, saving people money, reducing emissions, and creating jobs. As a precedent-setting state poised to lead the nation as a climate leader on aggressively implementing renewable energy, New York should recognize that the nuclear bailout increases CO2 and long term waste storage costs and decreases jobs relative to replacing the nuclear immediately with clean, renewable energy today. Mark Z. Jacobson is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Troy A former parochial school at 13th and Congress streets will be the new home of a small Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute fraternity that plans to invest $1.5 million in acquiring and renovating the building. Delta Phi fraternity's Lambda chapter will be the third RPI fraternity to move closer to downtown in the last six years. It will be the fourth fraternity to establish a presence in or near downtown. Delta Phi's plans to transform the former St. Francis Academy into a frat house in the middle of the Route 2/Congress Street corridor received unanimous approval from the city Planning Commission at its July meeting Wednesday night. "It enhances the corridor and connects downtown to the East Side," Deputy Mayor Monica Kurzejeski said Thursday about the route through the Mount Ida area. The 23 fraternity brothers' goal is to complete renovations and move from three RPI campus apartments into the two-story brick building at 20-26 13th St. in 2017, according to Redmond Griffin, the fraternity's attorney for the project. The fraternity is spending $400,000 to buy the building and another $50,000 for a parking lot, Griffin said. The remaining $1.05 million will be directed at restoration work. Griffin said the chapter is raising money for the project. The chapter has more than 1,000 alumni, according to its website at www.deltaphirpi.com. A fraternity officer said the chapter would not comment on the project until after it closes on the purchase of the building. Delta Phi would be in the former school building, which has been used for clothing manufacturing, a tailor shop, storage and apartments. The new chapter house is across Congress Street from the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity's Gamma Tetro chapter's house in the former St. Francis DeSales Catholic Church and rectory at 316 and 320 Congress St. In 2011, the fraternity took over the church building complex. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Meanwhile, Phi Gamma Delta's Tau Nu chapter moved into the former First Baptist Church building at 82 Third St. downtown. This is just a few blocks away from a fraternity with a longtime downtown presence, Phi Kappa Phi, whose Alpha Tau chapter is located at 49 Second St. Kurzejeski said the city has seen positive results from the fraternities opening downtown and anticipates the same with Delta Phi's relocation. She said the fraternities have supported community activities and provide more foot traffic to nearby businesses. She said this would help the reviving business district along Congress Street. RPI is planning to move more students downtown as it expands its enrollment. The university will place senior and graduate students in City Station West at Sixth Avenue this fall. RPI officials also have said the institute is weighing the construction of a new dormitory downtown. kcrowe@timesunion.com 518-454-5084 @KennethCrowe Stephen D. Cannerelli The editorial "A hefty nuclear subsidy," July 26, referenced the costs associated with the state Public Service Commission's proposed Clean Energy Standard while ignoring the benefits. Your readers have a right to know both sides of the equation. The PSC staff estimate the gross benefits of retaining the at-risk nuclear power plants in the first two years of the program are about $5 billion. Weighted against an estimated cost of less than $1 billion, the program generates benefits in excess of five to one. By maintaining the state's nuclear energy facilities, the PSC proposal also avoids imposing additional costs on consumers for replacement electric generation and the infrastructure needed to support it. Without the state's reactors, electricity costs to consumers, industry and businesses will increase by almost $15 billion over 10 years, according to an analysis prepared by The Brattle Group. A newlywed couple who received a Papal Blessing have spoken of their delight at meeting Pope Francis in Rome. Catriona Barry from Elm Wood, Thurles and her husband Brendan O' Daly were one of 50 lucky couples to secure tickets to meet Pope Francis and receive a unique rosary for newlyweds at a ceremony in Vatican City last month. It was such a wonderful experience. I didn't think we would actually get to meet him but he took the time to meet with all the couples and shake their hands," said Catriona. The happy couple celebrated their wedding at St. Senan's Church, Kilrush with a reception at Doonbeg Co. Clare before jetting off to Rome on honeymoon where they had the opportunity to don their wedding finery once more at the ceremony much to Catriona's delight. It was a great excuse to wear the dress again, says Catriona who wore a four piece lace and silk creation from Irish bridal designer Sharon Hoey. Walking around the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps wearing my wedding dress is a moment I will never forget. The whole experience was a moment just for us after all the rushing and racing coming up to the wedding. And while official Vatican photographers captured the moment between the couple and Pope Francis Catriona says she wasn't inclined to ask for any sneaky selfies. "We weren't allowed any cameras but I didn't even see the photographers because I was so caught in the moment." Catriona is a daughter of Richard and Philomena Barry, Thurles while Brendan's parents Paul and Colette O'Daly are based in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. The French Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Jean-Pierre Thebault, will lead this years Famine 1848 Walk in Ballingarry which takes place this weekend on Saturday, 30 July at 3pm from the 1848 and National Flag Monument in the village of The Commons to the Famine Warhouse at Farranrory, the scene of the 1848 Rising. The Famine Warhouse is a national heritage site, museum and visitor attraction under the Office of Public Works. The Walk covers a mile and a half of gently ascending ground. The annual Walk remembers the millions who suffered and died during the Famine (1845-1850) and the Famine Rising of 1848 when the Young Irelanders under William Smith OBrien, M.P., attempted to stage a bloodless revolution in Ballingarry. The French Ambassador will lead the Walk and his visit will mark the many links between Ireland and France in 1848 and 1916, in this centenary year of the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme. At the end of the Walk, after the Ambassadors speech, refreshments will be served from the Tea Room in the courtyard. All are welcome whether walking or visiting the house museum. There is an open invitation to all schools in the area to walk behind their Tricolour flags on the day. There will be free guided tours of the Famine Warhouse on the following day, Sunday, 31 July. The Walk takes place, rain or shine (so bring a sun hat and an umbrella). It is an occasion when the people of Ballingarry extend a warm welcome to all visitors. [July 29, 2016] A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of Health Care Service Corporation and Its Subsidiaries A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to "a+" from "aa-" of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company (d/b/a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois/Texas/New Mexico/Oklahoma/Montana) (HCSC) (headquartered in Chicago, IL) and its subsidiaries, HCSC Insurance Services Company (Chicago, IL) and GHS Health Maintenance Organization (Tulsa, OK). Concurrently, A.M. Best has downgraded the issue rating to "a" from "a+" on HCSC's existing $500 million 4.7% senior unsecured notes, due 2021 (approximately $345 million outstanding). The outlook for each of these ratings is stable. A.M. Best also has downgraded the FSR to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) and the ICRs to "a+" from "aa-" of Dearborn National Life Insurance Company (Downers Grove, IL) and its subsidiary, Dearborn National Life Insurance Company of New York (Pittsford, NY), which operate as Dearborn National. The outlook for each of these ratings is stable. In addition, A.M. Best has removed the ratings of GHS Insurance Company (Oklahoma City, OK) from under review with developing implications and upgraded the FSR to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and the ICR to "a-" from "bbb+". The outlook assigned to each of these ratings is stable. The rating downgrades of HCSC and its subsidiaries reflect material operating losses in the organization's core health insurance business. Over the past two years, HCSC has reported material net losses driven by its individual business and its expansion in government business. The individual business was impacted by numerous factors, which included greater utilization and a larger number of highe-risk individuals than expected under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; the severe reduction in risk corridor payments; and the impact of grandmothering in 2014. Furthermore, HCSC reported losses in the Medicare Advantage product resulting from an expansion strategy in its core states as the company tries to gain scale in this business segment. Additionally, losses are being generated by new Medicaid enrollment under a managed Medicaid contract with Illinois as part of the state's Medicaid expansion. While the overall losses have moderated considerably in these segments, they are not expected to turn favorable in 2016. HCSC continues to have a leading position in its core markets and brand strength from its Blue Cross Blue Shield licenses. The company has reported a trend of organic enrollment and premium growth and continues to have a strong level of risk-adjusted capital. HCSC has a history of capital growth through retained earnings. The company's risk-adjusted capital was on an upward growth trend in preparation for enrollment gains with the introduction of health insurance exchanges and the expansion of its Medicare and Medicaid businesses. Due to enrollment growth and recent statutory losses, risk-adjusted capital has declined; however, it remains strong. The company's business is diversified geographically and by business segment. HCSC offers a comprehensive portfolio of core health and complementary products and operates in numerous market segments. Additionally, growth is evident in Blue-branded and non-branded ancillary products offered through Dearborn National. The Dearborn National companies contribute favorably to the overall organization, reporting strong operating results for the past three years. The rating actions taken on GHS Insurance Company reflect its established strategic role in HCSC's growth strategy in government business by providing Blue-branded Medicare Advantage products in Texas. This press release relates to rating(s) that have been published on A.M. Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see A.M. Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. A.M. Best is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2016 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005812/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The activists of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha attacked the fleet of BSP general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui and showed black flags to him. By Siraj Qureshi: Activists of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, along with members of the Kshtriya Mahasabha, allegedly attacked the fleet of BSP general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui near Etmadpur in Agra today evening. Siddiqui was not injured in the incident. The activists also showed black flags to Siddiqui. Photo: Kamir VEHICLES DAMAGED, NH2 BLOCKED In the subsequent buildup of events, several vehicles were damaged and the National Highway 2 was completely jammed while the activists of BJYM and Kshtriya Mahasabha shouted slogans against BSP and in support of the expelled BJP leader Daya Shanker's wife and daughter. advertisement They demanded Siddiqui's arrest for his statement against the two. Rape threats in return of prostitute slur: BSP embroiled in tit-for-tat game Mayawati wants my husband beheaded, will lodge FIR for 'mental trauma': Dayashankar Singh's wife ARRESTS MADE Eight people, including Bhanwar Singh Jadaun, the president of Kshtriya Mahasabha were arrested and a criminal case was registered against them under section 147, 148, 149, 332, 342, 353, 427, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. Meanwhile, after reaching Agra, Siddiqui held a meeting of the party workers in the Circuit House and accepted expelled party ex-MLA Zulfikar Ali Bhutto back into the party. Bhutto was also given the responsibility of bringing Muslims of the Aligarh division in, to support the BSP in the 2017 UP Assembly elections. Also Read: Dayashankar Singh, expelled by BJP for abusing Mayawati, arrested in Bihar --- ENDS --- [July 29, 2016] PeopleAdmin honors Georgia K-20 educator as part of Inspired2Educate recognition program PeopleAdmin, a leader in talent management software for K-12 and higher education, today announced the latest honoree of its Inspired2Educate recognition program. Aimee Cribbs, Ed.D., an adjunct professor of graduate studies and teacher preparation at Piedmont College and an art and health teacher at Ellijay Elementary School in Georgia, submitted a video about what inspired her to choose education as her life's work. "I can say without a doubt that being in Ms. Scholz fourth-grade class influenced my career choice and shaped the human being I've grown up to be," Dr. Cribbs narrated in her animated video. "I can't remember the topics we studied over three decades ago, but I can remember how Ms. Scholz made me feel. She made me feel intelligent, important, and capable of anything I set my mind to doing." Kermit S. Randa, CEO of PeopleAdmin, presented and Inspired2Educate award and scholarship to Dr. Cribbs at a ceremony at Ellijay Elementary School in front of the school district's elementary teachers and staff as they prepared for a new school year. The school also received a scholarship. "The creativity and passion Aimee Cribbs displayed in her video submission are the same traits that make her such an incredible educator to students of all ages," Randa said. "We are honored to share her story and are truly inspired by her unending commitment to change the world, one young mind at a time. That is truly what Inspired2Educate is all about." In her video, Dr. Cribbs credits Ms. Scholz with teaching her the importance of a solid work ethic, respect for diversity, and critical thinking both in and out of the classroom - lessons she now uses each day to inspire her classrooms of grad school and grade school students. "I believe in myself nd my ability to leave the world a better place," she said. "Twenty years and thousands of students after my first day in the classroom, I still trust that nothing has the power to shape the future like education." Lauree Pierce, principal at Ellijay Elementary School, praised Dr. Cribbs' unifying ability to inspire students and peers of all backgrounds and beliefs. "What Aimee has done has really brought an awareness to the school community that we are all people. Although we have different customs and differences, at the core, we're all very similar," she said. Launched in February, Inspired2Educate honors and celebrates our nation's educators, while at the same time inspiring young people considering a career in education. The program calls for current educators to share stories of a K-20 teacher, administrator, or school staff member who inspired them to pursue education as their life's work. Throughout the remainder of the year, PeopleAdmin will continue to honor each month an educator who submitted a video or written story to the program. PeopleAdmin believes that developing, finding, and hiring the right educators is the best way to ensure the academic success for the next generation. Inspired2Educate is its way of recognizing some of those great educators and ensuring that our nation's students get the education they deserve. For more information about the Inspired2Educate program and how to participate, please visit www.PeopleAdmin.com/Inspired2Educate. Follow along with the latest conversation and updates by using the #Inspired2Educate hashtag on Twitter and Facebook (News - Alert). About PeopleAdmin PeopleAdmin is the leading provider of cloud-based talent management solutions for education and government. Its software enables customers to streamline the hiring process, onboard new employees, efficiently manage positions and employee performance, develop compliant and defensible audit trails, and utilize industry-leading reporting and data-driven predictive analytics. PeopleAdmin's integrated talent management suite includes applicant tracking, faculty search committee management, position management, onboarding, performance management, PD management and workforce planning, as well as a first-of-its-kind teacher candidate assessment tool created in partnership with a consortium of award-winning scholars, respected universities and research partners. PeopleAdmin solutions are rapidly deployed, easy to use and supported through a world-class customer service organization. Visit www.peopleadmin.com for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005439/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 29, 2016] WILLIAMS-SONOMA CELEBRATES THE FLAVORS OF SPAIN WITH ULTIMATE CULINARY ADVENTURE SWEEPSTAKES In partnership with the Tourism Board of Spain, Basque Country, Exclusively Spain, Food & Wine and VinePair, Williams-Sonoma is launching a sweepstakes for a trip for two to the country's Basque region. The winner and a guest will embark on an exclusive culinary adventure including interactive cooking classes, dining experiences at Michelin-starred restaurants and visits to rustic wineries in the picturesque towns of San Sebastian, Laguardia and Bilbao. Round-trip airfare valued at $3,000 and six nights hotel accommodations are also a part of the prize package. To learn more and enter for a chance to win by August 19, 2016 visit www.williams-sonoma.com/spaintrip In addition to the sweepstakes, Williams-Sonoma is celebrating the rich food culture of Spain in stores across the U.S. and Canada with several cooking classes during the months of July and August, where customers will learn how to prepare authentic Spanish cuisine at home. Classes include: Sunday, 7/31: Flavors of Spain, featuring a demo of world-renowned Spanish chef Jose Andres' recipe for Classic Paella . The classes are $30 per person, will be offered in all stores and include an authentic paella pan to take home. featuring a demo of world-renowned Spanish chef Jose Andres' recipe for . The classes are $30 per person, will be offered in all stores and include an authentic paella pan to take home. Sunday, 8/7 : Flavors of Spain, featuring a demo of Spanish Pintxos . The classes are free of charge and will be offered in select stores. Call your local store for availability. featuring a demo of . The classes are free of charge and will be offered in select stores. Call your local store for availability. Wednesday, 8/10: Cookbook Club Class, where participants will cook their way through the Williams-Sonoma Rustic Spanish Cookbook, and receive a copy to take home. Classes are $50 per person and will be offered in all stores. Williams-Sonoma's fall catalog titled, A Taste of Spain highlights tips by Chef Andres and a curated assortment of paella pans, premium Spanish olive oils, sangria mixes, seafood tools, hand painted tapas plates, and cookbooks to recreate authentic Spanish meals for friends and family. Williams-Sonoma.com and Taste, Williams-Sonoma's blog, offer additional content with a feature on San Francisco's Basque-inspired restaurant Aatxe that includes how to create a Tapas Party and Executive Chef Ryan Pollnow's exclusive recipes. In partnership with Visa, Williams-Sonoma customers are invited to join Chef Pollnow for a Basque Cider House Dinner at Aatxe that will include tapas or "pintxos," traditional cider and a screening of the documentary, Song of the Basques on Thursday, August 11th. To purchase tickets, visit: https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk-optimised/229633 To learn more about Williams-Sonoma's Culinary Classes, Events and Experiences visit www.williams-sonoma.cm/storeevents About Williams-Sonoma Since its founding by Chuck Williams in 1956, the Williams-Sonoma brand has been bringing people together around food. A member of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) portfolio of brands, Williams-Sonoma is a leading specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home, providing world-class service and an engaging customer experience. Products include cookware, cooks' tools, cutlery, electrics, bakeware, food, tabletop and bar, outdoor, cookbooks, as well as furniture, lighting and decorative accessories. Each store offers cooking demonstrations and tastings conducted by expert culinary staff. Williams-Sonoma Cooking Schools, located in select locations in the U.S. and Australia, host hands-on classes led by professional chefs. A comprehensive gift registry program for weddings and other special events is available in stores and online. On williams-sonoma.com and the Williams-Sonoma blog, Taste, customers can find recipes, tips, and techniques that help them create delicious meals and wonderful memories. Williams-Sonoma is also part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube. About the Tourist Office of Spain The Tourist Office of Spain promotes Spain as a tourist destination through a network of 33 offices around the world. According to the World Trade Organization, Spain is the third world destination in number of international tourists and the second for its revenue, after the US. Spain is known for its lifestyle, culture, nature, and the number of World Heritage Sites. Gastronomy from Spain is also worldwide renowned for its diversity, products and chefs. If you would like to receive further information, please e-mail [email protected] or visit www.spain.info About Exclusively Spain ExclusivelySpain is a travel specialist in "off the beaten path" trips to Spain. Spanish Cuisine is not one cuisine. It is many cuisines. In fact each of Spain's 17 autonomous regions offers their own unique gastronomy specialties. ExclusivelySpain would like to introduce you to some of these regional cuisines as well as let you explore the culture and history of the region that gave birth to it. After your trip you'll be able to entertain your friends with all your new learned dishes and share stories of all your adventures. Our programs are designed to not only be a feast for your palate, but your eyes, ears and hearts as well. Please visit www.ExclusivelySpain.US or call toll free 1.877.276.6636 for more information. About Basque Country With a large identity, the Basque Country has a privileged geographic location in the south of Europe, in the green north of Spain, next to France. Its small dimension, where everything is nearby, makes it a perfect tourist destination year round. The Basque Country keeps its language alive: Basque is the oldest language in Europe and the main feature of its own and unique culture, characterized by love for its land and traditions. The three Basque regional capitals - Bilbao, Donostia-SanSebastian and Victoria-Gasteiz - are good examples of how this identity is expressed. Eating and drinking in any corner of the Basque Country is a luxury that is affordable for all. Basque gastronomy, a "signature cuisine" with many expert chefs, offers an extraordinary and inimitable way of cooking and eating. Authentic and local produce makes cooking an art-form in the Basque Country. Knowing the Basque Country is knowing the Basque people. It is a way of life, a character and an understanding that combines history and modernity, audacity and nobleness, fun and hard work. Basque people, with a welcoming and open character, freely and wholeheartedly welcome visitors. In the Basque Country everything becomes one's own, exclusive and unique. www.basquecountrytourism.eus View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005186/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 28, 2016] MDA reports second quarter 2016 results, declares quarterly dividend RICHMOND, BC, July 28, 2016 /CNW/ - MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. ("MDA" or the "Company") (TSX: MDA), a global communications and information company, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016. For the second quarter of 2016, consolidated revenues were $503 million compared with $524 million for the same period of 2015. The decrease reflected the variability in quarterly revenues inherent in long-term construction programs. Operating EBITDA1 increased to $96.4 million compared with $94.6 million for the same period of last year. Margins this quarter increased to 19% compared with 18% for the same period a year ago, attributable to the mix of programs in progress. Operating earnings1 were $57 million, or $1.57 per share1, on par with the same period of last year. Net earnings under IFRS for the second quarter of 2016 were $25 million compared with $44 million for the corresponding period of 2015. Net earnings this quarter were impacted by the inclusion of a large non-operational, non-recurring item that affected the comparability of financial results to prior period. The Company had total funded order backlog of $2.5 billion as at June 30, 2016, consistent with the balance at the end of March. The Company continued to advance its position in the low Earth orbit ("LEO") satellite market with strategic bookings during the quarter. The Company signed a contract with OneWeb Satellites to develop and build communication antenna subsystems for the OneWeb Constellation. In addition, the Company signed contracts with Telesat and an undisclosed customer to build LEO satellites. In the commercial geostationary satellite market, the Company won the only contract that was awarded in the market in the second quarter, signing a contract with Intelsat S.A. to build the Intelsat 39 satellite. In the Surveillance and Intelligence segment, the Company signed a key contract with the Government of Canada to deliver an advanced broad-area maritime and Arctic surveillance solution (Polar Epsilon 2) to the Department of National Defence. This contract includes two years of in-service support to operate and maintain the delivered systems. The Company continues to make substantive progress in its pursuit to obtain facility security clearance for its operations in Palo Alto, California, which is fundamental to the Company's U.S. access plan. The Company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per common share payable on September 30, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2016. Financial Highlights Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 ($ millions, except per common share amounts) Consolidated revenues 502.5 523.7 1,064.9 1,057.6 Operating EBITDA1 96.4 94.6 193.6 188.1 Operating earnings1 57.2 56.6 113.1 111.7 Operating earnings per share1 1.57 1.56 3.10 3.09 Net earnings 25.3 43.6 66.0 81.7 Net earnings per share, basic 0.70 1.20 1.82 2.26 Net earnings per share, diluted 0.69 1.20 1.80 2.26 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding: (millions) Basic 36.4 36.2 36.3 36.2 Diluted 36.5 36.2 36.5 36.2 1 See section "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" in this earnings release. MDA's condensed consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 are available at: http://mdacorporation.com/corporate/investor/financial-reports About MDA MDA is a global communications and information company providing operational solutions to commercial and government organizations worldwide. MDA's business is focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, primarily in the Communications sector and the Surveillance and Intelligence sector. In addition, the Company conducts a significant amount of advanced technology development. MDA's established global customer base is served by more than 4,800 employees operating from 13 locations in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol MDA. Investor/Analyst Conference Call MDA President and CEO Howard Lance and Executive Vice President and CFO Anil Wirasekara will host a Conference Call today, July 28, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. Pacific (5:30 p.m. Eastern) to discuss the financial results and to answer questions. To participate, dial toll free North America: 1-888-390-0546 Toronto: 1-416-764-8688 Vancouver: 1-778-383-7413 The Conference Call will also be Webcast live at: http://mdacorporation.com/corporate/investor/events Telephone replay will be available from July 28, 2016, 4:30 p.m. Pacific (7:30 p.m. Eastern) to August 11, 2016, 5:30 p.m. Pacific (8:30 p.m. Eastern) at the following numbers: Toll free North America: 1-888-390-0541 Toronto: 1-416-764-8677 Passcode: 904713# Related Websites: www.mdacorporation.com Non-IFRS Financial Measures In addition to results reported in accordance with IFRS, the Company discloses operating earnings, operating earnings per share and operating EBITDA as supplemental indicators of its financial and operating performance. The Company defines operating earnings as net earnings excluding the impact of specified items affecting comparability, including, where applicable, non-operational income and expenses, amortization of acquisition related intangible assets, share-based compensation, and other gains or losses. The use of the term "non-operational income and expenses" is defined by the Company as those that do not impact operating decisions taken by the Company's management and is based upon the way the Company's management evaluates the performance of the Company's business for use in the Company's internal management reports. Income tax expense on operating earnings is computed using an estimated annual tax rate, adjusted to account for the specified items affecting comparability. Operating earnings per share is calculated using diluted weighted average shares outstanding and does not represent actual earnings per share attributable to shareholders. The Company believes that the disclosure of operating earnings and operating earnings per share allows investors to evaluate the operational and financial performance of the Company's ongoing business using the same evaluation measures that its management uses, and is therefore a useful indicator of the Company's performance or expected performance of recurring operations. The Company defines operating EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and adjusted for certain corporate expenses and items affecting comparability as specified in the calculation of operating earnings. Operating EBITDA is presented on a basis consistent with the Company's internal management reports. The Company discloses operating EBITDA to capture the profitability of its business before the impact of items not considered in management's evaluation of operating unit performance. Operating earnings, operating earnings per share and operating EBITDA do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company cautions readers to consider these non-IFRS financial measures in addition to, and not as an alternative for, measures calculated in accordance with IFRS. Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 ($ millions) Operating EBITDA 96.4 94.6 193.6 188.1 Corporate expense (4.2) (2.2) (8.4) (5.3) Net finance expense (11.7) (11.4) (24.6) (23.0) Depreciation and amortization (14.4) (13.7) (29.5) (27.6) Income tax expense on operating earnings (8.9) (10.7) (18.0) (20.5) Operating earnings 57.2 56.6 113.1 111.7 Items affecting comparability: Share-based compensation recovery (expense) (23.6) 0.9 (27.5) (9.6) Amortization of acquisition related intangible assets (10.3) (9.6) (21.3) (19.4) Executive compensation settlement (3.0) - (3.0) - Enterprise improvement recovery (costs) - 0.3 (4.8) 1.9 Foreign exchange differences (2.2) 1.5 1.6 (0.1) Income tax expense adjustment 7.2 (6.1) 7.9 (2.8) Net earnings 25.3 43.6 66.0 81.7 The Company's MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 provides additional information regarding these financial metrics and the specified items affecting the comparability of net earnings. Forward-Looking Statements This earnings release and the associated conference call and webcast, which includes a business update, discussion of second quarter 2016 financial results, and question and answer session, may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, which reflect the current view of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. ("MDA" or the "Company") with respect to future events and financial performance. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "would", "could", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "plan", "foresee", "believe" or "continue" or the negatives of such terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and represent management's best judgment based on facts and assumptions that management considers reasonable. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. MDA cautions readers that should certain risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: changes in government policies, priorities, funding levels, contracts or regulations and the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; growth in the commercial satellite market is dependent on the growth in the businesses of the Company's customers and the ability of its customers to develop new services; failure of third party subcontractors to complete contracts for which the Company is the prime contractor and the limited number of suppliers for some components; inherent risks of performance on firm fixed price construction contracts and termination of contracts by customers for convenience; changes in estimates of total revenues and costs on contracts and non-receipt of payments on failure of the Company's satellites and products to perform successfully; potential for product liability or the occurrence of defects in products or systems and resulting loss of revenue and harm to the Company's reputation; quality issues and failure of systems to meet performance requirements or to be accepted by a customer; inclusion of construction performance incentives in many of the Company's customer contracts; potential for component failure or performance issues on the Company's on-orbit satellites and resulting loss of revenue and harm to MDA's reputation and failure of the Company to receive data for sales or of customers to purchase data; failure of the Company to manage its acquisitions and breaches of contract and indemnities and related risks on divestitures; certain customers are highly leveraged and may not fulfil their contractual payment obligations, including vendor financing; MDA's ability to obtain certain satellite construction contracts depends, in part, on its ability to provide the customer with partial financing of working capital and any financing provided by the Company may not be repaid or the Company may be called upon to make payments; many of the Company's costs are fixed and MDA may not be able to cut costs sufficiently to maintain profitability in the event of a downturn in its business; the availability of facility space and qualified personnel may affect MDA's ability to perform its contracts as efficiently as planned; dependence on electronic systems may be subject to data and system security threats and malfunctions; detrimental reliance on third parties for data; dependence on key employees, potential for work stoppages and lack of oversight over a U.S. proxy board and management; failure to anticipate changes in technology, technical standards and offerings or comply with the requisite standards; failure to maintain technological advances and offer new products to retain customers and market position; significant competition with competitors that are larger or have greater resources and foreign currency fluctuations may increase competition from the Company's non-U.S. competitors; potential infringement of the intellectual property rights of others through licensed software or otherwise; inadequate protection of the Company's intellectual property rights; exposure to foreign currency fluctuations; changes in economic and political conditions; inability of suppliers or subcontractors to effect technology transfer; failure to maintain business alliances; uncertainty in financing arrangements and failure to obtain required financing on acceptable terms; changes in regulations, telecommunication standards and laws due to political and economic instability in the countries in which MDA conducts business; changes in U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including U.S. export control and economic sanctions laws, governing MDA's business; wrongful call on letters of credit, guarantees and performance bonds; insufficient insurance against material claims or losses; exposure to fines and/or legal sanctions under anti-corruption laws; changes in customer security requirements and the resulting cancellation of contracts; reliance on information technology systems and threats of disruption from security breaches and cyber-attacks; and failure to comply with environmental regulations. You are referred to the risk factors described in MDA's most recent annual Management's Discussion and Analysis, Annual Information Form and other documents on file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, available on SEDAR, www.sedar.com or www.mdacorporation.com. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this earnings release and the associated conference call and webcast represent MDA's views only as of today's date. MDA disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law, rule or regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the form or content of the earnings release or the associated conference call and webcast. SOURCE MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 29, 2016] Megaport Launches Services in Europe BRISBANE, Australia, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Megaport Limited (ASX:MP1) today announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Germany's second largest Internet Exchange operator PEERING GmbH which operates under the brand ECIX, based in Berlin, Germany. ECIX provides services to over 180 customers throughout its 30 points of presence within Germany. Megaport CEO Denver Maddux said: "Europe represents a tremendous opportunity for Megaport and our acquisition of PEERING GmbH gives us depth within Germany, one of the largest economies in Europe where cloud services are forecast to grow significantly." Stefan Wahl, CEO of PEERING, GmbH said: "In terms of culture, capabilities, and neutrality, Megaport was the obvious choice to extend ECIX's industry-changing services outside Germany. We are nimble which gives us the ability to deploy quickly and align our services to our customers' needs. "Megaport is the same and understands the importance of maintaining those values and capabilities while growing their business. The ECIX team are absolutely thrilled to join such a phenomenal company and team and are committed to supporting Megaport's success in Europe," Wahl said. Megaport also announced the acquisition of OM-NIX, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. OM-NIX is a carrier-grade pan-European network services provider with access to key interconnection facilities throughout Europe. Combined, the acquisitions represent 48 European sites. "OM-NIX has extensive reach into Eastern Europe and the Balkans region and, combining these acquisitions with the original Megaport build footprint, we now have extraordinary opportunity to extend our Elastic Interconnection across Europe," Maddux said. Yuliy Nushev, Founder of OM-NIX said: "It was immediately clear OM-NIX could play a big part in Megaport's vision to bring Elastic Interconnection to Europe. Our unique footprint is an excellent complement to the core Megaport footprint and offers a great number of locations and ecosystem partners with which to connect." "This service footprint will provide all our existing customers and partners cloud connection and internet exchange capabilities via Megaport irtual Cross Connect services (VXCs) as well as Internet Exchange services. The ECIX Internet Exchange service has become one of the top IX platforms in Europe. I could not be happier to welcome ECIX and OM-NIX to the Megaport family," Maddux said. Combined, the acquisitions of ECIX and OM-NIX represent 48 European sites. These acquisitions coincide with Megaport today officially launching its elastic interconnection platform in Europe. As foreshadowed in the IPO prospectus of December, 2015 the Megaport Elastic Fabric is now available in nine sites throughout London, Dublin, Stockholm and Amsterdam with an additional four sites due to come online in the coming weeks. Denver Maddux, Chief Executive Officer, Megaport Limited said: "I'm really pumped that we are formally launching services in Europe as well as announcing the acquisition of these two great companies that are accretive to our business and align with our values and culture. When you consider the market coverage each acquisition brings to our build they dovetail perfectly and leapfrog our initial plans for Europe. On completion of the transactions Europe will become Megaport's largest market in terms of coverage and revenue. That's pretty incredible." Details of Megaport's European launch and acquisitions: Combined European footprint in 13 countries across 19 cities and 57 locations with these acquisitions representing 48 of those . Combined acquisition cost $3.1M AUD with combined estimated annualised revenue of $4.5M AUD and the acquisitions are earnings accretive AUD with combined estimated annualised revenue of AUD and the acquisitions are earnings accretive Acquisitions are all cash consideration funded from current cash reserves Combined acquisitions bring 180+ customers Core PEERING GmbH leadership team will remain as managers of the combined operation The sale and purchase is subject to customary conditions precedent and is anticipated to complete in early August. Supporting Resources Visit Megaport: https://megaport.com/ Follow Megaport on Twitter: @megaportnetwork Like Megaport on Facebook Follow Megaport on LinkedIn About Megaport Megaport is the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. Using Software Defined Networking, the Company's global platform enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services across the Megaport Fabric. Services can be directly controlled by customers via mobile devices, their computer or our open API. The Company's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various markets. Established in 2013 and founded by Bevan Slattery, Megaport built the world's first SDN-based elastic interconnection platform designed to provide the most secure, seamless and on-demand way for enterprises, networks and services to interconnect. Led by industry veteran Denver Maddux, Megaport has been built by a highly experienced team with extensive knowledge in building large scale global carrier networks and connects over 500* customers throughout its 132* locations in 36* markets in 19 countries. Megaport is an Amazon AWS Technology Partner, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Partner, and Google Cloud Interconnect Partner. To learn more about Megaport, please visit: www.megaport.com. * Includes announced acquisition of OM-NIX and ECIX which are due to be completed in August, 2016. Media enquiries about Megaport: Email: [email protected] WENDY HILL SAPPHIRE COMMUNICATIONS PH: +614-2717-3203 EM: [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160510/365602LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/megaport-launches-services-in-europe-300306155.html SOURCE Megaport [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 29, 2016] "Student Debt Destroyer: 3 Steps to a Debt-Free Degree" -- New Guide and Interactive Tool from DirectTextbook.com PORTLAND, Ore., July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- College students can end the cycle of perpetual debt and position themselves for lifelong financial freedom with Direct Textbook's new guide, "Student Debt Destroyer: 3 Steps to a Debt-Free Degree." Download the guide for free at http://www.directtextbook.com/Student-Debt-Reduction-Guide. "Student Debt Destroyer" uses common sense language to walk students (and parents) through a three-step process to eliminate college debt (even if they already have it), including how to: Set goals for college, career and lifestyle Maximize financial aid and income opportunities Find out how much college is really going to cost and create a plan to pay for it The guide comes with the Student Budget Tool, an interactive spreadsheet that automatically: Maps out all student expenses and income Identifies future cash flow shortages and helps students prepare for big bills Calculates students' total cost of college and tracks every payment http://www.directtextbook.com/student-budget-tool. At a time when the average four-year college student graduates $35,000 in debt, "Student Debt Destroyer" is a critical resource to helping them begin their professional lives in sound financial shape while avoiding the traps that lead to lifelong debt. "This isn't your average 'how to save money during college' guide. It's the exact steps students need to take to eliminate college debt," said Morgan MacArthur, Direct Textbook Chief Technology Officer. Download "Student Debt Destroyer" and the College Budget Tool for free at http://www.directtextbook.com/Student-Debt-Reduction-Guide. For source material and more information on how college students can save money, visit the Direct Textbook blog. Source link for accompanying post: Wall Street Journal Since 2002, Direct Textbook has helped more than 20 million students and parents save up to 90 percent on college textbooks. As the world's most comprehensive textbook price comparison engine, Direct Textbook helps students get the best deals on new, used and alternative textbooks by instantly comparing prices from more than 200 online stores. Direct Textbook can be found online at http://www.directtextbook.com. Media Contact: Brian Morris Communications Coordinator [email protected] SOURCE Direct Textbook [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] JD England reflects on time as Mayor of Mitchell before stepping down JD England reflects on his time on the Mitchell police force, his first term election by just four votes and his accomplishments in office. By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, Jul 29 (PTI) A British-Pakistani woman, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances, was strangulated as she had a bruise mark on the neck and blood-stained froth was leaking from her mouth, according to an autopsy report, raising suspicions that she was a victim of "honour killing". 28-year-old Samia Shahids family had claimed that she died on July 20 due to cardiac arrest in Mangla area of Jhelum district of Pakistans Punjab province. advertisement But her husband Syed Mukhtar Kazim had registered FIR on July 23 against Samias father, mother, sister, cousin Mobeen and her former husband for allegedly murdering her as they were not happy with the marriage. Police briefly detained the father of the woman but later released him after finding no evidence against him. Her father has rejected the charges insisting that Samia died of heart attack. However, police said the autopsy report showed that she was strangled to death. "There were some bruises on the neck and now the medical report confirms that she was murdered," a police official said on anonymity. He said further probe was going on and the first phase of investigation would be completed after availability of results of more reports and tests by next week. Samia, a resident of Dhok Pandori village, Jehlum, some 230 km from Lahore, had come to Pakistan from Dubai about two weeks ago to see her ailing father. A beauty therapist from Bradford, Samia had previously been married to her first cousin Shakil but the couple parted ways after divorce in May 2014. She then married Kazim of Taxila in September 2014 and both started living in Dubai. Kazim claimed in the FIR that Samia had been killed by her family who refused to accept their relationship because he was an outsider. "Samias mother phoned her on July 11 and asked her to come to Pakistan to see her ailing father. Samia arrived in Pakistan on July 14. She told me by phone that her father was all right and now she was feeling threats to her life. "On July 20 his wifes phone was switched off and he contacted Mobeen, her cousin, who said that Samia had suffered a heart attack and died," Kazim said. He said he reached Pakistan on July 21 and got a murder case registered against his in-laws. A British MP Naz Shah was first to raise the issue when she wrote this week to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to order probe as Samia might have been killed for "honour". advertisement Honour killing is common in Pakistan. Last week, social media sensation Qandeel Baloch was killed by her younger brother as he objected to her photos and videos. PTI SH PMS --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) In the largest acquisition of an Indian company by a Chinese firm, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co today agreed to buy Hyderabad-based drugmaker Gland Pharma Ltd for about USD 1.26 billion (nearly Rs 8,500 crore). Fosun Pharma will acquire 86 per cent of Gland Pharma for USD 1.26 billion, the KKR-backed Indian firm said in a statement adding that a definitive agreement has been signed for the deal. advertisement Gland Pharmas founders and US private equity firm KKR, who jointly hold around 96 per cent of the drugmaker, will sell most of their stake to Fosun. "Based on the agreement, Fosun Pharma will purchase all shares of Gland owned by KKR Floorline Investments Pte Ltd in addition to shares purchased from other shareholders of the company," it said. Gland founder P V N Raju and his son Dr Ravi Penmetsa will continue to be on the Board, and Dr Penmetsa will continue as the Managing Director and CEO. The family will retain a stake in Gland. Established in 1978, Gland develops and manufactures generic injectables for use in nearly 90 countries on five continents, with a focus on the Indian and US markets. It owns four factories. Injectables are widely used medicines administered through vials, syringes, bags and pumps and are harder to make than regular medicines. KKR, which invested in Gland in 2014, is exiting the firm completely. While privately held Gland Pharmas line up of therapies includes antibiotics, oncology and cardiology treatments; Shanghai-based Fosun Pharmas product lines range widely from cardiovascular drugs and cancer treatments to diagnosis equipment and scalpels. "We looked at many partners with the help of KKR and as we went through this process we felt Fosun suits us the best because they are a conglomerate, they have a lot of resources, they are worldwide and they also have Fosun Pharmaceutical which is a multinational. They have a presence in Israel, they have R&D in the US," Penmetsa said. The Chinese firm has several R&D centres and manufacturing in China and they are also strong in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), he added. "So, we felt that this will really compliment what we already created." More PTI AKT MSS ANZ MKJ --- ENDS --- Chalice will soon be a part of a comic series titled Alters that is all set to hit the shelves in September. By Reuters: Move over, Spider-Man and Superman. Here comes Chalice, a transgender superhero hitting the comic-book world. Chalice makes her debut in September in the Alters, a series of stories about a group of outcasts whose unique circumstances give them superpowers. Transitioning to female and donning a miniskirt and cloak, Chalice develops an ability to control quantum mechanics. Other Alters include a quadriplegic man and a character suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. advertisement While transgender rights have made recent U.S. headlines, Chalice's story was not meant to be political commentary, said her creator, Atlanta-based comic-book artist Paul Jenkins. "Her transition is an important part of the story," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "But the fact is, why is she great? Because she kicks ass." Still, in a "nod and a wink" to current debate, a special cover of Chalice's first issue will be designed and released in North Carolina, a U.S. state with a controversial law requiring transgender people to use public bathrooms matching their sex at birth. The North Carolina cover is undecided but might feature Chalice sending greetings from the statehouse or confronted by various bathroom signs. Also Read: Meet the transgender makeup artist who believes beauty is genderless "We're just kind of addressing the absurdity of it, frankly," Jenkins said. Jenkins has written for the comic titles Spider-Man, Wolverine and Inhumans, published by comic-book powerhouse Marvel. His Alters idea was adopted by a small, young company called AfterShock. Chalice is not the first transgender comic-book character, but she is the first to play a central role, said Tamra Bonvillain, part of the Chalice creative team and a transgender woman. Also Read: India's first transgender music band, 6 Pack Band, now sings for Sultan Her predecessors include Alysia Yeoh, who came out as transgender in a 2013 Batgirl comic and Shvaughn Erin, who in a 1992 Legion of Super-Heroes story was revealed to have been born male. Jenkins sought help from transgender people on how to make Chalice's struggle with her gender identity realistic, sending the advocacy group GLAAD copies of his scripts for feedback. "A couple of trans people have written in and said 'You know, it's quite dangerous when we are presented as men in skirt or dresses,'" he said. Bonvillain said she hoped transgender people might see a bit of themselves in Chalice. "The feeling of leading a false life before transitioning is definitely something that's relatable to me," she said. (The source of the article is Thomson Reuters Foundation, that is the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters responsible for covering humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change.) --- ENDS --- advertisement It looks like reports suggesting UK heavy music festival Download is coming to Australia may be onto something. Live Nation, previously speculated as the promoter set to bring Download Down Under, has purchased the Australian domain name for Download. In other words, Live Nation now own the Download Festival Australia website, which one could reasonably think theyd only bother with if they actually planned on using it by, say, launching an Australian leg for one of Europes biggest heavy music festivals. Following the permanent cancellation of Soundwave Festival, Australian heavy music fans were given a glimmer of hope after Download booker Andy Copping suggested fans should not give up hope about the fate of heavy festivals in Australia. Then, when global touring giant Live Nation and homegrown house of heavy music UNIFY Present announced their partnership, their press releases made a point of mentioning that Live Nation is also the producer of the UKs famous DOWNLOAD Festival. Then Music Feeds reported that the lineup for the inaugural Download Australia is set to drop in 2017, with the festival itself set to go down in late 2017 or early 2018, smack dab in the middle of the summer festival season. Speaking to Tone Deaf back in May, Venue Collective co-founder Ben Thompson let slip that three big touring festivals are set to debut next year, which will hopefully lead to a sideshow boom and help stimulate the live music economy. However, Thompson did not clarify just which festivals are set to debut next year and Download, which this year featured a lineup including Rammstein, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden, has not traditionally been a touring festival, though it does host a French instalment. Today at the DNC, Kansas City's mayor offered a slap in the face to Missouri candidates amid a longstanding debate before what will likely be a tough campaign. The reality is that Missouri Democrats have never pushed gun control because they know the issue is a loser with voters whereas Mayor Sly continues his anti-gun crusade and now pushes back against conventional wisdom in the process.Checkit: Kansas City Mayor Sly James Struggles To Back Chris Koster For Governor TOP RANKING DEMOCRATIC PARTY INSIDERS REVEAL FEAR OF WESTPORT NIGHT LIFE AND BERNIE SANDERS SUPPORTERS BACKLASH TONIGHT!!! "Westport isn't what it used to be . . . This is an older crowd and I'm warning my friends to get here early and park close. The string of armed robberies and carjackings around Midtown has a lot of people worried and I don't think it's unfair to be concerned. This is in addition to angry messages that we're all getting on social media from a lot of local Bernie supporters who still don't want to accept that WE'RE READY for our first female President!" "Thursday, July 28, 6:00-11:00 pm, Democratic National Convention Watch Party, Californo's, 4124 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO. This is what we've been working for...and we're just getting started, for the big push for a win for the United States of America, and the world. (But take an evening to celebrate!)" In just a few moments, Kansas City's elite Democratic Party denizens will gather on what will be a historic evening but there's a bit of concern about the reality of Hillary support in this embattled part of Midtown.To wit . . .Here's the word about tonight's big. . .And so, we'll call the mood . . .as Kansas City Democratic Party loyal descend on yet another wine bar to find their "groundbreaking" bliss.Check the info for tonight . . .You decide . . . "At 1:22 a.m. July 16, 2016, a group of nearly 50 young people mobbed the 7-11 convenience store at 3150 Gillham Rd. They came in two groups. Some paid for their items, but many grabbed things and ran out the door together without paying for them. If you recognize the suspected shoplifters in this video, particularly the three males captured in still shots at the end, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477)." AMID ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT WEEKS IN KANSAS CITY THIS YEAR . . . HOW DO WE STOP THE CARNAGE, VIOLENCE AND EMBOLDENED CRIMINAL CLASS WITH FEWER POLICE OFFICERS ON LOCAL STREETS THANKS TO MAYOR SLY'S BUDGET CUTS?!?! Last night our blog community. . .Now let's talk solutions in a manner that's more creative and thoughtful than so much racist, personal and family photo spam that clogs up social media . . .Like it or not, Pokemon Go robberies, increased Midtown carjacking risk and now this latest local episode reveal a tragic uptick in the threat of Kansas City crime with no real solution insight.Take another look at the video . . .You decide and suggest a workable solution . . . Prohibitory orders under Section 144 continued to be in force across 10 districts after separatist leaders called for a march in Kulgam district. By India Today Web Desk: Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was today detained after he tried to march towards Jamia Masjid in Srinagar. A curfew was imposed across the Kashmir Valley after a call for the same was made him. As per reports, prohibitory orders under Section 144 continued to be in force across 10 districts, after senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq called for a march in Kulgam district. advertisement A total of 50 people including 48 civilians and two policemen have been killed in widespread violence in the Valley that started on July 9, a day after Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani was killed. All educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities have remained closed. All public transport including the train services between Baramulla and Jammu's Bannihal town remained closed for the 19th day today. With inputs from Shuja-ul-Haq and IANS --- ENDS --- According to data from the Association of Russian Operators (ATOR), Greece come second only to Italy as the most popular destination for luxury holidays for Russian holidaymakers According to data from the Association of Russian Operators (ATOR), Greece come second only to Italy as the most popular destination for luxury holidays for Russian holidaymakers. In the list of the seven top luxury travel destinations for well-off Russians, Greece is followed by Britain, Monaco, the Maldives and the Seychelles. According to Mouzenidis Travel, the highest cost for luxury holidays in Greece amounts to 100,000 Euros. Mouzenidis mentions 5-star Grecotel Mandola Rosa Suites & Villas in the Peloponnese as the most expensive for accommodations (1,500 Euros per night), with 5-star Hotel Sani Asterias in Chalkidiki coming second (7,000 Euros per week). Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Raytheon Co, the maker of Patriot missile systems, reported higher-than-expected quarterly revenue as sales of its Paveway smart bombs increased. The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company's shares rose 2.4 per cent to $138.60 in premarket trading on Thursday. Raytheon also raised its 2016 forecast for earnings from continuing operations, partly due to a lower tax rate and fall in interest expenses. The company benefited from a big backlog from previous years, mainly in missile systems and space and airborne systems, Chief Financial Officer Toby O'Brien told Reuters. Sales in Raytheon's missile systems unit, its biggest business, increased 6 percent in the second quarter. The business, which makes laser- and GPS-guided smart bombs, accounted for more than a quarter of the company's total revenue. Sales rose 9.3 per cent in the space and airborne systems business, which makes tracking, targeting and navigation sensors for aircraft, drones and missiles, helped by higher revenue from classified programs. O'Brien said Raytheon got nearly a third of its sales from clients outside the US. Of this, about half came from the Middle East and Africa regions. He said weak oil prices did not hurt the company's business in the Middle East. "Our customers in that region are spending from a defence point of view on high priority areas that protect both their sovereignty and their citizens," O'Brien said. Raytheon raised its full-year earnings forecast to $7.13-$7.33 per share from $6.93-$7.13, leaving its net sales forecast unchanged at $24 billion-$24.5 billion. Analysts on average were expecting earnings of $7.18 per share and revenue of $24.42 billion, according to Thomson Reuters. Raytheon could win a contract by late 2017 from the Polish government, if Poland and the US reach an agreement on the Patriot missile defence system by the end of this year, O'Brien said. This month, Poland's defence minister said the country had made significant progress in its talks with Raytheon over a $5-billion missile defence system. Net income attributable to Raytheon rose 40.4 per cent to $709 million, or $2.38 per share, in the quarter ended July 3, including a gain related to the restructuring of its ThalesRaytheonSystems joint venture and a tax benefit. Total revenue rose 3.2 per cent to $6.04 billion, comfortably beating the average analyst estimate of $5.83 billion. Raytheon's backlog stood at $35.31 billion at the end of the quarter compared with $34.77 billion at the end of the first quarter. - Reuters Bahrain-based Investcorp, a global leader in alternative investment products, and Abu Dhabis Mubadala Development have agreed for Mubadala to acquire a 20 per cent interest in the company. The two-step transaction sees Mubadala acquire a 9.99 per cent ownership stake immediately, with a further 10.01 per cent following necessary regulatory approvals. Mubadalas investment strengthens Investcorps shareholder base, which includes major institutional investors from the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar, in addition to prominent individuals and family offices. Mohammed Mahfoodh Alardhi, executive chairman of Investcorp, said: Mubadala is one of the strongest and most respected investment companies in the GCC and globally, so todays development is a significant milestone in the institutionalization of our shareholder base. He further commented: This investment is a validation of Investcorps blue-chip brand, our human capital, and our vision for the future. This is a positive step for our stakeholders, including our shareholders, investors and portfolio companies. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Group CEO of Mubadala Development Company, said: We welcome the opportunity to become a shareholder in Investcorp. From an investment perspective, the stable and long term value-creation mission of Investcorp makes it a logical addition to Mubadalas diverse financial investment portfolio. TradeArabia News Service By PTI: asks govt Mumbai, Jul 29 (PTI) The Bombay High Court today pulled up the Maharashtra government for its failure to obtain clarification from the Supreme Court on its order regarding the height of human pyramids for Dahi Handi celebrations. A bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed observed that the Govinda festival was approaching near and the state government had not yet obtained clarification from the apex court on the height of human pyramids. advertisement Last month, the High Court, while hearing a public interest litigation, had asked the state government to seek clarity from the Supreme Court on its order on the height of human pyramids. The bench once again asked the state government today to seek this clarification and posted the matter for hearing on August 12. The court was hearing a petition filed by city-based social worker Swati Patil, who is the secretary of Utkarsh Mahila Samajik Sanstha, an NGO. Patil alleged that the Maharashtra government and others were not following earlier orders of the Bombay High Court on the height of human pyramids during Dahi Handi celebrations. The High Court, on August 11, 2014, while hearing a petition filed by Patil, had ordered that the height of human pyramids should not exceed 20 feet and that children below the age of 18 years should not be allowed to take part in it. The state government challenged the Bombay High Court order in the Supreme Court which initially suspended the high court order, but later dismissed the petition. According to the state government, the apex court did not express any opinion on the restriction imposed by the high court on the height of human pyramids. Hence, they were not bound by the earlier order of the high court. The high court, however, is of the opinion that its earlier order would be in force unless it had been set aside by a higher court. Therefore, it asked the state government to get clarification from the Supreme Court about the same as the apex court order was silent on this aspect. All the Govinda organisations in the state are eagerly awaiting the court decision on the height of human pyramids in view of the forthcoming Dahi Handi festival. PTI SVS DK SMN RDS --- ENDS --- Roads in Delhi or the drainage system in the capital city are no better compared to that of Gurgaon. Here are a few photos shared by residents that shed light on this fact. By India Today Web Desk: People in Delhi NCR are losing their cool over the monster traffic jams they were caught in yesterday (and today) following a heavy downpour. Many got stuck in traffic jams and took over five to six hours to get home. Now, when you're stuck in a jam and you know there's no way out, what do you do? advertisement Tweet. Twitter was filled with photos of the jam, people slamming the Haryana government, some slamming Arvind Kejriwal, and a thousand jokes. Which Haryana minister would like to take a holy dip in the revered #gurugram #namami gurugram pic.twitter.com/uWmCqkgI1X Vikram Chaudhary (@_vikramch) July 28, 2016 This is NH 8 today in Gurgaon after the heavy rains. @mlkhattar ji dekhiye aapki Smart city ke haal ??? pic.twitter.com/vXRNs3m8bB Anuj Khurana (@HaddHaiYaar) July 28, 2016 Fair enough. The waterlogging is so bad that Gurgaon police tweeted asking people to avoid travelling to Gurgaon. Also read: Heavy downpour turns Gurgaon roads into rivers, traffic comes to a standstill They were also pointing out reasons for the monster jam. Like this one: One reason for today's traffic jam...NHAI drain mess near Hero Honda Chowk pic.twitter.com/150GQEh6sZ Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 28, 2016 But what is not fair is Delhiites whining about it as if the situation in Delhi after rain is better than Gurgaon. Let's accept it, IT IS NOT! Here are some photos to show the condition of Delhi. Because god forbid delhi functions during minor rain. #delhirains pic.twitter.com/GZ9swaAE4H Sanah Rizvi (@SanahRizvi) July 28, 2016 Delhi after 6 seconds of rain pic.twitter.com/eDgPg3KfpF Namelass (@DilliBelle) July 26, 2016 Heavy rain in #Delhi, water logging capital pic.twitter.com/dovo3iiOT7 Hani Musthafa (@hanmust) July 26, 2016 Due to continues rain for 3~4 hours.The condition of Police Station and BSES office at New Friends Colony, New Delhi pic.twitter.com/uuCwa1QVUR Gurvinder Singh (@Gurvinder2211) July 19, 2016 When the capital going to have better sewage plans to avoid water lodging in the city.#Delhi#rain#bad conditions. pic.twitter.com/LzEVmxYyti Anuj Sneh Chauhan (@AnujSChauhan5) July 18, 2016 Rain Water Logged After Heavy Rain In New Delhi Photos On https://t.co/Mf8zmjUJYa pic.twitter.com/msJ9NAMos4 Nikkilnews (@nikkilnews) July 16, 2016 --- ENDS --- advertisement By India Today Web Desk: John Abraham's wife Priya Runchal is unlike any other star wife. An investment banker by profession, Runchal has always stayed away from limelight. In fact, she seldom makes an appearance with husband. But she made an exception for the screening of John's recently released film Dishoom. ALSO READ: John Abraham, Priya Runchal headed for a split? Here's John's answer advertisement ALSO READ: Dishoom boys John-Varun on kiss with Parineeti, Naseeruddin-Rajesh Khanna controversy Runchal joined husband for the screening of the film. Clad in a pair of denims and a black off-shoulder top, Runchal looked simple and elegant. On the other hand, John was at his casual best in khakhi pants and a black t-shirt. In fact, this very appearance together has shot down the rumours of their marriage on the rocks. It is been more than a year now that their marriage has been dissected to no end by all. Since Priya mostly lives in the US, the distance between the two has often been stated as the reason behind problems in their marriage. But John has often rubbished the rumours and this public appearance has further put the speculation to rest. John plays the role of a cop in Rohit Dhawan's Dishoom. The buddy-cop film also stars Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez. The film hit the screens on July 29. (Photos: Yogen Shah) --- ENDS --- New Delhi, July 29 Unfazed by nationwide public sector banks strike, SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya today said the merger of five associate banks and Bhartiya Mahila Bank with the state-owned lender should be over by next March. People have to understand that the change is inevitable. There have been strikes at many occasions but we have to educate them and take them on board, she said on the sidelines of the launch of SBIs wealth management offering called SBI Exclusif. Services at around 80,000 bank branches in the country were hit today as employees of public sector banks went on a one-day strike to protest against the proposed merger of SBI associates with the parent among other issues. Asked as to when the proposed merger would be complete, Bhattacharya said: Timeline is around by the end of the financial year (for merger to get over). On completion, the merger is likely to create one of the largest banks in Asia. The merged entity will create a banking behemoth, which can compete with the largest in the world, with an asset base of Rs 37 lakh crore or over $555 billion. SBI alone has close to 16,500 branches, including 191 foreign offices, spread across 36 countries. SBI has five associate banks State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Mysore and State Bank of Hyderabad. Of these, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Hyderabad are unlisted. The last merger of its associate State Bank of Indore took about 55 weeks, but it would be significantly less this time, the official added. SBI first merged State Bank of Saurashtra with itself in 2008. Two years later, State Bank of Indore was merged. As for SBI Exclusif, SBI chief said it is targeted at the fast-growing affluent segment in the country for wealth management which will come initially free of cost. SBI Exclusif customers will have access to a dedicated Relationship Manager supported by a team of investment experts to take care of all their banking and investment needs through various channels i.e. in-person, a first-of-its-kind e-Wealth channel (remotely via a call or video conversation) or through future ready digital (internet banking/mobile) channels, he said. The bank had launched the offering in Bengaluru on a pilot basis on January and it rolled out this service in Delhi today for customers who earn a monthly income of Rs 2 lakh per month or fixed deposits of Rs 30 lakh or Rs 1 crore housing loan. SBI is targeting customer base of 5,000-6,000 and Rs 55,000 crore of asset under management by the end of the current fiscal, Bhattacharya said. Regarding increase in the network exclusively for this product, she said: We will launch it in Mumbai in the next 15 days and we will have 37 such centres by the end of the current fiscal. Further, customers will have access to the best products across categories from market leading institutions, as the bank has introduced an open platform not restricting the customers to choose from few specific institutions. PTI Rajinder Nagarkoti Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 29 The Congress walked out of a House meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Friday to protest the Uppal housing scam and a suspected illegal construction by Bharatiya Janata Party president Sanjay Tandon outside Lal Dora in Khuda Ali Sher village. Former mayor Subhash Chawla a Congress councillor accused leaders of the BJP, among them Mayor Arun Sood, of shielding Uppal Housing Pvt Ltd, a group suspected of having been involved in a housing scam at Manimajra. Chawla claimed BJP leaders had a deal with the builders. However, Mayor Arun Sood countered by accusing the Congress of trying to protect officials involved in the swindle. The suspected fraud pertains to a 6.9 acre of prime land in pocket numbers 2 and 3 at Mani Majra to the group for Rs 108 crore on November 28, 2005 for a housing scheme. The plan specified that 15 per cent of the total number of units each having a minimum area of 200 sq ft would be constructed for the Economically Weaker Sections. However, no EWS flats have been constructed thus far. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) More than 40 NGOs including from India today asked countries to end breeding of the wildcats for commercial purposes and phase out tiger farms, a move which comes in the wake of seizure of tiger pubs and skins from Tiger Temple in Thailand. On International Tiger Day, the organisations noted that wild tiger population has declined by over 95 per cent in the last 100 years while this year alone, there has been an upsurge in tiger poaching in India with more tigers killed in the first five months of 2016 that in the whole of 2015. advertisement "If wild tiger populations are to be recovered and secured, the international community must provide support to end tiger farming and all trade in tiger parts and products from wild and captive tigers," a WWF India statement quoting the 45 organisations said. The organisations also extended their assistance to achieve the goals of zero demand for tiger parts and products and zero poaching of tigers. They said that the global wild tiger population is estimated to be less than 4,000 and these last remaining wild tigers are each threatened by trade for nearly all of their body parts ? from skins and bones to teeth and claws ? traded by criminals for huge profit. The main market for tiger products are consumers in China and Vietnam, followed by smaller consumer markets in Myanmar and Laos, they said. The organisations commended the recent bold enforcement efforts of Thailand government which in June this year seized 137 live tigers, thousands of tiger skin amulets, 70 preserved cubs and other tiger parts from the Tiger Temple. "This represents a significant opportunity for Thailand to end all tiger farming within its borders and to play a leadership role in the phase-out of tiger farms in the region," the statement said. They said that there are currently two primary sources for trade in tiger parts and products, wild tigers in ten range countries that are home to the last remaining wild tigers and captive tigers largely found in four tiger farming countries - China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. (MORE) PTI TDS RG --- ENDS --- Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune news service Chandigarh, July 29 Rejecting the decision of the Chandigarh Hosing Board (CHB) for giving additional FAR and coverage area in the CHB houses, Finance Secretary Sarbjit Singh has asked the CHB Chairman, Maninder Singh, to clarify to the public regarding the decision. In another letter to the CHB Chairman within a month, the Finance Secretary-cum-Chief Administrator, UT Administration, said residents of the city were having general perception that the CHB had increased FAR and the coverage area in the houses which the Board could not allow on its own, this required clarification. The Finance Secretary made it clear that zoning, FAR, ground coverage architectural control were within the purview of the Administration that was further bound by parameters laid down in the Master Plan 2030, which was notified after the consent of the Government of India which bars any increase in FAR. In the first letter, the Finance Secretary urged the CHB Chairman to withdraw the orders for giving additional FAR and coverage area in the CHB houses. Despite that letter, the CHB continued to announce giving more relaxations to the CHB houses. The CHB in the order issued last month allowed covering 70 per cent area from 60 per cent in independent houses situated in Sectors 40, 41 and from 43 to 47. The order says relaxation should not exceed 70 per cent ground coverage and the floor area ratio (FAR) of two. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 29 Hundreds of PGI resident doctors today went on a strike for over six hours, seeking fulfilment of their demands, some of them long-pending, following Dr Dhanshree Sharmas death on July 26 in a road accident at Naraingarh. Later in the day, the PGI authorities accepted all of their demands. The strike, which began here today at 8 am and ended well past 1 pm, had around 1,200 senior and junior residents skipping work to protest. The PGI faculty also expressed solidarity with the residents by remaining off work for one hour from 8 am to 9 am, in support of the demands. Hundreds of resident doctors gathered outside the Directors office at Kairon Block at 9 am and protested wearing black badges. Representatives of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) were summoned for a meeting by PGI Director Dr Yogesh Chawla at 12 pm, which continued for over an hour. The doctors, meanwhile, continued dharna outside till past 1 pm, filling up resident doctors welfare surveys and questionnaires issued by the ARD. Patients left high & dry Nursing and support staff struggle to strike a balance in the absence of doctors. On Friday, thousands of patients at the PGI were asked to return home without treatment in the wake of the resident doctors six-hour strike. Almost all out-patient departments (OPDs) functioned with skeletal staff and authorities struggled to keep emergency services functional, contrary to the PGI authorities claims. Patients speak up Docs not bothered about patients I have been camping at the PGI since Thursday night, but was asked to go back home. These doctors are striking work over a dead colleague and not caring two hoots about hundreds of patients who might die, waiting for treatment. Manoj Kumar, a patient from Karnal Who is responsible for the inconvenience? I had come to get my injured leg treated. Doctors could have submitted a memorandum to the authorities instead of striking work. Who is responsible for the inconvenience caused to patients? Vijay Singh, A Karnal resident I was told to come next week I came here from Panipat at 5 am to get treatment for my allergy and diabetes. After waiting for several hours, I was informed at 11 am by the security guard that there was no doctor available on Friday and I would have to come back next week. Gitabo, A Panipat resident Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 29 Days after presenting a dossier against Bhupinder Singh Hooda to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former state minister Capt Ajay Yadav today announced his resignation from the Congress. The development comes after the former minister was asked not to attend an important party meeting in Delhi two days ago even though he was first invited. On war path with Hooda, Yadav told The Tribune that the Congress had abandoned internal democracy and he was feeling isolated and jilted. Excerpts: Why are you quitting your party of 28 years? There is no internal democracy left in the Congress. AICC general secretary in charge of Haryana Kamal Nath has killed internal democracy. He is biased and has misrepresented my case in front of the Congress high command. He is siding with Hooda and giving one-sided report to the leaders about why I went to Khattar. Why didnt you meet Congress president before quitting? It pains me to say that both Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi did not give me an appointment. I have been seeking one from Soniaji for four days and from Rahul for a week. No one has called me since I announced my resignation. No one cares. Your principal concern? My humiliation. I was first invited and then told not to come for the party meeting in Delhi. Kamal Nath didnt care to call me personally to say why this was done and at whose behest. He informed me through Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar. How can I be with a party where my honour is at stake? Kamal Nath took no cognisance of my documents on Hooda. One cant talk inside party or to the media. One feels suffocated. Will you reconsider your decision like you did when you quit the previous Hooda cabinet? I cant remain in the Hooda Congress. Hooda is carrying the state Congress in his pocket. It has become a one-man party in Haryana. Many leaders left because of him. Question is, why is this being allowed? Why was no action taken against Hooda for not voting in the Rajya Sabha elections from Haryana? My effigies were burnt in Rohtak by Hoodas supporters. Why did Kamal Nath not act? Are you joining BJP? I will never join the BJP. There are many regional forces in Haryana. I will first travel the state, meet my supporters and ask them what to do next. Congress says it hasnt received your resignation. I will submit my formal resignation to Sonia Gandhi tomorrow morning. New Delhi, July 29 The Delhi High Court today asked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singhs wife to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with a money laundering case. Justice Vipin Sanghi asked Pratibha Singh to cooperate with the ED when she appears before it on August 9. The court, however, asked the ED not to take any coercive step against her on August 9 and in case it wanted to further question her, it would have to give reasons for it. In case the ED wants to further question her (Pratibha Singh), they will have to file a status report before it on August 24 and inform about the instances on basis of which they further want to interrogate her, the court said.Pratibha had not appeared before the ED yesterday and has been asked to remain present on August 9.The courts order came on her plea seeking a direction to the ED not to take any coercive step against her in the wake of the arrest of an LIC agent in the case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the CMs wife, told the court that she had no problem in joining the questioning by the ED, but the agency should ensure that it would not take any coercive step against her. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain said he was not in a position to give an undertaking that she would not be arrested as at the time of interrogation it would be up to the officer concerned to decide whether her further custody was required. He, however, said: On August 9, the agency will not take any such step and will file a status report with regard to the interrogation that takes place that day. The ASG said in case, any further appearance or her custody was required, it would be indicated in the status report. The court agreed with the ASG and said the agency should not take any coercive step.Besides his wife, Virbhadra has also moved the court seeking protection from arrest in the case. However, he has not been summoned by the ED so far. PTI Virbhadras plea Tribune News Service Jammu, July 29 The self-proclaimed nationalist party BJP is in a fix after Chief Minister Mehbooba Muftis startling revelation that security officials were unaware of the presence of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani in the area where encounter took place in which he (Wani) was killed in a gun battle. The leadership of the ultra-nationalist party has landed in an embarrassing position because the Opposition has asked the BJP to clear its stand on the Chief Ministers statement. While party ministers in the coalition government have maintained a guarded silence over the disclosure of the Chief Minister, the BJP has assigned the job to its chief spokesman Sunil Sethi to counter Mehboobas statement, though in a veiled manner. The Chief Ministers statement means policy decision of the state government. One can draw conclusion from the revelation of the Chief Minister that the government was ready to give safe passage to dreaded militant Buhran Wani, Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh contented, while quoting Mehboobas statement. The BJP, especially Deputy Chief Minister, who is Jammus representative in the government, should answer what will be the government stand if security forces were aware of the presence of Burhan Wani at the encounter side, said Harsh Dev Singh and regretted that for the lust of power the BJP was playing with the fire by pursuing separatist agenda. The Congress also came down heavily on the BJP and asked the Deputy Chief Minister to explain the stand of his party on the dangerous statements of Chief Minister Mehboba Mufti. In a joint press conference, general secretaries of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Manjit Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Manmohan Singh and Namrata Sharma said the Chief Minister had stated on Thursday that had the security forces known that Bhuran Wani was the part of the militant group hold up in Anantnag, he would have been allowed another chance. The leaders asked the BJP leaders to explain if they agreed with the Chief Minister when she said the sacrifice of the boys would not go to waste. The people of Jammu had voted for the BJP in large numbers and it was the duty of the Deputy Chief Minister and other Cabinet ministers to explain their position before the people of the state, they said. They said the present security scenario in the state was a matter of concern and especially when there was lack of coherence between the government and the security forces. Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 29 Strict restrictions were imposed in all 10 districts of Kashmir on Friday morning to foil the march to Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, on the separatists call to pay tributes to those killed during the ongoing unrest across the valley. The decision to enforce strict restrictions was given the nod at the security review meeting by top civil administration and police officers here on Thursday evening. There would be no public and vehicular movement except for essential services and ambulances, the officials said. Amid complete shutdown, most areas of the Kashmir valley have been reeling under restrictions. At least 46 civilians and two J&K Police personnel have lost their lives while more than 5,600 others have got injured in the clashes so far. The trouble started on July 8 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Meanwhile, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have extended the shutdown call by two days from Saturday, to protest against the civilian killings during the past about three weeks. The administration had already foiled the separatists march to Anantnag and Kulgam districts earlier this week. Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 29 There were demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and security forces in many parts of the Kashmir valley after Friday prayers today even as curfew remained in force to foil the separatists march to Jamia Masjid in old Srinagar, leaving over 100 civilians and police personnel injured. The SMHS Hospital here received nearly 30 injured civilians till the evening, including three with bullet injuries and many others with pellet injuries, the authorities said. However, the condition of three youths from Kupwara with bullet injuries was stated to be stable. At least 35 others got injured in different areas of the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian. Protesters attacked security pickets in Shopian and Pulwama districts. One person sustained bullet injuries at Kakapora in Pulwama district and was taken to SKIMS in Srinagar. Some others were reported to have received pellet injuries. A government sheep farm building was set ablaze at Sheermal in Shopian during the protests. Incidents of stone-throwing and clashes between civilian protesters and security forces were reported from various areas of Srinagar, including Sonwar, Mehjoor Nagar, Natipora, Chhanpora, Bagh-e-Mehtab and Rawalpora. People took to the streets after Friday prayers and held protest demonstrations, leading to clashes with police and CRPF personnel. The police lobbed teargas shells to quell demonstrators and chase away stone-throwers who gathered outside the office of the United Nations Military Observer Group In India and Pakistan at Sonwar, located near the high-security Gupkar Road. Leaders of both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, were detained by the police while attempting to march towards the Jamia Masjid around noon. All roads leading to the downtown area were sealed to prevent any movement and foil the separatists march. Reports from Kupwara said three teenage boys were wounded when security forces opened fire to disperse protesters indulging in stone-throwing at Gushi village. Protests were reported from different areas of Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara districts in north Kashmir. At least 15 persons were injured during clashes in the Khwaja Bagh area of Baramulla this afternoon. Three persons received bullet injuries in Kupwara while a number of protesters received pellet injuries in north Kashmir areas. The police said about 70 incidents of stone-throwing were witnessed across the Valley. Miscreants attacked a number of police and security establishments and camps, said a police spokesman. Eight civilians and 46 police and security personnel were injured, he said. He added that militants lobbed a grenade on police and CRPF personnel in Shopian. It was later defused by the bomb disposal squad. Protesters set a government building on fire at Ruhama in Baramulla, the spokesman further said. The US Air Force may soon declare the controversial and expensive F-35 JSF ready for combat. Here are a few things you need to know about the stealth fighter jet. By Shreya Biswas: The US Air Force is considering certifying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter ready for combat. If that happens, it would be a hard-earned milestone for the fighter plane that in the past has been called the 'plane that ate the Pentagon'. General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, head of the US Air Force's Air Combat Command, said that the jet is likely to be declared combat ready "at the leading edge" of a time frame that begins August 1. advertisement The F-35, dubbed as the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program till date, is a single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multi-role fighter developed by Lockheed Martin. The hi-tech has had its fair share of controversies, most of which haven't been forgotten. Here are few of the troubles that earned this fighter jet a bad name: 1. The plane that ate the Pentagon The Pentagon's program to build F-35 Joint Strike Fighter came with a price tag of USD 400 billion, but that didn't stop it from suffering a series of problems. The project got ridden with a number of cost-overruns and came under fire for developmental delays over the years. 2. Over-the-top expense The program underwent several reassessments over the years, which only fuelled criticism. In 2010, USAF budget data pointed out that the F-35 has had a flyaway cost from USD 89 million to USD 200 million "over the planned production run". Source: Master Sgt John Nimmo Sr/ US Air Force 3. Catching fire and being grounded Before things could get better, it got worse for F-35. In 2014, the engine of one of the jets caught fire while preparing to take off. The entire fleet was temporarily grounded in the light of this incident. Source: Master Sgt John Nimmo Sr/ US Air Force 4. Safety issues A 2015 Pentagon report stated that the F-35 had a "significant risk of fire due to extensive fuel tank vulnerability, lightning vulnerability, and its OBIGGS system's inability to sufficiently reduce fire-sustaining oxygen, despite redesigns". The F-35B was then given a redesigned fuel tank ullage inerting system to prevent fire hazards. 5. Vulnerable in dogfights The aircraft's combat credibility came into question last year when an evaluation report pointed out F-35A's poor dog-fighting abilities. The document said the F-35 was "significantly less manoeuverable" and has "distinct energy disadvantage". In their defence, the Air Force released an 8-page document in order to "articulate the capabilities of the aircraft and explain the capabilities war-fighters must have". In short, they tried to reason that F-35A's strength lies in its design for stealth and sensor superiority, and not dog-fighting, especially in the era of BVR (Beyond visual range). Source: Master Sgt John Nimmo Sr/ US Air Force Source: Master Sgt John Nimmo Sr/ US Air Force advertisement 6. Other Glitches There have also been issues with regarding its wing drop, computer stability, pilots' situational awareness, helmet which had high false-alarm rates, etc. What's good about the JSF? The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has some upsides too, of course (The Pentagon didn't pour all this money into its production because it was garbage). It has described as being 'durable', having low-maintenance stealth technology, integrated avionics and sensor fusion, etc. Its stealth design with no right angles enables the fighter to evade detection by radar. The plane's on-board computers are networked with nearby ships and planes to create an all-seeing 'combat cloud', while airspeed, altitude, targeting information and warnings are all projected onto the helmet's visor. Helmet also displays images from six infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft. Cockpit has glass touch-screen panel which also uses voice recognition. Source: US Marine Corps (L), Pinterest (R) Whether these features will help F-35 shine as a combat jet is the thing to see. India, meanwhile, is waiting for its own fifth-generation fighter jet being developed by Russia. --- ENDS --- Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 29 Sandip Singh, 55, a resident of Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar here, shot dead his wife Amandeep Kaur, 45, daughter Dinaaj Kaur, 17, and mother Bachan Kaur, 70, and then turned the gun on himself this morning. He was upset because of an ongoing property dispute, sources said. The familys domestic help told the police she was in Bachan Kaurs room when she heard gunshots. She rushed out and saw Sandip Singh with a gun. He warned her to stay away. Intimidated, she rushed to the roof of the house. Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said, It seems Sandip first shot his daughter, wife and then mother at 6 am. His body and that of his wife were found in the bedroom on the first floor, his daughters near the sofa in the lobby and of his mother on the ground floor. Bachan Kaur would write the vaak (thought for the day) after listening to Gurbani from Amritsar. This morning too she had written one. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The murders were discovered by another domestic help, who raised an alarm. Sandip could have been in depression because of a property dispute. He had two more weapons. There were no signs of forcible entry into the house, Aulakh said. The family, from Mangat village in Ludhiana, had been residing at BRS Nagar for the past five years. Sandip had both urban and rural property. Ludhiana, July 29 Dr Ajeet Kumar from the department of veterinary gynaecology and obstetrics at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, attended the 18th International Congress on Animal Reproduction held at Tours, France. He had an oral presentation on Fertility associated metabolites in bull seminal plasma and blood serum: 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance study, which was was well appreciated by the scientific community. Present work on metabolomic approach is a promising way to identify high fertility cross bred bulls. TNS Ludhiana: Ludhiana Polytechnic College celebrated Vanmahotsav Day with great zeal and enthusiasm. Meaningful messages on the importance of trees and how they are the lifelines were put up all around. The guests of honour Naresh Gupta, Chairman Ludhiana Polytechnic College; Dr Rahul Gupta, Managing Director; Er HS Randhawa; Principal LPC graced the occasion. A sapling was also planted on the campus. The programme started with discussions by teachers in their respective classes. TNS GS Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 29 Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal today dared Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia to arrest him within six months (during the SAD-BJPs remaining tenure) or else he would have him (Majithia) arrested after that. It's a matter of aaj bail kal jail for this arrogant leader (Kejriwal). He cannot escape the law, the Minister hit back. I am glad the Delhi CM has been dragged to court for maligning my name, he said amid cheering by supporters. Thronged by a huge crowd, Kejriwal and his party colleague Sanjay Singh appeared in a local court and procured bail on a bond of Rs 40,000 each. The defamation case will now come up for hearing on October 15, said AAP leader and Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka. He said Ashish Khetan had already been exempted from personal appearance. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) It turned out to be a parallel show of strength between the Revenue Minister and the AAP convener. Policemen in large numbers were deployed en route the district courts. Police Commissioner Amar Singh Chahal himself supervised the security arrangements. About 15,000 - 20,000 AAP volunteers had gathered near the Circuit House by the time Kejriwal, who was accompanied by Bhagwant Mann, Sangrur MP, and Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, arrived there. The police reportedly stopped AAP volunteers barely a kilometre from the court even as Akali Dal workers gathered there in large numbers. The AAP volunteers were seen carrying placards, which read: Main ek var nahin hazaar var kahanga, Bikram Majithia chitte da taskar hai (I will say not once, but a thousand times that Majithia smuggles drugs). Solely focusing on the drug menace, Kejriwal claimed that hoardings across Punjab describing Majithia as a druglord clearly indicated the people had made up their mind to oust the Akalis. Not just me, Ashish Khetan and Sanjay Singh, but lakhs of Punjabis call Majithia a drug trafficker. I ask Majithia, how many defamation cases will he file? he thundered. He said that when the Badal government could pressurise him, Delhi Chief Minister, by implicating him in a false case, he could well understand the harassment faced by the common man (aam aadmi) in Punjab. Lucknow, July 29 Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh has been arrested from Buxar in Bihar in a joint operation by Uttar Pradesh Police and Bihar Police, a senior officer said on Friday. Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh was arrested on Friday, the UP-STF Senior Superintendent of Police said. The arrest comes four days after a court in Lucknow issued a non-bailable warrant against him. He has been on the run since being booked for having made demeaning comments about Bahujan Samaj Party national president Mayawati. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) In his remarks made recently, he likened the leader to a commercial sex worker. His remarks led to a furore and his eventual expulsion from the BJP. Agencies Rachna Khaira Tribune News Service Jalandhar, July 29 Temporary suspension of death row convict Gurdip Singhs sentence minutes before his execution in Indonesia on Friday has brought with it hope for his family at Khaira Mohalla in Nakodar. Gurdips wife Kulwinder Kaur thanked Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj for her efforts to save her husband. I appeal to the Indian government to secure his release from the Indonesian Jail. Gurdip has spent almost 10 years in solitude and now deserves to be united with his family, said Kaur. She also appealed to Indonesia for her husband's safe release. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj wrote on Twitter on Friday: "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed". Singh was among the 14 death row convicts who were to be executed at the Nusakambangan prison island by a firing squad on Friday morning, but spared at the very last minute. Singh was among the 10 executions postponed. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) As many as 14 people were originally set to face the firing squad together on Friday, but officials decided a "comprehensive review" was needed to "avoid any mistake" in the 10 cases, Attorney General H. Muhammad Prasetyo said. The date for the next round of executions has not been set, Prasetyo told reporters in Jakarta. (Also read: Three Nigerians among four executed in Indonesia, 10 cases postponed) Shattered dreams and hopes again Confusion prevailed until late morning over the execution. The Indian Embassy officials present at the prison island received reports about executions that had taken place inside the prison, but were initially unaware that only some prisoners were shot dead. However, minutes later, we received a call from the same official stating that although the rest of the prisoners were shot dead by the firing squad, Gurdip is safe, said a relative. His wife Kulwinder Kaur now hopes her husband would be united with the family. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Thursday that Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were trying to get Indonesia to stop Singhs execution. "Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. The Embassy sent a Note Verbale to Indonesia's Foreign Ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out," Swarup said. Singh was among 14 people who were found guilty of trying to smuggle 300 gm of heroin into Indonesia in 2004. Singh has denied any wrongdoing. He was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court sentenced him to death in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years jail. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May 2005. His appeal was turned down by the Indonesian Supreme Court. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi, July 29 Notwithstanding demands by various parties, including the ruling NDA ally TDP, the government on Friday remained non-committal on granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh but promised in the Rajya Sabha to handhold the revenue-deficit state to enable it to progress on its own. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured the House that the government is committed to keeping all its promises and will fulfil all its responsibilities as far as hand-holding Andhra Pradesh was concerned. Jaitley was responding to a discussion on the Status of implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and government assurances during which the TDP and several other parties pressed for grant of special category status to the state in the wake of carving out of the Telangana state two years back. He said the special status promise was not in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, but was made by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of the House and the government is now seeing what has to be done. However, he added, For some period, Andhra Pradesh needs hand-holding. The Centre will fulfil all the responsibilities it has towards hand-holding Andhra to (help it) reach a level where it can be on its own. Much to the surprise of the House, TDP leader and Minister YS Chowdary chipped in during Jaitleys reply to seek a resolution by the House for time-bound implementation of the promises made by the previous central government. This prompted Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien to quip that it is very unusual to see intervention of a Minister when another Minister is replying to a discussion. Interestingly, Chowdary held both the BJP and Congress equally responsible for the half-baked, unscientific and undemocratic Bill which led to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The TDP member reminded the House that both Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu had demanded special status for Andhra Pradesh to be extended to 10 years as against the five years promised by Manmohan Singh. He also praised then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for opposing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 1970s, saying that it would not be good. The Finance Minister appeared to be explaining the difficulty in granting the special status while noting that special status means that 90 per cent of the expenditure of schemes will be borne by the Centre as against 60 per cent for normal states. The Union of India should not be left financially vulnerable, he said while contending that the countrys economy has been adversely affected by global prices, two years of drought, the 7th Pay Commission and OROP among other factors. Explaining the division of federal revenues, Jaitley pointed out that 42 per cent of central revenues go to the states and the Centre is left with only 58 per cent to take care of defence of the country, payment of salaries, running the government, running central schemes in states among others. The size of the cake is limited, the size of the pie is limited, Jaitley said. He said that under the new Finance Commission architecture, the divided state of Andhra Pradesh will get over Rs 2.06 lakh crore for the period 2015-20 as against Rs 64,575.30 crore that it would have otherwise got. Talking about the promises made in the 2014 Act, the Finance Minister said a number of them have already been fulfilled. He named these as setting up of IIT, NIT, IIM and IISc. He also cited in-principle approval of Vizag metro, coal blocks and Vijaywada airport as the fulfillment of the 13th schedule commitments. Jaitley repeatedly said Andhra Pradeshs case is a developmental issue and one should not try and take political mileage out of it. He said the Centre has already given Rs 2,803 crore to Andhra Pradesh and both it and the state are working out the rest of the payment after studying the demand. I have no hesitation in telling my colleagues in the House that this is not the last day nor the last payment, he said. Jaitley said the Finance Commission has granted special status to hilly states and border districts but states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal would get more than what has been recommended under the new system. What will happen to federalism if we reject the Finance Commission report? India is a shared sovereignty. Should we reject part of the Finance Commission report, he asked while replying to questions raised by members. Meanwhile, Thota Seetharama Lakshmi of the TDP said Andhra Pradesh was asking for justice and not begging. We are asking for what we rightly deserve, she said. Naresh Gujral of the SAD said the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was a cynical step taken by a desperate Congress wanting to reap immediate political dividends. D. Raja of the CPI said people in Andhra are agitated but the Central Government is running away from the assurances given by the previous government. Responding to this, Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said, nobody is running away. Some solution has to be found. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, while cautioning that the issue could inflame and ignite passions, said a conflict has arisen because of assurance given here. How do we settle that? A way has to be found out. I urge the government to work out a mechanism to resolve this issue. PTI Sumedha Sharma Tribune News Service Gurgaon/Bengaluru, July 29 Thousands of motorists remained stranded overnight as a massive gridlock was witnessed on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway-8 following a downpour in Millennium City Gurgaon. The scene was no different in countrys I-T hub Bengaluru where rain crippled normal life, leaving in its wake waterlogged roads, flooded houses and severe traffic jams. Traffic remained affected in Delhis satellite city for almost 12 hours last night as traffic and civic authorities shifted blame for mismanagement and lack of planning. Long tailbacks today forced the authorities to clamp prohibitory orders for some time. Schools were ordered to be shut down for two days in Gurgaon. The state government convened a meeting of the Crisis Coordination Committee and sent two senior IAS officers to coordinate efforts to bring back normalcy. By evening, the traffic situation eased. The chaos started around 4 pm on Thursday after a drain overflowed following heavy rain and caused waterlogging near Hero Honda Chowk. As traffic grinded to a halt, many motorists abandoned their vehicles and waded through knee-deep water on both carriageways along the highway. The tailback extended up to 15-20 km. The areas affected included Rajiv Chowk, Cyber City, Sheetla Mata Road and Huda City Centre. #WATCH: Locals catch fish on streets as lake overflows in Bengaluru (Karnataka) due to incessant rainshttps://t.co/8TaFhE0Cyb ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 As vehicles ran out of fuel, motorists took to the social media to vent their ire. The authorities woke up to the gravity of situation only around 7 pm. A portion of the boundary of the Badshahpur drain ruptured early today, but was fixed later. Morning showers slowed down traffic on the arterial roads of Delhi. Different roads leading to Gurgaon, including NH-8 and Sohna Road, remained congested. #WATCH: Flood water enters homes in Bommanahalli area of Bengaluru (Karnataka) following heavy rainfall.https://t.co/ZAZ8HsYlv8 ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 Chief Minister ML Khattar held a meeting in Chandigarh to address the problem. He blamed his Delhi counterpart, saying a large amount of water exited the city through the Najafgarh drain, which flows out of the national capital. Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu asked Khattar to take urgent steps. The police issued an advisory asking people from Delhi to avoid travel to the satellite city. Bengaluru witnessed overflowing lakes, drainages and uprooted trees, compounding woes of the people. Boats were deployed in some parts to evacuate stranded people. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Yamunanagar floods: Why the disparity Given Gurgaons economic importance for Haryana, the state government was quick to step in. But the same urgency was not seen during the recent floods in Yamunanagar district. On July 27, the Army had to airlift eight farmers stranded on a piece of land in the Yamuna. (With agency inputs) Los Angeles, July 29 In an apparent hate crime, a 60-year-old Indian-origin Muslim mans auto parts shop in the US was vandalised with graffiti like go home Indian and I will kill you scrawled over the walls. Dr Waqar Vic Ahmeds shop in Pahrump, Nevada, was spray-painted with graffiti in what is now being investigated as a hate crime. Ahmed said he had heard the taunts before and experienced attacks on his Indian heritage and Muslim faith in the past, but never anything quite like this. The Nye County Sheriffs office said the hateful graffiti was discovered last Sunday in front of the shop. The business was spray-painted with derogatory words against the owners religion. Words like go home Indian, foreigner go home, camel jockey, I will kill you and I will get you were also scrawled on the walls of his shop. I had a guy tell me once to go back to my third-world country. I had to tell him what India was, Ahmed was quoted as saying by KSNV-TV. No suspects have been identified but they could face charges for malicious destruction of property. I hate to think that kind of thing is going on in Nye County and were going to do everything we possibly can to stop it, if it does, Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly was quoted as saying by KTNV-TV. Im disappointed at humanity in general, said Ahmed, an Indian Muslim who moved to the US more than 30 years ago. They say stuff like this to me and it makes my blood boil because I am none of those things, Ahmed said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the vandalism and said the Muslim business owner and his family had been targeted for more than a month. Ahmed said he received harassing phone calls about his race and religion about a month ago. He did file a restraining order against that caller, but it had since expired. The Nye County Sheriffs Office has a team of five investigators looking into the potential hate crime. If they find it to be a hate crime, they will turn the investigation over to the FBI. Be more tolerant. The worlds a big place and theres enough room for everybody, said Ahmed. Now, he said the plan is to clean up and continue his work. I know theres hatred. Its fed by ignorance. Educated people treat me just fine, he said. PTI New York, July 29 A 33-year-old Indian-origin Canadian man has been charged with cross-border drug smuggling in one of the largest cocaine seizures in US history. Gursharan Singh, who hails from Brampton, Ontario, and is one of the six men charged with smuggling operation, pleaded guilty on Thursday before senior US District Judge William M Skretny in federal court in Buffalo for transporting large amounts of cocaine and marijuana across the US-Canadian border. Singh was charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute 5 kg or more of cocaine. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine and will be sentenced on November 16. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Prosecutors said Singh was part of a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into Canada from the US via several international bridges, including those in the Buffalo-Niagara region, The Buffalo News reported. Investigators believe the group smuggled approximately 2,000 kg of cocaine between 2007 and May 2011. Officials said the case involved the largest seizure of cocaine in the history of the US Attorneys Office in the Western District of New York, the report said. Singh was indicted with Alvin Randhawa and Harinder Dhaliwal in February last year on charges of conspiracy to export cocaine, attempt to export cocaine, conspiracy to import marijuana and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, according to the US Attorneys Office. While Randhawa and Dhaliwal are still facing charges, the other three charged in the conspiracy--Ravinder Arora, Michael Bagri and Parminder Sidhu--have all been convicted. PTI By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Government has filed cases under FEMA amounting to Rs 17,789.9 crore against 15 companies that have received FDI from tax havens like Mauritius, Singapore and Virgin Islands, Parliament was informed today. "ED has registered cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against one company for Rs 18.27 crore and under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, against 15 companies amounting to Rs 17,789.92 crore, which have received FDI from tax havens like Mauritius, France, Cyprus, Singapore, Virgin Islands, Luxembourg, Dubai and Tunisia," Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. In recent times, Gangwar said, the government has taken several steps, both by way of policy-level initiative and more effective enforcement action on the ground, to tackle tax evasion, particularly with reference to undisclosed foreign assets or income. Replying to a separate query, the minister said, "The total quantity of destruction of illicit poppy cultivation for the calendar year 2016 (up to June) is 6,441.75 acres." Turkey has emerged as largest exporter of poppy seeds for India. It exported 7,056 tonnes poppy seeds to India in 2015-16, he added. The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, prohibits illegal cultivation of opium and other narcotic products in the country. A number of agencies have been empowered to carry out enforcement functions under the Act. To another query, Gangwar said in the first three months of the current fiscal, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has searched 125 groups and seized assets worth of Rs 185 crore. PTI BKS ARD --- ENDS --- advertisement New Delhi, July 29 The government on Friday said in the Rajya Sabha that the possibility of sabotage in the mysterious disappearance of AN-32 aircraft of IAF was comparatively very less and informed that the help of the US has also been sought in locating the plane. All types of techniques are being used to locate the aircraft, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said while replying to clarifications sought by members on his suo motu statement on the disappearance of the aircraft on July 22. As members expressed concern and raised questions over how the plane went missing, he said, I cant speculate because we are searching for it and I will not like to speculate. But I can say only this much. The possibility, although we are checking all angles, of any sabotage is comparatively very less because they have standard operating procedures. While sharing the concern of the members, he gave details of the operation being carried out for the last one week in trying to locate the plane, carrying 29 people, which went missing during a flight from Tambaram in Tamil Nadu to Port Blair. I appreciate anxiety of members. I am also disturbed at the sudden disappearance of the plane. I have spoken to several experts and former air chiefs who were also puzzled by the sudden disappearance, Parrikar said. The Minister said that at the time of disappearance, the aircraft was on secondary/passive radar and that There was no SOS or transmission of any frequency. It just disappeared, so that is the worrying part. The government has sought help from the US for detection of images and is seeking help from American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites had picked up any signal before the disappearance of the plane. It is total blank. There was not even a single signal recorded. That is the reason we are contacting American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites picked up any signal, Parrikar said. Besides our own satellite imagery, we have asked the US for their imagery for the detection of emergency frequency to space based assets. Foreign countries we have already asked. I only hope that our efforts succeed, he added while replying to queries whether foreign help has been sought. Queried about the age of the aircraft, the Defence Minister said it was almost as good as new aircraft. Elaborating he said, I dont know exact age but it is well within lifetime. It has undergone first overhauling. Lot of replacement has been done.... They are considered as one of the safest aircraft. He said the accident rate of Indian Air Force is 0.23 out of 10,000 hours of flying against the global rate of 0.023 and assured the House that maximum efforts would be made to ensure that the mishaps come down. If aircraft is not fit for flying we dont fly it. We have decided to check up whether we can improve the signalling system, he added. About the missing aircraft, Parrikar said that after the first overhaul, the plane had already done 279 hours and the pilot was experienced, having put in 500 hours on this route. The Defence Minister, who had made suo motu statement on the planes disappearance in both Houses of Parliament yesterday, said, Let us hope that we track it down. I can assure that maximum efforts will be taken. Sharing details of the search operation so far, he said 10 Indian Navy ships as well as submarine Sindhudhwaj are carrying searches and virtually checking up everything. Twenty-three inputs had been located, out of which 6 were of the nature of blinks and all inputs have been checked, he said. If we locate something, then we can send deepwater equipment to pick up. We have also diverted Sagar Nidhi (vessel) from Mauritius. It will reach on August one and it can go up to 6,000 metres depth. But we have to locate objects. We have to locate it because at this depth you cannot keep on scratching the bottom, Parrikar said. The Defence Minister said he was personally monitoring the situation. We owe that much to the people, I have seen (to it) that every family is kept in touch. Yesterday, he had said that several inputs and leads regarding floating objects have been picked up but there is no concrete evidence so far with respect to missing AN-32 aircraft of the IAF. PTI Simran Sodhi Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 29 India today categorically stated that Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who will be in Pakistan on August 4, will not be having any bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart. The Ministry of External Affairs, which had yesterday confirmed the Home Ministers visit to Pakistan, has pointedly stated that the ministers visit is to attend a multilateral event and should be looked at from that perspective. MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted, Let me categorically state that @Home Minister of India is going for SAARC event. There will be no bilateral meetings with Pakistan. However, a few media reports today indicated that the minister was likely to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and have bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart during his visit. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Singh is travelling to Pakistan on August 4 to attend a SAARC ministerial meeting. Any meeting with his Pakistani counterpart will raise a lot of uncomfortable questions for the government here since Pakistan has recently brought the agenda of Kashmir back on the centre table. The India-Pakistan relations have seen a sharp downturn over the last few weeks as the situation in Kashmir got more sensitive. Sharifs statement that Kashmir will one day become a part of Pakistan saw an angry External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj hit out at Pakistan and Sharif that his dream will not be realised even at the end of eternity. Singh will be accompanied by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and several other senior officers of the Home Ministry. New Delhi, July 29 The Opposition on Friday walked out of Lok Sabha to protest against growing attacks on Dalits and Muslims in the country, days after two Muslim women were assaulted in Madhya Pradesh recently for carrying beef. Raising the subject during Zero Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge read out statistics highlighting attacks on Dalits and cited incidents in Mandsaur (MP), Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. He also demanded a ban on cow vigilante groups such as Gau Rakshak Sangh the organisation suspected to be behind the most recent attack and claimed they had become law unto themselves. He also accused the BJP governments in states and the Sangh Pariwar of encouraging such attacks and even being involved in them. "Such incidents can happen only when they have government's support," he said, citing Fridays reports of a Dalit couple being hacked to death in UP. Amid cries of 'shame, shame' from opposition benches, the Congress leader said the two Muslim women had pleaded with their attackers that they were carrying buffalo meat, not cow meat, and had even shown them a receipt. "They were still thrashed in front of police. They were told that if they were men, they would have been killed," he alleged. A forensic report later showed it was buffalo meat, Kharge said. He also cited national crime data, saying a crime against Dalit was being committed every 80 minutes. "You (government) will say that it has been happening earlier too, but it has risen after you came to power. It has your support," he said. The Trinamool Congress also supported the Congresss allegations. In his brief reply over the incident in Madhya Pradesh, the Home Minister promised to investigate the case thoroughly. "This is a law and order issue. We all know it is a state matter. The Madhya Pradesh government has acted swiftly and effectively. Investigation is being done. I assure the House that justice will be done and the guilty not spared." Unhappy over his response, opposition members, among them leaders of the Congress, TMC and the Left, walked out of the House. PTI Tribune News Service Patna/Lucknow, July 29 After giving a slip to the police for nine days, Daya Shankar Singh, expelled BJP vice-president of the UP unit, was today arrested by a team of Special Task Force from Buxar in Bihar. Facing charges under the SC/ST Act and other related sections of the IPC for using abusive language against BSP chief Mayawati, Singh did not receive any relief from the Allahabad High Court yesterday, which refused to give him anticipatory bail, paving the way for his arrest. On July 27, the UP Government had issued a non-bailable warrant against him. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) As the derogatory remarks against Mayawati were made by Singh at a meeting in Mau in Uttar Pradesh, the UP Police are expected to take him to Mau, where he would be presented before the SC/ST court tomorrow. In a related development, eight persons were arrested for attacking BSP national general secretary N Siddiquis convoy in Agra. He had a narrow escape when members of Kshatriya Sabha attacked his convoy today. Reported to be supporters of Daya Shankar Singh, they damaged several cars in Siddiquis convoy demanding his arrest for using foul language against the women in Singhs family. Condemning the incident, Mayawati said it was the connivance of the BJP-SP that led to the attack. Legal Correspondent New Delhi, July 29 The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre seeking its response in a week to a petition seeking rules to prevent cruelty to egg-laying hen in poultry farms. A Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur passed the order on a petition by the Animal Welfare Board of India complaining about the absence of proper regulations for the purpose. Hen were being kept in cages in a overcrowded condition without any room for even slight movement. They were reared this way for their eggs. Over a period of time the hen became lame and were unable to even flutter when taken out for slaughter, senior counsel KK Venugopal pleaded. The petitioner sought transfer of four PILs pending in high courts to the Supreme Court. The Bench posted the next hearing for August 5. R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, July 29 The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to respond by Monday to Army doctors plea for enhancing their retirement age to 65 under the recent policy announced by the Centre. A Bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and UU Lalit issued notice to the Centre on a PIL by some of the doctors of the Army Medical Corps and Army Dental Corps pleading for parity with civilian medicos in the retirement age at 65. A copy of the petition should be handed over to the government during the day to enable it to respond by August 1, the next date for hearing, the court clarified. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Arguing for the petitioners, advocate Indira Sen Singh said his clients would be superannuating in two days and as such, the Bench should restrain the government from retiring them, pending disposal of their petition. Dont worry on this, the Bench told the petitioners, Amitabh Thapliyal and others, without passing any restraint order. The petitioners from the Army Medical Corps (AMC) pleaded that the Centre had enhanced the retirement age of non-teaching civilian doctors to 65 years, but the Defence Ministry was not extending the benefit to the Army where doctors retired at 60 or 62, depending upon their rank. However, other government wings such as paramilitary forces had decided to follow the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) decision to retire doctors at 65 years of age from May 31 this year. If the Army was not willing to retain them, they should be transferred to other departments facing shortage of doctors so that they could continue to serve till 65, they pleaded. The Centres move to increase the retirement age has come at the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using the services of experienced doctors to benefit the poor. Sasaram, July 29 A woman has been arrested along with two others for allegedly selling her four-month-old son for Rs three lakh in Bihars Rohtas district, police said on Friday. Sunita Devi, a native of Bhartiganj area, sold her son for Rs three lakh to one Priya Pandey of Ghaziabad yesterday, but later she had a change of heart and asked Pandey to return the child, Town police station in charge Pawan Kumar said. After Pandey lodged a complaint with the police, Sunita and one Taramani Devi, who had brokered the deal, were arrested on charges of human trafficking, he said. Pandey was also arrested on charges of aiding an illegal act and coming to police only when her plans did not work, Kumar said. All the three women have been sent to jail. PTI Woman held for selling infant son for Rs 3 lakh in Bihar Sasaram, July 29 A woman has been arrested along with two others for allegedly selling her four-month-old son for Rs three lakh in Bihars Rohtas district, police said on Friday. Sunita Devi, a native of Bhartiganj area, sold her son for Rs three lakh to one Priya Pandey of Ghaziabad yesterday, but later she had a change of heart and asked Pandey to return the child, Town police station in charge Pawan Kumar said. After Pandey lodged a complaint with the police, Sunita and one Taramani Devi, who had brokered the deal, were arrested on charges of human trafficking, he said. Pandey was also arrested on charges of aiding an illegal act and coming to police only when her plans did not work, Kumar said. All the three women have been sent to jail. PTI Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 29 A woman and her two children were buried alive when the roof of their three-storey house in Gali Anandwali collapsed this morning. Those killed were identified as Sukhwinder Kaur (48), Jugraj Singh (20) and Jas Kaur (18). Amardeep Singh, Sukhwinders husband, was not at home when the incident occurred. He had reportedly gone to meet her sister who was admitted to a private hospital. He stayed at the hospital in the night. Investigating officer Arjun Singh said the incident occurred around 4.30 am. Neighbours said they rushed out of their houses on hearing an explosion-like sound and saw that the roof of the victims house had collapsed. They had already launched a rescue operation when fire brigade and police official reached there. It took around an hour to retrieve all bodies. According to Amardeep, the building was around 70-year-old and some cracks had already appeared in its walls. Our cover story, written by Senior Associate Editor Kaushik Deka, analyses the Dalits' dilemma, wherein political parties woo them but do little to improve their lot. We also look at the backlash from upper castes and how parties are balancing their traditional vote banks with their new Dalit push. Politics in India has always revolved around caste and religious divisions. For decades, the big vote bank that everyone wanted to capture was the Muslims, who constitute more than 14 per cent of the population. But with the BJP storming to power in the 2014 general elections on the back of a Hindu consolidation, the focus seems to have shifted dramatically. Our October 1978 cover Since the BJP knows the Muslim community will not vote for it, the traditionally upper-caste Hindu party has started looking at Dalits as their new catchment area. The BJP's success in the Lok Sabha polls and its ability to form governments in several states since then, including Jammu & Kashmir and Assam, which have the highest Muslim populations in India in terms of percentages, has shown that elections can be won without Muslim support. This revelation is forcing several parties to reconsider their reliance on the Muslim vote bank. They are looking to the Dalits, who make up 25 per cent of the population when Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are taken together, as the group to lure. advertisement For the RSS, the inclusion of Dalits into the fold fits with its dream of a monolithic Hindu society. The Sangh, led mainly by Brahmins, is making a special effort to woo Dalits. Not only is it trying to claim the biggest Dalit icon, B.R. Ambedkar, as one of its heroes, it has launched the 'one well, one temple, one crematorium' slogan against discrimination in villages. There is an electoral logic to this shift that cannot be argued with. The Dalit vote share for the Congress, as high as 53 per cent in 1980, dropped to just 19 per cent in 2014. For the BJP, it doubled between 2009 and 2014, from 12 per cent to 24 per cent. The impact of this change on the seats won by the two parties has not been lost on other political leaders in the country. So when long-standing Dalit icon, Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party, raised the incident of the brutal flogging of Dalit men by a group of "cow protectors" in Gujarat, leaders from numerous parties made a beeline for Motasamadhiala village for a photo-op with the victims. After all, no party wanted to be on the wrong side of the community with assembly elections scheduled next year in Uttar Pradesh, a state with 40 million Dalits, and Punjab, which has a 32 per cent Dalit population. But this race to be seen as champions of the Dalit cause belies a depressing counter-narrative. Not only has Dalit appeasement proved to be mere lip service, with the community still the poorest and most backward in the country, the recent gestures to placate them have caused disgruntlement among upper castes, bringing the caste conflict in India to a new flash point. This has been multiplied by the fact that Dalits are more educated than before-their literacy rates jumped 90 per cent between 2001 and 2011-and are starting to assert their rights. Our cover story, written by Senior Associate Editor Kaushik Deka, analyses the Dalits' dilemma, wherein political parties woo them but do little to improve their lot. We also look at the backlash from upper castes and how parties are balancing their traditional vote banks with their new Dalit push. The sad reality of India is that we are still a caste-based society. In politics and cabinets, weddings and worship, caste equations continue to rule because these divisions have been so deeply entrenched over centuries. Even urbanisation doesn't seem to be making a difference because people simply carry their caste baggage from one location to another. Lip service and stage-managed photo-op events by political leaders are not enough. Perhaps what India needs is another Gandhian movement to rid our society of this curse where everyone is identified as an equal citizen of India and not by his caste. Let's not forget, a country cannot grow unless everyone grows together. advertisement --- ENDS --- New Delhi, July 29 About 363 farmers across the country have committed suicide so far this year due to agrarian reasons, including 56 in Punjab, Parliament was informed today. According to the data placed by Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala in the Rajya Sabha, a maximum of 241 farmer suicides were reported from Karnataka, followed by Maharashtra (57). The minister said this data had been furnished by the states, not by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The latter has published such data only till 2014. In 2015, the number of such cases was 107 in Karnataka, 1,841 in Maharashtra and 46 in Punjab, while the figure for the country was 2,548. Replying to a query on the steps taken by the Centre to rehabilitate families of the farmers who committed suicide, the minister said, The governments strategy is to focus on the farmers welfare by making farming viable. PTI GS Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 29 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday dared Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia to arrest him in six months or he would arrest him (Majithia). Kejriwal, who along with party leader Sanjay Singh, later appeared in a local court here in a defamation case filed against them by Majithia, said Majithia had flourished his drug trade that had affected most houses in Punjab. Its not only me, (Ashish) Khetan or Sanjay Singh, lakhs of people of Punjab have repeatedly said that Majithia is a drug trafficker, he said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) AAP volunteers were seen carrying the placards saying, Main ek var nahin hazaar var kahanga, Bikram Majithia chitte da taskar hai (I will repeatedly say that Majithia smuggles drugs). Kejriwal said if the Badal government could book the Delhi CM in a defamation case, he could understand how the common man was being harassed in Punjab. Majithia and his supporters also reached the court complex. Around 15,000 to 20,000 volunteers of the AAP had gathered near Circuit House to support Kejriwal. Heavy police force had been deployed en route to district courts from Circuit House while Police Commissioner Amar Singh Chahal himself supervised the security arrangements. The police stopped AAP volunteers around 1 km away from the court while a large number of SAD workers had already reached the court complex. Both Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh furnished bail bonds of Rs 40,000 each. The case will now come up for hearing on October 15. Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 29 A prisoner in Punjab can now get an outing for reasons as simple as repair or renovation of his house; for agriculture and allied purposes and even if he pleads that a family member is critically ill and requires his (prisoners) presence. Ahead of a crucial Assembly poll, the Punjab Cabinet that met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, approved the simplifications of the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Amendment Act, 2015. The move has political ramifications as several persons, some with criminal records, can use these relaxations to come out of jail and help their political bosses in the elections. Another amendment to the Act allows the prisoner to divide his parole in parts, thus allowing him frequent trips out rather than a quarterly or yearly trip out of jail, as was the case till date. The Cabinet also gave nod to the Revenue Department to re-employ patwaris for two years but they should not be above 65 years. Such employees will be given the last pay drawn, minus the pension. The decision was taken as the state is facing a severe shortage of such revenue officials. Presently, there are 4,694 patwaris in the state but each of them were overworked and are handling the workload of several revenue circles. As many as 1,900 posts of patwaris are vacant in the state. There had been no fresh recruitment since 1992. Though the drive to recruit patwaris was initiated last year, but the written test conducted by Panjab University in January this year came under the scanner after the question papers were leaked and the process cancelled. The Cabinet presided over by CM Parkash Singh Badal here this evening also approved to fill 1,227 posts of patwaris in the state, by getting the recruitment process started soon. The Revenue Department has been authorised to get the written test conducted from the Technical Teachers Training Institute, Thapar University or Guru Nanak Dev University. The process to recruit the patwaris will take at least two years and the training will take another six months, thus necessitating the need to re employ retired patwaris. The Cabinet also gave its approval for filling 16,000 posts in the Police Department, which include creating of a civilian cadre of 5,249 officers like legal and forensic experts, 4,425 additional posts for providing security in Ludhiana, Amritsar and SAS Nagar, and 781 posts in the Intelligence Wing, besides 100 posts of SDOs in the Irrigation Department. Other important decisions Financial assistance for those who opposed Emergency: Rs 1,000 per month to those who underwent imprisonment up to three months; Rs 1,500 per month for three to six month jail and Rs 2,000 per month more than six-month jail. Ex post facto approval to the appointment of Manjinder Singh Sirsa as adviser to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal Staff for six newly appointed Chief Parliamentary Secretaries approved Policy for regularisation of unauthorised houses/colonies extended by six months Voter card, electoral roll, ration card/Aadhaar card, matriculation certificate and birth certificate issued by the Registrar of Births & Deaths to be treated as evidence for the purpose of verification of applicants age for pension and other benefits To increase frequency of free buses to the famous Hindu and Sikh shrines, including Darbar Sahib (Amritsar), Anandpur Sahib, Chintpurni (Himachal Pradesh) and Salasar (Rajasthan) under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Darshan Yatra Scheme 121 posts of civil judges (junior division) approved Joshi infuriated Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, July 29 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had to cut short his visit to Sukhera Bodla village in the Jalalabad constituency, which is represented by Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal. Dalits of the village had been allegedly thrashed by cops recently. Village residents Paro Bai and Pasho Bai, booked in cases under the NDPS Act, had a scuffle and someone complained about it to the police on July 24. Police personnel reached there and met villagers. Jagdish Singh, brother of one Sunita Rani, alleged that his sister and their paternal uncle Inder Singh were thrashed by the police for no fault of theirs. Police sources, however, said Sunita was arrested under the NDPS Act and was released on bail a month ago. She and her relatives assaulted policemen and tore their uniforms when they went to the village to conduct an investigation, they said. Meanwhile, video clips of the scuffle between the police and villagers concerned went viral on social media. AAP activists wanted to draw political mileage from the incident. But on coming to know about the antecedents of some of the villagers, Kejriwal decided to cut short his visit. The Delhi Chief Minister returned after a 10-minute meeting with Inder Singh at his residence. He did not meet party workers and the media. Partys state unit convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, national spokesman Sanjay Singh and MP from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann also accompanied Kejriwal. Protest over hoarding removal Hoshiarpur: AAP activists on Friday held a protest against the rounding up of some labourers who had been putting up party's flex boards in Hoshiarpur area against state minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia They held a dharna at the SSP's residence besides attempting to gherao the officer. Earlier, they laid siege to the Sadar police station Akalis hit back with social media post Muktsar: To counter AAP's anti-Majithia hoardings installed across the state, SAD leaders have started circulating Revenue Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia's image on social media, equating him with a lion. Terming him 'Majhe da Jarnail', the SAD leaders are appealing to others to share it. In the image, Majithia is shown as a religious person, bowing his head and having his hands folded Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Ludhiana, July 29 A 55-year-old man killed his wife, daughter and mother before turning the gun on himself at Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar here on Friday morning. Sandip Singh was reportedly upset because of the ongoing court cases regarding property. The deceased family members, who he shot at with a .315-bore gun from close range, have been identified as wife Amandeep Kaur (45), daughter Dinaaj Kaur (17) and mother Bachan Kaur (70). (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Bachan Kaurs body was found from the ground floor while the three other bodies were lying in a pool of blood on the first floor. Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said, Sandip first shot his wife, followed by his daughter around 5 am when his mother had gone to the gurdwara. When his mother returned, Sandeep fired at her. The family had hired a maid to take care of Bachan Kaur, who was sleeping on the roof. When she came down after hearing the gun shots, Sandip threatened her to stay away following which she went to her room and locked herself in. The incident came to light when a domestic help entered the house. The family hailing from Mangat village in the district had been living at BRS Nagar for the past five years. Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 28 The parliamentary panel, constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to examine if Aam Aadmi Partys Sangrur MP Bhagwant Manns act of filming the Parliament House complex and posting it online compromised its security, has summoned the MP again on Monday. Sources said, There were many contradictions in his deposition before the committee today. Panel chairman Kirit Somaiya said: On the very onset he questioned the very need for the panel, then offered an unconditional apology and then made all-out efforts to link his own act with the Prime Minister allowing Pakistans ISI to enter the Pathankot airbase. This was disapproved by all nine members on the panel. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Reports suggest the committee members also met officers in charge of security in Parliament. Mann cant attend the House proceedings till a decision on the matter is reached. "BEHIND the Purdah." Or the lives and legends of Hindu sisters is the title of an excellent and fascinating little volume issued by Messrs. Thacker Spink and Co., the well known publishing firm of Calcutta. Miss Mary Cattell, the author, has written the book with the earnest wish to draw closer together the women of the East and West, and it must be gladly recognized that she has eminently succeeded in her self-allotted task. Miss Cattell's object is to take the daughters of the British Isles with her into the inside of the Hindu homes in Bengal and to enable them to see what is to be found there. Miss Cattell with a large insight and deep-seated sympathy gives credit to the ladies of Bengal behind the Purdah the fullest credit for their noble qualities, their religious devoutness, their devotion to the family circle, and their spirit of love and charity, traits of character common to the Hindu women all over India. She has studied with a careful eye the conditions of life in the zenana and found what is, indeed, the truth that the Hindus woman has great traits of character and that though inside the four walls she cannot be hastily dismissed, except by the tongue of malice as an ignorant and uncultured woman. Sandeep Rawat Tribune News Service Haridwar, July 29 Today, the second and final phase of the pilgrimage known as Dak Kanwar began. Dak Kanwariyas travelling in vehicles are moving on the Gaziabad-Haridwar-Badrinath highway and the Ambala-Dehradun-Haridwar highway to reach in a time to fetch Ganga jal to be offered at Shivalingams at temples in their hometowns. The deadline is set keeping in mind the distance from their places and Haridwar is covered in the minimum duration. Already, about 1.70 crore Lord Shiva devotees called Kanwariyas have fetched holy Ganga water from Haridwar in the last 10 days. Vehicles bearing banners depicting the time schedule to cover the pilgrimage are arriving thoughout the day and during night to fetch Ganga jal at Har-ki-Pauri and other ghats. Some Dak Kanwariyas have posters Bholey ki marzi. Dak Kanwariyas are arriving from Rajasthan, National Capital Region of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh while pilgrims from western Uttar Pradesh began their yatra today. Notably, Dak Kanwariyas are noisy and aggressive and they violate rules quite often in a bid to complete the pilgrimage in a time frame. This often leads to traffic congestion and inconvenience to other commuters. Meanwhile, the mela police has put in place a new traffic diversion plan keeping in mind the arrival of Dak Kanwariyas. The entry of commercial and heavy vehicles has been banned in the entire periphery of the district, while only one way traffic is allowed from Dehradun and Roorkee to Haridwar. As we expect the arrival of a record number of Dak Kanwariyas in the last three days of the pilgrimage, we have put in place the second traffic diversion plan. The mela police is monitoring the yatra through drones and CCTV cameras and is using Whatsapp to disseminate information about traffic, said Circle Officer Prakash Singh Devli. Vehicles moving towards Haridwar from Dehradun will now go through a longer route of Bahadrabad-Roorkee-Chutmalpur-Dehradun while Char Dham pilgrims are beeing diverted from Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Rampur Tiraha, Deoband, Nagal, Gagalhedi and Chutmalpur towards Dehradun and Rishkesh. Ajay Ramola Tribune News Service Mussoorie, July 29 A group of 146 pilgrims form Pakistan, which are on the Char Dham Yatra, were welcomed by Uttarkashi District Magistrate Deependar Chaudhry on their arrival in Uttarkashi town after their return from the Gangotri shrine today. Chaudhry along with president of the Hotel Association Uttarkashi Ajai Puri welcome the Pakistani pilgrims amid beating of traditional drums and garlanded them. Local residents wished them a safe and sound journey to the Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines. The prilgrims had visited the Yamunotri shrine yesterday and were elated at the welcome accorded to them at Uttarkashi. Emotionally charged Dharmdas Jaini from Shadani Darbar Sindh in Pakistan said around 146 pilgrims had come from Pakistan while around 80 are from India who are assisting them in the yatra. He thanked the district administration for the welcome and making their yatra safe. Tarak Chand Keshwani, another cotton garment merchant from Pakistan, said for him it was a dream come true as they had offered prayers at the most revered shrines of Hindus. The District Magistrate wished the Pakistani pilgrims a safe and enjoyable yatra. Children and women accompanying the group, namely Devki Kumari, Rajkumari and Pooja Devi, were delighted to be on the Char Dham yatra. Tribune News Service Dehradun, July 29 Governor KK Paul today called upon school students to cultivate a sense of responsibility and self-discipline in order to prepare themselves for challenges in life. The Governor was addressing the sixth felicitation ceremony of meritorious students organised here by the Principals Progressive Schools Association (PPSA). He said students were now grown up and should get inspired by amazing success stories like that of Bill Gates, the American business magnate and entrepreneur whose fascination with computers began while he was still at school. He began working on a project while he was a student . Paul congratulated the toppers and said as citizens, students must be aware that they had some duties enshrined in the Constitution. Among these is the duty to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so. The Governor said acquiring professional skills was a must for students in this era of tough competition. Our Prime Minister is also stressing on skill development in the country. Nation building today is not possible without a young and skilled population, he said. He said teachers should inculcate Indian values in students, linking them to their roots. They should also develop in their students a sense of inquisitiveness. This will boost their intellectual acumen as well as give rise creativity. A reading habit needs to be inculcated in students. Reading good books gives good thoughts ,good thoughts give good words, good words lead to good actions, actions lead to habits, habits build character and character shapes destiny, he said. Paul added teachers in this era of information technology were mentors and facilitators who can help the students find their creativity and nurture it. He quoted Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who said in this context Creativity is the key to success in the future, and primary education is where teachers can bring creativity in children at that level. Gaurav Gera aka Chutki will apparently get eliminated in the first eviction round of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa season 9. By India Today Web Desk: Popular dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9 is all set to premiere this weekend, and according to a report by India Forums, television personality Gaurav Gera, famously known by his screen name Chutki, will get evicted in the first round. Also read:Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9: Anil 'Jhakas' Kapoor to be the first guest advertisement As reported by India Forums, the first elimination round of the dance show will have television stars Arjun Bijlani and Helly Shah, along with Gaurav Gera. The trio's performances were not up to the mark and that is why they ended up in the bottom three. Both Arjun and Helly couldn't give their best shot in the first episode of Jhalak as they had suffered injuries a while back and are still recuperating, but Gaurav too failed to meet the expectations of the judges, which is why he will be the first participant of the show to bid a farewell. Meanwhile, Helly and Arjun have still got an opportunity to rise back from the ashes. This time the show's judges are ace choreographer Ganesh Hegde, Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez, Hindi film director and producer Karan Johar, and choreographer and director Farah Khan. Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9 will premiere on July 30 at 10 pm on Colors TV. --- ENDS --- Philadelphia, July 29 Declaring that the US is at a moment of reckoning, Hillary Clinton today attacked her Republican rival Donald Trump for his bigotry and bombast while pitching herself to be a steady leader. Clinton, who is vying to be the first woman elected US President, called her nomination a milestone. Presenting her vision of inclusive growth for America that maintains its global leadership and military power, the Democratic presidential nominee warned voters that a man who could be baited with a tweet cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons. He (Trump) loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When hes gotten a tough question from a reporter. When hes challenged in a debate. When he sees a protester at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons, the 68-year-old former secretary of state told fellow Americans while accepting the Democratic Partys presidential nomination. Ask yourself: Does Donald Trump has the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief? she said. Clinton, in her nearly hour-long address, said the nation is facing a serious moment of reckoning from economic pain, violence and terror. America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. Its truly is up to us. We have to decide whether were going to work together so we can all rise together, she said. Clinton said she would build an economy that gives jobs to everyone and not a few and a country where love trumps hate. That is the country, Clinton said, she is fighting for. It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in Americas promise that I accept your nomination for president, Clinton said as thousands of party delegates, leaders and supporters at the Wells Fargo Center erupted in cheers and applause. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state set her sights on the White House and blasted Trump, portraying him as a small man, who got rich by stiffing workers, peddles fear and lacks the temperament to be commander-in-chief. PTI Sikh Army veteran hogs the limelight An Indian American, Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, stood out in his pink turban among a group of US military veterans at the convention stage to root for Hillary Clinton as the partys presidential nominee. Kalsi accompanied retired General John Allen on the stage along with a group of military veterans at the Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia on Thursday. Standing behind Allen as he spoke, Major Kalsi's pink turban grabbed eyeballs. Kalsi, an emergency room doctor, served 15 years in the US Army, some of it in the very violent and bloody theatre of the war in Afghanistan, according to News India-Times newspaper. There he had treated many victims of improvised explosive devices, the crude home-made bombs. In 2009, he became the first Sikh in the US military to receive permission to wear a beard and turban, according to The New York Times. IANS Indian-American girl is youngest delegate An 18-year-old Indian-American girl has become the youngest delegate at the Democratic National Convention. Sruthi Palaniappan from Cedar Rapids and a student of the Harvard University is a big supporter of Clinton. Her father Palaniappan Andiappan is also attending the convention as a member of credentials panel. She has been the centre of attraction among the media and the delegates along with a 102-year-old delegate from Arizona, Jerry Emmett, who is the oldest delegate at the convention. PTI Oswiecim (Poland), July 29 Pope Francis paid a sombre visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau today, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitlers forces killed more than one million people, most of them Jews. Pope Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the cynical words Arbeit Macht Frei (German for work sets you free). He prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before meeting several camp survivors, greeting them one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheek. Francis said before the trip that he had decided to make no statement as silence was the best way to honour the dead. He then carried a large white candle and placed it at the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed. With aides using small flashlights to light his way, Francis visited the underground cell where Franciscan monk Maksymilian Kolbe was killed after offering his life to save a Polish man whom camp handlers had picked to die of starvation. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the white figure of the pope, who knelt for many minutes before he crossed himself and rose to his feet. Just outside the cell, in Auschwitz's commemorative book, Francis wrote in Spanish: Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty. As an Argentine, he is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live through the brutality of World War II on Europes soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal historical connection to the site, with the first, Pope John Paul II, coming from Poland and himself a witness to the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation. His visit in 1979 made history and was part of the Vaticans historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. As a pope hailing from afar, Pope Franciss visit helps to underline the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. His visit is also different in its private character, with no speeches planned. It marks a difference from the visit by Pope Benedict, who spoke in Italian, avoiding his native German language, in a speech in which he questioned why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. Vatican and Polish Church officials had explained that Pope Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. Pope Francis was scheduled to fly from Krakow to Oswiecim, the small town where the former death camp is located, but owing to bad weather travelled the 65 km (40 miles) distance by car instead. AP Philadelphia, July 29 The father of a Pakistani-origin Muslim American soldier, who was killed in the Iraq war, today lambasted Donald Trump for disrespecting minorities and sowing division, saying the Republican presidential nominee has sacrificed nothing for the country. Asking Trump if he had ever read the US Constitution, Khizr Khan, father of Humayun SM Khan who was one of the 14 American Muslims who served the US forces for 10 years and died in Iraq in 2004, told Americans to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump, you have sacrificed nothing, Khan told a cheering audience at the Democratic National Convention here. Do not take this election lightly. This is a historic election. I request you to please honour the sacrifice of my son, Khan said. Captain Khan, a University of Virginia graduate, was one among 14 American Muslims who gave their lives serving the US forces in Iraq war that followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Before his speech, the Democratic National Committee released a video on Captain Khan. The video showcased a moving excerpt of Clintons December remarks on national security delivered in Minneapolis in which she paid honour to Captain Khan. Khan alleged Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country, he said. PTI SYDNEY, July 29 An aircraft wing part found in Tanzania is "highly likely" to be part of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, an Australian government minister said on Friday, in what would be the second confirmed piece of the jetliner. Flight MH370 disappeared in March 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing. Investigators believe someone may have deliberately switched off the plane's transponder before diverting it thousands of miles off course over the Indian Ocean. The wing part found in Tanzania is being examined in Australia. "It is highly likely that the latest piece of debris being analysed is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370," Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said in a statement. "The experts will continue to analyse this piece to assess what information can be determined from it." Investigators have confirmed a piece of plane debris found on the French island of Reunion in July 2015 as being part of MH370. They have said several other pieces of debris found in Mozambique, South Africa and Rodrigues Island, a territory of Mauritius, are likely to be parts of the missing plane. A search for the Boeing 777 has been going on in the Indian Ocean for more than two years but no sign of the main wreckage has been found. Malaysia, China and Australia said last week the hunt would be suspended if the aircraft was not found in an area now being searched. Reuters By PTI: Jalandhar, Jul 29 (PTI) The wife of Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed over drug charges last night in Indonesia today said that she spoke to him twice this morning and he has been sent back to jail. Appealing the Indonesian government for mercy to Singh, his wife Kulwinder Kaur said he has spent 14 years in jail which was enough penance for his crime if he was guilty and he should be sent back to his country. advertisement "I spoke to him twice this morning and he said he is fine. His execution was dropped at the last minute after four others were put to death by the firing squad," Kaur said. External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj said this morning that 48-year-old Singh had not been executed. However, it was not clear under what circumstance the Indian who was to be executed along with 14 other convicts was spared. Four of them were put to death by the firing squad last night. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. "A priest was invited and a van had also arrived to carry his body but the execution was halted at the last minute. He was then sent back to the prison," she said. "Gurdip asked me to appeal to the government to halt the execution and bring him back to the country. He wants to meet his family," Kaur said. Expressing gratitude to the central government for its efforts, she said "Swaraj has been constantly in touch with me and has assured me that the government is trying everything to save Gurdip from execution." Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The 14 convicts included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. PTI SRT AYP RT AYP --- ENDS --- Khattar government has blamed Delhi for Gurgaon chaos saying that a large amount of water exits the Millennium City through the Najafgarh drain, which flows through Delhi but is blocked partly, flooding the city. The prolonged jams threw the traffic out of gear as many motorists abandoned their vehicles and waded through knee-deep water. (Twitter @santoshmishra) By India Today Web Desk: With the Millennium City coming to a standstill following heavy rains leading to massive traffic jams, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today asked Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take urgent steps to deal with the situation. "I just spoke to Harayana CM and told him that this is an important city and international focus and attention is on it. All steps should be taken to clear the jams and they are on the job. The state administration is attending the problem on an emergency basis," Naidu said outside Parliament. advertisement "The Haryana CM told me that he was taking up the issue at the highest level and has alerted the entire administration to ease out traffic congestion. Certain long term measures have also been planned and being worked out for the future," he said. Photo: Twitter @santoshmishra READ: Submerged Gurgaon asks Delhi to stay away: 10 latest updates BLAME GAME Haryana chief minister who wanted to visit Gurgaon to take stock of the situation couldn't do so as his helicopter could not take off from Chandigarh because of bad weather. Khattar who is being heavily criticised on social media for Gurgaon's poor civic infrastructure, expressed his frustration with "non-cooperation by the Delhi government" tweet. Mr. @ArvindKejriwal should be asked this.Frustrated by non-cooperation by Delhi Govt,we have got it declared as NH. https://t.co/LUJGj9lSwT Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) July 28, 2016 The BJP government in turn has blamed Delhi for Gurgaon chaos saying that a large amount of water exits the Millennium City through the Najafgarh drain, which flows through Delhi but is blocked partly, flooding the city. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also took a dig at Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar over Gurgaon's present situation. He tweeted, "Changing name of the city from Gurgaon to Gurugram will not lead to development. For development you need to work on strategies. " ???????? ?? ??? ????????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ??????? Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) July 29, 2016 Click here to Enlarge Photo: Twitter @TheSanjivKapoor Union Minister and Faridabad MP Krishnapal Gujjar stated that the Centre was taking all measures to rid Gurgaon of its traffic woes. "It (congestion) is an old problem. But after our government assumed power, we have undertaken many steps to make Gurgram (Gurgaon) free of traffic jams. Work has already started and the tender process is on for it." A spell of monsoon showers, which is welcomed otherwise, has brought the Millennium City to its knees due to severe water-logging resulting in long traffic jams, leaving millions of commuters, including office-goers, stranded, forcing the authorities to shut down schools in Delhi's satellite city while some offices too declared it an off. advertisement Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to rush a team of officers to the area. "Gadkari has asked the NHAI Chairman Raghav Chandra to immediately rush a team of senior officers to Gurgaon and personally monitor the situation. He has been asked to take all necessary steps in cooperation with the state authorities to ensure smooth flow of vehicles on NH (National Highway) eight," an official of the Road Transport Ministry said in a statement. READ: Heavy downpour turns Gurgaon roads into rivers, traffic comes to a standstill Click here to Enlarge Photo: Twitter @santoshmishra INADEQUATE SEWAGE SYSTEM TO BLAME The International Road Federation (IRF) today expressed deep concern and called for concerted efforts, both long-term and short-term, to address the problem. "Due to almost non-functioning of storm water drains and inadequate sewage system, Gurgaon roads get water-logged each Monsoon resulting in potholes, sometimes moon craters. Water accumulates at unexpected places spelling danger for both motorists and pedestrians," IRF Chairman K K Kapila said. advertisement "Each year after the monsoon, these agencies tend to pass the buck and thereby virtually disowning their own responsibility, as a result there is acute water-logging, deep potholes, portions of the roads getting sub-merged and side-walks becoming unusable, causing immense hardship to the general public," he said. Photo: Twitter @oogeeoo NEED OF SEPARATE DRAINAGE SYSTEM "With continued urbanisation, the drains are either choked or ineffective to carry the surface water to the deep storm water drains, which also lack adequate capacity. For this, a long-term solution with proper network of drainage lines with adequate capacity for storm water and sewage drains is an immediate necessity," he said. "Delhi Metro Rail and Rapid Metro, Gurgaon, despite having rain water harvesting system on various routes, also need a separate drainage system to channelise rainwater released from the elevated tracks," Kapila said. The prolonged jams threw the traffic out of gear as many motorists abandoned their vehicles and waded through knee-deep water on both the carriageways of Delhi-Jaipur road, including Hero Honda Chowk, bringing the traffic to a standstill with the tailback extending up to 15-20 KM. Road network in Gurgaon encompasses different zones of authority like Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon, Public Works Department, Haryana Urban Development Authority, private builders and the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway under the National Highways Authority of India. advertisement - With inputs from agencies --- ENDS --- Bedgood Washeteria is providing a spark in a low-income neighborhood in Greenville thanks to support from SBDC. (TROY photo/Clif Lusk) The Small Business Development Center at Troy University has been partnering with the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce and Butler County Economic Development, creating joint efforts to both support existing businesses and attract new companies to the county. TROY SBDC efforts include supporting applications for the countys revolving loan fund and creating business plans, financial Read More The speeding Tesla went under the 53-foot van in the area circled in red. The trailer sustained very little damage but the car's upper portion was mangled. Photo: NTSB That fatal Tesla S vs. semitrailer accident in Florida back in May has become one of the more high-profile wrecks of the year. Mind you, not every truck-involved collision merits an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, but this one did, no doubt because the car was under autonomous control Autopilot, Tesla calls it. The event raised questions about the basic safety of the Tesla system as well as the pace of development of autonomous vehicles in general. How safe are they, really? A lot safer than now, where human drivers cause most of the traffic accidents that kill and injure many thousands of people every year. Last years highway death toll of about 38,000 amounts to a 747 transport crashing every week, safety experts say. If jumbo jets were junking themselves and killing their occupants that often, you can bet aviation authorities would put a quick stop to it. But highway mayhem is so common that most of us just shrug. However, take the human element out of driving and much of the carnage would end, say autonomous-vehicle proponents. Anyway, back to the Tesla-semitrailer wreck. The NTSB this week released a preliminary report that doesnt name a cause but adds details to what happened. For example, it occurred along a stretch of U.S. 27A, west of Williston, Fla. This is a modern four-lane highway, but with cross traffic. The trailer was a 53-foot van filled with blueberries on the way to a local farm. (Strangely, the report identified the maker of the tractor but not the trailer.) News stories have said that neither the Autopilot nor the Teslas driver, Joshua Brown, 40, of Canton, Ohio, saw the trailer, and the car ran right under it. The white trailer against a bright sky was invisible to the Autopilots camera, sensors and software, and the driver wasnt paying attention because he trusted the auto-driving mechanism (and said so in YouTube posts). A neighbor in Canton who knew Brown told reporters that he was a fast driver who had collected speeding tickets. The NTSB confirmed that Brown was speeding right up to the moment of the impact. Well, that explains why the tractor-trailer turned left in front of the approaching car; the truck driver thought he had more time than there really was. NTSB said the Tesla was going 74 mph in a 65-mph zone not that fast in light of how todays traffic moves. But remember, U.S. 27A is not a limited-access Interstate. Still, it raises the possibility of a failure to yield charge against the truck driver. Then again, its obvious that if Brown had been watching where his car was going instead of viewing a Harry Potter movie -- as the truck driver claimed after hearing audio playing in the car after the crash -- hed have simply stepped on the brake pedal and probably avoided the crash. Tesla said thats exactly what he should have done. As an occasional driver of tractor-trailers, I have made left turns against oncoming vehicles. I always try to accurately judge their speed in deciding whether to go or wait for a longer break in traffic. And I always remember how long my trailer is and how much time itll take to clear the intersection. I recall one left-turn instance when the truck didnt accelerate as fast as I thought it would, and oncoming traffic had to slow for me. The truck driver in this incident probably assumed that the car would slow down if necessary, but it didnt. So I can imagine his surprise when the Tesla tore under his trailer. NTSB said its still investigating and will cite the accidents cause in a later report. Well be watching for that. In the meantime, lets be careful out there. UPDATE (July 31): Tesla thinks its Autopilot might not be at fault in the accident. See this story. OKLAHOMA CITY A proposed special session of the Legislature to dole out $140.8 million in excess funds for teacher pay raises drew criticism from several quarters on Thursday. It also had some supporters. Gov. Mary Fallin on Wednesday said she was considering a special session to use the funds for pay raises. A revenue failure in the last fiscal year resulted in cuts to state agencies. One of those cuts was too deep, resulting in $140.8 million in excess funding. If there is no special session, the funds will be returned to the 62 state-appropriated agencies that took the cuts. Lawmakers had $1.3 billion less to craft the fiscal year 2017 budget due to tax cuts, depressed energy prices and an inability to reduce tax credits and incentives given to generate economic development. Several quarters questioned the timing of the announcement a few months away from the Nov. 8 general election when State Question 779 will be considered. The measure would increase the sales tax by 1 cent to fund common education, CareerTech and higher education. It also calls for a $5,000 teacher pay raise. Supporters say it would generate $615 million a year. Championed by University of Oklahoma President David Boren, the measures supporters gathered well in excess of the required signatures to get the issue on the ballot. Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest said lawmakers had four months during the most recent session in addition to the past eight years to raise teacher pay, but didnt. There is no reason to believe that they could now come to an agreement if Oklahoma taxpayers paid to bring them back to the Capitol for a special session, she said. Priest said State Question 779 would provide a dedicated revenue stream. Its a shame that our vital state agencies, which provide our education, health services, and public safety, were unnecessarily stripped of $140 million in funding this year, she said. We urge the governor to put that money back into students classrooms as soon as possible. Brendan Jarvis teaches at Union Public Schools. He said the proposal is not a real solution. You cant pay for continuing expenses out of money you found in your pockets, he said. He sees talk of a special session as an effort to derail State Question 779. If the leaders in Oklahoma City, the majority and the governor, wanted to take care of the teacher shortage problem, they had eight years to do it and they havent done it yet, he said. At this point, we dont trust her to do the right thing. Oklahoma Public Employees Association Executive Director Sterling Zearley said that although he thinks teachers need a raise, he was stunned that Fallin was considering using the funds cut from state-appropriated agencies. I am pretty furious, Zearley said. State agencies have reduced services and personnel in an effort to cope with the cuts, he said. In addition, many state employees have not seen raises in the past eight to 10 years, Zearley said. Some are paid 20 percent less than what they could make in comparable markets, he said. Teacher pay and education budget cuts have been a big issue on the campaign trail for legislative candidates and incumbents. If they have the chance to try and take education off the table or take part of the issue off the table, they ought to take it, said Keith Gaddie, chairman of the political science department at the University of Oklahoma. But pay is only one part of the problem. Schools are still understaffed and programs still have been cut. House Speaker Jeff Hickman, R-Fairview, said he has not had any in-depth conversations with Fallin or seen a new plan, adding that he became aware of the proposal within the past 48 hours. Hickman said he is open to hearing new ideas. Generally speaking, you are talking about one-time money from the fiscal year 2016 budget being dedicated to a long-term teacher pay plan not knowing what our financial position in the state will be this next year, Hickman said. This is not a new revenue stream. It is one-time money. I think we need to be very cautious using one-time money to fund a long-term pay plan. House Appropriations and Budget Committee Chairman Earl Sears, R-Bartlesville, said he didnt know the details of the proposal and is interested in learning more. We cut all those state agencies to get that money, he said. I would be very cautious in regard to how we should proceed. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, supports the special session, but said it should also include eliminating the trigger for another tax cut that would reduce the rate to 4.85 percent from 5 percent. He said lawmakers are expected to have another budget problem next year to the tune of $600 million, Mazzei said. Sunday Night is close to home this weekend with a story on Daily Editions Sally Obermeder, plus the irascible Ricky Gervais. Sallys Miracle This is a story thats close to our hearts here at Sunday Night. Sally Obermeder is host of Sevens The Daily Edition, a colleague and a friend. Five years ago, Sally experienced the greatest high and the most devastating low of her life all in the space of a few weeks. First, the sheer joy of welcoming her first child into the world but then the shocking discovery she had breast cancer. Throughout her battle to beat the cancer, Sally nurtured a seemingly impossible dream; she wanted to have more kids. So she had four embryos frozen in the hope that one day that dream could be realised. It hasnt been an easy road, but, as Rahni Sadler reports, the love and kindness of a stranger on the other side of the world is helping to make that wish come true. Its War An ocean separates Australia and America but when our swimmers meet in Rio next week the distance between us will be measured in hundredths of a second. For as long as the Olympic Games have been running, theres been no greater rivalry than our two swimming teams. From the very beginning, its been a war in the water bitter rivalries, secret tactics and wild one-eyed patriotism. On the eve of the next clash, Sunday Night investigates which nation has bragging rights when it comes to being the fittest, the fastest and who will finish first. Oh Ricky British comic genius Ricky Gervais loves nothing more than taking the mickey out of those who deserve it the most. He of the quick wit and razor-sharp tongue has Hollywood ducking for cover at the annual Golden Globes. But for his latest comedic adventure, Ricky has gone back to where his fame began the hit TV series The Office. As Sunday Nights Alex Cullen discovered, Rickys character David Brent is just as mad even when he leaves the office. Sunday at 7.00pm on Seven. The Gurgaon Police today asked commuters from Delhi to stay away to avoid further harassment to its people. By India Today Web Desk: Following a night of heavy downpour and monster traffic jams, the Gurgaon Police today asked commuters from Delhi to stay away to avoid further harassment to its people. "People coming to Gurgaon from Delhi are advised to stay back today to avoid being stuck in Traffic Jams due to flooding on roads," the Gurgaon Police said in a tweet. Heavy downpour in Gurgaon. Photo: Twitter advertisement Meanwhile, the district magistrate has ordered all civil officials on ground under section of 144 CrPC. Fresh rains started in Gurgaon today, once again throwing early morning traffic out of gear. The traffic on NH8 and Sohna Road remain congested and slow due to the rains and flooding. Police asked commuters to avoid them if possible. Traffic along the NH8 from Delhi to Rajiv Chowk is moving very slowly due to the closure of the national highway at Hero Honda Chowk. Heavy traffic jam has also been reported on the Delhi-Jaipur highway due to waterlogging following the showers. The Gurgaon administration has ordered the closure of all schools in the city. A few schools however remained open today. The administration has also appealed to all the commuters to use the Metro. Traffic moving towards Rajasthan and Maharashtra was stuck on the city roads and state highways throughout Thursday night. Around 1 am today, the water level started rising. The scared and stranded people pulled down a part of the divider on Delhi-Gurgaon expressway to escape. Residents have demanded action against the officials responsible for the situation. With more rains expected on Friday, there is no immediate relief in sight for the satellite city which headquarters a number of Fortune 500 companies. Waterlogged Gurgaon. Photo: Twitter Traffic jam in Gurgaon. Photo: Twitter ALSO READ | Heavy downpour turns Gurgaon roads into rivers, traffic comes to a standstill --- ENDS --- Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). The next meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group for Donbas will be held in Minsk on August 3. Ukrainian representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group, Verkhovna Rada First Vice-Speaker Iryna Gerashchenko said this at a news conference in Kramatorsk. The next meeting in Minsk will take place on August 3, the MP said, when asked by an Ukrinform correspondent about the date of the next meeting and issues that are planned to be raised by the Ukrainian side. According to Herashchenko, during the talks the key topic will again be the issue of control at the Ukrainian-Russian border. Besides, the Ukrainian side in the humanitarian subgroup again will raise the issue of release of captives. The humanitarian subgroup will raise the issue of release [of captives]. You know it must not be theoretical. We must start implement it in practice. It is very important to receive the information about the number of captives, their location, she said. iy Russian-backed militants launched 56 attacks on ATO positions in Donbas over the past day. This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center. "In Donetsk area, Ukrainian servicemen in Avdiyivka [18km north of Donetsk] came under 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, anti-aircraft guns, heavy machine guns and small arms fire. In addition, the enemy used 82mm mortars to shell Troitske [69km west of Luhansk] and Mayorske [45km north of Donetsk], grenade launchers to shell Zaitseve [67km north-north-east of Donetsk] and Novhorodske [34km north of Donetsk], and heavy machine guns to shell Luhanske [59km north-east of Donetsk], " reads the report In Mariupol area, at about 21:00, the enemys subversive group of up to 30 people, using grenade launchers and small arms, tried to seize the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk). Ukrainian soldiers repelled the attack. ol Ukrainian Air Force will participate in Bucharest International Air Show in Bucharest, Romania, press service of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine has said in a press release, Ukrinform has reported. "The visit of the Ukrainian Air Force to Bucharest, Romania, to participate in Bucharest International Air Show has begun today. The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander of the Air Force of Ukraine Major General Artur Artemenko," the report has said. Two Su-27 and Su-27UB jets and military transport aircraft An-26 with personnel and aviation equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be represented at the air show. Both demonstrations on the ground and in the air have been planned. In addition, the Ukrainian delegation intends to discuss with the leadership of the Royal Air Force of Denmark bilateral military cooperation, particularly in the context of the joint operation "Northern Falcon 2017". The Ukrainian delegation will stay in Romania until 31 July. tl On the second day of flooding, citizens share their commuting woes. However, many strongly feel that the calamity will not affect the city. By India Today Web Desk: On a day social and mainstream media were both flooded by images of the flooded 'Millennium City', those whose glitzy buildings and swanky offices make the city the important place had a thing or two to say. At the CyberHub located close to the packed National Highway 8, the talk was about 'what happened'. Those out enjoying a brief spell of respite had their story to share about the night they faced the aftermath of the rainfall. The Hero Honda chowk, flooding of which led to unprecedented advisories to avoid the place, had left hardly anyone untouched. "We saw no police, no administration even at major chowks. There are times when I have been stuck, even when it hasn't rained at Hero Honda chowk, for over an hour," said Ankit Yadav, an employee with an IT firm. advertisement He added that if this is the way it is going to be, they may as well look forward to shifting out of the city. CALAMITY HARDLY GOING TO AFFECT THE CITY While a crowd of office goers maintained that the calamity was hardly going to impact the place or its importance. "It makes things difficult for people like me who have to travel from afar but what option do we really have. May be over a long term but nothing immediately," said Shehzad. Others complained about sewage system or the lack of it, rampant, unchecked construction which blocks the flow of water. Such has been the level of mismanagement that even private buildings had their parking lots clogged leaving people stranded inside their places of work. Audisha who resides barely two kilometres from her office at the CyberHub said she took an hour to reach. "My other colleagues who relied on taxis had nothing to bank upon suddenly. Nothing will change. We have faced this on every year. Gurgaon became Gurugram and has now turned into Gurujam but life will go on," she added. Also read: As Gurgaon is rained out, Haryana CM ML Khattar accuses Arvind Kejriwal of non-cooperation The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has suspended foreign economic activities of 243 Russian companies that cooperated with commercial structures in temporary occupied territories in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, the SBU press center reports. "During the checks, the special service officers found out that most of these Russian companies also legally cooperate with Ukraine. They are not the subjects to the provisions of the Ukrainian presidents decree On using the personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions), imposed by a decision of the National Security and Defense Council, reads a report. The SBU sent the materials to the Economic Development and Trade Ministry. According to the experts, Ukrainian producers can fully compensate for the Russian imports. Therefore, a decision was taken to suspend foreign economic activities of these Russian companies. iy Ukraine expresses a decisive protest against a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin on integrating Crimea and the city of Sevastopol into the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation. Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko stated this in his speech in New York on Thursday, July 27, own Ukrinform correspondent reports. Ukraine states that the above motioned decree is null and void, the diplomat said. He said that Putin's decision shows Russias "demonstrative disregard for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and a number of international documents. In particular, this concerns the UN Charter, UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/262 "The territorial integrity of Ukraine", the Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of 1994, the obligations under the Treaty on Friendship, the cooperation and partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation of 1997 and other norms of international law. "The Ukrainian side stresses that the adoption of this decree is a continuation of systemic actions by the Russian Federation, which violate imperative norms of the general international law, Yelchenko said. iy Ukraine should issue responsibility on the NATO Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) Program and sign new agreement with Aliance without Russia, Center For Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies (CACDS) experts told Ukrinform. Against the background of increasing aggression and unpredictability of Russia, its growing unreliability in the sensitive spheres, especially those related to security of NATO and the EU, Ukraine has to refuse from further participation in SALIS jointly with Russia, the experts told. According to the experts, a three-year contract signed by Ukraine and Russia within NATO SALIS program expires in December 2016. And Ukraine should use this opportunity to exclude Russian companies from this project. The contract is being managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in the interest of 14 NATO and EU nations. The implementing agent under the SALIS contract is the Germany-based joint-stock company Ruslan SALIS GmbH, which was established by the Ukraines state-owned company Antonov Airlines and the Russian company Volga-Dniepr. Those two companies are the only in the world possessing reasonable quantity of Antonov 124-100 Ruslan aircrafts, the experts said. The Ukrainian company Antonov Airlines is capable of fulfilling airlift under SALIS Program alone. Moreover, Antonov Airlines has several unique advantages, which Russian subjects and their EU subsidiaries cannot ensure alone, the experts stressed. Also, according to the experts, Antonov Airline has the Design Bureau, which is the only in the world institution licensed by ICAO to process airworthiness certification, as well as modernization and adjusting configuration of AN 124-100 Ruslan and AN 225 Mriya aircrafts (including spare parts). The Ukrainian enterprise Motor Sich, as the Original Equipment Manufacturer of the engines for AN 124-100 Ruslan and AN 225 Mriya aircrafts, is the only in the world institution authorized to extend their service life. Moreover, at present the Ukrainian company Antonov Airlines contrary to the Russian company Volga-Dniepr can conduct flights to all countries of the world, including Turkey, and Georgia. The Ukrainian company is also more predictable to NATO and the EU because of our pro-European and pro-Euro-Atlantic policy. By India Today Web Desk: Controversial filmmaker and actor Mel Gibson is back with his next directorial venture, featuring an ensemble cast including Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughan among others. The film is based in the era of the Second World War, when young man Desmond Doss who studied to become a doctor signs up to fight for his country during the second world war. ALSO READ: Benedict Cumberbatch and Mads Mikkelsen face-off in the middle of a bending city in new Dr Strange trailer The film then follows the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss, as he refuses to lift a gun while going into enemy territory. He's tried for court-martial, beaten by his mates in the company, and finally cleared to go into war completely disarmed. Hacksaw Ridge follows how Desmond Doss became the America's greatest hero without firing a single bullet. advertisement The film will be Garfield's first release since 99 Homes, and after the announcement of him being chucked out of the Spiderman franchise. Mel Gibson on the other hand hasn't directed a film since 2006's Apocalypto. The filmmaker has previously directed Braveheart, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director. Hacksaw Ridge is slated for release on November 4, 2016 in USA. Watch the trailer here: Saifulla Bahadur Ali, who has admitted that he belongs to Lahore, Pakistan, told the NIA that Lashkar was planning to target Army establishments. Ali, who has admitted that he belongs to Lahore, Pakistan, told the NIA that Lashkar was planning to target Army establishments. By India Today Web Desk: Saifulla Bahadur Ali, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist who was nabbed during an encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara region earlier this week, has revealed some of the audacious plans of his terror organisation during interrogation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The Lashkar terrorist, who was airlifted to Delhi for interrogation, has identified Jamaat-ud-Dawaa chief Hafiz Saeed as "chacha". Pakistan trained terrorists against India: Pervez Musharraf Ali, who has admitted that he belongs to Lahore, Pakistan, told the NIA that Lashkar was planning to target Army establishments. The 21-year-old claimed that he and his other associates had plans of hijacking a vehicle from the highway in Kupwara and use it to carry out their sinister plans. India to confront Pakistan with fresh terror dossier on captured LeT terrorist advertisement HERE'S WHAT THE PAKISTANI TERRORIST TOLD NIA: I joined Lashkar in February, 2015. I was trained to become 'jaan-e-fidayeen' at a terror camp in Muzaffarabad (in Pakistan occupied Kashmir). Sources said that Ali told NIA investigators that he and other members of his team were in touch with Lashkar commander Walid, who is considered to be close to top terror handler Sajid Jat. It was Walid who was instructing and guiding them inside India. "Chacha," said Ali when asked who the top leader of his organisation was. Investigation agencies say this "chacha" is no one else but Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. "I was sent here to kill Indians and target the police in Kashmir," he said. Security forces had recovered Rs 23,000 Indian currency and three AK47s from Bahadur Ali, who was captured alive while four other Lashkar terrorists were killed in a gunbattle near Nowgam sector in Kupwara district on July 26. Also Read: Another Kasab? Arrested terrorist Bahadur Ali confesses he is from Pakistan Kupwara encounter: Captured terrorist is 22-year-old from Lahore; NIA to take custody #AnotherKasab: Terrorist from Pakistan caught alive in Jammu and Kashmir Pak minister admits state backing anti-India terror group Ethiopia is now facing one of the worst droughts in decades, and rising rates of malnutrition are leaving children vulnerable to infectious diseases, including measles. To prevent an outbreak in the drought-affected regions, UNICEF and partners are helping the government vaccinate some 25 million children nationwide. TIGRAY REGION, Ethiopia, 27 April 2016 The little girls and boys line up at the Mereb Mieti Health Centre, rolling up their sleeves and baring their arms in turn as the nurse deftly administers the measles vaccine. Some flinch, a few even criy or bury their heads in their mothers dresses, but afterwards they all play near the front of the health centre, comparing the tiny marks the needles had left in their skin. It is day four of the measles vaccination campaign in Enderta Woreda (district) in Tigray, one of the areas most affected by Ethiopias drought. Many children in the community were not previously vaccinated against measles, and there are fears of an outbreak. The risk is particularly high among children whose immunity has been weakened due to malnutrition, which has been rising because of the drought. Mobilizing for vaccination Alemnesh Tekas is part of the Womens Health Development Army, a group of volunteers enlisted to work at the household level to promote community health. She is responsible for 30 households and her role is to make sure that all of the children between the ages of 6 months and 15 years come to get vaccinated. A techie, Premkumar who was working with HCL Technologies branch Thazambur, at Kancheepuram was kidnapped on July 28. He used to live in a rented flat with his friends. By Pramod Madhav: Chennai city was shocked to hear about a techie's kidnapping and rescue by Kancheepuram Police. A techie, Premkumar who was working with HCL Technologies branch Thalambur, at Kancheepuram was kidnapped on July 28. He used to live in a rented flat with his friends. HOW IT HAPPENED: On July 27, Premkumar's friend and roommate Sandeep left office by 9pm but Premkumar stayed back to complete some pending work. advertisement But Premkumar didn't return home even the next morning. When Sandeep tried calling his phone, his cell was switched off. Fearing something was wrong, Sandeep approached Thazambur police station and filed a missing person complaint. The very same evening Sandeep received a ransom call who said that Premkumar has been kidnapped and demanded Rs 10 lakh. Sandeep informed police and planned to nab the kidnappers while exchanging money. HOW THEY PLANNED TO NAB THE KIDNAPPERS Sandeep got another call telling him to come to Kelambakkam bus stand. Once he reached the spot, Sandeep got another call to come to another place. After moving to various locations, Sandeep was finally told to come to Semmenjeri, around 11.30pm. A man approached Sandeep and when he was trying to get the money from Sandeep, police nabbed him. He was later identified as Parthiban (22). While interrogation Parthiban informed about his accomplices Praveen Balaji (25), Vivekraj (26) and Jayaseelan (19). They were too arrested and Premkumar was rescued. The police also seized metal weapons, two cars and a bike from the gang. --- ENDS --- As with everything else in life, students need to be smart with applying for the university or college they want. Check out these business school application tips and timeline that can help bring you closer to achieving your dreams. There are a lot of schools out there and each of them has different application deadlines that prospective students should know. According to U.S. News, applicants should understand what he or she needs to do before, during and after submitting their business school application. Judith Hodara, who is the former acting director of MBA admissions and former senior associate director of admissions for the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, advised prospective MBA students to prepare for their business school application six to nine months before. They should already be working on recommendation letters, essays and other materials needed months before the deadline. Ideally, business school applicants should take the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) six weeks before applications are due. Taking the test multiple times may also help improve candidates' scores. Prospective students are usually encouraged to take the exam more than once. Here are some business school application tips from Business Because that can help applicants with their admissions tests. Deadline for business school applications are usually in the fall, around the beginning of October. Hodara noted that Harvard Business School may have the round one deadline as early as September. Candidates may receive interview requests within two weeks to a month after submitting their business school application. Prospective students can get ready for the interview by reviewing their application materials. The deadline for round two of applications is usually required by mid-January. Experts confirmed that round two candidates could be interviewed in February. It was noted that "only exceptional candidates should apply in round three." Hodara added that this is where it gets "super selective." Successful candidates will need to submit a deposit by the end of April. This varies on the round in which the student applied. Afterwards, students are urged to spend the summer before business school begins by connecting with their new classmates and preparing for the fall recruitment season. By PTI: Nadda New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) The establishment of the first hydro engineering college in Himachal Pradesh will boost regional development and provide more job opportunities, Union Health Minister J P Nadda today said. He was speaking at an event where an MoU was signed between the Himachal Pradesh government and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) for setting up of the hydro engineering college in Bilaspur. advertisement "Setting of the first hydro engineering college will boost regional development and provide more job opportunities for local educated youths and make available specialised work force to NTPC and NHPC. It is indeed a historic moment," Nadda said. He said the institution will help in generation of a technical human resource specialised for specific requirement of hydro power projects. "This initiative of a specialised engineering college dedicated to hydro engineering would be unique not only to our country but perhaps globally as well," he said. The Health Minister noted that hydro power generation, particularly in Himalayan region, requires a combination of technical skills spanning different fields of engineering ? civil, hydrology, mechanical and electrical engineering, among others. "Thus, there is a need to have a comprehensive and specialised field of study ? hydro engineering college would be an appropriate model," he said, thanking Power Minister Piyush Goyal for taking up the project. Noting that the Hydro Engineering College was conceived in 2009, Nadda said the long-cherished dream is being realised through signing of the pact today. Himachal Pradesh possesses more than 20,000 MW hydropower potential and NTPC and NHPC are engaged in operation and construction of many projects in the state. Goyal said that the institute will provide avenues for higher and technical education and youth of the state will not have to go to faraway places for being technically trained and skilled and added that the college will develop into a Centre of Excellence. BCCI President and BJP MP Anurag Singh Thakur was also present at the event. PTI TDS SMN --- ENDS --- A training model is usually needed to teach robotic surgical technique successfully. In this way, an ideal training model should mimic as much as possible the "in vivo" procedure and allow several consecutive surgical simulations. The goal of this study was to create a "wet lab" model suitable for RARP training programs, providing the simulation of the posterior fascial reconstruction. The second aim was to compare the original "Venezuelan" chicken model described by Sotelo to our training model. Our training model consists of performing an anastomosis, reproducing the surgical procedure in "vivo" as in RARP, between proventriculus and the proximal portion of the esophagus. A posterior fascial reconstruction simulating Rocco's stitch is performed between the tissues located under the posterior surface of the esophagus and the tissue represented by the serosa of the proventriculus. From 2014 to 2015, during 6 different full-immersion training courses, thirty-four surgeons performed the urethrovesical anastomosis using our model and the Sotelo's one. After the training period, each surgeon was asked to fill out a non-validated questionnaire to perform an evaluation of the differences between the two training models. Our model was judged the best model, in terms of similarity with urethral tissue and similarity with the anatomic unit urethra-pelvic wall. Our training model as reported by all trainees is easily reproducible and anatomically comparable with the urethrovesical anastomosis as performed during radical prostatectomy in humans. It is suitable for performing posterior fascial reconstruction reported by Rocco. In this context, our surgical training model could be routinely proposed in all robotic training courses to develop specific expertise in urethrovesical anastomosis with the reproducibility of the Rocco stitch. Journal of robotic surgery. 2016 Jul 20 [Epub ahead of print] G Cacciamani, V De Marco, S Siracusano, D De Marchi, L Bizzotto, M A Cerruto, G Motton, A B Porcaro, W Artibani Department of Urology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. ., Department of Urology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy., Si.F.A.R.V. Centro di Simulazione e Formazione Avanzata della Regione Veneto, Verona, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27440232 By Pushpendra Kumar: Regardless of the recent street protests in Gujarat and the uproar in Parliament over anti-Dalit atrocities, violent crimes against the downtrodden low-castes show no letup in the country. In the latest assault, an upper-caste man beheaded a low-caste couple in Uttar Pradesh over a Rs 15 row, police said. Bharat Singh and his wife were walking towards their field for their daily farm labour when a village shopkeeper, Ashok Mishra, encountered them. Mishra wanted the pair to repay Rs 15 they owed to him. advertisement MURDER EVOKES SHARP POLITICAL REACTION Within minutes, he turned furious and killed Singh and his wife with his axe, police said. The attack occurred at Lakhmipur village of Mainpuri district, the stronghold of Uttar Pradesh's ruling Yadav family. Relatives wailed around the severed bodies as district magistrate Pramod Gupta promised strictest possible action against the suspect. Mishra, he said, was taken into custody and charged with murder. The victims belonged to the Nat caste. Their alleged attacker is a Brahmin. The murder evoked a sharp political reaction. "It is one of the most heinous things that have happened," said BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria. "It speaks volumes about the law-and-order situation in the state. Eventually, I would like to say the whole nation should stand up against these atrocities," he told India Today TV. "This repression should pinch the conscious of each citizen," Bhadoria continued. He accused SP and BJP of pursuing anti-Dalit and anti-minority policies as he cited the case of four low-caste men earlier this month at Una in Gujarat. "Both the SP and the BJP are hand in glove trying to suppress the poor, the Dalits and the minorities," Bhadoria alleged. ALSO READ: Gujarat Dalits continue to protest, refuse to pick cattle carcasses from roads --- ENDS --- All the latest Uttoxeter news Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Wyoming Business Tips for Aug. 7-13 A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming. By Christina Sanchez Hebert, guest columnist, Send It! Communications LLC How can I use the social media platform Instagram to boost my retail sales? Stephanie, Torrington Instagram (IG) has more than 300 million active users visiting the site each month, with more than 80 percent logging in every day. With such a large and active audience, retailers everywhere can harness this attention to drive brand recognition and sales. When it comes to Instagram marketing, the power of pictures engages your target market. Here are a few tips to support successful Instagram marketing: -- Consistency/posting regularly: Generally, at least once each day, but not more than three times daily, is key to keep followers engaged. Abandoning your followers may not cause them to unfollow you, but it does cause them to forget about your brand -- the exact opposite of why you are on social media to begin with. Your posts also should be consistent in their tone -- decide on which story you would like to tell with your IG, and stick to it. -- #Hashtags: Hashtags are like key words to make your company and brand easy to find. Hashtags help your company get discovered by your targeted market. Knowing and using trending hashtags that are relevant to what you are posting is key to attracting more attention and more followers. -- Engage: Instagram is a platform built on consumption and engagement. Posting high-quality official product photos is important to build a message of a quality brand and product, but candid photos are often what gain the most attention. People love to see behind-the-scenes photos of things like unpacking new inventory or seeing products made, as well as team meetings, customer interactions, and even simple shots of the view from your location or new product displays. Find ways to tell your brands story that flow together and make your followers feel like they really know who you are and what you represent. A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments are available at www.wyen.biz/blog1/. The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser Unlike in previous cases, advisory on trading scams released only to select trading bodies, amid concurrent strains in ties with China. By Ananth Krishnan: India has issued a stern trade advisory aimed at China - only the fourth such public advisory in six years - warning trading companies about a range of trade-related problems and scams perpetrated by Chinese companies. While the advisory - prompted by a string of trading disputes - was circulated this week by the Indian Consulate in Shanghai to only select trading bodies, the Indian government has sought to play down the warning amid several concurrent strains in ties with China on several issues. advertisement Unlike the past three advisories, issued in 2010, 2011 and 2013, it was not published as of Friday on the Indian Embassy's website, which is the main resource for official notices for Indian citizens in China. It was only put up in a section of the Shanghai consulate's website that details trading disputes. CHINESE TRADERS NOT AWARE OF THE ADVISORY Traders in Beijing and Tianjin in the north when contacted said they were unaware of the advisory, and questioned why it was only being made available to select trading bodies and community associations if it presented serious warnings about trade with China. "It is a routine thing," an Indian Embassy official in Beijing said, but offered no comment as to why unlike the previous three advisories it was not published on the embassy's website. The detailed advisory issued stark warnings about trading with Chinese companies. It said it was "being issued in the interest of Indian traders/small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that intend to or are doing trade with Chinese entities in China". "It is to enhance the commercial cooperation between India and China by drawing attention to some of the risks faced by Indian traders/SMEs to take preventive and/or mitigating action," the advisory said. It listed a range of problems faced by companies, from the supply of "sand, stones, salt, bricks, mud etc. in place of chemicals, Silicon Carbide, Aluminium and Zinc ingots, shellac, plastics, polymers" to refusals to send consignments despite payments being made. The advisory offered a list of precautions, from running credential checks on Chinese companies, including through the Indian Embassy or Consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, to "avoid transacting with any company from a B2B platform". A detailed annexure also offered examples of past scams. Once case involved a Chinese company inviting Indian executives to visit facilities in China and asking them to bring gifts for local executives and leaders, which is a practiced custom. On return to India, the company finds that its Chinese partner, after having received gifts, stops all communication. advertisement Other cases, officials say, have involved Indian businessmen who connect with Chinese companies through social media websites. Although not listed in the advisory, officials have found a string of cases where Chinese businessmen, posing as attractive women online, approach Indian businessmen online and invite them to travel to China and to do business. In a well-practiced scam, the Chinese businessmen, after befriending them online including by sending fake photographs, then ask for a transfer of money to arrange travel and accommodation. Once the money is sent, the social media accounts are found to have suddenly disappeared. --- ENDS --- Sushma Swaraj said that Indian convict Gurdip Singh, who was supposed to be executed in Indonesia, was spared when four other convicts were executed for drug crimes. Activists light candles around posters with the names of death row inmates awaiting executions, including that of India national Gurdip Singh, during a vigil against death penalty outside the presidential palace in Jakarta. Photo: AP By India Today Web Desk: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said that Indian convict Gurdip Singh, who was supposed to be executed on Thursday night in Indonesia, was reprieved when four other convicts were executed for drug crimes. "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Sushma Swaraj tweeted. advertisement While India is trying to get clemency for the Indian convict, embassy officials at Jakarta are trying to ensure that all legal recourse is exhausted before the death penalty is carried out against Singh. "Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Gurdip Singh was of the view that he can file for presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of the Republic of Indonesia," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Thursday. "The embassy sent a note verbale to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out," he added. The developments came after Singh, who was arrested on August 29, 2004 on charges of drug trafficking, was convicted along with 13 others, including three Africans. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005 against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. Meanwhile, two Nigerians, one Senegalese and one Indonesian were executed in the case after petitions to review their cases were denied. Pakistan, on the other hand, was in touch with top officials in Indonesia, to halt the execution of Pakistani national Zulfiqar Ali for drug smuggling. With inputs from IANS --- ENDS --- When the WWE brand extension was announced, plenty of reports, rumors, and speculation surrounded the depth of the WWE roster. They were obviously going to promote stars from NXT but there is still a glaring hole and need for recognizable former superstars. Plenty of people have been mentioned, ranging from Carlito to MVP, to Tommy Dreamer and even Stevie Richards, the WWE needs these former stars. One confirmed return is that of Shelton Benjamin. It was announced during SmackDown Live! that Shelton will be coming soon. The former University of Minnesota amateur wrestling star has always been a standout performer who has just been unable to break through from the spot he was given. Hes talented, both in the ring and on the mic and will help guide new stars to the WWE roster. What will Benjamin bring? Shelton will bring a recognizable face to the WWE Universe, somebody who fans know can really perform at the WWE level and who can be entertaining. It would have been very easy for the WWE to promote 11 or 12 NXT stars, but not all fans would know who they are. If a new star or team picks up the win in a match over Shelton Benjamin, it gives a bit of legitimacy to those fans who may know Benjamin and not the new stars. Ain't no stopping Benjamin now, he's back with the WWE | WWE.Com Other potential returns As mentioned previously, superstars like Carlito and MVP have been linked with returns to the WWE. Former SmackDown General Manager, Teddy Long, stated that MVP would be joining Benjamin on SmackDown but quickly retracted that statement after MVP commented about it on Twitter. It may still have a speck of truth seeing as Benjamin is returning. Benjamin may also need his former tag team partner watching his back on SmackDown Live! Thats right, Charlie Haas is also being linked with a return to the WWE. The Worlds Greatest Tag Team will draw obvious comparisons to American Alpha and they would likely put on a number of entertaining matches together. It seemed there was a mini revolution with WWE over this past week as they kepy trying to out do themselves with every show they aired; it worked. In the famous words of Jasper Beardly (the old man from The Simpsons), "What a time to be alive." Following WWE Battleground, Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live and NXT it seemed as if The Cruiserweight Classic would be lost in the shuffle; far from it. Zack Sabre Junior outdoes Houdini The Britton treated the American crowd at Full Sail University to one great show as he, along with Tyson Dux, put on not the most exciting match ever but one that included sheer technical brilliance. Sabre's quickness quickly became an issue for the Canadian who despite applying every hold in his repertoire could not keep hold of the Master of Escapeology. Dux quickly had to alter his original game-plan and looked to use his strength to his advantage with a number of clotheslines but it was too little too late. The Englishman locked in an array of submission maneuvers from a Kamura to a full body lock then transitioned into a Oma Plata which was the final straw for the Canadian who quickly submitted. Gulak nothing Drew Gulak fought hard and eventually wore down his smaller opponent Harv Sihra, both men had great in-ring chemistry and may have been the match of the night. The American looked to hit hard and cause as much pain as possible and this showed when midway through the match his slammed the Indian representative onto the ropes. Sihra was not in the mood to be bulled about and threw Gulak out of the ring before delivering a huge middle rope spring board cross body. Despite a late surge of some ground and pound action from one half of The Bollywood Boyz it was not enough to restrain Gulak who took his chance and locked in a Dragon Sleeper hold and Sihra had nowhere to go but to tap-out. A Nese victory Pitting these two performers together immediately looked a mismatch as the much smaller Anthony Bennett looked like a boy in a man's world stood next to Tony Nese. The youngster however held his own and got in a number of offensive moves but the more powerful Nese shrugged off every maneuver. Bennett danced his way to the ring but was lucky to be able to walk back as in the closing stages of the match be was rendered unconscious following a power slam but the official gave the go ahead for the match to continue. The Monster Factory performer may be should have refused to continue as moments later he was yet another victim of Nese who hit a powerful 450 splash to pick up the pin-fall victory. Brian still has a few Kendrick's up his sleeve What a way to mark out The Brian Kendrick's return as the veteran got off the mark with a win over one of the most exciting performers within the competition Raul Mendoza. The Mexican arguably may have stole the show with his unique offense that including a jaw-dropping coast-to-coast hinting at shades of Shane McMahon. However the veteran Kendrick sporting a look more suited to Game of Thrones used every ounce of his experience to pick up the victory including opening Mendoza's mouth before placing it onto the ropes and kicking as hard as possible. With the Luchador opened up early on it set the tone for the vicious nature of the former WWE man who looked for every opening to pick up the victory. It would be The Bully Choke that would eventually help Kendrick pick up the victory as the bloodied mouth of the Mexican was blocking his airwaves and for the sake of his health he tapped out. I'm just back from a month in Europe. A month is too long for me, but it's just right for my wife. So, guess what? We stayed a month. We rented an apartment for part of the trip, and then took a 12-day cruise out of Rome before coming home. I try to learn new things when I travel, and here are the highlights of my education: A bottle of wine that costs $9 at Target is $22 on a cruise ship; when you use a GPS on Italian roads. it becomes suicidal, and American bacon tastes better than what folks in Europe call bacon. I also learned a bit about traveling with technology. Much of it reinforced what I had learned on earlier trips to Europe. It also became apparent that I don't always follow my own advice about traveling light. But maybe you are smarter than me actually that's likely so let me give you a few traveling tips. You can do nicely without enabling your cellphone: It can cost a fortune to use your U.S. cellphone in Europe. There are various ways to cope, including renting a local phone. But none beats as far as cost my way. Just rely on the fact that free Wi-Fi is almost everywhere. Then use a service that offers free telephone service over Wi-Fi with your smartphone. Lots of apps do that, my choice is Viber (www.viber.com). Your friends must have Viber installed if you want the calls to be free, so ask them to install the free program. You're doing them a favor. But you can also buy time from Viber so you can call any phone, including those that don't use Viber ($10 worth of time, plus the free calls, did us just fine for a month). With a smartphone, you don't really need a camera: I didn't follow my own advice. I brought along a fairly sophisticated digital camera with interchangeable lenses. I wish I had left it at home. The photo quality from our smartphones iPhones in our case was good and it was super convenient to snap a picture, then immediately send it off to friends. The sophisticated camera and lenses didn't get used very often it was just something extra to pack and lug around. Which brings me to my next point. I didn't use half the stuff I brought: What seems like a fairly light load at home gets heavy quickly, especially when you have to lug it through airports and from place to place. Most of my electronics (and I had a lot, including a small ham radio) had to be packed in my carry-on backpack. And since we took several flights within the country, I often had to rummage around and remove the items so they could go into separate bins at airport security. It is a hassle, and carrying all that was a burden. If you don't believe me, pack up your carry-on with too much stuff and cart it around your house for three or four hours. Speaking of security: When I arrived at the Rome airport, an exploding bomb welcomed me to Italy. Turned out it was just the police blowing up some unattended luggage, but it created quite a stir. When I heard it, I squeaked like a little girl in a cartoon. And it underlined the fact that security can be much more elaborate in Europe. Just a glance in Italy and Spain at all the guys carrying submachine guns at the airport confirmed that. Since electronic items draw more attention than, say, underwear, the less tech you carry, the happier you will be. And the less likely it will be that you will need to have a conversation with a fellow with a machine gun. Now on to that GPS with suicidal ways: I knew we'd be spending a lot of time in rental cars, so I researched as best I could a GPS set up for Europe. I ended up with a Tom Tom GPS that included both U.S. and European maps. It's a bunch cheaper than getting one from the car rental folks. But maps aren't as exact as the ones for the U.S. On our first day in Sardinia, we needed to stock our rented apartment with groceries. The store was about five miles away. The trip took more than an hour; it was like taking a tour from a person with no sense of direction. We ended up on a dirt road that ended at a big pile of rocks it wanted us to keep going but I was pretty sure the little rented Fiat wouldn't be able to climb that rock pile. We eventually decide to get the groceries the next day and dine on too much wine instead. But you will need a GPS, since you won't be able to use your cellphone to navigate if you follow my advice and keep the cell in airplane mode. Be prepared for detours. Give yourself some credit: Bringing the right credit card can save you money. Many credit cards tack on additional charges when you use it overseas. Just one of ours was free of extra charges, and we used that one. We also used it to get Euros from ATMs (a much cheaper option than the money changing booth at the airport). Make sure your credit card is the new kind with the embedded computer chip. Not all European ATMs demand a chip-enabled card, but some do. It's good to be home, and I'll pay attention to the travel lessons I learned. In fact, tonight I'll have a glass of wine I bought at Target. And dining on American bacon isn't out of the question. Bill Husted writes about technology. Contact him at tecbud@bellsouth.net. SHARE Julie Jason By Julie Jason Is SHE worth a look? Does gender matter in business? Institutional investors are starting to think so. ''Academic research shows that men and women think, lead and solve problems differently,'' according to State Street Global Advisors. ''Research has also indicated that deploying these different approaches in concert can lead to better decisions, greater innovation and potentially, stronger business results.'' Investors have put this insight to the test through an index fund sponsored by State Street Global Advisors called the SPDR SSGA Gender Diversity Index ETF. SHE that's the fund's ticker symbol was launched earlier this year. The underlying index focuses on U.S. large-capitalization companies that rank among the highest in their sector in terms of gender diversity within senior leadership positions. Among those companies are Pfizer, PepsiCo, Amgen, 3M, CVS Health, MasterCard, Starbucks, UPS, U.S. Bancorp and Texas Instruments. These are SHE's largest holdings as of last week. The index is rebalanced annually. Gender diversity is based on the ratio of women represented in corporate leadership positions, namely executives and members of the board of directors. There's more to SHE than meets the eye. SHE received launch support from a major pension fund, the California State Teachers' Retirement System. CalSTRS invested $250 million into the fund early on, said a CalSTRS spokesperson. The chief investment officer of CalSTRS, Christopher Ailman, assisted in the development of the gender diversity index, according to a March 4, 2016, New York Times article by Paul Sullivan. The fund currently has $281 million under management. ''(SHE is) looking to create a way for investors to put money into companies that have figured out the diversity challenge that have managed to recruit and retain women in senior leadership positions,'' Kristi Mitchem told The New York Times. Mitchem was head of the Americas Institutional Client Group at State Street. ''We believe that signal has excess return.'' Although it's too early to judge, so far there has been some, although modest, excess return. That is, SHE has beat the Standard & Poor's 500 index since inception last March. But as I see it, this effort should not be all about beating the averages. There is something more compelling, truth be told. The title of the most recent McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report says it all: ''The power of parity: How advancing women's equality can add $12 trillion to global growth.'' There is simply a lot to be gained by engaging women. ''Academic research in management and psychology has long shown that groups with more diverse compositions tended to be more innovative and make better decisions,'' according to ''Women on Boards: Global Trends in Gender Diversity'' by Linda-Eling Lee (MSCI 2015), which can be found at http://tinyurl.com/j567cum. And there is a lot to be lost if engagement does not occur. As MGI reports: ''Gender inequality is not only a pressing moral and social issue but also a critical economic challenge. If women who account for half the world's population do not achieve their full economic potential, the global economy will suffer.'' Almost 100 years after women got the right to vote, it's high time for women to energize the global economy, as MGI suggests. Read the MGI report at http://tinyurl.com/jantgq8. One last point: Ailman has been quoted as saying that CalSTRS would also like to see its investment managers ''diversify away from pale, male and stale,'' quoting from a 2015 Pensions and Investments article by Arleen Jacobius. As a female money manager myself, I'm intrigued. Having doors opened based on gender diversity? Not in my experience, which was shaped by my early days as a lawyer on Wall Street. So, if there is a desire on anyone's part to encourage and nurture a more diverse cadre of professionals, more power to them. For more information on SHE, read ''Better Together: Introducing the SPDR SSGA Gender Diversity Index ETF (SHE)'' (State Street Global Advisors) at http://tinyurl.com/gnykd5l. If you are wondering if ticker symbols influence investors, read ''Do ETFs With Cute Tickers Perform Better?'' at http://tinyurl.com/huzk9d8 and ''What's in a Name: A Look Inside ETF Tickers'' at http://tinyurl.com/hoemnon. For a general discussion of tickers, see ''About Ticker Symbols'' (Fidelity) at http://tinyurl.com/glyzwrw. If you are interested in other gender-diverse offerings, read my blog at www. juliejason.com. __________ Julie Jason, a personal money manager (Jackson, Grant of Stamford, Conn.) and award-winning author, welcomes your questions/ comments (readers@juliejason.com). To hear Julie speak, visit www.juliejason.com/events. SHARE NEWBURY PARK Nondenominational, spiritual dreaming talk set for library Eckankar, a nondenominational religion of the light and sound of God, will hold its monthly book discussion Aug. 8 from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Newbury Park Branch Library's meeting room, 2331 Borchard Road. The free book discussion will cover spiritual dreaming and how dreams offer insights on health, career and relationships. Find greater awareness of the ways Divine spirit works in your daily life. Learn simple spiritual exercises to open your heart more to God's love. For more information, call or text 341-5135. THOUSAND OAKS Temple to present intro to Judaism Temple Adat Elohim, a 600-family Reform Jewish congregation, will offer a 15-week course, "Discovering Judaism," this fall. The class will focus on an introduction to Judaism, its basic holidays, life cycle events, theology and world view. The class will meet Thursdays beginning Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. at 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive. Rabbi Andrew Straus and Rabbinic Intern Mel Young will teach the class. The course is designed for three groups of people or couples those who are in interfaith relationships and want to learn about Judaism, those who are considering conversion and those who while born Jewish but never had the adult education they wish they had. Couples are encouraged to discover Judaism together. The class is free for Temple Adat Elohim members and $150 for nonmembers. All students must purchase their books. Register by calling Marcy Goldberg, director of education, at 497-0361 or email her at mgoldberg@adatelohim.com. For more information, call the temple at 497-7101 or visit http://www.adatelohim.org. VENTURA Shabbat evenings to start next month Elohim Hu Ahava will hold Shabbat evenings of shalom, healing music and prayer Friday and Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. at 2387 Portola Road, unit B. The program is free. For more information, call Eliana at 818-665-6014. Episcopal bishop of Pakistan to speak Samuel Azariah, the presiding bishop for the Episcopal Church in Pakistan, will speak Sunday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 3290 Loma Vista Road. The bishop will officiate at a Holy Eucharist at 10:15 a.m. and will also offer remarks about life in the church in Pakistan over a free barbecue lunch in Kahler Hall. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. For more information, please contact St. Paul's Office at 643-5033. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR The shuttered fire station on Ventura Boulevard in Camarillo sits boarded up as the city decides what to do with it. SHARE By Michele Willer-Allred, Special to The Star The future use of a long-vacant and historic fire station on Ventura Boulevard was the subject of debate during the Camarillo City Council meeting on Wednesday. About 60 people showed up to either support a school's plan to buy the building or a historical society's vision to use it as a museum. So far, the city hasn't decided on a use. Speakers addressed the matter to the council during public comment before a scheduled closed conference with legal counsel on the issue. Councilmembers couldn't discuss the matter because it was a closed session item. The old Camarillo Fire Station No. 54, built over 73 years ago, has been a long subject of debate in the community, and the city has spent years trying to find a suitable use for the building, which sits empty, boarded up and unused. The building was once owned by the city's now-defunct redevelopment agency, which was tasked to redevelop blighted properties. The city hired a firm specializing in developing real estate projects to look at potential uses, including a restaurant, but there was lack of interest from serious investors. Earlier this month, St. Mary Magdalen School Principal Mike Ronan spoke during a council meeting to make the public aware of the school's efforts to buy the fire station, which is located next door to St. Mary Magdalen Chapel and the Catholic school. The school is interested in using the building for offices. Ronan said the school submitted a substantial cash offer, which he didn't disclose, but the city rejected the offer. On Wednesday, members of the Pleasant Valley Historical Society said they were interested in transforming the fire station into a historical museum. Max Copenhagen, historical society president, said its collection has grown, but much of it remains in storage because its current museum on Las Posas Road is too small. He also said its current facility is hard to find. The historical society made a proposal to the city for the fire station in 2004, but the proposal wasn't selected either. Copenhagen said the group has significant funds set aside for the project, and that state grants would also be available. Speakers in support of St. Mary Magdalen School's proposal said the school is landlocked and needs additional property to grow. They also said the school also has the resources for the property, and that the historical society has other locations it could consider. The council also on Wednesday voted 4-1, with Councilwoman Charlotte Craven dissenting, to change the city's water supply back to a Stage 1 condition since the state is easing water restrictions. The city was Stage 2 since 2014, requiring customers in the city to further restrict their water usage. However, city officials said it was causing trees to die and increasing the fire hazard. Stage 1 loosens water restrictions and allows, among other things, lawns to be irrigated four days a week on certain days and times. Councilmembers said residents have already met water conservation mandates, and if problems occur again, they can always go back to more restrictions. Craven disagreed, saying the state is still in a drought and that relaxing restrictions in the summer gives people "false hope" that they can go back to re-landcaping their lawns. "I think in order to act responsibly, we should stay where we are," said Craven. The council also voted 4-1, with Councilman Bill Little dissenting, to approve a program requiring all new development to offset its water demand. It will replace the city's temporary water demand credit program, which is currently being used to fund city approved water conservation measures, such as a pending toilet retrofit program. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR John Prescott, Community Development director for the city of Thousand Oaks, had a valley oak dedicated to him for his 44 years of service. SHARE JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR John Prescott, Community Development director for Thousand Oaks, looks at a depiction of future land uses for the city. Prescott is retiring after 44 years with the city. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR John Prescott, Community Development director for the city of Thousand Oaks, had a valley oak dedicated to him for his 44 years of service. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Community Development Director John Prescott shows a photo from the western plateau area of Thousand Oaks that overlooks Rancho Conejo Industrial Park. Prescott said the city acquired the area as open space in 2002. By Amanda Covarrubias, amanda.covarrubias@vcstar.com After 44 years with the city of Thousand Oaks, Planning Director John Prescott will walk out the door Friday for the last time, having helped transform acres of oak-studded ranchland in east Ventura County into a thriving Southern California suburb. Prescott began working for the city in October 1971, when Thousand Oaks was perhaps best known for the former Jungleland animal theme park and before single-family houses and a regional shopping mall altered the landscape. "When I got here, there was an awful lot of vacant land that had been planned for development, but the specific layouts and plans for those developments had not even been proposed yet," he said. "There were very few traffic signals and just a lot of open land. But you could see the vision." His co-workers and members of the City Council said he will be missed not only for his years of experience and easygoing demeanor but for his institutional memory that can only be attained through decades of service. "It's not a stretch to say that no city employee may have had a bigger impact in shaping this amazing community than John Prescott," said Interim City Manager Drew Powers during Prescott's final City Council meeting earlier this month. "He is a consummate professional with a tireless work ethic, a photographic memory and an amazing sense of humor," Powers continued. "He will be sorely missed by all of us." Prescott, who has been planning director for the past 13 years, has had a hand in seemingly every development in the city of 130,000, from The Oaks mall to the North Ranch and Dos Vientos residential developments to The Lakes shopping center. "It is not overstating that John's fingerprints are all over this town," City Councilman Andy Fox said during a July 12 presentation honoring the planner. Prescott and his staff helped turn developers' proposals into realities while staying true to the city's general plan adopted in 1970 that created, to a large degree, a ring of open space around the environmentally conscious city. Modest and self-spoken with a trim, white beard, Prescott said he could not have accomplished what he has over the years without capable and knowledgeable colleagues. "I'll miss the people I work with, definitely," Prescott, 68, said in an interview this week. "There are top-caliber people throughout the city. And I really love the subject matter. In planning, no two issues are exactly the same. It's engaging and challenging." Prescott was hired just seven years after the city incorporated and soon after he graduated from USC with a master's in urban and regional planning. He was attracted to working in Thousand Oaks because he knew he could have an impact on its future. "It was a relatively new city that had just adopted a master plan for development, so there was going to be a lot of change coming that I could help be a part of," he said. "It was a beautiful, natural environment and I saw this as an opportunity to help a city grow and develop while respecting that." Although he has worked on big, prestigious projects, Prescott said he got a lot of satisfaction from working on a smaller one the renovation of a strip mall on Thousand Oaks Boulevard called Camelot. Named for a lot where Jungleland once kept its camels, the commercial complex had fallen into disrepair. While working with the owners to fix up the storefronts, the city was able to use redevelopment money to build condominiums and a park nearby. "We did a significant commercial rehab, we provided affordable housing and we built a neighborhood park across the street," he said. "It was a location that was not well-served by any parks. There's been a lot of criticism that redevelopment didn't do a lot of what it was supposed to, but in this case it worked." In any long career, there are ups and downs. In 2014, when the owner of the Westlake Plaza shopping center began chopping down more than 170 trees to renovate the aging property, residents were not only surprised but angry. Although many assumed the oaks and other old-growth trees were protected and removing them was illegal, it wasn't. But Prescott said if he had to do it again, he would have done more to warn the public that the change was coming. "It was being handled administratively, but the actual scope and scale of it was something we absolutely should have made a bigger deal of and let everybody know, 'Hey, this is what's happening,'" he said. Prescott said he is interested in watching the hoped-for rehabilitation of Thousand Oaks Boulevard from a car-dependent thoroughfare to a more pedestrian-friendly hub of restaurants and night life. "I'll be interested to see how the boulevard develops," he said. "It's going to take some time, but something should come about." For now, he is looking forward to "doing nothing" for a while and spending time with his wife, Maria, who also once worked for the city, and their three grandchildren. "It's really just time for doing something else in my life," he said. "We'll see what happens. I'll enjoy my family." KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Linda Dahl (from left), her granddaughter Hannah Giffin and husband, Ted Dahl, all of Moorpark, enjoy a morning at Harley's Valley Bowl in Simi Valley. The Dahls followed Giffin's lead when their granddaughter started raising funds for a cure for diabetes shortly after she was diagnosed with it at age 11. Bowling for a Cure will be Aug. 13. SHARE KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Hannah Giffin (from left) bowls with her grandparents Linda and Ted Dahl, all of Moorpark, on a recent morning at Harley's Valley Bowl in Simi Valley. Bowling for a Cure will be Aug. 13. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Linda Dahl chats with her granddaughter Hannah Giffin between sets at Harley's Valley Bowl in Simi Valley on a recent morning. Bowling for a Cure is set for Aug. 13 to raise funds to fight diabetes. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Ted Dahl (from left), Linda Dahl and Hannah Giffin react to a game on a recent morning at Harley's Valley Bowl in Simi Valley. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Hannah Giffin (left) looks back at the score while bowling with her grandmother Linda Dahl on a recent morning at Harley's Valley Bowl in Simi Valley. Dahl and her husband, Ted, followed Giffin's lead when she started raising money for a cure for diabetes shortly after she was diagnosed with it at age 11. By Alicia Doyle, Special to The Star In the past eight years, Hannah Giffin hasn't missed a summer of Camp Conrad Chinnock in the San Bernardino Mountains. Designed for youngsters and teens who have Type 1 diabetes, the camp offered the Moorpark woman a staff position when she got too old to attend as a camper. So for the past two years, she has helped lead the camp that she began attending after she was diagnosed at age 11. "You can live a completely normal life," Giffin, 20, said of having Type 1 diabetes. And that's what Giffin does. She's a full-time student at Moorpark College and plans to attend cosmetology school in January in Sherman Oaks. She is also leading efforts to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes. "With the right amount of management and control, you can do anything you want," Giffin said. "It doesn't limit you to anything in life." Giffin and her family on Aug. 13 will present Bowling for a Cure at Harley's Valley Bowl in Simi Valley. Proceeds will support her group, Team 3 D, in the foundation's One Walk fundraiser at the Rose Bowl in October. Bowling for a Cure was inspired five years ago by Hannah's grandmother, Linda Dahl, of Moorpark. "Each year, we've had 60 to 85 bowlers," Dahl said. "We've raised more than $8,000. This year, we hope to raise at least $3,000." She has high praise for her granddaughter, who has brought in $80,000 for diabetes-related causes through her fundraising efforts. "She is a terrific young woman," Dahl said. "She deals with the reality of Type 1 diabetes every day, but she's about so much more than that." Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that make insulin, which helps the body use sugar. "My pancreas stopped working ... so I wear an insulin pump," Giffin said. Every time she eats, she must test her blood sugar. "If it's too low, I have to have juice," she said. "If it's higher, I have to give myself insulin to the pump." She described the pump as "kind of like a portable IV." "I take it everywhere I go," she said. Giffin's father is also a Type 1 diabetic. Her grandfather, Ted Dahl, said that gave Giffin some special insight early on. "Having lived as a daughter of a T1D her father was also diagnosed at the age of 11 she had some idea what the diagnosis meant," he said. Giffin got involved in diabetes-related organizations shortly after her diagnosis. First, she discovered the annual bike ride fundraiser conducted by the American Diabetes Association, and she convinced her parents and grandparents to join the local ride in Thousand Oaks. "She was asked at that occasion to join the mayor of Thousand Oaks to address the crowd at the bike ride," Ted Dahl said. "The following year, the local ADA bike rides were consolidated into the Los Angeles-area ride headquartered at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, and Hannah was asked to be their youth representative, which she did for several years." Her team has grown over time with other relatives and friends. "Hannah has been a role model simply through her being herself," her grandfather said. "She is not perfect, and has had to struggle with the ever-present nature of this disease." But, he added, she has come through the struggles to become a stronger person and demonstrate to others how to deal with difficult times. "Just the other day, a member of our bowling league came up to me and commented how impressed he was with our granddaughter," Ted Dahl said. "It is these moments that truly reflect the effect that Hannah has on other people." IF YOU GO What: Bowling for a Cure When: 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 13, with check-in at 8:30 a.m. Where: Harley's Valley Bowl, 5255 Cochran St., Simi Valley Cost: $15 for adults, $10 for children younger than 12.; includes bowling, shoe rental and one raffle prize ticket Information: Ted Dahl at bowlingforacure@aol.com By PTI: From Gurdip Singh Singapore, Jul 29 (PTI) A 58-year-old Indian-origin woman and her 36-year-old daughter have been charged with murdering a Burmese maid at their home here and may face death penalty, a media report said today. Prema Naraynasamy and Gaiyathiri Murugayan were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly murdering 24-year-old Piang Ngaih Don earlier this week, the report said. advertisement According to police, they received a call on Tuesday morning for assistance. When they arrived, Piang was found dead. A court has extended their police remand. Both the accused will be produced in the court on Thursday. If they are convicted of murder, the duo will face the death penalty. Gaiyathiri, whose husband is believed to have worked in the police force, has a minor daughter. PTI GS DBS MRJ TRK --- ENDS ---

Juan Carlo / THE STAR The Rustic Fire in Simi Valley was 50 percent contained overnight, with remaining crews Saturday mopping up and watching for hot spots. 08/14/15 Simi Valley, CA

SHARE Juan Carlo / THE STAR The Rustic Fire in Simi Valley was 50 percent contained overnight, with remaining crews Saturday mopping up and watching for hot spots. 08/14/15 Simi Valley, CA A map provided by the Ventura County Fire Department shows where the fire started and the direction it had traveled by Saturday. The origin of the fire is marked with cross-hairs on the left side, while containment lines are shown in black and active fire lines are shown in red. Juan Carlo / THE STAR The Rustic Fire in Simi Valley was 50 percent contained overnight, with remaining crews Saturday mopping up and watching for hot spots. 08/14/15 Simi Valley, CA Juan Carlo / THE STAR The Rustic Fire in Simi Valley was 50 percent contained overnight, with remaining crews Saturday cutting down burned oak trees, mopping up and watching for hot spots. 08/14/15 Simi Valley, CA The Rustic Fire in Simi Valley had, by Saturday, receded from view in the neighborhoods it threatened the previous afternoon. Charred hills, some marked with orange flame retardant, rose behind homes on Rustic Hills and Vineyard drives in the Wood Ranch area, where the blaze had burned 189 acres of brush. Saturdays blue skies, however, were clear of smoke and no flames could be seen from area sidewalks. As of Saturday evening, the Rustic Fire was about 75 percent contained, said Capt. Scott Dettorre, of the Ventura County Fire Department. Contrary to a previous report that the fire was fully contained, there were still open fire lines on the blazes eastern edge Saturday. But the uncontrolled lines were in rural Montgomery Canyon, far from homes. By Saturday night, fire activity on the eastern side of the blaze had died way down, Dettorre said. The threat has been minimized, said Division Chief Dustin Gardner, incident commander with the Ventura County Fire Department. About 20 firefighters, were going to be patrolling the blaze overnight mopping up and looking for hot spots, Dettorre said. Crews planned to return to the incident Sunday to continue their efforts. The fire, reported about 3:20 p.m. Friday, had at times threatened about 500 homes and crept within 100 feet of some residences. A Ventura County firefighter was injured late Friday and taken to a hospital, officials said. A Los Angeles County firefighter earlier Friday suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. About 130 personnel were on the scene as of Saturday afternoon, including four hand crews, 11 engines and a helicopter crew. At the peak of operations, nearly 300 firefighters from multiple agencies fought the blaze, Gardner said. With Southern California suffering a heat wave, temperatures on the fire line Saturday were expected to reach 105 degrees. Gardner hoped the fire could be contained by Saturday night and controlled by Sunday or Monday. Brush-covered hills that roll into canyons at the eastern end of the residential Wood Ranch development provide potentially prime territory for wildfire disaster. But brush-clearance programs that keep such vegetation 100 feet or more from homes proved invaluable. You could see from the aerial footage: Yes, defensible space works, Gardner said. Brian Biglin, who lives on Rustic Hills Drive and arrived home Friday afternoon to see the surrounding hillsides ablaze, said the city has strong programs for clearing away vegetation around houses. Now we understand how important fire breaks are, he said. Like others, Biglin was impressed by how quickly firefighters responded. Backhoes raced up steep hills behind his home to plow like massive tractors. Helicopters buzzed in, over and over, with surgical strikes. They were just on it, he said. We are so thankful for our fire department. Several homes away, where a real estate sign remains planted in the front yard, Elliott Halem looked at a blackened hilltop nearby. Were in escrow, he said. But, no, it didnt scare us away. Even before the fire, Halem and his wife were pleased the homeowners association does a good job with brush-clearing efforts. The fire is believed to have started in an undeveloped pocket between Rustic Hills and Vineyard drives, east of Long Canyon Road. Ned Collins, who has been mountain biking in the affected canyons for about 25 years, was trying to find a route into them late Saturday morning. Its awesome, he said, to see the landscape immediately after a fire, when it is not only dark black and dead but is also tinged with purple that soon fades away. Imagine what everybody thinks hell looks like, he said. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Joanne Drake, chief administrative officer of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, interviews former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley. SHARE KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Joanne Drake, chief administrative officer of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, interviews former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Mike Lipaz, seated in the balcony of a full house at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum, asks a question of former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill on Wednesday in Simi Valley. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill tells how he did not expect to survive the mission during which he and fellow SEALS penetrated the hiding place of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. O'Neill spoke Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley. KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Docents attend Wednesday night's speech by former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley. By Michele Willer-Allred, Special to The Star What goes through the mind of a Navy SEAL who is about to face the world's most-wanted terrorist? Many things, according to Rob O'Neill, the SEAL Team Six leader who ended up revealing to the world that he was the one who fired the shot that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden during a raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011. Now retired, O'Neill, 40, spoke about that fateful mission to a sold-out crowd of more than 800 people Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley. O'Neill told the audience he was sure at the time that the mission with SEAL Team Six would be his last. He had prepared himself to face death from heavily armed gunmen or elaborate booby traps planted within the al-Qaida leader's home. "I remember thinking, 'I know we're going to die on this mission, but I'm going to relish this. This is really cool. This is Osama bin Laden's house,' " O'Neill said. The audience listened intently as O'Neill described entering the room where bin Laden stood and held his youngest wife in front of him as a shield. O'Neill shot bin Laden twice in the head, killing him instantly. O'Neill said he just stood there, kind of in a daze after he fired the shots, realizing he had indeed killed the man behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Another SEAL came up to O'Neill and asked if he was OK. "He said, 'You just killed bin Laden. Bro, your life's just changed,' " O'Neill recalled. After his name became public, O'Neill had to take precautions because he knew he could be at risk. But in reality, he told the crowd, his biggest fear was leaving the SEALs after 16 years. What would he do after completing 400 missions in four war zones and becoming one of the most decorated SEALs ever? He had no military benefits and no college degree. Realizing he wasn't alone with those fears, O'Neill co-founded the charity Grateful Nation, dedicated to supporting U.S. combat veterans and their families during and after their transition from military to civilian life. O'Neill said many veterans are more nervous about trying to find a job than they are about going into combat, adding that they don't usually give themselves enough credit for their teamwork skills. Among those in the audience commenting afterward was television actor Scott Baio, who spoke last week at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. "It's so truly comforting to know that people like you exist," he told O'Neill. In response to a question, O'Neill said that what surprised him most about the missions he was involved in was how much better-skilled U.S. armed forces are than the enemy. What surprised him the least? The level of morality among U.S. service members. He said that at the height of the Iraq war, U.S. rules of engagement allowed 22 civilians to be killed for every terrorist, which he called "absurd." "But we never did that," O'Neill said. "We never hurt anybody innocent because we take precise shots. We drop bombs where they're supposed to be dropped." O'Neill, a contributor to Fox News, was asked what question he would like to ask the presidential candidates at their first debate. His answer: "What is the biggest threat to the United States?" He added that he personally believes the biggest threat is American foreign policy. "I'm letting you all on a secret: Climate change is not the problem," he said with a laugh. SHARE BART SULLIVAN/USA TODAY John Griffin, left, and A.J. Valenzuela are attending the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. By Bartholomew Sullivan, USA TODAY NETWORK PHILADELPHIA Ryan Hampton, a Pasadena delegate for Hillary Clinton, brings a unique resume of experience to the Democratic National Convention: former student body president, former Clinton White House intern and recovering heroin addict. The 35-year-old former Floridian worked in Vice President Al Gore's office while he was a student at Marymount University in northern Virginia. Working on former Attorney General Janet Reno's campaign for governor of Florida in 2002, he said, "Life was grand, and I was finding my niche in the world." But on a vacation to Maryland, he broke an ankle and was prescribed the narcotic painkiller hydrocodone. He was 23. From then until he was 26, he was in pain management. But he was labeled in 2006 as a drug seeker. "I had a habitual problem, and they cut me off," he said. With his name in a database intended to prevent him getting prescribed opioids, he resorted to the black market in prescription drugs. "Then before you know it, I was using heroin," he said. "The next couple of years were really a blur." He lost his job, health insurance and money as well as access to treatment. "Nobody said to me, 'You have a health problem.' I wasn't dealt with with empathy," he said. "It was, 'Get out of our office.' " He eventually found treatment and continued it after moving to California. It's his goal to tell his story in a documentary video that was made as he traveled with another recovering friend, Garrett Hade, 29, by recreational vehicle more than 3,000 miles to the convention. Hampton told the California delegation at breakfast Thursday that he is a Clinton supporter because she has pledged $10 billion to find a solution to the epidemic of opioid addiction. President Barack Obama's Wednesday night speech at the convention was on the minds of many sleep-deprived delegates Thursday morning, as was the historic nature of Clinton's acceptance of her party's nomination later. Nonvoter Ashley Reid, 16, of Tamalpais High School in San Francisco, and Dani Lowder, 17, of Tustin, who will be able to vote in November, are part of the Junior State of America initiative fighting political apathy and are guests of the California Democrats. Reid was initially a fan of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley when he was a presidential candidate but is warming to Clinton. Lowder, who will be attending UCLA in the fall as a political science major, said it was "cool to see a woman get this far and hopefully become president. It's such an inspiration." Another guest at Thursday's breakfast, political consultant Erica Kwiatkowski, 27, said there is "actual research that shows the number of women (involved in politics) will increase" because a woman tops the ballot. She's enthusiastic about Clinton because her first internship while attending UC Santa Barbara was at the State Department, where she said she shook Clinton's hand. Former California Gov. Gray Davis looked exhausted after the 8:30 a.m. breakfast, but was upbeat. "I think President Obama gave maybe the best political speech of his life," Davis said. "He made us feel better about America, reviewed his accomplishments and made a case for Hillary and reminded us that (Donald) Trump is just a wacko. And to do all that with grace and polish is really a tall order." "Hillary's got some fantastic surrogates, from Michelle Obama, who was also off the charts, to the president, Bill Clinton, obviously Bernie" Sanders, he said. "That's a real package of star power across the ideological spectrum, which will help her get across the finish line." Of the lingering resentment still on display on posters with the slashed-through word "Oligarchy" in the hotel ballroom, Davis said he's had his political disappointments. "But Bernie and his dedicated followers have already changed history. They've changed the entire political landscape, and their legacy will live on when Hillary wins. If Trump wins, it will be all for naught," Davis said. Delegate John Griffin, 66, a CSU Channel Islands business professor, said he's been talking with folks back home who said they wish they could have been in the arena when Obama spoke. "I think the positive tone he took is in such stark contrast to everything Trump is saying," Griffin said. "I was touched personally by what he said about how his girls grew up in the White House. They are such a beautiful family." Delegate Arthur "A.J." Valenzuela, a longshoreman at the Port of Hueneme, thought Obama was "nostalgic. ... He's passing the baton." Valenzuela said he felt more kinship with Vice President Joe Biden, who also spoke Wednesday night, because Biden sent a video to UC Santa Barbara after the Isla Vista massacre in May 2014 when Valenzuela was a student there. Delegate Mary Jane Sanchez said she couldn't stop crying as Obama spoke, and mentioned the impact of his legacy, the Affordable Care Act, on low-income students. She said it's hard for people to understand the people she represents. "They don't have a voice," she said. Rep. Brad Sherman, of Sherman Oaks, said the speech was one of Obama's "10 best." He brought up "the Trump-Vladimir bromance." "When Richard M. Nixon wanted to rifle through the files of the DNC, he hired good American burglars, and paid them well," he said, speaking of the Watergate break-in "Donald Trump is outsourcing his impeachable offense to Russian hackers." SHARE BART SULLIVAN/USA TODAY NETWORK Californians are shown at the time of the balloon drop at the end of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Karen Stevens By Bartholomew Sullivan, USA TODAY NETWORK PHILADELPHIA As balloons popped around her Thursday night at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention, Mary Jane Sanchez, a community college trustee from Palm Springs, called the evening a dream come true. She said that some efforts to disrupt the proceedings appeared to come from the upper rows of the California delegation, which had been identified early on and surrounded by party-appointed crowd-control officials in lime green vests. From the vantage of the floor in front of the California delegation seated in the stands, it sounded like a small group was shouting No More War every few minutes, but their chant was immediately drowned out with much of the arena erupting in chants of Hill-a-ry! Hill-a-ry! The protests did not appear to affect Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton or delay her steady delivery. While most in the crowd held signs, such as Clinton-Kaine or the trademark letter H with the blue arrow pointing to the right some in several delegations waved anti-Trans-Pacific Partnership or anti-fracking posters. We have a lot of dissention in the California delegation, Sanchez conceded. A lot of people were saddened by the loss of their candidate (Sanders). We have to unite and make America stronger. --- U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, of Westlake Village, took in the spectacle and wore a broad smile at the end. It was a really extraordinary, exhilarating night, she said. The mission is clear. This is an extremely important election for the country. We say that at every election but this one is extraordinary. Were at the tipping point and we need to push forward for the greatness of our country. On Republican opponent Donald Trump, I think she got the message across very clearly, Brownley said. Theres a big difference between Trump and Hillary Clinton and I think people are beginning to understand what those differences are. --- After the balloons and confetti dropped but before the conventions final benediction Thursday night, state Assemblyman Luis Alejo,of Salinas, offered some thoughts on the evening: It was a historic night. To see the first woman accept the nomination it makes all of our children and our families proud. Now we want to make sure she wins in November. --- Bernie Sanders delegate Karen Stevens, of Thousand Oaks, broke down in tears Thursday afternoon as she contemplated returning home from the Democratic National Convention without a victory, "cheated," she said, by a party national committee intent on making Hillary Clinton its standard-bearer. "I'm under a lot of pressure," the semiretired 59-year-old psychologist said while taking a smoking break outside the Wells Fargo Center. "We're being cheated. We're being treated like this because the DNC doesn't like our candidate." She was summoned early to the convention venue by groundless rumors that Sanders' delegates would be denied their seats during the final night of the four-day partisan celebration. "We want corporate Wall Street influence out, but it's pay-to-play in this country, and we want it to stop," she said. "I had a Democratic Party person call me today to say I was 'hurting the candidate,' " she said. "People want integrity. This is why we want to elect somebody who speaks for us." "Anyone with any intelligence will tell you we don't have a seat at the table," she said. The California Democratic Party breakfasts show big-screen logotypes for the variety of corporate underwriters of the convention, which include oil, bioengineering and insurance companies. "The optics are a problem," she said, smiling, noting she's staying in a party-designated $729-a-night room. "I don't want to take down the party," she added. "But the party can do better." She said she hated returning to California having let down her 28- and 23-year-old children. "I have to leave them something or my time here has been a waste." Asked about Clinton's historic nomination, she paused and said the nomination of a "powerhouse woman" was "long overdue." It wasn't altogether clear she meant that woman is Clinton. --- Gabriela Gonzalez, 42, of Downey, attended a climate event before the session got underway Thursday and talked of 17 years as a public schoolteacher and a career prior to that inspecting garment workers' conditions in South America and Asia. She said some of the younger Sanders delegates appeared to have a demand for "instant gratification," and were unfamiliar with the value of steady progress toward a goal. Delegation breakfast speaker Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor and past Democratic National Committee chairman, appeared to be delivering a similar message Thursday morning. He said students couldn't imagine a black president when he was a college freshman in 1968 but 40 years later, he saw Barack Obama elected. "Change doesn't come overnight," he said. "We didn't get there taking our marbles and going home. When you don't win, you fight another day." --- Another former Democratic National Committee chairman, Terry McAuliffe, the governor of Virginia, illustrated a similar point about persistence in working toward a goal at Thursday's breakfast. When a court recently said he could not restore voting rights to former felons en masse, he said had another option. He was returning to Richmond on Friday to begin restoring those rights to 206,000 people, individually. --- The Democratic Party invited some guests to its breakfasts, and some guests invited themselves. Victoria Thompson, 56, an AFL-CIO union organizer, walked in Thursday morning with a "Jill Stein" sign pinned to a green shirt. Stein is the Green Party's presidential candidate. She was asked to leave. --- Tom Steyer, a former hedge fund manager and philanthropist based in San Francisco, said by phone Thursday he is going to work on a three-prong approach to the coming elections, with a major effort to get 7 million unregistered voters onto the rolls in California to affect down-ballot races; reaching out to millennials on energy and climate issues; and working with families of color on economic, environmental and racial justice issues. --- While listeners to WHYY, a public radio affiliate in Philadelphia, heard of delays and road closures, inconveniences and headaches caused by the Democratic National Convention in the oppressive heat punctuated with heavy thunderstorms this week, Cradle of Liberty native Daisy James, 74, was welcoming strangers to the convention at the Broad Street subway's City Hall station. "Every time I see a visitor, I ask them are they comfortable with the city," the impromptu civic booster said after first importuning a visitor for guidance in getting access to the Wells Fargo Center. "I'm interested in talking to people from out of town." The retired florist watched President Obama's speech Wednesday on CNN. "Oh, it was wonderful," she said. "Of course, he always speaks well. I was just savoring that this could be his last big speech." SHARE The two largest insurers in the Covered California health insurance exchange are jacking up their monthly premiums by 17 and 20 percent next year. The news was appalling, but it should not have been surprising. And all of us should remember that there is nothing we can do about that, even though we once had a chance to place controls over those rates. Anthem Blue Cross has told the state it is going to increase its premiums by 17 percent next year, while Blue Shield is seeking a 20 percent increase. The insurers explain their unconscionable rate hikes by saying fewer people are signing up for the exchanges, those who do are using more health care services than anticipated, and prescription drugs are continuing to increase in cost. About 5 percent of Californians are covered in the insurance exchanges. Almost all of them qualify for federal subsidies that will offset some of that premium increase. The state insurance commissioner can declare the rate hikes unreasonable but cannot do anything to actually prevent them. We had a chance two years ago to give the commissioner the power to actually deal with issues like this, but only 41 percent of California voters supported Proposition 45 in the 2014 election. That proposition would have given the state insurance commissioner the power to reject excessive health care insurance rate increases. It also would have required insurance companies to publicly disclose their rates and their justifications for proposed premium increases. It basically would have done for health insurance what California voters did for auto and home insurance way back in 1988 by approving Proposition 103. That measure gave the insurance commissioner the authority to approve auto and home insurance rates before they went into effect and defined the criteria for setting those rates. It should not be surprising that we voted down Prop. 45. We were told to vote no over and over and over again, through a barrage of campaign messages on TV and in our mailboxes. The insurance industry spent almost $57 million to fight it. Supporters could cobble together only $6 million to promote it. The result is that we now have another concrete example of the costs of health care running amok. We remain solid supporters of the Affordable Care Act, which created these health care exchanges. We now have a system in place that allows every American to be eligible for health insurance regardless of their current health condition or income or status. That is a remarkable achievement. But what the act avoided dealing with, and what our political leaders continue to avoid dealing with, is the cost of health care. We would support legislative action to do what Proposition 45 tried to do in regulating the rate-setting of health care insurance in California. But that simply would be a regulatory bandage that would not heal the patient. Health care costs are out of control. They must be contained to keep our economy growing. We would like to see a thorough and robust debate of this issue during the fall election campaign. But we do not expect that to happen in the current political climate. Actor Jeremy Piven attended the Mumford & Sons concert Friday night at The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (Photo: Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com). Piven is best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Primetime Emmy Awards. Photo: Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com. Photo: Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com. Photo: Erik Kabik/ RETNA/ www.erikkabik.com. Kareena Kapoor Khan is pregnant and her sister Karisma Kapoor is all set to welcome this new member in their family. By India Today Web Desk: Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are expecting their first baby in December and the whole family is all set to welcome the new member in their family. Kareena is really close to her sister Karisma Kapoor. ALSO READ: Kareena Kapoor Khan is pregnant, expecting first child in December ALSO READ: Kareena might deliver baby in London, not Mumbai advertisement The Fiza actor was asked about about her reaction at the recent Vogue Beauty Awards. She said, "We are very happy and very excited. And of course we are waiting. (The baby is) Eagerly awaited." There were reports that Kareena's decision to move in Chotte Nawab didn't go down too well with Karisma. In an earlier interview, Karisma had said, "It was for me too, to some extent. Our family is slightly conservative but then we accepted that this was Bebo: all heart and all sentiment. Besides, she has this incredible ability to always know what is right for her. She is led by emotion and instinct but, touchwood, her decisions have always proved to be positive and wise." On a related note, Kareena is planning to have her baby in London. This decision came after the shutterbugs started clicking close-ups of her baby bump and this made her feel rather odd. According to reports, Kareena was to take maternity break but the Udta Punjab rubbished all such rumours. She said, "I'm pregnant, not a corpse. And what maternity break? It's the most normal thing on earth to produce a child. It is high time the media back off, and stop treating me any different than I ever was... I'm just fed-up of people making it (her pregnancy) to be a death of some sort. In fact, it should be a message to a lot of people that marriage or having a family has absolutely nothing to do with my career." On the work front, Kareena will be next be seen in Veere De Wedding. --- ENDS --- Vietnams digital economy has seen significant growth over the last decade and is expected to be valued at US$57 billion by 2025. The countrys digital... By: Dezan Shira & Associates Editor: Anh Ta The recent ascension to office of Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Vietnams new Prime Minister, has opened the gateway to several legislative changes. One such change is Decree 50, signed on June 1, 2016 and effective starting July 15, 2016, which details updated penalties for administrative violations in planning and investment for businesses and investors. The decree covers the administration of public investment projects, domestic and overseas investment in Vietnam, and bidding investment. More importantly, the decree also sheds more light on the business registration process for different business models in Vietnam, as outlined in its penalties for registration violations in Section 4. Decree 50 aims to improve the countrys legal structure and bureaucracy in order to sustain Vietnams attractiveness to foreign investors. Despite the countrys previous success in attracting foreign direct investment, Vietnams weak legal structure and complicated bureaucracy, amongst other factors, have worsened its investment climate and diverted investors to other ASEAN markets in recent years. This decree is an attempt to improve the transparency of the business registration and operation processes, especially in outlining the possible violations, fines, and remedial actions needed. Most of the penalties for various violations involve a monetary fine and require mandatory remedial measures to be taken. For any monetary fine, an individual is liable to pay half the amount that an organization would be required to pay for the same violation. RELATED: Dezan Shira & Associates Corporate Establishment Services Highlights Section 1: Violations in the management of public investments The decree outlines the penalties for violations in the usage of investments received from the government from the planning to the execution stages. During the planning and proposal stage of a project, a fine ranging from VND 1 to VND 20 million will be imposed when investors do not follow procedures, including creating investment guidelines, a pre-feasibility report, a feasibility report, and a budget estimate. Inadequate or false information in such documents, or failure to meet the national standards or technical regulations for such documents, are also punishable. In the execution stage of the project, failure to report adequate and accurate information on the project progress is subject to a fine between VND 2 and VND 10 million. Any deliberate attempt to withhold, destroy, or falsify information on the project execution or implementation progress is fined at VND 10 million to VND 20 million. At the same time, insufficient or lacking supervision and assessments of the project may subject businesses to a fine between VND 2 million to 10 million. In the case of misuse of public capital, a fine of VND 10 million to VND 20 million will be imposed with immediate withdrawal of said capital. When there is construction involved in a project using public capital, any misuse or mishandling of said capital will be fined in accordance to the regulations on penalties for violations against regulations for construction. The first section of the decree also details fines regarding misuse of official development assistance (ODA) in any stage of planning, execution, and supervision, with fines up to VND 30 million for going against the governments approved decision on the project. Section 2: Violations in local and overseas investment Fines ranging from VND 5 million to VND 80 million are imposed for failure to adhere to any step of investment procedures, including obtaining a certificate of investment, registering the investment, planning, executing, and supervising the project in Vietnam. In particular, investors should take note of all the investment procedures as outlined in Vietnams Law on Investment, as a failure to follow these procedures or to commence the project within 12 months of successful registration can lead to a fine of VND 40 million to VND 60 million. For outward investments, a fine of VND 50 million to VND 60 million is imposed for improper registration, and failure to report truthfully on the investment and its progress can incur a fine of VND 30 million to VND 40 million. For foreign investors, several tax incentives are available in Vietnam. However, failure to properly apply for such incentives or to fulfill conditions for incentives after applying can incur a fine of VND 10 million to VND 20 million. Section 3: Violations in bidding management For investments that involve bidding, the decree outlines penalties for violations at each step of the process, including selecting a contractor/investor, expressing interests, preparing necessary documents, organizing the bidding, negotiating the contract, and posting bidding information. Prior to the bidding process, failure to follow procedures for making, appraising, and approving contractor/investor selection or failure to satisfy the technical and procedural requirements of the project can incur a fine of VND 10 million to VND 30 million. A fine of VND 5 million to VND 15 million is imposed when documents such as the request for expression of interest, prequalification documents, and bidding documents are not made, appraised, and approved. A higher fine of VND 15 million to VND 30 million will be imposed if such documents go against any domestic laws and assessment standards, violate competition laws, or do not follow the approved contractor/investor selection plan. In the organization of bidding, lack of transparency in the verifying, evaluating, and notifying of bidders can lead to a fine ranging from VND 10 million to VND 20 million. Breaching the approved contractor/investor selection plan or violating the rules of bidding will incur a fine of VND 30 million to VND 40 million. Insufficient communication and failure to provide bidders with adequate information is fined between VND 1 million to VND 10 million. For other violations in administrative matters of bidding, investors may face a fine between VND 5 million and VND 15 million. RELATED: Vietnam Outlines Customs and Tax Plans to Enhance Competitiveness Section 4: Violations in business management This section outlines the penalties for violations in registering, operating, and closing down businesses of various natures. Certification of enterprise registration is required, and amendments to this document made behind schedule are punishable under Decree 50. Depending on the tardiness, a fine beginning at VND 1 million and topping out at VND 15 million after 91 days is imposed. Failure to publish enterprise registration on the National Enterprise Registration Portal will also lead to a fine of VND 1 million to VND 2 million, while failure to publish the enterprise information, business and investment plans, and performance reports can lead to a fine of VND 10 million to VND 15 million. In the establishment of the enterprise, a fine of VND 2 million to VND 30 million can be imposed when requirements regarding business type, number of members, and value assets assessment are not properly reported. Other report-related offences are fined up to VND 5 million and can be found in Articles 30-32 of the decree. In the operation of a business, violations in the organization of the business and appointment of director and the Control Board are fined up to VND 10 million. In the dissolution of an enterprise or shutdown of branches, a fine of up to VND 10 million can be imposed for lack of proper reporting to registration, tax, and local authorities, as seen in Articles 37-38. The decree also details penalties specific to each category of business type. In particular, violations of social enterprises are fined between VND 15 million and VND 20 million for not fulfilling their missions, according to Article 40. For business households, fines of up to VND 7 million can be imposed for violations in registration, operation, and dissolution. Decree 50 is a step toward greater transparency in Vietnams legal framework regarding investment. Investors need to pay great attention to the added penalties outlined in the decree when operating and doing business in Vietnam to avoid incurring unnecessary costs. Our advisors and experts at Dezan Shira have the knowledge of the new decree as well as the investment climate in Vietnam to help you make the right business decisions. For more information and assistance, please contact us at vietnam@dezshira.com or visit our website. About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email vietnam@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. Annual Audit and Compliance in Vietnam 2016 In this issue of Vietnam Briefing, we address pressing changes to audit procedures in 2016, and provide guidance on how to ensure that compliance tasks are completed in an efficient and effective manner. We highlight the continued convergence of VAS with IFRS, discuss the emergence of e-filing, and provide step-by-step instructions on audit and compliance procedures for Foreign Owned Enterprises (FOEs) as well as Representative Offices (ROs). Navigating the Vietnam Supply Chain In this edition of Vietnam Briefing, we discuss the advantages of the Vietnamese market over its regional competition and highlight where and how to implement successful investment projects. We examine tariff reduction schedules within the ACFTA and TPP, highlight considerations with regard to rules of origin, and outline the benefits of investing in Vietnams growing economic zones. Finally, we provide expert insight into the issues surrounding the creation of 100 percent Foreign Owned Enterprise in Vietnam. Tax, Accounting and Audit in Vietnam 2016 (2nd Edition) This edition of Tax, Accounting, and Audit in Vietnam, updated for 2016, offers a comprehensive overview of the major taxes foreign investors are likely to encounter when establishing or operating a business in Vietnam, as well as other tax-relevant obligations. This concise, detailed, yet pragmatic guide is ideal for CFOs, compliance officers and heads of accounting who must navigate Vietnams complex tax and accounting landscape in order to effectively manage and strategically plan their Vietnam operations. Nguyen Vu Loc, chief executive officer of Westfood Company in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, told VIR that his firms seven-month export turnover increased by over 100 per cent. Our growth rate is expected to climb 40 per cent this year, he said. We will continue expanding our exports to the US and the European Union, from over 20 nations now. Westfoods success has contributed to the agro-forestry-fishery sectors laudable export achievements in this years first seven months. Last week, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) reported that during this period the sector hit a total export turnover of $17.8 billion, up 5.1 per cent against the same period last year, when it reached $16.9 billion, down 3.6 per cent year-on-year. In this period, Vietnam-based firms exported 1.13 million tonnes of coffee, making a turnover of almost $2 billion, up 38 per cent in quantity and 18 per cent in value year-on-year. According to a source from Thu Ha Coffee Company, a renowned domestic brand, the firms coffee export turnover has climbed significantly since the beginning of this year and might be in the double digits for the whole year. Meanwhile, the wood export sector has also shown big achievements. Nguyen Ton Quyen, chairman of the Timber and Forest Product Association of Vietnam, told VIR that Vietnam-based wood firms earned an export turnover of $4 billion in this years first seven months, up 7 per cent year-on-year. Of this, 42 per cent was earned by foreign enterprises. It is expected that the figure would reach $7.4 billion for the year, up 10 per cent on-year. Many firms are performing very well at exports, such as Nam Dinh Export Foodstuff and Agricultural Products Processing, and Woodland in the north, and Tien Dat, Binh Dinh Wood, and Dai Thanh in the south. Nam Dinhs wood export turnover is expected to rise from $32 million last year to $37 million this year, while Woodlands will increase to $35 million from $30 million last year. On average, all these firms export turnover will rise by 5-10 per cent this year. Demand for Vietnamese wooden products is surging, especially in the US, Japan, and South Korea, which are Vietnams key export markets, Quyen said. The MARD has also reported that Vietnam raked in $3.65 billion from exporting aquatic products, up 3.3 per cent against the $3.5 billion (down 17 per cent year-on-year) of last year. For instance, Hung Vuong Seafood Company last week reported that between October 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, the firm celebrated a significant rise in export turnover, from $150.7 to $213.45 million. According to the MARD, the agro-forestry-fishery sectors export turnover should have been far higher than the $17.8 billion, had the sector not been hit by droughts and saline inundation, and the environmental scandal caused by Taiwanese firm Formosa in the central region. During this years first seven months, as a result of these calamities, over 400,000 hectares of crops have been affected with varying degrees of output loss, and 25,900 hectares remained unplanted. Meanwhile, the Formosa scandal has been directly affecting the livelihood of nearly 300,000 fishermen since April. Fishermen have suffered from a loss of 1,600 tonnes of fish every month. Photo : nasa.gov The US space agency had already pushed back the launch by a day to Tuesday. If technicians are able to finish their repairs as planned, Discovery and its six American astronauts will now launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 3:52 pm (1952 GMT) Wednesday, NASA test director Jeff Spaulding said. The flight to the orbiting International Space Station is the fourth and final shuttle flight of the year, and the last scheduled for Discovery, the oldest in the three-shuttle fleet that is being retired in 2011. Cross ownership carries systemic risks and reduce the competition of the banking system - Photo vietstock.vn In 2014, SBV announced that by February 01, 2016, commercial banks with stakes in more than two other credit institutions, or holding five per cent of stakes in a credit institution, have to reduce them to less than five per cent. So far, only VietinBank sold 16.9 million shares of Saigonbank to ten individual subscribers on June 28 in accordance with the new regulation. Vietcombank also announced the divestment in Orient Commercial Joint Stock Bank and SaigonBank, while Eximbank is proposing a divestment of seven per cent of its shares in Sacombank. However, these actions are only initial steps in the divestment process stipulated by SBV's directive and the divestment rate by commercial banks is still very slow. Currently, Vietcombank is holding 8.19 per cent of Eximbank, 4.3 per cent in Saigon Bank and 9.59 per cent in Military Bank, 5.07 per cent in OCB and 10.91 per cent in Cement Finance Joint Stock Company (CFC). BIDV owns 65 per cent in LaoViet Bank, 50 per cent of stakes in Viet Nam-Russia Bank. Eximbank holds 8.76 per cent of Sacombank. Most banks think the slow pace of implementing the law is due to the low prices of bank shares. A leader of a commercial bank in Ha Noi told the media that selling stakes for low prices was not fair to shareholders. Hoang Trung Viet, deputy director of the central bank's Ha Noi branch, explained that while cross ownership could be positive in terms of improving capital, technology, experience and business management in some banks, it could also result in manipulations. Some banking experts agree that limiting ownership in another bank to less than 5 per cent was reasonable in order to ensure a secure banking system. They warned that having a stake greater than 5 per cent could enable a group of ten shareholders to carry out a hostile takeover of a bank. Cross ownership and cross investment among banks carry systemic risks and reduce the competition, given that a union of banks could be powerful enough to influence interest and exchange rates and cause market distortion and damage to the economy. In addition, cross ownership and investments among banks also increase risks to financial markets. Mehbooba Mufti said the gun had not solved any issue anywhere in the world and it would not solve Kashmir issue even if more boys are pushed to pick up the gun. By Naseer Ganai: As Kashmir continues to be under curfew and strike with shops closed, traffic off roads, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday made a speech on foundation day of her party saying sacrifices of those people killed in the police, paramilitary CRPF and the army action since July 8 will not go in vain. She called for dialogue with all stakeholders including Pakistan to end the stalemate but insisted that Pakistan should be told not to encourage children of Kashmir to take up arms. advertisement Taking on Hurriyat Conference and other arrested separatist political leaders, who are giving strike calls, Mehbooba referred to their azadi demand and said, "Is it (azadi) something that they will go on strike for three days or three months and someone will give it to them on platter." She said there seems to be larger design behind such "orchestrated eruptions" to push Kashmiris into perpetual economic deprivation and social disorder. ON MILITANCY IN THE VALLEY Pointing toward the militancy, Mehbooba said the gun had not solved any issue anywhere in the world and it would not solve Kashmir issue even if more boys are pushed to pick up the gun. "If in this situation peace process has to be started, Pakistan has duty to help us, and Pakistan has to understand that talk process will progress only in a peaceful atmosphere not in war-like situation." "Didn't wars happen in 1947, didn't happen in 1965, didn't happen in 1971, didn't Kargil happen in 1999, just tell me whether a single inch of land was exchanged in all these wars...", she said. ON PRO-AZADI SENTIMENT She referred to present prevailing pro-azadi sentiment in the Valley without naming it and said a different innovative thought was needed to counter present thought. "If a man dreams about something, in real life we have to give him something which is bigger than his dream," she said. She expressed condolences with families of those whose children and youths were killed and maimed in police and paramilitary forces action. She claimed that children of poor were provoked to attack police stations, CRPF and army camps. ON HURRIYAT CONFERENCE She questioned separatists for giving strike calls. "How long they would run these strike call, two months, three months. They ran this circle of strike for three months in 2010, then what? Tell those whose children were martyred then, has anyone inquired about their well being. Those, who died this time, whether 40 or 45 who will inquire about their families," she asked. NC TAKES ON MEHBOOBA National Conference on Thursday said that it was ironic and ridiculous that the Chief Minister was terming Hizbul Mujahedeen Commander Burhan Wani's killing a "coincidence" while simultaneously having "released lakhs of rupees as reward money from the CM's secret fund for those who took part in the encounter." advertisement "If Mehbooba Mufti is deluded into thinking that she can try to make a case that she wasn't aware of the encounter where a special team was dispatched from Srinagar to neutralise Burhan Wani, she is living in her usual fool's paradise. Sometimes she says she wasn't informed of the encounter, and then she discloses it was a 'coincidence' only to simultaneously release lakhs of money from the CM's secret fund as a reward for those who took part in the encounter. This is a cruel joke from a completely clueless CM", the NC Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani said in a statement issued from Party Headquarters in Srinagar on Thursday. ALSO READ: Security forces were unaware of Burhan Wani's presence on July 8, claims Mehbooba Mufti --- ENDS --- According to newswire dantri.com.vn, on July 23, when the plants employees were pumping alkali in pipes, they found that the chemical gun was broken, causing 9.58 cubic metres of alkali overflow, escaping the plant and seeping into the ground, causing land and waste pollution in Nhan Co commune, Dak RLap district. Although the employees put a stop to the spillage within four minutes, the overflow caused fish deaths on the Dak Dao River. Besides, residents have to refrain bodily contact with the rivers water, as the chemical pollution can lead to itchiness, burning irritation, and bullous. According to Ngo Xuan Loc, chief of office of the Dak Nong Peoples Committee, the date when reports of the fish deaths were first made matches the date the break-down occurred, however, the local authorities have to check carefully before drawing official conclusions on whether there is a link between the incidents. Ho Uy Liem, former deputy president of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA), told Datviet.vn that the plant was in the test run progress only, but it has caused the serious break-down, thus we can not foresee the possible consequences once the plants comes into operation at full capacity. In addition, numerous experts warned that using Chinese technology in alumina production is very dangerous because China has no experience in producing the material, Liem stated. Liem added that along with Nhan Cos break-down, previously, Tan Rai alumina facility in the neighbouring province of Lam Dong caused the red mud incident at Cai Bang Lake. These incidents show heightened risks of environmental pollution in the Central Highlands region. Nhan Co alumina plants construction was kicked off in May 2014 under an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract signed with a Chinese contractor. The construction, running on the total investment capital of VND16.82 trillion ($753.69 million), is divided into three phases. In the first phase, the plant is expected to achieve an annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes by 2016. In the second and third phases, to be finished by 2017 and 2019, respectively, production is expected to reach 300,000 and 450,000 tonnes. Regarding the $460 million Tan Rai alumina plant, invested by state mining group Vinacomin, started operation in October 2013. It has run at 75 per cent capacity with an annual output of 540,000 tonnes. Its product has been exported to Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China. In the domestic market, consumption deals have been reached with nearly 20 firms in construction materials and chemical industries nationwide. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton acknowledges the crowd as she arrives on stage during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, Jul 28, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP) The former secretary of state faced her biggest test on the national stage as she urged voters to embrace four more years of a Democratic White House rather than elect Republican billionaire Donald Trump. It was the centre-stage opportunity she came so close to seizing eight years ago during her first White House campaign, only to be defeated in her party's primary race by Barack Obama. In a primetime address, Clinton laid out plans to improve the nation's economy, stressing that "my primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages." Her effort focused particularly on places "that for too long have been left out and left behind, from our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country," she will say, according to speech excerpts released by the campaign. Clinton, 68, made history this week when she became the first female presidential nominee of a major US party. The four-day Democratic convention in Philadelphia has been a parade of party heavyweights -- and some independents -- who have all stressed that the former first lady and US senator is uniquely qualified to be commander-in-chief. Obama led the charge on Wednesday, stirringly hailing Clinton as his political heir. Clinton spoke of the strains that have been placed on US society during the toxic year-long campaign that has featured heated rhetoric from Trump and other candidates. "Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying," Clinton said. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid," Clinton added. "We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have." PERSONAL MOMENT Clinton faces a major trust deficit among a US public that has followed every Clintonian turn of the past quarter century. Rocked by an email scandal that refuses to die, she is now about as unpopular with voters as her Republican rival. But her remarks signal a plan to focus attention on pockets of down-and-out communities which have felt ignored by the slow and erratic economic recovery. After her speech, Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine will seek to carry her momentum straight onto the campaign trail Friday, taking a three-day bus tour into Rust Belt communities in swing states Pennsylvania and Ohio. With Trump casting himself as an outsider, a political neophyte committed to upending the Washington establishment, Clinton faces the difficult task of appearing as the steady hand at the tiller even while promising to be a catalyst for change. "It's the most personal moment on the campaign, talking to a big audience about what she wants to do for the future," Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said on a Facebook live stream. 'NO RONALD REAGAN' The most rousing Clinton sales pitch of the week came from Obama himself. "I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman -- not me, not Bill (Clinton), nobody -- more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America," Obama thundered before a cheering crowd. "No matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits." Trump seemed to drop an unexpected gift in Clinton's lap Wednesday when he urged Russia to hack Clinton's emails. The 70-year-old real estate mogul sought to douse the outcry on Thursday by saying he was "being sarcastic," but the call for cyber espionage against the United States made even Republicans cringe. Doug Elmets, a Republican who worked in president Ronald Reagan's White House, brought the Democratic crowd to its feet when he implored fellow Republicans to vote for Clinton. "I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan," Elmets said. "Trump is a petulant, dangerously unbalanced reality star who will coddle tyrants and alienate allies." PITCH TO MIDDLE AMERICA While Clinton must play to the party's base -- and seek to soothe bruised Bernie Sanders supporters, some of whom wore fluorescent green shirts Thursday inside the arena as a subtle form of protest -- a key mission is to appeal to crossover voters and independents wary of Trump. "Donald Trump is making a lot of really big promises, and some people find those attractive," said Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook. "What Hillary is going to do tonight, what we've done at this convention is make sure that people know the facts." He acknowledged that Clinton, who will be introduced by daughter Chelsea, also knows "she needs to earn the voters' trust." Clinton has never been as telegenic and personable a politician as her husband or Obama, whose oratorical skills were on full display Tuesday and Wednesday. She will balance her policy strengths with an attempt to connect with Americans watching from their living rooms as she faces a nation divided by intense campaign rhetoric, spikes in race-related gun violence, and heightened fear brought about by a spate of terror attacks around the world. HCM CITY, VIETNAM The southern Vietnamese city is famous for its delectable varieties of banh mi a French-inspired sandwich consisting of a baguette filled with meats and topped with fresh vegetables, daikon and carrot pickles, cilantro, and various sauces. Head to Banh Mi Huynh Hoa to sample one before trying the extensive menu at Cuc Gach Quan, which is located in a French colonial home. BANGKOK, THAILAND Endless street stalls can be found with familiar dishes like pad thai, which Thip Samai on Mahachai Road is known for. In the last few years, there have also been a growing number of pop-up restaurants, where chefs organize set dinners at fixed prices based on various themes. BARCELONA, SPAIN You can help yourself to an abundance of cured pork, Serrano ham, and cold cuts from inland Catalonia, but you could also get fresh fish from the Mediterranean Sea. Sample traditional Catalan cooking in areas like the Barri Gotic quarter, indulge in tapas at popular stops like Cal Pep, and explore the Boqueria market for stalls of fresh produce and treats. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA In Buenos Aires, you can indulge in juicy grass-fed steaks, multi-course chefs tasting menus, and quality wines for under $30. Its parrilladas (grills) are famous for their tender steaks and meats, but Buenos Aires is also home to a large underground food scene where high-end chefs prepare meals for diners in their homes. ENSENADA, MEXICO The Ensenada market made waves with its fish tacos when it opened in 1958, and the dish remained one of the areas most famed bites. Today youll find stands all around the Mexican city, serving up the iconic combination of fried fish and shrimp smothered in mayo, salsa, and fresh cabbage. GEORGE TOWN, PENANG, MALAYSIA Penang is home to a mix of traditional Malay, Chinese, and Indian dishes with cooking methods that date back hundreds of years. Its hawker centers in George Town are filled with tasty fried treats and delectable varieties of soups that range from pork and duck with anise to mackerel-chili soup. LOS ANGELES, USA This is where chef Roy Choi started the Kogi food truck, which marked the beginning of a thriving food-truck scene in the city. LA offers everything from fresh seafood choices on the pier of Venice Beach to posh restaurants and top-notch Mexican, Korean, and sushi, courtesy of its diverse population. MARRAKESH, MOROCCO This Moroccan city combines the flavors of France, Africa, and the Middle East to offer food stalls where you can taste on-the-go bites such as kefta (Moroccan meatballs) and merguez (spicy sausages) in the day. At night, dine at stunning restaurants like Dar Moha, set in Pierre Balmains former residence. SINGAPORE Hawker centers abound with cheap eats that are beloved by famous foodies like Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay. Try iconic Singaporean dishes like chicken rice, chili crab, and char kway teow. TOKYO, JAPAN Home to more than 200 Michelin-starred restaurants, Tokyo is a go-to destination for those in search of prime fine dining. While there, be sure to sample some of the best sushi in the world at Sukiyabashi Jiro, the famed sushi restaurant from the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. A handout photograph released by the Nepalese Army on Jul 27, 2016 shows army personnel rescuing flood victims in Nawalparasi. (Photo: AFP) Nepal has been worst hit, with homes and bridges destroyed after days of torrential monsoon rains, although water levels were now slowing receding. "Since Monday, 73 people have been killed in the floods and landslides," home ministry deputy spokesman Jhanka Nath Dhakal told AFP, increasing the death toll from Tuesday after the discovery of 15 more bodies. "Our teams are working continuously in affected areas to search and rescue. We are also providing relief to the victims." Images released by the army, which is involved in the operations, showed villagers waiting on rooftops to be evacuated in motorboats. The worst-hit district was Pyuthan, 250km (150 miles) west of Kathmandu, where dozens of houses have been swept away. Scores of people die every year from flooding and landslides during the monsoon rains in Nepal and neighbouring India. The situation is particularly desperate this year because millions of Nepalis are still living in tents or makeshift huts after a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015. Floods have also hit India's remote, northeastern state of Assam where 19 people have lost their lives mainly after rivers burst their banks in the last week, officials there said. "An estimated two million people have been rendered homeless after the floods hit 3,000 villages in 21 districts," Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal told journalists during a tour of hard-hit areas on Thursday. Thousands of those were sheltering in makeshift camps set up along highways and on higher ground, officials said. "We are providing food, medicines and other relief materials to the flood affected victims," Sonowal said. Concerns were mounting for the safety of rare one-horned rhinos and other animals trying to flee Assam's famed Kaziranga National Park, which was also flooded. "At least a dozen animals have drowned or been killed after being hit by cars while crossing the national highway to move towards the adjoining Karbi Anglong Hills," Assam forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma told AFP. "The park is completely submerged and all the animals are migrating in large herds to the hills," the minister said. Kaziranga is home to two thirds of the world's one-horned rhino population. Can you briefly introduce your experience in luxury hospitality? I am a dedicated Swiss Hospitality Professional with an excellent knowledge of Hotel Operations, F&B and hotel pre-opening. Having worked with people of different culture, I posses goof cultural awareness. Hospitality is my passion. What encouraged the company to build this luxury hotel in Halong bay? Halong has long been an exciting destination as it is a world heritage site. It now has new airports and better road infrastructure leading to it, so it will become all the more popular. Despite the number of hotels already in existence, we were confident to build as we are the first international five star standard hotel in the area. We are excited about this accomplishment and now that the hotel is open we are committed to making this a successful venture. How many hotels does Kosmopolitan plan to manage in Vietnam under the Wyndham brand? Kosmopolitan hospitality is a young hotel management company with its headquarters in Bangkok working in close partnership with Wyndham hotel group. With more than 13 hotels in the portfolio located around the Indochine area, the group is projecting to grow by at least ten hotels a year. Wyndham Legend Halong is its flagship hotel in Vietnam and the company plans to develop more here. Discussions are ongoing with developers in locations like Hanoi, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc island and Ho Chi Minh City. Has being part of the Wyndham Group facilitated access to the international market and which channels have you used to access it As part of the international brand we received a lot of pre-opening support in promoting the hotel in several key feeder markets including luxury press like Conde Nast and Robb report. Furthermore, the hotel has been promoted through worldwide GSAs in 125 locations. As part of our strategy we have also developed some exciting packages which includes cruises. Wyndham Legend Halong hotel With the boom in construction backed by local investors how do you view the competition here? The market is becoming more competitive with new developments, however we are confident that with better airline connectivity and the improvement of infrastructure luxury tourism numbers will grow, generating enough business for everyone. Have you faced any challenges thus far? Vietnam is a great country and exciting to work in, especially Halong Bay. However getting enough qualified hotel staff is a big challenge. Who are your majority clients? The Asian market is the leading market in Halong Bay but with the opening of more 5 star international hotels in Halong Bay and the improving public infrastructure we expect to see an increase in Western tourist numbers. What is your advice for those visiting this region? Like travelling to any other part of the world, respect the people and their culture and behave accordingly. People here are very friendly, but sometimes a bit shy, especially in Halong Bay as not everybody is used to dealing with Westerners yet. The language barrier can play a part too, so please read about Vietnam and prepare yourself before travelling here. How can Halong and Vietnam attract more high-end tourists? More international hotels can be attracted by improving the public infrastructure. The new international Halong airport is scheduled to open by 2017 and Haiphong airport is currently undergoing improvements - two major developments that will facilitate high end market growth. Workers of Lien Phat Shoes Company in the southern Binh Duong Province on a production line for exports to the EU, US, Canada and Japan. VNA/VNS Photo Vu Sinh The forum of the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) was convened to collect ideas from business experts and researchers about the institutional reform required to boost the local economy in the context of the 12 FTAs the country has signed. According to the forum, the FTAs have so far contributed to improving the economy, with foreign direct investment (FDI) reaching US$22.75 billion in 2015 and.more than $11.2 billion in the first half this year. However, Ba believes the business environment in Viet Nam is not sufficiently healthy, while many State-owned enterprises have not performed well and many private enterprises are weak. He said that along with policies to support private firms, it is crucial to strengthen the financial market structure and boost the comprehensive growth of all kinds of markets. Ba told the forum that the country should enhance transparency, improve inspection to identify flaws, boost judicial and public administration reform as well as improve the investment climate. Pham Van Tan, deputy head of VUSTA, said many market laws are still not fully applied making it hard for Viet Nam to compete with other similar ASEAN economies that have better technology, more skilled labour and stronger capital. Hoang Xuan Hoa, director of the general economics department of the Central Party Committees Economic Commission said the country should continue to improve the regulation systems and reform the institutions. Viet Nam should continue to complete institutions related to ownership and development economic sectors as well as business types, he said, adding that policies to boost the growth of enterprises and the synchronous development of all kinds of market are also vital, Hoa said. Viet Nam has economic relation with 224 countries and territories. According to the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), 12 signed FTAs including the TPP, ASEAN, ASEAN-India, ASEAN-Australia/New Zealand, ASEAN-Korea, ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN-China, Viet Nam-Japan, Viet Nam-Chile, Viet NamKorea, Viet Nam-Eurasian Economic Union, Viet Nam-EU. VCCI said Viet Nam was waiting for RCEP (ASEAN+6), Viet Nam-Israel and Viet Nam-EFTA. The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) has revised its preliminary conclusion of the anti-dumping investigation of Vietnamese circular welded carbon-quality steel pipes, citing significant ministerial errors. - Photo thesaigontimes.vn In a notice dated July 15, DOC raised the dumping margin rates for both Vietnam Haiphong Hongyuan Machinery Manufactory Co Ltd and Hoa Phat Steel Pipe Co to 2.32 per cent, instead of 1.19 per cent and 0.38 per cent, respectively, mentioned in the preliminary report in June 2016. The rate for SeAH Steel Vina Corporation remained unchanged at zero per cent. Other steel pipe exporters will still face the countrywide rate of 113.18 per cent, based on adverse reports. On June 8, 2016, DOC had published its affirmative preliminary determination that circular welded carbon-quality steel pipes (CWP) from Viet Nam was being sold in the United States at less than fair value provided by section 733 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and at different rates. However, American petitioners filed comments alleging significant ministerial errors in the margin calculated for Vietnamese businesses. After analysing the comments, DOC detected the errors in margin calculation and decided to revise the dumping margin rates for two Vietnamese steel exporters. On December 17, 2015, DOC initiated dumping investigation concerning imports of CWP from Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan and Viet Nam. Among these four countries, the highest rate of more than 113 per cent was imposed on Viet Nam. Vietnam's CWP exports to the United States reached US$60.6 million in 2014, the highest among the four countries probed, according to the Vietnam Competition Authority. 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 PTI: New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Three men allegedly involved in the abduction of Keralite priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil and carrying out an attack on a care home for the elderly killing an Indian and 15 others in Yemens port city of Aden, were arrested in the strife-torn country. "Based on information that we have received from our Embassy in Djibouti, it appears that the information is correct," official sources said when asked about reports that suspected terrorists involved in the two cases were captured. advertisement They said there was no information available yet on the whereabouts of Father Uzhunnalil, adding the Indian Mission continues to work with the local authorities to ascertain information on him. The priest, who hails from Kerala, had gone missing after the Islamic State militant group attacked the care home run by Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity. One Indian nurse and 15 others were killed in the attack on the care home in Aden city on March 4. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said last week that efforts were on to secure release of the priest. The Indian Embassy in Yemens capital Sanaa was closed last year following widespread violence. The embassys functions are being carried out from a camp office in Djibouti. PTI MPB SC --- ENDS --- Photo by ABACA PRESS President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons hug on stage during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday was an instant hit. i just got the numark mixtrack quad that came with the disc with the software you need to download to use it. i installed it but then it says " please enter the serial number provided with your product " i checked the serial number that starts with (21) located on the back of the deck and it keeps saying "invalid serial number please try again." but theirs no other serial number what what am i suppose to enter. And when i close it it virtual dj then close's down and then comes up with another box saying that i now only have temporary version or something. Cambodias foreign minister, Prak Sokhon, has said that the country is working behind the scenes to mediate disputes between its ally China and partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations over the South China Sea. He also denied accusations that Cambodia was siding with China in the disputes and had blocked the issuance of yet another joint statement from Asean earlier this week. What Cambodia has done in this matter? First, [Cambodia] maintained its rightful stance that it would not side with any party, and especially [it] has considerably contributed to prevent the situation in the South China Sea from falling into a deteriorated atmosphere via the facilitation of all relevant parties, he told reporters in Phnom Penh on Friday. He claimed that the Philippines, which recently won an arbitration ruling in its dispute with China, had agreed to not include a phrase in the joint statement referring to countries involved in the disputes giving full respect to legal and diplomatic process, an apparent reference to the ruling at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. On Monday, Wang Yi, Sokkhons Chinese counterpart, praised Cambodias abstention from issuing a statement in the wake of the courts decision. Earlier in July Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that he had agreed to an additional $600 million in aid and loans from China, reportedly in exchange for diplomatic support over the South China Sea issue. Chheng Vannarith, a political analyst specializing in the Asia Pacific region, said it would be difficult to maintain the appearance of neutrality while Cambodia continued to accept such large aid packages from its northern powerhouse ally. Pushing for what we call impartial neutrality means that if we do not have more trade and economic partners other than China we cannot have real independence. Sokhons comments followed a visit by National Assembly president Heng Samrin to China this week, where he met several high-ranking officials, including the vice president. The Afghan government has been unable to help some of its most vulnerable citizens, those displaced internally by violence, due to resistance from provincial governments, lack of capacity in key ministries, and corruption, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. In an audit letter sent to the U.S. State Department and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) this week, SIGAR also pointed out the lack of coordination in non-governmental organizations trying to help internally displaced persons (IDPs). One-point-two million Afghans are internally displaced due to conflict according to an Amnesty International report released in May. That number has doubled in the last three years, up from 500,000 in 2013, pointing to a sharp increase in people leaving their homes due to violence. Even after fleeing their homes to seek safety, increasing numbers of Afghans are languishing in appalling conditions in their own country, and fighting for their survival with no end in sight, Champa Patel, South Asia director at Amnesty International said. Afghanistan developed a National Policy on Internally Displaced Persons in 2013, which was supposed to address both the urgent and long term needs of IDPs and their host communities. The situation for the IDPs, however, has dramatically worsened since then, according to Amnesty. Donor fatigue With the international community also gradually losing interest in Afghanistan, and other crises around the world catching the attention of donors, aid to the country has dropped significantly. IDPs today lack basic essentials, including food and shelter, human rights groups say. On top of that, provincial governments that were required to help IDPs in their areas either ignored them or made the situation worse, according to SIGAR. [A]ccording to State, some provincial governments have not accepted that IDPs have a right to stay in their provinces and were more inclined to regard the IDPs as economic migrants who do not have the same rights, such as the right to food, water, adequate shelter, and health care, as other Afghans, SIGAR's letter said, adding that in some cases these governments demolished IDP settlements claiming they were supposed to be temporary. Management failures The letter also pointed out that the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, MORR, which was supposed to distribute pieces of land to IDPs have so far only allocated a little over 50,000 plots, in response to half-a-million applications. MORR did not have the budget and lacked proper planning and procedures to manage a medium- to long-term response to IDPs, according to SIGAR. However, Sayed Huseen Alimi Balkhi, the Afghan minister of refugees and returnees, said his government was working hard to help the IDPs, despite difficult conditions. Based on the National Policy for the Resettlement of IDPs, they should be resettled, but in the past two years intensification of war has prevented the Afghan government from taking effective steps for resettlement of IDPs, he said. He added, the Afghan government had worked hard for the rehabilitation of IDPs in Herat, Nangarhar, and Kabul provinces and work continued on shelter, and other infrastructure. The president of the African Wildlife Foundation has called on African governments to urgently address the issue of poaching, which he said is depriving the continent of its resources. But Zimbabwe says the international ban on the sale of ivory which was imposed to discourage poaching is hurting its interests. Winding up a five-day visit to Zimbabwe on Friday, Kaddu Sebunya said poaching is depleting Africa of its vital natural resources in the same way the slave trade once did. He said animal populations are dropping rapidly around the continent. We have been losing an average of 30,000 elephants annually. Many African countries in the last 20 years have lost all their rhino population. All. Zero left. It is worrying. Through poaching. Not through any legal mechanism. Our lion population has halved. And if we do not do anything around that, we are going to lose our lions in 20 years. And we need to something about it. Time is now, Sebunya said. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, other animals on the decline in Africa include cheetahs and black rhinos. The animals are important to Africas economy, helping to drive tourism. But economic concerns also drive the poachers, who sell wildlife products such as tusks and rhino horn to meet demand abroad, mainly in Asia. Sebunya said something must be done to reduce demand for these products especially ivory as well as address the poverty and hunger that lures some Africans into poaching. Zimbabwe has the continents second-largest elephant population, estimated at about 82,000. The number has dropped by about 6,000 in the last decade, partly because of poaching. Like other African countries, Zimbabwe is taking steps to stop the decline. However, the government has refused to destroy the elephant tusks it has confiscated from poachers over the years, as Kenya recently did. Zimbabwes Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa spoke in parliament this week about the ivory: We have $9.6 billion worth of ivory in the country; sufficient to write off our debt. So this is the paradox of Africa. Rich Africa, poor Africans. Because the policies are coming from outside. And imposed on us. They do not have elephants but they become members of CITES to ban and stop us from disposing our own assets. CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement that, among other things, bans the sale of ivory. The ban was imposed to protect elephants. But Zimbabwe argues that its elephant population has grown beyond the countrys capacity. During his visit to Zimbabwe, Sebunya said he would not comment on CITES but said he was happy that the country was scaling up efforts to fight poaching. A tribunal ordered Chad's ex-dictator Hissene Habre on Friday to pay more than 4,700 victims at least $17,000 each for abuses suffered during his time in power. The Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal found Habre guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment on May 30 for crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and sex crimes committed during his presidency from 1982-1990. The trial against Habre began in July 2015 and was the first in which courts of one country prosecuted the former ruler of another for alleged human rights crimes. Victims and survivors have been pursuing the case for more than 15 years. Judge Gberdao Gustave Kam awarded about $34,000 each to victims of sexual violence, $25,000 to those imprisoned or tortured and $17,000 to indirect victims. The court didn't announce the total figure but it is estimated to be more than $85 million. Victims had asked for $285 million Jacqueline Moudeina, head lawyer for the civil parties, said lawyers would consult victims to see if they want to appeal. They had requested $285 million and a monument in honor of those who died. There was great suffering, so it is entirely normal that a victim would say they are not satisfied, she said. A 1992 Chadian Truth Commission accused Habre's government of systematic torture, saying 40,000 people died during his rule. It also accused Habre of stealing an amount equivalent at the time to $13 million from the national treasury before fleeing to Senegal in 1990. The tribunal has already frozen some of Habre's assets. The defense has 15 days to appeal the reparation award. They have already appealed the conviction. In March 2015, a Chad criminal court convicted 20 security agents involved in the abuses and rewarded 7,000 victims reparations of about 75 billion CFA francs ($125 million). The money has not yet been paid. Increases in airstrikes, U.S. injuries, and a wider range of authorities for U.S. troops are revealing a much more involved U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, despite a planned reduction of troops there by the end of the year. The top U.S. general in Afghanistan said Thursday his forces have carried out about 470 airstrikes in support of the government's efforts to rid the country of insurgents and terrorists. In fact, more weapons were employed through airstrikes in Afghanistan last week than any other week in 2016, Lt. Col. Chris Karns, a spokesman for US Air Forces Central Command, told VOA Thursday. The number of weapons released during strikes are up more than 80 percent from the first half of 2015 to the first half of 2016, according to data released by the U.S. Air Force. Approximately 40 strikes have been conducted under the new authorities granted by the president last month to support the Afghan government's efforts, Gen. John Mick Nicholson told reporters Thursday via video conference from Afghanistan. U.S. troops in Afghanistan now can attack Taliban fighters directly to help Afghan forces gain a strategic advantage. Previously, American forces were authorized only to strike Taliban units if they were under attack, or if their Afghan allies were facing imminent defeat. About 180 strikes have been in support of the U.S. counterterrorism mission, which targets remnants of al-Qaida, pockets of Islamic State fighters and other terror groups. Shifting resources In addition to the increased strikes, the U.S. military has shifted resources as Afghans have focused on fighting in the eastern part of the country. The Afghans have shifted their main effort up to the east from Helmand to Nangahar, and then we assist them by moving our ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance], our air power to that area, said Nicholson. Five U.S. service members were wounded during offensive counterterrorism operations while partnered with Afghan forces on July 24 and July 25. The wounds were a result of small arms fire and shrapnel while attempting to clear an area in southern Nangahar province, Nicholson noted, adding that none were life-threatening injuries. The shift to the east takes the battle to Islamic State fighters in the country, which Nicholson said numbers about 1,000 to 1,500 fighters after several U.S. airstrikes helped to cut by half the size of their force. Islamic State-Khorasan is primarily based in three or four districts in Nangahar province, he said. The group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul that killed more than 80 people and wounded 200 others. The suicide attack Saturday was the deadliest in Kabul since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban regime. Reported troop increases The fight to push Islamic State out of Afghanistan comes as Nicholson told reporters in Kabul he was making use of a special authority to bring additional assets and ground forces into the country for a short-term offensive against IS-Khorasan. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Nicholson said such deployments were common, as requirements are adjusted by commanders across the Central Command region, which covers the Middle East and South Asia. The U.S. will decrease its troop numbers in Afghanistan from 9,800 to about 8,400 by the end of the year. Nicholson has said about 3,000 troops will be advising Afghan forces as part of NATOs Resolute Support Mission. Roughly 2,150 of the 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan will support the U.S. counterterrorism mission, dubbed Freedoms Sentinel. About 3,300 will serve as enablers for both missions. Two men thought to be connected to the militants who carried out the Paris attacks in November have been extradited to France from Austria, the prosecutors' office in the city of Salzburg said on Friday. The two men, an Algerian believed to be 29 and a Pakistani thought to be 35, were arrested last year at a shelter for refugees on suspicion of being linked to the attacks in which 130 people were killed. "The two accused have left federal territory," the Salzburg prosecutors' office said in a statement. The French newspaper Le Monde has reported that the two men travelled together from Syria to the Greek island of Leros with two Iraqi brothers who blew themselves up near the Stade de France stadium outside Paris on Nov. 13. The two men were first arrested on Leros during a passport check on October 3, because one of them spoke Arabic poorly and the other could not describe Aleppo, which was cited as his birthplace on his passport, the newspaper Le Parisien has said. Both men were released three weeks later and went to Austria, where they were arrested again. The men's transfer to France was carried out under a European arrest warrant issued by France, the Austrian prosecutors' office said. "Considering the investigations being carried out by the French authorities the Salzburg prosecutors' office cannot provide further information on the content [of the investigation]," it added. Maharashtra ATS sources said the Kochi case indicates an indirect link of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) with ISIS since the arrested accused, Arshid, was working for IRF as a guest relations manager. By Vidya : Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) today submitted a report to the Mumbai Police in the Zakir Naik case. Mumbai Police is likely to file a detailed report on the controversial Islamic preacher by this weekend. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered an inquiry against Naik after it emerged that his sermons were followed by Dhaka attackers. Mumbai Police however said that they were ready with the report four days ago but it got delayed because of the fresh arrests made by Kochi Police. Maharashtra ATS sources said the Kochi case indicates an indirect link of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) with ISIS since the arrested accused, Arshid, was working for IRF as a guest relations manager. advertisement Maharashtra ATS plans to do random questioning to scrutinise the affidavits of 800 people (recovered from Rizwan Khan's place) who converted to Islam with Rizwan Khan's help. Rizwan Khan was arrested after a joint operation by ATS and Kerala Police. Khan, who was apprehended from Kalyan, was reportedly a witness at the wedding of a couple from Kerala who allegedly joined Islamic State. KOCHI CASE 21 people who went missing were radicalised to such an extent that one of the men stopped speaking to his mother because she refused to wear a full sleeves kurta. Another man never sat in a car purchased or rented from a Hindu vendor saying "Kaafiron ki car mein nahi baithenge". Two pregnant ladies under the age of 30 left India and went to Syria, thinking their kids should be born in Pious land. Some parents took their young girls (two years and three years) with them to ISIS. PARBHANI ARREST Nasir and Shahid, who were recently arrested for planning single wolf attack have not revealed their targets yet. Primary information reveals that they learnt via internet how to assemble IEDs and used the 'daesh' manuals for various purposes. Nasir and Shahid's phones were recovered with tape on front and back cameras. This was done fearing that security agencies might hack into their phones and intercept their movements. All these were done under instructions of ISIS handlers. Also read: After IRF, another NGO under scanner for 'forced conversions' Over 10 people visit us every day, some are Zakir Naik's fans: ISIS recruiter tells Kerala police --- ENDS --- Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon.com, on Thursday became the world's third-richest person as of the market close for the first time, Forbes magazine said, passing Warren Buffett, the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway. Bezos' fortune was $65.3 billion as of 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT), compared with Buffett's $64.9 billion. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates remained the world's richest person, at $77.7 billion, while Spain's Amancio Ortega, who founded the Zara clothing chain's owner Inditex SA, was second at $72.7 billion. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's co-founder and chief executive, was fifth at $54 billion. Bezos, 52, owns close to 18 percent of Amazon. Its stock has risen by roughly 50 percent since early February. The world's largest online retailer has continued to upend retailing as more people take to the Web rather than the mall to shop. Amazon's share price rose further in after-hours trading, after the Seattle-based company reported better-than-expected second-quarter results. Buffett, 85, owns close to 18 percent of Berkshire, but his donation this month of $2.86 billion of Berkshire stock to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities led to his drop to fourth place. He has donated more than $24.3 billion to the Gates Foundation and family charities since 2006. Berkshire is based in Omaha, Nebraska, and has roughly 90 business units, including Geico car insurance, the BNSF railroad and Dairy Queen ice cream. In June, Buffett called Bezos a "classic example" of how a business owner could thrive, by having focused at Amazon on how to "delight" customers and keep them coming back, rather than simply process their orders. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Loretta Lynch, speaking Thursday at a memorial service in Baton Rouge, called for unity to honor the area's three police officers who were fatally shot this month by a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Several hundred people and dozens of law enforcement officers attended the vigil, where Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards also implored the community to seek peace and healing after the July 17 attack that also wounded three other officers. The shootings came amid a series of deadly encounters igniting debate over policing and minorities in the United States. The killings rattled a city already grappling with protests after the fatal police shooting on July 5 of Alton Sterling, 37, a black man confronted by officers while selling CDs outside a convenience store. Biden said he heard that Sterling's aunt, who raised him, had prayed with a slain officer's father. "Loss is loss is loss," he said, speaking at a Baton Rouge church. "Now the city has to reach out, the country has to reach out to law enforcement, and let you know how much we care." On the stage behind him, three chairs sat empty, decorated with sashes and uniform caps representing the officers. Tearful remembrances Choking back tears, two of the officers' wives recalled phone calls and door knocks on an initially normal Sunday morning that changed their lives forever. Slain Baton Rouge Officers Matthew Gerald, 41, and Montrell Jackson, 32, and East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Deputy Brad Garafola, 45, were killed in what Louisiana officials described as a calculated attack. Shooter Gavin Long, 29, a black former Marine with ties to an African-American anti-government group, was also killed in an exchange of gunfire. "No family should ever have to be without their loved ones, especially when these three heroes could be home had a person not been filled with so much hatred," said Tonja Garafola. Jackson's wife, Trenisha, recalled his wish to see healing in the city and directed the crowd to repeat sentiments that he had posted on Facebook in the tense days before his death. "I will not let hate infect my heart," the crowd repeated. The assault followed the deaths of five officers in Dallas, Texas, on July 7, who were shot by another black former U.S. serviceman. President Barack Obama traveled to Dallas in the wake of those shootings. One of the wounded Louisiana officers, Nicholas Tullier, 41, remains hospitalized in critical condition, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office said Thursday. At the vigil, Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said he was "fighting for his life." A British Labour Member of Parliament (MP) is upset about a 3-minute Chinese propaganda clip playing on a giant screen in New York City's Times Square that, she says, takes her quotes about the South China Sea out of context. Interspersed with expansive scenes of blue sea and sky are short comments by people apparently voicing support for Chinas sovereignty in the disputed maritime region. Catherine West, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the Labour Partys Shadow Cabinet, is one of several international lawmakers, analysts and diplomats who granted interviews on the topic while visiting Beijing for the fifth China-Europe High-level Political Parties Forum in May. The embedded text narrative of the clip says China was The first to discover, name and explore the islands in the South China Sea," and, "[founding leaders] gradually established Chinas undisputed sovereignty and rights over the islands. After slamming a Hague-based court's ruling that Chinas claims are incompatible with international law, the video says China supports and advocates a dual-track approach" of resolving disputes via state-to-state dialogues. The video then cuts to West saying, I think talks are crucial. That is why we have to be careful. Yes, we need to resolve it very locally and have a grown-up approach to dialogue. According to Wests press secretary Matthew Whitty, the legislator was perplexed and concerned about assertions made in the clip, as it takes her words out of context. Although I was of course happy to give an interview on my concerns regarding the militarization of the South China Sea and the need to work together to secure a peaceful resolution, I am not happy for the footage to be used in a way that suggests that I support the current approach adopted by China towards these islands," she said in an email to online news magazine Quartz. "I would hope my parliamentary record has demonstrated that I have consistently raised concern over Chinese island-building and military deployment in the South China Sea, and indeed I have urged the UK government to do all it can to ensure international law is upheld and that the region is stabilized for all parties concerned. The propaganda video runs 120 times a day from July 23 to August 3. With its annual traffic of hundreds of millions of people, New Yorks Times Square is one of the busiest tourist spots in the world. Among other people quoted in the video are Dr. Wu Shicun, president of Chinas National Institute for South China Sea Studies; John Ross, former director of Economic and Business Policy of London; and Masood Khalid, Pakistan's Ambassador to China. Cambodia's foreign minister, Prak Sokhon, has said that the country is working behind the scenes to mediate disputes between its ally, China, and partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) over regional maritime claims in the South China Sea. He also denied accusations that Cambodia was siding with China in the disputes and had blocked the issuance of another joint statement from ASEAN earlier this week. "What Cambodia has done in this matter? First, [Cambodia] maintained its rightful stance that it would not side with any party, and especially [it] has considerably contributed to prevent the situation in the South China Sea from falling into a deteriorated atmosphere via the facilitation of all relevant parties," he told reporters Friday in Phnom Penh. He claimed that the Philippines, which recently won an arbitration ruling in its dispute with China, had agreed to not include a phrase in the joint statement referring to countries involved in the disputes giving "full respect to legal and diplomatic process," an apparent reference to the ruling at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. On Monday, Wang Yi, Sokhon's Chinese counterpart, praised Cambodia's abstention from issuing a statement in the wake of the court's decision. Earlier in July, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that he had agreed to an additional $600 million in aid and loans from China, reportedly in exchange for diplomatic support on the South China Sea issue. Chheng Vannarith, a political analyst specializing in the Asia Pacific region, said it would be difficult to maintain the appearance of neutrality while Cambodia continued to accept such large aid packages from its northern powerhouse ally. "Pushing for what we call impartial neutrality means that if we do not have more trade and economic partners other than China, we cannot have real independence," he said. Sokhon's comments followed a visit by National Assembly President Heng Samrin to China this week, where he met several high-ranking officials, including the vice president. Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy was found guilty Friday of defaming National Assembly President Heng Samrin, a high-ranking member of the ruling party, in a Facebook post last November. Under Article 305 of the criminal code, Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Ros Piseth charged Rainsy with public defamation over the November 17 post, and ordered him to pay $37,000 (150 million riel) to Samrin, a senior Cambodian Peoples Party member, and $2,400 (10 million riel) to the state. Rainsy, the self-exiled president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, was accused of posting a video of a speech made by the late King Norodom Sihanouk in which the monarch criticized the government of the day, which was led by Samrin, saying he had allowed occupying Vietnamese soldiers to settle in the country and become citizens. Samrins lawyer, Ky Tech, said he was disappointed with the verdict as it did not match the seriousness of the crime. The youth who do not know our history now believe that there really was a trial [against Sihanouk], he said. It strongly affects the reputation of Samdech Heng Samrin, who had the top position during that time, he added. More importantly, it also affects the reputation of the CPP. Ou Virak, head of the Future Forum think tank, said the fines were excessive and should be levied only in defamation cases between politicians as a symbolic gesture. Defamation among politicians is related to freedom of expression, which is at the core of politics, so compensation should be kept to a minimum," he said. Eng Chhay Eang, a CNRP lawmaker, said the verdict was politically motivated, adding that a solution to the ongoing political crisis in Cambodia was proving hard to come by. We are seeking ways to bring together [the parties] for talks, he said. When there is the political will, anything can be solved. Cambodian students have been learning about the U.S. electoral system at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh ahead of what is shaping up to be a heated contest between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton in November. Over the past two months, ahead of Cambodian elections scheduled for 2017 and 2018, the embassy has been hosting a series of lectures and fact-finding sessions for young Cambodians interested in democracy. Ky Mengly, who attended a lecture and majors in international studies, said he felt it was important to attend and for young people to compare their democratic system with those of other countries. I know how democracy works in America and it is a culture of sharing," he said. "I want the U.S. Embassy and other embassies to have a culture of sharing because the youth is good at engaging with people. Attendees are expected to interact with their American hosts and pose questions to speakers on a range of topics about the political process. Yun Mengtakpitou, another participant, called the U.S. election a process of global significance. The election in the U.S. affects all the countries of the world, he said. The lecture series at the embassys Information Resource Center will run until November. Courtney Woods, an embassy spokesman, said: This program seeks to provide young Cambodians with fact-based information about the U.S. election and political process. With assertive rhetoric, China appears to have scored a diplomatic victory in the past week, defying the Permanent Court of Arbitrations (PCA) ruling against its sweeping claims in the South China Sea, which some argue may run the risk of making the tribunal award irreverent. But others believe China will still have to face the rulings long-term impact, which will strengthen cases where its claims in the disputed waters will continue to be contested. And Beijing's upcoming bilateral talks with other claimants including the Philippines and Vietnam will be made on the basis of international law, said Tim Huxley, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Asia. In other words, they [the Philippines and Vietnam] are saying, Okay, we can talk. But we are not going to speak on your terms. Were going to speak on our terms and our terms are on the basis of international law, Huxley said. Thus, it would be misleading to expect immediate development as the rulings long-term implications may take years, if not decades, to materialize, the Singapore-based researcher added. Diplomatic maneuver Earlier this week, Beijing "flexed its muscles" in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) decision to delete any reference to China or the arbitration case on ASEAN's joint communique after its meeting of foreign ministers in Laos. That was seen as another diplomatic win for China after it had pressured the 10-nation group into retracting a statement in mid-June. Upon the communiques release Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters he believed the fever has finally come down, while "pointing fingers" at what he called outside forces, which he accused of having stirred up the fever among the waterways claimants. Wang described the tribunals award as prescribing a dose of the wrong medicine, which will not help cure the disease. He then lambasted the trilateral statement issued by the U.S., Japan and Australia later Wednesday for fanning the flames of regional tensions after the three allies urged China not to construct military outposts and reclaim land in the disputed waters as a show of support for other Asian claimants. The Chinese military on Thursday announced plans to hold joint exercises with Russian forces in September in the South China Sea. The drills are aimed at deepening relations between the two militaries and boosting their capacity to respond to maritime threats, ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a monthly news briefing. All in all, China has pushed hard on every possible front to rally support behind its non-acceptance stance in the dispute. That includes the premier of a three-minute publicity video on Time Square playing 120 times a day till next Friday, which some in the U.S. media have mocked as a level of boredom exceeding human tolerance. Chinas integrity questioned It may have saved China's face by pressuring ASEAN into issuing a watered-down statement, but whether Beijing gets to keep its integrity is in question, observers said. In the short term, countries may be intimidated, but these are bullying attempts that are remembered, and certainly will not win China points in the end, said Walden Bello, a senior research fellow at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies in Kyoto, Japan. The problem that China faces here is that the more it denounces the ruling, the more credibility it loses, added Bello, who was formerly a member of the House of Representatives in the Philippines. The former Philippine parliamentarian, nevertheless, welcomed Chinas calls for the resumption of talks with the Philippines, which he said should aim at addressing military de-escalation and territorial claims in the disputed waters separately. But he also expressed concerns about the difficulty of asking China to demilitarize or denuclearize the area after the Philippines itself has inked an Enhanced Security Cooperation Agreement with the U.S., which he said has done nothing but fuel Chinas security fears of the so-called U.S. encirclement. Collateral damage The Philippines legal issue and ASEANs reaction to the tribunal ruling are perfect examples of how Asian countries are caught between the U.S. security assurance and Chinas economic cooperation as collateral damage, said Dan Steinbock, a research director of international business at the India, China and America Institute. Focusing on one or the other has never been constructive, but balancing between the two has proved conducive to peace and prosperity in the region, Steinbock said in an emailed reply, adding that he believes, ever since Singapores Lee Kuan Yew, successful ASEAN leaders have all excelled in the ability of hedging between the two superpowers. And ASEANs member states have known only too well that international law is one thing while policy realism in the region is another, he added. So, the probability of accidental conflicts in the region continues to rise, which requires the cooperation of all concerned parties to de-escalate through confidence-building and negotiations, Steinbock argued. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says South Korea's recent decision to deploy the United States Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile defense system harms the foundation of mutual trust between Beijing and Seoul. Seoul asserts the missile shields presence is needed in response to North Koreas provocative actions, and U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice says the deployment is a purely defensive measure. So then why doesnt China want THAAD deployed on the Korean Peninsula? Katharine Moon, a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution and professor at Wellesley College, says the easiest way to understand Chinas objection to THAADs deployment is to look back at a similar case with Russia under the administrartion of former president George W. Bush. At the time, the United States had intended to put a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, but that was plan subsequently was scrapped by President Barack Obama, Bush's successor in office. In all, Moon says, it took 10 years before the U.S. was able to place a missile-defense system in Romania - until there was a concerted effort by the United States to explain that this system was not aimed at Russia, and would not reduce Moscows deterrence capabilities. I think China is in a similar position, says Moon. Even if they understand that [THAAD] is not aimed at compromising Chinas security, the fact that it would change the strategic balance to some extent on the peninsula, so close to Chinese territory, is from their perspective a threat, no matter what the United States says. The EastWest Institutes East Asia fellow, Jonathan Miller, notes that while China may have some concerns over its so-called second-strike capabilities - in terms of strategic deterrence with the United States - he feels Beijing's objections have more to do geopolitics. China sees the acceptance of THAAD on the Korean peninsula as potentially the precursor to a much larger missile-defense U.S.-led system in the region," Miller says, "and I think theyre quite concerned about stronger ties between the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Katharine Moon acknowledges that while there has not been any overt Chinese policy to punish South Korea, Seoul has experienced a drop in tourism and economic trade levels. She thinks the Chinese people have ways of getting the signal" to South Korea, "in a less escalated way. Moon says the international community should not necessarily dismiss Beijings sense of betrayal by South Korea, either. Since Beijing thought ties were improving with Seoul, and had also indicated it wanted to play a role in mediating discussions with North Korea, she added, the move toward THAAD could possibly be seen South Korea deliberately slighting China. But could the missile system prove to be as destabilizing for the peninsula as China asserts? From the Chinese perspective, Jonathan Miller says THAAD deployment is not going to help tensions on the Korean peninsula. It seems to be another element towards deterrence, and perhaps stepping away a little bit from the kind of diplomatic approach to resolving tensions on the Korean peninsula. "I think the United States and South Korea are looking for a balanced policy [of deterrence and diplomacy] in order to resolve the situation on the Korean peninsula," Miller adds. "But I think that the Chinese position is that [the U.S. and South Korea are leaning toward] deterrence, and more toward force, and thats not something good for the region. Katharine Moon also says regional stability could be affected only if the North Koreans react with something more severe than the missile tests theyve already been launching, such as explicitly targeting a site in South Korea, or if a North Korean missile test goes awry and the missile lands near the South Korean border, or in Japanese territory. However, Moon says the region most likely will see an increase in diplomatic tension, rather than physical confrontation, and that these issues will have to be addressed by the next U.S. administration. Democrat Hillary Clintons historic selection this week as the first female presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party doesnt mean she has the womens vote locked up in November. Gender and experience are not the key determining factors in an election its party identification, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginias Center for Politics. People always misinterpret election statistics, including the gender gap, he said. Republican women are not going to defect to Hillary Clinton. Democratic men are not going to defect in large measure to Donald Trump. A palpable sense of excitement surrounded the nomination of Barack Obama when he became the first African-American to assume the presidency in 2008. While Clintons nomination has resulted in a similar but more subdued sense of optimism, polls indicate her precedent-breaking campaign may not translate into the numbers she would like. According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, 52 percent of registered female voters from both parties support Clinton. But that share falls to 36 percent among white women ages 50 to 64 and slips to 34 percent among white women ages 35 to 49. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump polls at 37 percent of all registered female voters. But of those, he does better than Clinton among white women ages 50 to 64 with 54 percent and 51 percent of white women ages 35 to 49. Women generally are more likely than men to lean Democratic, the Pew Research Center reported last year in what the research group billed as a deep dive into party affiliation. Downside of success Secretary Clinton is in a very unique position, where women who advance in careers are seen as cold, as calculating, said Isela Castanon-Williams, a delegate from Texas pledged to the nominee. There are negatives attached to us, to women who are trying to do more than other women have done. Most female voters understand the challenges faced by women seeking elected office, even if those voters dont support them at the polls. In a 2016 Pew Research Center survey, 47 percent of women said they believe the major obstacle to female candidates in obtaining higher office is that they are held to higher standards than men. Only 28 percent of men said that factor held women back. The difference in men and women on this issue is particularly striking, considering an almost equal number of men (74 percent) and women (76 percent) said males and females make equally good political leaders. Generation gap Women in Clintons generation see her candidacy as the capstone of decades of hard-fought battles to achieve equal rights. Sexism is omnipresent; this is bigger, Missouri delegate Yvonne Reeves-Chong said of the nomination. This is about my life and my granddaughters. I dont think I can express how much it really, really does mean to me. The generational contrast is in stark relief in this convention city, as Madeleine Albright, who preceded Clinton as secretary of state, recalled Geraldine Ferraro, the vice presidential nominee in 1984. At a National Democratic Institute discussion in Philadelphia, Albright said Clinton might not have advanced to become a major partys nominee if not for Geraldine Ferraro really breaking and crashing through that glass ceiling. Younger voters, some who werent even born when Ferraro broke that barrier 32 years ago, have grown up seeing American women making numerous gains. They live in a world in which more women than men have college degrees. Women are the main wage earners in four out of 10 U.S. households. One of those younger voters is Christina Besh, a Democratic delegate from Georgia, who reasoned, Its not really about having a female candidate, its about having the right candidate. Clinton is at a disadvantage with millennial voters who flocked to support Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. According to Pew, younger women were less likely to give female leaders an edge over male leaders. Besh said she wont vote for Clinton in November, even though she has been a Democrat her entire life, because she is thoroughly disgusted" by whats going on in this election: "The fraud, the email leaks, also the classified emails. [Clinton] basically got a get-out-of-jail-free card. Making up the difference Sabato said Clinton makes up for gaps among white females with a strong showing among female minority voters: Shes getting over 80 percent of all minorities when you put all the different categories together. She may well need 85 percent or so, and shes on the verge of getting it. Shell have to count on that turnout to make up for her shortfall among white male voters, he added. Whats not a good showing for a Democrat is that shes losing white men by a massive majority and especially blue-collar white men. To succeed, Clinton will have to capitalize on Trumps historically low poll numbers with minorities. But in the arena where Clinton secured the historic nomination, Texas delegate Mary Lou Tevebaugh wasnt concerned by the possible gaps in the female vote. I laugh a little when people say were not excited, she said of the level of enthusiasm for Clinton this November. "I like to say that theres a burn for Bernie and a slow boil for Hillary." When Hillary Clinton gave a speech Thursday accepting her party's nomination for U.S. president, the reaction was predictable: Democrats loved it, while prominent Republicans were not big fans. "So moved and so inspired by that powerful speech from our next president!" first lady Michelle Obama said. "Great speech. She's tested. She's ready. She never quits," President Barack Obama wrote on Twitter, adding that is why Clinton should take over when he leaves the White House in January. It was just a remarkable, remarkable evening," New York delegate Silda Wall Spitzer told VOA. "I think that if the world didnt know who Hillary Clinton was, they now have some idea of what an amazing human being she is and all of the good that she could bring as a leader to this country and that she is the right person now to take us forward. Trump tweets criticism Donald Trump responded on Twitter, accusing Clinton of ignoring the country's problems and proposing solutions that will make Americans worse off. Trump senior policy advisor Stephen Miller called Clinton's speech "an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric." "It's a speech delivered from a fantasy universe, not the reality we live in today," Miller said in a statement. He said Clinton talks about unity but has an agenda that tears Americans apart. "Her radical amnesty plan will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries. Her refusal to even say the words 'Radical Islam' or to mention her disaster in Libya, or her corrupt email scheme, all show how little she cares about the safety of the American people." Party platform While part of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia celebrated the record of the Obama administration, and the platform adopted there included many similar policies, Republicans have sought to negatively cast a Clinton presidency as essentially another term for Obama. "So basically 'change' Hillary offered is same Obama agenda but with more taxes, more regs (regulations) and an 'intelligence surge' whatever that means," tweeted Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination in March. Rubio also noted the chants from a small group of people inside the arena who support Clinton's rival in the Democratic race, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, calling their disruptions during her speech a "disaster." The chants included slogans such as "no more war," but people watching on television would barely have known they happened, instead hearing louder counter-chants of "Hillary" and "U-S-A" that drowned out the protesters. Qualifications, email scandal Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia Center for Politics said the strongest parts of Clinton's speech were her attacks on Trump's qualifications. "I think that ultimately Trump's biggest challenge in this election is convincing people that he's qualified, and I thought Clinton made a fairly effective case that he's not," he said. But Kondik said Clinton failed to address the lingering questions about her use of a private emails system when she was secretary of state, something that has helped make many voters question whether she can be trusted. "I just think it might have been wise to have some sort of acknowledgment of that, of the email questions. Just essentially say something like, 'I know I made mistakes.'" Former House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich called Clinton's address a "very solid, workmanlike speech," but said it contrasted greatly with the one Trump gave at his party's convention last week. He is saying we are in trouble and here are big things Im going to do to get us out of trouble," Gingrich said on Fox News. "Shes saying were really doing pretty good and here are a handful of additional things Im going to do to keep us moving in the right direction. So theyre radically different speeches and theyre appealing to radically different people. Carmen Morris, who was in attendance for the speech, told VOA that Clinton showed her dedication and commitment, and that Americans need to follow her calls to come together. "We have our plate full in terms of challenges that we face, that we need to correct things, we need to make things better and we need to get rid of some of the things that is in our society that plagues us like all these senseless killings," Morris said. "And she is aware. The key thing for me is she is aware of all these things." BJP MP Nana Patole raised the issue of separate statehood for Vidarbha. This led to a ruckus in the Assembly with both the houses being adjourned till Monday. By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: The issue of a separate state for Vidarbha rocked the Maharashtra Assembly today, following which both the houses were adjourned. BJP MP Nana Patole had raised the issue of separate statehood for Vidarbha region in the Parliament today through a private member's bill. This immediately created a ruckus in the state Assembly with the opposition attacking the state government. advertisement Separate Vidarbha: Protest planned near Nitin Gadkaris house BJP SUPPORTING SEPARATE STATEHOOD? "This is an insult to the 11 crore population of Maharashtra. The BJP has always been in favour of creation of smaller states. If their MP is raising such an important issue in the Assembly, it's the duty of the state government to make its stand clear on the same" said Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, the leader of Opposition in the Lower House. "This can not happen without the go-ahead from the party bosses...And moreover, if the BJP MP and MLAs are really serious, they should resign first and seek a fresh mandate on the issue " challenged the NCP leader Jayant Patil. SHIV SENA HITS BACK: WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS Shiv Sena, BJP's ally in the state government, too attacked the BJP saying it would not tolerate any attempt to break the state into pieces. PWD Minister Eknath Shinde said, "The dream of united Maharashtra has become a reality after the supreme sacrifice of 105 martyrs. The demand of separate state is an insult to them. The interest of united Maharashtra is before even power for us." Meanwhile, the BJP strongly defended its MP's stand. SMALLER STATE KEY TO DEVELOPMENT: BJP BJP MLA from Vidarbha, Anil Bonde, said that the demand of statehood for Vidarbha is long pending. The BJP also believes that creation of smaller state is the key to development. With both the houses of the legislature adjourned, the issue is likely to see more heated scenes next week when the house reconvenes on Monday. Also Read: Uproar in Maharashtra Assembly over brutal rape of teenage girl in Kopardi --- ENDS --- Diplomats and other officials from more than 20 countries, the European Union and the United Nations strategized Friday at the State Department about how to try to rebuild religious and ethnic communities shattered by the Islamic State group. It would be a terrible loss if these minority communities disappeared altogether, said event co-host David Saperstein, the U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom. It would be a ghostly triumph for Daesh [Islamic State], even if its totally defeated and eliminated. Saperstein, who is a rabbi and attorney long involved in social justice, told VOA that those displaced in Iraq and Syria should know, as a result of Fridays conference, the world cares deeply. He emphasized that the group was deeply committed to giving them a choice to remain where they are, seek refugee status to go abroad, or return to their historic regions to revive the rich, diverse tapestry of life that has added so much to the countries of the regions over the centuries. In addition to targeting and killing thousands of civilians mainly Christians, Shi'ites and other minority groups Islamic State has destroyed historic mosques, shrines, churches and monasteries in an attempt to expunge history in the cradle of civilization. Intense violence and terror has so badly frayed these roots that there is a real risk that minority communities that lived and survived and even thrived together for centuries will vanish entirely from the region, tearing apart whatever remains of the social fabric of Iraq, Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the conference. Trouble ahead While many of those who have been experiencing a living nightmare for the past three years hope to remain where they have taken refuge or want to return to home when Islamic State is vanquished, Blinken warned simmering ethno-sectarian divisions may erupt, competing agendas may distract from progress, and old, heated questions of disputed internal boundaries may re-emerge with a vengeance. IS has been deprived of 20 percent of the territory it once controlled in Syria and 50 percent in Iraq, according to U.S. officials. The Washington conference was the latest series of meetings convened by France in 2015 starting with the U.N. Security Council in March and a September ministerial in Paris, co-sponsored by Jordan that led to the Paris Action Plan for governments to aid religious minorities. The United States and its anti-IS coalition allies last week pledged $2.1 billion in recovery aid for Iraq, which is taking back more of its territory from Islamic State. This latest conference came a day after religious and civic leaders from the region attended a civil society meeting at Georgetown University concerning the threats to minorities under IS. It was an important two days and an important discussion to have, said State Department spokesman John Kirby. Its something that [Secretary of State John Kerry] remains focused on. Kerry earlier this year blamed IS for genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims in the areas it controls. Kerry also accused the group of committing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing directed at those same groups, and in some cases also against Sunni Muslims, Kurds and other minorities. While less harmful than regular cigarettes, the electronic substitutes, the so-called e-cigarettes, contain toxic chemicals whose levels vary with temperature, type and age of the device. According to a new study done at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, smoking e-cigarettes exposes the smokers lungs to a number of respiratory irritants and carcinogens, such as acrolein and formaldehyde. Researchers also found the level of toxic chemicals emitted by an e-cigarette rises with the use of the device as well as with its internal temperature. Variations in toxicity were also related to types of e-cigarettes, voltage of their batteries and whether they had one or two heating coils. E-cigarettes were introduced in 2004, touted as an almost harmless replacement to regular tobacco. As such, they quickly gained wide popularity, especially among the younger generation. Many long-time tobacco users claim e-cigarettes helped them quit smoking, but according to researchers users only switched to a less potent mixture of nicotine, propylene glycol and glycerine contained in the e-cigarettes fluid. The study was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. In August the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will start regulating the content of e-cigarettes, cigars, nicotine gels and other tobacco-based products sold in the United States. Protests over a police killing of an unarmed black youth in Ferguson, Missouri, two years ago forged a new national civil rights movement, and are now shaping a law-and-order message from Republican candidates for state governor. Four Republicans and four Democrats are campaigning ahead of Tuesday's primary vote, vying to be their party's gubernatorial candidate in the conservative heartland state where tax cuts and limiting the power of labor unions are among the top issues. Democratic Governor Jay Nixon, who is ending his second four-year term, must step down due to term limits. In the tight, four-way Republican race, businessman John Brunner, former Navy Seal and author Eric Greitens, former state Representative Catherine Hanaway, and Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder are running fairly uniform campaigns. Greitens says he is running for office for the first time because he was dismayed by the response to the protests by Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster, who is the leading Democratic candidate to succeed Nixon. "We saw how due to their lack of leadership, Ferguson spun out of control," Greitens said by telephone. He said he wants to re-establish political backing for law enforcement officers, who he said have become afraid to do their jobs due to anti-police sentiment, leading to a spike in violent crime in Missouri cities such as St. Louis. In speeches, debates, and statements to Reuters, the other Republican candidates largely agree with that approach. Demonstrations and divisions Dozens of businesses were destroyed or damaged in rioting in Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb, after white police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in August 2014. Most protests were peaceful, but violence broke out again when a grand jury decided not to bring charges against Wilson. A federal investigation found patterns of racial discrimination by Ferguson police. The Republican-dominated state legislature responded by limiting the funds cities can raise through fines and fees that disproportionately affected poor, black residents and fueled mistrust of law enforcement in the African American community. The demonstrations triggered by Brown's death helped to coalesce the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter, and Brown's mother was on stage at this week's Democratic National Convention. A pro-law enforcement movement has also emerged, and was given more impetus by the targeted killings of police officers this month in Dallas and Baton Rouge. While grievances of Black Lives Matter activists may resonate in Missouri's cities, Kenneth Warren, professor of political science at St. Louis University, said Republicans are wooing a rural, white voter base. "It's a law-and-order issue. They aren't going to be against Black Lives Matter, they're just going to say all lives matter, and we're for law and order," Warren said. Koster, a former Republican who is expected to win the Democratic nomination by a landslide, defends his response to the Ferguson protests, saying he was on the streets every day during the unrest. "The Republicans are talking about 'riots' in Ferguson... but they talk about it in a way that is intended to stoke division," Koster said by telephone. If elected, he said he will push for the state's police agencies to become more diverse, as well as for body cameras to monitor police conduct. Long-shot Democratic candidate Eric Morrison, an African-American pastor, believes the other candidates have failed to discuss the discrimination that fueled the protests. Republican candidates talk only about law and order, said Morrison's senior political strategist, Darryl Gray, while most of their Democratic counterparts have also adopted the theme to try to appeal to a broader electorate. "No one is speaking to the issue of racism," Gray said. About 10 members of Hong Kong's Social League of Democrats marched to Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong to protest Tuesday's sentencing of two local journalists for publishing political magazines. The group demanded the immediate release of publisher Wang Jianmin and editor Guo Zhongxiao, who have already been detained for more than two years and have pleaded guilty. Meanwhile, Hong Kong police confirmed that mainland police never notified them of the cross-border arrests that led to this week's dual sentencing in China's Guangdong province. U.S. State Department officials say China has denied repeated requests to visit Wang, an American citizen, but they will continue pressing the matter. After being detained for more than two years, the two men were sentenced for illegal business operations and other crimes by a district court. Almost 40 of the defendants' families and friends attended the 30-minute hearing. Wang was sentenced to five years and three months in prison and fined 200,000 yuan ($30,055) for bribery and bid-rigging. The court sentenced Guo to two years and three months and fined him 50,000 yuan ($7,511). The time the two men have already spent in custody will reduce the prison time ordered for them, so Guo is expected to be freed soon. Wang and Guo said they would not appeal, although their lawyers have argued that the accusations are inconsistent with facts and that evidence was insufficient. Report on Chinese official Wang, a permanent resident of Hong Kong, founded New Way Monthly and Multiple Face magazines there in 2010. Both are gossipy tabloids that cover Chinese politics, including inside stories about top Communist Party officials. In 2012, New Way Monthly reported that a top Chinese security official's secretary might have furnished U.S. intelligence agencies with secret information. Multiple Hong Kong media critics have suggested their arrests are retaliation for that report in particular. Guo, a Chinese mainlander, once was recognized as one of "China's top 10 citizen reporters," and was even awarded "new talent of the network" in 2003. He became a permanent Hong Kong resident when a Chinese-language international-affairs newsweekly, Yazhou Zhoukan (Asia Weekly), hired him in 2004. According to the court indictment, it was after Guo joined Wang's magazine that the two mailed copies to eight mainland readers, a move prosecutors deemed illegal. Defense attorneys answered that charge by noting the magazines were published in Hong Kong and that the eight mainland recipients were not subscribers, but friends of the publisher. The profit gained from eight mainland readers, the defense team argued, did not exceed the minimum profit required for filing an illegal business operations case. Ongoing crackdown Mainland China has intensified its suppression of political books and magazines published in Hong Kong in recent years. Yao Wentian, the 73-year-old head of Chen Zhong Publishing house, was arrested in Shenzhen in October 2013 and accused of smuggling chemicals and raw materials. He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined more than $37,000 in May 2014. For many years, Yao had published books banned books by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Before his arrest, Yao was preparing to publish Chinese Godfather Xi Jinping, the latest book by Chinese dissident writer Yu Jie, who has since emigrated to the United States. The CCP's list of banned Yao books also include Yu's Hu Jintao satire, Emperor of the River Crabs, Zhang Boli's Escape from China: The Long Journey From Tiananmen to Freedom, and Feng Congde's A Tiananmen Journal: Republic on the Square. While Yao's 20-year record of publishing materials deemed inappropriate by Communist Party brass made him a political target, Wang and Guo, one analyst says, have now assumed his mantle. "The case of Wang and Guo, and the cases of Causeway Bay Books and Yao, they are all in the same strain," said Bruce Lui, a journalism scholar at Hong Kong Baptist University, adding that this week's dual sentencing is just one way that Communist Party leaders can "clear away sources." "The aim of clearing away sources is to arrest all the people and to destroy the operating institutions," he told VOA Mandarin. "We can see that after these three cases occurred, they are entirely destroyed." Other purveyors of dissident literature and edgy political tabloids, Lui suggested, are not so fortunate as to have a public trial. In 2015, five Hong Kong booksellers disappeared for months before eventually appearing on state television to state that they voluntarily traveled to the mainland to confess their wrongdoings. Shortly after the disappearance of Lee Bo, a Hong Kong-based bookseller who held a British passport, various credentials including his Home Return Permit were found at his home, leading many to suspect Chinese police of carrying out cross-border arrests in violation of the "one country, two systems" policy. Another released bookseller, Lam Wing-kee, said he was detained while on his way to visit friend on the mainland, and that his televised confessions were coerced. Lam also said Chinese police are still researching a list of mainland Chinese citizens who have ordered cross-border deliveries of the banned literature. A new Indian law to boost reforestation across the country ignores the importance of indigenous people in conserving land and tramples on their rights, analysts and activists said. India's upper house of parliament passed a bill late on Thursday that would give state governments more than 60 billion rupees ($895 million) a year to conserve and protect forests and wildlife. "It is a good bill," Minister of State of Environment Anil Madhav Dave said in a statement, adding that the new law would help to focus reforestation efforts in a concerted way. Most of the funds under the Compensatory Afforestation, Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) law would be used to restock denuded forests, Dave said. The law would also help to create employment, especially in poor regions and areas that are traditionally home to indigenous communities, he said. However, critics of the law said the money would be better spent on helping local communities who are already engaged in conserving their habitats. "Evidence from around the world shows that farmers and local communities are far more efficient and effective at protecting landscapes as compared to centralized bureaucracies", said Neera Singh, an environmental justice expert and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, in the Indian Express newspaper. Analysts said the CAMPA bill ignores the landmark 2006 Forest Rights Act (FRA) that aims to improve the lives of impoverished tribes by recognizing their right to inhabit and live off forests where their forefathers settled. Under the FRA, forest dwellers cannot be removed from their land without consent of village councils, which are made up of local residents. Under the CAMPA bill however, authority to earmark land for development and assign compensation for it, lies solely with forest and state officials. India's new law facilitates displacement "without any accountability to the people whose forests, lands and lives will be damaged or destroyed", said the Campaign for Survival and Dignity, a coalition of charities supporting tribal rights. India's plans to develop infrastructure, mining and renewable energy threaten to force more of the most marginalized groups from their homes, widening inequality and fanning tensions, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said this month. According to the Geneva-based research group, between 1950 and 2005, about 65 million people were displaced in India by dams, highways, mines and power plants - of which, at least 40 percent were indigenous people. The bill, which was initially drawn up in 2008 by the previous Congress government, had lapsed after delays in its passage. It was passed by the lower house in May. Sarwat Husain admits the hijab she wears sometimes draws inquiring glances in her home state of Texas. But on a flight to Orlando, Florida, the man sitting next to her gave her more attention than she was used to. After the plane takes off, he says, 'If this window was a door, I would have pushed you out,' she recalled with disbelief. I looked at him and I said, 'I would have taken you with me.' She says her response diffused the tension. He laughed hard and said Oh, youre so funny! And I said Sir, what you said was not funny at all. This was just three weeks ago. What her seatmate did not know was Husain was on her way to Orlando to take part in the Democratic Platform Committee, the group seeking to set the agenda for the Democratic Party ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Shes the founding President of the San Antonio chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and is also one of the founders of the American Muslim Democratic Caucus (AMDC), a grass roots political organization, and shes been getting more involved with the Democratic Party to help provide better representation for Muslim Americans across the country. The AMDC formed in the years after the 2001 9-11 terror attacks to respond to the hate and bigotry directed at the Islamic community and encourage more Muslim Americans to engage in the political process in the United States. The fear factor was so high then, she says. But her recent flight to Orlando reminded her the fear factor remains high, and there is still an urgency for Muslim Americans to get more involved, more visible, and more present in politics to counter rising Islamophobia. Aiming for the top level The AMDC started with one chapter in Texas in 2004, and Husain says today there are 79. Based on the attendance at a packed luncheon the AMDC sponsored for delegates during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, she believes that number will soon grow. From here we are registering more chapters, she said, So in four years, we are all over the nation. The delegates met only hours before the party nominee, Hillary Clinton, would embark on a campaign against Republican Donald Trump, whose comments already are unsettling to many Muslims. In this setting, delegates are focused on participation. The ultimate goal, says Husain, is to have more Muslim Americans seek political office and win. That is where our focus is right now, to take AMDC to that next level, that we become the partners on the top level of the Democratic Party. She admits there are some who dont share her vision. There are also some people who think having a Muslim will hurt the party, but she also points to the recent elections of Congressman Keith Ellison in Minnesota and Congressman Andre Carson in Indiana, both Muslim Americans, as a sign those beliefs are shifting. Another obstacle standing in the way of increased Muslim American engagement in politics is getting members of the community registered, energized, and eager to vote. Slowly, people are joining. Slowly, people are getting involved. Many factors The Pew Research Center estimates there are 3.3 million Muslims living in the United States, currently representing about one percent of the total population. That number is expected to double by 2050. Muslims are one of the fastest growing communities in the United States. But many Muslim Americans who can vote, dont. Its not the fault of the American government, says Tahir Ali with the American Muslim Alliance. He says several reasons include previous voting experience. Where they come from the process may not be clean. It may be corrupt; it may be rigged also. Which, Ali says, is why many Muslim American immigrants who gained their U.S. citizenship and are eligible to vote, skip the ballot on election day. We have to educate them that this process is a very clean process, says Ali. We have to educate about the calculation of votes to the youth, to the ladies, so that they can think that it is their right to exercise their vote in order for them to be recognized. Sarwat Husain says sometimes voting just isnt a top priority for immigrants. Many of the immigrants, they are still trying to settle down, their roots, you know take care of the family, raise their children, because this is an extremely family oriented society, which she says is why the emphasis on voting is often transferred to the next, younger generation of eligible voters, like Noman Khanani. Now you are starting to see more second generation Muslims get a little more involved, says Khanani, But a lot of them are still around my age, in their mid twenties, early thirties, so its still too early to tell, so I think in the next five to ten years, you are going to see more and more of them involved. But Khanani admits it is still sometimes a challenge to get immigrant parents to emphasize the importance of voting. I dont know how many people actually see this as an urgency, he says. A lot of immigrant parents tend to push their children towards sciences, engineering, STEM related subjects rather than politics. Voting trends A six-state poll conducted by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in March, during the Super Tuesday primary election, showed that almost half (46 percent) of those polled supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. About 11 percent supported Republican candidate Donald Trump. What the poll also revealed was that older Muslim Americans tended to support Hillary Clinton while younger Muslim American voters supported Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Noman Khanani was one of them. Im very, very new to this, he told VOA. The only reason I got involved with the campaign was because my views aligned very well with Bernie Sanders' views. He says he wasnt alone among Muslim Americans. I think a lot more Muslims were involved in this election cycle because of a candidate like Bernie Sanders who represented the views of Muslim Americans more than other candidates historically. How many younger Muslim American Bernie Sanders supporters will now support Hillary Clinton remains to be seen, but one thing that could help her in November is motivating older Muslim Americans, who tend to support her, to get out to the polls on election night. Future hopes As Sarwat Husain looks around the packed room for the AMDC luncheon, she notes the many young faces in the crowd, many of them first time delegates like Noman Khanani, brought into the political fold by Sanders. But shes looking beyond the November election, hoping that the next Muslim American Congressional candidate may be someone sitting in the room. But every candidate needs support, and in a close election, every vote counts. Husain says aside from the appeal of a candidate, connecting to Muslim Americans on a religious level may also boost overall Muslim American voter participation. Being involved in politics is a form of worship in Islam, she explained. The land you live in, you must serve that land at every level in every respect. Several years ago, Husains encounter with the man on the airplane would have unsettled her. Now, thanks to time and experience, she knows how to handle it. The more it happens, the more courage and strength it gives us. And, she says, the more urgency to have Muslim Americans representing one of the fastest growing communities in the United States. U.S. budget airline JetBlue Airways Corp said on Thursday it would launch scheduled commercial flights from the United States to Cuba on Aug. 31, ahead of competitors that have also announced departure dates. The former Cold War foes agreed last year to restore regular airline services after more than five decades as part of a broader detente in which they also resumed diplomatic ties. U.S. travel to Cuba was long an expensive and complicated endeavor. Given a U.S. ban on tourism to the island, most Americans could visit only as part of an organized group tour. Even when U.S. President Barack Obama eased travel rules earlier this year, allowing Americans to travel independently to Cuba for educational, cultural and other authorized purposes, they still had to travel on chartered planes. But from Aug. 31, JetBlue will launch thrice-weekly flights between the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Santa Clara airport, with fares starting at $99 one-way. The airline will upgrade this service to daily flights from Oct.1, also offering daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to Camaguey from Nov.3 and to Holguin from Nov. 10. Silver Airways is set to be the second U.S. airline to operate flights from the United States to Cuba, launching service from Fort Lauderdale to Santa Clara on Sept. 1. American Airlines is to start its services from Miami to Cienfuegos and Holguin on Sept. 7, adding flights to Camaguey and Santa Clara on Sept. 9 and to Varadero on Sept. 11. Washington has given tentative approval for flights to Havana on eight U.S. airlines as early as this fall and expects to reach a final decision later this summer. U.S. airlines anticipate a bigger payout from Cuba than is typical for Caribbean destinations. Strong demand is expected from Cuban-Americans visiting relatives, as well as from executives hoping to evaluate commercial opportunities in Cuba. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned more than one million people in Iraq could be forced to flee their homes in coming months as fighting intensifies in different parts of the country. More than 10 million people are in need of assistance in Iraq, including some three million internally displaced people, the Geneva-based group says, warning that the number of internally displaced could dramatically increase if there is the predicted upsurge in violence. Aid agencies are bracing for a looming battle in Mosul, Iraqs second largest city. Over the past year, the government has been preparing to recapture Mosul from Islamic State militants. ICRC Regional Director for the Near and Middle East Robert Mardini said a big military operation in Mosul presents big challenges for humanitarian agencies, given "the sheer magnitude" of the needs that could arise as a result and require more than just funding. "It requires an organization and people that are present on the ground and ready to take calculated risks to help people in need," he said. "Already today, one-tenth of the Iraqi population is displaced. Every day hundreds of families continue to be displaced and are in need of shelter, protection and assistance. Mardini has just returned from a mission to Iraq, where he visited Khaldiyah camp, which is housing displaced people from the city of Fallujah. He described the difficulties people are facing in their everyday life. These past months and years, essential goods have dwindled and become expensive in many areas and livelihoods and key infrastructure have been destroyed," he said. "Children have been out of school for prolonged periods of time. The children I met in Khaldiyah camp did not go to school for three years now. Mardini said people are unable to move around freely because of the security situation and volatility. He said this has reduced their ability to cope, making them more dependent on humanitarian aid. The ICRC is launching a preliminary appeal for $17 million to start what will develop into a much larger operation. The money will be used to provide water, food, medical supplies and other crucial aid for people caught up in the fighting. Myanmar's government released a long-awaited economic policy on Friday, but the document was noticeably light on specifics and will likely do little to ease the concern of businesses that have grown frustrated with the lack of a detailed plan. At just three pages, the policy, launched by the Ministry of Planning and Finance in the capital, Naypyitaw, comes some eight months after Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a resounding victory in a November election. The paper broadly outlined 12 policies ranging from prioritizing labor-intensive enterprises to the privatization of some state-owned ones, but it lacked detail or plans for how to accomplish the goals. "To create human resources which will be conducive to economic development and to develop technologies and vocational education," the government said in one of the points. Maung Maung Win, deputy minister of finance and planning, told Reuters the policy document was an "overview", and that more detailed plans on specific areas of the economy would be released in future. But he said he did not know when. "I cannot say the specific date," he said. "It will come, it will come." As well as NLD members and ministry officials, diplomats and representatives of international aid groups attended the launch. Han Tha Myint, a senior NLD member, said that those in attendance were hoping for more insight as to how the government planned to promote business and boost the economy in the impoverished country of 51 million. "They are asking for details, it is very vague," he said. "There are no specifics, objectives or those things." Members of the media were barred from attending. Dr Sid Naing, country director for the Marie Stopes international healthcare group, who also attended, said many people were disappointed about the lack of specifics. The private sector has increasingly questioned the NLD's commitment to business as Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's leader, has focused her efforts on the country's complex peace process. Since April, the government has approved just 19 foreign and domestic investment projects after a two-month delay in reforming an investment commission that lead to a backlog of more than 100 projects. On Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi met members of two ethnic minority armed groups, including members of the United Wa State Army, believed to be the largest and most powerful such group in the country. The Wa, who control large swathes of land on the Myanmar-China border, have largely sat out the peace process started by former President Thein Sein. The secretary of the Navy plans to name a new ship after a gay rights icon, according to a Navy official. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus sent a congressional notification July 14 stating his intention to name a new oiler USNS Harvey Milk, the Navy official told VOA Friday. The official said the Navy would not comment further until the official naming announcement, which is still in a planning stage. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay Californian to be elected to office. He served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors until he was assassinated in November 1978. Milk joined the Navy during the Korean War and was honorably discharged from the service in 1955. The ship would be the second oiler in the John Lewis class, named in honor of civil rights leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis, a Democrat from the U.S. state of Georgia. During the USNS John Lewis naming ceremony January 6, Mabus said all the Lewis class oilers would be named for "people who have fought for civil rights and human rights" in the U.S. Another Navy official said other oilers in the class are expected to be named after rights leaders ranging from Attorney General Robert. F. Kennedy to women's rights activist Lucy Stone. The Janapeeth award winner had said that her goal in life would be to protest and fight against the injustice meted out to the oppressed and the tribals till her last breath. By Romita Datta: Mahasweta Devi once said to a query, "Writing is an activism for me," if her identity as a writer overshadowed her image as a social activist. Always choosing to place herself as an activist fighting for the tribals, the downtrodden, the underprivileged and the marginalized section of the society, Mahasweta Devi, winner of Gnanpith, Magsaysay, Padmashree, Padmabivushan for her lifetime contribution to literature and social welfare, said that her goal in life would be to protest and fight against the injustice meted out to the oppressed and the tribals till her last breath. advertisement Mahasweta Devi died of multi organ failure at the age of 90 at a south Kolkata nursing home on Thursday after a prolonged illness for over two months. For the last fortnight she was on life support system after being detected with septecemia. MAHASWETA DEVI FOUGHT AGAINST THE SYSTEM Indeed, till the time she could be popped up against pillows on her bed or she could hold a pen between her fragile fingers, which was till the beginning of this year, Mahasweta Devi was engaged in a fierce cerebral battle against the system, which deprived, denied and distanced the tribals as outcast. Her editorials in a Bengali daily, which came to be known as the precursor of the much needed change (poriborton) of the 34 years of Left Front rule, were scathing attack, against the police firing in Nandigram, Singur. Even though they were strongly indicted by the then Left Front government and mud slinging of the worst kind was going on, Mahasweta devi could not be stopped. BENGAL HAS LOST A GLORIOUS MOTHER: MAMATA She did, what she loved doing: giving words to the mouths of the hapless and the helpless, who found it difficult to raise their voice and be heard. State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cut short her trip and cancelled her dinner with President and came back to Kolkata to personally supervise and monitor the funeral proceedings. She tweeted saying -"India has lost a great writer, Bengal has lost a glorious mother. I have lost a personal guide." Always choosing to lead her life in her own terms, she was fiercely independent till her last days, staying alone, all by herself. She would say that subaltern always have their voices. The only thing is that the voices get subsumed and muffled in mainstream discourse. "I am merely decoding the voices," she would say. ALSO READ: Mahasweta Devi wanted to live up to 100 years to finish her pending work --- ENDS --- In India, child rights activists and the United Nations Children's Fund have expressed concern about a controversial new child labor law they fear will make young boys and girls more vulnerable to exploitation. The new measure sets out to tighten an existing law by imposing a blanket ban on employment of those under 14 for the first time. Loophole: family enterprises But critics worry about an exception that permits children to work in family-based enterprises after school hours and during holidays. The sweeping definition has a catch: the extended family, including distant relatives, comes under the ambit of family enterprises. Activist Kailash Satyarathi, who has won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in combating child labor, says this loophole will make it tough to enforce the ban and push open the door for many young children to be put to work. I have rescued thousands of children whose employers were claiming to be uncles, aunts, maternal uncles, etc. It was very difficult to rescue those children, he said. There is no way to monitor it. Nobody is going to take the DNA test of every single so-called family member to establish whether they had blood relations or whatever. Children helping parents Activists say the exception made for family enterprises would also give small manufacturers an incentive to push production into homes in a country where millions of young boys and girls toil in farms and small manufacturing units, in tea shops and restaurants, and work as domestics in middle class homes. Bidisha Pillai, advocacy director at Save the Children, points to a recent study done in Delhis garment industry that showed 15,000 children helping parents embellish garments with sequins or embroidery at home. Typically that does not happen in the factory, that is outsourced into the homes, people are paid on a piece rate basis. So obviously the more number of people family can produce at the end of the day, they will earn more money, said Pillai. The governments argument is that this provision will allow children to learn family trades. Others say it takes into account Indias economic reality in which poor parents rely on children to supplement meager incomes in some way. UNICEF has urged its removal, saying it not only legitimizes family work, but it also could further disadvantage the most vulnerable children from poor families. Estimates on the number of child laborers in India vary hugely, with the International Labor Organization saying about 5.7 million children in the country work for wages and another six million in family trades. There are some pluses in the new law. It has imposed tougher penalties for violators by doubling jail terms to two years and increasing fines from $300 to about $740. It also imposes a first-time prohibition on children between 14 and 17 working in hazardous industries. But here too there is a catch: the list of such industries has been reduced from 83 to just three. Taken together with the relaxation on family based enterprises, Satyarathi feels it is a huge step back. If you mix these two lacunae, children could be allowed to work in brick kiln, glass furnaces, slaughter houses and so many other places which are hazardous for any children, he said. While Satyarathi and other activists say they will continue to fight for a tougher law, they stress that the need of the hour is also to use other tools to end child labor in a country where poverty is often cited as a justification for employing young children. Law is not the end of the road, there are so many ways, mobilizing the masses, also creating much more consciousness and awareness in society, he said. Joint military offensives carried out in Lagos and Ogun states by the Nigerian Army, Air Force and Navy have left more than 100 militants dead. At least 114 militants are feared killed, and scores of others were injured in attacks on their camps in southwest Nigeria. Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, director of defense information, says military intelligence suggests that Niger Delta militants have been hiding out in creek beds. The militants have recently stepped up attacks on oil pipeline installations in the oil-producing Niger Delta State and have threatened to do more harm to the oil sector. In an interview with VOA, Abubakar said the military offensives are part of efforts to ensure the country maintains its territorial integrity. He says the offensives denied the militants freedom of movement and destroyed their camps to prevent them from having a place to launch attacks. This, after some Nigerians tipped off the military that the Niger Delta militants have been using the creeks in both Ogun and Lagos states as hideouts to regroup, and from where they return to the Niger Delta to launch attacks on the oil infrastructure. More offensives ahead Abubakar described the offensives as successful due to the good synergy among the army, navy and air force. He says the offensives will continue in different parts of the country where militants create instability, including attacking unarmed civilians. "The significance of this combined and very vibrant effort of the Nigerian armed forces is to ensure that the militants are flushed out from that general area where they have been causing mayhem, Abubakar said, and, more significantly, to ensure that their hideouts and camps are completely taken away from that place. Local media reports say the military offensive rattled residents in both Ogun and Lagos states. Some military analysts suggested that the offensives are aimed at pushing the militants to the Niger Delta area, where the armed forces have readied plans of a bigger onslaught. Abubakar denied the offensives made residents uncomfortable. He says the security agencies will not allow militants to overrun the country by creating chaos and insecurity. He also says the offensive could serve as a significant boost to the Nigerian economy, because it would prevent the militants from destroying the oil pipelines. Nigeria's economy heavily depends on oil exports despite attempts by successive governments to diversify. An 18-year-old North Korean man who went to Hong Kong to compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad took refuge in the South Korean consulate there Wednesday, according to local news media. As a precautionary measure, the South Korean Consulate General, located in the Far East Finance Centre, asked Hong Kong authorities for enhanced security. Police quickly deployed a large number of officers, including an anti-terrorist SWAT team. Details remain sketchy, but on Thursday afternoon, VOA reporters took the elevator to the 5th floor consulate's office where they were turned back by plainclothes officers. The consulate has suspended visa distributions and other services. Some reporters have camped outside the building's entrance. A few reporters have said the defectors situation remains unclear, and that neither Hong Kong officials nor the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong has responded to press inquiries. According to the one country, two systems policy between mainland China and Hong Kong, all incidents involving diplomatic issues are to be handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. China and South Korea have refused to comment on the situation. Beijing in the past has come under fire from human rights groups for sending alleged North Korean defectors back to their homeland, where they are widely believed to face severe penalties. Pope Francis walked in silence through the notorious former German Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland Friday. With his head bowed and dressed in white, the pontiff stepped through the entrance gate bearing a wrought iron sign with the German slogan of camp's Nazi administrators: "Arbeit Macht Frei" - "work will set you free." The Nazis murdered more than one million people at Auschwitz during World War II. Most of the victims were Jews. Francis sat on a bench at Auschwitz and prayed silently for 15 minutes. He had said earlier he would not make any speeches in Auschwitz, paraphrasing a Jewish proverb that sometimes no words say the most. The leader of the world's Roman Catholic Church later met individually with elderly survivors of the camp, kissing each of them on both cheeks. He placed a large white candle at the Death Wall where prisoners were executed, and wrote a message in the camp's memorial book asking God to forgive such cruelty. Francis also knelt and prayed in the dark and damp prison cell where the Catholic saint Maximilian Kolbe was starved before being executed. Kolbe, a Polish priest, offered his life to the Nazis to save the life of another man condemned to die at Auschwitz. Reflecting on his visit later in Krakow, his next stop, Francis said, "Cruelty did not end in Auschwitz and Birkenau." He lamented that such crimes of hatred still occur in places afflicted by war, where torture is practiced, where prisons are overcrowded and children are starving. Francis, a Jesuit priest born in Argentina, is the first pontiff in modern times who did not live through the war in Europe. Friday was the third day of his five-day visit to Poland. He stumbled and fell to the ground when he missed a step at one of Poland's holiest sites, a shrine in Czestochowa honoring the "Black Madonna," a revered 14th-century icon of the Virgin Mary that many Poles believe is a source of miracles. Aides rushed to his side, but Francis was unhurt. He has also met with Polish political and religious leaders and journalists, greeted pilgrims and taken part in World Youth Day, a global gathering of young Catholics. Salvadoran authorities captured 120 members and associates of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, prosecutors said Thursday, part of a broad offensive to curb the escalation of gang-related killings in the Central American nation. During the operation, which started Wednesday night, police arrested five leaders of MS-13 and seized motels, restaurants, brothels and dozens of buses controlled by the gang. "Of the eight main ringleaders, we have captured five ... including the financier of MS," El Salvador Attorney General Douglas Melendez told reporters. Melendez also said that authorities had confiscated an unspecified amount of money and drugs. Lawyers for the detainees could not immediately be contacted for comment. Violence in El Salvador, which saw a record level of homicides in 2015, has slowed in recent months. While some attribute the decrease in killings to a truce between rival gangs, the government of President Salvador Sanchez Ceren, a former leftist guerrilla, says it is the product of an offensive against the "maras." Human Rights Watch has called on the Senegalese government to do more to protect children known as Talibes who are forced by their Quranic teachers to beg for money in the streets. In a new report, the group noted that during the first half of 2016, at least five children living in residential Quranic schools died, allegedly as a result of beatings meted out by their teachers, known as marabouts, or in traffic accidents while being forced to beg. Human Rights Watch said dozens of these children have also been severely beaten, chained, and sexually abused or violently attacked while begging. It welcomed the Senegalese governments recent decision to remove the Talibes from the streets. Lauren Seibert, author of the report says her organization wants the government to sustain the momentum with investigations and prosecutions of the Quranic teachers and others who commit serious violations against children. While we welcome this new initiative that Senegal has taken, however, we really think while this is a laudable move, it needs to be sustained with increasing investigation and prosecution for the Quranic teachers that do in fact exploit and abuse their Quranic students called Talibes, she said. Seibert said unfortunately some of the abuses often go unprosecuted. In this report we outlined a number of these cases of abuse and exploitation that we have documented and we advised that laws must be passed to regulate these traditional Quranic schools, and current existing child protection laws must be enforced to protect these children, Seibert said. The report notes that on June 30, 2016, Senegalese President Macky Sall ordered all street children removed from the streets, placed in transit centers, and returned to their parents. He warned that anyone forcing children to beg would be fined or imprisoned. Seibert said that by mid-July this year, authorities had removed from the streets of the capital, Dakar, more than 300 children. She said the use of Talibes is a deeply rooted cultural tradition in West Africa where parents have sent their children away to study in Quranic schools. But she said the system has changed over the past decade and many Quranic teachers have taken advantage of the unregulated nature of the schools and started to exploit the children. Seibert said Human Rights Watch is not at all suggesting that the practice of sending children to Quranic schools should be stopped but that the schools should be regulated and adhere to international standards to protect childrens rights. These kids are continuingly still being forced to beg which is a form of exploitation, and they are beaten, sometimes beaten to death. We have documented four cases of kids beaten to death and three just in 2016 by teachers using corporal punishment in Quranic schools, Seibert said. She has made history. She has the domestic and foreign experience. And she has the endorsement of her primary opponent. Now, can Hillary Clinton overcome her historically high negative ratings for a Democratic presidential candidate? Just 38 percent of Americans view Clinton favorablythe lowest point in her 24-year national careeraccording to a Gallup poll conducted the week before the convention. And in a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 54 percent of those surveyed said they had an unfavorable impression of Clinton, with only 39 percent saying she is honest and trustworthy. Part of this impression can be attributed to the controversy surrounding her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. The major problem for Clinton is to overcome the credibility gap, said American University historian Allan Lichtman. He cited another Washington Post-ABC poll that found "56 percent of Americans thought she ought to have been indicted for her problems with her personal email server. That is quite extraordinary. Trust is an issue for the standard bearers of both major parties. A New York Times/CBS News poll in May found that almost two-thirds of registered U.S. voters view both Trump and Clinton skeptically on that front. Asked whether the candidate is honest and trustworthy, 64 percent of respondents answered no in assessing each one. The Washington Posts Wonkblog wrote this week that Clintons exaggerations and omissions tend to be defensive in response to scandals and allegations, it said. Trumps are more on the offensive, more self-promotional, such as inflating business successes or raising allegations against his political opponents and minority groups. The fact-checking service PolitiFact, in evaluating 203 of Trump's statements and 226 of Clinton's, found fewer than a third of Clinton's were mostly false or worse, according to Wonkblog. It rated 71 percent of Trump's the same way. Projecting warmth With Clinton, its not just the email controversy. Analysts say she has to counter the impression she is unfeeling or unable to relate to issues affecting the average American. Hillary is seen as a cold fish who is calculating and not of the highest integrity, said political consultant Gary Nordlinger. She has to show she is warm, compassionate and trustworthy. Speakers at this weeks Democratic National Convention, including her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have aimed to highlight a more personal side of Clinton, recounting her days registering Mexican-American voters, advocating for early childhood education, and being a mother to daughter Chelsea. Democratic strategist Robert Weiner said Clinton must show more of that side to voters while on the campaign trail leading up to November 8. She has got to be personal, she has got to be real, Weiner said. She has got to say, with emotion, how these issues impact her and how she knows the families that are impacted by them. Weiner, a former White House spokesman for Bill Clinton, says while the former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state may lack the charisma of some past candidates, she makes up for this shortcoming with her problem-solving ability. She is incredibly smart," noted Weiner. "She assesses with detail all the policy implications and gets to the root cause of a problem and the guts of the solution better than anyone I have seen, and that includes Obama and Bill Clinton." Georgetown University professor Stephen Wayne said in the tumultuous fight against Republican nominee Donald Trump, being the even-keeled, an experienced candidate may not be such a negative as the race closes in on the election. She has to act as the mature, experienced, knowledgeable candidate, and she is going to be very unexciting and uninspiring, Wayne said. You sort of cant do both at the same time. Attacks via messaging Still, in a presidential contest that has seen businessman Donald Trump defeat 16 other fellow Republicans to win the nomination, Clinton also cannot afford to play it safe if she wants to win votes, said Nordlinger. In an outsider year, you have the absolute queen of the political establishment running against the absolute king of the anti-establishment, so that dynamic favors Trump, the George Washington University professor said. And the Republican nominee is certain to continue his sharp attacks on Clintonwhether calling her crooked or corrupt. Clinton, too, should be sharp in her counterattacks, said Wayne, author of The Road to the White House: The Politics of Presidential Elections. She has got to get under Trumps skin, because when you get under his skin, he explodes," Wayne said. And when he explodes, he shows an emotion that most people dont associate with what we want in a president. Clinton must also focus her messaging, analysts say. She seems a bit distant, disconnected. She needs to figure out a better way to connect with voters and develop a clear message, said American University historian Lichtman. Michael Kazin, author of American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a Nation, said stronger together is not one of them. Who is stronger together?" he asked. 'She has to identify two or three issues she really cares about and run on those, mention them again and again, and those issues have to have a clear contrast from Donald Trump." Getting voters to the polls More than anything, analysts say Clinton and her campaign must get out the vote in order to win the presidency for Democrats. So many of the people who should be their core constituenciesyoung people, African-Americans, Latinosdont vote in as large number as Republicans, Kazin noted. So if [Democrats] lose, it will be because their people did not come out and vote, not because a majority of Americans who are eligible to vote want to vote for Donald Trump. Spain's King Felipe has asked acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to try to form a government after the second inconclusive election in six months. Rajoy accepted the mandate Thursday, but warned he might fail if opposition parties again refused to back him. His conservative Popular Party (PP) lost its absolute majority in December's election but remains the country's biggest party. It won the June 26 vote with 137 seats out of 350, but still failed to achieve an absolute majority. Spain could face months more of caretaker government under Rajoy pending negotiations and a possible third election this fall. The leader of Spain's next government requires either a majority of parliamentary votes or, if that threshold is unattainable, more votes cast in favor than against in a second vote. As the situation stands, Rajoy would lose in both scenarios, because opposition parties are committed to vote against him, not merely abstain. A minority government could be formed if other parties agree to abstain, rather than vote actively against the proposed prime minister. Tens of thousands of President Joseph Kabila's supporters rallied in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital on Friday, in a growing stand-off with opposition parties who have accuse him of trying to cling to power. Crowds packed the 50,000-seat Tata Raphael Stadium chanting "Kabila", wearing t-shirts bearing his face. "The people want Kabila to remain in power as long as possible," Tekis Mulaila, a senator from Kabila's PPRD party, told Reuters. The president, in power since 2001, is required by constitutional term limits to step down at elections scheduled for Nov. 27. But his supporters have said logistical problems may force a delay and have called for a "national dialogue" on the vote an announcement that the opposition has dismissed as a ruse to postpone the poll. People waved flags of parties in Kabila's ruling coalition and politicians urged support for Kabila and the dialogue, expected to begin next month. Two days earlier, even bigger crowds filled the streets of Kinshasa to welcome home long-time opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi after two years of medical leave. Tshisekedi is expected to lead another demonstration on Sunday. More than 40 people died during violent protests in January 2015 against revisions to the electoral law that could have delayed the election by years. Moves by other leaders to extend their rule have triggered mass protests in Burundi, Burkina Faso and other countries in recent years. Ballarmin Biamungu, a member of the majority coalition's Alliance of Democratic Forces of Congo (AFDC) party, said he expected Kabila to leave power once the presidential election was organised, without giving a date. "Kabila is a big democrat," he said. "I think he will respect his word." As hot-button campaign issues go, international free trade agreements arent exactly sexy. During most U.S. election campaigns, trade is a relatively minor concern. But in 2016, as the two party nominees emerge from their conventions to face off in the general election campaign, free trade has emerged as one of the most important issues. It is especially crucial in a tier of northern states in the middle of the country that many say could decide the next president. The debate has focused on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a sweeping, 12-nation trade deal that would encompass 40 percent of the worlds economy. Supporters say the TPP would loosen trade barriers and spur global economic growth. Opponents argue it would mainly support big businesses, and send jobs overseas to low-wage countries. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump both oppose the TPP. The Democratic runner-up Bernie Sanders was also an outspoken opponent. Rallying cry At this weeks Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Sanders supporters have cited the trade deal as an example of how government policies have ignored the U.S. worker. They have used the issue as a rallying cry, wearing buttons, holding signs and repeatedly interrupting speeches with chants against the free trade deal. Its an absolute disaster, says Guy Anthony, a retired machinist and union organizer. Its bad for working people. Anthony is a delegate from Pennsylvania, which lies on the eastern edge of the so-called Rust Belt states where manufacturing plays a key role in the economy. Key battleground The states that have lost a large number of jobs overseas as manufacturing declined in recent decades are set to play a key role in the November general election. For the last 20 years, the Rust Belt has leaned toward the Democratic Party. Last election, five states in the region Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa all voted for President Barack Obama, a Democrat. But this year, in part because of his fierce opposition to the TPP and other free trade agreements, the region has been unexpectedly receptive to Trump. Polls show that Trump is competitive with Clinton throughout the Rust Belt, and in some cases is even ahead. If Trump takes all or some of the states, many analysts have said it could be enough for him to win the election. One of the most strategic states in the region is Ohio. Dennis Kucinich, a former Democratic congressman and presidential candidate, told VOA free trade deals are among the reasons why his state is up for grabs. He said workers have been sold out by both political parties. Trade agreements have cost this country millions of jobs, lowered the standard of living, knocked down wages, cut benefits and reduced pensions, said Kucinich, a liberal with a long record of opposing free trade agreements. Clinton stance Another reason why the region is leaning more toward Trump may be Clintons record on trade. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, signed the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, in 1993. Some have blamed it for a loss of jobs. Some also worry Hillary Clinton will reverse her position and eventually back the TPP, since she was one of the deals main architects during her time as secretary of state. Im pretty confident shell flip her position back on it if she becomes president, says Susan Hall, a Sanders delegate from Pennsylvania. Clintons team has denied that accusation, saying the TPP does not meet her standards for protecting U.S. workers. But that hasnt stopped Trump from claiming Clinton is only temporarily opposed to the deal. We all know it is going to happen if she won, Trump said during a press conference Wednesday. TP-what? But for all the attention the TPP is getting on the campaign trail, there is evidence to suggest that many Americans dont even know what it is. Ill bet if we asked a sample of people what the TPP is, a lot would say, Toilet paper something, says Charley Ballard, who teaches economics and conducts opinion surveys at Michigan State University. Before the election, the TPP was not at all well known to Americans, Ballard says. I think it probably still isnt well-known, even with all the attention during the campaign, he adds. A poll earlier this year suggested that 72 percent of Americans either hadnt heard of the TPP or had heard not much about it. Gary Hawley, a Wisconsin delegate and retired union carpenter, concedes many in his state may not even see the TPP as a key issue. I dont think people know enough about the TPP, and youve got to know about something before you can agree or disagree with it, he says. Another Rust Belt delegate, Tom Richey of Ohio, says he is ambivalent on the trade deal, saying other issues are a bigger concern. I think folks ought to focus instead on all the jobs Donald Trump has sent out of the country with his businesses, he says. Cows are brought from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar and are smuggled into Bangladesh mostly through south Bengal districts like North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad and Malda. By Soudhriti Bhabani: The raging cow protection issue just got an unexpected prod. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, widely accused of minority appeasement by Hindutva activists, is leading from the front a silent crackdown on cross-border cattle smuggling. She has activated her official machinery to stop cattle stolen from across India that end up in Bangladeshi slaughterhouses, taking advantage of the extremely porous border shared by the two countries. advertisement Experts say West Bengal has become the biggest hub for cattle smuggling because of the high demand for beef in the neighbouring nation. Cattle from almost all over the country are sent to the state to be pushed into Bangladesh where they are called "gifts on hooves from India". The illegal bovine business is worth over Rs 15,000 crore annually, and pumps in slush money into the local economy. People risk their lives to smuggle cattle. "Our CM has made it clear in the administrative meeting on July 2 in Salt Lake that she will have a zero tolerance towards this," West Bengal food minister Jyotipriya Mallick told Mail Today on Thursday. India is the world's second largest beef exporter, but groups close to the BJP oppose the killing of cows as the animal is considered sacred by many Hindus. Since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, its leaders and affiliated outfits have ratcheted up the rhetoric on cow protection and beef ban. COUNTER STEPS Hindutva activists have formed rapid action groups in every district of the state and these units screen the national and state highways to prevent the ferrying of cows to Bangladesh. Mallick is the president of Trinamool Congress in North 24-Parganas district where cattle smuggling is rampant. He said the state administration has started taking action with increased patrolling along the bordering villages. "The crackdown will be three-pronged - preventing cattle, gold smuggling and the opium trade along the Bengal-Bangladesh border," Mamata told the assembly following the deadly Dhaka cafe terror attack. Analysts say this is a tactical move by the CM to make political inroads into these fringe pockets of Bengal where the RSS and BJP are trying to gain hold, riding on the cattle issue. The step is also aimed at breaking the smuggler-politician nexus (be it from the ruling party or Opposition) in these areas. "The Trinamool Congress leaders and activists have already been asked to monitor the activities across all bordering villages, especially at vulnerable pockets and mobilise locals. They are trying to sensitise them about the implications of this illegal trade," said sources in Nadia. According to local estimates, about 60,000 cows are smuggled into Bangladesh every day from India, mostly through south Bengal districts like North 24-Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad and Malda. The smugglers bring the cows all the way from Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar and send them to Bangladesh for a much higher price, often allegedly in collusion with India's BSF. advertisement India and Bangladesh share a 4,096.7km border, of which 180km is riverine and 2,217km falls in Bengal. BSF sources say cattle smuggling from India is widespread in the bordering pockets, primarily for beef in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. BEYOND BORDER Sources said after sneaking them into Bengal, the smugglers inject cows with drugs that make them restless, compelling them to make a mad dash towards the border. The cattle lifters let the cows go to the other side of the fence through the water channel, since a large portion of the riverine border is unfenced. The members of the other group take these cattle to their own territory from that side. As tractors have long replaced bulls and oxen, the cattle are sold to traders who supply them to slaughterhouses in Bangladesh, both through legal and illegal routes. But the cross-border smuggling of beef remains far more lucrative as the selling price in Bangladesh is Rs 350-450 a kg, compared to Rs 150 a kg in Bengal. advertisement Asked about the issue, BSF inspector general (South Bengal Frontier) Sandeep Salunke refused to comment. "A Bangladesh delegation has come now. I am busy in a meeting with them. You call me after a week," he told Mail Today. Calls and text messages to the BSF deputy inspector general and senior public relations officer in South Bengal Frontier also went unanswered. CASE BY CASE - West Bengal police had arrested a kingpin, Andul Baki Mondal (45), who was involved in cattle smuggling at Matia area near Basirhat in North 24 Parganas. He was arrested with 30kg of Ganja. He had earier been arrested by the Delhi police in 2005 and was behind bars for seven years. He was released in 2012 and came back to his village Gachi. He started cattle smuggling again - Two cattle smugglers were shot dead by BSF personnel at Anuradhapur village in Malda district in June this year. The group was smuggling cattle from the village near the Indo-Bangladesh border by cutting barbed wire fencing. When the men in uniform challenged them, the smugglers opened fire at them. In retaliation, two cattle smugglers were gunned down on the spot while others fled advertisement ALSO READ: Gujarat: Dalit men attempt suicide, buses torched as protest over Una flogging by cow brigade intensifies --- ENDS --- Turkish-Russian relations look set to be one of the main beneficiaries of the July 15 failed coup attempt in Turkey. Even before the botched putsch, rapprochement efforts were slowly taking bilateral ties out of the deep freeze, after Turkey downed a Russian warplane operating from a Syrian base. In the aftermath of the bloody coup attempt, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quick to confirm a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, now set for August 9 in St. Petersburg. International relations expert Soli Ozel of Istanbuls Kadir Has University argues with Putin's quick support of Erdogan during the botched military takeover, the dynamics of the meeting have markedly changed. There are unconfirmed reports Russia was the first one to warn the Turks about the possible coup. The fact that this will be the first major meeting by President Erdogan with any world leader makes it, of course, even more significant after the coup, Ozel said. Observers say Putin is likely to try exploit anger in Ankara over what it perceives as the late response of its Western allies in condemning the coup. Political columnist Semih Idiz at Turkeys Cumhuriyet newspaper says Erdogans visit to Russia comes at an opportune time for Putin. There is a lot of anti-Western [newspaper] articles and anti-Western statements from individuals and from government members. A lot of anti-Americanism. A lot of anti-NATO sentiment. So, foreign policy in that regard appears to be heading for some kind of crisis, Idiz said. Drive to normalize relations Rebuilding Turkish-Russian relations is already well under way. This week, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek led a high level delegation to Moscow, to repair business ties between the countries damaged by Turkeys downing of a Russian warplane on the Syrian border late last year. But Ayse Sozen Usluer, head of International Relations for the Turkish presidency, says rapprochement efforts go beyond just economic relations. There is a mutual understanding these deteriorated relations do not benefit both countries. I can see a political will to normalize these relations. I guess the relations will be back how they were before the plane was shot down. Normal and based on mutual benefits, this kind of relations I am expecting, Sozen Usluer said. Deputy Prime Minister Simsek, during his visit to Moscow, resurrected the term strategic partnership, originally coined by Putin during his state visit to Ankara in December 2014. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week suggested there will be a price for deepening relations, saying differences need to be resolved over Syria. Moscow and Ankara back opposing sides in the civil war. But columnist Idiz warns Putin will be aware that, with Ankara facing strained relations with its Western allies with growing criticism over the severity of the crackdown on the alleged coup plotters, and Erdogan having a weak hand to play. Turkey is not in a strong position after this coup attempt. It will not be able to impose its will. It will probably has to be realistic in its approach, a realpolitik approach to regional issues, Idiz said. But observers say Erdogans meeting with Putin could be part of a wider strategy. The Turkish president is aware that sitting down with Putin could give him leverage with its Western allies. But Erdogans international relations chief insists Turkey remains committed to NATO and its relationship with Washington, but will follow a policy based on pragmatism. Humanitarian aid corridors in and out of the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo must be made safe, and no one should be forced to leave the city, the U.N. aid chief said Thursday. Stephen O'Brien was reacting to a Russian proposal for four corridors to evacuate civilians and fighters who want to give up their weapons from rebel-held eastern Aleppo. Nearly the entire city is surrounded by Syrian forces, making emergency deliveries of food and other supplies impossible. Food is quickly running out for the 300,000 people trapped in Aleppo. O'Brien is calling for a series of 48-hour humanitarian pauses in the fighting to let relief workers get into the city, see what is needed and bring in help. "All parties are required and obliged under long-established and accepted international humanitarian law to allow safe, unimpeded, impartial and immediate humanitarian access for civilians to leave and come in," O'Brien said. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced plans Thursday for a "large-scale humanitarian operation" outside Aleppo to "help civilians who were taken hostage by terrorists, as well as fighters who wish to lay down their arms." Russia and the Syrian government use the word "terrorists" when talking about the rebels. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad offered amnesty to rebels who give up their weapons and surrender to authorities within the next three months. Syrian opposition groups say the Russian proposal for humanitarian corridors is actually a plan to force Aleppo's population to flee, likening it to a "war crime." The human rights group Amnesty International also says it is skeptical, saying the Russian proposal is no substitute for the safe distribution of humanitarian aid. South Sudan is "poised on the brink of an abyss, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Thursday after a new wave of sexual violence in the country. U.N. human rights officials have reported at least 120 rapes in the country over the past three weeks. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that U.N. peacekeepers stood by as women and girls seeking shelter at a U.N. protection-of-civilians site in Juba were raped by government soldiers not far from the camps perimeter. The women and girls had been venturing outside the camp to get food. The report cited witnesses and civilian leaders who said South Sudanese government soldiers had raped dozens of ethnic Nuer women and girls last week just outside the camp, while armed peacekeepers watched. If peacekeepers failed to protect the women as reported, the U.N. said, there will be serious repercussions. Power condemns leaders At the Security Council meeting, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power blamed South Sudans leaders for wasting money on fighting rather than building the nation. The international community has spent billions of dollars trying to avert a famine in the country," Powers said, adding that the conflict in South Sudan had contributed to malnutrition in the country. "If not for this man-made conflict, that money could have been dedicated to building roads, economic development, girls' education, boys' education. Its a waste, and yet we have to continue to mobilize resources to keep this long-suffering population living with some basic dignity. Power said the U.S. had invested heavily in South Sudans future by establishing the U.S. Mission in South Sudan in 2011, which helped at all levels in economic development, reformation of the security sector and promotion of human rights. South Sudans leaders have failed to live up to their end of the deal, Power told Security Council members. South Sudans leaders must demonstrate a political will and carry out tough reforms as laid out in the August peace agreement, Power said. She pointed to gruesome atrocities being committed daily: civilians targeted and killed, women raped, homes looted and destroyed. She said both government and opposition-affiliated soldiers had been implicated in these horrors, and yet there has been no effort to hold the perpetrators accountable. Power said the council and the international community must come together around the single mission of ending the violence in South Sudan and preventing its recurrence. The Afghan government lost control of approximately 5 percent of the country's districts in the first five months of this year, and high attrition within the national army is affecting the experience level of front-line troops, a United States federal oversight agency reported Friday. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported that approximately 65.6 percent of the countrys districts are under Afghan government control or influence as of May 28, 2016, a decrease from the 70.5 percent reported as of January 29, 2016." The agency noted that despite U.S. expenditures of nearly $70 billion to build and sustain the Afghan Defense and National Security Force (ANDSF), the force that is intended to stand on its own by now still needs help and struggles to retain soldiers. "Annually almost one-third of the force is lost to attrition," the agency said. The assessment attributed to the U.S. military is part of SIGARs latest quarterly report that is submitted to the U.S. Congress. Of Afghanistan's 407 districts, 268 districts were under government control or influence, 36 districts (8.8 percent) within 15 provinces were under Taliban insurgent control or influence, and 104 districts (25.6 percent) were at risk, according to the audit. Nine districts of the 36 are directly under the control of the Taliban, with a total population of more than 524,000, it added. The report identified the districts in Helmand, Badakhshan, Ghazni, Sar-e-Pul and Zabul provinces. The Taliban have been exceptionally active in 2016, particularly after launching their annual spring offensive Operation Omari, SIGAR noted. In its mid-year report released earlier this week, the United Nations noted a 4 percent increase in civilian casualties in Afghanistan. The SIGAR report also revealed that war-torn Afghanistan has one of the lowest rates of electrification in the world, with only about one in three Afghans connected to a power grid. Washington has since 2002 obligated nearly three billion dollars for power-sector projects in Afghanistan. The United States and other donors will contribute nearly $5 billion in the 20132018 period to develop Afghanistans energy resources, SIGAR said. However, it added, delivering electricity to the poor and war-torn country has proven almost as much of a struggle as delivering security. U.S. courts have struck down voter identification laws as discriminatory in several states recently, ensuring voting rights for more minority and lower-income voters ahead of November's U.S. presidential election. On Friday, a federal appeals court struck down a law in North Carolina that required voters to show photo identification before casting ballots. The three-judge panel ruled the law, passed in April, had "discriminatory intent" because it would primarily affect minorities and poor people. In a statement following the ruling, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory noted that photo identification is required to purchase some cold medicines and board an airplane, "Yet, three Democratic judges are undermining the integrity of our elections while also maligning our state," he said. "We will immediately appeal and also review other potential options." But U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch praised the ruling, saying, "The ability of Americans to have a voice in the direction of their country ... is fundamental to who we are and who we aspire to be." A federal judge found that parts of a Wisconsin voter identification law were unconstitutional. In his ruling, the judge said that the law's attempt to prevent a perceived threat of election fraud by requiring photo identification or a lengthy petition process would lead to "real incidents of disenfranchisement ... particularly in minority communities." The judge called the law "a cure worse than the disease." The ruling is a "huge win not only for the plaintiffs, but for democracy itself," said a spokesman for One Wisconsin, one of the two groups that filed the lawsuit against the measure. In a tweet, the Wisconsin State Assembly majority leader, Republican Jim Steineke, called the decision "judicial overreaches that usurp states' rights." Governor Scott Walker, also a Republican, said on Twitter that "voting should be easy, but cheating should be hard," and that the ruling would most likely be appealed. Earlier this month, a Texas photo identification law for voters was ruled discriminatory by a U.S. appeals court. The judge in that case sent the case back to a lower court to decide whether the law was meant to be discriminatory. He also asked the lower court for a short-term solution to be put in place for the November elections. Other states that have photo identification laws for voters include Georgia, Indiana and Virginia. Many lack IDs According to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, about 11 percent of American citizens do not have government-issued photo IDs. Supporters of the photo ID laws say the photo identification is meant to prevent voter fraud. But critics say the laws are a way for conservatives to eliminate votes for the competition, since the poor and members of minorities the people least likely to have photo IDs are more likely to vote for a liberal candidate than a conservative one. In a related issue, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican, was blocked in his attempt to ignore thousands of votes in an upcoming primary from people who did not have proof of U.S. citizenship when they registered. A judge ruled that the state must count the approximately 17,000 votes. Kansas voters who registered to vote with a driver's license but did not provide proof of citizenship were told they could vote in the national election, but their votes would not count in state and local elections. It might sound odd, but observers say Vietnamese nationals are smitten by the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, and that, just like their former American foes, many Vietnamese find themselves torn over whom to root for. On one side is Republican nominee Donald Trump, whose scathing anti-China tirades have convinced many Vietnamese of the former reality TV star's ability to curb Beijings ambitions to dominate the disputed waters of the South China Sea. On the other, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is beloved by Southeast Asians who fondly recall her husbands normalization of relations with Hanoi, which paved the way for the two former enemies to turn the page. Nguyen Ngoc Truong, a former senior diplomat who heads a Hanoi-based foreign affairs think tank, said many Vietnamese are eager to secure Washington's role as a counterbalance to China, amid rising tension over the disputed maritime region. Even though Trump accused Vietnam and some other Asian nations of taking our jobs, people like Nguyen Hoang, who listens to VOAs Vietnamese service, hopes the real estate tycoon will rein in Beijing and stop it from taking more islands from its neighbor. The world needs a decisive and determined president like Trump, Hoang said. But researcher Truong says the general feeling is tilting toward Hillary Clinton. [Her husband, former President Bill Clinton,] normalized relations [with Vietnam]. When she was secretary [of state], she clearly expressed her views that are compatible with the interests of Vietnam," he said. "We still consider [the Clintons] as big friends of Vietnam. Memorable photo Former President Clinton announced restoration of full diplomatic relations with Hanoi in 1995, five years before becoming the first sitting U.S. leader to visit the former enemy state, 25 years after the lengthy Vietnam War concluded. The photo of him standing on a balcony in the capital and reaching out to shake hands with a group of Vietnamese in a neighboring house remains a symbol of the thawed bilateral ties. The former ambassador adds that it is Hillary Clinton who played a key role in the Obama administration's pivot to Asia, and she is the one who once stressed Washingtons core interest in the South China Sea moves that reassured Vietnam. Truong said communist Hanoi has to walk a fine line between Washington and Beijing, its natural ideological ally. Meanwhile, prominent young dissident Nguyen Tien Trung said whoever becomes the new U.S. president, the American partnership with Vietnam will not shift significantly. Vietnamese, wherever they are, all want to have a friend and an ally like the U.S. to help defend their sovereignty and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, and prevent Beijings encroachment, he said. Trung met former President George W. Bush in Texas in 2006, while he was still a student. That inspired him to keep striving for real democracy in Vietnam; too often, he says, his country's leaders seem to be out of touch with the public. Bongani Skhosana ran a business driving children to school in South Africas rural Umuziwabantu Municipality. The 40-year-old father of three was also running for local office as a candidate from the ruling African National Congress. But just weeks ahead of that vote, gunmen opened fire on his school bus, killing him in full view of the children. His death was one of at least 12 killings of political candidates and activists as the nation prepares for August 3 municipal elections. Several victims were killed recently enough that their names will still appear on ballot papers. Like Skhosana, many of the victims were members of the ruling ANC. Their deaths are a worrying sign as elections draw near in Africas most mature democracy. Discontent within ANC ranks Violence has marred this municipal election in other ways, too. In June, residents of the ANC-dominated Atteridgeville township, near Pretoria, demonstrated against their own party. Protesters said they were upset that ANC leadership appointed a mayoral candidate who is from another province instead of the local candidate they preferred. So they torched vehicles and tires, looted shops and hurled rocks at passing motorists. But violence has never been far from the polls, says political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi. He says while this violence is regrettable, the nations most triumphant election which marked its transition from apartheid to democracy was not without bloodshed. Sometimes we forget that two days before the 1994 elections, there were bombs exploding in some parts of the country, he told VOA in Johannesburg. So if you put the matter in perspective, the problem of political violence has not been as deep as was the case prior to the 1994 elections. Thats notwithstanding one death is one death too many. So at the level of the country, I dont think we have reached crisis levels yet. The ANC has said the motives of the killings are unknown, and while investigations are ongoing, few arrests have been made. But the partys stance on violence is clear, said spokeswoman Khusela Sangoni. We condemn in the strongest possible terms any incidences of violence which have unfortunately sought to characterize this election, she told VOA. As the ANC, we have called up on the law enforcement agencies to act with no fear or favor to bring perpetrators of these incidences to book. The ANC has won every national election in South Africa since it first came to power in 1994. But recent polls indicate the ANC may lose major urban areas, including economic hub Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria. The opposition Democratic Alliance has held the city of Cape Town for about a decade now. Economic issues Matshiqi says the same element is driving both the violence and the ANCs slipping popularity the economy. South Africas unemployment rate is staggering, at more than 26 percent. In some of the provinces in this country, the only way in which one can become a member of the middle class or even get a job for that matter is through finding his name on an ANC election list, he said. And through him or her being elected as a councilor during this election. So what that means is that unemployment has become one of the main drivers of some of the violence we are seeing today. And violence, it seems, is contagious. A new report from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation found this week that a quarter of South Africas more than 26 million eligible voters are willing to resort to violence to achieve political ends. The violence has even attracted the attention of the clergy, with the head of the Justice and Peace Commission for the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference calling for calm. The killings, said Bishop Abel Gabuza, are one of the biggest threats to South Africas hard-won democracy. We should make sure that we do not develop into a country where assassinations of candidates before elections are considered normal, he said. Given the sacredness of human life, even a death of one candidate during an election should be considered as one too many. 2 Pope Francis, background, is framed by a barbed wire as he prays in front of the memorial at the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland. Francis paid a somber visit to the camp Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. Three Mandela Washington fellows from Zimbabwe who were doing business and leadership studies at the William and Marry university in Virginia graduated on Thursday alongside 22 other youths from various African countries. And across America, other fellows are graduating Friday ahead of their victory lap to Washington for a final summit with President Barack Obama next week. Zimbabwean fellows, who graduated from the William and Marry University in Virginia, are journalist-film maker and human rights activist Terry Mutsvanga, African Union Commission Gender Consultant Tinashe Mutsonziwa, and Abel Chemura, a lecturer at the Chinhoyi University of Technology. The three capped their fellowship with speeches at an Ideas Summit where they emphasized the need for young people to step up the plate and shape their own destinies. Speaking after the ceremony, Mutsvanga told Studio 7 the knowledge he has acquired from the six-week fellowship is invaluable. He said while the U.S. has its own dark past in terms of observing human rights, the country is a shining beacon of freedom. Mutsvanga said Zimbabwe should do more on human rights, adding the alleged abduction and disappearance of political activist Itai Dzamara does not bode well for the country. Chinhoyi lecturer and environmentalist Chemura also said he returns to Zimbabwe next week a better person and a better leader, thanks to the Mandela Washington fellowship. In his graduation speech, Chemura talked about a coffee project that he is working on, seeking to connect markets with technology. The three fellows will gather in Washington starting Sunday together with the nearly 1,000 fellows from various African countries who are also graduating today at their institutions of learning. Altogether, there are about 60 fellows from Zimbabwe. Wednesday was day three of the democratic national convention which was graced by some of the partys powerful figures - President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clintons running mate, Tim Kaine, who gave persuasive speeches in support of the former secretary of state. They all attacked republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. On Wednesday night President Obama took to the stage and asked the Democratic Party supporters to join him in making sure that Hillary Clinton was elected the next president of the United States. This year, in this election, I am asking you to join me to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon whats best in us, to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of the great nation. At the same time, President Obama urged the democrates to realize that Donald Trump is planting fear in the American people as a means to win the November election. Hes just offering slogans, and offering fear. Hes betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election. And that is another bet that Donald trump will lose. And the reason he will lose it is because hes selling the American people short. Vice president Joe Biden also showed his disapproval of electing trump as Americas next president, saying democrats should stand their ground and elect Clinton. A man who seeks to sow division in America for his own gain and disorder around the world a man who confuses bluster with strength. We simply cannot let that happen as Americans. Clintons running mate, Tim Kaine, also took to the stage to mobilize the democratic base for the forthcoming presidential poll. He wasted no time in taking a direct jab at trump. Our nation, it is just too great to put it in the hands of a slicking talking, empty promising, self- promoting one-man wrecking crew! Trump, on the other hand, was busy telling republicans that Clinton is not honest. He went on to insinuate that Russia should hack Clintons emails. The former Secretary of State used her private emails while she was in office, a move that has attracted a lot of criticism from Americans. In a bizarre robbery, man wearing formal dress, high heels, black hat, sunglasses and to top it all, a silver handgun, showed up to loot a bank in New York. By India Today Web Desk: The New York Police Department and FBI released a bizarre CCTV footage which shows an armed man who pulled off a bank robbery wearing a hat, a ball gown and high heels. The transvestite robber wore a silver and black formal dress, silver high heels, black hat, sunglasses and flashed a silver handgun while looting a Staten Island bank in New York. He ran away with 780 dollars (approximately Rs 52,000). advertisement He was later filmed by another surveillance camera in a neighboring store taking off the gown and wearing shorts, blue and white Nike Jordan sneakers and no shirt. The Staten Island Advance quoted Suliman Saif, an employee of the nearby store, as saying, "When he first came in I thought he was like a woman." He told the Advance that the man tried to run to the bathroom to change his clothes, but Saif did not allow him to use the restroom. The robber then took off his clothes and changed up in the store aisles. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and N.Y.P.D are seeking the public's help to identify the man who carried out the strange bank heist. WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW: --- ENDS --- Some Zimbabweans calling themselves concerned citizens, have urged President Robert Mugabes government to hand over power to a transitional authority, which is expected to address the current social, economic and political crisis in the country. The group says Zimbabwe faces social unrest and possibilities of becoming a failed state if a transitional authority is not set up. It further says the transitional authority will be able to lead Zimbabwe through a period of key social and political reforms and economic stabilization before the holding of free and fair elections. One of the proponents of this political arrangement is Dr. Ibbo Mandaza, an academic and director of a local think tank, the Southern African Political and Economic Series Trust. Is it possible to set up such an authority in Zimbabwe? For perspective, Studio 7 reached Zanu PF activist, Nick Mangwana and human rights lawyer Dewa Mavhinga. Mangwana said these proposals are just a pie in the sky. Arrested information secretary of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, Douglas Mahiya, has appeared in a Harare court facing charges of allegedly insulting President Robert Mugabe. The organizations Secretary General Victor Matemadanda is facing similar allegations after they decided to dump President Mugabe last week. At the same time, former Vice President Joice Mujuru has taken Mr. Mugabe to court over a statutory banning the importation of basic commodities and other goods. State Attorney Tapiwa Kasema told the court that Mahiya allegedly insulted President Mugabe through a communique that was released by his association last week. Before remand proceeding could start, defense lawyer Harrison Nkomo applied for the withdrawal of charges and immediate release of the top freedom fighter saying he had been brought to court illegally as the state had not obtained a certificate of prosecution from the prosecutor general as required by law in cases of that nature. Nkomo confirmed that magistrate Vakai Chikwekwe dismissed the application. The case continues in court tomorrow where the magistrate is expected to deliver his ruling on the bail application that was filed by the defense team. After the court session, some war veterans who attended todays court session in solidarity with Mahiya sang revolutionary at the court entrance demanding his immediate release. The war veterans body issued a hard-hitting statement last week calling on President Mugabe to address economic issues affecting Zimbabweans. The war veterans also called Mr.Mugabe to choose a successor adding that they would not campaign for him in the 2018 elections because of his advanced age. In another matter, former vice president Joice Mujuru, who leads the newly formed Zimbabwe People First party, on Friday took Mr. Mugabe to court over his governments introduction of a statutory instrument that bans the importation of basic commodities and other goods. In papers filed in the High Court, Mujuru argues that Statutory Instrument 64 was illegal and should be set aside because its promulgation was unlawful. She says instead of duplicating a law that was used by the Ian Smith administration, the president should have ensured that the law passed through parliament before gazetting it. The former vice president said the statutory instrument has caused untold suffering on many Zibmbabweans who were surviving on importing basic commodities because they could not afford locally produced goods. The minister of industry and commerce is also cited as a respondent while Marian Chombo, the former wife of Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo, filed a supporting affidavit in Mujurus application. The case is yet to be set down for hearing. ALICIA VIKANDER as Heather Lee in Jason Bourne, the action-thriller in which Matt Damon returns to his most iconic role. Paul Greengrass, the director of The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, once again joins Damon for the next chapter of Universal Pictures Bourne franchise, which finds the CIAs most lethal former operative drawn out of the shadows. Photo: Jasin Boland/Universal Studios Back in 2007, when we last saw Jason Bourne, he was giving the CIA an Ultimatum. As the blackest of black-ops agents, Bourne had traversed three movies worth of twists, turns, and thrills to figure out who turned him from a (fairly) ordinary guy named David Webb into a human killing machine know as Jason Bourne. Or at least, he thought he had it all figured out. Now, nine years and a brief tangent into the world of Jeremy Renner later, Bourne is back, and his history is as convoluted as ever. Since the mythology of the Bourne universe isnt an oft-discussed subject, we figured a quick guide to the essential details from the original trilogy (plus a bit of Legacy) could be beneficial for anyone planning to take in the shaky-cam spectacle of Jason Bourne this weekend. Mild spoilers ahead. Or, if you havent seen any of the earlier Bourne movies, tons of spoilers. Who is Jason Bourne? At the very beginning of Identity, Bournes body was fished out of the Mediterranean Sea. He had no memory, but there are bullets in his back. (Remember these if you want to see a continuity nod in Jason Bourne.) Bourne, as we learned, is a highly effective assassin, and his existence is proof of a top-secret program called Treadstone, which is why the CIA sends assets to eliminate him. In Identity, he outwits those agents (sorry, Clive Owen), and disappears into the wind. Then, in Supremacy and Ultimatum, hes pulled back into action, and goes even further down the rabbit hole to trace the origins of operations Treadstone and, later, Blackbriar. K, so, what are these programs? Think of a black-ops nesting doll, which starts with Treadstone, the program that made super spies like Bourne. When Treadstone gets too exposed at the end of Identity, the agency cancels that program and Blackbriar, an upgraded, spookier program, springs from its ashes. Bourne eventually helps bring down Blackbriar by having deputy CIA director Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) leak top-secret files about it and Treadstone to the press though he has to stay on the lam, which is where we find him in Jason Bourne. Of course, there are other secret operations. In Legacy, Jeremy Renners character Aaron Cross is an operative from Outcome, a med-based enhancement program that was developed at nearly the same time as Blackbriar. (Legacy happens more or less concurrently with Ultimatum.) At the end of Legacy we meet an agent from an active beta program called Larx, who is sent kill Cross. The precursor to all of these programs is something Emerald Lake, which Edward Nortons character, Colonel Eric Byer, references at the start of Legacy, telling his team, Get me all the beta programs, and that means take it all the way back to Emerald Lake. (Basically, Universal was really planning on more Renner movies.) In short, the secret-project genealogy goes: Emerald Lake > Treadstone > Blackbriar/Outcome/Larx > whatever programs the agency has up its sleeve next. For those hunting for Easter eggs, theres a scene in Jason Bourne where the names of all these programs appear in a jump drive; its the films only acknowledgment of the Renner timeline. I guess that makes sense. And whos Julia Stiles, again? The only actor to appear in all the Matt Damon Bourne movies besides Damon himself, Julia Stiles plays Nicolette Nicky Parsons. She was Bournes handler during his Treadstone years, managing logistics for the agents and monitoring their health from her post in Berlin, so she has a deep knowledge of Bournes past that even he doesnt fully remember. There are also hints of a possible romantic relationship between the two, but the films do not elaborate on that front. By Ultimatum, Parsons has become Bournes ally, helping him and Landy fight some of the corruption in the CIA. Like Bourne, she has to go off the grid at the end of film. Last we saw Nicky, she was sitting in a coffee shop listening to a news report revealing that Bourne had been shot before falling into a river, and that his body was never recovered. Obviously, she knows he survived. Whats the deal with Bournes flashbacks? As Parsons informs us in Supremacy, Treadstone agents are prone to depression, compulsive behavior, and sensitivity to light as a result of their training (and the fact that they murder people for a living). In the first two movies Bourne also suffers from headaches, which, according to another Treadstone agent he fights in Identity, is a common side effect of being in the program. The man he sees in his visions at the start of Jason Bourne is Dr. Albert Hirsch, who was the medical director of Treadstone and therefore the one responsible for all that psychological abuse. The visions also give us glimpses of Bourne killing an agent named Desh in a shower, which happened in Ultimatum, and of dictator Nykwanna Wombosi (played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, a.k.a. Losts Mr. Echo), whom Bourne failed to assassinate in the franchises inciting incident. In case youre wondering about Hirsch, we learn near the end of Legacy that he died of heart failure while being investigated by the Department of Defense. So, yeah, he was killed. Who are those guys who keep coming after him? In every Bourne movie, our hero faces off against an asset sent into the field by the devious CIA senior agent du jour. In Identity its the Professor, played by Clive Owen. In Supremacy its Kirill (Karl Urban), a Russian Secret Service agent and CIA section chief Ward Abbotts (Albert Finney) weapon of choice. Kirill first tries to frame Bourne for murder, then moves on to simply trying to kill him. In Ultimatum there were two assets, the aforementioned Desh and Paz (played by Edgar Ramirez), whom Bourne spared. Jeremy Renner meets assets of his own in Legacy: the mysterious Larx agent (Louis Ozawa Changchien) and the more friendly Number Three (hey there, Oscar Isaac), whos killed by a drone. In Jason Bourne we meet the most highly motivated Asset yet, though well keep his motivations secret. Why does everything happen in Berlin? Berlin is where Bourne carried out his first mission, an off-the-books personal assignment from his asshole handler, Alexander Conklin (Chris Cooper), and its where he was pulled back into the fray in Supremacy, when Kirill frames Bourne to cover for an operation gone awry. Keep the city in mind in case it comes into play again. Oh, and dont feel any need to prep like this is some AP exam. Jason Bourne doesnt lean too heavily on backstory. That said, there are rewards for those who do remember that decade-plus of plot the Legacy flash-drive moment, for instance. So arm yourself with knowledge to maximize the emotional impact of Jason Bourne, as much as such a thing is possible. By India Today Web Desk: If you came across a picture of a guy wearing a hijab and dismissed it as a joke, you aren't reading between the lines, as these pictures have a deeper meaning than what can be gleaned at the first glance. These images are actually men's way of standing firmly in support of their female relatives, who are forced to cover their heads in public, according to the rules laid by the country's moral police, post the Islamic Revolution of 1979. advertisement Also read: Defying labels: This 30-year-old will be the first American Olympian to compete wearing hijab Women who are caught in public without a head cover or wear it in a manner that their hair is visible--known as 'bad hijab'--have to face punishment that could include anything between paying a fine to imprisonment. The #MenInHijab campaign is pioneered by Iranian activist and New York-based journalist Masih Alinejad, who also heads My Stealthy Freedom--a campaign that is based on "the right for individual Iranian women to choose whether they want hijab". Masih told The Independent the following about the campaign, "Most of these men are living inside Iran and they have witnessed how their female relatives have been suffering at the hands of the morality police and humiliation of enforced hijab...In our society, a woman's existence and identity is justified by a man's integrity, and in many cases the teachings of a religious authority or government officials influence a man's misguided sense of ownership over women. So I thought it would be fantastic to invite men to support women's rights." In a country that even has advertisements that hint at women without hijab being vulnerable to sexual harassment--depicted in the form of flies attacking uncovered food--women continue to protest against the enforced headscarf by venturing in public places without one or by shaving their heads. And now, it only gets better, as men also seem to be chiming in for change. --- ENDS --- An examining committee (EC) of the CBFC should primarily be responsible for issuing film certificates, according to the proposed I and B guidelines. By Reema Parashar: Anurag Kashyap's Udta Punjab seems to have snipped the so called censor board's own scissors. Stung by the barrage of criticism over the role of Pahlaj Nihalani's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) that suggested 90 cuts in the drug thriller, the information and broadcasting ministry has recommended the regulators in the first place be barred from advising edits in movies. advertisement Dialogues and screenplay should be driven by the constitutional principle of free speech, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting noted as it proposed to scrap the entire glossary of words and phrases prohibited in films. The new set of recommendations, which draw from the guidance of the Mudgal and Shyam Benegal committees, have been circulated to various other ministries for their feedback and suggestions, highly placed sources told India Today. EXAMINING COMMITTEE An examining committee (EC) of the CBFC should primarily be responsible for issuing film certificates, according to the proposed I and B guidelines. The EC will classify movies as U, U/A or A. Filmmakers can approach another panel, called a review committee (RC), if they are not satisfied by EC ratings of their motion pictures, the ministry recommends. In such instances, the RC will be required to see their films within 48 hours and advise a new rating if needed. "In no case can the EC or the RC advise deletion or removal of a dialogue or a scene in order for the filmmakers to obtain a U certificate," a senior ministry official said, citing the fresh recommendations. Unresolved disputes can be raised with the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, the official added. 'TATKAL' SERVICE The ministry has also recommended a "Tatkal" service for film certifications for an early review. The facility, I and B sources said, can be accessed with an additional fee. According to official sources, the ministry has recommended replacing smoking-warning stamps during smoking scenes in movies with a similar bold caption in the beginning of the films. It suggested a movie's lead star also issue the same warning in a small video that can be played in theaters. The I and B recommendations, with any changes if needed, will be adopted once it receives the response from other ministries, senior officials said. ALSO READ: Yo censor board so angry, it leaks Udta Punjab on torrent sites? --- ENDS --- The McLennan Community College board of trustees proposed Thursday evening to collect almost $1.5 million more in tax revenue than last year. The board proposed to decrease the property tax rate by almost one-tenth of a cent per $100 of property value, which will bring in more revenue than last year since property values increased. It is less than the current rate, so we were able to reduce it some, but its still more than the effective rate, MCC President Johnette McKown said. The effective rate refers to the tax rate that would bring in the same amount of revenue as the school raised in property taxes last year. The board has proposed to adopt a tax rate of 14.8898 cents per $100 of property value, more than the effective rate of 14.2783 cents per $100 of property value but less than last years rate of 14.9724 cents per $100 of property value. Since the assessed property values in MCCs tax district increased over last year, the school would add almost $1.5 million in tax revenue with the proposed cut to the tax rate. If the board adopts the proposed rate of 14.8898 cents per $100 of taxable value, taxes would rise to $167.89 on an average home in the district. This would result in about $23.2 million in tax revenue. The average taxable value of a home in the district is $112,757 this year. The McLennan County Appraisal District increased the tax base in the district by 7.3 percent this year to $15,590,136,777. Public hearings on the proposed rate will be scheduled for Aug. 9 and Aug. 15, McKown said. Trustees also approved a balanced budget for the next fiscal year of $53,338,876. This includes 3 percent raises for faculty, part-time and overload faculty, support staff and administrators. In preparing the budget, officials considered a likely 4 percent decrease in state appropriations next year. McKown said the first priority of the Texas Association of Community Colleges is to prevent the cut to state funding. The upcoming edition of the Miss Universe pageant will return to the island nation of Philippines in 2017. By India Today Web Desk: The breathtakingly beautiful island nation of Philippines will play host to the upcoming edition of the Miss Universe pageant, which is slated to be held on January 30, 2017. CNN Philippines quoted Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo as saying, "We have a President (Roberto Duterte) that comes from Mindanao and our Miss Universe is also from Mindanao, so I think this is the best time for us to do the Miss Universe here in the Philippines." advertisement Also see: In pictures: The drama that was the Miss Universe 2015 pageant Teo said the Department of Tourism is considering holding the pageant at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, CNN Philippines reported. The pageant was embroiled in controversy after 22-year-old Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo, was wrongly announced the winner of the contest instead of Filipino-origin Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. It will be a historic moment for the reigning Miss Universe, who will get a chance to crown the pageant winner on home ground. The Philippines has already hosted the pageant twice, the most recent being 1994, when our very own Sushmita Sen brought the crown home. Considering the poor performance of Indian contestants at the pageant in the the past few years, will the country where the statuesque actress won the crown turn out to be lucky for us? And this calls for a look at Sushmita's glorious moment, doesn't it? --- ENDS --- Republicans who have backed Donald Trump or worse, rationalized his crazy talk are lying low in the wake of Trumps invitation for Vladimir Putin to hack his opponent and Trumps revelation that hed consider letting Putin have the Crimea. For those who have not drunk the Trump Kool-Aid the reaction has been swift and brutal: Philip Reiner, a former National Security Council official in the Obama administration, called Trump a scumbag animal. Hacking email is a criminal activity. And hes asked a foreign government a murderous, repressive regime to attack not just one of our citizens but the Democratic presidential candidate? Of course its a national security threat, he added. And William Inboden, who served on the NSC during the George W. Bush administration, said Trumps comments were tantamount to treason. Trumps appeal for a foreign government hostile to the United States to manipulate our electoral process is not an assault on Hillary Clinton, it is an assault on the Constitution, said Inboden, who now teaches at the University of Texas at Austin. Those are harsh words, although we would say justifiable under the circumstances. At the convention, Democrats hit back hard. Ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff told the convention: I am keenly aware of the grave threats we face from the murderous brutality of ISIS and al-Qaida to Irans sponsorship of terror; from the belligerence of Vladimir Putin to the madman in Pyongyang. . . . When the rights of expression, religion and association are under growing assault around the globe, when the world needs a leader who can offer blood, tears, toil and sweat, Trump offers only bluster, tirade, swindle and threat. With malice towards all and charity for none, Trump would separate us from the world and divide us here at home. In Trumps world, NATO is a relic, Putin an ally, Tiananmen an example and torture our instrument. This is not leadership; this is calamity. Trump enablers claimed he was kidding or trying to get Russia to help the FBI (!). None of these hold up under scrutiny, nor do his contradictory claims that he has zero to do with Russia and yet sold a property at a $60 million profit to a very rich Russian. (Which one? Did he pay above market value?) As numerous people have pointed out, saying Trump does not invest in Russia doesnt mean that powerful Russians dont invest in him. A savvy reader points out: A Trump investment in Russia, such as the Trump Tower he reportedly has wanted to build there, might be an asset. By contrast, Russian oligarchs investments in other Trump assets are obligations. But lets not get caught up in a financial mystery. The mystery is not why Trump (financial, ideological, psychological) is so deferential toward Russias authoritarian bully and his interests but that he is and does not know how grossly inappropriate it is. David Kramer, a longtime human rights advocate and a former senior State Department official in the George W. Bush administration, remarks to me, Im deeply troubled by talk about partnering with the Putin regime after it has apparently hacked into the DNC and grossly interfered with our presidential election campaign, invaded its neighbors (Ukraine in 2014-present, Georgia 2008, Estonia through a cyberattack in 2007) and illegally annexed Crimea, bombed sites in Syria that we have urged it to avoid, partnered with Iran to prop up Assad through its military intervention, recklessly buzzed our aircraft and ships, launched the worst crackdown on human rights inside Russia in decades, and threatened and demonized the West and the United States in particular. He added: The Putin regime is a serious threat and we should treat it as such. The irony is President Barack Obamas worst critics on the right argued he was too deferential toward foes didnt know friends from foes, and bowed to authoritarians. Now theyre circling the wagons around someone who makes Obama look like Ronald Reagan. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire. Its not clear which is worse Trump or the Republicans still excusing him. In any event, Trump surely has revealed something about the character and judgment of a whole bunch of Republicans. Sad! Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective. Bill Clinton had a receptive audience when he took the stage on Day Two of the Democratic National Convention. The Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia was still ripe with the emotion stirred up earlier in the evening when his wife became the first woman presidential nominee of a major party. Bill told the story of their shared journey with a few notable omissions. He began with the oft-told tale of their courtship: I asked her to take a walk with me to the Yale Art Museum. Weve been walking and talking and laughing together ever since. Still, Bill, whose relationship to the nominee is, lets say, complicated, didnt tell us as much as we learned about Hillary Clinton the night before. Even though the Clintons have been in the national spotlight incessantly since at least 1992, we continue to feel we hardly know her, to borrow a phrase. Yet on Monday, we were able to see the Democratic nominee in a new light thanks to testimony from an unlikely voice: first lady Michelle Obama. She did the impossible, making clear why Clinton was right for the country, with a needed human touch. Anyone including Bill Clinton can make the case that Hillary, like so many men before her, is steely enough to be Father of Our Country. Shes a fighter, taking incoming for years from the right-wing conspiracy, as shes fond of pointing out. For better or worse, she wanted to invade Libya to unseat Moammar Gadhafi and has yet to fully regret her vote in favor of the Iraq war. Vladimir Putins fingers are crossed that come next year he faces Donald Trump and not the former secretary of state. It took Michelle Obama to present Clinton as a woman in full, someone who could also be Mother of Our Country, capable of soft power as much as hard. With a speech Melania Trump might want to borrow from someday, the first lady unexpectedly silenced a restive audience that had been waiting for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. We listen to each other, we lean on each other, because we are always stronger together, Obama said. Clinton can be trusted, she said, to shape our children for the next four or eight years. Everyone knew who wouldnt do that if he makes it to the White House, but Obamas deliberate failure to call out the Republican nominee by name is a lesson for Clinton to follow. No one wins by meeting Trump mano-a-mano in the gutter where he has a strong home-field advantage. Just ask Little Marco Rubio or Lyin Ted Cruz or President Barack Obama, who had to produce his long-form birth certificate to finally quiet Trumps birther crusade. When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you dont stoop to their level, Michelle Obama said. No, our motto is, When they go low, we go high. And she showed us how thats done. Her speech was the antidote to the poison of the dark, desperate and dystopian vision of the country offered by Trump last week in Cleveland. I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, she said. And I watch my daughters two beautiful, intelligent, black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States. In one moment, we were reminded of America the Beautiful, how far weve come since slavery, from our founding when women were denied the vote, to now, when a woman is nominated for president. Young women, hear Michelle Obama roar. This did not happen in a day. If we needed a further reminder of the contrast between the candidates, Trump had his first post-convention rally at the same time as Democrats were beginning their convention. Teleprompter-free and unleashed, he was full-frontal Trump, anarchist and authoritarian at the same time. He was sweating in the heat of Roanoke, Virginia, and announced that he wouldnt be paying for the venue because it was insufficiently air-conditioned. He threatened to leave the hotel that had rented him the space holding the bag, as he has done with so many vendors, students and creditors before. It wasnt even the hotels fault. Trumps staff had kept the doors open for hours as attendees and the heat came in. A leader would think of someone elses discomfort. Has Trump ever done that? Trump then took with a vengeance after the fire marshals who had stopped letting people in because of the heat and because the room was beyond capacity. Marshals are like first responders, no agenda but safety, knowing to close the doors when even a false smoke alarm going off would create a dangerous stampede for the exits. Trump had lip-curling disdain for them. Sure, Democrats week-long exercise in democracy in Philly was messy, but its not a loud rejection of the norms of behavior. You couldnt ask for more from a defeated candidate than what Sanders delivered. He appealed to his angry supporters heads and minds with a point-by-point analysis of why he stands with Clinton. And their hearts. He understands their disappointment because, he admitted in his honest way, I think its fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am. And it was moving to watch the roll call Tuesday night that made Hillary Clintons nomination official, as Sanders announced: I move that all votes, all votes cast by delegates, be reflected in the official record and I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the United States. His followers are not party regulars but believers, decent and earnest like him, who yearn for a more progressive Democratic Party. Their fever will not break overnight. Bernie will do everything he can to see that it breaks before November. Thats a good night. Michelle Obama, who wasnt always so keen on Hillary, vouched for her in a more personal way than Trumps children did for their father in Cleveland, exemplifying the discipline, steadfastness, gratitude, empathy and civility it takes to honor the White House. She reminded the parent in all of us that we will sacrifice anything for our children and shield them from forces that would steer them wrong. Without saying who wouldnt do that, we knew. The historic nominee could not ask for more. Margaret Carlson is a Bloomberg View columnist. CERESCO Tucked away along Highway 77, south of Ceresco, is a modest ecosystem some residents may drive by without noticing the hidden gem beneath their noses. That ecosystem, the saline wetlands, is unique to the area, said Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Wetland Program Manager Ted LaGrange. So unique, in fact, its only found in southern Saunders County and portions of Lancaster County. Theyre regionally very rare, LaGrange said. The NGPC first acquired the land that would become Jack Sinn Wildlife Management Area in 1980 and named it after Jack Sinn, a NGPC biologist that died in a plane crash while counting deer in 1979. He lived nearby along Rock Creek. We actually had three biologists killed in that crash, LaGrange said. Some people here certainly knew those individuals. That first purchase was for about 160 acres. The size of the WMA has grown to about 1,500 acres since then. Over time, weve continued to acquire land from willing land owners, LaGrange said. Four different types of wetlands can be found in Nebraska, according to the City of Lincolns website. The saline wetlands of Lancaster and Saunders counties are considered one of a kind. Theyre only really found in a few select locations, LaGrange said. The Salt Creek, Little Salt and Rock Creek floodplains are the only places theyve been seen. The ecosystems are called saline wetlands because when the area floods, salty groundwater works its way up to the surface, LaGrange said. That unique process creates flats that support unique plants and animals enjoyed by residents throughout the state. Those wetlands are important for a variety of wildlife species, LaGrange said. Among those is the endangered Salt Creek Tiger Beetle, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service is currently working to bring back from the brink of extinction. Right now, the insect is only found in a small portion of the saline wetlands, and its not Jack Sinn. It is not currently found there, LaGrange said. According to our knowledge, its confined now to Little Salt Creek. Though the beetle isnt at Jack Sinn, the WMA still has much to offer for outdoor lovers. Birders have come to really value the wetlands, LaGrange said. The area offers a plethora of feathered finds. There are hundreds of different bird species that use that area, LaGrange said. The salt flats draw in many migrating waterfowl, including sandpipers and plovers, while wading birds like herons and egrets frequently hunt the waters. Grassland birds, like meadowlarks, bobolinks and more also frequent the WMA. Some are easy to spot, LaGrange said. And some are a real challenge. It gets a lot of use by birders. Shari Schwartz, who leads field trips for the Wachiska Audobon Society, agreed. Its really a hot spot for birders, she said. Way up on the priority list. From Least Bitterns to Buff Breasted Sandpipers, the WMA offers a lot to see in the spring and summer. Even in the winter, there are sights to see. In winter time, Jack Sinn is the only place in our area that regularly has Short Eared Owls, she said. But birders arent the only wildlife enthusiasts who can make use of the wetlands. The spacious green fields have made the area a hot spot for hunters, too. Duck and pheasant hunters especially find success, but the area is open to any hunters during any season, Lagrange said. The only restriction NGPC place on hunters is that only non-toxic shot can be used. Other shot can spread lead into the ecosystem. One animal that may seem out of place at a wildlife preserve is a cow, and LaGrange said the NGPC receives a lot of questions about the herd of cattle that can be seen at the WMA. But, they do serve a purpose. The cows act as a replacement for the elk and bison that wouldve once lived in the area. Their grazing opens up vegetation and keep the shoreline just the right amount of trampled. We use cattle to simulate native grazing that wouldve occurred there, he said. Protecting the wetlands is the number one goal for the NGPC. We consider them a pretty at-risk community, especially the ones near Lincoln, he said. The main threat to the wetlands comes from development in Lincoln. Its an area thats rapidly growing, LaGrange said. Thats certainly been a factor. When it comes to what residents can do to help protect the wetlands, LaGrange said just learning about and using the WMA is helpful. We appreciate any local support on things that were trying to do there, he said. We encourage people to learn about it. Its something you cant find anywhere else in Nebraska. Its a unique treasure that we have here locally. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Asserting that competition has benefited consumers, fair trade regulator CCI chief D K Sikri today emphasised on cooperation and mutual sharing between the regulators. Addressing anti-corruption officials of various organisations at Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Sikri said that competition is essential for the benefit of consumers, society and economy at large. He said that there is a need for cooperation and mutual sharing between the two regulators i.e. CVC and Competition Commission of India (CCI). CCI was set up in 2002 to fulfil aim of competitive economy and to curb the anti-competitive practises especially by means of mergers and acquisitions. "To promote and sustain competition, the regulators are needed in the market," Sikri said while delivering a lecture on "The Market Regulator: Exploring New Areas of Mutual Co-operation" organised by the CVC. He gave example of certain sectors including telecom and aviation, where the competition has helped in enhancing the choices of consumers and giving them benefit. At the same time, there are certain sectors where the fair competition is still required to give the real benefit to the economy and the consumers, Sikri said. The CCI chief said that various factors such as cauterisation and collusion or nexus between the stakeholders lead to embezzlement of funds thus resulting in an adverse impact on the economy. Elaborating on the issues related to procurement, Sikri said that this is the common area where CVC and CCI can play a role by mutual cooperation. He said that there are various guidelines related to the procurement process in India, but still certain practises exist e.g. procurement continuing for many years, limited number of empanelled vendors, no attempt to expand vendors on panel by the authorities, etc. "To check these activities, regulators should explore areas of cooperation and the Chief Vigilance Officers (who work as anti-corruption official in a central government department) should be sensitised in this matter," Sikri said. He also emphasised on the transparency in these processes. PTI AKV RG --- ENDS --- advertisement ML Sharma, the lawyer for convicts Mukesh and Pawan, pointed out that neither the victim in her dying declaration, nor her male companion mentioned anything about an iron rod. By Harish V Nair: A lawyer representing the death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone who can prove that the victim was violated with an iron rod. As the case - that prompted nationwide revulsion and turned global spotlight on crimes against women in India - enters the final lap in the Supreme Court, defence counsel are exploring all possibilities to ensure the men escape capital punishment. LAWYER ML SHARMA CONTESTS POLICE THEORY ML Sharma, the lawyer for convicts Mukesh and Pawan, sought to give a fresh twist by contesting the police theory that they inserted an iron rod into the victim's body through the vagina and pulled out her internal organs. A trial court awarded the death penalty to four adult accused for the gruesome act. The 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist, dubbed Nirbhaya (meaning fearless), was sexually assaulted on a moving bus and died after sustaining serious internal injuries because of allegedly being violated with an iron bar during the attack. advertisement The Delhi High Court upheld the sentence and the matter is now being heard in the Supreme Court. One of the six accused, Ram Singh, committed suicide in the city's Tihar Jail three years ago. Another, who was a juvenile when the crime took place, was sent for three years to a reform home and later released. "Something which is not possible medically was said by police that an iron rod was repeatedly inserted and intestines pulled out," Sharma argued on Monday before a threejudge special bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra. "The post-mortem report prepared by the Singapore hospital (where the victim received treatment) says the uterus and ovaries were intact. Going by the human anatomy, if a rod is inserted through the vagina, it cannot reach the intestines without breaking the uterus." Outside the court, the lawyer declared a cash prize for anyone who can prove that intestines can be pulled out with a rod without damaging the uterus and ovaries. "I have already declared that I will pay Rs 10 lakh award to a doctor or anybody who can prove as per medical science that without destroying the uterus, the intestines can be pulled out using an iron rod," he said. "I am sure they cannot. The police are lying. The rod theory was added later to sensationalise the whole case and also to provoke public anger." The 2012 incident sparked nationwide outrage and spurred Parliament to tighten India's rape laws and pass legislation lowering to 16 the age at which someone can be tried for serious crimes. Sharma also pointed out that neither the victim in her dying declaration, nor her male companion mentioned anything about an iron rod. "When the girl was admitted in the hospital on December 16, 2012 at 11.15 pm, the doctor found her in a fit state of mind and recorded her statement. While narrating the entire happening she did not utter a single word about unnatural rape using a rod. If patient herself did not mention anything about such a cruel and painful act, from where did the police get this? The iron rod is missing in the testimony of her boyfriend also," the lawyer told the court. HEARING TO CONTINUE ON FRIDAY Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi, who was witnessing the hearing seated in the visitor's gallery, broke down as she heard Sharma reading her daughter's dying declaration. The hearing will continue on Friday. Reacting to Sharma's contentions, prosecution sources told Mail Today, "We will prove to the court that two iron rods which we have seized were used. One rod, 2 feet 9 inches, was used to beat up the victim and complainant. Another rod, one foot and 11 inches, was inserted into the body. The intestines, remember, were pulled out using the hand." Convicts Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay, and Akshay had filed appeals against the death sentence handed down by the trial court and the Delhi High Court. As per procedure, the apex court must also confirm capital punishment, and only then can the four convicts be hanged. Jaspreet Rai, the lawyer representing Nirbhaya's parents, told Mail Today, "The defence has a right to say whatever it wants...right or wrong. It is not correct for me to comment on the line of argument at this juncture when his arguments are still on. I will deal with it legally when my turn comes." advertisement ALSO READ: Supreme Court to sit for extra time to hear the Nirbhaya case S&P 500 3,807.30 DOW 32,033.28 QQQ 272.87 Be Sure You Own United Parcel Service for the Right Reasons 5 Diamonds in the Rough (Ad) Biden zeroes in on economic message as campaign winds down Top 10 Horror Movie Entrepreneurs 5 Diamonds in the Rough (Ad) Auto prices finally begin to creep down from inflated highs Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities Market Wizard Reveals: The One Ticker Retirement Plan (Ad) Stocks gain ground on Wall Street, Facebook parent slumps How major US stock indexes fared Thursday 10/27/2022 S&P 500 3,807.30 DOW 32,033.28 QQQ 272.87 Be Sure You Own United Parcel Service for the Right Reasons 5 Diamonds in the Rough (Ad) Biden zeroes in on economic message as campaign winds down Top 10 Horror Movie Entrepreneurs 5 Diamonds in the Rough (Ad) Auto prices finally begin to creep down from inflated highs Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities Market Wizard Reveals: The One Ticker Retirement Plan (Ad) Stocks gain ground on Wall Street, Facebook parent slumps How major US stock indexes fared Thursday 10/27/2022 S&P 500 3,807.30 DOW 32,033.28 QQQ 272.87 Be Sure You Own United Parcel Service for the Right Reasons 5 Diamonds in the Rough (Ad) Biden zeroes in on economic message as campaign winds down Top 10 Horror Movie Entrepreneurs 5 Diamonds in the Rough (Ad) Auto prices finally begin to creep down from inflated highs Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities Market Wizard Reveals: The One Ticker Retirement Plan (Ad) Stocks gain ground on Wall Street, Facebook parent slumps How major US stock indexes fared Thursday 10/27/2022 Bengaluru residents complained that they did not have food, drinking water and electricity. While roads were flooded, some saw snakes slithering into their houses. By Pratiba Raman: Bengaluru, known as the city of lakes, has indeed become one. Biocon's Kiran Shaw tweeted that Bengaluru is transforming into Bengalakuru. Not because the city has beautiful water bodies. But because the entire area of Southern Bengaluru woke up to polluted water overflowing from lakes, seeping into every household. Bengaluru has become Bengalaku. Incessant rains have created lakes across the city. Traffic is in a gridlock; Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (@kiranshaw) 29 July 2016 advertisement Rainfall in HAL area was the maximum with 70.8 mm. Having received 135mm on average in the last four days, which is 30mm more than what it should be in July, and with heavy rains lashing the city through the night- the Silicon Valley was marooned almost instantly. Gridlock in Bengaluru - poor foresight in planning n apathetic denial by policy makers pic.twitter.com/CzSgC6Ln8Q; Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (@kiranshaw) 29 July 2016 One of the worst affected areas that crawled and drowned through the day was Kodichikkanahalli, close to Bannerghatta Road. Of the 500 families stranded, with waist-deep water, 200 families including a pregnant woman were rescued with the help of a boat organized by the fire department and the disaster management team. Bengaluru does a Gurgaon: People seen fishing on roads, boats on streets, homes flooded NO FOOD, NO WATER, NO POWER Packets of milk and biscuits were distributed by the citizens of neighbouring areas. "No food, no clean drinking water, no power? Can't stir out. This is house arrest," said R Gopal, a resident of the area. NOT JUST WATER, BUT SNAKES People wading through water-logged roads were worried not just about sewage and dirty water from the drains getting mixed in it, but the snakes slithering through the entrance of some of the households. "I was scared and speechless when I saw the snake? I wont be able to sleep," said Gita, an eight-year-old child. RIVER CANALS CLOGGED There are more than 100 lakes currently waiting for rejuvenation by the civic bodies. Frothing of lakes and fish kill is now a common phenomenon with none taking any responsibility. The river canals are clogged, the drains are damaged due to construction of buildings, lake-bed areas are encroached upon, thanks to the nexus between politicians and the builders. "Things will change. Now the court has ordered for the destruction of such buildings. We are at it," said Ramalinga Reddy, Transport Minister of Karnataka. BLAME GAME AGAIN? The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner blamed it on the budget. advertisement "Once the budget is released by the government, we will start work in terms of building more canals and drains. Right now, our priority is to clear the water," said Manjunath Prasad, BBMP Commissioner. The BJP MLA of the Bommanahalli constituency, Satish Reddy, pointed out the callousness of the Congress party in terms of dealing with such civic issues, "which needed immediate attention." Some citizens in similarly drowned areas of Silk Board Junction were busy catching fish, sparking Internet sensation. However, Bengalureans are worried, even this will become a habitual occurrence, just how traffic jams and the pothole-ridden roads have become part of the city dweller's mojo "Swalpa Adjust Maadi". Also Read: Submerged Gurgaon asks Delhi to stay away: 10 latest updates Calm down Delhi, you are no better than Gurgaon after rains. Here's proof Heavy downpour turns Gurgaon roads into rivers, traffic comes to a standstill --- ENDS --- S&P 500 3,807.30 DOW 32,033.28 QQQ 272.87 Be Sure You Own United Parcel Service for the Right Reasons The Last Great Value Stock (Ad) Biden zeroes in on economic message as campaign winds down Top 10 Horror Movie Entrepreneurs Like Learning Your ABCs (Ad) Auto prices finally begin to creep down from inflated highs Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities Like Learning Your ABCs (Ad) Stocks gain ground on Wall Street, Facebook parent slumps How major US stock indexes fared Thursday 10/27/2022 S&P 500 3,807.30 DOW 32,033.28 QQQ 272.87 Be Sure You Own United Parcel Service for the Right Reasons The Last Great Value Stock (Ad) Biden zeroes in on economic message as campaign winds down Top 10 Horror Movie Entrepreneurs Like Learning Your ABCs (Ad) Auto prices finally begin to creep down from inflated highs Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities Like Learning Your ABCs (Ad) Stocks gain ground on Wall Street, Facebook parent slumps How major US stock indexes fared Thursday 10/27/2022 S&P 500 3,807.30 DOW 32,033.28 QQQ 272.87 Be Sure You Own United Parcel Service for the Right Reasons The Last Great Value Stock (Ad) Biden zeroes in on economic message as campaign winds down Top 10 Horror Movie Entrepreneurs Like Learning Your ABCs (Ad) Auto prices finally begin to creep down from inflated highs Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities Like Learning Your ABCs (Ad) Stocks gain ground on Wall Street, Facebook parent slumps How major US stock indexes fared Thursday 10/27/2022 Specialist fees will be published and consumers will review their quality of care in a new rate-my-doctor website likely to anger the medical profession. Health insurance companies NIB, Bupa and HBF have joined forces to publish customer feedback and gap fees for individual doctors, following rising disgruntlement among members about price gouging by specialists. The website an expanded version of NIB's health provider directory Whitecoat will initially publish prices, customer reviews and allow customers to book and pay for their appointments online. Whitecoat currently covers GPs, dentists, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals, but not specialists. There are 2.7 million carers in this country, most of them female. Most can't participate in the workforce, sometimes because of their age and at times because of the long hours they dedicate to caring responsibilities. This perhaps goes some way in explaining why they're significantly more likely to have a household income in the bottom 20 per cent. Men who take a primary carer role feel their careers stagnate, as has been observed in women's careers in previous generations. Credit:Getty Images Dollars aside, they're also more likely to encounter a variety of other employment-related consequences. Some of these were demonstrated in a study published two months ago by scholars at the University of South Australia. The researchers looked at a particular type of caregiver that's been relatively understudied, not just in Australia but around the world: the father of a child with disability. A total of 210 were surveyed. More often than not, fathers are the secondary (rather than the primary) caregivers. While most are employed on a permanent or self-employed basis, they're also almost three times as likely to be casual workers compared to other fathers with children living at home. Mating season means a change in colour for male blue-billed ducks at Perth Zoo. Zoo spokesperson Nicole Longhi said the ducks were common in WA and also other parts of Australia. "You do find them in a lot of our lakes and wetlands around Perth," she said. The wetlands keeper said the change in colour from a brown bill to a blue one was one of many things the ducks do to try get lucky. Orlando, Florida: Florida authorities on Friday reported what is believed to be the first evidence of local Zika transmission in the continental United States, concluding that mosquitoes likely infected four people with the virus that can cause rare but serious birth defects. Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of the city about the size of 2.6 square kilometres. Testing showed that one woman and three men had been infected, Gov. Scott said. While health officials have yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the virus, the state has ruled out other means of transmission, including travel to another country with a Zika outbreak, and sexual contact. "We have worked hard to stay ahead of the spread of Zika and prepare for the worst," Gov. Scott said in a statement. "We will continue to put every resource available to fighting the spread of Zika in our state." By India Today Web Desk: In a major setback for Vijay Mallya, a special PMLA court today declared the beleaguered liquor baron a "proclaimed offender", which makes all his properties in India liable to be attached by the government. The proclamation came after Mallya missed a 5 pm deadline today to appear before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act court, which had summoned him in Mumbai. A person is declared a proclaimed offender if a court believes that the accused against whom an arrest warrant has been issued has absconded or is hiding himself to avoid the warrant. The 60-year-old industrialist is in London since March after a consortium of banks moved the Supreme Court to recover a loan of nearly Rs 9000 from him. advertisement CONSORTIUM OF BANKS SEEK RECOVERY OF LOAN The consortium of 13 banks headed by the SBI is seeking the recovery of more than Rs 9,000 crore in principal and interest, loaned to Mallya's now-grounded Kingfisher Airlines. Last month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had issued an advertisement in newspapers published from Mumbai and Bengaluru asking Mallya to appear before the PMLA court by July 29. "Whereas complaint has been made before me that above named accused Vijay Vithal Mallya residing at address: c/o- Ms Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, Mumbai 400018, has committed the offence of punishable under Section 4 of PMLA, 2002 and it has been returned to a warrant of arrest thereupon issued that the said Vijay Vithal Mallya cannot be found and whereas it has been shown to my satisfaction that the said Vijay Vithal Mallya has absconded and is concealing himself to avoid the service of the said warrant," it said. "Proclamation is hereby made that the above named accused in the above case required to appear in the Special Court under PMLA, Greater Bombay in court Room No 16 to answer the said complaint on July 29, 2016 at 11:00 AM," the order said. The Enforcement Directorate is also seeking to invoke the India-United Kingdom Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to extradite Mallya from the UK. Also read: Vijay Mallya case: Mumbai court issues 3rd non-bailable warrant All transactions from USL were legal, says Vijay Mallya Prevent Vijay Mallya from leaving India: 17 banks in their plea to Supreme Court --- ENDS --- North Korea says the United States had effectively "declared war" and this led to the usual hilarious Twitter rampage. By India Today Web Desk: North Korea's top diplomat says the US "crossed the red line" and has declared war on the communist state by putting leader Kim Jong-un on a sanction list. Han Song Ryol, director-general of the U.S. affairs said the action against Kim and other recent US moves have put the situation on the Korean Peninsula on a war footing. He warned against planned US-South Korean war games next month. advertisement While North Korea is gearing up for their war games, Twitterati ensued their riotous meme rampage. Check out some of the hilarious tweets below: Obama to North Korea: "Pull up den" pic.twitter.com/qOVk1rIGiT Dj Screw Jr (@DjScrewJr) July 28, 2016 When you realize North Korea might be serious this time.. pic.twitter.com/EwQdmvOaxj Miley Cyrus News (@TeamCyrusHD) July 29, 2016 Canada watching North Korea declare war on U.S pic.twitter.com/k5O96poMbR estelle (@glitterygoals) July 29, 2016 me laughing at the memes and then me after i heard a loud bang #northkorea pic.twitter.com/CXrib5l9Tt maya ; 2 days (@gIennsmaggies) July 29, 2016 North Korea is declaring a war on the US and no one's taking them seriously pic.twitter.com/TsS9THELgy danny (@dannysuschrist) July 29, 2016 North Korea declared war on us pic.twitter.com/2ADCuozJBZ Ghost (@supreme_nation) July 28, 2016 North Korea declaring war on the US... pic.twitter.com/x1edytbjcy Lux (@Callux) July 29, 2016 when you declare war on the US but still gotta flex for the gram with the boys #northkorea pic.twitter.com/Ln4UFn0T67 trauma (@traumadubs) July 14, 2016 --- ENDS --- On International Tiger Day, experts see no happy times for tigers as the green-corridors are shrinking in Asia and tiger poaching is still rampant. By Indo-Asian News Service: With over 10,000 tigers including other big cats in captivity globally, rampant tiger poaching in India, shrinking green-corridors in Asia and three sub-species extinct, experts see "no happy times" for the feline on International Tiger Day on Friday. "There were some 100,000 tigers a century back, now there are around 3,000 to 5,000 (in the wild), depending on who you ask. So, these are not happy times for the tigers," Joseph Vattakaven, Tiger Conservation Advisor, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) told IANS. Still there are some positives for India, which has over 50 percent of world's tiger population (1,945 to 2,491). In central Asian countries the tiger population is sustaining as well. Also read: Baby tigers in glass jars: Thailand books 3 monks for illicit trade advertisement "There are rampant cases of poaching, ofcourse," he added. The International Tiger Day was started in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, with the aim to double the population by 2022. While 2016 is the mid-way of the deadline, a rampant hike in crime and specific targeting of tigers for "medicine, skin and soup", is the biggest challenge. Also read: Tiger population is rising, but will it get doubled by 2022? As per the Wildlife Protection Society of India, about 28 of tigers had been poached by April this year, while 25 were reportedly poached in 2015. About 97 percent of tigers had been poached worldwide since the last century, despite several conservation efforts. Three sub-species -- Balinese Tigers, Caspian Tigers and Javanese Tigers -- out of nine are extinct. About 40 tiger cubs were found dead in a Thai temple in June. Photo: Reuters The United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol last month reported that the environmental crime industry -- worth $258 billion -- was the fastest growing among crime syndicates. Meanwhile, the rise in number of tigers in captivity in China and the US is another major threat to the conservation effort of this Asian big cat. As per Debbie Banks of the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), China has about 5,000 tigers in captivity and are raised in different tiger farms and culled as food and medicine. Photo: Reuters Meanwhile, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) keeps the number of "backyard tigers", including other big cats like lions, puma, leopards and panthers at over 10,000. "The number could be more. They could be well between 10,000 to 20,000. Many times, when people can't keep the big cats, they kill them or free them, exposing people to danger", Vattakaven said. Also read: Another tigress found dead in a reserve. Are we losing more tigers to unnatural deaths than we think? The activists are thus demanding the US to pass the "Big Cat Public Safety Act" that would prohibit people from raising the big cats as pets. This is on the agenda at COP-17 CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to be held at South Africa this year. Photo: Reuters "The USA should check its backyard before pointing fingers at others, specially China," Vattakaven said. He added that for countries like China, more education and awareness is needed as killing of tigers for medicine is a traditional mindset, and that needs to change. On a positive note, the tiger population has also increased and come on par with the historic density. Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, for instance, now has about 17 tigers in its 100 sq km. At the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, the population density is 15 to 16 tigers per 100 sq km. India today has about 250 tiger reserves while at the beginning of Project tiger in 1973 there were only 19. Also read: 40 dead tiger cubs found in Thai temple freezer: Key developments Speaking on the positives of India, experts felt a lot has been done but it's clearly not enough. "A lot is needed to be done in terms of increasing infrastructure. Can't simply send guards with sticks in hand to face better equipped poachers," said Sunayan Sharma, a former Forest Officer and a Rajasthan based Wildlife conservator. Photo: Reuters Sharma also pointed out the menace of extreme tourism in the forests, leading to behavioural changes among animals. He said that the "Flight-Distance", a term used by conservationists to define minimum safe distance to observe an animal in wild, is being "breached in some national parks like Ranthambore by the tourist lobby resulting in a change in behavior of the tigers. advertisement "The reason behind the one such death of the forest guard in 2015 was because the same breech in Flight Distance," Sharma pointed out. On the positive side, the New Delhi this April hosted the Third Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for protecting the species. Also read: International Tiger day: What have we achieved? "To do that, all the 13 tiger range countries would have to take a strong stance against enemies of wildlife," said V.P Singh of the Tarai Nature Conservation Society. The recent arrest of a notorious wildlife trafficker in Delhi (whose father Sansar Chand left Sariska "tiger-less") could be a good start. By India Today Web Desk: A day after his Arhar Modi jibe over food prices, Rahul Gandhi today targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ambitious bullet trains plan and wondered if only his 'suited-booted' friends will be able to afford the Rs 15000 fare. "Modiji promised bullet trains. Their tickets will be not less than Rs 15000. Only Modiji and his suit-boot friends will travel in it," the Congress vice-president said in a party meeting in Lucknow, reminding them of his famous 'suit-jibe' remark during a Parliament debate last year. advertisement The Modi administration has planned a bullet train route between Mumbai and Ahmedabad as its pilot project, which is already being criticised by experts and opponents for its high cost. "Congress is the one which takes everyone along. Modi starts from the richest person, we from the person at the end of the line," the 46-year-old leader said. CONGRESS BANKS ON SHEILA'S DELHI RECORD The Congress has announced former three-term Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as its face for the crucial campaign in UP, which the party last ruled 27 years ago. "Sheilaji changed the face of Delhi by working for development and change. The people in Delhi today remember the Congress for its work," he said. "UP has suffered a lot in these 27 years. Various parties did everything to break the state. We want to make UP the Number One state in the country," he said. CONGRESS LAST RULED UP 27 YEARS AGO Rahul said if the Congress "stands together" and works on the "voice of its workers", then no one would be able to beat the party in Uttar Pradesh. "We are not here to merely increase our seats," he said. With election in Uttar Pradesh due early next year, most parties have already began their campaign for India's most populous state which has produced the largest number of prime ministers. In UP, the beleagured Congress is faced with the BJP, which won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2014, a resurgent Mayawati, besides the ruling Samajwadi Party. Price rise a big issue, why is PM Modi silent: Rahul Gandhi in Parliament --- ENDS --- DERIDDER -- The Beauregard Parish Police Jury will meet Tuesday, Aug. 2. Here are the agendas: WARD 3 WORKSHOP PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there will be a Ward 3 Workshop, Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at the Police Jury at 1 p.m. for the following purposes: Discussion of Budget Discussion of Personnel Discussion of Equipment Any Other Business SOLID WASTE COMMITTEE MEETING PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there will be a Solid Waste Committee Meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016 at the Police Jury at 1:30 p.m. for the following purpose: Patrick Smythe - Waste Connections Any Other Business BUILDINGS & GROUNDS COMMITTEE MEETING PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there will be a Buildings & Grounds Committee Meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016 at the Police Jury at 2 p.m. for the following purpose: Approval of bid for insulation of 2nd floor of Administration building Approval of bid for roof repairs Activities Building Old Post Office Building Approval of Change Order from AOS for Installation of Recessed Rail Update on Beauregard Parish Gothic Jail Discussion of LGAP Grants - Alex Quebedeaux Tour Beauregard Parish Courthouse Any Other Business FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there will be a Finance Committee Meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016 at the Police Jury at 3 p.m. for the following purposes: Approval of LSU AgCenter Salary payable to Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service in the amount of $19,209.00. Resolution for Shantel Alleman to update credit cards for Police Jury with her as Authorized Officer Discussion of purchase of 34.65 acres by the South Beauregard Recreational District - Jay Delafield Any Other Business PERSONNEL COMMITTEE MEETING PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there will be a Personnel Committee Meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016 at the Police Jury at 3:30 p.m. for the following purposes: Discussion of War Memorial Civic Center Board Reappoint Beaux Victor to the Waterworks District #6 Board Resolution to correct 2016 Holiday Schedule for Labor Day Approval to move James Higginbotham for temporary to full time with an increase in pay from $12.51 per hour to $13.14 per hour effective July 24, 2016 Any Other Business ROAD & BRIDGE COMMITTEE MEETING PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there will be a Road & Bridge Committee Meeting, Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at the Police Jury at 4 p.m. for the following purposes: Approval of Engineering plan for Ridge Subdivision Approval of low bid for Capital Improvement Project in Ward 6 Approval of revised subdivision plat for Golden Acres Declaration of surplus items Any Other Business PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there will be a Police Jury Meeting held on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016 at the Police Jury Meeting Room at 5 p.m. to set the agenda for the regular meeting to be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016. BEAUREGARD PARISH POLICE JURY REGULAR SESSION AUG. 9, 2016 6 p.m. AGENDA: Invocation Pledge of Allegiance Amendments to the Agenda Approval of Minutes PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ANNOUNCEMENTS Regions 7 Meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 at 6 p.m. at the Charleston Ballroom 900 Ryan Street, Lake Charles. C & B Community Organization will be hosting the 5th Annual Back to School Supplies Giveaway, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016 beginning at 5 p.m. until supplies last. Located at the Old First Baptist Church Gym between West 3rd St and West 4th Street Downtown. The Lock Up Prevention Program (for children aged 10-18) will be held Thursday, Aug. 2, 1016 at 6 p.m. at the BPSO Training Building. CHAIRMAN'S COMMITTEE REPORT (S) A) FINANCE - S.E. "Teddy" Welch B) ROAD & BRIDGE - Gerald McLeod C) LEGISLATIVE - Carlos Archield D) PERSONNEL - Ronnie Libick E) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - John Stebbins F) BUILDING & GROUNDS - Jerry Shirley G) INSURANCE - Ronnie Jackson WAYS & MEANS - Mike Harper LANDFILL SOLID WASTE - Elvin Holliday SECRETARY/TREASURER'S REPORT ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT A. Approval of July 2016 Emergency Work Orders FORT POLK -- Despite the threat of indirect fire, attack by opposing forces, and the Louisiana heat, the New York Army National Guard mechanics of Company E, 427th Brigade Support Battalion have shown their ability to perform their mission at one of the Armys most demanding training sites at Fort Polks Joint Readiness Training Center and still teach their newer Soldiers along the way. The Soldiers of the 427th BSB are responsible for providing medical, supply, and maintenance support to the over 3,500 Soldiers of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. During the brigade's month long training at the JRTC July 9-30, it will conduct combat training in a realistic environment that features a well-trained opposing force, civilian role-players on the battlefield, high-tech systems that monitor the action and observer-controller/trainers to evaluate unit actions. The 427th BSB's medical, maintenance, supply and transportation, and support companies are tasked with keeping the maneuver and combat elements in the fight during the rotation's 10-day combat training exercise. The JRTC replicates are the required combat service support requirements that the 427th manages: treating casualties, fixing equipment and delivering supplies and ammunition. Sgt. Adam Lamb, assigned to Co. E, is the only generator mechanic in the maintenance company. Responsible for keeping all of the generators in the logistics support area running, Lamb has still been able to find time to lend his experience to the wheeled vehicle mechanics and also learn from their experience. "I have an outstanding support system with the rest of the mechanics," Lamb said. "A lot of them have an immense amount of experience, both in the military and on the civilian side. For any question I have along the way, I have a good core of NCOs that I can fall back on to check and make sure I'm doing the right thing." The mechanics of the maintenance company came prepared for their mission, leveraging their experience from past rotations and overseas deployments to know the parts and equipment they would need for an extended field exercise without external support. Their preparations paid off, allowing the mechanics to repair over a dozen vehicles with real-world mechanical failures, Lamb said. As the JRTC exercise progresses the mechanics are faced with a variety of field problems, including mechanical failure, vehicles stuck in concertina wire, and battle damage. These problems give the senior enlisted the opportunity to refresh their own skills and teach the younger Soldiers how to solve issues they may have never encountered. "We work with the junior enlisted about how we would approach problems," he said. "We do walk throughs and we talk them through the tools that would be used in each type of event. A lot of people in this unit have been deployed, so they share their experiences from the past on how they actually have resolved situations that have been notionally presented to us here." But working on problems in a stressful and fast paced environment is only one part of the mechanics' JRTC training. The exercise requirements of planning and executing resupply convoys as a team has provided training and experience beyond the normal monthly drills, Lamb said. "Team building is the biggest thing I've gotten out of JRTC, and certainly training with the junior enlisted and establishing trust with them," he said. "That's definitely fast-tracked in an environment like this, as opposed to a normal weekend drill." Outside of Co. E's own training, working with the infantry companies gives both sides an opportunity to learn about the others operations and give infantrymen confidence in calling on Co. E for assistance. "When they have a vehicle go down, they might not know where to start," he said. "It may seem like a large problem to them, but with us they're able to solve it really quickly." "I can't say that they've had a vehicle go down that we haven't been able to resolve the problem," Lamb said. By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, Jul 29 (PTI) Pakistan Parliament today moved closer to adopting a landmark but controversial legislation to deal with cyber crimes in the country with the Senate giving its assent to the bill after incorporating 50 amendments. Senate, the Upper House, approved The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act after incorporating 50 amendments to the original draft already passed by the National Assembly or the Lower House in April. advertisement The proposed law will again go back to the National Assembly where the new version will be discussed among members and is expected to be passed without any new amendment. State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman told the Senate that the law includes a total of 21 offences related to misuse of Internet. The law will impose up to seven years imprisonment, Rs 10 million fine or both for hate speech, or trying to create disputes and spread hatred on the basis of religion or sectarianism. Similar punishments have been prescribed for those who violate the proposed law. The bill has been delayed due to criticism by civil society members who allege that it gives wide powers to state authorities to clamp down on internet users, thus infringing the right of free speech. PTI SH ASK AKJ ASK --- ENDS --- Search of Mayfield home snares alleged meth trafficker and two others Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 28, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 28, 2016 | 04:54 PM | PADUCAH, KY Four finalists have been selected as the search continues for a new president at West Kentucky Community and Technical College. On Thursday, Kentucky Community and Technical College System President Jay Box announced the finalists. The finalists are: Dr. Perrin Alford, provost/COO, West Georgia Technical College, Carrollton, Georgia Dr. Anthony Cruz, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio Dr. Diane Nyhammer, vice president of Learning, Blackhawk Technical College, Janesville, Wisconsin Dr. Anton Reece, associate vice provost for Academic Affairs and director of the Student Success Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville The candidates are scheduled for on-campus visits and interviews on August 18 and 19. During those visits candidates will meet with WKCTC faculty, staff, students, the board of directors and local leaders. The public also will have an opportunity to meet the candidates at the following forums: Thursday, August 18 Dr. Perrin Alford 7:30 8:30 am Community forum 10 11 am student/faculty/staff forum Dr. Anthony Cruz 8:45 9:45 am Community forum 11:15 am 12:15 pm student/faculty/staff forum Friday, August 19 Dr. Diane Nyhammer 7:30 8:30 am Community forum 10 11 am student/faculty/staff forum Dr. Anton Reece 8:45 9:45 am Community forum 11:15 am 12:15 pm student/faculty/staff forum Community forums will be held at Crounse Hall - Room 101 and student/faculty/staff forums will be held at the Clemens Fine Arts Center theater. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 29, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 29, 2016 | 04:33 PM | PADUCAH, KY A Paducah man is wanted on burglary, assault and other charges after police say he fired a gun several times during a fight Thursday at a Paducah home. McCracken County Sheriffs deputies responded shortly before 9:00 pm to a report of a fight and shots fired at a home in the 3800 block of Schneidman Road. Deputies said they learned that 30-year-old Brandon Spann of Paducah walked into the home and began assaulting people. Spann reportedly hit at least one person with a handgun before firing at least two shots inside the home. Deputies said the bullets came close to hitting three children. The fight continued outside, where deputies say Spann assaulted someone else and fired another shot through a children's picnic table. Spann has been charged with first-degree burglary, six counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, two counts of second-degree assault, and second-degree criminal mischief. Deputies are still searching for Spann, and ask anyone who knows where he might be to contact them at 270-444-4719, at their tipline at 270-444-8286, or another law enforcement agency. They say Spann should be considered armed and dangerous. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 28, 2016 | 09:45 PM | MAYFIELD, KY Four adults were arrested and a juvenile released to his parents Thursday afternoon after police said they were involved in illegal drug activity in Mayfield. Graves County Sheriff Dewayne Redmon said his office received a call of possible illegal drug activity taking place outside a home in the 700 block of Wright Street. When a detective with the drug unit arrived, he reportedly found five young adults and a 16-year-old juvenile sitting under the carport of the home. Police said a strong odor of marijuana was present. During interviews, deputies determined that the juvenile was highly intoxicated. Police said 20-year-old James Creason of Dublin admitted bringing marijuana to the home and selling some of it and smoking with the others. Nineteen-year-old Jonathon Sierra of Mayfield reportedly had marijuana in his pants pocket and also admitted to smoking it. Two others, 22-year-old Whitney Vermast and 20-year-old Tyler Hall, both of Mayfield, admitted to smoking marijuana prior to the arrival of police. The four adults were arrested and lodged in the Graves County Jail. Creason is charged with unlawful transaction with a minor, trafficking in marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and public intoxication. Sierra, Hall and Vermast were each charged with public intoxication. Sierra was also charged with possession of marijuana. Police said the other adult was sober and stayed at the home to care for her child and Vermasts child. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 29, 2016 | 11:20 AM | LOWES, KY An arrest has been made in a recent burglary case involving a local fire department. According to the Graves County Sheriff's Office, the Lowes Fire Department was burglarized on July 20. Lowes Fire Chief Steve Elliott said several items totaling more than $10,000 were stolen. On July 21, Graves County Sheriff Dewayne Redmon said the sheriffs office received an anonymous tip that 33-year-old Henry Shuford of Elizabethtown, KY, was bragging about burglarizing the Lowes Fire Department. Deputies contacted the Elizabethtown Police Department who made contact with Shuford. Shuford gave Elizabethtown police consent to search his home and during the search, several of the stolen items from the Lowes Fire Department were found. Shuford was arrested by Elizabethtown police on a Graves County warrant for second degree burglary. Redmon said the investigation is ongoing due to reports from other fire departments that have been burglarized in Kentucky, as well as other states. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. After you watch these videos of two Pakistani men, a fruit vendor and an auto-rickshaw driver, singing, you will want them to sing for Bollywood movies. Such talent, much wow! By India Today Web Desk: Talent is something you're born with. Of course, you can better it by nurturing and polishing it and turn it into a skill that pays, but if the inherent gift is not there, it's just not there. For instance, this angel... Or this entire bunch for matter... While you strongly support every individual's right to experiment with their talent and express it, certain people sharing their talent turns out to be indirect attacks on human existence. advertisement Okay, that was slightly rude, but true. But this story is not about the above mentioned, but that of a fruit vendor and an auto driver in Pakistan. Videos of these two men singing has gone viral on social media. Listen to this auto-rickshaw driver from Pakistan nailing Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's Thumri Yaad piya ki aaye in his soulful voice. YouTube channel Story Platter shared this video and it has garnered over 65,000 views by now. A Facebook page, Bleeding Words, shared the video of the fruit vendor singing a Bollywood number -- Baatein yeh kabhi na, originally sung by Arijit Singh -- and the post has got nearly 24,000 shares and has been viewed more than 7,50,000 views. If this man got a chance to sing in Bollywood, he will not have to look back again. Listen to him right here: --- ENDS --- By PTI: Barnala(Pb), Jul 28 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today attacked former Rajya Sabha MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, saying "opportunists" and "fugitive" leaders like him have no place in the state politics and people will teach him a lesson like they taught Surjit Singh Barnala and Manpreet Singh Badal. He said though Sidhu, with whom SAD has had a running feud, had deceived his party in the hope of a "bright future", people of state would not forgive him and teach him a lesson for "treachery" because they have a strong dislike for people who deceive their parties. advertisement "Opportunists and fugitive political leaders like Sidhu have no place in Punjab politics and people will teach him a befitting lesson," Badal told a gathering during Sangat Darshan in Bhadaur assembly segment here. The Chief Minister said, bereft of any ideologies both these leaders (Barnala and Manpreet), had back stabbed their mother parties and Sidhu was not an exception. He said, Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP was proving to be a haven for all the "fugitives" and "unprincipled" politicians, who hardly have any base among people. He said, in fact, AAP was a band of opportunists and fugitives who have joined hands for looting the people of state. "These people dont have any ideological bonding but have joined hands in the false hope of assuming power in the state," Badal added. Making a scathing attack on state Congress Chief Amarinder Singh, he said the Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar has a proven anti-farmer track record. Citing an example, he said SAD-BJP alliance had been providing free power to farmers but during Amarinders tenure as CM it was discontinued, putting enormous burden on them. Badal alleged that the state Congress Chief was "part and parcel" of the conspiracy to rob states water by constructing Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal. "It is on record that Amarinder had welcomed the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to lay foundation stone of this canal," he added. Lauding the Centres announcement to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bathinda, he said it would prove to be a boon for the residents of Malwa region. PTI VJ SMJ SK SMJ --- ENDS --- By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 29 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil today submitted a breach of privilege notice against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, accusing him of making a false statement over allegations against "tainted ministers" including labour minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar. "We (have) submitted a breach of privilege notice to the Speaker Haribhau Bagde," Vikhe Patil said. advertisement He alleged that regarding Nilangekar and other ministers against whom the opposition charged with corruption or involvement in criminal cases, the Chief Minister, while defending his colleagues, gave false information to the House. "As the BJP-led government hasnt taken action against the tainted ministers despite plenty of proof, we have no option but to approach the court," he added. "When the special investigation team was about to arrest Jaikumar Raval, who is now a cabinet minister, why did the CM, displaying alacrity, hand over the probe to state CID," Vikhe Patil asked. PTI VT KRK KIS --- ENDS --- Sanjay Singh, the head of Congress campaign committee in Uttar Pradesh, said the rally is going to be an eyeopener for their opponents. By Balkrishna: The settings at Rama Bai Ambedkar ground in Lucknow, where the Congress party is organising its first major show of UP election is very different from the usual political meetings and rallies. A POLITICAL RALLY WITH A TWIST "It is going to be an eyeopener for our opponents," says Sanjay Singh, the head of Congress campaign committee in Uttar Pradesh. The brain behind this workers meet, is Prashant Kishor, who could be seen on Friday at the ground along with his entire team, supervising the smallest details. "Rahul on ramp is not a gimmick," claims Aradhna Shukla, congress MLA and daughter of senior leader Pramod Tiwari. advertisement "We are expecting a gathering of 60 thousand," claimed Anu Tandon, the former MP from Unnao. "The idea that Rahul Gandhi should interact directly with the workers was suggested by Prashant Kishor so that he can have first hand information about the ground realities," said a member. ALSO READ: Price rise a big issue, why is PM Modi silent: Rahul Gandhi in Parliament --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Assam tomorrow. Singh, accompanied by Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Minister for DoNER Jitendra Singh, will take stock of the situation in the districts of Nagaon and Morigaon besides the Kaziranga national park. The Home Minister will also be visiting Bhagatgaon camp of flood-affected people in Morigaon district, an official release said. advertisement Singh will hold a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state government officers in Guwahati before returning to Delhi in the evening. Flood situation in Assam has worsened with five more deaths taking the toll to 21 in the current deluge, while nearly 18 lakh people reeled under the impact. In the current wave of flood, nearly 18 lakh people across 3,374 villages in 22 districts were hit. The affected districts are Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Goalpara, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Kokrajhar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Biswanath, Kamrup Metropolitan, Chirang, Nagaon, Kamrup and South Kamrup. PTI ACB AKV KIS RG KIS --- ENDS --- Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The revitalization of downtown Winnipeg is gaining momentum with $1.26 billion worth of proposed new developments during the next few years, including more than 1,200 new residential units almost as many as in the previous 10 years combined, new data compiled by the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ show. In its latest Downtown Trends report, which is issued every two years, the BIZ said there are 1,213 new residential units in the planning stages for downtown. Thats only 229 shy of the 1,442 built during the previous 10 years. The $1.26 billion worth of proposed residential, commercial and civic projects, which the BIZ describes as staggering, also easily tops the $1.12 billion worth of projects completed in the past five years. SUPPLIED True North Square. I think what Trends illustrates is that there is significant investment in our downtown, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ managing director Jason Syvixay said in an interview. And that, in turn, is helping to draw more visitors and residents to the area, he added. I think it also serves as a great reminder to a lot of Winnipeggers, who are their own worst critics when it comes to our city and our downtown, that things are moving ahead in a positive and quick manner, Syvixay said. Also, that these projects that are being planned arent just hype. They are things that are moving forward and being built. Some of the big-ticket projects the report cites include the $400-million True North Square mixed-used development, which includes a total of four highrise towers; Artis Real Estate Investment Trusts $140-million, 40-storey apartment tower thats planned for the south end of its Winnipeg Square property; the $188-million, 45-storey SkyCity Centre condo/office/retail tower planned for Graham Avenue; and the longer-term 14-acre Railside and Parcel 4 mixed-use development thats planned for the north end of The Forks site. Those projects have definitely upped the ante when it comes to the number of residential units that will hopefully be built in the next couple of years, Syvixay said. But I wouldnt say we just value the megaprojects. There have been some amazing smaller projects that have also brought in some great residents. They are all equally important. Some of the other highlights from the report, which has been posted on the Downtown Winnipeg Biz website (downtownwinnipegbiz.com), include: The number of crimes reported downtown declined by 19 per cent from 2014 to 2015. The number of people living downtown has risen from 15,745 in 2013 to 16,446 at the end of 2015. Nine new events were introduced last year, boosting the total number of downtown festivals to 62. The BIZ has installed 20 new patios in the downtown since 2007. 21 new restaurants have also opened in the area since 2013, bringing the total of downtown eateries to 103 as of the end of last year. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights had welcomed nearly 495,000 visitors by the end of last year. 83.3 per cent of downtown businesses say they are confident about the current and future direction of the downtown. The BIZs executive director Stefano Grande said the report does more than just serve as a reminder that there are a lot of great things happening in the downtown. Research like Downtown Trends is important because it quantifies the progress of our downtown, and how this growth can shape and inform further economic and business-development opportunities, Grande said. Downtown Trends research also helps us understand the impact of government policy on downtown Winnipeg. Syvixay said although the BIZ had been issuing a new Trends report every two years, it has now created a digital version that will be updated throughout the year as new projects are announced and new data become available. murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Starting Sept. 30, many foreign travellers to Canada will need to be prescreened electronically before theyre authorized to fly into the country. Ottawa introduced the new entry requirement, known as the electronic travel authorization which its calling the eTA March 15 for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada on a temporary basis by air. U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid Canadian visa are not required to have one. The online application costs $7, and applicants require a credit card and passport to apply. Its part of Canadas commitment to the Canada-U.S. Beyond the Border Action Plan in 2011, said Nancy Caron, a spokeswoman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Passengers leave a plane after arriving at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. The electronic travel authorization automatically pre-screens travellers, based on information they provide in the form and checks against immigration databases, she said. Travellers who may be inadmissible if theyre a security risk, have been convicted of a crime or have serious health or financial problems, for example will be asked to provide additional information and may be asked for an interview, she said. All foreign nationals will still have to undergo an examination by Canada Border Service Agency officers when they arrive in Canada, said Caron. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Another Extra Foods store is disappearing from the Winnipeg retail landscape. Loblaw Companies Ltd. confirmed Thursday its Extra Foods outlet at 701 Regent Ave. will close in September. It didnt give a specific closing date, but a spokesman for the union that represents the stores workers Local 832 of the United Food and Commercial Workers said it will likely be in early September. We have a long history in the community, and we value our customers and employees there, Tammy Smitham, Loblaws vice-president of external communications, said in a written statement. Unfortunately, the store has been unprofitable, and we dont expect that to turn around. She and Jeff Traeger, president of UFCW Local 832, said the stores 30 employees have been offered jobs at the companys Real Canadian Superstore outlets in the city once the Regent Avenue store closes. The Extra Foods banner has been gradually disappearing from the Winnipeg market since 2012, when the stores at 600 Notre Dame Ave. and at Main Street and Luxton Avenue closed. The two company-owned outlets remained vacant until last year, when they were converted to No Frills franchise outlets. No Frills is another Loblaw grocery banner that has enjoyed success in other provinces. When the first two new No Frills outlets here were quickly embraced by local shoppers, the company also converted its Extra Foods stores at 161 Goulet St. and 6650 Roblin Blvd. into No Frills franchise outlets. Traeger said the union and the stores employees were hoping the same thing would happen with the Regent Avenue store. But Smitham said there are no plans to convert it to No Frills or to any other Loblaw banner. She didnt say why. Traeger said it may be because it was in a leased building. Thats a different ball game than if they own the property. If they own the property, they can hang onto it and renovate it at some point. Traeger noted the Extra Foods store in Dauphin is also being converted to a No Frills franchise and is expected to reopen in the fall. He said that leaves just one Extra Foods store in Winnipeg, on St. Annes Road, and one each in Selkirk, The Pas and Swan River. He noted Loblaw also has been phasing out the Extra Foods banner elsewhere in Western Canada. So he suspects the four remaining Manitoba stores eventually will be converted to No Frills outlets or to some other Loblaw brand. murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. BRANDON A 60-year-old Brandon man was arrested Friday after he sprayed an unknown liquid in the face of two officers, according to police. Police said they were initially investigating an incident in the 3100 block of Victoria Avenue after two females were struck by a vehicle. The women suffered no serious injuries. The vehicle was later located in the 1900 block of Hilton Avenue. Brandon Police Servce Brandon Police Service When they spoke to the man about the incident, police said he pulled out a squeeze bottle containing an unknown liquid and sprayed the officers in the face. Police then used a Taser on the man, before detaining him. The accused was charged with assault of a police officer causing bodily harm, assault of a police with a weapon, two counts of assault with a weapon and assault. He was held at Brandon Correctional Centre for court on Friday morning. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Four men were arrested for purchasing sex services and five at-risk youth were taken off the streets following a campaign by police and community youth outreach workers. The Winnipeg Police Services counter exploitation unit and the missing persons unit joined forces with outreach workers from StreetReach and Winnipeg Outreach Network on Thursday and were able to check 55 locations that high-risk missing youth are known to go to frequently. Officers arrested four males between ages of 14 and 52 for purchasing sexual services and seized two vehicles under the prostitution Highway Traffic Act offence. The at-risk youth were moved to safety, although one youth who had been missing was arrested for failing to comply with the conditions of an undertaking. Its a fairly significant project, said Cst. Rob Carver said of Project Return. It represents an initiative that highlights a different direction that the Winnipeg Police Service initiated some time ago looking at really trying to view people, certainly youth, in the sex trade as victims. This type of project really tries to bring a number of resources in a collaborative approach to deal with the issues, not just criminal, but social as well. He said Project Return will be continuing with a mandate to deal with some of the underlying issues, provide strategies outside of regular policing to victims and to apprehend perpetrators. Our Crime Prevention through Social Development contact and strategies puts in a framework to allow resources to be brought and made available to individuals who are either targeted or who are victims, Carver said. Also announced at Fridays press conference was Winnipeg participation in Operation Dry Water, an initiative originally launched in 2013 by the Canadian Safe Boating Council. As part of this initiative, officers will be on Winnipegs waterways the August long weekend to raise awareness about the dangers and risks of drinking alcohol while boating. Alcohol is a factor in nearly 40 per cent of boating incidents and drinking is simply not allowed on many vessels, police said in a statement. Carver said there will be visible police presence on the water to discourage and detect people operating boats while under the influence of alcohol. ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca Buzz has it that ex-lovers Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif avoided each other once again at an event. By India Today Web Desk: It's been more than six months since Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif call it quits. Once touted to be one of the most romantic couple in Bollywood, the two soon end their long romance in the beginning of this year. While Ranbir was the first one to move out of their love nest, Katrina made innumerable efforts of reconciliation. However, the two finally went their separate ways and have ever since avoided each other. From parties to award functions to film screening, the two have never crossed path. advertisement ALSO READ: Katrina, Ranbir attend different screenings of Udta Punjab. Ex-factor to blame? ALSO READ: Katrina Kaif wants to patch up. But for Ranbir Kapoor, it's all over? Apart from professional commitments. The two did complete Anurag Basu's Jagaa Jasoos despite the awkwardness. But in real life, they are still not over the bitterness and try to stay away from each other. And the two did the same when their presence was expected at an event by a fashion magazine. According to a report in Mid-Day, the ex-lovers timed their entry at different times so that they don't have to be awkward in each other's company. A source was quoted as telling the tabloid, "Ranbir walked in at around 8.45 pm. The organisers had been waiting for him to start the event. He left at 10 pm and minutes later, Katrina entered the venue." This isn't the first time that two decided to not cross each other's path. In February this year, Ranbir and Katrina timed their entry at the auto expo in Delhi in such a way so that they don't get to see each other. And the same happened at the recent event in Mumbai. "At award ceremonies, the entry of celebs is normally planned in advance to avoid awkward situations. So, in this case too, staff of the exes made sure that they didn't run into each other, what with the media keeping a keen eye on them," an industry veteran told the tabloid. The source further added that the break-up was really hard for Katrina. On the work front, the two will be seen together in Jagga Jasoos, which is set to hit the screens next year. --- ENDS --- Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The downtown tower that Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries wants to convert into its new headquarters is 42 years old and has seen better days. Once the pre-eminent office centre in Winnipeg for doctors and specialists, the Medical Arts Building on Kennedy Street is more than half empty, its elevators are balky and its offices need a makeover. The purchase is under review by the Crown corporations board of directors, but the project is shaping up to be a potential headache in both the business and medical communities. There is already a glut of downtown office space and the redevelopment could push some doctors out of the building permanently, either into retirement or new locations. Visits this week by the Free Press reveal that some floors have as few as a single physician, with the nameplates removed from all other office doors. The purchase last fall of the 15-storey structure along with an adjoining parkade and surface parking lot by the Crown corporation for $7.9 million has done little to boost its fortunes in the short-term. Tenants of the lower five floors are to be displaced as Liquor & Lotteries redevelops the space for its own use and expands the buildings footprint northward into the adjacent surface parking lot. Four hundred Crown corporation employees working in five far-flung locations in the city are to be housed in the renovated facility. The plan is to lease out the top 10 floors to new and existing tenants if the project goes ahead. The Tory government, elected April 19, has installed a new board of directors at Liquor & Lotteries, headed by businesswoman Polly Craik. Crown Services Minister Ron Schuler has asked the new board to review the corporations facilities, including the decision to purchase, expand and renovate the Medical Arts Building. While the purchase is a done deal, the project itself is only in the design phase. Construction is not expected to begin for at least a year. Craik said this week the boards review is expected to be completed within 60 days. She would not prejudge the outcome, nor did she identify specific concerns with the headquarters project. Were right in the middle of the review. Were not doing any more work on the building until we have our review completed, Craik said. Schuler has repeatedly said any decision on the project is the new boards alone. He said the Pallister government would not interfere. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Medical Arts Building on Kennedy Street. When Liquor & Lotteries announced its plan late last September, it was not well-received by developers and landlords who saw it as a Crown corporation horning in on their territory. Essentially, Liquor & Lotteries was setting itself up as a competitor in the office-leasing business. Private landlords felt the Crown corporation could have leased downtown space at considerably less cost and risk to taxpayers. According to its development plan, Liquor & Lotteries will spend $66.8 million to expand and refurbish the property, including some $4.6 million to ensure the ongoing viability of the parkade. It said the project would save $23.6 million over the next 20 years compared with continuing to operate five separate offices. Several would-be landlords either declined to be interviewed or insisted on anonymity when approached by theFree Press for comment on the project. The sentiment from those who did talk was that there were better alternatives available when Liquor & Lotteries began its search for a new home, such as leasing the former Canadian Wheat Board office building on Main Street or becoming a tenant in the new True North Square development. For a Crown corporation to spend tens of millions of dollars to displace tenants and renovate and build an addition to an old building was just an asinine decision in so many respects, said one source, who asked not to be named. Arni Thorsteinson, president of Shelter Canadian Properties Ltd., said while the purchase price seemed reasonable, the total cost of the redevelopment, at close to $75 million, makes it a horrendously expensive project for the size of the building. Thorsteinson, whose company was one of the bidders when Liquor & Lotteries sent out its request for proposals, said there is ample lease space available that could have accommodated the Crown corporation. We made what we thought was an attractive lease proposal, and I know there were others (who did as well), he said. Just on principle, why is a liquor and lotteries commission playing real estate developer? Leslie Turnbull, former vice-chair of the Liquor & Lotteries board under the former NDP government, said the corporation went with the Medical Arts Building plan because it was the best deal available. The only direction from the provincial government, she said, was that the location be downtown, but the parameters were broad extending as far west as Dominion Street. Liquor & Lotteries engaged Prairie Architects Inc. to conduct a request for proposals and explore the options before settling on the Medical Arts Building. Its rundown. People havent put any money into it for years, but it was cheap, Turnbull said, adding the parkade is an excellent money-maker. The Selinger government had to be talked into accepting the proposal, she noted. We (the board) were persuaded by the economics as presented by Prairie Architects, she said. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Many tenants have left the building as seen in the names taken off the doors. Its difficult to imagine the Medical Arts Building regaining its stature as a centre for general practitioners and specialists. The building lost tenants when some opted to move to more desirable locations in the suburbs, according to several doctors who spoke on condition of anonymity. Other vacancies have occurred as physicians some of them former building co-owners retired. Many family physicians are drawn to large practices, whereas the Medical Arts Building, with its small footprint, is more suitable for doctors who practise independently. The displacement caused by the redevelopment of the lower five floors could drive some physicians and businesses away from the building. The Salisbury House restaurant, a tenant for more than a dozen years, is now on a month-to-month lease. The Assiniboine Credit Union branch will be wound up and folded into ACUs main branch on Main Street. Some of the physicians who are forced to relocate could move elsewhere or retire if they are close to winding up their careers. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Medical Arts Building on Kennedy Street. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A transport truck driver heading to British Columbia had more than ice cream in the truck he had $500,000 in cold cash and several cartons of hot cigarettes. RCMP said on Friday that the truck was pulled over by officers this past Monday just before noon during a traffic stop on the outskirts of Winnipeg. RCMP said the truck was transporting ice cream from the Toronto area to British Columbia, but officers found the driver to be in possession of several cartons of contraband cigarettes. When the truck was searched further, officers seized $500,000 in cash and the tractor-trailer unit. Marion Budica, 51, of Winnipeg, has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and offences under the Manitoba Tobacco Tax Act. Our teams of traffic specialists in Manitoba are dedicated to improving public safety and eradicating crime on Manitoba roadways, RCMP Insp. Ed Moreland, who heads Traffic Services in Manitoba, said. That includes bringing those who commit financial crimes in the commercial trucking industry to justice. Protecting Canadas economic integrity remains a priority for the RCMP. The investigation is continuing. Anyone with any information is asked to call RCMP or Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com or text TIPMAN plus a message to CRIMES (274637). Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Rosenort man and three Ontario men have been charged with drug offences after a two-year investigation by police in Manitoba and Ontario. Frank Banman, 35, of Rosenort, has been charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine and possession of cocaine, while Daniel Tiessen, 48, Jacob Thiessen, 29, and Jay Shanks, 56, have all been charged with conspiracy to kidnap. Tiessen and Thiessen have also been charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine. RCMP officers executed a warrant at a property near Rosenort on Thursday, while, at the same time, officers with the Chatham-Kent Police Service and the Essex County Ontario Provincial Police raided several addresses in the Leamington area. The result of this joint investigation demonstrates that provincial and international borders do not insulate organized crime from prosecution, Manitoba RCMP Insp. Tim Olmstead said. The investigation is continuing. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Pallister governments announcement it would review Manitobas cosmetic-pesticide ban sent a groan through the local environmental community. All the hours spent on a monumentally slow process that began in 2009 led to a report from the Manitoba Roundtable for Sustainable Development in 2011, to the Tomorrow Now Green Plan of 2012, to an announcement of a four-point strategy in 2013 and to royal assent to the legislation June 12, 2014 leading finally to the ban coming into force Jan. 1, 2015 appears to have been wasted. Even though the legislation was anemic in comparison to that in other provinces (such as Ontario and Quebec, which had done this years earlier), it was a victory of sorts not for the eco-lobby, as some would complain, but for good science, common sense and the public interest. KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES People may find dandelions unsightly, but the long-term effects of cosmetic pesticides can harm more than a lawn's aesthetics. It took five years to implement a ban that looks as if it will be turfed within two years, thanks to a change in our provincial government. It is hard to believe it really was change for the better in the face of announcements such as this one. The Pallister government will not be the first to be accused of political patronage and cronyism, of taking care of its friends before taking care of the public interest and in opposition, the Progressive Conservative party certainly levelled enough accusations of its own on that score. It could, however, be the first to make decisions that were pragmatic rather than partisan, based on scientific evidence and common sense and not on ideological voices in their heads. But that remains to be seen. People are now wondering whether the Pallister government has the wit or the wisdom to generate the kind of environmental agenda we need to create a sustainable future for our children. Its not a political or ideological choice or it shouldnt be. We dont bleed blue or orange or green, for that matter. The same things will hurt me and my kids as will hurt you and your kids. Its about time we named and outed the destructive self-interest that permeates our society and then elected leaders who will act for the common good, instead of just their own. We already live in an environment markedly different from that of our parents and grandparents, with the astronomical increase of man-made chemicals introduced into the environment after 1950. To make matters worse, we know very little about the environmental effects of most of these chemicals in isolation, much less in combination. (Our own Experimental Lakes Area is one of the few sites in the world to even attempt this kind of study in nature.) Periodically, at the bottom of the Great Lakes, a toxic blob emerges of chemicals that have combined in ways no one could predict and no one knows how to manage. (I wonder how many such blobs are rolling down the Red River at any given time?) This does not happen by accident, any more than the meteoric global increase in environmentally linked cancers and other diseases since the 1950s is an unfortunate coincidence. It all happens by choice or by a refusal to choose. Cosmetic chemicals are like cosmetic surgery not necessary, but intended to make things look pretty. Anyone who thinks we should trade safe for pretty should take a tour through a pediatric cancer ward and explain the dangers of dandelions to the children and parents who are there. Anyway, Im an old guy. My days of manning the barricades and protest marches are probably over. But there are far more energetic younger people out there who have more at stake and much more to lose if serious and substantial changes are not made to our society. Demonstrate to them that discussions, consultations and negotiations are a pointless waste of time, that these approaches serve only the interests of those in power and not the public good, and you are sowing a whirlwind of trouble to come. Regardless of the party in power, as Manitobans we need to work together toward the future we want or we will certainly inherit the future we fear. In 2016, we have neither the time nor the patience for partisan poses and political pandering on environmental issues. I can dream this review will produce pesticide legislation that is tougher and more far-reaching, embodying the precautionary principle (making sure we know what effects new chemicals will have before allowing them to be used). Like most environmentalists, I am an optimist. I believe people and situations can change for the better. The jury is out right now, however. The question Premier Brian Pallister and his government need to answer is this: If decisions about the environment are not going to be based on good science, common sense and concern for the public good, what will they be based on instead? Peter Denton teaches the history of technology at the University of Winnipeg and is chairman of the policy committee of the Green Action Centre. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Climate change has found another victim: the rail line to Churchill. It was constructed in a hurry in the late 1920s once it was found ship access to the recently built Port Nelson was tenuous at best. At that time, permafrost was not really a factor. Early climate change a century ago had virtually no impact on northern Manitoba. In the rush to gain access, finally, to Hudson Bay, the rail bed from near Port Nelson to Churchill was constructed in an almost direct line unfortunately, over discontinuous permafrost. Although it served for some 80 years, its now time to admit softening permafrost lacks the stability needed to support a rail line. If one is indeed needed, a new route needs consideration. In this context, governments (Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan) need to work together to identify needs and consider all options. Is there a need for an Arctic port connected to a rail line? Probably, because as climate change opens up new Arctic shipping routes, Churchill can provide access to and from the Prairies and northern trading partners both to the east and west. Clearly, a new route from The Pas needs to be found. One option is to go south from where the line from Saskatchewan to The Pas enters Manitoba and go farther south to cross over to Grand Rapids more or less parallel to the existing road between Cedar Lake and Lake Winnipegosis, then follow Highway 6 almost to Thompson, or perhaps Gillam, depending on the best route from the former to Churchill. The actual point at which it departs from the road depends on the best route from there to Churchill. Options include everything from following a beach ridge near Hudson Bay to various routes more inland that, ultimately could more or less follow the Churchill River well below Missi Falls (north and a bit east of Thompson) where the river turns north. The review could also consider a more southerly route from Saskatchewan, entering Manitoba near Russell or Roblin. The study of such options could take at least two years, but given the costs and potential benefits, it should not be rushed. A reliable rail line to Churchill could bring the CNR back into the scene and return the operation of the line to a Canadian business as compared to a private U.S. company that appears to have viewed subsidies as a normal means of operating a business. Their proposition to sell it to a northern group illustrates its view of relying on public funding for private profit. To the extent public funds are needed, there must be a public good generated, not simply to help a foreign private company to run a profit. In the case of Churchill, the public good would derive from a rail connection to an Arctic port which, as climate change continues to impact the Arctic, means access from the Prairies to both northern Asian and European markets for export of commodities and products varying from grain to manufactured goods. It also means a shipping point for fuel for Arctic communities in addition to that provided by Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec. Unfortunately, much of the expenditures to date for Churchill have the ring of ready, fire, aim. Before additional money is spent on infrastructure, beyond short-term needs for essential repairs, a comprehensive strategy, complete with an overall longer-term set of objectives and means to achieve them, is essential. This strategy needs to consider overall objectives for the emerging and more accessible Canadian Arctic. Included would be an outline of the role for Churchill within this strategy, an assessment of options to achieve this role and a practical design and implementation process to put in place a Churchill that will serve Canada well over the coming decades as new climate realities present opportunities never before contemplated. The current closure of operations of the port may be the signal needed to exchange short-term fixes for a long-term, viable component of Canadas future in the new world economy that includes Arctic transport as an integral part of international commerce. Jim Collinson is a management consultant specializing in energy, economic and environmental issues who has held assistant deputy minister positions in the federal and Manitoba governments. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/07/2016 (2283 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Premier Brian Pallister was in a foul mood when he faced reporters on Thursday. And who could blame him? With the closure of the Hudson Bay Port Company in Churchill and a serious cutback in rail service across northern Manitoba, Pallister is now facing in his first real political crisis. Complicating matters is that negotiations between the province and Omnitrax Canada, owner of the aforementioned rail line and port, are subject to a gag order. Over and over again at a media availability Thursday, Pallister demonstrated his crankiness as he talked about Omnitraxs efforts to play on the fear of northern Manitobans, all in a bid to wring more money out of the province. That is something Pallister is not willing to do at this point. I dont respond ever to threats. he said in a low growl. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister discusses the Port of Churchill and OmniTrax issue Thursday afternoon. Its a strong position to take, although its not clear how successful it will be in getting the port and in particular the rail line back up and running. For even though Pallisters bombast was impressive, hes up against a guy who is celebrated as a tough and unrelenting negotiator. Pat Broe, owner of the Broe Group, the parent company of Omnitrax, is a self-made maverick entrepreneur who made a fortune in real estate, oil and gas and transportation. Hes an unapologetic Tea Party Republican, and a man renowned through his home state of Colorado as a toughest negotiator around, an allegation Broe does not deny. Im happy with my reputation, Broe said in a December 2015 interview in the Denver Business Journal. Ive done a lot of things wrong, but Id say the tough negotiating style is not something I would have changed. I want to keep that negotiating style. Pallister is getting a taste of Broes negotiating style right now. With his decision to close the port and cut rail service, Broe is essentially holding northern Manitoba hostage. For what ultimate goal, it is not yet known. But the smart money belives that Broe wants a bailout. In fairness, the companys actions this week are partly in response to the fact that, following the dissolution of the Canadian Wheat Board, grain shipments through Churchill have all but disappeared. The loss of those shipments undermined the viability of both the rail and port assets. However, the story behind that story is much more complex. And while Pallister is legally prevented from discussing the fine details, he did release a 2015 agreement between Omnitrax and the province that suggests quite strongly that the rail and port operator was not holding up its end of the bargain. The agreement outlines a series of operating and capital subsidies available to Omnitrax for the 2015 shipping season. That is not in and of itself unusual; Omnitrax has been the beneficiary of $130 million in government grants ever since it acquired the rail line in 1997. What is unusual is that Omnitrax was being asked to meet a number of conditions before receiving any subsidies. This is a departure from past subsidy practices, where few if any pre-requisites were in place to trigger the flow of money. In the agreement, the province demanded Omnitrax rescind a $3 per tonne surcharge it introduced two years ago. That is interesting given that sources confirmed this surcharge was responsible for prompting some grain companies, notably James Richardson and Sons, to abandon shipments through Churchill last season. In addition to that per-tonne subsidy, the province was willing to provide a rebate on the cost of any capital work to improve port facilities. To collect, Omnitrax had to provide supporting invoices and proof of HBPC having paid the costs claimed. Finally, the province agreed to provide additional support to offset operating losses at the port. Again, each of these claims had to be accompanied by audited financial statements and any additional supporting documentation as required by the province. The stringent terms of this agreement reflect a growing concern among federal and provincial officials about what Omnitrax was, and was not, telling government about its operations. Government sources confirmed that for many years, Omnitrax had flatly refused to open its books to government. Omnitrax was constantly complaining about losing money on its Manitoba operations, but government had little in the way of hard numbers to back that up. It now appears almost certain the Denver company is working diligently to create a situation where someone or something will come forward and buy them out of their Manitoba assets. Although market conditions are not favourable, there is no evidence Omnitrax was doing anything to drum up new business. When you add it all together, it appears to be a carefully constructed campaign to exit Manitoba. Its worked before. In 1995, CN threatened to close its line to Churchill and sell off the rails for scrap, prompting the federal and provincial governments to broker a sale to Omnitrax. To this day, Omnitrax has refused to confirm the sale price, widely believed to be in the neighborhood of $25 million. The port, a federal asset at that time, was thrown into the deal for a buck, along with tens of millions in taxpayer money to upgrade facilities. Broe has always understood that these transportation assets have incredible political value, even if they are not commercially viable. And that government is much more likely to pony up when facing a crisis. Its a dangerous game of brinksmanship featuring two strong personalities, both unwilling to give ground. At some point, and soon, someone is going to have to blink. The fate of thousands of people across northern Manitoba hang in the balance. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/07/2016 (2282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Next week, you can head to the St. James Civic Centre (2055 Ness Ave.) to fill up on goulash and Hungarian culture. The Hungaria pavilion, hosted by the Hungarian Canadian Cultural Society of Manitoba, will be open as part of Folklorama between Sun. Aug. 7 and Sat. Aug. 13. HCCSM president and this years pavilion co-ordinator Mirna Brindas is looking forward to sharing her heritage with Winnipeggers. Supplied photo This years Hungaria pavilion will be taking place at the St. James Civic Centre (2055 Ness Ave.) from Sun. Aug. 7 to Sat. Aug. 13. Brindas is originally from Romania and came to Canada 23 years ago. (Folklorama) is a fantastic way to showcase different cultures, The Charleswood resident said. We feed people very good food and send them home fully fed and entertained by the end of the night this is a great way to get to know about a culture that you may not get to visit. While this is Brindas first year as co-ordinator, shes been involved with the pavilions main dance group, the Karpat Hungaria Folk Dancers of Winnipeg, for 10 years. The group performs the traditional Hungarian bottle dance, among others. It will be very nice to see what the actual dances look like this year, she said. Im going to miss the dancing part this year but Ill be glad that I dont have to worry about the bottle on my head and dropping it. In addition to the pavilions regular sit-down meal, this year they will also be featuring a food stand serving traditional dish langos. The Hungarian deep fried bread dough is served hot with a variety of toppings. Supplied photo Well have it set up as an a la carte section, you dont have to wait in the food line which tends to be quite long, Brindas said. Youre more than welcome to add a bit of meat or cheese to this very delicious, hot dough we want to help our customers get the most delicious and most popular dish in a very timely manner, and well dress it up a bit. Also on the menu is traditional Hungarian goulash and sausage and cabbage rolls. Goulash is a very hearty stew that is very popular and most often we run out by the end of the night, she said. And our sausage and cabbage rolls, the Hungarians are very proud of those its a hearty meal, it does fill you up. Guests can expect to see dancers of all ages on the stage, anywhere between two and 50 years old, with some new dances added to the groups repertoire. We have a couple little guys, though I dont know if theyll perform because they are shy, Brindas said. They come to practice with their brothers and sisters, so well see if they go up. Supplied photo For more information, visit folklorama.ca By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 28 (PTI) In a rare instance, a 26-year-old woman has given birth to conjoined twins, who have "a very complex internal architecture", at a hospital here. Shahin Khan, delivered the twins at the civic-run Sion Hospital yesterday morning, doctors said today, adding the mother and babies are doing fine. Dr Suleman Merchant, Dean of Sion Hospital, said the conjoined twins, who weighed 4.5kg at birth, are not the usual type and have "a very complex internal architecture". advertisement "Externally they have two separate heads and necks, but a partially common thorax, and are completely fused below the umbilicus level," he said. The twins are under the care of Dr Paras Kothari, HOD of Paediatrics Surgery at the hospital. "We are fortunate to have Dr Paras Kothari, who has successfully operated on many conjoined twins. He will be the leader of a vast team of specialists and super specialists which has been assigned the task of planning the future course of action for these conjoined twins," said Merchant. He said the team also includes paediatrics surgeons, neonatologists and anaesthetists. According to doctors, conjoined twins are born 1 in every 2 lakh births and only 5-25 per cent survive. The babies will require many more investigations, end of which the next course of action will be decided, Merchant said. The hospital will provide free of cost medical care and future treatment of the babies, he said. PTI APM RSY ZMN --- ENDS --- A Winona man was sentenced to nearly two years in prison Thursday for stabbing a man. Connor Mitchell Bundy, 22, was sentenced to 23 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in the stabbing of a Viroqua, Wis., man last August. According to police reports, a fight at the East End Rec Center was reported about 8:15 a.m. On arrival, officers found the Viroqua man with several lacerations on his body. The man was taken to Winona Health by ambulance, then transferred to Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse. Witnesses provided a description of a suspect, and officers quickly located and arrested Bundy near East Second and Vine streets. Before the sentence was handed down Thursday, Bundy asked Winona County District Court Judge Nancy Buytendorp if he could stay in the county jail for a couple of months to be close to his family before being transferred to a state prison. Buytendorp said that once his sentence was imposed, she had no say in where and when he would be incarcerated. That is up to the Commissioner of Corrections, she said, then proceeded with the sentencing. Bundy has a history of criminal violence in Winona. As a teenager, he was sentenced to 68 months in prison in 2012 for his part in the assault and robbery of a pizza delivery driver in September 2011, which included Bundy pistol-whipping the man. Bundy was also sentenced to 58 months in prison for an armed home invasion in August 2011. Bundy was allowed to serve those sentences concurrently. In Minnesota, laws generally call for those convicted of felonies to serve two-thirds of the sentence in prison, and the remaining one-third on supervised release. Consequently, he was released from prison June 17, 2015. Sixty-two days later he was back in jail, facing new charges. Winona Wednesday 1:56 p.m. A 2001 blue Dodge Durango, Minnesota license 553 ECZ, was reported missing from a residence on the 650 block of Grand Street. 3:28 p.m. A wallet and contents were reported missing from the Winona Family YMCA. 6:45 p.m. Charges of domestic assault (causing harm), obstructing the legal process, and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance (prescription medications) were referred against a 17-year-old Winona boy following an incident on the 400 block of East Fifth Street. Thursday 12:14 a.m. Charges of second-degree drunken driving were referred against Abby Lea Barickman, 23, La Crosse, by officers investigating a reported suspicious vehicle parked on the 50 block of Brickyard Lane. Her blood-alcohol level was .24. 1:47 a.m Terrence David Burkhater, 21, Kenyon, Minn., was cited for possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia following a traffic stop near West Fifth and McBride streets. 4:57 a.m A vehicle parked on the 850 block of West Broadway was entered and cash and CDs taken. Two men fled on foot but evaded capture. Winona County Thursday 12:39 a.m. Charges of domestic assault (causing harm) and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon were referred against Lyda Ann Katlin, 37, Minnesota City, after she hit a 37-year-old man with a bat at a residence in Hidden Valley. Again this year, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation board, staff and regional partners set out on a regional bus tour, this year heading to Winona, Wabasha and Goodhue counties. We serve a large area 20 counties of south central and southeastern Minnesota, which houses 30 percent of Greater Minnesotas population and this bus trip is a good opportunity for all of our stakeholders to get a better sense of whats happening in the region, and for our board and staff to see firsthand the impact of our foundations work. When I was in Congress, I would often refer to southeast Minnesota as the New England of the Midwest. The rolling river bluffs, winding back roads and fall colors bring a range of tourists. Our bus ride was quite a contrast from last years straight-lined farm fields on the prairie of our south-central counties. However, just like last year, we had a chance to hear about the challenges, opportunities and changing demographics, as well as causes for celebrations in the eastern part of our region. In all, SMIF has invested nearly $7.8 million in grants and loans in these three counties. We were able to see some fruits of our investments along the way: ABA Water Systems in Plainview, our first loan client; a one-year recap of SE MN Together from Bill Spitzer in St. Charles, which was seeded by a SMIF One Big Thing grant; barn murals along the Zumbro River and a chat with Red Wing Ignite on their new entrepreneurial efforts, both which were assisted by SMIF grants. Here are some other takeaways from the day: Our foundations AmeriCorps members are making change beyond their early childhood placements. We heard from Sam Brown in Winona, who started the Mid West Music Festival as part of his summer AmeriCorps project. Not only did he raise money for a tricycle course at the Winona Head Start, but the festival is now in its eighth year and draws 2,000 to 3,000 visitors annually. Sam also opened the Mid West Music Store to support local artists. Workforce continues to be a top concern. We heard from city and county administrators and business owners alike that finding skilled workers is increasingly difficult. The foundation gave a One Big Thing grant to SE MN Together, a collaborative process to address workforce issues. But, given the scale of the workforce issue, its one that many regional partners must keep working on if we hope to attract new businesses to our region. Throughout the day, ideas from mentoring programs to closer collaboration with community colleges were discussed. In Plainview, the point was made that while there have been losses businesses, jobs, older residents there also have been gains. Judith Jordan, the director for Economic Development Administration in Plainview, talked about how some businesses were lost in the recession, but how others such as Kwik Trip and Family Dollar have moved into town. As Rochester goes, so Plainview goes, she said. This seems to be the case with many of our smaller communities surrounding the ever-growing Rochester and its Destination Medical Center. Towns recognize both the challenges and benefits of that proximity, and this dynamic is one that will continue to be explored. Tourism along the river is a major factor. Wabashas National Eagle Center is a resounding success, and a great example of what community members coming together can accomplish. It drew 83,000 visitors in 2015 from all over the world. We learned that the direct visitor spending of these visitors contributes more than $2.5 million to the Wabasha area. I would be remiss not to mention that in keeping with our support of local foods we came home a little heavier and happier thanks to donuts from Bloedow Bakery in Winona (an old college haunt of mine), lunch from Hanischs Bakery in Red Wing, and ice cream at the end of the day from LARK Toys in Kellogg. Additionally, our partners at Renewing the Countryside joined us for the ride and spoke about all the exciting local foods activity in southeast Minnesota. Overall, everywhere we went we were greeted with a warm welcome and people happy to talk about their communities. We look forward to next years bus trip! Today Reedikulus Day: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Reedsburg Revitalization Organization, downtown Reedsburg. Many events including a sidewalk sale, food and kids activities in City Park. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/reedsburgrevitalizationorganization. Brat fry: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Knights of Columbus Council No. 3099, brat stand, Piggly Wiggly, 724 Phillips Blvd., Sauk City. All proceeds go to local youth events and local families in need. Brat fry: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Baraboo Special Olympics, Viking Express, 935 Eighth Ave., Baraboo. All proceeds will be used to support local Special Olympics activities. Reedikulus brat fry: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Reedsburg Knights of Columbus, Reedsburg IGA, 115 2nd St. Proceeds will go to the Wisconsin Knights of Columbus Special Olympics Team Wisconsin 2018 fund. Reedikulus culture stand: 3-7 p.m. Wormfarm Institute, City Park and the corner of Main and Walnut streets, Reedsburg. Food vendors and a free clay workshop. Reedikulus Art Crawl: 5-9 p.m., Reedikulus Day, downtown Reedsburg. Free walking tour featuring local and regional artists. Art crawl maps are available at Blue Heron, 170 E. Main St., during business hours and on the night of the walk. For more information, visit www.reedsburgartslink.org. Reedikulus concert: 5-9 p.m., Swifkick, City Park, Reedsburg. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/reedsburgrevitalizationorganization. Movie: 1 p.m., Sauk City Public Library, 515 Water St., Sauk City. The third installment in the Kung-Fu Panda movie series. Rated PG; 95 minutes. Popcorn and bottled water served. Adults must accompany children younger than 5 years old. All are welcome. For more information, call 643-8346 or visit www.saukcitylibrary.org. Lyme disease support group: 6:30-8 p.m. Hillsboro Public Library, 819 High Ave., Hillsboro. Monthly meeting for people afflicted with lyme borrelia burgdorferi and other tick-bourne diseases in Vernon, Monroe, Sauk and Richland counties. For more information, call Gary Cepek at 608-489-2725 or email garycepek@yahoo.com. Live performance: 7 p.m., Al. Ringling Theatre, 136 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. The Wizard of Oz presented by Stage III Theatre for Youth. General admission $8, students and seniors $7, box seats $12. Live performance: 8 p.m., Sauk Prairie Theatre Guild, Play the Hand Youre Dealt, Park Hall, 307 Polk St., Sauk City. There will be an accompanied discussion after the play. Tickets are $6 for students/seniors and $8 for adults and are available at River Arts on Water, 590 Water St. in Prairie du Sac and at the door. Bat Watch: 8:45 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. Watch bats emerge from the bat condo from your lawn chair on the north shore, near the boat launch. Bat information and a bat scavenger hunt for the kids. For more information, call 608-356-8301. Saturday, July 30 Brat fry: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Knights of Columbus Council No. 3099, brat stand, Piggly Wiggly, 724 Phillips Blvd., Sauk City. All proceeds go to local youth events and local families in need. Brat fry: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Baraboo Special Olympics, Viking Express, 935 Eighth Ave., Baraboo. All proceeds will be used to support local Special Olympics activities. Dog wash: 2-5 p.m., Hill-Dale Vet Hospital, 536 Berkley Blvd., Baraboo. Cost is $10 per dog. All dogs must be on a leash and current on rabies vaccination. Bring a towel. Silent auction proceeds to the Baraboo Police K9 Unit. Kayaking: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. Bring a kayak, canoe or boat or rent one at the Chateau. A guided tour to observe wildlife and learn about the parks geology and history. Meet at the Chateau. Call 608-356-8301 ext. 140 to check availability. Live performance: 7 p.m., Al. Ringling Theatre, 136 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. The Wizard of Oz presented by Stage III Theatre for Youth. General admission $8, students and seniors $7, box seats $12. Live performance: 8 p.m., Sauk Prairie Theatre Guild, Play the Hand Youre Dealt, Park Hall, 307 Polk St., Sauk City. There will be an accompanied discussion after the play. Tickets are $6 for students/seniors and $8 for adults and are available at River Arts on Water, 590 Water St. in Prairie du Sac and at the door. Sunday, July 31 Book release: Midnight, Book World, 135 Third St., Baraboo will be open for the release of the new Harry Potter Book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is based on the play of the same name by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne and based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling. For more information, call Karen Mahinski, 608-356-5155. Musical worship: 9:30 a.m., First Presbyterian Church, 148 N. Park St., Reedsburg. Simply Sax performs during worship service in the church sanctuary. Ice cream social: 4-7 p.m., North Freedom United Methodist Church, 301 E. Walnut St., North Freedom. Brats, hot dogs, barbecue, pie, cake and ice cream with toppings. Concert: 6-8 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. Swing Crew on the north shore, just outside the Chateau. For more information, call 608-356-8301. Monday, Aug. 1 Senior writing group: 10:30 a.m. to noon, Baraboo Area Senior Center, 124 Second St., Room 24, Baraboo. There is no cost for this program. For more information, call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464. Injury prevention: 6:30-7:45 p.m., Sauk City Public Library, 515 Water St., Sauk City Dr. Kevin Wait and his assistants from Sport and Spine Clinic will discuss ways to prevent injuries while exercising. For more information, call 643-8346 or visit www.saukcitylibrary.org. Tuesday, Aug. 2 Teen Tuesday: 6:30 p.m., Ruth Culver Community Library, 540 Water St., Prairie du Sac. Teens can decorate Funny Face Cookies. Peanut butter and/or nuts will be used. Suited for grades 6-12. For more information, call Meagan at 608-643-8318 or visit www.pdslibrary.org. National Night Out: 6-8 p.m., Sauk Prairie Safe Community Coalition, Marion Park, Prairie Du Sac. Sauk County Search and Rescue helicopter landing; explore fire trucks, bucket trucks, ambulance, helicopter; learn fire safety; first aid tools; internet crimes safety; dog bite safety; personal safety; drug awareness and prevention; crime prevention. For more information, call 608-963-2716. Pasture walk: 6-8 p.m., Wright Farm, E505 Penshorn Road, Wonewoc. Sauk County Conservation Department will host the walk to learn about mob and rotational grazing. For more information, contact Aaron Pape at 608-355-4842 or apape@co.sauk.wi.us. Dinner meeting: 6:30 p.m., Sauk Prairie Community Club, Junge Park, Sauk City. Catering by TJs, bring a beverage. To check availability, call 262-853-3966 or email tee.elle@sbcglobal.net. Memoir writing: 6:30 p.m., Baraboo Public Library, 230 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. Free workshop open to the public. For more information, call 608-356-6166. Wednesday, Aug. 3 Senior adult coloring: 10 a.m. to noon, Adult Coloring Time at Baraboo Area Senior Center, 124 Second St., Room 24, Baraboo. Bring a coloring book and coloring tools or use those that are available. There is no cost for this program. For more information, call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464. Senior cafe visit: 10-11 a.m., The Yarn Arts Cafe will offer Baraboo Area Senior Center members free coffee and snacks at 401 Oak. St., Baraboo. Classes for seniors will be discussed. For more information, call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464. Concert: 6:30 p.m., Reedsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, First Avenue Acoustic, City Park, Reedsburg. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, concessions, no vehicles or pets. For more information, call 608-524-2850. In case of inclement weather, signs will be posted. Thursday, Aug. 4 Style show: 10:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., St. Clare Hospital Auxiliarys Summer Harvest Luncheon and Style Show Fundraiser, Al. Ringling Mansion, 623 Broadway, Baraboo. Limited tickets are $20 at the door. Book discussion: 2 p.m., Reedsburg Public Library, 370 Vine St., Reedsurg, Community Room. Registration not required. Author Dennis Blocker presents the history of his grandfathers navy career and the story of the LCI-449, a gunboat assigned to provide cover for a reconnaissance mission two days prior to the invasion of Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945. For more information, call 768-READ (7323). Discover food: 6:30 p.m., Ruth Culver Community Library, 540 Water St., Prairie du Sac, cookbook author and food columnist Terese Allen will speak about her experiences in Europe, Latin America and the United States. For more information, call Meagan at 608-643-8318 or visit www.pdslibrary.org. Retirement workshop: 6 p.m., Maplewood, 245 Sycamore St., Sauk City. Deb Harvey of Retirement Specialists, LLC. will share the ins and outs of health care options for retirement, and tricks learned to help retirees to make informed decisions. For more information, call 643-3383. Concert: 7 p.m., Baraboo Concerts on the Square, Skyla Burrell Blues Band, Sauk County Courthouse lawn, Baraboo. The Al. Ringling Theatre will serve as the rain site. For more information, call 608-356-8333. The Baraboo School District wants to get community members involved in its classrooms. The Baraboo Community Classroom Connections program, now in its fifth year, invites volunteers from local businesses and service providers to apply their professional expertise in kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. Volunteers visit classrooms several times throughout the school year and can participate in anything from engineering experiments to foreign language lessons to reading with students. West Elementary Principal Chris Olson said the goals of the program are to involve the community in Baraboo schools, teach students how their learning applies to real professions and get students thinking about careers and how education will lead them there. He said community volunteers add to the curriculum by making learning more real and hands on. Its made for a much stronger connection between our community and our school system, Olson said. It has added more partnerships and learning opportunities for our students along the way. From farmers to bakers to doctors, the program invites all professional experts to get involved in the classroom, provide information about their field and give advice about pursuing that profession after graduation. Gordon L. Willson Elementary kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Gulden paired with Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister for the program. She said Meister usually visits three to five times a year and leads the students in a variety of activities. During a visit, he might read a book aloud, discuss safety and emergency procedures and answer any questions the kids may have. While the kids learn from community volunteers, Gulden said the program also allows for volunteers to see the magic of the classroom firsthand. We have to manage a large group of kids at one time that have a wide range of ability levels and a variety of behaviors that we deal with on a daily basis, Gulden said. (The program) is beneficial for community members, kids and teachers. Gulden said her students look forward to Meisters visits. They consider him a local celebrity, she said. Alliant Energy Engineering Technician Chris Hamm has volunteered in Baraboo schools for almost 10 years. He teaches Spanish to young students and said he enjoys doing it. Youve got 25 little kindergartners looking at you like youre somebody, he said. Theyre usually really great they pay attention, they like the stories and they like the songs. Hamm said seeing the kids learn and retain the information he teaches them makes volunteering worthwhile. He said the rewarding experience keeps bringing him back. I get the warm, fuzzy feeling inside that Im trying to do something good by teaching kids something they might need someday, Hamm said. I love doing it, and hopefully one of those kids will get a fire in their belly and keep learning it. A man who spent all his life ensuring financial security, burying his desire to travel and write a novel, pens a letter after he realised his wife cheated on him for the last 10 years. He tells others not to make the mistakes he made. By India Today Web Desk: This 46-year-old man found out that his wife was cheating on him for the last 10 years. Instead of being bitter about it, he wrote a letter addressing others who have an entire lifetime ahead, advising them not to be like him. Reddit user John Jerryson did a favour to an entire generation by writing this letter that cautions about the mistakes people often make while married. He wrote about why the transition from his youth to his middle-age went in a blur and how he ended up becoming an old, boring person from an energetic, spontaneous and adventurous teenager. John, a banker, has a well-paying nine to seven job since the last 26 years and lives with his family - his wife and their son. People might have thought that he had a comfortable, sorted life because he was financially secured. But, this letter will tell you how people mess up their lives in a desperate attempt to attain financial security. advertisement John's wife has been cheating on him for the last 10 years and his son has absolutely no connection with him. Why? Because he lived his whole life exactly opposite of the way he wanted to. "Today I found out my wife has been cheating on me for the last 10 years. My son feels nothing for me. I realised I missed my father's funeral FOR NOTHING. I didn't complete my novel, travelling the world, helping the homeless," writes John. In his early twenties John anticipated a different future but while he was busy taking the "safe path" and his dreams were crushed. When he was 20, he was "innovative, creative, spontaneous, risk-taking and great with people", he had many plans for his future but ended up doing nothing. "I was 70 pages through when i was 20. I am still 70 pages in, at 46," John wrote while describing his plans to write a book. "By 20, I had gone backpacking around New Zealand and the Phillipines. I planned to do all of Asia, then Europe, then America (I live in Australia by the way). To date, I have only been to New Zealand and the Phillipines." His biggest regrets was devoting his entire life in a nine to seven job. "What was I thinking? How could I live, when the job was my life? After coming home, I would eat dinner, prepare my work for the following day, and sleep at 10 PM to wake up at 6 AM the following day." He is not hurt that his wife cheated because he knows he is not the person he was. "I didn't even ask for a divorce, or yell at her, or cry. I felt NOTHING. Now I can feel a tear as I write this. But not because my wife has been cheating on me, but because I am now realising I have been dying inside." John postponed meeting his sick father and did not attend his funeral because he was on the verge of getting a big promotion. "When he died, I told myself it didn't matter that I didn't see him. I rationalised that financial security was the most important thing. I now know, that it definitely is not." Years later he regrets doing nothing with his energy, passion and youth. "I regret being an awful husband, a money-making machine. I regret not finishing my novel, not travelling the world. Not being emotionally there for my son. Being a damn emotionless wallet." He advises people to not procrastinate and leave their dreams for later. The lesson he wants to give is carpe diem. "Do not be like me", John writes in the end. You can read the full letter here: Jean Sheskey Jean Sheskey, 95, of Beaver Dam, passed away Monday, July 25, 2016, at Hillside Manor in Beaver Dam. Jean was born in Hayward, Wisconsin, to Elmer and Mabel (Anderson) Lilliquist on March 10, 1921. The family lived in Marshfield for several years before settling in Beaver Dam. Jean attended Beaver Dam schools, graduating from Beaver Dam High School with the Class of 1939. She was very proud to be the recipient of the Mary Spellman Math Award in the eighth grade. Following high school she worked at the American National Bank and as a bookkeeper at Mullen-Smith Pontiac and Tabor Motors. She was married to Rodney Sheskey for 45 years. She loved planning many wonderful family vacations. Jean and Rod enjoyed visiting National Parks and historic sites on numerous road trips during their retirement years. Jean volunteered countless hours of time and talent with Girl Scouts, Lincoln School PTA, Jobs Daughters and church activities. A life-long member of Grace Presbyterian Church, Jean at various times served as elder and deacon, taught Sunday school and directed the youth choir. For more than 60 years Jean sang with the church choir. She loved music and singing and also sang with the Oratorio Society for many years. Jean is survived by her daughter, Cindy, of Chippewa Falls; cousins and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rodney; her parents; and two sisters, Gail Elsesser and Ellen Lilliquist. Her family extends a sincere thank you and heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Hillside Manor and Charleston House for their care and comfort of Jean over the past nine years. A memorial gathering will be held Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016, at Cornerstone Funeral & Cremation Services, 135 Keller Blvd., Beaver Dam from 10 a.m. to the time of the memorial service at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Paul Hudson officiating. Inurnment will be at Oakwood Cemetery, Beaver Dam, with a luncheon to follow at Cornerstone. Memorials in Jeans memory to Grace Presbyterian Church, 215 Gould St., Beaver Dam, would be appreciated. Cornerstone Funeral & Cremation Services in Beaver Dam is honored to be serving the family. Send private online condolences or sign the familys guest book at www.cstonefs.com. Dennis Blocker follows through on his promises. The grandson of a World War II veteran told his mother he would find out what happened to her father in the war, which the family believes contributed to his eventual suicide. Blockers 15 years of research resulted in the newly released book, The Heart of Hell. Blocker will be at the Hatch Public Library at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3 to speak about his writing. The book follows the lives of the sailors on gunboat LCI449, which was attacked just two days before the World War II battle of Iwo Jima. Blocker, who is the grandson of the late Clifford Lemke, said his grandparents met at the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant, after his father moved to the area and worked with Eleanore Boyd of Baraboo. The couple married shortly before he went to war. After his wife died of cancer, Lemke was devastated, his grandson said. His grandfather committed suicide Aug. 11, 1999. On the two-year anniversary of his death, Blockers father asked him to comfort his mother. I walked up behind her, massaged her shoulders, then she turned around and said I want you to find out what happened to daddy during the war. Blocker said he never expected that comment to come from his mother. She said, I want to know why he couldnt sit through a WWII documentary without crying, he said. His grandfather had also experienced night terrors. It haunted my mom, he said. She asked me to find out what happened. Blocker began researching the parts of history his grandfather contributed to, finding horrific details in some of the battles. Lemke had been an ammunition passer to a 40mm gun on the gunboat LCI449, and instrumental in making the gun crew an efficient fighting unit. Two days before U.S. Marines stormed the island of Iwo Jima, the LCI449 was on a secret recon mission. As part of LCI Group Eight, 12 gunboats were tasked with covering the frogmen of the underwater demolition teams. The Japanese saw these LCIs and thought they were full of troops, not realizing these had been converted to gunboats, Blocker said. So, the Japanese unleashed everything. The ship was hit three times, killing 22 of the 70 on board and wounding another 22. Thats 60 percent of the crew, Blocker said. Grandpa didnt get a scratch. He had a hard time with that. Through interviews with almost all of the survivors, Blocker learned being killed on a gunboat was a lot different than being killed in a foxhole. There were body parts everywhere, he said. There was blood everywhere. He said his grandfather was traumatized by seeing his buddies being picked up piece by piece. Officers who were on the ship six months after that said water would seep down into the decks below and it would be red. After compiling his research, Blocker was put in touch with Mitch Weiss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, who specializes in military narratives. Weiss agreed to write the book. It was a labor of love for Dennis for years and years, Weiss said in a telephone interview Wednesday. Dennis wasnt a researcher, but he made a promise to his mom. Weiss said he decided to write The Heart of Hell, his fifth book, because he said there was something about the story that drew him to it. Maybe it was because my father served in WWII, he said. I started doing my own research and I put together this story of the crew to tell a bigger story of the battle before the battle. As with all military narratives, you want to be able to tell their story and make it real for the people. These were average Americans who wanted to enlist and fight in the war. He said Blocker had done a lot of the legwork. Look at the bibliography in the back of the book and the number of interviews, he said. The history of some of the sailors also is revealed, including the romance between Blockers grandparents and where it all started. Baraboo is kind of a little character in the book, Weiss said. It all comes back to my mom and her simple request I want you to find out what happened to Daddy during the war, Blocker said. I feel honored I was given this task. It really all starts in Baraboo. Robert Allen Harrington, 61, of Wisconsin Dells, formerly of Necedah, was welcomed by the Lord into his heavenly kingdom, Friday, June 17, 2016. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 6, at Necedah Assembly of God Church. Pastor James Christensen will be celebrating his life. We welcome all his beloved family and friends to show their last respects for someone who brought so much joy and love into our hearts. He will be greatly missed. He is now with his loving Savior and son, Jade. What do you know? Donald Trump finally got something right. He picked the best possible running mate for vice president. Mike Pence is no political novice. In a long career as radio talk show host, member of Congress and governor of Indiana, hes made his mark as a full-fledged conservative. Unlike Trump, you know where Pence stands on every issue: on the extreme right-wing of his party. He was tea party before tea party was cool. In fact, during his 12 years in Congress, youd be hard-pressed to find anybody more conservative. In his first term, 2001-2002, out of 435 members of the House, according to the website Voteview, Pence ranked 428, meaning 427 members of Congress were to his left. By his last term he was 432 out of 435, pitting him to the right of such right-wing wackos as Michele Bachmann, Steve King and Louie Gohmert. And his record shows it. Mike Pence is no friend of science. Hes dismissed global warming as a myth. He doesnt accept evolution, either, telling MSNBC instead: I believe with all my heart that God created the heavens and the earth, the seas and all that is in them. In Congress, Pence earned an A rating from the NRA, even voting to ban the Center for Disease Control and Prevention from conducting research on gun violence as a public health hazard. In 2000, he also penned an op-ed denying any link between smoking and cancer, stating emphatically: Smoking doesnt kill. Pence is certainly no friend of gays. As a member of Congress, he sponsored legislation to ban same-sex marriage, voted to continue the Pentagons policy of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, and voted against the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, which would have banned job discrimination based on sexual orientation. And, as Indianas governor, he famously signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, allowing business owners to refuse service to LGBT customers if they had a religious objection to homosexuality a law only modified after Indiana lost 12 major conventions and more than $60 million in trade. Pence is no friend of women, either. He was the first member of Congress to sponsor legislation to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood, an obsession against womens health hes continued as governor slashing funding for Planned Parenthood and thereby shutting down five womens health clinics. It didnt stop there. In March, Pence signed legislation making Indiana the first state to require a burial ceremony or cremation for all fetal remains from abortions or even miscarriages, prompting many women to call the governors office as part of a Periods for Pence campaign to report progress of their menstrual cycle, since they might technically be having a miscarriage and didnt want to break the law. Pence is definitely a friend of Donald Trumps on immigration. Long before Trumps wall, Pence sponsored legislation to build a fence the entire length of the Mexican border. He supported a change in the Constitution to deny automatic citizenship to children of immigrants born in the United States and voted to authorize the arrest of any undocumented immigrants seeking hospital care. On one other issue, as reported by Huffington Post, Pence proved himself more extreme than his fellow conservatives. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed the bipartisan Prison Rape Elimination Act, which all states were required to comply with by 2014. Over 8,700 allegations of sexual victimization among inmates were reported in 2011. Who could be against protecting prisoners from rape? Mike Pence! Even though 40 governors took steps to adopt new federal standards, Pence informed the Justice Department that Indiana would ignore the law because there was little empirical data to justify it. Only after an intense public backlash did Pence back down. Anti-immigrant, anti-women, anti-gays, anti-middle class, and anti-science: Thats Mike Pence, who is easily the most far-right running mate in modern political history. And now Donald Trump, who doesnt even agree with Pence on many issues, wants to put him one heartbeat away from the presidency. For Republicans, thats a huge problem: Pences extreme positions may mollify social conservatives, who dont really trust Trump, but they do nothing to attract the support of independents, moderates, millennials, women, or people of color Republicans need in order to win. For Hillary Clinton, thats a huge plus. Trump finally got something right. He picked the best possible running mate for vice president: the best possible running mate to help Clinton become the next president of the United States. A Portage couple was arrested on Wednesday, charged with armed burglary, accused of stealing an iPad and a handgun. Anthony Daley, 19, and Gabriella Moore, 17, appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court on Thursday each facing a single felony count carrying up to a 15-year sentence if convicted. The Columbia County Sheriffs Office was contacted on Tuesday by a town of Lewiston man reporting that someone had stolen items from his unlocked apartment, according to court documents. The next day, the mans stolen iPad was located at Tech Bank in Madison. The device was reportedly pawned by Daley, and when authorities went to Daleys apartment they met his live-in girlfriend Moore. When questioned, Moore reportedly told officers that she and Daley had been at that apartment building in Lewiston visiting someone they knew. No one was home at the apartment, but inside they found a Ruger .45 caliber pistol on a dresser and an iPad on the floor in one of the bedrooms. The two took the device and the gun, pawning the iPad in Madison, though according to court documents, Moore admitted that the gun was gone, but would not say what had happened to it. The felony charge of armed burglary as party to a crime is the only criminal offense for either defendant, according to Wisconsin court records. They were each released on a $2,000 signature bond, with Daley scheduled to next appear in court Oct. 17 and Moore on Oct. 26. Correction: In its original publication, Moore was described as 21 years old. Lilly Hall was one of more than 100 young volunteers who came to Portage on July 24, her first year participating in a weeklong community service event, Love Begins Here. The best part, she said, involved singing. My story would be one of the residents here, Hall said in Tivoli Nursing Home on Thursday, where shed met a resident she identified as Wayne. I was talking to him at lunch and he told me he used to sing a lot, but not in forever. I told him he could still do it, that, I bet you can still sing! So he started singing to me at lunch an old, beautiful song. Hes a beautiful singer. The Madison Diocese launched Love Begins Here in 2009, but the DeForest High School juniors experience came during the first week the event had reached Portage. St. Marys Catholic Church of Portage has had local students participating in Love Begins Here for two years, sending them to places like Beloit, Berlin and Madison, but 2016 marked the first year the church hosted volunteers in Portage, according to Brenda Collins, St. Marys director of youth ministry and faith formation since 2005. The weeks volunteers, Collins said, came from places like DeForest, Madison, Sun Prairie, Reedsburg, Baraboo, Jefferson, Monroe and Lodi. Through Friday, they volunteered in places like St. Vincents de Paul, Tivoli, River Haven Shelter, Durwards Glen Retreat in Baraboo, and helped out at numerous residential homes. Portage residents might have seen them helping around town, in lawns and driveways, doing work like weeding, washing windows, painting and building fences. They learn a lot, Collins said. Its a lifelong experience. About 75 of the volunteers were teen-aged, from grades 9 through 12, while 25 young adults served as lead missionaries who supervised the program. This summer St. Marys of Portage sent about 20 of its own students for weeks of service throughout the Madison area. The service week in Portage was the final week for Love Begins Here in 2016, which began June 12. They stayed in the school, in the classrooms, Collins noted Thursday of the Portage helpers. Theyre sleeping on floors so theyre getting the full missionary experience. Love Begins Here isnt limited to Catholics, Collins said. All faiths are welcome. Im in awe with this program because they put neighbors first, Collins said. They do small things with great love. These are simple concepts that teens can really grasp and know what it means and continue to live that out every day when they go back home. Fantastic feeling Edgewood High School junior Yuritzi Lagunes has participated for four years. She received a t-shirt noting that accomplishment, her friend, Hall, had pointed out with laugh. Lagunes and Hall spent Thursday morning playing bingo with a few residents at Tivoli. The desire to come back and do Love Begins Here again, Lagunes said, is pretty common. We love to start at home. Theres so much we can do here, and we dont have to go anywhere else. Will Pritchard, a 15-year-old from Cross Plains, participated in Love Begins Here for the third straight year. He did odd jobs around the Portage neighborhood, he said, painting a kitchen, edging some sidewalks (removing grass), and he painted a shed for Durwards Glen. Really it just feels rewarding when people say thank you, Pritchard said. Its a fantastic feeling. First-year participant Julia Foynn of Madison painted a house for Portage retirees early in the week, then she helped out on a farm hauling trees that were cut down for a fire pile, and on Wednesday she cooked dinner for the 100 helpers housed in St. Marys. It brings people together, Foynn said. I think were making a difference. Theyre really grateful, and its fun to see the smiles on their faces. I have never done this before. 50,000 hours Bringing 100 people together for a week of service is a natural way to build community, Collins said. You cant put that many people together in small spaces and not expect them to gain a better understanding of themselves, she added. Theyre thinking: OK, Ive done service work before, but why am I doing it, and how can I continue it when I go home? Collins said. At Tivoli, some residents told Collins that seeing these kids visiting has really restored their faith in the upcoming generation, she said. The 100 of them each day scattered throughout Portage in 17 different car groups and were part of more than 50,000 hours of service that Love Begins Here, on the whole, has accomplished since June 12. The Portage visitors alone, through Wednesday, had already put in 2,000 hours of service locally. It carries on with you through the years, said Pritchard, a member of Saint Francis Xavier in Cross Plains. Its been amazing, Hall said. Id love to come back. A Reedsburg group has heard ideas for how to be ready in the event of a catastrophe. Jeff Jelinek, Sauk County Emergency Management director, was the guest speaker during the regular Reedsburg Public Safety Committee meeting on July 27. Jelinek said emergency preparedness is more about prior coordination and less about reactionary tactics. He said having personnel assigned to specific tasks helps ensure that responses go smoothly. This is especially important because Wisconsin gives more control to the local level during emergencies. Jelinek said state and county officials try to assist but not interfere with city police, fire and EMS, which likely already have their own plans in place. Committee Chair David Moon agreed with Jelinek on the need for readiness. He recalls meeting with officials in June 2008 and trying to figure out what Reedsburg would do in the aftermath of flooding. The floods devastated countless communities across Wisconsin that year, leaving whole towns under several feet of water and forcing some municipalities to demolish unsalvageable buildings. The governor declared a state of emergency in numerous counties and FEMA inspectors visited to assess damage. Flooding cost homeowners, businesses and governments millions of dollars. Sauk County has staged small- and large-scale training, including an active-shooter drill earlier this summer in Reedsburg. Sessions give government employees, law enforcement and medical crews the chance to practice what theyve learned. Such drills help responders build muscle memory so they instinctively know what to do during an event. The committee also heard about Baraboos regular emergency meeting, where representatives from government, law enforcement, fire, health care and ambulance gather to discuss an issue. Topics may range from shooters to severe weather. Jelinek said they discuss what they can do to be ready for each scenario. He added that the general public can be prepared as well. Jelinek encourages residents to look out for each other. Those with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. In addition, Jelinek talked about cleanup and recovery costs, which are easy to overlook when communities create emergency action plans. Officials need to consider what happens long-term after an event, including potential expenses, financial aid and savings opportunities. He noted governor and president declarations make money available after widespread tragedies. For instance, communities that have more than a certain amount of damage could qualify for dollars to help recuperate. One often-overlooked incident is wind damage, Jelinek said. Damage from storms and general high winds is more common and the County may be missing out on government funds set aside for disasters. Other business Reedsburg Police Chief Timothy Becker gave his monthly activity report. He said Reedsburgs largest festival, Butterfest, went well. There was only one arrest for a man who was wielding a knife. Becker also mentioned the June 17 incident when a plane crashed through a fence at the Reedsburg Municipal Airport. The plane came to rest just inches from a power box and fuel was leaking on the ground. Thats amazing that nobody got hurt, he said. Becker said heroin arrests and warrants have dropped slightly but meth incidents are on the rise. Reedsburg Area Ambulance Service Director Joshua Kowalke said its been a busy summer. Besides emergency calls the department has been on standby during area events. EMTs also treated a couple of heat-related cases during the past months high temperatures. He added that the department held its budget meeting; the fiscal year runs Aug. 1 through July 31. One noteworthy purchase this year will be new monitors for the ambulances. The current ones are 10 years old. MADISON The Public Service Commission will allow a power line to be built across a rural Prairie du Sac couples property after taking no action on their request to reconsider the 69-kilovott lines route. In a July 27 order, the PSC deemed Gerald and Margaret Roths June 6 petition to reopen the Prairie du Sac to Portage power line project denied under state administrative code that allows a request to expire after 30 days of inactivity. Roth, who lives along Dam Heights Road in the town of Prairie du Sac, had no response July 29 about the Commissions failure to take up his petition. I dont want to talk about it. We lost. I havent seen it (the order) but I heard something happened, he said. In November 2014, the Commission approved rebuilding the 100-year-old power line between the Dam Heights substation near the Prairie du Sac dam and a substation near Portage. However, American Transmission Co. subsequently learned the line violates state electrical code as it extends over a residence near Roths property. Three weeks later, the Commission approved a rerouting of the power line at ATCs request, to avoid to avoid the house and comply with the code. In its July 27 order, the Commission stated that the Roths failed to formally file their concerns when the route was being reconsidered in 2014. Construction of the line had not begun when Roth asked the Commission in June to reopen the power line case. Roth said the decision failed to consider another route that had less impact on the 30 acres of land he owns in the area. The approved route adds to two steel lattice structures to the two existing structures along the edge of Roths property and now requires a 90-by-900-foot easement across his acreage. The (power line) route goes 90 feet into our property instead of following the Dam Heights Road right of way, Roth said in June. At the time, Roth said he was frustrated that neither the Commission nor ATC would tell him why they wanted to cross his land. An ATC spokesperson has said the routing change was necessary and better for all involved. This route modification is shorter, less costly, and provides fewer impacts to the Roth property and to adjacent property owners, stated ATC spokesperson Kaya Freiman in June. The Roths request would require easements over land away from the existing line and the removal of trees and thick brush, ATC wrote to the Commission in its objection to the Roth petition. ATC is seeking to acquire a larger easement on the Roth property by condemnation. On July 25, the parties agreed in Sauk County Circuit Court to a hearing before a condemnation commission. In approving the lines reconstruction in November 2014, the Commission found that it ranked in the top 10 for outages in ATCs statewide system. The rebuild would space poles further apart in an effort to minimize bird collisions and resulting outages. Rebuilding and upgrading the line also was necessary to meet information technology needs. The rebuilt line will be 25 miles long and cost an estimated $33 million. Construction is scheduled to begin this year and ATC anticipates the line will be in service in November 2017. By India Today Web Desk: Aamir Khan is known to play roles which require him to work on his body to look different each time, especially where there is a requirement for the film. So while he got a perfect eight-pack for Ghajini, he lost all that bulk to play a lean 19-year old Engineering student in 3 Idiots. This process was repeated in Nitesh Tiwari's Dangal. And he has invited words of admiration from his contemporary superstar Shah Rukh Khan. ALSO READ: Aamir Khan introduces his champion daughter in new poster The Swades actor marvelled at Aamir's dedication to physically transform himself into a character, which he said he wasn't capable of doing as well. "Aamir is very disciplined and works really hard on his body. Two years ago, when I had met him, he had put on a lot of weight and now he has lost all those extra kilos. I can never be as disciplined," said Shah Rukh. advertisement Aamir Khan had initially put on weight to play the role of a 55-year old well-past-his-prime wrestler Mahavir Phogat. And then towards the end of the filming schedule he got back into killer shape to play the younger version of Mahavir. Shah Rukh Khan, on the other hand says he only began paying attention to his body after he got a six-pack for Om Shanti Om. Dangal follows the story of real life Haryana wrestler Mahavir Phogat and his two daughters and nieces, and their journey to become champion wrestlers in their own right. The film is slated for release in December, 2016. Soon-to-be-mother Shveta Salve is getting all the attention she needs from her friends. By India Today Web Desk: Left Right Left actress Shveta Salve has been in the news lately for her pregnancy. The talented actress is heavily pregnant, and is soon going to give birth to a beautiful child. Shveta married her longtime partner Hermit Sethi four years ago, and the couple is now ready to welcome their first child. Also read:Shveta Salve's baby bump steals the show in this awesome photo shoot Shveta smiles happily at the camera with her group of friends. Picture courtesy: Instagram/shveshve The lovely actress has been posting pictures of her baby bump on her personal Instagram account, and needless to say, Shveta is glowing like a sun-kissed flower. The actress has been surrounded by her gang of friends lately, who has been pampering the soon-to-be-mother with a bucketful of love. Picture courtesy: Instagram/shveshve advertisement The actress recently posted another picture where she can be seen smiling away to glory, with her clique by her side. The actress captioned the picture as "Bumpy gets pampered with love, laughter, friends, and yummy dinner by @chefchinugaiagourmet?Thank you Aunty Chinu and Uncle Pitu. #GoaLife #dinnerwithfriends #bumpstyle #preggobump #instalove #thirdtrimester?" The actress pouts as close friend and TV actress Narayani Shastri poses for the camera. Picture courtesy: Instagram/shveshve Television actress and close friend Narayani Shastri had also paid a visit to the beautiful actress a while ago. By PTI: From Gurdip Singh Singapore, Jul 29 (PTI) A 44-year-old Singaporean, who openly supported the ISIS and contributed to radicalisation of other Singaporeans aiming at installing an Islamic State in the country, has been detained for two years, authorities said today. Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff was arrested and detained in Singapore this month for terrorism-related activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement. advertisement He actively spread radical ideology online and has been detained under the Internal Security Act for two years. "Zulfikar has admitted that he had an ulterior motive for setting up a Facebook page called Al-Makhazin Singapore which he used as a platform to agitate on Muslim issues in Singapore and attack some Singaporean Muslims who did not share his views. "His real agenda was in fact to provoke Muslims in Singapore into pushing for the replacement of the democratic system with an Islamic state in Singapore. He said that he hid his ulterior motive from the Singaporean Al-Makhazin Singapore members," the statement said. Zulfikar made numerous Facebook posts that promoted and glorified the dreaded ISIS and its violent actions such as beheadings, "while exploiting religion to legitimise the terrorist activities of ISIS", the ministry said. "He has further exhorted Muslims to take up arms and wage militant jihad in places like the Middle East, Palestinian territories, Myanmar and the Philippines," it added. His Facebook posts contributed to the radicalisation of at least two other Singaporeans. MHA said Zulfikar had started becoming radicalised as early as 2001 after reading hardline material, supporting groups like al-Qaeda and the Jemaah Islamiah, and advocating for Muslims to take up arms in Afghanistan after the 9/11. Zulfikar came under the spotlight in 2002 for challenging mainstream Muslim leaders and agitating for primary schoolgirls to be allowed to wear the headscarf in schools here. Zulfikar also cultivated an Internet following by setting up an online group called Al-Makhazin in 2013. He used Facebook to create numerous Al-Makhazin platforms, such as Al-Makhazin Singapore, with the claimed purpose of countering Western media. He had been living in Australia for 14 years and had left Singapore with his family shortly after run-ins with Muslim leaders and the authorities. He joined a UK-based hardline organisation called Hizbut Tahrir and established and maintained contact with radical preachers such as Musa Cerantonio in Australia and radical British preacher Anjem Choudary, said MHA. PTI GS SAI AKJ SAI --- ENDS --- advertisement $1M gift funds STEM summer camp for gifted youth Hands-on learning: Camp Launch provides kids with instruction in STEM-focused classes such as Lego Robotics, where kids learn how to assemble their own robots and then program them to complete various tasks. Photo by Marisa Spyker Photo - of - Hide Caption A William & Mary summer camp for gifted middle school students is in its fifth year, thanks to a $1 million gift from Nancy Briggs Petters 81 and Mike Petters M.B.A. 93. The Petters gift will support Camp Launch, a two-week residential summer program, operated by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Marys School of Education. The gift was given through the Petters Family Foundation. The camp immerses high ability seventh- and eighth-graders from low-income backgrounds in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum, writing and personal development coursework. Sixty-five young students get to experience what it is like to live as college students, staying in dorms, taking classes in various buildings on campus and eating in the dining halls. The camp is staffed by the Centers graduate students, teachers from the area and other professional employees at the School of Education. The program is run by Mihyeon Kim, director of precollegiate programs at the Center for Gifted Education. One of things that has made this country what it is, is that we believe generally no matter what circumstance you are born into you have the opportunity to change that, Mike Petters said. I think our concern today is that there is starting to be less and less people who believe that. Both Nancy and I have had an opportunity to be successful and a lot of our success can be attributed to the fact that we had access to high-quality education. I frankly believe if youve been successful, its your responsibility to help other people be successful. Mike Petters is president and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Virginia the largest industrial employer in Virginia and Mississippi and the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States. If we can help someone experience a program they otherwise wouldnt experience, they might be able to make some changes and some decisions that could impact their own future and that of their family, said Nancy Petters, a pre-school teacher. The Petters gift comes at a critical time for the camp, which received startup funding and three additional years of support from a private foundation, but its future was uncertain. Their financial support has been essential to keep the camp alive, said Tracy L. Cross, executive director of the Center for Gifted Education. If they hadnt given a gift, there would have been a lag in the program. Cross said the camp is designed to provide an opportunity for gifted students to take a step out of their everyday environments to experience learning in a college setting with other gifted scholars. The generosity of the Petters family is transformative for middle school students who benefit tremendously from the opportunity to participate in an initiative that has proven to make a positive difference in their lives, said School of Education Dean Spencer G. Niles. The School of Education at William & Mary is deeply grateful for the Petters support of these efforts. Camp Launch started in July 2012 and is free to all campers. The students, who reside in a 75-mile radius of Williamsburg, are selected to attend through their school district. The learning and working techniques the teachers taught me at Camp Launch have helped me understand my classes at school, which has led me to earn better grades, said a former Camp Launch student. I can strongly say Camp Launch has affected me by showing me the importance of education. One of the most popular courses, LEGO robotics, combines science, math and technology to facilitate hands-on problem-solving skills and creative thinking. During the class, students program LEGO robots, and use tilt and motion sensors, to move in various scenarios. Students and faculty at William & Mary are passionate about forging change that makes a difference in the lives of others and this is a major focus in our For the Bold campaign, says Sue Hanna Gerdelman 76, campaign chair. Sharing our expertise with these brilliant students from our community is a wonderful way for the university to further engage with the world." The $1 million gift is an extension of the Petters support of education in other significant ways. Earlier this year, Mike Petters donated his annual salary to launch an educational assistance fund for shipyard workers children. The fund supports early childhood education and college tuition. For several years, the company has covered college tuition for its employees. The 14th Magistrate Metropolitan court has agreed to provide Ramkumar one day police custody to recreate the scene and help in comparing CCTV footage of the crime. By Pramod Madhav: Ramkumar, the accused in Infosys techie Swathi's murder case, will be under police custody on August 8 to recreate the crime scene at Nungambakkam railway station. The 14th Magistrate Metropolitan court has agreed to provide Ramkumar one day police custody to recreate the scene and help in comparing CCTV footage of the crime. Earlier, Ramkumar's lawyer alleged that there were several discrepancies in the police statements and this is perhaps going to play a crucial role in the state. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS Swathi's blood was found to match with blood samples retrieved from a shirt supposedly belonging to Ramkumar. After arresting Ramkumar from his hometown on July 1, a team of police raided a mansion next to Nungambakkam Railway Station where Ramkumar had stayed. They acquired his left over belongings and seized a blood stained shirt among them. advertisement The blood from the shirt and Swathi's blood sample were sent to a forensic lab in Hyderabad to see if they match. Police received the results on Wednesday stating that both samples matched perfectly. Earlier, Ramkumar's lawyer had stated that the so called shirt did not belong to Ramkumar. The accused for interrogated for three days, along with Swathi's friend Mohamed Bilal, during his custody in Nungambakkam Police station. Swathi, a 24-year-old engineer who was working with Infosys was murdered on June 24, at Nugambakkam railway station. She was waiting for a train to Chengalpet when she was hacked to death at 6:40 am. 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 The government has closed 500 homes since 2011, citing mismanagement, a lack of registration and misconduct but human rights groups say abuse is rife across the 1,500 government and state institutions. By Reuters: Dhanalakshmi was 14 and pregnant when she was rescued from a children's home in Tamil Nadu. She had been entrusted in the care of the unregistered institution by her mother, a ragpicker who could no longer afford another mouth to feed. But instead of receiving protection, the teenager was raped for months by staff in the home, according to a report by a committee set up by the social welfare department to investigate the matter. "Her story blew the lid off something we have known for a long time," said Zaheeruddin Mohammad, a member of the committee that also fought for the rights of the girl to be protected. "Inside unregistered homes, there is rampant abuse and little care for the needs of a child." The government has closed 500 homes since 2011, citing mismanagement, a lack of registration and misconduct but human rights groups say abuse is rife across the 1,500 government and state institutions. advertisement Rights groups have long complained that most children's homes are poorly regulated, not inspected often enough, and that many privately-run institutions are able to operate without a licence leaving thousands of children open to mistreatment. The scope of the problem was outlined in a petition filed in Chennai High Court by A Narayanan, the director of advocacy group CHANGEindia. "Not a week passes without news of neglect, physical violence such as torture and branding with iron, sexual abuse including rape, murder and suicides in child care homes in Tamil Nadu," the affidavit said. "PULL OF GOOD EDUCATION" Child rights campaigners estimate that 200,000 children in Tamil Nadu are residents of private orphanages, state-supported care homes, Islamic madrassas, temples and hostels. Many children are not orphans but placed in institutional care by their parents too poor to feed, clothe and shelter them. "An increasing number of these children are from marginalised families," CHANGEindia's Narayanan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "The parents are lured by the pull of good education and promise of better care for their children. They are relying on institutional care." Various reports submitted to the government in the past five years have warned of shoddy conditions in children's homes - from poor lighting and cramped accommodation to violence. In the majority of reported cases, the perpetrators of abuse have been wardens, watchmen, cooks and other staff. Tamil Nadu government officials have said in court that they were looking at the recommendations made by campaigners, which include better monitoring of homes, individual child care plans, more counsellors and encouraging the idea of foster care. In one of the latest closures, state authorities shut down after another privately-run institution housing 32 children near the port city of Chennai last month after complaints of mismanagement. "These organisations have become organised rackets," Narayanan said. "There are many organisations which have a valid registration but no child care plan, no counsellors and no expertise on how to fulfill a child's emotional needs." MISREPRESENTED Children rescued in a separate operation on June 30, from an institution in Tambaram, near Chennai, described being made to clean toilets and eat "unpalatable" food, according to RN Manikandan, chairman of a local child welfare committee. He also said the children shared the same space as residents of a nursing home run by the same organisation, which also caused concern. Child welfare committee members also raised questions about the babies they found in the premises during an earlier inspection, who are now missing. According to Narayanan's affidavit, many children from poor families were shown as destitute orphans in the records and "paraded" before potential adoptive parents and donors funding these homes. In December, an unregistered home in Tiruchy was taken over by the social welfare department after a court directive. The home had 90 children in its custody but no records with any government agency. A wave of claims by people saying they were the children's parents prompted a local court to rule that all the children should undergo DNA testing to establish their real families. "Not all children in these homes are in need of the care they promise," said Andrew Sesuraj, a director at the Tamil Nadu Child Rights Observatory. He said there was no need for so many homes. "Foster care or support for the families to enable them to send their children to school is what is required." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 28 (PTI) Tata Sons today denied strongly the speculation that its assets in Britain could be seized following the London arbitration award against the group in the Tata Tele-Docomo case last month. The company also said that though it has time till August 2, it hopes to deposit the entire amount of USD 1.17 billion with the registrar of the Delhi High Court by tomorrow. On June 23 this year, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) had asked the Tatas to pay up USD 1.17 billion to Japanese partner Docomo. Following this Docomo has obtained an exparte order from the commercial court in London to enforce the award in Britain. Because the order was obtained exparte, Tatas arguments have not yet been heard, Tata Sons said in a statement this evening. "We would like to clarify that the London commercial court has granted Tata Sons a period of 23 days, starting July 27, 2016, to apply to set aside the exparte order. The arbitral award cannot be enforced until the end of that period, or until any application made by Tata Sons has been finally decided upon. "Further, the British assets of Tata Steel and Jaguar Land Rover are not owned by Tata Sons. These are subsidiaries of Indian public listed companies of which Tata Sons is a promoter with a minority shareholding of not more than 30-35 per cent," the statement said. The statement pointed out that these companies are not party to the arbitration proceedings, and therefore no award has been issued against them. Therefore, it follows that the award cannot be enforced against those companies. The company further said it has made its position clear in statement on July 26 to the Delhi High Court. "Tata Sons has from the outset underlined its commitment to honouring its contractual obligations to Docomo, and has taken every possible step keeping in mind the interests of all stakeholders and in accordance with the laws of the land," it said. (More) PTI BEN KRK MR PTP --- ENDS --- advertisement Hinkley gets one answer but more questions 29 July 2016 Share Hinkley Point C finally received a positive final investment decision from the EDF board last night, only for the UK government to postpone signing its supporting agreements. Prime Minister Theresa May's new cabinet wants to review the deal and decide in early autumn whether to commit its support. Ten years after nuclear power was put 'back on the agenda' by former prime minister Tony Blair the first new nuclear power project is ready for the final decision to go ahead. Hinkley Point C would feature two Areva-designed EPRs at 1650 MWe each, expected to operate for 60 years and to benefit from ratepayer-backed guaranteed price for electricity for the first 35 years. However, the project is controversial due to the published capital cost of 18 billion ($23.6 billion) which must be laid out before the plant receives the fixed price for electricity generated of 92.50 per MWh, well above the current market price. More than 2 billion has already been spent on site preparation. British industry and government leaders were preparing to assemble at the Hinkley site as the EDF board announced its decision at 7pm last night. The plan was for a ceremony the following morning at which the government and EDF would formally sign documents to confirm the Contract for Difference (CfD) support. All this was suddenly scrapped after business and energy secretary Greg Clark wrote in an email, "The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix. The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn." New UK prime minister Theresa May recently met with French President Francois Hollande. Hinkley Point C is both strategic and controversial in both countries (Tom Evans - Crown Copyright) Clark and May haved seized control of the project's future by placing what appears to be the final decision with the government at a time when Britain begins to discuss its future relationship with the European Union - and nuclear partner France - after a referendum set the country on course to leave the bloc. The other partner in the project is China General Nuclear, which would take a 33.5% equity stake. It reportedly commented that it understands the new government's desire to consider the deal. The timetable of an 'early autumn' decision whether to agree to CfD closely matches a previously rumoured decision time of September. GMB union's national secretary for energy, Justin Bowden, called the government's move "bonkers". "After years of procrastination," he said, "what is required is decisive action not dithering and more delay. This unnecessary hesitation is putting finance for the project in doubt and 25,000 new jobs at risk immediately after Brexit." Tom Greatrex, the chief executive of the UK Nuclear Industry Association said, "I am now urging new ministers to quickly endorse the decision to show they are serious about industrial strategy, building new infrastructure by securing inward investment to create our low carbon energy supplies of the future. The most important thing is that the board of EDF and its investors have the finance in place to enable them to give the go ahead for the project and that is very good news. We have a strong UK supply chain which has built up its capability and has trained people so they are able to build and operate Hinkley Point C." Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Reactions to Hinkley Point C developments 29 July 2016 Share Hinkley Point C has dominated news in the UK due to EDF's final investment decision and the government's surprise move to review the deal. Here, we gather some reactions from industry and academics. On EDF's final investment decision: "Approval of Hinkley Point C heralds a new dawn for Nuclear Power in the UK. Clearly one thing of great significance is its ability to provide 3.2 GWe, powering approximately 7% of the UK and doing so for 60 years, but its implications and ramifications extend way beyond this. The go-ahead for Hinkley shows that the UK is 'open for business' in the international arena following the Brexit decision." Paul Norman, University of Birmingham "Finally the decision to go ahead with Hinkley Point has been taken. This is most welcome, and a good deal for the UK. Although some may think that the strike price is high, it isn't when you compare it with the cost of offshore wind, solar or other forms of renewable energy. We need a balanced portfolio of low carbon energy sources in the UK in the future." Sue Ion, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering "Today's announcement that Hinkley Point C will be progressing we hope signals the start of a resurgence that may encourage other nuclear development projects in the UK, including small modular reactors." Tom Mundy, managing director, NuScale Power (UK & Europe) "Hinkley Point C sets the UK on a course for a new generation of nuclear power plants that will be the foundation of a reliable low carbon electricity generation mix fit for the 21st century. We need to encourage international investment and ensure electricity markets support the energy choices that will meet the growing need for electricity worldwide and protect the planet." Agneta Rising, director general, World Nuclear Association "This is excellent news for Britain - and in particular for the UK nuclear industry. Hinkley Point C will be an important element in the UK's drive to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity to homes and businesses for generations to come. As the country which first developed civil nuclear power back in the 1950s, the UK still has a great deal to offer the global industry - from technical skills, knowledge, innovation and facilities to our regulatory expertise and our experience in engaging with local communities. By adding a new build program to that list, this announcement represents a huge step to restoring the UK to the global 'top table' of nuclear nations, where we belong." Paul Howarth, CEO, National Nuclear Laboratory On the UK government's review: "Theresa May's decision to review the go-ahead on Hinkley Point C is bewildering and bonkers. After years of procrastination, what is required is decisive action not dithering and more delay. This unnecessary hesitation is putting finance for the project in doubt and 25,000 new jobs at risk immediately after Brexit. It is a gross error of judgement and must be reversed." Justin Bowden, national secretary for energy, GMB union "The government's decision to take longer to look at the contract does not change the fundamentals - that by 2030, two thirds of our electricity generation capacity will have retired, and we need to replace it with low carbon and reliable power for the future to improve our energy security and meet our commitments on carbon emissions targets. We now need the new ministers to quickly endorse the decision to show they are serious about industrial strategy, building new infrastructure by securing inward investment to create our low carbon energy supplies of the future. Tom Greatrex, chief executive, UK Nuclear Industry Association "Regardless of the government's decision to postpone any ruling on Hinkley, other foreign investors will not be put off even if the project is cancelled given the important issues surrounding it. It is worth remembering that the participation of large international energy firms in Britain is dependent on the financial health, events in the home markets, and the corporate strategies of these companies. The new government has not had time to develop a new coherent energy policy but the main alternative to Hinkley is, in the medium term, more CCGT generation which may require revisiting the carbon emission targets." Tooraj Jamasb, chair in energy economics at Durham University Business School and co-director, Durham Energy Institute "I am sure at the top of the government's thinking will be maintaining the UK's admirable reputation as a reliable partner for inward investment. If it appears that countries or companies investing in the UK may be encouraged to spend very large sums, running into the billions, in the run-up to a decision which then goes against them, even in the absence of any mistakes or new evidence, it will inevitably drive away investment. Projects that do proceed will presumably have to conclude much tougher break clauses with associated compensation. There is a real danger of TTIP coming in through the back door here." Malcolm Grimston, senior research fellow, Imperial College London "While it is understandable the government wants to get to grips with the details of the Hinkley contract, it must press ahead to finalise the deal as soon as possible. The UK is facing a major investment challenge to ensure a secure, low-carbon and affordable energy supply. It's crucial that we see clear and timely decisions, and send a definite message that the UK is well and truly open for business. In particular, clarity is needed around the next Contracts for Difference auction and the post-2020 Levy Control Framework, to build investor confidence." Josh Hardie, deputy director general, confederation of British Industry Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Michelle Byrne By: Mahesh Sarin A man was arrested on a charge of assault after biting off the cheek of a man who called his girlfriend fit as f***, according to police in the United Kingdom. Cheltenham police said that they have arrested 29-year-old Christopher Wilkinson and 32-year-old Michelle Byrne, after being accused of beating up 27-year-old Aaron Wanklyn. They were both charged with causing grievous bodily harm. According to the police investigation, Wanklyn was walking along Regent Street, where he saw Byrne walk by him. Wanklyn couldnt contain himself and said loudly that Byrne ais fit as f***.a Wilkinson became very angry at the comment and started assaulting Wanklyn. The both fell to the ground, where they continued to punch each other. At some point, Wilkinson bit into Wanklynas face and tore off part of his cheek. Byrne then used her high heels to stomp on Wanklynas head, causing additional injuries. Wanklyn was rushed to a hospital, where he needed 30 stitches to his face and 30 stitches in his mouth. He also had reconstructive surgery. A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took Violence (illustration) By: Feng Qian A woman was arrested on a charge of murder after killing her pastor husband because he answered a phone call from another woman while they were spending time together, according to police in Nigeria. Now, 28-year-old Mary Attah of Delta, has been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of murder in connection with the death of Pastor Darlington Attah. According to the police investigation, Mary, who was married to Darlington and had four children, attacked her husband with a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the neck, following a phone call from his lover. The court was told that Mary became enraged by the phone call at a time when they were having dinner together, which prompted her to run to the kitchen. She brought back a knife and smeared chili pepper in the face of her husband to demobilize him before stabbing him in the neck. Mary then doused gasoline on her dying husband and set him on fire. He was rushed to the Warri Central Hospital, where he died of his injuries. The flat was bolted from outside as smoke billowed out from one of the windows. The rescue teams broke open the door and what they saw inside shocked everyone present on the spot. According to neighbours, Anjali was a student of Class 9. She lived with her mother and brother in the flat By Chirag Gothi: When teams of the Delhi Police and fire brigade reached the third floor of a building in city's Gandhi Nagar area following a fire alarm, little did they know what they were going to encounter next. The flat was bolted from outside as smoke billowed out from one of the windows. The rescue teams broke open the door and what they saw inside shocked everyone present on the spot. A teenage girl's half-burnt body lay on the bed. WHO SET THE GIRL ON FIRE? According to neighbours, Anjali was a student of Class 9. She lived with her mother and brother in the flat. None of them were present in the house when cops broke open the door. Neighbours said the girl had returned from school at around 2 pm on Thursday and after some time smoke was detected coming out of the house. advertisement SUICIDE OR MURDER? According to Delhi Police sources, someone tried to strangle the girl before setting her on fire. However, the way Anjali's body was found - burnt from the lower half - points towards several possibilities. Did someone try to cover up the murder as an accident by trying to burn her body? Was the girl sexually assaulted before she was killed? Every angle is being probed by the police. The forensic team has picked up evidence from the crime scene and investigation is on to nab the culprit. Also Read: 'How many Nirbhayas does Delhi want?' Raped Dalit teen, forced to drink acid, dies Nirbhaya gangrape: Rs 10 lakh award if iron rod theory is proved, says defence lawyer Two San Diego police officers were shot today and the suspect or suspects were at large, the department said on social media. By Reuters: Two San Diego police officers were shot on Thursday and a suspect was in custody, the department said on social media. The condition of the officers was unknown, the San Diego Police Department said on Twitter. Police took a suspect into custody as they searched for another suspect or suspects in Southcrest, a southeastern neighborhood of San Diego, where they told residents to shelter in place, according to the department's Twitter handle. advertisement More details awaited --- ENDS --- For the past week, the New York Times has been spearheading a frenzied campaign against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in connection with more than 20,000 leaked Democratic National Committee emails published last Friday by WikiLeaks. The emails are highly incriminating. They show that the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and the DNC conspired to undermine the primary challenge mounted by Bernie Sanders. But instead of focusing on the brazenly undemocratic and undoubtedly illegal effort to rig the US elections, the Times has published article after article accusing the Russian government and Russian President Vladimir Putin of stealing the emails and having them published in order to tilt the presidential election in favor of Trump. The charge, completely unsubstantiated, is that Trump is either directly conspiring with Putin or is the willing beneficiary of Russian government espionage. The McCarthyite-style demonization of Russia is combined with the accusation that Trump is a front man for Putin. Over the past week, the Times, which serves as an unofficial mouthpiece of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party, has published a front page article on this topic virtually every day, along with editorials and op-ed pieces. Russia-bashing and denunciations of Trump from the right-wing, militaristic standpoint that he is unwilling to wage war on Russia have become an increasingly prominent theme of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic convention in Philadelphia. By maneuvering to attack the fascistic Trump from the right on the basis of Cold War-style anti-Russian hysteria, Clinton and the party leadership are lining up the partys upper-middle class base to support military aggression that poses the very real danger of a nuclear World War III. There is no doubt that this campaign is being coordinated at the highest levels of the state, particularly its military and intelligence agencies. The Times has long functioned as a de facto propaganda arm of the American capitalist state. Its top personnel regularly consult with government officials over whether or not to publish sensitive articles and what information to withhold from the public. As former Executive Editor Bill Keller infamously wrote in connection with his interactions with government officials, Freedom of the press includes freedom not to publish, and that is a freedom we exercise with some regularity. In this connection, it is instructive to consider the individuals at the Times who are playing leading roles in the current anti-Russian propaganda blitz. The newspapers editorial page editor is James Bennet. This is considered a highly sensitive and responsible position, often a stepping stone to becoming executive editor. As such, the selection of the person to fill it is deemed of great importance not only to the Times, but to corporate America and the state. When Bennet was chosen as the new editorial page editor last March, to assume the post in May, the selection was widely reported as a major national news development. Bennet's family exemplifies the politically incestuous relationship between the media and the political establishment and state apparatus. His father, Douglas Bennet, is a longstanding and trusted political operative from his time in the 1960s as an assistant to the ambassador to India. He later served on the staffs of several Democratic Party lawmakers, including Senator Hubert Humphrey, the Democratic presidential candidate in 1968. Under President Jimmy Carter, the senior Bennet served as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, and later as the head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a front for the CIA that is deeply implicated in regime-changes operations around the world. He was named the head of National Public Radio in 1983 and was appointed by Bill Clinton as assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs in 1993. From 1995 to 2007, he was president of Wesleyan University, an elite liberal arts college in Connecticut. Bennet's older brother Michael Bennet is currently the senior senator from Colorado. He was originally appointed to the position in 2009 by the governor to replace Ken Salazar, who was appointed secretary of the interior by President Obama. He won re-election in 2010. Michael Bennet also served as counsel to the US deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration and later as superintendent for Denver Public Schools, where he forced through a merit pay restructuring of teacher pay. He was one of the people considered by Obama to serve as secretary of education in 2008. James Bennet himself went to work for the New York Times in 1991, where he served in a number of politically sensitive roles, first as a White House correspondent and later as the bureau chief in Jerusalem, where he oversaw the newspapers pro-Israeli presentation of the news and helped cover up US imperialist intrigues throughout the Middle East. Bennet was tapped to become the bureau chief in Beijing when he was hired by the news monthly the Atlantic as its editor in chief, a position he held until resigning to rejoin the Times in May. At the Atlantic, Bennet oversaw political scoundrels such as Jeffrey Goldberg, an apologist for the Obama administration whose latest article in the magazine seeks to outdo the Times journalists in accusing Trump of being a de facto agent of Putin, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, a leading propagandist of racial politics who became a national correspondent for the Atlantic under Bennet. Since Bennet rejoined the Times as editorial page editor, he has overseen a relentless campaign by the newspaper's columnists to portray American society as irredeemably divided along racial lines, presenting every social issue, from police violence to the rise of Donald Trump, as a manifestation of white racism, and particularly racial prejudice among white workers. Now he is deeply involved in the promotion of an amalgam aimed at paving the way for an escalation of military aggression that threatens the very existence of the human race. High Court judge Justice Foskett ruled Thursday that the Labour Partys National Executive Committee (NEC) was correct in law in its decision that party leader Jeremy Corbyn did not need the nomination of 20 percent of MPs or MEPs in order to stand in a leadership contest. The legal challenge, claiming that Corbyn had to secure nominations under the partys rulebook, was brought by millionaire Labour donor and Blairite Michael Foster and was aimed at removing Corbyn from the ballot. Fosters legal team argued that the July 12 NEC split decisionsecured largely by the trade union voteto automatically include Corbyn as sitting leader was a misinterpretation of conflicting legal advice. Other candidates in the election had to secure the backing of 50 MPs and Members of the European Parliamentthat is, 20 percent of the combined Commons members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) and European PLP. Such is the depth of the right-wings hostility to Corbyn that both sides in court were represented by his opponents. The legal challenge named Labours General Secretary Iain McNicol as defendant. McNicol wanted Corbyn to be excluded and only allowed legal opinion to this effect to be read out at the NEC. Corbyn was forced to launch an ultimately successful legal bid to be included as a second defendant in the case, on the basis that it was pressing and obvious that he had not been adequately represented by McNichol in the same manner as had other Labour members. Justice Foskett ruled that the NEC was right to conclude that Mr Corbyn was entitled to be on the ballot paper without the need to obtain any level of nominations. Referring to the relevant clauses in Labours constitution, which refer only to a challenger requiring nominations, Foskett said they reveal a natural and ordinary meaning that seems to me to be entirely clear. Gavin Millar QC, Fosters barrister, argued that the reading of the rules by the majority of the NEC was not a reasonable interpretation. He claimed, There is no distinction in the rules between the leader candidate to be automatically on the ballot paper or the challenger candidate. In his written argument, Millar told the Court that should the judge rule in Fosters favour, the Labour Party should go back to the 48-hour window for fresh leadership nominations. This would allow Corbyn a fair opportunity to obtain the requisite number of nominations, he claimed. There was nothing fair about this. Foster brought the case knowing that 170 MPs had voted for a no-confidence motion in Corbyn, as part of an orchestrated coup that had led to the present leadership contest. Corbyn only had the support of, at most, 40 MPs. The barrister for Labours NEC, Mark Henderson, said the partys rules were not ambiguous nor open to serious doubt. The barrister representing Corbyn, Martin Westgate QC, said in his written arguments that the NECs understanding of the leadership rules was plainly right and Corbyn was a candidate without needing to be nominated. He argued that the NECs decision was entitled to great respect and the court should not interfere with it. Noting the unprecedented nature of a legal action that could have led to a democratically elected party leader being prevented from standing as a leadership candidate, Westgate argued that any change would be a major, substantial shift. The judge had no reason to disturb the current rules unless they were unreasonable, he stressed. Foster, who runs an agency representing celebrities, Fostermco, is one of the partys biggest individual donors. He claimed, absurdly, that his legal challenge was not about politics. But he is a steadfast opponent of Corbyn. Foster was central to the Blairites claims that Labour under Corbyn had become rabidly anti-Semitic. An inquiry, to which Corbyn himself agreed, later disproved these claims. Just weeks after Corbyn became leader, Foster had stood at the back of a Labour Party conference fringe meeting, held by the Labour Friends of Israel, which Corbyn was addressing, and heckled, Say the word Israel, say the word Israel! Foster has form regarding the intimidation of his opponents. While standing earlier in 2015 as a Labour candidate for the seat of Camborne and Redruth, one of his opponents, Cornish nationalist Loveday Jenkin, alleged that he called her a c**t at a public hustings and threatened, If you pick on me again I will destroy you. Jenkin said this was in response to the fact that she had informed the hustings that Foster lived in a 1.5 million home. Foster has donated 261,000 to Labour since 2010, but has refused to donate centrally to the party since Corbyns election. Instead, he has funded individual candidates, including those who were Corbyns opponents in the 2015 leadership contest. Foster made a 10,000 donation to Liz Kendall, the arch-Blairite contender, alongside a 10,000 interest-free loan. Kendall, who received at least 75,000 from business, won just 4.5 percent of the vote from Labour members and supporters. Andy Burnham, another candidate, received just under 160,000 from business to fund his Labour leadership campaign, including a donation from Fostermco. The High Court ruling is the third blow to the Blairites attempt to oust Corbyn in as many days. Last week Labour MP Seema Malhotra complained, in a letter to Parliamentary Speaker John Bercow, that aides to Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell had gained unauthorised entry to her office. She claimed this represented a breach of MPs parliamentary privilege. On Tuesday, Bercow wrote to Malhotra informing her that this was not the case. There is nothing in your letter or in the information subsequently elicited by the deputy Sergeant at Arms which would justify regarding these events as a possible breach, the Speaker declared. In the last weeks, the coup plotters and their media backers have repeatedly alleged, without providing any evidence, that Corbyns supporters have been responsible for anti-Semitic statements against Labour MPs and have also threatened to rape and kill MPs. On Wednesday, it emerged that a man who admitted sending anti-Semitic abuse and death threats to Labour MP Luciana Berger was not a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, but a mentally disturbed man with fascist sympathies. Just before the High Court issued its ruling, Corbyns challenger for leadership, Owen Smith, declared that Corbyn should be allowed to stand on the ballot automatically. Smith, one of more than 60 MPs who resigned from Corbyns shadow cabinet and supported a vote of no confidence in him, precipitating the leadership contest, was attempting to distance himself from a move that the vast bulk of Labour members and supporters view as integral to a Blairite coup plot. On Monday, it was revealed that Labour is to be legally challenged over its decision to bar people signed up as party members after January 12 from voting in the leadership election. Solicitors Harrison Grant said proceedings have been issued against the Labour Party on behalf of a number of new members who have been denied the opportunity to vote in the forthcoming leadership election. In the face of the widespread hostility from teachers towards the anti-public education policies carried out by the Obama administration, the Democratic Party, working in collusion with the teachers unions, has made a few rhetorical changes to the party platform in order to falsely promote Hillary Clinton as a defender of teachers and public education. The changes deal with charter schools, high-stakes testing and democratic control of school districts. There is, of course, no mention that the Obama administration went even further than his Republican predecessor in attacking public education on behalf of Wall Street and private education businesses. The platform is nonbinding in any case and will have absolutely no effect on Clinton or any other elected Democrats. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has claimed these and other changes have produced the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party, clearing the way for him to endorse Clinton, a warmonger and highly paid tool of corporate America. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who has betrayed one struggle of teachers after another while cultivating close ties to Bill Gates and other billionaire enemies of public schools, acted as an adviser to the Democratic Party platform committee that altered the wording. The changes attempt to place a progressive veneer over the destruction of public schools through the language of identity politics, continually referencing students of color, students with disabilities and English Language Learners. This is aimed at concealing the class character of the bipartisan assault education by presenting it instead as an issue of institutional racism. This explanation is aimed at advancing the interests of a layer of affluent African American and Hispanic entrepreneurs and politicians who are seeking to cash in from the dismantling of public education and the growing private education business. In Detroit, for example, state and local Democrats have colluded with the Republican governor to attack teachers and expand charters in the name of ending emergency management and returning the school district to democratic control. The new draft shifts away from the blunt commitment to expand charter schools, stating that Democrats now believe that high quality public charter schools should provide options for parents, but should not replace or destabilize traditional public schools. Charter schools must reflect their communities, and thus must accept and retain proportionate numbers of students of color, students with disabilities and English Language Learners in relation to their neighborhood public schools. The Democratic Party is absolutely cynical in its consideration of education. Charter school hustlers, handed public assets by local Democratic Party officials, have repeatedly been involved in corruption scandals. School choice, a slogan championed by Hillary Clintons husband when he was president in the 1990s, has only expanded inequality. The poorest sections of students are forced into charters after their local public schools are closed, and public education, drained of funding by both parties, is kept on a shoestring budget. One of the most hated components of Obamas Race To The Top (RTTT) is high-stakes testing, which was used to shut down schools by the thousands across the country. The original platform stated that Democrats will hold schools, districts, communities, and states accountable for raising achievement levels for all students. The new language is written to hide the plan to continue punitive, high-stakes testing. It reads, We oppose high-stakes standardized tests that falsely and unfairly label students of color, students with disabilities and English Language Learners as failing, the use of standardized test scores as the basis for refusing to fund schools or to close schools, and the use of student test scores in teacher and principal evaluations, a practice which has been repeatedly rejected by researchers. We also support enabling parents to opt their children out of standardized tests without penalty for either the student or their school. This is exactly what Obama and his former education secretary Arne Duncan have done for years. Under Obamas tenure, nearly 8,000 public schools and over 300,000 public teaching jobs have been wiped out. At the same time, charter school enrollment has nearly doubled to three million and in major cities like Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Detroit charters provide instruction to large percentages, if not the majority, of students while schools in New Orleans have been completely charterized. School choice used to be a fringe proposal of the most reactionary Republicans. First laid out by conservative economist Milton Friedman in 1955, it remained deeply unpopular until Democratic President Bill Clinton implemented the first bill funding charter schools, entitled the Charter School Expansion Act of 1998. In 2001, Republican President George W. Bush signed the reactionary No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Co-authored by Massachusetts Democratic senator and liberal stalwart Edward Kennedy, the measure introduced high-stakes testing used to close so-called failing schools and scapegoat teachers for the educational problems caused by poverty and ruthless budget cutting. While millions of educators voted for Obama in 2008 in hopes of ending the hated NCLB law, Obama escalated the assault on public education. While he bailed out the Wall Street banks after the 2008 crash, Obama deliberately starved the states, municipalities and school districts of desperately needed resources forcing them more and more into debt. The White House then dangled federal Race To The Top (RTTT) money to cash-starved districts, rewarding only those which lifted caps on the number of charter schools, destroyed teacher tenure and imposed merit pay and other reactionary school reform measures. School maintenance funds were also deferred, now resting at over $500 billion in required maintenance for public school buildings. Under Obama, 38 states cut education spending between 2008 and 2013 and many are still spending less than they did before the financial crash. There is a yearly $46 billion spending gap on building maintenance and modernization for the remaining schools. At the same time, Obamas education policies include a 50 percent increased budget for charter schools in 2016. These are not just policies of Democrats at the federal level. At the local level, Democratic mayors such as Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, Dave Bing of Detroit, and Michael Nutter of Philadelphia attacked teachers and proceeded to close schools, citing a lack of money. Hillary Clinton is heir apparent to these policies, the meaningless changes to the platform notwithstanding. Last month she was briefly booed during a speech before the National Education Association for promoting charters. The opposition to Obamas reactionary school reform agenda, however, runs exponentially deeper among rank-and-file teachers. Over the past year, the opposition to the attack on education erupted with wildcat strikes by teachers in Detroit and Compton, California and in student walkouts in Boston, Chicago and Detroit over budget cutting. Increasingly, teachers and students are coming into conflict with the trade unions, which function not as instruments to defend them but as tools of the big-business politicians attacking public education. The AFT and NEA, which were among the first to endorse Clinton, do not represent teachers. Instead they protect the interests of an affluent upper-middle-class layer of union executives who are only looking for a seat at the table with a cut of the spoils from the destruction of public education. As for the Democrats, they look to unions to suppress teacher opposition. Rank-and-file teachers must prepare their coming struggles by building new organizations of struggle, controlled by the rank and file and independent of the AFT and NEA. Above all the fight to defend and vastly improve public education is a political struggle that pits the working class as a whole against the capitalist profit system, which enriches the few engaged in the outright theft of public resources. This requires a break with both big-business parties and capitalist politics as a whole. Only the Socialist Equality Party and its presidential and vice presidential candidates, Jerry White and Niles Niemuth, are advancing a socialist program to defend high-quality public education and other social rights. Film director and producer Eva Orner spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about Chasing Asylum, her latest documentary feature. The 96-minute film, which is currently on limited release in Australian cinemas, contains footage secretly shot inside Australias notorious offshore refugee processing centres on Manus Island and Nauru in the remote southwest Pacific. In 2013 Orner directed The Network and her production credits include, Untold Desires, Strange Fits of Passion, The Human Behavior Experiments and Gonzo: The life and work of Dr. Hunter S Thompson. In 2008, she won a Best Documentary Feature Academy Award for producing Taxi to the Dark Side, about the murder of a taxi driver at the USs Bagram Force Air Base in Afghanistan. It lifts the lid on the Bush administrations use of torture, rendition and other illegal measures following the 9/11 terror attacks. Richard Phillips: Youre been based in the US for several years. Can you explain why you decided to make a film about Australias asylum seeker policies? Eva Orner: Ive been living in America since 2004. I left Australia with the Tampa incident still very firmly in my mind. This was in 2001, when the Howard government stopped a boat-load of Hazaras fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan from landing in Australia. Howard was facing an election and it looked like he was going to lose so he very shrewdly played the anti-refugee political card. He stood up and said theyre not coming into Australia and he broke the Refugee Convention to which Australia is a signatory. Those people ended up in Nauru and shortly after that the Pacific Solution started. In 2007 I was living in New York and I stayed up all night with friends watching the Australian election results. We popped champagne when the count was closed and [Labor leader] Rudd was elected. But within a short time the new Labor administration was doing the same as Howard. The treatment of refugees is deeply personal to me because Im Australian first generation. My parents, who were born in Poland in 1937, were Jewish. Three of my four grand-parents perished in the Holocaust so I take the Refugee Convention very seriously. It was, as is explained in the film, the worlds apology for what happened to the Jewish people in the Holocaust. Australia was one of the first signatories to the Convention but for 15 years it has been rejecting it in a most aggressive and harsh way. Australia is committing major human rights violations in its treatment of asylum seekers. The Labor government said that anyone who arrives in Australia by boat will never live here and then in 2013 [Liberal Prime Minister] Tony Abbott began the boat tow-backs. If youd told me in 2001 that in 2014 Australia was still violating the Refugee Convention I wouldnt have believed it. When I would speak with my friends in Australia, who are smart and educated, their lexicon included phrases like illegal asylum seekersuch a thing doesnt existand queue jumpertheres no such queue. I was shocked and decided I had to do something about it. Of course, I didnt realise how hard this film would be to make. Its a film about places you cannot go to, people you cannot talk to, and if people do talk to you about whats going on in these detention centres they can be jailed and now Im implicated. Chasing Asylum is the most difficult, disturbing and upsetting film Ive ever made but Im very glad we did it. RP: Even more difficult than make Taxi to the Dark Side? EO: Yes, because it is my story. Im incredibly proud of Taxi and it is still relevant today. I remember saying in 2006 to Alex [Gibney], What if Guantanamo closes before we release the film? It is now 2016 and Taxi is still relevant. No matter what happens with Chasing Asylum it is a witness, a testimony to say we knew what was happening but we did nothing about it. RP: You say we but Australias repressive anti-asylum seeker policies do not have mass popular support. EO: Well they do. We keep voting in governments that implement these policies. Theres no alternative although you can vote for the Greens. RP: But the Greens were responsible for maintaining the minority Gillard Labor government in power, which maintained and expanded Canberras anti-asylum seeker policies. EO: I dont want to go into an overly political debate about this. I think that our politicians have failed us. [Liberal Prime Minister]Turnbull and [Labor leader] Shorten are beyond culpable for what is happening in the detention centres. People are dying in these camps, people are self-immolating, women and children are being sexually abused, and these politicians are saying lets not get misty eyed about the asylum seekers. Immigration minister Dutton went on a racist rampage the other day calling refugees illiterate and Turnbull said that he was doing a great job. Australians have to know whats going on and stand up against it, thats why I made the film. Im inviting all Australians to give me 90 minutes of their time to watch this film about places and things youre not allowed to see. Everyone should then ask themselves: Do you still think the treatment of these people is fine? And even if they agree with these policies they need to know how much money is being spent to lock up these people. The government spends $1.2 billion per year to keep these people in these horrendous conditions. This is absurd. The amount of self-harm going on in Nauru has now reached such a state that the Nauru government has made it a criminal offence to commit self-harm. You can be an asylum-seeker in Nauru for over a thousand daysas many people havebut if you try to end it all because youre so damaged and distraught you can be jailed for it. Four people have died, 50 women have been sexually abused, children have been abused. At what point do we put an end to this sort of treatment? RP: Do you see any connection between the Australian governments repudiation of refugee and other human rights conventions and the generalised assault on democratic rights internationally? EO: Yes. Im not going to defend Guantanamo Bay and what the US government did post-9/11most of the people in there were never chargedbut the government at least pretended that it had captured criminals. The people coming to Australia by boat have done absolutely nothing; theyre completely innocent and under the UN convention they have the right to come here. The government has responded by imprisoning them. I dont want to pontificate about what it means about abiding by conventions but I can say that Australia is probably leading the western world in committing human rights violations. RP: After you won an Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side, you said that Bush and Cheney were war criminals. Could this be applied to Australian governments? EO: I dont think Australian politicians are war criminals but they have committed very serious human rights violations. Absolutely. I suppose the challenge to these politiciansand none of them would agree to speak with me on filmis why dont they come out and openly say Australia doesnt agree with the human rights and refugee conventions. RP: Could you explain something about the former detention centre workers who agreed to be interviewed for Chasing Asylum? I recall that you said somewhere that theyre all suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. EO: Yes, thats right. Many of them were young and ill-prepared for what they faced in the detention centres. Even Martin, a career prison corrections officer, has been completely devastated by his experiences there. He still cries about it. Their courage to speak out is extraordinary and the fact that they now can be prosecuted for speaking out over what is happening at the detention centres is beyond comprehension. All of them are damaged and cried during the interviews. Their time in the centres has taken a huge toll. Im very emotional about this issue and I want everyone to see this film. I want Australian politicians to watch Chasing Asylum. RP: Do you think the movie will make any difference to the politicians. Isnt that a bit naive? EO: Id like Shorten and Turnbull to see my film. Theyve not been to Manus or Nauru. How can they make policies like this? RP: They know all about it. EO: Im publicly challenging them to watch the filmIll even buy them tickets and popcornand then talk to me. But they wont even speak to me. Im an Academy Award winning Australian filmmaker, why wont they speak to me? RP: I think youve already answered that question. Theyre consciously violating international law and human rights conventions. EO: Well, if they wont speak to me then come and arrest me. Lets test this whistle-blower legislation which makes it illegal to expose whats going in the detention centres. Why does this legislation exist? Its to scare us but its not going to work. Come and arrest us and well fight it. We have to challenge the whole atmosphere of fear, cowardice and lies. RP: Youre the first Australian filmmaker that has decided to make a feature length film on this issue in the past 15 years EO: And got into the camps. RP: Why do you think no one else has attempted to make such a film? EO: There are many artistsstand-up comedians, photographers, musicians and othersspeaking out against the government but making a film like this is difficult. It took us four years. We obviously didnt receive any government assistance and I had to raise the money myself. I dont think there are any filmmakers here that would have been able to raise the sort of money required. The governments deterrence policies seemed to have worked with filmmakers. Would Screen Australia or SBS [Special Broadcasting Services] fund such a film? I doubt it. The author also recommends: Taxi to the Dark Side: Documentary producer Eva Orner speaks with the WSWS [24 March 2008] Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed Wednesday that the automaker will no longer build passenger cars in the United States by early 2017. The move is part of a plan to focus on production of more profitable pickup trucks and SUVs. FCA said its planned reorganization would allow it to match the performance of its larger and more profitable US-based rivals. The announcement came at a press conference following the release of FCAs second quarter profits, which rose 25 percent, to reach $353 million. The results caused the company to raise its estimate for full-year operating profits by 10 percent. The ending of passenger car production puts a continued question mark over the fate of workers at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) in suburban Detroit, and Belvidere, Illinois Assembly that build the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart. This is despite company assurances that the expansion of truck and SUV production will absorb workers made redundant at the two facilities. At the same time, the continued profit boom by US carmakers exposes the phony claim by the United Auto Workers (UAW) that the 2015 agreement was the richest in history. Indeed, it has paved the way for relentless cost cutting and the further enrichment of management and wealthy stockholders. The FCA profit figures follow reports last week that General Motors had $2.9 billion in second quarter profits, more than double the same period in 2015 and its best quarterly result in seven years. At the same time, GM boasted a sizeable 12.1 percent operating margin. Ford, meanwhile, posted $2 billion in second quarter earnings, a small decline over 2015, but still massive. Pointing to GMs numbers, Marchionne said the biggest task facing FCA was to close the operating margin gap with our competitors. That remains a permanent fixation we have inside the house. As part of its switchover to truck and SUV production FCA is investing $1.5 billion to retool SHAP to build the Dodge Ram, currently produced at nearby Warren Truck. Production of the 200 will end in December. SHAP was shut down three months out of the first six months of the year as sales of the 200 tanked. On July 5, FCA permanently eliminated the second shift at SHAP, impacting some 1,300 workers there and 120 workers at Sterling Stamping. The Belvidere assembly plant is being changed over to produce the Jeep Cherokee, now built in Toledo, Ohio. FCA says it will create new jobs at the Toledo complex by expanding production of the Jeep Wrangler. The changes mean that FCA will build primarily the Ram and Jeep SUVs in the United States and will be dependent on those products for its sales and profits. The only exception will be the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee built at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. The changeover at SHAP and the shifting of the Ram out of Warren Truck will create considerable disruption in the lives of autoworkers. It has already impacted workers at SHAP, who are trying to subsist on supplemental unemployment benefits that in some cases only replace about 75 percent of their former income. Despite this, UAW President Dennis Williams hailed the planned reorganization at Fiat Chrysler calling it great for all of our members and all of the employees at FCA and for the local communities. He did not refer at all to the layoffs at SHAP, the first job cuts since FCA emerged from bankruptcy in 2009. The remarks express the complete subservience of the UAW to management and its indifference to the impact of the recent layoffs on the lives of autoworkers. The FCA job cuts underscore the fact that the supposed job guarantees hailed by the UAW in the 2015 agreement are worthless. Kathy, a veteran SHAP worker told the WSWS, They told us we wont go back until August 29. Then maybe we will work for a week or two, then be out for another five or six weeks. They are going over peoples work history. If you are laid off longer than your seniority, they dont have to call you back. We have a system to go online and do a lot of things ourselves that used to be the responsibility of Human Resources. If you dont follow through, you may lose out. Those laid off by department have a week to bump back into the plant. If you dont do that you are out of luck. You could be bumped to another plant. A lot of people dont realize that; they dont know. The union reps dont care and are not helping. You are left on your own. Despite Marchionnes empty boasting, the future of FCA remains far from certain. The company is the latest automaker to be enmeshed in scandal. Fiat Chrysler continues in damage control mode after accusations surfaced that it has been padding sales figures in order to artificially boost its stock price. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched probes after two FCA dealerships raised accusations that the company had offered cash payments to dealers to give falsified sales reports. In response, FCA said it would change the way it reports sales. Starting this month the company said it would adjust its sales totals to reflect sales reported in one month that are not actually finalized. Reflecting this change the company retroactively recalculated its sales reporting. It had earlier boasted a 75-month streak of month-over-month sales gains. Under the new method, that streak ended at 40 months. Since then the company reported there were two other months where sales declined, despite earlier claims of sales gains. At this point FCA is asserting that there were no irregularities in its financial reports. It claimed that its reports of vehicle sales are not the basis for its reports of actual revenue. Under FCAs old sales reporting method a dealer could report a vehicle as sold one month and then unwind it the next month. For example, FCA reported that as of June 30 it had 4,500 vehicles in dealer stock that had been previously reported as sold, but were returned to inventory after the sale had been undone. FCA had originally claimed it sold 197,073 units in June, its best sales for the period since 2005. Flint, Michigan, water rates, which are already the highest in the nation, may go up twofold over the next five years, according to state water officials. The Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee (FWICC), a body set up by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder last January, held a meeting in Flint on July 22. The question of the high water rates in Flint occupied most of the discussion inside the non-public event, which was streamed and uploaded to YouTube. Several of the original appointees to the FWICC have since been replaced due to ongoing investigations, lawsuits and reshuffles resulting from the reckless and criminal decision to switch the citys water supply from the Detroit water system to the polluted Flint River that culminated in the lead poisoning of 100,00 Flint residents. Even though Flint Mayor Karen Weaver announced a month ago that the city would uphold the financial commitment made to the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA), the city has held out the prospect of reducing water rates. The disastrous decision to switch Flints water supply to the Flint River was made as part of a plan to utilize the KWA pipeline from Lake Huron, then under construction, as the citys new water source. State Treasurer Nick Khouri, who heads the KWA subcommittee, presented a report that stated, Without a change in basic operations or outside financial assistance, average bills could double within the next five years. His report continued. The relatively high bills are largely due to funding both wholesale water purchases and maintaining a water treatment plant. Additional contributing factors include transfers to the citys general fund, fixed system costs with a declining customer base, and the high proportion of non-revenue water. Non-revenue water is a euphemism for water that leaks from the citys decaying infrastructure, either soaking into the ground or returning back into the sewage system. This is estimated to be some 40 percent of the citys total usage. Today, nine months after the city was switched back to Detroit-supplied Lake Huron water, residents still cannot drink the water from their taps without filters, and are facing a cutoff of federal emergency funds on August 14. Despite that, officials from the same agencies that were responsible for the disaster exuded complacency in their discussion of their progress in ostensibly moving toward a permanent solution for Flint. FWICC member Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at the citys Hurley Childrens Clinic, whose study on childrens blood-lead levels helped to expose the water crisis, asked if it had been known that rates would continue to rise, despite residents having the highest water rates in the country. In response, Khouri glibly declared that the city was playing catch-up and that rates would go even higher. In an e-mailed response to a press inquiry Dr. Hanna-Attisha said that since the water disaster in Flint was caused by decisions made by public officials, People in Flint should never have to pay for water again, and they anticipate a doubling of water rates? It really should be free forever. The city of Flint currently has a poverty rate of 41.6 percent, with a median household income of $24,679 a year. With the average water and sewerage bill being $140 each month, almost 7 percent of the average residents income goes just to pay the water bill. The EPA estimates the threshold for water affordability at 2.0 percent to 2.5 percent of household income. With perhaps more significance than she intended, Flints newly appointed utilities administrator, JoLisa McDay, spoke repeatedly to emphasize that the city did not have the resources to send crews out to repair broken or leaking water mains without pulling them off federally mandated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) preparations to process water from the KWA pipeline. Keith Creagh, who was just replaced as director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) the week before by former BP Oil spokesperson Heidi Grether, insisted that Flint make a decision quickly on its water treatment options. The choice to be made in connection to the new KWA pipeline is whether to use the citys own outmoded water treatment plant, which would require significant upgrades, or to use the newer Genesee County water treatment facility, which in turn would require a significant expansion of the system to serve the entire Flint area. Officials estimated that the time frame to begin pumping water to the city under either option is 24 to 30 months. In response to a question from Dr. Lawrence Reynolds, a pediatric expert from Mott Childrens Health Center, on how the outcome of the ongoing dispute over the legality of previous rate increases would affect future rates, Khouri expressed barely concealed arrogance. Welcome to this world, he demurred, adding, there are no easy answers. Khouri then pointed to the 40 percent loss of water from the distribution system, explaining that it wasnt known how much was leakage and how much was theft. Reynolds described anecdotally how at his own hospital parking lot he has seen water bubbling up from the ground and for the last three years has been reporting it. Yet, nothing was ever done to fix the leak. He added pointedly, It gets pretty fatiguing to hear that people must be stealing a significant portion of the 40 percent of the water. This isnt the first time that the doubling of rates has been raised at a FWICC meeting. At a meeting held on May 13, Khouri raised the impending rates crisis. He offered explanations, but no solutions. However, a significant factor in the crisis is the fact that Flints water infrastructure was built for 200,000 people in the 1960s and the distribution system is too large and costly for the current 100,000 residents. Reynolds also cited the cost of maintaining the citys archaic water treatment plant, which had been largely mothballed and kept only as a backup for decades. Certainly running your treatment plant and buying wholesale water is adding costs to the system, he said. Another factor behind the high rates is the use of water revenue as the main funding source for the city. Khouri said last May, There are higher transfers to the general fund from the water fund than other comparable systems that we looked at. Representatives of the KWA and supporters such as Khouri still maintain that switching the water source from Detroits (now the regionalized Great Lakes Water Authoritys) treated Lake Huron water will save the city millions of dollars. Before the decision was authorized in 2013 by Khouris predecessor, Andy Dillon, an engineering report contracted by Dillon himself advised against it for financial reasons. The Left Party has reacted to the heinous massacre in Munich and the terror attack in Ansbach with a further shift to the right. In a manner similar to that of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) in Bavaria, leaders of the Left Party are attacking the German government from the right and calling for a tightening up of precisely the policy that has led to the recent violence. They are polemicising against refugees, calling for more police and signalling their support for the war policy pursued by NATO. On Monday, Left Party co-chair Sahra Wagenknecht issued a press release in which she rounded on refugees and immigrants and attacked the refugee policy of Chancellor Angela Merkel, pleading instead for a law and order-type state able to intervene aggressively. The events of the last days show that the reception and integration of large numbers of refugees and immigrants is bound up with considerable problems and is more difficult than Merkels frivolous we can do it appeal from last fall, Wagenknecht stated. She added that the state must know who is in the country and, if possible, where there is potential danger. The government now has a special responsibility to maintain peoples confidence in the capabilities of the state and its security agencies, she said. In a summer interview with the German ZDF television station, Wagenknecht declared last Sunday that she backed the massive police operation conducted in Munich and called for a further build-up of the countrys security forces: In Munich we saw the importance of a well-trained and well-equipped police. There can be no total protection but the [police] on the scene responded well. Wagenknecht even managed to criticise from the right German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, who had systematically promoted the build-up of state forces. Every politician is obliged to support a policy that establishes broad security. Last week Mr. de Maiziere stumbled around publicly promoting the idea of local deputies in order to mask the reduction of police personnel. I hope now that this idea is really off the table. For its part, the Left Party had always called for even more [and] better equipped police. We thought it wrong that in some cases police jobs were cut in states due to the restrictions of the debt limit. Wagenknechts embrace of the police goes hand in hand with her embrace of the war policy pursued by the German government. When asked about her earlier demand for a withdrawal of Germany from NATO, she said succinctly, Of course, Germany would not quit NATO on the same day we join a government. In other words, the Left Party is quite prepared to support German war policy as a coalition partner in a possible red-red-green (SPD-Left Party-Green) government in 2017! In an interview published about the same time in Der Spiegel, Bodo Ramelow, the first Left Party premier (in the state of Thuringia) declared: We are not pacifists. He considered it false for the Left Party not to vote by a majority for Bundeswehr missions abroad in future. After all, Wagenknechts predecessor Left Party leader, Gregor Gysi, had raised a crucial question years ago: How should the Left respond to UN mandated missions? Can we really say: Never Again? Both Wagenknecht and Ramelow are well known for publicly promoting the right-wing bourgeois politics of their party. We take responsibility. We have mayors and district administrators. We are part of the system of organisation, Ramelow has boasted. Ramelow even enjoys good relations with the arch-conservative Bavarian prime minister, Horst Seehofer (CSU). Sure, why not? We have a common border, we have common power lines and many other issues we work out together. And thats why I go to him and say: Listen Horst, weve got a few things to clear up. Especially on concrete issues there are often absolutely no differences between him and Seehofer, Ramelow said. Under conditions of increasing domestic class tensions and the revival of an aggressive foreign policy, all of the German parties are closing ranks and moving further to the right. On Tuesday, Seehofer and Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Hermann held a press conference at which, according to Spiegel Online, they demanded, in response to recent events more police, more controls and a more stringent treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. Wagenknecht and Ramelow could have undoubtedly stood shoulder to shoulder with Seehofer and Hermann based on the premise of absolutely no differences between them. Chasing Asylum, directed by Eva Orner; edited by Annabelle Johnston Los Angeles-based, Australian-born filmmaker Eva Orner is the recipient of numerous documentary prizes, including for Taxi to the Dark Side, which won an Academy Award for the Best Documentary Feature in 2008. The film is a detailed examination of the Bush administrations use of torture, rendition and other illegal measures in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay following the 9/11 terror attacks. Chasing Asylum, her latest feature, is a forceful and harrowing exposure of Australias cruel and criminal asylum-seeker detention policies. Currently in limited release in local cinemas, it is the first time footage from inside the offshore detention centres has been screened in Australia. Orners documentary, which is skilfully edited by Annabelle Johnson, unmasks the lies of consecutive Liberal-National and Labor governments, lifting the official veil of secrecy on the terrible human consequences of the so-called offshore processing program. Under current law, asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat are immediately transferred to detention centres located on Papua New Guineas Manus Island or the Republic of Nauru in the remote southwest Pacific. The men, women and children are imprisoned indefinitely, not for any crime, but for simply exercising their internationally-recognised legal right to seek asylum. If classified as genuine refugees, they are given the choice of settling in Papua New Guinea or Cambodia, among the poorest countries in the world. If not deemed to be refugees, they are either sent back to the countries from which they fled or are incarcerated indefinitely in Australias offshore detention centres. Last November there were over 1,400 asylum seekers, including 70 children, in these camps926 on Manus Island and 543 on Nauru. They are accommodated in ex-WWII military sheds or mouldy tents without adequate medical and other essential facilities. Chasing Asylum opens on an over-crowded refugee boat en route to Australia. The voice of an asylum seeker explains that he decided to undertake the dangerous journey because Australia, he believed, was a free and humane country. The documentary then details the real situation confronting those seeking asylum in Australia with an overview of Canberras offshore detention program, chilling interviews with asylum-seekers and former detention centre employees, along with clandestinely filmed material from the Nauru and Manus Island detention centres. Social workers, security guards and interpreters, a manager and others, explain the reality of the brutal regime. Their decision to reveal these details is courageous. Under Australias Border Force Protection legislation, anyone exposing what goes on inside these concentration campsincluding reportage of child sex abusecan be jailed for two years. Others interviewed in the 96-minute feature include former camp detainees, who decided to return to Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon and Sri Lanka, and asylum seekers still trapped in Indonesia and Cambodia. Everything about the detention centres is designed to dehumanise the asylum-seekers and to send a message to any refugee contemplating sailing to Australia that he or she will be treated worse than criminals and should never enter the country. As one of the detention centre managers says: You go from looking after people to saying if you come here were going to make it worse than if you stayed where you came from. A young social worker, who was told little about her job before being sent to work in the offshore centres, describes the horrendous conditions: There was sickness, disease, infection and it felt militarised [a place] where there are children growing up in mouldy, damp-filled tents. They have no space. You have clients saying to you, Please come back; please dont forget about us; please dont leave us here. Dr Peter Young, director of mental health services on Nauru and Manus Island, points out that holding children indefinitely is an essential part of the governments deterrence policies, as the camera pans across a photograph of 11 babies in one of the detention centres. These infants, he says, were not feeding properly or gaining weight. This is whats considered the price required to stop the boats. Australia is the only country in the world that incarcerates the children of asylum seekers. In one of the many heartbreaking moments in the documentary, social workers detail the terrible psychological toll on children. Youd see kids banging their heads on walls, one explains. An emotional interpreter describes the ecstatic reaction of children when they were finally given dolls and soft toys, after being incarcerated for more than a year. One young Sri Lankan girl cried tears of joy as she rubbed the toy all over her neck and face, the interpreter tells the film. Pictures of childrens paintingsone of them with the words children cry blood, sewing lips together for freedomand wall graffitiwelcome to coffin and Kill uspoint to the deep despair of those trapped in these hell holes. Suicide attempts and self-harm incidents are commonplace, with social workers instructed on how to cut loose asylum-seekers attempting to hang themselves. As a former social worker says, The main thing youre doing for people on Nauru is keeping them alive, asking them not to harm themselves, asking them not to kill themselves. Martin Appelby, a long-experienced former Australian prisons officer, reveals that he received death threats after reporting the abuse of detainees to senior detention centre officials on Manus Island. He resigned in protest and is still traumatised by his time in the Manus Island detention centre. Chasing Asylum also features disturbing footage shot during the February 2014 riots on Manus Island, when Iranian Kurd Reza Barati was beaten to death and others seriously injured by security guards. Security guards are recorded joking about shooting detainees. The film also documents the tragic death of 24-year-old Hamid Kehazaei, who died from septicaemia in September 2014, after not being provided proper medical treatment for a cut in his foot. Orners documentary is not without its weaknesses. While it correctly points toand bluntly condemnsthe bi-partisan character of the Liberal-National and Labor governments assaults on refugees over the past 15 years, it implies that this originated with the Liberal-National coalition government of Prime Minister John Howard in 2001. The whipping up of anti-immigrant sentiment and the mandatory detention of refugees arriving in Australia by boat began, however, under the Keating Labor government in 1992. Nor does the film mention that the minority Labor governments, which expanded the Howard governments repressive offshore refugee program, were kept in power between 2010 and 2013 by the Greens. Chasing Asylum ends with a short interview with former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser who, the audience is told, welcomed 70,000 Vietnamese refugees to Australia during the late 1970s. Orner concludes by dedicating her film to Fraser, the clear implication that his government represented some Australian golden age in the treatment of refugees. In fact, Fraser, who was minister for defence from 196971 at the height of Australias involvement in the US-led invasion of Vietnam, tried to stop the arrival of Vietnamese refugees arriving by boat after he became prime minister in 1975. During the 1977 federal election, Fraser told the media that some of the Vietnamese refugees who have landed in Australia [by boat] might have to be deported. It was only in 1978, after intense pressure from the US, that Fraser agreed to accept more Vietnamese asylum seekers. The overwhelming majority of Vietnamese refugees were admitted to Australia only after they had spent years in South East Asian refugee camps. Notwithstanding these significant political omissions, Chasing Asylum is an emotionally powerful and vigorous exposure of Canberras offshore detention regime and the destructive human toll wrought on its victims. Orners documentary, which has been rightly nominated for an Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, is a valuable contribution to the fight against these anti-democratic and deeply inhumane policies. Whilst the major cinema chains are not showing Chasing Asylum, the details of current screenings, as well as arrangements for special bookings or non-theatrical community showings, are available here. It deserves the widest audience. The author also recommends: Documentary director Eva Orner discusses Chasing Asylum [29 July 2016] The callous and criminal treatment of refugees [17 June 2015] Australias High Court backs indefinite offshore detention [9 February 2016] Barack Obama concluded his address to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia Wednesday night by declaring himself ready to pass the baton to the partys nominee and his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. Accounts of the address in the corporate media have repeatedly referred to the US president casting Clinton as the continuator and custodian of his legacy. But what is the legacy of Obama? In its essential political terms, it consists of his having succeeded in overcoming internal divisions on the question of war that have plagued the Democratic Party for half a century. His administration marks the return of the Democrats to their roots as the premier party of US imperialism, a status the party maintained though two world wars and the subsequent Cold War with the Soviet Union. Obama, who was swept into office on a wave of popular antiwar sentiment, will enjoy the dubious distinction of being the first president to keep the US at war throughout two full terms in office. He has continued the wars he inherited in Afghanistan and Iraq, while launching a new one that toppled the government and decimated the society of Libya; engineering a proxy war for regime change that now includes US troops deployed in Syria; and carrying out attacks in Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan and beyond. With its pivot to Asia and steady buildup of US-NATO forces in Eastern Europe, Washingtons military might has been increasingly directed against Russia and China, in a relentless quest for global hegemony that poses the growing danger of a third world war. Obamas administration will also be remembered for its vast expansion of drone warfare, targeted assassinations and kill lists, along with vicious attacks on civil liberties and the militarization of Americas police. What is extraordinary in the face of all of this is that war was not even a subject of discussion at the convention in Philadelphia. The silence on the matter was guaranteed by the fraudulent opposition candidate Bernie Sanders, who publicly backed Obamas wars during his campaign, and officially ended his political revolution by uncritically endorsing Clinton, the chosen candidate of both Wall Street and the massive US military and intelligence apparatus. In advance of both major party conventions, there were many comparisons in the media of this presidential election year with that of 1968, with predictions that, once again, there could be violence in the streets. While no doubt the Trump campaign has escalated the atmosphere of violence in American politics, wholly ignored in these largely superficial analogies was the core issue that brought about the violence of 48 years ago: mass popular opposition to the Vietnam War, which ended up tearing the Democratic Party apart. The incumbent Democratic President Lyndon Johnson was unable to run for re-election because of the hostility within his own party to the war in Vietnam, expressed in support first for the candidacy of Eugene McCarthy and then for that of Robert Kennedy, who broke with Johnson on the issue. While Robert Kennedys assassination was followed by the nomination of Vice President Hubert Humphrey, a supporter of the war, and his subsequent defeat by Republican Richard Nixon, Vietnam shattered the ideological foundations of the old Democratic Party, based on the filthy deal that was the foundation of Cold War liberalism: lip service to social reform at home, combined with unwavering support for US imperialism abroad. In 1972, the antiwar candidate George McGovern won the nomination and was defeated by Nixon. Nonetheless, the Democratic Party was compelled to take antiwar sentiment into account, in its political calculations, for decades after the war in Vietnam ended. A chasm had opened up between the partys leading personnel within the US capitalist state and the Washington think tanks, who remained committed proponents and strategic thinkers of US imperialism, and a political base, including academics and upper layers of the middle class, in which there remained broad hostility to war. This produced internal conflicts within the party in one election after another. On the one hand, Democratic candidates were compelled to posture publicly as opponents of war, in order to retain credibility with broad sections of the party's electoral constituency. On the other hand, the Democratic candidates sought desperately to maintain credibility with the corporate and military-intelligence establishment, which expected that the candidate, once elected, would conduct foreign policy with the necessary ruthlessness. In the aftermath of the election of George W. Bush came the mass antiwar demonstrations of 2003, and the subsequent attempts by various pseudo-left forces to channel this opposition back into the Democratic Party. With the 2004 presidential election, Howard Dean emerged as an early favorite, campaigning as the representative of the democratic wing of the Democratic Party and appealing to antiwar sentiment within the party. Even after his candidacy was derailed by the party establishment and the media, John Kerry, who had supported the war, was compelled to posture as an opponent, tying himself up in political knots and handing a re-election victory to Bush. Finally, in 2008, the decisive reason that Barack Obama won the nomination and Hillary Clinton lost it was Clintons vote in 2002 to authorize the US war in Iraq. In the promotion of Obamas candidacy, his racial background was presented, particularly by the pseudo-left, as some kind of credential for progressive and antiwar politics, even as a close examination of his political record showed that he was no opponent of militarism. His family and professional connections to the US intelligence apparatus, meanwhile, were kept out of the news. While Obamas election was hailed by the pseudo-left as transformative, what has emerged over the course of his administration, facilitated by these same political forces, has been the utilization of identity politics in the furtherance of US imperialism. This formula was on full display at the Philadelphia convention, where identity politicsthe promotion of race, gender and sexual orientation as the defining features of political and social lifewas woven directly into an unabashed celebration of American militarism. This found carefully crafted expressions in Obamas speech, including his declaration that our military can look the way it does, every shade of humanity, forged into common service, a claim that could be made on behalf of another all volunteer imperialist fighting force, the French Foreign Legion. He went on to state, When we deliver enough votes, then progress does happen. And if you doubt that, just ask the Marine who proudly serves his country without hiding the husband that he loves. The US military had long been a bastion of fanatical homophobia, with over 114,000 service members forced out, with dishonorable discharges, over the issue between World War II and the scrapping of the Dont ask, dont tell policy in 2011. That allowing gays into the military would erode discipline had been an article of faith for the US command. Central to support for changing this policy was the recognition, within both the ruling political establishment and decisive layers of the military brass, that it would prove politically useful in winning support for the military among a privileged upper middle class layer that had identified with the politics of American liberalism. The message at the convention was explicit: These are your troops. These are your wars. They are being fought in your interests. Similar issues of identity politics were employed by the Obama administration in its attempts to whip up the anti-Russian hysteria that was on display in Philadelphia. Thus, well-orchestrated campaigns were mounted around Pussy Riot and statements made by Putin in relation to gays during the Sochi winter Olympic games. In response to the heated rhetoric at the convention, the Washington Posts security columnist wrote a piece entitled Clinton has now made the Democrats the anti-Russia party. He noted: In their zeal to portray Donald Trump as a dangerous threat to national security, the Clinton campaign has taken a starkly anti-Russian stance, one that completes a total role reversal for the two major American parties on US-Russian relations that Hillary Clinton will now be committed to, if she becomes president. The anti-Russian campaign has been ratcheted up sharply in response to the WikiLeaks release of Democratic National Committee emails exposing the collaboration of the DNC leadership and the Clinton campaign in the attempt to sabotage the campaign of her rival, Bernie Sanders, and rig the nomination. Clinton and her supporters have attempted to quash any discussion of the damning contents of these emails by casting their release as a national security issue, with the absurd charge that Vladimir Putin was the real author of the leak, aiming to subvert the US elections. The same method, it should be recalled, was employed in response to earlier exposures of US imperialisms crimes abroad and wholesale spying at home, with Chelsea Manning, Julian Assange and Edward Snowden bearing the consequences in the form of vicious persecution, imprisonment and exile. Opposition to this relentless repression, as well as to war, found no expression in the Democratic convention. Needless to say, Clinton not only supported, but participated in both. Most tellingly, a whole political layer, commonly referred to as the neoconservatives, which broke with the Democrats in the 1960s and 1970s and moved into leading positions with the Reagan and Bush administrations, have now come home, issuing open letters and statements in support for Hillary Clinton. This political evolution of the Democratic Party is not merely the matter of machinations within the party leadership and the state apparatus. It has a social base within a privileged social layer that has moved sharply to the right, providing a new constituency for war and imperialism. The systematic fixation on the issues of race, gender and sexual orientationdeliberately opposed to that of classhas provided a key ideological foundation for this reactionary turn. The convention in Philadelphia has exposed a party that is moving in direct opposition to, and preparing for a confrontation with, a growing radicalization of the American working class. The next period, as the class struggle emerges powerfully, will see a resurgence of opposition by American workers to war. The Socialist Equality Party is the only party campaigning to prepare and give conscious political expression to this development, fighting for the political independence of the working class and the building of a mass international movement against war based on a revolutionary socialist program. We urge all of our readers to support and build the SEP campaign of Jerry White for president and Niles Niemuth for vice president. US Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Manila on Tuesday and spent Wednesday meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay. In an effort to secure continued Philippine support for Washingtons war drive against China, Kerry committed $32 million in funding for Dutertes fascistic crackdown on drugs and alleged criminality. Since Duterte took office on June 30, over 440 people have been killed and the daily death toll is accelerating. During the less than the 48 hours that Kerry was in Manila, 42 people were reported killed by police and vigilantes. Duterte has called for the reinstatement of the death penalty by hanging, and for the lowering of the age of criminal accountability to nine. Bills to this effect are before both houses of the newly-opened legislature, where Duterte has a super-majority. The legislature has also introduced a bill granting the president unspecified emergency powers, ostensibly to deal with the traffic situation in Manila. Duterte has implemented a curfew for minors throughout Metro Manila and is moving to expand it nationwide. Youth found on the streets after 10 p.m. at night may be subject to arrest. The parents of unescorted minors may likewise be arrested. Duterte announced on Wednesday that he will set up what are in effect concentration camps throughout the country, where citizens deemed by the state to be no longer of service to humanity may be held indefinitely, without legal recourse, in wired-off camps within existing military bases. Kerry did not breathe a word of criticism against these police-state measures. On the contrary, he publicly announced Washingtons support for Dutertes anti-drug campaign, and provided funding for its implementation. In return, Kerry made clear that Washington expects Duterte to continue his predecessors support for the US pivot to Asia, aimed against China. The Duterte administration has responded with hesitancy to the sweeping ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, which declared on July 12 that Chinas nine-dash-line claim in the South China Sea was invalid and its land reclamation activities on islets unlawful. Duterte is attempting to balance between the countrys economic dependence on China and the political and military might of the US. Washington is seeking to use the PCA ruling as a pretext for a dramatic escalation of its confrontation with China. The White House is looking for the ostensible claimant in the casethe Philippinesto assert its rights in some way on the basis of the ruling. As the PCA ruling was handed down, US State Department Counselor Kristie Kenney, a former ambassador to the Philippines, traveled to Manila to push for a strong stance. The new government did not oblige, but publicly said it would research the ruling carefully. Duterte announced he was appointing former President Fidel Ramos to head a delegation to Beijing to carry out bilateral negotiations over the South China Sea and trade ties. A week later, a US congressional delegation, headed by Senator Chris Murphy, met with Duterte, and told him the PCA ruling was non-negotiable and he should not be engaged in negotiations with China. Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers met from July 21 to 26. Fierce disputes broke out over whether the ASEAN joint communique would include reference to the PCA ruling. Kerry attended the summit, pressing repeatedly on the contentious topic of the South China Sea. It was reported at the time that Cambodia, which has close ties to China, blocked the inclusion of the PCA ruling in the communique. Phnom Penh issued a statement on July 28 claiming that it was Manila, and Foreign Secretary Yasay, which had the section on the ruling removed from the communique. Manila has denied the claim. Traveling to Manila from Laos, where the ASEAN summit was held, Kerry was the first foreign minister to meet with the new Philippine president. He adopted the tack of using and supporting Dutertes fascist agenda as a means of securing a stronger position from Manila against China. On the day of Kerrys arrival, the Philippine Supreme Court ruled with finality that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which provides the US with military bases in the country, was constitutional. The judges turned down the bogus legal challenge to the deal filed by the Maoist umbrella group BAYAN. In his meeting with Duterte, Kerry highlighted the fact that he and Duterte had a common past as state prosecutors. Like Duterte, he stated, Washington was committed to fighting the illegal drug trade. US Ambassador to Manila Philip Goldberg, who was present at the meeting, told the press that Dutertes inaugural speech and State of the Nation address revealed that the president was committed to following due process and respecting human rights. This is a flagrant lie. The two speeches repeatedly endorsed, in the most vulgar language, the murder of individuals accused of crimes, and granted immunity to the police and vigilantes who carried this out. Kerry secured from Duterte and Yasay a public commitment that any talks between Manila and Beijing would open with a discussion of the PCA ruling. Beijing has publicly stated that it would not conduct any discussions with Manila on these grounds. Department of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre announced on Thursday that the ruling would form the underlining agendum in any prospective bilateral talks with China In return for this commitment, Kerry promised $32 million for Dutertes anti-drug campaign, to be spent on training and supplies for the police and military. Evidence strongly suggests that he also provided Duterte with military intelligence that attempts to connect China with the drug trade in the Philippines. Kerry concluded his public press conference with Yasay by saying: I speak for President Obama and his entire administration when I say that we look forward to working with President Duterte. Duterte left his meeting with Kerry and immediately convened the National Security Council. It was a nearly unprecedented gathering. Former presidents, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino, joined the heads of the legislature and Dutertes cabinet to discuss three topics: the South China Sea, the peace deal with the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the war on drugs. This was not a photo-op; they met for over five hours. Duterte then convened a meeting of the mayors of major cities and governors of provinces, organized under the League of Cities and Provinces (LCP) and League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP). He announced the funding he had received from Kerry. Duterte told his audience that a country friend of ours has provided us with intercepts which revealed that the transshipment of drugs in the Philippines came from China. He said he could not reveal all the details for security reasons, but the drug wholesale trade was being run entirely by the Chinese (intsik) who were based not in the Philippines, but in China. He claimed that the evidence supplied to him revealed that the Chinese were using drug money to buy judges, fiscals, the police, mayors, governors. The president proposed to spend a large portion of the money received from Washington on what he called rehabilitation centers. He described what can only be called concentration camps. Duterte said he was making arrangements for space to be provided in every military facility throughout the country for housing the detained. The detainees would be placed in barracks within high wire encampments. Anyone, Durterte stated, who is no longer of service to humanity would be detained. Drug users would be rounded up. There were too many for the police to handle. Over 170,000 had surrendered thus far, he claimed. We dont need a legal basis for this, he stated. The state had the right, he asserted, to lock up anyone who is insane. And drug users were insane. The next morning, Duterte delivered a speech to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and police and reiterated his claim that a friendly country had given evidence that the Chinese were behind the drug trade. He ominously told his audience: I want to confront China over this We cant start a war with China, but if they invade us thats a different matter. Kerrys money does not come without strings attached. One can only conclude that the Duterte administration, in league with Washington, is cooking up a provocation of some sort that will be used by the US to greatly intensify pressure on China. Nine people were killed and several seriously injured after an under-construction building collapsed in Pune today. By Pankaj P. Khelkar: Nine people were killed and several seriously injured after an under-construction building collapsed in Pune today. The incident took place in Balewadi area when a construction slab, on the 14th floor of the under-construction tower of Pride Purple Constructions, collapsed. Thirteen labourers were present on the 14th floor when the mishap took place. All the workers fell in a heap below; eight of them died on spot. advertisement "We have taken his incident very seriously. We shall order an inspection of all such construction sites now to ascertain whether they are employing adequate safety measures of the workers," Pune Mayor Prashant Jagtap said. The injured have been rushed to the hospital. Rescue operation is still underway. It is not known whether the labourers were wearing safety harnesses while working at that height or why a safety net was not erected below to stop any casualties. Locals accused builders of violating construction norms. Police have summoned the building contractor and the building owners for investigations into the case. With inputs from IANS --- ENDS --- The two-year alliance agreed in 2015 between the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to establish a National Unity Government (NUG) has been extended until 2020. The two secretaries of the relevant parties made the announcement at a joint press conference on July 20. The NUG was the brainchild of UNP leader, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, during parliamentary elections last August. Its purpose was to establish a strong government committed to the US geo-political strategy in the region and the imposition of austerity measures dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After Maithripala Sirisena was elected Sri Lankan president in January 2015, he automatically became SLFP chairman. Sirisena previously had defected from the SLFP and contested the election as the common presidential candidate of the opposition parties, including the right-wing UNP, as part of a US-led operation to remove former President Mahinda Rajapakse, due to his close relations with China. Sirisena, however, failed to win unanimous backing within the SLFP. As a result, Rajapakse secured factional support and rallied about 50 members of parliament around himself as an unofficial joint opposition. The decision to extend the NUG alliance for the entire duration of the current parliament is a desperate attempt to maintain a joint front against a developing movement of working people and youth, who are engaged in protests against the governments attacks on living standards, social conditions and basic democratic rights. The unity government also fears the political challenge posed by Rajapakses SLFP faction, which is exploiting popular grievances by whipping up Sinhala chauvinism. Rajapakse is also gaining support from sections of the business elite frustrated over the loss of money-making opportunities they enjoyed under his government. Rajapakses faction has organised a five-day public march from Kandy to Colombo, about 100 kilometres, to end in a rally on August 1. Its slogans include, Against the constitution to divide the country and Oppose punishing war heroes. Rajapakse is posing as a defender of the military and opposing any, even limited, attempt to punish those responsible for the militarys war crimes during the Colombo elites protracted civil war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). At the same time, he is appealing to layers of the Sinhala ruling elite who are opposed to any concessions to Tamil leaders. Voicing the governments concerns, a Daily Mirror editorial on July 26 declared: We hope the five-year agreement between the two major parties will help stabilise the economy and the rule of law with tough legal action being taken against any and all who have committed the crime of plundering the wealth of Sri Lankas people. This call for corruption charges is directed against Rajapakse and his supporters, not against Sirisena, who was a prominent minister in the previous Rajapakse government, or the UNP, which has a long history of corrupt practices. It is the means for weakening the Rajapakse faction as the national unity government prepares to deepen the assault on working people. The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe regimes political nervousness is being heightened by a growing protest movement. Not a day passes without a public demonstration over social issues somewhere in Sri Lanka. To the utter dismay of the government, working people and youth of all communities are participating in these agitations. In the recent months, postal and health workers have walked out on strike for several days. Non-academic university employees held a one-day strike on July 6, demanding the government grant long outstanding demands for a wage rise. On July 27, they struck indefinitely. The University Grants Commission responded by closing down universities. University students throughout the country are involved in class boycotts and protest marches in defiance of police orders and repression. The struggles of Sri Lankan workers and youth are part of a resurgence of the working class internationally. The political dilemma facing Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government is exacerbated by its deepening balance of payments crisis and the increasing demands of the IMF for austerity. A recent Sri Lanka Country Risk Report, issued by Business Monitor International, bluntly declared that the government will face difficulty in making short-term adjustments to its budget due to political gridlock and high interest costs. The IMF recently agreed to grant a $US1.5 billion loan as a short-term cover for Sri Lankas severe balance of payments crisis. The countrys foreign exchange reserves have fallen by a third from their peak in late 2014 to just $6.2 billion at the end of March this year. Foreign debt increased from $21.5 billion, or 36.1 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), in 2010 to around $57 billion, or 69.4 percent of GDP, at the end of 2014. Total foreign debt is currently believed to be over $70 billion. The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government is fully aware that the challenges it confronts cannot be overcome democratically or peacefully. The extension of the NUG alliance deal will be followed by even more draconian measures against working people. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe indicated this in an address to the journalists on July 22 in Kandy. Accusing the countrys print media of backing Rajapakse with a view to his return to power, Wickremesinghe warned: If they [Rajapakses supporters] are trying to topple this government and bring him back, we are ready for it. Neither faction of the ruling elitethat led by Wickremesinghe and Sirisena or its rivals led by Rajapaksedefend the democratic rights and basic needs of the vast majority of the population. They are committed to imposing the burden of the economic crisis on working people and will use police-state measures to suppress any opposition. This years Better Together: California Teachers Summit, a statewide professional development day for teachers on July 29, takes place amidst a nationwide assault, spearheaded by the Obama administration and both big business parties, to dismantle public education and expand for-profit charter schools. The 15,000 teachers expected to attend this summit will be gathering at 38 campus locations up and down the state to network and share their experiences in implementing the new California State Standards (CSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Every teacher knows their living standards, work conditions and the very right to high-quality public education are under attack. Not only are class sizes larger and budgets smaller but a steadily increasing number of students are entering school who are suffering from the devastating effects of the economic and social crisis. Despite Obamas claims that things are pretty darn good, child poverty in California is up nearly 20 percent since 2007, even before the global financial crisis. The state has the dubious distinction of having more children in poverty than any other in the nation. It also has the largest class sizes in the country, according to a June 2016 study by the National Education Policy Center. While Obama and Bush before him handed over trillions to bailout out the Wall Street banks and to fund endless wars, both parties have starved the states, municipalities and school districts of resources forcing them to go deeper and deeper into debt to the very same financial criminals who wrecked the economy. The White House than dangled federal Race To The Top money to cash-starved school districts, rewarding only those who closed public schools and expanded for-profit charters, and attacked teachers tenure, wages and social rights. When the Democratic-controlled state assembly passed AB 215 reversing due process rights for teachers, and a Los Angeles Superior Court judge declared teacher tenure and seniority laws unconstitutional in Vergara vs. California the Obama administration hailed the ruling for setting a national precedent. Hillary Clinton is the heir apparent of Obamas reactionary anti-education agenda. She and her husband were among the first Democrats to embrace school choice, which had long been the mantra of only the most right-wing Republicans. Whatever efforts the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) make to paint Clinton as a defender of teachers and public education, the truth is she is a tool of Wall Street and the powerful corporate interests seeking to cash in from the privatization of public education. This means the assault on public education will be accelerated whether Clinton or the billionaire Republican Donald Trump wins in November. Educators, parents and students have repeatedly demonstrated their determination to defend the right to high quality public education. Earlier this year, teachers in Detroit and Compton, California organized sickouts and students have carried out walkouts in Boston and other cities to defend their schools. The fight against the privatization is international as can be seen with the strikes and struggles by teachers in the Mexico, United Kingdom, Australia and other countries. In the name of preparing students to compete in the global market, the public education system is being destroyed with the methods of the free marketthe same capitalist profiteering that created the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In every country, classroom teaching is being transformed into a data-driven, assessment-based curriculum that has nothing to do with developmentally appropriate learning for children. In the face of the growing opposition to these attacks, the AFT and NEA, and their state and local affiliates have done everything to prevent a unified struggle of educators because the unions are directly tied to Obama, Governor Jerry Brown and the Democratic Party. Far from opposing corporate-driven school reform, the unions are only looking for a seat at the table and a share from the spoils of dismantling public education. The United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), for example, has been instrumental in the creation of pilot schools, which are charter schools run by the union executives themselves. According to those hosting todays summit teachers a better together if they work with the very same corporate and political forces that are destroying public education. One of the main organizers of this education summit is the New Teacher Center, a national nonprofit that focuses on teacher training. Although originally founded by teachers in 1998 in Santa Cruz, California the organization is now a right-wing foundation allied with the AFT, NEA and the Democratic Party. Among its long list of philanthropic backers is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as dozens of banks and big corporations. Also included is Oracle CEO is Lawrence Ellison, the richest person in California whose net worth is estimated at $54 billion, an amount that would eliminate the deficits of entire countries. This years newest sponsor is the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), a highly funded lobby group whose three key players are WalMart heiress Carrie Walton Penner, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Republican politician Steve Poizner. The starting point of any struggle to defend the right to education is an understanding of the class character and origins of this attack and the political forces behind it. Public education is under attack, just like pensions, health care benefits and other social rights, because society is dominated by a corporate and financial aristocracy that derives its vast wealth, not by producing anything of value, but largely by looting already existing public resources. This aristocracy controls the political system and both the Democrats and Republicans. Claims that the destruction of public schools is racist are aimed at deceive workers and dividing the working class along racial and ethnic lines. Teachers and working class students of all races and nationalities are coming under attack while the perpetuators are big business politicians of every race, gender and nationality, including Obama and Hillary Clinton. If the social needs of masses of working people are to take priority over the insatiable appetites of the super-rich, then the working class must assert its own independent interests in opposition to the oligarchy that rules America and the world. The Socialist Equality Party is running Jerry White for US president and Niles Niemeth for vice president as a socialist alternative to Clinton and Trump. We are building the SEP to unite every struggleagainst inequality, war, police killings and other attacks on democratic rightsinto a single, political struggle by the working class to take political power it is own hands and replace capitalism with socialism. We say that high quality, free public education, from preschool to the university level, is a social right just like a decent job, housing, free health care, secure retirement, and access to culture. These are essential to life in a complex modern society and, therefore, inalienable and non-negotiable. When the politicians say theres no money for public schools, the working class must answer with a socialist program, which includes nationalizing the banks under workers control, ending the squandering of trillions on war and reorganizing society to serve human needs, not profits. Thailands military rulers have launched a crackdown on opposition in the lead-up to a referendum, scheduled for August 7, on the juntas draft constitution. The ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) insists that its new constitution must be accepted before elections are held next year. Self-appointed prime minister and former army chief, Prayuth Chan-Ocha, who seized power in a May 2014 coup, declared that if the constitution is rejected, the NCPO will draft another. Elections could be postponed indefinitely. The draft constitution enshrines rule by the military, the judiciary and state bureaucracy. The 250-seat Senate would be entirely appointed by the NCPO. Six seats would be reserved for the army, navy, air force and national police heads, the militarys supreme commander and defence permanent secretary. The 500-member Lower House would be elected, but the Senate could veto its laws. The draft also gives the Constitutional Court and anti-corruption bodies, which supported the coup, greater powers to remove politicians from the Lower House if they are deemed corrupt. A second referendum question asks whether senators should have a say in the appointment of the prime minister, who could be an unelected official, such as a general. The proposed charter is so blatantly anti-democratic that both major political parties, the Pheu Thai Party and the Democrat Party, have opposed it. The Democrat-aligned group, the Peoples Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), paved the way for the 2014 coup by mobilising sections of Bangkoks upper middle classes to destabilise the Pheu Thai government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The PDRC leaders secretly coordinated their actions, including the disruption of the 2014 election, with the military coup plotters. The countrys traditional elites, grouped around the monarchy, the military and the state bureaucracy, are bitterly hostile to Yingluck and her billionaire brother Thaksin Shinawatra, whose parties have won every election since 2001. The Shinawatras built a base of support among the urban and rural poor through limited reforms, such as cheap loans and various subsidies. Thaksin further alienated the Bangkok-based elites by opening up the economy to more foreign investment, cutting across existing networks of patronage. In 2006 the military removed Thaksin in an earlier coup. Elected in 2011, Yingluck made every effort to bring about a reconciliation with the military. However, as the countrys economic downturn deepened, the ruling elite demanded the elimination of subsidies and other attacks on living standards and turned to the military to suppress opposition from the working class and rural poor. Since taking power the NCPO has eliminated Yinglucks subsidies for rice farmers and is seeking to cut fuel subsidies, on which millions of people rely. The junta has also increased tax incentives for domestic and foreign companies. The NCPO has banned all public campaigning on the August 7 referendum. Since coming to power it has maintained a police state, outlawing public gatherings and any criticism of the regime. According to human rights groups, more than 113 people have been arrested in the past three months alone for activities related to the referendum. Last month, a group of 13 people was arrested for handing out leaflets calling for a no vote. The Wall Street Journal reported: In prison, they said guards shaved their hair down to the scalp and shackled their feet during visits to a military court. Seven of the group refused to seek bail and spent 12 days in detention before a court released them ahead of a trial. They face maximum sentences of 10 years in prison. On July 10, journalist Taweesak Kerdpoka was arrested for alleged No Vote activities. Two days later, soldiers raided the office of his online newspaper Prachatai. Taweesak was arrested alongside three members of the New Democracy Movement, a student-led group that has organised protests against the dictatorship. Former members of the ousted Pheu Thai government have also been charged. On 28 July, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan announced that eight politicians would be tried in a military court for spreading false information about the draft charter. The Pheu Thai Party and its protest organisation, the Red Shirts, helped pave the way for the coup by encouraging illusions in the military, and have refused to mobilise opposition against the junta. Those who expose the crimes of the military also face extreme penalties. Three Amnesty International officials based in Thailand, Somchai Homla-or, Anchana Heemmina and Porpen Khongkaconkiet, were charged on July 26 for criminal defamation and violating the Computer Crimes Act by releasing a report documenting 54 cases of alleged torture carried out by the army and police in southern Thailand. They face up to five years in jail if found guilty. On the same day, police arrested 25-year-old Naritsarawan Kaewnopparat on similar charges of defaming the army. Naritsarawan is the niece of Wichian Puaksom, an army conscript who was tortured to death by the military in 2011. Last year Wichians family won $200,000 in compensation after suing the defence ministry, the army and the prime ministers office over his death. The recent crackdown on dissent prompted a letter to Thai authorities signed by the ambassadors of the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany and several other European countries. The letter, published on July 15 by the Bangkok Post, expressed concern over troubling actions, including the arrest of activists, the shutdown of opposition media, and restrictions on freedom of expression. The ambassadors called for Thailand to emerge quickly from the current period of political transition with a sustainable democracy. In reality, the imperialist powers have no concern for democracy in Thailand. The ambassadors share the NCPOs anxiety about a resurgence of popular opposition around the referendum. They warned that the NCPOs actions could increase tensions. The letter did not criticise the draft constitution, which effectively enshrines military dictatorship, but merely called for open dialogue. It stated: Thailand has traditionally played an important role in strengthening regional cooperation, boosting international trade, and promoting shared global values. Washington considers the Thai military a valuable ally in the region, where the US has greatly boosted its military presence in preparation for war against China. Undoubtedly, US officials were informed in advance of the 2014 coup, as they were in 2006, and gave tacit support. Since the coup the US has imposed only token sanctions and continued its annual Cobra Gold military training exercises with Thai forces. In the early morning hours of July 20, a three-and-a-half foot water pipe broke underwater in the Rouge River which caused a loss of water pressure for residents and businesses in southwest Detroit and downriver suburb, Ecorse. In addition to supplying drinking water to local residents, the water main provided water to the Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for use in treatment processes, as well as for employees to drink and shower with. The plant is run jointly by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) and the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), the regional entity that was established out of the forced bankruptcy of Detroit in order to sidestep legal protections to residents and employees provided in the city charter. The exact cause for the rupture is not clear. Possible reasons include the recent sweltering temperatures, which have increased stress to utility infrastructure such as electrical grids and water pipes. Also, multiple underground construction projects are in progress throughout the city. The ruptured main runs underground across the section of the Rouge River adjacent to the WWTP. The World Socialist Web Site has learned that this section of pipe is 92 years old. When customers complained about the low water pressure resulting from the break, DWSD officials were quick to issue a boil water advisory as a precautionary measure to alert those affected in the area that the water was not safe to drink unless additional steps were taken. As a public service, television and radio stations simply parroted the press release issued by DWSD without any investigative reporting as to the cause of the water main break, or comment on how the boil water advisory may have had an ill effect on residents in the area. Other than this perfunctory report, little attention was paid by the media. The only subsequent news update by the press since the water main break was on July 23 when the DWSD officials issued a public notice that the boil water advisory was no longer in effect. DWSD and GLWA officials managed to prevent reporting of the fact that the break also shut down the internal operations of its WWTP. The Detroit WWTP is the largest single-site sewage treatment facility in the US, treating an average of 650 million gallons a day. Before it was ruptured, the water transmission line provided a significant flow of water which the sewage plant depends upon in order to properly function. Fortunately, the sewage and stormwater coming through 96-inch pipes into the WWTP were able to be stopped by process flow control operators and redirected to catch basins which have the capacity to temporarily hold millions of gallons. Otherwise, the incoming flow of sewage would have increased to the point that the plant could have gone into a Michigan state or federal violation, risking the dumping of raw or improperly processed sewage into the Detroit River. Workers told the WSWS that shutoff valves were found on either side of the river, allowing the ruptured section of water main to be sealed off from the system. The 42-inch main itself has not yet been repaired or replaced, so the water pressure to the area continues to be significantly reduced. On condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, GLWA employees spoke to the WSWS, describing inhuman working conditions at the plant. During the length of the disruption, all plant personnel at the sewage plant had no access to drinking water, air conditioning or the use of washroom facilities. In particular, operations and maintenance workers were not able to take showers at the end of their shift. Instead, DWSD and GWLA officials rented several dozen portable restrooms which were brought on site. Cases of bottled water were bought in as a substitute for drinking, which proved to be inadequate. To add insult to injury, GLWA employees reported that the shift supervisors rationed out bottled water from their offices rather than locating it in the assigned work areas. A GLWA employee said, The entire plant was shut down for three days. The pumps had no water and we had to turn them off. Some of us had to work overtime because other workers did not want to work in 96 degree weather with no air conditioning or showers. One female employee said, I was not comfortable using the portable restrooms while on the job and waited to go home, instead. Even though the water pressure has been restored to the affected communities, the sewage plant is struggling to come back online. Another GLWA employee said, There are problems still with the water supply lines because the hot water is coming through the toilets. There is not enough [seal] water pressure to keep the motor shafts lubricated and we cant get ice cubes from the ice machine. A maintenance worker described working without water at the plant: Terrible! I brought in my own water, and I still do. I have not seen any signs posted that say everything is in the clear now. I had to ask my supervisor to see if it was okay to use the water. The near-disaster at the WWTP follows a series of sludge fires that occurred at the plant just five months ago. The GLWA, whose primary mandate is cutting costs and manpower, took over operations last January. Most of the accidents happen when people are trying to cross unmanned railway crossing. By Siraj Qureshi: The Agra administration stipulated some rules for unmanned crossings, in a meeting which was held between administrative, railway officials and school authorities. This comes a week after nine school kids were killed when their school bus collided with a train in Bhadohi. The incident created panic among the parents all over India, and even pressed the government, who seems to be taking action now. advertisement Killer stunt: How van driver's obsession with speed killed 9 schoolgoing kids in UP Bhadohi tragedy: School van driver's love for speed and music claims 9 innocent lives Although the accident was claimed to have occurred due to the driver's use of mobile earphones, but the incident urged the governmnet to hold the meeting to stipulate rules for unmanned crossings. AWARENESS BEING SPREAD Talking to India Today, Additional District Magistrate (Agra City) Dharmendra Singh said that the people are being made aware of how to act on the manned and unmanned railway crossings. This is being particularly being done in rural areas where village elders and local panchayat officials are asked to spread awareness among the villagers, as most such accidents happen on unmanned crossings in rural areas. He said the managements of all schools have been alerted to instruct their bus drivers to not use earphones and mobiles while driving. SCHOOLS, NGOS TO ALL HELP Appeal has been made to the social organisations to come forth and assist the administration in establishing these rules. North Central Railway's Senior Divisional Officer, Akhlaq Ahmed, told India Today that the railway department has appointed a home guard at each railway crossing, who will control the crowd while the gate is closed. He said that the railways is also taking help of social organisations and media in preventing mishaps on manned and unmanned railway crossings. Also Read: Uttar Pradesh: 7 kids die after train hits school bus in Bhadohi --- ENDS --- In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination for the November 8 election. By India Today Web Desk: US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Thursday Americans faced challenges at home and abroad that demand steady leadership and a collective spirit, and attacked Republican Donald Trump for sowing fear and divisiveness. In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination for the Nov. 8 election with a promise to make the United States a country that worked for everyone. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid," she said. She presented a sharply more upbeat view of the country than the dark vision Trump offered at last week's Republican convention, and even turned one of Republican hero Ronald Reagan's signature phrases against the real estate developer. advertisement "He's taken the Republican Party a long way, from 'Morning in America' to 'Midnight in America,'" Clinton said. "He wants to divide us - from the rest of the world, and from each other. He's betting that the perils of today's world will blind us to its unlimited promise." The speech was Clinton's turn in the spotlight after three days of electrifying appearances by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama, and Clinton acknowledged that some people still do not know her well. "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me. So let me tell you. The family I'm from, well no one had their name on big buildings," Clinton said in a reference to Trump. She said her family were builders of a better life and a better future for their children, using whatever tools they had and "whatever God gave them." As she prepared to deliver her speech, people familiar with the matter said the FBI is investigating a cyber attack against another Democratic Party group, which may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee. The previously unreported incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers, are likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the U.S. election to help Trump. Clinton said it would be her "primary mission" to create more opportunities and more good jobs with rising wages, and to confront stark choices in battling determined enemies and "threats and turbulence" around the world and at home. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying," said Clinton, a former secretary of state. "No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance - looking for steady leadership." Clinton, who is vying to be the first woman elected US president, called her nomination "a milestone" and said she was happy for grandmothers and little girls and "everyone in between." "When any barrier falls in America, it clears the way for everyone," the 68-year-old Clinton said in a speech that capped the four-day nominating convention. Trump, a 70-year-old reality TV show host who has never held political office, is running just ahead of Clinton in a RealClearPolitics average of recent national opinion polls. They both garner high "unpopularity" ratings. HERE IS WHAT SHE SAID: - Trump "can't even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign." - Trump loses his cool at the "slightest provocation" - when he's gotten tough questions from reporters, when he's challenged in a debate or when he sees a protester at a rally. - US needs a leader who'll work with allies to keep America safe. - The presidential election presents a stark choice on national security, with the U.S. facing what she says are "determined enemies that must be defeated." - Will stand by NATO allies against any Russian threats. - My presidential nomination is a milestone on America's "march toward a more perfect union." - Nation must keep going until all 161 million women and girls in the country have the opportunities they deserve. - When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit. - Happy for boys and men, too, because when a barrier fall, it clears the way for all. - My mother - who was abandoned by her parents as a young girl - taught me an important life lesson. - I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans and independents - "for all those who vote for me and those who don't." advertisement - Have met many people who motivate me to fight for change, including sick children and survivors of 9/11. - Democrats haven't done a good enough job of showing working families that they understand what these families are going through. - Americans are willing to work, and work hard. - Americans don't say, "I alone can fix it" but "we'll fix it together." - I accept the Democratic presidential nomination with "humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise." - The slogan "stronger together" that's been featured in her campaign is a guiding principle for the country. - It'll help define a future with a healthy economy "for everyone, not just those at the top." - It also means good schools for rich and poor, and safe communities. - Clinton recalls the book she wrote while she served as first lady. She says "It Takes a Village" envisions a country in which people work together to make "our nation better and stronger." - The United States has the most dynamic and diverse people in the world - and the most powerful military. - Don't let "anyone tell you that our country is weak." advertisement - US has the most innovative entrepreneurs and the most enduring values. - Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes," Clinton says. "We do. - I wouldn't build a wall or ban a religion. - I would try to build an economy that benefits everyone and she'd work toward a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants. - We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. "I refuse to believe we can't find common ground here. We have to heal the divides in our country.?? Hillary https://t.co/hGRbyjBeMl; Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 29, 2016 - Trump "wants us to fear the future and fear each other. - It's morning in America" was an optimistic line from a famous political ad aired by Ronald Reagan. - We heard Donald Trump's answer last week at his convention. He wants to divide us - from the rest of the world, and from each other. - The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. - Have heard the views of Bernie Sanders' steadfast supporters and says their cause is her cause. - America is stronger because of President Obama's leadership. - We heard from America's 5 terrific Persidents. advertisement - With inputs from AP and Reuters Also Read: I know with all my heart that my mother will make us proud as President: Daughter Chelsea Clinton TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- The Florida Department of Education has released district grades for the 2016 school year. The Insiders team looked at Gadsden, Hamilton and Jefferson counties which received either D's or an incomplete grades for the 2014-2015 school year. District grades are out again as children get ready to head back to school. We took a look Gadsden County's preliminary incomplete school grade from 2014-2015 school year. In an Insiders update, according to the Florida Department of Education, through an appeals process for 2015, the district now has a "D" for 2015, because school leaders were able to show they tested more than 95 percent of students. For 2016, the district received a "C." Superintendent Reginald James is thrilled, because he says Gadsden is the only district in the state to move up a full letter grade. "Ultimately, the best part about that is that it get us one step closer to our goal which is to become a high performing district, an A or B district," James said. He said he's proud of the students and the teachers and is ready for another school year. Classes start August 15. Over in Hamilton County, the district is working to improve its grades after getting F's in 2013 and 2014. Hamilton did improve in 2015, but not by much. All four schools and the district overall earned a "D." The superintendent says the grading system needs to stay consistent. "Let's quit tinkering with all the scoring every year," said Hamilton County Superintendent Tom Moffses. "Let's quit changing every time we turn around. Give everybody a fighting chance to hit the mark." In an Insiders update, the district maintained its overall grade of a "D," but there was change for three of the four schools. While South Hamilton Elementary improved to a "C," Central Hamilton went down to an "F" and Hamilton County High School earned an incomplete. In Jefferson County, the district earned a "D" in 2015 and 2016, but there was progress at one of the two schools. The middle and high school improved from an "F" to a "D." If you have a story idea for the Insiders, you can email us at abc27news@wtxl.tv, attention: the Insiders. NACHES, Wash. -- Naches planners will be asked to recommend whether the town should permit marijuana to be sold within its boundaries if it Yakama Nation leader Patrick Luke was sworn in Thursday, July 28, 2016 as the chairman of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. (Courtesy photo) Dhanush's Vada Chennai will track the life story of a gangster from 1977 to 2007. By India Today Web Desk: Actor Dhanush's much-hyped trilogy Vada Chennai has finally gone on floors last month. Vada Chennai is directed by National Award-winning director Vetrimaaran, which will track the life of a gangster for 30 years in North Chennai. With the shooting going at a rapid pace in Chennai, the latest buzz is that the team is reportedly shooting for the 1977 portion in the film. Tipped to a gangster-trilogy, Vada Chennai will track the underworld politics of North Chennai from 1977-2007. ALSO READ: Vijay Sethupathi plays an extended cameo in Vada Chennai ALSO READ: Vada Chennai- Amala Paul to replace Samantha in the upcoming trilogy? The film is also believed to have been inspired by a real life story and the Aadukalam director has reportedly done a lot of research for Vada Chennai. advertisement Interestingly, Vetrimaaran decided to make Vada Chennai as a trilogy after consulting with Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. Vada Chennai also stars Andrea, Samuthirakani and Daniel Balaji in pivotal roles. The film marks Dhanush's third collaboration with Vetrimaaran as an actor. Recently, actor Vijay Sethupathi has been roped in to play an extended cameo in the film. Produced by Dhanush's banner Wunderbar Films, the first part of the trilogy will hit the screens in the second half of 2017. High school students assisting an Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) archaeological survey discovered an ancient Roman pottery workshop in the Western Galilee. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter We have been conducting a large scale survey and excavations in the town of Shlomi at the request of the local municipal council and the Israel Lands Authority for the past six months, IAA geologist Anastasia Shapiro told Tazpit Press Service (TPS). We unearthed an impressive factory for the manufacturing of jars, urns, and various vessels as part of the project. According to Israeli law, IAA experts must conduct an archaeological survey of any construction site before issuing approval to begin building on it. High school students discovered a 1,600 year old kiln in the western Galilee (Photo: Courtesy) The pottery factory, which includes a unique kiln, storehouses, water basins, and mosaic floors, was dated by the IAA to the late Roman Period, roughly 1,600 years ago. The kiln, which was only recently discovered, is the cherry on top for this excavation, Shapiro explained to TPS. As archaeologists, we have encountered many ancient kilns, but they were all built or constructed out of stone. This one, however, is the first to be discovered that was actually excavated into the rock. According to Shapiro, it is very rare to discover a complete kiln as they tend to break or be destroyed with time. In this case, the entire structure of the kiln has been preserved as it is made out of one piece of solid rock. There is no other known discovery like this. It is simply one of a kind, said Shapiro. IAA archaeologists also concluded that the pottery workshop itself was an important, thriving one. The ceramic debris that was discovered around the kiln indicates that two types of vessels were manufactured by the workshopstorage jars that could be transported overland and amphorae that were used to store wine or oil to be exported from Israel by sea. The discovery was aided by a large group of high school students from neighboring communities and from the cities of Nahariya and Qiryat Bialik. A part of the kiln uncovered in Shlomi (Photo: Courtesy) The students who volunteered on this project since May exposed the walls of the ancient workshop prior to the discovery of the kiln itself, as well as other features of the complex, such as water holes and mosaic floors, explained Shapiro. The students who assisted in the discovery were part of a large group of students who have been participating in archeological excavations in six different sites around the Galilee. The Ministry of Education has been encouraging Israeli teens to enhance their education outside of the classroom in order to increase student involvement in various public projects in neighboring communities. One can learn a lot during a history lesson in school, but theres nothing like actually holding history in ones hands, Gilad Zinamon, an IAA education coordinator, told TPS. PHILADELPHIA In officially accepting the nomination to be the Democratic candidate for President of the United States, Hillary Clinton cast herself Thursday night as a unifier for divided times, an experienced leader steeled for a volatile world. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "I'm proud of that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear program without firing a single shot," she said in her speech. "Now, we have to enforce it, and we must keep supporting Israel's security." She aggressively challenged Republican Donald Trump's ability to do the same. Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech X "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," Clinton said as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates on the final night of the Democratic convention, relishing her nomination as the first woman to lead a major US political party. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching at home, many of whom may welcome her experience as secretary of state, senator and first lady, but question her character. Hillary Clinton is officially the Democratic nominee for President of the United States (Photo: AP) She acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me." But her primary focus was persuading Americans to not be seduced by Trump's vague promises to restore economic security and fend off threats from abroad. Clinton's four-day convention began with efforts to shore up liberals who backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and it ended with an outstretched hand to Republicans and independents unnerved by Trump. A parade of military leaders, law enforcement officials and Republicans took the stage ahead of Clinton to endorse her in the general election contest with Trump. "This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future," said retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan. "We must seize this moment to elect Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America." American flags waved in the stands of the packed convention hall. There were persistent but scattered calls of "No more war," but the crowd drowned them out with chants of "Hill-a-ry" and "U-S-A!" The Democratic nomination now officially hers, Clinton has just over three months to persuade Americans that Trump is unfit for the Oval Office and overcome the visceral connection he has with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention (Photo: Reuters) She embraced her reputation as a studious wonk, a politician more comfortable with policy proposals than rhetorical flourishes. "I sweat the details of policy," she said. Clinton's proposals are an extension of President Barack Obama's two terms in office: tackling climate change, overhauling the nation's fractured immigration laws, and restricting access to guns. She disputed Trump's assertion that she wants to repeal the Second Amendment, saying "I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place." Campaigning in Iowa Thursday, Trump said there were "a lot of lies being told" at Clinton's convention. Later, he tweeted that Clinton's vision is "a borderless world where working people have no power, no jobs, no safety." Clinton came into the convention facing deep voter concerns with her honesty and trustworthiness, stemming in part from her controversial use of a private internet server at the State Department. A separate pre-convention controversy over hacked Democratic Party emails showing favoritism for Clinton in the primary threatens to deepen the perception that Clinton prefers to play by her own rules. Hillary Clinton during her speech to the DNC (Photo: TNS) Through four nights of polished convention pageantry, Democratic heavyweights told a different story about Clinton. The most powerful validation came Wednesday night from Obama, her victorious primary rival in 2008. Obama declared Clinton not only can defeat Trump's "deeply pessimistic vision" but also realize the "promise of this great nation." Clinton was introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, who spoke warmly of her mother as a woman "driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love." President Bill Clinton watched from a seat on the convention floor, beaming with pride and repeatedly leaping to his feet. Clinton was joined on stage at the end of the night by her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who addressed the convention Wednesday. Fireworks exploded inside the arena and red, white and blue balloons plunged from the arena rafters. Clinton and Kaine head into the general election seeking support from the same coalition of voters that propelled Obama into the White House: blacks, Hispanics, women and young people. The diverse parade of speakers who took the stage in Philadelphia this week underscored that goal. On the convention's closing night, Khizr Khan, an American Muslim whose son was killed in military service, emotionally implored voters to stop Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. Bill Clinton earlier wore a Hebrew Hillary pin (Photo: EPA) "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future," Khan said. "Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy." The program paid tribute to law enforcement officers killed on duty, including five who died in Dallas earlier this month in retaliation for officer-involved shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana. "Violence is not the answer," Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez said. "Yelling, screaming and calling each other names is not going to do it." Clinton sought to reach beyond the Democratic base, particularly to moderate Republicans worried about Trump's experience and temperament. Former Reagan administration official Doug Elmets announced he was casting his first vote for a Democrat in November, and urged other Republicans who "believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party" to do the same. Work will begin on the light rail in Jaffa in the coming months on the major boulevard of Sderot Yerushalayim in Jaffa as part of the Red Line. During the work that will continue for four years, the main traffic artery will be completely closed to private vehicles. Buses will still travel along the road but will be forced, at a certain point to divert to an adjacent road. The plan aims to create a one-level pedestrian walkway on which vehicles will also be able to travel, along with cyclists who will enjoy special dedicated lanes for bicycles. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Along the length of the track, which will stretch three kilometers, will be seven stations up to the border of Bat Yam. The entire street will remain the same level, and most travelling vehicles will be diverted to alternative lanes. Sderot Yerushalayim plans (Photo: Dana Kopel) According to the plan, the boulevard along the section between Erlich Street and Eilat Street will be intermittent lane segments parallel to the light rail which will be specifically designated for cars. Hours during which vehicles will be permitted to travel will be decided by the Tel Aviv Municipality. In 2020, NTA, the company responsible for the new line, will conduct the first test drive and at the end of 2021 it intends begin its commercial operations. Circulation during construction Many Jaffa residents, many of whom are elderly and many of whom are Arab, claim that they were not aware of the construction plan on the boulevard. Over the last year, three public meetings were held between residents and residents from NTA and the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality and its supplementary authority for Jaffa. Before the beginning of construction, NTA has promised to hold additional meetings and briefings. In conversations held between residents and senior municipal officials, the former expressed their fears related to the interruption of public transit on Sderot Yerushalayim, despite NTA's assurance that accommodations will be made. Currently, an average of 170 buses per hour travel along the boulevard. The residents also said in a meeting with the city's deputy director general for operations, Ruby Zluf, that they were seriously concerned that forcing private vehicles into Jaffa's narrow side streets would create unbearable traffic jams, especially in addition to the plan to renovate Bloomfield Stadium simultaneously. Greenery changes Sderot Yerushalayim was created in 1915 by the Turkish military governor of Jaffa, Hassan Bey, at the height of the First World War. Its original purpose was to connect the Jaffa orchards with the city center, and it was hurriedly constructed by the forced labor of Jewish and Arab city residents. The ficus trees that line the boulevard, some of which are over 80 years old, are now associated with it, and residents' fear of their being cut down has led in the past to petitions and protests. Twenty-nine of them are to be cut down to allow room for the Salame Station platforms out of 860 on the boulevard. A further four ficus trees that would hinder the light rail's path will be moved at a cost of four million shekels. During the construction, some 50 other kinds of trees will be uprooted, including olive trees and Washingtonia palms. NTA will plant 282 other trees along the sidewalks and platforms. OSWIECIM, Poland - Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the cynical words "Arbeit Macht Frei." Francis at Auschwitz X After Auschwitz he moved to nearby Birkenau, where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in gas chambers. Altogether it was a deeply contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that Francis passed in total silence, except for a few words he exchanged with camp survivors and Holocaust rescuers. Vatican and Polish church officials had explained that Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. Francis addressing a survivor (Photo: Reuters) However, he did express his feelings, writing in the Auschwitz memorial's guest book in Spanish: "Lord, have pity on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty." At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar who sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man, Francis prayed again. Kolbe was later killed by lethal injection but the man he saved survived the war. He was made a saint in 1982 by then-Pope John Paul II, a Pole. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the white figure of the pope, who knelt for many minutes before he crossed himself and rose to his feet. Francis entering the camp (Photo: Reuters) As an Argentine he is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live himself through the brutality of World War II on Europe's soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal historical connection to the site, with the first, John Paul II, coming from Poland and himself a witness to the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation. His visit in 1979 made history and was part of the Vatican's historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. As a pope hailing from afar, Francis's visit helps to underline the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. Francis' visit is also different in its private character, with no speeches planned. It marks a difference from the visit by Benedict, who spoke in Italian -- avoiding his native German language -- in a speech he which he questioned why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport the victims to their death there. At one point the deep silence was broken only by the wailing of an infant. When Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests gathered applauded. Francis slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited in Hebrew Psalm 130, which starts: "From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord." Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish Francis had been scheduled to fly from Krakow to Oswiecim, the small town where the former death camp is located, but due to bad weather traveled the 65 kilometers by car instead. It is his third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global youth celebration. During a visit to Rome's synagogue in January, Francis appealed to Catholics to reject anti-Semitism and said the Holocaust, in which some six million Jews were killed, should remind everyone that human rights should be defended with "maximum vigilance". Father of an American Muslim army captain slams Republican nominee Donald Trump, asks if he has even read the Constitution of the United States of America and offers him a copy. By India Today Web Desk: The jubilant crowd cheered when Khizr Khan, father of an American Muslim army captain who was killed in Iraq in 2006, asked Republican nominee Donald Trump if he has "even read the United States Constitution." Standing in Philadelphia at the Democratic National Convention, Khan offered to lend Trump his copy of the Constitution. "I will gladly lend you my copy," he said. advertisement High on rhetoric, Khan with his wife by his side asked the audience to honour the sacrifice of his son and vote for Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton in the upcoming US Presidential Elections. Noting how Trump "disrespects minorities, women and even his own party leadership", he said "if it was up to Donald Trump, he [his son] never would have been in America." Also read: Not me, not Bill, no one more qualified than Hillary to lead US: Obama 26-year-old Humayun Khan died while serving the American army in Iraq in 2006. Before his death he is said to have kept walking toward a car, laden with explosives, signaling for it to stop. It was observed that his actions saved many lives and the army captain was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. "My son had dreams too, of being a military lawyer. But he put those dreams aside when he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers," he said. "I ask all Muslim immigrants, all immigrants and patriotic Americans to NOT take this election lightly", said Humayun's father. He asked Trump, "have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? To look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America? You will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicity. You have sacrificed nothing". WATCH: Hillary is the best 'changemaker' I've ever met in my life, says Bill Clinton He told the audience that problems cannot be solved by building walls and sowing division because "we are stronger together. And we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our next President." Watch the video here: Khizr Khan is not the only who is vouching for Hillary Clinton. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks it is imperative that Hillary Clinton is elected as the next president of the United States. On July 27, 2016, he spoke at the Democratic National Convention and slammed Donald Trump's business records and called him a "dangerous demagogue." advertisement "Trump says he wants to run the nation like he run his business. God help us," said Bloomberg. Also read: Hillary Clinton takes on rival Donald Trump, says his promises are false For Bloomberg, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy. Calling Trump 'a risky, reckless and radical choice', he says Hillary is both the 'right choice' and the 'responsible choice' in this election despite her not being flawless. Watch his entire speech here: --- ENDS --- The International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, held a seminar in conjunction with the Israeli Foreign Ministry on the Rwanda genocide which occurred in 1994 earlier this week. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "Yad Vashem is exactly what we are trying to create," said the head of the Rwandan delegation Gerta Honorah. Honorah is also the head of the Kigali Genocide Memorial Several of the members of the delegations were themselves survivors of the Rwandan genocide. Rwandan genocide survivors in a Yad Vashem seminar (Photo: Miryam Elstar) The Rwandan delegation was taken on a tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, met with Holocaust survivors, we shown the work being done by the Holocaust Archive and Conservationists, and met with the head of the museum and top researchers in order to see firsthand the education work the institution has carried out over the years. Holocaust education was stressed in the seminar, particularly so that the Rwandans can use the educational tools developed by Yad Vashem to help build and strengthen the collective memory of the Rwandan genocide, and so that the Rwandan delegation can use Yad Vashem as an example of how to build an effective and meaningful memorial and center of learning. The Yad Vashem seminar is a continuation of a partnership which began in 2005, when the Holocaust museum first hosted survivors of the Rwandan genocide who were trying to re-build Rwandan society. The first delegation included Rwandan intellectuals, judges, and journalists amongst others. Yad Vashem representatives have also travelled to Rwanda to discuss the Holocaust and about how it is memorialized in Israel. The Rwandan genocide was a genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority government. An estimated 500,0001,000,000 Rwandans were killed during a 100-day period from April 7 to mid-July 1994. The point of the ouster law that was recently approved is to limit the public identification of MKs with Palestinian nationalism and its violent expression. But it raises a more basic question: Is Palestinian nationalism something real or a fiction designed to try to get rid of us? The question of whether it's real or invented has an impact on us, and it requires examination. The basic aspiration of any national movement is the establishment of a nation state of its own. Larger, smallerthe point is a state. A national movement, by its nature, should deal with acquiring that dream: a state. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter A quick look at the Palestinians for the past 100 years doesn't show actual acts in this direction. In the first decades of Zionism, there was no Palestinian nationalism whatever. At the most, the Palestinians had a surplus of pan-Arab nationalism, which was revealed to be an oriental fairy tale. (Pan-Arabism fizzled with Nasser.) Leading to the UN Partition Plan of 1947, Zionism was vigorously building up its institutions and preparing for the establishment of a state. What were the Palestinians doing at that time? Were they simultaneously involved in preparations for the establishment of their own state? No. They were focused on attempts to prevent the establishment of the Zionist one. If the Palestinians had accepted the Partition Plan, they would have a state the same age as Israel. All the land that they now demandand morewould be in their hands, and there wouldn't be one Palestinian refugee. But they didn't even consider the possibility. Refusal was, in their opinion, the only and obvious option. Why, though? Because establishing a state didn't interest themonly negating ours. Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat (Photo: Yisrael Hadari) Nearly 70 years have passed since then, and from the perspective of Palestinian ambitions, nothing has changed. For 19 years, between the War of Independence and the Six-Day War, they didn't establish a state. Furthermore, Article 24 of the original Palestine National Charter (the one that they're trying to forget), released in June 1964, states, "This Organization (the PLO) does not exercise any regional sovereignty over the West Bank, on the Gaza Strip" Why, in their founding document, do the Palestinians declare that they have no aspiration for sovereignty for the area for which they today demand sovereignty? Because the results of the Six-Day War were the excuse, not the reason, for Palestinian violence; it was already here before. It's also the reason why Barak didn't reach an agreement with Arafat in 2000 and why Olmert didn't reach one with Abbas in 2008 and why it won't be possible to reach any agreement with them. Is a nation whose children's grandest dream is attaining the identity card of the enemy actually a nation? Only three Muslim nations live in the region: The Egyptians, the Persians, and the Turks. All the rest are at best tribes. Palestinians are hitchhikers on the back of Zionism. Many of them came here following Zionism to make a living off it. Their discredited nationalism is our by-product; it wouldn't exist without Zionism and wouldn't remain without it. And after all this, we need to do what's best for usnot get involved with them and or trust them, because it's not their best interests that they're seeking, but rather our worst. The Knesset's Labor, Welfare and Health Committee approved on Monday the second and third reading of Welfare Minister Haim Katz's (Likud) bill to lower the tax burden on single parents and facilitate their joining the workforce. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The committee approved that the offset percentage for anyone receiving income support or child maintenance assistance from the National Insurance Institute of Israel (NII) will be reduced from 60% to 25%, which will lead to an increase in net income for those affected. This is an initiative from the NII that Katz has championed, its goal being to increase the earning rate of single-parent families. How does it work? Of a single parent's salary up to NIS 3,200, 25% will be deducted, as opposed to 60% today. In addition, unlike the first version of the bill, single parents receiving income support and child maintenance from the NII right to a work grant will not be automatically cancelled. However, the addition that they receive will be deducted from the grant. The minister said, "We have successfully created a precedent and led the first step to encourage engaging in the employment cycle by thousands of single parents. Following the reform, the tax burden will dramatically reduce, and families will be able to earn hundreds of shekels more per month." Today, according to date from the Welfare Ministry and the NII, more than 20,000 single-parent families receiving income support or child maintenance do not work at all. At the current deduction rate (60%), those applying for income support and maintenance are limited to low incomes and any income higher than the set amounts leads to revocation of income support. For this reason, there is a negative incentive to increase the rate of employment. The State Comptrollers Office stated Thursday that Comptroller Yosef Shapira will not allow the classification of parts of his report on Operation Protective Edge that do not pertain to operational details. Channel 2 News Amnon Rubinstein reported that if there is an attempt to prevent the reports publication, Shapira will recommend that a national board of inquiry be established. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Shapira has already stated that he is examining the government and Cabinets decision making during the 2014 operation. He believes the number of discussions and their depth, as well as the issue of the governments awareness of the threat of Hamas attack tunnels, should not be classified. State Comptroller Yosef Shapira. Fighting further classification. (Photo: Motti Kimchi) The government has the ability to widen the scope of classification on the report. In case such a thing is done, the comptroller intends to implement his authority and suggest that a national board of inquiry be established to investigate Operation Protective Edge. The comptroller sent a draft of his report to those who were Cabinet members during the summer 2014 operation. The leaked draft reveals a very severe report, in which the comptroller is set to heavily criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, and former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. Netanyahu, Ya'alon, and Gantz. All three are reportedly criticized in the comptroller's report. (Photo: Amit Shabi) That draft reportedly includes claims that Netanyahu and Yaalon did not update the Cabinet on the Shin Bets warnings of a possible upcoming military conflict with Hamas shortly before it broke out in July 2014, and that the Cabinet did not discuss the tunnel threat until Protective Edge was already underway. Gantz is expected to be criticized over military estimates given to the Cabinet. The prime ministers associates have said of the report that it is, A non-serious report by a non-serious comptroller. They have rejected Shapiras claims out of hand and said, The opreration was conducted with transparency and ended in success, all the rest is badmouthing. They further claimed that the Cabinet met several times, including once especially in order to discuss the tunnel threat. The Jerusalem Magistrate Court was presented on Friday with an indictment against rabbi Eliezer Berland, who is accused of several counts of sexual misconduct and assult. He allegedly told one of the four women, Ill hug you until (the end of the Sabbath). Berlands lawyer, Rachel Toren, denied these allegations. He claims to have. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter 79-year-old Berland had founded the Shuvu Banim Yeshiva in Jerusalem and is considered a leading figure among the Breslov Hasidic community. In 2012, one of his followers had stated seeing him in a compromising position with a girl from the local community. The man was beaten by his other followers, which brought the incident to the police's attention. The ensuing investigation gathered testimonies from several women, accusing him of sexual misconduct. Berland in court. (Photo: Amit Shabi) Prosecutor Shmulik Barzilay asked Judge Hanna Miriam Lomp to keep Berland in custody, denying him bail, for the length of the trial. He stated the Berland is considered a flight risk, saying, This is someone who conducted a three-continent journey, went from country to country, and fled the United States Morocco, Zimbabwe, South Africa, The Netherlands and (he fled) The Netherlands despite depositing 50,000. The rabbi has not just the will to flee but the ability as well. He has the ability to get on planes, get a fake passport, an Ivory Coast diplomatic passport, the ability to get sums of money. Toren opposed the prosecutions decision, saying, This is a man whos nearly 80, a very ill man, who has a heart illness, a pacemaker, (a man who) went through a heart reversal procedure twice. After his arrest he collapsed and was evacuated to a hospital, where he stayed for two days. She also explained to the Judge that since Berland purchased assets in the Ivory Coast, he is legally entitled to a diplomatic passport there. The father of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq posed a question to Donald Trump: Have you read the Constitution? Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter To rapturous cheers, Pakistan-born Khizr Khan fiercely attacked the billionaire businessman Thursday at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, saying that if it were up to Trump, his son never would have been American or served in the military. Khan said that Hillary Clinton, by contrast, "called my son the best of America." The address was the latest effort by Democrats to highlight their diversity and criticize Trump's most contentious plans. Beyond his proposed wall across Mexico, the billionaire businessman has threatened to ban Muslims from entering the United States if he becomes president. Capt. Humayun Khan died in 2004 when a car loaded with explosives blew up at his compound. He was 27. Honoring his son, Khizr Khan pulled a copy of the Constitution out of his suit pocket and offered to lend it to Trump. "Look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law,'" he said standing next to his wife, waving the paperback document vigorously. "Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery?" he then asked. "Go look at the graves of brave Americans who died defending United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing." The parents of fallen soldier, Capt. Humayun Khan, at the Democratic convention. (Photo: MCT) Khan, who moved to the US in 1980, said he and his wife were "patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country." "Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed," he said, believing that with hard work he could raise his three sons "in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams." Trump, Khan argued, was imperiling that ideal with his smears of Muslims, women, judges and other groups. He urged Muslims, immigrants and all patriots to "to not take this election lightly." "Vote for the healer," Khan said, "not the divider." Chaplain delivers star to prior Air Force member 910th Airift Wing Chaplain Lt. Col. Klavens Noel helps Fred Weitz, a former U.S. Air Force member who served from 19551959, try on a Star of David necklace here, July 28. Noel was contacted by Weitz' assisted living facility for help tracking down a Star of David necklace similar to one he recieved from a chaplain while service with the Air Force. Noel acquired the necklace and visited Weitz at his residence to deliver it and thank him for his service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Eric White) Intel Reservist takes pride in helping maintain peace on Korean peninsula Since 1953, when the armistice ending hostilities on the Korean peninsula was signed, the United States has had a contingent of Airmen supporting the defense of the Republic of Korea. Now, 63 years after the signing, both North and South Korea continue to exist within a tenuous peace that could be easily ignited into a full-scale war if provocations turned into a real-world confrontation. The August 2015 incident involving a North Korean-emplaced land mine within the demilitarized zone that left two ROK soldiers seriously injured is one indicator of how volatile the peace is between the two countries. Events in recent months, including North Korean claims of an underground nuclear test and its long-range ballistic missile launch, have created an even higher level of uncertainty. North Korea has the worlds fourth largest military with 70 percent to 75 percent of the force deployed within 60 miles of the DMZ. Since coming into power in 2011, Kim Jong Un has placed a strong emphasis on developing and strengthening asymmetric capabilities like ballistic missiles, the worlds largest special operations forces, cyber warfare and chemical weapons, all of which increase the indications and warnings challenge for U.S. decision-makers. To maintain the peace, the U.S. Forces Korea Command relies heavily on Air Force-provided intelligence information that is planned, collected, processed, analyzed and disseminated by a combined team of U.S. and ROK Airmen. The 694th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, commanded by Col. James C. Mock, carries out this critically important mission providing around-the-clock support at Osan Air Base, ROK. The group is one of five primary sites for the global Air Force Distributed Common Ground System, operated by the 480th ISR Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. This incredibly complex worldwide system is powered by innovative Airmen who integrate data from numerous ISR platforms and then distribute real-time and near-real-time critical and actionable intelligence to U.S. military and civilian leaders and their allies. Maj. Alison Hamel is newly assigned to the 694th as its first individual mobilization augmentee. The establishment of this IMA position at Osan is in line with Air Force Reserve Command commanders guidance to increase execution of intelligence IMA billets at major commands and combatant commands and effectively recruit and place qualified Airmen to support intelligence missions around the globe. According to command leadership, Hamel was selected for the position based on her record of excellence throughout her career. She was named the 2013 Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Reserve/Guard ISR Officer of the Year as well as PACAFs Reserve/Guard Officer of the Year during her previous assignment with the 713th Combat Operations Squadron, Detachment 1, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Lt. Col. William Bernhard, the groups deputy commander and Hamels active-duty supervisor, said she has quickly acquired specific training and learned techniques and processes needed for her mission deployments to Korea. Major Hamel is quickly becoming familiar with our USFK operations plans and associated workings in the gathering and interpreting of intelligence matters in this theater of operations, Bernhard said. She brings a strong intelligence foundation of knowledge and is now applying that knowledge to the threat issues that face the Republic of Korea, our USFK forces and allied partners. He said Hamel is also tasked to help improve processes and share best practices between the Korea and Hawaii distributed ground sites to maximize limited ISR assets in the Pacific Command area of operations. Getting up to speed and qualified as a mission operations commander was a significant leadership training objective for Hamel. Getting ops floor qualified as an MOC is a major component of Major Hamels mission contributions to the group, Bernhard said. Being a mission-ready MOC keeps her aware and focused on the needs and concerns of the Airmen executing the DCGS mission, while working on projects to improve execution and collaboration between DCGS sites. He said Hamel recently successfully coordinated a process change for the Hawaii DGS that improves intelligence collection and multiple-intelligence fusion opportunities both there and in Korea. Now that she is a qualified MOC, Hamel is concentrating on building relationships with all of the groups on-peninsula partners, synchronizing the intelligence efforts that encompass U.S. Air Force, Army and national communities to include ROK-associated capabilities. Im quickly learning the connecting links between the intelligence provider and the tip-of-the-spear warfighter, Hamel said. The lives of more than 51 million ROK citizens depend on the assurance that the military professionals get it right. This is especially true considering intelligence is distributed between military partners who speak two distinct languages from two distinct cultures. The excellent language skills and efforts of both Korean and American linguists who constantly interact in the intelligence arena are critical to ensuring shared understanding, Hamel said. The skills she has developed with the group will support steady-state, real-world scenarios as well as preparation for annual peninsula exercises involving the South Korean air force, U.S. Seventh Air Force, USFK, PACAF and other service components. Our mission is simple: to provide world-class intelligence so that peace can be maintained in the Northeast Asia theater of operations and, if need be, to provide the right intelligence to the right warfighters at the right time to meet their contingency requirements, Hamel said. I take immense pride in being part of this extremely important and rewarding mission and in working alongside some very intelligent Airmen, who perform around the clock, 365 days a year for a cause much larger than themselves. Doing this job as a Reservist and being the first IMA assigned to the 694th ISR Group makes me even prouder. (Van Deventer, a long-time contributor to Citizen Airman, is a program analyst in the Directorate of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protections Installation Support Branch at Headquarters AFRC, Robins AFB, Georgia. He just completed a tour with the 694th ISRG at Osan AB.) The notice claims that the channel telecast made several reckless and callous remarks without verifying facts and without any cogent evidence in support. By India Today Web Desk: Controversial Islamic televangelist Zakir Naik has issued a defamation notice to anchor Arnab Goswami and other executives of the Times Now news channel, seeking Rs 500 crore as compensation for damage to his reputation. The notice, dated July 16, issued by Naik's advocate Mubin Solkar, alleges that Goswami, in his show "The Newshour Debate" telecast on several dates earlier this month, made "false and defamatory statements" against the preacher and, in the process, "tarnished and damaged" his reputation in the eyes of the general public. Naik, who preaches on his Peace TV, is under the scanner of the investigating agencies in India and Bangladesh after two terrorists in the Dhaka attack earlier this month were believed to be influenced by him. READ: Who is Zakir Naik? Were the Dhaka attack terrorists 'inspired by him'? advertisement Naik's notice mentions quotes, several statements made by Goswami. Some of them are: "He is not a scholar, No, No, No?he is not a scholar, no, no one second, he is not a scholar, he is not a scholar. He is Mr. Money bags. He makes lots of money. He makes some lot of money spreading hate." "... He is not a scholar, he is a supporter of Osama bin Laden, he used the medium of television to build the case for Osama bin Laden." "... Zakir Naik is so dangerous, he is so dangerous, because he uses the television media." "... He is using the garb of Quran to defend violence, the ISIS has carried out the attack in Dhaka and this man is defending Osama bin Laden and building a case for them." "... He is an agent of terror." The notice claims that the channel telecast made several reckless and callous remarks without verifying facts and without any cogent evidence in support. It accuses the channel of making the defamatory and damaging remarks with deliberate and malicious intention against Naik, which have severely harmed his "impeccable reputation". READ: Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation denies link with ISIS Naik, in the notice, has referred to The Daily Star newspaper in Bangladesh, and claimed that it has denied having stated that he had inspired any terrorist to kill innocent people. The controversial preacher has further claimed that the news channel has not just defamed and maligned him but have also hurt his religious sentiments and those of the Muslim community which "holds him in high esteem". Besides the defamation notice, Naik has sought unconditional apology from Goswami and Times Now and asked the channel to withdraw statements made against him. Also Read: India Today Investigation: Zakir Naik's converts were paid to change beliefs, say aides Zakir Naik to India Today: I back Modi's quest to improve relations between Hindus, Muslims Zakir Naik: Don't back terror, being targeted for running Islamic channel Zakir Naik: No plans to return to India this year Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's financers traced to Saudi Arabia, UK Zakir Naik writes open letter to media, says ready to join any probe Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Bihar connection exposed Dobra, k. Szczecina 900 m2 40 miejsc parkingowych Atut: Dodatkowe dochody z paczkomatow InPostu, a juz niedugo i z myjni samoobsugowej. Tradycyjny zakup nieruchomosci, mozliwosc wykupienia uzytkowania wieczystego. Latest News Washington, DC - On Friday, July 29, Special Envoy for Climate Change Dr. Jonathan Pershing will travel to London to meet with climate officials in the new government of the United Kingdom, in the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This will be the first meeting between Special Envoy Pershing and Minister Nick Hurd. The UK has been a leading voice for climate action and the visit provides an opportunity for a discussion with incoming officials of shared priorities on addressing the threat of global climate change. These include the rapid entry-into-force and implementation of the Paris Agreement, action to address greenhouse gas emissions and progress toward meeting Nationally Determined Contributions, efforts to scale up mobilized climate finance, and work to improve adaptation and climate resilience. Latest News Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I want to congratulate the people of Vanuatu as you celebrate your 36th Independence Day. "Vanuatus strength, resilience, and positive outlook are great national attributes. The United States greatly values our cooperation on climate change, protecting marine resources and other maritime issues. The over 700 Peace Corps volunteers who have served in Vanuatu since 1990 are testimony to our long-standing relationship and our commitment to each other. "This years Independence Day is special, as it commemorates the 30th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. The United States is honored by this enduring partnership and we look forward to continuing our good work together at this years Pacific Island Forum. "In the words of the Ni-Vanuatu: tangkyu tumas for your friendship and partnership. I wish the people of Vanuatu a joyous Independence Day, and I look forward to seeing our friendship continue to grow in the years to come." Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - On June 7, 2016 the Yuma Police Department responded to 180 W. 1st Street, Yuma Visitors Bureau, reference to a theft from a former employee. It is alleged that Fernando Zacarias, the former accountant for the Yuma Visitors Bureau, made fraudulent money transfers from the YVB business account to his personal account. Zacarias was arrested on June 9th reference this case and has been released. This is still an intensive ongoing investigation. The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call Detective Rangel at (928) 373-5000 #6160, the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous. Remember if your information leads to an arrest you may receive up to a $1,000 cash reward. My sole motivation behind letting myself into that abominable prison house called school was the little white stick that my mother allowed me to grab and lick after the classes were over. I used to look with wishful eyes the attractive white box of ice cream walla who also had other varieties-the red tangy one that came in twenty five paisa, the slightly yellow one that came in fifty paisa and the expensive white creamy one that came in full one rupee. My mother had warned me against eating the orange one as she said it contained worms that came out if you sprinkled salt on it! So my childhood remained deprived of that one single taste that so often contented the appetite of my not-so-affluent friends.

When I went to college I read about globalisation, about the invasion of markets by foreign goods and of absolute wiping out of the local economy by organized production houses. But I could not understand these things till one day while crossing from near my school my eyes failed to spot that old ice cream walla whose presence had become such an inseparable part of the entire set up. It came as a rude shock to me that his place was now taken by three four colourful wheeled vans endorsing attractive logos and pictures of branded ice cream.

That changes are always for better or worse is like putting an emotion into plain black and white. I may have in my own personal way some attachment with the white stick ice cream or with the more expensive soapy, frothy softie of my school days but the accessibility, taste and variety that the present day ice cream industry is offering is no doubt incomparable.

Who would have thought barely a decade ago of eating ice creams made of real fresh fruits- a la Gelato Vittorio or a cool creamy liquid fried in hot boiling oil or what is called today the fried ice cream.

In India the ice cream industry took sometimes to catch the global cue because the country has an indigenous rich and well developed dessert market. What ice cream would stand in competition against Indian sweets? But no you cant say so just because you are born in the land of Kulfi. You will have the authority only when you taste Baked Alaska (an ice-cream sponge cake dish topped with meringue), Arctic roll (British dessert made of vanilla and flour), Adzuki (Japanese red bean ice cream) and Dondruma( a Turkish ice made of salep and mastic resin).

We Indians who generally go gaga over a handful of varieties that Baskin Robbins offers are unaware of the fact that the company actually makes 1000 flavours! What we get in India generally as branded ice cream is nothing but milk and corn flour seasoned with a few chemicals and packed in attractive cones, cups and cornettos. Our knowledge of Ice cream is so poor that we do not even know what cornetto is! Most of us think it is the name of an ice cream that Kwality offers. Update your dictionary- it is actually the registered name of an improved variety of waffle cone that does not become soggy and that was invented and patented by an Italian firm called Spica in 1960!

The world offers so much in shape of that delicate, cool, tender delight called ice cream that I being a lover of it feel choked with emotion at my own minisculeness and misfortune of not having tasted even a fraction of that tremendous, rich and inexhaustible treasure. What is thy life O mortal, my heart cries out, if thou hast not known the glories of the Australian Giant Sandwich Monster, the Manoco Bar, the Irish Scottish Sliders, the Argentine Helado, the Greek Kimaki and the Japanese Macha!

Sometimes I wonder whether there is an intricate connection between the survival of a race and its appetite for ice cream! Otherwise why would the Greeks, the Romans, the Chinese and the Persians survive the ravages of time and the Glorious Harappan civilization fade into oblivion? And let us be pragmatic and not blame some harmless ecology or innocent river for their decline. The reason I am sure was hidden in their food habits-they having failed to secure the divine blessings of the Gods. Yes, thats precisely what the ancient Greeks called ice cream! Imagine what foodies they must have been that nearly 4000 years ago they got for themselves ice houses constructed at the banks of Euphrates and as early as 5th century BC they began its marketing by selling ice cones mixed with fruit and honey. A honey flavoured cornetto.!

Roman emperor Nero (62 AD) was fond of fruit ice cream and hence sent his servants to fetch ice from mountains! The Falooda that we eat today is actually a Persian dish Faloodeh made from starch and has its origin around 400BC. The Chinese who claim to be the pioneers in almost everything -be it the first currency notes, the first stint with silk or the first to flood the markets of neighbours with cheap plastic goods-were not far behind in making ice cream too. They are credited to have invented a device that made quick ice using salt peter (no, it was not imported from Bihar, China had enough of it).

The unfortunate Charles I whom the world knows as an autocrat, a despot, a tyrant, an enemy of democracy and parliament was also a lover of ice cream! It is said that he made his chef keep the formula a secret so that it remained a royal prerogative.

Our great Mughals, we should not forget were the die hard lovers of food and all that is rich and luxurious in the modern Indian cuisine has a Mughal origin. So they too loved ice cream and they too enjoyed it in royal feasts and ceremonies. When they could get choicest fruits from Farghana and Samarquand and the best wines from Persia, why couldnt they send relays of horsemen to bring ice from Hindukush for their aromatic fruit sherbets?

But were sending horsemen to run and fetch ice or storing ice in underground icehouses near rivers, the only way of making ice creams in those days? Sadly, yes. And thats why the common man remained deprived of and unknown to its delectable taste. But lets thank Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia who first got the patent for a small hand run ice cream freezer. Gradually with the coming of electricity there also came a revolution in ice cream making. Thereafter Giant corporates like Howard Johnson, Dairy Queen, Baskin Robbins, Gelato Vittorio, Ben and Jerrys, Haagen Dazs and Carvel changed the concept of ice cream in the world. Soft serves, Sundaes and super premiums began to be offered by shops next door.

Thanks to globalisation, the world has really become a small place to live in. Today I can access any ice cream from the world over in my local confectionary shop. but among the confused tastes of multitudinous flavours I some how always try to find that one singular taste of the white stick ice-cream which trickled through my fingers and ran into my nursery uniformspoiling it but leaving an imprint on my memory which has failed to faint in all these years. Philadelphia: The Democratic Party gathered in sweltering Philadelphia for four days this week to nominate Hillary Clinton as their presidential nominee and catapult themselves toward November`s election. Here are five key moments from the convention: Standing before thousands of delegates and tens of millions of Americans watching at home, Clinton made history by becoming the first female nominee of a major political party. "I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, and independents" Clinton declared to deafening cheers Thursday, as she made the case that America`s first black president should be followed by America`s first female president.If the convention was a coronation for Clinton, it was also the beginning of a long farewell to Barack and Michelle Obama as they prepare to leave the White House. On Monday, the First Lady electrified the audience with a brief but deeply personal speech that heaped praise on Clinton and poured scorn on her rival. "Because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States," she said. On Wednesday, the penultimate night of the convention, Barack Obama showed why he is still considered one of the most talented orators of any political stripe. In a sweeping address, he burnished his legacy, framed the election -- not as a choice between Democrats and Republicans but between democrats and an authoritarian -- and passed the torch to Clinton. "Time and again, you`ve picked me up," he told the crowd. "And I hope, sometimes, I picked you up, too." "Thank you for this incredible journey."It wasn`t all smooth sailing for Team Clinton. The first days of the convention were plagued by sustained dissent from supporters of Clinton`s failed primary challenger Bernie Sanders who booed the very mention of Clinton`s name -- including in an opening prayer. Their anger was only made worse by the release of emails showing the supposedly neutral members of the Democratic National Committee pulling for Clinton.On Tuesday night, Bill Clinton took to the stage. But this was not an appearance by the fabled "big dog" of politics -- it was Bill Clinton playing first gentleman. He tried to soften his wife`s public image through a very personal story interweaving her story and his. "In the spring of 1971, I met a girl," he began. Picking up the baton on Thursday, Chelsea Clinton described Hillary as a mother who read her "Goodnight Moon" and a grandmother who took breaks from politics to read "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo" to Chelsea`s daughter. Perhaps the most emotional moment in the four-day convention came from Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim US soldier killed in Iraq. His steely admonishment of Clinton`s Republican adversary Donald Trump at once electrified the convention and brought many to tears. "If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America," Khan said, describing his family as "patriotic American Muslims." "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future, let me ask you -- have you even read the United States Constitution?" he said, brandishing a copy. "I will gladly lend you my copy!" Khan said, insisting Trump look for the word "liberty" and consult the 14th amendment, which guarantees equal protection before the law. "Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery?" he demanded. "Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities." "You have sacrificed nothing, and no one!" he said. Pennsylvania: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Thursday accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for president and accused Donald Trump of painting a misleadingly dark picture of American society. Here are live updates of Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic convention: - We need to start listening to each other. Hearing each other. Walking in each others shoes. - I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place. - If were serious about keeping our country safe, we also cant afford to have a president whos in the pocket of the gun lobby. - A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. - A president should respect the men and women who risk their lives to serve our country. Donald Trump can't even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign...Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. - Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, 'I know more about ISIS than the generals do.' No, Donald, you don't. - Keeping our nation safe and honoring the people who do that work will be my highest priority. - Donald Trump says he wants to make America great againwell, he could start by actually making things in America again. - Please explain to me what part of America First leads him to make Trump ties in China, not Colorado. Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan. - Remember what the president said last night: Dont boo, vote. - Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all. - If you believe that your working mother, wife, sister, or daughter deserve equal pay, join us. - When we have millions of hardworking immigrants contributing to our economy, it would be self-defeating and inhumane to kick them out. - I believe that climate change is real and that we can save our planet while creating millions of good-paying clean energy jobs. - I believe that our economy isn't working the way it should because our democracy isn't working the way it should. - Democrats, we are the party of working people. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States. - Weve reached a milestone...the first time that a major party has nominated a woman for president. - I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. For the struggling, the striving and the successfulfor all Americans. - Hillary Clinton accepts Democratic presidential nomination. It is with humility, determination, and boundless confidence in Americas promise that I accept your nomination for president! - None of us can raise a family, build a business, heal a community or lift a country totally alone. Stronger Together is...not just a slogan for our campaign. Its a guiding principle for the country weve always been. - Americans dont say, 'I alone can fix it.' They say, Well fix it together! - Dont believe anyone who says 'I alone can fix it. Yes, those were actually Donald Trumps words in Cleveland. - Dont let anyone tell you that our country is weak...were not. Dont let anyone tell you we dont have what it takes we do. - We will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism. We have the most dynamic and diverse people in the world. We have the most tolerant and generous young people we've ever had. - We will not build a wallinstead, we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good job can get one. - We heard Donald Trumps answer last week at his convention. He wants to divide us...He wants us to fear the future and fear each other. He's taken the Republican Party a long way, from 'Morning in America to 'Midnight in America. - Our Founders embraced the enduring truth that we are stronger together, says Hillary. - To all of your supporters here and around the country: I want you to know, I've heard you, says Hillary. Pennsylvania: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Thursday accused Donald Trump of painting a misleadingly dark picture of American society. "He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other," Clinton told the Democratic convention, mocking Trump`s claim that he alone can "fix" the country. "He`s taken the Republican Party a long way from `Morning in America` to midnight in America. He wants us to fear the future and fear each other." Washington: Donald Trump on Thursday came down heavily on Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton saying, she is unfit to lead the country. Reacting to Clinton's fiery speech at the Democratic Convention, Trump said: Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words. Coming down heavily on Clinton, the Republican presidential candidate tweeted: Hillary's refusal to mention Radical Islam, as she pushes a 550% increase in refugees, is more proof that she is unfit to lead the country. He further lambasted Hillary on the economic front saying, She will never reform Wall Street. She is owned by Wall Street. Hillary's vision is a border less world where working people have no power, no jobs, no safety, Trump tweeted Hillary's wars in the Middle East have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world, his another tweet said. Hitting out at the Democratic presidential nominee, Trump said, wherever Hillary goes corruption and devastation follows her. He further said, No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton. Los Angeles: The US television audience for Hillary Clinton`s acceptance speech appeared smaller than the viewership of Donald Trump`s address a week earlier, according to preliminary ratings data released on Friday. An estimated 27.8 million people watched Clinton`s appearance at the Democratic National Convention across six broadcast and cable networks, early Nielsen data showed. Trump had pulled in roughly 30 million from those networks. Kabul: An elderly Afghan cleric has been arrested after he married a six-year-old girl, officials said on Friday, in the latest case highlighting the scourge of child marriages in the war-battered country. Mohammad Karim, said to be aged around 60, was held in central Ghor province as he claimed her parents gave him the girl as a "religious offering", officials said. But they cited the family of the girl, believed to be in shock, as saying that she was abducted from western Herat province, bordering Iran. "This girl does not speak, but repeats only one thing: 'I am afraid of this man'," said Masoom Anwari, head of the women affairs department in Ghor. The girl is currently in a woman's shelter in Ghor and her parents are on their way to the province to collect her, the local governor's office said. "Karim has been jailed and our investigation is ongoing," said Abdul Hai Khatibi, the governor's spokesman. The arrest comes just days after a 14-year-old pregnant girl was burned to death in Ghor, in a case that sparked shock waves in Afghanistan. The family of that girl, Zahra, said she was tortured and set alight by her husband's family. But relatives of the teenager's husband insisted her death was by self-immolation. The incidents underscore rising incidents of child marriages in Afghanistan. "In some regions because of insecurity and poverty the families marry off their daughters at a very early age to get rid of them," Sima Samar, head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, told reporters this month. Afghan civil law sets the legal age of marriage at 16 for girls, yet 15 per cent of Afghan women under 50 were married before their 15th birthday and almost half were married before the age of 18, according to Save the Children. "So many children who are married off at a young age are deprived of their right to education, safety and the ability to make choices about their future," the international charity said this month. "This is such a fundamental breach of a child's basic rights." The latest case comes after a young woman was stoned to death in Ghor last November after being accused of adultery. Karachi: A 32-year-old Pakistani Hindu doctor was allegedly found dead under mysterious circumstances inside the Intensive Care Unit in a hospital here, a police official has said. Anil Kumar was found dead sitting in a chair on Friday after he had gone inside surgical ICU early in the morning, senior police official Naeemuddin said. "His death is being investigated as he was found dead in mysterious circumstances," he said. According the official, Kumar was discovered after he did not answer to knocks on the door of the surgical wing. The door was broken and he was found dead sitting on his chair. A syringe was found from the spot. "It appears he had administered an injection on his hand as it was bandaged," Naeemuddin said. The body was shifted to the hospital's mortuary where doctors reserved his cause of death for chemical examination while the syringe has also been sent to a forensic laboratory for examination. Earlier this week, a young Hindu businessman was killed and his Hindu friend injured when someone from a mob fired upon them during protests against the desecration of the Holy Quran by another Hindu man who had converted into Islam in Sindh province. Damascus: The Islamic State jihadist group has publicly executed and crucified a man in Syria`s Aleppo province for alleged apostasy, ARA News website said Friday quoting activists and witnesses. Twenty-eight-year-old Hussein Muhammad was executed by gunfire on Thursday, and his corpse was strung up on an electricity pole in central al-Bab, ARA News reported. Hundreds of al-Bab residents gathered on Thursday to watch the execution, ARA News said, citing activists. "The victim`s body will remain crucified for three days, and IS has warned that anyone who tries to remove it will be mercilessly punished," rights activist Ahmed al-Beik was cited as telling ARA News. A Shariah court sentenced Muhammad to death for apostasy after he was reportedly arrested earlier this week by IS religious police in al-Bab city in the northern countryside of Aleppo province. "The Sharia Court accused Muhammad of apostasy for refusing to join prayers at the mosque," a media activist was quoted as telling ARA News in al-Bab, speaking on condition of anonymity. "A Sharia judge decided to execute and crucify the man in public, claiming he was an apostate who refused to perform Sharia duties and violated the basic laws of the Caliphate," the source reported. IS militants publicly beheaded four young Syrian men in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province town of al-Bukamal on Wednesday for "supporting enemies of the Caliphate", according to local sources cited by ARA News. IS has executed over 2,350 Syrian civilians since it declared an Islamic `Caliphate` across swathes of Syria and Iraq in June 2014, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Friday. Patna/Guwahati: More than forty people in both Bihar and Assam have lost their lives due to severe floods in these states. Also, lakhs have been affected due to the current deluge. The affected districts in Assam are Lakhimpur Golaghat, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Goalpara, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Kokrajhar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Biswanath, Kamrup Metropolitan, Chirang, Nagaon, Kamrup and South Kamrup. Assam The flood situation in Assam worsened on Thursday with five more deaths taking the toll to 21, while nearly 18 lakh people reeled under the impact. Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) Joint Secretary Nandita Hazarika told PTI that reports of five deaths in the floods poured in, taking the toll in the current calamity to 21 so far. Giving the break-up the ASDMA said, in Barpeta district, three persons have lost their lives at Barpeta town, Sarupeta and Barnagar. Hazarika said one person died at Gogamukh in Dhemaji due to rising water while one more person perished at Dotma in Kokrajhar district of Lower Assam. In the current wave of flood, nearly 18 lakh people are suffering across 3,374 villages in 22 districts, the officer said. Bihar On the other hand, in Bihar five more people died on Thursday taking the toll to 22 as per Disaster Management Department, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made an aerial survey of the five flood-hit areas. Kumar made the survey of flood affected areas of Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Kishanganj and Araria districts. Flooding in Bihar is mainly due to heavy rainfall in Nepal's catchment areas as a result of which water from the swollen rivers are discharged towards the neighbouring areas in Bihar. The department officials said 17.85 lakh people residing in 1,630 villages in 49 flood-affected blocks of 10 districts have been rendered homeless. The 10 districts which are affected by the flood are Purnea, Kishanganj, Araria, Darbhanga, Madhepura, Bahgalpur, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul and Gopalganj. Around one lakh hectares of land have been affected by the floods caused due to rise in the water levels of Mahananda, Bakhra, Kankai, Parmar and Kosi rivers of the state. Around 3.88 lakh people have been displaced while 1.36 lakh people have taken shelter in the 357 relief camps run by the government. Crops, spread over 50,000 hectares of land, valued at Rs 2.04 crore have been damaged by the flood. Meanwhile, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) said its nine teams have been pressed into service to rescue people in most sensitive flood areas. NDRF teams are engaged in the most flood-affected Araria, Purnea and Kishanganj districts to carry out rescue work. An NDRF team has been sent to West Champaran and Gopalganj districts. Besides, SDRF teams have also been deployed in the flood affected districts especially in the three districts of Araria, Purnea and Kishanganj. 15,000 packets of dry food have been sent to Purnea from Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Saharsa, Madhepura for distribution among the flood affected people. The dry food packet includes - 500 gm of sattu, 2 kg of chura (bitten rice), 250 gm sugar, small salt packet, candle, match, box, a torch, powder milk among others. (With PTI inputs) Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday made a plea to Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi to conduct a study to assess whether or not the prohibition on liquor has affected people's lives which the 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan' spearhead readily accepted. Kumar made the request at a function organised by Bihar Legislative Council to felicitate the world-famous child rights activist Satyarthi. "We know the prohibition has changed the atmosphere completely. The lives of people who quit liquor following the prohibition has improved a lot. But we need a detailed and scientific study on the issue by a neutral organisation," Kumar said. "People like you (Satyarthi) can take initiative for carrying out study on the issue. The government could have carried out the study but it would be better to get the study conducted by a neutral person," he said. In his address, Satyarthi, who was accompanied by his wife, agreed to conduct the study. "Prohibition is not a small thing rather it is a brave step (by the state government). The move would certainly help in checking child abuse and labour. I accept the suggestion to carry out a detailed study about the impact of prohibition," Satyarthi said. Raipur: Pemina Sahu, a class XI student in a small village in Chhattisgarh's Balod district, is excited to see her name plate outside their house, thanks to a unique campaign by local administration to promote girls' education and enhance their recognition in society. The initiative, under which name plates of houses in villages are being inscribed with names of the family's girl students, was introduced about one-and-half months back in Balod district, a partially Naxal-hit area, located around 70 kms from here. "The campaign has been taken up to make people aware of the importance of the girl child and boost literacy among girls," Balod Collector Rajesh Singh Rana told PTI. So far, about 2,700 girls of various age groups have got name plates of their own put up on their house doors in various villages of Balod, he said. The idea, aimed at fulfilling the vision of Prime Minister's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' drive, was coined after having discussions with local public representatives, sarpanch and officials, he said. In a short span of time, the campaign has successfully yielded results in 12 village panchayats, particularly of Dondi and Gunderdehi development blocks in Balod, he said. Like Pemina, there are several girls who never imagined that their house will be known by their name. "It is like a dream come true for us. With this campaign the mindset of people in villages is changing towards girl child," says Pemina, who hails from Markatola village. Another secondary school student Jagriti Tekam, who belongs to Ukari-Dondi village, said such a drive should not be confined only to one district but extended to every nook and corner of the state so that people realise that girls are in no way less than the boys. The Collector said that the campaign is not only inspiring parents to send their daughters to school, but also changing their patriarchal mindset. Moreover, the campaign has also achieved success in attracting dropout girls back to school, he said. Ghaziabad: He`s different - bedecked with 12 kg gold ornaments, guarded by 25 security guards and travelling in a motorcade of 17 vehicles. And he's a `kanwaria` - a devotee of Lord Shiva, carrying a `kanwad` of the holy Ganga water on his shoulder. Meet Sudhir Kumar Makkar of Gandhi Nagar in Delhi who joined hundreds of other devotees at Kadrabad town. Makkar, also known as "Golden Baba", entered the town on Thursday night with his motorcade of sleek sedans along with 300 followers. This is his 24th "kanwad yatra" -- he has been participating in the annual ritual for years. Decorated with eight gold rings, 15 gold chains, two bracelets in each hand, two bajuband on his arms, Makkar looks content with his life. Educated in a gurukul at Jwalapur near Haridwar, Makkar returned to Delhi after eight years of studies. Speaking to IANS he recalled his life so far, saying that over the years he has committed "several sins" and that`s the reason why he carries the `kanwad` every year. And he`d continue to do so as long he is alive, Makkar said. Once he traded in ready-made garments. Now Makkar is into real estate business. In 2006, he met Mahant Mahendra Puri of Juna Akhara and considers him to be his Guru. Ever since he received a gold chain from the Guru, Makkar`s business has been flourishing. So is his devotion. And his love for gold and ornaments. In the process, he`s added some golden glitz to his life. Last year, he had worn 11 kg of gold. This year the weight of the yellow metal he is wearing stands at 12 kg as of now. And the `Golden Baba` is all set to wear a gold jacket on the Shiv Ratri. A devout follower of Lord Shiva -- one of the eternal Trinity of HIndu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh -- Makkar said it is the Lord who has endowed him with all the wealth. It`s the result of his devotion -- Makkar regularly brings the holy water of the Ganga river for the deity. This year Makkar began his `kanwar yatra` on July 24 from Haridwar. It would conclude in Delhi on July 31. His entourage includes cars of different types -- from Audi, Innova, Fortuner, Scorpios to Qualis. Besides, there are three trucks, five tempos and an ambulance. The team also includes 25 personal helpers, and 300 kanwarias. Delhi: In yet another twist to the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case, a lawyer representing the two death row convicts has challenged the 'iron rod' theory and announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone who can prove that the victim was violated with the same. The remark from the lawyer has come at a time when hearing in the case has entered in the final stages in the Supreme Court, prompting the defence counsel to explore all possibilities to ensure that their clients escape death verdict. Lawyer ML Sharma, who represents convicts - Mukesh and Pawan has contested the police theory that the accused inserted an iron rod into the victim's private parts and pulled out her internal organs, said a report by India Today. A trial court had earlier awarded the death penalty to four adult accused for the gruesome act. The 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist, dubbed Nirbhaya (meaning fearless), was sexually assaulted on a moving bus and died after sustaining serious internal injuries because of allegedly being violated with an iron bar during the attack. The Delhi High Court upheld the sentence and the matter is now being heard in the Supreme Court. One of the six accused, Ram Singh, committed suicide in the city's Tihar Jail three years ago. Another, who was a juvenile when the crime took place, was sent for three years to a reform home and later released. "The post-mortem report prepared by the Singapore hospital (where the victim received treatment) says the uterus and ovaries were intact. Going by the human anatomy, if a rod is inserted through the vagina, it cannot reach the intestines without breaking the uterus," Sharma had argued on Monday before a three-judge special bench led by Justice Dipak Misra. The lawyer also announced a cash prize for anyone who can prove that intestines can be pulled out with a rod without damaging the uterus and ovaries. Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi, who was witnessing the hearing seated in the visitor's gallery, broke down as she heard Sharma reading her daughter's dying declaration. The hearing in the case will continue on Friday. Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: Almost three months have passed since the country's most famed tiger 'Jai' went missing mysteriously. Although, a massive search operation is underway in search of the 250-kilogram big cat, yet the hope for tracing the animal looks far away. Named after Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan`s character in the hit 1975 film "Sholay", the tiger shot to nationwide fame three years ago after embarking on an epic hike through villages, rivers and perilously dangerous highways in successful pursuit of a mate. A firm favourite with tourists and conservationists alike, the seven-year-old big cat was last seen at the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, where he usually lives, on April 18. Wildlife officials in the western Indian state of Maharashtra launched a massive search operation, hoping to find the beloved animal by Friday -- International Tiger Day -- but admit they are clueless as to his fate. "Whether he has moved to forest interiors or is with a new mate, no information is available as of yet," M.S Reddy, a tiger expert helping the search, told AFP. Forestry rangers said they first become worried about Jai`s fate after his electronic collar stopped transmitting his location three months ago, while tourist sightings of the striped cat have dried up. The state government has offered a reward of 50,000 rupees ($745) for information on Jai`s location, a small fortune for the hundreds of local villagers engaged in the hunt. "He`s successfully fathered more than 20 cubs and has boosted the local economy by attracting wildlife enthusiasts," said Rohit Karoo, a conservationist helping co-ordinate the hunt. "Losing such a majestic tiger would be a great loss for India." Karoo said no stone was being left unturned in the bid to track Jai down in a search extending over several hundred kilometres. (With AFP inputs) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday told the European Union and United States to "mind your own business" after the West expressed alarm over the growing crackdown against suspected accomplices in the failed coup. "Some people give us advice. They say they are worried. Mind your own business! Look at your own deeds," Erdogan said at the presidential palace, adding no senior Western official had visited Turkey in the wake of the coup. The president also announced that as a gesture of goodwill after the coup he was dropping hundreds of lawsuits against individuals accused of insulting him. Oswiecim: Pope Francis on Friday walked alone through the notorious wrought-iron "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Sets You Free) gate as he visited the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Free for once of his security entourage or cardinals, he sat on a bench among the trees and bowed his head in prayer, remaining at length in silent contemplation before meeting Holocaust survivors. "Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty," the pope wrote in a memorial book. In front of the death wall where the Nazis summarily executed thousands of people by firing squad, he tenderly kissed former prisoners of the camp. Among them was Helena Dunicz Niwinska, a 101-year-old woman who played the violin in the Auschwitz orchestra, as well as inmates who worked at the camp hospital or who were there as children. "It was very moving," 86-year-old survivor Janina Iwanska told AFP after meeting Francis. "I wanted to kneel before him, but he took me in his arms and kissed my cheeks." Fellow survivor Alojzy Fros, who is 99, still remembered his arrival at the camp. "Just after I arrived, through an open door I saw naked bodies piled up like logs about a metre high," he told AFP. "I`ll never forget it." Francis lit a candle in front of the death wall, bowing his head in prayer before visiting the cell of Polish priest and saint Maximilian Kolbe, who died at Auschwitz after taking the place of a condemned man. The visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day Kolbe was condemned to death. Francis cut a solitary figure in the dark, underground cell where the priest was starved then executed. The Argentine later lead prayers for the 1.1 million people, most of them Jewish, who were murdered at the camp as part of Nazi Germany`s "Final Solution" of genocide against European Jews which claimed six million lives in World War II. "The pope is too good," said fellow survivor Walentyna Nikodem, who was born in 1922. "Love for one`s neighbour is one thing, but sinners must be punished. When someone kills us, we have to defend ourselves," she said, questioning the Christian axiom of responding to evil with forgiveness.Francis had said that rather than making a speech, he would stand in silence to reflect on the horrors committed and let his tears flow. As he arrived Wednesday in Poland -- the heartland of Nazi Germany`s atrocities -- the pontiff said the world had been plunged into a piecemeal third world war. He has repeatedly denounced those committing crimes in the name of religion, after a string of deadly jihadist attacks in Europe. The pope travelled the two miles (three kilometres) to Birkenau, the main extermination site, and was driven alongside train tracks which allowed prisoners to be transported directly to the gas chambers and crematoria. Francis prayed near the ruins of a crematorium blown up by the Nazis as they evacuated the camp, as Poland`s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich sang a Jewish prayer for the dead in Hebrew. The pontiff clutched his crucifix to his chest as he walked slowly along a row of memorial plaques, written in the 23 languages spoken by the prisoners.Some 25 Christian Poles who risked their lives during the war to help hide and protect Jews -- a group recognised by Israel`s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum as "Righteous Among the Nations" -- also met Francis. The group included Maria Augustyn, whose family hid a Jewish couple behind a wardrobe for years, and Anna Bando, who helped rescue an orphan from the Warsaw ghetto and gave several Jews forged "Aryan" papers. "We shook hands and he looked me in the eyes in a lovely way and gave me a good memory to take away," one of the group, Ryszard Zielinski, told AFP. Stanislaw Ruszala, Catholic parish priest of the town of Markowa where a family was wiped out for sheltering Jews, read a Polish translation of the same Hebrew prayer read by the rabbi. Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children were butchered in Markowa. Wiktoria, who was seven months pregnant at the time, had started giving birth before she was executed, according to the Vatican. More than 100,000 non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, homosexuals and anti-Nazi partisans also died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in occupied Poland. The Soviet Red Army liberated it in 1945. Two of the pope`s predecessors also visited the camp: John Paul II -- a former archbishop of Krakow -- in 1979 and Benedict XVI in 2006. Madrid: A video has gone viral showing a group of men making their friend, who is about to get married, do bungee jumping. The funniest part is that friends of the groom covered his face and asked him to do the activity. There is something more to the video which will make you go ROFL. Watch it here: Ahmedabad: Protesting against the thrashing of Dalits in Una, members of the community traditionally engaged in skinning and tannery work have refused to dispose of the dead cattle in several parts of Gujarat demanding that they be provided protection and I-card by the government to prevent harassment from 'gau rakshaks'. The decision to stay away from the work by the community members has left the administration harried, particularly in Surendranagar city where the civic body staff has disposed of more than 80 dead cattle using their own resources during the last one week. According to Surendranagar district collector Udit Agrawal, he will discuss the demands put forward by the Dalit bodies with the government in coming days. "Skinners are on strike since last one week. Thus, we are engaging municipality staff to dispose of the carcasses. Even some maldharis (cattle rearers) are also helping us. Till now, we have disposed of 88 cattle in the city. We are making sure that people don't face any problem due to the ongoing stir," Agrawal said. "Once the dust settles, I will call Dalit leaders to discuss their demands, as they have not given me anything in written yet. One of their main demands is issuance of I-cards for skinners. I will definitely put forward this demand to higher authorities for a long-term solution," he said. The strike has been called by Dalit Manav Adhikar Movement, which is an umbrella body of several Dalit rights groups, including Navrsarjan Trust. According to Natu Parmar of Navsarjan Trust, many Dalits across Gujarat are joining the movement. "Many members of the community across Gujarat have joined our movement and announced that they will stay away from the work of disposing carcasses. Surendranagar has received huge response to our call, as most families of this community have completely detached themselves from this work since last one week," he said. Parmar claimed that the district administration is now forced to dispose of at least 200 cattle every day. According to him, around 120 cattle, mostly cows, die in 14 to 15 cattle shelters in the district every day. "Apart from them, around 100 such cattle, owned by maldharis, die in different villages of the district every day. We will not resume our work till our demands are met. People came to know about atrocities on us only after the Una incident. Otherwise, skinners face such problems every day. We want assurance of protection from government," said Parmar On July 11, four Dalit youths were beaten up by cow vigilantes at Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluka of Gir Somnath district when they were skinning a dead cow. Though the youths pleaded that they are from the skinning community, the cow vigilantes thrashed them alleging that they were involved in cow slaughter. One of the key demand of the community is the issuance of I-cards, so that police or 'gau rakshaks' do not harass them while transporting or skinning a dead cow. "We want I-cards for all the skinners, so that they do not face any problem or don't fall pray to any misunderstanding. The I-card can help us in establishing that we are not into cow slaughter. We also want government to provide land to carry out skinning work in each taluka," Parmar added. New Delhi: After witnessing heavy traffic jam for more than 12 hours on the Delhi-Jaipur highway due to waterlogging, Gurugram is limping back to normalcy on Friday. The Gurgaon Police posted some pictures at noon, which show that the traffic condition was improving in some areas. The Delhi-NCR region came to a standstill Thursday evening due to monsoon showers and excessive flooding caused by overflow in Badshahpur drain. Watch on #Periscope: Situation onHero Honda Chowk at 1.28pm https://t.co/OPOVcv6iPD Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 29, 2016 Meanwhile, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari spoke to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chairman and directed him to send team of officials to National Highway 8 immediately to take stock of the situation. The NHAI team will coordinate with state officials to clear vehicular movement. The chairman will report about the developments to Gadkari. Thousands of office goers and other commuters were today stranded in Gurgaon as heavy rains led to waterlogging on National Highway-8 causing massive traffic jams. Many motorists abandoned their vehicles and waded through knee-deep water which accumulated on both the carriageways of Delhi-Jaipur road, including Hero Honda Chowk, bringing traffic to a standstill with the tailback extending up to 15-20 kilometers. Hero Honda Chowk at present pic.twitter.com/YA6kstmtAf Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 29, 2016 Subhash Chowk at 11:42am pic.twitter.com/SbNGgNNtCr Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 29, 2016 BADSHAHPUR Crossing on SOHNA Road at 12.00pm pic.twitter.com/S8B9vpvRhm Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 29, 2016 The situation was so worse that the Gurgaon police today morning advised people coming from Delhi not to come to Gurugram to avoid being stuck in traffic jams due to flooding on roads. 29-Jul People coming to Gurgaon from Delhi are advised to stay back today to avoid being stuck in Traffic Jams due to flooding on roads. Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 29, 2016 The authorities have ordered all the schools to remain close for two days. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar blamed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the mess. Mr. @ArvindKejriwal should be asked this.Frustrated by non-cooperation by Delhi Govt,we have got it declared as NH. https://t.co/LUJGj9lSwT Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) July 28, 2016 Hero Honda Chowk on National Highway 8 continues to remain flooded and the traffic police are not allowing heavy vehicle to pass from there. Traffic along the NH8 from Delhi to Rajiv Chowk is moving very slowly, says Gurgaon Police. Breakdown vehicles removed from Hero Honda Chowk on NH8 which is still flooded. Now allowing heavy vehicle to pass from there. Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 29, 2016 In order to help the commuters, Gurgaon Police is regularly giving traffic updates on their official twitter account. People, who were said to be stuck in the traffic jam for 6-7 hours last night, vented out their anger on the administration. However, many commuters had some good words for the Gurgaon Police saying. Changing the name to Gurugram did not solve #Gurgaon problems. Maybe we should change the std code next time. pic.twitter.com/lH1WTj3JgV AkankshaDureja (@AkankshaDureja) July 28, 2016 This is NH 8 today in Gurgaon after the heavy rains. @mlkhattar ji dekhiye aapki Smart city ke haal pic.twitter.com/vXRNs3m8bB Anuj Khurana (@HaddHaiYaar) July 28, 2016 Traffic jam all around in gurgaon but the efforts made by @gurgaonpolice ....commendable .The state of infrastructure is such a downfall.. Dr Shalini Gupta (@DrMShalini) July 29, 2016 #Respect for the police person on the ground ! @gurgaonpolice Great Job guys.. https://t.co/5XfkPN7h7j Kanishk Jain (@thekanishk) July 29, 2016 Gurgaon: Major Indian cities like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad were choked due to heavy overnight rains, which led to massive traffic jam on Friday. The worst affected was Millennium City Gurugram. The situation was so worse that the Gurgaon Police today asked commuters from Delhi to stay away to avoid further harassment to its people. Here are the live updates on Gurgaon traffic jam:- -News agency ANI reports situation in Gurgaon easing around 6 pm as traffic crawls in parts of the city after remaining largely choked for many hours due to heavy rainfall. Gurugram (Haryana): Traffic crawls in the city as heavy rainfall cause water logging in several parts pic.twitter.com/svbnlsmR9l ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 -Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh volunteers jump into action to assist police. -The municipal corporation distributed food among the stranded people at Hero Honda Chowk. -A company each of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) were rushed to regulate traffic in Gurgaon, especially on the NH-8. Also, 250 home guards were pressed into service. -The International Road Federation (IRF) expressed deep concerns and called for concerted efforts, both long-term and short-term. -Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari spoke to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chief, Raghav Chandra, and directed him to send a team of senior officials to Gurgaon. -Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said waterlogging and non-functioning of certain drains were behind the massive traffic snarls. -Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia attacked the BJP government over the snarls, saying merely renaming Gurgaon to Gurugram wont ensure development. -Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal attacked the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana, saying, Thats BJP Governance. -In a series of tweets, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala blamed the government for destroying Gurgaon. -The Gurgaon waterlogging and traffic jam also saw politicians hitting out at their rivals. -The police said that the traffic situation in the city would improve by the evening. -The Gurgaon district magistrate ordered all civil officials on ground under section of 144 CrPC. -Gurgaon residents demanded action against the officials responsible for the situation. -A Gurgaon police spokesperson said normalcy was restored on almost all roads by 2 pm. -A Gurgaon police spokesperson said normalcy was restored on almost all roads by 2 pm. -The scared and stranded people pulled down a part of the divider on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway to escape. -Gurgaon Police also tweeted a video of traffic situation at Hero Honda around 1.30 pm. Watch on #Periscope: Situation onHero Honda Chowk at 1.28pm -Traffic along the NH8 from Delhi to Rajiv Chowk moved very slowly due to the closure of the national highway at Hero Honda Chowk. -Gurgaon Police tweeted a picture of Rajiv Chowk at 12.30 pm. Rajiv Chowk at 1223am pic.twitter.com/xGngAZ6cRj Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 29, 2016 -Heavy traffic jam reported on the Delhi-Jaipur highway due to waterlogging following the showers. -The traffic on NH8 and Sohna Road remained congested and slow due to the rains and flooding. -Traffic moving towards Rajasthan and Maharashtra was stuck on the city roads and state highways throughout Thursday night. -With more rains expected later today, there is no immediate relief in sight for the satellite city which headquarters a number of Fortune 500 companies. -The Gurgaon administration ordered the closure of all schools in the city. A few schools however remained open today. -The administration also appealed to all the commuters to use the Metro. -Police asked commuters to avoid them if possible. -People coming to Gurgaon from Delhi are advised to stay back today to avoid being stuck in Traffic Jams due to flooding on roads: the Gurgaon Police said in a tweet. -Inside Gurgaon, the worst-affected areas were Sushant Lok Phase-1, DLF City phases, Sohna Road, Golf Course Road, IFFCO Chowk, Old Delhi Road, Sheetla Mata road, sectors 15, 31, 44 and 46 and the Civil Lines area. -Fresh rains lashed Gurgaon, once again throwing early morning traffic out of gear. Chandigarh: Haryana is one of the four states in India which have recorded maximum decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), state Health Minister said today. The other states are Assam, Tripura and Dadar and Nagar Haveli (Union Territory), Health Minister Anil Vij said in a statement. In Haryana, the IMR for children below one year of age has shown a decline of five points from 41 per 1000 live births in Sample Registration System (SRS) 2013 to 36 per 1000 live births in SRS 2014 (July 2016 Bulletin). This is the result of strengthened health network and concerted efforts made by state Health Department, he said. Vij said the result of samples collected by SRS of the Central Government was announced during this month. According to data of September 2014, the IMR was 41 in Haryana. As per SRS 2014, Haryana's IMR was below the national average of 36. This reduction in death of children under one year of age is due to the concerted efforts of the government. Vij said that after the formation of BJP government in Haryana in October 2014, there has been considerable improvement in the infrastructure and sanitation of hospitals, efforts have been accelerated to remove shortage of doctors, medicines and equipment. Special Newborn Care Units have been made functional in all the district hospitals to provide specialised care for sick newborns. Supplementation of iron folic acid was being given to prevent anemia, albendazole for deworming and vitamin A to all under five years of age children. Vij said that in 2014-16, Haryana also introduced three new vaccines ? Pentavalent vaccine to include Hemophilus influenza vaccine in the schedule; Inactivated Polio Vaccine in line with global policy of ensuring sustained eradication of polio and Rotavirus vaccine for preventing severe diarhoea and subsequent deaths due to rotavirus infection among children. Under the Mission Indradhanush, a strategic endeavor was made to strengthen immunisation coverage. The state immunised a total of 56 lakh children through 86,000 immunisation sessions. Haryana is one of the first states in the country to start lab-based Vaccine Preventable Disease Surveillance. He said in 2015, the state had also drafted the Haryana Newborn Action Plan. As per the plan, Haryana is committed to achieve the national and global goal of single digit neonatal mortality rate by 2025. New Delhi: The Government on Friday said it has sought help from the US for detection of the Air Force's AN-32 aircraft, which went missing on July 22. The government is seeking help from American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites had picked up any signal before the disappearance of the plane, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in Rajya Sabha on Friday. "At the time of disappearance, the aircraft was on secondary/passive radar and there was no SOS or transmission of any frequency. It just disappeared so that is the worrying part," Parrikar said. "It is total blank. There was not even a single signal recorded. That is the reason we are contacting American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites picked up any signal," the defence minister said. "Besides our own satelleite imagery, we have asked the US for their imagery for the detection of emergency frequency to space based assets. Foreign countries we have already asked. I only hope that our efforts succeed," he added while replying to queries whether foreign help has been sought. The defence minister said the possibility of a sabotage in the mysterious disappearance of AN-32 aircraft was "comparatively very less". All types of techniques are being used to locate the aircraft, he said while replying to clarifications sought by members on his suo motu statement on the disappearance of the aircraft on July 22. As members expressed concern and raised questions over how the plane went missing, he said, "I can't speculate because we are searching for it and I will not like to speculate. But I can say only this much. The possibility, although we are checking all angles, of any sabotage is comparatively very less because they have standard operating procedures." While sharing the concern of the members, he gave details of the operation being carried out for the last one week in trying to locate the plane, carrying 29 people, which went missing during a flight from Tambaram in Tamil Nadu to Port Blair. "I appreciate anxiety of members. I am also disturbed at the sudden disappearance of the plane. I have spoken to several experts and former air chiefs who were also puzzled by the sudden disappearance," Parrikar said. Queried about the age of the aircraft, the Defence Minister said it was "almost as good as new aircraft". Elaborating he said, "I don't know exact age but it is well within lifetime. It has undergone first overhauling. Lot of replacement has been done.... They are considered as one of the safest aircraft." He said the accident rate of Indian Air Force is 0.23 out of 10,000 hours of flying against the global rate of 0.023 and assured the House that maximum efforts would be made to ensure that the mishaps come down. "If aircraft is not fit for flying we don't fly it. We have decided to check up whether we can improve the signalling system," he added. About the missing aircraft, Parrikar said that after the first overhaul, the plane had already done 279 hours and the pilot was experienced, having put in 500 hours on this route. The Defence Minister, who had made suo motu statement on the plane's disappearance in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday, said, "Let us hope that we track it down. I can assure that maximum efforts will be taken." Sharing details of the search operation so far, he said 10 Indian Navy ships as well as submarine 'Sindhudhwaj' are carrying searches and "virtually checking up everything". 23 inputs had been located, out of which 6 were of the nature of blinks and all inputs have been checked, he said. "If we locate something, then we can send deepwater equipment to pick up. We have also diverted 'Sagar Nidhi' (vessel) from Mauritius. It will reach on August one and it can go upto 6,000 metres depth. But we have to locate objects. We have to locate it because at this depth you cannot keep on scratching the bottom," Parrikar said. The Defence Minister said he was personally monitoring the situation. "We owe that much to the people, I have seen (to it) that every family is kept in touch." On Thursday, Parrikar had said that "several inputs and leads" regarding floating objects have been picked up but there is no concrete evidence so far with respect to missing AN-32 aircraft of the IAF. Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday night met top ministers of his Cabinet to firm up strategy for long-awaited Goods and Services Tax or GST bill, as per media reports. It has been said that the government will next week, most likely on Tuesday, bring its proposal for the tax reform to the Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has also been a busy man. On Thursday, Jaitley and Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian held several rounds of talks with leaders of Congress and other parties, including the Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal-United and the Communist Party of India-Marxist. "We have our fingers crossed," Jaitley told reporters in the national capital. Of the 32 parties, 30 are reportedly now supporting the bill. "Discussion on the matter is going on with different political parties to build a consensus. The government is hopeful of passage of the Bill," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters outside Parliament. "Most of the parties are on board," he said. Dubbing the GST as an 'instrument of growth', the Congress, however, said that it must be passed but it must be practically implementable. "There is no final assurance yet given to government either by Congress or other Opposition parties," Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala told a press conference, as per IANS. "GST is not a political instrument but an instrument of growth which was blocked by then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj," he added. The Congress leader said that "issues" are still being deliberated and the party is willing to negotiate. "GST shouldn't be only consensus-based but it should also reflect the will of the nation," he said. The party, however, welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision to approve key changes in the proposed legislation, including dropping the proposed one per cent additional tax on inter-state sale. The Congress demands on the bill include capping GST rate at 18 percent and mentioning this in the Constitution Amendment Bill. It also wants an independent dispute resolution mechanism. "The government has acceded to demands made by Congress and it hopes to persuade the government to agree on other issues," Surjewala said. (With Agency inputs) New Delhi: Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed last night on drug charges in Indonesia, has not been put to death, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday. "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Swaraj said on twitter. However, it was not clear why the Indian was not executed while four other convicts were put to death by the firing squad. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were to be executed but were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had yesterday said that Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian foreign office and the senior leadership of the country on the issue. Swaraj had said government was making last minute efforts to save Singh "Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. The Embassy sent a Note Verbale to Indonesia's Foreign Ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out," Swarup said. Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The decision has been criticised by human rights organisations. The 14 convicts to be executed included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. New Delhi: Continuing cross-border infiltration and terror attacks in India will figure prominently in talks when Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh travels to Islamabad next month to take part in the SAARC Interior Home Ministers conference. While raising the two issues at the conference beginning August 3, Rajnath Singh will also stress upon the fact that all such terror attacks are masterminded and launched from the Pakistani soil. Singh, who will be in Islamabad for two days, is further expected to convey to Pakistan in strong terms Indias expectation that it should tighten the noose around terror groups operating from its territory. The minister may also hand over documentary evidence establishing involvement of Pakistans state and non-state actors in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country, The Indian Express reported on Friday. This, however, can only happen if Singh gets to meet his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif separately. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup, however, has denied that Singh would hold any bilateral meeting with Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. There is no such proposal. He (Rajnath) is going for a multilateral SAARC event, Swarup was quoted as saying. Singh, who will be the first senior Indian leader to visit Pakistan after the Pathankot attack, is also expected to raise the issue of slow pace of investigation into the terror strike that took place in the border town of Punjab at the start of this year. The issue of lingering trial of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack is also expected to come up during meetings. New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday ruled out any possibility of a bilateral meeting between India and Pakistan during the SAARC event. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at the upcoming meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). In a tweet message, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said: Let me categorically state that the home minster of India is going for the SAARC event. There will be no bilateral meetings with Pakistan. The eight-member block is holding a meeting of the home ministers of SAARC nations in Islamabad from August 3 to 4. According to sources, the home minister is likely to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism at the meeting. At the 13th SAARC Summit held in Dhaka in November 2005, the heads of state decided that the SAARC interior/home ministers would meet annually preceded by a meeting of the interior/home secretaries to strengthen cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism. The first meeting of SAARC home ministers was held in Dhaka on May 11, 2006, followed by a meeting in New Delhi in 2007. New Delhi: Irked over a remark by Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in Rajya Sabha on Friday, Opposition members including those from Congress stormed into the Well demanding an apology from him, leading to a near washout of the crucial Zero Hour. Trouble began when Naqvi, replying to Anand Sharma's (Congress) remark that there was "frustration among youth" due lack of jobs, said there was a sense of optimism in the country but if there is "frustration and disappointment" in that party, he cannot help it. Raising the issue of unemployment in the country, Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said Modi government has failed to honour its promise to voters of creating two crore jobs annually. Endorsing his views, Sharma said it was serious matter and the situation is such that "there is frustration among the youth, jobs are not being created". Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) too voiced his concern over the employment situation in the country. Disagreeing with the comments of opposition parties, Naqvi said, "Jobs are being created in every field. If Anand Sharma says that there is frustration and disappointment. And if there is frustration and disappointment among my friends in Congress, there is no solution for it". The statement evoked sharp reactions from Congress, JD-U, SP and the Left members. Slogan-shouting Congress and JD-U members trooped into the Well demanding an apology from the minister. SP members were standing in the aisle and Left members were also on their feet. Deputy chairman PJ Kurien objected to members entering the Well, saying if there is anything "unparliamentary", it would be expunged. However, the protesting MPs did not budge. An angry Kurien said that "on the pretext of slightest provocation", members cannot come into the Well. Yechury said the minister should not name any particular party. Naqvi countered the protestors and asked, "Wasn't it unparliamentary to say that the country is frustrated". Amid continued uproar, Kurien adjourned the House till noon. When the House reassembled to take up the Question Hour, Naqvi maintained that he had not said anything unparliamentary but took the name of a party which should be removed from the record. Vijayawada: Expressing "pain" over the happenings in Rajya Sabha today during a discussion on special category status to Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu came down heavily on the Centre for once again doing "injustice" to the state. "It's the same Rajya Sabha. About 70-80 per cent members are the same. The same injustice has been done to Andhra Pradesh now. We are left with a nightmare," he lamented. Naidu particularly picked up Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the attack, saying the latter failed to come up with proper answers to various questions related to the state bifurcation and implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act, which paved the way of creation of Telangana in 2014. Addressing a press conference here late tonight, he castigated Jaitley for claiming in the Upper House of Parliament that "we have done a lot to Andhra Pradesh" so far. "What have they done? Jaitley says injustice has been done to AP. What has he done to correct it? Why did the BJP support the bifurcation (in 2014) when it knew the Centre's financial condition is bad," Naidu questioned. He pointed out that 11 parties, including the TRS, supported granting special status to Andhra Pradesh. "(Sitaram) Yechury (of CPM) suggested that a committee be constituted to look into the issue and also other contentious issues between AP and Telangana. I welcome it. Let the Centre constitute a committee," he demanded. The TDP leader said he was "pained" over the happenings in Rajya Sabha, where the NDA government today remained non- committal on granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh but promised to "hand hold" the revenue-deficit state to enable it to progress on its own. Jaitley assured the House the the government is committed to keeping all its promises and will fulfil all its responsibilities as far as hand holding Andhra Pradesh was concerned. He was responding to a discussion on the 'Status of implementation of the Reorganisation Act, 2014 and government assurances' during which TDP and several other parties pressed for grant of special category status to the state in the wake of carving out of Telangana state two years back. Naidu's party TDP is an ally of BJP at the Centre and also in the state. New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is known for her no-nonsense image among all Modi government ministers, made an unintentional mistake by quoting wrong books while condoling the death of noted writer Mahasweta Devi on Thursday. Swaraj while paying homage to Mahasweta Devi mentioned names of two books, Pratham Pratishruti and Bakul Katha, which were not written by the departed writer but by Ashapurna Devi. In her message, EAM Swaraj wrote on Twitter ''the works of the writer had left a lasting impression on her life. She was even trolled by Twitterati when people noticed the EAM Swaraj's faux-pas. Realising her mistake, EAM Swaraj quickly deleted her second tweet in which she had mentioned the names of the two books. But even though the tweet was deleted, people criticised the minister and posted photos of her deleted tweet and termed it as ignorance. As the news of social activist Mahasweta Devis demise spread, many dignitaries and political leaders had expressed condolence and paid homage to the great writer . Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were among the first to mourn loss of the great writer. New Delhi: Opposition on Friday hit out at BJP over an attack on two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh on the beef issue and alleged that dalits and Muslims were being increasingly targeted, prompting Home Minister Rajnath Singh to assert that justice will be done in the case. Raising the matter in Zero Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge reeled out statistics to highlight attacks on dalits and cited the incident in Mandsaur (MP), besides one in Gujarat and the killing of two dalits in UP to buttress his point. Demanding a ban on cow vigilante groups like 'Gau Rakshak Sangh', he alleged that they have become a law unto themselves and were being encouraged by BJP governments in states. Kharge also attacked the Sangh Parivar alleging that their members and those of the BJP are also involved in such incidents. "Such incidents can happen only when they have government's support," he said, while also referred to reports today that a dalit couple was hacked to death in UP. Amid cries of 'shame, shame' from opposition benches, the Congress leader said the two women pleaded with the attackers that they were carrying buffalo meat and not cow meat and had produced receipt to make their point. "They were still thrashed in front of the police. They were told that if they were men, they would have been killed," he alleged. The forensic report, Kharge pointed out, also said it was buffalo meat. He also cited national crime data to take on the government, saying every 80 minute one crime against dalit was taking place, three dalits raped and two murdered every day. "You (government) will say that it has been happening earlier too, but it has risen after you came to power. It has your support," he said, drawing support from Trinamool Congress. In his brief reply over the incident in Madhya Pradesh, the Home Minister "this is a law and order issue. We all know it is a state matter. The Madhya Pradesh government has acted swiftly and effectively.Investigation is being done. I assure the House that justice will be done and the guilty not spared." Unhappy over his response, opposition members, including those of the Congress, TMC and the Left, walked out. New Delhi: Pakistan occupied Kashmir has been witnessing violence ever since ever since Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the recently held elections. Angry over rigged elections in the PoK region, locals burnt Pakistani flag in Neelum Valley area. Reports said that the protesters later faced police action. Election posters were blackened in Neelam Valley by people agitated over rigged PoK polls. Besides blackening election posters, the protestors also burnt tyres, blocked traffic and clashed with the police personnel deployed on duty. #WATCH Election posters in Neelam Valley (PoK) blackened by locals agitated over rigged PoK pollshttps://t.co/7XsQqiC7kH ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 Locals in PoK have been hitting the streets to protest against the rigged July 21 election. Earlier this week, huge protests were witnessed in Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Chinari and Mirpur, after the members of the PML(N) killed a supporter of the Muslim Conference (MC) in Muzaffarabad. The protesters maintained that they were not allowed to cast their votes, and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and others rigged the polls in favour of Sharif's PML(N). Locals allege that elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have always been fixed in favour of the federal ruling party. The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir was split between India and Pakistan in 1948, after they fought a brief war over it. It remains at the heart of animosity between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Washington: US President Barack Obama considers Prime Minister Narendra Modi a good friend and the two countries have collaborated on a number of projects, the White House said on Friday. "We are in close contact with the government of India. President Obama considers Prime Minister Modi a good friend. We've collaborated on a number of projects," White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz told reporters at his daily press conference. Schultz was responding to a question on Chinese aggressive behaviour on South China Sea. "Most recently, most notably the agreement that the United States worked with India on, allowed for the Paris climate deal to happen. So the president is enormously proud of that work. He is also enormously grateful to Prime Minister Modi for his work on that," Schultz said. "But that's not the only facet of our relationship. Obviously, we have economic ties, deep security ties. So the president deeply values his relationship with Prime Minister Modi," he said in response to a question. New Delhi: Tina Dabi, the 2015 IAS topper, on Thursday told students at her alma mater Lady Sri Ram College that girls should develop a thick skin. While interacting with the students at the Delhi University college, Dabi said that the girls should always remain ready to fight back anyone who wants to overpower them. Dabi is the first Dalit girl to have topped the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations. The Political Science graduate, who was in the news recently when she didn't get posted in Haryana, her state of choice, said: "The Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in Haryana is poor and as a woman I wanted to work in the field of girl child education, especially after the implementation of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana." "But due to a lack of vacancy, I was allotted Rajasthan. which was my second choice," she said, adding that she is hopeful of improving education institutions and implementation of government schemes. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: In a major development, Delhi's Patiala House Court on Tuesday (January 7) issued death warrant for all four men sentenced to death in Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case. The four convicts will be hanged to death on January 22 at 7 AM, said the court.Executions are rare in India and death sentences are awarded only in cases of rarest of rare crimes. Among the last few executions witnessed in India were of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, a Pakistani terrorist, and Afzal Guru, conspirator in Parliament attack case. While the debate continues over whether capital punishment is justified or not, there is an interesting aspect associated with it. Why are those on death row executed before sunrise? We all have seen in films that whenever any prisoner is executed, only a handful of persons are present to witness the act. Among them are a judicial executioner, a magistrate or his representative, a doctor and some policemen. And there are several reasons why executions are carried out before sunrise in India. - Jail authorities have to focus a lot of energies on carrying out an execution and they wind up the same before sunrise so that it does not affect their daily schedule. Requirements pre and post execution include medical tests and noting of procedures in multiple registers. - The body also needs to be handed over to the prisoner's family post execution in time so that they can conduct the last rites the same day. - Executions are carried out early in the morning so as to ensure that the person on death row does not have to wait for long on a day he is due to be hanged and to prevent him from undergoing further mental trauma. - Hangings are carried out early in the morning in order to prevent sudden reactions from the society as most people are asleep when the development takes place. Srinagar: Bahadur Ali, the Pakistani terrorist who was captured alive by security forces after a fierce gunbattle, has made startling revelations before the National Investigating Agency, which has been interrogating him since his arrest in Kashmir. According to new agency ANI, Bahadur Ali, alias Saifullah, has told NIA that he ''came to Kashmir to kill innocent civilians.'' The 22-year-old terrorist also confirmed to the NIA that he was trained by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in guerilla warfare and had met Jamaat-ud-Dawaah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed twice. Ali said that he was in regular touch with a Control Room established in PoK, where his handler Walid was instructing him. The shocking revelations were made by him days after the Home Ministry confirmed that he was a Pakistani national from the Lahore city. MoS (Home) Hansraj Ahir had also confirmed his identity. Bahadur Ali was captured alive by the security forces while four other LeT terrorists were killed in the gunbattle near Nowgam sector in Kupwara district. Three AK-47 rifles, two pistols and Rs. 23,000 in Indian currency were also recovered from him by the security forces. This was the second time in two months a Pakistani terrorist has been captured alive in the frontier district. The terrorists had entered in Valley from Teethwal area of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir a day before, sources in the Home Ministry said. They had moved into the Tangdhar sector and from there to the Leepa Valley. Later, they had holed up in a forest area, where the encounter took place. Srinagar: Authorities on Friday imposed curfew and restrictions in the Kashmir Valley to prevent separatist called protests in Srinagar. "Curfew and restrictions have been imposed in many parts of the Valley including Srinagar city," a senior police official told IANS. "People are advised to cooperate with the administration to prevent anti-social elements fro causing trouble." Life across the Valley remained paralysed for the 21st day as the separatists extended their protest shutdown till July 31. Separatists have, however, said people should engage in activities like shopping for few hours after 7 p.m. during this period. On Wednesday, curfew was only imposed in three south Kashmir districts including Anantnag. In Srinagar, some semblance of normal life could be seen as private transportation and pedestrian movements were witnessed in many areas. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that the security forces had no knowledge about Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani's presence inside the house in Bsmdoora village of Anantnag district where he was killed on July 8. "If the security forces knew about Burhan's presence inside the house, he would have been given a chance to surrender," Mehbooba said. Fifty people including 48 civilians and two policemen have been killed since July 9. Srinagar: Police Friday arrested separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as they tried to march from their residences to historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of the city. "Geelani was arrested by police as he tried to defy the house arrest orders," a spokesperson of the hardline Hurriyat Conference said. He said a police team whisked Geelani away to Humhama police station. A spokesman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference said its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was also arrested and taken to Nigeen police station as he tried to march to Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers. The separatist camp had jointly called for a march to Jamia Masjid to protest the recent civilian deaths in security forces action during the clashes in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Authorities have imposed strict curfew in the city to thwart the march of the separatists. Meanwhile, Friday prayers were not offered at the Jamia Masjid for the third consecutive week due to the ongoing unrest. New Delhi: National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has rubbished successor Mehbooba Mufti`s claim that she was not aware of the encounter between the security forces and Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, which resulted in the latter`s death. Abdullah said that Mufti was kept fully informed of the July 08 encounter. "I`m going by the first on record statement by the Jammu and Kashmir Police to the media that the CM (chief minister) was kept fully informed of the encounter. At no point in the first Jammu and Kashmir Police media briefing was it ever suggested that they didn`t know who was trapped," Abdullah said in a series of tweets. Abdullah`s remark come after Mehbooba Mufti yesterday claimed that the security forces were unaware about Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani`s hideout, adding that he would have been given a chance had they known about his presence. Mehbooba said, "How are we supposed to know everything about every encounter? As far as I know, what I heard from the police and the Army, who said they only knew that there were three militants inside the house but did not know who they were." "I believe that had they known he was there, Wani would have been given one chance as the situation was fast improving in the state. He would have been given a chance," she added. The Chief Minister also countered Omar Abdullah by saying that unlike when Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged in 2013, her government did not get enough time to make arrangements to contain the situation. "When Afzal Guru was hanged, Omar knew (about it). So, he made all the arrangements in advance. We knew nothing and we came to know suddenly. But despite that, we tried to impose curfew so that children do not come out," she said. At least 47 people died and around 5,500 people, including 3,000 security personnel, have also been injured in the violence that rocked the Valley since July 08, when Wani was killed in an encounter. Srinagar: Defying curfew and restrictions, protesters today took to the streets at many places across Kashmir and clashed with security forces, after authorities thwarted a march to Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area here by taking top separatist leaders into custody. At least 20 people were injured in the clashes, which erupted after Friday prayers between the protestors and security forces across the Valley, a police official said. In Rohama area of Baramulla district, a mob set ablaze a newly-constructed police building while militants hurled a grenade towards security forces during stone pelting in Shopian town of south Kashmir, the official said. The grenade failed to explode. The official said three persons received bullet injuries after security forces opened firing to disperse a stone-pelting mob near Gushi Bridge in Kupwara district of north Kashmir. He said the condition of all three injured persons was stated to be stable. The official said 17 others, including a few security personnel, were injured in the clashes reported from Shopian, Anantnag, Bijbehara, Bandipora, Baramulla, Sopore, Ganderbal and Kangan areas. Clashes were also witnessed in several parts of the city. Curfew was today reimposed in four districts of south Kashmir and Srinagar city, while authorities clamped restrictions in some other areas of the Valley to thwart a planned march by separatists here. "Curfew was imposed in entire south Kashmir and Srinagar, while restrictions have been imposed in north and central Kashmir," the police official said. He said all the four districts of south Kashmir -- Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian -- were under curfew to maintain law and order. Restrictions were imposed in north Kashmir and some areas of central Kashmir to thwart the march announced by separatists to Jamia Masjid, he added. Hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and moderate faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were taken into preventive custody by police as they tried to defy house arrest orders to march towards the historic Jamia Masjid. Protests broke out across Kashmir Valley on July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces. In the ensuing clashes between protesters and security forces, 47 persons, including two policemen, were killed and 5,500 were injured. Yesterday, the authorities had lifted curfew and restrictions from across the Valley, except Anantnag town, after some improvement in the situation. Thiruvananthapuram: Having lost Kerala's chief ministership in the May elections, Oommen Chandy seems to be enjoying life's small pleasures, like taking a 75 km bus ride from Kollam to the state capital. The Congress leader was seen on Thursday taking a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus from Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram, after he missed a train to the state capital and refused an offer of a car. The woman conductor of the bus at the Kollam bus station said she was surprised when she saw Chandy climbing in and offered him a seat behind the driver. A member of Chandy's security staff told IANS that about 25 passengers on board were pleasantly surprised to see the former chief minister amidst them. "As the bus moved, passengers were greeting Chandy, chatting with him and taking selfies with him," said the security officer. "As the word spread, a number of reporters boarded the bus too. In Thiruvananthapuram, where his car was waiting, a good number of media personnel were there to greet him," said the security officer. Incidentally, Chandy is riding on a bus almost after a decade. He said he will continue to travel by bus, but without pre-planning his journeys. "I always love to travel on KSRTC buses, especially the faster ones, but due to my preoccupations I was unable to do so, but now I will have the time," said Chandy. Following the dismal performance of the Congress-led UDF in the May elections, Chandy decided not to take up the post of the leader of opposition but would rather just be a legislator. Kolkata: Activist-writer Mahasweta Devi, who crusaded for the rights of tribals and the marginalised for decades, was on Friday cremated with full state honours as commoners and eminent personalities led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid their last respects. Police personnel reversed arms and gave a gun salute with the bugle sounding the Last Post as her grandson Tathagata Bhattacharya lit the funeral pyre. Hundreds of people, including tribals from faraway districts, congregated at the Keoratola crematorium to bid a tearful adieu to the author. In the morning, people cutting across class and political barriers paid their last respects to the 90-year-old Padma Vibhushan and Magsaysay awardee who passed away on Thursday following cardiac arrest. Besides a host of state ministers, Left Front Chairman Biman Bose and Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra paid floral tributes to Mahasweta Devi whose mortal remains were kept at the Rabindra Sadan auditorium. People accompanied the convoy of police cars that flanked the hearse carrying the author`s body in a glass casket bedecked with floral offerings for the last journey to the Keoratala crematorium. The homage resembled a massive rally with artistes, writers, intellectuals and celebrities walking side by side with the common man as the cavalcade made its way to the crematorium. Among those to paid their respects were the Lodhas of the erstwhile Midnapur district and the Kheria Sabars of Purulia - who revered Mahasweta as their mother. Coming all the way from the districts, the members of the twin tribal groups carried copies of a letter Mahasweta had written to the various authorities highlighting the stigma attached to the tribals who were notified as "criminals" during the British rule. "We have lost our mother. We have lost the voice that inspired us to continue our fight," said one of the tribals who had assembled under the banner of Lodha and Sabar Kalyan Samiti. Nagpur: The Maharashtra government on Friday announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for providing genuine information about the state's favourite missing tiger Jai. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who also expressed hope that 'Jai' which has gone missing from a forest in the district would return as it had done in the past. The seven-year-old big cat went missing from Umred Karhandla wildlife sanctuary in April. The tiger's disappearance has galvanised wildlife enthusiasts and people to launch a search in village after village near the sanctuary. "Jai has the history of going astray and returning after some time. We (government) are hopeful and confident this time also the tiger will be tracked and traced," Fadanvis said at a function to mark International Tiger Day, organised by Forest Department here. The CM also said he was happy to see people's reaction in the wake of big cat's disappearance. "We are happy that missing of a tiger has created awareness about the wild animals and that people from all walks of life have evinced interest in the entire missing episode," he said. 'Jai' is named after a popular character with the same name in the iconic Bollywood movie "Sholay". According to sources in Forest department, Jai's disappearance came to light when its collar gadget failed to transmit any radio signal. Subsequently, a massive search and rescue operation was launched by Forest department, which was soon joined by wildlife enthusiasts. Some citizens even organised prayers for Jai's well being and return recently. On its part, the Forest department has deployed personnel who are familiar with the topography of the sanctuary to trace the feline. With PTI inputs Mumbai: A politically isolated MNS chief Raj Thackeray met his estranged cousin and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's home on Friday, sparking speculation of possible rapproachement for the crucial civic polls in the city due early next year. Raj, who lives in Dadar, drove to Matoshree, Uddhav's residence in suburban Bandra, said reports. Importantly, no aides were present during the meeting of the two estranged brothers, Shiv Sena sources said. In 2012, after Uddhav underwent an angiography (to unblock blood vessels), he was driven home by Raj, giving rise to speculation of a 'thaw' between the two. Uddhav was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra after he complained of chest pain. On hearing the news, Raj, who was on way to Alibaug to attend a party meet, had rushed to the hospital. The BMC polls are crucial for the two cousins who regularly take potshots at each other. Shiv Sena plays a second fiddle to ally BJP in the state ministry and it is trying hard to retain its rule over the BMC where BJP plays the second fiddle. Uddhav, who turned 56 years old recently, has been handling the party affairs since 2004. In 2005, Raj had quit Shiv Sena and formed a new political outfit, MNS, the next year, blaming Uddhav and his 'coterie' for the ills afflicting his uncle Bal Thackeray's party. The performance of MNS drastically suffered in the last Assembly polls where only one party MLA was elected, a far cry from 13 MNS MLAs elected in the 2009 polls. With PTI inputs Bhubaneswar: An FIR has been lodged against five persons including two ministers and one Biju Janata Dal MLA for allegedly thrashing some BJP workers in Odisha`s Boudh district on Friday. The youth wing of the BJP in the district lodged the FIR against Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma, Housing and Urban Development Minister Puspendra Singhdeo, BJD MLA Prashant Kumar Jagdev, Bhubaneswar corporator Amaresh Jena and BJD youth wing vice-president Bijay Nayak. The FIR has been lodged at Manamunda police station in Boudh district. According to sources, some workers of the saffron party showed black flags to the two ministers at Manamunda when they were on the way to the Boudh Collector`s office to stage a protest against construction of projects in the upper catchment of Mahanadi river by the Chhattisgarh government. Following the incident, some BJD supporters including Prashant Jagdev and Amaresh Jena came out of a car and started thrashing the BJP workers in the presence of policemen, sources said. "The assault on our party workers shows undemocratic and inhuman nature of the ruling party. We demand strict action against the involved persons or else we would intensify our stir across the state," said state BJP General Secretary Prithviraj Harichandan. He said members of the BJP legislature party would visit Boudh district to take stock of the situation. BJD youth wing vice-president Nayak said: "BJD ministers and leaders were there to protest Chhattisgarh government`s project on Mahanadi, which will have an adverse impact on Odisha. It is unfortunate that while going to attend such a protest, our leaders were shown black flags." BJD spokesperson Sameer Das, however, said the party president would take appropriate steps after looking into the incident. Jalandhar: The wife of Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed over drug charges last night in Indonesia on Friday said that she spoke to him twice this morning and he has been sent back to jail. Appealing the Indonesian government for mercy to Singh, his wife Kulwinder Kaur said he has spent 14 years in jail which was enough penance for his crime if he was guilty and he should be sent back to his country. "I spoke to him twice this morning and he said he is fine. His execution was dropped at the last minute after four others were put to death by the firing squad," Kaur said. External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj said this morning that 48-year-old Singh had not been executed. However, it was not clear under what circumstance the Indian who was to be executed along with 14 other convicts was spared. Four of them were put to death by the firing squad last night. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. "A priest was invited and a van had also arrived to carry his body but the execution was halted at the last minute. He was then sent back to the prison," she said. "Gurdip asked me to appeal to the government to halt the execution and bring him back to the country. He wants to meet his family," Kaur said. Expressing gratitude to the central government for its efforts, she said "Swaraj has been constantly in touch with me and has assured me that the government is trying everything to save Gurdip from execution." Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The 14 convicts included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. Chandigarh: Punjab government today approved the criteria for grant of financial assistance and facilities to Sangharshi Yodhas who participated in anti-Emergency protests and Punjabi Suba movement to safeguard the interest of the state. The decision was taken by the Council of Ministers during its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here. A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said financial assistance of Rs 1000 per month would be given to the participants who had undergone imprisonment for up to three months. The Sangharshi Yodhas who were under imprisonment for three months to six months would be given a financial assistance of Rs 1500 per month and Rs 2000 per month for those who were imprisoned for more than six months. They would be required to submit the jail certificate or two co-prisoners certificates for the purpose of proof. The panchayat in rural areas and municipal committee in urban areas can also give in writing after unanimous approval, the time spent by Sangharshi Yodha in prison due to participation in Morchas. Apart from this, those Sangharshi Yodha who were beneficiaries in the past their pensions have also been restored. Keeping in view the administrative exigencies, the Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval to revive and fill up 25 posts of Punjab Civil Service (Executive Branch) for direct recruitment as well as of various registers. The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval to the appointment of Manjinder Singh Sirsa as Advisor to Deputy Chief Minister in the rank of State Minister. It also gave approval for the creation of posts of six Private Secretaries, six Personal Assistants, six Clerks, six Telephone Attendants, six peons and six cooks for the office of the new Chief Parliamentary Secretaries. The Cabinet also gave green signal to amend The Right to Service Act-2011 by promulgating an Ordinance thereby substituting the name First Appellate Authority and Second Appellate Authority with Grievance Redressal Authority and Appellate Authority, respectively in the principal Act and empowering them to take suo-moto notice of failure to deliver services and to pass order. New Delhi: Earth, our home, as we know has been hit by a number of asteroids and comets in the past, causing cataclysmic damage many times. Although the Earth is constantly being hit with with asteroids that entered and disintegrated in its atmosphere, life has survived the impact and lived through each crisis today. While most dont make it through the atmosphere, but some like the 'Chelyabinsk meteorite crash' in Russia in 2013, was a considerable force injuring hundreds of people. Here's a simulation video by the Discovery Channel that shows and explains in detail with visual scenario what would happen if a larger asteroid hit the Earth today. In the video, an asteroid with a diameter of 500 km was seen hurling towards the Earth with the Pacific Ocean as its destination. It shows that the impact of the asteroid peels the 10 km crust off the surface, and the shockwave travels at hypersonic speeds. As per the video description, debris is blasted across into low Earth orbit, and returns to destroy the surface of the Earth. Finally, the firestorm encircling the Earth, vapourizing all life in its way. New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday chaired a meeting to discuss the way forward towards a permanent solution to the fishermen`s issue between India and Sri Lanka. Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare/ Fisheries Radha Mohan Singh co-chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Minister of State for Transport, Highways and Shipping Radha Krishnan. The meeting was held in the context of the invitation to Sri Lankan Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera to visit India in August for discussions, according to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry. The release of 77 Indian fishermen on July 25-26 and their repatriation to India on July 27 set the immediate backdrop to the meeting. "The Ninth India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting on February 5, 2016, had agreed on the need to work out a permanent solution to the fishermen issue during a visit by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development of Sri Lanka to India," the statement said. The discussions between stakeholders on the Indian side focussed on different aspects requiring attention, including the livelihood concerns of Indian fishermen and introduction of sustainable fishing practices. "All stakeholders agreed with External Affairs Minister that it was important to resolve the issues quickly," the statement said. "There was consensus that the various measures proposed by the External Affairs Minister would help efforts towards a permanent resolution of the issue." It was also agreed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries would take action on specific measures suggested to meet livelihood concerns of Indian fishermen. "There was agreement amongst all stakeholders that practical and pragmatic solutions needed to be pursued so that fishermen on both sides can pursue their livelihood in a safe, secure and sustainable manner," the ministry statement said. The meeting was attended by representatives of the state governments of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and 13 representatives from the Fishermen Association of Tamil Nadu as also five representatives from the Fishermen Association of Puducherry. Besides, representatives of the Coast Guard, senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture/Department of Animal Husbandry/ Dairying and Fisheries, Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, the Indian Navy and the Prime Minister`s Office attended the meeting. Bulandshahr: In what may sound like a mythical tale, a 90-year-old woman who was presumed dead in Uttar Pradesh's Khurja area, was found alive while her body was being taken for the funeral procession to the crematorium. The incident happened on July 25, 2016. Ten hours after Kaila Devi's death, when her family and village members were taking her 'dead body' to the crematorium, she suddenly started talking. Seeing her alive, the people were surprised and started posing various questions to Devi. The 90-year-old woman told the villagers that 'Yamraj' himself had come to earth to leave her back. Devi said, when she reached 'Parlok' after her death, documents regarding her were searched and it was decided that her time of death was yet to come. Everybody was in shock and several villagers visited her after she came back home. The doctor in the village who used to treat her had examined her body before it was taken for cremation. New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party on Friday condemned the brutal killing of Dalit couple, who was axed to death by a shopkeeper in Lakhmipur village of Uttar Pradesh`s Mainpuri district for alleged non-payment of Rs 15, and said that the state government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is delivered to the family at the earliest. Speaking to ANI, Samajwadi Party leader Gaurav Bhatia also advised the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to refrain from politicising the issue and not to think about mere votes. "It is most unfortunate that a person is killed for a small amount of money. We condemn it and the state government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is delivered to the family of the victims at the earliest. An investigation would be done at great speed to ensure that justice is not delayed," Bhatia said. "I heard that a BSP spokesperson is again trying to politicise the issue. I would only request them that there are moments when they should not stoop to petty politics and should not think of votes. Rather, they should think of the pain that the family would be going through," he added. The couple was yesterday hacked to death allegedly by an upper caste man for refusing to part with a paltry Rs 15 so he could buy his daily fix of intoxicant. Bharat Nat (48) and his wife Mamta (45) were attacked with an axe by Ashok Misra when they refused to give him Rs 15 in Kurra area in Lakhmipur village early Thursday morning. Confirming the incident, Mainpuri District Magistrate Pramod Gupta said, "Bharat and Mamta, who were labourers, died on the spot after the accused, Ashok Mishra, attacked them with an axe. According to villagers, the matter was concerning Rs 15 that led to a argument and resulted in the killings. The accused has been arrested and stringent action will be taken against him." According to Bharat`s mother, the couple had left home in the morning for sowing paddy, but they were stopped by the shopkeeper who asked them to payback his money that led to an argument between them. In the fit of rage, Ashok allegedly attacked them with an axe and they died on the spot. The Mainpuri Police have arrested the accused and started inquest proceeding. Kanpur: Looking to build a political base in Uttar Pradesh which goes to polls next year, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will hold a public meeting at Ghatampur area here on August 6. The JD(U) chief will also take part in a party function on the same day. Nitish, who will arrive here on the morning of August 6, will attend a tehsil-level worker meeting before addressing the rally, party leader Suresh Niranjan said. Niranjan promised a "historic" rally that will have thousands of people in attendance. Other top JD(U) leaders are also likely to attend the public meeting, he said. New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Sheila Dikshit, party's chief ministerial candidate for 2017 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, will interact with party workers at the Ramabai Ambedkar Ground in Lucknow. According to reports, it will be a four hour-long interactive session to energise the cadre for the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The office of Rahul Gandhi tweeted this morning to confirm his presence in Lucknow. Looking forward to being in Lucknow today to meet karyakartas. See you all at the Ramabai Ambedkar Ground! https://t.co/oGSWf9CciH Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 29, 2016 This wil be the first major interactive session by Rahul after Congress launched the partys election campaign by flagging off the 27 Saal - UP behaal yatra in New Delhi early this month. The Congress party had also constituted a new team led by state party president Raj Babbar besides declaring Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial face. A 10-feet high open podium has also been erected to give a wider visibility to Rahul and other senior leaders at the Ramabai Ambedkar Ground where about 50,000 party workers are expected to assemble from different districts. Rahul is expected to walk along a nearly 40-feet long ramp to answer the questions from partymen at nearly a four-hour long session titled UP Declaration. Rahuls march to Raj Bhawan after the programme, however, has been cancelled for denial of permission for security reasons. Babbar, along with partys campaign committee chairman Sanjay Singh, visited the venue and reviewed the arrangements being made there. As per programme, registration would start at about 9 am. In all, 30 control rooms and 90 registration desks have been set up to enable smooth registration process. Rahul is expected to reach the venue at about 3 pm. Kolkata: West Bengal might soon have a new name. If the state's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can have her way, then the it could be renamed as either Bengal or Bangla. As per a report in Mail Today, Mamata does not like her state to figure at the bottom just because alphabetically it is placed way down in the line. She supposedly got tired of having to wait her turn to plead for the case of West Bengal in the recently held inter-state council meeting. "By the time West Bengal is getting its turn both the speaker and the listener are losing out patience and interest This is happening in all important meetings of the Planning Commission. Our madam (Mamata Banerjee) is doing so much homework to present the case of West Bengal, but who is there to hear her," a bureaucrat was quoted as saying by the media house. "We are losing out on a lot of opportunities," Mamata reportedly said in close quarters and asked her bureaucrats to initiate the process of changing the name of the state. Having introduced the Biswa Bangla logo (the symbol of West Bengal), Banerjee feels Bangla would just fit in the bill, as per the report. "There is no need for West when east has ceased to exist," the same bureaucrat further said. Damascus: The Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra Front, said on Thursday it was breaking ties with the global terror network, in a video showing its leader Abu Mohamad al-Jolani for the first time. The footage broadcast by Al-Jazeera news channel follows several days of online chatter over a split between Al-Qaeda and its Syria affiliate, a main rival of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group from which it wants to distance itself as a target of foreign air strikes. Appearing in public for the first time, Jolani said Al-Nusra changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (Front of the Conquest of Syria) and would unify ranks with other mainstream fighters in Syria. "We decided to stop operating under the banner of Al-Nusra and to set up a new front, called Jabhat Fateh al-Sham," he said. Clad in military fatigues and wearing a turban, the bearded Jolani thanked "the commanders of Al-Qaeda for having understood the need to break ties". And he vowed the new group would "have no links whatsoever with foreign parties". Analysts said Al-Nusra aims to rebrand and defend itself as it comes under increased pressure after Moscow and Washington agreed to step up joint efforts against jihadist groups. US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov said last week they had agreed "concrete steps" to save a failing Syria truce and tackle jihadists like Al-Nusra and IS. But with the amicable break from Al-Qaeda, Jolani "can now call upon a broad spectrum of armed groups in Syria to agree to unite initiatives", said analyst Charles Lister. "It`s also, plain and simple, a recognition of the need to confuse one`s enemies, given US-Russian plans to begin military operations" against Al-Nusra, he said. Washington said it still considers Al-Nusra Front a security threat despite the announcement. "We certainly see no reasons to believe that their actions or their objectives are any different," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. "They are still considered a foreign terrorist organisation," Kirby said. "We judge a group by -- by what they do, not by what they call themselves."In the brief recording, Jolani, flanked by two bearded men, said the split was aimed at "protecting the Syrian revolution" and to offset any excuse by the international community to target Al-Nusra. "We hope to form a unified body, based on the shura (Islamic law), uniting the masses of the people of Al-Sham, liberating their lands, giving victory to their faith and upholding their testimony of faith," he said. Al-Nusra is already a leading member of the Army of Conquest, an alliance of Islamist and rebel fighters, that controls the northwest province of Idlib. Lister said that one of the men sitting beside Jolani was Al-Qaeda veteran leader Ahmed Salameh Mabrouk. "Al-Qaeda is playing a critically important role in shaping this development and their thinking and strategising will remain crucial for this new Jabhat Fateh al-Sham movement," he said. "It will still oppose the most moderate of opposition groups in Syria; it will still be viciously sectarian, and it will still ultimately seek the establishment of an Islamic emirate in Syria and the potential launching of external attacks on the West."Al-Qaeda, founded by Osama bin Laden and to which Al-Nusra pledged allegiance in 2013, prepared the ground for Thursday`s announcement. "We direct the leadership of Al-Nusra Front to go ahead with what preserves the good of Islam and the Muslims, and protects the jihad of the Syrian people," Ahmed Hassan Abu al-Khayr said in an audio message released online by Al-Nusra. "We urge them to take the appropriate steps towards this matter," said Abu al-Khayr, identified as the deputy of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Nusra emerged in January 2012, 10 months after Syria`s conflict began with anti-government protests that were brutally repressed by President Bashar al-Assad`s regime. Unlike the IS group, which opposes all those who fail to swear allegiance, Al-Nusra has worked alongside an array of rebel groups fighting Assad`s regime and has popular support. Analyst Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, speaking ahead of Jolani`s announcement, said "Al-Qaeda`s central leadership endorses the idea of embedding Jabhat al-Nusra more deeply in the Syrian insurgency". Lister said the split between Al-Nusra and Al-Qaeda had been prompted by the US-Russia agreement to coordinate efforts and target jihadists operating in Syria. Al-Nusra, which has 7,000-8,000 fighters according to Syria specialist Thomas Pierret, is considered by Washington as a "terrorist" group. It has been the target of both Russian and US-led coalition air strikes. Vienna: Austria has handed over to France two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, prosecutors said Friday. The Algerian and Pakistani men, now aged 29 and 35 and who have not been named, were arrested in Austria on December 10. Austrian and French authorities believe they travelled to Greece along with two men involved in the November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees. While the eventual assailants continued on to France, the two were detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports. Once let go, they made it to Salzburg at the end of November -- after the Paris atrocities -- and Austrian police arrested them at a migrant centre. Following a French request, a court in Salzburg in western Austria approved at the beginning of July their transfer to France. "Both suspects have now left the country," prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. They had said in April that they were looking into "leads" suggesting that the Pakistani may have been involved in attacks in 2008 in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. He unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two who have now been transferred to France. Islamabad: A British-Pakistani woman, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances, was strangulated as she had a bruise mark on the neck and blood-stained froth was leaking from her mouth, according to an autopsy report, raising suspicions that she was a victim of "honour killing". 28-year-old Samia Shahid's family had claimed that she died on July 20 due to cardiac arrest in Mangla area of Jhelum district of Pakistan's Punjab province. But her husband Syed Mukhtar Kazim had registered FIR on July 23 against Samia's father, mother, sister, cousin Mobeen and her former husband for allegedly murdering her as they were not happy with the marriage. Police briefly detained the father of the woman but later released him after finding no evidence against him. Her father has rejected the charges insisting that Samia died of 'heart attack'. However, police said the autopsy report showed that she was strangled to death. "There were some bruises on the neck and now the medical report confirms that she was murdered," a police official said on anonymity. He said further probe was going on and the first phase of investigation would be completed after availability of results of more reports and tests by next week. Samia, a resident of Dhok Pandori village, Jehlum, some 230 km from Lahore, had come to Pakistan from Dubai about two weeks ago to see her ailing father. A beauty therapist from Bradford, Samia had previously been married to her first cousin Shakil but the couple parted ways after divorce in May 2014. She then married Kazim of Taxila in September 2014 and both started living in Dubai. Kazim claimed in the FIR that Samia had been killed by her family who refused to accept their relationship because he was an outsider. "Samia's mother phoned her on July 11 and asked her to come to Pakistan to see her ailing father. Samia arrived in Pakistan on July 14. She told me by phone that her father was all right and now she was feeling threats to her life. "On July 20 his wife's phone was switched off and he contacted Mobeen, her cousin, who said that Samia had suffered a heart attack and died," Kazim said. He said he reached Pakistan on July 21 and got a murder case registered against his in-laws. A British MP Naz Shah was first to raise the issue when she wrote this week to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to order probe as Samia might have been killed for "honour". Honour killing is common in Pakistan. Last week, social media sensation Qandeel Baloch was killed by her younger brother as he objected to her photos and videos. Pennsylvania: With 101 days to go before Americans elect a new president, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will hit the campaign trail Friday hoping to secure a poll bump from their dueling party conventions. In the last fortnight Republicans and Democrats have gathered to formally select their presidential nominees and tee-up what is already one of the most fractious and vitriolic presidential campaigns in living memory. Both parties are deeply divided and led by profoundly unpopular figures with approval ratings below 40 percent. Both conventions featured withering personal barbs, with Republicans in Cleveland chanting "lock her up" against Clinton and Democrats in Philadelphia painting Trump as an authoritarian and threat to US democracy. Experts predict that "negative partisanship" -- voting against a candidate, rather than for a candidate -- will play a major role in deciding who makes it to the White House. Clinton, fresh from becoming the first woman in history to win the nomination of a major US political party, will take her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine on a bus journey through Pennsylvania and Ohio. The so-called "rustbelt" states are vital parts of almost any strategy to garner the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the presidency. But in an election year that has seen the voice of the hard right and the hard left become louder and more shrill, Clinton is also making a bold play to seize the political center-ground. A string of high profile Republicans, including the party`s last presidential nominee Mitt Romney, have publically stated they cannot vote for Trump because of his populist policies. This means some Republicans can be won over. Accepting her party`s nomination, Clinton vowed to be a president for all Americans "for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. For the struggling, the striving and the successful. For those who vote for me and those who don`t." On the convention floor, delegates waved bed-sized American flags and chanted "U.S.A." in scenes of extreme patriotism more usually seen at Republican rallies. Clinton also made a pitch for disgruntled working class voters, who have formed the backbone of Trump`s base. In an hour-long primetime address, she laid out plans to boost the US economy, stressing that "my primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages." Her efforts, she said, will focus particularly on places "that for too long have been left out and left behind, from our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country." Trump meanwhile will be in Colorado, another battleground state, where his plan to build a wall on the Mexican border could resonate with angry white voters but turn Hispanic voters away in droves. At the Republican convention Trump doubled-down on controversial far-right plans to stem Muslim and Hispanic immigration and get tough on crime. "I have a message for all of you," he told delegates. "The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon, and I mean very soon, come to an end," he said. "Safety will be restored."Both Clinton and Trump donated large chunks of invaluable convention time to softening their public image. Both deployed family members to the frontline of that information war. On Thursday Clinton`s daughter Chelsea described Hillary as a mother who took breaks from politics to read her "Goodnight Moon" and a grandmother Facetimes and reads "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo" to Chelsea`s daughter. Trumps daughter Ivanka stepped out as a potent surrogate, trying to help his terrible approval among female voters by promising he would be a compassionate leader who would fight for women`s rights and affordable childcare. While Trump himself portrayed a tough guy image, much of Clinton`s own address to Democrats was focused on tempering her image forged over decades of withering political trench warfare. "Some people just don`t know what to make of me," she said with a frankness that is unusual in American politics. "The truth is, through all of these years of public service, the service part has always come easier to me than the public part." But addressing her reputation of putting prose before poetry, Clinton was unrepentant. "It`s true," she said. "I sweat the details," be it the amount of lead permissible in drinking water or the cost of prescription drugs. "It`s not just a detail if it`s your kid, if it`s your family," she said. Clinton and Trump will face off in their first presidential debate in late September. Washington: A committee that raises money for Democratic candidates for the US House of Representatives confirmed on Friday it had been hacked in an intrusion possibly linked to Russian hackers, similar to an earlier breach targeting another Democratic Party group. In an incident that escalated concerns about the potential for Russian meddling in US politics, Reuters first reported on Thursday that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing the hack at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC. The intrusion took place from at least June 19 to June 27, though it may have been longer, according to analysis conducted by US network security company FireEye. The committee said in a statement it has hired cyber security firm CrowdStrike to investigate. "We have taken and are continuing to take steps to enhance the security of our network," the committee said. "We are cooperating with federal law enforcement with respect to their ongoing investigation." The DCCC hack may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee, which raises money and sets strategy for Democratic candidates nationwide. The DNC and DCCC occupy the same office building in Washington. Potential links to Russian hackers in both incidents were likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the US presidential election campaign to help Republican nominee Donald Trump. The Kremlin denied involvement in the DNC cyber attack. In June, a bogus website was registered with a name resembling a DCCC donation site. For some time, donation-related internet traffic that was supposed to go to a donation-processing firm instead went to the fake site. The DCCC intrusion may have been used to compromise the computer systems of donors who visited the spoof site, rather than to collect their personal information, said John Hultquist, manager of cyber espionage analysis at FireEye. Several major Democratic donors contacted by Reuters on Friday said they had not been notified of the hack and were not concerned about their information being accessed. "I`m less concerned about that than I am about my Amex being hacked," said John Morgan, 60, a Florida attorney. Cindy Miscikowski, 68, a California donor, said she would be upset if hackers got her bank information, but otherwise she was not worried because donations are disclosed publicly. The timeframe of the DCCC hack would place it days after the DNC went public with its breach and said the hackers had been kicked out of its systems. Sources said the numerical Internet address of the spurious DCCC site resembled one used by a Russian government-linked hacking group, one of two suspected in the DNC breach. Rich Barger, co-founder of security intelligence firm ThreatConnect Inc, said his analysis of the fake donation site tied it to the group linked to Russian military intelligence. He said the web domain name was set up through a service that accepts bitcoin, with a contact email address that had been used to set up websites involved in a major German hack, which also was attributed to the Russian group. Cyber experts and U.S. officials said this week there was evidence that Russia engineered the DNC hack to release sensitive party emails and influence US politics. The DNC hack raised concerns among Democrats at the party`s convention in Philadelphia, where Hillary Clinton was nominated as the party`s candidate in the Nov. 8 presidential election. The new hack at the DCCC could add pressure on the Obama administration to make a public accusation or retaliate. The Justice Department and other agencies have said it is important for deterrence to "name and shame" cyber adversaries. "Any efforts on a nation states part to interfere with U.S. politics through cyber attacks would appear to cross a line that would demand a response from the US government," said D.J. Rosenthal, a former Justice Department and National Security Council official. A former White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said any formal accusation would require overwhelmingly certain evidence. Staffers for the Republican National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said separately that those campaign organizing groups had not been hacked. Philadelphia: US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will tell the Democratic National Convention on Thursday that Americans face challenges at home and abroad that require steady leadership in the White House. In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton will sound the themes that will propel her campaign against Republican Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying," Clinton will say in accepting the Democratic nomination, according to excerpts of her speech. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have," she says in the excerpts. Clinton will say her "primary mission" will be to create more opportunities and more good jobs with rising wages, and to confront stark choices in battling "threats and turbulence" around the world and at home. "No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance - looking for steady leadership," she will say. As she prepared to deliver her speech, people familiar with the matter said the FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion against a major Democratic Party congressional fundraising group, an attack that may be related to an earlier hack against the party`s apparatus. The previously unreported incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers is likely to sharpen concern, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in US elections. The speech is Clinton`s turn in the spotlight after three days of electrifying appearances by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama, all party heavyweights who praised Clinton and cautioned that Trump would be dangerous and divisive. It will be a difficult and high-stakes task for the guarded Clinton, 68, known to be a more effective politician in small gatherings than on big stages. Vying to be the first woman elected president in U.S. history, Clinton needs to make a convincing argument she can bring about change while representing the legacy of Obama, who is nearing the end of his second four-year term with high approval ratings. She must make inroads with voters who find her untrustworthy or unlikable, as her favorability ratings in polls have hit all-time lows. In his speech, Obama offered an optimistic view of the United States that he contrasted with Trump`s vision of a country in crisis. Clinton was likely to offer a similarly upbeat message, drawing on an idea that has driven her throughout her career, that all Americans should be given the chance to fulfil their potential, a campaign aide said. Trump, a 70-year-old New York businessman who has never held political office, is running just ahead of Clinton in a RealClearPolitics average of recent national opinion polls. They both garner high "unpopularity" ratings. The Republican nominee has hammered Clinton as untrustworthy, and Republicans depict her as a Washington insider who would continue what they see as the failed policies of Obama`s presidency. Trump rejected the optimism voiced at the Democratic convention, saying Democrats were talking about "a world that doesn`t exist" and papering over Clinton`s problems and mistakes. At a rally in Davenport, Iowa, Trump said he was sorely tempted to lash out at the various speakers criticizing him in Philadelphia but was advised against doing so by a governor who he declined to name. "I was going to hit one guy in particular, a very little guy, I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin," Trump said, but the governor advised him against it. "He said dont talk down. You have one person to beat. Its Hillary Rodham Clinton," Trump said. Chelsea Clinton, who spent eight years of her childhood in the White House when Bill Clinton was president, will introduce her mother on Thursday evening. Rosa Patlan Harris, 70, a retired postal worker and delegate from Texas, said she thinks Clinton can measure up to the high expectations for her speech. "I think she can handle it," said Patlan Harris, a long-time supporter of the former secretary of state. "You know she`s tough." The Democratic gathering began on a note of discord on Monday, with backers of Bernie Sanders, the US senator from Vermont who lost the nomination to Clinton, noisily booing the very mention of her name. But protests inside the arena calmed after the tumultuous first day. After two nights of speeches meant to unify the party and show a more personal and warmer side of Clinton, the third night featured a sharp turn to attacking Trump. Taking aim at Trump`s campaign promise to "Make America Great Again," Obama said: "America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump." Trump, a former reality TV star, has portrayed the country as being under siege from illegal immigrants, crime and terrorism and as losing influence in the world. He has proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country and a wall along the border with Mexico to keep illegal immigrants out. Biden called Trump an opportunist with no clue about how to make America great. Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine, a US senator from Virginia, said Trump was a "a one-man wrecking crew" who could not be trusted in the Oval Office. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent media mogul, attacked Trump`s history of bankruptcies and lawsuits and called his presidential bid a "con." Paris: France's prime minister said Friday he would consider a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques, urging a "new model" for relations with Islam after a spate of jihadist attacks. Manuel Valls, under fire for perceived security lapses around the attacks, also admitted a "failure" in the fact that one of the jihadists who stormed a church and killed a priest on Tuesday had been released with an electronic tag pending trial. In an interview with French daily Le Monde, Valls said he was "open to the idea that -- for a period yet to be determined -- there should be no financing from abroad for the construction of mosques." The Socialist prime minister also called for imams to be "trained in France, not elsewhere." He said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, whose portfolio also includes religious affairs, was working on building a "new model" for France`s relations with Islam. And Salafism -- the deeply fundamentalist branch of Islam espoused by many jihadists -- "has no place in France," Valls said. France has just over 2,000 mosques, for one of Europe`s largest Muslim populations which numbers around five million. Some large mosques have been financed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf or Northern African countries, according to local media reports. Both Valls and Cazeneuve have faced calls to resign after the second jihadist attack in less than a fortnight raised questions over France`s vigilance and preparedness. The government has faced tough questions since it emerged that both church attackers had been on the radar of intelligence services and had tried to go to Syria. Sparking particular ire was the revelation that one of the assailants, 19-year-old Adel Kermiche, had been released from prison while awaiting trial on terror charges after his second attempt to travel to Syria. The electronically tagged Kermiche was allowed out of his home on weekday mornings, enabling him and his accomplice to storm a church in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and slit the throat of 86-year-old priest Jacques Hamel at the altar. Kermiche`s accomplice Abdel Malik Petitjean, also 19, had been on the security watchlist since June after trying to reach Syria from Turkey.On Friday, the French weekly L`Express revealed that Kermiche had described the modus operandi of the attack on the encrypted messaging application Telegram. "You take a knife, you go into a church. Bam!" says a chilling message recorded just a few days before the attack whose authenticity was confirmed by a source close to the investigation, according to L`Express. Other messages speak of the influence of a "sheikh" Kermiche met in prison, his wish to set up a terrorist cell and details of his failed attempts to reach Syria. Some 200 people were in the Telegram group receiving the messages, L`Express said. The church attack came as the government was already facing a firestorm of criticism over alleged security failings after the Bastille Day truck massacre in Nice that left 84 people dead two weeks ago. In the government`s first admission of a lapse since the two attacks, Valls acknowledged Kermiche`s liberty was a "failure, it has to be recognised", adding that judges needed to take a "different, case-by-case, approach, given the jihadists` very advanced concealment methods". But he said it was "too easy to hold judges responsible for this act of terrorism."Meanwhile a source close to the investigation said a Syrian asylum seeker had been taken in for questioning after being arrested at a refugee centre in Alliers, central France. A photocopy of a Syrian passport was found at Kermiche`s home that may be that of the asylum seeker, the source said. Two jihadist attacks this month in Germany`s south were carried out by asylum seekers, reviving a backlash against Chancellor Angela Merkel`s decision last year to open the borders to those fleeing war and persecution. A 30-year-old member of Petitjean`s family and a 16-year-old whose brother travelled with Kermiche are also in custody. In a newly released video, Petitjean pledged to attack France, directly addressing President Francois Hollande and Valls. Wearing a striped T-shirt, Petitjean speaks in French laced with Arabic in the footage released by the Amaq news agency linked to the Islamic State group. He and Kermiche pledged allegiance to IS in a video made before they murdered Hamel that emerged afterwards. Hamel`s funeral will be held in the Gothic cathedral of nearby Rouen next Tuesday. On Friday, France will observe a day of fasting and prayer called by the French Catholic Church "for our country and for peace in the world". Rome: Italy`s long-awaited, much-disputed law allowing gay civil unions took effect Friday after it was published in an official journal, as couples start applying for legal recognition of their same-sex relationships. In Milan, a civil servant went Wednesday to an intensive care unit to get consent from her terminally ill partner Margherita -- a 53-year-old teacher with whom she has lived for 28 years -- for their civil union. Theirs will be the first registered in Milan in about 10 days` time, the city told the media. Throughout Italy, town halls have reported that requests for gay unions have started coming in. The Italian parliament passed the landmark legislation in May overruling opposition from the country`s powerful Catholic Church. It introduces civil unions for the first time but denies same sex couples equal adoption rights to their heterosexual counterparts. Italy was the last major Western country to introduce legal recognition of gay relationships and the law`s provisions do not go as far as the gay marriage legislation enacted in other European countries such as Britain, France or Spain. Some more complicated cases in Italy, such as couples of different nationalities who got married overseas, will have to wait a bit longer until a definitive decree of the new law is made by early December. cc/boc/kjl Washington: On the subject of women in politics, Hillary Clinton is fond of quoting the words of another illustrious first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, who once said: "You need to grow a skin as thick as a rhinoceros." When out on the stump, in cafes, and rallies across the country, Clinton talks of the adversity she has faced down over the course of four decades in public life. "I have the scars to prove it," quips the former secretary of state, painted by her enemies as "crooked," "corrupt" and even an enabler of her husband`s affairs. A Machiavellian image clings to the ambitious Midwesterner, dating back to her years in the political spotlight as a tandem with Bill. She is considered "dishonest" by a majority of Americans, and the mudslinging is only set to intensify as she heads into a brutal showdown with presidential rival Donald Trump. And yet, at age 68, Clinton now stands at the threshold of the White House. On Thursday, she accepted her party`s formal nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, making history as the first woman to carry the colors of a major US political party in the presidential race. In her acceptance speech, Clinton vowed to be the president of all Americans. "I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans and independents," Clinton said. "For the struggling, the striving and the successful. For those who vote for me and those who don`t. For all Americans." And she fired off red-hot barbs at her Republican rival, who has gloomily depicted America as being mired in an acute crisis of crime, violence and other woes at home and disrespect abroad. "He wants to divide us -- from the rest of the world, and from each other," Clinton said. "He wants us to fear the future and fear each other." President Barack Obama delivered a soaring testimonial Wednesday, praising Clinton`s caliber and readiness for the job. "I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman ... more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president," he said.Hillary Diane Rodham was born on October 26, 1947 and raised in a middle-class household in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge. She adored her mother Dorothy but described her father, Hugh Rodham, born from Welsh immigrants, as a rigid taskmaster. He imposed his work ethic on young Hillary, but also his frugality. She still puts uneaten olives back in the jar and is loath to waste anything, she wrote in her 2003 autobiography, "Living History." Clinton shared her father`s Republican convictions in adolescence, as well as his thunderous laugh. The family is Methodist, and to this day Hillary remains in the church. Since her school days, she chased success, earning honors and accolades that could fill a bookcase. Smart and ambitious, Clinton was admitted in 1965 to Wellesley, an elite women`s college near Harvard, and eventually was elected class president. It was the social tumult of the sixties, and Clinton learned of the struggle for civil rights, the explosive debate over Vietnam and the fight for gender equality. When she was accepted in 1969 at Yale Law School, she met Bill Clinton, the "Viking" from Arkansas who would change her life. After working for the Children`s Defense Fund, and a period in Washington in 1974 on the commission investigating the Watergate scandal, she gave in and joined Bill in Arkansas. He was soon elected governor and Hillary Rodham joined a prestigious law firm, eventually becoming its first female partner. Chelsea, their only child, was born in 1980.She soon dropped her maiden name and became Hillary Clinton, first lady of Arkansas and then the nation after her husband`s 1992 presidential election victory. Her assertive style contrasted with that of her predecessors. She played an active political role as first lady. But her relations with lawmakers and journalists quickly soured over her efforts to reform health care, a role bestowed by her president husband. Republicans branded her a radical feminist. She suffered intense humiliation when news of Bill`s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky surfaced in 1998. But her popularity has never been higher than the 67-percent approval rating she enjoyed that December, a Gallup poll at the time showed.Pressured by friends and associates in Hillaryland, the first lady launched herself into politics, winning a US Senate seat for New York in 2000. Eight years later, she challenged fellow senator Obama, who savaged her vote supporting the Iraq war, in the presidential race. Clinton chose to run on her experience, refusing to campaign on gender. But Americans opted instead for the 40-something political neophyte Obama, bringing hope of change after eight years of George W. Bush. Following detente with his party rival, Obama appointed Clinton secretary of state. Her critics argue she can claim no major diplomatic successes, and Republicans accuse her of incompetence over a 2012 militant attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans. Her use of a personal email account instead of an official government one remains problematic for her. When the FBI chief declared he would not recommend charges be brought against her, it only heightened suspicions that the Clintons see themselves as above the law. But her four globe-trotting years as secretary of state also cemented her image as a powerful stateswoman and that potent mix of tenaciousness and cold realism finally saw the better of her idealist Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders. Suzanne Salomon, a development consultant and former Wellesley College dorm mate of Hillary`s, said, "I don`t see that much change in her." "She was a leader when we were 19 years old," she told AFP. "She knew what she wanted to do, when some of us had no clue what we were going to be when we grew up." Sanaa: Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels and the General People's Congress party of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh formed a 'supreme council' to run war-wracked Yemen, the media reported. Houthi-run state news agency sabanews.net citing a statement said this on Thursday. The statement did not name the 10 members of the council, whose creation the government condemned as a "new coup" and a blow to stalled UN-backed peace talks. The council will "manage state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security," the statement said. "The aim is to unify efforts to confront the aggression by Saudi Arabia and its allies," the statement added, referring to the Saudi-led military coalition that began airstrikes against the rebels in March last year. The 'supreme council' will have a rotating leadership that includes a president and a deputy from both sides, the statement said. Yemen's foreign minister Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi deplored the move. "We call on the international community to condemn the new coup against constitutional legitimacy and to hold the Houthi-Saleh alliance responsible for foiling the talks," he said. The rebels had "missed an opportunity for peace, which the Yemeni people needed," Mkhlafi added. The move comes as UN-sponsored peace talks now underway in Kuwait show no sign of producing an agreement to end Yemen's civil war. A ceasefire accord between the Houthis and loyalists to president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has repeatedly been violated since it took effect in April. Peace talks in Kuwait since then have done little to end fighting that has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million in the Arabian Peninsula state amid famine and a humanitarian crisis. The Houthi rebels captured Sanaa in September 2014 and expanded their control to other parts of Yemen, advancing on Hadi's temporary headquarters in the the southern city of Aden and forcing him to flee to Saudi Arabia. In February last year, the rebels set up a 'supreme revolutionary council' iafter announcing they had dissolved Yemen's government and parliament. Dakar: Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre, sentenced to life in May for crimes against humanity, was ordered Friday to pay what could amount to tens of millions of euros to his thousands of victims. A special African Union court ruled he should give up to 30,000 euros ($33,000) to each victim who suffered rape, arbitrary detention and imprisonment during his abusive 1982-1990 rule, as well as to their relatives. "We will spare no effort to locate and seize Habre`s assets and make sure the victims are compensated," said Human Rights Watch lawyer Reed Brody, who spent 15 years trying to bring him to justice. Habre was sentenced to life in jail on May 30 by the court set up to try him a quarter century after he fled to Senegal following his 1990 ouster by Chad`s current president Idriss Deby. The landmark conviction was seen by rights campaigners as a victory in the fights against impunity. It set a global precedent as the first time a country had prosecuted the former leader of another nation for rights abuses. It was also the first such trial by the African Union. Friday`s financial compensation order was issued by the court`s presiding judge, Burkina Faso`s Gberdao Gustave Kam, who did not detail how many people would win redress. But the main lawyer for victims of Habre`s rule, Jacqueline Moudeina, told journalists that 4,733 civil plaintiffs were involved in the case. Of those, 1,625 were direct victims of regime brutality, having been jailed without trial or taken prisoner of war. Around a dozen women could claim for rape or sexual abuse, she said. The court ordered Habre "to pay each of the victims of rape and sexual slavery the sum of 20 million CFA francs (30,490 euros), to each victim of arbitrary detention, or prisoners of war ... 15 million CFA francs; and to indirect victims, 10 million," Kam said. One of the civil plaintiffs, jeweller Abdourahmane Gueye who says he was jailed for several months on charges of spying, said the compensation was far too low. "I lost more than 30 million," he said."Money will never bring me back my friends," said former detainee Souleymane Guengueng. "But it helps to heal the wounds, to support those who became poor and it shows we have rights that must be recognised." The 73-year-old former leader, who refused to recognise the court throughout the nine-month trial, did not attend the hearing. His court-appointed lawyers said they would appeal. A group of Habre victims, including lawyer Reed Brody, said they estimated total compensation at around 53 billion CFA francs, almost 80.8 million euros. The court has already frozen some of his assets, including a house in an upscale Dakar neighbourhood thought to be worth about 680,000 euros as well as some small bank accounts. But Habre is thought to have much more extensive assets. Often known as "Africa`s Pinochet", Habre was accused of the deaths of 40,000 people, charges he denied. Witnesses recounted the horror of life in Chad`s prisons, describing in graphic detail abusive and often deadly punishments inflicted by Habre`s feared secret police, the Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS). Victims were subject to electric shocks and waterboarding while some had gas sprayed in their eyes or spice rubbed into their genitals, the court heard. Habre`s defence team unsuccessfully sought to cast doubt on the prosecution`s argument that their client was an all-knowing, all-powerful head of the DDS, suggesting he may have been unaware of abuses on the ground. For more than 20 years, the former dictator lived freely in an upmarket Dakar suburb with his wife and children. Brody said in May that the conviction was a warning. "The days when tyrants could brutalise their people, pillage their treasury and escape abroad to a life of luxury are coming to an end," Brody said in a statement. Krakow: Pope Francis on Friday walked alone through the notorious wrought-iron "Arbeit Macht Frei" gates at Auschwitz-Birkenau beginning a historic visit to the former Nazi death camp. His head bowed, the pope prayed in silent contemplation before meeting Holocaust survivors in front of the death wall where the Nazis summarily shot thousands of people. The Argentine pontiff will lead prayers for the 1.1 million mostly-Jewish victims murdered at the camp and has said that rather than making a speech he will stand in silence to reflect on the horrors committed and let his tears flow. After arriving Wednesday in Poland -- the heartland of Nazi Germany`s atrocities -- the pontiff said the world had been plunged into a piecemeal third world war. He has repeatedly denounced those committing crimes in the name of religion, after Europe suffered a string of deadly jihadist attacks. The pontiff, who has forged ever-closer ties between the Catholic Church and Jews since his election in 2013, will meet 12 former inmates at the site which is now a memorial and museum. As the morning rain subsided and the sun began to shine, around 200 people gathered by a big screen in Birkenau to await his arrival, among them a group of elderly Poles known as the "righteous among the nations" who risked their lives to help hide and protects Jews. Among those who will meet the pope are a 101-year-old woman violinist called Helena Dunicz Niwinska who played in the Auschwitz orchestra as a prisoner, alongside others who worked at the camp hospital or who were there as children. During the visit, prayers will be said just a stone`s throw from the ruins of one of the crematoriums which was blown up by the Nazis as they evacuated the camp. Francis will also pray in the cell where Polish priest and saint Maximilian Kolbe died after taking the place of a condemned man. The visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day Kolbe was sentenced to death.Poland`s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich welcomed the pontiff`s intention to remain silent during his visit to the camp, saying "often people go to Auschwitz... and they are silent (about the horrors) for the rest of their lives". "Instead, once we leave Birkenau we must spend the rest of our lives screaming, yelling and fighting all kinds of injustices," he said Thursday. The pope will travel the two miles (three kilometres) to Birkenau, the main extermination site, and be driven along tracks laid in 1944 to allow trains of prisoners to be transported right to the gas chambers and crematoria. There, some 25 Christian Poles who risked their lives during the war to help hide and protects Jews -- a group recognised by Israel`s Yad Vashem as "Righteous Among the Nations" -- will recount their stories to the pope. Among them will be Maria Augustyn, whose family hid a Jewish couple behind a wardrobe for years, and Anna Bando, who helped rescue an orphan from the Warsaw ghetto and gave several Jews forged "Aryan" papers. The Holocaust is an extremely delicate subject in Poland, where locals fuelled by anti-Semitism were accused of butchering Jews or delivering them to the Nazis. Those who did help sometimes paid the ultimate price. A Hebrew prayer for the dead will be read aloud in Polish by Stanislaw Ruszala, Catholic parish priest of the town of Markowa, where a family was wiped out after they were discovered to be sheltering Jews. Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children were butchered. Wiktoria, who was seven months pregnant at the time, had started giving birth before she was executed, according to the Vatican. More than 100,000 non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, homosexuals and anti-Nazi partisans also died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in occupied Poland. The Soviet Red Army liberated it in 1945. Two of the pope`s predecessors also visited the camp: John Paul II -- a former archbishop of Krakow -- in 1979 and Benedict XVI in 2006. Krakow: Pope Francis was set to meet Holocaust survivors at the former Auschwitz death camp in Poland on Friday, as well as people who risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis. The Argentine will lead prayers for the 1.1 million mostly Jewish victims and has said that rather than making a speech he will stand in silent contemplation of the horrors committed and let his tears flow. As he arrived on Wednesday in Poland -- the heartland of Nazi Germany`s World War II atrocities -- the pontiff warned that the world had been plunged into a piecemeal Third World War. He has repeatedly denounced those committing crimes in the name of religion, after Europe suffered a string of deadly jihadist attacks. Francis will walk through the notorious "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Sets You Free) gate at Auschwitz, before meeting the survivors in front of the death wall where the Nazis summarily shot thousands of inmates. The pontiff, who has forged ever-closer ties between the Catholic Church and Jews since his election in 2013, will meet 12 survivors, including a 101-year-old woman, at the site which is now a memorial and museum. He will pray in the cell where Polish priest and saint Maximilian Kolbe died after taking the place of a condemned man. The visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day Kolbe was sentenced to death.Poland`s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich welcomed the pontiff`s intention to remain silent during his visit to the camp, saying "often people go to Auschwitz... and they are silent (about the horrors) for the rest of their lives". "Instead, once we leave Birkenau we must spend the rest of our lives screaming, yelling and fighting all kinds of injustices," he said Thursday. The pope will travel the two miles (three kilometres) to Birkenau, the main extermination site, and be driven along tracks laid in 1944 to allow trains of prisoners to be transported right to the gas chambers and crematoria. There, some 25 Christian Poles who risked their lives during the war to help hide and protects Jews -- a group recognised by Israel`s Yad Vashem as "Righteous Among the Nations" -- will recount their stories to the pope. The Holocaust is an extremely delicate subject in Poland, where locals fuelled by anti-Semitism were accused of butchering Jews or delivering them to the Nazis. Those who did help sometimes paid the ultimate price. A Hebrew prayer for the dead will be read aloud in Polish by a priest from a town where a Catholic family was wiped out after they were discovered to be sheltering Jews. More than 100,000 non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, homosexuals and anti-Nazi partisans also died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in occupied Poland. The Soviet Red Army liberated it in 1945. Two of the pope`s predecessors also visited the camp: John Paul II -- a former archbishop of Krakow -- in 1979 and Benedict XVI in 2006. Oswiecim: Pope Francis made an emotional and silent visit to the former Nazi death camp at Auschwitz on Friday and later said many of the horrors committed are happening in places at war today. Seated on a bench near the gate to the camp site in Poland, Pope Francis prayed in silence in tribute to the 1.5 million people, most of them Jews, killed there by Nazi occupiers during World War Two. The third pope to visit Auschwitz and the first not to have lived through the war in Europe, he entered the camp by foot, passing through iron gates under the infamous sign reading "Arbeit Macht Frei", German for "Work Sets You Free". Visibly moved by the sight of the wooden guard towers, barbed wire fences and inmate barracks, he sat in silent prayer for about 15 minutes. Francis said before the trip that he had decided to make no statement as silence was the best way to honour the dead. Reflecting on his visit several hours later, Francis asked young people: "Is it possible that man, created in God`s image and likeness, is capable of doing these things?" "Cruelty did not end at Auschwitz and Birkenau," he said. "It is still around today ... in many places in the world where there is war, the same things are happening." He cited torture, over-crowded prisons and starving children. The pope spent a few minutes quietly greeting about a dozen Auschwitz survivors, kissing each of them on both cheeks. One man gave the pope a picture of himself surrounded by other emaciated inmates in a bunk, and asked Francis to sign it. The 79-year-old Argentine-born pontiff then proceeded to walk through the barely lit corridors of the drab, brick building of Auschwitz Block 11, which had housed prisoners selected for special punishment. With aides using small flashlights to light his way, Francis visited the underground cell where Franciscan monk Maksymilian Kolbe was killed after offering his life to save a Polish man whom had been picked to die of starvation. Just outside the cell, in Auschwitz`s commemorative book, Francis wrote in Spanish: "Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty". German occupation forces set up the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp during World War Two in Oswiecim, a town about 70 km (43 miles) from Poland`s second city, Krakow. Between 1940 and 1945, Auschwitz developed into a vast complex of barracks, workshops, gas chambers and crematoriums. On July 29, 1941, the camp director, in reprisal for the escape of a prisoner, chose 10 others and sentenced them to death by starvation. When the selection was completed, Kolbe stepped forward and volunteered to die in place of a man with a family, Franciszek Gajowniczek. Kolbe was later killed by lethal injection but the man he saved survived the war. Kolbe was made a saint in 1982 by Pope John Paul II, a Pole. Later, the Pope, who has made many strong condemnations of anti-Semitism, also visited Birkenau, a part of the camp where most of the killings were in gas chambers, and was driven past ruins of crematoriums that the Nazis blew up before the camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on Jan. 27, 1945. He listened silently as Poland`s chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, sang from Psalm 130 and a priest read the psalm in Polish, just metres (yards) away from the end of the single rail track where cattle cars brought hundreds of thousands of prisoners to the camp. After greeting some 25 people who have been honoured as "Righteous Among the Nations" for helping save Jews, Francis left as quietly as he had arrived. Aleppo: Syria regime ally Russia on Thursday announced a "large-scale" aid operation to allow civilians and fighters to flee besieged Aleppo, as the president offered an amnesty to rebels who surrender. The opposition, however, condemned the initiative as an attempt to "alter Aleppo`s demographics and ensure forced displacement", while Amnesty said it was "not a substitute for allowing impartial humanitarian relief for civilians... many of whom will be sceptical about government promises". UN aid chief Stephen O`Brien warned that any corridors must be used voluntarily and protection be guaranteed. "No one can be forced to flee, by any specific route or to any particular location," said O`Brien. "Protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of neutrality and impartiality." Government forces have surrounded rebel-held districts in eastern Aleppo since July 17, sparking fears for an estimated 250,000 people who live there. Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition`s main supply route into the northern city earlier this month. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said three humanitarian corridors were being opened "to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms". He told Russian news agencies that a fourth corridor would be opened to the north of Aleppo for rebels to flee with their weapons. Medical and food assistance would be provided along the routes for civilians and fighters who lay down their weapons, Shoigu said. President Bashar al-Assad, meanwhile, issued a decree offering an amnesty to rebels who surrender over the next three months, state news agency SANA reported. "Everyone carrying arms... and sought by justice... is excluded from full punishment if they hand themselves in and lay down their weapons," it said. Syria`s state television also announced "the opening of three passages to allow citizens out of eastern districts" of Aleppo. Regime planes on Thursday dropped flyers showing a map with the location of these humanitarian passages, he said, as well as small aid packages, an AFP correspondent said. He went to see one of the corridors but said it remained closed and saw no movement of local residents nearby. "We`re scared of using the regime crossings because we refused to do military service. The corridors are nothing more than words. It`s just an excuse to throw people into jail," said Hassan Ibrahim, a 25-year-old father. Previously the country`s economic hub, Aleppo and its surrounding countryside have suffered some of the worst fighting in the five-year conflict that has killed more than 280,000 people. It has been roughly divided into a regime-controlled west and a rebel-held east since July 2012. Analysts say that losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the armed opposition and could signal a turning point in the conflict, which began in 2011 with the brutal crackdown of anti-government protests. Also on Thursday, Syrian government forces drove rebels from the neighbourhood of Bani Zeid, on Aleppo`s northern outskirts, after heavy overnight fighting, a monitor said. The Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee condemned Russia`s proposal as "a euphemism for Russia`s efforts to alter Aleppo`s demographics and ensure forced displacement". "The forcible displacement of Aleppo`s population is a war crime perpetrated by the Syrian regime and a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council," it said, referring to Russia. Amnesty was also dismissive. The Russian plan was "not a substitute for allowing impartial humanitarian relief for civilians who remain in opposition-held areas of the city or other besieged areas, many of whom will be sceptical about government promises", it said. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said the world body had not been consulted on Russia`s initiative. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch accused Assad`s regime and Russia of extensively using banned cluster munitions against the rebels since late May. The New York-based watchdog said it had documented 47 cluster munition attacks that killed and injured dozens of civilians in rebel-held areas in three provinces since May 27, many north and west of Aleppo. On the opposition front, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra Front, announced Thursday it was breaking ties with the global terror network. Al-Nusra is a main rival of the Islamic State jihadist group from which it wants to distance itself as a target of foreign air strikes. At least 15 civilians were killed and dozens wounded Thursday in US-led coalition air strikes on the northern IS-controlled town of Ghandoura, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The town is near Manbij, a strategic waypoint between Turkey and the IS bastion of Raqa, and came after the coalition opened a formal investigation to determine whether its air strikes last week near Manbij claimed dozens of civilian lives. Washington: US intelligence officials next week will invite the presidential and vice-presidential candidates from both political parties to receive top secret briefings on world crises and security threats, two U.S. officials familiar with the plans said. Now that their nominations have been confirmed, Democrat Hillary Clinton and her vice presidential running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, and Republican Donald Trump and his running mate, Governor Mike Pence, will be offered identical intelligence briefings, the officials said. Candidates customarily get one briefing although they may ask that it be broken into segments. Aides and advisors to the candidates will not be allowed to attend the briefings unless they have security clearances granting them access to Top Secret intelligence, the officials added. There could be questions about whether Trump aides who have done business in Eastern Europe could attend such briefings, the officials said. Clinton aides involved in the controversy over her private email server also might not be eligible, they said. Asked on Thursday whether the intelligence community has any hesitation about briefing Trump or Clinton, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper replied: "No, there isnt." "Both candidates will be reached out to, and offered briefings," although they are not mandatory, Clapper said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. "Weve got a team all prepared, and have had for some time." While the briefings are expected to include some classified material, Clapper described them as "fairly general". Other officials said they will provide a broad overview of the most important issues, threats, and trends, including terrorism, Russia, and China. The briefings will track unclassified assessments that Clapper presented to Congress earlier this year in an annual "Worldwide Threat Assessment," one of the officials said. The briefings will not include information about U.S. intelligence sources and methods or current covert operations, both officials added. Trump was nominated last week at his party`s convention and his rival at the Nov. 8 election, Clinton, is due to accept the Democratic nomination on Thursday night. Philadelphia: The father of a Pakistani- origin Muslim American soldier, who was killed in the Iraq war, on Friday lambasted Donald Trump for disrespecting minorities and "sowing division", saying the Republican presidential nominee has "sacrificed nothing" for the country. Asking Trump if he had ever read the US constitution, Khizr Khan, father of Humayun S M Khan who was one of the 14 American Muslims who served US forces for 10 years and died in Iraq in 2004, told Americans to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. "Trump, you have sacrificed nothing," Khan told a cheering audience at the Democratic National Convention here. "Do not take this election lightly. This is a historic election. I request you to please honour the sacrifice of my son," Khan said. Captain Khan, a University of Virginia graduate, was one among 14 American Muslims who gave their lives serving the US forces in Iraq war that followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Before his speech, the Democratic National Committee released a video on Captain Khan. The video showcased a moving excerpt of Clinton's December remarks on national security delivered in Minneapolis, Minnesota in which she paid honour to Captain Khan. In his address Khan alleged Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. "He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country," he said. "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the US Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words "liberty" and "equal protection of law," Khan said amidst applause from the audience. Khizr Khan, who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, also appears in the video. Khan was born in Pakistan, but moved to the US in 1980 from the UAE. "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America ? you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. We can't solve our problems by building walls and sowing division," he said. "We are Stronger Together. And we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our next President," Khan said. In Clinton's Minneapolis speech, she hailed Khan's exemplary service, noting that it exemplifies the US at its best a country that derives great strength by embracing and celebrating its diversity. The speech, which also laid out her comprehensive plan to bolster homeland security, was delivered shortly after Donald Trump called to ban Muslims from entering the US. Istanbul: The Akinci airbase, used by rebels during the failed coup on July 15 in Turkey, will be dismantled like other barracks in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Friday. "The Akinci Airbase in Ankara, centre for the heinous coup plot, will be closed. The base will be transformed into a place to commemorate our martyrs," Efe news quoted the head of government as saying, referring to the victims of the coup, in which 265 people died. "We are closing all the barracks in Ankara and Istanbul that sent out coup tanks (and) helicopters," he promised. "We will absolutely bring back that head of Fetullah Terrorist Organization, the (one) responsible for this coup who is now in the US," Yildirim added in a reference to Fetullah Gulen, the Islamist cleric, who was an ally of the Islamist Turkish government until 2013, and then became one of its enemies. Turkey has said that it is preparing a request for Gulen`s extradition from the United States but Washington has not confirmed the receipt of a formal request, which should include evidence of the guilt of the cleric. The AmeriKat after the end of this term.... With the swan song of this year's Trinity Term having ended today, the Patents Court has been a hive of activity. Last minute applications, end of term hearings and judges clearing their desks of judgments are the usual features of the end of the English Court's term. This term has been no different, but my, how they have ended in a dramatic fashion with....drum roll please...a reference to the CJEU from Mr Justice Arnold on the Merck Sharp & Dohme v Comptroller-General of Patents [2016] EWHC 1896. The problem and the questions to be referred What do you do if your patent is about to expire, but despite notice that Member States have agreed to grant your marketing authorization (MA) under the decentralized procedure, a MS has not yet taken the step to actually grant it? You still make your SPC application, of course. What happens after that is now subject to the following referred questions to the CJEU (subject to further revision and refinement by the Court and the parties' counsel): the Patents Court has been a hive of activity. Last minute applications, end of term hearings and judges clearing their desks of judgments are the usual features of the end of the English Court's term. This term has been no different, but my, how they have ended in a dramatic fashion with....drum roll please...a reference to the CJEU from Mr Justice Arnold on the SPC Regulation inWhat do you do if your patent is about to expire, but despite notice that Member States have agreed to grant your marketing authorization (MA) under the decentralized procedure, a MS has not yet taken the step to actually grant it? You still make your SPC application, of course.What happens after that is now subject to the following referred questions to the CJEU (subject to further revision and refinement by the Court and the parties' counsel): 1. Is an end of procedure notice issued by the reference member state under Article 28(4) of the Medicinal Products Directive equivalent to a granted marketing authorisation for the purposes of Article 3(b) of the SPC Regulation. 2. If the answer to question (1) is no, is the absence of a granted marketing authorisation at the date of the application for a certificate an irregularity which can be cured under Article 10(3) of the SPC Regulation once the marketing authorisation has been granted? Eye roll all you want, the AmeriKat actually really does like SPC law By law, before a medicinal product can be placed on the market, it requires a MA. Getting a medicinal product to this point cant take upwards to 15 years. By the time a MA for a medicinal product is granted, much of the term of the patent that protects the product will have expired. This means that the effective protection under the patent is insufficient to cover the investment in R&D (see Article 4 of the SPC Regulation). For this reason, a new right - the Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) - was introduced by the SPC Regulation in order to address that problem. SPCs provide an additional period of protection - up to a maximum of 5 years - for a product (i) subject to a valid MA at the date of the application (Article 3(b)) and protected by a patent (basic patent) in force at the date of the application (Article 3(a)). National courts and the CJEU have spent many years wrangling with the interpretation and application of the SPC Regulation. "ezetimibe and atorvastatin or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, including atorvastatin as atorvastatin calcium trihydrate". MSD's arguments - (1) The SPC application complied with Article 3(b) (2) The absence of a MA was an irregularity that could be cured under Article 10(3) Arnold J sided with the Comptroller's reasoning The focus of the SPC Regulation and regulatory approval is MA grant. The SPC Regulation only talks about MA grant There is no mention of EoP Notices in the SPC Regulation. MA grant is necessary to launch a product. EoP Notices have no legal effect. Only national MAs have legal effect under national law and it is still for Member States to grant a MA (despite the mandatory provision of Article 28(5) of the Medicinal Products Directive which provides that once the approval is recorded, each concerned Member State " shall adopt a decision in conformity with the approved assessment report, [SmPC]...within 30 days after acknowledgement of the agreement". SPC applications are made to national IPOs who are not medicines authorities subject to the Medicinal Products Directive. Therefore, at the date of the application, there was no valid MA granted in the UK to place Atozet on the market. The EoP Notice was not equivalent to a MA for this purpose. The judge ignored, in his decision, all the usual "go to" arguments about the underlying purpose of the SPC Regulation in compensating the R&D, which were made by MSD. The AmeriKat notes the comments about the difficulties encountered in formulating the actives. Indeed, it took seven years to get to the point of applying for a MA. Surely, that is where the SPC Regulation's purpose should really kick in - as the time and expense in which it took to successfully formulate and take the product through Phase III trials should be recognized. Adopting an overly formalistic approach undermines the entire purpose of the SPC Regulation as set out in the Recitals, especially where there was only a month between the date of the SPC application and the grant of the UK MA. But the text of Article 3 itself provides a harder line.... An applicant for an extension has to apply by a specific date irrespective of whether it has all the relevant materials or not (i.e. two years before SPC expiry). If no application is made by this date, no extension can be obtained. By contrast, an application for an SPC can only be made after the grant of the patent and the grant of the MA. Once those two events occur, the applicant has 6 months to make an application. Article 3 - and therefore Article 3(b) - does not apply to an application for an extension. Article 3(b) - a valid granted MA - is a condition of grant. Such a condition is absent in extension applications, as noted by Jacob LJ in DuPont. Even if Article 10(3) was employed to assist MSD, it was a dead end on the basis that you can't cure the incurable. That is to say, a condition of grant under Article 3(b) is that there is a valid MA at the time of applying for the SPC. At the date of application there was no granted MA and there was not until after the application for the SPC had been made. Had the applicant merely forgotten to supply a copy of the MA, then that could be occurred by Article 10(3), but in this case there was no MA to supply. Doing everyone a favor, Mr Justice Arnold refers questions to the CJEU matters were not acte clair; and due to the presence of divergent decisions in other Member States on the SPC. "In these circumstances, I consider that it is only by referring the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union that an authoritative ruling can be obtained." Nothing makes the AmeriKat happier than SPC law (as far as "legal happiness" goes). For those who have better things to do with their time than to understand the wonderful world of SPCs or to follow the myriad of national and CJEU decisions in this area, the key points are as follows:Atozet is the medicinal product which contains the active ingredients of ezetimibe and atorvastatin . It is used to lower cholesterol. Claim 17 of EP(UK) 0 720 599 (the basic patent) protects a pharmaceutical composition comprising ezetimible and atorvastatin (this was not in dispute). MSD applied for a SPC for the "product" on the basis of this patent for:The problem was that at the time of the SPC application, there was no granted MA in the UK.MSD obtained a MA and SPC for the mono product - ezetimibe - in 2003. It then obtained a MA and SPC for a combination of ezetimibe and simvastin - in 2004 and 2006, respectively (Merpel was struck by the relevance of this in the decision given that Article 3(c) objections were not in dispute, save for in the Dutch court).In September 2006, MSD began development of the fixed dose combo of ezetimibe and atorvastatin. However, it encountered formulation difficulties. Seven years later, in September 2013, MSD filed MAs for Atozet in a number of Member States using the decentralized procedure (DCP) of obtaining a MA. MSD designated Germany as the reference Member State (RMS). As the RMS, the German medicines regulatory authority - Bundesinstitut fur Arzneimittel und Medizinproduktecoordinated the approval process, preparing the draft documents and, most importantly, the draft summary of product characteristics (SmPC) on which the other Member States comment. All Member States' respective regulatory bodies need to be happy with the documents before the procedure is closed. Thereafter, once agreement is reached, each Member State has 30 days to grant the MA. The German medicines authority did not accept that MSD had filed a valid application until 13 February 2014 (another interesting inclusion, muses Merpel....).On 12 September that year - a single day before the patent expired (remember the basic patent has to be in force under Article 3(a)) - MSD applied for its UK SPC at the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO). However, MSD did not have a granted UK MA. Instead, MSD submitted, with their SPC application, a copy of the end of procedure (EoP) notice from the German medicines agency stating that the DCP had ended with approval. MSD explained that the effect of the EoP notice was that concerned Member States, including the UK, had agreed to grant a MA for Atozet. MSD therefore asked the UK IPO for permission to supplement their application when their UK MA was granted.Five days later, the UK IPO's examiner said MSD's application did not comply with Article 3(b) because at the time of filing their SPC application, they did not have a valid UK MA. The EoP notice did not satisfy that requirement. The IPO also objected to the application on Article 3(c) grounds. Three weeks later, the UK MHRA granted the MA on 10 October 2014. MSD submitted a copy of the UK MA, together with the first EU MA (from France) and asserted that these documents would rectify any irregularities in the application. The examiner maintained her objections, leading to a hearing in which the hearing officer agreed that Article 3(c) was satisfied but the SPC application fell foul of Article 3(b) which could not be cured under Article 10(3).The Court was tasked with deciding whether:No (in his opinion). Mr Justice Arnold sided with the Comptroller's arguments on the basis that:No (in his opinion). Mr Justice Arnold sided again with the Comptroller on the basis that [2009] EWCA Civ 966 - which held that Article 10(3) could be successfully used to remedy a defect in a paediatric extension application caused by the lack of all updated MAs being provided - was to be distinguished from the position in this case. This was because of the following:Mr Justice Arnold referred the questions as set out above.because:On the latter, he noted that in Portugal and Sweden, the SPC was refused on the same ground. However, in Denmark, Greece, Italy and Luxembourg granted the SPC. The Dutch Patent Office refused the SPC but on Article 3(c) grounds (there was no objection on Article 3(b) as it accepted the EoP Notice as being equivalent to a MA).One might as well cut to the chase and ask the CJEU what it thinks. Or, as Mr Justice Arnold, put it:Unfortunately for MSD, muses Merpel, unlike patent amendments she does not know of any "retrospective" provision when it comes to MA grants... Ankara: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday angrily accused a top US general of siding with Turkey`s coup plotters for saying the country`s turmoil could downgrade military cooperation with Washington. Turkey has arrested nearly half of its 358 generals for complicity in the July 15 failed putsch, forcing a sudden reshuffle at the top of the armed forces and raising fears over the continuity of its military strategy. Quoted by US media, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel said Thursday that the coup bid and subsequent round-up of dozens of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. "You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt," Erdogan said in angry remarks at a military centre in Golbasi outside Ankara, where air strikes left dozens dead during the coup. "You reveal yourself with your remarks. We will not play your game!" said Erdogan. In particular, Votel suggested the US had lost crucial Turkish military interlocutors who are now in jail and accused of being behind the coup -- a concern echoed by the US head of National Intelligence James Clapper. "Know your place!" Erdogan told Votel, using one of his favourite expressions of anger. "The coup plotter is already in your country, you are already feeding him," he said in reference to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding of the coup and wants to see extradited from the United States.Turkey is a key member of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, with its Incirlik air base used for launching raids. Turkey, which has itself been hit by deadly attacks blamed on jihadists, regularly targets IS positions in Syria with artillery fire. But adding to the complexities in an already sensitive relationship, Incirlik was an important base for the coup plotters and its commander General Bekir Ercan Van was subsequently arrested. Turkish Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu even suggested that the United States was behind the coup in the fellow NATO member, but this view has not been echoed by more senior figures. "Why such a rumour would still be propagated or still be able to find purchase over there, I couldn`t begin to guess," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara that the notion the consequences of the coup would undermine the armed forces in the fight against IS were "ridiculous" and "unfortunate". Turkey has embarked on a major crackdown since the rebellion to eradicate what Erdogan call the "virus" of Gulen from every public institution and particularly the army. The government has ordered the discharge of 149 generals for complicity in the putsch, but Cavusoglu insisted the resulting army would be "more dynamic, cleaner and more effective". Cavusoglu meanwhile said he expected more from the European Union, which while condemning the coup has expressed alarm over the subsequent crackdown. But he emphasised that Turkey`s current drive to improve relations with Israel and Russia was "no alternative" to ties with the EU and NATO. Aspen: Turkey`s purge of its military after a failed coup attempt is hindering cooperation in the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State, James Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said on Thursday. The purge has swept aside many Turkish officers who dealt with the United States and landed some of them in jail, Clapper and head of U.S. Central Command General Joseph Votel said while both were speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado. Turkey launched a major overhaul of NATO`s second-biggest military after the abortive coup, in which Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan narrowly escaped capture and possible death. Nearly 1,700 military personnel received dishonourable discharges over their alleged role in the July 15-16 putsch, including around 40 percent of Turkey`s admirals and generals. Around a third of Turkey`s roughly 360 generals were detained, and more than 100 of them have already been charged pending trial. Turkey hosts American troops and warplanes at Incirlik Air Base, from which the United States flies sorties against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Those air operations were temporarily halted following the coup attempt. Clapper, asked about the impact of events in Turkey on the fight against Islamic State, replied: "It`s having an effect, because it`s affected all segments of the national security apparatus in Turkey." "Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested," he added. "There`s no question this is going to set back and make more difficult cooperation with the Turks." Asked whether Turkish military figures whom the United States has worked with are in detention, Votel said: "Yes, I think some of them are in jail." Votel said while normal operations have resumed at Incirlik, he is worried about "longer-term" impacts from the failed coup on counter-terrorism operations. "We`ve certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular," he said. "I am concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we kind of continue to move forward." Beyond Incirlik, there are other "frictions" in the U.S.-Turkish relationship that are impacting U.S. operations, Votel said, though he did not elaborate. "We`ve got ways to mitigate that, to manage that right now," he said. "And we are." Turkey is also host to a CIA base from which the agency has been supporting moderate Syrian rebel forces, U.S. listening posts, and an early warning radar for NATO`s European missile defense system. But U.S. officials have criticized Turkey`s slow pace in sealing its border with Syria to foreign fighters. Erdogan has accused U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the coup, and the Turkish foreign minister said on Monday that ties with the United States will be affected if the United States does not extradite him. Erdogan wants the armed forces and national intelligence agency brought under the control of the presidency, a parliamentary official said on Thursday. CNN Turk has reported that more than 15,000 people, including around 10,000 soldiers, have been detained so far over the coup. Of those, more than 8,000 were formally arrested pending trial, it said. Ankara: Turkish authorities on Friday widened their post-coup crackdown to the business sector, detaining three top tycoons as part of investigations into the activities of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. Twenty-one journalists also appeared in an Istanbul court after being rounded up in the sweeping purge, which has seen almost 16,000 people detained since the failed July 15 putsch. Turkish authorities blame Gulen for the rebellion, which aimed to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and they are now seeking to erase the reclusive cleric's influence from all aspects of Turkish life. But the scale of the crackdown has sparked international alarm, with the EU enlargement commissioner implicitly warning the bloc would freeze Turkey's accession talks if it violated the rule of law. Johannes Hahn said he needed to see "black-and-white facts about how these people are treated". "And if there is even the slightest doubt that the (treatment) is improper, then the consequences will be inevitable," he told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Following a shake-up of the military on Thursday after nearly half of its 358 generals were sacked, the top brass of the reshuffled armed forces met Erdogan at his presidential palace in Ankara. Ninety-nine colonels have been promoted to generals and admirals, although Chief of staff General Hulusi Akar -- who was held hostage during the coup attempt -- stayed in his post along with the heads of the navy, land and air forces. Turkey insisted its military would keep up the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and other militants, saying the armed forces would emerge stronger from the purge. "When we weed them (pro-Gulenist elements) out, our army will first of all be more dynamic, cleaner and more effective," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, dismissing concerns that the forces would be weakened. Meanwhile the probe into coup plotters shifted focus to the financing of Gulen's activities in Turkey, with what appeared to be the first major arrests targeting the business world. Security forces in the central city of Kayseri detained the chairman of the family-owned Boydak Holding company, Mustafa Boydak, and two other top executives, state-run Anadolu news agency said. He and the two other executives -- Sukru and Halit Boydak -- were detained at their homes. Efforts were continuing to detain former chairman Haci Boydak as well as Ilyas and Bekir Boydak, for whom warrants have also been issued. Istanbul: Turkey`s top military council promoted 99 colonels to the rank of general or admiral and put 48 generals into retirement in its annual shake-up, the military said on Friday, although the top brass was little changed after this month`s failed coup attempt. President Tayyip Erdogan approved the council`s key decisions, leaving armed forces chief Hulusi Akar and the army, navy and air force commanders in their posts, Erdogan`s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin separately told reporters late on Thursday. The annual meeting of the Supreme Military Council - chaired by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and including the top brass - followed the dishonourable discharge of nearly 1,700 military personnel over their alleged roles in the abortive putsch on July 15-16. Erdogan, who narrowly escaped capture and possible death on the night of the coup, told Reuters in an interview last week that the military, NATO`s second biggest, needed "fresh blood". The dishonourable discharges included around 40 percent of Turkey`s admirals and generals. A statement on the armed forces` website said that, alongside the promotion of 99 colonels, 16 generals and admirals were promoted and the terms of 20 generals and admirals were extended by a year. The statement made no reference to the coup. Among the limited changes in the most senior commanders, the deputy armed forces chief General Yasar Guler was appointed commander of Turkey`s gendarmerie force, while the head of the prestigious First Army, General Umit Dundar, replaced him as Akar`s second-in-command, the presidential spokesman said. District of Columbia: The US military Thursday confirmed 14 new deaths resulting from the bombing campaign against the Islamic State group, bringing the total official toll to 55 killed. The announcement from the US Central Command (Centcom) - which oversees US military operations in the Middle East - followed an internal investigation into six US airstrikes between July 28, 2015 and April 29, 2016. "In each of the cases released today, the assessment determined that although all precautions were taken and the strikes complied with laws of armed conflict, civilian casualties unfortunately did occur," said Centcom in a statement. Critics of the US-led air strikes have accused the coalition of underestimating the number of resulting civilian deaths. The updated toll comes after the coalition announced Wednesday a formal investigation to determine whether its July 19 air strikes near Manbij in Syria claimed civilian lives. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 56 civilians, including 11 children, died as they fled from a village near Manbij, a strategic waypoint between Turkey and the jihadist stronghold of Raqa. According to the Observatory, around 600 Syrians, including 136 children, have been killed in coalition air strikes since September 2014. Airwars, another London NGO, estimates that the international airstrikes in Syria and Iraq have killed more than 1,500 civilians. The Centcom investigation found that among those killed were three civilians, who died in an April 5 strike on Mosul, Iraq targeting an IS group financial storage facility. Four more civilians died in Mosul on April 29 during strikes targeting the Australian Neil Prakash - considered to be an influential IS group recruiter - who also died in the bombardment. In another strike on April 26 near Qayyarah in Iraq, one civilian died when a motorcycle "unexpectedly appeared in the target area after the US aircraft had already released its weapon," Centcom said. "We deeply regret the unintentional loss of life and injuries resulting from our airstrikes and express our sympathies to those affected," Centcom said. The debate also included the question of who should bear the costs of a blocking injunction: should it be intermediaries or rightholders? The Cartier decision and the dissent on costs [noted here and here and confirmed that blocking injunctions can be also sought in online trade mark cases, even lacking an express implementation into UK law of the third sentence of Article 11 of the In its ruling the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of Arnold J at first instanceand confirmed that blocking injunctions can be also sought in online trade mark cases, even lacking an express implementation into UK law of the third sentence of Article 11 of the Enforcement Directive (" Member States shall also ensure that rightholders are in a position to apply for an injunction against intermediaries whose services are used by a third party to infringe an intellectual property right, without prejudice to Article 8(3) of [the Member States shall also ensure that rightholders are in a position to apply for an injunction against intermediaries whose services are used by a third party to infringe an intellectual property right, without prejudice to Article 8(3) of [the InfoSoc Directive ].") Similarly to Arnold J, Kitchin LJ confirmed that internet service providers (ISPs) are to bear the costs of implementing a blocking order, while rightholders have to pay the costs of the relevant application. In his dissent Briggs LJ stated to agree with the analysis of Kitchin LJ, except on the issue of costs. Cartier was the first time that ISPs had ever appealed a blocking order (including those made pursuant to The appeal inwas the first time that ISPs had ever appealed a blocking order (including those made pursuant to s97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act ), also in relation to costs. Adding the costs of blocking injunctions The Newzbin2 reasons Newzbin2 [the first copyright blocking order issued in the UK] , ISPs have been regarded as those having to bear the costs of implementing a blocking injunction. Since the landmark decision in, ISPs have been regarded as those having to bear the costs of implementing a blocking injunction. At that time Arnold J noted how ISPs (in that particular case, BT) are commercial enterprises that make a profit from the provision of services which the operators and users of infringing sites (in that particular case, Newzbin2) use to infringe the rightholders' rights. As such, the costs of implementing the order could be regarded as a cost of carrying on their own business. This conclusion was said to be reinforced to some extent - albeit implicitly - by EU law, in particular: Recital 59 of the InfoSoc Directive ("In the digital environment, in particular, the services of intermediaries may increasingly be used by third parties for infringing activities. In many cases such intermediaries are best placed to bring such infringing activities to an end. Therefore, without prejudice to any other sanctions and remedies available, rightholders should have the possibility of applying for an injunction against an intermediary who carries a third party's infringement of a protected work or other subject-matter in a network. This possibility should be available even where the acts carried out by the intermediary are exempted under Article 5. The conditions and modalities relating to such injunctions should be left to the national law of the Member States."); L'Oreal [para 139] , in which - pursuant to Article 3 of the Enforcement Directive - it was clarified that enforcement measures "must not be excessively costly". The decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in, in which - pursuant to Article 3 of the Enforcement Directive - it was clarified that enforcement measures "must not be excessively costly". This said, however, in my opinion the hints derived from EU law are, indeed, just ... hints. Is there an EU framework? The EU law framework is pretty much silent regarding who should bear the costs of injunctions against intermediaries. Even the ambiguous wording of Article 14 of the Enforcement Directive ("Member States shall ensure that reasonable and proportionate legal costs and other expenses incurred by the successful party shall, as a general rule, be borne by the unsuccessful party, unless equity does not allow this.") does not seem to relate directly to injunctions. Substantially 'costs of injunctions' is therefore an area of the law that has been left unharmonised at the EU level. This is also because, as Recital 59 of the InfoSoc Directive eloquently puts, "[t]he conditions and modalities relating to such injunctions should be left to the national law of the Member States." Although the majority of national legal systems envisages that intermediaries are those responsible for bearing the costs of an injunction against them for third-party infringements, Member States are therefore ultimately free to choose the solution they prefer. As such, any discussion as to whether the solution indicated by Arnold J and subsequently followed in other cases is the one to prefer is a legitimate one. Will the CJEU provide yet another de facto harmonisation? The Mc Fadden case This being the state of the art, ie a formally unharmonised framework, things might change - as a matter of fact - soon. More specifically, things may change when the CJEU decides the pending reference in Mc Fadden, C-484/14 This is a reference for a preliminary ruling from the Regional Court, Munich I (Germany), and was made in the context of proceedings between Sony and a person (Tobias Mc Fadden) who operates a business selling and renting lighting and sound systems for various events. ECommerce Directive Storerhaftung, on the ground that his Wi-Fi network had not been made secure. This court decided nonetheless to stay the proceedings and seek guidance from the CJEU on a number of issues. Mc Fadden owns a Wi-Fi connection that is open to anyone to use as it not protected by any password. In 2010 that connection was used by someone other than Mc Fadden to download unlawfully a musical work to which Sony owns the copyright. Following Sonys formal notice, Mc Fadden sought a negative declaration from the referring court. This dismissed it and upheld Sonys counterclaim, granting an injunction against Mc Fadden on the ground of his direct liability for the infringement at issue and ordering him to pay damages, the costs of the formal notice, and costs. Mc Fadden appealed that decision, arguing that the provisions of German law transposing Article 12(1) of thewould shield him from liability for third-party infringements. The Regional Court held the view that Mc Fadden would not be directly liable, but rather indirectly liable according to the German doctrine of, on the ground that his Wi-Fi network had not been made secure. This court decided nonetheless to stay the proceedings and seek guidance from the CJEU on a number of issues. AG Szpunar For the sake of this blog post, what is particularly interesting is Question 4: "Is Article 12(1) of [the ECommerce Directive] to be interpreted as meaning that the expression not liable for the information transmitted precludes as a matter of principle, or in any event in relation to a first established copyright infringement, any claims for injunctive relief, damages or the payment of the costs of giving formal notice or court costs which a person affected by a copyright infringement might make against the access provider?" here] on 16 March last. What is possibly even more interesting is the answer that Advocate General (AG) Szpunar provided in his Opinion on 16 March last. The AG held that an intermediary cannot be held liable for an IP infringement committed by a user of its services and, as a result, cannot be asked to bear pre-litigation and court costs. Holding otherwise "could potentially have the same punitive effect as an order to pay damages and could in the same way hinder the development of the intermediary services in question." [para 77] AG Szpunar however did not stop here. [paras 78-79] how injunctions can be imposed on innocent intermediaries to repress third-party infringements. However, he concluded that the safe harbour regime [Article 12 of the Ecommerce Directive in this specific case] "precludes the making of orders against intermediary service providers not only for the payment of damages, but also for the payment of the costs of giving formal notice or other costs relating to copyright infringements committed by third parties as a result of the information transmitted ." [para 80, emphasis added] . He notedhow injunctions can be imposed on innocent intermediaries to repress third-party infringements. However, he concluded that the safe harbour regime"precludes the making of orders against intermediary service providers not only for the payment of damages, but also for the payment of the costs of giving formal notice or." In my own opinion, the phrase other costs might include the costs of implementing an injunction, including a blocking injunction. InternKat, sifting through this week's news The 5th edition of IPWeek Singapore takes place this year from 22-24 August at Marina Bay Sands. The theme for the Global Symposium this year is "powering the innovation cycle through IP." Delegates will hear contrasting views from a panel of distinguished speakers about how IP can be used to build lasting competitive advantage. The conference attracted more than 1,300 participants from over 30 countries in 2015 and is expected to be even bigger and better this year. You can register to attend here Katfriends Henning Grosse Ruse-Khan and Simon Klopschinski would like to draw your attention to the special issue of the Journal of International Economic Law (OUP) on the nexus of IP and international investment law. They write, "IPKat readers may be amazed to hear that besides the universe of IP-specific treaties (e.g. TRIPs) there is a parallel dimension of more than 3,000 international investment agreements (IIAs) , which also protect IP. If a state violates its obligations under an IIA, the foreign investor is usually not forced to grudgingly accept any harm suffered, but can often take legal action under the IIA, without being dependent on the courts of the host state or the assistance of its home state. If you now wonder why as an IP expert you never heard of this parallel universe of IIAs, this may be because only relatively recently the first IP-related investment disputes arose. The special issue contains 7 papers exploring the interface between IP and investment.For those of you who are watching the US presidential campaign with excitement or trepidation, we have news of a less contentious inauguration. The International Trademark Association (INTA) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) have applauded the passage of a Senate resolution designating July National Anti-Counterfeiting Consumer Education and Awareness Month. The resolution deserved a snappier title but, 70 years after the passage of the first federal trade mark protection (The Lanham Act), it is a symbolically important step. You can read more about the report and access the resolution here Plans to bring New Zealand and Australian patent attorneys under a single Trans-Tasman regulatory framework (initially mooted in 2009) have come a step closer to fruition this month. The NZ Parliament's Commerce Committee has reported back to the House with suggested improvements to the proposed legislation . There may not be too much longer to wait before the bill emerges from its legislative chrysalis.Members of the IP community with an interest in this subject can read Darren Smyth's report on the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. This weeks ranking of Armenpress Yerevan Bestseller project is led by The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It is one of the most popular novels in the world. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson comes next. It is a motivational tale by Spencer Johnson written in the style of a parable or business fable. The text describes change in one's work and life, and four typical reactions to those changes by two mice and two "little people," during their hunt for cheese. Mark Arens Where wild roses bloom ranks the 3rd. This is the second novel of the author which describes the inner world of an Armenophobic Turkish former serviceman, when he, already an old man, suddenly hears a lullaby song that reminds him of his mother and later finds out that the song is in Armenian: realizing his parents were Armenians. The same former serviceman spends his remaining life searching the graves of his parents, without knowing that it was a misunderstanding. "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is 4th in this weeks list. People are not always born the day their mothers bring them to the world: Life forces them to be reborn many times, this is the philosophy of the novel. It was translated to Armenian by Frunzik Kirakosyan. Edgar Harutyunyans The Art of Devotion or Ode to the Rose is next. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is ranked 6th in the list. It was translated from Russia by Ruben Hovsepyan. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is ranked 7th in the list. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Greens most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love. Marquezs Memories of My Melancholy Whores comes next. Fahrenheit 451 is ranked 9th. It is a dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury published in 1953. It is regarded as one of his best works. The novel presents a future American society where books are outlawed and "firemen" burn any that are found. The title refers to the temperature that Bradbury asserted to be the autoignition temperature of paper. Dear Life is a short story collection by Canadian writer Alice Munro, which is ranked 10th this week. Ruth Scurr, writing in the Telegraph, points to the autobiographical aspect of the collection and declares the collection to be "a subversive challenge to the idea of autobiography: a purposeful melding of fact fiction and feeling". The reviewer goes on to suggest the collection might be Munro's last, but if so would be a "spectacular" finale. To complete the bestseller list, the following bookshops have participated in the survey: New Book (093-60-40-64), Noahs Ark (56-81-84), Armenian Book (54-07-06), Narek (51-91-36), Bookinist (53-74-13), Antares (091-90-01-23) and Zangak (23-25-28). YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh says overnight July 28-29 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime by firing various caliber weapons and 60mm mortar (2 shells) at the Armenian positions in the eastern direction (Akna) of Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact. In general, the Azerbaijani forces fired nearly 600 shots at the NKR Defense Army forces. The Nagorno Karabakh Armed Forces suffered no causalities by the Azerbaijani operations. The NKR Defense Army forces mainly refrained from making counter response and took counter measures only in case of strict necessity. The Defense Army forces continue confidently controlling the situation in the contact line. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations informs that all state and interstate highways in the Republic of Armenia are passable on July 29 by 08.00. Today, on July 29, according to the information received from the Department of Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia from 06.00 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: YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan will refuse the post of the Council Chair of the Armenian State University of Economics, reports Armenpress. He said he made such a decision taking into account the workload. He proposed to hold new elections of the Universitys Council Chair in the upcoming council session. At the same time, the Government approved the ASUE Rectors election results and appointed Koryun Atoyan in that position. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Gasprom Armenia company will compensate the difference of the gas price reduction to Armenias state budget. Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia Iosif Isayan recalled at the Governments session that the natural gas price for Armenia in the border is set 150 USD for 1000 cubic meters for the period of April 1 to December 31 in 2016, reports Armenpres. According to the calculation in the tariff approved by the Public Service Regulatory Commission, the gas purchase price is 189 USD for 1000 cubic meters. Starting from July 1, 2016, the gas purchase price is 150 USD for 1000 cubic meters. Based on the decision, the difference between 189 USD and 165 USD for 1000 cubic meters remains to Gasprom Armenia CJSC, and the difference between 165 USD and 150 USD for April, May and June must be compensated to the state budget. Thus, the company will transfer 1 billion 789 million 021 thousand AMD to the state budget for April, May and June of this year. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan issued a statement over the situation created as a result of the armed assault at the Police station by the gunmen. Armenpress presents the full statement: 1. The events in Yerevan, starting from the early morning of July 17, were accompanied by serious violations of the fundamental human rights. A Police Colonel has been killed, several were wounded as a result of the armed assault at the Police station. 2. The armed assault was followed by an unprecedented campaign of hatred speech and violence propaganda. 3. Both peaceful, as well as violent rallies took place during which the Police made violations of the freedom of peaceful rallies and personal freedom rights, there were also reports of torture and ill treatment. 4. A tense environment has been created among the public as a result of these events. It in its turn led to the increase of violence during the rallies, as well as the new violations by the Police. 5. The dangerous behaviors of the gunmen in recent days in the Police station (torching vehicles, irregular shots and etc) more escalated the situation. The above-mentioned actions create a direct threat to the rights of residents living near the Police station, especially the children and elderly people. This is evidenced by the public concerns of the residents. 6. Unfortunately, as a result of a firefight on July 27, both some of the gunmen and the law enforcement agencies were wounded. 7. The same day it was informed that the gunmen held the paramedics hostage who came to show medical assistance to the wounded in the Police station. This fact is especially unacceptable taking into account the doctors humanitarian high mission. 8. The same day it was reported that some of the gunmen are being kept in the Police station against their own will and cannot leave the Police precinct without engendering their life. 9. All these led to deepening the intolerance among the public. It is also concerning when certain groups of the society publicly encourage hatred and call for violence. The private and family life is being obviously neglected, against whom the hatred is directed. 10. Such situation hinders the competent state institutions to take efficient measures for preventing the human rights violations, as well as for giving proper solutions to these events, and creates distrust towards them. In connection with this, the entire system of guaranteeing human rights in Armenia is being seriously endangered leaving a negative impact on the rule of law. 11. Thus, the respective state bodies and the public figures must make active efforts aimed at eliminating and preventing the further human rights violations. It is necessary to ensure the restoration of tolerance within the public and finally, the peaceful and safe solution of the situation. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. The citizens of Armenia and Uzbekistan can spend 90 days in the other country without a visa. The Armenian Government approved the draft inter-governmental agreement which was presented by Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. He said the signing of the agreement is necessary in terms of boosting the bilateral relations, strengthening mutually beneficial economic, trade and other ties between Armenia and Uzbekistan. The agreement aims to regulate the regime of mutual visits of the citizens of both states. It defines that the two countries citizens with ordinary or diplomatic passports can visit the other country without a need to obtain a visa, Armenpress reports, FM Nalbandian said. Taking into account that Uzbekistan has proposed to sign a bilateral agreement in this field, as well as Uzbekistans policy in the CIS, the Armenian Foreign Ministry supports signing the mentioned agreement. If you look at the patent battle with Apple and Samsung it ultimately created a lot of benefits for Samsung in a kind of an advertisement. Huawei might also be trying to create some noise marketing for itself. This Kat never quite understood the motivations for the Apple-Samsung smartphone wars. Maybe the reason was as simple as often portrayed. Thelate Steve Jobs was incensed at what he felt was a gross misappropriation of his companys IP by Samsung. But when the leading judgment came down the US (among a number of law suits between the two companies related to the same subject-matter, which were taking place in various countries), there was a certain feeling of unease. Was the case really about the possibility of injunctive relief going to the heart of the competitive relationship between the two sides or the potential for a break-the-bank monetary award? After all, the focus of the court was on certain design patents, and some observers were of the view that these design patents were at best trivial and perhaps should have never been granted.At least in this Kats eyes, Apple lost the IP high groundan owner of valuable IP rights that were being brazenly misused. From the public relations point of view, the suits were a draw, with perhaps a slight advantage to Samsung. In the words of CIMB analyst Lee Do-hoon (see Reuters report below) --What we see from this high-profile IP litigation is that, sometimes, the most valuable aspect is the branding benefit, rather than injunctive or monetary relief. What reminded the IPKat of this was the announcement last week that Samsung Electronics Company was suing smartphone rival, Huawei Technologies, for patent infringement in several courts in China. According to a report by Reuters, the action filed in the court in Beijing sought 161 million yuan (approximately $24.14 million) plus injunctive relief against Huawei regarding the production and sale of alleged infringing products. Huawei had filed suit against Samsung in the U.S. in May, alleging patent infringement with respect to 4G cellular communications technology. Now comes the law suit filed in China.What do we make of these filing and counter-filings? In the view of analyst Lee Do-hoon, monetary relief may not be at the heart of these disputes. As for Samsung, one gets the sense that the filing of the law suits in the Chinese courts is an attempt to perhaps nudge Huawei to the negotiations table. Of more interest is the potential benefits to Huawei with respect to filing of the U.S. case. It may simply be that the Chinese company wants to enjoin Samsung from using the technology covered by the patents. Or perhaps, the end game is some type of settlement, providing for cross-licenses or the like. But Lee Do-hoon suggests another factor may be at play in helping to explain the filing of the law suit by HuaweiConsider the market circumstances of the two parties to these law suits. Samsung is the number one manufacturer of smartphones, while Huawei is a rapidly expanding number three. It is no secret that Huawei is seeking to extend the reach of its products into key countries outside of China, where Samsung and Apple hold way. It is also no secret that Chinese companies are still finding it a challenge to brand their products outside of China. Filing a high-profile law suit against Samsung in the U.S. sends a message that Huawei can play with the (other) big boys in the smartphone space. In doing so, it potentially enables the company to expand its brand recognition in the U.S.Provided that the U.S. law suit does not go the way of the Apple-Samsung dispute, and Huawei is viewed as overplaying its IP hand, or otherwise is seen in a negative light, there is the potential for substantial upside in brand recognition of its smartphones in the vast U.S. market. Indeed, such a benefit may ultimately be much more significant for the company than matters of injunctions and monetary damages. Indeed, patent litigators might consider taking a program or two at their local school of management to learn more about the dynamics of brand-building, and how patent litigation can contribute to this process. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Once again Azerbaijan has distorted the number of its own victims of its April military aggression. This time the lie has been spread in the UN. In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General on July 8, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan in UN Yashar Aliyev once again has stated false data regarding the war which was unleashed by Azerbaijan. Aliyev said as if the ceasefire violations from the Armenian side during April amounted to 4274. A very odd pattern is present : these violations, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, comprise almost the same number each day. This, however, is not the main problem. This case simply requires simple math. If we add the numbers of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on daily violations, we will have 3598. 4274-3598 = 676. Of course there are people who arent mathematicians, but isnt there at least someone in the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry who knows basic arithmetic? One more issue: According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, their subordinates are taking steps without notifying them, at their own initiative. Perhaps this time Mammadyarov wasnt informed about the content of the letter as well. In addition to this, the letter of the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UN states that the Azerbaijani casualties resulting from the April military operations comprised 6 deaths and 23 wounded. In the same time, according to official information, 13 corpses of dead soldiers where returned to Azerbaijan by Nagorno Karabakh only, and the corpses of 37 Azerbaijanis with military uniforms were taken from the contact line by the mediation of the Red Cross. Therefore, 37+13=50, without calculating the casualties of Azerbaijan in the positions. In the same time, it would be odd to think the number of deaths can be 2 times larger than the number of wounded. It is difficult to understand what goal Baku has in decreasing the number of its casualties of its own unleashed aggression. Assuming the number of losses of Azerbaijan were in fact 6, then who are the other 44? It is highly probable that these were mercenaries or Islamic State terrorists, who committed the atrocities, mutilated dead bodies, in a distinctive terrorist style. All versions are possible. One thing is obvious Baku has tangled in its own falsifications and writes whatever comes to mind. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross is closely following the events in Khorenatsi Street, hoping that a resolution will be found and respect for human life and dignity will be taken into account, Zara Amatuni Head of Communications Projects of ICRC Armenia told ARMENPRESS. Amatuni says the Armenian ICRC delegation has refused two applications by civil activists, which were requesting the ICRC to be involved in the proceedings surrounding the police precinct, as an international structure. As a neutral independent humanitarian organization, the ICRC since 1992 has been present in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Our work is focused on issues with respect to the missing persons and their families, mine victims, prisoners of war and civilian internees, civilians living in areas along the international border and the line of contact, and promotion of the international humanitarian law. When in a position and once the scope of our actions applies, we shall involve in the situation", Amatuni said. She also said that the ICRC acts as a neutral intermediary organization during non - international armed conflicts and other situations of armed violence, maintaining dialogue with all sides to a conflict. As examples of their work, she mentioned Syria and Yemen. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Distinguished doctor of Armenia, director of the Nork Marash Medical Center Lida Muradyan issued an open letter to famous actress Arsine Khanjian in regard to gunmen holding paramedics hostage in the seized police precinct. ARMENPRESS present the open letter: Dear Mrs. Khanjian, welcome to Armenia. The doors and hearts of our Homeland are always open for our Diaspora compatriots. A woman is writing this, who was very upset by the negligence of the police towards you in Khorenatsi Street. Upset not only as a compatriot, but also as a fan, whose dearest actress has been subjected to such inconvenience. What happened is really condemnable. In the same time, I was informed from the press that you have been treated respectfully in the police station, a high ranking officer has apologized, they even offered you coffee, talked to you and escorted you home. Mrs. Arsine, A woman is writing this, whose colleagues are being held hostage for more than 60 hours by gunmen. Among them is a woman like you and me, who unlike us, has overcome human fears and hurried to help several armed men. A woman, who was supposed to return home after work, like you and me, but was taken hostage by those men, who she had reached a helping hand to. A woman, who has saved thousands of lives, who is a mother of a traditional Armenian family. And for more than 60 hours she is forced to stay with more than two dozen strange men, which is inappropriate and strange for our set of values. I can only imagine what would happen to my husband, if something like this had happened to me. Perhaps, at least he would go insane. I am sure, your husband as well. Mrs. Arsine, I am following your interviews and I would really like to read in at least one of them about your concern over the hostage doctors. I would really like to read that you are equally concerned about the fate of the medical personnel who are in a serious psychological and physical condition, as much as you were concerned with the inconvenience which happened to you. Mrs. Khanjian, Today is the birthday of the hostage nurses daughter; she is celebrating it without her mother. I know, just like me, you also wish that no child in the world has the reason to celebrate a birthday without a mother. Dear Arsine, My respect for you would become 10 times greater, if you would address the gunmen with an urge, asking them to free the hostage doctors. Its not too late yet. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. The Police of Armenia say reports on calling in foreign snipers are infantile announcements and urge not to heat the atmosphere. Some people are spreading absurd reports for already a few hours, stating as if snipers were called in from abroad. We urge not to anger people and not to heat the atmosphere by such infantile announcements, Police spokesman Ashot Aharonyan posted on Facebook. On July 29 by violating the demands of the law enforcement agencies gunmen began shooting from the police precinct. Gunman Arayik Khandoyan was wounded. Gunfire continued from the precinct. Two more gunmen were wounded as result of responsive gunfire of law enforcement agencies. They are provided with proper medical assistance. AB InBev is already the world's top brewer and the SABMiller acquisition is in line to be the third largest in history Brewer SABMiller's board on Friday accepted a final takeover offer from rival Anheuser-Busch InBev, the company said in a statement, heralding what will be one of the world's biggest ever takeovers. The Belgium-based AB InBev had raised its cash offer to 45 ($60, 53 euros) per share from 44, in a revised proposal tabled after the value of the pound slumped following Britain's vote to leave the European Union. SABMiller Chairman Jan du Plessis said the decision had been difficult. Since the board approved in November the price of 44 per share, "various factors have affected the value of the offer, most importantly the impact of the Brexit vote on the value of sterling and the re-rating of comparable companies," he said in a statement. "This has made the board's decision more challenging, and we believe the final cash consideration of 45 per share to be at the lower end of the range of values considered recommendable," said du Plessis. The transaction now values SABMiller's entire "issued and to be issued" share capital at around 79 billion, AB InBev said. SABMiller's takeover is expected to be the third largest in history if it clears all the regulatory hurdles. AB InBev welcomed the SAB Miller approval and said it expected the deal to be completed by the end of the year. "AB InBev believes that the proposed combination represents a compelling opportunity for all SABMiller and AB InBev shareholders and continues to intend to recommend the combination to its shareholders," the buyer said in a statement. - 'Reluctant salesman'- Shares of AB InBev in Brussels rose 4.6 percent on news of the deal, which must now be approved by shareholders of both companies. SABMiller shareholder Aberdeen Asset Management swiftly rejected the agreement: "We intend to vote against the deal as we are uncomfortable with the structure and believe it undervalues the company. "We would welcome other investors who value good corporate governance and recognise the superior value from continuing to hold SABMiller as a standalone entity voting in a similar fashion." Story continues The Financial Times described chairman du Plessis as "the reluctant salesman getting the best deal" from AB InBev. "SABMiller's chairman has played hardball, extracting the highest price from AB InBev," the business daily wrote. The announcement came two days after reports SABMiller had paused integration work with AB InBev as it considered the new takeover offer. SABMiller had asked its employees to halt work on integrating finance, technology, procurement and some supply-chain functions, according to reports in Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal. ING bank said the increased offer will cost AB InBev an additional 1.5 billion. "However, when comparing the previous offer at the prevailing exchange rate before Brexit ... with the increased offer at the current exchange rate, the latter is actually (more than) $3 billion lower in value," the bank said in a note to clients. The deal gained the backing on Friday of Chinese regulatory authorities and has previously been approved in the United States, European Union and South Africa, where SABMiller has its origins. AB InBev has agreed to a series of concessions to win the greenlight from the competition authorities, including the sale of stakes in Snow Breweries in China. It also agreed to sell most of SABMiller's European businesses, including Peroni and Grolsch which were bought by Japanese brewer Asahi. The buyout of London-based SABMiller is expected to boost AB InBev's prospects in developing markets in Africa and in China. If approved the takeover will create a new entity selling more than twice as much beer as its nearest rival, Heineken, which is currently the world's third largest brewer. The deal will see SABMiller's brands such as Pilsner Urquell and Peroni be taken over by Belgium-Brazilian AB InBev, owner of beers including Stella Artois and Budweiser Chinese regulatory authorities conditionally approved brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev?s giant takeover of SABMiller Friday, clearing one of the last major hurdles for the $103 billion deal to go ahead. The commerce ministry "decided to approve" the sale on condition that SABMiller's own stake in China's biggest brewery was disposed of, its anti-monopoly bureau said in a statement on its website -- a transaction which has already been agreed. The takeover has previously been approved by regulators in the US, European Union and South Africa, where SABMiller has its origins. AB InBev has agreed to a series of concessions to win the authorities' green lights, including selling SABMiller's 49 percent stake in Snow Breweries, China's biggest beermaker. The anti-monopoly bureau said the sale -- to a unit of China Resources, SABMiller's local partner -- had to go through within 24 hours of the overall merger. Otherwise, it said, the deal "would have the effect of eliminating and restricting competition, and ultimately would harm the interests of Chinese consumers". AB InBev is already the world's top brewer and the SABMiller acquisition is in line to be the third largest in history if it goes through. The Belgium-based brewer of Budweiser and Stella Artois this week raised its offer for SABMiller to 45 a share, after sterling slumped following Britain?s Brexit vote, cutting the value of the deal to global investors when measured in other currencies and triggering shareholder resistance. The new offer values the London-headquartered firm at 79 billion ($104 billion), and the deal is expected to boost the unified firms' prospects in developing markets in Africa and China. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government have launched a major crackdown following the failed coup of July 15 Turkish authorities on Friday widened their post-coup crackdown to the business sector, detaining three top tycoons as part of investigations into the activities of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. Twenty-one journalists also appeared in an Istanbul court after being rounded up in the sweeping purge, which has seen almost 16,000 people detained since the failed July 15 putsch. Turkish authorities blame Gulen for the rebellion, which aimed to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and they are now seeking to erase the reclusive cleric's influence from all aspects of Turkish life. But the scale of the crackdown has sparked international alarm, with the EU enlargement commissioner implicitly warning the bloc would freeze Turkey's accession talks if it violated the rule of law. Johannes Hahn said he needed to see "black-and-white facts about how these people are treated". "And if there is even the slightest doubt that the (treatment) is improper, then the consequences will be inevitable," he told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. - Military reshuffle - Following a shake-up of the military on Thursday after nearly half of its 358 generals were sacked, the top brass of the reshuffled armed forces met Erdogan at his presidential palace in Ankara. Ninety-nine colonels have been promoted to generals and admirals, although Chief of staff General Hulusi Akar -- who was held hostage during the coup attempt -- stayed in his post along with the heads of the navy, land and air forces. Turkey insisted its military would keep up the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and other militants, saying the armed forces would emerge stronger from the purge. "When we weed them (pro-Gulenist elements) out, our army will first of all be more dynamic, cleaner and more effective," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, dismissing concerns that the forces would be weakened. Meanwhile the probe into coup plotters shifted focus to the financing of Gulen's activities in Turkey, with what appeared to be the first major arrests targeting the business world. Story continues Security forces in the central city of Kayseri detained the chairman of the family-owned Boydak Holding company, Mustafa Boydak, and two other top executives, state-run Anadolu news agency said. He and the two other executives -- Sukru and Halit Boydak -- were detained at their homes. Efforts were continuing to detain former chairman Haci Boydak as well as Ilyas and Bekir Boydak, for whom warrants have also been issued. Mustafa Boydak is also the head of the chamber of commerce in Kayseri, a fast-growing city dubbed one of the "Anatolian Tigers" for the growth and prosperity it has enjoyed under Erdogan's rule. Family-owned holding companies form the backbone of the corporate economy in Turkey, and Boydak Holding has interests in furniture, energy and finance. It notably owns the prominent Istikbal and Bellona furniture firms. - Media targets - The nationwide crackdown has also sought to wipe out Gulen supporters from the legal system, media, education and civil service. Gulen himself, in self-imposed exile since 1999, strongly denies the charges against him and has called on the United States to resist Ankara's pressure for his extradition. The 21 reporters appearing in court were among dozens of journalists and former newspaper staff issued with arrest warrants earlier this week, to the anger of rights groups. They included prominent journalists such as the former columnist for the Sabah daily Nazli Ilicak and the commentator Bulent Mumay. Bur Cavusoglu defended the detentions, saying: "It is necessary to make a distinction between those who carried out the coup and who are engaged in real journalism." Authorities have also ordered the closure of a total of 131 newspapers, TV channels and other media outlets under the three-month state of emergency declared in the wake of the coup. Erdogan, who has dominated the country for 13 years, survived the coup thanks to his supporters who took to the streets to counter rebel troops in tanks and warplanes. The clashes left 270 people dead. Trouble at a a Tennessee restaurant. From The Independent: Murfreesboro Police officers were dispatched to the Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse on a sexual assault complaint after a woman was sprayed with water by a toy that looks like a man peeing. James Lassiter, the woman's husband, told police that the toy had a penis and that he and his wife were upset because the act was done in front of their four children. However, police on the scene found that the fake-pee spraying toy did not come with a penis. "People are missing the point. This was a sexually-oriented toy meant for adults, in front of minor children," the Lassiters said in a statement. "We're not trying to make money off of this. If the toy was in a bar, it'd be a different situation, but this was in a family restaurant with 13 to 14-year-olds at the table. If people think it's so funny, why don't people go buy that toy and squirt a cop in the face with it and see what happens." Earlier this month, Wikileaks published a database of six years' of email from AKP, Turkey's ruling party but as outside experts have plumbed that database, all they can find is archives from public mailing lists, old spam, and some sensitive personal information from private citizens. This was just one of Wikileaks' recent missteps on Turkey. The organization also tweeted links to spreadsheets uploaded by national security blogger Michael Best, purported to contain further inside information on AKP, but which were actually voter information on all of the women registered to vote in 78 out of Turkey's 81 provinces. (Best acquired these spreadsheets from Phineas Fisher, a well-known hacker whose accomplishments include raiding and dumping the private files and email of cyber-arms-dealer Hacking Team). The information in these spreadsheets put hundreds of thousands of women at risk of stalking, identity theft, and other exploits. Best quickly repudiated the files and the Internet Archive removed them; he has been canvassing people running mirrors of those files, asking them to remove them. He also apologized and offered an explanation of how this came to pass. By contrast, Wikileaks has attacked Zeynep Tufekci for documenting their missteps. Tufekci is a well-known activist and writer on Turkey, a vocal critic of Erdogan and his use of internet censorship to consolidate power and suppress dissent. Wikileaks called her a "Erdogan apologist" (Wikileaks later deleted this tweet). Tufekci has previously written in support of Wikileaks and condemned governments and companies for blocking access to the service. Like her, I have supported Wikileaks for publishing information in the public interest and condemned those who blocked and attacked the organization. But there's a difference between censors who block the service or attempt to discredit it with lies, and people who support Wikileaks' goals but point out its errors. It's never a good feeling to realize that you've made a mistake, but if you lump anyone who points out your errors with your enemies, you'll quickly run out of friends; you'll also go on making the same mistakes. I made a mistake in reporting on the Wikileaks Erdogan emails; at very least I should have been more cautious in my wording. The flow of online information won't die because of government attempts at censorship ordinary people around the world, including many in Turkey, are too good at circumventing blocks. Instead, it's these senseless violations of privacy that make people mistrust the free flow of information and instead support whatever governments say protects them. This leak, which has zero public interest, will regrettably be a talking point for people who support censorship. This was a multi-party breach of ethics, starting first with people who collect and leave such information unencrypted on servers that are not well-protected; to people who hack such data without understanding what it is and then pass it on to others; to whoever sent it to WikiLeaks without vetting; to WikiLeaks for distributing it globally; to journalists who report uncritically about content from another country without working with someone who speaks the language and understands the country. I hope that going forward, there will be more attention paid to each of these aspects and that all parties involved remember this example of ethical failure. We all need to reflect and learn from it. WikiLeaks Put Women in Turkey in Danger, for No Reason (UPDATE) [Zeynep Tufekci/Huffington Post] (Image: Zeynep Tufekci, Personal Democracy Forum, CC-BY-SA) Gen. Conway addressed Irans military support of the civil war in Syria, and its efforts to keep dictator Bashar al-Assad in power, saying, The world is not a safer place with Irans involvement in the region, adding that some 70,000 Iranian troops and proxy militias were creating havoc across the Middle East. According to Gen. Wald, Irans ultimate goal is to be the regional hegemon. As a subset of that, they like to foment problems. He continued, I think that the leadership of Iran the mullahs are the primary problem. Col. Martin believes that its Irans influence, particularly its policies to exterminate the Sunni population in Iraq, that led to the rise of ISIS (ISIL or Daesh). The important role played by the women of Iran is not to be overlooked in the fight against the fundamentalism espoused by the Iranian regime. The main Iranian opposition group, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), is led by women who pose a threat to the theocratic regime, Brig. Gen. Phillips pointed out. The full interview, conducted by the Alliance for Public Awareness Iranian Communities in Europe at the July 9 Free Iran convention in Paris, its available for viewing HERE. American director Steven Soderbergh will produce, and possibly direct, a film based on the Panama Papers, Deadline reported. The adaptation will draw from an upcoming book, Secrecy World, written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jake Bernstein, who was among the consortium of investigative journalists who revealed over 11 million records detailing how some of the The Caymans could be losing their luster as a safe haven for Canadian millionaires to stash their funds. This week, the Royal Bank of Canada and Citibank, N.A. both agreed to hand over seven years of account information between Canadian residents and the Cayman National Bank. The Canada Revenue Agency has given the banks 120 days to pass off the info, which includes statements, deposit slips, cheques, bank drafts and wire transfer orders, and plans to rake through it for signs of Canadians stashing taxable income in accounts on the Caribbean island. Canadian lawyer Martin Kenney, one of the worlds leading authorities on international fraud and asset recovery, told Yahoo Canada Finance that the aggressive campaign against tax evasion is likely inspired by President Obamas signing of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act south of the border. FATCA requires offshore banks to report data of U.S. taxpayers with accounts as a condition of being able to access U.S. dollar wire system in New York. The Canadian authorities realized these investigative tools are out there and theyre requiring Canadian banks to begin to turn over the same data, he explained from his corporate headquarters in the British Virgin Islands. The tools have been available for a long time but its taken a while for (authorities) to understand how the system works and how to undertake investigations across national borders. Its the second time the federal government has used a court order to investigate offshore tax evasion since the so-called Panama Papers leak in April which aired the dirty laundry of more than 200,000 offshore bank accounts including 625 Canadians. In May, federal prosecutors asked for 40 years of records on hundreds of the banks clients as part of an investigation into tax evasion. The bank acquiesced saying: We respect the confidentiality of our clients within the bounds of the law, and we co-operate with all of our regulators. Story continues Although the CRA hasnt pointed to a specific Canadian suspected of dodging taxes, in an affidavit filed with the federal court David Letkeman , an auditor with the agencys offshore compliance section, said the agency got wind of the Caymans ruse from a Canadian woman who handed over her information via the CRAs Voluntary Disclosures Program. Apparently, no one at the CRA has seen a gangster film or listened to hip-hop lyrics about stashing millions in the Caymans. Ultimately, the Canadian woman was required to pay more than $1.2 million for unreported capital gains. Kenney says at this point, theres no doubt the CRA has some targets in their crosshairs. Im sure that there are live cases of large value where the Canada Revenue Agency will have a list of suspected tax evaders (and) the names of companies or relatives associated with them, he says. Theyll run them through a database of wire transfer information to identify offshore accounts and their balances. The legal motions filed by the federal prosecutors are part of a wider crusade by the Liberal government to get tougher on tax evasion announced during Prime Minister Trudeaus campaign. In April, the Minister of National Revenue, Diane Lebouthillier, announced that the Government of Canada planned to invest more than $444 million to boost the CRAs toolbox for tracking tax evaders at home and overseas including upping scrutiny of high-risk Canadian taxpayers from 600 a year to 3,000 and bringing on 100 additional auditors to focus on high-risk multinational corporations. Its a changing world for tax evaders, says Kenney. This whole era of anonymity surrounding dealing with values is beginning to end, he says. Its going to become harder and harder for criminal tax evaders, drug traffickers and fraudsters to operate. By Nicole Mordant VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Goldcorp Inc has put its Los Filos gold and silver mine in Mexico on the block and is also looking at selling two other non-core mines, chief executive David Garofalo said on Thursday. Vancouver-based Goldcorp has started a formal sales process for the Los Filos mine, Garofalo said in an interview, and it is looking at options for its Alumbrera mine in Argentina and its Marlin operation in Guatemala, both of which are getting close to being mined out. "Los Filos, Marlin and Alumbrera are smaller scale mines. They don't have the economies of scale that our existing five camps offer us" or that a newly acquired gold project, Coffee, "potentially offers us once it's built out," Garofalo said. At Marlin, opportunity for significant exploration exists that might attract a small mining explorer, Garofalo said. Alumbrera's mine site infrastructure could be of value to owners of some of the nearby undeveloped deposits. Garofalo would not speculate on a sales value for any of the assets but said Goldcorp would be happy to be paid in part in the shares of the acquirer, as happened in 2010 when it sold its Escobal silver deposit to Tahoe Resources Inc . Goldcorp acquired a 40 percent stake in Tahoe through that deal. It later sold its stake for around $1 billion. "We like supporting new generation producers like that and we'd be happy to do something like that with any of these assets," Garofalo said. (Reporting by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; editing by Grant McCool) By Paola Arosio and Stefano Bernabei MILAN/SIENA (Reuters) - The European Central Bank has approved a privately funded rescue of Italy's third-largest lender, Monte dei Paschi di Siena , three sources said on Friday, staving off the risk that regulators would be forced to wind up its business. Under the bailout plan to be unveiled later in the day, Monte dei Paschi, struggling under a mountain of bad debts and accumulated losses, will raise 5 billion euros ($5.58 billion) in new shares and sell off soured loans to ensure its stability. The Tuscan lender has been racing against the clock to get the plan in place in time for the release of European stress test results, also due on Friday night. These are expected to show the 544-year-old bank needs major balance-sheet surgery. The Italian government is keen to avoid having to inject public funds to recapitalize the bank. Under European rules, this would entail politically unpalatable losses for Monte dei Paschi's bond-holders and depositors above 100,000 euros. The bailout plan, drafted by advisers JP Morgan and Italy's Mediobanca , was approved by the Monte dei Paschi board after it rejected a rival recapitalization proposal put forward by investment bank UBS, sources said. So far six banks - Santander , Goldman Sachs , Citi , Credit Suisse , Deutsche Bank , Bank of America - in addition to the global coordinators JP Morgan and Mediobanca have given a preliminary commitment to underwriting the planned share sale, a source said. The health of the lender poses a threat to the wider Italian banking system, the euro zone's fourth largest, to the savings of thousands of retail investors and also to the increasingly weak political standing of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Renzi faces a constitutional reform referendum in the autumn on which he has wagered his job. Monte dei Paschi is based in Renzi's home region and has some 5 billion euros of junior bonds, a large chunk of them held by ordinary Italians. Story continues The bailout plan also includes a clean-up of the bank's balance sheet through the spin-off and sale of 10 billion euros of net non-performing loans, several bankers said. Under the plan, the 5 billion euro share issue, which would be Monte dei Paschi's third capital increase since 2014, will be launched at the end of this year if possible, or more likely in early 2017, one source said. However, bankers and analysts say it will be tough for the bank to lure investors, having already burned through 8 billion euros of capital raisings in the past two and a half years. Monte dei Paschi's shares have lost nearly 80 percent of their value so far this year, taking its market value to less than 900 million euros. (Additional reporting by Valentina Za, writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle) Professional Development Carnegie Mellon Hosts 12th Annual LearnLab Summer School The Simon Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has finished its 12th annual LearnLab Summer School, a week-long intensive course that teaches graduate students, working professionals and researchers about CMU-developed tools that merge education, data and technology. This year 55 students worked in small project teams to gain hands-on experience in one of four learning tracks: Building Online Courses with OLI (Open Learning Initiative), Intelligent Tutor Systems Development, Computer Supported Collaborative Learning or Educational Data Mining. The program matches students with CMU mentors, who emailed with students as they completed preparatory work required before the summer school began. Then from July 11 to 15, students attended lectures, discussions and laboratory sessions where they developed a small prototype experiment in math, science or language learning. On the last day, the teams presented their work to each other. The Building Online Courses with OLI track introduced students to the "underlying pedagogical approach and design philosophy that supports OLI learning experiences" and guided them "in the use of the tools and technologies that constitute the OLI platform," according to the site. Students applied their learning by refining learning outcomes to make them more precise and measurable and then developing content, activities and assessments to support those learning outcomes. The Intelligent Tutor Systems Development track taught students how to implement a prototype computer-based tutor using tools such as CTAT (Cognitive Tutor Authoring Tools), which supports the development of intelligent tutoring systems, or TuTalk, which is used to develop tutorial dialog systems that interact with students through natural language. The Computer Supported Collaborative Learning track taught students how to use authoring tools such as TuTalk, TagHelper and SIDE to "implement automatic support for collaborative learning that could be integrated with an existing environment," according to information on the site. The Educational Data Mining track taught students how to analyze an educational data set using data mining tools and algorithms and then interpret and present the results. Students had the option of using their own data set or one of the data sets currently in the LearnLab's DataShop. The LearnLab is the scientific arm of the Simon Initiative and was originally funded by the National Science Foundation. Further information about the LearnLab Summer School can be found on LearnLab's site. STEM Texas A&M SMaRT Camp Is Back After a two-year hiatus, Texas A&M University's SMaRT Camp for high school math students is back. The very popular Summer Mathematics Research Training (SMaRT) Camp organized by the College Station, TX university math department lost its funding after 2013, but, with the financial support of the Texas A&M math department and small grants from the American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Association of America and the Texas A&M Office for Diversity, it's back. Advanced high school students from all over the world attended the two-week summer camp in late June free of charge and not only indulged their own passions for mathematics, but learned research skills that helped them delve into topics like numbers theory, cryptography and computer architecture. "There are many camps like this around the country," said Texas A&M Math Professor Peter Kuchment, who founded the camp six years ago, "but they cost a lot to attend. So, to have it back and still free, it was happiness." The students, some of whom came from as far away as Hawaii, spent all two weeks on campus. "We try to teach them how to do real research, not soundbite math problems," Kuchment said. "We find an area where we can start from scratch and move on to very advanced topics within two weeks." Every morning started out with a lecture by Oksana Shatalov, another Texas A&M math professor and camp co-director. The students then separated into smaller study groups led by counselors who were undergraduate and graduate students. They recapped each day's material in great detail and assisted campers with homework assignments. Other Texas A&M professors dropped in for guest lectures on math topics as well. Saturdays were known as "Saturday Celebrations" in which exams designed to test students on the week's lessons were given. No grades were given and exams were merely marked with comments designed to guide students to how to find the correct answers themselves. Governor Ridge said, Iranian leaders have ignored UN sanctions, ignored the conditions of the nuclear agreement, they support Hamas and Hezbollah and they are supporting Assad in the genocide of 300,000 Syrians and displacing millions of refugees. Theyre responsible for the instability in Iraq. Everywhere you look, you see the tentacles of Iran. Governor Ridge dismissed the moderate claims of President Hassan Rouhani, and criticized the opening of trade between Irans regime and the West as putting $100 billion into the central bank of terrorism. He said, This man is not a moderate: executions are up, they still flog women, they still flog minors, they still hang people in the public squares for political opposition, they still imprison people for political opposition. Theres no moderation there. Moderate regimes dont censor the press or monitor the internet. They promote human rights, abide by the rule of law, reject nuclear weapons, and have a peaceful coexistence, according to Governor Ridge. He generously praised the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and President-elect Maryam Rajavi for their ten-point plan for a free Iran which focuses on moderate values. When she accepted the Democratic presidential nomination last night, one of the key points that Hillary Clinton made in her case against her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, is that the billionaire former reality television is too thin-skinned for the job. Donald Trump can't even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign, she said. He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protestor at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. Related: As Clinton Accepts Historic Nomination, Dems Move in on GOPs Turf A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. If there was a person inside the Trump campaign to point out to the candidate that an over-the top response to Clintons speech and the parade of speakers criticizing him last night might just prove Clintons point for her, he apparently wasnt listening. During the Clinton speech itself, the Trump campaign fired off angry emails at the rate of one every four minutes -- 15 of them in less than an hour -- criticizing Clinton on topics ranging from immigration policy to the Middle East to the Clinton Foundation. Within half an hour of Clintons final words, Team Trump released what seemed to be a hastily written statement from Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller that called her remarks an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric, among other things. Related: Losing the TV Ratings, Trump Tells Supporters Not to Watch Clintons Finale Hillary Clinton talks about unity, about E Pluribus Unum, but her globalist agenda denies American citizens the protections to which they are all entitled tearing us apart. Her radical amnesty plan will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries. Her refusal to even say the words Radical Islam, or to mention her disaster in Libya, or her corrupt email scheme, all show how little she cares about the safety of the American people. Story continues By Friday morning, Trump had moved on to Twitter, where he began by insulting Clinton and some of the people who spoke against him during the final nights of the Democratic National Convention. Three-time New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who savaged Trumps business record on Wednesday night, was granted the nickname that Trump used to reserve for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio during the primary campaign. Related: Losing the TV Ratings, Trump Tells Supporters Not to Watch Clintons Finale Little Michael Bloomberg, who never had the guts to run for president, knows nothing about me. His last term as Mayor was a disaster! Notably, Trump didnt bother trying to refute Bloombergs criticisms. Nor did he go after the former mayors business record, which may not be too much of a surprise, even if you take Trumps word that he is actually worth the $10 billion he claims, and many experts do not, Bloombergs more than $40 billion fortune makes Trump look like a piker. If Michael Bloomberg ran again for Mayor of New York, he wouldn't get 10 percent of the vote - they would run him out of town! Trump added for good measure. Retired Marine Corps four-star General John Allen, who endorsed Clinton Thursday and slammed Trump for his promise to compel the US military to engage in war crimes, also came under Trumps angry gaze. General John Allen, who I never met but spoke against me last night, failed badly in his fight against ISIS. His record = BAD, Trump tweeted. Related: Clintons New Plan to Peel GOP Voters Away from Trump Trump, of course, went after Clinton, blasting her for delivering a speech that went on too long (though it was nearly 20 minutes shorter than the one he had delivered just a week before). He added somewhat mysteriously, Crooked Hillary Clinton made up facts about me and "forgot" to mention the many problems of our country in her very average scream! One person Trump did not dare attack, though, was Khizr Khan, a Muslim immigrant to the US from Pakistan, whose 27-year-old son, a US Army captain, was killed in Iraq protecting his troops from a suicide car bomber. Khan, coolly furious, reminded Trump that his proposed ban on Muslim immigration would have prevented his son from being born in the United States. An attorney who has practiced law in Washington, DC, Khan questioned whether Trump had ever even read the US Constitution, and offered to lend him a copy. Then, in the most powerful blow landed on Trump all evening, the father of the fallen soldier addressed Trump directly. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing. And no one. Trump and his team did not address Khans criticism at all on Friday, but for a large portion of America, it turns out, they had little reason to. Fox News, the Republican-leaning cable news operation, declined to air the speech. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: NASSAU, Bahamas, July 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Bahamas Ministry of Health has advised that country remains free of the Zika virus. "Heightened surveillance continues with the Department of Public Health in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Health Services conducting the required public health and environmental follow up for each of the suspected cases," said Chief Medical Officer, in the Ministry of Health Dr. Glen Beneby. "This is done in order to prevent and control possible spread of the Zika virus disease in The Bahamas. Additionally, source reduction and activities to decrease the mosquito population such as treatment of water sources and fogging are ongoing. "Other activities include conducting Zika educational sessions for public and private health care providers. "Family Island visits with associated town meetings, school presentations, radio and television appearances and airing of public service announcements in both English and Creole are also occurring." Beneby said while there were some 56 suspected cases of the virus in the country, all results received were negative. Tourism industry stakeholders recognize the importance of being proactive; educating the public and potential visitors about the virus and the proposed measures to help moderate the spread of the virus. "The Ministry of Tourism is monitoring the situation closely and the destination is taking proactive measures to reduce the threat of a Zika outbreak," Tourism Director General Joy Jibrilu has said. The Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board (BOIPB) has also been active in putting in proactive measures to ensure visitors to the various Islands of The Bahamas are safe. "The Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board has been in constant contact with its members regarding the Zika Virus. Once information is received from The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, this information is then shared with BOIPB member hotels in all of the islands," said Board Executive Director Kerry Fountain. Proactive measures include: - Providing staff and guests with information on ZIKV so that they are aware of the signs and symptoms, how ZIKV is transmitted and how it can be prevented. Having insect repellant available to visitors. - Avoiding storing water in outdoor containers to prevent them from becoming mosquito- breeding sites. - Covering water tanks or reservoirs so that mosquitoes do not get in. - Avoiding the build-up of garbage, which can act as a breeding site for mosquitoes. Putting garbage in closed plastic bags and keep it in closed containers. - Uncovering and unblocking gutters and drains to release stagnant water. All travelers are advised to: - Stay informed about the ZIKV situation in countries they are travelling to. - Use insect repellents on exposed skin. Insect repellents that contain DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or IR3535 are the most effective and safe when used according to the label. If also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second. - Where possible, wear light colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants, socks and shoes to minimize exposed skin. - When indoors use air conditioning and keep the doors and windows closed, unless they are screened, to keep out mosquitoes. If this is not possible, sleep under mosquito nets to prevent bites. What should you do if you feel sick and think you may have Zika? - Consult a healthcare professional if you are feeling ill, especially if you have a fever. If you have returned home, make sure to tell them about your travel to the Caribbean. - Use acetaminophen or paracetamol to treat fever and pain. Get lots of rest and drink plenty of liquids. - A person infected with ZIKV will have the virus in their blood for the first week of infection. The virus can be passed on to other mosquitoes if they bite you while you are carrying the virus. Therefore, be especially careful to prevent mosquito bites during the first week to avoid spreading the disease. Travelers are encouraged to visit Bahamas.com for any updates on Zika including messages from hoteliers or properties. About The Islands Of The Bahamas The Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone from Nassau and Paradise Island to Grand Bahama to The Abaco Islands, The Exuma Islands, Harbour Island, Long Island and others. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles with some of the world's best scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with preclearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar at par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It's Better in The Bahamas. For more information on travel packages, activities and accommodations, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit Bahamas.com Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. CUDAHY, Wis., July 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patrick Cudahy, The Home of Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Flavor, is proud to announce a new addition to its premium line of quality products, All Natural Apple-Wood Cold Smoked Cheese. Combining a unique process with authentic, unmistakable flavor and quality, Patrick Cudahy is now offering two flavors of the specialty cheese, Smoked Cheddar and Smoked Swiss, at select grocery stores throughout Wisconsin. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3c9ef75-69d6-4de4-ba9f-9ebb7586019a The addition brings two Wisconsin neighbors together, Patrick Cudahy and Barron County Cheese. Wisconsin and cheese are inseparable; Wisconsin continues its reign as the largest cheese producing state. In Barron, Wis. where the Barron County Cheese smokehouse is located, Patrick Cudahys new All Natural Apple-Wood Smoked Cheese is smoked the old fashioned way. Our new Sweet Apple-Wood Cold Smoked Cheese has taken the flavor to a new level, while carrying on the Patrick Cudahy tradition of creating quality and flavor that consumers know and love, said Bud Matthews, Senior Vice President, Patrick Cudahy. Sweet Apple-Wood Cold Smoked Cheese delivers the delicious and wholesome taste families have come to count on from Patrick Cudahys other products, like Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon and hams. There is simply no replicating the look, feel, and texture of naturally smoked cheese. The meticulous smoking process is evident in every block of the cheese, with subtle hints of light brown and outlines of the racks that hold the product on the smoking unit. For more information about Patrick Cudahy please visit www.patrickcudahy.com or www.Facebook.com/PatrickCudahyMeats. Patrick Cudahy is a brand of Smithfield Foods. About Patrick Cudahy For 125 years, families throughout the Midwest have known the name Patrick Cudahy as one they can count on for quality, value and for the unmistakable flavor of Sweet Apple Wood. Our product line includes fully cooked and traditional bacon, bacon pieces and toppings, dry sausage, pepperoni, ham, deli and sliced meats. About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com. 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 The following day, the New York Times published an editorial that presented essentially the same argument, in this case supporting it with reference to mutual repression of Iranian and Saudi religious minorities. The article also highlighted a long series of statements issued by Tehran suggesting that its Saudi adversaries were supporting and financing organizations deemed terrorists by the Iranian regime. Chief among these are Kurdish separatist groups. But the Times indicates that Saudi Arabia has denied the allegations and Iran has failed to present concrete evidence supporting them. On the other hand, it was Saudi Arabia that severed diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic in January after Iranian mobs stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran and the Saudi consulate in Mashhad. Opponents of the Iranian regime expressed certainty that these attacks had been instigated by the regime itself in response to the Saudi execution of a Shiite dissident cleric. Among those making this argument was the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Following this apparent declaration of common cause between the NCRI and Saudi Arabia, the former Saudi intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal appeared at the annual Paris gathering of the NCRI, which took place on July 9, this year. Although the Saudis have denied providing direct support for rebel groups, Turki did explicitly endorse the cause of the Iranian opposition group, namely the overthrow of the existing Iranian regime. The Times mentioned this incident in its analysis, as well, suggesting that it had put Iranian-Saudi relations at an even greater risk of boiling over. But this did not prevent the article from assigning apparently equal blame to both countries for the worsening situation, or from urging both of them to improve their treatment of religious minorities in order to help defuse that situation. Still, it seems clear that such a change of behavior is extremely unlikely. And furthermore, it is easy to interpret some of Irans foreign policy activities as efforts to develop regional and international partnerships on the understanding that the Gulf Arab states will remain serious political rivals. Iran and Saudi Arabia have been described as being engaged in economic warfare as the newly de-sanctioned Islamic Republic has sought to siphon shares of the oil market away from its adversaries. And within this context, each expansion in bilateral relations with a third-party nation is a potential opportunity to challenge that same countrys existing relations with either Iran or Saudi Arabia. Such expanded relations, or the potential for them, have been seen in the cases of countries such as India and Pakistan, both of which are pursuing joint development of oil pipelines and shipping ports. And as Irans relations with Middle Eastern countries have become increasingly strained and increasingly mired in actual military conflict, Tehran has continued to try to capitalize on sanctions relief by pushing for more trade relations with Europe, and also for an overall expansion in relations with African countries. As an example of the latter, Ghana News Agency reports that Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama recently promised more bilateral deals between the two countries following the visit of a Ghanaian delegation to Tehran in February. The Iranian Foreign Ministry in turn publicly praised Mahama for being the first African President to make such a visit following the suspension of nuclear-related sanctions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Iran presumably stands only to benefit from encouraging other African countries to follow Ghanas lead. But those countries potentially face the same uncertainties as do potential European investors in Iran, namely that the Islamic Republic remains under some US-led economic sanctions as a result of its support for terrorism and its ongoing history of human rights abuses. Iranian officials have repeatedly criticized the US for failing to abide by the spirit of the nuclear agreement, insofar as it has supposedly scared off Western investment. But others have insisted that the White House has gone above and beyond its requirements in explaining what is permitted under the JCPOA. Meanwhile, Iran has done little to actually improve upon the situation that continually creates barriers between the Islamic Republic and the global economy, even though it has repeatedly insisted upon greater access. In this sense, the status of relations between the Iranian and Western economies is reminiscent of the status of relations between the Iranian and Saudi governments. Iran has attempted to blame the Saudis for the escalating tensions, but as the Times makes clear, this depends upon disregard for clear contributions from the Iranian side. There have been numerous indications of the same neglect in the case of Irans protests about lack of access to foreign markets. Illustrating this point, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran published an article on Wednesday commenting upon Tehrans recent announcement that it would ban all iPhones if Apple did not open operations inside the Islamic Republic and register all devices with the government. The article suggests that the threat may prove to be an empty one, since past efforts to implement such bans have met with resistance from the domestic service providers who stand to lose money. It may be that the regime is aware that the implementation of such a ban is unlikely but is putting it forward anyway as a way to try to pressure American companies into entering the Iranian market. The International Campaign explains that if Apple were to comply with the ultimatum, it would likely do so by resolving the technical issues that remain as barriers to other Western firms, thereby paving the way for those firms to follow Apple in. Meanwhile, there are no reports to indicate that Iran has taken its own initiatives to help remove these barriers, as by demonstrating compliance with international banking regulations that call for verifiable safeguards against things like money laundering. The US Treasury has long regarded the entire Iranian financial system as being of primary money laundering concern, largely because of Irans longstanding support for international terrorist organizations. It is evident that Iran is not taking any meaningful steps to address this more specific concern, either. The danger of indirectly financing terrorism by doing business with the Islamic Republic is certainly another barrier to entry for Western companies, at least from the standpoint of public relations. And as long as Iran continues to defy the Arab League statements calling for diminished Iranian influence in the broader Middle East, there is little doubt that Irans sponsorship of terrorism will persist or even escalate. IranWire provided further evidence for this situation on Wednesday when it published an article on the integration of the Iran-backed Shiite militia al-Hashd al-Shaabi into the Iraqi military. As well as giving Iran more deeply rooted influence in Irans military affairs, this development gives militant groups expanded influence over Iraqi affairs. That influence can be expected to largely serve Iranian interests, thereby justifying the Arab League grievances, which have also arguably motivated Saudi Arabias calls for regime change. IranWire notes that al-Hashd al-Shaabi is organized along the same lines as the Iran-controlled Lebanese paramilitary Hezbollah, which the West has recognized as a terrorist group for decades. This year, the members states of the Gulf Cooperation Council joined in ascribing this label to the organization. And with the current situation being what it is, it appears almost certain that those same states will encourage the West and the world community to formally acknowledge that the Hezbollah threat has now been reproduced in Iraq. [July 28, 2016] Gerber Empowers the Next Generation of Fashion Tech with Garment Design Competition NEW YORK, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Gerber Technology, the world leader in integrated software and automated solutions for the apparel and industrial markets, has announced five finalists in the fashion design competition segment of their annual ideation conference. The competition began with 60 entries in February 2016. Now down to five, the finalists include: Ashley Maurice, Lin Savadty, Maria Silvia Grisolia, Victoria Zito and Ye Hong. Honorable mention goes to Natalia Gilca. "Gerber is passionate about providing the technology to make it easy for anyone in the world to design, produce and sell great products," said Elizabeth King, VP, digital solutions community and ecosystem at Gerber Technology. "It is exciting to see how these students applied their fashion education to express themselves creatively through the use of fashion technology and we look forward to seeing them during the fashion show at ideation." ideation2016 is the premier software conference dedicated to fashion and retail professionals who rely on Gerber's end-to-end Digital Solutions to integrate software like YuniquePLM and the AccuMark family of products to seamlessly transfer data across the supply chain driving smart machines and feeding back information, allowing companies to automate their entire process. Streamlining the data and workflows provides insight, brings products to market faster, minimizes costs and ensures quality for Gerber customers. "The finalists were chosen after careful consideration and delieration by a panel of industry experts," continued King. "The designers and their creations will debut at ideation2016 during a fashion show on September 30. Conference attendees will vote for the best overall garment to win the grand prize." The inspiration for the student designs embraces the PANTONE Color of the Year 2016 alongside select vintage garments from The Darnell Collection. Influenced by this, the students displayed unique talent in transforming vintage clothing designs into contemporary wearables. The vintage garments used as inspiration were carefully curated from The Darnell Collection, one of the largest private fashion collections of its type in existence today, containing over 8,000 pieces from 32 countries. Included in the collection are exquisite pieces from the likes of Versace, Meliet, Chanel, Armonia for Montenapoleone, Balenciaga, Pauline Trigere, Bernshaw, Mann Maid and many more icons. ideation2016 will take place on September 28-30 at The Ritz-Carlton South Beach in Miami, Florida. For more information, visit www.gerbertechnology.com/ideation2016/ About Gerber Technology Gerber Technology delivers industry-leading software and automation solutions that help apparel and industrial customers improve their manufacturing and design processes and more effectively manage and connect the supply chain, from product development and production to retail and the end customer. Gerber serves more than 78,000 customers in 130 countries, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies in apparel & accessories, home and leisure, transportation, packaging and sign & graphics. The company develops and manufactures its products from various locations in the United States and Canada and has additional manufacturing capabilities in China. Based in Connecticut in the USA, Gerber Technology is owned by Vector Capital, a San Francisco-based, global private equity firm specializing in the technology sector and managing more than $2 billion of equity capital. Visit www.gerbertechnology.com for more information. Contact: Jamie Bibb Tel: +1 419 244 7766 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gerber-empowers-the-next-generation-of-fashion-tech-with-garment-design-competition-300305700.html SOURCE Gerber Technology [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 28, 2016] Pfizer Announces Positive Top-Line Results from Pivotal Phase 3 Maintenance Trial of Oral XELJANZ (Tofacitinib Citrate) in Ulcerative Colitis Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced today top-line results from Oral Clinical Trials for tofAcitinib in ulceratiVE colitis (OCTAVE) Sustain, the third Phase 3 study of XELJANZ (tofacitinib citrate) being investigated in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC). OCTAVE Sustain is a 52 week study that evaluated oral tofacitinib 5 mg and 10 mg twice daily (BID) as a maintenance treatment in adult patients with moderately to severely active UC who previously completed and achieved clinical response in either the OCTAVE Induction 1 or OCTAVE Induction 2 studies. Top-line results from the OCTAVE Sustain study showed that the proportion of patients in remission at week 52, the primary efficacy endpoint, was significantly greater in both the tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg BID groups compared to placebo. In OCTAVE Sustain, remission was defined as total Mayo scorea =2, no subscore >1, and rectal bleeding subscore of 0. No new or unexpected safety findings for tofacitinib were observed in the study. "Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, often debilitating inflammatory condition that can be difficult to treat. There are a limited number of therapies available and patients need additional treatment options" said Michael Corbo, PhD, Chief Development Officer, Inflammation & Immunology, Pfizer, Inc. "These findings, along with the previously released positive induction data from the OCTAVE studies, are encouraging and provide evidence that tofacitinib, if approved, has the potential to be an effective new oral treatment option that both induces and maintains remission. We are proud to advance our clinical development program for tofacitinib as we work to bring a potential new treatment option to patients living with ulcerative colitis." OCTAVE Sustain is a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, multi-center study. A total of 593 patients were randomized to tofacitinib 5 mg BID, tofacitinib 10 mg BID and placebo BID. Detailed analyses of OCTAVE Sustain, including additional efficacy and safety data, will be submitted for presentation at a future scientific meeting. About the OCTAVE Clinical Development Program The OCTAVE global clinical development program includes three Phase 3 studies, OCTAVE Induction 1, OCTAVE Induction 2, and OCTAVE Sustain, as well as a long-term extension trial, OCTAVE Open. We expect that these four studies will form the submission package to regulatory authorities for a potential UC indication. OCTAVE Induction 1 and OCTAVE Induction 2 are two replicate Phase 3 placebo-controlled studies that evaluated induction of remission by oral tofacitinib 10 mg BID in adult patients with moderately to severely active UC. Subjects needed to have failed or been intolerant to UC treatments including corticosteroids, thiopurines or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). OCTAVE Sustain is a Phase 3 placebo-controlled study evaluating oral tofacitinib 5 mg and 10 mg BID as maintenance therapy in adult patients with moderately to severely active UC. OCTAVE Open is an ongoing open-label extension study designed to assess the safety and tolerability of tofacitinib 5 mg and 10 mg BID in patients who have completed or who have had treatment failure in OCTAVE Sustain or who were non-responders upon completing OCTAVE Induction 1 or 2. About Ulcerative Colitis UC is a chronic, often debilitating inflammatory bowel disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It is believed that UC is the result of complex interactions between multiple factors that include the environment, genetic predisposition, immune response, and the gut microbiome in the colon or intestines. It can cause abdominal pain, fever, weight loss and chronic, bloody diarrhea. UC can have an effect on work, family and social activities. In up to one-third of patients with UC, treatment is not completely successful or complications arise. Under these circumstances, surgery to remove the colon (colectomy) may be considered. Even after surgery, certain symptoms of UC may still persist. About XELJANZ (tofacitinib citrate) and XELJANZ XR (tofacitinib citrate) extended-release XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR (tofacitinib citrate) is a prescription medicine called a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. In the United States, XELJANZ XR 11 mg QD is the first and only once-daily oral JAK inhibitor approved for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As the developer of XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR, Pfizer is a leader in JAK innovation. XELJANZ is approved in more than 45 countries around the world for the treatment of moderate to severe RA as a second-line therapy after failure of one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Pfizer is committed to advancing the science of JAK inhibition and enhancing understanding of XELJANZ through a robust clinical development program. The efficacy and safety profile of XELJANZ has been studied in approximately 6,200 patients with moderate to severe RA, amounting to more than 19,400 patient-years of drug exposure in the global clinical development program. References available upon request XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR U.S. Label Information XELJANZ (tofacitinib citrate)/XELJANZ XR (tofacitinib citrate) extended-release is a prescription medicine called a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR is used to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in which methotrexate did not work well. XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR may be used as a single agent or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) or other non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic rugs (DMARDs). Use of XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR in combination with biologic DMARDs or potent immunosuppressants, such as azathioprine and cyclosporine, is not recommended. It is not known if XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR is safe and effective in people with hepatitis B or C. XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR is not for people with severe liver problems. It is not known if XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR is safe and effective in children. Important Safety Information XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR can lower the ability of the immune system to fight infections. Some people can have serious infections while taking XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR, including tuberculosis (TB), and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses that can spread throughout the body. Some people have died from these infections. Healthcare providers should test patients for TB before starting XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR, and monitor them closely for signs and symptoms of TB and other infections during treatment. People should not start taking XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR if they have any kind of infection unless their healthcare provider tells them it is okay. People may be at a higher risk of developing shingles. XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR may increase the risk of certain cancers by changing the way the immune system works. Lymphoma and other cancers, including skin cancers, can happen in patients taking XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR. The risks and benefits of treatment should be considered prior to initiating XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR in patients with chronic or recurrent infection; who have been exposed to tuberculosis; with a history of a serious or an opportunistic infection; who have resided or traveled in areas of endemic tuberculosis or endemic mycoses; or with underlying conditions that may predispose them to infection. Viral reactivation, including cases of herpes virus reactivation (e.g., herpes zoster), was observed in clinical studies with XELJANZ. Use of live vaccines should be avoided concurrently with XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR. Update immunizations in agreement with current immunization guidelines prior to initiating XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR therapy. Some people who have taken XELJANZ with certain other medicines to prevent kidney transplant rejection have had a problem with certain white blood cells growing out of control (Epstein Barr virus-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder). Some people taking XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR can get tears in their stomach or intestines. This happens most often in people who also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, or methotrexate. XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR should be used with caution in patients who may be at increased risk for gastrointestinal perforation (e.g., patients with a history of diverticulitis), or who have a narrowing within their digestive tract. Patients should tell their healthcare provider right away if they have fever and stomach-area pain that does not go away or a change in bowel habits. XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR can cause changes in certain lab test results including low blood cell counts, increases in certain liver tests, and increases in cholesterol levels. Healthcare providers should do blood tests before starting patients on XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR and while they are taking XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR, to check for these side effects. Normal cholesterol levels are important to good heart health. Healthcare providers may stop XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR treatment because of changes in blood cell counts or liver test results. Use of XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR in patients with severe hepatic impairment is not recommended. Patients should tell their healthcare providers if they plan to become pregnant or are pregnant. It is not known if XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR will harm an unborn baby. To monitor the outcomes of pregnant women exposed to XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR, a registry has been established. Physicians are encouraged to register patients and pregnant women are encouraged to register themselves by calling 1-877-311-8972. Patients should tell their healthcare providers if they plan to breastfeed or are breastfeeding. Patients and their healthcare provider should decide if they will take XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR or breastfeed. They should not do both. In carriers of the hepatitis B or C virus (viruses that affect the liver), the virus may become active while using XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR. Healthcare providers may do blood tests before and during treatment with XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR. Common side effects include upper respiratory tract infections (common cold, sinus infections), headache, diarrhea, and nasal congestion, sore throat, and runny nose (nasopharyngitis). Please click the direct link to the full prescribing information for XELJANZ/XELJANZ XR, including boxed warning and Medication Guide: http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=959. Pfizer Inc.: Working together for a healthier world At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of healthcare products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer healthcare products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. For more information, please visit us at www.pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at @Pfizer and @Pfizer_News, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook (News - Alert) at Facebook.com/Pfizer. DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information contained in this release is as of July 28, 2016. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments. This release contains forward-looking information about a potential new indication for XELJANZ for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active UC (the "potential indication"), including its potential benefits, that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated trial commencement and completion dates and regulatory submission dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, including unfavorable new clinical data and additional analyses of existing clinical data; uncertainties regarding the commercial success of XELJANZ and XELJANZ XR; whether and when any applications for the potential indication may be filed with regulatory authorities in any jurisdictions; whether and when regulatory authorities in any jurisdictions may approve such applications and/or any other applications that are pending or may be filed for XELJANZ or XELJANZ XR, which will depend on the assessment by such regulatory authorities of the benefit-risk profile suggested by the totality of the efficacy and safety information submitted; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding labeling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of XELJANZ and XELJANZ XR, including the potential indication; and competitive developments. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results", as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com. a Mayo score is a measurement index comprised of four categories (stool frequency, rectal bleeding, findings on endoscopy, physician global assessment) that are each rated from 0 (normal) to 3 (most severe) for a total score that ranges from 0-12. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160728006530/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 28, 2016] SIGGRAPH 2016 Concludes with Strong Showing of Attendees and Exhibitors from Around the World SIGGRAPH 2016, the world's leading interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques, has concluded its 43rd annual event with strong attendance from around the world. With the tagline "Render the Possibilities," SIGGRAPH 2016 was held at the Anaheim Convention Center, 24 - 28 July 2016. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160728006728/en/ SIGGRAPH 2016 Experience Hall, Image by Jim Hagarty Taking over the Anaheim Convention Center, SIGGRAPH 2016 played host to over 14,000 attendees - over 10,600 from the United States, with the balance from 73 other countries worldwide, including Canada, Japan, the UK, S. Korea, France, China and Germany. Attendees came to see great independent and studio-made films and games; to learn about the newest developments in emerging technologies; to gain hands-on experiences for future application; to hear the "how-to" behind cutting edge productions; and, to experience the merging of traditional hands-on processes with new technologies. During the course of the conference, more than 635 pieces of progressive content were shared by over 1,760 speakers and contributors. Regarding the conclusion of the event, SIGGRAPH 2016 Conference Chair Mona Kasra said, "This year's conference was yet another remarkably educational and stimulating gathering of thousands of leading researchers, innovators, technologists and creative practitioners - working across many existing or emerging communities within the disciplines of computer graphics and interactive techniques. During these past five days, our attendees were exposed to incredible opportunities to learn and interact directly, one-on-one, with these content creators. The next wave of excellence in specialties such as technical research, animation, art, 3D printing, real-time gaming, education and virtual reality were presented by the leading experts in these fields from every corner of the world. Overall, this year's event was extraordinary, and I truly hope our attendees had a wonderful time!" SIGGRAPH 2016 enjoyed over 150 diverse exhibitors on the show floor during this year's event. Nearly one-third of the event's exhibitors this year came from outside the United States, making the SIGGRAPH exhibition a truly global marketplace of products and services from around the world. Among other SIGGRAPH highlights, the conference played host to the exclusive, North American premiere of Walt Disney (News - Alert) Animation Studios' new, animated film "Inner Workings" on 24 July. Z. Nagin Cox, a Spacecraft Operations Engineer with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was the SIGGRAPH 2016 keynote speaker. Cox (News - Alert), who shared stories of her NASA missions, including the Mars Rovers, made attendees rethink their place in the universe by reminding them that robotic explorations of the solar system (and beyond) symbolize all that humankind has the ability to accomplish. Cox inspired thousands of attendees when she declared, "Nothing's impossible when your ideas are the right kind of crazy!" SIGGRAPH 2016 AWARD WINNERS: On 26 July, the winner of the SIGGRAPH 2016 REAL-TIME LIVE! Award, entitled "Best Real-Time Graphics and Interactivity," went to the presentation "From Previs to Final in Five Minutes: A Breakthrough in Live Performance Capture." The winning project was a collaboration between four different companies: Epic Games, Ninja Theory, Cubic Motion, and 3Lateral Studio. The annual award, decided upon by a jury of talented industry professionals, honors significant accomplishments in real-time graphics made during the past 12 months. Also during the REAL-TIME LIVE! event, Pixar Animation Studios announced the official open source release of Universal Scene Description, Pixar's technology used for the interchange of 3D graphics data through various digital content creation tools. On 27 July, the Emerging Technologies program "Best in Show" Award winner was announced. The award went to "Demo of Face2Face: Real-Time Face Capture and Reenactment of RGB Videos," which presented a novel approach for producing real-time facial reenactments of a target-video sequence. The Emerging Technologies "Best in Show" Award honors the latest interactive, innovative, and graphics technologies in the 3D, virtual reality, and projection mapping industries, including practical applications. The award represents a true cross-section of science, technology, and art. Finally, the SIGGRAPH 2016 Computer Animation Festival award winners were: BEST IN SHOW Borrowed Time (USA) Directed by Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj, produced by Amanda Jones A weathered sheriff returns to the remains of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget. With each step forward, the memories come flooding back. Faced with his mistake once again, he must find the strength to carry on. JURY'S CHOICE Cosmos Laundromat (Netherlands) Submitted and Produced by Ton Roosendaal In this short, Franck, a depressed sheep, sees only one way out of his boring life, until he meets with the quirky salesman Victor, who offers him any life he ever wanted. The piece was created as a pilot for a feature film project that, if it happens, will be the first free, open-source animated production. BEST STUDENT PROJECT Crabe-Phare (France) Directed by Mengjung Yang, Gaetan Borde, Benjamin Lebourgeois, Clarie Vandermeersch, and Alendandre Veaux The Crabe-Phare is a legendary crustacean. He captures the boats of lost sailors to add them to his collection. But the crab is getting old, and it is more and more difficult for him to build his collection. Didn't make it to this year's conference? More information about SIGGRAPH 2016, including official photographs from the conference, can be found online within the Virtual Media Office: s2016.siggraph.org/media-kit The 44th annual conference, SIGGRAPH 2017, will be held in Los Angeles, California, at the Los Angeles Convention Center 30 July - 3 Aug 2017. About SIGGRAPH 2016 The annual SIGGRAPH conference is a five-day interdisciplinary educational experience in the latest computer graphics and interactive techniques, including a three-day commercial exhibition that attracts hundreds of companies from around the world. The conference also hosts the international SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, showcasing works from the world's most innovative and accomplished digital film and video creators. Juried and curated content includes outstanding achievements in time-based art, scientific visualization, visual effects, games, real-time graphics, virtual -+reality, and narrative shorts. SIGGRAPH 2016 will take place from 24-28 July 2016 in Anaheim, California. Visit the SIGGRAPH 2016 website or follow SIGGRAPH on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram for more detailed information. About ACM SIGGRAPH The ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques is an interdisciplinary community interested in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Members include researchers, developers, and users from the technical, academic, business, and art communities. ACM SIGGRAPH enriches the computer graphics and interactive techniques community year-round through its conferences, global network of professional and student chapters, publications, and educational activities. About ACM ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for lifelong learning, career development, and professional networking. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160728006728/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 29, 2016] Bomgar Helps Stribling Equipment Support Devices and Hardware in the Field Bomgar (News - Alert), a leader in secure access solutions, today announced that Stribling Equipment, LLC, is using Bomgar Remote Support to provide reliable support to a wide range of users across the company. Stribling Equipment is the leading provider of construction and forestry-related products and services in Mississippi, Arkansas and West Tennessee. A family-owned business, Stribling offers a full line of industry leading products, the services of highly trained professionals, outstanding parts availability and unmatched service capability. Stribling's tech support team was having difficulty establishing connections with devices used by employees at its 24 stores, as well as its sales team and technicians in the field. As a result, they began looking for a more robust remote support solution. "At the time, we were using Microsoft's (News - Alert) Remote Desktop Connection or VNC remote access software to connect to laptops in our stores or out in the field," said John David Bates, IT tech support for Stribling. "We were having a great amount of trouble establishing reliable connections with those devices, especially when a technician or salesperson was off of our network." After researching various remote support solutions, Stribling's IT department chose Bomgar Remote Support. The Stribling support team is benefitting from one of Bomgar's latest features, Bomgar InSight. During a support session, end-users who have an iOS or Android (News - Alert) phone with a camera can stream live video to the IT support team using Bomgar InSiht. Sharing remote, live camera footage while an issue is taking place allows the representative to see beyond the screen and better assist the user with their problem. While viewing the live video the representative can freeze the frame and make annotations to help walk the user through any necessary action. "We used InSight recently when we were trying to trace which ports a couple of cables were plugged into on a server at one of our stores," said Bates. "Trying to explain what you are looking for in a situation like that to a non-technical user is very difficult. Using InSight, the store employee just pointed a mobile phone camera at the back of the panel and we were able to find the cables and draw a circle around them to show the employee which ones needed to be swapped out. It's really amazing." Bates and his support team enjoy how simple Bomgar makes it to establish a connection with remote devices. "To make it extremely easy to use, we have either a Bomgar Jump Client or the Bomgar Button installed on each of our machines to initiate a remote support session. Alternatively, when a session cannot be initiated directly from a user's machine, the user can go to our IT portal and download a temporary client that enables us to take control and help them out right away. The various connection options have reduced our average time to connect by more than 50 percent." Looking forward, Bates anticipates using Bomgar's Screen Sharing and Session Recording capabilities to help with company training. "As John Deere and the other manufacturers we work with push out new software, we plan to use Bomgar to make presentations for our employees to watch to familiarize them with the changes. Bomgar will help us keep our sales and technical teams up-to-date and in sync." For a full case study about Stribling Equipment's use of Bomgar, please visit: www.bomgar.com/customers. About Bomgar Bomgar is the leader in Secure Access solutions that empower businesses. Bomgar's leading remote support, privileged access management, and identity management solutions help support and security professionals improve productivity and security by enabling secure, controlled connections to any system or device, anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 organizations across 80 countries use Bomgar to deliver superior support services and reduce threats to valuable data and systems. Bomgar is privately held with offices in Atlanta, Jackson, Washington D.C., Frankfurt, London, Paris, and Singapore. Connect with Bomgar at www.bomgar.com, the Bomgar Blog, or on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005083/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Description In October 2016, leaders from around the world will gather at Habitat III, a major global summit in Quito, Ecuador, to adopt a New Urban Agenda. This agenda will build on the success of the Global Goals and serve as a guide for nation states, city and regional leaders, international development funders, United Nations programs and civil society in developing their policies and approaches around urbanization for the next 20 years. In the lead up to Habitat III, Devex is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to start off the conversation and host a one hour webinar where we will explore how the impacts of the New Urban Agenda will take root both locally and globally. Speakers include: Ana Marie Argilagos - Senior Advisor Equitable Development, Ford Foundation Argilagos' work focuses on urban development strategies to reduce poverty, expand economic opportunity, and advance sustainability in cities and regions across the world. Oscar Fergutz - Program Director, Avina Foundation Fergutz holds a degree in Architecture and Urbanism and after years of designing and creating functional worlds, he joined Avina Foundation in 2002. Jane Katz - Director of International Affairs and Programs, Habitat for Humanity Katz provides housing policy and advocacy advice on Habitat For Humanity International's international priority issues which includes the Global Housing Indicators initiative and representing Habitat for Humanity on international coalitions and advisory groups on land, housing policy, gender, disaster risk reduction and urban issues. Gregory Scruggs - Habitat III correspondent, Citiscope Scruggs is Citiscope's primary correspondent covering the global debate leading to the UN's Habitat III conference. He has previously covered some of the world's largest conferences on urban issues and housing. Are you interested? Register and dont miss the opportunity: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday angrily accused a top US general of siding with Turkey's coup plotters for saying the country's turmoil could downgrade military cooperation with Washington. Turkey has arrested nearly half of its 358 generals for complicity in the July 15 failed putsch, forcing a sudden reshuffle at the top of the armed forces and raising fears over the continuity of its military strategy. Quoted by US media, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel said Thursday that the coup bid and subsequent round-up of dozens of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. "You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt," Erdogan said in angry remarks at a military centre in Golbasi outside Ankara, where air strikes left dozens dead during the coup. "You reveal yourself with your remarks. We will not play your game!" said Erdogan. In particular, Votel suggested the US had lost crucial Turkish military interlocutors who are now in jail and accused of being behind the coup -- a concern echoed by the US head of National Intelligence James Clapper. "Know your place!" Erdogan told Votel, using one of his favourite expressions of anger. "The coup plotter is already in your country, you are already feeding him," he said in reference to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding of the coup and wants to see extradited from the United States. - 'Ridiculous' - Turkey is a key member of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, with its Incirlik air base used for launching raids. Turkey, which has itself been hit by deadly attacks blamed on jihadists, regularly targets IS positions in Syria with artillery fire. But adding to the complexities in an already sensitive relationship, Incirlik was an important base for the coup plotters and its commander General Bekir Ercan Van was subsequently arrested. Turkish Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu even suggested that the United States was behind the coup in the fellow NATO member, but this view has not been echoed by more senior figures. "Why such a rumour would still be propagated or still be able to find purchase over there, I couldn't begin to guess," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara that the notion the consequences of the coup would undermine the armed forces in the fight against IS were "ridiculous" and "unfortunate". Turkey has embarked on a major crackdown since the rebellion to eradicate what Erdogan call the "virus" of Gulen from every public institution and particularly the army. The government has ordered the discharge of 149 generals for complicity in the putsch, but Cavusoglu insisted the resulting army would be "more dynamic, cleaner and more effective". Cavusoglu meanwhile said he expected more from the European Union, which while condemning the coup has expressed alarm over the subsequent crackdown. But he emphasised that Turkey's current drive to improve relations with Israel and Russia was "no alternative" to ties with the EU and NATO. Iran will never coordinate with the United States in Syria and other regional conflicts, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in remarks published on his website Sunday. "We don't want such a coordination as their main objective is to stop Iran's presence in the region," Khamenei said in a transcript from a speech to university students. Iran and Russia support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's fight against armed rebels and jihadists, including those of the Islamic State (IS) group. Tehran rejects any coordination with the US-led coalition that is also bombing the jihadists in Syria and Iraq. Khamenei repeated demands for the US to stop interfering in the region and said Washington was still acting aggressively despite last year's nuclear accord with world powers to end Iran's isolation. "Americans are still engaged in hostility against the nation of Iran, be it the Congress or the US administration," he said. Iran complains it has not benefited from the nuclear deal since it came into force in January, with international banks still fearful of doing business with Tehran due to remaining US sanctions. "Those who believe in looking to the West for the progress of the country have lost their minds because wisdom tells us to learn from experience," Khamenei said. [July 29, 2016] Artificial Intelligence Development of Al+, Commencement of Pre-Registration of Chat Bot "Al+ Bot Framework (Al+ bot framework)" Creation GUI Tool Equipped with the Semantics Interpretation Technology Alt, Inc. which has developed "al+", the Personal Artificial Intelligence(P.A.I.) (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Mr Kazutaka Yonekura) shall commence pre-registration of the "Al+ Bot Framework" for its Beta-version which will be released at the end of July. It is a framework which enables users to create their own original chat bots easily even if they are not engineers, using a sophisticated GUI. But of course, highly skilled engineers will be able to further control the framework according to their needs. The completed chat bot can be readily connected to external services such as LINE, Facebook (News - Alert) and the likes using one-click from the settings screen. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005040/en/ Main screen of al+ bot framework (Graphic: Business Wire) Pre-registration now available at the below website in accordance with the beta release at the end of July. --------------- Pre-registration: https://bfw.alt.ai By registering for a "Al+ Developers' Gate" (hereafter known as ADG) account, you will be able to access to the various development environments of Al+ including its bot framework. In accordance with the beta release, we have limited the number of ADG accounts to 200 accounts. The completion of the pre-registration will be notified to you via our completion of account settings email. After the completion of your registration, in the event when you don't receive an email during the beta release, we will sequentially contact users at the time of expansion of the number of accounts. What is al+? al+ will link the various SNS and apps which users normally use to learn the thoughts of users automatically. A virtual copy of the user will be generated on the app. There are 3 levels implemented to this artificial intelligence engine, the linkage of respective artificial intelligence engines will realize a more flexible and human-like way of thinking. Further, it will constantly analyze the overall usage trend of al+ users, and also has the ability to self-learn from the pseudo society, concepts which cannot be obtain from one user. The accuracy of its thinking ability improves at an exponential speed with the increase in the number of users, it also increases the accuracy for learning the thoughts of one individual user. With the implementation of the above, P.A.I. will be the artificial intelligence that will be able to realize a more accurate replication of the user's individual personality. About Alt, Inc. WEB: http://alt.ai/ Enquiries regarding al+: [email protected] CEO message regarding al+ http://alt.ai/ceomessage.html View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005040/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The human gut is a complex and amazing system, and the more we learn about it, the more amazed we are. It turns out Internet Accessibility Home Connectivity and the Homework Gap How Some Schools Are Helping to Connect Students in their Homes In 2013, President Obama launched the ConnectED initiative with the goal of connecting 99 percent of K-12 students in America with access to broadband Internet in the classroom by the year 2018. Since ConnectED was launched, 20 million more students have gained access to broadband at school, according to Joseph South, director of the Office of Educational Technology of the United States Department of Education. At the same time, more and more schools have implemented laptops, tablets and online educational resources. While initiatives such as ConnectED are helping to close the digital divide in the classroom, that divide reopens once the school day is over. As of 2014, nearly one quarter of American households still did not have Internet access, according to a March 2016 Issue Brief from the Council of Economic Advisers . Low-income households are far less likely to have Internet, "with just under half of households in the bottom income quintile using the Internet at home, compared to 95 percent of households in the top quintile," according to the report. This disparity in home Internet service has lead to the "homework gap," where economically disadvantaged students "go from a digital oasis to a digital desert when they go from school to home," as Chike Aguh, CEO of EveryoneOn described it. Some of these students are going to extraordinary lengths to complete their assignments, standing outside their schools at night trying to pick up WiFi signals through the wall, or going to the public library or local businesses to do their homework. "I applaud those students, but that is not an acceptable solution, and it's tremendously inequitable in providing them an education that's similar to their peers," South said. Reasons for the Homework Gap Some people have attributed the homework gap to the lack of Internet infrastructure in rural and remote areas. However, the majority of families that are not connected to the Internet live in urban areas that do have infrastructure. They simply can't afford it. "There are 64 million Americans who are not connected to the Internet. Only 16 million of those are offline because there's not infrastructure," Aguh said. "The other 48 million are living in big urban metro areas where they have offers available to them. It's just that they cannot afford them. So we need to change our thinking and our mindset and our stereotype that this is a rural problem. It's not. It is really an urban and suburban problem." But the homework gap can exist even in households that do have Internet service, according to Sarah Trimble-Oliver, the chief information officer for Cincinnati Public Schools . A couple of years ago, that district surveyed its students to ask if they had Internet at home, and 75 percent of students answered yes. However, Trimble-Oliver soon discovered that they hadn't asked the right question. "What we're finding is that, even though they answered yes, there was a large percentage who only have access through a smartphone," she said. "Or they have access but it's too slow. Or they have a computer in the home, but it's shared amongst five or six family members, so actually getting time on that Internet-enabled computer is difficult in order to complete homework. And then we have families who may have Internet access one month but then the next month it's interrupted because either the bill wasn't paid, or the data plan on their phone ran out. It's not a simple yes or no question." Fortunately, schools, government and other organizations are working to find ways to close the homework gap. Dedicated Mobile Hotspots for Students A few years ago, Cincinnati Public Schools adopted an advanced placement (AP) blended learning program to expand AP courses to students who previously did not have access to them. With the blended learning program, about half of the instruction occurs online through the district's learning management system and the other half is face-to-face with the teacher. Since some of those students don't have Internet access at home, the district purchased mobile hotspots for those students. The Kajeet SmartSpot devices are portable 4G LTE mobile hotspots that provide broadband Internet connectivity for any WiFi enabled laptop, tablet, netbook or Chromebook. The devices have built-in content filtering, so students can't use them to access inappropriate or non-educational content. Trimble-Oliver has discovered that the students are using the Kajeet SmartSpots not just for their AP class, but for other homework and enrichment activities. "They are saying that they are able to get more work done at home, and that they're actually also able to get more informal learning," Trimble-Oliver said. "So maybe it wasn't even a homework assignment, but they're able to do research on things that they're interested in themselves, related to the subjects in school, because now they do have that hotspot." Mobile Hotspots for Check-out Green Bay Area Public Schools in Wisconsin also adopted Kajeet SmartSpots to help close the homework gap for its students. Unlike Cincinnati Public Schools, which supplies students with a dedicated SmartSpot device, Green Bay Area PS makes SmartSpot devices and laptops available for students to borrow. Students can check them out from their school library, use them to complete their homework assignments, and then return them. "About 60 percent of our kids are on free and reduced lunch, so that tells us that there are going to be families who do not have means to have the Internet at their home. I would just hate for kids not to have the resources to complete their assignments and to learn because they don't have technology at home," said Diane W. Doersch, chief technology and information officer for Green Bay Area Public Schools. "It's not just the financial part, but we have instances where kids might go to grandma's for the weekend, and she doesn't have Internet at her house. Or we have instances where there are a couple of kids in the family, and a sibling is working on the family computer all night. So we felt that this was one way that we could address that issue." Assessment MasteryConnect Launches Mobile Assessment App MasteryConnect has launched a new mobile app that will allow teachers to take advantage of its digital assessment platform as they move around the classroom. At the same time, the company announced its new mobile evidence capture feature is in beta release. The MasteryConnect platform is designed to help teachers identify a student's level of understanding of core academic concepts, allowing them to then personalize instruction for each student and each classroom. With the app, teachers will now be able to use iPads to gather in-the-moment formative data on the go and then use the data to match resources to individual student needs. The new app's evidence capture capabilities will give teachers an accessible way to document student performance by uploading photographs and notes before tying them to assessments within the MasteryConnect interface. MasteryConnect's platform can give immediate feedback, assessments, results and data that can lead to quick revision of teaching strategies. In the classroom, teachers can use MasteryConnect to measure each student's mastery of concepts, but also identify trends and outliers on a classroom scale. District administrators can use it to gauge academic performance across all grade levels. Evidence capture enhances those capabilities by identifying student needs in real time. It is the first step in the company's plan to give teachers more ways to deliver artifacts of student learning to parents. "This evidence capture provides teachers a clear, authentic view of student learning," said MasteryConnect Chief Learning Officer Trenton Goble. "It's a game changer for teachers as they document student learning and target interventions." MasteryConnect is recruiting current users of its platform to participate in beta testing, with plans for a full rollout later this fall. - Over 100 fire incidents have been reported in June and July 2016 alone. There have not been any fatalities though several students have been injured and properties worth millions destroyed - One of the worst school fire disasters in Kenya is the 2001 tragedy at Kyanguli Secondary School where 67 boys lost their lives; read on for five others Stakeholders in the Kenyan education sector were forced to hold a crisis meeting to find a solution to the increasing unrests in public secondary schools. The meeting resolved, among other things, that schools would not be closed until the second term ends in August 12. As of Thursday, July 28, the day of the meeting, over 100 schools had been torched in just two months. On that day alone, at least five school fires were reported. There were fire incidents at Kaptama High School (in Bungoma county), Mikinduri Girls' High School (Meru), Garba Tulla High School (Isiolo) Bura Boys High School(Garrisa) and St. Pius X Seminary (Meru). READ ALSO: Woman says God has told her the cause of school fires, and the solution Fortunately, none of the current schools fires can be considered to be among the worst in Kenya's history as no lives have been lost. A number of students have been injured and properties damaged. Here are some of the worst school fires that the country has ever experienced: 1. Bombolulu Girls Secondary School - 1998 26 girls lost their lives at Bombolulu Girls Secondary School in 1998. A dormitory with about 130 students at Bombolulu Girls' Secondary School, now known as Mazeras Memorial Secondary School, went up in flames in 1998. 26 girls lost their lives that night in the school fire in Kwale county. 2. Nyeri High School - 1999 About a year later, four school prefects were set on fire at Nyeri High School. READ ALSO: Students from six schools reveal why schools are being burned down The prefects were reportedly locked up in a cubicle in one of the dormitories and set on fire. Their killers were believed to be some of their schoolmates who had been suspended. 3. Kyanguli Secondary School - 2001 63 boys were burnt to death in a dormitory in Kyanguli Mixed Secondary School in Machakos county. Another tragedy struck in 2001. 63 boys were burnt to death in a dormitory in Kyanguli Mixed Secondary School in Machakos county. The High Court, in March 2016, awarded parents and guardians of the form four students who perished in the school fire KSh 40 million as compensation. READ ALSO: Former education PS Ole Kiyiapi gives Uhuru solution to school fires The court found the then head teacher David Mutiso Kiilu and his deputy Stephen Kasyoka liable for failing to take action after getting reports that some students were planning to set some properties on fire. 4. Endarasha Boys Secondary School - 2010 Students apparently set ablaze a dormitory at Endarasha Boys Secondary School in 2010 killing two of their schoolmates. The doors were locked and the bodies of the deceased were found near the exit door; they tried to escape but they could not. 5. Asumbi Girls Boarding Primary School - 2012 Eight pupils died in a fire incident at Asumbi Girls Boarding Primary School in 2012 In August 2012, fire gutted a dormitory at Asumbi Girls Boarding Primary School in Homa Bay County. Eight pupils died in the incident. The fire was believed to have been caused by an electricity fault. 6. Stephjoy Boys High School - 2015 In August 2015, two boys were killed in a fire at Stephjoy Boys High School in Limuru, Kiambu county. READ ALSO: High school students beaten by locals after trying to burn school Source: TUKO.co.ke * UK government to review plan by early autumn * Fall in UK power price makes project more expensive * Concerns raised about further delays to plant * EDF (Paris: FR0010242511 - news) was not warned about review - chief executive (Adds more comment from EDF CEO, Moody's, Durham academic, context on energy supply crunch in UK) By Nina Chestney and William Schomberg LONDON, July 29 (Reuters) - Britain has cast doubt on a $24 billion project with French utility EDF to build the UK's first new nuclear plant in decades, delaying a final decision on the plan just weeks after the Brexit vote ushered in a new prime minister. The surprise decision to review the Hinkley Point C project was made public hours after the board of French state-controlled EDF voted to proceed with it. The British government, which had been expected to sign contracts on Friday, said instead that it wanted to give the plans further consideration, postponing its verdict until early autumn. The review came little more than a month after Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum that forced the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron - whose administration gave the initial go-ahead to the project - and the accession of Theresa May. The vote, and the resulting economic uncertainty, threw doubt on the future of major British infrastructure projects, including the nuclear plant. The two new reactors at Hinkley Point, in south-west England, would provide around 7 percent of Britain's electricity, helping to fill a supply gap as the country's coal plants are set to close by 2025. The pouring of the first concrete is scheduled for mid-2019 but the plant's start-up date has been delayed several times due to regulatory hurdles, the fallout from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan and EDF's deteriorating financial position. Analysts and unions said the review under new Prime Minister May would likely delay the project further. EDF's Chief Executive Jean-Bernard Levy said on Friday that the company had not been given advance warning of the review but that it was ready to organise the signing of contracts "as soon as all the parties involved are ready". Story continues OVERPAYING? Although EDF and Chinese partner China General Nuclear are responsible for the 18-billion-pound ($24 billion) cost of the project, Britain has committed to pay a minimum price for the power generated by the plant for 35 years. Critics, including some British lawmakers and academics, say the country would be overpaying at that minimum price, which equates to double current market levels. "Because of the fall in the energy price over the past 12 months, the project does look very expensive and there have been a lot of calls for other projects to be considered or for this to be taken back to the drawing board," said Oliver Salvesen, analyst at investment bank Jefferies. "It probably still would go ahead but it does cast some additional doubt on whether (the government) will look for alternatives in the meantime," he added. Tooraj Jamasb, chair in energy economics at Durham University Business School, said having a new leader and cabinet in place offered Britain an opportunity to revisit the merits of the project while being less bound to the commitments of the previous leadership. "It is also possible that the government may want to use the project as a card in its post-Brexit negotiation to soften the French stance on trade deals," he added. EDF's Levy said he had no comment to make about the possible renegotiation of the contract. The British review could nevertheless lead to increased resistance in France to the project, which was only narrowly approved by the EDF board on Thursday. The plans led to the resignation of a board member who said they were financially risky, echoing the criticism of French unions which say the project is too big for EDF and jeopardises the survival of the company. CONCERNS RAISED A government spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday it was "only right" the new administration looked at all details of the project before making a decision. Britain and EDF first reached a broad commercial agreement on the project in 2013. Potential security risks have also been cited as a concern about the project in some quarters. Last year, Nick Timothy, who worked closely with May in the past and is now her joint chief of staff, raised concerns about Chinese investment in Hinkley. Timothy said security experts were worried the state-owned Chinese group, which owns a stake of about a third in the project, would have access to computer systems that would allow it to shut down Britain's energy production. If the project goes ahead after the government's review, the plant would not come online until the 2030s, industry experts estimate. EDF will still have to shoulder the costs of the long construction phase during which the investment will not generate any cash flow, which is credit negative for the firm, said Paul Marty, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody's. Opponents of the project in Britain say the price at which the government has agreed to buy power from EDF is too high. The government signed a 35-year electricity price guarantee contract, known as a "contract for difference", with EDF in October 2013, under which the utility will receive a top-up fee if power prices are below 92.50 pounds per megawatt-hour. Current baseload power prices in Britain are under 40 pounds per megawatt-hour. "The 92.50 price in the contract was in 2012 money. The contract obviously hasn't been signed. If they were to change that price they would have to do an entirely new contract or plan for the project which would then be delayed a lot further," Jefferies' Salvesen said. ($1 = 0.7586 pounds) (Additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan in London and Geert de Clercq in Paris; Editing by Pravin Char) [July 29, 2016] A.M. BestTV: Top Global Brokers See Shift in Ranks In this A.M.BestTV episode, growth, acquisitions and new areas of focus are fueling changes among the world's largest brokers, including changes among the top five and new entrants. Patricia Vowinkel, executive editor, Best's Review magazine and Douglas Turk, chief marketing officer, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT), assess the changing market. Click on http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=brokers716 to view the entire program. This year's ranking of global brokers, published in the July issue of Best's Review, shows unrelenting competition among the world's largest insurance providers. "Best's Review produces this list by reaching out to the broker community and asking them to submit their financial information to us," said Vowinkel. "We review their information and do some of our own research by looking at their reported earnings for the year." The top four spots, led by Marsh & McLennan Cos. and Aon plc, were unchanged from the previous year, but JLT advanced into the top five in 2015. Turk said JLT has been enhancing its presence in the North American market. "JLT has seen tremendous growth in the first half of this year: 93% year-over-year growth from the first half of 2015 to 2016," said Turk. "This is really due to our specialty focus and primarily not being all things to all people. We know where we play well." To access a copy of the July issue of Best's Review, go to http://www.bestsreview.com. Recent episodes of A.M.BestTV include: AIR Worldwide's Fullam: Zika One of Multiple Pandemic Threats: Dog Fullam, manager, life and health modeling, AIR Worldwide, discusses the issues surrounding pandemics and other global health threats that include the Zika virus, respiratory illnesses and new types of flu: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=fullam716. Aspen's Brew: Compliance Is Not the Same as Security : Oliver Brew, executive vice president, global head of cyber risk and head of international professional indemnity, Aspen Insurance Group, said cyber exposures are increasingly linked to property risks. With broader rules on security and privacy forcing companies to focus on protecting their systems, Brew said most companies need to go further: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=brew716. : Oliver Brew, executive vice president, global head of cyber risk and head of international professional indemnity, Aspen Insurance Group, said cyber exposures are increasingly linked to property risks. With broader rules on security and privacy forcing companies to focus on protecting their systems, Brew said most companies need to go further: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=brew716. Minding the Gap in Cyber Coverage : In a recent A.M. Best webinar, insurers and technologists examine how cyber policies are struggling to keep up with fast-developing cyber risks, as well as identifying and addressing gaps in coverage: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=cyber716. : In a recent webinar, insurers and technologists examine how cyber policies are struggling to keep up with fast-developing cyber risks, as well as identifying and addressing gaps in coverage: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=cyber716. Driverless Cars Set to Remake Automobile Coverage: McKinsey & Co. predicts driverless cars will hit the road in 2020, but a new survey from Munich Re reports that many insurers are unprepared for the changes that autonomous vehicles will bring to the auto insurance sector: http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=autonomous716. A.M.BestTV covers exclusive A.M. Best information and reports, targeted topics and key developments in the (re)insurance industry every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sign up for alerts of episodes at http://www.ambest.com/multimedia/ambtvsignup.html. View A.M.BestTV episodes at http://www.ambest.tv. A.M. Best is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2016 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005621/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] We can help you make sense of the agribusiness industry, extending from chemicals and fertilizers used as inputs into agriculture, to the commodities, food and by-products that are an output to farming, with policy and regulation applied at every step of the value chain. CHARLESTON -- Three Eastern Illinois University students were placed on probation when they admitted having or selling a prescription medication. Bryce A. Caldwell and Tyler E. Goodlow pleaded guilty to charges of possession of Addrell, a brand of a medication that acts as a stimulant, while Drennian P. Martin pleaded guilty to a charge of delivery of the medication. All three lived in EIU's Lawson Hall at the time of the arrests. Caldwell and Goodlow worked together in November to sell the drug while Martin was charged separately and accused of having the medication in October, according to the cases' prosecutor. Caldwell, 20, for whom court records list an address in Chicago, pleaded guilty to a possession charge and a delivery charge was dismissed. His sentence was two years of first offender probation, meaning he won't have a record of a conviction if he completes it successfully. Goodlow, 29, who also has an address on record in Chicago, pleaded guilty to a possession charge and received two years of probation. Martin, for whom records show a Shelbyville address, pleaded guilty to a possession charge while a delivery charge was dismissed and he was sentenced to two years of first offender probation. In each of the three cases, probation terms included substance abuse treatment and payment of about $2,200 in fines and court fees. Circuit Judge Mitchell Shick accepted Caldwell's and Martin's guilty pleas and Circuit Judge Teresa Righter accepted Goodlow's. Assistant State's Attorney Bryant Hitchings prosecuted the cases, attorney Sean Britton represented Caldwell and Martin and attorney Patrick O'Byrne represented Goodlow. In other drug cases in court recently, guilty pleas were also entered by: Jeffrey A. Wilson, 46, whose address on record is 1909 University Drive, Charleston, to a methamphetamine possession charge alleging he had the drug on Dec. 4. A charge accusing Wilson of also having a prescription medication was dismissed and he was placed on probation for two years. Terms included substance abuse treatment and about $1,400 in fines and fees. Shick accepted a plea agreement that Hitchings and Public Defender Anthony Ortega recommended. Lisa M. Milligan, 45, whose address on record is 515 W. Grant Ave. Apt. 5, Charleston, to a methamphetamine possession charge alleging she had the drug on Nov. 8. A charge accusing Milligan of obtaining methamphetamine ingredients was dismissed and terms of her two-year first offender probation sentence included substance abuse treatment and about $2,300 in fines and fees. Righter accepted a plea agreement that Hitchings and Assistant Public Defender Lupita Thompson recommended. Nichole A. Cowan, 19, for whom records list an address of 1590 Persimmon Road, Charleston, to a charge of possession of a controlled substance alleging she had heroin on Aug. 27. Terms of Cowan's two-year first offender probation sentence included substance abuse treatment and about $1,400 in fines and fees. Righter accepted a plea agreement that Hitchings and Ortega recommended. MATTOON -- Timothy Ols, president of Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center since 2011, is no longer with the hospital. Ols left the position on Thursday, according to a news release from SBLHC. It did not give an explanation for his departure and no additional information on the reason was available. SBLHC spokeswoman Patty Peterson said only that Ols "did not resign." She said the hospital's board "respects the confidential nature of employment matters" and wouldn't discuss the reason for Ols' departure. Sarah Bush Lincoln spokeswoman Kim Uphoff later clarified that hospital officials cannot say whether Ols did or did not resign, and she reiterated that SBLHC respects the confidentiality of employment of all personnel. Peterson referred other questions to Steve Wente, the hospital board's president, who also declined to comment. Contacted Friday afternoon, Ols also said he couldn't speak about the reason for his leaving SBLHC. He said he enjoyed his time at the hospital and was pleased with its growth and quality improvement during his tenure. Ols replaced Gary Barnett, who retired, as SBLHC's president after serving in hospital administrative positions in Ohio. He also worked for the Urbana-based Carle Clinic Association and lived in Champaign before moving to Ohio in 2002. The news release said SBLHC administrator Jerry Esker has been named the hospital's interim president. Esker was previously the SBLHC vice president of practice management, overseeing its clinics and physician offices, and has been with the hospital for more than 30 years. Wente said the board has "a lot of confidence in Esker" and "we are fortunate to have him at the helm." Peterson said the schedule to name a permanent president is yet to be determined. Bank of Ireland's plans to restart dividend payments next year could be impacted by external factors including Brexit which could hit the bank's momentum, Chief Executive Richie Boucher said on Friday. Under the terms of its state bailout, Ireland's largest lender by assets is now free to reinstate dividends and said earlier this year it would aim to restart payouts alongside its full-year results for 2016, with an initial payment in the first half of 2017. However the bank is more exposed to the British than any other lender in Ireland. It had a bigger mortgage book there at the end of last year than in Ireland and the UK accounts for a quarter of the bank's income. "When we were talking to the market in February, we were looking at the momentum in the business, the capital, and we were talking with quite a degree of confidence about our ability to restart the dividend payments in the first half of next year," Boucher told Reuters. "A very large economy in which we operate has made quite a momentous decision that has impacted on, for example, bond yields, and we're just having to be a little more cautious about the guidance we're giving," Boucher added. "We're not taking it off the table." The bank, which led a return to profitability across the sector following years of losses after Ireland's 2008 banking crash, reported an underlying first-half pretax profit of 560 million euros ($621 million) versus 743 million a year ago. Like-for-like profit was impacted by fewer one-off gains and a weaker sterling, reducing the value of its UK earnings when translated back to euros, but its net interest margin remained stable at 2.11 percent and impairment charge fell further. The 14 percent state-owned lender continued to generate capital, offsetting a near-doubling in its pension deficit that lowered its core Tier 1 capital ratio a touch to 10.7 percent under so-called fully loaded Basel III industry rules, from 11.2 percent in March. New lending rose 14 percent year-on-year to 6.9 billion euros, a better performance than rivals. Boucher said he had not yet seen a definitive Brexit impact in the UK, while spillover effects to Irish customers could be "quite containable". "Inevitably there may be some impact on the momentum, you would have to anticipate that perhaps the level of growth might see a bit of a slowdown (from) ... the impact of Brexit," Boucher said. (Reuters) About Us Source: www.businessworld.ie Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation Mary Mitchell OConnor TD and Minister of State for Employment & Small Business Pat Breen TD confirm 1.85m funding for Local Enterprise Offices clients. The funding will be available for use by the LEOs to provide direct Capital grant assistance to micro-enterprises within their County. It is hoped that the capital injection will create or sustain over 300 jobs nationwide. The LEOs support some 6,500 client micro-enterprises across the country and last year created over 7,100 new full and part-time jobs. Minister Mitchell OConnor said of the announcement, Since their establishment in April 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) have been facing increased demand for their services as the economy recovers. I am pleased to be able to enable the LEOs to cater for identified demand by adjusting the allocation of the Capital funding available for local enterprise development this year. This re-allocation of 1.85m in local enterprise development Capital funding will help the LEOs to support micro-enterprises to create or sustain over 300 jobs in LEOs across the country. She continued. About Us Source: www.businessworld.ie Published On Jul 29, 2016 04:18 PM By Alshaar Global car major Toyota has moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by claiming that banning diesel vehicles across the country was like a corporate death penalty as it impacts the existence of the company. The petition, likely to be heard by a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar on August 2, has sought impleadment in a case filed by lawyer Vardhaman Kaushik on air pollution in Delhi. The Japanese carmaker in its plea appealed that the blanket ban is unfair and unjust as the company is complying with all the laws of the country. Any restriction would severely impact not only automobile sales but the livelihood of thousands of people engaged in the sector. The applicant company is being penalised for no fault or violation on its part thereby making the order banning registration of diesel cars as unjust and unfair on the company. The imposition of ban on registration of diesel vehicles is in the nature of a corporate death penalty as it impacts the very existence of the company, said Toyota. A ban order is an extremely harsh/excessive punishment and ought to be imposed in circumstances where a party commits a serious violation and not when there is no violation, it added. The plea stated that there is no link between engine capacity and emission levels. As per Motor Vehicles Act, the engine capacity of a motor vehicle is not even a factor that is taken into consideration by the government for prescribing the applicable mass emission standards. As for its latest offering, the Innova Crysta, the company believes that it is a public car and is seldom employed for executive usage. The cars higher engine capacity is also justified with the fact that it carries more people, reducing carbon footprint. Toyota also used the IIT Kanpur study to point out that diesel vehicles hardly contribute to the menace of air pollution when compared to the industry wastage. Toyota further said it has invested approximately Rs 1200 crores in a high performance, high technology diesel engine project in Karnataka which will also generate employment to over 500 people. In December last year, the NGT had banned the registration of all new diesel vehicles with engine capacity greater than 2000cc in the Delhi-NCR, one of the leading car markets in the country. The ban, after being supported by the Supreme Court, was later adopted in other parts of the country as well. Modified On Jul 29, 2016 09:12 AM By Alshaar Upsetting Toyota for a second consecutive quarter in the 2016 calendar year, Volkswagen AG has overtaken the Japanese manufacturer as the worlds biggest automaker, new figures suggested on Thursday. As a result of this positive growth, Volkswagen is now threatening Toyotas four-year reign at the top of sales charts. The latter has been affected by a drastic dip in North American sales and disaster-linked factory stoppages. While Toyota sold 49.9 lakh vehicles in the first six months of the year through June, its German rival clocked 51.2 lakh units in the same period. At third, American carmaker General Motors sold 47.6 lakh vehicles by the halfway mark in the current calendar year. The Wolfsburg-based carmaker had pulled ahead of Toyota at the same point last year too. But, it was soon hit by the massive emission scandal and the rest is history. Despite the controversy though, VW has built sufficient momentum this year and looks set to end the year at the top of the pile. The Japanese manufacturer, on the other hand, saw first-half unit sales fall in North America -- a key market -- while US sales of its popular Prius hybrid fell by one-quarter. It was also hit by plant shutdowns linked to deadly earthquakes in Japan earlier this year. Toyota, like other major carmakers like Mitsubishi and Honda, has also been adversely affected by the Takata airbag crisis, resulting in widespread recalls. Toyota has been ruling the roost since 2008 when it first broke GMs decade-long run at the top. It had to surrender the crown again in 2011 after the infamous earthquake-tsunami disaster disrupted proceedings. But next year immediately, Toyota reclaimed the throne from its American rival. Modified On Aug 01, 2016 11:10 AM By Raunak for Hyundai Elantra 2015-2019 The sixth-generation Elantra will get a major upgrade in terms of features, powertrains, and design over the outgoing version Hyundai will introduce the new Elantra in India in September. The sixth-generation sedan first went on sale in its home country in late 2015, while it was introduced in North America this year. The new Elantra adopts the second iteration of Hyundais Fluidic Sculpture design language, whose edgier, sharper profile sets it apart from the outgoing cars silhouette. Here's what is expected of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra. Design Elements of the Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language have made the Elantra a head turner. Most of the real estate at the front has been occupied by Hyundais signature hexagonal grille, which is flanked by sleeker, HID projector headlamps with dynamic bending lights. The bumper houses vertically placed daytime running LEDs (DRLs). Interestingly, it also has wheel air curtains alongside the DRLs, which helps manage airflow from the front of the vehicle and around the wheels to minimise turbulence and wind resistance. The side profile features a coupe-esque roofline and a sweeping side window line, as is the latest global trend. It rides on 17-inch alloy wheels internationally. At the rear, it has a stubby boot to complement the coupe-ish roofline, along with LED tail lamps with graphics. Interiors, features, and safety The interiors of the new Elantra are not as flamboyant as its exteriors, but are functional, driver-centric (centre stack has a seven-degree tilt towards the driver), and offer more features than before. The instrument panel comes with a 4.2-inch LCD screen, which provides a host of information. It comes with Hyundais latest 7.0-inch and 8.0-inch infotainment systems, which support both Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto. Hyundai also offers Blue-Link app support (both for smartphone and smartwatch) with the new Elantra. The Blue Link offers services such as remote start with climate control operation, destination search (powered by Google), remote door lock/unlock, car locator, and stolen vehicle recovery. The new Elantra offers an integrated memory system for the power driver seat and side mirrors. It also features hands-free smart trunk (just like the upcoming Tucson), which allows users to open the trunk by simply approaching the rear of the vehicle with the key fob in a purse or pocket. An audible beep will sound three times, and the trunk will open automatically. In terms of safety, the new Elantra comes with a seven-airbag system, including a drivers knee airbag, along with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Traction Control, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and a tyre-pressure monitoring system. The carmaker is likely to offer these features when the vehicle comes to India in September. Chassis The new platform makes the 2016 sedan considerably wider than the previous Elantra and slightly longer as well, while the height is identical. Hyundai promises 29.5 per cent stiffer torsional rigidity, 25.3 per cent greater bending strength and lower body weight compared to the last-gen Elantra, which will result in improved ride and handling, quietness, durability and driving performance. Engines The Elantra is probably getting a brand-new petrol engine in India a 2.0-litre Nu MPI Atkinson cycle, four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. The engine churns out 156PS @ 6,200rpm and 195Nm of peak torque at 4,500rpm. Internationally, the 2.0-litre Nu four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine is paired with either a standard six-speed manual transmission or a new six-speed automatic. It is expected that the latter will make its way to India. The outgoing Elantra offers a 1.8-litre VTVT. The diesel will be carried forward from the outgoing car. However, the 1.6-litre is reportedly uprated in the new Elantra and it now produces 138PS instead of the 128PS in the previous sedan. Expect the same transmission options with the diesel as well. Prices The prices of the new Elantra are expected to start in the vicinity of Rs 15 lakh and the car will continue to compete with the Toyota Corolla, the Skoda Octavia, the Volkswagen Jetta and the Chevrolet Cruze, along with the upcoming tenth-gen Honda Civic, which is expected to be launched next year. Read More on : Hyundai Elantra FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: In Lusaka, Rachel Fowler, rachel.fowler@cartercenter.org LUSAKA, ZAMBIA At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Carter Center has launched a limited international election observation mission for Zambias Aug. 11 elections and national referendum on the Bill of Rights. The mission is accredited by the Electoral Commission of Zambia to observe the presidential, legislative, and local elections, as well as the referendum, and is staffed by a four-person core team in Lusaka. An additional four medium-term observers have been deployed to assess electoral preparations and developments on the provincial level. They will be joined by additional observers on election day. Her Excellency Sylvie Kinigi, former prime minister and acting president of Burundi, will lead the Carter Centers mission. As Burundis first female prime minister (and the first woman to be acting president of an African nation), she directed the country's first negotiations during the political crisis in 1994 and has been engaged in good governance and conflict resolution in her country and the region since that time. I am coming to Zambia to show that the world is watching the polls, and to give testimony of Africas hope for an additional victory of democracy in which all Zambians, men and women, can participate to the benefit of all, Kinigi said. Members of the mission will hold regular meetings with key stakeholders, including political party candidates, civil society organizations, citizen election observers, members of the international community, and representatives of the electoral commission. The Centers electoral mission is limited in nature and will not offer a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process and election day proceedings. It will focus on the legal framework, election administration, general political environment, electoral violence, and resolution of any electoral disputes. The Center will release public statements on key findings and recommendations, which will be available at www.cartercenter.org. The election mission is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which provides guidelines for professional and impartial international election observation. The declaration was adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and endorsed by more than 40 election observation groups. The Center assesses the electoral process based on Zambias national legal framework and its obligations for democratic elections contained in regional and international agreements. ### "Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope." A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. There are a range of common SEO myths that are constantly perpetuated throughout the SEO community. Much of this hearsay is formed with little-to-no research or proof that justifies the attention and belief that they receive. To help put some of these myths to bed, Ive created a list of the most prolific lies in the industry: Link building is dead Link building has been pronounced dead multiple times by a range of seemingly reputable sources over the last couple of years. These proclamations usually come in the wake of widespread penalties issued by recent Google algorithm updates or from operators that are using techniques that are a few years out of date. Link building isnt dead; it is simply changing. In 2016, the way to build links is no longer to exploit private blog networks, infest the comment sections on blogs or to create a range of spammy anchor text-filled websites. However, many SEOs are still using these techniques because they are easy and they can show their client that they have produced a large volume of work for the month. In reality, these links could be doing more harm than good. Even if your website does rise quickly to the top of the search results, it wont be long-lived. Its not good enough for your link profile to look natural, it needs to be natural. SEO can be automated With the current state of Googles Search Algorithm, automation is no longer an option for your link building efforts. Links that are able to be built by a program will also be easily created by everyone elses programs as well. This means that there is a lack of uniqueness in these links. As well as this, the locations that these automated links will be built is not going to be anywhere near as high quality as those that are sourced and created manually. You can be penalised for duplicate content While you can be held back in the search results if your website has content has a high similarity score to another website, you wont be penalised for content similarity on your own website. For example, every page of your website will have a header and a footer that will be identical and you wont receive a penalty for that. In Googles Webmaster Guidelines it clarifies this common myth by saying that whats important is that each page has a substantial unique content. Keyword density is the key to ranking higher Keyword density is the number of times a specific word appears on a web page as a percentage as compared to the total number of words on the page. For instance, if your keyword is Shoes and you mention the word shoes 4 times on a page that contains a total of 200 words, you have a keyword density of 2%. In previous iterations of Googles Search Engine Algorithm, keyword density was a factor. However, because SEOs and webmasters started optimising for an exact keyword density (of generally around 4%), Google had to update its algorithm to stop websites from tricking the system. Today, it is best practice to optimize for a topic instead of just a set of keywords. With Google now implementing a new component to its ranking algorithm called RankBrain, it is getting better than ever at determining a pages topic and intentions. Remember: write for humans first and robots second. Longer content ranks better Having a good quantity of content can help your page to rank, however, above-all-else the quality is most important. Many people have seen a correlation between lengthy articles and rankings in the search results. However, correlation doesnt always mean causation. As with keyword density, write for humans first and search engines second. Stretching out your content to 1000 words when it would be a good and quick read in 400 words isnt a good idea. You might find yourself waffling and writing nothing of importance, and Google can see that when it crawls your page. Content is king The saying content is king in the context of SEO is a lie made up by marketers who dont understand SEO. Content is Queen and distribution is King. You can have the best content on the internet, but if it doesnt get onto the screens of the right users, you might as well have not written it in the first place. Distribution takes a wide variety of forms in digital marketing, even beyond SEO. Its about determining the purpose of your content and driving the right users to that content. Having your work done offshore will be cheaper The most common mistake that people make is to get their SEO done overseas. Despite the seemly attractive pricing of a $10/hr SEO specialist offshore, there are a number of reasons why you should resist and avoid this common pitfall. Aside from frustrating communication, there are a number of undesirable factors that make providers in the Philippines, India or Eastern Europe not just ineffective, but counterproductive. There have been many occasions where we have commenced work on an SEO campaign where the first month worth of time is consumed by removing a penalty caused by spammy links and other poor-quality practices. So the cost of fixing poor SEO can be more than what you paid originally. The main problems with offshore practices: Links built on Russian, Indian or other offshore domains: building on primarily .com.au domains is essential for ranking in Australia. Links built in private blog networks: when Google cracks down on the network, you will also be penalised. Lack of concern for onsite SEO: without correctly optimising your website even the best link profile wont succeed. Out-dated techniques: offshore providers are notorious for using the popular techniques of 2 or more years ago that have been rendered completely ineffective by modern search engine algorithms. SEO can be a surprisingly deep and complex topic that is shrouded with mythology (malicious or otherwise) by people who either have a hidden agenda, are out of touch or have formed an unproven hypothesis. If you do learn something new about SEO, make sure that the research has been done to ensure its accuracy before taking it as fact. About the author Chris Schimkat is an SEO Specialist from Alpha Digital, a Brisbane and Sydney-based digital agency. He specialises in SEO, AdWords, Display Advertising and Social Media Marketing. More than one-third of the UKs winter barley and 15% of the oilseed rape area has been harvested, with both yields and quality continuing to disappoint most farmers. By 26 July, 35% of the winter barley harvest was complete, with yields averaging 6-6.6t/ha and ranging from 5t/ha to 8t/ha, according to the Adas/AHDB crop report. Specific weights were low at 57kg/hl. The oilseed rape harvest was 15% complete, with yields averaging 2.9-3.4t/ha and ranging from 2.5t/ha to 4.7t/ha. See also: Harvest 2016: Growers fear oilseed rape harvest may be worst for years East Anglia In Norfolk, Paul Hartley had almost completed his oilseed rape at Poplar Farm, Downham Market, with 180ha averaging 5-5.5t/ha. He still had 50ha to cut when the rain set in on Friday (29 July). Harvest started when temperatures were at 35C, and moisture in the rapeseed was 8.5%, but it then fell to 7%, which was really too dry, he said. Oil contents in Compass and Incentive were coming in at 44.5%, and Mr Hartley hoped to finish combining oilseed rape over the weekend before moving on to wheat next week. In Cambridgeshire, Anthony Carr had started combining his winter barley, but was not pleased with the results. We have done 77ha of barley, which has very low specific weights at 54-64kg/hl and has yielded 4.9t/ha. Of the three varieties Mr Carr grew, Carat performed best in terms of yield and specific weight at 5.6t/ha and 63-64kg/hl. Glacier was a total disaster at 54.8kg/hl and the 20ha of Cassia achieved 60kg/hl. Moisture contents were no problem at all, coming in from 12.5% to 14%. Mr Carr was not holding out much hope for his wheat, winter beans and spring barley crops either. Wheat is a fortnight off harvest and already some of the ears are nearly totally blind, he said. But some looks good; it depends on the variety. South East Martin Boulden had finished harvesting all of his winter barley and oilseed rape near Aldington in Kent. The 40ha of Tower winter barley was taken off in the third week of July at 13.1% moisture but had a disappointing yield at 4.9t/ha and a specific weight of 58kg/hl. Mr Boulden combined 57ha of hybrid oilseed rape in the same week at 7-9% moisture, which yielded about 3t/ha. It has not done badly, considering it was drilled mid-September in awful conditions and had a difficult winter, spring and summer to contend with, he said. South West In Wiltshire the winter barley harvest was all wrapped up for David Butler at East Wick Farm, Wootton Rivers, Marlborough. He grew 202ha of barley some of which was Cassata malting barley, which he had decided to use for feed. Mr Butler also grew some Cassia and Volume. The Volume had bushel weights of 60-61kg/hl, but the Cassata and Cassia achieved between 66kg/hl and 68kg/hl. I am thrilled that bushels have been no trouble, he said. Most of the barley came off at 15% moisture but the last block was 18% and required drying. Mr Butler estimated that yields were about 6.9t/ha, which was disappointing. Last year some of the barley was almost 9.9t/ha. But it will not be like 2012, which was a disaster. Mr Butler had just started combining oilseed rape, with indications that yields were down. I have done only 5-10% of the rapeseed, but I think yields will be disappointing, at about 2.8t/ha, he said. I had some at nearly 4t/ha last year. Winter barley harvest was also finished for Nick Harding at Preston Farm, Blandford, Dorset, with 40ha of Volume cut at 12.5% moisture. It yielded 9t/ha and had specific weights of 62-66kg/hl. Mr Harding had 40ha of Nikita oilseed rape that he hoped to get into early next week, but said it could be a disappointing year for rapeseed. He also had Aspen spring oats, which looked fit, and winter wheat, which had suffered from some ear disease. I am hoping that the later crops of spring barley and spring wheat will benefit from the July sunshine. Dairy Crest is the latest processor to announce an improved price for milk, proof of a more positive market. The milk buyer announced a 1p/litre increase to come into effect on 1 September, raising the Davidstow core rate to 22.72p/litre. The rise follows a reversal by Dairy Crest of a previously announced 1p/litre reduction to the milk price from 1 July 2016, reflecting signs of stability in dairy markets. About 400 farmers supply Dairy Crest, mainly with milk for cheese, including the Cathedral City brand. See also: First Milk announces significant A and B price rises The price rise comes as the latest UK milk production figures for the first half of July showed a 10.2% drop compared with the same period last year. We are proud that the Davidstow contract has remained one of the most competitive milk prices in the UK throughout extreme downward pressure on the supply chain, said Ruth Askew, head of procurement at Dairy Crest She added: We are increasing our milk price against a backdrop of falling UK milk production. Dairy Crest wanted to reflect this in our milk price as soon as possible. We hope that this positive news will provide our farmers with some confidence as we head into the autumn. We are confident our business strategy is creating exciting opportunities to add value to milk produced by British farmers. Dairy Crest is the second milk processor to announce a price increase today, following First Milks price rise decision yesterday. Imagine being a high-ranking MP on the day of a reshuffle. It would be an emotional rollercoaster. Will you be given a front bench role? The waiting. Then, like pulling a winning Tombola ticket out of a raffle drum, you get a call from Downing Street. Your elation soon sinks, however. You havent won the 20-year-old malt whisky that you had your eye on, but a dusty bottle of creme de menthe that no one really wants. The PM asks you to be The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. A cabinet role with the toughest reputation. Neither the kudos of Education or Health nor a renowned spawning ground for prime ministers. Until now. Andrea Leadsom, the recently appointed Defra chief, has enormous opportunity. But she has been handed the slipperiest of batons. Ian Pigott farms 700ha in Hertfordshire. The farm is a LEAF demonstration unit. Ian is also the founder of Open Farm Sunday farms 700ha in Hertfordshire. The farm is a LEAF demonstration unit. Ian is also the founder of Open Farm Sunday Hold it tight, surge ahead with decisiveness and she can define the fortunes of our food, farming and fishing industries for generations to come. Drop it or allow others to wrestle the baton from her during EU exit summits and the environmental fabric of the UK countryside and the integrity of its food supply could falter. I dont envy Mrs Leadsom negotiating on behalf of her department for the future allocation of the UKs 3.35bn of Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 money money that most of the UK believes should not be divvied to agriculture. See also: The drugs dont work (on our crops) However, UK agriculture is more complex than most economists comprehend. Pure Keynesian economics it is not. The New Zealand subsidy-free model so often cited as the future for the UK needs context. I was there in 1987 when subsidies were removed overnight. It was tough. But the average Kiwi is only two or three generations removed from farming, not the six or seven that most Britons need to retrace to find a link with agriculture. If rugby is the heart of New Zealand, farming is its spine. Kiwis are proud of their farming heritage and they support their farmers at the checkout and at the polling stations. The British people have lost their connection. However, they voted for Brexit. Such a vote of solidarity needs to be leveraged. While economists may believe all food can be imported, the responsibility for the countryside cannot be exported. The government must channel this seismic leave vote to influence partisan purchasing decisions. Buy British. And with that inspire taxpayer buy in of the social/environmental contributions that the farming sector delivers on behalf of the British public not just for the farmers. The Rt Hon Mrs Leadsom may want to consider my 10 proposals as a start: 1. Encourage collaboration. Rethink the three-crop rule. 2. Remodel TB restrictions and separation units. 3. Temper environmental pressure groups disproportionate influence to dismiss science via the precautionary principle. Adopt the more balanced innovation principle 4. Invest in science to improve competitiveness. For example, early pest and disease detection systems would remove unnecessary cost and reduce environmental footprint. 5. Market equality. Imports should be grown to UK standards. Be it phytosanitary, health and welfare for livestock or maximum residue levels for fresh produce and grains. 6. Incentivise retailers to sell British produce. 7. Change regulation to stimulate investment in small local abattoirs. 8. Develop cross departmental strategies to leverage the value of agriculture. Outdoor learning, for instance, also benefits health and education. Education stimulates empathy and provides an invaluable career gateway for future industry employees. 9. Rewrite the countryside stewardship scheme. UK farmers are pro-stewardship but the new scheme has set environmental stewardship back two decades. 10. Abolish Big brother Defra inspections. They are divisive, and disproportionately costly. Good luck. - The Concerned Niger Delta Elders has told President Muhammadu Buhari not to dialogue with MEND but rather with representatives of Niger Delta Avengers - The group warned that negotiating with MEND instead of Avengers would have grave implications, such as conflict of interest, mistrust, non-implementation of resolutions among others - CNDE says Tompolo should not be invited to dialogue on behalf of the Niger Delta Avengers A group known as the Concerned Niger Delta Elders (CNDE) has warned President Muhammadu Buhari not to go into any kind of dialogue with the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), but rather with the Niger Delta Avengers or their representatives. This was disclosed in a statement by the spokespersons for the group Seigha Manijar and Aureol Viviana. According to the CNDE, whatever resolution reached between the federal government and the avengers, would be a long lasting one rather than going through MEND. READ ALSO: Ndokwa ethnic militant group rejects NDDCG as representatives The Concerned Niger Delta Elders has told President Muhammadu Buhari not to dialogue with MEND but rather with reps of Niger Delta Avengers. The group warned that negotiating with MEND instead of Avengers would have grave implications, such as conflict of interest, mistrust, non-implementation of resolutions among others, Vanguard reports. However, the CNDE urged the Niger Delta militants to sheath their sword and embrace dialogue with the government. READ ALSO: Oil rich in Bida Basin - Niger state to Buhari The statement read: MEND should speak for itself and not for others. It can speak on behalf of the Avengers if invited to do so. MEND should not arrogate to itself the authority to speak for others outside its ranks. We understand the Avengers demand for foreign observers in the dialogue but we appeal to them to pick their representatives from among the numerous trusted individuals from the Niger Delta such as Dr Timiebi Agary, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd), Timi Alaibe, Prof G.G Darah, Dr Otive Igbuzor, Enemo Samiama, Roland Ekperi, Wilson Ajuwa and Joel Bisina, among others. However, if they are not comfortable with the suggested names, they should feel free to pick their representatives. That will show the world that they are ready for dialogue. The government should also consider the Avengers demand of inviting foreign observers as a show of sincerity. Once the federal government starts a genuine dialogue with the Avengers, who seem to have shown enough capacity and consistency in their acts, we believe that other groups will fall in line by absorption or coercion. The group also frowned at Tompolos willingness to be part of the negotiation saying, Tompolo does not necessarily have to be in any negotiation team, whether it is driven by MEND or any other group. What is important is that given the right atmosphere, any group or representatives could discuss Tompolos plight, including Henry Okah and others. There is no doubt that Tompolo can be an asset to this government on Niger Delta crisis if well managed. Militants in the Niger Delta region especially the Niger Delta Avengers have been blowing up pipelines in the region and has vowed to continue with this destruction until zero oil is produced in the region. Following the re-occurring oil pipeline vandalism, Nigerias daily oil production has reduced to 680,000 barrels per day. According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), with the high level of vandalism by the Nigerian Delta Avengers, the infrastructure in the oil sector will not get back to work until after about 15 to 20 years. However, President Muhammadu Buhari last week revealed that his administration is in talks with Niger Delta militants. Speaking at a farewell audience on Thursday, July 21, with Michael Zinner, the outgoing Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria at the state House, President Buhari said his government is having a dialogue with the militants through oil companies and law-enforcement agencies, in a move to find a lasting solution to insecurity in the region. Source: Legit.ng Urban Adaptation Financing Activity sector specialists Asia Chemonics International is a leading Washington D.C. based international development consulting firm with over 40 years of experience implementing United States Agency for International Development (USAID) projects in over 135 developing countries. Our fundamental goal is to achieve substantial and lasting impact - to make a difference in people's lives. Chemonics seeks specialists for long- and short-term positions for the anticipated USAID-funded Urban Adaptation and Financing Activity. This project is expected to help increase the capacity of secondary cities in Asia, through targeted technical assistance and capacity strengthening, to develop technically sound and investment-worthy climate change adaptation project proposals and connect them to public and private sources of climate funding/finance. - Members of the House of Representatives are currently divided over allegations of budget padding against the leadership of the House - While a group has begun to gather signatures for Speaker Dogara's impeachmenrt, the speaker is also rallying members to gather support ahead of resumption - Abdulmumin Jibrin, the member who spilled the 'beans' has, on his own, vowed to continue to churn out more until the speaker is removed from office Multiple sources at the House of Representatives confirmed Friday, July 29, 2016 that the impeachment process of embattled Speaker Yakubu Dogara has commenced. Embattled Speaker Yakubu Dogara is said to be rallying friends within the House against possible impeachment Dogara is not the only principal officer on this journey, according to the sources. His deputy, Yussuf Suleimon Lasun, chief whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa and minority leader, Leo Ogorther, all indicted by Abdulmumin Jibrin, former chairman of the committee on appropriation, will also be sent packing. Though the House is supposedly on recess, the legislators who spoke with our correspondent said some members are already championing the cause to have the indicted officers removed. READ ALSO: Obasanjo tells Buhari how to deal with Saraki "We have started collecting signatures to have them removed because the allegations amount to a dent on the integrity of, not just the House, but the National Assembly. "We know these things have been going on for quite a ling time. I was part of those who told the leadership of the House that we would not agree to padding this time. Dogara agreed with us. "So we are shocked that despite our efforts to sanitise the system, Dogara and his clique still found a way around the budget and inserted items after the budget had been passed and on transition to the executive arm," one of the legislators from Lagos explained. Asked if he was already declaring Dogara guilty, he said: "It is not a matter of declaring anyone guilty here. We are members of the House and we know all that happens. "Each time budgets are padded, legislators only grumble, but refused to speak out because of fear of being victimised by those hitherto considered very powerful. "We must begin to adopt the style of the advanced countries where you have to resign when indicted on issues as weighty as the one currently before us," he added. Jibrin had revealed, some days ago, that he was forced to by the speaker and some others to pad the budget with N40 billion. The speaker has denied this claim and threatened to sue if Jibrin refuses to withdraw the allegation that amounts to libel. But rather than apologise, Jibrin declared that he was already in touch with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC). It is believed that Jibrin, a former close ally of Dogara, has documents to prove that there was indeed padding by those indicted. On Thursday, he asked Dogara to tell Nigerians how a government water project in the budget found its way to the speaker's farm in Nasarawa. Another legislator and member of the Transparency Group of the House told Legit.ng that the issue had gone beyond the House and that his group is advocating for an investigation to be conducted by an external body. "For us, our argument is that if the ethics and privileges committee handles the issue, there would be no headway. We therefore want investigation by external bodies. "As I speak to you, we already have over 15 members of the House compiling petitions against Dogara and his group. In the next few days, the anti-graft agencies will receive several petitions," he said reminding that he is not the spokesperson for the group. A lawmaker from Bauchi, who is though in Dogara's camp, expressed worry that the nature of allegations against the speaker calls for thorough investigation. READ ALSO: Group calls for EFCC to investigate Dogara "Some of us support the speaker, not because we are not sure that he actually did what they said he did, but because he is our person, from our area. "Ordinarily, some of us are pissed. You can imagine where one person gets very huge allocations to his constituency while his colleagues from the same state get next to nothing. The constituents would not understand the politics involved in this thing, they will just conclude that their representative has failed. "I can tell you that there is serious heat. The speaker is also not resting, he is trying to build support base ahead of resumption, but I can tell you it is not easy," he said, adding however that Jibrin should also face prosecution for being an accomplice in the first instance. Jibrin, in a statement on Thursday, July 28, had given a hint that the speaker would be removed. "When a new speaker emerges and the other principal officers are replaced, I will write to the presiding officers of both chambers to commence a radical internal reform in the entire NASS, beyond budget to cover performance assessment, running cost and allowances, investigations, etc. "If the reforms so done on NASS is not made public, latest by December, I shall take it up and lay before the general public even if I am alone. "The idea is to do a cleanup, flush out corruption and corrupt members so that in 2019 only corrupt free people who want to serve will come in. "God Almighty knows I am not perfect but as I approach 40 years in September, I have always wondered what is it that I can live and die for," he said. READ ALSO: I will continue to speak out until Dogara is removed - Jibrin When Legit.ng contacted Honourable Abdulrazak Namdas, the chairman of the committee on information, his phone was said to be out of service. However, the House had earlier given its own side of the story declaring that all the allegations were lies by Jibrin. The House also said Jibrin was removed as appropriation committee chairman against his own claim that he actually resigned from the committee. Source: Legit.ng - Many Nigerians have continued to call for strict adherence to financial rules as well as reduce wastage, but analysts think there has been no political will - The implication is that while they receive their salaries and other allowances from the government as senators, they also get paid pension by their various states The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) on Friday, July 29, came up with the list of 21 senators who still receive pension as either former governors or former deputy governors. Debo Adeniran, the head of CACOL It named Senate President Bukola Saraki and Godswill Akpabio as two of the former governors still milking their states. The implication is that while they receive their salaries and other allowances from the government as senators, they also get paid pension by their various states, many of which are currently financially distressed. Many Nigerians have continued to call for strict adherence to financial rules as well as reduce wastage, but analysts think there has been no political will on the side of those in authority. Read CACOL's statement: 21 senators currently receiving pensions from government as ex-governors and deputy governors. READ ALSO: Why Dambazau, Buratai, CCB must be investigated - CACOL The current senators who once served as governors are Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Kabiru Gaya of Kano, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Theodore Orji of Abia, Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa, Sam Egwu of Ebonyi, Shaaba Lafiagi of Kwara, Joshua Dariye of Plateau Jonah Jang of Plateau, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, Ahmed Sani Yarima of Zamfara, Danjuma Goje of Gombe, Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe, Adamu Aliero of Kebbi, George Akume of Benue and Isiaka Adeleke of Osun. The former deputy governors in the Senate are Ms Biodun Olujimi of Ekiti and Enyinaya Harcourt Abaribe of Abia. Danladi Abubakar Sani served as the acting governor of Taraba state. Many former governors are also in Buhari's Cabinet as Ministers. This includes: Ngige, Fayemi, Amaechi and Fashola (SAN).). In Akwa Ibom State, the law provides that ex governors and deputy governors receive pension equivalent to the salaries of the incumbent. The package also includes a new official car and a utility vehicle every four years; one personal aide; a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5 million per month and N2.5 million for his deputy governor. In Rivers, the law provides 100 percent of annual basic salaries for the ex-governor and deputy, one residential house for the former governor anywhere of his choice in Nigeria; one residential house anywhere in Rivers for the deputy, three cars for the ex-governor every four years and two cars for the deputy every four years. It is alledged that in Lagos, a former governor will get two houses, one in Lagos and another in Abuja, estimated at N500 million in Lagos and N700 million in Abuja. He also receives six new cars to be replaced every three years; a furniture allowance of 300 percent of annual salary to be paid every two years, and a N30 million pension annually for life. This is the reality for all the 21 ex govenors and deputy governors who are currently serving as senators. This same is also true of ex governors who are now serving as Ministers. READ ALSO: Group commends CCB for confirming Tukur Buratai's assets NOW I ASK: How many years did these guys serve their states as governors and deputy governors? Is it more than 8years? Is that a reason to be entitled to pensions for life? Even if they are entitled to pension for life, must it be so outrageous? As if that is not enough: HOW on earth can any public servant with conscience collect salaries and allowances as a senator or minister, and still have the audacity to claim pensions equivalent to the salaries of a serving governor in Nigeria? IT ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE...... Once you are elected a senator or appointed a minister, you must forfeit any pension accruing to you from government at any level until you vacate office. This should also apply to senators collecting military pensions like former Senate President David Mark. READ ALSO: The question CCB must answer on Buratai - CACOL Yet these senators are in the Senate that is inviting the current finance minister to discuss the recession of Nigeria's economy. A senator pockets approximately 30 million naira monthly as salary and allowances. Our "honourables" are not interested to make laws that could restructure our country into economically autonomous federating States/Regions to save the country from sectional agitations that is threatening to destroy Nigeria.The sad and hopeless situation is that the rest of Nigerians are busy arguing based on party, ethnic and affiliations while these enemies of state continue to rape us. Source: Legit.ng Editors note: Contrary to belief by most Nigerians that the soldiers are being paid heavily, the majority of those who risk their lives to defend the sovereignty of their motherland go home with stipends. The Nigerian soldiers are being paid according to their ranks and years of service. However, not all soldiers are receiving their salaries, according to those who write this open letter to President Buhari, asking to pay them money. Nigerian soldiers To Mr President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are officers and soldiers of Nigerian Battalion 45 (NIBATT 45 UNAMID) deployed on January 5, 2016 on a peacekeeping mission in Sudan. READ ALSO: After winning war against Boko Haram, troops capture Damasak from insurgents (Video) Since our deployment, life had been so difficult for us. Even to communicate with our families has been a problem due to lack of finances. The army has refused to pay us our allowances of $100 monthly since the beginning of the mission here in Sudan and this is the seventh months without payment. Many of our soldiers undergo surgical operation due to poor feeding, no drug for us whenever we are sick. The only remedy for us when we are sick is to be referred to Pakistan hospital due to lack of drugs in Nigerian Contingent Level 1 Hospital. We have been in this Mission in Sudan for seven months now yet our domiciliary account in Union Bank of Nigeria has only been credited with two months and 27 days salaries out of the 7 months so far. We ask Mr President to look into this issue to make his anti-corruption campaign in the Armed Force a success. If nothing is done very soon, we will be force to take the law into our hands. PAY US OUR SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES. READ ALSO: Mr. President, very many Nigerians live in fear - letter The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Legit.ng Opinion page! Source: Legit.ng NYFA Broadcast Journalism Student & Alumna join NATO Summit as part of The White House Press Corps July 22, 2016 I live my life by a quote from Napoleon Hill, What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. So it should not have come as a surprise when Urvashi Barua and I received an invitation from the White House to travel with President Barack Obama to Poland for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summitand we would make the journey as part of the White House press corps. Even though we had already covered news events at the White House twice, this was an unprecedented honor. It was only possible because of the support and encouragement we received from New York Film Academy. NYFA Broadcast Journalists join The White House Press Corps For those of you who don't know me, my name is Alisa Rajkitkul and I am an alumna of the New York Film Academy Broadcast Journalism School . For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a journalist. Last year, I finally made the life changing decision to leave everything I knew, and follow my heart to pursue my dreams. The journey has not been an easy one, but it has been extremely fulfilling. I learned a tremendous amount at NYFA, but the best and most unique part of a NYFA education is a real world-oriented, hand-on, intensive program that is unlike any other. They prepared us to do what no other student journalists have ever done -- accompany the President of the United States on an overseas trip.Our first stop was Poland, for the biennial NATO heads-of-state summit . Following that, we traveled to Spain where President Obama first met Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and then His Majesty King Don Felipe VI.Arriving in Warsaw, Urvashi and I reported alongside correspondents from CNN, Fox News, NBC, CBS, ABC and other top news publications and networks from around the world. One evening, I had a conversation with an NBC correspondent, who was in awe that reporters for NYFA News, an educational news outlet, were invited to attend. It felt surreal, and we definitely found ourselves taking it all in.We had the opportunity to network and meet with generals, prime ministers and corporate executives. We reported on everything from US-EU crisis talks, to bilateral meetings involving NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President Andrzej Duda of Poland, then Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, President Francois Hollande of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy, and President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine.This experience is something I will never forget. As my colleague, NYFA student Urvashi Barua stated, I read about NATO in my college books. Today, being a part of the NATO summit as a credentialed White House reporter for NYFA News and the New York Film Academy, took me a step forward in my life. Alisa RajkitkulPlease note: NYFA does not represent that these are typical or guaranteed career outcomes. The success of our graduates in any chosen professional pathway depends on multiple factors, and the achievements of NYFA alumni are the result of their hard work, perseverance, talent and circumstances. Last night, a 19-year-old Australian man crashed into a secondary college in Melbourne while playing Pokemon GO. Australian newspaper The Age reports that the incident happened around 7 p.m. local time while the man was attempting to snag a Pokemon and lost control of his vehicle as it crashed into a portable classroom. Fortunately, no one was injured. The Melbourne police gave a light-hearted description of the incident, with a spokesperson saying, The 19-year-old did not level up nor collect any stardust or candies, only debris from the crash. Any Poke balls, eggs or potions the driver may have had remaining only attracted police, leaving the wild Pokemon for another day, the department added. As wonderfully fun as the new mobile sensation can be, its also lead to harmful prank calls, trespassing and the discovery of a corpse. Unique police and military memorial unveiling will see 'sacrifices remembered' Event will also feature one of the largest collection of police standards in English history. Sara Thornton will be at the memorial on August 21 Date - 29th July 2016 By - Ian Weinfass - Police Oracle - 29th July 2016 0203 119 3303 or alternatively get in touch via the Do you have an interesting news story? Contact the newsdesk onor alternatively get in touch via the contact form The chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council says the unveiling of the first ever joint police and military memorial will help bring together the families of those who died serving their country. The Cyprus Rock, will commemorate those... According to Cushman & Wakefield, robust commercial real estate investment activity in the core Central European markets of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania continued in the second quarter of 2016 and reached 2.6 billion, a 56% increase on Q1. This has pushed volumes over the last [] A new U of T Scarborough study has identified "superstar" varieties of rice that can reduce fertilizer loss and cut down on environmental pollution in the process. The study, authored by U of T Scarborough Professor Herbert Kronzucker in collaboration with a team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, looked at 19 varieties of rice to see which ones were more efficient at using nitrogen. "We have this bucolic idea of agriculture -- animals grazing or vast fields of majestic crops -- but the global reality is it's one of the biggest drivers of environmental pollution and climate change," says Kronzucker. Nitrogen, when applied as fertilizer, is taken up inefficiently by most crops. In tropical rice fields, as much as 50 to 70 per cent can be lost. The problem is that nitrogen negatively impacts water quality by contaminating nearby watersheds or leaching into ground water. It's also a significant source of gases such as ammonia and nitrogen oxide, which are not only harmful to aquatic life but also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. While nitrogen is one of three main nutrients required for crops to grow, it also costs the most to produce, adds Kronzucker. "Anything we can do to reduce demand for nitrogen, both environmentally and for farmers in the developing world struggling to pay for it, is a significant contribution." Kronzucker's study for the first time identifies a novel class of chemicals produced and released by the roots of rice crops that directly influence the metabolism of soil microbes. They found that key microbial reactions that lead to an inefficiency in nitrogen capture can be significantly reduced in certain varieties of rice plants through the action of those specific chemicals released from root cells. advertisement One of the main reasons crops waste so much fertilizer is that they were bred that way. In the past fertilizers were relatively inexpensive to produce because fossil fuels were abundant and cheap. As a result, plant geneticists bred crops that responded to high fertilizer use regardless of how efficient they were at using nitrogen. "These inefficiencies used to be of little interest, but now, with fluctuating fuel prices and growing concerns over climate change, it's a much bigger issue," says Kronzucker, who is the Director of the Canadian Centre for World Hunger Research at U of T Scarborough. There are more than 120,000 varieties of rice stored at the germplasm bank at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, but Kronzucker's team only focused on varieties that met important criteria. For one they concentrated only on Japonica (the rice used in sushi) and Indica, the world's most popular rice type commonly grown in China, India and Southeast Asia. The varieties also had to be currently grown by farmers, have a high yield potential, be disease and pest-resistant, grow to the right size and have strong enough roots to withstand monsoon-force winds. "They had to be proven in the field as viable options. It's not practical if a rice farmer isn't going to touch it," adds Kronzucker. Going forward the hope is for this study to inform rice-growing strategies throughout Asia. One option could be to provide farmers with government incentives like tax credits, to switch to a more nitrogen-friendly variety. Another outcome could be better breeding programs where even better species of crops can be produced. "There's no reason a crop can't result in less pollution while also saving farmers money; the two aren't incompatible," says Kronzucker. "If we can produce more responsible plants that don't waste fertilizer needlessly, everyone wins." For the first few weeks of her life, Eve didn't have much say in anything that happened to her. She was just unlucky - unlucky to be born a stray, unlucky to lose her mother and unluckiest of all to be hit by a car. The collision pulverized her bones, shattering her pelvis and hip, as well as her leg. Even worse, there was no one around to help her. So Eve spent more days suffering, broken and alone. When animal control officers in Douglas County, Georgia, finally found her and weighed her fate, Eve didn't have much say in that either. "Basically animal control made the decision to put the dog down," Jason Flatt, founder of Friends to the Forlorn Pitbull Rescue, tells The Dodo. "They picked the dog up and the dog was suffering." Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Rescued Wild Horse Loves To Play With A Little Donkey But before the final decision was made, Eve found her voice. A faint fluttering of her tail. And kisses for the veterinarian. Eve voted life. The vet called Flatt and explained the puppy's situation. "I have this sweet little puppy here," he explained to Flatt. "But it's beyond the scope of what we can do." Treating Eve, he added, would be a costly and complicated undertaking. Flatt didn't hesitate. First, he brought Eve to his usual veterinarian, Clay Leathers of New Hope Animal Hospital. There, they determined Eve would need to be shuttled to the state-of-the-art facilities at BluePearl Veterinary Partners. But once there, the estimates for treating Eve ran as high as $7,000. And Eve's natural resilience could never be discounted. In fact, when Eve returned to the hospital a month later, her bones had healed themselves to the point where she needed only a metal plate inserted over her leg bone. The cost? $2,100. Once again, from somewhere deep inside, Eve was making her voice heard. She wanted to live. Even if it meant mending her own broken bones. The little pit bull mix is scheduled for surgery early next month. Until Eve is fully recovered, she will stay with a foster family, where she's already gotten attached to her new sibling. "She's a doll," Flatt says. "She's such a sweet dog." And then, Eve will be looking for her first real home A man was cutting down a tree with a chainsaw when he noticed that the blade had sliced into a nest of baby raccoons. Three of the babies were unscathed, but one had been killed. Another baby raccoon was severely injured, one of her front legs mangled and three toes cut off. The babies were also young - their eyes hadn't even opened - and the man knew they couldn't survive on their own. He didn't think the injured raccoon had much of a chance, but he called animal control for help. The officer who arrived brought all four babies to Antler Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary, a rehabilitation center in Warren County, New Jersey. Kelly Simonetti, the director of Antler Ridge, and her team of volunteers got straight to work. They cleaned the baby raccoon's wound and sewed a big gash that ran from her shoulder to wrist. They also bandaged her mangled foot and administered antibiotics. The raccoon was a model patient, and didn't complain about any of it. Inspired by the raccoon's fighting spirit, they named her Patience. Dodo Shows Foster Diaries Guy Falls In Love With His Little Meatball Of A Foster Dog Simonetti and her team expected Patience to survive, but they weren't sure if she'd be able to be released back into the wild. Her injured front paw would have to be fully functional, able to grasp and manipulate items. The bandage needed to stay on for five weeks, but Patience didn't make her caregivers' job easy. "At first she left it alone," Simonetti tells The Dodo, "but then she'd chew the bandage off. Then she learned just to chew the end so she could slide it off." The volunteers had to redo the bandage several times a day. The raccoon's rambunctious spirit prompted them to stop calling her Patience, and refer to her as Two Toes. Two Toes also loved to wrestle with her siblings, touching as many objects as she could in the rehabilitation center. According to Simonetti, she even stretched her injured paw up like she was proudly displaying it. But would Two Toes be able to be released with her siblings? The team at Antler Ridge watched her carefully, and assessed the situation. Two Toes could walk normally, so this was a positive sign. She could also grasp her milk bottle with her injured paw, which was another great step. Then Two Toes did what they thought was impossible - she used her mangled paw to climb up a tree. "We were elated!" says Simonetti. "Now Two Toes just needed to grow up, and she'd be released back into the wild, along with her siblings." Not only did Two Toes pass every test, but after awhile, the team at Antler Ridge found it impossible to distinguish her from her siblings. Three months later, Two Toes and her siblings were released. The volunteers opened the box, and the four raccoons wandered out. According to Simonetti, Two Toes stopped to sniff a purple wildflower before disappearing into the woods with her siblings. CALGARYA proposal by oilsands giant Suncor Energy to leave some of its more difficult-to-produce reserves in the ground, to reduce emissions and costs, is being endorsed by environmentalists but not by rival producer Cenovus Energy. CEO Steve Williams said Suncor has asked the Alberta government to allow it to strand some of its oilsands reserves if theyre too expensive to produce, or if theyd add too greatly to the intensity levels of its overall greenhouse gas emissions. We are advocating in a modest way to work with government so that we can strand some of the oil in the oilsands, said Williams on a conference call to discuss second-quarter financial results on Thursday. He said Calgary-based Suncor can afford to leave oil behind because of its properties vast holdings, which contain 8.7-billion barrels of oilsands reserves. Our regulation is written so that we take to a very high percentage the last piece of oil out. That tends to be the most expensive both economically and environmentally. What we would like to do is leave that last piece in (the ground). Im very optimistic we are making some breakthroughs with government to do that. Suncors oilsands properties are leased from the province and it pays royalties based on how much it produces. It has both oilsands strip mining projects and in situ projects where steam is injected through wells to melt the heavy bitumen so it can be pumped to surface. In a sustainability report released last Thursday, Suncor vowed to reduce its overall emissions per barrel of oil and gas produced by 30 per cent by 2030. Williams said on the call that stranding some of the resource could result in a 10 per cent to 20 per cent savings on operating costs for certain oilsands projects. Environmentalists said the idea has some merit. We would agree that Albertas historic focus on maximizing oilsands production ... rather than optimizing production on the highest quality ore may be having unnecessary environmental impacts on things like greenhouse gas intensity and tailings production and lowering returns to Albertans as the owners of the resource, said Simon Dyer of the Pembina Institute, a clean energy think-tank. He added its inconceivable that the oilsands can be fully exploited under Canadas global climate commitments and called for a transparent assessment of the potential benefits of relaxing Albertas oil recovery requirements. Greenpeace campaigner Mike Hudema also welcomed the Suncor proposal but said producers will have to leave behind more than just the oil thats difficult to produce if theyre sincere about reducing emissions. Brian Ferguson, CEO of oilsands producer Cenovus Energy, said in an interview his company isnt following Suncors lead in seeking to strand any of its oilsands resource. I want to economically produce and environmentally produce as much of the resource that we have as we can. Ferguson added Cenovus is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas intensity by 50 per cent by 2026 but will do so while living up to its agreements with the province on resource recovery and royalty payments. In an emailed statement, Alberta Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd said she will rely on the three-member Oil Sands Advisory Group appointed last week to provide advice to the province, but she is open to working with industry on technology and other approaches. Cenovus and Suncor have been vocal supporters of the NDP governments climate change policies which include an annual 100-megatonne cap on total emissions from the oilsands. The industry is now at about 70 megatonnes. Both companies are looking to new technologies to reduce carbon emissions, including the use of injected solvents to reduce the need for steam in thermal in situ projects. Read more about: SHARE: Air Canada reported lower profits in the second quarter, even though revenues were up slightly, as concerns grow over terrorist attacks in Europe and the Brexit vote in the U.K. Our perspective is we are operating in a somewhat uncertain world, said Air Canada president and CEO Calin Rovinescu during a conference call with analysts on Friday. But based on what we are seeing for our business, from our geography, it continues to be quite strong. Demand for the third-quarter travel is steady, and it is a traditionally a strong quarter. The company is forecasting earnings before expenses like interest and taxes of 4 to 8 per cent for the full year. It added 10 new international routes and 11 new routes to the U.S. in the second quarter on both its mainline and discount carrier Rouge, which Rovinescu called the most intensive period of expansion in Air Canadas history. The airline continues its focus on its push to draw more U.S. travellers to fly through Canadian hubs like Torontos Pearson airport on to global cities on other continents. On June 30, the airline flew more than 160,000 passengers, setting an all-time record, which it expects to exceed during this August holiday weekend. Net profit was $186 million in the quarter, or 66 cents per diluted share, down from $296 million in the second quarter of 2015, or $1 per diluted share thanks in part to lower jet-fuel costs. The airline reported $3.1 billion in revenues in this years second quarter, up $61 million from the same period last year as it felt competitive pressure on flights over the Atlantic and in weak domestic markets such as Western Canada, due to low oil prices. Benjamin Smith, president of passenger airlines, noted that the airline is seeing lower demand especially in originating traffic from the U.K., after the Brexit decision, where voters opted to leave the European Union in June. He also specifically cited recent terrorism attacks in Belgium, France and Turkey as also having an impact on travel. In the next quarter, the airline will move some of its planes to flights over the Pacific, where demand is stronger. It is also cancelling its Toronto to Rio de Janeiro route after the Summer Olympics due to weak demand in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Smith added the airline wont fly routes that dont make economic sense but would consider returning if demand picks up. Smith noted that the airline is using its discount Rouge brand on routes considered more leisure than business, where costs are lower. We are not deploying capacity in an irrational way. We are looking for margin expansion, he said. And we have the resilience to hold a stronger market position. It is also facing more competition from low-cost carriers like Wow Air, which is flying from Toronto to Europe, via a stop in Iceland, though Smith said it is still a limited amount. Air Canada can move planes to better-performing routes as needed though it remains committed to long-term expansion into Europe. Its a strong market for us, and its a strong business market, and its a strong leisure market, Rovinescu said. Between the mainline and Rouge product, we have huge expectations for that market. For the winter months, Air Canada will have more wide-body planes as it has taken delivery of more Boeing 787s this year. It plans to use 767 Rouge aircraft to U.S. sun destinations like Florida, Arizona, Las Vegas, Hawaii as well as the Caribbean and Mexico. And the new 787s will be flown on routes like Vancouver to New Delhi and Toronto to New Delhi. CIBC Capital Markets analyst Kevin Chiang said in a note to investors that it was another strong quarter by Air Canada as it executes on its overall strategy. We continue to see the airline structurally improve its earnings profile, given its ability, stimulate traffic and reduce its cost structure, Chiang said, adding that while there is a tendency to focus on lower jet-fuel prices, he noted that the airline is continuing to cut other costs. Read more about: SHARE: MADRE DI DIOS STATE, PERU I first visited Tambopata National Reserve in 2008. Id never set foot in the Peruvian Amazon before but plunged in at the deep end. It took two days, travelling upriver in a motorized canoe, to reach my accommodation a remote research station that accepts a few tourists every year. There was no hot water and there were no walls, but I loved every moment, from the talks by research scientists to the thrill of sleeping metres away from the raw wilderness of the rainforest. Eight years later, Ive returned to a different lodge on the same stretch of the Madre de Dios river, and Ive plumped for some luxurious extras: the Tambopata Ecolodge has walls, a shower and electricity for a few hours a day. Puerto Maldonado, an hours flight from Cuzco, is the starting point for explorations of this part of the Amazon. Its a gritty, dusty jungle town whose inhabitants are a mix of farmers and gold miners. Its an hours drive from the airport to the port in reality a ramshackle pier and a dusty stall selling battered cans of insect repellent. We chug upstream to our lodge, but its only minutes before we spot a caiman lounging on a riverbank. The driver nudges the boat closer so we can see the bright red butterfly on its forehead caimans sweat through their eyes and insects feed off the salt. As we press on upriver, our guide points out more creatures bright green snakes draped from branches, rainbow-hued macaws flying in tandem and impossibly cute capybaras, the worlds largest rodents. Its a testament to the Amazons diversity that I soon become accustomed to guide Leo Gutirrezs announcements of animal sightings. On night walks, we spot huge tarantulas lurking inside tree holes and listen to the booming cry of tree-dwelling bamboo rats. One evening, a porcupine waddles across the path in front of us, yellow spines twitching in the light of our head torches. We visit a clay lick macaws feed on toxic berries, and they come here to nibble at the mud, rich in nutrients, which neutralize toxins. Gutirrez points out a group of monkeys slowly making its way across the top of the tree canopy. Later we notice the primates have moved closer and the arrival of a hawk prompts them to move down from the upper canopy and continue their journey inches above our heads. We watch in awe as they swing from branches, eyeing us suspiciously before moving on. Its not just the animals that amaze. As lush and green as the Amazon jungle is, the soil quality is poor, with billions of plants and animals sapping its nutrients. For this reason, life here can be brutal. Take the strangler fig. Its seeds are eaten by birds before being dropped to the ground, where they sprout triffid-like tendrils that encircle the nearest tree, suffocating it. Eventually, all thats left is the tree, hollow inside, where its host once stood. One specimen we saw had enveloped a tree so large I could walk inside with five other people and stand in the empty space. Equally cunning are walking palms, which move up to three centimeters a day, their stalk-like legs searching out gaps in the canopy, which provide them with life-giving light. In the evenings, we jump into the boat for night-time explorations of the river. Gutirrez balances on the prow, scanning the sandbanks with a spotlight. Its pitch black but he knows the beam will bounce off the shining eyes of nearby creatures, and before long, he raises a hand and the driver drifts closer to the bank. A huge caiman eyes us. Moments later, Gutirrez shines his spotlight on two grass-munching capybaras. I cant help but wonder if they know about the caiman lurking nearby. My favourite moment occurs when the driver cuts the lights and engine. We drift in silence, enveloped by total darkness. But above me is the brightest night sky Ive ever seen. The stories told by the guides are wonderful reminders of how tough this environment can be. Gutirrez, who grew up in a tiny village downstream, tells me how he contracted leishmaniasis a flesh-eating bug spread by sandflies and developed sores so deep he could see his bones. And how, when he contracted malaria as a boy, doctors at the village hospital announced death was imminent. In a last-ditch attempt to save his sons life, Gutirrezs father Marcial Gutierrez took him to the banks of the river and buried him up to his neck in cold mud. He stuck a machete in the mud next to me and told me to use it if a jaguar attacked, recalls Gutirrez. He remained in the mud for two days and nights. His father returned regularly to check on him, bringing herbal concoctions which eventually helped to lower his temperature and save his life. Its an amazing story, but in a world of tree-climbing rats, walking trees and caiman tear-drinking butterflies, its one easy to believe. Tamara Hinson is a U.K. writer. When you Go Get there: Canadians can fly to Lima on the airline of their choice, such as Air Canada (aircanada.com) or Delta (delta.com). From Lima, take Avianca (avianca.com) to Puerto Maldonado. When to go: The Peruvian Amazon is consistently humid and tropical, with significant rainfall year-round. During the dry season (May to October), temperatures reach 30C to 38C during the day. From November to April its cooler with frequent rain showers but high humidity. Time difference: Toronto is one hour ahead of Peru. Where to stay: A two-night stay at the Tambopata Ecolodge (tambopatalodge.com) starts from $568 (Canadian) and includes transfers, excursions, all meals and the services of a guide. SHARE: Nine months after Justin Trudeaus government was sworn in, its becoming clearer which cabinet ministers have begun to distinguish themselves from the rest. Id recommend keeping an eye on Jane Philpott, the health minister. Ill admit thats a bit of a challenge. She moves around a lot. Here is how Philpott stayed busy during only the second half of July. In five days at the World AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, she delivered eight speeches, on topics ranging from mother-to-child HIV transmission to the undeniable and unacceptable gaps in health outcomes between indigenous and non-indigenous populations in Canada. Canadian health ministers usually attend the annual World AIDS Conference. But Philpott brought a rare level of sustained intensity to her visit as befits a woman who has been fighting AIDS in Africa for 30 years, as a family doctor, a health-care administrator and a private fundraiser. On her way home from Durban she stopped at Addis Ababa University, in Ethiopia, to check up on the family-health program she helped establish nearly a decade ago. Philpott was back in Ottawa for all of a day before she headed to the northern Quebec Inuit village of Kuujjuaq to announce a suicide prevention program for Inuit communities. The national Inuit association, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, designed the program; Philpott was on hand to announce $9 million in federal funding. These programs are more effective if the affected populations take the lead in designing them, she said. Just before her burst of travel two long weeks ago now Philpott deftly defused a nasty dispute between Canadian health scientists and the federal body that provides most of their funding, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Funding for the CIHR has stagnated in recent years, even as the number of applications for funding skyrocketed. The CIHR responded by streamlining peer review, the mechanism by which researchers themselves decide which projects will be funded. The goal was to save on workload and travel costs by having peer-review panels discuss proposals online instead of meeting face-to-face. Jim Woodgett, director of research of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Torontos Mount Sinai Hospital, wrote a letter protesting that the quality of funding decisions was deteriorating under the new system. He posted the letter online. In a week 1,300 researchers had signed it. Philpott could have ignored the little rebellion as an intramural turf fight among eggheads. A government-appointed panel is already wandering around the country reviewing science policy. It was safe to assume theyd recommend the sort of changes Woodgett and his colleagues wanted, say six or eight months from now. Philpott refused to wait. She ordered CIHR brass to meet the disgruntled researchers immediately. She sent her deputy minister and a senior staffer to attend. By the end of the meeting, the CIHR had suspended the controversial peer-review process. Woodgett told me Philpotts emissaries played a key role in ensuring the changes would be immediate. Why meddle in the lab-coat uprising, I asked Philpott. I think when a health minister gets a letter from 1,300 researchers, theres obviously a breakdown, she told me. What they were asking for was not unreasonable. Woodgett, who is not shy about complaining about politicians, came away deeply impressed. She acts quickly before things get out of hand or fester, he said. I think she has deep respect from the medical community in large part due to her irreproachable background and genuine care for people, whether in isolated African villages or Canada. Its that breadth of experience that must give her confidence. Philpotts confidence is getting noticed within the Trudeau government. Early on, she chaired a cabinet committee designed to meet Trudeaus target of 25,000 Syrian refugees, and led her new colleagues with the assurance of a political veteran. At 55, she is older than some of her colleagues in this young government. She counsels them informally on work-life balance, on management techniques, and on policy across a range of topics extending outside her own portfolio. She is said to work well with Katie Telford, Trudeaus chief of staff, whom she has known for less than two years. When a colleague needs help or simple encouragement, Philpott helps make it happen. Like everyone else in this hyperkinetic government, Philpott has a tough year ahead, including potentially bruising negotiations with the provinces on health funding and reform. It will be a sustained test for someone who is still new to the federal arena. But I suspect shell continue to impress. Correction July 29, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said Jane Philpott delivered speeches on mother-to-daughter HIV transmission. In fact, the speeches were on mother-to-child HIV transmissions. SHARE: A man accused of stabbing soldiers at a Toronto military recruitment centre in March has been found fit to stand trial. Ayanle Hassan Ali, a 27-year-old born in Montreal, allegedly stabbed several soldiers inside the recruitment centre, sending two to hospital. Nobody was killed in the attack. In May, he was found unfit to stand trial just hours after the RCMP laid terrorism charges in the case. That ruling was handed down following a two-month psychiatric assessment. Judge Riun Shandler of the Ontario Court of Justice ordered Ali to undergo 60 days of treatment in a bid to improve his condition and leave him able to stand trial. On Friday, in a Toronto courtroom, Ali was declared fit based on another psychiatric evaluation. Ali, wearing a loose dark grey T-shirt, hung his head throughout the proceedings and did not speak. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8. Hes facing a raft of charges. The RCMP charged him with three counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault causing bodily harm, three counts of assault using a weapon and one count of carrying a weapon dangerous to the public, all for the benefit of a terrorist organization. Similar charges were laid by Toronto police in March. The attack at the recruitment centre in North York took place on the afternoon of March 14 when Ali allegedly walked in brandishing a knife. In the days after the incident, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders said a man promptly began attacking a uniformed master corporal. As military personnel moved civilians to safety, investigators said the man tried and failed to slash a female soldier before other soldiers were able to subdue him and hold him for police. Another military member was injured as the suspect was apprehended. Court documents identified the victims of the attack as Ryan Kong, Jesus Castillo and Tracy Ann Gerhardt. None of their injuries was serious. While at the scene, the accused stated that Allah told me to do this; Allah told me to come here and kill people, Saunders said. Little is known about Ali apart from the fact that he was born in Montreal and has lived in Toronto since roughly 2011. SHARE: BUFFALO, N.Y. The United States Coast Guard is ending its search for an Ontario fisherman whose boat washed ashore in the United States earlier this week. Commander Tad Drozdowski cites the amount of time thats passed since 37-year-old Giusseppe Joe Reinhart set out alone on Lake Erie Tuesday. Drozdowski has announced an end to the search, pending new developments. Over three days, crews searched more than 5,300 nautical square miles, covering the eastern portion of the lake from Dunkirk, N.Y., on the American side to Port Colborne, Ont., on the Canadian side, and part of the Niagara River. Reinhart is on parole after serving time for manslaughter, but Niagara Regional Police call a published report that he may have faked his death unsubstantiated. Reinharts mother and brother declined to comment. SHARE: WINNIPEG A 30-month prison sentence has been handed down to a former health-care aide in Winnipeg who admitted to stealing nearly all the life savings of a Second World War navy veteran. Aldreck Ramilo, who is 40, was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to fraud and forgery charges. Court was told Ramilo spent four years forging cheques to drain nearly $161,000 from the 93-year-old victim, who he befriended while working part-time at a seniors home. Ramilo discovered where the man kept his cheques and forged 103 of them between July 2011 and April 2015, using the money to pay for his daily living expenses and other things. The judge has also ordered Ramilo to repay all the money he stole and cover bank overdraft fees the senior incurred. The Crown had been seeking a four-year sentence. Prosecutor Don Melnick called the offence a grievous breach of trust. I can advise that, to my knowledge, there has never been a case in Manitoba where there has been this type of prolonged, persistent plundering of a personal care homes residents finances, he said. The court was told Ramilo was responsible for bathing the veteran and tidying his room. He befriended the older man and told him he was trying to support his three kids while his wife was out of work. In 2011, Ramilo told the man he needed money to make a down payment on a vehicle, and the victim wrote him a $2,000 cheque as a loan. That cheque, and the shaky, printed signature it bore, gave Ramilo the information he needed to subsequently steal a total of $160,998. Besides daily expenses, Ramilo spent the money on restaurant meals, a family vacation to Alberta and hundreds of dollars in loan repayments for his relatives. There was no evidence he bought a car with the victims loan, and the man was never repaid. Court heard Ramilo shushed him any time he asked about repayment. By the time the victims nephew reviewed his bank accounts and discovered the fraudulent activity last year, his uncles savings had been depleted. He was being charged overdraft fees, and the forged cheques were drawing from the veterans pension and old age security payments. I would like to see him work, not get paid, and pay me back. I would like that, the victim said of Ramilo in a statement to police. Before he was sentenced, Ramilo apologized for his crime. I know its not right, but Im only human, he told provincial court Judge Carena Roller. People make mistakes. Nobodys perfect in this world, your honour. So on that point Im taking responsibility for my actions. Now I have to pay for it. Read more about: SHARE: The clear-cutting of two thickly treed Bayview Ave. lots has horrified Mayor John Tory, who says he hopes any resulting prosecution results in fines of at least a million dollars to send a message to Toronto developers. Tory visited the site south of York Mills Rd. on Thursday after the Star and other news outlets chronicled the fury of neighbours and local Councillor Jaye Robinson over the removal of trees at the north and south corners of Bayview and Bayview Ridge, including a Linden tree thought to be 150 years old. Neighbours estimated 30 trees were torn down. In fact, Tory said, several dozen were removed to make way for townhouses the biggest (alleged) single infraction of its kind that weve ever seen in the city without any application to the city. City forestry has a tree inventory that developer Format Group submitted to the Ontario Municipal Board which authorized the developer, over the citys objections, to replace single-family homes with multiple townhouses. OMB building approval doesnt exempt developers from Torontos tree bylaw aimed at preserving a healthy city canopy. We cant be serious about trees to the point where we have debates about a single tree at the entire city council and then just let somebody come here, under not-quite cover of darkness, and take down dozens of trees, some of them a 100-plus years its not acceptable . . . the mayor said, standing beside the mud fields strewn with logs. If people see you can just do that, everybody will start to do it. Format Group, which describes itself as a partnership of Terracomm Group and Pegah Construction, with more than 40 years combined experience, released a statement after Torys afternoon visit. The developer noted it has OMB site plan and construction approval in principle. Its arborist submitted a complete report, including the number and location of trees to be removed, that has been accepted and approved by the citys urban forestry department, the company said. Format said it was told arrival of a city building permit was imminent, and assumed it could begin excavation, but then was told the city wants another inspection. We assumed we were allowed to follow the report and prepare the site in anticipation of the building permit, Format said, adding that is now co-operating with the city investigation. City parks staff said in a statement that during the development review, Urban Forestry has been clear that applications to injure or destroy trees would be required. Tory earlier called the notion that a developer smart and experienced enough to hire a lawyer to win at the OMB wouldnt understand explicit requirements of the tree-removal bylaw not really believable. The bylaw states anyone removing any tree with a trunk larger than 30 cm, about the size of a telephone pole, requires city approval. The bylaw has a maximum fine of $100,000 per tree and allows for a separate extra $100,000 penalty which has not been levied. City staff say convictions in provincial offences court usually yield fines of about $5,000 per tree. Thats not enough in this case if a prosecution proceeds, said Tory. He would like to see the maximum penalty plus the extra fine totalling a seven-figure penalty. And if developers dont get the message, or see such fines as a cost of building in Torontos hot real estate market, the maximum fines should rise, the mayor said, noting many neighbourhoods are feeling development pressures. City staff say 94 per cent of tree removal requests are approved. However, developers often initially ask to remove a large number of trees and officially ask for a smaller number after city staff inspect the site and show how they can build while maintaining as much of the canopy as possible. Read more about: SHARE: Toronto police Const. James Forcillo failed to follow his training. The shots he fired after Sammy Yatim was already on the ground were unreasonable, unnecessary and excessive. The officer misused his firearm despite crystal clear training. With his strongly worded denunciation of the conduct that led to Forcillos conviction for attempted murder in Yatims death, Ontario Court Justice Edward Then sent a crystal clear message of his own in a Toronto courtroom Thursday: police officers must only use lethal force as a last resort. It is a point that has been made ad nauseam, over decades, in countless coroners inquests, presentations to police boards and reviews of use of force. But legal and policing experts say the comments made in Thens sentencing decision which criticized Forcillo for incorrectly assessing the threat Yatim posed, failing to attempt to verbally de-escalate, and more send a powerful signal. All police services in Canada are on notice that there will be real consequences in the criminal justice system for inadequate training or failing to follow training, said David Tanovich, a professor of law at the University of Windsor. It is no longer business as usual in our criminal justice system for police officers. The timing of Thens sentencing decision the judge sent Forcillo to jail for six years, a ruling now being appealed by Forcillos lawyers also gives it power, coming at a time when public trust in policing is low, said Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who studies policing and criminal justice. It was a strong decision, and thats exactly whats needed right now, he said. To ensure trust in the system, officers have to be held accountable. Forcillo, 33, shot and killed Sammy Yatim while the 18-year-old was alone on a Toronto streetcar, armed with a small knife. The officer fired his gun in two distinct bursts: in the first round he shot three times, then five seconds later he shot six more times, as Yatim lay on the floor of the streetcar. In January, a jury acquitted Forcillo of second-degree murder for the first volley when the fatal shot was fired, the autopsy showed but convicted Forcillo of attempted murder for the second set of shots. During the four-month trial, court heard from Toronto police Deputy Chief Mike Federico, who detailed what officers are taught when encountering people armed with weapons, particularly those in mental or emotional distress. Federico said officers learn the guiding principle is the preservation of life, and that in order for use of lethal force to be justified, the threat posed must be imminent, not potential. In his lengthy decision, Then detailed the ways Forcillo failed to follow his training including by misinterpreting the threat Yatim posed. Forcillo testified that he shot the second volley because Yatim was still armed with a knife, but Then ruled that, according to the training Forcillo received, the mere presence of the knife constitutes only a potential threat. Then also criticized Forcillo for failing to communicate with Yatim before he shot the second volley. There was ample opportunity for officer Forcillo to communicate with Mr. Yatim by engaging in verbal de-escalation or to issue commands in accordance with his training in order to allow Mr. Yatim to relinquish the knife. No such opportunity was afforded to Mr. Yatim. Calls for police to use verbal de-escalation attempts to calm an agitated person by speaking calmly to them have been made at repeated coroners inquests for decades. Mental health advocates say the tactic can be particularly effective when the person is experiencing a mental health crisis. Terry Coleman, a police training expert and a former Moose Jaw police chief, said he hopes the message about the importance of police officers using alternatives to lethal force whenever possible resonates even more coming from a judge. What I think, and I hope, it will do is get the attention of police officers not just across this country but farther yet that youve got to be careful, Coleman said. But he added that major changes are already being made by police services across Canada, including in Toronto, which now provides additional training on verbal de-escalation and alternatives to use of force. Those changes were made as a result of a report by former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci, who was commissioned to review Toronto police interactions with people in crisis following Yatims death. Once the appeal process is done, Coleman said its possible police services may create a training scenario that is similar to the circumstances surrounding Yatims death specifically, where a scenario where someone is armed with a knife, but injured and lying on their back. He has yet to see a police force use this scenario. Peter Rosenthal, a Toronto criminal lawyer who has represented many families of people killed by police, said he hopes Thens sentencing decision leads to more officers making attempts to de-escalate. But he also believes the conviction sends a mixed message, because he doesnt believe Forcillo was justified in firing at Yatim at all. I hope (Thens message) will be powerful, but its undercut by the fact that it should have applied to the first three shots, too, he said. Five powerful quotes from Justice Thens sentencing decision 1. Ontario Court Justice Edward Then: In my view, the precipitous shooting of Mr. Yatim contrary to Officer Forcillos training constitutes a fundamental failure to understand his duty to preserve all life and not just his own. For this judge to remind us all of the role of the police in protecting the public, not just themselves, is . . . a breakthrough, said Pat Capponi, chair of the Toronto police boards mental health committee. 2. Then: When a police officer has committed a serious crime of violence by breaking the law which the officer is sworn to uphold it is the duty of the court to firmly denounce that conduct in an effort to repair and to affirm the trust that must exist between the community and the police to whom we entrust the use of lethal weapons within the limits prescribed by the criminal law. The judge is saying that because of the trust given (to police officers) and the power allowed them by our society, police must be held to a high standard. And that this case is important to deter this from happening again, Jennifer Chambers, the co-ordinator of a mental health advocacy group, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Healths Empowerment Council. 3. Then: His training was crystal clear that the firearm be used only as a last resort to repel an imminent threat. Its profoundly important that a justice has commented on this, said Neil Price, a Toronto community educator and author of a recent report on Toronto police carding in the Jane and Finch area. What he said is that, in essence, the right training is there, but we have a failure to comply with that training. 4. Then: He failed to follow his training in adopting available alternatives to lethal force such as de-escalation or engaging in communication so as to prompt Mr. Yatim to surrender his weapon. This is a personal indictment of his failings as an officer, said Price, in that Forcillos ultimate duty is to do whatever he could to avoid using lethal force, including an alternative such as verbal communication. This is a comment on Forcillo in that instance failing to adequately measure the threat, to measure his alternatives. 5. Then: Officer Forcillo knew from his training that he was not allowed to shoot in circumstances of a potential threat. It follows that in my view the shooting of Mr. Yatim was unnecessary and unreasonable and excessive from the outset of the second volley. Price said its powerful that Then makes this proclamation, because the view of many in the general public what that the six additional shots were unjustified. With that second volley, you had such woeful disregard for Yatims humanity. Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca SHARE: The tableau was exceptionally rare: A Toronto police officer, arms pulled behind his back, being handcuffed in court. Led away, a few minutes later, to the holding cells downstairs at 361 University. These would not be the cells with which Const. James Forcillo was once intimately familiar as a court constable at the beginning of his law enforcement career. Hed served in a different courthouse. But hed certainly know the procedure. The clang of the cage door slamming shut, the jangle of turnkeys, the indignity of being deposited behind bars. Whether he submitted a DNA sample, as is routinely ordered of convicted and sentenced felons, is unclear. And, as a cop the first in Canada to be convicted and sentenced for attempted murder, an egregious breach of trust which is an aggravating factor" he was placed in protective custody, not simply flung into the bullpen with everybody else. Forcillos incarceration might last for all of one night. The former 14 Division cop suspended without pay Thursday by Chief Mark Saunders could be sprung by early Friday, when a decision is expected on his application for bail pending appeal of both conviction and sentence. A new set of lawyers assembled, in front of a different judge, just down the street, at Osgoode Hall, mere hours after Forcillo learned of his fate. Except fate is an elastic concept, and the judicial system sometimes responds with more alacrity with some supplicants than others. So, possibly and rapidly at liberty again, as Forcillo had been since a jury found him guilty of attempted murder in January. Since he was arrested three years ago charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death on a downtown streetcar of knife-wielding teenager Sammy Yatim. Since he was charged two years ago with attempted murder in the same fusillade of gunshots. Three years and one day after Yatim was struck by nine bullets discharged from Forcillos service weapon, the cop who killed him could be in and out of jail lickety-split. Thats what a top-notch legal team can get you. Though most of us dont have our legal bills covered by the police association. I dont want to see a criminal on the street, Sammys father, Nabil, said afterwards outside the courthouse. But the system we have . . . we might have him out on the street. Forcillo didnt even look at the family that continues to grieve their profound loss, Nabil admitting he spent the third-year anniversary of his sons death just staring at the wall, wondering, as always: What if this had happened, what if that happened. All the ifs." A sorry, even a fleeting acknowledgment from Forcillo that he understands the familys pain, would have been precious for the boys parents and sister. They searched Forcillos face for remorse and saw only a stony expression. Not much, said Nabil. Not much of a man." If no more than a single night in jail, for now, perhaps a taste of whats to come six years in penitentiary, the sentence handed down Thursday morning by Justice Edward Then. Or at least whatever part of six years would be served until parole eligibility. Not the eight to 10 years urged by the Crown. But a far cry from the house arrest just send the guy home which defence lawyer Peter Brauti had been seeking. Because, you know, hes a cop who was just doing his job that summer night, as sworn to duty, justified in the use of lethal force. An argument which found some traction with a jury because Forcillo was acquitted of second-degree murder the fatal result arising from the first volley of three bullets. But rejected by jurors on the separate charge of attempted murder for continuing to fire in a second volley at the 18-year-old lying prone and mortally wounded just inside the streetcar stairwell. Forcillos account of events, from the witness stand, did not square with the multiple pieces of video evidence played in court at trial, his misperceived assessment six seconds between volleys of the continuing danger that Yatim posed. The youth, spine shattered, paralyzed from the waist down and heart pierced, was definitely not attempting to stand by up, not lifting his torso at a 45-degree angle as Forcillo testified and not an imminent threat to Forcillo or any of the many officers standing outside the streetcars open door. Based on the video which proves conclusively that Mr. Yatim made no attempt to get to his feet to renew the attack and based on all of the evidence, I have found as a fact beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Forcillo was not under a misperception that Mr. Yatim was attempting to get to his feet by raising himself 45 degrees to renew the attack, Then said in his reasons for sentencing. Then does not dispute that Yatim, who was high on ecstasy that night, had reached for the switchblade dropped when hit by the first volley. But I find as a fact beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Forcillo knew from his training that Mr. Yatim in rearming himself with the knife was only a potential threat. Accordingly, I conclude that Officer Forcillo shot Mr. Yatim precipitously contrary to his training at the commencement of the second volley and throughout the second volley. That was the attempted murder, unjustified, of a dying young man. Facts remain fluid, however, in the ongoing legal resistance to the cases outcome, and rejection of the constitutional challenge mounted at trial against a mandatory minimum four-year sentence for attempted murder with a restricted weapon. Its nowhere near over. That might explain Forcillos deadpan expression when he was manacled. Not a flicker of reaction from either the felon or his wife. Not a trace of remorse offered either. Then made note of that too, sitting back down on his bench after rising to leave, as if remembering something that needed saying. Mr. Brauti, your client has not specifically expressed any remorse, and I want to make it clear that his failure to do that is not taken to be an aggravating factor. It is his right to maintain his innocence. But on the other hand, because there is an absence of remorse, he is not entitled to leniency. There is a legal dimension to staying silent, of course, as Forcillo also declined Thens invitation to make a statement before the judge began reading his reasons for sentence. Remorse, an apology, could be construed as admission. Sammy Yatims parents wanted to hear it, though, needed to hear it. Admitting he was wrong, said Sammys mother, Sahar Bahadi, instead of trying to hide behind a whole bunch of other things. I noticed since it start, the trial, Forcillo didnt show any kind of remorse, and that hurts a lot. He destroyed our family. He will destroy our life, but he didnt show any kind of remorse." Her anguish hasnt dimmed nor her anger diminished. Im always angry since I lost my son, Im always angry. I have screams inside me. And I have to control myself. But its a very big loss, and its a disaster for us." Both parents expressed gratitude for justice done, for the wide support received and hope no other family will ever have to go through a similar horror. Its not about vengeance, insisted Nadil. Its about no other family should suffer what we suffered. They want the wider public, as well, to know that Sammy was so much more than the muddled teenager who made ruinous mistakes that night. A kind boy, not the way he was portrayed, said his father. A kind, nice, beautiful, talented young boy, really. He hasnt made it to man." Police union president Mike McCormack described Thursday as a tragic day for the Forcillo family, for the Yatim family, for the community and policing. Theres never going to be any good outcome from this, and its tragic all the way around. But thats a false ledger of loss. The suffering on both sides is not equal. Forcillo may eventually go to prison, for a period of time. His family can see him, though, hear his voice, know that he will be restored to them. The mother of a dead son can only kneel by his grave and weep. Sammy will never be coming back to us. I want him back. Related: Const. James Forcillo sentenced to 6 years in Sammy Yatim shooting Agonizing victim impact statements at James Forcillo sentencing Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. SHARE: Say Cheese! Thats what two wanted men practically did when they waved and smiled at a security camera after allegedly stealing a purse at a Vaughan grocery store. York Regional Police are seeking the publics assistance in identifying the unknown suspects wanted for the theft at a Longos store on Bathurst St. The incident occurred on Nov. 22, 2015 at approximately 11:45 a.m. Police said the men walked around in circles in the produce section of the store until they noticed an unattended purse. One man removed the purse from a shopping cart and put it in his pocket, police said, after which they left the store while laughing into the security camera. Soon after, two fraudulent transactions were made on the victims credit card, police said. This isnt the first time thieves have been got caught on camera in the Greater Toronto Area. Back in April in Caledon, Peel Regional Police were looking for thieves caught on surveillance video. The men, also a duo, broke into an empty home of a deceased grandmother and stole items. They saw the camera, and took it too but that didnt stop the footage from being accessible to the family. The family had it streamed to an account and later posted the video on Facebook. Caledon police found the men later that month. Police describe the Longos duo as male and white. One of them is described as 40 to 45 years old, medium build, grey short hair, seen that day wearing a black hat with a white logo and sunglasses. The other man is described as 20 to 30 years old, thin, and clean shaven with brown short hair. Individuals with information are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or to leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com . Read more about: SHARE: A favourite old-school diner in the heart of Leslieville will be serving up its last three-inch-thick western sandwich this weekend. Jims Restaurant on Queen St. E., just east of Logan Ave., is closing its doors for good Sunday. Known for its roast chicken, peameal bacon sandwiches, egg scramblers, Greek specialties, and classic all-day breakfast among other things, Jims has been an east-end staple since the mid-1960s. George Dafos, a long-time Scarborough resident, is the diners third owner. The no-frills family eatery which many customers attest really does serve The Best Westerns along with a former auto garage-turned-gym called Anchored Social Club, will soon be replaced by a six-storey, mixed-use condominium development. Ive been here since 2000. Its hard to leave, said Dafos. After 16 years, I know everybody on the street. Its not easy. Dafos said he looked into reopening at another location in the neighbourhood and saw five or six places but in the end leasing a place in this part of town was just too pricey. Known for its fast, friendly service, Jims, which has counter seating for about eight and enough tables to seat around 30 people, is an unpretentious, cash-only place where anyone can come to grab some decent, affordable grub. As the sun set over Leslieville on Friday evening, many locals stopped while the restaurant was closed to peer in the windows and reminisce. Tom Recke got the news in a text from his son Samuel in Montreal. Recke said he and Samuel have a long history with the restaurant. When I got the text from him, I thought its a shame, Tom said. Im going to pay for him to come down from Montreal so we can have one last breakfast there together. Three-year-old Lola Slight peered in the window, looking for the owner and clutching a goodbye card she wanted to give him. Weve had a really good relationship with the owner, said Lolas mother Alison. He has this sort of tough guy persona, but he would always be hanging out here outside, and he loves Lola. He would cook her all the eggs and pancakes and bacon, and she loves it. Shes really going to miss this place, Alison said. She said for her family, Jims closing is a mixed bag of emotions. The neighbourhood is gentrifying, which is kind of good for us because were property owners, but its also sad to see the area losing these longstanding institutions, she said. More than a year ago, Daniels Corp. purchased the property from local real estate lawyer Mitch Korman. In an interview, Niall Haggart, the companys executive vice-president, said since then theyve had productive meetings with both the city planning department as well as Ward 30 Councillor Paula Fletcher. A community consultation was held back in March. The plan is to construct a six-storey, 69-unit development with roughly 3,400-square feet of retail space at ground level and one level of below-grade parking. Haggart, who said the goal is to start construction by the end of this year, said hes confident city council will approve any zoning amendments for the development when it resumes this fall. We think its a good fit with the neighbourhood. Its a very boutique, little building, he said, adding theyve also been working with the Leslieville Historical Society to erect a plaque outlining history of the site. For Dafos, the future will be a little further east. He and his brother, Angelo recently purchased the Gingerman diner on Victoria Park Ave., just south of St. Clair Ave. E. Theyve already started setting up their new restaurant, which is slated to officially open for business under their ownership in early August. Dafos assured they plan on bringing that same relaxed, friendly atmosphere to their new home. With files from Jesse Winter SHARE: LEAVENWORTH, KAN.The transgender soldier imprisoned in Kansas for sending classified information to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks now faces possible punishment for offences stemming from a suicide attempt, a civil-rights group said Thursday. The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement that Chelsea Manning, 28, received a document from Army officials Thursday saying shes being investigated for administrative offences, including conduct which threatens, related to her July 5 suicide attempt at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, where shes serving a 35-year sentence. Mannings lawyers have not detailed how she tried to kill herself. Its also unclear how the alleged offences under investigation by the Army relate to the suicide attempt. An Army spokesman didnt immediately respond to an email Thursday seeking comment. The ACLU said if Manning is convicted of the offences, she could be placed in indefinite solitary confinement. It is deeply troubling that Chelsea is now being subjected to an investigation and possible punishment for her attempt to take her life, ACLU staff attorney Chase Strangio said in the statement. The government has long been aware of Chelseas distress associated with the denial of medical care related to her gender transition and yet delayed and denied the treatment recognized as necessary. The ACLU said it hopes the investigation ends immediately and Manning is given the health care that she needs to recover. Manning, arrested as Bradley Manning, was convicted in 2013 in military court of six Espionage Act violations and 14 other offences for leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents, plus some battlefield video. Manning, who was an intelligence analyst in Iraq at the time, later filed a transgender prisoner rights lawsuit. Manning has appealed the criminal case, arguing that her sentence was grossly unfair and that her actions were those of a naive, troubled soldier who aimed to reveal the toll of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The appeal contends Mannings disclosures harmed no one, but prosecutors have said the leaked material damaged U.S. security and identified informants who helped U.S. forces. Read more about: SHARE: PHILADELPHIAA woman in charge. Of saving Americas democracy. Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday with a speech in which she positioned herself as the only candidate of the countrys values, the task ahead as no less than defending the worlds greatest power from a barbarian at the gates. America is once again at a moment of reckoning, Clinton said. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders, there are no guarantees. It truly is up to us. We have to decide whether were going to work together so we can all rise together. Clintons historic address was designed in part to show voters a gentler side of the guarded fighter they had come to know. But its focus was the dire threat posed by Republican nominee Donald Trump to the security, diversity and even liberty of a thriving nation very different than the dystopia of his dark imagination. He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other. Hes betting that the perils of todays world will blind us to its unlimited promise, Clinton said. Invoking President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she said, The only thing we have to fear is fear, itself. She issued a searing indictment of Trumps character, judgment and behaviour, painting him as a loose cannon and little man whose pride and hair-trigger temper could trigger a needless war. Donald Trump cant even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign, she said. He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When hes gotten a tough question from a reporter. When hes challenged in a debate. When he sees a protestor at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis! A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. And she rejected both his depiction of the country and his leadership style. As President Barack Obama did on Wednesday, she described America as a strong nation that does not need a strongman as a saviour. Dont let anyone tell you that our country is weak! Were not, she said.. Dont listen to anybody who says I alone can fix it. Americans dont say I alone can fix it, We say, Well fix it together. Reaching out to non-Democrats who have fears about Trump, she vowed to be a president for Democrats, Republicans, independents, the struggling, the striving, the successful. Clinton waited until nearly half an hour into the address to acknowledge the landmark moment explicitly: she stood on stage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia as the first female nominee of a major American party. She said her accomplishment was a victory for men, too. When any barrier falls in America, it clears the way for everyone, she said. After all, when there are no ceilings, the skys the limit. Clinton was preceded by daughter Chelsea Clinton, who attempted to persuade Americans to consider a former secretary of state, senator and first lady as a wonderful, kind, thoughtful, hilarious mother and grandmother. My earliest memory is my mom picking me up after I fell down, giving me a big hug, and reading me Goodnight Moon, Chelsea Clinton said. From that moment to this one, every single memory I have of my mother is that, whatevers happening in her life, shes always, always, there for me. Clinton, who trails narrowly in opinion polls, is widely viewed as the more knowledgeable and experienced candidate, but she is also seen by dishonest and untrustworthy by nearly two-thirds of the voting public. On Thursday, she offered a remarkable acknowledgment: Some people just dont know what to make of me. Attempting to explain her motivations, she returned to the story of her mother, who was abandoned by her parents, and her early career as an advocate for poor children. I remember meeting a young girl in a wheelchair on the small back porch of her house. She told me how badly she wanted to go to school; it just didnt seem possible. And I couldnt stop thinking of my mother and what she went through as a child, she said. It became clear to me that simply caring is not enough. To drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws. You need both understanding and action. Trumps ferocious criticism of an America he sees as a divided crime scene left an opening for Clinton to wrap herself and her party in the flag, adopting the patriotic language and symbols usually more common at Republican conventions. In perhaps the most dramatic moment of either convention, Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim war hero killed in Iraq, challenged Trump by whipping a pocket edition of the Constitution from his suit jacket. Let me ask you: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy, Khan said. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law! Khans dare both awed and pained conservative elites and activists astonished that their party had surrendered its traditional themes. I cannot believe Im watching the Democrats become the party of patriotism, Steve Deace, a right-wing Iowa radio host, wrote on Twitter. Retired Marine General John Allen, former leader of the coalition fighting ISIS, followed Khan on stage, appearing with a group of other military leaders. As the Democratic delegates chanted U-S-A, he shouted a request for Americans to reject Trumps vision. This is the most consequential race for the presidency in memory. The stakes are enormous, Allen said. We must not, we could not, stand on the sidelines. This election can carry us to a future of unity and hope, or to a dark place of discord and fear. We must choose hope. Clinton sought to reach out to anxious voters seduced by Trumps promises to somehow eradicate the Daesh terror group (also known as Islamic State, ISIS or ISIL) so fast and somehow repatriate factories lost to Mexico and China. Her convention mentioned the economy only occasionally. But she did say her primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages, right here in the United States. Especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind, she said. From our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country. From the industrial Midwest to the Mississippi Delta to the Rio Grande Valley. The convention was held 692 kilometres and a planet away from last weeks dark Republican gathering in Cleveland. Seizing the optimistic Reaganesque brand of patriotism Trump has abandoned for fury and fear, Clintons campaign depicted an ascendant America whose Obama-era progress would be jeopardized by the bigoted, ignorant con man on the other side. The dueling conventions are always meant to serve platforms for different visions for the country. These particular conventions revealed a vast chasm even in the parties assessments of the country. Trump, focused on the damage wrought by trade deals and the peril posed by Muslim terrorists and Hispanic illegal immigrants, described a crippled America whose citizens are suffering and whose best days are in the past unless he wins. Clinton, emphasizing the Obama-era progress of minority groups, described an ascendant and generous America whose past meant suffering for many of its inhabitants. Republicans say they want to make America great again, to take us back to the good old days. What good old days do they want to take us back to? New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in his speech on Thursday. Before the Civil Rights Act? Before minimum wage and worker protection laws? Before Roe v. Wade? The convention showcased the Democrats increasing assertiveness on culture-war matters they and the Clintons in particular had long approached with caution. Defying her reputation, in some quarters, for centrism, Clinton promoted an aggressive brand of social-policy liberalism. She pledged that she would fight until the bitter end for gun control, offer a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, reform the criminal justice system from end to end, raise the minimum wage, and pass a constitutional amendment to limit the influence of billionaires on elections. Where a Republican speaker led a chant of all lives matter, the Democrats featured speaker after speaker who said black lives matter. Where the Republican convention was preoccupied with the danger radical Islamic terrorism, the Democratic convention spent far more time on the danger of gun violence. Where the Republicans celebrated the acquittals of officers charged in the Baltimore death of Freddie Gray, the Democrats heard from the mothers of black men killed by police. And where Trump congratulated his delegates merely for clapping for the one gay speaker, Democrats featured a long procession of gays and lesbians and then, on Thursday, Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person to speak at a convention. Both candidates chose primarily to try to motivate their bases white men for Trump, women and minorities for Clinton rather than wooing the people who like them least. Clinton, though, also made a concerted effort to broaden her coalition, deploying Vice-President Joe Biden, independent former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown to appeal to working whites, moderate independents and economic progressives respectively. Her long list of prominent surrogates was a testament to a party far more united than the warring Republicans. Boisterous first-day dissent from loyalists of defeated left-wing rival Bernie Sanders was almost entirely quelched by day four, with the impassioned help of Sanders himself, although a few die-hards attempted to interrupt her speech with shouts. I want you to know: Ive heard you, she said in an olive branch to the Sanders army. Your cause is our cause. Read more about: SHARE: LONDONA rare 16th century portrait of Queen Elizabeth I will become public property after a donations appeal raised 10 million pounds ($13 million) to keep it in Britain. The Armada Portrait commemorates Englands 1588 triumph over an invading Spanish armada. It shows the queen in a bejeweled dress with her hand resting on a globe. Behind her, the Spanish fleet is wrecked in a storm. The painting one of three copies to survive by an unknown artist was owned by descendants of sailor Francis Drake, who decided to sell it. The appeal drew 1.5 million pounds in public donations, and millions more from charities and arts funds. The painting will be displayed inside the Queens House on the site of the former Greenwich Palace, Elizabeths 1533 birthplace. SHARE: Prosecutors announced Thursday that they will not retry a man convicted of killing Washington intern Chandra Levy, saying they can no longer prove their case in the 15-year-old slaying that thrust former congressman Gary Condit into the national spotlight. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia issued a statement saying it has moved to dismiss the case charging Ingmar Guandique with Levys 2001 killing. According to the statement, prosecutors concluded they can no longer prove the murder case against Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt, based on recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week. The statement does not elaborate, and Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney, declined to comment. After investigating this information and reviewing all of the evidence in this case, the government now believes it is in the interests of justice for the court to dismiss the case, prosecutors wrote in a one-page motion. Within hours of prosecutors motion, a judge officially dismissed the case. Guandiques lawyers in the public defenders office issued a statement Thursday saying their client has been vindicated. Finally, the government has had to concede the flaws in its ill-gotten conviction, the lawyers said, noting that Guandique had passed an FBI-administered lie detector test regarding his involvement. They accused prosecutors of hiding information that undermined their star witness at Guandiques 2010 trial. Levys 2001 disappearance created a national sensation after the Modesto, California, native was romantically linked with then-Rep. Gary Condit. The California Democrat was at one point a prime suspect in the investigation, police acknowledged. Levys remains were not found until 2002, in Washingtons sprawling Rock Creek Park. Eventually, police cleared Condit and in 2009 charged Guandique with Levys murder. Guandique had already been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for attacks on female joggers in Rock Creek Park, and prosecutors argued Levys death fit the pattern of those attacks. He was found guilty in 2010 and sentenced to 60 years in prison. But Guandique was granted a new trial last year after doubts were raised about a jailhouse informant, Armando Morales, who was the key witness at Guandiques trial. Morales testified that Guandique confessed to the killing. Defence lawyers have argued, though, that Morales lied during the trial and that prosecutors knew or should have known the testimony was problematic. It is now clear that the jailhouse informant, who was central to the governments case, was a perjurer who too easily manipulated the prosecutors, Guandiques lawyers said in their statement Thursday. In recent months, Guandiques attorneys have raised questions about Condit. At a January hearing, one of Guandiques attorneys told a judge that Condit misled the jury with his testimony at the 2010 trial, but he did not elaborate. In May, defence lawyers sought to take depositions from several women who said they had sexual relationships with Condit. Defence lawyers said two of the women said they feared Condit. And the defence lawyers said Condit had obvious motive to kill Ms. Levy in order to keep the relationship secret. Condit testified at trial that he didnt kill Levy but evaded questions about an intimate relationship saying, Were all entitled to some level of privacy. Lawyers who represented Condit did not return calls seeking comment Thursday. Efforts to reach Levys parents by phone were not immediately successful Thursday. Prosecutors say that as a result of their action, Guandique, who is from El Salvador, will be released to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and faces deportation. SHARE: On a Sunday afternoon in October, while her mother who was using prescription tranquilizers was napping in their Arkansas home, 3-year-old Alexis Haney climbed into the washing machine and closed the lid. The young children in the home told police they were used to helping with the laundry. The washing machine, which the family used as a dirty clothes hamper, was programmed to switch on when the lid closed. After the clothes were clean, one child would climb into the open machine and pass them to another, who would then toss them into the dryer. When Alexis closed the lid, hot water started to pour in. Authorities said she died from scaling and thermal injuries, according to a probable cause affidavit filed earlier this week in Calhoun County Circuit Court. It hurt my heart to know a little child died like that, Bobbie Holmes, a neighbour, told NBC affiliate KARK. I couldnt imagine what pain she went through. Brooke Haney, 25, from Hampton, a small town in southern Arkansas, has been arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor in two separate incidents last year one in which she is accused of driving with her 7-month-old child in the back seat while she was under the influence of prescription drugs, the other in which the 3-year-old died, according to court documents. Following a police investigation, authorities said they determined that she was on benzodiazepines, drugs commonly used to treat anxiety and insomnia. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, benzodiazepines, such as Valium and Xanax, are more often abused by adolescents and young adults to achieve a euphoric feeling, but the drugs can cause drowsiness. In the most recent report, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 74,182 case mentions, 27,060 single exposures and 18 deaths associated with benzodiazepines in 2014. In August 2015, Hampton police said, they pulled Haney over because she was causing other cars to move to the side of the road. Officers determined that she was exhibiting behaviour indicating she was under the influence of prescription medication, according to the court documents. They said she failed several sobriety tests and walked into traffic while they were trying to detain her, according to records. Her infant child was in the back seat. Authorities said she had prescription medication in her possession but she did not have a valid prescription, according to the court documents. Two months later, Hampton police received a call about a child in Haneys home who had been severely injured in a washing machine incident. Authorities said Haney, a mother of three, was caring for her 10-month-old and 3-year-old children when she decided to take a nap. When she woke up, authorities said, she noticed her toddler, Alexis, was missing. Haney ran to a neighbours house and asked for help to search for the child, who was found in the washing machine, according to the court documents. Police said she was rushed to Medical Center of South Arkansas, where she was pronounced dead. During the investigation, Haneys 7-year-old told police about the childrens laundry ritual one that upset neighbours when they heard about it. If I would have known that, I could have done something, Holmes, a neighbour, told KARK. I would have did the clothes for them, you know. Haney has been charged with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, which carry a maximum penalty of up to six years in an Arkansas Department of Correction facility. Its unclear whether Haney has an attorney. Court clerks in Calhoun County told KARK that Haneys two surviving children are in the custody of the states Division of Children and Family Services. SHARE: HAVANA White-haired, thin and bent at nearly 90, Fidel Castro in person is a faint echo of the man who remade his country, defied the United States and fuelled socialist uprisings around the world. But 10 years after he handed control to his brother Raul, Cubas former leader has taken on a powerful new role in a country suffering an economic crisis and debating its direction in a new era of normalization with Washington. After a decade out of the public eye, Fidel Castro has surged back in the run-up to his Aug. 13 birthday as the inspiration for Cubans who want to maintain strict Communist orthodoxy in Cuba in the face of mounting pressures to loosen political control and allow more private enterprise. We reiterate our commitment to stay faithful to the ideas hes fought for throughout his life and to keep the spirit of resistance, struggle and dialectic thought alive, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, the hard-line second secretary of the Cuban Communist Party told the nation Tuesday at the celebration of Castros 1953 attack on a government barracks. The peak of Castros return to public prominence came April 19 at the closing session of the Cuban Communist Partys 7th Congress. The three-day gathering featured a string of speeches denouncing President Barack Obamas visit to Cuba the month before, in which the U.S. leader called on Cubans to look toward a future of reconciliation and greater freedom. Castro opened with a defence of his communist ideology, declaring the Russian Revolution of 1917 to be a grand social revolution that represented a great step forward in the fight against colonialism and its inseparable companion, imperialism. During 47 years in power, Fidel was a constant presence for Cubans but prohibited the statues, portraits and other tributes beloved by other total leaders. Today, his image is everywhere as the country fills with tributes to him on his 90th birthday. Fidel is now mentioned by hardliners in the same breath as Jose Marti, the 19th century poet and revolutionary fighter whose status is similar to that of the founding fathers in the U.S. In the ideology of Marti, and the path of Fidel, weve been warned about the need to prepare ourselves for a war of ideas, and to be informed, so we cant be confused, the head of Cubas official journalists union wrote Sunday. We have the historic privilege of having shared our fate with Fidel. The editorial went on to reject a series of recent calls by young journalists for greater freedom to work for the foreign press. There isnt the slightest doubt that conservatives who dont want to advance look for backup in Fidel, Cuban political scientist and former diplomat Carlos Alzugaray said. Theres been a backlash from all of those who fear change. There are billboards across the country with Castros portrait and best-known phrases. State television is filled with interviews reminiscing about his time in power. Cultural events are dedicated to him. Theres a newly created government email address to send him best wishes on his birthday. A group of students in the central city of Santa Clara even developed a mobile app allowing users to pull up quotations from his written works and speeches. His family home in the eastern city of Biran has been refurbished and planted with trees. Ive lived through everything and I can tell you that therell never be another like him, said Sara Castillo, a 77-year-old retired nurse. May he have more years of life and health. He should be the guide for all Cubans. But the celebration comes at a tough time for Castros dreams of creating a socialist paradise and setting off a leftist wave sweeping Latin America and the rest of the developing world. Cuba has seen allies ousted in Brazil and Argentina and its prime patron, Venezuela, has cut the supply of subsidized oil to Cuba, leading to a cash shortage thats increasing public dissatisfaction, particularly among the young. Im not interested in Fidel Castro or politics, said a 21-year-old unemployed former engineering student who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of official retaliation. Theyre the past of this country. He said he wants to emigrate as soon as possible to be with his girlfriend in the United States and have a better quality of life. Other young people say they appreciate Castro, but want their country to focus more on its future. Hes the father of a whole generation of Cubans, an important figure, even though there are people against him and people in favour, said Denet Hernandez, a 29-year-old doctor. But the youth want to take the reins of their own time. Its not denying history, but continuing forward. SHARE: WASHINGTONAt some point, perhaps as early as next week, federal agents will sit down with Donald Trump and tell him classified information about the government and U.S. foreign policy efforts. For Democrats, this is a point of both anguish and political calculation. Senate Minority Leaders Harry Reid has suggested that Trumps murky ties to foreign interests and general inability to not speak his mind should be reason enough for the people briefing him to simply make things up. On the Republican side, there are similar calls to ban Hillary Clinton from being briefed, including by Trump, pointing to her use of a personal email server while she served as secretary of state. And heres the thing: If he wanted to, President Barack Obama could deny either or both of them the now-traditional briefings. The process doesnt work the way you might think. For one thing, the briefings are not legally mandated. They are a courtesy provided by the sitting president, nothing more. In an email, historian Michael Beschloss explained that the process began with President Harry Truman. In 1952, as Truman was preparing to leave the White House, he ordered that the CIA brief Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson so that they would campaign with greater insight and also know key national security players once elected. (A bigger problem, he notes, for Stevenson, a governor, than Eisenhower, whod commanded the Allied invasion of Normandy.) No president has to do it; presidents a century ago did not. For another, the briefings are not a continuing series of updates about everything affecting our foreign policy. They arent as regular or as detailed as the Presidential Daily Brief, for example. Its at most a couple of in-person meetings between the candidate, a staffer and representatives of the American intelligence community. Lanhee Chen, who worked as the chief policy advisor to Mitt Romneys 2012 presidential campaign, spoke with The Post by phone on Thursday. Chen was the one staffer that attended Mitt Romneys two briefings four years ago. The nominee has access to one, maybe two or three [briefings] upon request, but thats it, Chen said. Because its not like you have a ton of time to sit there and get briefed every day anyway. The briefings have to take place in SCIFs (sensitive compartmented information facilities) or secure conferencing facilities that the government has, so its not like you can just get the briefing on the campaign bus, he said. We had two briefings: One was at the federal building in Los Angeles in September, and the second was a few weeks later at a secure facility in the Washington, D.C. metro area. That was it. The number and content of those briefings are negotiated between the campaign and the White House. A memorandum of understanding is drafted between the two parties to formalize the agreement, but Chen notes that the process was remarkably easy and cordial, particularly given that the administration that was briefing Romney was in the process of trying to defeat him electorally. The briefings themselves Chen described as a sort of presentation followed by a question-and-answer period. It is, as I understand it, the same team of briefers from the intelligence community that prepare the briefing for the candidate as those who do the presidents daily briefing, Chen said. But the level of detail as well as the amount of information covered is not the same. It is meant to be a background briefing more than anything else. The information thats presented is tailored to what the candidate would like to know; as you might expect, there are no hand-outs. Its worth noting that, while these are the only formal briefings, there was information shared by the federal government with the Romney campaign outside of the scope of national security. As Hurricane Sandy approached that fall, Chen said, the campaign was given emergency response information from the Federal Emergency Management Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. To participate in the briefings, Chen had to complete paperwork to grant him top-secret security clearance, which he held through the end of the campaign. Romney didnt, Chen said. The assumption is that a certain amount of sensitive information can be shared with the nominee because the nominee has been publicly vetted, Chen said. Both GOP vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan and Romney had held or did hold security clearance (Romneys stemming from his time managing the 2002 Winter Olympics), but if they had not, as Trump does not, they would not have had to submit the same documentation. The information we received was obviously classified, he said, but I dont believe that that information was of the same scope and specificity that the president or vice president or other national security leaders get once theyre actually in office. He also indicated that the people conducting the briefing were more than capable of understanding what sorts of boundaries to information-sharing should not and would not be crossed. (He didnt recall any instance in which Romney was told that information couldnt be shared with him.) For those worried about a candidate getting access to information and then using it in the campaign, this is a legitimate concern in so far as this has happened before or so Richard Nixon believed. Beschloss related a story about the 1960 election, pitting John F. Kennedy against Nixon, who was then serving as vice president to Eisenhower, known colloquially as Ike. In 1960, Ike had JFK briefed by CIA Director Allen Dulles. That fall, JFK publicly called for U.S.-backed freedom-fighters to invade Castros Cuba. Chen doesnt figure that concerns about either of the current nominees potentially using information to their advantage (or letting something slip) will cause the Obama administration to avoid briefing a candidate or skip the briefings entirely. He notes that what is disclosed is up to the administration, and how it is disclosed is up to people briefing the candidates who are well aware of the risks of sharing information. But he notes that the process of national security briefings is a small part of what makes presidential transitions smooth and conflict-free. There is a lot of discretion, comity and professional courtesy involved in how it all works. But it did all work, he said. It sort of gave me even more faith in the nature of our democratic system, Chen said, that there could be this kind of information-sharing and civil dialogue, even in the heat of a very, very difficult campaign. Or put another way: The briefings are a well-controlled feature of U.S. democracy. Read more about: SHARE: When a breakaway group of military officers attacked Turkeys main cities with tanks and war planes, it took both the government and the public by surprise. It was horrifying, says Erdeniz Sen, Turkeys consul general in Toronto. We didnt know what was happening. They were attacking the police, the satellite stations, the parliament. They tried to assassinate the prime minister and the president. People were simply shocked. But the short-lived coup was put down, when millions answered a call by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to go to the streets, and since then his power appears only to have increased. Massive purges have jailed or dismissed thousands of his suspected foes. However, the military, which has considered itself a pillar of stability in Turkey for decades, is in tumult, with about 40 per cent of its top general staff jailed or fired, more than 1,500 officers removed and thousands of soldiers charged with supporting the coup. Under a state of emergency, Erdogan has moved swiftly against suspected supporters of the secretive exiled Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen, a one-time political ally, and the man he blames for the coup and condemns as a terrorist. Since the failed coup, at least 6,000 people have been detained, including two Canadians. Some 48 journalists, 755 judges and prosecutors and 62 military schoolchildren have also been arrested. They are suspected members of a broad network of Gulen supporters who have infiltrated Turkeys institutions. For Turkey, the most unsettling element of the attempted coup was the involvement of the military, even though its top command remained aloof. The Turkish military has carried out four previous successful coups at times of repression, instability or threatened civil war, including a 1960 overthrow that resulted in a new constitution credited as the most liberal in Turkeys history. But its methods have also been brutal, and its powers have been curbed during Erdogans terms in office, and the requirements of its candidacy for the European Union. One difference between this coup attempt and the earlier coups is that this was against an elected government, says Ozan Varol, an expert in the Turkish military and associate professor at the Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Ore. A coup could never be considered legitimate when you can get rid of a government through the ballot box. Nevertheless, the cracks in an institution that was once a unifying factor in Turkish society bringing together conscripts from all levels of society is unsettling. It comes at a time when Turkey is bordering two war zones, hosting millions of refugees, and embattled on several fronts. It is also the base for about 50 NATO hydrogen bombs. The government insists that after the failed coup the military is unified and the subversive elements purged. But, in a sign of unease, on Friday the Supreme Military Council convened for the first time at the prime ministers office, secured by plain-clothes officials rather than soldiers, according to Al Jazeera. The fact that there is a lot of angst within the military is clear, says Henri Barkey, director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Centre in Washington. We dont know if there is a deep cleavage, but there is clearly something wrong with the institution. Its a real crisis for Erdogan because he doesnt trust any institutions, he adds. The president will now restructure the military, moving it under civilian control, and curbing its remaining autonomy. This (failed coup) will certainly shake Erdogans confidence in the military, Varol says. However, it is still unclear if the motivation for the coup attempt was entirely political. While the government maintains it was masterminded by Gulen, and has confessions from arrested military men, little ideology surfaced on the night of the attack, and some in Turkey theorize that it may have been staged to pre-empt a purge of officers who fell under suspicion and were likely to lose their jobs. Gulen, who denies any hand in the coup attempt, may have had motivation because he lacked the popularity to defeat Erdogan through the polls. Reportedly a more moderate Islamist than Erdogan, he formed a shaky alliance with the Turkish leader to prevent a more secular government from coming to power. But it collapsed in bitter rivalry in 2013. Now, says Varol, Im more concerned with Erdogan. He has pursued an agenda to consolidate control: eliminated checks and balances and packed the constitutional court in 2010. Turkey is slowly becoming a one-man system. The Turkish military, however, is likely to play a much diminished role in the countrys affairs. There are challenges ahead, Sen says. But the Turkish people have spoken. They have said no more coups. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONThe father of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq posed a question to Donald Trump: Have you even read the Constitution? To rapturous cheers, Pakistan-born Khizr Khan fiercely attacked the billionaire businessman Thursday at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, saying that if it were up to Trump, his son never would have been American or served in the military. Khan said that Hillary Clinton, by contrast, called my son the best of America. The address was the latest effort by Democrats to highlight their diversity and criticize Trumps most contentious plans. Beyond his proposed wall across Mexico, the billionaire businessman has threatened to ban Muslims from entering the United States if he becomes president. Capt. Humayun Khan died in 2004 when a car loaded with explosives blew up at his compound. He was 27. Honouring his son, Khizr Khan pulled a copy of the Constitution out of his suit pocket and offered to lend it to Trump. Look for the words liberty and equal protection of law, he said standing next to his wife, waving the paperback document vigorously. Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery? he then asked. Go look at the graves of brave Americans who died defending United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. Khan, who moved to the U.S. in 1980, said he and his wife were patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country. Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed, he said, believing that with hard work he could raise his three sons in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams. Trump, Khan argued, was imperiling that ideal with his smears of Muslims, women, judges and other groups. He urged Muslims, immigrants and all patriots to to not take this election lightly. Vote for the healer, Khan said, not the divider. Read more about: SHARE: On 3-5 October 2017 Kyiv is going to host the Space and Future Forum to network international experts and youth, many of whom will also participate at the first CosmoHack in the world. Joinfo provides media coverage of the Forum, and some of its topics were already discussed ... After three-and-a-half years of grieving the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded at https://www.thestar.com/topic.connecticut_school_shooting.html Sandy Hook END Elementary School in late 2012, students and parents will return to a new school building this fall that is intended to heal and protect, as well as educate. At a preview of the school on Friday, there were mixed emotions amid the striking design elements and lavish landscaping. Lisabeth Kuroski, a special education aide at Reed Intermediate School, called the schools reopening bittersweet. Its nice that the elementary school kids will come back home to Newtown, Kuroski said. But its also a sad day, because you cant be here at the opening of the school without thinking of the people we lost. Officials unveiled the new Sandy Hook Elementary School to give reporters a preview now in the hope that students can experience the building without the glare of media scrutiny when school starts in September. The transition to the new school needs to be as seamless as possible for the children, said Joseph V. Erardi Jr., the superintendent of Newtown schools. That is why we are setting up this day, and therefore, asking everyone to give us the space we need to allow high-quality teaching and learning when we return for our first day of school. After the rampage that left 20 children and six staff members dead in 2012, the students moved into a temporary school building in nearby Monroe. School officials there offered a shuttered building, since the old Sandy Hook school was a crime scene. The school district decided to demolish the old building, and with it the horrific images of what had happened there. Ultimately, after dozens of meetings, officials decided to build a new school on the same property, but using a different footprint. The 59 surviving first-graders from Sandy Hook, some of whom watched in horror as their teachers and friends were killed in their classroom, will not return to the new building. That class, which had 79 students when the attack occurred, is moving up to fifth grade at Reed Intermediate School. Among the students to arrive this fall at the new elementary school, only the incoming fourth-graders were present on Dec. 14, 2012, as kindergartners, when a disturbed young man, Adam Lanza, blasted his way into the school. The new Sandy Hook school looks as different from the former flat-roofed 1956 brick structure as can be. The front of the new structure is covered with wood, which seems to roll in waves. There is no formal memorial to the shootings. One second-grade classroom is brightly decorated with books, baskets and new desks and diminutive blue chairs. Almost out of sight, on the side of the refrigerator, is a ribbon magnet that says Sandy Hook Elementary 12-14-12: We will never forget. The state of Connecticut offered the district $50 million (U.S.) for the new school, and residents voted overwhelmingly to accept the money. The new school, which will serve just under 400 students in prekindergarten through fourth grade, draws its inspiration from nature, echoing the wooded, rolling landscape of Newtown itself. The entrance is tucked into a stand of trees, while three footbridges cross water on the property. But security was also a chief concern in the design without being too obvious, there are safety measures everywhere. Every classroom can be easily secured, and side windows adjacent to classroom doors are bullet-resistant. The interior walls were also reinforced. Outside the building, a bioswale that abuts the building is designed to absorb stormwater runoff with native plantings, but it also serves another purpose: keeping people away from the school. SHARE: Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo made clear to U.K. leader Theresa May, after a tete-a-tete in Warsaw, that shell fight for the best possible deal for the 850,000 Poles living in Britain. Szydlo said Poland wont pressure the U.K. to start the formal process to withdraw from the European Union after Britons voted in a referendum last month to leave the 28-nation bloc. Our role in future talks will be to make sure that we agree on terms that will provide the best possible conditions for Poles living in U.K., as vast numbers of them want to stay where they are, Szydlo said in a press conference in the Polish capital. Mays visit to Poland on Thursday wraps up a week in which she met with her counterparts from Ireland, Italy and, earlier on Thursday, Slovakia. She has also had meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande as her government, in office for two weeks, is trying to work out how to retain as much access as possible to the EU market while cutting immigration from the bloc. I will seek to address the concerns of the British people about free movement while recognizing the importance of a close economic relationship between the U.K. and the EU, May said. There will be different interests and complex issues to resolve, but I firmly believe that if we approach this in a constructive and positive spirit, then we can pave the way for a calm and orderly departure. She condemned attacks against Polish communities in Britain since the referendum, and reiterated her desire to guarantee the rights of Poles and other EU nationals living in the U.K. The only circumstances in which that would not be possible would be if the rights of British citizens living across the EU were not guaranteed, she said. Poles provide the U.K.s largest group of foreign nationals, with 850,000 living in Britain. Their rights as Britain leaves the EU are a source of great concern in Warsaw, according to Pawel Swidlicki, policy analyst at Open Europe, a London-based think tank. An absolute red line for Poland is the rights of Poles already in the U.K., he said. Theyd also like some kind of non-discriminatory route for migrants in the future, and for Britain to continue contributing to the EU budget. The formal process for leaving the EU begins when Britain triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. May has repeatedly said she doesnt intend to do that before the end of the year. SHARE: OSWIECIM, POLAND Pope Francis paid a sombre visit in silence to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitlers forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly in his white robe beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the cynical words Arbeit Macht Frei (Work will set you free). After Auschwitz he moved to nearby Birkenau, where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in gas chambers. Altogether it was a deeply contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that Francis passed in total silence, except for a few words he exchanged with camp survivors and Holocaust rescuers. Vatican and Polish church officials had explained that Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. However, he did express his feelings, writing in the Auschwitz memorials guest book in Spanish: Lord, have pity on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty. As an Argentine he is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live himself through the brutality of World War II on Europes soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal historical connection to the site, with the first, John Paul II, coming from Poland and himself a witness to the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation. His successor Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before meeting with several survivors of the camp, greeting them one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar who sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the white-clad figure. He then travelled the 3 kilometres to Birkenau, the vast satellite camp where the Nazis murdered Jews, Roma and others from across Europe. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport the victims to their death there. At one point the deep silence was broken only by the wailing of an infant. When Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests gathered applauded. Francis slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Polands chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited in Hebrew Psalm 130, which starts: From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord. Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish. John Pauls visit in 1979 made history because it was the first ever by a pontiff, part of the Vaticans historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. As a pope hailing from another continent, Franciss visit helps to underline the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. The millions who now visit have put increasing stress on the aging barracks, prompting urgent conservation efforts that are being funded by governments worldwide. Francis visit is also different in that it had a private character with no speeches. Benedict, for instance, spoke there in 2006 in Italian pointedly avoiding his native German language in a speech in which he questioned why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. The visit to Auschwitz came on the third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global youth celebration. Friday is devoted to the theme of suffering. Later in the day Francis will visit a childrens hospital in Krakow and take part in a Way of the Cross with the young people. SHARE: LAGOS, NIGERIA The United Nations is suspending aid to dangerous areas of Nigerias northeastern Borno state, where it says a half million people are starving, after Boko Haram ambushed a humanitarian convoy. Three civilians including a UNICEF employee and contractor for the International Organization for Migration were wounded in Thursdays ambush, along with two of the soldiers escorting the humanitarian workers, according to the Nigerian army and the UN Childrens Fund. Only the UN missions outside the capital have been suspended, UNICEF spokeswoman Doune Porter told The Associated Press on Friday. The normal assistance we have been giving will continue in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital of 1 million people that hosts another million refugees from Nigerias 7-year-old Islamic insurgency. This was not only an attack on humanitarian workers. It is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing, Porter said. The attacked convoy was travelling from the city of Bama, newly freed from Boko Haram, where Doctors Without Borders has warned that children are dying every day with 15 per cent suffering severe acute malnutrition and likely to die without food and medical aid. More than 500,000 people are suffering a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in dangerous-to-reach areas, said the doctors. A Doctors Without Borders vehicle travelling with a military escort set off a land mine earlier this week a few kilometres from the scene of Thursdays ambush but no one was hurt, according to soldiers who were there. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to reporters. Army spokesman Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman said the insurgents were hiding in Meleri village near Kawuri, the official gateway to the sprawling Sambisa Forest that has been a Boko Haram stronghold. The military warned earlier this month that Boko Haram fighters were fleeing its daily aerial bombardments and ground attacks in the forest, heading toward the border with Cameroon. Some Boko Haram fighters who surrendered have reported the militants are running out of food, fuel and arms, the military has stated, saying they have cut off the insurgents supply lines. The uprising by Boko Haram, which last year joined Daesh, also known as Islamic State, has killed more than 20,000 people, forced more than 2 million from their homes and spread across Nigerias borders to Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Read more about: SHARE: GENEVA The UN special envoy for Syria on Friday urged Russia to leave the creation of humanitarian corridors around Aleppo to the United Nations and its partners, issuing a gentle snub to Moscow, which had made the proposal a day earlier as pro-government troops tightened their encirclement of rebel-held parts of the northern Syrian city. Rights groups and civilians trapped in opposition-held neighbourhoods in eastern Aleppo reacted critically to Russias plan, saying it does not guarantee safe passage or give residents a choice of where they flee to. Some residents fear the proposed corridors are intended to restore government control over parts of the city that have been in rebel hands since 2012. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said he was not consulted on the proposal, which was first announced Thursday by the Russian defence ministry. Thats our job, de Mistura said of the corridors plan at a press conference in Geneva. He expressed support in principle for humanitarian corridors, but said it must be under the right circumstances. How do you expect people to walk through a corridor thousands of them while there is shelling, bombing, fighting? de Mistura said. He said he is awaiting clarification from Russian authorities about the plan, noting the urgent situation in the city, wracked by devastating violence in recent months. The clock is ticking for the Aleppo population, he said. The UN says Aleppo is now possibly the largest besieged area in Syria, with an estimated 300,000 residents trapped inside. Robert Mardini, Middle East director for the International Committee for the Red Cross, said those who choose to stay in Aleppo must be protected and that all parties must allow humanitarian agencies to reach them. Humanitarian corridors need to be well and carefully planned, and have to be implemented with the consent of parties on all sides, Mardini said. He said he had no indication that all involved groups had agreed to the plan. With airstrikes on Aleppo continuing, the Russian proposal seems more like an effort to depopulate Aleppo City in preparation for concerted pro-regime ground operations to force the surrender of opposition groups within the city, the Institute for the Study of War said in a brief. Late night airstrikes in the city killed at least six people, the activist-run Aleppo Media Center said Friday. Osama Abo Elezz, a general surgeon from Aleppo who was stranded in Turkey because of the siege, said the idea of allowing people to evacuate the city offers a service to the regime and the Russians, and forces people to go to areas they dont want to go to. He said that if the UN allows residents to travel safely to other opposition held-areas, this could reassure people that it is safe to leave and would reduce casualty numbers. There were no reports of civilians using the corridors on Friday. Rebel fighters were forbidding people from using the Bustan al-Qasr crossing, in the north of the city out of fear for their safety, according to Khaled Khatib, a volunteer for the Civil Defence search-and-rescue brigade. He said civilians who leave the city risk being shot by government snipers or being detained because of their opposition sympathies. Also on Friday, in the neighbouring province of Idlib, the charity Save the Children said a maternity hospital it supports in the opposition-held area had been hit with three airstrikes. One struck the entrance, killing two men who were waiting for their wives who were delivering, said Abdulkarim Ekzayez, health co-ordinator at Save the Children International. He said reports from the hospital suggest six or seven people were injured, though he could not yet give precise figures. A lot of equipment, including incubators for newborns, was damaged. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said airstrikes in Kafr Takhareem village in Idlib hit a hospital and a centre for civil defence volunteers. The group said the hospital was damaged and there were initial reports of casualties. It said the hospital was no longer operational. The Observatory said an Islamist militant was believed to have been killed in the attack. Syrian state TV said government warplanes carried out an airstrike in the same area, also claiming it killed a senior Islamist militant without naming him. Amnesty International said the aerial attack appears to be part of a despicable pattern of unlawful attacks deliberately targeting medical facilities, which can amount to a war crime. Save the Children said the maternity hospital is the only such facility in the region, with the closest one about 70 kilometres away. Fridays attack comes after four hospitals and a blood bank in eastern Aleppo city were struck in aerial attacks last week. In other violence, activists said a U.S.-led coalition airstrike targeting a village in northern Syria held by Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL) killed 28 civilians, including seven children. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said coalition airstrikes hit the IS-held village of Al-Ghandour late Thursday. It said another 13 people were killed in the strikes, but that it was unclear if they were Daesh fighters or civilians. The international coalition had no immediate comment on the casualty figures. The bombings came a week after airstrikes, also blamed by Syrian activists on U.S. aircraft, killed at least 56 civilians in Daesh-held territory in northern Syria. Al-Ghandour is 24 kilometres northwest of the town of Manbij, a key hub in the extremist groups Syria network and a supply route to Daeshs de facto capital of Raqqa. The Manbij area has seen extensive battles between Daesh extremists and U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, who have been advancing under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition. The town is encircled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Activists said that Daesh militants recaptured the nearby village of al-Bouweir on Thursday and killed 24 civilians. Hamoud Almousa, a founding member of activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, said Daesh sought retribution from the village for not defending Islam when the SDF initially drove out Daesh earlier this summer. Read more about: SHARE: For the first time in a decade a committee of Parliament is examining how the nations primary environmental law, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), is working. What we are learning about CEPA is not good news. Despite Ottawas heavy financial investment over the first decade and a half of the 21st century in the screening, assessment, and management of existing chemicals in Canadian industry and commerce, aggregate emissions for the most harmful of them are rising. These include substances that cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, or are persistent (breakdown slowly in the environment), bioaccumulative (easily accumulate in organisms), or toxic. In short, these are the very substances the federal government has determined are the ones it wishes to control or prohibit under CEPA, when other federal or provincial measures are not adequate. By any benchmark, increases in emissions for substances like lead (up 125 per cent between 2006 and 2012), arsenic, or cadmium (up almost 85 per cent and 900 per cent, respectively, during the same period) are indicative of regulatory failure, not success. Moreover, we are not doing well when compared to our neighbours to the south when it comes to controlling releases of toxic substances common to both countries. For example, New Jersey is a jurisdiction some members of the chemical industry argue Ontario should be compared to because of a similar manufacturing and industrial-based economy. We agree. However, the comparison underscores whats wrong with Canadian laws. In 2013, Ontario released to air known or suspected carcinogens common to both Canada and the United States at a rate 18 times higher than New Jersey. Furthermore, there is a disturbing but not surprising correlation between attempts to engage in soft regulation (use of measures that are not legally binding) for certain industrial chemicals or sectors and the resulting soaring levels of releases of substances to the environment. Take cadmium, for example, and its 900-per-cent increase in Canada between 2006 and 2012. Despite cadmium being regarded as carcinogenic and posing reproductive and developmental problems, as well as exhibiting persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic characteristics, the approach of the federal government to controlling this substance consists of applying unenforceable guidelines, voluntary codes of practice, and self-regulating pollution prevention plans. Similarly, Ontarios policy of granting exemptions to companies, if not whole industrial sectors, from the requirements of the provinces primary air pollution control regulation may, not surprisingly, explain why Ontario had the fourth-highest level of releases to air of carcinogens out of 60 state and provincial jurisdictions in Canada and the United States in 2012. So whether we compare our record to other jurisdictions or just look at our own domestic situation, the picture is grim. What should Canadians demand in the face of this failure? We suggest as a start: 1. A federal law that is drafted with the recognition that releases of toxic substances are increasing, not decreasing, and reformed to reverse that trend by preventing pollution, protecting vulnerable populations, promoting safer, including non-chemical, alternatives, and enhancing the role of the public in the process; and 2. A provincial air pollution control regime that reverses the trend in making exemptions to its application the rule, rather than the exception. Our environmental laws need to be robust if they are to be a true last line of defence in protecting public health and the environment from exposure to toxic substances. Joseph F. Castrilli is a lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association in Toronto. SHARE: The six-year prison sentence handed to Const. James Forcillo delivers an extraordinary and necessary message: Misuse of police power will not go unpunished. And 18-year-old Sammy Yatims death will not be forgotten. Its hard to imagine this happening even a few years ago a police officer sentenced to jail for shooting an armed suspect while on duty. Yet the Thursday decision, by Ontario Superior Court Justice Edward Then, is precisely what Toronto residents and, indeed, all Canadians, needed to see. It comes at a time of grave concern, here and across North America, over excessive use of force by police. And it sends exactly the right signal. Then, quite rightly, found that police officers must be held to a higher standard than members of the public. They have a duty even to those they arrest and must use lethal force only as a last resort, after other de-escalation techniques have failed. Forcillo violated this standard when he abandoned his training and shot Yatim, on a Toronto streetcar three years ago, in a manner that was unreasonable, unnecessary and excessive, said Then. The circumstances of Yatims death were made starkly clear in videos of the tragedy. The youth, armed with a switchblade knife, appeared to be cornered on an empty streetcar by a large number of police. Forcillo was the only officer who opened fire, and did so in two volleys. His first three bullets knocked Yatim to the streetcar floor with fatal injuries. But Forcillo didnt stop there. As Yatim struggled in the grip of death the Toronto constable fired another six shots, hitting the teenager five more times. A jury cleared Forcillo in January of a second-degree murder charge in connection with the first volley, evidently accepting his claim of acting in self-defence. But it was far harder, indeed impossible, to excuse his second set of shots. The jury found Forcillo guilty of attempted murder, on grounds that he was clearly trying to kill someone who, at that point, posed no threat at all. Yatim was, in fact, beyond any help. In the matter of sentencing, the defence urged special consideration for Forcillo, arguing he had acted in excessive self-defence while carrying out his duties as a police officer. Attempted murder carries a five-year mandatory minimum sentence, but Forcillos lawyer urged Then to set this aside, on constitutional grounds, in favour of just two years of house arrest. That penalty would have been a shocking miscarriage of justice. Judge Then did well in rejecting this argument and imposing, instead, a significant jail term. Forcillos legal team has already filed notice to appeal his conviction. Like anyone else found guilty by a judge, he has a right to take this step. But it will be hard for his lawyers to overcome the powerful video evidence at the heart of this case and Thens adroit handling of the trial. Yatims death has already made a difference, heightening awareness of a need to better train police. The sentence levelled against Forcillo adds to that legacy. A six-year jail term for the man who killed him wont bring Sammy Yatim back. But it should make all rogue officers better understand that they risk significant punishment if they commit abuses. Such awareness may change behaviour and, perhaps, even avert a future tragedy. SHARE: Ottawa has done well in fast-tracking the retirement of older, less puncture-resistant, rail cars from the task of hauling crude oil. Its one less worry for the thousands of Canadians who live near a busy rail line. But there remains cause for concern. A runaway train, hauling 72 of these vulnerable cars, derailed in Lac-Megantic, Que., a little over three years ago and the resulting inferno killed 47 people. And while such cars will no longer be carrying crude, they will continue to transport other flammable liquids until 2025. The reality is that in this country we transport a huge amount by rail hundreds of billions of dollars worth a year, Transport Minister Marc Garneau told reporters earlier this week. And you cant do everything in one shot. Perhaps not. But it is possible to do better than expected. Federal officials proved that by successfully pulling the old, less-robust DOT-111 tanker cars from crude oil duty months earlier than expected. According to Ottawas original plan, DOT-111 cars with built-in layers of thermal protection were supposed to quit hauling crude by March 2018. And cars without thermal layers were scheduled to stop next spring. But Garneau was able to announce that both versions will no longer be transporting crude as of Nov. 1. That includes DOT-111 cars originating in the United States, which wouldnt be allowed across the border. Crude oil must, instead, be shipped in more robust TC-117 tank cars. Garneau said about 28,000 of the older DOT-111 cars are currently in use, running between Canada and the United States. And its worrisome that other flammable chemicals will continue to be shipped in these aging tankers. Given their success in removing crude oil from DOT-111s, federal transport officials should make every effort to hasten elimination of all flammable cargo from these vulnerable tankers. Another nine years seems too long to wait. A good way to proceed would be to list all flammable materials, in order of the most hazardous, and gradually ban each from DOT-111s, starting with the most volatile. Theres no denying that solid improvements have been made to rail safety in the wake of the Lac-Megantic tragedy. But more needs to be done. On July 6, the third anniversary of the catastrophe, this stricken communitys residents renewed their call for the building of a bypass line that would route trains away from the centre of their town. Its estimated such a detour would cost $115 million but, given the trauma endured by Lac-Megantic, that doesnt seem too heavy a price to pay. One can only imagine the scope of the disaster had a similar derailment happened in the heart of a large city. Thats why more effort should be made to find alternate routes for shipping dangerous material still being routed through densely populated areas. Furthermore, the rail industry should be required to share more information with residents about the type and amount of hazardous goods rolling through their community. Carriers are currently required to tell a municipalitys first-responders about dangerous material being shipped through their jurisdiction. Such information is shared on a strictly confidential basis, so that police, firefighters and medical officials can better plan for a possible disaster. But residents living near rail lines some with toxic goods routinely passing just metres from their backyard also deserve to be better informed. If they ask, they should be provided a good general idea of whats moving through their neighbourhood. When vulnerable DOT-111 tanker cars have entirely stopped shipping flammable material, and additional rail safety steps have been undertaken, federal officials will truly be able to say theyve done all they can to avoid a repetition of Lac-Megantic. Until that happens, however, their job remains incomplete, leaving people to understandably wonder if theyre receiving maximum protection. SHARE: Re: This comic was For Worse, July 20 This comic was For Worse, July 20 I read Kimberley Stanburys letter, and I certainly understand her concern. However, as the story progressed, it showed the full event. The story line was young boys doing something unethical and illegal, and then being caught and punished. It did not in any way condone, excuse, encourage or promote the behaviour, and it clearly demonstrated that the action was not acceptable. I congratulate the Star for this kind of message. Colin Kemp-Jackson, Etobicoke I guess reader Kimberley Stanbury, who was critical of the Star for the recent For Better For Worse strip, is not aware that the comic is drawn by Lynn Johnston, a female. I would suggest that Stanbury continue to read the strip. Past history of the strip shows that miscreant behaviour usually gets its just reward a few panels later. Robert Drummond, Exeter Kimberley Stanbury complained about young boys in Lynn Johnsons comic For Better or Worse watching a young lady in her bedroom from a tree. The young boys are basically stalking a lady, objectifying her and subjecting her to unwanted (and unknown!) sexual attention. That is not, and never should be, a punchline. Get a grip, eh? Yes, the boys were peeping toms, and yes, what they did was wrong. Which is why Ms Johnsons punchline in a subsequent panel has the lady catching them in the act, and nabbing one of them as they tried to escape. Stay tuned, Michaels punishment is yet to follow. Alan Pellettier, Scarborough I was shocked and angered by Kimberley Stanburys shock and anger in her letter. Lynn Johnson wrote this strip a generation ago in a real time-line. Michael and Elizabeth grew up with the years and times, right up to them getting married with kids. Lynn Johnson always hit the nail on the head with her moral stories. Kimberley may not know any 10-year-old boys and may be one of the dissenters of the new education curriculum, but name one 10-year-old boy who isnt interested in looking at an older girl. Michael is being excoriated in todays strip. Leave For Better or For Worse alone! I am enjoying it now as much as I did 20 years ago because it is so true to life, now as a generation ago. Virginia Stoymenoff, Toronto SHARE: Re: Victim wins right to sue T.O. police, July 22 Victim wins right to sue T.O. police, July 22 So, let me see if I get this right. A gang member in the Malvern section of Scarborough shoots the wrong person in a drive-by shooting. The Toronto Police Service has had the gang member under surveillance resulting from his suspected criminal activities. The police failed to notify possible victims (i.e. young black males) who live in the area where previous drive-by shootings have occurred, that they may be possible targets. The victims sues the police and, second time round, the judge in certifying the lawsuit rules that the victim and others living in the area had the right to expect the police to arrest the suspect before he commits another drive-by shooting. Really? What a weird and wacky world we live in where we actually graduate people from law school who are capable of thinking things up like this and judges who actually support it. And of course the victims lawyer hopes the Toronto Police Service doesnt appeal the decision because he wants his 30 per cent of any settlement. As a taxpayer I hope the TPS appeals this case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada rather than surrendering to this type of legal lunacy. Curt Shalapata, Oshawa The case Kofi Patrong makes is that the police should have known he would be at a high risk of being targeted by now-convicted murderer Tyshan Riley. I guess now the police have to be fortune tellers and know who gang members are going to shoot the next day. If the police had arrested the shooter on some pretext or assumptions, he would have been back on the street within 12 hours. Oh and then they would have gotten a lawyer to sue the police for carding, unlawful arrest or for being racist. Seeing how some cases have come down lately by incompetent judges rulings, he may win this suit. Yes he wishes they would stop with the delays so his mother can retire. I guess if you get $9 million you can afford to. The cops are damned if they do and damned if they dont. This is just another frivolous money grab and loved by his lawyers. W. Arsenault, Napanee SHARE: AB InBev (BUD) has announced the last major antitrust clearance for its tie-up with SABMiller (SBMRY) , which it's still aiming to close in the second half after raising its offer earlier this week. The Leuven, Belgium-based maker of Bud Light, Budweiser and Beck's on Friday said it received conditional approval from China's Ministry of Commerce known as Mofcom based on its agreement to sell SABMiller's 49% stake in China Resources Snow Breweries to its joint venture partner, China Resources Beer. That deal, worth $1.6 billion, was agreed in March, one of several asset sales AB InBev embarked on early on in the process to stave off any antitrust turbulence. The strategy paid off, including with watchdogs in Brussels, Washington and South Africa, all of whom have also given the conditional green light for the beer industry's biggest-ever tie-up. Mofcom's approval "is a significant milestone for this transaction," meaning that all pre-conditions for the proposed deal have now been satisfied, AB InBev CEO Carlos Brito said on an afternoon conference call. He also reiterated the company' s objective of closing the deal this year. SABMiller's board has yet to issue a verdict on AB InBev's revised offer, which it insists is "final." AB InBev on Tuesday raised its offer to 79 billion ($104.21 billion) from 73 billion agreed last year. The higher offer, prompted by pressure from activist investors amid the falling British currency, was thrown into question on Thursday as SABMiller pressed the pause button on deal integration that started months ago to consider its next move. AB InBev shares rose steadily throughout the day, and were up 2.90% in afternoon trading on the Brussels Euronext exchange at 113.45, for a market value of around 182.5 billion ($203.65 billion). SABMiller shares were 1.82% higher in London at 4,402.50 pence, putting its market capitalization at around 71.25 billion ($94.27 billion). SABMiller shares are trading below the increased tab of 4,550 pence a share in cash. The revised offer would also entitle shareholders who choose to be paid in cash and stocks 4,655.80 pence in cash for each SABMiller share held rather than the 3,778.80 pence a share offered in November, and 0.483969 restricted shares as before. SABMiller has not disclosed when its board plans to issue a decision on the latest offer. AB InBev's continued confidence in getting the deal done overshadowed lower than expected quarterly results released on Friday. Normalized Ebitda rose 4.3% to $4.01 billion, undershooting the $4.13 billion projected in a Reuters consensus forecast. The company said top-line growth was partly offset by investments in brands, which was weighted towards the first half of the year. Total volumes declined by 1.7% in the second quarter, as weaknesses in Brazil and Argentina overshadowed good results in Mexico and the U.S. AB InBev also lowered its 2016 guidance for Brazil, where it now expects net revenue to be flat compared to last year, compared with a previous forecast of net revenue growth in the mid to high single digits. It blamed a weak consumer environment and the increased mix of returnable glass bottles, which boost Ebitda but reduce net revenue on a per hectoliter basis. In China, while industry volumes remain under pressure, AB InBev said its own volumes continue to do better than average, which it sees continuing amid its focus on premium and super premium brands. Among industry peers due to report results in coming weeks, Heineken (HEINY) of the Netherlands should see a strong performance in Mexico and western Europe partly offset by a softer Brazil, while Carlsberg (CABGY) of Denmark is expected to report Russia beer volumes down in the mid-single digits, according to analysts at Credit Suisse. Heineken is due to report results on Aug. 1 and Carlsberg on Aug. 17. AB InBev and SABMiller are the world's No. 1 and No. 2 brewers, respectively, followed by Heineken, Carlsberg and Snow. A combined ABInBev-SABMiller would sell one out of three beers on the planet and hold about half the global beer profit pool. Shares of Abbvie (ABBV) saw a pop Friday morning after the drug discovery company announced better-than-expected second quarter results, highlighting the impact of arthritis drug Humira on its earnings. The company's shares hit a high of $66.37 Friday morning, and traded at $65.89 midday, up almost 2% from its open. Abbvie posted EPS of $1.26, up 6 cents from The Street estimates. Revenues also surpassed consensus estimates, coming in at $6.45 billion, as compared to projected $6.2 billion. Global Humira sales increased by 17.4%, while in the U.S. sales of the drug increased by about 20%. In October the company launched a plan to take on biosimilars to the drug, which is used to treat psoriatic arthritis, spondylitis and Crohn's disease. The company's CEO Richard Gonzalez pledged to take on competitors developing biosimilars, like Samsung's Bioepis, in court. This is likely because Abbvie relies heavily on the drug for revenues, and viable biosimilars would shake its hold on the market for the injectible drug. "We're now in the very active phase of litigation on Humira biosimilars - can't do play by play or something like that," said Gonzalez during the company's Friday conference call. Another drug of interest could be Abbvie's hepatitis C drug, which is currently in clinical trials. The drug is expected to take up some of Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BMY) market share of treatment for the disease, which Bristol highlighted during its July 28 earnings call. Interestingly, though, the two companies have set up a partnership on another disease indication - oncology. The two announced that they would collaborate on Abbvie's Rova-T and Bristol's Opdivo, both of which could be used to treat small cell lung cancer in combination with one another. This partnership was announced on July 25. Abbvie also provided insight into its M&A strategy during the call. Abbvie announced that it will acquire Stemcentrx Inc. from Fidelity Investments, PayPal (PYPL) , Founders Fund LLC, Sequoia Capital LLP and Elon Musk for $5.8 billion in a cash and stock deal on April 28. The company noted during its earnings call that this acquisition will allow it to build out its solid tumor drug offerings. Abbvie also worked to build out its hematologic oncology division through its 2014 acquisition of Pharmacyclics Inc. "When we made the decision that the core future growth franchise would be oncology, to try to build leadership positions," Gonzalez said during the company's call, referring to its Pharmacyclics acquisition. "Specifically, we started with hematological oncology based on our assets." He added that the company expects to bring forward innovative therapies in 60% of the hematologic oncology market. Abbvie was actively looking for targets within the solid tumor space as well when it came to the decision to acquire Stemcentrx. According to Gonzalez, the company likely won't look to acquire another completely new platform, but could add assets to either its hematologic cancer division or its solid tumor division. "Having said that, if we found unique opportunities in the acute leukemia side, a drug that we thought was particularly attractive, we would pursue that kind of an asset," Gonzalez said druing the call. "From a platform standpoint we feel very good about what we have." Abbvie has a market cap of $110.7 billion. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Apple (AAPL) are falling 0.21% to $104.12 this afternoon after the company said that the U.S. Supreme Court should rule against competitor Samsung (SSNLF) in a patent dispute from nearly five years ago, Reuters reports. In the spring of 2011, Apple opened a lawsuit against Samsung about technology patents, and in 2012 the courts ruled in favor of Apple. Samsung has since paid the company $548 million in settlements over the case, according to BGR. Samsung is now appealing the damages, saying that there is "no evidence" that design patent damages should be decided on anything less than the value of an entire smartphone. Apple said today that there is no reason for the Supreme Court to send the case back to lower courts for further proceedings. (Apple is a core holding of Jim Cramer's charitable trust Action Alerts PLUS. See all of his holding with a free trial here.) Separately, TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author. TheStreet Ratings rated this stock as a "buy" with a ratings score of B. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, expanding profit margins and notable return on equity. We feel its strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself. You can view the full analysis from the report here: AAPL Background: Colima volcano is one of the most active in North America and one of the potentially most dangerous ones. It has had more than 30 periods of eruptions since 1585, including several significant eruptions in the late 1990s. Scientific monitoring of the volcano began 20 years ago.The Colima volcanic complex is the most prominent volcanic center of the western Mexican Volcanic Belt. It consists of two southward-younging volcanoes, Nevado de Colima (the 4320 m high point of the complex) on the north and the 3850-m-high historically active Volcan de Colima at the south.A group of cinder cones of probable late-Pleistocene age is located on the floor of the Colima graben west and east of the Colima complex. Volcan de Colima (also known as Volcan Fuego) is a youthful stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera, breached to the south, that has been the source of large debris avalanches. Major slope failures have occurred repeatedly from both the Nevado and Colima cones, and have produced a thick apron of debris-avalanche deposits on three sides of the complex. Frequent historical eruptions date back to the 16th century. Occasional major explosive eruptions (most recently in 1913) have destroyed the summit and left a deep, steep-sided crater that was slowly refilled and then overtopped by lava dome growth.--- James Alan McPherson, an author of widely anthologized short stories and essays that both explored and transcended black experiences in America, and who in 1978 became the first black author to receive the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, died July 27 at a hospice center in Iowa City. He was 72. The cause was complications from pneumonia, said his daughter, Rachel McPherson. Mr. McPhersons life took him from segregated Georgia, where he grew up in poverty as the son of an alcoholic father, to Harvard Law School during the social upheaval of the 1960s. Uninspired by the legal profession, he became a writer and for a time was mentored by Ralph Ellison, author of Invisible Man (1952). Mr. McPherson often seemed ambivalent about the many honors bestowed on him and the celebrity that accompanied them. He published no book for 20 years after the announcement of his Pulitzer for his 1977 collection Elbow Room and spent the final decades of his life in self-imposed exile from the South as a professor at the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop. From the outset, he showed extraordinary promise. His first published short story, Gold Coast, appeared in the Atlantic Monthly the year Mr. McPherson turned 25. It centered on a young black aspiring writer and his interactions with the residents of the apartment building where he worked as a janitor. Decades later, John Updike, the Pulitzer-winning novelist, selected it for inclusion in the tome The Best American Short Stories of the Century. Mr. McPhersons first book-length volume of short stories, Hue and Cry (1968), presented moving portraits of fully realized characters a Pullman porter, a Black Power activist, a jazz musician. It is my hope that this collection of stories can be read as a book about people, all kinds of people, Mr. McPherson once said, according to the reference guide Contemporary Biography. Certain of these people happen to be black, and certain of them happen to be white; but I have tried to keep the color part of most of them far in the background, where these things should rightly be kept. A Guggenheim fellowship followed. Then came Mr. McPhersons second book, Elbow Room, a collection of 12 stories situated, the book cover billed, on the borderline between black and white America. Mr. McPherson was not the first black writer to receive the Pulitzer; Gwendolyn Brooks received the award for poetry for her collection Annie Allen in 1950. (Alice Walker became the first black woman to win the prize for fiction, in recognition of her 1982 novel The Color Purple.) For Mr. McPherson, the award for his story collection was not an entirely happy event. Did you ever notice that when an author wins, hes forever after referred to as Pulitzer Prize-winning author X? he told Newsday in 1998. The mention of the prize always comes first, as if the prize itself means more than you do. Its all part of the media ritual that I hate. They take away someones life and then feed on it. After the Pulitzer, Mr. McPherson dedicated himself to teaching, rarely speaking to reporters. The Chicago Tribune once described him as only slightly more gregarious than J.D. Salinger, the reclusive author of the 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. In 1981, Mr. McPherson received a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, commonly known as a genius grant, in the amount of $192,000 over five years with no strings attached. By then he had been divorced from his wife, and he said he used the money mainly for airfare to visit his daughter. He reemerged as a writer in 1998 with a memoir, Crabcakes. The book focused largely on his relationship with an elderly couple in Baltimore for whom he bought a house so that they would not be evicted. It also explored his sojourn in Japan, where, he wrote, he went to lay down the burden carried by all black Americans, especially the males. Those around us, depending on their fears or on their perversities, or even on their passing moods of the day, have the capacity to distort our most basic of human gestures into something incomprehensible in human terms, he wrote. In 2000, he published his final volume, a collection of essays titled A Region Not Home: Reflections From Exile probing topics such as racism, materialism and conformity to alienation. Essayist Phillip Lopate, reviewing the book in the New York Times, described Mr. McPherson as one of the genres most serious, engaging practitioners. James Allen McPherson Jr. he later changed his middle name to Alan to differentiate himself from his father was born in Savannah, Ga., on Sept. 16, 1943. He found refuge from the struggles of day-to-day life in a segregated library. In 1965, Mr. McPherson received a bachelors degree in English and history from Morris Brown College, a historically black institution in Atlanta. He then enrolled in Harvard University, where he received a law degree in 1968, making ends meet as a train worker and a janitor. In 1971, he received a master of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop. Although he did not pursue legal practice as a career, he did marshal his legal training for his writing. In 1972, he wrote an article for the Atlantic exposing discriminatory and exploitative real estate practices targeted at black home buyers in Chicago. Journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates revisited the topic in The Case for Reparations, his widely read 2014 article in the Atlantic. Mr. McPherson was a professor at the University of Virginia before joining the faculty of the Iowa Writers Workshop in 1981, where he remained until his retirement in 2014. His marriage to Sarah Charlton ended in divorce. Survivors include their daughter, Rachel McPherson of Iowa City; a son from another relationship, Benjamin Miyamoto of Los Angeles; a sister; and a brother. Decades after it was published, Mr. McPhersons Pulitzer-winning book retained an enduring resonance. In 2004, the American fiction writer ZZ Packer cited Elbow Room among the books that had changed her. It wasnt trying to represent black America in a particular way, she told the Sun Herald of Sydney. Its a book of short stories about the lives of African-Americans and its very intimate, although it opens out and gives you a greater sense of what it means to be human. . . . You had writers who were proud to be black and there was this sense of wanting to show white America that great works of art could be produced. But with McPherson there wasnt this burden of needing to perform. Jo Jong-man, After Securing Arms, 1968, ink on rice paper, on view at the American University Museum. (Jo Jong-man/American University Museum) Joseph Stalin would have instantly understood the images in Contemporary North Korean Art: The Evolution of Socialist Realism. But so would have Norman Rockwell. Although the American University Museum show is the first exhibition of such artwork in the United States, much of it is as recognizable as old-fashioned magazine-illustration realism, albeit on an epic scale. Paired with one of recent South Korean art, the exhibition features ink-on-rice-paper painting produced by a government-run art studio, reportedly the worlds largest such venture. The level of skill is as high as the stylistic variation is low. Included are some nature pictures in a mode thats more traditionally Korean, which is to say, Chinese. But more of the paintings depict the heroism and resolve of grouped soldiers, workers or peasants. There are lone protagonists, such as a man on horseback jumping a missing section of a bridge. (It looks like a storyboard from Fast and Furious: Pyongyang Drift.) Theres also an impressive tiger headed straight at the viewer, revealing the influence of cinema on this supercharged version of traditional Korean chosonhwa. A documentary screened last month at AFI Docs, Under the Sun, observes a North Korean girls training in the art of propaganda. She and fellow students ritually honor medal-bedecked war veterans, and live in the shadows of giant renderings of dictator Kim Jong Un and his father and grandfather. Although the Kims dont appear in this selection, their regimes veneration of the military is clearly evident. The two largest pictures are panoramas of collective action, executed collectively. So vast and detailed that they required multiple artists, they depict dramatic scenes such as the rescue of sailors whose boat is about to be swamped by a violent ocean. The vignette might not be intentionally metaphorical, but it could represent isolated North Korea in a sea of hostility. No wonder theres no allowance for artistic individuality. In such an ideological tempest, anyone who goes it alone is sure to drown. The art in South Korea: Examining Life Through Social Realities is also sort of familiar, but in a different way. The 10-person show includes portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Audrey Hepburn, as well as sleek black-fiberglass nudes who would be at home anywhere people watch anime and shop at fast-fashion chains. Rather than battle the West, this Korea has bought in. The contributors forgo abstraction but only a few are realists in the usual sense. Theres a surreal vibe to such highlights as Lee Jin-jus large tableaux, which simultaneously depict indoor and outdoor, above and below ground, animals, humans and machines. Equally complex and strange is Lee Eun-sils Confrontation, with its two naked and sexually ambiguous figures. Kang Hyung-koos photorealist Lincoln, 2013, oil on canvas. (Kang Hyung-koo/American University Museum) Kang Hyung-koos photorealist Hepburn and Lincoln are conventional save for their weirdly shiny, reflective eyes. Byun Dae-yongs fiberglass 3-D pinups include touches that are odd yet hardly ominous. One of them strides through a pool of water, but not to worry. Being swept under in a small blob of baby-blue fiberglass is about as likely as drowning inside a Warhol soup can. Theres also a pop-art flourish in the museums The Looking Glass: Artist Immigrants of Washington, which showcases 10 local artists with roots in Latin America. Ric Garcia updates Warhol by crisply and colorfully portraying edible products for the Latin market, with labels far funkier than any designed for Brillo or Campbells. Among the other works are sculpture and installation, with political content that includes F. Lennox Campellos anti-Castro drawings and Carolina Mayorgas video of a gagged waitress. The most traditional are the handsome wood blocks and linocuts on immigration themes of Uruguay-bred Naul Ojeda, who lived in Washington from the late 1970s to his 2002 death. There are large, striking pieces by Irene Clouthier, whose paper airplanes hang above the entrance, and by Joan Belmar, whose circular plastic-cup assemblage bends around a corner. Frida Larioss boldly stylized picto-glyphs are derived from Central American folklore, and yet sometimes rendered in vinyl. Theyre simultaneously mythic and as modern as a can of Goya black bean soup. Contemporary North Korean Art: The Evolution of Socialist Realism; South Korea: Examining Life Through Social Realities; and The Looking Glass: Artist Immigrants of Washington On view through Aug. 14 at American University Museum, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. american.edu/museum. Martine Workmans Prince, food at Civilian Art Projects. (Martine Workman/Civilian Art Projects) An untitled piece by Nilay Lawson at Civilian Art Projects. (Nilay Lawson/Civilian Art Projects) Prince and Other Departed Legends Prince and David Bowie are the most represented figures in Civilian Art Projects current show, which pays tribute to the musicians and a few others. Prince and Other Departed Legends also makes room for Kurt Cobain (in Chinedu Felix Osuchukwus massive expressionist oil), as well as John Lennon and Bruce Lee (both in painted prints by Sargent-Thamm, a collaborative duo). Most of the 21 contributors are current or former Washingtonians, and so are two of the subjects: Chuck Brown (photographed by Antonia Tricario) and Marvin Gaye (also by Sargent-Thamm). If a lot of the contributions look like commercial art, thats because they want to be, or are based on it. Photos from posters and album covers are reworked and transplanted, mostly to drawings and prints, but also to video and apparel, including Joseph Orzals Purple Raincoat. The show resulted mostly from an open call, but the gallery also solicited a few pieces, notably one of Dan Tagues trademark prints of a dollar bill that has been folded to yield a new populist slogan. This one reads, of course, we can be heroes. Prince and Other Departed Legends On view through Aug. 6 at Civilian Art Projects, 4718 14th St. NW. 202-607-3804. civilianartprojects.com. Luckman Ahmads Journey of Death at Jerusalem Fund Gallery Al Quds. (Luckman Ahmad/Jerusalem Fund Gallery Al Quds) Forbidden Colors Black, red, green and white the hues of the Palestinian flag are the Forbidden Colors that inspired the current show at the Jerusalem Fund Gallery Al Quds. The reference, a gallery note explains, is to an Israeli law that once prohibited political art that flew the standards colors. (The ban was lifted after the 1993 signing of the Oslo Accords.) The work is by 33 artists, and varies as widely in quality and sophistication as Civilians rock-legend show. A few puckish entries render the flag, or its colors, in found objects: Rajie Cook uses painted cat-food cans, while Andrew Courtneys photograph arranges eggplant, tomatoes, peppers and cauliflower. Helen Zughaib partly conceals the hues behind a decorative screen, a motif in her work that also represents the seclusion of women in traditional societies. Its a reminder that oppression can come from within as well as without. Forbidden Colors On view through Aug. 12 at the Jerusalem Fund Gallery Al Quds, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW. 202-338-1958. thejerusalemfund/gallery. Antwon Pitt completed his two-year sentence for robbery at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida. While there, staff said, he repeatedly exposed himself, masturbated and made threats of rape. Pictured are Jose Rojas, the president of the union of Coleman corrections officers; Lisa Ward, a Coleman corrections officer, center; and Kaley LaVeigne, a former Coleman nurse. (Melissa Lyttle/For The Washington Post) SECOND-CHANCE CITY | This is the second of a continuing series that will examine issues related to repeat violent offenders in the District of Columbia. Part I | Part III | Part IV| Part V | Part VI Within a cellblock reserved for problem inmates at the nations largest federal prison complex, Antwon Pitt became known as a sexual menace. The violent offender from D.C., now 22, habitually dropped his pants, exposed his penis and masturbated when anyone passed by his cell, according to detailed accounts from 10 prison staffers. A male corrections officer said Pitt exposed himself and demanded oral sex. A female officer said Pitt called her a bitch and explicitly told her how he would rape her. A prison nurse said he feigned chest pain to get her attention and then pulled out his penis and began to masturbate while lying on the exam table. One time, he was so disobedient and violent that a team of officers had to subdue him with pepper spray while outfitted in helmets and gas masks. Pitt, then 21, is seen in October 2015 after being arrested in Prince Georges County for raping a D.C. woman in her Hill East home. (Courtesy of the Prince Georges County State's Attorney's Office) I will kill all of you. Bring it on, motherf---ers, the 6-4, 220-pound inmate said during the incident in January 2015, according to one of the officers present who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job. Yet Pitt was not prosecuted, despite nine referrals to the FBI. Instead, he was released last summer from the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex after having completed his two-year sentence for robbing a D.C. woman. Two months after Pitt returned to the District, federal officials lost track of him after he cut off his GPS bracelet. He was arrested two days later on drug charges, but a D.C. magistrate judge released him without knowing the details of his time in prison. Within days, a woman in Northeast D.C. awoke to find a man in her bedroom. He stole her purse and cellphone and fled. A week later, Pitt raped a 40-year-old college professor in her home in the Hill East neighborhood of Southeast Washington. Pitt was convicted of the rape charge in June of this year; the burglary charge is pending. They dropped the ball here, said Lisa Ward, a veteran Federal Bureau of Prisons corrections officer at Coleman. And those women in D.C. paid for it. A spokeswoman for the FBIs Jacksonville office confirmed that the agency conducted a thorough investigation into the allegations against Antwon Pitt and provided the findings to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida. She declined to discuss those findings. The U.S. attorneys office declined to comment. It is unclear whether details of the FBI investigation were communicated by the Bureau of Prisons to the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA), the federal agency responsible for supervising D.C. parolees. The Bureau of Prisons said it provides progress reports on offenders to CSOSA, which typically include disciplinary records and summarize an inmates adjustment during confinement, but did not elaborate on what was contained in Pitts report. CSOSA, citing federal privacy laws, declined to answer questions about Pitts time in prison. We have to rely on the information thats shared with us, said Nancy Ware, the director of CSOSA, refusing to elaborate. The Washington Post previously reported that CSOSA waited 15 days after losing contact with Pitt to request a warrant for his arrest for violating the terms of his release. Interviews with federal corrections officers and staffers, along with a review of Bureau of Prisons documents, law enforcement records and a pre-sentencing report obtained by The Post, paint a picture of a disturbed young man with a long history of sexual violence who was repeatedly given breaks by the system. Pitts attorney, Judith Pipe of the Public Defender Service, declined to comment. At Coleman, eight federal corrections officers and two nurses told The Post that they repeatedly documented crimes Pitt committed in the Florida federal prison. They said they believed Pitt should have had his sentence extended or, at a minimum, been classified as a sex offender. From April 2014 to July 2015, he accumulated 20 documented sexual offenses at Coleman, according to a review of disciplinary reports a figure that officers say is excessive for young offenders serving such short sentences. They need to get more time, Ward said. And they need to be classified as sex offenders. Maybe if he had been a sex offender, they would have taken him seriously in D.C. when he cut off his GPS bracelet. The road to prison Pitt had a history of violence including robbery, battery and aggravated assault known to judges, prosecutors and area law enforcement. The Post previously chronicled Pitts lengthy journey through the D.C. criminal justice system, where multiple agencies had an opportunity to stop Pitt in the weeks preceding the October rape. Documents newly obtained by The Post reveal that Pitt had an even more extensive criminal history than previously reported, displaying violent and sexually deviant behavior for years prior to the rape. His mother said that when he was just 5 years old, he and a classmate roughed up an elementary school teacher, according to a pre-sentencing report authored by CSOSA. His mother also said that Pitt committed sexually inappropriate acts toward her and his younger sister, the report said. At 11, he was taken from his home and placed under the watch of the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency, which supervises foster care in the city. Pitt later told a court-appointed psychologist that he was removed from his mothers home after she became an alcoholic. But Pitts mother told an investigator that she only began drinking to cope with the pain and the shame brought on by her sons sexual misconduct. He was placed in foster care homes, but problems occurred because of his violent tendencies, the report said. Pitt, 14, was moved to a live-in treatment facility for troubled youths in Portsmouth, Va. Portsmouth police were called to the facility in 2009, when Pitt was 15. He was accused of raping a boy and forcing him to perform oral sex. The case was closed after the victim changed his story, according to records obtained by The Post. In 2010, Pitt was accused of assaulting staffers at the facility. One worker tried to restrain Pitt on the floor, and Pitt punched the worker in the eye, the police report said. Two weeks later, police were called on a report that Pitt was threatening an employee, whom he struck in the face. In 2011, when Pitt was 17, he was again accused of sexual assault, this time within a classroom at the Portsmouth facility. The victim was approached by the suspect and threatened that if the victim did not give anal and oral sex the victim would get beat up by the suspect and his friend, according to a police report. The suspect then forced the victim to pull his pants down. The suspect then sodomized the victim and then forced the victim to give the suspect oral sex. Pitt was not prosecuted for any charges in Portsmouth. Tamara Shewmake, a spokeswoman for the Portsmouth Commonwealths Attorneys Office, said in a statement that the Pitt investigations were handled by a previous administration and that the current office would not be able to respond on the actions or decisions of the previous Administration. Pitt was removed from the Virginia facility in 2011 and sent to a live-in treatment facility in Georgia. Several weeks later, he took a metal chair and slammed it over the head of a fellow resident, who ended up in the hospital. Pitt pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and battery. He spent nearly a year in jail in Georgia and then was released in October 2012. Back in the District, within a span of several months, he racked up five minor arrests on complaints including shoplifting and making threats. Then in July 2013, Pitt, armed with a BB gun, slammed a woman to the ground on her doorstep and robbed her. Later, he bit a D.C. police officer who tackled him. Pitt pleaded guilty to felony robbery and misdemeanor assault of a police officer. By all accounts, the defendant appears to be a severely troubled individual and is a grave risk to the community, the author of the pre-sentencing report stated and recommended 24 to 66 months of incarceration. D.C. Superior Court Judge Heidi Pasichow sentenced Pitt to 24 months in prison under the Districts Youth Rehabilitation Act, which allows deserving offenders younger than 22 to later remove their crimes from public records. Pasichow, through a courts spokeswoman, declined to comment on Pitts case, citing the judicial code that prohibits comments that could affect the fairness of ongoing proceedings. Pitt eventually was transferred to the high-security Coleman facility, where he would serve out the bulk of his time. Corrections officer Lisa Ward patrols the specialized housing unit of Coleman I, one of two high-security penitentiaries at Coleman. She said that when Pitt was an inmate there, he masturbated in front of her and told her how he would rape her. (Melissa Lyttle/For The Washington Post) Youre disgusting Built in 1995, the Coleman prison complex lies in rural central Florida about an hour outside of Orlando with Spanish moss hanging from oak trees and sandhill cranes on the property. It houses more than 7,000 inmates in a mix of facilities, including low- and medium-security institutions and two high-security penitentiaries: Coleman I and Coleman II. They are called Pen 1 and Pen 2 by corrections officers. Within Coleman II, famed Boston mobster James Whitey Bulger is serving out a life sentence. Corrections officer Lisa Ward patrols the specialized housing unit of Pen 1 a designated area for inmates who act out or have other issues. She has earned the nickname Red because of her auburn hair and fierce demeanor. The 53-year-old has worked at Coleman for nearly 21 years. Like almost all female officers there, the 5-foot-6-inch Ward wears a heavy, black smock to hide any hint of curves on her 160-pound frame. She also wears a diamond ring on her left ring finger, even though she is not married. She thought the ring might deter prisoners from targeting her with sexual taunts. When Pitt entered Coleman I on April 15, 2014, he was placed in the specialized housing unit a unit that can accommodate more than 190 inmates if needed. The walls are off-white and made of concrete, and the floors are gray. Cells are 8 feet by 10 feet wide and can hold one or two prisoners. When officers walk by, they can peer into a small cell window six inches tall and two feet wide. On June 30, 2014, Ward was doing a prisoner count when she got to Pitts cell just past 10 p.m. She said he stood up and began to stroke his penis. He described how he would rape her and called her a bitch. Im old enough to be your mother, she said she told him. Youre disgusting. Ward wrote up the incident in a disciplinary report. A few weeks later, a hearing officer found him guilty of committing a 205 prison code for engaging in sexual acts, which falls in the high security risk category. Inmates are sanctioned by losing credit toward early release for good behavior or personal privileges, including email access, phone calls and visits. Their personal property can also be impounded. Pitt had already accumulated more than 20 disciplinary offenses at Coleman, including assault, fighting with inmates, refusing to obey orders, destroying property, engaging in sexual acts and self-mutilation. As the offenses piled up, prison officials stripped away Pitts good time credit, recreational hours, email privileges and commissary money. Eventually, officials ran out of sanctions for him. In late 2014, Ward said, an FBI agent traveled to Coleman and interviewed her in the wardens conference room. Ward named the agent, but at the request of the FBI, The Post agreed not to publish his name. Ward recalled that the agent told her that the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida was planning to prosecute Pitt for his sexual exposure and masturbation directed at prison staff. The agent said that Pitt could get up to six months for each sexual misconduct incident, which could add 10 years to his sentence, Ward recalled. She said she never heard from him after that visit. FBI spokeswoman Amanda Warford Videll declined a request to interview the agent but confirmed the existence of the investigation. The FBI completed the investigation on Dec. 8, 2014, and provided the findings to the USAO, she said. Prosecutors also declined to comment. Ward is one of more than 400 female corrections workers at Coleman who are plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the Bureau of Prisons alleging that rampant sexual harassment by inmates at the Florida institution has gone unpunished for years, putting the public and prison staffers at risk. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission case is set for a hearing in August in front of an administrative judge in Miami. A spokesman from the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the litigation. Heidi Burakiewicz, a D.C.-based lawyer, is leading the lawsuit. She said Pitts case is an example of a learned culture at Coleman that inmates can get away with sexual harassment. Everybody at Coleman knew this guy was a danger. It was not a surprise to see that this was what happened when he was released from prison, she said. If were trying to rehabilitate people while theyre incarcerated, this is a perfect example of no steps being taken. While working at Coleman, registered nurse Kaley LaVeigne would distribute medication and check on inmates. She said Pitt threatened to rape her and exposed himself to her. LaVeigne said she recently resigned from the prison. (Melissa Lyttle/For The Washington Post) It was a game to him On the morning of July 2, 2014, less than 36 hours after Pitt allegedly exposed himself to Ward, registered nurse Kaley LaVeigne made her rounds at the specialized housing unit. She walked from cell to cell to distribute medication and check on inmates. We do our sick call every day, she recently told The Post. We call out to them. They hear our voices, and they know when were coming. When LaVeigne approached Pitts cell at 7:35 a.m., she said, he went to his door, holding his erect penis as he began to masturbate. She ordered him to stop. F--- that bitch, he said, according to documentation from the incident. He then gave a sick note to LaVeigne slipping it under the door and continued to masturbate. He did this every day. He would wait for any females to walk by his cell, she said. It was a game to him. LaVeigne said Pitt would get other inmates all riled up, as well. He would set off a chain reaction, she said. At the end of July 2014, LaVeigne said, Pitt threatened to rape her. Several days later, he once again exposed himself and masturbated toward her. Other times, she remembers him hanging from his bunk bed, upside down, as he masturbated. I have about five total inmates that have been some of the worst ones, she said. Hes number one. In the summer of 2014, LaVeigne was interviewed by an FBI agent about Pitt. She said she could not remember the agents name. They stated that they were going to try to prosecute him for being a sexual predator, for having so many masturbation offenses against numerous women during his criminal career, she said. But like Ward, she said she never heard back from the agent. Nobody could really tell us anything, she said. We thought they would go on with the investigation. The 26-year-old said she recently resigned from her position at Coleman. It changes you, she said. Ive only been doing it for three years, but I am ready to move on. The Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, seen in 2010, houses more than 7,000 inmates in a mix of facilities, including low- and medium-security institutions and two high-security penitentiaries, known as Coleman I and Coleman II. (Reinhold Matay/Associated Press) No one could faze him Early on the morning of Jan. 31, 2015, Pitt was acting out again. He had hung a towel over the small window on his door to obscure the sight-line into his cell. Within his cell, he draped sheets over his bunk to create a makeshift tent. This account is based on interviews with three officers who witnessed the events. Pitt refused to come to his door for a prisoner count at 10 a.m. Officers were concerned that he was possibly harming himself, placing traps for officers or fashioning a makeshift weapon. A negotiator came to Pitts door three times to talk to him. Pitt still did not respond. Shortly before noon, a five-officer team outfitted with a shield, helmets and gas masks prepared to enter Pitts cell. One officer used a hand-held video camera to film the encounter. The team launched pepper balls into the cell. Pitt grabbed his mattress and slammed it against his cell door. Officers then fired four bursts of pepper spray at Pitt. The first officer into the cell carried the shield and scuffled with Pitt, who dislodged his mask. The officer, now exposed to the pepper spray, left the cell. Another officer slipped and fell, and Pitt pinned him to the ground and began biting him. One bite penetrated his protective jumpsuit and left a mark on his bicep. A third officer began to punch Pitt repeatedly. Ive never had an inmate like him before, said one of the officers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job. He had this thing where no one could faze him. Eventually, the officers subdued him. They took him outside to shower in order to decontaminate his skin. He was telling us we were his bitches, said another officer. Pitt later accused the officers of using excessive force. The officer who punched Pitt has been fired on those grounds, according to interviews with officers. Several weeks later, Pitt was transferred out of Coleman I and moved down the road into the specialized housing unit at Coleman II, officers said. There, he would serve out the remaining time of his sentence: five months. In March 2015, Pitt was found guilty by a prison hearing officer of masturbating in front of female staffers. The official record noted that it was his 20th sexual offense since February 2014. In April, once again, he threatened staff and masturbated in front of female officers, records show. In May, he fought another inmate. By that point, Pitt had maxed out all possible sanctions. On July 29, 2015, an internal disciplinary officer at Coleman found Pitt guilty of masturbating in the presence of female staffers, records show. On that very day, he was released. He was put on a bus and sent back to D.C. It honestly made me sick to my stomach, said Jose Rojas, the president of the union of Coleman corrections officers, on hearing about Pitt raping a D.C. woman. (Melissa Lyttle/For The Washington Post) Back in D.C. When Pitt returned to the District, he was supposed to abide by court-ordered conditions of release, including appearances for drug testing and attendance at sexual- and anger-management therapy sessions. Additionally, CSOSA placed Pitt on GPS monitoring on Aug. 8, 2015. Pitt cut off his bracelet on Sept. 28, sending an alert to CSOSA. The next day, the battery died. Pitts supervision officer was unable to find him at his given address. On Sept. 30, Pitt was arrested in the downtown Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library with synthetic drugs. A D.C. police officer found the cut-off GPS bracelet in Pitts backpack. Then-D.C. Magistrate Judge William Nooter, who was considering only the drug charge but was aware of the tampering allegations, released Pitt on Oct. 2 despite a written warning from the Pretrial Services Agency that there were no release conditions that could ensure the safety of the community. The pre-trial report on Pitt given to Nooter made no mention of his prison disciplinary record. Nooter declined to comment on Pitts case, citing the judicial code of conduct. Days later, CSOSA requested a warrant for Pitts arrest for violating the terms of his supervised release. That request lingered at the U.S. Parole Commission for a week. It took 10 days for the signed warrant to arrive at the U.S. Marshals Service office, which is also located in D.C. The commission has since changed its delivery process to overnight mail, according to Patricia Smoot, who chairs the commission. Smoot said the agency had no knowledge of the FBI investigation into Pitts behavior in prison. She said the commission had no authority to extend Pitts sentence beyond his release date. She also said that the commission ordered additional conditions once Pitt was on supervised release in D.C., but she declined to reveal the nature of those measures, citing privacy laws. On Oct. 6, a 21-year-old woman woke up in her apartment to find a man standing by her bed; he stole some of her belongings and ran, according to charges filed in D.C. Superior Court. Pitt has since been charged in that burglary. On Oct. 13, Pitt entered a home in Hill East, where a 40-year-old professor, a mother of two young daughters, was working on her laptop. He grasped her throat and dragged her across the hardwood floor into her bedroom, where he raped her and then stole her phone. She needed facial surgery to repair fractures to her cheekbone and eye socket. A federal task force tracked her cellphone to a gas station in Prince Georges County. A Secret Service agent approached Pitt, who slammed him into a case of water bottles and ran off. It took four officers to subdue Pitt, who tried to bite the agent. In early June, a jury convicted Pitt of first-degree sexual abuse, robbery, burglary, kidnapping and assault with significant bodily injury. Pitt, who is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 8, could face decades in federal prison. Officers at Coleman were outraged when they heard what he had done. It honestly made me sick to my stomach, said Jose Rojas, the president of the union of Coleman corrections officers. I believe the U.S. attorneys office and the FBI are partially responsible for that assault in D.C. Accepting the nomination at the closing night of the Democratic convention, Hillary Clinton said, I sweat the details of policy. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post) Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for president last night, describing herself as an experienced leader and a unifier for divided times in a speech on the final night of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Clinton, a former secretary of state, senator and first lady, became the first woman to be the presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party. She followed in the footsteps of figures such as Victoria Woodhull, who became the first woman to run for president when she campaigned as part of the short-lived Equal Rights Party in 1872, and Geraldine Ferraro, a Democrat who in 1984 became the first female vice-presidential candidate from a major political party. (Ferraro and presidential candidate Walter Mondale lost to Ronald Reagans Republican ticket later that year.) In her speech, Clinton embraced her reputation as a politician more comfortable looking at the details of proposed laws or other government actions than giving speeches. I sweat the details of policy, she said. Clinton was joined onstage by her running mate, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) [Donald Trump is the Republican presidential nominee] She also discussed climate change, reforming U.S. immigration laws and restricting access to guns. Im not here to take away your guns, she said. I just dont want you to be shot by someone who shouldnt have a gun in the first place. At the end of the night, Clinton was joined onstage by her vice-presidential pick, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. Fireworks exploded inside the arena, and balloons rained down from the ceiling. [What happens after the conventions? More campaigning.] Clinton and Kaine will now spend the next three months campaigning against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence. The presidential candidates are scheduled to debate three times, beginning September 26 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The election is November 8. Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence waves at supporters as he arrives at a campaign rally in Scranton, Pa, on July 27, 2016. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters) Police in Wisconsin on Thursday sought to clarify their role in frisking a Washington Post reporter who was trying to cover a rally for Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R), Donald Trumps running mate, and later was ejected. The reporter, Jose A. DelReal, disputed elements of the police account of the episode, which occurred Wednesday night in Waukesha County, outside Milwaukee. DelReal was denied a press credential at the Waukesha County Exposition Center and attempted to cover Pences appearance by entering through a general-admission door. He was stopped there by private security personnel and told he couldnt bring his laptop or cellphone into the facility. After dropping those items in his car, he returned but was ordered by security to submit to a pat-down by two county deputies who were seeking his cellphone. They did not find one, but he was nonetheless turned away from the public event, Pences first as the Republican vice-presidential nominee. The county sheriffs department on Thursday said it had nothing to do with the decision to eject the journalist. After the deputies confirmed that DelReal didnt have his cellphone, he was allowed to enter the facility by event staff, the department said in a statement. Several minutes later the event staff walked the reporter out of the facility and advised the deputies that he was not allowed back for reasons unknown to the sheriffs department, it said. Trump has banned nearly a dozen news organizations including The Washington Post whose coverage has displeased him, but reporters have generally been able to cover his events by going through general admission lines. Several parts of the sheriffs departments timeline are in dispute. The sheriffs office, which assisted the Secret Service in providing security, said DelReal arrived after a sweep of the media area and was therefore turned away. But officials at the event told DelReal that he was denied admission at the media entrance because of Trumps ban on Post reporters, not because of his arrival time. In addition, DelReal was singled out at the general-admission door by a security guard who had identified him as a reporter. Although others were openly using their cellphones and were admitted at the public entrance with them, DelReal alone was frisked. I was told directly by volunteers and staff that I was being singled out because I work at The Washington Post, he said. Any implication otherwise, by the Waukesha County Sheriffs Department or individual officers, is intentionally misleading. DelReal has covered Trumps campaign through multiple states since January and is familiar with security protocols, including those used by the Secret Service. 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. He added, This was far beyond anything Ive experienced previously, and it happened specifically because I work at The Washington Post. Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow said county officers acted within legal boundaries. Just like an event any private citizen would hold, such as a wedding, clients who rent our facilities are able to control who is and is not allowed into their venue, he said in a statement. In this case, a private client requested that an individual leave their event. Local law enforcement complied professionally at their request, and according to standard security protocols. D.C. Council member Vincent B. Orange, left, is congratulated by a staffer after the council voted on a bill he sponsored to establish a $15 minimum wage on June 7. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) D.C. Council member Vincent B. Orange, who lost his primary race for reelection in June, has a new job: president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. But Orange says he will start his private-sector job as the face of the D.C. business community next month while he continues to serve out his remaining five months on the D.C. Council. Oranges decision has roiled the council. Members are intensely divided over Oranges apparent conflict of interest, with several saying he should step down or be removed from power. They say it is impossible for Orange to simultaneously chair the Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and act as the Washington business communitys chief advocate for pro-business legislation. While D.C. Council members are allowed to hold jobs outside of their elected posts, one has not sought or accepted a private job with such an apparent conflict in recent memory, several D.C. lawmakers said. And during the period when Orange would serve in the split role, the council is expected to vote on several pieces of legislation that could cost businesses a combined $350 million or more annually in higher taxes and operational expenses. In an interview, Orange said he had consulted with the citys ethics commission and the councils attorney. Together, we are going to make sure I am in compliance and going to make sure everything is aboveboard, he said. Orange said he was staying on the council to protect his staff. Im worried about my staff, he said. All 14 would be out of a job, he said. Five of seven council members reached Friday said that Orange should either step down or assume a reduced role. This is a big deal. . . . Its a massive conflict, said Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who sits on Oranges committee. [Orange] has every right to go have other employment and figure what he is going to do next, but this job definitely creates a conflict. Two others on the committee, Council members Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and Elissa Silvermann (I-At Large), agreed. Our job is to do the best job we can to represent the interest of the people, and thats hard to do when you are being paid to represent a special interest, Silverman said. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) called it almost stunningly incomprehensible. Nadeau said the conflict raised immediate questions about whether Orange has interfered with a pending pro-labor bill that the D.C. Chamber is opposing. The legislation Nadeau was referring to would make D.C. the largest jurisdiction in the United States to stop just-in-time scheduling, a practice that has become widespread by employers who schedule workers according to the time of day or month that they expect the most business, requiring them to be available at a moments notice and sometimes sending them home if business is slow. The practice helps minimize labor costs, but it results in erratic pay and makes it difficult to schedule child care, commit to a second job or take part-time classes. Orange tabled the bill this month. In interviews Friday, it was clear he was under consideration for the industry job when he delayed the vote. It looks bad, Nadeau said. This is the kind of thing happening over and over again on the D.C. Council that voters and residents look at and think, Why would I trust these people? But Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Council Member Brandon T. Todd (D-Ward 4) defended Orange, saying it was legal. Theres a significant difference between what the public might see as a conflict and what the law prohibits, Mendelson said. Another pro-worker bill pending would require private employers to provide paid family leave. Neither Orange nor Chamber Board President Carl A. Hairston would disclose how much the council member will be paid. But according to city records, Orange makes almost $135,000 as a council member, meaning he will draw $56,188 in salary from taxpayer funds while also getting paid by the chamber. Ironically, Orange was once opposed to the idea of council members holding outside jobs. Quite simply, it is difficult for residents to accept that outside employment does not carry the potential for conflicts of interest, unethical behavior, corruption and divided loyalties, Orange wrote in 2012. Thousands of homes in Maryland that were certified as lead-free could actually be contaminated with the toxic substance, according to state officials. The state Department of the Environment is in the process of contacting about 2,000 homeowners to retest their properties and to inform residents of the danger lead-paint exposure can pose to young children. The state, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency, launched an investigation earlier this year after the work of an inspector was called into question. At the time, the state focused on 384 homes that were inspected between 2009 to 2014 and located primarily in Prince Georges, Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties. But state officials said last week that they have expanded their probe to include 1,600 additional homes, some of which were inspected as far back as 1996. And while the majority are still in Prince Georges, Montgomery, St. Marys, Charles and Anne Arundel counties, some homes are in other parts of the state, including Baltimore City and Baltimore and Howard counties. Its a problem, said Del. Samuel I. Rosenberg (D-Baltimore), who has led efforts for stronger lead-poisoning prevention. Its another example of poor people are more likely to be victimized by the system. Since January, when the investigation was announced, the state has retested 80 homes and voided half of the lead-free certifications that were issued because lead was present or the inspectors determined that several areas of the property were not originally checked. Of the 80 homes that have been retested, lead was found in 33 of them, or about 2 out of 5 homes. State law requires that houses built before 1978 be inspected and certified free of lead before they can be rented. The majority of the homes scheduled to be retested are rental units. Hilary Miller, the director of Land Management Administration at the Maryland Department of the Environment, said the probe has been slow and complicated. The state initially sent letters to the 384 homeowners about the investigation and to suggest that they contact their primary-care doctor about lead testing for any children younger than 6. In February and March, the EPA sent canvassers to 225 homes to interview residents and photograph the homes. But there was little response from the outreach efforts, Miller said. Its a challenge, she said. Of the residents whom the state has reached, Miller said officials have been pleasantly surprised that the owners and residents have not been alarmed. A childs behavior and cognitive skills can be impaired if they are exposed to lead. For years, lead poisoning has been largely concentrated in Baltimore and found in rental units built before 1950, when the city prohibited the use of lead paint. But recent studies show that children across the state are testing with lead levels of more than five micrograms per deciliter in their blood, which exceeds the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Maryland to test all 1- and 2-year-olds for lead] Miller said the state maintains a registry of children with elevated blood-lead levels. None of the nearly 2,000 addresses of the homes that need to be retested match the addresses of children with high blood-lead levels. The state has received about $145,000 in federal funds to cover the cost of the investigation and to pay for the Maryland Environmental Service to reinspect the homes. Jay Apperson, a spokesman for the state Department of the Environment, said Maryland is still trying to figure out why the inspector signed off on certificates that were not valid. We havent completed our investigation yet, Apperson said. The state would not release the name of the inspector, who was accredited between 1996 and 2014, because the investigation is ongoing. Earlier this year, the state levied a $5,000 fine against American Homeowner Services of Lusby, the company with which the inspector was affiliated. The inspectors work was called into question after a resident filed a complaint in 2014 with the state about possible lead paint in the home. The state determined that lead paint existed and that the lead-free certification, which was done in 2010, was not valid. The state ordered American Homeowner Services to provide test results from 10 other properties inspected by the contractor. Seven of those inspections were invalidated after a review. The investigation is looking at the reasons behind this, Miller said. I cant go into any more details. There are many things that are being looked into. Allison Sheedy holds her Rhode Island Red hen, one of four female chickens she and husband Dan McInnis keep for eggs in their back yard in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington. (J. Lawler Duggan/For The Washington Post) Two chicken enthusiasts who sued the District for the right to keep their birds have triumphed. Antitrust lawyers Allison Sheedy and Daniel McInnis keep four chickens in the back yard of their 10,000-square-foot Chevy Chase double lot. The birds, much beloved by the couples four children, are kept in a wooden coop beneath a holly tree, where the kids search for eggs each morning. [D.C. lawyers are suing the city to keep their four backyard chickens] The family sued after receiving notice in April from the citys Department of Health that their chickens would have to be removed, saying city regulations prevent building a coop within 50 feet of any building used for human habitation. They argued that although the regulation might rule out a coop for a D.C. rowhouse, it didnt apply to their property. Now, after declining to confiscate the chickens, the Department of Health has reluctantly backed down and given the couple a license. Allison Sheedy, center, asks her daughter Fynn, 3, about Fynns thoughts on their chickens. (J. Lawler Duggan/For The Washington Post) [A dads guide to backyard chickens, and why your kids should become avian parents, too] While the Department of Health does not agree that the regulations currently published . . . are still valid . . . the Department of Health is willing to issue a permit for 4 domestic chickens, for egg production purposes only, health department Director LaQuandra S. Nesbitt wrote in a July 25 letter to the couple. The Department of Health did not reply to a request for comment on Friday, and the D.C. Office of the Attorney General declined comment. Sheedy and McInnis said that they were satisfied with the outcome, and that their children were thrilled. As taxpayers, and as parents who support D.C. public schools, we are glad that the city ultimately had the common sense not to spend its resources litigating but can use those resources for better uses, they wrote in an emailed statement. We have heard from many people that there is a lot of interest in D.C. in keeping chickens, fresh eggs and generally having the District of Columbia be a progressive and environmentally friendly city. The couple added that they hoped the city would clarify or amend existing chicken regulations. Voting rights activists scored legal victories in key presidential election states Friday, the most important being a federal appeals court ruling that North Carolinas Republican-led legislature enacted new voting restrictions in 2013 to intentionally blunt the growing clout of African American voters. The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit was an overwhelming victory for the Justice Department and civil rights groups. Election law experts consider North Carolinas voter law one of the nations most far-reaching. In Wisconsin, where one federal judge already had eased restrictions on voter-ID requirements, a second judge found that additional elements of the law passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) were unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson suggested he would strike the entire law if he were not bound by the Supreme Courts decision that states may use properly written voter-ID laws to guard against voter fraud. The evidence in this case casts doubt on the notion that voter ID laws foster integrity and confidence, Peterson wrote. The Wisconsin experience demonstrates that a preoccupation with mostly phantom election fraud leads to real incidents of disenfranchisement, which undermine rather than enhance confidence in elections, particularly in minority communities. To put it bluntly, Wisconsins strict version of voter ID law is a cure worse than the disease. The state will appeal both rulings. This year more states than ever will require potential voters to show photo ID in order to vote in the election. Here's why this is so controversial. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) In the North Carolina case, the 4th Circuit panel agreed with allegations that North Carolinas omnibus bill selectively chose voter-ID requirements, reduced the number of early-voting days and changed registration procedures in ways meant to harm blacks, who overwhelmingly vote for the Democratic Party. The new provisions target African Americans with almost surgical precision and impose cures for problems that did not exist, Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote for the panel. Thus the asserted justifications cannot and do not conceal the States true motivation. [How North Carolina became the epicenter of the voting rights battle] The rulings along with that of a state court that halted an attempt in Kansas to require proof of citizenship to register marked important wins for opponents of restrictive voting laws that are being challenged throughout the country ahead of Novembers presidential election. Put together, the decisions suggest a growing judicial suspicion of the wave of voting-restriction legislation passed in recent years by Republican-led legislatures that said it was necessary to combat voter fraud. The decisions are likely to prompt the states to ask the Supreme Court for emergency action. But it is far from clear whether the eight justices, evenly divided between conservative and liberal, would get involved. The proximity of an election is often reason for justices to let an appeals court ruling stand. Federal courts have been examining what are popular and, to some, seemingly common-sense laws requiring photo ID, for instance to see whether they favor one group over another. In North Carolina, for instance, the judges at oral arguments noted that government-issued drivers licenses are an acceptable form of identification but that government-issued public assistance cards used disproportionately by minorities in the state are not. Republican leaders in North Carolina vowed an appeal to the high court. They issued a fiery statement denouncing the ruling by three partisan Democrats and suggested it was intended to help the Democratic candidates for president and governor. North Carolina is considered a key swing state, and African American voters have played an increasing role in making it competitive. We can only wonder if the intent is to reopen the door for voter fraud, potentially allowing fellow Democrat politicians like Hillary Clinton and Roy Cooper to steal the election, said Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore. [The smoking gun proving N.C. Republicans tried to disenfranchise blacks] Motz, 73, was nominated by President Bill Clinton. The other judges on the panel were Henry Floyd, nominated to the federal bench by President George W. Bush and elevated to the 4th Circuit by President Obama, and James A. Wynn Jr., a former North Carolina Supreme Court justice nominated to the federal circuit by Obama. Election law experts are skeptical there is evidence of widespread cheating at the polls in this country. In particular, they find that voting fraud is most often associated with absentee balloting, rather than the kind of impersonation voting that ID laws are meant to combat. Speaking to reporters in Baton Rouge on Friday, U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch praised the courts ruling and said the Justice Department will continue to challenge restrictive voting laws. The ability of Americans to have a voice in the direction of their country to have a fair and free opportunity to help write the story of this nation is fundamental to who we are and who we aspire to be, Lynch said. Democrats and civil rights groups have also filed suits in Ohio and Arizona. The North Carolina decision by the Richmond-based court on Friday reverses a 485-page ruling by District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder that upheld the voting measures passed in 2013. North Carolina lawmakers overhauled the states election law soon after the Supreme Courts decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which freed certain states with a history of discrimination from a Voting Rights Act requirement that they receive federal approval before changing voting rules. North Carolina was one of the states. Legislators quickly eliminated same-day voter registration, rolled back of a week of early voting and put an end to out-of-precinct voting. The appeals courts ruling reinstates those provisions that civil rights groups, led by the state NAACP, said were used disproportionately by African American voters. Motz wrote that Schroeders comprehensive examination of the legislatures action seems to have missed the forest in carefully surveying the many trees. This failure of perspective led the court to ignore critical facts bearing on legislative intent, including the inextricable link between race and politics in North Carolina. The panel seemed to say it found the equivalent of a smoking gun. Before enacting that law, the legislature requested data on the use, by race, of a number of voting practices, Motz wrote. Upon receipt of the race data, the General Assembly enacted legislation that restricted voting and registration in five different ways, all of which disproportionately affected African Americans. The panel found the law was passed with racially discriminatory intent, violating the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. It said that intentionally targeting a particular races access to the franchise because its members vote for a particular party, in a predictable manner, constitutes discriminatory purpose. Motz added: Our conclusion does not mean, and we do not suggest, that any member of the General Assembly harbored racial hatred or animosity toward any minority group. But she said the totality of the circumstances North Carolinas history of voting discrimination; the surge in African American voting; the legislatures knowledge that African Americans voting translated into support for one party; and the swift elimination of the tools African Americans had used to vote and imposition of a new barrier at the first opportunity to do so cumulatively and unmistakably reveal that the General Assembly used [the law] to entrench itself. Even if done for partisan ends, that constituted racial discrimination, Motz wrote. Such a finding could have meant that the judges could order North Carolina back under federal supervision. But the panel declined to take that step, saying it was enough to block the parts of the law it found offensive. [A recap of oral arguments before the 4th Circuit] North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) issue a short statement that, like that of the legislative leaders, said the decision would be appealed, and he repeated claims about the partisan cast of the panel. Three Democratic judges are undermining the integrity of our elections while also maligning our state, said McCrory, who is in a tight reelection battle with Cooper, the states Democratic attorney general. Voting rights advocates applauded the ruling and said it sent a strong message to legislatures throughout the country. North Carolina was one of 17 states set to have more-restrictive voting laws in place for this presidential election than in 2012. Laws in several states, including Wisconsin, Texas and Virginia, also are being challenged in court. [Appeals court says Texas voter-ID law discriminates against minorities] In Wisconsin, a federal judge previously ruled that voters who lack the specific kind of identification the state requires be allowed to vote in November by signing an affidavit as to their identity. In a separate lawsuit, groups asked Peterson to rule on other aspects of the law. He struck part of the law restricting hours for in-person voting before the election, saying it intentionally discriminates. The legislatures immediate goal was to achieve a partisan objective, but the means of achieving that objective was to suppress the reliably Democratic vote of Milwaukees African Americans, Peterson concluded. In Texas, the entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that Texass strict voter-ID law discriminates against minority voters, and it ordered a lower court to come up with a fix for the law in time for the November elections. The appeals court, one of the most conservative in the country, declined to strike down the law completely but said provisions must be made to allow those who lack the specific ID the law requires to be able to cast a vote. The state has decided not to appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court, and a district judge is to rule soon on what accommodations must be made. A train came off the track near the East Falls Church Metro station platform in Northern Virginia on July 29, disrupting the morning commute for passengers. There were no serious injuries. (Video: Lee Powell / The Washington Post; Photo: Christian K. Lee/ The Washington Post) A train came off the track near the East Falls Church Metro station platform in Northern Virginia on July 29, disrupting the morning commute for passengers. There were no serious injuries. (Video: Lee Powell / The Washington Post; Photo: Christian K. Lee/ The Washington Post) The East Falls Church station will be closed through Sunday as Metro officials investigate a derailment on the tracks serving the Orange and Silver lines that delayed thousands of morning commuters and capped off an already troubled week for the system. Though they had hoped to reopen the lines by Sunday morning, Metro officials said Saturday that they needed more time to investigate the derailment. Service will be suspended between West Falls Church/McLean and Ballston through Sunday, but will resume normal service starting 5 a.m. Monday. The Friday morning derailment resulted in no serious injuries but startled the 60 passengers on the train. It also sent a wave of service interruptions throughout the subway system and did little to allay riders concerns about the systems safety record. General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said experts from Metro, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Transit Administration, as well as an outside consultant brought in by the transit agency, are looking into several possibilities as to why the train derailed. Environment, heat we had a lot of rain the past few days, he said. It starts with the human [factor]. Were looking at ties, at fasteners, at all the switches. All that will be looked at. Social media video and photos show the aftermath of a train that derailed near the East Falls Church station. No injuries were reported. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) The derailment occurred at an inopportune juncture. Single-tracking had already been in place along that segment of the Orange and Silver lines because of SafeTrack maintenance work, although the site of the derailment was not one of the work locations. It was totally outside of the SafeTrack zone, Wiedefeld said. That area had not been touched. In a statement, Metro said the derailed cars were removed from the tracks Friday night. Further inspection then revealed that the derailment made a portion of the track to shift, causing more damage than had been anticipated. Officials said that 200 feet of rail have to be replaced, along with 150 feet of the electrified third rail. Two track crossings also have to be replaced, along with 200 wooden track ties. [SafeTrack closures: These D.C. Metro lines and stations will be disrupted in the next year] Metro officials already were dealing with revelations about a near miss on July 5, the latest red-signal violation this time at Reagan National Airport; backlash over a proposal to cancel late-night weekend service; and early grousing about the 17-day single-tracking scheduled to start Monday on the Red Line. Then, Friday morning brought the derailment and delays on the Red, Green and Yellow lines. The East Falls Church station mishap occurred at 6:15 a.m. at an interlocking area on the systems Silver Line. The train was headed to the Wiehle-Reston East station when the fourth and fifth cars went off the tracks, stopping the train 120 feet from the platform, Metro officials said. Wiedefeld said the derailment caused significant damage to the tracks, traction power system and two rail cars. 1 of 26 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad What it looks like on the D.C. Metro at the beginning of year-long maintenance View Photos Metro has launched its SafeTrack project to rebuild its rail system. Caption Metro has launched its SafeTrack project to rebuild its rail system. June 20, 2016 Riders board a shuttle bus at Minnesota Avenue Metro station at the start of the morning rush. J. Lawler Duggan/For The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. A contractor was expected to move the train Friday afternoon, an effort that requires diesel-powered prime movers in addition to a crane to lift the damaged rail cars. The outside consultant specializes in derailments and will help determine why the train derailed. Were going to find out what the root cause of this is, Wiedefeld said. And to do that, we do not want to move any of the equipment. Safety has to trump service, he added, a phrase that has become one of his signature lines. Until that process is finished, Metro will run shuttle buses between the Ballston and West Falls Church stations on the Orange Line and between the Ballston and McLean stations on the Silver Line. Although there were no serious injuries, one passenger went to the hospital. Chandler Davis, 36, had been leaning his head against the window on the right side of the train to try to catch a few extra minutes of sleep. Suddenly, the train tilted to the right, slammed to the left and then tilted right again, he recalled. His head banged against the window, and he later learned that he had suffered a concussion. Davis said it took about five minutes for a Metro employee to enter the train and assist passengers. In the interim, people were panicked. There were screams and confusion, Davis said. It took 15 to 20 minutes for passengers to be evacuated from the train, he added. Another passenger, Santo Butler, 37, of Arlington, recalled feeling a couple of larger bumps in the moments before the derailment. We skidded towards the fence, Butler said. There was a burst of sparks from outside the train, and we all knew what happened and that it could have been worse. [Train derailment ignites commuter frustrations on Twitter] Later in the day, as the afternoon rush picked up, the line for shuttle buses outside Ballston grew immensely, eventually stretching half a block. Mykia Washington, 18, said the derailment added an extra 90 minutes to her commute from Wiehle-Reston to Friendship Heights, where she works at a bank. She had left her home around 6 a.m. and arrived close to 9. In the afternoon, when trains let out at Ballston, she had to board a Silver Line shuttle bus to continue her trip home. Its frustrating, because Im an intern, she said. I have to get to work on time, or its going to look bad. According to Metro officials, the transit agency had 14 derailments between 2011 and August 2015, when a train left the tracks between the Smithsonian and Federal Center stations shortly before the start of passenger service. Of those, four were on the main rail system and 10 were in rail yards. Fridays derailment will be a significant test for Metros incoming chief safety officer, Patrick Lavin, who has been on the job for just over two months after Wiedefeld recruited him from New York City Transit. One of his major steps since arriving has been to assign six Metro employees to dedicate their time to investigate accidents, such as the one Friday, and identify ways to prevent future ones. The derailment also shines a light on the FTAs role as a temporary safety oversight body and whether the added level of federal supervision has led to tangible improvements in safety. Federal officials will assume responsibility for Metro safety. The FTA has conducted more than 200 inspections of the Metrorail system since taking temporary responsibility for safety oversight in October. It has found more than 1,100 defects instances in which Metro officials failed to follow their own safety procedures or protocols. Even so, the transit agencys problems have continued. In the past month alone, there were three instances in which train operators ran through red signals. Earlier this month, members of the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office to explore whether the Federal Railroad Administration, rather than the Federal Transit Administration, should have oversight of Metros rail system. [Congress requests audit on SafeTrack and FTA oversight] That question has been a source of tension between Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and NTSB members, who say they think that the FRA another agency within the Department of Transportation is better suited to oversee the safety of the nations second-busiest subway system. Thats because the FRA has decades of experience overseeing the safety of the nations railroads. Federal oversight is a temporary measure for assuring the safety of Metros rail system until a new state oversight board can be created. My view is, give us the most rigorous regulatory enforcement thats available, said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), one of the signatories of the letter. The FRA has more resources, more capability, more rigorous standards. But for whatever reason, Foxx rejected that. I just feel if were going to put safety first, lets put safety first. For their part, FTA officials said they are continuing their push to make Metro a safer system. FTA continues to find safety problems throughout the system and is directing [the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority] to make repairs, but Metrorails problems will not be fixed overnight, Steve Kulm, a spokesman for the FTA, said in an emailed statement. The Tri-State Oversight Commission did not demand accountability at WMATA on these critical safety issues, which is why the FTA had to step in temporarily. We are working with WMATA to improve their safety protocols and training programs. WMATA must continue to focus every day on making Metrorail safer and more reliable. Dana Hedgpeth and Tauhid Chappell contributed to this report. MARYLAND Langley Park slaying victim is identified Prince Georges County police identified the man slain Wednesday in Langley Park as 33-year-old Marvin Diaz-Marin. Officers found Diaz-Marin with trauma to the body about 5 p.m. in the 2000 block of University Boulevard after being called to check on his welfare, police said. Authorities pronounced Diaz-Marin dead at the scene. A police investigation continues. Authorities are asking anyone with information on the case to call 866-411-TIPS (8477). A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information leading to an arrest and an indictment. Lynh Bui Man, 23, is arrested a day after slaying A District man was arrested Thursday after a shooting in Maryland this week, police said. About 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, officers were called to the 3200 block of Walters Lane in Forestville in response to a shooting, Prince Georges County police said in a statement. The officers found the victim, Desean Chapman, 28, of Upper Marlboro, with a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. [Police investigate Forestville area homicide] On Thursday, police arrested Divonta Gatling, 23, of the 3200 block of Minnesota Avenue in Southeast Washington, the statement said, after an investigation revealed that Gatling had confronted Chapman just before the shooting. The two were acquaintances, police said. Gatling is charged with second-degree murder and assault. Justin Wm. Moyer Purple Line deal allows major work Maryland transportation officials have scheduled a public event for Aug. 8 to sign an agreement in which the federal government will commit to help pay for construction of a Purple Line a final hurdle that state officials have said will allow major work to begin on the 16.2-mile light-rail line, according to three sources. The signing of a Full Funding Grant Agreement is considered the capstone of a years-long process in which transit projects seeking highly competitive federal construction grants must meet a series of requirements governing their design and funding. It is also the financial certainty that developers and, more important, their banks often wait to see before investing in construction around future light-rail stations. [Congress is reviewing a funding agreement for the Purple Line] Maryland officials have said they are seeking $900 million in federal construction grants to pay for nearly half of the light-rail line serving Montgomery and Prince Georges counties. Total construction cost is estimated at about $2 billion. State officials have said major construction will begin this fall. Spokesmen for the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Administration did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment late Thursday. A Federal Transit Administration spokesman said the agency would not comment on the agreement during its 30-day congressional review. The FTA submitted the agreement for review July 6, according to a congressional source. Katherine Shaver THE REGION Metro worker faints in an escalator pit A man working about 15 feet below the street in a Metro escalator pit had to be pulled out Thursday after he fainted, authorities said. The Metro employee was performing scheduled maintenance work on an escalator at Foggy Bottom in the District about 10 a.m. when he passed out, a Metro spokesman said. Paramedics climbed into the pit to treat the man as emergency responders set up a tripod to hoist him out, a spokesman for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services said. The man was responsive once he got fresh air, a Metro spokesman said, and was able to walk to the hospital on his own. He was treated and released. Initial reports that the man had fallen into the pit were incorrect, authorities said. Dana Hedgpeth Jennifer Melsop, 26, left, hugs her wife, Erika Turner, 26, in front of the Arlington County Courthouse after getting married. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post) The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 13 months ago that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marriage throughout the United States. But 30 states, including Virginia, still have laws on their books barring those marriages, and two Northern Virginia legislators say its long past time to remove them. State Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Del. Mark D. Sickles (D-Fairfax) last week introduced a set of bills to begin a two-year process to repeal a constitutional amendment, passed by voters in 2006, that defines marriage as solely a union between one man and one woman. They also want to more quickly overturn a state law that bars same-sex marriages and civil unions. Similar efforts failed in Richmond last year and the year before, and have also been defeated in eight other states. The code of Virginia should accurately reflect the law of the land, Ebbin said. Gay and lesbian couples deserve the same respect as other citizens. . . . Its a stain on the Constitution of Virginia, a document that guarantees liberties rather than limits them. [Supreme Court rules gay couples nationwide have a right to marry] Same-sex marriage has been allowed in Virginia since October 2014, when the Supreme Court declined to take up a lower courts ruling that the state ban was unconstitutional. Less than a year later, the high court ruled that same-sex couples everywhere in the country had the right to wed. Given those decisions, removing marriage bans from the books is largely symbolic. But those who are trying to reverse the statutes say that the symbolism is deeply powerful. By continuing to allow antiquated language to remain in our constitution and code, we tell the world that only certain folks are welcome here . . . and many are not fully equal under the law, said Sickles, who, like Ebbin, is openly gay. This is an insult to so many Virginia citizens. The bills have the support of Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) but appear headed for trouble in the conservative, majority-Republican House of Delegates. A spokesman for Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) said that the Virginia Code Commission has been studying how to address the states same-sex marriage laws in light of the Supreme Court ruling and that the work is expected to continue into 2017. Its unlikely the House will consider any legislation until the Code Commission review is complete, Howell spokesman Matthew Moran said. Sickles said there is no reason to wait. I have hopes with changes in society that are ever more clear, [legislators] will give it a fair hearing and people will vote their conscience, he said. [Va. GOP leadership calls for studying code change after same-sex marriage ruling] Legislators in at least eight other states have tried to remove these types of dead-letter laws since the June 2015 Supreme Court ruling, said Rochelle Finzel, who tracks such legislation for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Those efforts in Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin have either been delayed, voted down or vetoed, according to her research. Thirty states passed bans on same-sex marriage, also known as Defense of Marriage Acts, before the Supreme Court ruling. In Virginia, repealing the laws that ban same-sex marriages would require a majority vote by both houses. Getting rid of the states constitutional amendment would be more complicated, said Jeff Ryer, spokesman for the Senate Republican Caucus in the legislature. A bill to repeal a constitutional amendment must pass both houses of the General Assembly with identical language in two consecutive years, with the votes separated by a legislative election. Then the repeal must go to the voters. That means, Ryer said, that Ebbin and Sickless bill to overturn the constitutional amendment would have to be approved in the 2017 legislative session, then again in 2018, before being placed on the ballot for voters to decide in the fall of 2018. Its not a quick process, but thats intentional, Ryer said. [Roanoke, Va., is a Bible Belt hub for same-sex marriage] Leaving the state bans on same-sex marriage in place could encourage opponents who hope a future, more conservative Supreme Court will revisit the issue, said Susan Sommer, the director of constitutional litigation for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a nonprofit group that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender legal and public policy issues. She called the laws an ugly vestige of a disturbing animus against gay people. I can never see the courts turning back, but we do see some political discourse encouraging officials to drag their feet when same-sex couples try to marry or exercise other marital rights, Sommer said. Bans on same-sex marriage and civil unions can hamper efforts by same-sex couples to adopt, divorce, make medical decisions for spouses and inherit property, said A.E. Dick Howard, a University of Virginia law professor. While it is not unusual for vestiges of overturned laws to linger in state and local codes, this can cause unnecessary litigation and conflict, he said. There are Supreme Court rulings that are ignored in communities all around our country until someone steps forward to challenge them, Howard said, citing the high courts 1962 decision declaring school-sponsored prayer unconstitutional. For years, schools tried to ignore that ruling, often coming into compliance only after parents filed lawsuits, he said. Allowing outdated legislation to linger also has an ugly history in Virginia, said Howard, a Virginia native who was the principal drafter of the modern Virginia Constitution. The old Virginia Constitution of 1902 said white and colored children shall not be taught in the same schools, he recalled. After the 1954 [U.S. Supreme Court decision] Brown v. the Board of Education, Virginia embarked on a campaign of massive resistance. . . . That legislative language was not removed until 1971. I can imagine die-hard opponents of same-sex marriage might employ similar delaying tactics. Saturday, Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day the most popular of the coffee holidays. This is the day when most national coffee chains (and many local ones) show appreciation for their customers by handing out free coffee. However, some require coupons or a purchase. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) told a reporter Tuesday that as president, Hillary Clinton would eventually embrace the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership. When the Clinton campaign denied that, McAuliffe said he had misspoken. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffes commitment to free trade landed him in hot water this week with the Clinton campaign and exposed the tension between his dual roles as governor of a state reliant on international business and first friend to the Clintons. Just as McAuliffe was running a gantlet of interviews Wednesday to backtrack on a claim that Hillary Clinton would eventually support a controversial trade agreement, his office released a statement trumpeting an agricultural-exports deal with China. McAuliffe has said he thinks more deals like a Richmond companys sale of livestock feed could flourish under the Trans-Pacific Partnership, striking a contrast with Clinton, who turned against the TPP amid pressure from the left wing of her party. Hillary and I are good friends, McAuliffe said in a phone interview with The Washington Post on Friday. I disagree with her. I think she is wrong. But I look at it through the prism of being governor, I have to do whats right for Virginia. Foreign investment has been key to McAuliffes governing philosophy since the powerhouse political fundraiser moved into the executive mansion almost three years ago. Today Virginia companies ship $36 billion in goods and services overseas annually, and McAuliffe has made 19 trade missions aimed at tapping new consumers 95 percent of whom live outside the United States. He has greeted so many foreign ambassadors in Richmond that he likes to joke, Its like the U.N. down there. Virginias secretary of agriculture and forestry said McAuliffe is all in. I would be surprised if there were any more-pro-trade Democratic governor in America, said Todd Haymore, the secretary. McAuliffes latest play for jobs centers on the TPP, a trade deal the Obama administration negotiated with 11 Pacific Rim countries that would reduce the tariffs some countries pay on goods exported to the United States and, supporters say, give Washington greater influence in Asia. If Congress does not act on the deal, China will step in and make its own agreement with the nations to the detriment of American workers, TPP boosters say. [McAuliffe fuels new distrust of Clinton over her position on trade] McAuliffe said it may have been wishful thinking that led him to say on Tuesday that Clinton would reverse course on the TPP if she won the election. Yes. Listen, she was in support of it. There were specific things in it she wants fixed, he told Politico in an interview after praising Clinton from the stage at the Democratic National Convention. In the Post interview Friday, he said: But its not going to happen. Shes already made up her mind. This is going to ride on the presidents shoulders. As newly installed chairman of the National Governors Association, McAuliffe held a news conference last week in Des Moines with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, Obamas chief pitchman on the TPP. Also participating were Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat governors from the kind of agriculture-rich states that supporters say would benefit most from the TPP. Virginia fits into that category, too. In the first five minutes of his first State of the Commonwealth address, McAuliffe said he wanted to make Virginia the East Coast capital for agriculture and forestry. At the time, it was third behind Georgia and North Carolina; today it has overtaken North Carolina. He is uniquely positioned to be successful at it, said Maurice Jones, Virginias secretary of commerce and trade. Why? Because he knows everybody everywhere. McAuliffe formed many of those international relationships traveling the world with President Bill Clinton, with whom he remains close. In fact, McAuliffe is so tight with the Clintons, some wonder whether his TPP gaffe wasnt a strategic move designed to reassure moderates, business leaders and even Republicans that free trade is here to stay. (McAuliffe rejected that theory outright.) This is someone they have trusted for a long time and someone whos been very central to their political lives, said Julian E. Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University and a fellow at New America, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. Its not inconceivable that this is part of the campaign let him take the heat. . . . But the message is out there. [How the TPP became the most divisive policy in the Democratic Party] As free trade Democrats, McAuliffe and the Clintons have been sensitive to the costs of the globalized economy and recognize a gray area between protecting labor and the environment and spurring growth, he said. But in an election year, politics tend to be reduced to black and white. When you have that situation when youre being forced to move in one direction, part of that answer is to have surrogates say, Well, well see, and create some doubt, Zelizer said. Republicans, at least, werent buying McAuliffes explanation and sought to capitalize on the perception among many that Clinton says one thing and does another. At this point, does #TPP stand for Terry Phlip-Phlop? the Virginia GOP tweeted. At the Democratic convention, No TPP buttons were ubiquitous among Clinton and Sanders supporters, and the message became a mantra for protesters. Clinton understood. In accepting the presidential nomination, she urged voters to side with her in part because she would look out for American workers. If you believe that we should say no to unfair trade deals . . . that we should stand up to China . . . that we should support our steelworkers and autoworkers and homegrown manufacturers, she said, join us. Twelve feet from the podium, a sweaty McAuliffe, shirtsleeves rolled up, grinned widely and joyfully waved an American flag to the tune of Hill-a-ry chants. He said later, I had the best seat in the house. Major oops The North Carolina Republican Party, in a since-deleted tweet, called out vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine for wearing what they said was a pin with a Honduran flag on it during his convention speech on Wednesday. Only thats not what it was, reports Thomas Gibbons-Neff. Kaine spent a year doing missionary work in Honduras. But his pin was actually a miniature Service Flag, or Blue Star Flag, denoting his sons current service in the U.S. Marine Corps. According to the Blue Star Mothers of America website, the flag can be displayed by families who have members serving in the Armed Forces during any period of war or hostilities the United States may be engaged in for the duration of such hostilities. First Lt. Nathaniel Kaine recently deployed with the Marines Black Sea Rotational Force, which is primarily based out of Romania and trains with its European counterparts throughout Europe. Strange bedfellows Rudy Giuliani had some kind words for the women he is working hard to beat as a prominent surrogate for Donald Trump. Two nights in a row attendees of the 2016 Democratic National Convention watched speakers give their best imitations of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) The former New York City mayor said on Wednesday in Philadelphia that Hillary Clinton, then a New York senator, can rightfully take credit for helping the families of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack victims, David Weigel reports. Hillary Clinton, like Senator [Charles] Schumer, like the entire Senate and House of Representatives, like every Republican and Democrat that I know, was enormously helpful, he said. She has a right to tell people that she worked hard on behalf of the 9/11 families. She did. But Giuliani complained that since 2001, the former secretary of state has been weak on terrorism. She may have helped the families, but she hasnt helped our country to avoid another attack like that, Giuliani said. She may have been very nice to people, but as a commander in chief, I dont see that that qualifies her. by the numbers 3 1 of 67 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad What is happening on the fourth day at the Democratic National Convention View Photos A look at what is happening at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. Caption A look at what happened at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. July 28, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton celebrates with her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine as balloons drop from the ceiling on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. When asked by Post chief correspondent Dan Balz to identify which states are the most important in November, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook pointed to Ohio, Florida and North Carolina. He made the comments in a live Washington Post event. Editors note: This story was originally published March 22, 2005. Khizr Khan reflects on his son. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, in 2005. (Lucian Perkins/The Washington Post) Khizr Khan is a lawyer by training and demeanor, an articulate man, a careful and methodical thinker who is trying at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday to make sense of the fact that his 27-year-old son is gone forever. It's a workday, so he finds someplace quiet, an empty conference room on the 13th floor of the office building where he works near the White House. He shuts the door, sits at a big empty table, picks up a pen. He and his wife would talk often to their three boys about why they decided to come to the United States, he began. It was the 1970s, and Pakistan was under military rule. They came to Silver Spring to have more freedom and opportunity. "It sounds cliche," said Khan, 54, "but that is the story." Khizr Khan's son, Humayun Khan, was an American Muslim Army soldier who died serving the U.S. after 9/11. He spoke at the Democratic National Convention and offered a strong rebuke of Donald Trump, saying, "Have you even read the United States Constitution?" (Video: Victoria Walker/The Washington Post;Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) His son was always reading books about Thomas Jefferson; that part of his passion was certainly his father's doing. When the boys were small, Khan would take them to the Jefferson Memorial. He'd have them stand there and read the chiseled, curving words about swearing hostility against tyrannies over the minds of men. [Read: At DNC, Khan delivers a brutal repudation of Donald Trump] But Humayun had a serious-minded disposition all his own, even as a little boy. He was the middle one, the comforter, the one the cousins would run to when they were being picked on. He gave swimming lessons to disabled children in high school. He had a sense of responsibility that his father cannot quite account for, other than to say that's just the way he was. "We always depended on his balanced approach to things," Khan said, fidgeting with the pen. It was not exactly surprising, he continued, that Humayun quoted Jefferson in his admissions essay for the University of Virginia, a line about freedom requiring vigilance. It was a bit surprising, though, when he signed up for ROTC and told his dad that after graduation in 2000, he wanted to join the Army. They had dinner conversations about it, Khan said, looking down at the wooden conference table. He told Humayun that he wouldn't have control over his life, but his son insisted, and that was that. "He said that it seems only fair and logical to join the Army," Khan said. "Because he wanted to complete the journey -- he felt that ROTC had completed him as a person, and he wanted to give back. That's what he wanted to do." It was logical, Khan said, and how was a lawyer going to argue with logic? Humayun finished his four years of service and was preparing for law school when the Army called him back to duty. As he was moving into Iraq last year, Khan called him and they spoke briefly, a conversation he has turned over in his mind a million times since. His son said, "Remember I wrote that article for admission to U-Va.?" Khan said, pausing, taking the pen cap off and putting it on again, his voice steady. "He said, 'I meant it.' He said that. He wasn't going there through some thoughtless process, or thoughtlessly following orders. He thought he was serving a purpose." On June 9, four months after his arrival in Iraq, Humayun was killed by a car bomber. Army Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan, 27, of Bristow, Va. (Family Photo) The honor guard prepares to fold the flag that draped the casket of Khan. (Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post) Over time, his colonel and his fellow soldiers told Khan how his son died, and that, too, had some sort of horrible logic to it. Humayun's job at the base in Baqubah was to inspect the soldiers at the gates, where crowds of Iraqis would sometimes gather. Humayun went early that morning, which was just like him. He saw a taxi speeding toward the gates, too fast, he thought. He yelled for everyone to hit the dirt. Then, as was his nature, he went running toward it, they said. "Ten or 15 steps with his hand outstretched," his father said, stretching his own arm out in front of him almost a year later, telling some ghost taxi to stop in a downtown conference room. The explosives detonated before the car could ram the gates or the mess hall nearby, where several hundred soldiers were eating breakfast. Since his death, Khizr Khan said, he has learned so much more about his son -- how he mentored a young man while he was at U-Va.; how he was an unofficial counselor for mentally troubled soldiers; how he started a program to hire local Iraqis for jobs on the base as a way of trying to improve relations between the soldiers and the town. "They did not call him Captain Khan," his father said. "They called him 'our captain.' " All of it has in a way made his son more mysterious to him, not less. Humayun was so much more like his mother, so generous and kind, the father said. He's not sure what his son got from him. "We wonder how we got so lucky," Khizr Khan said. Khazir Khan and his wife, Ghazala, show the Gold Star Banner given to them by the Army. (Lucian Perkins/The Washington Post) The Khans moved to Charlottesville on the advice of a therapist, who thought being closer to their other two sons at U-Va. would help them. They have started a foundation in Humayun's name to continue the work he wanted to do counseling soldiers. When they can, they go to funerals of other soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. "Somehow it reminds us that that's what he would do, perhaps," Khan said. On long drives back home, between phone calls and meetings at work, he tries to remember how purposeful Humayun was, how deliberately he chose his path. Khan is certain that his son did not die for nothing, and having that certainty helps. There is just one thing, Khizr Khan said at the end of a long afternoon, one thing that all the logic and purpose in the world can't help him with. "I just can't seem to get my arms around the loss," he said, lifting his arms and embracing the air, as people out in the hallway talked about lunch. Friends and family cheer at Heather Arnet's home in Pittsburgh as Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic presidential nomination. (Dustin Franz/For The Washington Post) When Bill Clinton and Al Gore hopped off a campaign bus loaded with reporters in this steel city after the 1992 Democratic National Convention, they electrified supporters at a time when presidential bus tours and a Clinton aiming for the White House were new. On Saturday, when Hillary Clinton arrives by bus here with Tim Kaine, she is hoping to re-create that excitement in a different way. Democrats are counting on her to generate her own buzz as the first woman to lead a major-party ticket. In the absence of the novelty and appeal of the 1992 Clinton-Gore team, her most effective rallying cry may be that she has traveled this road before. She has been through a lot of battles and stands for noble values, said Paul Griffin, 61, a janitor and union activist who will greet Hillary Clinton just as he did her husband on a rainy day in 1992. Mayor Bill Peduto (D) will be there, too, just as he waited for the presidential bus tour 24 years ago. Today, a Democrats challenge is tougher, he said, because some areas that were blue have turned red in this Rust Belt stretch that Clinton and Kaine are trying to win over. Judging from Pedutos inbox, which is flooded with requests for tickets for the bus rally, Clinton is enjoying new momentum coming off the Philadelphia convention. I havent seen that kind of excitement all year, he said. Now, we just have to keep it going. 1 of 57 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad The Clinton-Kaine ticket hit the campaign trail View Photos Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine are on a three-day bus tour through the Rust Belt battlegrounds of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Caption Hillary Clinton loses to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Nov. 9, 2016 Hillary Clinton speaks in New York while her husband, former president Bill Clinton, applauds. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. [Clinton, Kaine launch battleground state tour, while Trump hits back with attacks] Griffin, the union activist, said he is behind Clinton because she has fought for a higher minimum wage, health care and workers benefits. He said her years as a first lady, senator and secretary of state contrast sharply with the biography of Republican candidate Donald Trump, a real estate mogul who has never held public office. But like others, Griffin acknowledges that Clintons great strength her experience in public service is also a weakness. If you have been fighting for years, you are going to get beat up, get people saying you cant be trusted, he said. She has had a lot of battles and has borne the scars. Trump has won support among blue-collar workers in this swing area, which is seen as crucial to a White House win. Clinton leads in statewide polls in Pennsylvania, but Trump holds a commanding lead among white men who do not have college degrees. Many steel and autoworkers in Ohio and Pennsylvania along the route of the Clinton-Kaine bus tour are angered about disappearing factory jobs, new immigrants and free trade. The skills towns have been decimated, and Trump is telling people he will bring back steel, said Ken Wolfe, a carpenter who joined Democratic friends to watch Clintons speech and cheer her on in a suburban Pittsburgh home. She is losing my demographic. She needs to tell the tradesmen: Steel is not coming back to its former glory but look, I am not taking anything away from you. I want to give you a different job. Wolfe, 41, loves that Clinton promises to enact the biggest jobs program and stimulus package for depressed areas since World War II. And now she has to take that message right to the people, go into coal country and into these towns that are hurting, he said. The convention speeches of Bill and Chelsea Clinton, and of Hillary Clinton herself, helped show her in a new light as more personable, more relatable, Wolfe said. People think she is cold and calculating, he said. I think she has gotten an unfair rap. Watch Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Clinton spoke about domestic policy, national security and beating Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. (Video: Victoria Walker/The Washington Post;Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) Heather Arnet, a Democratic activist who lives in this swing county in a swing country, as she described her suburban Pittsburgh neighborhood, gathered Wolfe and a dozen friends to her home to watch Clintons convention speech. Hillary Clinton doesnt dazzle, she said, but she is just fine with that. She is doing this a different way. She is the smartest girl in the class, said Arnet, who runs a local nonprofit organization, the Women and Girls Foundation. She was thrilled when Clinton called out Trump for saying he knew more about the Islamic State than do military generals. I loved it when she said, No, Donald, you dont. Arnet, who keeps a Hillary sign on her front lawn, lives in Mount Lebanon, just a few miles from downtown Pittsburgh, in a brick home on a quiet, leafy street. Several people gathered to share beer and pizza at her home and talked past midnight about the high stakes of this election, even as their young children struggled to stay awake. Arnet said she lives amid Trump supporters: I overhear people at the supermarket saying, Gosh, werent those Trump kids fantastic? That only adds to Arnets motivation to rally around Clinton. Her husband, David Shumway, an English professor at Carnegie Mellon University, said that it is striking that Clintons favorability ratings are high when she does her job, but not when she seeks one. Polls taken when she was a senator and the secretary of state show high approval ratings. But recent polls, including a recent Washington Post-ABC poll, show that more than half of all people surveyed view her unfavorably as she campaigns for the Oval Office. Its something about the way people perceive her. Some find her off-putting, he said. I think it has something to do with her gender and that any women would suffer that. Shumway said history shows that voters like a candidate they can relate to and find personable even though, he said, I wish I knew why that mattered. Many of those gathered in his living room watching her Thursday-night speech said that all the details about her mother growing up poor and abandoned, her father working in a lace factory, her practice of leaving notes for her daughter, Chelsea, when she was on work trips, made people know and like her better. Clinton even won over a Bernie Sanders supporter. I would like to have seen Bernie win, but now I believe in her, said Stephanie Fedro-Byrom, who joined the neighborhood watch party. It mattered a lot that Sanders endorsed Clinton, she said, saying she is expecting a baby girl soon. I am excited that my girl is due the year that I hope we finally elect a woman president. Scott Clement in Washington contributed to this report. It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. Thats if the dog is super-soldier former CIA agent Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), and the trainer is director Paul Greengrass, who helmed Bournes Supremacy and Ultimatum. After the misfire that was The Bourne Legacy, a misguided attempt to pass off the franchise to Jeremy Renner, Damon and Greengrass ably right the ship, delivering a Bourne film that looks and feels like the kind that weve always loved. Jason Bourne delivers everything that we expect from this franchise. We want Damon making swift, brutal work of his enemies, landing heavy punches and turning mundane household items into deadly weapons. We want him burning rubber on narrow European streets, burning out the clutches on any motorized vehicle he can hijack. We want CIA bigwigs, illuminated by the glow of computer screens shouting enhance! at surveillance footage and exclaiming in awe: Its Bourne. All of that is here, gloriously. This time around, the plot concerns a hacking. Its worse than Snowden, Agent Jeffers (Ato Essandoh) barks at his boss, CIA director Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones). The missing files contain information about all of their Black Operations, including Treadstone, the recruitment program that turned David Webb into Jason Bourne, and Iron Hand, their plans for total, invasive national surveillance. Deweys been making inroads in Silicon Valley to that end, particularly with social media company founder and tech rock star Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed), who would like to keep his deals with the government secret. Everything is almost startlingly timely, in a ripped-from-the-headlines way from the debate over digital privacy, to the culminating showdown at a Vegas tech conference, where a rogue CIA asset (Vincent Cassel) seeking revenge on Bourne for his imprisonment in Syria, plows a SWAT vehicle through traffic. Its a breath of fresh air to see Damon back in this role, one that draws on his innate strengths. His All-American star persona allows us to understand that though Bourne is a lone ranger who doesnt hesitate to use violence, we innately trust his moral compass. Thats because we know Bourne, but also because of the patriotic, good guy qualities that Damon effortlessly expresses. Julia Stiles returns as Nikki, Damons trusty gal Friday, though theres a new cyber ops whiz kid at the CIA in Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander). Oscar winner Vikander seems at times miscast, but she manages to make the ambitious, self-serving Heather into a deeply complicated character, neither ally nor enemy. Greengrass camera is anxious, unsettled, constantly shifting on its feet, and he and editor Christopher Rouse keep an antsy trigger finger on the rapid-fire editing. An early action set piece of a motorcycle chase during a Greek political protest demonstrates the best thing that Greengrass brings to the Bourne films a tightly controlled sense of chaos that rides the line of anarchy, presented at eye-level, on a human-sized scale. That scale allows the filmmakers to wrestle with global issues within the scope of individual actors, who are rooted in their own histories, with their competing goals, making their own choices. Bournes always had an issue with his own motivation, frantically searching through his past muddied by government programming for a slice of identity. He needs his history so he knows what hes fighting for, and this film offers another puzzle piece. Muslim worshippers gather in front of the memorial of the Saint Etienne church after the Friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, on July 29, 2016. (Francois Mori/AP) BRAZIL Lula to stand trial on charges of obstruction A Brazilian lower court judge has accepted charges against former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for alleged obstruction of the corruption probe at state-run oil giant Petrobras. The date of the trial has not been set. The decision published Friday names Lula and five others as conspirators in an alleged attempt to buy the silence of a former Petrobras director implicated in the scandal. The obstruction-of-justice accusation against Lula arises from plea-bargain testimony by former senator Delcidio do Amaral, who was stripped of his seat by his peers and will also stand trial. Lula, who leads the polls for the 2018 presidential election, denied any wrongdoing. Brasilia-based federal judge Ricardo Leite made Fridays decision. He is himself accused of obstructing an investigation on a tax-evasion scheme led by some of Brazils biggest companies. This is the first time that Lula, who was president from 2003 to 2010, will stand trial on charges related to the Petrobras scandal. He is also accused by Sao Paulo state prosecutors of money laundering and criminal misrepresentation in connection with an alleged real estate scheme benefiting him and his family. Associated Press SYRIA Kerry casts doubt on Russias Aleppo plan The United States is trying to determine whether a Russian plan for a humanitarian operation in Syria is sincere, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Friday, adding that if it proves to be a ruse, it could ruin cooperation between Moscow and Washington. The 250,000 civilians trapped for weeks inside the rebel-held sector of Aleppo have so far stayed away from safe corridors that Moscow and Damascus promised for those trying to escape the most important opposition stronghold in the country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government and its Russian allies declared a joint humanitarian operation for the besieged area Thursday. The United Nations has raised misgivings about the plan, and U.S. officials have suggested it may be an attempt to depopulate the city so that the army can seize it. The Syrian opposition called it a cover for forced displacement of inhabitants, which it said would be a war crime. Reuters FRANCE Muslims denounce extremists at prayers Muslims and Catholics joined in prayers at the mosque in the Normandy town where an elderly priest was slain this week, with one imam chastising the extremists as non-Muslims who are not part of civilization. Muslims came from other parts of France for the service shared with Christians. The killing Tuesday of the Rev. Jacques Hamel, 85, as he celebrated morning Mass sent shock waves around France and deeply touched many among the nations 5 million Muslims. The head of the main Muslim umbrella group in France, Anouar Kbibech, who attended Fridays gathering, reiterated a call for Muslims to visit churches on Sunday to show solidarity with Christians as they pray. Associated Press Former Chadian dictator ordered to pay millions: A tribunal ordered Chads ex-dictator Hissene Habre to pay more than 4,700 victims at least $17,000 each for abuses suffered during his time in power. The Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal found Habre guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment on May 30 for crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and sex crimes committed during his presidency from 1982 to 1990. The trial began in July 2015 and was the first in which the courts of one country prosecuted the former ruler of another for alleged human rights crimes. Victims and survivors have been pursuing the case for more than 15 years. From news services Hillary Clinton is seen aboard the campaign bus in Cleveland on the third day of a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio. 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 The former secretary of state, senator and first lady is the Democratic nominee for president. The former secretary of state clinched the number of delegates needed to be the Democratic presidential nominee. The former secretary of state clinched the number of delegates needed to be the Democratic presidential nominee. Hillary Clintons convention week featured two of the most effective communicators in the Democratic Party offering different images of the nominee. In Bill Clintons version, she is a change maker who has never been satisfied with the status quo. In Barack Obamas telling, she has the intelligence and judgment to carry forward his administrations ideals into a third term, because the status quo is pretty darn good. When the spotlight finally came, the nominee was very much herself a tenacious plodder, advocating half-a-loaf liberalism. This is closer to Obamas description than her husbands. In Philadelphia, she made the high-stakes decision to present herself as conventional, normal and safe, in sharp contrast to a small, unstable man moved by fear and pride. If this is a normal election in which the composition of the electorate and the turnout of various groups roughly match recent presidential contests Clintons argument should be enough. If this is an anti-establishment wave election, she has the worst possible political profile boasting of her royal resume during the French Revolution. There is no doubt about Clintons ideological framework. Down with Citizens United! Climate change is real! Raise the minimum wage! Free college for everyone! Clinton called this agenda bold, which is true in the same way as Donald Trump calling himself a really smart person. She said nothing creative from the stage that would have offended your average Bernie Sanders supporter (except the ones who believe America should defend itself with truculent self-righteousness rather than weapons). Clinton missed her best opening when it came to describing Americas unifying ideals. In Cleveland, Republicans shockingly, disturbingly left this rhetorical ground unoccupied. In his convention speech, Obama skillfully took this ground. But Clinton could not hold it. She strained mightily, consulted a Broadway musical and produced a slogan: Stronger Together. Watch Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Clinton spoke about domestic policy, national security and beating Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. (Video: Victoria Walker/The Washington Post;Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) I get that inspiration is not Clintons thing. But a candidate has weeks and months to produce a memorable convention speech. Clintons speechwriting process which includes some fine writers and too many political overseers delivered the functional equivalent of a State of the Union address. The speech sounded so much like the product of a committee that you could almost picture the Post-it notes. In making her case about Americas future, Clinton highlighted her book (It Takes a Village) published in 1996. The liberal communitarianism found in those pages does not seem particularly well-suited for outreach to working-class whites, if that is one of her goals. In her attempt to identify with a cartoon version of the blue-collar everyman, her focus was on economics. The progressive version of homo economicus leaves out cultural matters entirely. What assurance did Clinton provide that Democratic elites even tolerate more conservative views on, say, abortion? What was her version of school uniforms or welfare reform her husbands symbols of outreach to cultural conservatives? As a policy matter, Democratic centrism is still dead. Clintons defense of the honor of the military against Trumps ridicule was effective and needed. But it does not count as innovative policy outreach. Similarly, the mention of her Methodist faith was an improvement on Trumps secular silence. But it was brief and untethered to the rest of her reasoning more an ornament than a foundation. The speech shined in attack mode dismissing Trump as the outsourcer in chief, the breaker of alliances, the purveyor of casual misogyny, the Twitter troll who must be denied the nuclear codes. It says something that the most negative aspects of Clintons remarks were the most memorable. She is a fighter. And Democrats seem happy that their policy wonk moonlights as a cage boxer. In the speech, she put her finger on the most frightening element of Trumps appeal: Our founders fought a revolution and wrote a Constitution so America would never be a nation where one person had all the power. It is fair to say that the founders would have held the main thesis of Trumps candidacy the promise of a man on horseback to save a frightened and supine nation in utter contempt. It also says something that one of the strongest attacks on the Republican nominee is the defense of self-government. This is an extraordinary political moment. Any reasonable Republican presidential contender other than Trump probably would be beating Clinton handily. Any reasonable Democratic contender other than Clinton probably would be beating Trump handily. The parties, in their wisdom, have chosen the untrusted against the unstable, the uninspiring against the unfit. Take your pick, and take your chances. Read more from Michael Gersons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook . The year 1980 was a landmark for Maryland in many ways. The Orioles won 100 games for the second consecutive year under the leadership of manager Earl Weaver. And Marylands health-care policy leaders, seeking to improve hospital funding, finalized a landmark deal with Medicare that became todays hospital waiver. Like the 1980 Orioles home run leader Eddie Murray, these policy leaders swung for the fences by guaranteeing the federal government that Marylands rate of growth for Medicare-paid care in hospitals would rise more slowly than the national average . For most of the 36 years since, Maryland kept that bargain. Maryland operates the nations only hospital rate-regulation system, with a Health Services Cost Review Commission that sets rates for hospitals. In the past decade, it became apparent to Maryland and national health-care leaders that the waiver had become obsolete, spurring health-policy leaders to update it. The updated waiver requires Maryland hospitals to achieve quality improvements, including reductions in 30-day hospital readmissions and hospital-acquired health conditions. It also limits all-payer per-capita hospital growth to a rate lower than the national average. And it mandates that Maryland generate $330 million in Medicare savings over five years. Maryland faces serious challenges broad health-care disparities, chronic underfunding of the Medicaid program and uncertainty on the regulatory front. The data collected after year two of the waiver indicate that Maryland remains on the right track, especially in terms of care-coordination trends, which illustrate the value of care offered by providers outside of hospital settings in partnership with hospitals. In 1980, the typical person who entered a nursing home was an elderly woman in good health who drove up to the center in a car with her family. At the home, she joined other elders, almost all women, in activities such as reading club, crochet and high tea much like what you see in todays assisted-living communities. Today, the typical person entering a skilled nursing rehabilitation center in Maryland arrives via ambulance, most often after an acute hospital stay. While the average age of individuals treated in a center is 78, nearly 20 percent of those individuals served in nursing homes are younger than 65. And, unlike in 1980, Marylands updated hospital waiver focuses on the total cost of care, including care received in skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers. Skilled nursing centers today are treating a sicker and more diverse patient population and have increased the services that they provide by offering IV treatment, ventilator care, dialysis, post-heart attack and post-stroke care and orthopedic, physical and occupational rehabilitative care. These services are provided at substantially lower cost than at hospitals. This is critical relative to the new waiver, as it gives hospitals an incentive to discharge patients to these centers when appropriate. The data indicate that Medicare beneficiaries who are discharged from the hospital to nursing homes are much sicker than those who go directly home. On average, those discharged to skilled nursing have required almost nine days of hospital care. Going forward, hospitals and skilled nursing rehabilitation centers in Maryland will partner more deeply to lower that costly hospital stay for these patients. This can be done in part by removing the outdated three-day hospital stay requirement for patients to qualify for skilled nursing benefits from Medicare. As Marylands leaders continue to update and improve the waiver, hospitals and skilled nursing rehabilitation centers likely will work together by bundling payments and partnering to deliver care, which also creates cost savings. Gone are the days when health-care providers could be treated as downstream vendors. Going forward, the waiver will work only if providers are full and equal partners. Nursing homes must be allowed to apply their post-acute and transitional-care expertise, supported by stable rates and meaningful quality measures. Maryland has an opportunity to revolutionize health care and build on the bold and strategic thinking of policy leaders that started in 1980. Together, we can ensure that Maryland is the health-care model for the nation. The writer is president and chief executive of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland. The United States is littered with about 40,000 special tax districts that collect about $100 billion each year. Some districts are careless with taxpayer money and have low voter accountability. The next neighborhood targeted with a special tax could be yours. One of these special tax districts was designed to adversely affect a small neighborhood in Alexandria. To pay for the new Potomac Yard Metro station, in 2011 the Alexandria City Council created the only special tax district in Alexandria. It would collect an additional property tax of about $1,000 more per year per household from 447 families in Potomac Yard. To collect an equivalent amount of tax from each home in Alexandria, the city would need to collect one-tenth of 1 cent per $100 ($1 for every $100,000) of assessed home value annually, or the city could use one-thirtieth of this years 3-cent increase per $100 of assessed value. The City Council recently agreed to reconsider this special tax district. Good. It should be repealed. Historically, Metrorail in the D.C. area has been paid for by all taxpayers or by a transportation district, excluding residential properties from the tax, but Alexandria didnt choose those methods. Ironically, although the special tax is imposed on only a small group, City Council members emphasized that the Potomac Yard Metro will be an economic development project for the entire city. They projected the station will result in about $1.5 billion in net revenue to the city over 40 years and after that period, Potomac Yard redevelopment will produce $98 million every year, which could be used to pay for services and amenities throughout the city. The City Council set in motion the special tax by making a deal with Potomac Yard Development in May 2010 to tax future Potomac Yard residents. In return, the developer would avoid further contributions to the station. The council encountered vocal and public opposition from Potomac Greens homeowners included in the special tax district, so it removed them from the district. But the city didnt give the same treatment to Potomac Yard homeowners. According to the citys agreement with the developer, the special tax district should have ended on July 1, when the city failed to issue a bond. This special tax district violates the tax uniformity clause in Virginia law, which requires that tax treatment not be arbitrary, discriminatory or unreasonable. Other property owners equidistant or closer to the station, including Potomac Greens, will benefit from the station as much as or more than Potomac Yard residents but are not required to pay the special tax. And although the council claims the funding plan for the station does not require the contributions of General Fund taxpayers, in 2011 the city began diverting 40 percent of Potomac Yard residents taxes from the general fund while deferring building an elementary school on designated land in Potomac Yard until 2026 or later. In early 2015, Potomac Yard residents formed the Potomac Yard Committee for Tax Fairness. In May 2015, Alexandrias mayor directed the city to provide costed-out alternatives to the Tier II Special Tax District for council consideration. When asked the status of this assignment more than one year later, city staff responded they were unaware that anyone was working on it. Instead of finding alternatives to targeting Potomac Yard homes with the extra tax totaling $20 million, however, council members are proposing pet projects that include $8 million to rebuild the Kiss-and-Ride at the King Street Metro station and other projects that will not generate revenue. The City Council should repeal the unfair special tax district. WHEN CHILDREN steal cookies from the cookie jar, they usually suffer little more than a scolding. When those cookies contain cannabis, its a different story: According to a study published Monday, exposure to marijuana among children in Colorado has increased in the two years since the state began selling the drug legally and so have the emergency-room visits that follow. Colorado gave the green light to medical marijuana in 2000. In 2012, the state sanctioned recreational use, and by January 2014, dispensary store shelves were stocked with potent products of all shapes and sizes. Since then, marijuana-related trips to childrens care centers have almost doubled, though incidence overall remains low. Edibles in particular seem to entice unsuspecting children who think they are sneaking everyday snacks, though secondhand smoke is also a culprit. After accidental marijuana consumption, most children simply become sleepy. In the worst of cases, they can end up intubated. Its possible that reports have risen in Colorado in part because doctors are more aware of the problem and parents less reluctant to admit to having marijuana in their homes. But the trend, which holds true in states with similar laws, deserves attention not least because it could teach legislators considering decriminalization in other localities to exercise caution. The District is one of those places. In 2014, voters approved an initiative to let residents and visitors 21 and older keep and carry a limited amount of the drug, as well as grow it at home. But Congress in a display of blatant disregard for self-determination has quashed the citys attempts to move toward a tax-and-regulate regime that would allow for the drugs legal purchase and sale. In response, some D.C. Council members have displayed a desire to loosen restrictions on marijuana even without the ability to control its use. A task force is scheduled to release recommendations on allowing smoking in private clubs at the end of the summer. Colorados case gives the District one more reason to tread carefully until it can regulate marijuana in a responsible way. Coloradan stores, for example, adopted child-resistant packaging in 2015. This month, a law went into effect barring marijuana-laced look-alikes to common childrens treats such as gummy bears and other sweets in human, animal or fruit shapes. The state has also tried to encourage manufacturers to limit product potency, and some local lawmakers have proposed a mandatory cap. Those rules address just one problem associated with legalization. But this weeks study stresses the need for more research on marijuanas effects to know what other issues might arise and for states to sit tight until they understand how to solve them. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at a panel about transportation on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday. (Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg News) Who knows what the Trump family thinks about the D.C. government. Better understood, perhaps, is the regard that the Republican presidential nominee and his family have for the Districts Democratic mayor, Muriel E. Bowser. That is, if regard is measured in terms of check-writing. On April 10, 2014, 10 days after then-Ward 4 Council member Bowser defeated incumbent mayor Vincent C. Gray in a Democratic primary, Donald Trumps daughter, Ivanka, contributed the maximum $2,000 to the Muriel Bowser for Mayor Committee. On Oct. 1, with a month left in the general election contest between Bowser and independent mayoral contender David Catania, one of Donald Trumps sons, Eric Trump, donated $2,000 to Bowsers election committee. With the mayoral election won, attention turned to Bowsers transition and inauguration. Those activities attracted Donald Trump himself, who, on Dec. 1, contributed $5,000 to Bowsers D.C. Proud Inaugural Committee. According to records of the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance, no other candidate in D.C. history has received Trump money not to say others wouldnt if they could. Dont know. What can be said, however, is that the real estate magnate has been known to rain campaign contributions upon Democrats, especially in Democratic strongholds where the Trump organization does business. In recent years, it should be noted, Trumps contributions have tacked toward the right, as have some of his views on public issues. So why give to Bowser? I asked William Lightfoot, Bowsers 2014 campaign chairman and a top adviser to the mayor, who said, I dont know. Youll have to ask the Trump Organization why they gave the money. An email inquiry to the Trump Organization has not been answered. Could there be a one-word answer: access? To be sure, the $9,000 in checks to Bowsers organizations are chump change to the Trumps. The same might be said of Bowsers 2014 campaign treasury, which took in more than $1 million. But the Trump donations still might draw attention in the District, where the 263-room luxury Trump International Hotel under construction in the historic Old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Avenue is slated to open in September. Trumps got a lot riding on that $200 million project, which is being financed with, according to the Washington Business Journal, $42 million of Trumps own money and a $170 million Deutsche Bank loan. Hardly a risk-free undertaking. And the venture could be even more of a headache for a Trump Organization that finds itself at war in D.C. Superior Court with the D.C. government over the value of the Old Post Office. A loss in the assessment dispute with the citys Office of Tax and Revenue could prove costly. Nine thousand dollars probably wont buy much D.C. time. But those bucks may be enough to rent a few minutes on the phone with a D.C. problem-solver. Bowser has said she has worked primarily with Ivanka Trump on the hotel, and in April 2015 the two were spotted having a private tete-a-tete. What have they talked about? Bowser said in a phone interview that she recalled discussing the dispute involving restaurants that pulled out of the hotel deal over disparaging remarks that Donald Trump made about immigrants. She said she spoke out of concern for local business. Asked about the Trump contributions to her campaign and inaugural event, Bowser said she was not sure she and Ivanka Trump talked about it very much. Ironically, the statehood proposal championed by Bowser, which fixes set boundaries of New Columbia and the federal seat of government, would locate the Trump International Hotel in the federal district a potential financial windfall for Donald Trump and a revenue loss for the new state. Bowser acknowledged that the Pennsylvania Avenue boundary would locate the John A. Wilson building , which houses the city government, within New Columbia, but not the Trump Hotel. Told by me that I had learned that the boundary had been drawn in error and would be corrected to include the Trump Hotel in New Columbia, Bowser demanded, Who told you that? After identifying the source, who did not speak in confidence, the interview ended. Within minutes, Bowser called back to say she had been unaware of the effort to address the problem and that she would speak with D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) about amending the statehood proposal to include Trump Hotel within the new state. Earlier in the year, Bowser took issue with Donald Trumps statements about illegal immigrants, calling them idiotic, and expressed hope that he would recant them. Hasnt happened, and probably wont. Since then, Trump has gone on to disparage many others and to generally threaten our democratic values. What the Trump Organization sees in Bowser is for it to know. What Bowser sees in Trump is for D.C. citizens to know. To rid the city of any false idea that Bowser is not offended by Trump or is influenced by the Trump contributions, she should return all of the Trump family money or donate it to worthy causes. And as mayor, she must deal with real estate mogul Trump and his business partners at arms length and with someone else in the room with a tape recorder. Read more from Colbert Kings archive. Adam T. Smith is a professor of anthropology at Cornell University. Donald Trumps proposal to build a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico to block the flow of migrants has been justly criticized on moral, economic and political grounds. But while the Trump Wall (as he has called it) is the most provocative proposal of the election season, it is not particularly original. Over the past five millennia, politicians have repeatedly turned to large walls to solve problems. We should look carefully at the track record of this ancient technology before we invest what some estimates suggest could be $25 billion in construction costs for a 2,000-mile-long wall, plus millions more in annual maintenance. One of the earliest examples of a large-scale barrier wall was constructed by the rulers of the city of Ur, in what is now southern Iraq, at the end of the third millennium B.C. The kings of Ur faced a considerable challenge along their northwestern border from a semi-nomadic people known as the Amorites. Cuneiform texts suggest that Amorites not only pressed in on grazing lands but also for decades had moved into the cities of southern Mesopotamia, where they were regularly identified as foreigners. During the 21st century B.C., the kings of Ur resolved to block further migration by building linear barriers, some of which may have extended as far as 155 miles. But the walls were spectacular failures. After decades of wall building, Urs kings were eclipsed and, for the next three centuries, Amorite kings ruled over much of Mesopotamia. Hadrians Wall, initiated by the Roman emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 across the northern boundary of the province of Britannia, was more successful, largely because it was never intended to cease the everyday flow of people across the border, as the Trump Wall seeks to do. Indeed, the wall became an important entrepot for trade and a funnel for population movement. The strategic objectives of Hadrians 73-mile wall were to provide the military infrastructure for parrying violent attacks from the north and to define the symbolic limits of the Roman world. But even military walls, with their more limited ambition, have an undistinguished track record. During the 6th century A.D., the Sassanian king Khosrau I erected a series of extraordinary walls at the city of Derbent, in what is today the southern Russian republic of Dagestan. Khosraus walls, thought at the time to be impregnable, were up to 60 feet high and stretched for 30 miles. And yet not even a century later, they were overrun during the third Perso-Turkic War. The walls of Derbent illustrate the fundamental trouble with barriers. We imagine them to be impregnable, but they are in fact porous. They can always be circumvented (witness the Amorites) or simply overwhelmed (as at Derbent). What static barriers do provide is an illusion of security. The porosity of walls is best illustrated by the most famous of all pre-modern barrier walls: the 5,500-mile-long Great Wall of China. The most significant portions of the Great Wall that remain standing today were built by the rulers of the Ming dynasty starting in the 14th century A.D. to check the advance of the Mongols. The emperors built early components of the Great Wall in areas of strategic military concern, much like Hadrians Wall. But Mongol armies proved remarkably adept at simply going around the barriers, necessitating new investments in still more walls. Ultimately, however, it was not the ease of circumventing walls that undid the Ming. In 1644, a former Ming general opened the gate of the critical Shanhai Pass, allowing the forces of the upstart Qing dynasty to pass through. Porous indeed. What is most captivating about barrier walls, like the Trump Wall, is neither the scope of their construction nor the resoluteness of their strategic vision. Rather, they are powerful symbols of a particular kind of hubris, the conceit that the translation of mania into masonry can alter the decisions, fortunes and futures of countless others through architectural intimidation. Here, the Berlin Wall should still live in all of our memories as a potent symbol of how walls and totalitarian politics often find common cause. Barrier walls are not simply clumsy, imprecise solutions to problems of population movement, past and present; they also represent a catastrophic failure of political imagination endemic to totalitarian thinking. The Trump Wall, the past shows, does not promise a solution to the forces driving migration along the U.S.-Mexico border. But it does offer the illusion of a solution. So if the Trump Wall is ever built, no one should be surprised when it is bypassed, breached or bombarded, just like those that came before it. Teng Biao is a human rights lawyer and a visiting fellow at New York Universitys U.S.-Asia Law Institute. Two years ago, I was invited by the American Bar Association to prepare a manuscript for a book to be titled Darkness Before Dawn. This book was to describe the decade I spent engaged in human rights work in China and what those experiences tell us about the countrys politics, society and future. But the ABA soon rescinded the offer. The reason I was given? The group did not want to anger the Chinese government. I dont write this to pick on the ABA. There was nothing uncommon about this episode, but the details are useful in illustrating the corrosive influence of the Chinese Communist Party on the West. Far too many Western organizations and scholars working in China practice self-censorship and for perfectly understandable reasons. If their conclusions on a sensitive political topic anger the regime, they wont get a visa, and their work and funding will be jeopardized. Whenever Chinese politics is mentioned, most think of the factional struggles among Communist Party leaders. But this is only part of the picture. The stories Ive long sought to tell are otherwise: About activists given heavy prison sentences for forming opposition political parties. About human rights lawyers representing persecuted Christians, Falun Gong practitioners, Tibetans and Uighurs. About rights defenders whose activism helped end the labor camp system, the one-child policy and forced demolitions. I am intimately familiar with this work, because I am one of their number. For my activism Ive been banned from teaching, forced out of a job, disbarred from practicing law, jailed and tortured. All of us who engage in this work pay an enormous price. But weve also made progress. And no understanding of contemporary China can be complete without a thorough grasp of this suppressed community. Chinas activists and dissidents are the countrys hope for the future. These were the ideas animating my manuscript proposal, which was at first enthusiastically received by the ABA. The group said it promised to be an important and groundbreaking book. But unfortunately the project was quickly canceled, with this explanation: There is concern that we run the risk of upsetting the Chinese government by publishing your book, and because we have ABA commissions working in China there is fear that we would put them and their work at risk. Later, the ABA released an official statement disavowing this explanation, asserting that the cancellation was made for purely economic reasons. This was based on a market viability study actually performed the month before I received the formal acceptance, but aside from the peculiar timing, I have to ask: Should purely economic reasons be the driving logic of an association of lawyers? Clearly, there is a deeper, more troubling logic at work here. Like every Western institution operating in China, the ABA wants its programs to be effective, so such organizations avoid a great many issues that might endanger their success. This list of issues is long: the persecution of Falun Gong, the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Communist Partys policies in Tibet and Xinjiang, and the treatment of human rights lawyers, dissidents and street activists. These groups constantly play a guessing game about which way the political winds are blowing. Self-censorship becomes instinctive and characterizes the very basis of their interactions with the regime. Those who need help the most who deserve it the most and who have taken the greatest risks for Chinas future get excluded before a conversation even begins. There is likewise a self-fulfilling economic rationale to the self-censorship. By avoiding the most sensitive or difficult areas, visible achievements training programs, workshops, policy tinkering can be noted in annual reports to justify continued funding. There is a tempting comfort in the idea that in the end were still creating more space for the rule of law and human rights. But this, too, has a bitterly ironic consequence. Nearly all the major funding for such programs ends up in the pockets of government departments, government-organized nongovernmental organizations (known as GONGOs) and pro-government scholars. In this way, resources meant to support the rule of law and human rights make their way into the hands of those whose job it is to trample upon human rights the official bar associations, courts, prosecutors and police. Americans are often guilty of the classic error of mirror-imaging: projecting onto China what is familiar to them. The ABA might imagine, for instance, that the All China Lawyers Association (ACLA) is its professional counterpart, but this would be a deep misunderstanding. My book, which I still hope to publish, discusses the extensive efforts by rights defense lawyers in Beijing to lobby for free elections for key positions in the ACLA and how the attempts were shut down and those engaged in them punished. The ACLA is part of the governments apparatus of control. Helping such GONGOs is worse than doing nothing. The same can be said for training programs directed at police, judges and prosecutors. Western organizations are inclined to think that miscarriages of justice must be due to insufficient professional training. Wrong again. The primary reason for abuses of justice in China is that the judicial system is an instrument of party control, where political cadres directly and arbitrarily interfere in legal cases. If refusing to publish my book was the price to be paid for genuinely effective work by the ABA to promote the rule of law in China, I would have happily torn up the contract myself. But the opposite is true. The permissive attitude and mild stances on China taken by international NGOs are of a piece with the Wests general appeasement of Chinas dictatorship. Its an approach based on shortsighted interests, and it undermines the sanctity of universal values. Not only do these policies fail to promote human rights and the rule of law in China, but also the relentless self-censorship they engender has eroded the moral prestige and values that are the foundation of free societies. Its time for a new approach. A federal jury has decided that a former Nebraska probation officer used his position to sexually exploit women assigned to him for intensive supervision. Thomas Peterson, 57, was found guilty of depriving four women of their civil rights while they were on probation, specifically their rights to "bodily integrity." He was also convicted of making false statements to a government agent and faces as many as nine years in federal prison. Peterson was a state probation officer with the District 9 probation office in Kearney. Prosecutors said he subjected four women to unsolicited and nonconsensual sexual conduct between 2010 and early 2014. The jury deliberated for less than half a day after listening to testimony for four days. "For much of the past decade, Mr. Peterson had been using his (probation) caseload as his kind of personal hunting ground to troll for women, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jan Sharp said in opening statements Monday. "And what he did youre going to hear is box them into a situation where they would submit to his sexual advances. Sharp argued Peterson used the power of his office to fondle the women and get them to fondle him, that he got them to perform oral sex on him and in at least one case had sexual intercourse with a probationer. The women submitted, Sharp argued, because he had the ear of the judge and his word could mean the difference between them completing probation or going to jail. "They submitted to him because they were afraid of what would happen to them if they made their probation officer mad, he said. But Lincoln defense attorney Bob Creager noted that Sharp did not allege that Peterson forced himself on the women or that they resisted him. "Theres no doubt that Mr. Peterson's judgment was poor, his sense of morality is not good," Creager said, but asked the jury to really question why the women would engage in sexual acts with him if they didn't want to. "Keep an open mind," he said. Whos taking advantage of who? During closing arguments Friday morning, Creager argued that someone can't consent to sex and at the same time claim it violated their civil rights. Prosecutors countered that some of the women didn't speak up because Peterson had leverage on them. But Creager argued the sexual acts were consensual and said the women might have seen them as opportunities to gather ammunition against their probation officer that could help them. On Tuesday, a 34-year-old woman who was on probation under Peterson's supervision twice testified that she performed oral sex on him two times. "I just didnt feel like I had any other choice, she said. Peterson knew she had been using marijuana and methamphetamine again and had even seen bricks of marijuana in her apartment during a surprise visit, meaning her probation could be revoked, she said. If she reported him, "who did you think would have more credibility?" Sharp asked her. Mr. Peterson, she answered. On cross-examination, Creager pointed out that the woman got information from Peterson about warrants she might have against her or drug raids by the local police. He also noted that Peterson asked her to have sex with him in previous encounters and she said no. There weren't any repercussions, the woman testified. Creager asked her if she reported Peterson's conduct when she was no longer on probation, and she said she didn't. She also testified that when an interviewer contacted her after her last probation term about an investigation into allegations of inappropriate contact between Peterson and one of the people he supervised, she had only positive things to say about him. Attorneys gave their closing statements Friday morning and the jury returned with the guilty verdict just before 3:30. While reading the verdict to himself, Creager shook his head before Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf read it out loud. Peterson has been on unsupervised release since his arrest and will remain free until he's sentenced Oct. 20. Vladimir Putin is not a Bond villain, the Kremlin is not Spectre and, in the real world, we dont need Daniel Craig to push back against Russias hybrid foreign policy. But we do need to elect Hillary Clinton for president. If we dont, as we learned in recent days, well be led by a man who appears bent on destroying the alliances that preserve international peace and American power, a man who cheerfully approves of hostile foreign intervention in a U.S. election campaign. And please remember: If thats how he feels about Russia, theres no guarantee that hell feel any different about China or Iran. We also need a President Clinton to distance herself from the current administration, at least in this sense: President Obama has consistently refused to take seriously Russias hybrid foreign policy, a strategy that mixes normal diplomacy, military force, economic corruption and a high-tech information war. This hybrid strategy needs a complex response. The reinforcement of NATO that began a few years ago was an important change but is insufficient: A further empowered alliance will help deter a devastating military conflict in Europe. At the same time, a crackdown on corrupt oligarchs, not just from Russia but also from around the world, could help stem the flows of illicit money that distort the politics of many developing countries and, increasingly, the United States and Europe, too. The information war matters as well, particularly because the tactics are unfamiliar, at least to us: Americans arent used to the idea that foreign governments might use hacked emails for the purpose of distorting their politics. In fact, the Russian government has been playing similar games for years. Back in 2007, Russian hackers launched a major attack on Estonian government and commercial websites including banks, the defense ministry, the parliament in apparent revenge for a decision to move a Soviet war memorial. In 2014, hackers attacked Ukraines national election commission, three days before people went to the polls, in an attempt to disrupt the vote. In a report to be published next week, the Center for European Policy Analysis (where I am a senior adjunct fellow) documents Russian disinformation tactics in Europe, ranging from far-right websites in Poland to assistance for an anti-European Union referendum campaign in the Netherlands. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said the United States gets "no respect" from Russian President Vladimir Putin during a town hall event in Scranton, Pa., July 27. (The Washington Post) Russia has been experimenting in U.S. cyberspace, too. In 2014, police in St. Mary Parish, La., woke up to reports of a disastrous accident that turned out to have been faked. Hundreds of Twitter messages and even a fake YouTube video had been designed to create a panic and convince people that the Islamic State had blown up a chemical factory. Months later, the New York Times Magazine traced the perpetrators to St. Petersburg: Apparently, Russian trolls were trying to learn what works. Its not hard to imagine how these kinds of tactics could be used in the case of a real disaster or in combination with military power to increase panic and create false rumors. Its also not that hard to imagine how the skillful production of fake information can be used in a fraught and highly emotional election. I confess, I thought the U.S. media ecosystem was too big to feel any impact from ill-intentioned outsiders, that this was mainly a problem in Europe. After this week, Im not so sure. Its difficult for democracies to counter the rise in fake news. Our next president wont control the media, and we wouldnt want her to. But she can direct more resources into tracking disinformation and understanding how it works. She can invest in cutting-edge media literacy campaigns (an ugly term, but there isnt a better one) both at home and abroad, and try to understand why fact-checking sometimes works and often doesnt. She can inspire the development of a more secure Internet, even follow the lead of Estonia, which, after attacks on its cyberspace, created an electronic identity card that makes it much safer for Estonians to operate online. Most of all, she can also place the growing influence of authoritarian states closer to the center of U.S. concerns. This isnt about regime change: Western democracies are now playing defense, not offense, against dictatorships that openly seek to undermine them. I dont think President Obama has ever understood this dynamic, but President Clinton might. And if there isnt a President Clinton? Then all of this is moot: There wont be a pushback against the worlds authoritarians. In Donald Trumps White House, theyll be welcomed and will feel right at home. Read more from Anne Applebaums archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook. Regarding the July 26 Metro article McAuliffe vows to outflank ruling on felons rights: Its shocking that a governor would trumpet his deliberate attempt to circumvent a state supreme court ruling. Thwarted by the Virginia Supreme Courts ruling against his mass restoration of voting rights for felons who have served their sentences, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) retaliated by vowing to use an autopen to sign more than 200,000 documents in two weeks, a strategy that makes essential individual reviews impossible. At least 132 people on probation in other states had their rights restored erroneously. The move means violent felons could have their gun rights restored (a switch from liberals attempting to restrict availability of guns), as well as sit on juries. Virginias governor has declared himself above the rule of law. What will the state attorney general and other Democratic officials do about his disregard for the legal process? Alarmingly, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton praised Mr. McAuliffes dauntless leadership. Can we trust that someone who praised disrespect for a state supreme court judgment will respect our national Constitution and legal process? Ellen Latane Tabb, Alexandria Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps self-serving public request to Russia to obtain Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons 30,000 emails that are missing and dump them into public cyberspace is perfectly consistent with his smash-mouth approach to life [Trump urges Russia to locate and release Clintons missing emails, front page, July 28]. Nonetheless, I find it astonishing that even Mr. Trump would overtly ask Russian President Vladimir Putin for help in securing the presidency of the United States. This is as abhorrent as would be a public request from Ms. Clinton to the Chinese to hack the Internal Revenue Service and dump into public cyberspace Mr. Trumps tax filings, audits, information requests and judgments. David Littman, Burke POLICE DEPARTMENTS across the country are starting to wonder whether the training techniques and assumptions that have guided them for decades are inadequate and flawed, and whether modern tools and technology might improve matters. An assessment is long overdue. The questions have arisen partly in response to unwarranted police shootings and killings, as well as to the jittery, violent handling of protests and riots in some places, especially Ferguson, Mo. Intriguing and increasingly affordable new methods, some of them taking advantage of rapid advances in virtual-reality technology, are also leading some departments to examine alternatives that may improve performance and preparation for rookie officers and veterans alike. For many years, hidebound law enforcement agencies have used simulators mainly to aid police in shoot/dont shoot scenarios, the idea being to stop the bad guy and spare the woman who darts from behind a door carrying a baby. Those are useful tools as far as they go. But new technology can hone officers skills in a much broader array of potential situations, ranging from domestic disputes to the control of unruly and violent crowds. For officers suddenly confronted with a real riot for the first time, it can be helpful to have had practice handling one virtually. Thats now not only possible but also relatively easy and cheap to do. New high-tech goggles that provide the sights and sounds of 360-degree immersion can put users in the midst of any number of tense scenes, giving them an idea of what to expect and how to react effectively while managing stress. That would complement the traditional emphasis in many training programs, which hammer home the message that policing is highly dangerous work. Virtual-reality tools can also foster empathy and spotlight implicit racial bias, notions that some departments may have scoffed at in the past but that more forward-looking ones are now embracing. By donning a headset, a middle-aged white officer can see himself in a virtual mirror as a young African American man. In that guise, he can sit in the drivers seat of an idling car as a nervous or agitated officer approaches. Officers can also rehearse street encounters with mentally ill individuals. Just because youre a cop doesnt mean you can handle anything without overreacting, said Jim Bueermann, the retired chief of the police department in Redlands, Calif., who now leads the Police Foundation, which advocates for innovative approaches to policing. You could use this for protection training or use-of-force training, to run [trainees] through multiple options. A growing number of states and localities are embracing such tools. In Utah, lawmakers this year approved funds for a training center with virtual-reality technology that would expand training in de-escalation techniques. Officers from smaller, rural police forces around the state, which otherwise could not afford such equipment, would be included in the training. Even as the price of training technology drops, state and local governments are spending hundreds of millions of dollars settling lawsuits that arise from police missteps. Better and more innovative training techniques may be highly cost-effective. They are also almost certain to be a tonic for escalating tensions between police and the communities they protect. The July 28 editorial Mr. Trump bets on Russian spying mentioned that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump disparaged NATO. But Mr. Trump was at least partially right to question the wisdom of our NATO commitments. NATO was created in large part to protect Western Europe from the Soviet Union. NATOs mission creep is not only unwise but also dangerous. Suppose there were miscalculations like those in July 1914 that led to World War I. This time mistakes could lead to a nuclear war. Poland and the Baltic states should not expect U.S. troops to protect them from Russia. A better policy would be to build up the armed forces of those countries to protect themselves. Poland defeated the Soviet Unions Red Army in 1920, and there is no reason to believe that the damage it would inflict on Russian troops would be insufficient to deter Russian aggression now. As for the Baltic states, a Russian invasion would leave St. Petersburg vulnerable to a retaliatory attack. Arthur Amchan, McLean Danielle Allen is a political theorist at Harvard University and a contributing columnist for The Post. While were on the subject of Vladimir Putin, its worth noting another way Russia is working against U.S. interests. Russia is helping to sustain the war on drugs. In fact, Russia has become the worlds most aggressive defender of maintaining the war on drugs, outdoing even countries such as Iran. Iran, for instance, supports things such as needle exchanges for heroin users; Russia does not. And Russias hard-line stance on the drug war is bad for us. The contrast with a country like Iran means that Russias social conservatism is an insufficient explanation for its stance. To understand its motives, we need to look elsewhere. One reason for Russias aggressive position on the war on drugs may be that members of the Russian oligarchy appear to be profiting from the illegal drug economy. A second reason must surely be that Russia can see clearly that modern prohibition is weakening the United States, its historical geopolitical competitor. How does Russia make its influence felt in ways that matter for the rest of us? The current executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime is Yuri Fedotov. Fedotov was the Russian ambassador to Britain during the polonium poisoning in London of Alexander Litvinenko. As Samuel Oakford has reported for Vice news, Litvinenko, shortly before his death, completed a report alleging links between Viktor Ivanov, recent Russian drug czar and confidant of Putin, and St. Petersburg-based mafia at a time when those organizations were involved in drug trafficking. The complex structure of corruption in Moscow makes it challenging to probe the significance of such connections, but for whatever reason, the Russians have used their role at the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime and on the U.N. Security Council to block reform. In April, for the first time since 1988, the United Nations held a special session of the General Assembly on global drug policy. In the intervening decades, powerful movements for reform have developed in South and Central America, in Europe, and also here in the United States. Uruguay is about to begin implementing the first legal national-level state sale of marijuana. Mexico is in the process of liberalizing its marijuana laws. Portugal has legalized marijuana, decriminalized other drugs by making use of them subject to administrative fines instead of criminal penalties, and embraced a policy of harm reduction, which refers to the effort to reduce the harms that flow from drug use instead of trying to achieve an end to drug use. For reformers, one of the main goals for the General Assembly special session was to have language supporting harm reduction, decriminalization and an acknowledgment of the failure of the drug war included in the U.N. protocols. Russia succeeded in blocking these efforts. While individual countries will go their own way and pursue reform at the national level, the continuance at a global level of the language of prohibition and a focus on a criminal justice instead of a public-health strategy for narcotics control will slow reform. Domestic arguments about whether harm reduction, legalization and decriminalization make sense will unfold against a backdrop of international protocols where those ideas have not been endorsed. But what does Russia get out of slowing down efforts to end the war on drugs? A Brookings Institution report by New York University scholar Mark Galeotti calls out corruption in the Russian Federal Security Service forces and a tendency on the part of Russians to view international law enforcement through the lens of geopolitical rivalries and as a tool for asserting regional hegemony. Legal methadone clinics, so the argument runs, according to Oakford, would undercut an important source of revenue for Russian drug-trafficking organizations involved in corruption networks with the security forces. And what about the geopolitical stakes? Russia believes that its heroin problem was caused, even perhaps intentionally, by the United States with the destabilization of Afghanistan. But Russia can also surely see that the war on drugs is weakening the United States. Every year Americans of all races collectively spend $100 billion to buy illegal drugs. As a country, we then bear costs of roughly $100 billion a year from fighting the crime related to illegal drugs and from the loss to productivity caused by incarceration. Our national defense budget, by way of contrast, is $600 billion a year. If you want a competitor to be thrown off focus by a distraction, a project that drains its resources at this scale annually would seem welcome. Then there is the social division spawned by the war on drugs. The burdens of mass incarceration and the increased capacity of the police for violence have fallen most heavily on African Americans and Latinos, despite the equal-opportunity use of drugs by whites, blacks and Latinos. The combined impact of racial disparities in mass incarceration and in the application of police force has now, in 2016, brought about the most severe racial split that our country has seen in a long time. This racial division isnt merely depressing and dispiriting. It isnt merely material for politicians from either party to exploit. It also weakens us as a country. Any country where citizens are engaged in intense conflict and controversy among themselves has a reduced capacity to play an impactful role in the world. What the war on drugs has done to us is good news for Russia. And here it is worth remembering that law-and-order Donald Trump would double down. When Trump invokes his mighty wall on the Mexican border, he often extols as a virtue that it will keep the drugs out. Every time I hear crowds chant, Build the wall, I cant help but think about the all the tunnels that international drug traffickers have already constructed underneath our border. A Trump wall would go up; the web of drug tunnels would go under. At this point, our situation is already crystal clear. The drug war is not solving the problems of either addiction or crime. It is, however, tearing our social fabric, and that weakens us as a country, including within the geopolitical order. Trump and Putin are on the same page here. With regard to the war on drugs, they are aligned in pursuing a policy that makes America weaker. Democrats have done a remarkable thing this week in Philadelphia: They have framed this election as an epic struggle not just to continue the policies of President Obama but also to renew the sunlit, optimistic Americanism of Ronald Reagan. In his valedictory speech Wednesday night, Obama quoted Reagans description of the country as a shining city on a hill and contrasted it with Donald Trumps nightmare vision of a divided crime scene. Obama also used famous words from another Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, to praise Hillary Clinton as someone who is actually in the arena . . . who strives valiantly, who errs . . . but who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement. When Clinton came onstage and the president embraced her in a bear hug, he was passing along not just his own legacy as a two-term Democratic president but that of the consequential Republican presidents who preceded him as well. It was an audacious thing to do in a venue where few likely shared Reagans conservative philosophy. But it was smart politics, and it also reflected objective reality: Trump is an alien, aberrant, dangerous force in American politics and must never be allowed to wield the awesome powers of the presidency. The back-to-back conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia could not have been more different. The Republican gathering looked thrown-together and lacking in both star power and historical resonance, largely because so many GOP luminaries refused to have anything to do with crowning the usurper Trump; the entire Bush family stayed away, including the past two Republican presidents, as did the partys two most recent nominees, John McCain and Mitt Romney. Watch President Obamas full speech at the Democratic National Convention on July 27. (Video: The Washington Post; Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) The assembled Republicans did come away unified in their determination to defeat Clinton. But the pessimism and anger in Cleveland were extreme, putting the GOP on record as asserting that the United States is in grave crisis, teetering on the edge of some fathomless abyss. By any objective measure, this is absurd. But many Americans are anxious about jobs and the slow-growing economy, and about terrorism, immigration and demographic change. Trump won the nomination by exacerbating these fears and presenting an all-purpose solution: himself. An all-star lineup of speakers systematically sought to reveal Trump as an ignorant windbag full of incoherent bluster. Leon Panetta, who was CIA director when U.S. operatives killed Osama bin Laden, said Trump is manifestly unqualified to be commander in chief. Vice President Biden said that no major party nominee has ever known less or been less prepared. Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent who is one of the wealthiest men in the country, blasted Trump as a poor businessman The richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy and implored voters to choose a sane, competent person in Clinton. Vice-presidential nominee Timothy M. Kaine focused mostly on introducing himself to the nation. But he did unveil a passable Trump imitation, and he showed off the fluent Spanish that he will surely use to woo Hispanic audiences. It fell to Obama to make the larger philosophical critique not just of Trump but also of Trumpism. This was no ordinary election, he said. This is a more fundamental choice about who we are as a people . . . . What we heard in Cleveland last week wasnt particularly Republican and it sure wasnt conservative. Instead, Obama said, Trump presented a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. There were no serious solutions to pressing problems, just the fanning of resentment and blame and anger and hate. Obama said that Trump is just offering slogans, and hes offering fear, but will lose the election because he underestimates Americans. We are not a fragile people, were not a frightful people, Obama said. Our power doesnt come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. We dont look to be ruled. The president promised that anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end. It was a Reaganesque defense of American ideals clearly designed to appeal not just to Democrats but to independents and moderate Republicans as well. The progressive wing of the party might not be thrilled with all the uncritical flag-waving. But the Gipper would not recognize or be welcomed in Trumps GOP. It is smart to invite Reagans admirers to cross the aisle. Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A. I came to America in 1982, attracted to the country and interested in its politics. Those were days of economic trauma (a deep recession) and national security fears. And I came from India, where the conventional wisdom was quasi-socialist and anti-American. Still, I found myself fascinated by Ronald Reagan and his Republican Party. Reagan seemed to embody the spirit of America optimistic, big-hearted and freedom-loving. The Democrats were well-meaning, but in pointing out Americas domestic flaws and foreign policy failures they seemed to miss the big picture that the United States, not the Soviet Union, represented the future. As the two parties conventions have shown over the past two weeks, the political world has been turned upside down. It is today the Democratic Party that radiates confidence in America and the Republicans who carp about their country. The 1984 conventions were the first that I had a chance to watch, and I was transfixed, staying up late each night in a college common room to take in every speech. The address that I remember best is a celebrated one from the Republican convention in Dallas. Reagan had appointed as his ambassador to the United Nations a lifelong Democrat, the Georgetown University academic Jeane Kirkpatrick. She spoke from the podium in careful, deliberate tones, skewering the Democrats with arguments that could just as easily be applied today to the Republicans. (The Posts Jennifer Rubin has also written recently on the resonance of that speech.) Kirkpatrick explained that she had admired Democrats such as Harry S. Truman because they were unashamed in seeing America as a great nation. But the San Francisco Democrats, she said, had lost that instinctive faith. (The Democratic convention was held in that city that year.) When Moscow was hostile, she noted, the Democrats chose not to fault the Kremlin but instead blamed the United States. But then, they always blame America first, she noted. When Americans were murdered by terrorists in Lebanon, she pointed out, the Democrats didnt blame the terrorists . . . they blamed the United States. But then, she again intoned, they always blame America first. The words became a catchphrase for the campaign. It was an exaggeration, as is all of this kind of rhetoric, but it captured something real, as it does today about Donald Trump. Whether talking about the Chinese, or terrorist attacks, or Vladimir Putin, he doesnt criticize them. Instead, he tends to focus on American flaws Washingtons weakness, stupidity and naivete. Kirkpatricks more serious critique even more aptly applies to the Republican nominee. She described the Democratic Party as behaving less like a dove or a hawk than like an ostrich, convinced it would shut out the world by hiding its head in the sand. She roundly rejected this retreat. The United States cannot remain an open, democratic society if we are left alone a garrison state in a hostile world. She asked what would happen to Europe if the United States withdrew its protection. We need friends and allies with whom to share the pleasures and the protection of our civilization. Reagans success, she explained, came from three factors: his confidence in the legitimacy and success of American institutions; confidence in the decency of the American people; and confidence in the relevance of our experience to the rest of the world. Trumps party is different, characterized by doubt and decline, fearful of the future. This country is a hellhole. We are going down fast, he says. By contrast, it is a poised and confident President Obama and his wife, Michelle, who reminded their party, their country and the world that America is already great. Pollsters and pundits point out that a large majority of the country feels we are on the wrong track, and that in these circumstances, optimism wont work. That sense of gloom explains the appeal of Trump, and also of Bernie Sanders. But Clinton and Obama are making a big bet that these trends are neither deep nor permanent. They are banking on the hope that Americans are not so angry that they will embrace a politics of decline and division. They are channeling Franklin Roosevelt. In the depths of the Depression, and in the wake of war, Roosevelt always believed that the majority of Americans wanted a country that was assertive about its purpose and confident in its future. That was the Democratic Party he built and, for the most part, it was the one onstage in Philadelphia this week. It is worth keeping in mind that in the 45 years that people have been asked, as Dean Obeidallah has noted, there have been only three brief periods when a majority of Americans thought the country was on the right track. In 1980, for instance, a large majority thought that things were headed downhill. Four years later, they were convinced that it was morning in America. Read more from Fareed Zakarias archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Correction: An earlier version of this column referred to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. It should have referred to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. This version has been updated. Donald Trump at a news conference in Washington in March. Trump on Sunday doubled down on his criticism of NATO. (Jim Bourg/Reuters) Perhaps it would help, given recent events in U.S. politics, to review the rationale for U.S. security commitments to allies in Europe and the Far East. The 20th century taught that our national security is inconsistent with the hegemony of a hostile power over either of those strategic regions. Preventing that might be expensive, but doing so collectively, through U.S.-led transpacific and transatlantic political-military structures, is affordable and far more cost-effective than isolationist or unilateral alternatives. Whats held these alliances together over the past seven decades or so has not been U.S. nuclear weapons or conventional might, or U.S. money, but U.S. political consensus a shared belief across our society that the benefits of the U.S.-Japan defense treaty, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, U.S. bases in Korea and other institutions outweigh the costs and risks. That consensus represented a profound development for a country whose first president declared that it is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world. But without it, the United States could neither have made long-term commitments nor had them taken seriously by both allies and enemies. Today, the case for those alliances remains valid, given the aggressive postures of both Russia and China, and the threat of terrorism. Yet the U.S. political consensus on which they ultimately rest is eroding to the point where a major-party candidate for president finds it advantageous not to assuage public ambivalence about collective security, but to weaponize it, politically. Republican Donald Trumps disparagement of U.S. alliances as one-sided deals that benefit wealthy free-riding allies, coupled with his equally blithe apologia for Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, is therefore no ordinary campaign tempest, but a historic event. Perhaps something like this was bound to happen, even if leaders in the United States, Europe and Japan had done a perfect job managing collective security threats in recent years. Nothing lasts forever, political institutions least of all, and in the life of alliances, 67 years NATOs age is ancient. Even at the height of the Cold War, 1976 Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter pledged to pull U.S. troops out of South Korea, though he reneged as president. As that episode shows, foreign policy retrenchment is a recurring American temptation; it is especially so now, after years of war and economic underperformance. It certainly didnt help when President Obama, generally a multilateralist, let slip his frustration with allied free riders to the Atlantics Jeffrey Goldberg. None of that reduces the radicalism, or the destabilizing potential, of Trumps attacks on long-standing U.S. security doctrine. To the contrary, Trumps success might encourage more politicians to put U.S. alliances in play as a domestic issue, within both parties, whether he wins the White House or not. A mere 49 percent of Americans have a favorable view of NATO, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey; only Spaniards were less enthusiastic among NATO-member publics. Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans support Trumps view that Germany should do more for the alliance, militarily. As for Asia, 64 percent of Americans favor keeping the U.S. military presence at current levels, according to a 2015 Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey; yet fully 22 percent want to decrease it, despite threats from North Korea and China. To be sure, the 2016 Democratic nominee is an internationalist former secretary of state whose husband, as president, began NATOs eastward expansion. Hillary Clinton undoubtedly subscribes to the 2016 Democratic platforms unequivocal pledges to stand by NATO and deepen alliances in Asia. Yet her partys left wing is ascendant, with a long history of Trump-like skepticism toward U.S. alliances. Years after the Soviet threat has disappeared, we continue to provide European and Asian nations with military protection through our nuclear umbrella and the troops stationed in our overseas military bases, more than 50 Democratic members of Congress complained in a 2010 open letter. Given the relative wealth of these countries, we should examine the extent of this burden that we continue to shoulder on our own dime. Bernie Sanders was already on record, in 1997, against wasting tens of billions of dollars helping to defend Europe. Running for commander in chief as the tribune of Americas rising generations in 2016, he pointedly declined to repudiate those words. And, of course, Clinton, under pressure from Trump and Sanders, has abandoned the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, whose significance had as much to do with cementing strategic ties with Japan as with economics. Like those of free trade, collective securitys benefits are diffuse and intangible (the absence, or limitation, of war) while its costs (dollars or, yes, lives) are concentrated and concrete. Populist backlash, accordingly, was always a latent vulnerability. Now the genie is out of the bottle. Read more from Charles Lanes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. In his July 28 op-ed, The U.S. should target Hezbollah in Syria, Daniel Serwer wrote that a shift in the [Syrian] military balance is essential to ending the war. He advocated U.S. targeting of Hezbollah in Syria because it would mostly please and embolden Washingtons friends and discomfit its antagonists. It would also reassert U.S. commitment to fighting terrorism of all sorts, renew Washingtons commitment to holding Hezbollah accountable, hasten an end to the Syrian civil war and make a political settlement more likely. Leaving aside that agreement with Russia for such a plan would be problematic at best and that targeting Hezbollah would widen the conflict and introduce a host of unintended consequences, Mr. Serwer, a professor in and director of the conflict management program at Johns Hopkins University, has forgotten three simple truths: The Islamic State is attacking European and U.S. interests; Hezbollah in Syria is not. And Hezbollah is opposed to the Islamic State. Ed Houry, Fairfax Daniel Serwer proposed a policy that would further entrench the Syrian conflict. Mr. Serwer blamed Russian intervention for the setbacks that the U.S.-backed opposition faces but failed to acknowledge that these non-extremist rebels have proved unreliable and incompetent on the battlefield. Hezbollah remains the most potent ground force engaging the Islamic State and related groups. Adopting a bipolar strategy of targeting both the Islamic State and Hezbollah would lead to an ongoing and bloody stalemate in the Syrian conflict. The notion that Russia, Iran and Hezbollah would respond positively to an ultimatum when it is apparent that their strategy is gaining ground is dubious at best. Perhaps Mr. Serwer should reflect on why Hezbollahs archenemy, Israel, has engaged in so few confrontations with Hezbollah in Syria. Strikes against Hezbollah would antagonize the group and likely produce limited effects while straining the newfound entente with Iran. Now is the time for the United States to adopt a realistic strategy in Syria rather than approaching the conflict as a free-for-all opportunity to attack anyone it views as an enemy. Adam Weinstein, Philadelphia The Nebraska Supreme Court has denied an appeal from a Lincoln man convicted of shooting another man in a parking lot. Friday's decision came on the latest appeal of 43-year-old William E. Smith, who said he should have gotten an evidentiary hearing on his motion for post-conviction relief. The high court said there was no merit to Smith's arguments. He was convicted in 2010 of attempted murder and other charges in the 2008 shooting of LeMarcus Gaskins in the parking lot of a Belmont grocery story and sentenced to as many as 55 years in prison. In 2012, the Nebraska Court of Appeals ordered a new trial, saying the district court judge should have instructed the jury on the lesser offense of attempted "sudden quarrel" manslaughter. In lieu of a new trial, Smith pleaded no contest to attempted manslaughter, lessening his sentence by more than 20 years. He then appealed that sentence, saying he should have gotten a hearing and that he had ineffective counsel. Friday, the high court affirmed Lancaster County District Judge Paul Merritt's dismissal. The case started with a fight early Nov. 13, 2008, in the parking lot of what was then called Save Mart at 11th Street and Cornhusker Highway. The fight followed a night of drinking, and the question at Smith's trial came down to one of intent. Was he spurred by a sudden quarrel or by an intent to kill when he shot at Gaskins? Gaskins, 23, had been celebrating a relative's 21st birthday the night of Nov. 12, 2008, when a man in his party exchanged words with a female friend of Smith's at a downtown bar. Smith confronted the man, and Gaskins stepped in and punched Smith in the mouth. When Gaskins and the rest of the party left in a rented limo, Smith and a friend followed them to Belmont, where Smith and Gaskins got into a fight, some of Gaskins' group joined in, and Smith was outnumbered. Smith's friend fired two rounds in the air to break up the fight, and Smith then took the gun from him and shot at Gaskins as he ran away. One of the shots hit Gaskins' torso, lacerating his liver and collapsing his lung. But he survived. The jury was not allowed to consider voluntary manslaughter the first time around, so the appeals court and later the Supreme Court granted Smith a new trial on the attempted murder charge. The courts let charges of first-degree assault and use of a firearm to commit a felony stand. At a hearing before the second trial, Smith accepted a plea offer reducing the attempted murder charge to attempted manslaughter. After the plea agreement, he got 20 months to five years for attempted manslaughter, which Merritt ordered him to serve concurrently to the assault charge, translating into a 30- to 40-year sentence. He's eligible for parole in 2024. J. Furman Daniel, III is a visiting professor at George Washington University. He is the editor of the forthcoming book, 21st Century Patton: Leadership Lessons for the Modern Era. In his ambitious new book, The Secret War, veteran historian Max Hastings delves into the intelligence operations of the competiting powers of World War II: the United States, Britain, Russia, Germany and Japan. Hastings does not set out to be exhaustive but rather to deliver a study of both sides secret war machines and some of the characters who influenced them. The true value-added of the book is that it provides warnings about the ambiguous role of clandestine activities that remain relevant today. While Hastings finds faults with the U.S. and British intelligence services, he shows that they were able to overcome rivalries and biases to produce accurate and honest assessments that influenced key decision-makers. Hastings credits Winston Churchills leadership for much of the Allied success. More than any other leader, Churchill recognized the value of intelligence and ensured that the British services were properly resourced, apolitical and successfully managed. The author is highly critical of the German and Soviet intelligence services, which suffered under oppressive regimes that did not tolerate dissenting opinions. Flaws within the German system were ignored as the Nazis marched to rapid victories in the early years of the war and were exacerbated as Hitler became increasingly surrounded by incompetent sycophants who hid or manipulated the truth. By contrast, Soviet intelligence suffered some catastrophic early failures but improved after Stalin ceded much of the control to a more competent cadre of professionals. Still, Soviet intelligence struggled to overcome the legacy of the Stalinist purges, the shock of the Nazi invasion and the perpetual fear of Allied betrayal. Hastings acknowledges that intelligence and covert action were not responsible for the outcome of the war. Rather, physical dominance was the guarantor of victory. British code-breaking was the most important intelligence activity, but victory came only because the Western Allies had absolute command of sea and air. "The Secret War: Spies, Ciphers, and Guerrillas, 1939-1945" by Max Hastings (Harper) Despite its many virtues, the book is long more than 550 pages of text and jumps rapidly among different theaters, missions and personalities. At times, Hastings focuses disproportionately on the European theater and British contributions. Nonetheless, in its nuanced and complex portrait of dysfunction, mistrust and waste, The Secret War sets a new benchmark for books on intelligence and covert action in World War II. Grover Russ Whitehurst, a senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution, directed the Education Departments Institute of Education Sciences from 2002 to 2008. For a half-century, our nation has focused on school-readiness programs such as Head Start as the best way to help low-income children escape the cycle of poverty. The idea is to level the playing field in cognitive and social skills by the time these children enter kindergarten so that they can keep pace with their more advantaged peers as they progress through school. In the next decade, we will spend $100 billion at the federal level just on Head Start, and all but a few states are funding their own pre-K programs. Unfortunately, children who attend Head Start do no better in school than equivalent children who do not. Even the best pre-K programs positive impacts fade away in a couple of years, and some early-childhood programs actually leave children worse off than if they hadnt participated at all. Yet, early-childhood programs continue to get large amounts of taxpayer dollars, evidence be damned something that is true of so many programs in Washington. Well-intentioned conventional wisdom wins out. Because low-income and minority kids enter school far behind their higher-income counterparts and dont catch up, the theory of intervening early seems like common sense. Which is why lately there has been a push by politicians to go one step further and create preschool programs for all, regardless of income. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio recently established such a program; Boston and the District are implementing them. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigned on plans to make universal pre-K a national priority. President Obama has proposed a federal-state partnership, called Preschool for All, that would leave taxpayers with a bill on the same order of magnitude as that for Head Start. The argument for this approach draws on the secret to the success of Social Security: The social compact (and the willingness to pay for it) works better if a program provides an entitlement for everyone. But if our goal is to help poor families, is universal pre-K really the best, most efficient way? The answer is no. I have compared the effects of direct income transfers to low-income families (such as the earned-income tax credit, or EITC) with programs designed to increase school readiness (universal preschool and Head Start). It turns out that putting money directly into the pockets of low-income parents, as many other countries do, produces substantially larger gains in childrens school achievement per dollar of expenditure than does a year of preschool or participation in Head Start. The results throw water on the conventional wisdom. The results show that while the EITC isnt specifically designed to boost academic achievement, it does so anyway and not just for younger kids. The EITC is also a bargain compared with the programs specifically designed to help poor kids academically. Specifically, each of four evaluations of U.S. family income support programs found substantially larger test score increases per $1,000 of public expenditure than resulted from programs specifically aimed at improving educational outcomes by focusing on school readiness. In particular, neither pre-K nor Head Start provided the same amount of improvement as the family support programs did. Other studies of the EITC also show impacts on even later outcomes such as college enrollment and earned income. The current annual federal expenditure on the EITC is about $65 billion. During the 2013 tax year, the average EITC was $3,074 for a family with children. In contrast, Head Start runs about $8,000 per child. Bostons and the Districts pre-K programs run more than $16,000 per student. Spending less (EITC) is actually more effective than spending more (Head Start, universal pre-K). Its a win-win. Former senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan likened government bureaucracies dispensing social services to the poor as feeding the sparrows by feeding the horses. The school readiness option feeds the horses. Perhaps it is time to rethink our paradigm for supporting poor families. Lets give them what they desperately need more money and let them decide how to spend it on the early care and education of their children. Bertrand Olotara, a Senate cafeteria worker, poses at Union Station in January. He and others said they had been cheated out of a negotiated raise by managers who demoted their job titles but required them to do the same work. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) If these shenanigans can happen right under the noses of U.S. senators, where else are they happening? Well never know until we get more cops on the beat. Im talking about wage theft. Thats the catch-all term for when employers pay their workers less than they legally owe them by, for example, forcing them to work off the clock, paying below minimum wage or misclassifying them as independent contractors. Wage theft is not a sexy crime. It rarely makes front-page news, even as it harms so many Americans living paycheck to paycheck. We dont know how prevalent it is, only how often it is discovered which is highly dependent on how much the government invests in enforcement. Last year, Labor Department investigators found $247 million in back wages owed to more than 240,000 workers. Thats more than $1,000 stolen from each worker, on average, or the equivalent of about three weeks pay for a typical maid, janitor or cashier. Every once in a while, theres a chance to capture the publics imagination on this issue such as this week, when it turned out that even in the hallowed halls of the Senate, hundreds of low-wage workers had been shortchanged. For six years. This case involves Senate cafeteria workers, some of whom were so poorly paid that they were homeless, on public assistance or, in one case, moonlighting as a stripper to make ends meet. For about a year, they staged a series of demonstrations to demand a living wage. In December, it looked as if theyd finally secured it. These employees work for a private company on a government contract, which was up for renewal. After great public pressure, senators made sure that the new contract included healthy raises. Victory at last. Immediately after the contract was signed, though, the company found a loophole. See, the wages listed in the new contract were tied to specific occupation titles. The employer, Restaurant Associates, quietly began demoting workers into lower-wage titles from cook to food service worker, for example which meant workers would be denied the raises they were promised. Workers titles changed, but their duties didnt. This turned out to be a potential violation of federal law, which narrowly defines job descriptions for service occupations in government contracts. A complaint was filed by Good Jobs Nation, an organization that has been trying to unionize low-wage federal contract workers. This week, the Labor Department announced the findings of its resulting investigation. It determined that Restaurant Associates and its subcontractor, Personnel Plus, must pay 674 workers $1,008,302 in back wages. One funny thing about this finding: The Senate cafeteria workers knew theyd been underpaid. But they hadnt realized just how underpaid they were, and for how very long. Restaurant Associates had been shortchanging workers not only since the new contract was signed in December. According to investigators, it had been improperly classifying employees, not paying them for all the time they worked, and failing to pay required health and welfare benefits since at least 2010. In a statement, Restaurant Associates attributed the violations to administrative technicalities related to our Associates evolving day-to-day work responsibilities. It said that the company had corrected the classifications. (Workers Ive interviewed said that at least nine employees still dispute their classifications.) That hundreds of current and former Senate workers will soon receive back pay is a good thing, indeed. But what about other workers who have been victimized who dont know their rights, who fear retaliation if they pipe up, and who dont have third-party groups and the congressional press corps paying attention? Most workplaces are not the Senate cafeteria, said David Weil, the administrator of the Labor Department division that ran the investigation. Im worried about workplaces where workers are really alone, where theyre subjected to jaw-dropping violations of basic labor standards. Today, fewer than 1,000 Labor Department investigators are looking into wage and hour law violations. Thats fewer than there were when Jimmy Carter was president, even though the U.S. workforce has grown more than 50 percent since then and workplace arrangements have gotten far more complicated. In each of the past three years, the Obama administration has requested funding for more investigators; each year, Congress has denied the request. Which is peculiar. Enforcement should be a bipartisan issue. If politicians truly care about inequality and fairness, reducing reliance on public assistance, making sure that the system isnt rigged against the little guy, and, for that matter, law and order, they should start by enforcing the laws already on the books and by making sure hard-working Americans get every cent to which they are entitled. Gary Krists most recent book is Empire of Sin. The photograph is unforgettable: that attractive, somewhat diffident young woman the victim, we thought, of a savage political kidnapping standing in front of the flag of her captors, clearly one of their number now, with a sawed-off M1 carbine in her hands. For parents of the World War II generation, the image must have been terrifying. What more apt symbol could there be of the increasingly sinister tide of radicalism that was turning their children against them in the late 1960s and early 70s? Because the message being sent by this child of privilege seemed unmistakable: Screw your concern for me, Mom and Dad. I am now your enemy. The abduction and subsequent radicalization of Patricia Hearst is one of the most bizarre but illuminating episodes of that tumultuous era of protest (now more than four decades in the past), and in American Heiress Jeffrey Toobin retells the story with a full-blown narrative treatment that may astonish readers too young to remember it themselves. Toobins subtitle is no exaggeration: The wild saga that began with Hearsts kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) on Feb. 4, 1974, would strain credibility in anybodys novel. But somehow, in the context of real-life California in the big bad 70s, it was just another day in dystopia. This was, as Toobin reminds us, the age of the Zebra and Zodiac murder sprees, and not long before the Jonestown mass suicides. It was a moment when the counterculture seemed to be downshifting from the hopeful idealism of the Woodstock era to the apocalyptic nihilism of the Watergate years. The SLA was a case in point. Hardly an army, it was actually just a small cadre of young white radicals led by a charismatic but unstable black ex-convict named Donald DeFreeze. What the SLA lacked in coherent ideology it more than made up for in passionate militancy. In its battle against the fascist insect that preys upon the life of the people, the group was willing to bomb, rob, carjack, kidnap and even murder, without being overly fussy about the identity of the target. After several SLA members assassinated the African American superintendent of schools in Oakland in 1973 for reasons that were nebulous at best even organizations like the Black Panthers and the Weather Underground condemned the SLA as too extreme and undisciplined. The kidnapping of Hearst, granddaughter of legendary newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, began as another hazy act of provocation. The SLA operated under the foco theory, based on the notion that even a minor guerrilla action by a tiny vanguard can be the spark that ignites a full-scale rebellion by the masses. Taking a modern-day aristocrat hostage seemed roughly in line with this philosophy. But Patricia Hearst turned out to be anything but a convenient symbol of the oppressor class. On the contrary, as the weeks of her captivity passed (some of which she spent blindfolded in a closet), she proved that she could despise the fascist insect just as vehemently as they did. DeFreeze, realizing that this development could be turned into a public relations coup, eventually put a weapon in her hands and photographed her before the SLAs emblem of a seven-headed cobra. Then he enlisted his unlikely new recruit to help him rob a bank. "American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst" by Jeffrey Toobin (Doubleday) Hearsts exploits as a fugitive outlaw (she eventually adopted the nom de guerre Tania, after one of Che Guevaras comrades) ended up lasting about a year and a half before her capture on Sept. 18, 1975. Over the course of those months, she actively participated in two bank robberies, a street-corner shootout, a carjacking and a series of bombings; she also watched on television as six of her SLA associates (including one who had become her boyfriend) perished in a ferocious and chaotic ambush in Los Angeles the biggest police gun battle ever to take place on American soil, according to Toobin. The fact that Hearst and the other surviving SLA members were able to elude capture for so long is testimony not only to FBI impotency (few people would even speak to agents who came to their doors), but also to the remarkable willingness of so many ordinary citizens to hide and assist a fringe political group intent on violence. At one point, DeFreeze and two SLA disciples even went door to door in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco, seeking allies among total strangers. Amazingly, they found some, and even those who refused to help them never reported the encounters to anyone in authority. In American Heiress, Toobin, a staff writer at the New Yorker and a senior legal analyst at CNN, spins this complex chapter of recent history into an absorbing and intelligent page-turner. I do wish hed provided more detailed and extensive endnotes, and that hed done less marveling at the ineptitude and ideological confusion of the SLA and more explaining of why its message found such a sympathetic audience in the anti-establishment climate of the mid-70s. But his overall assessment of Hearsts behavior is valid. As Toobin sees it, Hearst (who refused to cooperate in the publication of this book) was a rational actor at every step in her ordeal. She embraced her captors cause not because she was too frightened to resist (as her lawyers later argued in court) but because eager cooperation with them was in her best interests at the time. So too was eager cooperation with law enforcement after her arrest, when she readily turned against her former cohorts to lighten her sentence. In each case, the betrayals made hard-headed, practical sense. As Toobin explains it: In the closet, she became a revolutionary; in the jail cell, she became a Hearst. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton celebrates with her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine as balloons drop from the ceiling on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. July 28, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton celebrates with her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine as balloons drop from the ceiling on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post A look at what happened at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. A look at what is happening at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. A look at what is happening at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. What is happening on the fourth day at the Democratic National Convention What is happening on the fourth day at the Democratic National Convention Democrats presented a symbolically powerful national security argument for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as their party convention closed Thursday, amounting to a long-planned rebuttal of complaints by Republicans that the party was not focused enough on vital matters of war and terrorism. We trust her judgment. We believe in her vision for a united America and we believe in her vision of America as the just and strong leader against the forces of hatred, chaos and darkness, retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen thundered. I tell you without any hesitation or reservation that Hillary Clinton will be exactly the kind of commander in chief America needs today, said Allen, who stood on stage with a tableau of fellow retired officers and enlisted men and women. Separately, the immigrant father of a Muslim soldier killed in action in Iraq scolded Republican nominee Donald Trump while offering him a pocket-size copy of the U.S. Constitution to read. The emotional presentation followed several days in which Democrats offered few specifics about how to combat the threat of terrorism or counter Russian aggression. The focus on other issues from calls for greater gun control to warnings about climate change brought a wave of criticism from Republicans for what they viewed as inadequate focus on the threat of terrorism, particularly from the Islamic State, which asserted responsibility for the gruesome killing of a priest in France this week. Clinton and her allies are attempting a difficult balancing act: Any desire to promote her national security expertise as a former wartime senator and secretary of state in the fight against terrorism must be weighed against the need to mollify the more dovish followers of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), some of whom broke into chants of No more war! on the convention floor Thursday as Allen began to speak. A much larger number of delegates responded by chanting USA! USA! to drown out the protest, while waving USA placards and enormous American flags handed out by the campaign. As former CIA director Leon Panetta mounted an attack against Donald Trump's national security credentials, anti-war protesters chanted him down. (The Washington Post) The display is unlikely to sway many Republicans, who argue that the relative lack of attention to wars and terrorism abroad and the optimistic portrait of an ascendant America on display here in Philadelphia is at odds with a jittery national mood that has helped Trumps rise. The Trump campaign said in a statement earlier Thursday that Democrats have been speaking about a world that does not exist at the convention: In this world, there is no Hillary Clinton disaster in Syria, Libya and Egypt, ISIS doesnt merit a mention, Iran isnt on a path to nukes, convention stages dont need American flags, and our great men and women of law enforcement, our police, do not need to be honored. Some of those claims are overstated or wrong; the threat from the Islamic State terrorist group has been mentioned, U.S. flags have been plentiful and numerous law enforcement officers have addressed the convention. But the overriding critique that has taken hold among many Republicans this week is that Clinton and other Democrats are seeking to paper over their national security and public-safety controversies. Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, for example, said a failure to talk about the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, was an attempt to choke off discussion of the records of Clinton and President Obama. The world is at war because it has lost the peace, Giuliani said. Who lost the peace? Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton reset the relationship with Russia, and since then, Putin has been pushing us around all over the world. Until Thursday, martial themes were muted this week or turned toward an indictment of Trumps temperament and his fitness to make national security decisions. Aside from intraparty disagreements over the use of force, many Democrats argue that a national and international agenda must extend beyond counterterrorism to include the need for stronger gun control laws and police reforms to quell shootings by and against police. President Obama's speech electrified the crowd in Philadelphia on July 28, leaving some with chills and others in tears. (Alice Li,Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Rep. G.K. Butterfield (N.C.), the Democratic chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said global terrorism is only one of a number of factors contributing to recent unease among voters, and he applauded Clinton as being thorough. The American people are on edge. Theyre fearful about ISIS, but theyre also fearful of other Americans armed with AR-15s on their streets, he said. The issue of national defense, Butterfield said, has been interlaced throughout the weeks topics but not at the expense of other pressing concerns. In many respects, the back-and-forth is familiar in American politics, pitting hawkish Republicans against Democrats more skeptical of the use of military force. But the dispute has been complicated this year by Trump, who combines calls to pull back from international commitments and conflicts with vows to bomb the s--- out of the Islamic State and bring other foreign enemies to heel. That national security priorities got limited mention earlier was partly a calculation that general-election voters are seeking reassurances that the United States retains its power and its promise on a broad range of issues. It also was a recognition that Clintons reputation as a hawk does not sit well with many liberals. Former defense secretary and CIA chief Leon Panetta was booed and briefly interrupted by antiwar chants Wednesday an off-script reminder, repeated on Thursday, that Clintons onetime support for the Iraq war still rankles. Milana Oyenuga, a Clinton delegate from California, said she understood that Democrats were focusing on the candidates values and seeking unity with those who supported her primary opponent. But she was ready by Wednesday to hear Democrats address the global turmoil that is contributing to a unique sense of unease this summer. Im hoping well hear more tonight about the rest of the world, she said earlier Thursday. But the danger in highlighting Clintons national security expertise or focusing extensively on global terrorism is underscored by the views of delegates such as Jack Simel, a Sanders delegate from New York. He said that the crisis in the Middle East is rooted in corporate greed and that Western projects there were motivated by oil interests. In an address Wednesday night handing Clinton the mantle of the Democratic Party, Obama praised her as the best-qualified person ever to seek the presidency and ridiculed Trump as a paper tiger. Obama called on Americans to reject what he called scare tactics and mounted a vigorous defense of his national security and economic policies, which Republicans maintain have left the country less safe. The America I know is full of courage and optimism and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous, Obama said. Sure, we have real anxieties about paying the bills and other worries. We are shocked and saddened by the madness of Orlando or Nice, he said. He added later: All of that is real. Were challenged to do better, to be better. But as Ive traveled this country, through all 50 states, as Ive rejoiced with you and mourned with you, what I have also seen, more than anything, is what is right with America. David Weigel, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Jenna Portnoy in Philadelphia contributed to this report. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton celebrates with her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine as balloons drop from the ceiling on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. July 28, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton celebrates with her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine as balloons drop from the ceiling on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post A look at what happened at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. A look at what happened at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. A look at what happened at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. Hillary Clinton had a lengthy to-do list here Thursday night: Reintroduce one of the most famous people in the world. Take down Donald Trump. Lay out a policy agenda with specifics. Be hopeful and optimistic. Most of all, it was to make the case that a politician who embodies the establishment and political status quo is the safest change-maker in this election. Clintons message has never been as succinct as Trumps. Her approach to governing is full of grays to his blacks and whites. She offers progress in small steps rather than bold strokes. She would try to make the system work rather than truly shake it up. On Thursday night, she described a country on edge, torn by division, threatened from terrorism and economically insecure and the choice ahead as this: We have to decide whether were going to work together, so we can all rise together. She accused Trump of transporting the Republican Party from Ronald Reagans morning in America to the prospect of midnight in America, and issued a pledge not to let fear win out in November. Watch Hillary Clintons full speech at the Democratic National Convention July 28 as she became the first woman to accept the nomination of a major party for the presidential election. (Video: The Washington Post; Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against, she said. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have. Rhetorically, Clinton did not try to compete with some of the speakers who had gone before her this week. Her speech was more prosaic than poetic. She acknowledged as much when she said, The truth is, through all these years of public service, the service part has always come easier to me than the public part. But it was nonetheless a confident and crisp performance by the Democratic nominee. Her acceptance speech was the culmination of a Democratic convention that has offered a sharp contrast, in style and substance, to the Republican convention in Cleveland a week ago. But all the speeches and videos and personal testimonials and uplifting music couldnt fully disguise the reality that Clinton has struggled to break away from Trump, whose flaws have led a majority of the country to conclude that he is not qualified to be president. Republicans seemed to do all sorts of things wrong in Cleveland last week, from the sequence of speeches on the early nights to the embarrassment of allowing Ted Cruz to speak without a commitment to endorse Trump. Ultimately, it didnt seem to hurt. Trump got a modest bounce after nights of disunity and an acceptance speech widely characterized as dark and threatening. By the standards of Cleveland, Democrats have done much better this week. In terms of star power and sheer glamor, the Democrats have had it all over the Republicans. The most hard-line supporters of Bernie Sanders aside, the weeks choreography has been prepared with clear goals in mind night by night. And yet, few Democrats here were anticipating anything other than a hard-fought campaign from now until November, in part because of their nominees vulnerabilities. Hillary Clinton is officially the Democratic nominee for president. Here are excerpts from her speech, plus everything else that happened on the last night of the Democratic National Convention. (Video: Nicki DeMarco/The Washington Post; Photo: Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post) Clinton sought to build on the foundation laid by those who had spoken before. She said Obama had not gotten the credit he deserves for avoiding a depression in the early months of his presidency. But to those the recovery has passed by, she added, Some of you are frustrated even furious. And you know what? Youre right. Its not yet working the way it should. She spoke directly to Trumps constituency of white, working-class voters, a group most speakers here this week have overlooked. Democrats are the party of working people, she said. But we havent done a good enough job showing that we get what youre going through, and that were going to do something about it. The Gallup organization reported earlier in the week that, for the first time in the campaign, Clintons image had equaled Trumps in terms of negativity. Through most of the year, the GOP nominee has had the higher negatives, but now the lines have converged. Clintons campaign manager Robby Mook, speaking at a forum hosted by The Washington Post, said he took issue with those exact numbers, but did not dispute that Clinton still has work to do on that front. An even higher percentage of people in some polls say they do not believe Clinton is honest and trustworthy, and the percentage who believe the country is seriously off track remains at high levels. All of those indicators together provide the headwinds for a candidate who seeks a third consecutive term for the Democrats. All of which is why so much seemed at stake when she addressed the cheering delegates and guests who were packed into Wells Fargo Arena to witness a moment in history as Clinton became the first woman to accept the nomination of a major political party. All week, Democrats in Philadelphia were building toward Clintons speech, clearing away as best they could the questions and obstacles in her path to the White House. It was a steady march of high-octane oratory from party luminaries. First lady Michelle Obama provided validation of Clinton from the perspective of a mother and a close watcher of what it takes to be president and gave an emotional lift to a convention that had begun on notes of protest, discord and embarrassment over leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee. Bill Clinton provided personal stories of their relationship designed to humanize his wife. Mindful of the hunger for change abroad in the country, he argued, with mostly small data points, that through steady and dogged effort, she has tackled one problem after another and always made things a little better. Vice President Bidens fiery rhetoric slammed Trump as someone who had not a clue about the middle class or anything else. His lack of empathy and compassion can be summed up in a phrase I suspect hes most proud of having made famous: Youre fired. Im not joking. Think about that. President Obama, seeking to pass the baton to Clinton to help protect his legacy, went high concept with a speech about the obligations of democracy and the greatness of a diverse America. He sought to steal patriotism and love of country from Trump. He asserted that those who threaten American values, including homegrown demagogues, have always failed. In her speech, Clinton continued the attacks on Trump, calling him temperamentally unfit to serve whose capacity to handle a crisis has been called into question by his actions during the campaign. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis, she said. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Clinton and her team say the election will not turn on those indicators alone, that with Trump also seen as flawed the voters will be looking at other factors as they make their decision. They note that there are other statistics that suggest the public is of mixed minds about the conditions. The most important of those is President Obamas approval ratings, which are now averaging just above 50 percent. If history is a guide, that bodes well for the Democrats in November. Beyond that, Clinton counts on her belief that the public is looking for results and therefore a candidate who has real policy proposals, not sweeping promises. She says that, in the end, voters will reject a candidate who says that I alone can fix it, as Trump put it so directly in his acceptance speech. Her philosophy is the opposite, summed in the title of the book she wrote years ago and invoked again Thursday night, that it takes a village and not a strongman. No one gets through life alone, she said. The presidential election probably will turn on a calculation that all voters will be making, a balance between the desire for change and the fear of risk the change Trumps outsider candidacy promises vs. the risk his presidency might bring. Clinton was not, in the end, trying to sell her soft side on Thursday night. Instead she was looking to persuade even those who have their doubts about honesty that her experience as a political insider offers the better combination of change and risk. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton celebrates with her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine as balloons drop from the ceiling on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. July 28, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton celebrates with her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine as balloons drop from the ceiling on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post A look at what happened at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. A look at what happened at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. A look at what happened at the convention in Philadelphia before Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination. What happened on the fourth day at the Democratic National Convention What happened on the fourth day at the Democratic National Convention The countrys two major political parties, emerging from their conventions to square off in the general election, are speaking to Americas unrecognizable to each other in voices that sound like a political and ideological role reversal. For Republicans, the country is a place of near-apocalyptic gloom whose best days are fast receding. Our convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation. The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump declared in Cleveland in his acceptance speech, in which he described a country gripped by violence in our streets and the chaos in our communities. The nation of the Democrats who met here this week to nominate former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is a vibrant and diverse place. First lady Michelle Obama summarized it in her address on the first night of the convention: Dont let anyone ever tell you that this country isnt great, that somehow we need to make it great again. Because this, right now, is the greatest country on Earth. Clinton stressed that sentiment in her address Thursday night. President Obama's speech electrified the crowd in Philadelphia on July 28, leaving some with chills and others in tears. (Alice Li,Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Hes taken the Republican Party a long way from Morning in America to Midnight in America, she said, recalling Ronald Reagans 1984 reelection slogan. So dont let anyone tell you that our country is weak. Were not. Dont let anyone tell you we dont have what it takes. We do. The sights and sounds of the convention hall echoed that pitch. Chants rose up Thursday night U-S-A! U-S-A! as John R. Allen, the retired Marine general, thunderously addressed the Democratic convention. Delegates waved American flags in the air and held up signs that formed a sea of red, white and blue. The visceral shift in the parties political narratives represents a profound break from the way they have often spoken about the country and themselves. Going at least as far back as Reagan, Republicans have prided themselves as being the party of optimism and confidence, leading an exceptional country whose greatness was coded into its DNA. Going back further, to Franklin D. Roosevelt, it has been the Democrats who have made common cause with the aggrieved and the left behind, who have been criticized for dwelling too much on the nations flaws and being squeamish about asserting power internationally. [Can Democrats beat Trump with his own words? (It didnt work in the GOP primaries.)] For some Republicans, it is an unsettling juxtaposition. Democrats in Philadelphia reflect on the significance of nominating Hillary Clinton for president the first time a major party has nominated a woman for the nation's highest office. (Peter Stevenson,Alice Li,Sarah Parnass,Jayne Orenstein,Nikita Mandhani,Adriana Usero/The Washington Post) The Democrats used to be the party that said people are being taken advantage of and its time to settle the score. Now thats the Republicans message, said Stuart Stevens, who in 2012 was GOP nominee Mitt Romneys chief strategist. To let them become the optimistic party that wants to lift us up and unify America, its a disaster for Republicans. Or maybe it is smart positioning, given that parts of the country are in a prolonged funk, as evidenced by the fact that polls since 2009 have consistently shown more people believe it to be headed in the wrong direction than the right one. That creates a challenge for those who have been running the country during that time to make a stay-the-course argument. It is compounded by voters historic reluctance to leave the White House in any partys hands for more than two consecutive terms. You really cant afford to paint an unrelentingly dark picture of the country. To do that is to say, in effect, that your predecessor has failed, said William A. Galston, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who was a top adviser to Bill Clintons 1992 presidential campaign. So the themes being sounded by each party reflect the natural cycle of being in and out of power. But there are other factors at play this year that amplify what would have been happening anyway. The Republican Partys once-omnipotent establishment has ceded control to a vocal faction fixated on issues such as illegal immigration and their angst over the reweaving of the social fabric. There have been so many changes in the culture that to many Americans, its an unrecognizable country, said William J. Bennett, a prominent conservative voice going back to his time in Reagans Cabinet. Its a country where you have to watch everything you say, and you cant count on your kids to do better than you did, where the middle class doesnt prosper and things that were once honored arent honored anymore. Then there is the unique figure they have embraced as their standard-bearer. Trump has a worldview in which there is no nuance or self-doubt. The Republican nominee very openly worships strength. His crucial dyads are strength and weakness, winning and losing, Galston said. The shape-shifting of the two parties goes beyond tone. On many issues, Democrats and Republicans have drifted away from their traditional postures and orthodoxies. Trump has excoriated free-trade agreements and resisted his partys calls to revamp entitlement programs. And the hawkish instincts of the first woman to head a major political partys ticket are putting a different stamp on what was once known as the mommy party. Recent history might suggest that the sunnier candidate has the advantage. When George W. Bush accepted the Republican nomination in this very city 16 years ago, he concluded his acceptance speech with a call to live on the east side of the mountain. It is the sunrise side, not the sunset side. That year, then-Vice President Al Gore used his partys convention in Los Angeles to pivot to a people vs. the powerful theme, rather than running on the prosperity of the Clinton years. That decision was later regarded as a strategic blunder. Whatever the parties sought to project in their conventions, there remains a question of what will ring true to voters. William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard magazine, said in an interview that he is dubious that the Democrats can change who they are with a few phrases and said the partys soul is still with George McGovern and proudly liberal. Liberals kid themselves by thinking Nixon and Reagan won because they had rhetorical tricks about how they spoke about the country. They always make that mistake, not realizing it was about different policies, Kristol said. At the same time, Republicans in most respects remain the party of the corporate class, especially at the congressional level, where House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has been promoting a traditional agenda. Trump believes that his message will resonate beyond his base to reach suburban swing voters in industrial regions. Clinton and the Democrats are doing their best to persuade those same voters to celebrate the progress that has been made during the Obama era and build confidence that economic and social advances lay ahead. In his convention speech Wednesday night, President Obama spoke directly to those voters paradoxically enough, by quoting Reagan. It looks like theyre trying to play to the middle really hard and capture moderates and independents, said Brett ODonnell, a veteran Republican strategist who specializes in helping candidates use effective language. The goal, ODonnell said, is to convince them the Democrats are better on national security and jobs, and at a more fundamental level, that theyre more American than Trump. Trump insisted on Twitter on Thursday that voters would not be swayed. President Obama spoke last night about a world that doesnt exist. 70 percent of the people think our country is going in the wrong direction, he wrote. Bruce Reed, who was Vice President Bidens chief of staff and head of domestic policy in the Clinton White House, said the Democratic message represents a natural progression. He ticked off the campaign slogans of the two Democrats who have most recently occupied the Oval Office, and of the woman vying to be the next one: Weve done well with a man from hope and hope and change. And were going to do well with stronger together. On Wednesday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump asked the Russians to release emails from his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, if they have hacked them. He later said he was being sarcastic, but his invitation to a foreign power to meddle in the U.S. election sparked concern among foreign policy experts. So just what are Trumps ties to Russia? Q. What has Trump said about his connections to Russia? A. Trump has said he has no ties. At a news conference Wednesday, he said I have nothing to do with Russia, indicating he has never met Russian President Vladimir Putin. A day earlier, he tweeted For the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia. 1 of 14 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad The most memorable moments from the Republican and Democratic conventions View Photos From a tender moment between President Obama and Hillary Clinton to Trumps flashy entrance, heres a look at top moments from the convention. Caption From a tender moment between President Obama and Hillary Clinton to Trumps flashy entrance, heres a look at top moments from the conventions. Democratic National Convention President Obama embraces presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia after endorsing her and imploring the public to reject fear, to summon whats best in us. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. Q: Is it true that he has no investments in Russia? A. We dont really know. Trump has not released the financial documents that would shed light on the issue, particularly his tax returns. Breaking a tradition dating to Richard Nixon, he says he wont make those documents public because he is being audited by the IRS. Q: What about investments from Russia in Trumps businesses? A. There is strong evidence that Trumps businesses have received significant funding from Russian investors. Most notably, Trumps son Donald Trump Jr. made that very claim at a real estate conference in New York in 2008, saying Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. Donald Trump Jr. added, we see a lot of money pouring in from Russia. Trump also made millions when he agreed to bring the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow in 2013, a deal financed in part by the development company of a Russian billionaire Aras Agalarov. Agalarov is a Putin ally who is sometimes called the Trump of Russia because of his tendency to put his own name on his buildings. At the time, Trump mingled with the Russian business elite at a swanky after-party. Almost all of the oligarchs were in the room, Trump bragged on returning home. As a sign of the importance of Russian investors, partners of one of Trumps projects then under construction in Panama visited Moscow to sell condos at the building in 2006. Trump also made significant money from one Russian oligarch in 2008, when he sold a mansion in Palm Beach for $95 million to Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. Trump had bought the home at a bankruptcy auction less than four years earlier for $41.4 million. Q: Has Trump ever built a property in Moscow? A: No, but not for lack of trying. Trump has been promising to build a Trump Tower or hotel in Moscow for 30 years. He wrote in the Art of the Deal in 1987 that he visited Moscow for the first time that year to explore building a hotel in partnership with the then-Soviet government. He visited again with U.S. tobacco executives in 1996; that deal got far enough that an architect drew conceptual drawings but did not come to fruition. Trump signed a one-year deal in 2005 with a New York real estate company called the Bayrock Group to try, again, to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. In a 2007 deposition, Bayrock executive Felix Sater (a Russian immigrant with an interesting mafia-related back story) testified that he had located Russian investors for the project, as well as a site, a shuttered pencil factory named for U.S. communists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Sater testified that after trips to Russia, he would pop my head into Mr. Trumps office and tell him, you know, Moving forward on the Moscow deal. And he would say, All right. That effort fizzled too. But Trump promised in a 2007 court deposition that he had not given up on Moscow. Russia is one of the hottest places in the world for investment. . . . We will be in Moscow at some point, he said. Indeed, in 2013, he inked another preliminary deal to build in Moscow, this time in partnership with Agalarov, who had hosted the pageant. Agalarov told The Washington Post that the project is on hold while Trump runs for president. Q: What about Trumps advisers? A: They too have financial ties in Russia. His campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, managed an investment fund for a Russian aluminum magnate with close ties to Putin. (The oligarch is suing Manafort, claiming, according to litigation in the Cayman Islands, that Manafort disappeared with $19 million.) Manafort also unsuccessfully attempted a multimillion-dollar real estate project in New York City with funds from a Ukranian energy tycoon. And he worked as an adviser to the Putin-backed Ukranian president whose 2014 ouster sparked Russian intervention in that country, which has been opposed by U.S. officials in both parties. Trump also considered retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as his vice-presidential running mate. Flynn has argued that the United States needs stronger ties to Russia to fight Islamist terrorism. In 2015 , Flynn attended a dinner honoring the Kremlin-aligned English language media company RT, where he sat near Putin. Another Trump foreign policy adviser, Carter Page, once ran the Moscow office of Merrill Lynch and advised the state-run conglomerate Gazprom. He has spoken publicly about the possibility that a Trump presidency could result in the lifting of Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia that would help the business interests of some of his Russian contacts. Q: What has Trump said about how he would interact with Russia if elected president? A: Trump has said it would be a good thing for the United States to have better relations with Russia, and he has offered words of praise for Putin. When Putin said in December that Trump was a colorful and talented person, Trump responded that it was an honor. In June, he added: A guy calls me a genius, and Im going to renounce? Im not going to renounce him. Trump said Wednesday that the United States needed better ties with Russia to fight ISIS: Wouldnt it be nice if we actually got along with people, wouldnt it be nice if we actually got along, as an example, with Russia? Trump has also called for revamping NATO and said he would only defend NATO countries in keeping with the organizations compact, if other nations pay more to the United States. He told the New York Times last week, for instance, that he would come to the aid of the Baltic states if they were threatened by Russia only if they fulfilled their obligation to us. He told reporters this week that he would be looking at whether to recognize Russias annexation of Crimea and lift sanctions imposed when Russia invaded the Ukrainian region in 2014. And he declined to call for Russia to stay out of the U.S. election. Im not going to tell Putin what to do. Why should I tell Putin what to do? A 55-year-old Lincoln man who robbed the CVS Pharmacy at 14th and Superior streets in March 2015 was released from custody Thursday. A Lancaster County district judge sentenced Antonio R. Washington to 500 days in jail Thursday but gave him credit for already serving 512 days. Police said Washington went to the store a little after 9 p.m. on March 3, 2015, and demanded cash from an employee, implying he had a weapon. No weapon was displayed. He left the store with an undisclosed amount of money. An anonymous tip led police to develop him as a suspect and arrest him a day later. Prosecutors charged Washington with robbery, but that charge was reduced to terroristic threats in an agreement in May. He pleaded no contest. During the court case, a psychiatrist who evaluated Washington determined he was not sane during the robbery, and Washington was taken to the Lincoln Regional Center for treatment. Two dozen Republican national security experts signed a letter to congressional leaders Thursday asking for an immediate investigation into the cyberattack on the Democratic National Committee, writing that this is not a partisan issue but rather an assault on the integrity of the entire American political process. The letter, signed by conservative luminaries of the Reagan and Bush administrations, urges political leaders to reject any effort to seek partisan advantage from the hack and its fallout. Congress has a responsibility to get to the bottom of this extraordinary breach, not only to determine who was responsible but also to consider the appropriate response, reads the letter signed by Republican foreign policy hawks such as Elliott Abrams, who served as an assistant secretary of state in the Reagan administration and as deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush. [Read the full letter] The letter comes amid increased concern about Russias possible role in the hacking of DNC computers and the subsequent release of 20,000 emails on the eve of the Democrats nominating convention. The Fix's Chris Cillizza explains why Donald Trump made a mistake when he called on Russia to find Hillary Clinton's missing emails. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) As soon as the emails were posted on the WikiLeaks website a week ago, controversy erupted because some of the communications made clear that supposedly impartial DNC staffers were helping Hillary Clinton. The leak ignited bitterness among supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and led to the resignation of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Trump added fuel to that controversy on Wednesday by asking for Russian help in finding emails that Clinton said have been destroyed. Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, Trump said at a news conference in Florida. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Among the signers of the letter urging congressional leaders to investigate were veterans of past GOP presidential campaigns, including Randy Scheunemann, who provided foreign-policy advice to the presidential campaigns of John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. They also include some Republicans who have said openly they will support Hillary Clinton this year, such as former John McCain speechwriter Mark Salter and Reagan-era State Department veteran Robert Kagan. Another Trump critic, former CIA director Michael V. Hayden, a retired U.S. Air Force four-star general, also signed the letter. The letter, which is to be delivered to Capitol Hill on Friday, was signed by other State Department veterans including Paula J. Dobriansky, who served as undersecretary of state for democracy and global affairs under President George W. Bush, and David Kramer, who had responsibility for Russia and Ukraine during his tenure at State. Kramer, who went on to lead the Freedom House organization for four years, was one of the organizers of the letter. The Washington Post's Abby D. Phillip explains the circumstances around Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's decision to resign as chair of the Democratic National Committee. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) The hacking of a political partys email system by Russian intelligence agencies would, if proven, constitute unprecedented foreign interference in an American presidential campaign, the letter said. While a consensus has developed among cybersecurity experts that Russian hackers were most likely responsible for the intrusion at the DNC, not all Republicans are so sure, including Donald Trump and Rep. Devin Nunes (Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He told The Washington Post in an interview Wednesday that speculation about Russian attempts to sway the presidential election is unfounded. What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail U.S. spy agencies are preparing to deliver a classified briefing to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, the nations intelligence director said Thursday, despite deep unease among many spy officials with the real estate moguls pro-Russian rhetoric. National Intelligence Director James R. Clapper Jr. indicated that Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are eligible to receive intelligence briefings within days of the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. Now is the appropriate time, since both candidates have been officially anointed, Clapper said during public remarks at a security conference here. Amid reports that some intelligence officials have deep reservations about sharing sensitive information with Trump, Clapper said that it is not up to the administration and not up to me personally to decide on the suitability of presidential candidates. The American electorate is deciding on the suitability of the next commander in chief. But Clappers remarks came amid new signs of deep discomfort with Trump among the upper ranks of the intelligence community. In a measure of that growing animosity, one senior intelligence official said Wednesday that he would decline to participate in any session with Trump. Retired Navy admiral and law professor John Hutson used his speech at the Democratic convention to question Donald Trump's ability to keep America safe. (The Washington Post) I would refuse, the official said, citing not only concern with Trumps expressions of admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin but seeming uninterest in acquiring a deeper or more nuanced understanding of world events. Hes been so uninterested in the truth and so reckless with it when he sees it, the official said. He and others spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing a desire to speak candidly about domestic political issues that intelligence officials typically refuse to discuss. Clappers comments seemed aimed at quelling a rising chorus of such voices among analysts and other officials at U.S. spy agencies who have expressed dismay with Trumps positions on a range of issues, including his vow earlier this year to order the CIA to resume using brutal interrogation methods that were banned and widely condemned as torture. Trumps quip this week goading Russias intelligence services widely suspected of hacking the Democratic National Committees email servers to target Clintons accounts while serving as secretary of state was seen as particularly incendiary among intelligence professions who regard Russia as a bitter foe. Trump triggered the controversy Wednesday when he said, Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing from a broader collection that Clinton turned over to the FBI and the State Department. Clinton has said she deleted nearly 32,000 emails from her time as secretary because they were personal and dealt with subjects such as her daughters wedding. And she later filed a sworn statement in a civil suit that she turned over all work-related emails in her possession. FBI Director James B. Comey said the FBI was able during its investigation to recover several thousand work-related emails Clinton had not turned over but said there was no evidence she purposely failed to do so. Trump retreated from his statement Thursday, saying he was merely being sarcastic, but not before his provocative comment was criticized in Washington and denounced at the Democratic convention. The Fix's Chris Cillizza explains why Donald Trump made a mistake when he called on Russia to find Hillary Clinton's missing emails. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) Some current and former U.S. intelligence officials have also expressed concern about Clinton, who was recently reprimanded by Comey for her careless handling of sensitive material in the emails. But unlike Trump, Clinton has participated in hundreds of intelligence briefings in her career and had access to classified material while working in the White House and the Senate. The practice of briefing presidential candidates after conventions dates back decades, and typically involves at least initially sharing broad assessments of foreign events and threats. Clapper said that the White House in the coming days would contact the Trump and Clinton campaigns, offering fairly general overviews on issues including the threat posed by the Islamic State and other terror groups. Only the winner of the election in November will be given a detailed briefing on the most sensitive U.S. secrets, including clandestine CIA operations and capabilities overseas. Clapper emphasized that candidates are free to decline briefings. The U.S. official who spoke anonymously said he believes Trump might do so. Its entirely conceivable that he will say, I know all that. I don't want to be briefed, the official said. Clapper, who is nearing the end of a half-century career in the intelligence community, spoke cautiously about the presidential campaign, carefully avoiding any explicit mention of Trump. Even so, Clapper seemed to struggle to completely conceal his views during an appearance at the Aspen Security Forum. Possibly alluding to Trumps statement that he would not feel bound to protect NATO allies, Clapper said that his counterparts in foreign governments have paid close attention to such campaign rhetoric and that it is a worry to them. Asked how he responds to such concerns abroad, Clapper said, I tell them that I appreciate them sharing their concerns, that it is our process in the United States, and hopefully it will all come out right. Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report. Read more: Trump invites Russia to meddle in the U.S. presidential race with Clintons emails Is there a Russian master plan to install Trump in the White House? Some intelligence officials are skeptical. Trump will soon be getting briefings from U.S. spy agencies. It might not go well. Pope Francis says human cruelty did not end in Auschwitz and that similar atrocities are being inflicted in war zones across the world today, citing prisoners who are kept in inhuman conditions and tortured. Francis visited the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, expressing his sorrow there in contemplative silence and prayer. Only hours later did he speak out about his feelings as he addressed pilgrims from a window of the archbishops residence in Krakow. He said: How much pain! How much cruelty! Is it possible that we humans created in Gods image are capable of doing these things? . . . Cruelty did not end in Auschwitz, in Birkenau. The pope continued: Many prisoners are tortured just to make them talk. Its terrible. Today, there are men and women in overcrowded prisons. They live forgive me like animals. Today, there is this cruelty. We say, yes, there we saw the cruelty of 70 years ago, how people died being shot or hanged or with gas. Today in many parts of the world where there is war, the same thing is happening. Nuns carry a cross during the Way of the Cross with young people gathered at Blonia Park in Krakow, Poland Friday. (Agencja Gazeta/Reuters) Earlier in the day, the Argentine-born pontiff made an early-morning pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitlers forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, during World War II. Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly in his white robes beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz that bears the cynical words Arbeit Macht Frei (Work sets you free). Among the 11 survivors he met briefly was a woman in her mid-90s who helped deliver babies born to Auschwitz women; another, 101, played the violin in an orchestra at the death camp. Francis moved on to nearby Birkenau, a sprawling complex where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in its gas chambers. There he greeted 25 Holocaust rescuers, including a woman who as a child helped her mother smuggle in bread in their handbags to Jews forced by Nazi occupiers to stay in Warsaws ghetto. Altogether, it was a deeply contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that the pope passed in near total silence, except for a few words he exchanged with the survivors and rescuers. Vatican and Polish church officials said Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. But he did express his feelings there, writing in the Auschwitz memorials guest book in Spanish: Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty! He then signed with his name in Latin, Franciscus, and added the date 29.7.2016. Francis is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live through the brutality of World War II on Europes soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal or historical connection to the site. Pope John Paul II, born in Poland, witnessed the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before greeting survivors one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners at Auschwitz were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who sacrificed his life to save that of a fellow prisoner who had a family, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the pontiff. He then traveled two miles to Birkenau, the vast satellite camp where the Nazis murdered Jews, Roma and others from across Europe. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths there. When Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests applauded. Francis slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Polands chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited, in Hebrew, Psalm 130, which starts: Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord. Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read, first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish. John Pauls visit to the site in 1979 made history because it was the first ever by a pontiff, part of the Vaticans historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. As a pope hailing from another continent, Franciss presence highlights the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. The millions who visit have put increasing stress on the sites aging barracks, prompting urgent conservation efforts that are being funded by governments worldwide. Francis visit is also different in that it had a private character with no speeches. Benedict, for instance, spoke there in 2006 in Italian pointedly avoiding his native German language in a speech questioning why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. The popes visit to Auschwitz came on the third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global celebration of faith. Francis devoted Friday to the theme of suffering. He also visited a pediatric hospital in Krakow and in the evening was presiding over a Way of the Cross with the young people. At the hospital, Francis lamented what he called a culture of waste tainting developed countries societies. And the victims of the culture of waste are those who are weakest and most frail, and this is indeed cruel, he said. Associated Press Read more: Pope says the world is at war What did Americans know as the Holocaust unfolded? Quite a lot, it turns out. They met at a refugee camp after the Holocaust. Now they say they lived the American Dream. Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world The icing on the cake. Thats what Clinton Elementary Principal Angee Luedtke called a $3,330 donation, because it meant two years of fundraising and planning and generosity would finally become a new concrete walking track snaking around the schools large playground. And shes talking wedding cake, because on June 9, Doris Kruse and Dave Dermann got married, which turned out to be a joyous event for more than the couple. This was a second marriage for both Doris and Dave, who have three children in their 20s between them and two fully furnished households. We felt like we had everything we needed and it didnt make sense to get a blender we would have to return or three ice cream scoops, said Doris. So when they made their wedding invitations, they said they didn't need presents, but were collecting donations for Clintons walking track. There are lots of good causes, and Doris loved that Dave suggested the walking track where she's been a fourth-grade teacher since 2010. Clinton is the most amazing school, she said. Teachers at Clinton give their hearts and souls. And it turns out, sometimes they give their wedding gifts. The idea for a track came from students, who began bringing in change -- pennies one day, then nickels and dimes and quarters -- during the 2014-15 school year, the first savings toward the $27,000 track. The schools PTO followed with their own fundraisers, parents gave money, former students gave, so did neighbors, local businesses, banks, organizations. Raising money for projects at Clinton, a high-poverty school where 85 percent of its students participate in the free- and reduced-lunch program, is no easy task. But the school and neighborhood had done a lot of work and had raised nearly $24,000 before Doris and Dave said "I do," Luedtke said. Construction on the new track began Monday. It was Doris' birthday, the concrete trucks and earthmovers another perfect gift. iPads and art Visual arts teachers at Lincoln Public Schools will get iPads this fall so students can record their work electronically -- a portfolio without the bulk. The $26,460 for 90 iPads is part of a bigger philosophical shift, an idea Lorinda Rice, the LPS visual arts curriculum specialist, piloted last year. Students can use the iPads to record images of the art they create, the drawings and clay pots and paintings. But it will also be a way for students to put together a record of all their work, from grade school through high school. The states new fine arts standards are based on four concepts: create, present, connect and respond. The iPads -- and the idea behind them -- pull it all together, Rice said. What I want to do is give them a receptacle to place all those things so they can look back, she said. It will allow students to see what theyve learned, to begin to understand how one project, one assignment, one paper, builds on another. Because students will all soon have Chromebooks, Rice and her colleagues built a program on Google to store the work once theyve recorded it on the iPad. Its not just the finished project that can be there: there can be pictures of the process, maybe a video of a class presentation, a paper written by the student reflecting on the work. And Rice hopes teachers in other subjects will use the portfolio -- a place for students to put their English papers, their class presentations, final projects -- so students can see how one subject relates to another. What were looking for is a more holistic and meaningful picture of student learning, a way for students to see the interconnectedness of learning and how we build on previous knowledge, she said. During the pilot, students used the portfolios to showcase their work to parents at parent-teacher conferences, Rice said, and she foresees the portfolios being a tool to help students applying for scholarships. Rice described the portfolios as being like the tubs she keeps of all the stuff that comes home from her childs school. I am a mom. I have many tubs. And I love this idea, a running record of what your child is doing in school, not just the colored paper masterpieces, but maybe a video of them presenting in class, or glazing a pot. Rice reminded me this is a tool for students, not a school-sponsored scrapbook project. But still, its a record kids could save, all that stuff that never made it from class to backpack to kitchen table. Imagine. All those tubs full of school treasures, without the bulk. Salvadoran police with some of the 77 people detained Thursday in what authorities called the dismantling of a network that managed the finances of the leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang. (ERICKA CHAVEZ/EPA) (Ericka Chavez/EPA) The raids began before dawn. A thousand police fanned out across El Salvadors wrinkled landscape, busting down doors at used-car lots, intercepting cross-country buses and surprising customers at a drive-in motel called the Three Aces. Authorities seized dozens of businesses, claiming they belonged to the Mara Salvatrucha, the countrys largest gang. In an extensive operation Thursday that resulted in 77 arrests, 106 seized vehicles and 34 frozen bank accounts, the Salvadoran government targeted the financial holdings of the gang, exposing the enrichment of its leaders and sending a message to the impoverished rank and file. You should know that your leaders are living differently from the rest of you, said Douglas Melendez, the attorney general. Among those captured in Operation Check was Marvin Ramos Quintanilla, an evangelical pastor who authorities say was leading a double life, working as the gangs treasurer and using his religious credentials to enter prisons and coordinate homicides, extortion and money-laundering operations with gang members. This country of 6.3 million people has the highest murder rate in the hemisphere because of the bloody feuding between its gangs and the security forces. [Why El Salvador became the hemispheres murder capital] The financial activity of El Salvadors three main gangs, the Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, and two factions of Barrio 18, has long been murky. Reliable information is scarce. In the past, governments have tried to weaken the gangs which have about 70,000 members in El Salvador but extend well beyond its borders by cracking down in the streets and in the prisons. In February, authorities in Honduras dealt the first major blow to Mara Salvatruchas finances, ordering the arrest of 15 national leaders, confiscating more than $1 million in cash, freezing 137 bank accounts, and seizing luxury houses, cars and businesses allegedly run by the gang. Thursdays operation in El Salvador signals a similar strategic shift. This is the first effort to follow the money, said Alex Segovia, an economist and onetime adviser to former president Mauricio Funes, who left office in 2014. With this investigation, the government has recognized that the gang is a criminal business with the potential to accumulate capital. Salvadoran investigators focused first on the income that Mara Salvatrucha gets through extortion, and then turned to a network of businesses allegedly used to launder the money: used-car dealerships, drive-in motels, brothels, two major urban bus companies, dozens of pirated taxis, restaurants, bars, and a fruit and vegetable stand. Some of the accused have business connections in the United States, where the Mara Salvatrucha has a strong presence in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The gang is also involved in small-scale drug and weapons trafficking, authorities said. According to the attorney general, the targeted Salvadoran businesses are run by a small group of gang leaders called the Federation, who in recent years have withdrawn from direct involvement in traditional criminal activity and devoted themselves instead to managing the gangs finances. While the rest of gang members are getting killed and getting locked up, their leaders are living in fancy houses, driving luxury vehicles and sending their kids to private schools, Melendez said. MS-13 members should know that their leaders arent being honest with them, he said. El Salvadors police director and its security minister repeated this message during a packed news conference Thursday, featuring a PowerPoint presentation with diagrams of the gangs hierarchy and its modus operandi.MS-13, the authorities said, consists of 249 local cliques, encompassing an ascending order of roles: collaborator, observer, member or homeboy, clique-leader, program-leader, and top leader (known as ranflero). Some analysts said the authorities were emphasizing the difference in income between gang leaders and their followers in an effort to sow dissension. That strategy may not be effective. When it comes to organized crime, theres a misguided belief on the part of authorities that by cutting off the monsters head, the problem will be solved, said Jose Miguel Cruz, a political scientist. But when you take out the leaders, you create space for others to take their place. Police captured five top MS-13 leaders in Operation Check this week; several others may have left the country with $600,000 the authorities had been tracking. [What is MS-13?] Politicians and the public applauded the apparent step forward in the authorities investigations, though it will fall to the courts to determine whether the evidence including thousands of pages of bank activity supports the accusations. There is concern among human rights groups that the police have cast too wide a net. One of those arrested, Dany Romero, is accused of passing information to gang members in prison through his work for a nonprofit organization. He was released from prison in 2006 and since then has worked with violence prevention and human rights groups. Over the past two years, as violence has increased between El Salvadors gangs and its security forces, Romero has tracked and denounced police shootings of unarmed gang members. This is retaliation from the government for my work telling the world about the extrajudicial assassinations of gang members, he said from the back of a pickup truck, where he and seven other men were handcuffed, sweating profusely under the mid-day sun on Thursday. Though Operation Check is a new line of investigation into the gangs, the news was presented in traditional fashion. In the parking lot of a San Salvador convention center, scores of masked police officers milled about the booty they had seized: 25 colorfully painted school buses, more than 70 trucks and cars, a commercial water tank truck and 77 people in handcuffs in the backs of trucks. Today was a show, Cruz said. Tomorrow well see if the case is well-documented. Read more El Salvadors gangs call a cease-fire, but many doubt it will hold El Salvador arrests people who pushed for peace in gang war El Salvador strikes down amnesty for crimes during its civil war Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world The threat of an unprecedented third general election is looming in Spain, as attempts to form a government have ground to a halt. A date of November 27 has already been suggested. The two previous elections, on December 20, 2015 and June 26, produced hung parliaments with no party securing an overall majority. The failure of repeated attempts to form a government confirm the deep popular disaffection that exists with the two-party system, comprising the Popular Party (PP) and Socialist Party (PSOE), which has dominated Spanish political life since the collapse of the fascist Franco regime in 1978. The situation in Spain is symptomatic of the crisis of the traditional bourgeois political system in Europe following the eruption of the 2008 global economic crisis. Parties that ruled for decades have collapsed, leading to the emergence of far-right movements and governments in many countries across the continent. Where alternative and nominally left-wing governments have come to powerSyriza in Greece or the Left Bloc/Communist Party-supported Socialist Party administration in Portugalanti-working class, pro-austerity agendas have been imposed. This week, Spains King Felipe VI is meeting leaders from all the parties in Congress in a desperate attempt to break the political deadlock. He has told acting PP Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to negotiate again with other parties to get enough support for a confidence vote on his investiture on August 5. Rajoy needs 176 of the 350 seats in Congress to form a majority government or the abstention of enough deputies to form a minority government. He went some way to that goal at the inaugural session of Congress last week with the election of the PPs candidate for Speaker, former Public Works Minister, Ana Pastor. Pastor secured 169 votes137 from the PP and 32 from the right-wing anti-separatist Citizens party, which switched its support from the PSOE, ousting its candidate Patxi Lopez, who was only appointed to the Speakers post in January. He obtained 155 from the benches of the PSOE (85) and pseudo-left Podemos (70). Pastors success was due to the abstention of the 25 nationalist deputies from the Basque Country: the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and Bildu from Catalonia, the Republican Left (ERC) and Democratic Convergence (CDC), and the Canary Islands Coalition (CC). The CDCs abstention is linked to back-room negotiations with the PP, which will support the CDCs bid to have its own parliamentary group despite not having the required number of deputies, allowing it higher subsidies, access to advisers and a greater voice in Congress. The PNV also came to the aid of the PP in the Senate in exchange for its own group there. The CDC, which rules the regional government in Catalonia in the Together for Yes coalition with the ERC and support of the pseudo-left Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), has claimed that the negotiations over Pastors appointment have nothing to do with supporting Rajoys attempts to form a new government. Catalan government spokesperson and CDC vice president, Neus Munte, declared, We have always said that the separatist votes will not serve to perpetuate Rajoy as prime minister of the Spanish government. The PNV has also come out saying it will vote against Rajoy during the investiture vote. The role played by the Catalan and Basque parties reveals their anti-working class, pro-capitalist character. Nationalism and separatism are whipped up in the more prosperous regions, either to secure greater concessions from Madrid or to establish a separate state in order for the regional ruling elite to establish its own relations with the European Union (EU), gain better access to global markets, cut taxes used to support poorer regions and exploit its own working class. This week, the Catalan government is pushing ahead with its plans for independence by debating, in defiance of the Constitutional Court, a parliamentary working party report on the practicalities of separation, including changes to the legal, taxation and social security systems and a new foreign affairs department. A new referendum on independence is planned for next year, although the result is likely to be just as deadlocked as the political situation in Spain as a whole with recent polls showing fewer than 48 percent in favour of separation. Catalan foreign affairs minister, Raul Romeva, declared that Madrid has left us feeling that we just dont have an alternative, adding, We have always said that we would have preferred a Scottish-type scenario, where we could negotiate with the state and hold a coordinated and democratic referendum. We keep talking to Madrid, but all we get back from them is an echo. Romeva said the Brexit vote in Britain revealed the need for the EU to recognise the discontent in the continent that is threatening the European project and take part in negotiations over the future of Catalonia. Pledging his loyalty to the EU, he declared, Brexit isnt good news for Europe or for Catalonia, he said. In Catalan logic, yes, we dont like Brexit, but we understand that the democratic deficit in Europe is what allowed Leave to win. A process of negotiation has begun: its not the end of the world and its not paradise. Rajoys difficulties in forming a government has led to increased pressure by politicians on the PSOE to abstain, although its leader, Pedro Sanchez, continues to insist the party will vote against him. Former PSOE Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez has called for an abstention, declaring that after losing eight months in a strange interim situation the PSOE has to establish dialogue with the PP and, if necessary, accept a PP-led government while attempting to extract as many concessions as possible. Former PSOE defence minister Jose Bono went further, saying, Spain deserves a government and if it is necessary the PSOE has to abstain to prevent third elections, I believe this is a responsibility to our country, without anything in return, to go into opposition, to lead it and end the theatre of the populist lefta reference to the pseudo-left Podemos led by Pablo Iglesias. Bono and Gonzalez express the interest of sectors of the bourgeoisie who defend the formation of a PP government as soon as possible, even if this means that the PSOE, which obtained the worst electoral results in its history in the last elections, will be seen as having allowed the PP to rule again. Podemos is no alternative to the PSOE or the PP. It has repeatedly shown its readiness to rule in the name of the bourgeoisie and defence of the free market. It has promoted Spanish patriotism, the army, NATO and the EU. Its local fronts ruling in Madrid, Barcelona and Cadiz boast of having reduced their deficits compared to previous PP and PSOE councils. The fact that the alliance between Podemos and the United Left lost 1.2 million votes in June compared to December has not diminished its calls, repeated during the Speaker vote debate, for a left government with the PSOE, a party with a proven pro-war and pro-capitalist track record. A PSOE abstention in the investiture process leading to a PP-led government would be another damning exposure of Podemos attempt to provide a left-wing guise to the discredited PSOE. Europe Air France strike goes ahead A weeklong strike by Air France flight attendants began Wednesday. Air France-KLM announced it would cancel around a third of its domestic and medium-haul flights as a result of the strike. The aircrew are fighting for improved working conditions and for the renewal of their five-year contract, due to end in October. Air France-KLM wants to bring in a 17-month contract when the current one expires. The workers are members of the SNPNC and Unsa-PNC trade unions, which represent just under half of the flight attendants. A third union, Unac, is not taking part in the current action, saying it will consider action in October when the current contract expires. A final round of talks between the unions and Air France-KLM management last Friday failed to reach any agreement. Greek power employees break up meeting discussing privatisation On Monday, staff employed by Greeces Public Power Corporation (PPC) disrupted a shareholder meeting convened to discuss selling a stake in ADMIE, the arm of the company dealing with power transmission. Currently the Greek state has a 51 percent holding in PPC but wholly owns the ADMIE subsidiary. Under conditions related to the restructuring of its debts demanded by the European Union/International Monetary Fund, the Syriza-led government has to offer up a 24 percent stake in ADMIE. The meeting taking place in a hotel in Athens had to be abandoned and reconvened in the Finance Ministry. KLM airline ground staff strike in Netherlands Ground crew employed by the KLM airline in the Netherlands came out on strike Thursday. The strike is part of a long-standing dispute over pay and working conditions. They are seeking a pay increase, for temporary staff to be offered permanent positions and for the retention of enhanced leave for older staff. Strike by Russian building workers Around 200 construction staff working on a project at the Vostochny Cosmodrome rocket launching site in the far east of Russia walked off the job last Friday. They work for the Spetsdorstroi company and were protesting the non-payment of wages for May and June. The workers pledged to stay out until they received the overdue wages. Earlier this month construction staff employed by another company at the Cosmodrome also walked out over the non-payment of wages. They returned to work the next day following talks with management. Strike by UK oilrig workers A 24-hour strike by around 400 oil production employees on offshore Shell oilrigs in the North Sea went ahead Tuesday. They work for a contractor, Wood Group, which provides services to the Shell rigs in the Brent oilfield. The strike comes on top of an overtime ban and further action is planned. The workers are members of the Unite union and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union. Their action is in response to plans by the company to increase working hours and cut pay. Wood Group says it must cut costs in response to the recent fall in oil prices. The strike was the first incidence of industrial action in the North Sea oilfields for 28 years. UK postal staff to be balloted Around 3,500 staff working in dedicated post offices, known as Crown offices, are to be balloted by the Communication Workers Union (CWU). They are employed in around 300 Crown offices and related logistics and administrative centres run by Post Office Ltd. Mail delivery staff are employed by the privatised Royal Mail and are not part of the dispute. They are being balloted in response to the companys plans to privatise parts of the service, cut jobs and close the current defined pension scheme. According to the CWU, 2,000 jobs have already been cut this year. There are plans for 60 Crown offices to be franchised and a further 16 to be incorporated within another retail outlet. In 2013, a series of strikes hitting around 70 Crown offices took place over jobs and pay. University staff at London Metropolitan University facing job cuts Management at the Metropolitan University in London are seeking to impose nearly 400 redundancies including the compulsory redundancy of two union leaders. In response staff, members of the University and College Union, are being balloted to ascertain whether they would be prepared to strike in opposition to redundancies. Campaigners in London protest library cuts Last Saturday, campaigners opposed to cuts in library services surrounded three closed libraries in the south London borough of Lambeth to prevent the removal of books. They were able to do so, but council authorities later carried out the planned removal in the early hours of Sunday morning. Library staff and supporters have been involved in an ongoing campaign to defend library services in the borough. Last week library staff working for Lewisham council in London struck over plans by the council to close four libraries in the borough. They are members of the Unison union. UK rail company staff to be balloted for strike Rail staff working for the Virgin East Coast rail company are to be balloted next week to oppose plans to impose job-cutting measures. The ballot is being conducted by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, with the result expected on August 9. The union representing office and administrative staff employed by Virgin, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, warned about possible strikes in protest at proposed job cuts at 46 travel centres and in rail stations. Middle East Strike by contact staff closes Lebanese power company offices Contract staff employed by the Lebanese state-owned electric power company, Electricite du Liban (EDL), held a protest strike against working conditions at the firms headquarters in Beirut July 22. The strike closed the customer services department. EDL responded by calling on security forces to end the strike and allow access to the building. Africa Nigerian oil workers demand reinstatement of illegally sacked workers The two Nigerian oil workers unions, PENGASSON and NUPENG, are in discussion with the government after suspending a fuel strike. Ten thousand trade union members went on strike July 6 over pay and conditions and a dispute with four oil-related companies over union recognition. The government gave an assurance that the workers locked out and/or illegally dismissed would be reinstated. The assurance was based on the federal governments insistence that it had an agreement with the companies to retract the illegal dismissals. The two unions called off their strike but are now threatening to resume it if the government does not take a stand against the oil companies. Nigerian bus workers demand unpaid wages Nigerian transport workers at the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company held a two-day protest last week. Hundreds of bus workers protested over the non-payment of wages for the last five months. An agreement made by the permanent secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to pay one months arrears did not result in payment. Previous agreements made by the FCT have been similarly ignored. At the last meeting, FCT permanent secretary advised the union it should sort out the matter internally. The union said if the secretary of the FCT did not respond, they would begin an indefinite strike. Nigerian public sector workers sent back to work Public sector workers employed by Oyo state in Nigeria have been sent back to work by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), suspending their several months-long strike. Workers returned to their jobs on a promise that two of their seven months of outstanding wages will be paid within the next two weeks. In a Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the state and the union, the state will appeal to the banks to suspend debt repayments paid out of or recovered by the bank from workers accounts. Workers were hostile to the NLC settling for a fraction of their pay. The deal was carried without their consent. They were informed by the media, not the NLC, of the lifting of the strike. South African building products workers oppose sackings Employees at the South African Lafarge cement and building materials company have been sacked for striking. One hundred and fifty men were sacked for striking over the defence of a National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) shop steward. The Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) said the NUM official was being forcefully relocated because he had requested the company implement a wage agreement and a deal on housing allowance. COSATU is demanding the reinstatement of the workers and the lifting of the suspension of the shop steward. Workers strike against apartheid practises in South Africa The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is demanding the reinstatement of 109 workers, who were sacked for striking over working conditions. The company, Qwa Qwa Wire Products (Pty) Ltd., is accused by the sacked workers of imposing differentials in wages, which is against labour law, and segregation over the use of toilets and many other aspects of company practice. The correct rate of pay is reportedly paid to white workers while black workers are subjected to a government exemption allowing the company to pay under the minimum wage. NUMSA said it will dispute the dismissals and report the company to the Human Rights Commission. Public sector workers strike in South African province Local government workers struck in Sicelo, Meyerton town, in South Africas Gauteng province last week in opposition to the refusal of the local authorities to regrade the municipality to a higher grade. The strike was organised by the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). Members went on a go-slow and held a march and protest at the municipalitys offices. Alongside the upgrade refusal, workers complained of managements nepotism towards the staff they employ. The local mayor retaliated by accusing the union of sabotaging water delivery to certain areas. Kenyan plantation workers return to work Unilever Tea Kenya plantation workers are to return to work pending a final settlement on their court-sanctioned pay award. Twenty thousand workers are returning to work after two weeks strike on the basis of an interim pay award of 10 percent, commencing August 15. Unilever Tea Kenya have acknowledged the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) from 2014-15. The increases awarded were 30 percent wage increase, retirement at 60, one rest day a week, medical allowance of sh.30,000 (US$295) and baggage allowance of sh.30,000 on termination of employment. Youre not the only one checking your Fitbit. (Photo: Getty Images) The best selling fitness tracker, Fitbit, has another fan base beyond those looking to monitor their wellness: scientists. Yep, while some people are getting in their 10,000 steps, researchers are busy looking at their data, Fitbit has revealed. Over the last four years, Buzzfeed reports, more than 200 studies published by researchers have been based on more than 2 billion minutes of Fitbit data. (Those numbers are according to both Fitbit and Fitabase, a platform that collected the devices data on behalf of scientists.) But dont worry youre not an unwilling guinea pig, Fitbit assures Yahoo Beauty, with a representative noting, The wearable devices are being used specifically by study participants. And Fitbit isnt the only wearable being used in clinical trials. A survey published in May polled members of the influential Association of Clinical Research Organizations (the top medical research association in the world), who reported a huge increase in tracking wearable tech in medical trials. The researchers surveyed said, Wearables represent a huge opportunity to gather additional data, and make clinical trials more efficient and more convenient for participants. The Clinical Trials.gov database lists 109 completed, current, and pending clinical studies that feature Fitbit devices. It makes sense when you consider that, In a traditional study, particularly around fitness and wellness, researchers rely on participants self-reporting their information. But that approach leaves openings for human error, as people can forget, enter their information for the wrong day or time, or just fudge the numbers. And the theoretical advantage of tracking data via Fitbit devices is is that it wouldnt be subject to human error. Still, Buzzfeed points out, there are limitations, as Fitbit is a consumer product, and not a medical or scientific device that meets US Food and Drug Administration standards. (But its still probably more accurate than peoples self-reported details about workout frequency. Right?) Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Sumner Redstone doesnt need to undergo an immediate mental examination, a Massachusetts judge ruled on Wednesday, denying Viacom CEO Philippe Daumans request for one. Daumans case still made great strides though as probate judge George Phelan allowed the embattled media CEO to move forward in his lawsuit contesting his removal from the seven-member National Amusements Trust. He will also grant Daumans legal team access to Redstones medical records, extending back through 2015. The Massachusetts court will hear the case instead of allowing it to move to another jurisdiction. Attorneys for Redstone had been pushing to have the case adjudicated in California, where the media mogul resides. Judge Phelan writes that he wants a speedy resolution to the case with a trial to take place in October. National Amusements, is a Massachusetts-based holding company, through which the Redstone family controls 80% of the voting shares in Viacom and CBS. As the 93-year old Redstones health has faltered, his media empire has become engulfed in a series of legal feuds. Shari Redstone, Sumners daughter, has been locked in a battle for control of Viacom with Dauman. Viacoms properties include MTV, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. Attorneys for Dauman have argued that Redstone is not mentally competent to be making decisions and is being manipulated by his daughter. Dauman has been pushing forward in his efforts to sell a minority stake in Paramount Pictures, a move that Sumner Redstones camp says the mogul opposes. Attorneys for Dauman and his fellow claimant George Abrams said they were pleased that Judge Phelan acknowledged the seriousness of the charges. We are grateful that Judge Phelans thoughtful opinion removes yet another of the defendants efforts to block an investigation into the merits and, in particular, an independent determination of Mr. Redstones capacity and the question of undue influence, the statement reads. Story continues In a competing statement, Mike Lawrence, an attorney for Redstone, argued that Dauman and Abrams should honor the moguls decision to oust them from the board. This case is a disingenuous, self-interested effort by Philippe Dauman and George Abrams to hold on to their power as trustees and National Amusements directors, in the hope that this would enable them to preserve their richly compensated positions at Viacom despite their dismal performance, said Lawrence. The ruling comes a day before a hearing in Delawares Chancery Court on National Amusements move to overhaul the Viacom board, replacing five members, including Dauman. Related stories Philippe Dauman Says Sumner Redstone Needs Mental Exam, and Fast China's Wanda is Front-Runner to Buy Paramount Stake (Reports) Judge Rejects Manuela Herzer's Bid for Retrial in Sumner Redstone Health Case NextShark Jahrah, who only has a first name as customary in Indonesia, went out to collect rubber on Sunday morning in the forest in Jambi Province on Sumatra Island, Indonesia. The search parties only found success a day later, on Monday, when they discovered a 22-foot-long (6.7-meters-long) python with a bulging stomach resting in the woods. Her family then reported her missing to the local authorities, and a search has been carried out since then, Anto, the local villages chief, said. Baghdad (AFP) - Up to one million more Iraqis risk being displaced as government forces battle the Islamic State jihadist group, including in the campaign to retake second city Mosul, the Red Cross said Friday. They would join more than three million Iraqis who have already been driven from their homes by violence over the past two-and-a-half years. "The International Committee of the Red Cross believes that up to a million more people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in the coming weeks and months," the Red Cross said in a statement. "More than 10 million people are already in need of assistance in the country. More than three million people are already internally displaced," it said. "If there is the predicted upsurge in violence, then the figure of internally displaced could dramatically increase." Iraqi forces are conducting operations aimed at setting the stage for an assault on Mosul, a northern city that has been held by IS since June 2014. Mosul was once home to some two million people, but the current population has been estimated at around half that figure. The operation to retake the far smaller city of Fallujah, located much closer to Baghdad, pushed tens of thousands of people to flee, catching the aid community flat-footed and leaving many people in appalling conditions. The scale of displacement as Iraqi forces fight to retake Mosul will be much larger, and people may flee to areas that could be much more difficult for relief agencies to reach. The Red Cross said it is asking for an additional $17.1 million (15.6 million euros) for its Iraq budget to help provide assistance to displaced people in the country. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes. From Cosmopolitan Barnes and Noble announced recently that it will start selling beer and wine at four new stores, according to CNN. And while this is might be the best thing to have ever happened at a Barnes and Noble, the first store to serve liquor won't open until October. To tide you over until then, Cosmopolitan.com asked certified sommelier Diane McMartin which boozy drinks pair best with these 10 new releases. McMartin happens to be an authority, being that she's the author of This Calls For a Drink!, a book about how to pair beverages with what's happening in your life, from being dumped to getting fired. Now grab one of these books and a bottle and you'll be ready to have a fantastic time. 1. Off-Dry Riesling + Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman For an "I am woman, hear me roar" kind of evening, try pairing a fun, light wine with this hilarious memoir from Lindy West. Shrill is a feminist must-read that details West's battles with internet trolls, body image, gender politics, and so much more. "[This wine is] sweet but also sour," McMartin says. "It's kind of sassy too, just like [West]." Look out for one from Peter Lauer: It's McMartin's fave, and costs about $15. 2. Fernet Branca + The Girls: A Novel This best-selling novel features a coming-of-age story during the summer leading up to the Charles Manson murders of 1969, and it's what everyone seems to be talking about. For this gripping tale, McMartin says, "You want to drink something that the cool kids drink." Her suggestion? Fernet Branca, an Italian bitter liquor that's become ultra popular in recent years. And if you want to be extra hip, McMartin says to drink it as a shot with a ginger ale chaser at the end of the night. 3. Sparkling wine + Harry Potter and the Cursed Child A new Harry Potter story calls for a very special English drink. According to McMartin, people are starting to make sparkling wine in England since a lot of the soil in the U.K. is similar to what you'd find in northern France, where Champagne is made. She suggests one winery called Ridgeview to find a new, exciting sparkling wine that Harry would approve of. Story continues 4. Hoegaarden beer + Calm the Fuck Down coloring book When your night is chill AF and you want to relax, pull out a coloring book, and just de-stress, this wheat beer is the perfect companion. It's mild, refreshing, and pretty low in alcohol, McMartin says. "[It's a] good thing to drink while you're coloring because you can have a couple and not end up coloring outside the lines." 5. Champagne + Sweetbitter In Sweetbitter, the main character Tess moves to NYC, falls into a love triangle and works at the best restaurant in the city where she's introduced to the finest Champagnes. So, of course, you're going to need a glass yourself. "Go to a good neighborhood wine shop and ask them for a Champagne that will just blow your mind," McMartin says. She also suggests grabbing some popcorn, aka the best snack to pair with bubbly. 6. Pilsner + Homegoing Homegoing follows two half-sisters from their birth in 18th century Ghana, all the way up to present day. One sister's descendants live through years of warfare in Ghana while the other sister and her children journey to America and live through slavery, the Civil War, and the Great Migration. Pair this heavy historical fiction novel with Uinta's Small Batch Pilsner, a session beer you can sip on for a few hours at a time. Pilsner is a traditionally Austrian style of beer and, even in its traditional form, is pretty low in alcohol. "If you're going to sit down and read for a few hours and have two [of these beers], you won't fall asleep in the book," McMartin says. 7. Syrah + Grace Two stories are woven together in this novel about a mother who escapes slavery to work in a brothel and her daughter who lives through the Emancipation Proclamation and the violence that follows. For something this heavy, McMartin suggests drinking Syrah, a wine that comes from a dark, brooding grape. Since you'll be reading (and probably not eating), McMartin says to try a Syrah from Margerum since it's dark and mysterious but also a little fruitier. 8. Chardonnay + Hamilton: The Revolution This behind-the-scenes look at the musical phenomenon needs a drink worthy of the show's brilliance. "Hamilton's about the American Revolution but also about pointing out that America has always been about people who want to shake things up," McMartin says. "One winery called Arnot-Roberts makes a chardonnay that's a new way to look at California wine." This particular chardonnay is still bright but not super oaky or buttery. Plus, according to Martin, it's just plain good - much like the musical. 9. Beaujolais + Modern Lovers This fictional story features a group of friends and former college bandmates approaching their 50s, living in Brooklyn, and trying to sort out the many relationships in their lives. So naturally, you'll want to drink something fresh and calm to go with it. McMartin suggests Beaujolais, a light-bodied red that goes great with summer food. "It's something you would find on a French wine list in a really cool hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Brooklyn where everybody's cooler than you," McMartin says. If you don't feel like trekking to a restaurant, McMartin says you can also head to a decent neighborhood wine shop and ask for Beaujolais that's a little nicer than Beaujolais Nouveau; they'll hook you up. 10. Barolo wine + Tuesday Nights in 1980 Tuesday Nights in 1980 features an artist and a critic living in SoHo in the '80s when a tragedy strikes that affects their relationship to life - and art. Around the same time, McMartin says, one of the big controversies in the wine world took place in Barolo, Italy, between producers who were more into modern styles versus those who were more old school. Have a wine with a nod to the '80s by drinking a Barolo wine from Brovia, one of McMartin's favorite old school wineries. Follow Madison on Twitter. Beirut (AFP) - At least 10 civilians were killed, including five children, in air strikes Friday on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province of northern Syria, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three strikes targeted the main road and centre of the town, warning the death toll could rise because of a large number of seriously wounded. It was unclear if Syrian regime warplanes or aircraft of its Russian allies carried out what the Observatory called "a new massacre" that left children dismembered. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has issued food enforcement warnings to: Mazatlan II, 2711 King Lane #201. Fries touching container of thawing raw steaks, raw items over ice cream, burger over ready to eat items, relocated (corrected). Ground beef and chili verde prepared previous night at unsafe temps (repeat), discarded (corrected). Chicken not reheated to correct temp on steam table (corrected). Spray nozzle attached to hose at sink. Soiled knives observed on magnet, utensil storage drawer with excessive residues, cleaned and sanitized (corrected). Runza, 7001 Van Dorn St. Raw chicken, corndogs, cooked chicken in drawer unit held at unsafe temp for unknown time, discarded; shake machine cream at unsafe temp in hopper; Runza dip at unsafe temp in prep rail (corrected). No approved prep sink for tomato/lettuce washing (repeat). Sadie's General Store, 305 Nemaha St., Firth. Potentially hazardous foods at unsafe temps in pizza prepping unit, items removed/discarded (corrected). Dirty can open, cleaned (corrected). Unapproved employee drink cup set on top of pizza hot hold unit, cup removed (corrected). WeLive "Co-living," the idea of young professionals living in dorm-like surroundings, has been billed as the hot new trend in housing. WeWork, the $16 billion coworking startup, is reportedly betting that its co-living venture, WeLive, will provide the company with 21% of its revenue by 2018. Other startups like Common are trying to build an entire business out of the idea. But today, co-living is far from revolutionary. Business Insider interviewed residents, co-living startup founders, industry insiders, and lawyers. The big revelation: Co-living isn't a bunch of people trying to recapture the magic of drunken college revelry. None of the WeLive or Common residents I interviewed described an experience even close to that, though there is a beer tap in the WeLive laundry room. At the same time, co-living doesn't seem to offer the major improvements to housing that its biggest boosters want it to. Right now, co-living simply describes an apartment building where residents pay a premium for a ton of amenities, communal events, and the type of "on demand" flexibility with living space we have come to expect from other kinds of startups like Uber. That's it. brad hargreaves 'Dorms for adults' "Dorms for adults" certainly evokes an image. But Brad Hargreaves, the CEO of co-living startup Common, hates that phrase. Hargreaves tells Business Insider that a dorm implies things like shared bedrooms, flimsy furniture, and epic levels of partying. That's not what Common is like, he says, though residents do share bathrooms and kitchens. Different startups have different takes on co-living, but at its core, it's always about trying to design an easy way for you to live with people other than your family. You share some spaces, but have others to yourself. It's not meant to be revolutionary, Hargreaves says. coliving beer tap The big selling point of co-living buildings are the amenities and the friendship that can be formed through sharing them. Story continues There are hot tubs, yoga rooms, laundry, beer taps, regular cleanings, and big communal kitchens the amenities vary by location. You can use these things on your own, but the idea is that when everyone is using them together, you can meet people. WeLive and Common facilitate this by running a stream of events throughout the week, which one WeLive resident said were much more than she could ever hope to attend. And it works. All the residents I spoke to had made friends with other tenants "I'm going on a coffee date with someone I met in the building right after this," one said. I ducked into a well-attended communal dinner at WeLive when I visited the building, where most people seemed to know each other. It was lively and friendly, and seemed perfect for someone who has just moved to the city and wants to make friends. On its website, WeLive claims that it "challenges traditional apartment living through physical spaces that foster meaningful relationships." That is a bit overstated, as is the claim that in a WeLive you'll be "psyched to be alive." But from my conversations with residents, the "relationships" claim does ring true though perhaps to only the level of joining a book club or a rec softball league. Another big benefit that co-living startups tout is the ability to stay for as long or as short as you like. You can sign leases as short as one month so you don't have to lock yourself into a huge financial commitment right off the bat. WeLive even has rooms you can stay in for days or weeks at a time, but they are on separate floors zoned for hotel use. welive arcade A premium price, but is it worth it? The amenities and flexibility of co-living spaces make for higher prices. A room in Common's new Williamsburg, Brooklyn, building costs around $1,800 to $2,300 per month, and the average size is a small 120 square feet that's a 12-foot by 10-foot room. You're also sharing a bathroom and a kitchen. Studios in WeLive's Wall Street building start at $2,745, with bedrooms in suites coming in at roughly $2,000, though they vary. These prices include furniture, which in one WeLive room I visited even meant a few rows of books with titles from Bret Easton Ellis and Chuck Klosterman what if you didn't like them? welive These prices are high, but not outrageous. New York is such a competitive rental market that you could definitely get ripped off and pay well above these rates for a horrible living situation. I also guarantee that you could hunt around and get a much better deal. But this brings us to the big problem with co-living startups. You pay them to facilitate all the little things you might want if you were busy and just moving to the city: social events, cleaning, furnishings, workout classes, and so on. But once you've established your bearings and made some friends, then they're not as important. The residents I spoke to acknowledged that they were paying relatively high rents, and said that if you weren't getting value from the amenities, then it didn't make sense. One former Common resident said that one of the initial draws had been an easy way to make new friends, and once she'd done that, she couldn't really justify continuing to pay. For businesses, coworking spaces solve some real problems. A place like WeWork provides startups with a few things they desperately want: the flexibility to add office space as they grew and changed, and the ability to give their employees the type of amenities that tech giants like Google or Facebook do. And you could imagine WeLive being a welcome service for somebody who just moved to New York City and felt a bit adrift and insecure, or for someone whose job required them to move on short notice. But for your average urban young professional with a fair amount of disposable income, it feels more like an incremental addition of value than a game-changer. common Legal issues complicate the dream Perhaps the single biggest obstacle to a more radical reimagining of communal living in New York City are the strict laws governing SRO single-room occupancy buildings. Generally, in an SRO building, residents rent their own bedroom and then share kitchens and bathrooms with others. These kinds of buildings in New York City are often used to house low-income residents, but in the 1950s, a law was put on the books that forbade the creation of new SRO buildings. This means a few things for co-living ventures like Common and WeLive. First, if the startup is renting out an apartment with two or more bedrooms, then it can't sign individual agreements with tenants. All the people living in the suite have to sign the lease, Hargreaves says, otherwise it's likely illegal. Business Insider looked at WeLive's and Common's housing documents, and they require all roommates to sign. There are a couple of differences between the two, though. In Common, you are living with roommates you likely don't know when you move in. But even though you are all signing the same lease, Common has complicated terms that guarantee that if one of you drops out, then Common will be responsible for filling the room. This means that when you sign up to stay for six months, it's just between you and Common. This actually touches on a possible minor legal risk for the startup, if Common is operating against the "spirit" of SRO laws, a real-estate lawyer told Business Insider. But although there have been several complaints made with the New York City Department of Buildings that Common is running an illegal SRO, they have all been resolved. The city doesn't seem to feel that Common is operating SRO buildings. Beyond the lease, there are other legal hoops that co-living startups have to jump through because of SRO rules as well, Hargreaves says. For instance, Common can't have exterior locks on its bedroom doors, although suite doors and closets have exterior locks and rooms have interior ones. That presents a concern when you are living with strangers. WeLive sidesteps these issues by offering no roommate-placement services. If you want to rent a four-bedroom apartment in WeLive, then you have to bring three friends. That makes it more or less your typical apartment setup. WeLive residents sign a "residential membership agreement" and not a lease, but multiple real-estate lawyers told Business Insider that if the terms resemble a lease, then it doesn't matter what you call it. You get the same rights as you would with a lease, and WeLive is subject to the same laws. IMG_4887.JPG The future When Brad Hargreaves talks about the future of co-living, it can feel fresh and intriguing. He talks about someone being able to move easily from a Common building in San Francisco to New York, getting into the flow, and meeting people wherever they go. And the idea of the globetrotting digital nomad has an element of romance in the tech community, and something that feels like a different mode of living. But that's not what co-living is today. There are pieces of it, but the lifestyle hasn't quite come together yet, and would not necessarily be of interest to the number of people that WeLive, let's say, is looking for. So we're left with something that's not a dorm for adults, not a hippie commune, not a radical shift in living, and not that much different from a normal apartment building with some amenities and social events. Now we'll see if that's enough to make a real business. NOW WATCH: An Israeli startup invented a compost bin that converts kitchen waste to cooking fuel More From Business Insider LONDON, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / Gabriel Resources Ltd. ("Gabriel" or the "Company")(GBU.TO) announces the publication of its Second Quarter Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis Report for the period ended June 30, 2016. Summary Q2 2016 brought no change in Romania's continued prevention of the implementation of the Rosia Montana gold and silver project ("Project"). Accordingly, the Company is progressing with its arbitration case against Romania before the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ("ICSID") under applicable treaties for the promotion and protection of foreign investment to which Romania is a party ("ICSID Arbitration"). The ICSID Arbitration is the core focus of the Company and the arbitral tribunal ("Tribunal") that will adjudicate the case was constituted on June 21. The first session of the Tribunal with all parties is scheduled to be held on August 12, 2016. As at June 30, 2016, the Company held $28.0 million of cash and cash equivalents. On July 14, 2016, the Company completed the previously announced non-brokered private placement financing to raise $40.625 million ("Private Placement"). The proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for the ICSID Arbitration and for general working capital requirements. Mr. David Kay has been appointed to the Board of the Company with effect from July 29, 2016 as a nominee of Tenor International & Commercial Arbitration Fund ("Tenor"), associated with the principal investor in the Private Placement. On July 14, 2016 the Company reported that the fiscal authorities in Romania had levied a value added tax assessment ("VAT Assessment") on its subsidiary Rosia Montana Gold Corporation S.A. ("RMGC") amounting to approximately RON 27 million (approximately $8.6 million) and that RMGC has been subjected to a number of investigations by various Romanian government agencies which Gabriel considers are abusive in scope and execution and were initiated by the Romanian State in reaction to the ICSID Arbitration and recent successful funding initiatives of the Company. Story continues Jonathan Henry, Gabriel's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "The failure of Romania to allow the development of a world class mining project at Rosia Montana, where the largest beneficiary would be the Romanian State and its people, has left the Company with no alternative but to focus on the ICSID Arbitration. We welcome the recent establishment of the Tribunal and Gabriel, in conjunction with its expert legal team, is preparing the relevant submissions to present its case to the Tribunal. Gabriel has already filed certain applications with the Tribunal to procure access to material documentation and to address the demonstrable acts of bad faith committed since the commencement of the ICSID Arbitration through the intrusive and arbitrary investigations initiated by Romania's fiscal authorities. RMGC intends to challenge the VAT Assessment. Following the completion of the Private Placement, the Company is well-positioned to finance the ICSID Arbitration and to safeguard its rights and investments in Romania. We welcome David Kay to the Board and anticipate that his experience will be invaluable to the future progression of the ICSID Arbitration." Further information and commentary on the operations and results in the second quarter of 2016, together with events anticipated in the short term, is given below. The Company has filed its Unaudited Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and each is available for review on the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com. For information on this press release, please contact: Jonathan Henry President & Chief Executive Officer Mobile: +44 7798 801783 jh@gabrielresources.com Max Vaughan Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +44 7823 885503 max.vaughan@gabrielresources.com Richard Brown Chief Commercial Officer Mobile: +44 7748 760276 richard.brown@gabrielresources.com Further Information Status of the ICSID Arbitration The ICSID Arbitration seeks compensation for all of the loss and damage suffered by the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Gabriel Resources (Jersey) Ltd. (together "Claimants"), resulting from the Romanian State's wrongful conduct and its breaches of certain bilateral investment treaties which the Romanian Government has entered into. The Tribunal, which was constituted on June 21, 2016, consists of the following arbitrators: Ms. Teresa Cheng as President of the Tribunal (a Chinese national appointed by the Secretary-General of ICSID), Dr. Horacio Grigera Naon (an Argentinian national appointed by the Claimants); and Mr. Zachary Douglas (an Australian national appointed by Romania). The Tribunal has scheduled the first session with the parties for August 12, 2016 at which time the Tribunal will likely address, among other things, the procedural calendar for the ICSID Arbitration. The Tribunal will consider, in due course, requests for provisional measures recently submitted to the Tribunal by the Claimants relating to (i) the use by Claimants, their counsel and the Tribunal, among others, of certain categories of documents and information considered classified and/or confidential by Romania and (ii) various aspects of the VAT Assessment and a purported anti-fraud investigation of RMGC undertaken by Romanian authorities. Despite the initiation of the ICSID Arbitration, the Company continues to remain open to engagement with the Romanian authorities in order to achieve an amicable resolution of the dispute. Notwithstanding, Gabriel will continue to protect its rights and investments in Romania, including support to RMGC in respect of any abusive, illegal, or retaliatory conduct by Romanian authorities and, so far as reasonably practical and desirable, ensuring that existing licenses and permits remain in good standing. RMGC Investigations Recently, RMGC has been subjected to audits and investigations by Romanian authorities operating under the Ministry of Public Finance, which is also charged with organizing and overseeing the defense of Romania in the ICSID Arbitration. The main investigations have taken the form of a value added (purchase sales) tax ("VAT") audit and a purported anti-fraud investigation. Gabriel considers that such audits and investigations are biased, are abusive in scope, and/or execution, and particularly with respect to the anti-fraud investigation, have been initiated by the Romanian State in reaction to the ICSID Arbitration. These investigations are in addition to the impact on RMGC of the previously disclosed investigation into the Kadok Group. On October 12, 2015, the National Agency for Fiscal Administration ("ANAF") initiated an unannounced, ad hoc investigation of transactions RMGC has had with various suppliers. RMGC has not received any formal notification of the purpose or scope of the investigation. Such investigation has required RMGC to provide voluminous amounts of information in respect of RMGC suppliers and respective transactions, particularly over the period 2007 to 2014, but has also included substantial amounts of documents and information dating back to 1997. Following ANAF's initial requests in October 2015, a period of approximately 6 months elapsed before, on April 21, 2016, ANAF again requested significant volumes of further supplier information. RMGC has been co-operating fully with ANAF. As of the date of this press release, there has been no report from ANAF regarding the purpose or findings of this investigation. On March 14, 2016, RMGC received a tax inspection notice from ANAF advising of the initiation of an audit primarily covering tax declarations in respect of VAT that RMGC has reclaimed over the period July 1, 2011 through January 31, 2016. Following RMGC's compliance with extensive information requests from ANAF, on July 7, 2016, RMGC received a final report from ANAF (the "Report") challenging the legitimacy of the reclaim of VAT by RMGC in respect of multiple suppliers of services related to public relations, advertising, promotion and consultancy advice. This challenge directly conflicts with 18 previous VAT audits into RMGC conducted by ANAF from January 2007 to June 2011, where the reclaim by RMGC of such VAT for the same types of activity, in many cases with the identical suppliers, had not been challenged. The Report establishes the VAT Assessment on RMGC amounting to approximately RON 27 million (approximately $8.6 million) to which may be added associated penalties and interest. Prior to finalization of the Report, RMGC responded in writing to preliminary conclusions received from ANAF, noting among other things the lack of basis in Romanian tax law, inconsistency with prior audits conducted by the same body and, overall, its fundamental disagreement with the preliminary conclusions. The Report notes RMGC's disagreement, but does not change ANAF's conclusions. RMGC intends to challenge vigorously the VAT Assessment in Romania through appropriate administrative and legal means. Gabriel understands that the Romanian authorities have expressed their intention to take measures to enforce the VAT Assessment against RMGC's assets in Romania and already are taking steps to do so. Gabriel and RMGC intend to pursue options to seek a stay of such enforcement pending RMGC's challenge to the underlying VAT Assessment, including through the above-mentioned provisional measures. Board Appointment With effect from July 29, 2016 and in accordance with the terms of the Private Placement, Mr. David Kay was appointed to the Board of the Company. Mr. Kay is a partner and the portfolio manager of Tenor which he joined in 2009. Previously, Mr. Kay was an investment banker at Jefferies & Company and an attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Mr. Kay currently serves on multiple boards for companies in the mineral, mining and energy industries. Financial Performance As previously reported, since January 1, 2016 the Company has determined that, absent any positive, material permitting developments, none of the Company's continuing expenditures meet the criteria for capitalization in the statement of financial position and all will be expensed to the income statement. The net loss for the second quarter of 2016 was $8.9 million, including a one-off debt extinguishment charge of $4.7 million relating to the restructuring element of the May 2016 Transactions (as defined below). Liquidity and Capital Resources Liquidity The Company's average monthly cash usage during Q2 2016 was $2.0 million, including legal services in respect of the ICSID Arbitration (Q1 2016 monthly average $1.5 million, Q4 2015: monthly average $2.1 million). Excluding legal and other advisory services in respect of the ICSID Arbitration, the average monthly cash usage during Q2 2016 was $1.4 million (Q1 2016 monthly average: $1.3 million, Q4 2015 monthly average: $1.3 million). Capital Resources Cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2016 amounted to $28.0 million, including the funds raised from the May 2016 Transactions, as defined below. In order to strengthen and improve the financial position of the Company and to provide funding to pursue the ICSID Arbitration, and for general working capital purposes, the Company closed the following transactions during the course of 2016 raising aggregate gross proceeds of $60.625 million: Additional details are provided in the respective announcements available on the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com and filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Project Development (including Permitting and Litigation) In the context of the above disclosures concerning the ICSID Arbitration and its continuance as the core focus of the Company, readers are advised to refer to the Annual Information Form of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2015 ("AIF") published on March 29, 2016, for information relating to the status of the Project, the exploitation license relating thereto, the Company's exploration and development activities in Romania, the Project approval and permitting process, legal proceedings concerning the Project and reported gold and silver resources and reserves. Other than as updated in the Company's First and Second Quarter Management's Discussion & Analysis, there has been no material change in that information from the date of publication of the AIF to the date of this press release. The Company has filed its AIF and First and Second Quarter 2016 Management's Discussion & Analysis on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and each is available for review on the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com. About Gabriel Gabriel is a Toronto Stock Exchange listed Canadian resource company. The Company's principal focus has been the exploration and development of the Rosia Montana gold and silver project in Romania. The Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license ("License") for the Project is held by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest Rosia Montana S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company. It is anticipated that the Project would bring over US$24 billion (at US$1,200/oz gold) to Romania as potential direct and indirect contribution to GDP and generate thousands of employment opportunities. Since the grant of the License in June 1999, the Company has focused substantially all of its management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Project. Despite the Company's fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has blocked and prevented implementation of the Project without due process and without compensation. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's operating environment. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. In this press release, forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Company's actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the uncertainties associated with: completion of the Transactions, the ICSID Arbitration, actions by the Romanian Government, conditions or events impacting the Company's ability to fund its operations or service its debt, exploration, development and operation of mining properties and the overall impact of misjudgments made in good faith in the course of preparing forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors including those set out below, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential", "possible" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of fact and may be forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation: the duration, required disclosure, costs, process and outcome of the ICSID Arbitration against Romania; changes in the liquidity and capital resources of Gabriel, and the group of companies of which it is parent ("Gabriel Group"); access to funding to support the Gabriel Group's continued ICSID Arbitration and/or operating activities in the future; equity dilution resulting from the conversion or exercise of existing securities in part or in whole to Common Shares; the ability of the Company to maintain a continued listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange or any regulated public market for trading securities; the impact on business strategy and its implementation in Romania of: unforeseen historic acts of corruption, uncertain fiscal investigations; uncertain legal enforcement both for and against the Gabriel Group and political and social instability; regulatory, political and economic risks associated with operating in a foreign jurisdiction including changes in laws, governments and legal regimes and interpretation of existing and future fiscal and other legislation ; volatility of currency exchange rates, metal prices and metal production; the availability and continued participation in operational or other matters pertaining to the Gabriel Group of certain key employees and consultants; and risks normally incident to the exploration, development and operation of mining properties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and investors should not infer that there has been no change in the Company's affairs since the date of this report that would warrant any modification of any forward-looking statement made in this document, other documents periodically filed with or furnished to the relevant securities regulators or documents presented on the Company's website. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to the Company's disclosure obligations under applicable Canadian securities regulations. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies including Gabriel's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015, which can be viewed online at www.sedar.com. SOURCE: Gabriel Resources Ltd China has hogged the headlines for the last few years and it's no surprise why. Its economy is massive and (supposedly) growing at more than 6.5 percent annually. The country is the top consumer of many natural resources and a main driver of global growth. So, when the Chinese economy is giving signs of a slowdown, the effects can be far reaching and impact investor psyche. Given the current market environment we wanted to highlight three main reasons we believe China will continue to be a flashpoint in the markets for the foreseeable future. [See: Chinese ETFs: 9 Ways to Play the Middle Kingdom.] It's an economic powerhouse. Despite the possibility of a slowdown, China is still an economic force to be reckoned with. Besides the U.S., no other country comes close to matching the GDP of China. In fact, China's GDP is greater than Japan, Germany, France and the U.K. combined. The country is also a major importer of natural resources such as oil, copper and iron ore. The economic growth over the last few decades has helped boost demand for resources such as these, thereby propping up other emerging markets economies and resource exporting countries. Nearly 23 percent of all Chinese imports come from resource-rich countries like Africa, Australia, the Middle East and South America. To add some perspective, China consumes over 10 billion barrels of crude oil each year on average. That's more than double its nearest competitor, Japan, while only the U.S. consumes more. China's large appetite for natural resources is only part of the overall demand picture for the country. Over a 12-year period from 2001 to 2013, China's imports of merchandise for its expanding middle class grew more than eight fold. Indeed, China's middle class is expected to grow to 40 percent of its total population by this year. That's roughly 370 million people with more disposable income and demand for retail goods and services, creating a huge opportunity for multi-national companies and retailers in the Chinese markets. Story continues Despite the explosive growth, there will be periods where it slows or even contracts. As the world economy becomes more globalized, ripples in one country can be felt across borders. As we pointed out above, China is a major driver of global growth. According to the International Monetary Fund, a 1 percent slowdown in China's economy translates into an estimated 0.3 percent slowdown in other Asian countries. While this only takes into account China's impact on the Asia-Pacific region, we would point out the contagion could spread to other countries that rely on its consumption of natural resources and imports. The strength of the yuan drives the price for imports. China's currency, the yuan, has been the center of attention this year. China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, attempted to devalue the currency slowly to stimulate more growth and remain competitive. It does this by setting the exchange rate for the currency every morning and allowing it to fluctuate in a narrow band around that daily starting point. However, during the first week of the year, the central bank devalued the yuan by the largest amount since last August, implying a weaker economy than the government had previously announced. This sparked an even further devaluation in the currency by investors as they attempted to sell Chinese assets and exchange the yuan for other currencies. The broader markets reacted negatively, kicking off what was the worst first week for U.S. investors in history and pulling global markets into the red for the first part of 2016. The yuan is important to investors for a number of reasons. As the Chinese economy begins to transition from an export-driven to a consumption-based economy, a lower yuan means higher-priced imports for the Chinese. This adds to the deflationary pressures that already felt exacerbated by oil and could potentially cause additional slowing of consumer spending and, ultimately, economic growth. We recognize that the bulk of China's current growth stems from export-oriented activities. The combination of reduced imports due to a cheaper yuan and fewer exports if global growth slows has many investors worried. In response to China's currency manipulation, other emerging markets countries may look to devalue their currency as well. The fear is that these countries will create additional market stress in an attempt to make their currencies cheap relative to the yuan. It's easy to see why they may devalue their currency; many emerging markets countries export natural resources and China is one of their largest customers. So, if China's currency is devalued, these countries end up getting less in their own currency once everything is exchanged. Also, many of these countries issue debt in U.S. dollars and, if they devalue their currencies stay competitive with China, their debt burdens become even greater as they struggle to exchange their devalued currency for an even higher U.S. dollar. [See: 13 Stocks to Buy to Bet on China.] The economy remains centrally planned. One thing many investors can lose sight of is the fact that China is still very much a centrally planned economy. The Chinese government calls the economy a "socialist market economy." It can be argued that they have made progress towards opening up their markets and enacting capitalistic measures, but data coming out of China has been suspect for some time now. Indeed, many investment firms perform their own economic analysis on China since there has been a documented history of less-than-accurate economic statistics provided by China's government. Many investors still remember the Asian financial crisis where China claimed a 7 percent growth rate while many other Asian countries were in recessions. China's banking system is dominated by state-owned banks that receive direct and indirect guidance from the government. These banks have lending volume caps imposed by the People's Bank of China and are discouraged from lending to various industries. Because credit has been hard to come by for large swaths of the Chinese markets, borrowers have instead turned to shadow banking to get their loans. Shadow banking is where institutions not officially governed by the banking industry offer loans to people. In many cases, a legitimate bank may be at the heart of the loan but it is originated with an unregulated institution so as to avoid governmental regulations and costs. While these loans may help spur economic growth as small businesses and individuals not generally served by China's banking industry are able to get credit, they do contribute to financial instability. Because of the lack of governmental oversight and looser credit standards, these loans are typically riskier than those regulated by the People's Bank of China. According to a report in 2015, an estimated two-thirds of shadow banking loans are directly tied back to regulated banks. This contributes to the issue of data clarity surrounding Chinese markets. If a bank's balance sheet paints a rosier picture than its true condition when taking the off-balance sheet loans into account, that bank's stock may be wildly overvalued. Also, there is no ability for investors to look at the credit quality of those loans. Are they high quality or low quality? Investors just do not know. China has been cracking down on this recently in an attempt to clean up its credit markets by requiring banks to report these loans on their balance sheets but there is still progress to be made. The currency is another example of the distorting impact of the nation's "socialist market economy." The Chinese central bank has been heavily involved in manipulating the yuan's currency market. More recently, China's central bank has begun to implement controls designed to stem the flow of money leaving China and the yuan. These controls make it more difficult for foreign companies in China to repatriate their earnings, lower amounts of Yuan available to banks in Hong Kong to lend and preventing Yuan-based funds from making foreign investments. China's direct involvement in manipulating its currency and economy ultimately prevents investors' expectations from being fully reflected in the markets, creating uncertainty and volatility in the process. [See: 10 Ways to Play in the Asia-Pacific Stocks Pool.] Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. The economic forecasts set forth in the presentation may not develop as predicted. International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. Brett Carson, chartered financial analyst, is the director of research for Carson Institutional Alliance where, as portfolio manager, he is directly responsible for managing several investment strategies, including Perennial Growth, LongTerm Trend and Write Income. Wells Fargo, the owner of Wells Fargo Advantage Funds brand, is one of the four largest banks in the U.S. and has a legacy spanning 150 years in the financial services sector. With over $121.5 billion (excluding money market assets) of assets invested in more than 110 mutual funds, Wells Fargo Advantage Funds diversify their assets across a wide range of mutual fund categories. These include both domestic and foreign funds, asset allocation funds and fixed-income funds. In 2010, the boards of trustees of Wells Fargo Advantage Funds and Evergreen Funds had approved the merger of the fund families to create a new fund lineup under the brand name Wells Fargo Advantage Funds. The Wells Fargo fund family claims that each fund is guided by a premier investment team chosen for its focused attention to a particular investment style. There's a fund to meet the investment goals and risk tolerance of almost any investment portfolio. Below we share with you three top-rated Wells Fargo Advantage Funds. Each has earned a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and is expected to outperform its peers in the future. Investors can click here to see the complete list of Wells Fargo Advantage funds, their Zacks Rank and past performance. Wells Fargo Advantage Core Bond A MBFAX seeks total return through growth of capital and income. MBFAX invests the majority of its assets in bonds that are rated investment-grade. MBFAX may invest a maximum of a quarter of its assets in asset-backed securities, which are not from the mortgage-backed category. Not more than one-fifth of MBFAXs assets are expected to be invested in foreign debt securities that are denominated in dollar. MBFAX is expected to maintain a dollar-weighted average effective duration of not more than 10% of that of funds benchmark. Wells Fargo Advantage Core Bond A has a three-year annualized return of 3.9%. As of May 2016, MBFAX held 778 issues with 4.41% of its assets invested in US Treasury Note 1.375%. Story continues Wells Fargo High Yield Bond B EKHBX invests its assets not only in securities of domestic and foreign companies but also in emerging markets. EKHBX invests a large portion of its assets in debt securities that are rated below investment-grade. The fund does not manage its portfolio for a specific duration. EHKBX seeks total return with high capital and income appreciation. Wells Fargo High Yield Bond B has a three-year annualized return of 4%. Margaret D. Patel is the fund manager of EKHBX since Aug 2012. Wells Fargo Short-Term Bond A SSTVX seeks current income with preservation of capital. SSTVX invests a major portion of its assets in debt securities. SSTVX may invest not more than a quarter of its assets in foreign debt securities that are not denominated in the U.S. dollar. SSTVX may also invest a maximum of 15% of its assets in securities that are below investment-grade. SSTVX invests in securities including corporate and U.S. government obligations. Wells Fargo Short-Term Bond A has a three-year annualized return of 1.4%. As of May 2016, SSTVX held 301 issues with 28.98% of its assets invested in Us 2yr Note (Cbt) Sep16 Xcbt 20160930. To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all Wells Fargo Advantage Funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of funds. About Zacks Mutual Fund Rank By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also expected to outperform going forward. Pick the best mutual funds with the Zacks Rank. 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 Get Your Free (MBFAX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (SSTVX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (EKHBX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Sen. Bernie Sanders looked glum at times as he sat with the Vermont delegates on the convention floor Thursday night listening to his former rival Hillary Clinton delivering her acceptance speech after locking up the Democratic presidential nomination. Sanders challenged Clinton in the primaries with his democratic-socialist calls for income equality, universal health care coverage, expanded Social Security, a crackdown on Wall Street bankers and an end to a corrupt campaign finance system dominated by millionaires and billionaires. Related: Why Hillary Needs Bernie Now More Than Ever But Sanders and his supporters extracted serious concessions from the Clinton forces as they forged a new Democratic Party platform. And Clintons speech Thursday night to a largely cheering convention was peppered with policies and rhetoric drawn from Sanders populist campaign. Clinton called out Sanders early in her address to thank him for the contribution he had made in the campaign, one that pushed her farther to the left in an effort to appease the partys liberal wing. Youve put economic and social justice issues front and center, where they belong, she said, addressing both Sanders and the wider audience of liberal Democrats and progressives who remain highly skeptical of the former secretary of state and whether they should support her. And to all of your supporters here and around the country, I want you to know, Ive heard you. Your cause is our cause. Our country needs your ideas, energy and passion. The more moderate, politically pragmatic Clinton gradually moved further to the left in her more than year-long campaign for her partys nomination. At the same time, her overarching themes arent dramatically different now than where she stood on June 13, 2015, when she formally announced her campaign on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Related: Clintons New Plan to Peel GOP Voters Away From Trump Back then, she told the crowd gathered on an island in the East River named for President Franklin D. Roosevelt that Im running to make our economy work for you and for every American. Like Roosevelt, she said, she wanted to make the economy work for everyday Americans, not just those at the top. Story continues Her goal, she said, was to make the middle class mean something again, with rising incomes and broader horizons, while giving the poor a chance to work their way into it. After years of stagnant wages, she added, The middle class needs more growth and more fairness, adding that For lasting prosperity, you cant have one without the other. Clintons acceptance speech Thursday night in a general thematic sense wasnt all that different from her Roosevelt Island speech. The biggest change, however, is that she has allowed Sanders and his supporters to fill in some key details, locking her into a commitment to social and economic policies she once resisted. Related: As Clinton Accepts Historic Nomination, Democrats Move In on GOPs Turf While some of what she said and promised Thursday night could ultimately turn out to be just posturing in a move to unite the party against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump this fall, for now at least it signals some substantial policy shifts by Clinton. Here are five ways Sanders pulled Clinton to the left that were reflected in her speech at the convention Thursday night: 1. The minimum wage. Democrats amended their platform to call for a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage, one of Sanderss top priorities, although it would be gradually raised over time. Clinton had previously backed a $12 minimum wage. If you believe the minimum wage should be a living wage and no one working full time should have to raise their children in poverty, join us, she said. 2. Universal health insurance. Clinton initially opposed Sanders plan for a national health care system, arguing that Congress should simply build on the successes of the Affordable Care Act. However, under pressure, she unveiled a plan to provide expanded coverage by allowing some people under the age of 65 to purchase coverage through Medicare. If you believe that every man, woman, and child in America has the right to affordable health care, join us, she said. 3. International trade. While she was secretary of state, Clinton described the pending Trans Pacific Partnership agreement as the gold standard for free-trade agreements. Under pressure from Sanders, she changed her mind and said it wasnt a good deal for working Americans after all. If you believe that we should say no to unfair trade deals, that we should stand up to China, that we should support our steelworkers and autoworkers and homegrown manufacturers, join us, she said 4. Wall Street regulations. Sanders and others called for reinstituting the Glass-Steagall law prohibiting commercial banks from engaging in investment practices, but a year ago Clinton opposed that, arguing there were other ways to achieve the same result. But now the Democratic platform calls for restoring the law. (The Republican platform does too, to the surprise of many observers.) I believe Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again, Clinton said. Related: Losing the TV Ratings, Trump Tells Supporters Not to Watch Clintons Finale 5. College tuition and student debt. Clinton at one time derided Sanders proposal for providing free tuition to all students attending publicly supported colleges and universities, saying it wasnt financially feasible. Now she and Sanders are in agreement on a plan that would provide free tuition to students from families with incomes of up to $120,000 a year, or about 80 percent of all families. Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all! Clinton said. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: When investors evaluate the potential of a stock to offer returns, they primarily consider earnings and valuation multiples. At the same time, measuring the performance of such a stock relative to its industry or peers assumes significance. On such comparison, if we find that a stock is unable to match up to wider sectoral growth, it may be better to avoid it. On the other hand, outperformers should be incorporated into your portfolio, since they have a higher chance of securing significant returns. Picking a stock that outperforms its peers ensures you have a winning option on your hands. Then again, it is imperative that you determine whether or not an investment has relevant upside potential when considering stocks with significant relative price strength. Stocks delivering better than the S&P 500 over a period of 1 to 3 months at the least and having solid fundamentals indicate room for growth, and are the best ways to go about this strategy. Finally, it is important to find out whether analysts are optimistic about the upcoming earnings results of these companies. In order to do this, we have added positive estimate revisions for the current quarters (Q1) earnings to our screen. When a stock undergoes an upward revision, it leads to additional price gains. Screening Parameters Relative % Price change 12 weeks greater than 0 Relative % Price change 4 weeks greater than 0 Relative % Price change 1 week greater than 0 (We have considered those stocks that have been outperforming the S&P 500 over the last 12 weeks, 4 weeks and 1 week.) % Change (Q1) Est. over 4 Weeks greater than 0: Positive current quarter estimate revisions over the last four weeks. Zacks Rank equal to 1: Only Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks that have returned more than 26% annually over the last 26 years and surpassed the S&P 500 in 23 of the last 26 years can get through. Current Price greater than or equal to $5 and Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 50,000: A minimum price of $5 is a good standard to screen low-priced stocks, while a high trading volume would imply adequate liquidity. Story continues VGM Score less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 (Buy) offer the best upside potential. Here are the 5 of the 13 stocks that made it through the screen: HNI Corp. HNI: Based in Muscatine, IA, HNI is the second largest office furniture manufacturer domestically and one of the nation's leading manufacturer and retailer of pre-fabricated fireplaces and related products for the home. The 2016 Zacks Consensus Estimate for this company is $2.88, representing 11.82% earnings per share growth over fiscal 2015. The next years average forecast is $3.31, pointing to 14.56% growth. HNI has a VGM score of A. United Rentals Inc. URI: A leading equipment rental company offering approximately 3,300 classes of equipment for rent, Stamford, CT based United Rentals has a VGM score of A. Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 and 2017 increased 5% and 6%, respectively, to $8.14 and $8.43 per share. Burlington Stores Inc. BURL: Burlington Stores is a national off-price retailer that offers merchandise with a selection of fashionable branded products in a variety of categories. Sporting a VGM score of B, this Burlington, NJ headquartered companys expected EPS growth rate for 3 to 5 years currently stands at 18.10% comfortably ahead of the industry growth rate of 13.40%. Celestica Inc. CLS: Headquartered Toronto, Canada, Celestica is one of the largest electronics manufacturing services providers, primarily focusing on the computer and communications sector. The company has a VGM score of B and surprised earnings to the upside in each of the last two quarters. MKS Instruments Inc. MKSI: Headquartered in Andover, MA, MKS Instruments is an international leader in technology solutions in the domain of vacuum processing and other associated technologies that are crucial in certain advanced and core thin film markets. The company has a VGM score of B and an excellent earnings surprise history. It surpassed estimates in each of the last four quarters at an average rate of 12.92%. You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance. Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: Inaddition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free 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 MKS INSTRUMENTS (MKSI): Free Stock Analysis Report UTD RENTALS INC (URI): Free Stock Analysis Report CELESTICA INC (CLS): Free Stock Analysis Report HNI CORP (HNI): Free Stock Analysis Report BURLINGTON STRS (BURL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research You're still going to have do a bit of sleuth work to find out whether there are GMOs in your food. President Obama Friday signed a bill that nullifies state genetically modified organism labeling laws, including the nation's first, Vermont's that went into effect July 1. The new federal law may only require labeling for some GMO products. The law obligates food manufacturers to give consumers information on the GMOs in their products, but they dont have to do so on the package. Instead of the requisite produced with genetically engineered ingredients language set in Vermonts law, manufacturers can instead produce a label with a QR code, which you need to scan with a smartphone, or tell consumers to try a toll-free phone number. The final rules manufacturers will have to follow wont be out for at least two years. Support for Vermonts law forced anti-GMO labeling lawmakers and the food industry to give up their hopes of banning any form of mandatory GMO labeling. In March, a bill that would have made GMO labeling voluntary, dubbed the DARK (Deny Americans the Right To Know), was defeated in the Senate. And this year, several major food companies, such as Campbell Soup and General Mills, announced they would label products containing genetically engineered ingredients. Those changes would not have happened if concerned consumers did not keep the heat on, says Jean Halloran, director of food policy for Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports. And consumers who support on-package labels should be sure to let the companies that have already started labeling GMOs know that they still expect labeling to continue. Campbell and Mars, Inc told Consumerist that they will continue with on-package GMO labeling. General Mills and Nestle were less clear about their plans, and PepsiCo did not respond to a request for comment. Story continues So here are five tips to help you find food without GMOs: 1. Two labels that indicate a product has no GMOs Foods that carry the United States Department of Agriculture's 100 percent organic seal usually dont contain GMO ingredients, but the agency does not test products to verify this. The Non-GMO Project Verified seal is even more reliable because the organization verifies that the product not have more than 0.9 percent genetically modified ingredients. In 2014, Consumer Reports tested different foods for the presence of GMOs. We found that no food with the USDA organic or the GMO Project Verified Seal contained more than 0.9 percent GMOs. 2. Corn and soy are the major GMO crops in the U.S. According to our 2014 tests, a food had GMOs if a corn- or soy-containing product in it was not organic and did not carry the Non-GMO Project Verified seal or another non-GMO claim. These included: baking mixes, corn cereal, granola bars, tortillas, tortilla chips, soy-based infant formulas, soy milk, tofu, and veggie burgers. Canola oil often includes GMOs, too. Assume that any product made with these three ingredients are genetically modified unless the label says otherwise. A survey by Mintel, a market research firm, found that 19 percent of fruit eaters are concerned about GMOs in their fruit. But just one fruit currently on the marketpapaya from Florida or Hawaiican be genetically modified. And while you may have heard of genetically modified tomatoes, those are no longer being sold. Vegetables that could be genetically modified are some varieties of summer squash (like zucchini), some potatoes grown in Idaho and Washington, and some sweet corn, although most sweet corn is not grown from genetically modified seeds. A GMO variety of apple that doesnt brown has gone through Food and Drug Administrations voluntary safety consultation process and the FDA has approved genetically modified salmon, but neither product is on the market yet. 3. Sugar can be GMO Much of the sugar in Americas sugar bowls and processed foodsnot only baked goods, soda, and sweets, but also foods such as bread, cereal, soups, and yogurtcome from sugar beets and 99 percent of that crop is genetically modified. High fructose corn syrup is often genetically modified too, as is the artificial sweetener aspartame. Agave, cane sugar, molasses, and turbinado sugar, however, are never genetically modified. 4. GMOs can surprise you Canola, corn, and soy are in a lot of foods. So are ingredients derived from them, such as baking powder, beta carotene, cellulose, citric acid, corn starch, lactic acid, lecithin, riboflavin, miso, soybean oil, soy protein, soy sauce, vitamin E (tocopherol), and xanthan gum. 5. You need to be GMO label savvy Non-GMO labels can be found on foods that are never genetically modified, such as canned beans and vegetables, chicken, eggs, oatmeal, quinoa, and tuna. Why? Sometimes it is just marketing, but in other cases theres a reason. For instance, when you see the Non-GMO Project Verified seal on eggs or chicken, it means there are no genetically modified ingredients in the animals feed. Sugar or thickeners, like corn starch, may be added to canned beans and vegetables and tuna is often packed in soy oil. A non-GMO label means those ingredients are absent or are non-GMO. Still, if you like a particular brand or the brand without the non-GMO claim is less expensive than another, check the ingredients list. If the product doesnt contain canola, corn, soy, or sugaror ingredients derived from themyou can feel reasonably certain that it does not have GMOs. 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. From Cosmopolitan Chelsea Clinton takes on the historic role of introducing the first woman ever nominated for president by a major political party: her mom, Hillary Clinton. "I hope to convey just a small sense of why I am so proud and grateful to be her daughter, why I'm grateful for the example she set for me as a mom," Chelsea, 36, said on the Today show. "I'm going to talk as her daughter. I'm an only child, so it's unique position that I have." Here's what you should know about the woman who could be the first person to have both parents be the president: 1. Chelsea made front-page news when she was 1 day old. Chelsea was 12 years old when her dad, Bill Clinton, was elected president. But before that, Bill was governor of Arkansas. "My father was governor when I was born," Chelsea told Vogue. "I was on the front page of the newspaper the next day." Chelsea's best friend, Elizabeth Weindruch, told the magazine: "She's always lived her life as if she's being watched, by which I mean she was always very well behaved and very well spoken." While her dad was still in the White House, Chelsea left for Stanford, where she was accompanied by plainclothes Secret Service officers and had bulletproof windows in her dorm. Chelsea was away at school when news broke of her dad's affair with intern Monica Lewinsky, which, Hillary wrote in her book Living History, left Chelsea "confused and hurt," and led to her being more protective of her privacy. 2. She's tried out a few different careers. After graduating from Stanford, Chelsea went to Oxford to get a master's degree in international relations. Chelsea worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, then tried working on Wall Street for a bit, then went back to school to get a master's degree of public health from Columbia University, where she became an adjunct professor. She also earned a doctorate from Oxford. Story continues Then, she tried her hand at news, as a special correspondent for NBC, where she reportedly pulled in $600,000 for the part-time gig. It lasted about three years. Eventually, Chelsea landed at Clinton Foundation, her family's global philanthropic organization, where she holds the title of vice-chair. 3. She's the married mom of two. Chelsea met her husband Marc Mezvinsky in 1992, shortly after moving into the White House. She was 12 and he was 15. They remained friends and reconnected when Chelsea got to Stanford, where Marc was a sophomore. They married in 2010 in upstate New York in front of 400 guests. The event reportedly cost around $3 million. The couple had their daughter, Charlotte, in 2014, and their son, Aidan, in June 2016. 4. Ivanka Trump is a friend. The pair met through their husbands, according to Politico. And despite the competition between their parents, they remain friendly. Though there have been reports that the women have put their friendship on hold during the election, Chelsea said this week they're "absolutely" still friends. "We're both incredibly supportive of our parents, as we should be," Ivanka told People recently. "But we also continue to have great respect for one another." 5. She's a runner. "I think I have run on every street in Manhattan," she told Vogue, explaining that she always runs alone. "Running is my prophylactic stress relief for the day. Or the segue so that I can go home and be with my husband in a kind of clearheaded way. Running is the one part of my life in which I fundamentally feel like the observer instead of the observed." 6. She lives in New York - and intends to keep it that way. Chelsea and her family moved into a 5,000-square-foot home in Manhattan, which they bought for $10.5 million in 2013, according to real estate website, The Real Deal. Chelsea told Vogue that living in New York gives her a sense of normalcy. And even if her mom moves back into the White House, Chelsea has said that she plans to stay put. 7. She wrote a book. Chelsea's first book, It's Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going, came out in 2015. It's aimed at inspiring kids and teens to get involved in their communities. 8. She hasn't ruled out following in her parents' footsteps. "Not now," Chelsea told CNN of her interest in politics. "I'm ... grateful to live in a city and a state and a country where I really believe in my elected officials, and their ethos and their competencies. Someday, if either of those weren't true and I thought I could make more of a difference in the public sector, or if I didn't like how my city or state or country were being run, I'd have to ask and answer that question." Follow Kate on Twitter. A look inside the newly launched DFS Wines and Spirits Duplex, located at Changi Airport Terminal 2 Departure (transit area). (Photo: DFS) A look inside the newly launched DFS Wines and Spirits Duplex, located at Changi Airport Terminal 2 Departure (transit area). (Photo: DFS) Changi Airport has definitely upped its ante as the worlds best airport with the launch of the Wines and Spirits Duplex by Duty Free Shop (DFS) on Wednesday (27 July). Housing a two-storey whiskey wonderland where visitors can find over 200 different types of whiskeys (including one that costs over $80,000), seven boutiques by popular whiskey brands, the duplex even has a section called Whiskey House that offers complimentary tastings for over 100 types of whiskeys to help you make the best buy. We continually aspire to deliver the most engaging and exciting experiences for travellers, whether they are at the airport of downtown, said CEO and chairman of DFS Group, Philippe Schaus, of the new offering. Located in the transit area of Terminal 2s departure hall, the Wines and Spirits duplex features a total of 179 single malts, 68 blended Scotch whiskeys and 30 American whiskeys. Japans leading whiskies Yamazaki and Hibiki, as well as Taiwans Kavalan, are also available for travellers looking to buy a bottle before their flight. For whiskey fans and connoisseurs, take a tour through the seven branded whiskey boutiques (located on the second level) by Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Hennessy, Johnnie Walker, Remy Martin, The Dalmore and The Macallan, where you can learn more about the brands heritage, sample their whiskeys and feast your eyes on their selection of limited edition products. Some, such as the $80,850 Glenfiddich 50-year-old, are exclusive to Singapore. Almost all of the brands offer special engraving services at their boutiques if youre looking to buy one as a gift. Other brands of whiskeys, such as the David Beckham-endorsed single grain whiskey, The Haig Club, are also available at the Whiskey House. If youre unfamiliar with buying whiskeys, staff are also available to help you select according to your preferred flavours, such as floral and delicate, fruity and elegant, smoky and intense, or bright and rounded. Wine lovers are also able to sample from 12 different types of wines at the Wine Reserve on the first floor, which houses 350 products from the worlds top wineries. As part of DFS celebration of its new duplex, it is organising a Whiskey Festival, which runs on Fridays and Saturday evenings, from 29 July to 10 Sept. Health insurer Aetna Inc. AET is scheduled to release second-quarter financial results before market open on Aug 2. In the last reported quarter, the company beat the earnings estimate by 3.6%. Moreover, the company posted a positive earnings surprise in each of the last four quarters, with an average beat of 8.98%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Why a Likely Positive Surprise? Our proven model shows that Aetna is likely to beat on earnings as it has the right combination of the two key components. Note that a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) or at least #3 (Hold) to have a significantly higher chance of beating estimates. Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP for Aetna is +3.32%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate of $2.18 per share is above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.11 per share. Zacks Rank: Aetnas Zacks Rank #2 increases the predictive power of ESP. Factors to Drive Q2 Results Aetna earnings will see an upside from its Government business, which continues to be a key source of growth. Within the Government business, Medicare business is expected to see membership growth. Also, Medicaid is expected to deliver another quarter of solid revenue growth and underwriting margin driven by a combination of new contract wins, county expansion in existing states and ACA-related expansion membership. We also expect to see favorable prior-year reserve development across all of its core products which should lift earnings. However, the bottom line might be hurt by the absence of share buyback during the second quarter due to the proposed Humana acquisition. AETNA INC-NEW Price and EPS Surprise AETNA INC-NEW Price and EPS Surprise | AETNA INC-NEW Quote Other Stocks to Consider Here are some other companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these also have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ANIP has an Earnings ESP of +2.63% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter results on Aug 2. Humana Inc. HUM has an Earnings ESP of +0.44% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter results on Aug 3. Galena Biopharma GALE has an Earnings ESP of +28.57% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is scheduled to release second-quarter earnings on Aug 9. 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 AETNA INC-NEW (AET): Free Stock Analysis Report HUMANA INC NEW (HUM): Free Stock Analysis Report GALENA BIOPHARM (GALE): Free Stock Analysis Report ANI PHARMACEUT (ANIP): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research 29 Jul - With his popularity on the rise, Alden Richards is determined to give back to society through his own charity foundation. As reported on Chisms, the actor, who held a thanksgiving event recently, stated that he plans to set up a foundation in order to help more people in need, after all the love he has received from the public. "I believe that the blessings that have been given to me should be shared with others and not for me to monopolise or to keep for personal use. I think that sharing the blessings will be much more meaningful than keeping it to yourself," said the actor. He also posted a quote from Mother Theresa online, which read: "If you're kind and people may accuse you of ulterior motives... Be kind anyway." When asked what kind of foundation he had in mind, the actor said that he hopes to help the people who are most vulnerable; including the sick, the orphaned and the elderly. "Hopefully, this year or early next year, I will be able to establish it," he said. (Photo source: instagram.com/aldenrichards02) If you only read one thing: With both conventions in the book and 101 days until Election Day, the general election is fully upon us. Judging by the displays in Philadelphia and Cleveland it is set to be a contest as much about where the nation is now as where voters want to take it next. Republican doom and gloom was countered by Democratic rosiness. The party in power is always burdened with having to defend the current White House occupant, and speaker after speaker at the DNC tried to convince the majority of Americans who believe the country is on the wrong track are themselves wrong. Economic data released early Friday provided another boost to the other side of the argument. As for the path forward, it is a choice between the ultimate insider and the ultimate outsider, two polar opposites who see America differently now and have visions for the country that are divergent. Ultimately it will be up to voters to decide, but until then, both campaigns face a tough challenge: trying to convince Americans to change how they view themselves. Hillary Clintons acceptance speech was textbook, hitting all the familiar notes of personal narrative, positive vision, and a heaping of attack lines. But Clinton did little to put a dent in her core vulnerabilitythat shes untrustworthy. Thursday nights address was an opportunity to reveal more of herself and her motivations to the American people in trying to reverse her underwater numbers. At one point she acknowledged that shes misunderstood, but did little to correct it. Instead of talking about her own motivations, she talked about the influence of familya far safer subject. It avoided a gamble on stage, but come November, she may regret it as a missed opportunity. A fathers emotional Trump rebuke. Chelsea Clintons star turn. And a Sanders last stand fizzles. Here are your must reads: Must Reads How Hillary Clinton Made Her Case to America TIMEs Philip Elliott on Clintons call for unity] Story continues Bernie Sanders Delegates Abandon Plans to Walk Out of Hillary Clintons Speech The faithfuls final protest [TIME] In Two Clashing Conventions, a Clear Choice for the Nation TIMEs Alex Altman on the clash between two visions of America Chelsea Clinton Introduces Her Mom to the Democratic Convention A powerful testimonial for the former first daughter [TIME] Khizr Khan, Father of Fallen Muslim American Soldier, Rebukes Trump at Convention You sacrificed nothing, father says to Trump [New York Times] Sound Off A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons Hillary Clinton in her acceptance speech Were going to have those conversations internally. Mike Pence telling Hugh Hewitt he will advocate for the lifting of journalist bans at Donald Trump events Bits and Bites On the Fringes of the Democratic National Convention [TIME] Her mission at a historic convention: Find proof, for future generations, that it all really happened [Washington Post] Joe Biden Will Appear in an Episode of Law & Order: SVU [TIME] Division On Trade Disrupts Democratic Convention [TIME] Watch Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Kaine Dominate in a Spelling Bee [TIME] With Degree Debunked, Melania Trump Website Is Taken Down [New York Times] Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 26, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood/File Photo Amazon disclosed in its latest quarterly filing that it discovered an additional sales of products worth $120,000 to Iranian government officials. Some of those transactions were covered by US regulations that prohibit transactions with people or entities connected with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, Amazon acknowledged in the filing. The company said it will stop selling to the accounts that made those purchases. The new amount is separate from the Iranian embassies' $110,000 in purchases disclosed by Amazon last quarter for similar reasons. The filing states that these accounts purchased consumer products including books, music, apparel, jewelry, software, and automotive products. Approximately $96,000 worth of products were sold to Iranian government officials located outside the country, while another $1,600 worth of purchases were made by "two entities considered to be owned or controlled by the Iranian government." Roughly $23,000 worth of consumer products were sold to accounts "designated under Executive Order 13382 or Executive Order 13224 and owned or controlled by the Iranian government." According to the State Department, Executive Order 13382 is "aimed at freezing the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters, and isolating them financially," while Executive Order 13224 is designed to prohibit "transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism." Amazon declined to comment. Here's the full text of the disclosure: "We recently determined that, between January 2012 and June 2016, we processed and delivered orders of consumer products for certain individuals and entities located outside Iran covered by the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act ('ITRA'), in addition to those we have previously disclosed, as follows: consumer products valued at approximately $96,000 for individuals who may have been acting on behalf of Iranian embassies and diplomatic organizations located in countries other than Iran; consumer products valued at approximately $1,600 for two entities considered to be owned or controlled by the Iranian government; and consumer products valued at approximately $23,000 for one individual and three entities designated under Executive Order 13382 or Executive Order 13224 and owned or controlled by the Iranian government. Story continues "The consumer products included books, music, other media, apparel, home and kitchen, health and beauty, jewelry, office, consumer electronics, software, lawn and patio, grocery, and automotive products. We are unable accurately to calculate the net profit attributable to these transactions. We do not plan to continue selling to these accounts in the future. Our review is ongoing and we are enhancing our processes designed to identify transactions associated with individuals and entities covered by the ITRA." NOW WATCH: How to find Pokemon in 'Pokemon Go' More From Business Insider Yahoo Finance is tracking the stocks youre following, based on your Yahoo Finance ticker searches. Amazon (AMZN) The online retail giant beat Wall Street estimates on the top and bottom line, posting earnings per share of $1.78 and revenue of $30.4 billion. This marked the companys fifth-straight quarter of profitability. Amazon stock is up more than 40% over the past year. Barclays (BCS) Investors are cheering as the British bank makes progress in restructuring its business to focus on the UK and US businesses. Barclays CEO Jes Staley said the companys non-core unit should be closed by 2017. ExxonMobil (XOM) The oil giants quarterly profit plunged nearly 60% from one year ago. Exxon reported adjusted earnings per share of 41 cents on revenue of $57.69 billion. Alphabet (GOOGL) The parent company of Google topped analysts expectations, reporting earnings of $8.42 on revenue of $21.5 billion. Sales from Googles other bets hit $185 million, more than double from one year ago. Xerox (XRX) The company reported year-over-year earnings per share growth and margin expansion, reporting adjusted EPS of 30 cents on revenue of $4.4 billion. Xerox reaffirmed its full-year 2016 guidance and noted significant progress during the quarter on its separation and strategic transformation. Facebook (FB) The social media giant is now the fifth most valuable company in the world. Facebook passed Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway this week with a market cap just under $364 billion. Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft and ExxonMobil are the four companies with a larger market cap than Facebook. Pandora (P) Corvex Management, the activist investors that are pressuring Pandora to consider a sale, has petitioned the SEC to increase its stake to nearly 15%. Corvex Management currently has a 9.9% stake in the company. UPS (UPS) The company reported second-quarter earnings in line with analysts estimates and a beat on revenue. UPS posted earnings per share of $1.43 on revenue of $14.63 billion. AWS Loft Amazon's cloud-computing business, Amazon Web Services, didn't fail to impress again this quarter. It had $2.8 billion in revenue, up 58% year-over-year, on a healthy 25% operating margin. That puts AWS on a very impressive $11 billion revenue run rate. "We feel like we're in the leadership position and we're looking to expand that," Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said about AWS's growth during the press call on Thursday. Olsavsky went on to attribute the success of AWS to three factors: Functionality and pace of innovation: AWS added 422 new services and features in the first half of this year versus 722 in all of last year. It also continues to keep up with important trends by adding data analytics and machine-learning functionalities. Partner and customer ecosystem: AWS struck a big partnership deal with Salesforce last quarter, while adding a bunch of customers running SAP on AWS, like GE Oil & Gas, Kellogg's, and Brooks Brothers. It's also expanded to Mumbai last quarter, making it available in 13 infrastructure regions globally. Experience: AWS started offering public cloud-computing services nearly 10 years ago, way before any of its competitors did. That's given it a huge head start, as AWS's revenue is estimated to be as much as over four times Microsoft Azure's, the second-largest provider. Olsavsky didn't rule out the chances of other competitors potentially expanding its presence, given the size of the public cloud space in general. But he sounds pretty confident that AWS won't lose its leading position anytime soon. "There's plenty of room for multiple winners in this business ... we feel good about the business position we're in, and our position with customers," he said. NOW WATCH: Two sites you should check before buying anything on Amazon More From Business Insider Medical Cannabis Property Developer Initiates Private Placement for Massachusetts Development DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / AmeriCann, Inc. (OTCQX: ACAN), a company that designs and plans to develop and lease sustainable, state-of-the-art medical cannabis cultivation properties, has engaged a Colorado-based investment banking firm to commence a $5 million secured convertible note offering. The company plans to use the proceeds from the offering to purchase land and to prepare for construction of its large-scale, sustainable medical cannabis production facility known as the Massachusetts Medical Cannabis Center (MMCC) to be built 47 miles from Boston. The company does not cultivate, process, distribute or sell cannabis. This business model provides AmeriCann greater flexibility to pursue national and international development opportunities. "Our energy efficient sustainable cultivation facilities are designed to deliver the best quality, consistent cannabis-based medicine that patients need and deserve," said Tim Keogh, President and CEO of AmeriCann. "Our goal is to set a new standard for the industry with better products, reduced energy and water use and overall efficiency." The Company has signed a definitive agreement with Coastal Compassion Inc., one of a limited number of licensed cannabis operators in Massachusetts. The MMCC development is planned to serve the rapidly growing Massachusetts medical cannabis program, widely regarded as among the most attractive in the national cannabis industry. Coastal Compassion, Inc. will become MMCC's initial tenant upon completion of the first phase of 130,000 square feet, with one additional building location available to another licensed Massachusetts cannabis operator. AmeriCann's 506(c) Private Offering provides accredited investors the opportunity to participate in one of the fastest growing industries, with an attractive yield that is secured by real estate. AmeriCann is offering Secured Convertible Promissory Notes at a price of $25,000 per Unit for a total of $5,000,000. Story continues Each Unit Includes: A $25,000 Note from AmeriCann, Inc. 9.5% annual interest paid quarterly 36-month maturity Secured by a first lien on a 52.6-acre land parcel Rights to convert Note into 20,000 shares of AmeriCann common stock ($1.25 per share) Series I Warrants to purchase 20,000 shares at $1.50 per share Series II Warrants to purchase 20,000 shares at $3.00 per share Accredited Investors, under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, must meet standards created by the SEC for annual income and net worth. AmeriCann, Inc.'s public stock is listed on the OTCQX Market under the symbol ACAN. Industry experts believe the legal cannabis industry will grow from $5.4 billion in revenue in 2015 to over $22 billion by 2020. Additionally, up to 12 states are expected to have initiatives approving medical or adult use cannabis on the ballot on November 8. Massachusetts voters will have the opportunity to vote on Ballot Measure 4, the "Legalization, Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana," on November 8, 2016. GVC Capital, a FINRA registered investment banking firm, is acting as the Placement Agent for the offering. About AmeriCann AmeriCann is a publicly traded company that designs and plans to develop and lease sustainable, state-of-the-art medical cannabis cultivation properties. The Company has over 1,000,000 square feet of facilities in the planning and design stages of development. AmeriCann has preferred partners in Colorado, Massachusetts and Delaware. AmeriCann does not cultivate, process or distribute cannabis, but partners with local businesses to serve marijuana patients in their communities. AmeriCann, Inc. is a Certified B Corp, an acknowledgment of the company's commitment to social and environmental ethics, transparency and accountability. AmeriCann became the first public cannabis company to earn this respected accreditation. More information about the Company is available at: www.americann.co. About GVC Capital GVC Capital LLC is an innovative investment-banking firm headquartered in the Denver suburb of Greenwood Village, Colorado. It focuses primarily on providing comprehensive investment banking services to underexposed and undervalued microcap companies. GVC Capital is committed to a simple operating philosophy: provide exceptional emerging companies with the financial and professional resources necessary to achieve long-term goals, fulfill outstanding potential, and maximize shareholder value. For additional information on the offering or to request offering documents contact GVC Capital at: GVC Capital: (720) 488-4702 Email: acan@gvccap.com Member: FINRA/SIPC The securities offered by AmeriCann have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. Additional details of the offering, including the Company's Corporate Presentation, are available for viewing by accredited investors at www.americann.co. Also, for additional information on the company and to request documents for the offering, please email acan@gvccap.com or call 720-488-4702. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy AmeriCann's securities nor shall there be any sale of the securities referenced herein in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is not permitted. The securities referenced herein have not been approved or disapproved by any regulatory authority. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance or achievements. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2015, which the Company has filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at http://www.sec.gov. Contact Information: AmeriCann, Inc. 3200 Brighton Blvd. Unit 114 Denver, CO 80216 (303) 862-9000 info@americann.co www.americann.co SOURCE: AmeriCann, Inc. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Amid mounting evidence of Russia's involvement in the hack of the Democratic National Committee, the Obama administration's options for confronting what some cyber experts have referred to as an "act of war" are diminishing. And that may be intentional. When asked about how the administration could be expected to respond to reports that Russia played a role in hacking into DNC computers, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday that "we are not quite ready yet to make a call on attribution." He noted that he was "taken aback a bit" by the "hyperventilation" over Russia's alleged involvement in the hack. Clapper was likely referring to the concern expressed in recent days among analysts and high-level officials that the hack was Russia's way of making the Democratic Party look bad in order to garner support for Donald Trump. The Republican presidential nominee has expressed views that largely align with Moscow's vision of the international order. Earlier this week, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden claimed on Twitter that the US intelligence community specifically, the NSA has the technical ability to draw a straight line from the hack on the DNC back to Russia. He then argued that it should use those capabilities if assertions about the Kremlin's attempts to meddle in the domestic politics of a foreign adversary are to be taken seriously. But some experts say that using the US intelligence community's technology to trace the hack directly back to Russia and then acting on that intelligence has broader geopolitical risks that the Obama administration might not be willing to risk. 'A motivation not to point fingers' "What we choose to share publicly is a game that the United States played for decades with the Soviet Union, and we selectively choose what we care to share about our technological capabilities publicly and perhaps privately with the Russians," said DJ Peterson, president of a Los Angeles-based global-intelligence firm that was involved in advising John Kasich's presidential campaign on national security. Story continues "There would be many reasons why the US would not want to make it known that it has these capabilities," Peterson told Business Insider. "One is to not formally identify a technological capability. The second is that the US is actually trying to build a relationship with Russia around Syria." The hack was discovered as news emerged that US Secretary of State John Kerry was trying to broker a new military cooperation deal with Russia in Syria. The deal, from Washington's perspective, aims to use its intelligence about Al Qaeda as leverage to halt the Syrian regime's aerial bombardments on civilians. John Kerry Sergei Lavrov But there is no enforcement mechanism built into the agreement, known as the Joint Implementation Group. All parties are expected to act in good faith. As such, Peterson said, "there is a motivation not to point fingers publicly because of other political policy objectives that the administration is trying to achieve." Those objectives would likely preclude Washington from taking any meaningful actions over the DNC hack, even if the intelligence community were willing and able to offer proof of the Russians' involvement. If it was the culprit, then Russia was likely aware of Washington's conundrum if and when it ordered the cyber intrusion. That may explain why it felt bold enough to leave a mark: US intelligence officials told Reuters on Thursday that the DNC hackers' activities aligned with Russian work days and political holidays, used Cyrillic characters, and had a tainted IP address. "Either these guys were incredibly sloppy, in which case it's not clear that they could have gotten as far as they did without being detected, or they wanted us to know they were Russian," one US official told Reuters. 'T he cyber equivalent of buzzing NATO ships ' The tactic makes sense in light of Russia's fondness for covert psychological warfare specifically, the use of "black propaganda" that aims to disguise the true source of information in order to instill fear or paranoia in the perceived enemy. As one US official described it to Reuters: "Call it the cyber equivalent of buzzing NATO ships and planes using fighters with Russian flags on their tails." Russian ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko addresses a news conference after the NATO-Russia Council at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium July 13, 2016. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir The DNC hack wouldn't be the first time Russian actors taunted the US online at one point, Russia's infamous troll factories were likely being paid by the Kremlin to spread pro-Trump propaganda on social media. It's a brand of information warfare, known as "dezinformatsiya," that has been used by the Russians since at least the Cold War. The disinformation campaigns are only one "active measure" tool used by Russian intelligence to sow discord among, and within, allies perceived hostile to Russia. It is a "time-honored KGB tactic for waging informational and psychological warfare," Michael Weiss, a senior editor at The Daily Beast and editor in chief of The Interpreter, wrote on Tuesday. Clapper, the DNI, corroborated that assessment from Aspen on Thursday. "It's fair to say Vladimir Putin feels like he is fighting a low-level, asymmetric war with the United States," he said. To that end, it is becoming clearer that the leverage Russia has gained over the US internationally has also emboldened the Kremlin in the cyber realm. And the former largely precludes Washington from taking meaningful action, even if it had necessary evidence, against Russia for the latter. NOW WATCH: 11 facts that show how different Russia is from the rest of the world More From Business Insider Hillary Clinton's attire is officially Vogue-approved! The presidential hopeful has brought the fashion magazine's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, on board as a style consultant to help advise her on wardrobe selections throughout her campaign, according to the Business of Fashion. WATCH: Orlando Bloom Supports Girlfriend Katy Perry at Democratic National Convention As Election 2016 quickly approaches, the 68-year-old Democratic Party nominee has realized that everything is vital, including her attire. "There is [campaign] money allocated to fashion and clothes, because that is a huge part of marketing and branding," Corey Roche, a personal stylist to politicians in the Washington D.C. area, explained. Those chic suits and jackets you've seen Clinton sporting lately? Well, you can thank Wintour. The 66-year-old style guru (and Democratic Party supporter) has reportedly been reaching out to her designer friends, asking them to provide outfits for Clinton, which are paid for out of pocket or by her campaign team. "You cannot spend a lot of money," Roche advises, adding that the public "will absolutely eat you alive" for donning expensive brands. "I have never seen, except for Donald Trump, a [male] politician wear a Hugo Boss or an Armani suit." NEWS: Hillary Clinton Makes History With Presidential Nomination, Celebs Cheer Her Speech Wintour has made it clear she's in support of Clinton -- she's hosted a series of fundraisers over the past few months, and even rocked a Marc Jacobs campaign T-shirt emblazoned with the politician's face while sitting front row at New York Fashion Week in February. (The tee is still available via Clinton's website, and retails for $45.) Getty Images During the Democratic National Convention -- where Clinton made history as the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party -- Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, took the stage to share a sweet story about how he met his wife while the two were attending Yale Law School together. Story continues WATCH: Bill Clinton Shares Adorable Story About How He Fell in Love With Hillary "In the spring of 1971, I met a girl. The first time I saw her, we were appropriately enough in a class about civil rights," he gushed. "She had thick blonde hair, big glasses, wore no makeup. She exuded this sense of strength and self-possession that I found magnetic." Hear more in the video below. Related Articles Lisa Jackson Tim Cook Apple CEO Tim Cook will host a fundraiser for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton next month. He'll have help, though. Apple vice president Lisa Jackson, who heads up the company's environmental policy, will join him, according to an invitation obtained by Buzzfeed News. Jackson is a political figure. Before she joined Apple, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. She attended a White House state dinner together with Cook last year. According to Buzzfeed, attendees to the fundraiser can donate $50,000, $10,000, or $2,700. What makes this fundraiser interesting is that last month, Cook without Jackson hosted a fundraiser for Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the house. Before that, it was reported that Apple had declined to offer support for the Republican convention, most likely because of Republican nominee Donald Trump's controversial views. Apple lobbies less than other big tech companies such as Google and Microsoft, but it has been increasing its lobby spend in recent years, according to Opensecrets. It currently faces several issues with a political component such as a looming European Union tax decision, as well as government pressure to build its products in a way that law enforcement can break into them. Apple declined to comment. NOW WATCH: How to find Pokemon in 'Pokemon Go' More From Business Insider Ariana Grande just showed off her Dumbledore jacket, and were mega jealous Ariana Grande just showed off her Dumbledore jacket, and were mega jealous Harry Potter is a total pop culture phenomenon. The publics love for the boy wizard is decades-long and doesnt appear to be letting up anytime soon just ask anybody whos practically drooling with anticipation at the thought of the newest addition to the series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, releasing in book form at midnight on July 31st. In todays Celebs, theyre just like us muggles! news, Ariana Grande just proved that shes the biggest Potter fangirl of us all by showing off this AMAZING one-of-a-kind Dumbledore jacket. Seriously, guys, LOOK at this jacket. muggle in the streets wizard in da sheets ~ thank you @riowarner & @dirtyneedleembroidery for this ridiculously amazing custom jacket I love you A video posted by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande) on Jul 26, 2016 at 8:39pm PDT In a video shared on Arianas Instagram on July 26th, the 23-year-old pop star (rockin her adorable new bangs), shows off the custom-made jacket. Its a simple oversized dark denim jacket, but it has an incredibly detailed portrait of everybodys fave Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore on the back, with the words Dumbledores Army embroidered below. In the photos caption, Ariana cleverly quips Muggle in the streets wizard in da sheets (LOL!) and thanks fashion designer/stylist Rio Warner and custom embroiderer Dirty Needle Embroidery for collaborating on the amazing jacket. Heres a closer look at the *stunning* embroidery, courtesy of Dirty Needles Instagram: Finish line... A photo posted by Worlds Okayest Embroiderer (@dirtyneedleembroidery) on Jul 17, 2016 at 10:52am PDT And another snap, showing the entire process from initial sketch to final product: Thanks again @arianagrande for the serious challenge, this was one of the hardest embroideries I've tackled to date! #handmade #freemotionembroidery 100% and @riowarner Thanks for setting up good gigs A photo posted by Worlds Okayest Embroiderer (@dirtyneedleembroidery) on Jul 18, 2016 at 12:10pm PDT Seriously, how awesome is this design? Look at the detail on Dumbledores beard! In their caption, Dirty Needle Embroidery gives kudos to Ariana for the serious challenge, noting that Dumbledores portrait was one of the hardest embroideries to date, and thanks Rio Warner for the cool gig. According to the caption, the embroidered design was handmade, using a free motion embroidery technique. SO cool. Story continues Arianas love of all things Harry Potter isnt anything new. She named one of her dogs after Sirius Black (aka, the greatest Potter character of them all) and her friends, knowing how much she loves the series, made her an AMAZING Potter-themed music video for her birthday last month. Way back in 2011, baby Ariana even attended the NYC premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II! High five on snagging an awesome jacket, fellow Slytherin! The post Ariana Grande just showed off her Dumbledore jacket, and were mega jealous appeared first on HelloGiggles. By Giulia Segreti MILAN (Reuters) - Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani said on Friday he would create a foundation in his name, for the first time shedding some light on succession plans for his fashion business. Armani, who recently turned 82, founded the eponymous group in 1975 and is the sole shareholder. Still very actively involved in the business, he has never clearly indicated a designated heir or outlined future plans for his empire, which extends from fashion and cosmetics to interior design and hotels. Armani said in a statement the foundation would "safeguard the governance of assets of the Armani Group and ensure that these are kept stable over time in respect of and consistent with some principles that are particularly important to me." According to Exane BNP Paribas analyst Luca Solca, "a likely future scenario is for the Armani business to be enshrined in (the) foundation, in an arrangement similar to luxury watchmaker Rolex." Rolex is controlled by a foundation named after its founder Hans Wilsdorf. Armani, known for its clean-cut designs, is also seen as a potential candidate for a stock market listing. Giorgio Armani said future management of the company would have to be committed to "innovation and excellence", and be supported by "appropriate investments, prudent and balanced financial management, limited recourse to debt and a careful approach to acquisitions." The statement gave no further details. "This structure will certainly make it harder, if not impossible for Giorgio Armani to be bought by another group. Armani has always said he wanted to maintain his group independent," said Bernstein analyst Mario Ortelli. Ortelli added that it will be "interesting to see the governance of the foundation in order to understand the implications on a management, operational and fiscal level." Armani, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $5.9 billion, said in 2014 he was studying the possibility of creating a foundation to protect the future of his fashion empire, saying: "I don't want to leave problems for the people who come after me." Story continues Armani has also hinted over the years that he could list or sell the group. Revenues at the Milan-based group were up 4.5 percent last year, to 2.65 billion euros ($3 billion), placing Armani just behind Italy's biggest fashion group Prada <1913.HK> which had sales of 3.55 billion euros last year. (Reporting by Giulia Segreti; Editing by Adrian Croft) Shes with her. Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric spoke with Ashley Judd on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention, where Judd couldnt contain her excitement about Hillary Clinton being the first female presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party. Judd an actress, political activist, and longtime Clinton supporter talked about what a historic moment this is for women in this country. In fact, it was so important for Judd to to be here for all the festivities that she chose Philadelphia over another enticing offer. Well, I have a crush on a boy, and when I was thinking possibly about being with him this week instead of being here, I talked to myself as I would talk to another girlfriend, and I said, Are you out of your mind? she told Couric of her decision to attend the DNC. Even I, at times, can lapse and forget or overlook the astonishing significance of this moment. Judd, 48, added, Its enormously important and long overdue. However, the star of Divergent is not supporting Clinton just because shes a woman, but because she feels shes the best candidate. Im grateful Hillary makes the point moot for us. As President Obama said, shes the most qualified person not only in this race, but possibly in history, Judd explained. I said that a couple of years ago and as you can imagine, the hate I got, the ridicule I endured. I supported Hillary before I supported President Obama! She continued, Ive learned so much about her this week her accomplishments and the depth of them is absolutely, indisputably staggering. That is the candidate, the nominee for whom Im voting, Im just superhappy she happens to be female. Hear, hear! AstraZeneca PLC AZN reported second-quarter 2016 core earnings of 83 cents per American Depositary Share, comfortably beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 42 cents. Core earnings were, however, down 31% year over year at constant currency rates (CER). Total revenue, on the other hand, was down 10% at CER to $5.6 billion in the second quarter. Key growth platforms Brilinta/Brilique, Diabetes, Respiratory, Emerging Markets and New Oncology performed well in the quarter. All growth rates mentioned below are on a year-over-year basis and at CER. The Quarter in Detail U.S. revenues declined 17% to almost $2 billion primarily due to the loss of exclusivity of Crestor in May 2016 and the ongoing impact of Nexium generic medicines. European markets witnessed a 2% decline in sales to $1.2 billion, reflecting the ongoing price erosion. Revenues from Emerging Markets were, however, up 9% to $1.5 billion in the reported quarter supported by strong growth in China (up 10% to $610 million). As far as AstraZenecas core products are concerned, both Nexium and Crestor sales declined in the reported quarter. Nexium recorded sales of $562 million (down 13%), with the U.S. contributing $163 million (down 36%) and Europe accounting for $67 million (down 3%). Moreover, Crestor sales declined 29% to $926 million, with the U.S. comprising $368 million (down 52%) and Europe contributing $226 million (down 1%). Products that recorded growth in the quarter include Farxiga/Forxiga (up a substantial 65% to $211 million), Daliresp/Daxas (up 25% to $40 million), Bydureon (up 11% to $156 million), Pulmicort (up 6% to $239 million), Faslodex (up 23% to $211 million), Iressa (up 5% to $135 million) and Seloken/Toprol-XL (up 8% to $189 million). Brilinta/Brilique sales were $214 million in the reported quarter, up 51%. The drug performed well in all the key markets. Other Details AstraZenecas core gross margin was down 1.5 percentage points to 81.5%. Core selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses decreased 3% to $2.1 billion. During the quarter, core research and development (R&D) expenses increased 3% to $1.4 billion. AstraZeneca still expects core R&D expenses to remain flat in 2016. Story continues ASTRAZENECA PLC Price and EPS Surprise ASTRAZENECA PLC Price and EPS Surprise | ASTRAZENECA PLC Quote 2016 Outlook AstraZeneca has reiterated its outlook for 2016. The company continues to expect both total revenue and core earnings to decline in the low-to-mid single-digit percentage range in 2016. The guidance takes into account dilution from the Acerta Pharma and ZS Pharma acquisitions that were announced in 2015. Based on average exchange rates in the first half of the year, currency movements are expected to minimally impact the top line in 2016. Meanwhile, externalization revenues are expected to be above the 2015 level, including an increase in recurring milestone and royalty income from agreements signed in the past. Our Take AstraZenecas second-quarter 2016 results were encouraging, with the company beating both the top- and bottom-line estimates. The company has been quite active on the acquisition and partnering front, and expects to continue to pursuing strategically profitable deals. A number of regulatory decisions, submissions and key data readouts are expected in 2016. However, we remain concern about the declining sales of Nexium and Crestor due to generic competition. AstraZeneca is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. Some better-ranked stocks in the health care sector include Innoviva, Inc. INVA, Nektar Therapeutics NKTR and ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ANIP, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). 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 ASTRAZENECA PLC (AZN): Free Stock Analysis Report NEKTAR THERAP (NKTR): Free Stock Analysis Report ANI PHARMACEUT (ANIP): Free Stock Analysis Report INNOVIVA INC (INVA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Oswiecim (Poland) (AFP) - Former prisoners at Nazi Germany's most notorious extermination camp met with Pope Francis Friday as he visited Auschwitz-Birkenau to pray for the 1.1 million people, most of them Jewish, murdered there in World War II. "I feel like the Pope came especially to see me," said Janina Iwanska, 86, who was brought to the camp as a teenager following the failed Warsaw Uprising against Adolf Hitler's forces in 1944. Fellow survivor Alojzy Fros, who turns 100 this year, said the memories of death were seared into his mind. "Through an open door I saw naked bodies piled up like logs about a metre high," he told AFP. "I'll never forget it". Some were visibly moved by their return to the site, now a museum and memorial, in the company of the pontiff. He walked alone through the notorious wrought-iron "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Sets You Free) gate in silence. With her petite figure and halo of white hair, Helena Dunicz Niwinska, at 101, was the eldest survivor to meet Francis. While a prisoner she had played violin in the Auschwitz orchestra. She ended up in the camp after being arrested in what was then the Polish city of Lwow -- now Lviv in Ukraine -- along with her mother, who died at Auschwitz. Later Dunicz Niwinska was transferred to the camp in Ravensbruck during a "death march" -- forced movements of prisoners used by the Nazis to weaken and kill off as many of their victims as possible. "The pope is too good," said fellow survivor Walentyna Nikodem, who was born in 1922. - Difficult to forgive - "Love for one's neighbour is one thing, but sinners must be punished. When someone kills us, we have to defend ourselves," she said, questioning the Christian axiom of responding to evil with forgiveness. Nikodem's mother was executed in the camp in revenge for her father having killed a Gestapo policeman. Francis prayed near the ruins of a crematorium blown up by the Nazis as they fled the camp, before meeting Christian Poles who risked their lives during the war to help hide and protect Jews. Story continues The group, recognised by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust museum as "Righteous Among the Nations", included Maria Augustyn, whose family hid a Jewish couple behind a wardrobe for years. Anna Bando helped rescue an orphan from the Warsaw ghetto and gave several Jews forged "Aryan" papers, while Witold Lisowski saved a young man who had managed to escape from a concentration camp transport. He fed, clothed and protected him for two years, first at his house then in a hiding place in a nearby wood. Fellow "Righteous Among the Nations" Ryszard Zielinski told AFP the encounter with Francis had meant a lot. "We shook hands and he looked me in the eyes in a lovely way and gave me a good memory to take away". Those who helped people persecuted by the Nazis sometimes paid the ultimate price. Catholic priest Stanislaw Ruszala, who read a Hebrew prayer in Polish during Francis's visit, hails from the town of Markowa where a family was wiped out for sheltering Jews. Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma, their seven children and the Jews they were hiding were all butchered. Wiktoria, who was seven months' pregnant at the time, had started giving birth before she was executed, the Vatican said. Australia refused Friday to back former prime minister Kevin Rudd's bid to be the next secretary general of the United Nations, saying he was not suited to the job. Rudd was spectacularly dumped as prime minister by his own Labor Party in 2010, with colleagues subsequently alleging that his office was chaotic and he was difficult to work with. "This is not a partisan issue, this is a considered judgement," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is from the rival Liberal Party, said when announcing the decision in Sydney. "This is a judgement about Mr. Rudd's suitability for that particular role." Canberra revealed earlier this month that the Mandarin-speaking Rudd, who is based in New York as head of the Asia Society policy institute, was keen to lead the global body. Candidates must be nominated by their governments and Turnbull said he made the decision not to put Rudd forward after consulting with his cabinet. Turnbull said he explained his decision to Rudd -- who brought Labor out of the political wilderness in a 2007 election landslide -- but would not elaborate on his reasons. "When the Australian government nominates a person for a job, particularly an international job like this, the threshold question is, 'Do we believe the person, the nominee, the would-be nominee, is well suited for that position?'" he asked. "My judgement is that Mr. Rudd is not, and I've explained to him the reasons why." Rudd, who served as prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and again briefly in 2013 as Labor faced an electoral wipeout, said had he been nominated it "would have reflected well on what our nation can offer to the world". "It would have been the first time in the United Nations' 70-year history that Australia offered a candidate for UN secretary general," he said on his Facebook page. Rudd, who flew to Sydney on Friday requesting a meeting with Turnbull but spoke to the prime minister only by telephone, said he wished all candidates in the running for the UN job well. Among the top contenders to succeed Ban Ki-moon are Argentina's Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, Slovenia's ex-president Danilo Turk, New Zealand's ex-prime minister Helen Clark and Antonio Guterres, who served as Portugal's prime minister and headed the UN refugee agency. By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday withdrew his candidacy to be the next U.N. Secretary-General after current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declared him unfit for the job and refused to back his candidacy. Conservative leader Turnbull denied that politics played a part in his cabinet's decision not to back the former Labor leader, who had asked the government to nominate him as Australia's candidate. "Does the government believe, do we believe, do I as prime minister believe that Mr Rudd is well suited for that role? My considered judgment is that he is not," Turnbull told reporters in Canberra. Rudd, prime minister twice during six years of Labor party strife from 2007 to 2013, is a polarizing figure in Australia due to his rivalry with former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard, with the two toppling each other in party-room coups. He was always considered a long-shot for the top U.N. job as it usually rotates geographically and Eastern Europe is the only region not to have held it yet. Rudd's office said he would not continue with his candidacy. "A nomination by the government would not have granted Mr Rudd a position. It would simply have enabled him to stand alongside the 12 other candidates from across the world, a compete on his merits," the statement from his office said. "That is now not to be." In contrast, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key is making a full-throated appeal for former New Zealand premier Helen Clark to take over from Ban Ki-moon. (Reporting by Matt Siegel; Editing by Paul Tait and Michael Perry) Paris (AFP) - French authorities filed terror charges on Friday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. The 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and the 35-year-old Pakistani Mohamad Usman were charged with "criminal conspiracy with terrorists", the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. Investigators believe they travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same boat full of refugees as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. Those two, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. But Haddadi and Usman were held up, detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. Once let go, they followed the main migrant trail and made it to Salzburg in western Austria at the end of November -- after the Paris attacks. Austrian police commandos then arrested them in December at a migrant centre a few hours after French authorities informed them the men could be in the country. Austrian police said on Friday "that during the entire journey and until their arrest the men remained in constant contact with the terror group 'Islamic State'." After his arrest, Haddadi told investigators that he wanted to go to France to "carry out a mission," according to a statement seen by AFP. A source close to the investigation said that Haddadi "was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions." After France filed a European arrest warrant, a court in Salzburg approved at the beginning of July the transfer of the two men to France. Usman is reportedly thought to be a bomb maker for Pakistani extremist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India holds LeT, allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda, responsible for attacks in 2008 in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Story continues Usman unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer from Austria, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two now transferred to France. AutoNation Inc. AN reported record adjusted earnings of $1.08 per share in the second quarter of 2016, which increased from $1 earned in the second quarter of 2015. Moreover, adjusted earnings per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.05. Net income fell to $112 million from $115 million in second-quarter 2015. Operating income increased 2% to $226.5 million from $222.1 million a year ago. AutoNation reported revenues of $5.44 billion, up 4.2% year over year. However, revenues fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.56 billion. The year-over-year improvement in the top line can be attributed to better performance across all the business sectors, including new vehicles, parts and service, used vehicles, and finance and insurance. New vehicle revenues escalated 3.5% to $3.1 billion on a 0.5% rise in new vehicle unit sales to 85,654 vehicles. Revenues per vehicle retailed went up 3% to $35,864. On a same-store basis, new vehicle revenues dropped 1.7% to $2.86 billion. Used vehicle (retail and wholesale) revenues increased 3.5% to $1.26 billion on a 1.2% and 27.6% revenue rise in the retail sector and the wholesale sector, respectively. Retail unit sales slipped 1.3% to 56,637 vehicles, while revenues per vehicle retailed rose 2.5% to $19,821. On a same-store basis, used vehicle revenues fell 1.4% to $1.17 billion. Revenues at the parts and service business advanced 7.3% to $834.7 million in the reported quarter. Meanwhile, the finance and insurance business recorded a 3.5% increase in revenues to $225.4 million. AUTONATION INC Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise AUTONATION INC Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | AUTONATION INC Quote Segment Details Revenues at the Domestic segment comprising stores that sell vehicles manufactured by General Motors Co. GM, Ford Motor Co. F and others increased 13.1% to $2 billion as retail new vehicle unit sales rose 10% to 30,654 vehicles. The segments income improved 0.8% to $85.6 million in the quarter under review. Revenues at the Import segment consisting of stores that sell vehicles manufactured primarily by Toyota Motor Corp. TM and other Japanese automakers dropped 2.6% to $1.75 billion owing to a 4.8% fall in retail new vehicle unit sales to 38,346 automobiles. Segment income at the segment decreased 6.9% to $74.6 million in the reported quarter. Revenues at the Premium Luxury segment consisting of stores that sell vehicles manufactured primarily by Mercedes, BMW and Lexus inched up 0.7% to $1.64 billion. Retail new vehicle sales fell 2.6% to 16,654 luxury vehicles. The segment's income declined 1.6% to $92.9 million in the reported quarter. Balance Sheet and Capex AutoNations cash and cash equivalents fell to $54.7 million as of Jun 30, 2016, from $74.1 million as of Dec 31, 2015. The companys inventory was valued at $3.66 billion as of Jun 30, 2016, compared with $3.61 billion as of Dec 31, 2015. Non-vehicle debt increased to $2.71 billion from $2.36 billion as of Dec 31, 2015. Capital expenditures were $112.4 million in the first half of 2016 compared with $134.1 million in the prior-year period. Share Repurchases During the second quarter of 2016, AutoNation repurchased 1 million shares for $50 million. As of Jul 28, 2016, the company had approximately $116 million remaining under its share repurchase program and around 102 million shares outstanding. Acquisitions AutoNation continues to expand its business through acquisitions. In Jul 2016, the company completed the previously announced acquisition of four stores, including five franchises, in the Westchester County, NY area. These stores are expected to generate additional revenue of $190 million. AutoNation also announced that after completion of certain facilities associated with these stores, it will be awarded a Land Rover franchise and a Jaguar franchise. These franchises will generate annual revenue of $100 million when fully operational. The company also completed the acquisition of a Chrysler Jeep store in the Denver market in Jul 2016, which will generate annual revenue of $110 million. Our Take AutoNation currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). In the reported quarter, the company benefited from its capital allocation strategy, including acquisitions and share repurchases. It is also focusing on managing the cost structure and reducing inventory levels. However, it faces challenges as a result of recalls by automakers due to faulty Takata airbags. 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 AUTONATION INC (AN): Free Stock Analysis Report FORD MOTOR CO (F): Free Stock Analysis Report TOYOTA MOTOR CP (TM): Free Stock Analysis Report GENERAL MOTORS (GM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By Nailia Bagirova BAKU (Reuters) - Azerbaijan closed an independent television station on Friday that planned to air an interview with Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric whom Turkey accuses of orchestrating a failed coup attempt earlier this month. Azerbaijan has close ties with Turkey and Ankara has consistently supported Baku in a conflict with Armenian-backed separatists over its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Azeri court of appeal revoked the license of ANS television station based on a lawsuit filed by the National Television and Radio Council (NTRC). The law allows authorities to close media deemed to be broadcasting extremist propaganda or discriminating on ethnic grounds, amongst other offences. "ANS took a position that contradicted the strategic partnership between the Azeri and Turkish people by offering support to Fethullah Gulen and his supporters, who organized the bloody events that led to multiple deaths," NTRC said in a statement. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said his former ally Gulen, who has a wide following in Turkey, masterminded the July 15 coup attempt and headed a network within the army, police, judiciary, civil service, media and the education sector to control the state. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, denies the accusations and says the coup may have been orchestrated by Erdogan himself. An ANS correspondent in Washington recorded an interview with Gulen shortly after the events in Turkey, but it has not been broadcast. ANS TV is owned by three Azeri businessmen and is widely seen as independent in the oil-rich country, where President Ilham Aliyev is accused by opponents of muzzling dissent and jailing his critics. Baku says the country - a mainly Muslim former Soviet republic of 9 million people whose language is close to Turkish - enjoys full freedom of speech and a lively opposition media. Representatives for the station said the court's decision was undemocratic and they planned to file an appeal. "ANS was the only TV channel which did not belong to any oligarch in the country," Azer Gasymov, an independent analyst, told Reuters. "The channel's closure could be assessed as a political order as there is no evidence that it has any links to Fethullah Gulen." (Writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Jack Stubbs and Tom Heneghan) Watching Donald Trump comment on the hack of the Democratic National Committee's computer servers brings to mind the Dave Chappelle sketch comedy show, "Chappelle's Show." In a recurring bit called "when keeping it real goes wrong," various people would decide to say what they really felt, only to face disastrous consequences. Trump was revealing a little too much about himself when he urged the Russian government to hack into Hillary Clinton's servers to find the emails that were deleted before the servers were handed over to the FBI. Michael Hayden, who served as CIA and NSA director under President George W. Bush, did not go lightly on Trump: "If he is talking about the State Department emails on her server, he is inviting a foreign intelligence service to steal sensitive American government information. If he is talking about the allegedly private emails that she destroyed, he is inviting a foreign intelligence service to violate the privacy of an individual protected by the Fourth Amendment to the American Constitution." Those possibilities don't reflect too well on Trump. Hayden's assessment? "Perhaps he doesn't know what he's talking about. Just a theory." There is some evidence to support this theory. Last week at the Republican convention, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie attacked Clinton as a "failed strategist who has permitted Russia back in as a major player in the Middle East." And yet Trump on Wednesday told reporters that he might consider lifting sanctions on Russia and recognizing Russia's claims to the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. Was Trump unaware that his own party planned on critiquing Clinton as an appeaser to Russia? There are other theories to explain Trump's comment. For instance: Is Trump revealing a fondness for one of America's most powerful adversaries? His campaign's top political adviser, Paul Manafort does have ties to allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another adviser, Carter Page worked for Russia's state oil company, Gazprom. Or: Was Trump making a dangerous joke? Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told me: "Most likely, Donald Trump was simply making light of Hillary Clinton setting up her own homebrew email server." He adds: "Now that he is officially a candidate for president, Trump should consider that his public comments will receive much more scrutiny." And perhaps even be taken seriously. Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said, "No presidential candidate should ever encourage Russia or any other nation state actor to steal the private information of American citizens or political parties." He added, however, that Clinton "invited a national security disaster by placing classified information in an unsecure setting." The simplest explanation here would be that Trump's penchant for saying outrageous things -- a trait that served him well during the primary -- is now getting him in trouble in the general election. Because sometimes keeping it real goes wrong. From Cosmopolitan Tonight, former Secretary of State, former Senator from New York, and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton took the historic step of becoming the first woman to address a major political party convention as their presidential nominee. It's a moment that has been decades in the making for Clinton, culminating a career that started in legal aid and may now potentially end in the Oval Office. It was a night of victory for Clinton, even more so because she appears to be accomplishing one goal that has been decades in the making. She finally managed to proclaim her message on "love and kindness." The national conventions provided a sort of easy shorthand for the presidential candidates this year, presenting a sharp contrast between the visions of Clinton and her Republican opponent Donald Trump. While last week's Republican event in Cleveland was heavy on walls, deportations, and other harsh rhetoric used to divide the country into "good" Americans and an amorphous enemy that they must battle against, the Democrats in Philadelphia preached unity and joy. It would be impossible to host a convention in the city of Brotherly Love without the actual theme of love threading itself throughout the spectacle. But what we witnessed at the Democratic National Convention is an ideal of what Clinton saw as her longstanding political vision, and that she would have made central to her campaign far earlier if she hadn't had to fight her way through a surprising and bruising primary instead. When her husband and former President Bill Clinton gave a speech that many called a "love letter" to his wife, he reintroduced her to the public as something other than the fierce former Secretary of State or the stoic political spouse supporting him through two terms in the White House. Instead he told the audience of the optimistic intellectual who captivated him in college, the idealist who fought for children and the poor as a lawyer working public defense, the tireless advocate in Congress while trying to get measures passed. Throughout the convention mothers spoke passionately about their children, those they have lost to violence and those they want desperately to protect. Signs reading "Stronger Together," "Do the Most Good" and "Love Trumps Hate" peppered the halls. Broadway artists even came to sing "What the World Needs Now Is Love." Story continues What was so utterly bold about the convention wasn't that it was literally a point-by-point rejection of the Trump campaign pitch that to be strong, America needs a president who will strike fear into the hearts of its enemies, who requires no allies and will consider no negotiations or compromises. Instead it was a rebuttal to a society that has for hundreds of years rejected women as leaders because they were seen as too weak to govern or command, and signaled to them that the only way they could be respected and accepted was to act more like their male counterparts. As Clinton set her sights on becoming the first female major party presidential nominee, the blueprint was already on the table for her to play up the foreign policy experience gathered as Secretary of State, her reputation as a "war hawk" and use the country's unsettled fear of potential terrorism as a catalyst for her own strength and fear-based campaign. It would have been the obvious path to take, and it well may have assuaged the nerves of those older voters still uncomfortable with the idea of a female commander in chief. It was also role Clinton didn't seem so eager to play. "I am talking about love and kindness," Clinton told Buzzfeed reporter Ruby Cramer in January 2016 when Cramer asked her what motivated her to run for office. This was just before the long and grueling primary season began, and Clinton became mired in a battle for the endorsement that extended all the way to the convention itself. "What she wants to talk about hinges on a simple question of how we can, as humans, better treat one another," Cramer reported. "To Hillary Clinton, this is politics. She's talking, literally, about 'going back and actually living by the Golden Rule.'" Because of the nature of the primary, she was never able to make that the focus of her message on the trail. After all, it was the campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders that was making headlines for being the inspiring choice, the candidate who caused millennials to faint and birds to alight when he spoke from the podium. With the primary over, however, she can campaign the way she wants, and the DNC presents a strong indication that she's elevating that "love and kindness" vision she was never able to fully articulate both in the primary and in her long career preceding this race. Negotiation, coalition building, empathy, compassion, love, unity. All of these have been considered strongly female gendered traits, and all of them were on display in Philadelphia. They were spotlighted in a roll call nomination process that allowed every single state to participate and for Vermont Sanders' home state to end the official count, while offering supporters of her primary rival the chance to praise his work on the campaign trail. And they showed in the diverse speakers from immigration groups, LGBT groups, abortion rights groups and Black Lives Matter. First Lady Michelle Obama evoked that theme of love and kindness when she said, "And as my daughters prepare to set out into the world, I want a leader who is worthy of that truth, a leader who is worthy of my girls' promise and all our kids' promise, a leader who will be guided every day by the love and hope and impossibly big dreams that we all have for our children." Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine touched on it in his own speech as well, telling the crowd, "My journey has convinced me that God has created a rich tapestry in this country - an incredible cultural diversity that succeeds when we embrace everyone in love and battle back against the dark forces of division. We're all neighbors and we must love our neighbors as ourselves." Rev. William Barber II shouted it from the rooftops when he proclaimed, "We must shock this nation with the power of love." And former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton reminded us of it yet again when she introduced her mother, saying, "That feeling of being valued and loved, that's what my mom wants for every child. It is the calling of her life." Finally, Clinton herself brought love and unity to the table as she officially accepted the Democratic presidential nominee. "Stronger together is not just a lesson from history, a slogan from our campaign," she told the nation. "It's a guiding principle for the country we've always been." Clinton isn't making the argument that she should be president because she is just as strong as a man. Instead, she is reminding Americans that she brings a unique worldview that male candidates traditionally don't offer that can make her even stronger. Would this have been the same campaign message if someone else had won the Republican nomination, and fearmongering and xenophobia weren't such major parts of the nominee's platform? Maybe not. But Trump has provided the perfect opening for Clinton to finally see how her "love and kindness" platform will work in the real world. If Clinton is right, then love really will trump hate. Follow Robin on Twitter. Hillary Clinton on science Presidential nominee Hillary Clintons acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention tonight may not have been rated as highly as President Barack Obamas address the night before, but there was at least one line that got the attention of the geekerati: I believe in science. The applause line came in the context of climate change policy, one of the issues that distinguishes Clinton from her GOP foe, Donald Trump. He didnt address the subject in his own acceptance speech, but hes definitely in the climate skeptic camp. Obamas talking about all of this with the global warming and a lot of its a hoax, he said last December. Its a hoax. I mean, its a money-making industry, OK? Its a hoax, a lot of it. In contrast, Clinton embraced the mainstream view that greenhouse-gas emissions are having an effect on climate patterns, and those effects could get dramatically worse unless policymakers take action. I believe in science, she said, chuckling as she let that sink in with the crowd. I believe climate change is real, and that we can save our planet while creating millions of good-paying, clean-energy jobs. Clinton also touched upon the subjects of technology and innovation. Those two words didnt come up in Trumps speech except in the context of technology transfer to Iran and U.S. military technology. In Clintons speech, the words popped up when she talked about a 100-day objective to pass the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II: jobs in manufacturing, clean energy, technology and innovation, small business and infrastructure. Just the fact that Clinton gave a shout-out to science set off a storm of tweets. Heres a selection: "I believe in science!" And with that, Hillary Clinton clinched my vote for her for President of the United States. Phil Plait (@BadAstronomer) July 29, 2016 I love everything about that "I believe in science" line except how Neil deGrasse Tyson will inevitably ruin it Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) July 29, 2016 My favorite Hillary moment pic.twitter.com/nQ9qT6ZzFI Saskia Wariner (@saskdraws) July 29, 2016 I believe in science! pic.twitter.com/2xfaX75CT5 Sarah Horst (@PlanetDr) July 29, 2016 .@StephenAtHome adds that when Hillary says she believes in science, it must be true because she was wearing a lab coat. #DemsInPhilly Eric Nelson (@jonericnelson) July 29, 2016 me tonight when Hillary said she believed in science and climate change pic.twitter.com/oKrh7f7qTb Jess Cooney (@coonayyee) July 29, 2016 Amazing that were in a time where its a point of contrast for a candidate to say I believe in science #DemsInPhilly Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) July 29, 2016 Trump Campaign respond to Hillary Clinton's embrace of Science: pic.twitter.com/tvXTJU8F9w Sea Tea (@Tierno158) July 29, 2016 A US presidential candidate had to say she believes in science because it's the 1800s, right? #crazy2016election Cindy (@txflygirl) July 29, 2016 Folks. The word believe can mean put my trust in. What she said is fine. Dont miss the bigger picture here, OK? Phil Plait (@BadAstronomer) July 29, 2016 You don't have to "believe in science" for it to be true, but you do have to believe the method actually works to run a modern country. Kyle Hill (@Sci_Phile) July 29, 2016 More from GeekWire: BCE Inc. (USA) (NYSE: BCE)'s unit, Bell, revealed that it demonstrated Fifth Generation (5G) mobile technology successfully in alliance with Nokia Corp (ADR) (NYSE: NOK). The company said that the trial leveraged spectrum in the 73 GHz range to accomplish sustained data speeds of over six times quicker than top 4G mobile speeds that is currently available in Canada. The trial was conducted at Bell's Wireless Innovation Centre in Mississauga. The two companies expect the 5G to be available widely within the next five to seven years, offering considerably quicker data speeds than current 4G networks. It would also provide capacity to meet the demands of mobile customers for broadcast video and Internet of Things (IoT) apps. This included connected vehicles and city-wide IoT solutions. Related Link: Vetr Crowd Downgrades Nokia To 2.5 Stars Incidentally, Bell is a member of the Next Generation Mobile Networks consortium (ngmn.org), the International body defining requirements for the global 5G ecosystem. Its CTO and EVP, Stephen Howe, commented, "Bell's strategic focus on driving broadband network and service innovation has been key to our transformation into Canada's wireless leader. The success of the first 5G trial means we are well positioned to lead the way to the next generation of mobile technology." BCE shares traded $0.16 or 0.34 percent up at $47.73 while Nokia traded $0.01 or 0.17 percent at $5.75 on Friday at the time of writing this. Do you have ideas for articles/interviews you'd like to see more of on Benzinga? Please email feedback@benzinga.com with your best article ideas. One person will be randomly selected to win a $20 Amazon gift card! See more from Benzinga 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. A supporter of Bernie Sanders holds up a sign during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP) PHILADELPHIA The presidential campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders made an appeal to its supporters on Thursday, urging them not to disrupt Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons Democratic National Convention speech. Sanders campaign sent a pair of text messages to its delegates at 8:40 p.m. asking them to respect Clintons speech, which is set to take place within the next few hours. On Monday, when Bernie gave his speech to the Democratic convention, Secretary Clintons campaign asked her supporters to be respectful, and they were, the messages said. As a courtesy to Bernie, our campaign would greatly appreciate it if you would extend the same respect during Secretary Clintons speech. (Photo: Yahoo News) The request came amid rumors that some Sanders supporters are planning to stage a walkout or other disruption during Clintons speech at the close of the convention. Clinton delegate Zachary Wahls tweeted that Sanders delegates wearing neon shirts were planning to walk out on the speech. The shirts, emblazoned with the slogan Enough Is Enough, glow in the dark. Author and analyst Jonathan Alter said he was told that the neon-clad delegates were not planning a walkout. Yahoo News asked one of the glow-in-the-dark delegates their plans, but the person was coy. Well just have to see, the delegate said. In addition to a potential walkout, the group DNC Action Committee reportedly sent out a press release that said they planned to present Hillary Rodham Clinton with a citizens arrest when she speaks for being an accessory to the mass election fraud that took place during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. DNC Action Committee says they will try to stage a citizens arrest on Clinton during speech tonight #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/culnggHE7Q Bobby Allyn (@BobbyAllyn) July 28, 2016 Sanders supporters have staged multiple protests during the DNC. Many of them believe the results of the contentious Democratic primary were illegitimate and that the Democratic National Committee was biased in favor of Clinton. These fears among the Sanders faithful were fueled by hacked emails that were released by Wikileaks on Saturday, which confirmed that party staffers had discussed undermining Sanders campaign. Story continues This is the second time the Sanders campaign attempted to prevent protests at the convention. Sanders endorsed Clinton on July 12 and made an impassioned speech on her behalf at the DNC. On Monday night, the first evening of the convention, Sanders sent a text to his delegate whips asking them to not to disrupt the proceedings. I ask you as a personal courtesy to me to not engage in any kind of protest on the floor, he wrote. Its of utmost importance you explain this to your delegations. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> After two weeks of speeches, scandals and parties partying, its time to digest just what we took from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. There was no shortage of fireworks and fizzling from either side either week, but here is a collection of memorable and forgettable moments, lines and people. In no particular order other than the first one, maybe: 10 to Remember Khizr Khan: The immigrant Muslim father of a Muslim U.S. soldier killed in combat mesmerized the DNC for more than six minutes. His eloquence and gesturing poignancy/anger was capped by perhaps the single most memorable 30 seconds of either week: Donald Trump, youre asking Americans to trust you with your future, Khan said with his silent wife at his side. Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution? Khan then reached into his pocket and produced a small book and shook it. I will gladly lend you my copy. Gotta believe a thrill ran up Chris Matthews leg right then. And then there was Fox News cutting away during Khan speech Barack and Michelle Obama: The first couple delivered passionate, invigorating, memorable speeches that promoted the ticket, stoked American pride and delivered elbows to Donald Trumps ribs, though the First Lady never mentioned him by name. The Battle Hymn of the Republic: The Dems opening number was a dirge-slow, gospel-fired take on the Civil War-era standard. Hauntingly delivered by Philadelphias Mother Bethel AME Church Choir, it fairly oozed through the hall and TV speakers around the country. The GOPs opening number was America the Beautiful, belted out by an adorable 6-year-old. Advantage: Democrats. Ted Cruzs public political suicide: Or was it? The Tea Partier and GOP runner-ups feud with Trump was very public and very personal, so no one really knew what to expect during speech on Night 3. Would he toe the party line? Smudge it with his shiny, heeled boot? (Oh wait, that was Marco Rubio.) Obliterate it with a sharp stick? Cruz summed up the previous year on the campaign trail with three simple words: Vote your conscience. The line drew the kinds of boos usually reserved for Taylor Swift crashing a Phish concert. Story continues Bernie Sanders gets emotional: He sat stone-faced as Hillary Clinton thanked him during her acceptance speech, but things were different during the roll call a couple of days earlier. The generally unflappable disruptor was moved to tears as his older brother Larry cast his vote. In a shaky voice, he memorialized their parents and said they would be immensely proud of the Vermont senator. It was the DNC equivalent of watching an 8-year-old at a ballgame being surprised by her dad who had been deployed in Afghanistan for a year. Sarah Silverman busts Bernie or Bust: Speaking of Sanders the comic and actress was on the DNC stage with Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, a Saturday Night Live alum, when they were told to stretch as the stage was set for Paul Simons performance. A vehement Sanders backer-turned-Clinton supporter, she tried to be a one-woman party unifier by looking out at the Bernie or Busters and saying, Youre being ridiculous. (By the way, why did Simon sing Bridge Over Troubled Water rather than, say, America, which was used in a Sanders campaign ad? At least he could have buried the hatchet with Art Garfunkel long enough for the latter to deliver his most famous vocal, rather than having Simon kinda wing it. That moment might have handed Clinton the key to the Oval Office.) Trumps entrance: Backlit like a pop diva and deploying a Nixoneque thumbs-up, the nominee-in-waiting delighted the crowd before uttering a word. Arriving onstage to introduce his wife, it was a terrific moment for both his most ardent backers and virulent haters. Which made it perfect. We would have gone with Sirius the Alan Parsons Projects ubiquitous Eye in the Sky intro over Queens We Are the Champions, though. Tim Kaines Trump impersonation: No, he wasnt exactly Rich Little out there, but his takedown was tonic for the nonfans who had to sit through the GOP candidates never-ending stump speeches for a year-plus most of which were shown in full on CNN. Kaine eviscerated Trump over the latters annoying habit of starting and/or ending every sentence with Believe me. It probably got more laughs in two minutes than Kaine has drawn in his political career. Hillary Clinton goes nuclear on Trump: Shes never been a fiery orator like her husband or the Obamas so her hourlong speech went heavy on sloganism. Of the many attempts at hashtag-worthy moments, one stood way out: A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. It would make for a helluva bumper sticker if anyone in the middle class could afford a car big enough to hold it. That Obama-Clinton hug: Another love-it-or-hate-it moment, depending on which side you ask. But the image of those once-bitter rivals embracing after the sitting president said he was ready to pass the baton to his partys nominee was unforgettable. 10 to Forget Nancy Pelosi: How is it that the Speaker of the House cant speak in public? Forget what she said, if anyone even remembers, were surprised Donald Trump didnt tag her with a nickname like Fumblin Nancy. Melania Trump: Yes, well remember the plagiarism thing although Fox News never mentioned it during its coverage that night, choosing instead to re-air the speech in its entirely. But, content aside, the medias overuse of the word poise to describe her stage time was disingenuous. And the Slovenia natives sloth-pace delivery made Hillary Clinton sound like the fast-talker from those old FedEx ads. The GOPs covers band: Where do we start? Butchering the Beatles? Making Rushs Limelight sound like a Creed outtake? Somewhere a newlywed couple is high-fiving over their luck that these guys were booked already. Andrew Cuomos speech: Cadence, Governor, cadence. Change it up a little. (Shudder.) Bill OReillys history lesson: Did he really fact-check Michelle Obamas line about waking up in a house built by slaves by countering with, Slaves that worked there were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government? Oh really, O Reilly? Seems having an extra bite or two to eat and possibly a cholera-free mat makes up for, you know, being forced to work for no pay. Democratic delegates as lemmings: Clintons acceptance speech was peppered with more catchphrases than a late-70s sitcom, and every time she tossed one off especially if it had three words the crowd felt compelled to shout it back for 20 seconds. It made one pine for the good ol days of more memorable chants like Lock her up! Offstage scandal: And not the ABC show whose POTUS appeared twice at the Dem gathering. Fox News was forced to deal with (or ignore) with its founder being ousted during Convention Week in the wake of multiple sexual-harassment allegations, while the Democrats bounced their party chairwoman hours before its confab launched. Later the Dems tried to deflect their hacking scandal by blaming it on Vladimir Putin; meanwhile, he and Trump were said to be vacationing together in Ukraine. (OK, made that one up.) What the World Needs Now Is Love: The lyrics still resonate and the singing was fine. But man, it was distracting to the point of annoyance to watch the performers toss off one line then struggle to hand off the microphone like they were playing Hot Potato. Maybe the Wiggles could have pulled it off. Trumps brood: Every parent is proud of their kids; we get that. But giving them primetime slots on all four nights of your convention (and your current wife too)? None even has a reality show though thats likely to change. Whether it was megalomaniacal nepotism or the sheer dearth of heavy hitters willing to speak at a convention that nominated this candidate, it smacked of desperation. And ick. The dearth of American flags on the Dems stage: We dont expect it to look like Uncle Sam hurled up there, but the Donkey teams brass knows that Republicans think Democrats are about as patriotic as Benedict Arnold. The Fourth of July bunting around the arena was cool, but waiting until the last day to get Old Glory on your stage gave the GOP base some red-white-and-blue meat to bolster their case. Dominic Patten and Lisa de Moraes contributed to this piece. Related stories Khan Family Responds To Trump: "I Don't Think He Knows The Meaning Of Sacrifice" NFL Denies Trump Claim Of Letter Complaining About Presidential Debate Timing Media Groups Support Mark Boal's Refusal To Turn Over Bergdahl Tapes to Military Prosecutors Beyonce's Formation World Tour continues its success, with $123 million in sales at the end of its first leg, reports Billboard. The tour's opening run, which ended June 14, brought in almost one million fans in a concert series that crossed the US and Canada in 23 sold-out shows. The second leg of the tour includes five weeks in Europe, spanning 16 cities in 12 countries. The final Europe show, on August 3, will be held in Barcelona's Olympic stadium, before it heads back to nine US cities. The New York/New Jersey area will play host to the first concert on September 7, with the final show in Nashville on October 2. It is a sad fact of these times that if a myth is repeated often enough, it will become a truth. That is the case with a myth that some special interests in Nebraska are trying to perpetuate. The myth is that spending by Nebraska public schools is the main culprit behind disproportionately high property taxes. Here is another sad fact: blaming public schools for high property taxes allows these institutes, agencies and policymakers the opportunity to push other parts of their onerous political agenda, as well. A look at the numbers here in York allows us to dispel the myth rather easily. The General Fund spending by York Public School increased just 12.9 percent from the 2008-09 school year and the 2015-16 school year. Thats an average annual increase of just 1.8 percent. Yet the general fund property taxes our district collected increased 54.4 percent during the same period. Meanwhile, our total General Fund revenue increased just 14.3 percent during those same eight school years, for an average annual increase of just 2 percent. Heres the kicker: State aid has been a wild ride for the York Public Schools. It hit $3,714,809 in 2009-10, and will continue its downward trend and plummet to $572,781 in 2016-17. Do you suppose the drastic cut in state aid the past few years a loss of more than $3.2 million at this point has anything to do with our over-reliance on local property taxes? The answer is yes. Despite the 1.8 percent annual increase in General Fund spending over the past eight years, our property tax collections have averaged an annual increase of 7.7 percent. Heres the crux of the problem: Policymakers shorting the state aid formula enable high property taxes. In 1998-99, K-12 public education accounted for 32 percent of the states General Fund budget. Today, that percentage has plummeted to 27.4 percent. If K-12 education received the same percentage of the state budget today that it used to, the state aid formula would have another $190 million injected into local school budgets each year via state aid. Lawmakers have tweaked the state aid formula at least a dozen times in the past 20 or so years. In most cases, the tweak came about to minimize the allocation to K-12 education so the state could balance its budget and force schools to request more local property taxes. In other words, rather than look at the needs of public schools as determined by the formula, lawmakers determined how much they wanted to spend and then adjusted the formula to fit that outcome. But that method doesnt work. As a state, Nebraska is 49th in the nation in the percentage of its state budget that is allocated to K-12 education. As a result, Nebraska is 2nd in the nation in the percentage of revenue for public school districts that comes from local property taxes. All Nebraska public school districts already adhere to state mandated levy limit lids as the general fund plus the building fund maximum levy cant exceed $1.05. Meanwhile, public education changes every year. Our teachers are doing more than ever before for their students and their communities. Costs in education, just like in every other walk of life, tend to increase some over time. Consider that our student population is growing in number, there are children with higher needs, we have expanded programming, we are doing more than ever with accountability, after-school programs, summer programs, enrichment and more. York is a great example. Our preK-12th enrollment grew from 1,232 in 2008-09 to 1,389 in 2015-16. Thats 157 students, or more than seven full classrooms at an average of 22 students per classroom. Thats a 12.7 percent increase, 2.1 percent annually yet our spending increase during that same time, as mentioned, was just 1.8 percent per year. So the next time you hear someone blame public schools for high property taxes, do some digging. Discover details about your school districts revenue and spending (those facts are audit certified each fall). The institutes, agencies, and elected officials that want to see public schools harmed wont like what you discover, but thats OK. In the meantime, your public schools will continue to meet the needs of children in every Nebraska community. Thats no myth. Chicago (AFP) - US Vice President Joe Biden pleaded for better understanding between cops and the communities they serve at a public memorial for three Baton Rouge police officers slain in a targeted gun attack. The July 17 shooting, which authorities called an "assassination" targeting police, was the latest incident exposing deep racial fissures in American society. Ten days earlier, another gunman in Dallas killed five officers, in the midst of national tensions and street protests brought on by separate recent incidents of police shootings of African-Americans captured on video. The killed Baton Rouge officers, Montrell Jackson, Matthew Gerald and Brad Garafola, were represented by three empty chairs on the stage of the Healing Place Church. Biden and US Attorney General Loretta Lynch were among the dignitaries who attended the funeral, along with hundreds of police officers. In a personal speech, Biden spoke of his son Beau's death from brain cancer last year. "There's little anyone can say or do at this moment to ease this sense of loss, that feeling that you're being sucked into a black hole in your chest, that sense of loneliness," he said, addressing the families. But Biden added that with time, the memory of each fallen officer will "bring a smile to your lips, before it brings a tear to your eye." The vice president also addressed racial divisions. "We have got to close the distance between the neighborhood and law enforcement," Biden said, calling for more community policing. "It used to be you guys had the resources to show up and hang out at the Boys and Girls Club," he told the assembled law enforcement audience. The three fallen officers were remembered as dedicated public servants and devoted family men. Gerald was a military veteran who had done three tours of duty in Iraq. He was the father of two, and only last year joined the Baton Rouge Police Department. Story continues Garafola, father of four, was a 24-year veteran of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. He was shot while coming to the aid of a wounded officer. Jackson was a father of a newborn and a 10-year veteran of the Baton Rouge Police Department. Days before his death, Jackson had posted on Facebook about racial tensions in Baton Rouge. "These are trying times. Please don't let hate infect your heart," he wrote. Lynch called Jackson "a portrait of selflessness and devotion." The three fallen officers were buried in separate funerals earlier this week and last. Vienna (AFP) - European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said that the EU's deal with Turkey on halting the flow of migrants towards the bloc is at risk of breaking down, in comments published Friday. "The risk is big. The success so far of the pact is fragile. President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan has already hinted several times that he wants to scrap it," Juncker told Austrian daily Kurier. "(If that happens) then we can expect migrants to start coming to Europe again," he told the paper in an interview to be published on Saturday. The March accord between the European Union and Turkey succeeded in stemming the flow of migrants but there are concerns that it could fall apart after a failed coup against Erdogan on July 15. A subsequent purge in Turkey has seen thousands of arrests among the army, the police and judiciary, and hundreds have lost their jobs in every major Turkish ministry. Three days after the attempt on the government, a group of Turkish officials assigned to monitor the migration deal on the Greek side returned home, and have yet to be replaced. In a wide-ranging interview, Juncker also said he was "very concerned" about developments within the 28-nation EU, particularly with regard to Poland and Hungary. "In Poland the government's course of action has damaged the rule of law... I am watching with concern preparations for Hungary's referendum on migration," Juncker was quoted as saying. On Wednesday the European Commission handed Poland's right-wing government a three-month deadline to reverse changes to its Constitutional Court or face sanctions for breaching EU norms on the rule of law and democracy. The move by the EU's executive arm is the second step in an unprecedented procedure which could eventually see Warsaw's voting rights suspended in the Council of Ministers, the EU's highest decision-making body. Hungary meanwhile has refused to accept a single migrant under a mandatory EU quota plan to share them around the bloc, and will hold a referendum on the scheme on October 2. Story continues Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban this week called migration "poison" for Europe and said that his country "does not need a single migrant". "If referendums are going to be organised on every decision of the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, then legal security is in danger," Juncker said. "The Commission should really -- although we're not that far yet -- launch a breach of treaty procedure against Hungary. Mr Orban though would then claim that the Commission is taking the Hungarian people to court." Bill Cosby is still facing a potential criminal trial over the alleged 2004 drugging and sexual assault of a Temple University employee but he wont be facing the matter in a civil case after all by his own choice. Plaintiff William H. Cosby, Jr. hereby voluntarily dismisses the above-captioned action without prejudice, said brevity fueled paperwork filed today by lawyers for the much-accused The Cosby Show creator (read it here). After just over six months, this brings an end to Cosbys February 1 launched action against Andrea Constand, her mother, her former attorneys and the parent company of the National Enquirer over claims that they broke the confidentiality agreement around the 2006 settlement in a civil case Constand brought against the actor after a Pennsylvania D.A. declined to prosecute a criminal case back in 2005. Among other actions, Cosby wanted the dough back he paid Constand which he surely wont be getting now With a court validation of his ability to proceed forward in that action to protect his own rights, Mr. Cosby has today stepped away from that suit and will instead focus his efforts on defending himself against the claims that have been lodged against him, said a statement Thursday by the actors recently retained lawyer Angela Agrusa. This comes just under 2-weeks after federal Judge Eduardo Robreno denied the bulk of motions to dismiss the case by the defendants. It also comes after Judge Robreno denied Cosbys request for a partial stay of discovery pending the disposition of his criminal proceedings (read it here). With a mixed bag of uncertain results, todays step back move maybe an emerging new legal strategy for Cosby, who faces up to a decade in jail if found guilty of a trio of felony second-degree aggravated indecent assault charges. With over 50 women across the country claiming that Cosby drugged and/or sexually assaulted them over the decades, the actor still also faces defamation and other cases from coast to coast. Story continues A trial date for the criminal case is expected to be determined sometime later this summer. RelatedBill Cosby Loses Bid To Stop 2004 Rape Case Trial Update Related stories Bill Cosby Axes His Main Lawyer After Less Than A Year Bill Cosby Loses Bid To Stop 2004 Rape Case Trial - Update Jerrod Carmichael On How He Fought NBC To Do A Show About Bill Cosby & Why He Thinks Diversity Should Not Be A Hot Topic - Emmys Bill Maher and guests Salman Rushdie, Michael Moynihan and Amy Holmes discussed the 2016 Democratic National Convention during Thursdays special edition of Real Time. The episode was preceded by a repeat due to Hillary Clintons speech running long and began about 27 minutes later than scheduled. Maher noted that Clinton had just become the first woman nominated to run for President by a major political party in this country, and that elsewhere in the world they were congratulating us and welcoming us to the 1960s. First, lady Ghostbusters, and now this. Americas on a roll! he snarked. Maher talked for a while about the uproar caused by GOP nominee Donald Trump suggesting Russian hackers look for Clintons deleted emails. Its the latest incendiary comment Trump has walked back; this time Trump went with an I was being sarcastic walk-back. Its like Oscar Wilde is running for President, Maher said, suggesting next time Trumps being sarcastic he use air quotes so that people will know. One night earlier, President Obama gave a keynote address. He nailed it, Maher said. It was an amazing speech or, as Fox News put it: Black Man Steals Show. In one of the most memorable exchanges during his panel, Rushdie acknowledged that its not fashionable to love Clinton but that he does adding, I know what its like being demonized and vilified for decades. In the late 80s, Irans Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to assassinate Rushdie after the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses. Rushdie said he respected Clinton for coming across as strong as she does despite all the hate steered her way. Maher and all his panelists gave Clinton props for having elliptically addressed her husbands infidelity during her acceptance speech, when she mentioned them having been through good times and some heartaches. Story continues It is good to point to the elephant in the room, said Rushdie in a bit of understatement. I always thought they had a real marriage. F*cking around can live side-by-side with real love, Maher said. Bill Clinton is a dog, and he loves her. Europeans can do that we should be able to do it too. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CI5nvG9dTM&w=620&h=340] Related stories Democratic & Republican Conventions: 10 Most Memorable & Forgettable Moments 'The Apprentice' Launched Donald Trump's Presidential Bid, 'Frontline' Producer Says - TCA Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Pens Strong Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton Bill Maher wasted no time weighing in on Hillary Clintons historic speech on Thursday, going live following the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. RELATEDHillary Clinton Joins #TGIT Thursdays in Shonda Rhimes-Produced DNC Video The Real Time host described the hour-long address as filled with hope and promise and real solutions to actual problems, which Fox News called one way to go, I guess.' And while he wasnt willing to set jokes aside, the HBO funnyman seemed positive we had just seen the next President of the United States address the nation. So you just watched history being made, he said to his audience. First we had lady Ghostbusters, now this! Americas on a roll, ladies and gentlemen. [Laughs] But what a moment for Hillary, right? The first female president were going to have and it will change the world not to mention what itll do for her speaking fees! VIDEOSHillary Clintons Says America Is at a Moment of Reckoning in Democratic Convention Speech Grade It Maher, who was an admitted supporter of Bernie Sanders before Clinton ultimately clinched the nomination, has for weeks been saying that a vote for the former Secretary of State is the lesser of two evils come Election Day. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that he also took a moment during his monologue to diss Republican nominee Donald Trump. [Clinton] laid out a vision I thought was amazing Of course, we wont know for sure until Donald Trump tweets about it. Its quite a choice we have: Its either Im with her or Im with stupid.' What did you think of Mahers post-DNC monologue? Sound off below. Launch Gallery: Exclusive Comic-Con Portraits From Favorite Shows Related stories The Simpsons Endorses Hillary Clinton, Rips on Donald Trump in New Video Story continues The Night Of Recap: The Unbearable Frightfulness of Pleading Quotes of the Week: The Bachelorette, Zoo, Rizzoli & Isles, DNC and More During a lively press conference about black history over the past 50 years to promote an upcoming PBS series, Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, educator and series co-producer Henry Louis Gates said that this production would cover a lot of ground. Gates said that he wanted to include the arc of a culture that put a beautiful and black family in the White House in the election of Barack Obama, to acknowledging the importance of black TV images of Bill Cosby in I Spy, an Emmy winner, the character of George Jefferson, and Flip Wilson, the first black TV superstar, to exploring the ongoing cycle of violence black-on-black violence and violence visited upon people by the police. That is indeed a lot of territory to traverse. And this panel, held during the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles on Friday whose participants also included journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Cornel West, and community organizer and Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson also took on the vexed subject of Black Lives Matter and how it is perceived in the media. The very first question asked of the panel by a TV critic was whether, given its controversy in some quarters, the phrase black lives matter was the most helpful one to have built a movement around. Its a catchy phrase, said West with a hint of humor, before growing serious. And it carries an implicit word: too, [because] historically, black lives havent mattered as much as white lives. Mckesson added that, to those who say we should say all lives matter, thats missing the point. He used this metaphor: You never go to a breast cancer rally and shout, Colon cancer matters! The wide-ranging discussion stretched from the desegregation ruling of 1954 (What is paining me is this notion that 50 years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, our schools are re-segregating, said Hunter-Gault) to the current political scene, with West referring to what he called Donald Trumps neo-fascism, or to use a more deodorized category, right-wing populism, and Gates making the assertion that Donald Trumps ascent is directly related to a black family in the White House. Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise will air Nov. 15 and 22 on PBS. BOCA RATON, FL / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / Millions of foreign citizens visit South Florida each year reports Boca Raton car accident lawyer Joe Osborne. http://www.visitflorida.org/resources/research/ The beaches, restaurants, and nightlife make our communities a desired destination. Unfortunately, our congested roadways can be dangerous especially for those unfamiliar with traffic patterns or the timing of rush hour. Foreign citizens injured in car accidents are protected by the laws of our state both civilly and criminally. It is important for our visitors to understand their rights if they need a lawyer for a car accident with injuries, especially those that are significant. As an example, Robert and Adrienne Hammond were born and raised in Ireland. Upon Mr. Hammond's retirement, they traveled to South Florida for a long anticipated visit. They rented a car and planned to sightsee. However, while driving in Miami-Dade County, the Hammonds encountered a truck driver delivering tile who was late and in a hurry. An illegal attempt to pass by the truck driver resulted in a collision with the Hammonds' vehicle. The collision was direct and came without warning. Mr. Hammond was killed and Mrs. Hammond suffered a brain injury resulting in months of hospitalization and rehabilitation at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She ultimately returned to Ireland alone, a tragic outcome says car accident lawyer Osborne. A lawsuit was filed in Miami-Dade County on behalf of Mrs. Hammond and her husband's estate against the driver and the trucking company for the horrific injuries they sustained. A confidential settlement was reached. Mrs. Hammond was compensated for the loss of her husband. Further, she could pay her medical bills and afford some of the day to day care she needs in Ireland for the rest of her life. The Civil Justice System protects American citizens and foreigners if injured because of someone's negligence. Under the law, all individuals have a duty to exercise reasonable care for the protection of others. Due to language barriers or a general unfamiliarity with civil remedies, many foreign citizens may not understand or realize their rights if they are hurt while visiting our shores. It is conceivable a visitor's home country would not provide an avenue for recovery if injuries were sustained in a similar accident but the Unites States does. Therefore, if a foreign citizen is injured while visiting, he or she should seek help from the best car accident lawyer they can find to determine the appropriate course of action. Story continues If you, a friend, or relative have been injured in a car accident while traveling in South Florida, contact a Boca Raton car accident lawyer at Osborne and Associates to discuss your legal rights to compensation for the pain, suffering, physical limitations, additional medical treatments and impact on your life, relationships and ability to work. We can discuss how the law may apply and the best ways to protect your legal rights and interests. Call (561) 800-4020. Press Contact: Personal injury lawyer Joseph Osborne 561-800-4020 Source: http://www.oa-lawfirm.com/boca-raton-car-accident-lawyer-says-vacation-driving-florida-can-tragic/ SOURCE: Osborne & Associates I just saw a night of the Republican convention. I thought I would enlighten a few Republicans since they don't seem to know what country they are living in. This is America and it is not bankrupt, jobless or any of the things Donald Trump says. Barack Obama has a 56 percent approval rating. He took us out of the bankruptcy caused by the Bush administration, established 13 million new jobs in 8 years and saved hundreds of our soldiers' lives by not sending them into a senseless Republican 14-year war Most of the people won't know what a megalomaniac is so let me enlighten you. I lived during the Hitler era so it was a common term. The dictionary describes megalomania as a mental disorder characterized by delusions of grandeur, wealth and power. Megalomaniacs have a passion for doing big things and a tendency to exaggerate. Welcome to the latest megalomaniac, Donald Trump. We know what Hitler did and he conned millions of people, saying that he would bring Germany to glory. The braninwashed people stood by while he killed 6 million Jews. Trump can't do anything he promises except bring our nation down into ruin. He's already threatened to drop atomic bombs on Syria and give many other countries the bomb so they can protect themselves and we don't have to spend any more money from our treasury. Trump lives to glorify himself. He spoke for more than an hour on last Friday after the convention all about how Ted Cruz wouldn't support him. It was just another childish tirade for his hurt feelings. He even said Cruz probably ruined his own public life because he wouldn't support "the Donald." What a disgusting mess! Anita Crouse, Lincoln With Jason Bourne opening in cinemas this week (28 July) and the hunt going on for the next James Bond, youve got to ask yourself, who would win in a spy versus spy fight? The British MI6 spy, or the rogue CIA operative? Well, Yahoo Movies Singapore is here to break it down for you. 1) Gadgets The Aston Martin DB10, seen in Spectre. (Photo: AFP) Every spy needs an arsenal of high-tech accessories and other toys to do their job, but without a doubt, James Bond would have this round. Fancy cars aside, Bond always seems to have the most sophisticated tech around, whether its a watch with a laser to cut through class or a clamshell phone thats smarter than a smartphone. Bourne, on the other hand, relies a lot more on what he has at hand - cheap mobile phones, a pen, his bare hands etc. Need to break a voice-activated safe? Bourne could do it for under $30 with a voice recorder. Were not saying that doesnt have its benefits, but this is about the gadgets, after all. Winner: Bond, James Bond. 2) Style Daniel Craig, who starred as James Bond in Spectre . (Photo: AFP) Now that our spies have their toys out of the way, what about the manner in which they appear on screen? Again, Bond runs away with this one. 007 is usually seen in his fitting suit, perfectly-placed tie, well-polished shoes, sipping a weaksauce martini and chatting up women who usually try to shoot him. Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. (Photo: Universal) The closest weve seen Bourne in a suit is the wetsuit from the first show. Hes generally wearing hoodies or jackets or something that helps him to blend in. And he never orders anything fancy. As this is the style category, Bond will probably win it, short of Colin Firths character from Kingsmen taking Jason Bourne to get a bespoke suit. Winner: Bond, again. 3) Lethality Matt Damon (right) and Tommy Lee Jones (left) in Jason Bourne. (Photo: AP) A good spy usually tries not to get caught, but there are times when circumstances dictate that someone has to get killed. Story continues This might be a hard one to call, but Im leaning towards Bourne this time around. Sure, 007 has a licence to kill, but Jason Bourne is the black ops of the black ops. His sole purpose for several missions was to assassinate targets the US government couldnt legally assassinate. In short, he doesnt care if he has or needs a licence to kill. Bond has a higher kill count per movie, for sure, but Bourne has killed four Treadstone assassins (basically, his peers in the black ops). Surely, a single Treadstone assassin is the equivalent of fifteen normal random people who get shot by Bond, right? Winner: Matt Da I mean, Jason Bourne. 4) Actual spy skills (excluding killing people) Daniel Craig in Spectre. (Photo: AP) Weve seen how they compare in quite a few aspects, but what about being a spy? All that espionage stuff like blending in with their surroundings and not drawing attention to themselves. James Bond has travelled around the world and gets himself into many different locations with ease, but you know his problem? He always introduces himself as Bond. James Bond. Youve gotta think that thats going to catch on with the bad guys after a while. Bourne, on the other hand never introduces himself as Bourne unless hes talking to the head of the CIA black ops programme hes trying to entrap. He speaks different languages when needed, and its usually people who see him on cameras who go **** its Jason Bourne! rather than the other way around. I think Bourne takes this one. Also, with Brexit, Bond is in a rather sticky situation in Europe. Just saying. Winner: Bourne. Youll never see him coming, while youd probably smell Bond from half a mile away. 5) Leading ladies Eva Green as Vesper Lynd in 2006s Casino Royale. (Photo: MGM/Columbia Pictures) Well, if this is a count for impressing the ladies, then Bond would be so far ahead our amnesiac assassin would never catch up. However, Bonds loves never seem to stick around for very long (or survive very long, for that matter), which severely counts against the MI6 agent. Bourne, on the other hand found true love, albeit briefly. Granted, Marie Kreutz didnt last very long into the second Bourne film either, but there was a moment of peace and tranquility. Seems like a lifetime compared to Bonds tendency to sleep with women who want to kill him one way or another. Winner: Bourne. So there you have it, folks. Jason Bourne is our unofficial winner in this nowhere near-scientific match-up of the Hollywood spies. His latest outing, Jason Bourne, is currently in cinemas. After spending 99 days in the ICU, this North Carolina boy's life was changed forever when he received a heart transplant. Read: Boy, 13, Gets Heart Transplant After 99 Days in the Hospital: 'I Feel Like a New Person' But the real shock of his life happened four months after the transplant, when he got to meet the family of the girl who died so he could live. 13-year-old Albert Jeffries, known to friends and family as Alj, met the family of Katelyn Zimmerman at Carolina Donor Services in Durham Monday four months after Alj was granted a life-saving heart transplant, and Katelyn gave up her organs in a fatal car accident. "My heart was pumping so fast," Alj told InsideEdition.com. "I was emotional." In a Facebook Live video of the event, Alj could be seen sobbing as Katelyn's surviving family members took turns listening to her heart now beating through his chest using a stethoscope. His mom, Tina Turner, spent the afternoon hugging and kissing the Zimmermans, whom she now considers their extended family. According to Katelyn's grandmother, Charlene Sweigart, the 14-year-old was spending some time at her Florida house that March Sunday when, suddenly, the she said, "Mama, I want to be an organ donor." "It came out of the blue," Sweigart from Hernando County told InsideEdition.com. "It gives me goosebumps every time I think of it for that to be the last statement out of her mouth. It's like she almost knew something was going to happen." Three hours later, Sweigart received a call from the children's father, Shawn Zimmerman, telling her that there had been an accident. Katelyn and her younger brother had gone out biking, and were on their way home when they were hit by a drunk driver. Katelyn's twin, Savannah, was at a friend's home when she said she suddenly got a horrible feeling, Sweigart said. Story continues Savannah heard sirens, and immediately began running home, calling her dad on the way, before she discovered her twin and younger brother both lying on the pavement. They were taken to the hospital, where Katelyn died that night. Dylan, 13, died a month later. Read: Teenager With Bone Cancer Shot and Killed Just Before Receiving His Make-A-Wish Dream When doctors asked family members if they were considering donating their organs, Sweigart immediately said to their parents, "I want to tell you something. We are here for Katelyn and Katelyn said she wanted to be an organ donor. Do it for her." They signed the papers without hesitation. Little did they know, they were about to change the lives of a boy who lives a couple states away. Alj, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has been in and out of the hospital all his life. He suffered from cardiomyopathy, and on days he was not undergoing tests and treatments, he had a hard time playing with other kids since he was always out of breath. Turner, told InsideEdition.com that during the 99 days he spent in the ICU, she thought, "I was about to lose Alj." His health was taking a grim turn when suddenly, she received a call that doctors had found a matching heart donor. She posted to Alj's Facebook page, "Teamalj's journey with a new heart," that even though he was excluded from most of his childhood games, his new heart transplant will allow him to finally ride a bike. That was Sweigart's first sign that she found the boy who was given her granddaughter's heart. The next sign came to her in a dream, where she said her dog was growling at her bed, and she believed she saw a vision of Katelyn, who "had a big smile on her face, as if to say 'Thank you for doing this, Mama.'" Read: Six Strangers Involved in Three-Way Kidney Transplant Meet For The First Time The 64-year-old then started following Alj's story closely, and became one of the boy's 6,000 supporters via Facebook. For months, she battled the decision to message Turner. Her son begged her to reach out, and finally, earlier this month, Sweigart said she was compelled to write out a message and hit send. She turned her computer off immediately, and refused to check for the rest of the night. "I lost my mind," Turner said, when she received the message during dinner. "I cried so hard at that restaurant, my girlfriends had to walk me out and console me. At that moment, I realized that I found my donor." Over the following weeks, the pair chatted on the phone regularly until they scheduled a day to meet. "When I first met them, my heart was so full of joy," Turner said. "I was just overwhelmed. Without them, Alj would not be here." Except for Savannah, Katelyn's surviving family members took turns listening to the heart before they released white balloons and butterflies in memory of Katelyn and Dylan. Read: Plea For Toddler's Kidney Donation Goes Viral After Parents Drive Around With Message on Car The families exchanged presents, including a plush heart Turner presented to the Zimmermans that contains a recording of Katelyn's heartbeat. "Katelyn was such an extraordinary person," Sweigart told InsideEdition.com. "She's my hero, and she's alive with his help." Watch: 13-Year-Old Transplant Patient Who Waited 99 Days for Heart Returns Home in a White Limo Related Articles: SAO PAULO, July 29 (Reuters) - Brazilian airline Gol is bringing back the chief financial officer who took the company public and naming two new board members amid a tough debt restructuring that has struggled to attract bondholders' cooperation. Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA , as the company is formally known, announced the nomination of board member Richard Lark to the CFO post he held from 2003 to 2008 in a securities filing late on Thursday. Current CFO Edmar Prado Lopes Neto "will take on new challenges within the group after the transition is completed," Gol said in the filing. Lark's seat on the board will go to Andre Janszky, managing partner of law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy's Sao Paulo office. Anna Luiza Constantino, a member of Gol's controlling family, will take the board seat of Henrique Constantino, who was arrested this month in a graft investigation shaking Brazil's business and political establishment. Neto acknowledged this month that an unpopular bond swap was not enough to resolve its costly debt burden, which has contributed to four years of heavy losses and hurt the airline's maneuverability in a severe economic downturn. (Reporting by Brad Haynes) A 103-year-old has become Britains oldest ice cream man after his family treated him to a restored version of the same van he drove in the 1960s. Giovanni Rozzo spent 27 years selling ice creams in the centre of Cambridge until he retired in 1995. But the proud grandad is back behind the wheel after his family raised 15,000 to buy him a restored vintage Bedford HA van exactly like the one he drove in the sixties. Behind the wheel - Giovanni wont be going back to work full-time (Pictures: SWNS) But the centenarian wont be going back to work full-time - just offering icy treats at special events like weddings and fairs. His new Batmobile van has all the mod cons, complete with a built-in-freezer and supply of Rossis of London ice cream, and plays O Sole Mio over its speaker. Giovanni, who is also the UKs oldest driver, said: The van is exactly like the one I had in 1966, and Im delighted to have it. History - Giovanni started out selling ice creams in the 60s The father of three started out in the 1960s selling cornets and lollies to people from his Lyons Maid van. His grandson Carl Rozzo said: "Hes long been retired from running his ice cream business in the city, but hes very proud of it. "We felt it would be nice to see if we could get him the same van that he actually started out in, in 1966, as a present. "We managed to find one, and have spent some money on properly restoring it and rebuilding the engine. "Its called a Batmobile, because like Batmans car, its got a bulbous front and tail fins. Giovanni emigrated to Britain from Italy in the early 1950s to look for work. He began his career in England as a train driver for British Rail for six years, before working as a milkman for the Co-operative. He went on to establish a successful ice cream business in Cambridge, at one stage operating six vans in and around the city. He carried on driving one of the vans himself until he retired, aged 82, and still motors around Cambridge in his trusty blue 23-year-old Mitsubishi Lancer. In 2005, Giovanni was honoured by the Italian government by being made a cavaliere, the Italian equivalent of a knighthood, for his work heading up a number of Italian organisations in the UK. London (AFP) - International Airlines Group, owner of BA and Iberia, lowered its annual earnings forecast on Friday following the recent Brexit vote. The group, which also owns Ireland's Aer Lingus and Spain's Iberia, predicted that operating profit would see "low double-digit percentage growth" in 2016. That contrasted sharply with the 70 percent increase that was forecast prior to the shock June 23 EU exit vote. IAG had already warned one day after the referendum that it would unlikely meet its target, given the slumping pound and post-Brexit economic uncertainty. "In the lead up to the vote we witnessed softer than expected trading, principally with UK corporates, said IAG chief executive Willie Walsh on a conference call. "Had the vote gone the other way we would have expected that to bounce back. Clearly that didn't happen and that trend has continued." Walsh said a recovery would come "at some point," but suggested it was too early to say whether that will be this year or in 2017. IAG added Friday that its operating profit rose about five percent to 555 million euros in the second quarter or three months to June, compared with a year earlier. The group took a foreign exchange hit of 148 million euros for the period, following the Brexit-driven collapse in the pound. "Numerous external factors affected our airlines including the impact of terrorism, uncertainty around the UK's EU referendum and Spain's political situation and increased weakness in Latin American economies," added Walsh in the results statement. "This led to a softer than expected trading environment, especially in June. "In addition, the airlines' operations have been considerably disrupted by 22 air traffic control strikes in Europe so far this year. This has impacted our passenger revenues." - Bloomberg News contributed to this story - Loftus Hopes to Raise Enough Money to Move Her Small-Scale Coffee Roaster into New and More Spacious Digs LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / Amelia Loftus, founder of Hidden Fortress, a small-scale, solar-powered coffee roaster, is pleased to announce her intentions to move her successful coffee operation into a larger space. Calling her project Build the Hidden Fortress Roastery Cafe, Loftus is currently trying to raise money for the beautiful and conveniently located new building in Watsonville, California. To learn more about the Hidden Fortress and Loftus' plans to bring her delicious and organically grown coffee into the appreciative hands of as many people as possible, please visit https://goo.gl/Db9d2Y. As Loftus noted, she founded Hidden Fortress in 2012 and operates the business full time. She has roasted coffee since 2000, and is extremely knowledgeable about what it takes to create delicious, organic and sustainably grown coffee. "Our primary sales outlet has been our farmer's market coffee booth, which is also solar powered," Loftus said. "Our coffee business has grown steadily over 3 years and we have outgrown the 2 pound solar and propane powered coffee roasting machine we use." While Loftus is excited to expand her coffee roasting operation into a much bigger leased space in Watsonville, she also understands that achieving this goal will take a great deal of money. This inspired her to launch a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. Loftus hopes to raise $25,000 through crowdfunding in order to move into her new space as soon as possible. "Our location is next to a business park where many large local work places such as Granite Construction, Nordic Naturals, the community hospital, and Foxx Racing Shox are located," she said, adding that it is a central location with easy freeway access, ideal for drop in visitors and is a great launching point for her and her husband to get to the farmer's markets. Story continues "The plans include the installation of 2 small roasters, and a full food prep kitchen area so we can make fresh lemonade and syrups for our coffee bar." About Hidden Fortress Roastery Cafe: Amelia Loftus founded Hidden Fortress in 2012 and operates the business full time. This includes keeping up the farm with help from her husband, Patrick. The couple roasts organic coffee at their farm and sells it at farmer's markets. They are about to build their roastery cafe and need a cash boost to finish. For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/Db9d2Y. Contact: Adrienne Brown admin@rocketfactor.com (949) 555-2861 SOURCE: Hidden Fortress Roastery Cafe BuzzFeed Editor-In-Chief Ben Smith sent a memo to staff Thursday reminding members of the outlets news team to refrain from taking partisan stands on social media. The memo, which Smith provided to Business Insider in response to an inquiry, came after a reporter posted a pair of now-deleted tweets to her account during a video played before President Barack Obamas Wednesday speech at the Democratic National Convention. Screen Shot 2016 07 28 at 8.52.08 PM Bim Adewunmi, a British writer on the BuzzFeed News team who is writing a British perspective on US politics during her time on the outlet's cultural desk, also tweeted glowingly of Obama before his speech: Screen Shot 2016 07 28 at 8.52.16 PM BuzzFeeds ethics guide states that reporters and editors should refrain from commenting in a partisan way about candidates or policy issues. Smith on Thursday reiterated the companys social-media policy to his news team in a memo, which contained an emoji-filled subject line of " ." Here's the full memo: Hello BuzzFeed News (and friends), We are entering the home stretch of an American presidential election, a time when people lose their minds even in normal years. I'm writing to remind you about our policy on not taking partisan stands on social media, or in our coverage, for either side. You have colleagues covering this race intensely and an audience who should trust that you, and we, are as fair and accurate as you know we strive to be. Even in an ordinary year, of course, we report aggressively on politicians' falsehoods or behavior. And this is an unusual year, in which one candidate has, for instance, said things that can be fairly described as bigoted. This isn't simple terrain to navigate, and feel free to ask me or another editor if you're not sure about something specific. We aren't going to be fanatically patrolling Twitter, or overreacting to the odd tweet. As a matter of more specific guidance, I'd say tone matters. Readers are entitled to trust you less if they think you're in the tank -- if you are vitriolic about a subject, or if you are celebratory. When in doubt, the ideal journalistic posture is: Ben Story continues Smiths memo on Thursday was not the first time he has emailed staff to discuss the outlets social-media guidelines. In December, the BuzzFeed editor wrote to his editorial staff after receiving questions from employees on whether calling Trump a liar and a racist violates our policy asking that you not to be political partisans on social media. The goals of this policy (which is stricter with BuzzFeed News staff) are twofold: To preserve our readers confidence that we can be fair; and to not needlessly undermine the work of reporters on the beat, Smith wrote in December. And in that context, Trump is operating far outside the political campaigns to which those guidelines usually apply. He continued in his December memo: It is, for instance, entirely fair to call him a mendacious racist, as the politics team and others here have reported clearly and aggressively: Hes out there saying things that are false, and running an overtly anti-Muslim campaign. BuzzFeed Newss reporting is rooted in facts, not opinion; these are facts. In the past, BuzzFeed reporters have struggled to steer away from using their social-media platforms to offer partisan or political points of view. Last year, two editors found themselves the subject of headlines for taking sharp pro-gun control stances on Twitter following two different mass shootings. Editor's note: This story has been updated to better reflect Bim Adewunmi's position at BuzzFeed. NOW WATCH: Obama had some incredible reactions while campaigning with Hillary Clinton More From Business Insider * Canadian dollar at C$1.3109, or 76.28 U.S. cents * C$ touches its strongest since July 22 at C$1.3075 * Bond prices higher across the maturity curve By Fergal Smith TORONTO, July 29 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar strengthened to a one-week high against its broadly weaker U.S. counterpart on Friday as data showing the U.S. economy grew far less than expected in the second quarter offset weak domestic data and a three-month low for oil prices. U.S. crude prices were down 0.49 percent to $40.94 a barrel after having fallen below $41 for the first time since April. Canada's economy suffered its biggest one-month contraction in May since March 2009 as wildfires in northern Alberta caused a sharp drop in oil extraction, reinforcing expectations that the economy shrank in the second quarter. "The issue now is production should come back in June," said Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada. "It should contribute to GDP bouncing strongly in the third quarter after decline in the second." The U.S. dollar fell against a basket of major currencies after a round of modest monetary policy easing from the Bank of Japan disappointed investors. This was followed by the weaker-than-expected U.S. gross domestic product data. At 9:34 a.m. EDT (1334 GMT), the Canadian dollar was trading at C$1.3109 to the greenback, or 76.28 U.S. cents, stronger than Thursday's close of C$1.3161, or 75.98 U.S. cents. The currency's weakest level of the session was C$1.3185, while it touched its strongest since July 22 at C$1.3075. Still, the Canadian dollar lost ground against some other major currencies. Against the euro it touched C$1.4665, its weakest since June 6. The implied probability of a Bank of Canada rate cut this year rose slightly to 32 percent, overnight index swaps data showed. It was 28 percent before the U.S. and Canadian data. Canadian government bond prices were higher across the maturity curve in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries. Story continues The two-year bond rose 5 Canadian cents to yield 0.561 percent and the benchmark 10-year climbed 7 Canadian cents to yield 1.062 percent. The Canada-U.S. 10-year spread moved 1.7 basis points to -42.5 basis points, its smallest gap since July 8, as U.S. Treasuries outperformed. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson) French fashion house Carven is suspending its menswear line and bidding goodbye to designer Barnabe Hardy. The label is making the move in a bid to focus on its womenswear line, reports WWD. "Barnabe Hardy has been the soul of Carven's men's collection since 2015," Chief Executive Officer Sophie de Rougemont told the site. "It has been an exceedingly inspirational collaboration, and we wish him every success in his pursuit of new projects in the coming future." The designer said: "I shall always have a deep affection for Carven and am very grateful to the company for having given me this opportunity to design for a legendary French fashion house." The news signals the latest in a line of changes at Carven, which has been undergoing something of a renaissance since it was bought out by Societe Beranger in 2008 and revamped as a contemporary brand. The house was originally founded by the couturier Marie-Louise Carven in 1945, and has been directed by Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud since 2014. Hardy, for his part, has carved out a name for himself in menswear thanks to a career of working under Nicholas Ghesquiere, Balenciaga and Karl Lagerfeld, as well as several years spent developing his own eponymous line pre-Carven. The fashion world has been undergoing a period of high-profile reshuffling over the past year, with Alexander Wang leaving Balenciaga, Raf Simons exiting his position at Dior and former Valentino designer Maria Grazia Chiuri stepping in, Hedi Slimane saying goodbye to Saint Laurent and Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli parting ways with Calvin Klein. Heres what celebrities had to say about Hillary Clintons historic nomination Heres what celebrities had to say about Hillary Clintons historic nomination By the end of Hillary Clintons AMAZING speech at the Democratic National Convention last night, we were standing on the couch cheering and pumping our fists a la Tom Cruise. Hillarys words were that inspiring, and we werent the only ones who were moved by the historic moment. And a ton of celebrities showed Hillary the love on Twitter last night. From Oprah to Kelly Clarkson to Michelle Obama to JLo, heres what a few of our faves had to say about Hills nomination: So moved and so inspired by that powerful speech from our next President! #ImWithHer and I am fired up and ready to go. -mo The First Lady (@FLOTUS) July 29, 2016 So proud to see @HillaryClinton accept the nomination for #POTUS let's fight alongside her. Let's all work together #imwithher Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) July 29, 2016 If you didnt get a chance to see the speech live, pop in your headphones and watch the video at the top of this post, or read the transcript here. Story continues But maybe grab a tissue before you start, because if youre anything like us, theres gonna be some ugly-crying as the reality sets in: theres a really, really good chance were about to have our first female president. via GIPHY Now lets get this brilliant, inspiring woman elected, shall we? The post Heres what celebrities had to say about Hillary Clintons historic nomination appeared first on HelloGiggles. In 2002, Chandra Levy's skeletal remains were found near a trail in Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek Park, marking the first break in a case that has stymied investigators for over a decade. This week, prosecutors moved to dismiss the charges against Ingmar Guandique, the man who had been facing a retrial after being convicted in 2010 of murdering the former federal government intern, who vanished while jogging in the spring of 2001. Although much about her death remains a mystery, interviews with investigators, forensics experts and people close to the Levy family have helped answer some important questions surrounding the case. This week development means investigators are back to square one. Thus far, they've remained mum about what's next. Here are five things to know about Chandra Levy and the case of her murder. 1. Ingmar Guandique cleared because of 'unforeseen developments,' say prosecutors On Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's Office made the unexpected announcement that charges against Guandique would soon be dropped. According to a statement obtained by PEOPLE, the prosecution said it filed its motion to dismiss because it could "no longer prove the murder case against Mr. Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt." The decision to drop the charges against Guandique comes less than a year after his conviction was overturned. Guandique, a Salvadoran immigrant, will be released to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where he faces possible deportation. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. 2. Levy had an affair with married California Rep. Gary Condit The publicity surrounding the Levy case was largely a result of her ties to former Rep. Gary Condit, a Democrat from California. Coverage of Levy's death fell off months later, when the media's attention turned to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In an early interview with police, Condit, who was 53 in 2001, reportedly admitted having an affair with the 24-year-old, but the married man has never acknowledged the romance publicly. Once the affair was revealed, the police and the media focused heavily on his involvement with Levy. "All of a sudden, Gary Condit became the only one they would consider," a source close to the investigation told PEOPLE at the time. "We became fixated on him." After being voted out of Congress in 2003 (after 10 years in office), Condit went into the ice cream business, operating several Baskin-Robbins ice-cream parlors with his wife, Carolyn, son Chad and daughter Cadee and dividing his time between homes in California and Arizona. Condit has never been named as a suspect. Chandra Levy: Five Things to Know About the Murdered D.C. Intern| Crime & Courts, Murder, True Crime 3. Condit has strongly denied any involvement in Levy's death While he refused to sit for a police-issued polygraph test, Condit has long denied he had anything to do with Levy's murder and insisted the two had parted on good terms. Condit didn't admit to police that he and Levy were having an affair until his third interview with them. He has spoken of having an appointment with a chiropractor that evening but hasn't publicly disclosed the name of his doctor. A grand jury considered obstruction of justice charges against Condit for allegedly pressuring another mistress to deny any romantic involvement with him, but no indictment was brought. 4. Lawyers for Guandique were poised to argue Condit likes 'aggressive sex' In May, Guandique's lawyers filed paperwork with the court ahead of his impending retrial indicating their defense would focus on Condit and his sexual preferences. In motions filed with the court, the defense alleges Condit had a "powerful" and "obvious" motive to kill Levy. The defense's motion sought interviews with three women who allegedly had sexual relationships with Condit, and mentioned knotted tights were found near Levy's remains in 2012. The motion posited that the tights were used to restrain Levy, and said that two of the women the defense would depose would testify Condit had an interest in bondage and "aggressive sex." 5. Levy helped reporters who were covering Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh During her final semester of her masters degree program at the University of California, Levy moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked as a paid intern with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. That internship began in October of 2000, when she was selected to work at the bureau's headquarters in its division of public affairs. That meant Levy was heavily involved in assisting the media in the months leading up to the execution of Timothy McVeigh, who convicted of bombing the Oklahoma City Federal Building. Levy's internship was terminated a month before her disappearance when it was learned her academic eligibility had expired. She was set to return to California in May 2001 for graduation. In the weeks and months before the Sept. 11 attacks, the disappearance of Washington intern Chandra Levy was the biggest story in the U.S. Speculation swirled about her relationship with a California congressman, Gary Condit. Nearly 25 million people tuned in for Condits awkward prime-time interview with Connie Chung on Aug. 23, 2001. Then came the Sept. 11 attacks, and Condit and Levy were largely forgotten. She popped back into the news in 2002, when her remains were found in Washingtons sprawling Rock Creek Park. And again in 2010, when another man, an immigrant from El Salvador living in the U.S. illegally named Ingmar Guandique, was convicted of Levys slaying and sentenced to 60 years in prison. Now, more than 15 years after her disappearance in May 2001, Levy is back in the news, and her death is again a mystery. Prosecutors announced Thursday that they were dropping all charges against Guandique, who was given a new trial last year after doubts were raised about a key witness at his 2010 trial. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia issued a statement saying the murder case against Guandique could no longer be proved beyond a reasonable doubt based on recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week. The statement does not elaborate, and Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney, declined comment. After investigating this information and reviewing all of the evidence in this case, the government now believes it is in the interests of justice for the court to dismiss the case, prosecutors wrote in a one-page motion. Within hours of prosecutors motion, a judge officially dismissed the case. Guandiques lawyers in the public defenders office issued a statement Thursday saying their client has been vindicated. Finally, the government has had to concede the flaws in its ill-gotten conviction, the lawyers said, noting that Guandique had passed an FBI-administered lie detector test regarding his involvement. They accused prosecutors of hiding information that undermined their start witness at Guandiques 2010 trial. Story continues Levys disappearance created a national sensation after the Modesto, California, native who was in Washington as an intern for the Bureau of Prisons was romantically linked with Condit. The California Democrat was at one point a prime suspect in the investigation, police acknowledged. Eventually, police cleared Condit and in 2009 charged Guandique with Levys murder. Guandique had already been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for attacks on female joggers in Rock Creek Park, and prosecutors argued Levys death fit the pattern of those attacks. He was found guilty in 2010 and sentenced to 60 years in prison. But Guandique was granted a new trial last year after doubts were raised about a jailhouse informant, Armando Morales, who was the key witness at Guandiques trial. Morales testified that Guandique confessed to the killing. Defense lawyers have argued, though, that Morales lied during the trial and that prosecutors knew or should have known the testimony was problematic. It is now clear that the jailhouse informant, who was central to the governments case, was a perjurer who too easily manipulated the prosecutors, Guandiques lawyers said in their statement Thursday. In recent months, Guandiques attorneys have raised questions about Condit. At a January hearing, one of Guandiques attorneys told a judge Condit misled the jury with his testimony at the 2010 trial, but he did not elaborate. In May, defense lawyers sought to take depositions from several women who said they had sexual relationships with Condit. Defense lawyers said two of the women said they feared Condit. And the defense lawyers said Condit had obvious motive to kill Ms. Levy in order to keep the relationship secret. Condit testified at trial that he didnt kill Levy but evaded questions about an intimate relationship saying, Were all entitled to some level of privacy. Lawyers who represented Condit did not return calls seeking comment Thursday. Efforts to reach Levys parents were not immediately successful Thursday. Prosecutors say that as a result of their action Guandique, who is from El Salvador, will be released to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and faces deportation. Barakat reported from McLean, Virginia. Associated Press writers Ben Nuckols and Jessica Gresko in Washington contributed to this report. Open Friday BAD MOMS. The problem with Bad Moms isnt the concept, or the message about the struggle to raise good people in the world its the execution. From the micro level to the macro, the film is a hasty, shoddy mess. R (Grand, East Park, SouthPointe) Grade: C CAPTAIN FANTASTIC. The film is a compelling and original take on the well-worn territory of family ties, and Viggo Mortensens tough yet vulnerable performance is among his career best. R. (Grand) Grade: B JASON BOURNE. Star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass return to the action franchise for an intense ripped-from-the-headlines story of escaping from government surveillance. PG-13. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe) Grade: B TIME TO CHOOSE. This climate change documentary is set apart from others as it not only warns of the impending doom from global warming but suggests solutions that can be implemented now. Not Rated. (Ross) Grade: B+ Now Showing ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. Eddy and Patsy become international fugitives when Eddy accidentally knocks Kate Moss into the Thames in this faithful movie version of the British cult TV series that lampoons the fashion world. R. (Ross) Grade: B FINDING DORY. Nemo and Marlin help Dory find her parents in this satisfying sequel to the 2003 Pixar smash, "Finding Nemo. PG (Grand) Grade: B GHOSTBUSTERS. The reboot makes some winks to the uproar that preceded his gender-swapping film, but it mostly steers straight ahead, too busy being funny to worry much about misogynist detractors. PG-13. (Grand, East Park, SouthPointe) Grade: B HILLARY'S AMERICA: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. Author, filmmaker and convicted felon Dinesh D'Souza's third documentary is a personal assault on Hillary Clinton and an attack on the Democratic Party that fails even as propaganda. PG-13. (Grand) Grade: F ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE. The fifth "Ice Age" movie is a perfunctory, watered-down entry in the series that feels like it should have been released on home video. PG. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe). Grade: D LIGHTS OUT. A family has to fight off a demon that appears only at night in this scary, low-budget horror movie that's as good as the genre gets. PG-13.(Grand, Edgewood, SouthPointe) Grade: B MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES. Zac Efron and Millard native Adam Devine have to find "good girls" to take to their sister's wedding and get troublemakers Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza in this dumb, raunchy, predictable, but funny comedy. R (Grand) Grade: B- NERVE. This romantic teen cyber thriller pulses with life in the digital world as gamers expose themselves to online surveillance while playing a dangerous game on their phones. PG-13. (Grand, Edgewood). Grade: B- THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS. It's fun to imagine what pets get into when no one is home, and the animated "Pets" does a great job of taking that idea to an extreme. PG. (Grand, Edgewood, East Park, SouthPointe) Grade: B STAR TREK BEYOND. This episode-like installment in the rebooted "Star Trek" series adds some humor and character tweaks to its story of The Enterprise trapped during a rescue mission by an alien villain and his mechanical drones. PG-13. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood, SouthPointe in 3-D and 2-D). Grade: C+ NOTE: Theaters are for Friday only and are subject to change the other days of the week. A few chemical companies are scheduled to release their quarterly numbers on Aug 1. The chemical industry is clawing its way back after being roiled by the global economic crisis. The industrys recovery momentum is expected to continue this year, supported by strong momentum in the automotive market and rebounding construction markets. Chemical makers are also benefiting from strategic measures including expansion into high-growth markets, cost management and productivity improvement actions as well as acquisitions. However, the industry faces certain roadblocks including a still weak agriculture market, sluggish demand in the energy space due to depressed crude oil prices, a choppy Europe and slowdown in China. As per the Zacks Industry classification, the chemical industry is grouped under the broader Basic Materials sector. Earnings for sector participants on the S&P 500 index that have unveiled their quarterly numbers thus far are down 3.8% from the same period last year while revenues are down 10.3%, per the latest Earnings Trends report. The Growth picture looks tepid as the sectors earnings are expected to drop 12.2% in the second quarter, considering the companies that are yet to report. Revenues for the sector are likely to fall 7.6%. Among the chemical companies that have already come up with their quarterly numbers, we have seen solid earnings beats from chemical bellwethers DuPont DD and Dow Chemical DOW. Other prominent names such as PPG Industries PPG, Air Products APD and Celanese Corporation CE have also come up with positive earnings surprises. Lets see whats in store for these chemical makers that are set to report second-quarter numbers on Aug 1. Olin Corp. OLN will report after the close. It has an Earnings ESP of -29.17% as the Most Accurate estimate stands at a 17 cents and the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 24 cents. The stock carries a favorable Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the companys negative ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. Olin missed estimates in three of the last four quarters while it beat on one occasion. Story continues OLIN CORP Price and EPS Surprise OLIN CORP Price and EPS Surprise | OLIN CORP Quote W.R. Grace & Co. GRA will report ahead of the bell. It has an Earnings ESP of -2.90% as the Most Accurate estimate stands at 67 cents and the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 69 cents. The company also carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), which we caution against ahead of earnings release. The company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 6.70%. GRACE (WR) NEW Price and EPS Surprise GRACE (WR) NEW Price and EPS Surprise | GRACE (WR) NEW Quote Innophos Holdings Inc IPHS will report after the close. It has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% as both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at 50 cents. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3, but its 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. Innophos missed estimates in three of the last four quarters while it beat once. INNOPHOS HLDGS Price and EPS Surprise INNOPHOS HLDGS Price and EPS Surprise | INNOPHOS HLDGS Quote Trinseo SA TSE will report after the bell. The company is expected to post a positive earnings surprise as it carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and has an Earnings ESP of +6.06%. Trinseo beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 2.22%. TRINSEO SA Price and EPS Surprise TRINSEO SA Price and EPS Surprise | TRINSEO SA Quote 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 PPG INDS INC (PPG): Free Stock Analysis Report DU PONT (EI) DE (DD): Free Stock Analysis Report DOW CHEMICAL (DOW): Free Stock Analysis Report AIR PRODS & CHE (APD): Free Stock Analysis Report CELANESE CP-A (CE): Free Stock Analysis Report OLIN CORP (OLN): Free Stock Analysis Report INNOPHOS HLDGS (IPHS): Free Stock Analysis Report TRINSEO SA (TSE): Free Stock Analysis Report GRACE (WR) NEW (GRA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research San Ramon, CA-based Chevron Corp. CVX is one of the largest publicly traded oil and gas companies in the world, based on proved reserves. It is engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, refining and marketing of petroleum products, manufacturing of chemicals, and other energy-related businesses. Currently, Chevron has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) but that could change following its second quarter 2016 earnings report which has just released. Coming to earnings surprise history, the company has a poor record: its missed estimates in 3 of the last four quarters, resulting in an average negative surprise of 82.37%. We have highlighted some of the key details from the just-released announcement below: Earnings: Chevron beats on earnings. Earnings per share (excluding special items) came in at 49 cents, higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 31 cents. Revenue: Revenues below expectations. Revenues of $29,282 million were just under the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $29,799 million. Key Stats: Chevrons total production of crude oil and natural gas edged down 2.6% from the year-earlier level to 2,528 thousand oil-equivalent barrels per day (MBOE/d). The U.S. output decreased 6.6% year over year to 682 MBOE/d, while the companys international operations (accounting for 73% of the total) fell 1.1% to 1,846 MBOE/d. Moreover, decline on the production front were accompanied by the sharp downfall in oil and gas prices, the net effect resulting in a huge loss for the upstream division to the tune of $2,462 million. Chevrons downstream segment achieved earnings of $1,278 million, 56.8% lower than the profit of $2,956 million last year. The results were dragged down by lower margins on refined product sales. Costs & Expenses: Exploration costs nosedived from $1,075 million in the second quarter of 2015 to just $214 million. Chevron spent $5,523 million in capital expenditures during the quarter, a considerable decline from the $8,724 million incurred a year ago. Story continues CHEVRON CORP Price and EPS Surprise CHEVRON CORP Price and EPS Surprise | CHEVRON CORP Quote Check back later for our full write up on this Chevron earnings report later! 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 CHEVRON CORP (CVX): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research U.S. energy giant Chevron Corp. CVX reported strong second-quarter earnings, buoyed by the success of its cost savings initiatives. The company reported earnings per share (excluding special items) of 49 cents, higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 31 cents and the year-ago earnings of 30 cents. However, quarterly revenue fell 27.4% year over year to $29,282 million and was unable to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $29,799 million on weak crude prices and refining income. Chevron becomes the fourth integrated supermajor after BP plc BP, Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A and Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM in reporting second quarter numbers. Segment Performance Upstream: Chevrons total production of crude oil and natural gas edged down 2.6% from the year-earlier level to 2,528 thousand oil-equivalent barrels per day (MBOE/d). The U.S. output decreased 6.6% year over year to 682 MBOE/d, while the companys international operations (accounting for 73% of the total) fell 1.1% to 1,846 MBOE/d. Contribution from project ramp-ups (in the U.S., Angola, Canada and other regions) were more than offset by normal field declines, the effect of asset sales, the Saudi Arabia-Kuwait Partitioned Zone shut-in, maintenance downtime and disruptions in its Nigerian operations. Whats more, decline on the production front were accompanied by sharp downfall in oil and gas prices, the net effect resulting in a huge loss for the upstream division to the tune of $2,462 million. Despite continued pricing pressure, Chevrons production outlook remains one of the most robust in its peer group, with a number of major initiatives scheduled to come online during the next few years. Major start-ups during the year include the Chuandongbei Project in China and the Gorgon natural gas project in Australia. Downstream: Chevrons downstream segment achieved earnings of $1,278 million, 56.8% lower than the profit of $2,956 million last year. The results were dragged down by lower margins on refined product sales. Story continues CHEVRON CORP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise CHEVRON CORP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | CHEVRON CORP Quote Costs & Expenses Exploration costs nosedived from $1,075 million in the second quarter of 2015 to just $214 million. The second-largest U.S. oil company by market value after Exxon Mobil spent $5,523 million in capital expenditures during the quarter, a considerable decline from the $8,724 million incurred a year ago. Approximately 91% of the total outlays pertained to upstream projects. Balance Sheet As of Jun 30, 2016, the San Ramon, CA-based Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company had $8,764 million in cash and total debt of $45,085 million, with a debt-to-total capitalization ratio of about 23.5%. 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 BP PLC (BP): Free Stock Analysis Report CHEVRON CORP (CVX): Free Stock Analysis Report ROYAL DTCH SH-A (RDS.A): Free Stock Analysis Report EXXON MOBIL CRP (XOM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research ARICA, CHILE - A drug bust in Chile has resulted in the haul of cocaine worth more than 11 million ($12 million) that was bound for Spain. Three suspected traffickers were arrested, two of whom are confirmed Spanish nationals. According to officials, the anti-narcotics operation took place in the northern Chilean port city of Arica on July 23. The drug gang were reportedly part of an international group of traffickers moving drugs from Colombia across South America to a final destination in Europe. The three men arrested are all foreign nationals, one Colombian and two Spaniards and were detained for possession of more than 287 kilos (632 pounds) of cocaine with an estimated street value of over 11 million ($12 million). The arrested men will remain in custody whilst police carry out a 60-day investigation of the case, after which the suspects are due to face trial. Thanks to higher trading volumes, raised JV contributions. China Aviation Oil (CAO) saw an auspicious close to 1H16, as the jet fuel trader saw a 48.6% YoY spike in net profit to US$47.8m (roughly $64.56m). According to a media release by CAO, the steep spike in earnings is thanks to higher trading and optimisation gains, raised supply and trading volumes, as well as increased contributions from its associated and joint venture companies. RHB asserts in a report that CAO enjoyed steady growth in its jet fuel business, with jet fuel volume climbing 11% 6.7m tonnes in H1, aided by continuing growth in China and international aviation traffic. RHB also notes that though revenue dropped amid lower oil price, the fixed cost plus nature of profitability enabled CAO to nag higher margins. On top of this, CAOs key associate Shanghai Pudong International Airport Aviation Fuel Supply booked a 41% YoY surge in 1H16 contributions to US$29.6m. This was boosted by increased refuelling volumes and higher margins. Further, Oilhub Koreas contributions skyrocketed 275.8% to US$2.5m amid increased tank storage leasing activities, while China National Aviation Fuel Pipeline Transportations contributions soared 74.2% to US$1.8m on higher volumes. Moreover, CAO saw volumes for the trading of other oil products surge 154% to 6.9m tonnes in H1. Earnings from this segment tend to be volatile and more risky compared to CAOs jet fuel supply and trading businesses. RHB notes that CAO had reported losses in this segment over the last two years. More From Singapore Business Review MOUNT PLEASANT A former Kenosha County tavern owner has bought Monro Muffler & Brake Service for $950,000, according to Racine County records. John and Frances Willkomm of Kenosha bought the auto shop at 5320 Washington Ave. from H&L Real Estate Management of Fort Atkinson, according to the Racine County Register of Deeds office. John said he bought the business as an investment, and its operations will not change. For the past 40 years Willkomm ran the former Earls Club bar at the southeast corner of highways 50 and H in Kenosha County. He closed it in March after selling the property to a tire company. The Willkomms are the aunt and uncle of Michael and Jim Willkomm, developers of the southeast corner of Highway 31 and Spring Street. They are about to start construction of a Mobil fuel station, large car wash, Dunkin Donuts and a Dish restaurant, an independent brand the Willkomm brothers own. A second phase calls for the construction of additional retail and/or office space in the estimated $6 million or more development. Storm Clouds Italy This summer, China set aside $30 million for a controversial project that involves shooting salt-and-mineral-filled bullets into the sky. Their mission? Make it rain. The project is part of a larger campaign of so-called weather modification techniques that the country has been using since at least 2008, when they claim to have cleared the skies for the Beijing Olympics by forcing the rain to come early. China is far from the only nation trying to bring (or stop) the rain. At least 52 countries including the United States have current weather modification programs, 10 more countries than five years ago, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Operation Popeye It all started in the 1940s, when a pair of scientists from General Electric Co. were experimenting with using super-cooled clouds to stimulate the growth of ice crystals while hiking Mount Washington. The mountain, located in New Hampshire, is often called the "stormiest mountain in the world" and it's considered a prime spot for cold weather testing. After a series of experiments there and in New York, the two researchers managed to make it rain using silver iodide bullets. They got a patent for their technique, referred to as cloud-seeding, in 1948. A few decades later, the US military brought cloud-seeding to the battlefield. Between 1967 and 1972, during the Vietnam War, it spent roughly $3 million each year on weather modification campaigns designed to draw out the monsoon season and create muddy, difficult conditions for enemy fighters. One campaign involved an attempt to flood the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the main route that enemy fighters were using to deliver their supplies. Here's a snippet of a document from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) detailing the campaign: FAS weather modification documents vietnam The program was also known as Operation Popeye, Operation Intermediary, and Operation Compatriot. Whenever too many people would learn the name, the military would change it. Whether the program worked or not is still a matter of debate. According to the FAS, its "effects were minimal." Story continues dark clouds Scientists say this is one of the biggest problems with cloud-seeding programs: It's tough to tell if they have any effect at all. Even with today's improved techniques, it can be difficult to distinguish the weather that may have already occurred from the weather that the seeding could have caused. "The question is always, if you didn't do that, would it have rained anyway?" Alan Robock, a distinguished professor of geophysics at the department of environmental science at Rutgers University, told Business Insider. In 2010, the American Meteorological Society released a statement on cloud-seeding saying that although the science of weather modification has improved significantly in the past five decades, "there remain limits to the certainty with which desired changes in cloud behavior can be brought about using current cloud seeding techniques." In other words, we need more research. Desperate times Despite ongoing disputes over how well it works, people across the globe are still using weather modification to try and address large-scale shifts in temperature and precipitation brought about by climate change. In drought-stricken California and several states in the Midwest, cloud-seeding projects are being used in an attempt to increase water production, which is desperately needed both as drinking water and for irrigating crops. And although these projects "may not do so significantly ... even a 10% increase in rainfall or snowfall may be worth the expense," Bart Geerts, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Wyoming, told Business Insider. "We're becoming more and more aware of the constraints that arid environments have on resources. Water is the biggest constraint in the western US and parts of China," Geerts said. drought Across the globe, countries are seeing large numbers of such "extreme weather events," which can take the form of intense dry spells or severe storms and flooding. At the same time, there's a slight resurgence in the use of weather modification techniques, which experts say countries may be using to try and protect vulnerable areas from the brunt of natural disasters. China's Ministry of Finance aims to use the technology to create more than 60 billion cubic meters of additional rain every year by 2020, Reuters recently reported. Last year, the drought-stricken Indian state of Maharashtra spent $4.5 million on cloud-seeding. The current projects aren't limited to prepping for natural disasters or climate change, of course. This May, the Russian government allocated $1.3 million to a project designed to stop rain from falling on International Worker's Day. While some government-run projects exist, the most popular type of project involves coordination between the government and a private company. The largest such company, Weather Modification Incorporated, has operations worldwide and it claims prominently that its technology works. "Weather Modification Inc. is on the forefront of scientific technology to maximize water availability worldwide," it states on its website. "Application of scientific concepts and extensive scientific experimentation has proven that cloud seeding increases the amount of precipitation." Cuban cigar farm One of their recent projects, a pilot program in Wyoming was aimed at finding out if they could use cloud seeding to increase water supplies in the state. The National Science Foundation (NSF) also helped fund the project, although it hasn't had an official weather modification program since the 1970s, when federal agencies essentially froze funding for cloud-seeding projects. Geerts, who worked on that program through his university, says similar projects have been going on for decades. But "more recently, there's been more interest, especially in the dry periods," said Geerts. How cloud seeding is supposed to work All air contains moisture. Even in hot, dry areas, some water remains suspended in the sky. Before it rains, water droplets in the air condense and cool on tiny particles (such as dust) in the atmosphere, forming clouds. Once they grow large and heavy enough, they fall, melting along the way. This is what we know as rain. Cloud seeding operates on the same idea: By injecting chemicals into clouds to lower their temperature and give them more material on which to condense, it hopefully speeds up the process, causing it to rain sooner than it normally would. BI Graphics Cloud seeding Experts agree that in theory, cloud-seeding makes sense. But in practice, "I think the verdict is still out," said Geerts. Nevertheless, people are still striving to improve weather modification technology, hoping that one day it could help with everything from inducing rain to preventing hailstorms. In the meantime, researchers say we're seeing the impacts of what some call "unintentional" weather modification across the globe with the release of fossil fuels into the atmosphere. "Whatever we do locally, whether its industrial processes or burning biofuels, that has a global impact. And at the end of the day, some of that may be more significant than the intentional stuff that I'm involved with," said Geerts. NOW WATCH: The most powerful physics machine on Earth may have found something that breaks the laws of physics as we know them More From Business Insider From Popular Mechanics China is planning to bring quantum physics to space. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Austrian Academy of Sciences are collaborating to build a satellite that will perform the first ever quantum experiments in orbit. The experiments could have applications in future telescopes and communication technology. The Chinese satellite will be launched sometime in August, where it will test the limits of quantum communication. Onboard the satellite will be a special crystal that generates pairs of entangled photons, which will be fired at two laboratories in Beijing and Vienna. These photons will be used to test the range of quantum entanglement and the feasibility of quantum communications. Quantum communications rely on a particular property of subatomic particles, that observing them changes their state. Researchers have previously developed ways to use this property to encrypt data, because anyone eavesdropping on communications would leave a mark. The satellite team hopes to deploy this technology in space, where transmitting quantum data is easier. The satellite will test another peculiar quantum phenomenon: entanglement. Quantum entanglement is where two particles seem to share the same state, and changing the state of one particle will change the state of the other, even when the two are incredibly far apart. Einstein famously called this "spooky action at a distance," and the Chinese satellite will test it over the greatest distance yet. By splitting up a pair of entangled photons and sending them to Vienna and Beijing, scientists hope to study entanglement effects over more than 700 miles. This satellite will likely be the first of many quantum satellites that China and other countries will launch over the next few years. China is planning to launch several more satellites to form a quantum communications network that will allow secure communications with anyone in the world. Other collaborations, like one between the National University of Singapore and the University of Strathclyde, proposed launching multiple small cubesats to perform entanglement experiments. A Canadian team is working on how to entangle photons on the ground and send them to a satellite in orbit. Story continues We live in a quantum world now, and space is just beginning to reflect that. Source: Nature You Might Also Like (BEIJING) About two dozen Chinese relatives of passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Friday staged a small protest outside Chinas Foreign Ministry calling on governments to continue searching for the plane. The relatives gathered outside the ministry in Beijing and demanded to see the foreign minister to submit a petition to him saying that last weeks decision to suspend the search was irresponsible. China, Australia and Malaysia announced last week that the more than two-year-long hunt for the missing flight would be suspended once the current search area in the Indian Ocean has been completely scoured, something expected by the end of the year. The protest came the same day Australian officials announced that a wing part found last month on an East African island most likely came from the missing plane. The debris, which was found on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania, was analyzed by experts at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is heading up the search for the plane in a remote stretch of ocean far off Australias west coast. Those officials determined it was highly likely to have come from the missing Boeing 777, Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said in a statement. Several pieces of the doomed airliner have washed ashore in various spots around the southern Indian Ocean since it vanished more than two years ago with 239 people on board. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has previously determined that four pieces of debris it examined almost certainly came from the plane, and another wing part found a year ago on La Reunion island, off the African coast, was positively identified by French officials. Though the discovery of the debris has bolstered authorities beliefs that the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean, none of the parts have yielded any clues into exactly where and why the aircraft crashed. Officials are hoping to find the underwater wreckage and the critical flight data recorders, or black boxes, which could provide some answers. But with the end of the search looming, the black boxes may never be found. Story continues In Beijing, several of the relatives held up hand-written signs calling for the search to be continued and asked to meet Chinese officials involved in last weeks decision. Since these people spent the money of Chinese tax payers to represent Chinese relatives to attend the meeting, they are obliged to see us, said Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the plane. He said that their request for a meeting had been rejected. We will continue to demand the meeting because we want to know the most accurate information of what was going on in that meeting between Chinese, Australian and Malaysian officials who discussed the fate of the search, he said. The plane vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. It is believed to have turned back west and then south before dropping into the Indian Ocean west of Australia, where the search has been concentrated. Much of what happened to the plane remains a mystery, although many suspect that it was deliberately steered off course. Officials have said the search, hampered by bad weather and damaged equipment, will end by December. Associated Press writer Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report. BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese relatives of those on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which went missing two years ago on a flight to Beijing, made an emotional plea on Friday for the search to continue. Last week, Malaysia, China and Australia said in a joint statement that the hunt for MH370 would be suspended if the aircraft was not found in an area now being searched. The Boeing 777, with 239 aboard, disappeared in March 2014 while on a flight from the Malaysian capital, Koala Lumpur. Almost A$180 million ($135 million) has been spent since then on an underwater search spanning 120,000 square kilometers (46,332 square miles) in the southern Indian Ocean. About 30 family members, some in tears, gathered at China's foreign ministry to hand over the petition, and a group were allowed in despite a brief stand-off with plainclothes security. "We oppose their decision. We don't recognize it at all. That decision has no reason behind it," said Boa Lanfang, 65, whose son, daughter-in-law and grandson were on the flight. Some family members held up placards reading "The three governments have an obligation to the world to fulfill their promise". The families of those on board, most of whom were from China, have pressed hard for answers ever since the plane went missing. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Investigators believe the plane was deliberately flown thousands of kilometers (miles) off course before crashing into the southern Indian Ocean off Australia. Malaysian investigators said in 2015 there was nothing suspicious in the financial, medical or personal histories of pilots or crew. Several pieces of aircraft wreckage have washed up on beaches in Africa and been positively identified as coming from MH370 but they shed little light on the mystery. The search has lasted more than two years but has found no sign of the main wreckage. (Reporting by Joseph Campbell; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry) This week, Tungri Dukmokyi accompanied a group of Chinese as they breathed in the crystalline air of the Tibetan plateau. Guided by their Tibetan teacher, the members of Chinas Han ethnic majority lit yak-butter lamps in Tibetan monasteries and practiced Tibetan phrases she had taught them back in Beijing. Many Han people want to learn about Tibet because they have realized that making money doesnt buy you happiness, says Dukmokyi, who runs the Duk Mo Tibetan Training Center in the Chinese capital. We can give them inner peace. Tibets allure as an otherworldly retreat from modern-day materialism appeals not only to Western seekers but to stressed out Chinese as well. More than 20 million Chinese took holidays in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) last year, taking advantage of an infrastructure boom that has crisscrossed once remote areas with new roads and railways. As part of Chinas spiritual flowering, others have made pilgrimages to Tibetan monasteries to study with lamas, who boast hundreds of thousands of followers on Chinese social media. I want Tibetan culture, says Dukmokyi, to give people happiness. Read More: How and Why the Dalai Lama Left Tibet Yet many Chinese tourists remain unaware of the dissatisfaction that has infected Tibetan regions, particularly in the wake of deadly protests in 2008. Schooled in a government narrative that hails the Peoples Republics role in transforming a feudal state into a tourist mecca, Chinese holiday-makers are shielded from news that more than 140 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule and to call for the return of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. Even as the TARs economy has expanded 10.6% growth in the first half of 2016, the fastest in all of China, according to government figures so have restrictions on local worship and culture. Even successful Tibetans are not immune. Last month, Tibetan director Pema Tseden, who was a judge at a Shanghai film festival and hardly a political figure, was hospitalized after a police detention left him with serious injuries. The authorities contended that he had disturbed social order at the airport in the capital of Qinghai, a northwestern province with a large Tibetan population. Tsedens supporters, both Han and Tibetan, remain skeptical and wonder whether his ordeal was simply the result of his ethnicity. No matter what happened, I never saw him get angry or emotional or quarrel with other people, says a Han film producer friend. This issue is so sensitive. Story continues In recent days, Tibetan exile groups have decried what they say is the ongoing destruction of one of the worlds largest centers of Buddhist learning. Located in Sertar county, an ethnically Tibetan part of Sichuan province, Larung Gar has welcomed Tibetan and Han students alike to a warren of cabins carved into a hillside. Local officials quoted in state media said the demolition work at the academy, which began on July 21, was merely a renovation project designed to relieve an overcrowded community in danger of being ravaged by fire. Larung Gar was cleaned up once before in 2001 but its popularity has surged since then. Read More: Yushu: A Tibetan Town Rebuilt in Beijings Image Overseas Tibetan groups, however, contest that thousands of monks and nuns will be forced to leave Larung Gar under the pretense of a registration campaign. The demolition at Larung Gar is clearly nothing to do with overcrowding, said Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren, director of the London-based Free Tibet, in a statement. It is just another tactic in Chinas attempt to subvert the influence of Buddhism in Tibet. Whatever the truth, news about the demolitions has spread in domestic online chatrooms dedicated to trekking and spiritual adventures. Sertar is currently being demolished for reasons not to be discussed, said the social-media feed of one outdoor club based in the southwestern city of Chengdu. Its supposed to be restored in early August to its original style but that is certainly unrealistic. While the area is still full of color, please go to take a last look. Read More: Inside the Quiet Lives of Chinas Disappearing Tibetan Nomads For her part, Dukmokyi said she knows nothing about the situation at Larung Gar. Indeed, she shies away from sensitive subjects. I have two rules for my classes, she says. One is that we focus only on Tibetan culture and the other is that we dont talk about politics. Han interest in Tibetan language is a recent phenomenon, Dukmokyi says. The daughter of farmers from Ngaba, one of the most restive regions on the Tibetan plateau, relies on a Tibetan-English textbook to help with her lesson plans. (In Chinese universities, Tibetan language classes are reserved for native students, not those wishing to learn it as a foreign language.) Dukmokyis students meet in her brightly furnished home in Beijing, which is decorated with Tibetan rugs and mandalas. Unlike in many private Tibetan residences, there are no pictures in her living room of the Dalai Lama, who is vilified by Beijing. But even Dukmokyi admits that tourism, however much it has benefited the local economy, has changed her native Ngaba. Some unscrupulous Han guides put on Tibetan costumes and sell fake trinkets. Before, my home was covered in grasslands and flowers, she says. But now, everything is paved in cement. with reporting by Yang Siqi/Beijing Shares of CIT Group Inc. CIT rose 1.1% following its second-quarter 2016 earnings release, before the market opened yesterday. Earnings from continuing operations of 90 cents per share outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 79 cents. Moreover, the figure came 36.4% above the year-ago tally. Better-than-expected results were primarily driven by higher revenues, due to a rise in both net interest revenue as well as non-interest income. However, escalated expenses and provisions were the headwinds. Nonetheless, capital ratios reflected improvement during the quarter. Higher Revenues Offset Escalated Expenses Net revenue was $886.4 million, up 44.4% year over year. On a non-GAAP basis, net revenue of $645.1 million grew 58.7% year over year, driven primarily by a rise in net finance revenue. Further, the figure outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $620.6 million. Net interest revenue was $212.8 million, up significantly from $18.6 million in the prior-year quarter, mainly on account of higher interest income. Total non-interest income was $673.6 million, an increase of 13.2% year over year. The rise reflected an increase in all income components. Net finance margin increased 32 basis points to 3.65%. Operating expenses (excluding restructuring costs and intangible assets amortization) of $321.4 million surged 37.7% year over year. The increase was due to a rise in all expense components except advertising and marketing costs. Credit Quality Deteriorated Non-accrual loans increased 42.8% year over year to $282.8 million. Further, net charge-offs were $41 million, up 74.5% from $23.5 million recorded in the prior-year quarter. Also, provision for credit losses was $28.1 million, up 52.7% year over year. Healthy Balance Sheet and Capital Ratios As of Jun 30, 2016, interest bearing cash and investment securities amounted to $10.3 billion, comprising $7.1 billion of cash and $3.2 billion of debt, Federal Home Loan Bank stock and equity securities. As of Jun 30, 2016, Common Equity Tier 1 and Total Capital ratios were 13.4% and 14.1%, respectively, as calculated under the fully phased-in Regulatory Capital Rules, compared to 13.1% and 13.8%, respectively, in the prior quarter. Book value per share was $55.07 as of Jun 30, 2016, up from $50.91 as of Jun 30, 2015. Our Viewpoint CIT Groups recent divestiture of its Canadian business and commercial aircraft leasing business will help it in focusing more on the U.S. operations, which in turn support profitability growth. Also, the access to low-cost debt and steady capital deployment activities continues to impress shareholders. However, deteriorating asset quality is a major concern. Moreover, sluggish growth in industries where CIT Group provides finance, together with stringent regulations, will likely dent its performance in the near term. Also, mounting costs make us apprehensive. Story continues CIT GROUP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise CIT GROUP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | CIT GROUP Quote Currently, CIT Group carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Among other in this space companies, On Deck Capital, Inc. ONDK, StoneCastle Financial Corp. BANX and General Finance Corporation GFN are expected to report results on Aug 8, Aug 11 and Sep 13, respectively. 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 CIT GROUP (CIT): Free Stock Analysis Report GENERAL FINANCE (GFN): Free Stock Analysis Report STONECASTLE FNL (BANX): Free Stock Analysis Report ON DECK CAPITAL (ONDK): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Rob Portman A local Black Lives Matter group endorsed the Republican candidate for Senate in Ohio, Politico reported. Rob Portman, the Republican incumbent in the state, landed the endorsement of a Black Lives Matter group in Cuyahoga County the state's most populous county and home to Cleveland, host city of last week's GOP convention. However, Cleveland Scene reported that the group is not affiliated with the national Black Lives Matter network; Black Lives Matter in Cleveland is the only group that is. The organization has pushed back in the hours since the story broke. "This is not our chapter nor are we affiliated with them," BLM in Cleveland spokesperson Latonya Goldsby a cousin of Tamir Rice told Cleveland Scene in an email. "The Black Lives Matter Network that we represent is not connected with this organization." David Bergstein, Strickland's campaign spokesman, called the original Politico report "incorrect," citing the Cleveland Scene story. "Black Lives Matter Cleveland is the group's local organization in the area. Ted has a strong record of fighting for Ohio's African American communities and working families, and will continue to do so in the Senate," he said in a statement. Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the national Black Lives Matter network, said Friday that the group is "not an official chapter of our BLM network." The unaffiliated group ripped Portman's challenger, former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, in the endorsement. It said the Ohio Democrat "managed to destroy Ohio's budget and deplete its billions-dollar Rainy Day Fund." "In the current atmosphere of identity politics, BLMCC understands that endorsing even a well-qualified Republican such as Portman seems controversial; despite the fact that it was minorities who suffered the brunt of Ted Stricklands gross financial mismanagement," Jeff Mixon, president of the organization, said in a statement. Mixon, who sits on the Democratic Party's executive committee in the county, praised Portman for helping put major anti-opioid legislation into law earlier this month. Story continues "Ted Strickland devoted little time to the cause of helping rather than punishing addicts," Mixon wrote. "One thing that we at BLMCC feel confident about is this: the definition of 'rational' is not doing the same thing over and over with little or no thought expecting a different result. At some point, minority communities must carefully examine the impact of relying solely on the Democratic Sample Ballot on Election Day." This past weekend, Mixon fired back at what he deemed "the Strickland campaign's effort to belittle our group," adding he "was shocked and outraged." "Black Live Matter in Cuyahoga is deeply committed to making this country safer for Black children ALL CHILDREN as well as for the honorable and courageous men and women who risk their lives protecting and serving others," he said in a statement. "We won't allow any politician to hinder our effort to bring healing and justice to this nation. Our mission is bigger than Ted Strickland. If he doesn't understand this today, he definitely will come November." The group endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in February. "We are honored that Rob's positive vision for the future has attracted support from all corners of Ohio," Michawn Rich, a Portman campaign spokesperson, said in a statement to Business Insider. "Republicans, Democrats, and Independents are joining Rob's campaign because they all agree Ohio cannot afford to go backwards to the days of Ted Strickland when the state lost more than 350,000 jobs and ranked 48th in job creation." Portman, who was also endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police earlier in the week, is locked in a tough reelection bout with Strickland. The Ohio Republican is up 4 points on the former governor in the RealClearPolitics polling average. This story has been updated NOW WATCH: Watch the RNC audience boo Ted Cruz for not endorsing Trump More From Business Insider RACINE Racine Police descended in force at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday in response to a report of shots fired and a possible hostage situation on Summit Avenue near St. Patrick Street. Police later said there was no hostage situation and said the incident reportedly started as a civil dispute between two people who had a business relationship. Shots were reportedly fired outside, not inside any building. At least six squad cars assembled outside 1500 Summit Ave., a building that apparently houses Trademark Graphics and cookinpellets.com, according to a sign near the front entrance. Trademark Graphics started in 1949, according to the companys website, and creates decals, banners and signs. The firm supplies police and sheriff departments with lettering, striping and stars for squad cars, the website said. Cookinpellets.com manufactures hardwood grilling products and has a distributors across the country, according the companys website. At one point, several officers aimed their weapons toward the building. Investigation continues Police later had three people two males and a female in handcuffs in the rear of the building, which is close to the old Haban Manufacturing building on Northwestern Avenue. All three were later released from police custody, and two of them declined to comment about the situation as they left the scene. Police later took two other males from the building into custody and transported them from the scene in squad cars. Another male was detained in handcuffs at Summit and St. Patrick near the city water tower. He, too, was later transported in a squad car from the scene. Officers continued to conduct interviews with persons of interest Thursday night, Racine Police Chief Art Howell said. No arrests had been made as of 9 p.m., he said. Place was full of cops Neighbors and the curious gathered at Summit and St. Patrick during the frenetic two hours. Omar Patino said at first he figured the noise he heard was only fireworks. While outside his house on Lawn Street, the 16-year-old Racine resident heard nine sharp pops in succession coming from nearby Summit Avenue. Omar and his brother, who had a police scanner app on his cell phone, ventured though a side street to get closer. When they got to Summit, they came upon a sea of black and white cars and bulletproof vest-clad officers brandishing weapons. The whole place was full of cops, Patino said. Patino, who will be a senior at Horlick High School this fall, and his brother were joined at the corner by several other friends and watched the situation unfold. Weve seen little things happen in the neighborhood, but nothing this big, Patino said. If youre feeling a bit banged around and disheveled -- maybe a little dizzy, too thats because you just finished watching the Democratic National Convention after briefly recovering from the Republican National Convention. True, the perfectly choreographed DNC was a much smoother ride than the RNC, which made you feel as if you just stumbled off the Magnum XL-2000 roller coaster at Cedar Point. Related: As Clinton Accepts Historic Nomination, Democrats Move in on GOPs Turf And thats after being shuttled nonstop from one 200-foot scare-ride to another for the past 12 months, which coincidentally is about how long Donald Trump has been running his madcap quest for the presidency. Luckily, there are YouTube videos of both convention performances to fill in the gaps if your brain has had trouble absorbing all that was said and promised. Wait, were the Dems really chanting U-S-A and praising cops and did an older African-American couple actually endorse the Republican nominee? Its been quite a ride, folks as the man with the tan and the hair and the teeth and the personality that seems to attract trouble like paper clips to a magnet might say. How crazy has it been? Take a breath. Think for a moment. Related: Why Hillary Needs Bernie Now More Than Ever On the Clinton side, there has been the wild and fragrant insurgency of Bernie Sanders, the Clinton Foundation controversy, the massively expensive Benghazi hearings, the endless email scandal all of which Hillary has mostly put behind her. But if presidents were elected on the basis of how slickly they can skate though controversy, Trump would be getting sworn in on Inauguration Day. Remember those illegal immigrants who bring crime and drugs, John McCains is no hero, bloody Megyn Kelly, look-at-that-face Fiornia, Muslim barbarians at the gate, white supremacists, pathological Ben Carson, Little Marco, Lyin Ted, Trump U., unfair judge with the Mexican parents, Cruzs father and Lee Harvey Oswald, Hillarys face in a Star of David.yada, yada. Story continues Related: Is Trumps Style Wearing Thin? 70% of Americans View Him Unfavorably If it all seems surreal, it was. But through one drama or disclosure after another, both Clinton and Trump mostly hung tough when other candidates, tarnished and disgraced, would have slunk off. So the good news is: Whoever wins wont be a quitter. The bad news is: Its not over. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: By Dan Whitcomb (Reuters) - An attorney for Gary Condit, the former congressman who had an extramarital affair with Washington intern Chandra Levy before her 2001 murder, said on Friday that prosecutors had told the ex-lawmaker that he was not a suspect in the case despite their decision to drop charges against another man. A District of Columbia Superior Court judge dismissed the charges against 34-year-old Ingmar Guandique on Thursday after federal prosecutors said that, based on "new information," they could no longer prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. The disappearance of Levy, 24, in May 2001 and the subsequent investigation transfixed Washington, fueled by revelations that she had been having an affair with Condit, a married Democrat from California. Levy's skeletal remains were found the following year in a District of Columbia park where it was believed she had gone running. Condit was cleared by police, who ultimately focused on Guandique. "Consistent with my earlier statement that Mr. Condit was long ago completely exonerated by authorities in connection with the death of Chandra Levy, Mr. Condits counsel was informed yesterday by the U.S. Attorneys office in charge of the Levy case that Mr. Condit is neither a subject nor a target of the investigation into the murder of Chandra Levy," attorney Lin Wood said in a written statement. Wood said that prosecutors had authorized him to make the statement. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia said that he could not confirm or deny specifics of any investigation. Prosecutors have declined to elaborate on the new information that led to dismissing the charges against Guandique, and have not identified any other suspects in the 15-year-old case. Guandique had been facing a retrial in October. The Washington Post reported that prosecutors were forced to seek a dismissal of the case against him after a star witness in the 2010 trial confessed to a friend that he had lied when he testified that Guandique confessed to the crime. Story continues At the time of his arrest Guandique had already been imprisoned for attacking women in the same area where Levy went missing. Prosecutors said that the El Salvador native would be deported on his release. The sensational media coverage surrounding the case contributed to Condit's primary election loss in 2002. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) Were confused by this pic of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, and Macaulay Culkin Were confused by this pic of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, and Macaulay Culkin In the forever-fascinating world of celebrities, one of the latest photos posted by Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar has us baffled. On her Instagram, the actress shared a throwback picture of herself, Seth Green, and Macaulay Culkin. Its a delight to see, but there are just So. Many. Questions. Take a look at it and see if this doesnt feel like a puzzle we all have to work through: A photo posted by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on Jul 28, 2016 at 7:36am PDT Plus, leave it to the beautiful Sarah Michelle Gellar to be mysterious about the whole thing and not give us any details about where exactly this was, when this happened, and you know, why. Sarah wrote, Ok @sethgreen I promise last one (for now) but I came across this and it reminded me of one of our best trips #tokyo. Alright, so we know this was taken in Tokyo. Were they filming the same movie? Were all three of them randomly there together? What did they buy? Also, does Sarah Michelle Gellar ever age?! She looks exactly the same in that picture as she does now! Even though we dont know all the details, were guessing that these three are most likely just hanging out in Tokyo, as famous friends do. After all, Sarah Michelle and Seth have been working together for years (they were even in a commercial together 17 years before Buffy came out!). As for Macaulay, Sarah Michelle attended high school with him. So maybe Sarah brought Seth and Macaulay together in Tokyo? Questions aside what we know for sure is that Sarah loves a good throwback picture. Because shes been posting them left and right lately. Yup to go along with the last pic... @sethgreen I have been causing trouble together for ever #childhoodfriends (yes I've been up early organizing old boxes of photos - some of you may even remember pre digital, the tons and tons of shoe boxes filled with pictures- #olddays ) A photo posted by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on Jul 27, 2016 at 7:28am PDT Sarah also shared a throwback picture of her wax figure and Seth Green, from over 10 YEARS ago: Keep the pictures coming, Sarah! But maybe with some more info next time, because there are so many things we really need to know. The post Were confused by this pic of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, and Macaulay Culkin appeared first on HelloGiggles. It may have been the most pointed fashion statement of the political season so far. When Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) took the stage at the Democratic National Convention Thursday, she wore the same white bell sleeve dress worn by Melania Trump when she was accused of plagiarizing parts of her speech at last week's Republican National Convention. If it was meant as a fashion dis, it was clever all right, reminding viewers who were in on the joke exactly what Trump did, borrowing some passages of a speech given by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2008. Read More: Hollywood Image Makers Dissect Melania Trump's Convention Fashion Choices The former model's $2190 Roksanda Ilincic dress, which she bought herself on Net-a-Porter, sold out quickly on the site after her address. The congresswoman told a local Ohio NBC station that her husband purchased the dress for her, adding that the words in her speech were her own. But are the dresses really the same? Upon close inspection, it looks like the necklines and fabric may be slightly different. Perhaps Beatty's is a Trump-branded facsimile, which would be even better. American Sniper star Bradley Cooper received heat from fans on social media for attending the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Cooper could be seen in the audience with his girlfriend when cameras cut to show his reaction to the night's speeches. Conservative fans who watched the actor portray Navy SEAL veteran Chris Kyle in the Clint Eastwood-directed film were quick to call out the actor for seemingly going against the right-wing values of his onscreen character and showing support for Hillary Clinton. Read More: "When There Are No Ceilings, the Sky's the Limit": Watch Hillary Clinton Officially Accept Historic Nomination "How could you POSSIBLY play the hero Chris Kyle so well and then surround yourself w/anti-Americans?" one user tweeted. Many came to the actor's defense, while others joked about Cooper's critics not understanding that there's a difference between an actor and the person he or she portrays. Actor Josh Gad tweeted about the backlash, "If you're that pissed about #BradleyCooper being at #DNCinPHL because of American Sniper, might I suggest imagining him as Rocket Raccoon?" View more reactions below. Bradley Cooper, how could you POSSIBLY play the hero Chris Kyle so well and then surround yourself w/anti-Americans? https://t.co/DQQkyW3ss8 - Mitch (@SillyLibtards) July 28, 2016 Bradley Cooper is promoting Hillary? Too bad. He's dead to me now. pic.twitter.com/gXJ4ahO8YK - David O'Neill (@garlicfries95) July 28, 2016 I have a list of celebrities that support Socialism I refuse to spend another $ on. Add this one. Boycott them all. pic.twitter.com/uOFMkxSvRY - Nat Shupe (@NatShupe) July 28, 2016 Bradley Cooper at DNC?! Guess I've seen my last Bradley Cooper movie. Ewww Ick - The Real ExTex (@theRealExTex) July 28, 2016 Repubs never thought #BradleyCooper was anything but liberal. They r disappointed that his intricate study of Kyle's life taught him nothing Story continues - Bethany Cross (@Bethcross2Cross) July 28, 2016 If you're that pissed about #BradleyCooper being at #DNCinPHL because of American Sniper, might I suggest imagining him as Rocket Raccoon? - Josh Gad (@joshgad) July 28, 2016 People being mad at #BradleyCooper for having different political beliefs than a role he played is proof we need to invest in education. - Dave Engler (@DaveEngler) July 28, 2016 If you're gonna boycott Bradley Cooper, do it for a good reason like the fact he isn't actually a raccoon that hangs out with a talking tree - Cameron Young (@CameronPYoung) July 28, 2016 I can't believe republicans are mad that Bradley cooper was at the dnc like do they know he's not the real Chris Kyle - doug dimmadome (@hotdamntifftam) July 28, 2016 I want to thank all the idiots who are upset with #BradleyCooper for being a PERSON with his own opinions and beliefs. You have made my day. - Cannon Grant (@thatcannonguy) July 28, 2016 Republicans are sad that Bradley Cooper isn't really Chris Kyle. Nobody tell them that Sylvester Stallone didn't really beat Ivan Drago. - Adam Murray (@Atom_Murray) July 28, 2016 The Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week and the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week offered up quite the study in contrasts, in everything from overall tone to nuts-and-bolts policy proposals. Not only did the candidates and their surrogates lay out very different visions for the future of America, but they and their peers also made very different style choices while doing so. And while wed never reduce the candidates to their fashion choices, those choices can subtly underline or undermine their politics (Donald Trumps Italian-made suits, anyone?). Below, a round-by-round look at who said and wore what, and our picks for winners and losers for each category. Round 1: First Spouse: Former Model Melania Trump vs. 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton For Team Clinton, President Clinton stuck to the classics, wearing a navy suit, Democrat-blue tie, crisp white shirt, black dress shoes, and a Shinola watch. He also shared the long-and-winding tale of his and Hillarys life together, from Yale Law to Arkansas to the White House to New York to D.C. again and beyond. While he made some questionable comments in regards to racial justice and about Muslim Americans, it was nothing compared with what gets said at your run-of-the-mill Trump rally. His speech also succeeded in shedding new insight onto a woman who has lived in the public eye for the better part of three decades, as well as showing just how impossible it is to summarize her longstanding commitment to public service and work for social justice in one speech. When it comes to Team Trump, the identity of Mrs. Trumps speechwriter? Still murky. The identity of the big-speech-wedding-dress designer? An irrefutable fashion-world darling. Mrs. Trump wore Roksanda Ilincic, the Serbian-born, London-based designer known for her bold use of color and clever interplay between shape, pattern, and texture. She spoke of the values instilled in her by her parents, the kinds of values she and her husband hope to instill in their children. But heres the hitch: The giant belled sleeves of Mrs. Trumps dress were only slightly less distracting than the appropriated authorship of her remarks. Story continues Point: Team Clinton Round 2: First Daughter: Ivanka Trump vs. Chelsea Clinton Chelsea Clinton wore a formfitting knit red dress to introduce her mother to accept her partys nomination for the presidency. The strong color offered a nice counterpoint to Chelseas quiet, humble demeanor and the intimate and detailed stories she told about the kind of parent and public servant her mother has always been. Were still crying at the thought of the stack of notes Secretary Clinton left for her daughter to read when she had to travel out of the country for work notes that mentioned the importance of the policy knowledge she hoped to gain in her travels to help more American children, no less. And when she said that her mother taught her that public service is about service well, that red dress seemed to glow that much brighter. For the Trump camp, Trumps older daughter and only daughter with first wife Ivana wore a dress and shoes from her namesake collection. A similar, but not exact same style, is currently available for sale at Macys and Ms. Trump tweeted out an affiliate referral link to shop it the morning after she spoke on the final night of the Republican convention to introduce her father. During her (incredibly compelling and effortlessly delivered) speech, Trump tried to make a case for why her father is a great candidate for women voters, and for millions of women and young working mothers in particular. She promised that a vote for her father would translate into seeing the gender pay gap resolved, paid family leave, and an end to the discrimination women often face in the workplace should they choose to grow their families while also trying to develop their career. All of these points are hugely important and highly desirable its too bad, though, that her father has yet to ever speak publicly or present any policy proposals in regards to any of them. Point: Team Clinton Round 3: Vice Presidential Nominee: Indiana Governor Mike Pence vs. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine Sen. Tim Kaine has already emerged as the Internets favorite goofy-earnest dad. To drive home this message, he eschewed the buttoned-up professionalism of wearing a white dress shirt to address the nation and introduce himself and his policy positions, instead going for more casual blue. Kaine spoke about how much he trusts his running mate, Hillary especially with his Marine sons life as a potential future commander in chief. He also did an impression of Republican nominee Donald Trump that was so bad it was good. Also, he broke the Internet with an explosion of dad jokes that his turn in the spotlight inspired. Also, he loves harmonicas and always travels with at least four of them. Trumps veep pick, Governor Mike Pence, was another man to assume the convention stage in a navy suit, white shirt, and blue tie appropriately conservative choices for a man who told attendees that this running mate is a man known for a large personality, a colorful style, and lots of charisma. So I think he was just looking for some balance on the ticket. While Pence earns points in our books for the jokey self-deprecation, the draconian policies he has put in place in his state in regards to LGBTQ rights and reproductive rights are hardly funny. His desire to legalize discrimination based on sexual and gender identity and to criminalize the actions of doctors working to provide comprehensive reproductive health care for women clearly show that while his wardrobe plays it safe, his outlook on America is anything but. Point: Team Clinton Round 4: Television Star: Duck Dynastys Willie Robertson vs. Lena Dunham of Girls Longtime Hillary superfan Lena Dunham wore an $898 white off-the-shoulder sheath with a front slit by Uruguay-born, New York-based designer Gabriela Hearst and black stiletto sandals to talk about the danger of Trumps rhetoric toward women and the powerful results of the work that Clinton has done for survivors of sexual assault. Dunham wearing a dress by a Latino American was a subtly cool way to reinforce co-speaker America Ferreras point that, no, contrary to what Mr. Trump might say, not all Latino immigrants are rapists. With his signature stars and stripes bandanna tied around his forehead, Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson took to the podium the opening night of the Republican convention in a slouchy navy suit and pink dress shirt unbuttoned to Miami Vice proportions to lecture the media on why they missed the Trump Train, saying that they dont hang out with regular folks like us, who like to hunt and fish and pray and actually work for a living. The unflattering, boxy cut of his suit paled in comparison to the unflattering and untrue description of all the journalists and media types we have ever known. Point: Team Clinton Round 5: Movie Star: Antonio Sabato Jr. vs. Elizabeth Banks Hunger Games, Pitch Perfect, and 30 Rock star Elizabeth Banks appeared the second night of the Democratic convention in a white Elie Saab dress bedecked with white tonal paillettes that would not have looked out of place on former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The fit-and-flare style with sheer panels at the collarbone were a perfect mix of classic and modern and a perfect metaphor for watching Hillary Clinton, who has been in the public eye for the better part of her adult life, finally shatter the glass ceiling and clinch her partys nomination the night Banks held court. Former Calvin Klein underwear model and actor Antonio Sabato Jr. is not uneasy to look at. However, the navy pinstripe suit paired with a checked blue dress shirt and baby blue tonal paisley silk tie that he wore to speak at the Republican convention made for a confusing muddle of color and pattern. Also confusing? His continued insistence that President Obama is Muslim, a fact that is both fundamentally untrue and also incredibly offensive when used as Sabato does, as an attribute that would somehow immediately disqualify someone from the presidency. Point: Team Clinton Round 6: The Unexpected Friend: Scott Baio vs. First Lady Michelle Obama The fabulous first lady delivered what it is being heralded as maybe one of the greatest if not the greatest speech at a nominating convention ever to the Democrats in Philadelphia. She spoke about the importance of being a role model to your own children and the nations children in everything you do and the kinds of values instilled in children that contribute to American greatness. Best of all, she did this while wearing a cap-sleeve Christian Siriano dress in classic Democrat blue a move made all the more awesome considering the way Siriano teamed up with Saturday Night Live star Leslie Jones to create her red carpet look when other designers refused to dress her for the Ghostbusters premiere because of her size. So, bringing America to tears while talking about our childrens future, while wearing a designer that embodies feminism, body positivity, and good taste in comedy all in one fell swoop? Lets just call it a hard act to beat and why the Internet is now begging for #FLOTUS4POTUS. Meanwhile, former Charles in Charge star Scott Baio took to the Republican stage wearing a dark gray suit, white shirt, red tie, and flag pin. Also, the day before he did so, he called Hillary Clinton a word we cant put in print. Plus, he hasnt really done anything since Charles in Charge other than become a Trump superfan. Point: Team Clinton Round 7: The Candidate: Reality Television Personality Donald J. Trump vs. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton A woman in white with her eyes on the White House, Hillary Clinton managed to honor the contributions of the suffragettes who fought for a womans right to vote, to continue the belief in hope (both the town and the noun) that her husband President Bill Clinton and her colleague President Barack Obama have continued to insist upon, and ask that all eyes be on her the real her, absent of any stereotypes and petty name-calling to focus on the importance of words she had to say and not the fleeting political hoopla surrounding them. Not bad for an evenings work for one simple, no-frills pantsuit. Donald Trump was all doom and gloom and but a little light on facts when he accepted the Republican Partys nomination for president last week in Cleveland. But he was outfitted in classic businessman style: dark navy suit, white shirt, and of course Republican red tie. While the candidate does make his own line of suits, shirts, and ties mainly made in China and available for sale on Amazon he himself famously wears only Italian luxury designer Brioni, whose suits typically retail somewhere north of $5,000 a pop. It remains unclear how a beautifully made Italian suit fits in with Trumps vision of American greatness. Point: Team Clinton Politics Conventions over, Clinton and Trump take the White House fight to swing states Opening a new chapter in the presidential campaign, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took their fight for the White House to battleground states Friday as they seek to capitalize on back-to-back party conventions that offered starkly different visions of America. Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine embarked on a three-day bus tour through the Rust Belt battlegrounds of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Clinton used her first postconvention rally to stress the stark choice voters will face in November. The anti-Trump message was a striking reminder of Clintons own vulnerabilities. Rather than ask Americans to trust her, she implored them to rally against Trump, whom she cast as dangerous and unfit to lead the country. Theres no doubt in my mind that every election is important in its own way, but I cant think of an election that was more important in my lifetime. Its not so much that Im on the ticket, its because of the stark choice thats posed to Americans in this election. Clinton Trump is also targeting Ohio and Pennsylvania as states where he can make headway with blue-collar white men. That demographic has eluded Clinton and was unlikely to be swayed by a Democratic convention that heavily celebrated racial and gender diversity. On Friday, Trump jetted to Colorado, where his plan to build a wall on the Mexican border could resonate with angry whites but repel Hispanics. Just over 100 days before polls open on Nov. 8, both parties are divided, both candidates are profoundly unpopular, and the race is tight. In an election year that has seen the voices of the hard right and the hard left become more dominant, Clinton is making a bold play to seize the political center ground. The 2016 political conventions will be remembered by Stephen Colbert fans as the time he emerged, if briefly, from his Celebrity-Suck-Up-Interviewing-At-CBS period, and got back to doing that which he does best: thumbing his nose at authority. Among the moments that have delighted Colbert fans and the media during RNC and DNC weeks: the return of his The Daily Show lead-in Jon Stewart, to weigh in on Donald Trumps GOP nomination, as well as the return of Stephen Colberts conservative bloviator act, also known as Stephen Colbert. Last night, however, Colbert said corporate lawyers were trying to kill Gasbag Stephen Colbert. Almost immediately after his brief return, on Late Show last week, CBS lawyers heard from corporate lawyers, Colbert told viewers he did not specify if they were from Comedy Central or its parent Viacom. Those lawyers gave CBS notice they thought Stephen Colbert II was their intellectual property. Therefore, Original Stephen Colbert said on last nights Late Show, it is with a heavy heart that, thanks to corporate lawyers, the character of Stephen Colbert host of The Colbert Report will never be seen again. What can I do? Colbert said when his studio audience erupted with outrage. The lawyers have spoken. I cannot reasonably argue I own my face or name. Its not the first time performers have turned into performance art a feud with a corporation laying claim to their name. Prince did it really well. The corporation never comes off very well. Comedy Central has declined to comment on this kerfuffle. Colbert had said, when it was announced he was leaving Comedy Central for CBS, he would retire that iteration of Stephen Colbert. The comment was made as loud conservative talk talent, were screaming, literally, about the hire. Rush Limbaugh, for instance, announced CBS had just declared war on the heartland of America with Colberts hiring, heartland being Limbaughs turf in his mind. Story continues On the other hand, Colbert said, in the walk-up to his debut as Late Show host, that he sometimes had trouble knowing where the Stephen Colbert the character ended and Actual Stephen started, as that relationship evolved over the years. Last night, Original Stephen Colbert I introduced Stephen Colbert IIs identical twin cousin, Stephen Colbert III. Their mothers, turns out, were identical twins who married identical twin brothers and the two couples had sex at the exact moment and gave their newborn sons exactly the same name. The new character was wearing Stephen Colbert IIs trademark wire-rimmed glasses and overabundance of hair product and patriotism. But, because lawyers were involved, Colbert III lacked the suit and tie that are the uniform of Fox News Channel star Bill OReilly who Stephen Colbert II was born to mock. This was a blue-collar Colbert, sporting a short-sleeved American-flag shirt that surpassed Meryl Streeps convention blouse in its hideousness. And this Stephen Colbert talked about his identical cousin probably being gay, among other DOA jokes. But, the important thing here, is that nose was thumbed. Colbert III announced hes going to become a regular on The Late Show, vowing Stephen, whenever you need me, wild horses ridden by corporate lawyers could not keep me away. Hopefully, lawyers will let him go out and buy a suit. But there was more. After the unveiling of yet another Stephen Colbert character (look out Tatiana Maslany) Original Stephen Colbert introduced to a brand-spanking new Late Show segment, The Werd. Which again, lawyers being involved, was one important letter different from The Colbert Reports The Word segment, and also included other changes, not the least of which was the addition of The Late Show logo on the screen. With any luck, this too becomes a regular feature of Stephen Colberts The Late Show, and the lawyers of Comedy Central/Viacom will have earned the undying gratitude of Colbert fans. Related stories Delaware Judge Clears Way For Sumner Redstone Exam In Challenge To Viacom Board Richard Kind, The Last Martin O'Malley Supporter, Attends DNC For Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' Stephen Colbert Welcomes Comedy Central 'Broad City' Talent To 'Late Show' Hillary Clinton has overcome many obstacles on her groundbreaking path to become the first woman presidential nominee for a major party, and sexism was certainly one of them, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said Thursday night in an interview with Yahoo News. Chatting with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric at the Democratic National Convention, Booker cited descriptions of Clintons hard-charging personality as shrill among the subtle ways gender bias has been woven into the critiques against her over the years. Theres a different standard applied to women than is applied to men, Booker said in a live interview with Couric and Yahoo News National Political Columnist Matt Bai. When people say that shes shrill, I know lots of guys who could be accused of that, but I dont think they are because theyre men. Booker, who was on the shortlist to be Clintons running mate, said the Democratic candidate for president has dealt with discrimination for decades. Booker said he and Clintons daughter, Chelsea (who will introduce her mother Thursday night), have had discussions about how her mom was criticized for being a proactive first lady when former President Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas from 1983 to 1992. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., takes the stage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 25, 2016. (Photo: Paul Sancya/AP) Because she wants to be a woman, but was engaged and involved and leading change, Booker said. And how she was assaulted for being that kind of woman. Booker said Hillary Clintons preparedness, knowledge and passion are misunderstood. Shes not a shrinking violet, as they say, the senator said. Shes a strong, commanding, confident person, and Im going to celebrate that. I want that as my president. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Story continues Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> The Republican and Democratic party conventions are quadrennial displays of support for their respective nominees for president, nationally televised shows of party unity. Somebody forgot to tell Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders supporters, who remind us that the conventions can also be an indication that not everyone in the party is behind the nominee. Cruz, the U.S. senator from Texas, ran second to Trump in the Republican primaries. Hes shown a repeated willingness to stand for what he believes is right, with no regard whatsoever for whether that makes him popular with Democrats or his fellow Republicans. Combine that with Trumps personal attacks on Cruzs wife and father, and you wonder why Trump ever agreed to give Cruz a plum Wednesday night speaking slot. Cruz, as he pointed out later, congratulated Trump on winning the nomination and said nothing critical of Trump in his address to the convention. But of course, thats not the point: If you speak in prime time at either convention, you are expected to endorse the nominee. Cruz did not do this. When it became apparent that Cruz might not be building to an endorsement, when he said vote your conscience instead of vote for Donald Trump, the boos started building inside the arena in Cleveland. He concluded by saying we will unite the party, but the cascade of boos from the Republican delegates suggested that he was uniting the convention attendees against him. Trump pointedly emerged into public view from a private box before Cruz was finished speaking, seemingly looking to upstage one who was trying to upstage him. Not that its been 100 percent unity with the Democrats this week in Philadelphia, either. Supporters of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., angered that leaked emails reveal that Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz showed favoritism to Clinton over Sanders during the primaries, showed determination to advance their agenda both outside the arena and on the convention floor. When Sanders himself on Monday urged them to support Clinton, they booed him. In Mondays session, during a speech by U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland civil rights champion, Congressional Black Caucus heavyweight and son of a sharecropper which largely focused on the Democrats fight for civil rights, Sanders supporters began chanting, No TPP! and holding up signs, essentially heckling Cummings loudly on national TV, USNews.com reported. Apparently those Bernie backers, theoretically liberal, dont have much regard for the young Sanders participation in the fight for civil rights for blacks in the 1960s. Cummings was co-chair of the Democrats platform committee, which inserted language that didnt specifically oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping trade deal that President Barack Obama put high on his second-term wish list. Sanders used Clintons support for TPP as an effective weapon against her in the primary debates. But his supporters publicly harassing Cummings, a widely respected lawmaker and black leader, isnt a good look for a faction that, by Sanders own admission, got clobbered by Clinton in the South, home to the largest segment of the nations black population. Sporadic shouts of No TPP! have been heard during other Democrats speeches, including during a Wednesday night speech by President Barack Obama that was otherwise warmly received in the arena. Of course, thats the point; if everyone else is respectfully quiet, listening to a speaker, thats when you shout about your personal agenda. It looks like Trump and Clinton have some work to do if they are to unite all the factions of their respective parties behind them before the second Tuesday in November. A jewellery company in Turkey can turn your kids doodles into adorable jewellery [Photo: Instagram/tasarimtakarim] If youve got children, its likely your house is drowning in doodles. But though your little ones first etchings are undoubtedly sweet, theres only so many stick men scribbles one fridge can display. So inevitably they end up being shoved in a loft-bound box never to be looked at again. Wouldnt it be great if there was a way of capturing those precious drawings in a way that was a bit more special? Well step forward Tasarim Takarim, a Turkish-based jewellery company which cleverly converts childrens drawings into necklaces, bracelets, cufflinks and other beautiful items. Now you can turn your kids scribbles into beautiful keepsakes [Photo: Instagram/tasarimtakarim] All you have to do is send in your little ones cute drawing and the clever creatives will repurpose it into a stunning piece of jewellery. Its like a single moment of someones childhood becomes timeless, co-founder Yasemin Erdin Tavukcu, told The Huffington Post. Every drawing is unique, Tavukcu continued. So their application solutions and their techniques are also unique. So cute! [Photo: Instagram/tasarimtakarim] Tavukcu says it was her daughter, Serins first drawings that first prompted the idea of turning childrent art into beautiful keepsakes. Typically, the pieces are usually hand cut from silver or gold-plated silver, but lasers can be used if your child has really gone to town on the detailing. A creative at work [Photo: Instagram/tasarimtakarim] The whole process usually takes about a week and prices range from around 100 for a small necklace to 165 for silver cufflinks. UK based customers can order via their Etsy shop. Forget wearable tech, this season its all about wearable art! It may only be July, but we totally know whats top of our Christmas list this year! What do you think of the jewellery? Let us know @YahooStyleUK Cheap Yet Chic Wedding Rings You Will Love To Wear Pimp My Ride: Pushchairs Celebrity Parents Love Cummins Inc. CMI is set to report second-quarter 2016 results on Aug 2. In the last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 5.65%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors Influencing this Quarter Cummins has the potential to benefit from its innovative products together with the increased use of its engines by a number of original equipment manufacturers. The companys Distribution segment is poised to gain from the acquisitions undertaken in North America. The company completed 10 acquisitions in a span of over two years. Together, these should lead to better performance in the quarter to be reported. However, Cummins expects revenues to decrease in 2016 due to lower levels of production in the North American on-highway markets, reduced demand globally for off-highway and power generation equipment, and the negative impact of currency. Additionally, the company is facing challenges in its Power Generation business due to weak global demand, mainly for larger units. These factors can adversely affect Cummins quarterly results. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Cummins is likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. This is not the case here, as you will see below: Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Cummins Earnings ESP is -5.58% because the Most Accurate estimate stands at $2.03, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $2.15. Zacks Rank: Cummins carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, we need to have a positive ESP to be confident about an earnings surprise. We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Story continues CUMMINS INC Price and EPS Surprise CUMMINS INC Price and EPS Surprise | CUMMINS INC Quote Stocks to Consider Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Westport Fuel Systems Inc. WPRT has an Earnings ESP of +9.09% and a Zacks Rank #3. The companys second-quarter 2016 financial results are expected to release on Aug 3. Magna International Inc. MGA has an Earnings ESP of +0.75% and a Zacks Rank #3. The companys second-quarter 2016 financial results are expected to release on Aug 5. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. CTB has an Earnings ESP of +3.60% and a Zacks Rank #3. The companys second-quarter 2016 results are expected to release on Aug 4. 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 MAGNA INTL CL A (MGA): Free Stock Analysis Report CUMMINS INC (CMI): Free Stock Analysis Report WESTPORT FUEL (WPRT): Free Stock Analysis Report COOPER TIRE (CTB): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Washington (AFP) - US Democrats said they had been targeted by yet another cyber attack, while Hillary Clinton's campaign confirmed that an analytics program it used was breached in an earlier intrusion. A hack on Democratic National Committee servers resulted in last week's embarrassing leak of emails that revealed how party leaders sought to undermine Clinton's Democratic White House rival Bernie Sanders. Clinton's campaign has blamed Russia for hacking the emails, which were made public by anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. The Kremlin dismissed the allegations as absurd, but President Barack Obama has refused to rule out the possibility that Russia is trying to sway the presidential election in favor of Republican Donald Trump. Clinton's campaign said Friday the hack on the DNC had accessed an analytics data program that it used. The program was maintained by the DNC, it said. "Our campaign computer system has been under review by outside cyber security experts," campaign spokesman Nick Merrill said in a statement. "To date, they have found no evidence that our internal systems have been compromised." Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said Friday it was the target of a "cyber security incident." "The investigation is ongoing. Based on the information we have to date, we've been advised by investigators that this is similar to other recent incidents, including the DNC breach," national press secretary Meredith Kelly said in a statement. The DCCC was working to enhance its network security and "cooperating with the federal law enforcement with respect to their ongoing investigation," she said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was working to determine the "accuracy, nature and scope" of reports of cyber intrusions "involving multiple political entities." The FBI "takes seriously any allegations of intrusions, and we will continue to hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace," the agency said. Story continues WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange indicated more Clinton campaign leaks were forthcoming. "We have more material related to the Hillary Clinton campaign," he told CNN on Friday. "Those are extremely interesting. We will see what will come of them in due course." He refused to say how WikiLeaks obtained the leaked emails, but pointed to reports that the DNC had previously been told its systems were vulnerable and had been compromised by hackers. "The DNC and the RNC have been Swiss cheese in terms of their security," he said. Assange defended the leak, saying it was "true information." "If we don't understand what our institution's doing we have no hope to reform them whatsoever," he said. US Secretary of State John Kerry raised the DNC hack with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Laos earlier this week. "Secretary Kerry has noted that we've been concerned about Russia's activity in this space for quite some time," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Friday. "I suspect that won't be the last time they have a conversation about this," he added. One of the most powerful and poignant moments of the Democratic National Conventions four days came Thursday as the Muslim father of a slain American soldier blasted Donald Trump saying. Read: Great-Grandmother Brings DNC to Tears as She Discusses Military Son's Sacrifice: 'Tom Made Big Differences' "You have sacrificed nothing and no one, said Khizr Khan, who lost his son, 27-year-old Army Captain Humayun Khan, in a 2004 suicide blast in Iraq. Joined by his wife Ghazala, Khan spoke from the podium at Philadelphias Wells Fargo Center, taking Trump to task as he addressed the GOP candidate's stance on banning Muslims from the U.S. "Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?" he said. "I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words; look for the words, liberty and equal protection of law." The proud father then pulled a copy of the Constitution from his jacket pocket and raised it in the air. The Khans, who live in Charlottesville, Virginia, emigrated from the United Arab Emirates to Boston in 1980 when their son was 2. Humayun enrolled in the ROTC program while a student at University of Virginia where he graduated with a psychology degree before being deployed to Iraq. Khan also slammed Trumps immigration proposals, saying: "If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country." While Ghazala remained silent as her husband spoke, the look of anguish on the mother's face resonated with the audience. Read: Gabby Giffords Inspires DNC Crowd: Speaking Is Difficult but in January I Want to Say 'Madam President' "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America -- you will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities," the late soldier's father asked Trump Thursday during his speech. Story continues Captain Khan was doing a routine check at the gates of an Army gate in Baqubah, Iraq, in June 2004 when a car rigged with explosives approached and detonated. The captain, who signaled for the vehicle to stop and ordered other soldiers nearby to stay back, is credited with saving the lives of his comrades around the camp. Captain Khan was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Watch: Obama Slams Trump's View of America in Rousing DNC Speech: 'America Is Already Great' Related Articles: Philadelphia (AFP) - The father of a Muslim US soldier killed in Iraq accused Donald Trump of vilifying patriotic American Muslims while "sacrificing nothing" himself, in a steely rebuke that electrified the Democratic convention. Khizr Khan -- whose son Humayun died in a 2004 suicide bombing in Baquba -- admonished the Republican presidential nominee for his plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States. "Tonight we are honored to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to the country," he said, stirring delegates who had watched a video tribute to his son in captivated silence. "If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America," he said. "Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims." "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future, let me ask you -- have you even read the United States Constitution?" he said, brandishing a copy to loud cheers. "I will gladly lend you my copy!" Khan said, demanding Trump look for the word "liberty" and consult the 14th amendment, which guarantees equal protection before the law. "Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery?" he demanded, as many in the audience were moved to tears. "Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities." "You have sacrificed nothing, and no one!" he said. Krewella spoke with The Daily Show senior correspondent Hasan Minhaj for Billboard's coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, discussing comedy, politics, Bollywood and cultural appropriation. Fielding an question from a fan, Minhaj was asked about how comedians often seem to be held more accountable for their words than politicians. Watch Krewella Talk Police Violence, Islam & Youth Vote With Officer Shafiq Abdussabu at DNC 2016 He agreed with the sentiment, saying, "I don't understand why people are going after us, we're jus the social commentators. We should be going after members of congress and people who enact change where rubber meets the actual road." Later, Minhaj and Krewella's Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf discussed their favorite Bollywood films, reminiscing over their childhood influences. DNC's Third Day: Lenny Kravitz Performs 'Let Love Rule' and Broadway Shows 'What the World Needs' From there, conversation turned to cultural appropriation -- something Minhaj argued he was fine with, so long as credit was given where due. "I am so down with other people appreciating and seeing the great stuff that our culture has provided," he said. "I just think you could CC and give credit to the culture that it's taken from." Watch the full video here: Adelaide motorists were shocked to see this road rage incident in the suburb of Pooraka on July 26. The owner of the video told Storyful he was driving his work van along Bridge Rd when he approached a set of traffic lights. He says the driver in the car next to him put his foot down and sped off in front of me as soon as the lights turned green. I clapped my hands at him and he got p***ed off. He started swearing at me and stuck his fingers up at me. The video shows the car swerving between lanes, accelerating and then stopping and even reversing on the busy road. Credit: Anonymous By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street, seeking direction as the S&P 500 has been stuck in a narrow trading range for 12 days, will next week shift its attention from second-quarter corporate earnings reports to economic data. Investors will be looking for signs of economic strength to reinforce the positive direction hit Friday, when the S&P 500 hit an intraday record high. Data estimates for next week show the manufacturing and services sectors are expected to have expanded in July while the economy is seen having added a healthy 180,000 jobs this month. "I think the economy in the U.S. is getting better and still can improve. The overall tone will be of an economy that is getting better at a reasonable pace," said John Manley, chief equity strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management in New York. The U.S. stock market has been trading flat as second-quarter earnings have come in better than initially expected, but the outlook for third-quarter earnings has worsened. In fact, the S&P 500 traded in a less-than-1 percent range throughout the 12 sessions to Friday, a lull not seen in data going back to 1970, according to Ryan Detrick, the senior market strategist at LPL Financial. It is no wonder that investors are suffering from a lack of resolve; they have been pushed and pulled by a slew of other factors, including worries about the global economy and the fact that shares have already been on a tear not well supported by several quarters of weak earnings. Stocks are pricey now, but so are other asset classes. The S&P 500 is trading near its record high, at roughly 17.2 times the earnings of its component companies over the next 12 months, a valuation that is expensive when compared to its 15.5 median, according to Thomson Reuters data. Selling is not an obvious choice either, since those who must remain invested face few other choices. Bonds sport high prices and near-record-low yields, and commodities, led by oil, hit a wall after a strong first half of the year. U.S. crude (CLc1) is down 14 percent this month alone. Story continues The lack of direction in the S&P index as it sits near its record close of 2,175.03 hit July 22 could be an indication of strength, as these new highs are digested by the market. If the jobs report data land far from expectations, that will likely give indexes a jolt on Friday, said Michael Yoshikami, CEO and Founder at Destination Wealth Management in Walnut Creek, California. But neither that jolt nor the earnings reports still to come would be enough to set stocks on a new course, he said, because of the uncertainty brought on by the final stretch of the U.S. presidential election campaign leading up to the Nov. 8 vote. "Between now and the election theres going to be so many headlines that it's going to be difficult for the market to really rally significantly," Yoshikami said. (Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Linda Stern and James Dalgleish) By Alana Wise PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Chelsea Clinton took the stage of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday to portray her mother Hillary Clinton as a loving, smart and playful woman qualified to be elected president of the United States. In a 12-minute introduction received warmly in a packed Philadelphia arena, Chelsea Clinton countered criticism that her mother is an untrustworthy politician who struggles to show compassion in front of American voters. "She's a woman driven by compassion, by faith, by a fierce sense of justice and a heart full of love," the only child of presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and former U.S. President Bill Clinton told the crowd. Hillary Clinton took the stage minutes later to become the first woman to accept the presidential nomination of a major U.S. party. Chelsea Clinton, a 36-year-old mother of two, was the last in a series of speakers at the four-day gathering who sought to cast Hillary Clinton in a familial light ahead of the Nov. 8 election against Republican Donald Trump. She called her mother a "wonderful, thoughtful, hilarious" person who made time during her childhood to attend dance and piano recitals, and to gaze at the sky with her to find "shapes in the clouds". "That feeling of being valued and loved, thats what my mom wants for every child. It is the calling of her life," Chelsea Clinton said. President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden had also given speeches supporting Clinton, casting her as qualified for the Oval Office because of her experience as a former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady, but also because of her loyalty and passion. Chelsea Clinton, who has been in the public eye since her childhood in the White House, took a low profile after her father left office in 2001. She married investment banker Marc Mezvinsky and served as vice chair of the Clinton Foundation charity. After her mother's presidential bid she re-entered public life to hit the campaign trail, endearing herself to supporters with stories of Clinton as a mother and grandmother to her children, Charlotte, aged 2 come September, and Aidan, born in June. Trump has also relied on his children to soften his image. His eldest daughter Ivanka spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week, depicting the New York businessman as "color-blind and gender-neutral" to counter critics who have called his comments about immigrants and women bigoted and callous. Both candidates' children say they are friends, a relationship they struck up before their parents launched campaigns for the White House. (Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Howard Goller) Biologists separate life into three phases: development, aging and late life. But a growing body of research now suggests that there is a fourth phase immediately preceding death that scientists have dubbed the "death spiral." Although most of the "death spiral" research has focused on fruit flies, scientists think these studies can offer valuable insight into the last stage of human life as well. "We believe this is part of the process of, basically, genetically programmed death," Laurence Mueller, chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine, said in an interview with Live Science. [What Are Your Odds of Dying From ] Expiring fruit flies Over the past decade, several studies of fruit flies have suggested this spiral toward death can be seen in the drop in reproductive rate (fecundity), according to a review of this research by Mueller and his colleagues, published earlier this year in the journal Biogerontology. For instance, researchers reporting in 2015 in The Journals of Gerontology found that the first day a female fly laid zero eggs was a significant predictor of death: Indicators of fecundity started to decline about 10 days before young female fruit flies laid zero eggs. The researchers think that whatever leads to the flies' deaths also affects their ability to reproduce in their final days. In the new review, Mueller said that the timing of this decline matches another previous estimate of the death spiral's duration. Relative to the average life span of a fruit fly, 10 days could be as much as a third of a fly's life, Mueller said. Research from 2002 on Mediterranean fruit flies, called medflies, found that 97 percent of males began lying upside down about 16 days prior to death. In relative terms, this potential indicator of a death spiral is also approximately equal to the timing of the fecundity decline in the fruit flies. [The Science of Death: 10 Tales from the Crypt & Beyond] Story continues In another study, scientists observed fruit flies, nematodes and zebrafish, to see if their intestines exhibited increased leakiness before death. The researchers tested this leakiness, called permeability, by feeding food dye to each animal. If permeability increased, that dye would leak out into the animal's body, and its body would change color blue in the flies and fish, and fluorescent green in the nematodes. The research, published online March 22 in the journal Scientific Reports, concluded that this intestinal leakiness was a marker of death in all three species. A human death spiral? The hope is that death-spiral research in fruit flies and other organisms could someday tell scientists more about the decline of humans prior to death. [8 Tips for Healthy Aging] In their review paper, Mueller and his colleagues cited a study from 2008 published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesas evidence that people may experience the death spiral as well. In that study, researchers analyzed data collected on the physical and cognitive abilities of 2,262 Danish people, ages 92 to 100, from 1998 to 2005. They found that the physical and cognitive scores of individuals who died within the first two years of the study were significantly lower than the scores of those who were still alive in 2005. The assessments included measures of grip strength, ability to complete daily activities (such as using the toilet and eating) and exams that helped evaluate cognitive impairment. Basically, Mueller said, a death spiral in people could be the reason we often see a distinct increase in disability just before a person dies. Humans are challenging study subjects for both ethical and biological reasons, but looking at the death spiral in other organisms could give scientists a window into how this works in humans, the researchers said. According to Mueller, the next step in this research might be to selectively breed the flies to create groups that experience death spirals of different durations. "Once you create populations that are genetically different in that way, you can ask, 'What genes were changed in order to reduce the length of the death spiral?'" Mueller said. Using that knowledge, researchers could look at the human genome for similar genetic markers; humans are genetically similar to fruit flies, Mueller noted. According to yourgenome.com, a website of the Wellcome Genome Campus, 75 percent of disease-causing genes in humans are also present in fruit flies. Mueller said the research isn't about stopping or even delaying death. Rather, he sees it as a way to improve people's quality of life when they are reaching the end and potentially save immense amounts of money in end-of-life health care. "Even if we don't affect when you die, we'd like to make you fully functional up to the day you die," he said. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Hockenheim (Germany) (AFP) - Formula One's decision to delay the introduction of the long-awaited cockpit protection 'halo' device until next year was given a mixed reception by drivers on Friday. Nico Rosberg, who was fastest for Mercedes in practice for his and his team's home German Grand Prix, said the postponement to 2018 as disappointing. But defending champion and team-mate Briton Lewis Hamilton and rival Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull were more understanding of the dilemma facing the sport. "It's there and it is all ready to go," said Rosberg. "It just needs to be put on the car. "A large majority of drivers wanted to get it on the car as soon as possible. "It just made sense as it's such a huge step in safety - so, it's disappointing to hear that it's not going to be on the car for next year." A demonstration shown to the drivers at last weekends Hungarian Grand Prix claimed that the halo could increase the safety of drivers by 17 percent in the case of head injuries suffered in the cockpit in accidents. Hamilton, who was previously against the device, said he had changed his mind after seeing how the halo could give added protection. But on Friday, he said: "If it's there, it's there. And, if it's not, it's not. It makes no difference to me. "As we said last week, it is a safer option, but Ive not driven with it - and others have said that it's kind of a claustrophobic feeling. It's kind of in the view when you are driving. "I think what they are going to do is to try and work on improvements for the future, but we can't ignore the fact that that is a solution which will be safer for us." Ricciardo said: "One thing we have been leaning towards is that, if there isnt a perfect solution, we should wait and get something proper rather than do it in a half-hearted way. "So, I think thats the reason why it is postponed, for now. Story continues "Sure if it is on the car, we want it to work in the right way, but I understand that it is new and its not easy to get something right overnight. I respect the decision." Earlier Friday, Red Bull team chief Christian Horner defended the decision to postpone the introduction of the 'halos' and said not enough research and development had been carried out. Horner spoke out after drivers union boss Alex Wurz warned that the move, taken on Thursday by the Formula One Strategy Group, had put business interests before driver safety. "I disagree with that," said Horner. "We've agreed for a system to come in in 2018, but it needs to be fully researched, fully developed and fully tested. At the moment, other than a couple of installation laps from a couple of drivers, theres been no (testing) mileage put on this. He added that new tyre compounds are always tested intensively and extensively before they are introduced and said the same rigour must be applied to safety components. News of the rejection of the proposed cockpit protection device came just hours after four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel warned nothing justifies death. The Ferrari driver said: It would be the first time in human history that weve learned a lesson and we did not change. Khizr Khan PHILADELPHIA Many of the conservatives who watched with dismay as the Republican Party nominated Donald Trump have now watched with amazement as Democrats co-opted some of Republicans' favorite themes at the Democratic National Convention. Democrats' thinking was clear: We're the only political party left for grown-ups, so we'd better make sure we have something to offer voters on both sides of the aisle. American exceptionalism and greatness, shining city on hill, founding documents, etc--they're trying to take all our stuff Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) July 28, 2016 There was a clear choice about tone, especially on the last two days of the convention: Speakers would not mock conservatives for getting into bed with Donald Trump. They would mock Trump and make the case that conservatives should be embarrassed and ashamed that their party nominated him and should look across the aisle at a party that shares more of their goals and values than they may have realized. So the Democratic convention had retired military officers making the case for Hillary Clinton's steady hand as commander in chief, paeans to Ronald Reagan, and optimistic messages about the indispensability and exceptional nature of America. It had Michael Bloomberg explicitly noting that he disagreed with Clinton on many things but would be voting for her because she was "a sane, competent person" unlike that other guy. A video introducing Hillary Clinton's nomination-acceptance speech even went out of its way to praise George W. Bush for his support for New York's post-9/11 rebuilding efforts. A speech to make Republican elites feel sickened (as they should be) by what their party has nominated. Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) July 28, 2016 This was a clear play for the votes of conservatives and, especially, moderates. But it doesn't mean Democrats were lurching to the center. Rather than imitating Republicans, Democrats deftly combined Republicans' tropes with their own. Story continues Perhaps the most amazing example of this one that I believe will be discussed for decades as an iconic political moment was a speech by Khizr Khan, a Muslim immigrant and father of a US Army captain killed in action in Iraq. He took Trump to task for his demonization of Muslims and plans to bar them from entering the US. Khan demanded to know whether Trump had ever even read the Constitution and then whipped out his own pocket version, offering to lend it to Trump. You've got a lot of things to honor and celebrate there at once: founding documents, military service, religious pluralism, immigration. It was a moment designed to appeal to the left and the right at least, the principled parts of the right that truly care about religious freedom and not just Christian special pleading all at once. In some ways, this was the most left-wing Democratic convention of my lifetime. A goal of the convention was to convince leftists that Clinton is far enough left to earn their vote. Most of the Monday lineup was a celebration of Bernie Sanders and his movement, with lots of bragging about how many of Sanders' ideas got into the platform, pushing the party leftward. But the appeals to the center and the far left were not a contradiction. The convention sent the message that Clinton is the candidate for liberals and moderates and leftists and conservatives who feel horrified by Donald Trump, because that is what she is. Clinton doesn't agree with all those people about everything, and she disagrees with some of them about a lot of things. But she will be a fairly normal president who will uphold the norms ordinarily observed by both parties and allow our republic to continue functioning. That's a low bar, but it is one the other party's nominee can't clear. And that is why Clinton could convincingly hold a convention that promised to be so many things to so many people and why so many conservatives sounded relieved by the olive branch the convention offered. NOW WATCH: Father of deceased Muslim US soldier asks Trump 'Have you even read the US Constitution?' More From Business Insider PHILADELPHIA Political candidates should not depend on large contributions from the wealthy and the powerful, Democrats on Monday declared while kicking off their national convention. But the rest of the week made this clear: Democrats have a light year to go before ever reaching that goal. Banners decorating lampposts along major thoroughfares carried the names of top convention sponsors, such as Comcast, AT&T and Amalgamated Bank. Corporations such as oil giant Chevron sponsored state delegation lunches. And the swank lobby of the Ritz-Carlton, with its marble columns and soaring, domed ceiling, was packed all week with the Democrats most stalwart bankrollers. The irony wasnt lost on anyone. At the Ritz, which housed elite contributors, donors mingled with lawmakers, shaking hands and greeting their benefactors and other acquaintances. A long line of dark SUVs lined the sidewalk outside the Ritz, waiting to ferry deep-pocketed contributors from luncheons to cocktail hours to special briefings with top officials. Democratic U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, while surveying the Ritz lobby, said he and many other lawmakers live a dual existence. This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. By day, Wyden said, he crafts and fights for legislation that would require more disclosure and transparency in campaign finance and reduce the influence of big donors. And then, he said, my staff sends me home at 7 or 8 oclock at night with a bunch of call sheets to call people on the West Coast and Im calling with my little tin cup out. After youve done that for a couple of hours you want to drown yourself in the bathtub. Reform the system, just not tonight Both U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agitated during the Democratic presidential primaries against the unbridled influence of money on the political process. Story continues Sanders and Clinton have, for example, both called for the overturning of the U.S. Supreme Courts 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which opened the door to unlimited political spending by corporations, unions and other special interests. But the Democrats week in Philadelphia also highlighted other, more traditional avenues of big-money influence that have made a comeback of sorts during 2016. Related story: The influence diaries: Dispatches from the Democratic National Convention Democrats this election cycle reversed an Obama-era ban on accepting lobbyist and corporate political action committee contributions for use by the Democratic National Committee and Democratic National Convention. Freed from restriction, professional political influencers may fully participate in a parade of perks, parties and access opportunities. Lobbyist Tony Podesta, whose brother, John Podesta, is Clintons campaign chairman, hosted brunches on Monday and Tuesday for clients and friends at Barbuzzos, a chic Mediterranean restaurant downtown. The bar was laden with marcona almonds, prosciutto and other goodies. Attendants passed pan-seared gnocchi and meatballs in polenta. Guests included representatives from the Japanese and Indian embassies and at least two Democratic members of Congress, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada and U.S. Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota. On Tuesday night, law and lobbying firm Dentons welcomed guests to a reception at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Two former heads of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean and Joe Andrew, held court as guests noshed on sliders and sipped drinks from the open bar. Hillary Action Fund, a joint fundraising committee that raises money for Clintons campaign and for the Democratic National Committee, feted donors at a Tuesday night reception at Reading Terminal Market, a trendy, bustling food hall next to the Pennsylvania Convention Center offering everything from Chinese food to chocolate-covered pretzels and for that particular event former President Bill Clinton. On Wednesday night, law and lobbying firm DLA Piper hosted an intimate dinner at Del Friscos, a tony steakhouse downtown that boasts interior balconies and a three-story wine tower. On Thursday morning, big donors to the Democratic Partys Senate campaign arm trickled into the same Del Friscos, this time for a brunch celebrating retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. The brunch itself was up a short flight of stairs that were framed by enlarged black-and-white photographs of Reid as a young boxer. Related story: The influence diaries: Dispatches from the Republican National Convention Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Dozens of exclusive events played out in high-end venues all over the city: a tea at the Ritz-Carlton, featuring Broadways Idina Menzel and Cyndi Lauper. A cocktail party at the Barnes Foundation. Super PACs and outside political groups also made Philadelphia their playground. For example, a constellation of groups tied to Clinton ally David Brock hosted a party near the convention arena featuring superstar DJ and producer Diplo. Corporate sponsors also courted convention delegates at every turn although not always with the luxurious touches afforded to lawmakers or prominent influence peddlers. Yesterday, I ate a lunch at a Pennsylvania delegation lunch that was sponsored by Chevron, said Daniel Doubet, a Pennsylvania delegate from Erie. Doubet, who is an organizer for Keystone Progress, an organization that campaigns for progressive policies in Pennsylvania, said he would like to see a system of public financing for campaigns and conventions. But on Tuesday, he ate the cheese steaks and pasta, because Ill do what I have to do to survive and attending the convention is expensive. The 'unilateral disarmament' argument Campaign finance reform advocates, political donors and current and former members of Congress acknowledge the tension between the money-in-politics policies Democrats advocate for and how they conduct themselves at events like the Democratic National Convention. But most chalk it up to political necessity. Several of them parroted liberals favorite campaign finance trope Democrats cant be expected to unilaterally disarm in a world of super PACs and secret money and insisted Democrats must play by existing rules until those rules change. As it is now, you operate by one set of rules that incentivizes behavior that involves getting large gifts from donors, said Nick Nyhart, the president and CEO of Every Voice, a group that advocates for campaign finance reform. The answer, he said, is to make sure candidates publicly commit to changing it. Sandy Newman, head of Voices for Progress, another group that advocates for money in politics reform, said, No one should expect Democrats supporting reform to fight with one hand tied behind their backs by restricting their own fundraising while the other side is fighting a no-holds barred attack with big guns. Democrats will continue to fight for campaign reform and citizen-funded elections while Republicans will work to further erode our campaign finance laws, said millionaire investor Sean Eldridge, who himself ran for Congress in New York in 2014. Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts said it was important to elect Clinton because, as president, she could nominate a Supreme Court justice who would overturn Citizens United and all the other bad decisions that freed up money from any restriction. The Democrats official party platform endorses a small donor matching public financing system. It also calls for Citizens United to be overturned, as well as a 1976 Supreme Court case called Buckley v. Valeo that voided some campaign spending limits enacted following Watergate on First Amendment grounds. In contrast, the Republican Partys main campaign finance reform-related platform plank calls for raising or eliminating political contribution limits altogether. "Overturning Citizens United is not going to solve the problem of money in politics," said Jonathan Soros, son of billionaire financier George Soros, a top Democratic funder who has so far given $7 million to the main pro-Clinton super PAC this election, but reportedly plans to spend upward of $25 million aiding her and other Democratic candidates and groups. (The Center for Public Integrity receives funding from the Open Society Foundations, which George Soros funds. A complete list of Center for Public Integrity funders is found here.) A major Democratic donor in his own right, Jonathan Soros in 2012 helped create the Friends of Democracy super PAC, which aimed to stop the power of big money. He has also called for the adoption of public funding systems based on the government matching peoples small-dollar contributions to political candidates. Raising money at every level possible Other left-leaning donors say they, too, are supporting candidates who they believe will change the current system for the better. For now, said donor Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux, the founder of Entrepreneurs for Hillary and a member of the campaigns national finance committee, we do what we can to raise at every level possible. She highlighted the campaigns efforts to give donors who raise as little as $45 access to events. Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, with his wife, is the top individual donor at the federal level this cycle, according to campaign finance data tracked by the Center for Responsive Politics. Theyve together given more than $31 million, nearly all of it to NextGen Climate Action Fund, the super PAC Steyer founded. Related story: For special interests, the real party is outside the convention Don't miss another Politics investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Steyer, in an interview with the Center for Public Integrity after a panel event sponsored by NextGen Climate on Wednesday in Philadelphia, said big money in politics is a huge problem. "But we also understand that these are the rules right now, he said. And so were participating in a system, and were trying to do it in a very transparent way, not hiding anything that were doing. Daniel Simon, a New York City-based donor who advises Voices for Progress, said Democrats have attempted to sponsor legislation calling for campaign finance disclosure and reform. Meanwhile, Republicans have done everything they can in an attempt to block it, Simon said. Simon, who took the train from New York to Philadelphia to attend party events for donors held during the convention, said lawmakers often bring up how much they dislike having to spend so much time fundraising. I believe this is a bad system, but I also think that this is the system we have until we have the votes to change it, he said. Until then, the high-dollar hobnobbing among those in power and those who seek access to it continues. On Thursday night, after Clinton ceremonially accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, three super PACs Senate Majority PAC, which works to win a Democratic Senate majority; House Majority PAC, which does the same for Democratic House candidates; and Priorities USA Action, which supports Clintons presidential bid co-hosted a unity concert featuring rapper and event headliner Snoop Dogg. Together, the super PACs have already raised money into the nine-figure range. This story is part of Buying of the President 2016. Tracking the candidates, political committees and nonprofits that are making this presidential election the most expensive in history. Click here to read more stories in this investigation. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. Frankfurt (AFP) - Shareholders in Deutsche Boerse approved the German stock exchange operator's bid to merge with its London counterpart by a narrow margin, the company said on Friday. Investors holding 63.7 percent of the company -- just over the 60-percent threshold -- had accepted the offer to convert their shares into shares of the new company by the deadline of midnight on July 26, Deutsche Boerse stated in a legal filing. The Frankfurt-based firm had confirmed on Tuesday that the 60-percent hurdle had been cleared, but had previously not stated by how much. "We are very pleased that the majority of our shareholders believe in the compelling strategic rationale of our proposed merger," chief financial officer Gregor Pottmeyer said in a statement. Under the terms of the deal, shareholders in the Frankfurt stock exchange will control 54.4 percent of the new holding company's capital, while LSE shareholders will end up with 45.6 percent. LSE shareholders already voted overwhelmingly in favour of the tie-up earlier in July. Investors who did not accept by midnight on Tuesday now have until August 12 to reconsider, Pottmeyer said. "We are confident that we will see significantly higher acceptance levels at the end of the two additional weeks," he added. Company bosses had the threshold for shareholder support lowered from 75 percent to 60 percent earlier this month to smooth the deal's path, as doubts emerged following Britain's late June vote to leave the European Union. Uncertainty remains over where the merged firm will be based, with media reports suggesting politicians and regulators are against a joint headquarters in London -- the original plan. Frankfurt or a "neutral" European city such as Amsterdam are now more likely candidates, German financial daily Handelsblatt reported earlier this month. Deutsche Boerse, which operates the Eurex derivatives exchange and the Clearstream clearing house as well as the Frankfurt stock exchange, and LSE, which operates the London and Milan stock markets, have been seeking a merger since March. Theres shade and then theres shade, and we already have an irrefutable shade champion of this years political conventions in Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday, wearing a dress that bears an uncanny resemblance to the one worn by Melania Trump last week when she spoke at the Republican National Convention. in complete baller move, Rep. Joyce Beatty wears Melania Trumps RNC dress at DNC pic.twitter.com/rDouZetx9h Anne Helen Petersen (@annehelen) July 29, 2016 Melanias bell-sleeved dress was created by London-based designer Roksanda Ilincic, a Serbian native. The $2,190 dress, which was originally marketed as a wedding gown for the modern bride, quickly sold out after Melania wore it for her RNC speech which California-based journalist Jarrett Hill pointed out contained paragraphs that seemed to match part of the speech that Michelle Obama gave at her husbands nominating convention in 2008. Rep. Joyce Beatty for the trolling win. https://t.co/oouVMMQtqg rfkdems (@rfkdemocrats) July 29, 2016 Who wore it best? 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. - By Punch Card Research A key skill in improving our investment process is the ability to look a mistake squarely in the face and figure out what went wrong. We will start with the ugly, Conn's (CONN). CONN is down 55% since we wrote about it . At Punch Card, if we get something wrong, we go back into the data and we figure out why what happened happened, and why we got it wrong. CONN1 As a refresher, CONN was a specialty retailer of appliances, furniture, mattresses and electronics with 89 locations in Texas and the Southwest. Significantly, at that time, CONN financed 77% of customer purchases through its proprietary subprime credit portfolio. Our original CONN thesis was fairly straightforward: Conn's brick-and-mortar retail business has very few competitive advantages. As we have written about previously, retail is a brutal business with no switching costs and where every innovation is easily copied. The subprime lending business is not much better. Like the goods CONN sells, loans are a pure commodity. Even more disturbingly, over and over again subprime lenders have shown a distressing tendency to water down underwriting standards in a quest for short term profits and market share. However, by combining these two unattractive businesses, we felt that CONN had created a differentiated business model and a defensible niche. We didn't discuss it in the original post but one of the models we had in our head was the Berkshire (NYSE:BRK.A)(NYSE:BRK.B) business, Clayton Homes. Clayton Homes is a mobile home distributor. Clayton's biggest competitive advantage is customer financing. Berkshire's AAA rating and low borrowing allows them to lend to customers at very low rates. Clayton targets a similar customer segment as CONN. Further, at the time of post, recent difficulties had driven the stock price down. Specifically, the subprime lending arm had run into problems due to lax underwriting. Given the market's past experience with deterioration in subprime credit, the stock reaction was severe: The price fell from $79 at the start of 2014 to $16.02 by the time of our post. We believed that the market had simply overreacted to moderately bad news. Thus, CONN was a good company with a temporarily low stock price. Story continues WHAT HAPPENED SINCE OUR POST? Since we wrote our post, there has been a steady stream of bad news. Here are some of the highlights (lowlights): In March 2015, CONN moved to an originate to securitize model. This model came under severe scrutiny as a chief cause the Great Recession. Companies that securitize wash their hands of credit risk and have limited "skin in the game." As a result, they have less incentive to maintain high underwriting standards. Earnings continued to deteriorate. In Q3 2015, CONN reported its first quarterly GAAP loss since 2012. 2016 was no better. Net income for the year was about half of 2015. The most recently reported quarter, the period ending 4/30/16, was also in a loss. Management turned into a revolving door. The CEO was replace in September 2015. The board of directors was shuffled in March of 2016. The CFO, who had been on the job for less than two years, was replaced in June 2016. Perhaps most disturbingly, despite continued assurances to the contrary, credit performance has still not hit bottom. Net charge-offs for the quarter ending 4/30/16 was 13.8% compared to 8.9% at the time of our post. CONN2 Source: Company filings via Sentieo.com The company continues to play accounting games. Most egregiously the percentage of re-aged loans continues to increase. The percent of loans re-aged jumped from 13.1% to 14.8%. The farce of "extend and pretend" continues.[1] They also play another game, account combinations, which had not been disclosed previously. An account combination is the practice of combining a newly originated loan with an existing loan to the same customer rather than tracking the performance separately. The cumulative impact is similar to the impact of re-aging such that when the company reports that say 94% of loans originated in 2015 were paid off, 10-15% were actually combined into a new loan. CONN3 Source: Company filings via Sentieo.com All in all, CONN find itself stuck in a downward spiral it is struggling to get out of. The company reports retail revenue when a sale is completed. Credit losses are recognized over time. This mismatch works great when the company is growing rapidly. The retail segment reports rapid growth while it takes much longer to recognize the losses. Further, the company uses the re-aging game to slow down the recognition of losses even more. CONN is now dealing with the other side of this dynamic. As the company stops providing easy credit and retail growth slows, the company must report slowing retail sales at the same time as quickly escalating loan losses held over from the easy credit period. Compounding the problem, management refuses to truly clean up its lending practices for fear of further reducing sales. WHERE DID WE GO WRONG? In our original post, we wrote that we were "confident that Conn's see the error of their ways and is taking steps to tighten up the underwriting process." We believed a few bad loans would wash out of the business and leave a healthy, growing retailer. We have been severely punished for putting this much faith in management. Most businesses reconsider their lending practices when bad loans skyrocket, but not Conn's. Instead, CONN is loaning more than ever. The loan balance increased by 14% to $1,559 million as of April 30, 2016. Despite repeated assurances that the pig was passing through the python, it is clear that the company has still not hit bottom. We feel this analyst's pain (Q1 2017 Earnings Call): Hi. Good afternoon. So wanted to start with maybe a bigger picture question, just on credit and today's announcement. I guess it's mostly for Norm. Having followed Conn's for a while, and if we look at, I think, issues in your credit segment really started to come to light maybe a few years ago and since that point, there's been a number of announcements from Conn's and initiatives to tighten up credit. And seemingly those initiatives have not worked as well as they were intended to do and then we get today's announcement, where once again we're restructuring, for a lack of a better term, the credit business. My questions is, Norm, as you look back, still being relatively new to the Company, where did the prior initiatives over the past one, two, three years fall short? And then what's really the difference today as we look at what you'll be doing to fix the credit business versus what you had done previously? LESSONS LEARNED What can we learn from this mistake? 1. Be very skeptical of turaround stories. As Buffett said in the 1979 letter, "Both our operating and investment experience cause us to conclude that "turnarounds" seldom turn, and that the same energies and talent are much better employed in a good business purchased at a fair price than in a poor business purchased at a bargain price." Success depends on leadership, a good plan and luck. Turnarounds based on the quality of debt seem particularly difficult for some reason. The number of subprime lenders that have gone down over the years is astounding. We should have held off on concluding the turnaround would be successful until we saw more concrete indications that the credit quality had improved. 2. Don't trust management. We should have looked more skeptically at management. We thought that a huge drop in the stock price would be sufficient to get their attention and make the hard decisions. We were wrong. Management seems unwilling to dramatically tighten lending requirements at the risk of reducing sales. The biggest reg flag was the company's continuing reliance on "extend and pretend" lending. We certainly noted the practice in our write-up but we did not treat it as automatic disqualification. We should have. 3. Lending businesses are difficult to analyze. Even a cursory glance at our Track record makes it clear that we have a hard time analyzing lending business. We have reached the conclusion that one must have an intimate knowledge of the culture and the approach to underwriting before you properly analyze the business. 4. Assign probabilities to a range of outcomes. In the original post we wrote: " There are two narratives at work with regard to CONN. The first is that CONN is a slow-growth big box retailer with a sleazy subprime financing arm with loose underwriting requirements that artificially pumps up sales. This collapse in the loan portfolio was simply inevitable. The second view is that CONN is and remains a fine company and the market greatly over-reacts to any bad news related to subprime." With the benefit of hindsight, its clear that the first narrative was correct. We should have assessed the probability of each of these outcomes occurring. [1] Indeed, the company went so far as to loosen the qualifications for re-aging. "Excessively restrictive re-aging policies cause both severity and rate of charge-off to increase. We have modified our re-aging policies to make them somewhat less restrictive, with the most significant change to allow re-aging more frequently." This article first appeared on GuruFocus. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / Dolly Varden Silver Corporation (TSX.V: DV | OTC: DOLLF) (the "Company" or "Dolly Varden") has granted a total of 1,000,000 share purchase options to directors and members of the Company's executive and technical team. Each share purchase option entitles the holder to purchase one common share in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.75 per common share expiring five years from the date of grant. The grant of stock options was made in accordance with the Company's January 2012 share option plan. About Dolly Varden - Dolly Varden Silver Corporation is a mineral exploration company focused on the exploration of the Dolly Varden silver property located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. The entire Dolly Varden property is considered to be highly prospective for hosting high-grade precious metal deposits, since it comprises the same structural and stratigraphic setting that host numerous other, on-trend, high-grade deposits, such as Eskay Creek and Brucejack. The Company's common shares are listed and traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol DV and on the OTCBB system under the symbol DOLLF. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Contact Information: Dolly Varden Silver Corporation Rosie Moore, Interim CEO and President 1-604-925-5881 SOURCE: Dolly Varden Silver Corporation Retired senior military officers should not let political parties trade on their service in uniform by becoming high-profile partisan endorsers of presidential candidates. For the past several decades, my tribe of specialists in civil-military relations has been debating this norm whether it really should be a norm, why it is being challenged, and what can be done to strengthen it. I have laid out my view on this in a Center for a New American Security report (co-authored with James Golby and Kyle Dropp) and elsewhere. The argument is quite simple. Of course, retired senior military figures enjoy the rights of any citizen. They have a right to run for office, a right to vote, a right to be politically active, a right to hold views and to opine on policy. But they also have special responsibilities that derive from the fact that they enjoy the special privileges that come with their rank while on active duty privileges, and thus responsibilities, that extend even into retirement. It is telling that we have a strong custom in our country of referring to retired generals and admirals by their rank, even long after they have left uniformed service their first name, even in retirement, continues to be general or admiral. As such, when they speak as retired General So-and-So they appear to be speaking for the military. They are cloaking themselves in the extraordinarily high degree of respect that the American public accords to the uniformed military. However, a crucial pillar of that respect is the belief that the military self-consciously and purposefully stands outside of partisan politics. The military pledges to uphold the Constitution and obey the constitutional chain of command, to follow legal orders regardless of who is at the top of that chain. The public holds in low esteem those public institutions that are unavoidably in the middle of partisan fights such as Congress or those that are supposed to stand above partisanship but in fact appear not to such as the media, or in recent years, the Supreme Court. The very act of wading into partisan politics while also pretending to be above partisan politics politicizes the military and risks undermining public confidence in this vital institution. It is different if a retired military figure actually runs for political office, as Generals Washington, Jackson, Grant, and Eisenhower did successfully (and countless other veterans of lower rank have done at all levels of political ambition). When you stand for office you officially cross over and become a politician you are viewed as a partisan politician and thenceforth can only speak as a partisan. Likewise, it is different if you are only opining on policy we should do more (or less) in the fight against the Islamic State, we should buy or not buy this weapon system, and so on. What is corrosive is claiming that the authority that comes from nonpartisan military service but then deploying that authority in pursuit of a quintessentially partisan mission electing one candidate over another. Every time a senior retired military officer makes a high-profile political endorsement, it has an impact on junior officers still serving in uniform, and it chips away at the outside-partisan-politics norm. Such political endorsements contribute to toxic civil-military relations. They encourage political leaders to view the military as an interest group to be mobilized and professional military advice as one more partisan voice to be spun. Those of us who believe that partisan endorsements by prominent retired general and flag officers corrode healthy civil-military relations have seen some progress over the past several years. Of course, this progress came after two decades of a steady retreat on the issue that can be traced to retired Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral William Crowes striking endorsement of then-Governor Bill Clinton at the height of the 1992 presidential campaign. Every campaign cycle afterwards has seen an escalation of the arms race as campaigns competed to produce a longer and more lustrous list of retired military endorsers. But precisely because of that growing partisanship, there was an important and, I thought, effective countermovement. First then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and next then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marty Dempsey spoke compellingly and repeatedly about their opposition to the practice. Similarly, there were efforts among the retired four-star community to encourage each other to resist the inevitable appeals from political campaigns to offer such endorsements. I fear the last two weeks have undone a good deal of that progress and I fear we might be about to plunge into a vicious tit for tat of partisan activity by retired general officers that will strain the already-tense civil-military relationship and could draft the active ranks deeper into the political fray. First there was retired Lt. General Mike Flynns rambling but bitterly partisan speech at the Republican National Convention last week in Cleveland. As political rhetoric goes, I do not think it was particularly effective. It seemed to have its biggest impact in the way it upended plans to showcase Senator Joni Ernst, a rising star in the Republican party (and herself, prominently, a military veteran). Within days, Flynns message was further undermined as he was forced on the defensive for retweeting an anti-Semitic message. Even so, his speech was deeply disturbing and repeatedly crossed important professional ethical lines in its attacks on Clinton none more egregious than when he encouraged the crowd to chant lock her up, a taunt connected to Clintons controversial email practices. As corrosive as Flynns speech was, it, like the rest of the convention, had the feel of disorganized improvisation, which undercut its impact. And even though there were the inevitable military images and other attempts to wrap the candidate in the Commander-in-Chief mantle, compared to previous Republican conventions, Trumps convention lacked the military luster we had come to expect (and lament) in these affairs. Alas, it was the Democratic Conventions part to show us how to do military demagoguery at its slickest. Retired General John Allens speech on the most important night of the DNC in Philadelphia was not a shining moment in American civil-military relations. From the cringe-worthy faux cadence march out on to stage, to the awkward chants of USA, to the shouted delivery all of it reflected an explicit rejection of the idea that the military should stand above and apart from partisan politics. For my money, the absolute lowest point was when Allen explicitly called on the active uniformed military to join in the political campaign: Every American in uniform, in the White House or at home. USA! USA! we must be a force for unity in America, for a vision that includes all of us, all of us. It is hard to craft a more politicized call for the military to join in partisan politics than that. And it is hard to find a bigger stage from which to make such a disturbing appeal than just before the candidate accepts her nomination. Let me be clear, the substantive issues raised by both Flynn and Allen are legitimate issues to debate. Flynn is right that Clinton has not provided an adequate explanation of how President Barack Obamas policies have fallen short and how she would do better. And Allen is right that Trumps divisive approach to national security risks undermining American interests at home and abroad. There are ample voices in the public square weighing in on these and countless other legitimate political debates. The voice we do not need to hear more loudly is the military one. Lets also not overstate the problem. During this campaign season so far, the combined lists of military endorsements are not as impressive in length and star power as were those in previous cycles. Trumps biggest catch was just a three-star, and Clintons list so far is much less impressive than the one her husband mustered in 1992. The reform efforts of recent years may be helping slow the arms race. But we should not be complacent. The best way to protect the norm is to call fouls when they happen. Generals Flynn and Allen served the country well in uniform, and both have made important contributions to the policy debate since retiring. But by heeding the siren call of partisan endorsements, and by doing so in such glaring ways, they have done damage to the norm of a non-partisan military that has served our country well. I am sure they did not intend to damage the military institution or the country they clearly love. I am confident they believe these are extraordinary times that warrant extraordinary measures. But they erred, and now there is important repair work to be done. Photo credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images GOP vice presidential candidate Mike Pence decried political name calling Friday just as Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton crooked and Michael Bloomberg little. Pences commentsmade to conservative radio personality Hugh Hewittwere directed at Barack Obama after the president called Trump a demagogue during his speech at the Democratic National Convention. I dont think name calling has any place in public life, said Pence. I thought that was unfortunate that the president of the United States would use a term like that, let alone laced into a sentence like that. The comments come as Trump has adopted name-calling in a fashion unheard of in modern presidential politics. Throughout the primary he developed monikers for his opponents like Little Marco for Senator Marco Rubio, Lyin Ted for Senator Ted Cruz, and he continues to use the title Crooked Hillary frequently when referring to his Democratic opponent. To most of the world, Dennis Graham is the man best known for fathering one Aubrey Drake Graham, an individual known for his distinctive dance moves, sensitive feelings and career as a rapper/actor. However, Graham (also a musician) deserves to be a star in his own right, as evidenced by his very excellent Instagram account (where everyone from Justin Bieber to John Mayer can be spotted living it up) and most recently, by his prominent feature in a music video by Canadian band, Arkells. The video, appropriately titled, Drakes Dad, is based on an experience that band member Max Kerman had when he actually met Graham in a bar during a road trip. In an interview with Consequence of Sound, Kerman said, Last summer I was on a road trip with my best friends through the American South and in the middle of the night, we happened to meet Drakes dad Dennis Graham in a Memphis bar. See Dennis in full-on cool Dad status below. Today in unlikely showbiz news, Drizzys dad is the star of a music video. Not only that, but the song, by Canadian rock band Arkells, is actually called "Drakes Dad. The video claims to be "based on a true story" and the band's frontman Max Kerman posted a series of tweets outlining how the hilariously unexpected appearance came about. Last summer, Kerman was in a Memphis bar when he and his drunk friends spotted Drake's dad. How the heck would someone recognise Drake's dad? Well, he has 177,000 followers of his own on Instagram, where he regularly poses (often in bucket hats) with famous women like Iggy Azalea and Kelly Rowland. Drake had just put out his fire mixtape & made fun of Meek, and we were riding high, trying to live that Drake life, loving friendship etc. ARKELLS (@arkellsmusic) July 28, 2016 Then across the bar, we see Dennis Graham, Drake's Dad, and our drunken minds exploded. You can't imagine the rush ARKELLS (@arkellsmusic) July 28, 2016 In the vid, Dennis Graham, father to our beloved Aubrey, wears a rather fetching trilby, maroon suit and mustard-coloured tie that makes his deep brown eyes pop. And of course hes rocking his signature tache. Graham's part in the video was shot in LAs Compton neighbourhood during one afternoon while the rest was shot in Memphis and Nashville, reported Toronto 24 Hours. It premiered in Canada on Thursday. After the video started trending on Twitter, Kerman said he thought it might go viral, telling Toronto 24 Hours: Anything Drake does or Drake-related thing tends to get attention from the internet." Although Kerman reportedly hasn't met Drake himself. He said Graham was great to work with: "He was super easy going. He was super nice. I grew up in Toronto and he lived for many years in Toronto so we had that in common and we talked a lot about Toronto. I asked him all sorts of questions about Drake and Rihanna and he was just a super fun guy to hang out with. Story continues And obvs we love @drake like the rest of the . @therealdennisg couldn'tve been more of a gentleman. Thank U fellas pic.twitter.com/HWjuNjXC8o ARKELLS (@arkellsmusic) July 28, 2016 Drake is known for not taking himself too seriously and giving fans the meme material they crave something he seems to have inherited from his dad. The pair weren't always close, though. Drake's dad left his mum when the rapper was five, something Drake has referred to in numerous songs over the years. But they seem to have a close relationship these days, with Graham who dreamed of being a famous musician himself singing on Drake's album "Nothing Was The Same " and appearing in the "Worst Behaviour" video in 2013. Watch the full video for "Drake's Dad" here... Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Kim Kardashian Stars in Kanye's Video For "Wolves" Jay Z Is An Instagram Husband For Beyonce & The Internet Is Living For It We Would Not Want To Be Taylor Swift At This Year's VMAs A video shared by Facebook page Liga Peatonal on Thursday, July 28, that shows a driver hitting a bike has more than 3.3 million views and generated outrage in Mexico City. Cyclist Ari Santillan was riding in a bike lane when a car hit his bike causing moderate damage. Santillan asked for help from a police officer, and passerbys also stopped to help him. The driver tried to escape and ended on a fight with the police officer. The video was shared more than 181,000 times. The driver, identified as Alejandro Lleras, is being referred to online as #LordAudi, in a reference to his cars brand. Mexico Citys Attorney General is investigating the case amid a public outcry over the incident. Credit: Ari Santillan 12 people injured in bus accident in Jhapa As many as 12 passengers were injured in a bus accident at Betani culvert along the Damak-Chiyabagan road section in the district on Friday, police said. Death toll in Dhankuta accident reaches 15 The death toll in the bus accident that occurred at Sidhuwa in Parewadin-5, Dhankuta, on Thursday has reached 15. Twenty-seven others were injured. Condition of some of the injured is said to be critical. Eight men who kidnapped a Hong Kong fashion heiress and held her in a cave as they negotiated a multi-million-dollar ransom were sentenced to up to 15 years in prison Friday, a mainland court said. Queenie Rosita Law, granddaughter of late textiles tycoon Law Ting-pong, who founded the Bossini clothing chain, was abducted from her house in Hong Kong in April last year. The 29-year-old was held in a mountain cave for four days before family members paid a ransom of HK$28 million (USD$3.61 million) for her release. Most of the gang fled to mainland China afterwards, where they were captured. Six of plaintiffs were found guilty of abduction, while two others were charged with disguising or concealing illegally obtained gains, a Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court spokesman told AFP. Ringleader You Dunkui was sentenced to 15 years for kidnapping, with the others being given terms ranging from 13 years to just under two, he said. Another gang member, Zheng Xingwang, was sentenced to 12 years by a Hong Kong court last month, having admitted to forcibly taking or detaining a person with intent to procure a ransom. Law and her boyfriend were asleep at her house in the quiet coastal area of Clearwater Bay when a gang of six mainland Chinese men raided the house, tied them up and taped over their mouths, Zheng's Hong Kong trial heard. They stole jewellery and cash worth about HK$3 million from two safes, after forcing Law to give them the combinations. She was tied to one of the gang members, who carried her on foot to a hillside cave 90 minutes' walk away while the boyfriend was told to notify her father of the ransom demand. Hong Kong police embarked on a massive operation to hunt down the suspected kidnappers, deploying hundreds of heavily armed officers, helicopters and marine vessels, and setting up roadblocks. Almost all of the money has been recovered, including some buried on hillsides near the cave where she was taken. Hong Kong has low crime rates but has seen some high-profile kidnappings, including the abduction of one of city tycoon Li Ka-shing's sons in 1996, who was released after his father reportedly paid a HK$1 billion ransom. (Updates with details of earnings, outlook, analyst and market reaction, executive comments) By Brad Haynes SAO PAULO, July 29 (Reuters) - Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA cut its outlook for executive jet sales this year and set aside $200 million to settle a U.S. graft probe, triggering an unexpected quarterly loss and sending shares to a more than two-year low on Friday. Embraer said in a securities filing it was nearing a settlement to defer prosecution under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for allegedly bribing officials in the Dominican Republic to secure a deal for defense aircraft. The provision for that possible deal contributed to a net loss of $99 million in the second quarter, according to a securities filing. The result was far worse than a $129 million profit a year earlier and the average forecast of a $76 million profit in a Reuters poll of analysts. The world's third-largest commercial planemaker cut its outlook for executive jet sales this year by 10 aircraft, which lowered estimates for revenue, operating profit and cash flow. Embraer shares tumbled 13 percent in Sao Paulo to their lowest level since October 2013. "It was no question a messy quarter," wrote RBC analyst Derek Spronck in a note to clients. "This feels like a 'kitchen sink' quarter to us where management needed to reset expectations." Even without the FCPA provision, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization would have fallen 15 percent to $152 million, missing an average forecast of $189 million, which Spronck attributed to weak pricing. Chief Financial Officer Jose Antonio Filippo told reporters that Embraer was determined to defend pricing on its executive jets in a weak market, which led the company to cut back its deliveries this year. Weak global growth and a glut of used jets has weighed on demand for new executive aircraft, leading Dassault Aviation cut its delivery forecast for Falcon business jets this month. (Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Frances Kerry) Emerson Electric Co. EMR is slated to report third-quarter fiscal 2016 results before the opening bell on Aug 2. Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 4.8%. Also, Emerson has managed to beat earnings estimates thrice in the trailing four quarters, resulting in an average positive surprise of 2.9%. Let's see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider We believe volatility in the oil and gas market, which has been impacting Emersons business throughout fiscal 2015 and in the first half of fiscal 2016, will prove to be a major drag on third-quarter profits. Meanwhile, an oversupplied market is hampering prices and spending levels of customers, thereby marring Emersons prospects. Further, activity in the upstream oil and gas space is affecting the companys orders. In addition, negative growth across all regions, except Europe, may weigh on the companys financials in the quarter to be reported. Particularly, constrained capital spending in North America and sluggishness in China continue to be an overhang. Apart from this, decreased demand from telecommunication customers, especially in China, is affecting the companys Telecommunications Power business. Additionally, Emersons Data Center business is posting weak sales due to lower infrastructure investments. Also, Emersons operational results have been affected by currency fluctuations over the past few quarters. In particular, weak Euro and Yen as compared to strong dollar continues to be a major concern. We believe adverse market conditions and currency headwinds will prove to be major dampeners for third-quarter results. Despite these negatives, a competent management team coupled with high-profile franchisees are major positives for Emerson. Of late, an uptick in manufacturing demand in the U.S. and enhanced housing activity are proving conducive to growth. Also, over the past few quarters, Emerson has been methodically divesting underperforming assets to invest in core business and achieve a leaner and more flexible organizational structure. It has prioritized cost structure alignment and strategic portfolio repositioning as its fundamental strategies. The company has raked in about $100 million from its restructuring actions in the second quarter. We believe sizable cost savings during the third quarter will also boost the companys key financials. Story continues In addition, the string of product launches by Emerson Process Management, an operating arm of Emerson, is likely to boost sales in the quarter to be reported. Some of the noteworthy products introduced during the quarter include wirelessly-monitored Enardo 2000 emergency pressure relief vents, the Paine 310-38-0050 Series Transducer, Rosemount CT5100 continuous gas analyzer and Micro Motion Advanced Phase Measurement software. Furthermore, environmental regulations are driving the demand for new products, adding to the companys strength. EMERSON ELEC CO Price and EPS Surprise EMERSON ELEC CO Price and EPS Surprise | EMERSON ELEC CO Quote Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Emerson will beat earnings this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP for the company is currently 0.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at 84 cents. Zacks Rank: Emerson carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). As it is, we caution against Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 or 5) going into an earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Harsco Corporation HSC has an earnings ESP of +38.46% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company is slated to release earnings on Aug 4. Sun Communities Inc. SUI has an Earnings ESP of +1.22% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company will report results on Aug 2. Regency Centers Corporation REG has an Earnings ESP of +1.25% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company will release results on Aug 2. 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 EMERSON ELEC CO (EMR): Free Stock Analysis Report REGENCY CTRS CP (REG): Free Stock Analysis Report SUN CMNTYS INC (SUI): Free Stock Analysis Report HARSCO CORP (HSC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Empire didn't copy self-described "gangsta pimp" Ron Newt's life story Bigger Than Big, according to a California federal judge. Newt sued Lee Daniels, Terrence Howard and 20th Century Fox for $1 billion in April 2015, claiming they stole his story years after he spent three hours telling it to Howard. Shortly thereafter, he hired attorney Charles Coate and filed an amended complaint, dialing back his damages to $10 million. Fox fired back in October saying Empire is akin to a modern-day King Lear and not based on Newt's "crudely written, violent, regretful" work. U.S. District Court Judge Consuelo Marshall dismissed the suit on Wednesday, finding there is no substantial similarity with respect to plot and the theme of "a bad person turning his life around" is unprotectable. To prevail, Newt would have had to prove he owned a valid copyright to Bigger Than Big, that the defendants had access to it and that Empire is substantially similar to it. Fox doesn't contest that Newt owns the book, screenplay and DVD of Bigger Than Big, or that defendants had access to it, so Marshall only considered the issue of substantial similarity. "Although the parties' works each follow an African American man who was involved in drug dealing and has sons pursuing a music career, Plaintiff's works and Empire are not substantially similar as to plot," writes Marshall. In Marshall's opinion, two-thirds of Newt's documentary centers on his work as a pimp in San Francisco, while the remaining third focuses on his sons' group the Newtrons, and his book and screenplay primarily focus on "the violence, sex, drugs and crime" surrounding Newt's life as a drug lord. Meanwhile, Marshall found Empire focuses on "the power struggle amongst the Lyons - an African American family in the music business." Further, Marshall found the common plot elements of "pursuing dreams of music careers" and "[t]he concept of a bad person spending time in prison" are unprotectable and there is "virtually no overlap in dialogue." Story continues Other things Marshall finds unprotectable: the fact that the sons in the works wear sunglasses and gold chains, similarity in age between the male leads, that some of the sons sing. "Plaintiff has demonstrated, at most, random similarities between the works which does not constitute substantial similarity," Marshall writes. "If access is conceded and a number of similarities are recognized we would not refer to those as random," says Coate, adding that he and his client are disappointed with the decision, but they have not yet decided if they'll pursue an appeal. Marshall also dismissed Newt's breach of implied-in-fact contract claim without prejudice. As it is a state law claim, if Newt takes another shot at that complaint it would be in L.A. County Superior Court. Marshall's full opinion is below. July 29, 4:55 p.m. Updated with a comment from Coate. (Adds comments from earnings call, share price update) By Nia Williams and Amrutha Gayathri CALGARY, Alberta, July 29 (Reuters) - Enbridge Inc, Canada's largest pipeline company, reported a slightly lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Friday as its liquids pipeline business was hit by a massive wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The company said oil deliveries were 255,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 10 percent, lower than expected in May and June due to fire disruption, but volumes came back up by the end of last month and are expected to return to normal in the third quarter. Several producers and pipeline operators halted work in the region for weeks, at one point cutting Canada's crude output by more than a million barrels a day. All of Enbridge's pipelines in and out of its Cheecham terminal were shut down. Enbridge shares were last up 2 percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange at C$52.46, and analysts said investors were likely relieved the impact from the fires had not been greater. "All in, a good set of results with notably continued strong contribution from new oil infrastructure projects," BMO analyst Ben Pham said in a note. Chief executive Al Monaco said growing oil sands production from projects like Suncor Energy's Fort Hills meant capacity on Enbridge's Mainline system, which ships the bulk of Canadian crude exports to the United States, will become tight. "We think about 700,000 barrels per day of new capacity is going to be needed to accommodate heavy growth by 2020," Monaco said. The company will add 60,000 to 80,000 bpd of capacity by late September by tweaking its crude slates, and has also finished a 70,000 bpd expansion of Line 6B, which can now carry 570,000 bpd from Indiana to Ontario. Monaco said Enbridge remained committed to building the Northern Gateway pipeline, which would carry crude from Alberta's oil sands to a deepwater port on British Columbia's coast and has faced fierce opposition from environmental and First Nations groups. Story continues Northern Gateway faced a setback in June, when a Canadian court overturned the approval for the pipeline, imposing further delays on the C$7.9 billion ($6.07 billion) project. Earnings from continuing operations attributable to the company's shareholders fell to C$301 million ($229 million), or 33 Canadian cents per share, in the second quarter, from C$577 million, or 67 Canadian cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company earned 50 Canadian cents per share, just missing the average analyst estimate of 51 Canadian cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. ($1 = 1.3016 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Amrutha Gayathri in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and James Dalgleish) VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / David H. Brett, President & CEO, EnGold Mines Ltd., (EGM.V) ("EnGold," www.engold.ca, formerly GWR Resources Inc.) reports that EnGold has arranged a non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering") consisting of 7,000,000 flow-through ("FT") units at $0.07 per FT unit and 3,000,000 non flow-through units at $0.05 per non FT unit for expected gross proceeds of $640,000. The FT units will consist of one FT share and one warrant to purchase one non FT common share at $0.10 for a period of two years. The non FT units will consist of one common share and one warrant to purchase one non FT common share at $0.08 for a period of two years. The proceeds of the offering, which is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, will be used to fund exploration at EnGold's 100% owned Lac La Hache Property in the Cariboo region of BC, and for general working capital purposes. The Company plans to rely on the, "existing security holder exemption" described in BC Instrument 45-534 for shareholders of record as of July 28th, as well as other exemptions. In the event that the Offering is oversubscribed by existing security holders, the securities shall be allocated on a pro-rata basis among the subscriptions on or before August 31, 2016. Part or all of the financing will be subject to payment of a cash finder's fee of 7% and issuance of 7%, 2-year finder warrants to purchase one non FT warrant at $0.08 related to placement of any non FT units and $0.10 for placement of any of the FT units. Engold Mines Ltd. Per/ David Brett, MBA President & CEO For further info contact David Brett, 604-682-2421 or david@engold.ca This news release may contain "forward-looking statements". Readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual development or results may vary materially from those in these "forward looking statements." Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: EnGold Mines Ltd. Ankara (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the EU and US to "mind your own business" after the West expressed alarm over the growing crackdown against suspected coup plotters, as a court placed 17 journalists under arrest. Turkey has detained more than 18,000 people over the coup which Ankara blames on the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, with the relentless crackdown sparking warnings from Brussels that its EU membership bid may be in danger. "Some people give us advice. They say they are worried. Mind your own business! Look at your own deeds," Erdogan said in a speech Friday at his presidential palace. "Not a single person has come to give condolences either from the European Union... or from the West," said Erdogan. "And then they say that 'Erdogan has got so angry'!" he fumed. "Those countries or leaders who are not worried about Turkey's democracy, the lives of our people, its future -- while being so worried about the fate of the putschists -- cannot be our friends." Erdogan vowed to take all steps "within the limits of the law" as Turkey seeks legal retribution for the perpetrators of the coup. A Turkish official said 3,500 of those detained have now been released after questioning. - 17 journalists arrested - EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said he needed to see "black-and-white facts about how these people are treated". "And if there is even the slightest doubt that the (treatment) is improper, then the consequences will be inevitable," he told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Turkey has also targeted journalists accused of links to Gulen, causing further international alarm. Twenty-one detained suspects Friday appeared in front of a judge in Istanbul to decide whether to remand them in custody. After a hearing lasting to midnight, four were freed but 17 placed under arrest ahead of trial, charged with "membership of a terror group", the state-run Anadolu news agency said. Story continues Those held include the veteran journalist Nazli Ilicak as well as the former correspondent for the pro-Gulen Zaman daily Hanim Busra Erdal, it added. Among the four freed was prominent commentator Bulent Mumay. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu defended the detention of reporters, saying it was necessary to distinguish between coup plotters and those "who are engaged in real journalism". The probe into coup plotters widened its scope to the financing of Gulen's activities in Turkey, with what appeared to be the first major arrests targeting the business world. Security forces in the central city of Kayseri detained the chairman of the prominent family-owned Boydak Holding company, Mustafa Boydak, and two other top executives, Anadolu said. - 'Cleaned out all elements' - The president also announced that as a gesture of goodwill after the coup he was dropping hundreds of lawsuits against individuals accused of insulting him. "I am going to withdraw all the cases regarding the disrespectful insults made against me," said Erdogan. The authorities had said earlier this year that over 2,000 people were being prosecuted on charges of insulting the president. Speaking at the same event to remember the "martyrs" of July 15, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey has succeeded in eradicating all elements linked to Gulen from the military after sacking nearly half of its generals following the failed coup. "We have cleaned out from the military the FETO elements who disguised themselves as soldiers," said Yildirim. Turkey accuses Gulen of running the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO), charges he denies. "We are going to make our armed forces stronger and we are going to work towards making this country more secure." Turkey implemented a shake-up of the military on Thursday after nearly half of its 358 generals were sacked for complicity in the coup. Both Yildirim and Erdogan were seen on television during the ceremony weeping as the July 15 victims were remembered. - 'Supporting the plotters' - Erdogan had earlier also lashed out at a top US general who had expressed concerns about military relations after the putsch. Quoted by US media, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel said Thursday that the coup bid and subsequent round-up of dozens of generals could affect American cooperation with Turkey. "You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt," Erdogan said at a military centre in Golbasi outside Ankara, where air strikes left dozens dead during the coup. Votel swiftly denied any link to the coup however. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union states will not oppose the EU executive's decision to cancel Spain's and Portugal's fines for their excessive deficits, two EU officials said on Friday, despite the head of euro zone finance ministers criticising such leniency. Under EU rules, the Council of EU countries could reject the European Commission's decision within ten days, an option that Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem hinted at on Wednesday. However, the majority needed to block the Commission's decision was not reached at a meeting on Friday, paving the way for an automatic waiver on Aug. 8, when the 10-day tacit acceptance procedure ends, the officials told Reuters. Spain and Portugal risked a fine up to 0.2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) for breaching EU fiscal rules requiring that their deficit are below 3 percent of GDP. But the Commission, amid fears of growing euroscepticism in the bloc, decided to waive the fines. Its decision may weaken EU fiscal discipline, but is seen as helpful in not hampering growth in the euro zone's fragile economies. As part of the procedure, the European Commission will decide after the summer recess whether to temporarily suspend EU funds to Spain and Portugal next year. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio and Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Louise Ireland) (Reuters) - Drew Peterson, a former Chicago-area police officer who is in prison for murdering his wife, was sentenced on Friday to an additional 40 years for trying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor who convicted him, Illinois' attorney general said. Peterson, 62, is serving a 38-year sentence for the 2004 murder of Kathleen Savio, his third wife, a case that was made into a television movie starring Rob Lowe. In May he was found guilty of solicitation of murder and solicitation of murder for hire when a jury agreed he had plotted in 2014 to find someone to kill James Glasgow, the Will County state's attorney who prosecuted him in the case of his wife's murder. Randolph County Judge Richard Brown handed down the sentence on Friday against Peterson, who faced up to 70 years for the two solicitation crimes. "Today's sentencing is a just and fair result for a serious crime that must be punished," Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement. Prosecutors from Madigan's office tried the case along with Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker. Peterson is serving his original murder sentence at the maximum security Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois. That is where a fellow inmate taped him discussing the murder-for-hire plot. (Reporting by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Leslie Adler, Bernard Orr) Bhoto Jatra marked (Photo feature) The month long chariot pulling festival of Rato Machindranath concluded with the displaying of Bhoto or the jewel-studded vest at Jawlakhel, Lalitpur on Friday. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators are set to approve a plan by Liberty Global and British telecoms provider Vodafone to merge their Dutch operations after the companies offered minor concessions, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday. The companies, which want to bulk up to better compete with former incumbent KPN, offered concessions on July 12 but did not provide details. The merged company will be the second-largest telecoms company in the Netherlands. U.S. cable group Liberty's Ziggo is the largest cable TV operator in the Netherlands and Vodafone the second-biggest mobile network operator. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Julia Fioretti) Get familiar with Ava Sambora! The 18-year-old daughter of Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora is quickly making a name for herself as a model, and after seeing her sexy bikini shots, it's easy to understand why she's already had so much success. "I want everything to be very tasteful," Ava told ET earlier this month. "People like to spin photos different ways, like, 'Oh, it's over-sexualized, oh, it's inappropriate,' but honestly, I think if you're not thinking of it in a sexual way, then it doesn't have to be." The resemblance between Ava and her famous mom is undeniable, from their silky blonde locks to their enviable physiques. "Honestly, I hear [comparisons] probably once a day!" she gushed, adding that she's most thankful she inherited "piercing blue eyes" from her mom and "long legs" from her dad. WATCH: Heather Locklear's 18-Year-Old Daughter Ava Sambora Heats Up the Beach in a Bikini Being a model certainly seems glamorous but Ava recognizes that there are aspects to the job that can be particularly challenging, like managing negativity on social media. "When I first started getting comments on my Instagram that were not always the nicest, I was really, really affected by it. I was like, 'Oh my goodness, I'm not in shape?'" she recalled. "I was super upset and I honestly then took a step back I don't do any superstardom things so why should I have a superstardom body? Why can't I have the same body as every other girl in the world?" Ava counts Gigi Hadid and Ariel Winter amongst her biggest celebrity inspirations. She praised the latter for frequently speaking out about body positivity, saying, "I think it takes a lot of guts for someone to be so open about all of that Ariel is doing a really great job of it and I'd hope more people follow in her footsteps." As for Ava, she's been doing a great job of laughing off tabloid rumors in her own life, like a recent report that claimed the aspiring actress was feuding with her mom over her recent success. Story continues "That's clearly the most far-fetched thing I've ever heard!" she said, laughing. "My mom is the last person to be like, 'I'm jealous of you, I don't want you to be successful.' All she wants in my life is for me to do great things." The blonde beauty explained that she's been close with both of her parents her entire life. Despite Locklear and Sambora splitting in 2006, Ava insists they're still "very good friends," adding that they still vacation and spend holidays together. Growing up in the spotlight has also thickened her skin when it comes to speculation about her famous family. "I'm very protective of my parents. I remember I would be in like, a supermarket I would see something on a magazine and I'd be like, really really upset by it. I was like 10, I didn't understand. It would really shake me to the core and I was like, 'Why are they talking about my parents that way?'" WATCH: Heather Locklear's Daughter Makes TV Debut Today, Ava is all grown up and embarking on a Hollywood career of her very own. Not only is she the face of swimwear line Baes and Bikinis, but she's appeared in movies like This Is 40 and television shows like Good Luck Charlie. All this while juggling a full load as a student at Loyola Marymount University, where she'll be entering her sophomore year this fall. "I like to do what I think is cool, not necessarily what other people think is cool, so I'm not into partying," she explained. "I'm not about it, that's how it is. Don't try to persuade me, it won't work!" You go, girl! For more about Ava's famous upbringing, watch the video below. Related Articles By Krishna N. Das and Serajul Quadir DHAKA (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has asked the Philippines' central bank to help Bangladesh Bank recover the $81 million that was stolen by hackers in February from its account held at the Fed, boosting Dhaka's efforts to retrieve the money. In a letter sent on June 23, the New York Fed's General Counsel Thomas Baxter asked Elmore O. Capule, general counsel for the central bank of the Philippines, "to take all appropriate steps in support of Bangladesh Bank's efforts to recover and return its stolen assets." In the letter, which has been seen by Reuters, Baxter also wrote that the payment instructions that led to four money transfers to beneficiary accounts at the Manila-based Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) were authenticated using a "commercially reasonable security procedure", but that they were issued by persons using stolen credentials. Bangladesh Bank has also agreed to share with the Fed a report into the heist that was prepared by U.S. cyber security firm FireEye, said a source close to the Bangladesh central bank with direct knowledge of the decision. Officials in the United States have been asking for that for some weeks. The New York Fed had no immediate comment on the letter nor on the FireEye report. The Fed and the Philippines' central bank have been cooperating with the Bangladesh central bank to help it recover the money, Bangladesh Bank spokesman Subhankar Saha told Reuters on Friday. He declined to elaborate. The Philippines' central bank said it would not comment in a case in which there were ongoing investigations. RCBC said in a statement the bank supported the efforts of Bangladesh Bank in recovering funds from "the parties who ultimately received them". After going to RCBC, the money was mostly laundered through the Philippines' casino industry and now the trail has gone cold. Almost six months have passed since hackers broke into the Bangladesh central bank's computer systems and sought to transfer away as much as $951 million - eventually managing to steal $81 million in one of the biggest-ever cyber heists. Most of that money is still missing and the culprits have not been identified. There has also been friction between Bangladesh Bank, the New York Fed and payments network SWIFT, over which the payment instructions were issued. But relations seem to improving to an extent, at least between the New York Fed and Dhaka. CASINO INDUSTRY LAUNDERING A source close to Bangladesh Bank who has direct knowledge of the recovery process said some Bangladesh Bank officials will fly to Manila next week in an attempt to hasten the recovery. The source said Baxter's letter was an indication that the Fed was now working with Bangladesh Bank after initially holding the South Asian bank responsible for the heist. It was the first such communication, the source said. The source and a Bangladesh Bank official added that the central bank's main goal was to recover the money and litigation against the Fed or RCBC would only be a last resort. Officials in Bangladesh, including Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, had earlier threatened to sue the Fed. Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle Kabir told reporters on Tuesday that his Philippine counterpart had nearly completed an investigation into how the $81 million wound up at RCBC, and that he hoped for the swift return of the stolen funds. Kabir also said he hoped the Philippine authorities would hold RCBC responsible for disbursing the stolen funds that landed in accounts there. RCBC has blamed the manager of the branch where the funds were transferred. "We had these rogue employees or officers that were able to do these things," Cesar Virata, corporate vice chairman of RCBC, told Reuters this week. "It can happen to any bank." He added: "I think the Bangladesh government should find out first who was responsible for remitting their funds." In another sign of improving cooperation between Bangladesh Bank and the New York Fed, a team of officials from Bangladesh will hold meetings with Fed officials in New York between Aug. 15 and Aug. 19, according to two sources in Dhaka. The "technical" meeting will discuss more about the heist and look at processes to be put in place to prevent such events from happening in future, said the source close to Bangladesh Bank. A New York Fed official who requested anonymity said the goal of the meeting "is to understand what happened, what remediation steps have been taken by Bangladesh Bank to meet its contractual obligations, and to begin a path to normalize operations." The initial FireEye report submitted to Bangladesh Bank in March and seen by Reuters had blamed a sophisticated third party for the attack and had identified around 35 "compromised" Bangladesh Bank assets. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Spicer in New York and Karen Lema in Manila; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Martin Howell) NASCAR driver Kurt Busch got behind the wheel of a different kind of race car Thursday to battle New York executives from companies including Xerox (NYSE:XRX). Members of the Greater Rochester (N.Y.) Chamber of Commerce went go-kart racing with Busch in an event showcasing local businesses and Watkins Glen International, the nearby road course that will host the Cheez-It 355 on Aug. 7. At Pole Position Raceway in Rochester, Busch and seven executives started with a 10-lap qualifier, followed by a 10-lap feature race. The top three finishers won donations, courtesy of Watkins Glen, for the charities of their choice. It was a fantastic event, Busch told FOXBusiness.com. Before the end of the day, we raised a total of $10,000 for charities. Busch, who drives the No. 41 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing, added that he enjoyed getting to know both NASCAR fans and racing novices alike from the C-suite. And he was happy to hear that TruForm Manufacturing, one of the New York companies represented in the charity race, uses six Haas machines. It was great to see some of that B2B synergy, he said. One of the executives brave enough to go toe-to-toe with a NASCAR pro is Xeroxs Mike Zimmer, president of the companys large enterprise operations in the U.S. He also sits on the board of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, which recently welcomed Watkins Glen as a member. On the morning of raceday, Zimmer said he would choose between two of his favorite charities if he earned a top-3 finish. He serves as vice chairman of INROADS, a national non-profit that helps underserved youth enter the business world. Zimmer ultimately raced to second place and selected the Monroe Community College Foundation, which funds Scholarship Americas Dreamkeepers program at the school. Dreamkeepers was created to help students stay in college during unforeseen financial emergencies. I got involved [in the race] because Xerox is very involved around Rochester. We employ more than 6,000 people in the area, Zimmer said. Story continues Mark Meyerhofer, government relations director at Time Warner Cable (NYSE:CHTR) Business Class, took the checkered flag. Roberts Wesleyan College President Dr. Deana Porterfield finished third. Zimmer, a racing fan, was confident before the race, although he acknowledged that he hasnt spent much time on a go-kart track. Maybe when I go out with the kids. Thats my level of experience, he said with a laugh. Other than Mr. Busch, I feel confident I can keep people from passing me. When Busch returns to Sprint Cup racing this weekend, he will have a chance to clinch a spot in the 16-driver Chase. Drivers need multiple wins and enough points to place in the top 30 to qualify for NASCARs playoffs. Busch, the 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion, already has one win to his credit this season. That win came in June at Pocono Raceway, home of the Pennsylvania 400 on Sunday. Its always good to have a sweep when you can win both races at the same track. We ran well last time, and we know fuel mileage might come into play again, Busch said. Related Articles Independent natural gas producer EXCO Resources Inc. XCO is set to release its second-quarter 2016 results after the closing bell on Tuesday, Aug 2. In the preceding three-month period, the Dallas, TX-based upstream player delivered a positive earnings surprise of 36.36% despite the challenges that a steep drop in oil price tagged along. This was primarily owing to strong cost control measures. As far as the earnings surprise history is concerned, the company has an excellent record: its beaten estimates in each of the last four quarters with an average beat of 35.43%. EXCO RESOURCES Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise EXCO RESOURCES Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | EXCO RESOURCES Quote Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider This Quarter Unlike the previous few quarters, second-quarter 2016 turned out to be a rather good one with natural gas advancing more than 49% sequentially the best quarterly percentage gain in 11 years. Natural gas futures during the AprJun 2016 period hovered mostly between $2 and $3 per million Btu (MMBtu). With the commodity comprising around 90% of EXCO Resources total production, the price improvement bodes well for the company. Moreover, to a large extent, the companys successful cost reduction initiatives are expected to cushion the results. However, EXCO Resources core operational region the Haynesville shale has seen a drastic fall in the number of gas rigs employed. From 25 at 2015-end, the number is expected to hit single digits pretty soon. Production is likely to suffer in this case. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that EXCO Resources will beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) to be able to beat consensus estimates. That is not the case here, as you will see below. Story continues Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is 0.00%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate both stand at a loss of 7 cents. Zacks Rank: EXCO Resources has a Zacks Rank #2. Though a Zacks Rank #2 increases the predictive power of ESP, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Ranks #4 and 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider While earnings beat looks uncertain for EXCO Resources, here are some domestic upstream you may want to consider on the basis of our model, which shows that they have the right combination of elements to post earnings beat this quarter: Legacy Reserves L.P. LGCY has an Earnings ESP of +31.58% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company is expected to release earnings results on August 3. EOG Resources Inc. EOG has an Earnings ESP of +2.00% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is anticipated to release earnings on August 4. Devon Energy Corp. DVN has an Earnings ESP of +4.55% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is likely to release earnings on August 2. 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 DEVON ENERGY (DVN): Free Stock Analysis Report EOG RES INC (EOG): Free Stock Analysis Report LEGACY RESERVES (LGCY): Free Stock Analysis Report EXCO RESOURCES (XCO): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Khizr Khan The father of a deceased Muslim US solider delivered a riveting, emotional speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday night, during which he pulled out a copy of the US Constitution from his pocket and questioned whether Donald Trump had ever read it. "We are honored to stand here as the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country," Khizr Khan said in his convention address, according to prepared remarks. He continued: "Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed. We believed in American democracy that with hard work and the goodness of this country we could share in and contribute to its blessings." Khan said his son dreamed of being a military lawyer before he sacrificed his life to save other American soldiers. Then, he added, if it were up to Trump, his son would have never been in the US. Trump's proposed indefinite barring of all Muslim immigration into the country has been championed by the candidate at various points throughout the campaign, though Trump has altered his stance on the proposal over time. "Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims," Khan said. "He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future," he continued. "Let me ask you: Have you even read the US Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy." He showed his copy to the audience: Father of deceased muslim soldier asks Trump if he has read US constitution, offers him his copy #DNCinPHL pic.twitter.com/HSwMTUzCLM Travis (@travislylesnews) July 29, 2016 Khan also asked Trump whether he had ever visited Arlington National Cemetery, where the bodies of US troops who have died in conflict lay. Story continues "In this document, look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law,'" he said. "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one." "We can't solve our problems by building walls and sowing division," he continued. "We are stronger together. And we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our next president." NOW WATCH: A new poll says Americans dislike Hillary just as much as Trump More From Business Insider Changes Nepals internal affairs: India India has said that recent political changes in Nepal are the countrys internal matters. PHILADELPHIA Khizr Khan, the father of a fallen U.S. soldier who earned a Purple Heart, criticized Donald Trump on Thursday night for his plan to temporarily bar immigrants from Muslim countries. He said Trump smears the character of Muslims. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? Khan asked, speaking at the Democratic National Convention. I will gladly lend you my copy. He brandished his copy, waving it to the crowd as they erupted in cheers. Look for the words liberty and equal protection of law. Khans son, Capt. Humayun Khan, died more than a decade ago in Iraq protecting his fellow soldiers from an approaching vehicle loaded with explosives. The younger Khan, who was born in the United Arab Emirates and emigrated with his family to the United States as a child, was 27 when he died. In an emotional speech, his father told Trump to go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing, Khan continued. Flanked by his wife, Khan asked the delegates to vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to honor the memory of his son: Vote for the strongest, most qualified candidate, Hillary Clinton not the divider. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> No one loves a great scene more than the person who first dreamed it up -- the writer. We're asking shows' creators and writers to tell ET all about getting to see their most cherished moment on their series make it from script to screen. When it comes to his time writing and producing ER, NBC's award-winning medical drama, Neal Baer looks back fondly on "Rescue Me," the last episode he wrote for the series featuring an emotional showdown between Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) and her bipolar mother, Maggie Wyczenski (Sally Field). MY FAVORITE SCENE: 'OITNB' Writer Sian Heder on the Vagina Conversation That Led to an Education on Set The Thanksgiving-themed episode saw Abby pushed to her limit after Maggie refused to go home. Outside of the hospital, the two argue about the reality of Abby's childhood growing up with a mother who refused to get the proper treatment she needed. "You chased me around the house with a knife," Abby says as rain comes down on the two women. The role, which spanned 12 episodes over seven seasons, ultimately earned Field an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2001 and second nomination in 2003. Tierney, who is nominated this year for her role on Showtime's The Affair, was also nominated for her work on ER the same year Field won. After ER, Baer was the showrunner for 11 seasons on NBC's Law & Order: SVU and also led Under the Dome on CBS. Neal Baer: I remember when I was young, watching The Flying Nun and Gidget on TV, and how much I loved Sally Field. I think I was in high school or college when Norma Rae came out. I was so moved by her performance. So, this scene is all because of how much I love Sally's work. I was like, "How can I write this incredibly intense, dramatic scene for Sally?" How do I do that and put it in the rain and do everything possible to make it intense and crazy? We were at a retreat in Hawaii -- producer John Wells would take us to these retreats -- and we talked about Maura's character and how to really get at Abby's alcoholism. Having gone to medical school and being a doctor, I knew that if a parent is bipolar, there's a higher risk for the child being bipolar or having alcohol problems. I pitched to John and the group that we should get Sally to play Maura's mother. That was not the first episode that Sally did, but that was the beginning of her arc: her bipolar disorder and how it affected Maura's character. It was a really great way to get at Maura's character. Story continues In the scene, I love when they're not listening to each other and it is so intense. They're both telling their own stories and not listening to the other's story. I loved writing that. I remember talking in the room as everybody was sharing their horror stories about Thanksgiving. The line Maura says, "You chased me around the house with a knife," was inspired by one of the writers' similar story. You gather stories together, synthesize them and make it work for those characters. I did not, thankfully, experience a Thanksgiving where someone chased someone with a knife, but we draw on different things. We shot that scene on a Friday night on the set of the Warner Bros. studio, where we had recreated the exterior of the E.R. It was a complicated shot because Sally and Maura start arguing inside, and then they move outside into the rain. So we had to make it rain, which involves shooting, calling cut, and then doing it again, and again, and again. Each time, the actors have to go into their trailers, completely dry off, and start over. It's a crazy thing to make them do. You have to do a lot of setups because there was coverage. There would be close-ups of Sally, close-ups of Maura, medium shots, and then side angles of the two of them. It was a long night and really complicated, and I remember saying to Sally -- it was around one in the morning -- that I admired her and as a writer, the one person I dreamed of writing for at that point in my career was her and she kind of broke down and cried. It was so sweet. MY FAVORITE SCENE: Alan Ball on Creating a 'Final' Ending to 'Six Feet Under' In addition to his work in TV, Baer is passionate about bringing attention to social issues. Check out ActionLab, a platform that Baer launched with UCLA to channel the inspiration that audiences feel when moved by a story into hands-on action. Related Articles (Photo illustration: Yahoo News. photos: AP) The FBI warned the Clinton campaign that it was a target of a cyberattack last March, just weeks before the Democratic National Committee discovered it had been penetrated by hackers it now believes were working for Russian intelligence, two sources who have been briefed on the matter told Yahoo News. In a meeting with senior officials at the campaigns Brooklyn headquarters, FBI agents laid out concerns that cyberhackers had used so-called spear-phishing emails as part of an attempt to penetrate the campaigns computers, the sources said. One of the sources said agents conducting a national security investigation asked the Clinton campaign to turn over internal computer logs as well as the personal email addresses of senior campaign officials. But the campaign, through its lawyers, declined to provide the data, deciding that the FBIs request for sensitive personal and campaign information data was too broad and intrusive, the source said. A second source who had been briefed on the matter and who confirmed the Brooklyn meeting said agents provided no specific information to the campaign about the identity of the cyberhackers or whether they were associated with a foreign government. The source said the campaign was already aware of attempts to penetrate its computers and had taken steps to thwart them, emphasizing that there is still no evidence that the campaigns computers had actually been successfully penetrated. But the potential that the intruders were associated with a foreign government should have come as no surprise to the Clinton campaign, said several sources knowledgeable about the investigation. Chinese intelligence hackers were widely reported to have penetrated both the campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain in 2008. The Brooklyn warning also could raise new questions about why the campaign and the DNC didnt take the matter more seriously. It came just four months after the DNC had also been contacted by FBI agents alerting its information technology specialists about a cyberattack on its computers, the sources told Yahoo News. As with the warning to the Clinton campaign, the FBI initially provided no details to the DNC. Story continues As Yahoo News first reported this week, in early May a DNC consultant who was investigating Trump campaign chief Paul Manaforts work for pro-Putin political figures in Ukraine alerted senior committee officials that she had been notified by Yahoo security that her personal email account had been targeted by state-sponsored actors. The DNC had already realized that it was the victim of a serious breach, but the red flag from the staffer prompted committee security officials to conclude for the first time that the suspected cyberhackers were likely associated with the Russian government. By mid-May, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was telling reporters that US. Intelligence officials already had some indications of hacks into political campaigns that were likely linked to foreign governments and that well probably have more. In a talk at the Aspen Security Forum Thursday, Clapper said the U.S. government is not quite ready yet to make a public call on who was behind the cyberassault on the DNC, but he suggested one of the usual suspects is likely to blame. We dont know enough [yet] to ascribe a motivation, regardless of who it may have been, Clapper said. Clappers comments come amid a mounting debate within the Obama administration about whether to publicly blame the Russian government for the cyberattack on the DNC. (A senior law enforcement official told Yahoo News that the Russians were most probably involved in the cyberattack, but cautioned that the investigation is ongoing.) On Wednesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and California Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, wrote President Obama calling for a stern response, asserting that if the accounts of Russian involvement are true, It would represent an unprecedented attempt to meddle in American domestic politics. But Clapper is reportedly among a number of U.S. intelligence officials who have resisted calls to publicly blame the Russians, viewing it as likely the kind of activity that most intelligence agencies engage in. [Im] taken aback a bit by the hyperventilation over this, Clapper said during his Aspen appearance, adding in a sarcastic tone, Im shocked somebody did some hacking. Thats never happened before. The confirmation that the campaign was warned by the FBI as early as March of an attempted breach of its computers is a further indication that the scope of the possible Russian attack may have been far wider and extensive than the official DNC accounts. The FBIs request to turn over internal computer logs and personal email information came at an awkward moment for the Clinton campaign, said the source, familiar with the campaigns internal deliberations. At the time, the FBI was still actively and aggressively conducting a criminal investigation into whether Clinton had compromised national security secrets by sending classified emails through a private computer server in the basement of her home in Chappaqua, N.Y. There were already press reports, to date unconfirmed, that the investigation might have expanded to include dealings relating to the Clinton Foundation. Campaign officials had reason to fear that any production of campaign computer logs and personal email accounts could be used to further such a probe. At the Brooklyn meeting, FBI agents emphasized that the request for data was unrelated to the separate probe into Clintons email server. But after deliberating about the bureaus request, and in light of the lack of details provided by the FBI and the absence of a subpoena, the Clinton campaign chose to turn down the bureaus request, the source said. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> Madrid (AFP) - Spain saw nearly 33 million visitors to the country in the first six months of the year, an 11.7 percent leap from 2015 as people fearful of extremist attacks seek refuge in the Iberian Peninsula. The largest number of foreign visitors came from Britain, according to the Ine statistics agency, with close to 8.0 million seeking sunshine and warmth in Spain from January to June, a 16.5 percent increase compared with the same period last year. Germans came a close second, followed by the neighbouring French. The most popular Spanish region was Catalonia in the northeast, home to Barcelona and its beaches, which saw 7.66 million people visit. The Canary Islands off the coast of Africa was also highly prized, as were the Balearic Islands where Ibiza and Majorca are located. Spain is anticipating a record number of tourists to hit its shores this year, having already welcomed just over 68 million foreign travellers in 2015 making it the third most visited country in the world. It has long been a magnet for holiday-makers, and even more so in recent months as fears of extremist attacks drive wary travellers away from rival sunshine destinations in North Africa and Turkey. Portugal is also a destination-of-choice. In 2015, it welcomed a record 10.2 million foreign tourists, and the number is only expected to grow. Ferrari N.V. RACE is set to report second-quarter 2016 results on Aug 2. Last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 45.16%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors Influencing this Quarter Ferrari, a former subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. FCAU, has witnessed consistent revenue growth over the last 10 years. The company has diversified revenue sources. While its major revenues are generated from the sales of luxury cars, the company also sells engines and Ferrari brand merchandise. Further, it owns a Formula 1 racing team as well as theme parks, which are also good sources of revenue. Moreover, Ferrari is consistently expanding its global presence, which helps boost earnings. The company expects total shipments for 2016 to be over 7,900, higher than 7,664 units recorded in 2015. Improved shipment volumes should boost the companys revenues and results. Ferrari has been recording higher sales of V8 supercars but a decline in demand for V12 supercars. V12 supercars are sold at a higher price and therefore, more profitable for the company than V8 supercars. Thus, the change in market demand patterns can adversely affect margins. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Ferrari is likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. This is not the case here, as you will see below: Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Ferraris Earnings ESP is 0.00% because the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate both stand at 46 cents. Zacks Rank: Ferrari carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Story continues FERRARI NV Price and EPS Surprise FERRARI NV Price and EPS Surprise | FERRARI NV Quote Stocks to Consider Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Westport Fuel Systems Inc. WPRT has an Earnings ESP of +9.09% and a Zacks Rank #3. The companys second-quarter 2016 financial results are expected to release on Aug 3. Magna International Inc. MGA has an Earnings ESP of +0.75% and a Zacks Rank #3. The companys second-quarter 2016 financial results are expected to release on Aug 5. 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 FIAT CHRYSLER (FCAU): Free Stock Analysis Report MAGNA INTL CL A (MGA): Free Stock Analysis Report WESTPORT FUEL (WPRT): Free Stock Analysis Report FERRARI NV (RACE): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (Photo illustration: Yahoo News, photos: AP) The end of the Democratic nominating convention fires the starting gun of a new, more intense phase of the 2016 campaign. It also gives the green light to a routine process that is generating unusual controversy this year: classified briefings for the two candidates vying to become the intelligence communitys first customer. A senior U.S. intelligence official said the briefings would not occur until Democrats wrap up the business of nominating Hillary Clinton, but would not set a precise date. When they happen, theyll take place at a secure facility, likely with a team of senior intelligence community analysts, on one day or over a few days if a candidate wants to delve deeply into one topic. Itll be a one-off review of major national security concerns unlike the president, they wont get daily briefings through the election. And Director of National Intelligence James Clapper will decide which aides to the candidate may attend. The sessions have already been the subject of political controversy. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan has pointed to Clintons email controversy to argue that she is unworthy to receive the briefings. Donald Trumps unfiltered style and his fondness for Russian President Vladimir Putin have led Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid to say the GOP nominee should likewise be denied. Not everyone agrees. Former Attorney General Eric Holder questioned in a Yahoo News interview on Wednesday whether Trump has got the gray matter, the instinctual ability, the experience to simply be the commander in chief but stopped short of saying he shouldnt get the briefings. I wouldnt go that far, he said. I would have to think that if he was given the daily brief, even he would be capable of understanding that this is not the kind of thing that you discuss in public or try to make political gain from it. At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Thursday that the briefings would go forward according to tradition and that the two candidates would get the same information. Story continues The administration is confident that they can both provide relevant and sufficient briefings to the two major party presidential candidates, while also protecting sensitive national security information, Earnest said. Current and former intelligence officials who served Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have told Yahoo News those concerns might be real but are overblown. The briefings are top secret, these officials say, but omit truly sensitive information like the sources and methods used to scoop up the intelligence, or ongoing covert operations. The candidates are not given the crown jewels, and these are more courtesy briefings, a retired senior intelligence official who served under Bush told Yahoo News. So a candidate might hear how concerned we are about Irans support for [Syrian strongman Bashar] Assad but wont be told we tapped someones phone or whatever, another former senior official said. If the SEALs are on their way somewhere, thats also not something they get. A third former official, who asked not to be quoted, said that the two candidates might not be offered much more than Clapper gives Congress in public at annual worldwide threat assessment hearings but that the secret nature of the conversation is necessary in order to enable the potential commander in chief to get answers to sensitive questions. In fact, to hear several officials tell it, the briefings are as much about gathering intelligence as sharing it. The candidates will, of course, leave the briefing with an assessment of the IC [intelligence community] and the analysts, Michael Morell, a former deputy CIA director known to lean toward Clinton, told Yahoo News. But, at the same time, the briefers will leave with an assessment of the candidates largely because they will be thinking about what a candidate would be like, if she/he became the first customer, which is what analysis at CIA like to call a president. In the old days, some DCIs used it to develop good relationships to stay on, the anonymous former Bush adviser said, using the abbreviation for director of central intelligence. That might be different in 2016 because no one expects Clapper or [CIA Director John] Brennan to remain, regardless of who wins. What the candidates get out of the briefings depends in part on what they put in, according to officials familiar with the process. Morell said the session with Clinton will likely delve into issues deeply and be a dialogue between the briefers and the secretary. In Trumps case, he said, the briefing will be more of a tutorial, more of a first cut at the issues, with the need to provide history and background on issues if he approaches the briefing with an open mind and a willingness to learn. This difference is simply because the secretary is starting at a much greater level of understanding based on her experience working these issues, her experience working with the IC and her knowledge of the IC judgments, Morell said. Trump will be starting at square one. President Harry Truman, who came to office unaware that America had successfully developed the atomic bomb, started the tradition in 1952. President Obama has the authority to order the briefings, but his aides say he is deferring this year to Clapper, who will decide what sort of information the candidates get. Things change quickly after the votes are counted in November, with the winner in line to get a less detailed version of the presidential daily brief (PDB). On election day in 2008, the intelligence community had briefing teams on the ground in Phoenix and Chicago headquarters of the campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Obama, respectively according to former CIA Director Michael Hayden. We kept covert action and sensitive collection out of the routine PDBs in 2008, Hayden told Yahoo News. That said, I gave the president- and vice president-elect a detailed covert action briefing in mid-December. Its up to the sitting president to decide what gets told and to whom. President Bushs rule was that anyone who had been formally announced for a position that would get the PDB once in office, would get the PDB during the interregnum, Hayden said. It will be up to Obama, poised to shed his first customer status, to make the same decision. Daniel Klaidman of Yahoo News contributed reporting. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> Complex challenges ahead The hope is that Nepal gets a truly nationalist government that can lay the foundation of its progress (Reuters) - The first liquefied natural gas vessel from the lower 48 U.S. states is on its way to China, according to a Reuters interactive map on Friday, the latest sign that the expanded Panama Canal is allowing U.S. exports to reach the world's top LNG buyers in Asia. Royal Dutch Shell's (RDSa.L) Maran Gas Apollonia loaded up with gas at Cheniere Energy Inc's (LNG.A) Sabine Pass LNG export plant in Louisiana, the map showed. It passed through the canal earlier this week and was moving northwest up the west coast of Mexico on Friday afternoon. Shell does not disclose the destination of its vessels, company spokesman Ray Fisher said. LNG experts at energy data provider Genscape confirmed the ship's destination was China, but said that could change. China's fast-growing demand for gas, to help alleviate high levels of pollution from burning coal, has outstripped its domestic supply since 2007, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. The Panama Canal shaves distances between export plants dotted along the Gulf of Mexico and Asia to 9,000 miles (14,484 kilometres) from 16,000, allowing U.S. producers to better compete in one of the world's biggest gas consuming markets. Since Sabine Pass started exporting gas in February, 20 ships have picked up about 65.9 bcf of gas from the facility, based on the capacity of the tankers. So far, gas from Sabine has been delivered to South America, India, the Middle East and Europe. The United States, which has been exporting LNG to Asia from Alaska since 1969, has not shipped gas directly to China at least since 1973, according to federal energy data going back that far. The United States, however, did re-export some gas from at least one other country to China in 2011, according to the federal data. A surge in U.S. gas production from the shale revolution stimulated billions of dollars of investment in building LNG export terminals, transforming the country from an importer of LNG to an exporter of the fuel. Story continues By 2019, the United States is expected to be pumping out around 60 million tonnes of LNG annually. So far only Sabine Pass is exporting LNG from the lower 48 states and output will double to 9 million tonnes per annum as Cheniere adds a second production line later this year. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Richard Chang) Fiserv, Inc. FISV, a financial services technology provider, is slated to report second-quarter 2016 results on Aug 2. Last quarter, it posted a positive earnings surprise of 3.92%. The company has outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three out of the trailing four quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 2.79%. Factors at Play Fiserv commands a leading position in the financial and payment solutions business backed by a broad customer base and key contract wins. Additionally, its strong user base of Mobiliti ASP remains a major growth driver. Moreover, the company expects revenues from base solutions like DNA, Agiliti, EMV and Now to drive growth. In the second quarter, Fiserv extended its 16-year old credit processing contract with John Deere Financial, a division of Deere & Company DE by another 10 years. This apart, the company added Bangkok Bank and Panin bank to its client list in the quarter. The company remains focused on expanding its product portfolio. In June, Fiserv launched a palm authentication biometric tool, Verifast, to enable banks and credit firms to reduce frauds and transaction time and improve branch service efficiency. However, investors should keep in mind that increasing regulations in the banking and financial services industry and intensifying competition from the likes of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. FIS and others remain pressing concerns. Earnings Whispers? Our proven model does not conclusively show that Fiserv will beat earnings estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen.That is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Fiserv has an earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at $1.08. Zacks Rank: Fiserv has a Zacks Rank #3, which when combined with a 0.00% ESP, makes surprise prediction difficult. Story continues Meanwhile, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 and 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. FISERV INC Price and EPS Surprise FISERV INC Price and EPS Surprise | FISERV INC Quote Stock to Consider Here is a stock worth considering that, as per our model, has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Zoetis Inc ZTS has an earnings ESP of + 2.27% and a Zacks Rank #1. 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 DEERE & CO (DE): Free Stock Analysis Report FIDELITY NAT IN (FIS): Free Stock Analysis Report FISERV INC (FISV): Free Stock Analysis Report ZOETIS INC (ZTS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Philadelphia (AFP) - The Democratic Party gathered in sweltering Philadelphia for four days this week to nominate Hillary Clinton as their presidential nominee and catapult themselves toward November's election. Here are five key moments from the convention: - Living history - Standing before thousands of delegates and tens of millions of Americans watching at home, Clinton made history by becoming the first female nominee of a major political party. "I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, and independents" Clinton declared to deafening cheers Thursday, as she made the case that America's first black president should be followed by America's first female president. - The long goodbye - If the convention was a coronation for Clinton, it was also the beginning of a long farewell to Barack and Michelle Obama as they prepare to leave the White House. On Monday, the First Lady electrified the audience with a brief but deeply personal speech that heaped praise on Clinton and poured scorn on her rival. "Because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States," she said. On Wednesday, the penultimate night of the convention, Barack Obama showed why he is still considered one of the most talented orators of any political stripe. In a sweeping address, he burnished his legacy, framed the election -- not as a choice between Democrats and Republicans but between democrats and an authoritarian -- and passed the torch to Clinton. "Time and again, you've picked me up," he told the crowd. "And I hope, sometimes, I picked you up, too." "Thank you for this incredible journey." - Viva la revolucion! - It wasn't all smooth sailing for Team Clinton. The first days of the convention were plagued by sustained dissent from supporters of Clinton's failed primary challenger Bernie Sanders who booed the very mention of Clinton's name -- including in an opening prayer. Story continues Their anger was only made worse by the release of emails showing the supposedly neutral members of the Democratic National Committee pulling for Clinton. - Summer of '71 - On Tuesday night, Bill Clinton took to the stage. But this was not an appearance by the fabled "big dog" of politics -- it was Bill Clinton playing first gentleman. He tried to soften his wife's public image through a very personal story interweaving her story and his. "In the spring of 1971, I met a girl," he began. Picking up the baton on Thursday, Chelsea Clinton described Hillary as a mother who read her "Goodnight Moon" and a grandmother who took breaks from politics to read "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo" to Chelsea's daughter. - Country first - Perhaps the most emotional moment in the four-day convention came from Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim US soldier killed in Iraq. His steely admonishment of Clinton's Republican adversary Donald Trump at once electrified the convention and brought many to tears. "If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America," Khan said, describing his family as "patriotic American Muslims." "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future, let me ask you -- have you even read the United States Constitution?" he said, brandishing a copy. "I will gladly lend you my copy!" Khan said, insisting Trump look for the word "liberty" and consult the 14th amendment, which guarantees equal protection before the law. "Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery?" he demanded. "Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities." "You have sacrificed nothing, and no one!" he said. By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - The state of Florida, the first to report the arrival of Zika in the continental United States, has yet to invite a dedicated team of the federal government's disease hunters to assist with the investigation on the ground, health officials told Reuters. Coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since the state reported possible local Zika transmission on July 19 has been conducted largely at a distance, they said. That is surprising to some infectious disease experts, who say a less robust response could lead to a higher number of infections. While Florida has a strong record of battling limited outbreaks of similar mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue and chikungunya, the risk of birth defects caused by Zika adds greater urgency to containing its spread with every available means, they say. Other states have quickly called in CDC teams to help track high-profile diseases. "You only have a small window. This is the window" to prevent a small-scale outbreak from spreading, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who expressed impatience with the pace of the Florida investigation. Florida on Friday said that four cases of Zika in the state were likely caused by mosquito, the first sign that the virus is circulating locally, though it has yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the disease. The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of the birth defect microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. Florida Governor Rick Scott said the state health department was working with the CDC as it continues its Zika investigation. CDC said it is closely coordinating with Florida officials who are leading the effort. Dr Marc Fischer, a CDC epidemiologist, has gone to Florida at the state's request. Story continues But the state has not invited in the CDC's wider emergency response team of experts in epidemiology, risk communication, vector control and logistics, according to Florida health department spokeswoman Mara Gambineri. In its plans to fight Zika nationwide, CDC stressed that such teams would help local officials track and contain the virus. Similar teams were sent to Utah earlier this month to solve how a person may have become infected while caring for a Zika-infected patient, before local officials went public with the case, and quickly joined an effort to contain an Ebola case in Dallas in 2014. "Should we need additional assistance, we will reach out," Gambineri said in an email. She did not reply to questions about why the state decided not to bring in a CDC team. CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said the agency has several teams ready for when states request help with Zika, including Florida. "If invited, we've got a team ready to go," he said. FUNDING BLAME GAME Florida health officials publicly disclosed the first case of suspected local transmission on July 19. They have since been testing hundreds of area residents to identify other possible infections, in some cases knocking on doors asking people to provide urine samples, and studying local mosquito populations to see if they are carrying the virus. The state has warned residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites, and distributed Zika prevention kits for pregnant women at local doctors' offices. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert from the University of Minnesota, said the two counties involved in the Florida probe Miami-Dade County and Broward County - have extensive mosquito control experience. But he was surprised that the state had not yet sought CDC's help in quickly gathering information about where people were when they were bitten. "When cases like this occur, it's critical that there be rapid epidemiological investigations to determine the likely location where the mosquito exposure occurred," Osterholm said. "Only with that can you identify the breeding sites and eliminate them." As Zika's arrival in the United States loomed in recent months, Republican and Democratic leaders have blamed each other for holding up funding to fight it. President Barack Obama's administration asked Congress for $1.9 billion to fund a Zika response. Republican lawmakers proposed much smaller sums, and talks with their Democratic counterparts stalled before Congress adjourned for the summer. Scott, a Republican, said on Friday he had asked top officials in the Obama administration, including CDC Director Tom Frieden, for more resources to fight Zika. He has allocated$26 million from the state's budget. On July 20, the White House said that Obama had called the Florida governor to discuss the possibility that Zika was circulating in the state, and promised an extra $5.6 million in federal funding in addition to about $2 million provided by CDC. The statement praised Florida's record of responding to mosquito-borne outbreaks and its close coordination with federal partners, including the CDC. "Florida does what Florida does," said one public health expert familiar with the investigation. "If I were health commissioner, I would have asked for their (CDC's) help immediately." (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Bernard Orr) Former Fox News booker Laurie Luhn has come forth with her own sexual harassment claims against resigned Fox News chief Roger Ailes. Luhn on Friday opened up to New York Magazine about her experience working under Ailes as an event planner for the network, claiming that she had endured harassment for over 20 years, but chose not to say anything at the time because she believed Ailes could help advance her career. "It was psychological torture," she told the magazine, adding, "He's a predator." Luhn claims that she was asked to "lure" young female employees into meeting with Ailes alone, a situation she knew could eventually result in sexual harassment. She revealed that during one of her first meetings with the former Fox News chief in 1990, "He leans over and slips me the tongue and kisses me and hands me a wad of cash," New York Magazine details. "'Here's to help you pay some bills,' he said. It was maybe $200 or $300." After Ailes helped secure Luhn a research job under him, she says he began demanding sexual favors regularly. She recalled Ailes inviting her up to his hotel room, persuading her to dance in front of him and asking her to perform oral sex after. "Tell me you will do what I tell you to do, when I tell you to do it. At any time, at any place when I call. No matter where I call you, no matter where you are. Do you understand? You will follow orders," Luhn said Ailes commanded. "If I tell you to put on your uniform, what are you gonna do, Laurie? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO, LAURIE?" She says he then whispered, "What are you, Laurie? Are you Roger's whore? Are you Roger's spy? Come over here." Read more: Gretchen Carlson Declares Victory Over Roger Ailes: "Courage Caused a Seismic Shift" Though Luhn secured a new job as a legal aide at firm Patton Boggs years later, she didn't refuse when Ailes offered her a position under him at Fox News in 1996. Story continues "I was programmed," she said. "Sometimes the Stockholm syndrome with Roger slips back, and I am still a little girl trying to impress Daddy Roger." The former Fox News booker told the publication she still suffers anxiety from her past encounters with Ailes and met with a psychiatrist for a period of time due to stress. In the midst of several other women who have worked with Ailes coming forth with sexual assault allegations, Luhn claims Fox News offered her millions to keep her quiet. "I am reporting sexual harassment," she told New York Magazine. "Whether I am a crazy person or not, I am reporting sexual harassment." Gretchen Carlson, who filed a lawsuit against Ailes, which led to his resignation at Fox News, tweeted in support of Luhn on Friday. My heart breaks 4 you Laurie. Thx 4 being brave & telling ur story too. @gabrielsherman @NYMag https://t.co/HUTI02tqxp - Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) July 29, 2016 In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Ailes' lead lawyer Susan Estrich said: "Roger denied these allegations in 2011 and he denies them now. He wishes Ms. Luhn well. Based on her statements, it is disturbing that she is the subject of one reporter's journalistic exploitation." July 29, 5:04 p.m.: Updated with statement from Ailes' lead lawyer. - Jenson Button was given the all-clear to continue racing at the German Grand Prix after a fragment of carbon brake was washed out of his eye. The British driver said he felt a "very painful" irritation in his eye while he was driving his McLaren Honda car during Friday afternoons second free practice session. He went to the Hockenheim circuit medical centre before being transferred to hospital at Mannheim where the particle was removed. "Everything was OK, I just had something in my eye, some carbon or something I had to have taken out," he told reporters. "I've had it before, a bit of carbon from the brakes. It wasn't just dust in my eye, it was a bit more severe than that." AFP (Reuters) - Four North Carolina police officers have been cleared in the fatal shooting of a man last year, according to a local prosecutor, a decision that comes amid a U.S. debate over use of excessive force by law enforcement. The officers from the Archdale and High Point police departments shot Bobby Norris, of Archdale, nine times in August 2015 after he pointed a loaded shotgun at them, Garland Yates, the district attorney of Randolph and Montgomery counties, said in a statement on Thursday. Norris died at the scene. The officers, who were not named, had responded to a report of a domestic dispute. After examining the findings of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and a medical examiner's report, Yates said the officers' actions were justified and the case was closed. Norris' autopsy showed a high level of alcohol and the presence of anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs in toxicology results, the statement said. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) One of the most enduring images from Democratic National Convention was of Khizr Khan and his wife Ghazala, Pakistan-born immigrants who told the packed Pennsylvania Convention Center on Thursday night how their son Humayun sacrificed his life to save his comrade in arms. The Muslim American soldier died preventing a car rigged with explosives from killing others. Millions of Americans watched Khans wrenching tribute to his late son, who posthumously received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his bravery. But Fox News viewers missed out. Thats because the conservative cabler chose to cut away from the elder Khans speech, in favor of a series of other pre-packaged stories. Under a breaking tonight graphic, the network aired FBI Director James Comeys press conference on the growing ISIS threat given on Wednesday. Fox didnt find time for the report on the Khans and their son until later, when Fox Business Channel posted video. Even then, Fox chose to focus not on Khans initial oratory, which had Democrats shouting out in affirmation. Instead, Fox brought in two other Muslims Trump supporters to offer a rebuttal. One credited Trump for forcing Democrats to address Muslim issues, while the other criticized President Obama for not using the phrase radical Islam, according to Slate, which wrote the original story about Foxs odd programming choice. Viewers of CNN and MSNBC saw Khans powerful testimonial in full. The story reverberated with emotion because Humayun was a devout Muslim, who volunteered to fight in the Middle East because he wanted to defend American democracy. Khizr Khan waved a pocket copy of the Constitution of the United States from the podium, asking if GOP nominee Donald Trump had even read Americas seminal political document. The elder Khan told the crowd that, if Trump had been able to follow through on his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country, people like his son would never have been able to serve America. Story continues The grieving fathers summation was searing: Mr. Trump, you have sacrificed nothing. And no one. Fox reps were not immediately available to comment. Watch Khans speech in its entirety below. Related stories TV Ratings: Hillary Clinton's Speech Falls to Trump's Coronation in DNC Night 4 Final Numbers ABC News Serves Up 28 Million Facebook Live Video Streams During Political Conventions (EXCLUSIVE) 10 Biggest Winners and Losers From the Democratic National Convention PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Friday that a Russian plan for humanitarian corridors to allow residents of Aleppo to flee the besieged Syrian city were not a "credible response". Russia and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government declared a "humanitarian operation" in the besieged rebel-held sector of Aleppo on Thursday, opening "safe corridors" so people can flee Syria's most important opposition stronghold. France's Foreign Ministry said that the city's residents should have access to aid under international humanitarian rules and remain safely at home. "In this context, the idea of 'humanitarian corridors' consisting of asking Aleppo's residents to leave the city does not offer a credible response to the situation," the ministry said in a statement. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Andrew Callus) Dahal meets Chinese envoy, assures to implement Nepal-China pacts Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai called on CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday. Paris (AFP) - Two jihadists who attacked a French church and brutally murdered a priest had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. The attack in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray came as France was still coming to terms with the Bastille Day killings in Nice claimed by IS. Here is what we know so far about the church attack: - What happened? - Two men arrived at the 17th century Eglise Saint-Etienne during morning mass, attacking the church and taking five hostages inside. During the siege they killed a priest in his 80s by slitting his throat and seriously injured another captive. The victim was Father Jacques Hamel, a semi-retired assistant parish priest, according to the archbishop of nearby Rouen, Dominique Lebrun. Hamel was born in 1930 in Darnetal, a town near Saint-Etienne du Rouvray, and was ordained in 1958, according to information on the diocesan website. This is the first jihadist attack on a church on French soil since IS carried out its first assaults in Syria's war in 2013. Some 65 percent of France's population identify as Catholics, according to the Ifop polling centre. The country's second-largest religion, Islam, has five million followers. - Taken down by police - As the two attackers made to leave the church they were confronted by a French police unit specialising in hostage situations, the BRI, and shot dead. Three of the hostages were freed unharmed. The scene was then secured by officers from France's elite RAID unit, who scoured the area for explosive devices. None was found. - Who were the attackers? - One of the attackers has been identified as French jihadist 19-year-old Adel Kermiche, who was awaiting trial on terror charges and had been fitted with an electronic tag despite calls from the prosecutor for him not to be released. Sources close to the investigation also said the second assailant, named as Abdel Malik Petitjean, "strongly resembles" a man hunted by anti-terrorism police in the days before the attack over fears he was about to carry out an act of terror. Story continues Petitjean, also 19, was listed in June on France's "Fiche S" system of people posing a potential threat to national security after he tried to reach Syria from Turkey. New video posted by the IS news agency Amaq showed Petitjean, speaking in French and Arabic, threatening France and directly addressing President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls. In a separate video also posted by Amaq, two bearded men, calling themselves by the noms de guerre Abu Omar and Abu Jalil al-Hanafi, hold hands as they swear "obedience" to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Earlier this week, IS said the two assailants were its "soldiers" and the attack retribution for France's fight against the jihadists in the Middle East. Kermiche, who was known to France's anti-terrorism police, tried twice to go to Syria in 2015. He had already threatened to attack a church, according to witness testimony collected in his neighbourhood. - Deadly summer surge - Hollande, members of his government and opposition rivals gathered together on Wednesday at the symbolic Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris for a mass attended by Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders to pay tribute to the murdered priest. The moving gathering provided a rare show of unity and respite from days of political sniping over the repeat attacks, which right-wing parties say are due to the Socialist government's failure to protect citizens. Valls has warned that the goal of the attack, claimed by Islamic State jihadists, was to "set the French people against each other, attack religion in order to start a war of religions". France remains on high alert after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel ploughed a truck into a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing 84 people and injuring more than 300. The July 14 killings were the third major terror attack in France in little more than 18 months. PARIS, July 29 (Reuters) - French economic growth stalled unexpectedly in the second quarter from the previous three months on weak consumer spending and a drop in business investment, the INSEE national statistics agency said on Friday. A Reuters poll of 34 analysts had on average forecast growth of 0.2 percent, down from a revised 0.7 percent in the first three months of the year. The lowest estimate in the poll was for 0.1 percent. Traditionally the main driver of French growth, consumer spending showed no growth at all in the quarter, which was marred by floods, strikes and violent street protests over a contested labour law. Meanwhile, business investment fell 0.2 percent from the previous quarter, when many companies had rushed to take advantage of a tax write-off on some investments before its expiration. It was later extended for a year. While domestic demand was flat, foreign trade added 0.3 percentage points to growth as imports fell more than exports, INSEE said. French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said in a statement that the figures were "disappointing", and reflected the exceptionally strong growth in the previous quarter and exceptional factors like strikes in refineres. He said the government was nonetheless sticking with its 2016 growth forecast of 1.5 percent. MAIN FIGURES QUARTERS Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Total GDP 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.0 Imports 1.6 2.6 0.5 -1.3 Household consumption 0.5 0.0 1.2 0.0 Public consumption 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4 Investment 0.6 1.1 1.3 -0.4 - Business investment 0.4 1.5 2.1 -0.2 - Household investment -0.2 0.0 0.2 -0.1 - Public investment 2.6 1.5 0.1 -1.7 Exports -0.2 0.8 -0.3 -0.3 Contributions to growth: Domestic demand exstocks 0.5 0.4 1.0 0.0 Stocks variations 0.5 0.6 -0.1 -0.4 Trade balance -0.6 -0.6 -0.2 0.3 For a graphic of GDP by contributions: http://link.reuters.com/pyx28s For further details from INSEE: http://www.insee.fr/en/themes/info-rapide.asp?id=26 (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Andrew Callus) George Tuffanelli house Only in Chicago: A cop-turned-gangsters home from the bootleg era is on the market for $489,500. Heres the backstory: Sometime in the 1920s, Al Capone took notice of a cops exceptional driving skillswhile chasing down one of Capones goons. So he offered him a job. The cop took the gig, and 20-something years later, after gaining some serious street cred in the mob outfitand a nice nest egg along the waythat ex-cop built his dream home in the Windy City. And now that very place is on the market, with many of its original gangster flourishes intact. One gangster's paradise Capones recruit was George Babe Tuffanelli. He may not be a famous criminal, but dont let that fool you: Tuffanelli wielded some serious power working for Capone. He ran bootlegging outfits for the crime king and ruled criminal activity in the nearby city of Blue Island, whose mayor basically turned a blind eye to Tuffanelli, according to DNAInfo.com. He was one of Capones big guys, one of his top guys that ran the whole south suburban area [Blue Island] down there, listing agent Michael Tootelian says. His success paid off, at least when it came to his digs. Perhaps the coolest thing about this 4,099-square-foot home, located near the Beverly Woods area, is how well its been preserved. All the functioning stufflike the mechanicals, applianceshave been updated, Tootelian says. Other than that, the home is basically a 1947, made-to-order gangsters paradise. Subtlety is not the main takeaway from this place; excess is more like it. Check the homes four fireplaces, made with materials such as marble, stone, and granite. The wood floors are original and gorgeous, having been protected by a layer of carpet. The bathroomsespecially the masterare gloriously vintage. The master bathroom in all its vintage glory And then theres the downstairs. Its huge, Tootelian says. You keep going into room after room after room. And its mostly all original. The large stone fireplace still has an emblazoned T for Tuffanelli. Theres more than enough room for pool or gambling tables and the huge wraparound wet bar with matching chairs in an incredible cow print (original, of course). Story continues The only thing thats no longer there is a secret tunnel, which lead to the next-door neighbors house. I dont know what he used it for, but its blocked off now, Tootelian says. He says the neighbor was someone who worked with Tuffanelli. The 'T' is for Tuffanelli, of course. One of the reasons the three-bedroom, three-bathroom house has been so well-preserved is because Tuffanelli wasnt cheap when it came to building his fantasy abode. (What kind of self-respecting gangster would be?) He used the best materials he could get a hold of, says Tootelian. For example, he notes, the homes huge closets that are totally cedar still have that cedar wood smell to it. The downstairs bar Tootelian says the house has changed hands only once, when the current owners parents (now deceased) bought the property from Tuffanelli in the 1960s. Their children inherited the home and are now selling it. And hey, if you make friends with the neighbors, maybe you can reopen that tunnelyou never know when you need to go on the lam. Or just tunnel over to watch Netflix with your neighbors. Master bedroom Original hardwood flooring and stairs leading down to the basement Living area Patio The kitchen Another exterior shot The post Gangsters Paradise: 40s Home With Ties to Al Capone for Sale in Chicago appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Related Articles Retail real estate investment trust (REIT) General Growth Properties, Inc. GGP is expected to report second-quarter 2016 results on Aug 1, after the market closes. Last quarter, the company delivered a positive surprise of 14.3%. For the trailing four quarters, General Growth Properties beat estimates in three quarters, posting in-line results in one, with an average positive surprise of 4.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter funds from operations (FFO) per share is currently pegged at 36 cents. Lets see how things have shaped up for this announcement. Factors to Consider General Growth Properties encounters competition from alternative types of retailing such as catalogs and e-Commerce websites. Rising consumer purchases through the Internet has emerged as a pressing concern for the retail REIT. While the company is striving to counter such pressure through various initiatives, the implementation of such measures requires a decent upfront cost. Consequently, this would limit any robust growth in its profit margins in the near term. Further, General Growth Properties huge development and redevelopment pipeline is expected to drive its growth in the long-run, but raises operational risks. However, the company enjoys a solid portfolio of high-quality retail properties across attractive locations that attract huge demand from retailers. The portfolio is complemented by flagship urban retail properties that are also in demand. Moreover, its solid tenant base and portfolio repositioning efforts augur well. General Growth Properties activities during the quarter could not gain analyst confidence. Consequently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged at 36 cents over the last seven days. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that General Growth Properties will beat on earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at 36 cents. Hence, the Earnings ESP, which represents a difference between them, is 0.00%. Zacks Rank: General Growth Properties has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). As it is we caution against stocks with Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Story continues GENL GRWTH PPTY Price and EPS Surprise GENL GRWTH PPTY Price and EPS Surprise | GENL GRWTH PPTY Quote Stocks to Consider Here are a few stocks in the real estate investment trust sector you may want to consider, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post a positive surprise this quarter: Sun Communities Inc. SUI has an Earnings ESP of +2.44% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company will report results on Aug 2. Regency Centers Corporation REG has an Earnings ESP of +1.25% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company will release results on Aug 2. National Health Investors Inc. NHI has an Earnings ESP of +0.83% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company will report results on Aug 5. Note: FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income. All earnings per share numbers presented in this write up represent FFO per share. 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 REGENCY CTRS CP (REG): Free Stock Analysis Report GENL GRWTH PPTY (GGP): Free Stock Analysis Report SUN CMNTYS INC (SUI): Free Stock Analysis Report NATL HEALTH INV (NHI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research GMS Live Expert, a division of Global Mentoring Solutions, an Outsourced Help Desk for MSPs to Showcase its Scalable Help Desk Solutions at the IT Industry's Premier Conference for Collaboration, Education and Networking in Hollywood, Fla. #ChannelCon16 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / Global Mentoring Solutions, the parent company of GMS Live Expert today announced it is exhibiting at CompTIA ChannelCon 2016 "Breaking Boundaries," the premier collaboration, education and networking event for IT vendors, distributors and channel partners, August 1-3 at The Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla. Hosted annually by CompTIA, ChannelCon is attended by technology vendors, distributors and solution providers, as well as industry influencers, press and analysts from across the IT channel. More event details, including registration, are available here. Follow GMS Live Expert and CompTIA ChannelCon via Twitter using hashtag #ChannelCon16. Throughout CompTIA ChannelCon 2016, GMS will engage with hundreds of IT professionals and highlight its Outsourced Help Desk and NOC, which is available to channel partners across the globe. To secure an appointment with GMS at ChannelCon, please email sales@globalmentoring.com or call 888.939.3610. Event attendees are encouraged to visit the GMS team at booth number 505 during the Technology Vendor Fair. "We are incredibly excited to share our premium help desk services with the CompTIA community. As a Premiere CompTIA partner we are strong believers in the value of certifications, and heavily incentivize our team to participate in continued learning initiatives," said Wayne Goldstein, CEO, Global Mentoring Solutions. "CompTIA ChannelCon attracts the industry's best and brightest minds, delivering exceptional business value through high-impact training, educational sessions, industry panels, keynotes, networking opportunities and working groups on the most important topics and trends affecting the technology industry," said Kelly Ricker, senior vice president, events and education, CompTIA. "We're delighted to have GMS demonstrate its success and share market perspective with this year's ChannelCon attendees." Story continues To learn more about GMS, visit http://www.gmsliveexpert.com. More information on the complete CompTIA ChannelCon 2016 program, including keynotes, panels and educational sessions, is included in the event agenda available here. Registration for CompTIA ChannelCon and the ChannelCon Vendor Summit is open and available online. Media and IT industry analysts are encouraged to attend the conference. Highlights from CompTIA ChannelCon will be available on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #ChannelCon16. About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a non-profit trade association serving as the voice of the information technology industry. With approximately 2,000 member companies, 3,000 academic and training partners, 80,000 registered users and more than two million IT certifications issued, CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. To learn more, visit CompTIA online, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. About Global Mentoring Solutions (GMS Live Expert) GMS boasts 17+ years of operational experience and a strong global partner base. Through its MSP brand GMS Live Expert, GMS provides outsourced Help Desk services on behalf of it's partners via 24/7 end user phone, chat and integrated ticket system/CRM driven support capabilities. GMS's 100% North American based resources truly augment their partners' support offerings as each Partner engagement includes a unique direct phone number, MSP branded chat support and bi-directional ticket system synchronization. The GMS Live Expert Snapshot: 100% North American Based, Available 24x7 Flexible Packages For Each Phase Of Growth HIPAA Compliant & ITIL Process Driven Integrated With Workflows & Reporting Systems Consistent User Experience, With Access To An Expanded Team As Needed The GMS Live Expert 2015 Report Card: Serviced 232,428 Interactions Delivered a 93.2% Resolution Rate Responded to 85%+ of Issues In SUB 60 Seconds Responsible for 100,000 + MSP Users Press contacts: Dan Goldstein Global Mentoring Solutions dgoldstein@globalmentoring.com Steven Ostrowski CompTIA 630-678-8468 sostrowski@comptia.org Marie Rourke WhiteFox Marketing (for CompTIA) Marie@whitefoxpr.com 714-292-2199 Contact Global Mentoring Solutions: Daniel Goldstein 905-286-3829 dgoldstein@globalmentoring.com 178 Main Street Unionville, ON L3R2G9 SOURCE: Global Mentoring Solutions GNC Holdings Inc. GNC reported second-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 79 cents, reflecting a year-over-year improvement of 2.6% owing to a more than 20% drop in the companys weighted average number of common shares outstanding. The quarters adjusted EPS exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4%. Including one-time items, the companys reported EPS was 94 cents, up 19% year over year. Total Revenue Revenues dropped 2.4% year over year to $673.2 million and missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $673.3 million, by a whisker. This decline in revenue growth can be attributed to lower sales in the companys U.S. & Canada and international segments, which were partially offset by the sales improvement in the manufacturing/wholesale segment, excluding intersegment sales. Moreover, the fourth-quarter sale of GNC Holdings Discount Supplements business also affected total revenue growth of second-quarter 2016, by $6.6 million. Same-store sales dropped 3.7% in domestic company-owned stores (including GNC.com sales) during the second quarter; while in domestic franchise locations, same store sales fell 6.6%. GNC HOLDINGS Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise GNC HOLDINGS Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | GNC HOLDINGS Quote Segment in Details Starting from second-quarter 2016, GNC Holdings is reporting its operations in three segments: U.S. & Canada including company-owned stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, franchise stores in the U.S. and e-commerce; International including franchise locations in approximately 50 countries, The Health Store and China operations and Manufacturing / Wholesale including manufactured product sold to other segments, third-party contract manufacturing and sales to wholesale partners. During the reported quarter, GNC Holdings revenues from the U.S. & Canada segment dropped 2% to $570.9 million, primarily on the back of a decline in same store sales in both company-owned and franchise stores. Domestic franchise revenues fell 2.1% to $86.5 million, primarily due to lower wholesale sales and royalties. Weakness in the food and protein categories, as well as continued softness in Vitamins and Vitapaks, coupled with softer than expected traffic trends, largely affected this segments growth in the second quarter. Story continues Revenues at the international segment declined 2.5% to $43.1 million primarily on account of a decline of 1.6% in international franchisees same store sales, at constant exchange rate. However a revenue increase of $1.5 million contributed by GNC Holdings China business partially neutralized this decline. Revenues from the manufacturing/wholesale segment (excluding intersegment revenues) improved 5.3% to $59.2 million. Within this segment, third-party contract manufacturing sales increased 18.3% to $33.7 million, which was partially offset by an 8.1% decline in wholesale sales of $2.2 million and a 22.4% plunge in intersegment sales of $56.6 million. Margin Gross profit deteriorated 6.9% in the reported quarter to $238.7 million. Consequently, gross margin contracted 170 basis points (bps) to 35.5%, owing to lower sales, lower product margins in the companys GNC.com business and deleverage of occupancy costs as a result of the negative same-store sales. Selling, general and administrative expenses dropped 0.8% to $139 million. However, adjusted operating margin deteriorated 210 bps to 14.8% during the quarter, due to higher decline in gross profit. Financial Position GNC Holdings exited the reported quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $48.2 million, compared with $61 million at the end of first-quarter 2016. As of Jun 30, 2016, the company generated cash of $130.9 million from operating activities, compared with $184.2 million a year ago. During the second quarter, management bought back shares worth roughly $28 million and had a remaining cash balance of $48 million available in hand. The company also paid $28 million in cash dividends on its common stock as of Jun 30, 2016. Further, the company generated free cash flow of $110.6 million, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 32.7%. Moreover, during the second-quarter earnings release, GNC Holdings declared a cash dividend of 20 cents per share of its common stock for the third-quarter 2016; payable on or about Sep 30, 2016 to its stockholders of record at the close of business as on Sep 16, 2016. 2016 Outlook Assuming the weakening performance of the company to continue in the remaining quarters of 2016, management has temporarily suspended its previously announced earnings guidance for 2016. However, management remains committed to deliver improved performance in the near future. Our Take GNC Holdings ended second-quarter 2016 on a disappointing note as its revenue figure failed to meet the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Although earnings surpassed the same, it was on account of considerably lower number of weighted average common shares outstanding and not any strong fundamental on the companys part. Not only did the company lags in the domestic market, its operating results in overseas was equally disappointing. Foreign currency also played spoilsport, particularly in Mexico. In Turkey, macroeconomic challenges hampered growth. That said, it is worth mentioning that management still believes that international markets hold a tremendous potential for GNC Holdings and is thus engaged in capitalizing its opportunities in there. However, the temporary suspension of 2016 outlook is quite discouraging as it points to no major improvement in GNC Holdings operation, at least in the near term. Zacks Rank & Key Picks GNC Holdings currently holds a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Some better-ranked medical stocks are Abiomed, Inc. ABMD, Masimo Corp. MASI and Natus Medical Inc. BABY. All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). 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 ABIOMED INC (ABMD): Free Stock Analysis Report MASIMO CORP (MASI): Free Stock Analysis Report NATUS MEDICAL (BABY): Free Stock Analysis Report GNC HOLDINGS (GNC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's data privacy regulator said on Friday Alphabet Inc's Google had met its requests to change the way it treats and stores user data to bring practices into line with Italian rules. Two years ago, the watchdog told Google its disclosure to users on how their data was being treated was inadequate, giving it 18 months to comply fully and indicating a series of measures that needed to be carried out. The move was one of several privacy challenges against the U.S. Internet giant in the European Union, highlighting the bloc's desire to ensure its citizens' data is treated according to EU law, even when held in foreign jurisdictions. In a note, the watchdog said it was pleased with the agreement but added the monitoring of Google would continue. "We will continue with checks, in tandem also with other European regulators, so that users' data are increasingly protected and their rights recognized by web giants," watchdog president Antonello Soro said. Under the changes agreed, Google will have to make clear to users how their data is used and will not be allowed to use data to profile users without their prior consent. Users will be able to withhold or grant partial consent. Google will also need to improve how it stores data and guarantee its deletion within a specified timeframe. "We're pleased that the Garante (watchdog) has acknowledged the steps we have taken to ensure compliance with Italian law and improve user control," a Google spokesperson said. (Reporting by Stephen Jewkes; Editing by Mark Potter) Nepal-India security officers agree on halting levee construction at Dasgaja A bilateral meeting between security officials of Nepal and India held on Friday has agreed to immediately halt the construction of levee at Dasgaja area (no-man's land) across Tilathi of Saptari district. From Country Living Shannon Haley and Ryan Michaels grew up in neighboring towns in northern California, but the two didn't meet until they were adults living on opposite sides of the country. The dividing line between the two towns, Los Altos and Palo Alto, was just beyond Shannon's backyard, not far from Ryan's high school. His family owned a musical instrument store where Shannon's mom would purchase materials for her, most likely from Ryan's grandmother, who ran the sheet music department. ("They had this great repertoire of sheet music that no one else had," Shannon recalls.) The two families frequented many of the same Bay Area restaurants. "We never actually met but probably missed each other several times," says Ryan. After high school, Ryan moved to Nashville and started a rock band. Shannon relocated to Los Angeles and started her own solo band, but it wasn't long before one of her songs, which had found an audience online and recognition in the country genre, shifted her career trajectory. She began making trips to Nashville to collaborate with songwriters on Music Row. It was around this time that a mutual family friend, who knew both Shannon's mother and Ryan's mother separately, suggested the two young musicians connect. "My dad used to respond to a lot of my MySpace messages," says Shannon. "Our moms talk about us obnoxiously all the time so I think [their mutual friend] was probably hearing about Nashville from both of them," says Shannon. So, Ryan sent her a message on MySpace, a social network that was particularly popular among musicians at the time. She messaged back right away - or so he thought. In a comedy of errors that the couple still laughs about today, a younger Shannon, who was understandably focused on getting her career off the ground, had delegated some of the administrative tasks of being a performer and artist to her father. "My dad used to respond to a lot of my MySpace messages," she explains. Story continues "Her dad flirted with me on MySpace," says Ryan. "I think he winked at me...no one's ever heard that story." Neither one is exactly sure how that initial online conversation went - Shannon's old MySpace account is locked and she's long since forgotten the password. It would be another seven years before they actually met in person. This time, it was Shannon who reached out. She was planning a trip to Nashville and the guitar player for her band, who also played in Ryan's band, suggested she call him. Not wanting to be intrusive, she sent a Facebook message instead. "She had left her number, so I call her and I'm like, are you from the Bay Area? I'm thinking, We've done this exact thing before," Ryan recalls. They met for coffee at Frothy Monkey in Nashville's 12South neighborhood and, not long after, when Ryan's band played a show at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, Shannon joined him on stage. "We really felt a lot of chemistry," says Shannon of their first performance together. The soon-to-be duo added even more fuel to the flame when they decided to try songwriting together. "We were writing in a way and arranging the vocals in a way that was acknowledging each other as artists," says Ryan. "It wasn't competitive." "We were writing in a way that acknowledged each other as artists. It wasn't competitive." "We were having a conversation in a song," says Shannon. "To me it felt more compelling than anything I had been doing on my own." And so, with the blessing of fans from their respective solo careers, and support from the industry, the two artists merged careers and became Haley & Michaels. The single that resulted from that first collaborative writing session, "The Price I Pay," won "Song of the Year" at the Nashville Independent Music Awards in 2013. Last year, the pair merged their personal lives, too, tying the knot in a ceremony at Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California, the same venue where their band opened for Martina McBride. Shannon walked down the aisle to the duo's hit single "Giving It All (to You)," a song they wrote while coming up with their wedding vows. The day they wrote it, a blizzard in Nashville had left them snowed in, resulting in some unexpected downtime. "We're always running around and sometimes focusing is a challenge," says Ryan. Shannon had been humming a tune earlier that day-a melody and some lyrics that formed a rudimentary chorus. Is this corny?, she kept asking Ryan. Together, they turned personal sentiments meant for their vows into something more. "I actually wrote the first line, Before you even knew me you knew me best, which is the line he sings, and then he wrote, Before you ever asked me I said yes, which is the line I sing," says Shannon. "That was the main part of our vows that we ended up putting to music. The rest of it just kind of fell out." Photo credit: Courtesy of Haley & Michaels Naturally, they incorporated a personal element in the music video for the song, weaving in scenes from their actual wedding, a way to let fans share in their joy. "We wanted to have Haley and Michaels, and also Shannon and Ryan all in one video," says Shannon. A friend and wedding guest, award-winning music video director Shane Drake, who's worked with Kelly Clarkson, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Flo Rida among others, worked with Ryan to capture footage during the big day-something Shannon didn't find out about until after the fact. "We had four videographers, and three of them were invisible. Shane had ninjas in the trees with cameras," says Ryan. "I only knew we had our one videographer. Afterward, he was like, 'Hey, that was a music video, too-What?!'" says Shannon, recalling her reaction to the news. "I only knew we had our one videographer. Afterward, he was like, hey, that was a music video, too." That level of trust is a key ingredient of their success. When talking about how the pair manage their shared professional life without letting the stress of it influence their marriage, Shannon says they've learned to identify each other's strengths and divide and conquer. "We don't work together for a large part of most days," says Ryan. "Why would we do that when we both have different strengths and different things we can do?" They write and sing together, but when it comes to little things like answering emails, the two "type A" personalities have grown into a place where they've learned to "stay out of each other's way," says Shannon. It appears to be working fabulously: In May, Shannon and Ryan celebrated one year of marriage, and, earlier this month, Haley & Michaels debuted their latest single, "Drinking About You." "We had a pretty incredible year last year, and we're just scratching the surface," says Ryan. "It wouldn't have happened if we had to do every single thing together." Follow Country Living on Pinterest. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is such a part of our lives that its hard to imagine it not existing. But on July 29, 1958, Congress and the President moved to make NASA a reality. President_Eisenhower and NASA Administrator_Glennan President_Eisenhower and NASA Administrator Glennan in 1960 Its also hard to imagine in todays world of partisan gridlock that the executive and legislative branches created by the Founders could create a major government agency in little less than one years time. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the act to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earths atmosphere, and for other purposes. Congress had already passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which became a priority after one shocking event in 1957. The enactment of this legislation is a historic step, Eisenhower said. I want to commend the Congress for the promptness with which it has created the organization. Link: Full Text of the 1958 Act On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the worlds first artificial satellite. The launch and later Soviet successes started the Space Race, a battle of will and technology between the United States and the U.S.S.R. Congress immediately addressed the issue when Senate Majority Leader (and future President) Lyndon Johnson chaired hearings on American space and missile activities. The United States had been involved in serious research and development activities about rocket technology for some time. The Department of Defense had been involved in rocketry and upper atmospheric sciences since World War II. And a separate agency, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), had considerable resources. The NACA had about 8,000 employees, a $100 million budget and three research labs. About half of the NACAs work involved aeronautics. President Eisenhower spearheaded the legislation effort on the executive side. Nelson Rockefeller was also involved in an advisory role. An important decision was the creation of a new civilian agency, instead of revamping the NACA or leaving space decisions solely in military hands. Story continues By April 1958, Congress was already holding final hearings about the act. Johnson was credited as the driving force behind the legislation within Congress, working with John McCormick. When NASA officially started operations in October 1958, about a year after the Sputnik launch, NASA combined all the assets of the NACA with space science group of the Naval Research Laboratory in Maryland, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (managed by the California Institute of Technology for the Army), and the Army Ballistic Missile Agency in Huntsville, Alabama. The addition of the Huntsville facility was important because it included Wernher von Braun and his team of rocket engineers. By 1959, NASA started Project Mercury, continuing a program that originated with the Air Force. NASAs successes over the following decade culminated in the first moon landing in July 1969, and its later successes included Skylab, the Space Shuttle Program, and International Space Station. OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) -- Leaving Monmouth Park hours after Triple Crown winner American Pharoah's triumphant return to the races in last year's Haskell Invitational, track president Bob Kulina already was thinking ahead. The guy who has been around the Jersey shore track since the early 1970s knew nothing could top the spectacle of American Pharoah: 60,000 fans standing and cheering as the champion charged down the stretch in his first race as the first Triple Crown champion in 37 years. Kulina, though, caught some racing luck for Sunday's 49th running of the Haskell: Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist vs. Preakness winner Exaggerator, with Pharoah trainer Bob Baffert in the mix with American Freedom. ''I have to tell the truth,'' Kulina said this week. ''A year ago Sunday driving home, if you told me I was looking at this type of race the year after American Pharoah's Triple Crown and Haskell victory, I would have said 'Sign me up now.''' There's plenty of storylines: - The Nyquist-Exaggerator rivalry resumes. Nyquist won the first four meetings, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Derby. Exaggerator ended the streak - and any chance for another Triple Crown try - by handing Nyquist the only loss of his career in the Preakness. - Baffert has won five of the last six Haskells and is seeking a ninth win in Monmouth Park's showcase race. - It's the first time the top three Derby finishers - Nyquist, Exaggerator and Gun Runner- are running in the Haskell. It's the first time since 2010 that it's Derby winner vs. Preakness winner. - On the local front, trainers and brothers-in-law Eddie Plesa Jr. and Jason Servis will saddle long shots Awesome Slew and New Jersey-bred Sunny Ridge. Sunny Ridge is bred and owned by Dennis Drazin, an advisor to the group that operates the track. ''You couldn't have asked for a better field or a greater race,'' Kulina said. Story continues While anticipation builds for the 1 1/8-mile Haskell, there was a huge upset in Saturday's $600,000 Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds at Saratoga - Laoban went wire-to-wire and won the first race of his career after an 0-for-7 start. A son of Uncle Mo, Laoban returned $56 on a $2 win bet. Belmont Stakes winner Creator never challenged and finished last in the six-horse field. Governor Malibu was second. Nyquist is the 6-5 morning-line favorite for the six-horse Haskell, with Exaggerator next at 5-2. The Derby winner leaves from the rail; the Preakness winner from the outside post. This will be Nyquist's first race since running third in the Preakness on May 21. He then developed an elevated white blood cell count and was returned to his home base at Santa Anita. Trainer Doug O'Neill now says his colt is ready to go again. ''He's doing really well. His last few works have been exceptional,'' O'Neill said. ''We're coming into this race with a lot of optimism. For a six-horse field, it's very deep.'' Nyquist, owned by J. Paul Reddam, is the reigning 2-year-old champion and has eight wins in nine career starts for earnings of $5.1 million. Exaggerator, trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by his brother, Kent, finished 11th in the Belmont but appears charged up again for the Haskell. His entry was a surprise since he's been training at Saratoga, with plans calling for him to run in the Jim Dandy, then the Travers on Aug. 27. The Travers could be next for Nyquist, too. ''Those kinds of things are always fun,'' Keith Desormeaux said of the rivalry. ''Nyquist is a top horse and it's always fun to outrun top competition.'' O'Neill called it kind of ''a shock'' when he found out Exaggerator was Haskell-bound. ''He's such a hard-trying horse and a class horse. His move in the Preakness was stunning,'' O'Neill said. ''We've faced him a bunch. We respect him a ton.'' Look for Nyquist, under jockey Mario Gutierrez, to be on or close to the lead. Exaggerator relishes a late charge to the wire, and splashed his way to victory in the Preakness. Baffert comes into the Haskell quietly, unlike last year's Pharoah Fest. American Freedom was the 3-1 third choice, coming in with wins in the Sir Barton Stakes and the Iowa Derby. Gun Runner is 4-1, Awesome Slew 15-1 and Sunny Ridge 20-1. Plesa understands what he's facing in sending out long shot Awesome Slew. ''I feel like David fighting Goliath in this race when you look at these horses,'' he said. --- The field, from the rail out, is Nyquist (Mario Gutierrez, 6-5), Sunny Ridge (Nik Juarez, 20-1), Awesome Slew (Paco Lopez, 15-1), Gun Runner (Florent Geroux, 4-1), American Freedom (Rafael Bejarano, 3-1) and Exaggerator (Kent Desormeaux, 5-2). --- Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/rosenblattap --- AP freelance writer Mike Farrell contributed to this report. aei amanda f35 WASHINGTON, DC When asked on Friday if the F-35B could fly combat missions to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the US Marine Corps' head of aviation said, "We're ready to do that." Noting that the decision to deploy the fifth-generation jet into combat would come from higher command, Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for aviation said that the F-35B is "ready to go right now." "We got a jewel in our hands and we've just started to exploit that capability, and we're very excited about it," Davis said during a discussion at the American Enterprise Institute on the readiness and future trajectory of Marine aviation. Davis, who has flown copilot in every type of model series of tilt-rotor, rotary-winged, and tanker aircraft in the Marine inventory, said that the F-35 is an airplane he's excited about. "The bottom line is everybody who flies a pointy-nose airplane in the Marine Corps wants to fly this jet," Davis said. Last summer, then Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford declared initial operational capability (IOC) for 10 F-35B jets, the first of the sister-service branches. "There were a lot of people out here in the press that said, 'Hey, the Marines are just going to declare IOC because it would be politically untenable not to do that,'" Davis said. "IOC in the Marine Corps means we will deploy that airplane in combat. That's not a decision I was gonna take lightly, nor Gen. Dunford," he said. f35 Ahead of IOC, Davis said that the Marine Corps "stacked the deck with the F-35 early on" by assigning Top Gun school graduates and weapons-tactics instructors to test the plane. "The guys that flew that airplane and maintained that airplane were very, very, hard graders," he said. Story continues Davis added that the jet proved to be "phenomenally successful" during testing: "It does best when it's out front, doing the killing." The Marine Corps' first F-35B squadron is scheduled to go to sea in spring 2018. Meanwhile, the US Air Force could declare its first F-35 squadron combat-ready as early as next week. NOW WATCH: America's $400 billion warplane has some major flaws More From Business Insider Grenoble (France) (AFP) - It is often said that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but one cheated wife went to extraordinary lengths to exact revenge on her husband's mistress. Tired of playing second fiddle to her husband's paramour, the jealous 41-year-old mother-of-four triggered a bomb scare at Geneva airport in an effort to stop her going on holiday, prosecutors said Friday. Following her false tip on Tuesday, the airport undertook a "massive security operation" at "colossal cost" that included a full evacuation of the terminal, the re-screening of 13,000 passengers and the deployment of 20 additional guards. Several flights were delayed by the chaos. Swiss authorities traced the hoaxer to the French town of Annecy where she lived -- less than one hour from Geneva's airport by car. The woman, who was not named, was sentenced at a court in Annecy to six months prison of which she will have to serve at least three months. "Here we have a case of a wounded woman, married for 22 years, who only made a bomb threat out of frustration," the woman's lawyer, Tiphaine Barone, told Le Dauphine Libere newspaper. The woman regretted her actions, Barone added. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Via Dave Lutz at JonesTrading, here's a super-quick guide to what traders are talking about: Morning! TGIF - BOJ disappointed overnight, leaving policy unch but doubled its ETF purchases That said, Spoos totally ignoring the action off only 13bp as earnings season continues to impress. AMZN up 1%, Google 3.4%. Mostly green across Europe, with the DAX up 40bp - Energy worst sector in Europe, Banks outperforming on #s (UBS and Barc) ahead of Stress Tests. Italian Banks on Fire on more Paschi bailout headers, with the index gaining over 5%, helping Italys MIB jump over 2%. FTSE is under pressure tho losing 20bp as Miners and Energy companies lag. Over in Asia, ETF buying had the Nikkei up 50bp as the Banks surged higher - Shanghai lost 50bp as traders continued to fret about reports of a regulatory clampdown on speculation Aussie gained small, while other Asian markets slumped after the BOJ announcement. The DXY is under pressure, as the Y/$ from 105.50 last night to near 102.50 at worst this AM. Currently 103.78. Full 50dma reject on the charts targeting another 100 test. Euro is ripping as slow GDP growth was anticipated and long dollar bets unwind. Despite the drop, most commodities are under pressure led by Industrials as Silver and Copper drop 50bp, and WTI smashes under the 200dma to approach a $40 test - Oil is down in eight of the past nine sessions into the Brent and Gasoline expiry at 2:30. Natty holding the bulk of yesterdays squeeze, off only 1%. Softs are weak across the board. We get a headline fest at 8:30, when GDP, Core PCE, and the Employment Cost Index hit. Fed's Williams (Neutral, Non-Voter) Discusses Policy Toolkit at 9:30, just before the 9:45 release of the Chicago Purchasing Manager (9:43 for subscribers). At 10am we get U. of Mich. Sentiment then attention turns to the 1pm release of the Baker Hughes Rig Count, right when Fed's Kaplan (Neutral, Non-Voter) Speaks. At 2:30 those Brent and Gasoline Contracts Roll, and at 3:30 we get the CFTCs Commitment of Traders data. 4pm not only brings the closing bell on July those EU Bank Stress Test Results are Released. Story continues NOW WATCH: CLINTON: 'A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons' More From Business Insider A piece of debris found in Tanzania is "highly likely" to be from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Australia's transport minister said Friday, as he defended the Indian Ocean search efforts. The large wing part was brought to Canberra for analysis after it was found by locals on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania last month. In a statement, Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said "it is highly likely that the latest piece of debris being analysed by the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370". "The experts will continue to analyse this piece to assess what information can be determined from it," he added. His comments come a year after a large piece of wing debris was found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean and positively identified by French officials as originating from the flight, which disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people onboard. Australian officials have determined that four other pieces of debris found in Mozambique, South Africa and Mauritius almost certainly came from the plane, which was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished. But as hopes of finding MH370's final resting place fade after two years of searching, and with speculation that the crash zone may be slightly north of the search area, Chester defended the long-running and difficult underwater probe. He said the debris was found in areas consistent with drift modelling done by Australian scientists. This "affirms the focus of search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean," he added. Australia is leading the hunt for the missing plane in the southern Indian Ocean some 2,600 kilometres off its west coast capital of Perth after satellite data indicated the plane went down somewhere in that remote and stormy area. As it stands, the combing of the 120,000 square kilometre (46,000 square mile) search zone is expected to be finished by December, Chester added. "We remain hopeful that the aircraft will be located in the remaining search area," he said. Philadelphia (AFP) - Hillary Clinton, the first woman presidential nominee from a major US political party, has spent most of her life in the public eye. Here, in her own words, are 10 of the most important events leading up to her biggest challenge yet: - 1947: Birth - Hillary Diane Rodham was born in Chicago on October 26, to a middle-class suburban family. "I was born an American in the middle of the 20th century, a fortunate time and place. I was free to make choices unavailable to past generations of women in my own country and inconceivable to many women in the world today." -- Clinton, in her memoir "Living History" - 1969: Yale - Clinton enrolled at the prestigious Yale Law School, where she would meet her future husband Bill Clinton in the spring of 1971. The couple married in Arkansas in 1975. "So I stood up from the desk, walked over to him and said, 'If you're going to keep looking at me, and I'm going to keep looking back, we might as well be introduced. I'm Hillary Rodham.' That was it. The way Bill tells the story, he couldn't remember his own name." -- Clinton, in her memoir "Living History" - 1978: Arkansas - Bill Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas, making Hillary Rodham the state's first lady. Yielding to pressure, she agreed to take Bill's last name several years later. "I decided it was more important for Bill to be governor again than for me to keep my maiden name. So when Bill announced his run for another term on Chelsea's second birthday, I began calling myself Hillary Rodham Clinton." -- Clinton, in her memoir "Living History" - 1995: Beijing - As US first lady, Clinton spoke at the UN's Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where she delivered her now famous line, which she still evokes 20 years on. "Human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights." -- Clinton at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women plenary session Story continues - 1998: Lewinsky - Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky captivated national attention. Hillary Clinton initially believed his denial and supported her husband publicly. "Bill and I have been accused of everything, including murder, by some of the very same people who are behind these allegations. So from my perspective, this is part of the continuing political campaign against my husband." -- Clinton, in an NBC "Today Show" interview - 2000: Senator - Clinton is easily elected to the US Senate two months before she and Bill left the White House. "Why the Senate and why New York and why me? And all I can say is that I care deeply about the issues that are important in this state, that I've already been learning about and hearing about." -- Clinton, to reporters in Davenport, New York, while campaigning in 1999 - 2002: War in Iraq - Senator Clinton voted to authorize president George W. Bush to use military force against Saddam Hussein in Iraq. It's a vote she will later say she came to regret. "I take the president at his word that he will try hard to pass a United Nations resolution and seek to avoid war, if possible." -- Clinton, on the Senate floor - 2008: Primaries - Clinton entered the Democratic presidential primary race in January 2007 and was favored to win. However, she was beaten 17 months later by fellow senator Barack Obama. "Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it." -- Clinton tells supporters, conceding defeat - 2012: Benghazi - Four Americans including the ambassador were killed in attacks on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya in September 2012. Clinton testified in January 2013 in tense hearings before lawmakers on the attacks. "As I have said many times, I take responsibility, and nobody is more committed to getting this right." -- Clinton at Senate hearing - 2016: Nominee - On June 7, after a tough primary race, Clinton defeats challenger Bernie Sanders. On Thursday, she formally accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, the first woman nominated by a major US political party. "I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans and independents. For the struggling, the striving and the successful. For those who vote for me and those who don't. For all Americans." -- Clinton, accepting the nomination in Philadelphia Flood victims return as water recedes Around 2,000 flood victims at Kachanapur, Bankatawa, Betahani, Holiya and Gangapur areas in Banke have started returning to their homes after the water level in Rapti River recedes, according to the local authorities. Hillary Clinton took the stage to deliver her history-making address at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday night amid chants of "Hillary! Hillary!" All eyes were on her as she appeared to officially accept her historic Democratic nomination, becoming the first female presidential major-party nominee. "What an incredible week it's been," she said after walking out to the campaign's "Fight Song." She began her speech by thanking the week's heavy-hitting roster of speakers, as well as her former rival Bernie Sanders, causing the crowd to go wild. "We are stronger together." It didn't take long for her to take aim at Donald Trump. "He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other," she said. "He wants us to fear the future and fear each other." She then invoked the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt to reply: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." She continued: "We are not afraid. We will not build a wall, instead we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good job can get one. And we'll build a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants who are already contributing to our economy. We will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism. "Don't let anyone tell you that our country is weak: We're not. "And most of all, don't believe anyone who says 'I alone can fix it.' Yes, those were actually Donald Trump's words in Cleveland and they should set off alarm bells for all of us. "Really? 'I alone can fix it?' "Isn't he forgetting troops on the frontlines,> police officers and firefighters who run towards danger? Doctors and nurses who care for us, teachers who change lives? Entrepreneurs who see opportunity in every problem? Mothers who lost children to violence and are building a movement to keep others safe. Story continues "He's forgetting ever last one of us. "American's don't say 'I alone can fix it.' We say: We'll fix it together!" When she then uttered the words "love trumps hate," the crowd erupted in cheers. Thursday is her first official appearance at the DNC. Clinton appeared via video message on Tuesday, where she "cracked" through the glass ceiling, and surprised the DNC crowd by joining President Obama onstage Wednesday after his emphatic endorsement and passing of the baton. Hillary Clinton was introduced by daughter Chelsea Clinton, who called her "wonderful, thoughtful, hilarious" in a touching speech that left dad, former President Bill Clinton, choking back tears as he watched from the audience. After Chelsea Clinton's introduction, a 12-minute video created by Shonda Rhimes and narrated by Morgan Freeman chronicled the nominee's life. The feature contained interviews with the Clinton family, including Hillary Clinton, as well as President Barack Obama, a 9/11 survivor and first responder, as well as a childhood friend of the candidate. The nominee is expected to discuss both her journey to today and share her vision for the future in her speech. According to excerpts released ahead of time, she will offer "steady leadership" to a country "looking for reassurance" amid turmoil in the world. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning," she will say, according to the preview. Americans must "decide whether we're going to work together so we can all rise together." During her speech, Hillary Clinton plans to involve the crowd before the night's ending balloon drop, as props for an audience card stunt were handed out earlier in the day. Watch her speech live below. Read More: Hillary Clinton Surprises at DNC After President Obama "Passes the Baton" The final night of the four-day DNC convention continued to see a slew of A-list support. Katy Perry performed her new hit, in keeping with the DNC theme, called "Rise" before Chelsea Clinton took the stage. Earlier, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took a jab at Donald Trump, Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen spoke about their longtime pal, Carole King performed "You've Got a Friend" and at a DNC-related event in Camden, N.J., Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz performed for an invite-only crowd of DNC delegates. The convention has had no shortage of political star power, with President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former President, and husband, Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden delivering passionate endorsements for Hillary Clinton. There was nothing subtle about the pop songs that surrounded Hillary Clintons acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. Those kind of songs are the bright, energetic extroverts of the music world, full of you-go-girl empowerment lyrics and as colorful and bouncy as the red, white and blue balloons that fell from the ceiling at the end of the evening. The balloons fell on time, by the way. The audience more or less followed instructions and deployed giant cards they were given, cards that made the outlines of an American flag appear across the arena in Philadelphia after her speech ended. All week long, there were almost no glitches in the audio or video equipment; in contrast, last week at the RNC, it almost seemed, at times, as though the electronic gear was possessed by some kind of demon. Its the little things that mean a lot, and for sheer presentation, the DNC was far more slick and that matters. Regardless of what you think of either convention on a political basis, theres no question that, as a piece of showmanship, the Democratic convention was miles ahead of the RNC gathering. Tonally, the conventions were worlds apart as well. It wasnt just that the RNC convention was chaotic and glitchy; it felt, at times, like a dispatch from Mordor. Handed a great deal of ammunition to use, the DNC wasted little of it. The Republicans managed the political equivalent of leaving Ronald Reagans vision of morning in America on a park bench in the rain, so the Democratic party walked off with it, polished it and used it as their foundation. That doesnt mean Clinton resisted the urge to take a few well-targeted swipes at her opponent. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons, she said. One can only wonder what heights (or depths) of histrionic rage that will bring out in Donald Trump. But Clinton has her own challenges with the American public, something she acknowledged quite a few times in her speech. Some people just dont know what to make of me, she said. And some will never have their minds changed. But shes not the type to give up, as various speakers reminded the audience. As is her wont, she hammered away at unsexy, non-terrifying themes and ground out straightforward pitches full of foursquare words: safety, family, jobs, community, education, opportunity, cooperation. Story continues It was a speech full of the kind of homespun turns of phrase youd find Jimmy Stewart saying in a Frank Capra film. What was most effective about the speech is that Clinton stayed in her lane; shes not a poet or a dreamer or a folksy politician imbued with innate charisma. The fact that she didnt try to be any of those things and simply presented herself as a grounded, competent adult may have accomplished the task that pundits have been waxing on about forever it humanized her. True, the people that hate her are still going to hate her, but the people who like her probably like her even more now. And even those who arent her biggest fans but who want a restrained, practical grown-up in the White House probably couldnt find much to complain about. All that said, Clinton rode the waves of crowd approval with skill, calibrating her voice and affect in tune with the words she was saying and the vibe in the arena. There were passages that led the crowd to chant Hillary and moments when her eyes shone with emotion. It clears the way for everyone when there are no ceilings the skys the limit, she said at one point, and everyone knew she was referring to a glass ceiling. If working for issues like child care and paid leave meant she was paying the woman card, Deal me in, she said with a grin, and the crowd chanted the phrase along with her. There were moments in which she achieved liftoff and really connected with the crowd. Was it the speech that the pundits had been bloviating about all day? Was it some magical blend of every great speech in history? Would it somehow melt the reservations of voters who were wary of her and break through the bias of those who simply cant wrap their minds around the idea of a female president? Well, no, because no speech could have met those kinds of preposterous expectations. It was wonky, it was dry in a few places and feisty and funny in others. Mainly, it was earnest, thorough and it got the job done. It was peak Hillary Clinton. Ever the pragmatist, Hillary Clinton knew she couldnt match the kind of high-flying rhetoric President Obama used on Wednesday. So she went all in on policy and practicality. Trump doesnt like talking about his plans to actually make change happen, but I love talking about mine, she said. Before she took the stage, the Clinton life-story film created by TV veterans Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers mentioned, twice, via Morgan Freemans narration, the federal program she worked on that got eight million kids access to health care. All in all, Clintons speech recapped every other talking point on any national politicians agenda: terrorism, campaign finance, Israel, womens rights, gun violence, inequality and so on. The litany felt a little long at the end, but viewers could have little question where she stood on just about everything. With a near-sigh, she even took on some of the most ingrained myths about her. No, she was not going to take away anyones guns. She would try to get sensible gun-control laws on the books, so that those who should never have them in the first place wouldnt be able to buy them. There were a few big themes threaded throughout the speech: The doubts people have about her, many of which she addressed head-on; the factors that have led many voters to embrace the populist rhetoric of both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders; and the idea of community and people helping each other out. To those who felt abandoned, she said, You know what? Youre right. She talked a lot about job creation and making the very wealthy and corporations pay their fair share. A line about freeing students and families from debt finally got some applause from an otherwise unexcited Bernie Sanders. I believe in science, she said, almost laughing at the idea that this was something she needed to say in an advanced society. It was all very methodical, but then again, over-planning and relentless precision are often the most reliable tools that successful women have in their arsenals. For all her talk of cooperation, Clinton was out there alone on that stage; there are no other female presidential candidates that set examples for her to follow. Some like to criticize Clintons relentless pragmatism, but she turned that bug into a feature. If Trump was going to present a nightmare vision of a nation overrun by unwanted immigrants and Muslims intent on harming Americans, Clinton and the DNC organizers would give stage time before the main event to a Latina sheriff who was the youngest of two migrant workers eight children. If Trump was going to paint a dark, declining portrait of America, the DNC would offer the rousing Rev. William Barber II and his stirring, inspirational words about Americas deepest moral values. And the convention would give viewers, in the most moving moment of the night, the parents of a Muslim soldier who was killed in action. Khizr Khan, father of fallen soldier Humayun Khan, pulled out a pocket copy of the constitution and asked Trump a pointed question. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of the law. Clinton is, in the words of a Sept. 11 first responder who spoke in her biographical film, a workhorse not a show horse. This workhorse knew she needed depth and dimension added to the cartoonish portrayals of her, so her daughter, Chelsea, introduced her. Chelsea talked about the woman who discussed dinosaurs with her when she was little and wrote her sweet notes when she was out of town. Chelsea was more soft-spoken and less glacially poised than Ivanka Trump last week, but the level of detail she offered about her mother made her speech heartfelt and convincing. Hillary extended Chelseas themes, linking herself to her own mother, an abandoned child whose life was saved by strangers who had mercy on her. Clinton talked about bad times and feeling low; she called Trump odd; she goofed on Bill, talking about their 45-year conversation and the fact that shes occasionally gotten in a few words along the way. I sweat the details, she said. Case in point: In her biographical movie, she was filmed in a kitchen, with a soft and elegant flower arrangement in the background. Nothing was left to chance. After the week of chaos and fear in Cleveland, maybe thats what people want. Dont believe anyone who says, I alone can fix it, Clinton said, practical to the end. Well fix it together. Related stories Democratic National Convention Night 4 Early Ratings Soft Compared to 2012, on Par With 2016 RNC Snoop Dogg Neglects to Mention Bernie Sanders at Post-DNC Unity Concert Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg Pulls for Hillary Clinton Presidential Win, Citing Her Kids Hillary Clinton was heckled and booed by a small handful of individuals Thursday night as she delivered her primetime address at the Democratic National Convention formally accepting the partys nomination for president. Here's a look at what was happening on the scene in Philadelphia: Some booing Clinton as they hold up ban fracking, anti TPP & Jill signs. Chants of "Hillary" try drowning out hecklers. via @lateshiabeachum Dan Zak (@MrDanZak) July 29, 2016 A few loud but scattered boos as Hillary begins her speech at #DemConvention #DNCinPHL pic.twitter.com/4Psp0glWOk Olivier Knox (@OKnox) July 29, 2016 Those hecklers are pretty loud. And persistent. One yells, "Never Hillary!" before being backed back into the hallway. T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) July 29, 2016 The boo-ers were positioned right above one of the press sections Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) July 29, 2016 According to reporters at the scene, the crowd responded to hecklers by drowning out the individuals and chanting, "Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!" Several isolated hecklers. Hillary supporter hells "sore loser" at her as she's escorted out. Crowd chanting Hillary. James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) July 29, 2016 The chants of "Hillary," which are drowning out heckles, are sometimes drowning out Clinton's speech in the arena Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) July 29, 2016 The boos and heckles likely came from supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a vocal group of progressives who feel that Clinton unfairly used the Democratic Party apparatus on her way to a primary victory. Clinton became the first woman to accept a major US political party's nomination for president Thursday night. She will face off with Republican nominee Donald Trump in the general election. NOW WATCH: Watch the most touching moment of the DNC Bill tears up when Hillary takes the stage More From Business Insider Will Shonda Rhimes hot streak of hits continue unabated? Well know come November 8 (aka Election Day), seeing how the powerhouse producers (Scandal, Greys Anatomy, How to Get Away With Murder) latest project along with fellow Shondaland EP Betsy Beers involved producing a short film about presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton that preceded her historic address at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. VIDEOSPresident Barack Obama Pleads Dont Boo, Vote, Makes Birther Movement Joke in Democratic Convention Speech Narrated by God himself Morgan Freeman, the 12-minute video found Clinton in a kitchen setting, discussing her upbringing, along with a variety of people President Barack Obama, a 9/11 survivor and first responder, her husband Bill offering humanizing details about the candidate, including her first experience being bullied. There is no room for cowards in this house, recounted Hillary, echoing her mothers words about how she needed to go back outside and handle the situation. As the narrative spanned her work on the Childrens Defense Fund, an undercover sting exposing unlawful segregation in Alabama schools and international initiatives on behalf of womens rights, the film eventually worked its way to Clintons gig as Secretary of State under President Obama. Look at her. Look at her face, implored Freemans voiceover, alongside an image of Clinton in the situation room, in the moments before U.S. forces killed Osama Bin Laden. Shes carrying the hope and the rage of an entire nation. VIDEOSJ.J. Abrams Produces Michelle Obama DNC Retrospective Watch Video It is an honor to provide America with an intimate portrait of Hillary, said Rhimes, in a statement released by Clintons campaign in advance of the film. Everyone already knows the powerhouse now, with this piece, everyone will also get to know the person. Story continues Producing this film was a major highlight of my career, added Beers, and I am incredibly honored that the campaign entrusted us with the responsibility. It is beyond inspiring to see this amazing woman secure the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. OK, but whos in charge of B613? (We kid! We kid!) What did you think of the Rhimes/Beers-produced short film? Grade it in our poll below, then sound off in the comments! (Well add video as soon as its available!) Related stories The Simpsons Endorses Hillary Clinton, Rips on Donald Trump in New Video Quotes of the Week: The Bachelorette, Zoo, Rizzoli & Isles, DNC and More Ratings: Democratic Convention Down From RNC's Closing Night Hillary Clinton strode into history books Thursday night with a call for Americans to rally behind her. Join us was a refrain as she moved toward the end of her speech and toward what promises to be a divisive campaign to become the nations first female President. I know that at a time when so much seems to be pulling us apart, it can be hard to imagine how well ever pull together, she said. But Im here to tell you tonight, progress is possible. The former Secretary of State became the Democratic nominee with enormous advantages over her rival Donald Trump a massive campaign apparatus, deep pockets and an electoral map that favors Democrats. But on the biggest night of her campaign, with the nations television screens tuned in, she walked on stage dogged by doubts and headwinds, with more than half the country saying they had concerns about her trustworthiness. Though her campaign theme was stronger together, the convention hall was not united, with shouted protests from a few progressive dissidents disrupting her speech at points. Protesters held signs praising her rival Bernie Sanders, and a handful even pushed the Green Party candidate. One sign read simply Keep Your Promises, a reflection of the distrust that has dogged her through the campaign. She tried to take all of these concerns straight on, praising Sanders at the start of her address, embracing the party platform she had been pressured by progressives to adopt, and admitting her shortfalls at connecting in the past to voters. Now, sometimes the people at this podium are new to the national stage. As you know, Im not one of those people, Clinton said. The truth is, through all these years of public service, the service part has always come easier to me than the public part. I get it, that some people just dont know what to make of me. Story continues Read More: Transcript of Hillary Clintons Convention Speech She did little to help answer that one. Instead, she offered a broad vision of helping all Americans with her specific ideas of how to do it. Its true. I sweat the details of policy, she said. Moments later, she contrasted that with Trump, whose positions are often hard to pin down. No wonder he doesnt like talking about his plans, she said, before dryly adding, You might have noticed, I love talking about mine. She quoted Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Jackie Kennedy, borrowed a lyric from the Broadway hit Hamilton and parroted Ronald Reagan. But for much of the speech, she sought to define herself not with her own story, but in opposition to her opponent. Of Trump, she said he had shifted his party a long way from Reagans slogan. He wants to divide us from the rest of the world, and from each other, she said. Hes taken the Republican Party a long way from Morning in America to Midnight in America. Dont believe anyone who says I alone can fix it, Clinton warned. Those were Donald Trumps words in Cleveland. They should set off alarm bells. Read More: 5 Other Women Who Ran for President For the better part of four nights, the speakers had taken their turns hammering Trump as a self-serving huckster, an alleged billionaire who is running for President only to make his brand bigger, and an enemy to women, immigrants and workers. They also tried to humanize a sometimes distant public figure with anecdotes about her personal life and her behind-the-scenes political work. Throughout the Democratic convention, friends and allies offered anecdotes aimed at making Clinton seem more likable. Bill Clinton told the story of how they first met from afar in the Yale Law School library. Chelsea Clinton talked about her mother reading her Goodnight Moon and taking her to Dinosaur National Monument. Former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told the story of how Clinton and President Obama crashed a private meeting of other world leaders. Senator Claire McCaskill said Clinton phoned her after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. But the biggest lift was Clintons own speech. She kept working at it all the way into Thursday. After making a surprise appearance with Obama late Wednesday, she went back to her hotel to keep working on the latest draft of the address. Aides were frustrated with her insistence on specifics over rhetoric, details over drama, but it was typical Clinton. Why keep it simple like, If you see something, say something when If you see something suspicious, please alert the proper authorities is much better? one aide joked. She seemed to yield to advisers, and the speech had some memorable one-liners, and some rhetoric that can be repurposed for the speeches she gives every day. As usual, it was grounded in facts and specifics. Read More: In Two Clashing Conventions, a Clear Choice for the Nation Convention speeches are the rare opportunity for campaigns to have the eyes of a nation on the candidates, traditionally uninterrupted and on their own terms. Unlike the three upcoming debates, there was no sparring partner on Thursday. Unlike TV interviews and press conferences, there was no reporter raising uncomfortable topics. It was simply Clinton speaking to her supporters in the overcrowded hall and millions more watching at home that she hoped to persuade. She walked a fine line, trying to maintain an optimistic tone and arguing that, contra Trump, America is already great, while also acknowledging the frustrations that fueled Sanders and Trump in the primaries. Some of you are frustrated. Even furious. Youre right. Its not yet working the way it should, she said. Clintons convention closed with the traditional balloons and a song blaring that they were stronger together and united. Her challenge, over the next 102 days, will be to hammer home those themes that her strategists amplified over the last four days: that Democrats are the party of inclusion and the middle class, that government programs can help lift Americans, that Clinton is the best prepared presidential nominee in a generation. Starting with a weekend bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio, Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine will try to paper over the party divisions that left many delegates in the hall sour on the Establishment. To help build a unified party, Clinton mostly focused on the alternative. Imagine, if you will, image him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis, Clinton said. Then she added a line that was the most-discussed moment on Twitter of the night: A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. The next step will be to convince voters that they can trust her instead. Hillary Clintons oldest delegate 102-year-old Geraldine Jerry Emmett has been waiting a very long time for this day Hillary Clintons oldest delegate 102-year-old Geraldine Jerry Emmett has been waiting a very long time for this day As if we havent experienced enough emotional moments during this past weeks DNC, we were reminded once again how far weve come as a country. And, just when we thought it was safe to pack away our tissues, the interwebs introduced us to Hillary Clintons oldest, honorary delegate, Geraldine Jerry Emmett of Arizona. Jerry Emmett is an upbeat, 102-year-old who has been supportive of Hillary Clinton since she first laid eyes on her during Bill Clintons first election season. My whole life, I keep asking God, let me have one more chance if you let me go to the convention [to see the first woman to be nominated for president], Ill go home to heaven without making a little fuss, Emmett told the Clinton campaign, via the Washington Post. And when I called one of my former students and I told them that, she said, oh no you wont Ive already ordered your dress to go to the inauguration. Shes just the cutest! Throughout her life she has witnessed the civil rights movement, the womens liberation movement, the womens suffrage movement. Jerry was born just before the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, and recounts being very proud of her mother for casting her first vote for the president of the United States. Similar to Clinton, Jerry has dedicated her career to bettering her community. She has served as public school teacher in Arizona, and has worked tirelessly to promote the democratic process. Paul Morigi / Getty 2016 Democratic National Convention - Day 4 Im crying, and I never cry, Jerry shared with The Washington Post after announcing Arizonas 51 votes for Clinton. She deserves it so much. She has been so good and such an example that we can do anything. And in the midst of celebrating this historical moment, we must not forget to recognize Jerry shes been championing for womens rights for 102 years, and were proud to have her on our side. Meryl Streep The post Hillary Clintons oldest delegate 102-year-old Geraldine Jerry Emmett has been waiting a very long time for this day appeared first on HelloGiggles. Frost & Sullivan begins Nepal ops Frost & Sullivan, a US-based global growth partnership company, has officially started its Nepal operations. The consulting firm has targeted to facilitate foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country by collaborating with potential investors. Donald Trump cant even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign, said Hilary Clinton today of the ex-Celebrity Apprentice host at the Democratic National Convention. As she accepted her nomination as the first woman to be the Presidential standard bearer for a major American political party, the former Secretary of State added: He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When hes gotten a tough question from a reporter, when hes challenged in a debate, when he sees a protester at a rally. She got a big cheer for calling out how odd Trumps 78-minute July 12 RNC speech was. Imagine if you dare, imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. Bill Clinton,Tim Kaine dnc 2016 A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons, Clinton said as one of many swipes at Trump on Thursday a tactic surely will be one of the main thrusts of her campaign going forward. So enough with the bigotry and bombast, she declared in her 56-minute speech as her husband, POTUS 42, and her running mate Sen. Tim Kaine looked on from the convention floor. Donald Trumps not offering real change; hes offering empty promises. He wants us to fear the future and fear each other, he wants to divide us from the rest of the world, and from each other, Clinton added in a wide-ranging speech that was alternately progressive and hawkish and quoted Broadways Hamilton. She went after her opponent early and returned to him time after time amid policy promises. Hes betting that the perils of todays world will blind us to its unlimited promise, citing that love trumps hate. She picked up the attack theme that has been at the heart of speeches this week from the likes of heavyweights VP Joe Biden and President Barack Obama. Hes taken the Republican Party a long way, from Morning in America to Midnight in America, she said with a nod to the Reagan campaign slogan of 1984 as chants of Hillary, Hillary broke out repeatedly throughout her primetime speech. Story continues She reached out to her top rival in the primaries, Sen. Bernie Sanders, calling him out by name to thank him for helping to fire up so many potential voters, especially young ones. Cameras went to a split screen with Clinton and the Vermont senator, with the latter keeping a stone face. Earlier in the evening, a text went out to Bernie Sanders supporters from the Vermont senators camp asking they extend respect to HRC as her supporters showed him during his July 25 speech to the convention. A number of Sanders supporters walked off the convention floor when Clinton was speaking. RelatedHollywood Reacts To Hillary Clinton DNC Speech: Making History Leads Way Amid Jokes & Jibes As GOP rival Trump was introduced bu his daughter Ivanka last week at the RNC, the former New York senator was introduced by her daughter Chelsea in Philadelphia tonight. Clinton also was preceded in the Wells Fargo Center by a Morgan Freeman-narrated 12-minute biopic produced by Scandal EPs and longtime supporters Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. He also talks a big game about putting America first, the former White House occupant told the convention about the Art of The Deal author after offering a peace flag to Sanders supporters. Please explain to me what part of America First leads him to make Trump ties in China, not Colorado; Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan; Trump furniture in Turkey, not Ohio; Trump picture frames in India, not Wisconsin. Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again well, he could start by actually making things in America again. The climax of the DNC follows days with speeches praising the former First Lady and attacked trump from First Lady Michelle Obama, primaries contender Sanders, ex-POTUS Bill Clinton, VP Biden, VP hopeful Tim Kaine and last night President Obama, with a not that unexpected onstage cameo by Clinton herself. RelatedBarack Obama Joined Onstage By Hillary Clinton At DNC, Blasts Donald Trump As Self-Declared Savior Clintons speech tonight came after a final day of the DNCs meeting that saw a celebration of women in the Senate and remarks by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and his predecessor Antonio Villaraigosa. Besides performances by Carole King and Katy Perry, also on the podium on Thursday were Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, who introduced himself as Michael Jordan because I knew that Donald Trump couldnt tell the difference; the uplifting Rev. William Barber II; the parents of Humayun S. M. Khan, an American Muslim soldier who died in action; 9/11 survivors and first responders; four-star Gen. John Allen and veterans; Kick-Ass actress Chloe Grace Moretz; as well as longtime Clinton pals Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson. RelatedHillary Clinton Gives Fox News Sunday Her First Post-DNC Sitdown Related stories Democratic & Republican Conventions: 10 Most Memorable & Forgettable Moments 'The Apprentice' Launched Donald Trump's Presidential Bid, 'Frontline' Producer Says - TCA Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Pens Strong Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton PHILADELPHIA Hillary Clinton accepted her partys nomination Thursday night in a sweeping speech in which she promised to be a president for all Americans and presented a liberal agenda influenced by the ideas of Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters. Clinton also painted her Republican rival, Donald Trump, as a hotheaded, divisive figure who cannot be trusted as commander in chief. He wants us to fear the future and fear each other, Clinton said of Trump. Well, a great Democratic president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than 80 years ago, during a much more perilous time: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. The address was the culmination of a convention built to boost Clintons low trust and favorability ratings among the American public after a long and bruising Democratic primary. She conceded in the speech that she finds being in the public eye difficult and knows that many people dont know what to think of her. The truth is, through all these years of public service, the service part has always come easier to me than the public part, she said. I get it that some people just dont know what to make of me. (A delegate shouted, We love you!) She then laid out her personal and professional biography, stressing her work helping children and survivors of the 9/11 attacks as a senator. She also drew on her Methodist faith to do all the good you can. Clinton thanked her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders for putting economic and social justice issues front and center during the primary, and she gave her own liberal agenda for governing. She said she would work to pass comprehensive immigration reform, amend the Constitution to reverse the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision, raise the minimum wage and make college tuition free for the middle class. I believe Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again, she said to cheers. The speech at times felt like a laundry list of specific policy proposals Clinton would back as president a far cry from Trumps lengthy, broad-strokes address at the RNC. I sweat the details of policy, Clinton admitted, adding that its a big deal for her to have specific plans to enact change. Story continues Clinton said she understood why Americans are anxious about national security and the economy, even as she rejected Trumps vision of a dark country fallen from grace. Some of you are frustrated, even furious, she said. And you know what? Youre right. Its not yet working the way it should. She added that a recent spate of terror attacks abroad and at home have left people anxious and eager for steady leadership. In contrast, she said Trump loses his cool at the slightest provocation. She said she initially did not take all of Trumps comments seriously, from his apparent mocking of a reporter with a disability to his disparaging comments about Sen. John McCains time as a prisoner of war. It was just too hard to fathom that someone who wants to lead our nation could say those things, could be like that, she said. But heres the sad truth: There is no other Donald Trump. This is it. During her speech, there were a few signs of lingering anger from Sanders backers in the arena. A delegate raised a red sign with Keep your promises scrawled on it. A handful of delegates in the Nevada section held Jill Stein signs up when Clinton took the stage, referencing the Green Party candidate. And some in the California delegation heckled her at several points during her speech, though other delegates quickly chanted Hillary to drown them out. Clinton briefly acknowledged the historic significance of the night, calling it a milestone that she became the first woman to accept the presidential nomination of a major party. Standing here as my mothers daughter, and my daughters mother, Im so happy this day has come, she said. Happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in-between. And then there was the customary drop of the balloons. Tim Kaine and Hillary Clinton celebrate on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 28, 2016. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP) _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> Hillary Clinton on Thursday night gave the most important speech of her long career in public service and politics but did her remarks at the Democratic National Convention sway your vote? RELATEDKaty Perry Performs Rise and Roar at DNC Night 4 Watch and Grade It! America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying, said Clinton. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. It truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we will all work together so we can all rise together. Below, some excerpts of Clintons most memorable quotes from the speech: * My mother Dorothy was abandoned by her parents as a young girl. She ended up on her own at 14, working as a house maid. She was saved by the kindness of others She made sure I learned the words of our Methodist faith: Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can.' RELATEDHillary Clinton Joins #TGIT Thursdays in Shonda Rhimes-Produced DNC Video * I sweat the details of policy whether were talking about the exact level of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, the number of mental health facilities in Iowa, or the cost of your prescription drugs. Because its not just a detail if its your kid, if its your family. Its a big deal. And it should be a big deal to your president, too. * I will be a President for Democrats, Republicans, Independents. For the struggling, the striving, the successful. For all those who vote for me and for those who dont. For all Americans together! * My primary mission as President will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States From my first day in office to my last! Especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind. From our inner cities to our small towns, from Indian Country to Coal Country. From communities ravaged by addiction to regions hollowed out by plant closures. And heres what I believe. I believe America thrives when the middle class thrives. I believe that our economy isnt working the way it should because our democracy isnt working the way it should. Thats why we need to appoint Supreme Court justices who will get money out of politics and expand voting rights, not restrict them. And, if necessary, we will pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United! Story continues * Its wrong to take tax breaks with one hand and give out pink slips with the other. And I believe Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again. And I believe in science. I believe that climate change is real and that we can save our planet while creating millions of good-paying clean energy jobs. * I believe that when we have millions of hard-working immigrants contributing to our economy, it would be self-defeating and inhumane to try to kick them out. Comprehensive immigration reform will grow our economy and keep families together and its the right thing to do. So, whatever party you belong to, or if you belong to no party at all, if you share these beliefs, this is your campaign. If you believe that companies should share profits with their workers, not pad executive bonuses, join us. If you believe the minimum wage should be a living wage and no one working full time should have to raise their children in poverty join us. If you believe that every man, woman, and child in America has the right to affordable health care join us. If you believe that we should say no to unfair trade deals that we should stand up to China that we should support our steel workers and auto workers and homegrown manufacturers then, join us. If you believe we should expand Social Security and protect a womans right to make her own health care decisions then join us. And yes, yes, if you believe that your working mother, wife, sister, or daughter deserves equal pay join us! RELATEDMichelle Obamas Emotional Speech Rouses Democratic Convention Audience Watch and Grade It * Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition free for the middle class and debt-free for all! We will also liberate millions of people who already have student debt. Its just not right that Donald Trump can ignore his debts, but students and families cant refinance their debts. And heres something we dont say often enough: College is crucial, but a four-year degree should not be the only path to a good job. We will help more people learn a skill or practice a trade and make a good living doing it. We will give small businesses like my dads a boost. Make it easier to get credit. Way too many dreams die in the parking lots of banks. In America, if you can dream it, you should be able to build it. We will help you balance family and work. And you know what, if fighting for affordable child care and paid family leave is playing the woman card, then Deal Me In! * Were not only going to make all these investments, were going to pay for every single one of them. And heres how: Wall Street, corporations, and the super-rich are going to start paying their fair share of taxes. This is not because we resent success. Because when more than 90% of the gains have gone to the top 1%, thats where the money is. * [Trump] talks a big game about putting America First. Well, please explain what part of America First leads him to make Trump ties in China, not Colorado; Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan; Trump furniture in Turkey, not Ohio; Trump picture frames in India, not Wisconsin. Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again well, he could start by actually making things in America again. * Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, I know more about ISIS than the generals do. No, Donald, you dont. He thinks that he knows more than our military because he claimed our armed forces are a disaster. Well, Ive had the privilege to work closely with our troops and our veterans for many years, including as a Senator on the Armed Services Committee. I know how wrong he is. Our military is a national treasure. * Ask yourself: Do you really think Donald Trump has the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief? Donald Trump cant even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign. He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When hes gotten a tough question from a reporter. When hes challenged in a debate. When he sees a protestor at a rally. Imagine, if you dare imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis: A man you can bait with a Tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. RELATEDBill Clinton Calls Hillary Best Darn Changemaker in DNC Speech: Grade It * We cant afford to have a President whos in the pocket of the gun lobby. Im not here to repeal the Second Amendment. Im not here to take away your guns. I just dont want you to be shot by someone who shouldnt have a gun in the first place. * Lets put ourselves in the shoes of young black and Latino men and women who face the effects of systemic racism, and are made to feel like their lives are disposable. Lets put ourselves in the shoes of police officers, kissing their kids and spouses goodbye every day and heading off to do a dangerous and necessary job. We will reform our criminal justice system from end-to-end, and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. What did you think of Hillary Clintons DNC speech? Grade it in our poll below, then sound off in the comments! (Well add video as soon as its available!) Related stories The Simpsons Endorses Hillary Clinton, Rips on Donald Trump in New Video Quotes of the Week: The Bachelorette, Zoo, Rizzoli & Isles, DNC and More Ratings: Democratic Convention Down From RNC's Closing Night Photo: Screenshot from Twitter Television viewers who watched day two of the Democratic National Convention may have noticed signs with the words Do All the Good blanketing the crowd in the Wells Fargo Center. If they tuned in to day three, they probably heard vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine tell the crowd that he and Hillary Clinton share this belief: Do all the good you can. But it wasnt until Hillary Clinton delivered her acceptance speech Thursday night as the Democratic presidential nominee that they heard both the longer phrase she uses and its significance. Her late mother, Clinton said, made sure I learned the words of our Methodist faith: Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can. Like many Methodist kids, Clinton would have been taught the famous saying in church. Methodists usually attribute the words to John Wesley, one of the 18th century founders of the denomination, although as with the many apocryphal sayings of St. Francis, theres no evidence that Wesley ever said or wrote the words. Regardless of their provenance, the creed informs the strong social justice tradition in many Methodist congregations, including the First United Methodist Church in Park Ridge, Ill., which Clinton attended growing up. She has spoken often of Don Jones, the youth minister at that church whose mentorship sparked her conversion from a Goldwater Girl to a liberal who learned, in her words, to embrace faith in action. On the campaign trail in 2016, Clinton has embraced the phrase as well, weaving it into her victory speech the night of Super Tuesday and reviving it again the night she clinched the delegates required to win the Democratic nomination. Closing the Democratic National Convention after Clintons speech, Methodist minister William Shillady couldnt resist working the famous saying this time in full into his benediction: Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. _____ Story continues Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> (Cover tile photo: Mike Segar/Reuters) I couldnt help but think last night, watching Hillarys triumphant nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, that she had finally felt the Bern. In sharp contrast to President Obamas sunny speech the night before, which focused on mainly the good economic news about falling unemployment and high stock prices, Clinton managed to be both optimistic, and realistic. She said exactly what the progressive wing of the party wanted to hear: that shes going to make creating better jobs with higher wages her number one priority while in office. And that she understands that our economic recovery, the weakest and longest of the post World War II era, has exacerbated an already growing wealth divide in which the richest Americans have done better than ever and the poorest are stuck in low-wage jobs.. By focusing on wage hikes, the economic struggles of millennials (the class of 2016 is the most indebted in history), and the divide between Main Street and Wall Street, she went some way towards bridging the divide in the party between centrists and progressives, the latter of whom feel Democrats took a wrong turn during the Clinton years. (Id agree with them.) Earlier in the day, I moderated a panel touching on that topic at the DNC for the Roosevelt Institute, whose chief economist Joseph E. Stiglitz was one of those who argued in the 1990s (along with others in Bill Clintons administration, like former labor secretary Robert Reich) for a greater focus on the growth-destroying inequality rather than a continuation of Reagan-esque laissez-faire policies. The fact that the trickle down camp won is a key reason the 1990s boom didnt last. Both Stiglitz and Clinton pollster Stan Greenberg argue that acknowledging all this in a message of economic realism would actually play better than straight-forward optimism amongst millennials, minorities, working moms and other groups that Clinton needs to court to get enough of a win to create a mandate for serious economic change. Certainly, its more in line with the felt experience of those voters. Based on last nights speech, it seems that Clinton has taken much of the progressive playbook to heart. She talked about the need to make sure that giant companies arent flying 35,000 feet above the problems of local populations, hording wealth abroad, while outsourcing jobs and profits. She talked about the need to create a financial system that lends to small business which create the majority of American jobs. Too many dreams die in the parking lot of banks, as she put it. She talked about making tuition free for not just the working class but also middle class studentssomething thats crucial to creating more growth. Harvard academic work has shown that when the quality and availability of education outpaces technology, jobs are created. Unfortunately, that link has been broken since the 1970s. Fixing it is key to getting back to trend growth, and making sure the gig economy doesnt become a zero sum game. Of course, all this will require bipartisan support. But as Clinton made quite clear in her speech, bringing people with different ideas together under one tent is her wheelhouse. Last night at least, she went some way towards unifying her own party. Xavier Arnau/iStock If youre buying a condo, townhouse, or freestanding home in a neighborhood with shared common areassuch as a swimming pool, parking garage, or even just the security gates and sidewalks in front of each residenceodds are these areas are maintained by a homeowners association, or HOA. So what is an HOA, and how will it affect your life? HOAs help ensure that your community looks its best and functions smoothly, says David Reiss, research director at the Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship at Brooklyn Law School. For instance, if the pump in the community swimming pool stops working, someone has to take care of it before the water turns green and toxic, right? Rather than expect any one individual in the neighborhood to volunteer their time and money to fix the problem, HOAs are responsible for getting the job done. And the number of Americans living in HOAs is on the rise, growing from a mere 1% in 1970 to 1 in 4 today, according to the Foundation for Community Association Research. So, its wise to know exactly how they work. How much are HOA fees? To cover these maintenance expenses, HOAs collect fees (monthly or yearly) from all community members. For a typical single-family home, HOA fees will cost homeowners around the $200 to $300 per month, although they can be lower or much higher depending on the size of your unit and the services provided. The larger the home, the higher the HOA feewhich makes sense, because the family of four in a three-bedroom condo is probably going to be using the common facilities more than a single woman living in a studio. In addition, most HOAs charge their members a little more than monthly expenses require, so that they can build up a reserve to pay for emergencies and big-ticket items like repairing the roof and water heaters, or acquiring new carpeting, paint, and lights for the hallways. If the HOA doesnt have enough money in reserve to cover necessary expenses, it can issue a special assessment, or an extra fee, in addition to your monthly dues, so that the repairs can be made. For example, if the elevator in your condo building goes out and its going to cost $15,000 to replace itbut the HOA reserve account holds only $12,000you and the rest of the residents are going to have to pony up at least an additional $3,000, divided among you, to make up the difference. Story continues And yes, you would still have to contribute your share even if you live on the first floor. HOA rules: What to expect All HOAs have boards, made up of homeowners in the complex who are typically elected by all homeowners. These board members will set up regular meetings where owners can gather and discuss major decisions and issues with their community. For major expenditures, all members of the HOA usually vote. In addition to maintaining the common areas, HOAs are also responsible for seeing that its community members follow certain rules. Homeowners receive a copy of these rules, knowns as covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs), when they move in, and theyre required to sign a contract saying that theyll abide by them. CC&Rs can cover everything from your type of mailbox to the size and breed of your dog. Some HOAs require you to purchase extra homeowners insurance if you own a pit bull, for example; others prohibit certain breeds entirely. An HOA may even regulate what color you paint your house, and what kind of curtains you can hang if your unit faces the street. Its goal is not to meddleits merely to maintain a neighborhood aesthetic. However, if you dont like being told what to do with your home, an HOA may not be for you. What happens if you violate HOA rules? That varies from place to place, but if you break the rulesor fall behind in paying your HOA duesthe consequences can be severe. You could be evicted, or worse. Some HOAs have the right to foreclose on your property, says Bob Tankel, a Florida attorney specializing in HOA law. So make sure you read your CC&Rs carefully so you know what to expect, and know the pros and cons of HOA living before you buy in. Watch: 4 Pets You Never Knew You Could Have in Your Home The post What Is an HOA? Homeowners AssociationsExplained appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Related Articles Gathabandhan asks panel on local body restructuring to stop work The Sanghiya Gathabandhan, an alliance of Madhesi and Janajati parties, has demanded that the local body restructuring commission stop its work until contentious issues of the constitution are resolved. The average homeowner spends about $3,000 to remodel their home. But there are plenty of instant upgrades you can do for a lot less. To find out how, we invited cousins and HGTV hosts Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri to join us in our New York studios. Dont underestimate the power of paint With their custom look and feel, colorful appliances are popular now. But theyre generally more expensive than white or stainless steel options. So rather than painting just your walls, think outside the box and use bold paint for things like your fireplace, your appliances and tabletops. On an episode of Cousins on Call, Carrino and Colaneri updated the look of a midcentury fireplace with a bucket of white paint and some reclaimed wood. When the new space was revealed, the homeowners were surprised to find out their contemporary fireplace wasnt completely brand new. In another episode, the cousins bought some sandpaper and a bucket of $15 chalkboard paint for a fun update to a refrigerator. This is a great fix to get an on-trend look and not spend on-trend money, says Carrino. And paint supply companies now make chalkboard paint in any color so you can have more fun and choose the color that best fits your decor. Built-in multi-use furniture Open-concept living spaces are among the most sought-after in properties, but theres a way to do it without tearing down walls. If you dont have the money to reconfigure your space with a full remodel, consider built-in multi-functional furniture. For example, in an earlier episode of Americas Most Desperate Kitchens the cousins created a wooden table that you can fold down from the wall, with legs that fold out and lock into place with room to seat four people. When its secured back onto the wall, it looks like a piece of artwork in a picture frame. To create more space, they placed the chairs onto the wall as well. And the price for this custom project was about $75, not including the tools. Story continues Investing in smart-home technology Everyone wants to save money and have their home run in the most efficient manner and one way to do this is to invest in smart-home technology. Smart technology includes devices like Nest thermostats and smoke alarms. When you leave your home and get far enough away that your GPS tells Nest hes not home anymore, its going to shut off the A/C or turn down the heat and youre not heating or cooling the space that youre not in, says Carrino. Both Colaneri and Carrino have decked out their homes with monitoring devices that provide security and cost-savings throughout the year. While it can cost $250 for the thermostat, you can save up to $100 by installing it yourself and youll be recouping that money by saving 10% to 20% on your heating and cooling bills throughout the year. For more of the cousins secrets to saving on home improvement, tune into HGTV Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST. And share some ways youre saving on home improvement projects. Use #WAYSTOSAVE and share them with us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us and well feature some of your best tips at the end of the month and share them with our viewers. WATCH MORE Million Dollar Listing broker shares 5 tricks that will sell your home fast People are refinancing their homes like crazy These tricks will help you save time, moneyand your sanity Krazy Coupon Ladys all-time favorite store hacks at Target, Costco, Ikea and more Public Health England is advising pregnant women to consider postponing non-essential travel to Florida because of the Zika virus. It comes after health officials in the US discovered four cases of the virus, which it is feared were contracted from mosquitoes inside America and are not linked to foreign travel. PHE said the risk in Florida is moderate, while in many countries in South America, including Olympics host Brazil, it remains high. Its updated advice says: "Pregnant women should consider postponing non-essential travel to affected areas until after the pregnancy." However, it adds that the current "active transmission" area is small and confined to a one square mile area of Miami-Dade County. Zika has been associated with the birth defect microcephaly, which can cause children to be born with abnormally small heads and brain damage. America's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the four Florida cases found so far were probably caused by bites from local Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Its director, Tom Frieden, said: "All the evidence we have seen indicates that this is mosquito-borne transmission that occurred several weeks ago." The White House said the cases should be a "wake-up call". President Obama has asked his team to ensure Florida has the support it needs after being briefed on the new cases. More than 1,650 Zika infections have been reported across the US. Meanwhile, three more people have been found to have Zika in the UK after returning from overseas. The cases were discovered by the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust in West Yorkshire between April and June. The trust's infection control lead, Dr Gavin Boyd said: "There is extremely low risk of contracting Zika virus in the UK as the mosquito that transmits the virus is not present in the UK. "There is no specific treatment and it wears off naturally after two to seven days. "After a diagnosis patients are cared for by their GPs." Story continues The number of people treated for Zika in the UK has now reached 53. Almost 5,000 cases of microcephaly have been recorded in regions affected by Zika since the epidemic began last year. Northeastern Brazil has been the main area of concern, but more than 20 other countries have now been affected by the virus. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. HMC is set to report first-quarter (ended Jun 30, 2016) fiscal 2017 results on Aug 2. In the last quarter, the company had posted a negative earnings surprise of 193.88%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors Influencing this Quarter Honda is concentrating on infrastructural development in North and South America to drive sales. The automaker is also focused on introducing new products and expanding its business in Asia to attract more customers. The company launched the BR-V crossover exclusively for the Asian markets in Jan 2016. It started selling the Honda Odyssey and Odyssey Absolute premium minivans in Japan from Feb 2016, and delivered the first 2017 Acura NSX supercar in May 2016. Further, Honda started selling the Clarity Fuel Cell sedan in Japan from Mar 2016. In Jun 2016, it started selling the 2017 Acura MDX, 2017 Accord Hybrid and 2017 Honda Ridgeline in the U.S. These product launches help boost sales volume. The company recorded a 5.2% year-over-year increase in U.S. sales to 792,355 vehicles in the first half of 2016. However, Honda is witnessing declining sales volume in its domestic market, Japan. Moreover, higher selling, general and administrative, and research and development expenses are affecting the companys operating income. Further, Honda is being affected by frequent recalls to fix faulty Takata airbags. The Japanese automaker is the largest customer of the faulty Takata airbags that can explode and shoot out metal fragments in a crashed vehicle. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Honda is likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. This is not the case here, as you will see below: Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Hondas Earnings ESP is 0.00% because the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate both stand at 71 cents. Story continues Zacks Rank: Honda carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. HONDA MOTOR Price and EPS Surprise HONDA MOTOR Price and EPS Surprise | HONDA MOTOR Quote Stocks to Consider Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Westport Fuel Systems Inc. WPRT has an Earnings ESP of +9.09% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The companys second-quarter 2016 financial results are expected to release on Aug 3. Magna International Inc. MGA has an Earnings ESP of +0.75% and a Zacks Rank #3. The companys second-quarter 2016 financial results are expected to release on Aug 5. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. CTB has an Earnings ESP of +3.60% and a Zacks Rank #3. The companys second-quarter 2016 results are expected to release on Aug 4. 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 HONDA MOTOR (HMC): Free Stock Analysis Report MAGNA INTL CL A (MGA): Free Stock Analysis Report WESTPORT FUEL (WPRT): Free Stock Analysis Report COOPER TIRE (CTB): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Taitung City (Taiwan) (AFP) - For Tama Talum of Taiwan's aboriginal Bunun mountain people, hunting is a way of life, integral to his tribal customs -- but after his arrest for illegally killing a deer and goat on land near his village, he fears those traditions will soon die out. It is just one of many cases reflecting the wrangle between Taiwan's authorities and its indigenous people, with critics arguing laws discriminate against aboriginal culture and that society as a whole has little understanding of it. New president Tsai Ing-wen -- the first Taiwanese leader with aboriginal blood -- will attempt to ease those tensions when she delivers the first ever apology to the island's indigenous people on August 1 for injustices over the centuries. "An apology isn't going to solve all the problems, but symbolically it shows Tsai is willing to face this issue," said Kolas Yotaka, a legislator of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who is from the largest Amis tribe. She added: "It gives us hope." However, for Talum, the damage is done. The 57-year-old is a free man while he awaits the result of an appeal at the Supreme Court after an uproar in the aboriginal community over his three-and-a-half year sentence for possessing an illegal weapon and hunting protected species. Aboriginal hunters are legally only allowed to use homemade guns -- which they say can been dangerous and have led to injuries -- and to hunt on festival days, restrictions to which many tribespeople object. Talum's arrest has already stopped younger tribe members wanting to hunt, he says. "Some of them are scared after seeing me being dragged away. They don't want to learn. I was an optimistic man but it's hard to be upbeat," he told AFP. - Land battle - Anthropologists say Taiwan's aboriginals migrated from Malaysia or Indonesia and now make up about two percent of the island's population. Their sense of injustice revolves mainly around the loss of ancestral land rights, which first came under threat when immigrants from China arrived 400 years ago. Story continues Much of that land is now designated national park, leading to clashes over hunting, fishing and foraging in areas where permits are needed. "There are so many restrictions, telling us what we can't do," Talum said at his home, nestled among mountains in Taitung county. Corn and rice fields surround the village of Tastas -- "waterfall" in the Bunun language -- where about 250 people live in simple corrugated-metal roofed houses. "We aren't stealing or robbing anyone, and it's not that we are hunting everyday," he said. Talum moved to the city in search of work, but eventually returned to take care of his mother. Aboriginal unemployment is higher than the rest of the workforce and their wage is about 40 percent less than the national average, according to the government's Council of Indigenous Peoples. A lack of autonomy to manage and live off their land also exacerbates social issues such as alcohol abuse, according to Scott Simon, a professor at the University of Ottawa, who researches Taiwan indigenous rights. "The alcohol problem is a major public health issue that is not being adequately addressed. These issues are related," he said. - Young activists - Despite the challenges, some young aboriginals are trying to reconnect with their roots. "What we want is simple: give us back what was originally ours," said Kelun Katadrepan, who works for an indigenous television station. The 30-year-old from the Puyuma tribe has started a campaign group gathering young professionals to advocate aboriginal involvement in politics. In addition to restoring dispossessed land, Katadrepan wants an overhaul of the education system to prevent further loss of tribal languages -- five are seen as "severely endangered" by UNESCO. His parents did not want to teach him their native language while growing up, believing he needed to master Chinese to secure a better future. "We aren't Chinese, but we are forced to learn Chinese since we are little. That is not our culture," Katadrepan said. But there have been gradual efforts to change that. While teaching is usually in Chinese, some schools offer options to take native language classes. There are also indigenous community colleges where traditional customs and skills are taught. - Return to the mountains - With the DPP now in power, legislator Yotaka hopes government regulations will now be brought in line with the aboriginal basic law, adopted in 2005 to protect indigenous rights. That would correct current contradictions, including the fact that hunting is illegal apart from during major tribal festivals -- even though the basic law protects indigenous rights to kill wild animals for self-consumption. Talum says he has not risked hunting since his conviction, except for a sanctioned foray during a spring festival where young Bunun men demonstrate their hunting skills and pray for a good millet harvest. He still clings on to hope that his son, who was raised in the city and is now in his thirties, will eventually learn the old ways. "After a while, when the time comes, he will think of going to the mountains with his father," he says. An actress in Netflixs wildly popular House Of Cards is at the center of a bombshell twist to a 15-year-old murder mystery. Read: Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Putting Vodka in Girlfriend's Disabled Son's Feeding Tube Babs Proller appeared in the hit Netflix series. The Washington Post reports that she supplied the bombshell information that led prosecutors to drop all charges against the man serving a 60-year sentence for the murder of Washington intern Chandra Levy. Reporter Keith Alexander co-wrote the story. He told Inside Edition: "This is a gigantic bombshell. This actress who had a 10-second role in House of Cards meets a star witness in one of the nations most celebrated murder cases." When the actress moved into a Maryland apartment earlier in July, she began secretly recording conversations with a man who befriended her named Armando Morales. He is a five-time convicted felon who was the star witness in the Chandra Levy murder trial. According to Alexander, in one caught on tape conversation, he admitted lying when he testified that Levys convicted killer had confessed to the murder when the two were in prison together. "She also tried to have a relationship with him, then recorded their conversation," Alexander told Inside Edition. Proller says she went to Chandra Levy's mother, Susan, with the shocking tape. The surprised mother contacted prosecutors who dropped the charges. Proller's lawyer says in a statement to Inside Edition: She did this because she believed then, and believes now, that it was the right thing to do. Chandra Levy was a 24-year-old Washington, D.C., intern who disappeared while jogging in May 2001. Her body was found in a park a year later. Read: 7 Cases of Men Who Spent Years Behind Bars For Crimes They Didn't Commit It was revealed she had an affair with married congressman Gary Condit. He denied he had anything to do with the murder. Story continues Condit's lawyer says in a statement: The failure of authorities to bring formal closure to this tragedy after 15 years is very disappointing but in no way alters the fact that Mr. Condit was long ago completely exonerated by authorities in connection with Ms. Levy's death. Watch: Mother Who Set Newborn Baby On Fire After Hiding Pregnancy Gets 30 Years in Prison Related Articles: By Leah Schnurr OTTAWA (Reuters) - Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of a mentally ill black man whose death after he was arrested by police in Canada's capital city sparked a debate about race in a country that prides itself on a reputation for being tolerant. At least 600 people including Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and other local politicians turned out on Friday for the Muslim funeral of Abdirahman Abdi, filling Ottawa's largest mosque and spilling onto the street. Watson was criticized earlier in the week for not making a statement until two days after the arrest on Sunday. Witnesses told local media that Abdi, 37, was beaten by police officers who responded to calls of a disturbance. A video taken by a bystander showed Abdi in a bloodied shirt lying face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind him and his pants pulled down before paramedics arrived. His death echoed events in the United States, where a string of police killings of black men and allegations of police brutality and racial bias have sparked protests. Some U.S. confrontations were also caught on video. In a statement read at the funeral on behalf of the family, Abdi was remembered as a "wonderful son, amazing brother and kindhearted uncle." His family said in the statement that Abdi was "such a kindhearted person, what happened to him that Sunday wasn't fair at all and shouldn't be justified by any means." "We all have many questions but we are trying to be patient." Ontario's Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding Abdi's arrest. Some advocates have called for criminal charges to be filed. There have also been calls for a probe into whether race was a factor as advocacy groups voiced concerns over police violence against minorities. "People are very concerned and it's not only among minorities, it's across society at large," said Abdullah Hassem, 61, who attended the funeral. "We must respect law and order, but at the same time, law and order must respect the people." Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau, who did not attend the funeral, said on Friday that officers have been taunted and videotaped in "a number of incidents" after Abdi's death. "People are reacting right now, but I think we need to take a step back," Bordeleau told an Ottawa radio station. A march was planned in Ottawa for Saturday. Another was held in Montreal on Thursday. (Additional reporting by Ethan Lou in Toronto, Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson) The final day of the Democratic National Convention concluded with a speech by the presidential nominee herself, Hillary Clinton, with a heartfelt introduction by her daughter Chelsea. In her speech she accepted her party's nomination, becoming the first female nominee in a major party, with "humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise." After walking out to the campaign's "Fight Song," she began her speech by saying, "What an incredible week it's been." She thanked the week's heavy-hitting roster of speakers, as well as her former rival Bernie Sanders. "Your cause is our cause," she said. "We are stronger together." "When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit!" she added to thunderous applause. While the convention in Philadelphia celebrated her historic moment, supporters on social media repeated their #ImWithHer message and honored the Democratic nominee. Read More: "When There Are No Ceilings, the Sky's the Limit": Watch Hillary Clinton Officially Accept Historic Nomination See some of their reactions below. Great speech. She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too) - President Obama (@POTUS) July 29, 2016 I congratulate @HillaryClinton on this historic achievement. We are stronger together. - Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 29, 2016 More than ever, I'm with her, our next President. - Bill Clinton (@billclinton) July 29, 2016 I'm with her.#AndShesBeenListeningToDiscTwo! - Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) July 29, 2016 Glass ceiling Cracked Wide Open! #HillaryClinton #DemsInPhilly - Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) July 29, 2016 "When any barrier falls in America it clears the way for everyone.. When there are no ceilings the sky is the limit!" Bravo @HillaryClinton - Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) July 29, 2016 Story continues So proud to see @HillaryClinton accept the nomination for #POTUS let's fight alongside her. Let's all work together #imwithher - Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) July 29, 2016 Really proud is great because is good. #ImWithHer #DemsInPhilly #History - Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) July 29, 2016 Oh my god, I'm with her! Done. @HillaryClinton pic.twitter.com/tFt3BpA2tH - Maggie Gyllenhaal (@mgyllenhaal) July 29, 2016 @HillaryClinton you have my vote ma'am #ImWithHer - Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) July 29, 2016 So moved! Herstory in the making tonight! @HillaryClinton #ImWithHer w/ my oh yeah #itsabouttogodown face #letsgetit pic.twitter.com/hQFxI8lziz - Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) July 29, 2016 Beautiful tributes any mother would die for. This made me tear up #DNCinPHL - Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) July 29, 2016 Finished my show just in time to watch @hillaryclinton become our first female Presidential Nominee! #demsinphilly pic.twitter.com/pEEUUBq8uQ - Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) July 29, 2016 #Weeping right now. This is one moment in our history that all women should celebrate! #herstory #OurHistory #DemsInPhilly - octavia spencer (@octaviaspencer) July 29, 2016 Dang. Hillary got me clearing MY throat. #DNCinPhilly - Retta (@unfoRETTAble) July 29, 2016 @HillaryClinton will be the leader to create jobs for this next century! Liberty, Freedom and Justice for All! #ImWithHer #WonderWoman - Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) July 29, 2016 "After all, when there's no ceiling...the sky's the limit." - The Democratic Nominee, @HillaryClinton - Uzo Aduba (@UzoAduba) July 29, 2016 As @HillaryClinton accepts the nomination, there are so many cheering & celebrating this great American story. The moment is staggering! - ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) July 29, 2016 "Your cause is our cause." Perfect. #ImWithHer @HillaryClinton - Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) July 29, 2016 For All Americans. Together. #historymade #imwithher https://t.co/GuhCwXGtyl - Jenna Ushkowitz (@JennaUshkowitz) July 29, 2016 "You need to change Hearts AND Laws... You need to have Understanding AND Action" that's how you bring change @HillaryClinton #ImWithHer xxx - Lisa Edelstein (@LisaEdelstein) July 29, 2016 Monumental! Historic!#imwithher so bad! - Jenni Konner (@JenniKonner) July 29, 2016 History made. #imwithher #dnc2016https://t.co/cEdvNl5Ohp - Tony Goldwyn (@tonygoldwyn) July 29, 2016 This is a big f*cking deal. #ImWithHer #DemConvention - Jill Biden (@JillBidenVeep) July 29, 2016 #DealMeIn #ImWithHer - kerry washington (@kerrywashington) July 29, 2016 Read More: Watch Shonda Rhimes' Short Film That Introduced Hillary Clinton at the DNC MUMBAI (Reuters) - India is planning to buy 33 million tonnes of summer-sown rice from farmers in the 2016/17 season for its food welfare programmes and meet emergency needs, it said in a statement on Friday. The world's second biggest rice producer had bought 30.93 million tonnes of rice a year before. The government agencies usually start paddy rice procurement in September and buy mainly non-basmati rice. The purchases help farmers in avoiding distress sales. As on July 29, farmers have cultivated rice on 23.19 million hectares, slightly higher than 22.56 million hectares during the same period a year ago. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Sunil Nair) Govt told to follow due process when awarding contract The parliamentary Agriculture and Water Resources Committee has warned the Energy Ministry to follow due process when awarding the contract for the construction of the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project amid reports that the government was planning to give it to China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) secretly. Paris (AFP) - Indian superstar Priyanka Chopra is not making any compromises in swapping Bollywood for Hollywood. The former Miss World, who has won an army of fans in the US since taking the lead in the American spy thriller television series "Quantico" last year, refuses to be stereotyped by her beauty or her origins. "I didn't want to do a show that would stereotype me or put Indian people into a box. I'm a leading actress in India and I wanted to make sure I was a leading actress in whatever I did," she said. "I would not compromise on that," said the star of the ABC show in which she plays an FBI agent suspected of committing a terrorist attack. Proud to call herself a "strong-willed feminist", the 34-year-old is determined to build her career and still "have lots of babies. But there is nothing under way on that," she told AFP in Paris on a visit to promote "Quantico", whose second series begins in September. "I've still to find the right guy. That's important," she laughed. Like her character in "Quantico", Alex Parrish, who has to go into hiding to clear her name, Chopra sticks to her guns. She has turned down roles in Britain because she was "always asked to play the stereotype of an Indian". The spy show's international success is changing all that. That has been such a hit may have surprised some but Chopra the first South Asian to headline a US network series said its backstory of people with secrets is universal. "This show talks about people with secrets and everyone has secrets. Terrorism is a huge part of our reality whether you like it or not," she said. "It is the most cowardly way of instilling fear to make people understand someone's belief." - Feminist principles - But jumping to conclusions about terrorism was equally dangerous, she said. "In America it is easy to frame a brown girl" like Alex, she added. Story continues Chopra's ability to carry such a complex character has opened other more meaty roles, with the actress playing the baddie in the new "Baywatch" film due for release in May. "I make the good guys' lives miserable," he said with some relish. Having campaigned to close the gender pay gap in Bollywood, she credits her mother, a doctor who served in the Indian army, for helping forge her feminist principles. "She raised me to be the kind of girl who thinks, who has opinions too. For so many years women were told to act a certain way, to dress a certain way, to think a certain way, even not to think at all. "People misconstrue the word feminism. It It is not hating men, or making men small. It is just saying, 'We want our independence to make our own choices the way men have done for so long.'" Nor did it stop her having the phrase "Daddy's lil girl" tattooed on her wrist after her father, who was also an army doctor, died three years ago. "It is in his handwriting," she said. Born in Jamshedpur in Bihar in northeast India, Chopra has already more than 50 films to her name and is proud of how Bollywood films "are now being seen worldwide". And she has absolutely no intention to turn her back on her homeland despite her US success. She works there as a UNICEF ambassador and for the UN's Girls Up campaign, and her own foundation run by her mother supports underprivileged girls across India. "Philanthropy is not something to do because I'm a famous person, but because I was raised like that" with a strong spirit of public service, she insisted. Indonesia executed four drug convicts Friday but 10 others due to face the firing squad were given an apparent reprieve in a confused process one lawyer condemned as a "complete mess". The executions on a remote prison island went ahead despite strong protests from international rights groups, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union who had urged Indonesia not to proceed. Four inmates -- three Nigerians and one Indonesian -- were put to death just after midnight. One of the Nigerian prisoners was cremated hours later, while the bodies of the three others were being prepared for burial. Questions swirled about the handling of the process, which saw the other 10 prisoners slated for death -- including from India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe -- spared at the last minute. Authorities did not give a reason for the reprieve, but the prison island where they were expected to be executed in outdoor clearings was hit by a major storm as the other sentences were carried out. Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said Friday the 10 inmates had been returned to their cells, suggesting their executions were not imminent. "The fate of the other 10 we will determine later. We will see when the right time will be," Prasetyo told reporters. "But one thing is for sure -- we will never stop executing people on death row." Local prisons chief Molyanto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said the major security seen in recent days around the island had been reduced and he thought more executions were unlikely in the near future. Ricky Gunawan -- whose client Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke was among those tied to a post and shot in the jungle clearing -- said lawyers awaiting the grim news were kept in the dark as to why the executions didn't proceed as planned. "I would say the execution this morning was a complete mess," Gunawan told AFP from Cilacap, near Nusakambangan, a remote island housing several high-security jails. Story continues "No clear information was provided to us about the time of execution, why only four (were executed) and what happens to the 10 others." Family members had already been shocked to learn on Thursday morning that their relatives would be put to death a day ahead of schedule. Distraught relatives rushed to Nusakambangan to say farewell to their loved ones. - Process 'not respected' - President Joko Widodo has defended dramatically ramping up the use of capital punishment, saying that Indonesia is fighting a war on drugs and that traffickers must be heavily punished. Friday's executions were the third under Widodo since he took office in 2014. The last round was in April 2015, when authorities put to death eight drug convicts, including two Australians. The executed Indonesian was named as Freddy Budiman, while the three Nigerians were Seck Osmane, Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke and Michael Titus Igweh. Another of Eleweke's lawyers, Afif Abdul Qoyim, told AFP the execution should not have gone ahead as his client this week filed a legal appeal. "When this process in not respected, that means that this is no longer a country that upholds the law, nor human rights," he said. Amnesty International has identified what it calls "systematic flaws" in the trials of several of the death row inmates, and urged Indonesia not to proceed while appeals for clemency were pending. Two people whose cases had raised high-profile international concern among rights groups were not executed. The first was Pakistani Zulfiqar Ali, whom rights groups say was beaten into confessing to heroin possession, leading to his 2005 death sentence. The other was Indonesian woman Merri Utami, who was caught with heroin in her bag as she came through Jakarta airport and claims she was duped into becoming a drug mule. The National Commission on Violence Against Women, which has been lobbying for Utami to receive clemency, called for answers over the fate of the 10 remaining prisoners. "We hope the attorney general's office will provide a clear and transparent explanation," the commission's Sri Nurherwati told AFP. Ingram Micro Inc. IM reported second-quarter 2016 non-GAAP earnings (excluding amortization of intangible assets, reorganization charges and other one-time items) of 61 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 49 cents. Also, earnings increased from 55 cents reported in the year-ago quarter. Ingram Micro Inc. (IM) Street EPS & Surprise Percent - Last 5 Quarters | FindTheCompany Quarter Details Though Ingram Micros second-quarter revenues of $10.123 billion beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.741 billion, it decreased 4.1% from the year-ago quarter. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to the negative impact of foreign currency translation. Geographically, revenues from North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific came in at $4.43 billion, $2.78 billion, $650.9 million and $2.26 billion, respectively. Ingram Micros gross margin was 7.1% compared with 6.2% in the year-ago quarter. The companys non-GAAP operating expenses increased 11.2% year over year to $573.3 million. Also, as a percentage of revenues, expenses were up 77 basis points (bps), primarily due to higher selling, general and administrative expenses. The company recorded a 4.5% increase in non-GAAP operating income to $157.1 million, primarily due to better mix of high value business. Operating margin also increased 12 bps year over year to 1.6%. Ingram Micro reported non-GAAP net income of $92.1 million or 61 cents per share. Non-GAAP net income excludes the effect of intangible assets, reorganization charges and other one-time items. Ingram Micro exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $878.9 million compared with $1.12 billion in the previous quarter. Accounts receivable were $5.13 billion. Total debt (including current portion) was $1.31 billion compared with $1.22 billion in the last quarter. The company generated cash flow of approximately $29.3 million from operational activities during the quarter. Story continues INGRAM MICRO Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise INGRAM MICRO Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | INGRAM MICRO Quote Conclusion Ingram Micro reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2016 results, with both the top and bottom lines surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, revenues decreased on a year-over-year basis primarily due to foreign exchange fluctuations. Nonetheless, the companys focus on the high-margin market and strategic acquisitions to increase market share are encouraging. Ingram Micro has been striking distribution deals with a number of original equipment manufacturers, thereby expanding its product portfolio. Additionally, Ingram Micros exposure in cloud computing products is expected to drive growth. Going forward, we remain fairly optimistic about Ingram Micros strategic relationship with network giants such as Juniper Networks Inc. JNPR and International Business Machines IBM. The companys growing exposure in the small and medium business (SMB) and improving profitability are encouraging. However, its significant European exposure and debt burden remain concerns. Currently, Ingram Micro has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Investors may consider a better-ranked technology stock, Box, Inc. BOX, carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). 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 INTL BUS MACH (IBM): Free Stock Analysis Report BOX INC-A (BOX): Free Stock Analysis Report JUNIPER NETWRKS (JNPR): Free Stock Analysis Report INGRAM MICRO (IM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. By Jonathan Saul and Parisa Hafezi LONDON/ANKARA (Reuters) - Britain's vote to leave the European Union and the rise of U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump have paralysed efforts by Western governments to encourage already highly reluctant international banks to do business with Iran. Uncertainty is frustrating Tehran's push for foreign investment to revive its struggling economy: over Britain's political and economic future, over whether Trump - who wants to scrap a nuclear deal with Iran - will get into the White House, and over whether banks will fall foul of U.S. sanctions if they process transactions with the Islamic Republic. Iran's failure to get full access to the global financial system a year after it signed the nuclear deal with world powers has intensified domestic political infighting. It has also turned up the heat on President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist facing re-election next year, who has gambled on attracting foreign investment to help raise voters' living standards. Under the deal, international financial sanctions on Iran were officially lifted in January this year and yet it has secured banking ties with only a limited number of smaller foreign institutions. One senior Iranian official said Tehran was examining alternatives. "Iran will continue to work with small banks, institutions as long as major European banks are reluctant to return to Iran," said the official. "Our estimation is that this uncertainty will continue for a few years. We are in talks with many countries, mainly China, Russia and African countries to widen our banking cooperation aimed at resolving existing banking, financial problems." U.S. banks are still forbidden to do business with Iran under domestic sanctions that remain in force. European lenders also face major problems, notably rules prohibiting transactions with Iran in dollars - the world's main business currency - from being processed through the U.S. financial system. Story continues Banks remain nervous following a string of heavy U.S. penalties, including a $9 billion fine on France's BNP Paribas in 2014, largely for violating U.S. financial sanctions. WATCH AND SEE Britain says it remains committed to tackling the banks' concerns, while the U.S. Treasury says it won't stand in the way of legitimate business with the country. However, Iranian officials and foreign bankers believe the British political upheaval after last month's referendum has distracted governments in London and other European capitals, while the possibility that the shock will send the British economy into recession has deepened banks' caution yet further. "Fear over Brexit's financial consequences have made Britain and other European countries more careful over their interaction with Iran. Most of them have adopted the policy of watch and see," another senior Iranian official told Reuters. "The British banks and authorities have a very big problem to deal with and since the vote, they have been less eager about Iran and I can even say almost not interested. Of course, we believe we can still work with British banks and have told them so." European banks have generally cited the U.S. elections as a political risk, while avoiding detailed comment on how a victory for the Republican nominee Trump might affect their business. However, another Iranian official, who also declined to be identified, said the election and Trump's promise to tear up the Iran nuclear deal if he wins was complicating Tehran's efforts. "Major European banks are worried about its outcome. An official from a German bank told us recently that they could not risk getting involved in Iran especially when Trump was a candidate," the official said. EXTREME NERVOUSNESS Many large banks also fear breaking the remaining U.S. restrictions on Iran, including on dealing with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) - a military force that has extensive business interests including through front companies. "Banks appear to be increasingly reluctant to do business now with Iran," said a sanctions manager at a UK-based bank. "It's the unidentifiable IRGC links - there is extreme nervousness about that whole issue from a reputational risk perspective." In June, FATF, a global group of government anti-money-laundering agencies, decided to keep Iran on its blacklist of high-risk countries. FATF did welcome Iranian promises to improve and called for a one-year suspension of some restrictions, but this did little to ease the banks' fears. It's hard to quantify how much financing Iran has received since the sanctions were lifted but the sums are small by international standards. "The first signs of a real economic improvement will not be seen before 2019, assuming everything goes smoothly," another Iranian official said. "This issue is crippling the economy, blocks the governments economic plans and that is why the government is pushing hard in many ways to resolve this issue." Hardliners in Iran are blaming Rouhani's faction for the failure of the deal to deliver a swift improvement in living standards, at a time when prices for oil exports are low and the promised foreign investment has yet to arrive. "The government has to fight on two fronts: at home and abroad. Rivals of the president do their utmost to weaken him, by criticising the shortcomings and the slow pace of economic improvement," a separate official close to Rouhani said. The search for alternatives is on. The top adviser to Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been to Russia several times since the nuclear deal, while Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has also visited African countries in recent days, with Iran expressing willingness to boost economic cooperation. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Iran in January, discussing trade opportunities. That same month a top Iranian central bank official said the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China wanted to open branches in Iran. FEAR FACTOR A failure to revive the economy may boost the hardliners who are much more hostile to the West than Rouhani's faction. But any pressure from Western governments on the banks to play ball seems to have achieved little. The Royal Bank of Scotland declined to comment, but Lloyds Bank said it was mindful that "Iran remains a higher risk country with which to do business". Standard Chartered said it will not "undertake any new transactions involving Iran or any party in Iran". HSBC reiterated it had no intention of doing any new business involving the country. A source close to Barclays said a significant number of U.S. citizens held senior roles at the bank and it also offered banking services through its U.S. operations. Iran also presented a higher money laundering and terrorist financing risk, so the bank continued to restrict business activity with the country, the source said. Americans at Barclays include chief executive Jes Staley. A senior manager with a German bank confirmed the lack of interest despite the German government's views. "Berlin is not amused that German banks are so reserved in doing business with Iran," the manager said. "If there is no progress in Iran, there is a risk that the Iranian government comes under pressure and that the hardliners get the upper hand. Iranian hardliners have argued for a long time that you cant do a deal with the West." KEEPING BELOW THE PARAPET A U.S. Treasury spokeswoman said Treasury officials were not going to stand in the way of permissible business activities with Iran. They had travelled worldwide to provide guidance to governments, companies, and financial institutions, she noted. On July 12, Britain's Foreign Office said a meeting between Iran's central bank, the U.S. Treasury, British officials and international banks in London had been postponed. The resignation of prime minister David Cameron following the Brexit vote and a cabinet reshuffle by his successor Theresa May, who took office on July 13, has complicated matters. "The new government has bigger priorities related to Brexit and the impetus to push the banking issue is likely to take more of a back seat now. Iran relations will also be affected by officials moving to other offices due to Brexit," a Western source said. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said it was in both countries' interests that legitimate business was supported. "Some challenges remain, but we are committed to working through them with international partners, Iran, and the banking community," she said. A British trade visit to Iran scheduled for May was postponed. Banking sources said this was partly due to bankers' reluctance to join it. A British official said the new government was keen for the visit to go ahead this year. But the UK sanctions manager was sceptical: "I would be hugely surprised if any of the UK banks would go. I do not think any of the banks want to stick their head above the parapet." (Additional reporting by Lawrence White, Andrew MacAskill and Sinead Cruise in London, Andreas Kroener in Frankfurt, Ole Mikkelsen in Copenhagen and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm; editing by David Stamp) By James Oliphant and Jonathan Allen PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Twelve years ago, Barack Obamas electrifying speech at the Democratic National Convention brought tears to Andrew Gillums eyes. Now mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, and viewed as a rising star in that state, Gillum did not hesitate when asked to name his political role model. Elizabeth Warren, he replied, referring to the firebrand U.S. senator from Massachusetts. That the 37-year-old African-American mayor of a Southern U.S. city identifies Warren as his political lodestar speaks volumes about the Democratic Party's progressive shift, even as Hillary Clinton officially became its presidential nominee after a quarter-century in the public eye. With the party in transition, Clintons 1990s-era brand of Democratic centrism is slowly being eclipsed by a wave of progressivism personified by Warren and by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a rival of Clinton's until he endorsed her this month. Although Sanders' insurgent presidential bid fell short, leaving his supporters bitterly disappointed, a new crop of Democratic candidates seems determined to carry on his work, with Warren, 67, as their putative leader. Like Obama in 2004, Gillum and many others at the Philadelphia convention sought to boost their profiles, raise cash and network with fellow Democrats, buoyed by the adoption of the most progressive platform in party history, with planks for debt-free college, expanded Social Security benefits and a tax on carbon emissions. Clinton, too, has moved to the left, embracing many of these causes, separating herself from a more moderate brand of Democratic politics personified by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who was pro-free trade, friendlier to Wall Street and emphasized budget discipline. She appealed to Sanders supporters during her speech accepting the party's presidential nomination on Thursday, pledging to work with him on progressive issues. "Let's go out there and make it happen together," Clinton said. Sarah Lloyd, 44, a congressional candidate in Wisconsin who supported Sanders, said, There is an energy thats coming from the folks that were brought to the process by the Sanders campaign.... That can only be a positive thing for the party. TAKING THE LEAD More than Sanders, Warren has taken the lead in shaping the Democrats' next generation. Formerly a professor of law, Warren conceived and set up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau formed in 2011 under President Obama. She launched a political action committee to back Democratic candidates and inspired other advocacy groups, such as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, to solicit donations to a bloc it terms the party's Warren wing. A speaker at the convention, Florida's Gillum was frustrated by Sanders because he seemed disinterested in helping other Democratic candidates, in contrast with Warren. Senator Sanders was content to be a movement by himself, Gillum said. Its a revolution when you bring people along with you. Warrens committee has donated to the campaigns of U.S. Senate hopefuls such as Kamala Harris, 51, of California, Jason Kander, 35, of Missouri, and Catherine Cortez Masto, 52, of Nevada. They and Wisconsins Lloyd oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the global trade deal that has split the progressive and moderate elements of the party. The PCCCs slate of "Warren wing" candidates supports a $15-an-hour minimum wage, campaign-finance reform and tighter rules for Wall Street. One of those on the slate is Zephyr Teachout, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York, who has campaigned in a T-shirt that reads, Im from the Elizabeth Warren wing of the party and who has been endorsed by Sanders. There is a rising and very important populism, talking about money in politics, talking about trade, talking about economic issues, Teachout, 44, told Reuters. Within the party, and across the board, there has been a serious rethinking of trade, rethinking of big banks, rethinking of monopolies that have too much power. Tulsi Gabbard, a U.S. representative from Hawaii, is often mentioned by Sanders supporters as one who could assume his mantle. A cable-news regular, Gabbard, 35, was one of a few Sanders supporters offered a convention speaking slot. Onstage she formally nominated Sanders for president, saying he had become a voice for millions, connecting seamlessly with laborers in the Rust Belt and environmentalists in the West. Other rising Democratic progressives frequently cited by strategists include Julian Castro, 41, the U.S. housing secretary, and his twin brother, Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas, former Ohio state senator Nina Turner, 48, U.S. Senate candidate Pramila Jayapal, 50, of Washington, and former South Carolina lawmaker Bakari Sellers, 31. BRIGHTER THAN THE REST? Harris might be the one to shine the brightest. As Californias attorney general, Harris has been mentioned as a potential U.S. presidential candidate or U.S. Supreme Court justice should she win her Senate race in November. She enjoys the support of Warren, Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent, suggesting she can appeal to both the partys liberal and moderate flanks. She joined forces with Bloomberg in his crusade for tighter gun laws, bonded with Warren over helping homeowners struggling through the foreclosure crisis of the late 2000s and joined Obamas efforts to overhaul a criminal justice system that tends to treat black citizens more harshly than white ones. In one campaign ad, Warren is viewed saying, "Kamala Harris was fearless." Harris, in turn, has backed Clinton. In an interview, she rejected the idea that the party is leaving Clinton behind even as it nominates her for president. I strongly believe that these two generations have much more in common than what separates them in terms of fundamental values, Harris said. (Reporting by James Oliphant and Jonathan Allen; Written by James Oliphant; Editing by Caren Bohan and Howard Goller) By Heather Somerville SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Investments into online lending platforms have fallen sharply this year, according to a new report, largely a reaction to the woes at Lending Club and increased regulatory scrutiny that have made investors shy away from the risks. Equity investments into online lending companies is down about 44 percent, to $2.1 billion from $3.8 billion, for the first half of the year compared to the back half of last year, according to a report out Friday from PitchBook Data Inc, a venture capital database that tracks deals and valuations. Online lending companies encompass a diverse group of consumer and business lenders that may make direct loans over the web or connect a borrower with a lender, generally an investment bank, and use data and technology to assess a borrower's risk. While investments in the sector are still stronger than anytime prior to 2014, enthusiasm is waning: Investments during the second quarter this year were the lowest since the second quarter of 2015. Challenges at Lending Club during the second quarter - when the company's chief executive resigned following revelations that loans were sold improperly and loan documentation falsified - contributed to investors' reluctance. "The primary concerns center around investor appetite, transparency, fraud and diversity of capital," the report says. Investments in online lenders have fallen more precipitously than overall tech deals. Investments into venture-backed companies for the first half of this year were down about 3 percent from the previous two quarters, according to Thomson Reuters data. Online lending startups have raised a total of $12.6 billion across 463 deals since 2011, according PitchBook. Investments peaked in 2015 at $5.2 billion invested across 132 deals. But many online lending companies are struggling with falling loan volume and losing loan buyers. Some platforms dropped lending standards in an effort to boost loan volume, but that had led to more defaults and delinquencies on payments. The report cautions that more troubles lay ahead for the sector. "While we've already seen substantial layoffs at high-profile lenders including Avant, Lending Club, CommonBond and Prosper, platforms will also need to raise additional equity, perhaps accepting a drop in valuation in the form of a down round," the report said. PitchBook analyst Evan Morris added that online lending companies that can attract investors are raising smaller rounds. While U.S. based companies raised $100 million-plus rounds each of the last two years, the largest round so far this year was a $46.8 million financing for loan startup Payoff. (Reporting by Heather Somerville; Editing by Bernard Orr) LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 28, 2016 / Lundin Law PC (the "Firm") announces a class action lawsuit has been filed against K12, Inc. ("K12" or the "Company") (LRN) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws between November 7, 2013 and October 27, 2015 (the "Class Period"). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares during the Class Period should contact the Firm in advance of the September 19, 2016 lead plaintiff motion deadline. To participate in this class action lawsuit, click here. You can also call Brian Lundin, Esquire, of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or e-mail him at brian@lundinlawpc.com. No class has been certified in the above action. Until a class is certified, you are not considered represented by an attorney. You may also choose to do nothing and be an absent class member. According to the complaint, K12 issued false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: that the Company published misleading advertisements about students' academic progress, parent satisfaction, graduates' eligibility for admission into the University of California and California State University, class sizes, the individualized and flexible nature of K12's instruction, hidden costs, and the quality of the materials provided to students; that the Company submitted inflated student attendance numbers to the California Department of Education in order to receive additional funding; that K12 was open to potential civil and criminal liability due to these practices; that K12 would likely be forced to end these practices, which would have a negative impact on its operations and prospects; and as a result of the above, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When this information was disclosed, investors suffered damages. Lundin Law PC was created by Brian Lundin, a securities litigator based in Los Angeles. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Story continues Contact: Lundin Law PC Brian Lundin, Esq. Telephone: 888-713-1033 Facsimile: 888-713-1125 brian@lundinlawpc.com http://lundinlawpc.com/ SOURCE: Lundin Law PC * Banks already worried by remaining U.S. sanctions * Brexit distracts UK government, deepens banks' caution * Trump wants to tear up Iran nuclear deal if he wins * Iran pragmatists need foreign capital to revive economy * Failure to restore financial links will boost hardliners By Jonathan Saul and Parisa Hafezi LONDON/ANKARA, July 29 (Reuters) - Britain's vote to leave the European Union and the rise of U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump have paralysed efforts by Western governments to encourage already highly reluctant international banks to do business with Iran. Uncertainty is frustrating Tehran's push for foreign investment to revive its struggling economy: over Britain's political and economic future, over whether Trump - who wants to scrap a nuclear deal with Iran - will get into the White House, and over whether banks will fall foul of U.S. sanctions if they process transactions with the Islamic Republic. Iran's failure to get full access to the global financial system a year after it signed the nuclear deal with world powers has intensified domestic political infighting. It has also turned up the heat on President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist facing re-election next year, who has gambled on attracting foreign investment to help raise voters' living standards. Under the deal, international financial sanctions on Iran were officially lifted in January this year and yet it has secured banking ties with only a limited number of smaller foreign institutions. One senior Iranian official said Tehran was examining alternatives. "Iran will continue to work with small banks, institutions as long as major European banks are reluctant to return to Iran," said the official. "Our estimation is that this uncertainty will continue for a few years. We are in talks with many countries, mainly China, Russia and African countries to widen our banking cooperation aimed at resolving existing banking, financial problems." U.S. banks are still forbidden to do business with Iran under domestic sanctions that remain in force. European lenders also face major problems, notably rules prohibiting transactions with Iran in dollars - the world's main business currency - from being processed through the U.S. financial system. Story continues Banks remain nervous following a string of heavy U.S. penalties, including a $9 billion fine on France's BNP Paribas in 2014, largely for violating U.S. financial sanctions. WATCH AND SEE Britain says it remains committed to tackling the banks' concerns, while the U.S. Treasury says it won't stand in the way of legitimate business with the country. However, Iranian officials and foreign bankers believe the British political upheaval after last month's referendum has distracted governments in London and other European capitals, while the possibility that the shock will send the British economy into recession has deepened banks' caution yet further. "Fear over Brexit's financial consequences have made Britain and other European countries more careful over their interaction with Iran. Most of them have adopted the policy of watch and see," another senior Iranian official told Reuters. "The British banks and authorities have a very big problem to deal with and since the vote, they have been less eager about Iran and I can even say almost not interested. Of course, we believe we can still work with British banks and have told them so." European banks have generally cited the U.S. elections as a political risk, while avoiding detailed comment on how a victory for the Republican nominee Trump might affect their business. However, another Iranian official, who also declined to be identified, said the election and Trump's promise to tear up the Iran nuclear deal if he wins was complicating Tehran's efforts. "Major European banks are worried about its outcome. An official from a German bank told us recently that they could not risk getting involved in Iran especially when Trump was a candidate," the official said. EXTREME NERVOUSNESS Many large banks also fear breaking the remaining U.S. restrictions on Iran, including on dealing with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) - a military force that has extensive business interests including through front companies. "Banks appear to be increasingly reluctant to do business now with Iran," said a sanctions manager at a UK-based bank. "It's the unidentifiable IRGC links - there is extreme nervousness about that whole issue from a reputational risk perspective." In June, FATF, a global group of government anti-money-laundering agencies, decided to keep Iran on its blacklist of high-risk countries. FATF did welcome Iranian promises to improve and called for a one-year suspension of some restrictions, but this did little to ease the banks' fears. It's hard to quantify how much financing Iran has received since the sanctions were lifted but the sums are small by international standards. "The first signs of a real economic improvement will not be seen before 2019, assuming everything goes smoothly," another Iranian official said. "This issue is crippling the economy, blocks the government's economic plans and that is why the government is pushing hard in many ways to resolve this issue." Hardliners in Iran are blaming Rouhani's faction for the failure of the deal to deliver a swift improvement in living standards, at a time when prices for oil exports are low and the promised foreign investment has yet to arrive. "The government has to fight on two fronts: at home and abroad. Rivals of the president do their utmost to weaken him, by criticising the shortcomings and the slow pace of economic improvement," a separate official close to Rouhani said. The search for alternatives is on. The top adviser to Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been to Russia several times since the nuclear deal, while Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has also visited African countries in recent days, with Iran expressing willingness to boost economic cooperation. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Iran in January, discussing trade opportunities. That same month a top Iranian central bank official said the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China wanted to open branches in Iran. FEAR FACTOR A failure to revive the economy may boost the hardliners who are much more hostile to the West than Rouhani's faction. But any pressure from Western governments on the banks to play ball seems to have achieved little. The Royal Bank of Scotland declined to comment, but Lloyds Bank said it was mindful that "Iran remains a higher risk country with which to do business". Standard Chartered said it will not "undertake any new transactions involving Iran or any party in Iran". HSBC reiterated it had no intention of doing any new business involving the country. A source close to Barclays said a significant number of U.S. citizens held senior roles at the bank and it also offered banking services through its U.S. operations. Iran also presented a higher money laundering and terrorist financing risk, so the bank continued to restrict business activity with the country, the source said. Americans at Barclays include chief executive Jes Staley. A senior manager with a German bank confirmed the lack of interest despite the German government's views. "Berlin is not amused that German banks are so reserved in doing business with Iran," the manager said. "If there is no progress in Iran, there is a risk that the Iranian government comes under pressure and that the hardliners get the upper hand. Iranian hardliners have argued for a long time that you can't do a deal with the West." KEEPING BELOW THE PARAPET A U.S. Treasury spokeswoman said Treasury officials were not going to stand in the way of permissible business activities with Iran. They had travelled worldwide to provide guidance to governments, companies, and financial institutions, she noted. On July 12, Britain's Foreign Office said a meeting between Iran's central bank, the U.S. Treasury, British officials and international banks in London had been postponed. The resignation of prime minister David Cameron following the Brexit vote and a cabinet reshuffle by his successor Theresa May, who took office on July 13, has complicated matters. "The new government has bigger priorities related to Brexit and the impetus to push the banking issue is likely to take more of a back seat now. Iran relations will also be affected by officials moving to other offices due to Brexit," a Western source said. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said it was in both countries' interests that legitimate business was supported. "Some challenges remain, but we are committed to working through them with international partners, Iran, and the banking community," she said. A British trade visit to Iran scheduled for May was postponed. Banking sources said this was partly due to bankers' reluctance to join it. A British official said the new government was keen for the visit to go ahead this year. But the UK sanctions manager was sceptical: "I would be hugely surprised if any of the UK banks would go. I do not think any of the banks want to stick their head above the parapet." (Additional reporting by Lawrence White, Andrew MacAskill and Sinead Cruise in London, Andreas Kroener in Frankfurt, Ole Mikkelsen in Copenhagen and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm; editing by David Stamp) Indonesian and three Nigerians executed for drug crimes Indonesia has carried out the executions of four drug convicts, including three foreigners. ROME (Reuters) - The economy minister on Friday welcomed a privately funded rescue of Italy's third-largest lender, Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI), saying the bank could now develop an industrial plan to help the real economy. "The government acknowledges with great satisfaction the operation launched today by Monte dei Paschi di Siena," Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said in a statement. "It is a market deal that will allow the bank to strengthen its capital and totally offload its bad loans," he added. For more details about the bank plan click on: (Reporting by Crispian Balmer) James Franco will be honored with a career tribute at the Deauville festival, where his second directorial effort, In Dubious Battle, will be screened. His John Steinbeck adaptation will premiere just days before in Venice on Aug. 31. Franco joins Michael Moore in being honored by the French festival with a career tribute and a screening. "Although James Franco achieved world fame as an actor by playing Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, he has never stopped exploring new horizons. More than an actor or a director, James Franco is now an accomplished and a complete artist," said festival organizers in a statement. Brad Furman's The Infiltrator, starring Diane Kruger and Bryan Cranston, will open the festival with Todd Phillips' War Dogs, starring Bradley Cooper and Jonah Hill, the closing film, with cast and crew expected to attend. The Deauville Film Festival runs from Sept. 2-11. Read more: Michael Moore to Get Deauville Film Festival Career Honor Tokyo (AFP) - Japan's core consumer prices fell for a fourth straight month in June, dealing a fresh blow to the country's faltering war on deflation, official data showed Friday. The 0.5 percent decline came as the Bank of Japan wraps up a meeting later in the day amid speculation it will further ease monetary policy after the government unveiled a huge stimulus package this week. It was worse than the average 0.4 percent drop expected by economists, according to the Nikkei business daily. The government also said spending by households across the country fell 2.2 percent from a year earlier. Japanese officials are under intense pressure to deliver as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's bid to fire up the world's number three economy, dubbed Abenomics, stumbles. Friday's meeting is the BoJ's first since Britain's shock vote last month to quit the European Union. The referendum result hammered financial markets and sparked a yen rally that is threatening corporate Japan's bottom line -- and aggravating concerns about growth. Last week, when Shannen Doherty posted a series of photos on Instagram documenting the process of shaving her head while undergoing cancer treatment, Jason Priestley was one of those who noticed the emotional transformation. And, like so many of her social media followers, Priestley applauded Doherty's strength. "I haven't spoken to her, but I've been following her like everybody else," Priestley told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday night in Studio City at the Raising the Bar to End Parkinson's benefit. "It's incredibly brave what she's doing. I know she will come out of this." Priestley and Doherty played twins Brandon and Brenda Walsh on the beloved TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, and while they haven't necessarily been close, the actor brushed their past aside and focused on the positive. Read More: Parkinson's Fundraiser Nets $50,000, Draws Tori Spelling, Jason Priestley and Tiffani Thiessen "Obviously, I have a lot of love for Shannen," continued Priestley, who attended the fundraiser with his wife and young son on behalf of his good friend Michael J. Fox. "She's going to beat this because she's a fighter and she's a tough kid. She always has been. I send her nothing but love and light because I have nothing but love for Shannen." Thank you to these three who helped me thru an impossibly tough day and continue to be there every minute supporting and loving me. @kurtiswarienko was in Mexico working but knew he left me in good hands. @annemkortright @chriscortazzo #mamarosa I love you. #mycrew #thisisasquad A photo posted by ShannenDoherty (@theshando) on Jul 25, 2016 at 10:26am PDT Jean-Claude Van Damme can hold his own in a fight, but he crumbles in the face of dull interview questions. Action star Van Damme became the latest celebrity (OK, play along with us here) to walk out of an interview, after accusing his interviewer of asking boring questions. Van Damme was appearing via satellite on the Australian television program Sunrise when he became annoyed enough to storm out of the interview. Also Read: Tara Reid Shuts Down Interview With Jenny McCarthy Amid Nasty Exchange (Audio) First the actor was peeved by people talking behind the camera. Then he went off on the line of questioning he was presented with. Those questions youve been asking me, the press, theyve been asking me the same questions for the last 25 years, the actor said. [Street Fighter co-star] Kylie [Minogue], hows your training? Hows your this? Hows your that? Also Read: Halle Berry Storms Off Set After Ellen DeGeneres Mentions Spider Prank (Video) The actor continued, Those interview [questions] you are giving me on TV right now, they are very boring OK , next question? Do you have something interesting to ask me? Eventually Van Damme felt compelled to walk off, declaring, I cannot do this as he prepared to make his exit. Watch The Muscles From Brussels lose his cool and take a hike below. Related stories from TheWrap: Jean-Claude Van Damme Responds to Brussels Terrorist Attacks Tara Reid Shuts Down Interview With Jenny McCarthy Amid Nasty Exchange (Audio) Jennifer Hudson ny and co This Dream Girl has found her dream denim! Jennifer Hudson just celebrated her one year anniversary as the face of New York & Companys Soho Jeans line. For Hudson, having the items in the collection hug her curves was imperative. Ive made a huge transition [with my weight]. There are things you want to try but you cant always wear when youre plus size. So I feel like I am able to explore more, but I am still very conscious of every girl, every woman, every size, she tells PeopleStyle. I like high-waisted things. I love the pencil shape, which works regardless of your size. I feel like each one of these pieces represent that silhouette. Hudson says that her 80-lb. weight loss (which she shared the secrets to on the cover of PEOPLE in 2010) is one of the reason she now loves jeans specifically skinnies. I did not work this hard for this, she says, gesturing to her body, to hide it! (Editors note: We feel compelled to point out that all the jeans are 50% off on nyandcompany.com today, making them all less than $40!) Jennifer Hudson ny and co 2 So, the brands stretchy denim is designed with figure-flattering details like vertical seams down the front, diagonal whiskering detail (see Hudson in the dynamite blue wraparound legging, above), and angled zippered pockets (see Hudson in the white zip-accent high-waist legging jean, below). @iamjhud's new collection is just as fabulous as she is. Proof. #itJustFits A photo posted by New York & Company (@nyandcompany) on Jul 21, 2016 at 1:29pm PDT And yes, these white jeans are actually easy to wear, according to Hudson. Thats not only because of the zipper detail, but because of the high waist and the material itself. Having the comfort factor in there makes it work, she says. I always had an issue with jeans growing up because Ive always been a tall girl. Theyre too short at the foot, and when theyre long enough, theyre too big at the hip. The trick is finding what fits your body, especially with white. These jeans form to your shape, and not every jean is going to do that. So even if you have the same style in black and white, the material changes with the color. Its strategic. But no matter what fashion risks you choose to take, Hudson wants all women to be proud of what theyre working with: Women, youve got to accent your curves! she says. Catherine Kast Jet Li as Jiang Ziya in Chinese fantasy film League Of Gods. (Photo by Encore Films) Action star Jet Li says he is currently working hard to return to the mentality and innocence of a five or six-year-old, as adults are more complicated. Speaking to the media over the phone from Beijing on Sunday (24 July), the 53-year-old waxed lyrical about how he would like to be young again, though not in a physical sense. Childrens intuitions and senses are the purest, the actor said. They just do whatever they want, whenever they want. They eat when they get hungry and just sleep when they get tired. Adults are more complicated. We constantly have to think about what we have to wear and what to say in order not to offend others, he said. Li said adults dont live in the moment, we have to go through lots of thought processes before actually living. I want to return to living in a more straightforward manner, like children do. I find that is a much more adorable phase of life to be in, he added. No plans for more action films Returning to the big screen as Jiang Ziya in the epic fantasy movie League Of Gods, the actor described Jiangs character as a playful old child. When asked about his plans to film more action films, he said, I dont really have any plans. I guess Im like Jiang Ziya, as long as Im having fun, it doesnt matter if the movie is a box-office success or not. Amidst concerns about his health - he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in 2010 - the former wushu champion clarified that he had already recovered long ago. A lot of people have been so concerned about me that they even ask if I have to use a wheelchair. I dont know where they got that idea from, but its so funny. Maybe I should go endorse wheelchairs, he joked. League Of Gods also stars Fan Bingbing, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Louis Koo, Huang Xiaoming and Angelababy, and is currently showing in Singapore. Hillary Clinton on Thursday received the strong endorsement of retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, who commanded the war in Afghanistan and more recently was President Obamas special envoy to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. Flanked by a wall of retired flag officers from all of the militarys services and younger veterans of the wars of 9/11, the martial display served as a kind of protective armor for a presidential candidate whom Republican nominee Donald Trump has savaged as weak and feckless on national security. We stand before you tonight to endorse Hillary Clinton for president of the United States of America, Allen said of Clinton, who will claim the Democratic nomination later Thursday night. With her as our commander in chief, America will continue to lead in this volatile world. We will oppose and resist tyranny as we defeat evil. His booming oratory hearkened back to his days at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis; back then he could sometimes be found at dawn standing alone in a cavernous auditorium reciting word for word an upcoming lecture, his stentorian voice echoing through the darkened hallways. But the message tonight from Allen was not just about military might; it was as much a statement about the importance of maintaining the military as an instrument of American values, the shining example of America at out very best, as Allen put it. Without naming Trump, he blasted the celebrity real estate moguls threat to revive waterboarding and a lot worse and to kill the families of ISIS terrorists. Our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture, and they will not be ordered to engage in murder or carry out other illegal activities, Allen thundered. Gen. John Allen (ret.) stands with veterans as he speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 28, 2016. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Indeed, it was these pronouncements from Trump that persuaded Allen, who had never before been involved in partisan politics, to endorse Clinton. Allen, according to a source familiar with his thinking, was profoundly offended that Trump seemed to believe that he could simply order members of the military to engage in illegal activities. It is an article of faith one that Allen and his fellow members of the military have recently discussed that it would be their constitutional duty and moral obligation to disobey such an order. And it is the reason he chose to come to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Story continues This is one of the most consequential elections weve seen in our living memory, frankly, Allen said earlier today in an interview with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric. During the speech he said, we must not, we could not stay on the sidelines. In keeping with a central theme of the convention, Allen framed the election as a choice between hope and fear. This election can carry us into a future of unity and hope, Allen intoned, or to a dark place of discord and fear. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> Clinton campaign chair John Podesta takes the stage to speak on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. (Photo: Paul Sancya/AP) PHILADELPHIA John Podesta, the chair of Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, is not concerned about lingering divisions from the Democratic primary damaging her chances in the general election. Look, Bernie gave a full-throated endorsement of Hillary Clinton on Monday night. Thats what we worked for. Thats what we wanted. He was helpful at this convention. However, people here are still emotional and wish that it werent, so that we got 3.7 million more votes, Podesta told Yahoo News on Thursday, speaking from the floor of the Democratic National Convention. Some supporters of Clintons former primary rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have staged protests at the DNC this week. Many of these diehard Bernie or Bust voters believe the primary results were illegitimate and claim they will not vote for Clinton even though she has Sanders backing. Podesta said he expects the majority of Sanders supporters will ultimately get on board with Clinton. There are people here who feel that way, but I think that the bulk of people who voted for Bernie Sanders in the primaries are looking at the choice in this election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, he said. And I think were working, you know, honoring where theyve been and working for their votes. And I think most of them are going to come over. On Wednesday, Republican National Committee chief strategist Sean Spicer told Yahoo News the GOP is hoping to benefit from Sanders supporters who wont vote for Clinton. I think theres going to be four camps. Some of those people are going to vote for Hillary. Some of them are going to stay home. Some of them are going to vote for [Green Party candidate] Jill Stein. I think its great: Vote for Jill Stein! And then some of them are going to vote for Trump I think youre going to see that number as high as 10 or 15 percent, Spicer said. This is a huge wing of the Democratic Party and three of those four camps are awesome for us. Story continues Polls currently show the race between Clinton and Trump tightening. According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, Trump currently has a razor-thin, 0.9 point lead over Clinton, after climbing 5.2 points since July 15. Podesta said he is not concerned about the numbers and expects Clintons standing to improve following the DNC speeches. He said he expected Clinton to rock it in her speech to finish the convention on Thursday night. I feel like were in a very good place in this campaign. Weve got a tremendous organization that were building in the battleground states, Podesta said. Were going to come out of here, I think, in a better place than where we started with Bernie Sanders full-throated endorsement, with Michelle Obamas unbelievable speech, a speech with Bill Clinton really talking about her whole life wrapped around a love story, and then Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Tim Kaine last night, he continued. Shell rock it tonight. Were going to come out of here in a very good place. _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> Industrialists being consulted for mining fuel: Industry Minister Minister for Industry, Som Prasad Pandey on Friday said the government is holding consultations with national and international industrialists to extract the petroleum products in various parts of the country. LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) A south Louisiana sheriff accused of making anti-Semitic threats can't carry a gun while awaiting trial on charges he directed officers to assault prisoners, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna said he can't "turn a blind eye" to statements like those that Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal allegedly made on tape. Prosecutors said an "unsolicited informant" recently provided them with recordings of a conversation in which Ackal claimed he threatened to shoot a Justice Department prosecutor between his "Jewish eyes" after the prosecutor vowed to send him to prison. Prosecutors said their conversation was cordial and Ackal mischaracterized it on the tape, but they were still concerned about it and they had learned of "additional threatening comments" that Ackal allegedly made. They didn't elaborate about those during the hearing, and none of Ackal's taped statements were played in court. Ackal has been prohibited from possessing firearms since his March indictment. His attorney, John McLindon, argued that recent killings of police officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas demonstrate he needs a gun to protect himself. "Recently, there was a threat to ambush a deputy in New Iberia, which thankfully did not come true. However, the atmosphere in this country, especially in south Louisiana, makes this a very real possibility," McLindon wrote in a court filing a day after a lone gunman shot and killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge on July 17. The magistrate said there is a "viable possibility of a threat to (Ackal's) security," but he noted that defendants charged with felonies are barred from possessing guns before trial. "I'm going to treat you just like anybody else," Hanna told the sheriff. McLindon said he suggested to the sheriff that he stay in his office and avoid patrolling the parish while he awaits trial. Story continues "He said that would be malfeasance if he didn't go out and do his job," McLindon told reporters. McLindon said in a court filing that his client didn't know he was being taped when he made "some inappropriate remarks" among friends "in the privacy of his home" after the meeting with prosecutors. McLindon called it "disingenuous" for prosecutors to publicly release Ackal's statements while also denying him the right to carry a gun for protection. After Friday's hearing, McLindon said, "99.9 percent of the tapes were innocuous." Prosecutors argued that Ackal's remarks were grounds for tightening the conditions of his pre-trial release. On Friday, the judge ordered Ackal to submit to pre-trial supervision, a new condition. Ackal's trial is scheduled to start Oct. 31. His original indictment claims he directed officers to assault inmates in the parish jail's chapel, where no video surveillance cameras would record the April 2011 beatings. Last month, Ackal was indicted on a new charge that he conspired in 2014 to assault a man who was accused of assaulting one of Ackal's relatives. Nine former employees of the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office already have pleaded guilty to related charges. Prince's family just got a whole lot smaller. A Minnesota state judge Friday (July 29) barred 29 people -- including five alleged children, 11 alleged siblings and 13 people claiming more distant family relationships -- from seeking a share of the late pop superstar's multi-million dollar estate. Prince's Heirs Apparent: A Look At The Siblings Who Stand To Inherit His Fortune However, Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide allowed a possible niece and grandniece to continue to pursue their claims, saying they may submit to genetic testing to prove a blood relationship, as will Prince's sister Tyka and three of Prince's half-siblings. When Prince died of a prescription drug overdose on April 21, he apparently left behind no will and so his estate will be distributed according to Minnesota probate and parentage law. To facilitate that process, Bremer Trust, the court-appointed special administrator for the estate, established a protocol for evaluating claims of heirship, requiring claimants to first establish a case for their relationship and then submit to genetic testing. In her initial probate filing, Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, listed herself and six half-siblings (one deceased) as known heirs. Prince's parents, John L. Nelson and Mattie Shaw, both died before he did. Many others have come forward since then to claim a family relationship, including at least four alleged biological children and a fifth who claimed to have been adopted by the star. The judge tossed out all five of these claims on Friday. Two of the purported children had been adopted by other parents, which severed any relationship to Prince even if he had been their biological father, the judge said. The other claimants lacked crucial documentary proof, according to the judge. Two alleged biological children failed to even provide an affidavit from their mother alleging a sexual relationship with Prince and the supposed adoptee offered no supporting paperwork. Story continues Prince's Estate Is Open for Business, Following Judge's Ruling Judge Eide looked no more favorably on the 11 people claiming to be Prince's siblings and half-siblings, including alleged half-sisters Darcell Gresham Johnston and Venita Jackson Leverette. Each of these purported half-siblings said that they shared a father with Prince but that father was not John L. Nelson. Under Minnesota law, John was presumed to be Prince's father because he was listed on Prince's birth certificate and married to Prince's mother at the time of Prince's birth, the judge said. Prince was also listed as John's son on Prince's parents' divorce decree, and in court orders related to the settling of John's estate after he died in 2001. The alleged siblings had waited too long to challenge the presumption that John was Prince's father, Judge Eide said. Aside from the siblings listed on Prince's probate filing, the only claimants to survive the judge's order were Brianna and Victoria Nelson, the daughter and granddaughter of the late Duane Nelson, Prince's alleged half-brother. Brianna and Victoria had told the court that Prince not only had a close relationship with Duane, who served as head of security at Paisley Park in the '90s, but that John Nelson had acknowledged Duane as his son and Duane was listed as John's son in two obituaries: his own and Prince's half-sister Lorna's. Judge Eide said that these allegations were credible enough to entitle Briana and Victoria, along with Tyka Nelson and the other surviving children of John L. Nelson, to undergo genetic testing. Judge Eide's order did not mention two of Prince's half-brothers, Alfred Jackson and Omarr Baker, Mattie Shaw's children from other marriages. Presumably they will not require genetic testing to prove their relationship to Prince because they have the same mother. The Redstones are 0-for-2. Andre Bouchard, a judge at Delaware Chancery Court, has rejected a motion to dismiss Viacom's lead independent director Frederic Salerno's lawsuit that challenges the attempted removal of Philippe Dauman and four fellow board members from the media company's board. The ruling allowing the case to move to the discovery stage follows what happened in Massachusetts probate court on Thursday, when Dauman also was allowed to march forward on claims that Shari Redstone is unduly influencing her 93-year-old father, Sumner Redstone. Salerno's lawsuit contends that Shari is breaching her fiduciary duties and disrupted decades' worth of Redstone estate planning to grab control of a media empire that includes CBS. National Amusements directors David Andelman and Leonard Lewin (the divorce lawyer for Sumner Redstone's first wife) also are accused of wrongfully taking Shari's side instead of duties to the company. Both cases are currently scheduled for trial in October, although nobody should book trips just yet. The judges in both cases only decided that minimum pleading thresholds had been met and both will likely have a future opportunity to rule as a matter of law after parties have gathered facts about Sumner's condition and Shari's communications. A trial will happen only if the judges decide there are contestable issues of fact. In the meantime, multiple inside sources continue to insist that a settlement wherein Dauman would take a reduced role at Viacom is a strong possibility. In reaction to the ruling, a Viacom spokesperson says, "We look forward to revealing the truth as we prepare for trial." Redstone-controlled National Amusements, which owns 80 percent of Viacom, issued its own statement: "We look forward to demonstrating the integrity of these changes, which were ratified unanimously by National Amusements' board and would be approved again by a majority regardless of the outcome of the case." Story continues That latter point is hardly a certainty given the suggestion made by Dauman's camp in legal papers that there could be grounds for deeming National Amusements board members who participated in the removal of Dauman to be "unqualified to continue serving as trustees." The parties involved in Salerno's lawsuit have agreed to pause any turnover on the Viacom board as the litigation plays out. Michelle Dockery's first character after playing Downton Abbey's prim and proper and, sure, a bit conniving Lady Mary Crawley is anything but upper crust. In fact, she's falling-down drunk, vomiting, doing drugs and engaging in sex scenes worthy of Kemal Pamuk himself. In a racy trailer for TNT's upcoming drama Good Behavior, Dockery's Letty Raines acknowledges, "I'm a piece of s---. Why keep fighting it, you know?" And though the trailer features a running track of self-help affirmations ("Today, I feel good. I have a lot to be proud of ... I am the best me I can be. I am utterly, perfectly, me"), it's clear that Dockery's thieving con artist is running off the rails at every chance sometimes even with a Southern accent. Lady Mary No More! Michelle Dockery Gets Racy in First Project After Downton Abbey| Downton Abbey, People Picks, TV News, Michelle Dockery Even before Downton wrapped up its run on U.S. screens this past March, Dockery has been keeping a low profile since her fiance's unexpected death from a rare cancer in December. She was first spotted in public that month while filming on the show's North Carolina set. Good Behavior is set to premiere this fall on TNT. Maiden Play writing contest in october With the goal of providing a platform for young theatre artists to share their ideas, skills and performance, Nepals first play writing competition is slated to be held this August, organisers announced on Thursday. By Ayman Al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's government has reached a deal with an armed brigade controlling the Ras Lanuf and Es Sider oil ports to end a blockade and restart exports from the major terminals shut down since December 2014, officials said. Officials from the government's presidential council and the oil guards gave no details of the terms or any date for when exports from the two ports would restart. But technical damage and opposition from the state-run National Oil Corporation may complicate any swift restart. Reopening the ports would be a major boost for the OPEC member which since the 2011 war to topple Muammar Gaddafi has fallen deeper into turmoil that disrupted its oil output. Rival governments and a complex network of armed groups are vying for power and control of the country's oil wealth. Members of the U.N.-backed Presidential Council were in Ras Lanuf late on Thursday at a joint conference with Ibrahim al-Jathran, head of the Petroleum Facilities Guards brigade, which controls Ras Lanuf and Es Sider ports. "I am pleased on behalf of the Presidential Council to announce, as I am hopeful and optimistic, the resumption of the exports of Libyan oil from the ports," Presidential Council deputy Mousa Alkouni told reporters. "This is the beginning of the restoration of our country." Ali Hassi, a spokesman for Jathran's PFG brigade, said no date had been decided for reopening the ports because that would depend on the National Oil Corporation. But he said an agreement had been signed between the council and Jathran's forces. Armed factions, labor disputes and security threats from Islamic State militants have helped cut oil output to less than a quarter of the 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) before the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Gaddafi. Jathran's brigades led blockades of the ports starting in 2013 saying he was trying to prevent corruption in oil sales, though others have disputed his motives. He has also called for more autonomy for his eastern region. Opening Ras Lanuf and Es Sider would add a potential 600,000 barrels per day of capacity to Libya's crude exports, though experts estimate damage from fighting and the long stoppage must be repaired before exports are at full capacity again. The NOC has said damage from recent attacks by Islamic State, which expanded in the country's chaos, meant the ports would struggle to get beyond 100,000 bpd in the near term. Beyond technical problems, NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla has objected to any deal with Jathran saying it was a mistake to reward the brigade commander by paying to end his blockade of the oil ports. Sanalla said a deal including payments would encourage other groups to disrupt oil operations in the hope of a similar payout. The NOC has also threatened to withdraw its recognition of the Presidential Council. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli; writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by David Evans) By Ayman Al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed government has signed a deal with an armed brigade controlling the major Ras Lanuf and Es Sider oil ports to end a blockade and restart exports from the terminals shut down since December 2014. Reopening the ports would be a huge step for the North African state, which since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi has slipped into chaos that has cut its oil output to less than a quarter of pre-2011 levels of 1.6 million barrels per day. No specific date was set for restarting exports, but swift resumption would be hampered by technical damage from militant attacks and by opposition from the state-run National Oil Corporation, which objected to paying cash to reopen the ports. Libyan Presidential Council deputy Mousa Alkouni signed the agreement late on Thursday with Ibrahim al-Jathran, commander of the Petroleum Facilities Guards, one of Libya's many armed brigades that has controlled the terminals. "I think the resumption depends now on technical part ... and I think also it will happen from within a week to two weeks, but not more," Alkouni told Reuters by telephone. He said the agreement included paying an unspecified amount in salaries to Jathran's forces. He said they had not been paid wages for 26 months. Their role is protecting the oil ports, though critics have said they used it to extort money from Tripoli. In a statement issued later on Friday, Alkouni said there was "absolutely no truth to rumors that the resumption of oil exports was the result of extortion or deals". Rival governments and a complex network of armed groups who once fought against Gaddafi and have quasi official status are vying for power and control of the country's oil wealth, closing down pipelines and battling over export terminals. Ali Hassi, a spokesman for Jathran's PFG brigade, said no date had been decided for reopening the ports because that would depend on the National Oil Corporation. But he confirmed an agreement had been signed between the council and Jathran. Jathran's brigades led blockades of the ports starting in 2013, saying he was trying to prevent corruption in oil sales, though others disputed his motives. He has also called for more autonomy for his eastern region. Opening Ras Lanuf and Es Sider would add a potential 600,000 barrels per day of capacity to Libya's crude exports, though experts estimate damage from fighting and the long stoppage must be repaired before shipments are at full capacity again. The NOC has said damage from recent attacks by Islamic State, which expanded in the country's chaos, meant the ports would struggle to get beyond 100,000 bpd in the near term. Beyond technical problems, NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla has also objected to any deal with Jathran, saying it was a mistake to reward the brigade commander by paying to end his blockade of the oil ports. Sanalla said a deal including payments would encourage other groups to disrupt oil operations in the hope of a similar payout. The NOC has also threatened to withdraw its recognition of the Presidential Council. Eurasia Group analyst Riccardo Fabiani said the agreement was likely to stick, unlike previous attempts to reopen the ports, because both sides had an interest in making it work. Facing resistance from hardliners and protests over living conditions, the presidential council needs oil revenues to improve services and economic stability as a way of bolstering its legitimacy. Jathran is also increasingly politically isolated and has decided to side with the council. "Despite recent attempts by the Tripoli-based NOC to undermine the agreement, the unity government decided to prioritize the reopening of the ports," Fabiani said. "This deal will give the Tripoli authorities much-needed revenues and is a relatively easy political victory." (Additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli; writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by David Evans, Toni Reinhold) Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f161229%2f6f1dbb59a70540848e1a248e4851ba94 Mosquitoes in Florida likely infected four people with the Zika virus, Florida officials said Friday. The likely outbreak is the first time Zika was found to be transmitted via infected mosquitoes in the continental United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed. The Florida Department of Health said that one woman and three men who had the virus likely got the infection from local mosquitoes. SEE ALSO: New York City reports first known instance of female-to-male sexual transmission of Zika virus For now, the department said it believes that active transmission of Zika is happening only in a one-square-mile area in Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown. The one-square-mile area in Miami-Dade County where mosquitoes might be actively spreading Zika. Image: Florida Department of Health While no mosquitoes trapped tested positive for the Zika virus, the department believes these cases were likely transmitted through infected mosquitoes in this area, the department said in a news release. The CDC said more than 1,650 cases of Zika in the U.S. have been reported, but all of those were from travelers returning home after visiting other countries in the Americas and Caribbean. Of those cases, 15 are believed to be the result of sexual transmission, and one was the result of a laboratory exposure, the CDC said. The center warned earlier this year that Florida and other Gulf Coast states could see a wave of local Zika infections as temperatures rise and humidity climbs. Reported laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease cases, as of July 27, 2016. Image: CDC We continue to recommend that everyone in areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are present and especially pregnant women take steps to avoid mosquito bites," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said Friday in a statement. "We will continue to support Floridas efforts to investigate and respond to Zika and will reassess the situation and our recommendations on a daily basis, he added. Zika experts cautioned Americans against panicking. The majority of people infected with Zika often dont show any symptoms, and if they do, the symptoms are often akin to a mild flu or cold, Paul Roepe, co-director of the Georgetown Center for Infectious Disease in Washington, told Mashable. Story continues In the U.S. in particular, the abundance of air conditioning and public spending on mosquito spraying and prevention programs should help to limit the spread of Zika at least compared to developing countries like Brazil, the epicenter of the Zika outbreak, Janet Smith, who directs the Center for Structural Biology at the University of Michigan's Life Sciences Institute, said in a phone interview. A mosquito control inspector in sprays pesticide. Image: Getty Images Smith said that, in response to the Florida outbreak, Theres going to be some very aggressive mosquito control programs put into effect that well see in the coming days. Thats not part of the response in Brazil. However, pregnant women or women who could become pregnant do have plenty of reason to be worried, the experts cautioned. The Zika virus is known to cause birth defects and brain damage in children whose mothers were infected during pregnancy. The CDC in April confirmed that Zika is to blame for a rise in newborns with microcephaly, or an unusually small skull. We know this virus is most detrimental to expecting mothers, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement Friday. A mother in Brazil holds her baby, who has microcephaly. Image: Getty Images Scott urged women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant to contact their OB-GYN for guidance. Not far off the coast of Florida, in Puerto Rico, Zika has been diagnosed in more than 5,500 people as of July 7, including 672 pregnant women, according to a report published Friday in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Of those 672 pregnant women, about 66 percent experienced Zika-related symptoms, while 34 percent had no symptoms, the report said. The World Health Organization estimated Zika could infect millions of people in dozens of countries. In Brazil, more than 1.5 million people have become infected since 2014. Aedes aegypti mosquito. Image: LatinContent/Getty Images No vaccine or treatment for Zika currently exists. But there are plenty of ways to limit your contact with disease-carrying mosquitoes. Roepe encouraged people to apply bug spray when going outdoors and wear long sleeves and long pants in wooded or mosquito-dense areas. Also, get rid of any standing water outdoors, including in the gutters, drainage pipes, bird baths, or even bowls of water for pets. We could control this, it just means we have to get rid of the mosquitoes in our backyards, he said. Whats black and pink, and nude all over? Americas favorite lip shades. (Photo: Polyvore) Just in case Kylie Jenners lip kits hadnt already cast a spell over you, heres proof the reality stars products have captivated the entire nation. In honor of National Lipstick Day, Polyvore did some investigating into the top lipstick shades by state, and America is seriously in love with nude lips. As the preferential shade of 74 percent of the country, nudey-pinks are taking over. Wonder why? The answer is Kylies Lip Kit. The launch of her nude Exposed shade inspired a 37 percent increase in searches for nude lipstick all over the country, except for just one state. In North Dakota, black is the most-searched shade, creating a stark contrast from the pinks throughout the rest of the nation. So if youre into the trend of gothic shades, you might need to rethink your locale. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Mugling-Narayangarh road resumes after 6hrs obstruction The Mugling-Narayangarh road that was obstructed following a landslide at Kalikhola resumed after six hours in Chitwan district. A member of al Qaeda's Nusra Front climbs a pole where a Nusra flag was raised at a central square in the northwestern city of Ariha, after a coalition of insurgent groups seized the area in Idlib province May 29, 2015. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi Al Qaeda's former affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, formally severed ties with the global terrorist organization Thursday in an attempt to "unify" as a distinct Islamist brigade with its own revolutionary goals and vision. In its mission to rebrand itself, al-Nusra now identifying as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham has clearly indicated that it is not committed to Al Qaeda's brand of global jihad but to the singular goal of fomenting an Islamic revolution inside Syria. The break was made easier by the fact that, since its emergence in 2012, Nusra has woven itself into the fabric of Syria's communities and established military alliances of convenience with many mainstream rebel groups in the name of toppling Syrian president Bashar Assad. But it also confirms that Nusra has no intention of distancing itself from the revolution's non-jihadist rebel groups, many of whom are backed by the US and its allies. For Russia, then which has consistently used Nusra's presence among these more moderate rebel groups as an excuse to target and eliminate any and all opposition to its ally, Assad Nusra's dissolution of ties with Al Qaeda is a gift. For the US, it's a headache. John Kerry Sergei Lavrov "By dissolving its ties with Al Qaeda, Nusra Front has made certain that it will remain deeply embedded within opposition front lines, particularly in the northern governorates of Aleppo and Idlib," Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute who is an expert on Syria's jihadist insurgency, wrote in Foreign Policy on Friday. He continued: "Any airstrikes by foreign states targeting the group will almost certainly result in the deaths of mainstream opposition fighters and be perceived on the ground as counterrevolutionary. Consequently, a mission defined by Moscow and Washington in counterterrorism terms would in all likelihood steadily broaden the spectrum of those potentially defined as 'terrorists' to the substantial detriment of any future solution to the Syrian crisis." Story continues The break comes just as the US and Russia are preparing to announce a military cooperation plan, known as the Joint Implementation Group, that was meant to more clearly delineate Nusra's positions in Syria and deter airstrikes on civilians and the more moderate opposition. "By disavowing its ties to Al Qaeda which, incidentally, it did with Al Qaeda's blessing Nusra has made it harder to isolate it from more moderate groups, some of whose members may join it now because it's more powerful than some of the groups they belong to now," a US official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. russian airstrikes syria July Jeff White, a military expert and defense fellow at The Washington Institute, said the development would probably not have any effect on Russia's military strategy in Syria. "Russia doesn't bomb Nusra because it's a terrorist group," White told Business Insider. "It bombs Nusra because it is an enemy an effective one of the regime. For Russia, as long as Nusra keeps fighting the regime, it will remain a target." As for how the break might affect the US's military strategy in Syria, White said that while the Obama administration would "want to assess what the split means in terms of goals, objectives, and operations, I suspect the counterterrorism community will be loath to take it off the target list." 'Laying a trap' White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday that Nusra's rebranding would not affect the US's assessment of the group. "There continues to be increasing concern about Nusra Front's growing capacity for external operations that could threaten both the United States and Europe," Earnest told reporters at the daily White House press briefing. But the development is bound to further complicate Syria's rebel landscape, especially as Nusra under its new name mainstreams itself and consequently attracts more young men to its cause. Mohammed al-Jolani of Jabhat al-Nusra That, Lister noted, is where Nusra's break from Al Qaeda can be seen less as a conscious separation from the terrorist organization's global jihadist ideals and more as a way of "laying a trap" for the US and its allies who claim to want to support the goals of Syria's revolution. "The most moderate FSA groups will be forced to choose between military and revolutionary unity, or operational isolation and subjugation," Lister wrote. "In short, Jabhat al-Nusra is taking yet another step toward shaping the orientation of the Syrian opposition in its favor." Many experts claimed that the US and Russia sealed Al Qaeda's fate in Syria after it was revealed that they were going to coordinate their respective air campaigns to target its affiliate, al-Nusra. Now, by breaking ties with Al Qaeda, Nusra has all but cemented the conditions for its own long-term survival. Those include increased popular support which will lead to a backlash against the West if the US targets the group and, potentially, funding from Qatar and Turkey, which may interpret Nusra's rebranding as a legitimization of its revolutionary goals. "Placed in this quandary, international military action against Jabhat al-Nusra does seem all but inevitable," Lister said. "At the same time, however, the consequences for doing so have become even more concerning." NOW WATCH: The Air Force's A-10 Warthog targets ISIS fighters with this massive gatling gun More From Business Insider To mark the 50th anniversary of its famous Hethel, Norfolk factory firing into life, Lotus has conceived the Elise Race 250, a car it describes as its best track-focused Elise since the model's launch back in 1996. The Elise Race 250 is faster around Lotus's test track than even the Elise Cup 220 R and with a lap time of just 1 minute 33.5 seconds, it is the quickest lap the company has ever recorded for a customer car based on the Elise. "Lotus was established to build race cars and with 68 years' experience, no one knows more about extracting the best performance possible," said Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc. "The Elise Race 250 is the fastest, most focused Elise we've ever produced and, judging by what it's capable of on track, it looks set to become a favorite with our racers around the world." To make the Race 250 perform so well on the track yet still remain eligible for FIA race series around the world, Lotus has turned to weight saving rather than to engine mods. The car features the now familiar four-cylinder 1.8-liter supercharged 243hp engine aligned to a six-speed manual transmission. And in a car that tips the scales at under 900kg dry (i.e., when void of fluids and fuel) that's more than enough power. To get the weight that low -- the Elise Cup 250 is 931kg for example -- everything for the aluminum chassis to the battery have been overhauled to cut unnecessary kilos. The seats are carbon fiber, the wheels forged from an ultra lightweight alloy and the headlamps replaced with blanking panels. However, Lotus has also added several serious features. The first is a serious aero package that generates up to 155kg of downforce when the car is traveling at its top speed of 248km/h. Then there's the FIA compliant A-Frame harness bar, roll cage, fire extinguisher system, towing eyes (front and rear) and battery isolator system in case of fire. And so that owners can tune the car's set-up to suit the circuit, conditions or simply their driving style, the front anti-roll bar is adjustable, as are the Nitron dampers and Eibach coaxial coil springs. The finishing touches are AP Racing twin-piston front calipers on the front and Brembo single-piston rear calipers on the back for breaking. The Elise Race 250 will cost 53,500 in the UK and $76,200 (excluding local taxes) in the US. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f160812%2fgettyimages-540145320 India has some of the most unhealthy air in the world, but the wake up call came in 2014, when its capital New Delhi was ranked by the World Health Organisation as the most polluted city in the world. Over the next two years, reports on its air quality remained grim. The country's air pollution levels reached their highest levels in 2015, after being on rise for the last decade. For the first time, India's air was also found to be more polluted than China's. This year, WHO revealed that the country was home to half of the world's most polluted cities. Other studies indicated clear health risks, with 1.6 million premature deaths in India linked to air pollution. SEE ALSO: Indians can now check the air pollution levels in their city with just a tweet In a first step towards being more transparent about its pollution crisis, India launched its first air quality index to monitor pollution in 10 cities in 2015. Despite this, awareness and knowledge of air pollution remained low and inadequate. To remedy this, a number of Indian startups are building low-cost pollution sensors and IoT devices to measure air pollution on a hyper-local level and at a wider scale in order to gain a wider knowledge of the problem and how it can be tackled. They argue that more comprehensive pollution data can help increase public awareness about the extent of the problem and help the government find solutions. "The government devices solve a different purpose, at best help in regulatory decisions." says Mrutyunjay Mishra, who runs an analytics company Juxt-SmartMandate. "The data is not publicly visible, and even if they are for some locations like Delhi, it doesn't drive 'community action'. The data is far from being open and is not inviting the complex network to come and work with the data to drive action. The need is to get a lot of people come and use their collective intelligence to develop a solution." Story continues Moreover, government-operated pollution monitors are often expensive and therefore few in number. "The number of government pollution monitors, besides New Delhi, is in single digits," Ronak Sutaria of IndiaSpend explains. "That is, in most polluted cities, the govt. has installed a single pollution monitor for a million people. That seems woefully inadequate." There is also the question of how effective the operations of the government's monitors are. Sutaria cites the example of a recent study that revealed that while Delhi has 21 air pollution monitors, there were significant long gaps in their monitoring when they may have stopped working. IndiaSpend's Breathe initiative is one of the organisations running a network of independent air quality monitoring devices across India. In a step towards making live air pollution air data more democratic, IndiaSpend partnered with Twitter India to let users get real-time data on air pollution in their neighbourhood with just a tweet. "It helps make the air quality data more actionable for people as they just have to send their location and within seconds they are provided information about the air quality levels in their area," Sutaria says. IndiaSpend's network uses low quality sensors fitted with GPRS transmitter, which have deployed in around 40 devices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Patna and Lucknow. It is also working on deploying devices in cities such as Dehradun, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur and Bhopal. An air monitoring device from IndiaSpend. The devices are built in India, using a digital Particulate Matter (PM) sensor from China and then doing the controller board and data transmission integration locally. The PM sensor is a laser sensor which is connected to a controller board which receives data from the sensor. A GPRS module transmits the data to IndiaSpend's servers using a 2G connection. "The goal of the low-cost devices and analysis provided by IndiaSpend is to involve citizens in seeing the effects of policies as well as their own actions on the air quality levels in the area surrounding their own houses," Sutaria says. "When devices are owned or installed by people themselves, they tend to be more involved in the understanding of the problem and in demanding that action be taken on conditions which are harmful to them." Delhi-based analytics company Juxt-SmartMandate (JSM) takes this a step further with its non-profit platform, India Open Data Association (IODA). Its open environment data project was started with the aim of creating a "simple, scalable and easy to deploy solution" to bring in "real time status of the environment from thousands of locations in India". The data is also open source, with the device design and data APIs being accessible to everyone. "If the data remains open, it will attract all stakeholders, not only general public, but also the people who influence public policy," IODA founding member Mrutyunjay Mishra says. Piloted during the massive Hindu festival Nashik Kumbh Mela, JSM now has 30 environmental monitoring kits installed in Delhi. These have multiple sensors, and are connected to either analog, digital or UART ports of a base shield, which is in turn connected to a IoT board with data being transferred through SIM cards. In June, IODA in association with Oizom also launched AirOwls, which measure dust particulate matter. Mishra says that while the readings sometimes differ from government monitors, the devices are calibrated to determine the differences. IndiaSpend and JSM aren't alone. The Chennai-based Sensors Without Borders provides hyperlocal and open source environmental data on air and water quality gathered from low-cost devices to help with governmental policy making and support community organisations. An air quality monitor built by Oizom, one of the makers working with India Open Data Association. In April, data intelligence company SocialCops conducted an experiment with five low-cost GPS-enabled IoT devices that were installed on five auto rickshaws for a month. The idea was to measure PM 10 levels every 30 seconds as the autos travelled all over Delhi. "There is little data to understand pollution at a deeper level how it varies within a city, which parts of the city have higher pollution levels, what could be the causes for that. The government pollution monitoring stations are few and stationary and may not give us insights at a granular level," Surendran Balachandran of SocialCops says. "Autos, on the other hand, can travel to various corners of the city through out the day, which gives us the ability to collect data from multiple locations and at much lower costs. In the long-term, these startups hope that greater knowledge about the air quality levels in their neighbourhood will lead to community participation in dealing with air pollution at a local and city-wide level. "Our goal is only to involve as many community organizations as possible and to build the tools & data which will allow them to demand for what they feel is appropriate & suitable for their own neighbourhood." Sutaria says. "Improving air quality is not a one size fits all solution. It will require many small actions which will eventually lead to a larger change" NC, Maoists yet to do up portfolio-sharing Despite the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) having a tentative agreement on power-sharing, dividing key ministries has been a tough nut to crack for negotiators on both sides. The smartest thing about Hillary Clintons acceptance speech Thursday night at the Democratic Convention was that she didnt try to compete with the oratorical athletes who spoke before her during one of the most stirring weeks of speech-making Ive ever witnessed. She couldnt summon the passion of Michelle Obama and Joe Biden, so she didnt try. She couldnt summon the casual conversational brilliance of her husband or Barack Obama, either. She played within herself, solid, but showing flashes of her wicked humor at times. She resorted to American clichesE Pluribus Unumrather attempting to create a larger vision of the country in her own words, but American cliches are always thrilling to me at least. Ive spent a lifetime watching Republicans intoning, That we are endowed, by our creator, with certain unalienable rights and We the people It was nice to see Clinton, and Barack Obama before her, to celebrate the power of those ideas. The problem is, when Hillary Clinton gives a speech, you are conscious every moment that she is giving a speech. This one was one of her best because it was true to who she is: what you saw last night is what youre going to get if shes elected President. She offers two things: an agendaas opposed to a messageand a demeanor. Im more impressed with the latter than with the former. It was fascinating that, time and again during the course of the week, the most intimate details offered by friends involved her profound Methodism, her ceaseless work on behalf of others. The examples were non-stop admirableto a point. And, for me at least, that point has a very distinct limit: it ends when the actions of inspired individuals like Hillary Clinton are institutionalized, and bureaucratized, by the government. Let me give you one wonky example: She talks about the need for universal pre-kindergarten education. We know it works. And it does: in study after carefully controlled study, conducted by devoted professionals, early education is a pretty good antidote to the deficiencies of broken homes. But somehow Head Startthe official government programdoesnt work at all, according to the governments own comprehensive study. Honest liberals know this and they know why. Its a jobs program, a top Obama aide told me, then talked about the Administrations very limited attempt to create some market discipline, a race to the top to make it a credible educational, rather than employment, program. This is true across the governmentfrom the VA to HHS. Its much worse at the local level: Government is, too often, run for the benefit of its employees rather than for its citizens. Clintons main early education proposal is to double the funding for it. Thats just not good enough. Story continues On the other hand, theres her demeanorher strength, her attention span, her ability to grow and learn. I saw the latter up close in the years after 9/11, when she joined the Armed Service Committee and learned the military. She studied hard and won the admiration of not only Republicans on the committee, like John McCain and Lindsey Graham, but also of the military leadership. Ive told this story before but it bears repeating: I once asked General David Petraeus whether there was any Democrat who had the slightest notion of how his mind works and he said, You mean, aside from Hillary? I have no doubt that the leaders of our current military, who are far more realistic than many of our politicians, would rather see her as President than her flighty, fidgety opponent Donald Trump. I have no doubt that she will face every new crisis with calm, consistency and intelligence. That doesnt mean she wont sometimes be wrong. She was wrong about the Iraq war (but that, I suspectsadlywas more of a political vote than a reasoned one). This may be an apocryphal story, but former Secretary of State Warren Christopher was once asked about the most important quality in dealing with the interminable, unmovable Hafez Assad of Syria and he said, The ability to hold your bladder. Clinton has thatmetaphorically, of course. And, I suppose, in the end, when youre talking about what matters most in a president, Ive come to believe that its the ability to hold your bladderto listen carefully, to keep calm, not to rush to judgment or shoot your mouth off. In a world that has come to be defined and will continued to be defined by random acts of terror and mental illness, a steady hand is a crucial quality. So were not going to get flashy speeches from Hillary Clinton. And were not going to get grand, transformative plans. Were probably not going to see our corroded, industrial age welfare state revised for the Information Age. We saw what were going to get last nightand considering the unthinkable alternative, that should suffice. One last point: I was reminded of how loathsome Ive come to consider the political left by their jeering of two fine public servants, Leon Panetta and General John Allen. The views of those hecklers are as dangerous and despicable as those of Donald Trump. Happily, and unlike the Republican party, the Democrats have rejected their extremists. Madrid (AFP) - Spain asked the Constitutional Court Friday to nullify a text approved by Catalonia's parliament urging the region to push ahead with its independence drive, warning separatist lawmakers of severe consequences. The text passed on Wednesday outlines the steps Catalonia -- a northeastern region of 7.5 million people that is divided over splitting from Spain -- needs to take to defend its right to self-determination. It argues the "only way possible" for Catalans to exercise their right to decide on their future is if the region "disconnects" from the Spanish state and disobeys Spanish institutions. "It's a violation of our constitution," government spokeswoman Soraya Saenz de Santamaria told reporters in Madrid after a cabinet meeting. Secessionist parties hold a majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament, and the text was approved with 72 votes in favour. Saenz de Santamaria said the government, which has been ruling in a caretaker capacity since inconclusive December and June general elections, had decided to ask the Constitutional Court to declare the text void and suspend it. She also warned that separatist lawmakers risked fines of up to 30,000 euros ($33,500), suspension from their posts and even legal action if they continued to disobey Madrid. She said the government had asked the court to evaluate whether Catalonia's parliamentary speaker Carme Forcadell, a stalwart of the region's independence drive, could be criminally liable for allowing the text to be voted through. Speaking to a Catalan television channel, Forcadell hit back at Madrid's reaction, accusing the government of using legal tools to try and fix something "they do not know how to resolve politically." "This does not help resolve the problem, it makes it worse," she said. With the backing of acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government, Spain's Constitutional Court has already taken measures against Catalonia's independence drive. Story continues It suspended an independence referendum called by the Catalan government in 2014 as well as a resolution passed by Catalonia's parliament in November declaring the start of a secession process. Many in Catalonia, which accounts for nearly a fifth of Spain's economic output and boasts its own language and customs, want more autonomy from Madrid. Spain's recent economic downturn exacerbated the situation, leaving many resenting the amount of taxes they pay to the central government in Madrid to subsidise poorer regions. Over 55 pct court verdicts on war-era cases were not implemented: Study A low rate of implementation of court verdicts, mostly on transitional justice cases, has revealed lack of political will to conclude the transitional justice, a major component of the peace process. An 64-year-old Orlando man has been cleared of criminal charges following his December arrest, when police officers thought a rock like substance on the floor of his caractually the dried glaze from a Krispy Kreme doughnutwas crystal meth. Daniel Frederick Rushing was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine after he was pulled over for speeding, NBC 6 reports. The arresting officer stated in a police report that she had recognized, through my eleven years of training and experience as a law enforcement officer, a dried substance on the floor of Rushings car to be the substance to be some sort of narcotic. The officer performed two separate field tests, which tested positive for the presence of amphetamines. Rushing used to buy a doughnut every other Wednesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel. A state crime lab tested the caked glaze a several weeks after his arrest and cleared him I kept telling them, Thats glaze from a doughnut. They tried to say it was crack cocaine at first, then they said, No, its meth, crystal meth,' Rushing told the Sentinel. Rushing has hired a lawyer and plans to ask the city to pay him damages. A Georgia man who escaped prison and spent nearly four decades hiding in plain sight was captured and will now be made to serve out the rest of his sentence, authorities said. Billy Burchfield, 67, was arrested in 1973 and charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of his 22-year-old wife Vera Sue Burchfield, who he shot in the neck during an argument. Burchfield was serving a 16-year sentence at Jackson County Correctional Institution when he escaped in 1979, police said. Authorities searched for Burchfield to no avail and remained unaware he had assumed the identity of his late cousin Harold Arnold and make a life for himself in London, Kentucky, officials said. "Billy Burchfield had been living under the assumed name for the past 37 years," Sheriff John Root with the Laurel County Sheriff Department said. Burchfield reportedly went on to marry twice, run multiple businesses including a diner that was frequented by law enforcement officials and become a deacon at the local church. But that life came to a screeching halt when authorities acting on a tip came knocking on Burchfields door June 15. Burchfields sisters told the Dalton Daily Citizen that another relative who was arrested on drug charges offered up the wanted mans whereabouts in exchange for having his own charges dropped, but they declined to name the tipster. Burchfield submitted to fingerprinting, which revealed his true identity, police said. Read: Fugitive Arrested After Taunting Law Enforcement on Instagram While on the Lam News of Burchfields arrest stunned those who knew him in his post-escape life. He is one of the most great and generous men you can meet or know, Kathy Burchfield, who identified herself as the wife of Burchfields grandson, told InsideEdition.com, calling him the most loving person you can ever meet in your lifetime. She said she had no idea her in-law was running from the law, hearing of his 1973 arrest for the first time when he was captured last month. Story continues I didnt know what to think, she said. "We are just waiting for all this to be over." Still, she stressed that his past does not line up with the man she knows, saying she wants people to know that he was a good man. Others who knew Burchfield spoke of a well-liked and well-mannered man. He was a quiet man, but charismatic. Every time I went into his store, he had a smile on his face, said Paul Alsip, who lived next door to Burchfields business and knew him by the last name Arnold. He was friendly with everyone I seen and would chat with anyone and everyone, Alsip said. I even remember some of the local police visiting his deli/restaurant, quite frequently and speaking in deep conversation. I've heard stories of him, doing a lot of good deeds for people in the community, he said, recounting the many times Burchfield gave a single mother milk from his store, free of charge. Apparently, she was trying to pay in all change. The guy I knew from the store was a friendly man. I don't think anyone here, even the local police, would deny this about him, he continued. But relatives of his victim feel differently about Burchfields capture, saying he must pay for what he did to Vera Sue Burchfield, who died three days after being shot. I let it go when I thought he was dead, but then when I found out he was alive oh, I got mad, Janice Smith, Vera Sue Burchfields daughter, told WTVC-TV. Her mothers death haunts her every day, she said. I may have been five, but I remember. I'll never forget that, Smith said. She told the television station that her mother had been arguing with Burchfield and was packing his bags, readying to make him leave, when he shot her. Read: Friends' Shock as Hiker is Identified as Fugitive Wanted for Embezzling $9 Million Burchfield made his escape while on a work detail at a landfill, the Jackson Herald reported at the time. Under the guise of needing the restroom, Burchfield fled to a car waiting nearby. Then he and the driver, a woman, took off. The person who helped him and knew he was alive all these years running around, they should be ashamed of themselves, Smith said. It was not the first time Burchfield had made a break for it. He and a few other inmates escaped a work detail in 1975 and were caught in Detroit later that year. Another year was added on to his sentence for his escape. After his second and successful escape, he reportedly settled in California where he had two children. He then moved to Kentucky, where he married a woman he divorced after five years. The couple recently reconciled and was living together at the time of his arrest, according to reports. A woman who answered the phone at Burchfield's listed residence declined to comment when reached by InsideEdition.com. Burchfield met his second wife, Carol Shell, in the late 1980s. The couple wed and remained married until Shell died of cancer in 2006. He waited on her hand and foot, his sister, Martha Jones, told the Dalton Daily Citizen. He was right by her side every inch of the way. Losing her didnt turn him back into a criminal. He was still determined to be Bill Arnold. He had reinvented himself. Burchfield was extradited to Georgia on July 5, when he began serving out the rest of his original sentence which will now end on January 15, 2026, authorities told InsideEdition.com. Burchfield will then serve a year and one week for escaping, officials said. "It's shocking to think one man could fly under the radar for so long without getting caught. You have to admit, it's quite impressive!" Alsip said. "The guy lived under his dead cousin's name. He started a complete new life, marriage and all. The guy even opens a store in which the local police visit regularly and befriend him. "You can't help but think, what good is prison going to do for this man, at this point in his life?" Alsip said. "How will it rehabilitate a man who seems to have already rehabilitated himself?" Watch: Homeless Man Gets $100,000 Reward for Helping Cops Catch Fugitives Related Articles: Major broadcasters, media companies and others are interjecting themselves in a case with potentially big First Amendment implications. On Friday, 36 media organizations including ABC, CNN, Fox News, NBCUniversal and the Washington Post asked permission to file an amicus brief in Mark Boal's lawsuit against the United States of America over a threatened military court subpoena. Boal, the screenwriter and producer of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, is seeking to protect about 25 hours of recorded interviews conducted with U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who deserted his post in Afghanistan and was later found to be with the Taliban. Bergdahl, whose release was secured by the White House in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, is scheduled to go to trial on a court martial for desertion and misbehavior in February. Some of Boal's interviews were played on the acclaimed podcast Serial, but military prosecutors have indicated they want access to all of it. Last week, Boal sought to prevent this by filing an action in California federal court that contends that the First Amendment as well as common law and state statutory provisions protect a right to gather and publish newsworthy material free of government interference. Now, other media groups including the E.W. Scripps Company, The National Press Club, the News Guild and the Boston Globe are rallying behind Boal to urge further recognition of a reporter's privilege, which prevents compelled disclosures on journalists of source material in court proceedings. According to a brief, which awaits a judge's permission, "Amici write to explain the important policy reasons underpinning the recognition of the reporter's privilege. In addition, amici support Boal's arguments that the reporter's privilege extends to Boal, because Boal had the intent, at the inception of the newsgathering process, to disseminate to the public information regarding Sgt. Bergdahl's disappearance from an Army outpost in Afghanistan." Story continues Katie Townsend at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press authored the brief urging the court to immediately address Boal's claims that he can't be compelled to hand over his material. "This is important not just to establish that Boal, specifically, is entitled to protection, but because as the definition of what constitutes journalism and what form it takes continues to advance at a rapid pace, established protections for journalists must continue to evolve to encompass a wide variety of forms and formats," states the amicus brief. The media groups note a 2014 comment from then Attorney General Eric Holder, "As long as I'm attorney general, no reporter who is doing his job is going to jail." Loretta Lynch, the current AG, is said to have adopted this pledge in 2015. "Yet, if the government seeks to enforce a subpoena to compel Boal to reveal confidential and unpublished material through contempt proceedings, it will be attempting to send a journalist to jail simply for "doing his job,'" the media companies say. The U.S. government is set to file a reply to Boal's motion for a temporary restraining order next week. Here's a look at the full amicus brief: Eleven fearless teams who will be competing against each other for USD100,000 in "The Amazing Race Asia Season 5" has finally been revealed! "This season's audition videos were creative, witty, clever and very surprising, so it was a tough selection process. We're thrilled with the 11 teams they embody AXN's brand personality, which is passionate, determined, unexpected and high-octane. This is not just a show it's an adrenaline-fueled adventure for everyone involved, including our viewers," said Mr. Ang Hui Keng, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia. Representing Malaysia are three energetic teams which include; besties Yvonne Lee and Chloe Chen who are not only best friends but also titleholders of Miss World Malaysia 2012 and 2011 respectively, brothers Alex and Will Chee, also known as the Muscle Brothers, and 8TV Quickie host Brandon Ho along with his former school mate Alphaeus Tan. Yvonne and Chloe Will and Alex Alphaeus and Brandon Raymond Braun with Hillary Clinton at Beautycon. (Photo: Instagram) A month ago, philanthropist, YouTube star, and LGBT activist and advocate Raymond Braun emceed the Beautycon town hall with Hillary Clinton. He even got to ask Clinton a question himself, addressing the candidates plans and policy proposals for tackl[ing] homophobia and transphobia nationwide. This week, Braun attended the Democratic National Convention, and sat in the front row to watch history be made as the country officially named its first ever female presidential nominee. So great to meet @ChloeGMoretz at the LGBT Caucus & thank her for championing equality for all! #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/Ae9l2q5xHS Raymond Braun (@raymondbraun) July 26, 2016 And yet, being a part of such world events something still thrilling even for the veteran journalists who have spent more hours covering political conventions than an average person spends binge watching on Netflix is becoming par for the course for social media stars, including many beauty vloggers. Not only were the whos who of the social media world on hand to attend the town hall with former Secretary of State Clinton last month, but a group of social media influencers were also invited for a sit-down with Pope Francis in May. Shorter version? No one has more political capital and more expertise to share with political leaders right now than social stars. Chrissy Chambers, of the YouTube channel BriaAndChrissy, also asked a question of Clinton last month, talking about her own experience with revenge porn and asking for Clintons plans on how to address this form of cyberbullying. Its questions like this that underscore not only the unique issues facing a younger, and highly important, subset of voters but the way that this demographic might be best suited to guide politicians in finding the answers. Story continues I think the town hall with digital influencers was an excellent way for Hillary Clinton to connect with and engage with the younger audience that she needs for this years election and hear about our concern, Chambers tells Yahoo Beauty. Her answer to my question about a federal revenge-porn law was broad, but promising. I know Hillary Clinton has never addressed revenge porn before publicly, so I didnt expect concrete plans, but I was still encouraged by her response and compassion towards the issue. The crowd was supportive, engaged, and open to hearing what Secretary Clinton had to say, and I left feeling more aware than before of the importance of our vote and our voice. Braun calls the town hall with Clinton historic for being the first time that a presidential candidate spoke at a town hall forum for social media creators, adding that as a member of the LGBT community, he was especially grateful for the opportunity to participate in the event and hear Clintons response to his question. And, he adds, seeing Clintons desire to connect with the digital creator community was just as exciting and appreciated. Secretary Clinton is incredibly busy, and she chose to take the time to speak to us it demonstrates her commitment to include so many different kinds of people in her campaign and to hear many different perspectives, Braun tells Yahoo Beauty. Nearly everyones hand in the room shot up at some point during the town hall, which I think demonstrates how engaged people were in the conversation and how open and accessible Secretary Clinton was. I appreciated that she also spoke about wanting to incorporate our voices and feedback in her policies and decisions. He also notes that she talked about how social creators are, in many ways, experts on how to utilize technology to reach young people, and she wanted to hear from us about how to get more people involved in the political process. Hayla Ghazal, of the YouTube comedy channel HaylaTV, was appointed change ambassador for gender equality as part of a first-time-ever collaboration between the United Nations and YouTube in February. In May, she was one of the digital influencers to sit down with Pope Francis. On my channel, I encourage girls to find their voice, Ghazal tells Yahoo Beauty. In my part of the world, I do not need to shout from the rooftop to spread a message. I need to speak a language people understand. Ghazal, understanding that people in the Middle East love to laugh, uses comedy to highlight the unique habits largely prevalent throughout her culture and much of society to encourage social change. Change is already happening. I believe YouTube is a powerful platform for sharing positive messages and helping build understanding and solidarity among diverse communities, she says. As YouTube creators, we know the power of video to reflect who we are, to create conversations about tolerance, and to help drive change through education and truth. These, she elucidates, are essential truths, which she shared with Pope Francis, noting that social media is especially important for disseminating and implementing messages of hope, change, and positivity in the world today. Many young people spend more time on social media than any other form of media, explains Braun. So its an incredibly important and valuable platform for discussing political issues. Which is why it makes so much sense for political leaders to turn to the experts themselves in learning how to best utilize these channels. Influencers have an opportunity to reach a lot of people, so I think with that platform comes a responsibility to encourage young people to get involved and educated about this election cycle, Braun adds. The stakes are too high. Politics is at its best when everyone has a voice and everyone is engaged, so we need to ensure our generations voice is heard. If we mobilize and turn out to vote in strong numbers, we could potentially even decide the election! Which is why Braun shared his DNC experience on his widely followed platforms. The positive, diverse, and inclusive references to the LGBT community tonight are breathtaking. So proud of our community. #DemsInPhilly Raymond Braun (@raymondbraun) July 26, 2016 Due to a recent surgery, Chambers had to sit out this years Democratic National Convention an event she attended in 2012 and describes as a life-impactful week. We went without a real sense of purpose for our YouTube channel and without a real sense of identity, politically, she recalls. After all the protests, rallies, anti-gay kiss-ins and meeting so many passionate people, we left the convention completely comfortable in navigating the road as LGBT activists with a true sense of purpose and fervor. We havent looked back since. Which is why when it comes to the relationship between digital influencers and politics, the medium really is the message, on all sides of the equation. Or, as Chambers puts it, Young people need to use social media to discuss their views and thoughts about what is important to them in this years election and why. And, recognizing this, political leaders are trying to connect with millennials more than ever, both for their vote and for their voice. With so many millennials pioneering entrepreneurship online through social media and pushing the tape on media itself and how it is consumed, young people are vital in this years elections, she says. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, andPinterest. Parliament conducts hearings on SC justice nominees Supreme Court Justice nominee Sapana Pradhan Malla has said that Nepal should find a lasting solution to the issues related to protracted transitional justice through setting up legal and institutional infrastructure to give closure to the conflict-era cases. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivers remarks during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention. (Photo: Paul Morigi/WireImage) Updated Sept. 8, 2016. Last night, Hillary Clinton sat down with Matt Lauer for a televised interview. Afterward, RNC head Reince Priebus, took it upon himself to tweet that Clinton was angry + defensive the entire time - no smile and uncomfortable - upset that she was caught wrongly sending our secrets. And Clinton responded in a pretty amazing way. Actually, thats just what taking the office of President seriously looks like. https://t.co/Pyn92mesom Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 8, 2016 In July, Hillary Clinton made a historic speech as she accepted the Democratic presidential nomination with humility, determination, and boundless confidence in Americas promise. And while millions of Americans watched the first woman to lead a major partys presidential ticket address the nation from the convention stage in Philadelphia, some men in the Twittersphere were all abuzz about her smile. Or lack thereof. Instead of lecturing 2 citizens @HillaryClinton needs 2 have conversation w/us. Modulate voice. Tell stories. Set hopes. Smile #DNCinPHL Steve Clemons (@SCClemons) July 29, 2016 But this wasnt the first time the former secretary of state and first lady has been criticized for her expression. Back on March 15, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough tweeted this while Clinton was giving her victory speech after winning the Super Tuesday primary: Smile. You just had a big night. #PrimaryDay Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 16, 2016 Many women didnt take too kindly to Scarboroughs suggestion, including Samantha Bee, a comedian and political commentator who tweeted this response: Story continues Men attempting to police Clintons appearance keeps happening because of sexism, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, a Brooklyn illustrator and painter who created the art series Stop Telling Women to Smile, tells Yahoo Beauty. That a woman as intelligent and accomplished as Hillary Clinton is being told to smile during her convention acceptance speech demonstrates how women are expected to appear pleasant and soft all the time no matter their position or success. Its actually quite absurd. Related: Beauty and the Brain: Is It Harder for Attractive Women to Be Taken More Seriously? Clinton is in an extremely difficult position, Sheela Raja, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor of health communication and behavioral medicine at University of Illinois at Chicago, tells Yahoo Beauty. Many people expect top leaders, like the president, to be tough, able to take quick decisions, and to be experts at appropriately delegating authority. However, studies show that female leaders are often expected to be likable, collaborative, and social and those are all qualities associated with smiling. She continues that many people tend to also link smiling with kindness and friendliness, even though smiling may not indicate either of those characteristics. Now here is the paradox if Clinton smiles too much, she will likely be accused of not being tough or serious enough to be president, states Raja. But if she doesnt smile, people think she is not likable or approachable, which are qualities they may want in a female leader but not a president. Its a double standard. However, Clinton isnt the only woman being told to show her pearly whites. Gender-based street harassment is sexual harassment that happens in public spaces, explains Fazlalizadeh. It happens when women are sexualized and experience unwanted and often aggressive behavior from men. Related: How Ads Are Challenging the Stereotype That Women Arent Good at Sports And these remarks or gestures range from comments about a womans appearance as she walks down to the street to physical assault. Its important to point out this behavior so that the public pays attention to the wide range of sexism and how it affects womens daily lives, adds Fazlalizadeh. So, how should a woman respond to a male stranger who only approaches her to say shed look better if she smiled? If we really want this behavior to disappear, the best method is to ignore it completely, advises Raja. When a man receives no feedback in psychology, we would say no reinforcement for the comment, the behavior is likely to go away over time. But for those ladies who refuse to be silent, Raja offers this comeback: If you feel you absolutely must respond, try to stick to something factual, for example, Im reminding you that you have no idea what another person is dealing with on a given day. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. FRANKFURT, July 29 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn an advert touting the self-driving qualities of its new E-Class model in the United States, Automotive News reported, following allegations from consumer groups that the claims were misleading. Earlier this week, U.S.-based Consumer Reports urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to scrutinise Mercedes' "The Future" campaign, which markets automated driving features available in the new E-Class. Mercedes, part of Daimler AG, rejected the allegation that the advert was misleading. Automotive News said late Thursday Mercedes had since taken the advert "out of campaign rotation" in the United States. "We do not want any potential confusion in the marketplace to detract from the giant step forward in vehicle safety the 2017 E-Class represents," Automotive News quoted Mercedes spokeswoman Donna Boland as saying. Mercedes in Germany was not immediately able to verify the remarks made by the spokeswoman in the United States. Earlier this week, consumer groups warned car buyers not to rely too heavily on a new generation of sophisticated cruise control systems, which use computers and sensors to automatically keep in lane and brake, following a fatal crash by a Tesla car operating in "autopilot" mode. The ensuing investigation of the Tesla accident by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has increased scrutiny of automated driving technology and the marketing claims made by carmakers seeking to push sales. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Mark Potter) FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn an advert in the United States which compared its new E-class with a futuristic self-driving concept car following allegations from local consumer groups that the marketing claims were misleading. Earlier this week, U.S.-based Consumer Reports urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to scrutinize Mercedes' "The Future" campaign, which touts the automated driving features available in the new E-Class. "Given the claim that consumers could confuse the autonomous driving capability of the F015 concept car with the driver assistance systems of our new E-Class in our ad The Future, Mercedes-Benz USA has decided to take this ad out of the E-Class campaign rotation," the company said in a statement. The Mercedes-Benz F105 is a fully autonomous self-driving research vehicle which allows passengers to travel without anyone doing the driving. Earlier this week, consumer groups warned car buyers not to rely too heavily on a new generation of cruise control systems, which use computers and sensors to automatically keep in lane and brake, following a fatal crash by a Tesla car operating in "autopilot" mode. The ensuing investigation of the Tesla accident by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has increased scrutiny of automated driving technology and the marketing claims made by carmakers seeking to push sales. Mercedes said its marketing materials had always made clear that the driver of an E-Class needs to be in control of their vehicle and that technology in the car is designed to assist the driver, not to encourage customers to ignore their responsibilities as drivers. "While the new E-Class has a host of technology that will serve as the building blocks for increasing levels of autonomy, it is not an autonomous vehicle and we are not positioning it as such," Mercedes-Benz said. Automotive News was first to report that the ad had been withdrawn. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Mark Potter and Jane Merriman) Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico's government has launched drones to back last-ditch efforts to prevent illegal fishing activities that have led to the near extinction of the vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise. The navy and the environment ministry on Thursday unveiled three Arcturus T-20 unmanned aerial vehicles, armed with high-resolution cameras to police the upper Gulf of California day and night. It is the latest step taken by the government to save the vaquita, a species found only in a small area of Mexico's northwest gulf. "There is a lot left to be done and time is a decisive factor," Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberon, the navy's chief, said. "We can't allow our seas to see another species disappear." President Enrique Pena Nieto deployed navy ships in April 2015 to enforce a two-year ban on gillnets and increased the vaquita protection area tenfold to 13,000 square kilometers (5,000 square miles). But a census released last May warned that there are only 60 of the sea creatures left, down from fewer than 100 in 2014 and 200 in 2012. Scientists fear the porpoise could vanish by 2022. The vaquita's fate has been linked to a critically endangered fish, the totoaba, which is illegally caught for swim bladders that are dried and sold on the black market in China. The vaquita, a shy 1.5-meter-long (five-foot) cetacean -- a kind of marine mammal -- with dark rings around the eyes, is said to be the victim of bycatch in illegal totoaba gillnets. - Night vision - Oona Isabelle Layolle, captain of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, whose ship has helped to catch illegal fishnets in the area, said drones are an effective tool to find poachers. The international conservation group has used its own small drones with night-vision cameras to spot fishermen using illegal nets after dark. "It's one of the best tools," Layolle told AFP. "We can see if they fish illegally without them seeing us." Story continues But she said that the authorities need to ban all types of nets because poachers will "hide behind legal fishing permits" to continue their illegal activities. The Mexican government has pledged $70 million to help fishermen hit by the two-year gillnet ban to make the transition to other methods of fishing. The authorities announced last week that the ban on gillnets for shrimp fishing in the vaquita habitat will be made permanent from September. Corvina and shark nets could be prohibited permanently when the temporary ban expires in April 2017, according to Rigoberto Garcia, a fisheries commission official. Officials say fishermen sell totoaba swim bladders to smugglers who store them in border towns before sending them to the United States or shipping them directly to Asia in suitcases or through parcel services. Each bladder fetches around $1,500-$1,800 in Mexico, rising to $5,000 in the United States and $10,000 to $20,000 apiece in Asian markets, according to US authorities. Pena Nieto and US President Barack Obama agreed during White House talks last week to intensify bilateral cooperation to protect the vaquita by increasing cooperation against totoaba fishing and developing alternative fishing gear. SAO PAULO, July 29 (Reuters) - Mexico's Alpek SA de CV is expected to offer up to $700 million for Brazilian state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA's petrochemicals units in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. Petrobras, as the Brazilian company is known, announced on Thursday exclusive talks with the Mexican group over the sale of PetroquimicaSuape and Citepe. The Brazilian company and Alpek will negotiate the deal for 60 days. Petrobras' petrochemical units have accumulated 5.6 billion reais ($1.7 billion) in losses over the last two years, which included impairment charges related to the largest-ever corruption probe in Brazil. The plants in Pernambuco produce PTA, raw material for PET resin, and polyester fiber. The sale will reduce Petrobras' debt, as well as the need to inject more cash into the plants, which have not been profitable yet, the source added. Petrobras declined to comment. Alpek, the petrochemicals unit of Mexican conglomerate Alfa, did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Beyond the sale of its petrochemical assets in Pernambuco, Petrobras has tried to sell its 36-percent stake in Latin America's largest petrochemical company, Braskem SA. The deal has stalled as investors fret about the involvement of Grupo Odebrecht SA, Braskem's controlling shareholder, in the Car Wash probe. Odebrecht has put its 38-percent stake in Braskem as collateral to banks in a debt renegotiation concluded this month. ($1 = 3.2348 Brazilian reais) (Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Sandra Maler) July 29 (Reuters) - Six Michigan state employees were charged on Friday in connection with dangerous lead levels in the city of Flint's drinking water, the Detroit Free Press reported. The criminal charges were filed by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette against three employees apiece from the state's health and environmental departments, the newspaper said. The accusations mark the second round of charges related to the investigation into the Flint water crisis. Schuette was scheduled to hold a news conference on Friday about the charges. Flint, with a population of about 100,000, was under control of a state-appointed emergency manager in 2014 when it switched its water source from Detroit's municipal system to the Flint River to save money. The city switched back last October. The river water was more corrosive than the Detroit system's, and caused more lead to leach from its aging pipes. Lead can be toxic, and children are especially vulnerable. The crisis has prompted lawsuits by parents who say their children have shown dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. The Free Press identified those charged on Friday as Department of Health and Human Services workers Nancy Peeler, Corinne Miller and Robert Scott, and Department of Environmental Quality employees Leanne Smith, Adam Rosenthal and Patrick Cook. A spokeswoman for the Genesee County District Court confirmed the filing of six complaints but had no details. Three state and local officials were criminally charged in April in connection with the investigation. Flint utilities administrator Michael Glasgow subsequently agreed to cooperate with investigators as part of a deal that had him plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge while a more serious felony charge was dismissed. Department of Environmental Quality officials Stephen Busch and Michael Prysby were charged with five and six counts, respectively, including misconduct in office, tampering with evidence and violation of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act. Both pleaded not guilty. Schuette last month sued French water company Veolia Environnement SA and Houston-based engineering services firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam for "botching" their roles in the city's drinking water crisis. (Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington and Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) DETROIT (Reuters) - Six Michigan state employees were charged on Friday in an investigation into dangerous lead levels in the city of Flint's drinking water. The criminal charges were filed by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette against three employees apiece from the state's health and environmental departments. Schuette did not elaborate on possible charges for other local and state officials but said prosecutors "were going where the truth" takes them. Some critics have called for high-ranking state officials, including Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, to be charged. Snyder said in April he believed he had not done anything criminally wrong. Flint, with a population of about 100,000, was under control of a state-appointed emergency manager in 2014 when it switched its water source from Detroit's municipal system to the Flint River to save money. The city switched back last October. The river water was more corrosive than the Detroit system's, and caused more lead to leach from its aging pipes. Lead can be toxic, and children are especially vulnerable. The crisis has prompted lawsuits by parents who say their children have shown dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. The accusations mark the third round of charges related to the investigation into the Flint water crisis. "In essence, these individuals concealed the truth. They were criminally wrong to do so," Schuette told reporters. "And the victims, these are real people, families that have been lied to by government officials and treated as expendable." Those charged on Friday were identified as Department of Health and Human Services workers Nancy Peeler, Corinne Miller and Robert Scott, and Department of Environmental Quality employees Liane Shekter-Smith, Adam Rosenthal and Patrick Cook. Five of the six people charged could not be reached immediately for comment. Brian Morley, an attorney for Shekter-Smith, said the charges were a surprise, but knows his client was not criminally liable. Story continues Three state and local officials were criminally charged in April in connection with the investigation. Flint utilities administrator Michael Glasgow subsequently agreed to cooperate with investigators as part of a deal. Department of Environmental Quality officials Stephen Busch and Michael Prysby were charged with five and six counts, respectively, including misconduct in office, tampering with evidence and violation of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act. Both pleaded not guilty. Schuette last month sued French water company Veolia Environnement SA and Houston-based engineering services firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam for "botching" their roles in the crisis. (Reporting by Justin Madden in Chicago, Ian Simpson in Washington and Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and James Dalgleish) Belgrade (AFP) - Around 90 migrants on Friday ended a days-long hunger strike they had staged at Serbia's border with Hungary in a bid to be allowed to continue their journey across the closed frontier, the UN refuge agency said. The migrants, mostly young men from Afghanistan and Pakistan, arrived at the Horgos crossing at the weekend to protest against the closure of Hungary's border and tough new measures introduced this month to tighten security. Last Friday some 300 migrants set off on foot from the Serbian capital Belgrade, around 200 kilometres (124 miles) south. But only about 90 arrived at the border and went on hunger strike. According to their leader, some protesters had health problems due to the hot summer weather while also the "response to their demands was not what they have expected," a spokeswoman for UNHCR in Serbia told AFP. "They were hoping to go through (to Hungary), but nevertheless they managed to be heard at least." The migrants were to be transferred to reception centres in Serbia later on Friday, she added. The protesters staged their hunger strike just 300 metres (yards) away from a makeshift camp with several hundred migrants and refugees. Serbia lies on the so-called Balkan route taken by hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa since last year on their way to western Europe. Although the route was effectively shut down in March, migrants have continued to cross the region in smaller numbers, often with the help of smugglers. The number of migrants blocked inside Serbia has grown significantly since Hungary introduced tough new measures this month to stop them crossing the border. According to UNHCR in Serbia, there are currently around 3,600 migrants in the country, most of them in makeshift camps along the Hungarian border. Earlier this month Belgrade decided to launch joint police and army patrols to beef up its borders. Serbian authorities said recently that 102,000 migrants had been registered since the start of the year more than 500 a day. In Serbia's southern neighbour Macedonia, army and police prevented some 18,000 illegal entries since March, President Gjorge Ivanov said Thursday. Despite the closing of the Balkan route, the army noticed an "increased number of illegal (entry) attempts, as well as illegal trafficking of migrants through our territory," Ivanov said, quoted by state-run MIA news agency, while visiting the southern border with Greece. Rai, Jha win top honours The first time I came to the Valley, I had to constantly tell people of my nationality! People would decide upon my nationality by gauging the colour of my skin and by the accent of my speech. Mohawk Industries, Inc. MHK is set to release second-quarter 2016 results on Aug 4. Last quarter, this leading global manufacturer of flooring products posted a positive surprise of 2.15%. Mohawk Industries has surpassed estimates in three out of the past four quarters, resulting in an average positive surprise of 1.96%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. MOHAWK INDS INC Price and EPS Surprise MOHAWK INDS INC Price and EPS Surprise | MOHAWK INDS INC Quote Factors to Consider this Quarter For the second quarter of 2016, the company expects earnings per share in the range of $3.29 to $3.38, which indicates 22% to 26% year-over-year increase. The U.S. residential and remodeling sector is gaining momentum, which should result in strong demand for Mohawks products. However, slowdown in the emerging markets is a concern. The slowing economic growth in China may hurt Mohawk as it has a considerable presence in that country. Further, the Russian economy is currently in recession and the company believes that it will continue to face headwinds there through 2016, owing to low oil prices. Also, a slowdown in Europe is a major concern. Moreover, despite some improvement, unfavorable currency remains a major overhang and may hurt Mohawks profitability in the near term. Earnings Whisper Our proven model does not conclusively show that Mohawk Industries is likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here, as you will see below. Zacks ESP: The ESP for Mohawk Industries is 0.00% as both the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at $3.36 per share. Zacks Rank: Mohawk Industries holds a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 and 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions momentum. Stocks to Consider Here are some companies in the broader consumer discretionary sector that can be considered as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Pool Corporation POOL, with an Earnings ESP of +1.0% and a Zacks Rank #2. CBS Corporation CBS with an Earnings ESP of +0.98% and a Zacks Rank #2. Starz STRZA with an Earnings ESP of +16.0% and a Zacks Rank #2. 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 CBS CORP (CBS): Free Stock Analysis Report POOL CORP (POOL): Free Stock Analysis Report MOHAWK INDS INC (MHK): Free Stock Analysis Report STARZ-LIB CAP-A (STRZA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Persistent heavy rains have caused widespread disruption in India's major cities and severe floods in the rugged northeast have killed at least 12 people, the federal government said on Friday. About 50,000 people from southern and eastern India had to be evacuated as storms pushed water levels to dangerous levels, damaging crops and causing more than 3,000 houses to collapse. Flooding, an annual problem during the monsoon season, has been worsened by crumbling civic infrastructure, clogged drains and uncontrolled urban expansion in a country with a fast-growing population of 1.3 billion. Thousands vented their anger on social media after being stranded for up to 12 hours as traffic gridlock paralyzed roads in the business hub of Gurgaon near New Delhi, the capital. Trains were also delayed. "It took me four hours to drive 6 km (4 miles)," said Randeep Dev, a consultant at a private bank in New Delhi. "Our cities are a living hell in the monsoon." Tracts of the southern technology hub of Bengaluru, and the financial capital of Mumbai on the west coast, were inundated by flood waters and sewage swirled in the streets. Fire officials in Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, used boats to rescue people stranded near Electronics City, home to technology firms and multinationals such as Infosys, the business process outsourcing giant. Forecasters warned of a new round of heavy rains and flooding, as the government opened shelters and stepped up emergency rescue operations. In the northeastern state of Assam, troops pressed boats and helicopters into the effort to pull hundreds of people to safety from floodwaters that had trapped them in their homes, senior military official Ajit Borah said. In the state's Kaziranga National Park, a sanctuary for the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, water levels were receding, four days after some of the young animals had to be rescued. Others floundered through the water or strayed across roads, in video images captured by people living nearby. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced grand designs to build 100 futuristic 'smart' cities, but this week's floods highlighted the need to improve living conditions in cities and rein in unplanned urban sprawl. In neighboring Nepal, officials said four days of incessant rains had left 72 people dead in landslides and flash floods, and 12 missing. Authorities were distributing dry food items, such as biscuits and noodles, to those whose homes were swept away in landslides or submerged by floods, Home Ministry spokesman Yadav Koirala said. (Reporting by Rupam Jain, Biswajyoti Das in Assam, Gopal Sharma in Nepal, Editing by Douglas Busvine) Montel Williams had a run-in with German customs when he attempted to carry medical marijuana across borders. The 60-year-old TV host was stopped by airport security on Friday when it was found that he had packed marijuana in his suitcase. He was briefly detained for about an hour, but was "neither arrested nor cited," his rep, Jonathan Franks, noted in a statement posted to Twitter. Williams was released once it was revealed that he had a prescription for the drug, which he uses to treat his multiple sclerosis (MS) that he's been battling since 1999. WATCH: Snoop Dogg Shows Off His Impressive Marijuana Knowledge With Martha Stewart "Unfortunately this is the reality faced by medical marijuana patients every day all over the world," Franks said. "Today, Montel reaffirms his commitment to fighting for sensible medical marijuana policies across the world and to fighting the stigma he and so many other seriously ill Americans face every day for simply following the advice of their doctor. Montel's commitment to the fight for common sense marijuana reform has never been stronger." Regarding @Montel_Williams having been detained by German Customs this morning for Medical Marijuana... pic.twitter.com/urpRGvbOhH Jonathan Franks (@LucidJonFranks) July 29, 2016 During an interview in 2007, Williams said he would continue to use marijuana until the day he dies. "Medical marijuana has allowed me to live a productive, fruitful life despite having multiple sclerosis," he explained. "Many thousands of others all over this country -- less well-known than me but whose stories are just as real -- have experienced the same thing." WATCH: Hollywood High -- Their Obsession With Marijuana Related Articles Montel Williams had a brush with German authorities on Friday morning, after customs officials found medical marijuana that he uses to treat his Multiple Sclerosis in the television personalitys possession. A statement from a spokesman noted that Williams was briefly held at the Frankfurt Airport, as authorities verified the validity of his prescription. Once it was verified, he was promptly released. The process took less than an hour, and wed like to thank German officials for their professionalism. He was neither arrested nor cited. Also Read: Montel Williams Gives Heated Response to Bill O'Reilly: 'Leave Me Alone' Williams spokesman told TheWrap that it was a tiny amount of marijuana, which Williams did not realize he brought with him. The spokesman added that Williams an avid advocate for medical marijuana was eager to use the experience in Germany to highlight the difficulties that other medical-marijuana users face on a daily basis. That commitment was also reflected in the statement released Friday. Unfortunately this is the reality faced by medical marijuana patients every day all over the world, the statement reads. Today, Montel reaffirms his commitment to fighting for sensible medical marijuana policies across the world and to fighting the stigma he and so many other seriously ill Americans face every day for simply following the advice of their doctor in Montels case a world class Multiple Sclerosis specialist. Also Read: From Snoop to Roseanne: What Drives Hollywood's Budding Marijuana Moguls Williams had previously faced difficulties with authorities over marijuana paraphernalia in Detroit and Milwaukee. Related stories from TheWrap: Montel Williams Gives Heated Response to Bill O'Reilly: 'Leave Me Alone' Montel Williams Blasts Rachel Dolezal: 'We Are Allowing a Liar to Be the Center of Conversation' From Snoop to Roseanne: What Drives Hollywood's Budding Marijuana Moguls By Abhishek Takle HOCKENHEIM, Germany, July 29 (Reuters) - Formula One qualifying will be halted under "double-yellow" conditions starting during this weekend's German Grand Prix in a tightening of rules aimed at avoiding a repeat of the controversy surrounding Nico Rosberg's pole in Hungary. "The procedure now would be to simply red-flag any time that there's a double-waved yellow flag, then there will be no discussion," Charlie Whiting, the governing International Automobile Federation's (FIA) Formula One race director, told reporters at the Hockenheim circuit on Friday. "It will be done routinely if there's a double-waved yellow flag," he said. A spin for Fernando Alonso in the dying seconds of qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix brought out the double-waved yellow flags, under which rules say a driver must slow down significantly and be prepared to change direction or stop. Several drivers, most notably world champion Lewis Hamilton - who came upon Alonso's McLaren lying stationary halfway across the track - slowed down enough to hinder their laps. But Rosberg improved on the rapidly drying tarmac to snatch pole. The German was investigated by stewards but was cleared after they deemed he had slowed down enough. However, that triggered a discussion among drivers, who plan to discuss the incident with Whiting in their regular briefing with him on Friday, over just how much they had to slow down for it to amount to a significant reduction in speed. "The stewards accepted Nico's explanation and looked at the data and felt that he had slowed down," Whiting said. "But then the question is did he slow down enough, what's enough? So if you can't set a time, then that's that, it removes all that subjective discussion." Whiting also expanded on the decision by the sport's strategy group on Thursday to delay the introduction of a cockpit-protection device by a year to allow more time to develop it. The FIA had been keen to have the 'halo' concept, which looks like a wishbone with a central pillar supporting a protective loop above the driver's head, on cars for next year. But, while Whiting said the concept was ready for introduction with all the tests complete, teams felt drivers didn't have enough experience driving with it fitted to their cars. (Editing by Ed Osmond) Spirit of national reconciliation will be hallmark of new govt: Dahal CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal says major differences with the ruling CPN-UML on key issues prompted his party to quit the government, a move that set the stage for the fall of KP Sharma Oli government. A Muslim woman is getting attention for the heartwarming story she shared on social media about a Jewish man who approached her out of the blue to empathize with how difficult it must be to face prejudice as a Muslim. Leena Al-Arian, an American from Greater Boston, wrote in a Facebook post Thursday about the moment a stranger, Lenny, approached her at a Barnes & Noble, told her how beautiful her daughters were and apologized for the anti-Muslim sentiment in society today. He had tears in his eyes and told me that it must be so hard to turn on the news, that he feels awful about the bigotry my kids might one day experience, and that as a Jewish man whose parents didnt speak any English growing up, he personally understands what it feels like to be rejected and discriminated against, the post read in part. Al-Arian told Yahoo News that she had taken her 4-year-old, Hiba, and 20-month-old, Huda, to the bookstore on Wednesday to meet characters from the cartoon Paw Patrol. After meeting Lenny, Al-Arian asked if she could hug him because it looked like he needed one (and she needed one as well). He reassured her that most Americans are not prejudiced against Muslims and dont believe everything they hear in the news, she said. Theres been so much hostility toward Muslims, and this hateful rhetoric has become mainstream. I wanted people to know that theres still goodness, kindness, compassion and love of humanity. Love trumps the politics of fear, she said in a phone interview Friday, when asked why she shared the story. Al-Arian said Lenny offered to buy presents for her children so they could have something to remember him with, but she suggested simply taking a picture together. He insisted on buying the presents anyway. I think they are a little bit too young to understand still the general hostility towards Muslims. They were excited to get new toys, for sure, she said. They saw the emotion for sure, especially my older one. Story continues Al-Arian said that prejudice against black and brown people and the scapegoating of Muslims have been around for a long time. But she said some politicians have been exploiting the fear and hatred that already existed to gain support amplifying both. She said she hopes the tide in the U.S. will change so that her daughters do not experience the bigotry that she has throughout her life, and that shell get the opportunity to explain what happened at Barnes & Noble. On the back of the gift receipt, the man wrote his contact information so that Al-Arian could send him the picture, she said. Since his birthday is today, she told Yahoo News, I want him to know that thousands of people around the world have heard about his act of kindness and responded with an outpouring of love and birthday wishes in return. I hope he will consider this my gift to him. Al-Arian feels the meeting was a little too on the nose to be one of those feel-good stories about a random act of kindness that becomes popular on social media. She thinks the storys quick popularity stems from what she called a sort of modern day chicken soup for the anti-racist soul. When asked what she thought about the story actually going viral, Al-Arian said, Its so surreal. It seems to be an indication of how hungry people are for stuff like this, for Muslims to feel that their humanity is being recognized. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f160671%2fc8fb6e9325d04bc48035a5266a3218c8 It's easy to get angry at someone who's trying to troll you, but a Muslim man has the perfect example of how to deal with one. Ali Kadri, a spokesperson for the Islamic Council of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, received a message on the organisation's Facebook page around two months ago. It was from a person named Joshua purporting to be interested in converting to Islam. SEE ALSO: Father of slain Muslim Army captain has a challenge for Donald Trump But Joshua wasn't really interested, which was plainly obvious when he started bringing up tired tropes about Muslims to try and agitate Kadri. It'd be real tempting for one to hit back with disgust, or perhaps even the block button, but instead Kadri patiently engaged with the man. Asked when he would get 72 virgins if he blew himself up, Kadri cheekily responded to Joshua that "I am not sure you will get 72 virgins or a 72 year old virgin if you blow yourself up." It went back and forth. Before long Joshua eased up, even ending the discussion with a smiley emoji. It's sadly not the first time Kadri has received messages like these from people wanting to troll him. "I get a lot of calls, messages and texts like that," Kadri told Mashable Australia, explaining that he arrived in Australia as an international student 14 years ago. "I don't get offended easily. It's partly because of the experiences I've had in my life ... I used to work as a nightclub bouncer and people would tell me 'you don't get to come to my country and tell me not to drink.' I'd pull out my security license and tell them I have a license to do so," he laughed. Kadri said that racism directed at him has never bothered him, explaining that he felt discrimination towards Muslims was particularly bad in his original home in the western parts of India. "I've seen much worse, and for me Australia is awesome, it is still awesome," he said. Kadri said Joshua never tried to troll him again, but there have been other incidents in the meantime that he's fobbed off. Story continues A prank call to Kadri in the middle of the night began with the question of whether he wanted Sharia law, but ended up becoming a discussion about his craving for eggs benedict. For Kadri, his interactions are about helping eliminate those misunderstandings. "A lot of people don't know much about Muslims. If I wasn't a Muslim, and all I knew about Muslims and Islam was from the media I'd be pretty bloody scared of Muslims too. If a Muslim gets trolled, or responds in an angry way, then that is reinforcing what people think about us it's not creating a dialogue, right?" he said. [h/t Brisbane Times] By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - The former head of a New York-based foundation was sentenced on Friday to 20 months in prison for participating in a scheme to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to a former U.N. General Assembly president. Sheri Yan, Global Sustainability Foundation's former chief executive, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick in Manhattan after pleading guilty in January to passing bribes to John Ashe, the former General Assembly president. Broderick, who also fined her $12,500 and ordered her to forfeit $300,000, said that because of her crimes, "there was substantial damage done to the U.N. itself and the image of the U.N." "There's no question this crime was a serious offense," he said. Yan, 60, is one of seven people who was charged since October in connection with bribes paid to Ashe, a former U.N. ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda who was General Assembly president from 2013 to 2014. Prosecutors said Ashe, who died in June awaiting trial, took over $1.3 million in bribes from Chinese businessmen, including Macau billionaire real estate developer Ng Lap Seng, to promote their interests within the United Nations and Antigua. Those bribes included over $800,000 largely from three Chinese businessmen that was paid through Yan and her foundation's former finance director, Heidi Hong Piao, prosecutors said. The businessmen included a media executive wanting to invest in Antigua, a security technology executive seeking a contract with the Caribbean nation and a real estate developer who wanted Ashe to appear at a conference, prosecutors said. Yan also paid Ashe $20,000 a month to serve as honorary chairman of her foundation, and covered the costs of custom suits and clothing for him, prosecutors said. In return, Yan received diplomatic appointments from Ashe, which she used to promote the foundation, which she established after working as co-CEO of a company called eChina Cash, prosecutors said. Story continues "What she chose to do was cheat for herself and her co-conspirators," Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal said. In court, Yan, who immigrated from China in 1987 with just $400, blamed her actions a desire to prove that she was important and a focus on her "artificial status." "I will forever punish myself," she said, weeping. "I'm very, very sorry." Two other defendants have pleaded guilty, including Piao. A Jan. 23 trial is scheduled for Ng and his assistant, Jeff Yin, on charges that they paid Ashe over $500,000 in bribes. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr) National Geographic Channel has greenlit The Long Road Home scripted miniseries, based on Martha Raddatzs New York Times bestseller. It was announced today ahead of Nat Geos session at TCA. The eight-hour event series is executive produced by Mike Medavoy, Jason Clark, Benjamin Anderson and Edward McGurn. The 33 screenwriter Mikko Alanne is penning the adaptation and also executive producing. Production will begin in early 2017 for a premiere later in the year. First announced as a development project in November, The Long Road Home will relive a heroic fight for survival during the Iraq War when the First Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, was ferociously ambushed on April 4, 2004, in Sadr City, Baghdad a day that came to be known in military annals as Black Sunday. The event series will cut between the soldiers on the ground and the homefront in Texas, where their wives and families await news for 48 hellish hours, expecting the worst. The incident, which took place 11 months after President George W. Bushs Mission Accomplished speech, changed the American militarys view of Iraq from a peacekeeping mission to a fight against domestic insurgents. With The Long Road Home, were going to tell the inspiring story of the selfless heroism and bravery of U.S. soldiers in extraordinary and terrifying circumstances. Were also going to shine a light on the sisterhood formed by their wives on the homefront as they rally around each other awaiting news of their husbands fates, said National Geographic Channel executive vice president and head of global scripted programming and development Carolyn Bernstein. We are so pleased to partner with Mike Medavoy, a producer with a remarkable list of credits, including some of cinemas most iconic military dramas, along with Jason Clark, president of Seth MacFarlanes Fuzzy Door Productions, and Mikko Alanne to bring the universal and timeless story of these courageous warriors and their equally courageous wives to Nat Geo. Story continues Alanne is repped by CAA and Media Talent Group. Mike Medavoy, Benjamin Anderson and Edward McGurn are with Gang Tyre Ramer Brown. Jason Clark is repped by Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein. Related stories Nat Geo's 'Mars': "If Mankind Has Two Planets... Then Our Odds Of Extinction Will Drop To Nearly Zero" -- TCA Nat Geo Acquires Leonardo DiCaprio's Climate Change Documentary - TCA Kathryn Bigelow's VR Documentary Short On Ivory Poaching Set At Nat Geo Channel - TCA By Maurice Tamman NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a presidential campaign notable for its negativity, the option of Neither candidate appears to be an appealing alternative, at least to participants in the Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. Many voters on both sides have been ambivalent in their support for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump, complicating the task of the pollsters trying to track the race. That sentiment may help explain an apparent skew that recently emerged in the Reuters/Ipsos poll results. Given the choice, a relatively large group of voters opted for Neither/Other candidate compared with other major polls, leading to an underreporting of several percentage points for one or other of the two major contenders at times in the race. As a result, Reuters/Ipsos is amending the wording of the choice and eliminating the word Neither, bringing the option in line with other polls. The amended Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll will be published later Friday, available at http://polling.reuters.com. GAPS FOR TRUMP, CLINTON From the beginning of June until the middle of July, the Reuters/Ipsos survey showed consistently lower support for Trump than other polls were capturing. At times, the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Clinton with a lead over Trump as wide as about 12 percentage points among registered voters - five percentage points higher than Clintons lead in some other comparable polls. To determine the cause, the pollsters examined what made the Reuters/Ipsos poll different. Their conclusion: By giving respondents the option of "Neither/Other," the survey appears to have captured greater numbers of ambivalent voters unwilling to commit to either candidate than other major polls, which only offer the choice of Other. During the period analyzed, the historically high antipathy for both major candidates, paired with the option of selecting Neither/Other, meant the Reuters/Ipsos poll probably underreported Trumps support before the Republican convention, perhaps by 3 to 5 percentage points. More recently, the Neither/Other option appeared to lead to an underreporting of Clintons support in the run-up to the Democratic convention, said Cliff Young, pollster and president of Ipsos Public Affairs, which partners with Reuters on the poll. The pollsters estimated the Clinton shortfall at 2 to 4 percentage points. Tom W. Smith, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Society at the University of Chicago, said the earlier Trump numbers in the Reuters/Ipsos poll could have indicated a softness of support for Trump among a relatively small group of conservative voters who had yet to come to terms with his candidacy. It is plausible that a similar effect among Democratic voters may be hitting Clinton now when presented with the option of Neither, he said. And the skews displayed by the Neither phenomenon may indicate there is a chance for some gains among alternative party candidates, Smith said. Tim Mclheny, a 47-year-old civil servant from Vermont who describes himself as a moderate Republican, is a case in point. When asked in the Reuters/Ipsos poll who he will vote for in November, he skipped both Trump and Clinton and opted for Neither/Other. It is the lesser of two evils, Mclheny said. He said he will cast his ballot for the candidate he believes will do the best for civil servants. Ultimately, however, he said he may well grudgingly opt for Trump come November. THE NEITHER SKEW Heres how the pollsters reviewed their methodology and decided to drop Neither. Ipsos tested three alternate versions of the presidential preference questions on different groups in a survey and compared those results to the outcome of the established version of the tracking poll. That test found eliminating the word Neither from the Neither/Other response increased Trump support by between 3 to 5 percentage points on any given day leading up to the Republican convention. It also increased Clintons support, but by a smaller margin. http://spotlight.ipsos-na.com/?p=5574 Since the convention, however, Trumps support seems to have solidified among wary supporters. Now, the Neither issue appears to be affecting Clinton in the survey. On Tuesday, for example, the established tracking poll had the candidates tied at 38 percent each. A 13-point lead for Clinton on July 14 had vanished in two weeks. (http://polling.reuters.com/#poll/TM651Y15_13/filters/PD1:1/dates/20160701-20160726/type/smallest) But eliminating Neither from the Neither/Other answer produced a different result. In that case, Clinton was ahead, 40 percent to 36 percent, on Tuesday. When asked the question in the new way, 11 percent of voters opted for Other. By comparison, 14 percent opted for Neither/Other in the version of the survey that showed the race tied. The three-point gap suggests the Neither phenomenon was now working against Clinton. In the nearly five years Reuters/Ipsos has been offering the Neither/Other option to respondents in presidential polling, it has never yielded such a skew. The results highlight how poll designs and methodologies can yield significantly differing results, and how important differences can emerge from the way a question is framed. The Economist/YouGov poll, like the Reuters/Ipsos survey, is conducted online. It uses a similar battery of questions, but does not offer the Neither/Other option, just Other. In Economist/YouGovs July 17 poll, Clinton was ahead by 4 percentage points among registered voters, with Trump at 41 percent. The NBC News/SurveyMonkey online poll gives three options: Clinton, Trump, or No Answer, which more firmly prods respondents to make a choice. In their July 17 poll, Clinton led Trump by one point, 46 to 45, among registered voters. Telephone polls tend to ask voter preference as an open-ended question, or just offer respondents the choice of the Democratic and Republican candidates. Among phone polls, such as the ABC News/Washington Post and NBC/Wall Street Journal surveys, Clinton recently led by four to five points. The CBS/New York Times telephone poll of registered voters had the race tied at 40 percent each. The Reuters/Ipsos presidential-preference poll result and other results in the survey are updated twice a week. (Reporting by Maurice Tamman in New York. Edited by Kevin Krolicki.) Starved for power A carrot and stick approach is key to meeting energy demand NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) reached a definitive deal under which a newly formed subsidiary of NextEra Energy would buy acquire 100 percent of the equity of reorganized Energy Future Holdings Corp. and some of its direct, as well as, indirect subsidiaries. This included EFH's approximately 80 percent indirect stake in Oncor Electric Delivery Company implying an enterprise value of about $18.4 billion. NextEra Energy said that the agreement would be filed as part of the restructuring of EFH, which is currently before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The deal is also part of a complete reorganization plan, which meant to enable EFH to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The transaction requires the Bankruptcy Court approval to proceed further. The company indicated it plans to fund $9.5 billion, mainly for the repayment of EFIH debt as part of the deal. The company expects to pay some creditors with cash and others in its common stock. The number of shares to be issued would be based on the estimated cash on hand at EFH at the closing of the transaction, the average price of the common stock for a specified number of days leading up to the closing and other factors specified in the deal. NextEra Energy plans to use a combination of debt, convertible equity units, and proceeds from asset sales to fund cash being provided to creditors. The company clarified that the transaction does not involve any financing conditions and that it plans to repay EFIH first lien debtor-in-possession financing in full. Currently it is estimated about $5.4 billion principal amount. Its chairman and CEO, Jim Robo, commented, "We are incredibly impressed by Oncor's management team and its employees, and we are committed to retaining the Oncor name, its Dallas headquarters and local management. NextEra Energy shares Oncor's strategy of making smart, long-term investments in transmission and distribution to continue to deliver affordable, reliable electric service to its customers. We look forward to working closely with Oncor's leadership team and filing our joint application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Story continues The company committed to retaining the local management and that no voluntary workforce reduction for a minimum of two years after the transaction was consummated. The company expects the transaction to be meaningfully accretive to its energy earnings. See more from Benzinga 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. By Karin Strohecker LONDON (Reuters) - A Nigerian minister said on Friday the government had paid contractors 63.16 billion naira ($200 million) to finish delayed infrastructure projects, in an apparent bid to ease fears over the future of the schemes meant to boost the struggling economy. Work on a series of road, power and other programmes had slowed or halted as the government struggled to make payments, amid delays in passing the national budget and foreign currency shortages. Power, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola told an infrastructure conference in London that "63.16 billion naira have been paid out to contractors to finish infrastructure projects since the budget" was passed in May. He did not say whether that covered all the outstanding payments. But the comments will come as a relief to contractors, many of whom were not paid for months. They will also signal to foreign investors that there is some movement in the supply of money, which has been problematic over much of the last year due to foreign currency curbs introduced to conserve forex supplies. The 6.06 trillion naira ($19.24 billion) budget tripled capital expenditure from the previous year in a bid to stimulate Africa's biggest economy which is going through a crisis caused by low oil prices. Nigeria's economic development has been held back by erratic electricity provision and a poor road network, all of which falls under Fashola's remit. It was not clear whether the funds referred to by Fashola were part of the budget allocation. Earlier this month the budget minister said Nigeria's first quarter revenues reached only 55 percent of the government's target due to recent attacks on oil and gas facilities in the southern Niger Delta energy hub. [nL8N1A054N] ($1 = 315.0000 naira) (Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Nine labourers fell to their deaths from the 13th floor of a residential tower block under construction in western India Friday after a concrete slab collapsed, an official said. Four other construction workers were injured in the accident in the city of Pune, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) from India's financial capital Mumbai. "Nine workers fell to their death from the 13th floor after the slab collapsed at around 11:00 am (0530 GMT)," National Disaster Response Force official Sachidanand Gawde told AFP. Pune police said they had launched an investigation into the incident. Deadly accidents at building sites are relatively common in India and are often blamed on a lack of safety measures. Hillary Clinton delivered a history-making address at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday night amid constant chants of "Hillary! Hillary!" All eyes were on her as she officially accepted her historic Democratic nomination, becoming the first female presidential major-party nominee. She told the crowd to raucous cheers that she accepts with "humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise." "When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit!" she added to thunderous applause. After walking out to the campaign's "Fight Song," she began her speech by saying, "What an incredible week it's been." She thanked the heavy-hitting roster of speakers that appeared on her behalf during the four-day convention, as well as her former rival Bernie Sanders, causing the crowd to go wild. "Your cause is our cause," she said. "We are stronger together." The nominee offered "steady leadership" to a country "looking for reassurance" amid turmoil in the world. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning," she said. Americans must "decide whether we're going to work together so we can all rise together." And she took blistering aim at her GOP rival, Donald Trump, throughout her nearly 60-minute speech, stressing how her mother always said: "You have to stand up to bullies." "He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other," she said. "He wants us to fear the future and fear each other." She then invoked the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt to reply: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." She continued: "We are not afraid. We will not build a wall. Instead we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good job can get one. And we'll build a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants who are already contributing to our economy. We will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism. Story continues "Don't let anyone tell you that our country is weak: We're not. "And most of all, don't believe anyone who says 'I alone can fix it.' Yes, those were actually Donald Trump's words in Cleveland and they should set off alarm bells for all of us. "Really? 'I alone can fix it?' "Isn't he forgetting troops on the front lines, police officers and firefighters who run towards danger? Doctors and nurses who care for us, teachers who change lives? Entrepreneurs who see opportunity in every problem? Mothers who lost children to violence and are building a movement to keep others safe. "He's forgetting ever last one of us. "American's don't say 'I alone can fix it.' We say: We'll fix it together!" When she then uttered the words "love trumps hate," the crowd erupted in cheers. Read More: Chelsea Clinton Introduces Hillary Clinton at the DNC: "She Never, Ever Forgets Who She's Fighting For" Hitting on a slew of policy points on immigration, systemic racism, womens' and LGBT rights, equal pay, trade deals, the middle class, minimum wage, the economy, health care, homeland security and fighting for those who have been left behind, Hillary Clinton continued to engage the crowd in chants of "Join us!" "You didn't hear any of this, did you, from Donald Trump at his convention?" she asked. Adding that she loves talking about her plans, unlike her rival: "He spoke for 70-odd minutes - and I do mean odd - and he offered zero solutions." Adding with a chuckle after the dig, she said, "I believe in science - I believe climate change is real." She continued her attack on Trump by slamming his business legacies, temperament and lack of knowledge when it comes to homeland security and foreign diplomacy. Stressing the turmoil, Clinton slammed Trump for "losing his cool" for something so small as seeing a protester at a rally. "Imagine him in the Oval office facing a real crisis - a man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons." "I know more about ISIS than the generals do," she says, quoting Trump. "No, Donald, you don't." Stressing common-sense gun laws, she said: "I'm not here to take away your guns, I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place." Adding: We cannot afford to have a president "who is in the pocket of the gun lobby." "America is great because America is good," she said. "So enough with the bigotry and the bombast." Read More: Hillary Clinton's DNC Look and the Return of The Power Pantsuit in Hollywood To culminate her speech, the DNC crowd used the patriotic cards that were handed out earlier to display red, white and blue as balloons fell from the sky. She was joined onstage by her VP pick, Tim Kaine, and husband Bill Clinton, as they celebrated. Thursday was her first official appearance at the DNC. Clinton appeared via video message on Tuesday, where she "cracked" through the glass ceiling, and surprised the crowd by joining President Obama onstage Wednesday after his emphatic endorsement and passing of the baton. Hillary Clinton was introduced by daughter Chelsea Clinton, who called her "wonderful, thoughtful, hilarious" in a touching speech that left her dad, the former president, choking back tears as he watched from the audience. After Chelsea Clinton's introduction, a 12-minute video created by Shonda Rhimes and narrated by Morgan Freeman chronicled the nominee's life. The feature contained interviews with the Clinton family, including Hillary Clinton, as well as President Obama, a 9/11 survivor and first responder and a childhood friend of the candidate. Read More: Hillary Clinton Surprises at DNC After President Obama "Passes the Baton" The final night of the four-day DNC convention continued to see a slew of A-list support. Katy Perry performed her new hit, in keeping with the DNC theme, called "Rise," before Chelsea Clinton took the stage. Earlier, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took a jab at Donald Trump; Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen spoke about their longtime pal; Chloe Grace Moretz told millennials to vote for Hillary Clinton; Carole King performed "You've Got a Friend"; and at a DNC-related event in Camden, N.J., Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz performed for an invite-only crowd of DNC delegates. The convention has had no shortage of political star power, with President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden delivering passionate endorsements for Hillary Clinton. var el = document.getElementById('targetParams');if (el !== null && typeof(el) != 'undefined') {var srcParams = $('.advert iframe').attr('src');var addParams = srcParams.split(";");for (i=1;i<=addParams.length - 1;i++) {if (addParams[i] != '=null' && addParams[i] != 'dcopt=ist' && addParams[i] != '!c=iframe' && addParams[i] != 'pos=t' && addParams[i] != 'sz=728x90') {el.value += addParams[i]+";";}}}brightcove.createExperiences();>>>>>>> By Laura Zuckerman SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - Federal and state prosecutors in Idaho on Friday said they would not file criminal charges against two sheriff's deputies who fatally shot a rancher in November during a dispute over his bull, citing conflicting witness testimony and a spent shell casing in the man's rifle. The U.S. attorney's office in Boise and Idaho's attorney general said they could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that excessive or unconstitutional force had been used against rancher Jack Yantis during the incident on Nov. 1, 2015, near the farming community of Council in western Idaho. They cited the shell casing that showed Yantis, 62, fired his rifle as a major reason for not pursuing charges in the confrontation that ended with Adams County deputies Cody Roland and Brian Wood firing 20 shots and hitting Yantis 12 times in the chest, upper extremities and abdomen, officials said. The investigation found the shell casing in the chamber of Yantis' .204 bolt-action rifle, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said in a letter to local prosecutors. "This is likely the most critical piece of physical evidence since it indicates that (Yantis) actually fired his weapon and, at least to some extent, corroborates the officers' stories, he said. The family of the late rancher has accused police of excessive force in the case. Their attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. However, Wasden also said conflicting statements by the deputies and Yantis' wife and nephew created enough doubt to not charge the deputies. No audio or video recording of the shooting exists, the U.S. attorney's office said. Both deputies were wearing body cameras, but neither recorded the shooting as Wood's camera memory was full and Roland's camera was not activated. U.S. prosecutors agreed in a statement that discrepancies in witness statements and the fact that forensic evidence showed Yantis fired his rifle made it unlikely they could prove the deputies should be charged. Story continues The deputies responded to a report of motorists injured after their car collided with a bull near the Yantis ranch, Idaho State Police said. Wood unsuccessfully sought to kill the injured animal before Yantis, his wife and nephew arrived. A disagreement between the deputies and Yantis occurred about whether his line of fire would injure bystanders, police said. The wife and nephew said one of the deputies got into a scuffle with Yantis and both officers fired their guns, while the deputies said Yantis aimed his rifle toward Roland and fired. (Reporting by Laura Zuckerman; Editing by Ben Klayman and Bill Rigby) joseph stiglitz Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz blasted Apple on Thursday, calling its alleged use of Ireland to avoid taxes "fraud." "Here we have the largest corporation in capitalization not only in America, but in the world, bigger than GM was at its peak, and claiming that most of its profits originate from about a few hundred people working in Ireland that's a fraud," Stiglitz told Bloomberg. "A tax law that encourages American firms to keep jobs abroad is wrong, and I think we can get a consensus in America to get that changed." Apple's website says it employs 5,500 people in Ireland and 76,000 people in the US. A large number of Apple's employees in Ireland work in customer services, where they help people with software issues and other problems, while the vast majority of Apple's R&D work is done in the US. A combination of US tax law and Apple's corporate structure makes it possible for the company to shift money to places like Ireland, which has a corporate tax rate of a mere 12.5%. Based on Apple's latest earnings report, of Apple's whopping $232 billion in cash, $215 billion is outside the US. For an overview of how much money Apple actually saves through its tax policies, check out this post from my colleague Jim Edwards. More From Business Insider Two women rescued Two women were rescued from the Gaddachowki border point in Kanchanpur district on Wednesday. What do you give as a gift to a country celebrating 100 years of independence? A mountain of course. Norways government is considering giving the mountain Halti to neighbouring nordic country Finland as a present to celebrate a century of Finnish independence from Russia. The summit is currently on the Norwegian side of the border, but the countrys Prime Minister is reportedly thinking about moving the national boundary by 40 metres so it sits in Finland. The peak, which at 1,365m above sea level is around the same height as Ben Nevis, would become Finlands highest mountain. Norwegian PM Erna Solberg told the countrys national broadcaster NRK: There are some formal challenges, and I have not at all decided if I will support this. But we are looking into it. A campaign to gift Halti to Finland is already underway online, with a Facebook group dedicated to the cause already attracting more than 14,000 likes. It was an idea started by retired Norwegian Mapping Authority employee Bjrn Geirr Harsson, 76, whose son set up the group. Mr Harsson said last year: My idea is that this should be a gift from the Norwegian people and I feel sure that the Finnish people would appreciate it. (Picture: WikiCommons) From Esquire PHILADELPHIA-Okay, so Hillary Rodham Clinton has cracked the glass ceiling. Next question is, what do her supporters have to do to crack her funhouse mirrors? As cognitive scientist and linguist George Lakoff has been pointing out for years, the Democratic Party is remarkable for its inability to frame its own issues. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the case of Hillary Rodham Clinton. As First Lady Michelle Obama pointed out Monday night, HRC has been relentlessly "picked apart" for how she looks, talks, and even how she laughs. She's stiff. She hangs out with stiffs. She's dishonest. Al Gore invented the Internet? Hillary Clinton invented ISIS. She's been implicated in every conspiracy since the Lindbergh baby was kidnapped. About the only thing she's failed to do was arrange to be born in Kenya. It's a wonder she recognizes herself when she brushes her teeth in the morning. With nowhere else to go, and everything left to lose, the Democrats appear to be launching a Two Degrees of Separation campaign to reframe HRC. It's a simple enough premise: if someone you know and trust likes Hillary Clinton, then you can like her, too. You like Bill Clinton? He likes Hillary Clinton. He fell in love with "that big laugh of hers," a smart girl with a magnetic personality who became his best friend. [contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="" customtitles="Bill Clinton's Speech Was a Political Love Story" customimages="" content="article.47087"] You like Barack Obama? He likes Hillary Clinton. He believes in her. Not only that, he can hug her without collapsing into a pile of smoking ash. The Two Degree rollout continued on Thursday morning, when campaign surrogates made their customary round of appearances at delegate breakfasts. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who made HRC's short list of possible VP picks, and his wife, USAID Senior Advisor for International Education Christie Bell Vilsack, dropped in on the Wisconsin, Montana, and Alaska joint breakfast at the Marriot Downtown. Story continues First-in-the-nation Iowans have lots of chances to meet presidential candidates, Christie Bell Vilsack acknowledged. Not so if you're from, say, Alaska. But what every delegate can do is bring home stories from the convention, to share how it felt to be part of the process that selected the first woman to head a major party ticket. "What I think would be most helpful is if we share personally our own stories," Bell Vilsack explained. Admittedly, Bell Vilsack, herself, has some pretty rarified stories. But, like those the delegates might have, the stories don't need to involve HRC herself. On a trip to Liberia with Bill Clinton in 2008, Bell Vilsack mused aloud how strange it was that Liberia had a woman president while America had yet to achieve that milestone. A listening official immediately took offense. "You Americans think it's all about you," she said, shaking her finger. Hillary Clinton doesn't just belong to you; she belongs to all the women in the world. And maybe she'll be president, maybe she won't. But she's already made such a difference for a lot of the women of this world." So that's an exotic story. But Bell Vilsack also talked about her four-year-old granddaughter Ella-who's about the same age as Bell Vilsack was when she had to be coaxed to meet Harry Truman-wondering, "Is the lady president a boy or a girl?" "A grandma," she was reassured. With slight variations-most delegates will never have pre-school granddaughters who actually meet Clinton-it's the kind of connected story that any family might tell. "These are the stories I pull out of my hat when I'm in the grocery store, sitting next to someone, in elevators," Bell Vilsack explained. "Because they're great, humanizing stories about the candidate I care so much about." You like Christie Bell Vilsack? She likes Hillary Clinton. Bell Vilsack's late brother, Tom Bell, became friends with HRC in 1972, when the two worked together as staff members to the Congressional Watergate Hearings. In 1998, when Tom Vilsack's quixotic campaign for governor of Iowa was cash poor and floundering, his wife said, "I'll call Hillary and she'll do an event for us," Tom Vilsack recalled. He was dubious, but his wife was positive. "She will, because Tom and Hillary are friends." Not only did HRC come to Iowa and do a fundraiser for the candidate but, impressed by his potential (if not by his inability to turn out donors for a fundraiser headlined by the First Lady) she enlisted the aid of not only her own impressive network of supporters, but that of her husband as well. "Three weeks out, I'm 23 points behind," Vilsack remembered. "Then money came in from all over the United States." In a stunning upset, Tom Vilsack was elected Iowa's first Democratic governor in 32 years. HRC came to Vilsack's campaign out of loyalty to Tom Bell. And she stayed with it because she was smart enough to see what others were overlooking. She saw possibility. It's that combination of fierce loyalty and a sharp mind that makes Tom Vilsack believe she will keep every campaign promise she makes. "Christie mentioned stories making this campaign personal," Tom Vilsack said. "Each of us must make the campaign personal. Each of us is an ambassador of sorts." Tom Vilsack? He likes Hillary Rodham Clinton. And now you've read his story, and you're only two degrees from her, too. Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page. Correction appended, July 31 On May 20, 2000, the legendary actor and president of the National Rifle Association Charlton Heston stood before the podium at the organizations 129th annual convention with a banner raised behind him featuring the America flag and the words Vote Freedom. As he concluded his address, Heston picked up a replica of a flintlock rifle, raised it over his head and declared, in his own dramatic fashion, that anyone who wanted to take his gun would have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. This iconic moment has come to define the NRA, which is now Americas leading pro-gun advocacy group. As the group frames things in a new ad campaign, gun-control laws and politicians who support them are seen as an unconstitutional intrusion on the Second Amendment right to bear arms. The NRAs opposition to gun control, however, is only a few decades , according to Adam Winkler author of the book Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America. Historically, writes Winkler, the leadership of the NRA was more open-minded about gun control than someone familiar with the modern NRA might imagine. Not only did the NRA support gun control for much of the 20th century, its leadership in fact lobbied for and co-authored gun control legislation. When the NRA was founded by two Union Civil War veterans and a former New York Times reporter in 1871, its purpose was to help improve the marksmanship of urban northerners whose inferiority to the superior marksmanship of their rural southern counterparts was believed to have prolonged the war. During this time, the Second Amendment was not the associations central platform. Displayed at the NRAs national headquarters was its motto, Firearms Safety Education, Marksmanship Training, Shooting for Recreation. The association was granted a charter and received $25,000 from New York State to purchase a firing range. It also maintained a longstanding relationship with the U.S. military, receiving surplus guns and sponsorships for shooting contest. Story continues In the 1920s, the National Revolver Association, the arm of the NRA responsible for handgun training, proposed regulations later adopted by nine states, requiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon, five years additional prison time if the gun was used in a crime, a ban on gun sales to non-citizens, a one day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun, and that records of gun sales be made available to police. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter The 1930s crime spree of the Prohibition era, which still summons images of outlaws outfitted with machine guns, prompted President Franklin Roosevelt to make gun control a feature of the New Deal. The NRA assisted Roosevelt in drafting the 1934 National Firearms Act and the 1938 Gun Control Act, the first federal gun control laws. These laws placed heavy taxes and regulation requirements on firearms that were associated with crime, such as machine guns, sawed-off shotguns and silencers. Gun sellers and owners were required to register with the federal government and felons were banned from owning weapons. Not only was the legislation unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court in 1939, but Karl T. Frederick, the president of the NRA, testified before Congress stating, I have never believed in the general practice of carrying weapons. I do not believe in the general promiscuous toting of guns. I think it should be sharply restricted and only under licenses. For the next 30 years, the NRA continued to support gun control. By the late 1960s a shift in the NRA platform was on the horizon. On Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. He shot the president with an Italian military surplus rifle purchased from a NRA mail-order advertisement. NRA Executive Vice-President Franklin Orth agreed at a congressional hearing that mail-order sales should be banned stating, We do think that any sane American, who calls himself an American, can object to placing into this bill the instrument which killed the president of the United States. The NRA also supported Californias Mulford Act of 1967, which had banned carrying loaded weapons in public in response to the Black Panther Partys impromptu march on the State Capitol to protest gun control legislation on May 2, 1967. The summer riots of 1967 and assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 prompted Congress to reenact a version of the FDR-era gun control laws as the Gun Control Act of 1968. The act updated the law to include minimum age and serial number requirements, and extended the gun ban to include the mentally ill and drug addicts. In addition, it restricted the shipping of guns across state lines to collectors and federally licensed dealers and certain types of bullets could only be purchased with a show of ID. The NRA, however, blocked the most stringent part of the legislation, which mandated a national registry of all guns and a license for all gun carriers. In an interview in American Rifleman, Franklin Orth stated that despite portions of the law appearing unduly restrictive, the measure as a whole appears to be one that the sportsmen of America can live with. A shift in the NRAs platform occurred when in 1971 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, during a house raid, shot and paralyzed longtime NRA member Kenyon Ballew suspected of stockpiling illegal weapons. The NRA swiftly condemned the federal government. As Winkler points out, following the incident NRA board member and editor of New Hampshires Manchester Union Leader William Loeb referred to the federal agents as Treasury Gestapo; the association soon appropriated the language of the Panthers insisting that the Second Amendment protected individual gun rights. For much of the 20th century, the NRA had lobbied and co-authored legislation that was similar to the modern legislative measures the association now characterizes as unconstitutional. But by the 1970s the NRA came to view attempts to enact gun-control laws as threats to the Second Amendment, a viewpoint strongly articulated at last weeks Republican National Convention by current NRA leader Chris Cox. Todays NRA could be summed up with words uttered by the Black Panther Party 40 years earlier: the gun is the only thing that will free usgain us our liberation. The Long View Historians explain how the past informs the present Arica L. Coleman is the author of That the Blood Stay Pure: African Americans, Native Americans and the Predicament of Race and Identity in Virginia and chair of the Committee on the Status of African American, Latino/a, Asian American, and Native American (ALANA) Historians and ALANA Histories at the Organization of American Historians. Correction: The original version of this story was illustrated by an incorrect logo for the National Rife Association. It has since been updated. Yahoo Singapore file photo The National University of Singapore (NUS) has called off its annual Orientation Week in the wake of media reports and complaints about inappropriate activities being carried out for freshmen. With immediate effect, all student-organised team-building activities for freshmen are suspended until further notice, said an NUS press release issued on Friday (29 July). The five-day Orientation Week, the final round of camps before the NUS semester begins, was to take place next week. All formal freshmen activities, such as the Rag and Flag fundraising activities, will go on. Media reports on the sexual and possibly dangerous nature of some orientation activities have sparked a furore, which was most recently fuelled by a video circulating online that shows students dunking a female student in a pond at NUS Sheares Hall. The incident took place on Wednesday (27 July). Dunking or any other form of ragging is strictly banned under the universitys guidelines for student activities. The University takes a very serious view of this breach, and is currently conducting an investigation, said the NUS release. It added that those responsible for unacceptable and unauthorised" freshmen activities will be brought before the Universitys Board of Discipline. A report in The New Paper this week detailed complaints by numerous NUS undergraduates about the overly sexualised games that they were compelled to take part in during orientation camps held over the past two months. These included a rape simulation game and quizzes about bodily fluids. Such risque activities have reportedly been taking place at orientation camps for at least a decade, said the report. The NUS spokesman noted, The University expects that orientation activities are carried out in ways that are fully respectful of the dignity of all those participating. Our students, particularly freshmen, must feel safe and secure at all times during orientation. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has been briefed on the reported cases of Zika transmission through mosquito bites in Florida and has directed his team to ensure the state has the support it needs to fight the virus, which is tied to a rare but serious birth defect. White House spokesman Eric Schultz credited Florida Governor Rick Scott with having prepared for the development for some time. He reiterated White House criticism of Congress for leaving for its summer break without approving funding to help fight the virus. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Writing by Doina Chiacu) CHICAGO (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's library and museum will be located in a historic park on Chicago's South Side in a bid to draw investment and jobs to impoverished neighborhoods in the area, his foundation said on Friday. The Obama Presidential Center will be built in 500-acre (200-hectare) Jackson Park, which was first developed as the site of the 1893 World's Fair. First lady Michelle Obama is from the South Side of Chicago, and she and the president lived there together for many years. The South Side is home to the University of Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry as well as businesses, but many neighborhoods are plagued by poverty and crime. "We are proud that the center will help spur development in an urban area, and we can't wait to forge new ways to give back to the people of Chicago who have given us so much," Obama said in a statement. Chicago beat out proposals by New York City, where Obama went to college, and Hawaii, where he was born, to be home to the library and museum, which are expected to be open to visitors by 2021. Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Partners of New York and Interactive Design Architects of Chicago were named in June as the firms that will lead the design of the center. (Reporting by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) Unesco committee gives Nepal a year to restore Valleys world heritage sites The earthquake-damaged world heritage sites in Kathmandu Valley are at risk of being put on the Unesco List of World Heritage in Danger if they are not renovated within a year. By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - During a state visit from Singapore's prime minister on Tuesday, President Barack Obama on Tuesday will extol the benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal that his fellow Democrats demonized at their convention this week. Obama wants the U.S. Congress to approve the 12-nation trade deal, which he sees as a central part of his economic and foreign policy legacy, before he leaves the White House on Jan. 20. But both Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump oppose the TPP, and it has become a hot-button issue in the campaign to replace Obama. Congressional leaders have been pessimistic about the odds of ratifying the deal. Singapore is one of the signatories to the deal, which Obama has said will right the wrongs of past trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, which also are part of the TPP. When Obama rolls out the red carpet for Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday, one of the main goals will be "lifting up the benefits" of the TPP, said Daniel Kritenbrink, top Asia policy adviser at the White House National Security Council. "I predict he will also once again say to the prime minister that he's committed to getting TPP done and to doing so before the end of his term," Kritenbrink told reporters. "TPP is going to be great for the American economy, for American workers and American companies," Kritenbrink said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By Thales Carneiro RIO DE JANEIRO, July 29 (Reuters) - Bobbing on Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay in a blue and white fishing boat, American sailor Brad Funk uses a plastic bin to scoop rubbish from the waters where Olympic sailing races will take place next month. Funk missed out on his dream of competing in Rio 2016 in the two-man 49er sailing class, but travelled to Brazil anyway with the aim of clearing the path for those who did, including his girlfriend British windsurfer Bryony Shaw. A native of Clearwater, Florida, Funk is leading his own clean-up effort to help remove rubbish from the Bay which is clogged by sewage from some 15 municipalities, home to some 9 million people. "I decided that if I am not going to compete, I want the sailors to not have problems when they sail," he told Reuters. "I love Rio, and it is very important to me that the Olympic Games is a success and the trash does not get stuck on the sailboats, taking medals away from them." In recent months, concern flared over pollution levels in the bay and nearby sea, where sailing, windsurfing and long-distance swimming events are being held. Two academic studies seen by Reuters in June showed the waters were infected by drug-resistant super bacteria and microbes normally found only in hospitals. The State Environmental Agency (Inea), which is conducting daily monitoring of water quality with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO), insists the water quality is fine, helped by the rapid movement of water through the mouth of the bay where events will be held. More worrying for many competitors, however, is the floating debris which could crash against boats and slow them down in the competition. Inea has deployed 12 green eco-boats - each with a wire metal scoop on the front that lifts rubbish out of the water and into its hull. It has also placed 17 red floating eco-barriers across the mouth of rivers and canals feeding the bay, which collect debris floating on the water's surface. Just the eco-barrier in the Canal do Cunha had collected 208 tonnes of rubbish in the last month, Inea said. Brazilian sailors said recently that the work of eco-boats picking up rubbish along competition routes had improved the situation considerably, but that more needed to be done. Inea has appealed to Rio's citizens to stop throwing waste into canals and into the bay. On the airplane over to Rio, Funk met Camila Avelar who decided to volunteer to help his effort, hoping to inspire a chain reaction. "A lot of people say that the two of us trying to clear the rubbish from the sea will not make any difference," Avelar said. "But I don't think that is the point, it is the attitude and encouraging other people to do the same thing." (Writing by by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Mary Milliken) Deutsche Bank Chief Executive John Cryan addresses a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Deutsche Bank's head of US rates sales, Bryan North-Clauss, has left the firm, according to two people familiar with the matter. North-Clauss joined the firm in September from Morgan Stanley. He was based in New York and originally reported to Chris Yoshida, who was the global head of rates sales before leaving the firm in March. Deutsche Bank's rates-trading business, which had targeted ambitious revenue growth in 2016, suffered from a tough start to the year. The business focuses on the trading of government debt and interest-rate derivatives. The bank announced a new lineup at the top of the markets business in November. Ram Nayak was appointed to lead a new debt-trading unit that combined rates, credit, foreign exchange, emerging-market debt, and structured-finance trading. Sam Wisnia heads rates in Europe and the Americas. It then found itself the subject of speculation in February as investors fretted over its ability to pay the coupon on contingent bonds, and credit default swaps on the bank's debt widened dramatically. CEO John Cryan said earlier this year that the bank may not be profitable in 2016. He added that markets revenues were "obviously going to be down in the quarter because everyone else's are, but we're exiting lots of businesses too." The firm reported second-quarter earnings this week and saw profits nosedive to just 20 million euros, or $22 million, from 800 million euros in the same period last year. Deutsche Bank declined to comment. NOW WATCH: 3 Wall Street legends share one investment they find attractive right now More From Business Insider Rafael Caro Quintero Sinaloa cartel Mexican drug cartel trafficker In the '70s and '80s, Rafael Caro Quintero was one member of a triumvirate that built a sprawling drug empire in Mexico. In a wide-ranging interview with Mexican magazine Proceso last week, Caro Quintero who is still wanted by both the US and Mexican governments rejected reports that he was up to his old tricks, even denying that he was ever a major trafficker, and disputed rumors that he had gone to war with his old cartel associates. I know nothing of cocaine. I made my roots in marijuana, nothing more, Caro Quintero said during the interview. I sold it here, among the ranches I never trafficked [drugs] to the United States, he added. Caro Quintero's decades-long reign came to an end in 1985, when he was jailed for 40 years for his involvement in the kidnapping and killing of US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in Guadalajara, Mexico. Caro Quintero was suddenly released in 2013, after a court overturned his conviction on a technicality. A higher court quickly reversed that decision, and new warrants for his arrest were issued, but he had already slipped away and has lived in hiding until recent weeks, when rumors emerged that he was taking on his old compatriots in an effort to reestablish himself in Mexico's narco scene. Caro Quintero claimed in the Proceso interview that he exited the drug business in 1984 and has not returned since. "I was a drug trafficker 31 years ago, and from that moment I am telling you that when I lost the crops from" the Buffalo Ranch in Chihuahua state, where Mexican authorities, tipped off by Camarena, destroyed a multibillion-dollar haul of thousands of pounds of marijuana in 1984, "there I ended that activity," Caro Quintero told Proceso. "And never have I exercised it [since] and I'm not going to do it. I stopped being a drug trafficker and I say to you again: Please, leave me in peace." Story continues mexico drugs marijuana There are good reasons to doubt Caro Quintero's protestations about his role in the drug trade. Working in the drug trade since his youth, Caro Quintero likely doesn't know any other way of life. What's more, since both the US and Mexican governments are looking for him, there's probably little to dissuade him from further criminal activity. "What does he then lose moving some kilos here or there?" Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope asked in his column in Mexican newspaper El Universal this week. Caro Quintero may also have a more urgent reason to pick up his old trade. During the interview, he admitted he was "doing bad economically." Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations for the DEA who worked in Mexico, told Business Insider that the kingpin was likely destitute, and "not going to settle for living in a shack in the mountains." "My respect to both families" Golden Triangle Mexico Caro Quintero has maintained that he is staying out of Mexico's cartel battles. He has rejected reports that he turned on his former associates in the Sinaloa cartel and joined with the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO), a former branch of the Sinaloa Cartel that has since become a rival. In the interview with Proceso, Caro Quintero said that he had met with Sinaloa cartel leaders "El Chapo" Guzman and "El Mayo" Zambada after his release in 2013, greeting them on cordial terms, but saying he had no interest in the drug trade. "In the first place I have no problems with any cartel. I don't know the Beltran Leyva family and I have no problem with them. Nor with the Guzman family, my respects to both families," Caro Quintero said. He stated further that he had no interest in a "war" with other cartels. "Imagine, with almost 29 years that I was jailed, I would want more problems?" On this point, Caro Quintero may be closer to the truth. Rafael caro quintero Vigil told Business Insider that Caro Quintero likely had much more modest ambitions than taking on the whole of the Sinaloa network. "He doesn't have the power to take over any of, like, the Sinaloa cartel. He just doesn't have the muscles," Vigil said. "I think he's just trying to get back into the business and carve out a small piece of geography ... with a good, solid pipeline into the United States." Reports from Mexico's Center for Investigation and National Security indicate Caro Quintero remained involved with the Sinaloa cartel while jailed, suggesting he could be working within the cartel now, rather than against it. The fact that Caro Quintero was willing to come out of the shadows to contest these rumors in an interview a very risky proposition for a fugitive is telling, Hope wrote in his column. Running the risks of going public with his denial might be an effort to convince the criminal underworld of his sincerity and to avoid conflict with the cartels. As Hope has noted, it's one thing to clash with the Mexican government, but quite another to take on both the government and the Sinaloa cartel. NOW WATCH: Federal agents found one of the longest US-Mexico drug tunnels hidden under a dumpster More From Business Insider Washington (AFP) - A police officer died and another was wounded in a shooting at a traffic stop in San Diego, police said Friday. A Hispanic man was later taken into custody, San Diego police chief Shelley Zimmerman told a news conference. He was not immediately identified, but Zimmerman said he is now in the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the upper torso. "We are still actively investigating the crime scene, including searching for any possible remaining suspects," Zimmerman said. "To have this happen to our police officers, we have seen this happen way too many times just in these last few weeks across our great country. It is tragic for everyone." The two officers radioed in that they were making a traffic stop late Thursday, then called for emergency backup soon after, she said. Officers who arrived found the pair had been shot. Jonathan DeGuzman, 43, died in the hospital, Zimmerman said. His wounded partner Wade Irwin came out of surgery later in the morning and is expected to survive, the police department tweeted. The shooting took place around 11 pm Thursday (0600 GMT Friday) in the southeastern neighborhood of Southcrest, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. It was too early to say whether the officers had been ambushed, Zimmerman said. Police launched a manhunt after the incident. Zimmerman said an operation was carried out in which forces surrounded a house where a "potential second suspect may be inside." However, the San Diego Union Tribune later reported that no one was found. The United States has been on edge for weeks following shootings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Those attacks followed anger among the black community over the shooting deaths of African-American suspects by white police in Minnesota and Louisiana. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacted on Twitter writing: "Two policeman just shot in San Diego, one dead. It is only getting worse. People want LAW AND ORDER!" In her speech to accept the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday, Hillary Clinton highlighted the importance of easing race relations in the United States. Ellen Elias and her daughter Raya Elias-Pushett proudly wear the controversial Walmart woman president tees. (Photo: Twitter) This week, Hillary Clinton officially became the first woman to be nominated for the office of U.S. president by a major political party. Its a moment that will go down in American history, and also one that was predicted on a T-shirt Walmart banned back in 1995. The shopping giant pulled a shirt that depicted Dennis the Menace character Margaret saying, Someday a woman will be president. A buyer explained that the shirt was against Walmarts family values. After backlash, the shirt was restored to shelves. Wednesday evening, I was tagged in a tweet from Raya Elias-Pushett that included a picture of herself and her mother wearing the same T-shirts, with Clinton smiling in the foreground. My mom saved these for 20 years waiting to wear them for this glass-ceiling-shattering moment, she captioned the image. Raya tweeted, '#ImWithHer #MeAndHillDawg #HillYes #Finally My mom has waited my whole life for this @HillaryClinton.' (Photo: Twitter) Ellen Elias, the mom, retired high school teacher, and proud feminist who saved the shirts, tells Yahoo Style she wasnt aware of the controversy behind them all those years ago. I remember being surprised that I would find something like this at Walmart, she explains. Elias is originally from Miami and lived in Israel for five years later on. She moved back to the States when her daughter was 3 years old. Elias recalls that when she would come back to the U.S. to visit her family, she would shop at Walmart because toiletries and other products she needed were more expensive in Israel. While shopping there, I saw these shirts and bought one for me, one for my mom, and a child size for Raya, she says. Elias said her interest in politics, feminist convictions, and her desire to teach her students that women were capable of anything compelled her to keep the T-shirt. I actually used to teach my students that there would be a black male president before a woman would ever get to the White House. I was right, but I kept hoping that the country would move forward, she says, noting that she especially liked to wear the shirt during womens history month as a subliminal message to my students. Story continues In 2008, when Clinton ran against President Obama to be the Democratic nominee, Elias remembered the old shirts. I took the one from my mother in 2008 with high hopes knowing that Rayas child shirt would never fit her. Eight years later, Elias and her daughter wore the shirts with pride on Saturday at the debut rally for the Clinton-Kaine ticket at Florida International University in Miami. We were able to be close enough, and Hillary was listening to everyone around the arena as she was shaking hands and leaving, Raya, who has been attending rallies since she was a little girl, tells Yahoo Style. My mom shared our shirt story with her, and [Hillary] asked for my phone for an aide to take a picture. And the rest, much like this past week, is history. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Pulcinella will Bring his Expertise in Direct Response Marketing to his New Role with The Link Builders LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / Nick Cuttonaro, CEO of The Link Builders, is pleased to announce that Steven Pulcinella has just been hired as the company's new chief operating officer. As Cuttonaro noted, bringing Pulcinella on board with the reputation management company is not the only exciting news coming out of The Link Builders these days. The company is also celebrating its five year anniversary, and has experienced explosive growth in 2016. "Under Steven's new leadership role, we will continue down this same path," Cuttonaro said, adding that as a direct response marketing expert and serial entrepreneur who has a passion for online marketing and analytics, Pulcinella is the ideal person for the COO position. Pulcinella graduated from the University of South Florida, where he obtained his B.S. in Marketing. After graduating and completing an operations internship with the Cincinnati Reds, he went on to work with one of the leading CPA Networks in the industry in 2009. Cuttonaro said that Pulcinella, who now resides in Florida, has launched several Internet start-ups and has consulted with businesses around the world. He has also launched and sold multi-million dollar media companies both domestically and abroad. Along the way, Pulcinella has perfected his skills in developing systematic automation, structured data optimization, and precise goal tracking. "As a Google and Bing certified professional, Steve provides a level of expertise, insight, and operational vision that's best in class. He brings experience in operational development and programmatic media buying to The Link Builders," Cuttonaro said. Cuttonaro said he is looking forward to working with Pulcinella. He said bringing him on board was a strategic move that will definitely help The Link Builders to grow even further in 2016 and beyond. "Our focus and success in delivering quantifiable results, setting realistic expectations, and overall customer service set us apart, as does our ability to provide help in the most sensitive and critical circumstances for individuals or brands," Cuttonaro said. Story continues About The Link Builders: The Link Builders are recognized as one of the top Online Reputation Management agencies in the world. For more information, go to: http://www.thelinkbuilders.com/. Contact: Noah Huff admin@rocketfactor.com (949) 555-2861 SOURCE: The Link Builders By Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC's oil output is likely in July to reach its highest in recent history, a Reuters survey found on Friday, as Iraq pumps more and Nigeria manages to export additional crude despite militant attacks on oil installations. Top OPEC exporter Saudi Arabia has kept output close to a record high, the survey found, as it meets seasonally higher domestic demand and focuses on maintaining market share rather than trimming supply to boost prices. Supply from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has risen to 33.41 million barrels per day (bpd) in July from a revised 33.31 million bpd in June, according to the survey based on shipping data and information from industry sources. The increase in OPEC production has added to downward pressure on prices. Oil (LCOc1) has fallen from a 2016 high near $53 a barrel in June to $42 as of Friday, pressured also by concern about weaker demand. OPEC's production could rise even further should talks to reopen some of Libya's oil facilities succeed. Conflict has been keeping Libyan output at a fraction of the pre-war rate. "This could shortly release more oil into an already abundantly supplied market," Carsten Fritsch of Commerzbank said, although earlier hopes of a restart have not been realized. "It therefore remains to be seen whether this time will be different." OPEC's output has climbed due to the return of former member Indonesia in 2015 and another, Gabon, this month, skewing historical comparisons. July's supply from the remaining members, at 32.46 million bpd, is the highest in Reuters survey records, starting in 1997. Supply has also risen since OPEC abandoned in 2014 its historic role of cutting supply to prop up prices as major producers Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran pump more. In July, the biggest increase of 90,000 bpd has come from Iraq, which has exported more barrels from its southern and northern ports despite a pipeline leak that restrained southern exports. Story continues Nigeria, where output has been hit by militant attacks on oil facilities, has nonetheless exported slightly more in July than June, the survey found, although crude exports remain significantly below the 2 million bpd seen in early 2016. Output in two major producers is largely stable. Iran, OPEC's fastest-growing source of supply expansion this year after the lifting of Western sanctions, has pumped only 20,000 bpd more as the growth rate tops out for now, the survey found. Saudi output in July was assessed at 10.50 million bpd, close to June's revised rate and the record 10.56 million bpd reached in June last year. "Exports are down a bit, offset by higher direct burn and slightly higher refinery runs," said an industry source who monitors Saudi output. "For the time being, I'm sticking to my numbers, which suggest supply is flat." Of countries with lower production, Libyan output edged down due to the stoppage of a major oilfield, Sarir. Venezuela's supply is under downward pressure from its cash crunch, slipping further in July. The Reuters survey is based on shipping data provided by external sources, Thomson Reuters flows data, and information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consulting firms. (Editing by Dale Hudson) Workshop on banking held Standard Chartered Bank on Thursday organised a Correspondent Banking Academy Workshop to update Nepali banks on emerging risks leading from financial crimes and to create awareness around compliance and best practices for mitigation of potential risks. Chicago (AFP) - An independent lawyer has been called in to help decide whether to file charges over the fatal police shooting of a black motorist from Minnesota, whose dying moments were broadcast live online. The July 6 death of Philando Castile, which shocked the nation, was one of two fatal police shootings early this month that kicked off a renewed wave of protests against police brutality towards African Americans. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is tasked with deciding whether to file charges against the officer involved in the shooting, Jeronimo Yanez. Choi told a press conference Friday that he has retained Don Lewis, an outside attorney from the St. Paul, Minnesota area, to aid in the decision making. "Don will be an integral member of our team who will review this case with me," Choi said, and decide whether to charge Yanez, or whether to refer the case to a grand jury for it to decide on an indictment. Video footage broadcast live by Castile's girlfriend showed him bleeding to death in the driver's seat of his car, after being shot from outside the vehicle. Diamond Reynolds said Castile had informed Yanez that he was in possession of a licensed gun, and was reaching for his wallet when he was shot. Lewis, who is black, previously worked in the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and has experience in cases involving civil rights and segregation. But the American Civil Liberties Union, which had called for an independent prosecutor to take over the entire case, expressed disappointment. "Mr. Lewis is not going to have independence from the Ramsey County Attorney's Office," Teresa Nelson of the ACLU of Minnesota told AFP. "Any time that you are investigating, especially a killing by a police officer, we think that it should be done by people who don't have to maintain a relationship with that police department." Lewis told the news conference he understood the need for the public to perceive the prosecutor's eventual decision as "fact-based, even-handed and transparent." "We all understand the anguish and outrage that many of our residents feel about the loss of yet another black man in an encounter with a police officer," he said. US prosecutors this week dropped all remaining charges in another high-profile police brutality case -- that of Freddie Gray, an African American whose fatal injury in custody provoked riots in Baltimore -- ending the case without any convictions. pablo escobar Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar may have died in 1993, but he's left behind an unusual legacy: a herd of hippos. Escobar bought four of the exotic creatures from a California zoo in the 1980s after getting rich, and transferred them to his sprawling ranch, Hacienda Napoles, located midway between his hometown of Medellin and the capital, Bogota. The hippos three male and one female were part of the menagerie that Escobar, a self-styled man of the people, opened to the public. Buses of schoolchildren would come to gape at giraffes, elephants, the hippos, and other animals. The hippos have since thrived in his absence. There are believed to be more than 25 of them currently roaming around Hacienda Napoles and the surrounding countryside. 'The whim of a villain' Pablo Escobar Colombia hippos Medellin When Napoles was confiscated in the early '90s, most of the animals were sent to zoos around the country, according to the BBC. The hippos, however, remained in place. Many of the herbivores were content to stay on the grounds of Napoles as the ranch fell into disrepair. With ample food and no predators, the herd soon grew. In 2007, a decade and a half after Escobar was gunned down, residents in rural parts of Antioquia, the state where the ranch is located, began reporting sightings to the Ministry of Environment. "They found a creature in a river that they had never seen before, with small ears and a really big mouth," Carlos Valderrama, of the charity Webconserva, told the BBC in 2014. "We started asking around and of course they were all coming from Hacienda Napoles," Valderrama went on. "Everything happened because of the whim of a villain." Hacienda Napoles home of Pablo Escobar There are believed to be about 26 or 28 hippos on the grounds of Napoles now, David Echeverri, a researcher with Colombian government environmental agency Cornare, told National Geographic earlier this year. Story continues "We also have evidence that small groups of hippos or solitary individuals have migrated through the Magdalena River to other areas, including Puerto Berrio and Boyaca," Echeverri added. "There may be as many as 40 hippos total in the area. Within 10 years that could grow to nearly 100, if we don't manage them." The conditions in the area are well suited to hippos, but, as the BBC noted, the best indicator of how they've thrived is their sex life. "In Africa they usually become sexually active between the ages of seven and nine for males, and nine and 11 for females, but Pablo Escobar's hippos are becoming sexually active as young as three," the BBC reported in mid-2014. "All the fertile females are reported to be giving birth to a calf every year." "They have no predators so they are more at peace than they would be in their natural habitat and they have been reproducing faster," local vet Jairo Leon Henao told the AFP. Hacienda Napoles Pablo Escobar Colombia Medellin Valderrama told the BBC that he had seen the animals up to 155 miles away from Escobar's ranch. Sometimes they can be seen trudging down rural roads in the area around the ranch, the AFP reported in July. 'They are not a tame animal' Many Colombians regard the hippos as a novelty, or as "cuddly" animals, and many people live and play in close quarters with them. But the hippos, which roam relatively unchecked throughout the countryside, pose dangers to both the population and the environment. Hippos are territorial and can force native wildlife out of its natural habitat, Echeverri told National Geographic. He also said hippos' waste could disrupt the ecology of Colombia's lakes and rivers. Hippo feces can accelerate eutrophication, an excess of nutrients that can lead to algae blooms that deplete oxygen in the water. "We have seen some possible evidence of this in the form of dead fish," Echeverri said. Colombia hippos Pablo Escobar Medellin They can also carry diseases that can kill livestock, Echeverri told AFP. "It is an invasive species and very resistant to everything," he said. Though there haven't been reports of injuries to human, hippos do pose a danger to people. The average weight for males and females is about 3,000 pounds, and they can charge on land at up to 18 mph. In Africa, where hippos are native, they are responsible for more deaths than any other wild mammal, according to the BBC. "They are not a tame animal," Valderrama told the BBC. "The risk for local populations to just leave them to browse around will be huge." ' Castrate the politicians' Efforts to manage the herd of hippos, which can live for 60 years, have encountered numerous challenges. Relocation initiatives have stalled. They can't be sent back to the wild in Africa because of diseases they might carry, according to Valderrama, and there isn't a set place inside Colombia to put them. Funds to build a reserve have not been forthcoming, as public money is limited and some experts would criticize the expense. Castration doesn't appear to be viable, either. Hippos are sensitive to chemicals, meaning castration would have to be done manually, which is itself problematic, as a male hippo's testicles are "hidden" inside their bodies, Echeverri told AFP. "If you do manage to grab a several-ton hippo before it disappears underwater," the AFP noted in July, "you have to put it to sleep and go groping around." Pablo Escobar hippos Colombia Medellin Some Colombians cooked and ate a hippo that was killed in an accident, but that has been discouraged because of health risks. One dead hippo was found to be carrying leptospirosis, which can cause meningitis, according to Valderrama. In another incident, a hippo that had been deemed a nuisance was hunted and killed in 2009, but that sparked public backlash. To protest the killing, 100 activists in hippo masks danced to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in Bogota. Presently, Colombian officials in charge of managing the animals have stuck to trying to keep them in place. Echeverri said in May this year that a plan to build hippo-proof walls and then castrate the contained animals was in its first stage. Given the national and international attention the animals have gained, whatever strategy the government might pursue would probably be controversial. "They already castrated one," Valderrama, the vet, told the BBC in 2014. "And there are people saying, 'Oh why do you have to castrate them? Just let them be. Castrate the politicians.'" NOW WATCH: Police in Colombia seized half a tonne of cocaine hidden in frozen strawberries More From Business Insider Jerusalem (AFP) - A Palestinian plan to sue Britain over a 1917 declaration backing a Jewish homeland in Palestine could help rally supporters, but has little chance of success, legal analysts say. The Palestinian government on Monday announced it was seeking legal action against Britain for the nearly century-old Balfour Declaration, drawing scorn from Israel. The 1917 declaration by British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour said the British government "view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". It was a major step towards the eventual establishment of the state of Israel. The British had seized much of the land at the time as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, and Palestinians say the declaration gave away their homeland and provided the impetus for mass Jewish migration. They argue that the document led to the Nakba -- or catastrophe in Arabic -- in which more than 760,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in the war surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948. Foreign minister Riyad al-Malki, in a recent speech on behalf of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, said as a result of a promise "hundreds of thousands of Jews from Europe and elsewhere came to settle in Palestine at the expense of our people." Israel's foreign ministry said the legal campaign amounts to a refusal "to recognise the legitimate and indigenous connection of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland." - 'Moral argument' - Asked by AFP to clarify what the claim would be and to which court it would be submitted, a spokesman for the Palestinian foreign ministry said that would soon be decided. If seeking reparations, such a court case would be rare. Eric Posner, law professor at the University of Chicago and author of a paper on reparations in international law, said he could not think of an example of international courts being used in this manner. In most cases, he said, reparations are given by governments that wish to atone for previous acts. Story continues In West Germany, for example, the government set a policy that Holocaust victims could claim damages, as did the US Congress for Japanese Americans interned during the Second World War. But Britain has never apologised for the Balfour Declaration. "People don't generally try to go to an international court. They go to the government and make what they see as a moral argument," Posner said. If the Palestinian government is set on the international courts, the first potential route would be through the United Nations' legal body, the International Court of Justice, analysts say. Palestine is not a full UN member state, though it has observer status. Stuart Casey-Maslen, professor of law at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, said the Palestinians could get a vote in the UN General Assembly calling on the ICJ to investigate. But the ICJ would only be able to judge the case by the laws that existed in 1917, Casey-Maslen explained. This is before many of the basic principles of international law were agreed upon and as such the law is "likely to be very favourable to the UK." The principle of the Balfour Agreement was also ratified in 1922 by the League of Nations, the forerunner to the United Nations. Casey-Maslen explained that in any suit the Palestinians would need to show that the declaration directly led to the Nakba and was not "superseded by subsequent events, including of course the Holocaust and the creation of the UN and its intervention in Palestine." The United Nations in 1947 adopted a plan for dividing the land into two states, one for Arabs and another for Jews. - 'Line in the sand' - Alternatively, individual Palestinians could pursue the case in the British legal system. In 2012, Kenyans who were tortured during the quashing of the 1952-1960 Mau Mau uprising won a case in the British High Court, with payouts totalling 20 million pounds ($26 million, 23.5 million euros). But the length of time since the Balfour Declaration and the lack of survivors makes that route difficult as well. "We succeeded in the Mau Mau case because there were people still living from the era," Martyn Day, senior partner at the Leigh Day law firm that brought the case, said. "We had five test cases and one of the cases died during the action, and the judge decided against that action. "That is a pretty clear line in the sand." Asked to rate the chance of any legal success through the courts, the four experts' opinions ranged from small to "negligible." But Andrew Kent, law professor at Fordham University in New York, pointed out that the Palestinians may see victory more in political than legal terms. "Could they get a statement from the UN General Assembly? Sure," he said. "Could they get a political statement from the (UN) Human Rights Committee? Sure. But those would not be lawsuits and would not be binding." Democratic National Convention attendees this week cheered a speech by a group called Mothers of the Movement. Introduced by Scandals Tony Goldwyn, they got the topic of black youth killed by police onto the biggest stage in the country. And todays powerful final panel of PBS first TCA day addressed the national epidemic of such fatal encounters. The subject was The Talk, a two-hour documentary about the conversation taking place between parents of color and their children about how to behave if they are stopped by the police. The premiere date isnt set, but producer and EP Julie Anderson said it probably would be in 2017. Joining Anderson on the panel were Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy killed by a Cleveland police officer in 2014; retired NYPD sergeant Trevena Garel; filmmaker John Singleton and director and supervising producer Sam Pollard. The documentary will include five different segments with five different directors dealing with various facets of the problem, but centering on parents of color instructing their children on how to behave when stopped by a police officer, even if that behavior goes counter to teaching those same kids how to stand up for themselves. Garel, a mother and grandmother, said the conversation has been going on for decades but video recordings and social media are exposing the issue to white audiences. Its a conversation Ive had with my son. Its a very difficult thing tot try to teach a young man when you teach him to be a man, she said. If you know that youre right you stand up for it. You do that except when you are encountering the police. I dont care if you are a thousand percent right, I want you to come home to me. Rice called the documentary a much-needed production. She says she is a PBS fan and has enjoyed the fact that she didnt have to monitor her growing kids when they watched PBS. even though theres a lot of crap on TV. The program, she hopes, will open a conversation about racism. Yes, it is uncomfortable, but we have to start somewhere, she said. Story continues Anderson said the idea is to look at the issue from a family perspective rather than an institutional or legislative level. She added that the attempt is also not the demonize cops but to foster discussion. She added that PBS plans educational packages and community discussions surrounding the program. Singleton said he hopes the documentary inspires other police departments to go through the same self-examination that the LAPD did following the 1992 riots. That improved the situation, he said. Related stories 'The Apprentice' Launched Donald Trump's Presidential Bid, 'Frontline' Producer Says - TCA 'Mercy Street' Season 2 Stresses Drama Of Battle Scenes, Corset Lacing & Fingernails - TCA 'Mercy Street': First Look At Season 2 Of PBS' Civil War Drama Medical is one of the seven sectors in the S&P 500 cohort that is expected to record growth in earnings in the second quarter. The sector is likely to post earnings growth of 2.3% on revenue improvement of 7.7%. We note that 278 S&P companies have already reported their quarterly numbers, with 75.2% of them beating the EPS estimates and 54.3% surpassing the top-line estimate. As per the latest Zacks Earnings Trend report, overall second-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies are expected to be down 3.4% year over year on revenue decline of 0.4%. Healthcare is an important component of the Medical sector and is expected follow the earnings growth trajectory in the quarter. Here, we take a sneak peek at two healthcare stocks scheduled to report their second-quarter figures on Aug 1: Addus HomeCare Corporation ADUS is a provider of a broad range of home and community based social and medical services to older adults and younger disabled persons in the U.S. ADDUS HOMECARE Price and EPS Surprise ADDUS HOMECARE Price and EPS Surprise | ADDUS HOMECARE Quote The expanded partnership of Addus HomeCare with Cell-Trak to strengthen mobile technology for the care-givers is a significant positive in our view. Additionally, the acquisition of South Shore has paved way for the companys foray into the New York market, which is also a noteworthy development. However, our proven model does not conclusively show that the company is likely to beat earnings, given the combination of a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and Earnings ESP of 0.00%. That is because, as per our proven model, a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 to beat estimates. Simultaneously, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Tenet Healthcare Corporation THC is a healthcare services company, which owns and operates general hospitals and related healthcare facilities for urban and rural communities. Story continues TENET HEALTH Price and EPS Surprise TENET HEALTH Price and EPS Surprise | TENET HEALTH Quote Tenet Healthcare has been gaining strong market traction from the acquisitions in the recent past, addition of outpatient facilities, product launches and solid capital structure. Moreover, Tenet Healthcare continues to divest the less profitable hospitals to improve its service offerings. Notably, Tenet Healthcare sold St. Louis University Hospital to SSM Health, five of its hospitals to WellStar Health System along with two hospitals and 19 physician groups in North Carolina to Duke LifePoint, to focus exclusively on its core business. Nevertheless, our proven model does not show that the company is likely to beat earnings, given the combination of a Zacks Rank #3 and Earnings ESP of -2.04% We note that Tenet Healths results compared favorably with the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters, with an average beat of 23.04%. 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 TENET HEALTH (THC): Free Stock Analysis Report ADDUS HOMECARE (ADUS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research lil-wayne Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night contained a line that sounded familiar to fans of rap star Lil Wayne. "When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone," Clinton said as she formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president. "When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." Some people on Twitter took this as a reference to Lil Wayne's mixtape "No Ceilings," which contains the line: "There's only the sky, and the sky is the limit / Christopher Wallace said that." Lil Wayne responded to the speech, tweeting: "Go Hillary! I hear ya out there." He also told TMZ on Friday that he's "totally cool" with Clinton using his lyrics. "I heard about that, bro," Lil Wayne told a TMZ reporter who asked him about it. "I haven't peeped it, I gotta peep it first. I don't even know if it's true." The reporter asked him if he's cool with Clinton. "Am I cool with her?" he asked. "I haven't met her a day in my life." More From Business Insider Whether Naruto owns the copyright to his infamous "monkey selfie" may seem like a trivial issue but if the 9th Circuit agrees that animals (via animal rights groups) have standing to assert so, it could have serious impacts on issues of non-human ownership in an age where artificial intelligence is no longer merely science fiction. In 2011, wildlife photographer David Slater momentarily left his camera unattended in an Indonesian forest. Naruto, a crested macaque, snatched it up, snapped some pictures of himself and Slater later published them. PETA sued, claiming Slater infringed on Naruto's copyright as the author of the photos. A federal judge in January dismissed the suit, finding a monkey doesn't have standing to pursue a lawsuit - and stopped short of deciding whether or not a monkey could own a copyright. David Schwarz, who is representing Naruto through PETA, argues that just because Congress didn't expressly grant standing to animals, it doesn't mean Naruto lacked standing. "This case presents an issue of first impression: Whether human authorship is required for protection under the Copyright Act," writes Schwarz in the appeal brief filed Thursday. (Read the brief in full here.) Schwarz argues the district court erroneously relied on the Compendium of the U.S. Copyright Office Practices, which is not binding on the courts, and Cetacean Cmty. v. Bush, which dealt with statutes that defined who has standing, unlike the Copyright Act which fails to define "author." The Copyright Act, he argues, should be interpreted broadly and to specify who can be an author would be antithetical to its purpose. "Because copyright protection exists primarily to advance society's interest in increasing creative output, it follows that the protection under the Copyright Act does not depend on the humanity of the author, but on the originality of the work itself," Schwarz writes. Story continues This issue, he argues, is not trivial and could impact whether "works independently created by artificially intelligent computers are entitled to copyright protection." Schwarz says the Copyright Act makes it clear rights under it initially vest in the author of a work and a century-old Supreme Court case, Sarony, defined an author as "he to whom anything owes its origin." In this case, he says, it's clear the monkey selfies owe their origin to Naruto. "By its silence, Congress accepted the broad constitutional notion of authorship and the judicial construction that had been in place since at least the 19th century," Schwarz writes. He also argues that many copyrights are already held by non-human entities: corporations. "If a work is created in an employment relationship, then 'the employer ... is considered the author,'" Schwarz writes. "This proposition is so firmly established in the jurisprudence that most copyright cases to reach the United States Supreme Court have been filed by authors who are non-humans, ranging from motion picture studios to music publishers to others." Now, he argues, it's time for the case law to evolve. "The fact that copyright ownership by an animal has not been previously asserted does not mean that such rights cannot be asserted," Schwarz writes. "Insofar as the issue of non-human authorship has been considered by this Court, it remains an open question. The only requirement articulated by this Court so far is that the 'author' be of this world. And Naruto certainly meets that requirement." Slater's attorneys are due to file their answer to the brief by August 29. Read More: Picture This: Monkey See, Monkey Can't Sue PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / In today's tech world, anyone can start an online business with relative ease. E-commerce has emerged as one of the most popular ways for people and businesses to make money online. Whether a business is selling its own product or drop-shipping a majority of their orders, success often hinges on the ability to gain more and more traffic to the website. This often comes with clever advertising campaigns and useful content on the site itself. Few people, however, are in the know about technical SEO and often neglect some very important aspects of their web presence. "We are now in the age of the 'semantic web,' where machine learning and AI are heading to the forefront of SEO," says Ryan Rodden, schema.org markup expert. "Store owners need to provide as much information to the search engines as possible or products will not be eligible for rich snippets and extended features offered in Google search." Rodden says that few e-commerce websites take advantage of schema.org code, and most business owners are not even aware that it exists, which he revealed in a recent interview on Schemaapp.com. The following is an example search results display: The image above obtained from Google It's fairly obvious that the star ratings, vote count, and pricing ("free") from the second listing stand out prominently. This display can lead to more clicks to a particular web page, where a product is sold. The fact is almost any e-commerce site can gain a product listing like this by following the correct guidelines available from Google and the database at schema.org. Many e-commerce stores have the code implemented, but don't realize that the guidelines and standards have changed. Google offers a way to determine if a product listing is missing critical information. For example, it will provide a warning if the markup is not quite correct: It will also reveal errors that need to be fixed. More often than not, this disqualifies a product listing or blog post from gaining rich snippets in the search results page: Story continues Rodden says that this mistake is very common when evaluating an e-commerce website. The issue is found on small e-commerce startups to online giants where many people shop daily. "It's by far the one thing that few online stores seem to get right, let alone understand. After evaluating hundreds of websites, it's easily the most frequent mistake." Online stores can see an increase in traffic and conversions by correctly implementing the code according to the most recent set of guidelines presented by the major search engines, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Most business owners are not aware of this and must rely on a search marketing expert like Rodden to provide a solution. WitBlade, a search engine optimization company based out of Philadelphia, PA, now offers a service to address the issue for companies that need a quick fix. "Some businesses don't need a full blown advertising campaign, but they do need a tune-up when it comes to properly implementing the code according to the new standards. We offer this solution as a stand alone service," says Rodden. As technology advances, many businesses have converted their services or offerings to an online ordering format. This requires technical knowledge and brings in a new era of SEO techniques that will set a new standard for the online shopping experience. Contact WitBlade: Ryan Rodden ryan@witblade.com 321 Hurst St., B23 Bridgeport, PA 19405 SOURCE: WitBlade World Bank reminds govt of original deal on housing aid The Multi-Donor Trust Fundset up to enable donors to coordinate their finance for housing reconstruction in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake last April and led by the World Bank (WB)has reiterated its call to provide housing aid in three tranches as had been originally agreed upon. * Sees Q3 refining capacity at mid-90 pct vs. 100 pct in Q2 * Refining business earnings down 75.3 pct * Shares fall as much as 3.2 pct (Adds CEO comment, updates shares) July 29 (Reuters) - Phillips 66 joined larger rival Valero Energy Corp in saying that refiners are expected to process less crude in the second half of the year as margins shrink due to a gasoline glut. Phillips 66's profit halved in the second quarter as earnings from its refining business plunged 75.3 percent. "My personal view is we've got a lot of inventory stacked up," Chief Executive Greg Garland said on a post-earnings call. "I think the industry's going to be facing run cuts in the second half of the year." However, Garland added that demand for refined products had been strong. Phillips 66 said its refineries are expected to function at a mid-90 percent capacity in the current quarter, compared with the 100 percent utilization it reported in the second quarter. Refining margins, the difference between the cost of crude and the price of refined products, have also been hit by a rise in global crude prices, which touched an eight-month high in June. Smaller rival Alon USA Energy Inc said on Friday it expected to continue processing less crude at its Krotz Springs Refinery in Louisiana. Alon's operating margin from the refinery more than halved to $3.96 per barrel in the quarter. Phillips 66's refining margin was $7.13 per barrel in the quarter, well below $8.22 per barrel estimated by Wells Fargo Securities analysts. Valero Energy Corp, Marathon Petroleum Corp and BP Plc all reported a fall in refining margins for the period. Phillips 66's consolidated earnings fell to $496 million, or 93 cents per share, in the second quarter from $1.01 billion, or $1.84 per share, a year earlier. However, the company's adjusted profit of 94 cents per share edged past the average analyst estimate of 93 cents, helped by strong earnings from its chemical, and marketing and specialties businesses. Shares of Phillips 66 were down 0.6 pct at $75.82 in afternoon trade. They fell as much as 3.2 percent earlier in the session. (Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Writing by Swetha Gopinath; Editing by Maju Samuel and Anil D'Silva) By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - Although women who plan to give birth at home end up with fewer medical interventions during labor, their babies have a higher risk of death and seizure soon after birth, experts warn. Hospitals and accredited birth centers are still the safest place for a woman to give birth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). In a newly published Committee Opinion, the College describes times when home birth should not be considered, such as when the fetus is in a breech or transverse position rather than head-down, when the mother is pregnant with multiples or when shes had a Cesarean section in the past. The last ACOG Opinion on this topic was published in 2011. Since then, a number of studies have cleared up some uncertainties about birth outcomes, particularly as home birth is practiced in the U.S., said primary author Dr. William H. Barth Jr., chief of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. For example, he told Reuters Health by email, a large study of planned home birth versus planned hospital birth in Oregon, a state that probably leads others in the organization and reporting of planned home birth, has shown that planned home birth is associated with fewer labor inductions, fewer labor augmentations, fewer operative vaginal deliveries and importantly, significantly fewer cesarean deliveries. However, this and other more recent studies conducted in the U.S. confirm that planned home birth is also associated with higher rates of low Apgar scores, neonatal seizures or serious neurologic disorders and neonatal death, he said. The absolute rates of these are low, but they are consistently higher with planned home birth. Planned hospital births more often involve labor induction, Cesarean section, severe perineal lacerations and other complications compared to planned home birth. But babies born by planned home birth are twice as likely to die in the process and three times as likely to experience a seizure as those born in a hospital, according to the statement. For every 1,000 planned home births, four babies die, versus two of every 1,000 born in a hospital. The data in the statement show that potential for harm to mothers and babies exists in childbirth in all settings, said Dell Horey of La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia, who was not part of the ACOG statement. I think ACOG has been pretty consistent that we believe the safest place for child birth is in a hospital or accredited birthing center, Barth said. At the same time, there is a growing body of evidence to help women make the decision that is right for them and their families. A safe planned home birth requires the absence of any preexisting disease in the mother, the absence of any disease or complications arising during pregnancy, a singleton fetus, a head first presentation, gestational age of at least 36 and not more than 42 weeks, spontaneous labor, arrangements for emergency transport within an integrated healthcare system, and the availability of physician, a certified nurse midwife, certified midwife, or a midwife whose education and licensure meet International Confederation of Midwives Global Standards for Midwifery Education, according to the statement. Ole Olsen of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, who was not part of the ACOG statement, told Reuters Health by email, "If things in the U.S. are as they are in Canada and Denmark (and probably everywhere else), doctors are generally reluctant to inform pregnant women about home birth as an option (which may only be relevant in parts of the U.S. as it has to be well organized to be relevant to bring up)." "If home birth is well organized as it is in several countries and areas, home birth carries no additional risks; actually it decreases some risks for the mother," Olsen told Reuters Health by email. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2aEpfDI American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, August 2016. The Hague (AFP) - European police forces have tracked down and arrested 14 people on a "most wanted" list in the six months since its launch, many thanks to public tip-offs, officials said Friday. "In at least eight of these arrests, the leads provided via the online platform played a direct role in locating the fugitives," the European police agency, Europol, said in a statement. Police forces from across the European Union came together to launch www.eumostwanted.eu after criticism over a lack of coordination in the wake of November's jihadist attacks in Paris, which left 130 people dead. Those now behind bars include Belgian-born Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the attacks, and Ibrahim Abrini, the brother of Mohamed Abrini, a Moroccan-Belgian implicated in both the Paris assault and the March Brussels bombings. Their arrests were not directly linked to the website, which has received millions of views since it was launched on January 29. But in February Romanian "yoga teacher and spiritual mentor" Gregorian Bivolaru, 64, was captured in a Paris book store after years on the run thanks to a tip-off. AFP reported in June that a French court has ordered him to be extradited to Romania to face charges of exploiting children and child pornography between 2002 and 2004. Bivolaru was targeted on the most wanted list along with other fugitives including a Belgian tracked down to Gabon, a Pole discovered in Malta and a wanted Swede located in Britain. Italian mafia boss Ernesto Fazzalari, 46, wanted for murder, was captured in a remote part of Italy late last month after two decades on the run, according to media reports. "Many of those on the list were caught in different European countries," Europol press officer Tine Hollevoet told AFP, adding it showed the benefits of cooperation. Twenty-eight of the original 45 names on the list still remain, and Hollevoet urged people to look again at the site as new names have been added. Story continues "You never know if you will recognise someone," she said. Each national police force can post two people onto the list, and once someone is arrested their names and profiles are removed and a new fugitive selected. A second woman has now been added to the list. Cypriot Efi Irodotou, 29, is wanted for murder after a 17-year-old boy died in a 2007 hit-and-run car accident in the island's southern resort of Limassol. She joins Cecilia Kettunen, 30, still wanted by Finnish authorities for "aggravated fraud... worth a significant amount of money". Men from different countries are also wanted on a variety of charges including rape, murder, extortion and drug trafficking. Yerevan (AFP) - Armenian police exchanged gunfire Friday with an armed pro-opposition group holding hostages for a twelfth day and clashed with thousands of protesters supporting the gunmen, said an AFP photographer at the scene. Several protestors were hurt in the skirmishes near the police building where hostages have been held since July 17. They were taken away in ambulances as police broke up the demonstration, showed a live video from the scene. Radio Liberty, a US-funded broadcaster, said police beat some of its journalists with truncheons and damaged their equipment. Three of the gunmen were wounded during an earlier shootout Friday, with two taken to hospital under armed guard, police spokesman Ashot Aharonyan wrote on Facebook. Gunfire echoed around the police building throughout the evening. Police armed with shields and truncheons deployed smoke and sound bombs against the protesters who chanted "Free independent Armenia!" and "Serzh, leave!" referring to President Serzh Sarkisian, who has led the country since 2008. The gunmen -- supporters of fringe jailed opposition leader Zhirair Sefilyan -- stormed the police building on July 17, killing one officer, taking several more hostage and seizing a store of weapons. They have since released all the police but on Wednesday took four medical staff hostage who entered the compound to treat wounded gunmen. One of the medics has since been released, while 24 gunmen are still inside with three medics. Another gunman Araik Handonyan, nicknamed Lone Wolf, was wounded in the leg earlier Friday but refused to go to hospital, the police spokesman said. The US embassy in Yerevan in a statement said it was "deeply troubled by the ongoing hostage situation." It called for "the immediate, safe, and unconditional release of medical personnel held captive since Wednesday, and any others who may wish to leave the police building." Sefilyan -- the leader of a small opposition group named the New Armenia Public Salvation Front -- and six of his supporters were arrested in June accused of preparing to seize government buildings and telecoms facilities in Yerevan. The fierce government critic was previously arrested in 2006 after calling for "a violent overthrow of the government" and jailed for 18 months. By Philip Pullella OSWIECIM, Poland (Reuters) - Pope Francis made an emotional and silent visit to the former Nazi death camp at Auschwitz on Friday and later said many of the horrors committed are happening in places at war today. Seated on a bench near the gate to the camp site in Poland, Pope Francis prayed in silence in tribute to the 1.5 million people, most of them Jews, killed there by Nazi occupiers during World War Two. The third pope to visit Auschwitz and the first not to have lived through the war in Europe, he entered the camp by foot, passing through iron gates under the infamous sign reading "Arbeit Macht Frei", German for "Work Sets You Free". Visibly moved by the sight of the wooden guard towers, barbed wire fences and inmate barracks, he sat in silent prayer for about 15 minutes. Francis said before the trip that he had decided to make no statement as silence was the best way to honor the dead. Reflecting on his visit several hours later, Francis asked young people: "Is it possible that man, created in God's image and likeness, is capable of doing these things?" "Cruelty did not end at Auschwitz and Birkenau," he said. "It is still around today ... in many places in the world where there is war, the same things are happening." He cited torture, over-crowded prisons and starving children. The pope spent a few minutes quietly greeting about a dozen Auschwitz survivors, kissing each of them on both cheeks. One man gave the pope a picture of himself surrounded by other emaciated inmates in a bunk, and asked Francis to sign it. The 79-year-old Argentine-born pontiff then proceeded to walk through the barely lit corridors of the drab, brick building of Auschwitz Block 11, which had housed prisoners selected for special punishment. With aides using small flashlights to light his way, Francis visited the underground cell where Franciscan monk Maksymilian Kolbe was killed after offering his life to save a Polish man whom had been picked to die of starvation. Just outside the cell, in Auschwitz's commemorative book, Francis wrote in Spanish: "Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty". German occupation forces set up the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp during World War Two in Oswiecim, a town about 70 km (43 miles) from Poland's second city, Krakow. Between 1940 and 1945, Auschwitz developed into a vast complex of barracks, workshops, gas chambers and crematoriums. GAVE LIFE FOR ANOTHER On July 29, 1941, the camp director, in reprisal for the escape of a prisoner, chose 10 others and sentenced them to death by starvation. When the selection was completed, Kolbe stepped forward and volunteered to die in place of a man with a family, Franciszek Gajowniczek. Kolbe was later killed by lethal injection but the man he saved survived the war. Kolbe was made a saint in 1982 by Pope John Paul II, a Pole. Later, the pope, who has made many strong condemnations of anti-Semitism, also visited Birkenau, a part of the camp where most of the killings were in gas chambers, and was driven past ruins of crematoriums that the Nazis blew up before the camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on Jan. 27, 1945. He listened silently as Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, sang from Psalm 130 and a priest read the psalm in Polish, just meters (yards) away from the end of the single rail track where cattle cars brought hundreds of thousands of prisoners to the camp. After greeting some 25 people who have been honored as "Righteous Among the Nations" for helping save Jews, Francis left as quietly as he had arrived. (Additional reporting by Wojciech Zurawski, Pawel Florkiewicz and Wiktor Szary; Writing by Justyna Pawlak and Philip Pullella; Editing by Louise Ireland) Oswiecim (Poland) (AFP) - Pope Francis on Friday walked alone through the notorious wrought-iron "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Sets You Free) gate as he visited the former Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Free for once of his security entourage or cardinals, he sat on a bench among the trees and bowed his head in prayer, remaining at length in silent contemplation before meeting Holocaust survivors. "Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty," the pope wrote in a memorial book. In front of the death wall where the Nazis executed thousands of people, he tenderly kissed former prisoners. Among them was Helena Dunicz Niwinska, a 101-year-old woman who played the violin in the Auschwitz orchestra, as well as inmates who worked at the camp hospital or who were there as children. "It was very moving," 86-year-old survivor Janina Iwanska told AFP. "I wanted to kneel before him, but he took me in his arms and kissed my cheeks." Fellow survivor Alojzy Fros, who is 99, still remembered his arrival at the camp. "Just after I arrived, through an open door I saw naked bodies piled up like logs about a metre high," he said. "I'll never forget it." Francis lit a candle in front of the death wall before visiting the cell of Polish priest and saint Maximilian Kolbe, who died at Auschwitz after taking the place of a condemned man. Francis cut a solitary figure as he knelt in the dark, underground cell where the priest was starved then executed. The Argentine later lead prayers for the 1.1 million people who were murdered at the camp as part of Nazi Germany's "Final Solution" of genocide against European Jews which claimed six million lives in World War II. - 'Auschwitz cruelty not over' - Francis had said that rather than making a speech, he would stand in silence to reflect on the horrors committed. "Cruelty did not end in Auschwitz and Birkenau", he said in an address to pilgrims in Krakow later Friday. Story continues "How is it possible that we men, created in God's image, are able to do such things?" He said at the camp he saw "the cruelty of 70 years ago, how people were shot, beaten to death or gassed". But "today, in many parts of the world... the same things happen," he said. As he arrived Wednesday in Poland -- the heartland of Nazi Germany's atrocities -- the pontiff said the world had been plunged into a piecemeal third world war. He has repeatedly denounced those committing crimes in the name of religion, after a string of deadly jihadist attacks in Europe. The pope travelled the two miles (three kilometres) to Birkenau, the main extermination site, and was driven alongside train tracks which allowed prisoners to be transported directly to the gas chambers and crematoria. Francis prayed near the ruins of a crematorium blown up by the Nazis as they evacuated the camp, as Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich sang a Jewish prayer for the dead in Hebrew. - Executed in childbirth - Some 25 Christian Poles who risked their lives during the war to help hide and protect Jews -- a group recognised by Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust museum as "Righteous Among the Nations" -- also met Francis. The group included Maria Augustyn, whose family hid a Jewish couple behind a wardrobe for years, and Anna Bando, who helped rescue an orphan from the Warsaw ghetto and gave several Jews forged "Aryan" papers. "We shook hands and he looked me in the eyes in a lovely way and gave me a good memory to take away," one of the group, Ryszard Zielinski, told AFP. Stanislaw Ruszala, Catholic parish priest of the town of Markowa where a family was wiped out for sheltering Jews, read a Polish translation of the same Hebrew prayer read by the rabbi. Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children were butchered in Markowa. Wiktoria, who was seven months pregnant at the time, had started giving birth before she was executed. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Francis had been particularly moved by the Ulma family's story. More than 100,000 non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, homosexuals and anti-Nazi partisans also died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in occupied Poland. The Soviet Red Army liberated it in 1945. (OSWIECIM, Poland) Choosing silence to convey his sorrow, Pope Francis visited the former Nazi death factory at Auschwitz and Birkenau on Friday, meeting with concentration camp survivors as well as aging saviors who helped Jews escape certain doom. In a guest book entry he made an anguished plea: Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty! Wearing unadorned white robes, Francis entered Auschwitz on foot, passing through the gate that bears the cynical words Arbeit Macht Frei Work Sets you Free. One by one, he greeted 11 survivors, among them 101-year-old Helena Dunicz Niwinska, who played the violin in a death camp orchestra, and two other centenarians. One survivor, Valentina Nikodem, helped deliver babies born to Auschwitz inmates. Elzbieta Sobczynska, who was 10 when she was brought to Auschwitz in 1944 from the Warsaw ghetto, said that in his silence, Francis spoke volumes. You dont need words. Prayer was enough, Sobczynska said, speaking to Polands TVN24. Francis, she said, came here with humility, he came here to find the shadows of those who were stripped of the most precious thing life. The pope then traveled to nearby Birkenau, a sprawling complex where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in its gas chambers. There he greeted 25 Holocaust rescuers, including Anna Bando, who as a child helped her mother smuggle bread hidden in their handbags to Jews forced by Nazi occupiers to stay in Warsaws ghetto. Francis visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where Adolf Hitlers forces put to death more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, came on the third day of a five-day trip to Poland that included meetings with young Catholic pilgrims gathering in Krakow for World Youth Day, a global celebration of faith. Except for the brief exchange with the survivors and rescuers, Francis spent his nearly two hours at the death camps in quiet prayer and reflection. Story continues The pope wanted an atmosphere of silence, silent compassion, silent prayer, said Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi. His only public words were in a guest-book entry, where he wrote in his native Spanish: Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty! He then signed his name in Latin, Franciscus. Later, however, Francis spoke with passion about his Auschwitz visit to a crowd of young people gathered outside the archbishops residence where he was staying for the night. How much pain! How much cruelty! Is it possible that we humans created in Gods image are capable of doing these things? the pontiff said of the atrocities 70 years ago. Then he added: I dont want to make you bitter, but I have to say the truth. Cruelty did not end in Auschwitz, in Birkenau. Even today people are being tortured. Many prisoners are tortured, just to make them talk. Today in many parts of the world where there is war the same thing is happening. Francis is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live through the brutality of World War II on Europes soil. Unlike his predecessors, St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who were young men during the Nazi rule and occupation of much of Europe and had a personal or historical connection to the site, Francis was a toddler when World War II broke out far away from his Argentine homeland. John Paul, who visited in 1979, witnessed the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his native Poland during the German occupation. His visit, the first ever by a pontiff, was part of his overall efforts aimed at healing centuries of bitterness between the Vatican and Jews. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. At Auschwitz, Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before speaking individually to the survivors, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners at Auschwitz were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who sacrificed his life to save a fellow prisoner who had a family, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the pontiff. He then traveled two miles (three kilometers) to Birkenau, where Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war and other guests stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving alongside the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths there. At the Birkenau ceremony, Polands chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, recited, in Hebrew Psalm 130, beginning with the words: From the depths I have cried out to you, Oh Lord. Fridays theme exploring suffering included a Way of the Cross procession that drew 800,000 young Catholics to a Krakow meadow. Calling on the young pilgrims to show mercy to refugees and other persecuted people, the pontiff then asked: Where is God when innocent persons die as a result of violence, terrorism and war. These are questions, he added, that humanly speaking, have no answer. Monika Scislowska in Krakow and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw contributed to this report. Writ filed against TJ rules A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court, demanding removal from the regulations for the transitional justice bodies the provisions related to compensation and reparation. Pope Francis visited the Nazi-German concentration camp of Auschwitz in Poland to pay tribute to 1.5 million people, mostly Jews, who lost their lives there in World War 2. The Pope did not make public remarks at the camp, preferring to pray in silence. But he wrote a short message in the Auschwitz commemorative book, Reuters reports. Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty wrote the Pope in his native Spanish. Fridays trip is the Popes first-ever visit to the notorious Nazi camp. The 79-year-old spoke to 12 Auschwitz survivors and visited various cells that held prisoners, one of which us where Franciscan monk Maksymilian Kolbe died by lethal injection in 1941. The monk had offered his life in place place of one prisoner, Franciszek Gajowniczek, whom camp handlers had picked to die of starvation. Gajowniczek survived the war and Kolbe was later made a saint in 1982. The Pope also visited Birkenau, a part of the camp where the majority of killings were committed in gas chambers. The trip marks the Pontiffs third day in Poland. Turkish president Recep Erdogan has ordered that at least 131 media outlets suspected of inciting or sympathizing with this month's failed military coup be permanently shut down. That includes three news agencies, 16 TV channels, 23 radio stations, 45 daily newspapers, 15 magazines, and 29 publishing houses, according to Al Jazeera. Erdogan's post-coup purges have targeted at least 50,000 people including soldiers, police, civil servants, and academics suspected of inciting or sympathizing with the military uprising. At least 15,000 have been detained so far. Journalists long a favorite target of Erdogan's have also been hastily targeted in the post-coup crackdown. As of Thursday, 42 journalists had been detained, according to Turkish analyst and journalist Mahir Zeynalov. Zeynalov has been sharing photos on Twitter of the journalists as they are hauled away by Turkish police. These are just a few of them: Nazli Ilicak, 72 years old veteran of Turkish journalism. A staunch supporter of liberal democracy. Now under arrest pic.twitter.com/UYrVRAncOK Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Bulent Mumay. A hard-working man, who made enemies among Erdogan's inner circle for top-notch journalism. Arrested. pic.twitter.com/h8UXFAsUoR Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Bunyamin Koseli. We used to be roommates. An excellent mind, great investigative reporter. Jailed for doing his job. pic.twitter.com/xBBWDjxzDB Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Arda Akin. Known for columns that deeply disturbed the government. Roared when necessary, without fear. Arrested. pic.twitter.com/k7qVvOxsE0 Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Busra Erdal. Veteran court reporter. Revered & reviled, made enemies because she never stopped writing. Arrested. pic.twitter.com/oEKAp9o1tO Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Cemal Kalyoncu. He knew nothing in his life besides reporting and editing. Arrested because he did not bow to power. pic.twitter.com/QrCthaUF9Y Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Ali Akkus. If Turkey has few excellent newsroom editors, he is among the top. Publisher of graft cases. Arrested. pic.twitter.com/uqUQAfFGv6 Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Cemal Kalyoncu. He knew nothing in his life besides reporting and editing. Arrested because he did not bow to power. pic.twitter.com/QrCthaUF9Y Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Abdullah Kilic. Supreme irony that he made headlines for investigating 1960 military coup. Arrested on coup charges. pic.twitter.com/jJVILgjRIE Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Ufuk Sanli. His Al Monitor columns shed light on Turkey's economy. An avid reader, excellent reporter. Arrested. pic.twitter.com/N3ZV4yAVim Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Mumtazer Turkone. Tortured in jails after 1980 coup. With exceptional writing, always advocated liberties. Arrested. pic.twitter.com/SixZLfvoHo Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Ali Bulac. A powerful mind, one of Turkey's rare Islamist sociologists. Refused to bow to Erdogan. Arrested. pic.twitter.com/IRG596pU78 Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Sahin Alpay. I don't know anyone else who fought for Turkish democracy more than him. A champion of rights. Arrested pic.twitter.com/RXH7AselAF Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 Cihan Acar. Colleagues called him "cemetery Cihan" for exceptional coverage of funerals, from Kurds to celebrities. pic.twitter.com/oOJrPB8MWA Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 29, 2016 The massive purges have given many analysts reason to believe that Erdogan who called the failed coup "a gift from God" is using the incident as an excuse to rid society of those who oppose his rule. Story continues In the wake of roughly 14 terrorist attacks on Turkish soil in just over a year, Erdogan has attempted to significantly expand his presidential powers and quell dissent. The US generally tries to avoid criticizing Turkey, which has the second-largest military in NATO and is a crucial ally in the fight against ISIS. President Barack Obama has expressed concern in the past about Erdogan's repressive tendencies, however. "I've said to President Erdogan to remind him that he came into office with a promise of democracy," Obama said during a press conference at the end of the Nuclear Security Summit in April. "And Turkey has historically been a country in which deep Islamic faith has lived side by side with modernity and an increasing openness. That's the legacy that he should pursue rather than a strategy that involves repression of information and shutting down democratic debate." The US quickly condemned the attempted overthrow of Erdogan's government on July 15, however, and called on all parties in Turkey to "support the democratically elected Turkish government." In any case, the coup attempt and the mass purges that have followed "presents a dilemma to the United States and European governments," Richard N. Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, told The New York Times shortly after the uprising was put down. "Do you support a nondemocratic coup," or an "increasingly nondemocratic leader?" NOW WATCH: These are the favorite weapons of the Army Special Operations Forces More From Business Insider From Good Housekeeping If you don't have a security camera in your home yet, this Chicago couple's chilling story just might inspire you to get one. Jack Mackercher and his girlfriend, Jordan Buranskas, woke up on Monday morning to find that Buranskas's purse was missing from their home. "We actually got into a little bit of an argument about it," she told WLS-TV Chicago. "He thought I left it at the restaurant the night before." When the couple finally decided to watch their home's security camera footage in an attempt to retrace their steps, they were surprised to find something a little more sinister. Rewinding back to 3:30 a.m. Monday, Mackercher and Buranskas spotted a man in a white hoodie standing at the top of the staircase. He hovered above the couple, who had fallen asleep while watching Netflix on the couch below, for about five minutes before walking away and then returning again to hover for another five minutes. When you watch the video from WLS-TV Chicago below, you'll spot the intruder in the upper right corner of the screen. The intruder, who moved so slowly and quietly that he didn't even wake the couple's two dogs, had entered through an unlocked balcony door, according to DNAinfo. "Every other night we would have been in bed and kept it locked," Mackercher said. "You leave the door unlocked one time, and this is what happens." The footage is certainly chilling, and apparently, it's not the first example of this particular intruder invading Chicago-area homes. WLS-TV Chicago reports that the thief has been given the name "Creeper Ghost," and he's believed to be responsible for a number of local burglaries. Other neighborhood residents have even spotted him riding around town on a bike and attempting to break into other homes. The thought that the man is lurking around her neighborhood gives Buranksas the creeps: "I like to think he was watching the TV and not us," she told Chicago's WGN TV. "That's slightly more comforting." Mackercher and Buranskas told WGN TV that they're increasing security within their home, and local detectives are already investigating the case. [h/t WLS-TV Chicago] The Minnesota judge presiding over Prince's estate decided Friday that several people who had claimed to be heirs of the flamboyant artist were not related to the musician. The Associated Press reports that Carver County Judge Kevin Eide threw out 30 individual claims to Prince's estate. He also ordered genetic testing on six people previously assumed to be related to Prince. Four of the artists siblings or half-siblings Tyka Nelson, Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson and John Nelson and a possible niece and grand-niece, Brianna Nelson and Victoria Nelson, will be vetted in the process. Eide's elimination process also allowed him to exclude people who had said that Prince's father was someone other than the man listed as his dad in court records. When Prince died of a drug overdose this past April, he left behind no known children nor a will that would direct his estate. As a result, Eide has been presiding over the administration of the estate. Eide decided in May that he would use DNA testing as a means to ward off false heirs. At the time, he set a limit of four months for people to come forward with claims to the estate. Prince's first wife, Mayte Garcia, gave birth to a son in October 1996, but he died within a week due to the rare skull defect known as Pfeiffer Syndrome. Garcia reported later that the couple had gotten pregnant again but that she suffered a miscarriage. They announced their divorce in 1998. Prince had no children with his second wife, Manuela Testolini. Related Juri from Street Fighter V (Capcom) Street Fighter Vs newest character, Juri, is now out in the wild. Shes the fifth of the first six planned post-launch characters, and players have had a few days to test her out. Like many of the previous DLC characters, Juri was highly anticipated, but many of those previous DLC characters fell out of favor with players as early as within a week of their release. Will the same thing happen here? Yahoo Esports spoke with four different pros to get their thoughts on Juri and to see if she has competitive staying power in Street Fighter V. Alex Myers Ronins Alex Myers was one of the first to get his hands on the final, playable version of Juri at San Diego Comic Con before her scheduled release (remember, she was playable in the Cinematic Story Mode.) He uploaded quite a bit of footage from his time at SDCC to his YouTube channel. Unlike the other three players we spoke to, Myers has no previous experience with Juri. He did not play her in Street Fighter IV (he was primarily a Sakura main the whole time); much of what he knew about Juri was based on match-up knowledge when playing against her. Shes completely different, Myers told Yahoo Esports. Juri was predominantly a zoner [in SFIV]. In [SFV] she has better walk speed and seems to have a better ground game. Myers appreciates Juris damage output, which reminds him of Sakura in SFIV. But because Juri is so new, he isnt quite sure who she matches up with well so he isnt ready to make the switch from his current SFV main Cammy just yet. I would keep Juri in my pocket, Myers said. Juri can be tricky to deal with. She would be a surprise character for me. Youre going to need some tech to make her a good tournament character. Juri will be the fun character (like R. Mika or FANG) players are likely looking for in a game that feels boring to Myers, but will she be top tier? Its too early to say, but Myers thinks her versatility gives her a lot of potential. Chris Kreymore Landon Kreymore was one of the last remaining Juri players in North America (yes, he is also Kevin Dieminion Landons twin brother.) Kreymore has been looking forward to Juri since we knew she was coming to SFV. Story continues She is a completely revamped character, Kreymore said. Her movesets are different, her approach is different, and her mobility complements the new game engine in SFV. Kreymore pointed out that in SFIV, Juri was a brand new character whose playstyle fit that particular games mechanics. It wasnt likely she would play the same in SFV, much like Ibuki doesnt have the same devastating types of set ups as she did in the prior game. Shes a good, complex character. Youll need to be more reactionary with her, he said. Youll have to master the character to be good with her and if you do, it will pay off. He also described her as tricky and being an in your face type of character, which is fairly similar to Rashid, his SFV main prior to Juris release. In fact, Kreymore chose to play as Rashid to prepare himself for Juri because Rashid actually plays quite similar to the previous iteration of Juri. Because of Juris current toolsets, that didnt pan out like he thought it would, but hes going all-in on Juri and keeping Rashid in his back pocket. Despite this, Kreymore thinks the hype for Juri will die out quicker than it has for all of the other DLC characters. People are more excited over her visual design, he said. Players will go back to playing the traditional Street Fighter archetypes like the Shotos (Ryu/Ken) or grapplers. Based on his time with her, Kreymore believes she has good options but in order to elevate her above mid-tier status, a player will need all of the fundamentals required to be successful in SFV like good spacing, footsies, and reads. Shes a progressive character. I think thats the best word to describe her, Kreymore said, meaning she can enhance a players strategy as she gains meter and fireball charges. Emmanuel Mani Brito You might recall former Killer Instinct Evo champion Emmanuel Mani Brito as CDJr. Hes been playing Ken since SFVs launch and chose to focus more on the Capcom Pro Tour instead of Mortal Kombat X and Killer Instinct. He stopped in the middle of a livestream to talk to us and was very excited because shortly before the call, he found a really dirty set up with Juri. My opinion about the character changed completely, Mani said. I went from struggling and not getting the character to I found this set up in the lab and I cant wait to go into ranked matches with it. Shes better than I thought she would be. Mani feels similar to Kreymore in that the hype for Juri may die off sooner because she is a more technical character. Some players just wont want to take the time to invest in getting better with a more difficult character. Because of his experience with games like Killer Instinct (which uses a similar staggered release schedule for characters), Mani believes the SFV DLC characters might be foreshadowing the future of the game in upcoming seasons. What theyre doing with the DLC characters is giving them moves and playstyles to test how the game will be next year, he said. Theyre doing it in a way that forces players to put time in the lab to really develop them and make them better characters later. This is an interesting theory, because as SFIV evolved, it turned into an incredibly technical and vortex-heavy game in later versions. SFV will likely not evolve that drastically, but at some point, the gameplay will become more advanced and these characters might be preparing players for when that time comes. I think all of the DLC characters are good. Unfortunately, they take some work, Mani said. Mani has already formed a bond with Juri and has put away his Ken for now. Two words to describe Juri are spacing and mix-up, he said. Shes an effective spacing character and when she gains mix-ups when she launches opponents. Ari Floe Weintraub Floe has a new main in SFV. He was one of the first North American Juri players in SFIV, though he chose not to stick with it competitively as time went on. Floe isnt quite ready to jump back into heavy competition in SFV, but Juri makes it that much more enticing. I love her, Floe said. All Ive been streaming for the past three days is hours and hours and hours of Juri. Floe also acknowledged shes different in SFV, but he brought up a point Id yet to see anyone else mention. Juri in SFV is distinctly similar to her Omega Mode version in Ultra Street Fighter IV. Her moves and charges are the same in the two versions of the game. His opinion of her difficulty is in line with other players. Shes going to be hard to master compared to other characters, but she will be competitive. I can freestyle with her. I can set-play with her. She has all the tools she needs. Shes a very complete character, Floe said. She has two different three-frame normals and a reversal, all important tools to succeed in SFV. No character in this game sucks, Floe said. I hate that people are making judgments so quickly about characters like Ibuki that are complicated. Its fair to say a character is strong early on, but its unfair to say a character is weak. A piece of crazy tech could come out that makes a character the ridiculous. Juris competitive success will come down to the pros playing the characters. After five months, many of the players are set with their mains, and switching characters during the middle of the CPT can be dangerous. Evil Geniuses Justin Wong is great with many characters (he plays multiple characters on his stream), but in competition hes largely stuck with the one who has brought him the most success, Karin. Meanwhile, his EG teammate Eduardo PR Balrog Perez already has a good grasp on Balrog and makes the character look strong in his hands. Despite the fact hes been playing Karin and has gravitated towards top tier characters, Floe says hes going with Juri from here on out. I said before the game came out I would main Juri no matter what, he said. I know people didnt believe because I have a tendency to play the best of characters but I think the Juri love is strong enough that Id like to stick with the character. Floes assessment of Juri boiled down to her being fun and having potential. Fun is the highlight, Floe said. I usually have to force myself to play Street Fighter V and shes all Ive played the last few days on stream. Michael Martin probably wont be the next great Juri player in SFV. Follow him on Twitter @Bizarro_Mike. By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin will step up Russia's campaign to end European Union sanctions with a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, encouraged by signs his tactic of lobbying what he views as more pliant southern and eastern European states is starting to pay off. The sanctions, imposed over the Ukraine crisis, are designed to block access to Western credit and technology for people and businesses linked to President Putin. Combined with American and Group of Seven sanctions, they have made it harder for Russia to weather an economic crisis fueled by low oil prices. The EU earlier this month extended economic sanctions on Russia until the start of 2017, despite misgivings from some countries such as Slovakia who are keen to debate their effectiveness. Several Moscow-based EU diplomats say Russia's tactic of methodically lobbying southern and eastern EU member states is starting to seriously erode the bloc's unity on the issue, making it potentially harder to renew them next time. "Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a softly softly approach," one of the diplomats, from a country which favors their continuation, told Reuters. "The result is that we are seeing more and more countries saying we should analyze the sanctions, assess what effect they are having, and review them again." Italy, Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were among Moscow's prime targets, diplomats said. Slovenia, where Putin will preside over a summit focused on trade and investment, will be the fourth of those countries he has visited since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist revolt broke out in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin sees Slovenia, which Putin has visited before, as an ally in its sanctions quest. Russia was a big export market for Slovenian food products before the Ukraine crisis and Slovenia remains keen to be a transit country for a potential pipeline carrying Russia gas to southern Europe. Some EU members, such as Poland, have angered Moscow by tearing down monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War Two. Slovenia is taking the opposite approach and the Kremlin said Putin would attend the unveiling of a new monument to Soviet soldiers in Ljubljana. FLAGGING UNITY Russia says it will not discuss returning Crimea to Ukraine, meaning there is no prospect that the EU sanctions specifically linked to the annexation will be removed anytime soon. But there is flexibility about wider EU sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the Kremlin was accused of giving military aid to separatist rebels. Moscow denies that. Two EU diplomats said they thought the impact of Putin's widening charm offensive, accompanied by offers of lucrative trade deals and polite reminders of lost export revenues, could see those watered down next year. "It's getting harder to hold the line," said one, from another country which wants the sanctions maintained. "The sanctions would probably not all be lifted at once, but there could be a decision to lift them in one sector next year." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in May she expected a broader review of the bloc's policy toward Russia later in the year. Diplomats said there was a feeling that EU unity over the issue was starting to break down because those countries hurt most by Russia's counter-sanctions - which banned many EU food imports - were coming under increased pressure from their own farmers and companies. Putin in June extended Russia's counter-sanctions, which have kept products from Italian hams to French cheeses off supermarket shelves, until the end of next year. The measures have stung Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's decision to attend Russia's main annual economic forum in St Petersburg in June and share a platform with Putin was seen by some as a sign Rome was wavering. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also attended, riling some countries such as Lithuania and Latvia who fear Russian aggression and are uneasy that high-level contacts with Moscow are intensifying despite the Ukraine crisis. But one of the diplomats said Juncker's decision to fly to Russia was at least partly motivated by a fear that the bloc's unity on sanctions was flagging. "Juncker came because he was worried that member states were talking to Russia separately. He wanted to try to take back the initiative," said the diplomat. UKRAINIAN GRIDLOCK Russia's official line is that it will not seek to get sanctions lifted, because it did not impose them. The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords, which introduced a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, are fully implemented. That requires Moscow to leverage its influence on pro-Kremlin separatists who still exchange fire - with often fatal results - on a regular basis with Ukrainian forces. Ukraine, which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence, has its part to play too. But despite numerous rounds of talks, there is little progress on either side. The violence, albeit at a much lower intensity, continues; elections haven't been held in the breakaway eastern regions, Kiev has not granted them special status, and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawn. The Kremlin's tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse. With no sign of a breakthrough, friendly EU member states might start to do the same, say some diplomats. "One scenario is that those countries that want the sanctions lifted say Ukraine is not doing enough to fulfill the Minsk peace accords," said one diplomat. "That would be true, but then neither is Russia. However that could be the pretext for lifting the sanctions." Fredrik Wesslau, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Wider Europe Programme, thinks Russia is playing a calculated waiting game. "Instead of implementing Minsk, Moscow is trying to split Europe and undermine the sanctions policy," he wrote. "It believes that the sanctions policy will eventually collapse. It sees European leaders sending mixed messages ... and has taken note of certain European countries' wavering commitment to the policy." Countries worried by what they see as the bloc's faltering resolve fret that Britain's decision to leave the EU is likely to undermine sanctions further since London has been one of the most vocal champions of keeping them in place. One Kremlin official said Moscow would be watching with interest to see if the EU's stance on sanctions would change now that Britain is leaving the bloc. Supporters of continued sanctions also worry about Germany, where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democrats, last month spoke in favor of gradually phasing out the sanctions. That is at odds with the position of his coalition partner Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some diplomats say she faces a difficult election next year and that pressure from German business, which has been buffeted by sanctions, will only grow. With Russia's Finance Ministry warning that the country's Reserve Fund - designed to cover budget shortfalls - will be depleted by the end of next year if nothing changes, Moscow needs some movement. Chris Weafer, senior partner at economic and political consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd, said in a note that even minor sanctions relief could help as that might start to dispel the perception that Russia was a dangerous place in which to invest or conduct business. Otherwise, he said, the Russian economy looked vulnerable to further financial crisis. (Editing by Pravin Char) putin Russian President Vladimir Putin seemingly cannot believe his luck as he watches NATO cause near irreparable harm to itself from the sidelines. NATO has been a major force in reigning in Putin's revanchist vision for Russia, with the alliance holding a series of military exercises and basing troops in vulnerable nations throughout Eastern Europe and the Baltics as a check on Russian aggression following the annexation of Crimea. Now, however, that sense of unity across Europe and North America against Russian aggression is flailing, as NATO does drastic amounts of self-harm. "Putin has the luck of the devil," Mark Galeotti, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Bloomberg about the fraying nature of NATO. "He can just sit back and watch this richer, more powerful and legitimate values-based bloc tear itself apart." At the heart of NATO's declining stature is the candidacy of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the failed coup in Turkey. Trump suggested recently that he would not necessarily extend the security guarantee inherent in NATO's Article 5 to all 28 members of the alliance. Given a hypothetical of Russia attacking a Baltic State, Trump said that he would provide aid contingent upon whether the state had "fulfilled their obligations to us." This lack of commitment to upholding NATO's cornerstone of collective defense from a US presidential candidate undermines the alliance as a whole, experts said, and could cause considerable anxiety among NATO allies particularly in the Baltic States and Eastern Europe. The failed coup in Turkey has also deeply shaken the military alliance. Turkey has the second-largest military in NATO and provides vital security to the alliance's eastern and southern flanks. However, since the failed putsch, Turkey is rapidly moving away from NATO, the US, and the West as a whole. Story continues "Anti-American sentiment is rising in the Turkish government and on the Turkish street," Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Bloomberg. "The Obama administration is at its wits end about the Turkey issue." Turkish Supporters are silhouetted against a screen showing President Tayyip Erdogan during a pro-government demonstration in Ankara, Turkey, July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner Although not named specifically, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the US general in charge of Central Command of "siding with coup plotters" on Thursday. And Turkey has formally requested the extradition of a Turkish cleric living in Pennsylvania that it holds responsible for executing the coup attempt. These mounting divisions between NATO and Turkey will only likely increase as Putin grasps and the opportunity and uses it to further pry Ankara out of the alliance's orbit, according to Alexander Shumilin, the head of the Middle East Conflicts Center at the Institute for US and Canada Studies in Moscow. "Putins policy is to provoke a divide between Turkey and NATO and reap the benefits," Shumilin told Bloomberg. Ultimately, the goal would be to have Turkey no longer function as an effective NATO buffer against Russian expansion to the south and into the Mediterranean. Turkey and Russia are only likely to further cement their relationship in the coming weeks. Erdogan has already blamed the coup plotters for the downing of a Russian jet in November 2015, which caused a precipitous decline the relations between the two countries. And on August 9, Putin and Erdogan are set to meet in St. Petersburg, Russia, to discuss a wide range of bilateral topics. For NATO, this could not look worse. NOW WATCH: IAN BREMMER: Turkeys president wants to emulate Putin but its not going to work More From Business Insider NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The government will introduce the long-awaited goods and services tax (GST) constitutional amendment bill in parliament next week, a minister said on Friday, as almost all political parties have agreed on the proposed law. The GST bill will be introduced in Rajya Sabha next week, Junior Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told lawmakers. The proposed tax reform, the biggest since India's independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of federal taxes and levies in 29 states, transforming the nation of near 1.3 billion people into a customs union. Analysts say the move could boost India's economic growth by up to 2 percentage points. (Reporting by Nigam Prusty; Editing by Malini Menon) By Alastair Sharp and Allison Lampert TORONTO/MONTREAL (Reuters) - A six-year prison sentence given to a Toronto policeman in the shooting death of a teenager three years ago was a rare occurrence in Canada, where activists say officers too often get off easy in brutality cases. The case, along with this week's death of a black man who witnesses say was beaten by police officers, has brought race relations in Canada to the forefront. The 2013 fatal shooting of Sammy Yatim, 18, which occurred after an altercation on a streetcar with the teen, who was brandishing a knife, was caught on video and led to widespread protests in Toronto. The sentencing of the officer, James Forcillo, who was convicted in January, came days after a mentally ill black man, Abdirahman Abdi, died following his arrest by police in Ottawa. The deaths have shone an unflattering light on race relations in Canada, which prides itself on its multiculturalism and tolerance, especially in contrast to the United States. In Montreal, about 50 protesters demonstrated over Abdi's death, chanting: "Black lives matter." Marlihan Lopez said that as the mother of a 6-year-old black boy with autism, the case hit close to home. "In terms of the police, we live in a world where my son's skin color is deemed as being threatening and his mental state is not understood," she said. The deaths echoed events in the United States, where a string of police killings of black men and allegations of police brutality and racial bias have sparked protests. Some confrontations in the United States were also caught on video. Julian Falconer, a lawyer for Yatim's mother, said police needed more training to deal with mentally ill people as well as lapel cameras to ensure accountability. "You have people that are not well and they are shot like dogs in the street," he told reporters. Its a tragic day for the Forcillo family, for the Yatim family, for the community, and for policing," said Michael McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association union. "Theres never going to be any good outcome from this and its tragic all around. ACTIVISTS: SHOOTINGS UNDERREPORTED Last year, a Toronto police officer shot and killed Andrew Loku, a 45-year-old Sudanese immigrant with a history of mental illness. No charges were filed. Sandy Hudson, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto, the only official Canadian chapter of the movement, said police shootings were underreported by media in Canada because surveillance footage was not as accessible and data was not always compiled by race north of the border. The reason for our existence is to dispel the myth that it is somehow safer in Canada, that it doesnt happen in Canada, she said. The group strategizes with Black Lives Matters national chapter in Los Angeles, which has provided organizational support for larger protests, she added. Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, or SIU,, an arms-length agency that investigates cases of death, serious injury or sexual assault involving police, launched 266 cases in the 2014-15 fiscal year, including six shooting deaths, 12 deaths in custody and 41 sexual assault allegations. Of the 253 cases it closed that year, the SIU laid charges in 5.1 percent of them. There were no charges laid in the shooting deaths. The agency does not make public the evidence behind its decision not to lay charges and its unredacted investigation reports are not released under freedom of information laws, drawing criticism that the SIU is too quick to clear police. "There's a reluctance on the part of a lot of Canadians to deal frankly with the history of racism in Canada," said Barrington Walker, an associate professor of African-Canadian history at Queen's University in Kingston. "The myths are still powerful and people have a lot invested in the myths, but you can see a counter argument emerging that is getting harder and harder to ignore." (Additional reporting by Leah Schnurr in Ottawa and Allison Martell in Toronto; Writing by Amran Abocar; Editing by Alan Crosby and Peter Cooney) From Town & Country After 35 years in a mental institution, John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate President Reagan in 1981, will be freed. His release has specific guidelines, which state that he must live at his mother's home in Williamsburg, Virginia; have monthly treatments at St. Elizabeth's Hospital; and "shall have no contact whatsoever" with certain individuals including Jodie Foster (with whom he was obsessed at the time of the shooting), his victims, and their families. He is also prohibited from "knowingly travel" to locations near current presidents, vice presidents, or other high-level political figures, and he has several digital media restrictions as well. While Reagan's daughter Patti Davis says she's forgiven Hinckley, she thinks he should remain detained in the mental hospital. "When my father was lying in a hospital bed recovering from the gunshots that nearly killed him, he said, 'I know my ability to heal depends on my willingness to forgive John Hinckley.' I too believe in forgiveness. But forgiving someone in your heart doesn't mean that you let them loose in Virginia to pursue whatever dark agendas they may still hold dear," she wrote on her website. "I will forever be haunted by a drizzly March afternoon when my father almost died, when Jim Brady lay in a pool of blood and two other men-Thomas Delahanty and Timothy McCarthy-were gravely wounded," she writes. "If John Hinckley is haunted by anything, I think it's that he didn't succeed in his mission to assassinate the President." Hinckley could be released into his mother's care as early as next week. From Road & Track When Renault introduced an updated power unit for the Monaco Grand Prix, the improvements reduced lap times by approximately half a second. Combined with team's already-strong chassis, the new power unit also allowed Red Bull to finish second. But despite improvements, Red Bull boss Christian Horner still thinks his team is down on power. Racer reports that Horner believes the Renault power units (branded as Tag-Heuer on the Red Bull cars) are still approximately 46 horsepower (35 kW) away from where they need to be. But he also believes Renault will be able to reduce that deficit. Renault have made some great steps and that there are more in the pipeline. There's definitely more to come and it's about how they work in harmony with the chassis. We know that we're 35 kW behind - that's what the Renault guys tell us. We know the plans they have in place to close that gap down. Unfortunately, the next major update won't come until the beginning of the 2017 F1 season. In the meantime, Horner believes there are smaller tweaks the team can still make to improve performance. "We have some fuel and tuning and drivability that there's definitely performance to come from. So we're quite confident that there will still be some steps of performance by tidying up what we actually have," he told Racer. And those tweaks could soon end up being incredibly important. Ricciardo's third-place and Verstappen's fifth-place finishes in Hungary brought Red Bull within a point of Ferrari, which is currently ranked second overall. And Horner plans to pull ahead before the summer break. "Our target is to try and go into the summer break ahead of Ferrari," he said. We'll see how effective Red Bull can be at this weekend's German Grand Prix. Krakow (Poland) (AFP) - Refugees are subject to a "death sentence" of indifference in countries where they seek shelter, young Catholics said Friday at a faith gathering in Poland which has drawn hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across the globe. War, conflict and poverty in the Middle East and parts of Africa have triggered Europe's largest refugee and migrant crisis since World War II, with some EU countries refusing to accept asylum seekers over security and economic concerns. "We refuse hospitality to people, who seeking a better life and sometimes just wanting to stay alive, knock on the doors of our countries, churches and houses," young Catholics said in a statement during a theatrical open-air religious ceremony. "Instead of finding hospitality, they find death in the waters off (Italian island) Lampedusa, on the coasts of Greece, in refugee camps. "Thirty thousand refugees have been sentenced to death in recent years. Sentenced to death by whom? Who will sign their death sentence?" The Rome-based Catholic Sant'Egidio group said 30,000 people have lost their lives attempting to reach Europe since 1988. Known for championing the rights of migrants and refugees, Pope Francis is headlining the World Youth Day faith event in and around the southern Polish city of Krakow until Sunday. We "embrace with particular love our brothers and sisters from Syria who have fled from the war," Francis told hundreds of thousands of cheering youths gathered in Krakow's sprawling Blonia meadow. Francis embraced Holocaust survivors and "Righteous" Christians who saved Jews from genocide during World War II at an emotional visit to the former Nazi Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in the nearby town of Oswiecim earlier Friday. As he arrived Wednesday in Krakow the pontiff urged Poland to welcome people fleeing conflict and hardship, chastising a right-wing government that has refused to welcome refugees citing security risks. From Esquire PHILADELPHIA-Sarah Clements is a smiling, red-haired young woman, a junior at Georgetown, and she's working the press tent here at the Democratic National Convention. On the morning of December 12, 2012, Sarah was in her high school physics class. Her mother, Abbey, was at her job teaching second grade at the same elementary school to which Sarah had gone. It was called Sandy Hook. It was in Newtown, Connecticut. Not long after physics class began, the high school went into lockdown. Sarah wasn't concerned. Lockdown drills had become a regular part of the school routine after the Columbine massacre. However, this one seemed a little longer than usual. "They didn't tell us it was a legitimate lockdown," Sarah said. "It was taking longer and longer. I took out my phone and that was one of the craziest moments, being on lockdown and knowing that people all over the world knew more about what was going on down the street than we did." Down the street, a madman named Adam Lanza had shot his way into the elementary school. He walked through the doors he'd shattered with his military-style Bushmaster XM15-E2S weapon and he turned left. Abbey Clements' classroom was to the right. "The shooter went left, and my mom's class was to the right," Sarah said. "That's the reason she's alive today. Because he turned left and not right." On Wednesday evening, Erica Smegielski addressed the convention in the middle of a long segment featuring the people who have lost loved ones due to gun violence in places now bloody and iconic-Pulse in Orlando, Mother Emanuel in Charleston. And Sandy Hook. Erica's mother, Dawn Hochsprung, was the principal of the elementary school. Her office was to the left. Adam Lanza shot her down, and then went on to kill 25 other people, including 20 children, the oldest of whom was seven. "The shooter went left, and my mom's class was to the right," Sarah said. "That's the reason she's alive today. Because he turned left and not right." Story continues "I should not be here tonight," Erica told the hall. "I did not want to be here. But those voices should never be silent. Too many politicians cower behind the gun lobby instead of doing what they need to do to keep us safe. " Erica was a few years ahead of Sarah Clements. Once the lockdown was lifted, Sarah's father picked her up, and then went to pick up her brother at the intermediate school where he was locked down. "I'll never forget those images," Sarah said. "Parents, crying, being told for the first time. Trucks everywhere. You couldn't drive anywhere in the center of town. We had to park in the center of town in order to pick up my mom. She and two colleagues walked down there from the firehouse, where everybody went. "Our town was in complete shock. Everyone was just on autopilot. A few weeks later, I saw an ad on Facebook for a march on Washington for gun control. So my Dad and I went together. That was the first time I met survivors who were not from Newtown. I think that was the turning point." Now, when her classmates at Georgetown ask her where she's from, Sarah has developed a system that keeps the sorrow at bay. "I usually don't do what I just said to you," she said. "I usually just say I'm from Connecticut and hope they don't ask for more. I say, Fairfield County, and hope they don't ask for more. And then, if they're still there, I'll say Newtown." Wednesday night, Sarah Clements got to finish work in the press center and call her mother to tell her about her day. Erica Smegielski will not get to call her mother and tell her about addressing the Democratic National Convention, and all because a madman with an arsenal turned left, and not right. Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page. [contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="" customtitles="Why Mass Shootings Keep Happening" customimages="" content="article.30024"] Thirty-five years ago today, a beautiful young woman named Lady Diana Spencer walked down the aisle at St Paul's Cathedral to wed Prince Charles in what was dubbed the "wedding of the century." The July 29, 1981 ceremony was watched by an estimated global TV audience of 750 million. And a crowd of two million lined the route of Diana's procession from Clarence House to the cathedral to catch a glimpse of the stunning bride. From start to finish, the wedding was every bit the fairy tale. The princess bride arrived to the ceremony in a glass couch, one of the principal horse-drawn carriages of the British monarch built in 1881. Want to keep up with the latest royals coverage? Click here to subscribe to the Royals Newsletter. The 20-year-old then made the three-and-a-half-minute walk down the red-carpeted aisle with her breathtaking 25-foot train trailing behind. Remembering the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana (and That Dress!) 35 Years Later| The British Royals, The Royals, Prince Charles, Princess Diana Despite the pomp and circumstance that surrounded the traditional event, the modern bride did make one notable change to the ceremony. Diana did not promise to "obey" Charles as part of the traditional vows. She promised to "love, comfort, honor and keep." The word "obey" was eliminated at the couple's request, which caused a sensation at the time. ( Princess Kate followed Diana's lead in her wedding vows to Prince William, in which she also ditched the word "obey.") Remembering the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana (and That Dress!) 35 Years Later| The British Royals, The Royals, Prince Charles, Princess Diana Remembering the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana (and That Dress!) 35 Years Later| The British Royals, The Royals, Prince Charles, Princess Diana It was Diana's wedding dress that stole much of the spotlight that day. Valued at $12,000 (equivalent to $41,000 today), the stunning gown, which was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, was made of ivory silk taffeta and embellished with lace, hand embroidery, sequins and 10,000 pearls. Remembering the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana (and That Dress!) 35 Years Later| The British Royals, The Royals, Prince Charles, Princess Diana The 25-foot train was made of ivory taffeta and antique lace. (The lace used to trim the dress had belonged to Queen Mary.) She topped her bridal look off with the Spencer family heirloom tiara. Charles looked dashing beside his bride in his full dress naval commander uniform. Story continues Remembering the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana (and That Dress!) 35 Years Later| The British Royals, The Royals, Prince Charles, Princess Diana Diana's dream dress set quite the trend. Large puffed sleeves and a full skirt became popular requests among brides around the world. Princess Kate's Hairdresser Richard Ward RemembersA the Hair Gig of the Century The iconic bridal gown was given to Prince William and Prince Harry in 2014, as determined by their late mother's will, which stipulated that her sons should take ownership of the gown once they both turn 30. Ten years after their fairy tale wedding, rumors circulated about the state of Charles and Diana's marriage. They announced their separation in December 1992, but continued to carry out their royal duties. Then, in August 1996, they formally divorced. Just one year later, on August 31, 1997, the beloved princess was killed in a car accident in Paris. Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-Calif.), discusses the scandals plaguing Hillary Clinton. Rep. Issa first weighed in on the latest in the investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons email scandal. Well, its tending to wind down because this Administration has made it clear they wont indict her for anything. They wont even indict people in the State Department that sent and received these highly sensitive, classified emails. But, you know, this isnt new, Issa told the FOX Business Networks Charles Payne. Issa says the Clinton Foundation scandal, on the other hand, could still be a problem for Hillary Clinton. Its an interesting one because yes, the FBI still has an open case on the misdealings and particularly the misdealings in uranium deals and trips by Hillary Clinton that coincided with the Clinton Foundation receiving countless millions of dollars. Issa then explained the signs that the FBI should further investigate the Clinton Foundation scandal. You know, one of the interesting things in her acceptance speech is Hillary Clinton didnt want to talk about her accomplishments, but she did want to mention that shed traveled to 112 countries. Well in some of those countries she was there on the same day that Bill was there. She was meeting with top officials, he was getting money from those top officials. So its hard for the FBI at least not to take a look at that and realize theres something wrong there. But according to Issa the scandals have added to voters lack of trust in Hillary Clinton. Well the ultimate indictment of Hillary Clinton is that she has 65-70 percent of the population knowing shes not trustworthy and many of those people wouldnt otherwise vote for her. This is an example of somebody who has experience, but not accomplishment, who has traveled, but in fact not traveled and accomplished anything. Related Articles By Summer Delaney On the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Rep. John Delaney, D-Md., sat down with Yahoo News to discuss Michael Bloombergs pitch to independent voters, Hillary Clintons economic agenda and the 2016 election. (Full disclosure: Rep. John Delaney is my father and he acknowledged he was a little nervous to talk to me!) Delaney said former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg successfully conveyed to independent and undecided voters that Clinton was the right choice to make this November. [Bloomberg] laid out the case for her economic agenda and for her national security agenda, and I think he described why voting for Donald Trump is a reckless decision in both of those areas, said Delaney. I think what they heard from the Democratic convention is much more compelling than what they heard at the Republican convention last week, and I think Mike Bloomberg as an Independent framed that beautifully for the voters. Independents arent the only voting block Clinton needs to focus on. According to the New York Times, six polls in July show Trump leading among white registered voters without a college degree by a margin of 58 percent to 30 percent. [Those voters] really want to hear a clear economic message about what the next president is going to do to create more demand in the labor market to create more opportunities so wages can go up and so that this country can become a country of opportunity again, said Delaney. I think they think its becoming a country of birthright, and not a country of opportunity, where you have that upward mobility, and I think Hillary is going to speak to that tonight. While Delaney acknowledged Trumps appeal to voters, he has a lot of confidence in the American people. He continued: when [voters] actually listen to the message and the platform I think it will be clear Secretary Clinton is much more consistent a) with whats happening in the world and b) with what really matters to peoples lives. Story continues _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> Milan (AFP) - Shares in Monte Paschi di Siena (BMPS) soared on the Milan stock exchange Friday, boosted by a possible new lifeline tabled by a veteran Italian banker and Swiss giant UBS. The stock of BMPS, the world's oldest bank which has become the eurozone banking sector's problem child, rose over 10 percent at the opening on news of the plan, which could turn out to be a welcome alternative to drastic restructuring measures demanded by the European Central Bank. It closed the day at just under 0.31 euros, up 6.3 percent. The ECB told BMPS, Italy's third-biggest bank, this month that it must offload 9.6 billion euros ($10.6 billion) of non-performing assets within two years. The bank, working with US bank JP Morgan and Italy's Mediobanca, has submitted a plan to shift the bad loans with the help of the Atlante fund, created specifically to take on doubtful banking assets. The plan also calls for a capital increase of five billion euros to boost capital reserves. But late Thursday, BMPS said it had received an alternative proposal from UBS and Corrado Passera, a former chief executive of the Intesa Sanpaolo bank and ex-minister for economic development. The bank's board, which was already scheduled to meet on Friday to approve first-half results, was looking closely at the proposal, which came as a complete surprise to financial markets. "The board quickly launched a series of in-depth preparatory studies" to analyse the proposal, BMPS said. At the end of that process, it will inform markets of its conclusions, the bank said. Later on Friday, BMPS will be the focal point of stress test results for Europe's top banks to be published by London-based European Banking Authority at 2000 GMT. The tests for 51 banks from 15 European countries, representing 70 percent of Europe's banking assets, will be a key measure of the sector's stability. BMPS, whose stock has fallen by nearly 80 percent since the start of the year, is seen as particularly vulnerable. Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore said BMPS will come out as the worst performer by far among Italy's five major banks. Rio de Janeiros Mayor Eduardo Paes attends a press conference of Two Years to Go to the Rio 2016 Olympics Opening Ceremony on August 4, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro. (Getty) Just days after his controversial quip that Australian athletes might have felt more at home in their Olympic accommodations if a kangaroo had been placed outside, Rio de Janeiros mayor has placed the blame for the problems in the athletes village on the citys Olympics organizing committee. The athletes village was ready. Then the organizing committee took charge for three months, and there were extremely serious management problems. During those three months, people intruded into the apartments and a lot of things were stolen, said Rio mayor Eduardo Paes in an interview with a Sao Paulo newspaper picked up by AFP. The doors were left half-open. The organizing committee was careless, objectively speaking, Paes said. [Related: How Rio is helping its stray cats and dogs leading up to the Olympics] Paes, who has been in office since 2008, maintains he only learned of the problems in the village late last week and that Brazilians were not the ones at fault. It wasnt a Brazilian in charge of the Olympics village. Only foreigners, said Paes. At least people cant say the Brazilians are disorganized. The boss was Mario Cilenti. Cilenti is Argentinian, so it perhaps comes as little surprise that the embattled mayor would try and pin the blame on him when you consider the contentious relationship that the two South American neighbors maintain with one another. Its been reported that Cilenti has since been relieved of his duties as executive director of the athletes villages, although theres been no official confirmation of this from the Olympics committee. The problems with the village which range from exposed wiring to leaky plumbing and clogged toilets first came to light Monday, when the Australian delegation announced it would be staying in a hotel because its accommodations were uninhabitable. Meanwhile, the Italian delegation decided to take matters into its own hands, hiring contractors to complete its unfinished block of apartments. Story continues [Related: Olympics media village built on sacred burial site] The committee since launched its own repair effort, hiring 600 plumbers to make emergency repairs to the village. Rio 2016 has stated that all problems with the village have now been taken care of. However, even that was not without controversy, with Brazils labor ministry stating that the emergency hires called in by the committee lacked proper working conditions and contracts. The mayors comments are just the latest round in an escalating game of passing the buck that earlier this week saw the organizing committee blame the problems in the village on sabotage by unhappy workers. LONDON (Reuters) - Low valuations, weak sterling and continued interest from Chinese companies in overseas dealmaking is likely to see merger activity in Europe pick up again, according to Credit Suisse. While the level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Europe is running below that of last year, partly as political risks, including Brexit, have kept firms cautious about spending on risky deals, the backdrop remains benign, Credit Suisse said. Conditions favouring M&A in Europe -- like the cheap cost of funds and relatively low debt outside of financials and resources companies -- have been in place for a while, and now growing Chinese interest is a new factor. "The disruptive influence of China is now showing itself in another manner through rapidly growing outbound M&A," Credit Suisse analysts said in a note to clients. Chinese firms have an appetite for high-end industrial technology, branded goods and lifestyle assets, the broker said, adding that a relatively strong yuan, the low cost of capital at home and a slowing domestic economy were spurring them to look abroad. Outbound M&A from China so far this year of roughly $144 billion has hit a new record, according to Credit Suisse, already surpassing last year's total. ChemChina's $46.7 billion bid to acquire Swiss chemicals firm Syngenta (SYNN.S) remains the largest M&A transaction in Europe this year while Chinese firms' interest in German industrials is growing. The sharp drop in sterling following last month's Brexit vote made British assets much cheaper for foreign investors and could spur interest in retailers, particularly in the luxury goods sector, according to Credit Suisse. The broker highlights seven stocks in Europe as potential M&A candidates that also rank high on its valuation models: Centrica (CNA.L), Euronext (ENX.PA), Exova (EXO.L), ITV (ITV.L), Shawbrook (SHAW.L), Victrex (VCTX.L) and Zodiac Aerospace (ZODC.PA). (Reporting by Vikram Subhedar; Editing by Adrian Croft) LONDON (Reuters) - Low valuations, weak sterling and continued interest from Chinese companies in overseas dealmaking is likely to see merger activity in Europe pick up again, according to Credit Suisse. While the level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Europe is running below that of last year, partly as political risks, including Brexit, have kept firms cautious about spending on risky deals, the backdrop remains benign, Credit Suisse said. Conditions favoring M&A in Europe -- like the cheap cost of funds and relatively low debt outside of financials and resources companies -- have been in place for a while, and now growing Chinese interest is a new factor. "The disruptive influence of China is now showing itself in another manner through rapidly growing outbound M&A," Credit Suisse analysts said in a note to clients. Chinese firms have an appetite for high-end industrial technology, branded goods and lifestyle assets, the broker said, adding that a relatively strong yuan, the low cost of capital at home and a slowing domestic economy were spurring them to look abroad. Outbound M&A from China so far this year of roughly $144 billion has hit a new record, according to Credit Suisse, already surpassing last year's total. ChemChina's $46.7 billion bid to acquire Swiss chemicals firm Syngenta (SYNN.S) remains the largest M&A transaction in Europe this year while Chinese firms' interest in German industrials is growing. The sharp drop in sterling following last month's Brexit vote made British assets much cheaper for foreign investors and could spur interest in retailers, particularly in the luxury goods sector, according to Credit Suisse. The broker highlights seven stocks in Europe as potential M&A candidates that also rank high on its valuation models: Centrica (CNA.L), Euronext (ENX.PA), Exova (EXO.L), ITV (ITV.L), Shawbrook (SHAW.L), Victrex (VCTX.L) and Zodiac Aerospace (ZODC.PA). (Reporting by Vikram Subhedar; Editing by Adrian Croft) With Porto Cervo on Sardinias Costa Smerelda as its palette, Rolls-Royce has created two one-off expressions of automotive arta Wraith and a Dawn debuted today to celebrate the opening of the Rolls-Royce Summer Studio in the harbored haven. The bespoke vehicles were created to capture the ambience of the luxe locales sumptuous sunrises and sunsets, as well as to convey the regions maritime motif. The result is the British marques exquisite Dusk until Dawn duet. The ethereal tones of twilight are translated by the custom Wraith, wearing dual shades of silver accented with a purple pinstripe on its exterior. At the front, the gently glowing Spirit of Ecstasy ornamentation reflects the days diminishing illumination. The interior is royally arrayed in purple, blue, slate, and black with lush ostrich-leather detailing. Infused with the colors of the marine environment at daybreak, the unique Dawn (the drophead coupe released this year) is dressed with an emerald exterior complemented by a cabin covered with seashell and green leather. And as with the luxury yachts moored in the marina, the interior has been given a generous treatment of teak that extends to the luggage compartment. Adding to the sense of place, the fascia is festooned with emeralds and mother-of-pearl placed against white gold and inlaid as the insignia of Porto Cervo. Accompanying the mobile masterworks on display are two headrests transformed into the medium of expression for one of Londons leading tattoo artists, Mo Coppoletta, a consultant on the Dusk until Dawn project. The Rolls-Royce Summer Studio, a sophisticated syntheses of showroom, exhibition space, and club for connoisseurs, will be open until September. (rolls-roycemotorcars.com) More From Robbreport.com Amsterdams Hottest New Canal-House Hotel The Vicem 65 Flybridge Makes Its Debut in Palm Beach A Foreign-Affairs Expert Turns Her Focus to Vintage Jewelry Jet Off in a Private Airbus A340 for a 22-Day Trip around the Globe Conrad Hotels & Resorts Brings New Luxury to the South Pacific Sleek and Powerful, the Bristol Bullet is Unveiled Getty Image The FBI is now investigating another cyber attack by Russian government hackers, this time against the Democratic Partys Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC. The committee, which raises money to get Democrats elected to house seats across the nation, was targeted by the same Russian intelligence service that hacked the Democratic National Committee yep, those same hackers that Donald Trump sarcastically praised. According to Reuters, the breach probably began in early June, when a bogus website was registered with a name closely resembling that of a main donation site connected to the DCCC. The IP address associated with that sham website resembled one used by Russian government-linked hackers suspected in the breach of the DNC. U.S. officials have already confirmed that there is ample evidence to suspect the Russian government was behind the DNC hack. The Washington Post reports that authorities are concerned Moscow may be attempting to meddle in the U.S. election, which would be unprecedented and highly troubling. DCCC National Press Secretary Meredith Kelly said in a statement, Based on the information we have to date, weve been advised by investigators that this is similar to other recent incidents, including the DNC breach. The DNC and the DCCC share an office in Washington, D.C. Further reports of the breach are popping up from journalists on social media. UPDATE: DCCC confirms it has been targeted by hackers. Working with @CrowdStrike and FBI to investigate pic.twitter.com/jy1SzgAYTD Dustin Volz (@dnvolz) July 29, 2016 DCCC now publicly confirming it has been hacked and has been advised incident similar to DNC hack. Investigation ongoing. Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 29, 2016 (Vis Reuters & The Washington Post) The peer-to-peer home rental market has grown enormously over the past few years thanks to Airbnb and others paving the way, and now one company is looking to do the same thing for boat rentals. Sailo, which is expected to launch its app for iOS this weekend, is an online platform that connects prospective boat renters with owners and captains. We didnt really understand why such a big industry was so marginally affected by technology, Delphine Braas, one of Sailos co-founders, told FOXBusiness.com. Customers can compare boat/captain options and book their arrangements in minutes after providing information such as the desired port location, travel date(s) and budget. They can also view photos of the various listings as well as read ratings and reviews. Sailo offers complete insurance that covers the boat, the renter, the marina, boat damages and liabilities. Of course, liabilities are a lot lower when customers go out on the water with a captain, but they can drive the boat themselves upon presentation of the necessary paperwork and licenses. Getting the lay of the land [for boat charters] was very manualWe wanted to make the process really simple by bringing it online and aggregating all of the supplies, which includes charter companies but also private boat owners, whose boats go unused most of the year. Sailo initially listed boats just in New York and Miami upon its launch in September of 2014, but has since expanded to the entire East Coast, parts of the West Coast, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Braas says this time last year, Sailo listed around 200 boats, and now maintains a fleet of about 4,000. Nine of those are supplied by 26 North Yachts, a boutique brokerage house thats been working with Sailo since last August to list boats from its charter division. We are constantly looking for ways to broaden our reach, find new customers and create additional revenue for our clients [who actually own the yachts], William Snyder, director of yacht charters at 26 North Yachts, told FOXBusiness.com. Story continues While Snyder declined to provide a dollar figure, he says the revenue generated for his clients by Sailo has been significant and rental inquiries have picked up tremendously since they began listing. [Nine yachts] is a lot to manage, promote and take care of and that really is why Sailo is critical they can market the breadth of our charter fleet. And we can piggyback on their investments, Snyder adds. An analysis by Future Market Insights estimates the global yacht charter market will be valued at $51 billion by 2020, and Sailo fully intends to capitalize on that anticipated growth through a number of initiatives. In terms of physical expansion, Sailo is looking to up its presence in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and Latin America over the coming months. The company isnt publicly disclosing its funding agenda, but it did graduate from Techstars, a 13-week startup accelerator program backed by venture capitalists in December, and it will likely hold another round of angel investing in the near future. Sailo is not ruling out being acquired somewhere down the line either. I think Airbnb would be really complementary because people who are going to be renting a house, if theyre on vacation, they might want to rent a boatPriceline Group would also be a great partner for us, Braas says. But, she adds, Boating is something a bit more special [than renting a home]. So, people do put in more research and time thinking about what boat they want. And Snyder agrees: Every charter is going to be different, its not cookie cutter. Everyone wants a unique experience. Related Articles Manufacturers add features to their washing machines for a number of reasons, including to save you time and to boost convenience (not to mention the price of the appliances). Some features are intended to solve a problem. Samsung AddWash, for instance, is designed to address one of these laundry nuisances: Adding items to a load after the wash cycle has already started. This small windowed door-within-the-door of a front-loading washer lets you toss in items after the wash cycle has begun. AddWash is a little useful, says Emilio Gonzalez, the engineer who oversees Consumer Reports tests of washing machines and dryers. On other front-loaders you can just pause the washer, open the door once the machine has stopped, and add laundry. With Samsung AddWash, you still pause the washer, but the small door lets you add the item slightly quicker. (One thing to note: The owner's manual for Samsung AddWash models states that water droplets might form on the interior of the the window. So after a load is complete, you're supposed to leave the AddWash door open to let the interior of the washing machine dry. Keeping the door on any front-loader open between loads is one way to prevent mold and mildew.) Samsung AddWash Test Results We tested the AddWash-equipped Samsung WF50K7500AW, $1,100, and Samsung WF45K6500AW, $1,000, front-loaders. They performed similarly in every test, delivering excellent cleaning and water and energy efficiency, and were among the gentlest on fabrics of all front-loaders we tested. Theyre relatively quiet, and vibration isnt a problem. Both washing machines are loaded with features, including the Super Speed option. In past tests we found it saved about 15 to 20 minutes without affecting cleaning. Thats something to consider, since both washers took 100 minutes to do a load using the normal wash on the heavy-soil setting. Youll save time using the normal-soil setting. These washing machines also offer remote control using your smartphone and the Samsung Smart Home app. Story continues The Samsung WF50K7500AW has a claimed capacity of 5 cubic feet; the Samsung WF45K6500AW's is 4.5 cubic feet. These washers are the usual 27 inches wide but 35 inches deep, more than usual. Money-saving tip: We found the Samsung WF45K6500AW on sale for $700 at Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, and other retailers. Email your questions about washers and dryers to me at kjaneway@consumer.org. 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. San Diego police officer fatally shot, another injured A police SWAT team surround a home as they search for a second suspect after a San Diego police officer was fatally shot and another was wounded late on Thursday, the police department said on Friday, adding one suspect was taken into custody in San Diego, Calif., on July 29, 2016. (REUTERS/Mike Blake) A police officer and father of two is dead, and another cop is injured after they were shot in San Diego Thursday night. One suspect has been taken into police custody. Police said they were searching for additional suspects. The shooting happened after the two officers, both assigned to the gang unit, made a stop around 11 p.m. local time. The officers called for emergency cover and were shot multiple times, police said. One officer died from gunshot wounds. The second officer, also a husband and father, according to ABC affiliate KGTV, was hospitalized for surgery. San Diego police said this morning that he is expected to survive. Police did not say if the officers were ambushed. (GMA) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr . The newly-built Sandy Hook Elementary School was opened today to media and Newtown, Connecticut, residents, nearly four years after a gunman opened fire in the building, killing 20 first-graders and six adults in one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. The 86,000-square-foot school is scheduled to open next month, but school officials held a public open house for media Friday morning and are inviting local residents to visit the school later in the day, the Associated Press reports. The original school was torn down in 2013, nearly a year after the December 2012 massacre. The town received a $50 million grant from the state to build the new structure. The school was built on the same site as the original school, but is located further back on the property. The footprint of the old building remains in the parking lot and other areas, the AP reports. Closer look at new Sandy Hook facade pic.twitter.com/IUtiHKEPeR a Esteban L. Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ) July 29, 2016 New Sandy Hook school's front entrance pic.twitter.com/frMDdc1qzU a Esteban L. Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ) July 29, 2016 The deadly shooting took place the morning of December 12, 2012. It ended when the gunman turned his weapon on himself. "Our goal was to create a place of community and learning, a place that would honor those we lost and allow those who were left behind the chance to move forward," First Selectman Patricia Llodra said in a statement, according to The Hartford Courant. Correction: this is entrance near auditorium; this is Main Entrance pic.twitter.com/WSN0YBKAIO a Esteban L. Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ) July 29, 2016 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Story continues Main center courtyard at new Sandy Hook school pic.twitter.com/an4QXrEGjN a Esteban L. Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ) July 29, 2016 Llodra spoke to media at the school at 10 a.m., while residents will be allowed to visit from 5 to 8 p.m., the Courant reports. "The transition to the new school needs to be as seamless as possible for the children," Superintendent Joseph Erardi said in a statement, according to the Courant. "That is why we are setting up this day; and therefore, asking everyone to give us the space we need to allow high quality teaching and learning when we return for our first day of school." This is really neat: area called the treehouse overlooks nearby woods pic.twitter.com/ILZW5vAio6 a Esteban L. Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ) July 29, 2016 The playground at new Sandy Hook school pic.twitter.com/1DUn7T3CM4 a Esteban L. Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ) July 29, 2016 Erardi uploaded a photo of the new school to Twitter, inviting Newtown residents to tour the school on Friday. A local reporter uploaded many photos to Twitter, highlighting the school's main courtyard, a second-grade classroom and Shelly, a turtle who lives in a tank at the school's entrance. Greeting children at new Sandy Hook main entrance: A turtle pic.twitter.com/ufKUX79rrn a Esteban L. Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ) July 29, 2016 The school has impact-resistant windows, video monitoring and an elevated ground floor, the AP reports. Nearly 400 students are scheduled to enroll in the school this fall 70 of the students, now fourth-graders, attended the school at the time of the shooting, the superintendent said, according to the AP. Since the shooting, Sandy Hook students have been attending a school in Monroe, less than 10 miles from Newtown. New York (AFP) - Nearly four years after suffering one of the worst mass shootings in America, an elementary school in Connecticut will re-open in a brand-new, high-tech building this fall. The old Sandy Hook Elementary School was demolished in 2013 after a crazed gunman fatally shot 20 children and six educators in December 2010 in just five minutes before killing himself. The new Sandy Hook School, which will feature heavy-duty windows and sophisticated video surveillance, was built with a $50 million grant from the state of Connecticut in the small leafy town of Newtown, two and a half hours by car northeast of New York City. The school will open quietly in September after the summer holidays, although local media were taken on a guided tour Friday. "Despite its birth from a horrible tragedy, Sandy Hook School will be a place full of laughter, love, and learning," Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra said. Built on the old site, the new school has a completely different layout designed to make maximum use of the surrounding nature. "We're asking everyone to give us the space we need to focus entirely on teaching and learning when we return for our first day of school," Superintendent Joseph Erardi, the town's top school official, said. The new premises will be able to welcome 464 pupils and up to another 84 children in a half-day, pre-kindergarten program. The Sandy Hook massacre prompted President Barack Obama to launch an unsuccessful drive to tighten US gun laws, after which he assailed the Republican-controlled Congress for blocking reforms that would have toughened background checks on gun buyers. PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi's sales and profit fell in the second quarter despite double-digit growth at biotech arm Genzyme, as the diabetes division came under sustained pricing pressure in the United States. Business net income fell 3.3 percent to 1.68 billion euros ($1.86 billion) at constant exchange rates, with revenue down 0.2 percent at 8.87 billion, the company said on Friday. Sales fell 4.3 percent on a reported basis. Sanofi is under pressure to diversify geographically and expand in oncology to offset declining sales of diabetes blockbuster Lantus. It recently offered around $9.5 billion for U.S. cancer specialist Medivation, which opened its books earlier this month in a sale process expected to attract other blue-chip bidders. Sanofi Chief Executive Olivier Brandicourt attempted on Friday to allay investor concerns that Sanofi could end up overpaying. "We're certainly pleased to have the opportunity to engage with Medivation," Brandicourt said. "But I emphasize that we will remain financially disciplined throughout this process." The company maintained its guidance for stable 2016 profit but predicted a negative 4 percent currency impact on its full-year earnings per share. Exchange rate swings had a negative effect of 4.1 percent on quarterly sales, Sanofi said, compounded by the collapse of the Venezuelan bolivar and difficulties encountered in converting the currency. But Biotech arm Genzyme reported a 20.1 percent sales increase at constant rates, while the vaccines and animal health divisions also posted stronger revenue. Sales at the diabetes division were down 3.5 percent, reflecting cut-price U.S. sales of Lantus following the expiry of its patent last year. The results were broadly in line with analysts' expectations of 8.89 billion euros in sales and 1.68 billion in business net income, based on the mean of 10 estimates in a Reuters poll. (Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Editing by Laurence Frost) Beirut (AFP) - A maternity hospital supported by Save the Children was bombed Friday in an air raid in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, causing casualties and damage, the Britain-based charity said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a jihadist from Al-Nusra Front, which has changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, was killed in the raid. "Save the Children supported maternity hospital in #Idlib bombed, casualties reported - numbers unconfirmed," the charity tweeted. It said the bomb hit the entrance to the hospital. "This is the only hospital specialising in maternity and children in the northern western side of rural Idlib," a statement said. Alun McDonald, Save the Children regional media manager, said in a separate statement: "There are initial reports of some casualties among patients and staff, although numbers are so far unconfirmed." The Britain-based Observatory, quoting local sources, said a jihadist was killed in the raid that struck the hospital in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim, leaving it heavily damaged and barely operational. "It was him that was targeted. He went to visit his wife who had just given birth when the bombing happened," said the monitoring group's head, Rami Abdel Rahman. The bombing came a day after the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra Front, said it was breaking ties with the global terror network and changing its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. Save The Children said the hospital is the biggest maternity facility in the area, serving over 1,300 women monthly and delivering up to 700 babies each month. "The hospital has six incubators for premature babies, and an outpatient clinic for supporting pregnant women and providing after delivery care," it said. The Observatory did not specify if the raid was carried out by Syrian regime aircraft or warplanes of its Russian allies. Amnesty International said the strike "appears to be part of a despicable pattern of unlawful attacks deliberately targeting medical facilities" across Syria and a "potential war crime". Story continues "Deliberate attacks on hospitals and medical facilities are serious violations of the laws of war and can never be justified," said Amnesty's Philip Luther. Several clinics and makeshift hospital in rebel-controlled areas have been hit by Syrian regime air strikes, particularly in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. Last week, air raids struck four makeshift hospitals and a blood bank over a 24-hour period in the regime-besieged eastern sector of the city of Aleppo. In a separate statement, Sonia Khush, Syria director for Save the Children, said the situation for an estimated 100,000 children trapped under siege and bombardment in Aleppo is "desperate". "The world cannot turn its back while children are bombed and then denied medical treatment," she said. "We need an end to the indiscriminate attacks on civilians and immediate and unfettered access for humanitarian aid." The five-year conflict in Syria has left over 280,000 people dead and displaced millions. After making his second appearance at this years Democratic National Convention, Scandals President Grant seems to be Hillary Clintons fave POTUS after Bill and Barack. Tony Goldwyn, who was onstage Wednesday to talk about the Innocence Project and introduce the Mothers of the Movement, reprised his DNC role today in a video shot at the host citys treasured landmark. Standing in the Assembly Room at Independence Hall, which he called the birthplace of our great nation, Goldwyn said: This is where [the Founding Fathers] gathered to finally break free and declare that here in America, we must be in control of our own destiny, that we each have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He reminded that the same room later was used to draw up the Constitution. The words written here centuries ago give us the freedom to speak our minds, to worship as we choose and to select our own government. Goldwyn reminded, however, that women and African-Americans were not allowed to vote. Thats a stark contrast to the current and possibly next U.S. president. Watch the video above especially if youve been watching CNN or MSNBC, who were busy elsewhere as it was played in the Wells Fargo Center. Instagram Photo [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHinf4vQdM0&w=970&h=546] Related stories The Best And Not-Best From The Democratic & Republican Conventions - A Postmortem Donald Trump & RNC Top Hillary Clinton & Final Night Of DNC In Viewers DNC Final Day Ratings See Hillary Clinton Down From Obama In 2012; Steady With Trump & RNC LONDON (Reuters) - Most Scots still back remaining in the United Kingdom despite Britons voting to leave the European Union, a move which was opposed by the majority in Scotland, according to an opinion poll published on Saturday. Scotland's nationalist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the June 23 vote for Brexit had put Scottish independence back on the agenda just two years after it was rejected in a referendum. While Britons backed leaving the EU by 52-48 percent, Scots voted by 62-38 percent to remain in the bloc, an outcome Sturgeon argues has changed the political landscape regarding possible Scottish secession. However according to Saturday's YouGov survey, 53 percent of Scots wanted to stay part of the United Kingdom with 47 percent backing independence. Even when asked if they would rather stay in the EU but leave the UK, 46 percent of the 1,006 respondents said they wanted to remain in the UK and only 37 percent preferred Scotland becoming an independent nation within the bloc. "Inevitably, some will suggest that the high-water mark of Scottish independence has now passed, especially as it was thought that leaving the EU might persuade 'No' voters to change their minds and vote against the Union," said Joe Twyman, YouGov's Head of Political and Social Research. "However, the situation is, naturally, more complicated than that. There remains a great deal of uncertainty about what the UK's relationship with the EU will look like in the long term. A lot could, and almost certainly will, change on this front in the coming years." Scots rejected independence by 55-45 percent in the 2014 referendum, but since then Sturgeon's Scottish National Party has gone from strength to strength, winning 56 of Scotland's 59 seats in the British parliament in the 2015 election. She said on Monday she would start preparatory work on making independence an option, depending on the outcome of British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit negotiations to determine the United Kingdom's future relations with the EU. May has made keeping Scotland in the UK a priority in the wake of the Brexit vote, and has she would not trigger Article 50, the formal mechanism to start EU divorce talks, until she had concluded an agreement that suited all regions of the country. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison) Seth Meyers had jokes for everyone in his "Closer Look" at the DNC and Hillary Clinton accepting the nomination on Thursday. He enjoyed Obama's Donald Trump digs from Wednesday night. "Something tells me even if Trump loses, Obama enjoys roasting him too much to just stop," said Meyers. "He'll probably go on the road and take his best material with him." "I'm looking forward to his Netflix comedy special," said Meyers, flashing to a fake mockup of a Netflix page with an Obama comedy special entitled "Miss Me Yet?" Meanwhile, Meyers compared fellow Wednesday night speaker Tim Kaine, smiling after his Trump impression, to "a dad who's just told a joke to his daughter's friends." "Kaine's dry demeanor and dad jokes made you want to start looking at your phone, which is exactly what a young member of his family did," said the Late Night host. He showed video of a young man typing on his phone during Kaine's speech, and then showed a clip of the boy getting caught by someone else in the audience. Read More: Critic's Notebook: Hillary Clinton Gives the Best Speech of Her Life at the Democratic Convention "I was just texting how great I thought his Trump was," joked Meyers. Moving on to Hillary Clinton, Meyers said of her historic speech last night, "Much like the best speeches in her career, it was fine," said Meyers. He then called out Bernie Sanders for looking glum when Clinton thanked him. One thing Meyers wanted everyone to know - Clinton's speech was "marred" by plagiarism. He played his intro to his "Closer Look" segment followed by a sentence in Clinton's speech when she says "Let's take a closer look." Read More: Hillary Clinton Is Daenerys Targaryen, Superwoman in New Coloring Book On Thursday, Meyers also took time out of his show to ridicule Trump for not releasing his tax returns. Story continues He said he knows the real reason why Trump won't release them. Addressing Trump he said, "I think you're broke." He continued on about Trump not having any money and said Trump is only running for president because he needs the salary. "I think if you do win your first question will be, 'Do I get that in a lump sum or is it installments?'" Nairobi (AFP) - Dozens of secondary schools across Kenya have been deliberately set on fire, but as the authorities struggle to pinpoint why, fractious relations between pupils, teachers and a controversial education minister offer clues. In the last three months, 117 Kenyan schools have been partially burnt by arsonists. Yet the arson attacks, which are countrywide, don't seem to correspond to any of the usual ethnic, geographical or socioeconomic fault lines that often spark tension in Kenya. A confidential report by the police and education ministry seen by AFP identifies a clear pattern of behaviour in the planning of the crimes, as the authorities struggle to contain the phenomenon. The fires "mainly affect dormitories where students sleep, and appear well coordinated because so far students have never been caught by the fire, meaning they escape well in advance with prior knowledge," the report said. In response, education minister Fred Matiang'i has held several meetings with teachers, religious leaders and police, and more than 150 students have been arrested so far. But the problem persists: on Thursday night alone, four schools were set on fire. - Fear and loathing - Identifying those orchestrating the attacks, or merely proving they might be copycat acts, is proving difficult. The media has relayed fears of parents for their children's safety along with strident editorials condemning the incidents as symptomatic of a soft touch approach to parenting and education in Kenya today. "An education system in which students burn hostels and destroy school property every day is an indictment of the collective ethos of a nation. It is a shame and a reflection of a society gone haywire," the Daily Nation newspaper thundered on Thursday. The government has meanwhile seized upon recent reforms designed to stop epidemic levels of cheating to explain the fires. They say the burning schools are retribution from a "cartel" formerly linked to the country's exam-setting body, which used to profit handsomely from selling papers and answers. Story continues Questions were exchanged by text messages and on social media, with some sold for around $10. The cheating ring was dismantled in March 2015 and several senior figures from the government agency were arrested. Others blame students themselves, saying they are scared of failing their exams, and still more point to their parents, whom they characterise as angry after losing out financially due to the cheating crackdown. - Ministerial role - The role of education minister Matiang'i is also a suspected factor, following months of complaints from teachers, students and parents against his tough approach. Matiang'i has effectively reduced the length of the school holidays by modifying the scholastic calendar, and has altered the allocation of funds for school supplies, angering the education establishment. He has carried out surprise visits to schools, publicly taking teachers to task in a way that has reportedly left them feeling humiliated. The minister has earned the nickname "Magufuli" as a result, in reference to the tight ship administration run by the Tanzanian President John Magufuli, who has cracked down on ministerial incompetence and wasteful public spending. Without any sign of the government reversing its strict policy on cheating, and Matiang'i still firmly in place, older students are currently refusing to take their mock examinations ahead of the real thing in October. Some told AFP they want the exams delayed to make up for time lost to teachers striking in October 2015. So whether or not the arson mystery is solved, the bad blood between all the actors in this educational saga seems far from over. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of Patterson Companies, Inc. (PDCO) concerning possible breaches of fiduciary duty by the board of directors of the company. To obtain additional information, go to: http://zlk.9nl.com/patterson-companies-pdco or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@zlk.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972. Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Eduard Korsinsky, Esq. 30 Broad Street - 24th Floor New York, NY 10004 Tel: (212) 363-7500 Toll Free: (877) 363-5972 Fax: (212) 363-7171 www.zlk.com SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2016 / Khang & Khang LLP (the "Firm") announces that a class action lawsuit was filed against K12, Inc. ("K12" or the "Company") (LRN). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares between November 7, 2013 and October 27, 2015 (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the Firm prior to the September 19, 2016 lead plaintiff motion deadline. If you purchased shares of K12 during the Class Period, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esquire, of Khang & Khang, 18101 Von Karman Avenue, 3rd Floor, Irvine, CA 92612, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or by e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com. There has been no class certification in this case. Until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. You may choose to take no action and remain a passive class member. According to the complaint, K12 issued false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: that the Company published misleading advertisements about students' academic progress, parent satisfaction, graduates' eligibility for admission into the University of California and California State University, class sizes, the individualized and flexible nature of K12's instruction, hidden costs, and the quality of the materials provided to students; that the Company submitted inflated student attendance numbers to the California Department of Education in order to receive additional funding; that K12 was open to potential civil and criminal liability due to these practices; that K12 would likely be forced to end these practices, which would have a negative impact on its operations and prospects; and as a result of the above, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When this news was announced, shares of K12 fell in value causing investors harm. If you wish to learn more about this lawsuit, or if you have any questions concerning this notice or your rights, please contact Joon M. Khang, a prominent litigator for almost two decades, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or by e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com. Story continues This press release may constitute Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions. Contacts Joon M. Khang, Esq. Telephone: 949-419-3834 Facsimile: 949-225-4474 joon@khanglaw.com SOURCE: Khang & Khang LLP (Adds details, CEO comments, shares) By Gayathree Ganesan and Sruthi Ramakrishnan July 29 (Reuters) - Newell Brands Inc, the maker of Sharpie pens and Rubbermaid food containers, reported better-than-expected quarterly sales and profit, helped by the acquisition of Jarden Corp. Shares of Newell Brands, which closed the $15.4 billion acquisition of the maker of Yankee Candle and Crock-Pot cookware in April, were up 5.3 percent in light premarket trading on Friday. The company's sales more than doubled to $3.86 billion in the second quarter, with $2.22 billion coming from the Jarden business. Analysts on average had expected revenue of $3.76 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The company's legacy brands such as Paper Mate InkJoy gel pens and Jarden's Yankee Candle performed strongly in the quarter, Chief Executive Michael Polk said in an interview to Reuters. The Jarden deal, which added about 120 brands to Newell's portfolio, increased its exposure to Europe and doubled the company's footprint in markets such as the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Polk added. However, the company does not expect any major impact from Britain's vote to leave the European Union. "In the next year there might be some forex-related issues that we have to deal with ... It (Brexit vote) is not a major disruption and does not have a major impact this year," Polk said. The deal will boost pro forma annual revenue from Europe to more than $2 billion, the CEO said. The company had revenue of $591.1 million from Europe, Middle East and Africa last year. However, the company's net income fell 9 percent to $135.2 million, or 30 cents per share, as it spent more on advertising and promotions. Excluding items, the company earned 78 cents per share, beating the average analyst expectation of 72 cents. (Reporting by Gayathree Ganesan and Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Anil D'Silva) WESTONARIA, South Africa (Reuters) - South Africa's Sibanye Gold lost 135 million rand ($9.48 million) in revenue in the 12 months to June at its Kroondal platinum mine due to government safety stops, the company said on Thursday. Jean Nel, chief executive of Sibanye's platinum division, said in a presentation the mine also lost 56 million rand to a wildcat strike and 8 million rand in revenue to community protests. Government-mandated safety stops are a thorn in the side of the mining industry which says they are often not needed. Sibanye Chief Executive Neal Froneman earlier said the department of mineral resources was "destroying hundreds of millions, if not billions of rand in value" because of unnecessary safety stops. One industry complaint is that entire mines are often shut for infringements when it might be more appropriate to close just one section. South Africa's mines are the deepest and among the most dangerous in the world though the number of annual deaths in the shafts has been falling. In 2015, 77 miners died on the job in South Africa, the lowest number on record. But the mine workforce has also been in decline. ($1 = 14.2425 rand) (Reporting by Ed Stoddard; editing by Susan Thomas) A Singaporean has been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for actively spreading radical ideology online and helping to radicalise at least two other Singaporeans. Local media reports, quoting a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) statement, said that 44-year-old Zulfikar Shariff was arrested in Singapore this month. Zulfikar has been issued with an Order of Detention for two years, according to the statement released Friday (29 July). The two Singaporeans that he helped to radicalise are security guard Muhammad Shamin Mohamed Sidek, 29, who was detained last July, and businessman Mohamad Saiddhin Abdullah, 33, who was issued with a Restriction Order this month. The reports said that Zulfikar has been living in Melbourne, Australia, in the past 14 years. MHA said Zulfikar has openly shown his support for the Islamic State terrorist group and had promoted the group and its violent actions in numerous Facebook posts. Zulfikar came under the spotlight in 2002 for insisting that primary schoolgirls should be allowed to wear the hijab in Singapore national schools. He moved to Melbourne in the same year. His Facebook profile stated that he is doing his PhD at the La Trobe University. The profile also said that Zulfikar was a former editor of an online portal called Al-Makhazin, a website that aimed to counter Western media. MHA said Zulfikar had admitted to using the Al-Makhazin Facebook page as a platform to agitate on Muslim issues in Singapore and attack some Singaporean Muslims who did not share his views. He has been inactive on Facebook recently, with his last post dated 25 June 2016. Minister Yaacob Ibrahims comments MHA said in its statement, The Government takes a very serious view of efforts to undermine Singapores constitutional democracy, and will take firm and decisive action against any person who engages in such activities. Minister for Communication and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said that he was dismayed by the arrests of the self-radicalised Singaporeans. The arrests are a stark reminder that the risks to our society are real and reflect the open and porous nature of the Internet which allows terrorist ideologies to infiltrate, Yaacob said. The minister called for Singaporeans to remain vigilant in the war against terrorism and condemn terrorist groups that use violence in the name of Islam. He also called for the Malay/Muslim community to stand united with other Singaporeans to foster racial harmony. By Fathin Ungku SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singaporean man has been detained for "terrorism-related activities" that included supporting the Islamic State (IS) militant group and encouraging violence through Facebook posts, the government said on Friday. Multi-ethnic Singapore has an image as one of the safest countries in the world and has never seen an attack by Islamist militants though authorities did break up a plot to bomb several embassies soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Authorities have detained or repatriated dozens of people in the past year, most of them migrant Bangladeshi workers, for suspected links to militant fund-raising. Several Singaporeans have also been radicalized, with some trying to join the Islamic State in Syria, authorities have said. The Ministry of Home Affairs identified the detained suspect as Zulfikar bin Mohamad Shariff, 44, and said he had been held this month under an Internal Security Act (ISA) that allows for suspects to be held for lengthy periods without trial. The ministry said Zulfikar had been "radicalized" in 2001 before settling with his family in Australia in 2012. He was found to be supportive of IS as well as al Qaeda and an allied regional group called Jemaah Islamiah, and he had strongly encouraged Muslims to engage in armed jihad via postings on Facebook, it said. "In view of the high level of the terrorism threat that Singapore currently faces, and the global terrorism threat posed by ISIS, Zulfikar's promotion of violence and ISIS and his radicalizing influence pose a security threat to Singapore," it said, referring to Islamic State. Zulfikar had contributed to the radicalization of a man detained under the ISA last year and to that of "a radicalized businessman" who had been placed under a restriction order this month. A restriction order means a person cannot move home, change jobs or go abroad without approval. (Editing by Marius Zaharia and Robert Birsel) Thats a wrap. The 2016 convention season in this endless presidential election cycle is over, and the candidates are set. On Thursday night Hillary Clinton gave her historic acceptance speech the first by a woman accepting her partys nomination for president in American history where she focused on her qualifications to be commander in chief. FPs Molly OToole has been in Philly all week, and writes that while Clinton put her rival Donald Trump on full blast as did retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen Clintons extensive experience handling foreign policy and national security issueswont necessarily be enough to overcome her flaws as a candidate or change the fact that foreign policy issues wont necessarily decide November. OToole also sat down with Alex Conant, communications director for former Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio, who said, look its no secret that a lot of Republicans, including myself, have had trouble supporting Donald Trump. But hes fighting to keep the party committed to strong international agreements, and being the best ally possible, and the worst enemy possible. The challenge. One of the immediate issues the next president will face is the war against the Islamic State, which is raging on several fronts. In Afghanistan, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Kabul revealed Thursday that U.S. special forces are on the ground and in the thick of the fight in Nangarhar province, and five commandos were wounded this week battling ISIS. The revelation that American forces are again engaged in close-quarters combat in Americas longest war comes at a time when President Barack Obama has been slowly walking back his earlier efforts to pull out all American troops by the end of his term in January, reports FPs Paul McLeary Afghan sliding. On Friday, a Congressionally-mandated watchdog group released its latest quarterly report on Afghanistan, and finds that the government in Kabul has lost ground to the Taliban over the past year. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), relying on stats provided by U.S. forces in the county, says the area under Afghan government control or influence decreased to 65.6 percent by the end of May, down from 70.5 percent last year. President Barack Obama recently unveiled plans to leave 8,400 American troops in Afghanistan at the end of his term, despite taking office promising to end American involvement there. The United States has spent $70 billion since 2002 to build and train Afghan security forces. Story continues Centcom comes clean. Elsewhere in the anti-ISIS fight, the U.S. military said Thursday that its airstrikes in Iraq and Syria killed 14 civilians in six separate incidents in Iraq and Syria between July 2015 and April 2016. The deadliest strike came on April 29 in Mosul, which killed four civilians. Remember, the Pentagon is also investigating two separate airstrikes near the city of Manbij in northern Syria over the past week that may have killed dozens of civilians. Independent monitoring groups are saying the first strike on the village of al-Tukhar could have claimed the lives of as many as 73 to over 200 civilians, making the July 19 assault potentially the worst incident of the war. A problem like Turkey. The recent failed coup in by a group of military officers in NATO ally Turkey also presents a big challenge for the next administration. The post-coup crackdown that has seen the arrest or dismissal of over 60,000 servicemembers, academics, and government officials has crippled the government. A total of 149 generals and admirals have also been arrested, something which worries U.S. Central Command leader Gen. Joseph Votel. He said Thursday, weve certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular. Im concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper added that the governments backlash has affected all segments of the national security apparatus in TurkeyMany of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested. Theres no question that this is going to set back and make more difficult Washingtons policymaking in the Middle East. Two senior Turkish generals quit their posts in protest over the crackdown earlier this week, as Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan consolidates his personal control over the military. More than 1,500 officers were dishonorably discharged this week alone. Elsewhere, thousands of Turkish citizens have launched protests outside the gate of the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, which is a major hub for U.S. and NATO aircraft bombing ISIS in nearby Syria. The protesters are burning American flags and demanding that the government close the base. Survivor. In a town infamous for throwing bureaucrats under the bus, Patrick Kennedys survival is the stuff of legend. FPs John Hudson tracks down how the 67-year-old State Department official, largely unknown to the general public but for Republicans in Congress, he is the dark force behind two of the biggest controversies of Hillary Clintons career, has kept going, and stayed off the radar. Good morning and as always, if you have any thoughts, announcements, tips, or national security-related events to share, please pass them along to SitRep HQ. Best way is to send them to: paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or on Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley 2016 Its not just the Democratic National Convention that might have be in the crosshairs of Russian hackers. Reuters gets the scoop that the FBI is investigating an attempt to hijack the web traffic of donors to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), House Democrats fundraising arm. The incident leveraged a website with a URL similar to that used by a DCCC donation page in an attempt to trick donors into entering their information into the forged site. Sources tell the wire service that the IP address of the site also turned up in the investigation of the DNC hack which the intelligence community has linked to Russian intelligence. South China Sea China wants to put a nuclear reactor on board a ship and sail it out into the South China Sea as a kind of floating power source. China Daily reports that the China National Nuclear Corp is working on the project with hopes to deploy a shipborne reactor by 2019. Experts tell the paper that China could use the floating nuclear power sockets to help speed up development in the South China Sea, where China is busy building up man-made islands in disputed territory. North Korea South Korean officials say North Korean hackers tried to shake down a popular ecommerce website to the tune of $2.6 billion. The New York Times reports that South Korean police now say hackers affiliated with North Korean intelligence were responsible for breaching 10 million customers data from the popular online store Interpark and demanding $2.6 billion from the company to keep quiet about the loss. The National Police Agency says the hackers were tied to North Koreas General Bureau of Reconnaissance. Syria Secretary of State John Kerrys plan to work with Russia to jointly target extremist groups in Syria isnt working out so well, Reuters reports. U.S. officials tell the wire service that two developments have cast doubt on the viability of the effort. First, the Assad regimes encirclement of Aleppo appears designed to foreclose on anticipated U.S. demands to clear a supply route in the besieged city. Second, the Nusra Fronts recent breakup with al Qaeda means its likely to draw closer to more moderate rebel groups, which would offer Russia a green light to target a broader section of the anti-Assad opposition instead of just jihadist groups. Iraq U.S. troops are increasingly batting down drones used by the Islamic State. The U.S. Central Command says airstrikes destroyed two ISIS drones just this week, one in Mosul and another in the city of Hit. The jihadist group has shown a fondness for using commercial unmanned aerial vehicles, often small hobbyist drones like the Skywalker X7 and the DJI Phantom-style quadrotors. The Pentagon is asking to shift money in its budget for a $20 million effort to counter ISIS drones that could be used against U.S. forces fighting the group. Iraqs publicly-funded militias are here to stay. The Long War Journal reports that Iraq has solidified a move by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in February to make the Popular Mobilization Units a permanent part of the Iraqi government, rather than the impromptu, government-funded auxiliary force which they began as following the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State in June 2014. Some observers worry that the incorporation of the primarily Shia militias, often backed by Iran, will lead to the weakening of the Iraqi state and create a parallel and less accountable security force akin to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran or Hezbollah in Lebanon. Navy The U.S. Naval Institutes Sam LaGrone tracked down the U.S. Navys plans to name a Military Sealift Command oiler after the celebrated San Francisco gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Milk served in the Navy as a diving officer and later went on to serve as the first openly gay elected official in California before he a political rival assassinated him in 1978. The Navy has named a number of auxiliary support vessels after civil rights activists, including John Lewis, Sojourner Truth, late Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, and Lucy Stone. Around town 9:00 a.m. The American Enterprise Institute and the Mitchell Institute are holding a joint event Friday, entitled Marine Corps aviation: Todays military readiness crisis, tomorrows capabilities at AEIs offices on 17th street. The event will feature Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Aviation Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, AEIs Thomas Donnelly, and the Mitchell Institutes Lt. Gen. David Deptula (retired). Livestream here. Photo by Mike Coppola/WireImage Chicago (AFP) - Authorities in the US state of Michigan filed criminal charges Friday against six current and former state officials over lead water contamination in the city of Flint, signaling that their probe is expanding. "Many things went tragically wrong in Flint. Some failed to act," Michigan State Attorney General Bill Schuette told a news conference as he announced the new charges. "Some intentionally altered figures, and covered up." More than 8,000 children are believed to have consumed lead-tainted water in the hardscrabble northern city, which has become a focus of the 2016 White House race. Until now, three state workers had been criminally charged over the health crisis, which occurred in the aftermath of government officials' cost-saving effort in 2014 to switch the city's source of drinking water. One took a plea agreement to cooperate in the probe. Chief investigator Andrew Arena said his team was "starting to work our way up" in the areas of state government they were investigating, and expanding the probe "into other departments." "This at the end will be the largest criminal investigation in the history of the state of Michigan," he said. On Friday authorities charged another six current and former state employees for covering up evidence of water contamination. They face various felony and misdemeanor counts, including conspiracy, misconduct in office and tampering with evidence. Experts say the new source of water proved more corrosive on aging pipes and caused lead contamination that exposed thousands of children to the toxin. "In essence, these individuals concealed the truth. They were criminally wrong to do so," Schuette said. The highest ranked official charged is Liane Shekter Smith, who was fired in February from her post as chief of Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality. "Shekter Smith ignored reports that the (water treatment) plant was out of compliance, lied that the water plant was certified, and deliberately misled her superiors," Schuette said. Story continues She faces a felony charge of misconduct in office and a misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty. The others charged are: Nancy Peeler and Robert Scott, who are current employees in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Corrine Miller, a former MDHHS employee; and Patrick Cook and Adam Rosenthal, current employees of the state's Department of Environmental Quality. Todd Flood, special counsel for the Flint probe, said he was in talks with Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's office in connection with the investigation and that talks had been "constructive." The damage to the city's water pipes may be long-lasting, if not permanent. Residents must use filters to make their water drinkable. Last month officials also filed a lawsuit accusing a French company and a Texas firm of negligence and fraud, for their roles in the Flint water crisis. Bratislava (AFP) - Slovak President Robert Fico on Friday said he believed there is a high risk that fresh attacks will occur in Europe, and he blamed migrants for the threat. In less than two weeks Islamic State group jihadists have claimed four bloody assaults in France and Germany that killed nearly 90 people, wounded hundreds and left the continent on edge. "It is obvious that potential terrorists could have used uncontrolled migration to smuggle in weapons and explosives," said Fico, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union. "Therefore the possibility of more ... terrorist attacks is very, very high. There is potential for this," he told reporters in Bratislava. Fico, who was re-elected on an anti-migration platform in March, added that intelligence gathered by the Slovak secret service showed "there is a link between migration and terrorism". "During the large influx of migrants, anyone could have come here," he said. "What on Earth do these people have in their backpacks? Why don't we take a look? Besides mineral water, food and clothes, there could be something else." Earlier this year Fico filed a lawsuit against an EU-wide quota plan to redistribute refugees across the bloc after insisting it was committing "ritual suicide" with its acceptance of hundreds of thousands of migrants, mostly refugees from war-torn Syria. Fico also vowed to "never bring even a single Muslim to Slovakia" ahead of the March general election, which saw a far-right party enter parliament for the first time. His anti-migrant policies have echoed eastern EU hawks like Czech President Milos Zeman, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and Poland's Jaroslaw Kaczynski. By Mfuneko Toyana PRETORIA (Reuters) - South Africa's unemployment rate dipped slightly in April-June from the previous quarter's record high but 26.6 percent of the labour force -- more than 5.6 million people -- remained without work. A quarterly labour force survey published by the statistics office on Thursday showed a small decline in the jobless rate from 26.7 percent in the first quarter. Statistics South Africa said that equated to 5.634 million people compared with 5.723 million who were out of work in the January-March quarter. Unemployment is now the largest driver of poverty in South Africa, the statistics office said. The number of people without jobs increased by 403,000, or 1.6 percent, from a year earlier. "Indications are that we are in a quite difficult economic situation," said Statistician-General Pali Lehohla. "There are a huge number of job losses." Africa's most advanced economy -- though no longer its biggest -- is on the brink of recession after contracting 1.2 percent in the first quarter as manufacturing and mining activity shrank. "It's a reflection of a weak economic climate," said Nedbank economist Johannes Khoza. "We didn't expect much of an improvement in employment given the weak business and consumer confidence lately. A recession is still very likely." The central bank said last week it expected zero growth in 2016. Under an expanded definition of unemployment which includes people who have stopped looking for work, the jobless rate rose to 36.4 percent in the second quarter, from 36.3 percent in the first three months of 2016, Statistics South Africa said. The largest quarterly employment losses were seen in the public administration and social services sector, where 127,000 jobs were shed. Some 44,000 jobs were lost in agriculture due to a decline in the growing of crops and animal husbandry, with significant losses also seen in the transport sector. "The high rate of unemployment contributes to much of the social tension and anguish experienced in South Africa on a daily basis, especially among the youth," Stanlib chief economist Kevin Lings said. South Africa's financial hub of Gauteng, which includes the city of Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria, both set to be hotly contested in upcoming elections, had the country's second-highest rate of unemployment at 29.5 percent. (Editing by Catherine Evans) By George Hakim JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan's new vice president, Taban Deng Gai, poured scorn on his predecessor Riek Machar and suggested he go into exile, deepening a rift at the heart of the political elite that has raised the risk of more turmoil after months of fighting. "Something is wrong with comrade Riek," Gai said in a speech broadcast on national television and radio, as he formally took office on Thursday. Machar, the previous vice president, and the SPLM-IO group he leads, have been caught up with more than two years of on-and-off, ethnically charged fighting with supporters of the country's President Salva Kiir. Machar returned to the capital Juba in April after a shaky peace deal, but left again this month when new clashes broke out. Nothing has been heard from him since and Kiir replaced him as vice president last week with Gai, a former ally of Machar's. "I am advising him (Machar) to come back to Juba and stay peacefully or he can go anywhere; to Addis Ababa to Nairobi to Kampala or Khartoum to stay there peacefully and wait for elections (in 2018) so that you the people come and elect him to office or you say we don't trust you," Gai said. Politics have long been plagued by splits and rivalries as leaders switch allegiances in a complex contest for power and influence in the oil-producing nation, which only gained independence from Sudan five years ago. Members of the SPLM-IO loyal to Machar accused Kiir on Friday of stockpiling weaponry, including surface-to-air missile batteries, around Juba in "a serious and direct threat to the national security". Government military spokesman Lul Ruai Koang declined to comment on the detail of the accusation but said the army was authorised "to strengthen our air defence capability and to defend the territorial integrity of this country". (Addtional reporting by Denis Dumo in Nairobi; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Andrew Heavens) "Star Trek" shows a universe where people can warp out to nearby stars and visit many worlds that are similar to Earth. While humans in the real world are much more limited in their options for space travel, NASA said that the International Space Station (ISS) is paving the way for a future where humans can reach farther out into the universe. Last Friday (July 22), the administration released a new video called "NASA: On The Edge of Forever," referring to the name of an episode of "Star Trek: The Original Series." The video was released on the same day that the newest installment to the Trek movie universe, "Star Trek Beyond," hit theaters across North America. The video features interviews with several astronauts, NASA officials and "Star Trek" stars. They talk about how science fiction and science fact are becoming one on the orbiting laboratory. The space station, which was first launched in 1998, has been continuously inhabited since 2000. [Watch William Shatner Talk Science Fiction vs. Space Fact] "For most of us, the thought of traveling to another galaxy probably seems like science fiction," NASA astronaut Victor Glover said in the video. Glover was selected in 2013 and hasnt flown in space yet. "But the truth is, the foundation for humankind's journey beyond Earth's solar system is being laid right now aboard our very own International Space Station." Living in weightlessness "In the original 'Star Trek' TV series, space stations served as deep-space research laboratories, as well as rendezvous points where starships could dock before exploring the unknown," Glover said. "When we were envisioning our own space station, the applications were similar." The real space station serves as a test bed for developing microgravity technologies (such as 3D printers and coffee machines), and astronaut health techniques (such as effective exercise regimes and growing fresh food). Currently, NASA is aiming for a human mission to Mars, which would require crews to spend more than a year in space much farther away from the resources of Earth than crews on the space station so these technologies will be even more crucial for keeping crew members happy and healthy. Story continues Among the things that NASA has to account for when considering a human trip to Mars is the effect of microgravity (or weightlessness) on the human body. (The various crews of "Star Trek" had artificial gravity aboard the USS Enterprise, something that real-world space agencies haven't quite mastered yet.) "When you remove the force of gravity from your body, you will lose things like muscle mass, bone density. Your heart doesn't have to work as hard," Jeanette Epps, an unflown member of the 2013 NASA astronaut class, said in the video. Another problem that arises from living in microgravity (though it is not brought up in the video) is vision changes from long-term stays in space that, in many cases, are permanent. "But thanks to the International Space Station, we're able to study the effects of weightlessness and develop countermeasures in orbit, close to Earth," Glover said. On average, astronauts spend roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours every day lifting weights or running on the treadmill to slow muscle and bone deterioration. To help with psychological health, NASA also gives astronauts regular free time and chats with loved ones by video. The long-term effects of life in space were recently put to the test when two station crewmembers, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, both spent an entire year on board. Modern space exploration may not look exactly like it does in "Star Trek," but many people feel that humans will inevitably push out to more and more distant locations in the universe. "I think it's in our evolutionary creed that we have a manifest destiny to go into space and to find new worlds to live in," said "Star Trek" actor Walter Koenig (who played Pavel Chekov on the original series) in the video. Added Epps: "So every step we take, we're just getting further and further into space and becoming more and more like 'Star Trek.'" Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace, or Space.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Editor's Recommendations Copyright 2016 SPACE.com, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. CHICAGO (Reuters) - A judge appointed a special prosecutor on Friday to investigate whether Chicago police officers lied to justify the shooting to death of a black teenager who was shot 16 times by a white officer, according to court documents. Cook County Judge LeRoy Martin Jr. named former federal prosecutor Patricia Brown Holmes to probe whether charges should be filed against any Chicago police officers for their conduct following the 2014 shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Dashboard camera videos of the shooting by officer Jason Van Dyke, 38, show McDonald walking away from officers. He was armed with a small knife. Van Dyke faces murder charges in the shooting, the first time in decades a Chicago police officer has been charged with committing such a crime while on duty. Holmes will look into whether officers who witnessed the shooting described it in a way that would cover up misconduct, when they were interviewed after the incident. Police officers are justified in using lethal force if they were in reasonable fear that someone was threatening grievous bodily harm to themselves or another person. Holmes, who is a former county judge and current partner at a Chicago based law firm, could not be reached by Reuters for comment. "I plan to look at the facts and go from there," she told the Chicago Tribune. "I don't have any preconceived notions about how it's going to go or what I'm going to do." The shooting came at a time of heightened national debate over police use of deadly force, especially against black men. The incident sparked demonstrations and led to the firing of the police chief, an ongoing federal investigation of the police department and calls for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign. Separately, another Cook County judge is in the process of appointing a special prosecutor in Van Dyke's first-degree murder trial. (Reporting by Justin Madden; Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Bill Rigby) By Amanda Becker PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took her newly energized White House bid on the road on Friday for a tour of crucial "Rust Belt" states Pennsylvania and Ohio, but the campaign's focus was clouded by revelations over a newly disclosed cyber attack. Reuters on Friday reported that the computer network used by Clinton's campaign, which is based in Brooklyn, had been hacked as part of a broad cyber attack on Democratic political organizations, citing people familiar with the matter. The campaign said a data program maintained by the Democratic National Committee and used by the campaign and other entities was accessed as part of a cyber attack on the DNC. The Clinton campaign responded that outside experts had found no evidence that its internal systems had been compromised. On Thursday, Reuters reported that the party's fundraising committee for candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives had also been breached, the second such incident after last weekend's leak of DNC emails. Revelations from the DNC emails gave the Democratic convention a rocky start, threatening a bid to reunify the party after a bitter primary campaign. Even so, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday showed Clinton leading Republican rival Donald Trump by 6 percentage points. Nearly 41 percent of likely voters favor Clinton, 35 percent favor Trump, and 25 percent picked "other," according to the new July 25-29 online poll of 1,043 likely voters, which overlapped with the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. After a speech Thursday night in which she became the first woman to accept a major party's presidential nomination, Clinton followed up on Friday with a speech at Philadelphia's Temple University. The appearance launched the three-day bus tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania, which like other Rust Belt states have been hit by the decline in U.S. manufacturing. Clinton is likely to face a tough challenge in such states from Trump, a New York businessman who is trying to win white working-class voters with rhetoric blasting free trade and illegal immigration. There is no doubt in my mind that every election in our democracy is important in its own way, but I cant think of an election that is more important, certainly in my lifetime, Clinton told the rally at Temple. And its not so much that Im on the ticket; its because of the stark choice thats posed to America in this election, she added. Clinton and her vice presidential running mate, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, addressed a crowd of more than 5,000 people before heading out on their tour. Clinton reprised themes from her Thursday night acceptance speech. Opinion polls show a potentially tight race in Ohio and Pennsylvania, both of which President Barack Obama won in the 2012 election. Clinton and Trump are essentially tied in Ohio, where the Republicans held their convention last week, according to an average of polls by RealClearPolitics. Clinton has a lead of 4.4 percentage points in Pennsylvania, the website's average of recent polls showed. Ohio and to a lesser extent Pennsylvania are among a handful of competitive states traditionally viewed as decisive in presidential elections, because they do not lean heavily Democratic or Republican. TV VIEWERSHIP LOWER FOR CLINTON In her speech on Thursday, Clinton, 68, a former first lady and U.S. senator, promised to make the United States a country that works for everyone if she is elected. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid," she said. Clinton portrayed Trump as a threat to the country, saying, "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Trump, 70, sent out a flurry of comments on Twitter on Friday morning lambasting media coverage of the speech as "a joke," calling the address "very long and very boring" and accusing Clinton of wanting to shut down "coal mines, steel plants and any other remaining manufacturing." He campaigned in another swing state, Colorado, on Friday and was scheduled to visit Ohio next week. The U.S. television audience for Clinton's acceptance speech was smaller than the viewership of Trump's address a week earlier, according to ratings data released on Friday. An estimated 29.8 million people watched Clinton across 10 broadcast and cable networks, Nielsen data showed. Trump drew 32.2 million viewers in his July 21 address at the Republican National Convention. Economic issues will be crucial as the White House campaign enters its final three-month stretch. The U.S. economy grew by only 1.2 percent in the second quarter, far less than expected, the Commerce Department said on Friday. During the Rust Belt trip, Clinton will detail her pledge to raise wages and create jobs by unveiling a major infrastructure package within the first 100 days of her presidency, and encouraging companies to invest in workers. The start of the Democratic convention was overshadowed by the resignation of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who quit over leaked emails showing party officials favored Clinton over her primary rival Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator of Vermont. Cyber security experts and U.S. officials said on Monday there was evidence that Russia engineered the release of the emails in order to influence the election. The Kremlin has denied the accusations. Yet another hack came to light on Thursday, when four people familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating a cyber attack against the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which raises money for Democrats running for the U.S. House of Representatives. The DCCC confirmed on Friday that it had been the target of a cyber security incident. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen, Amanda Becker, Luciana Lopez, James Oliphant, Amy Tennery, John Whitesides, Alana Wise and Lisa Richwine; Writing by Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis; Editing by Frances Kerry and Leslie Adler) Pallekele (Sri Lanka) (AFP) - Australia faced an uphill struggle to save the first Test against Sri Lanka's rampant spinners after losing three early second innings wickets Friday while trying to chase down a formidable target of 268. The tourists were precariously placed at 83 for three, with skipper Steve Smith unbeaten on 26, when bad light forced an early end to play for the fourth day running in Pallekele. The world number one Test team still need another 185 runs for victory on the final day on Saturday, when Sri Lanka's trio of spinners will expect to capitalise on their early inroads against the tourists. The hosts' leading left-arm spinner Rangana Herath struck in only the second over of the Australian innings when he bowled vice-captain David Warner for one. Usman Khawaja started positively with three fours but he was ruled leg before wicket to off-spinner Dilruwan Perera when he attempted a sweep shot after making 18, leaving Australia reeling at 33/2. Then the debutant Lakshan Sandakan joined the party with a ball that turned sharply and bowled opener Joe Burns who had looked well set on 29. One run later, first innings top scorer Adam Voges was ruled lbw to Perera for no score, but the batsman reviewed the decision successfully. With the ball turning alarmingly, Smith and Voges then suppressed their urge to play attacking shots while keeping the scoreboard ticking over with some sharply run singles. "It should be an interesting game if we get the full quota of 90 overs... We are still confident," Australia batting coach Stuart Law told reporters. "We saw Sri Lankans sweeping a lot. Our guys being a bit taller, sweep shot is a bit difficult so we try to use our feet," Law said. - Aussie rearguard - Smith's 54-ball innings has not featured any boundaries so far, while his partner Voges was batting in a similarly steadfast mood, reaching nine at the close of play off 25 deliveries. Australia's struggles against the Sri Lankan bowlers further underlined the importance of Kusal Mendis' superb maiden Test century in what has been a low-scoring Test. No other player on either side has passed 50. Story continues After starting the day unbeaten on 169, Mendis only managed another seven runs before he played away from his body to a full length delivery from Mitchell Starc to be caught behind by wicketkeeper Peter Nevill. Starc was the pick of the Australian bowlers, finishing the innings with figures of four for 84. Herath and Nuwan Pradeep added 30 runs for the last wicket off 29 deliveries before the Sri Lanka innings ended after substitute fielder Moises Henriques took a spectacular catch at extra cover. Sri Lanka, who were 282 for six overnight, eventually managed to reach a total of 353, 267 runs ahead of the Australians. It was a remarkable turnaround after they conceded a first innings lead of 86 to the tourists who were presented with the mace as the world's number one team on the eve of the match. Much of their hopes of victory will rest on the shoulders of the 38-year-old Herath, who took four wickets in the first innings and has a reputation of cleaning up on the last day in home Tests. "Pleasingly, a few balls started to turn quite sharply before the players came off for bad light," said Sri Lanka's head coach Graham Ford. "Hoping tomorrow that a few things will go our way, and we'll be able to press home and hopefully finish off with a big victory," he said. The second Test will be held in Galle from August 4-8 and the third in Colombo from August 13-17. During Bill Clintons DNC speech on Tuesday, the former President mentioned as an aside how he and Hillary handled raising their daughter Chelsea during one particularly rough period of time of his presidency (you can guess when). Said Clinton, Truth is, we rarely disagreed on parenting, although she did believe that I had gone a little over the top when I took a couple of days off with Chelsea to watch all six Police Academy movies back to back. That tidbit came as something of a surprise to Americans and sparked much discussion online Chelsea even referred to it tonight in her own DNC speech. It wasnt however a surprise to Steve Guttenberg, who starred in the first four Police Academy films and was told about Clintons enthusiasm for them in person when they met several years ago. It was a fun, meaningful story about the fun side of parenting. But I actually saw him a few years ago, and another reason that story rang so true is that he was telling the truth We were talking, and he was saying he was having a couple of days that were challenging, Guttenberg told Deadline. And I knew what it was about at the time, it was in the papers. And he told me I gotta tell you, I sat down with Chelsea and I watched all six Police Academy movies.' It was such a delightful surprise to me, Guttenberg continued, but I couldnt help but think to myself, youve got the most important job on the planet, and youre taking time out to watch Police Academy? But years later Ive come to understand its very important when youre driving at 100 miles an hour to pull over and refuel and oil up the gears. It really moved me to know that with such an important job, he still was mindful of how important that it. I think thats a requisite quality in a great person. Guttenberg added that its something hes tried to apply to his own life, citing the importance of recreational time to keep functional personally and career-wise. Guttenberg most recently starred in the SyFy Sharknado-universe comedy Lavalantula and is set to reprise his role in the sequel, 2 Lava 2 Lantula, due out later this year. Related stories Democratic & Republican Conventions: 10 Most Memorable & Forgettable Moments Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Pens Strong Endorsement Of Hillary Clinton Donald Trump & RNC Top Hillary Clinton & Final Night Of DNC In Viewers Audrey Moore is headed west to Godless. The actress known for recurring roles on Better Call Saul and Manhattan has landed the part of Sarah Doyle on the upcoming Netflix Western, which is executive produced by Steven Soderbergh, Casey Silver and Scott Frank. Frank, whose previous credits include Minority Report and Get Shorty, is writing and directing the limited series set in a New Mexico mining town in the Old West. Shooting will take place on location in Santa Fe. Godless follows Frank Griffin, described as a menacing outlaw who wreaks terror as he hunts down his partner turned mortal enemy, Roy Goode. Also Read: Steven Soderbergh to Produce Limited Series 'Godless' for Netflix The 19th Century drama also stars Jeff Daniels, Jack OConnell and Michelle Dockery. Godless continues Soderberghs expansion into TV, after the Out of Sight director famously retired from feature films in 2013. (That retirement didnt last long; earlier this year he signed on to direct the caper Hillbilly Heist, starring Channing Tatum.) Soderbergh is the executive producer and director of Cinemaxs period drama The Knick, which recently finished its second season. He has said he wants the series to last for six seasons. He also recently executive produced The Girlfriend Experience for Starz, which is based on Soderberghs 2009 film of the same name. Moore is represented by Prestige Talent Agency and A10 Management. Related stories from TheWrap: Jack O'Connell to Star in Netflix Series 'Godless' Steven Soderbergh to Produce Limited Series 'Godless' for Netflix (This June 30th story was refiled to fix link at the bottom of the story) By Reyna Gobel (Reuters Health) - Stretching just 10 minutes a day might help ease menopause and depression symptoms in middle-aged women, a small study suggests. Light-intensity exercises such as stretching have not been previously evaluated for its impact on menopausal and depressive symptoms, lead researcher Yuko Kai told Reuters Health by email. Forty Japanese women, ages 40 to 61 years, participated in the study at the Physical Fitness Research Institute, Meiji Yasuda Life Foundation of Health and Welfare in Tokyo. Twenty of the women were randomly assigned to stretch 10 minutes a day before bedtime for three weeks. The other 20 were instructed to remain sedentary before bed. The research team evaluated the womens menopausal symptoms using 10 questions about vasomotor symptoms (such as hot flashes and chills), psychological symptoms (including mood and sleep disturbances) and body aches. They used a separate set of questions to evaluate symptoms of depression. At the start, the groups were generally similar. More than half the participants were postmenopausal and nearly two-thirds had depression. Most of the women were not physically active. On average, the stretching group stretched about five days per week. Overall, the women in the stretching group had improved scores on both sets of questions after the three-week study period, compared to the group that didnt stretch before bed. The frequency of hot flashes wasnt different in the two groups, however. While stretching before bed isnt a bad idea, Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of The North American Menopause Society, told Reuters Health by email, it is impossible to tell if the positive effect found from stretching on menopausal and depressive symptoms was due to the stretching, the increased movement, or not doing whatever they normally do during the 10 minutes before bed such as eat, smoke or drink, etc. Pinkerton said the results would have been more interesting if the comparison group had been assigned a task to do before bedtime, to see if it was the stretching itself that was helpful or just the fact of doing something before bed. In most studies of methods for reducing hot flashes, the placebo group sees some improvement, too, she pointed out. In this trial, the comparison group had no improvement at all, which means, she said, that it was not an adequate control group. For more conclusive results, Pinkerton said, "this study needs to be replicated with larger, more diverse postmenopausal women with an active control group. In the meantime, she added, women should remember that being sedentary has been shown to be bad for (their) physical and mental health and to increase hot flashes. Being active every day has been shown to lessen severity of hot flashes, improve mood, coping ability and may decrease (their) risk of cognitive loss." Additionally, Pinkerton said, "if women were to exercise with light walking 30 minutes daily and then stretch for 10 minutes, they might improve health, menopausal symptoms, mood and cognition and, if stretching helps sleep, improve their sleep quality. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2a8c3oj Menopause, online June 13, 2016. Total US student loan debt has topped $1.3 trillion, nearly triple what it was a decade ago, with a rate of serious delinquency (at least 90 days late) that surpasses any other type of debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. On Thursday, Fannie Mae (FNMA) released a national housing survey with a troubling finding for some student debtors: People with high school degrees who never went to college have a better shot of owning homes than ones who took on debt to go to college but never ended up graduating. In fact, college dropouts with some debt are 32% less likely to be homeowners than high school grads. If you take the debt but dont get the degree thats a problem, Doug Duncan, Fannie Maes chief economist, told Yahoo Finance. Source: Fannie Mae However, student debtors who finished college often fare better at homeownership than those without a college diploma. In fact, student debtors with a bachelors degree are 27% more likely to be homeowners than those who didnt attend college and therefore have no student loans. While student loan debt doesnt ruin chances of homeownership for college grads, it may delay the timeline for a first home purchase. Student loans arent the only factors that can delay homeownership, though. With homeownership at 63% today (compared to 69% a decade ago), there is a broader trend in the housing market many people are simply buying homes later on in life. Duncan says two key factors contribute to this shift: weak income growth and lack of affordable properties. Americans are struggling to accumulate the income necessary to be able to afford a home, according to Duncan. Additionally, construction in the housing sector has had a slow rebound. The prices of single-family entry-level homes to the extent they exist have been increasing the fastest of any group. The biggest inhibitor today is simply the lack of entry-level housing so that the 90%+ of millennials who eventually want to become homeowners [can do so], Duncan says. There needs to be some expansion on the supply side for them to be affordable. Story continues Moreover, rentals being built are higher cost properties, which means people are paying steep rental prices. Higher rents, Duncan points out, inevitably slow the pace at which people can actually accumulate savings to buy a house of their own. Melody Hahm is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Read more from her: I checked out WeWorks communal housing, and now Im considering a move The summer weekend getaway for New Yorks super-rich is cooling off Malcolm Gladwell sees one good thing about a Trump presidency Gillette should be nervous about Unilevers billion-dollar bet on Dollar Shave Club Suicide Squad Jai Courtney Boomerang Clay Enos final There has been no shortage of stories of what actors did on the set of "Suicide Squad" from Jared Leto's disturbing "gifts" to Margot Robbie giving tattoos but the latest one is still pretty bizarre. In an interview for the UK magazine Empire, as reported by Yahoo, actor Jai Courtney, who plays Captain Boomerang in the movie, said that on a Skype call with director David Ayer about the role he was on drugs and put out cigarettes on his arms. "That night I happened to eat some mushrooms," he is quoted as saying, "and I did self-inflict some burns." The story ran wild on the internet as another example of the wild antics by the actors to prepare for their "Suicide Squad" characters insane villains from the DC Comics world who are brought together to combat a greater evil. But while talking to Business Insider on Friday, Courtney tried to clear the air about the comments. "I've heard so many versions of that story," Courtney said. "It's just a silly thing when s--- gets misconstrued." When asked if it was a case of joking around with a reporter, he said, "Yeah, I was f---ing around a little. But then that's me having to learn when to put the brakes on because, when a conversation turns into print, it's a little harder to grasp the concept." So he didn't go to the length of getting high and putting out cigarettes to get the part? "No. I would never do that," Courtney said. Yet the stories about Ayer having the cast do exercises leading up to filming like hitting one another and enduring police interrogations are true, and Courtney believes that they did elevate everyone's performance. "It's not like he's complicating anything with this stuff," he said. "It's fueling. It's fanning the fire. It's a really cool way to shake up the usual pattern of preparation for a job." We'll see if audiences agree when "Suicide Squad" opens in theaters on August 5. NOW WATCH: Here's how the 'Suicide Squad' cast looks compared to their comic-book counterparts More From Business Insider The last two years have upended the international order. The Islamic States push into Iraq in 2014 blurred the Middle Easts borders, Russias annexation of Crimea and war in eastern Ukraine brought back realpolitik back to Europes doorstep, and a failed military coup in Turkey earlier this month triggered widespread purges shaking the stability of a vital Western ally. And thats not even mentioning Europes migration crisis and an unpredictable U.S. election this year that has left much of the world feeling uneasy. For Sweden a country of nearly 10 million people and self-described humanitarian superpower the global shake-up has proven itself to be a test. The Scandinavian country has traditionally relied on a mix of diplomatic and economic power in its foreign policy electing to use multilateral organizations like the United Nations and generous financial aid programs to achieve its goals around the world. But in a new era of hard power, Stockholm is aiming to blend its unique brand of Nordic idealism with coldhearted practicality, a duality expressed in Sweden through its role not only as one of Europes largest per capita donors of foreign aid, but also one of the continents largest per capita exporters of military hardware. In interviews with Foreign Policy last week in Washington, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist focused on the levers of influence that a smaller country like Sweden has its disposal, and how to the country now must find a way to deter military might without abandoning its values. They also pointed to a need to strengthen international law. For small nations to be respected, international law is crucial, said Hultqvist. We cant see anything positive if big powers try to create their own laws and their own principles to imprint that on the international community. Since assuming the role of defense minister in October 2014, Hultqvist has faced a growing portfolio in hot spots around the world. As a member of the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition, Stockholm has sent military advisors to Iraqi Kurdistan and announced in July that it planned to double their number, from 35 to 70. But despite a series of challenges in the Middle East, the defense ministers biggest test has been back home in Europe: responding to an increasingly assertive Russia. Story continues Following the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine in 2014, relations between Russia and Sweden have soured. Russian jets have repeatedly prodded Swedish airspace, and Swedish authorities launched a massive hunt for a foreign submarine in 2014, suspected to be Russian. Adding to the tensions, the Swedish Security Service described Russia in its annual report released in March as the countrys biggest security threat. We cannot accept the Russian perspective that they want to have a sphere of influence, Hultqvist said. We dont accept the thought that big nations need a backyard. We dont want to be in a backyard, we are a sovereign nation. Neither Sweden, nor its neighbor Finland, are currently members of NATO a legacy of both countries histories of military neutrality and complex relations with the Kremlin. But Crimea has forced Stockholm to respond. Sweden joined Western sanctions against Russia and has provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine following the outbreak of war. In February, the Swedish military returned to the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea for the first time since the end of the Cold War as part of a billion-dollar increase in defense spending announced in 2015. In May, Stockholm inched closer to NATO, signing a host-nation support agreement that will allow the alliance to more easily operate in the country. Hultqvist, however, insists that the current government has no plans to join NATO, a sentiment echoed by his colleague Wallstrom, the foreign minister, citing low public support for joining the bloc in Sweden. There was a shift after Crimea and Ukraine, but now we are back, said Wallstrom, referring to a 2015 poll that showed for the first time more Swedes in favor of membership than against it and a subsequent poll released in July showing a reversion back to a majority of Swedes against joining NATO. Because what happens if Donald Trump wins? What happens with Turkey? Its the second largest army in NATO. So, you know, that means something. Despite the realpolitik calculations of dealing with Russia, Wallstrom has championed a foreign policy seeped in idealism since assuming her role in the fall of 2014. As foreign minister, she has said that under her leadership Sweden will become the only country in the world to conduct a feminist foreign policy, a perspective that emphasizes the role that women must play in ensuring peace and security. I dont think a feminist foreign policy is idealistic. It is the smartest policy you can have at the moment, said Wallstrom. Every peace agreement has a better chance to succeed if you involve women. By some measures, the doctrine has been a success for Sweden on the world stage, earning it both notoriety and accolades. In its annual scorecard, the European Council on Foreign Relations rated Sweden, along with the United Kingdom, as having the second largest influence on shaping European Union foreign policy in 2015, with only Germany listed as more influential. But Wallstrom has also encountered her share of detractors. In Swedens parliament, her critics in the opposition and even some in her own diplomatic corps have decried her feminist foreign policy as naive. But her biggest row has been abroad. After criticizing the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia, as well as the public flogging of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, Wallstrom found herself in a diplomatic standoff with Riyadh that culminated in the country withdrawing its ambassador from Sweden and Stockholm canceling an arms deal with the kingdom. The outcome infuriated Swedish business leaders who feared trade losses, but the foreign minister remained unrepentant over the row. On Turkey, Wallstrom has also found herself walking a fine line between values and needs. A deal struck between Brussels and Ankara in March to limit the flow of refugees into Europe has given the continent, especially Sweden, which accepted 160,000 asylum-seekers in 2015, some much needed relief. However, a worsening atmosphere for human rights in Turkey which has only deteriorated further following the failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also meant dealing with an increasingly authoritarian government in Ankara. Like other Western nations, Sweden voiced support for Erdogan following the failed coup, but Wallstrom remains critical of developments inside the country and warns that if some proposed measures are adopted, such as reinstating the death penalty, Turkey will be barred from one day joining the EU. I dont think anyone feels happy about this. We have seen the developments in Turkey going in the wrong direction with a more polarized and repressive regime under Erdogan, said Wallstrom. But one has to see that Turkey has taken on a huge responsibility in hosting refugees and that they are doing their best to help and get them established. In the face of these crises, both Wallstrom and Hultqvist remain resolute that Sweden is on firm footing and that they are pursuing the best decisions for the countrys interests without abandoning its values. [Russia] isnt going away. Same with Turkey. We cannot move them, said Wallstrom. There is no military solution to all these things, we have to continue to insist on diplomacy to solve concrete problems. Photo credit: SVEN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - The UN on Friday urged Russia to give it control of humanitarian passages out of Aleppo in northern Syria where besieged residents cowered indoors afraid to use what some called "death corridors". A monitoring group, meanwhile, reported that at least 18 civilians were killed in air strikes in the city of Aleppo and in the provincial town of Atareb. The Britain-based charity Save the Children said a maternity hospital it supports in northwestern Idlib province was bombed Friday, killing two people and injuring babies in incubators. Syrian regime ally Russia has said three humanitarian passages would be opened for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit Aleppo's eastern districts. Only a dozen of Aleppo residents trickled out through one passage Friday, while others wanting to flee were turned back by rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. An AFP correspondent in east Aleppo said streets were empty with residents holed up indoors and shops shuttered. Ahmad Ramadan from the opposition Syrian National Coalition accused Russia and the regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. "Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about 'death corridors'," he said. The Britain-based Observatory said at least eight civilians were killed in regime air strikes that hit two eastern areas of Aleppo, warning the death toll could rise as more were trapped under the rubble. It later reported unidentified air strikes on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province that killed 10 people and wounded many other seriously, calling the raids a "new massacre". UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Russia, which has been carrying out air strikes alongside Syrian regime planes, should let the United Nations take charge of the corridors. "Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us," he said. Story continues "How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing, fighting?" Russia's deputy defence minister, Anatoly Antonov, said Moscow was prepared "for the closest and most constructive cooperation" with the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations. But he warned that rebels would not be allowed "to enter the city and fuel the terrorists with weapons and ammunition". The UN says around 250,000 people have been trapped in Aleppo's eastern districts since July 17 when pro-regime forces surrounded the area. - 'Existential dilemma' - Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition's main supply route into the northern city. Aid agencies and analysts said the humanitarian corridors must be used to send desperately needed supplies to those areas which have not received any medical aid since July 7. "Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in eastern Aleppo must be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess their well-being and needs," said the International Committee of the Red Cross. The US-based International Rescue Committee warned that those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a pause in the fighting. Analyst Karim Bitar from the French think-tank IRIS said: "Aleppo residents are facing a terrible existential dilemma, they often have to chose between risking starvation or risking to die while fleeing." Humanitarian effort have often been used during the conflict "as cynical ploy to advance geopolitical interests." Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Thursday that three humanitarian corridors were being opened "to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms". - 'Military objectives' - Analysts said losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the rebels and a possible turning point in Syria's five-year-old conflict. "In Aleppo, getting civilians to leave would both serve its propaganda and its military objectives," said Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "The regime uses massive, indiscriminate force to brutalise civilians to force them to kneel or reject the rebel groups," he added. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria's war which erupted in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests before becoming a complex conflict involving many groups, including jihadists. Save the Children voiced "outrage" over the attack of the maternity hospital it supports in Idlib. "Several babies were injured when their incubators crashed to the floor, and a woman who was six months pregnant had her leg severed," it said. The Observatory said a jihadist from Al-Nusra Front, which has changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, was killed in the raid in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim. It also reported that IS had executed 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria. By Lisa Barrington and Suleiman Al-Khalidi BEIRUT (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's powerful Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, announced on Thursday it was ending its relationship with the global jihadist network founded by Osama bin Laden, to remove a pretext used by world powers to attack Syrians. The announcement came as Russia and President Bashar al-Assad's government declared a "humanitarian operation" in the besieged rebel-held sector of Aleppo, opening "safe corridors" so people can flee Syria's most important opposition stronghold. Washington said that appeared to be an attempt to depopulate the city and make fighters surrender. The opposition called it a euphemism for forced displacement. In the first known video statement ever to show his face, the leader of the Nusra Front, Mohamad al-Golani, announced that the group would re-form under a new name, with "no ties with any foreign party". The move was being made "to remove the excuse used by the international community -- spearheaded by America and Russia -- to bombard and displace Muslims in the Levant: that they are targeting the Nusra Front which is associated with al Qaeda," he said. The group would now be called Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. Golani appeared in the video flanked by two other Nusra Front figures, in front of a new white flag for the group. Nusra Front's old flag was black, the color used by ultra-hardline jihadist groups such as al Qaeda and Islamic State. Earlier on Thursday, bin Laden's successor as Al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, gave the Nusra Front his blessing to break away. In his message, Golani thanked Zawahri for putting the interests of Syrians ahead of organizational concerns. The move appeared to be an attempt to appeal to Syrians who have long had deep misgivings about Nusra's links with al Qaeda and the presence of foreign jihadists in its ranks. It could alter the strategic alignment on the ground if the renamed Nusra gains acceptance among other rebel groups. STRONG POSITION But Assad and his Russian allies are unlikely to accept the rebranding as a reason to halt military operations that have put the Syrian leader in the strongest position on the battlefield for years. The Nusra Front, one of the most powerful rebel forces in Syria's five-year, multi-sided civil war, was excluded along with Islamic State from a U.S.- and Russian-backed ceasefire this year. Nusra is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Assad's other opponents have long said its presence gave the government and its Russian allies a pretext to abandon the truce and launch advances under the cover of anti-terrorist operations permitted under the ceasefire. The U.S. State Department said Nusra Front fighters remained a legitimate target for U.S. warplanes for now. "We're gonna have to wait and see," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. "We judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves." Western countries are worried that the announcement of safe corridors for people to flee Aleppo could herald a Russian-backed government assault on the city. "This would appear to be a demand for the surrender of opposition groups and the evacuation of Syrian civilians from Aleppo," Kirby said. "The innocent people of Aleppo should be able to stay in their homes safely, and to receive the humanitarian access, which Russia and the regime ... in principle have agreed." Syria's largest city before the war, Aleppo has for years been divided into rebel and government zones. Asserting full control would be the biggest victory for Assad so far, and a potential turning point in a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands, spawned the world's worst refugee crisis and drawn in most regional and world powers. Any assault on Aleppo would also probably wreck a diplomatic effort by Secretary of State John Kerry to negotiate military cooperation between the United States and Russia. LEAFLETS The Cold War-era superpowers are running separate military missions in Syria against their common foe Islamic State, but are on opposite sides in the wider civil war, with Moscow supporting Assad, and Washington saying he must step down. Leaflets have been air-dropped on rebel-held parts of Aleppo since Wednesday, telling civilians they would be given safe passage out and providing maps to exit routes. Around 250,000 civilians are believed to be trapped in the rebel zone. The United Nations says food supplies will run out within weeks. Assad said rebels who surrendered within three months would be amnestied. State television quoted the governor of Aleppo as saying three humanitarian corridors would be established for residents to leave. Russia said a fourth corridor would be set up in the north for surrendering rebels. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said helicopters had been dropping baby diapers and meal packs with Russian-language labels over rebel areas. But Syria's main opposition High Negotiations Committee wrote to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon denouncing the corridors as "a euphemism for Russias efforts to alter Aleppos demographics and ensure forced displacement, which it called a war crime. Several international relief agencies said exit corridors were not a substitute for aid access. "Some 250 to 400,000 civilians remain in what was once Syrias largest city not all of them want or are able to leave," Mercy Corps said. "If it is a genuine humanitarian proposal, then clearly it will be accompanied by an end to the bombing campaign," the British ambassador to the United Nations, Matthew Rycroft, told reporters in New York. "Clearly, the U.N. and the rest of us cannot be complicit in anything else, for instance any form of emptying of Aleppo or preparing for an onslaught of Aleppo or indeed any continuation of this medieval siege of Aleppo ..." CORRIDORS NOT OPEN The proposed corridors did not appear to be open so far. Two rebels and aid workers contacted in besieged Aleppo said the army had fired at civilians in one of the safe corridors, in the Salah al-Din district. A doctor for a medical charity that operates in Aleppo also said the army had fired artillery at families gathering near another corridor, in the opposition-held Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood. Hael Asi Hilal, head of the Syrian Red Crescent in rebel-held areas, said no family had been able to leave via any corridor due to snipers firing at them. The army, backed by allied militia forces and air support from Syrian and Russian jets, meanwhile took more ground on the northern edge of the city. State television said the army had advanced in the Bani Zeid district, and the Observatory said pro-government forces were in full control. The United States and Russia jointly sponsored the ceasefire earlier this year that led to U.N.-brokered peace talks. But that collapsed in May and since then government forces have been advancing with Russian support. Kerry's talks with the Russians, aimed at building a system to jointly identify targets, have been largely fruitless. A Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said Washington's stance would allow militants to regroup since it required a ceasefire before distinguishing between terrorists and other opposition groups. "There is an element here of a political ruse at least," he said. One U.S. national security official said it was difficult to agree as long as Moscow's and Washington's wider objectives diverged. The Russians want to destroy ISIS (Islamic State) to save Assad, the official said. We want to destroy ISIS to eliminate a terrorist threat and start a political process to remove Assad, who President Obama has said must go. (Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington, Dominic Evans in Beirut, Alexander Winning in Moscow, Tom Miles in Geneva, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and John Walcott in Washington; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Kevin Liffey) GeekWire intern David Schwartz; marketing and ad coordinator Cara Kuhlman; and intern Clare McGrane were the judges in our blind taste test. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) Can the king of e-commerce become a titan of coffee? As part of Amazons ongoing strategy to be in the everything business, the company began quietly rolling out its own private-label foods last month. Among other products, Amazon is now selling Happy Belly coffee, which puts the Seattle company in competition with its neighbor, Starbucks. GeekWire compared Folgers, Starbucks, Stumptown, and Amazons new Happy Belly coffee blends. GeekWire decided to conduct a blind taste test to find out how the two coffee brands compare to each other and a couple other blends: Portland-based Stumptown and good old Folgers. Our panel of coffee aficionados: Cara Kuhlman, marketing and ad coordinator, and interns David Schwartz and Clare McGrane. Watch the video below to see the results: Average scores: Folgers Classic Roast ($7.99 for 30.5 oz): 7 Stumptown House Blend ($15 for 12 oz): 6 Starbucks Breakfast Blend ($12.25 for 12 oz): 4 Amazon Happy Belly ($9.99 for 12 oz): 3 If youre shocked by those results, take comfort in the fact that you arent alone. Was it a fluke or is Folgers really the most underrated coffee blend out there? The world may never know. Here are some of the comments by our judges. David Schwartz, Cara Kuhlman, and Clare McGrane compare Amazons new coffee to other blends. Starbucks David: Nondescript. Wasnt very flavorful. Cara: Not very memorable. Clare, after giving it a 5: I was just so in the middle. Its the middle one. Folgers David: Smells better. bright. Clare: More flavorful, but not harsh. Cara: Its not very bitter. Amazon Cara: Definitely darker. I like this one. Clare: Oh, thats very dark. Very sharp. It smells like my breath is going to be bad later. Very bad. David: I cant place that smell. Smells nothing like coffee. It smells like an old car. What is that? It has no flavor. Stumptown Cara: This one smells more organic to me. Seems a lot lighter. David: Its earthy, but its a tasty earthy. Fruity, a little bit. Story continues Clare: Its got an edge of bitterness, but its not super bitter. We made the brews using an Aeropress, an increasingly popular device for making high-quality, small-batch coffee. Our testers sampled and rated each round without knowing which brand they were evaluating. The Folgers and Starbucks beans were pre-ground, while Amazon and Stumptowns were freshly ground. Our taste testers channeled their inner soldiers and drank each cup black. 81TYUFflGRL._SY679_ Amazons last-place ranking is, arguably, the second-biggest surprise. Although a 12-ounce bag sells for $9.99 on Amazon.com (two dollars less than Starbucks Breakfast Blend), Happy Belly isnt necessarily marketed as a discount brand. The organic, fair-trade coffee promises artisan, small batch roasted blends like those found at your favorite neighborhood coffee shop. Perishables are the latest in a series of private-label products Amazon now offers, including clothing and household goods. But unlike products from the Amazon Elements and Amazon Basics lines, the food items downplay the Amazon affiliation. The new products, like Mama Bear baby food and Happy Belly coffee, have their own distinct brands, with little or no reference to Amazon on the packaging or product pages. The fine print says these private-label products are manufactured by AFS, an acronym the company told the Wall Street Journal stands for Amazon Fulfillment Services. Theres a lot of upside for Amazon to produce private-label goods. They allow Amazon to control packaging, development, and marketing in-house, which typically results in higher margins. Its a trick that traditional retailers have been using for years, but Amazon has the distinct advantage of an ocean of data and massive infrastructure. The question is, will Amazons food products be good enough to attract and retain customers? Based on our taste test, the company still has some work to do. (GeekWires Kurt Schlosser and Todd Bishop contributed to this project.) More from GeekWire: Longtime Hillary Clinton friends Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen continued to bring the star power to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday night. Steenburgen, who has starred in films such as Step Brothers and Elf, told the crowd that she has known Hillary Clinton since 1978 and spoke to their close friendship, calling the Democratic nominee a "world-class listener" and someone "quick to forgive" and who "loves to laugh, especially at herself." Recalling a night from 38 years ago, Steenburgen said she told Bill Clinton she wished he could become president, some day. She then added, "Then I looked at Hillary and I [said], 'Wouldn't it say something to our daughters, to our sons, to all those people whose lives I know you could touch, if you became president - because I know you and I know you will never stop working your heart out for them.'" The actress continued, "Then, it seemed like too much to dream for. But tonight, it seems very, very possible." "Anybody can brag, anybody can talk," added Danson. "Hers is the poetry of doing." "She's got more guts than anybody in the room," Steenburgen followed. Read More: Hillary Clinton Plans Crowd Stunt for DNC Speech The acting pair introduced a slate of speakers during the portion of the program called "An Economy That Works for All." For the first time in U.S. history, a woman will accept the presidential nomination for a major party when Clinton takes the stage on Thursday night. Chelsea Clinton will introduce a 12-minute video chronicling Hillary's life, which was created by Shonda Rhimes and will be narrated by Morgan Freeman, and paint a personal picture of her mother before the Democratic nominee appears to officially accept the nomination. Hillary Clinton plans to involve the crowd in a card stunt and is expected to both discuss her journey to this moment and share her vision for the future in her speech. Story continues According to excerpts released ahead of time, Clinton will offer "steady leadership" to a country "looking for reassurance" amid turmoil in the world. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning," she will say, according to the preview. Americans must "decide whether we're going to work together so we can all rise together." Read More: Hillary Clinton Plans Crowd Stunt for DNC Speech The final night of the four-day DNC convention continues to see a slew of A-list support. Chloe Grace Moretz is scheduled to speak on Thursday, while Katy Perry will perform her new hit, "Rise," in keeping with the DNC theme, before Chelsea Clinton takes the stage. Earlier, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke, taking a jab at Donald Trump; Carole King performed "You've Got a Friend"; and at a DNC-related event in Camden, N.J., Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz performed for an invite-only crowd of delegates. The convention aslo has had no shortage of political star power, with President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden delivering passionate endorsements for Hillary. A Texas teenager suffering from bone cancer was shot and killed Tuesday, shortly before he was to receive his gift from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Diego Rodriguez, 17, had dreamed of having his grandfathers 1993 Chevrolet S10 pickup truck restored when he was accidentally shot by a 15-year-old whose name has not been released, the San Antonio Express-News and others reported. Rodriguez reportedly tried to take the gun away when it fired accidentally during the scuffle. The 15-year-old is now facing murder charges. Read: 8-Year-Old Boy With Messy Room Killed by Mom's Fiance: Authorities The car, a treasured heirloom, has been in Diego's family for 23 years. Rodriguezs mother promised him that if he survived to his 16th birthday, she would have the vehicle restored. I was excited to bring some joy to a young man who was down for the better part of his earlier years, Jason Pena, a co-owner of San Antonios BlackJack Speed Shop, which was overseeing the restoration, told InsideEdition.com. I am just saddened and disappointed that he is not going to be able to physically see the final product and end result of his wish. Pena said the car was in such poor condition that he was initially reluctant to take on the project but changed his mind after a plea from Diegos mother. Read: Experienced 13-Year-Old Swimmer Drowns, Coach Suffers Heart Attack While Giving CPR She was so intent and adamant that this dream be fulfilled for her son, he said. The truck was probably worth $1,500. Pena estimated that the restoration likely cost him $15,000. The Make-A-Wish Foundation also expressed shock and sadness upon hearing the news. There is nothing we can do to make up for [Diegos] loss, but we hope that his car will be a great reminder to his mother that the realization of their dream and the community they had made a difference for him and gave him strength, Kathrin Brewer the CEO of the South Texas chapter of the foundation said in a statement to local media. Story continues Efforts to reach Brewer by InsideEdition.com were unsuccessful. The truck, which was expected to be unveiled to Rodriguez today, will now serve as part of his funeral procession. Watch: See How This Brave Teen and 9-Year-Old Save Toddler From Drowning In Pool Related Articles: Berlin (AFP) - Tens of thousands of supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plan to rally in the German city of Cologne Sunday, as tensions over Turkey's failed coup have put authorities on edge. Since the attempted power grab on the night of July 15, skirmishes have broken out between backers and opponents of Erdogan in Germany, home to Turkey's biggest overseas diaspora. Pro-Erdogan activists have stormed locations popular with followers of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding the putsch, while critics of the Turkish president have also complained of abuse and threats against them on social media. On Sunday, up to 30,000 people are expected to answer a call to take to the streets issued by a pro-Erdogan group, the Union of European-Turkish Democrats (UETD), according to police. The North-Rhine Westphalia state, where Cologne is located, is home to about one third of Germany's three-million strong Turkish community. Ahead of the march, security services have sought to head-off any potential clashes between pro- and anti-Erdogan groups. Cologne's police chief Juergen Mathies warned: "One thing I want to make clear is that we will intervene against any kind of violence quickly, decisively and forcefully." Some 2,000 officers will be deployed to keep the peace, including several Turkish speakers. - 'Exploited politically' - The tension comes at a time when relations between Germany and Turkey are already strained over the German parliament's recent decision to brand the World War I-era Armenian massacre by Ottoman forces a genocide. German politicians led by Chancellor Angela Merkel have issued strongly worded statements against Erdogan's crackdown following the putsch -- with more than 16,000 soldiers, police, judges, prosecutors and journalists detained. The hardline response "flouts the rule of law", Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert has said, also blasting "revolting scenes of caprice and revenge" in the wake of the failed coup. Story continues At the same time, Ankara is demanding that Germany extradite suspects linked to 75-year-old Gulen, who has strongly denied any involvement in the botched coup. Erdogan enjoys a large support base in Germany, home to some 1.5 million people with Turkish nationality who can vote in Turkish elections. His AKP party garnered 60 percent in the country in last November's election, a bigger share of the vote than in Turkey. - 'Friendships terminated' - Germany's integration commissioner Aydan Ozoguz underlined Erdogan's influence, saying: "I am seeing with concern that the relationships of people living here with Turkey are being massively exploited politically." At the same time, a substantial number of Kurds have also made Europe's biggest economy their home. In the Berlin district of Kreuzberg, nicknamed "Little Istanbul", Turkish flags have been flown prominently since the putsch bid. German media have published reams of interviews with pro-Erdogan youths who were brought up in Germany and visit Turkey only during summer holidays. Urging restraint, the state premier of the Cologne region, Hannelore Kraft, told Turkish immigrants: "Do not import a domestic political conflict to the region where you have chosen to live." But Gokay Sofuoglu, the chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany, said families were being torn apart by conflicting loyalties. "Friendships will be terminated. And even within families, there are problems," he told the national news agency DPA. Ahead of Sunday's planned protest, he said: "I can only call for moderation". Hillary Clinton dressed in white to accept the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday evening. There may be a historical reason why. (Photo: Getty Images) Want to move into the White House? Then wearing a white suit is a pretty good place to start. On Thursday evening, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wore all white to accept her partys nomination during the closing night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. And her color choice may have contained several layers of nuance. Photo: Getty Images The suffragettes who fought so tirelessly for women to gain the right to vote 100 years ago notably wore all white during their protests to demand that this constitutional right be applied not just to men. Many on social media were quick to point out that surely Clinton knows this and wore white in part to honor those who fought for the vote, the original crack in that highest glass ceiling, now shattered. fashion and imagery is important. Hillary Clinton is sending a message with that white pant suit #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/Z3huOidizs Cara Ann Kelly (@CaraReports) July 29, 2016 In all white, Clinton also seemed to be asking America to leave its preconceived notions of her at the door, to approach her with a clean slate thats free of ridicule and stereotype. And indeed, in all white a color Clinton usually eschews in favor of bright jewel tones Thursday nights audience was able to listen to the candidate and woman who has been in the public eye for nearly three decades free of distraction. Clinton brought all eyes onto her face, asking voters to consider a vision for America that she billed as uplifting and inclusive, while presenting her rival nominee Donald Trumps vision as dark and morose. Story continues Melania Trump wore a white dress by Roksanda Ilincic, a Serbian-born designer based in London, for her speech at the Republican National Convention. (Photo: Getty) Also of note was the contrast between Clintons white suit and the tailored white dress which was literally a bridal gown worn at the Republican National Convention by her opponents wife, Melania Trump. While white on Mrs. Trump felt youthful, Mrs. Clintons white pantsuit read as mature and self-assured. Clinton completed her look with a very subtle and personal touch, one that spoke to the person behind the political mythology and the humanizing theme both Bill and Chelsea Clinton wove into their convention speeches. Around her neck was a thin gold chain with a small charm hanging from it a gift from her husband, President Bill Clinton, in honor of their 40th wedding anniversary last year. It is no secret that the Clintons marriage has been complicated at times. Wearing the gift from her husband was a quiet statement that despite what naysayers might claim, the relationship they have with each other is strong and enduring. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber - USA TODAY Sports Three former San Diego Chargers were signed to new teams this week. Linebacker Donald Butler, tight end John Phillips and safety Jimmy Wilson will be entering training camp with a new franchise. According to ESPNs Adam Caplan, Donald Butler will be headed to the Arizona Cardinals. While Jimmy Wilson will be heading to the Benglas according to ESPNs Josina Anderson. The #Bengals have signed free agent S Jimmy Wilson, per team. Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 28, 2016 John Phillips finds his new home in Denver as per Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com. In 2014, the San Diego Chargers signed Butler to a massive 7-year contract extension. After being one of the biggest disappointments in recent memory, San Diego released him. Butler played extremely poorly in 2015 and appeared to be unmotivated. He will have his work cut out for him if he wants to be a part of the tough Arizona defense. Jimmy Wilson struggled in 2015 as well. Wilson had a pretty big role on the Chargers but failed to make a positive impact. Wilson got beat by receivers and tight ends alike far too often but he should be a good backup in Cincinnati. Many may not know his name, but John Phillips is a fine third string tight end. He is a capable blocker and did his job for the Bolts since 2013. He also played special teams which is always a plus. The Broncos tight end situation isnt settled and maybe Phillips could win a roster spot. Its probably a positive that Butler and Wilson arent going to be on the San Diego roster due to their bad play in 2015. Phillips was mainly a non-factor on offense and with the addition of Jeff Cumblerland and Hunter Henry, wouldnt have made the team anyway. The post Three former Chargers find new homes appeared first on Cover32. By Johan Purnomo CILACAP, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia executed four convicted drug traffickers, including three Nigerians, early on Friday as it pushed ahead with its "war against drugs", although another 10 scheduled executions were delayed. As many as 14 people were originally set to face the firing squad together on Friday, but officials decided a "comprehensive review" was needed to "avoid any mistake" in the 10 cases, Attorney General H. Muhammad Prasetyo said. The date for the next round of executions has not been set, Prasetyo told reporters in Jakarta. At least two prisoners among that group of 10, a Pakistani national and an Indonesian woman, have applied for presidential clemency, their representatives said. They said legal proceedings could take a long time. Those executed - three Nigerians and an Indonesian man - were shot during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight on Nusakambangan Island in Central Java. The government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with its drive against narcotics. "Our battle against drug crimes is not over and it will continue. We will maintain our commitment, our firmness and our consistency," Prasetyo said. Indonesia has become a "business field" for the production, distribution, import and export of drugs, Prasetyo said. Indonesia executed 14 prisoners, mostly foreign drugs offenders, just over a year ago, causing diplomatic outrage. Rights activists and governments have again called on Indonesia to abolish the death penalty. Those calls have gone unheeded and President Joko Widodo has said drugs pose as serious a threat as terrorism in what is one of Southeast Asia's biggest markets for narcotics. The president's office often cites figures that drugs are killing at least 40 people a day, but several international experts have questioned the methodology used to arrive at those statistics. The death penalty is widely accepted by the Indonesian public, but police had to break up a protest outside the prison on Thursday by members of a migrant workers group who called for mercy for the Indonesian woman who was scheduled to be executed. Amnesty International called the latest executions "a deplorable act that violates international and Indonesian law" and pleaded that the other death sentences not be carried out. Around 152 people remain on death row in Indonesia, including convicted drug traffickers from the Philippines, France and Britain, according to the Attorney General's Office. Authorities plan to execute 16 prisoners this year and more than double that number in 2017. (Additional reporting by Kanupriya Kapoor, Eveline Danubrata and Yuddy Cahya in Jakarta; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Paul Tait) By Abhishek Madhukar DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) - The niece of a leading Buddhist monk who died in a Chinese jail has fled to India to tell the world she suspects he was a victim of torture, and disbelieves the official version that he died of a heart attack. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, 65, had been serving a life sentence for "crimes of terror and incitement of separatism" when his family was told on July 12, 2015, that he had died in prison in China's southwestern city of Chengdu. Only a week later did state media report that Tenzin Delek, a supporter of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, had died of a heart attack. His body was not returned to the family, and was instead cremated. Now his 26-year-old niece, Nyima Lhamo, has undertaken a grueling journey to India to issue an appeal for justice - leaving behind close relatives, including her own six-year-old daughter. In an interview on Thursday in the hill town of Dharamsala, where a self-styled Tibetan government in exile is based, she said Chinese officials denied relatives access to Tenzin Delek for nearly two years before his death. When her mother and aunt were finally summoned on July 1, 2015, they were kept waiting. "Eventually, on July 12, they were told that Rinpoche had died. We were given different times of death by prison staff and we were doubtful," Lhamo told Reuters. Previously, Tenzin Delek told Lhamo's mother he had been tortured, including being beaten and thrown to the ground, and doused with hot and cold water. "Officers were constantly torturing him and taunting him," she said at the newly built, and nearly empty, Tibetan Reception Centre for Refugees. A security crackdown has cut the yearly flow of Tibetan refugees to India from 2,500 in 2008 to just a few dozen now. INTERNATIONAL APPEALS The United States had urged China to make public the circumstances of Tenzin Delek's death, while a United Nations rights watchdog later cited his case in a call to end torture in Chinese police stations and prisons. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing routinely denies allegations of human rights abuses, especially in Tibet, where it says its rule has bought prosperity and development. Lhamo reached the prison on July 14, when officials again stonewalled on the cause of Tenzin Delek's death and refused to share any medical reports. They allowed her to see his body only after she tried to hang herself with her scarf outside the jail. "When they finally allowed us to see the body...(it) was covered with monk's robes and we could not see much, but I saw his lips were dark," said Lhamo, who spoke with detachment and appeared exhausted. "The monks who had cleaned Rinpoche's body had mentioned that the nails were black and there was a abnormal soft hollow at the back under his head." His body was cremated the following day. The Central Tibetan Administration, the Dharamsala-based political leadership of exiled Tibetans, said the circumstances of Tenzin Delek's death remained "clouded". "We would like to have a very independent study and investigation into his death so that there can be a dignified closure," said CTA spokesman Tashi Phuntsok, expressing "full solidarity" with Lhamo. The monk was one of the most senior supporters of the Dalai Lama still in Chinese-ruled Tibet. The spiritual leader went into exile in 1959 after a failed uprising. China has accused the Nobel peace laureate of seeking to use violent means to establish an independent Tibet - a charge his followers deny, saying they seek real autonomy by peaceful means. (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Tim Kaine Tim Kaine is not to be confused with Tom Kean as Donald Trump did earlier this week. Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate and a senator from Virginia, explained on Friday on CNN that Trump's mix-up of the two at a press conference earlier this week made him "scratch his head." "Her running mate Tim Kaine, who by the way did a terrible job in New Jersey first act he did in New Jersey was ask for a $4 billion tax increase and he was not very popular in New Jersey and he still isn't," Trump said during a Wednesday press conference. Kean was the Republican governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kaine did propose $4 billion in tax increases when he served as governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, according to PolitiFact, but did not do so all at once. Kaine is, and Kean was, well-liked in their states. "Two days ago he did a press conference and he told everybody what a lousy governor of New Jersey I was," Kaine told CNN host Jake Tapper in response to being asked what he thought of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, insinuating that Trump was insane during his speech to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday. "To be honest, you were," Tapper joked back. "Yeah, well, I was a no-show governor of New Jersey when I was governor of Virginia," Kaine responded. "OK, look, the guy's new to it, and we're a big country and there are 50 states and New Jersey's different than Virginia," he continued. "I guess you've got to let him climb the learning curve." He said that he doesn't "know anything about his sanity" because he's "never met him." "But somebody who'd mistake New Jersey for Virginia or Virginia for New Jersey, I just scratch my head," he continued. Tapper clarified that Trump seemed to mean Kean, who's name is pronounced the same as Kaine's. "Tom Kean was governor of New Jersey and he finished his term 26 years ago," Kaine said. "I mean, I don't know, I was 5 years old then and I would've been a bad governor. Nah, I was older than 5, but I would've been a bad governor. At age 5, I would've been a bad governor." Story continues NOW WATCH: INSTANT POLL: Americans viewed Clinton's convention speech more favorably than Trump's More From Business Insider The following timeline charts the origin and spread of the Zika virus from its discovery nearly 70 years ago: 1947: Scientists researching yellow fever in Uganda's Zika Forest identify the virus in a rhesus monkey 1948: Virus recovered from Aedes africanus mosquito in Zika Forest 1952: First human cases detected in Uganda and Tanzania 1954: Virus found in Nigeria 1960s-80s: Zika detected in mosquitoes and monkeys across equatorial Africa 196983: Zika found in equatorial Asia, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan 2007: Zika spreads from Africa and Asia, first large outbreak on Pacific island of Yap 2012: Researchers identify two distinct lineages of the virus, African and Asian 201314: Zika outbreaks in French Polynesia, Easter Island, the Cook Islands and New Caledonia. Retrospective analysis shows possible link to birth defects and severe neurological complications in babies in French Polynesia March 2, 2015: Brazil reports illness characterized by skin rash in northeastern states July 17: Brazil reports detection of neurological disorders in newborns associated with history of infection Oct. 5: Cape Verde has cases of illness with skin rash Oct. 22: Colombia confirms cases of Zika Oct. 30: Brazil reports increase in microcephaly, abnormally small heads, among newborns Nov. 11: Brazil declares public health emergency November 2015-January 2016: Cases reported in Suriname, Panama, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Venezuela, French Guiana, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Ecuador, Barbados, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Curacao, Jamaica Feb. 1: World Health Organization (WHO) declares public health emergency of international concern Feb. 2: First case of Zika transmission in United States; local health officials say likely contracted through sex, not mosquito bite Feb. 5: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says virus being actively transmitted in 30 countries, mostly in the Americas Feb. 8: U.S. President Barack Obama requests $1.8 billion to fight Zika Feb. 12: Brazil investigating potential link between Zika infections and 4,314 suspected cases of microcephaly. Of those, 462 confirmed as microcephaly and 41 determined to be linked to virus Feb. 17: Brazil investigating potential link between Zika and 4,443 suspected cases of microcephaly. Of those, 508 confirmed as microcephaly and most of those cases are linked to the virus. WHO seeks $56 million to fight Zika. Feb. 18: CDC adds Aruba and Bonaire to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 32. Feb. 23: CDC investigating 14 cases of possible sexual transmission of Zika. CDC also adds Trinidad and Tobago and Marshall Islands to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 34. Feb. 25: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases number more than 580 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,100 suspected cases of microcephaly. Feb. 27: France detects first sexually transmitted case of Zika. Feb. 29: CDC adds St. Maarten, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 36. March 1: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 641 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,222 suspected cases of microcephaly. March 8: WHO advises pregnant women to avoid areas with Zika outbreak and said sexual transmission of the virus is "relatively common." March 9: CDC adds New Caledonia to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 37. March 15: Cuba reports first case of Zika contracted in the country. March 16: Cape Verde identifies first case of microcephaly. March 18: CDC says during Jan. 1, 2015 to Feb. 26, 2016, 116 residents of the United States had evidence of recent Zika virus infection based on laboratory testing. Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 863 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,268 suspected cases of microcephaly. March 19: CDC adds Cuba to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 38. March 21: South Korea confirms first case of Zika. March 22: CDC adds Dominica to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 39. Bangladesh confirms first case of Zika virus. Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 907 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,293 suspected cases of microcephaly. March 29: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 944 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil said the number of suspected cases of microcephaly dropped slightly to 4,291. March 31: According to the World Health Organization, there is a strong scientific consensus that Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis, though conclusive proof may take months or years. April 1: CDC adds Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 40. April 4: CDC adds Fiji to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 41. April 5: Vietnam reports first Zika infections. April 6: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 1,046 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. The number of suspected cases of microcephaly dropped to 4,046. April 7: St. Lucia confirms first two cases of Zika, contracted locally. April 12: Brazil says confirmed microcephaly cases rose to 1,113 and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. The number of suspected cases of microcephaly dropped to 3,836. It was the second week in a row that the overall total figure fell. April 13: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that infection with the Zika virus in pregnant women is a cause of the birth defect microcephaly and other severe brain abnormalities in babies. The CDC said now that the causal relationship has been established, several important questions must still be answered with studies that could take years. CDC adds St. Lucia to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 42. April 14: Colombia confirms two microcephaly cases linked to Zika. April 18: Peru reports first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus. CDC adds Belize to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 43. April 19: Chilean authorities find Zika mosquito for first time in decades. April 25: Canada confirms first sexually transmitted Zika case. April 26: Brazil says the number of confirmed cases of microcephaly climbed to 1,198 from 1,168 in the week through April 23, but suspected ones under investigation continued to decline to 3,710 from 3,741 a week ago. Brazil registered 91,387 likely cases of the Zika virus from February until April 2, the health ministry said, in its first national report on the epidemic. April 29: Puerto Rico reports first death related to Zika, according to the CDC. The country also confirmed 683 Zika cases, including 65 pregnant women, and five suspected cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome from Zika, the CDC reported. May 4: Panama confirms four microcephaly cases tied to Zika. May 6: Spain gets first case of Zika-related brain defect in a fetus. May 9: CDC adds Papua New Guinea, Saint Barthelemy and Peru to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 46. Honduras suspects first case of microcephaly in Zika patient. May 11: Brazil says the number of confirmed cases of microcephaly dropped to 1,326 in the week through May 7 as doctors and Brazilian health officials find that some suspected cases of microcephaly are not the disorder. Suspected ones under investigation continued to decline to 3,433. May 12: CDC adds Grenada to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 47. May 13: Puerto Rico reports first case of Zika-related microcephaly. May 20: WHO says an outbreak of Zika virus on the African island chain of Cape Verde is of the same strain as the one blamed for birth abnormalities in Brazil. May 24: Brazil reports the number of confirmed cases of microcephaly at 1,434 for the latest week to May 21. Suspected ones under investigation declined to 3,257. May 26: CDC adds Argentina to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 48. June 9: WHO issues updated guidelines on prevention of sexual transmission of the Zika virus, including advising women living in areas where the virus is being transmitted to delay getting pregnant. June 14: El Salvador confirms first case of microcephaly linked to Zika. June 23: CDC reports seven babies in the United States with microcephaly or other Zika-related birth defects such as serious brain abnormalities, and five lost pregnancies from either miscarriage, stillbirth or termination. June 28: First baby with Zika-related birth defect microcephaly born in Florida. June 30: CDC adds Anguilla to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 49. Guinea-Bissau confirms three cases of Zika, government says. Spain records first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus, health authorities said. July 8: CDC confirmed that a Utah resident's death last month is the first Zika-related death in the continental United States. July 14: CDC adds Saint Eustatius to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 50. July 15: New York City's health department reports the first female-to-male transmission of the Zika virus. July 18: CDC reports that caregiver of Utah man who died of Zika tested positive for virus. July 19: Florida health officials are investigating a case of Zika virus infection that does not appear to have stemmed from travel to another region with an outbreak. July 21: CDC reports 400 pregnant women in U.S. with evidence of Zika infection, up from 346 a week ago. The health agency also reports three more babies born in U.S. with birth defects linked to the Zika virus, bringing total to 12. Florida Department of Health said it was investigating a non travel-related case of Zika in Broward County, marking the second such case in the U.S. July 22: New York City health officials reports first baby born with Zika-related birth defect. July 25: Spain reports first case in Europe of baby born with Zika-related defect. CDC issues updated recommendations for preventing and testing for Zika infection, warning that the virus can be transmitted through unprotected sex with an infected female partner. July 26: Honduras detects 8 cases of babies with Zika-related defect. CDC adds Saba to countries and territories with active outbreaks, bringing total to 51 July 27: Paraguay reports first cases of microcephaly linked to Zika. July 29: Florida authorities report what is believed to be the first evidence of local Zika transmission in the continental United States. SOURCES: World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Reuters (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by the Americas Desk) Ahead of the release of their collaborative album Compass, Mad Decent's Toy Selectah and Mexican Institute of Sound's Camilo Lara are premiering their new single "Crazy Conscious" featuring Toots Hibbert exclusively on Billboard. "This was a magical moment for us on the recording process of Compass. Toots invented the word 'reggae' and we feel his contribution to pop music is invaluable. We are very proud of the result of our collaboration," Lara tells Billboard. Exclusive: Mad Decent's Toy Selectah & Camilo Lara Reveal Star-Studded 'Compass' Album The infectious reggae tune is featured on the album, which includes collaborations with more than 90 artists from all over the world including Nina Sky, Ceci Bastida, Sly and Robbie and Los Master Plus, among others. "This album is like our PhD thesis on global music production," Toy Selectah previously told Billboard. "This project has been a mystical quest trying to prove that there is only one dance floor across the globe," added Lara. Mad Decent Beach Party 2016 Announces Lineup: Major Lazer, Dillon Francis, Alison Wonderland & More The 13 tracks on Compass include a variety of music genres such as punk, reggae, dance hall and electronica. To record the album, Mexican musicians traveled to countries like Mexico, England, Brazil, Jamaica and the U.S. "This album is a little like good tequila," says Selectah. "Tequilas come from specific regions and you can taste the difference. Music is similar in that all these artists represent where they come from and their own life experience." Listen to "Crazy Conscious" below and get a first look at the all new teaser for Compass, due Aug. 26. By Zachary Fagenson MIAMI (Reuters) - Christophe and Franziska Lefever were admiring graffiti at an outdoor gallery in a chic Miami arts district on Friday when they learned that the first cases of Zika spread by mosquitoes in the continental United States were contracted in the area. "We're covered in bug bites already," said Christophe Lefever, 26, weighing his and his wife's odds of getting infected with a virus tied to a rare but serious birth defect. The couple from Austria decided it was probably safe to continue enjoying their vacation, even though Florida authorities now consider it probable that the virus has been transmitted by mosquito bites in the area. Officials believe any spread would be limited to an area of about a square mile (2.6 square kms) north of downtown Miami. The neighborhoods targeted for increased surveillance and mosquito control include the trendy Wynwood district, which has rapidly gentrified in recent years and now boasts art galleries, luxury retailers and colorful murals on its walls. Tourists, students and longtime residents were concerned about the news of Zika's arrival, but few stayed indoors. While some shopped and snapped selfies like normal, one hotdog vendor sought to protect himself by adding a mosquito repellant unit to his cart. Like U.S. health officials, many here viewed the arrival of Zika in Miami as all but inevitable, given the region's large numbers of tourists and its sweaty summer mosquito season. "It was obvious this is where it was going to come in," said Bradley Kilgore, a chef and partner at Alter, a local restaurant. He said he planned to research bug repellants. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was not advising against travel to the region, as it has recommended for pregnant women to countries seeing widespread outbreaks. Infection during pregnancy is considered the greatest risk from the current Zika outbreak, which has spread rapidly through the Americas since it was first detected in Brazil last year. The virus can cause microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by small head size that can lead to developmental problems. Story continues "We are scared," said Lucile Simon, 21, who is from Normandy, France and studying for the summer in Miami. "But what can we do?" she added, noting that violence inspired by extremist groups is also a danger worldwide. "We won't let it deter us from traveling." William Burrell, 22, remained more interested in seeing art than swatting mosquitoes during his 10-day Florida vacation. "What are you going to do, not go outside?" said Burrell, who is from Hampton, Virginia. "If I'm going to catch it, I'm going to catch it." (Writing by Letitia Stein; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Bernard Orr) CBS' The Late Late Show With James Corden, which launched in March 2015, and Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, which has aired since last September, have quickly developed a broad reach, and fans, around the world. Noah's show is currently seen in nearly 170 countries and territories via Comedy Central's growing number of international channels, program sales deals and digital and mobile distribution via the Comedy Central Play app. Sources say that this likely makes it one of the most widely distributed late-night shows right now. In comparison, in its last season hosted by Jon Stewart, the show aired in 76 countries and territories. Corden, meanwhile, is now licensed in around 150 territories, with CBS this summer unveiling deals with Sky for the U.K., MCM in France and German commercial channel RTL II's new digital network RTL II You, which offers a combination of linear TV and VOD programming targeting millennials. The companies don't detail the international distribution or overall revenue for specific shows. But Wall Street analysts say the international success of the late-night shows provides some financial upside but estimate no major earnings boost from it. Tuna Amobi, analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said that international business is "still a relatively small portion of the profits for both parent companies, CBS and Viacom." Wunderlich Securities analyst Matthew Harrigan took similar note of the success, saying: "It is interesting that international is now becoming more incrementally material to live comedy. Even scripted comedy doesn't always travel well." Read More: 'Late Late Show With James Corden' Sells to German TV Armando Nunez, president and CEO president of CBS Global Distribution Group, tells The Hollywood Reporter that international "is a nice revenue piece" for the overall model of the Corden show. But he also emphasized: "You are still at the end of the day focused on producing a show that is going to resonate and be successful with an American audience." Story continues But TV networks and audiences worldwide have taken note of Corden and Noah. "The Late Late Show has become a global cultural phenomenon, and the U.K. audience has delighted in James' runaway stateside success, said Gary Davey, managing director, Sky content when his company unveiled the deal for the show. And Nadja Raoufi, senior vp program acquisitions and new channel development at RTL II, said about the German deal that the show "perfectly complements the portfolio on RTL II You and hits the mark among our young target group." And Noah has drawn strong reactions at such events as the May launch in Dubai of Comedy Central in the Middle East. Observers say the fact that Noah is from South Africa and Corden is British alone doesn't necessarily guarantee them viewer interest outside of the U.S., but they argue that both have qualities that have made them hits abroad. "Among some of the qualities that [Noah] has is that he is very warm, and I think that warmth helps transcend national expectations and helps people feel comfortable that they are with somebody who will make the effort to relate to them," Jill Offman, senior vp of Comedy Central International, tells THR. "He also has a real specificity when he looks at the world and gets the places he is talking about. He really seems to understand what he is talking about." Read More: Trevor Noah Helps Launch Comedy Central in Middle East The Daily Show under Noah has increased its reach outside of the United States by 374 percent from the Jon Stewart days, according to Comedy Central. And its international ratings during the second calendar quarter were up 265 percent from the year-ago period when Stewart was still hosting the show. That was driven by record viewing in South Africa (up 260 percent) and gains in such key markets as the United Kingdom (up 157 percent), Ireland (38 percent) and Denmark (4 percent). In addition, the show this year has generated an average of 67 million monthly streams across all digital platforms, up 22 percent from 2015, says Comedy Central. Global comedy is "not for sissies," says Offman. "It's really hard." But every market that has taken the Daily Show has said it wants to get behind and help further build the Noah franchise. And so does Comedy Central. "We see Trevor as our global comedy ambassador," Offman says. "He is the first one. Trevor is the perfect face for the brand as it has become much bigger and much more relevant in many more markets." None of the executives wanted to compare their current talent with past late-night hosts, but when asked about Noah's wider international reach in comparison with Stewart's, Offman said: "We were excited and thrilled to have Jon Stewart, and that prepared the way for Trevor. We have also launched more Comedy Central international channels in recent years. But we have seen that [Noah] has an unusual level of popularity for an American current affairs comedy host in the world." Meanwhile, Corden has quickly developed a global following with buzz-worthy viral videos. The show's official YouTube channel has surpassed 1 billion total views and has 138 clips with more than 1 million views each and 6 million subscribers. Especially the show's "Carpool Karaoke" segments are consistent viral hits, each surpassing 10 million views. Read More: What Trevor Noah's 'Daily Show' Hiring Means for Late-Night TV "We knew that there was going to be more interest in him than the average American talk show," Nunez says about Corden. "What we have been able to piggyback off of is his huge online popularity. Especially once "Carpool Karaoke" started taking off, it gave us a platform, which helped us in growing the interest for the more traditional platforms." But the CBS executive sees a broader set of reasons for Corden's global appeal and a slew of recent licensing deals. "This is not your stereotypical American chat show. First off, obviously, he is a Brit and he didn't come from a world where he was sitting down at a desk and interviewing people," he explains. "He is a very talented actor and performer, and that all reflects in the type of show he has done." Plus, from a U.S. perspective, and the perspective of other parts of the world, "he also has a rather unique way of doing interviews and has the guests come out at the same time," adds Nunez. How does that compare to other other or previous late-night shows? "It's not like American chat shows haven't been distributed around the world before," says Nunez. "We have a long history of doing it with Letterman. There are just certain unique aspects of Corden, which have really resonated in the global marketplace." The host also has been great in making himself available to help the show's success globally. "James has been terrific in terms of marketing and promoting the show in the U.S. and outside, which is very important," Nunez explains. And he lauds the host for working hard to make a name for himself around the world with the show. "Here is a guy who to a certain extent was a relative unknown in the U.S. television market, to get to where he is at this point, it's a great story," says Nunez. Read More: James Corden's 'Late Late Show' Gets U.K. Home at Sky It seemed as though this day would never come, but it has: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said something so remarkably stupid that he actually had to pretend he wasn't being serious at the time. The run up to the 2016 presidential election in November will go down as one of the most bizarre and, quite frankly, sad times in the recent history of American politics. No matter who wins come November, we all lose. Of course, there's losing and then there's losing. And speaking of losing, an interesting series of events unfolded this week that forced Trump to finally walk back one of his ridiculous comments something we really never thought we would see. DON'T MISS: Two new videos get up close and personal with the iPhone 7 like never before Trump is unlike any presidential candidate we've ever seen for so many reasons. So, so many. The most interesting among them might be the very manner by which he has managed to stir up so much support. In a nutshell, he says whatever he wants whenever he wants, and almost nothing he says it rooted in reality. Seriously. By some counts more than 90% of the things Trump states as fact are either misguided or outright lies. It's insane. That's not the best part, though. The best part is the fact that his massive following doesn't care. At all. The media and not just the liberal media, mind you constantly calls Trump out on his lies and sheer stupidity, but nothing he does or says has any negative impact on sentiment among his supporters. So Trump sticks to his guns and says whatever asinine thing pops into his head. But this week, it finally happened. Trump said something so stupid that he had to retract it. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump called on Russian hackers to illegally obtain and leak private emails belonging to democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. That's right, the republican nominee for president of the United States publicly asked Russian hackers to hack an American citizen and release the private contents of her personal email account. Story continues "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said during a press conference on Wednesday. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press." You can't even make this stuff up. Trump knows that a lot of what he says is stupid. Much of it is calculated; he is a showman, not a moron. But this time around, he had to swallow his pride and retract his statement likely because his public request for Russian hackers to commit a felony is itself probably a felony. Of course, this is Trump we're talking about here, so he didn't apologize. Instead, he pretended he was joking the whole time. "Of course I'm being sarcastic," Trump said in a TV interview on Fox. "But you have 33,000 emails deleted, and the real problem is what was said on those emails from the Democratic National Committee. You take a look at what was said on those emails, it's disgraceful." Sad! Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com By Sujata Rao and Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Some holders of Mozambique's restructured "tuna bond" have hired a law firm to explore suing the government and banks Credit Suisse and VTB after it was revealed the country owed $1 billion more to creditors than it had disclosed, three sources familiar with the situation said. Investors agreed this year to swap $697 million still outstanding of a bond issued in 2013 by state tuna-fishing firm Ematum for a sovereign bond maturing in 2023. The deal was viewed at the time as creditor-friendly as it did not require bondholders to write down any of the bond principal and allowed them to exchange corporate risk for a sovereign bond, which is perceived as safer. Transactions were managed by Credit Suisse and VTB. Both banks declined to comment about bondholders considering a legal case. Reuters was unable to independently confirm how far the decision to take legal action has advanced. Soon after the swap deal, the International Monetary Fund said it had uncovered $1 billion of undisclosed borrowing that "significantly changed" its view of Mozambique's finances and economic outlook. The additional borrowing appeared to represent loans taken out from Credit Suisse and VTB, the IMF said. An IMF source later said Mozambique had owned up to as much as $1.35 billion of undeclared sovereign borrowing that could render its debt position unsustainable. The hidden borrowing takes Mozambique's foreign debt obligations to $9.86 billion, or 80 percent of GDP, and credit rating agency Fitch said in April that a default was likely. Speaking to Reuters, bondholder sources said some of the bondholders had formed an informal group to consider a suit against the Mozambique government and the two banks. "We have decided to take legal action after we realised how bad the numbers were after the IMF made them disclose a couple of months ago," said one fund manager who requested anonymity. "Credit Suisse and VTB sold us the new issue, but it didn't have full disclosure ... So we have hired the legal firm now and it is moving along," the source said, adding that the lawsuit would also target the government. Reuters has not been able to identify the law firm and while two other fund managers said plans for a lawsuit by a creditor group were underway, they declined to give more details of participants or say which law firm had been hired. Neither Mozambique's finance minister nor a spokesman for the ministry responded to telephone calls from Reuters for a comment. The IMF cancelled a planned trip to Mozambique when it revealed the additional $1 billion of debt in April and said it thought the money had been spent on the southern African country's defence sector. Swiss and UK financial watchdogs are looking into Credit Suisse's and VTB's involvement in Mozambique, sources told Reuters last month. Then, Credit Suisse declined comment while VTB said it had been open and transparent with the regulators on the Mozambique transaction. (Additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London, Alexander Winning in Moscow and Joshua Franklin in Zurich; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) More than five years ago, a democratic uprising in Tunisia led to the overthrow of the 23-year dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The revolution that began in Tunisia spread through much of the Arab world and eventually led to regime changes in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, and to political concessions by the governments in Jordan and Morocco. Unfortunately, progress has stalled in many of these countries or even been reversed, as is the case in Egypt. Tunisia, however, remains a notable exception to this trend. Regrettably, Tunisia has been generating negative coverage in the international media of late. A couple of weeks ago, a Tunisian man horrified the world by killing scores of innocent people in an attack in Nice, France. The attack comes a little more than a year after terrorists targeted and killed dozens of foreign tourists holidaying in Tunisia. The Tunisian economy has taken a battering, as tourism is a major source of income for the country, and the attack in France is likely to make foreign tourists even more wary of visiting the country. This is not a fair or accurate image for a country that has achieved much progress in opening its society during the past five years. Today, a wide range of political views can be heard in Tunisia as evidenced by the creation of dozens of new political parties and thousands of civil society organizations. And the Tunisian parliament has a greater share of women members than any other parliament in the Arab region. Tunisia is also the only country in North Africa that has enacted a very progressive law giving its citizens the right to access government information, and the government has made rapid improvements in transparency around its national budget. In fact, it has gone from being one of the poorest performers in the world on the Open Budget Index 2012 to being one of the top performers in the Arab world on the Open Budget Index 2015. Despite these positive strides, continuing corruption in the public sector -- coupled with high unemployment rates and weak economic growth -- are frustrating ordinary citizens, who are not seeing their new political freedoms translate into better standards of living. Story continues Rather than prioritize installing reforms recommended by international and domestic experts, such as building independent oversight institutions and strengthening tax policies and tax administration, the government has instead exacerbated the public's frustrations by proposing controversial measures. For instance, last year, President Beji Caid Essebsi submitted a draft "economic and financial reconciliation" bill to parliament. The reconciliation bill, touted by the president as an economic confidence-building measure, would provide amnesty to the business community and individuals who served under the deposed dictatorship if they refunded monies they are accused of stealing. Essebsi also presented the law as a way to accelerate the reconciliation process to help Tunisians move on from the trauma of the pre-democratic period. [READ: These are the 10 most corrupt countries, ranked by perception] Civil society organizations and others have strongly opposed the bill, fearing that if it is enacted into law, its measures would provide cover to the government to make secret deals with individuals who may have stolen vast sums of monies from the country. Many also argue that this measure would undermine the work of the Truth and Dignity Commission established in 2014 to investigate human rights violations committed in the country during the dictatorship. Among other responsibilities, the commission is mandated to examine economic crimes that have affected individuals and to provide relief and compensation to victims. In sharp contrast to the transparent "truth-telling" mandate of the commission, the government's proposed reconciliation law would allow such matters to be handled behind closed doors. While public uproar prevented the proposed measure from being enacted into law last year, the bill is once again coming up for consideration in parliament. The push-back against the Tunisian government's efforts to sweep past corruption under the rug reflects the growing belief among Tunisians that openness and transparency are key to the country's advancement. During the past few years, Al Bawsala, a local civil society organization, has begun publicizing -- frequently through live tweets -- debates in the national parliament. For the first time, citizens in this young democracy have an opportunity to follow their elected representatives' discussions of issues of critical national importance, including tracking their attendance in parliament and their voting records. In 2014, amid much international acclaim, Tunisia joined the Open Government Partnership, which provides an international platform to enable domestic reformers to make high-profile commitments to advance openness and responsiveness in government operations. Unfortunately, Tunisia has made commitments that many local civil society organizations believe lack ambition, do not involve important government ministries, and have been poorly implemented. They believe that the government could do much more to advance openness in public policymaking, such as expanding transparency and public participation in budgeting practices across Tunisian municipalities. Tunisia is at a crossroads. On the one hand, the country has made much progress in realizing the desire for political freedom that motivated tens of thousands of Tunisians to risk their lives and take to the streets during the uprising in 2011. On the other hand, the gains achieved so far are just a beginning. It is imperative that the government and all stakeholders recognize this moment and undertake further reforms that can truly realize the potential unleashed in this country five years ago. Vivek Ramkumar is senior director of policy at the International Budget Partnership, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., that collaborates with civil society around the world to analyze and influence public budgets in order to reduce poverty and improve the quality of governance. Ankara (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday angrily accused a top US general of siding with Turkey's coup plotters for saying the country's turmoil could downgrade military cooperation with Washington. Turkey has arrested nearly half of its 358 generals for complicity in the July 15 failed putsch, forcing a sudden reshuffle at the top of the armed forces and raising fears over the continuity of its military strategy. Quoted by US media, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel said Thursday that the coup bid and subsequent round-up of dozens of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. "You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt," Erdogan said in angry remarks at a military centre in Golbasi outside Ankara, where air strikes left dozens dead during the coup. "You reveal yourself with your remarks. We will not play your game!" said Erdogan. In particular, Votel suggested the US had lost crucial Turkish military interlocutors who are now in jail and accused of being behind the coup -- a concern echoed by the US head of National Intelligence James Clapper. "Know your place!" Erdogan told Votel, using one of his favourite expressions of anger. "The coup plotter is already in your country, you are already feeding him," he said in reference to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding of the coup and wants to see extradited from the United States. - 'Ridiculous' - Turkey is a key member of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, with its Incirlik air base used for launching raids. Turkey, which has itself been hit by deadly attacks blamed on jihadists, regularly targets IS positions in Syria with artillery fire. But adding to the complexities in an already sensitive relationship, Incirlik was an important base for the coup plotters and its commander General Bekir Ercan Van was subsequently arrested. Story continues Turkish Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu even suggested that the United States was behind the coup in the fellow NATO member, but this view has not been echoed by more senior figures. "Why such a rumour would still be propagated or still be able to find purchase over there, I couldn't begin to guess," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara that the notion the consequences of the coup would undermine the armed forces in the fight against IS were "ridiculous" and "unfortunate". Turkey has embarked on a major crackdown since the rebellion to eradicate what Erdogan call the "virus" of Gulen from every public institution and particularly the army. The government has ordered the discharge of 149 generals for complicity in the putsch, but Cavusoglu insisted the resulting army would be "more dynamic, cleaner and more effective". Cavusoglu meanwhile said he expected more from the European Union, which while condemning the coup has expressed alarm over the subsequent crackdown. But he emphasised that Turkey's current drive to improve relations with Israel and Russia was "no alternative" to ties with the EU and NATO. Istanbul (AFP) - An Istanbul court on Friday remanded 17 Turkish journalists in custody over links to the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen who is blamed for this month's failed coup, charging them with membership of a "terror group". Twenty-one journalists had their cases heard by the court, with four being freed and 17 placed under arrest ahead of trial, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. Those held include the veteran journalist Nazli Ilicak as well as the former correspondent for the pro-Gulen Zaman daily Hanim Busra Erdal, it added. Among the four freed was prominent commentator Bulent Mumay. Those held have all been charged with "membership of a terror group". Turkey considers Gulen's organisation to be a terror goup that was behind the July 15 coup, charges he fiercely denies. Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) - Turkey's ambassador to Kazakhstan on Friday warned the Central Asian country over its schools linked to US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government blames for this month's coup attempt. The ambassador was speaking after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday warned that followers of the controversial cleric could stage a coup in Kazakhstan's neighbour Kyrgyzstan. Ambassador Nevzat Uyanik raised the issue of "Kazakhstani-Turkish schools" believed to be run by foundations loyal to the 75-year-old Gulen's ideas, saying Ankara does not support them. "These schools have no relationship to Turkey's official state organs whatsoever," Uyanik told a news conference in the Kazakh capital. He called the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey "a warning to other countries," adding that "we are sure that the relevant bodies will start taking the necessary measures," apparently referring to Kazakhstan authorities. Cooperation "is not only in the interests of Turkey, these questions touch on the interests of Kazakhstan too," he said. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile from Turkey since 1999, vehemently denies involvement in the coup attempt that left 270 dead and has seen tens of thousands of people sacked or detained in government reprisals. Turkish officials accuse Gulen of building influence through a vast network of private education institutions, not only in Turkey but also in Africa and Central Asia. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are the only two countries in the mostly Turkic-speaking Central Asian region where Gulenist educational institutions still have a significant presence. Speaking on CNN-Turk television on Thursday, the Turkish foreign minister said followers of the cleric's ideas could launch a coup in Kyrgyzstan, which has already seen two governments overthrown since gaining independence in 1991. THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Supporters of U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen living in the Netherlands fear for their safety after dozens of death threats in the wake of a failed coup attempt, a spokeswoman for the community said on Friday. Dutch police declined to comment. Turkey says Gulen was the mastermind behind the failed July 15-16 putsch against the government of President Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen denies any involvement and accused Erdogan on Friday of being "poisoned" by power.. Saniye Calkin, who heads the Netherlands-based Hizmet organization of Gulen supporters, said members were keeping out of sight after dozens of reports of death threats, arson, vandalism, and physical assaults in Dutch towns and cities. "They have unleashed a witch-hunt that is causing a lot of tension between Dutch Turks," Calkin told journalists in The Hague. "These are signs of Erdogan's interference in the Netherlands and it is threatening my freedom and safety." She said dozens of incidents had been reported to police, and that similar incidents had occurred in neighboring Germany, which has Europe's largest Turkish community. Several thousand Gulen supporters, who run charities, schools and cultural organizations, are among up to 500,000 Turks living in the Netherlands. Tensions among Dutch Turks, who came to the Netherlands as migrant workers in the 1960s and 1970s, escalated earlier this year when a hotline was opened by the Turkish Embassy to report insults to Erdogan. Turkish authorities have detained, suspended or placed under investigation tens of thousands of teachers, police, journalists and other people since the July 15-16 putsch over suspected links to Gulen. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; editing by Mark Heinrich) THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Supporters of U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen living in the Netherlands fear for their safety after dozens of death threats in the wake of a failed coup attempt, a spokeswoman for the community said on Friday. Dutch police declined to comment. Turkey says Gulen was the mastermind behind the failed July 15-16 putsch against the government of President Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen denies any involvement and accused Erdogan on Friday of being "poisoned" by power. Saniye Calkin, who heads the Netherlands-based Hizmet organisation of Gulen supporters, said members were keeping out of sight after dozens of reports of death threats, arson, vandalism, and physical assaults in Dutch towns and cities. "They have unleashed a witch-hunt that is causing a lot of tension between Dutch Turks," Calkin told journalists in The Hague. "These are signs of Erdogan's interference in the Netherlands and it is threatening my freedom and safety." She said dozens of incidents had been reported to police, and that similar incidents had occurred in neighbouring Germany, which has Europe's largest Turkish community. Several thousand Gulen supporters, who run charities, schools and cultural organisations, are among up to 500,000 Turks living in the Netherlands. Tensions among Dutch Turks, who came to the Netherlands as migrant workers in the 1960s and 1970s, escalated earlier this year when a hotline was opened by the Turkish Embassy to report insults to Erdogan. Turkish authorities have detained, suspended or placed under investigation tens of thousands of teachers, police, journalists and other people since the July 15-16 putsch over suspected links to Gulen. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; editing by Mark Heinrich) ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's top military council promoted 99 colonels to the rank of general or admiral and put 48 generals into retirement in its annual shake-up, the military said on Friday, although the top brass was little changed after this month's failed coup attempt. President Tayyip Erdogan approved the council's key decisions, leaving armed forces chief Hulusi Akar and the army, navy and air force commanders in their posts, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin separately told reporters late on Thursday. The annual meeting of the Supreme Military Council - chaired by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and including the top brass - followed the dishonorable discharge of nearly 1,700 military personnel over their alleged roles in the abortive putsch on July 15-16. Erdogan, who narrowly escaped capture and possible death on the night of the coup, told Reuters in an interview last week that the military, NATO'S second biggest, needed "fresh blood". The dishonorable discharges included around 40 percent of Turkey's admirals and generals. A statement on the armed forces' website said that, alongside the promotion of 99 colonels, 16 generals and admirals were promoted and the terms of 20 generals and admirals were extended by a year. The statement made no reference to the coup. Among the limited changes in the most senior commanders, the deputy armed forces chief General Yasar Guler was appointed commander of Turkey's gendarmerie force, while the head of the prestigious First Army, General Umit Dundar, replaced him as Akar's second-in-command, the presidential spokesman said. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Paul Tait) Istanbul (AFP) - With deans forced to resign and academics in custody or dismissed, Turkish universities are among the hardest-hit targets of the purge launched after the failed coup. Days after the attempted overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, authorities shut down 15 private universities and demanded that 1,577 deans resign -- an earthquake for the higher education sector. Turkey has enforced a three-month state of emergency and is determined to weed out all influence of the reclusive US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of orchestrating the July 15 putsch. Erdogan has since launched a merciless war against his arch-enemy, saying his supporters have pervaded all Turkish institutions, especially the education sector. Ibrahim Kabaoglu, a professor in constitutional law, said Turkish academics had faced layoffs during 30 years of earlier states of emergency, but they had occurred under military rule. "This is the first time that this is happening under the constitutional regime." - Witch-hunt - At the public Galatasaray University in Istanbul, two days after the botched coup, administrative staff asked academics to denounce their Gulenist colleagues, giving the signal for a witch-hunt. At the same university this week, "academics were invited to write a letter stating that they had nothing to do with Gulen," said one lecturer, preferring to remain anonymous for security reasons. Galatasaray's rector, who brought in the measure, apparently wanted to protect his staff against a further backlash after the prestigious institution was among those purged and all its deans had to resign. Erdogan's Islamic-conservative AKP party has invested heavily in higher education since 2003, in a country where, since the rule of its modern founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the elite has always been well educated. "The effort was substantial," said a Western higher education specialist, also declining to be named. Universities were opened "from north to south, east to west", with some of them accommodating up to 70,000 students. Story continues The country had 207 universities before the coup: 123 public and 84 "foundations", essentially private. And the 40 best Turkish universities were internationally oriented, with English-language courses and rich exchange programmes. - 'Climate of fear' - But the failed coup has thrown such institutions into turmoil, with the powerful Higher Education Council (YOK) taking control of staff recruitment, courses and travel. Even since 2013-14, the government "has shown a commitment to bringing public and private universities progressively under control," said the education specialist. Along with initially banning work trips abroad after the coup, the YOK said academics who were already on foreign missions should return home "within the shortest possible time". "That creates a climate of fear, of tension, which is very bad for freedom of intellect, thought and research," said the specialist. Government officials did not respond to AFP's request for comment. The upheaval will in particular hit Turkey's Erasmus programmes with Europe and numerous scholarships with North America. In Canada, the University of Quebec in Montreal along with Toronto and McGill Universities told AFP they had suspended sending students to Turkey for the next academic year. In France, the Conference of University Presidents denounced "the business of destroying Turkish universities" and indicated that "for security reasons, a certain number of establishments do not plan to send their students to Turkey". - Gulen's reach - But is Gulen's influence in Turkish universities as weighty as authorities believe? "It's not a fantasy, but one can say the Gulenists live more or less hidden," said the education specialist. Gulen's network ran hundreds of Turkey's "dershanes": widely-attended cramming schools that offer extra tutoring to students. A solid source of revenue, these establishments also gave Gulenists the chance to shape and earn the loyalty of the brightest students. For ten years, "Erdogan put Gulenists everywhere in the universities, instead of the AKP who were not educated," said the lecturer at Galatasaray. Many dershanes were however shut down in 2014 by Erdogan after Gulen became his bete noire. Some have since reopened under different names. At Istanbul's public Bosphorus University, Turkey's most prestigious, the university's pool of mostly pro-Western and secularist free thinkers "feel heartbroken and disgusted" by the purge, an academic said. "A lot of people have lost their jobs." By Joseph Akwiri MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Two men accused of being members of a Kenyan secessionist group were sentenced to death on Friday for murdering four police officers on the eve of national elections in 2013. Prosecutors said Jabiri Ali Dzuya and Bwana Mkuu Alwan were members of the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), a movement which campaigns for the independence of Kenya's coastal regions. Both had denied the charge, but the judge at Mombasa's high court, Martin Muya, said there was enough evidence to show they had "brutally murdered four officers on duty". The MRC had called for people to boycott the 2013 elections, demanding a separate government for the Indian Ocean coastal strip which includes lucrative tourist beaches. The movement, outlawed until a 2012 court ruling lifted a ban, accuses the government of marginalizing groups that live there. It has denied police accusations that it was behind a string of sometimes deadly attacks on police stations and people from outside the area before the vote. The lawyer for the two convicted men said he would appeal against the death sentence. The prosecution said they it would appeal against the acquittal of two other defendants. Kenya has not executed anyone since 1987 - condemned prisoners usually end up serving life in jail. Uhuru Kenyatta, from one of Kenya's richest families and son of its founding president, was declared winner of the 2013 presidential election, which the opposition said was rigged. (Editing by George Obulutsa; Writing by Andrew Heavens) Paris (AFP) - French authorities filed terror charges on Friday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. The 29-year-old Algerian and the 35-year-old Pakistani were charged with "criminal conspiracy with terrorists", the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. Tyco International Ltd. TYC reported third-quarter fiscal 2016 adjusted income from continuing operations of $231 million or 54 cents per share compared with $198 million or 46 cents per share in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. GAAP income from continuing operations increased to 56 cents per share from 44 cents per share in the prior-year quarter. Despite the fall in revenues, earnings increased due to lower cost of services. Revenues decreased 2% to $2,449 million in the reported quarter from $2,489 million in the year-ago quarter. Revenues missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,457 million. Organic revenues also improved 1.5%, but was negatively impacted by a stronger U.S. dollar by 3%. Segment Performance North America Integrated Solutions & Services: Revenues came in at $1,004 million, an increase from the prior-year figure of $972 million, as the positive impact of acquisition overrode the weak Canadian dollar. The segment witnessed modest 2.5% organic growth on the back of a 4% increase in integrated solutions revenues. Backlog at the segment was $2.7 billion, up 5% year over year on a constant currency basis. Adjusted operating income came in at $148 million compared with $157 million in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted operating margin declined 150 basis points (bps) to 14.7% from 16.2% a year ago due to increased investments and higher installation costs. Rest of World Integrated Solutions & Services: Revenues decreased 6% year over year to $794 million primarily due to an adverse impact from currency translation. Organic revenues were up 2% due to an increase in sales of integrated solutions. However, a backlog of $1.94 billion reflected an increase of 14% year over year. Adjusted operating income came in at $92 million compared with $93 million in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted operating margin was 11.6% compared with 11.0% in the prior-year period. The 60 basis point improvement in operating margin was driven by revenue growth, improved execution and productivity benefits. Story continues Global Products: Revenues were $651 million compared with $675 in the prior-year quarter. Organic revenues were flat on a year-over-year basis. Adjusted operating income came in at $115 million compared with $119 million last year. Adjusted operating margin increased marginally to 17.7% from 17.6% in the prior-year quarter due to product mix. Merger Update In the fiscal first quarter, Tyco signed a merger deal with the global diversified technology company, Johnson Controls. Per the deal, Tyco will own 44% equity in the combined company. Post merger, the companies plan to strengthen their building products and technology, integrated solutions and energy storage portfolios. Tyco believes that this acquisition will help it in expanding its global footprint in the building-technology market, enhance shareholder value and launch innovative solutions. The combined company remains on track to achieve $1 billion in merger synergies and productivity initiatives. Tyco looks forward to close the Johnson Controls acquisition by Sep 2, 2016. Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Exiting fiscal third quarter, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $345 million with long-term debt of $2,165 million. Cash from operating activities totaled $191 million compared with $249 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted free cash flow generated during the quarter was $214 million compared with $230 million in the year-ago quarter. TYCO INTL PLC Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise TYCO INTL PLC Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | TYCO INTL PLC Quote Our Take Going forward, the merger with Johnson Controls is expected to be a lucrative opportunity for Tyco. The combined entity will offer state-of-the-art product, technology and service capabilities to clients ranging from commercial buildings to small business and residential customers. Owing to the Irish and European rules and regulations related to the proposed merger, Tyco has withdrawn its earlier issued profit forecast. Tyco currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Some stocks worth a look include Allegion Plc ALLE, Carlisle Companies Incorporated CSL and Leucadia National Corporation LUK. All three carry the same Zacks Rank as Tyco. 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 TYCO INTL PLC (TYC): Free Stock Analysis Report LEUCADIA NATL (LUK): Free Stock Analysis Report CARLISLE COS IN (CSL): Free Stock Analysis Report ALLEGION PLC (ALLE): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force asked industry on Friday for proposals to replace the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile and the nuclear cruise missile as the military moves ahead with a costly modernization of its aging atomic weapons systems. The Air Force said in a statement it expected to award up to two contracts for a new ICBM weapons system, or ground-based strategic deterrent, sometime next summer or fall. It also expected to award up to two contracts in the same time frame for a new nuclear cruise missile, or long-range standoff weapon. Modernization of the U.S. nuclear force is expected to cost more than $350 billion over the next decade as the United States works to replace its aging systems, including bombs, nuclear bombers, missiles and submarines. Some analysts estimate the cost of modernization at $1 trillion over 30 years. The new ICBM system would be a follow-on to the Minuteman missile, whose launch systems and physical infrastructure first became operational in the mid-1960s. The system has been upgraded over the years, but much of the infrastructure is original, the Air Force said. The most recent versions of the Minuteman III date from the late 1990s and early 2000s and had an intended 20-year life span, the Air Force said. The missile will "face increased operational and sustainment challenges until it can be replaced," it said. "This request for proposals is the next step to ensuring the nation's ICBM leg of the nuclear triad remains safe, secure and effective," said Major General Scott Jansson, who leads the Air Force program office for strategic systems. Opponents of replacing the nuclear cruise missile have argued that its missions could be handled by other legs of the triad. Others say it is an unnecessary expense at a time of shrinking budgets and smaller deployed nuclear arsenals. The military insists the new cruise missile is needed to enable older bombers to deliver nuclear weapons to targets whose air space is heavily defended and difficult to reach with gravity bombs. The missile is "needed to replace the aging air launched cruise missile, which has far exceeded its originally planned service life ... and is required to support our B-52 bomber fleet," Admiral Cecil Haney, the head of U.S. Strategic Command, told lawmakers earlier this year. (Reporting by David Alexander) By Yeganeh Torbati WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it would allow foreign airlines to fly U.S.-made aircraft to Iran, providing greater assurance to aviation companies as Iran tries to re-establish trade and business links following the lifting of sanctions. The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Friday issued a license allowing U.S.-made planes to have "temporary sojourn" in Iran, meaning airlines such as Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, or others flying frequently to Iran are expressly allowed to use U.S.-made planes, or planes with U.S. parts, to fly there. Iran and world powers reached a deal on Tehran's nuclear program last July that allowed for the lifting of most sanctions on the country, although many U.S. sanctions remain in place. The deal allows for U.S. companies to obtain licenses to sell civil aircraft to Iran, but a proposed deal between Boeing Co. and Iran has drawn the ire of members of the U.S. Congress, who are trying to block it. The license issued on Friday has no impact on the proposed Boeing deal. Because of a quirk in the law, U.S.-made planes could be flown to other countries under U.S. sanction, such as Cuba, Sudan, Syria, and North Korea. Iran was an exception to this, said Jonathan Epstein, an attorney at Holland & Knight in Washington. "Technically there was no legal way to fly to Iran, so U.S. lessors tended to say no, or it caused a lot of angst in the U.S. leasing community that these planes were being flown there," said Epstein, who advises aviation leasing firms on sanctions issues. Practically speaking, many airlines were already flying U.S.-made planes or those using significant amounts of U.S. parts, Epstein said. But Friday's announcement resolved some of the ambiguity surrounding such trips, he said. "It was technically not allowed but was akin to speeding," Epstein said. "The foreign airlines were flying ... but the leasing company took different views on whether they allowed this or not." Treasury outlined several conditions for its allowance, including that the planes stay in Iran no longer than 72 hours at a time. It also only covers fixed-wing aircraft rather than aircraft like helicopters. Companies are also not allowed to store spare parts in Iran, among other conditions. (Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Sandra Maler) WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The U.S. military is investigating reports that an air strike near Manbij, Syria, on Thursday caused civilian casualties, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants conducted air strikes in the area in the last 24 hours, the statement said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said overnight on Thursday at least 28 people, including seven children, died in air strikes on the village of al Ghandour in the countryside north of Manbij city. The international coalition was believed to have conducted the air strikes, the group said. A U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab alliance, known as the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), has been fighting Islamic State in northern Syria with the support of air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition. The SDF fighters, who quickly took control of the territory surrounding Manbij last month, have in recent weeks taken western parts of the city in slower advances. The anti-Islamic State U.S.-led coalition said last week it was investigating another report of civilian casualties in an air strike near Manbij. (Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington and LIsa Barrington in Beirut; Editing by Eric Walsh, Larry King) WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - U.S. banks are weighted down by loans to the struggling energy industry and risky credits to the commercial sector but underwriting standards improved early this year, according to a Friday report from leading bank regulators. Banks are working through a downturn in the oil and gas sector and loans to already-indebted companies but fresh loans are being written to a higher standard, according to the review from the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. "Agencies noted improved underwriting and risk management practices related to the most recent leveraged loan originations," according to the review of the first three months of the year. Banks have pared back leveraged lending to a negligible volume, concludes the Shared National Credits report. In March 2013, regulators warned banks to monitor their revolving loans and other credits to indebted companies and Friday's report indicated many banks were complying. A decline in energy prices since 2014 could continue to hurt banks if oil and gas companies cannot make loan payments or they get pushed to default, the regulators said. Still, regulators warned that too-loose lending that remained on bank books could weight on the industry in a credit downturn. (Reporting By Patrick Rucker) From Popular Mechanics Special Operations Command has contracted Lockheed Martin to provide midget submarines to support US Navy SEALs. The contract, worth $166 million, is for 3 Dry Combat Submersible (DCS) submarines. The DCS is strictly a transportation submarine, capable of carrying six or more SEALs. The most recent prototype can travel up to 60 nautical miles at a depth of 190 feet. The subs will be delivered in 2018 and 2019, and are expected to serve for several decades. Mini-submarines are used to infiltrate hostile areas with accessible coastlines. SEALs reportedly infiltrated Somalia in 2003 using mini-subs. They would also be useful in countries such as North Korea, Pakistan, China, or even Russia. Midget submarines are typically ferried across long distances by larger submarines modified to carry them. The cruise missile submarines Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Georgia can carry them, as can five submarines of the Virginia-class of attack submarines. Via Defensetech You Might Also Like WASHINGTON/HAVANA (Reuters) - The United States and Cuba have concluded a "substantive" second round of talks on multibillion-dollar claims against one another in Washington and agreed to hold more regular meetings on the matter, a State Department Official said on Friday. The former Cold War foes had a first meeting outlining their respective claims in December in Havana as part of a deepening detente. The issue is one of the key and complex obstacles to normalization of relations between the two countries. "The second meeting was more substantive both in exploring more details about claims that need to be resolved but also in reviewing the practices of both countries in solving claims," the State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "Both sides agreed they would have more regular meetings." There is no set date yet for the next meeting, which will place in Havana, in accordance with bilateral protocol, the official said. Cuba wants at least $121 billion in reparations for economic damages caused by the U.S. trade embargo and at least $181 billion for "human damages." The United States has awarded its firms and individuals $1.9 billion worth of claims against Cuba for factories, farms, homes and other assets that were nationalized on the island after Fidel Castro's rebels came to power in 1959. Those claims are now roughly worth $8 billion when including 6 percent annual interest. The Cuban government has reached settlements with other countries for expropriated assets but it cut off negotiations with the United States when bilateral relations soured in the 1960s. Many of the nationalized companies no longer exist and individual claims have been passed to heirs. The State Department official said the United States also is claiming $2.2 billion for court judgments outstanding against Cuba and hundreds of millions for former government mining interests on the island. Cuba's Foreign Ministry said in a statement the two countries had continued sharing information on their respective claims "with the aim of preparing the process of negotiation." (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington and Sarah Marsh in Havana; Editing by Bill Trott) By Dustin Volz and Emily Stephenson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A committee that raises money for Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives confirmed on Friday it had been hacked in an intrusion possibly linked to Russian hackers, similar to an earlier breach targeting another Democratic Party group. In an incident that escalated concerns about the potential for Russian meddling in U.S. politics, Reuters first reported on Thursday that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing the hack at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC. The intrusion took place from at least June 19 to June 27, though it may have been longer, according to analysis conducted by U.S. network security company FireEye. The committee said in a statement it has hired cyber security firm CrowdStrike to investigate. "We have taken and are continuing to take steps to enhance the security of our network," the committee said. "We are cooperating with federal law enforcement with respect to their ongoing investigation." The DCCC hack may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee, which raises money and sets strategy for Democratic candidates nationwide. The DNC and DCCC occupy the same office building in Washington. Potential links to Russian hackers in both incidents were likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the U.S. presidential election campaign to help Republican nominee Donald Trump. The Kremlin denied involvement in the DNC cyber attack. In June, a bogus website was registered with a name resembling a DCCC donation site. For some time, donation-related internet traffic that was supposed to go to a donation-processing firm instead went to the fake site. The DCCC intrusion may have been used to compromise the computer systems of donors who visited the spoof site, rather than to collect their personal information, said John Hultquist, manager of cyber espionage analysis at FireEye. Story continues Several major Democratic donors contacted by Reuters on Friday said they had not been notified of the hack and were not concerned about their information being accessed. "I'm less concerned about that than I am about my Amex being hacked," said John Morgan, 60, a Florida attorney. Cindy Miscikowski, 68, a California donor, said she would be upset if hackers got her bank information, but otherwise she was not worried because donations are disclosed publicly. RUSSIAN TIES The timeframe of the DCCC hack would place it days after the DNC went public with its breach and said the hackers had been kicked out of its systems. Sources said the numerical Internet address of the spurious DCCC site resembled one used by a Russian government-linked hacking group, one of two suspected in the DNC breach. Rich Barger, co-founder of security intelligence firm ThreatConnect Inc, said his analysis of the fake donation site tied it to the group linked to Russian military intelligence. He said the web domain name was set up through a service that accepts bitcoin, with a contact email address that had been used to set up websites involved in a major German hack, which also was attributed to the Russian group. Cyber experts and U.S. officials said this week there was evidence that Russia engineered the DNC hack to release sensitive party emails and influence U.S. politics. The DNC hack raised concerns among Democrats at the party's convention in Philadelphia, where Hillary Clinton was nominated as the party's candidate in the Nov. 8 presidential election. The new hack at the DCCC could add pressure on the Obama administration to make a public accusation or retaliate. The Justice Department and other agencies have said it is important for deterrence to "name and shame" cyber adversaries. "Any efforts on a nation states part to interfere with U.S. politics through cyber attacks would appear to cross a line that would demand a response from the U.S. government," said D.J. Rosenthal, a former Justice Department and National Security Council official. A former White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said any formal accusation would require overwhelmingly certain evidence. Staffers for the Republican National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said separately that those campaign organizing groups had not been hacked. (Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson and Susan Cornwell in Washington, Grant Smith in New York and Joseph Menn in San Francisco; Editing by Frances Kerry, Jonathan Oatis and Bill Rigby) U.S airstrikes near Manbij, Syria on Thursday, may have resulted in more civilian casualties, the U.S. Central Command said. We can confirm the Coalition conducted airstrikes in the area in the last 24 hours, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement. That day, coalition military forces continued attacking ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Aircraft conducted 22 strikes in Syria, 19 of which were near Manbij and nine strikes in Iraq. The U.S. Central Command said it will review any information about the incident, saying that it takes all measures during the targeting process to avoid or minimize civilian casualties or collateral damage. On July 19, at least 56 civilians were killed in airstrikes near Manbij, Reuters reports. From July 28, 2015 to April 29, 2016, U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria have resulted in the deaths of 14 civilians, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. We deeply regret the unintentional loss of life and injuries resulting from our airstrikes and express our sympathies to those affected. By Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States military said on Friday it was preparing for the biggest land return in Okinawa since 1972, as it faces a surge in opposition to its presence following the arrest of one its civilian contractors for the murder of a local woman. Okinawa is the U.S. military's key base in Asia where it faces an increasingly assertive China. It hosts 30,000 military personnel on bases that cover a fifth of the island. "We are respectful of the feelings of Okinawans that our footprint must be reduced, Lieutenant General Lawrence D. Nicholson, the U.S. commander on the island, said in a press release. Once new helipads are completed, the U.S. military will hand back 4,000 hectares (40 square kilometers) of land to the Japanese government, which is 17 percent of the area it controls. The tract is part of the U.S. Marine Corp jungle training camp known as Camp Gonsalves in Northern Okinawa. Okinawa was under U.S. occupation until 1972. The return of the land was agreed in 1996, but has been delayed by protesters blocking the construction of the helipads. The Japanese government recently resumed work at the site. Local resentment over the U.S. military presence surged after an American civilian working at a U.S. base, Kenneth Franklin, was arrested last month in connection with the murder of a local 20-year-old Japanese woman, Rina Shimabukuro. Nicholson announced a 30-day mourning period after the murder and temporarily banned marines from drinking off base. Washington and Tokyo agreed to limit legal protections and benefits to some U.S. civilians working for the military. The murder and a subsequent arrest of a U.S. Navy sailor for drunk driving spurred large scale demonstrations and calls, backed by Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga, for Washington to move military personnel off the island. After the rape of a Japanese schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen in 1996, the U.S. and Japanese governments agreed to relocate some troops outside Okinawa but said others would be moved to less populated parts of the island. (Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Michael Perry) The U.S. military announced Friday that it will soon give back one-sixth of the land it occupies in Okinawa, marking the largest return of land since 1972 from its military base on the Japanese island. American forces will return 4,000 hectares of land to Japan once the construction of new helipads has been completed, Reuters reports. The move comes amid widespread protests against the U.S. presence on Okinawa, after an American civilian working on the base was arrested over the murder of a local woman. Protesters blocked further construction on the helipads, with work only resuming a week ago and sparking fresh demonstrations. Although the land-return deal was agreed upon in 1996, the local agitations have prevented it from being carried out. We are respectful of the feelings of Okinawans that our footprint must be reduced, Lieutenant General Lawrence D. Nicholson, the commander of U.S. troops on the island, said in a statement on Friday. Read next: The Tense Relationship Between Japan and the U.S. Military Nicholson had declared a 30-day mourning period after the murder and briefly instituted an alcohol ban on U.S. troops following the subsequent arrest of a sailor for drunk driving. The U.S. currently houses 30,000 military personnel in Okinawa, one of the countrys main Asian hubs aimed at countering a rising China, and currently occupies about 20% of the island. [Reuters] GENEVA (Reuters) - Russia's humanitarian plan for up to 300,000 civilians besieged in the Syrian city of Aleppo should be improved, U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Friday, suggesting Moscow should consider handing over responsibility for any evacuation to the United Nations. "My understanding is the Russians are open for major improvements," he told reporters. He said U.N. humanitarian experts knew what to do and had the necessary experience. "That's our job," he said. (Reporting by Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay) GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura called on Russia and the United States on Thursday to work together in reducing the fighting in Syria, saying that failure of their cooperation plan would have a very negative impact on planned peace talks. U.S. and Russian military officials were coming to Geneva to discuss details, he told reporters after a weekly meeting of the humanitarian task force. "We are all awaiting and urging the two co-chairs - which means Russia and the U.S.- to expedite their own discussions on how to reduce violence," de Mistura said. "I understand that there are several experts from the military establishment from both Russia and perhaps from the U.S. on their way to Geneva and probably, most likely, in order to discuss the so-called 'devil in the details' which are the ones we have been asking to be sorted out as soon as possible." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have met in Moscow and Laos in recent weeks to try to hammer out a deal on military cooperation that is widely seen as a key to reinstating a nationwide ceasefire. Russia and the United States are both conducting air strikes in Syria against Islamic State fighters, but support opposing sides in a wider civil war, with Moscow backing President Bashar al-Assad's government and Washington saying he must leave power. Moscow and Washington jointly sponsored a ceasefire and peace talks earlier this year, but the truce largely collapsed in May and the talks have yet to resume amid the fighting, although de Mistura hopes to reconvene them in late August. Meanwhile, Assad's forces have advanced in northern Syria, besieging the rebel-held section of the divided city of Aleppo, potentially the government's biggest prize of a 5-year-old civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced many millions. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday the Russian and Syrian militaries would start a large-scale humanitarian operation in Aleppo during which civilians and militants would be given the chance to leave the besieged zone. De Mistura said it would be premature to comment on Russia's aid proposal or Syria's suggestion of an amnesty for surrendering fighters in eastern Aleppo. He said the United Nations, "like everyone else", was not consulted on the proposals beforehand. "The city is de facto besieged, because it is almost completely militarily encircled," he said, and there were only 2-3 weeks of supplies left. "The clock is therefore ticking, there is no doubt about that." There are only 31 doctors and 3 dentists left in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, home to about 300,000 civilians, said Dr. Tawfik Chamaa, of the Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations (UOSSM). Chamaa, referring to a proposed humanitarian corridor for civilians, told a briefing: "We would like this to be realized for sure, under international supervision....We don't know the intention of the Russian and Syrian forces." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles; editing by Peter Graff) By Gina Cherelus (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy will name one of its new class of oil tankers after Harvey Milk, an activist who became one of the first openly gay people to be elected to public office in the United States before his assassination in 1978, officials said on Friday. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus notified Congress that he intended to name the ship after Milk and said the entire class of six vessels would be named after civil and human rights leaders. The Navy has already named the first tanker in the class after John Lewis, a leader of the 1960s civil rights movement and now a congressmen representing a district in Georgia. Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, who called on the Navy to name a ship after his late uncle, expressed his excitement on social media. In a Facebook post before the congressional notification, he said the Navy's move would spread "the hope that uncle Harvey had dreamed would come from those bullets that killed him." The U.S. Navy plans to name a ship after Milk were first reported by Military.com. The ships will transport fuel and supplies to replenish U.S Navy ships at sea and jet fuel for aircraft. Milk served in the U.S. Navy in 1951 as a diving officer during the Korean War. Elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors as the first openly gay California politician, he was killed in office in 1978. It was illegal for gay people to serve in the U.S. military until 1994, when President Bill Clinton instituted the so-called "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Last week, the Pentagon ended its ban on openly transgender people serving in the military. The Navy plans to name other ships after slavery abolitionist Sojourner Truth, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Representative John Lewis, Chief Justice Earl Warren and women's rights activist Lucy Stone, according to a post on the Harvey Milk Foundation's Facebook page. (Reporting by Gina Cherelus; Editing by Bill Rigby) By Thales Carneiro RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Bobbing on Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay in a blue and white fishing boat, American sailor Brad Funk uses a plastic bin to scoop rubbish from the waters where Olympic sailing races will take place next month. Funk missed out on his dream of competing in Rio 2016 in the two-man 49er sailing class, but traveled to Brazil anyway with the aim of clearing the path for those who did, including his girlfriend British windsurfer Bryony Shaw. A native of Clearwater, Florida, Funk is leading his own clean-up effort to help remove rubbish from the Bay which is clogged by sewage from some 15 municipalities, home to some 9 million people. I decided that if I am not going to compete, I want the sailors to not have problems when they sail, he told Reuters. I love Rio, and it is very important to me that the Olympic Games is a success and the trash does not get stuck on the sailboats, taking medals away from them. In recent months, concern flared over pollution levels in the bay and nearby sea, where sailing, windsurfing and long-distance swimming events are being held. Two academic studies seen by Reuters in June showed the waters were infected by drug-resistant super bacteria and microbes normally found only in hospitals. The State Environmental Agency (Inea), which is conducting daily monitoring of water quality with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO), insists the water quality is fine, helped by the rapid movement of water through the mouth of the bay where events will be held. More worrying for many competitors, however, is the floating debris which could crash against boats and slow them down in the competition. Inea has deployed 12 green eco-boats - each with a wire metal scoop on the front that lifts rubbish out of the water and into its hull. It has also placed 17 red floating eco-barriers across the mouth of rivers and canals feeding the bay, which collect debris floating on the water's surface. Just the eco-barrier in the Canal do Cunha had collected 208 tonnes of rubbish in the last month, Inea said. Brazilian sailors said recently that the work of eco-boats picking up rubbish along competition routes had improved the situation considerably, but that more needed to be done. Inea has appealed to Rio's citizens to stop throwing waste into canals and into the bay. On the airplane over to Rio, Funk met Camila Avelar who decided to volunteer to help his effort, hoping to inspire a chain reaction. A lot of people say that the two of us trying to clear the rubbish from the sea will not make any difference," Avelar said. "But I dont think that is the point, it is the attitude and encouraging other people to do the same thing." (Writing by by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Mary Milliken) By Will Caiger-Smith NEW YORK, July 29 (IFR) - Several UK banks could reopen the Additional Tier 1 capital market in the weeks ahead, as yield-starved investors find more to like in the risky asset class. AT1 issuance from European banks is down more than 50% year-to-date compared to 2015, and HSBC is the only UK bank to have sold a deal in what has been a horrid year for the asset class, pricing a US$2bn perpetual non-call five note at 6.875% in May. But bankers say names including Standard Chartered, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC may have a chance in August to get new deals over the line and shore up their capital buffers. "There are a number of UK banks that have wanted to issue AT1 this year and have not been able to," one debt capital markets banker focused on UK lenders told IFR. "They have not much more than a week between [the end of earnings] blackout and people going on holiday," the banker said. "There is a window - and it has to be quite well timed." HSBC and Standard Chartered report earnings on Wednesday, RBS on Friday. The lenders are likely to benefit from strong demand in recent weeks for higher yielding assets among US institutional investors and Asian private banking clients. "There has been a resurgence of demand for yield products because of what central banks are doing," one syndicate banker said. "More investors globally are comfortable going down the capital structure." Supply in the sector has been scant since February, when AT1 sold off sharply on worries that Deutsche Bank might have to suspend payments on its AT1 debt. US dollar-denominated UK bank AT1 paper traded out to an average yield of 10.93% at the height of the sell-off, according to data from MarketAxess. There was also another burst of volatility in the sector in the run-up to the UK referendum on whether or not to remain in the European Union. IMPROVED CONDITIONS Yet AT1 prices have rallied overall - and market participants say issuance conditions for the asset class are now at their best since before February's sell-off. Story continues While dollar-denominated UK bank AT1 yields were at 7.83% as of Wednesday, according to MarketAxess - more than 1.3% higher than at the start of the year - buyers are clearly more positive about the asset class and on the outlook for UK banks. Standard Chartered's outstanding US$2bn 6.50% perpetual that is callable in 2020, for example, is trading at a yield-to-call of 8%, compared with 11% in the aftermath of the Brexit vote and north of 14% in mid-February. RBS has a US$2bn 7.50% note, also callable in 2020, trading at 8.39%, down from 11.5% post the referendum, while its US$1.15bn 8% bonds callable in 2025 are at 8.16%, about 160bp lower than where they were on June 27. Several recent deeply subordinated capital deals targeted towards Asian private bank investors have shown buyers are receptive to riskier instruments. Zurich Insurance, Prudential and Da-ichi Mutual Life have all sold capital paper in recent weeks, predominantly to such investors. If the UK banks do issue, they are likely to target that demand through a Reg S/144 A issue. "The Asian Reg S market has sprung back to life," said a bank capital structurer. "It usually happens when the coupon is attractive compared to other opportunities, or when private banks provide new leverage to investors to buy the paper." To meet regulatory requirements, UK banks must hold at least 2% of their risk-weighted assets in AT1 capital, which sits above common equity in the capital structure. They are allowed to fill that buffer with cash and common equity, but AT1 securities are generally cheaper to issue. They are designed to absorb losses, with triggers for coupon deferral and permanent writedown or conversion to equity when a bank's capital ratios become depleted. HSBC said in its Q1 earnings call in May that it had US$10bn-$30bn of new debt and capital issuance to do to meet its capital requirements by the 2019 deadline, but did not specify how much of that would be in AT1 format. RBS has said it has an AT1 requirement of 4bn-5bn. It made headway into that through those two dollar notes that raised an equivalent of 2bn. It has a target of 2bn of AT1 in 2016. The issuance of AT1 securities is likely to become a more important way of meeting those capital requirements as the UK's decision to leave the EU starts to bite into the economy, said S&P analysts in a recent report. "Economic uncertainty following the 'leave' result  could slow banks' internal capital generation, making deleveraging and hybrid capital issuance the main drivers of future improvements in the UK banks' capital positions," they wrote. Lloyds Banking Group has already emerged as an early victim of the uncertainty around Brexit. It cut its forecast for a two percentage point capital accumulation in 2016 to 1.6 points, due to the exchange rate impact on assets. (Reporting by Will Caiger-Smith; Additional reporting by Alice Gledhill and Tom Porter; Editing by Marc Carnegie, Shankar Ramakrishnan and Sudip Roy) London (AFP) - The debut album by British indie band Viola Beach, who were killed when their car plunged off a canal bridge in Sweden, was posthumously released on Friday. Band members Jack Dakin, Kris Leonard, Tomas Lowe and River Reeves died with their manager Craig Tarry in February when their car plunged more than 25 metres (80 feet) in Sodertalje, southwest of Stockholm. Following the tragedy, their debut single "Swings and Waterslides" entered the British singles chart and topped the iTunes chart. Their debut album, entitled "Viola Beach", contains nine songs including "Swings and Waterslides". "We are tremendously proud of everything the boys achieved in such a short space of time," the families of the band said in a statement. "We believe the best way to celebrate our sons' lives is to release an album of their songs. "This is their legacy and we know deep in our hearts that the boys would want the world to listen to the music they poured everything into." The five men were aged between 19 and 32. The band's car drove through a signal light and two barriers towards a canal bridge which had not fully shut after letting a vessel pass underneath. A preliminary autopsy found that the driver did not have "elevated levels of drugs or alcohol" in his body, and surveillance footage from the bridge provided no clues to the cause of the accident. Coldplay performed one of their songs when they headlined the Glastonbury Festival in June. Music magazine NME said the album would "leave a smile on your face". "Viola Beach's name will always be synonymous with tragedy, but at least now we have a document of who this band were -- and what they might have achieved," it said. A maternity clinic for women who have experienced rape and sexual assault has opened in Whitechapel, London the first of its kind in the UK. The clinic is co-run by Barts Health NHS Trust and will provide support from specially-trained midwives and psychologists, the BBC reported. If successful, similar provisions could be rolled out to other UK hospitals. One in five UK women between the ages of 16-59 has experienced sexual violence in some form or other, according to the Office for National Statistics, and for many victims, giving birth can trigger frightening and graphic memories of their attack. The clinic was co-founded by Pavan Amara, founder of the My Body Back project, which helps women to reclaim their bodies after experiencing sexual assault. Many women have told her about their traumatic experiences of pregnancy, the BBC reported. "One woman was told by her rapist: 'If you relax it'll be over with quicker, she said, and when the woman heard the same thing in a healthcare setting, "the health professional was completely unwittingly and unknowingly echoing the words of the rapist". Amara added: "It had a huge impact on the woman mentally. It's things like this... very small, but very big for a woman who is vulnerable." The service is integrated into a regular maternity ward at the Royal London Hospital, but patients, who can self-refer via email, will follow an alternative antenatal route. "They don't have to say what happened, although they can if they want to. Whatever they feel is right for them. We will then book them an appointment and take it from there," Amara told the BBC. Many women don't tell their midwives and other health professionals what happened to them, which could mean the staff end up using the wrong language without realising it, a consultant midwife at the clinic, Inderjeet Kaur, told the BBC. Amara, who was herself raped as a teenager, also launched a sexual health clinic for victims of sexual violence last August. More than 800 women have used the service so far. Story continues Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Pregnant Women Advised To Avoid Florida Because Of Zika Virus Plastic Bag Use Has Dropped Dramatically Since The 5p Charge Was Introduced Why Men In Iran Are Taking Selfies Wearing Hijabs London (AFP) - British trade unions criticised the government on Friday for delaying its final decision on the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant, seen by British media as backtracking on the project. "Theresa May's decision to review the go-ahead on HPC is bewildering and bonkers," said Justin Bowden, the GMB union's national secretary for energy, about Britain's new prime minister. "After years of procrastination, what is required is decisive action not dithering and more delay," he said. Business and energy minister Greg Clark on Thursday said that the government "wanted time to study the details of the deal" and would not give a decision until early autumn. Kevin Coyne from Unite, Britain's biggest trade union, said jobs could be lost and the delay could penalise economic growth. "Any further delay or backsliding would hold back the economic boost and the accompanying creation of thousands of skilled jobs that this major infrastructure project will bring," he said. After years of discussion, French energy giant EDF on Thursday approved the 18 billion project ($24 billion, 21 billion euros) for two EPR nuclear reactors in Somerset, south-west England. EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy on Friday said at the company's earnings announcement: "I don't doubt the support from Theresa May's British government". French unions have re-asserted their opposition to a project that they say risks plunging the group in financial difficulties. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Friday agreed to deploy a UN police force to Burundi, its strongest move to date to try to end more than a year of violence in the African country. The council adopted a resolution drafted by France on dispatching up to 228 UN police to the capital Bujumbura and throughout Burundi for an initial period of a year. Burundi has said it would not accept more than 50 UN police, drawing a question mark over whether the proposed force will have the strength in numbers to make a difference on the ground. Four countries on the 15-member council abstained from the vote, which passed with 11 votes in favor. The abstentions came from China, Egypt, Angola and Venezuela, which cited the need to secure Bujumbura's consent for the police force. The council resolution requested UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ensure a "progressive deployment" of the new force to monitor human rights violations and abuses. The Security Council is under pressure to take action in Burundi, where the descent into violence has raised fears of mass atrocities, similar to those that convulsed neighboring Rwanda in 1994. "This is a strong act of preventative diplomacy," French Ambassador Francois Delattre said. The new UN police force gives the council "eyes and ears" on the ground to provide early warning of possible mass atrocities, he said. Burundi has been in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans in April last year to run for a third term, which he went on to win. More than 500 people have died, many of them in extrajudicial killings blamed on Burundian police, security forces and militias linked to the ruling party, according to the United Nations. At least 270,000 people have fled the country. - Still no political talks - The UN police force would be tasked with monitoring security and human rights in coordination with African Union rights observers and military experts. Story continues Burundi has agreed to allow 100 AU rights observers and 100 AU military experts into the country to monitor the crisis, but fewer than 50 have begun work on the ground. The resolution urges the government to speed up the deployment of the AU monitors and to enter into dialogue with all opposition groups including "those outside the country" to end the crisis. Political talks scheduled to open this month in Tanzania collapsed when the government refused to sit down with some opponents in exile accused of plotting a failed coup attempt in May last year. The government's refusal to hold serious negotiations is seen as a key stumbling block in diplomatic efforts to end the violence. The council threatened "targeted measures against all actors, inside and outside Burundi, who threaten peace and security" in the country. The resolution said deploying the police force "would help create an environment conducive to political dialogue by averting further deterioration of the security situation as well as human rights and abuses." Council members expressed deep concern for the ongoing violence in Burundi and pointed to a report by the UN human rights office that documented 348 extrajudicial executions and 651 cases of torture committed mostly by Burundian forces between April 2015 and April this year. The council said the new police force's mandate and size could be reviewed if the security situation on the ground worsens. Lagos (AFP) - A United Nations humanitarian convoy was ambushed by Boko Haram jihadists Thursday in Nigeria's restive northeast, leaving several people wounded, the UN children's agency and the Nigerian army said. It was the first such attack on aid workers in the volatile region, the epicentre of the seven-year Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north. "The convoy was travelling from Bama to Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria, returning from delivering desperately needed assistance," when it was ambushed, UNICEF said in a statement Friday. "Unknown assailants attacked a humanitarian convoy that included staff from UNICEF, UNFPA, and IOM," the statement added. It said a UNICEF employee and an IOM contractor were injured in the attack and were being treated at a local hospital. "All other UNICEF, IOM and UNFPA staff are safe," it added. UNICEF said the team was in a remote area of northeastern Nigeria, where protracted conflict has caused extreme suffering and has triggered a severe malnutrition crisis. "This was not only an attack on humanitarian workers. It is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing," it added. UNICEF said the UN had temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions in the area pending a review of the security situation. The Nigerian army confirmed the incident in a statement by its spokesman Colonel Sani Usman. "Troops returning from Bama on humanitarian escort duty, were ambushed en route (to) Maiduguri by suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in Meleri village, a few kilometres from Kawuri," it said. It said the military repelled the attack, leaving two soldiers and three civilians injured, including UN aid workers. Some cities in the northeast, including Bama, had gone up to 18 months without any humanitarian deliveries before aid agencies and the UN arrived in June. Story continues Many areas can only be accessed under escort from the Nigerian army. The UN said in May that 9.2 million people living around Lake Chad, which forms the border of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, were in desperate need of food. Seven million of them are in Nigeria. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders this week also raised the alarm, saying its teams had recently found extremely high levels of malnutrition in northeastern Borno state. The charity known by its French acronym MSF said the there were between 500,000 and 800,000 people trapped in the area that cannot be reached by humanitarian workers. 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. Nigeria's government has been encouraging people to return home since the recapture of swathes of territory lost to the Islamist militants in 2014 but most are still largely reliant on food handouts. Gen. John Allen rallies the troops, a loving daughter speaks, and Hillary Clinton accepts the nomination for president in Philadelphia. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News, photos (clockwise from top right): J. Scott Applewhite/AP, Gary Cameron/Reuters, Jim Young/Reuters, Carolyn Kaster/AP, background photos: Getty Images [3]) Yahoo News enlisted participants at the Democratic National Convention representing different viewpoints and roles to file daily diary entries on their experiences in Philadelphia. They were your eyes and ears at one of the most unconventional political gatherings in generations, offering a front-row seat on the convention floor, behind-the-scenes access to key political meetings and a vivid picture of what conventions are really like, both inside and outside the arena. Here are yesterdays entries. (And here are the entries from last weeks Republican National Convention.) _____ Thursday was an awesome day. The program was a nice summary of the week. It hit on all of the themes all week long. We heard about gun safety, leadership, temperament, honesty and compassion. We heard about Donald Trumps fraudulent, mentally unstable threat as a presidential candidate. It all came together. One of the videos even compared to the bully in A Christmas Story. That was perfect. Earlier in the day, we went to a fundraiser for Kamala Harris, the California attorney general who is running for Barbara Boxers Senate seat. I think shes a star, and I always tell her that I look forward to her being the second woman president. I would be the first person on the plane to Iowa to campaign for her in the caucuses. It was nice having our families together. Then we went back to the hotel to rest, so we could make sure to get to the arena early. The speakers were great. Chelsea was a magnificently poised young woman. We were proud to see her grow up in Arkansas, and she delivered tonight. She described her mother in personal terms and spoke from the heart. It was relatable, even though it wasnt loud and dynamic. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton takes the stage on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (Photo: Mark J. Terrill/AP) I was so beyond proud to be standing on the front row, to see Hillary take the nomination to become the next president. It was an incredible moment. Her speech was perfect, the message fantastic. If you look at the snapshot polling, American people have liked what theyve seen this week. Story continues We also got a chance to party a bit. After the convention was over, we went to the Finance Committee event at the Kimmel Center downtown. It was a great time. This weeks convention was fantastic. It had everything. You saw the best theatrical production, along with some of the worlds most significant policy makers, in one place. We saw the most perfect speakers I cried and I laughed. I was compelled to think critically. It was the convention designed for the time in which we live. We live in a time in which millennials cant concentrate, and they made sure the convention was entertaining. It was technologically innovative, but at the end of the day, it was deadly serious. And thats what this election is. There were some brilliant young people who put this together. This is the best political convention that this country has ever seen. As told to Andrew Bahl ____ Thursday morning was back to business as usual. Those of us who are Mecklenburg County, N.C., delegates had an impromptu meeting with our state chair. We discussed how to best organize our county for the November election and made some good plans for our return to Charlotte. Im really happy with the way this week turned out. The party united, as I thought it would. In 2008, a co-worker of mine was an avid Hillary supporter. When she found out I was going to the DNC as a pledged Obama delegate, she completely went off on me in the middle of the office. She even insisted she was voting for John McCain. I tried to reason with her, and then she took a deep breath and apologized. She said she was just venting. She did go on to vote for Obama and, years later, I ran into her and she really supported the president. I think thats the way this week was for a lot of people. Sanders supporters were mad, upset and very emotional. They just needed to get that out of their systems. Two days ago, there were so many protesters you couldnt get around outside the arena. Today, that wasnt a problem. I wished that they couldve gotten it out of their systems before the convention, but I think theyll come around eventually just like my old co-worker. Delegates celebrate on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP) On Wednesday night, the arena was packed. People really fought for their seats. It was worth it, though. The speeches were incredible. Joe Biden knocked it out of the park. Obviously, Kaine had a tough job following Biden, but he did a good job. Kaine definitely won over some people. Going into this week, a lot of people found Kaine to be boring and uninspiring, and were disappointed with the choice of him for VP. On Monday, I had even heard some rumors that Sanders supporters were going to try to push forward a measure to nominate Nina Turner, a state senator from Ohio, instead of Kaine. That didnt end up happening. Nothing makes me prouder to be an American than listening to President Obama speak. Conversely, it makes me ashamed to be an American when I hear Donald Trump. President Obama really articulated the values that America stands for. Sometimes, I think people have a misunderstanding of American pride, where they chalk it all up to star-spangled pomp and circumstance. It should be commitment to the ideals that this nation stands for. Donald Trump tries to appeal to some of the caricatures of what American pride is supposed to be, but President Obama really articulates what pride in our values is really means. Nothing makes me prouder to be an American, than listening to President Barack Obama! #DemsInPhilly #NCDemsInPhilly Vinod Thomas (@VinodCThomas) July 28, 2016 Last night, I went to the Rock the Vote party, where that positivity continued. The Black Eyed Peas played and Will.I.Am gave a moving speech on specific issues, like reforming the prison industrial complex and funding public schools. I found the topic of education personally moving, as Im a teacher. Going into this election, Im cautiously optimistic. I think well be unified, but Im nervous about the dangers that Trump poses. There is no reasoning with Trump supporters, and thats concerning. I think we could win and I think we will but the stakes are so high. The other delegates and I fear that with a President Trump, wed face economic collapse and nuclear war, among other serious ramifications. Like Michelle Obama said, every election is important, but given the Republican nominee this year, its even more important. I feel good about Hillary Clintons chances, but knowing Donald Trumps deep base of illogical supporters makes me incredibly nervous. Thank you all for taking the time to follow my experience at the DNC this week. Ive had a ton of fun. If you want to keep up with me, follow me on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram @VinodCThomas. As told to Susanna Heller/Yahoo News ______ After a few late-night parties (and afterparties and after-afterparties), I finally got to bed around 4 a.m. Thursday morning. Luckily, I was able to sleep late and recharge a little bit before todays events. But unfortunately, its also the day Im leaving Philadelphia. Family obligations require that I return to California before seeing the main event Thursday night and welcoming the first-ever woman to be nominated by a major political party. But sitting here at my gate in the Philadelphia airport thinking back on the whole week, Im struck by how renewed my spirit is in this election. Wednesday was such a blur, but in the best possible way. Much of the morning was spent prepping for NextGen Climates big event, called Why We Vote. We rented out a great craft beer bar and invited a couple of hundred organizers, activists, reporters, influencers and just all-around smart people to join us in a conversation about how young people view the 2016 election and what we can do to ensure we turn them out to vote. Ben Smith, editor in chief of BuzzFeed, moderated a panel discussion in which I was included, along with some of my favorite people who live and breathe the youth vote: Mayor Svante Myrick of Ithaca, N.Y., co-founder of La Machine and DREAMer Ellie Perez of Phoenix and James Shelley of the band American Authors. The conversation was wide-ranging and emotional, especially when Ellie shared how important it was for her as an undocumented person, without the right to vote, to make sure her peers get to the polls this fall. More and more, its dawning on me and the rest of the convention-goers, I believe how much is truly at stake in this election. Ellies stories about how much she fears for her family if Donald Trump is elected were a jolt to the system. Its not just the policy differences between Clinton and Trump, its about protecting and extending Obamas legacy. Thats the primary reason why watching President Obama speak Wednesday night was such an emotional experience for me. President Obama addresses the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP) I worked for President Obamas campaign in 2012 and gave all of myself every day for a year. And watching him speak last night really reminded me of all the hard work we put in to elect him and all the hard work hes done to create a clean-energy economy, to make our country more fair and equal, and to just be a role model to millions of young people. I started tearing up during the presidents introduction video, and then gave in to full-fledged sobbing throughout the speech itself. I can still feel the immense gratitude that filled the room last night. Truly awesome. There are so many impassioned Americans in Philly right now, speaking up for their families and friends and neighbors, celebrating a progressive vision for America. Their stories and energy will help keep me focused and committed to ensuring we elect climate-action candidates up and down the ticket this year. But first, its time for a nap. As told to Andrew Bahl/Yahoo News ______ Wednesday night was spectacular. My husband and I were running late, so we ended up sitting way up top, but it was a great view. It was so packed in the arena. When the ushers tried to help people find seats, they literally couldnt every seat was taken. We received an email saying that the fire marshal would be counting people as they entered the arena and would be more strict about credentials on the floor. I woke up Thursday morning and started my morning routine, making notes for my presentations that day. In the afternoon, I participated in a roundtable about the Jewish vote. I spoke about how the gender gap among voters is evident in the Jewish vote too. Though the Jewish vote is overwhelmingly Democratic, Jewish women are more likely to not only vote Democrat, but also be politically active. I had some fun at that roundtable. In typical convention fashion, there were many familiar faces in the audience, including my cousin who lives in Florida. The DNC is a cross between the every-four-years Olympics and a family reunion. We have some of everything here. At the end of the day, we did some training on how to talk about the issues at stake in this election and how to make a case to vote for Hillary. I also agreed to be interviewed for a podcast targeted at Jewish women. My last message on the podcast was: As you go out and campaign, and I know you will because it is so important, hold on to the material you use. Someday, youll want to show your children and tell them how we made history. More than ever, I feel very upbeat about the election. I think we have a terrific candidate, and its great how Democrats have come together. It is so important that we get together in our target states. As I talk to people, I tell them, Ill see you in Ohio, Ill see you in Florida. The bones of the structure are in place. People are leaving Philadelphia very upbeat and very determined. Overlaying all of that is the wonderful sense that we are making history. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton takes the stage on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (Photo: Paul Sancya/AP) This is a door that never closes once you open it. You cannot want what you cannot even imagine. You cannot work toward something that you cannot even dream of. Hillary Clinton as the presidential nominee of a major party sets an example: It puts a picture in peoples minds of what is possible and what can be done. I think that we will immediately see an increase in women running for office at every level and stepping forward to do what might not have seemed possible before. Additionally, its important to remember that Hillary tried and came close in 2008, but then she got back up and tried again. I think thats an equally important message. You dont make history in just one, single dance step. Its a lot of work. And Hillary has set that example. As told to Susanna Heller/Yahoo News ________ Strong. Hopeful. Compassionate. That was everything I wanted in a speech from our next president, and then theres the added bonus of making history. Hillary Clintons mastery of the complex policy challenges and her years of experience are more than enough to qualify her for the Oval Office. But what we saw Thursday night, what we see in her continued progress forward, is that she just wont quit not when she knows she can make a difference. That conviction, that deep sense of purpose, emanates from her with every speech and was on full display all week, and especially tonight. Its why I know she wont quit on us or let us quit. (Photo: Tracy Russo) The oft-repeated refrain of being called to do good and to do the most you can for the longest you can, wherever you can really sums up who she is as a person. And hearing the testimonials of the people who know her best, whove experienced the worst, who have been helped by Hillary, all culminated in hearing from Hillary in her own words. I honestly dont think Ive processed all that has occurred this week. Its been an overwhelming experience. As a volunteer, Ive been at the arena for 10 to 12 hours a day and havent turned on a television or read a news story all week. All I know is what I heard and what I saw inside that arena, and that was an America that is bright and full of promise. And thats not because we dont have challenges in front of us, but because we have the capacity to face them and solve them together. I look forward to getting home and hearing how others respond to this week. I hope the convention resonated with Americans, because as Hillary said tonight, We have to decide whether we all will work together, so we all can rise together. Finally, I dont think I could close out this diary series without sharing with you the experience of that epic balloon drop! Its been an epic four days. Now on to the real fight and the next 102 days until Election Day! As written by Tracy Russo _____ Related slideshows: On the ground at the DNC a photo report >>> A look back at Chelsea Clinton >>> How newspapers covered the third day of the DNC >>> A selfie with Hillary? No problem >>> How newspapers covered the historic second day of the DNC >>> Bernie Sanders supporters make a last stand >>> Sanders supporters weep at DNC >>> How newspapers covered the DNCs first big day >>> Demonstrators protest outside the DNC >>> Washington (AFP) - A top military chief and other officials insisted Friday that the United States was not involved in the attempted military coup in Turkey, underscoring tense relations between the allies. Long-standing partners in NATO and officially fighting side-by-side against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, the US and Turkey have endured severe strains in recent months that were aggravated by the foiled coup in mid-July. The commander of US forces in the Middle East, General Joseph Votel, issued a statement Friday asserting that he had no link to the coup attempt in Turkey, an unusual move by one of the highest-ranked US military leaders. "Any reporting that I had anything to do with the recent unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey is unfortunate and completely inaccurate," Votel said. "Turkey has been an extraordinary and vital partner in the region for many years. We appreciate Turkey's continuing cooperation and look forward to our future partnership in the counter-ISIL fight," the general said, referring to the Islamic State group. Votel's comments came after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier in the day directly linked him to the overthrow attempt. President Barack Obama's administration also weighed in, with White House spokesman Eric Schultz saying of Erdogan's accusation: "It is entirely false." Obama considers Erdogan "a close ally," the spokesman said. "We work together on a number of the president's international priorities" including the fight against the Islamic State, he added. Erdogan on Friday accused Votel of siding with Turkey's coup plotters, a day after the general reportedly commented that the country's turmoil could downgrade military cooperation with Washington. "You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt," Erdogan said in angry remarks at a military center in Golbasi near Ankara, where air strikes left dozens dead during the failed putsch on July 15. Story continues According to US media reports, Votel had said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of dozens of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. In particular, Votel reportedly suggested the US had lost key Turkish military interlocutors who are now in jail and accused of being behind the coup. On Thursday the Turkish government undertook a major shake-up of its military forces after the July 15-16 coup attempt. It fired nearly half of the generals and arrested hundreds of officers, accusing them of having links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames as the mastermind of the uprising. The White House said Friday that officials had received documents from the Turkish government requesting extradition of the cleric from Pennsylvania. "That is being assessed through the proper channels," Shultz said. He declined to say when a US decision would be made. Turkey is a key member of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State jihadists in Syria, with its Incirlik air base used as a launch hub for raids on the group. Beirut (AFP) - At least 15 civilians were killed and dozens wounded in air strikes by a US-led coalition in Syria, a monitor said. The strikes hit a northern town controlled by the Islamic State jihadist group, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Airstrikes by international coalition fighter jets after midnight (Thursday morning) on the town of Ghandoura killed at least 15 civilians and wounded dozens," said the monitoring group's head, Rami Abdel Rahman. The town lies 23 kilometres (14 miles) northwest of Manbij, a strategic waypoint between Turkey and the jihadist stronghold of Raqa. The US military acknowledged Thursday that there may have been civilian deaths. US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said it had "initiated an assessment following internal operational reporting that a strike today near Manbij, Syria may have resulted in civilian casualties." The strikes came a day after the coalition opened a formal investigation to determine whether its air strikes last week near Manbij claimed civilian lives. The Observatory and local residents said strikes on July 19 had killed dozens of civilians, including children. After examining "internal and external information", the coalition determined that there was sufficient credible evidence of civilian victims to open a formal inquiry, said spokesman Colonel Chris Garver on Wednesday. Garver said last week that the jihadists had been mounting exceptionally fierce resistance in Manbij, which is being besieged by US-backed Syrian forces. The main Syrian opposition group had urged the US-led coalition to suspend its bombardments following the strikes. Amnesty International has called on the coalition to redouble its efforts to prevent civilian deaths and to investigate possible violations of international humanitarian law. According to an Observatory toll, around 600 Syrians including 136 children have been killed in coalition air strikes since September 2014. Washington (AFP) - The US Navy will name a ship after gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, a San Francisco politician who was assassinated in 1978, a naval official said Friday. Nicknamed "the gay Martin Luther King, Jr" for his work to end discrimination against gay people, Milk was killed one year after winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which made him the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in America. "I can confirm that the Navy sent congressional notification on the intention to name a new oiler USNS Harvey Milk," said a congressional notification obtained by USNI News, a website run by the United States Naval Institute. A gay rights icon, Milk's story inspired the Gus Van Sant film starring Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for his performance as Milk. Milk, who came from a naval family, served as a Navy diving officer during the Korean War. The prefix "USNS" signifies that the boat serves as a support ship for the Navy -- not a warship -- often run by a civilian crew. The Secretary of the Navy's office indicated that the ship slated to bear Milk's name would be a John Lewis-class oiler, ships Navy secretary Ray Mabus has said will be named after civil rights leaders. The lead ship of the class is named after John Lewis, a congressman and civil rights movement activist. Other notable leaders honored with ships in the class include former Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, whose court decided to desegregate schools, assassinated politician Robert Kennedy and abolitionist Sojourner Truth. CARACAS, July 29 (Reuters) - Venezuela's struggling telecoms operators must maintain fixed low prices after the country's regulator Conatel suspended their application to raise fees, doubling down on state-led economic policies. Regulator Conatel said President Nicolas Maduro had instructed the agency to suspend price hikes despite desperate calls from a subsidiary of Spain's Telefonica which said in February that the sector was in crisis. International communication in Venezuela is becoming tougher, with carriers barring international calls. Internet connections are often slow. In April, Telefonica subsidiary Movistar, one of the country's largest providers, restricted international calls to just 10 countries following difficulties in obtaining dollars through the OPEC nation's strict currency control system. A statement from Conatel on Friday said Maduro had ordered creation of a working group of operators and relevant agencies to review the issues and that he would "not cease in efforts to democratize access to information technology" to Venezuelans. (Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by Girish Gupta; Editing by David Gregorio) Vice President Joe Biden wasted no time following the DNC to film a cameo on NBCs Law & Order: SVU. The shows 18th season will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and the VP will appear in the second episode on Sept. 28. According to the schedule listed on the White House website, Biden traveled to New York Friday morning to tape the episode, to talk about the rape kit backlog and efforts to end violence against women. Ice-T, who plays NYPD Detective Odafin Tutuola on the show, tweeted a picture of Biden on set with Mariska Hargitay. He captioned the photo, Joe is in the Building. SVU. Joe is in the Building. SVU. pic.twitter.com/ZAd4CyWFb1 ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) July 29, 2016 The role is not exactly out of character for Biden. He is a known advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault who, along with Hargitay, spoke at the United State of Women Summit at the White House in June. He has also worked with Hargitay on her philanthropic endeavor The Joyful Heart Foundation. She started the organization to help sexual assault survivors heal and reclaim a sense of joy in their lives. In May, the foundation honored Biden at its Joyful Revolution Gala. Ice-T followed up his photo of Biden by posting a memento. The caption on one picture of an official government coin reads, VPs head of security just gave me this. And said Im good with them Juice. The other, a picture of the other side of the coin says, Back view of VP Challenge Coin.. And YES Biden was cool as F.. Knew a lot about me.. Way more than I expected. VPs head of security just gave me this. And said I'm good with them Juice. pic.twitter.com/X5fHqmXkaD ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) July 29, 2016 Back view of VP Challenge Coin.. And YES Biden was cool as F.. Knew a lot about me.. Way more than I expected. pic.twitter.com/vryLktgdps ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) July 29, 2016 Biden has made several cameos in the past on NBCs Parks and Recreation. Story continues Related stories 'Nashville' Ratings Rise for Series Finale, 'Wayward Pines' Solid in Season 2 Return Victoria Beckham just supported her sons GF (Chloe Grace Moretz) with all the #GirlPower Victoria Beckham just supported her sons GF (Chloe Grace Moretz) with all the #GirlPower The secrets out, and were all pretty much aware that Chloe Grace Moretz and Brooklyn Beckham have been dating for quite some time. It just melts our hearts seeing these two together whether theyre walking the streets of London while holding hands or posting the cutest couple photos on Instagram. Yet, were not the only ones who approve. In fact, Victoria Beckham is quite fond of her sons relationship with the accomplished actress. Thats why, earlier today, this Spice Girls member took to her Instagram to show support for Chloe after she delivered her speech at the Democratic National Convention. Alongside the photo below, Victoria wrote, Thats what Im talking about!!!..Girl Power!!!! @chloegmoretz @hillaryclinton #ImWithHer X VB. The 19-year-old proudly declared that Hillary Clinton will be her candidate of choice for this years presidential election, and encouraged younger millennials to get out there and vote no matter which party theyre affiliated with. Ultimately, we can see why The Beckhams are so enamored with Chloe. Shes a strong young woman whos not afraid to speak her mind especially if her words have the potential to inspire others to make change as we work toward creating a better world for us all. The post Victoria Beckham just supported her sons GF (Chloe Grace Moretz) with all the #GirlPower appeared first on HelloGiggles. FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Volkswagen said on Friday it regretted the Washington Department of Ecology's decision to fine it $176 million over its emissions scandal, saying the move ran counter to efforts to resolve U.S. consumer claims collectively. "It is regrettable that some states have decided to seek environmental claims now, notwithstanding their prior support of this ongoing federal-state collaborative process," the German carmaker said in a statement. Volkswagen (VW) has sought a comprehensive national resolution in the United States of all environmental issues arising from its emissions test cheating scandal. As part of these efforts, VW has agreed to buy back or modify affected vehicles, create a $2.7-billion environmental trust and invest $2 billion on infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles. On Thursday, the Washington Department of Ecology said it had fined VW $176 million for installing illegal software on many of its diesel vehicles to cheat and falsify emissions tests. VW has 30 days to appeal the penalty to the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board. It has not said whether it will launch an appeal. VW's "dieselgate" scandal erupted in September, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the carmaker had violated the Federal Clean Air Act, forcing the carmaker into a $14.7 billion settlement. (Reporting by Edward Taylor and Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Mark Potter) Time Warner's Asian-focused streaming service, DramaFever, is expanding into Australia and New Zealand, launching in those two territories Friday with the exclusive premiere of new epic Chinese TV drama, Ice Fantasy. The launch Down Under means DramaFever, part of Warner Bros Digital Networks, is now in 25 markets internationally. Warner Bros acquired the service, which started in 2009 as a subscription streaming service for U.S. audiences of Korean dramas, from Japan's Softbank in February this year. Ice Fantasy will simulcast in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. on DramaFever with English subtitles - and in Latin America with Spanish and Portuguese subtitles - within 24 hours of its original broadcasts on Hunan TV in China, with new episodes released every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The 62-episode series stars Feng Shao Feng (Prince of Lan Ling) and K-pop group f(x) member Victoria Song. It is directed by Ju Jue Liang and features set designs from Academy Award-winning art director Dan Hennah and is based on the best-selling novel City of Fantasy by Guo Jingming. The romance drama follows a bloody battle between the Ice and Fire kingdoms and the next generation of rulers to take the throne. Read More: Warner Bros. to Acquire Korean-TV Streaming Service DramaFever The series is one of 120 additional titles covering 2,000 episodes of TV from DramaFever's library, which will be available in Australia and New Zealand. Other new premieres include hit Korean dramas Cheese in the Trap (2016) and Oh My Ghostess (2015), while the library also carries international television shows, movies and concerts. "DramaFever has established itself as the go-to destination for fans of K-dramas and Asian content in particular, along with additional international programming, and we are excited to be launching in the region with such a strong lineup," said DramaFever co-founder and president, Suk Park. "Like our fans in the U.S. and Latin America, viewers in Australia and New Zealand won't be able to get enough of these series once they start, and we are pleased to be in a position to meet this growing demand." Read More: DramaFever to Launch 'Choose Your Own Adventure'-Style K-Drama Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother on the final day of the Democratic National Convention before Hillary Clinton formally accepted her party's nomination. She took the stage to present a motherly figure of Hillary Clinton, telling stories of her daughter who loves to FaceTime with her mother as well as early memories of her childhood. "No matter what," she said, "she was always always there for me." Chelsea Clinton said that her mother left notes for her to open every day that she would be away from home, painting a picture of parents who encouraged her to have her own opinions, and "to back them up with facts." She also said that her parents raised her knowing how lucky she was to have food on the table and a good education. "That feeling of being valued and loved, that's what my mom wants for every child. It is the calling of her life." Read More: Shonda Rhimes Made the DNC Video That Introduces Hillary Clinton Remembering her mother's fight for health care in the '90s, Chelsea Clinton said that it was tough watching her struggle, but even now, "she never ever forgets who she's fighting for." "She's a woman driven by compassion, by faith, by a fierce sense of justice and a heart full of love," she said. "So this November, I'm voting for a woman who is my role model as a mother and as an advocate." After her introduction, the convention aired a 12-minute video chronicling Hillary Clinton's life, which was created by Shonda Rhimes and will be narrated by Morgan Freeman, to paint a personal picture of her mother before the Democratic nominee appears to officially accept the historic nomination. Thursday's lineup of speakers featured Ted Danson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Chloe Grace Moretz as well as performances by Katy Perry and Carole King. Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz performed for an invite-only crowd of DNC delegates. According to excerpts released ahead of time, Hillary Clinton will end the night with a speech offering "steady leadership" to a country "looking for reassurance" amid turmoil in the world. Story continues Clinton's introduction concluded the end of a star-studded week in Philadelphia, which included Meryl Streep, Lena Dunham and America Ferrera and Tony Goldwyn on Tuesday, with Elizabeth Banks serving as host and former President Bill Clinton headlined. Wednesday saw addresses by Lee Daniels, Angela Bassett and Sigourney Weaver, with Vice President Joe Biden and President Obama finishing out the day with impassioned speeches against Donald Trump and for Hillary Clinton. Watch her speech live below. Read More: Michael Wolff at the DNC: The Case for Hillary as the Only "Sane" Candidate When it comes to the parents of celebrities, for the most part were used to seeing them somewhat in the background. Maybe theyll make an appearance on the red carpet, at an award show, or on their famous childs Instagram. But Dennis Graham, aka Drakes dad, has proved to be a star on his own. Apparently, Mr. Graham is such a fan favorite that he recently had a song named after him by Canadian band Arkells. The band even got Graham to be apart of their video. He just plays himself, because when youre that fly in real life theres really no need to play a character. Arkells frontman Max Kerman explained to Consequence of Sound that the single was inspired after an extremely rare run-in with Drakes dad. Last summer I was on a road trip with my best friends through the American South, Kerman explained, and in the middle of the night, we happened to meet Drakes dadDennis Grahamin a Memphis bar. Watch the video above. More from Pigeons & Planes Lady Gaga covered a handful of classic, pseudo-political tunes including Neil Young's "Old Man" and the Beatles' "Come Together" at a free, invitation-only concert for delegates to the Democratic National Convention. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker introduced Gaga Thursday at the "Camden Rising" event, saying, "She's fighting for all of us from victims of sexual assault to people suffering with mental health. She speaks to the gospel of love that she's put to a pretty powerful soundtrack." Gaga reportedly opened her set with Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," followed by Young's "Old Man," Phil Ochs' "The War Is Over," Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" and piano-led versions of her own tunes "Bad Romance," "Born This Way" and "You and I." She closed with the Beatles' Come Together" and played Edith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose" for an encore. Fan footage finds Gaga covering "Old Man" dressed in a black cowboy hat and sunglasses, strumming an electric guitar. For her jazzy take on "Come Together," she returns to the piano, backed by splashes of brass. The event, held at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey, also featured a performance from Lenny Kravitz and between-set spinning from DJ Jazzy Jeff. The Obamas, Bidens and Clintons were invited to the concert. Related From Road & Track "All things are lawful unto me," the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." For some reason, I thought about this quote while reading yesterday's article about the Macan Turbo that was only 0.6 seconds slower around a racetrack than the BMW M2. You can blame the unique circumstances of my early childhood for this willingness to conflate the spiritual and the mechanical; all week I went to Catholic school and all weekend I read LJK Setright and Patrick Bedard. Nevertheless, I think the quote applies. After all, on an empty racetrack the only laws that typically apply are the laws of physics. And those laws say that a 4300-pound cute-ute with 400 horsepower, PDK, all-wheel-drive, and a host of computing-intensive driver's aids can more or less keep up with a 365-horse, 3500-pound coupe with RWD and a conventional stick shift. You could extrapolate this further; perhaps a 570-horsepower Cayenne Turbo S would post a similar time. I know from experience that a BMW X5M will very nearly match an M2 around a small road course. There's nothing "illegal" about the fact that some of the modern tall wagons can post remarkable lap times around the racetrack of your choice. But is it "expedient?" We should take a moment to note that Paul didn't use that word in the modern sense of "practical, perhaps at the expense of morality." A better translation for 2016 would be "helpful" or "beneficial." Is it helpful that a Macan Turbo or X5M or a Chevrolet Suburban SS Z06 Track Pack, were such a thing to exist, can match a proper sporting coupe around a racetrack? We hear a lot about "power-to-weight ratio" when it comes to selling modern performance cars. This is because the remarkable increases in engine power over the past twenty years have entirely outpaced the regrettable gains in curb weight among most performance cars. The current M2 weighs five hundred pounds more than the old E30 M3 but offers near-as-dammit twice the power, particularly below 5000rpm. The C7 Vette weighs just a bit more than the first of the C4 cars but offers more than twice the power. Story continues The problem with power-to-weight ratio is that it's essentially a way to lie to ourselves with statistics. The very notion of a power-to-weight ratio implies that the additional power can somehow balance our the addition of weight, doesn't it? Shouldn't two cars with a similar power-to-weight ratio be just as fast around a racetrack? Shouldn't they both be similarly interesting to drive? Take that BMW M2 for example. A few people have gotten it to lap Laguna Seca at 1:40. That's pretty good. But if you look at the 2014 SCCA Runoffs you'll see people turning 1:40 laps in everything from a MG Midget to a Datsun 510 to an Acura TL. Now ask yourself the following question: What do you think is more fun to drive? A BMW M2 that circles Laguna Seca in 1:40 or a totally race-prepped, wide-body MG Midget that turns the same time? If you could get ten laps in either car on someone else's dime, which one would you choose? Drive enough truly rapid cars and you will eventually come to prefer the ones that earn their power-to-weight ratios by addressing the right-hand side of that phrase. There are always novelty exceptions-who wouldn't want to drive a Lamborghini LM002 around a track, just to say they'd done it?-but all those exceptions do is prove the existence of the basic rule. So the SCCA-prepped MG Midget is more amusing than the M2, which in turn is more amusing than the Macan Turbo, which in turn would be more amusing than a Cayenne Turbo with a similar power-to-weight ratio. Once you accept this for the generally truthful statement that it is, all sorts of things make sense. It explains why I enjoy driving the old power-retractable-hardtop Miata so much even though my Accord V6 will absolutely eviscerate it over the course of a single lap. It explains why the Lotus Elise and Evora have always been so much more desirable than their raw performance numbers would indicate. And it explains why some absolutely awful cars become wonderful once you gut the interiors, put a cage in them, and take them racing. Perhaps unfortunately, it also goes some way towards explaining why electric cars have a ways to go before they are going to capture the hearts of most auto enthusiasts. The Tesla Model S might be able to humble a C6 Corvette Z06 in the quarter-mile but we all know which one you'd rather spend a day lapping around Mid-Ohio or VIR. Overcoming massive weight with a gobsmacking amount of zero-rpm torque only goes so far when it comes to making a car truly fun to drive. When you shed weight from a car, all sorts of wonderful things happen. Lighter cars can use lighter wheels and tires, which makes them even more responsive. Lighter cars get better fuel economy without resorting to expensive alternate-propulsion systems. Lighter cars don't chew through consumables like brake components and tires the way heavier cars with a similar power-to-weight ratio do. Does anybody think that a Macan Turbo will get a lot of lifetime out of its tires or brake pads on a racetrack? Lightness saves money, and it saves effort. The problem is that it's fiendishly difficult to meet today's expected levels of safety, comfort, and noise suppression without gaining weight. Some credit should be given to the Macan Turbo's stablemates in this respect; the modern 911 Carrera weighs almost to the pound what my 1995 993 Carrera does while besting its ancestor in everything from quarter-mile time to CO2 emissions to offset-barrier crash-test results. The same is true of that lovely C6 Corvette Z06 which weighed less than a 1982 Collector's Edition while packing 505 horsepower beneath the hood. That's the kind of power-to-weight ratio improvement that truly satisfies, isn't it? Alas, very few current cars can match the 911's record of weight control. Like it or not, every new year brings a new crop of vehicles that are heavier, taller, and more ponderous than their predecessors. That doesn't mean that you have to choose one of those vehicles, nor does it mean that we should feel good about using power-to-weight ratios, or the laptimes they generate, to justify the existence of cars that weigh far more than they should and cover up their shame with F-15 Eagle levels of forward thrust. I'm going to continue making purchase decisions, and recommendations, that heavily favor lightness over all over qualities. That wasn't always the case for me-I did have two Volkswagen Phaetons, after all-but it's the direction I've chosen recently and it's the one to which I'll stick. You might claim that a 600-horsepower, 6000-pound SUV is equal to a 200-horsepower, 2000-pound race car, but I'm not buying it. The ratio might be the same, but the reality is very, very different. The enjoyment that a true enthusiast derives from an automobile comes from more than a simple law of physics. Like the man said, "All things are lawful for me... but I will not be brought under the power of any." Born in Brooklyn but banished to Ohio, Jack Baruth has won races on four different kinds of bicycles and in seven different kinds of cars. Everything he writes should probably come with a trigger warning. His column, Avoidable Contact, runs twice a week. First Data Corporation FDC, a leading provider of electronic commerce solutions, is set to report second-quarter 2016 results on Aug 1. Last quarter, the company posted a positive surprise of 33.3%. Factors to Consider First Data has progressed well with its four major initiatives. On the enterprise business front, the addition of big names such as Travelport, Banco Popular, and First National Bank of Omaha indicates a growing pipeline. Loan processing is turning out to be a new growth area for the company with clients such as Citizens Bank and Bank of Ireland. On the international business front, European and Brazil acquiring businesses are contributing significantly to overall revenue growth. As far as expense management is concerned, the leadership targeted saving $200 million gross expense by the middle of 2016. The upcoming results will reveal how far it has succeeded in achieving this target. On the leadership front, the company is leveraging the strength of its team to make significant improvements in the U.S. SMB business with main focus on bank partnerships, digital strategy, telesales, online self help and value added products. FIRST DATA CORP Price and EPS Surprise FIRST DATA CORP Price and EPS Surprise | FIRST DATA CORP Quote Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that First Data will beat estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 28 cents. Hence, the difference is 0.00%. Zacks Rank: First Data has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions momentum. Stocks to Consider Here are some stocks, which you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Story continues Avista Corp. AVA with an Earnings ESP of +2.33% and Zacks Rank #2. Alibaba Group Holding Limited BABA with an Earnings ESP of +28.95% and Zacks Rank #3. Charter Communications, Inc. CHTR with an Earnings ESP of +404.76% and a Zacks Rank #3. 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 AVISTA CORP (AVA): Free Stock Analysis Report CHARTER COMM-A (CHTR): Free Stock Analysis Report ALIBABA GROUP (BABA): Free Stock Analysis Report FIRST DATA CORP (FDC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Pope Francis is touring Poland through July 31, for the celebration of the Catholic church's World Youth Day. Pope John Paul II established World Youth Day in 1985 with the purpose of inspiring youth to follow Christian values. The largest World Youth Day celebration was in 1995, in the Philippines, when 5 million people attended a Mass by John Paul II. Pope Francis with the crowds in Czestochowa, Poland now #PopeInPL pic.twitter.com/9BXwhpyFAV Joshua McElwee (@joshjmac) July 28, 2016 On his trip, the pope is visiting the Royal Castle and Cathedral in Krakow, a city that dates back to before the 10th century. Pope John Paul II lived in the city from 1938 to 1978, when he was selected as pope. The castle was home to the country's king until 1609, then centuries later ransacked during World War II. It has since been turned into a museum. Pope Visits Poland Pope Francis will also tour the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, which Nazis operated from 1940 to 1945. He will pray at the Death Wall and in the former cell of a Catholic Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in 1941 to save another man's life. Both John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI previously visited the Auschwitz memorial. Pope Visits Poland Pope Francis will also visit the Jasna Gra Monastery, Poland's holiest shrine. The monastery has an image of the Mother of God said to be miraculous. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come to the monastery each year to see the picture. Pope Visits Poland Surprise! Pope Francis surprised the Sisters of the Presentation by paying them a visit on his way to Jasna Gra. pic.twitter.com/iA1QBzSnhG Fr. Manuel Dorantes (@TweetingPriest) July 28, 2016 Other stops on the pope's visit include the University Children's Hospital in Krakow, the Divine Mercy Shrine and St. Faustyna's Chapel, the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II, and the Field of Mercy. Story continues Pope Visits Poland The Field of Mercy will be the location of the Mass on July 31. Related Articles The sound bites from Mike Bloombergs evisceration of Donald Trump at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night have been repeated endlessly. I built a business, and I didnt start it with a million-dollar check from my father. Trump says he wants to run the country like hes running his business. God help us. Im a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one. Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy. Hillary Clinton understands this is not reality television its reality. Lets elect a sane, competent person. Related:Battle of the Billionaires: Why Bloomberg Will Savage Trump But while Democrats gathered in Philadelphia, roared and clapped at the best one-liners of the convention, the billionaire former mayor of New York wasnt really talking to them. He was reaching out to independents like himself who dont think their views are fully represented by one party or the other. When I enter the voting booth each time, Bloomberg said. I look at the candidate, not the party label. And probably not many people in this room can say that. But I know there are many watching at home who can. And now they are carefully weighing their choices. Bloomberg called on them to put differences aside for the good of the country, and unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue. Related: Could Libertarian Gary Johnson Play the Spoiler in November? It is not yet clear how much of a bump Clinton will get from the convention. It was a meticulously orchestrated and calibrated piece of political theater that surely will sway some independents. But with the polls showing Clinton and Trump neck and neck, Hillarys outreach to independents cant end with one convention address, as forceful and as uncharacteristically personal as Bloombergs unconventional convention speech was. A Fox New poll at the end of June found Trump ahead with independents by 39 percent to 31 percent for Clinton. Story continues The tricky part, though, is crafting a message and employing surrogates who can speak to the Babel of voters who identify as independents. A Gallup poll taken in mid-July found that 42 percent of voters consider themselves independents As an entrepreneur whose fortune makes him the sixth-riches person in America, Bloomberg speaks to small business owners, corporate chieftains and members of the financial community. His dumps on Trump should make him a powerful force should he go on the stump for Clinton. But the Clinton campaigns secret weapon could be Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont who fought Clinton almost all the way to Philly and whose forlorn troops early on threatened to disrupt the convention. Related: Is Sanders Too Late to Swing His Supporters to Clinton? Despite a spirited endorsement of Clinton and the impact he had on making the Democratic platform more progressive, Sanders usually looked glum when the TV cameras panned his way. Now the Clinton camp needs to give him whatever more he wants to become a happy warrior for Hillary. In an analysis of Sanders voters in May, the website FiveThirtyEight found that 40 percent of primary voters and caucus goers supporting Bernie identified as independents, Republicans or members of other parties. And in a YouGov poll around the same time, while only 55 percent of Sandernistas said they would vote for Clinton, just 15 percent said they would vote for Trump, leaving 30 percent looking for a home. But that was before the Hillary wrapped up the delegate votes, before the convention concessions to Sanders and before Clintons acknowledgement that she has had gotten the message Bernie has been sending. They have to be more than soothing words for his wounded troops, though. Clinton shouldnt leave Philadelphia thinking the Sanders supporters have been dealt with and mollified. She needs to walk the talk and she desperately needs Sanders reigniting the Bern. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f161540%2f8bdd144e9ab24d4194313b62b354054a A movement has surfaced in Iran called #MenInHijab in which men share photos of themselves wearing the Muslim head scarf typically reserved for women. The movement was started by journalist Masih Alinejad of My Stealthy Freedom, an online social movement and Facebook group that was founded in 2014 where women can bravely share photos of themselves not wearing hijabs. According to the organization's website, they support, "The right for individual Iranian women to choose whether they want [to wear a] hijab." SEE ALSO: Singaporean Muslims looked amazing in their traditional outfits for Eid Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, "morality police" have been in place in Iran to enforce a law that women must keep their hair covered in public. As written on My Stealthy Freedom's website, "Our website is a living archive of the photos and videos shared with us by these brave women, and the media coverage (both good and bad) that we receive from inside and outside Iran." The Facebook page has over 1 million likes, so it's no surprise that Alinejad's new movement, #MenInHijab, is gaining popularity. Most of these men are living inside Iran and they have witnessed how their female relatives have been suffering at the hands of the morality police and humiliation of enforced hijab," Alinejad told the Independent. For years, from childhood to womanhood, weve been forced to wear the compulsory headscarf and for years we have had to endure the loss of our dignity," she said. I thought it would be fantastic to invite men to support women's rights, Alinejad said. While many see the hijab as oppressive and have taken comfort in My Stealthy Freedom's Facebook page, many women around the world have made the conscious choice to wear a hijab. For example, writer Hanna Yusuf says that wearing a hijab can allow women to reclaim their bodies. "My concern with the hijab being unfairly portrayed as a symbol of oppression is no way a denial of the fact that some women are forced to wear it in some parts of the world, sometimes through appalling violence," she said in a video for the Guardian. She argues that assuming veiled women are oppressed can "belittle the choice of those who want to wear it." While #MenInHijab specifically aims to support women who do feel oppressed by their hijabs, My Stealthy Freedom is all about supporting Iranian women's choice, whether they want to wear a hijab or not. Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season and Nabors Industries Ltd. NBR may be one such company. The firm has earnings coming up pretty soon, and events are shaping up quite nicely for their report. That is because Nabors Industries is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a precursor to an earnings beat. After all, analysts raising estimates right before earningswith the most up-to-date information possibleis a pretty good indicator of some favorable trends underneath the surface for NBR in this report. In fact, the Most Accurate Estimate for the current quarter is currently at a loss of 41 cents per share for NBR, compared to a broader Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 44 cents per share. This suggests that analysts have very recently bumped up their estimates for NBR, giving the stock a Zacks Earnings ESP of 6.82% heading into earnings season. NABORS IND Price and EPS Surprise NABORS IND Price and EPS Surprise | NABORS IND Quote Why is this Important? A positive reading for the Zacks Earnings ESP has proven to be very powerful in producing both positive surprises, and outperforming the market. Our recent 10 year backtest shows that stocks that have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better show a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and have returned over 28% on average in annual returns (see more Top Earnings ESP stocks here). Given that NBR has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and an ESP in positive territory, investors might want to consider this stock ahead of earnings. Clearly, recent earnings estimate revisions suggest that good things are ahead for Nabors Industries, and that a beat might be in the cards for the upcoming 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 >> 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 NABORS IND (NBR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Priyanka Chopra may play a tough FBI agent on ABCs Quantico, but her memories of being bullied in high school still linger. Girls are mean in school, the actress said in a recent interview with TheWraps Stuart Brazell, in which she answered questions from fans. On Quantico, Chopra plays Alex Parrish, a young FBI agent who is framed for committing a terrorist attack. The drama series follows her character and other FBI recruits as they try to determine the mastermind. The fun part? Each of them hides a secret of his or her own, making it hard to pinpoint the actual perpetrator. Also Read: Priyanka Chopra Makes a Bid to Play James Bond: 'It Sounds Like My Life Already' (Video) But long before she was a star of American TV and the Bollywood screen, Chopra was a regular kid. And she has long been vocal about her experiences with racism and prejudice during the time when she lived in the U.S. as a teenager. Now, however, she realizes that her encounters may not have been too unusual, unfortunately. Everyone has had that one girl who makes your life miserable when youre in high school, especially, said the winner of 2000s Miss World pageant. Also Read: Monica Lewinsky Speaks Out on Cyberbullying, Suicidal Thoughts and Turncoat Feminists Looking back right now, I dont think that it came from maliciousness, she said. I think it came from envy, jealousy, whatever it might have been. Quantico, returns to ABC for its second season Sept. 25. Watch the video above. Related stories from TheWrap: 'Baywatch' Star Priyanka Chopra Teases Her 'Delicious' High-Heeled Villain (Exclusive Video) Emmy Quickie: What You Should Never Ask 'Quantico' Star Priyanka Chopra in an Airport (Video) ABC Shoehorns Prince Tribute Into Priyanka Chopra Upfront Opening Musical Number Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is threatening to leave the World Trade Organization and rip up agreements like the North American Free Trade agreement, and his critics predictably are branding him everything from "wrong-headed" to "insane." But here's the real deal. When our politicians and diplomats negotiate trade deals, we lose because they don't know a good deal from a bad one. For instance, when President Bill Clinton signed NAFTA in 1993, he believed it would "create 200,000 jobs in this country by 1995 alone." Instead, the U.S. has lost over 700,000 jobs, according to the Economic Policy Institute, while our trade deficit with Mexico has rocketed from $1.6 billion in 1993 to $60 billion in 2015, according to the Commerce Department. Clinton also lobbied for China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, promising China would "play by the same open trading rules we do." Instead, the U.S. has had to file WTO case after case against China's questionable trade practices on products ranging from apparel, aircraft, and autos to shrimp, steel, and textiles. Despite numerous WTO "victories" for the U.S., most have been pyrrhic. It takes years to adjudicate a case. In the interim, American companies go bankrupt, China takes over the market, and the court ruling becomes moot. This happened to Bethlehem and 30 other steel companies that went bankrupt waiting for relief. As a second glaring flaw, many of America's trading partners rely on value-added taxes, and WTO rules permit VAT rebates on export sales. However, the U.S. has no VAT yet our exports don't receive similar corporate income-tax rebates. While Congress has tried three times to modify our laws to get equal treatment, each modification was rejected by a hostile WTO, giving foreign competitors a huge tax-break edge. The WTO also provides little or no protection against four of the most potent unfair trade practices many of our trade partners routinely engage in currency manipulation, intellectual property theft, and the use of both sweatshop labor and pollution havens. America's status as the largest market in the world with a freely floating exchange rate and the world's most advanced set of environmental and work safety regulations makes us a defenseless victim. Story continues As for 2012's South Korean free trade agreement, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called it a "cutting edge trade deal" that would create 70,000 new jobs. All we've gotten is a near doubling of our South Korean trade deficit and more than 75,000 jobs lost, according to the Economic Policy Institute. All of America's free trade agreements share fundamental flaws. For example, there is no automatic rollback if China, Mexico, or South Korea fails to honor its commitments. Nor is there adequate assistance for displaced American workers. There's not even a required renegotiation if a deal turns out lopsided as these so obviously have. We also rarely negotiate even the easiest of concessions. For example, the Obama-Clinton team never fully analyzed what products South Korea was importing from somewhere other than the U.S. but with some help from the Korean government could have been imported from the U.S. There are also non-tariff barriers (NTB) our trading partners regularly use to offset lowered tariffs we experienced the same kind of tactics with Japan in the 1980s, so we should be on guard. In the Japanese case, America experienced its first real flood of illegally subsidized Asian imports, but a free trading President Reagan acted decisively as the free trader Trump would: Reagan imposed stiff defensive tariffs on Japanese imports. Despite all these fundamental flaws, American negotiators keep making the same mistakes. Besides hurting our workers, chronic trade deficits stifle economic growth while we now owe China and other trading partners trillions in U.S. Treasury debt. Here's the tragedy and one that would never occur if an "art of the trade deal" Trump were in the Oval Office: All of our bad trade deals could have been good ones if we had simply bargained tougher. Safeguards going forward should include: (1) prompt triggers and automatic renegotiations if the trade gains are not distributed fairly, (2) equally prompt relief against NTBs, (3) ironclad sanctions against currency manipulation, (4) zero tolerance on intellectual property theft, and (5) stringent environmental and health and safety standards without the proverbial "wiggle room" characterizing proposed deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. It's not too late to save America's existing trade deals through tough renegotiations. Donald Trump knows that as the world's largest and most lucrative market, America has an enormous bargaining chip. In any negotiation or renegotiation, our guiding principle should be this: Enter into a free trade agreement only if it both increases total trade and reduces our trade deficit. When these two conditions are met, real world trade will converge with textbook theory, this country will be far more prosperous, and a now shattered faith in the global trading order will be restored. Only a Reagan or a Trump-like figure in the White House will achieve this goal. Commentary by Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro. Ross is an international private equity investor. Navarro is a business professor at UC-Irvine and a policy advisor to the Trump campaign. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. More From CNBC Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, Xerox Corporation XRX reported strong second-quarter 2016 results with adjusted earnings of $311 million or 30 cents per share compared with $264 million or 23 cents in the year-ago quarter. The year-over-year increase in adjusted earnings was primarily due to diligent execution of operational plans and significant margin expansion and revenue growth in the Document Outsourcing business. The adjusted earnings comfortably beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5 cents. Xerox Corporation (XRX) Street EPS & Surprise Percent - Last 5 Quarters | FindTheCompany GAAP income (from continuing operations) for the reported quarter was $155 million or 15 cents per share compared with $107 million or 9 cents per share. The sharp rise in GAAP earnings was primarily due to lower operating expenses during the quarter. Total revenue for second-quarter 2016 was $4,385 million compared with $4,590 million in the year-earlier quarter. The year-over-year decrease in revenue was attributable to decline in both the operating segments. However, revenues beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,377 million. Adjusted operating margin and gross margin for the reported quarter was up 80 bps and 20 bps, respectively on year-over-year basis to 9.3% and 31.4%, respectively. The improved performance was due to substantial margin expansion in Document Outsourcing business stringent cost and productivity initiatives. Segment Performance Revenues from the Services segment, which include Document Outsourcing (DO) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), decreased 2.2% year over year to $2,470 million (56% of total revenues) in the reported quarter. While BPO revenues declined approximately 4% to $1,630 million due to lower volumes and lost business, revenues from DO increased 1% year over year to $840 million with growth in the partner print services offerings. Second-quarter 2016 Services segment margin improved to 9.6% from 7.2% in the prior-year period. Total contract value for deals signed in the Service segment were $2.9 billion, with BPO and DO accounting for $2.2 billion and $0.7 billion, respectively. Signings declined 9% year over year owing to lower contribution from new business. Revenues in the Document Technology segment declined 7% year over year to $1,752 million due to weak sales and an adverse currency impact. Segment margin improved marginally to 12.6%. Document Technology revenue mix was 58% mid-range, 24% high-end and 18% entry-level products, which was consistent with the recent quarters. Revenues in the Other segment decreased 11% to $163 million. Restructuring Update During the quarter, Xerox made considerable progress on its proposed plan to separate into two public companies. The company remains on track to complete the split by year-end 2016. Its Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm would be renamed as Conduent Inc., while its Document Technology (DT) division would retain the Xerox brand name. Ashok Vemuri will become the chief executive officer of the BPO firm, while Jeff Jacobson will serve as the chief executive officer of DT. Ursula Burns will continue as the chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox until the separation and serve as chairman of the Xerox board following the separation. The company expects to incur one-time separation costs of $175 to $200 million pre-tax for the split, down from its earlier estimate of $200 to $250 million. Restructuring and related charges are estimated to be approximately $300 million for 2016, $71 million of which was incurred in the second quarter and $197 million year-to-date. As part of the restructuring, Xerox has decided to execute a three-year strategic transformation program to improve its productivity and reduce costs across the businesses. The company remains on track to save about $700 million in 2016 from the restructuring activities. When combined with savings from cost streamlining actions currently in process, Xerox intends to realize cumulative cost reduction of $2.4 billion over three years. During the reported quarter, Xerox recorded $126 million as restructuring charges and expects to record $300 million for the same in 2016. XEROX CORP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise XEROX CORP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | XEROX CORP Quote Financial Position As of Jun 30, 2016, Xerox had cash and cash equivalents of $1,203 million, while long-term debt was $5,355 million. Net cash provided by operating activities for the quarter was $177 million compared with $349 million in the year-ago period. Guidance Xerox expects third-quarter 2016 GAAP earnings to be in the range of 1416 cents per share and adjusted EPS in the range of 2628 cents. For 2016, Xerox reiterated its earlier guidance and continues to expect adjusted EPS in the range of $1.10 to $1.20 per share. Cash flow from operations is expected between $950 million and $1.2 billion and free cash flow within $600 to $850 million. Moving Forward Xerox has been striving to focus on strengthening its portfolio, improving productivity and boosting its higher-margin segments. We remain impressed with the strong quarterly performance of the company. Xerox currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the industry include Avis Budget Group, Inc. CAR, Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. CORE and WageWorks, Inc. WAGE, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). 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 AVIS BUDGET GRP (CAR): Free Stock Analysis Report CORE-MARK HLDG (CORE): Free Stock Analysis Report XEROX CORP (XRX): Free Stock Analysis Report WAGEWORKS INC (WAGE): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research 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 She's back! Amid a very public battle with Lyme disease, Yolanda Foster returned to her modeling roots on Thursday, July 28. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 52, shared a snap of herself posing via Instagram, slim and stunning in a strapless, blush bodysuit. " Little rusted but slowly getting back in action with @jimjordanphotography," Foster, who modeled for Grazia, Vogue Australia and Vogue Germany back in the day, wrote. "thank you @mrchrismcmillan for my new Goldie locks........ #Grateful #Blessed #GoodDay." PHOTOS: Supermodels, Then and Now The mom of Gigi Hadid, 21, Bella Hadid, 19, and Anwar Hadid, 17, followed that up with a snap with her eldest as a little girl, cradled in her mom's arms. " Motherhood is a life long obligation and responsibility that feels like honor and privilege" she captioned with the hashtags "#Motherhood," "#Blessings" and "#AlwaysAndForever." Foster is slowly coming back into the limelight amid her ongoing battle with Lyme disease and her divorce from husband David Foster. (She shares her three children with ex-husband, Mohamed Hadid.) She is, however, saying goodbye to one spotlight: her role on the hit Bravo series. PHOTOS: Real Housewives Kids, Then and Now The former swimsuit model shared the news on June 15 via Instagram. "I would have loved a more graceful exit then 'Season 6' but sometimes we don't get to control the ending of the chapters in our life," she wrote to her nearly 2 million followers. "I am leaving what's over without denying its past importance in my life. I believe that every exit is a new entry and with that in mind I say goodbye to my @Bravotv Family as I continue to focus on a my recovery, my children and bring back the privacy within our Home." PHOTOS: Shop Summer's 10 Hottest Trends The network added in a statement, "Yolanda was a great addition to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Along with our viewers, we have enjoyed and appreciated Yolanda sharing her life events, especially more recently as she struggled with Lyme Disease. We now respect her decision to focus on her health and family. We wish her a full recovery and hope to see her again sometime on the show." Get celeb fashion, beauty tips and more delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up for the Us Weekly Style & Beauty newsletter now! If you think you anger stems from workplace friction, take a time out. (Photo: Getty) Having to work with rude, disrespectful people can seem like a punishment in itself. Now, to add insult to injury, new research indicates that toxic co-workers and bosses can wreak havoc on your romantic relationship, according to an article in the Association for Psychological Science (APS). An international team of psychologists at the University of Singapore found that mistreatment at work essentially, a form of abuse can get under our skin so deeply that its almost impossible to leave those feelings in the workplace. The team studied 50 full-time employees and their spouses over the course of 10 working days. They found that those employees brought the hostility imposed on them at work into their homes and projected it onto their partners and family members, according to input from their spouses, who reported angry and withdrawn behaviors, such as criticizing them or avoiding them. Over time, this domino effect can take a toll on any couple or family, whether or not they recognize the root of the discord. This study, first published in the Journal of Management, isnt the first one to link workplace hostility with relationship instability. In 2011, research linked the tantrums and rude comments of supervisors to the marriage woes of their direct reports, according to Today. It [an unhealthy workplace atmosphere] spills over and affects our families, said the studys lead author, Dawn Carlson, a professor of management and the H.R. Gibson Chair of Organizational Development at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. And in 2009, an article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science reported that workers are prone to take out their pent-up workplace anger on their families by withdrawing or being angry and irritable. Rena Repetti of the University of California, Los Angeles, who led the study, said of her subjects, After describing their day at work, the mothers were reunited with their children. Analyses of the videotaped reunions showed that, if they had reported a more demanding workload or more negative interactions with coworkers and supervisors, the mothers spoke less and were less emotionally engaged with their preschoolers, compared to their behavior on less stressful days. Story continues When one is beset by a toxic work environment, it can seem all-consuming to the extent that it comes home with you, confirms Sherry Amatenstein, relationship expert and author of the upcoming book How Does That Make You Feel? True Confessions from Both Sides of the Relationship Couch. But when your home life becomes a rant fest of you complaining and expecting your other half to keep listening and maintaining his or her head in sympathetic tilt position, that is not a recipe for relationship success. Perhaps you and your partner need to set boundaries on how much of your time together will be devoted to discussing your work strife and stick to that boundary. Previous research has also found that rudeness is contagious, according to the APS article, spreading from one employee to another and, ultimately, creating a perfect storm of relationship strife. Even low levels of rudeness from a co-worker can have a significant negative effect on a persons spouse and home life, the APS article says. The good news is, armed with this knowledge, you can make a conscious choice to not let workplace incivility destroy your union or put stress on your family ties. To avoid relationship problems in your intimate relationship at home, remind yourself that your S.O. is your partner and is on the same side as you, says Andrea Syrtash, relationship expert and author of Hes Just Not Your Type (and Thats a Good Thing), now on Audible. Ask him or her for help you navigate a tricky situation or at least to let you vent occasionally so you can shake off the stress of the day. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL July 29, 2016 - Stocks in this weeks article include: Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (APOG), AMN Healthcare Services Inc. (AHS), Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (ROCK), Liberty Interactive Group ( QVCA) and Olympus Corporation (OCPNY). Screen of the Week of Zacks Investment Research: Look Beyond Earnings: 5 Stocks with Increasing Cash Flows We are in the busiest week of the current-reporting cycle, and crunching profit numbers and evaluating surprises might seem appropriate right now for investors. But looking beyond the profits and figuring out whether they are being efficiently channeled to the companys reserves can be a lot more rewarding. This is because a healthy reserve enables a company to fund future growth. In fact, a profit-making company can have a dearth of cash flow and might go bankrupt while meeting its obligations. Therefore, looking at a companys ability to produce cash is important in terms of protecting your money in addition to multiplying it. No doubt, cash moves in and out of any business, but it is net cash flow that indicates how much money a company is actually generating. A positive cash flow denotes an increase in the companys liquid assets, which gives the company the means to settle debt, shell out for its expenses, reinvest in its business, endure downturns and finally pay back its shareholders. On the flip side, a negative cash flow implies a decline in the companys liquidity, which in turn lowers its flexibility to support these moves. However, a company can competently grow only when this positive cash flow is rising, as increasing cash flow indicates managements efficiency in generating more cash from its business and less dependence on outside financing. So, while picking stocks this earnings season, dont look at profits only. Make sure to look for stocks with dependable and increasing cash flows. Screening Parameters: To find out stocks that have seen increasing cash flow over time, we ran the screen for those whose cash flow in the latest reported quarter was at least equal to or greater than the 5-year average cash flow per common share. This implies a positive trend and increasing cash over a period of time. In addition to this, we chose: Zacks Rank 1 : No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance. Average Broker Rating 1 : This indicates that brokers are also highly hopeful about the companys future performance. Story continues Current Price greater than or equal to $5 : This screens out the low priced stocks. VGM Score of B or better : This score is also of great assistance in selecting stocks. Importantly, this scoring system helps in picking winning stocks in their individual industry categories. Here are five out of seven stocks that made it through the screen: Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (APOG) is a leader in technologies involving the design and development of value-added glass products and services. The company is based in Minneapolis, MN. Presently, Apogee has a VGM score of B. Its expected EPS growth rate for 3 to 5 years currently stands at 10.0%. AMN Healthcare Services Inc. (AHS) is a San Diego, CA-based company that offers healthcare workforce solutions and staffing services in the U.S. The company has a VGM score of B. The company has a decent earnings surprise history, having surpassed estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 23.59%. Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (ROCK), with a VGM score of B, is a leading manufacturer, processor, and distributor of metals and other engineered materials for the building products, vehicular, and other industrial markets. The company is headquartered in Buffalo, NY. With a decent earnings surprise industry, the company remains a solid pick. It exceeded estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 73.45%. Liberty Interactive Group (QVCA), with a VGM score of B, owns interests in subsidiaries and other companies that are mainly engaged in the video and digital commerce industries. Its expected EPS growth rate for 3 to 5 years currently stands at 20.0%. Olympus Corporation (OCPNY) is a Japan-based company that is engaged in the manufacturing and selling of precision machineries and instruments. The company has a VGM score of A. Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today . Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance. Zacks Restaurant Recommendations : In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free Sign up now for your free trial today and start picking better stocks immediately. And with the backtesting feature, you can test your ideas to see how you can improve your trading in both up markets and down markets. Dont wait for the market to get better before you decide to do better. Start learning how to be a better trader today: https://at.zacks.com/?id=111 Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. About Screen of the Week Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use. Each week, Zacks Profit from the Pros free email newsletter shares a new screening strategy. Learn more about it here https://at.zacks.com/?id=112 About Zacks Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZacksInvestmentResearch Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Contact: Jim Giaquinto Company: Zacks.com Phone: 312-265-9268 Email: pr@zacks.com Visit: https://www.zacks.com/performance Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer . Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. 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 APOGEE ENTRPRS (APOG): Free Stock Analysis Report AMN HLTHCR SVCS (AHS): Free Stock Analysis Report GIBRALTAR INDUS (ROCK): Free Stock Analysis Report LIBERTY M INT-A (QVCA): Free Stock Analysis Report OLYMPUS CORP (OCPNY): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Harare (AFP) - A senior official with Zimbabwe's war veterans association appeared in court on Friday on charges of undermining President Robert Mugabe, after the group accused him of "dictatorial" behaviour. Douglas Mahiya, spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), was remanded in custody until a bail hearing on Saturday. "The accused is facing charges of undermining or insulting the president," prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema told the court. "The state is opposed to the granting of bail." Kasema said that as the war veterans spokesman, Mahiya was responsible for distributing a hard-hitting statement last week that was highly critical of the 92-year-old Mugabe. In the statement, veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s independence war, who had previously been loyal Mugabe supporters, bitterly denounced the president, who faces growing signs of opposition. They vowed not to support Mugabe, in power since 1980, if he stands for re-election. After the court hearing a handful of veterans who had attended the session sang songs in support of Mahiya who is in custody at Harare police station. Police arrested Mahiya hours after Mugabe told party supporters that authorities were investigating the origin of the war veterans' statement warning the authors would face "severe" punishment. The prosecutor also claimed that Mahiya also denigrated Mugabe in an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The associations secretary-general, Victor Matemadanda, was also taken from his rural home after being summoned for questioning. Zimbabwe has recently seen demonstrations against Mugabe's government, prompted by anger over an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and a high jobless rate. Earlier this month, a one-day strike shut down offices, shops, schools and government departments as people protested over the economic crisis. If Zouk Singapore has ZoukOut, then Zouk Malaysia will have ZoukIn! Zouk KL is bringing over a brand new multi genre indoor music festival which is also the first official indoor music festival to be held in Malaysia. Five of Zouk KL's many rooms will morph into its very own stage with its own musical direction and international artistes. With five different stages and over 20 international and local acts, this will surely be a celebration that none of us would want to miss! Trance label Armada Music will be headlining Zouk's Mainroom, bringing down their busiest names to run Armada Night including to Andrew Rayel, Jochen Miller and RODG. Berlin-based Microhouse M.A.N.D.Y is making their highly anticipated return to Kuala Lumpur and will be entertaining the crowd at The Tree House AKA the Ace room, while being supported by some of the local favourites. Velvet Underground is set to feature collaborations with Asia's leading clubs like Jakarta's Dragonfly, Manilla's The Palace and Singapore's Zouk. Meanwhile, Phuture will adopt The Amazon moniker and feature some girl power as DJ Brooklyn from Australia will be gracing the stage, supported by Malaysia's very own DJ Leng Yein and Mizz Kiya! Last but not least, Zouk KL will have the Bangkok Invaders bringing a crew from Thailand to takeover Imperial for The Boombox, and they will be supported by Malaysia's local hip hop legends! Set to take place on 5 August 2016, tickets can be purchased via zoukclub.com.my. From Sweet The national parks have played muse to more artists than just Ansel Adams, whose iconic photos of Yosemite have come to define the way we see the area. In fact, since the 1960s, the National Park Service has run artist residency programs (currently there are more than 40 of them) to ensure that collaborations between artists and nature can continue unfettered throughout the United States. So, exactly how does one score a gig as desirable as this? There are a few ways: You can fill out an application online. You can draft your own original proposal. Or, if you're lucky, and likely very talented, you could be invited via an advisory board curated by The National Parks Arts foundation, which oversees many of the parks' programs. (The board often comprises well-known art critics and experts from institutions including The Andy Warhol Foundation and The National Endowment for the Arts.) The arrangement is a give-and-take: While artists often receive free room and board (and, of course, invaluable peace and quiet), they also contribute to the culture of the parks, by leading workshops and interacting with visitors. Residencies can take place for anywhere from a few days to months, and each park has unique offerings, many of which include special accommodations reserved specifically for the residency program. Below, discover some of the most amazing opportunities out there, and find out who's been lucky enough to take up residence. Dry Tortugas National Park, FL Located 70 miles west of Key West, Florida, the only way to get to Dry Tortugas National Park is by boat or seaplane. (Our vote: seaplane.) For the most part, people who visit the 100-square-mile park come to see Fort Jefferson (one of the oldest forts in the U.S.) and then spend the rest of the day snorkeling and swimming in the warm, clear water; some of the braver people even camp overnight. For their recent residency, multimedia artist Anna Glynn and scientist Peter Delmazzo packed a month's worth of food and didn't leave the island for the duration of their stay. (Because of the isolated nature of this residency, they only accept applications for artist couples or "two artists who are willing to tolerate each other.") Story continues Big Bend National Park, TX When playwright, screenwriter, and producer Howard Korder (who worked as a writer for Boardwalk Empire) took up residence at Big Bend National Park in Far West Texas, the environment inspired a script for a miniseries. He worked on it while there, and recently sold it to HBO. Korder made himself available to the local community, too, stopping by Marfa Public Radio for a discussion about the residency and hosting a screening and talk about the process of writing an episode of Boardwalk Empire. Korder, if you're reading this, let us know when to set the DVR. We are ready. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park The residency in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, which was just established in 2014, is already a busy, coveted one, unsurprisingly, since it takes place on an island that most people shell out thousands of dollars to vacation on. Artists-in-residence work in a 4,700-square-foot studio, with french doors that open out into the rainforest. (The walk to the nearest volcano takes about 30 seconds.) A 2016 artist-in-residence, Emma Stibbon, made for a perfect fit for the park, as her stark, monochromatic work is often concerned with the impact humans have on natural landscapes. Coming soon? Two local artists: the musician Byron Yasui and the painter Noreen Naughton. Gettysburg National Military Park, PA This national park has recently invested in its artist residency, in the hopes of making it one of the hottest tickets in the entire parks system. Gettysburg will host eight month-long residencies in 2016, each of which come with a $1,000 stipend, and a house that is set aside solely for the use of artists. The Degenerate Art Ensemble, who make performance art inspired by "punk, comics, cinema, nightmares, and fairy tales driven by live music and [their] own style of visceral movement theater and dance" are coming to stay in just a few weeks. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI This national park has won praise for its beauty from sources as disparate as Good Morning America (on which it was named the "Most Beautiful Place in America") and Mario Batali (who hosted a TV special on its general awesomeness). Because of the abundance of gorgeous scenery for them to depict, this program is often popular with landscape painters. Petrified Forest National Park, AZ This national park in Arizona is known for its craggy landscape of petrified wood and an abundance of fossils. Artists who take up residence stay in historic casitas for the duration of their project and are forewarned that it's not a walk in just any park-the Petrified Forest gets extremely hot, and is buffeted with high winds. But that hasn't stopped very many people. In 2016 alone the park will host 16 residents, from photographers to textile artists to printers and weavers. Chaco Culture National Historical Park, NM The first designated "dark sky" artist-in-residence, Stan Honda, recently stayed at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, where he was put up in a yurt studio on-site and tasked with creating work inspired by the Chaco night sky. Blankets of stars aren't the only breathtaking thing about this park-it's also home to unique ancient pueblos dating back to 850 A.D. (Want proof that the artist residencies are open to more than just traditional disciplines? Chaco also recently hosted two artists who were formerly Cirque du Soleil performers.) Grand Canyon National Park, UT From May to October each year, artists are offered the opportunity to stay in a small cabin on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The rustic one-bedroom, which is shaded in the summer heat by tall ponderosa pines, is an ideal setting for artists seeking a bit of solitude. This popular residency, which is open to all kinds of artists, receives hundreds of applications each season-understandable when the chance to sleep and work within one of the seven natural wonders of the world is at stake. Denali National Park & Preserve Denali Park, AK The six million acres of peaceful wilderness that composes Denali National Park in Alaska is a uniquely untamed setting for artists who come to stay. Each residency here lasts 10 days, culminating in an artist-led workshop for the local community. Lodging for this one is especially exciting: Artists, including The New Yorker- and Paris Review-published poet John Morgan, who participated in 2009, get to stay in the historic (and incredibly picturesque) East Fork Cabin, which was originally used by the respected biologist Adolf Murie in the 1930s. For more information on these residencies, see nationalparksartfoundation.org and nps.gov. By Joseph Menn, Dustin Volz and Mark Hosenball SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI is investigating a cyber attack against another U.S. Democratic Party group, which may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The previously unreported incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers are likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the U.S. presidential election campaign to help Republican nominee Donald Trump. The Kremlin denied involvement in the DCCC cyber-attack. Hacking of the party's emails caused discord among Democrats at the party's convention in Philadelphia to nominate Hillary Clinton as its presidential candidate. The newly disclosed breach at the DCCC may have been intended to gather information about donors, rather than to steal money, the sources said on Thursday. It was not clear what data was exposed, although donors typically submit a variety of personal information including names, email addresses and credit card details when making a contribution. It was also unclear if stolen information was used to hack into other systems. The DCCC raises money for Democrats running for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The intrusion at the group could have begun as recently as June, two of the sources told Reuters. That was when a bogus website was registered with a name closely resembling that of a main donation site connected to the DCCC. For some time, internet traffic associated with donations that was supposed to go to a company that processes campaign donations instead went to the bogus site, two sources said. The sources said the Internet Protocol address of the spurious site resembled one used by Russian government-linked hackers suspected in the breach of the DNC, the body that sets strategy and raises money for the Democratic Party nationwide. Cyber security experts and U.S. officials have said there was evidence that Russia engineered the DNC hack to release sensitive party emails in order to influence the U.S. presidential election. "I have concerns that an agency of foreign intelligence is hacking and interfering with a U.S. election," said Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, who added he had not seen news of the DCCC attack. Asked by Reuters to comment on whether Russia played a role in a cyber-attack on the DCCC, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: We dont see the point any more in repeating yet again that this is silliness. The release of the DNC emails by activist group WikiLeaks caused uproar in the party because they appeared to show favoritism within the DNC for Clinton over U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who ran a close race for the nomination for the Nov. 8 election. The committee is supposed to be neutral. The DNC and the DCCC share the same office space on South Capitol Street in Washington. The DCCC and donation processing company ActBlue had no comment on Thursday. CrowdStrike, the California-based cyber security firm that investigated the DNC breach, declined to comment. Justin Harvey, chief security officer at Fidelis Cybersecurity company, said the suspect website in the hack was affiliated with others that host sophisticated malware undetected by the vast majority of antivirus providers. "It's really rare malware," which would be more likely to be wielded by government hackers than ordinary criminals, he said. GREAT CONCERN Russian officials have dismissed allegations of Moscow's involvement in hacks of U.S. political groups. "It is so absurd it borders on total stupidity," Kremlin spokesman Peskov said on Thursday. Some Democratic officials have accused Russia of hacking the DNC emails in order to help Trump win the race for the White House. "It's no coincidence someone is hacking into Democratic Party computers. It's almost sounding like a repeat of Watergate," Gilberto Hinojosa, the chairman of the Texas Democrats said, after Reuters reported the DCCC hacking. "This is just the kind of dirty politics we expect from Donald Trump. I have no doubt Donald Trump is behind it," he said, citing the businessman's praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and recent remarks about Russia and Clinton's deleted emails. Trump angered Democrats this week by inviting Russia to unearth tens of thousands of emails from rival Clinton's tenure as U.S. secretary of state. Trump said on Thursday his comment was meant to be sarcastic. Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist who once worked for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, said the possibility of the DCCC being hacked was cause for great concern. Until proven otherwise, I would suggest that everyone involved with the campaign committee operate under the assumption Russians have access to everything in their computer systems, Manley said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation referred questions about the DCCC attack to a statement it made on Monday about the DNC hack: "The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC and are working to determine the nature and scope of the matter. A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace." Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Thursday the U.S. intelligence community was not ready to "make the call on attribution" as to who was responsible for the DNC hack. Clapper, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, acknowledged: "Theres just a few usual suspects out there" who might be responsible for the cyber intrusion, suggesting it was the work of a state actor rather than an independent hacking group. Clapper said in May he was aware of attempted hacks on campaigns and related groups and he expected to see more as the November election neared. The last two U.S. presidential cycles in 2008 and 2012 witnessed a barrage of cyber attacks from a range of adversaries targeting President Barack Obama's campaign and the campaigns of his Republican foes, officials have said. (Additional reporting by Warren Strobel in Aspen, Colo., Yara Bayoumy and Ginger Gibson in Washington, Amy Tennery Luciana Lopez in Philadelphia and Christian Lowe in Moscow; writing by Alistair Bell; editing by Peter Graff) It's no secret that Apple keeps billions of dollars in cash offshore, using legal loopholes to avoid bringing that money into the US, or paying any significant taxes on it. Whether you see the scheme as morally bankrupt or just sound financial planning tends to vary, but a Nobel-winning economist who is advising Hillary Clinton has a strong opinion on the matter. In an interview with Bloomberg, Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz described Apple's use of the transfer pricing system as "a fraud," while also hitting out against the "obviously deficient" US law that enables Apple to do so, while still remaining technically legal. DON'T MISS: Crazy iPhone trick turns your wallpapers into optical illusions The transfer pricing Stiglitz refers to is a clever bit of trickery that lets an Apple subdivision in Ireland charge other Apple subdivisions all over Europe, usually for the use of intellectual property. Those charges generally lead to most Apple units making a loss, and the unit in Ireland -- where corporation tax is extremely low -- captures all of the profit. "Here we have the largest corporation in capitalization not only in America, but in the world, bigger than GM was at its peak, and claiming that most of its profits originate from about a few hundred people working in Ireland -- thats a fraud, Stiglitz told Bloomberg. A tax law that encourages American firms to keep jobs abroad is wrong, and I think we can get a consensus in America to get that changed." As of last count, Apple held $215 billion, almost all of its cash, outside of the US. The problem is so bad that when Apple wanted to issue a dividend in 2013, it chose to borrow $17 billion in debt rather than bring some of that cash back to the US. Stiglitz's opinion on the matter isn't particularly contentious -- European governments have investigated Apple's tax situation before -- but coming from the mouth of someone who advises potentially the next President, it shows that changes could be coming for Apple and its mountain of non-taxed overseas cash. Story continues Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com Samsungs retreat from its media ambitions continued Friday with a high-profile departure: The companys highest-ranking U.S. media executive John Pleasants is leaving, Variety has learned. He will be replaced by longtime Samsung executive Yoon C. Lee, according to sources familiar with the matter. A Samsung spokesperson declined to comment via email, and instead sent the following statement: It is our policy to not comment on personnel matters. What I can tell you is that we will continue to evolve our strategy and are committed to making investments focused on delivering the next generation of content and services that span our line of Galaxy devices. Pleasants, whose official title at Samsung has been EVP of media solutions, was in charge of the companys Silicon Valley-based Media Solutions Center America (MSCA), a unit that has been building media apps and services for Samsung, including its Milk Music streaming service. Before Samsung, Pleasants was co-president of Disneys Interactive Media Group, which has been developing video games for the Mouse. He got to Disney through the acquisition of Playdom, where he served as CEO. Earlier career highlights include being COO of Electronics Arts and CEO of Ticketmaster. Samsung hired Pleasants two years ago with the goal of building out media services that could compete with the likes of iTunes, Pandora and Spotify. His mandate was to build Samsung-exclusive media services that would become a value-add for Samsung phones, much in the same way iTunes has become a big part of Apples success story. Part of that strategy was to build free and freemium media services with a modern design geared towards U.S. consumers. A first example of this approach was Milk Music, a Pandora-like streaming service that debuted on select Samsung phones in 2014. The company followed up with a video aggregation app dubbed Milk Video, and had plans to invest in original short-form content. But Milk Video was short-lived, and shuttered in September of 2015. Pleasants also had plans to bring the Milk media brand to other content genres, but those never materialized. Story continues His departure comes at a time when Samsung seems to have decided to all but abandon its media efforts. The companys MSCA group has seen numerous departures in recent months. Just last week, Variety reported of the departure of a number of key executives, including bizdev SVP Steve Stanford, content and services SVP Darren Tsui, VP Ed Ho, and content and services VP and GM Ian Langridge. Related stories Samsung Guts Media Services Unit, Multiple Execs Gone (EXCLUSIVE) Google Hires Samsung's Former Virtual Reality Content VP (EXCLUSIVE) Olympics in VR: NBC to Present 85 Hours of Virtual-Reality Content on Samsung Devices Most Galaxy Note 7 rumors so far have indicated that Samsung is going to launch a single phablet version, and when it comes to design, it won't be a flat-screen model. Reports claimed that Samsung is only looking to sell a Galaxy Note 7 edge model this year which would feature a dual edge display, just like the Galaxy S7 edge. However, more recent leaks suggested that a flat Galaxy Note 7 might be in the works, or that Samsung at least considered one. A brand new report, however, says that the phone will have a dual edge screen, but itll be a barely-curved display. DONT MISS: This is when youll finally be able to buy the iPhone 7 At least thats what TalkAndroids source claims, who has already used a consumer-ready version of the phone. Apparently, Samsung is heavily toning the edges down for the Galaxy Note 7, having heard concerns from potential buyers. An almost-flat display for the Galaxy Note 7 is certainly a feature many people will appreciate, assuming the report is accurate. The display is still tipped to measure 5.7 inches and will be protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The bezels seem almost nonexistent and the phone is thicker than the Galaxy Note 5 but doesnt feel like it in the hand. The extensive report also says the phone will pack the same edge-related software features found on the Galaxy S7 edge, and that the new Note will also have an Always On screen. The S Pen is getting a massive makeover, the report notes. The stylus will receive great new features, including acting as a magnifying glass and a translator. Itll also have special note-taking features that would work with the Always On display. The software on the Galaxy Note 7 would look pretty much like what weve seen in existing leaks. Theres lots of white, a new status bar, and rounded app icons. Also interesting is the fact that the phone will come with 5GB of Samsung cloud. Apparently, Samsung is also ready to play the cloud game. One other cool software feature concerns battery life. Samsung will let you scale down the screens resolution to 720p to save juice, the report notes. Story continues Other Galaxy Note 7 features the source revealed include USB-C port, complete with a microUSB adapter, Galaxy S7-like front and rear cameras, an iris scanner thats pretty quick, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The Galaxy Note 7 wont be compatible with current Gear VR models, so a new one would be launched alongside it. The smartphone should be launched in black, silver, blue, and gold. In all, the Galaxy Note 7 should be the best of everything Samsung has ever offered, according to TalkAndroids source. Lets just hope all this information is accurate. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com Something incredible happened last week during the Republican National Convention. No, it wasn't when Ben Carson tried to convince America that Hillary Clinton was in league with Lucifer. It also wasn't when "You Can't Always Get What You Want" blasted through the Quicken Loans Arena following Trump's acceptance speech, as an absurd number of balloons tumbled from the sky. The most celebrated moment of last week was the return of "Stephen Colbert." MUST SEE: Marvel fans show us how X-Men: Apocalypse really should have ended I put "Stephen Colbert" in quotes because it wasn't the CBS late night talk show host we saw last week it was the character from The Colbert Report that we'd all assumed had been retired as soon as Stephen left Comedy Central. As it turns out, Viacom (the company that owns Comedy Central) had also assumed the character was dead, and wasn't too happy to see it resurrected on another network. Viacom's lawyers got in touch with CBS's lawyers to express their disapproval, so on Wednesday night, Stephen finally retired "Stephen Colbert." Thankfully, "Stephen Colbert" has a twin cousin named "Stephen Colbert" who wants to be a permanent correspondent for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. There are some subtle differences between the two characters (the old "Stephen" went to Dartmouth, the new "Stephen" applied to Dartmouth), but at a glance, they appear to be just distinct enough to appease the lawyers. You can meet the new "Stephen Colbert" in the segment below, which also features a familiar Comedy Central segment with a slightly different name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvkFkzpVYJ4 Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com By Aishwarya Venugopal (Reuters) - Printer and copier maker Xerox Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as restructuring efforts ahead of its planned split into two companies helped cut costs. The company, which is splitting to separate its printer business from its business process outsourcing unit, said it slashed about 1,300 jobs globally in the second quarter. Xerox's total costs declined 6 percent to $4.24 billion. This included restructuring and related charges of $71 million, less than the $100 million the company had estimated in April. Shares of Xerox, which said it was on track to meet its annualized cost savings target of about $700 million for 2016, rose nearly 4 percent in early trading on Friday. Xerox said it expected one-time pretax separation costs of $175 million-$200 million, lower than the $200 million-$250 million it had estimated earlier. The company had about 131,800 employees as of June-end, down about 11,800 from the end of December. Xerox's total revenue fell for the sixth straight quarter as corporate customers reduce printing to reduce expenses and consumers shift to mobile devices. Like rivals Lexmark International Inc and Hewlett-Packard Co , the company is focusing on its software and service businesses. "Document technology revenue declines moderated and margin improved, driven by cost and productivity initiatives," Chief Executive Ursula Burns said. Revenue from Xerox's document technology business, which includes printers and copiers, fell nearly 7 percent but the decline slowed from 10-13 percent in the prior four quarters. The business is Xerox's biggest, accounting for about 40 percent of total revenue. Revenue from its business process outsourcing unit fell nearly 4 percent. However, revenue rose about 1 percent in its document outsourcing business, the sole bright spot for the company. WEAK FORECAST Xerox forecast adjusted earnings of 26-28 cents per share for the third quarter, largely below the average analyst estimate of 28 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Net income from continuing operations jumped 45 percent to $155 million, or 15 cents per share, in the quarter ended June 30. Excluding items, Xerox earned 30 cents per share, beating the average analyst estimate of 25 cents. Revenue declined 4.5 percent to $4.39 billion, in line with the average estimate. Xerox shares were up 3.6 percent at $10.24 in morning trading. Up to Thursday's close, the stock had risen about 7 percent since Jan. 28, a day before the company announced the split. (Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey) No Yes, a light case Yes, two or more light cases One serious case Two or more serious bouts Vote View Results Driving down a county road on the way to a Driftless trout stream recently, I was surprised to see a stretch of the road where there was corn growing in the right-of-way nearly up to the asphalt. I guess I shouldnt have been surprised, given the news that corn planted area in the U.S. for all purposes in 2016 is estimated at 94.1 million acres, up 7 percent from last year. Its everywhere, even on some slopes and soils vulnerable to erosion. According to the U.S Department of Agricutlure, this represents the third-highest planted acreage in the United States since 1944. Wisconsins share of the total is 4.2 million acres, up from 4 million last year. The surge in corn production is mainly driven by the steady increase in corn ethanol boosted by the ever-increasing Renewable Fuel Standards mandated by Congress. Ethanol is blended in more than 97 percent of the gasoline in the U.S. Somewhere between 40 percent and 50 percent of the crop is now used for ethanol production. The pressures that the ethanol mandate places on the land have renewed the debate over whether the mandates should be repealed. Sen. Ted Cruz caused a stir in Iowa last year when he told the Iowa Agriculture Summit that the federal mandate on ethanol had to end. Pledging allegiance to the mandate had been considered essential for presidential candidates seeking votes in the Iowa caucus. The Wall Street Journal called it one of Americas worst corporate-welfare cases in a defense of Cruzs remarks. U.S. News noted, concerning Cruzs position, that, The ethanol mandate makes no sense economically or environmentally. Economists have roundly condemned it for artificially increasing the cost of gasoline without providing any lasting benefits for the environment. The only real purpose of the ethanol mandate is to feather the bed of the farm lobby. But Cruz got buried by voters in corn-rich Iowa. The Renewable Fuels Association (www.enthanolrfa.org) maintains that ethanol is good for the environment. But there is now a coalition of business interests called Smarter Fuel Future that has released a television ad highlighting negative research on the environmental impact of ethanol. Ethanol mandates were supposed to be part of a clean-energy future. But mandating corn for ethanol doubles greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline over 30 years, the ad says. Mounting scientific evidence has revealed the inconvenient truth: Increasing ethanol mandates can actually make things worse. Other concerns about increased corn production are the runoff of chemicals and nitrogen fertilizer that contributes to pollution of rivers and lakes and the heavy demand for water both for ethanol processing and for the needs of the corn crop. One estimate placed it at some 140 gallons of water needed per gallon of corn ethanol. Ethanol production, most of it from corn, reached 15 billion gallons last year, compared with 3.9 billion in 2005. A story in the July 23 La Crosse Tribune pins part of the blame for our recent hot, muggy weather on the vast fields of corn that create a muggy mist, jokingly called corn sweat according to an AP story. The sweat is from evapotranspiration the transfer of soil moisture through the plant to evaporate from the corn plants broad leaves. I hate hot, muggy weather, so that now fuels my bias against how corn blankets the landscape. I have a childhood memory of being lost in a corn field on my uncle and aunts farm near Albert Lea on a hot, muggy July day when the corn was sweating. I was told that I could hear the corn growing if I stood quietly in the rows. So I went there to find out. That left me with a sinister impression of corn taking over the world, which it has. Its a beautiful landscape, but it is one that has consequences that will force a reconsideration of farm and energy policy, particularly in a warming climate that the Soil and Water Conservation Society has warned will mean dramatic increases in erosion due to extreme precipitation events. Several years ago, award-winning author, polio survivor and La Crosse native Peg Kehret received this letter: Dear Peg Kehret, My favorite book is Cages, even though I have not read it. Cages was my favorite childhood book as well, but I did read it, many times. I never grew tired of the story of Kit, who is sentenced to community service after stealing a bracelet and does her time at an animal shelter, falling in love with Lady the terrier mix. Despite a sad ending, the book inspired me to start volunteering at the humane society and become a vegetarian. Also an animal lover from a young age, Kehret, 79, was born in La Crosse and lived here until she was 8, frequently returning to visit aunts and uncles and have picnics in Pettibone Park. At age 10, she wrote and published The Dog Newspaper, about the dogs in her Austin, Minn., neighborhood. As a child, I wanted to be either a writer or a veterinarian, Kehret said. After becoming a professional author in her 30s, Kehret specialized in community theater plays and short stories for adults before a request from an editor led her to kids books. As I wrote Winning Monologs for Young Actors, I realized I loved writing from a young persons point of view, Kehret said. I had found my voice, and from then on, I only wrote for kids. Many of Kehrets books center on themes of animals and integrity. Ive always felt a deep fondness for animals, said Kehret, who became a vegetarian 30 years ago and has three pets, Lucy the dog, 14, and cats Dillon, 13, and Mr. Stray, 17. My main characters never use violence to solve their problems. They outsmart the villains. I hope that readers will learn compassion toward all creatures. Kehrets books have inspired classes to raise money for animal shelters, and the author herself has volunteered for many organizations. She now works with Left Behind K9 Rescue in Washington state, where she now lives. Kehret has a special affection for her latest memoir, Animals Welcome: A Life of Reading, Writing and Rescue, but says asking to name her favorite book is like asking me which of my grandkids I love best. However, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, has resonated most with her readers. There is something about my true story that kids connect with, Kehret said. They often insist that their parents or grandparents read the book, too. Kehret receives many fan letters from young readers, some of which are both flattering and amusing. Just yesterday I had a letter from a boy who had read Abduction and begged me to please write another book, Kehret said. Clearly he thought the one he read was the only thing I had ever written. A favorite encounter took place at a school presentation. A child asked me if I had ever been dead, Kehret recalled. I said, Why do you ask that? and he said, Whenever we learn about a famous author in school, the author is always dead. Kehret, who has written more than 50 books, hopes to inspire her young fans to write, saying There are so many good things about writing that I dont know where to start. If you want to be an author, you must first be a reader, Kehret said. Read widely. Read many kinds of books by various authors. You also have to practice writing stories. Its like playing the piano: The more you practice, the better you get. Kehret is collaborating on a second book with oldest granddaughter Brett Konen. A list of previous publications, awards and classroom resources is available at www.pegkehret.com. If the party conventions have you feeling sick about the state of the U.S. government, rest easy. Things are ugly all over, especially in Italy, and not just because the banks there dont have enough money to buy gelato. In that country, leaders have decided the best punishment for government workers who occasionally avoid their jobs is to throw them in jail, where they can avoid work permanently. This month, the mayor of a small town outside Naples shut down most municipal offices after police arrested 23 of his staff for absenteeism. The Reuters news agency reports police arrested about half of all employees in the town hall offices of Boscotrecase after a weeks-long investigation uncovered 200 cases of absenteeism involving 30 people. Why were only 23 of the 30 suspects arrested? Perhaps the other seven were out getting pedicures at a day spa. In response to this scandal, Donald Trump vowed to build a wall around Italy. Hillary Clinton sent some snarky emails about Italians and forgot to delete them. The government staffers were filmed clocking in and then leaving to conduct personal business. Some used multiple swipe cards to register absent colleagues. Such scenes have become familiar after numerous similar scandals in Italys public sector. The workers, clearly undeterred by a recently announced government crackdown against absenteeism, have been suspended from work for between six and 12 months and risk eventual dismissal. This is where government gets it wrong. These people would clearly rather go to jail than go to the office. The apt punishment isnt to toss them in the cooler: Its to force them to go to work. You may call it a prison term, but theyll consider it a sabbatical. A police video showed one worker trying to tamper with a security camera and then putting a cardboard box over his head to hide his identity before swiping two cards. It must be exhilarating to attempt acts of derring-do against your own government, but youre hardly Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible if you find yourself walking around the town hall wearing cardboard. Recently elected Mayor Pietro Carotenuto said four major town hall departments had to be closed last month due to a lack of staff. Those arrested, accused of fraud against the state, included the head of the local traffic police and the head of the towns accounting department. Ill probably have to shut down the town hall, said Carotenuto, elected this summer as mayor of the town of 11,000 people. Anyone watching Congress at work might get to thinking that rampant absenteeism at Capitol Hill might be just what America needs. Want to make America great again? Play hooky and leave the Constitution alone. No ones ever satisfied with their government, of course. In the U.S. we have a loudmouth Republican promising to kick out anyone who looks at him sideways, jaywalks or folds their toilet paper over the roll. What, you thought that TP logo stood for Trump/Pence? Meanwhile, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, the party chair resigned after emails showed she was holding her thumb on the scale to help Clinton beat Bernie Sanders in the primaries. A word of advice to Democrats: Stop using email. Try passing notes in study hall, or hire the Pony Express. Maybe those wannabe IMF agents wearing cardboard boxes in Italy could show you how to make your messages self-destruct in 5 seconds. No one says government work is easy. Perhaps thats why Italian bureaucrats sometimes need to get it away from it all. From time to time, you need to spend a couple hours shopping. Just make sure you dont spend a couple years behind bars. TOWN OF ALBION Duane Bunde was 2 years old when he and his family moved from Millston to Squaw Creek in 1935. That also was when he became a member of Squaw Creek Lutheran Church and joined a congregation of helpful, faith-focused members. The church brought the whole community together, said Bunde, now 82 and still a member. Everybody worked together. Funeral or a wedding or someone needed help everybody showed up to help. Bunde and his fellow Squaw Creek members are celebrating the 125th anniversary of the formation of the congregation this year, marking its long history of Norwegian heritage, Lutheran worship and community presence. This is a congregation that has very deep roots in its community there are people there who are sixth-generation members, said Denise Anderson, who has served as Squaw Creeks pastor for a little more than two years. I am impressed that even though theyre a small congregation, they are outward-focused. They are still in ministry in our world and in our communities. Squaw Creeks history began March 9, 1891, when 22 pioneer men from Norway met to discuss the need to establish a Lutheran congregation and build a house of worship. The congregation held services out of members homes and other places until the church, located on Highway P in the now-town of Albion, was built in 1892. Worship services and records were kept in Norwegian until 1921, when the transition to English was made. Norwegian items remain in the church, including a wall hanging that includes the Lords Prayer in the Scandinavian language. The church received its first addition in 1906 to provide space for Sunday school, Ladies Aid and Young Peoples meetings, and parking facilities were expanded in 1952. Five years later, the facility underwent a large remodeling and expansion project that included a new chancel and additional Sunday school room and a kitchen, dining area and remodeled furnace room. Another addition to church was completed in 1977. Meanwhile, the church has maintained memberships across generations, even as some moved away from the country. We have a pretty nice bunch of people, said Kurt Salveson, who has been a member since he was 11 years old in 1963. The rural landscape has changed over the years but a lot of people keep their membership. Its changed, but it hasnt. Were a part of the community there. Former Pastor Cal Thoreson, who spent 22 years serving the Squaw Creek and Little Norway parish, also said the strong roots members have in the church over generations. He spent his longest tenure with the two congregations a fond memory because of the members, he said. It was a great time. The people made it marvelous to be there, Thoreson said. It was a tribute to the people who were there, and the congregation and the way the congregation worked together. The congregation held a two-day celebration for its 125th anniversary earlier this month, which included an open house, cemetery walk, painting party and hymn singing on Saturday and a joint anniversary worship service, meal and program on Sunday. Several family members of former pastors were in attendance, including the granddaughter of the congregations first pastor, Nils Amundsen Giere, who served from 1891 to 1903. I think its a time to celebrate, Thoreson said before the event. The celebration is, of course, a time to look back and have thoughts about where youve been, but its also about where you are going whats the future direction. This isnt the end of the road its a time to look ahead and see what does the future hold for the congregation. Anderson said the congregation will continue its focus on worship and extending Gods message beyond the church. (It is) an experience where youre called to worship and be gathered in music and in prayer. You hear Gods word proclaimed and preached and shared where you meet God in either prayer and twice a month at the Lords table and you are sent out to be Gods presence in the world, she said. I am just so impressed with the quality of people in this area and at Squaw Creek and (Little Norway) and in the Black River area. Its a great place to call home. The Salvation Army extended registration for appointments for its Steppin Back to School Clothing Program to noon to 4 p.m. today. People who want to participate must make an appointment by calling 608-782-6126 and asking for Michelle. The back-to-school program matches children in need with community sponsors, who provide each child with new shoes, a new shirt and a new pair of pants. Those with appointments to register need to bring proof of income and proof, such as a Social Security card, of each child to be sponsored. The corps will work with sponsors to provide outfits for 450 children in preschool through 12th grade in La Crosse County. Appointments are open until 450 children are scheduled for registration. MENOMONIE, Wis. (AP) After 25 years of being a pilot, Kerry McCauley of Menomonie finally marked off the last section of a model globe he keeps at home showing he has flown around the world. McCauley, who, as an international ferry pilot delivers all types and ages of airplanes to owners around the world, told the Leader-Telegram he always had gaps he hadnt flown until he joined with a group of six Epic LT aircraft owners who decided to fly their planes around the world. They started from Oshkosh July 5 and landed at the Menomonie airport July 25 to refuel and take a break just before taking their last leg to Oshkosh that night, where they were to take in part of the EAA AirVenture 2016, a weeklong event that draws 10,000 aircraft and people from more than 60 countries to Wittman Regional Airport to celebrate the past, present and future of aviation. The around-the-world trip covered 15,000 nautical miles, nine countries, 20 cities and three continents. The Epic is a new experimental aircraft that has a cultlike following, said McCauley, who also owns Skydive Twin Cities. Owners got together and decided to take the trip and enjoy an adventure together, he said. They originally planned to go to Europe and then just expanded the trip to around the world. McCauley, who is married with two children, and other experienced pilots went along as consultants and to fly the aircraft when needed. The biggest challenge was getting everybody on board and keeping them safe, said McCauley, who is also a pilot on the show Dangerous Flights, which airs on the Smithsonian channel, chronicling flights of ferry pilots delivering aircraft. Weather can change quickly, which can impact air travel, he noted. We averaged four hours of sleep a day, McCauley said. When you are flying east you are losing time and crossing time zones. They also were taking part in events set up along the flight, he noted. Its been fantastic, McCauley said. We were usually at five-star accommodations when we could get them. On one leg of the trip they crossed five time zones in Russia and traveled for 15 hours. On most days they traveled 800 to 1,000 miles per day. The Epic travels at about 375 miles per hour and can go up to 34,000 feet in the air, McCauley said. Many of the owners built parts of their planes working with Epic. Its nice you can cover a lot of ground, McCauley said of the aircraft. They are just darn sexy. Twenty-six people traveled in the six aircraft. Daryl Ingalsbe of Spicer, Minn., owns one of the Epic LTs and took part in the trip. A lot of people dont think they can fly around the world in a single engine airplane. If it is turbo you can, he said. It was like a Tom Sawyer adventure in an airplane. To go around the world; not everybody does that. One of the beautiful parts of the flight was from Nome to Anchorage in Alaska. The sun never really sets up there so its really beautiful, he said. We could see Mount McKinley with the red sky overhead. Some of the owners are talking about a trip next year around South America over the rain forest, McCauley said. STEVENSTOWN Federal investigators will try to determine what caused a single-engine plane to crash in rural northern La Crosse County on Thursday afternoon, killing its pilot, who was the only person aboard. Firefighters and other emergency responders found the plane in a cornfield about 6:15 p.m. at N6971 Hwy. D near Holmen, and the pilots remains were nearby, La Crosse County sheriffs Chief Deputy Jeff Wolf said. Authorities Friday identified the pilot as Loren Larson, 56, of Kerkhoven, Minn. He had about 23 years of flying experience. Larson left the airport in Willmar, Minn., at 10:23 a.m. for Appleton, Wis., with a planned stop at the La Crosse Regional Airport to pick up a passenger, according to the sheriff's department. The flight time was scheduled for one hour and 12 minutes. At 11:37 a.m., the plane was flying 181 mph at 4,700 feet, according to its flight log. It dropped 1,200 feet in two minutes and was last recorded traveling 192 mph over Olson Road. Minneapolis Air Traffic Control alerted local authorities of the lost plane at 12:13 p.m. About 40 searchers from several agencies combed a wooded 4-square-mile area until the Mooney M-20 plane was found. A National Transportation Safety Board investigator was on scene Friday to begin determining what caused the crash by documenting the wreckage and collecting evidence. He will review radar data, the flight plan and air traffic control recordings before the wreckage is removed and examined off-site. Investigators also will review the plane's maintenance record and compile a 72-hour background on the pilot, NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss said. A preliminary report is expected within 10 days. A final report with the cause of the crash could take up to one year. This is the first aviation crash in La Crosse County since May 10, 2008, when a medical helicopter crashed into a bluff side, killing all three people aboard, according to the NTSB. Its the first crash in the Coulee Region since a helicopter went down while dusting crops near Tomah in August 2014, injuring the pilot. WINONA, Minn. The man accused of firing a handgun into a crowd outside a west-end bar Wednesday morning was formally charged with murder and drive-by shooting Thursday, with Winona police also releasing additional details about the late-night chaotic incident that left one man dead and a second injured. Ricky Darnell Waiters, 49, made his first appearance Thursday morning in Winona County District Court, where he faced three charges: second-degree murder, second-degree assault and drive-by shooting. Bail was set at $5 million. Waiters attorney, A. Michael Kuehn, described his client as a five-year resident of Winona and a full-time student at Winona State University, only five classes from completing his degree. He pointed to Waiters negligible court record in arguing for Waiters to be released on his own recognizance. Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman, arguing for bail set at $5 million, described Waiters as posing a very high degree of danger to the community, pointing to evidence that he had opened fire on a group of people in a fit of anger over a parking dispute. Furthermore, faced with a possible sentence that would likely result in his spending most of the rest of his life in prison, Waiters had strong incentive to flee the area, she said. District Court Judge Nancy Buytendorp concurred, ordering Waiters to be held in lieu of $5 million unconditional bail. The criminal complaint released Thursday, which included statements from multiple witnesses, provided additional details into the Wednesday morning incident. About a half-dozen people were standing outside EBs Corner on the 700 block of West Fifth Street shortly after 1 a.m., having left the bar at closing time, when a blue Geo Tracker driven by Waiters pulled up in a no-parking area behind the bar, according to the criminal complaint. One of the people walked up to the vehicle to tell Waiters not to park there, at which point Waiters backed out of the lot, pulled his vehicle parallel to the street, and fired a .40-caliber handgun six or seven times at the people gathered while they scattered, according to the complaint. Waiters then fled. One of the shots struck Robert Charles Johnson, 53, in the chest area, and a 27-year-old Winona man, Sean OBrien, was also struck, suffering multiple upper-leg injuries. Johnson was attended to by witnesses until the ambulance arrived; he was pronounced dead a short time later at Winona Health. OBrien was also attended by witnesses and officers, and remained in stable condition Thursday at Winona Health. Two witnesses, including the one who confronted him about the parking space, told police that they didnt know Waiters. Both, along with a third witness, said there hadnt been any previous altercations or conflict at the bar that night, according to the complaint. One witness told police that during the incident, Waiters yelled something to the effect of, Thats what you get for (expletive) with Angel, according to the complaint. Based on witness descriptions of Waiters and his vehicle, combined with existing law-enforcement information, officers soon determined Waiters lived in a downtown apartment on the 100 block of West Third Street. Officers on patrol checked the area regularly for the vehicle, and discovered Waiters had arrived and parked on a public street nearby shortly before 4 a.m. The Emergency Response Team and other responders surrounded the area and led neighboring residents out of their apartments as a precaution before making contact. Waiters was arrested without incident shortly before 7 a.m. A search of Waiters apartment turned up a .40-caliber handgun, and a subsequent search of his vehicle turned up six spent .40-caliber shell casings. Waiters next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 4. Late last week, an Instagram selfie of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was met with a torrent of criticism from social media and news outlets. The picture featured Ryan with an overwhelming large group of white interns. Immediately, people took to Twitter with the hashtag #housesowhite expressing their frustration over the lack of diversity on the Republican side at Capitol Hill. Several news articles also explored the lack of people of color interning for Republican office representatives. While this seemed shocking to some, the fact remains that Republicans are not the only ones who have this diversity problem. Yes, a group of Democratic congressmen posted photos with a much more diverse group of interns, however, that doesnt mean that the problem of diversity does not exist on both sides of the aisle. You will notice that the members of Congress with the most diverse staff and interns happen to be themselves from communities of color and underrepresented communities. The problem is not just at Capitol Hill. Internships at nonprofits, policy think tanks, the federal government and media outlets are mostly held by upper middle-class white males. This trend is changing, but not fast enough. Lingering race, gender and class prejudices continue to affect hiring and promotion processes. The current system of unpaid internships blocks entry to many careers that influence change and power in this country. I know this from personal experience. When I was a student attending the University of Denver in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I wanted a chance to intern in Washington, but I could not afford it. As a first-generation immigrant, I could barely put myself through school. I did not only work part time during the school year, but I also worked full time during the summer to cover the cost of books and classes that were not covered by my scholarship or financial aid. The cost of a summer internship was overwhelming. Back then, the cost for travel to D.C., room and board was about $4,000. Additionally, I was not connected in Washington, and my parents were not donors. Furthermore, internship placement programs were too expensive. Because these internships were for school credit, students had to pay the placement program and also their home school tuition for the credited hours. If we added up all the program costs from back then, theyd total on average $7,000. Today, these programs cost about $14,000, which does not include food or travel. As Dan Walker from the Ford Foundation stated in a New York Times column, internships are not a privilege. He is right! Internships are integral to getting your first job after graduating from college. These internships are usually a students chance to learn the nature of the work environment and network with people in power in Washington. So, if students from communities of color, low-income and immigrant communities continue to be excluded from internships and jobs, politics and government sectors will continue to serve the few elites. Policies and services will poorly meet the needs of Americans and innovation will stall. To mock and chastise Ryan for posting his selfie is not the solution. The only way to bring about real change, and increase diversity, is for both political parties to recognize that there is a problem and make strides to fix that problem. Here are some solutions: Foundations and corporations need to invest in organizations that provide internship placement, professional training, mentorships and tools for their participants to lead in the future. Nonprofits, think tanks, law offices, lobbying firms, all Capitol Hill offices, media outlets and federal government need to invest in human resources by embracing diversity and inclusion programs and hiring more diverse staff. Government agencies and Capitol Hill need to start paying their interns. PHILADELPHIA Congresswoman Gwen Moore didn't mince words in launching her address to Democratic delegates here Thursday with a scathing take on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Instead Moore, D-Milwaukee, used Trump's own words to describe him as a misogynist. Speaking on the fourth and final day at the Democratic National Convention, Moore also invoked her own painful past as a rape victim. "Fat pigs. Dogs. Disgusting. That's what Donald Trump thinks of women," Moore began. "That's what he sees in our daughters and our mothers and our sisters and our grandmothers." Moore contrasted Trump with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and her record on women's issues, noting Clinton's work on issues such as equal pay, women's health care, abortion rights and family leave. Moore's remarks came Thursday afternoon, a few hours before Clinton was set to accept the Democratic nomination for president. Two other Wisconsin Democrats appeared on stage at the convention Thursday: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Congressman Mark Pocan. Pocan, D-Black Earth, was part of a group of LGBT lawmakers and did not speak. For Hillary Clinton, courting Obama coalition brings opportunity, challenges PHILADELPHIA Eight years ago, President Barack Obama energized a young, multicultural coalition that helped elect him to two terms in the White House. Baldwin, D-Madison, discussed her childhood battle with serious illness that forced her grandparents, who raised her, to pay for her health care costs out of pocket. The experience also left Baldwin with a pre-existing health condition, unable to get health coverage, she said. Baldwin then pointed to Clinton's advocacy for expanding health care coverage, especially for kids. Baldwin, a first-term senator, was an early endorser of Clinton, announcing her support last year. "That's Hillary," Baldwin said. "As president, she'll fight for healthier families and a fair shot for all." Moore, who represents most of Milwaukee County, was one of a long string of speakers on stage Thursday at the convention to hail Clinton while blasting Trump. Off center stage at convention, Wisconsin Democrats eye return to national prominence Unlike their GOP counterparts, state Democrats don't have the national political clout they wielded even recently But a distinctly personal note set Moore's speech apart. She cited her personal history as a victim of rape, an issue she first discussed publicly as a member of the Wisconsin Legislature. "Too many women have experienced sexual violence. I'm one of them," Moore told delegates. "Donald Trump has told us to sit down and to be quiet. Hillary's asking us to stand up!" Moore said later in her speech. "My fellow Democrats: Stand up for Hillary!" Friday, July 29, 2016 The World Trade Organization (WTO) welcomed Afghanistan as its 164th member today, making it the 9th Least Developed Country to join the WTO. It took Afghanistan nearly 12 years of accession negotiations to complete the process. Afghanistan also accepted the relatively new Trade Facilitation Agreement, becoming the 90th WTO Member to do so. 19 other governments are currently negotiating terms of accession with the WTO. The list of those countries may be found here. For more information regarding Afghanistan's accession, see this WTO press release. (cgb) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/international_law/2016/07/afghanistan-becomes-164th-member-of-wto.html Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier The board earmarked $1.54 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the dredge, designed to keep channels open and supply sand to nourish eroding beaches up and down the York County coast and beyond. Hillary Rodham Clinton accepted the presidential nomination at the Democratic Party National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She spoke to the cheering crowd about the need to unite to deal with the nations challenges. "It truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we will all work together so we can all rise together." Clinton is the first woman to receive a major party nomination for president in the United States. The 68-year-old Clinton won the nomination after defeating her main opponent, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders declared his support for Clinton in an earlier speech at the convention. Now she faces the challenge of gaining similar support from his supporters before the November election. In her acceptance speech, Clinton praised Sanders for his campaign, its appeal to young people and its call for economic and social justice. "I want you to know I've heard you," Clinton said. "Your cause is our cause." Clinton's main opponent in the general election is Republican Party nominee Donald Trump. Both candidates suffer from negative perceptions among voters, as many public opinion studies have shown during the past year. Those same studies show about 30 percent of voters view Clinton as untrustworthy. However, one Gallup poll found her to be the country's most admired woman. Clinton said Thursday that Trump wants Americans to fear the future and each other. She criticized Trump's proposals including one to build a wall along the Mexico-US border and another to ban Muslims from entering the country. "We will not build a wall. Instead, we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good job can get one. And we'll build a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants who are already contributing to our economy. We, we will not ban a religion, we will work with all Americans and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism." Clinton called on Americans to consider Donald Trumps temperament. He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protestor at a rally. Imagine, if you dare, imagine, imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Chelsea Clinton introduced the Democratic Party nominee. She described her mother as driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice and a heart full of love. The crowd also heard from Khizr Khan, an American Muslim whose son was killed in U.S. military service. Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future, Khan said. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. Trump and his campaign have described the Democratic Party convention speakers as painting too pretty a picture of the state of the nation. "I've been watching these speeches at night, and boy am I getting hit," Trump said at an event Thursday in Iowa. "I am getting hit and they don't mean it and there's a lot of lies being told," he said. American voters will make their choice on November 8. The new president will take office on January 20, 2017. Im Caty Weaver. Chris Hannas wrote this report for VOA. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story challenge n. a difficult task or problem: something that is hard to do perception n. the way you think about or understand someone or something poll n. an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something admire v. to feel respect or approval for (someone or something) temperament n. the usual attitude, mood, or behavior of a person or animal provocation n. an action or occurrence that causes someone to become angry or to begin to do something bait v. to try to make (someone) angry by using criticism or insults After losing the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton said, "Although we were not able to shatter that highest and hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you it has 18 million cracks in it." Eight years later, Clinton received the Democratic Partys nomination at their convention in Philadelphia. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state is now looking to shatter the ultimate glass ceiling to become president of the United States. Her main opposition is businessman Donald Trump, a first-time candidate for political office. Trump won over 16 other candidates to win the Republican nomination. The general election will be held on November 8 this year. Unexpected challenge on the way to the nomination Hillary Rodham Clinton was expected to win the Democratic nomination easily when she announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015. Many well-known Democrats, including Vice President Joe Biden, chose not to run against Clinton. Clinton, however, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge. The senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, attracted many supporters during the Democratic primaries. Tens of thousands turned out to hear Sanders messages of income inequality, making college tuition free and regulating big businesses. At the same time, Clinton had to answer questions from Congress about her role as secretary of state during the attack in Benghazi. Four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, were killed in the 2012 attack in Libya. The committee who examined the case said the U.S. government did not provide enough security to protect the diplomatic post. But it did not hold Clinton responsible for the failure. However, during the hearing about Benghazi, it was found that Clinton had used a private email server to conduct official business as secretary of state. Clinton, like many other government officials, was required to use a government server for work communication. Faced with a series of investigations, including one from the FBI, Clinton said using the private server was a mistake. The FBI found no evidence that Clinton intentionally used the private server to send or receive classified documents. But the FBI director criticized Clinton for being extremely careless in handling the information. Clintons background Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago. Her father, Hugh Rodham, was a successful owner of a small business selling drapes. Her mother, Dorothy, was abandoned as a child and sent to live with relatives. Clinton frequently says her mothers experience as a child inspired her to fight for the needs of children everywhere. After high school, Clinton attended Wellesley College, an all-womens school in Massachusetts. Then she went to Yale Law School in Connecticut, where she met her future husband, Bill. The two classmates moved to the southern state of Arkansas and got married in 1975. Their child, a daughter named Chelsea, was born in 1980. Bill Clinton was elected attorney general and eventually became governor of Arkansas. As the states first lady, Hillary Clinton served on several committees on education, children and families. She also worked as a partner for the private Rose Law Firm. During Bill Clintons campaign for president in 1992, critics questioned his wifes decision to continue working while serving as the first lady of Arkansas. Hillary Clinton replied, I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession, which I entered before my husband was in public life." As first lady of the United States, Clinton remained active in politics. She is well known for leading a failed effort to establish universal health care. A similar program was later established under President Obama. In 1998, Bill Clinton faced impeachment for charges related to a sex scandal with a White House intern. But the U.S. Senate did not convict him. Bill Clinton remained in office. Hillary Clinton wrote in her autobiography, Living History, that she was heartbroken over her husbands actions and considered leaving the marriage. She added, "The most difficult decisions I have made in my life were to stay married to Bill and to run for the Senate from New York.... In 2000, Clinton became the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of New York. Six years later, Clinton launched her own campaign for the presidency. That time she lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama, a junior senator. Clinton then joined the Obama administration as his secretary of state. In her career, Clinton has addressed many issues, including rebuilding New York after the September 11 terrorist attacks, negotiating with Iran, and providing better health care benefits to people who serve the public. But she is best known for improving the lives of children and women. In 1995, she declared at a U.N. World Conference of women, human rights are womens rights. Earlier this year, after clinching the Democratic nomination in her second run for the presidency, Clinton reflected on her mother, Dorothy Rodham, during a victory speech in Brooklyn. I wish she could see what a wonderful mother Chelsea has become and could meet our beautiful granddaughter, Charlotte, and, of course, I wish she could see her daughter become the Democratic Partys nominee. Hai Do wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story shatter v. to break suddenly into many small pieces glass ceiling n. an unfair system or set of attitudes that prevents some people (such as women or people of a certain race) from getting the most powerful jobs convention n. a large meeting of people who come to a place for usually several days to talk about their shared work or other interests or to make decisions as a group intentionally adv. done in a way that is planned or intended drapes n. long heavy curtains intern n. a student or recent graduate who works for a period of time at a job in order to get experience clinching n. making certain the winning of (something) As large mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo are eliminating jobs, government officials are expanding the role of small miners. Officials are permitting member-owned groups to mine 10 square kilometer plots of land that belong to the state-owned mining company. The government usually does not permit this kind of small-scale mining. But it is trying to maintain the countrys economy as commodity prices drop. Government officials are also trying to put the country in a good position if the price of cobalt rises. Cobalt is used to make batteries for electric vehicles. Its value is expected to rise 45 percent in the next four years. About half the worlds supply of cobalt is in the DRC. Chinese buyers Yet poor local workers say that foreign buyers are the ones who are making most of the money. They accuse businessmen from China and Lebanon of dominating the market. The workers say the businessmen artificially reduce prices and adjust their instruments to make the ore appear less valuable. At one market, miners and traders said almost all of the 140 businesses that buy ore are Chinese. A man named Louis is one of the buyers there. He is Chinese. When he heard the miners complaints, he said, Those who are happy with the price sell the product. Those who arent, leave. Dangerous conditions Some workers in the DRC hope the member-owned groups will improve the situation for local diggers and traders. Alain Chinois, who is Congolese, leads a cooperative with 34 members. Under his plan, diggers will earn 60 percent of the income from the mine. Cooperative members share the rest. He expects this arrangement to result in better working conditions, equipment, and access to capital. For example, he says his group can request a loan from a bank. But, he acknowledges, foreign buyers with money to invest will continue to have a major influence. Stany, 42, is a miner in southeastern Congo. He is a father of five children. He left a job on a farm nearly 10 years ago to go to work in the copper mines of the Congo. The mine where Stany works includes member-owned cooperatives. But research by Amnesty in 2013 still documented deadly accidents and mistreatment of workers. I do this because there is nothing else. If something else came along, I would do it, Stany said. Others express the same idea. Despite the problems with small-scale mining, few people in the DRC see better alternatives to it in the near future. Im John Russell. This story was adapted from a report from Reuters. Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story commodity n. something that is bought and sold cobalt n. a hard, shiny, silver-white metal that is often mixed with other metals copper n. a reddish-brown metal that allows heat and electricity to pass through it easily battery n. a device that is placed inside a machine to supply it with power ore n. rocks, earth, etc., from which a valuable metal can be taken cooperative n. a business or organization that is owned and operated by the people who work there or the people who use its services The United Nations World Meteorological Organization says the first half of this year has been the hottest in recorded history. Scientists say that shows temperatures are rising faster than they expected. The UN agency warned last week that if temperatures continue rising, 2016 will be hottest year ever recorded. The agency reported that June was the 14th consecutive month of record high heat for land and oceans. It was also the 378th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th century average. David Carlson is with the World Meteorological Organizations climate research program. What weve seen so far for the first six months of 2016 is really quite alarming. UN climate experts say the record heat this year suggests that the Earth can warm up faster than expected in a much shorter time. Carlson notes that the Earths Northern Hemisphere -- which includes Alaska, Canada and Russia -- has had unusually warm temperatures. I think we're very uncomfortable at how much this surprised us, which might be just a little more cautious way of saying fearful about what happens next. If we got this much surprise this year, how many more surprises are ahead of us? Scientists say carbon dioxide emissions -- which they believe are responsible for rising temperatures -- have also reached new highs. Doug Parr is the chief scientist at the environmental group Greenpeace. What the WMO (scientists) are showing is that temperature is going up along with the increases in carbon dioxide. Theres really no doubt that these global warming gases are causing the kind of changes that we're seeing in increased temperatures, threats to the Arctic and threats to the Greenland ice sheet and so on. So there's really no time to waste in getting on and doing something about it. Representatives of 200 governments will meet in November in Morocco to start enforcing the Paris Agreement. The agreement limits climate change to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The goal will not be easy to reach. Segolene Royal is the French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. We have this moral obligation between the Paris Agreement (reached in December), the 22nd of April signing, and now the November meeting to ensure that at least 55 countries, representing 55 percent of world emissions of greenhouse gases, ratify the Paris agreement. Some scientists warn that even if that goal is reached in November, it may be too little too late. Im Christopher Jones-Cruise. VOAs Zlatica Hoke reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story meteorology n. a science that deals with the atmosphere and with weather consecutive adj. following one after the other in a series : following each other without interruption alarming adj. causing (someone) to feel a sense of danger; causing worry or fright uncomfortable adj. causing a feeling of being embarrassed or uneasy cautious adj. careful about avoiding danger or risk emission n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source doubt n. a feeling of being uncertain or unsure about something ice sheet n. a very large and thick area of ice that covers a region Customers at Browns Shoe Fit Company in North Platte can help put shoes on the feet of children in need. Through August, the shoe store will ask customers if they would like to round up the change from their transactions to the nearest dollar, to benefit North Plattes Goodfellow Shoe Fund. For example, a customer who spends $50.51 can round up the purchase to $51, said Stewart McCaskill, owner and manager of the store. Proceeds will all go to the fund, which purchases shoes for low-income students in Lincoln County throughout the school year. Browns Shoe Fit will match up to $1,000. Itd be great if more was raised, McCaskill said. McCaskill moved to North Platte from Iowa last fall to become owner of the store. He became familiar with the shoe fund as the organization purchased some of the childrens shoes there. The interactions sparked the idea for the drive, he said. Its a neat thing on our part. Its neat to see the joy the kids get, he said. And parents too. While managing other stores, McCaskill said, he had participated in other, bigger causes, but he likes the shoe fund because it is a local organization. Goodfellow Shoe Fund is completely volunteer-run, said Jane Wilkinson, president of the organization. It began in 1947 and serves about 300 families per year, helping about 700 children total. Wilkinson, who is in her seventh year with the organization, said some volunteers have been involved for decades. Not only do people donate funds, but volunteers also meet families at one of the three North Platte shoe stores to purchase the shoes for a maximum of $60, Wilkinson said. Children also receive two new pairs of socks with their shoes. Having been a teacher, Wilkinson said, she understands that students need to have a good pair of shoes for activities such as physical education classes. A lot of them dont, she said. Thirty-two American and Russian crew members are safe after a landing-gear problem forced an Air Force OC-135B Open Skies surveillance jet from Offutt Air Force Base to make an unscheduled landing this week in eastern Russia. The jet had taken off from Ulan-Ude in southern Siberia at midmorning Tuesday (8:30 p.m. Monday in Omaha). Soon after takeoff, the crew realized that the landing gear hadnt fully retracted, said Army Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza, a Pentagon spokeswoman. The crew did not declare an emergency, she said, but crew members ended the photographic mission and flew the plane for more than three hours with its landing gear down to Khabarovsk, about 1,200 miles away. The aircraft is safe to fly in a gear down configuration, Baldanza said, but it cannot fly at the altitudes and airspeeds required by the approved Open Skies mission plan. The Siberian Times newspaper, quoting airport officials, reported that the aircraft was met by emergency vehicles when it landed. The six Russians disembarked in Khabarovsk, Baldanza said. They were on board as members of an escort contingent to guide and monitor the Americans while they were in Russian airspace. The plane then flew to Yokota Air Base near Tokyo and is now undergoing maintenance at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The crew is expected to return to Offutt once the problem is corrected, Baldanza said. The Open Skies Treaty, signed in 1992, allows the 34 member nations including the United States, Russia, and most members of NATO to fly unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of other members. So far this year, the United States has scheduled nine flights over Russia, Baldanza said. Three have been canceled because of a mechanical problem. The two OC-135B aircraft that fly the Open Skies missions are based at Offutt and flown by crews from the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron. They were built in 1961. The plane involved in Tuesdays incident, No. 61-2672, recorded at least four in-flight mechanical incidents on flights out of Offutt earlier this year, according to records obtained using the Freedom of Information Act. Two of them involved the landing gear. The Open Skies planes are some of the most antiquated in an aging fleet of 55th Wing reconnaissance aircraft, said Robert Hopkins, who flew with the wing in the 1980s and 1990s and has written a book about the aircraft type. Unlike its sister RC-135 aircraft, it still flies with its original 1960s engines and an old-fashioned cockpit setup. Theyre Stone Age, Hopkins said. What more miracles can the folks at Offutt do to keep these things flying? Offutt flight instructor Brian Humphrey of Papillion, a former commander of the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, said only the top crews are chosen to fly the Open Skies missions because of the remote places they must operate from. Theyre typically the most seasoned, experienced aviators in the squadron, said Humphrey, who himself flew Open Skies flights for 11 years in the 1990s and 2000s. When theyre in the middle of Russia, halfway around the world, they have to be able to make decisions on their own. He said crews are trained to handle landing-gear problems like this one. Such problems to be Sgt. Eric Landon served in the Army for 10 years, seeing combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Rachel Landon works for organization Stop Soldier Suicide Run scheduled for July 30, register below Congressman's COVER Act, PROMISE Act signed into law His widow, 26-year-old Rachel Landon, said he was haunted by the deaths of his close friends and suffered survivors guilt and most likely Posttraumatic stress disorder. Though he sought therapy through the VA, Rachel said Eric was never able to find the right fit and, at 27, took his own life. Along with Rachel, Eric left behind two daughters, ages 4 and 2. The family lives in Palm Harbor. "They understand that he's not coming back," Rachel said. "But the year has been difficult." With an estimated 22 veterans committing suicide nationwide each day, it's a scenario U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla) said he hears all too often. The congressman's COVER Act and PROMISE Act were just signed into law last week. The bills address PTSD and similar health care issues directly, and once implemented are meant to help with the treatment of Veterans dealing with mental health issues. "These are our heroes. Our true American heroes," Bilirakis said. "We're sending them over there. The least we can do is provide the care that they need." It could have helped Sgt. Eric Landon transition home. You spend so much time building a civilian into a soldier, but to bring that soldier back into civilian life, there's a gap in training for that," Rachel said. "And I think that is why we see such a high suicide rate now." Rachel is doing her own part to spread awareness. She now works for the organization Stop Solider Suicide and is hosting a 5k fun run in Dunedin in Eric's honor. The run will be held July 30. You can register for the race by clicking here. One Bay area mother is sharing her story, hoping what happened to her daughter, doesn't happen to anyone else. Alysha Quinn saw bruising on her 1-year-old's face The infant had just spent time with her babysitter The PCSO office said Nicol Baker admitted to slapping the child Alysha Quinn noticed bruising on her daughter's face after her child spent time with the babysitter, Nichol Lynn Barker, last week. Her daughter, Kaylee Percianoff, is 1 year old. "It was clearly a bruise across her whole face," Quinn said. "Her ear was black, behind her ear was bruised." Quinn went to the police and Pasco Sheriff's deputies arrested Barker on felony child abuse charges. According to the complaint affidavit, Barker admitted to "striking the 1 year [old] victim in the face due to crying." "For someone to do something like that to a 1-year-old, it's sick," Quinn said. "It's very sick and I feel deceived, betrayed." Quinn found the babysitter online in a closed Facebook group. She's a single mom who works and she was looking for someone within her budget. "Affordable to where I could work and still pay for daycare," she said. "Someone that would work around my hours." Though Quinn works, she said she can't afford full-time, standard day care. The average cost of infant care in Florida is about $725 a month, according to the Economic Policy Institute. That's more than $8,000 a year. "Daycare is the amount that I pay for rent," Quinn said. "It's expensive, very expensive." Quinn hopes by sharing her story, she can help other parents avoid what she and her daughter endured. "I want parents to know that it's OK to come out and say something happened to their kid," she said. "Don't be scared of CPS, don't be scared of the cops. It's important for your kid to feel safe." There's a petition online calling for harsher punishment against Barker and all those charged with child abuse. Quinn hopes to send the petition to Florida Governor Rick Scott soon. A man wanted for his involvement in a scheme to murder a Florida mayor was captured by the FBI on Thursday, almost 40 years after the crime. William Taylor, 67, was arrested in North Carolina FBI thinks he was responsible for 1977 murder, attempted murder in Florida He's accused of murdering a government official and conspiring to murder a FL mayor The FBI recently got new information that William Claybourne Taylor was living in Reidsville, North Carolina under a false name. Special agents took Taylor into custody Thursday. Taylor, now 67, was wanted for his alleged involvement in the January 8, 1977 murder of a former Immigration and Naturalization Service official and the shooting of a former mayor of Williston. On the night of the murder, Taylor and an accomplice, now dead, are said to have pulled alongside a car that was occupied by the victims. Authorities think Taylor shot and killed the official during an attempt to murder the mayor. On May 15, 1980, Taylor was indicted by a Marion County grand jury in Ocala for murder and aggravated battery. He was arrested on May 20, 1980, in Chattanooga, Tennessee and subsequently released on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond returnable to Ocala. But Taylor never appeared in Ocala to surrender. On August 6, 1980, a federal arrest warrant was issued by the U.S. Middle District of Florida after Taylor was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. William Claybourne Taylor thought he could avoid taking responsibility for this horrible crime, but our agents continued an exhaustive search year after year, said Michelle S. Klimt, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. To echo the words of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, 'The FBI always gets its man. Taylor is being held in the Guilford County, North Carolina detention center. Three employees of a Lakeland Walmart store are facing manslaughter charges after an investigation into an accused shoplifter's death. 3 Lakeland Walmart workers charged with manslaughter Alleged shoplifter died after being detained in February Autopsy showed Kenneth Wisham died of mechanical asphyxia due to restraint On Thursday, Lakeland Police arrested Nathan Allen Higgins, 35, Crucelis Nunez, 23, and Randall Eugene Tomko, 58, and charged them with manslaughter. Higgins is a store support manager, Nunez works as a customer service manager and Toko works in Walmart loss prevention. The charges stem from an incident Feb. 7 at the Walmart at 5800 U.S. Highway 98 N. According to investigators, the employees detained a shoplifter, Kenneth Edger Wisham, 64, outside the store just after 3 a.m. Lakeland Police officers received a second call from dispatch that Wisham was in custody, not breathing and undergoing CPR. Wisham was taken to Lakeland Regional Health in critical condition. He died about 12 hours later. The Medical Examiner's Office ruled Wisham's cause of death mechanical asphyxia due to restraint. The autopsy also revealed Wisham had 15 broken ribs. According to court records, a witness told police she saw the woman jump on the back of the man, knocking him to the ground. The witness told police the woman then punched the man multiple times with her fist. The witness said the man had his hands over his head while the older man put a knee in his back. Higgins told investigators he held the man's ankles, according to the criminal affidavit. "Just because this individual may have allegedly been shoplifting from Walmart doesn't mean that we have a right to take his life. It's very unfortunate circumstances that have happened," said Sgt. Gary Gross of Lakeland Police. Detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit responded to Walmart shortly after the incident to follow up on the death investigation and got sworn statements from the witnesses. Lakeland Police said the Walmart employees detained Wisham because they believed he stole a cart full of DVDs totaling about $380. Wisham's family declined to do an interview and referred Bay News 9 to their lawyer. Walmart spokesman Charles Crowson sent Bay News 9 this statement: "Our hearts go out to everyone affected by these events. The status of the associates involved continues to be reviewed. Well continue working with law enforcement officials, as we have from the beginning, while conducting our own review. WASHINGTON D.C., USA - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced $127 million in additional humanitarian and recovery assistance to people affected by severe drought in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Image by 123RF With this announcement, the United States has provided nearly $300 million in humanitarian assistance to the region. In addition, the United States has also provided development investments to mitigate the drought's impacts and build resilience in Southern Africa. This new humanitarian funding will be provided through UN and NGO partners to help address the needs of those affected by the drought, consistent with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)'s regional appeal for $2.4 billion in assistance that President Khama is officially launching in Botswana on July 26. The United States also remains committed to supporting country-led efforts to build resilience to climate shocks and stresses in the region. In Southern Africa, emergency needs due to the drought continue to increase. Triggered by El Nino and consecutive poor rainy seasons, the drought is eroding people's ability to cope and threatening important development gains. Over 17 million people across Southern Africa are expected to face acute food insecurity. The drought's impacts on food security, nutrition, water access, and treatment for those living with HIV will last well into 2017. Mobilising humanitarian assistance will be critical to save lives and reduce suffering. USAIDs additional contribution will help meet growing needs by providing emergency food assistance, nutrition and health support, access to safe drinking water, and seeds ahead of the upcoming planting season to promote agricultural recovery. The United States also remains committed to supporting country-led efforts to build resilience to climate shocks and stresses in the region. Since March 2015, the United States has mobilised an integrated response to El Nino globally that includes: mobilising close to $1 billion in emergency assistance; activating emergency resources in resilience programs to mitigate impacts; and adjusting development efforts to accelerate recovery. The United States commends other donors who have contributed generously to the Southern Africa drought response, and encourages others to join this international effort. Mobilising a robust and coordinated global response will be critical to protect the region's development gains and ensure early recovery. Digital Transformation is both the challenge and opportunity of our generation. The rise of computers is creating the most seismic shift in society since the Industrial Revolution over a century ago. Data is increasingly the currency by which future success - and the decisions to reach that success - is funded. Ashley Boag, Acting Managing Director of SAP East Africa No part of the world is exempt from this. Rather, any region that ignores the eventuality of digital transformation is fated to a disappointing future, left dependent on others for its wellbeing. This is the time for rising economies to shine. Whereas many developed nations have invested heavily on preceding technologies, countries in regions such as Africa, South America and Southeast Asia are able to leapfrog ahead and take advantage of this new era. East Africa is often named as a region that appreciates the situation at hand. According to Ashley Boag, acting managing director of SAP East Africa, countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania have a solid grasp on the principles of digital transformation. "There is definite recognition that technology and African innovation need to be a big factor and focus. Governments and companies know they have to invest in innovation if they want to continue their growth paths and even leapfrog others. More and more companies around East Africa are asking what we see as the key threads in technologies such as big data and the Internet of Things. They are already wrapping their heads around it and they understand that to stay competitive, they have to make significant investments in the future." Boag cites a few examples, such as Kenya's innovation hubs - including iHub and Rwanda's aggressive broadband expansion. Regional ambitions stretch as far as potential drone airports, though more immediate challenges are not being ignored. There has been growing momentum across the spectrum of sectors: utilities, healthcare, financial services and agriculture are all experiencing technology investment led by leaders who understand they are aiming for more than just efficiency and savings. They are building the region's future. "There is a renewed sense of cooperation and positivity in East Africa - quite a positive view and outlook going forward. It's moderated, but it is a general positive sentiment. When I was at the World Economic Forum on Africa, held in Rwanda recently, that sentiment came through multilaterally." There is a lot of agreement that East Africa is in a relatively good space now, bolstered by more cooperation between the various countries, he says. "We are seeing the companies are asking the right questions. Many have skipped the efficiency, cost-saving level of thinking. Instead they wonder about what the relevant large trends coming to their industry and how they can engage with these to be relevant in the long term. It's a complex conversation, but there is a willingness to listen and a realisation that they have to come up with their own innovations. SAP may provide the platforms, but it is the ideas of governments, private companies and individuals being put to the test." Digital transformation poses a challenge across the globe. No region, country or company will be left unshaken by its impact. Those who see its potential and grab it by the horns are destined to come out on top. If East Africa continues on this course it has laid out, one day everyone else will look to its example on how to win in the 21st century, concludes Boag. Further on their quest, the TOMSA/Sunday Times Finders Keepers team has headed into Limpopo. Bela Bela and Thaba Manzi Wildlife Centre The team began their tour with a stay at Forever Resorts Bela Bela (Bela Bela is Tswana for pot that boils). From this base, they visited a township to experience local culture, before heading to Thaba Manzi Wildlife Centre, an institution dedicated to wildlife conservation and the rehabilitation of injured animals. Here the team met recuperating baby rhino Hope. The team also headed to the hydro to relax in the renowned mineral waters of the hot springs. Protea Hotel Ranch Resort During a visit to the Makapans Caves the following day, the eam found themselves a knowledgeable guide who introduced them to the series of three limestone caves, famed as the source of many important palaeontological findings. Accommodated that evening by the Protea Ranch Hotel and Resort, the team dined at Basils Restaurant, and in the morning had the opportunity to walk with lions and cuddle a cheetah whose spectacular speed was a sight to behold. Makapans Caves Basotho peoples old way of life and a sacred lake Near Polokwane, a fascinating tour of the Bakone Malapa Open Air Museum, fashioned after a traditional Basotho village of 250 years ago, gave the team some sense of the Basotho peoples old way of life and interactions with the Ndebele, the Tsonga, and colonialists. Then, travelling on to Venda, they searched for the Royal Venda burial ground at Lake Fundudzi, formed in the distant past when the Mutale River was blocked by a landslide. As the lake is held as sacred, it cannot be approached by outsiders, and legend has it that the lake is inhabited and protected by a python god. Mapungubwe National Park Having spent the night at Forever Resorts Tshipise, the TOMSA/Sunday Times Finders Keepers team set out for Mapungubwe National Park, where they visited Mapungubwe Hill. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Mapungubwes landscape features sandstone formations, mopane woodlands and a wealth of birds and wildlife. The area was once home to an indigenous civilisation that existed from around 1050 to 1260 AD, and traded with countries as far afield as Egypt, India, South East Asia and the Middle East until climate change brought the kingdom to an end. Bordering on both Zimbabwe and Botswana, the park includes an award-winning museum where visitors can see some of the artefacts recovered during excavations of the site the most famous of which is a delicate sculpture of a golden rhino, now an icon of Mapungubwe. Tzaneen and the Debengeni Waterfall Next, the team moved on to Tzaneen, where they stayed at the Tzaneen Country Lodge. Tzaneen is home to the Modjadji Nature Reserve, where one can find the worlds largest concentration of a single cycad species some of which are the oldest and largest of their kind anywhere on Earth. From one amazing species of the plant kingdom, the team went on to see another: the Sunland Big Baobab, an enormous tree estimated through carbon dating to be more than 1,700 years old, and the trunk of which houses a now defunct bar. Tzaneen Then, at the Debengeni Waterfall, they relaxed with a picnic lunch and watched the Ramadipa River falling 80m into a pool formed by thousands of years of erosion, before returning to Tzaneen Country Lodge for a short sunset cruise. Debengeni Waterfall Tzaneen Country Lodge, along with the other fine establishments that accommodated the team - Forever Resorts Bela Bela, Forever Resorts Tshipise, and the Protea Ranch Hotel and Resort - are all TOMSA contributors, meaning that they pay a levy towards marketing destination South Africa, thereby stimulating tourism and contributing to the local economy. Limpopo may be overlooked in the tourism stakes, but its a diamond in the rough: a gem with the potential to outshine some of the countrys more celebrated landscapes. For more on the TOMSA/Finders Keepers teams hunt for some of South Africas most fascinating destinations, as well as the chance to win R1 million and fabulous holiday prizes sponsored by TOMSA levy contributors visit www.finderskeepers.mobi , dial *120*3937# or follow #FindersKeepersSA Winners of the 2016 Loeries Awards will be determined by a hand-picked panel of judges, with the panel for the Digital and Interactive category recently being announced. Led by Jury President Bridget Jung, Digital Creative Director of Marcel in Sydney, the panel includes industry leaders that continue to shape the role and integration of digital in the creativity landscape. Digital and Interactive Category Jury President: Bridget Jung Most of Jungs professional experience has been spent in Europe. She is a member of Creative Social and contributing author to the CS book "Hacker, Maker, Teacher, Thief: Advertisings Next Generation". Jung has judged numerous international awards including Cannes Lions, New York Festivals Executive Jury, Art Directors Club, Clio Awards, IAB and Cresta Awards. She will be speaking at the DStv International Seminar of Creativity during Loeries Creative Week Durban on Friday, 19 August. 2016 Loeries Digital and Interactive Judging Panel: Greg Russell has been involved in the South African digital media industry for over 14 years working on award-winning campaigns for BMW, MINI, Cell C, Tracker, Castle, and FNB - taking home numerous Loeries, Assegais, Creative Circle and Bookmark Awards. Roanna Williams strongly believes that creativity is the cure to everything. She is instrumental in driving the creative output for clients such as Nedbank, Clover, Adcock Ingrams, iWyze and McCain and has won numerous local and international awards, including Loeries, Cannes Lions, Apexs, One Show Pencils and D&ADs. Priniven Pillay, founder of experimental strategy company, 42 Strategic, is an experienced marketing and creative strategy specialist. Hes fulfilled diverse roles for major agencies in South Africa and has a portfolio of work for some of Africas biggest brands. Gareth McPherson started in the industry 15 years ago as an art director. He has many career highlights, including successful creative campaigns for Volkswagen, Castle Lite, Castle Lager, Nestle Nescafe, First for Women and iconic culture brands such as Marmite, Red Bull and Adidas. His work has been awarded at Cannes, One Show, D&AD, Loeries and the South African Comedy Awards. After studying at the AAA School of Design and Advertising, Ryan McManus, began his career in his hometown, Cape Town, as an art director. He has since worked as a creative at some of the worlds top ad agencies, including FCB, JWT, HAVAS Amsterdam & Paris, Serviceplan Munich, and collected an impressive host of awards including Cannes, ADC, Effies, NYF, One Show, Loeries and D&AD. Kerry Friend over the last 18 years has worked as a copywriter and then creative director at a number of leading agencies. She is also part of a collective, Create Africa, who produce cultural events focused on the intersection between culture and technology, and also heads up the Innovation programme for the IAB. Nic Wittenberg has a dogmatic approach to fostering a measured degree of chaos and this has garnered him numerous accolades from Cannes Lions, One Show, D&AD, Clio, London International Awards, Loeries, SA Creative Circle Ad of Year, Financial Mail Agency of The Year, Financial Mail Digital Agency of the Year and The Bookmarks Awards. Camilla Clerke spent a number of years learning the TV and print trade, before finding her way into an experimental and innovative digital agency. She has won a number of awards, both locally and internationally - from Loeries, to Bookmarks, One Show, D&AD, The Webby Awards and FWAs. Brian Carter is the brain behind many of South Africas most ground-breaking digital campaigns. Pepsi, Adidas, Sanlam, SAB, numerous Distell labels and Unilevers top products are just a few of the brands that have seen great results from his original thinking. He has also swooped up numerous awards and gained international recognition. Jonathan Deeb has brought home many advertising awards, both locally and internationally, and he is recognised as an objective critic and advocate of the advertising industry. In recognition of his creative guidance, he has already driven the win of six Cannes Lions, including a Gold. Judging takes place during Loeries Creative Week Durban from 15-21 August 2016. Finalists will be announced during the week and winners will be announced on Saturday, 20 August and Sunday 21 August at the 38th Annual Loeries Awards ceremony at the Chief Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. Book your tickets to Loeries Creative Week Durban on loeries.com Major Partners of the Loeries 2016 Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN), the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, KwaZulu-Natal Province (EDTEA), EThekwini Municipality Durban Tourism, DStv Media Sales, Gearhouse South Africa Category Partners Accenture, Adams & Adams, ADreach, Channel O, Facebook, Film & Publication Board, Google, JCDecaux, Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), The Times, Unilever South Africa, Woolworths, YFM Additional Partners and Official Suppliers AAA School of Advertising, Antalis South Africa, Aon South Africa, Arcade Content, Association of Practitioners in Advertising, Backsberg, BEE Online, Clive Stewart Photography, Circus Circus Beach Cafe, Egg Films, First Source, Fresh RSVP Guest Logistics, Funk Productions, Gallo Images, Graphica, Grid Worldwide, HelloCrowd, Hetzner, Independent Agency Search and Selection Company, Multiprint Litho, Newsclip, Paygate, Red Hot Ops, Rocketseed, Scan Display, South African Airways, Telkom SA SOC Ltd, Tiekie Barnard Consultancy, Total Exposure, Tsogo Sun, Vega School of Brand Leadership Official Media Partners Between 10and5, Bizcommunity.com, Coloribus Advertising Archive, Design Times, Film & Event Media, Goliath and Goliath, iDidTht.com, Marketing Edge Nigeria, Music in Africa, The Redzone, YouTube After what seems like years of criticism on the internet over the first trailer of Paul Feigs Ghostbusters remake, we finally get to see the movie. Theres good news the film is far better than the trailer. And the real surprise is that Leslie Jones character, which was the worst thing in the trailer but is actually the best thing in the film. If youre in the mood for some harmless fun youll actually end up liking this film. Set in the present day, which is about 30 years from the original film, Ghostbusters is like an inversion to everything in the previous movies. Erin (Kristen Wiig) is a ditzy wannabe college professor who is pulled back into her former life as a paranormal investigator thanks to her friend Abby (Melissa McCarthy). The two join forces with nuclear super genius Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), a social worker Patty (Leslie Jones) after they encounter a spirit and eventually open their Ghost Busting business. There are some fun moments to be had mostly thanks to the camaraderie between the four women. Every one of those four actors is utilised to their strength, which mostly leads to familiar and predictable, yet still enjoyable jokes. Going with the tradition of Feigs earlier films like Bridesmaids, there are plenty of fart gags as well. The designs of the ghosts are interesting, some of them being more gruesome than the others. Although its utter torture watching it in 3D where the horror element keeps coming right to your face in not a very fun way. But theres a problem when the film becomes a complete inversion of the earlier movies. Instead of a team of men, this film has women as its heroes thats a bold decision but one that ultimately works against the film. None of the actors in the previous films had to try really hard to make things funny because they were all Saturday Night Live alums. The women in this film, on the other hand really strain to make all the improv comedy work, and Feigs direction strains in over selling the fact that there are women in this movie instead of men. Read on Firstpost: 'Ghostbusters' to 'Rush Hour' Nostalgia, and why were rebooting everything In other inversion related elements, the prickly and unattractive female office assistant from the previous movies is replaced by the ultra handsome Chris Hemsworth in the same role. Its a great idea that just falls flat in execution because of the utter lack of nuance in Hemsworths character than the one note handsome jock. Instead of one of the clients becoming possessed by the antagonistic ghost, this time one of the heroes goes through the ordeal. Even the iconic Ghostbusters logo is turned into a massive possessed being destroying the city. In doing this it almost feels like this film was made by a bunch of cynical people, rather than those who grew up worshipping the original films. The original Ghostbusters had become a legendary Hollywood product that created film geeks for decades to come. The problem with this rehash is that it doesnt attempt anything truly surprising. So despite the passably funny moments youll leave the theater glad you saw a light comedy, but youll be disappointed by its lack of ingenuity and youll forget about it in a couple of days. The Extreme Ghostbusters cartoon from the late 90s was a far stronger attempt at bringing the Ghostbusters brand to the newer generation and I wish this film were a movie version of that show. Also read: 'Ghostbusters' star Leslie Jones outs racist trolls on Twitter; says she's numbed by the hatred New Delhi: Superstar Rajinikanth-starrer action drama Kabali is not only enjoying a successful run in south India, but in north India as well. The Hindi version of the film has minted Rs 28 crore in north India since its release. Directed by Pa Ranjith, Kabali narrates the story of a gangster's shot at redemption and how he fights for equal pay rights for Tamils in Malaysia. The film released on 22 July in Tamil, and was also dubbed in Hindi and Telugu apart from other languages. According to a statement shared by Fox Star Studios, which distributed Kabali in north India, the film has become the second highest grosser for any south Indian film in north India after Baahubali: The Beginning. Fox Star Studios CEO Vijay Singh said: It's heartening to see that the Rajinikanth mania was not just limited to the south markets but prevalent across the country and that's visible through the numbers it has garnered in the north. We are proud to have distributed the film in north India, and I am sure that the film will have a long run." Telugu film Pelli Choopulu released on Friday and it seems to be the talk of the town with critics having some good things to say about the film. A romantic comedy, the film revolves around the lives of Prashanth, played by Vijay Devarakonda, and Chitra, Ritu Varma's character. Prashanth, is a carefree boy, whose parents want him to get married, while Chitra is a strong- willed girl. Directed by Tarun Bhaskar, the film narrates what happens when a meeting for an arranged marriage goes all wrong. TeluguCinema.com says in its review for the film, "Pelli Choopulu has no path-breaking story line, but what makes it a cut above the rest is its nuanced narration, and neat sensibilities. Debutante Tharun Bhaskar comes with hands-on experience in short filmmaking and his intelligence shows in terms of the character sketching, the actors he has picked, etc." The film has been rated as 3.25 out of 5 by the website. It further adds that the second half could have improved on its pace, as it seemed to slow down. A review in PressKS.com says, "Pelli Choopulu is one of those typical romantic entertainers with cute love story and few comedy scenes that keep the audience laughing through the first half. The second half, though, is high on emotional quotient and seems to drag in certain parts. The climax of the film is good." According to him, while the screenplay and the climax are the positives in the film, the second half of the film and the predictable story line are the negatives. He has rated the film as 3.45 out of 5. AllIndiaRoundup.com's review highlights on the nuances of the film, "One of the two friends of Vijay in the film delivers his punch dialogues in a thick Telangana accent which everyone will enjoy. Ritu Varma carried the strength of her character which drives the story around. The movie speaks a language that we are familiar with but no longer use." They have given the film a 3 out of 5. Rating the film as 3.5 out of 5, 123Telugu.com says, "Pelli Choopulu is one film which comes as a breath of fresh air in the heavy pollution of commercial cinema. The film has many beautiful moments which one can easily relate to. With this film, Tollywood finds another talent called Tharun Bhaskar as his effortless narration makes things breezy throughout the proceedings." Here's what some fans had to say about the film on Twitter: 1st half #Pellichoopulu is insanely HILARIOUSespecially D PRANK videos bit OMGlead actor Vijay n his gang reminds us!Telanagana slang 14 (@shasha1495) July 29, 2016 Don't miss #PelliChoopulu So real, effortlessly cool & fun. You'll laugh your heart out, well up in tears & leave the hall with a big grin. sangeetha devi (@Sangeetha_Devi) July 29, 2016 Pratyusha Banerjee's parents have expressed their dissatisfaction with the police investigation in their daughter's suicide case. At a press conference in Mumbai, the parents said that the police are uncooperative with them and are instead protecting Rahul Raj Singh, who's accused of abetting the suicide of the Balika Vadhu star. These allegations come days after reports surfaced that Rahul has gone absconding again after he was denied an anticipatory bail by the Dindoshi Court in an unrelated cheating case filed by model Heer Patel against the actor. Earlier as well he had gone missing after he had taken Pratyusha to the hospital, where she was declared dead. Speaking to Firstpost Pratyusha's father, Shankar Banerjee said, "We are extremely unhappy with the way the police is conducting the probe in our daughter's death. They do not keep us informed and besides that, they are going easy on the one who is responsible for her death. It is because the police is siding with him that Rahul could disappear like this. The cops do not keep us in the loop about the developments in the case and even the chargesheet has not been shared with us." "We weren't informed before the police opened the house that Pratyusha lived in, even though we were promised otherwise. We have been trying to meet the Mumbai Police Commissioner for quite sometime now in this regard, but to no avail," he further said. Reiterating their earlier stand, the parents claimed that the 24-year-old did not commit suicide but was murdered. "My daughter was murdered, yet it is constantly looked as a suicide case. Even Saloni Sharma, Rahul's ex-girlfriend is involved in the crime, but she is only interrogated as a witness and not as an accused," he added. When the police submitted the chargesheet that charged Rahul with abetment, assault and intimidation, in the Borivali court, he was asked to attend the next hearing of the case on 30 July. But now with his recent disappearance, it is hard to say if he will attend the hearing on Saturday. A Hindustan Times report has quoted a police source saying, A police team went to his apartment to search for him but the door was locked and Singh was not found there. We are on the lookout for him. Pratyusha's family plans to look at the chargesheet before they decide their next plan. "We will look into the chargesheet once the police shares it with us and see how the police have investigated the case before deciding on our next step," says Shankar. Television actor Pratyusha Banerjee, who became a household name after her show Balika Vadhu, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at the home she shared with Rahul in Mumbai, on 1 April. Sanjay Dutt aka Sanju Baba turned a year older on Friday, 29 July. The actor has portrayed various roles in a career spanning over three decades. But scanning through them we notice that despite the variety of films and roles, his character's names have often followed a pattern. On the Vaastav actor's 57th birthday, we look back over the years at the actor's films to see the names the industry has given him. When half of Hollywood is trying to emulate Steven Spielberg and dole out movies paying homage to his work, Spielberg himself is making films that remind us of his earlier work. Its a good time to be alive, and The BFG is yet another great entry in Spielbergs increasingly vast stock of extremely sweet films. Based on Roald Dahls popular kids book, The BFG follows the story of the young Sophie (Ryby Barnhill) whose life as an insomniac orphan is turned upside down when she meets a giant (Mark Rylance) skulking around London streets with a mysterious mission involving dreams. When the Big Friendly Giant realises that hes been discovered he whisks Sophie away to his island, which is occupied by other not so friendly big giants like Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement), Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Gizzardgulper (Chris Gibbs). Sophie and the BFG forge an unlikely friendship as the former attempts to rescue the latter from his tyrannical brothers and free London from any future threats from these monsters. The best thing about The BFG is how it is not afraid to wade into sentimentality. Theres a layer of good will oozing out of every frame whenever the BFG is on screen. Rylances motion capture rendition of the giant is probably the kindest face ever to have graced cinemas. And because Spielberg is so good at the themes of home, family and sentimental explorations of bonding the film really benefits from his gentle touch. There is a whole barrage of the Spielberg Face moments where the camera zooms slowly onto the faces of people looking at something in awe. The technique reflects on the audience watching the movie as well because your face would tend to transform into the very same expression. And thats mainly thanks to the seriously amazing CGI in the film from the giants visually enchanting island which looks like a cross between Iceland and Ireland to the gorgeous London of yore setting. The 3D unfortunately dims out the terrific colors at play so its best to see the film in a 2D screen. The good thing is the film never really zooms into a fast paced adventure zone, but lingers around the landscape to make us really feel like were there with Sophie. Some might deem the languid pace a negative but it actually helps instill the sense of wonder that you crave when you go to the movies. In any case those with lesser expectations can enjoy the fart jokes. The actual negative in the film is the story in the third act when Sophie collaborates with the Queen of England to fight against the giants who seem to be eating children. Its never really established earlier that the giants had been making off with kids like candies so a sudden heroic battle subplot seems to have been shoehorned for a contrived blockbuster plot mechanic. The characters surrounding the queen (Rebecca Hall and Rafe Spall) are there in the movie for intermittent comic relief but dont make much of an impact, and you wish the story never wavered from the simple camaraderie between the BFG and Sophie. Its something Miyazaki achieved very well in My Neighbor Tototro and for that reason alone that movie will always be more memorable than this one. The bank employee union strike on Friday to protest against the proposed merger of State Bank of India (SBIs) remaining subsidiaries with the parent and the privatization of IDBI Bank, signals a key hurdle India faces on the path to reform its crisis-ridden public sector banks. Trade Unions are likely fighting a losing battle as we have seen in the last two instances when the government merged two of the subsidiaries with the parent, State Bank of Indore and State Bank of Saurashtra. If the government decisively moves ahead with the proposals, there isnt much the trade unions can do but fall in line. So is the case of privatization process of IDBI Bank, where the government wants to lower the stake to below the controlling 51 per cent. Nevertheless, each bank strike causes disruptions to the general public even though the effectiveness of bank strikes, over the years, have weakened as most banks are fast moving away from branch-centric banking to alternative modes. Customers today can use ATMs, internet and mobile banking services for basic banking transactions even on a strike day. But, other transactions that require the customer must go to the branch gets disrupted. This time around, bank unions under the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) have planned the strike as Parliament is in session and unions want their voice to be heard in the House. Privatising nationalised banks Today, there is a strong case for privatisation of nationalised banks, at least some of them to begin with. One could argue that four decades of nationalization is largely a failed experiment as evident from the health of state-run banks and considering the progress they have made on achieving their original goalpromoting financial inclusion. State-run banks, all 27 of them, continue to be the extended divisions of the incumbent governments and mere tools to role out government schemes and become victims to corporate-political nexus. These banks still lack autonomy and scope to innovate in major way unlike their private sector counter parts. The private sector banks continue to be much healthier than state-run lenders on all parameters on account of the free market principle they operate in. Only those which have improvised their business models have been able to survive. The laggards have been forced to shut shop or merge with stronger rivals over time. Those remaining are fit to face competition and find capital from the market time to time by growing healthy balance sheets. As against this, state-run banks continue to be the finest specimens of white elephants in the Indian banking sector. They wait for their turn with a begging bowl every year in front of North Block for survival money. This begging bowl syndrome has been present since the time they were born. They still continue to be a heavy burden on the state exchequer. In the last nine years, the government has infused Rs 1.18 lakh crore in state-run banks, including the Rs 23,000 crore infused so far this fiscal year. SBI has received the largest pie (Rs 29,000 crore). But, this money has only contributed to a fraction of the massive capital requirement of government banks given their huge funding gap to meet the Basel-III norms, bad loan provisioning (about 11-12 per cent of the bank loans are currently stressed) and credit expansion requirements. Begging bowl syndrome Global rating agency, Fitch, estimates Indian banks will need $90 billion in total additional capital - most of which will be accounted for by the public banks - to meet Basel III requirements by 2019. This year, the government has infused Rs 22,900 crore. But, rating agency, Icra, estimates that PSBs would require capital in the range of Rs 40,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore for the period. This begging bowl syndrome is likely to worsen in the approaching years. Forty seven years after Indira Gandhi announced their nationalization, nothing much has changed in PSBS. Except the largely cosmetic changes in government-programmes like the Indradhanush offer, PSBs continue to be largely extended arms of the government. A large part of the burden of social sector funding, priority sector lending and making government schemes successful still fall on them on a regular basis. This is something Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan has highlighted in the recent past. But the major reason for the current NPA (Non-performing Assets) mess in these banks is their lack of efficiency in credit appraisal process and careless lending practices to grow their loan books. Till recently, every outgoing chairman wanted to show maximum growth in the bank's business volume while little attention was paid on quality of growth. Autonomy of operations and scope to innovate was a word too distant for these entities. The idea of nationalizationtake banking services to millions of unbankedhas progressed but still remains a task far from the target. The purpose of explaining these facts is to make a case for privatisation of state-run banks in the changing banking industry, which seems to be the only way to bring efficiency in these banks. This doesnt need to be done at one go. Smaller banks can be experimented with in the initial phase and at the end of the whole exercise, the government can still retain 4-5 large public sector banks. But, the status-quo cannot go forever in the fast changing world of banking. As Firstpost noted in an earlier article, the big and imminent problem for PSBs is that the industry around them is changing too fast. With new payments banks and small finance banks stepping in and existing private banks ramping up their technology base, the competition has intensified a lot. These new lenders are relying heavily on technology such as mobile and internet banking rather than traditional brick and mortar model. These banks typically target the young customer-segment in the urban, semi-urban areas that are tech savvy. In comparison to them, PSBs have failed to catch up in the desired manner. Trade unions in state-run banks, in the past, has acted as a powerful corrective force against the excesses by bank managements but has somewhat lost steam in the recent years with the newly joined young officers and employees showing no active interest union activities, even though most of them religiously contribute to the monthly subscription fees. However, one cannot ignore the fact that the trade unions continue to be a formidable force in nationalized banks. A confrontation between unions and the managements will only be self-destructive for both. In this backdrop, bank trade unions should seriously rethink their course and priorities for the greater good of the banking sector. Else, they are fighting a losing battle. Chennai: Banking operations will be impacted across the country on Friday with around 10 lakh bankers of 40 private and state-run banks striking work in protest against the central government's banking policies, a union leader said on Thursday. "The strike is on. We are not aware of any case filed by the banks or the Indian Banks Association (IBA) to restrain the nine unions of UFBU (United Forum of Bank Unions) from striking," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Empl oyees Association (AIBEA). Earlier this month, major bank unions deferred a two-day strike call for July 12 and 13 following a restraint order by the Delhi High Court. The unions in the banking sector had given the strike call protesting against the merger of the five associate banks of the State Bank of India (SBI) with SBI and the privatisation of IDBI Bank. The union is opposed to the government's decision to merge the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Travancore (SBT), State Bank of Patiala (SBP), State Bank of Mysore (SBM) and State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) with the SBI. "The strike will involve employees and officers of public sector banks, old generation private banks and foreign banks with a total of more than 80,000 branches," he said. According to him, the banks may be filling up the automatic teller machines (ATM) numbering around 200,000 in the country to facilitate cash withdrawals. "We wanted to strike when Parliament is in session. Though the strike is on a Friday, the next day is a full working day for the banks. There will be no bunching of holidays," he said. Venkatachalam said the strike was against the unwarranted banking reform measures. The nine constituent units of UFBU are: AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO. According to Venkatachalam, unmindful of the adverse implications, the government was pursuing the reform measures in the banking sector like inadequate infusion of capital in public sector banks which will result in reduction of government's equity capital and create compulsion for higher extent of private capital leading to privatisation of banks. He said the unions also opposed the decision to privatise IDBI Bank by reducing the government capital to less than 49 per cent, proposals of consolidation for public sector banks but expansion for private sector banks, giving licences to corporate houses to start banks, ineffective steps to recover the bulging bad loans in the banks, and rather showering concessions to the defaulters and others. "We demand that willful and deliberate defaulters should be declared as criminal offenders and punished," he said. Venkatachalam said the total bank loans wilfully defaulted by borrowers was Rs 58,792 crore. He said the total quantum of bad loans of the government owned banks stood at Rs 539,995 crore as on March 31, 2016. "But the government and the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) are not taking tough measures to recover the bad loans. Even the (defaulters') names are not being published," he said Armed with in-principle support from most of the political parties, the government has listed the Goods and Services Tax Bill for introduction in the Rajya Sabha next Tuesday, according to media reports. Junior Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told the Upper House earlier that the Bill will be taken up next week. The government is gearing up for the five-and-half hour discussion in the Rajya Sabha. As part of this, prime minister Narendra Modi held a meeting finance minister Arun Jaitley, home minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief Amit Shah ith at his residence, a report in The Indian Express said on Saturday. However, with the Congress still playing its cards close to its chest, the government is keeping its fingers crossed. A report in The Hindustan Times on Saturday said the Congress is yet to take a final decision on the Bill. "I would advise the media to wait till the negotiations and discussions are concluded," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala has been quoted as saying in the report. Surjewala's words are an indication that the Rajya Sabha will see a heated discussion when it comes up for discussion. In the amended Bill approved by the Cabinet, it is to be noted that only one of the three Congress demands has been met. The Congress demands were removal of the 1 percent additional state levy that seeks to compensate the revenue for manufacturing states such as Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, including the GST rate in the Constitutional amendment and setting up a dispute resolution mechanism headed by a high court judge. Of this, the only one fully accepted is the first one. The other two have been met only partially. In this context, it is no surprise that the government is keeping its fingers crossed. According to a report in the Business Standard, when asked about the prospects for the passage of the Bill, Jaitley said: I am keeping my fingers crossed. On 27 July, the Cabinet had cleared changes in the legislation, including removal of the 1 percent manufacturing tax and providing guarantee to compensate states for any revenue loss in the first five years of rollout of the ambitious indirect tax regime. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May 2015 and vetted by the Rajya Sabha Select Committee. However, the measure got stuck in the Upper House where the government does not have majority of its own, as the main opposition Congress sought certain changes in it. The government has been making all efforts to hammer out a consensus on the bill by reaching out to opposition parties. The Congress has described the exercise as "constructive and positive". The GST legislation, which intends to convert 29 states into a single market through a new indirect tax regime, was earlier planned to be introduced from 1 April this year, but the deadline was missed as the legislation to roll it out remained in limbo in the Opposition-dominated Rajya Sabha. With PTI inputs Benglauru: Karnataka is setting up a non-profit company to spur investments in diverse areas with industry participation, state Industries Minister R V Deshpande said on Thursday. "The company will have six to nine directors on its board from the industry and profits will be used to promote its objectives, with no dividend to the board members," Deshpande said at a two-day summit here. The firm will be set up under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013. As per the specific law, the company will be registered for charitable or not-for-profit purpose with the Corporate Affairs Ministry. "We are keen on setting up a grand convention centre near the airport at Devanahalli on the city's outskirts and building elevated roads, subways and flyovers to improve infrastructure," Deshpande said at the 12th India Innovation summit, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, with 'Spirit of Innovation -- Celebrating the Entrepreneur' as its theme. Exhorting the industrialists to invest more in research for high quality, competitiveness and customer satisfaction, the minister said innovation would make the country stronger, richer and a super power. "Karnataka is the first state in the country to implement a start-up policy to foster entrepreneurship, innovation and job creation. The central and state governments and the industry should support a good start-up in the interest of building a strong country," Deshpande claimed. Asserting that the state government would ensure Bengaluru retained its lead position as the country's start-up and innovation hub, the minister said Karnataka was the world's largest tech capital after Silicon Valley in the US and London in Britain. Addressing the members of the CII, Accenture India managing director Rekha M. Menon said India was transitioning into a society, facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship by design. "The government is pushing policy frameworks to promote innovation. A Open Innovation will be the platform on which organisations can leverage to promote guided disruption. They must work with start-ups and niche technology firms," Menon stressed. In a special address,AUS Trade Representative Office deputy ambassador Robert W. Holleyman said India contributed significantly to global innovation, which accounts for 8 per cent of its GDP. "Though entrepreneurs are drivers of innovation, governments have a major role to play in ensuring there is an opportunity for innovators to grow. Information Technology (IT) has been a key component in the growth of India and the world over," Holleyman noted. Setting the theme, Infosys co-founder and summit chairman S. Gopalakrishan said though 80 per cent of start-ups fail, entrepreneurs were not failures. "The industry needs to encourage them by sharing learnings and experiences so that more start-ups are fostered. The government is supportive on ease of doing business and regulative policies but a lot more needs to be done," Gopalakrishnan added. New Delhi: Infrastructure giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Friday reported a 46 percent jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 610 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2016. The firm had clocked a net profit of Rs 419 crore in the year-ago period, it said in a BSE filing. Total income of the firm rose 9 percent to Rs 21,874 crore in April-June quarter this fiscal from Rs 20,048 crore during the same quarter in 2015-16. Company's total expenses were higher at Rs 20,434 crore from Rs 18,873 crore during the period under review. L&T successfully won fresh orders worth Rs 29,702 crore at consolidated level during the quarter ended June 30, registering an increase of 14 percent. International orders at Rs 13,211 crore constituted 44 percent of the total order inflow, it said. Major orders during the quarter were secured by Infrastructure and Hydrocarbon segments, it added. The consolidated order book of the group stood at Rs 2,57,427 crore as on June 30, higher by 8 percent year-on-year basis. International order book constituted 29 percent of the total order book. Company said pick-up in investment is crucial to sustain economic growth in the medium and long term. "The investment climate in India is yet to gather pace, particularly in the private sector. High corporate debt levels, balance sheet challenges of banks, weak industrial and rural demand and sluggish exports are posing hurdles to the investment momentum," it added. Both Central and State Government led push to capital expenditure holds the key to accelerate the growth engine. Good progress of monsoon and pay revisions for government employees are expected to spur household demand, L&T said. "The intent of the government to pursue economic reforms is visible through passage of bankruptcy code, as well as efforts to build consensus on GST Bill and attract foreign investments to make India a hi-tech manufacturing hub," it added. Government initiatives for development of smart cities, building up robust infrastructure through rail corridors, metro rails and roads, focus on defence manufacturing, increased outlays for augmentation of water resources and renewable energy augur well for the company, it said. On the international front, the company will continue to target select prospects in the space of core infrastructure and Oil & Gas sector in the Middle East, Africa and other neighbouring countries, it added. The company has recently finalised its strategic plan for five years with a focus on profitable growth. The firm remains well placed to benefit from emerging opportunities with its execution capabilities and leadership position in various sectors, it noted. In tune with the weak broad market sentiment, shares of the company fell by 1.20 percent to settle at Rs 1,558 a piece at the BSE. New Delhi: Smartphone shipments in India grew a healthy 15 percent in the second quarter this year compared to the global smartphone market which grew a mere 3 percent, market research firm Counterpoint Research reported on Friday. "LTE smartphones which grew 264 percent, Chinese brands 80 percent and devices in the $100-$150 price band 48 percent year-on-year were the key major growth drivers for the smartphone market," said Karn Chauhan, Research Analyst, Counterpoint Research. Chinese brands' captured almost 27 percent combined share of the total smartphone market driven by brands such Lenovo, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and LeEco in the country, added Chauhan. This was a great quarter for "Make in India" initiative as number of brands manufacturing/assembling domestically jumped from 10 brands to 35 brands -- contributing to almost 70 percent of the total smartphones production volume in the second quarter. But lack of component ecosystem is still a barrier to increase local value addition, the report noted. Samsung headed the smartphone market during the quarter. Micromax maintained the second position while Intex stood third. Lava and Lenovo (also Motorola) maintained the fourth spot. Its been a week since Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appointed Harvard economist Gita Gopinath as his financial adviser, but the controversy over her post refuses to go away with the senior-most CPM leader VS Achuthanandan also joining the chorus in opposing her. Interestingly, the attack on Gita, or rather Vijayan, comes from two quarters: one, the opposition and the CPM-critics who find the decision - a Marxist-Leninist party appointing a neo-liberal economist as its advisor - the epitome of CPMs double standards; and two, the hardliners within the CPM, who find her economic philosophy highly objectionable. Despite their criticism, the Congress doesnt have a problem with her because its during their rule that Gita made her first public appearance in the state - at a global investment meet - but doesn't want to lose the opportunity to ridicule the Marxists for their alleged duplicity. For the party critics, its yet another convenient handle to hit at Pinarayi and company. For Achuthanandan, ideologically its odious. The controversy is not surprising because Kerala is a state where everything and anything tends to be tendentious and this too is no exception. Gita, on her part, has made it very clear in a statement that she would not interact with the media on a regular basis and that her job is only to advise the chief minister. She added that her role would also be to connect different departments of the government to knowledge leaders from across the world and that she herself has no decision-making powers. Its up to Vijayan and the departments to pay heed to her advice or not. In this context, let me explain why the controversy is bogus. Historically, the socio-economic affairs of the state are mostly driven by the planning board, which is now handled by (deputy chairman) a hardcore left-wing economist VK Ramachandran, and the finance ministry headed by another left-wing economist Thomas Issac. Its hard to imagine a supervisory role for Gita within this space. Neither she nor Vijayan claims one for her. So, the whole idea of a super advisor is not reconcilable with an established, formal and accountable arrangement. As she herself has clarified, her role is confined to advising the chief minster and connecting various departments to knowledge leaders. This is classic international development speak that donor agencies and multi-laterals indulge in. The premise is that the country that they advise, on whatever issues, are inadequate in their knowledge and capacity and its incumbent upon the internationalists to help them. For donor agencies, its an ideal route to influence national policies because they also give financial aid, while for multi-laterals such as the UN, its an opportunity to both help the countries, say in times of disasters and constitutional crises, as well as make them compliant to a certain rights-sensitive and social-democratic world order. Its usually small countries that take such help. Moreover, Gitas domain expertise has nothing to do with Keralas requirements. The real crisis in the state is its inability to generate wealth locally, the decline of the welfare state that was built on the early reformist movements, and the successive governments failure to stem the privatisation of sectors such as education and health. With her training and expertise in international finance and market economics, will she be able to help? Clearly not. But she says she will connect Vijayan and his various departments to specific experts. Heres the second problem. All the departments are not handled by the CPM although Vijayan has kept a lot of portfolios, including planning and economic affairs, with himself. If her experts were to advise revenue and agriculture - two important departments in terms of socio-economic policies - will the CPI ministers or their officers listen? Very unlikely. The CPI ministers are not hardliners, but they are tough. Its also hard to maintain long-distance consultancies. Even if the ministers and their department secretaries oblige Pinarayi, the process is likely to peter out sooner than later because the latter will be resistant while the former will get busy with their other commitments. Moreover, its hard to imagine economists trained in free-market capitalism suggesting innovations for sustainable welfare and pro-poor policies that many of the ministers have vowed to. Probably, Pinarayis expectations from Gita, despite the apparently bigger knowledge-based scheme of things, is that she would help him achieve economic growth although its not her domain expertise at all. Even if she was equipped, she wont be able to do much, because in terms of wealth-generation, Kerala is gridlocked. It cant have even mid-sized industries, it doesnt have an entrepreneurial culture and most of its services sector, which accounts for about 70 percent of the states gross domestic product, serves the local consumerist appetite. The bulk cash that the state generates are remittances which for the time being plug the production gap. Can Gita turn this around? Most probably not. The chances of the IT industry growing faster is unlikely and sectors such as garments (e.g. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh), electronics (Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia), and pharmaceuticals (rest of India and Bangladesh) that are suitable for Kerala require a certain legacy and several years to develop. Tourism? Sri Lankas cleaner beaches and better behaviour have already begun poaching our overseas travellers. So, where exactly is Gitas operational space? And is all the hullabaloo worth it? Not at all. Now, the most critical part. Even if Pinarayi is bent upon economic growth by developing electronics parks, wider highways and all that his government has promised, does he really need a capitalist economist to get it done? Probably he should take a look at chapter 23 of Cambridge development economist Ha Joong Changs book 23 Things They Dont Tell You About Capitalism. As Chang systematically argues, good economic policy doesnt require good economists. Good economists are not required to run good economic policies. The economic bureaucrats that have been most successful are usually not economists. During their miracle years, economic policies in Japan and (to a lesser extent) Korea were run by lawyers. In Taiwan and China, economic policies have been run by engineers. This demonstrates that economic success does not need people well trained, he says. In the old industrial countries such as Germany and France too, its the quality of engineers and designers, not economists. On the contrary, its the international economists that created the financial crisis and experts from IMF and the World Bank who wrecked havoc with many developing countries. Keralas urgent need is not just economic growth - it still has some breathing space because the remittances will keep it afloat for some time - but also welfare. It does need additional wealth, but it also needs measures to address widening inequality. Since land has become a major determinant of assets and wealth and has contributed to massive inequality, as researchers C R Yadu and Satheesha B of the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram argue, Kerala urgently needs is a fresh round of land reforms. Its education and health sectors are in absolute ruins with massive private hospitals luring both patients and doctors away, and the booming low-quality private education trapping thousands of families in debt (Kerala has the highest educational loan disbursements by banks in India). Extremely poor access to cashless health services and the skewing of the once stable socio-economic determinants of health have landed scores of people in catastrophic situations. Can Vijayan do something to reverse this trend? If Pinarayi Vijayan is looking up to Gita as what Milton Friedman was to Chile and Jeffrey Sachs (who by the way was once a Tamil Nadu mascot and Padma Bhushan awardee) to Latin America and post-communist eastern Europe, he is hallucinating because Kerala is not Bolivia or Poland and cannot get more capitalist than this. The shock therapy that the state requires is to make its people ashamed of their parasitic life of preaching communism thats financed by the remittances from global capitalism. Dont worry about Gita. She will get tired sooner than later because behaviour change is not listed on her CV as a domain of expertise. Kolkata: Dissatisfied with the Kolkata Police for calling the mysterious death of Aabesh Dasgupta an "accident", the family of the teenager on Friday knocked on the doors of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking justice. Aabesh, 17, was found lying in a pool of blood on the ground floor car park of well known writer Amit Chaudhuri's apartment complex in south Kolkata's Ballygunge, where he had gone to attend a birthday party on 23 July. A blood soaked neck of a broken bottle was recovered from the spot. While the family has been claiming that Aabesh was murdered and the police registered a murder case, investigators on Thursday, citing circumstantial evidence, ruled out any foul play or conspiracy and suggested the death could be accidental. Based on CCTV footage, the police have claimed that Aabesh tried to jump a ramp in the parking lot while holding an alcohol bottle in his hand. While jumping, he tripped and fell on the broken bottle and suffered an injury to the armpit, resulting in profuse bleeding which ultimately caused his death. Police, however, have said their findings are still inconclusive. The Dasgupta family, which has been claiming it to be a "pre-planned murder", dubbed the police's 'accident' theory as an attempt to cover up and met Chief Minister Banerjee on the day. "We told her (Banerjee) that there are still many unanswered questions, many loose ends. She gave a patient hearing to all our apprehensions and assured the truth will be unravelled," Aabesh's mother Rimjhim Dasgupta said after the meeting. "The Chief Minister said whatever the police have said needs to be proved. She assured us that everything will be done to ensure justice," added Dasgupta. Besides arresting three people for selling liquor to minors, the police has interrogated the teenagers accompanying Aabesh on the fateful day as also writer Chaudhuri. New Delhi: Government on Friday said in Rajya Sabha that the possibility of sabotage in the mysterious disappearance of AN-32 aircraft of IAF was "comparatively very less" and informed that the help of the US has also been sought in locating the plane. All types of techniques are being used to locate the aircraft, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said while replying to clarifications sought by members on his suo motu statement on the disappearance of the aircraft on 22 July. As members expressed concern and raised questions over how the plane went missing, he said, "I can't speculate because we are searching for it and I will not like to speculate. But I can say only this much. The possibility, although we are checking all angles, of any sabotage is comparatively very less because they have standard operating procedures." While sharing the concern of the members, he gave details of the operation being carried out for the last one week in trying to locate the plane, carrying 29 people, which went missing during a flight from Tambaram in Tamil Nadu to Port Blair. "I appreciate anxiety of members. I am also disturbed at the sudden disappearance of the plane. I have spoken to several experts and former air chiefs who were also puzzled by the sudden disappearance," Parrikar said. The Minister said that at the time of disappearance, the aircraft was on "secondary/passive radar" and that "There was no SOS or transmission of any frequency. It just disappeared so that is the worrying part". The Government has sought help from the US for detection of images and is seeking help from American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites had picked up any signal before the disappearance of the plane. "It is total blank. There was not even a single signal recorded. That is the reason we are contacting American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites picked up any signal," Parrikar said. "Besides our own satellite imagery, we have asked the US for their imagery for the detection of emergency frequency to space based assets. Foreign countries we have already asked. I only hope that our efforts succeed," he added while replying to queries whether foreign help has been sought. Queried about the age of the aircraft, the Defence Minister said it was "almost as good as new aircraft". Elaborating he said, "I don't know exact age but it is well within lifetime. It has undergone first overhauling. Lot of replacement has been done.... They are considered as one of the safest aircraft." He said the accident rate of Indian Air Force is 0.23 out of 10,000 hours of flying against the global rate of 0.023 and assured the House that maximum efforts would be made to ensure that the mishaps come down. "If aircraft is not fit for flying we don't fly it. We have decided to check up whether we can improve the signalling system," he added. Srinagar: Authorities on Friday imposed curfew and restrictions in the Kashmir Valley to prevent separatist called protests in Srinagar. "Curfew and restrictions have been imposed in many parts of the Valley including Srinagar city," a senior police official told IANS. "People are advised to cooperate with the administration to prevent anti-social elements fro causing trouble." Life across the Valley remained paralysed for the 21st day as the separatists extended their protest shutdown till 31 July. Separatists have, however, said people should engage in activities like shopping for few hours after 7 pm during this period. On Wednesday, curfew was only imposed in three south Kashmir districts including Anantnag. In Srinagar, some semblance of normal life could be seen as private transportation and pedestrian movements were witnessed in many areas. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that the security forces had no knowledge about Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani's presence inside the house in Bsmdoora village of Anantnag district where he was killed on 8 July. "If the security forces knew about Burhan's presence inside the house, he would have been given a chance to surrender," Mehbooba said. Fifty people including 48 civilians and two policemen have been killed since 9 July. Ahmedabad: Dalit rights groups on Friday vowed to hold a mass gathering on Sunday near the Collector office to register their protest over brutal thrashing of their community members in Una taluka even if police deny them permission for the event. As they announced the plan, community leaders alleged police have indicated permission will not be granted for the event, and accused the BJP Government of being "anti-Dalit". However, police claimed they have only suggested the groups to shift the venue to a bigger place as the gathering at Collectorate would block the vehicular traffic on the adjacent Ashram Road and create chaos. The gathering is being organised as a mark of protest against the 11 July thrashing of four Dalits youths in Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district for skinning a dead cow. Addressing a press conference after a meeting with police, Dalit leaders alleged the law enforcement agency is denying them go-ahead at the behest of State's BJP Government. "This is the same place where OBC leader Alpesh Thakor addressed a mass gathering of his community a few months back (organised as part of Patidar quota stir). "Earlier, police gave permission to the Patel community to hold a rally at GMDC Ground. Why are they denying sanction to Dalits to organise their event? This shows the anti-Dalit mentality of the BJP Government," said Jignesh Mevani of Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti. "During our meeting with police, officials gave us clear indications they will not grant permission to us. But we have clearly told them the event will take place even if they do not give us permission. We will not change our venue out of pressure," he asserted. According to him, Dalits want the Government to hold talks with them and accept their demands, just like it did with the Patel quota leaders. "After the Una incident, all Dalits are united and want their rights, which are denied by this Government since long. Apart from allocation of land to Dalits, we want the Government to set up Special Courts to hear atrocity-related cases. We also want more allocation of funds for our welfare," he said. V B Patel, Police Inspector of Ranip, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, clarified they only advised the Dalit leaders to shift the protest venue. The organisers may invite the family members of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, whose suicide in January created uproar across India, and also JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. "Some of our leaders are in touch with Vemula's family and may invite them to attend our gathering. We are also planning to invite JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar," said Mevani. New Delhi: Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed on Thursday night on drug charges in Indonesia, has not been put to death, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday. "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Swaraj said on twitter. However, it was not clear why the Indian was not executed while four other convicts were put to death by the firing squad. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were to be executed but were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said that Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian foreign office and the senior leadership of the country on the issue. Swaraj had said government was making last minute efforts to save Singh "Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. The Embassy sent a Note Verbale to Indonesia's Foreign Ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out," Swarup said. Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The decision has been criticised by human rights organisations. The 14 convicts to be executed included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on 29 August, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. While the end of the three-day auto and taxi strike in Delhi has come as a big relief for Delhiites, commuters travelling to Gurgaon and vice versa are having a harrowing time due to massive traffic jam on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Friday. After heavy rain flooded the national capital on Thursday evening, commuters on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway were stuck in a traffic jam for hours. The situation on Friday morning did not improve either. All kinds of vehicles, from cars to buses and bikes have been left stranded as heavy rain inundated the Hero Honda Chowk in Gurgaon. Though the two incidents are different in connotation the common factor between the two, is that both have caused immense grief to commuters in the last three days. Both the incidents speak about the worsening administration and deteriorating civic facilities and traffic system in the national capital and in the Millennium City that is Gurgaon. Citizens at receiving end Up-in-arms against the Kejriwal government, Delhis auto rickshaws and traditional taxis (yellow-black) resorted to an indefinite strike on 26 July, which finally ended on 28 July evening. It had been a nightmare for the aam aadmi the common man of Delhi who moves on public transport, due the auto and taxi unions that called for a strike as the Delhi government failed to pay heed to their demands. Today is the third day of our strike and theres no response yet from the government. If Kejriwal government remains deaf to our demands, we will escalate our agitation. Our members are so frustrated that some of them may get into an aggressive form of demonstration, a group of auto and taxi drivers, who were staging demonstration in front of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals residence at Civil Lines on Thursday afternoon, had told Firstpost. Delhis 85,000-odd autowallahs the original aam aadmi and staunch supporters of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its supremo Arvind Kejriwal are now up in arms against the same person for whom they had campaigned and had played an instrumental role in the formation of the AAP government in Delhi. Unlike on the first and second day of the strike on Tuesday and Wednesday, the situation was relatively better on Thursday, as few autos could be seen plying in certain pockets of the city. But, gradually from afternoon, due to pressure from respective unions, auto drivers refused to take passengers. The situation was grim at prominent places like New Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station, Inter-State Bus Terminus, Connaught Place, India Gate, Central Secretariat, Parliament Street, Janpath, ITO, outside hospitals including Aiims, etc, as commuters were found harassed due to the absence of auto rickshaws. Delhi has 85,000 autos and 15,000 yellow-black taxis (kaali-peeli) in operation. A major scuffle took place between the auto union members and a few auto drivers at Shivaji Stadium, adjacent to Connaught Place in the afternoon, which made the situation worst for the commuters. The scuffle took place because ignoring the diktat of the union, a couple of auto drivers accepted passengers in the morning. Given the situation, its not possible for us to provide autos to passengers today. Were sorry for this, an employee at the government-operated pre-paid auto booth at Janpath told this correspondent. Gurgaon traffic jam For the commuters who travel to work to Gurgaon from Delhi and vice versa, Thursday evening turned to be a nightmare due to massive traffic jam that stretched to a few kilometres. It has worsened to such an extent that many office-goers preferred to stay back in the office rather than return home on Thursday evening. According to Gurgaon citizens, its the Hero Honda Chowk (the main crossing in Gurgaon city) that led to this traffic congestion. Every time theres water-logging at Hero Honda Chowk. This time the level of water has risen to four feet and has paralysed the Delhi-Gurgaon highway. Meanwhile, the Gurgaon Traffic Police has issued an advisory, asking commuters to stay away from the Delhi-Gurgaon highway, as hundreds of commuters were stuck for hours on the NH8 highway after heavy rainfall lashed the city. But, is it possible for those who have to attend to duties and emergency services? There is no answer to this. Harrowing experience of citizens The people in Delhi had a harrowing experience during the three-day strike, as thousands of people were stranded at railway stations and bus stands, especially those who arrived the national capital from outside on 26 July. I came to CP to visit my bank branch from Karol Bagh by auto rickshaw at 11.30 am. I had to settle my pension account. But, now at 2 pm, theres not a single auto visible on the street. The only way for me is to walk up to the nearest Metro station and ride a Metro, complained 72-year-old Sarla Devi on Thursday. Recollects Sanjeev Awasthi, who came to Delhi from Nagpur on an official trip on 26 July. It was a harrowing experience after I got down at Nizamuddin station. There wasnt a single auto or taxi outside the station ready to take me. After waiting for almost two hours, I finally called a local colleague of mine for help, who picked me up. Heavy rains had compounded the agony of citizens on Thursday evening. Hundreds of commuters were found waiting for autos, but there was none. This caused immense pressure on Metros and DTC buses. Situation is equally worst for the commuters heading to Gurgaon. I left home early morning, so I could evade this horrible traffic jam. But, by 9 am, the situation had gone worse. I dont know, I will be back home from Delhi in the evening? The NH8 Delhi-Jaipur highway is in a state of anarchy. Its taking four to five hours to reach Delhi from Gurgaon, instead of one-and-half hours. The reason is water-logging at Hero Honda Chowk and the road jam near Manesar due to construction of over-bridge. The spillover effect of the traffic jam can be witnessed at old Gurgaon and Cyber hub, Gurgaon resident and professor at New Delhi Management Institute, Anil Kamboj told Firstpost. I hate this city like hell. Never seen such an unplanned millennium city, Gurgaon resident Ratan Vishwakarma tweeted. What do auto and taxi unions say? More than 500 taxi and auto rickshaw drivers staged fierce demonstration and sloganeering in front of Kejriwals official residence on Thursday. Both auto and taxi unions came out strongly against the government, and decided not to call-off the strike unless their demands are met. There is no question of calling off the strike. Its the Kejriwal government that has taken to unethical practices by allowing App-based cab operators like Ola and Uber to operate in Delhi by offering excessive low tariff to passengers. This is against healthy trade practice. The government rate for taxi is Rs 14.50 per km, whereas, these cab operators are offering Rs 6 to 7 per km to passengers. This is not only damaging the taxi business, but the autos are also at the receiving end. We want fair pricing and equal competition, said Harpal Singh, who was a part of the demonstration. However, in the late Thursday evening, the strike was called off. Demands Cab operators such as Uber, Ola, etc, which dont have permit to run their taxis in Delhi, should be banned from plying passengers. Cabs bearing registration numbers of UP, Haryana, Punjab shouldnt be allowed in Delhi, as it causes safety and security problem. Uniformity in tariff. While, government has fixed a floor rate of Rs 14.50 per km for yellow-black taxis, the cabs like Uber, Ola allegedly offer Rs 6-7 per km. Ola has also eaten into the space belonging to auto-rickshaws by offering low rates. Unhealthy and unethical practice should immediately be stopped. Immediate action against the App-based cab operators. Delhi government has failed to take action against App-based cab operators, despite having complaints against them. This is our immediate demand. But, there are long pending demands, which Kejriwal said he would meet, once he became the CM. But, till date nothing has been materialised. We still dont have auto-stands. We still face problems at RTOs. Getting loans for buying auto is still a distant dream. The syndicate of corruption still exists. Only a few players have changed, alleged auto driver Hari Yadav, who originally hails from Darbhanga in Bihar. Breach of trust Without inhibition, the autowallahs are vocal about the apathy and unkept promises of the AAP government towards them. Visibly indignant, they have started losing hope in Kejriwal, who had climbed the popularity chart riding on the shoulders of the same class. But, this time they were not alone. The regular taxis (yellow-black) have joined the protest along with autowallahs. Their common target is the app-based cab aggregators. Well again resort to strike if Delhi government fails to keeps its promise of meeting our demands. Our association has asked Delhi government to ban the Ola, Uber, Meru and other cab aggregators from plying in Delhi. They have resorted to illegal trade practices by offering tariff, which is much below the official rate. Moreover, the government is allowing cabs bearing registration numbers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab to ply on Delhi roads. This is unfair and also a threat to safety and security of passengers, Gopal Singh Soni, a member of Delhi Taxi Association told Firstpost. No politics behind strike In his usual manner, Kejirwal has blamed Delhis L-G and the BJP for the strike, which the auto and taxi unions have strongly refuted. Criticizing Kejriwal for his irresponsible statement, the unions clarified that there was neither Congress nor BJP behind the strike. Chief Minister Kejriwal has failed to keep his promises and today hes not bothered about us the same people who gave him and his party unconditional support, because he promised all of us an honest and good government. Today, its the same person blaming us of playing politics. Like, he has blamed prime minister and L-G that they have orchestrated this strike. The CM has made an irresponsible statement and his party is trying to create a rift among us. Let us make it clear, its our problem and our fight against Delhi governments supporting unethical trade practices by App-based cab operators, said a member of Joint Action Committee formed by 20 auto and taxi unions of Delhi. There are about two dozen unions in Delhi affiliated to Congress, BJP and AAP. One could say that the age of resistance is waning in India. With Mahasweta Devis death at 90, knowledge also seems to plan to depart for lack of any cohesion in the body politic that is India today. And I had just finished posting a casual status update on Facebook yesterday about my long-ago trip to North Bihar, with a campus-based theater group from JNU to present a political drama in the terrible backwaters, where Maoism was only showing its nascent fangs. I, a mere 22-year-old, was living the realities in Gaya-Nawada-Sultanpur and even more far-flung villages similar to the geography and people that Mahasweta Devi had lovingly chronicled as a writer and social activist. But I was living the movements, protests, and pains in the manner of all city clods that learnt revolution from her book. Still, the serialised Aranyer Adhikar (The Rights of the Forest) was visible to me in the dense forest-bordered rivulets of that region. Draupadi could be seen in local bazaars and by the roadsides, staring resolutely, and walking her own way. Hajar Chaurashir Maa (Mother of No. 1,084), a number of them, were perhaps too angry and inconsolable to make an appearance to us; those who could be easily termed as pluralist aesthetes of the First World in academic Gayatri Spivaks words as compared to the unknown third-Third World we were exploring in an interpretive mode. But in my first line I say the age of resistance is on the wane. The context is many layered. The Jnanpith-Magsaysay winning rebel writer Devi came to me in various books and journals, and a few years ago, in a large-bound Bengali volume the complete works till that time and posed a short conflict of ideas in my own home. A Left-progressive household that straddled the histories of both Assam and Bengal, the writing prowess of Mahasweta Devi was greatly appreciated by my parents, although my father clearly thought she expounded a politics that undermined the electoral process and openly exhorted an armed uprising against the system. Naxalbari hadnt yielded much for the good of Bengal and the country, he tried reasoning with me. I also recall how he and I differed on the issue as I swam through the complete works and devoured Devis words and images. While obituaries have been flooding in on 28 July, calling her the one revolutionary mother, who has graced Bengal a wordplay based on her seminal Hajar Chaurashir Maa I have a feeling Devi would have balked at the idea. And uncannily, I had just finished reading an essay by Anjum Hasan (Building up the Alphabet Again), where she refers to a kind of 'age of disappointment' while reading Mahasweta Devi and perusing about the missing culture of reading for writers. The culture of mothers, cow-mothers, nation-mothers, and goddesses embodying motherhood was not, in my view, what Devi envisaged in her life and writing. Her Dopdi Mejhen (Draupadi) is a moot point where the Pandava queens name acquires a striking topographical relevance, considering she hails from the Santhal community and is a woman, who is being hunted down by authorities. The region she inhabits is an outside for those who come looking for her, and her name a strange phonetic rebellion on the ears of the genteel perpetrators who prepare her. Well-known author and translator Arunava Sinhas delightful English translation of Draupadi which I prefer over Spivaks amply demonstrates the above, and truthfully maintains Devis terse humor. Uniform one: How can the Santhal woman be named Dopdi? Theres no such name on my list. How can anyone have a name not on the list? Uniform two: Draupadi Mejhen. She was born the year her mother took a threshers job with Surjo Sahu (deceased) of Bakuli. Surjo Sahus wife named her. Uniform one: All these officers only know how to dash off long sentences in English. What have they written about her. Uniform two: Most notorious woman. Long wanted in many Several people who knew Devi corroborated that her fierce spirit was to revive a dialogue of justice, not of blessings from some divine motherhood. Independent journalist Freny Manecksha remembers traveling with Devi in 1998. She mixed compassion with humour sometimes regaling us with stories of eccentricities in her family, then passionately storming a police station for details of atrocities on nomadic tribes For Manescksha, the memory of visiting the Lonad police station in Vithalwadi village in Satara district, Maharashtra, 18 days after the said atrocities, revealed Devis focussed activism, the way she would pay attention to crowds of tribals narrating their harrowing story. Whether in Bengal or in another state, Devis social work, writing and politics, derived from what Hasan refers to as the lives of peripheral peoples she holds close to her heart. Manecksha was traveling with activists Ganesh Devy and Laxman Gaikwad who accompanied Devi on her missions, well documented later by Devy. According to Hasan, She seems interested in the habits and everyday practices of small communities across India, and the words and euphemisms they have to describe them. And then something comes along and diverts the current: a woman rebels, a man leaves town. The language shifts to reflect the new experience. Mahasweta calls the process 'maddeningly fascinating'. In the foreword of her 1981 translation of Draupadi, Spivak says, I translated this Bengali short story into English as much for the sake of its villain, Senanayak, as for its title character, Draupadi (or Dopdi). Because in Senanayak, I find the closest approximation to the First World scholar in search of the Third World, I shall speak of him first. While Devi is renowned for her countless other stories, including childrens stories, Draupadi (first published in Agnigarbha or Womb of Fire, which is a collection of loosely connected, short political narratives) remains to many of us, an iconic defiance of what the mainstream calls womanhood or subjugation or cultural adherence. A song in question becomes the haunting narrative of shifting language. Spivak says in the same foreword that she cannot take this discussion of deconstruction far enough to show how Dopdi's song, incomprehensible yet trivial (it is in fact about beans of different colors), and exorbitant to the story, marks the place of that other that can be neither excluded nor recuperated. Sinhas translation presents the song in a light of defiant linguistic opacity. This is because the oppressed tribals in Devis experience were heard among themselves as well. The issue of the subalterns voice did not concern the activist-writers characters drawn from the ground, from the smell of the sweat and blood they shed, and their final resistance. They had gathered around the corpses, singing songs of celebration in an obscene language not understood even by Santhals. For instance: Saamaare hijulenako maar goyekope and Hende rambra keche keche Pundi rambra keche keche This proved beyond a doubt that they were the trigger for Captain Arjan Singhs diabetes. What does all this mean for us writers today who are grappling with the 'age of disappointment' or the waning of the 'age of resistance'? Sure enough, Devi has been on record saying: "Life is not mathematics and the human being is not made for the sake of politics. I want a change in the present social system and do not believe in mere party politics." One detects a deeper commitment here. In Hasans essay, Devi is quoted as saying: Ive been thinking about this for a long time. The only way to counter globalisation just a plot of land in some central place, keep it covered in grass, let there be a single tree, even a wild tree. Let your sons tricycle lie there. Let some poor child come and play, let a bird come and use the tree small things. Small dreams. People do not have eyes to see. All my life I have been seeing small people and their small dreams. Whether one derives courage and hope from Chotti Munda and His Arrow, Bashai Tudu, Breast Stories, Titu Mir, and more, Mahasweta Devi will remain the one and only generational voice that would remind us that the right to dream should be the first fundamental human right. (Keynote address, Jaipur Literary Festival 2013). Thats where resistance lies, as does creativity. The reasons for the underlying increase in cases of violence surrounding cow protection are not difficult to detect when one sees the union minister for social justice and empowerment in the Narendra Modi government virtually certifying gau raksha samiti-sponsored vigilantism as a legitimate activity. Talking to The Indian Express, Thawar Chand Gehlot said: ... These are all social organisations. It could be for gau raksha sewa dal, it could be for eliminating social evils; people keep forming these social groups and doing things. Someone may have informed them (about cow slaughter) and they would have rushed. What they need to do is find out its veracity and then go. Gehlot was responding to the question about whether the Centre has any plans to rein in the gau rakshaks. His answers made it obvious that it didnt. In fact, Gehlots description of gau rakshak dals that they are like other social organisations that are formed for a cause reinforces the perception that the government is being unduly benevolent and suspiciously indulgent towards the gau rakshaks. That perception further gains ground given the rapid reports of gau raksha-related violence, to which the government refuses to react. Just the mere suspicion of beef consumption or the transportation of cows for slaughter has become justifiable grounds for thrashing people, if not outright killing them. In this chaotic, but sustained atmosphere of violence, specific communities Muslims and Dalits are bearing the heaviest brunt of violent vigilantism. On the heels of the flogging of four Dalits in Gujarat, on the suspicion of cow slaughter, came the news of the thrashing of two women in Madhya Pradesh, following rumours that they were carrying cow meat. Gau rakshaks have been proven wrong in both cases. But facts do not matter; only the sentiment provoked by rumours of beef eating does. Rather than unequivocally condemn the attacks, Gehlot seems to find excuses for them. There is a law prohibiting cow slaughter. The Centre has it, so do the states, and there are rules too. Laws are in place but what can one do about rumours the minister told The Indian Express. Although, he pleads helplessness in the face of rumours, it would not be out of place to ask: What precisely is the job of the central government and its ministers, other than holding up the rule of law and ensuring acts of vigilante violence do not repeatedly occur against citizens? Besides, why invoke the law that bans cow slaughter in such cases of violence? Vigilantes operate outside the legal framework. In fact, rather than insinuate that rumours are a justifiable trigger to vigilantism, the minister should have plainly condemned the attacks launched merely on grounds of suspicion. In his interview, Gehlot equates the gau raksha sewa dal to social organisations. However, how many social organisations does the minister know which act in this manner to enforce their ideology or further their cause? Imagine the consequences that, say, Greenpeace an environmental organisation blacklisted by the government would have to face if it leveraged vigilante tactics to protect the environment across the country. The prime ministers silence on all such occasions has now become a routine matter. It would seem that the more urgent the knock on the prime ministers door, the more firmly he bolts the door. Its hardly a wonder then that his colleague in this case the minister for social justice too does not believe that it is incumbent upon him to unequivocally to condemn such violence. The PMs silence has justified the inaction of others. As for the vigilantes themselves, a strong signal of disapproval (not just statements of sweeping generalities issued from time to time) could perhaps have had acted as a deterrent. But the lack of reaction from this government makes amply clear what kind of ideologies they wish to deter, and which they dont. New Delhi: India should hit back at Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in this country, BJP member RK Singh said in Lok Sabha on Friday, adding there is no point in talking to the neighbouring country. The former Union Home Secretary referred to terror attacks in India, including in Pathankot and Kashmir, and said Pakistan army is involved in these. These terrorists, he said, are being trained in Pakistan and sent to India. "There is no point in talking to them (Pakistan) because whenever we talk, they launch attacks like in Pathankot or series of incidents in Kashmir... Government should find out a way to retaliate and hit back at Pakistan," Singh said. His party colleague Kirit Solanki raised the issue of safety on the Pakistan border in Gujarat, saying the fencing on the frontier has been damaged and the route is being used to smuggle drugs into India. He wanted installation of proper fencing along the border as well as high-density CCTV cameras to monitor the activity, especially at night. Prof Richard Hay (BJP) raised the issue of Indian youth getting involved with Islamic State terrorist groups. Quoting reports, Hay said as many as 23 Indians are fighting for Islamic State terror groups and demanded that government investigate deeply to find out who is motivating the youth. "The government should try to deradicalise these youth and take steps to monitor the cyber space so that these youths do not get distracted," Hay said. Zakir Naik must be thanking Arnab Goswami and secretly, even loving him. Naik can now comfortably position himself as a victim of personal harassment and someone whose religious sentiments have been hurt by the aggressive TV anchor who has positioned himself as the antagonist of anything that can remotely be called anti-national. But here, Arnab probably missed the point that Naik isnt someone who is to be taken on by high decibel slugfest, but through a battle of ideology and logic. The medical practioner-turned-Islamic preacher, who has made a career with his sheer ability to manipulate people by propagating Islam's supremacy, is someone who thrives on his opponents weakness. Countering him with provable facts was the best strategy against the self-styled televangelist. But, thats not what Arnab is used to in his television career. His prime weapons are his ability to maintain high decibels for one full hour and his habit of interrupting, or if necessary, silencing his opponent, as and when he pleases. While this strategy may give the viewers adrenalin rush on most occasions, but Arnab's slugfest and his strategy of labelling people as terrorists has failed in making an impact on Naik. Instead, it has given more ammo to the preacher to strengthen his defence. Till the time Naik entered Arnabs torture room, the radical preacher was seen as a villain, who allegedly inspired youths to wield weapons and kill innocent lives, by almost everyone (or those who thought otherwise didnt dare to speak, fearing public anger). But, the moment Naik underwent the Arnab trial, the preacher won some sympathizers who till the time, have been neutral onlookers. The controversial televangelist tasted blood at that very moment. He then used this as an opportunity to consolidate his position as a 'victim' in the battle of faiths and retorted with the same cards that have been used against him till then putting allegations of 'hurting religious sentiments' and causing religious disharmony. Had Arnab chosen to listen to the preacher and defeat him with counter arguments, or if he had attempted to expose Naik's illogical ideas and flawed arguments on comparative religion, the story would have been different. But, the media trial he unleashed on Naik meant that Naik got an immediate dose of legitimacy and a reason (constant media trial) not to return to the country and escape the law. But, one cant blame Arnab alone. He is a product of a fiercely competitive commercial television space. The television culture Arnab has designed and nurtured (and others have followed), focuses on everything other than the true essence of discussion. One needs to train their ears and eyes hard to identify anything other than Arnab's voice. A baffled audience, like the enchanted listeners of Zakir Naik, tries hard to distinguish between the words and lip movements of panelists trapped in the many cellars of the television screen, resembling the undead waiting for salvation. In that hour, only those in full agreement with the master stand a tiny chance to make use of their vocal chords, while the rest are temporarily reduced to a comatose state. Both Arnab and Naik thus share certain similar traits. Both have reckoned their war zones on the television screens, both will tag anyone who wouldnt agree with their thought process as enemies of worst kind. While Arnab can tag the dissenters as antinationals, Naik prefers to call them non-believers or those deviated from the path of 'righteousness'. Both are believers of the idea of self-supremacy one in the name of his religion and the other in the name of that hour but in the process, both become the sides of the same coin or a Raman-Raghav. The end-result of Arnabs emotional, aggressive advances on Naik before a strong case is made is that it has significantly aided the latter to play the victim. This has formed the basis of Naiks 18-page legal notice to Arnab and Times Now channel. All this has happened when the investigations are still on in the Zakir Naik case and sleuths are yet to finalize charge sheet against the preacher. True, that not just Arnab but almost all media houses, including this website, have questioned Naiks speeches and inspected his alleged links with Islamic state terrorists. But media scrutiny and labeling someone as a terrorist, even before the crime is established, are two different things. In his defamation notice, Naiks lawyer has blamed Times Now with charges somewhat similar to the ones being currently faced by the preacher promoting disharmony and feelings of hatred, enmity and ill-will between different religious groups and thereby, destroying the secular fabric of our country. Also, many supporters of Naik, including Asaduddin Owaisi s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has criticized the media trial before a case is made, in order to support Naik. By hounding Zakir Naik, the media, particularly some national television channels have already pronounced their judgment even when a formal case is yet to be registered against him, said AIMIM's Syed Imtiaz Jaleel in a Business Standard report. One cannot rule out the possibility of Naiks speeches influencing young minds that may result in them taking the path of terrorism which, in itself is a serious charge. But, the Arnabs of the television world would be giving him an easy escape route by pronouncing the verdict and going for below-the-belt attacks before the investigation is done. Naik will surely love Arnab for already according him the status of a victim and a good reason for not returning to the country to face the law of the land. Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, has slapped a Rs 500-crore defamation case against Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami for running a hate campaign and media trial against him. In the notice, issued by Naiks lawyer Mubin Solkar, the preacher has also levelled a few other charges against the channel including creating enmity and hatred between religious communities and hurting the religious sentiments of Naik and the Muslim community through Goswamis statements on the channel. Moreover you have also hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community which reveres (Naik) and holds him in high esteem, the notice goes on to say. Firstpost has reviewed a copy of the notice. Here is a Copy of the Notice Issued by Naik The English-speaking preacher, currently abroad, is facing investigations by various agencies for allegedly inspiring terrorists affiliated to the Islamic State to conduct attacks including the recent Dhaka attacks. Ever since the accusations were made against him, Naik has not returned to India and has addressed the Indian media only through video appearances. The radical preacher has been blaming the press for a media trial but this is the first time Naik is slapping a legal notice against any media company in connection with the recent allegations. Following the accusations, the governments in India and Bangladesh had taken certain action against Naiks Peace TV. Naik is also banned in certain countries like the UK for his alleged hate speech. In his defamation notice, Naiks lawyer has blamed the channel citing somewhat similar charges being currently faced by the preacher such as promoting disharmony and feelings of hatred, enmity and ill-will between different religious groups and thereby, destroying the secular fabric of our country. Naik found himself in more trouble when, recently, a joint team of the Kerala Police and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Arshid Qureshi, the guest relations officer of the Naik-run Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), for alleged radicalisation of youths. IRF allegedly receive foreign funds from countries including Saudi Arabia for its operations. There have been allegations that IRF is using this money for other activities such as converting people to Islam. According to this Indian Express report, which quoted police sources, Naiks associate Qureshi facilitated the conversion of 700-odd people, including those from Kerala at the IRF. According to IRF website, the organisation is a registered non-profit public charitable trust. It was established in February 1991 to promote Islamic Dawah the proper presentation, understanding and appreciation of Islam as well as removing misconceptions about Islam among less-aware Muslims and non-Muslims. IRF claims to reach millions of people worldwide through international satellite TV channels, cable TV networks, internet and the print media, the website says. Hindustan Times, quoting unnamed officials in the special branch of the Mumbai police, has reported that Naiks IRF has allegedly converted around 800 people to Islam by paying them using foreign funds. Naik, on his part, has maintained that his speeches were always taken out of context by the media to blame him as a terrorist sympathiser. However, many Islamic scholars and Muslim clerics had spoken against Naik, criticising that his speeches misguide the members of the community. A self-proclaimed expert of comparative religion, Naik attracts large crowds with his ability to recall versus from scared texts and his speeches typically argue in favor of the religious supremacy of Islam over other religions. Naik had earlier created a controversy earlier for his comments on countrys National Song, Vande Matram. Naik had said both Hindus and Muslims should say 'Vande Matram' since both religions advocate against idol worship including, according to Naik, worshipping the motherland. Early this month, Union minister for Information and Broadcasting, Venkaiah Naidu had said that appropriate action will be taken against the preacher if found guilty. "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 reporters in Delhi. Mouse: Mine is a long and a sad tale! Alice: It is a long tail, certainly; but why do you call it sad? Alice in Wonderland I had met him online. When I told him I am gay, married to a woman and also out to her, he found it interesting but had many doubts. He asked how my wife adjusted; wasnt it unfair to her; could I not have come out to my parents and avoided a messy marriage, why didnt I do it. Initially, I tried not getting into my personal details. Its of no use repeating them. So I talked about the books he had mentioned as his favourites, which I thought were impressive. I talked about Milan Kundera and how a book by him had once prompted me to take a life-changing decision. But he returned to my personal life. If now you are looking for a partner, arent you putting three people (including my kid) in difficulty, he asked. Now that the cat is out of the bag, would you both (wife and I) still plan to stay together? I explained to him the nature of my relationship with my wife and told him that she is a dear friend. I have nothing (much) to hide from her. But I also told him I had not been hiding any cat in my bag deliberately. I accept that I was irresponsible, but refuse to take any blame, for marrying a woman. It was not entirely my fault. He still found my life interesting and asked for a coffee meeting. I obliged. My heart went dhak-dhak as I waited for him. Finally, he arrived. It was raining slightly. I wanted to have a soup and he too. As we settled down in the restaurant, I felt like an unprepared student in an exam hall. Blank. I started by asking him which company he was working for, what did he graduate in and some such questions. He replied and then asked about my work. I replied. As we had the soup, I found myself in a place I try avoiding speaking about the hows and whys of my life. The logic or the lack of it. Why I came to Mumbai (I consider this as an exile; because I felt unsettled in Kerala), why did I not tell my parents (at that time it was unimaginable); why did I become a media professional (because I didnt know how to do what I loved to). In the barely two-hour-long meeting, like a know-all Big Brother, I gave him gyan about great philosophical puzzles of life; unleashed my socio-political convictions on him; even surprised myself by giving him some unsolicited career advice. At least twice I found us both yawning. I wondered whether this was indeed the meeting that I was yearning for. And then he asked me: Why did you want to meet me? I said: Because this is for the first time I am meeting somebody on a date. I uttered the last word with much hesitation it was barely audible to myself. What did you say, he asked. I said: This is the first time I am meeting somebody out of the NGO-activist circle, I clarified (to him and to myself: no, this is not a date). As we got up and walked out of the hotel, I told him about my routine. Wake up early morning; cook a little bit; go to office early; return late; weekend trips to my family who dont stay with me. At this, he broke in: You live a very fragmented life. You are pulled from all sides. On top of it all, you also have a kid. Kids are a big responsibility. I wouldnt want to live such a life. Had I been in your place I would have decided to be all by myself. As we shook our hands to leave, he said we will meet again. I will message you, I told him (I havent, until now). ---------------------------------------------------------- On this stage, I feel as comfortable as in mother's womb -- Ganpat Ramchandra Belwalkar in Natsamrat For me, the significance of year 1991 is not that Manmohan Singh introduced the so-called economic reforms and that the terrible beauty of consumerism took birth but it was the year I could have opened up to myself not just sexually but by all means. By that time, I had broken a hard shell to make friends around. A library situated in the heart of my village in Kerala had a wide variety of books from Malayalam soft porn novels to translations of Agatha Christie, Marquez, Dostyevsky classics. An enthusiastic bunch of youngsters would hang around the library during the evenings, singing songs and discussing films, novels and of course sharing porn stories. During the college days, my friendship was even richer. I was lucky to have a great team of well thinking, politically aware, personally supportive, diverse group of friends. In one of those days of heated political activism in which I mostly managed to escape unhurt unlike others one of them warned me: You will end up an emotional stupid. The comment reverberated inside my head for many days to come pushing me hard to take the decision to move to Mumbai, a city where I would be forced to fend for myself. In the next few years, as I switched from one company to another, trying to not think how happy I would have been had I stayed back in Kerala doing theatre, the search for the comfort of the mothers womb continued until that fine day when I opened up to my wife and cried and cried. ------------------------------------------------ Oh! Can the ever-victorious hate lower the high flying flag of life? * The night after my first date as surreal. In half-sleep, I tossed and turned in the bed. He a perfect bottom made his appearance as a top in my dream. Over the next few days, I reflected on the meeting. Why was there no fun in it? Why no passion? Is it because I could not adjust with the next generation man who had little confusion and much clarity? Did my explanations and justifications make mine a long sad tail which meant just a burden to him? For the younger, out-and-cool generation life is about colours and enthusiasm. I have, with much jealousy, ogled at their great spirit and love for life at the Pride parade, Kashish the LGBT film festival organised in Mumbai and many other such events. Would they understand a gay man who belongs to an older generation (I am nearing 45)? Someone with familial responsibilities, still grappling with the in/out confusion? Or are we (I and others like me) all wandering in a different planet altogether? The self esteem that I had painfully built up during the last few years tumbled down as I revisited the past and scrambled for answers to these questions. He had also given me an idea: be all by myself; why look for a companion? If I were to be all by myself wouldnt that mean getting back into the closet I had broken open with much difficulty? And moreover, India of 2016 is not India of 1991. The awareness about alternative sexualities and their rights has risen of late. That definitely was one reason why I had the guts to face myself (and my wife) some eight years ago. As the society matures, whether the political class acknowledges it or not, the general public will find us all normal. More men and women like me will come out. The very basis of marriage as an institution may be questioned. So why should I be all by myself? As I sat down to write this piece, the answers emerged. I came out to my bosses without much difficulty. It was smooth. I did not cry or do any nautanki as in the earlier such situations. I just told them that I am gay and we (wife and myself) are managing it well (almost). Clearly, each time I come out to someone, I love myself a little more. I accept my sexuality a little more. I become more assertive, fearless, confident, unapologetic. More importantly, self-hate has disappeared completely. I can assure that like Omar Mateen I will not shoot down or knife the people from my community. Even if some people decide to push me down a building for living the life I lived, I would not hate myself. I will try and be like the dog that wagged its tail when her tormentor threw her off the tower in Chennai. Because hate can never be victorious, ever. *A take-off from a famous couplet of Malayalam writer Vailoppilly Sreedhara Menon: Oh can the ever-victorious death/ lower the high flying flag of life. In April 2016, when the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum together declared an increase in the number of tiger population worldwide, K Ullas Karanth, Director for Science-Asia for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), expressed his reluctance in placing complete faith in these claims. In an interview with Firstpost, Karanth had said that these reports do not call for celebration. The tiger numbers that were reported, he argued, were all derived using poor methods or in some cases, sheer guesswork. "The tiger numbers reported in the WWF-GTF report are not based on any estimates from intensive rigorous camera trap/DNA studies of source populations," he said. While he agreed that India, for the past 50 years, has been investing more money, manpower, and political backing for tiger conservation with noticeable results, he did not quite see India's goal of doubling its tiger numbers by 2022 as a realistic one. He substantiated his claims by referring to the rigorous, intensive, long-term camera trap studies conducted by WCS in India, Thailand and Russia showed that tiger population recovery from depressed levels was a slow process, even in these relatively better-protected sites. None of the populations have been observed to double in 10 years, even under best of protection. As the world celebrates International Tiger Day on Friday, we look at how well India has been managing its tiger population. As per the latest official count, India is home to 2,226 tigers, representing 70 percent of the global population of the endangered species, reported NDTV. "In the last two years, the number has risen and our rough estimate as of now is that India has nearly 2,500 tigers," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar was quoted as saying by NDTV. "That shows that we are getting success. It was a proud moment for me when we had undertaken a tiger count in 2014... When I wrote 2,226 as India's tiger count it was fantastic as it was 30 percent more than the last count. This is 70 percent of the world tiger population," Javadekar had said. Being the country that proudly leads the tiger population number, Javadekar's claims substantiated by reports from wildlife groups like WWF which show a 22 percent increase in tiger population worldwide are quite believable. However, the picture is not all black and white. There are shades of grey that include poaching, abusive tiger temples, tiger skin trade and loss of habitat. An eight-month-old orphaned tiger cub died of a blood infection at Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) in Madhya Pradesh, in the same month when environment minister celebrated the 'rise' in tiger numbers, as reported by India today. A carcass of a tigress too was found floating on water in Tadoba Tiger Reserve. According to the report, Madhya Pradesh alone has lost 16 big cats to poaching and other causes in the last one year. Despite Javedkar's claims, the cat population in India has faced more threat this year, with more tigers killed till April 2016 than those killed in the whole of 2015, AFP reported. Citing data by Wildlife Protection Society of India, the agency said 28 tigers were killed till 26 April this year, as against 25 in 2015, as reported by International Business Times. Wildlife experts have said that 30 or more animals have been poached in the last seven months posing a dilemma for tiger conservationists, reports The New Indian Express. The report further said that according to Traffic India, poaching for tiger parts and habitat loss are both major threats to tigers. A tiger conservationist was quoted by The New Indian Express as saying, Mortality between January-July 2016 is disturbingly high so authorities should call for concerted action. Increased poaching, trading in body parts and successive loss of tiger habitat to developmental projects has resulted in this situation. With poaching on the rise and an increase in tiger deaths, India needs to take a long hard look at its tiger numbers and take stringent measures to save that which it prides itself over. It appears clear to us that the problems of overweight and obesity are no longer limited to the urban rich in India, one of the three major contributors, along with the US and China to the world's heaviness epidemic. The strong association of being overweight with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and some cancers, India can no longer ignore the problem. Amritsar: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday pledged to arrest Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia after six months for alleged drug smuggling. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader made the comments before a huge crowd of supporters shortly before a court here granted him and two other party colleagues bail in a defamation case filed by Majithia. "I am not frightened by the case filled by Majithia. He should keep these papers with him. But if he has courage then he will get me arrested within six months. Otherwise after six months, I will get him arrested," Kejriwal thundered before appearing in the court. Assembly elections in Punjab are about six months away, and the AAP has emerged as a major factor besides the ruling Akalis-BJP coalition and the Congress. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate had on 18 July issued summons to Kejriwal to appear before it. The AAP leaders had accused Majithia of patronizing the drug trade in Punjab and called him a "drug lord". Kejriwal and his colleague Sanjay Singh, the co-accused in the defamation case, were present in the packed court room. As scores of Akali Dal activists came out in support of Majithia, he sought a speedy trial so that the AAP leaders get jailed for defaming him. Addressing the AAP supporters, Kejriwal said Majithia had flourished his drug trade that had affected most houses in Punjab. "It's not only me, (Ashish) Khetan or Sanjay Singh, lakhs of people of Punjab have repeatedly said that Majithia is a drug trafficker, he said. AAP volunteers carried placards denouncing Majithia. Kejriwal said if the Parkash Singh Badal government could book the Delhi Chief Minister in a defamation case, he could understand how the common man was being harassed in Punjab. Some 15,000 to 20,000 volunteers of the AAP had gathered near Circuit House in support of Kejriwal. Police stopped them about one kilometre away from the court. Both Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh furnished bail bonds of Rs 40,000 each. The case will now come up for hearing on October 15, senior lawyer H.S. Phoolka told reporters. BJP leader Dayashankar Singh, who was expelled from party posts after comparing BSP chief Mayawati to a prostitute last week, was arrested in Buxar in Bihar. ANI reported that the arrest too place after the Uttar Pradesh police and the Bihar police undertook a joint operation. According to NDTV, Singh was arrested from Cheeni Mill Mohalla. The cops then took him to Lucknow. #FLASH Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh arrested in a joint operation between UP Police and Bihar Police from Buxar in Bihar ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 29, 2016 Singh has been on the run ever since he drew flak for claiming that Mayawati was selling BSP party tickets to the highest bidder and even a prostitute had a better work ethic. His remarks caused quite a stir in Parliament and simultaneous protests by women's groups and BSP leaders had broken out against the BJP. Leaders like Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal had condemned Singh's remarks. BJP had also distanced itself from Singh and had immediately expelled him from party posts. A case was registered against Singh on 20 July at the Hazratganj police station by Mewa Lal Gautam who said the now-sacked BJP state vice-president's statement had violated the honour of a Dalit woman and tried to foment trouble and tension between the two communities. The police had lodged the FIR against Singh under Sections 153-A, 504 and 509 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. On Thursday, Mayawati had ridiculed the Uttar Pradesh government for not arresting Singh, alleging that he was roaming scot-free in BJP-ruled Jharkhand and giving interviews to media. "This clearly smacks of an understanding between BJP and the SP government which is indulging in drama over his arrest," she said, demanding that he be nabbed immediately. On the same day, Singh failed to get a stay on his arrest from Allahabad High Court. The HC directed the UP government to file its reply by 5 August on his plea challenging the FIR. The Lucknow bench comprising justices Ajai Lamba and Ravindra Nath also directed that a copy of the reply be provided to the petitioner's counsel and fixed 8 August as the next date of hearing. With inputs from agencies The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Lokpal and Lakayuktas Act, 2013 to extend the deadline for filing asset declarations beyond 31 July for 50 lakh central government employees and NGOs receiving government funds. A day later, on Thursday, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday also approved the same amendment, called the Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2016. Ironically, this approval by the Rajya Sabha came just a day after the Congress had on Wednesday said that it was "not binding" on it to back the government on the issue in the Rajya Sabha where it does not have numbers. This amendment is significant and controversial because it dilutes a provision in the Lokpal Act, 2013 which was one of the results of the India Against Corruption movement which had shaken the country in 2011 and 2012. Why is the Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2016 important? This amendment affects only Section 44 of the Lokpal Act, which in turn deals with the declaration of assets and liabilities of the public servants and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who come under the purview of the Act. The NGOs which receive over Rs 1 crore in government grants and donations above Rs 10 lakh come under the purview of the Act. Earlier, as per rules notified under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, every public servant was supposed to file declaration, information and annual returns pertaining to his or her assets and liabilities on 31 March every year or on or before 31 July of that year, according to PTI. For 2014, the last date for filing returns was 15 September of that year. It was first extended till December 2014, then till 30 April, 2015. The third extension was up to 15 October. The date was then extended to 15 April this year for filing of returns for 2014 and 2015. But in April, the deadline was extended yet again till 31 July. With the latest amendment, the deadline for declaration has now gone beyond 31 July. Apart from the obvious problem that the deadline for declaration has been continuously extended since 2014, the amendment also does not provide any further details of when and how the public servants and NGOs will make their declaration, reported The Times of India. The amendment just states that the public servants will make a declaration in such form and manner "as may be prescribed". The amendment also exempts the spouse and dependent children of public servants from declaring their assets, something which further reduces the transparency of the original Act. The amendment also came amid criticism that the government was diluting the transparency law by classifying NGO officials as public servants. The TOI report also said that the provisions which were affected by the amendment had been made part of the Act during UPA rule in the aftermath of the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, which had sought to bring about more transparency in governance. The politics behind the amendment Because of yet another deadline extension and exemption of family members of public servants from declaration, the government was criticised for attempting to dilute the Lokpal Act after the amendment was passed in Lok Sabha. On Wednesday, the Congress had said that it was "not binding" on it to support the government in Rajya Sabha on this issue. "We have to live with the reality of numbers in the Lok Sabha...Certainly it does not mean it is binding on us in the Rajya Sabha," PTI had quoted Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi as saying. Yet on Thursday, the amendment was also passed in the Rajya Sabha. Even in the Lok Sabha, the government seemed to have been in a strange hurry to pass the amendment. According to The New Indian Express, even though the amendment was not listed in the initial list of business, a supplementary list of business was moved at around noon on Wednesday. Many MPs had complained of not getting enough time to go through the amendment bill. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs SS Ahluwalia was rushing around the House, talking to MPs like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mallikarjun Kharge. He had also met many leaders even before the bill was moved in the House. The bill was passed without a discussion and had been moved by Minister of State in the PMO Jitender Singh. Even though CPM and TMC raised objections to the manner in which the amendments had been moved in the House, the amendment bill was later passed by a voice vote. (With inputs from PTI) Efforts to hammer out a consensus on the Goods and Services Tax bill gathered momentum on Thursday for its likely tabling in the Rajya Sabha next week with the government reaching out to opposition parties even as the Congress described the exercise as "constructive and positive". Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanyam today held several rounds of talks with leaders of Congress and other parties including the Samajwadi Party, JD(U) and CPI(M). Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Anand Sharma and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha participated in the discussions with Jaitley. There were two rounds with the Congress leaders. "Serious effort is being made to bring a consensus on the GST bill," Sharma said without disclosing details on whether the Congress was insisting on its standing about putting a cap on the levy in the Constitution bill. Congress sources said party Vice President Rahul Gandhi also expects a positive outcome from these consultations. They said the discussions have entered a "decisive and positive phase". "Talks are on with various parties on GST and so far things are moving forward as expected," a senior government functionary said adding the effort is on to present it in the Rajya Sabha next week. Sources say Jaitley told the opposition leaders that government wants to bring consensus on the GST and was ready for talks with any leader even during the weekend to hear out and address their concerns on the issue. A top congress leader, however, said they were awaiting the draft of the legislation after "extensive talks" with the government and hoped for a "positive outcome". At the meeting of Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Upper House today evening, the GST bill was not discussed as it has already earmarked five hours for the bill last week. Jaitley also met SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and held talks with other leaders also. Sources add that the government is also in touch with AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa on the key bill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked to Yadav when the Rajya Sabha was adjourned briefly during the Question Hour. Modi remained seated in the House during the brief adjournment and spoke to Yadav and another SP member Neeraj Shekhar. Meanwhile, five parties, including the Left, on Thursday asked the Centre to assure states that their financial needs will be taken care of before the GST Bill is brought, which they allege seeks to take away states' right to raise resources. This was conveyed by them to Jaitley when leaders of the parties in Rajya Sabha belonging CPI(M), CPI, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and BJD met him. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the Constitution amendment bill would make the states "to come with a begging bowl to the Centre, placing them at the Centre's mercy." He said the GST Bill would deprive the states of their "right to raise resources" through sales tax, surcharge or cess. "The state governments will be deprived of their only right to raise revenue as this right will be abolished with the Bill" as they would not be able to impose any cess even during an emergency or natural disaster, he said, adding that this was conveyed to the Finance Minister at the meeting. "The GST Bill is only meant for imposing a tax. It does not deal with Centre-State relations. So, a resolution has to be found outside the Bill and the government has to come out with an assurance," the CPI(M) leader said, adding that "we will have to see how the government addresses this issue." Regarding the meeting, Yechury said "we were merely informed about the discussion the government had with the Congress. There was no scope for a discussion." He also said there is "nothing in writing so far" on what the latest bill actually says. Accusing the Narendra Modi government of going by the strength of the parties in Parliament to hold discussions on the GST Bill, he said "so we are immaterial in terms of number of seats we have. It is a game between the BJP and the Congress". Asked whether Jaitley indicated by when the bill will be brought to Rajya Sabha, the CPI(M) leader said "there is no indication. It will all depend on what is happening between the BJP and the Congress." The government is working to address the concerns raised by opposition parties, including Congress, on the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, known as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill. The Bill seeks to introduce a system for uniform taxation across the country and has been pending for a long time. Patna: With RJD chief Lalu Prasad demanding 80 percent reservation for youths of Bihar in state jobs and admission in educational institutions under it, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said it was not "out of context". Steps could be taken in this direction, he said, if a consensus emerged among all parties after intense discussions. "The issue of domiciliary is not out of context," Kumar told reporters emerging from state Legislative Assembly. The issue of local reservation is picking momentum in different parts of the country and hence the Centre should intervene to make some "solid arrangement" for protecting the interest of locals, he said. Kumar, who is the national president of JD(U), said during his recent visit to neighbouring Jharkhand, he had extended support to citizens of that state on the issue of reservation for locals. "I and my party are very much in favour that residents of Bihar should get preference in employment in state jobs," he said. "There is a need for intense discussions on the topic and if consensus emerges among all parties, steps could be taken in this direction," Kumar said. RJD president Lalu Prasad, whose party is a major partner in the Grand Secular Alliance government in Bihar, yesterday expressed concern over Biharis being deprived in jobs in other states due to local reservation and also being in a disadvantaged position in the state itself in certain jobs requiring higher qualification. The Opposition BJP also lent support to the issue of reservation for locals. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had yesterday doubted the "seriousness" of the demand and dared Lalu Prasad to ask the Grand Secular Alliance government in the state to bring a legislation to this effect, which he said, the BJP would support. WHY DONT YOU READ THESE? A deal he initiated with a Canadian firm for the renovation of three hydro-electric plants as Power Minister during 2006-2008 pushed Pinarayi Vijayan out of power politics in Kerala for a long spell. He returned to power as chief minister three decades later after a court cleared him of corruption charges slapped against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the controversial deal with the Canadian multinational firm, SNC Lavalin, in November 2013. Though his detractors within the party and outside used the case to stifle his political career, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader does not seem to have shown any wavering in his liberal approach. He has made his intentions clear by appointing Harvard economist Gita Gopinath, an advocate of neo-liberal policies that the Left parties oppose, as his economic advisor. The move has sparked protests not only from hardliners in the Left, but also Opposition Congress that ironically introduced the neo-liberal policies during its regime at the Centre. While the Congress has confined its protests to mere statements, hard-line leader V S Achuthanandan has pursued his opposition to the move with the central leadership of the CPM, which itself is amazed by the appointment reportedly made by the chief minister without consulting them. In his letter to party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, the nonagenarian leader, who was sidelined for the chief ministers post, has questioned the appointment saying that Gopinaths neo-liberal positions are at odds with that of the CPM in particular and the Left in general. The former chief minister has cited Gopinaths endorsement of the economic policies pursued by the last United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the present Narendra Modi government as a reflection of her neo-liberal economic agenda. Prominent Left wing economist Prabhat Patnaik, who served as vice-chairman of the State Planning Board during Achuthanandans term as chief minister from 2006 to 11, has also come out against the appointment saying that it may lead to a deviation from the Lefts pro-labour and pro-people economic strategies. The Communist Party of India (CPI), the second largest constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), is also opposed to the appointment but the party leadership has opted to raise its reservations in the LDF forum. Political observers feel that if Achuthanandan pursues his opposition to the move to its logical conclusion, it could spell trouble for the chief minister, who was forced to withdraw the appointment of prominent lawyer M K Damodaran as his legal advisor under similar pressure. Kozhikode-based political analyst N P Chekutty does not rule out the possibility of Achuthanandan making use of the opportunity to harass Pinarayi. However, he doubts his strength to raise a banner of revolt against the chief minister by mobilising the hardliners in the party. Achuthanandan had succeeded in checking Pinarayi mainly with the support of CPM central leadership, which was overwhelmed by the mass support he mustered in the state. However, the central leadership started taking a neutral position after the standoff between the two led to a bitter faction feud in the party. The leadership under Prakash Karat sought to contain the factionalism by suspending the two from the politburo but it raged on with the nonagenarian leader giving it an ideological colour. Even though he continued the fight the ideological deviations by Pinarayi faction with mass support and the backing of some of the partys allies like the CPI, Pinarayi fortified his position by crushing the supporters of Achuthanandan one by one. Achuthanandan started losing friends after he failed to stand by those who questioned the ideological deviations. While many quit the party and kept the ideology aloft by launching their own forums others were thrown out. Many started approaching the official faction led by Pinarayi following the brutal murder of rebel leader T P Chandrashekharan. Pinarayi had packed the state committee and secretariat with his supporters by the time he relinquished the post of the partys state secretary after an 18-year stint. The brute majority he commanded in the two forums made the task easy for the central leadership in handing over the baton to Pinarayi after the assembly election. The appointment of Gopinath will certainly revive the inner party ideological feud but I am sure Pinarayi will ultimately have his way. He has been keeping such a position and his decision to launch a television channel in 2000 itself and the way he co-opted wider sections outside party and even capitalists with this venture showed his determination to do what he thinks right, says Chekutty. He told the Firstpost that the chief minister will have support from within the party and outside, including the West Bengal unit that ventured out into the new liberalised economic policy. Despite setbacks they are still committed to this line. The Kerala leader is making use of this issue to harass Pinarayi and there is no substance in his arguments, adds Chekutty. Moreover, he believes that the party in the state is slowly veering round to pragmatic approach. Many have started realizing that the state cannot progress by clinging on to the ideology. They feel that Kerala cannot shut itself out and then hope for the best for its future generations. It needs to move ahead and move fast. For this the state needs to explore outside the familiar circles. People like Gopinath bring in expertise from the world outside and we will have to keep our eyes and ears open to the world outside, says Chekutty. He believes that those criticising the appointment of Gopinath were deftly trying to confuse people by a malicious mixing of different issues-like her known positions on some economic initiatives and her views on some policies of Modi government and then juxtaposing it against the perceived economic positions of the CPM and the Left parties. The positive views she took on the central government's economic initiatives and her disagreements with the known positions of the Left on some matters need not come in the way of her appointment since she is not part of the government and her advice is not binding on the government. Chekutty feels that the present move to oust her from the position is ill-conceived and it will surely backfire as a public relations disaster for the state, its chief minister and will not do any good for the people. Gopinath, who has roots in Kannur district of the state, has an impeccable academic record. She is John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard and the the third woman and the first Indian after Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to become a tenured professor at the Ivy League university. Gopinath, who is fluent in Malayalam, is unfazed by the raging controversy over her appointment. In a statement released through the CMs office the other day, she said that her appointment was an honorary one and she will render her advice only when it is sought by the chief minister. The statement said that said she had no plans to shift her base to Thiruvananthapuran and she will continue in her role as a full-time professor at Harvard even as she does her best to fulfill the role the chief minister has handed to her. Having covered four South Asian Association Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summits as a journalist, let me make it clear that Saarc meetings usually do not make news for their deliberations as a regional organisation, but for the side-events when the leaders meet (or do not meet) bilaterally. And this has been all the more so when Indian and Pakistani leaders meet or do not meet on the sidelines of the Saarc meetings. No wonder why news headlines this morning are not on what theme Home Minister Rajnath Singh will highlight on in the 7th meeting of Saarc Ministers of Interior/Home Islamabad on 4 August, 2016 in Islamabad, but on whether or not he will raise terrorism-related issues with Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan. In fact, speculations are on whether he will talk to Chaudhary one one-to-one basis at all in the wake of the emphatic assertion of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj the other day that what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir today is because of the weapons and terrorism exported by Pakistan. In a way, Rajnath Singh himself had made the same point while intervening in Parliament during discussions on Kashmir. Although nearly 31 year-old, the Saarc has not realised its potentials primarily because two of its most powerful members India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads. Take, for instance, the main purpose for which the Indian Home Minister will be heading to Islamabad next week. He is supposed to discuss with his Saarc counterparts on issues such as combating terrorism; preventing trafficking in women and children for prostitution; and mutual assistance in criminal matters, including the trade of narcotics/drugs. The Saarc has farmed conventions on all these issues, but they are hardly implemented. In fact, on terrorism, an Additional Protocol came into force to further strengthen Saarc Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism (1988). But despite these agreements, the sad reality is that the Saarc as a region is one of the most terrorism-prone areas of the world. And what is more shocking is that here, Pakistan, one of its key members, uses terrorism as an instrument of its foreign policy, particularly against two other members, India and Afghanistan. This being the case, nothing concrete is likely to emerge from the Islamabad-meeting that Rajnath Singh is going to attend. In fact, this is the second Saarc meeting of the home ministers that Singh will be attending; he had attended the last one, the sixth in the series, at Kathmandu in September 2014. That such meetings are at best photo opportunities and non-serious affairs is further evident from the fact that though supposed to be an annual feature (as decided during the Saarc summit in 2005 at Dhaka), so far only six have been held. The one at Islamabad is going to be the seventh one, though it should have been the 11th in the series, if there was a genuine commitment to regional cooperation within the Saarc framework. However, as I have said, Saarc meetings may have failed as regional meetings, but they have provided opportunities on the sidelines for important bilateral deliberations among the visiting leaders. Against this background, will Rajnath Singh really speak to the Pakistani leaders during his sojourn to that country? There are conflicting reports to that effect. But if he speaks at all, what will he speak? Let me demystify some vital aspects of Indo-Pak relations. First, it is totally meaningless for India to talk to any civilian leader of Pakistan, be he the President or Prime Minister (let alone a Home Minister). Because, they do not have any say in the policy towards India. The ultimate decision-maker in Pakistan as far as India is concerned happens to be the Army Chief, who is advised by the notorious ISI, an important component of the Pakistani Army. Therefore, if any breakthrough in the India-Pakistani impasse is to be made, New Delhi should insist that the Pakistani Army Chief Raheel Sharif or his nominees should be in the Pakistani delegation for negotiations. It so happens that the Army, for its vast unaccounted power in Pakistan, needs an eternal enemy in India to justify all its actions. Therefore, if at all there will be any progress on the front of India-Pakistan relations, that is possible if the Pakistani Army remains the primary negotiator. It may be politically incorrect to say so but the fact remains India lost a great chance to progress on the Kashmir issue when Pakistan was under the rule of General Pervez Musharraf because at that time he had the power to deliver results. The hard reality is that Nawaz Sharif and his ministers and advisers are simply helpless in pursuing any meaningful negotiations with India. Let us not forget that Pakistan is essentially an army with a country. It is the army that decides the countrys policy towards India. There are three lakshman rekhas (limiting lines) that the army has drawn for the civilian Prime Ministers and Presidents. One, they would not interfere in any manner in the organizational and administrative work of the armed forces. Two, they would abide by the advice of the Army Chief on matters of foreign and defence policies. Three, they would not interfere with the army-controlled nuclear weaponisation and missile programmes. Secondly, unlike China, which is and can be Indias rival and partner simultaneously, Pakistan will always behave as Indias enemy. Come what may, it will continue to promote jihad in Kashmir and other parts of India, something it has been doing interminably since 1980s. It will never provide any evidences that will link its citizens with horrible terror attacks on Mumbai in 2008. Any number of hard evidences of LeT/ISI involvement that India provides to Islamabad will never impress the Pakistani establishment. It will always come out with the answer that these evidences are not enough to merit attention of the Pakistani courts, which, alone, are competent to deal with the Pakistanis accused in Mumbai attacks. It is another matter that the same Pakistan has handed over many of its terrorist-nationals to the United States for prosecution without waiting judicial clearance. Similarly, Pakistan will continue to expand its military pressure/intervention points in India by strengthening its terror networks all over South Asia. Terrorism will remain Pakistans important instrument of foreign policy against India. Thirdly, it is a huge myth that Pakistan will shed its hostility to India if Kashmir issue is resolved on Islamabads terms. Even if Kashmir joins Pakistan, Islamabad will find out another issue to trouble India. Because, Pakistans antipathy towards India is deep-rooted. In fact, Pakistans very existence as an entity depends on hostility towards India. Take India away and Pakistans justification as a separate country in the map of the world will hold no water. All told, India was partitioned in 1947 to create a homeland for Muslims under the name of Pakistan. But it so happened that more Muslims stayed back in India than those who joined Pakistan. And this explains why the Pakistan army promotes fundamentalist mullahs in the country and uses them in tirades against India trough terrorist organisations like the LeT. This fundamentalist Wahabi Islam negates the Sufi tradition that promoted Hindu-Muslim amity and coexistence in the subcontinent for centuries. So much so that many Pakistanis now suffer from some identity crisis they are not sure whether they should retain their age-old cultural roots (that are obviously influenced by Hinduism) or develop totally new Arab identities. Oblivious of Indias size, population and potentials, Pakistans obsession right since its inception has been seeking parity with India. And how to seek parity? One has to do everything that India does. If India has nuclear weapons and missiles, Pakistan must have them even if in the process, as late Z Bhutto said, The Pakistanis have to eat grass (to survive). The other thing to do is to work towards the disintegration of India so that India comes down to the size of Pakistan. This policy, as Bhutto said, was essential for Pakistans national survival and unity. Therefore, he further elaborated, Pakistans policies against India should be closely coordinated with China. Fourthly, and this is a corollary of the above point, erosion of Indian power, dismemberment of its territories and consolidation of an anti-India geo-strategic nexus are Pakistans predominant foreign policy goals. Pakistans war against India is no longer confined to Kashmir. Pakistan wants to balkanize India by cutting off the countrys northern, eastern (North-East) and southern (Kerala) wings. In fact, Mushahid Hussain, once a former information minister under Sharif, has argued that Pakistan should work towards the division of India into three or four independent countries. Simultaneously, Pakistans ISI machinery will concentrate on widening the Hindu-Muslim divide, spreading hatred and destroying Indias inherent ethos of communal harmony. Even otherwise, if one goes by the history books written for students in Pakistan, the intensity of the anti-India venom and the ferocity with which it is being injected into young minds are mind-blowing. This great historic discovery is taught: Previously, India was part of Pakistan. In these books, Muhammad-bin-Qasim, the first Muslim conqueror of the Hindu-dominated Sindh province in the 8th century, is declared the first Pakistani citizen. In Social Studies for Class VI (Sindh Textbook Board, 1997), the story of the Arabs arrival in Sindh is counted as the first moment of Pakistan, with the glorious ascendancy of Islam. It is interesting to note the flight of imagination of this author: During the 11th century the Ghaznavid Empire comprised what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan. During the 12th century, the Ghaznavids lost Afghanistan, and their rule came to be confined to PakistanBy the 13th century, Pakistan had spread to include the whole of Northern India and BengalUnder the Khiljis Pakistan moved further southward to include a greater part of Central India and the Deccan Many Mongols accepted Islam. As such Pakistan remained safe for Islam During the 16th century, Hindustan disappeared and was completely absorbed in PakistanAlthough Pakistan was created in August 1947, yet except for its name, the present-day Pakistan has existed, as a more or less single entity, for centuries. The moral of the story is obvious. Unless the typical mindset of the Pakistanis is changed, India will remain their eternal enemy. This is not to suggest that Rajnath Singh should not talk to Chaudhary at all. Talks, per se, are important for three reasons. One, it will strengthen the peace-constituency in Pakistan, howsoever small and inconsequential it may be at the moment. Two, it will help in neutralizing the pro-Pakistan elements in the Western countries, particularly the United States, Pakistans largest source of economic aid and military assistance. Three, it will give us time and space to augment our economic and military power to not only face any eventual hot war from Pakistan but also develop the capacity to manage the situation following the disintegration of Pakistan because of its inherent contradictions, which is a distinct possibility. However, there will be problems and disappointment, if Singh expects any positive outcomes from talks with Pakistani leaders and officials. In my considered view, such talks must be considered a routine matter, nothing more. There is absolutely no need to spend much time and energy with Pakistan just ignore it and concentrate on other neighbours and geostrategic opportunities in the broad Indo-Pacific region Soon after Hillary Clinton concluded her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Donald Trump took to Twitter and started criticising Hillary Clinton for not saying the words "radical Islam" in her nomination acceptance speech. Trump says, "Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words." Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary's refusal to mention Radical Islam, as she pushes a 550% increase in refugees, is more proof that she is unfit to lead the country. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary's wars in the Middle East have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Trump unleased the criticism in a series of tweets in reaction to the speech. He is picking up a frequent Republican criticism of Democrats' approach to fighting radicalism. Neither Clinton nor President Barack Obama used the phrase "radical Islam" because they say it is misleading the ideology motivating terrorists does not reflect true Islam, they say. Republicans argue the failure to use the label has hampered the fight. In her speech, Clinton said she will defeat the Islamic State group and work to fight radicalization of young people in the US and abroad. With inputs from AP We, the media (unlike the grandeur of we, the people) have a highly inflated idea of the impact we make on events and trends. In India it is even more fleeting and little of it sticks. Despite all the froth we create and the drums we beat, nothing really changes because of us. Oh, yes, a passing shower, a false perception that the truth has been exposed and justice done, the good fight fought but it all adds up to naught. We do not influence elections much as we would like to think we do. Our campaign against rape has been a dismal failure if not a fan to intensify the flames. Our doughty defence of Dalits has only added to their plight. Cow slaughter, terrorism, the Hindu-Muslim divide the media has done very little to resolve any of these issues. There was a time, not so long ago, when media was limited and what was said or spoken had a certain sanctity and more importantly, was believed. Now, the deluge drowns the receiver, destroys his synapses and overloads the circuits. Its due to this canvas that I would not get too excited about the Democratic National Convention in USA, a nation whose media model of search and destroy we now so violently follow. Of course, Michelle Obama gave a stirring speech. Slavery and children, lethal combination. She finger painted pictures of the legacy for tomorrow so eloquently that sunbeams frolicked on the floor. Bill Clinton being folksy, the rhetoric of President Barack Obama resonating as it always does, even former New York mayor Michael Bloombergs salutation to Hillary, collectively soul stirring and wonderful. Making the wolfish Donald Trump look callow and cowardly and pathetic. Doesnt add up to a spit in the wind. Just words that will dissipate in the winds of time, just a little time, days not even weeks. All it needs is one more act of gratuitous violence and Trump will leap back into the saddle, these words of wisdom lost to the electorate. Americans have been given a shock that is arbitrary and new. They have been taught how to be scared, vulnerable and suspicious, states of mind that have not been part of their psyche. God has always been in His heaven and all is right with their world. And now there is this man telling them the smelly stuff is hitting the fan. They are boarding up the windows and circling the wagons. Trump is strumming their fate with his plump little fingers and he knows the words so well. As a nation, America is on the mental backfoot. So much so that even Trump's inelegant, politically incorrect and totally graceless call on Russia to hack Hillarys emails has flown under the bridge without much condemnation. In these circumstances, pomp and ceremony, well-written speeches and great delivery are soggy cardboard. It is all just a more refined version of what Americans have heard at the preamble to an election since the days of JFK. In an odd way, there is comfort in being scared. It is like battle inoculation and thats exactly what Trump is doing; a call to arms, to gird your loins for war for war it is. It is like the Wild West and it is striking at that macho streak that has been consecrated in the American psyche. The fact that by now Trump has not disillusioned his Republican support base either in the Houses or on the streets speaks volumes about his tack even if it's filling the sails with an ill wind. To believe there will be no terror attacks between now and November is a bit of a stretch. Every such attack will add a brick to the mans walls and his prejudices will feed off it. Ankara: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused a top US general of being on the side of Turkey's coup plotters after commenting that the country's turmoil could downgrade military cooperation with Washington. "You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt," Erdogan said in angry remarks at a military centre in Golbasi outside Ankara, where air strikes left dozens dead during the failed putsch on 15 July. Quoted by US media, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel had said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of dozens of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. In particular, Votel suggested the US had lost key Turkish military interlocutors who are now in jail and accused of being behind the coup. "Know your place!" Erdogan told Votel, using one of his favourite expressions of anger. "The coup plotter is already in your country, you are already feeding him," he said, referring to the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who Ankara accuses of being the mastermind of the coup. Turkey is a key member of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, with its Incirlik air base used as a launch hub for raids on the group. Philadelphia: "Made in India" versus "Make in America" has emerged an election issue in the US. Democratic Party's presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Friday criticized her Republican rival Donald Trump for making in India the picture frames he sells under his brand. In her speech accepting the party nomination, one of her many criticisms of Trump was that while he has said he would bring back jobs to the US through a policy of Make in America, his own products were made abroad. One of the products she cited were Trump picture frames made in India. Her campaign has identified them as the "Donald Trump Park Avenue Collection" - four inches by six inches (about 10 cm X 15 cm) picture frames. They are supplied by IMAX Corporation in Tulsa, Oklahoma state, which says on its website that it sources products from India and China. Another South Asian element in her speech was a tribute to Army Captain Humayun Khan, a 27-year-old Pakistani-American army man killed in 2004 in Iraq trying to save his soldiers from a car bomb. Clinton cited Khan to hit out against Trump's threats to temporarily suspend Muslim immigration while determining how to vet them. Earlier in the closing programme, Humayun Khan's father, Khizr Khan, was one of the speakers. "You are asking Americans to trust you with their future," he challenged Trump. "Let me ask you, if you have read the US Constitution?" He said that his son would never have been able to serve the US had Trump been the President. "We will become stronger when Clinton becomes President." Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was dignified and statesmanlike, as she took to the convention stage on Thursday to give a rousing speech: coming just six days after her Republican rival Donald Trump, who delivered the darkest, vainest acceptance speech in modern presidential history. It was devastatingly effective. Clinton appeared almost overcome with emotion as she entered the arena to loud cheers and embraced her daughter, Chelsea, who introduced her as the next president of the United States. Chelsea, 36, who has two children, struck a warm personal note with the audience, as she shared intimate details about how her mother raised her. With a chaotic Republican convention in Cleveland, and troubling remarks on Wednesday suggesting that Trump would be pleased if Russian cyber-spies hacked Hillary Clinton's email account, Trump set the ball on the tee for Clinton. Late on Thursday night, Clinton knocked it out of sight as she addressed 30 million people in the biggest speech of her career. "Even Hillary's sharpest critics will acknowledge that as a matter of political stagecraft of tone, of emotional range and contrast to Trump she gave a powerful, effective speech," said political analyst Barbara Morris. "It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for President of the United States," Clinton said to thunderous applause at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. "Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes," Clinton said as she took an early swipe at Trump's acceptance speech last week. "Most of all, don't believe anyone who says: 'I alone can fix it.' Those were actually Donald Trump's words in Cleveland. We say: 'We'll fix it together', said Clinton. She reached out to white working class voters who have powered Donald Trump's rise. "Some of you are frustrated, even furious. And you know what? You're right. It's not yet working the way it should," she said. There was even time for some humour after Clinton outlined economic, health and education policy prescriptions. "You didn't hear any of this from Donald Trump at his convention did you? He spoke for 70-odd minutes. And I do mean odd," she with a mischievous twinkle. Clinton referenced the historic nature of her candidacy, saying "when any barrier falls in America, it clears the way for everyone. After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." More than 55 percent of voters will be women in the upcoming November elections, and Clinton is trying to reach those voters in her bid to get to the White House. Theres a contingent of strong Clinton supporters, who also want to completely take gender out of the equation, citing their agreement with her on issues and her stellar resume. "I'm not voting for Hillary cause shes a woman. I'm voting for her cause shes most qualified," actress Eva Longoria told reporters. However, some like Oscar-winner Meryl Streep have pointed out that Clinton has walked through fire to get her party's nomination. What does it take to be the first anything? said Meryl Streep in her remarks from the podium on Tuesday night. Grit and grace for over 40 years. After the divisiveness of the Trump campaign, and the spate of gun violence in places such as Orlando, Clinton projected herself as the epitome of steady leadership to a nation that is looking for reassurance. Ahead of Clinton's speech, retired four star General John Allen, the former head of US and international forces in Afghanistan, delivered a powerful speech in which he told delegates that Clinton would be "exactly the Commander-in-Chief America needs." "Our country's motto is e pluribus unum: out of many, we are one. Will we stay true to that motto?" asked Clinton "Well, we heard Donald Trump's answer last week at his convention. He wants to divide us from the rest of the world, and from each other. He's betting that the perils of today's world will blind us to its unlimited promise. He's taken the Republican Party a long way...from "Morning in America" to "Midnight in America." He wants us to fear the future and fear each other," said Clinton. "Well, a great Democratic President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than eighty years ago, during a much more perilous time," said Clinton. The theme was 'Stronger Together' as Clinton delivered her speech at the end of a largely successful convention which has begun to mend the split left in the party by her divisive primary against Bernie Sanders. The mood on the convention floor on Thursday was festive and upbeat. PHILADELPHIA Democrat Hillary Clinton will make her case for the White House on Thursday night, taking the stage at her nominating convention to try to dispel doubts about her character and restore her battered image. In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year career in public service, Clinton will sound the themes that will propel her campaign against Republican Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. It will be Clinton's turn in the spotlight after days of electrifying speeches by party heavyweights such as President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama praising Clinton and cautioning that Trump would be dangerous and divisive. "Tonight in her speech, Hillary is going to stitch together each of these themes and talk about how this election is really a moment of reckoning for the voters," Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told reporters. "Are we going to succumb to some very powerful forces that are tearing at our social fabric, that are dividing us, economically and socially, or are we going to come together to solve these problems?" he said. It will be a difficult and high-stakes task for the guarded Clinton, 68, known to be a more effective politician in small gatherings than on big stages. Clinton, vying to be the first woman elected president in U.S. history, needs to make a convincing argument she can bring about change while representing the legacy of Obama, who is nearing the end of his second four-year term with high approval ratings. She must make inroads with voters who find her untrustworthy or unlikable, as her favorability ratings in polls have hit all-time lows. In his speech, Obama offered an optimistic view of the United States that he contrasted with Trump's vision of a country in crisis. Clinton was likely to offer a similarly upbeat message. She aimed to draw on an idea that has driven her throughout her career, that all Americans should be given the chance to fulfil their potential, a campaign aide said. Trump, a 70-year-old New York businessman who has never held political office, is running just ahead of Clinton in a RealClearPolitics average of recent national opinion polls. They both garner high "unpopularity" ratings. The Republican nominee has hammered Clinton as untrustworthy, and Republicans depict her as a Washington insider who would continue what they see as the failed policies of Obama's presidency. Trump rejected the optimism voiced at the Democratic convention, saying Democrats were talking about "a world that doesn't exist" and papering over Clinton's problems and mistakes. "I propose a different vision for America, one where we can break up Washington's rigged system, and empower all Americans to achieve their dreams. In our vision, we will put America First," he said in a statement. Chelsea Clinton, who spent eight years of her childhood in the White House when Bill Clinton was president, will introduce her mother on Thursday evening. MILESTONE FOR WOMEN The Democratic gathering began on a note of discord on Monday, with backers of Bernie Sanders, the U.S. senator from Vermont who lost the nomination to Clinton, noisily booing the very mention of her name. But protests inside the arena calmed after the tumultuous first day. After two nights of speeches meant to unify the party and show a more personal and warmer side of Clinton, the third night featured a sharp turn to attacking Trump. Taking aim at Trump's campaign promise to "Make America Great Again," Obama said: "America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump." Trump, a former reality TV star, has portrayed the country as being under siege from illegal immigrants, crime and terrorism and as losing influence in the world. He has proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country and a wall along the border with Mexico to keep illegal immigrants out. Biden called Trump an opportunist with no clue about how to make America great. Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine, a U.S. senator from Virginia, said Trump was a "a one-man wrecking crew" who could not be trusted in the Oval Office. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent media mogul, attacked Trump's history of bankruptcies and lawsuits and called his presidential bid a "con." Joyce Lalonde, a retired elementary school teacher and delegate from Michigan at the Democratic convention, was eagerly anticipating Clinton's address as a milestone for women. Lalonde, 68, recalled how she and her fellow female teachers once protested her school district's requirement that women wear dresses or skirts and how times had changed for women. "It was a man's world!" Lalonde said. "Men didn't have to go through what women had to." (Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson, Luciana Lopez, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Amanda Becker and Susan Heavey; Writing by Frances Kerry and John Whitesides; Editing by Howard Goller and and Peter Cooney) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Auto refresh feeds Clinton promises that the Wall Street and the "super rich will pay their share of taxes. Not because we resent success, but more than 90% gains has gone to the 1%. That's where the money is and we are going to follow it". "In Atlantic City, you will find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Trump refused to pay them", says Clinton as the crowd boos. Clinton then references Obama's "Don't boo - vote" quote on Thursday. She says Trump "talks a big game about putting America first" and goes on to point out that how Trump ties and caps aren't made in America. "He talks about making America great again, he can start by making things in America." Interesting to note that the one thing both Clinton and Trump agreed upon was the importance of Israel. She says "we put a lid on Iran's nuke program without finding a single shot." Now, that's a pro-Israel line. This might the line of the day: "Trump says 'I know more about ISIS than the Generals do.' We will strike from the air, "It won't be easy or quick but make no mistake: we will prevail." "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Hillary "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons." She says she is "not here to repeal 2nd Amendment; I won't take away guns. Don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the 1st place." Clinton promises to work with gun owners to reform and keep guns out of hands of those "who will do us harm". Clinton makes a passionate case for minorities. "Let's put ourselves in the shoes of young Black and Latino men and women who feel like their lives are displaceable. Will stand up against mean and divisive rhetoric." "Last year, we made the mistake of laughing off Donald Trump, thinking he couldn't mean the horrible things that he said," said Clinton. She said she couldn't believe it either that someone could talk that way. Truth is "there is no other Donald Trump," and in the end it comes down to what he "doesn't get". This had to be said, but looks like everyone's waiting for the Trump tweet. Spot anything yet? "When there aren't ceilings, the sky is the limit" - did Hillary Clinton just make an amazing, compounded Lil Wayne reference? Hillary Clinton: "Though 'we may not live to see the glory,' as the song from the musical Hamilton goes, 'let us gladly join the fight'." "Let's be strong; build a better tomorrow for our children. And when we do America will be greater than ever!" Clinton talks about her mother again. "You have to stand up to bullies... Even when the odds are long." She says still hears her mother's voice. Philadelphia: Three days of testimonials have led to this: Now, it's time for Hillary Clinton to make her own case. The former first lady, US senator and secretary of state will step out of the shadows of presidents past and present on Thursday for her chance to persuade Americans that she is the best choice to helm a nation looking for a new era of leadership. President Barack Obama anointed her the inheritor of his legacy Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention. Delivering a passionate case for his onetime rival, Obama declared Clinton not only can defeat the "deeply pessimistic vision" of Republican Donald Trump but also realise the "promise of this great nation." "She's been there for us, even if we haven't always noticed," he said. Clinton appeared unannounced on the platform soon after to soak up the roar of cheering Democrats. She pointed at the man who denied her the White House eight years ago, smiled wide and gave him a hug. Summoning his most famous line from that 2008 campaign, Obama said: "America isn't about 'Yes he will.' It's about 'Yes we can.'" Wednesday's was the picture of diversity that Democrats have sought to frame the whole week: The first African-American president symbolically seeking to hand the weightiest baton in the free world to a woman. It climaxed a parade of speeches over the past 72 hours from men and women, gay and straight, white, black and Hispanic, young and old hoping to cast the Republicans as out-of-touch social conservatives led by an unhinged and unscrupulous tycoon. For Obama, selling Clinton also meant defending his record and the state of the union he'll hand off. Obama evoked Ronald Reagan, something that drew criticism from Clinton when they were rivals in 2008, to contrast the Republican icon's vision of America as "shining city on a hill" with Trump's description of the US as "a divided crime scene." "America is already great. America is already strong," Obama added. "And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump." Trump did his best to steal the spotlight Wednesday. Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump said he'd like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. The appearance of him encouraging Russia to meddle in the presidential campaign enraged Democrats and Republicans, even as he dismissed suggestions from Obama and other Democrats that Moscow already was intervening on his behalf. Hours later, Trump told Fox News he was being "sarcastic" although shortly after his remarks on Wednesday, he tweeted that Russia should share the emails with the FBI. Trump's comments fed Democrats' contentions that the billionaire businessman is unqualified to be commander in chief. He has no national security experience and has dismissed decades of US foreign policy, like standing by NATO allies. Yet in a news conference Wednesday, Trump tried to turn the tables on Clinton, saying he believed it unsafe for her to receive national security briefings in light of her mishandling of classified information via email while in office. On Thursday, Democrats continued to claim it was Trump who is a "dangerous" choice. "It's an existential choice for the country," the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, said in an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America. Wednesday night, Vice President Joe Biden, in what was likely the last prime-time speech of his political life, delivered a roaring case for Clinton rich with his regular-guy folksiness, misty-eyed storytelling and hard hits. A man whose signature phrase is "You're fired," can't claim to understand the plight of the middle class, Biden said of Trump. "That's a bunch of malarkey." After a quarter-century just behind the men in charge, Clinton on Thursday gets her turn alone with the American public for what could be most important speech of her career. She will be tasked with winning the trust of a public that is deeply skeptical of her honesty. Even some Democrats remain unconvinced, a sentiment underscored by the protests of a small but boisterous set of supporters of her primary challenger Bernie Sanders. Gabriel McArthur, a Sanders delegate from suburban Denver, said anything short of an "hours-long heart-to-heart" with the candidate will likely leave him cold Thursday night. Still, Clinton, who isn't known for her oratory, will aim to move others like him. She'll lean heavily on her "stronger together" campaign theme, invoking her 1996 book It Takes a Village, her campaign said. She also will continue to woo moderate Republicans who may be unnerved by Trump. That effort was hammered home Wednesday by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who implored Americans to "elect a sane, competent person with sane, international experience." Ret. Marine General John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan, will underscore the same point. Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, will introduce her mother. The lineup also will show off Democratic up-and-comers, including Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro; Katie McGinty, a Senate candidate from Pennsylvania and Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth, also a candidate for Senate. Pop singer Katy Perry is schedule to perform. Ambassador Husain Haqqani, a Hudson Institute Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia served as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States after Mumbai attacks of November 2008. A passionate advocate for the need for Pakistan to change its attitude and policy towards India, Haqqani spoke to Sunil Raman about his new book, India vs Pakistan-Why cant we just be friends? and on developments in Pakistan today. Ambassador Haqqani, in your new book focused on India-Pakistan relations you have argued "why cant we just be friends". Before becoming friends two countries like ours have to be good neighbours. Why do India and Pakistan need to be friends? They have 5,000 years of shared history and 70 years of Partition. Nehru recognised that it's difficult for two countries that have had long history to be indifferent. One way is as some say to be enemies. The other choice is to be friends. I have listed factors that impede friendship. Primarily for psychological reasons the two have not been able to be friends. At the end of the day both history and geography dictate that we should be good neighbours and good friends. Pakistans founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah said he expected that after an initial phase the two countries would settle down like between US and Canada. Both recognise each other as separate nations, have sovereign equality but after that they have virtually open borders, shared policing, no militarisation along borders. They still have nine pending dispute. That doesnt come in the way of free trade and flow of investment and capital. Such an arrangement would benefit both India and Pakistan. How can there be friendship when Pakistan sponsors and backs terrorism against India? From Kargil to Mumbai attacks to Pathankot attackPakistan boycotted the South Asian connectivity plan put forward by PM Modi at Saarc Summit, Indias demand for land access to Afghanistan has not been accepted There can be no friendship or good neighbourly relationship in the presence of terrorism. Terrorism has to be shut down. Pakistan must understand that continued support or even tolerance for jihadis will result in their international isolation. As for Pakistans tendency to try and oppose all regional arrangements I would only say that it is a short term view which will be swept aside by the logic of economics and history. Right now South Asia is the least connected region in the world. Last month the African Union has agreed to start issuing African Union passports. A significant proportion of Asean trade is between members. The European Union and the three North American countries Canada, US and Mexico have 50 percent of their global trade with one another. In South Asia total volume of regional trade as part of the total trade is only 5 percent. It is easier to fly from Pakistan to Dubai than it is to fly to rest of South Asia. Pakistan can hold up regional integration only up to a point, irritation with this attitude of Pakistan will see it lose friends both in the region and outside. It is a matter of time before folks in Islamabad wake up and ask themselves a question whether it is worth to lose the advantage of having many friends because rest of the friend sees India differently. After all, France and Germany had several wars and fought two world wars and look at their relationship now. They finally realised they are neighbours. I am expecting a similar reasoning prevailing in the sub-continent. It will prevail. May be after five, ten, or 50 years. After WWII an exhausted Germany realised it was better to be part of the European community than trying to dominate it by force and resolve dispute over Alsace Lorraine through war. For this realisation to dawn there has to be a change in the outlook of the powerful Pakistan Army that plays an integral role in the formulation and execution of countrys policy towards India. Unless Armys position and policy towards India changes how can relations improve? I am not expecting it. I am advocating it. As far as Pakistan Armys role is concerned it should be kept in mind that Pakistan inherited one third of British Indian Army but got 17 percent of its resources.. Army became a dominant institution. Even now to formulate public opinion retired officers play an important role. Retired officers dominate TV debates and discussions and print media, who present a certain world view. Voices like mine are drowned by shouts of traitor and kafir. Having said that more than 80 percent of Pakistans population was born after 1947 and they have no personal memory of the Partition. I am one of them. I was born a Pakistani and I dont need an ideology to be a Pakistani. Young Pakistanis ask why do we need to be an ideological nation? Why do we have to keep discussing the ideological position on the logic of Partition. It may have been important to those who were Indians and overnight became Pakistanis. People who were born Pakistanis have other questions. They want a better life. They ask why one-third of school age going children does not go to schools. Why does GDP of Pakistan lag behind other South Asian countries? They ask questions as to why Human Development Indices of Pakistan are poorer than other South Asian nations. Why we are an aid depended nation? Those people are the hope. They will eventually make even the Pakistan Army softer in its attitude. To be fair to Pakistani Army, its an important point I make. While the army is a factor it is not the only factor in tense relations with India. Over the years the national narrative has evolved in a way where this relationship has been jeopardised. While the Army does not help in changing that national narrative but, if the national narrative changes so would the Armys view. There are many civilian constituencies who also believe India is an enemy. They have to go beyond the overly simplified worldview in which Pakistan is "us" and India is "the other". At the same time rest of the world has to understand Pakistans complexity instead of military-civil dichotomy. It is not like civilians are good and Army is bad. It is far too complicated. Army Chief Raheel Sharif is far more popular than politicians.Several months ago posters and billboards came up across Pakistan praising him as a savior (after launch of a campaign against terror groups within the country that targeted Pakistan), in recent days posters have come up in 13 cities calling upon him to stage a military coup (and remove the Nawaz Sharif government). What is all this about? Gen Sharif is a very good man by all accounts. He is different from other Pakistani military commanders. He genuinely went after Pakistan Taliban and successfully eliminated jihadi safe havens. He has also gone after military corruption. He has tried not to get involved in politics. This is the positive side of Gen Sharifs balance sheet. But, he is the product of an institution like the Pakistani Army that believes it is the only savior of the country. That belief manifests itself every few years in the form of coup or political manipulation. The PR apparatus of the army has built up Gen Sharifs image, taking advantage of weak civilian leadership. This definitely creates apprehension about the intentions of the Army. Gen Sharif says he does not want an extension (when term ends in November). I believe him. We hope we can build a system where an Army Chief can complete his three year term and elected prime ministers can complete their five year term. As far as his popularity with the masses may be a better way to test it would be for him to enter politics after retirement. All those military people and apologists who say Pakistan has no good civilian leaders should demand a political role for Mr Raheel Sharif and not Gen Raheel Sharif. If Pakistan military apologists say Pakistan has no good civilian leaders then Raheel Sharif could become a good civilian leader like retired generals in Nigeria and Indonesia. If he wins an election and gets elected under the Constitution, Pakistan will get a better politician than the politicians Army hates, and the country will also be saved from another military coup. Do you think it is likely? Unfortunately, Pakistan politics goes through a cyclical process. Generals are said to be popular when in uniform but none has been able to muster popular support as a civilian after retirement. OSWIECIM, Poland Seated on a bench near the gate to the Auschwitz death camp site in Poland, Pope Francis prayed in silence on Friday in tribute to the 1.5 million people, most of them Jews, killed there by Nazi occupiers during World War Two. The third pope to visit Auschwitz and the first not to have lived through the war in Europe, he entered the camp by foot, passing through iron gates under the infamous sign reading "Arbeit Macht Frei", German for "Work Sets You Free". Visibly moved by the sight of the wooden guard towers, barbed wire fences and inmate barracks, he sat in silent prayer for about 15 minutes. Francis said before the trip that he had decided to make no statement as silence was the best way to honour the dead. He later spent a few minutes quietly greeting 11 Auschwitz survivors, kissing each of them on both cheeks. One man gave the pope a picture of himself surrounded by other emaciated inmates in a bunk, and asked Francis to sign it. The 79-year-old Argentine-born pontiff then proceeded to walk through the barely lit corridors of the drab, brick building of Auschwitz Block 11, which had housed prisoners selected for special punishment. With aides using small flashlights to light his way, Francis visited the underground cell where Franciscan monk Maksymilian Kolbe was killed after offering his life to save a Polish man whom camp handlers had picked to die of starvation. Just outside the cell, in Auschwitz's commemorative book, Francis wrote in Spanish: "Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty". German occupation forces set up the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp during World War Two in Oswiecim, a town around 70 km (43 miles) from Poland's second city, Krakow, in the country's south. Between 1940 and 1945 Auschwitz developed into a vast complex of barracks, workshops, gas chambers and crematoria. GAVE LIFE FOR ANOTHER On July 29, 1941, the camp director, in reprisal for the escape of a prisoner, chose 10 others and sentenced them to death by starvation. When the selection was completed, Kolbe stepped forward and volunteered to die in place of a man with a family, Franciszek Gajowniczek. Kolbe was later killed by lethal injection but the man he saved survived the war. Kolbe was made a saint in 1982 by then-Pope John Paul II, a Pole. On Friday, the 75th anniversary of Kolbe's sacrifice, Francis also visited Birkenau, a part of the camp where most of the killings were committed in gas chambers. Francis, who has made many strong condemnations of anti-Semitism, was driven past ruins of crematoria that the Nazis blew up before the camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on January 27, 1945. Francis listened silently as Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, sang from Psalm 130 and a priest read its words in Polish, just metres (yards) away from the end of the infamous single rail track where cattle cars brought hundreds of thousands of prisoners to the camp. He paused at each of 23 plaques, each reading in a different language: "For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity." After greeting some 25 people who have been honoured as "Just Among the Nations" for helping save Jews, Francis left as quietly as he had arrived. (Additional reporting by Wojciech Zurawski, Pawel Florkiewicz and Wiktor Szary; Writing by Justyna Pawlak and Philip Pullella; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Catherine Evans) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The situation in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) remained tense on Friday as locals angry over the issue of rigged election polls, carried out protests in Neelum Valley and consequentially faced police action. Protesters on Friday were seen burning Pakistan flags and blackening election posters, as reported by ANI. Angry over rigged PoK elections, locals burnt Pakistani flag in Neelum Valley (PoK) and faced police action. pic.twitter.com/JuRspTiNA7 ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 Election posters blackened in Neelam Valley by people agitated by rigged PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) polls pic.twitter.com/E4zlYgJEcE ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 Widespread protests broke out on 27 July after Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML) won the recently held elections, in a swooping majority, acquiring 32 of the 41 seats or more than 75 percent of the seats, as reported by Business Standard. The protesters also burnt tyres, blocked traffic and clashed with the police personnel. The report further stated that the locals alleging that the elections were rigged held demonstrations outside PoK Assembly at Muzaffarabad and government buildings. Voters complained that they had not been allowed to exercise their vote. Political parties too questioned the legitimacy of the elections, and alleged that the election process had been compromised with. Locals lamented that the elections in PoK have always been fixed in favour of the ruling party in Pakistan, effectively proved by PML's win in the current scenario, reports Business Standard. Vikas Swarup, spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs at a press conference held in Delhi on 28 July, slammed the 'sham elections' held in PoK, claiming it to be 'another farcical exercise by Pakistan to cover up its illegal occupation', as reported by The Indian Express. The report further says that Vikas Swarup deemed these protests as a mark of people rejecting Pakistan's exercise. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State, Home Affairs, said that he wasn't surprised with all that has been happening in PoK. MOSCOW The Kremlin says it had zero involvement in the hacking of Democratic Party emails while U.S. officials say the hack originated in Russia. We may never know who is right, but one thing is for sure - Russia had motive, capability and form. Seen through Kremlin eyes, Moscow would only be doing what it feels the United States has been doing to it for years anyway - interfering in a geopolitical rival's domestic politics in an attempt to destabilize and shape events. President Vladimir Putin said in February he had seen specific intelligence suggesting Russia's foreign enemies - code for Washington - were preparing to meddle in Russian parliamentary elections later this year. And in 2011, Putin accused the U.S. State Department and Hillary Clinton, its then head, of stirring up street protests against his rule. "We need to head off any external attempts to interfere in the elections, in our domestic political life," Putin, who is facing re-election in 2018, told officers from Russia's FSB security service in February. "You know that certain kinds of (political) technologies exist and have already been used in many countries." That was shorthand for Ukraine, Libya, Egypt and Syria, which Putin thinks Washington irresponsibly destabilized. People who have studied him for years say he believes the United States is trying to foment the same kind of unrest to oust him. His credo, set out when talking about Islamic State last year, is to strike first "if a fight is inevitable" and, as Russia has shown in its reaction to what it sees as NATO's aggressive build-up near its borders, to respond in kind. "Clearly the Kremlin feels it should and can insert itself into domestic politics in other countries in much the same way it believes the United States and Europe insert themselves into Russian politics," Samuel Greene, the director of the Russia Institute at London's King's College, told Reuters. "In their view it is fair play. They have seen the West involving itself in politics in Ukraine and other former parts of the Soviet space and feel they should be able to pretty much do the same thing." He said such disruptive behavior was driven by a calculation: to stir up trouble in other countries so they have less bandwidth to focus on Russia. Mark Galeotti, senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague, said he believed another motive for the hack - if Russia was behind it - would be to portray U.S. democracy as venal and chaotic and so take the sting out of Western accusations that Russian elections are corrupt. Kremlin-backed media has tilted its coverage in favor of Trump over Clinton, and Putin has praised the Republican candidate as "very talented". But Greene said he thought what would matter most to Moscow would simply be to destabilize and to ensure that whoever won on Nov. 8 emerged as a weak figure. Navigating a grinding economic crisis caused by low oil prices, and at odds with the United States over both Syria and Ukraine, Putin is under pressure. He needs the West to lift the sanctions it imposed on Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, which have cut off access to Western credit markets and technology imports. Above all, though, he wants to make sure that external forces do not derail his own push for continued dominance in a political landscape where the liberal opposition is almost completely absent from TV screens and parliament. RED WEB Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia's Security Council, said earlier this year there had been a spike in the number of cyber attacks on Russian government bodies and critical infrastructure by foreign intelligence services. And Putin, speaking in February, complained about what he said were more than 24 million attacks in the past year. Andrei Soldatov, an expert on the FSB and co-author of Red Web, a book about the Kremlin's sprawling surveillance machine, told Reuters he thought if Russia had hacked the Democratic Party it would have been to send a signal that it could do the same and wanted U.S. intelligence services to desist. "This could have been an attempt to deter the United States (from hacking and meddling), to try to shake the U.S. establishment, and to try to weaken Clinton," said Soldatov. "It's pure politics, it's not about military secrets." In Moscow, Trump, who has spoken of his desire for better relations with Russia and praised Putin, is seen as far more likely to cut a sanctions deal with Russia, while Clinton is regarded as a hawk on Russia. "Everyone in Moscow believes that with Clinton in the White House it would be absolutely impossible to get the sanctions lifted," said Soldatov. Trump has already raised hackles in Ukraine by saying he would be willing to consider lifting sanctions. CAPABILITY Experts say the Russian state, via the FSB, has a well developed offensive hacking capability. It has previously been accused of deploying that capability in Estonia, Georgia and Ukraine. Russian military intelligence, GRU, is known to have similar capabilities, Soldatov said. There are also other non-state hacker groups which experts say sometimes collaborate with the security services, motivated by patriotism or money. Galeotti said Russia's capacity to mount cyber attacks had increased over the past two years. Previously, Moscow would force amateur hackers into its service, he said, but lately "what we are seeing is much more of a push towards creating professional in-house capacity". In this case, however, Soldatov said he thought it more likely that amateur hackers would have been responsible for the U.S. hack rather than the FSB or GRU who, if involved at all, would have played only a very minor role. One reason for reaching that conclusion was how sloppily and hastily prepared the cover-up of the hack looked, he said. (Additional reporting by Christian Lowe; Editing by Catherine Evans) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. BEIRUT Al Qaeda's powerful Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, announced on Thursday it was ending its relationship with the global jihadist network founded by Osama bin Laden, to remove a pretext used by world powers to attack Syrians. The announcement came as Russia and President Bashar al-Assad's government declared a "humanitarian operation" in the besieged rebel-held sector of Aleppo, opening "safe corridors" so people can flee Syria's most important opposition stronghold. Washington said that appeared to be an attempt to depopulate the city and make fighters surrender. The opposition called it a euphemism for forced displacement. In the first known video statement ever to show his face, the leader of the Nusra Front, Mohamad al-Golani, announced that the group would re-form under a new name, with "no ties with any foreign party". The move was being made "to remove the excuse used by the international community -- spearheaded by America and Russia -- to bombard and displace Muslims in the Levant: that they are targeting the Nusra Front which is associated with al Qaeda," he said. The group would now be called Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. Golani appeared in the video flanked by two other Nusra Front figures, in front of a new white flag for the group. Nusra Front's old flag was black, the colour used by ultra-hardline jihadist groups such as al Qaeda and Islamic State. Earlier on Thursday, bin Laden's successor as Al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, gave the Nusra Front his blessing to break away. In his message, Golani thanked Zawahri for putting the interests of Syrians ahead of organisational concerns. The move appeared to be an attempt to appeal to Syrians who have long had deep misgivings about Nusra's links with al Qaeda and the presence of foreign jihadists in its ranks. It could alter the strategic alignment on the ground if the renamed Nusra gains acceptance among other rebel groups. STRONG POSITION But Assad and his Russian allies are unlikely to accept the rebranding as a reason to halt military operations that have put the Syrian leader in the strongest position on the battlefield for years. The Nusra Front, one of the most powerful rebel forces in Syria's five-year, multi-sided civil war, was excluded along with Islamic State from a U.S.- and Russian-backed ceasefire this year. Nusra is listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States and the United Nations. Assad's other opponents have long said its presence gave the government and its Russian allies a pretext to abandon the truce and launch advances under the cover of anti-terrorist operations permitted under the ceasefire. The U.S. State Department said Nusra Front fighters remained a legitimate target for U.S. warplanes for now. "We're gonna have to wait and see," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. "We judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves." Western countries are worried that the announcement of safe corridors for people to flee Aleppo could herald a Russian-backed government assault on the city. "This would appear to be a demand for the surrender of opposition groups and the evacuation of Syrian civilians from Aleppo," Kirby said. "The innocent people of Aleppo should be able to stay in their homes safely, and to receive the humanitarian access, which Russia and the regime ... in principle have agreed." Syria's largest city before the war, Aleppo has for years been divided into rebel and government zones. Asserting full control would be the biggest victory for Assad so far, and a potential turning point in a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands, spawned the world's worst refugee crisis and drawn in most regional and world powers. Any assault on Aleppo would also probably wreck a diplomatic effort by Secretary of State John Kerry to negotiate military cooperation between the United States and Russia. LEAFLETS The Cold War-era superpowers are running separate military missions in Syria against their common foe Islamic State, but are on opposite sides in the wider civil war, with Moscow supporting Assad, and Washington saying he must step down. Leaflets have been air-dropped on rebel-held parts of Aleppo since Wednesday, telling civilians they would be given safe passage out and providing maps to exit routes. Around 250,000 civilians are believed to be trapped in the rebel zone. The United Nations says food supplies will run out within weeks. Assad said rebels who surrendered within three months would be amnestied. State television quoted the governor of Aleppo as saying three humanitarian corridors would be established for residents to leave. Russia said a fourth corridor would be set up in the north for surrendering rebels. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said helicopters had been dropping baby diapers and meal packs with Russian-language labels over rebel areas. But Syria's main opposition High Negotiations Committee wrote to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon denouncing the corridors as "a euphemism for Russias efforts to alter Aleppos demographics and ensure forced displacement, which it called a war crime. Several international relief agencies said exit corridors were not a substitute for aid access. "Some 250 to 400,000 civilians remain in what was once Syrias largest city not all of them want or are able to leave," Mercy Corps said. "If it is a genuine humanitarian proposal, then clearly it will be accompanied by an end to the bombing campaign," the British ambassador to the United Nations, Matthew Rycroft, told reporters in New York. "Clearly, the U.N. and the rest of us cannot be complicit in anything else, for instance any form of emptying of Aleppo or preparing for an onslaught of Aleppo or indeed any continuation of this medieval siege of Aleppo ..." CORRIDORS NOT OPEN The proposed corridors did not appear to be open so far. Two rebels and aid workers contacted in besieged Aleppo said the army had fired at civilians in one of the safe corridors, in the Salah al-Din district. A doctor for a medical charity that operates in Aleppo also said the army had fired artillery at families gathering near another corridor, in the opposition-held Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood. Hael Asi Hilal, head of the Syrian Red Crescent in rebel-held areas, said no family had been able to leave via any corridor due to snipers firing at them. The army, backed by allied militia forces and air support from Syrian and Russian jets, meanwhile took more ground on the northern edge of the city. State television said the army had advanced in the Bani Zeid district, and the Observatory said pro-government forces were in full control. The United States and Russia jointly sponsored the ceasefire earlier this year that led to U.N.-brokered peace talks. But that collapsed in May and since then government forces have been advancing with Russian support. Kerry's talks with the Russians, aimed at building a system to jointly identify targets, have been largely fruitless. A Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said Washington's stance would allow militants to regroup since it required a ceasefire before distinguishing between terrorists and other opposition groups. "There is an element here of a political ruse at least," he said. One U.S. national security official said it was difficult to agree as long as Moscow's and Washington's wider objectives diverged. The Russians want to destroy ISIS (Islamic State) to save Assad, the official said. We want to destroy ISIS to eliminate a terrorist threat and start a political process to remove Assad, who President Obama has said must go. (Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington, Dominic Evans in Beirut, Alexander Winning in Moscow, Tom Miles in Geneva, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and John Walcott in Washington; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Kevin Liffey) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON U.S. intelligence officials next week will invite the presidential and vice-presidential candidates from both political parties to receive top secret briefings on world crises and security threats, two U.S. officials familiar with the plans said. Now that their nominations have been confirmed, Democrat Hillary Clinton and her vice presidential running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, and Republican Donald Trump and his running mate, Governor Mike Pence, will be offered identical intelligence briefings, the officials said. Candidates customarily get one briefing although they may ask that it be broken into segments. Aides and advisors to the candidates will not be allowed to attend the briefings unless they have security clearances granting them access to Top Secret intelligence, the officials added. There could be questions about whether Trump aides who have done business in Eastern Europe could attend such briefings, the officials said. Clinton aides involved in the controversy over her private email server also might not be eligible, they said. Asked on Thursday whether the intelligence community has any hesitation about briefing Trump or Clinton, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper replied: "No, there isnt." "Both candidates will be reached out to, and offered briefings," although they are not mandatory, Clapper said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. "Weve got a team all prepared, and have had for some time." While the briefings are expected to include some classified material, Clapper described them as "fairly general". Other officials said they will provide a broad overview of the most important issues, threats, and trends, including terrorism, Russia, and China. The briefings will track unclassified assessments that Clapper presented to Congress earlier this year in an annual "Worldwide Threat Assessment," one of the officials said. The briefings will not include information about U.S. intelligence sources and methods or current covert operations, both officials added. Trump was nominated last week at his party's convention and his rival at the Nov. 8 election, Clinton, is due to accept the Democratic nomination on Thursday night. (Reporting By Mark Hosenball; additional reporting by Warren Strobel in Aspen.; Editing by John Walcott and Alistair Bell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The newest and certainly the loudest scandal to have emerged in American politics is the alleged hand of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the leak of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails to the point of overshadowing the proceedings of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. What really blew this out of proportion was Donald Trump joining the fray to make an appeal to Putin to release 30,000 of Hillary Clintons emails that were deleted by her staff to prevent FBI investigation. This has led to a large section of the liberal media following the lead of the Democratic Party establishment in branding the Republican nominee a threat to national security and accusing him of colluding with the Russians. The matter has also been turned into one of Russian interference in American politics. Revoking security briefing clearances, bringing up treason charges, and making it a matter of national security is on the lips of every Democratic senator in front of the TV pundits. This narrative flies in the face of facts The DNC is first said to have been hacked by a user named Guccifer 2.0, who has been posting the DNC documents onto his/her WordPress page for over a month now. The hacker also declared that he/she had forwarded the files to Wikileaks. Some of the Excel and PDF files, including talking points sent to media, donor information, opposition research against Republican candidates, and defences for Hillary Clinton (but not the email conversations) were in the public domain for weeks, before Wikileaks released anything from the DNC. The Guccifer 2.0 leaks established collusion between the DNC and the Clinton campaign. Nowhere has Julian Assange or Wikileaks suggested that the Russians are the source of the DNC emails, nor has any firm investigating the hack declared so. The emails released last Friday established the other side of the Democratic primary process: DNC officials actively colluding against the Bernie Sanders campaign. That brings us to the most important part: only the DNC says it was hacked by Putin, and is the sole source of that allegation. That is the pinch of salt that most readers need. The DNC doesnt want outrage while the Democratic National Convention is ongoing, especially in light of the leaked emails showing how they rigged the primary process to ensure a victory for Hillary Clinton. Hence, a matter of compromised democracy was turned into a national security conspiracy theory, hugely amplified by the mainstream media. For once, a made-up Trump scandal Donald Trump did not call for Putin to hack Hillarys email account (or US Government email) now, or later in the future. He had called for Putin to release the emails, if he happened to be in possession of them. Which the liberal media, it is sad to say, spun. Freelance hacking is as prevalent in the rest of the world as it is in the US, and sensitive material has a market of its own without the ultimate beneficiaries doing the hacking themselves. Putin actually having the emails would give FBI Director James Comey enough to charge/indict Hillary Clinton. Trump essentially wants Putin to whistleblow, not to go ahead and hack US Government servers. In any case, neither Hillary Clintons private server nor those emails are any longer online, for Putin to hack into in the first place. Hillary retained State Department emails that she didnt even plan to hand over to her successor till the private server itself was discovered. When another headline stares at you saying Trump Wants Putin To Steal US Govt Classified Info, pause for a moment and ask yourselves, You mean the same emails she didnt want to hand over to her own State Department? The Trump-Putin email hack story is an attempt to play on the Cold War sensibilities of older voters, and the naivete of the younger ones. Hillary is still faring no better in the polls even now, after Sanders having dropped out and after being anointed the nominee. Trump, on the other hand, cant seem go any lower in the polling despite a gaffe a day. All that glitters, is sold What precisely is the point of being afraid of Putin (who has yet to respond to these wild allegations and Trumps appeal, save for a refutation by a Kremlin official) interfering in American politics by revealing the truth? America sold out its interests long ago. The American state conspired with big business to shift manufacturing jobs to Mexico and China, white collar IT jobs to India, and garment manufacture to Bangladesh. The American state offers corporations huge tax breaks and allows them to stash their money abroad to evade the remainder. Regularly, the US Congress sanctions the sending of US taxpayer money to countries that dont need it. The best example is Israel, which sells half to weapons it receives in military aid from the US, to India at a profit. Both the political parties are beholden to American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and Hillary Clintons speech at AIPAC was in fact to the right of Trumps. The Saudi princes bankroll the Clinton Foundation. Raj Fernando, a hedge fund manager and Clinton donor, had been put on a sensitive nuclear security advisory board, until other members objected to his membership as he had no expertise in the field and ABC News began to inquire into his credentials, after which he abruptly resigned. A New York Times report from April 2015 titled Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Uranium Deal shows that Donald Trump is not the only one with shady motives with regard to Russia. The charge that Putin is stealing the general election by stealing emails, showing that the DNC stole the primary election from Sanders, brushes under the rug the fact that American democracy was severely compromised in the first place and informing voters of fraud is better than covering it up to sustain a mockery of democracy. The US is rather familiar with toppling governments all over the globe by all means, and it would be worth speculating if Americans have preferred to retain Nixon as president had Watergate been leaked by a foreign government. Compared to the oligarch donors and their comprador politicians, who have many times undermined American sovereignty and the interests of the American people multiple times over, is Putin a potential threat to anything other than US influence in Eastern Europe and possibly the Middle East? And in terms of tax revenue, even betrayed the interests of US state coffers. The leaked DNC emails themselves show us how American democracy for so many millenials, Democrats and Independents have been undermined. The king of the beggars is not the main threat to the USA. A Washington Post essay titled By November, Russian Hackers Could Target US Voting Machines is full-scale fear-mongering beyond reasonable doubt. Donald Trump doesnt need Putin to hack decades old Diebold voting machines that run on Windows 95-grade software. Greg Palasts Billionaires and Ballot Bandits shows that the DNC and RNC, along with their affiliated state governors, could get that done too. Trump already has the notorious Karl Rove on his side. After killing investigative journalism (with the exception of Greg Palast and The Intercept), the American state can only be exposed by hackers and comedians. That such leaks are immediately sought to be discredited as foreign sabotage exposes the shaky legal grounds on which every American statecraft works. This is a case of Trump falling for the DNC spin about Putins role and then playing into the hands of the Democrats out of sheer stupidity, providing the establishment corporate media and top leaders the cover they need to avoid addressing the fact that Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary, even as Sanders conceded the Democratic nomination. WASHINGTON The U.S. Air Force asked industry on Friday for proposals to replace the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile and the nuclear cruise missile as the military moves ahead with a costly modernization of its ageing atomic weapons systems. The Air Force said in a statement it expected to award up to two contracts for a new ICBM weapons system, or ground-based strategic deterrent, sometime next summer or fall. It also expected to award up to two contracts in the same time frame for a new nuclear cruise missile, or long-range standoff weapon. Modernization of the U.S. nuclear force is expected to cost more than $350 billion over the next decade as the United States works to replace its ageing systems, including bombs, nuclear bombers, missiles and submarines. Some analysts estimate the cost of modernization at $1 trillion over 30 years. The new ICBM system would be a follow-on to the Minuteman missile, whose launch systems and physical infrastructure first became operational in the mid-1960s. The system has been upgraded over the years, but much of the infrastructure is original, the Air Force said. The most recent versions of the Minuteman III date from the late 1990s and early 2000s and had an intended 20-year life span, the Air Force said. The missile will "face increased operational and sustainment challenges until it can be replaced," it said. "This request for proposals is the next step to ensuring the nation's ICBM leg of the nuclear triad remains safe, secure and effective," said Major General Scott Jansson, who leads the Air Force programme office for strategic systems. Opponents of replacing the nuclear cruise missile have argued that its missions could be handled by other legs of the triad. Others say it is an unnecessary expense at a time of shrinking budgets and smaller deployed nuclear arsenals. The military insists the new cruise missile is needed to enable older bombers to deliver nuclear weapons to targets whose air space is heavily defended and difficult to reach with gravity bombs. The missile is "needed to replace the ageing air launched cruise missile, which has far exceeded its originally planned service life ... and is required to support our B-52 bomber fleet," Admiral Cecil Haney, the head of U.S. Strategic Command, told lawmakers earlier this year. (Reporting by David Alexander) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON The commander of U.S. Central Command, General Joseph Votel, on Friday rejected claims by Turkish officials that he supported a failed coup attempt earlier this month. "Any reporting that I had anything to do with the recent unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey is unfortunate and completely inaccurate," Votel said, according to the statement from U.S. Central Command. Turkey has undertaken purges of its military and other state institutions following the failed coup, targeting the supporters of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of masterminding the July 15-16 coup attempt. Turkey's Western allies condemned the coup attempt, in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured, but they have been rattled by the scale of the crackdown. Votel issued his statement after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned Votel's earlier remarks that some military figures the United States had worked with were in jail as a result of the purge. On Thursday, Votel said at a public forum that he was worried about "longer-term" impacts from the failed coup on counter-terrorism operations and the United States' relationship with the Turkish military. Those comments drew a condemnation on Friday from Erdogan. "Instead of thanking this country which repelled a coup attempt, you take the side of the coup plotters. The putschist is in your country already," Erdogan said, referring to Gulen, who has denied any involvement in the coup attempt. Turkey's cooperation in the fight against Islamic State is of paramount importance to Washington. It is a central part of the U.S.-led military operation against Islamic State, hosting U.S. troops and warplanes at Incirlik Air Base, from which the United States flies sorties against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Those air operations were temporarily halted following the coup attempt. "Turkey has been an extraordinary and vital partner in the region for many years," Votel said in his statement. "We appreciate Turkey's continuing cooperation and look forward to our future partnership in the counter-ISIL fight," he said, using an acronym for Islamic State. (Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati and Idrees Ali; Editing by David Gregorio) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. RIO DE JANEIRO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Migrant workers in the textile, mining and construction sectors face exploitation and health risks linked to their work and living conditions but ignorance about their rights makes it hard for governments to protect them, researchers said on Friday. A study by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said migrants faced gruelling hours and risky conditions, and were forced to handle machinery, chemicals and other dangerous materials without proper training. The 71 migrants interviewed, including 18 victims of trafficking, in Peru, Argentina and Kazakhstan did not understand the health risks they were facing such as mercury poisoning or tuberculosis, the study jointly published by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said. Migrant and trafficked workers had little information about their rights even in countries with laws to protect them from exploitation, IOM said as it urged governments to provide migrants with information on their rights and better training for law enforcement officers. "One of the key aspects for the lack of trust in law enforcement is that migrants (often) don't know the law," IOM official Vanessa Vaca told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by telephone from Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires. "They fear being deported if they go to a doctor or are found sitting on the street, even though that isn't true." Vaca said there had been progress on legislation to prevent human trafficking for forced labour, but more needed to be done to make migrants and victims of human trafficking aware of their rights. Most victims of human trafficking were recruited for work in dangerous conditions by family or community networks, the study said. And prospective migrants had little information about their future working conditions before travelling. "... our study showed that people who were identified as trafficked worked longer hours, experienced more violence, had less freedom of movement, and were more likely to be deceived by recruiters," said Rosilyne Borland, co-author of the research. "But the research also shows that the larger population of migrant workers lived and worked in similar conditions, with similar health risks and consequences, even if not identified as trafficked," Borland said in a statement. There are an estimated 150 million migrant workers around the world, according to the International Labour Organization, which puts the number of people trapped in forced labour at around 21 million. (Reporting by Chris Arsenault; Editing by Katie Nguyen.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Philadelphia: Describing Hillary Clinton as the "most qualified" candidate to succeed Barack Obama in the White House, top Democratic women lawmakers have said the country is "ready to make history" by electing her as the next president of the US. "They (Clinton-Kaine) will win in November. We will fight to restore Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House, and I tell you this: We can do it," Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, who was the first ever woman speaker of the US House of Representatives, yesterday said in her address to the Democratic National Convention here. "Are you ready to work for a great Democratic victory? Are you ready to make history, electing Hillary Clinton President of the United States? I thought so. Onward to victory!" Pelosi said. Addressing thousands of delegates, Pelosi said they are approaching a milestone moment in the American journey the election of the first woman President of the United States. "Hillary Clinton knows that this moment is not just about one woman's achievement. It's about what electing a woman President will mean for achieving the dreams and hopes and aspirations of every woman, every daughter, every son, and every family, all across our land, for generations to come," she said. "This moment is about the landmark progress President Hillary Clinton will achieve for families everywhere yearning for a better life, a better chance, in a better America. Hillary Clinton has a vision rooted in deeply held values," Pelosi said. "She has a genuine strength that differs profoundly from her opponent's bluster. She has a gift for strategic thinking, seasoned by knowledge and experience. And she has a connection to hard-working American families forged in her lifetime of leadership and service to others," Pelosi said. Earlier several top Democratic woman lawmakers urged Americans to help them elect the first female president of the US. "Families of America, it's time to suit up. With our lipstick on. With our shoes polished. Our shoulders squared. Ready to fight. To put Hillary in the White House. Because we know she'll be carrying the torch for all of us," said Senator Barbara Mikulski. Senator Patty Murray said Clinton is a leader who knows how to stand her ground, fight for what's right and move the country forward. "Her opponent might have built buildings and casinos. But Hillary's life work has been building the foundation of an economy that works for everyone," said Senator Maria Cantwell. Senator Amy Klobuchar said Clinton is a friend who takes the call, the mom who gets it done right. According to Senator Claire McCaskill, Clinton has the intelligence and the work ethic."But most importantly, she has heart to lead this country," she said. "When you need a champion, there's no one better to have in your corner," said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Senator Elizabeth Warren said Hillary Clinton knows how to fight back against dangerous, loud-mouthed bullies. "For 25 years, she's been on the receiving end of one attack after another. But she doesn't back down. She doesn't whine. She doesn't run to Twitter to give people nasty nicknames. And she sure as heck doesn't quit. Hillary just keeps right on fighting for the people who need her most," she said. "In crisis or in calm, whether we need a hand or a heart-to-heart, we can always count on her to come through," said Senator Barbara Boxer. Paris: Former National Security Agency employee known for leaking 'snooping' documents, Edward Snowden, and transparency website WikiLeaks are clashing over how best to handle the publication of sensitive data, a spat played out over Twitter. WikiLeaks has come under increasing criticism over what it publishes, particularly following the release of what the website advertised as emails from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party. When a large numbers of emails turned out to be little more than messages from ordinary citizens, critics said WikiLeaks should have exercised better discretion to protect innocent people's privacy. Snowden praised WikiLeaks yesterday but said their "hostility to even modest curation is a mistake." @Snowden Opportunism won't earn you a pardon from Clinton & curation is not censorship of ruling party cash flows https://t.co/4FeygfPynk WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 28, 2016 WikiLeaks fired back , accusing Snowden of "opportunism." Such a public split is unusual. WikiLeaks played a key role in getting Snowden asylum in Russia in 2013. Castelul de Lut, or the Clay Castle, is straight out of a fairytale. Despite being called a castle, the hotel looks more like a witch's cottage (hey Hansel, hey Gretel) than somewhere Sleeping Beauty would call home. The thatched roofs, crooked doors, and curvaceous plaster walls are made of entirely organic materials like clay, straw, sand, and wood. And while organic is a very modern trend, the hotel is a throwback to days of old. Read the full article at travelandleisure.com Siem Reap, Cambodia -- Sokha Hotels & Resorts today announces it will operate the new 8,950sqm Sokha Convention Center in Siem Reap with state-of-the-art audiovisual & telecommunications technology. Previously, major conferences have predominately been held in Phnom Penh. Todays announcement lets the industry know that Siem Reap is now a real option to cater for International convent ions. The Sokha Convention Center is ideally situated adjacent to the new 5 Star, 770 rooms Sokha Siem Reap Resort is due to open in September 2016. Director of Sales, Leena Rajagopal from Malaysia said Sokha Convention Center now opens Siem Reap to global M.I.C.E opportunities. The demand from ASEAN member counties are can now be supported by a Halal Kitchen facility at the Convention Center. This new facility is what the market has been asking for. Siem Reap has the real potential to become the New MICE destination in Asia. Siem Reap is an important culture destination for tourist from all over the world. located in northwest Cambodia. It is the major tourist hub in Cambodia, as it is the closest city to the world famous temples of Angkor Wat. About Sokha Hotels & Resorts The Sokha Hotels & Resorts also known as Sokha Hotel Group is based in Phnom Penh and it is also Cambodian owned company, which is under the Sokimex Investment Group. The company was founded in 2004 by Neak Oknha Sok Kong. Today, Sokha Hotels & Resorts has six (06) hotel properties located in four (04) main cities and provinces in Cambodia. As the largest Cambodia Hospitality Operator, SOKHA is well known of its 5-star Cambodia service a Cambodia proud. Our success is driven by our people and their commitment to reach the mission of providing guests the most memorable experience and unforgettable smile of Cambodian. Thanet Kun Regional Director of Sales - Sokha Siem Reap Resort & Convention Center +855 96 6161 999 Sokha Siem Reap Resort & Convention Center GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. A school in Cambodia has denied having links to the network led by self-exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey claims was behind a bloody coup attempt on July 15. Rumors that the Zaman Group, which runs the Zaman International School (ZIS) in Cambodia, was part of Fethullahs Hizmet movement were dismissed this week by a company spokesman. We strongly condemn the coup attempt in Turkey; we are so unhappy about that," said Hakan Atasever, public relations director for the Zaman Group. "For Zaman School, this is a groundless claim, so we definitely deny the link with a terrorist organization. He added that the school had called upon the Turkish envoy to Cambodia to make it clear to the government that no links existed between Zaman and Hizmet. It is not going to affect the whole school process because it is not an official explanation made by the Cambodian government, he said. Ros Salin, a Ministry of Education spokesperson, said the issue was a diplomatic issue between one country and another. Therefore, the Education Ministry has nothing to do with this yet. Independent institution ZIS is an independent coeducational school with about 2,000 students. Founded in 1997, it has four main campuses divided into three categories, including kindergarten, high school and university. Each of these divisions is led by a principal. In an interview with VOA Khmer, Atasever said that after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia needed human resources, and Zaman saw an opportunity to contribute to the countrys future. The vision of school is to bring up individuals to have responsibility, to educate students to be capable enough to serve their own country, he said. The school is licensed by the Cambodian Ministry of Education, and it is a member of the Council of International Schools. Having operated for almost 20 years, the school teaches English and Khmer in classes as it follows the Cambridge system and international curriculum, as well as the official local curriculum set by the Ministry of Education. Holasorya Soem, a sophomore in the Department of Banking and Finance at Zaman University, said she chose to study at ZIS because of the high standards of teaching. Zaman does not just have Cambodian students studying there. Its full of people from different backgrounds and countries, she said. Pitou Phy, another student at the school, said that in terms of quality and the environment, Zaman is a great educational environment. The Southern state of Florida has reported four cases of the Zika virus, seemingly not linked to travel, Florida Governor Rick Scott told a press conference Friday. "Florida has become the first state in our country to have a local transmission of the Zika virus," Scott said. Until now, about 1,650 cases of Zika reported in the U.S. had been linked to travel to countries in Latin America or the Caribbean that are facing outbreaks. The four Florida cases are contained to a small area north of downtown Miami, Scott said, quoting state health officials. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said President Barack Obama was briefed about the situation Friday morning. He said the Obama administration is supporting the efforts of Scott, who he praised for aggressively testing the area for the Zika virus and preparing for quite some time for a potential outbreak. Florida has requested $15 million in emergency Zika funding to collect and test mosquitoes and provide Zika preparedness programs, among other things. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has provided $8 million. OneBlood, Florida's main supplier of blood donations, has said it will be testing all of its supply for the Zika virus. The mosquito that carries the Zika virus is found in southern U.S. states. Health officials predicted that the virus would begin spreading this summer and have tried to contain it to isolated areas. Though the virus is relatively mild in most cases, many pregnant women who are infected with Zika give birth to babies with a congenital defect called microcephaly, which causes an abnormally small head. More than 1,600 such cases have been reported in Brazil, where the outbreak began last year. Hillary Clinton, a fixture on the American political scene for a generation, is set Thursday to accept the Democratic presidential nomination and then tell Americans why they should trust her to be the new American leader when President Barack Obama leaves office in January. Clinton, the first U.S. woman to become a major party's presidential nominee, is the country's most admired woman, according to Gallup. Yet a majority of U.S. voters at the same time tell Gallup they do not trust her, conflicting views that have left her locked in a tight contest with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for a four-year term in the White House. Trump regularly calls the Democratic nominee Crooked Hillary, who lied to the American public about her missing emails, and whose status as a longtime politician has made her beholden to campaign contributors. The 68-year-old Clinton, Obama's secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, appeared briefly with him Wednesday on stage at the Democratic National Convention In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after he delivered a ringing endorsement of her as his successor. He said no man or woman had ever sought the U.S. presidency who was more qualified than she is, including him or her husband, former President Bill Clinton. On Thursday, it is Clinton's turn to make her own case. Ahead of her speech, campaign manger Robby Mook, said she would "lay out very clearly the choice that people face" in the November 8 election. Mook acknowledged to the "CBS This Morning" show that Trump, a real estate mogul making his first run for elective office, "is making a lot of really big promises and some people find those attractive." "What we need to do as a campaign and what Hillary is going to do tonight and what we've done at this convention is make sure people know the facts," Mook said. He described Trump as "someone who every turn of his life has made more money, become more famous at the expense of working people and folks need to understand that." Earn voters' trust Clinton has said on numerous occasions that she needs to earn voters' trust, shaken in part because of her use of a private, unsecured email server while she was the country's top diplomat during Obama's first term. She said she used the private server rather than a more secure government server because it was more convenient for her. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation recently concluded that she was "extremely careless" in her handling of classified material contained in her State Department emails, but that no criminal charges were warranted. Mook said the quadrennial Democratic convention has served as a testimonial for her candidacy, with "people speaking about how they know they can trust Hillary because she has always delivered for them." Obama was her chief booster Wednesday night, to the roaring cheers of thousands of convention delegates. "This year, in this election, I'm asking you to join me -- to reject cynicism, and reject fear, and to summon what's best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation," Obama said. Preparing to be president He said nothing truly prepares a person for being president, but contrasted Clinton's experience with that of Trump, a one-time television reality show host who as a developer has built New York skyscrapers and casinos along the Atlantic Ocean. "Until you've sat at that desk, you don't know what it's like to manage a global crisis, or send young people to war," Obama said. "But Hillary's been in the room; she's been part of those decisions. She knows what's at stake in the decisions our government makes, what's at stake for the working family, the senior citizen, the small business owner, for the soldier, for the veteran." The crowd in Philadelphia booed when Obama mentioned Trump, to which Obama replied, "Don't boo, vote." He said last week's Republican convention presented no serious solutions, but instead fanned "resentment, and blame and anger and hate." And he seized on Trump's statements suggesting he would insist NATO allies have fulfilled financial responsibilities before the U.S. would come to their aid. "He cozies up to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, praises Saddam Hussein, tells our NATO allies that stood by our side after 9/11 that they have to pay up if they want our protection," Obama said. "Well, America's promises do not come with a price tag." Trump fires back Trump fired back at the largely optimistic tone of Obama and other Democratic speakers who this week have taken exception to Trump's campaign slogan pledging to "Make America Great Again." "Our country does not feel 'great already' to the millions of wonderful people living in poverty, violence and despair," he wrote on Twitter. Trump's campaign issued a statement calling Wednesday a "sad night" for the Democratic Party and saying they presented only proposals to reward the rich while attacking "decent Americans who want change for their families." "They offered no solutions for the problems facing America -- in fact, they pretended those problems didn't even exist." the statement said. Along with Obama, other Democratic speakers lashed out at Trump, with Vice President Joe Biden questioning the billionaire's commitment to the middle class. "He is trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. Give me a break. That is a bunch of malarkey," Biden said. Clinton's vice presidential running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, said, "Our nation, it is just too great to put it in the hands of a slick-talking, empty-promising, self-promoting, one-man wrecking crew." Vladimir Putin will step up Russia's campaign to end European Union sanctions with a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, encouraged by signs his tactic of lobbying what he views as more pliant southern and eastern European states is starting to pay off. The sanctions, imposed over the Ukraine crisis, are designed to block access to Western credit and technology for people and businesses linked to President Putin. Combined with American and Group of Seven sanctions, they have made it harder for Russia to weather an economic crisis fueled by low oil prices. The EU earlier this month extended economic sanctions on Russia until the start of 2017, despite misgivings from some countries such as Slovakia who are keen to debate their effectiveness. Several Moscow-based EU diplomats say Russia's tactic of methodically lobbying southern and eastern EU member states is starting to seriously erode the bloc's unity on the issue, making it potentially harder to renew them next time. "Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a softly softly approach," one of the diplomats, from a country which favors their continuation, told Reuters. "The result is that we are seeing more and more countries saying we should analyze the sanctions, assess what effect they are having, and review them again." Italy, Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were among Moscow's prime targets, diplomats said. Slovenia, where Putin will preside over a summit focused on trade and investment, will be the fourth of those countries he has visited since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist revolt broke out in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin sees Slovenia, which Putin has visited before, as an ally in its sanctions quest. Russia was a big export market for Slovenian food products before the Ukraine crisis and Slovenia remains keen to be a transit country for a potential pipeline carrying Russia gas to southern Europe. Some EU members, such as Poland, have angered Moscow by tearing down monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War II. Slovenia is taking the opposite approach and the Kremlin said Putin would attend the unveiling of a new monument to Soviet soldiers in Ljubljana. Flagging unity Russia says it will not discuss returning Crimea to Ukraine, meaning there is no prospect that the EU sanctions specifically linked to the annexation will be removed anytime soon. But there is flexibility about wider EU sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the Kremlin was accused of giving military aid to separatist rebels. Moscow denies that. Two EU diplomats said they thought the impact of Putin's widening charm offensive, accompanied by offers of lucrative trade deals and polite reminders of lost export revenues, could see those watered down next year. "It's getting harder to hold the line," said one, from another country which wants the sanctions maintained. "The sanctions would probably not all be lifted at once, but there could be a decision to lift them in one sector next year." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in May she expected a broader review of the bloc's policy towards Russia later in the year. Diplomats said there was a feeling that EU unity over the issue was starting to break down because those countries hurt most by Russia's counter-sanctions which banned many EU food imports were coming under increased pressure from their own farmers and companies. Putin in June extended Russia's counter-sanctions, which have kept products from Italian hams to French cheeses off supermarket shelves, until the end of next year. The measures have stung Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's decision to attend Russia's main annual economic forum in St Petersburg in June and share a platform with Putin was seen by some as a sign Rome was wavering. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also attended, riling some countries such as Lithuania and Latvia who fear Russian aggression and are uneasy that high-level contacts with Moscow are intensifying despite the Ukraine crisis. But one of the diplomats said Juncker's decision to fly to Russia was at least partly motivated by a fear that the bloc's unity on sanctions was flagging. "Juncker came because he was worried that member states were talking to Russia separately. He wanted to try to take back the initiative," said the diplomat. Ukrainian gridlock Russia's official line is that it will not seek to get sanctions lifted, because it did not impose them. The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords, which introduced a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, are fully implemented. That requires Moscow to leverage its influence on pro-Kremlin separatists who still exchange fire with often fatal results on a regular basis with Ukrainian forces. Ukraine, which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence, has its part to play too. But despite numerous rounds of talks, there is little progress on either side. The violence, albeit at a much lower intensity, continues; elections haven't been held in the breakaway eastern regions, Kiev has not granted them special status, and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawn. The Kremlin's tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse. With no sign of a breakthrough, friendly EU member states might start to do the same, say some diplomats. "One scenario is that those countries that want the sanctions lifted say Ukraine is not doing enough to fulfill the Minsk peace accords," said one diplomat. "That would be true, but then neither is Russia. However that could be the pretext for lifting the sanctions." Fredrik Wesslau, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Wider Europe Program, thinks Russia is playing a calculated waiting game. "Instead of implementing Minsk, Moscow is trying to split Europe and undermine the sanctions policy," he wrote. "It believes that the sanctions policy will eventually collapse. It sees European leaders sending mixed messages ... and has taken note of certain European countries' wavering commitment to the policy." Countries worried by what they see as the bloc's faltering resolve fret that Britain's decision to leave the EU is likely to undermine sanctions further since London has been one of the most vocal champions of keeping them in place. One Kremlin official said Moscow would be watching with interest to see if the EU's stance on sanctions would change now that Britain is leaving the bloc. Supporters of continued sanctions also worry about Germany, where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democrats, last month spoke in favor of gradually phasing out the sanctions. That is at odds with the position of his coalition partner Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some diplomats say she faces a difficult election next year and that pressure from German business, which has been buffeted by sanctions, will only grow. With Russia's Finance Ministry warning that the country's Reserve Fund designed to cover budget shortfalls will be depleted by the end of next year if nothing changes, Moscow needs some movement. Chris Weafer, senior partner at economic and political consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd, said in a note that even minor sanctions relief could help as that might start to dispel the perception that Russia was a dangerous place in which to invest or conduct business. Otherwise, he said, the Russian economy looked vulnerable to further financial crisis. Details for the 30th Macao International Music Festival were unveiled yesterday at the Center of Tourism Activities, with 20 programs and 27 performances set to be part of the annual event. The festival will be held at a variety of cultural locations around Macau, including Arte Nam Van, the Macao Museum, the Dom Pedro V Theater and the Macao Cultural Centre. The Festival is planned to be held between October 1 and 30 and organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC). The 30th anniversary of the festival will see the gathering of musicians and music experts from Russia, the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K., Portugal, Mongolia, Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The theme for this years edition is Glorious 30 The Sinophone Rhapsodies, and aims to present the usual renowned classics as well as several works of ethnic appeal, according to a statement from the IC. One highlight piece is called Voice from the Mongolian Steppe, and will be performed by the Mongolian State Morin Khuur Ensemble. According to the festivals program, the piece utilizes the traditional horsehead fiddle of Mongolian musical culture to represent the experience of nature, history and the life of Mongolians. The IC describes the piece as authentic, traditional music [] escorting [the audience] to the vast and stunning Mongolian plateau through fascinating voices and tunes. A special piece will also be held in honor of the 400th anniversary of the death of the great Chinese playwright, Tang Xianzu. The festival has specially produced the opera A Dream of Fragrancy, a home-grown adaptation of the playwrights traveling experience to Macau in 1591, to be led by local artists. For the 30th anniversary of the Macao International Music Festival, organizers are planning to host a forum to examine how international arts festivals and events contribute to the sustainable development of a city. The two-day forum will feature a number of keynote speeches and discussion sessions to which prominent international practitioners are invited. The president of the IC, Ung Vai Meng, stated in his opening speech yesterday that these efforts contribute toward the broadening of the horizons of the city to a global level and enhancing the artistic humanism of citizens, referring to the 30th year of the festival as the events Pearl Jubilee. In further celebration of the 30th anniversary, a publication will be launched by the IC entitled 30th Macao International Music Festival Special Commemorative Edition, which will include program reviews and information on the historical evolution of the festival. There will also be an array of backstage tours, meet the artist sessions and master classes to cultivate local interests in culture and music. Among the performers participating in the meet the artist sessions are Lawrence Ku, a renowned guitarist, composer and educator in China, and Eugene Pao, a well-known Hong Kong jazz guitarist who has played with leading international jazz musicians in the past. In addition, Mount Fortress will host the hypnotizing fado of Portugals new rising star, Carminho, jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove who will play several works by jazz giant Miles Davis, and a jazz concert performed by musicians from the four Cross-strait regions. This years festival budget stood at MOP38 million, the same as in 2015 and 2014. Tickets for the festivals performances go on sale from 10 a.m. on August 7 at Macau Ticketing Network outlets, and telephone and online booking are available from 12 p.m. the same day. There are two early bird discount rates applicable. A 30 percent discount will be granted to those who purchase tickets between August 7 and 14, and a 20 percent discount will be offered on those bought between August 15 and 21. A large collapsed part of the roof at a Bangkok movie theater complex yesterday but caused no serious injuries. The fire in the Major Cineplex Pinklao reportedly began in a third-floor cinema in the seven-story shopping and theater complex. About 30 to 40 fire trucks and 100 crew members battled the blaze, which sent large plumes of black and white smoke into the sky. Members of Bangkoks Emergency Medical Services said a firefighter and another man were treated for slight injuries. The building is in Thonburi, across the Chao Phraya River from Bangkok proper. It is owned by Thailands largest operator of movie theaters, the Major Cineplex Group. AP A team of high school students from Macau have won a gold and a silver medal at the 57th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), which was held in Hong Kong. This achievement marks the first time in 25 years that a team from the region has won a gold medal at the competition. Led by Leong Ieng Tak and Wan Lung Yam from the Department of Mathematics at the University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Science and Technology, the Macau team was comprised of six students selected from an earlier local competition. Two students from the local team won gold and silver medals, while the other four students were each awarded with an honorable mention. According to UMs press release, Leong and Wan conducted a month-long special training program for the participating students. Leong also invited the Portuguese team to Macau for a three-day training session before the competition. UMs Department of Mathematics has provided various kinds of mathematical training for local students, which has resulted in numerous awards at international competitions, said UM in a statement. Launched in 1959, the International Mathematical Olympiad is the oldest and largest mathematics competition in the world. Held annually in a different country each year, the competition aims to provide a platform for young students to showcase their talent for mathematics. It is hailed as a cradle of future mathematicians. North Koreas top diplomat for U.S. affairs told The Associated Press yesterday that Washington crossed the red line and effectively declared war by putting leader Kim Jong Un on its list of sanctioned individuals, and said a vicious showdown could erupt if the U.S. and South Korea hold annual war games as planned next month. Han Song Ryol, director-general of the U.S. affairs department at the Norths Foreign Ministry, said in an interview that recent U.S. actions have put the situation on the Korean Peninsula on a war footing. The United States and South Korea regularly conduct joint military exercises south of the Demilitarized Zone, and Pyongyang typically responds to them with tough talk and threats of retaliation. Han said North Korea believes the nature of the maneuvers has become openly aggressive because they reportedly now include training designed to prepare troops for the invasion of the Norths capital and decapitation strikes aimed at killing its top leadership. Han says designating Kim himself for sanctions was the final straw. The Obama administration went so far to have the impudence to challenge the supreme dignity of the DPRK in order to get rid of its unfavorable position during the political and military showdown with the DPRK, Han said, using the acronym for North Koreas official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown, he said. We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war. Although North Korea had already been heavily sanctioned internationally for its nuclear weapons and long-range missile development programs, Washingtons announcement on July 6 was the first time Kim Jong Un has been personally sanctioned. Less than a week later, Pyongyang cut off its final official means of communications with Washington known as the New York channel. Han said Pyongyang has made it clear that everything between the two must now be dealt with under war law. Kim and 10 others were put on the list of sanctioned individuals in connection with alleged human rights abuses, documented by the United Nations Human Rights Commission, that include a network of political prisons and harsh treatment of any kind of political dissent in the authoritarian state. U.S. State Department officials said the sanctions were intended in part to highlight those responsible for the abuses and to pressure lower-ranking officials to think twice before carrying them out. Pyongyang denies abuse claims and says the U.N. report was based on fabrications gleaned from disgruntled defectors. Pointing to such things as police shootings of black Americans and poverty in even the richest democracies, it says the West has no moral high ground from which to criticize the Norths domestic political situation. It also says U.S. allies with questionable human-rights records receive less criticism. Han took strong issue with the claim that it not the U.S. but Pyongyangs continued development of nuclear weapons and missiles that is provoking tensions. Day by day, the U.S. military blackmail against the DPRK and the isolation and pressure is becoming more open, Han said. It is not us, it is the United States that first developed nuclear weapons, who first deployed them and who first used them against humankind. And on the issue of missiles and rockets, which are to deliver nuclear warheads and conventional weapons warheads, it is none other than the United States who first developed it and who first used it. He noted that U.S.-South Korea military exercises conducted this spring were unprecedented in scale, and that the U.S. has deployed the USS Mississippi and USS Ohio nuclear-powered submarines to South Korean ports, deployed the B-52 strategic bomber around South Korea and is planning to set up the worlds most advanced missile defense system, known by its acronym THAAD, in the South, a move that has also angered China. Echoing earlier state-media reports, Han ridiculed Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, for a flight on a U.S. Air Force F-16 based in South Korea that he said was an action unfit for a diplomat. We regard that as the act of a villain, who is a crazy person, Han said of the July 12 flight. All these facts show that the United States is intentionally aggravating the tensions in the Korean Peninsula. Han warned that Pyongyang is viewing next months planned U.S.-South Korea exercises in this new context and will respond if they are carried out as planned. Nobody can predict what kind of influence this kind of vicious confrontation between the DPRK and the United States will have upon the situation on the Korean Peninsula, he said. By doing these kinds of vicious and hostile acts toward the DPRK, the U.S. has already declared war against the DPRK. So it is our self-defensive right and justifiable action to respond in a very hard way. We are all prepared for war, and we are all prepared for peace, he said. If the United States forces those kinds of large-scale exercises in August, then the situation caused by that will be the responsibility of the United States. Last years Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises involved 30,000 American and 50,000 South Korean troops and followed a period of heightened animosity between the rival Koreas sparked by land mine explosions that maimed two South Korean soldiers. In the end, the exercises escalated tensions and rhetoric, but concluded with no major incidents. Han dismissed calls for Pyongyang to defuse tensions by agreeing to abandon its nuclear program. In the view of cause and effect, it is the U.S. that provided the cause of our possession of nuclear forces, he said. We never hide the fact, and we are very proud of the fact, that we have very strong nuclear deterrent forces not only to cope with the United States nuclear blackmail but also to neutralize the nuclear blackmail of the United States. Eric Talmadge, Pyongyang, AP Singapore Airlines Ltd. reported first-quarter profit almost tripled as lower oil prices reduced costs and the company benefited from the sale of a stake by its subsidiary. Net income rose to SGD256.6 million (USD190 million) in the three months ended in June from SGD91.2 million a year earlier, the carrier said in a Singapore stock exchange statement yesterday. Sales dropped 2 percent to SGD3.6 billion. Non-operating income jumped to SGD148.1 million after SIA Engineering Co. profited from the sale of its stake in Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Ltd., coupled with SGD36 million in special dividends from the Hong Kong company, according to the statement. Singapore Air benefited from an increase in passenger numbers in the quarter as economic growth from China to Southeast Asia to India allowed more people to travel for work and leisure. Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong has ordered $10 billion of new aircraft to take on competition as AirAsia Bhd., Emirates and Etihad Airways chip away market shares of Singapore Air and low-cost units Tiger and Scoot. The parent airlines yields, or revenue earned from a passenger for flying a kilometer, fell to 10.3 Singapore cents in the first quarter, from 10.7 cents a year earlier. The carrier posted its lowest passenger yield in six years in the 12 months through March, with CEO Goh saying pressure is being felt across the industry. Cathay CEO Ivan Chu said this month that there is intense pressure on yield. Singapore Air carried 4.63 million passengers at its main airline in the fiscal first quarter, 1.3 percent more than the 4.57 million a year earlier. It filled 75.8 percent of seats, compared with 76.3 percent a year earlier. A more than 50 percent decline in oil prices in the past two years has helped reduce costs for most airlines, whose single biggest expense is fuel. Brent traded at an average of $46.91 a barrel in the three months through June, 26 percent lower than the $63.37 a year earlier. It traded at $43.24 a barrel as of 7:15 p.m. in Singapore yesterday. Singapore Air the only Asian carrier to fly the Concorde and the first in the world to fly the A380 superjumbo needs new passengers to stem a slide in earnings. The carrier is counting on cabin comforts to lure higher-end passengers used to its fully flat beds as well as more price-conscious customers. The carrier has been looking to build alliances abroad as part of a multi-hub strategy. It partnered with Indias Tata Group to start Vistara in January 2015 and owns about 23 percent of Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. The companys Scoot unit also teamed up with Nok Airlines Pcl of Thailand to set up NokScoot. Singapore Air started flying its Airbus Group SE 253-seat A350 aircraft to Amsterdam from May 9. The carrier will receive the ultra-long-range version of the plane in 2018 for services to New York, which will become the worlds longest non-stop flight. Kyunghee Park, Bloomberg Traffic will be temporarily controlled in Taipa tomorrow on a section of the Estrada da Baia de Nossa Senhora da Esperanca in the surrounding area of Galaxy Macau, the Transport Bureau (DSAT) and the Transportation Infrastructure Office (GIT) informed in a joint statement. The control system that will be in place between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. is related to the construction of the pedestrian overpass structure for the LRT Pai Kok station. During the period, all traffic will flow into split lanes when travelling into the direction that leads to Sai Van Bridge. Child cleared of MERS suspicion An 11-year-old girl from Saudi Arabia has undergone tests at the public hospital (CHCSJ) due to reportedly having presented symptoms resembling those of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the Health Bureau (SSM) informed in a statement. According to the statement, the child showed signs of abdominal pain and a fever, which led her parents to seek medical help at Kiang Wu Hospital Clinic in Taipa. She was later transported to the CHCSJ to be submitted to tests for MERS. The test results were negative, SSM announced late last night. U.S. diplomats have not been granted permission by China to meet with James Wang, a jailed magazine publisher and naturalized American citizen, since his 2014 arrest in southern China, the Obama administration said Wednesday. A court in Shenzhen this week sentenced Wang, also known as Wang Jianmin, to five years in prison on charges of running an illegal business, bribery and collusion after he sent copies of his sensitive political magazine to mainland China. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. was not permitted to attend Wangs trial and will continue to request visits. Wangs lawyer Chen Nansha said yesterday that Wang might not appeal the verdict. Wang also holds residency in Hong Kong a semiautonomous Chinese territory and last entered China with his Hong Kong identity card before his arrest, Chen said. China does not recognize dual citizenship and likely tried Wang as a Chinese citizen, particularly as he entered the country with Chinese documents. Wang, along with editor Guo Zhongxiao, who was also arrested in mainland China in 2014, published New Way Monthly and Faces, two journals that often delved into high-level Communist Party intrigue. Their arrests and convictions, following the temporary disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers, has raised questions about Hong Kongs status as a free press haven and has cast a chill over the territorys free-wheeling political book trade. AP Hours of testimonials, urgent pleas and persuasion have led to this. Now, its time to hear from Hillary Clinton. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state today [Macau time] will step out of the shadows of presidents past for her moment to convince Americans that she is the best choice to helm a nation looking for a new era of leadership. President Barack Obama anointed her the inheritor of his legacy Wednesday night at the Democratic convention. Delivering a passionate case for his one-time rival, Obama declared Clinton not only can defeat the deeply pessimistic vision of Republican Donald Trump but also realize the promise of this great nation. Shes been there for us, even if we havent always noticed, he said. Clinton appeared unannounced on the platform soon after to soak up the roar of cheering Democrats. She pointed at the man who denied her the White House eight years ago, smiled wide and gave him a hug. Summoning his most famous line from that 2008 campaign, Obama said: If youre serious about our democracy, you cant afford to stay home just because she might not align with you on every issue. Youve got to get in the arena with her, because democracy isnt a spectator sport. America isnt about Yes he will. Its about Yes we can. Wednesdays display was the picture of diversity that Democrats have sought to frame the whole week: The first African-American president symbolically seeking to hand the weightiest baton in the free world to a woman. It culminated a parade of speeches over the last 72 hours from men and women, gay and straight, white, black and Hispanic; young and old hoping to cast the Republicans as out-of-touch social conservatives led by an unhinged and unscrupulous tycoon. Reeling off his greatest hits as president, from the auto industry bailout and health care overhaul to landmark deals on climate change and Irans nuclear program, Obama said the choice was between Trump vision of a country where we turn against each other, and turn away from the rest of the world and the America I know. He evoked Ronald Reagan, a move that drew criticism from Clinton when they were rivals, to contrast the Republican icons vision of America as shining city on a hill with Trumps description of the U.S. as a divided crime scene. Our power doesnt come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. We dont look to be ruled, Obama said. Trump did his best to steal the spotlight Wednesday. Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump said hed like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. The appearance of him encouraging Russia to meddle in the presidential campaign enraged Democrats and Republicans, even as he dismissed suggestions from Obama and other Democrats that Moscow already was intervening on his behalf. Hours later, his campaign tried to cast the remark as sarcastic. But the candidate did not disavow it. Trumps comments fed Democrats contentions that the billionaire businessman is unqualified to be commander in chief. He has no national security experience and has dismissed decades of U.S. foreign policy constants, like standing by NATO allies that long suffered under Russian domination. Yet in a scattershot news conference Wednesday, Trump tried to turn the table on Clinton, saying he believed it unsafe for her to receive national security briefings in light of her mishandling of classified information via email while in office. Yesterday, Democrats continued to claim it was Trump who is a dangerous choice. Its an existential choice for the country, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, said of the election in an appearance on ABCs Good Morning America. Kaine was one of several heavy hitters who took the stage Wednesday night, who praised Clinton in Spanish. Hillary Clinton is lista, he said. In what was likely his last prime-time speech of his political life, Vice President Joe Biden delivered a roaring case for Clinton. It was a Biden special, rich with his regular-guy folksiness, misty-eyed storytelling and hard hits. Trumps cynicism and undoubtedly his lack of empathy and compassion can be summed up in that phrase he is most proud of making famous: Youre fired, Biden said. He is trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. Give me a break. That is a bunch of malarkey. After a quarter-century just behind the men in charge, Clinton yesterday gets her turn alone with the American public for what is likely the most important speech of her career. She will be tasked with winning the trust of a public deeply skeptical of her honesty, polls show. Some Democrats still arent convinced of her candidacy, either, a sentiment underscored by the protests of a small but boisterous set of supporters of her primary challenger Bernie Sanders. Clintons campaign said she will lean heavily on the stronger together campaign theme in her remarks. She will invoke her 1996 book It Takes a Village and will continue to woo moderate Republicans. That effort was hammered home Wednesday by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who implored Americans to elected a sane, competent person with sane, international experience. Retired Marine General John R. Allen, who has endorsed Clinton, will be joined on stage by a group of veterans to focus on Clintons national security credentials. Allen was Deputy Commander of U. S. Central Command and a former commander of the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Clintons daughter, Chelsea Clinton, will briefly introduce her mother. Kathleen Hennessey, Bradley Klapper, AP Brad Little plans to vote for Donald Trump, but his take on immigration and refugee resettlement differ a bit from the Republican nominee's. The state doesn't have direct control over either immigration policy or refugee resettlement; policies on both are set by the federal government, and courts have long recognized federal primacy over states in these areas. However, both are certainly important and sometimes controversial issues in Idaho and in this area, in particular. Twin Falls is one of the state's refugee resettlement hubs and the area is also home to a sizable non-refugee immigrant population, particularly Mexicans. Little, a Republican who is Idaho's lieutenant governor now and is so far the only declared candidate for governor in 2018, told the Times-News editorial board he favors increasing border security, and changes such as enhancing extradition agreements and doing a better job of targeting ties between Mexican drug gangs and the illegal drug trade. But he is skeptical of Trump's signature proposal to build a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexican border and make Mexico pay for it. Little said he once tried to calculate how many tunnels you could dig with the difference between two months' wages in Mexico versus Idaho. "These things are never as easy as they look at first blush," Little said. Little said he liked some aspects of the immigration reform compromise Congress considered a few years ago, such as the proposals that would identify undocumented immigrants and bring them out of the shadows, but he said any immigration reform would have to be crafted in a way that wouldnt create an incentive for more illegal immigration. He views mass deportation of undocumented immigrants as a non-starter. "I don't think it's going to happen," he said. "I can see the first 20 news stories of mothers being separated from their babies and ... I don't think it's going to happen. But you have to have a program that doesn't look like it's a temporary program, where the next generation comes in." As for refugee resettlement, Little said the federal government needs to be vigilant about security. There are people who want to come into this country on suicide missions, he said. And thats a whole new aspect of it. And our most important job is to keep everybody safe. But, Little said, he opposes ending the refugee program, and views the visa system, not refugee resettlement, as a far greater vulnerability. Thats where the risk is, he said. And if were over here worrying about this refugee program, where these people are vetted and monitored and watched, and we forget this great big huge problem thats over here, were missing the forest for the trees." TWIN FALLS Five bats in Idaho have, in less than two months, tested positive for rabies, prompting South Central Public Health District to issue a warning to avoid contact with the creatures. Bats are a natural reservoir for rabies, and without timely medical intervention, rabies is virtually 100 percent fatal in humans and animals, said district spokesman Jeff Pierson. Rabies can be confirmed only in a laboratory, however any bat that is active by day or is found in a place where bats are not usually seen (for example, in a room in your home or on the lawn) or is unable to fly is far more likely than others to be rabid, Pierson said. Such bats are often the most easily approached. The number of phone calls we have received about dead bats has increased recently, said Tanis Maxwell, program manager at the health district. So far, no bats in south-central Idaho have tested positive for rabies, Maxwell said. But rabies can easily be passed to other animals. According to the Centers for Disease Control, cats, cattle, and dogs are the most frequently reported rabid domestic animals. Residents should ensure that pets are properly vaccinated, Pierson said. If you are bitten by a bat or if infectious material (such as saliva) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately. If you have come into direct contact with a bat or find one in your house, and you are able to safely collect the bat, place the bat into a container. You will need to contact a health district epidemiologist for further assistance. For more information, visit www.phd5.idaho.gov/rabies. TWIN FALLS Counties are applying for state money to bolster their public defenders as Idaho seeks to overhaul a system critics say is deficient and unconstitutional. Twenty-eight counties have already filed their applications for a piece of roughly $5 million in grant money to the Idaho Public Defense Commission, an oversight board seeking to reform the states public-defense system. IPDC Executive Director Kimberly Simmons said she expects to get applications from at least 42 of Idahos 44 counties, including all the counties in the Magic Valley, before the Aug. 1 deadline. Meanwhile, Simmons spent much of July traveling around the state, meeting with county commissioners to discuss the grants and the ramifications of the new standards and to hear their concerns. Its all happening as a result of the public-defense reform bill lawmakers passed this year, bringing changes and extra funding to a system that the state has been warned for years is unconstitutionally inadequate at representing people who cant afford their own lawyer. The American Civil Liberties Union sued the state last year. The bill calls on the commission to establish standards for public defense in the state but doesnt spell them out exactly, and the Public Defense Commission is working on the first set of rules now. This year, Simmons said, the commission is considering standards requiring a public defender to be present at a defendants initial appearance, which is where bail can be set; regulating public-defender caseloads; and performance standards on levels of education and training required of public defenders. Simmons said many county commissioners have been worried about how the new standards could affect their budgets. Twin Falls County probably wont be hugely affected, county Commissioner Terry Kramer told Simmons at a meeting earlier this month, but some smaller counties might. The caseload regulations, for example, could force some counties to hire more public defenders. And having a lawyer present might not be an issue for counties such as Twin Falls that have in-house public defenders, but in the majority of Idaho counties, which contract with lawyers in private practice to represent indigent clients and dont generally have a public defender at initial appearances for logistical and budget reasons, Simmons said, it could be a challenge. Its an easy thing to assign one attorney to be on duty and be there in a county with in-house public defense, said Keith Roark, one of the five lawyers who handles public defense for Blaine County. Thats not how its handled in this county and some other counties, Roark added. When people are arrested, theyll be brought before the magistrate, but it wont be clear whether there will be public defenders or not. The plan is to finalize the draft rule late this year. The Legislature would then have to pass it during the 2017 session. The rules could take effect immediately, and counties would have about a year to come into compliance. Well probably just have to put that in the contract, said Jerome County Commissioner Charlie Howell. Jerome County, at least, contracts with lawyers whose practices are nearby, which isnt the case everywhere. In remote Custer County, for example, a lawyer whose practice is in Blackfoot, more than two hours from the Custer County seat of Challis, handles public defense. These counties will have to get creative, Simmons said. They may have to institute some kind of video conferencing to allow the attorney to speak with the defendant privately before the hearing, then have the attorney appear by video during the hearing. Simmons said the rules will likely allow for videoconferencing, but the Public Defense Commission is still discussing the issue. Some counties, including Twin Falls and Cassia, already have videoconferencing systems in the courtroom even though they have in-house public defenders, so defendants at the jail can appear in court from there rather than being brought to the court house. As for the grants, which are meant to help counties comply with the states standards, the law says counties can get either 15 percent of the countys local share or $25,000, whichever is greater. The local share is defined as 15 percent of the average of the first three of the past five years of public defense spending, which would work out to almost $320,000 in Twin Falls case. Jerome County spends almost $577,000, of which about $339,000 is for its contracts with lawyers in private practice to represent indigent clients. The rest is for hiring other lawyers in cases where one of the contract lawyers has a conflict. The county is applying for $69,000 in state money, Howell said. Jerome County isnt alone in spending a lot on conflict defense. In Twin Falls County, $230,000 of this years $1.77 million public defense budget is earmarked for conflict defender costs. The conflict thing is eating us alive, Kramer told Simmons. TWIN FALLS A trial that was set to begin Wednesday was postponed and a change of plea hearing has been scheduled for a 19-year-old Twin Falls man charged with raping a 17-year-old girl earlier this year and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl last year. Jacob Edward Morgan pleaded not guilty in May to felony counts of rape and lewd conduct with a child under 16. In separate incidents, hes accused of forcing a 14-year-old girl to give him oral sex last August, when he was 18, and of raping a 17-year-old girl in March at a Twin Falls trailer park. During a pretrial conference last week, defense attorney Keith Roark asked for the trial to be vacated. We do not have any intention of going to trial, Roark said before asking that a change of plea hearing be set for Aug. 15. Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs said that while the scheduled hearing indicates Morgan will plead guilty to the charges, the defendant could change his mind up until the point the judge asks him to enter a plea. Change of plea hearings are always very tentative, Loebs said. Well have to wait and see. The prosecutor declined to comment on the status of plea negotiations, and Roark did not respond to an email seeking comment Thursday afternoon. Morgan, who was arrested in March, was wanted by police since last August, when a 14-year-old girl reported that he forced her to give him oral sex Aug. 8 behind Dicks Pharmacy. The girl testified during a preliminary hearing that she didnt know Morgan until she added him as a Facebook friend, but just minutes later they met up to hang out, and not long after that he sexually assaulted her. The girl testified that Morgan tried putting her hand down his pants outside her residence, then later pinned her hands to a wall when he forced her to give him oral sex. A friend coming around the corner interrupted the assault, the girl testified, and when the girls brother showed up, Morgan ran for it, he took off. The girl told her friend what happened but didnt report it to police until Aug. 14, at which time detectives began searching for Morgan. But they didnt find him until March 15, when he went to the police station voluntarily to discuss the alleged rape on March 14. In that incident, a 17-year-old girl testified that she fell asleep at a studio apartment in a trailer park where she had spent the day hanging out with Morgan and several other friends. She testified that she rejected Morgan when he tried to kiss her earlier in the day, but after falling asleep in the apartment, she woke up with her pants and underwear pulled down to her knees with Morgan on top of her. He told me that I was going to like it and it would be OK, the girl testified. I tried to get away, I tried to wiggle out of his hold. When I went to scream, he put a blanket in my mouth. Morgan has been held at the Twin Falls County Jail since his March 15 arrest in lieu of $100,000 bond on each charge. Hes set to appear at the change of plea hearing Aug. 15. TWIN FALLS Police arrested a Twin Falls man Thursday after he reportedly attacked another man with a knife behind Washington Street Pawn. Mulugeta Zemu Mana, 32, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery after police responded about 4:10 p.m. to the report of an attempted stabbing at Washington Street Pawn, Twin Falls Police Sgt. Dusty Solomon said. He apparently confronted another man and attempted to stab him with a knife, Solomon said. The other man was able to fend him off and only had minor injuries to his hands. Other details about the alleged attack were still very vague as police continued to investigate the incident, Solomon said about 5:40. The run-in with police was not the first for Mana this week, according to court documents. He was arrested Tuesday and arraigned Wednesday on misdemeanor counts of trespassing and failing to present identification for liquor. BURLEY A second woman in a welfare fraud case has been sentenced to spend at least a year in prison. Teresa Martinez, 37, was sentenced in Cassia County District Court to one to 10 years on a felony charge of public assistance fraud by means of a false statement. Under a plea deal, two additional charges of fraudulent procurement of public assistance and aiding a person to conceal property to qualify for assistance were dismissed. Martinez was placed in the states retained jurisdiction program, a Department of Corrections initiative that aims to rehabilitate criminals. Martinez was one of three sisters charged with public assistance fraud after the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said together the three women swindled more than $221,000 in public-assistance benefits. Conception A. Lopez, 34, pleaded guilty to one of three charges in May and was sentenced to one to 10 years in prison. She was ordered to pay $92,498.91 in restitution to Health and Welfare. Under a plea agreement, two charges were dropped. The third sister, Olivia Mercado Munez, 38, is charged with one count of unauthorized use of federal food stamps, one felony count of fraud by obtaining or welfare or public assistance and a misdemeanor count of fraud by obtaining welfare or public assistance. She has pleaded not guilty but is scheduled to change her plea in a hearing Aug. 30. TWIN FALLS A judge set a Salt Lake City mans bond at a staggering $100 million after the confrontational defendant charged with aggravated battery asked for the high amount and told the judge through an interpreter that he didnt care about the proceedings against him. Twin Falls police arrested Mulugeta Zemu Mana, 32, on Thursday afternoon after they said he attacked another man with a knife near Washington Street Pawn. During his arraignment Friday on a felony count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, Mana refused the help of an attorney and told Judge Michael Redman many times, both on his own in clear English and through a Tigrinya interpreter, that he didnt want to be or need to be informed of the charges against him. Twin Falls County Deputy Prosecutor Suzanne Craig requested his bond be set at $1 million, citing misdemeanor charges currently pending against him, a driving-under-the-influence charge from 2012 in Twin Falls and recent convictions in Salt Lake City for assault and public intoxication. His ties to Twin Falls are over, Craig argued. He says in the affidavit hes homeless in Salt Lake City he confessed to this crime to law enforcement and in that confession, expressed an intent to kill. When the judge and interpreter informed him the state was seeking a $1 million bond, Mana laughed. I told you I dont care, he said through the interpreter. Now, you can even make it $100 million, I dont care. Ive told you from the beginning I dont care. Redman did not hesitate to accommodate Mana. Very well, at the defendants request, bond will be set at $100 million, the judge said sharply. Mana is accused of attacking Samuel Gebreegziabher a little after 4 p.m. Thursday at a home on Third Avenue West, court documents said. Gebreegziabher told police he went to the home and sat down with several others in the front yard. When he sat down he recognized one of the individuals sitting on the bench as Mulugeta Z. Mana, an officer wrote in a sworn affidavit. Gebreegziabher told me that he and Mr. Mana came over to the United States as refugees about four years ago. Mr. Gebreegziabher also told me that there is no relationship between him and Mr. Mana, and that he only knows him through the refugee program (and) has not seen Mr. Mana for over three years. The report did not say what country either man came from, but based on the Tigrinya language Mana spoke with an interpreter, he likely is from the African country of Eritrea or Ethiopia. Eritrea broke away from Ethiopia in 1991, the two nations fought a war from 1998 to 2000 and the region has been in an almost constant state of upheaval since conscription into a forced government labor program is the factor most commonly cited by asylum seekers who have fled Eritrea, according the Council on Foreign Relations. Gebreegziabher told police that without provocation, Mana picked up a knife and attempted to stab him, court documents said. Gebreegziabher said he was able to grab Manas arm and avoid being stabbed in the stomach, but his right palm was cut in the struggle; Gebreegziabher then ran across the street to Washington Street Pawn where he asked the clerk to call 911. During an interview with Twin Falls Police Officer Dzevad Mustafic himself a refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina Mana told police he came back to Twin Falls from Salt Lake City to kill Gebreegziabher and two others. Mana told me that these individuals, including Mr. Gebreegziabher, have ruined his life and now he is homeless with nothing left to lose, Mustafic wrote in his affidavit. Mana also told Mustafic, there are two ways to handling your issues in America; one way is through the courts and if that does not work the other options is to handle it yourself. Mana was arrested and booked into county jail Thursday, marking the second time hed been arrested this week. On Wednesday, Mana was charged with trespassing at the Oasis Stop n Go at 1390 Blue Lakes Boulevard North. In that incident, a clerk at the store said Mana came in Monday and caused a huge scene. He was banned from the convenience store Monday, so when he returned Tuesday, police arrested him. At the time of that arrest, Mana told officers he was waiting for a Greyhound bus so he could leave Twin Falls, but that without money for a ticket, he was going to ask the driver for a free ride. In court on Friday, Mana spoke clear English at times and appeared to understand English, but he requested the help of an interpreter. I dont wish to say anything, because youve already charged me and found me guilty, so I dont have nothing to say, Mana said in English. Later, through an interpreter, he said he claimed he didnt use a knife in the attack and said he didnt want an attorney. Im only guilty the day I decided to come to this country, he said through the interpreter. The only guilt I have is the day I decided to come to this country, he said again. Mana is being held at the Twin Falls Count Jail and is set for a preliminary hearing Aug. 4. UPDATE: Detective Erin Ash reported at about 1 a.m. Friday that Bryanna Cano has been found. TWIN FALLS A Twin Falls mother is seeking the communitys help to find her missing 17-year-old daughter. Bryanna Cano, who turned 17 two days before she went missing, was last seen by her family about 10 a.m. July 19, said her mother, Amanda Goodlett. Im just at a loss, Goodlett said Wednesday. Shes my only daughter out of five kids. Im scared. Bryanna has been reported as a runaway to the Twin Falls Police Department, and officers are aware shes missing and following up on leads when they come in, Community Service Detective Erin Ash said Thursday. Bryannas family has also distributed flyers around town with pictures of the missing girl, but few businesses have put up the flyers, Goodlett said. The mother expressed frustration that law enforcement hasnt done more to help find Bryanna and said an Amber Alert should have been sent out, but Ash explained that the police are following the same protocol with Bryanna as any other runaway missing person case. Amber Alerts are only issued when a child is known or suspected to have been abducted, and when we have indication theres imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death, Ash explained. The detective added that Amber Alerts are only sent within 12 hours of an abduction, and there has to be enough descriptive information to distribute, like the physical description of a suspect or suspect vehicle. Runaways almost never warrant an Amber Alert, and teenage runaways can be especially difficult to find because, like adults, If they want to be missing, it makes it very hard to find them, Ash said. But the TFPD office assured the public that patrol officers are on the lookout for Bryanna, and that her case has been treated with equal sincerity as others. Shes been entered into a national database of missing persons, so if officers in another city or state come across her, shed come up as a missing person, Ash said. Her mom has called in several times with tips where she might be, and weve sent officers to follow up each time. Goodlett said shes received several messages from friends who believe theyve seen Bryanna around Twin Falls, and she hopes one of the leads will soon lead to finding her daughter. Anyone with information about Bryannas whereabouts can contact Twin Falls city dispatch at (208) 735-4357. TWIN FALLS You may know actor Henry Winkler from his role on Happy Days, but hes coming to Twin Falls to talk about something completely different. Hell give two presentations Aug. 15 about learning disabilities and his own experience with undiagnosed dyslexia. Winkler will speak to Twin Falls School District employees during their opening day ceremony. Then, hell give a community presentation at 7 p.m. at Twin Falls High Schools Roper Auditorium. Bill Brulotte, director of federal programs for the school district, said he hopes attendees will leave the presentations with a sense of compassion. We all have obstacles in our lives, he said, and teachers can help students recognize and overcome those challenges. Winker is best known for his role as Arthur Fonzarelli on Happy Days for 10 seasons, from 1974-84. Since then, he has made other film and television appearances. His accolades include two Golden Globe awards and three Emmy nominations. Winklers appearance in Twin Falls is paid for by a grant and organized by the Twin Falls School District and its education foundation. For decades, the school district has brought in a keynote speaker including nationally-recognized educators for its opening day ceremony. But Winkler has the most public name recognition, Brulotte said. Linda Watkins, executive director of the Twin Falls School District Education Foundation, spoke with a community member last year who heard Winkler present at a national conference. That sparked the idea to see if hed come to Twin Falls. Brulotte grew up watching Winkler on Happy Days, but didnt realize the actor has written books. We started looking into what Henry Winkler was all about, he said. Winkler and Lin Oliver wrote Hank Zipzer: The Worlds Greatest Underachiever, a childrens book series. Winkler also published Ive Never Met an Idiot on the River in 2011 and released the first in a series of childrens books, Ghost Buddy #1: Zero to Hero, in 2012. To pay for Winklers visit, the Twin Falls School District Education Foundation received a grant from the Janice Seagraves Family Foundation. Grant money was also used to bring in two keynote speakers for a P20 teaching conference earlier this month at the College of Southern Idaho and to install buddy benches at elementary schools. Winkler will give two presentations Aug. 15. All Twin Falls School District employees are invited to the daytime event, joined by teachers from the Buhl School District. The nighttime lecture is free for certified teachers across south-central Idaho. If youre interested, call your school district office to get a ticket. Some free tickets have already been distributed to teachers in the Hagerman, Kimberly, Hansen, Murtaugh, Jerome, Valley, Wendell, Blaine County, Cassia County and Minidoka County school districts, plus St. Edwards Catholic School. For community members, tickets cost $25 each. VIP tickets, which cost $100 each, include admission to the evening presentation, a signed copy of Ive Never Met an Idiot on the River and a meet-and-greet with Winkler at Elevation 486. Winkler will talk about his experiences and how to overcome obstacles, Watkins said. Its a real inspirational story of overcoming some learning challenges to become a real success. TWIN FALLS The National Weather Services Boise and Pocatello offices have issued fire weather watches for portions of southern Idaho. The Goose Creek and Raft River Valley, the Twin Falls Bureau of Land Management district south of the Snake River, and the southern Sawtooth National Forest are all included in the watch, which will be in effect from noon until 11 p.m. Saturday because of scattered dry thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, according to the weather service. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly due to the conditions, and outdoor burning is not recommended. The weather service has also issued a watch for the Owyhee Mountains, in effect from Saturday afternoon through evening, due to scattered thunderstorms and high winds. The Sawtooth National Forest said Friday that fire danger is very high, posting on Facebook that if people want to have a camp fire, it needs to be in a safe place with plenty of clearance around the ring, that people need to have a tool and water on hand and the fire must be fully extinguished if you are going to leave it for any length of time. The Sawtooth Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Forest Service firefighters had to respond to a small wildfire on Wednesday, across Idaho 75 from Redfish Lake near Stanley, caused by an abandoned campfire. The fire was knocked down quickly, the Forest Service said, but it grew rapidly and had the potential to be the next big fire in Idaho. BOISE Staff from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission will be conducting workshops throughout Idaho to assist telephone customers transition to a second area code and 10-digit dialing. Voluntary 10-digit dialing (area code, plus prefix, plus four-digit number) begins this November and mandatory 10-digit dialing starts in August 2017. The purpose of the workshops is to explain why a second area code 986 has become necessary and inform customers of the deadlines to implement the second area code and begin 10-digit dialing. In Twin Falls, the workshop takes place at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 in City Council chambers, 305 Third Ave. E. Because the commission has already made its final determination regarding the numbers relief plan and implementation deadline, these workshops will be informational in nature and not an opportunity to discuss alternatives, the commission said in its order announcing the workshops. The 986 area code will be issued only to new telephone numbers and will not require a change in rates. Idaho is one of few states that still has one area code, 208 issued in 1947. In July 2015, Neustar Inc., the administrator of the North American Numbering Plan, projected that Idaho would run out of available numbers under its 208 area code by mid-2018. In response, the commission opened a case, taking comments from customers and Idaho telecommunications representatives. In November, the commission issued a final order, adopting an all-services overlay, plan that assigns the new area code statewide to new numbers. This option means that no one will have to change their existing numbers, but it will require that all customers in Idaho dial 10 digits. Neustar originally projected a new area code would be needed by August 2001. Since then, the commission implemented various numbers conservation plans that have been successful in delaying a second area code by 15 years. However, the proliferation of wireless telephones, new competitive telephone companies, paging and messaging services and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is contributing to the increase in demand for new numbers, making further delay impossible. While the commission acknowledged that 10-digit dialing may be inconvenient for some, the move to 10-digit dialing is inevitable due to advancing technology, regardless of whether Idaho had to acquire a second area code. Developing technology will eventually drive seven-digit dialing into obsolescence, the commission said. Thus, any future dialing change and relief planning will be eased by the implementation of 10-digit dialing now rather than later. Most telecommunications devices, even landline phones, now allow customers to program numbers into their phones and call contacts with the press of one or two buttons. The commissions order and other documents related to this case are available on the commissions website. Click on Open Cases under the Telecom heading and scroll down to Case No. GNR-T-15-06. KIMBERLY Police are unsure what caused a Twin Falls man to crash his pickup into a power pole on 3900 North in Kimberly. Joseph Anthony Best, 24, a driver for WEBB Landscape in the Wood River Valley, was eastbound on 3900 North near 3341 East when his Ford F-150, carrying an 18-foot tandem trailer, hit a power pole about 11:40 a.m. outside of Overton Farms in Kimberly. Lori Stewart, spokeswoman for the Twin Falls Sheriffs Office, said he had to be extricated from his truck by emergency responders to be taken to St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center. He was treated for serious but non life-threatening injuries. It looked like a Kansas tornado, said Leon Overton, co-owner of the farms alongside his wife Sally. Tire tracks and wire from the power pole straddled a ditch by the farm. The pole was splintered, and to its side was Bests mangled pickup truck with a spider-webbed windshield and bent up trailer. Jeremy Anderson, who lives at Overton Farms, was outside when he saw Best drive into the field and try to correct himself back onto the road. Thats when he smacked right into the power pole and rolled over. I dont even know why he went off it, he said. Leon said this is the third time hes had to have the same power pole replaced by Idaho Power. He believes too many people speed down 3900 North, and that it may be a cause for several accidents hes seen by his property in the last few years. When youre coming down the highway and you come to the intersection, itll be 45 (mph) on one side and 60 on the other, Leon said. Police were unclear if speed was a factor in Bests crash. Sally also noted how the area can be dangerous to drive in, saying one year her granddaughter was turning into the driveway and was hit and rolled over. All three want people to be more cautious when driving on the road, noting how tempting it is to speed there and how easy it is to underestimate a hilly area just beyond the property. Ive been here for three years and its the third incident, Anderson said. They need to do something with this road. Shortly after the call for the crash came into dispatch, Twin Falls deputies and Kimberly-Hansen police directed traffic east and westbound along the stretch of 3900 North by Overton Farms while Rock Creek firefighters worked the scene. Bests condition was changed from serious to life-threatening. The crash is still under investigation. Citations are not expected to be filed against Best, Stewart said. TWIN FALLS Space junk reentering the atmosphere blazed a trail across the sky Wednesday night, creating a fuss on social media. Was it a meteor? A comet? A satellite? folks asked on Facebook and Twitter. Molten metal appeared to drip from the sky as the second stage of a Chinese rocket broke up somewhere over California. Startled and concerned witnesses as far east as Colorado reported the sight. Im gunna assume this is aliens cuz Ive never seen anything this pretty! tweeted Conner Johnson, who shoot video of the rocket stage reentry. An astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts quickly jumped on Twitter to explain the sight. The rocket stage reentering the western U.S. tonight was from the first launch of the (Chang Zheng 7), one of Chinas new generation of rockets, tweeted Jonathan McDowell, who regularly comments on space launches. Chinas earlier CZ-series rockets used since the 1970s are being retired, McDowell said. The CZ-7 was launched June 25. McDowell estimated the weight of the rocket stage at about 5 tons. So far in 2016, there have been 25 reentries of objects massing one ton or more, he said. But objects of 5-ton class like this are rare. Lori Stewart, Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman, said at least one caller reported the sight. The rocket stage moved slowly across the sky and didnt burn out like the usual fireball or meteor, McDowell said. Whats happening of course is that youre dropping a several ton hunk of aluminum into the atmosphere at 18,000 miles an hour and parts of it melt and then you get several separate chunks falling through the sky. Imagine how you would you feel if your son was attacked by a gang of Muslims in your own Israeli neighborhood, and injured so badly that he required many weeks in the hospital and months recovering. Last summer I met this mother. As you might imagine, throughout his ordeal she suffered with him, with festering bitterness and hatred for Muslims. Months later, while travelling to a conference, she learned that her assigned roommate was a Muslim. Appalled and disgusted, she resolved to move her bed to the opposite side of the room and refuse to even acknowledge her. But then one of the women spoke, and they each started to listen. The Jewish mother learned that the Muslim womans son had been wrongfully accused of throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers. For an entire year without formal charges he was unjustly denied the right to hold a job, before the case was finally dismissed. This mother also suffered with her son, full of hate and bitterness for Jews. As the two listened, they started to realize that they were not the enemies. In fact, in the most important ways as women and wives and mothers and human beings they were basically the same. Instead of spending the night in spiteful silence, neither of them slept as they learned about one another their families, their hopes and fears and dreams listening, talking, laughing and crying. Before long the bitterness and anger melted, and this unlikely duo became true friends. Some recent actions and discussions in our community and nation have stoked base emotions in fellow citizens about our differences of religion in particular, but also of heritage, culture and politics. For many, the feelings of suspicion, division and fear are real and raw. Partly as a response to this, last month the Idaho Republican Party considered a resolution affirming that they respect the common humanity of all people and strive to treat others with dignity, respect and charity. The resolution denounced bigotry, racism and xenophobia, and called upon leaders to do the same; and to conduct their discussions, deliberate their decisions and frame their policies accordingly. Despite the urging of Twin Falls own county chairman, Steve Millington (the resolution originated and passed in our county without a dissenting vote), the state-level committee rejected it soundly. According to AP reporter Kimberlee Kruesi, one committee member complained that, (those) are words the other side uses. Kruesi also noted that, multiple committee memberstook particular exception with the inclusion of the word xenophobia, (which, somewhat ironically, means fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners). In a pluralistic society we will always be surrounded by people who are different. It is easy to become political pawns of those who are empowered by keeping us divided, suspicious and afraid of each other. It is more difficult to maintain friendships and to respect one another despite those differences. Though not easy, it can start with each who is willing to try. The rewards of doing so can change our community, one person at a time. Initially the mothers from Palestine were strangers and foreigners, and though they had never met they feared and hated each other. As their friendship formed, the suspicion, hatred and fear eventually evaporated. Despite the conflict surrounding them in Palestine, these and similar friendships have richly blessed the lives of many people and have been a powerful force against bigotry, hate and violence; and in support of harmony and peace. Christians host their Jewish and Muslim friends at their Christmas parties, Muslims and Christians hold the huppah poles and dance at the Jewish weddings, and Muslims prepare a kosher table for their Jewish friends at the Ramadan feast. In that holy but war-torn land, such civility, respect and friendship is remarkable and inspiring. If they can find peace there, then of all places on earth we can do that here. Not everyone will be willing. This puts the onus on the rest of us including pundits and politicians, and those who hold them accountable to work to stop vitriol, name-calling and insults directed at the strangers and foreigners in our lives be they from different religions, cultures or political parties; and to not allow bigotry and fear to destroy our peace. I believe that all who are willing can learn to be (if not friends, at least) civil across any divide which threatens to separate. I think we will find (as so many already have) that a willingness to engage people who are different from us with kindness, civility and respect has no downside. We may also find that those we thought were so different are not our enemies at all, but that they are basically just like us. This appeared in Thursdays Washington Post. -- The FBI is investigating the theft of some 20,000 emails from servers of the Democratic National Committee, even as U.S. intelligence agencies are reported to have told the White House they believe Russia is responsible. The hack and the release of the emails to the WikiLeaks website are offenses that, if traced to the regime of Vladimir Putin, would justify sanctions or other retaliation. Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence understands that: On Wednesday, he said that if Russia is interfering in our elections, I can assure you both parties and the United States government will ensure there are serious consequences. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is inviting more such interference. Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,he said at a news conference, referring to messages that were deleted from Hillary Clintons private server. No, he wasnt joking, as apologist Newt Gingrich suggested; Trump later repeated the suggestion in a tweet. Lets be clear about what this means: The Republican candidate for president has invited a hostile foreign power to conduct an unlawful cyberattack against his opponent and to make public emails she deemed personal and private. Washington has been wondering whether Putin is attempting to tip the U.S. election to Trump. Now Trump is openly appealing to him to do so. Trump said he has nothing to do with Putin and has never spoken with him, though in the past he has bragged about having done so. He denied that he has business interests in Russia, which doesnt explain why his son would have said Russian money plays a disproportionate role in a lot of our assets. He again said he would not release his tax returns, which means his claims cannot be verified. Trump did provide more evidence of why Putin might be eager to support him. After repeating his disparagements of the NATO alliance, he was asked if his administration would lift sanctions on Russia and recognize its annexation of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that it invaded and occupied in 2014. Well be looking at that. Yeah, well be looking, Trump responded, suggesting a stark reversal of the stance taken by the United States and its European allies. You could almost hear the champagne corks popping in the Kremlin. Once again, Trumps position is diametrically opposed to that of his own partys leaders. A spokesman for House Speaker Paul Ryan (Wisconsin) said Russia is a global menace led by a devious thug, and Putin should stay out of this election. Weve already cited Pence, who was only restating what, until now, has been the common position of U.S. political leaders from left to right: Cyberattacks by foreign governments such as Russia and China against U.S. industry, government and other sensitive targets are unacceptable and must be resisted. There should, indeed, be serious consequences for Russia if it is found responsible for the DNC hack. And voters should take note of one more reason Trump must not acquire the powers of the presidency. I saw it in the movies as a major plot line, and I read it in the newspapers. You know the part where the community comes together for a specific goal or cause. And everybody just feels a sense of accomplishment, because it brought the community together. Well, the Wilbur C. Hall, American Legion Paul Post 77 saw and experienced it up close and personal in the Paul Community. With help from the community, projects were started and completed: A Memorial monument honoring all veterans past and present was dedicated at the Paul City Park. The 60-year-old sidewalk at the Legion Hall is being replaced. A new flag pole has been ordered and ready to be installed. A Raise the Roof fund has been started to replace and repair the existing roof at Wilbur C. Hall in Paul. The Paul community set the tone for the year by helping us start, finish and complete these goals. It was a coming together of our community on many levels. The Commander for the Paul Post 77 expresses his sincere gratitude for the support and contributions made by the Paul Community in getting their goals accomplished. Without the assistance and cooperation from local businesses, friends, and the Paul Post membership, the Post could not have been able to do all these projects. Projects will continue for the betterment of the community and the American Legion. The American Legion Paul Post 77 is a non-profit organization and exists on membership and donations. Three years ago, Paul Post 77 was on the verge of closing its doors forever. The community came to their rescue. All was made possible by the community. On behalf of the American Legion Paul Post 77, we thank you and we salute you. Police officers are trained to make life-and-death decisions at a moment's notice. Most of those decisions don't draw much public scrutiny. It's all in a day's work. We see it everyday across our country. A high-speed pursuit, a shooting, a critical decision. It's just another one of those big choices these men and women must make with little time to weigh the options and implications. It all comes down to training and the trust we place in our law enforcement officers. Trust in police has been shaken by the recent high-profile stories of African Americans killed by white police officers. Sadly, some seem truly excited by the chance to pounce on police over and over. While we respect the rights of Americans to protest, we hope those taking part don't plan to vilify police every time officers are called upon to use their training to make life-and-death decisions. Let's listen to the facts before smashing up police cars and throwing rocks or shooting at cops, as is happening across our country. Each day police put their lives on the line to protect us and our property. Hundreds of officers in our own backyard and across the country leave their families each day and face dangers of all types. What they do is so important yet it often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Dallas and Baton Rouge are still mourning police officers assassinated by men angered by their instilled hatred, as are many communities across our nation. While news accounts indicate that the shooters had serious problems well before these cases made headlines, they still managed to use them as justification in their twisted minds for their vile actions. Critics of police have a responsibility to ensure they are dealing in facts and not simply whipping up hysteria that could lead to more violence. Much must be done to fully investigate cases of excessive force by police. Much must also be done to convince all Americans that the cops are here to protect each and every one of us. In the meantime, let's not forget that the police are still the good guys. May God bless you and keep you safe, my brothers and sisters in blue. Capt. Tim Miller Law Enforcement Services, Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office The Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait have hit rock-bottom after the Houthi Movements political wing, Ansar Allah, and General Peoples Congress (GPC), of former president Abdellah Saleh, reached an agreement to form a 10-man supreme political council that would mange state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security. The head of the Yemeni governments delegation foreign minister Abdulmalek al Mikhlafi called for condemnations from the international community lamenting that the agreement is the new coup against the constitutional legitimacy and the rebels have missed an opportunity for peace which the Yemeni people needed. The talks are unlikely to proceed beyond Friday as the deputy director Abdullah al-Olaimi of the President Salehs office said the negotiations have completely ended and civil service minister Abdul-Aziz Gubari said the delegation could leave by Saturday because they know that the rebels will not implement any decisions reached at the talks. The leadership of the supreme political council is expected to rotate between the GPC and the Houthi Movement and their actions will be based on the constitution. The insolence of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen by killing people and destroying properties also motivated the signing of the agreement according to a statement published on the Houthi Movements controlled SABA news website. Spokesman of UN Secretary General Farhan Haq said the unilateral agreement affects the substantial progress made during the Kuwait talks while UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said it represents a grave violation to peace efforts. It seems as if Kuwaits 15day ultimatum announced at the beginning of the week for parties to reach a peace agreement would no longer be a countdown as Hadis government said the creation of the supreme political council fired the bullet of mercy to the talks which began on April 21 and they have decided to end it for their (Yemeni people) sake. United Arab Emirates as part of efforts to boost its security as well as monitor activities on the web has announced a law that makes the use of VPNs or secure proxy service that change IP addresses as an offence warranting between $136,130 and $544,521 fine together with spending some time behind bars. The law amended federal laws and it outlined that the use of fraudulent computer network protocol address (IP address) by using a false address or a third-party address by any other means is illegal and a crime. UAE has tried to ban blackberries other devices that encrypt data. The government has not given explanations for the new law which is expected to be implemented soon but it is believed to also provide revenue for the telecommunication service providers in the country as services rendered on VoIP have heavily affected the income of all the telecommunication companies in the world. However, the law pointed out that hiding your IP address for the purpose of committing a crime or preventing its discovery, shall be punished by temporary imprisonment and a fine. Analysts say the law is very ambiguous because using VPN or secure proxy service crypts data which makes it difficult for the user to proof his innocence if caught. There are a lot of expatriates and international companies in the UAE and they are expected to be affected by the law. The citizens are also concerned because less than 15% of the population is locals in a kingdom. Etilasalt and Du are the two service providers in the UAE and they are deemed expensive to call abroad as other VoIP services such as Viber and Whatsapp remain blocked. UAE has adopted a strict policy regarding the web as items contrary to its values are blocked as well as Israeli domains and pornography websites. Al Nusra Front is no longer affiliated to the al-Qaeda network or to any external entity according to a video message by Abu Mohammad al-Golani, leader of the group, on Thursday. Henceforth, the Syrian based group that emerged during the early days of war against Assads regime baptized itself as Jabhat Fath al-Sham (The front for the liberation of Sham) and declared the complete cancellation of all operations under its former name. It was Golanis first appearance on a video. Among the reasons that contributed to the split is to end US and Russian excuse to bombard and displace Muslims under the pretense of targeting Nusra Front which is associated with al Qaeda. The announcement was received with caution by the High Negotiations Committee. Spokeswoman Farah al-Atassi said although they look at it with relief, the declaration is very premature to forecast the consequences of the split. However, she said it will help to reduce the number of Russian airstrikes on the Free Syrian Army and civilian neighborhoods under allegations that they are targeting al-Nusra front. Jabhat Fath al-Sham had the blessings of the al-Qaeda leaders and the two groups continue to share ideological beliefs. The new group will be targeted by the US after State Department spokesman John Kirby said theres no change to our views about this particular group because they judge an organization much more by its actions, its ideology, its goals rather than names. They are still considered a foreign terrorist organization. Al-Golanis forces have been influential in fighting against pro-Assad forces and control large areas in northwestern Syria. The split is also aimed at facilitating the orientation of their efforts towards the regime in Damascus. Assad considers all rebel groups fighting against his government as terrorists and with the support of Iran, Hezbollah and Russia, Jabhat Fath al-Sham is more likely to be considered as a change of name but the groups philosophy, tactics and objectives continue to be unaffected. President Erdogan has brought the armed forces and the national intelligence agency under his direct control as the crackdown continues after the failed coup detat on July 15. More than 10,000 people have been arrested and detained by security forces and the government has extended its efforts to other countries to help in its crackdown. Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the government is identifying the supporters of Fethullah Gulen one by one and two ambassadors have already been dismissed. Turkey has been exerting a lot of pressure on countries to cooperate with it in its crackdown by extraditing those allegedly linked to the coup German chancellor Angela Merkel is worried about Turkey abiding by the principle of proportionality under all circumstances. She lamented that it has not always been the case in the crackdown while admitting that when a coup attempt like this takes place in a country, it is right and important to take action against the rebels with all the means and potential of the constitutional state. The government has already created a burial ground for the alleged coup plotters and has named it Traitors cemetery. About 24 coup plotters are believed to have been killed on the night of the coup and a few people have already been buried there. Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas called on passers-by to curse them and let them not rest in their tombs. No burial rites or ceremonies will be accorded to them. Meanwhile, Qatars defense minister Khalid al-Attiyah said he has proof of Saudi and the United Arab Emirates behind the coup with al Masdar, a Syrian news site, quoting him saying this document reveals that a Saudi Emir and a top Emirati military official have been aware, in advance, of an imminent plot to topple the Turkish President through their participation in the Anatolian Eagle maneuvers held last May. Six opposition candidates defeated in Chads presidential election held in April have joined hands to make President Debys investiture unsuccessful. A senior United Nations Envoy on Monday called the Central African nations political actors to engage in inclusive dialogue following the ongoing political and social tension in the country since the disputed re-election of President Deby in April. Opposition leaders of 29 political parties have grouped themselves on Wednesday under one umbrella body called the Front of the New Opposition for change. According to them, the recent presidential vote was rigged and they calling on all Chadians to mobilise and defend their vote. Chad has been governed with an iron hand since 1990 by President Idriss Deby, whose re-election in April was contested by the opposition. Early July, The 15 parties forming the Force coalition denounced the explosive social situation while officials began an indefinite strike against unpaid wages. The opposition has been calling on the international community not to recognize the dictatorial regime of Idriss Deby few weeks before his inauguration on 8 August. President Idriss Deby, who took power in a coup 26 years ago, is seen by Western governments as a bulwark against Islamist militants in central Africa. The headquarters of the regional multi-national force fighting Boko Haram insurgents is based in Chad. The former French colony is also a base for Frances military operations in Africa. Turkey ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, on Thursday requested the Federal government of the Africas most populous nation to close down 17 schools that have links to the alleged mastermind of the failed coup of July 15. In Nigeria, there are 17 schools, which belong to the Gulen Movement, one in Kano, one in Kaduna, one in Abuja, Lagos etc and they are offering scholarships. We are starting some legal procedures to take the name of Turkey out of the name of the schools. They are not the schools of the Turkish government, Cakil is reported by Vanguard online portal to have said. According to the online portal, the ambassador made the call when he met with vice chairman of Nigerias senate foreign affairs committee, Senator Shehu Sani. The ambassador emphasized that his country had nothing to do with the said schools. We are requesting the Nigerian Government to close down the schools. I have requested officially, both orally and in writing, the closure of these schools, Cakil was quoted as saying. Note that the wake of the failed coup, Turkey government of Somalia also ordered all charities linked to Gulen to leave the country. The Turkish government has said that it would take over operations of all the abandoned charities which include educational institutions and medical facilities. In a space of three months, 113 secondary schools in Kenya have been partially destroyed by arson attack as officials are blaming students for it. According to the government, the motives behind these arson attacks remain unclear as they are apparently unconnected, with fires erupting in disparate locations throughout the country. Some schools have had to shut down completely meaning that more than 6,000 students have been sent home, the BBC reports. 5 schools went up in flames in one night last week. Some 150 students have been arrested and 45 charged with arson as Kenyas Education Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiangi, blamed head teachers for failing to put in place coherent and focused structures for engagement in schools. The hashtag #EndSchoolFires has been trending in Kenya as people have been debating the issue on social media and radio talk shows. Some suggest that this is a matter of indiscipline, caused by poor parenting, and that caning should be reintroduced. Kenya banned corporal punishment in 2001. There was also the suggestion that some teachers may have been involved in the planning of the attacks. Deputy President William Ruto proposed his own solutions, calling for student mentoring and more prayers in schools. The convenience of purchasing medicine online does not outweigh the risks, says Karl Fiebelkorn, senior associate dean for student, professional and community affairs at the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Credit: Douglas Levere With the rise of on-demand delivery, prescription medicine joins the countless list of items that can be ordered online with the click of a button. But when it comes to purchasing medicine online, the convenience does not outweigh the risks, says Karl Fiebelkorn, senior associate dean for student, professional and community affairs at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Only 3 percent of online pharmacies are safe and legal, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And the World Health Organization reports that half of medicines sold online are counterfeit, sometimes containing substances such as drywall, lead or boric acid. Yet online pharmacies fill 18 percent of the nation's prescriptions, according to data from the 2015 Pharmacy Satisfaction PULSE survey by pharmaceutical manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim. After sending in their prescriptions and insurance information, patients receive their medication in the mail, often at what they believe are lower prices, says Fiebelkorn. However, data from the National Community Pharmacy Association found the notion is untrue, as community pharmacies may offer comparable prices and are more likely to substitute lower-cost generic drugs. Patients who look to cut health care costs by shopping online for their medicine run the risk of giving their local pharmacist a fragmented picture of their drug regimen when they need a drug for an acute condition, he says. "Your local pharmacist monitors your medication patterns for adherence and dangerous drug interactions, and works with your primary health care provider to make sure you obtain the medication that is right for you and your budget," says Fiebelkorn. "These highly-trained pharmacists are there to discuss your medications face-to-face." Patients will not receive the same experience when purchasing medications through mail-order pharmacies. Although many mail-order medicine retailers list contact information for staff pharmacists, patients may experience common customer service issues such as long hold times and repeated transfers to have issues addressed problems that could be solved in minutes at a community pharmacy, he says. Local pharmacists, he adds, also support patients during their transition from the hospital to their home by reconciling medication, which helps reduce the likelihood of hospital readmission after discharge. Transportation poses other risks as well. Extended exposure to weather extremes can leave medicine ineffective, says Fiebelkorn. Just like food, extremely cold temperatures or sweltering heat can freeze or spoil even tablet forms of drugs that have sat inside a mailbox or delivery truck for a few hours. Shipment delays can also cause patients to run out of their medication. "Several pharmacists have told me that patients come to their pharmacy because the medication they ordered from an online pharmacy is delayed or never arrived," says Fiebelkorn, adding that most mail-order retailers are located outside of New York. "During bouts of severe weather where the postal service did not run, it was the independent pharmacies who traveled to deliver needed medications to their patients." Fiebelkorn suggests consumers check the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's list of Verified-Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites before dealing with an online pharmacy to ensure the retailer meets national standards. Explore further Pharmacists report hidden fees that distort prescription costs More information: Patients can access this information at Patients can access this information at www.awarerx.pharmacy/acquire-s ed-online-pharmacies Epidemics start in mundane ways. A child might play with a pet. An air-conditioning unit might break down. A pool of water might collect in an empty flowerpot. Any one of those actions is all it takes for a virus to find a host and infect its first case. From there, the virus can spread exponentially - across cities, regions, countries. Millions of people might be exposed from that single event, and thousands might die. This year, the Western Hemisphere is reeling from an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns. It prompted the World Health Organization to advise Brazilians to consider delaying pregnancy. And it is overshadowing the Summer Olympics set to start in Rio de Janeiro next month. On July 8, the first death in the continental United States from the virus was confirmed. But Zika is just the latest of many. Since 1980, the global number of viral outbreaks per year has more than tripled. In the last three years alone, health officials have confirmed outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya, measles, enterovirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, and Ebola - and those are just the ones that have reached the United States. Then there are the viruses that haven't emerged yet. The World Health Organization has listed Nipah, a virus similar to the fictional subject of the movie "Contagion"; the MERS and SARS coronaviruses; and several hemorrhagic fevers, including Ebola, as the viruses most likely to cause a major epidemic in the near future. But predicting potential outbreaks is challenging because so many factors are involved. "How do you figure out what's coming next?" said David O'Connor, professor at UW-Madison and chair of the Global Infectious Disease Division at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. "That's the million-dollar question." What we do know is that epidemics can affect virtually anyone. - The goal of a virus is to infect a host, replicate, and spread to a new host. Transmission is more efficient when a sick person is active, meaning it's actually better for the survival of a pathogen if you don't die. The biggest threat is when a virus that normally infects animals jumps to humans. There are two problems: The virus wasn't designed to live in humans, and humans don't have protective immunity to it. Ebola from bats, MERS from camels, and avian flu from birds - all of them had a higher mortality rate, at least at first. Zika was first seen in monkeys. Part of the reason it has spread so quickly, O'Connor said, is because it jumped into a population that had not been exposed. In general, once the number of susceptible people in a population decreases, an epidemic begins to fade. This leads to a cycle in which viruses emerge or move into a new region, spread quickly, then run out of vulnerable hosts and disappear. As long as the source or reservoir for the virus is still around, there's always a risk that the disease could return. Population density also plays a role. With 2.8 billion more humans on Earth in 2015 than in 1980, population density has increased from 78 people per square mile of land to 127 people per square mile. The level of urbanization in Africa alone has soared from 15 percent to 40 percent over the last 50 years. When towns or villages become overcrowded, people move into less habitable areas such as flood plains or marshes, and clear forests for farmland. Viruses that were once carried by animals or mosquitoes in the unmolested interiors of jungles for millennia, suddenly encounter an entire population of vulnerable hosts. "This intensified contact between animals and humans facilitates spillover and opens pathways for transmission," said Sarah Paige, executive director for the Ebola Survivors Corps, an organization that provides support for Ebola victims and equips survivors to help communities respond to future outbreaks. At the same time, the entire world has been linked by air travel. Commercial airlines fly an estimated 3 billion people a year, according to a 2014 report. Each passenger is transported in a confined space and released into a terminal with connections touching every city on the globe. An airborne virus from just one sick passenger could cover continents in a matter of hours. Events such as natural disasters, political unrest and mass gatherings like the Olympics also can drive new interactions between humans while disrupting medical care. For example, outbreaks of polio, measles and hepatitis A have appeared in Syria as the civil war there drags on. In a connected world, diseases can leak over borders and into transportation hubs. According to Paige, humanitarian efforts that provide basic resources like disease prevention information, sanitation, bed nets and clean water are necessary to stop outbreaks before they start. "It's important for people to reflect on the impacts of epidemics throughout the world - seeing Zika and Ebola affecting people and communities in a real way." - The fear associated with outbreaks has the power to hurt entire communities. During the SARS outbreak in 2003, Asians were taunted in the streets of Toronto. In 2015, Senegalese boys in a New York schoolyard were beaten to chants of "Ebola!" "In the U.S., things like Zika and Ebola make us very xenophobic. We want to close borders and push people away - anyone not 'us,'" Paige explained. "We have a hard time realizing that people are suffering with real diseases and medical needs." Fear also has the power to exacerbate outbreaks. Charlatans feed on the hysteria to peddle false cures. Runs on basic medication and food can create new emergencies. Strain on local economies can lead to riots that layer violence on top of suffering. "The next time something pops up," Paige said, "learn about it from a trusted source like the CDC or health department websites - not social media. Understanding how a disease is transmitted can reduce that feeling of helplessness." For mosquito-borne viruses, simple actions like making sure there aren't pools of stagnant water around and wearing DEET outdoors can prevent infection. And as simple as it sounds, hand washing with soap and water remains the No. 1 tip to avoid spreading a disease. - Many viruses have lingered for decades, even centuries, before emerging as major medical crises. The Zika virus can be traced back at least to 1947; Chikungunya - which hit Puerto Rico and reached Florida two years ago - was first described in 1955. The earliest likely case of Dengue fever dates to 265 A.D. But some emerge seemingly out of nowhere. In 2003, the Global Public Health Intelligence Network, which scours the internet for any clues of the start of an outbreak, was searching for avian flu in China when it detected a spate of individuals suffering from an unidentified respiratory disease. That disease was SARS. The network collected the data that provided the World Health Organization with specific and up-to-date information that suggested where the disease might spread. Subsequent contact tracing, the process of identifying anyone who might have been exposed by an infected person, allowed officials to identify susceptible individuals and quarantine them before they could infect others. This immediate response was able to put a stop to the highly contagious epidemic within 100 days. Surveillance systems like this prepare health officials for potential cases and establish a timeline for outbreaks. Additionally, advances in data analysis capabilities now allow better modeling of disease progression. And it seems to be working. In that same period since 1980, when the number of outbreaks tripled, the per-capita infection rate during an outbreak actually plummeted. In other words, even as the world gets more crowded and the outbreaks more prevalent, fewer people are infected with each new epidemic. Explore further Likelihood of widespread Zika outbreak in United States low 2016 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Russias Foreign Minister: I love Georgia By Messenger Staff Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claims he loves Georgia, and stressed that Tbilisi should initiate the restoration of diplomatic ties suspended under the previous United National Movement (UNM) government.Lavrov said it was Georgias ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili who suspended diplomatic links with Russia, and a decision taken by Moscow.He emphasised that the restoration of relations should be initiated by Georgia.Lavrov noted with regret that he couldnt visit Georgia because of his official capacity of foreign minister.But I have lots of friends who often visit Georgia and love this country we probably all love this country, he said.He also highlighted that trade has been restored and Georgian products, including wines and mineral waters, were allowed into the Russian market under the current Government of Georgia since 2013.I think that this trend is the right one, Lavrov said.However, The restoration of diplomatic relations with Russia cannot be considered at this stage, Georgias Prime Minister's Special Representative for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, said in response to Lavrov's remarks.Abashidze stated there was no progress made on difficult issues such as the problems of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali regions which are now occupied by Russia, and therefore, it was impossible at this stage to talk about the restoration of diplomatic relations."Unfortunately, there is no progress in the most difficult issues, specifically the problems of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali, which are being discussed in the Geneva international format. If Russia has the political will, we are ready to jointly take steps to resolve the most complex problems step by step. Georgia will never put up with the reality created in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region,| said Abashidze.According to the Special Representative, there are a number of practical issues wherein some steps have already been taken."Over the last three years we have restored trade and economic relations, as well as transport links; we have promoted the development of tourism and resolution of certain humanitarian problems; to some extent the visa regime has also been simplified for Georgian citizens, so we have taken some practical steps, Abashidze said.The Russia-Georgia War of 2008 was the result of Russias consistent provocations in and near Georgias de-facto separated regions.The international community continues to stress that the regions are part of Georgia, but Russia recognised them as independent republics and continues to occupy them.Herewith, the country carries on its creeping occupation on daily basis, kidnaps Georgian citizens, violates human rights on Georgian soil and other unjustified actions.It is very obvious Russia expresses a very unusual type of love to Georgia.If Georgia restores diplomatic ties with Russia in the current situation, it would be the recognition of the loss of Georgias historic territories, which constitutes 20 percent of its land. The News in Brief PM says consultations still ongoing on appointment of next Defence Minister PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili has denied media speculation that MP Irakli Sesiashvili and prison system minister Kakha Kakhishvili are being considered among possible candidates for defense ministers position to replace Tina Khidasheli. It was announced last week that two cabinet members from the Republican Party Defence Minister Tina Khidasheli and State Minister for Reconciliation Paata Zakareishvili would resign. An MP from the ruling GDDG party, Irakli Sesiashvili - who chairs the parliamentary committee for defence and security - and prison system minister Kakha Kakhishvili were rumoured to be among potential candidates to replace Khidasheli. I cannot confirm these reports, PM Kvirikashvili told journalists on July 20. Consultations are underway, but not with these two people. Sesiashvili is very valuable where he is now; he will probably be a majoritarian MP candidate [in one of the single-mandate constituencies]. Kakha Kakhishvili is a very good prison system minister and his experience is also valuable where he is now, the PM said, but declined to name potential candidates he is considering for the defense ministers position. After the decision of the Republican cabinet members to resign, one of the leaders of the party, Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili, said on July 12 that although the parties of the GD ruling coalition decided to part ways and will run separately in the October 8 parliamentary elections, the Republican Party was ready to remain in the coalition government with the ruling GDDG party before the end of the elections. However, according to Usupashvili, this was not acceptable for the GDDG party and told the Republican Party cabinet members to either quit the Republican Party and remain in the government or resign from their cabinet posts. Unlike Khidasheli and Zakareishvili, the third Republican cabinet member, Minister of Environment Gigla Agulashvili, opted in favour of staying in the cabinet and subsequently quit the Republican Party. Outgoing Defence Minister Khidasheli is expected to step down after her next official visit to the United States. In Washington, where a meeting of working group on defence and security in frames of U.S.-Georgian strategic partnership was held on July 20, Khidasheli met officials from the Pentagon and the Department of State. She said that terms of a memorandum signed between the U.S. and Georgia on July 6 during Secretary of State John Kerrys visit to Tbilisi, were discussed in detail. According to the memorandum on deepening the defence and security partnership, the U.S. pledges to support Georgia in its self-defence capabilities, including in areas ranging from defence acquisitions to enhanced information sharing. The Readiness Programme of Georgian Armed Forces will be a turning point, and the beginning of a fundamentally new era for the Georgian Armed Forces, Khidasheli said, adding that the program would be fully active before the end of this year and its implementation would start from the beginning of next year. (Civil.ge) Two rugby players among injured in deadly car crash in western Georgia Two Georgian rugby players are among the injured after a deadly car crash in western Georgia in which three people died and four were injured. The accident happened last night when a BMW and a Nissan Tiida crashed on the Kutaisi-Samtredia bypass road. A young married couple and their child were killed, as was another person traveling in the car with the couple. The injured were brought to hospital. Among them are rugby players Giorgi Lominadze and Merab Kvirikashvili, who were travelling with their wives in the other car. Doctor Davit Tsulaia told Rustavi 2 that Kvirikashvili is conscious. His lungs are damaged, but his condition is not life-threatening. Lominadze has femoral and tibial fracture, traumatic shock and closed craniocerebral trauma. He has lost a lot of blood. Kvirikashvilis wife is in serious condition and was transferred from Samtredia to Kutaisi hospital. She is on life support in the intensive care unit. Lominadzes wife is in a referral hospital in a critical condition. Member of Tbilisi City Council Shalva Obgaidze writes on his Facebook page that a section of the Kutaisi-Samtredia road is particularly dangerous, where the one-way traffic unexpectedly ends and two-way traffic starts. He also published an accompanying photo, showing the road section in question. A driver cant manage to suddenly slow down, and cars traveling at high speed come toward each other. This is a very dangerous area which needs quick intervention. Otherwise the number of accidents will increase. As DFWatch previously reported, according to the latest data, 284 people died in car accidents during the six months from January to June of 2015, while 4,130 were injured. (DF watch) New regulations to be imposed on taxis next year As Deputy Tbilisi Mayor Irakli Lekvinadze has declared, new regulations will be implemented for taxis starting from September next year. He made his comments to reporters at Tbilisi City Hall today where the new head of the Tbilisi Transport Service was appointed. According to Lekvinadze, the issue of the regulation of taxis is of the utmost importance. Tbilisi City Hall has conducted consultations with specialists and representatives of society. We have been working on documents and from my point of view, new regulations will be implemented for taxis in Tbilisi from September, next year Those self-employed in this field will be able to pass the procedures very simply and without any charges. The program is aimed at two main goals: security of vehicles and security of a driver, he has said. (IPN) @PatriciaMazzei PHILADELPHIA -- After decades wrestling with living in public, Hillary Clinton introduced herself one more time to Americans on Thursday night, no longer as a famous wife, former U.S. senator or Cabinet secretary but as a presidential nominee intent on writing a new, historic chapter in her life and the countrys. It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in Americas promise that I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States, Clinton said. Thousands of delegates at the Democratic National Convention interspersed chants of Hi-lla-ry with His-to-ry. Clinton accepted the Democratic Partys presidential nomination acknowledging that both her party and the country remain deeply split perhaps more so eight years after her former rival, Barack Obama, won the White House. America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart, she said. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders, there are no guarantees. It truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we will all work together so we can all rise together. Facing Clinton is one of the most difficult challenges in modern politics: succeeding a two-term president of her own party. A self-described unnatural campaigner, Clinton tried to contrast herself and her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, as diametrically different from her unpredictable Republican rival, Donald Trump, whom she portrayed as Democrats did for four days in Philadelphia as reckless. He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other. Hes betting that the perils of todays world will blind us to its unlimited promise, she said. Hes taken the Republican Party a long way from morning in America to midnight in America. He wants us to fear the future and fear each other. Then Clinton cited former President Franklin Roosevelt, who came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than 80 years ago, during a much more perilous time. The crowd joined her: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Top Democrats close to Clinton including her husband, former President Bill Clinton, President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama spent the week trying to erase what they called a caricature of Clinton with stories of the woman they know. Clinton would be the most disliked presidential candidate ever if it werent for Trump. More here. Photo credit: J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press @ByKristenMClark A dark-money conservative group with ties to the Koch brothers has launched an ad attacking Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Murphy for a vote supporting the Export-Import Bank. The ad from American Future Fund began airing this week on certain Florida markets. It urges viewers to call Murphy and tell him to support HR 5715 to "stop supporting corporate welfare" and "stop supporting state sponsors of terror." Murphy campaign spokeswoman Galia Slayen called the ad "just another misleading attack by Republicans to distract from Marco Rubio's record of skipping work and missing many important closed intelligence briefings." The Washington Post reported the ad buy is worth $1.5 million and is targeting "networks that attract a disproportionate share of Democratic viewers, including MSNBC, while eschewing GOP-heavy networks, such as Fox News Channel." "Also arousing suspicions are the markets in which the ad is airing Democratic strongholds like West Palm Beach and Gainesville are seeing the ad, while GOP-heavy areas like Fort Myers and Pensacola are not," The Post reported. @MichaelAuslen Four people likely contracted Zika virus from mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County, Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday. One woman and three men have been infected, and all four live in Miami-Dade or Broward counties. This is believed to be the first time the virus has been spread by mosquitoes within the continental United States. Under an emergency declaration, Scott already gave the state authority to spend $26.2 million to combat Zika, which has been linked to microcephaly, a birth defect where a babys head is smaller than normal. If it becomes clear that more resources are needed, we will not hesitate to allocate them, he said in a statement Friday. Additionally, Scott and other state leaders announced plans to double down on efforts in South Florida to fight the virus. Among them, the Florida Department of Health will give $620,000 to OneBlood so the blood bank can start testing donations for Zika. DOH is also expected to take on the load of Zika testing within the area where the state believes the transmissions occurred, a one-square-mile zone north of downtown Miami. The area is bounded by Northwest Fifth Avenue, U.S. Route 1, Northwest/Northeast 38th Street and Northwest/Northeast 20th Street, according to Scotts office. If you live in this area and want to be tested, I urge you to contact the county health department, which stands ready to assist you, Scott said. Scott compared the states preparation for Zika to that of a hurricane, a call hes echoed since first declaring a public health emergency in February. Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam ordered more aggressive mosquito spraying within 200 yards of the four patients homes for 45 days in a declaration Friday. The state will direct $1.28 million to the mosquito control districts in Miami-Dade and Broward counties through December, according to Scotts office. Floridians can do their part by draining standing water surrounding their homes, as it can serve as breeding grounds for the mosquitoes that are capable of transmitting the virus, Putnam said in a statement. Though these cases are being called likely local transmissions, no Florida mosquitoes have tested positive for Zika, Scott said, but DOH is testing aggressively to rule out other cases. Friday morning, DOH announced three more travel-related cases of Zika in Miami-Dade County. The state has confirmed 386 cases of Zika related to travel, in addition to those that likely were contracted in Florida. The epicenter of the virus spread is South Florida. Ninety-nine travel-related cases have been confirmed in Miami-Dade and 55 in Broward counties. Ten are confirmed in Hillsborough and seven in Pinellas. Photo: Zack Wittman, Tampa Bay Times @PatriciaMazzei PHILADELPHIA -- U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton was the final Floridian featured at the Democratic National Convention. He spoke about his late mother's wish to see a woman president, and about how his twin daughters will get to vote for the first time this fall. "Electing Hillary Clinton isn't about making history. It's about creating the future," he said. "It's not about electing a woman. It's about electing THIS woman who will create opportunity for all of us." Here are his remarks: Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine questioned Donald Trumps business ethics, saying the Republican presidential candidate swindled customers in a past real estate deal in the Sunshine State. "Retirees and families in Florida they believed Donald Trump when he said he'd build them some condos. Thousands of them," Kaine said on the third night of the Democratic National Convention. "They paid their deposits, but the condos, they were never built. He just pocketed their money and walked away. They lost tens of thousands of dollars, all because they believed Donald Trump." A Kaine spokesman told us the senator was referring to not one, but two failed condo projects: One in Tampa and one in Fort Lauderdale. Trumps campaign did not respond. We wanted to know if people lost tens of thousands of dollars in deposits while Trump took the money without consequence. Since there are two projects, well take them one at a time. Keep reading Joshua Gillin's fact-check from PolitiFact Florida. @ByKristenMClark The Florida chapter of the National Organization for Women says it's "outraged" that an Orlando TV station is excluding Democrat Pam Keith from its U.S. Senate primary debate next month. Keith -- an African American from Miami and the only female candidate in the Senate contest -- wasn't invited to WFTV Channel 9's "one-on-one" debate between U.S. Reps. Alan Grayson and Patrick Murphy because she hasn't polled high enough to meet the threshold to participate. Keith received 10 percent and 11 percent support in the two polls she has been included in; the station said candidates needed to have at least 15 percent support in order to be eligible. "This discriminating action by the station and other candidates demonstrates the ongoing fight both women and minorities face in our society," Florida NOW said in a statement. "To summarily dismiss Ms. Keiths candidacy as inconsequential is an insult to all voters, especially women and people of color." The group endorsed Keith's campaign several months ago. Earlier this week, Keith also blasted WFTV and her opponents for the decision to exclude her. She decried their decision as "blatant racism and sexism." The station hasn't responded. But it said earlier this week that other Senate candidates, Democrats and Republicans, would be invited to do three-minute segments to communicate their stance on the issues to the people of Central Florida. When asked about it by the Miami Herald's editorial board on Thursday, Murphy was vague on whether Keith should be included and he was unaware of what terms for debate his campaign staff negotiated with the station. He deferred to both his campaign and to WFTV's set criteria, and he said he personally had no part in those talks. "If the host comes up with qualifications that she meets, then of course, by all means" she should participate, Murphy said. "I've known Ms. Keith for several years, so I don't have any personal contention or beef with her." Grayson's campaign hasn't commented. For his part, Grayson has appeared on stage with Keith at at least a couple candidate forums during the campaign. He had agreed to debate her on radio next month, but that event was cancelled after Murphy declined to participate. Florida NOW touted Keith's credentials as among the other reasons she should be allowed to take part in the WFTV debate, which is expected to be the only Democratic debate before the Aug. 30 primary. "Pam Keith is uniquely qualified to run for the U.S. Senate. Her experience as a Naval Officer JAG and attorney fighting for labor workers gives her an advantage neither of the other candidates possess," Florida NOW said. "Women and minorities make up 50 percent of the voters in Florida. To exclude Pam Keith from the Senate debates is an insult to these voters," the group added. "It demonstrates a bias that should never be included in a news organization whose duty is to inform the public. ... WFTV needs to change their position on this debate." Keith has been campaigning full-time since November 2014, longer than any candidate from either major party. Nonetheless, Murphy and Grayson -- sitting U.S. congressmen from Jupiter and Orlando, respectively -- have garnered almost all of the attention in the Democratic field. The Grayson-Murphy debate is set to be taped in advance and will air at 7 p.m. Aug. 12 on WFTV in Orlando and online at WFTV.com. Lesser-known Democratic candidates Reginald Luster of Jacksonville and "Rocky" Roque De La Fuente of Orlando also weren't invited to WFTV's debate. They each launched their campaigns last month -- just in time to qualify for the primary ballot -- and neither has been included in any polls. POLSON Seven of the 11 dogs seized during the search of a commercial kennel in Lake County have been returned to the kennel, Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said Friday. The other four remain under veterinary care. Larry and Nadene Latzke, the owners of LDR Kennels, were cited for felony aggravated cruelty to animals Tuesday after the sheriffs office received a complaint and investigated. The Lake County Attorneys Office is reviewing the case and will decide what, if any, formal charges will be filed. Deputies, who noted the Latzkes had refused to let officers check on their animals when previous complaints had been lodged, obtained a search warrant this time. The court will decide where the dogs will be placed after this case is completed, Bell said. More than 120 dogs were found at the kennel, which sells Chihuahua, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, Havanese and Shih Tzu breeds. LDR Kennels is located between Charlo and St. Ignatius on Dublin Gulch Road. The person who filed the complaint reported a terrible smell coming from the kennel and that they had seen one dog with its hair matted and smelled like urine, and the dog did not look in good health, according to the sheriff. I am a Montana hunter, fisherman and hiker. I am not a Democrat or Republican, but instead a Montana sportsmen/women advocate, without regard to political affiliation, who has spent an inordinate amount of time in Helena during the last three Montana legislative sessions fighting for Montana hunters and anglers. I am extremely concerned about two issues facing Montanans. The first is playing out on a national level: the attempt by some state and federal legislators to force the U.S. government to turn over ownership of federal public lands to the individual states. Contrary to what the advocates might be saying, the states do not have the funds to manage those properties and instead will be forced to either sell or lease them out. If this happens, the public will lose access to our currently accessible public lands. So if you are a hunter, fisherman, hiker, biker, cross country skier, snowmobiler, bird watcher, horseman, etc., you will lose one of the primary benefits of living in Montana. Many articles have already been written on this topic so I do not feel compelled to duplicate those statements. It should be noted that the 2016 Montana Republican Party Platform states on page 13, "We support the granting of federally managed public lands to the state, and development of a transition plan for the timely and orderly transfer." It is important for everyone to understand that there will likely be a bill in the next Montana legislative session advocating the transfer of federal public lands to the individual states. It is imperative that this bill does not pass and get signed by the governor!! The second major issue facing Montanans is our current stream access law. There are those legislators and private individuals who would like to see our current stream access laws repealed, thereby eliminating the publics right of access to many of our most popular rivers and streams for fishing, hunting, rafting and floating. If you want to see what this scenario could look like, drive south to Colorado where adjacent landowners can fence off sections of rivers to public use. Please do not be lulled to sleep by the recent Montana Supreme Court decision validating our current stream access laws. Laws are passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, not the Supreme Court. If a bill to repeal or gut our current stream access laws is brought forth, and is passed by both the Senate and House and signed by the governor (or sits on his desk for 10 days without him taking action), it becomes law and the Supreme Court decisions are no longer applicable to the new law! Here is a scenario that is feasible and scares me the most: The Republican Party maintains the control of the Montana House and Senate, as has been the case for the past several sessions,and we elect a Republican governor. Why does this scare me? In the past three sessions, it has been Republican legislators that have brought forth bills providing for the transfer of federal public lands to the states and bills to weaken or eliminate our current stream access laws. When one party controls all branches of the state government, they can dictate what becomes law. If the same party also controls the philosophical makeup of the Montana Supreme Court, there are no checks and balances to protect all the people of Montana. Personally, I am not willing to take the risk of either of these issues becoming law and threatening Montanas current vast recreational opportunities. Unfortunately, many Montanans who currently use our federal public lands and waterways may not be aware of these risks, or are not taking them seriously. Once passed into law, it will be too late. Lastly, for the most part, the only control we have as individuals is at the voting box. If you do not vote, you become part of the problem, not part of the solution. Get out and vote! *** Vito R. Quatraro of Bozeman co-founded two sportsmen organizations in Montana, served on the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council and served on a Block Management Working Group. I believe that Medicaid is a vital safety net for those who have no other option and that its important for our legislators to continue to support expansion through the foreseeable attacks of the HELP Act in 2017. Too many Montanans reside on the precipice of utter ruin due to the slightest medical misfortune, with only the limited assistance of subsidized health insurance to protect not only their physical well-being, but also their financial and emotional security. An individual who is faced with not only the physical pain of injury and sickness but also the emotional turmoil of obscenely high medical fees is not someone who is living to their full potential. Robbing our friends and neighbors of a fully actualized existence, simply due to petty political lines, is unconscionable to any rational, feeling person. No person should suffer with treatable illness and injury because they cannot afford the treatment for their condition. No individual should be deemed less than a person because the circumstances of their life have excluded them from medical insurance through their employment or the ability to afford private insurance. This is not how a society thrives. The cost of thousands of Montanans going without insurance and treatment, the cost of unpaid fees, lost wages and economic stimulation, and loss in quality of life, is incomparable to the paltry sum for federally subsidized medical insurance. Legislators who choose to forego federal insurance funds in favor of aligning themselves with false rhetoric are failing their constituents on both sides of the aisle. Montana has a need, clear and present in all its citizens, and the continued defense of the HELP Act is the best and surest way to ensure that the call to create a healthy and thriving community does not go unanswered. For these reasons, and countless more, health care legislation is a vital and indispensable need for all Montanans. Theo Hansen, Missoula I cannot believe a lot of the media on television and in the newspapers concerning the recent murders of policemen around the country. They act like it's some kind of contest between cops and criminals: which one is worse and who should we support. Are you people nuts? The police go out every day and deal with these people and risk their lives to protect us and we are supposed to think about who is right or wrong? I listened to that so-called candidate Hillary Clinton yesterday give a speech before the NAACP. She actually sided with the jerk who shot the cops in Baton Rouge. And you could tell she did it to get votes. If any of you idiots have trouble deciding between the cops or the morons who shoot them, go ahead and vote for Clinton. You deserve each other. Robert Nottingham, Missoula BILLINGS For the seventh time in as many years, Trent Ayers will host his "Free Free Free Sale" Saturday at his home at 3436 Barley Circle. All items, as the name indicates, are free for the taking, although donations to Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley are encouraged and appreciated. The sale starts promptly at 8 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Free lemonade will be served. It's not a bad retail record for a Billings boy whos only 11. His mother, Beth Ayers, said Trent, who will be a sixth-grader at Big Sky Elementary School this fall, was chagrined to learn at a young age that shoppers must fork over their own money to bring items home from the store. That led to his decision to hold an annual giveaway targeted at people in need. I have always had a soft spot for homeless people, he wrote in a school assignment. That is why I wanted to help them. With help from Family Promise, neighbors and friends donate to Trents sale. Donated items take up about half the Ayers garage as well as a storage shed. Donors were so generous this year that were going to have to move the sale into the backyard, he said. On Wednesday, Beth Ayers was busy securing enough borrowed tables to help make her sons sale successful once again. He wanted to have a free store when he got older, and people would tell him that business-wise, that doesnt make sense, his mother recalled of Trents earliest giveaway foray. So he decided to start a garage sale to see if that would work out. And it has. His event raised nearly $200 that first year, and the proceeds have gone up each succeeding year. Last year, the Free Free Free Sale raised $504 for Family Promise, which partners with churches to minister to homeless families in Billings. Trent is a pretty amazing kid. Hes got a huge heart, said Lisa Donnot, executive director of Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley. Every year he brings us a Mason jar full of money. I tell him that one day, he could grow up to be the director of Family Promise. Trent said he remembers the dinner seven years ago when he first told his family, I want to help homeless people by doing a garage sale once every year and people wouldnt have to pay. My parents loved the idea, he said, and we started immediately. During those early years, he said, hed walk right up to shoppers and tell them, Hi. My name is Trent. Everything is free. According to Donnot, Family Promise donors deliver items to the Ayers household during the days before the Free Free Free Sale, but the family does all the work. Beth Ayers also credits Trents sister, Cassidy, 17, a huge supporter of his. People still cant believe that its all free, Beth Ayers said. They insist on giving him something for it, so he puts out a jar, and anything that people give him goes to Family Promise. She said she believes Trents passion for the project has come about as hes gotten to know some homeless youth that Family Promise has worked with. Kids cant relate to older adults who are homeless, but to see children and their family homeless that hits home for him, she said. Nobody should live without a place to call home, and items to call their own, Trent said. When we count the money after (the giveaway), it shows how much people like to help the homeless and care for them. I love to see that in people. That is what the free sale is all about. BILLINGS U.S. officials announced plans Thursday to speed up permitting for oil and gas drilling on federal and Indian lands to reduce delays, as applications were projected to be down 40 percent versus their historical average amid an ongoing price slump. Low energy prices already have curtailed domestic energy exploration, driving down revenue. That's put a crimp in budgets for the major energy-producing states, including Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, Alaska and North Dakota, which receive a substantial share of revenue from oil and gas activity on U.S. lands. In an attempt to streamline drilling approvals and reduce costs for companies, U.S. Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze said all drilling applications would have to be filed online under the new proposal. The move follows years of criticism from the energy sector over the Obama administration's handling of drilling applications. Companies say lengthy delays have driven up costs. Online-only permitting would allow 90 percent of drilling applications to be completed within 115 days, bureau spokeswoman Beverly Winston said. The average time in 2015 was 220 days. "The new system is a big improvement over the current, hard copy-based application system," Kornze said in a statement. Industry representatives welcomed the attempt to make permitting more efficient, and said they have worked with Kornze's agency to fix glitches that emerged in the automated system in the past few months. But Kathleen Sgamma with the Western Energy Alliance voiced doubt about the potential time savings. She said the long time to process permits is driven in part by environmental studies and other requirements not counted in the administration's 220-day processing average. As an example, she said a drilling application could be filed in January, but surveys of whatever plants are present at the site might have to be done during the summer when the plants are blooming. The intervening months are not included in the government's processing time estimates, she said. "We're a bit skeptical that the (automated) system will result in significant time savings," Sgamma said. "Generally companies avoid public lands if they can, because they know there's no certainty on getting through all the leasing." It's uncertain how much the move could stimulate new exploration, which is driven predominantly by oil and gas prices that have fallen dramatically over the past two years. Oil was selling for less than $43 a barrel Thursday on international markets, versus more than $100 a barrel as recently as mid-2014. Royalties, rents, bonus payments and other government revenue from oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids topped $12 billion just two years ago. That figure dropped below $9 billion in 2015. Onshore production from federal lands and American Indian reservations held under government trust accounted for about half the amount. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will institute "hoot-owl" fishing restrictions on many western Montana rivers and streams beginning Friday, July 29, due to warm and rising water temperatures. The restrictions will close fishing daily from 2 p.m. to midnight until conditions improve. Hoot owl restrictions apply to the following stretches of water in west-central Montana, effective Friday: Blackfoot: entire length Blackfoot tributaries: North Fork and Copper, Monture and Morrell Creeks Bitterroot: Tucker Crossing, downstream to confluence with Clark Fork (around 47 miles) Upper Clark Fork: From headwaters where Silver Bow and Warm Springs Creeks join to Rock Creek (around 100 miles) Silver Bow Creek: From the confluence with Blacktail Creek to its mouth and confluence with Warm Springs Creek. Limiting fishing to the cooler morning hours is very important to reducing stress on fish right now, especially with a weather forecast that continues to be hot and dry, said Pat Saffel, FWP fisheries manager in Missoula. Saffel says that it is a good idea to limit fishing to the coolest hours of the day, even in stretches that are not under restriction, when possible. FWP will continue to monitor temperature, flows and fish mortality on rivers and streams and reevaluate the need for additional restrictions, as early as next week. For up-to-date information on restrictions related to drought, visit fwp.mt.gov/news/restrictions/. The Welcome Mountain Road 4249 in the Missoula Ranger District will be closed Aug. 1-9 so that routine road maintenance can be done. The work will involve clearing encroaching shrubs and vegetation. The road will reopen Aug. 10. Welcome Mountain Road is located approximately 12 miles south of Turah and accesses the Welcome Mountain Trailhead, which serves as a portal into the Welcome Creek Wilderness. While there are no alternate roads to the Welcome Mountain Trailhead, the trailhead can be reached by both the Solomon Ridge Trail 142 and Sawmill Ridge Trail 178. For current information on the status of the road work or information on other routes into the Welcome Creek Wilderness, please contact the Missoula Lake Ranger District at 406-329-3814. Missoulian Staff TWIN BRIDGES The Big Hole joins the Beaverhead and Ruby rivers here to form the Jefferson, which for millennia, has slowly carved a valley between the Tobacco Root Mountains to the east and the Highland Mountains to the west. It was nearby, in 1805, that the Corps of Discovery's Meriwether Lewis left a note for his co-captain, William Clark, on which river offered the best route for their dugout canoes on the voyage west. The note went unseen by Clark because a beaver cut down the tree bearing the message. Today, a group known as the Jefferson River Canoe Trail, an associated chapter of the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, uses an 80-acre parcel of state land a few miles down the Jefferson as a campsite. It is known as "Beaver Chew." There they celebrate Lewis and Clark's voyage and the great outdoors. It's one of just a handful of campsites along the river and is surrounded by private property, publicly accessible only by water. Tom Elpel, a founding member of the canoe trail group, was surprised and upset to learn a state agency was preparing to trade the land into private hands. He's been protesting ever since. But it's been awkward, he said, because he admires the pro-public access proponents of the land swap, primarily the Skyline Sportsmen Association of Butte. Skyline Sportsmans Butte director Tony Schoonen says Skyline supports the potential deal because it will provide such a boon for the public. It will open up thousands of acres (of public land) which we were locked out of before, Schoonen told The Montana Standard on Friday. The public land is at the base of Table Mountain, south of Butte in the Highlands, and is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, Schoonen said. The huge chunk of public land has two creeks Willow Creek and Camp Creek running through it. The land swap that would transfer more than 520 acres of state land and the 80-acre Beaver Chew to the private landowner. In exchange, the landowner would give the state a nearby 111-acre parcel along the Big Hole River and a 750-acre upland parcel that would improve access to the 1.2 million-acre Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. Talks about the swap started between the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation after the 80,000-acre ranch was sold to Swift River Investments, headquartered in Massachusetts, in 2011. The land along the Big Hole would provide access to much better fishing, Schoonen said. He also thinks the camping at the Big Hole site will be superior than the currently available site on the Jefferson because its less brushy. In addition, the deal appears to meet a key requirement for the state, namely that the public gain access to an equal or greater amount of land, with equal or greater monetary value. The investment firm's principals are brothers Benjamin, David and Hamilton "Tony" James, an investor whose considerable wealth (Forbes reports it at $1.45 billion) also makes him a notable angler, conservationist and Democratic activist living in New York City. According to the firm's representative, Mark Sommer of Missoula, Swift River Investments would like to improve privacy near the ranch house and eliminate the Beaver Chew campsite, where he says hunters and others have been trespassing off the public land. Last December, Montana's Land Board, with constitutional authority over state land, gave the deal preliminary approval. Gov. Steve Bullock, Attorney General Tim Fox, and Secretary of State Linda McCulloch voted yes. Denise Juneau, superintendent of public instruction, and Monica Lindeen, state insurance commissioner, voted no. The only public comment given was by Elpel and five others, all opposing the Beaver Chew campsite's inclusion in the swap. The investment firm's representative chose not to speak. Neither did any sportsmen. In response to the opposition, Bullock stressed that it was the first of several decisions to be made before any land changed hands. With the Land Board's preliminary approval, DNRC continued working with Swift River Investments, and last week the agency gave public notice that the land swap was moving into the "environmental analysis" phase, that public comment would be received and that the 80-acre Beaver Chew was still part of the trade. "It's a win-win," said Leroy Mehring, vice president of Skyline Sportsmen. The addition of the 750-acre block of land 12 miles east of Melrose on Camp Creek Road, along with a seasonal road easement, would improve public access to deer and elk hunting grounds, he said. And Mehring said that unlike other out-of-state landowners, Swift River Investments has "bent over backwards" to seal the deal. "Anything we've asked for, any concession, they've been willing to work with us," he said this week. The strong reaction from members of the Jefferson River Canoe Trail against the land swap came as a surprise, but the group was surprised too. While relatively small and young founded in 2009 the Jefferson River Canoe Trail's profile is on the rise. In 2014, they purchased and made public for camping and fishing a 4-acre riverfront parcel named Shoshone Landing near Three Forks. "The question came up on the 80 acres on the Jefferson. We got together with the sportsmen and we got the Fish and Game involved," said DNRC's Tim Egan in the Dillon office. "Unfortunately, we didn't include them early on because I wasn't aware of them." Losing public riverfront property is a no-no for the state. But that's been a problem alleviated because the investment firm is giving 111 acres of riverfront property to the state. The issue remains though, for some, that the land is not on the Jefferson River, lying instead along the Big Hole River, eight miles upstream from Beaver Chew. "It's a lovely piece of property," Elpel said earlier this month during a 15-mile trip down the Big Hole and Jefferson rivers. "I say, if they want to move it to the Jefferson, we'll take it." Elpel, 48, is an outdoors educator and author who has written several books, the most successful being a beginner's guide to plant identification. The man from Pony believes Montana is changing, that land is being locked up by outsiders, that Montana used to be a place where a person could roam without running into no-trespassing signs and hostile landowners. He considers the Jefferson River his backyard. Earlier this month, he was unhappy to find a "no trespassing" sign on the southern edge of the Beaver Chew property. It was unclear if it was on the public land or right next to it. Elpel read it as a sign of the investment firm's desire to keep the public away. "We've seen the same sign further up and both are new," he said. "It implies that Beaver Chew is private when it's not." But the 111 acres on the Big Hole aren't the only offers aimed at removing the Jefferson River Canoe Trail's opposition. Swift River Investments will give the group $50,000 for conservation work, will place the 80-acre Beaver Chew into a conservation easement, preventing any future development, and will allow camping during summer months on a designated 4-acre area, so long as there's no more than 16 people at one time, and that 24-hour advance notice is given. The public access would be guaranteed through a five-year recreation license with the state, to be renewed so long as "public use is respectful." With that in mind, proponents of the swap aren't interested in listening to Elpel's argument any further. "Personally, I told him we weren't going to have any of his crap," Mehring said. "That we weren't going to back him in any way, shape or form. If he wants to throw a monkey wrench in this deal, that's on him." Bruce Farling, executive director of Trout Unlimited Montana, expressed a similar sentiment. He doesn't understand why the canoe group is fighting so hard. They've been offered another place to camp, and he questions who would want to camp at Beaver Chew anyway. "Who's gonna want to camp there? It's right next to town. I don't get it," he said. Farling also doesn't like that the Jefferson River Canoe Trail promotes use of the Jefferson River. "I don't think we need floods of people out there," he said, adding that the Jameses have been great to work with on improving access to the Big Hole River. They recently helped put a fishing access site in next to the High Bridge. Plus, he said, Elpel and another member "corralled me at a (Public Land/Waters Access Association) meeting and were very aggressive." Elpel said it was an awkward conversation. "I sort of knew Bruce Farling from other work we've done together," he said. "The difficult thing is Skyline has sold the land swap to these groups that are voting in favor of it without them hearing the other side. That's the source of our distress." Now, feeling a bit out-gunned, the Jefferson River Canoe Trail group is mulling its options. The state Land Board will, by the end of the year, make a decision on the swap. So, Elpel has asked members to give him direction on the public comment they will collectively submit to the board and the DNRC. Should he continue fighting for Beaver Chew or offer an alternative? Their letter has yet to be submitted, but in its latest draft, it will ask to keep Beaver Chew but list, as its preferred alternative, a 20-acre parcel known as the Waterloo property alongside the Jefferson River, downstream near Parson's Bridge. If the investment firm would purchase and transfer it to the public, the canoe group would support the larger land swap, including the 80-acre Beaver Chew property. The Parson's Bridge property is listed at $330,000. This same proposal, discussed earlier, was not well accepted, Elpel said. But that was back when the investment firm was offering the canoe group a 4-acre parcel, of what he called "cactus and rock," along the Jefferson. "We're trying to find ways to move forward and this would definitely be a compromise for us, to go from 80 to 20 acres," Elpel said. "If it's this or no land deal it seems like this would be a no-brainer for someone with those (financial) resources." Sommer, the Swift River Investments representative in the land swap, said Thursday that the Waterloo option is "way beyond what SRI thinks is reasonable." Reporter Susan Dunlap contributed to this story. Damaris Hoadley is no stranger to cancer. The Lima resident has had a couple bouts with the disease, but at 88, and 20 years since the original diagnosis, shes healthy and appreciative of the medical profession, her family and her friends. And prayerful for the ones who are less fortunate she wrote in a letter to The Montana Standard. Damaris has lived in Lima for 74 years. She and her husband, Lew, 90, a retired Northern Pacific Railway worker, will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on Sept. 1, 2016. Damaris managed the lunch program at Lima School for many years. She was first diagnosed in July 1996 with multiple myeloma multiple because it is widespread, and myeloma because it is of the bone marrow, she said. She was cared for by medical oncologist Dr. James Hueftle at the cancer center in Butte. She responded well to the chemotherapy treatment, she said, taking alkeran and melphalan, with prednisone for pain control. The multiple myeloma was contained. But as cancer is sometimes apt to do, it came back. In 1999, a totally unrelated cancerous growth was discovered on her left kidney. The kidney was removed, and she was assured the cancer was totally gone. Eighteen months later, the same cancer appeared in the upper lobe of her right lung. That portion of the lung was surgically removed with positive results, she said. After 6 and one-half years of aggressive treatment and 11 and one-half years of maintenance, she was declared cancer free. That was 20 years ago and so far, so good. Damaris is convinced a key part of any cancer therapy is family and community support. Once, when asked how the community could help, Damaris mentioned that her husband, Lew, was missing her homemade cookies because shes wasnt up to baking while undergoing chemotherapy. We ended up with 16 bags of cookies in the freezer, she said. Everyone wants to do something. And that, she said, gives a cancer patients a wonderful boost during a most difficult time. Editor's note: This is the fifth story in a series of stories about local people who are dealing with or have had cancer. The stories run daily through Saturday, when the Relay for Life will be held from noon to midnight at the Butte Plaza Mall. --- Sister Joy Duff, 83, has led a long and fulfilling life, during which she has performed many jobs and has been identified by many titles, including: nurse, nun, clinical pastoral care provider and cancer survivor. Duff began a lifelong career of service in 1953 when she graduated from nursing school in Los Angeles. She moved with four of her friends to Santa Monica and began working at St. Johns Hospital. Though nursing is a noble profession, she ultimately had a higher calling which led to her relocating to Leavenworth, Kansas, in the late 1960s. I entered the Sisters of Charity community in 1969, she said. In three years Im going to celebrate 50 years in the community. In her early years of service within the community, Duff said that she worked with low-income people in health care. She later completed a clinical pastor education course, and was reassigned in approximately 1996 to St. James Healthcare in Butte, to fill a position in pastoral care. Her brush with cancer occurred approximately five years later. One day, Duff noticed a change in her body which launched this former nurse into high alert. It started as a little lump, she said. As a woman and a nurse, she knew a lump in or around the breast could be cancerous. She called her physician and upon examination, he ordered a surgical biopsy. When the results came in, her fears were confirmed. The doctor informed her that the tumor was cancerous. I could have fallen right off the chair! she said. Duff said that she had no family history of cancer, other than one case of the skin cancer, melanoma, which was caught in the early stages. There were no cancer cells in any of the lymph nodes, she said. The news meant that other than her surgery, Duff would require no other cancer treatments. I said, Oh, thank you, God! she recalled. Duffs introduction to the Relay for Life was at the invitation of fellow Sisters of Charity community member and breast cancer survivor, Sister Marie Mollis. Duff describes the event as a fun, social gathering with a carnival-like atmosphere including speakers, games, music, contests and food. I enjoyed being there, she said. Duff has returned many times over the years. As a former nurse, Duff is happy to support the ACS Relay for Life. The ACS does work to research and provide education, and for that Im very grateful, she said. Hopefully people will be more alert about checking and screening (for cancer). PHILADELPHIA -- Watching Hillary Clinton become the first woman to be nominated for president has inspired women at the Democratic National Convention to celebrate this singular moment. They put on temporary tattoos that said "Run like a girl" and "Pantsuit Up" and mugged for photos. They slapped stickers on their chests that read "A woman's place is in the White House" and "Women Can Stop Trump." They wore T-shirts featuring a donkey wearing red pumps and the words "It's time." It is time. In the soaring atrium of Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Emily's List, the Democratic group that backs women for office, held a champagne reception Wednesday afternoon with the theme "This is Our Moment." "The day has come!" Nancy Pelosi, who 10 years ago became the first woman to be speaker of the House, told the crowd. "We have nominated a woman for president of the United States." Pelosi savored the moment to contemplate history. "I want to think about what our Suffragette mothers would have been thinking," she said, "all those years ago when, with great courage, they set out to get women the right to vote." It has been 168 years since Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her peers met in Seneca Falls, N.Y., 44 years since Shirley Chisholm ran for president and 32 years since Geraldine Ferraro was nominated to be vice president. If those women were alive today, they would see not only a woman as a major-party presidential nominee and a woman as the party's top legislator in the House, but also the Democrats' hopes of controlling the Senate resting on nine female candidates. They would also see women serving as the convention chair, the convention chief executive and the convention secretary, and they would see that the just-ousted chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee has been replaced by another woman. "The Democratic Party is officially a feminist party," Nancy Cohen, a historian and author of "Breakthrough: The Making of America's First Woman President," told me Wednesday. The gender gap has grown in value to Democrats as women vote in higher percentages, particularly in presidential years. Women cast about 10 million more ballots than men in 2012 and 2008. This moment of women's prominence -- dominance, arguably -- could become permanent in the party. As more women gain power, they tend to create a virtuous cycle, Cohen argues: They promote policies -- equal pay, reproductive rights, crackdowns on domestic violence, paid family leave -- that in turn accelerate gains made by women, thereby elevating more women to power. Not all feel comfortable with the changes. Vermont Democrats, citing "strong-arm" tactics, complained to the DNC that rules requiring gender-balance among delegates forced the removal of two male delegates. Affirmative action for women, adopted by the DNC in 1980, is almost certainly unnecessary now. According to Fusion, 2,887 of the 4,766 delegates are women -- and women have dominated the program. Michelle Obama stole the show on Monday night, when the number of male and female speakers was roughly equal. Tuesday night, almost twice as many women as men spoke; there was a segment for women in Congress and another for "Mothers of the Movement" -- moms whose children were killed under questionable circumstances. Bill Clinton was the top draw that night, but his speech was entirely in the service of his wife. "Bill Clinton Pours on the Estrogen," was the headline on Maureen Dowd's post in the New York Times. Wednesday night featured President Obama, Joe Biden and vice-presidential nominee Timothy M. Kaine but also included former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, abortion rights leader Ilyse Hogue, and Stephanie Schriock, from Emily's List. "Hillary Clinton will be the first woman president, but she won't be the last," Schriock told the convention. "Once that barrier falls it will never, ever, ever be put back up." Celebrations were so thick Wednesday in Philadelphia that they collided: The Emily's List party was at the same time as a Politico event titled "Women Rule at the DNC." In the performing arts center, Sen. Charles E. Schumer, the incoming leader of the Senate Democrats and the token man on the speaking program, played the woman card, too. "Women make better candidates than men," he said, predicting a majority of Senate Democrats could be women after 2018. A distaff majority in the Senate, and a woman in the Oval Office? "I know about power," Pelosi told the crowd. "When Hillary Clinton becomes president of the United States .?.?. she will be the leader of the free world, the most important person in the world." When the speeches ended, women running for Congress took the stage, and over the loudspeakers came Beyonce's Run the World: "Girls, we run this mother. Girls! Who runs the world? Girls!" Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. (c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group Obamacare continues to be a train wreck in Montana. Insurance providers recently proposed astronomical premium increases on individuals and families for 2017. The most popular carrier is asking for an average increase of 62 percent on the individual market. This comes on top of higher premiums this year. It is time to sound the alarm. The skyrocketing premiums are crushing but not surprising. They are the natural result of Obamacares fundamental flaws. The law imposed heavy insurance regulations dictated from Washington. Obamacare backers gave false assurances that these regulations would be bearable if enough people signed up for the program. Dont worry, we were told, an insurance mandate and rapidly growing Obamacare tax penalty against those without insurance would ensure sufficient participation. But enrollment in the Obamacare exchange is far below expectations as millions of Americans are saying, No thanks. And were still not seeing anywhere near the number of healthier beneficiaries on Obamacares exchange necessary to make the program financially sustainable. Dont worry, we were also told, because over the coming decade Obamacare spends nearly one trillion taxpayer dollars to try to make coverage affordable. But even with all this spending, 35,000 Montanans on the individual market dont receive any government aid and must bear the higher premium costs themselves. Equally troubling, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that Obamacares costly subsidies will encourage millions of Americans to stop looking for higher-paying jobs. Creating disincentives to work is another terrible Obamacare legacy. If premium increases arent bad enough, deductibles are also growing. Fewer than half of Montanans who buy from the exchange are protected from higher out-of-pocket costs that are becoming a cruel feature of many Obamacare plans. And the tens of thousands of Montanans on the individual market who receive no premium subsidies likewise must shoulder these higher deductibles themselves. Taken together, Obamacare is raiding Montanans hard earned money and in return they arent getting what was promised to them quality healthcare. But it gets worse. Obamacares exchange in Montana is so unstable that those who received coverage are at risk of losing it in the future. Dont be deceived by Obamacare supporters who tout increases in coverage. If the current course continuesand there are many reasons to believe it willcompetition on the exchange could dry up, costs will continue to skyrocket and choices of doctors will diminish. In full bloom, Montanans could lose their current coverage altogether. It would become a new and even more devastating version of Obamacares first broken promise, If you like your current plan, you will be able to keep it. Obamacares regulate, tax, and spend formula is clearly failing Montanans. But what is President Obama and Secretary Hillary Clintons proposed fix? More intervention from Washington, this time in the shape of new government-run insurance plans. Their proposal is the wrong solution and would only manage to make matters worse. On top of that, there shouldnt be any more taxpayer bailouts of insurance companies as some are arguing are necessary, which increase your costs. Montanans deserve the financial security and access to care that health insurance can provide. But they also deserve a viable system that wont leave them in the lurch. As your voice in our nations capital, Im committed to returning power to states to make health policy decisions. We also need to incentivize getting insurance without unleashing tax penalties on Montanan families. And most of all, we need patient-centered solutions that improve the quality of care while driving costs lower. Obamacare is a defining issue of our time. Tragically, it is imposing severe hardships on many Montanans. The latest proposed premium increases show that its survival in Montana is in serious doubt. Its time to repeal and replace this law with solutions that work for Montanans. -- U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Americas union leaders are finding themselves increasingly caught in a conundrum. For decades, union leaders and their members have served as a bedrock constituency for the Democratic Party and organized labor wielded real influence over party. However, as Bob Dylan so famously sang a half-century ago, the times they are a changin'. The modern Democratic Party now finds itself firmly in the clutches of an extreme environmentalism that is choking out the interests of labor within the party. Despite the fact that union members in Montanas mines and mills, and on Montana railways increasingly suffer from bad Democratic policies, union leadership continues to pay fealty to the Democratic Party. As was expected, Governor Steve Bullock received the endorsement of the Montana AFL-CIO in his re-election bid. However, I ask, which candidate is doing the most to defend union jobs in Montana? Greg Gianforte has been doggedly fighting for protect industries that provide good union jobs. Governor Bullock may give lip service, but his actual record in fighting for union jobs in the last four years leaves a lot to be desired. While Greg Gianforte immediately called for a veto of the bill in Washington state that created a fund to close Colstrip, Bullock waited until the very last minute when he was under intense public pressure. When Attorney General Tim Fox filed suit against the Obama/EPA Clean Power Plan, Bullock wouldnt join the suit. When the Supreme Court put a stay on the Clean Power Plan, the governor simply disbanded the council he had created to advise him on the plan rather than repurposing it to fight the plan. The reality is that the governor is conflicted. He enjoys the support of union leaders, yet he takes money from board members of the very organizations that sued to shut down Colstrip Units 1 and 2. Five members of the board of the Montana Environmental Information Center and two members of the Executive Committee of the Montana Sierra Club have donated a combined thousands of dollars to the governors campaign. MEIC and the Sierra Club are groups behind the lawsuit resulting in the settlement that is shutting down Colstrip units 1 and 2 by 2022. Many union workers will be put out of work and the union community of Colstrip now faces an uncertain future. I consider myself pro-labor. I oppose right-to-work. However, I fail to understand why union leaders continue to support politicians from a party that is under the thumb of radical environmental groups that actively seek to kill industries that provide good paying union jobs. It is a Democratic Administration in Washington D.C. that has forced the Clean Power Plan upon Montana. It is a Democratic Administration in Washington D.C. that has made leasing coal on federal land all but impossible. It is a Democratic Administration in Helena that has not issued a new mining permit in years. Maybe it is time for labor leaders and their rank and file members to rethink their support of politicians like Steve Bullock. To my friends in organized labor I urge you to ask yourself this question: are career politicians who take money from groups that stand directly opposed to your interests really looking out for you? Officials identify man killed in shooting HELENA (AP) State officials have released the name of a 20-year-old man who was fatally shot by an officer on U.S. Highway 191 southwest of Malta. The Department of Justice identified the victim as Emil Ambros Mecklenburg of Malta. An autopsy was scheduled Thursday in Billings. Officials say Mecklenburg was shot and killed early Wednesday after stabbing a Phillips County sheriff's deputy who had responded to a report of suspicious man walking along the highway. Deputy Alan Guderjahn was still being held for medical observation. DOJ spokesman John Barnes says it's expected that Guderjahn will be released from the hospital in Great Falls either Thursday or Friday. Agents with the state Division of Criminal Investigation are still investigating the shooting. Once the investigation is complete, a coroner's inquest will be scheduled. Man dies after crashing ATV near Taft MISSOULA (AP) Authorities say a 74-year-old Trout Creek man died after crashing his all-terrain vehicle on a Forest Service road near Taft. The Missoulian reports Glenn Smith was riding with two Noxon men and his son, also from Trout Creek, when he crashed a couple of miles north of Interstate 90 on Wednesday. Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Gaston says Smith, who was not wearing a helmet, went up an embankment, fell off the ATV, rolled down across the road and hit his head on a rock. Smith was taken to a hospital in Superior before he was airlifted to Missoula, where he died Thursday. Officials identify possible drowning victim POLSON (AP) Lake County officials have released the name of a 51-year-old man who possibly drowned in Flathead Lake after falling off a paddleboard. Sheriff Don Bell says Ty Kanara of St. Regis died Tuesday. His body was sent to the state crime lab to determine his cause of death. Bell tells KERR-AM a passerby on a boat heard Kanara's family members screaming for help because he had fallen off the board in a bay north of Polson and did not resurface. A person on the boat dove in and brought Kanara to shore and started CPR before medical responders arrived. Efforts to revive him failed. Officials say Kanara was not wearing a life vest. The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors met in regular session with Howard, Kelly, Sorensen, Sauer and Bonebrake present. Chairperson Sorensen presiding. On a motion by Kelly, second by Sauer, the agenda was approved as presented. Ayes: All. On a motion by Sauer, second by Bonebrake, claims dated July 18, 2016 were approved in the amount of $495,434.05. Ayes: All. Discussion was held with County Sheriff C. J. Ryan regarding the potential purchase of security cameras for the interior and exterior of the Courthouse. Ryan stated the only change to the proposal discussed last week for interior cameras was for storage to be on its own rather than on existing equipment at no extra cost. FSS, Inc. owner JJ Koehler and Sheriff Ryan presented a proposal for the addition of exterior security cameras at a cost of $13,118 which would include one camera on the South entry and three cameras on the North entry of the Courthouse which would provide coverage for the entrances as well as coverage to the Jail and the parking lot across the street from the Courthouse. Howard expressed concern that one camera could adequately cover the parking lot. Information Services Director suggested another camera be added to the old historic jail to provide better coverage of the parking lot. Board consensus was that a second view of the parking lot would be preferred. Kelly stated the County is doing what they can to keep people safe, but people need to take responsibility for their own safety; be aware of their surroundings; and call 911 when necessary. On a motion by Kelly, second by Howard, the Chair was authorized to execute a contract with FSS, Inc. for the installation of security cameras for the interior of the Courthouse in the amount of $19,537.00. Ayes: All. Sheriff Ryan will return with a revised proposal for the exterior security camera system to include a second camera for the parking lot. Discussion was held with Karly Evans, Paragon Interiors, regarding a proposal to relocate DHS to 315 Iowa Avenue. Evans stated the revised proposal adds cameras for the exterior parking lot. FSS, Inc. owner JJ Koehler explained the proposal for the addition of exterior cameras and upgrade of the current DHS security system. Evans stated the cost for noise reduction, excluding labor, would be $2,621.27 for baffles or $3,186.85 for stackers, neither of which are included in the proposal. Budget Coordinator Sherry Seright stated last week Board direction was to proceed with all of the options except new furniture in the private offices. Seright stated that phones have been removed from the Paragon contract as they will be handled by Information Services Director Bill Riley. Seright suggested waiting until after the move to determine if there is a need for noise reduction enhancements. Sauer stated, in his tour of the facility, he thought the main level carpeting looked quite good. Bonebrake agreed. Howard stated carpet was being replaced due to asthetic appeal. On a motion by Howard, second by Kelly, the Chair was authorized to execute a contract with Paragon Interiors for relocation of DHS to 315 Iowa Avenue in the amount of $245,047.04. Ayes: All. The Board reviewed a variance granted by the Muscatine County Board of Adjustment on Friday, July 8, 2016. Case #16-07-03 is an application filed by James L. or Janet R. Sichterman, Record Owners. This property is located in Bloomington Township, 2660 Timberbrook Court, Country Estates at Wildwood, Lot 16, in the SE of Sec. 14-T77N-R2W, containing approximately 1.63 acres, and is zoned R-1 Residential District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue a Variance in order to build a deck approximately 17 feet from the rear lot line, instead of the required 40 foot setback. On a motion by Bonebrake, second by Kelly, the Board accepted the variance. Ayes: All. Case #16-07-04 was tabled by the Board of Adjustment until their next meeting. The Board reviewed Special Use Permits granted by the Muscatine County Board of Adjustment on Friday, July 8, 2016. Case #16-07-01 is an application filed by Charles F. and Carlene J. Morrison, Record Owners and Keith and Judy Latimer, Proposed Builders. This property is located in Cedar Township, Parcel E, West of 235th Street, in the SE of Sec. 11-T76N-R4W, containing approximately 19.38 acres, and is zoned A-1 Agricultural District. This request, if approved, would allow the Zoning Administrator to issue a Special Use Permit in order for the Latimer's to build a rural residence on this property. The Board of Adjustment approved this request. Case #16-07-02 was tabled by the Board of Adjustment until their next meeting. On a motion by Kelly, second by Sauer, the Board approved the following utility permits: CenturyLink - installation of fiber optic cable on Bayfield Road between Tipton Road and North Isett Avenue; CenturyLink - installation of fiber optic cable on Bayfield Road between Mulberry Avenue and Tipton Road. Ayes: All. County Engineer Keith White updated the Board on Secondary Road projects. On a motion by Sauer, second by Bonebrake, minutes of the July 11, 2016 regular meeting were approved as written. Ayes: All. Correspondence: Kelly reported contacts regarding the 4th Street house being purchased by the County. Howard reported a contact regarding the concerns about the condition of G28 for RAGBRAI riders. Committee Reports: Sauer and Bonebrake attended a MAGIC meeting July 11th. Sauer attended a Fair Board meeting July 14th. Sorensen attended a Region IX Transporation meeting July 12th. Howard attended a Fruitland City Council meeting July 12th. Sauer and Bonebrake toured the Community Service Building July 11th. On a motion by Kelly, second by Sauer, a public hearing was rescheduled for August 8, 2016 at 9:00 A.M. on proposed revisions to the Muscatine County Zoning Ordinance to add commercial wind energy conversion systems as a permitted special use in some districts. Ayes: All. On a motion by Howard, second by Bonebrake, a public hearing was rescheduled for August 8, 2016 at 9:00 A.M. on proposed revisions to the floodplain ordinance. Ayes: All The Board recessed at 10:12 A.M. and reconvened at 10:18 A.M. On a motion by Kelly, second by Sauer, the Board went into closed session at 10:19 A.M. pursuant to Chapter 21.5.1(j), Code of Iowa, to discuss the sale of County-owned property. Roll call vote: Ayes: All. On a motion by Kelly, second by Sauer, the Board returned to open session at 11:02 A.M. Roll call vote: Ayes: All. The meeting was adjourned at 11:02 A.M. ATTEST: Leslie A. Soule, County Auditor Jeff Sorensen, Chairperson Board of Supervisors MUSCATINE, Iowa A local artist hopes to inspire interest in the history of Muscatine's pearl button business through his work. Christopher Anderson, of Muscatine, has his work on display at the Muscatine History and Industry Center, where visitors can see a different perspective of pearl buttons. Because the buttons are such a large part of Muscatine's history, Anderson wanted to create art with the leftover clam and mussel shells. "I came in with a couple different ideas, and one of them was just this piece of driftwood with two clam shells on either end," he said. That piece of driftwood inspired Anderson to create bonsai-style trees using driftwood and shells. "That was the original idea, just clam shell bonsai trees, because how cool is that? Plus everybody loves bonsai trees," he said. Clam and mussel shells Anderson found along the riverbank often had blanks cut out, the small round piece that would have become a button. Some of those shells, he said were from different parts of the pearl button industry era. "Some are smaller, at the end of the era. It's a shame because they were killing clams that were probably only three or four years old," Anderson said. The older shells he found were much larger, and with less of the shell utilized to create the blanks. Anderson said he has learned much about Muscatine's history by collecting the shells and seeing the differences between them. He hopes other people who see or purchase the mussel and clam shell trees will be encouraged to talk about Muscatine's history, as he has. "I feel closer to this town somehow, by learning about the history," Anderson said. Other people, he said, will also be intrigued by the pieces. "You'll have to explain the history of Muscatine just by looking at them," he said. The pieces were originally planned to be part of an art installation in a corner front window of the History and Industry Center, but the center's Mary Wildermuth said she soon had people asking to purchase the trees. Anderson has had to make more trees to keep enough in the window. "I just can't seem to keep up with it," he said. Anderson said he has always loved art. "I'd be that kid off in the corner drawing," he said. The bonsai tree project has been especially exciting for him because he always tries to find a new medium to express his art. "I'm always trying to do something I've never done or someone else has never done," Anderson said. He has used limestone from the Mark Twain overlook for the base of some of the trees, and many of the mussel and clam shells from the early 1900s. "When I have everything I need and they're getting put together they almost seem to come together themselves," Anderson said. The goal of his art, Anderson said, is to bring people joy. "If I could do that for somebody that's priceless," he said. Anderson has done several art pieces in Muscatine, including canvas paintings of cell phones for the Muscatine Tech Guys, and pieces at Sticks and Stones and Sal Vitale's restaurant. Wildermuth said the trees have brought more people into the center. "It's certainly been a draw, because Chris has been talking to a lot of people in Muscatine about his trees and artwork," she said. Anderson said he hopes his pieces help make people from outside Muscatine curious about the town. Wildermuth said she has already seen that happening. "Most of who I've sold things to are people that have come here from somewhere else," she said. MUSCATINE, Iowa Nancy Panther loves plants, and the "Best Yard" contest for RAGBRAI was the perfect excuse to plant more flowers. "I just thought why not? I'll give this a try," she said. Panther was selected as the winner of the RAGBRAI Muscatine Best Yard Contest in the landscaping category Friday. She won a $250 cash prize. Panther chooses her flowers for a variety of reasons, and said she could never pick a favorite. She loves them all. "As long as they look nice," Panther said. She has impatiens and roses, and a large fern on her front porch. Some of the flowers she chose for the fragrance. The purple flowers outside her house have remained because her mail delivery person said they were pretty. Finding a wide variety of plants has always been something Panther enjoys. "I really like doing that kind of thing to come up with something a little unique," she said. The last time RAGBRAI cyclists rode down Hershey Avenue, and past the Panther home, her children were four and seven years old. "The riders were just so nice to the little ones and they were giving them high fives," she said. Now, her four-year-old grandson will be joining her, and Panther said she is happy he will have the chance to watch the riders. "I know he'll have a blast," she said. Panther also has several family members riding in RAGBRAI. Her husband, Tim's brother from Seattle and his sister from Boston, as well as his sister who lives in Muscatine will be riding. "They're going to make a little Panther pit stop here," she said. Because they live far away, the chance to see her family ride is extra special. "We're excited to see them," she said. Panther wasn't the only honoree in the Best Yard contest conducted in conjunction with Muscatine hosting RAGBRAI. The winner of the Best Yard in the bike art category was Gary Wagner, 1824 Hershey Ave. He will also receive a $250 cash prize. 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 [] Telkoms FreeMe packages are the top choice for high data and voice users in South Africa, according to an analysis by Tariffic. The cellphone spend-optimisation company stated that the SIM-only FreeMe deals are the best choice for a range of South African smartphone users. Tariffic analysed the cellular behaviour of three different user profiles to calculate the cheapest SIM-only contract for each type of cellphone user, across all major mobile network operators in South Africa, it said. The results of the analysis show that Telkoms FreeMe packages are the top recommended and cheapest package for all three of the user profiles. The FreeMe packages are dominating the market, saving these users an average of 24% a month compared to the next best option. Each FreeMe contract includes free calls and messaging on WhatsApp, BBM, and Viber, as well as free on-network calls and 50 free SMS messages per day. The contracts, based on data allocation, are priced as follows: 1GB: R99 2GB: R149 5GB: R299 10GB: R399 20GB: R599 Unlimited: R999 Tariffic analysis The graphic below details the results of the analysis. More on Telkom Making Skype free would be a massive achievement for Telkom Free Telkom e-learning service for customers The alleged owner of KickassTorrents has enlisted the services of Ira Rothken, the lawyer who handled the defence of Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, TorrentFreak reported. Artem Vaulin of the Ukraine was recently linked to KickassTorrents and arrested in Poland. He was charged with copyright infringement and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Following Vaulins arrest, KickassTorrents was shut down. We believe the US criminal complaint lacks merit, Rothken told TorrentFreak. Torrent sites and trackers are devoid of any content files. Rothken said this type of copyright theory is known as secondary copyright infringement, and there is no United States criminal statute for secondary copyright infringement. That type of theory is at most a civil liability issue. More on KickassTorrents Takedown of KickassTorrents good for other torrent sites traffic KickassTorrents mirror launched This is how the founder of KickassTorrents got nailed KickassTorrents is in trouble A Grade 12 learner in Namibias Ohagwena Region has invented a sim-less mobile phone that does not require airtime to make calls. According to a New Era report, Simon Petrus, a pupil at Abraham Iyambo Senior Secondary School, created the phone using spares from a phone and television set. Complete with a light bulb, fan and charger socket, the handset functions off power supplied through a radiator and is able to make calls to anywhere through the use of radio frequencies. The invention, which is made up of a radio system, is attached to a box and also allows the user to view one TV channel on it. No stranger to the world of creation, Petrus is reported to have won a gold medal at national level last year for his invention of a two-in-one machine that works as both a seed drier and cooler. The shy learner has admitted to working on his invention for two years through money provided by his unemployed parents. Petrus claims that he invented the phone in the hopes that it would be successful and be able to be carried further. The development marks the latest in a series of innovative projects by students within the southern African nation. Joshua Nghaamwa, a self-taught inventor, is reported to have created a satellite using parts from radios, cellphones and other electronics, The Namibian reports. The satellite, believed to strengthen internet connectivity, is small enough to fit in a laptop bag and has a USB port that allows it to be connected to a modem, router or cellphone, increasing internet speed and allows for a better online experience. Nghaamwa says he wants to introduce the device throughout the African market, so as to boost ICT on the continent. News24 More on cellphones The best smartphone cameras in South Africa Your deleted WhatsApp messages are still on your phone Oops... This is embarrassing... We're Sorry, the page you're looking for may have been moved. Let's help you find the page you were looking for... First, try using the search form below. Type what you're looking for and search; If the search forms above won't help you find exactly what you're looking for, perhaps one of the links from our sitemap below will help you; If you prefer to visit a particular school's information page on this website, please select the school from the form presented on the Myschool Homepage by clicking here. 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But one man is still trying to crack the subliminal code to find the truth behind lifes persistent lies: A guy named Wilkinson. It was July 24, 2016 and the world was reeling from the recent Republican Convention that nominated Donald Trump for president of our United States of America. Prairie Home Companions recently-retired host had written a parody one of his less inspired, but nonetheless clever lampoonsfor the Washington Post. This had been reprinted, to the consternation of at least one, in local papers around the world. His error was in the subtle humor of his ways. He gave obscurity a go, but light illuminated his farce in a flash. This guy Wilkinson saw through our local papers vain attempt at subliminally linking this loony-toons hater to Donald Trump to influence voters. It took some skill to detect the subliminal message linking this obviously misguided idiot, Garrison Keillor, to Trumps GOP acceptance speech. It took a slight bit of research on my part to figure out how this guy Wilkinson cracked the code. I fact-checked the Keillor characters concerns that the stock market was near collapse, our schools were in chaos, politicians were corrupt and immigration was out of control, and although there may have been a grain of truth in some of those many claims made at the GOP convention, that grain didnt warrant the paranoia, misrepresentation, or blame that contaminated the convention by way of speech after speech after speech. Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryans claim that poverty had increased since President Obama took office, for instance, had some truth to it, because after the recession, which started before he took office things got worse for awhile before they got better. But as with the economy and unemployment, in spite of severe obstruction from the right, things have turned around and poverty is declining. Texas Rep. McCauls assertion that Clintons immigration policy includes open borders is false. Sen. Jeff Sessions statement that immigrants are taking all the new jobs is false. Darryl Glenns claim that American neighborhoods are less safe than they were in 2008 is false. And Donald Trumps claim that the number of police officers killed in the line of duty has increased by 50 percent over last year is misleading. Even with the Dallas and Baton Rouge shootings, the number is consistent with the average over the past 10 years, last year being one of the safest in history for police officers. His scare tactics regarding violence in America ignore the steady and significant decline in homicides since 1990 and the fact that recent, localized increases are statistically insignificant when compared to the long-term trend. To what might we attribute these recent increases, I wonder. Encouraging violence, proliferation of weapons, dehumanizing opponents -- what? And to what might we attribute an increase in citizens concern about crime and violence in spite of that long-term downward trend? Maybe to the if it bleeds it leads phenomenon, fed by insistent claims from The Donald Troupe that this is a dangerous place, worsened by Trumps fear-mongering rhetoric, countered by his reassurance that he, and no other, holds the key to our safety. Ive probably been looking too hard to determine how this guy saw a link between a satirical characters extreme reactions and Trumps speech, because Keillors character said it himself in the fourth paragraph: The greatest nation in the world is about to collapse like a paper parasol in a hurricane unless Donald J. Trump is elected president and given the power to turn things around. It was a dark night in Napa, but at the new Register building, editors and reporters continue to print subliminal answers to lifes persistent questions. And one of the easiest to answer is the question of how Trumps rhetoric is affecting our local, as well as national, discourse: This was clearly demonstrated by a guy named Wilkinson. Criticize, condemn, and call names. I still wonder what Keillors secret Hopnosis code word is, though. Laser? Loner? Liver? Or could it be "loser?" Thats worked for Trump; must be it. Wendy Wallin Napa Taiwan urges China to start talking Armen Grigoryan and Toivo Klaar discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiation process Matviyenko: Russia will continue mediation for signing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty Politico: Scholz and Macron threaten U.S. trade retaliation Konstantin Zatulin: Nagorno-Karabakh peoples right to self-determination must be respected U.S. must strengthen its defense against growing threats from both China, Russia EU reaches agreement to ban new cars with internal combustion engine by 2035 Benny Gantz: Future of Israel and Turkey is promising EU Special Representative for South Caucasus arrives in Armenia Lazarevsky Club meeting underway in Yerevan, Moscow Yellen sees no sign of recession in U.S. economy in near future Cannes palm trees promenade named after Charles Aznavour Pashinyan: Armenia agrees to work on basis of main principles proposed by Russia CIS prime ministers meeting kicks off in Kazakhstan Newspaper: Karabakh people to make appeal to Armenia authorities Residents of Moldova asked not to go out into street in dark Bloomberg reports fuel shortages in some parts of Europe Lebanon, Israel sign deal on maritime border demarcation Spanish prime minister twice mistakes Kenya for Senegal during his speech Peskov: CSTO meeting to be held before Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia summit Putin says he is ready to negotiate with Ukraine Putin compares Indian Prime Minister Modi to icebreaker Putin warns Seoul about risk of ruining relations with Russia by supplying weapons to Ukraine Interpol Secretary General visits Armenia Putin: Russia will not abandon the historical legacy of the USSR and the Russian Tsarist Empire Putin sees no point in nuclear strike on Ukraine Olaf Scholz says solution can be found to curb speculative spikes in gas prices Putin calls Russians and Ukrainians one people who find themselves in different states Putin: We proposed Armenia give 5 districts Putin: Washington version provides for recognition of Azerbaijan's sovereignty over whole Karabakh Putin calls Erdogan consistent and reliable partner, although not easy one Italy plans to double national gas production to 6 billion cubic meters a year Putin: The West, as a minority, has no right to impose values on the world Putin: As long as nuclear weapons exist, there is always a danger of their use Putin outraged by US assassination of General Soleimani: What is this all about? FM Abdollahian: Iran will not allow its interests to become plaything of terrorists Mirzoyan and Lavrov discuss preparations for CSTO Collective Security Council Putin proposes to discuss changing structure of UN and UN Security Council Pashinyan's wife accompanied in Tavush by mothers of servicemen who died in first and last days of war Shell reports almost $9.5 billion in profits Putin calls on West not to shift blame on intrigues of Kremlin Hungarian PM expresses readiness to buy electricity from Azerbaijan via Georgia Newsweek: The biggest foreign threat to the U.S. is not Russia or China. It's the EU Putin: In recent years, West has taken steps to exacerbate situation in world Armenian Defense Minister and French delegation discuss possibilities of developing defense cooperation Australia to send 70 soldiers to UK to help train Ukrainian troops Scholz condemns Turkey's stance questioning Greek sovereignty Armenian Defense Ministry: Azerbaijan hands over 10 bodies of killed servicemen to Armenian side Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia Turkish Central Bank raises inflation forecast for the end of 2022 to 65.2% U.S. State Department official visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan Prime Minister Pashinyan sends letter of condolence to Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi Secretary of Armenian Security Council and representatives of French Ministry of Defense discuss cooperation prospects Israel and Turkey to resume defense cooperation 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 Armenia opposition MP: Azerbaijan attempting to fulfill much bigger task with its attacks of aggression Armenia opposition pledges to become active again 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 Premier: Armenia set new absolute record in income-salary jobs 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 Azerbaijan has submitted to the UN falsified data on the course of the April aggression. In the letter addressed to the UN Secretary General and dated as of July 8, the permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the organization, Yashar Aliyev, presents the subsequent false data on the consequences of the April aggression initiated by his country. According to Y. Aliyev, the number of ceasefire violations by the Armenian side amounted to 4274 in April. By a very odd regularity, the number of violations is almost the same every day, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry says. If the Ministrys data on the number of daily violations for entire April is calculated, we get 3598 and 4274-3578=676. Some people are far from arithmetic. But still shouldnt someone be able to make head or tail of elementary arithmetic at the MFA of defense agency? On the other hand, according to the Azerbaijani FM, his subordinates are taking measures without his consent and upon their own initiative. This time [Azerbaijani FM] Mammadyarov has most probably again not been informed about the content of the mentioned letter. The letter of the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UN further says that as a result of the military actions in April the losses of the Azerbaijan side included 23 wounded and 6 (!) casualties. Everything would be fine and this falsification might go unnoticed but for the same official sources, according to which only thirteen bodies were returned to Azerbaijan by Nagorno-Karabakh. Another 37 bodies in the military uniform of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces were collected on the Line of Contact through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Thus, 37 plus 13 equals to 50 bodies, and this without counting the losses in the Azerbaijani positions. Moreover, its a stupid thing to consider that the number of the casualties can more than twice exceed that of the wounded. Its hard to understand what aim Baku pursues reducing to absurdity its genuine losses during the aggression unleashed by itself. Let it be so. Lets suppose that the losses of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces made up only six servicemen. Then who are the remaining 44? Most probably mercenaries or ISIS terrorists, who committed atrocities and mutilated the bodies in a fashion peculiar to terrorists. All the versions are possible. But one thing is obvious: Baku has got lost in its falsifications and everyone is writing whatever comes to their mind. Barack Obama tries to help Democrats win midterm elections Taiwan urges China to start talking Armen Grigoryan and Toivo Klaar discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiation process Matviyenko: Russia will continue mediation for signing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty Politico: Scholz and Macron threaten U.S. trade retaliation Konstantin Zatulin: Nagorno-Karabakh peoples right to self-determination must be respected U.S. must strengthen its defense against growing threats from both China, Russia EU reaches agreement to ban new cars with internal combustion engine by 2035 Benny Gantz: Future of Israel and Turkey is promising EU Special Representative for South Caucasus arrives in Armenia Lazarevsky Club meeting underway in Yerevan, Moscow Yellen sees no sign of recession in U.S. economy in near future Cannes palm trees promenade named after Charles Aznavour Pashinyan: Armenia agrees to work on basis of main principles proposed by Russia CIS prime ministers meeting kicks off in Kazakhstan Newspaper: Karabakh people to make appeal to Armenia authorities Residents of Moldova asked not to go out into street in dark Bloomberg reports fuel shortages in some parts of Europe Lebanon, Israel sign deal on maritime border demarcation Spanish prime minister twice mistakes Kenya for Senegal during his speech Peskov: CSTO meeting to be held before Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia summit Putin says he is ready to negotiate with Ukraine Putin compares Indian Prime Minister Modi to icebreaker Putin warns Seoul about risk of ruining relations with Russia by supplying weapons to Ukraine Interpol Secretary General visits Armenia Putin: Russia will not abandon the historical legacy of the USSR and the Russian Tsarist Empire Putin sees no point in nuclear strike on Ukraine Olaf Scholz says solution can be found to curb speculative spikes in gas prices Putin calls Russians and Ukrainians one people who find themselves in different states Putin: We proposed Armenia give 5 districts Putin: Washington version provides for recognition of Azerbaijan's sovereignty over whole Karabakh Putin calls Erdogan consistent and reliable partner, although not easy one Italy plans to double national gas production to 6 billion cubic meters a year Putin: The West, as a minority, has no right to impose values on the world Putin: As long as nuclear weapons exist, there is always a danger of their use Putin outraged by US assassination of General Soleimani: What is this all about? FM Abdollahian: Iran will not allow its interests to become plaything of terrorists Mirzoyan and Lavrov discuss preparations for CSTO Collective Security Council Putin proposes to discuss changing structure of UN and UN Security Council Pashinyan's wife accompanied in Tavush by mothers of servicemen who died in first and last days of war Shell reports almost $9.5 billion in profits Putin calls on West not to shift blame on intrigues of Kremlin Hungarian PM expresses readiness to buy electricity from Azerbaijan via Georgia Newsweek: The biggest foreign threat to the U.S. is not Russia or China. It's the EU Putin: In recent years, West has taken steps to exacerbate situation in world Armenian Defense Minister and French delegation discuss possibilities of developing defense cooperation Australia to send 70 soldiers to UK to help train Ukrainian troops Scholz condemns Turkey's stance questioning Greek sovereignty Armenian Defense Ministry: Azerbaijan hands over 10 bodies of killed servicemen to Armenian side Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia Turkish Central Bank raises inflation forecast for the end of 2022 to 65.2% U.S. State Department official visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan Prime Minister Pashinyan sends letter of condolence to Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi Secretary of Armenian Security Council and representatives of French Ministry of Defense discuss cooperation prospects Israel and Turkey to resume defense cooperation 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 Armenia opposition MP: Azerbaijan attempting to fulfill much bigger task with its attacks of aggression Armenia opposition pledges to become active again 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 Premier: Armenia set new absolute record in income-salary jobs 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 On a Thursday morning in late June, Emory nursing students Phil Dillard and Abby Wetzel hit the road in Charleston, West Virginia, bound for the Clendenin Health Center, some 30 minutes northeast. Their drive had become routine during their two-week immersion with Cabin Creek Health Systems, founded by coal miners to serve families in central Appalachia. Over the course of the next 36 hours, Dillard and Wetzel would assist Clendenin staff and patients in ways they never imagined. The bond between the nursing schools Lillian Carter Center for Global Health & Social Responsibility and Cabin Creek is strong. Since 2010, students have traveled to West Virginia in early summer to gain practical experience at the Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), operated by Cabin Creek to reach medically underserved patients. This year, seven advanced practice students took part, led by Emory nursing faculty advisers Carolyn Clevenger and Debbie Gunter. Each day, the students fanned out to work at four FQHCs outside of Charleston, where they returned each night. By the students second week, the temperature was cooler than Atlantas and the rain intermittent. By Thursday, June 23, rainfall was heavy across much of West Virginia, now under a flash flood watch. That morning, Dillard and Wetzel arrived at the Clendenin Health Center as usual. Wetzel parked her car in front of the center, housed in a handsome three-story brick building some 30 feet from the bank of the Elk River. Dillard saw patients until noon and then turned his attention to homework. Wetzel continued seeing patients in another part of the clinic. By early afternoon, it started to rain. "There was some conversation about are we going to stay here," says Dillard, an emergency nurse practitioner student in the Fuld Palliative Care Fellowship program. "There might be a potential for a flood." Several clinic staff soon left to check on their homes since some area roads had flooded. Others stayed, aided by Wetzel, to finish seeing patients. By 3:45 PM, no one could leave. The parking lot and street in front of the clinic were knee-deep in swift brown water. "We were just about to get all of the patients out and then hop in the car and get out and all of a sudden, the flood just happened," Dillard says. "It was amazing. You could see the water gushing down from the hill across town. You could see it rushing around the buildings and in the back door and out the front door of a house. I would not have felt safe walking from the clinic to the fire department across the street." Everyone at the Clendenin Health Center, including the seniors living in basement and third-floor apartments, had to stay put. The clinic, located on the main floor, was a safe place to be, with potable water, a kitchen and food, electricity, restrooms, and plenty of flashlights and working cell phones. "If you could pick were you wanted to be during a flood, thats where you wanted to be," says Wetzel, a student in the family nurse practitioner + nurse-midwifery program. By early evening, the rain subsided, and the water stopped rising. All was calm until 9:00 PM, when rumor spread that the dam upriver might be opened to avoid a breach. Within the hour, the water from the Elk River rose and lapped at the sides of the building. Water in the basement was ankle deep. It was time to evacuate the seniors from there. As staff and students began knocking on apartment doors, the power went out and so did the elevator. Armed with flashlights, everyone helped each senior up the stairs and outside into an all-terrain vehicle for the short ride to the fire station across the street. The timing of the evacuation proved providential. Around midnight, the basement flooded to the ceiling and set off the buildings fire alarm, which blared and flashed for more than two hours. Dillard, Wetzel, and a physician assistant (PA) student escaped to the stairwell, where the noise was less obtrusive, and tried to rest. Around 7:00 AM the next day, Dillard awoke and looked out a crescent-shaped window in the stairwell. The cars in front of the clinicincluding Wetzelswere submerged. The fire station and other town buildings were flooded 8 to 9 feet deep. The tops of stop signs were barely visible. Before the floodwaters rose, the seniors at the fire station had been moved to higher ground. "We realized we were going to be there a while," Wetzel says. "We were in the middle of the river. It was all around us." The wait until rescue began. Come afternoon, the water receded quickly, leaving behind a sea of smelly mud littered with debris. Finally, word came around 5:00 PMprepare to evacuate. Clinic staff and students rallied again, this time to help senior residents down from the third floor and onto a National Guard truck, which took them to a church a half-mile away. The students were among the last to leave around 7:00 PM. Once at the church, Wetzel helped some of the medically fragile with their health needs, while Dillard helped others onto another truck bound for a high school in Charleston. Around 9:00 PM, Dillard, Wetzel, and the PA student also were headed to Charleston in a heavy-duty pickup truck driven by the father of a PA who worked at the Clendenin Health Center. Hot showers, pizza, and salad awaited Dillard and Wetzel at their hotel in Charleston, where a relieved Clevenger and five fellow nursing students greeted them. Students at the other Cabin Creek clinics came through the flooding unscathed, thanks to less rainfall and gentler terrain at each facility. Now, a month later, Dillard and Wetzel continue to reflect on their experiences during the third-worst flood in West Virginia history. "The nursing school/Emory ethos reinforces the idea of being a leader and someone who gives back and looks out for those who have less than we do," says Dillard. "That came through multiple times. There was never any question that we should be the last to leave. We wanted to be there to help in any way possible." "There are a lot of people in West Virginia facing challenges that a lot of us cant fully relate to," adds Wetzel. "The best thing we can do as students is go on immersion trips like this one and just be humble and learn and take in everything you can. This trip was very affirming to me for a lot of reasons. It was a reminder of how resilient people are when they have to be." Note: The week after the flood of July 24, the Clendenin Health Center set up two tent sites to fill prescriptions for lost medications and provide routine and urgent care for area residents. On July 13, the health center reopened in its three-story facility. ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- The White House made clear today that Donald Trump will receive the classified intelligence briefing customarily provided to the presidential nominees of each party, despite concerns raised by some current and former intelligence officials and top Democrats on Capitol Hill. "The Director of National Intelligence has indicated he intends to conduct those briefings pursuant to that long-standing tradition. He certainly is supported by this administration and this White House in doing so," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said today. Intelligence officials have told ABC News the briefing for Republican nominee Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton could happen as soon as next week. "If youre forced to brief this guy, dont tell him anything. Just fake it, because this man is dangerous, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said in an interview Wednesday. He has urged the administration to restrict classified information provided to Trump. Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote directly to Obama Wednesday asking him to "suspend Mr. Trump's access to these briefings" in light of his recent statements about Russia and hacking. (Trump has said he was being sarcastic.) Earnest said the briefings are necessary to ensure a "smooth transition" to the next president, whoever it may be, and that the intelligence community could mitigate concerns about security. They "can both provide relevant and sufficient briefings to the two major party presidential candidates, while also protecting sensitive national security information," he said. The Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, has said that both nominees would receive the same information in their briefings. "That certainly seems appropriate," Earnest said. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Posted by Mike Levine | January 18, 2010 Contrary to the interest voiced in reinventing small pickups for the U.S. from Chrysler, Nissan and Scion, Ford is keeping plans to end production of the U.S.-built Ranger next year and offer only full-size F-Series pickups, though there's still a chance the Ranger could be replaced in North America with Ford's upcoming global midsize truck. Last year, Ford sold 55,600 Rangers in the U.S. It was the second best-selling small truck behind the Toyota Tacoma, which sold 111,824 units. "Today, a lot of customers who buy Rangers are the people who use it as a commuter vehicle," Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of product development, told PickupTrucks.com last week at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. "But with the new Ford Fiesta and Focus coming into the lineup, those kinds of customers will have other alternatives to the Ranger." Kuzak said another reason for eliminating the Ranger is Ford's effort to improve the fuel economy of its F-Series pickups. "We're going to continue to make the F-Series significantly more fuel efficient while still providing the level of capability that the F-150 provides today," Kuzak said. "There will be no compromise for better fuel efficiency. The vast majority of Ranger buyers are not using the full capability of the truck. We have to compare those customers choosing a very affordable and fuel-efficient F-150." A 2010 Ford Ranger with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission is rated at 19/24 mpg city/highway. We expect much of the mileage improvements will come from new engines for the F-150, such as the new 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost that's said to provide the power of a V-8 with the efficiency of a V-6, and a new 3.7-liter V-6 that our sources also tell us is set to go into the F-150. Our sources say a four-cylinder EcoBoost F-150 is also planned. Still, Kuzak said it's possible the U.S. might get a direct replacement for the Ranger. "It's no secret we have a new Ranger coming globally. We're working on one for all the other markets in the world," Kuzak said. "The difference is that all of those other markets only have a Ranger. They don't have an F-150 above it." The new global Ranger, code-named T6, is being designed in Australia. The current U.S.-built and overseas Ford Ranger models share only their names. Would the global Ranger work in the North American market? "That's what we're still looking at," Kuzak said. "We're still trying to finalize that decision." 23:50 A day after estranged cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray met causing ripples in political circles, Shiv Sena today said it was a 'family meeting' and nothing more should be read into it. Raj quit Shiv Sena in 2006 to float Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Uddhav is the president of Shiv Sena. "They are cousins. If not at Matoshree (Thackeray residence in suburban Bandra), should they have met at Shivaji Park?" Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut asked. "Raj went to Matoshree and wished him (Uddhav) on his birthday. It is tradition of the Thackeray household to accord due respect to the guests and Raj is, after all, from the family," he said, adding Rahul and Varun Gandhi meet in Delhi. Asked if the MNS chief's rushing to Uddhav was linked to the ongoing court case over late Bal Thackeray's will, Raut said, "Uddhav is capable of handling the issue on his own." "As far as speculation about issue of ensuing Mumbai civic polls being discussed in the meeting, whatever Uddhavji has to say on these elections will soon be public," he said. A species of rain frog called Pristimantis pluvialis is seen here. The frog was discovered recently in southern Peru by a team of researchers including Alex Shepack, a doctoral student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Alessandro Catenazzi, assistant professor of zoology at SIU. Photo provided SIU duo helps discover species of rain frog by Tim Crosby CARBONDALE, Ill. Deep in Peru, amid the rain forests of the Amazon and on the foothills of the Andes Mountains, a secret was waiting. And researchers from Southern Illinois University Carbondale are part of a team that recently discovered it. Years of painstaking research, much of it involving foot-treks along forest trails, creeks and ponds, often by light of headlamp, has resulted in the researchers identifying a new species of rain frog amid the teeming amphibian life there. The discovery of the new species called Pristimantis pluvialis is described in a recent article published in open access journal ZooKeys. The lead author is Alex Shepack, an SIU doctoral student working with Alessandro Catenazzi, assistant professor of zoology at SIU, who has worked in the area of the Amazon and Andes since 1996. The research team, which also included members from the University of Michigan and the National University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco in Peru, discovered the new species of rain frog in southern Peru, near the border of Manu National Park. The area is protected by law, and contains the highest number of species of amphibians and reptiles in the world. The team found several specimens of the new species during nocturnal surveys in the area. Researchers also collected specimens within the private conservation area Bosque Nublado, owned by the Peruvian non-governmental organization Peru Verde, and within the Huachiperi Haramba Queros Conservation Concession, the first of its kind granted to a native community in Peru. Researchers say the species is likely found within the park, and brings the number of known amphibian species in this area to 156. A member of the genus Pristimantis, the frog exhibits direct development, which means it is capable of undergoing its entire life cycle without a tadpole stage. It also differs from other members of its genus by its call, skin texture, and other factors. Researchers gave it its name pluvialis -- coming from the Latin word pluvial, which means pertaining to or produced by rain -- based on the incredibly rain-soaked habitat where it lives, and because it was found calling only after heavy rains. The frog is superficially similar to other rain frogs, but researchers distinguished it by its morphology, call, and genetic sequences. The frog had been collected in the past, but because it seemed very similar to others, Catenazzi said he hadnt been in a hurry to investigate it, as other specimens the team collected exhibited unique characteristics and kept researchers busy with species descriptions. I have long suspected this might be a new species, but because it is very similar to other species, and because bioacoustic and genetic data were missing for many of these similar species, it wasn't a priority, Catenazzi said. Ultimately, however, with the publication of more genetic data and advertisement call of similar species, the team was able to classify the frog as its own species. Alex (Shepack) and I have been working in Peru since 2015, visiting field sites during the rainy season in January and the dry season in June, Catenazzi said. The field work involves walking along forest trails, creeks, ponds and such at night and using a headlamp to observe amphibians. Those that are potentially new we capture and collect for later analyses. Catenazzi said Shepack was instrumental in the discovery. Alex is doing his fieldwork at the locality where the new species was discovered, and he's directly involved in describing new species, which he needs to be able to identify for his own work, Catenazzi said. The team also tries to record the sounds of the males advertisement calls when possible, in order to collect as much natural history information as possible about the habitat and behavior of their quarry. They take extensive photographs from many angles, check the sex of each specimen, measure them, note their coloration and collect other biological data, such as genetic analysis, among others. The researchers also looked at environment -- the coordinates where specimens were captured, temperatures there, as well as date and time of the encounter. Ultimately, they sacrificed some specimens and fixed them in preservatives as so-called voucher specimens. New species cannot be described without voucher specimens, so it is absolutely necessary to collect and properly preserve a good series of adult specimens, Catenazzi said. The discovery was a satisfying outcome for Shepack, a Morris, Conn., native, who has conducted scientific work in Central America for almost a decade. I didn't begin working in Peru until I came to SIU in 2014, he said. (Catenazzi) has a long history of working down there, and I picked up helping him with his projects. Since coming to SIU I have made three trips to Peru and spent almost three months there. Working in the rugged environment favored by the amphibians is tough, but rewarding, Shepack said. Field work in Peru presents a whole suite of difficulties, but is extremely rewarding, Shepack said. Much of Shepacks research in Peru has focused on how the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has decimated the populations of amphibians. The pathogen appears to kill adult frogs by causing what is essentially a bad case of athlete's foot on their skin. While such irritation to human skin is an annoyance, to a frog it is deadly as they receive a large amount of oxygen and moisture directly through their skin. Electrolyte imbalance follows infection, which leads to cardiac arrest. The fungus has caused declines in other frog species and around the area where Shepack and Catenazzi discovered the new species. About 40 percent of the new specimens of the species they discovered also were infected, though its effect on this new species is unknown and its populations do not seem to have declined following the arrival of the disease in the early 2000s. With so much effort devoted to researching the deadly disease, making a discovery of a new species was a welcome change. We were pretty excited, Shepack said. This is a very well-studied area, and is widely known as one of the most biodiverse with respect to reptiles and amphibians. To still be finding new species is pretty awesome. Shepack, who is a Morris Fellow at SIU, said doing research at the university will help him immeasurably as he pursues a career in science. It's a pretty awesome experience to be able to describe a new species, he said. No matter where I end up next, I can always know that I've made an impact by helping to describe more of the world's diversity. SIU has been great in its support. Being a Morris Fellow allows me the flexibility to travel and do my research. Additionally, I am surrounded by an incredibly diverse -- with respect to research -- and supportive department. At least 36 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in the past 24 hours in a military operation by the Afghan National Army here following an attack on July 23 in which 80 persons were killed and over 300 wounded. The militants were killed in the Achin district of the IS regional stronghold of Nangarhar during an operation by the Afghan army with air support from international troops deployed in Afghanistan, Efe news quoted a government official as saying in a statement. The operation started a day after the IS group claimed the Saturday attack targeting the Hazara, an ethnic Shia minority group. --IANS sm/py/vt ( 115 Words) 2016-07-29-18:26:02 (IANS) A day after Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the increase in the prices of essential commodities, the party on Friday said the "dal crisis is a man-made scam of over Rs 2.5 lakh crore". "People of India have paid 150 per cent to 200 per cent extra for pulses alone during 15 months of the Modi government (April, 2015 to July, 2016). This comes to over Rs 2.5 lakh crore for this period," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters. "This robbery is clear when one compares the MSP/import price of pulses -- even after adding Rs 5 per kg of processing fee plus Rs 10 per kg of transportation charges and Rs 5 per kg of profit -- as against the actual sale price to ordinary consumer," he added. Surjewala also said the price of pulses has been ranging between Rs 130 and Rs 200 per kg since April, 2015 to date. "It is clear that the average price of pulses has been in the range of Rs 150 per kg in the last 15 months," he said. "So, profiteering of Rs 85/90 per kg (Rs 150 per kg of average price minus Rs 60/65 per kg of final sale price) is writ large. When multiplied by 23 million tonnes (2.30 crore tonnes) of annual consumption of pulses, this figure comes to Rs 2,50,000 crore for a 15-month period between April, 2015 to July, 2016," he added. Surjewala further asked how people paid a mark up profit of 150 per cent to 200 per cent as private players, hoarders sold 'dal' costing Rs 50-60 per kg at prices ranging from Rs 150-200 per kg. "The average price of 'imported pulses' in 2013-14 was Rs 34.73 per kg, in 2014-15 was Rs 37.32 per kg and in 2015-16 was Rs 41.80 per kg," said Surjewala. --IANS sid/bim/bg ( 329 Words) 2016-07-29-18:28:01 (IANS) Late pop icon Prince -- who was found dead from an overdose in April at the age of 57 -- will be honoured at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on October 13, his siblings have announced. Prince's family said they "have been moved by the tremendous love and support of Prince's friends and fans around the world" and are "excited" at the prospect of the official tribute show, reports mirror.co.uk. They said in a statement: "We are excited for the opportunity to bring everyone together for the official family celebration of Prince's life, music and legacy, and there is no better place to do it than his hometown of Minneapolis. "We are honoured by the artists who will pay tribute and grateful to those that have worked so hard to make this celebration possible," the statement added. Tickets for the show will go on sale next month, and performers will be announced on a rolling basis. --IANS ank/nv/vm ( 167 Words) 2016-07-29-13:46:08 (IANS) Superstar Rajinikanth-starrer action drama "Kabali" is not only enjoying a successful run in south India, but in north India as well. The Hindi version of the film has minted Rs 28 crore in north India since its release. Directed by Pa. Ranjith, "Kabali" narrates the story of a gangster's shot at redemption and how he fights for equal pay rights for Tamils in Malaysia. The film released on July 22 in Tamil, and was also dubbed in Hindi and Telugu apart from other languages. According to a statement shared by Fox Star Studios, which distributed Kabali in north India, the film has become the second highest grosser for any south Indian film in north India after Baahubali: The Beginning. Fox Star Studios CEO Vijay Singh said: It's heartening to see that the Rajinikanth mania was not just limited to the south markets but prevalent across the country and that's visible through the numbers it has garnered in the north. We are proud to have distributed the film in north India, and I am sure that the film will have a long run." --IANS sug/nn/bg ( 194 Words) 2016-07-29-18:24:02 (IANS) Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt on Friday rubbished the reports that things have soured between him and his good friend actor Salman Khan, and urged media not to make an issue out of it. The "Munna Bhai M.B.B.S" actor said: "Salman is my younger brother. He was, he is and he will always be my brother. God has given him all the success, all his cases are over, but I request the media not to make an issue out of it." "We all are busy, we can't meet every day. We met at Madrid but you (media) didn't write about it, you all write only about fights. Will someone fight with their brother? I love him and that's it," said Sanjay Dutt, who celebrated his 57th birthday with the media at his residence on Friday. The actor said he is very happy for Salman as the Rajasthan High Court acquitted "Sultan" actor in two 18-year-old chinkara poaching cases on Monday. Did Sanjay call Salman after he was acquitted in the chinkara poaching cases? Sanjay said: "Of course, I always call him and I always feel happy for him. I don't want Salman or anyone to go through what I did. Somewhere justice prevails and I am happy it happened." --IANS uma/lok/vt ( 222 Words) 2016-07-29-20:46:02 (IANS) The two-part play -- which is set 19 years after author J.K. Rowling's books and spin-off movies -- has its official opening at the West End here on Saturday and producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender are working on plans to stage the show in New York, reports dailymail.co.uk. "We've got to take a very big breath now and get through the weekend," Callender said. "Then we'll deal with what the next stage looks like - and hopefully Broadway will be part of that," he added. The play sees Potter as an "overworked" employee of the Ministry of Magic and centers on his and Ginny Weasley's son Albus and Rowling recently pleaded with fans not to spoil the plot of the play for others. --IANS ank/nn/ ( 153 Words) 2016-07-30-01:40:01 (IANS) The 40-year-old woman tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus after travelling to Ho Chi Minh City from July 11-15, according to the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The KCDC said she had been infected with the virus after being bitten by a mosquito during her trip to the Southeast Asian country, Yonhap News Agency reported. She showed symptoms of rash, muscular pain, joint pain and conjunctivitis since July 19 and went to a hospital on Monday to receive an examination, health authorities said. The latest case raises the number of confirmed infections in South Korea to nine, since the country reported its first Zika patient in March. The virus, first discovered in Africa, has been linked to thousands of birth defects in newborn babies like abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains in Brazil. --IANS ksk/vm ( 173 Words) 2016-07-29-13:06:13 (IANS) It takes courage to ask for blood for someone else when you yourself are on the verge of death. That is precisely what 24-year-old Sumegha Gulati, a brilliant and courageous journalist, did on her Facebook page at 12.54 p.m. on Wednesday -- just two days before she passed away on Friday. That is how Sumegha was. Although young, she was far too mature for her age, very sensitive to human suffering and full of life -- till the very end. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, the Delhi-born Sumegha first worked for the Hindustan Times and then The Indian Express. She had earlier interned at Greater Kashmir in Srinagar. That sowed the seeds of her lasting love for Kashmir and Kashmiris. When I used to write for the Express from Srinagar, as a trainee, she worked there in Delhi. That is how we began to chat, the trigger being her appreciation of the stories I filed from the Kashmir Valley during the Lok Sabha election of 2014. Sumegha quickly became a friend. Thanks to Facebook, her open nature and also mutual friends, I came to know her very well. She was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma -- cancer of white blood cells in 2014. That was months before I moved to Delhi from Srinagar in January 2015, eventually joining IANS. The disease must have bothered her a lot. But it could not break her. At a time when I hardly knew anyone in Delhi, she was an inspiration. I was bowled over by her grit and bravery. She was brave enough to face the repercussions of chemotherapies that took away almost all her beautiful thick hair. Unlike many, she shaved her head -- and then boldly flaunted it. She would walk and talk even as she battled the disease that had crippled her within. Not the one to give up, ever, she wrote exceptional stories about cancer. She wrote about others suffering -- when she herself was struggling to live. The smile on Sumegha's face never let her pain show. She once wrote about her "Date with Cancer", when the disease relapsed. "The only thing worse than cancer is a cancer relapse... I must admit my ego was hurt. Just when I thought I battled cancer or as my friends quoted, 'She kicked Cancer's ass', it returned. The basic rule in a war is to never underestimate the enemy," she wrote. Her last Facebook post came on Wednesday: "Hello. This is urgent. We need AB- and B- blood at ACTREC in Navi Mumbai for a fellow, preferably before 5 today. Patient's family also arranging. Hopefully they may get it but If anyone of u can make it, please inbox me." Through a mutual friend I learnt later that when she made the appeal, she was herself in need of blood. That was Sumegha. When the latest unrest gripped the Kashmir Valley, she lamented that the stories that needed to be covered were not being written. "As a young journalist I sometimes wonder if we too have fallen in traps of selective coverage? How does it justify NOT reporting the real picture in Kashmir right now." This she wrote on July 18 -- full 10 days after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani that sparked a wave of protests in the valley which has so far claimed over 50 lives and left thousands injured. Sumegha told me on my last birthday: "May you write more good stories, Ruwa. May you succeed in life as a journalist." I never imagined I would be writing her obituary. (Ruwa Shah can be reached ruwa.s@ians.in) --IANS ruwa/mr/hs ( 617 Words) 2016-07-29-18:30:05 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on a plea by a group of army doctors who want their retirement age to be increased to 65 years. Noting the urgency of the matter as the petitioners are retiring on Sunday, the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice U.U. Lalit directed the next hearing of the matter on August 1, thus giving two days to the Centre to respond to the plea by the doctors serving in the Army Medical Corps (AMC). As the counsel for the doctors urged the court to ensure that they don't retire on Sunday, the bench said there was no need to worry. Seeking parity with their civilian counterparts serving under the central government, a group of eight AMC doctors have questioned the defence ministry for not implementing the central government's decision to increase the retirement age of doctors to 65 years. The decision to raise the retirement age of the doctors was announced by the Prime Minister, and it became effective from May 31, 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tweet on May 31, 2016, said: "Central government has decided to enhance superannuation age of all doctors in Central Health Service to 65 years with effect 31st May 2016". "With this step, we retain our experienced doctors for a longer period and provide quality health services to citizens, particularly the poor." --IANS pk/bim/bg ( 248 Words) 2016-07-29-19:36:01 (IANS) A day after protesting lawyers laidsiege to the Madras High Court demanding the recent amendments to the Advocates Act, a section of the lawyers continued their protest demanding the Bar Council of India (BCI) to revoke the suspension of the 126 lawyers for their errant acts and to condemn the arrest of five lawyers in connection with yesterday's incident. The BCI had on Sunday suspended 126 lawyers and prohibited them from practising in any court or tribunal in the country pursuant to its warning that it will suspend those who indulgein boycott and other activities. As tension continued to prevail, especially following the arrest of five lawyers in connection with yesterday's siege agitation, heavy security has been posted in the court campus. All the seven entry points of the court continued to be under police control and those with propoer IDs alone wereallowed entry. Police said 29 cases were registered following yesterday'sincidents and five people arrested, were remanded in judicialcustody. Those arrested were Georgetown Magistrate Court AdvocatesAssociation President Karunakaran, Yasar Arafat, Ashok Kumar,Kishore and Omprakash. Cases under various sections of IPC, including Damages to Public Property Act, were registered against them. They were produced before Georgetown Magistrate, who remanded them in 14 days' judicial custody. Meanwhile, the advocates stated that they would continuewith their agitation till the amendments to the Advocates Act were withdrawn and that the suspension of 126 lawyers by the BCIshould be revoked.UNI GV CS 1503 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-855836.Xml Even as the intense search operations to trace the missing IAF aircraft AN-32 continued unhindered for thefifth day today, the family members of a Coast Guard sailor, todaypetitioned the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Special Cell urging theState government to take steps to trace the missing aircraft. The family members of Sailor, R Muthukrishnan, came to the State Secretariat and submitted a petition at the CM's Special Cell. Later, talking to reporters, they appealed to the Tamil NaduGovernment and the Union Government to take steps to trace themissing aircraft and secure the safe release of the sailor. They said the Inspeector General from Andaman Coast Guard, where the sailor was based, visited his house in the city and consoled his family members. He also said that all efforts were being made to trace the missing aircraft. Muthukrishnan, was one of the 29 defence personnel on board the AN-32 aircraft that went missing on Friday. The Sailor, who was posted in Port Blair, has just visited his family in Chennai before taking off from the Tambaram Air Force Station. He was the only one from the Coast Guard to be on board the aircraft. The aircraft, which took off at 0830 hrs, was to have landed at Port Blair at 1130 hrs on that day. However, within 16 minutes after it took off, the aircraft went off the radar, at about 150 to 200 km off Chennai and massive search operations by the Navy, Coast Guard and the IAF were on in full swing for the fifth consecutive day today. As the searches over the last four days did not yield anyresult, under sea search operations were initiated today usinga submarine. So far no debris or survivors have been located. The search operations, code named "Operation Talash," continued by expanding the scope of the search area from 150 nautical milesoff Chennai coast to 300 nautical miles. The Coast Guard has also requested the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) for their vessel for search operations. All the merchant ships passing by the zone of search operation were alerted to look out for any survivors or the debris. A total of 18 ships, 13 aircraft and four helicopters have been pressed into the search. Several governmental agencies, including satellite imageriesfrom ISRO, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (NCOIS), were coordinating in the search operations and if needed vessel of NIOT 'Sagar Nidhi', which was on its way from Mauritius, would be used for search operations. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar told the RajyaSabha that search teams have detected 4-5 pings from the ocean bed. However, it was yet to be verified, whether those are from the missing AN-32 aircraft. "We have detected 4-5 pings, trying to verify whether these are real or false alarms," he said. He said there were no confirmed signals so far on the possible location of the aircraft wreckage. UNI GV CS 1757 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-856340.Xml Police today said Assistant Professor Aziz Tharuvana of Farook College has been arrested on a complaint filed by a third year degree student. According to the complaint lodged with the Feroke Police Station, Prof Aziz, hailing from Vellamunda in Wayanad district, took the girl to his quarters and sexually assaulted her after promising her to marry in March 2015. A local court yesterday sent him to 14-day remand, police added.UNI PCH CS 1213 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0300-855439.Xml Talking to reporters here Vice Chancellor Dr K Mohammed Basheer said arrangements were in full swing for the four-day visit during which the varsity would be given grading based on facilities available in the campus. He said the CU is expected to get highest grading 'A Plus' while considering its student strength and surroundings. With 426 affiliated colleges, 35 departments and a strength of more than three lakh students, the varsity, in the midst of golden jubilee celebration, was making efforts for more infrastructure development, he said. Headed by Prof S P Thyagarajan, former Vice Chancellor of Madras University, the team would also visit all departments and interact with teachers, he added. The other members of the team were Prof Alok Kumar Rai, BHU, Prof Anupam Mahajan, Delhi University, Dr K V Ramaswamy, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Goregaon (East), Mumbai, Dr Debjani Sengupta, former Professor, Calcutta University, Prof S N Singh Ex-Vice Chancellor, University of Patna, Dr R Indira, Ex-Prof University of Mysore, Dr Hardeep Singh, Guru Nanak University, Amritsar and Prof Amitava Patra, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata.UNI PCH CS 1637 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0300-856104.Xml Eighty-six-year-old Dakshayani will soon enter into the Guinness of World records as the oldest-living elephant in the world, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President Prayar Gopalakrishnan said today. Talking to newspersons here, Gopalakrishnan said Dakshayani, the oldest jumbo in Kerala, was gifted to the TDB by the erstwhile Travancore Royal family, is now with the Chengalloor Temple in Poojappura and the Board has written to the Guinness authorities in this regard. According to the Guinness record, an 85-year-old elephant, considered as the oldest one died in 2003 in Taiwan. The Devaswom Board will honour her at a function here on July 27. The Postal Department will issue a special cover of Dakshayani on the day. The Board will also release a directory of 33 elephants owned by it on the occasion," he added. The TDB owns 1,250 temples including the world famous Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, Gopalakrishnan said.UNI DS cs 1207 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0324-855429.Xml Opposition leader in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala today urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to give a clarification on CPM State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's controversial speech calling upon the party workers to give a befitting reply to BJP and RSS men as a revenge to the recent political murders in Kannur district. Talking to newspersons here, Chennithala said the Chief Minister should break his silence on the controversial speech of his party State Secretary delivered in Payyanur. Giving a call to flare up violence by the ruling party's State Secretary and the Chief Minister keeping mum on it is mysterious, Mr Chennithala alleged. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy alleged that the statement of Kodiyeri Vijayan was against the poor law and order situation existing in the state. Kerala BJP President Kummanam Rajasekharan urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take legal action against Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for his controversial speech. Kummanam said if the Government fails to file a case against Kodiyeri, the BJP will move the court seeking legal procedure against the Communist leader. Attending a function organized to protest the murder of a CPM activist in Payyanur, Kodiyeri has called upon the party workers to give befitting reply to BJP and RSS men as a revenge to the recent political murders in Kannur istrict. UNI DS CS 1459 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0324-855789.Xml Responding to her appointment as economic advisor to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Harvard economist Geetha Gopinath has said it is an honourary position and there is no remuneration for it. In an email, said she will continue as a full time professor at Harvard University and will not move to Thiruvananthapuram. Clarifying that she is not interested to engage on a daily basis with the government on its economic policies, the Harvard Professor said she would continue to the further development of the state. Geetha Gopinath's reaction came following a controversy over her appointment as the advisor to the Chief Minister as there were differences of opinion in the Communist party alleging her pro-liberalization policies. She said "I am very honoured to have the opportunity to serve as the Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Kerala is my native State (my father is from Mayyil and my mother from Kuttiattoor in Kannur District), and one that has made substantial progress on social indicators like health and education." " I hope to contribute towards further developing sustainable policies for Kerala that address its unique opportunities and challenges." "It is important to recognize that this is an honorary position, in that there is no remuneration, no expectation that I will move to Thiruvananthapuram to engage on a daily basis with the government or be involved in all its economic policy decisions." "Instead, I will continue as a full time professor at Harvard University and carry on my commitments including research and teaching. My mandate as discussed with the Hon'ble CM is two-fold. First, I will respond to any requests from the CM for advice on the economic impact on Kerala's economy of global, national and state events and policies." "Given my location, I anticipate most of this will be done remotely, rather than in person. Second, I hope to play a convening role to connect various state departments to the knowledge leaders from around the world in sectors relevant to Kerala like public finance, management, labour.development economics, and entrepreneurship." "In both these tasks, I see my role confined entirely to providing advice to the Hon'ble CM and to make connections for the various departments. It is then up to the CM to consider my advice, and up to the relevant departments to continue conversations with the various sector experts." "Given this advisory nature of the appointment and my location, I do not anticipate frequent interactions with the media to explain government policies or my opinion on those." "Once again, I am humbled by the opportunity to contribute my skills and effort to the development of Kerala. I am hopeful that under the leadership of the Chief Minister, the state will make great strides in achieving its development goals." UNI DS CS 2030 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0324-856578.Xml Actor John Abraham, who is known for his action punch, enjoys comedy genre more than action. While addressing mediapersons here alongside with Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez, the Force actor said, "I enjoy comedy the most, but my body type is action, so I get to work in them also and In Dishoom I got to do both, action as well as comedy." Varun, who is known for his comedy timing and cute looks, talked about his chemistry with John, saying, "John is like brother to me. The last film where you saw this kind of chemistry would be 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari', where two police officers go on a mission." Over his chemistry with Parineeti Chopra, who has done an item song in the movie, the 'Main Tera Hero' actor said, "I shared a very sizzling chemistry with the gorgeous Parineeti Chopra and she would also be seen in the movie with a small role as a surprise package." Varun and John alongwith Sri Lankan beauty also shared screen space with a British Bulldog and over their experience with him. Varun said, "I am fan of British dog breeds and i own a beagle called Angel." Directed by Rohit Dhawan, 'Dishoom' is an action-adventure,it revolves around two buddy police officers Kabir and Junaid followed by Jacqueline, who will act like a tom boy. The movie is slated to hit the theaters on July 29.UNI XC SHS SV 1437 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-855632.Xml Upset over his suspension till August 3 in connection with Parliament's security breach video, Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also violated norms by allowing a airbase tour to Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence in Pathankot and demanded the PM should also be summoned before the panel."In 2001, ISI attacked the Parliament complex. And in 2016, it launched an attack on the Pathankot airbase.''The PM invited the same ISI and took them around the airbase. ISI made maps of the airbase and left. The panel should summon the Prime Minister along with me," the Sangrur MP told reporters here.Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has suspended Mr Mann for filming a video of his visit to Parliament from home that includes movement past various security check points and posted it on social media.The AAP leader had tendered an unconditional written apology to the Speaker but a nine-member panel has been constituted to probe the video."I explained my stand to the Lok Sabha Speaker. She said what I did was not right and I should apologise. So I tendered an apology in writing saying that it was unintentional, I was only trying to make an educational video," he added.Clarifying his intention behind making the video, Mr Mann said that he just wanted to make the people of his constituency aware how their grievances are picked up for discussion in the Parliament.Mr Mann also alleged that the government was plotting to arrest him."The issue is being blown out of proportion and politicised. I have never seen the Akali Dal, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress joining forces on any other issue. But they are on the same platform against me." He said the nine-member committee formed by the Lok Sabha Speaker to study the security implications of his video was "a political stunt.''AAP leader Ashutosh urged Ms Mahajan to be neutral and said, "If the Speaker works under someone's pressure or is biased, it will be a danger for democracy."Mr Mann will appear before the panel on 28th July and the panel will submit its report on August 3.UNI SHS RP1922 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-856612.Xml The government doesn't have any specific input that suggest nexus between dreaded terror organisation Islamic State and Naxalite groups, the Lok Sabha was informed today. In a written reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir also informed that 54 IS supporters had been arrested so far across the country, before they could carry out any terror attack. However, the influence of IS has been very negligible over Indian youth, he added. "No specific inputs are available with the government with regard to nexus between Islamic State and Naxals for taking of training and weapons by ISIS supporters from Naxals,'' Mr Ahir said. Maximum ten of IS supporters arrested were from Telangana, followed by Karnataka, where 8 have been arrested by security agencies. One each has been arrested from Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. A few incidents of unfurling of IS flags have come into notice in Jammu and Kashmir by misguided youth, Mr Ahir said, adding that state government has been directed to act as per the law. ''The outfit (IS/ISIS/ISIL) uses both positive and negative imagery to attract recruits across the world. However, it has influenced/attracted very few youth from India,'' the Minister said. ''The ISIS is using platforms to propagate its ideology. The intelligence and security agencies monitor closely to identify potential recruits and take further action, if necessary,'' the Minister added. Mr Ahir said the government was taking all necessary measures to counter the incipient threat posed by ISIS. He said to devise a national strategy with it, meetings were held by the Ministry of Home Affairs with all the central agencies and the state governments on January 16 and in last year.UNI RG RSA/SB 1632 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0377-856080.Xml Opposition parties on Friday staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha over incidents of atrocities against Dalits and the recent thrashing of two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh by cow vigilantes. Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, raised during Zero Hour the issue of beating up of two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh on beef rumours and slammed the BJP-led state government over the issue. "In Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh, two Muslim women have been beaten up for allegedly taking beef with them by the Gau Rakshak Dal, and that too in the presence of police. Later the meat was found to be of buffalo," Kharge said. He alleged that without support of the state government such acts can't happen. Kharge also raised the issue of atrocities against Dalits, saying it has risen since the Narendra Modi government came to power. "Everyday atrocities against Dalits are reported, and since this government came to power it has risen, but no action is being taken against the culprits," Kharge said, citing incidences of atrocities against Dalits. He also took on Prime Minister Modi for "keeping mum" on such issues. Responding to the matter raised by Kharge, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh confined himself to the Mandsaur incident. "The Madhya Pradesh government took prompt and effective action in the matter. I assure the House that justice will prevail in this case and the culprits will not be spared," Singh said. Not satisfied with the government's reply Congress members led by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Kharge staged a walkout from the Lower House. The Left, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal-United and Rashtriya Janata Dal members also joined them and staged a walkout. Two women were allegedly beaten up by a mob in Mandsaur, around 350 km from state capital Bhopal, by cow vigilantes following a rumour that they had large quantity of beef to sell. In a video, police was seen making attempts to stop the mob. --IANS bns/rn/vm ( 346 Words) 2016-07-29-13:50:02 (IANS) Dissatisfied with the Kolkata Police for calling the mysterious death of Aabesh Dasgupta an "accident", the family of the teenager on Friday knocked on the doors of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking justice. Aabesh, 17, was found lying in a pool of blood on the ground floor car park of well known writer Amit Chaudhuri's apartment complex in south Kolkata's Ballygunge, where he had gone to attend a birthday party on July 23. A blood soaked neck of a broken bottle was recovered from the spot. While the family has been claiming that Aabesh was murdered and the police registered a murder case, investigators on Thursday, citing circumstantial evidence, ruled out any foul play or conspiracy and suggested the death could be accidental. Based on CCTV footage, the police have claimed that Aabesh tried to jump a ramp in the parking lot while holding an alcohol bottle in his hand. While jumping, he tripped and fell on the broken bottle and suffered an injury to the armpit, resulting in profuse bleeding which ultimately caused his death. Police, however, have said their findings are still inconclusive. The Dasgupta family, which has been claiming it to be a "pre-planned murder", dubbed the police's 'accident' theory as an attempt to cover up and met Chief Minister Banerjee on the day. "We told her (Banerjee) that there are still many unanswered questions, many loose ends. She gave a patient hearing to all our apprehensions and assured the truth will be unravelled," Aabesh's mother Rimjhim Dasgupta said after the meeting. "The Chief Minister said whatever the police have said needs to be proved. She assured us that everything will be done to ensure justice," added Dasgupta. Besides arresting three people for selling liquor to minors, the police has interrogated the teenagers accompanying Aabesh on the fateful day as also writer Chaudhuri. -- IANS and/bim/bg ( 321 Words) 2016-07-29-14:24:01 (IANS) He will also be visiting Bhagatgaon Camp of flood-affected residents in Morigaon district. Rajnath will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and other state government officers in Guwahati before returning to Delhi in the evening. The rise in the water level of the Brahmaputra River has made the condition of Assam very critical and many districts have been submerged in the flow of water. The flood situation in Assam worsened as new areas have been inundated. Over 15 lakh people were affected in 19 districts in the current flood. As per reports, the administration has rescued all affected families as surging water breached Bongaon embankment at Majuli river island in Jorhat. All the rescued people have been provided shelter in the embankment. (ANI) It was not a secret journey to be made in the dead of the night. It was rather a compulsion because chances of getting caught in Kashmir's continuing violence are lesser at night than during the day. In view of the danger of travelling on the Srinagar-Jammu highway that runs through south Kashmir, where most of the deadly street protests have occurred, I was advised to wait a while before I drive from the restive Kashmir Valley for Delhi with my family. But I could not postpone it any further. It was already a month after I arrived here from Delhi, on a short holiday, to celebrate Eid with my parents. My stay in Kashmir got extended in the wake of the latest Kashmir unrest, triggered by the July 8 killing of 22-year-old Burhan Wani, a rebel commander who had become a social media sensation over the past couple of years. As the unrest - now in its fourth week - faded out of TV screens and street protests, curfew and shutdown turned a routine, Kashmir no longer made headlines in the national media. So I set out. As the moon shone dim amid a nip in the air, I started off for my second attempt in a week to leave the turbulent valley. Fear palpable, I drove slowly out of my neighbourhood. My father, seated next to me, began reciting Quranic verses silently for our safety. The streets were deserted. An eerie silence engulfed the roads south of Srinagar. I moved on. My worried mother, also with us in the car, kept telling me to drive slowly. A floodlight almost blinded me at a crossing near the Srinagar-Pulwama border. I sensed trouble. A group of paramilitary personnel asked me to halt. I obliged. Without waiting for questioning, I flashed my Press card and told them that we were headed to Delhi. "Take care," a two-star officer said, smilingly. "It is not that easy." I heaved a sigh of relief and turned right to hit the highway. Barring a few vehicles, including some military trucks, nothing else moved on this single-lane strategic road - the only surface link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. I would have driven barely 20 km when I first heard a clamour of slogans from a distance. It was Pampore - the saffron town of Kashmir. A mosque loudspeaker blared freedom songs - the sound appeared louder on a clear night. There was nobody around at this spot where militants killed some eight paramilitary forces in June. Or so I thought. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a stone hitting a shop front. I stopped and a group of three young men - seemingly in their teens - emerged from a small lane. "Switch off the headlight," one shouted. "And switch on the cabin light." I obeyed. They looked around and signalled us to carry on but with a warning that the journey ahead is not going to be smooth. My worried mother requested me to turn back. I calmed her and drove on. Father kept reciting the Quranic verses. Near Awantipora -- home to an Indian Air Force base - I heard a cracking boom of fighter jets. On a routine journey, I would not have noticed the sound of an aircraft on a possible training sortie. But the fear had made all of us more conscious of even a squeaking around. This sounded like a war bugle. Some distance away, the street was strewn with half broken rocks and bricks - a sign of an overnight stone-rage war between security forces and protesters. But none among the warring groups was there. I zigzagged through the splattered rocks and reached Sangam - the confluence of Veshaw and Jhelum rivers. It was here where an angry mob had drowned a policeman in the Jhelum when the uprising erupted post Wani's killing. I crossed the bridge over the confluence. The road ahead was partially blocked by tree trunks and cement poles as I approached Bijbehara town. On a barren road, I saw "ragda, ragda" written in big letters, possibly with a white chalk. It is the opening line of an anti-India song that had swept the valley in 2008 and 2010. "Ragda" means stomping. Angry youth in a huddle break into an impromptu performance with their right feet stomping an imaginary tricolour, shouting "Yeh Ragda! Yeh Ragda" in rhythm. As I was recollecting the memories of unrest in the last two Kashmir summers, a group of men with stones in their hand came rushing. I applied the brake with a screeching halt, nearly running over a couple of them. "It is a shutdown," yelled one, perhaps their leader. "Go back." I almost gave up. Suddenly I heard a police vehicle approaching. The boys dispersed and I moved on. But by then, despite the dark night, the stone war had resumed between protesters and security personnel. I quietly parked deep inside a small lane with my headlights turned off and waited for the calm to return. "Ragda, ragda" protests could be heard from a distance. I stepped out even as my mother repeatedly told me to stay inside the car. Policemen were around. One of them shouted at me. Maybe they had seen me with the protesters earlier. But once they realized who I was, they became gentle. A policeman told me not to proceed further. Anantnag and nearby towns are also protesting, he said. All this was too much. I decided, there and then, that I had to abort my road journey to Delhi. We returned to Srinagar, shrouded in fear. Amid all this, my 15-month-old son slept quietly on his mother's lap, Oblivious to everything that happened in this unfinished journey. I pray he remains untouched and unaware of the violence his elder generation - people of Burhan Wani's age - went through. (Sarwar Kashani can be reached on sarwar.k@ians.in) --IANS sar/mr/ruwa/vd ( 994 Words) 2016-07-29-17:00:03 (IANS) Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave called on students, whom he described as "tigers", to help in the conservation of the big cats. On the occasion of International Tiger Day on Friday, he also exhorted tourists from across the world to come to India to see the tiger in natural habitat. Their numbers in India stand at 2,226, comprising 70 per cent of the tigers across the world. He said: "Students from various schools have gathered here today, because they all are themselves tigers." "India has 2,226 tigers, which constitutes 70 per cent of the tigers the world over. The tigers are spread out in over 17 states and 49 sanctuaries across the country. A healthy tiger is a symbol of healthy environment," said Dave, according to a statement. Dave expressed the hope that India will be able to double the number of its tigers by 2022 by conserving and caring for the big cats in their natural habitat. He also emphasised that India was contributing significantly towards achieving the St. Petersburg target, commonly referred to as TX2. Dave administered a pledge for tiger conservation to the gathering of students. Later, he flagged off the Walk for the Tiger campaign. The National Tiger Conservation Authority, along with conservation partners organised the 'Walk for the Tiger'. The event was organised in collaboration with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Global Tiger Forum, WWF-India, Wildlife Trust of India, TRAFFIC, Kids for Tigers and Aircel. --IANS sid/rn/vt ( 257 Words) 2016-07-29-17:18:01 (IANS) The operation to nab him was jointly executed by a team of the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police and the Bihar Police, an official told IANS. Singh belongs to Buxar and was last seen by people in Deogarh in Jharkhand performing a puja. After his pictures at Deoghar were seen on social network sites, the STF zeroed in on Bihar and Jharkhand to trace him. After electronic surveillance, he was arrested from the Chini Mill locality on Friday. Officials in Lucknow said he was being brought to Lucknow by the STF team and would be presented before the court on Saturday. A local court earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against him and the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday refused to put his arrest on hold. Singh, who was Uttar Pradesh BJP Vice President, went into hiding after an FIR was lodged against him for his derogatory comments against Mayawati. He was also expelled by the party for six years. --IANS md/rn/vt ( 209 Words) 2016-07-29-17:30:01 (IANS) New Zealand posted a monthly trade surplus of NZ$127 million ($88.8 million) in June as kiwifruit exports continued to hit record levels, data from Statistics New Zealand showed on Tuesday.The annual deficit for the year to end-June 2016 was NZ$3.3 billion.Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a monthly surplus of NZ$150 million and an annual deficit of NZ$3.3 billion.Exports totalled NZ$4.26 billion for the month while imports were NZ$4.13 billion."Export values of kiwifruit for the months of May and June 2016 are the two highest on record," international statistics senior manager Jason Attewell said."Annual kiwifruit exports for the June 2016 year also set a new record - NZ$1.7 billion - up 41 percent from the previous June year."Nathan Penny, ASB Bank rural economist, said nine of New Zealand's top 10 export products rose in the year to June. The only exception was dairy."Overall the picture is good, without being fantastic. Obviously we would need dairy to be rising to be fantastic," he said.The country's dairy sector, which accounts for around 20 percent of exports, has been hard hit by global oversupply and plunging dairy prices.Statistics New Zealand said overall, fruit exports rose 30.6 percent on the year and helped to offset the fall in dairy exports, which were down 7.3 percent on the year.REUTERS PS 0507 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-855184.Xml He's different -- bedecked with 12 kg gold ornaments, guarded by 25 security guards and travelling in a motorcade of 17 vehicles. And he's a 'kanwaria' -- a devotee of Lord Shiva, carrying a 'kanwad' of the holy Ganga water on his shoulder. Meet Sudhir Kumar Makkar of Gandhi Nagar in Delhi who joined hundreds of other devotees at Kadrabad town. Makkar, also known as "Golden Baba", entered the town on Thursday night with his motorcade of sleek sedans along with 300 followers. This is his 24th "kanwad yatra" -- he has been participating in the annual ritual for years. Decorated with eight gold rings, 15 gold chains, two bracelets in each hand, two bajuband on his arms, Makkar looks content with his life. Educated in a gurukul at Jwalapur near Haridwar, Makkar returned to Delhi after eight years of studies. Speaking to IANS he recalled his life so far, saying that over the years he has committed "several sins" and that's the reason why he carries the 'kanwad' every year. And he'd continue to do so as long he is alive, Makkar said. Once he traded in ready-made garments. Now Makkar is into real estate business. In 2006, he met Mahant Mahendra Puri of Juna Akhara and considers him to be his Guru. Ever since he received a gold chain from the Guru, Makkar's business has been flourishing. So is his devotion. And his love for gold and ornaments. In the process, he's added some golden glitz to his life. Last year, he had worn 11 kg of gold. This year the weight of the yellow metal he is wearing stands at 12 kg as of now. And the 'Golden Baba' is all set to wear a gold jacket on the Shiv Ratri. A devout follower of Lord Shiva -- one of the eternal Trinity of HIndu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh -- Makkar said it is the Lord who has endowed him with all the wealth. It's the result of his devotion -- Makkar regularly brings the holy water of the Ganga river for the deity. This year Makkar began his 'kanwar yatra' on July 24 from Haridwar. It would conclude in Delhi on July 31. His entourage includes cars of different types -- from Audi, Innova, Fortuner, Scorpios to Qualis. Besides, there are three trucks, five tempos and an ambulance. The team also includes 25 personal helpers, and 300 kanwarias. --IANS sps/bim/vt ( 413 Words) 2016-07-29-19:32:01 (IANS) "The situation in Gurgaon is because of water-logging and non-functioning of drains...I spoke to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and asked him that this is an important city and international focus is on it. All steps should be taken to clear the jams. The state administration is already attending the problem on an emergency basis," Naidu told reporters outside Parliament. The heavy rain that started on Thursday evening has thrown vehicular traffic out of gear in Gurgaon, especially on the Delhi-Jaipur road. Local reports said many motorists abandoned their vehicles as movement became difficult on Thursday evening. Sources said the Haryana Chief Minister informed Naidu that besides providing immediate relief to commuters, the state government is also taking steps and long-term measures to improve the drainage system in Gurgaon and areas adjoining Delhi. --IANS nd/lok/bg ( 183 Words) 2016-07-29-19:42:01 (IANS) Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti today emphasised the need for deciding the definition of "surplus water" of rivers once and for all. She said, "Till this issue is decided, the dispute about surplus water will continue to crop up time and again".The Minister while chairing the tenth meeting of the Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers here, said this issue has to be sorted out in consultations with states. "For this we will require a detailed study of country's agricultural land including irrigated land, non irrigated land, agricultural produce and their market. My Ministry will take a final decision on this issue after detailed deliberation with states," Ms Bharti said. To deliberate on this issue, she said a Jal Manthan (seminar on water related issues) would also be held. Stressing the need for speedy implementation of inter-linking of river(ILR) projects, Ms Bharti said, "I hope that National Water Development Agency will work with more vigour and complete the delayed projects in a time bound manner".Water Resources Minister of Bihar Rajiv Ranjan Singh raised the issue of flood in rivers flowing into Bihar form Nepal. He said keeping this in view, the issue of inter-linking of rivers in the state should be taken up on a priority. He also suggested that the projects with potential to irrigate more than two lakh hectare should be declared as national project. Uttar Pradesh Minister Surendra Singh Patel argued for starting the work on Ken-Betwa link at the earliest. He wanted to know the total cost of the project and his state's share in the same. The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on July 24, 2014 approved the constitution of the Special Committee on ILR. UNI RBE RSA 1805 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-856332.Xml The Republican nominee zoomed in on one speaker especially, though he did not mention his name, CNN reported. "I was going to hit one guy in particular, a very little guy," Trump said on Thursday at a campaign rally in Davenport, Iowa. "I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin, he wouldn't know what the hell happened," CNN quoted Trump as saying. The real estate mogul said this individual "came out of nowhere" and said had worked with Trump in the past. "He made deals with me. 'Will you help me with this? Would you make this deal and solve the problem?' I solved the problem," Trump said. His campaign did not respond to a request asking to clarify who Trump was talking about, reports CNN. Several speakers this week have gone after Trump at the convention in Philadelphia thate started on Tuesday, including Michael Bloomberg. The former New York City mayor made a surprise endorsement over the weekend for Hillary Clinton, and described Trump in his DNC speech on Wednesday night as a "dangerous demagogue". Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine also targeted Trump, mocking the businessman's tendency to accentuate his promises with a plea of "believe me". --IANS ksk ( 248 Words) 2016-07-29-09:08:01 (IANS) An arbitration court in the Hague ruled recently that China does not have historic rights to the South China Sea. China rejected the ruling and refused to participate in the case. China Defence Ministry spokesman said drills would be carried out in the relevant sea and air of the South China Sea. "The exercise is routine and does not target any third party," he added. Playing down the significance of the exercises, White House spokesman Josh Earnest conceded that the South China Sea was "a sensitive diplomatic topic right now". China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than five trillion dollars of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims. Russia has been a strong backer of China's stance on the arbitration case, which was brought by the Philippines. China rejected the ruling and refused to participate in the case. (ANI) A doctor who was shot at by a patient in a university clinic in southwestern Berlin has died, police in Berlin said on Twitter, adding that they had no indications that anyone else was injured or that there were any other perpetrators.Police added that the situation at the Benjamin Franklin campus of the Charite university hospital was now "under control" and investigators were on the scene to determine the background to the crime.REUTERS JW BD1903 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-856541.Xml A knife-wielding man broke into a facility for the disabled in a small town near Tokyo early today and killed 19 patients as they slept, authorities said, Japan's worst mass killing since World War Two.At least 25 other residents were wounded in the attack at the Tsukui Yamayuri-En facility for mentally and physically disabled in Sagamihara town, about 40 km southwest of Tokyo."This is a very heart-wrenching and shocking incident in which many innocent people became victims," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference in Tokyo.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later told a gathering in Tokyo: "The lives of many innocent people were taken away and I am greatly shocked. We will make every effort to discover the facts and prevent a reoccurance."The suspect was a 26-year-old former employee of the facility who gave himself up to police. The man, Satoshi Uematsu, said in letters he wrote in February that he could "obliterate 470 disabled people", Kyodo news agency reported.He said he would kill 260 severely disabled people at two areas in the facility during a night shift, and would not hurt employees."My goal is a world in which the severely disabled can be euthanized, with their guardians' consent, if they are unable to live at home and be active in society," Uematsu wrote in the two letters given to the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Kyodo reported.Uematsu was committed to hospital after he expressed a "willingness to kill severely disabled people", an official in Sagamihara told Reuters. He was freed on March 2 after a doctor deemed he had improved, the official said.Uematsu lived near the facility, and a neighbour described him as a polite, young man who always greeted him with a smile."It would be easier to understand if there had been a warning but there were no signs," said Akihiro Hasegawa, 73. "We didn't know the darkness of his heart."The suspect apparently began changing about five months ago, said Yuji Kuroiwa, the governor of Kanagawa prefecture, where the facility is located."You could say there were warning signs, but it's difficult to say if this could have been prevented," he told reporters."This was not an impulsive crime ... He went in the dark of the night, opened one door at a time, and stabbed sleeping people one by one," Kuroiwa said. "I just can't believe the cruelty of this crime. We need to prevent this from ever happening again."Staff at the facility called police at 2.30 am local time (2300 IST yesterday) with reports of a man armed with a knife on the grounds, media reports said. The man wore a black T-shirt and trousers, the reports said.The 3-hectare (7.6 acre) facility was established by the local government. Surrounded by tree-covered mountains and on the banks of the Sagami River, it cares for people with a wide range of disabilities.The facility's website said the centre had a maximum capacity of 160 people, including staff."IT MAKES YOU WEEP"Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and residents of Sagamihara said they were in shock. The last murder in the area was 10 years ago."This is a peaceful, quiet town so I never thought such an incident would happen here," said Oshikazu Shimo, one of many residents of the town who gathered near the facility.Taxi driver Susumu Fujimura said of the attacker: "He said 'we should get rid of disabled people' but he's the worthless one.""That kind of person can't defend themselves," Fujimura said, referring to the victims. "That's why so many died. It makes you weep to think of somebody just murdering them."The dead ranged in age from 19 to 70 and included nine males and 10 females, Kyodo said.Police had recovered a bag with several knives, at least one stained with blood, a Kanagawa prefecture official said.At least 29 emergency squads responded to the attack, Kyodo reported, with those wounded taken to at least six hospitals in the western Tokyo area.Such mass killings are extremely rare in Japan and typically involve stabbings. Japan has strict gun laws and possession of firearms by the public is rare.Eight children were stabbed to death at their school in Osaka by a former janitor in 2001. Seven people died in 2008 when a man drove a truck into a crowd and began stabbing people in Tokyo's popular electronics and "anime" district of Akihabara.A revision to Japan's Swords and Firearms Control Law was introduced in 2009 in the wake of that attack, banning the possession of double-edged knives and further tightening gun-ownership rules.Members of a doomsday cult killed 12 people and made thousands ill in 1995 in simultaneous attacks with sarin nerve gas on five Tokyo rush-hour subway trains.REUTERS JW AN1932 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-856568.Xml "The fundamental threshold point is this: does the government believe, do we believe, do I as Prime Minister believe Rudd is well suited for that role?" Turnbull told the media here, adding "My considered judgement is he is not". The decision by Turnbull effectively crushed Rudd's hopes of nabbing the post after he spent months lobbying for government support. Without the backing of the Turnbull government, Rudd, the former Prime Minister of the opposition centre-left Labour Party, cannot run for the next UN chief. Rudd had hoped Australia's conservative government would take the crucial step of formally nominating him to succeed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when Ban's second five-year term ends on December 31. A final nominee will not emerge before October once the UN Security Council offers its candidate to the General Assembly for consideration. The Security Council is set to hold its second straw poll next week, which had strong support for former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres. There currently 12 contenders vying for the post, with six being female, and eight from Eastern Europe. Australia will consider its position with respect to other candidates, including compromise contender, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark in due course, Turnbull added. --IANS ksk ( 252 Words) 2016-07-29-11:40:02 (IANS) Abu Mohammad al-Golani, the leader of Syrian jihadist group Jabhat al Nusra, has in a video statement announced the group is severing ties with the al-Qaeda and changing its name to Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham. Golani in his first video appearance said the new group will have "no affiliation to any external entity", reports CNN. However, the U.S. officials quickly dismissed the rebranding as a public relations ploy. The so-called breakup comes less than two weeks after Secretary of State John Kerry said that the U.S. and Russia had agreed to cooperate in Syria against al Nusra. The decision was taken in an effort to restore the cessation of hostilities and significantly reduce violence in the war-ravaged country. al-Qaeda has given the split its blessing, according to Ahmad Hasan Abu al Khayr al-Masri, who has been elevated as the second high in command in the terror group. Masri would replace al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Zawahiri in a separate message also expressed support for the decoupling. Meanwhile, Golani said the change does not represent an ideological split but is intended to remove the excuse used by the international community led by the U.S. and Russia to bombard and displace Muslims under the pretense of targeting Jabhat al Nusra. The U.S. State Department had in 2012 added al Nusra to the list of aliases for al-Qaeda in Iraq. The State Department has, however, said the change in name does not alter Washington's perception of the group. "We judge any organization, including this one, much more by its actions, its ideology, its goals," State Department spokesman John Kirby said. He added, "We judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves. ... Thus far, there's no change to our views about this particular group. We certainly see no reasons to believe that their actions or their objectives are any different. And they are still considered a foreign terrorist organization." (ANI) The strikes, which targeted the town of Ghandur in the countryside of Manbej, were the third to hit civilians there since the Syrian Defence Forces and the US started operations against the IS in May, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the air strike, saying seven children were among those killed. Manbej has a strategic importance to the US-backed rebels due to its location near Turkey. Capturing Manbej would deprive the IS from a key stronghold near Turkey. "We can confirm the coalition conducted air strikes in the areas in the last 24 hours," said the US central command late on Thursday, adding that the strikes "may have resulted in civilian casualties". --IANS py/vt ( 159 Words) 2016-07-29-15:56:01 (IANS) Two men have been jailed and two women given suspended sentences by a court in Bristol city of United Kingdom in connection of tying rashers of bacon to door handles at a city mosque. The incident took place on January 17, when the group shouted racial abuse at a member of the mosque and tied a St George's flag to the fence of the Jamia Mosque. Kevin Crehan, 34, of Knowle, was jailed for 12 months and Mark Bennett, 48, of Patchway, for nine months, reports the Nation. Both had admitted 'religiously aggravated public order' offences. The Bristol Crown Court sentenced 46-year-old Alison Bennett, wife of Mark Bennett a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, while Angelina Swales, 31, from Brislington, was handed a four-month sentence and suspended for two years. Both of them also admitted 'religiously aggravated public order' offences in relation to the targeting of the Totterdown mosque Meanwhile, Inspector Nigel Colston of Avon and Somerset Police hailed the way the community responded to the incident. "The way local people came together with overwhelming support for the mosque made me proud to be associated with Bristol," Colston said. "There can never be any excuse for hate crime in any shape or form and this criminality will not be tolerated. All of our communities have the right to live and worship peacefully without fear of being targeted for their race or religion," he added.(ANI) During the meeting held at Dahal's residence on Friday, Dahal said a new government would be formed in the next few days and expressed his commitment to implement the pacts signed with China by the previous K. P. Sharma Oli-led government, reports Kathmandu Post. Dahal added that the agreements signed between Nepal and China by the current government was the result of the initiatives taken by the past government under his leadership. He said that the soon-to-be-formed government would prioritise the implementation of the new Constitution, reconstruction, and development projects. On his part, Chuntai said the change in government leadership is Nepal's internal matters and expressed his commitment that China would extend its full cooperation to the new government. (ANI) Chief Minister Sharif made the offer while addressing the Punjab-Qingdao Business Seminar on Thursday, during his ongoing visit to China, reports the Dawn. He assured the Chinese investors of best facilities and provisions for the programme of shifting industries along with technology to Pakistan. He also met Communist Party of China, Qingdao, Secretary Li Qun, during which, agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between Punjab and Qingdao. A joint working group will also be set up to explore possibilities of promotion of cooperation between the two nations in different sectors. MoUs were also signed between Punjab Investment Board, industries department and Qingdao. Investors from both Punjab and Qingdao also signed agreements and MoUs under which cooperation would be enhanced for setting up of economic zones besides other sectors. (ANI) The IS fighters stormed the village of Buwair to break the siege imposed by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces rebels (SDF), in the IS-held town of Manbej in the key province of Aleppo, Xinhua news agency reported. Th SDF succeeded in recapturing the towns stormed by the IS over the past 24 hours. Manbej has a strategic importance to the US-backed rebels due to its location near Turkey. Capturing Manbej would deprive the IS of a key stronghold near Turkey. --IANS sm/py/vt ( 116 Words) 2016-07-29-17:24:01 (IANS) A Somali immigrant to Canada died after being hospitalized in critical condition following his arrest by Canadian police, Ontario's police watchdog said on its Twitter account.Media reports cited witnesses saying the man was beaten by a number of police officers as he tried to run into an apartment building during the incident on Sunday.Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the man in an Ottawa neighborhood."SIU can confirm the 37-yr-old man in Hilda St incident in Ottawa has now died," the agency posted on Twitter.The man was identified by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) news channel as Abdirahman Abdi, a Somali immigrant.The unit said on Sunday that Ottawa police officers had been called in the morning with reports of a man causing a disturbance. Shortly after officers responded there was a confrontation during which the man "suffered medical distress". He was taken to hospital in critical condition.Video posted on the National Post newspaper's website appears to show a man in a bloodied shirt lying face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back and his pants pulled down before paramedics arrived and began administering CPR. Neighbors can be heard yelling at the police in the background.The man's brother told CBC that Abdi had been "sick" and rarely spoke to other people, while other media reports said he may have been on the autism spectrum. Abdi's brother told CBC he had lived in Canada for eight years.While incidents of this type are rare in Canada, allegations of police brutality and racial bias have sparked protests in the United States following a series of incidents caught on video.Earlier this month, there were police shootings of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota, and two black gunmen upset by those incidents later shot dead five policemen in Dallas and three in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. REUTERS PS 0407 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-855177.Xml A solar-powered aircraft successfully completed the first fuel-free flight around the world today, returning to Abu Dhabi after an epic 16-month voyage and demonstrating the potential of renewable energy.The plane, Solar Impulse 2, touched down in the United Arab Emirates capital at 0535 GMT (0405 local time) today.It first took off from Abu Dhabi on March 9, 2015, beginning a landmark journey of about 40,000 km (24,500 miles) around the globe and nearly 500 hours of flying.Unfavourable weather at times hindered smooth flying, causing the plane to be grounded for months in some countries.Swiss explorers Bertrand Piccard and Andr Borschberg, Solar Impulse founders and pilots, took turns piloting the aircraft with a wingspan larger than a Boeing 747 and weighing only as much as a family car.The Swiss team is campaigning to bolster support for clean energy. The propeller-driven aircraft's four engines are powered exclusively by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built the plane's wings. Excess energy is stored in four batteries during daylight hours to keep the plane flying after dark.Over its entire mission, Solar Impulse 2 cruised at altitudes of up to 9,000 metres and at an average speed of between 45 and 90 km per hour. The plane had 16 stopovers along the way including in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Japan, the United States, Spain and Egypt.Abu Dhabi's green energy firm Masdar is the official host partner of Solar Impulse 2. Oil-rich Abu Dhabi is investing billions in industry, tourism and renewables to diversify its economy away from oil. REUTERS PS 0544 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-855187.Xml Nineteen people were killed and dozens were wounded after an attack by a knife-wielding man at a facility for the disabled in central Japan early today, media reported, in Japan's worst mass killing in decades.Police in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 40 km southwest of Tokyo, have arrested Satoshi Uematsu, a 26-year-old former employee at the facility, Japanese media reported.They said staff called police at 2.30 a.m. local time (2300 IST yesterday) with reports of a man armed with a knife on the grounds of the Tsukui Yamayuri-En facility.The 3-hectare (7.6 acre) facility, established by the local government and nestled on the wooded bank of the Sagami River, cares for people with a wide range of disabilities, NHK said, quoting an unidentified employee.Police had recovered a bag with several knives, at least one stained with blood, NHK said. No details were provided about where the knives were found.The man, wearing a black T-shirt, did not have a knife when he turned himself in at a nearby police station, other reports said. Police said they were still investigating possible motives.Asahi Shimbun reported that the suspect was quoted by police as saying: "I want to get rid of the disabled from this world."Fifteen people were initially confirmed dead, while four were said to be in cardiac arrest, media reports said. Kyodo later said the death toll stood at 19.There was confusion about the number of wounded, with reports fluctuating between 20 and 45.Twenty-nine emergency squads responded to the attack, Kyodo reported, with those wounded taken to at least six hospitals in the western Tokyo area.A man identified as the father of a patient in the facility told NHK he learned about the attack on the radio and had received no information from the centre."I'm very worried but they won't let me in," he said, standing just outside a cordon of yellow crime-scene tape.The man, who arrived at the scene around 5 a.m. (0130 IST yesterday), said he had never heard of trouble at the facility before.NHK reported that the facility is usually locked at night but the man broke into the building by smashing a window.The facility's website said the centre had a maximum capacity of 160 people, including staff.Social media went into overdrive as news of the mass stabbing broke. "I can't stop shaking. What a terrible incident, it's just too much," one post on Twitter said.Such mass killings are extremely rare in Japan and typically involve stabbings due to Japan's strict gun laws.Eight children were stabbed to death at their school in Osaka by a former janitor in 2001. Seven people died in 2008 when a man drove a truck into a crowd and began stabbing people in Tokyo's popular electronics and "anime" district of Akihabara.Members of a doomsday cult killed 12 and made thousands ill in 1995 in simultaneous attacks with sarin nerve gas on five Tokyo rush-hour subway trains.REUTERS PS 0610 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-855188.Xml China's foreign minister has asked the US secretary of state John Kerry to support the resumption of talks between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, following a ruling against Beijing over the dispute earlier this month.China did not participate in and has refused to accept the July 12 ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration, in which US ally Manila won an emphatic legal victory.Meeting in the Laos capital Vientiane on Monday during a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Kerry that China and ASEAN had agreed the dispute should get back onto the "correct" track of being resolved by direct talks with the parties concerned.China "hopes the United States side talks actual steps to support the resumption of talks between China and the Philippines, and support the efforts of China and ASEAN to maintain regional peace and stability", Wang said, according to a foreign ministry statement released today.China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stoking tensions in the South China Sea and of taking sides in the dispute, charges Washington denies.Competing claims with China in the vital shipping lane and resource-rich sea are among the most contentious issues for the 10 members of ASEAN, who are pulled between their desire to assert their sovereignty while fostering ties with an increasingly assertive Beijing.China's foreign ministry said Wang again urged Tokyo not to intervene in the South China Sea, saying Japan was not a claimant in the disputes and should avoid interfering in up the maritime spats."The China-Japan relations are still vulnerable and unsatisfactory," Wang told Fumio Kishida, Japan's minister for foreign affairs.Japan and allies Australia and the United States issued a joint statement voicing their "strong opposition to any coercive unilateral actions" in the South China Sea and calling on both the Philippines and China to abide by the legally binding ruling.China scored a diplomatic victory on Monday as Southeast Asian nations dropped any reference to the court ruling in a joint statement in the face of resolute objections from Cambodia, China's closest ASEAN ally. REUTERS PS 0655 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-855193.Xml Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today ordered an inquiry into the treatment of children in detention after the airing of video showing prison guards teargassing teenage inmates and strapping a half-naked, hooded-boy to a chair.Turnbull said it was clear that mistreatment had occurred after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) aired CCTV footage late yesterday of inmates in a Northern Territory juvenile detention centre being stripped naked, thrown by the neck into a cell, and held for long periods in solitary confinement."Like all Australians, I've been deeply shocked - shocked and appalled by the images of mistreatment of children," Turnbull said on ABC radio as he announced a Royal Commission, Australia's most powerful, state sanctioned inquiry."We're going to move swiftly and decisively to get to the bottom of this," said Turnbull, who announced the Royal Commission within hours of the video being aired.The CCTV footage in the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in Darwin was shot between 2010-2014, according to the ABC. A report into some of the incidents by the Northern Territory Children's Commissioner in 2015 found fault with the guards' behaviour, but the findings were disputed by the then head of prisons and not acted upon, said the ABC.The video showed guards mocking inmates, carrying a boy by the neck and throwing him onto a mattress in a cell, and covering a teenager's head with a hood and shackling him to a chair with neck, arm, leg and foot restraints."If one of us were to have been found to have treated our children in this way we would probably be charged with a criminal offence and the children would be taken away from us," said Australia's Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs, who backed the inquiry.Turnbull said the inquiry into children in detention would examine both the abuse in the Northern Territory and why authorities failed to reprimand prison officials sooner.His office said the full terms of reference for the inquiry, including whether it would be restricted to the Northern Territory and juvenile detention centres, would be released after further discussions with authorities."There are many issues of concern here and we will get to the bottom of it and we will appoint a very thorough, meticulous examiner of this," said Turnbull, declining to say whether the particular institution involved in the abuse would be closed.REUTERS PS 0657 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-855194.Xml Nineteen people are "in a state of cardiac arrest" after an attack by a knife-wielding man at a facility for the disabled in Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, a prefectural official said today.He said 25 people were wounded, 20 of them seriously. Japanese media had reported earlier up to 45 people may have been wounded. Japanese officials often describe people as being in cardiac arrest before they are officially declared as dead.Police in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 40 km southwest of Tokyo, have arrested Satoshi Uematsu, a 26-year-old former employee at the facility, he said. REUTERS PS 0709 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-855195.Xml US Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump launched a salvo of tweets to attack Hillary Clinton after her acceptance speech at the Democratic national convention, concluding that "corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes", media reports said. In a series of tweets, Trump started by attacking "Hillary's refusal to mention radical Islam" in her speech. Trump also bashed Clinton as "owned by Wall Street", and claimed her "vision is a borderless world where working people have no power, no jobs, no safety", the Guardian reported. Trump eventually concluded with "no one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton -- corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes." The tweets came as Clinton launched a pointed attack on Trump, questioning his fitness for the presidential office and questioning his temperament -- both on and offline. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," she said, adding "a man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons". During Clinton's 58-minute acceptance speech as the first woman to be nominated for President by a major US party, Republican Trump's presidential campaign ramped up its rapid response effort by cranking out 15 emails, the Guardian reported. The emails all started with "Hillary's With Us" in their subject line, ranging from: "Hillary's With Us... If You're A Clinton Foundation Donor (Goldman Sachs Edition)" to "Hillary's With Us... If You Break The Rules (Secret Server Edition)." Each email included a range of press clips backing up various attack lines on Hillary Clinton. During the speech, Trump's national spokeswoman Katrina Pierson also weighed in on Twitter. She tweeted: "#crookedHillary doesn't understand that there is only ONE President not a village of Presidents. @realDonaldTrump can fix it! #DemsInPhilly". The Trump campaign also put out a statement, attributed to senior Policy Adviser Stephen Miller, that savaged Clinton. "Hillary Clinton's speech was an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric. She spent the evening talking down to the American people she's looked down on her whole life," said Miller in a statement. Miller described Clinton's address as "a speech delivered from a fantasy universe, not the reality we live in today". With the general election officially starting, both Trump and Clinton will hit the campaign trail on Friday. Clinton will start a bus tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania with a stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, while Trump has two campaign stops scheduled in Colorado, the Guardian reported. --IANS ask/rn/vt ( 416 Words) 2016-07-29-19:22:02 (IANS) Speaking to a cybersecurity conference at Fordham University this week, Comey predicted that eventually crushing ISIS in its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq will likely result in dispersing terrorists elsewhere, reports CNN. "At some point there is going to be a terrorist diaspora out of Syria like we've never seen before. Not all of the Islamic State killers are going to die on the battlefield," said Comey. Comey's warning that the collapse of the caliphate will mean increased attacks in Western Europe and the United States reflects a consensus among intelligence officials. He compared it to the formation of al-Qaeda, which sprouted from fighters who had been hardened and radicalized fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s and early 1990s. "This is an order of magnitude greater than anything we've seen before. A lot of terrorists fled out of Afghanistan... this is 10 times that or more," said Comey. He added that the terrorist attacks in Brussels and Paris earlier this year give a foresight into the future. The FBI Director pointed that it is just not the West but recently ISIS has stepped up attacks worldwide, including in countries near its home base territory that has been shrinking due to military losses in Iraq and Syria. (ANI) Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong (R) meets with Director-General of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan (2nd L) and UN under-secretary-general and Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibe (1st L) in Beijing, capital of China, July 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- China will work with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS to improve healthcare standards in developing countries, Vice Premier Liu Yandong said on Thursday. Liu made the remarks when meeting with WHO director-general Margaret Chan and UN under-secretary-general and executive director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibe. Liu applauded the cooperation between China, the WHO and UNAIDS in health care and their HIV/AIDS work, saying China was ready to cooperate more with the two organizations to support medical reform in China. Chan and Sidibe were upbeat about working closely with China to enhance South-to-South cooperation in health care and help developing countries reach the health-related United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda goals. BEIJING, July 18, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Undated photo shows a Chinese H-6K bomber patrolling islands and reefs including Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force conducted a combat air patrol in the South China Sea recently, which will become a "regular" practice in the future, said a military spokesperson on July 18, 2016. The PLA sent H-6K bombers and other aircraft including fighters, scouts and tankers to patrol islands and reefs including Huangyan Dao, said Shen Jinke, spokesman for the PLA Air Force. (Xinhua/Liu Rui) BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday that Japan should reflect why it has become the "small minority" on the South China Sea issue, otherwise it will get increasingly disappointed and isolated. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the comment in response to Japanese media reports that Japan will continue to work with the international community to urge China to comply with international law and accept the "award" of the South China Sea arbitration. "Japan seems reluctant to give up its fancy of forcing China to accept the so-called award, despite the South China Sea littoral states, including the claimants, have expressed willingness to cooperate with China," Lu said. During the foreign ministers' meeting between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Lao capital of Vientiane this week, China and ASEAN have agreed the South China Sea disputes should be resolved peacefully through dialogue between directly concerned countries. Most of the members attending the meeting made no mention of the South China Sea arbitration but advocated the issue should cool down as soon as possible, Lu said. More than 80 countries and international organizations have expressed understanding and support to China's stance on the South China Sea disputes. Only a couple of countries are uttering the "award" is "legally binding and in compliance with international law," the spokesperson said. Lu said the few countries should follow the impartial position of the majority of the international community rather than the majority compromises to the minority. The "award" is invalid from the beginning and runs counter to international law and arbitral practices. China has always safeguarded the international law and hopes Japan will do the same, instead of misinterpreting and distorting the international rules, Lu said. Some people in Japan might be disappointed with the outcomes of the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings. Indeed, they have been disappointed with the results of other multilateral events too, Lu said. He urged these people to calm down and reflect why they have become the small minority on the South China Sea issue. "If they go farther and farther in the wrong way, they will get increasingly disappointed and isolated." China hopes Japan can face reality and historical trend, comply with international law and order, and contribute to regional peace, stability, harmony and prosperity rather than the opposite, the spokesperson added. Related China asks Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has asked Japan to stop interfering in the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. China hopes Japan will bear in mind the terms of China-Japan relations and of regional peace and stability, and reflect on its position on South China Sea disputes, Lu Kang said. Full story China urges Japan not to intervene in, hype up South China Sea issue SINGAPORE, June 4 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday urged Japan to respect China's major interests and concerns, and not to intervene in or hype up the South China Sea issue. The call came as Chinese Admiral Sun Jianguo met with Japan's Vice Minister of Defense for International Affairs Toru Mimura here on the sidelines of the 15th Shangri-La Dialogue. Full story Commentary: Abe's accusation of China's "militarization" in South China Sea does not hold water BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- As an outsider in the South China Sea issue, Japan has tried everything to get involved. However, such behavior has only led to more trouble on multiple occasions and is self-defeating; moreover, it has revealed Japan's hidden agenda. During their recent visits to Europe and Southeast Asia, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida expressed "concerns" over China's lawful and reasonable construction of civilian and public facilities on the South China Sea islands and reefs, describing it as "militarization." Full story Commentary: Japan's hijacking of G7 meeting to meddle in South China Sea issues unjustified, harmful HIROSHIMA, Japan, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Once again Japan hijacked the multilateral Group of Seven (G7) platform to serve its own purposes and to meddle in South China Sea affairs in an unwanted attempt to "contain" China, which is not only unjustified and unhelpful for resolving disputes, but also harmful to regional stability. Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (C, back), who is also head of the Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation and Development under the State Council, presides over a special session of the leading group in Beijing, capital of China, July 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on Thursday called for stronger partnerships between developed regions in the east and the less developed west to better fight poverty. Poverty alleviation through east-west cooperation will help to narrow the regional gap and foster coordinated development, Wang told a meeting of the State Council leading group on poverty relief. More efforts should be made to strengthen pairing between eastern and western regions and expand cooperation, said Wang, who is also head of the group. Industries in the east should be encouraged to move west to create jobs and boost the local economy, thus, helping to alleviate poverty, and personnel support must be reinforced, he said. At the end of 2014, China had 70 million people living below the nation's poverty line. Almost all live in the countryside, particularly in the west. The government has vowed to lift them all out of poverty by 2020. WASHINGTON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. astronauts who flew the Apollo moon-landing missions in the 1960s and 1970s are experiencing higher rates of heart problems that are thought to be caused by their exposure to deep space radiation, new research said Thursday. Apollo astronauts are the only humans that have traveled beyond Earth's protective geomagnetic field, while other manned spaceflight has taken place exclusively in low Earth orbit, where such protection against space radiation is still present. In the new study, researchers from the Florida State University compared the cause of death for seven Apollo lunar astronauts to 35 astronauts who flew only in low Earth orbit and 35 astronauts who never flew orbital missions in space. They found that 43 percent of deceased Apollo astronauts died from a cardiovascular problem. That is four to five times higher than non-flight astronauts and astronauts who have traveled in low Earth orbit. "We know very little about the effects of deep space radiation on human health, particularly on the cardiovascular system," Professor Michael Delp of the Florida State University, who led the study, said in a statement. "This gives us the first glimpse into its adverse effects on humans," Delp said. To test a possible mechanistic basis for these findings, the researchers exposed mice to the type of radiation that Apollo astronauts would have experienced. After six months -- the equivalent of 20 human years -- the mice demonstrated an impairment of arteries that is known to lead to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in humans. "What the mouse data show is that deep space radiation is harmful to vascular health," Delp said. The findings were published in the British journal Scientific Reports. The Apollo program, most notable for landing men on the moon, ran from 1961 to 1972. The program included 11 manned flights between 1968 and 1972, nine of which flew beyond Earth's orbit into deep space. Of the 24 men who flew into deep space on the Apollo lunar missions, eight have died and seven were included in the study. The eighth, Edgar Mitchell, died after the data analysis had been completed. LONDON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A bid to prevent Britain's Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn from fighting the leadership battle was blocked by a court in London Thursday. A Labour Party donor, Michael Foster, said Corbyn should need nominations from members of Parliament (MPs) just like his challenger Owen Smith. The party's national executive committee (NEC) had ruled on a majority vote that Corbyn, as leader, did not need to find 51 supporters from MPs or MEPs. The decision by the High Court means Corbyn can continue to defend his leadership. Legal arguments were heard from both sides in the High Court on Tuesday with the judgement given Thursday afternoon. The challenge comes as the civil war in the party continues, with Corbyn estranged from most of his MPs. But the left wing leader has massive grassroots support. Corbyn welcomed the decision, but said it had been a waste of court time. BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- As U.S. President Barack Obama's National Security Advisor Susan Rice wrapped up her visit to China on Wednesday, emphasis on cooperation from both sides sends a positive sign for bilateral ties. Though coming hot on the heels of the South China Sea arbitration tribunal on July 12, Rice made no direct mention of the issue in her opening remarks when meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. When the South China Sea arbitration tribunal issued its so-called award, the United States strongly supported the Philippines, but recently the country has walked away from the award, which has been called "a piece of waste paper" by China. Over 70 countries and international and regional organizations have made statements showing their understanding of and support for China's position. This speaks volumes about the attitude of the international community toward such political games and demonstrates the futility of countries trying to smear China. The change in U.S. attitudes is related to the widespread support that China gained from the international community, as well as the willingness of the new Philippine government to hold bilateral negotiations with China. Of course, U.S. foreign policy to China will not fundamentally change, and it is obvious that China-U.S. common interests outweigh their differences, and that the strategic value of cooperation is more important than ever before. The U.S. should have a clear understanding that both sides need to hold firm to the general direction of bilateral ties, so that they are not affected by temporary issues. China-U.S. ties are the most consequential bilateral relations in the world, as Rice said during her meeting with Xi. The two countries, as the world's two largest economies, cannot afford confrontations or distractions. It is encouraging that the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stressed the importance of turning the page over the South China Sea dispute and initiating negotiations and talks among the claimants when meeting with the press in Manila on Wednesday. As an outsider, it would not be a wise choice for the U.S. to poke its nose into the South China Sea issue and allow it to affect the development of bilateral ties. Indeed, there are differences between the two countries but the key lies in the way they are handled. When meeting with Rice on Monday, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Fan Changlong and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi reiterated China's position on the South China Sea issue and the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the Republic of Korea. The core message sent by China is that it opposes the so-called award of the South China Sea arbitration tribunal and that the THAAD deployment would undermine China-U.S. relations. Senior Chinese officials emphasized that the two sides should manage and control their differences in a constructive way. At the same time, Rice showed her willingness to keep close communication with China to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. There are many areas for the two countries to cooperate, including the economy, military, security, law enforcement, and international peace-keeping to name but a few. Pragmatic cooperation should always serve as the "ballast" in China-U.S. ties. Bilateral cooperation has reached unprecedented levels, Rice said during her meeting with Yang, noting that cooperation between the U.S. and China in dealing with climate change, the Ebola epidemic and other global challenges was highly productive. As the top leaders of the two countries will meet at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou in September, the world is watching closely, not only on what can be done regarding their own interests, but also on world peace and development. During her visit, Rice promised to work with China to ensure the success of the meeting between both heads of state, as well as the upcoming G20 Summit. Such promises are a positive sign in China-U.S. relations and for the global economy. Chinese and African representatives attend a signing ceremony during the Seminar on China-Africa Business Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, July 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Companies from China and Africa signed 39 deals worth around 17 billion U.S. dollars on Thursday. The deals, involving financial institutions and enterprises, were signed on the eve of a meeting on delivering the outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). More than 400 participants from government agencies, financial institutions, business associations and enterprises attended the Seminar on China-Africa Business Cooperation and Signing Ceremony in Beijing on Thursday. The seminar was hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), which is a supporting event for the Coordinators' Meeting of the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Johannesburg Summit of the FOCAC. During the seminar, participants exchanged views on industrial capacity cooperation, trade and investment facilitation and financial cooperation. Chinese and African companies spanning the sectors of infrastructure, processing and manufacturing, finance, investment, energy, chemicals, agriculture, pharmaceutical and ICT, reached consensus for future cooperation. Jiang Zengwei, chairman of the CCPIT, said the development strategies of Africa and China were highly compatible, and the two sides have many advantages. In the future, the CCPIT will work with its African counterparts to enhance communication, strengthen policy coordination, and organize more trade and investment events to boost China-Africa trade ties, said Jiang. Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao had a group meeting with the African delegates. Hailing the success of the Johannesburg summit, Li called on China and the African countries to enhance mutual trust, promote pragmatic cooperation, expand people-to-people exchanges and improve coordination on global affairs. State Councilor Yang Jiechi held separate meetings with the foreign minister of Chad, Moussa Faki Mahamat; Sudanese Presidential Assistant Al-Jaz; and Gambian Foreign Minister Neneh MacDouall-Gaye, exchanging views on China's ties with their respective countries as well as Africa as a whole. At the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last December in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced ten major China-Africa cooperation plans for the next three years, backed by 60 billion U.S. dollars, including interest free loans and preferential policies. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his counterparts from Mali,Madagascar, Comoros and Democratic Republic of Congo. PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, July 28 (Xinhua) -- About 13 persons were injured after a bomb targeting police ripped through a local bazaar in Afghanistan's northern province of Balghlan on Thursday, a local official said. "An improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a rickshaw was detonated in Baghlan-e-Markazi district at around 6:45 p.m. local time. The blast caused 13 people wounded," district governor Gowhar Baburi told Xinhua. The target of the attack was a unit of Afghan Local Police (ALP) patrolling the area, he said. Among the injured were two ALP personnel and 11 civilians. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital and none of the injured were in serious condition, the official added. The government established the ALP, or community police, in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where army and police have limited presence. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban militant group has launched similar attacks in the past. Some 1,601 civilian were killed and 3,565 injured in first six months of the year, according to a report released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Monday. Enditem VIENNA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Austrian Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil has called for a more comprehensive strategy for defending against domestic terror attacks in order to be best prepared should one occur. In an interview with the Krone newspaper published Thursday, Doskozil said while there is no obvious threat in Austria at present, there is "terror in Europe," and for this reason the country must be ready. "Nothing should occur where we later say, we were not prepared for it," he added. The minister said he is in agreement with Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka over needing a stricter approach. This is to include a more clearly-defined division of powers between the army and federal police. He noted there is currently a commission made of experts from both the defense and interior ministries who are looking into how this should best be done. Concerning amendments to, or a tightening of the actual anti-terror laws, Doskozil said a need for this could not yet be ascertained, going from advice given by experts in the relevant ministries. In a separate interview on Thursday, Chancellor Christian Kern said he believed the present laws were enough. CHICAGO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn, wheat and soybeans futures all retreated and settled lower Thursday, pressured by ample existing supplies and largely favorable growing conditions that will likely lead to huge harvests this fall, analysts said. The most active corn contract for December delivery shed 4.25 cents, or 1.24 percent, to 3.3875 dollars per bushel. September wheat delivery was lower of 4.5 cents, or 1.08 percent, to 4.1025 dollars per bushel. November soybeans declined 8 cents, or 0.81 percent, to 9.78 dollars per bushel. Corn futures led the declines, with technical selling weighing further after prices failed to rise above their 10-day moving average. U.S. Department of Agriculture weekly U.S. export sales for the current marketing season of a negative 1,400 tonnes of soybeans were below expectations for sales of 250,000 to 450,000 tonnes. Export sales of 438,800 tonnes of corn were within the range of estimates. Plentiful rain this summer has been developing corn and soy crops in good shape, boosting yield potential. The Commodity Weather Group in a note to clients said showers expected during the next 15 days should aid much of the U.S. crops. Enditem WASHINGTON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested Thursday all blood donations be halted in two Florida counties where health officials are investigating the possible first local cases of Zika spread by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland. Calling the suspension "a prudent measure to help assure the safety of blood and blood products," the FDA said in a statement that all blood centers in Miami-Dade County and Broward County should cease collecting blood immediately until each individual unit of blood can be tested for the virus or until an approved or investigational technology can be used to kill it. Additionally, the FDA recommended that adjacent and nearby counties implement the precautions to "help maintain the safety of the blood supply as soon as possible." The Florida Department of Health said Thursday its investigations into four possible non-travel related Zika virus cases, two in Miami-Dade and another two in Broward, are still ongoing. Zika spreads to people primarily through mosquito bites, and it can also be spread sexually. More than 1,400 cases of Zika have been reported in the continental United States, but nearly all are travel-associated cases, only a few acquired the virus through sex with people who contracted it while traveling abroad. Enditem LISBON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's unemployment rate in June dropped to the lowest point at 11.2 percent since August 2009, the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics revealed on Thursday. The unemployment figure dropped 0.9 percentage points in June compared to the same month in 2015. "These figures comfort the government in its assessment that the economic recovery is on track in Portugal," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Augusto Santos Silva at a press conference after a cabinet meeting. Santos Silva claimed that the country's deficit will not surpass the EU ceiling of 3 percent of GDP next year. Portugal signed a 78 billion euro (about 87 billion U.S. dollars) bailout program in 2011 when it was on the verge of bankruptcy, and had to implement harsh austerity to meet deficit targets in the next three years. The country exited the bailout program in 2014. The International Monetary Fund recently acknowledged the country's efforts, pointing to the country's unemployment being at pre-crisis levels, but said higher growth was still needed. The country is forecasting growth of 1.5 percent in 2016. On Wednesday Portugal avoided a sanction by the European Commission for missing its deficit target last year, but gave the country a time frame by Oct. 15 to present new measures to curb its budget deficit to 2.5 percent this year. Enditem Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou (R) shakes hands with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov during the fourth meeting on Northeast Asia security held in Moscow, Russia, July 28, 2016. China and Russia on Thursday voiced serious concern over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn) MOSCOW, July 28 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia on Thursday voiced serious concern over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea. At a fourth meeting on Northeast Asia security held in Moscow, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov noted that such a unilateral and non-constructive action taken by the U.S. brings negative effects to the strategic balance, security and stability of the region and the world. The deployment of the advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea is just a part of Washington's global anti-missile scheme, which clearly contradicts with the aims claimed by the U.S. and South Korean governments, the two officials noted. Expressing the firm opposition to issues relevant to the THAAD deployment, both sides agreed to enhance coordination in order to better cope with the negative developments, also to protect the strategic security of China, Russia and other regional countries. Under the comprehensive strategic partnership, China and Russia would further strengthen communications and coordinations based on the joint statement on strengthening global strategic stability, signed in June by leaders of the two countries, with a view to protect each other's interests, especially the interest in strategic stability, through the most reliable and effective ways. Kong and Morgulov also said the two countries would continue pushing forward the settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula through dialogues and negotiations, in particular the irreplaceable platform of Six Party Talks. To realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to reduce military and political tensions on the peninsula, to downscale the military drills held in the region and thus to build mutual trust, the two officials added. They also urged both South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to resume dialogues to achieve inter-Korean reconciliation and create a sound environment for development on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington announced the agreement to install one THAAD battery in Seongju, a county some 250 km southeast of the South Korean capital city, by the end of next year, as one way to counter the nuclear and missile threats posed by the DPRK. China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to the THAAD deployment in South Korean territory as it damaged China's security interests and broke a strategic balance in the region, while Russia indicated a military response by deploying a missile unit in the Far Eastern region. BRASILIA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- After 17 years of negotiations, the U.S. and Brazil signed a deal on Thursday in Washington that will allow Brazil to send up to 64,000 tons of beef a year to the largest market in the world, according to the government. This deal comes after protracted negotiations to conclude the right sanitary and phytosanitary protocols. Recent trips by American veterinary inspectors to Brazilian slaughterhouses removed one of the final obstacles. Washington blocked such exports for years, due to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease among Brazilian cattle herds. This means that Brazil, the largest beef exporter in the world, will now be able to send beef to the U.S. from every part of the country. Prior to this, only the southern state of Santa Catarina had this authorization, due to a superior sanitary track record. In a statement by the Brazilian government, it is estimated that this could eventually bring in an additional 900 million U.S. dollars into the country. However, in the shorter term, Brazil expects to export 300 million U.S. dollars worth of meat to the U.S. in 2017. This amount is limited since the U.S. government imposes strict controls on the amount of beef imported each year. Each country gets strict annual quotas to obey. For example, in 2015, top exporters Australia was given a quota of 418,000 tons, while second-place New Zealand was allowed up to 213,402 tons. Brazil will begin with a quota of 64,000 tons, which will kick in in September. However, in early July, the Brazilian Beef Export Industries Association, stated it expected this would quickly be raised to 100,000 tons. This new deal also only concerns fresh and frozen beef as Brazil is already allowed to export processed meat to the U.S. UNITED NATIONS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday presented a response plan to what it describes as "a race against time in drought-ravaged Southern Africa" to ensure 23 million people receive farming support, a UN spokesman told reporters here. "With only a few weeks before land preparation begins for the next main cropping season, the plan aims to ensure that seeds, fertilizers, tools, and other inputs and services are provided to small-holder farmers to cope with the El Nino-induced drought in the region," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here. The FAO warns that at least 109 million U.S. dollars in funding is required to avoid these 23 million people being dependent on humanitarian assistance until mid-2018, he said. On July 15, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Southern Africa is experiencing the worst El Nino-induced drought in 35 years, following the failure of two consecutive rainy seasons. Nearly 40 million people in the region are food insecure, OCHA said. This year's El Nino is taking place in a world already dramatically affected by climate change. LONDON, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A set of postage stamps to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the children's author, Beatrix Potter's birth, went on sale at post offices across Britain Thursday. Potter was born in London on July 28, 1866, with more than 100 million of her famous books sold since she started writing. The new Royal Mail collection includes characters and scenes from her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Depicted on the stamps are favourite characters, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Squirrel Nutkin, Tom Kitten, Benjamin Bunny, as well as Peter Rabbit. Potter wrote and illustrated a number of children's books in the early 1900s. An auction of Beatrix Potter memorabilia held Thursday included a first edition of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" which was sold for 57,000 U.S. dollars, more than 10,500 U.S. dollars above the estimated auction price. Royal Mail spokesman Philip Parker said the stamps depicted some "unforgettable characters which have been loved by successive generations". Potter started to sell her first drawings at the age of 23, creating Peter Rabbit in 1893, naming the character after her own pet. Potter later moved to the English Lake District and lived there until she died in 1945. Potter's links to the scenic Lake District attracts visitors from across the world to the area. She left a number of farms and farmland she owned to the National Trust, keeping alive the name of Beatrix Potter and her many characters from her books. Every year more than 100,000 fans visit her former home at Hill Top in Cumbria. Enditem U.S. President Barack Obama (L) hugs U.S. Democratic Presidential Candidate HillaryClinton on the third day of the 2016 U.S. Democratic National Convention, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States, on July 27, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) by Xinhua writers Zhu Lei, Zhou Xiaozheng, Xu Jianmei PHILADELPHIA, the United States, July 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama and other heavyweight Democrats on Wednesday launched a concerted offensive on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and vouched for Hillary Clinton, as the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC) entered its third day. The November election is not a "typical election," but a "big" and "more fundamental choice" for the American people, Obama told some 5,000 delegates of the DNC at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. "What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other, and turn away from the rest of the world. There were no serious solutions to pressing problems -- just the fanning of resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate," he said. Trump, a New York real estate billionaire, "is selling the American people short," said Obama, calling on the nation "to reject cynicism, reject fears." Obama spared no effort in praising Clinton, who officially captured her party's presidential nomination on Tuesday, becoming the first woman ever nominated for U.S. president by a major political party. "There has never been a man or a woman ... more qualified than Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States," he said as the crowd burst into cheers. After Obama said he is "ready to pass the baton" to Clinton to conclude his speech, the woman he hoped to be his successor made a surprise appearance on stage to greet him with a long embrace, closing the convention. Obama gave the keynote speech to cap the night in which Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia took the stage for the first time as the Democratic vice presidential nominee. "I humbly accept my party's nomination to be Vice President of the United States," a smiling Kaine said to thunderous applause. Kaine, 58, a low-key Spanish-speaking politician, devoted much of his speech to introduce himself, telling his personal story. He is expected to cement Clinton's lead among Hispanic voters and offer her a political boost among Virginia's independent voters and moderate Republicans displeased with Trump. Kaine took a swipe at Trump for his business record, credibility, Trump University and his proposals to build a wall along the Mexican border, saying Trump "has a habit of saying the same two words right after he makes his biggest promises -- 'believe me.'" Vice President Joe Biden also pitched in for Clinton, casting the former U.S. first lady and secretary of state as a person who knows about the problems of the middle class and who has always been in public life. Clinton "knows," he repeated over and over. By contrast, Trump has no clue, he said. Biden called Trump "a man who embraces the tactics of our enemies, torture, religious intolerance," urging the American people not to vote for "a man who exploits our fears of ISIS (the Islamic State) and other terrorists, who has no plan whatsoever to make us safer." Both Obama and Kaine gave acknowledgement to Bernie Sanders, Clinton's bitter rival in the primaries, in a bid to rally millions of Sanders' supporters behind Clinton in the Nov. 8 general election. The divided Democratic Party scrambled to rescue the four-day convention from a political uproar as the disclosure of nearly 20,000 emails from the DNC has reopened the bruising wounds from the primary season. The emails, published by WikiLeaks on Friday, showed that the DNC officials who were supposed to remain neutral during the primary contest conspired against Sanders, who has championed a "political revolution" electrifying millions of supporters. Though the DNC issued a formal apology to Sanders on Monday over the leaked emails scandal, thousands of Sanders' staunch supporters have taken to the streets during the convention to voice support for Sanders and his progressive agenda. Sanders, a senator of Vermont, endorsed Clinton when he spoke on the opening night of the convention Monday. During the roll call vote of states to nominate Clinton as the Democratic standard-bearer on Tuesday, Sanders also took a symbolic move for party unity, saying he wanted to suspend the procedural rules and name Clinton the Democratic nominee. CAIRO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- On the eve of World Hepatitis Day, Egypt, which has the highest prevalence of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world, is stepping up efforts to control the spread of the viral disease. Egypt's Minister of Health Ahmed Emad announced in a press statement Thursday the end of waiting lists for the treatment of Hepatitis C patients registered with his ministry across the country as of Thursday. The minister said the medicine will be delivered to the patients directly as of Friday, adding that new patients will register their data through the website of the National Committee to Combat Viral Hepatitis without the need to join waiting lists. The Viral hepatitis is a global health problem affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. An estimated 1.45 million people die annually from all types of viral hepatitis, mostly from liver disease and cancer caused by these infections. In 2010, the World Health Organization made World Hepatitis Day one of only four official disease-specific world health days, to be celebrated each year on July 28. Millions of people across the world now take part in World Hepatitis Day, to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, and to call for access to treatment, better prevention programs and government action. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that predominantly infects the cells of the liver. This can result in inflammation and significant damage to the liver. The minister also said that a total of 580,000 hepatitis C patients have been cured so far with estimated cost of 2.6 billion Egyptian pounds (about 300 million U.S. dollars). The minister said the percentage of success of the treatment using the locally produced version of Sovaldi medicine has reached 97 percent. "The number of treatment centers increased from 53 to 153 nationwide in an effort to end the waiting lists," the minister said, adding that online registration helped reduce waiting period for issuing treatment orders from three months to less than a week. In the meantime, Dr. Mohammed Saleh, deputy director of the National Institute of Endemic Diseases and Liver in Cairo, said most of the statistics revealed that the number of patients with virus C in Egypt ranges between 9-15 millions. Egypt's success in reducing the spread of hepatitis C is due to its ongoing treatment of the disease and prevention policies as well as starting to use new generations of medicines in September last year, he said. "There are 5-6 new generation of orally administered drugs that were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Egyptian Ministry of Health in recent years that are available in Egypt now," Saleh revealed. He stressed that his institute has succeeded to treat half a million patients with these drugs in the last 18 months. The American company Gilead Sciences was once the only source for an antiviral medication called Sovaldi, the main form of treatment for hepatitis C that was purchased in 2014 by Egypt at a reduced cost. At the beginning of last year, a number of Egyptian companies started manufacturing medications similar to Sovaldi, a treatment that is reported to increase chances of survival by 90 percent and sold for much lower prices. Thanks to these local companies, the price of hepatitis C treatment for each person dropped from 900 dollars in 2014 to less than 200 in 2016. Speaking about the causes of spreading the virus in Egypt, Saleh said Egypt's hepatitis C disease dates back to the 1980s when glass syringes used during a mass vaccination campaign for Bilharzia were not properly sterilized. "Drug use, Healthcare exposure, shared personal items, Blood transfusion and body tattoos are among the reasons behind the spread of the virus," he said. He explained that HCV causes cirrhosis or liver cancer and other liver-related damages. "Part of the problem is that hepatitis symptoms can take a long time to show," he said. "People do not know they are infected until they develop serious liver disease." For his part, Dr. Mahmoud Allam, a consultant at the National Liver Institute of al-Minofiya University, hailed the government's efforts to fight and eliminate the liver viruses, specially HCV. "The cure rates have reached 98 percent after using the new medicines... the rates stood at 50 percent when we used interferon therapy," he added. UNITED NATIONS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, on Thursday proposed a 48-hour pause in the fighting in the Syria's northern city of Aleppo so that a safe, regular and sustained access will be available to the quarter of a million people trapped behind the front lines. "The situation for people trapped in eastern Aleppo remains of the gravest concern," O'Brien, who is also the UN emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement issued here. "As I told the UN Security Council on Monday, we demand safe, regular and sustained access to the quarter of a million people trapped behind the front lines. All options must be considered." He said that he was aware of the measures proposed Thursday by the Russian Federation to set up humanitarian corridors. Media reports suggest that Russia has proposed establishing several so-called "exit corridors" that would allow for the distribution of food, as well as provide an opportunity for civilians to flee the city. Russia and the Syrian government started a large-scale humanitarian operation to provide assistance to the population of Aleppo, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Thursday. Aleppo, strategically located near Syria's border with Turkey, is Syria's largest city and once an economic hub, and it is also a focal point of clashes between the Syrian army and the rebels. "It is critical that the security of any such corridors is guaranteed by all parties and that people are able to use them voluntarily," he said. "No one can be forced to flee, by any specific route or to any particular location. Protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of neutrality and impartiality." "The UN proposal for 48-hour humanitarian pauses to enable cross-line and cross-border operations is what we as humanitarians require," he said. "This is to ensure that we are able to see for ourselves the dire situation of the people, assess their needs, adjust to logistical constraints and assist people where they are now with their life-saving and protection needs." "In any event, all parties are required and obliged, under long-established and accepted International Humanitarian Law, to allow safe, unimpeded, impartial and immediate humanitarian access for civilians to leave and for aid to come in," he said. Since relief operations kicked off in February this year, 16 out of the 18 besieged areas have received life-saving assistance, though Arbin and Zamalka located in rural Damascus have yet to be reached. Latest UN figures show that over 844,000 people living in both hard-to-reach and besieged locations in Syria have received assistance since the start of 2016. Over the last two weeks, eight terrorist attacks were carried out at positions of Syrian government forces with participation of 21 suicide bombers who used three infantry fighting vehicles and 12 car bombs, which killed over 500 people and injured around 2,000 more, Shoigu noted. UN spokesperson Alessandra Vellucci said on July 12 that an upsurge in violence in and around Aleppo has blocked the only road providing access to some 300,000 civilians living in eastern parts of the war-torn city. In a bid to quell the prolonged crisis, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree earlier in the day, offering amnesty to rebels who lay down their arms and surrender to authorities within a three-month deadline starting Thursday. Also on Thursday, the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, told reporters in Geneva that fighting on the ground is impeding humanitarian aid in the Middle East country. He is seriously concerned about Aleppo, saying that the city is de facto besieged, because it is almost completely encircled militarily. On the humanitarian side, the special envoy is urging the two co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the Russia Federation and the United States, to expedite discussions on how to reduce violence, along the lines of the meetings in Moscow and then in Laos, particularly between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, told reporters here. De Mistura said that his deputy special envoy, Ramzy Ezeldine Ramzy, will head to the Syrian capital of Damascus in the next few days to discuss with the Syrian authorities some ideas that the Office of the Special Envoy has developed in order to facilitate the launch in August of the Intra-Syrian Talks. The special envoy is travelling to Tehran to talk to the Iranian authorities, Haq said. The UN mediator has been vying to get intra-Syrian talks back on track since negotiations seeking to reach a political agreement by Aug. 1 were put on hold in April this year. Both the humanitarian situation in the country at war since 2011 and fighting between government troops, opposition forces and terrorist factions have prevented negotiations from resuming. UNITED NATIONS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian aid missions in northeastern Nigeria after a humanitarian convoy was attacked by unknown assailants, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday. The convoy was traveling from Bama to Maiduguri in Borno State on its way back from delivering humanitarian assistance to the area where conflict has triggered a severe malnutrition crisis, said UNICEF in a statement. "This was not only an attack on humanitarian workers. It is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing," said UNICEF. On Wednesday, UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien has said the violence perpetrated by Boko Haram is resulting severe humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and its neighboring countries. The Borno State has been a stronghold of the extremist group Boko Haram and has been frequently raided in the past six years. In past months, The Nigerian government has launched several military operations to eliminate the terrorist threat. Boko Haram, which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing of more than 2.6 million people since 2009. SANTIAGO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- "China continues to be a very important partner of Latin America, despite a slowdown in its growth," Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), told Xinhua in an interview earlier this week. At the presentation of the ECLAC's new report, The Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2016, Barcena said the UN panel believed that China-Latin America cooperation in different economic sectors, such as agriculture, could further strengthen their overall relations. Financial cooperation is another crucial aspect "as China has become an important financial partner for certain countries in the region, such as Venezuela and Ecuador," she added. Noting that China is playing an increasingly important role in global affairs, the senior UN official said China has shown its willingness to cooperate with Latin America. "There have been advances to implement the cooperation fund that the Chinese government has announced (for the region)...and China has also teamed up with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for programs in Latin America," said Barcena. "This year, the ECLAC hopes to visit China to identify potential joint economic actions. We also hope to have a dialogue with the Chinese government to move forward on the great environmental drive...before the next UN General Assembly where the Paris Agreement on climate change will be ratified," she added. "China has a medium-term outlook...it has already become the principal producer of refined copper and iron in the world, thanks to all the metals it has bought in the last decade," said Barcena. However, it is important for Latin America and China to further diversified their economic ties beyond the trade of raw materials, Barcena said, adding that China could play a significant role in helping the region upgrade its industries and raise productivity. In its latest report, the UN regional economics mission also underlined the positive economic trend in China, saying that "there are signs showing that China's growth is beginning to stabilize and that a forced landing is not yet looming." CANBERRA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Australian businesses are in "prime position" to capitalize on the Chinese appetite for Australian products, according to the Australia-China Business Council (ACBC). Former Victorian Premier John Brumby, who is president of the ACBC, said that despite a slight downturn in China's economic growth, other factors such as the removal of tariffs and the growth of China's middle class will work in favor of Australian businesses. "China specialists estimate that by 2030, 326 million new Chinese people will join the middle class," Brumby said in a media release on Friday. "Consumption will lift from comprising a 36 percent share of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014 to 50 percent in 2030. As China shifts towards a consumption-based economy we are in a prime position to capitalize on an insatiable appetite for Australian goods and services in China." "The removal of tariffs, coupled with the rise of the middle class and new consumerism in China means that there has never been such an opportune time for Australians to do business in China." Brumby's affirmation comes in the wake of Swisse Wellness CEO, Radek Sali, urging Australian businesses to tap into a new "golden age" of trade with China. Sali revealed at an Australia Business Forum Australia-China Business Week event on Wednesday that the Chinese market accounted for half his company's total sales despite only launching in Shanghai in July. "This is a very exciting time for Australian companies that think China," Sali said. CARACAS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela and Russia on Thursday signed a number of energy cooperation agreements, as part of the collaboration between Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA and Russia's Rosneft. In a meeting at the presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, his Mining and Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino and Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin formalized the deals. The agreements between PDVSA and Rosnest focus on joint production in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Their combined investments in Venezuela have already topped 20 billion U.S. dollars and created five joint ventures, operating in the Orinoco Belt, which contains the largest proven hydrocarbon reserves in the world. After the ceremony, del Pino told the state-owned Venezolana de Television that the joint ventures currently produce around 170,000 barrels of oil a day, but it is estimated they have the potential to reach 1 million. PDVSA and Rosneft also signed a training agreement, which will see 30 Venezuelan staff study high-level courses in Russian universities. Venezuela and Russia are also seeking to build up other joint ventures, covering infrastructure, construction and services for the oil industry. CANBERRA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The number of Muslim immigrants being accepted into Australia is slowing to a trickle, according to new figures. There are now more Buddhists (2.5 percent of total population) living in Australia than Muslims (2.2 percent), and the number of Muslim migrants arriving from countries such as Lebanon and Iran is way down on previous years. While the federal government says Australia's migration program is non-discriminatory, an analysis of data by The Australian newspaper on Friday suggests that the migration of Muslims has dwindled noticeably. Immigration officials told The Australian that the low number of Muslim immigrants from the Middle East has nothing to do with their religion, since applicants are not asked to state their faith when they apply to settle. Instead, it is an unintended consequence of a migration policy that is almost entirely focused on attracting skilled and family reunion migrants from countries such as India and China. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that an average of 2,000-4,000 Lebanese people migrate to Australia each year but that number has dropped to 1,242 in 2015, with only 550 of them following Islam. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton defended Australia's immigration policy insisting that the system is non-discriminatory and is focused on skills and family reunion. "We don't focus on religion. We focus on skills," Dutton told News Limited on Friday. However an eminent immigration expert, James Jupp, from Canberra's Australian National University (ANU), said the trends were a result of innate bias in the Department of Immigration. "There are officials and politicians who openly favor Christians including Orthodox Christians (and Jewish migrants over Muslims)," Jupp told News Limited on Friday. Mehmet Ozalp, director of the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy of Australia, said he believed the fall in Islamic migrant numbers could be attributed to the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in Australia. "The Muslim population from the Middle East was at one point growing fast, but that was about 10 years ago, and now it is slowing whereas the Buddhist and Hindu population was pretty low but has increased dramatically," Ozalp said on Friday. Muslim migration was thrust into the national spotlight recently when controversial Senator-elect Pauline Hanson called for a complete ban on Muslim immigration to Australia and a royal commission into the religion. TOKYO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Japan's unemployment rate went down to 3.1 percent in June, recording the lowest level in almost 21 years, statistics released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed on Friday. The country's unemployment rate in June posted the lowest level since July 1995. Meanwhile, the country's job-applicants ratio increased to 1.37 in June, up from 1.36 in May, the highest level since August 1991. The 1.37 ratio means 137 job positions were available for every 100 job seekers. In June, the unemployment rate for men dropped 0.2 percentage points to 3.2 percent, while that for women added 0.1 point to 3.0 percent. Photo taken on July 17, 2016 shows a deepwater fish farming base near Meiji Reef of the Nansha Islands of China. Since fishery expert Lin Zailiang started a fish farm in Meiji Reef of South China Sea nine years ago, the deepwater fish farming cages have increased to 62 by now. Rare commercial fish cultured here are sold well both home and abroad. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan) BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The great expenses for the South China Sea arbitration unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government should be made public, as some Filipinos are already questioning the source of the money. In 2013, the Benigno Aquino III administration unilaterally filed a case on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China. An ad hoc arbitral tribunal set up at Manila's request issued a highly controversial and biased award on July 12, denying China's long-standing historic rights in the South China Sea. Questions about how much money has been spent on the arbitration, paid by whom and to whom, have not only sparked hot debates in the Philippines, but also drawn attention worldwide. It had cost Manila 30 million U.S. dollars to merely pay off legal fees and expenses of lawyers who prepared the case against China, Rigoberto Tiglao, former spokesperson and head of presidential office for former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, wrote in an article published in mid-July by the Manila Times. This prompted a question, raised openly three days later by former senator Francisco S. Tatad, about the real cost of the arbitration. He suspected that the former Philippine government hid the truth from its nationals. The government "never told the public how much the arbitration would cost the Filipino taxpayers. The Constitution provides that no money shall be paid out of the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made by law, yet no appropriation has been disclosed for this particular purpose," he wrote to the Manila Times. "How much then is it? Are any foreign donors involved?" he asked. "The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency or its State Department should reimburse us," said Tiglao, suggesting that the arbitration case provides an excuse for the United States to interfere in the South China Sea. Looking back, The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) charged the arbitral tribunal for the South China Sea case 2.85 million euros (3.16 million dollars ) for the secretarial service. This was a sum all paid by Manila, including the share supposed to have been borne by Beijing, which had insisted on a stance of non-acceptance of and non-participation in the arbitration. This cost is supposed to cover human labor and rents for office and office equipment, as well as possible payments to the five members of the arbitral tribunal, said Wang Hanling, a Chinese maritime law expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. A gross sum of partial expenses can be traced on the basis of open data, Wang said. For instance, charges of secretarial service include openly-priced human labor, a single payment of 2,000 euros (2,218 dollars) for registration, and daily rent of office equipment at 1,750 euros (1,940 dollars), among other things, and the hearings room is charged at 1,000 euros (1,109 dollars) per day. "Such estimations can lead to a conclusion that the arbitrators pocketed largely the money Manila paid," Wang wrote in an article published on July 28 in China's Global Times newspaper. The PCA charges are the only part made public of the expenses of the arbitration case, Wang said. Setting a rare precedent in the history of international justice and arbitration by sweepingly siding with Manila's claims, the arbitral award has been widely questioned and challenged in the world. What's worse, it indicates something fishy about the arbitrators, Wang said. Wang believes that certain countries such as the United States and Japan, and some organizations, probably have invested a great deal of money and resources in the South China Sea arbitration case, citing the first payment by some U.S. institutions. However, what Manila finally gained from the arbitration case is nothing but a scrap of paper, instead of benefits, he said. In this regard, it is necessary for Manila to open the records of expenses for the arbitration, so as to respond to the questions raise by the Philippine people and address the concerns of the international community, Wang concluded. Related Philippines vows to engage "concerned parties" over South China Sea issue: FM MANILA, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said Friday the Philippines will continue to engage "concerned parties" as he raised the South China Sea issue at the meeting of the leaders from Asia and Europe in Mongolia. The Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Yasay briefed the leaders from Asia and Europe that an arbitral tribunal handed down the ruling on the sea dispute case that the Philippines filed in The Hague. Full story Spotlight: Former Philippine officials urge gov't to talk with China bilaterally, ignore arbitral ruling by Wang Wen, Yang Tianmu MANILA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Former Philippine senior government officials Wednesday called on the Duterte administration to start bilateral talks with China immediately while ignoring the award issued by an ad hoc arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea issue Tuesday. "The negotiation must start immediately. And the arbitral ruling is both useless and irrelevant," said Valdes, former undersecretary of Philippine Department of Education. Full story Commentary: Will the Philippines now walk the talk? BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- "Let those who tied the bell on to the tiger be the ones to untie it," runs the Chinese proverb: Trouble is best solved by those who caused it. TAIPEI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Driver of the bus that caught fire in Taiwan on July 19, which killed 26 people, has been confirmed to be driving under the influence of alcohol, local authorities said Friday. Everyone on board the bus was killed when it crashed into a highway barrier and caught fire near Taoyuan Airport. They included 23 tourists and a tour guide from the Chinese mainland, a local driver and a local tour guide. SHIJIAZHUANG, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Hebei Province in north China will receive a loan of 26 million U.S. dollars from the government of Israel to build elder care facilities as the country opens its service sector to foreign investors. The loan from the Israeli government will be spent on upgrading facilities of Chengde City Central Hospital and building an affiliated nursing home with 600 beds, said an official with the provincial finance department Friday. It is the first time for this northern Chinese province to use foreign government loans in a medical and nursing facility project, he said. The whole project will cost 200 million yuan (about 31.75 million U.S. dollars). The hospital will handle the remaining investment. Foreign government loans can solve funding shortages and are a financial reform move by the province to promote social development, said the local government official. China's nursing services for the elderly are developing rapidly. The number of people aged 60 or above reached 222 million in 2015, or 16.1 percent of the country's total population. In Hebei alone, the population aged 60 and above had reached 11.2 million, or 15 percent of the province's total, by the end of last year. MEXICO CITY, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was sworn in Thursday as Peru's new president with support from Latin American countries. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who attended the swearing-in ceremony, greeted Kuczynski while stressing "the Mexican government's full disposition to strengthen cooperation between both countries," according to a press release published by the Presidency's Office. The Mexican government said it believes that the continuity of the Mexico-Peru relations will "translate into new projects that will benefit our peoples." "Pena Nieto's participating in the ceremony reflects Mexico's wish to continue diversifying and deepening bilateral relations," said the press release. Mexico and Peru now maintain the highest level of political dialogue and are enjoying robust bilateral cooperation. For his part, Bolivian President Evo Morales wished Peru's new president every success and congratulated the country on its 195th anniversary of independence. The Bolivian leader said via his official Twitter account that he hoped to work more closely with Peru to benefit both nations. Morales said the two countries should strengthen their brotherhood, especially due to the common past that unites them. "For Peru and Bolivia, two neighboring countries with a common past, our mission is to create brotherhood for the equality and dignity of our peoples," he said. Political analyst Miguel Rodriguez told Xinhua Thursday that the presence of six Latin American presidents and 80 international delegations at the inauguration ceremony confirmed Peru's position in the region. He hailed Kuczynski's first speech as president with commitments to public health, education and a gradual economic policy. However, Peru's opposition party, the Popular Force, which currently has an absolute majority in Congress, played down Kuczynski's speech. Party member Lourdes Alcorta said the scope of the president's speech was "little or non-existent" with "a lot of idealism, hope and illusion." Kuczynski's message did not reflect the reality since crimes in the street and health problems seem to be challenges that are too difficult for him to face, said Alcorta. SEOUL, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Confidence among South Korean manufacturers improved as sentiment in chipmakers and oil refiners rose on higher product prices and growing demand, central bank data showed on Friday. Business sentiment index (BSI) for manufacturers came in at 72 in July, up 1 point from a month earlier, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The index stayed at 71 in May and June, before rising for the first time in three months. Pessimistic views among businesses are still prevalent, but the sentiment improved slightly as worries eased about Brexit, or British referendum to leave the European Union (EU). The reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. It was based on a BOK survey of 1,767 manufacturers and 1,115 non-manufacturers conducted between July 15 and 22. The BSI for oil refiners jumped 15 points from a month earlier to 82 in July thanks to higher oil prices. The reading for electronics and communication equipment companies advanced from 66 in June to 76 in July on growing demand for semiconductors. The index for automakers declined from 88 in June to 80 in July on worries that auto sales would decline due to the expiration of a temporary cut in consumption tax for cars. Sentiment among shipbuilders rebounded from 29 in June to 40 in July as the ongoing restructuring process among troubled shipyards boosted expectations for improved business conditions. Meanwhile, the BSI for non-manufacturers stood at 70 in July, down 1 point from the previous month. Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang (C) and D. C. Dissanayake (L), secretary of the Sri Lankan Higher Education and Highways Ministry award a student in Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, July 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Ajith Perera) COLOMBO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen Sri Lankan students will go to China to further their studies after being awarded Chinese Government Scholarships, a Sri Lankan official said on Thursday in Colombo. The 15 students, selected from some 1,000 applicants, have been nominated to receive the postgraduate or undergraduate scholarships, in the fields of science, arts, management, medicine and engineering, D. C. Dissanayake, secretary of the Sri Lankan Higher Education & Highways Ministry, said in a speech introducing the general situation of the scholarship, after awarding the scholarships to the students at a ceremony held at the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka. According to Dissanayake, these students will spend over five years in China on average in Peking University, Zhejiang University and others. "I would like to mention here that the selection process was done in a fair and transparent way and the selected candidates are the most suitable and qualified people among the applicants," said Dissanayake. Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang also attended the ceremony and jointly awarded scholarships to the students. China will extend full support to Sri Lanka in all fields including education, Yi said. "The 15 of you are a team of ambassadors, a diplomatic corps in China. You will promote friendship and cooperation between the two sides," Yi said at the ceremony. Fifteen students awarded Chinese Government Scholarships take a group photo with Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang (2nd R, front) and D. C. Dissanayake (2nd L, front), secretary of the Sri Lankan Higher Education and Highways Ministry in Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, July 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Ajith Perera) HANOI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Border guard command of Vietnam's northern Ha Giang province and border police detachment in China's southwest Yunnan Province's Wenshan have held a joint anti-terror exercise, local media reported on Friday. The Thien Thanh 2016 (Tianqiang 2016) drill, with attendance of representatives from Vietnam's Ministry of Defense, Command of Border Guard, Ha Giang People's Committee, took place at Thanh Thuy International Border Gate in China-bordering Ha Giang province, some 220 km north of capital Hanoi, on Thursday, according to local Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army) newspaper. Thanks to good preparation, the drill was successful in set plans, scripts and intentions, representatives assessed. The drill showed mutual trust between the two neighbors' armed forces and laid foundation for relevant authorities to build legal framework on law enforcement cooperation between border forces in response to emergency situation and coordination in dealing with cross-border cases, the newspaper reported. WELLINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand police investigating the collapse of a building that killed 115 people -- most of them young students from Asia -- in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake said Friday they will dig into the building's foundations. Police would begin an examination of the south wall foundation and parts of the north wall foundation on the site where the city-center Canterbury Television (CTV) building formerly stood, Detective Superintendent Peter Read said in a statement. Contractors would begin work on Monday and dig eight test pits or trenches to allow soil specialists and engineers to examine the soil and foundations. "This site work is expected to be completed within the week and the site will then be reinstated to its former condition," said Read. "The process to physically rebuild and test critical elements of the building structure, which was announced by police in September last year, has now been completed. The results of this testing have been peer reviewed and factored into the ongoing investigation," he said. The investigation was nearing its closing stages and the outcome and any decisions on criminal culpability would be communicated first to the families and then publicly. This was expected to occur later this year, but police were unable to give a more definitive timeframe at this stage. A report by the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission of Inquiry detailed how the six-storey CTV building, which was designed in 1986 and completed around 1988, had a "design that was deficient in a number of important respects" and should never have been issued with a construction permit because it failed to comply with building regulations. The commission also found the building was never properly structurally assessed after being damaged in strong earthquakes on Sept. 4 and Dec. 26, 2010, despite being inspected by three building officials. Most of the 185 people killed in the 6.3-magnitude quake of February 2011 died in the building when it collapsed and caught fire. The CTV victims included 64 Asian students studying at an English language school. The New Zealand government bought the CTV site in 2014 and plans to include it in a mainly residential area on the edge of the city's new central business district. KABUL, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has vowed to keep high pressure on corruption as the country is preparing for a key international conference to be held later this year, Arg, the country's Presidential Palace said in a statement on Friday. On Thursday, Ghani chaired the first meeting of National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption held in Arg, according to the statement posted in Arg's website. "We witnessed a 22 percent increase in national revenue last year and we are determined to take practical steps in different areas to fight corruption before going to the Brussels Conference," Ghani told the meeting. The National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, which was recently formed by the government, will maintain a heavy-handed approach against corruption. The Brussels Conference to be held in early October this year will focus on development of Afghanistan. Thursday's meeting also endorsed two documents, "the terms of reference and presidential decree on establishment of the Council," the statement noted. Based on the terms of reference, the National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption is formed with three objectives, reforming and strengthening the judicial system based on rule of law, human rights and access to justice, according to the statement. The second objective was amending the laws and other legal documents toward the goals of the government and the third aim of the formation of the Council was "Resolute and Comprehensive fight against all kinds of administrative corruption," the statement said. The Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also spoke at the meeting, attended by senior Afghan leaders and several foreign officials, urging strong willpower and resolve in deepening the anti-graft fight. "Government's will to fight corruption is strong, and there is no doubt about the scrupulousness of the personalities who lead the Judiciary and Attorney General's Office. The Judiciary and Attorney General's Office are independent and that the government does not interfere in their work," Abdullah told the meeting. Ghani has underscored that "fighting corruption is not a political act and thus should not be treated arbitrarily," the statement noted. During the meeting, Tadamichi Yamamoto, special UN envoy and head of UN mission in the country, also welcomed establishment of the Council and assured cooperation for further effectiveness of the efforts to fight corruption. Michael Mellbin, European Union's special representative for Afghanistan, also praised the anti-corruption measure and said that "it shows that the government of Afghanistan is serious in fighting corruption and has adopted a good approach to that end," Meanwhile, some Afghan lawmakers and civil society members reportedly said that the existing anti-corruption measures have not been strict enough to serve as effective deterrents. They said Afghanistan would not be able to achieve lasting peace and prosperity unless the government is able to eliminate or at least minimize corruption in government and non-government entities. NEW DELHI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The BRICS countries have agreed to carry out cooperation in inclusive growth and providing social protection to migrant workers at a meeting on employment held here this week, said local media Friday. The BRICS Employment Working Group said India has attempted to put forth some proposals for concrete collective action in the field of social security and research and capacity building for migrant labor, said local daily The Hindu. "A broad consensus has been reached on social security agreement and networking of BRICS Labor Institutes. They will get fed into the forthcoming labor and employment ministerial document," the report quoted Indian Minister for Labor Bandaru Dattatreya as saying on Thursday. The BRICS, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, will hold a labor and employment ministerial meeting in September here, prior to a BRICS summit in Goa, western India, in October. TAOYUAN, July 29, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi-wen, deputy chief prosecutor of the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office, speaks during a press conference in Taoyuan, southeast China's Taiwan, July 29, 2016. The driver of a bus that caught fire in Taiwan on July 19, killing 26 people, is confirmed to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, local authorities said Friday. (Xinhua/Song Zhenping) TAIPEI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The driver of a bus that caught fire in Taiwan on July 19, killing 26 people, is confirmed to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, local authorities said Friday. Wang Yi-wen, deputy chief prosecutor of the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office, told the press that investigators drew the conclusion after analysis of his blood, urine and stomach contents. According to prosecutors, the driver's blood alcohol content (BAC) level was 0.215 percent, far surpassing the 0.05-percent legal threshold according to local regulations. Wang said the case was serious and the driver had committed a crime. Drugs, including opium and sleeping pills, were not detected during the analysis, according to investigators. Everyone on board the bus was killed when it crashed into a highway barrier and caught fire near Taoyuan Airport. They included 23 tourists and a tour guide from the Chinese mainland, a local driver and a local tour guide. Investigators said they will work to identify whether the driver's intoxication was linked to the cause of the deadly fire. by Matt Burgess SYDNEY, July 29 (Xinhua) -- On a cold, damp and dreary morning, Australian Alex Hemmer rose from his Western Sydney home, not with angst, but with hope he will bring joy and light to another person's life in a world beset by hunger. "Hello good morning this is Alex from OzHarvest," Hemmer told a potential donor as he's driving to the first food rescue in the early hours of a damp, winter morning. Hemmer is a food rescuer for Australian charity OzHarvest. OzHarvest acts as an intermediary, picking up and delivering donated excess food from over 2,000 cafes, bakeries and supermarkets to more than 800 charities across Australia that help the nation's most needy. "I don't have anything for you sorry," the lady on the other end of the phone said. "Nothing today? No worries we'll see you next week," Hemmer responded as he continued to drive his route through Sydney's inner-city suburbs. OzHarvest and their 29 bumblebee yellow vans across Australia are on a mission with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to combat food waste as hunger is still the most urgent developmental challenges facing the globe. The FAO estimates 1.3 billion tonnes of food, or one-third of global food production, is either wasted or lost each year, yet recovering just half of that could feed the world alone. Australians themselves throw out up to 10 billion Australian dollars (7.49 billion U.S. dollars) worth of produce annually, but the country's disadvantaged still go hungry. "Enough food is produced in Australia to feed 60 million people, (but) at the same time two million people rely on food relief," OzHarvest marketing chief Louise Tran said. "Those statistics don't really add up." AUSSIES ARE GENEROUS PEOPLE Australians however are a very generous people, more often than not trying to help out those desperately in need. "It's everything to a lot of these (disadvantaged) people," Hemmer said, describing the moment the van arrives stuffed full of delicious goodies to needy charities. "They see all the interesting things and wonderful food that we collect ... and (it) makes a difference to their bottom line. "They don't have to go out and buy any food, so they can contribute (the saved money) to other facilities and programs that they need to run." While it's true 25 percent of OzHarvest's daily pickups won't have produce, they'll get a ring to pick up food from the most unusual of places, such as a photography studio that's just taken photographs of a new line of McDonald's chicken burgers. "We have so much leftover food after the shoots that it would just go to waste," Danielle Chloe, photographer and studio manager at The Orchard Studio in Sydney's north, told Xinhua when the bumblebee yellow van stopped by rescue the waste. Unfortunately for food photographers like The Orchard Studio, "it's the nature of the beast" that there is a lot of wastage when working with global fast-food companies. Food stylists unfortunately need a large portion to select the "right product" so consumers will be more enticed to part ways with their hard earned cash. "We've tried to do as much as we can here (to minimize waste), like we compost everything that can be composted, (and) we do donate where we can," Chloe said, adding the OzHarvest guys do come "straight away" when they call for a pickup, usually twice a month. STANDARDS DO APPLY But OzHarvest will not take just any food, applying strict standards to ensure it's safe to eat. A bakery trying to give away loafs of bread? Forget about it, Hemmer said, as there is only so much bread a charity will take despite the high supply. The type of bread does matter as well, and bakeries just don't make the cut. "You can have the most beautiful tasting bread in the world, but they'll still take the white sliced, mass produced bread because that's all (the charity's clients) know," Hemmer said. This, and other nutritional issues forced the charity to start a food education program called NEST, where OzHarvest volunteers teach Australia's disadvantaged how to cook and get the most out of the high-quality donated produce, further aiding the rehabilitation of those in hospices. "Most of these people that we give food to, they've been discarded by society," Hemmer said. "Most people don't give a crap about them because they're drug addicted or because they come from a low socio-economic background, and they've never had anybody actually care about them at all. "To have somebody contribute something positive to their lives, and then they choose to go and contribute to somebody else's life by being friendly, or more positive to them, then that definitely helps." A DELICIOUS TALLY At each collection point throughout the daily journey, Hemmer estimates the amount of food waste he's rescued at each location, recording it into the company's app so home base knows how much produce has been picked up, but also delivered. This gives benefits both ways. "That way we can know if some donors are getting a bit light on, or whether they're giving the right quantities, or type of food, so we can tailor our runs to suit," Hemmer said. The statistics are also provided to each company that donates, so they themselves can implement policy to reduce food wastage, such as Australian supermarket Harris Farm that now sells less desirable produce at a discount. The statistics also give an insight into how many meals have been given out to charities, a crucial piece of transparency. While the bumblebee yellow vans and fuel is generously donated by key commercial partners, the charity still requires significant monetary donations to keep in operation. For the year to June 30, 2015, OzHarvest received 6.45 million Australian dollars (4.83 million U.S. dollars) through donations and cookbook sales, while forking out 5.81 million Australian dollars (4.35 million U.S. dollars) through payroll and expenses. Crucially though, that allowed the charity to deliver just over 11 million meals to those most in need, or approximately two meals per Australian dollar raised. "This gives us the opportunity to maybe relocate the money that we would normally (use) for fresh fruit and vegetables, and things like that, to possibly other things the clients may need," Dennys Vergara, a case manager at Foundation House in inner Sydney, told Xinhua as Hemmer made his drop offs at the end of the day. Foundation House is a drug, alcohol and rehabilitation clinic paid for entirely by the militant Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union (CFMEU), so saving the estimated 400 Australian dollars (300 U.S. dollars) per week in food is paramount. At the end of each week, the rehabilitation clinic takes the some 16 persons it is treating on an outdoor outing, most likely to a park, local cinema or bowling alley. "It just reminds the guys that there is life out there after (rehabilitation)," Vergara said. "Normally we would take the clients for a walk through the park, or something like that, (but) for a day like today - as you can see it's raining - we would have to find some money and take them to an indoor event," he said. "If we don't get (OzHarvest), then maybe they don't get (the indoor event)" that's part of their rehabilitation." NEW DELHI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were feared killed in a building collapse in the western Indian state of Maharashtra's city of Pune Friday, a senior police official said. A man from Seongju county holds a banner to protest against the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), during a rally in Seoul, capital of South Korea, on July 21, 2016. More than 2,000 people from Seongju county, where one THAAD battery will be deployed, gathered at a square in Seoul for a rally on Thursday, to protest against the deployment of THAAD. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin) BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States will deploy its THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea, claiming that the shield can deter threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. But don't be fooled. The superpower isn't acting in the interest of South Korea but has intent on serving its own agenda. About two weeks ago, South Korea's defense ministry announced an agreement with the United States to place a battery of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system in its southern region, despite repeated opposition from local residents and neighboring countries. THAAD is developed by the U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin. It is a U.S. Army anti-ballistic missile system designed to shoot down short and medium range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase. It is composed of six mobile launchers, 48 interceptors and a radar and fire control system valued at about 1.3 billion U.S. dollars. Under the South Korean-U.S. deal, the THAAD battery will be operated by the U.S. Forces Korea and the radar operation will not be made transparent. China and Russia have expressed strong opposition to the THAAD deployment as its X-band radar can spot Chinese and Russian territories far beyond the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The AN/TPY-2 early missile warning radar can detect a 600-800 km range with a terminal mode, which South Korea plans to adopt, but it can be converted at any time, and within a day, into a forward-based mode that ranges as far as 2,000 km because the two versions have the same hardware. "The terminal and forward-based modes just have a difference in software. The conversion takes just several hours," Cheong Wooksik, director of Peace Network, a South Korean civic group. Even if Seoul and Washington promise their target isn't China or Russia, "such pledge has no meaning on technical terms," said Cheong, implying that Washington's hidden motive is clear. The THAAD system will be deployed in Seongju County, some 300 km southeast of Seoul. Enraged local residents also strongly opposed the deployment of the THAAD, whose X-band radar is known to emit a super-strong microwave detrimental to the human body. Since 2012, the United States has been trying to place the THAAD system into South Korea, which experts said has limited effectiveness against missiles from the DPRK. On a technical note, THAAD is designed to shoot down missiles at a relatively high altitude of 40 to 150 km, but the DPRK's rockets fly at a lower altitude of about 20 km, so the THAAD system might not be able to intercept them, experts noted. The deployment of THAAD will bring nothing good to the region, including South Korea itself, analysts said, noting it will undermine peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as regional and global security, not to mention boosting an arms race. "THAAD will negatively impact the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and the world peace," said Cheong. Cheong expects THAAD to raise regional tensions rather than deter the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, which the South Korean government cited as a main reason for the THAAD deployment on its territory. With the THAAD deployment, South Korea now enters the U.S. missile defense network, which would harm the geopolitical balance in the region and provoke strategic change from China and Russia. Cheong said South Korea's security is secured without THAAD. Improved relations with the DPRK and negotiations to denuclearize the peninsula are essential ensuring regional peace and stability. Related: Spotlight: Citizens, politicians, media in S. Korea raise voices against THAAD deployment SEOUL, July 29 (Xinhua) -- South Korean citizens, politicians and news organizations are raising a dissenting voice over the decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in their homeland. Family members of victims of a deadly tour-bus accident attend a memorial service in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 29, 2016. A public memorial service was held on Friday in Dalian to mourn 23 victims killed in a fatal tour bus fire in Taiwan. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa) DALIAN, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A public memorial service was held on Friday in the northeast China coastal city of Dalian to mourn 23 victims killed in a fatal tour bus fire in Taiwan. More than 100 people, including senior officials of the city, representatives from the victims' hometowns, tourism companies and the media, participated in a ritual held at Dalian Funeral Home in Dalian, Liaoning Province. The provincial committee of the Communist Party of China and the provincial government sent a message of condolences to express their deep sympathy to the families and relatives of the deceased. A bus carrying a tour group from Dalian crashed into a highway barrier and caught fire near Taiwan's Taoyuan Airport on July 19 as the tourists were en route to the airport for their flight home. All 26 people on board, including a local driver and a local tour guide, were killed. The relatives and members of a work group from Dalian handling the accident returned to Dalian from Taiwan on Tuesday, together with the ashes of the 23 victims. The relatives of another victim, a citizen of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, were scheduled to leave Taipei for Harbin with his ashes on Thursday. The driver of the bus was confirmed to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, Taiwan authorities said Friday. Tests showed his blood alcohol level was 215 mg per 100 ml, said local prosecutors. On Sunday, investigators also found "gasoline components" in burnt plastic containers in the driver's compartment and the baggage area of the bus. PHNOM PENH, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said Friday that the dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea is not related with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). "As a non-claimant state in the dispute, Cambodia takes no side," he said in a press conference. "The dispute is only between China and the Philippines, not between China and ASEAN." The minister said that it is "unfair" that some certain countries accused Cambodia of taking sides in the dispute. "Cambodia just has good intention to avoid escalating tensions in the South China Sea," he said, adding that the Cambodia's foreign policy is "neutral." Prak Sokhonn underlined that ASEAN-China relationship is crucial to maintain peace, stability and development in the region. "We just marked the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-China relations ... and all sides acknowledged that the strategic partnership of cooperation between ASEAN and China was very important for both sides," he said. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and ex-Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said during an interview with a popular Bayon TV channel on Tuesday that Cambodia encouraged the parties directly concerned in the South China Sea issue to resolve their disputes through peaceful negotiations. He called on powerful countries outside the region to cease their interference in the South China Sea issue, saying that their actions could lead to an arms race in the region. BEIJING, July 22, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Liu De, co-founder and vice president of Xiaomi Corporation, a Chinese smartphone maker, makes a speech on a forum themed on "Innovations that transform the world" in Beijing, capital of China, July 22, 2016. (Xinhua/Qin Haishi) BEIJING, China, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese cities, with their ubiquitous science and technology parks and entrepreneur roadshows, are fiercely competing to win reputations for accommodating business startups and mass innovation. China is aiming to become an innovation powerhouse by 2020, according to a national program for science and technology that was recently adopted as part of the 13th Five-Year Plan for national socioeconomic development. The plan, which Premier Li Keqiang said "fully demonstrates that we have given top priority to innovation," adds fresh impetus to a national movement of supporting and encouraging innovation since 2013. So far, more than 200 makerspace projects, 1,600 business incubators, and 129 high-tech zones and science and technology parks have been created nationwide. They help concentrate resources for innovation and nurturing start-ups launched by business executives, scientific researchers and even college students. "The local government has given much attention to and support for entrepreneurs," said Yang Rong, co-founder of XGimi Technology, a star tech start-up in the western Chinese city of Chengdu. Her company has benefited from favorable government policies such as free work space, financial awards for patent approval, and communication platforms with global investors and entrepreneurs, which helped kick-start XGimi at an early stage. In less than three years, the firm has grabbed more than half the market share for miniature, home-theater projectors in China, and shipped more items than the South Korean electronic giant LG, its main competitor in the global market. According to data released by the local government, the total of newly registered enterprises jumped 34 percent in Chengdu in 2015 compared with the previous year, with the number of invention patent applications up by more than 35 percent in the same period. CUTTING RED TAPE China is undergoing a transition from a labor-intensive "Made in China" model to an innovation-driven "Created in China" model, Francis Gurry, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, told Xinhua. In the southern city of Shenzhen, high-tech manufacturing already accounts for 66.2 percent of the city's total industrial value-added income. Shenzhen switched to innovation earlier than other big cities, and has a free business environment, strong policy support for start-ups, as well as efficient venture capital. Across China, local governments have taken the opportunity to deepen reforms, cut red tape and remove barriers to innovation. Chengdu, for instance, has simplified its procedures for business registration, worked aggressively to protect intellectual property, and spearheaded reforms in universities to promote technology transfer and commercialization. In another southern city, Guangzhou, companies buying scientific and technology patents can seek government subsidies of 5 percent of the value of research result transactions. Newly established tech companies can also apply for subsidies of up to 50 percent of their rent for three consecutive years. "We encourage enterprises to cooperate with universities and research institutes," said Chen Yanling, an official with the municipal government of Guangzhou. GLOBAL OUTREACH From inland cities to the coast, local governments have also stressed global outreach to foster creativity. A high-tech development zone in the eastern city of Shanghai opened an enterprise park in Boston in February to promote China-U.S. technology innovation. The park, to be operated by a joint venture, will pool innovative resources from universities, enterprises and institutes in both countries, and integrate research and development incubation, industry, services, trade and finance. In Chengdu, a transport, business and technology hub in southwest China, a global innovation and entrepreneurship fair was held last year, the first of its kind in the country. The event attracted government officials, investors, research institutes and innovative enterprises from 30 countries and regions. Up to 109 projects from a total of 2,686 participants have changed hands as a result, with transactions totaling 5.32 billion yuan (about 817 million U.S. dollars). The Canadian astrophysicist and 2015 Nobel laureate Arthur B. McDonald, who attended the second fair held in June, called Chengdu an international city with great appeal. "It's very suitable for start-up companies to invest and grow here," he said. Moreover, the city hosted the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting on July 23-24, the most high-profile international meeting for Chengdu so far. "Hosting the meeting will further boost the city's reputation globally," said Li Houqiang, head of the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. Young entrepreneurs competing on a global scale have given much emphasis to international communication. "It brings me a lot of inspiration and broadens my vision," said Yang. Related: China approves technological innovation plan to refuel growth BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Wednesday decided to officially implement a five-year plan for technological innovation to help foster new engines for a slowing economy. Approved at an executive conference of the State Council, the plan, which maps out technological improvement from 2016 to 2020, will facilitate the rise of new economies and propel ongoing economic upgrades, said a statement released after the meeting. Full Story China aims to become innovation powerhouse by 2020 BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China aims to become an innovation powerhouse by 2020, according to a newly adopted national plan on science and technology innovation during the 13th Five-Year Program (2016-2020). A man from Seongju county holds a banner to protest against the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), during a rally in Seoul, capital of South Korea , on July 21, 2016. More than 2,000 people from Seongju county, where one THAAD battery will be deployed, gathered at a square in Seoul for a rally on Thursday, to protest against the deployment of THAAD. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin) SEOUL, July 29 (Xinhua) -- South Korean citizens, politicians and news organizations are raising a dissenting voice over the decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in their homeland. Villagers living in the site where one THAAD battery is scheduled to be installed by the end of next year continue their protest against the U.S. missile defense system, while civic group activists and student groups who advocate peace and stability rally against the U.S. weapons program. Opposition lawmakers call for the retraction of the THAAD deployment decision, and in several TV programs, panelists are divided over pros and cons of the installation, which reflects the nationwide split between people over the untested, environmentally hazardous U.S. anti-missile system. Park Wan-joo, first vice floor leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party, told a party meeting on Thursday that the THAAD deployment raised risks of easing isolation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), asking to form a special parliamentary committee to discuss countermeasures against possible negative effects. Following the DPRK's fourth nuclear test in January and its launch in February of a long-range rocket, which was condemned as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology, the international community adopted tougher-than-ever UN Security Council resolutions. The agreed-upon THAAD installation raised concerns here about difficulties that South Korea could face in winning cooperation from China and Russia to achieve the goal of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula. China and Russia have expressed strong oppositions to the deployment as it breaks regional strategic balance and damages security interests of the neighbors. THAAD's X-band radar can spot Chinese and Russian territories as the forward-based mode radar has a detectable range of at least 2,000 km. Seoul has claimed that it would introduce a terminal mode radar with a coverage of 600-800 km, but it can converted at any time into the forward-based mode as the two use the same hardware. The modified version even doesn't need any conversion, according to a local media report. Local newspaper Hankyoreh reported that the AN/TPY-2 radar can range 3,000-4,000 km, citing Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) emeritus professor Theodore Postol. It confirmed Chinese and Russian worries about the damaging of security interests. Moon Jae-in, former Minjoo Party leader and presidential candidate during the 2012 presidential election, said in his Facebook account that the THAAD deployment would cause more losses than gains and that the Park Geun-hye government's adherence to the U.S. anti-missile system endangered international coordination in resolving the peninsula's nuclear issue. Minority political parties more strongly express their objections to THAAD, while liberal activists and peace advocates voiced dissents almost every day from different places nationwide. Panelists appear in TV discussion programs, raising awareness among ordinary people over why THAAD is useless for the protection of South Korean people. Public opinion is changing into more objections to the THAAD deployment. According to a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by local newspaper Media Today between July 21 and 22, 53.1 percent demanded re-negotiation of the deployment decision. Calls for the installation as planned took up 42.6 percent of the respondents. Younger generations overwhelmingly objected to the THAAD deployment, with 78.3 percent of those in their 30s expressing opposition. The dissenting figures for those in their 20s and 40s were 66.7 percent and 63.1 percent respectively. It was in contrast to the Realmeter's February poll that showed 49.4 percent in favor of and 42.3 percent against the THAAD deployment. The growing awareness about what THAAD is helped more people change positions, but older generations, especially those aged over 60, remain in favor of it as the government hypes up public fears. The government has claimed that without the THAAD battery, South Korea will fall victim to growing nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang. Dissenters express worry about the belief that THAAD could be a cure-all to protect from DPRK missiles. THAAD is designed to shoot down missiles at a relatively high altitude of 40-150 km using a hit-to-kill technology, while DPRK missiles can travel at a lower altitude of 20-30 km. There is no reason for Pyongyang to propel its short- and medium-range missiles high in the sky in times of emergency with Seoul and Washington. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korean soil. "Without THAAD, there are enough military assets of (South) Korea-U.S. alliance to defend against North Korea (DPRK)'s missile threats," said Cheong Wook-sik, director of Peace Network and co-chair of steering committee of Civil Peace Forum during a press conference with foreign correspondents. Cheong called for Seoul's dialogue with Pyongyang and its retraction of the THAAD deployment decision, saying fears for the DPRK's nuclear weapons would disappear with improved inter-Korean relations like South Korean people having no fear for the U.S. nuclear weapons thanks to the bilateral alliance. College student activists took to the street to hold rallies against THAAD. One of the student dissenters told Xinhua earlier this week that relevant parties should return to dialogue to ease tensions and reduce war risks in the Northeast Asian region. "If denuclearization (on the Korean peninsula) is an ultimate goal, (South Korea) should select dialogue rather than THAAD deployment, which will make dialogue much harder. Blocking the THAAD deployment can be a first step toward dialogue," said Lee Jowoon, 24, who declined to be identified further. Residents living in Seongju county, where the THAAD battery will be deployed, continue their protests against it. Two weeks earlier, Seongju villagers threw water bottles and eggs at Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and Defense Minister Han Min-koo who visited the country, some 250 km southeast of Seoul, to appease angry people. The residents, mostly farmers, were infuriated at the deployment of hazardous radar without any prior notice and discussion. The THAAD radar is known to emit super-strong microwave detrimental to human body. It can also cause an environment hazard, boosting worries among villagers about the oriental melon farming, the economic mainstay of the county. According to local news agency Newsis, Seongju residents plan to show a performance of plowing up a melon field on Saturday to protest against the THAAD deployment. Tonsure and candlelight rallies have been held, and will be done, continuously in the county in protest against the deployment. Related: Spotlight: U.S. deploys THAAD in S. Korea with hidden agenda BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States will deploy its THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea, claiming that the shield can deter threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. But don't be fooled. The superpower isn't acting in the interest of South Korea but has intent on serving its own agenda. LANZHOU, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The administration committee for the Mogao Grottoes in northwest China has drafted an emergency plan to control the flow of tourists for the summer. The plan will be in effect during odd-numbered dates in July and even-numbered dates in August, with a maximum of 12,000 tickets to be issued daily. Visitors can book tickets one day prior to their visit. Tickets under the emergency plan will also be reserved on a real name basis. The Mogao Grottoes feature a huge collection of Buddhist art, with more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes in 735 caves carved along a cliff. Listed in 1987, it was China's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. TIRANA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- In the first six months of 2016, Albania's agricultural exports grew by 17 percent compared with the same period last year, Albanian Daily News quoted data from the Agriculture Ministry as saying on Friday. The value of agricultural exports in the first half of this year was estimated at around 4.6 billion Lek (about 37.4 million U.S. dollars), up from 3.9 billion (about 31.2 million U.S. dollars) in the second half of 2015. During the same six-month period, the country's agricultural imports grew by around 11 percent from last year, with a total sum of 31 billion Lek (about 248 million U.S. dollars) from 28 billion Lek (224 million U.S. dollars) in 2015, according to the Albanian Agriculture Ministry. Agriculture experts have shown optimism that an innovative financing facility signed between the Albanian government and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will help the country's agricultural sector and food processing industry grow. SINGAPORE, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A 44-year-old Singaporean, who actively spread radical ideology online and helped radicalize at least two other citizens, has been detained under the Internal Security Act, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday. Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff was arrested and detained in Singapore in July for terrorism-related activities, according to MHA's statement. The ministry said Zulfikar made numerous Facebook posts that promoted and glorified terror group Islamic State and its violent actions such as beheadings, "while exploiting religion to legitimize the terrorist activities of IS." Zulfikar's postings contributed to the radicalization of at least two other Singaporeans. One of them was Muhammad Shamin bin Mohamed Sidik, who was detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities. The other was Mohamed Saiddhin bin Abdullah, who was inspired by Zulfikar's radical postings. MHA added that Zulfikar also planned to hold training programs to persuade young Singaporeans to join his extremist agenda of replacing Singapore's secular, democratic system with an Islamic state, by violence if necessary. Zulfikar had embarked on the path of radicalism as early as 2001 after reading jihadi-related material, said MHA. He was supportive of terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and the Jemaah Islamiyah, and advocated Muslims taking up arms in Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 in the United States. Zulfikar resettled his family in Australia in 2002. While in Australia, he continued to pursue radical ideology. MHA noted that Zulfikar's promotion of violence and IS and his radicalizing influence pose a security threat to Singapore, adding government of the city state takes a very serious view of efforts to undermine Singapore's constitutional democracy, and will take firm and decisive action against any person who engages in such activities. Zulfikar has been served with an Order of Detention (OD) for a period of two years. DAMASCUS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 28 civilians were killed by fresh U.S.-led airstrikes near a town controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group in northern Syria, a monitor group reported Friday. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, May 6, 2016. (Xinhua/Matt Burgess) SYDNEY, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday declared that former premier Kevin Rudd would not be nominated by his government to be the next UN secretary-general, declining to endorse him and declaring him unfit for the job. "The fundamental threshold point is this: does the government believe, do we believe, do I as Prime Minister believe Mr Rudd is well suited for that role?" Turnbull told reporters. "My considered judgement is he is not." The decision by Turnbull on Friday effectively crushed Rudd's hopes of nabbing the post after he spent months lobbying for government support. Without the backing of the Turnbull government, Rudd, the former prime minister of the opposition center-left Labor Party, cannot run for the next UN chief. Rudd had hoped Australia's conservative government would take the crucial step of formally nominating him to succeed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when Ban's second five-year term ends on Dec. 31. Local political analysts believe the rejection is a bid to appease the conservative wing of his ruling Liberal-National Coalition Party following a very close national election. The opposition Labor Party said the decision will boil down to petty party politics. "Malcolm Turnbull should have the courage to stare down the extremists in his own party and put the national interests first instead of putting his factional fears above the national interest," acting opposition leader Tanya Plibersek said following Turnbull, delaying the decision after a robust cabinet meeting on Thursday. Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd speaks at the luncheon with the theme of "Brainstorming: Rethinking Global Governance" during the 2015 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 29, 2015. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu) Questions over Rudd's candidacy and likely failed bid would have persisted in any case as the UN secretary general' Thursday, Thursday,s position is usually rotated through regional blocks. Many inside the UN believe the position should go to someone from Eastern Europe, while there are others who believe it is now time for a woman to take the top post. A final nominee will not emerge before October once the UN Security Council offers its candidate to the General Assembly for consideration. The Security Council is set to hold its second straw poll next week, which had strong support for former Portuguese PM Antonio Guterres. There currently 12 contenders vying for the post, with six being female, and eight from Eastern Europe. Australia will consider its position with respect to other candidates, including compromise contender, former New Zealand PM Helen Clark in due course, Turnbull said. BALI, Indonesia, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Tourism Ministry and Ctrip, a leading Chinese online travel service provider, jointly held a digital marketing workshop here on Friday, discussing ways to lure more Chinese tourists. During the one-day workshop which was organized by PT.YSR Multi Media - Ctrip's exclusive partner in Indonesia, representatives from hotels, shopping malls, and other businesses in tourism industry will focus on how to increase the arrival number of Chinese tourists to Indonesia through digital marketing and how they could enjoy their stay through accommodating their preference and providing Mandarin service such as guides, city-maps, restaurant menus and so on. "We are hoping that this cooperation will increase the number of Chinese tourists to Indonesia further, because cooperation with Ctrip is not only about awareness and branding but also increasing sales," said Sandy Sanyoto, CEO of PT.YSR Multi Media. China's online travel market continues to boom, with growing numbers of Chinese booking outbound travel online. Ctrip is the leading player in Chinese online travel service industry. "The program is also intended to leverage the Ctrip brand and platform to attract new travel suppliers, to expand the hotel supplier network and room inventory, and to enrich air-ticketing as well as other travel product offerings," Ratna Suranti, assistant deputy for international marketing strategy at Indonesian Tourism Ministry, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the meeting. According to Ratna, cooperation with Ctrip is one of the many ways the Tourism Ministry has taken to realize the target of attracting 2.1 million Chinese tourists this year. "The workshop alone is expected to draw around 200,000 tourists," said Ratna. In 2015, there are over 120 million Chinese outbound tourists who spent 104.5 billion U.S. dollars. But Indonesia could only attract 1.5 percent market share of the Chinese outbound tourists market, the Indonesian Tourism Ministry said, adding that Indonesia still ranked No.7 and Bali ranked No.8 respectively on the list of top visited countries and cities for Chinese tourists. The Indonesian government has made multiple efforts to tap into the huge potential of this market as the country expects 20 million foreign tourists by 2019, said Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya in an exclusive interview with Xinhua previously. Thanks to the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, and promotion efforts the Tourism Ministry has made in China, the arrival number of Chinese tourists in Indonesia has been increasing in recent years. Data from the Indonesian Tourism Ministry shows that the inbound Chinese tourists reached 573,899 from January to May in 2016, a 25 percent increase compared to the same period last year. China now has become the second largest source of foreign visitors for Indonesia after Singapore. KABUL, July 29 (Xinhua) -- About 36 Islamic State (IS) group militants were killed in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar within the last 24 hours, the Afghan Defense Ministry said on Friday. "Afghan security forces have killed 36 IS militants during ground operations supported by the artillery and warplanes in Kot, Achin and Haskamina districts of Nangarhar over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. In one operation, an IS bunker was destroyed and five IS fighters were killed after the security forces struck an IS position in Shongarrai area of Achin, according to the statement. Nangarhar province with Jalalabad city as its capital, 120 km east of Kabul, has been the scene of clashes between security forces and IS militants since the emergence of IS there in early 2015. Earlier on Friday, the Nangarhar provincial government confirmed that the NATO and U.S. forces also have used long-range missiles against the IS in Nangarhar. Earlier this week, five U.S. Special Force members were wounded while they were conducting a joint military operation with Afghan forces against IS militants in Nangarhar. In addition, one IS local commander named Hekmat Khan was killed after militants attacked security checkpoints and security forces repelled them in Quish Tepa district of northern Jawzjan province Thursday night, Abdul Hafiz Khashi, deputy provincial police chief, told Xinhua earlier on Friday. On Thursday, the Afghan army personnel also detained six armed terrorists in neighboring Laghman province and found two AK-47, two pistols and a handful of ammunition, according to the statement. The IS militant group has yet to make comments. LOS ANGELES, July 29 (Xinhua) -- San Diego Police Department said on Thursday night that two of its police officers had been shot that night. "Two officers have been shot tonight. Their condition is unknown," the department said in social media on Thursday night, and called on local residents to stay at home. According to the police department, one of the suspects is in custody and they "are still searching the area for other possible suspects" in the Southcrest area where the shooting happened. The cause of the shooting is unknown, neither are the identities of the shooters. DAMASCUS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 35 civilians were killed by fresh U.S.-led airstrikes near a town controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group in northern Syria, a pan-Arab TV reported Friday. The airstrikes targeted the town of Ghandur in the countryside of the town of Manbej, which has seen several strikes by the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition. The strikes come in the context of the U.S. support to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has besieged Manbej in a bid to flush the IS out. Al-Mayadeen TV said the airstrike is the third to hit civilians in Manbej since the SDF and the U.S. started operations against the IS there in May. On July 19, as many as 56 civilians were killed in Manbej by French strikes, part of the U.S.-led coalition, according to local media. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the airstrike, saying seven children were among those killed. Manbej has a strategic importance to the U.S.-backed rebels due to its location near Turkey. Capturing Manbej would deprive IS from a key stronghold near Turkey. The U.S. military said that more civilians may have been killed in another strike around Manbej. "We can confirm the coalition conducted airstrikes in the areas in the last 24 hours," said the U.S. central command late on Thursday, adding that the strikes "may have resulted in civilian casualties." DAMASCUS, July 29 (Xinhua)-- The Islamic State (IS) group killed 24 civilians after capturing a town in northern Syria, a monitor group reported on Friday. The IS militants killed the civilians over the past 24 hours, when its fighters stormed the village of Buwair, just 10 km from the contested town of Manbej, in the northern countryside of the key province of Aleppo, near Turkey. The IS attacked Buwair and other villages, in a push to break the siege imposed by the U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces rebels (SDF), which has laid a siege on the IS-held Manbej town, following an offensive that has been going on since last May. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the SDF, which is led by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), succeeded to recapture the towns stormed by IS over the past 24 hours. The U.S.-led anti-terror coalition has been backing the SDF by airstrikes in the offensive against Manbej. On Friday, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said a U.S.-led airstrike near Manbej killed 35 civilians, the third civilian casualty to have been caused since May, when the SDF backed the U.S.-led coalition started an offensive against Manbej. On July 19, as many as 56 civilians were killed in Manbej by French strikes, part of the U.S.-led coalition, according to local media. Manbej has a strategic importance to the U.S.-backed rebels due to its location near Turkey. Capturing Manbej would deprive IS from a key stronghold near Turkey. LIBREVILLE, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Gabon's Constitutional Court has ruled that the case filed by three opposition leaders contesting eligibility of President Ali Bongo Ondimba to run in the forthcoming elections was inadmissible, a judicial source said Thursday. The case was filed by three opposition presidential candidates Jean Ping, Guy Nzouba Ndama and Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou, who argued that Ali Bongo had submitted a false birth certificate in his nomination papers for the Aug. 27, 2016 presidential elections. In the ruling, the highest judicial authority in the country gave two reasons; the first was that the plaintiffs did not attach a copy of the said birth certificate. And secondly, even if the copy had been attached to the submitted documents, the court did not have the competency to decide on the authenticity of a birth certificate. "There are competent authorities for that task," the court affirmed. According to Gabon's law, decisions of the Constitutional Court are not challengeable. They are final. The three candidates had called for the rejection of Ali Bongo's candidature on the basis of a doubtful birth certificate. The incumbent president is accused of having been born in Nigeria. Article 10 of Gabon's Constitution prohibits any Gabonese who acquired his nationality from contesting for the presidency. The president has always affirmed that the debate on his place of birth was an insult to his parents, especially his father and ex-president Omar Bongo Ondimba who died in June 2009. N'DJAMENA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The expected creation of a sovereign strategic investment fund is an opportunity to revive Chad's economy, the country's Finance Minister Mahamat Allamine Bourma Treye said Thursday. "The fund is necessary to harmonize actions of both national and foreign investors around strategic projects linked to the country's Vision 2030," Treye said when he spoke in the capital N'Djamena during a workshop to validate a report on the creation of the said fund. He noted that it was prudent for the state to be involved, especially under the prevailing circumstances that are characterised by dwindling resources due to the drop in oil prices and insecurity caused by Boko Haram terrorist group as well as a weak private sector. Speaking during the same function, the Resident Representative of the African Development Bank Michel-Cyr Djiena Wembou said the fund will be an innovative investment tool. He proposed that the fund should be used to finance projects in the agriculture sector, especially with regards to value addition and job creation. The creation of the invest fund is part of the government's efforts to improve the business environment and diversify the national economy. NEW DELHI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Banking operations in India were badly affected Friday as around one million bank employees of 40 private and public banks staged a one-day strike to protest against the policy for banking sector of the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indo-Asian News Service said unions in the banking sector had given the strike call to protest the mergers in the sector and infusion of private capital in government banks. The strike involved around one million employees and officers of public sector banks, old generation private banks and foreign banks totalling more than 80,000 branches, the report quoted union leaders as saying. The banking employees are opposed to government policy of inadequate infusion of capital in public sector banks, which will result in reduction of government's equity capital and create compulsion for higher extent of private capital leading to privatization of banks. LIMA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Pedro Pablo Kuczynski took office Thursday as the new president of Peru, calling for a "social revolution" to eradicate poverty and modernize the country. Kuczynski, 77, narrowly defeated rival candidate Keiko Fujimori on June 5. However, Fujimori's Popular Force (FP) party won an absolute majority in congress. Kuczynski listed six goals of his administration, namely providing all Peruvians with access to potable water, qualified public education, improved public healthcare, formalizing the underground economy, boosting infrastructure, and fighting corruption. The new president, who recently unveiled a cabinet packed with technocrats and economists, said he also wanted to see Peru join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) by the end of his term in 2021.p As son of immigrants, Kuczynski was born to a Jewish doctor from Germany. He went on to study at Oxford University in Britain and Princeton University in the United States. One of his first public posts was being designated head of the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) of Peru in 1966. Following the 1968 military coup, Kuczynski was forced to flee the country. After years of living in the United States and a long career in business and finance, Kuczynski returned to Peru in 1980 to serve as minister of energy and mines. In 2001, he served as minister of economy but resigned in 2002 over heavy criticism for being too close to the International Monetary Fund. Kuczynski first ran for president in 2011, coming in third place. HARARE, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe tobacco earnings for 2016 have slumped significantly after a severe drought that has left 4.5 million people who represent 30 percent of the rural population in need of food aid. To date, a total of 187.6 million kg of tobacco leaf worth 548 million dollars has been sold compared with 189 million kg worth 855 million dollars sold in 2015. The four-month 2016 marketing season will end on August 5. Overall output for 2016 is expected to reach 190 million kg against an initial target of 160 million kg, an industry official told Xinhua Friday. Earnings, however, would suffer a significant decline and this was mainly due to poor quality crop as a result of the drought. While maintaining last year's average price of 2.94 U.S. dollars per kg, the drought had generally reduced the quality of the crop this year thereby affecting prices, said Isheunesu Moyo, the public relations and communications manager of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board Moyo. He said the improved tobacco output was due to some rains received during the mid-season and improved agronomic practices by the growers. Many farmers also put their crop under irrigation and this helped to increase the crop, he said. Tobacco is generally Zimbabwe's largest foreign currency earner but it appears it has been surpassed this year by mining which has already raked in 806 million dollars from export sales in the first half of 2016. More than 50 percent of Zimbabwe's tobacco crop is exported to China every year. JOHANNESBURG, July 29 (Xinhua) -- With the relaxation of issuing visas through tour operators, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Africa increased by 50 percent in May this year, compared to the same period in 2015, according to data obtained by Xinhua on Friday. Meanwhile, the number of tourists from India surged 37 percent, the South African Department of Tourism said. This came after the South African government relaxed visa rules since the beginning of this year, abandoning strict regulations requiring tourists to apply visas in person. "Those markets (in China and India) will recover quite quickly, I think, and will continue to grow," Von Aulock of the Department of Tourism said. But the tourism industry is still concerned about regulations requiring travelling children to present unabridged birth certificates. The requirements for the unabridged birth certificates remain vague enough to deter some families, said Mmatsatsi Ramawela, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of SA. Events such as the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban earlier this month have helped increase the number of visitors, and concerns about terrorist attacks in Europe also diverted tourists to the southern hemisphere, Ramawela added. Tourists are returning to SA's game parks, beaches and vineyards, as a weaker rand and easing of visa rules make holidays cheaper and more accessible, he said. The number of visitors to SA from outside the continent increased 19 percent in the first five months of this year, the Department of Tourism said. SA's tourism boom represents a rare note of optimism in the country whose unemployment rate is hovering around 27 percent. NEW DELHI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- India's opposition parties Friday criticized the ruling BJP over increasing incidents of attacks on Muslims and low-caste people. Condemning the attack upon two Muslim women in the central state Madhya Pradesh, the oppositions said at the Parliament that low-caste people and Muslims were being increasingly targeted by Hindu radicals, according to Press Trust of India. Lawmakers from the Congress party also provided statistics to highlight attacks on dalits -- a low caste in India, while criticizing the government over the assault on two Muslim women in Mandsaur of Madhya Pradesh and one similar incident in the western state of Gujarat perpetrated by Hindu radicals. Some low-caste people were publicly beaten up by Hindu radicals who make up "cow vigilante groups" imposing ban on the sale and killing of cows, considered holy by Hindu mythology, according to media reports. Two low-caste people were killed recently in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, said media reports. CHANGCHUN, July 29 (Xinhua) -- After 13 years of doing business in Beijing, Yu Fenghai is investing in his hometown in northeast China's Jilin Province, an old industrial base struggling to reinvent itself. Yu owns a vegetable and fruit wholesale company in Xinfadi, a major produce market in Beijing. Two years ago, he invested 300 million yuan (45.1 million U.S. dollars) in an organic rice project in Jilin. "Jilin is attaching more importance to private enterprise. Dealing with the government is easier," said Yu, who is optimistic about the northeastern region's economic rejuvenation. The central government has been pushing the strategy to develop the region for the past decade. Over the past two years, the economy of northeast China, which also includes Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces, has grown more slowly than the rest of the country. In the first half of 2016, Jilin's GDP grew 6.7 percent -- the same as the national average, but slower than many other provinces. On Thursday, the first World Jilin Entrepreneurs Convention opened in the provincial capital of Changchun, attracting nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs from some 30 countries and regions. The event was intended to bring more private investment to Jilin. Agreements for 11 investment projects worth nearly 50 billion yuan were inked at the event. Bayanqolu, secretary of the Communist Party of China Provincial Committee of Jilin, said at the opening ceremony of the convention that he hopes entrepreneurs contribute more to Jilin's new stage of development. Jilin issued regulations in May on improving the investment environment to boost the economy. "Jilin has great potential for development," said Gao Yingjie, chairman of Shenzhen-based China GrenTech, which provides wireless coverage products and services. Gao, a native of Jilin, founded the firm in 1999. The company's branch in Jilin brings in annual revenue of 60 million yuan. Gao said he plans to invest more to expand his business in his home province. SANAA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government said Friday its participation in the UN-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait was over following the declaration by Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies to form a political council to unilaterally rule the country. "Thanks to our brothers in Kuwait, the prince and the government, for their all sincere efforts they provided to help succeed the talks, but the talks have completely failed," the government said in a statement aired by state TV. "We had participated in patience for the sake of our people, and we today end the talks to save our people from the rebels," said the statement. The government considered the rebels' declaration as a "clear challenge to the international community and to the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council." It said the rebels' stance was another "explicit coup against the Gulf Initiative and the whole political process." The government added that its delegates would leave Kuwait on Saturday, holding the Houthi group and its ally of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party fully responsible for the failure of the talks. The Houthi group and Saleh's party signed on Thursday an accord in the capital Sanaa, which is under control of both forces since it was stormed in 2014, to declare the formation of a "higher governing political council" to unilaterally rule the country in all its political, military, security and economic affairs. They agreed on a rotating presidency and vice-presidency of the council, which comprises 10 members equally divided between Houthi group and Saleh's party. But this action was met with full rejection by the UN Yemen envoy to the talks, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. "The agreement by AnsarAllah (Houthis) and General Peoples' Congress (Saleh's party) to establish Political Council contravenes their commitments to support the UN process," Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement on his twitter account. "Announcing a unilateral governing arrangements is not in line with the peace process and endangers substantial progress made in Kuwait," he said. "This represents a violation of UNSCR 2216 which asks all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that undermine political transition," the UN envoy added. In their joint statement carried by Houthi-controlled Saba news agency, the Houthis and Saleh expressed frustration with the ongoing UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait, accusing Saudi Arabia of buying the United Nations to issue resolutions on behalf of its (Saudi) coalition. The move came as the Houthi armed group and its ally party of former President Saleh have been engaging in peace talks in Kuwait since April that have so far failed to achieve progress. The move signals the failure of peace talks. The Houthi group and Saleh have refused to obey the UN Security Council Resolution 2216 that orders them to withdraw from the capital Sanaa and other cities, hand over weapons back to the legitimate government and end their rebellion. Instead, they insist to form a joint presidential council and a transitional government and to be included in both leaderships. Saudi Arabia has been leading a military coalition against the Houthis and Saleh's forces in Yemen since March 26, 2015, in support of the elected government of internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Iranian-allied Houthis, who are based in the far north border province of Saada and backed by forces loyal to former President Saleh, stormed the capital Sanaa and forced President Hadi with his government into exile in 2014 over charges of corruption. Controversial positions by the rebels and government triggered growing fears of new wave of intensified war. The fears spread all over the streets of Yemeni cities from darkness of the looming war on the skies and grounds of the Yemeni cities, in which the Houthis and Saleh's fighters hold most of Yemen's northern half while government forces backed by Saudi-led military coalition share control of the rest of the country. The civil war, ground battles and airstrikes have already killed more than 6,400 people, half of them civilians, injured more than 35,000 others and displaced over two millions, according to humanitarian agencies. Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi (C) delivers a speech to army commanders and local officials during a surprise visit to inspect troops in Yemen's loyalist-held eastern city of Marib, on July 10, 2016. Hadi threatened to boycott peace talks with Iran-backed rebels if the UN envoy insists on a roadmap stipulating a unity government that includes the insurgents. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) SANAA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government said Friday its participation in the UN-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait was over following the declaration by Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies to form a political council to unilaterally rule the country. "Thanks to our brothers in Kuwait, the prince and the government, for their all sincere efforts they provided to help succeed the talks, but the talks have completely failed," the government said in a statement aired by state TV. "We had participated in patience for the sake of our people, and we today end the talks to save our people from the rebels," said the statement. The government considered the rebels' declaration as a "clear challenge to the international community and to the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council." It said the rebels' stance was another "explicit coup against the Gulf Initiative and the whole political process." The government added that its delegates would leave Kuwait on Saturday, holding the Houthi group and its ally of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party fully responsible for the failure of the talks. The Houthi group and Saleh's party signed on Thursday an accord in the capital Sanaa, which is under control of both forces since it was stormed in 2014, to declare the formation of a "higher governing political council" to unilaterally rule the country in all its political, military, security and economic affairs. They agreed on a rotating presidency and vice-presidency of the council, which comprises 10 members equally divided between Houthi group and Saleh's party. But this action was met with full rejection by the UN Yemen envoy to the talks, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. "The agreement by AnsarAllah (Houthis) and General Peoples' Congress (Saleh's party) to establish Political Council contravenes their commitments to support the UN process," Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement on his twitter account. "Announcing a unilateral governing arrangements is not in line with the peace process and endangers substantial progress made in Kuwait," he said. "This represents a violation of UNSCR 2216 which asks all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that undermine political transition," the UN envoy added. In their joint statement carried by Houthi-controlled Saba news agency, the Houthis and Saleh expressed frustration with the ongoing UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait, accusing Saudi Arabia of buying the United Nations to issue resolutions on behalf of its (Saudi) coalition. The move came as the Houthi armed group and its ally party of former President Saleh have been engaging in peace talks in Kuwait since April that have so far failed to achieve progress. The move signals the failure of peace talks. The Houthi group and Saleh have refused to obey the UN Security Council Resolution 2216 that orders them to withdraw from the capital Sanaa and other cities, hand over weapons back to the legitimate government and end their rebellion. Instead, they insist to form a joint presidential council and a transitional government and to be included in both leaderships. Saudi Arabia has been leading a military coalition against the Houthis and Saleh's forces in Yemen since March 26, 2015, in support of the elected government of internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Iranian-allied Houthis, who are based in the far north border province of Saada and backed by forces loyal to former President Saleh, stormed the capital Sanaa and forced President Hadi with his government into exile in 2014 over charges of corruption. Controversial positions by the rebels and government triggered growing fears of new wave of intensified war. The fears spread all over the streets of Yemeni cities from darkness of the looming war on the skies and grounds of the Yemeni cities, in which the Houthis and Saleh's fighters hold most of Yemen's northern half while government forces backed by Saudi-led military coalition share control of the rest of the country. The civil war, ground battles and airstrikes have already killed more than 6,400 people, half of them civilians, injured more than 35,000 others and displaced over two millions, according to humanitarian agencies. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sits with members of the media in Ankara on July 29, 2016. Turkey on July 28, 2016 said it was discharging 149 generals and ordering the closure of dozens of media outlets in the next phase of its controversial crackdown in the wake of the failed coup. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) ANKARA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday described as "unfortunate" comments by U.S. officials suggesting that purges in the Turkish military after a failed coup were damaging cooperation in the fight against Islamic State (IS). Speaking to media in an interview, Cavusoglu said that the Turkish army became more trustworthy, clean and effective in the fight against the IS after it has been cleansed. The top diplomat added the ties restored between Turkey and Russia was not an alternative to NATO and the European Union. "Turkey is a NATO ally and a candidate for EU membership," he added. On Thursday, Cavusoglu told local media CNN Turk that ties between Turkey and the U.S. would be impacted if the U.S. did not hand over Gulen to Turkey. "Our relations will be affected if the U.S. will not give us Gulen. It is inevitable. We don't want to think about the bad scenarios," he said. Gulen, who heads the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) according to the Turkish government, has been residing in Pennsylvania since 1999. Turkey's government had said the deadly July 15 coup attempt was organized by followers of Gulen. Sierra Leone's President Ernest Koroma presents gold medal awards to the representative of Chinese medical team Wang Yaoping at the State House in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Dec. 18, 2015. The Chinese medical team in Sierra Leone was honored along with over 200 individuals and institutions at a ceremony on Friday for its role in the country's fight against the Ebola virus. (Xinhua) FREETOWN, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Zhao Yanbo has hailed the "deepening political trust" between China and the West African Country. Speaking to Xinhua in an exclusive interview on the eve of the 45th anniversary of China-Sierra Leone diplomatic relations, the Chinese ambassador pointed out that China and Sierra Leone have always supported each other, both "regionally and internationally." "Political trust is the rudder that keeps the ship of China-Sierra Leone relations on its right direction," said the ambassador. The two countries have engaged in robust trade and business cooperation, injecting inexhaustible vigor into bilateral relations, said Zhao, citing that bilateral trade in 2014 hit a record of 1.8 billion U.S. dollars. The ambassador also described booming people-to-people exchanges as a "solid anchor" in the two countries' relationship. On China's input in the country's post-Ebola recovery program, Zhao noted that it was China that galvanized the international support for Sierra Leone in the peak of the Ebola crisis and gave the assurance that "China will firmly stand with Sierra Leone in its post Ebola era." Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister Samura Kamara during their meeting in Beijing, China, June 15, 2016.(Xinhua/Ding Haitao) Zhao also noted that both countries have agreed to intensify cooperation in the five major fields of health care, mining, production capacity and agriculture and fishery. He said Sierra Leone would stand to benefit from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit held in South Africa in December last year when Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a 60 billion U.S. dollars funding to support China-Africa cooperation. Currently, China funded or aided projects are already on the ground, he said, citing an example that the Shandong Iron and Steel Group has overcome many difficulties by taking over the African Minerals Ltd operations in Tonkolili district, and has helped to create revenue and jobs for average Sierra Leoneans. In the health sector, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has sent a team to facilitate the progress of the construction of the West African Tropical Disease Research and Treatment Center in Jui and an office building to house the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. These moves will enhance the country's public health system and strengthen the capacity of prevention and control of various infections like zika and yellow fever, according to the ambassador. Other projects supported by China like the Mamamah International Airport and the Freetown-Rokel river water supply project will also contribute to the country's post-Ebola recovery program, he added. China and Sierra Leone established diplomatic relations on July 29, 1971. HANOI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The first session of 14th National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam concluded here on Friday with focus on personnel work, in which top leadership positions of the country remained unchanged compared to the previous tenure. With the spirit of responsibility and democracy, the NA has fulfilled the key task of electing and approving the country's top leadership positions, said Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, chairwoman of the 14th NA, at the closing ceremony on Friday. During the session, which started on July 20, NA deputies re-elected Ngan to be the country's parliamentary chief for 2016-2021 tenure, while Tran Dai Quang was re-elected president of Vietnam and Nguyen Xuan Phuc was re-elected prime minister for the new tenure. The positions of vice state president, chief justice of the Supreme People's Court and prosecutor general of the Supreme People's Procuracy for 2016-2021 tenure also remain unchanged compared to the previous tenure. During the session, the NA approved the appointment of cabinet members, including deputy prime ministers as well as ministers and heads of ministerial-level agencies. There was only one change in the position of minister of agriculture and rural development, of which Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong was elected to be head of the ministry. Apart from personnel work, during the session, the NA pointed out existing problems and weaknesses in sectors, analyzed and forecast advantages as well as challenges the country is facing in the context of complicated and unpredictable changes in global economy, Ngan said at the closing ceremony, adding that there are unfavorable conditions in the country including climate change and environmental issues among others which will have great impact on realizing socio-economic development tasks in 2016. The parliament requires government to continue study and collect NA deputies' comments in order to have more practical measures in implementing socio-economic development tasks in the remaining months of 2016. During the closing session, NA deputies adopted a resolution on changes to the 2016 law and ordinance making program and on the 2017 law and ordinance making program. According to the resolution, the law on protest among several other laws was taken out of the 2016 law and ordinance making program. The law on protest is scheduled to be submitted to the NA for comments at the fourth session of the 14th NA in 2017. During the session, the NA also issued a resolution on its oversight program for the year 2017. Accordingly, the NA will conduct thematic supreme oversight on "The implementation of laws and policies on food safety" and "The implementation of laws and policies on reform of the state administrative apparatus for the 2011-2016 period." BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the Coordinators' Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). December's Johannesburg Summit marked the beginning of a new era of win-win cooperation and common development between China and Africa, and was a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations, Xi said in the letter. Over the past six months, China and Africa have worked together to overcome the negative impact of the sluggish world economy, reached consensus on how to implement the outcomes of the summit and achieved tangible results, showing the dynamic development of China-Africa cooperation, Xi said. The coordinators' meeting in Beijing is an important step by China and Africa to implement the consensus of Chinese and African leaders and the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit, Xi said. The meeting demonstrates to the world, once again, that no matter how the international landscape may change, China and Africa are committed to pursuing unity and cooperation, and that China's support for African peace and development will never change, Xi said. The current weak performance of the world economy brings opportunities and challenges for the economic development of China and Africa, Xi said, adding that China and Africa must "stand shoulder to shoulder and march forward hand in hand." Citing a Chinese saying, "the unity of two brothers gives them the strength to cut through metal," Xi expressed his hope that at the meeting the two sides will exchange views, compare notes, build consensus and promote cooperation. By pooling wisdom and strength and advancing their friendship and cooperation, China and Africa will make sure that the results of the summit will benefit their 2.4 billion people, Xi said. Xi noted that China values relations with Africa and will continue to act on the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith. China will uphold the values of friendship, justice and shared interests, take solid steps to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit, and enrich and foster the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. State Councilor Yang Jiechi made a keynote speech at Friday's opening ceremony of the meeting. Stressing that both sides want the Johannesburg Summit's outcomes to be implemented as soon as possible, Yang said China was delighted to see that over 30 African countries have established internal coordination mechanisms and designated ministerial-level coordinators to implement the outcomes. China and Africa signed a number of cooperation agreements Thursday. "Combined with those signed since last December, there have been 243 agreements worth 50.725 billion U.S. dollars, including 46 billion dollars of Chinese direct investment in and commercial loans to Africa, accounting for 91 percent of the total value of the agreements," Yang added. In his speech, Yang said China and Africa must strengthen security cooperation. "China will help African countries and the African Union build capacity for peacekeeping, maintaining stability and countering terrorism, and support African countries in enhancing law-enforcement capacity from border control, army and police to customs and taxation," he said. Yang also called for more cooperation in international affairs, including UN reform, climate change, food security, poverty reduction, development and other global issues. Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a work report at the plenary session of the coordinators' meeting the same day. Wang thanked all African countries for their open endorsement of China's position on the South China Sea issue, saying China "deeply appreciates such valuable political support." Regarding the mutually beneficial cooperation, Wang said China is now deeply involved in Africa's industrialization and agricultural modernization with a focus on financing and investment cooperation. The China-Africa Fund for Production Capacity Cooperation runs with an initial contribution of 10 billion dollars and the Special Loan for the Development of African SMEs has been bolstered with 5 billion dollars of additional funding, according to Wang. "China also encourages provincial governments, including Guangdong and Jiangsu, to visit South Africa, Ethiopia and other key countries to explore investment opportunities for production capacity cooperation," said Wang. Wang listed projects including the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, Africa's first electrified railway and the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway as those are either operational soon or expected to be turned over next year. In his report, Wang also highlighted people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Africa. TOKYO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Japan gave warning on Friday that the chance of Japan becoming a target of terrorist attacks cannot be ruled out, vowing to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. The National Police Agency (NPA) released on Friday the Special Feature in the White Paper on Police 2016 with the topic of "measures against international terrorism," the second time for NPA's white paper to involve international terrorism since 2002. The NPA pledged in the white paper to step up measures against terrorism before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics amid rising threats of terrorist attacks against Japanese nationals. Last year, two Japanese hostages were killed by Islamic State militants in Syria. In 2013, 10 Japanese were killed during a hostage crisis at a natural gas plant in Algeria. "It is feared that Japanese will continue to be a target of terrorism or abduction," said the report. The agency said it would beef up cooperation with anti-terrorism organizations, intelligence agencies and police agencies all over the world. In addition, it will tighten up regulation on unmanned aerial vehicle, and strengthen supervision on chemical manufacturers who are able to produce raw materials for explosives, said the agency in the report. The white paper also introduced how to deal with surging number of foreigners visiting Japan, as well as terrorism counter measures in other countries. The Japanese police will continue considering adopting new measures against terrorism, said the report. ANKARA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkey will close air base in Ankara and military barracks in both Ankara and Istanbul, which were used by coup plotting soldiers in the July 15 coup attempt, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Friday in Ankara. Serving as the main headquarters in the coup, the Akinci Airbase "will be closed and turned into a place where the memories of our martyrs will be kept alive," Yildirim said while addressing a crowd near the base in the Kazan district of Ankara. The PM also vowed to shut all military barracks from where tanks rolled out and helicopters took off in Istanbul and Ankara during the failed coup attempt. He also stated that July 15 will be the annual "Democracy Martyrs Day" of Turkey. "That day you went outside to protect your motherland Turkey," he said. Yildirim strengthened that Turkey will bring Gulen, accused by Ankara of plotting the coup, back from the U.S. to face charge in court. MANILA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte issued Friday an ultimatum to the leftist rebel group to reciprocate the government's own ceasefire. During a visit to the government troops in Davao del Norte, Duterte said he would give the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front until 5:00 p.m. local time on Saturday. "So, I'm asking you, are you ready to declare ceasefire or not, I will wait for your declaration until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow," he said. The president said if the leftist rebel group failed to reciprocate the truce by Saturday afternoon, he would lift the government's unilateral ceasefire. Duterte declared the truce on Monday during his first State of the Nation Address. On Thursday, he demanded an explanation from the CPP-NPA-NDF regarding the attack of the rebels on government militiamen in Davao del Norte, killing one of them and wounding four others. But the leftist rebel group claimed their fighters only "thwarted" the offensive by the paramilitary. The NPA has been waging war against the government for over four decades. The left rebellion has killed 30,000 people since 1960s, and the NPA is believed to have fewer than 4,000 men today, down from a peak of 26,000 in the 1980s, according to the military. JOHANNESBURG, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The Pan African Parliament (PAP), the legislative organ of the African Union, on Friday commenced a two day meeting with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to find a way to end female genital mutilation and child marriages. Officially opening the meeting in Johannesburg, PAP President Roger Dang said PAP is backing the move to end female genital mutilation and child marriages. "PAP is determined to help and be part of stakeholders to come up with solutions to this practice. This is in line with the mandate of PAP to defend and promote gender balance and people living with disability," he said. Dang called on men to join the fight, saying, "We have double responsibility to defend girls against this human rights violation." It's the common practices in some countries to partially or totally remove parts of the female genitalia for cultural or non-medical reasons. In some African countries, children are forced to get married at an early age at 15 or even earlier. Bang told Xinhua that early female genital mutilation exposes girls to diseases like sexually transmitted infections and HIV. It also affects their health and education, he said. Dang said women should be given an opportunity to show their skills and quality, and their rights must not be violated with these practises. He challenged African governments to put into place policies and laws that prohibit female genital mutilation and early child marriages. "We want governments to put in place strong instruments and treaties that guarantee people a better life. States should also come up with sustainable solutions to these practices which are against the fundamental women's right to life, health and education," Dang said. Justine Coulson, UNFPA Deputy Regional Director for East and South Africa, told Xinhua that they want parliamentarians to take the message to the grassroots to help fight the practices. "We want to influence governments to change legislation and national programmes that end female genital mutilation and child marriages. Parliamentarians are close to the communities, so we want this message to go beyond the capital city, to religious, community leaders and parents. We want strong advocacy to the family level," she said. Coulson said they have trained 100, 000 health care workers on how to assist the victims of female genital mutilation. Over 20,000 religious and traditional leaders have signed a pledge not to practice female genital mutilation. She said the program has also reached 12,000 community members. At the two-day meeting, participants are expected to develop an action plan to strengthen PAP and UNFPA partnership to eliminate female genital mutilation and girls' early marriages. According to UNFPA, 100 to 140 million girls and women are victims of female genital mutilation, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and Arab states. Countries like Kenya and Gambia now have a legislation outlawing the practice. SHENZHEN, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A court in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen on Friday sentenced eight people to prison time for kidnaping a woman in neighboring Hong Kong. Shenzhen Municipal Intermediate People's Court sentenced six of the men to 10 to 15 years in prison, and the ringleader, You Dunkui, received 15 years. The six also robbed items valued at two million Hong Kong dollars (258,000 U.S. dollars) from the woman's home on April 25 last year and later fled Hong Kong after receiving a ransom of 28 million Hong Kong dollars, the court found. Another two people were implicated in the handling of the illegal gains, they were sentenced to three years and one year, and 10 months. A Basotho woman holds her food parcels at a World Food Program's (WFP) distribution station on July 14, 2016 in Katse. Farmers in Lesotho have been struggling with an almost year long drought that has devastated crops and left rural areas without water. (AFP/JOHN WESSELS) JOHANNESBURG, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on Thursday launched the Regional Inter-Agency Standing Committee (RIASC) Action Plan which is seeking 1.2 billion U.S. dollars to provide critical aid to 12.3 million people in African countries most affected by drought between now and April 2017. This is in response to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) which on July 26, 2016 launched a regional drought emergency appeal for 2.4 billion U.S. dollars to the international community. Speaking at the launch in Johannesburg, Timo Pakkala, UNOCHA El Nino coordinator for Southern Africa, urged the international community to intervene so that they can respond well to the humanitarian needs. "If we do not get the money there will be a catastrophe. We need money to assist the farmers to prepare for the next season. The time to act is now. The international community should support the RIASC Action Plan and allocate more resources, not only to save lives now, but to also prevent crises of this scale happening again," he said. So far, only a quarter of the required 1.2 billion U.S. dollar dollars have been received or pledged. Pakkala noted that around October 2016 when rains are expected, there are signs of La Nina with more rains but a possibility of floods. "Droughts, like the one caused this year by El Nino, are becoming more frequent and more severe, and the trend can be expected to continue if necessary action isn't taken swiftly. We want to break the cycle of drought in Southern Africa. We want to use our multi-sectoral approach to address education, water, sanitation, heath, among others. The affected communities are in a critical situation," he said. Different UN agencies will work with different NGOs like Oxfam and WHO, among others, to provide different interventions in different countries. The action plan will target the most affected countries which are Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola and Swaziland. Dirk-Jan Omtzigt from UNOCHA's Nairobi Office said that from about October last year over 600,000 livestock have been lost and the situation is worsening in the region. The region also has a cereal production shortfall, Omtzigt said. "There must be diversification in the region. Lifting of trade barriers is imperative for the private sector to also come in and assist in the provision of food and ensure they are available where they are urgently required. We have to prioritize and fund those countries mostly in need," he said. Governments are doing what they can but they are lacking capacity to respond to the needs, he said, adding the devaluation of currencies in the region have also made it expensive to import food. GENEVA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN Special Envoy for Syria welcomed Friday a Russian and Syrian initiative to assist the population of Syria's northern city of Aleppo, while warning that if such operations take place, they must be carried out in full respect of international humanitarian law. "As the UN and as humanitarians, we do welcome any initiative aimed at assisting civilian populations in conflict zones," said the special envoy Staffan de Mistura. "We are in principle, and in practice in favour of humanitarian corridors under the right circumstances that allow the protection of civilians," he added. Three humanitarian corridors for civilians have been sketched out by Moscow and Damascus to allow those wishing to leave Syria's second largest city to do so. A fourth corridor is planned to be opened in the north of Aleppo for the safe passage of armed militants who want to lay down their arms, according to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Though the plan is seen as good news given the dire situation permeating the lives of those living in eastern parts of the city, De Mistura urged warring factions to implement a 48-hour ceasefire regardless of whether the scheme moves forward. If humanitarian corridors were to be set up, however, a break in fighting is essential to guarantee the safety of those fleeing the war-ravaged city, he explained. "Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us. The UN and the humanitarian partners know what to do," the diplomat added. He also reminded that no one should be forced to leave Aleppo, while those who do wish to leave should be given the option to reach areas of their own choice. "There needs to be guarantees on the protection of civilians, whether they choose to remain in eastern Aleppo or move to other areas of their choice as offered through the corridors," he concluded. NEW DELHI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A couple from Dalit community was axed to death by an upper-caste grocery shop owner over non-payment of 22 cents (INR 15) debt in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, police said Friday. The killings took place in Mainpuri district, about 294 km west of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. "A couple belonging to lower caste Dalit community was killed yesterday here by a shopkeeper over a debt of rupees 15 (15 cents)," a police official said. "We were told the couple had few days back purchased three biscuit packets from the shopkeeper for their children on credit." Police has arrested the grocer and initiated investigations into the murders. The killings have created panic and triggered protests from Dalit community in the district. Local media reports said the couple (working as agricultural labourers) had sought few days time from the grocer to repay their debt. However, enraged grocer brought axe from his house and hacked the couple to death. Dalits were previously known as untouchables in India and fall at the bottom of India's caste hierarchy. Earlier this month, four Dalit men believed to be tannery workers were assaulted by the cow vigilantes while they were trying to skin a dead cow in Una town of Gujarat state. The attack triggered massive protests after video of these men went viral, showing them stripped, tied to a vehicle and being flogged with iron rods while being paraded. Majority of Hindus consider cow to be sacred, and its slaughtering is banned in most Indian states. Pro-Erdogan supporters hold Turkish national flags and a portrait of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a rally against the military coup on Taksim square in Istanbul on July 23, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) ANKARA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Interior Minister Efkar Ala on Friday told media that 18,044 people have been detained after a failed coup attempt. "The number of those detained by the moment is 18,044 with 9,677 of the detainees facing prison, and 49,211 passports have been canceled," Efkar Ala told press. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the comments by U.S. general Joseph Votel after the coup attempt, saying they showed that he was "on the side of the plotters," local media NTV reported Friday. The number of detentions and arrests will increase if people are guilty, Erdogan said during a visit to the Special Forces Headquarters in Ankara. He criticized some west countries "standing on the side of coup plotters," referring to the U.S. general. Joseph Votel, who leads U.S. Central Command, said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of Gulenist generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey against Islamic State (IS). "We have certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders -- military leaders in particular. I am concerned about what the impact is on those relationships," Votel said at the Aspen Security Forum, a think tank in Colorado, according to local media. Votel also expressed his concerns that in the long run the coup and Ankara's efforts to clear the military of coup supporters would affect on U.S. operations in the region. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also criticized Votel's remarks, describing them as "unfortunate," Daily News reported Friday. "If the U.S. general says that only the members of the gulenists are fighting against IS, we would strongly reject it," he said. Cavusoglu stated that the army would be more effective and trustworthy when it is "cleansed from what is rotten." HELSINKI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A Finnish citizen was sentenced to imprisonment for terrorist offences in Britain, Finnish media reported on Friday. According to information obtained by the Finnish national broadcaster Yle, the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales sentenced the 19-year-old Finnish citizen to three and a half years in prison. The young man had tried to travel from London via Turkey to Syria, where he intended to join the Islamic State, the extremist militant group. The man has lived in London since 2010. In February this year, the man was detained in Britain on suspicion of being involved in terrorism-related activities. The offender's family has lived in Finland, Somalia and Britain. Finnish media did not disclose where the family originally came from. The Security Police of Finland confirmed earlier that they had received information about the man's detention, but refused to reveal if the Finnish police had been familiar with the young man or had tracked him. Enditem MINSK, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Belarus has received the second tranche of a loan from the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), the country's Finance Ministry said Friday. The ministry said that Belarus has fulfilled the conditions for receiving the second tranche of the EFSD's financial credit, which is worth 300 million U.S. dollars. The credit agreement was signed in Moscow on March 25. The loan agreement stipulated the allocation of two billion U.S. dollars to support the economic policy measures and structural reforms of the government and the National Bank of Belarus for 2016-2018. The funds are available in seven tranches: three in 2016, three in 2017, and one in 2018. Each tranche is drawn for a period of 10 years, including a 5-year grace period. Belarus got the first tranche of 500 million U.S. dollars in late March. The EFSD, established in 2009 by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, is tasked with providing assistance to the member states in overcoming the consequences of the global financial crisis, ensuring their economic and financial stability, and supporting the integration process in the region. Enditem Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (C) delivers a speech at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in Santiago, Chile, May 25, 2015. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) SANTIAGO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- "China continues to be a very important partner of Latin America, despite a slowdown in its growth," Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), told Xinhua in an interview earlier this week. At the presentation of the ECLAC's new report, The Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2016, Barcena said the UN panel believed that China-Latin America cooperation in different economic sectors, such as agriculture, could further strengthen their overall relations. Financial cooperation is another crucial aspect "as China has become an important financial partner for certain countries in the region, such as Venezuela and Ecuador," she added. Noting that China is playing an increasingly important role in global affairs, the senior UN official said China has shown its willingness to cooperate with Latin America. "There have been advances to implement the cooperation fund that the Chinese government has announced (for the region)...and China has also teamed up with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for programs in Latin America," said Barcena. A secretary works at the headquarters of the Santiago branch of China Construction Bank (CCB), the first Chinese bank in Chile, in Santiago, Chile, on June 17, 2016. (Xinhua/Jorge Villegas) "This year, the ECLAC hopes to visit China to identify potential joint economic actions. We also hope to have a dialogue with the Chinese government to move forward on the great environmental drive...before the next UN General Assembly where the Paris Agreement on climate change will be ratified," she added. "China has a medium-term outlook...it has already become the principal producer of refined copper and iron in the world, thanks to all the metals it has bought in the last decade," said Barcena. However, it is important for Latin America and China to further diversified their economic ties beyond the trade of raw materials, Barcena said, adding that China could play a significant role in helping the region upgrade its industries and raise productivity. In its latest report, the UN regional economics mission also underlined the positive economic trend in China, saying that "there are signs showing that China's growth is beginning to stabilize and that a forced landing is not yet looming." Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan, who is also the World Health Organization goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, attends the opening ceremony for "Love in the Sunshine"-- the 2016 China-Africa Children Summer Camp, at the Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, July 29, 2016. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Peng Liyuan, wife of President Xi Jinping, said people from all walks of life should do more to support children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Peng, who is also the World Health Organization goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, made the remarks at the opening ceremony for "Love in the Sunshine"-- the 2016 China-Africa Children Summer Camp, at the Palace Museum in Beijing. Peng said children orphaned by AIDS, despite their nationality or race, are the future of the world. It is the common responsibility of society to love and care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, so that they can grow up soundly and happily, said Peng. The event was a part of the follow-up actions of a China-Africa anti-AIDS advocacy campaign launched by Peng and the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS on the sidelines of the Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in South Africa last year. The summer camp, sponsored by the Chinese Association of STD and AIDS Prevention and Control, has been held six times since 2010. Fifty-seven children orphaned by AIDS from China, South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe attend the summer camp. Before the opening ceremony, Peng met with South African First Lady Tobeka Madiba Zuma, WHO director-general Margaret Chan and UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe. HARARE, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwe government says it is unlikely to meet targeted diamond output for 2016 due to disruptions during the consolidation of mining operations in Chiadzwa, eastern Zimbabwe, early this year. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa was quoted by the state-run news agency New Ziana Friday as saying that at current production rates, the country was not likely to meet the full-year target of six million carats. He said production had been affected by various factors, chiefly the consolidation process which had been met with resistance by some companies. "We have set ourselves a target of six million carats this year, but we are nowhere near that because of the disruptions that came about as a result of the re-organization of that sector," he said. Zimbabwe started consolidating mining operations of six companies that were operating in the vast Chiadzwa diamond fields early this year after accusing them of lack of transparency in their operations. The process, which created the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), will see the government becoming the majority shareholder with 50 percent, while the firms would hold the other 50 percent. The Chiadzwa fields are estimated to hold 25 percent of the world's diamond reserves. According to official statistics, rough diamond output dropped to 152,475 carats in the first quarter of this year from 639, 377 carats in the same period last year. Enditem LONDON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- More than 500 children have been identified as potential victims of online sexual abuse and 77 people have been charged after a police investigation in Scotland, Police Scotland announced Friday. Police Scotland said the operation to tackle online child sexual abuse resulted in the identification of more than 500 children, aged between three and 18 years old, who were either victims or potential victims of online predators, as well as the recovery of 30 million images of abuse, which has resulted in the arrest of 77 people so far. Nearly 400 charges have been laid, including rape, sharing indecent images of children, grooming for sexual purposes, sexual extortion, indecent communication with children, possession of a firearm, and drugs offences. "Online child sexual abuse is a national threat, the reality is it is happening now, not only in Scotland, but across the world, to children of all ages, from infants to teenagers," said Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham in a statement. The children are not only sexually abused and exploited, but when an image or video clip is shared or viewed, they are being revictimized. Scottish Childcare and Early Years Minister Mark McDonald said children and young people should be able to enjoy and learn from the Internet, but that they should know what to do and who to go to if they feel at risk. Enditem TEHRAN, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Fire broke out at a storage tank in a petrochemical complex in Iran's western province of Kermanshah on Friday, Tasnim news agency reported. There has been no report of casualties in the blaze, which was believed to be an accident, at the Bistoon Petrochemical Complex, 15 km east of Kermanshah, the province's capital, in the afternoon, the report said. Preliminary indications suggested that a fault in the electrical system may have caused the fire, said the report. Last month, a similar incident in the Bou Ali Sina Petrochemical Plant in Iran's southwestern port city of Mahshahr caused damage to key parts of the complex. Local reports said that the damage to the complex was estimated at around 60 million euros (66.3 million U.S. dollars). Enditem ISLAMABAD, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan said on Friday that it has suspended visa abolition agreement with Kuwait as the Arab country had made it compulsory for Pakistanis officials and diplomats to get visa despite the agreement. Kuwait is among the nearly 40 countries with which Pakistan has signed visa abolition agreements and no visa is required for the government officials holding blue and diplomatic passports. The Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan suspended the agreement with Kuwait"in the backdrop of difficulties faced by the Pakistani government officials and diplomats during their travel to Kuwait,"a spokesman of the ministry said. "Despite the accord with Kuwait, Pakistani government officials holding blue and diplomatic passports were still required to get visa for travelling to Kuwait which was against the spirit of the agreement," the interior minister was quoted as saying. According to details, agreement of waiver of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special and official passports was signed between Pakistan and Kuwait in November 2013 before it was implemented in August 2014. "Such visa regimes and agreements are meant to ease travelling of the government officials and diplomats. However, an agreement cannot last which is not reciprocated and mutually beneficial," remarked Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. The issue of visas for Kuwait was also raised by a Senate member in the upper-house as it was pointed out that despite signing the visa abolition agreement with Kuwait, Pakistani officials were still required to gain a Kuwaiti visa before travelling to Kuwait, the spokesman said. Enditem by Larry Neild LONDON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Britain's reigning Queen Elizabeth II has been in the limelight this year for the occasion of her 90th birthday. But the spotlight Friday was on her namesake, Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned more than four centuries ago. A public appeal has enabled London's Royal Museums Greenwich to acquire an oil painting of Queen Elizabeth I, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. Grants from public bodies and donations from more than 8,000 members of the public have raised almost 13.6 million U.S. dollars to save the painting for the nation. The painting, measuring 1.1 meters by 1.25 meters, known as the Armada Portrait, is regarded as a masterpiece of the English Renaissance period. The portrait commemorates the most famous naval conflict of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in 1588, regarded as one of the greatest military victories in English history. The painting is among the most famous images of Queen Elizabeth I. A spokesman for the Arts Fund said: "This remarkable historic portrait will enter public ownership for the first time in its 425-year-history." It will go on public display on Oct. 11, following major restoration work, at the Queen's House, the birthplace of Queen Elizabeth I. The painting was once owned by one of Britain's most famous sailors, Sir Francis Drake. Drake was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. The painting was put up for sale by descendants of Drake and attracted a groundswell of public support from people wanting to ensure that the painting never left the shores of Britain. Kevin Fewster, director of Royal Museums Greenwich, said Friday: "The support enables us to bring the painting into the national collection thus safeguarding its future, and also allowing us to make it the centerpiece of future displays, talks, tours, and education initiatives." Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said: "This campaign has been a triumph of popular will. The painting captured the national imagination in 2016...Record numbers of donors, large and small, stepped forward with determination and generosity." BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A recent tiger attack at a wildlife park in Beijing has started discussions about zoo management. The attack, on July 23 at Beijing Badaling Wildlife Park in Yanqing District, was caught by CCTV. The footage, shot inside the wild animal enclosure, shows a woman getting out of a car to walk to the driver's side. A male driver then gets out to speak with the woman. While they are talking a tiger pounces on the woman and drags her away. Another female passenger, who was later confirmed as the woman's mother, was attacked by another tiger when she attempted to save the young woman. The older woman died and her daughter was seriously injured. The attack sparked heated online discussion. Some netizens argued that the wildlife park should not be responsible for the accident because all visitors are informed of the danger and they must sign an agreement with the park to stay in their cars. "The park had warned them of the danger but they ignored the safety requirement," said user "xsw98750" on China's twitter-like Sina Weibo. This view was echoed by Zhu Wei, a law expert at the China University of Political Science and Law. Zhu said the tourist left her car knowing the danger she was putting herself in. The zoo should not be held accountable. However, other people held the view that the park should take responsibility. "Private cars should not be allowed in the park. It is supposed to have its own vehicles for tourists to view the animals, especially those ferocious beasts," said Weibo user "A_Tianli." Actually, self-driving tours are allowed in many wildlife parks around the world. Many wildlife parks and zoos have strict rules for people who take their own vehicles into wild animal territory. In Kenya, wildlife reserves allow tourists to drive their own vehicles. If tourists leave their vehicles in forbidden areas, however, they will face punishment such as being banned from the reserve, said Paul Udoto, an official with the Kenya Wildlife Service. Despite the strict rules, there have been many animal attacks around the world in recent years. Feng Limin, expert with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said animals tend to avoid people in the wild, while those in captivity are more likely to attack. "Zoos should make sure there is a safe distance between tourists and beasts, and try their best to prevent the animal from being over stimulated," he said. It is better for zoos to organize and manage sight-seeing vehicles, or set up fences between main roads and animal habitats, he said adding that tourists need to be made more aware of the dangers. Actually, China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) drafted a safari zoo safety standard in 2005, which detailed infrastructure construction and regulations to ensure safety. However, the standard, signed by many wildlife zoos as an industrial convention, was not legally binding, and was not thoroughly implemented by many profit-driven zoos. Feng suggested that government departments should improve their supervision of wildlife zoos to prevent similar attacks in the future. VALLETTA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Malta hosted more than 835,000 tourists in January to June 2016, an increase of 9.7 percent over the same period of last year, Malta's Minister for Tourism Edward Zammit Lewis said on Friday. Delivering the opening address at a business gathering entitled "The future of Tourism in Malta: Achievements and Prospects", the minister outlined that there are strong indications that this year is expected to further outperform the previous 12 months yet again. Lewis remarked that in order to reduce excessive bureaucracy faced by tourism operators, an extensive reform on tourism laws and regulations would be presented to the parliament by the end of this year. The minister also highlighted the need to pursue further drive to improve the quality of the tourism products on offer, and the importance of raising the quality standards. With reference to air connectivity, the Minister reaffirmed that the issue remains a focal point of the government's program. Lewis announced that currently discussions are underway with no less than three new airlines, plus others already operating to and from Malta, with a view to add new routes or extend the frequency of existing routes. Enditem NICOSIA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot negotiators seeking a settlement to the long-standing Cyprus problem have come upon disagreements, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades stated on Friday. Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met for almost four hours, discussing the root issues of territorial adjustments, security and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the part of Cyprus they occupied in 1974 which was in reaction to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time. "We got into deep waters and we have a long way to go," Anastasiades said after returning to his office from a United Nations-protected area where the negotiators meet. He said that he and Akinci agreed recess for the summer and would have eight more meetings late in August and early in September in a bid to find out whether they could conclude an agreement by the end of the year. "We exchanged productive views in a friendly climate on how to deal with the two most serious chapters -- territorial adjustment and guarantees," Anastasiades said. Greek Cypriots seek to repeal a 1960 system of guarantees under which Turkey, Greece and Britain became guarantor powers. They also want 43,000 Turkish troops to fully withdraw from the occupied territory of Cyprus but they are ready to compromise by accepting a gradual withdrawal. Turkish Cypriots, who make about 20 percent of the total population of about one million, say they would feel safe with the presence of Turkish troops and some kind of guarantees. Anastasiades said that the two sides are determined to find a way out. "We have a long way to go but also the will to face the problems that are a source of concern to each side," he said, "What I want to say is that the differing positions could, hopefully, be the beginning of a constructive conclusion." He also said that the two sides agreed to avoid revealing details of their discussions, given the sensitivity of the issues involved. Political analysts have said that the recent failed military coup in Turkey has been a source of concern in both communities of Cyprus as it underlined the fragility of the existing situation. Enditem by Luis Alberto Sierra G. PANAMA CITY, July 29 (Xinhua) -- As part of 2016's Year of China-Latin America Cultural Exchange, an exhibit showcasing contemporary Chinese art has opened in Panama City. "Color Symbiosis" opened Wednesday night at the city's Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC), featuring a selection of 50 works of art by some 20 Chinese artists working in a wide range of media, from sculpture to video installations, and themes, from traditional landscape paintings to abstraction. These works, according to the MAC, "depict the artists' strong desire to transcend all types of borders, presenting their unique view of the contemporary world grounded firmly in their traditions and their identity." Wang Weihua, representative of the China-Panamanian Trade Development Office, said the exhibit is one of several projects designed to boost cultural and artistic exchange between China and Panama. "This way we can strengthen cultural exchange, knowledge, understanding and cooperation between the two countries and two peoples," Wang said. Five of the artists traveled with the show to Panama, to increase interaction between the two countries on a personal level through meeting with Panamanian artists. The show includes works by Ai Xudong, Bai Xiaogang, and Fang Xueyi, whose work hangs from the ceiling of the MAC, and others. A second component of the exhibit, called "Panachina," will be presented at the MAC starting on Aug. 3 with the participation of Chinese-Panamanian painters, said Wang. MAC's Executive Director Silvia Estaras noted China's presence in Panama goes back 160 years. The exhibit, she told Xinhua, is valuable for both its artwork, a blend of contemporary influences and China's millenary traditions, and what it represents in terms of China-Panama cultural exchange. "Color Symbiosis" will be held through Sept. 2. Screens inside the Wells Fargo Center shows "2016 Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton " on the second day of the 2016 U.S. Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States on July 26, 2016. Hillary Clinton was formally anointed Democratic presidential candidate here on Tuesday, becoming the first woman to run for the White House on behalf of a major U.S. political party. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A congressional group under the U.S. Democratic Party confirmed Friday that its computers have been hacked in a way similar to the recent cyber attack on the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The breach of the computers of the group, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), reportedly started last month, according to media reports. "The DCCC can confirm that we have been the target of a cybersecurity incident," DCCC spokeswoman Meredith Kelly said in a statement. Upon discovering the intrusion, the DCCC immediately took action and engaged with the cyber security company CrowdStrike to assist it in addressing this incident, she said. "The investigation is ongoing," Kelly said. "Based on the information we have to date, we've been advised by investigators that this is similar to other recent incidents, including the DNC breach." The news came one week after a number of emails of the DNC were published by hackers on the Wikileaks website, setting off a political storm within the Democratic Party. The leaked emails showed that some officials of the DNC, who were supposed to remain neutral, were in fact working in favor of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton through conspiring to undermine Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders' campaign in the primaries. In the past week, Sanders supporters held massive protests against the rigged system outside the venue of the Democratic National Convention held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The scandal also led to the resignation of the DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. It remained unknown how much and what kind of information about the DCCC has been breached, though media reports alleged that hackers may have obtained information about Democratic donors. The DCCC is a group under the Democratic Party that is responsible for raising funds for Democratic candidates running for seats in both chambers of U.S. Congress. PARIS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- French investigators were questioning a Syrian asylum seeker over his role in a church attack in which assailants cut the throat of an elderly priest earlier this week, local media reported on Friday. The Syrian refugee was arrested near a camp of asylum seekers in the Allier region in central France. A copy of his passport was found at the home of Adel Kermiche, one of the church attackers, according to reports. Two others including a minor were still in custody, the added. On Tuesday, two teenagers took six hostages in a church in northern France before slaughtering a priest and seriously wounding a second captive. They were shot dead by police. The first assailant Kermiche tried to reach Syria in 2015 before being intercepted by German police in March and Turkish authorities two months later. Pending trail on terrorism charges, he was under house arrest and wore an electronic tag which allows police to trace him. His accomplice was identified as Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean from Saint-Die-des-Vosges, northeastern France. He was on a security watch list since the end of June for becoming radicalized and being a potential terrorist. Enditem BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission's latest decision to raise anti-dumping duties on Chinese steel bars "provided unjustifiable protection for the EU steel industry," China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday. High fatigue performance steel concrete reinforcement bars (HFP rebars) imported from China will be subject to duties of 18.4 to 22.5 percent, the commission ruled on Friday after an anti-dumping probe. The MOC pointed out that the ruling was based on setting higher targets for the profit margins of EU steel producers, saying the practice "lacked justifiable grounds" amid a global industrial downturn. Chinese HFP rebars did not impact the EU industry, as most of those imported were sold to Britain and Ireland to meet local market demands and support infrastructure projects during the economic recovery, said the MOC in a statement. It expressed regret that the EU made the protectionist move just weeks after commerce ministers of G20 members reached a consensus to avoid protectionism. The ministry called on the EU to "keep its promises made on international occasions and refrain from sending the wrong signals to the outside world." The Chinese side is willing to strengthen communication with the EU to properly handle the problems troubling the steel industry, the MOC said. It reiterated that it is the anemic global economy and weak demand that are to blame for difficulties facing steel industries across the world, saying trade protectionism does not help solve problems but only disrupts the normal trade order and harms the EU economy. HAVANA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Cuba has sentenced 11 drug traffickers to 15 to 30 years in prison, state daily Granma reported on Friday. The ring leader, who ran the trafficking operation from Jamaica, where he resided, was handed over to Cuba, as part of bilateral anti-drug cooperation. The remaining 10 received the shipments in Niquero, a town in eastern Granma province, and distributed the drugs to the capital. Cuba's anti-drug operation, code named "Snow," monitored the group's activities in the provinces of Havana and Granma, "blocking the entry of speedboats from Jamaica on seven occasions," and leading to the seizure of 295.24 kilos of marijuana and 31,000 U.S. dollars that was to finance further drug shipments. "Around 400 residents attended the trial in Granma province, which led to their sensibilization about the seriousness of the events," the report said. The public trial took place on May 25-26, 2016 at the Second Criminal Chamber of the Provincial Court of Granma. Cuba has stiff drug penalties, as well as educational campaigns against drug use. The convicted are appealing their sentences. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (C) attends a meeting with African leaders in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, on July 16, 2016. Ban Ki-moon and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday called for no new fightings between rival army factions in South Sudan. Xinhua File Photo UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged the international community to do more to end the inhumane practice of human trafficking and protect migrants and refugees -- particularly young people, women and children -- from those who attempt to exploit their opportunity for a better future. In his message to mark the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, which falls on July 30, the secretary-general called upon all nations to recognize their responsibility in combating the global scourge. "All over the world, tens of millions of people are desperately seeking refuge, many of them far from home and even farther from safety. Migrants and refugees face imposing physical obstacles and bureaucratic barriers. Sadly, they are also vulnerable to human rights violations and exploitation by human traffickers," Ban said. "We must govern migration in a safe and rights-based way, create sufficient and accessible pathways for the entry of migrants and refugees, and ultimately tackle the root causes of the conflicts -- extreme poverty, environmental degradation and other crises which force people across borders, seas and deserts," he said. All around the world, men, women and children are kidnapped, tricked, blackmailed, or manipulated into slavery, like prostitution, forced labor, or organ removal. One in four victims are children. More than half of these children are from Africa and the Middle East, and more than one third are from Asia and the Pacific. At least 2.5 million people are trapped in modern-day slavery, according to the United Nations. The secretary-general noted that such issues will be central to the UN Summit on refugees and migrants, to be held on Sept. 19 when world leaders are here for the annual high-level debate at UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting aims, among other goals, to win renewed commitment for intensified efforts to combat human trafficking and smuggling of migrants and refugees, ensure protection and assistance for the victims of trafficking and of abusive smuggling, as well as for all those who suffer human rights violations and abuse in the course of large movements, and also to promote respect for international law, standards and frameworks. "I call on every nation -- whether country of origin, transit or destination -- to recognize our shared responsibility. As a first step, we need a strong legal basis for action," he said. "I encourage all states to adopt and implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocol on human trafficking as well as all core international human rights instruments." The United Nations launched the Day Against Trafficking Persons for the first time on July 30, 2014, to end human trafficking and raise awareness worldwide. "On this World Day against Human Trafficking, I urge everyone to recommit to protect, respect and fulfil the human rights of all migrants and refugees. Creating and supporting well-governed, safe and human rights-based migration and asylum procedures will be an important step towards ending the abhorrent practice of profiting from human despair and misery," Ban said. "Human traffickers prey on the most desperate and vulnerable," he said. "To end this inhumane practice, we must do more to shield migrants and refugees - and particularly young people, women and children -- from those who would exploit their yearnings for a better, safer and more dignified future." In a separate message on the Day, Yury Fedotov, the executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), highlighted that while the international community struggles with what the secretary-general has called the biggest refugee and migration crisis since World War II, human traffickers and migrant smugglers are taking advantage of misery to turn a profit. "Criminals prey on people in need and without support, and they see migrants, especially children, as easy targets for exploitation, violence and abuse," Fedotov said. "Armed conflicts and humanitarian crises expose those caught in the crossfire to increased risk of being trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour, organ removal, servitude and other forms of exploitation," he said. Meanwhile, he noted that while not all migrants are vulnerable to being trafficking, the forthcoming UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2016 identified a clear pattern linking undocumented migration to trafficking in persons. Certain migration flows appear particularly vulnerable to trafficking in persons. For example, citizens from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador represent about 20 percent of the victims detected in the United States, while the legal migration flows from these countries represent about five percent of the total, he said. Similar patterns are found in Western Europe, where citizens from South Eastern Europe comprise a large share of detected victims. The UNODC report, which will be released later this year, further highlights the links between human trafficking and refugee flows from countries including Syria and Eritrea, and involving Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh. "We clearly need to do more to stop human traffickers as part of coordinated and comprehensive responses to the refugee crisis and continuing migration challenges we are facing around the world," Fedotov said. He called on governments to ratify and effectively implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols on trafficking and migrant smuggling, to assist and protect victims and the rights of smuggled migrants, and promote the international cooperation needed to bring criminals to justice. "By strengthening action under the Protocols, we can reinforce protection for vulnerable children, women, and men, and help promote the safety and dignity of refugees and migrants at all stages of their journey," he added. UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Two UN agencies on Friday told the UN Security Council that ongoing conflicts around the world have pushed more than 56 million people into "crisis" or "emergency" levels of food insecurity and are hindering efforts to eradicate malnutrition. According to a series of 17 country briefs prepared for the 15-nation UN council by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), Yemen and Syria top the list in terms of sheer numbers of people whose food security is being negatively impacted by ongoing conflict. "Conflict is a leading cause of hunger -- each famine in the modern era has been characterized by conflict," FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva and WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said Friday in a joint news release. "(It) undermines food security in multiple ways: destroying crops, livestock and agricultural infrastructure, disrupting markets, causing displacement, creating fear and uncertainty over fulfilling future needs, damaging human capital and contributing to the spread of disease among others," they added. According to the Integrated Food Security Classification Phase (IPC) scale, prepared by the two UN agencies, 14 million people -- more than half the population -- in Yemen are in a state of hunger crisis or emergency. Indeed 8.7 million people -- 37 percent of the pre-conflict population -- in Syria need urgent food, nutrition and livelihoods assistance. Furthermore, a staggering 89 percent of all Syrian refugees currently in Lebanon also require urgent food, nutrition and livelihoods assistance. The briefs also noted that in South Sudan, where the situation is rapidly deteriorating, 4.8 million people are in urgent need of food, nutrition and livelihoods assistance. Similarly, millions of people are still wrestling with high levels of food insecurity in countries that are coming out of extended periods of civil strife such as the Central African Republic (CAR) and Colombia. The agencies also warned that post-conflict countries with high food insecurity are 40 percent more likely to relapse into conflict within a 10-year timespan if hunger levels are not addressed. In other countries, while the overall absolute numbers of people facing food insecurity are lower, the share of people experiencing severe levels of food insecurity accounts for over half of the total population. In Burundi and Haiti, 23 percent and 19 percent of people are at IPC level 3 or 4, respectively, while in the CAR, 50 percent of the population is at IPC scale 3 or worse. The IPC scale is an evidence-based approach which allows comparability of situations across countries and over time. According to the scale, levels 3 and 4 represent crisis and emergency levels, respectively, and level 5, the highest level, indicates the famine. The two UN agencies also pointed out that according to recent estimates, approximately half of the global poor now live in states characterized by conflict and violence. In such places, the people can be up to three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in more stable areas. "Addressing hunger can be a meaningful contribution to peacebuilding," Graziano da Silva and Cousin said. "The 2030 Agenda recognizes peace as a vital threshold condition for development, as well as a development outcome in its own right." The 2030 Agenda, approved by world leaders in September 2015 to serve as the blueprint for the global sustainable development efforts for the next 15 years. The briefs shared with the Security Council cover 17 countries where conflict has significantly affected food security: Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Guinea Bissau, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. An additional brief on the regional Lake Chad crisis affecting Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon was also submitted. There, violence associated with Boko Haram has seen the numbers of displaced people triple over the past two years accompanied by rising levels of hunger and malnutrition. An Indonesian representative addresses a workshop in Bali, Indonesia, July 29, 2016. Indonesian Tourism Ministry and Ctrip, a leading Chinese online travel service provider, jointly held a digital marketing workshop here on Friday, discussing ways to lure more Chinese tourists. (Xinhua/Du Yu) A Chinese mobile phone user uses the taxi-hailing and car-service app Didi Chuxing on his Apple iPhone smartphone in Jinan city, east China's Shandong province, Feb 22, 2015.[Photo/IC] Customers love them, because private transportation has never been this convenient, efficient, and accessible. Taxi drivers oppose them, because their rapid expansion and popularity have resulted in conspicuous customer drain for the traditional taxi market. Government regulators find them concerning, because they do raise questions about safety, fairness and legitimacy. Not to mention, they do not fit into any existing regulatory framework. Which is why mobile app-based ride-sharing services, such as Uber and various indigenous cousins, have found themselves in a largely undefined gray zone. In Beijing, for instance, where Uber and its Chinese look-alikes have grown phenomenally, contracted drivers have been operating in stealth mode for fear of heavy fines. But despite all the complaints, resistance, even bans in some places, Uber and similar services have continued mushrooming and prospering. The popularity of app-based ride-sharing has a lot to do with dissatisfaction with taxi services in the pre-Uber days. In China, however, it goes far beyond a more pleasant user experience. Multiple recent surveys have highlighted the new services' role as job creator. Uber and its local peers have reportedly become an important income provider for workers displaced in the process of reducing industrial overcapacity. One survey even reported that being a contracted driver for Uber or a similar ride-sharing service provider is the only source of income for more than half of the workers laid off recently in the coal and steel industries. Given the obvious loopholes in operation and management of such services, especially with regard to driver certification, security guarantees and taxation, it is certainly necessary to regulate the industry. But an all-win, all-happy solution is difficult to arrive at precisely because such services are too new, too complicated for regulators. The authorities made a daring, respectable move on Thursday by giving app-based ride-sharing legal status and introducing standards for the new sector. Yet although it has been reviewed and revised repeatedly based on feedback from the public, the regulatory regime unveiled still needs further research and clarification. The stipulations show plenty of thought has been given to key problems surrounding the brand-new business model. But they do display the inclination to include the new services into regulators' modus operandi, and render them another part of the traditional taxi service market. Such an inclination may undermine the otherwise promising prospects of something the public clearly wants. Man wins $213,900 WASA discrimination case Kerwin Simmons told the Tribunal he was discriminated against since 1989 on the basis of his race. He was treated less favourably than another East Indian employee. He further said he was victimised after he wrote a memorandum in November 2006 requesting an investigation into the qualifications of the favoured employee. The victimisation intensified after he lodged a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Commission in October 30, 2012. WASA denied racial discrimination and said it appointed the other person as Network Communications Administration solely on qualifications. It said Simmons had refused to follow lawful instructions with respect to access and control security systems and lost confidence in him. However, the Tribunal, comprising Judge Rajmanlal Joseph, Leela Ramdeen and Harridath Maharaj, viewed the evidence of a WASA witness as less than credible and, on a balance of probabilities, found in the claimants favour. The Tribunal said when WASA failed to get the claimant to take VSE P, they began to insinuate he was not medically fit to work. It found the claimant credible. On balance the claimant has made out his case, the Tribunal said. It is evidence on a balance of probabilities that the respondent treated the complainant less favourably on the basis of his race and that the complainant had made out his case of discrimination by victimisation. This is so whether the respondent was consciously or subconsciously influenced by the fact that he had brought proceedings at the EOC. The Tribunal said the acts of WASA were of a serious nature and were not one-off. The compensation awarded included costs. T&TEC supervisor on arms, ammo charges The charges are that at Park Street, San Fernando, Phajay had in his possession a Smith and Wesson revolver, he not being the holder of a firearms users licence. Another charge is that he also had in his possession, five rounds of ammunition at Park Street, San Fernando. The charges stemmed from police officers led by Ag Cpl Praveen Rajkumar, conducted a search of a vehicle on Park Street in thevicinity of T&TEC. Ag Cpl Rajkumar laid the charges. Phajay was not called upon to plead to the charges which were laid indictably, however prosecutor Phillip Ramnath recommended summary trial. He also told the court that a name-check revealed that there were no previous convictions or charges recorded against the accused, and as a consequence, the police were not objecting to bail. Magistrate Antoine was minded to remand Phajay pending a tracing based on his fingerprint, but attorney Subhas Panday who represented the T&TEC supervisor, said that he had been instructed that Phajay lives at Ali-Mohammed Avenue in Penal, has his own house and his wife is pregnant and due to deliver their baby this week. Phajay, Panday added, had been working at T&TEC in his capacity as a supervisor for the past four years. Magistrate Antoine asked the prosecutor if by yesterday afternoon or today, a finger print trace of Phajay could have been obtained, but he said it was hardly likely. Panday pleaded again for bail and Antoine granted bail in the sum of $200,000 to be approved by the Clerk of the Peace. He was ordered to report to the Penal Police Station every Saturday. The accused, however, was ordered to return to court today. Relative surrenders to police for murder He was on the run since Sunday night after Ravindranath Khelawan was found dead on the kitchen floor of his home at Ramrattan Maharaj Trace, Debe. It was reported that Khelawans sister was awakened by a loud argument in the house and upon checking found her brother lying motionless in a pool of blood. According to a police report, at abour 11.05 am on Wednesday, the suspect accompanied by a relative surrendered to Insp Don Gajadhar and Sgt Ramroop at at the San Fernando Police Station. Reports are that earlier in the morning he was spotted at a river in Debe with a piece of rope and officers were contacted. The suspect agreed to give up himself. He has since been handed over to the officers of Homicide Region Three and is expected to be charged with murder. Tunapuna man shot dead Dead is 22-year-old Dillon Douglas, from upper Balthazar Trace, in Tunapuna. Newsday understands Douglas was standing near his house with a companion, identified as Sheldon Baboolal, when unknown gunmen approached them and opened fire on them. Douglas and Baboolal were shot several times. Residents alerted police officers who quickly responded. When officers arrived on the scene, Douglas was already dead, and Baboolal was taken to hospital where he is said to be warded in a serious but stable condition. The scene was cordoned off and a District Medical Officer (DMO) pronounced Douglas dead. However while the DMO was searching Douglas body, he discovered a quantity of marijuana. Because of the find, police are working on the theory that Douglas was selling marijuana when he was shot and killed. Relatives were reluctant to speak to members of the media yesterday as they awaited the results of an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre in St James. Police compiling file for Grants killer Grant, a security guard employed with the National Maintenance Training and Security Company Limited (MTS), was attacked with a hammer while on duty at the Waterloo Community Centre on Tuesday night. Reports are that Grant, of John Elie Road, Chase Village in Chaguanas, was repeatedly struck on the head with a hammer by the suspect with such force that her skull was smashed and the hammer penetrated the brain. Minutes after committing the act, the suspect, a construction labourer of Lamont Street in Enterprise, Chaguanas, drove to the Chaguanas Police Station where he parked his car and surrendered to officers of the Criminal Investigations Department. He broke the news to Sgt Rampersad, PC Samaroo and WPC Joseph allegedly telling them, The Devil was in meh. She horn meh. I doh want to waste allyuh time. He allegedly led officers to his parked car and showed them a hammer which was covered in blood. Newsday was told that the suspect, who was described as an ex-boyfriend, constantly harassed Grant. On Grants Facebook page, one friend posted: I dont know why he didnt kill himself and leave her alone to live her life. Detectives of the Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region III) are continuing investigations. Man charged with 6 counts of larceny Anton Barnette, 39, appeared in the Scarborough Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with multiple counts of burglary, housebreaking with intent, and larceny. A police search at Barnettes home resulted in the recovery of one laptop. Barnette then took the officers to other houses in the Crown Point and Old Grange districts which he confessed that he had broken into. Barnette was also arrested on two outstanding warrants for other break-ins where fingerprints were found. In a separate incident, a 16-year-old, fisherman of Lambeau village, Tobago also pleaded guilty on Tuesday to housebreaking and larceny charges. He is expected to re-appear on August 4. Police officers of the CID searched the home of teenager and recovered an X-box and game cartridges fitting the description of items that were reported stolen. The value of the stolen items was given at $8200. The two victims, a mother and son, are both of Calder Hall, Main Road, Scarborough. The court heard that the family noticed that four louvre panes were removed from a window on the southern side of their house. Upon checking, they discovered one gold chain valued $1500, one gold ring valued $1000, one Xbox 360 console and game controller together valued at $4000, 30 Xbox games, CDs and $200, among other things, missing. Dont make Clico report public Speaking on the matter at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair yesterday, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young reminded reporters that the report was sent by President Anthony Carmona to Rowley on June 23. He said subsequent deliberations by the Cabinet resulted in the report, being sent to the DPP for advice on what can come out of the report into the public and whether there were any investigations undergoing. Young then announced, I can now report that the DPP has responded to the Prime Minister, this week. He explained that the DPP, in a private and confidential manner, has indicated to the Prime Minister that there is an investigation ongoing. Young said the DPP advised, that investigation is under his office and under various arms of State...meaning the Police Service. He added, As a result of the continuation of that investigation which commenced in 2012...has advised the Prime Minister and Cabinet that the Colman Report should not be made public. As he indicated the DPP does not want those investigations to be prejudiced, Young said this is exactly what Rowley indicated in his statement to the House of Representatives on July 1. In that statement, the Prime Minister said, A number of adverse findings of criminal misconduct of a kleptocratic nature were found and recommendations made which would be for the DPP to consider. Rowley said after perusing the report himself, he can advise the population, that it contains very serious allegations of criminal misconduct on the part of a handful of privileged individuals who were associated with the Clico/CLF (CL Financial) group of companies. Persad-Bissessar, acting as attorney for United National Congress (UNC) chairman David Lee, has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, for the Colman Report to be made public. Young previously told Newsday, this action by the UNC was, irresponsible and will not be condoned by this Government. Pension cheques in limbo According to reports, only 20 out of 47 offices operated by TTPost in Trinidad and Tobago were operational yesterday while a vast majority of delivery personnel did not report for duty yesterday. In a telephone interview yesterday, Postal Workers Union (PWU) president, David Forbes, said an 11th hour decision to defer payments from June to July and then to August had infuriated the workers. TT Post has once again deferred the workers back pay, Forbes said. Coming out of an emergency executive union board meeting yesterday (Wednesday) at our headquarters regarding back pay, we reported to the workers about a further deferral of the first 50 percent to August and workers expressed their dissatisfaction and disappointment. They indicated that their legitimate expectation had been dampened. Therefore what is happening today (Thursday) is that they, the workers, are staying away to rest and reflect and in the other instances, some became sick. Forbes recalled that Public Utilities Minister, Ancil Antoine, had initially informed the union that workers would receive their back pay by the end of June. He said the union was then subsequently called to a meeting at the Ministry of Public Utilities on July 13 when Antoine asked the workers to once again wait until the end of July. So you see, the goalpost shifted from June to July and we are now hearing from the managing director (of TTPost) of a further deferral to August. He pointed out that the back pay had been accrued during the 2011-2013 period and workers, while they had received their salary increases last September, almost one year had elapsed for the back pay. The workers have said they have had enough of this and it is time that somebody comes up and say something that is indeed factual. However, TTPost managing director, Reynold Baldeosingh, said the Ministry of Public Utilities had promised that the payment of arrears would be made by the first week of August saying the company had since confirmed that this will be done early next week. The management of TTPost could only give a commitment to payment when we know that the funds are being released by the Ministry, Baldeosingh said. He confirmed that the company had experienced a high level of absenteeism throughout our delivery net- work. Due to the low turnout of employees, we experienced a disruption in our ability to offer all services to our communities. Baldeosingh said TTPost would normally be engaged in the delivery of the social welfare cheques at this time of the month so there would have been some disruption in our ability to deliver cheques today, we hope that we could resume delivery on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Forbes, when asked whether the day of reflection was a one-time action, said The workers have indicated a willingness to go the distance at this time. They could have taken action a long time ago but, reasonable as we are, they would have said let us wait, but now it is overbearing, he said. Forbes said about 90 percent of workers had failed to report for duty. New TT Free Zone Board Minister Gopee- Scoon expressed confidence in the combined experience, knowledge and skillsets which each member brings to the new Board. The newly appointed Directors are Karen Tom Yew Chairperson; Wayne Punnette and former MP and Education Minister Esther Le Gendre. TTFZ is responsible for the promotion of Trinidad and Tobagos Free Zones. Its mission is to leverage its competitive advantage to provide an investment friendly environment that facilitates business activities to achieve the aims of national economic diversification, job creation and attractive investor returns. Young urges prayer for Rowley Young said it is a fact that Rowley is taking some time off. He said this was due to both the hectic election campaign last year and the fast paced trip which the Government has been on since then. He explained that everyone would accept that, all deserve some level of vacation from time to time. The Prime Minister is allowed 30 calendar days vacation annually, according to the 98th Report of the Salaries Review Commission. Young said there was also nothing unusual about Rowley doing a full medical before he took his vacation. Lets continue to pray for our Prime Minister and other members of leadership across the country. 'A Flying Jatt' Star Tiger Shroff is Real-Life Superhero for International Tiger Day! Bollywood, Fri, 29 Jul 2016 NI Wire PETA Supporter Calls On Government to Shift Focus Towards Protecting Tigers in Their Natural Homes Mumbai, July 29th, 2016: Like father, like son. Jackie Shroff is known as an ambassador for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, and now his son Tiger Shroff is too! The actor, who plays a superhero in Balaji Motion Pictures' upcoming film A Flying Jatt, is taking his character seriously in real life by being a superhero for animals. In the lead-up to International Tiger Day, 29 July, Tiger has sent a letter to Environment Minister Anil Dave urging him, along with PETA India, to ensure government focus is on protecting tigers in their natural homes. Tiger writes, "I know environmental issues are important to you, as they are to me. I join my friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India in hoping that under your leadership, we will see the government focus its conservation efforts toward protecting Indias remaining forests and bringing in additional measures to safeguard tigers and other animals in our precious jungles." Tiger, who had previously adopted a tigress in a zoo, points out that the place where tigers really need protection is in their natural homes, where they have ample space to roam, spend time with their families, and engage in other natural behaviours. Tiger joins a growing list of celebrities - including Jackie Shroff, John Abraham, Aishwarya Rai, Virat Kohli, Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Madhuri Dixit, Raveena Tandon and others who have teamed up with PETA to help animals. A 12-story, mixed-use tower may fill a parking lot in downtown Jamaica, Queens. Plans have been filed for a 122-foot-tall development at 89-50 164th Street, between 89th and Jamaica avenues. The new building applications call for a 9,300-square-foot community facility, 14,616 square feet of commercial space, and 143,000 square feet of residential space. There would be 174 apartments, and the average unit would measure 820 square feet. The development will also have a 63-car garage. The plans dont offer many other details, because the filing lacks a Schedule A, which lays out the basic details for each floor of a project. The site includes the First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica, whose development arm, the First Jamaica Community and Urban Development Corporation, is building the project. GF55 Architects will handle the design. The 44,000-square-foot site also encompasses a small bank building and the parking lot, but it appears that only the parking lot will be developed. Subscribe to the YIMBY newsletter for weekly updates on New Yorks top projects Subscribe to YIMBYs daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBYs Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The Egyptian government is hosting meetings between Libyan political rivals in a move to end deadlock between Head of unity government Faiez Serraj and President of House of Representatives (HoR) Ageela Saleh. The UN-backed political process in post Muammar Gaddafi Libya has been teetering with HoR refusing to endorse the Government of National Accord (GNA) proposed Prime Minister Faiez Serraj. The HoR has rejected the article of the political accord signed in December in Morocco which deprives the HoR of its control of the army. The HoR known as the sole legitimate parliament of the war-torn country wants to retain its power. Cairo on Thursday said it invited Serraj and Saleh to meet and solve rivalries. The two officials according to Libya Heralds reports have shunned the meeting. Also at the heart of stalemate is General KHalifa Hafter leading Libyas national army commanded by the HoR. The HoR wants Hafter to remain head of Libyas unified army but GNA, South and western regions of the country have opposed the move. Hafter is also invited to take part in the separate meetings. The Libyan General allied with east-based HoR has refused to recognise the GNA which he considers as Islamist and as western imposed puppet. Cairo has backed Hafter and had provided him with logistics in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) fighters. The long awaited-for organic draft law on the implementation of the official character of Amazigh provides for a set of measures to be adopted gradually, among which the use of the language in bank notes, postal stamps and other official documents delivered by the state. The draft law was recently submitted to the PJD-led cabinet by the General Secretariat of the Government and will be approved by the Government Council before being submitted to the Ministers Council that is chaired by King Mohammed VI. The draft law, which has stirred debate between the proponents and opponents of the integration of Amazigh in daily life, includes a set of measures for the gradual inclusion of the language in different walks of life. The new text provides for using Amazigh on national identity cards, passports, driving licenses, residency cards and other personal documents delivered by public administrations. It lays down in 35 articles the provisions for the implementation of Article 5 of the constitution which stipulates that Amazigh is an official language of the state alongside Arabic and that it belongs to all Moroccans without exception. Article 1 of the draft organic law defines Amazigh as a language that refers to all the varieties used in different Amazigh speaking regions. Article 2 stresses that the state shall endeavour to improve the use of this language in priority sectors such as education, media and public administration. On education, Article 3 stipulates that learning the Amazigh language is a right of all Moroccans, and that the ministry in charge shall take all the necessary measures to ensure a gradual integration of the language in private and public schools. The text also allows members of the Parliament to use Amazigh in proceedings, while interpreters can translate to non-Amazigh speakers. Article 12 stipulates that the state shall spare no effort to integrate Amazigh and encourage its use in public and private media outlets. In this regard, the use of Amazigh shall be considered a criterion for obtaining public aid for audio visual productions. Another innovation is the provision to translate and use subtitles for all Royal speeches in addition to those delivered by public officials. Morocco will send its engineers to be trained in Brazil in a bid to boost its attractiveness to foreign investments by strengthening its skilled workforce. An agreement was signed in this regards between Mohammed VI International Academy for Civil Aviation and Brazils aerospace conglomerate Embraer. Under the agreement, Morocco will send aeronautical engineers to gain a first-hand experience in Embraer sites with a view to return to Morocco with an advanced know-how. Training features prominently in Moroccos plan to boost its attractiveness for aviation industry investments. The IMA aeronautics institute (Institut des Metiers de lAeronautique,) near Casablancas international airport, equips aerospace companies with skilled workforce to meet manufacturing requirements. The industry, employing 11,500 people, has achieved in 2015 exports worth $1 billion and has been recording a growth rate of 15 % annually. Moroccos aim is to create 23,000 jobs in the aeronautic sector by 2020, increase exports to $1.6 billion per year and boost to 35% the proportion of locally-produced components. There are 100 European and American companies operating in the country, including Bombardier, Alcoa and Stelia, a subsidiary of Airbus. Clashes between the Tunisian army and jihadists in Jendouba, north of the African country have left two terrorists killed one army personnel wounded, defense ministry announced on Thursday. The clashes according to ministry spokesperson, Colonel-Lieutenant Belhassen Oueslati took place in the heights of governorate of Jendouba, near Oued Massouj. Two terrorists were killed and one military personnel was injured as army and national guards tried to flash out the militants holing up in the mounts. National forces continued combing the area on Thursday, Oueslati further noted. The army in the course of the operation, Oueslati noted also seized two Steyr assault rifles belonging to customs, cartridge magazines and a large amount of ammunition. Tunisia has been embroiled in security following the 2011 revolution which saw countrys autocratic leader Ben Ali ousted. Three terrorist attacks sponsored by the Islamic State (IS) hit the country last year claiming lives of 71 people, most whom are foreign tourists. Protesters with Democracy Spring, which is trying to change the way superdelegates affect the electoral process, block the entrance to the Wells Fargo Center during the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine The crowd of hundreds assembled next to Philadelphias Municipal Services Building was hot, sweaty, and fired up. These were the Bernie or Busters who have paraded, chanted, booed, cried, roll called, walked off, and jeered all week. They held signs that read Hillary Murdered Harambe, Never Killary, Boycott the Democratic Party, and When the RNC Is Racist and the DNC Is Orwellian, We Are Morally Obligated to Vote 3rd Party. The most popular sign was the word Oligarchy with a no symbol on top of it, a sign clearly targeting Hillary Clinton. How can we vote for her? a 23-year-old protester named Ana Maria told me. What would we be voting for? The Bernie movement might be small here in Philadelphia, but it is live and it is loud. And the broader question now is whether this is its beginning or its end. You could, of course, argue that it is the end: Sanderss campaign is over, and he has urged his supporters to get behind Clinton. This election is not about, and has never been about, Hillary Clinton, or Donald Trump, or Bernie Sanders or any of the other candidates who sought the presidency, Sanders said on the main stage on Monday night. This election is about and must be about the needs of the American people and the kind of future we create for our children and grandchildren. Clinton, for her part, has moved markedly to the left during the primary, with even the Sanders campaign now lauding the Democratic platform as being the most progressive ever. Perhaps these are signs that the Bernie movement will die through co-option. Clinton is now winning over about 90 percent of Bernie voters, after all. And perhaps it will die through splintering, given the number of Bernie or Busters I met who were promising to throw their votes to Jill Stein, thus throwing their votes away. But at the convention, I got the sense that the end of the Bernie campaign might not mean the end of the Bernie movement. The Bernie flank might sustain its energy or even grow stronger during the Clinton years. For one, Sanders has started building institutions to harness his movement now that his campaign is gone. It would be a terrible, terrible shame if we do not figure out a way to capture that energy, to capture that idealism, to capture that love of this country, Sanders told reporters this week. And thats kind of what I want to do. He is launching the Sanders Institute, an educational institution to raise awareness of inequality and other issues, and has launched the Our Revolution social welfare organization to help recruit, train and fund progressive candidates campaigns. He also is promising to throw his weight behind as many as 100 progressive candidates this cycle. New campaigns will carry the Sanders imprimatur, in other words, and might harness some of that Sanders support. And formal institutions will be there to push Sanders ideas and to receive his supporters energies. Granted, other defeated candidates have launched similar efforts to sway the political process, to little end. Theres Dennis Kucinichs Progressive Democrats, and Howard Deans Democracy for America. But Sanders did far better than either Kucinich or Dean did in 2004. And he remains a senator one with considerable sway and a galvanized and national base of supporters. Once the campaign is over and Hillary has won the White House, once theres no need for party unity in the face of Donald Trump, he will be able to return to pressing her to move to the left and campaigning for change. His critique of Clinton and her party remains, after all. Sanderistas see the Democratic Party and its elite as corporatist, with the nominee on Goldman Sachs payroll and big business funding her campaign. They see inequality and a rigged system as being at the heart of the malaise that many Americans feel. And Sanders and his supporters have long pushed for radical change the kind of radical change that Hillary is not proposing, even as her policies have gotten more progressive. Does this mean that the Democrats could have a tea party on their hands in a few months? That too seems unlikely: Unlike Republicans, Democrats trust in government has remained stable. And Republicans seem like a much more pressing enemy than the one within. Its easy to boo, Sanders said this week. But it is harder to look your kids in the face who will be living under a Donald Trump presidency. But theres a way forward for the Sanders movement, and I get the feeling Clinton might be feeling that pressure from the left for years to come. Clinton in Philly. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: Hillary Clintons acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Trumps Putin comments, and Tim Kaine. Accepting the Democratic nomination last night, Hillary Clinton noted that, in her life of public service, the service part has always come easier than the public part. Did her speech show you anything about her that you hadnt been expecting? A little. This was about as good as it is going to get with a Hillary Clinton speech. There was no expectation that she could match the tough acts she followed Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and she didnt. But she was confident and at ease, not always a given for her in public appearances, and she did two things very well. First, she rendered the meaning of her role as potentially the first female president in powerful strokes in terms of the nations history, in terms of concrete policies she would advance, and in terms of her own personal history. (Her mothers hard-knock childhood is not the one you expect to hear from a politician who exudes middle-class suburbia.) Second, she stood up with scorn, wit, and no-holds-barred verbal fisticuffs to Donald Trump. The Trump section of her speech makes you long for the debates, not least because she indicated that one of her implicit goals is to provoke him into losing his cool onstage. Never in the history of presidential politics in the age of television have there been two major-party contenders so antithetical in every way, from their worldviews to their intellects to their psyches to their rhetorical styles to, of course, their genders. What voter would not watch? The speech also reflected just how much an impact Bernie Sanders has had since his movement caught fire. Clinton, who at her worse equivocates on tough issues or dodges them altogether, took unequivocally progressive stands on causes that Sanders advanced in the primary, and even sounded somewhat convincing railing against the one-percenters in her own donor camp. None of this is likely to win over any conservative voters, but one would hope it helps energize her partys base. If only she had had an editor! Clinton was right to mock Trump for going on for 70-odd minutes. But then she went on for nearly as long (if not as oddly). Her speech wasnt quite as amorphous as a State of the Union laundry list, but it was shapeless, overstuffed with policy details at times, and lurched from one topic to the next with no particular dramatic logic. An opportunity was lost when no one stepped in to knit the whole thing together and structure it into a taut, say, 40 minutes. Then again, perhaps it doesnt matter. Trump supporters were not going to be persuaded by whatever speech she gave. Maybe those Democrats who are left cold by Clinton a minority of Democrats, to be sure, but many of them young and every one of them needed will feel more inclined to rally around her now. Maybe a few moderate Republicans and there are only a few, most of them employed as talking heads on MSNBC will decide theyre with her, too. Theres no way of knowing until we start to see some polls after this entire week settles in with the electorate. Despite some halfhearted backpedaling, Trumps invitation to Russia to hack Hillary Clintons emails and his comments about NATO and Crimea have renewed speculation of his ties to Russian money. How damaging could this be for his campaign? Listening to Trump invite Vladimir Putin to commit espionage and muscle into an American election, I thought, for a moment anyway, that this might be the final straw. Trump not only turns out to be the Manchurian candidate, but unlike his fictional prototype, hes not even trying to hide his treasonous plot to aid our No. 1 geopolitical foe (as the previous GOP presidential nominee called Russia only four years ago). But what was I thinking? Its quite possible that this incident wont damage his campaign whatsoever. His faithful will remain so its just Donald being politically incorrect Donald, they explain and he may even attract a few more crazies to the fold; after all, he did get a bounce after delivering a rage-filled convention speech widely booed by the civilized world. That said, a few other points. First, Saturday Night Live owes an apology to Sarah Palin: It turns out that she was not the most ignorant observer of Putins Russia to be elevated to a national ticket by the Republican Party in this century. Second, Harry Reid, though a rabid partisan, has a point when he says that he would suggest to the intelligence agencies that if youre forced to brief this guy, dont tell him anything, just fake it, because this man is dangerous. Trump would blurt out or tweet anything that he felt could advance his own ambitions, the country be damned. Third, where are GOP leaders as their presidential candidate enters into collusion with Putin? Mike Pence distanced himself a little from Trumps remarks, but Mitch McConnell expressed only polite disagreement, and Reince Priebus (true to form) remained silent. Paul Ryan released a cowardly statement that trashed Putin but not Trump. You have to wonder if the Speaker of the House, often touted as the heart and soul of his party by conservatives, may go down in history as the foremost fool of our time. The convention also served as the big introduction of Tim Kaine, whom Clinton chose to the dismay of Sanders supporters. What does he bring to her campaign? I am firmly of the belief that a veep, no matter who, brings little to any campaign if you are talking about actual votes, and the final tally of the Electoral College. But the running mates do tell us a lot about the presidential candidates who pick them. JFK (choosing LBJ) was a calculating political strategist. LBJ (choosing Hubert Humphrey) was an autocrat looking for an errand boy. In choosing Kaine, Clinton, following the example of her husband, brands herself a pragmatist: She has a partner who could actually govern if need be, and who shares her centrist liberalism. He boasts a 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood and a grade of F from the NRA, but he did until last week support trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (as did Clinton before Sanders forced her to flip). My own opinion of Kaine is high. Anyone who knows Virginia politics knows that he has been as forceful a progressive as imaginable for a politician who entered public life in Richmond in the mid-1990s. To Sanders dead-enders who view him as the Antichrist, I say Im with Sarah Silverman: Youre being ridiculous. Its also worth a moment to note a historical footnote to Kaines candidacy added by the lineage of his wife, Anne Holton. Holton has had her own distinguished career in public service (most recently as state secretary of education) in Virginia. Her father, Linwood Holton, was Virginias Republican governor in the early 1970s. In a famous incident at the time, he responded to court-ordered desegregation not with George Wallacestyle defiance but by enrolling his daughters in a historically black public school near the Governors Mansion in Richmond. This was a remarkable stand to take in the former capital of the Confederacy where the previous governor, Mills Godwin, had been a forceful advocate for massive resistance to Brown v. Board of Education but it was consistent with the Grand Old Party of Lincoln. Nonetheless, Holton was soon marginalized by the Nixon-Agnew administration, which was deaccessioning Lincoln to embrace the Strom Thurmonds and Mills Godwins in pursuit of its southern strategy of exploiting white resentment of the civil-rights movement. That strategy has now reached its apotheosis, and possibly its apocalypse, with Trump. Imagine if the Republican Party had remained true to its Lincoln-esque roots rather than sever them in the Goldwater-Nixon era: Its not inconceivable that Linwood Holtons daughter or son-in-law might have landed on its ticket this year. Dont laugh maniacally, dont laugh maniacally. Photo: ROBYN BECK/This content is subject to copyright. Good morning and welcome to Fresh Intelligence, our roundup of the stories, ideas, and memes youll be talking about today. In this edition, the Democratic convention comes to a close, Melania Trump should not be trusted with architecture, and Microsoft tightens its belt. Heres the rundown for Friday, July 29. WEATHER The weather today will be much like the weather all week: hot and dry on the West Coast, and humid and sodden on the East Coast. New England will get the brunt of the eastern storms, but the South, Plains, and Southwest should also get their share. It looks like the recent high heat will break in New York City where rains and temperatures in the mid-80s will give way to even cooler temperatures and more rain through the rest of the week. [USA Today] FRONT PAGE A Historic Democratic Convention Comes to a Close There were many high points during the last day of the Democratic National Convention yesterday: Sarah McBride becoming the first transgender person to address a national convention, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar introducing himself as Michael Jordan because Donald Trump couldnt tell the difference, and the father of a Muslim war hero offering to give Donald Trump his personal copy of the Constitution. But, the true pinnacle of the convention fell where it should, on the final speech by first female presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. She praised the generations of women who came before her, doubled down on her reputation as a details-oriented policy wonk, and at every turn, contrasted her abilities as a leader against those of Donald Trump A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. EARLY AND OFTEN Heres Another Reason Melania Trump Is Just Like George Costanza Wait a minute, Melania isnt an architect? That was the only potentially redeeming thing about a Trump presidency, a First Lady architect. Melania claimed for years that she had an undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Ljubljana. But reporters have long known that she dropped out after her first year to model no shame in that, some shame in lying, though. Now her personal website has been totally scrubbed and just reverts to the Trump Organizations website. In a tweet yesterday, Melania claimed the website was removed because, it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests. Because fake-architecture degrees are so last year. [NYT] Thank God Clinton Keeps Her Email on a Separate Server The recent DNC hack that launched a thousand conspiracy theories now looks like it might just be the tip of the . Reuters has confirmed that the FBI is investigating another hack, this time against the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Sources are saying that most likely the hackers were trying to steal information on Democratic donors and might have accessed their personal information. Investigators believe that the hacking probably began as early as last month. [Reuters] Reagan Official Calls Trump the Worst Thing You Can Call a Republican Speaking at the Democratic National Convention yesterday evening Doug Elmets, a one-time official in the Ronald Reagan White House, called Donald Trump the single worst thing you can call a Republican: no Ronald Reagan. What he actually said was: I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump will surely be deeply hurt as soon as someone explains to him who Ronald Reagan is. [The Hill] Donald Pulls a Trump You probably wont believe this, but Donald Trump has reneged on a deal. After promising to release his tax returns after an IRS audit was completed, and then promising to release them if Hillary Clinton released the transcripts of her speeches to Wall Street, Trump now says that he will not release his tax returns no matter what. Trump said yesterday that he would not be releasing his returns because most people dont care about it. And he bizarrely explained that the scrutiny Mitt Romneys tax returns received scared him off releasing his own. After he gave it, they found a little sentence and they made such a big deal, he apparently thought out loud, His is a peanut compared to mine. Do you think you could fit his is a peanut compared to mine on a hat? [The Hill] THE STREET, THE VALLEY News: Google Is Doing Very Well It turns out dominating every facet of everybodys life is pretty profitable. Alphabet Googles parent company released quarterly earnings yesterday that were up by a whopping 24 percent. The growth was driven by companies buying more ads and users clicking on them at a higher rate. Kids are such suckers. [WSJ] Microsoft Will Cut Thousands of Jobs On a day when other tech giants were boasting of historic successes, Microsoft had some less-optimistic news to share. The Seattle-based company will cut a further 2,850 jobs, bringing the total planned cuts up to nearly 4 percent of its entire workforce. Finland is bearing the brunt of the layoffs with the Finnish smartphone section losing fully 1,850 jobs. Back to a life of government-subsidized leisure we kid. [Reuters] Company That Does Something We Dont Understand Buys Company That Does the Same Oracle the tech company best known for its CEOs megayacht announced yesterday that it is buying NetSuite the tech company best known for being bought by Oracle for $9.3 billion. The move is part of Oracles aggressive push to beef up its cloud-computing services. [Bloomberg] Apparently Selling Everything in the World for Less Than Everyone Else Is a Great Business Plan Amazon, the company that naysayers claimed could never turned a profit, is starting to turn a lot of it. The company just announced its fifth straight quarter in the black, with this last term being its most profitable yet, beating Wall Streets expectations by a wide margin. [The Verge] MEDIA BUBBLE Vox Media Welcomes New Publisher, Melissa Bell Vox Media announced yesterday that Melissa Bell is coming onboard as the companys new publisher. And what does a publisher do in a world where nothing is published anymore? Apparently she tries to develop the companys brands and identify opportunities to build its audience on its sites and across different platforms, such as Snapchat and Facebook. Best of luck, Melissa! [Poynter] New York Times Boosts Subscribers but Still Loses Money The New York Times revealed yesterday that it posted a net loss of half a million dollars for its second quarter. But the news wasnt all grim. It also announced that it had added 51,000 new digital subscribers and 16,000 crossword subscribers which we just discovered is a thing and are totally getting our mom for her birthday. The losses are mostly from severance packages paid out to staff members after the closure of the Paris bureau. [NYT] Newt Is Back Where He Belongs Confirmed moon-lover Newt Gingrich has accepted his old job as a testily unhinged Fox News contributor and will be back on the air the first of next month. Newt severed ties with the network when it looked like Donald Trump might tap him for his vice president. Instead Trump went with former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean. [The Hill] PHOTO OP I Will Gladly Lend You My Copy! Heres Khizr Khan, father of a fallen Muslim war hero, offering Donald Trump his copy of the Constitution. You have sacrificed nothing! Khan yelled at Trump, And no one! Throwing the book at him. Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/2016 Getty Images MORNING MEME This Picture, Though If you dont follow the Jill Biden parody account, get on that. OTHER LOCAL NEWS Hero Criminals Save Jerks Dog A group of thieves in Chicago unwittingly did a good deed when they broke into a mans truck to steal his laptop, thereby saving the defenseless dog that had been locked in the sweltering backseat while his owner went to have a few hours worth of beers. Somebody start a kickstarter for these kids. [UPI] The Great Orlando Police-Department Donut Embarrassment A Florida man was arrested recently. His only crime? Being just like us. Apparently the Orlando-area gentleman had enjoyed so many glazed donuts in his car that police mistook the accumulated glaze crumbs on his floorboards for meth and arrested him. In our day, police could tell donut glaze from a mile away. [UPI] HAPPENING TODAY Its Not Like There Havent Been Signs Be careful what you wish for. End Times Prophecies has confirmed that the world will end today. Probably around the time you finish this newsletter because of something called the polar flip. Which would be a great cocktail name for our next wack-job-themed party. [AOL] Green Party presidential candidate and very amateur historian Jill Stein. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images The other day, WGBH interviewed Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate for president, who is recruiting disaffected supporters of Bernie Sanders. Given the current closeness of the race, and the dire consequences of a Donald Trump victory, the interviewer naturally wanted to know how she feels about potentially throwing the election to Trump. Her answer is the sort of jargon-laced evasion that, if previous Green Party nominee Ralph Nader is any example, we can expect to hear between now and the election: What we know from history, and what we know from the current situation, we are seeing a rise in right-wing extremism, not just in the United States, and its not just Donald Trump, its also throughout countries in Europe. What is driving this? It is policies like NAFTA, like globalization, like the dominance of the banks, like the Wall Street bailouts, like the Wall Street meltdown thanks to deregulation. Who gave us those policies? The Clintons were leading the way on those policies! The answer to neofascism is stopping neoliberalism. Putting another Clinton in the White House will fan the flames of this right-wing extremism. We have known that for a long time ever since Nazi Germany. We are going to stand up to Donald Trump and to stand up to Hillary Clinton! .@DrJillStein was asked how she'd feel if her campaign helped get Trump elected. Her answer is completely nuts. pic.twitter.com/M1S9WYLZtv Alan Kestrel (@AlanKestrel750) July 28, 2016 The key to unraveling this stream of gibberish is to begin with the sentence We have known that for a long time ever since Nazi Germany. What exactly have we known? It is hard to say. Normally, we have known that would refer to the previous sentence, but, in this case, the previous sentence is Putting another Clinton in the White House will fan the flames of this right-wing extremism. Surely, to whatever extent it can be known that a Clinton in the White House leads to right-wing extremism, it certainly was not known during the Third Reich which occurred several decades before the first Clinton administration, at least according to the standard neoliberal calendar. In fact, the one time in American history a Clinton held the White House, it did not lead to fascism. True, it did lead to a Republican administration, but it wouldnt have if it werent for, among many factors, a Green Party candidate who siphoned off enough votes in Florida to tilt the outcome. The history of bad things that happen after Clinton presidencies argument is not a strong justification for Steins candidacy. Alternatively, Stein might be referring to the previous sentence the thing we have known since Nazi Germany is not that Clinton presidencies lead to fascism, but that The answer to neofascism is stopping neoliberalism. This, however, is also a strange conclusion to draw. The crisis in Weimar Germany had many causes, but one of them was the Communist Partys insistence on destroying the Social Democrats. Because the Communists would not support any center-left government coalition, it was impossible to form a parliamentary majority without the Nazis. So whatever lessons about left-wing political strategy we should draw from the Nazi era, withhold votes from the mainstream party that is the only viable alternative to the far right is definitely not one of them. Whats most fascinating is that Stein does not try to downplay the danger of a Trump presidency. Instead, she likens it to fascism and Nazism (a comparison that I actually think, for all of Trumps authoritarian tendencies, goes too far). And yet, proceeding from her premise that Clintonism will lead to fascism, she concludes that she must stand up to both Donald Trump and the only candidate who can prevent Donald Trump from winning the presidency, in equal measure. Neoliberalism the left-wing term of abuse for liberalism leads to fascism, so we might as well skip the neoliberalism step and go straight to the fascism. The mark of Kaine. Photo: SAUL LOEB/This content is subject to copyright. In 35 U.S. states, destitute women have no abortion rights. Or at least, none that they have the power to exercise. This is because the Hyde Amendment bars the use of federal dollars for abortion services. And so, throughout most of America, Medicaid will not cover the cost of the procedure. Clinton's Robby Mook to @jaketapper: "(Kaine) has said he will stand w/ Sec Clinton to...repeal the Hyde amendment." https://t.co/x4hwaZCcKJ Ted Davis (@TedDavisSAV) July 26, 2016 Clinton spokesman @JesseFFerguson tells me @TimKaine's commitment to stand w/ Hillary on repealing the Hyde amendment "was made privately." Ted Davis (@TedDavisSAV) July 26, 2016 That doesnt necessarily make Kaine a useless ally for supporters of reproductive choice. The coalition for legal abortion would be larger if more personally pro-life Americans adopted Kaines assessment that outlawing the procedure does more harm than good. The trouble is that Kaine also seems to subscribe to the belief that funding abortion with federal tax dollars violates the religious liberty of pro-life Catholics. Earlier this week, it seemed that Kaine had recognized the flaws in this position: In a pluralistic democracy, we all have to fund things were morally opposed to (like incinerating Yemeni wedding parties, for example). And if one supports sending fungible foreign aid to countries with legal abortion, as Kaine does, then its hard to understand why allowing Medicaid to fund all legal medical services is a problem. Personally is an odd word in this context. One can have a personal stance on the morality of a procedure or behavior. But an elected leader cant really have a personal stance on a piece of legislation. If Clinton became severely ill and Kaine had to assume the duties of the presidency does this mean he would personally veto a bill repealing the Hyde Amendment? On Friday, Kaine snuffed out such ambiguities, telling CNN, I have been for the Hyde Amendment. I havent changed my position on that. In one sense, Kaines opposition to repealing Hyde may seem irrelevant. There isnt a congressional majority for repealing the law right now, and there wont be for a long time (if ever). Khizr Khan offers Trump one of his favorite books. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images After the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Donald Trump revived his proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the United States. Among his justifications for a policy of overt religious discrimination was that, even if the government could properly vet all Muslim immigrants, it still wouldnt be able to prevent the radicalization of their children. Even a Muslim citizen born in this country, Trump suggested, was an inherent risk to the safety and well-being of other Americans. In 2004, captain Humayun Khan lost his life in Iraq while protecting the safety and well-being of his fellow American soldiers. On Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention, his father, an American Muslim immigrant, delivered another powerful indictment of Donald Trumps patriotism in a convention thats been full of them. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims, Khizr Khan said in Philadelphia. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump: Youre asking Americans to trust us with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy! As Khan pulled out his pocket version of the U.S. Constitution, the convention hall exploded. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law, Khan instructed. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. Youll see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing! Khan shouted. And no one! Khan concluded by imploring his fellow immigrants not to take this election lightly, but rather, to honor the sacrifice of my son, take the time to get out and vote. Make America Polite Again. Photo: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images On Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention, President Obama referred to Donald Trump as a homegrown demagogue. On Friday, Trumps running mate, Mike Pence, argued that this display of discourtesy was beneath the hallowed office that Obama holds. I dont think name-calling has any place in public life, and I thought that was unfortunate that the president of the United States would use a term like that, Pence told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Friday. One of the central appeals of the Trump-Pence ticket has been its commitment to making American political discourse civil again. While Pence was calling out Obamas un-presidential epithet, the GOP standard-bearer went on a tweet storm about the importance of remaining polite and generous in discussions of political affairs no matter how much we may disagree with our interlocutors. "Little" Michael Bloomberg, who never had the guts to run for president, knows nothing about me. His last term as Mayor was a disaster! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Crooked Hillary said that I "couldn't handle the rough and tumble of a political campaign." Really,I just beat 16 people and am beating her! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 The dishonest media didn't mention that Bernie Sanders was very angry looking during Crooked's speech. He wishes he didn't make that deal! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 I am watching Crooked Hillary speak. Same old stuff, our country needs change! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Trump made similar arguments for the virtues of treating ones political opponents with respect throughout the GOP primary. Jeb Bush just got contact lenses and got rid of the glasses. He wants to look cool, but it's far too late. 1% in Nevada! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2016 Little Marco Rubio is just another Washington D.C. politician that is all talk and no action. #RobotRubio pic.twitter.com/HJWJeoZn4o Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2016 Delegates use their Hillary signs to block a CodePink protester on the floor. Photo: Bill Clark/ 2016 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. The Democratic National Convention erupted in booming chants of Hillary! Hillary! throughout Clintons acceptance speech, masking little pockets of discontent that still brewed in the arena. At least one group protesting the DNC urged its supporters to rush the stage and perform a citizens arrest of Hillary Clinton. It never reached that point. But a vocal minority of disgruntled Bernie Sanders supporters and other protesters pushed to make their anger known. Some pro-Bernie protesters reportedly wore neon shirts, so they would glow and stand out in the darkened arena. Neon yellow shirts pop in darkness. Potential protesters according to some delegates. pic.twitter.com/Q1YGRn16YW Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) July 29, 2016 Outbursts have largely calmed but silent protests continue throughout Clinton's speech. Protesters in neon shirts r holding anti-TPP signs Maya Rhodan (@m_rhodan) July 29, 2016 View from the rafters (sorry), neon shirts seem to be ones protesting. #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/1ugui6TdHu Peter Zampa (@PeterZampa) July 29, 2016 Demonstrators, particularly from the California delegation, tinkered with their Hillary signs to spell LIAR. Others just scrawled black-marker messages of protest over the official signage. Among the messages: Anti-TPP and No More War. At one point, the California delegation unfurled a Wikileaks banner, an apparent shout-out to the organization that published the DNC leaks. Among the Sanders delegates in the California delegation, a "Wikileaks" sign pic.twitter.com/FX7hhOEThI Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) July 29, 2016 Example of protest sign in the arena with "the revolution continues" over a @HillaryClinton sign pic.twitter.com/6Ol4EBScgl Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) July 29, 2016 Hillary Clinton supporters waged counterprotest operations on the dissenters. They cheered Hillarys name when chants of No More War! or Liar! or Goldman Sachs erupted. The pro-Clinton contingent fought signs with signs, and tried to box out the the protesters banners from view. Hillary cheers sparked by the need to drown out protesters, not pegged to emotional high points in the text. Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) July 29, 2016 There are DNC volunteers here too now who chant "Hillary!" when the protesters start chanting. pic.twitter.com/780BH8YFOr Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) July 29, 2016 "Hillary!" chants attempt to drown out nearby chants of "No more war!" breaking out in this corner. pic.twitter.com/uxkvg4gdUV Casey McDermott (@caseymcdermott) July 29, 2016 Obama signs used to block anti-TPP sign in Florida delegation #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/uxTlbyGhq5 George Bennett (@gbennettpost) July 28, 2016 Mini-arguments also reportedly broke out in the audience, with Clinton and Bernie supporters going head-to-head in shouting matches. Hillary mentions Bin Laden & some Cali. protesters yell "No more war!" Many nearby shush them, yell "Hillary!" https://t.co/2peCd4IwbW Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) July 29, 2016 an argument breaking out in the Florida delegation. Some chanting No More War, those around them shouting USA back pic.twitter.com/agPgz8nmdd Meagan Fitzpatrick (@fitzpatrick_m) July 29, 2016 Some Sanders delegates, including a big pack from California, walked out soon after Clinton accepted the nomination. California delegates leave after Hillary officially accepts the nomination. #DemsInPhilly https://t.co/Tm296aFBOl Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) July 29, 2016 PHOTOS: Bernie delegates walking out of arena because they "had to." https://t.co/C2tH4XikGf #DNCinPhilly pic.twitter.com/er0QaypE85 Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) July 29, 2016 Security swooped in on some of the disrupters, and a few protesters were reportedly arrested by Philly police inside the arena. 2 protesters removed from FL delegation during Clinton speech #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/QFGca0Y2Nz Bridget Bowman (@bridgetbhc) July 29, 2016 Outside, protests bubbled into the fourth day. Though protesters never managed to apprehend Hillary Clinton, she faced trial in absentia, outside the convention hall. At least some demonstrators staging a sit-in clashed with police. Protesters holding a "trial" for Hillary Clinton pic.twitter.com/dB5r3z0NOu Jim Dalrymple II (@Dalrymple) July 29, 2016 Chant: "No this ain't no normal protest. We are putting you under arrest. #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/OjEfPZrU8d Bobby Allyn (@BobbyAllyn) July 29, 2016 Photo: Carl Court/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Julian Assange, the founder and head of WikiLeaks, has laid his cards on the table: He views it as his mission to do what he can to prevent Hillary Clinton from becoming president of the United States of America. And his reasons arent just political, as Charlie Savage wrote earlier this week in the New York Times: In an interview with Robert Peston of ITV on June 12, Savage wrote, Assange suggested that he not only opposed her candidacy on policy grounds, but also saw her as a personal foe. Recently, the internet rumor mill has been circulating an enticing possibility for those rooting for an Assange takedown of Clinton: Assange says that he has, in his possession, an email or emails that will offer enough evidence thats the simple, two-word quote that is repeated over and over and over, everywhere for authorities to indict Clinton. If you Google Clinton Assange indictment, the headlines scream off the screen, each more excitable than the last: Democrat Scandal: Julian Assange Claims New Leaks Will Send Hillary Clinton to Prison Over Campaign to Destroy Bernie Sanders, BREAKING: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says his next leak will virtually guarantee an indictment of Hillary Clinton, Julian Assange: My Next Leak Will Ensure Hillarys Arrest, and so on. (Disclosure: My brother does data analysis for the Clinton campaign.) Suffice it to say, this would be a big deal. If Hillary Clinton got indicted, it would virtually hand the election to Donald Trump. But after the millions of dollars Republican members of Congress spent investigating the Benghazi attacks, the yearlong FBI inquiry into Clintons use of a private, non-secure server for emails that led to that agencys director, James Comey, publicly reprimanding Clinton as extremely careless but declining to press charges, and the endless scrutiny of the Clinton Foundations finances, what could such an email possibly contain? Or maybe thats the wrong question to be asking. Based on my attempt to verify the quote in question, Assange may have never actually claimed to have such materials. Rather, this may have all been an out-of-control game of internet telephone, of rumormongering at its worst and least responsible, propagated by outlets hostile to Clinton and eventually reaching the pages of the top newspaper in the United States, the Times, and one of the top papers in Canada, the National Post. At the very least it appears that the most popular version of the blockbuster-emails story that Assange told ITV a future release will contain enough evidence to indict Clinton is false, despite having been endlessly echoed online. Assange did not make that claim in that interview, and while its hard to prove the total nonexistence of a two-word quote, theres no clear evidence he uttered that phrase in an interview at all. Before explaining whats going on here, its important to make clear that Assange has said that WikiLeaks will be dumping juicy Clinton-related documents in the future. But this is different, and less surprising, from the idea of Assanges explicitly mentioning a specific email or emails that could lead to a Clinton indictment. Its one thing to say Were going to release emails that will make Hillary Clinton look bad, which WikiLeaks has done and will undoubtedly continue to do whenever it can, and its quite another to say Were going to release emails that will land Hillary Clinton in prison. The confusion that gave rise to the enough evidence rumor might stem from the fact that the ITV spot was a bit of a train wreck. Mostly, the interview has been spread around online via this link to a shortened version, but what appears to be the full, start-to-finish interview is here, with the Clinton portion coming in the last 3:30 or so: As Savage notes in his Times writeup, part of the reason this interview slipped under the radar when it first aired was because Mr. Peston appeared to mistakenly assume that WikiLeaks had obtained still-undisclosed emails from the private server Mrs. Clinton had used while secretary of state and kept cutting Mr. Assange off to ask about it. But those emails had actually already been published by the State Department as a result of the FBIs investigation into Clintons cybersecurity (or lack thereof) practices WikiLeaks just compiled them into an easy-to-search database. Thats why the interview is a bit hard to fully follow: As Savage writes, it now seems clearer that Mr. Assange was trying to talk about the Democratic National Committee emails, even as Peston was pressing him about server emails. He was giving a hint about the big reveals to come the emails that led to a fair amount of Democratic embarrassment, and to the ouster of Debbie Wasserman Schultz as chair of the DNC. But on the question of whether Assange mentioned the possibility of a Clinton indictment in that interview, the answer is clear: Yes, he did, but in a very specific and not particularly explosive way. It comes at around the five-minute mark of the full video: We have accumulated a lot of material about Hillary Clinton we could proceed to an indictment. But because Loretta Lynch is the DoJ, head of the DoJ in the United States, appointed by Obama, Loretta Lynch is the person in charge of our case [meaning the governments investigation of WikiLeaks dissemination of classified government documents]. Shes not going to indict Hillary Clinton, thats not possible that could happen, but the FBI can push for concessions from the new Clinton government in exchange for its lack of indictment. But theres very strong material, both in the emails and in relation to the Clinton Foundation. For example, we published an email where Hillary Clinton is instructing her staff to remove the Classified header of a classified document and send it by a non-classified fax. So that just requires one more thing, which is to show that the document was actually sent. But she instructed her staff to violate those classification procedures in the United States. Assange is claiming that one of the emails WikiLeaks had already published at that time (via the State Department releases) could potentially be indictment-worthy in the context of future evidence that hasnt yet emerged but that he finds that extremely unlikely. Hes making the common-sense observation that the Democrat-appointed attorney general is probably not looking to go out of her way to indict a Democratic former secretary of State who is running for President during the peak of a presidential campaign. (Update: On Twitter, Savage points out that when you include Assanges words from immediately prior to what I excerpted, it sounds like hes saying something a bit different, though some interpretation is required with regard to the placement of the quotation marks: The FBI is going to go, We have accumulated a lot of material about Hillary Clinton we could proceed to an indictment. But because Loretta Lynch is the DoJ head of the DoJ in the United States, appointed by Obama Loretta Lynch is the person in charge of our case. Shes not going to indict Hillary Clinton, thats not possible that could happen. But the FBI can push for concessions from the new Clinton government in exchange for its lack of indictment. But theres very strong material, both in the emails and in relation to the Clinton Foundation In this reading, our case again, per Savage on Twitter refers to the governments hypothetical case against Clinton, not against WikiLeaks. In listening to the interview, I had processed a pause in Assanges speech as him trailing off and switching his train of thought: The FBI is going to go We have accumulated I actually think Savages interpretation is more likely. If hes right, then it gets even harder to interpret this segment as Assange claiming there is still-unreleased material that will lead to Clintons indictment rather, hes imagining that the FBI believes it already has enough evidence to indict, but that investigators there realize that Lynchs allegiances make that a political impossibility.) Now, the full story of Clintons asking for the header to be removed is a bit murky, and there are potentially nonincriminating explanations. But setting aside the merits of Assanges legal analysis, there is no point in this clip, or the ITV segment on the whole, when he claims specifically that he is sitting on unreleased material that will likely lead to Clintons indictment, or when he uses the phrase enough evidence to describe the contents of a leak-to-come. Plus, that claim makes no sense in the full context of the clip: If he was anticipating an indictment, why would he be talking about his hopes for the FBI to extract concessions from a new Clinton government? Yet the interview has been presented, thousands of times now if you factor in the internets bottom-feeders, as proof that Assange is going to be releasing some bombshell materials that pose a serious legal threat to Clinton. (An email to WikiLeaks seeking comment bounced back.) The enough evidence quote turns out to be rather ghostly almost every time it is mentioned online, its either attributed to the ITV interview or disconnected from any sourcing whatsoever. Trying to track it down leads deep down a dark internet rabbit hole. In a Russia Today segment posted to YouTube Wednesday, for example, the host leads off by saying that Julian Assange is now preparing to release more leaked emails, and this time he says they will, quote, provide enough evidence to indict Hillary Clinton. The host doesnt provide the source of the quote (or make it clear where it leaves off). If you then Google Assange and the exact phrase enough evidence, one top Google News result the top result for me is a National Post article from Tuesday which references a Democracy Now interview. Quoting from that interview, the Post article notes: In relation to sourcing, I can say some things, Assange told the host. (A), we never reveal our sources, obviously. Thats what we pride ourselves on. And we wont in this case, either. But no one knows who our source is. Assange has said the release Friday was the first in a series and the new emails would provide enough evidence to indict Clinton. In a June interview with Britains ITV, Assange said the same, warning there was enough evidence to indict Clinton if the U.S. government had the courage to do so. [emphasis mine] What does has said mean here? To which interview is it referring? Again, we have the unusual situation of a direct quote being provided with no specific attribution. As the slippery phrasing hints, enough evidence didnt come from the Democracy Now segment that transcript doesnt contain the words enough, evidence, or indict, and only mentions arrested in the context of the as-yet-unresolved sexual-assault charges leveled against Assange in 2010. The quote is just floating there, alone and mysterious. Theres a similar issue with an article by David Sanger, the Times chief Washington correspondent, which was published Monday: Julian Assange, who founded WikiLeaks, argued to Richard Engel of NBC in an interview broadcast Monday that there is no proof of that whatsoever that Russia was behind the original hacking. We have not disclosed our source, and of course, this is a diversion thats being pushed by the Hillary Clinton campaign. Mr. Assange also said another round of emails to be released would provide enough evidence to indict her, but her campaign manager, Robby Mook, said, He says a lot of things, so Im not, Im not going to pay attention to that. The attribution isnt totally clear, but the simplest interpretation, based on the also said phrasing, is that Assange made the enough evidence comment to Engel. But if you watch the full interview posted on NBC.com, theres no such moment. (I emailed with Sanger about this yesterday, and he said that quote came from the articles contributing reporter and that he would ask her about it. If I hear more, Ill update this story.) Other mainstream outlets picked up the quote as well: Julian Assange has pronounced that there are more hacked emails to come from his group, including ones that will provide enough evidence to see Hillary Clinton arrested, wrote Reasons Nick Gillespie on Tuesday, linking to the ITV spot. (I took it from a headline that linked to the interview, but I had not watched the interview, which is not good journalism, to be sure, said Gillespie when I asked him about his post.) A New York Newsday editorial published Monday had it slightly differently and got the date of the interview wrong: in an interview with Britains ITV earlier this month, Assange predicted that [the private-server emails] would provide enough evidence to derail her campaign. So where did this two-word quote ostensibly uttered by Assange originate? It appears, but cant be definitively proven, that it first popped up the day after the ITV interview in June, in blog posts covering that interview published by Zero Hedge and Russia Today. Zero Hedge, a popular economics- and finance-focused conservative blog that is very Clinton-averse and, to phrase it diplomatically, has not always had an intensely intimate relationship with the concept of careful fact-checking, published an item headlined Julian Assange Warns WikiLeaks Will Publish Enough Evidence To Indict Hillary Clinton. The post in question didnt actually show where in the ITV interview Assange said that, because he didnt say that. (Wednesday, Zero Hedge followed up with a post which noted that One month ago, when Wikileaks Julian Assange told ITVs Richard Peston that he would publish enough evidence to indict Hillary Clinton, few took him seriously. If people didnt take the quote seriously, there was good reason for it.) As for Russia Today, its article about the ITV interview had the very similar headline Wikileaks will publish enough evidence to indict Hillary Clinton, warns Assange, and like the Zero Hedge article it provided no evidence of that actual quote. The RT and Zero Hedge posts exploded across the internet shortly after they went up, gaining traction via typically high-share-count sites like U.S. Uncut (In a recent interview with ITV, Assange said the whistleblowing website will soon be leaking documents that will provide enough evidence for the Department of Justice to indict the presumptive Democratic nominee) and TruthDig, and were also posted to popular conservative forums like FreeRepublic and Lucianne.com, helping the rumor to spread still further. One YouTube video on the subject got more than 260,000 views. The original article and almost all the follow-up postings all made the same error: They all claimed that Assange said in the ITV interview that a future WikiLeaks release would provide enough evidence direct quote to indict Clinton. The case that RT and/or Zero Hedge launched this rumor isnt bulletproof, but its fairly strong. If you do a Google search over a date range that only goes to June 10, 2016 a couple days before the ITV interview theres no sign of anyone reporting this direct quote before then. Technically, there are some hits, but all the links I clicked on pointed to content which was indexed incorrectly and had actually been published later, or which was otherwise irrelevant. Again: Its very, very hard to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that a given person never used a given two-word phrase in reference to a particular situation. But typically, if a public figure makes a remark and news outlets snip a couple words from it, it takes about ten seconds, thanks to Google, to determine the context and read the full sentence in question. As far as I can tell, having checked both Google and Nexis, no one seems to have posted the full sentence from which Assanges enough evidence remark was plucked, and over and over and over, those writing about or reporting on that quote have linked to an interview in which it simply doesnt occur. This is extremely unusual. If this is, in fact, a false rumor, it isnt hard to see why it went viral. One of the many reasons people spread rumors without fact-checking them is wish-fulfillment: people who hate Clinton really, really want to see her indicted (if not shot for the supposed treason she has committed). But its still strange and disturbing, even by circa-2016 standards of viral rumors, that a direct quote that doesnt show up anywhere could so effortlessly penetrate the Clinton/WikiLeaks conversation, from the webs most tin-foil-hatted blogs all the way up to the New York Times. The exterior was painted in black and pale-gray stripes. Photo: Annie Schlechter It takes a certain type of person to decide to live in a sea of construction-cone orange. Our idea was not to think about its resale value, says artist Markus Linnenbrink, who, along with his wife, gallerist Cindy Rucker, hired architecture firm LOT-EK to transform their Clinton Hill carriage house in 2013. We thought a lot about what we wanted from this house and how to make this our house. The 23-year-old firm, helmed by Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano, was founded on a platform of sustainable design and became known for its ability to upcycle common materials, from detergent bottles to an airplane fuselage. But the design world really took note in 2000 when it used petroleum-trailer-truck tanks to house the bedrooms in a converted parking garage in the West Village. LOT-EKs renovation of this project took nearly three years. It involved adding a penthouse in addition to filling the core of the building with shipping containers to house the bathrooms and kitchen. The signature orange tint covers facades throughout the entire space the same way a stair runner might be used in a more conventional design. We chose this safety orange color because its particularly graphic, Lignano says. Like the diagonal bands used on concrete barricades. There is nary a bathroom tile or marble counter to be found; Linnenbrink and Rucker opted for more unexpected details such as a kitchen backsplash made of end-grain wood chips. As for living in a tangerine glow, Linnenbrink says: I would recommend this color to anybody; it is actually very warm and welcoming. *This article appears in the July 25, 2016 issue of New York Magazine. Photo: Annie Schlechter The Facade The exterior was painted in black and pale-gray stripes. It echoes the same stripe design of the container tower inside, architect Giuseppe Lignano explains. Photo: Annie Schlechter The Entryway The entryway houses the familys bikes, a knockoff Eames lounge chair, and an ottoman that Cindy found and had reupholstered. The art on the wall: Two Halves of a Loaf by Jennifer Grimyser. Photo: Annie Schlechter The Kitchen The stainless-steel cabinets are warmed up by a wooden backsplash designed by the houses owner, artist Markus Linnenbrink, with the help of a woodworker who gave him discarded end grains, which were then cut into quarter-inch pieces and glued to the wall. Linnenbrink added colored resin to fill in the gaps. Photo: Annie Schlechter The Dining/Living Room The dining table was designed by Matt Gagnon. The wall sculpture is by Jessica Stockholder, and the photograph on the right wall is by Malick Sidibe. Photo: Annie Schlechter Their Daughters Room Estlins light-filled room features a hammock from Yellow Leaf Hammocks. The painting on the right wall is by Linnenbrink. Photo: Annie Schlechter The Bathroom The bath mat is from Cold Picnic, and the striped towel is from Dusen Dusen. Photo: Annie Schlechter The Roof The idea was one of driving a container tower through the existing building that would contain all the functions of the house: the stairs, bathrooms, and kitchen, Lignano explains. The added third floor, here, houses an office that doubles as a guest room. The table is a vintage Wendell Castle, and the woven hoop chairs are by Sonadora. Cecile Richards speaks at the DNC. Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images On Tuesday night, something remarkable happened at the Democratic National Convention: Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, became the first speaker to say the word abortion. In fact, she said it three times: > The word itself isnt remarkable, but the fact that Richards injected it into political discourse is. Even politicians who are unabashedly pro-choice rarely use the word abortion to describe it theyre much more likely to opt for harmless-sounding euphemisms such as a womans right to make her own health-care decisions, which is how Hillary Clinton put it in her acceptance speech Thursday night. (In contrast, she was widely praised for using the phrase systemic racism.) And even when she called out debate moderators for failing to ask about abortion, she used phrases like a womans right to make her own decisions about reproductive health care, and womens rights, and criticized Donald Trump for saying women should be punished but didnt say for what. When Sanders jumped in to defend his own record on abortion, he called it a womans right to choose. To a certain extent, its logical for politicians to couch the medical procedure in euphemisms who would deny that a woman should be able to choose what happens to her own body? Its the same logic behind the choice to label the anti-abortion movement pro-life. But as Mary Alice Carter, the Planned Parenthood Action Funds vice-president of communication, told ThinkProgress, Richards deliberately chose to include the word to chip away at the stigma associated with it. Its important to have the head of Planned Parenthood say abortion, its important for any woman whos had an abortion to say abortion, and its important for us to start sharing those stories and start bringing it out of the shadows and recognizing that its a normal experience, she said. Abortion isnt some dirty secret. Its a standard medical procedure that as many as one-third of American women undergo before they turn 45, and it has been under attack by conservatives since Roe v. Wade in fact, Donald Trumps vice-presidential pick just promised to abolish it should he land in the White House. Refusing to name it wont make the procedure more palatable to conservatives it will only make it more vulnerable. Chandra Levy Photo: Getty Images In 2001, Chandra Levy, a 24-year-old Federal Bureau of Prisons intern, went missing; a year later, her skeletal remains were found in Washington, D.C.s Rock Creek Park. The disappearance and murder case, which had already garnered massive national attention, gained an even higher profile when it was revealed that she was having an affair with thenDemocratic congressman for California Gary Condit (though Condit was cleared of all involvement of the crime, he was not reelected). Nobody was convicted of her murder until 2010, when Ingmar Guandique, an undocumented immigrant who was arrested in 2009, was sentenced to 60 years in prison. As of Thursday, all charges have been dropped against Guandique. Guandique had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting two women in Rock Creek Park; his former cellmate, Armando Morales, informed police that Guandique had confessed the crime to him in 2006. The New York Times reports that Guandique was granted a new trial in 2015 after prosecutors acknowledged that they had withheld evidence that cast doubt on the credibility of their main witness. On Thursday, the United States attorneys office issued the following statement regarding the dropped charges: Today, in the interests of justice and based on recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week, the office moved to dismiss the case charging Ingmar Guandique with the May 2001 murder of Chandra Levy. The office has concluded that it can no longer prove the murder case against Mr. Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt. This newest development leaves Levys murder case still unsolved. Upon hearing about Guandiques dropped charges, her mother, Susan Levy, told reporters, I am sick to my stomach and am having trauma and grief all over again. We all want our truth, she added. I want to make sure we find out the truth. My husband and I hope that justice is found for our family. Photo: Andre Wagner In the past few months, Soko has debuted two critically acclaimed films at Cannes, started working on her third album, and sat front row at Chanel and Gucci. Right now, she might still be best known for dating Kristen Stewart (the two reportedly split in May) or her stylish Instagram account @sokothecat (it has 144,000 followers and attracts so many love-struck DMs that she once collected them in a zine). But that should all change soon. Soko grew up in Paris, but she now lives in Los Angeles, and she rejects the chic French girl label. Ive never felt very French, but Ive always had the travel bug, she says, explaining that she grew up poor, with five siblings circumstances that didnt allow her the luxury of seeing the world. She left home at 16 to become an actress. Ive felt like an adult since I was 10 years old. I already knew I wanted to act, my dad died when I was 5, and I just didnt like authority. As soon as I could leave the house, I was like, Peace out! Photo: Andre Wagner Saint Laurent Blazer, $3,550 at SaintLaurent.com; La Ligne T-shirt, 95 at LaLigne.com; Gucci Beret, $410 at Gucci.com; Saint Laurent Belt, $395 at SaintLaurent.com She quickly found that acting wasnt enough for her. I always say, I do what I want. Even after I got myself an agent at 19, and was going on auditions, and wasnt satisfied, it was important for me to be fulfilled. I found songwriting and taught myself how to play guitar, piano, bass, and drums. But Ill admit I am the worst musician because when people ask me to play someone elses song, I have to tell them I dont know how to play anyone elses songs but my own. In case its not abundantly clear, Soko, age 30, is fiercely independent. Even her personal style has a punk edge, though she prefers the term goth princess. A self-proclaimed music nerd, Soko says she takes inspiration from the Cure, the Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, and the Ramones, mixed in with Simon and Garfunkel and newer bands like Deerhunter. She wasnt trained in music, so she writes her songs while falling asleep, with lyrics in her head, and records them by singing every instrumental part into her phones voice-memo recorder a Frankenstein technique, but it works. Photo: Andre Wagner Gucci Blouse, Price Upon Request at Gucci.com Her last album, My Dreams Dictate Reality, was partially inspired by one of her favorite movies as a child. Sophie Marceau in La Boum was everything I wanted to be. She wore these cute matching denim outfits and she went to all these amazing parties. But the soundtrack to the film had the lyrics Dreams are my reality, which made sense for my album because I always dream of something and then do it. She applies that same force of will to her acting career, and it seems to be working: Her two films, The Dancer and The Stopover, both premiered at Cannes this year. The first to debut, The Dancer, was written expressly for her and took seven years to come to fruition. A musical drama co-starring Lily-Rose Depp, it tells the true story of Loie Fuller, a modern-dance pioneer at the turn of the 20th century. Fuller struggled with her body image and only started dancing at the age of 25 late for the dance world. Photo: Andre Wagner Chanel Shirt, Price Upon Request at Chanel Boutiques, Saint Laurent Belt, $395 at SaintLaurent.com You see the struggle of being an artist, Soko explains. Shes an underdog and its not contrived in selling the idea that once you make it to the top, everything is okay. Its more honest in showing that even when you get to the top, theres always somebody new coming up behind you. Its especially true today with social media: As soon as you feel like something is viral and its the biggest thing ever, everyones on to something else. In the second film, The Stopover, she plays Marine, a young French soldier taking a three-day leave in Cyprus after finishing her last tour of duty in Afghanistan. It was filmed by the Coulin sisters and won Canness Best Screenplay award. I played this really masculine woman who had to prove to the men that she was just as good of a soldier as them, and very violent. What attracted me to this film was that it really felt empowering to women that are in a male-dominated world to free themselves, and a scream for freedom and femininity wrapped into one. Photo: Andre Wagner Gucci Jacket, Price Upon Request at Gucci Boutiques, Pamela Love Rings, Eva Fehren Cuff, Zayna Bayne Choker, $75 at ZaynaBayne.com It can be hard to straddle the vastly different worlds of music, film, and fashion, especially for someone with such a strong sense of self and a life-or-death outlook on culture. Soko is quick to point out that shes become fond of working with millennials in all three fields: I feel like kids are more accepting of change in the world and will take over and create a new normal. Theres no room to be racist today you might as well be a Nazi. Any fashion show that doesnt have a mix of women is going to be called out and rightfully so. I dont want to see any more 14-year-old anorexic girls. And in any case, multitasking feels like a requirement, not an option, in her life: Its been very hard but I see it as things that I needed to do to save my life. When I have an idea in my head, theres no way I can stop thinking about it, and I have to find a way to make it happen. Just to underscore the point, she says, as shes leaving, I wont wait for people to give me my dream. What Soko wants, Soko gets. Photos by Andre Wagner, makeup by Dana Rae Ashburn, hair by Scott King, styling by Lindsay Peoples. Dr. Chris Kelley Science Lead Program Biologist, Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory University of Hawaii Dr. Christopher Kelley is serving as the science lead for the three-year CAPSTONE project in the Pacific. He has been the program biologist for the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) at the University of Hawaii for the last 15 years. His core responsibilities have included the identification of deep-water fish and invertebrates recorded during submersible and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations and the extraction of video annotations for inclusion in HURLs deepwater animal database and online photo guide. He is also graduate faculty for the Oceanography Department as well as affiliate faculty at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and serves on both masters and PhD graduate student committees. In addition to his core responsibilities, Dr. Kelley has both led and worked on numerous external grants from federal and state agencies. Some projects have involved reviewing Essential Fish Habitat designations in Hawaii and elsewhere in the Pacific for the deep-water bottomfish fishery, as well as examining the impacts of bottom fishing and the effectiveness of bottomfish reserves. Other projects have involved the description of the deep-water communities living on manganese crusts in the Central Pacific, describing the deep water biological communities associated with disposed munitions off Pearl Harbor, and extracting and formatting HURL video records for inclusion in the new Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program national database of deep sea corals. In addition to his deep-water biology work, Dr. Kelley has also lead a significant number of multibeam and sidescan sonar mapping projects throughout the Hawaiian archipelago, the latest of which involved 72 days of mapping in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument on board the R/V Falkor. His sidescan sonar towfish surveys off Oahu have led to the discovery of a number of submerged cultural resources. Dr. Kelley received his Ph.D. in 1995 from the University of Hawaii while researching fish reproductive cycles. Prior to joining HURL, he traveled extensively, providing technical assistance for developing fish hatcheries in Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Egypt, and Cameroon, West Africa. He was also an aquanaut for the Hydrolab Undersea Habitat in 1982, assisting in a study on the ecology and social behavior of Caribbean angelfishes. america Reply Thread Link No, Republicans, not America. You didn't see Democrats tweeting stupid shit about Bradley Cooper. Reply Parent Thread Link mte seb Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like shit like this is just the answer to why Trump is actually going to be President. Reply Parent Thread Link lmao Reply Thread Link it's almost like he's not really Chris Kyle. it's almost like he's not really Chris Kyle. Reply Thread Link A Star Wars Holiday Special gif? In my ONTD? Reply Parent Thread Link It's that and it's riffed! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link do they drink out of their heads? why even have a mouth? Reply Parent Thread Link lmfao Reply Thread Link "I have a list of celebrities that support Socialism" - LOL this tough guy needs to sit down with a dictionary and a history book before he uses the word Socialism again Reply Thread Link They should go and live under actual Socialism. Or Fascism, since that is a word those ppl also like to throw around. Reply Parent Thread Link Despite the fact that we broke the DNC post last night I just flipped to CNN in time to see Tiny Hands Donald boasting that he had beaten Hillary in the ratings. :( Reply Thread Link he can have this win as long as he takes the L in November. Reply Parent Thread Link People just tuned into the RNC in case something crazy went down or they announced a Purge etc. But the DNC had way more real life activity, the protests, rallies and overall number of people who showed up beat the RNC by many thousands Reply Parent Thread Link This. I'd be interested to see the overall numbers of all four days of each convention and how they match up. And that goes for televised and also streaming. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I watched the RNC just to piss myself off and see how awkward everything was. Haven't watched much of the DNC even tho I'm voting for her in Nov. Reply Parent Thread Link but did he? i thought the DNC has secured more viewers this time around. Reply Parent Thread Link too bad ratings don't elect a president Reply Parent Thread Link Wasn't he just blaming other Republicans for the low ratings of the RNC? This troll is terrifying :( Reply Parent Thread Link But didn't the DNC beat the RNC in ratings (at least for a couple of nights)? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link cant even use low ratings donald anymore Reply Parent Thread Link Although this did crack me up Trump to NYT after Democratic convention w/higher ratings, production values: "I didnt produce our show. I just showed up for final speech" John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) July 29, 2016 Notice it's never Trump's fault when something is negative. It's pretty meaningless in the long run tbh. Even with the DNC beating the RNC overall - but Trump's speech having more ratings over Hillary's made me laugh cause I feel like it's tuning in to watch a trainwreck. Although I'd be interested to see the tv numbers combined with web streams and C-SPAN which aren't counted. I enjoyed watching all 4 nights on YouTube so I didn't have to deal with interruptions and commercials.Although this did crack me upNotice it's never Trump's fault when something is negative. Reply Parent Thread Link ontd is the real ratings decider donald! learn! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It depends on what he means by "beat," tbh. His speech's ratings might have been above hers based on the tv numbers, but I don't think that included streaming numbers. And overall, the DNC brought in better numbers than the RNC. Basically, Donald Lump's numbers don't mean SHIT and he's got nothing to brag about. Reply Parent Thread Link I noticed in articles about the ratings they only count the major channels and new stations. didnt see cspan and pbs on there which also showed the convention. and of course many people watched via streams. so the ratings arent even accurate. Reply Parent Thread Link this will be him in November: Reply Parent Thread Link lmao i was confused for a second and thought republicans actually thought he was chris kyle, like he was still alive and was a democrat. Reply Thread Link im sure they were just as confused Reply Parent Thread Link I'm sure there was at least one who thought that. Reply Parent Thread Link considering their nominee, I would not put it past them Reply Parent Thread Link tbh they legit think that dems are anti-american lol i legit saw a tweet last night that said "oh so hillary and democrats hate being american until its election time? how convenient" Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I have no doubt there are at least a handful of people who thought exactly that. Reply Parent Thread Link These are the same people likely voting for Trump. I'm not surprised at this. Reply Thread Link tbh I judge Bradley Cooper for starring in that rightwing masturbatory fantasy - he's a white dude, it's not like he was hard up for roles - but if the silver lining is that he's pissing off these idiots, then okay! Plus he did his best acting against that doll, so there's that. Reply Thread Link Mte Reply Parent Thread Link Probably thought it'd get him an Oscar. Reply Parent Thread Link agreed. The butthurt Republicans aren't that far off - if Cooper is a progressive Democrat but chose to play a glorified patriotic killer........... Reply Parent Thread Link I judge him for it too. he didn't just star in it, it was basically a passion project for him. Reply Parent Thread Link same. fuck chris kyle. Reply Parent Thread Link I get the impression that Bradley Cooper just accepts any job that comes his way. He occasionally guest-starring in "Limitless" TV when it was still on and even becomes the voice of Mary Elizabeth Winstead's husband on "10 Cloverfield Lane" on top of being Rocket. Truly puzzling choices when it comes to acting roles. Edited at 2016-07-29 10:38 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link "Bradley Cooper initially bought the rights, intending to only produce it with Chris Pratt starring, but he changed his mind." from imdb trivia Pratt would have been better for that awful movie. He's into guns too. Reply Parent Thread Link it has an even more delicious layer, like a snickers made of schadenfreude in the center, since vgbb is also major--SARGEANTLY--nay, nay--COMMANDER-IN-FUCKING-CHIEFLY--close ted and all about collecting that coin even if it's from unwitting dumbasses that don't know the truth from the crap they see on fox news. Reply Parent Thread Link So that is what happened! I saw a headline that said "Republicans are Mad at Bradley Cooper" and I didn't care enough to read it, but I thought it was going to be something he said/did. He literally just sat there. Reply Thread Link I cannot believe I don't see this gif more around here. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like conservatives have such slim pickings when it comes to politically active actors, of course they are going to be mad when they can't have Bradley Cooper. Reply Thread Link that one tweet where the guy was saying he ~boycotts people who support socialism~ I'm like...how do you consume almost any media, then? bc most politically active people in Hollywood are Dems Reply Parent Thread Link lmao like what movies does this guy watch? is it just like 100% clint eastwood all the time in his house? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link They'll probably just watch CMT and any new Clint Eastwood movie from now on. Reply Parent Thread Link Well, he is CLEARLY a Nazi, obviously! (I live in Texas, irony doesn't happen here) Reply Parent Thread Link ahhhh Republicans, they never stop being stupid af. Reply Thread Link Good for him! Reply Thread Link HEY EVERYONE THIS IS ACTUALLY TYLER'S IDEA OF A FUNNY JOKE don't spend your time being excited or proud or whatever Reply Parent Thread Link The girl in his snap says this, but his fans don't believe he's joking, peoplr have thought Tyler was at least bisexual since around season 3. This looks like he's copping out of his confession. Reply Parent Thread Link Good for him!!! Reply Thread Link awwwww yay, good for him! Reply Thread Link aww. good for him! Reply Thread Link marry me!! Reply Thread Link what if he's a britney stan tho Reply Parent Thread Link lmao Reply Parent Thread Link CACKLING Reply Parent Thread Link Been waiting on this since Maid In Manhattan This explains his ex. Reply Thread Link What does this last bit mean? Which Ex? Reply Parent Thread Link he was engaged and they were together for YEARS but recently broke up around the time he lost his mother Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Omg lmaoooo the Crimson chin Reply Parent Thread Link Aw, I had no idea he was the little kid in Maid in Manhattan. Reply Parent Thread Link He was a child the ?? Ummmm quizblorg?? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link so beautiful! happy for him!! Reply Thread Link WHY IS HE SO CUTE UGH good for him. <3 Reply Thread Link good for him tho, proud of him. between him and kristen, i'm glad to see people being open about their sexuality. we need more celebrities coming out if they feel comfortable to do so because representation is so important, especially for younger kids struggling with their sexuality tyler posey is gay??good for him tho, proud of him. between him and kristen, i'm glad to see people being open about their sexuality. we need more celebrities coming out if they feel comfortable to do so because representation is so important, especially for younger kids struggling with their sexuality Reply Thread Link Wasn't this already known? Reply Thread Link Why do people insist on saying shit like this in every post about someone coming out? Reply Parent Thread Link Because there's always someone in his posts who brings it up like it's common knowledge Reply Parent Thread Link Because fans of those actors pay more attention than the general public and are aware of things that most people don't know about. Like two people coming out of a hotel together somewhere that one of them had no business being at, for example. Non-fans wouldn't know about this. Reply Parent Thread Link Why did she keep her shoes on? Reply Parent Thread Link Because it's not a porn, lol Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lmfao Reply Parent Thread Link I watched this stupid thing in full. Reply Parent Thread Link ive always found him adorable, good for him! Reply Thread Link aw Reply Thread Link awww this movie! Reply Parent Thread Link for once i'm legit surprised but good for him. Reply Thread Link nars dragon girl is my favorite lipstick, I've gone through like a million tubes (pencils?) of it and every time I wear it I always have someone ask me what it is Reply Thread Link I googled that and came up with pix of Taylor Swift wearing it lol Reply Parent Thread Link It's the perfect red imo plus those velvet matte pencils are just my fave lip product in general Reply Parent Thread Link I love how the nars velvet matte pencils look on, but i hate how much the transfer :/ Reply Parent Thread Link yaaaas. i slightly prefer mysterious red tho Reply Parent Thread Link Its also national chicken wing day My fave is buffalo Reply Thread Link same, I'm getting some tonight Reply Parent Thread Link I need to have Korean fried chicken again. Reply Parent Thread Link i don't have a favourite but i like dark reds also i really can't go a week without someone telling me i look like superwoman Reply Thread Link On the Sephora website Bite Beauty is selling lipstick trios (one bold set one neutral set) for $24/each which comes out to $8 per lipstick. I'm trying to convince myself I don't need more lipstick, but am failing horribly. I WANT BOTH TRIOS. NOW. Reply Thread Link I was gonna get both but they're not amuse bouche. That's a hard pass for me. Reply Parent Thread Link the amuse bouche formula is perf Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ugh i love bite!! Reply Parent Thread Link Shay and Gal are both so stunning. I love a dark hair, dark eyes combo. And my fave, or at least most used lipstick is Estee Lauder Bois de Rose. It's a perfect everyday color for me. Edited at 2016-07-29 10:22 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link My faves : Mac RiRi Woo and Whirl, Dose of Colors Kiss of Fire, Melt Dark Room, KVD Lolita, Bite Beauty Thistle, Kylie Posie K and Kristen, MUFE M102 and C306, Nars Audacious Barbara and Anna. Reply Thread Link My favorite lipstick is probably Bite Beauty's "Violet". It's too bold to wear everyday, but on weekends when I went a bit of a fun look, I break out that vivid pink. Reply Thread Link I have Givenchy's Rose Boudoir and it's super cute and comfortable. Reply Thread Link Dude, I'm so sorry. My Givenchy lipstick stays on forever. Reply Parent Thread Link That's awesome. I love how a bold lip looks, and only recently have I started very occasionally wearing lipstick. My mom always made me very self conscious about applying makeup correctly and looking "slutty" if i wore too much, so it's a big step. I like the Kat Von D spongey lip things and the Nars pencily type things, they are pretty idiot proof to apply. But they don't last very long. Reply Thread Link i love bold lips but i get so anal about walking out wearing one because i feel like you really have to pull them off or else you'll just look ridiculous. the only bold color i really feel comfortable with is the too faced jelly donut bright pink. Reply Parent Thread Link KVD spongey lip things??? girl of what do you speak? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link A photo posted by Monica Booth (@boothopia) on Jul 29, 2016 at 1:02pm PDT Edited at 2016-07-29 10:23 pm (UTC) Right now I'm wearing Le Marc Lip Creme in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang by Marc Jacobs. I got it as a sampler for my birthday but I love the colour so much I think I'm going to buy the full size once it's done. That's how you get me, Sephora! Reply Thread Link Ugh really, I can't embed an actual Instagram photo? Whatever. If you don't want to click through, rest assured it's a fucking gorgeous colour that makes me marginally more presentable in the office. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm in love with that shade. I got the sample too and I get so many compliments. Reply Parent Thread Link So far Clarins for how comfortable they feel on the lips and beautiful shades and Estee Lauder and Marc Jacobs since they make my lips look amazing. Ohhh and I love Chanel for making my lips look and feel lush! I was collecting MAC lipsticks but now I'm over them, I don't Iike how they feel and I'm put off by wear them now. Same with Nars lipsticks, I don't Iike their texture on the lips either Edited at 2016-07-29 10:27 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link My fave lipsticks are Revlon (I think?) Black Cherry and New York Scene and this Nars orangey one that I can't remember the name of the color Reply Thread Link The NARS velvet matte pencils are my fave lip product. My favorite shades are probably Dolce Vita, Dragon Girl, and Walkyrie Today I'm wearing KVD's Lolita II tho Edited at 2016-07-29 10:25 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link I own Valkyrie too, it's a great color. I own too many lipsticks to justify buying more, but I want to check out more of those pencils once I've gone through some of the ones I already own. Reply Parent Thread Link I love Lolita II! Reply Parent Thread Link Kat Von D's "Vampira" is basically my signature color, I wear it all the time. I also like Urban Decay's "Mrs. Mia Wallace", Lime Crime's "Saint" and "Wicked" (I know, I know), and Maybelline's "A Touch of Spice." Reply Thread Link My favorites are velvet teddy and one from a brazilian brand called quem disse berenice. I love lipsticks so much. I always have 5 in my bag if I just want to change my look for the day. I cant be without them. I actually just got whirl, I am waiting for it to arrive (tomorrow I hope). Reply Thread Link I find myself writing a lot about governments lately. With moves in the global legal and regulatory space seemingly coming fast and furious recently for resource companies. And this week the action hit a frantic pace. With five big moves happening in mining policy, which all investors and project developers should be watching closely. Lets count em down. The most high-profile news once again came in the Philippines. Where anti-mining policy from the new federal government hit further heights when the mines minister effectively quashed one of the biggest copper-gold development projects on Earth. Thats the Tampakan deposit. A 2.9 billion tonne orebody developed by Glencore, before that firm exited the project last year over regulatory frustrations. And the news didnt get any better this week for the now-local owners of Tampakan. When mines minister Gina Lopez publicly declared that she will not allow the deposit to be developed by open-pit methods. A move that likely precludes any kind of major operation here. Elsewhere in the Philippines, the new government also stepped up moves against mining. Announcing that a total of seven mines have now been closed on environmental reviews with a further 23 nickel mines now coming up for similar appraisal. Nearby in Indonesia, things also got tense between miners and government. When federal officials offered Freeport-McMoRan a lowball $640 million for a 10.64 percent stake in the Grasberg mine. Freeport is required to sell the stake to the government, but has said the interest is worth $1.7 billion. Setting up for some tense negotiations here going forward. Related: Oil Industry About To Be Burned Again By Fall In Oil Prices Then we jump over to Chile. Where major gold producer Kinross Gold said this week it is shutting down its Maricunga mine pending the outcome of a government review into water use at the mine. With federal officials here seeking to shut down water withdrawals at the operation, a move Kinross says would preclude mining. Finally we end in Canada. Where a federal minister sided with regulators in the territory of Nunavut in denying a permit for Arevas proposed Kiggavik uranium mine. A development the uranium major had been pushing but which officials said cannot proceed because the company hasnt specified a start date for the project. Lots going on, lots to keep tabs on. Watch especially in the Philippines for further upward momentum in nickel prices if the above-mentioned reviews lead to more mine shutdowns. Heres to a state of caution. By Dave Forest More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Reprinted from Consortium News Co-written by *Michael Winship Shoot if you must these old grey heads, but these two semi-qualified observers of the passing political scene watched Monday night's proceedings at the Democratic National Convention and saw past the heckles and opprobrium of the leather-lunged few. Instead, we witnessed an evening of progressive rhetoric and thoughtfulness unseen on a big political stage since the days of William Jennings Bryan, Wisconsin's Fighting Bob La Follette, the Happy Warrior Al Smith and the crusaders of FDR's New Deal. Not to mention Hubert Humphrey, Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, and a host of others who though history kept beating the drums for ordinary people against the organized might of Big Money. Progressive big hitters were out on the field Monday and they successfully swung for the fences. Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders were batting like the Yankees' legendary Murderers Row, aided and abetted by such powerful players as Representatives Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley. Michelle Obama was elegant and forceful as she looked back at her family's years in the White House and endorsed Hillary Clinton. "I want someone with the proven strength to persevere," she said. "Someone who knows this job and takes it seriously. Someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters. Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can't make snap decisions. You can't have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady, and measured, and well-informed." Could anyone watching not feel a tingle down the spine as this remarkable woman traced the great arc of American history? We only prayed grandchildren were listening as she said that the story of America is "the story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, but who kept on striving and hoping and doing what needed to be done so that today, I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves? -- ? and I watch my daughters? -- ? two beautiful, intelligent, black young women? -- ?playing with their dogs on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters? -- and all our sons and daughters? -- ? now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States." Elizabeth Warren did what only she can do, deconstructing the charade that is Donald Trump. "Trump thinks he can win votes by fanning the flames of fear and hatred," she said. "By turning neighbor against neighbor. By persuading you that the real problem in America is your fellow Americans -- people who don't look like you, or don't talk like you, or don't worship like you...That's Donald Trump's America. An America of fear and hate. An America where we all break apart... "When we turn on each other, bankers can run our economy for Wall Street, oil companies can fight off clean energy, and giant corporations can ship the last good jobs overseas. When we turn on each other, we can't unite to fight back against a rigged system. Well, I've got news for Donald Trump. The American people are not falling for it." And then the hour belonged to Bernie Sanders. As he endorsed Clinton, he was gracious in defeat: "I understand that many people here in this convention hall and around the country are disappointed about the final results of the nominating process. I think it's fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am. But to all of our supporters -- here and around the country -- I hope you take enormous pride in the historical accomplishments we have achieved. "Together, my friends, we have begun a political revolution to transform America and that revolution -- Our Revolution -- continues. Election days come and go. But the struggle of the people to create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1 percent -- a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice -- that struggle continues. And I look forward to being part of that struggle with you." Then and there, the old socialist from Vermont liberated Democrats to be the champions of everyday people again. Choking on Big Money 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). Reprinted from Gush Shalom SO HERE we are. Either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be our next president. "Our"? I am not a US citizen, and have no desire to be one. But I live in a world in which the USA is the sole superpower, in which every decision of the US administration has an impact on the lives of every human being. FOR ME AS a citizen of Israel, this impact is much greater than for most and much more immediate. I just saw a cartoon showing both Trump and Hillary crawling on the ground and licking the boots of an Israeli soldier. This is not too much of an exaggeration. Both candidates claim to be unwavering supporters of "Israel." But what does that mean? Do they support all sections of Israeli society? Certainly not. They support one certain part of Israel: the ultra-right-wing government of Binyamin Netanyahu, which is supported by the American Jewish billionaires who contribute to their coffers. Supporting Netanyahu and his even more right-wing coalition partners means acting against me and millions of other Israelis who can see that Netanyahu is leading our state to disaster. Yet I have no right to vote. It is a clear case of "no representation," imposed on me and some billions of other human beings. BE THAT as it may, I have a clear interest in this election. So I want at least to express my opinion. Right at the beginning, I wrote that Donald Trump reminded me in some ways of Adolf Hitler. Now, after all the primaries and conventions, as the race assumes its final form, I am afraid that I must repeat that terrible assessment. Of course, there are huge dissimilarities. The man looks different. He has orange-colored hair. His body language is different, and so is his style of speech. Different times. Different countries. Different circumstances. And, first of all, different media. Hitler was a product of the radio. It was his voice, a unique instrument, that conquered the German masses. I am told that today's German young people burst into laughter when they see old clips of Hitler's speeches. 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). Reprinted from Smirking Chimp Donald Trump Caricature (Image by DonkeyHotey) Details DMCA Donald Trump's call on Russia to hack and release Hillary Clinton's deleted emails was one of the stranger moments in what's been one of the stranger campaigns in US history. It was a sign that Trump is either stupid or trying to join the Ronald Reagan/Richard Nixon club of Republicans who have betrayed their country to get elected president. But as bizarre as it was, Trump's "Russian request" wasn't the most interesting part of his press conference yesterday in Tampa, Florida -- that came when he accused Vladimir Putin of calling President Obama "the N-Word." He said, "Putin has said things over the last year that are really bad things, okay? He mentioned the N-word one time. I was shocked to hear him mention the N-word. You know what the N-word is, right? He mentioned it. I was shocked." So, there is almost zero chance that what Trump said happened actually happened. As Robert Mackey points out in The Intercept, it's never been reported in any reputable news outlet anywhere the world, and since Trump himself admits that he's never met Putin, there's no chance the Russian President said it to him in private. So if Trump didn't hear Putin calling President Obama the N-word himself, and didn't read about him saying it in a newspaper, where did he get the idea that it happened (assuming, of course, that he's not just making this all up for show)? Well, as Robert Mackey goes on to explain in his Intercept piece, right-wing racists on Twitter have been daydreaming for years about the idea that Putin calls President Obama the N-word. For example, one Twitter user who goes by the name "Craig-infidel" and calls himself an "Arch-conservative" tweeted back in July, 2013, "I'll bet you a dollar to a donut that Putin uses the "N" word when talking about Obama!" Another Twitter user named Jasper Mallis sent out a similar tweet in 2014, quoting the hard-right website Free Republic as saying, "'I bet that Putin and his advisers use the N word constantly when discussing how to deal with Obama.'" In other words, unless Trump simply pulled this line out of his backside, he got it from reading Twitter -- and believing everything he reads! This actually isn't the first time Trump has drawn inspiration from neo-Nazis and racists on Twitter. Just a few weeks ago, he sent out and then quickly deleted a tweet with an image of Hillary Clinton in front of a background of dollar bills and what appeared to be a Star of David. Mic.com later traced that image to a neo-Nazi message board. A few months before that, Trump retweeted a graphic that claimed that 81 percent of murdered white people are killed by Black people. The person who originally tweeted that graphic was a neo-Nazi whose Twitter account featured a Swastika avatar and openly praised Hitler. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Vladimir Putin carrying his buddy Donald Trump (Image by DonkeyHotey) Details DMCA On Monday, July 18, a surprising Forbes magazine article reported that Donald Trump is following orders from Vladimir Putin. But that's just the start of this drama. Next, on Friday, evidence surfaced that the Democratic Party primaries had been rigged so Hillary Clinton could prevail over Bernie Sanders. 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 Great Smyrna Fire By the end of Sunday, September 10, 1922, The Turkish Army had murdered the elderly Greek Archbishop of Smyrna, Chrysostomos, and exterminated most of the inhabitants and refugees in the Armenian "quarter" of Smyrna. The well orchestrated slaughter of perhaps 25,000 Armenians was according to the usual Jihadic pattern of looting, raping, and killing, which was established by Muhammad and documented in Islam's most sacred tests. Also as usual, they spared the prettier women and girls for the Turkish Army and later sale as sex slaves. On Monday, the looting, rapine, and killing was extended to the larger Greek quarter, which was now crowded with Greek refugees fleeing the advance of the Turks. Many hid in homes, churches, schools, and other buildings. Eight hundred Christians who had taken refuge in the Catholic Cathedral were dragged out and massacred. In the streets and homes, the same pattern of looting, rapine, and killing proceeded. Twenty women who had fled for safety to the home of a British citizen were raped and then killed. A full account of such wanton savagery would take many articles. The slaughter in the Greek quarter of Smyrna seemed to peak late on Tuesday, but the worst was yet to come. When the wind turned away from the Turkish quarter, sometime after noon, on Wednesday, Turkish soldiers began to spread gasoline and kerosene in tin cans on the homes and streets of all but the Turkish and Jewish quarter, starting with the Armenian quarter, which had already been partially burned. They used rags, sticks, and small bombs to help spread the fire, which quickly spread downhill toward the quay. The small Jewish quarter was too near the Turkish quarter to fire and was also protected by Italian Marines. Within four hours, the fire was raging over two-thirds of Smyrna across a two-mile front and was approaching the buildings on the 300-yard-wide quay. Most of the seaworthy civilian boats in the harbor had already departed for the Greek Island of Chios, loaded with fleeing families and their most necessary belongings. The only hope for rescue from the fire and the Turks were the 21 Allied ships in harbor, whose orders forbade them to take any but their own nationals. The foreign nationals were already queuing at the ships, and thousands of Greeks and the remaining Armenians were filling up the quay hoping to be taken on an Allied ship. One of them was a resourceful 16-year-old Greek boy named Aristotle Onassis. The fire was so hot that it forced the Allied ships to pull back 250 yards from the quay. Meanwhile an estimated throng of 500,000 was caught between the raging tongues of fire and dense clouds of smoke and the water, while the Turks guarded the ends of the quay. According to a representative of an American tobacco company, quoted by Edward H. Bierstadt, author of The Great Betrayal, published in 1924: "So tightly was the great throng packed on the quay that when one died he could not fall, but continued to stand upright supported perforce by his fellows." Into this already dreadful situation, squads of Turkish soldiers darted in and took away ten or twenty women and made off with them for whatever fate. Meanwhile the Allied ships began to take on their nationals. But they had orders to take none but their own nationals. Small boats and swimmers were pushed away. Only the most distant Italian destroyer was hauling swimmers aboard. Night after night, the Allied warships threw their searchlights on the women screaming for protection. It took the fire about four days to die out. The Turks had never tried to put it out. According to Dr. Esther Lovejoy, who interviewed many eye witnesses after she arrived on September 24, "One could constantly hear the screams and moans and shrieks of these poor women and girls moving up and down the quay....There was no retreat from that position. If they tried to go back through the ruins of the city they would probably have lost their lives...The quay became a reeking sewer." The crews of American, British, French, and Italian ships in the harbor were growing extremely agitated by not being able to help the pleading refugees. The ships' bands played tunes to drown out the enervating screams. Little mercies of hidden stowaways and picking up more swimmers began to increase. Finally, the officers of a British battleship persuaded their captain that the honor of Britain and the Royal Navy would be forever stained, if they did not go against standing orders and rescue the Christians from this Turkish atrocity. He commanded the battleship and his accompanying cruisers and destroyers: "Away all boats." More than 20,000 were rescued from the quay. French ships screening their boarding passengers allowed anyone who could speak a word of French, no matter how bad the accent, to come aboard as French citizens with no questions asked. Among others, they took aboard an Armenian mother and her eight children. There were many Armenian girls in British and American missionary schools, and they were taught French, which turned out to be a blessed providence. According to dispatches on September 14-15 between three U.S. destroyers and George Horton, U.S. Consul-General in Smyrna, a total of 1,950 refugees were crowded into these destroyers and delivered safely to Greek ports. This may have been contrary to official State Department and Navy orders. Eventually, 12 American destroyers would take part in the rescue. Mustafa Kemal gave an ultimatum that all Christian males between 15 and 50, still in Smyrna by September 30 would be taken to the interior to rebuild Turkish villages destroyed by the Greek Army. Everyone knew exactly what this meant: a long march, hard labor, and then a bullet, bayonet, or the edge of a sword. Rev. Asa Jennings arrived in Smyrna with his wife and three children in late August to be Assistant YMCA Director. He was an ordained minister of the Methodist Church, who had given up his pulpit in upstate New York to pursue an administrative career. He was a small, frail man with occasional health problems, just approaching his forty-fifth birthday. Although physically unimposing, he was very likable, spirited, and could muster an authoritative manner when the occasion demanded. He was deeply touched by the agony he saw all around him. Even his suburban home life was disturbed by the Turks burning wagon-load after wagon-load of bodies nearby, spreading a terrible stench. He felt like he wanted to do more than hand out bread and bandages, so he began to pray--for rescue ships. Through his friends on the American destroyer Edsall, he was already enquiring of every steamer in the harbor, if they would take refugees. On Friday, September 15, two days after the fire had broken out, and was still burning, Acting Secretary of State William Phillips cabled Admiral Bristol and directed him in certain and commanding terms to develop a rescue plan with Britain, France, and Italy to aid refugees in Smyrna. Moreover, Jennings was able to persuade an Italian ship captain and the Italian Consul to approve using a large cargo ship to take 2,000 refugees to the Greek port of Mytiline. He accompanied the refugees and found that the Greek Navy's 20 troop ships were there. He immediately began to negotiate with the Greek Navy and by radio with the Greek Cabinet to have them pick up refugees in Smyrna. Somehow he was made an acting Greek Admiral and was initially given six transports for the task. Kemal for some reason extended his deadline to October 8. By October 8, Jennings, now with 50 ships, had succeeded in rescuing over 250,000 refugees. Another 250,000 were rescued by Allied ships responding to his initiative and leadership. Meanwhile, Mustafa Kemal had apparently become convinced that exporting Greeks accomplished his purpose of purifying Turkey of Christian minorities, while keeping the good will of the Allied powers. Despite the miraculous rescue of many thousands, however, the genocidal Jihad against Christian minorities in Smyrna was appalling. At least 100,000 died in the looting, rapine, and slaughter in the Armenian and Greek quarters of Smyrna. Approximately 160,000 men were marched off to the interior of Turkey for hard labor followed by extermination. Estimates of those dying as a result of the fire range from 10,000 to 100,000, with the low estimates being Turkish propaganda or U.S. State Department cover-up. Admiral Bristol's original telegram to the State Department claimed that less than 2,000 died as a result of the fire. Based on the books of Bierstadt, Horton, and Dobkin, I would go with the higher number of 100,000, bringing the total to 360,000. Rutgers University has estimated that the total number of Greek civilians killed in the 1919 to 1922 genocide was 1.5 million. Another 1.5 million refugees were settled in Greece. In addition, about 43,000 Greek soldiers were died in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919 to 1922. According to League of Nations reports, 50,000 Greek and Armenian Christian girls were sold into sex-slavery. The non-Muslim population of Turkey dropped from 19.1 percent in 1914 to 2.5 percent in 1927 and is now less than 0.3 percent. "Democide" scholar Dr. Rudolph Rummel estimates that from 1900 to 1923 various Turkish regimes killed from 3.5 to 4.3 million Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and other Christians. On December 27, 1927, the Greek Government awarded its highest civilian honor, the Golden Cross of St. Xavier, and its highest war honor, the Medal of Military Merit, to Asa K. Jennings of Utica, New York. Oregon Firearms Federation According to the Washington Post, Reverend Jeremy Lucas violated SB 941. The Oregon Firearms Federation is calling for an immediate investigation and prosecution of Lucas and others. In the linked story, Lucas, who won a rifle raffle using his congregations money, claims he drove it to the home of a parishioner who offered to keep the rifle locked up in a gun safe until the pastor is ready to destroy it. If the story is accurate, Rev. Lucas is in clear violation of the requirements of SB 941. Unless the parishioner is a close family member of Lucas, this represents an illegal transfer under the Prozanski/Hoyle SB 941. Thousands of Oregonians have been negatively affected by this dangerous legislation. An anti-Second Amendment crusader should not be allowed to flagrantly violate the law. Oregon Firearms Federation is calling for an immediate investigation into the whereabouts of this rifle, the name and address of the person who is in possession of it, and full prosecution of any guilty parties. The law is the law. We expect it to be enforced. NOTE: Under Oregons SB 941 (2015), if the firearm was transferred to the parishioner without a background check (through a licensed firearm dealer while both parties are present), that was a Class A misdemeanor (the most serious type of misdemeanor) which is punishable by a fine up to $6,250 and/or up to 1 year imprisonment. UPDATE 7/31/2016 Portland Tribune: Lake Oswego pastor could face charges in transfer of AR-15 Lake Oswego Police Chief Don Johnson told The [Lake Oswego] Review on Saturday that after an initial query, the LOPD has passed complaints about Lucas to the OSP, which is responsible for deciding whether to conduct an investigation into accusations that the Oregon Firearms Safety Act was violated. I have discussed the matter with the Oregon State Police and am coordinating follow-up with that agency, Johnson said, adding that neither the Lake Oswego Police Department nor the Oregon State Police can comment on ongoing queries of this nature.' UPDATES 8/1/2016 OPB: Pastor Who Won AR-15 Raffle Could Face Charges Oregonian: Lake Oswego pastor could face charges for transfer of AR-15 KATU: Oregon State Police investigating hand-off of AR-15 won in raffle UPDATES 8/2/2016 KOIN/AP: Pastor who won AR-15 may have violated Oregon law KGW: Pastor who won AR-15 raffle may have violated Oregon law Fox News/AP: Pastor who won AR-15 raffle may have violated Oregon law ABC News/AP: Pastor Who Won AR-15 Raffle May Have Violated Oregon Law Oregon Senate Republicans Fair, Constitutional PERS Reform Options Available Salem, Ore. Today, the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) Board will receive a report from their financial actuary firm Milliman showing PERS unfunded liability has risen to $21.8 billion. PERS is now only 71% funded, dropping 15% in just two years. As a result, schools, local governments, and state agencies will be forced to pay almost $1 billion more for PERS in the 2017-19 biennium, the PERS board will learn at their 1 p.m. meeting. This PERS crisis will cost schools $365 million, the equivalent of hiring more than 2,000 new teachers, said Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day). Unsustainable and escalating PERS costs will not lead to reducing class sizes, adding school days, or making our communities safer. We need fair and constitutional PERS solutions that reduce costs, ensure the long-term stability of the system to protect retirees, and allow for investments in education. PERS rates are expected to increase by an average of almost 5% for school districts in 2017 with continued increases expected in future years. Excessive payouts, like an OHSU professors $663,354 per year retirement benefit, the Oregon Supreme Courts 2015 decision to overturn $5.1 billion in PERS reforms, and overly optimistic investment assumptions contribute to rising PERS costs. To fill the leadership gap on this issue, Senate Republicans are working with the legislatures attorneys to identify a list of constitutional options that could save billions, such as a $100,000 cap on the salary considered for pension benefits. Senate Republicans have repeatedly asked Governor Brown and Democrat leaders to work together to find a fair, constitutional solution to Oregons growing PERS debt. A copy of the most recent request is available here. However, public employee unions and the Democrat leaders they bankroll continue to ignore the PERS crisis. Instead, government unions are seeking to bail out PERS by passing a $6 billion tax on Oregon sales of groceries, gas, electricity, medicines, and other consumer goods costing average Oregonians over $600 per year. If Governor Brown, President Courtney, and Speaker Kotek refuse to act before the school year starts, a coalition of education and public safety advocates, schools and local governments, and moderates of both parties will step up and take the lead in solving this PERS crisis, said Ferrioli. Zarb-e-Azb to take action against terrorists of all hue and colour: COAS ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said that as the army consolidates the gains of Zarb-e-Azb, it would continue to take action against terrorists of all hue and colour. Our resolve to break the nexus between terrorists, criminality and corruption is unflinching, he said while talking to a gathering at the Chinese Embassy to commemorate the 89th anniversary of founding of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). General Raheel Sharif said that China and Pakistan were partners in fight against the menace of terrorism for the common good of humanity. We seek enhanced regional cooperation to root out the menace of extremism and terrorism for enduring peace and stability in the region. He said the Pakistan Army and PLA form the edifice of the overall strategic relations between the two counties. I am sure that the vast range of professional collaboration between PLA and Pakistan Army will continue to grow as a hallmark of the eternal friendship and common future of China and Pakistan. Talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said that the project was a strategic game-changer not just for Pakistan but for the entire region, and we will not leave any stone unturned to ensure its timely completion and uninterrupted success. He said that the CPEC is destined to bring significant improvement in the lives of hundreds of millions of people, besides further promoting mutual interdependence among regional states. He assured the Chinese leadership that security of the CPEC was the armys national undertaking. The army chief said that the two counties mutually beneficial engagements included defence collaboration and joint production ventures. It also includes unified diplomatic front at all international platforms including United Nations, Association of South East Asian Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; and the splendid China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. General Raheel Sharif highlighted the tremendous sacrifices made by the people of China in pursuing their dream through a united and unyielding struggle, which has certainly set a glorious precedent to follow. I also take this opportunity to convey my sincere greetings and compliments to Chairman Xi Jinping, Central Military Commission Vice Chairman General Fan Changlong and Chief of Joint Staff General Fenghui on this day of commemoration. The COAS said that it was the day that turned a peasant army into a most formidable force, and reminds us of the power of peoples unity for which no goal is too high, no distance too long and no task too hard. He said that the PLA was regarded as one of the finest military organisations of the world. The professional standards of PLA, its technological outreach and enviable operational record stand testimony to my remarks. General Raheel Sharif said that the Pakistan Army and the people of Pakistan take pride in the bonds of friendship with China. He said that this iconic relationship was sweeter than honey, higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the oceans. It is a symbol of our time-tested friendship and deep and impregnable relationship. He said that the affinity of views between China and Pakistan reflected the two countries common vision and shared destiny. This convergence of our interests and commonality of purpose make us the most important strategic players in the region, the army chief said. In the end, he extended felicitations to the Peoples Liberation Army on this historic day, saying that the people of Pakistan truly admire your achievements and we are proud of being your close partners. Anna Ling, a Ph.D. candidate in UM Rosenstiel School's Department of Marine Geosciences, catalogs core samples aboard the research vessel JOIDES Resolution. Ling was part of an international team of 31 scientists from 15 countries that sailed on an eight-week International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 359 to the Maldives. Credit: Gregor Eberli/UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science A new study by an international team of scientists reveals the exact timing of the onset of the modern monsoon pattern in the Maldives 12.9 million years ago, and its connection to past climate changes and coral reefs in the region. The analysis of sediment cores provides direct physical evidence of the environmental conditions that sparked the monsoon conditions that exist today around the low-lying island nation and the Indian subcontinent. In Nov. 2015, University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science geoscientist Gregor Eberli, along with his co-chief scientist Christian Betzler and an international team of 31 scientists from 15 countries, embarked on an eight-week expedition to the Maldives aboard the research vessel JOIDES Resolution. The scientific team on International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 359, which included UM geochemist Peter Swart and sedimentologist Anna Ling, extracted 3,097 meters of sediment cores that contain the history of the monsoon that is the most intense annually recurring climatic element on Earth. The monsoon system supplies moisture to the Indian subcontinent, which is important for the human population and vegetation in the region, as well as marine ecosystem in the surrounding seas. The Maldives are a string of island atolls built on coral reefs located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The waters around the low-lying archipelago has steadily risen and fallen for millions of years in sync with the changing climate. A new climatic phase heightened by human influence has these waters rising again, endangering the existence of the popular island paradise. "They are at the center of the storm for sea-level rise," said UM Rosenstiel School Professor Gregor Eberli, a senior author on the study published in Scientific Reports. The low-lying island nation offers the scientists a unique opportunity to reconstruct climate conditions during previous periods of varying sea levels to help scientists better understand how future climate change will the effect the 1,000 km-long archipelago and low-lying coastal areas all around the world. Today, the monsoon winds bring moisture to the Indian subcontinent but also drive the ocean currents across the Maldives. These currents carry sediment to the Maldives that is deposited along their shores and between the atolls. These sediments hold historic records of climate change and monsoon activity during the last 15 million years. At the same time, these same sediments also bury ancient reef buildups that flourished before the monsoon started. These reefs hold the key to the sea-level changes that took place before the onset of the monsoon. Most scientists agree that the South Asian Monsoon is linked to the initial uplift, or birth of the Himalayas, but the timing and other environmental drivers at play are still in question. During Expedition 359, Eberli's team drilled seven holes along the Maldives Archipelago to collect sediments that hold records of past sea level and environmental changes during the Neogene, a geological time period that began 23 million years ago. The information can help pinpoint the timing and environmental conditions that supported the development of the modern day ocean currents and monsoon conditions. "We have unraveled the physical evidence of the monsoon and now know the exact timing of when the modern monsoon pattern began, and have shown what consequences the onset of the monsoon had on the coral reefs of the Maldives," says Christian Beztler, Co-Chief Scientist for Expedition 359, from the CEN at University of Hamburg in Germany. "The scientific results of this expedition will give answers to many fundamental questions of the monsoon and the climate in general." In the Maldives, the monsoon and sea level have an intimate history. During what geoscientists called the Miocene Climate Optimum, roughly 15 million years ago when temperatures and CO2 levels were higher than today, the reefs around the Maldives atolls were flourishing. When the climate began to cool and sea levels dropped, the atolls become exposed, only to be flooded again during the subsequent rise. However, with the onset of the monsoon the new ocean circulations patterns began to emerge that were not favorable to the islands' coral reefs. The team found evidence for a period of global cooling that preceded the onset of the monsoon. During this cooling period the atmospheric circulation began producing seasonally wind changes that were ripe for the development of a winter and summer monsoon. These winds also started to generate ocean currents, which in combination with the expansion of an oxygen minimum zone caused several of the atolls to be submerged. This global cooling led to an expansion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet that caused global sea level to fall exposing many of the Maldives' reefs. The currents also caused local upwelling that was again detrimental to the corals. At three of the eight drill sites, these drowned reefs were found covered by current deposits. "These atolls basically drowned, which opened seaways across the Maldives that increased the monsoon activity," said Eberli. "This partial drowning of the atolls is very interesting as it shows that the combination of rising sea level and ocean current can be detrimental to coral growth." Upwelling of nutrient-rich waters and the strengthening of the currents sweeping over the reef flats were detrimental to the islands' coral reef foundation. Eberli suggests that the abrupt development of the modern-day monsoon conditions were not only due to the uplift of the Himalayas, which is a pre-requisite, but ultimately the result of the cooling after the Miocene Climate Optimum, which initiated the formation of the bipolar ocean circulation that is still in existence today. The study, titled "The abrupt onset of the modern South Asian Monsoon winds" was published in the July 20th issue in the journal Scientific Reports. Explore further Monsoon intensity enhanced by heat captured by desert dust Martian gullies as seen in the top image from HiRISE on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter resemble gullies on Earth that are carved by liquid water. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA/JHUAPL New findings using data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show that gullies on modern Mars are likely not being formed by flowing liquid water. This new evidence will allow researchers to further narrow theories about how Martian gullies form, and reveal more details about Mars' recent geologic processes. Scientists use the term "gully" for features on Mars that share three characteristics in their shape: an alcove at the top, a channel, and an apron of deposited material at the bottom. Gullies are distinct from another type of feature on Martian slopes, streaks called "recurring slope lineae," or RSL, which are distinguished by seasonal darkening and fading, rather than characteristics of how the ground is shaped. Water in the form of hydrated salt has been identified at RSL sites. The new study focuses on gullies and their formation process by adding composition information to previously acquired imaging. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, examined high-resolution compositional data from more than 100 gully sites throughout Mars. These data, collected by the orbiter's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), were then correlated with images from the same spacecraft's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera and Context Camera (CTX). The findings showed no mineralogical evidence for abundant liquid water or its by-products, thus pointing to mechanisms other than the flow of watersuch as the freeze and thaw of carbon dioxide frostas being the major drivers of recent gully evolution. Gullies are a widespread and common feature on the Martian surface, mostly occurring between 30 and 50 degrees latitude in both the northern and southern hemispheres, generally on slopes that face toward the poles. On Earth, similar gullies are formed by flowing liquid water; however, under current conditions, liquid water is transient on the surface of Mars, and may occur only as small amounts of brine even at RSL streaks. The lack of sufficient water to carve gullies has resulted in a variety of theories for the gullies' creation, including different mechanisms involving evaporation of water and carbon dioxide frost. "The HiRISE team and others had shown there was seasonal activity in gulliesprimarily in the southern hemisphereover the past couple of years, and carbon dioxide frost is the main mechanism they suspected of causing it. However, other researchers favored liquid water as the main mechanism," said Jorge Nunez of APL, the lead author of the paper. "What HiRISE and other imagers were not able to determine on their own was the composition of the material in gullies, because they are optical cameras. To bring another important piece in to help solve the puzzle, we used CRISM, an imaging spectrometer, to look at what kinds of minerals were present in the gullies and see if they could shed light on the main mechanism responsible." Nunez and his colleagues took advantage of a new CRISM data product called Map-projected Targeted Reduced Data Records. It allowed them to more easily perform their analyses and then correlate the findings with HiRISE imagery. "On Earth and on Mars, we know that the presence of phyllosilicatesclaysor other hydrated minerals indicates formation in liquid water," Nunez said. "In our study, we found no evidence for clays or other hydrated minerals in most of the gullies we studied, and when we did see them, they were erosional debris from ancient rocks, exposed and transported downslope, rather than altered in more recent flowing water. These gullies are carving into the terrain and exposing clays that likely formed billions of years ago when liquid water was more stable on the Martian surface." Other researchers have created computer models that show how sublimation of seasonal carbon dioxide frost can create gullies similar to those observed on Mars, and how their shape can mimic the types of gullies that liquid water would create. The new study adds support to those models. The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters. Explore further Image: Frosty gullies on the northern plains of Mars More information: J. I. Nunez et al. New insights into gully formation on Mars: Constraints from composition as seen by MRO/CRISM, Geophysical Research Letters (2016). Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters J. I. Nunez et al. New insights into gully formation on Mars: Constraints from composition as seen by MRO/CRISM,(2016). DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068956 The Mexican Navy, pictured in March, 2016, is carrying out an operation to arrest illegal fishermen using nets to catch the Totoaba macdonaldi fish, because the illegal gill-nets frequently trap the rare Phocoena sinus or "vaquita marina" in Spanish Mexico's government has launched three drones to back efforts to prevent illegal fishing activities that have led to the near extinction of the vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise. The navy and the environment ministry on Thursday unveiled the Arcturus T-20 unmanned aerial vehicle, armed with high-resolution cameras to police the upper Gulf of California day and night. It is the latest step taken by the government to save the vaquita, a species found only in a small area of Mexico's northwest Gulf. "There is a lot left to be done and time is a decisive factor," Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberon, the navy's chief, said. "We can't allow our seas to see another species disappear." President Enrique Pena Nieto deployed navy ships in April 2015 to enforce a two-year ban on gillnets and increased the vaquita protection area tenfold to 13,000 square kilometers (5,000 square miles). But a census released last May warned that there are only 60 of the sea creatures left, down from fewer than 100 in 2014 and 200 in 2012. Scientists fear the porpoise could vanish by 2022. The vaquita's fate has been linked to a critically endangered fish, the totoaba, which is illegally caught for swim bladders that are dried and sold on the black market in China. This handout photo released by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and taken on February 1992 in Santa Clara Gulf, Sonora,Mexico shows a comparison between "Vaquita Marina" (bottom) (Phocoena sinus) and Totoaba fish (top) (Totoaba macdonaldi) The vaquita, a shy 1.5-meter-long (five-foot) cetaceana kind of marine mammalwith dark rings around the eyes, is said to be the victim of bycatch in illegal totoaba gillnets. The authorities announced last week that the ban on gillnets for shrimp fishing in the vaquita habitat will be made permanent from September. Explore further Fishing ban urged to save world's smallest porpoise 2016 AFP The European research project REPARA, which is nearing completion under the coordination of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, has worked toward improving parallel computing applications for reducing costs, increasing performance, and improving energy efficiency, in addition to facilitating the maintenance of the source code. Credit: uc3m Heterogeneous parallel computing combines various processing elements with different characteristics that share a single memory system. Normally multiple cores (like the 'multicores' in some smart phones or personal computers) are combined with graphic cards and other components to process large quantities of data. "We hope to help transform code so that it can be run in heterogeneous parallel platforms with multiple graphic cards and reconfigurable hardware," explains the project's coordinator, Jose Daniel Garcia, an associate professor in UC3M's Computer Science department. "We've made significant improvements in both performance and energy efficiency, comparable to those that can be made with a manual development process; the difference is that with a manual development process, we need months of engineering, while with our semiautomatic process we can do the same tasks in a few days." These computation tasks can be applied to a variety of sectors, such as health (protein docking prediction), transportation (monitoring of railways systems), robotics (stereoscopic vision and navigation), and industry (analysis of defects in parts manufacturing). The REPARA project aims to make the energy and performance benefits of these computer systems available to users without the enormous development efforts that this type of complex architecture requires. The key to accomplish this challenge lies in, among other things, source code "refactoring", a technique used in software engineering to improve the internal structure of a program without altering its observable behavior. This is similar to modify the distribution of pipes and pumps in a building, so water flows in a faster, cleaner, and more ecological way. By doing this, three fundamental properties are improved: the applications' performance (helping increase the speed of execution), energy efficiency (reducing energy consumption), and the ease maintainability of the source code. The researchers, who have published some of these advances in the International Journal of Parallel Programming, have developed and registered three technological products that they may commercialize with an European company that has shown interest. "These software products can help developers to offer engineering services to third parties by simplifying the development process," comments Professor Jose Daniel Garcia. The REPARA project (Reengineering and Enabling Performance and poweR of Applications), which began in September of 2013 and finishes in August 2016, gathers experts in parallel and heterogeneous computing systems working in academic and industrial areas of five different European countries. The project has a budget of 3.6 million Euros, over 2.6 million of which come from the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, the European Union's main instrument for funding research. In all, six academic institutions are participating: HSR Rapperswil (Switzerland), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain), University of Pisa (Italy), University of Szeged (Hungary), Technical University of Darmstadt (Germany) and University of Turin (Italy). In addition, the project has two partners from the industrial sector: Ixion Industry & Aerospace (Spain) and Evopro Innovation (Hungary). UC3M is the coordinating institution of the REPARA project and participates through the ARCOS research group, which brings its experience in high performance computing and embedded systems to the project. Explore further Searching for faster, more efficient and sustainable parallel computing More information: R. Sotomayor, L. M. Sanchez, J.G. Blas, J. Fernandez, and J. D. Garcia. Automatic CPU/GPU generation of multi-versioned OpenCL kernels for C++ scientific applications. International Journal of Parallel Programming, 2016 They may be slimy, but they are a perfect environment for microorganisms: biofilms. Protected against external influences, here bacteria can grow undisturbed, and trigger diseases. Scientists at Kiel University, in cooperation with colleagues at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) in Hamburg-Harburg, are researching how it can be possible to prevent the formation of biofilms from the beginning. On this basis, alternatives to antibiotics could be developed, as many pathogens are already resistant to most commercially used antibiotics. The biologists have published their findings in the scientific journal Frontiers in Microbiology. Their study shows that strategies from nature are particularly effective at inhibiting biofilms. A thin layer floating on water, dental plaque, or slimy black coatings in the washing machine detergent drawer: biofilms originate when cells attach to surfaces, and organise themselves into coordinated three-dimensional consortia, embedded in an extracellular matrix. It becomes problematic when biofilms form on medical devices or implants. Pathogenic bacteria, which trigger deseases, pose a particularly serious threat, as they cannot be treated with normal antibiotics when growing within a biofilm. Therefore: "One way to prevent illnesses is to stop biofilms forming in the first place, according to Professor Ruth Schmitz-Streit from the Institute of General Microbiology at Kiel University. In order to coordinate themselves and establish consortia on surfaces, the bacteria must communicate with each other via signal molecules (so-called "autoinducers"). If this communication is disrupted, no biofilm can be formed. This cell-to-cell communication, known as "quorum sensing" (QS), can be influenced by disruptive biomolecules ("quorum quenching" or QQ proteins). "Proteins can break down these signal molecules, or modify them in such a way that they are no longer functional," explained Schmitz-Streit. Therefore, the goal of the study, financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), was to find QQ proteins which disrupt this communication between bacteria as effectively as possible. In contrast with previous studies, Professor Ruth Schmitz-Streit and Dr. Nancy Weiland-Brauer, also from Kiel University, concentrated their search on natural environments outside the laboratory. "Because principles which occur in nature have evolved and established over a long time period and are therefore particularly effective," said Schmitz-Streit. This was demonstrated by the research team by means of a metagenomic approach: they took samples from seawater, from glaciers, but also from jellyfish or from biofilm residue from a washing machine. They extracted the complete DNA from the samples, and used this as a basis to identify proteins with the ability to break down the signal molecules, or render them ineffective. While doing so, Schmitz-Streit and Weiland-Brauer determined that the number of QQ proteins which can prevent cell-to-cell communication is extremely high in the marine environmental samples taken higher than with terrestrial samples. "As the oldest ecosystem, the marine system including the oceans, water or algae is incredibly rich in new, undiscovered substances. It offers a huge potential regarding biological activities and QQ mechanisms," said Schmitz-Streit. The research group discovered even more: the communication-disrupting protein QQ-2 proved itself to be particularly effective during the investigations. "This protein is very robust and can prevent many different types of biofilms," explained Weiland-Brauer. Previous studies focused more on disrupting a particular language of bacteria. "In contrast, the QQ-2 protein is orientated towards a 'universal language', and can disrupt the communication of different bacteria. This makes it a 'general troublemaker'." This fundamental research provides important results which may lead to biotechnological and medical applications in future. If the communication of pathogenic bacteria can be deliberately disrupted, it prevents the bacteria from forming biofilms and triggering deseases. In light of the increasing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics, the potent effect of natural QQ mechanisms could be an effective approach to the development of medications. Explore further Researchers develop effective strategy for disrupting bacterial biofilms More information: Nancy Weiland-Brauer et al. Highly Effective Inhibition of Biofilm Formation by the First Metagenome-Derived AI-2 Quenching Enzyme, Frontiers in Microbiology (2016). Nancy Weiland-Brauer et al. Highly Effective Inhibition of Biofilm Formation by the First Metagenome-Derived AI-2 Quenching Enzyme,(2016). DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01098 U of T Scarborough Professor Herbert Kronzucker has helped identify "superstar" varieties of rice that can reduce fertilizer loss and cut down on environmental pollution in the process. Credit: Ken Jones A new U of T Scarborough study has identified "superstar" varieties of rice that can reduce fertilizer loss and cut down on environmental pollution in the process. The study, authored by U of T Scarborough Professor Herbert Kronzucker in collaboration with a team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, looked at 19 varieties of rice to see which ones were more efficient at using nitrogen. "We have this bucolic idea of agriculture - animals grazing or vast fields of majestic crops - but the global reality is it's one of the biggest drivers of environmental pollution and climate change," says Kronzucker. Nitrogen, when applied as fertilizer, is taken up inefficiently by most crops. In tropical rice fields, as much as 50 to 70 per cent can be lost. The problem is that nitrogen negatively impacts water quality by contaminating nearby watersheds or leaching into ground water. It's also a significant source of gases such as ammonia and nitrogen oxide, which are not only harmful to aquatic life but also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. While nitrogen is one of three main nutrients required for crops to grow, it also costs the most to produce, adds Kronzucker. "Anything we can do to reduce demand for nitrogen, both environmentally and for farmers in the developing world struggling to pay for it, is a significant contribution." Kronzucker's study for the first time identifies a novel class of chemicals produced and released by the roots of rice crops that directly influence the metabolism of soil microbes. They found that key microbial reactions that lead to an inefficiency in nitrogen capture can be significantly reduced in certain varieties of rice plants through the action of those specific chemicals released from root cells. One of the main reasons crops waste so much fertilizer is that they were bred that way. In the past fertilizers were relatively inexpensive to produce because fossil fuels were abundant and cheap. As a result, plant geneticists bred crops that responded to high fertilizer use regardless of how efficient they were at using nitrogen. "These inefficiencies used to be of little interest, but now, with fluctuating fuel prices and growing concerns over climate change, it's a much bigger issue," says Kronzucker, who is the Director of the Canadian Centre for World Hunger Research at U of T Scarborough. There are more than 120,000 varieties of rice stored at the germplasm bank at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, but Kronzucker's team only focused on varieties that met important criteria. For one they concentrated only on Japonica (the rice used in sushi) and Indica, the world's most popular rice type commonly grown in China, India and Southeast Asia. The varieties also had to be currently grown by farmers, have a high yield potential, be disease and pest-resistant, grow to the right size and have strong enough roots to withstand monsoon-force winds. "They had to be proven in the field as viable options. It's not practical if a rice farmer isn't going to touch it," adds Kronzucker. Going forward the hope is for this study to inform rice-growing strategies throughout Asia. One option could be to provide farmers with government incentives like tax credits, to switch to a more nitrogen-friendly variety. Another outcome could be better breeding programs where even better species of crops can be produced. "There's no reason a crop can't result in less pollution while also saving farmers money; the two aren't incompatible," says Kronzucker. "If we can produce more responsible plants that don't waste fertilizer needlessly, everyone wins." Explore further Scientists identify protein which boosts rice yield by fifty percent Super-Shoppers: 13 percent of shoppers account for 62 percent of Internet revenue New Worldpay study finds online Super-Shoppers spent $372.5 billion of the $601 billion market for physical goods from March 2015 to March 2016 ATLANTA July 27, 2016 International buying power in the Internet age is highly concentrated within a group of high-spending, high-frequency Super-Shoppers, according to a new global study from Worldpay called Pay That Way. Despite representing only 13 percent of the general population, these Super-Shoppers accounted for 62 percent of all spending on physical goods bought via the Internet every month. From March 2015 to March 2016, Super-Shoppers spent an astounding $372 billion on everything from clothes to leisure goods and electronics, compared to just $231 billion among the remaining 87 percent of the population. Worldpays research which polled 20,000 consumers across Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S. revealed Super-Shoppers arent just concentrated in developed e-commerce markets either. Brazil led the pack for Internet shopaholics, with 25 percent of its population of Internet users falling into the Super-Shopper category, followed by the U.S. (18 percent) and Mexico (15 percent). Nowhere, however, was the buying power of the Super-Shopper higher than in China, where despite accounting for just 5 percent of the general population, this small group of consumers was responsible for an incredible 62 percent of the countrys estimated online shopping revenues. The buying power of this group of Super-Shoppers of which 34 percent are millennials is explained by the frequency and value of their shopping habits. Eight-five percent of Super-Shoppers shop weekly, and 15 percent shop daily. Nor are they buying little. Almost a quarter (24.4 percent) of Super-Shoppers spent between $144 and $215 the last time they shopped online, and 13 percent of them spent more than $287. This study is the latest evidence to confirm the emergence of the so-called online Super-Shopper, said Tim Denison, Director of Retail Intelligence, IPSOS. This elite shopping set not only exists in the emerging economies as well as the developed world, but thrives there, thanks to the expansion of an affluent middle class, the relentless march of consumerism and consumer technology, together with the progressive trend to urbanization. Worldpays research into the preferences of Super-Shoppers also discovered this groups behavior between countries was remarkably consistent. Globally, 52 percent of Super-Shoppers preferred to use their credit card to pay for their shopping, which was 10 percent more than the all-shopper global average of 42 percent. They overwhelmingly preferred credit cards, even in markets where credit card use is low. For example, 70.5 percent of German Super-Shoppers used a credit card the last time they shopped online, compared to the national average of 36 percent. Chinese Super-Shoppers were also much more likely to pay using their credit cards than the average consumer in China. They are equipped to shop from whichever device is most convenient to them at the time whether it be PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone, Denison said of Super-Shoppers. By default they are super-connected. And by shopping online they are, of course, unconstrained by time, able to satisfy their cravings for instant gratification any time of day or night. Super-Shoppers are not synonymous with the super-rich, however. They are passionate about what they buy and sophisticated in how they shop, taking the time and trouble to research the best products and find the most competitive prices available, relishing the process as well as the output. The research also showed a potential downside of the Super-Shopper phenomenon for online retailers in terms of lost revenue. Thirty-six percent reported they had reached the checkout stage for an item and found they couldnt use their preferred payment method to buy. In scenarios like this, 52 percent of Super-Shoppers said they bought the same item from a different website, and a remarkable 17 percent said they went out to buy from a physical shop. The remarkably consistent buying behavior of these Super-Shoppers across markets is a very interesting phenomenon for online retailers. It suggests that retailers should be looking at these consumers as a distinct group that often behaves very differently from the rest of their customers, said Casey Bullock, General Manager North America, Global eCommerce at Worldpay. For example, their high use of credit cards in markets where these cards have little or no traction among the general population means that a retailer who doesnt support the full range of payment methods could actually be losing major revenue without noticing. Worldpay estimates the cost to each retailer of a lost transaction could be as much as $144, a significant amount of lost revenue from such frequent and high-value shoppers. Elsewhere the Super-Shopper phenomenon gives retailers much food for thought in terms of how they merchandize to these consumers to maximize basket size, or market to an audience who thinks of online shopping as a daily task, not just as an occasional treat, Bullock said. With so much buying power concentrated in this group globally, its essential that retailers innovate in such a way that they deliver what Super-Shoppers want, when they want it and let them pay for it in the way that suits them best. About Worldpay Worldpay is a leading payments company with global reach. We provide an extensive range of technology-led payment products and services to over 400,000 customers, enabling their businesses to grow and prosper. We manage the increasing complexity of the payments landscape for our customers, allowing them to accept the widest range of payment types around the world. Using our network and technology, we are able to process payments from geographies covering 99 percent of global GDP, across 146 countries and 126 currencies. We help our customers to accept more than 300 different payment types, by providing an end-to-end service including acquiring, treasury, gateway, alternative payments and risk management, all via a single integration to Worldpay. Worldpay makes global payments simple for many of the worlds leading organizations. Image source: WikiMedia Commons by William Tung Other recent interesting Point-of-sale articles: QUEENSBURY Alexander M. West, the Lake George man who police said was piloting the boat that struck another boat Monday night on Lake George, killing an 8-year-old girl and injuring her mother, was arrested Friday morning in connection with the crash. Four of the passengers were also charged by police as part of an investigation that police said is continuing. West, 24, of Lockhart Mountain Road, Lake George, was charged with two felony counts of leaving the scene of a boating accident, one for the death of Charlotte McCue and the other for the injury to her mother, Warren County Sheriff Bud York said. The passengers in his boat were charged with a variety of misdemeanors that accuse them of lying to police or hindering the investigation. Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan said in court Friday that West had been drinking much of the day before the crash, lied to police about what he drank and was believed to be "drunk" when the collision occurred. She said additional charges are possible, as authorities await test results from a sample of West's blood hours after the collision and investigate the actions of the group she said hid West and warned him as police searched for him early Tuesday. West's lawyer, Steve Coffey, disputed the allegations, saying West was not drunk. A pending blood test will not show he was drunk, Coffey said, adding that it was unclear which boater was to blame for the boat crash. He said West did not know anyone was hurt from the collision and he was not obligated to call 911 or remain at the scene. York disputed that claim, and state Navigation Law seems to belie it as well. Also charged were: Matthew J. Marry, 28, of county Route 41, Kingsbury, charged with misdemeanor counts of hindering prosecution, making a punishable false written statement and offering a false instrument for filing. It was at his home that four members of the group, including West, hid after fleeing the boat crash, authorities said. Kristine C. Tiger, 28, Marry's live-in girlfriend, charged with misdemeanor hindering prosecution. Cara M. Canale, 27, of Albany, charged with misdemeanor counts of hindering prosecution and offering a false instrument for filing for allegedly lying to police and assisting West as he tried to avoid police. She may face an additional misdemeanor in Albany for allegedly making a false written statement to police there, Hogan said. Morland C. Keyes, 27, of Glens Falls, charged with misdemeanor making a false written statement and offering a false instrument for filing for allegedly lying to police. All five pleaded not guilty in Lake George Town Court on Friday. West, Marry, Tiger and Canale were released on bail, and Keyes was released on her own recognizance. West spoke sparingly, telling the judge he has been working as a front desk clerk at Marine Village Resort in Lake George, and had worked waiting tables in Colorado over the winter. Relatives of Charlotte McCue, the girl who died in the crash, were in court for the arraignment. One man sobbed as Hogan described the crash and the defendants' actions. The arrests came during a whirlwind Friday morning and afternoon that ended with arraignments before Justice Michael Stafford at which significant new details were released about the crash and the defendants' alleged actions. Before those proceedings, West's father, Martin West, was waiting in the Sheriff's Office lobby for his son shortly after his arrest, and asked if he wanted to discuss the situation, said "It's unfortunate. The guy broke Navigation Law. It will all come out." Asked if he meant his son or the other driver, Martin West nodded his head affirmatively at mention of the other driver. McCue of Carlsbad, California, died in the accident, and her mother was hurt. They were among seven family members on a boat being driven by her grandfather, which police said was hit by one driven by Alexander West around 9:24 p.m. Monday. Police had previously said she was 9 years old, but corrected her age on Friday. West's 21-foot powerboat was headed south and the 28-foot boat that the McCues were on was headed west when they collided. The boat operated by West hit the other boat from the side at a slight angle, police said. Police said West's boat fled the scene and was abandoned minutes later at a motel on the lake, and the five occupants fled. A blood sample was taken from West the next morning to be tested for possible alcohol or drug content, but sheriff's officers had not received the results as of Friday afternoon. Investigators believe West and his passengers had spent at least eight hours Monday at an annual lakeside party known as Log Bay Day, on the east side of the lake in Bolton. Seven people were on the Gar Wood wooden boat that the McCues were on, and the girl and her mother were the only ones who were hurt. Additional details about the crash and its aftermath were released Friday afternoon. A surveillance camera from a lakeside home near the crash scene captured video of at least part of the collision. York said the video showed the McCue boat going slowly, and West's boat going "much faster," though he said speeds had not yet been calculated. Hogan told Lake George Town Justice Michael Stafford that video and witnesses reported screaming seconds after the boat crash, and that the boat that fled the scene did so with its navigation lights out. "The video solves a lot of issues," Hogan told defense lawyers in court Friday. Coffey, though, said he watched it before the arraignment and said it was not "abundantly clear" what happened. Authorities said West's boat stalled near the McCue boat after the collision, and that it was clear the craft had hit another boat and the occupants conspired about what to say about the incident after they left the scene. "The witness (where the West boat was abandoned) heard them say, 'Don't say anything, don't text, don't put anything on social media,'" Hogan said in court. Other witnesses at nearby Hearthstone Point Campground could hear cursing on the boat that was fleeing the accident scene, Hogan noted. Marry and Tiger hid West at their county Route 41 home until Canale got a text message from West's mother at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday indicating that police had just left West's home and that he should leave Marry's home and be brought back to the West family's home on Lockhart Mountain Road, Hogan said in court. "His parents texted, 'Get Alex and get him out of there.'" she told Stafford. The group was at Log Bay Day from 10 a.m. until 6 or 6:30 p.m., Hogan said. Mary drove the group's boat so the group could get food at The Huddle restaurant in Bolton Landing after they left the party, and West was driving the boat registered to his father from Bolton Landing afterward. West had two drinks there after leaving Log Bay Day, Hogan said. The misdemeanor charges are punishable by up to a year in Warren County Jail, while West could face up to seven years in state prison. All of the cases were adjourned until mid to late August. FORT EDWARD The time has finally come for General Electric to close its doors in Fort Edward. After six months of contract extensions, quality control workers just learned that their last day will be Friday. About 15 of them were working there at the end, according to Joan Gerhardt of Behan Communications, which was hired by GE to speak for the company on this matter. Technically, the workers contract ends Sunday, July 31. But they are all working Monday through Friday, workers said. They were given Thursday off after getting the news, which some of them werent taking as the final word. They can call us back on Sunday and say, We need you, said quality control employee John Schiavoni. Thats what happened last month. On June 30, workers were told that the job was over. The next day, the company asked them to stay for another month. Schiavoni rolled with the changes. I was in the military. Im used to it, he said. It doesnt bother me a bit. He was content with the idea of the contract extensions continuing for months. I want it to last, he said in an interview before he learned that Friday would be the last day. Theres not that kind of money anywhere else around here. But he said he has also come to grips with having to find another job. I have 25 more years until I can retire, he said. You just have to accept it and move on. GE officials first announced in 2013 that the plant would close so that the work, building capacitors, could be moved to Clearwater, Florida. Two years later, GE announced the Fort Edward plant would close on Jan. 23, 2016. But one essential piece of the new plant wasnt done by then. In Clearwater, workers couldnt turn on the capacitors to test them before shipping them to the customers. A capacitor cant simply be plugged into a wall socket. It requires a unique, high-voltage environment and specialized equipment, Gerhardt said. So about 15 quality control workers stayed on. Workers in Clearwater built each capacitor, then shipped them by truck to Fort Edward, where they were tested and then sent back for painting and final shipment to customers. In the last month, workers in Clearwater have finally been able to test the capacitors, which left the Fort Edward workers with nothing to do. Products were last shipped several weeks ago so no testing activities are currently being performed. There are no current plans for additional product shipments from Clearwater, Gerhardt said. When the quality control workers leave Friday, there will still be about six employees working at the plant. Their job is to clean up and close the facility, Gerhardt said. FORT EDWARD Mark Rock walked into his house Friday morning and told his teenagers they were going to have the summer of a lifetime. He had just filled out his final layoff paperwork at General Electric. After seven months of contract extensions, hed finally earned his severance, vacation pay and sick pay. He and his 14 coworkers were the last employees working on capacitors in Fort Edward. All of them were released after filing their paperwork Friday morning. Rock has no idea what he will do next. His wife has been a stay-at-home mom for their family in Queensbury, so they have no income now. But for a month, with his severance pay, hes setting aside those concerns. Its going to be real awesome this month, he said. Lets make it good, because who knows what the future will bring. The family, including his 13- and 14-year-old children, will go on a trip to New Hampshire. They also have a camping trip planned. Now that he has plenty of time off, theyll come up with more. All year, he has been one of 15 workers kept on to do quality control checks for the new GE capacitor-building crew in Clearwater, Florida. GE moved its capacitor business there. While employees welcomed the chance to get paid for a little longer, it wasnt easy on Rocks family. We were going in at 3 oclock in the morning, seven days a week, he said. Unlimited overtime. They kept begging us. Thats how bad they needed us. At one point, he asked if he could use his vacation time. They told him he could take a day off without needing to file for vacation, allowing him to save up vacation days for the payoff at the end of the job. But he couldnt take a week off to go on vacation with his family. Now hes got all the time in the world. It feels great, but he admitted hes also worried. Rock is 43, a bit too old to be the new trainee on a job, but much too young for retirement. Im feeling pretty worried right now, he said. He plans to go back to school to learn a machinist trade. I gotta find a new career, he said. His wife will have to go back to work too, he said. She has to, to even come close to matching what I was getting paid before, he said. He made a few cents under $30 an hour, he said. He considered relocating to another GE plant, but hes dubious about the job prospects and the schools near those plants. Its a dying business, he said. I believe Schenectady and Rutland are next. Even if you relocate to another GE plant, theres very few that offer a pension. For most of the non-GE jobs he has found, hed have to move. You pretty much have to go south, and I think the school systems better here than down south, he said. So hes staying in Queensbury. But he doesnt feel as though the future is bright. Its tough all around in manufacturing, he said. After a tumultuous primary campaign, local Democratic delegates found inspiration and optimism at their partys national convention in Philadelphia this week. Im ecstatic, elated, said Sheila Comar, a delegate from Granville and chairwoman of the Washington County Democratic Committee, on Friday. Im just so happy that this actually happened. Hillary Clinton had officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president the night before, capping off the four-day convention with a speech that made her case for the presidency, the last of a marquee lineup that included President Barack Obama. A longtime supporter, Comar was a pledged delegate to Clinton, one of two from Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties. Three other delegates from those counties were pledged to Bernie Sanders, who endorsed Clinton after losing the primary and moved to nominate her at the convention. Comar was particularly pleased that her party, stricken by division leading up to the convention, had mostly unified around a candidate to defeat the opposing partys candidate, who I will not name. She may not be perfect for everyone, she said of Clinton. But you have to look at the alternative. The alternative Republican nominee Donald Trump will put the country in jeopardy, she said, and she thinks Democrats who had been holding out on supporting Clinton, in favor of Sanders, have come around. Martha Devaney, a Sanders delegate from Wilton, certainly has, following her candidates lead. Her favorite moment of the convention was Sanders nomination of Clinton during a roll-call vote. (It was) truly fitting of his character, she said via phone Friday while leaving Philadelphia. She called the convention an uplifting, inspiring and emotional experience and was blown away by Obamas and Vice President Joe Bidens speeches there. To her, the appearance of Republican and independent speakers at the convention in support of Clinton was telling. That was indicative of the lack of substance in the Republican candidate and foretelling of the support Secretary Clinton and the Democratic Party is (drawing) and will continue to draw, she said. Julie Garcia, the other local Clinton delegate, agreed, and said those endorsements spoke volumes to how important this election is. Apart from first lady Michelle Obamas speech on the conventions first night, Garcia, who has a home in the Lake George area, found striking the contrast between the Democratic and Republican conventions. Throughout the convention, there was such a feeling of hope in the future, she said, something she felt was absent from the Republican convention last week. Its almost like its two completely different pictures, she added, using words like doomsday and bleak to describe Trumps and Republicans tones. She didnt have any words, though, to describe the energy in the convention room, especially after Clintons speech. The place just erupted in celebration, she said. The traditional balloon drop, in which hundreds of red, white and blue balloons fell from the venue ceiling, followed the former secretary of states speech. Sanders delegate Patrick Nelson of Stillwater said he was practically ankle-deep in balloons. Of Sanders' motion to nominate Clinton, Nelson said, It was a beautiful moment. I appreciate the fact that hes putting the country first. Looking to the November election, Nelson said Democrats have a lot of work to do, and that he would rather they underestimate themselves, put in a lot of effort and win, than get too cocky and fail. Its a very, very important election, he said. Garcia, inspired by the optimism of Clintons historical acceptance speech, said that in voting for her in the fall, she is voting for America. Thats the America I believe in. LAKE GEORGE A witness who saw boat operator Alexander M. West and his friends Monday night, minutes after a fatal boat crash on Lake George, told police the group was "drunk" when they showed up at the witness's house a half-hour after the collision. The witness, whose name was redacted from a statement filed Friday in Lake George Town Court, told Warren County sheriff's Investigator Russ Lail that West, co-defendant Matthew Marry and three young women showed up at the witness's home about 10 p.m. Monday asking for a ride to Marry's home in the Hudson Falls area. "Everyone was drunk and seemed a little off. They said they were at Log Bay. They said they were drinking all day," the witness is quoted as saying. The witness said the group was "off" but didn't mention a boat accident, and after the witness learned of the allegations that West had fled a fatal boat crash, the witness contacted police because "we were really hurt and felt used." Warren County prosecutors filed a half-dozen or so witness statements Friday at the arraignments of West, Marry a passenger on his boat and passengers Cara M. Canale, Morland C. Keyes and Kristine T. Tiger. All five were charged Friday. West was charged with the felonies that allege he left the scene of a fatal accident, and the others were charged with lying to police and/or hindering prosecution. The charges stem from the 9:24 p.m. collision Monday near Cramer Point on Lake George that killed 8-year-old Charlotte McCue and hurt her mother, Courtney McCue, both of Carlsbad, California. They were on a boat that police said was hit by West's, with West fleeing the crash scene. Among the statements was one from a passenger on the McCue boat, which was being driven by the girl's grandfather, who the family was visiting on vacation. They had been out for about an hour and were headed home. The passenger, whose name was blacked out in the statement, said the family boat was headed west slowly when another boat slammed into its right side. "With zero advanced notice, everything changed," he told police. "I didn't see anything around us, I didn't hear anything around us. All of the sudden, there was a bow of another boat charging up the right side of the boat, near Courtney and Charlotte. The boat cleared ours and Courtney screamed, 'We're hurt.'" He graphically described the girl's severe injuries and the pandemonium on the boat as it became clear the girl's injuries were fatal. "I just screamed, 'No, no, no,'" he said. "It was overwhelming." Two witnesses told police of hearing a boat pull into Tea Island Resort on Monday night, south of the crash scene, and occupants frantically unloading it and talking of what they should say and do, including not talking about "this, don't text about this, not to discuss it with anybody." When one of the women on the boat saw there were people nearby at the resort, she told fellow passengers on the boat not to talk and they were quiet before they left. One man on the boat pulled a hooded sweatshirt up over his head "tight to his face," one of the witnesses said. The witness' names were also blacked out in court records. Police said West's damaged boat was found at Tea Island Resort shortly after the crash. A statement to police from Keyes was also filed in court, with the Glens Falls woman telling police that she was drinking at Log Bay Day, but didn't know what the others were doing on the boat as they stayed at Log Bay Day. She said they went to dinner after leaving the bay party, and were headed home when the collision occurred out of nowhere. "Everyone was yelling 'hello' at the boat and it just took off," she told sheriff's Investigator Ed Affinito, court records show. "To me, I thought they just hit us and left." "I was wondering what happened, but no one could figure it out," Keyes added. A witness who was at Hearthstone Point Campground, though, told police that they heard the boats crash, then "a lot of screaming" and a boat "speeding" south with a male on it cursing over and over again. The boat, owned by West's father, was typically moored at Marine Village Resort, where Alexander West, 24, of Lake George, works as a front desk clerk. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy This report uses a problem-driven political economy approach to analyse how the leadership of three mid-sized cities in Vietnam, Can Tho, Quy Nhon and Da Nang, are trying to pursue their urban growth ambitions under conditions of increasing awareness of climate change risks. For nearly two decades, urban growth has been both an indicator and target for social development and economic progress in Vietnam. Under the banner of modernisation and industrialisation, the Ministry of Construction created a fine-grained regulatory structure that uses the classification of urban areas to encourage spatially balanced growth. In recent years, however, those regulatory structures have been used by some provincial authorities not only as standards for urban classification, but also as means targeting urban growth. The realisation of these urban growth ambitions has been facilitated by a shifting political economy in which a liberalised urban development sector fuses with the institutions of socialist planning, aligned with the interest of political and business elites. However, this compromised urban growth machinery is increasingly meeting challenges with respect to social, economic and particularly environmental sustainability. Climate change-related risks serve as a magnifier for these challenges, especially in the realm of environmental hazards. Cities do not only grow into areas highly exposed to natural hazards such as floods or typhoons but also intensify the impacts of these very hazards, particularly flooding, due to their consumption of open space and encroachment into wetlands, floodplains and coastal areas. Despite the emerging acknowledgement of such risks, incentives within the political administrative system continue to pull decision makers along an urban growth pathway that is likely to increase the vulnerability of Vietnamese cities to climate change. Getting incentives, standards and procedures, and systems of accountability for urban development right, therefore, becomes the key to urban climate change resilience. The customers describe the airlines services as below par and in need of urgent improvement. The Ghana UK-based Achievement Awards Foundation has demanded that the airline halts the use of terminal three at the Heathrow Airport for flights to Ghana. READ MORE: Photos British Airways plane catches fire in Las Vegas The petition, that was signed on behalf of all travellers to Ghana by the Ghana UK-Based Achievement Awards Foundation said, amongst other things that Though British Airways charges some of the highest rates, the types of aircrafts provided by the airline is below par. The Minority Spokesperson on Finance Dr Anthony Akoto Osei said the hold-up funds could hit the economy because the money has been captured in the budget. He said the funds are locked up because the government is unable to meet the conditions for the release of the funds. Mr Akoto Osei made this known Thursday when he led a Minority caucus press conference to respond to Seth Terkper's supplementary budget. "Already, $75 million budget is locked up by the World Bank. Ther Africa Development Bank has also delayed $49 million. "Government may have to go and borrow to pay salaries if the monies are not forthcoming. "An amount of $116million from IMF is going to be delayed. The IMF doesn't work alone, their partners are the World Bank and AfDB. "The budget support from the World Bank will be delayed, the budget support from AfDB will be delayed, but all of this is in the minister's programme and it is not going to come anytime soon," Dr Akoto Osei said. The Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, on Monday requested for a supplementary budget of GHC1.8 billion due to a plunge in commodities prices, shut down of the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah and drop in crude oil prices on the international market. The Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, on Monday, said the fast pace of accumulating public debt, since the declaration of HIPC, has started to slow down in a supplementary budget address to parliament. He said:"The provisional data to end-May 2016 shows that Public Debt has decreased from about 72 percent of GDP at the end of 2015 to about 63 percent at the end of May 2016." However, addressing a press conference on Thursday to respond to Terkper's supplementary budget, Dr Anthony Osei Akoto said the data could not be true taking into account the government's excessive borrowing. He noted that Ghana's debt was GHC100 billion at the end of December 2015, while the GDP stood at GHC140 billion at the end of December 2015. He said that gave a debt to GDP ratio of 72%. Explaining further, Dr Akoto Osei said the country's debt has gone up from GHC100 billion to GHC102 billion in January 2016. According to the former Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, the government has projected the GDP to hit GHC167 billion by the end of December 2016. Dr Akoto Osei said the government should have used the projected GDP for December 2016 in calculating the debt-to-GDP ratio for January 2016. "When you do this," he continued, "the debt-to-GDP ratio declines dramatically from 72% in December 2015 to 60% one month later, even though the debt has increased," he added. The banks profit before tax was GHC269million which represented an increase of 26% over 2015s GHC214 million recorded in 2015. Annualized earnings per share was also GHC1.41 representing a 25% increase over the same period in 2015. GCBs balance sheet remained strong with a 3% growth in Total Assets, to GH4.98 billion from GH4.84 billion in 2015. Customer Deposits jumped 11% to GH3.55 billion from GH3.19 billion in 2015 on the back of a successful deposit mobilisation campaign. The bank added that robust risk management measures in 2016 ensured that the Loans and Advances decreased to GHC5 million compared with a charge of GH11 million in 2016 According to the Managing Director, Mr. Samuel Sarpong, GCB is poised to take a leadership position in key industry financial indicators. The bank will continue to invest in the business including the branch network with the roll-out of its new branch design, he added. The year-end results may, however, be impacted by additional investments in restructuring the organisation to ensure sustainable performance. Ghana Commercial Bank was rebranded in 2014 to GCB, which saw the introduction of innovative management strategies that increased customer satisfaction and liquidity. This led to the Bank paying increased dividends to government. GCB Ghana Limited presented an amount of GHC18.7 million to the Government of Ghana as dividend for the year 2015. In 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the bank paid dividends of GHC3.65 million, GHC7.29 million, GHC13.97 million and GHC18.1 million respectively. Receiving the cheque on behalf of the government, a deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, commended the bank for its performance over the years. George Loh told Citi Eyewitness News Thursday that My understanding is that they are at the Nsawam prison when he was asked by the Anchor, Richard Dela Sky, on the whereabouts of the convicts. President John Mahama has come under intense pressure from supporters of his party to invoke Article 72 of the Constitution to grant pardon to the trio. Article 72(1) of the 1992 constitution says that the President may in consultation with the Council of State grant a person convicted of an offence a pardon either free or subject to lawful conditions. The charged supporters gathered in front of the National Democratic Congress headquarters in Accra to press home their demand for the release of the trio who were sentenced to four month imprisonment by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. A pro-NDC group on Thursday opened a petition book to pressure president Mahama to invoke Article 72. A number of government bigwigs have signed the petition book. They include the Deputy Chief of Staff, Valerie Sawyerr; Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and the Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Benjamin Dagadu. GIBA in a statement requested members to abide by the views of its recently launched Code of Conduct, adding the Supreme Court has sent a clear signal that, within the freedom of expression guaranteed under our constitution, there are lines that ought not to be crossed and there is the need to make it universally unacceptable for anyone to engage in such conduct. Read Also:Montie FM Saga Street hawkers engage in heated argument over court ruling on panellists The three, Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe were jailed for contempt after they threatened the lives of the judges who were presiding over a case on the credibility of the voters register. Read More:Montie FM saga Reaction from social media users GIBAs concerns comes at a time when some members of the incumbent NDC has describe the sentencing as leadership in particular, has described the sentencing as punitive. Meanwhile Lawyers for the convicts have served notice they will petition the President to pardon them. Read full statement below The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has taken note of the custodial sentences handed to the host and two panellists on Montie FM, by the Supreme Court and the subsequent commentary by various interest groups. GIBA as an Association is law abiding and respects the verdict of the Supreme Court. We entreat all members to be circumspect in their commentary and reportage on the issue and strictly abide by the tenets of our recently launched Code of Conduct. The Supreme Court has sent a clear signal that within the freedom of expression guaranteed under our constitution, there are lines that ought not to be crossed and there is the need to make it universally unacceptable for anyone to engage in such conduct. We will continue our engagements with various stakeholders such as the National Media Commission, the Judiciary, Parliament, National Communications Authority, and Ghana Journalists Association, to ensure the media remains free but the industry is well regulated. As an Industry Association, we encourage all Media Owners and Directors to strictly abide by the Articles guiding Corporate Governance and ensure that the code of our practice is internalized, and policies and directives on responsible media practice are enforced. We are in touch with the Owners and Directors of the station and will provide further updates appropriately. We pray that cool heads prevail until the issues concerning our content standardization are finally resolved at the Supreme Court. This is according to policy advisor for the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Kofi Asamoah Siaw. Read Also:Montie FM saga Reaction from social media users The contemnors were also fined a sum of GHC10000 each. Owners of the station including who were found guilty of contemptuous comments were also fined a sum of GHC 60,000. Lawyers for the contemnors have petitioned president Mahama to invoke Article 72 of the constitution to grant their clients pardon. Read More:Montie FM saga Lawyer renders apology to Supreme Court judges A group aligned to the National Democratic Congress has opened a petition book requesting a presidential pardon for jailed broadcaster Salifu Maase, and two other radio panellists Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn. But Kofi Asamoah Siaw disagrees with the petition adding that pardon if granted, it will embolden other future offenders to take a similar course. They are going to say that once we do it in the name of a party that is in government, once we do it in the name of a presidential candidate because of certain powers we have, we will be pardoned and therefore the fear of the punishment of contempt becomes useless, he said on Accra-based Citi FM. Background A group aligned to the National Democratic Congress has opened a petition book requesting a presidential pardon for jailed broadcaster Salifu Maase, and two other radio panellists Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn. The three were sentenced to four month imprisonment by the Supreme Court on Wednesday following contempt proceedings against them. They had threatened to harm the judges who sat on the case challenging the suitability of the voters' register by Abu Ramadan and Garry Nimako in a radio discussion on Accra-based Montie FM. "A Petition Book has been opened at the premises of Radio Gold at Laterbiokoshie and the Freedom Centre at Kokomlemle requesting abatement of the sentence and/or a Presidential Pardon. All are encouraged to go and sign the books at any of the two places," The Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP) said in a statement signed by its convener, Abu Razak. RAP condemned the custodial sentence imposed on the three as "excessive and has the potential to severely curtail the right to free speech which is a fundamental right enshrined in the 1992 Constitution." The Research and Advocacy Platform said it is taking a number of steps aimed at mobilising Ghanaians of all shades of opinion to Petition the President to invoke Article 72 of the Constitution to offer the imprisoned three a reprieve from this harsh sentence. On Thursday afternoon, irate supporters of the NDC gathered in front of the party's headquarters in Accra to press home their demand for the release of the trio who were sentenced to four month imprisonment by the Supreme Court. They implored on the president to invoke Article 72 of the Constitution. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! The commissioned water and sanitation project will also serve the mangoase community and its catchment areas. The water component of the project consists of two mechanised boreholes, a pump station and a 60cm-capacity distribution system made up of three water tanks situated in the school. The Eastern Regional Director of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), Ing. Gilbert Amoah Ayamgah was given supervisory role over the project. He conducted the officials around the project and explained the operations of the system to them. It included the pump station from where the water is pumped to distribution tanks in the school. The sanitation aspect of the project is halfway completed. The President of Rotary Club of Accra-Osu, Mr Kofi Nti Ofori, said his club would take steps to complete the sanitation component of the project. The Rotary president also asked the school authorities to consult officials of the CWSA on any technical issues that might arise during the operations of the facility to ensure its long life span. The Chairman of the schools governing board, Mr Ransford Tetteh, urged staff and students to take advantage of the facility to improve on their academic work. According to the Physician Assistants, they have tried all they can to get the appropriate stakeholders to facilitate their migration but to no avail. They mentioned the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), the Vice Chancellors of Ghana (VCG) and the National Labour Commission (NLC) as the main stakeholders they have been engaging to get their matter resolved. READ ALSO: Group declares nationwide strike The leader of the PAs, Emmanuel Adjei Henaku says they feel left out because even though they notified the appropriate stakeholders in 2012 nothing has been done about it. He also said they have held series of meetings which have all come to nothing. READ ALSO: Aviation strike causes domestic airlines to lose GHC200k Henaku described the treatment being meted to them as a form of "humiliation and demotion, after working for them for several years." According to Mr Henaku, this treatment informed their decision to embark on a sit-down strike come Monday, August 1. OPINION: Although, the Ghanaian business scene may not experience such high-calibre takeovers, Yahoos mistakes are possible pointers for local businesses. For starters, Yahoo and its shareholders failed to know when to walk away in proverbial Kenny Roggers 'Gambler- style', that they held on too long that they lost the opportunity to sell out at a price ten times higher than the $4.8 billion paid by Verizon. In 1997, Yahoo had the glorious opportunity to buy Google for a paltry $1million dollars but refused. Their excuse was that yahoo was set up to answer questions to search inquiries rather than direct user to other sites who had answers to the questions, as Google was doing. So Yahoo passed up the opportunity to acquire Google just because they underestimated the value of search. The Facebook Mistake Yahoo in 2006 had the world spellbound when they were on the verge of acquiring social media giant Facebook. Just as in the case of Google, Yahoo failed to look past the 250,000 dollar more share value Mark Zuckerberg was asking for, that they sadly passed up the chance to acquire Facebook at a paltry 1 billion dollars. Refusing to sell to Microsoft It was a cold winters night in 2008, and guess what? Yahoo blew it again! Here was $44 billion dollars on the table for a company whose influence was being diminished by Google, and yet they refused to sell. Talk about an inflated sense of worth. Yahoo challenged the assessment by industry players that Its business value was deteriorating, as reported by the New York Times. The Analysis and Lessons Learned They failed to read the trends correctly For a technology company, Yahoo has been very bad at reading the trends and riding on them. That is certainly not techy enough. They underestimated the power of search engines as operated by Google. In that, they did not realize that only a few people would be interested in reading the average persons solution to a search enquiry, as they would a direction to an expert site for credible proven information. They tried to force themselves on the customer From the cases identified above, Yahoo was not ready to adapt to the changing needs of the customers. They had an idea of what they wanted to be, and stubbornly stuck to that, even when the users had expressed what they actually wanted. An example of this weakness was when Yahoo failed to turn Flickr into a social networking site, when clearly that was what the people wanted. Yahoo stuck to their goal of using Flikr as picture ownership tool. Today Instagram has capitalised on the needs of the people to build a successful social marketing business, showing Yahoo what they missed out on. A poor evaluation and sense of self-worth The Russian billionaire heir was spotted at a club, Chiltern Firehouse in London, on Thursday, July 28, 2016, 5 days after the actress called the police over to their home, alleging that he had tried to strangle her. TMZ reports that Tarabasov's move had been to put himself back out there although he is yet to make any statement concerning the allegations leveled against him. After Micheal Lohan revealed to Us Weekly that Tarabasov had been unreachable following the incident, Tarabasov has boldly come out of hiding and considering the fact that the TV personality had earlier sent threatening messages to the 23-year-old, warning of what he would do if his daughter got hurt, we all wait with bated breaths for what might come next. Tonto Dikeh strongly denied this saying that she never bought the items and they were fake. The actress went ahead to burn the items. Tonto Dikehs story is one of many stories about Nigerian Instagram vendors advertising either fake products or innocent people being robbed of their money. In December 2015, lifestyle site Bella Naija wrote a feature article on fake Instagram vendors scamming innocent of their hard earned money. "Unfortunately, most victims will not get their money back" the article highlighted. It's not only Instagram vendors that have made it sceptical for Nigerians to give out money online. Fake Charity drives and shady social media campaigns created to help donate funds for someone is sick has left a biter taste on some people's lips. The #SaveMayowa campaign and what has transpired within the last 24 hours has raised many questions about online efforts to save sick people. The concerns about the authenticity of the campaign to raise funds for stage IV cancer patient Ahmed Mayowa Shukurat's treatment abroad is similar to the dust raised during similar fund raising attempts of some high profile cases. In 2012, Debbie Idiagbonya Osarere went viral as attempts to save her from cancer went viral. She needed the sum of N6m for her surgery to get rid of chest cancer. The fund raising attempt proved to be successful as many Nigerians moved by emotions donated to save Debbie's life. However, during the fund raising drive several people went online to state that it was a scam and Debbie actually needed less than N6m for her surgery. Michella Jonathan who spearheaded the social media campaign to save Debbie's life had to employ the use of rap legend Rugged Man. The veteran rap shared a clip of him with Debbie which helped to squash the rumours that the fund raising initiative was a scam. "It was used on the social media together with the video clip and it helped dispel rumours that the fund appeal was a lie" Michella Jonathan told Information NG in 2012. Debbie was flown abroad for her treatment. Unfortunately, she passed away on April 1, 2016. Another high profile case that was met with its own share of scepticism was that of late maverick music producer OJB Jezreel. ALSO READ: Veteran music producer OJB is dead In July, 2013 veteran music producer OJB Jezreel revealed to Nigerians that his two kidneys had stopped working. In an interview with Encomium Magazine he revealed he had a few more months to live if something wasn't done urgently. OJB Jezreel needed $100,000 to travel to India for a kidney transplant. Thanks to the effort of Nomoreloss (who unfortunately is now dead) the money was raised. However there were whispers that the money needed to save OJB's life wasn't up to $100,000. A vocal critic of the fund raising effort was the Ghanaian actress Juliet Ibrahim who was sceptical about the amount of money needed. Nomoreloss and Juliet Ibrahim appeared on NTA 2 Channel 5 to argue about the amount of money needed. At the end of the day both of them saw eye to eye that a man's life had to be saved. Why are there controversies in regards to online live saving attempts? It has to do with the Nigerian culture. A culture that makes us believe that the next man is trying to pull a fast one us. An average Nigerian is paranoid that he is about to be played by his neighbourhood. This is why we are always on our guard. This is why when we see so much money being raised for a cause, at the back of our minds we think something fraudulent is going on. It's just the Nigerian way to think like this thanks to decades of misappropriation of funds and corruption. While Nigerians will always be sceptical about these type of things you can't take away the fact that Nigerians are compassionate people. If you want a Nigerian to do something for you appeal to his or her sense of compassion and use the name of the Lord also. Miracles will happen if you do this. We are sentimental people and if you pull our strings right anything can be done. According to a press statement shared by the management, LUTH did not refer Miss Ahmed overseas and a definitive diagnosis has not yet been made. They also revealed plans to conduct a series of fresh tests to confirm the definitive diagnosis, since the earlier tests were neither requested nor authorised by any doctor from LUTH. The management revealed 31year-old Ahmed Mayowa was admitted into the Private Wing of LUTH on Monday, July 25, 2016 with a history and clinical features of an intra-abdominal mass. The family and the patient brought along some results of laboratory investigations ordered and done from outside LUTH. Three different Specialists were invited to review Mayowa. The Gynaecologist, Oncologist and Haematologist all arrived at a tentative diagnosis of an abdominal malignancy. They planned to conduct a series of fresh tests to confirm the definitive diagnosis, since the earlier tests were neither requested nor authorised by any doctor from LUTH. The family however requested to fly Miss Ahmed outside the country barely 24 hours after her admission in LUTH, thus stalling all the planned investigations meant to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! According to the Command, both the suspect and the victim are members of same parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), and Favour had invited him to her birthday party which held on Tuesday, July 19, 2016. It was gathered that five days after the party, Damilola invited Favour, a National Diploma holder and fashion designer, to his house, claiming that he had a surprise gift for her but when she went to his apartment located on Otubor Street in the same Omole Estate, locked his door, beat her up and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her. After the rape, the victim went to the Ojodu Police Division and laid a complaint, leading to Damilola's arrest. A friend of the victim who was called as a witness, said that Damilola had failed to show up at the Favour's party but allegedly lured her to his house a week later with the promise of the surprise gift. Damilola and Favour were church friends. The lady had her birthday on Tuesday, July 19, and she invited all youths in the church who were her friends. Damilola, however, did not come. He, thereafter, called her to apologise and promised to make it up. On the following Sunday, Damilola called her that he had set up a make-up party and that the two were going to a restaurant. However, he took her to his house in the estate, and locked her up. He beat her up and raped her. When the lady regained her freedom, she reported the matter at the police station. On Monday, she, accompanied by other church youth executive, went to the DSVRT office in Alausa to make another report. The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dolapo Badmos, has confirmed the arrest of the suspect, adding that the matter had been transferred to the police gender unit. Reports said 14 people were originally on the execution list for the same crime but 10 were temporarily spared for unknown reasons The four, according to the Indonesia Deputy Attorney-General, Noor Rachmad, were killed late Thursday, July 28, by firing squad on the penal island of Nusa Kambangan. Among those on death row include six Nigerians, four Indonesians, two Zimbabweans, one Indian and one Pakistani. Rachmad said it has not been decided when the others will be executed. The Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, who was elected in 2014, had during his campaign promised to uphold human rights in the country. However, there have been three sets of executions since Widodo took office. Executions resumed in Indonesia in 2013, four years after unofficial moratorium on death penalty. Amnesty International reports that over 100 people are on death row in Indonesia. ------------------------------------------------ ALSO READ: Two judges reportedly kidnapped The Nigerian Tribune reports that the four have been paraded for arraignment. Mr Joseph Okpo, state director of the command, disclosed that the command had arrested the four who are part of a six-man gang operating on Abuja-Lokoja highway. He adds that they specialised in robbery and kidnapping on the major roads, aided by the uniforms. The suspects have reportedly confessed to being involved in some operations on Maraba-Jos Road, Malufashi on Zaria-Kaduna and Jaji-Zaria Road, in the uniforms. ALSO READ: Man arrested for raping church member after her birthday party The victim, Elena Ciochina, was last seen on Saturday, July 23, 2016, when she left her home in Newham, East London. Detectives have disclosed that Elena is believed to be with the suspect, Ionut Gheorghe, who was spotted on a CCTV recording, taking 250 from an ATM machine in Enfield, North London on the same day Elena was last seen. Gheorghe is reported to have fled the UK with Elena in tow on Saturday evening, travelling to Europe, and is believed to be in the Guadalajara area of Spain, near Madrid. Daily Record reports that the suspect is wanted under a European Arrest Warrant on the charge of abduction. It was gathered that the pastor who also claimed to have the powers to solve all the personal problems in the world, has also been accused of extorting money from the public under the disguise of giving them special blessings. The randy pastor was arrested following complaints from several members of the church on his illicit activities. Francis Liiga, the officer in charge of Lira Main Market Police post who confirmed the arrest of the pastor, said there were complaints from traders in the market that he has been extorting money from them. Some of the women claim the suspect has been. There is a scenario where he is reported to have been washing the private parts of these women with what he calls anointing water. The suspect asked the victims to put Shs150, 000 in envelopes and hand over to him, claiming that if they did so their financial and personal problems would be solved. He also gave dirty water to some businesswomen and instructed them to pour on the food they are cooking in their restaurants so that they could attract many customers." As seen in the video, the clearly-frustrated and annoyed car owner can be heard questioning and protesting the Policeman's entrance into his car. The witness who shared the video with us, and who also happens to be the victim, writes, "The first time he did it, I challenged him and his colleagues apologized on his behalf after he couldn't find anything against me and my driver. "I noted his face, and he tried it the second time, and this 3rd time as you can see in this video. "A follow up video and audio will tell how his colleagues apologized and tried repairing my vehicle. I still question if this officer was trained for this job," he concluded. Traffic Policemen and Wardens in Nigeria, and in Lagos especially, have a long history of slowing down traffic, despite being tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the road is as free as possible for commuters. ALSO READ: Tiger mauls woman to death while she tries to save daughter The tragic incident took place after the father of the girl had lifted her up on his shoulder so her mother could take a picture, while they backed the animal enclosure. The female elephant named Assia, reportedly picked up a large stone with its trunk, throwing it into the air and hitting the school girl in the back of her head. The young girl who was initially knocked unconscious, later died in the hospital she was rushed to following the incident. A spokesman for the zoo disclosed that the girl and her family had not breached any security rules or crossed the protective area outside the enclosure. ALSO READ: Man dies while trying to take selfie with wild elephant While offering his condolences to the family, he said, "Accidents of this type are rare, unforeseeable and unusual." CrossRiverWatch reports that Donatus alias Inyang, a student of Eastern Secondary School, Ediba, Calabar, had led his gang to rob a shop, Value Mart, owned by the former First Lady of the state, Obioma Imoke, about two weeks ago. Parading the suspect alongside one of his gang members, Ubong Bassey Essien, at the Commands headquarters on Wednesday, July 27, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Irene Ugbo, said Donatus, an indigene of Akokwa, Imo State, had been terrorizing various parts of the city, raiding homes, shops and commuters and dispossessing them of their valuables. The same gang shot a medical doctor at Akim Qua Town three weeks ago and also carted away safes at a shop along Marian Road, containing large sums of money. The suspect and one of his members were arrested on July 16 by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)." The chemists said in San Francisco on Thursday that doctors may look for antibodies or related bio-markers out of the blood as the body's immune system mounts a response. ``This is while detecting a disease, whether it is cancer or infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).``The technique involves a molecule that the bio-marker will bind to. ``Through a series of specialised chemical reactions, known as an immunoassay, researchers can isolate an identifying "flag" adorned to the molecule, and the bio-marker bound to it, to provide a proxy measurement of the disease, they said. The new technique was developed in the lab of Carolyn Bertozzi, a professor of chemistry at Stanford. It augments the standard procedure with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) screening technology, by replacing the standard flag with a short strand of DNA. This can then be teased out of the sample using DNA isolation technologies. They said this is because the DNA screening is known to be far more sensitive than technologies used in traditional antibody detections. The chemists said that by detecting the bio-markers of disease at lower concentrations, physicians could theoretically catch diseases far earlier in their progression. The Stanford team noted in a study published in the journal ACS Central Science that they tested the new technique, with its signature DNA flag, against four commercially available tests approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration for bio-marker for thyroid cancer. ``It outperformed the sensitivity of all of them, by at least 800 times, and as much as 10,000 times. Peter Robinson, a co-author on the study said that "the thyroid cancer test has historically been a fairly challenging immunoassay, because it produces a lot of false positives and false negatives, so it wasn't clear if our test would have an advantage. ``We suspected ours would be more sensitive, but we were pleasantly surprised by the magnitude. Meanwhile, the group announced winning grants to advance the technique into clinical trials, including a trial underway to help evaluate the technique as a screening tool for HIV. They said early detection and treatment of the virus can help ensure that its effects on the patient are minimized and reduced the chance that it is transmitted to others. Switzerlands ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Eric Mayoraz, disclosed this on the side line of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in Abuja on Friday. "The Abacha loot is a very active dossier that we are dealing with now. "We have repatriated 722 million dollars in 2005 to Nigeria and we are now in the process of repatriating 321 million dollars from the second batch of Abacha funds that we have collected. "Today, the signing of the MoU is for the future cases so it will allow better cooperation, he said. According to him, of course if Nigeria has some new cases to submit to Switzerland, this we will be able to do with this new MoU that we just signed today; it will accelerate the process. "It will reduce time for the process of transmitting the legal requests from Nigeria to Switzerland and vice versa because MoU we signed is not only for looted assets, it is for all criminal matters, he said. Earlier in his comments, the envoy said that the signing was aimed at fostering understanding of the legal systems and improving the judicial cooperation of both parties. He added that the signing of the MoU formalised the commitments of both countries to fighting international crime."There is a common ground; this is now a legal tool. "If we will each do our share of the work, we will reach our goal; it will in the future be harder to profit from corruption and I am very proud of that, he added. In her remarks, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Khadijah Abba Ibrahim said the signing of the MoU was a follow up the Nigeria-Swiss dialogue which held in December 2015. "During that meeting, the Swiss delegation submitted a draft MoU on Legal Mutual Assistance highlighting the blocking of bank accounts, seizure of objects of illegal proceeds and handing over of illicit assets for the purpose of forfeiture or return, among others. "The dialogue was designed to facilitate cooperation on human rights issues of mutual importance between Nigeria and Switzerland.Ibrahim added that the signing of the MoU made the "bureaucracy of repatriating money from Switzerland quicker and easier. Abubakar made the call when the officials of Nigerian- American Chamber of Commerce paid her a courtesy visit in Abuja on Friday. ``America is a world leader in terms of investment and we will need your support in assuring investors that Nigeria is open and safe for business, she said. She added that the country has put in place strategies to improve on its ranking on doing business. ``I thank you for the support in the area of doing business because as a result the easy of doing business committee has been constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari, Abubakar said. She thanked the group for inviting and sensitising the ministry on the forthcoming U.S.-Nigeria Finance conference coming up in October. Abubakar appealed to the chamber to make available details of the investment that came in following the last conference in 2015, the number that is still to come and those being negotiated. In his speech, Alan Tousignant, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy said the two countries have good relationship on trade and investment. Tousignant said although 2016 has been a difficult year for Nigerias economy the government was introducing measures to stabilise the situation. He said the two countries were striving to see what they could do to promote investment. Tousignant said the forthcoming conference would provide an opportunity for the government to attract more investment into the country. He said the U.S. government was happy to hear that Nigeria had taken steps to improve its world ranking on the easy of doing business. He called for more flexibility in the foreign exchange policy. ``Those areas are very important to investors because those are the first things they ask. They want to know how easy it is to do business in Nigeria. Mr Sheriff Balogun, President, Nigerian- American Chamber of Commerce, Kaduna State Chapter, said the visit was to seek further collaboration with the ministry. Balogun said the visit was in connection with the forthcoming conference of the Small and Medium Enterprises adding that the one held in 2015 has increased the two countries trade relationship. He said various financial institutions would be at the conference and called on Nigerians to make use of the opportunity. NLC President Ayuba Wabba told newsmen at the Police Clinic in Lafia that the workers were allegedly shot by a policeman at the gate of the Government House where they had gone to await the outcome of the NLC meeting with Gov. Umaru Al-Makura. Workers in the state had embarked on an indefinite strike following the decision of the state government to slash their salary by 50 per cent. He said the dead victim was a staff of the state Ministry of Education, while the three others who sustained gunshot wounds included a staff of Doma Local Government Council, the Judicial Service Commission and a journalist with the defunct Nigerian Newsday, a state-owned media outfit. ``The workers were unarmed and peacefully protesting for their rights only to be shot at by policemen stationed at the government house gate. ``We do not know what prompted them to shoot at unarmed workers who were waiting for us to finish discussion with the state government over the issue of their emoluments. ``They were attacked with maximum force. You can see one dead, two critically injured. They were very peaceful, unfortunately the police, under whatever pretence opened fire. It is most unfortunate," he said. Wabba said when the NLC officials got wind of the incidence and approached the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Bello, he said there was no casualty. The NLC boss, therefore, called on the police authority to fish out those responsible for the shooting or face a nationwide protest by the congress. ``The rules of engagement in such a situation must be adhered to as everybody around the world has a right to protest. These workers have a right under the law," he said. Wabba appealed to workers to remain calm and law abiding as the national leadership would take up the issue and will inform them on the next line of action. Reacting over the alleged shooting, the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Bello, said he was yet to be briefed as he was attending the meeting between NLC and the state government. The 1st Vice Chairman of CDHR, Mr Olatunde Oworewa, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos during a peaceful protest by the group NAN reports that the group came on a peaceful protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly. According to him, street trading or hawking is not a criminal offence and the ban is an act of victimisation of the masses eking out a living. ``We are not really saying that they should not enforce the law banning street trading, what we are saying is that the government should have put measures in place before ordering the enforcement of the law. ``People need to have alternatives to earn their legitimate living because taking them out of the street will increase crime rate in the state. ``Such move will further increase the poverty of the masses. These are people who would prefer to die while earning a living rather than die of hunger at home. ``We are calling on Gov. Ambode to make life meaningful for the Lagos masses and not criminalise means of livelihood of hawkers, he said. Addressing the group, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, commended the protesters for being peaceful and taking appropriate step to seek for the amendment of the law. Agunbiade promised that the House would look into CDHRs grievances, adding that the process through which the law came into effect would also be applied if there was need to amend it. '``As a legal practitioner, no matter how draconian a law is, until it is reversed, it remains a law until a court of law of competent jurisdiction declares it null and void. ``Nowhere in the world do we have perfect law and that is why we have mechanism for amending the law, he said. ALSO READ: Ambodes wife condemns domestic violence NAN reports that on June 24, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State ordered the total enforcement of the law banning street trading and hawking with effect from July 1. The Lagos State Government had in 2003 enacted the Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law, and Section 1 prohibits street trading and hawking. It provides for a fine of N90,000 or a six-month jail term for both buyer and seller. ------------------------------------------------ According to the Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, the incident happened on Sunday, July 24, but had not been reported as the military did not get any information about it. This attack came four days after personnel of Medicins Sans Frontier narrowly escaped being killed by land mines some few kilometres from where this ambush attack was carried out. Troops returning from Bama on humanitarian escort duty, were ambushed enroute Maiduguri by suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in Meleri village, a few kilometres from Kawuri, Usman said. The gallant troops however, successfully cleared the ambush and exploited up to Afunori. Unfortunately, two soldiers and three civilians were wounded in the ambush, among whom were staff of United Nations agencies and other international humanitarian organizations. The wounded have been evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, and they are in stable condition. The Nigerian Army wishes to sympathize with our wounded colleagues, the United Nations and other non-governmental organizations whose personnel were also injured in this sad incident. We wish to reiterate our determination and commitment to ensuring safety and security in the North East and safeguarding the lives of all persons, he asid. This is contained in a statement signed by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman. Kukasheka said the town was liberated from the insurgents on July 25. He said the exercise was in continuation with clearance operation of the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists hibernating in remote border towns and villages. ``The gallant troops are stabilising the immediate environment, while others are maintaining blocking positions at various areas, he said. The Army Spokesman also said that troops of Operation GAMA AIKI under the auspices of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) had successfully cleared Dutchi and Damasak towns. UNICEF said in a statement that unknown assailants attacked the convoy on Thursday as it returned to Maiduguri from delivering aid in Bama, injuring a UNICEF employee and an International Organization for Migration contractor. "The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions pending review of the security situation," it said. Nigerian army spokesman Sani Usman said troops were escorting the humanitarian convoy when it was attacked by "suspected remnants of Boko Haram" and that two soldiers and three civilians were wounded. Nearly a quarter of a million children in Borno suffer from life-threatening malnourishment and around one in five will die if they do not receive treatment, UNICEF said earlier this month. Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Wednesday that severely malnourished children were dying in large numbers in northeast Nigeria, where food supplies are close to running out. By 2014, Boko Haram controlled territory nearly the size of Belgium in northeast Nigeria until most of it was recaptured last year by the Nigerian army and troops from neighboring countries. The caucus, led by Rep. Alli Issa (PDP-Gombe), told newsmen that ``the Appropriation Committee under the leadership of Rep. Jibrin initiated the allocation formula with which the constituency projects of members were inserted into 2016 budget. According to the lawmakers, Dogara's predecessors and other principal officers enjoyed similar privileges without bickering from members. The six-member caucus said some persons, both within and outside the House, were bent on scuttling this atmosphere of peace ``engendered by our amiable Speaker. The six-member caucus disassociated themselves from ``any conspiracy and attack against Speaker Yakubu Dogara and the entire leadership of the House. ``By reason of their leadership position, the Appropriation Committee conceded significant provisions to the principal officers of the House. ``But we are even shocked that Jibrin who is not a principal officer allocated provisions to his constituency far beyond what the principal officers he is accusing got. ``So, what is Jibrins point in this shameless dance of absurdity?" The lawmaker who described the allegations raised by Jibrin as "campaign of calumny", however, dismissed the financial impropriety leveled against Dogara. ``Most definitely, the House has enjoyed considerable peace and stability under the able leadership of Dogara. ``We of the Gombe State caucus of the House of Representatives wish to categorically and publicly declare that we are not part of any evil group trying to cause disaffection and instability in the House of Representatives. ``We dissociate ourselves from any conspiracy and attack against Speaker and the entire leadership of the House. ``We are aware that the current impasse is generated and orchestrated by Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin through his wild goose claim that the 2016 federal budget was padded by the leadership of the House. Shortly after Jibrin was appointed Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, he sent letters to all members requesting them to send details of projects they want captured in the Federal Budget for their constituencies. ``Members complied with his circular accordingly. But we are shocked and surprised that Jibrin is now using these same letters to blackmail the House as guilty of padding the Federal Budget. Other members of the Gombe caucus who signed the statement are: Aishatu Jibrin Dukku; Ustaz Yunusa Ahmad Abubakar; Binta Bello; Ismaila Muazu Hassan and Yaya Bauchi Tongo. On his part, Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin, former Chairman House Committee on Appropriations, promise to reveal more information against Dogara and his deputy, Yussuff Lasun, Ado Doguwa, Chief Whip and Leo Ogor, Minority Leader "until the law catches up with them." Despite our shortcomings as a nation, we are making genuine efforts to correct the lapses. We are very serious about people behaving themselves, and being accountable, a statement issued by Buharis Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina quoted the president as saying. We thank you for deciding to re-engage with us, despite our inefficiencies. You decided to be here, not minding our shortcomings. There are other countries that would bring less problems. We appreciate your commitment, and we will do our best to put ourselves in the best shape to help us, he added. The dismissal of the Directors was said to have been decided at the State Executive Council after its 17th meeting which held on May 9, 2016. The affected directors are Charles Akau Ibrahim, Director of Urban Planning and Research; Adamu Aliyu Nuhu, Director, Development Control; and Philemon Mairabo. The directors were said to have been indicted by an investigative committee which probed the role of some employees of the former Ministry of Land, Surveys and Country Planning (KASUPDA), and some traditional rulers in distorting the revised Millennium City layout. Sequel to your suspension from the service via letter No.PER/SEC.351/Vol.1/006, dated May 31,2016; I am directed to convey to you the State Executive Councils decision at its 17th meeting held on May 9, 2016, and to dismiss you from the service of the state government with immediate effect," the dismissal letter handed to the directors, and obtained by Punch, read. This is as per the report of the committee that investigated the role of some staff of the Ministry of Land and Surveys and Country Planning, KASUPDA, and traditional rulers in the revised Millennium City layout abuse TPO.833 which indicted you. You are further directed to hand over all government properties in your possession to the agency please. In the same vein, two employees of the Kaduna State Geographic Information (KADGIS), Mr. Jacob Makadas Kogi and Mr. Joshua Gambas were also suspended over the matter. Further to the Councils decision on the report of the committee to investigate the roles played by you and traditional leaders in the abuse of the revised Millennium City layout (TPO.833), I wish to inform you that your appointment has been suspended with immediate effect and subsequently dismissed dismissal from the public service by the state Civil Service Commission. You are to hand over all government properties under your custody to the surveyor general, please, the letter read. Gov. Nasir El-Rufai disclosed this while speaking at a workshop organised by the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA) on Friday in Kaduna. He said the workshop was organised to enlighten participants on the need to create mutual relationship with prospective investors in the state. The governor explained that KADIPA was established as a one-stop shop where officials from different ministries, departments and agencies, (MDAs) were drawn to attend to any investors in the state. This, he said, was also in a bid to attract major investors to invest in the state. El-Rufai said the decision also became necessary in order to create job opportunities among the teeming unemployed youths across the state. He, therefore, advised the participants to apply the knowledge they acquired from the training in their different disciplines. Through it, you would be able to attract investors and also create jobs for the teeming youths in the state, he said. Earlier in his remarks, Mr Gambo Garba, the Executive Secretary of KADIPA, said the agency had attracted many investors to the state since it was established. This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by DCP Don Awunah, the Force spokesman.Idris made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the Comptroller-General of the NCS, retired Col. Hameed Ali on Friday in Abuja. He said that the police partnership with other security agencies makes the tasks of crime control and management much easier. He said that the establishment of Joint Control Centre (JCC) at the Police Headquarters would serve as a platform for other sister security agencies to engender cooperation in operational areas. Ali said that considering the present security situation in the country, there was need to maintain the collaboration to fight the challenges. Alhaji Ademola Banu, Commissioner for Finance, confirmed this in a statement on Friday in Ilorin. He assured that following the approval, the money would be released to the 16 local government councils on Friday to enable them to pay workers promptly. The commissioner said that the governor was also committed to working with the local government chairmen to clear existing salary and pension arrears. Banu explained that the governor also directed the chairmen to hold monthly meetings with stakeholders in their various communities in the interest of transparency. This was disclosed by London based independent exploration & production company, Panoro Energy, which is in partnership with Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited (YFP) on the project, via an operational update on its website. We expect the first crude oil lifting from the Front Puffin FPSO to take place at the end of August. In the meantime we continue to be encouraged by the performance of the reservoir to date, it said. Until the outstanding issues are resolved, which could take until the end of Q4 2016, production shall be maintained at a restricted daily rate of approximately 7,000-8,000 barrels of oil. Laboratory assays have been delivered on Aje crude oil which show it to be as expected a high quality grade of approximately 42 degree API, it added. The minister gave the assurance on Friday in Yenagoa, when he addressed officers and men of the Joint Military Force, Operation Delta Safe at its headquarters. Dan-Ali, accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.-Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to ensure welfare of troops deployed to all parts of the country facing security challenges. Dan-Ali said that plans are on to incorporate beneficiaries of the Federal Governments Amnesty Programme in the fight against pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities threatening national security and stability. Olorunsakin who spoke, promised to rotate and redeploy troops that had served in the region beyond three years. The Commandant of the institute, Air Commodore Musbau Soladoye, in his remarks at the 45th graduation ceremony, urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of AFIT and the country. ``I know it's an exciting moment for you and your family that you have successfully completed your studies. ``Note that your graduation today indicates that you have met AFIT requirements both in character and learning, so, always be good and worthy ambassadors of AFIT and the country, he said. He recalled that AFIT took off in 1977 as Nigerian Air Force Technical and Supply School (TSS) in Kaduna State, adding that since then, it had undergone series of upgrading. ``AFIT has over the years grown in status to become the leading institution and centre of excellence for aerospace/aircraft engineering in the country and West African sub-region. ``AFIT has also expanded its students intake to include civilian personnel, Ministries, MDAs, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Army, among others, he said. Soladoye said that in spite of these major achievements, AFIT was still facing the problem of retaining its competitive position and also managing its growth. In his remarks, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who is also the Chairman, Governing Council of the institute, urged the graduands to be hardworking and dedicated. ``These graduating students have indeed fulfilled the institutes high standards and requirements in character and learning. ``Therefore, my sincere expectations and hope are that as they graduate they would forge ahead and remain good ambassadors of AFIT, while contributing their quota to the development of the country, Abubakar said. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his contributions to AFIT which helped it to achieve its present feat. ``This is not only a testimony of the value he attached to AFIT, but also his interest in the progress of AFIT. The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, reminded the graduating students that it was through hard work, discipline and dedication that they were able to graduate. ```It is important that you always remember that the nation and your parents have made huge investment in you. According to Sahara Reporters, Adewale, who was the Aide-de-Camp to Obanikoro, stated this on Wednesday, July 28, while being grilled by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The money was said to be part of the N4.7 billion that was paid into Obanikoros sons company account, Sylvan McNamara. He recalled that on June 16, 2014, he and Obanikoro, went to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, and on getting to there, Obanikoros son, Gbolahan was waiting. He said Gbolahan and the former Minister had a brief meeting after which a bullion van arrived at the private wing of the airport. He told the EFCC investigators that Gbolahan then directed some men at the airport to offload the money from the bullion van and load it unto the aircraft. The flight was delayed for about an hour. Later, a bullion van pulled into the hangar where the chartered flight was. Shortly after, Gbolahan ensured that some bags were offloaded unto the plane. I later boarded the flight with Obanikoro and his friend, Dr. Tunde Oshinowo (a PDP chieftain and a mutual friend of Obanikoro and Fayose), Sahara Reporters quoted a EFCC detective as saying. On arrival at Akure, the Minister had a discussion with political friends. A bullion van was driven to the tarmac. The bags were offloaded unto the bullion van, and the minister directed that we escort the van to a Zenith Bank branch in Akure. On arrival, the bags were offloaded by bank workers under the supervision of a civilian who had come to meet the minister at the Akure airport. I dont know the man facially, but I can recognise him, Adewale added. Pulse recalls that the pilot, Captain Ahmed Borodo,who wassaid to have been hired by Obanikoro to move the money to Akure, had confessed to the EFCC that he flew the former minister on June 17, 2014 from Lagos on an HS-125 aircraft. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, July 29, 2016, the lawmaker alleged that Jibrin had worked on the budget with a consultant from an undisclosed location for three weeks. Azubogu said Jibrin took all decisions on the budget without consulting members of the committee. "For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that a comprehensive collation of the reports of the budget from the various standing committees of the house was done by the appropriation committee which was in the process of deliberation when the ousted chairman unilaterally hijacked the entire budget to a hideout with his consultant without the consent of the committee. "That was the last time the Committee saw the budget only for Hon Jibrin Abdulmumin to resurface about three weeks later, with a report purported to have come from the Committee. "In his calm and peaceful manner, Mr speaker sought to resolve the matter amicably in the overall interest of the House and the nation. In his usual recalcitrant manner, Hon Abdulmumin preferred the confrontational approach which irked the members to request for his urgent removal from office," he added. Azubogu however stated that there "no breach" in the appropriation process that will warrant any external interference This is contained in a statement he gave to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Friday. He said the call contained misleading information and would not have dignified it with a response. According to Kertim, the schools have been operating in Nigeria since 1998 and as law-abiding schools they owe Nigerians a duty to expose the ulterior motives of the ambassador. ``The NTIC is not a Turkish government- run institution, but a privately funded institution by a group of Turkish investors. ``As a responsible organization operating in Nigeria since 1998, we are conversant with the laws of the land, he added Kertim, however, said the call by Cakil ``is not only baseless, but also unfounded and of poor taste. The government of Turkey through Cakil had on Thursday alerted the Nigerian government on the existence of the schools ``owned by suspected terrorists. Kertim, therefore, urged the public to ignore and disregard the statement by the Turkish ambassador. Danjuma expressed his sympathy in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Victims Support Fund (VSF), Mr Alkasim Abdulkadir in Abuja on Friday. It will be recalled that UNICEF and International Organisation for Migrations (IOM) humanitarian response team were recently attacked by insurgents on their way from Bama to Maiduguri after delivering food and medicines. Danjuma, who is also Chairman VSF, said the attack on humanitarian NGOs who were in the North East to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) was shocking to all Nigerians. ``It is tragic that men and women who make great sacrifices to save the lives of starving and sick people in the North East have become the target of insurgent attacks, he said. He, therefore, assured the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that military presence would be beefed up around all humanitarian crisis centres. Mr Terna Tyopev, the spokesman, Plateau Police Command, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Jos that the assailants took the official rifle of the policeman, after shooting him. ``There are no arrests as yet, but we have commenced investigation into the attack,'' Tyopev told NAN. The University's Deputy Registrar (Information), Alhaji Abdullahi Abdullahi, told NAN that the gunmen stormed the residence, located along Eto-Baba Road in Ungwan-Rukuba, and opened fire at the entrance. ``They killed one of the universitys patrol officers, Owes Jibrin and also shot Police Corporal Adamu Salihu attached to the residence of the Vice Chancellor. ``Other security men who escaped unhurt, raised an alarm and the attackers fled,'' he said. Abdullahi said that no member of the Vice Chancellor's family was injured in the incident that happened when he (VC) was not in Jos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that actors from across the country gathered at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja for the opening rally of the two-day campaign. Mr Agility Onwura, Chairman of the Guild in Abuja, said that the event was in solidarity with the UN, which declared July 30 as World Day against Trafficking in Persons. As stakeholders and concerned citizens we have gathered in the nations capital to campaign against human trafficking, especially of women and children. That sounded like great news. That is what most filmmakers would love to hear. But I had questions. Questions like "Why Kano?" "Why Kannywood?" "Why not Nollywood?" "How was the decision to build a film village in Kano made?" I got to find out that the film village was a Federal State Government project. So, I am not going to concentrate on the location. But I'm focusing on Kannywood getting a film village with support from the Federal Government. The film village was planned to have a cinematography centre, 400-capacity auditorium for training, hostel, sound stage, eatery block, three-star hotel, shopping mall, stadium, clinic, among others. A film village which would have been modeled like a film center in China and India. So I asked again, "Why Kannywood?" I also found out that the Hausa film industry specifically asked for a film village, so they were only getting their wish, probably the 'English speaking industry' or should I still say Nollywood, didn't crave for one. The point here is, the Nigerian film industry as a whole is a major source of employment in this country, and if the Federal Government is capable of funding a film village as equipped as the above described, why should it be for a particular group? Why have they not considered building one for the Nigerian Film Industry popularly called "Nollywood," which is the officially recognized Nigerian film industry worldwide? Would a film village in Kano provide employment to every Nigerian interested in an acting career? Would the proposed film village bring any sort of growth to the Nigerian film industry as a whole? ALSO READ: undefined A week after the announcement was made, some Islamic clerics led by Sheik Abdallah Usman Gadan Kanya, opposed the establishment. The film village was described by the clerics as a plot to undermine Muslims and their religion by creating a hub for immorality. I am also not going to talk about religion and how a film village would create a hub for immorality. Following the opposition, the , but the Federal Government was ready to spend 3billion Naira on a film village in Kano. Who knows, the Calabar government could decide to build one in Calabar for the recently established Callywood. According to Egor Effiok, who is in charge of the industry, Callywood is aimed at discovering and making stars 'in the state.' ALSO READ: undefined ALSO READ: undefined Quick question, who would build a film village for the popularly known Nigerian film industry, Nollywood? Before a film village can be built for Nollywood, every other woods must be eliminated. If a universal film village would ever be built in Nollywood, a universal and recognized body/structure is also needed. This is where a body like the Actors Guild of Nigeria becomes fundamental. It could liaise with the Federal Government or sponsors to birth a film village. Unfortunately, I doubt if the currently embattled body is in any shape to lead a movement for the creation of one. ALSO READ: undefined It is probably time to seek for a united Nollywood. One that wouldn't give room for conversations like "we are building a film village for Kannywood, Callywood, or Yorubawood." Sheriff told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that he got an order stopping the partys national convention in Port Harcourt on Aug. 17. Commending the ruling, Sheriff said the order issued by Justice Abang was a demonstration of the existence of some fine judges in Nigeria. Sheriff said the ruling of the court had boosted his desire to wipe out impunity even as he announced his readiness to take the PDP to its original owners at the grass roots level. Sheriff also disclosed that he would convene an expanded caucus meeting of the PDP which he said would comprise the Board of Trustees, National Assembly Caucus and state chairmen to chart the next line of action. Lamenting what he described as deliberate attempt to link public office holders to corruption, Amaechi said he did not steal money from the Rivers State treasury throughout his term as governor. The Minister, who stated this at a meeting on corruption organised by the ministry of justice, denied allegations levelled against him by his successor, Nyesom Wike, that he received over N3.1 trillion during his tenure. I feel that after this ministerial appointment, I should do everything possible to stay away from government because in spite of all the forms of transparency I introduced in government, one man could begin to tell lies to Nigerians and Nigerians believe him, he said. The governor of Rivers state said I squandered N3 trillion. I did not receive up to N1.8 trillion as governor both from IGR and funds from federal allocation. So, how could I have squandered money I did not even receive in the first place? You can see the politics of lies and lies. Amaechi said he prioritised transparency when it came to public funds during his administration, adding that he ensured the people of Rivers were periodically briefed on how funds were being spent. He said under him as governor, the state became the first to implement the bureau of public procurement (BPP) act. He added: If you had followed the Rivers state government when I was governor, we were the first state to introduce the public procurement law in the country. The state cabinet used to call the director-general of public procurement in the state as an alternative governor, that they wanted an amendment to that law, he said. The reason they wanted amendment is that he (DG) refused to increase the threshold to one hundred million naira, per ministry, instead he reduced it to 10 million naira. I had a battle with him (DG BPE) and the world bank who insisted that we should not go for an amendment but should persuade him to increase the threshold. I remember the cabinet tried to go to court against him and I remember that he was also trying to go to court against commissioners. In fact, the procurement DG wrote a memo that I felt was very incriminating requesting that since the law requires the governor to take any commissioner who doesnt comply with the public procurement law to court, I should please take the commissioner of education to court for not complying Everybody in the cabinet felt that he was an alternative governor, they felt that he was slowing the process. I was 24 years old when he became military head of state, and that was the same way things were difficult. We queued up before we could purchase essential commodities. I am saying the truth so that the president can do things that will benefit the people of this country. They want to shut me up, but I will not stop talking I will continue to talk even in incarceration. If I stop talking Nigerian masses will suffer, he added. ALSO READ: Fayose denies spending N22M on court cases Adeyemi said this while fielding questions from newsmen after picking his expression of interest and nomination forms at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja. ``We are not where we ought to be. The contrast is that it is an oil rich state, but poverty ridden state is unacceptable. We have lots of solid minerals and agricultural resources including oil but it does not show. ``For instance, in the Southern part of the state, theyve not had light in four or five years. That means that children born within this period only know sunlight and moonlight. ``If not that people from the oil producing parts are good citizens they would have taken up militancy and there will be unrest in the area, the aspirant said. He dismissed allegation that he was among aspirants that were bribed to contest the primaries, saying ``I've been an anti-corruption ambassador since 1987. ``I detest bribery and corruption in its entirety so it will absurd for anyone to have said another aspirant bribed me to contest the election. ``As an industrialist with a track record for success, who has chains of home-grown businesses which have extended beyond the shores of this country, I have carefully developed a blueprint and drawn a road map to resuscitate the moribund economic sector. ALSO READ: APC Chieftain accuses Mimiko of misappropriating N400bn state funds The court nullified the appointment of Ahmed Makarfi as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the party. Abang said the purported convention held in Port-Harcourt on May 21 by the Makarfi caretaker committee was a total violation of court orders. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that there was an order by a Lagos State Federal High Court restraining Makarfis caretaker committee from parading themselves as the party executive. Another Federal High court in Lagos also declared the Sheriff faction as illegal which the Port Harcourt division of the Federal High Court upheld. The orders came on May 12 and May 20 while the PDP convention took place on May 21. One of the courts had restrained the PDP from holding any further convention until they put their house in order. Meanwhile, Justice Abang also restrained the Makarfis caretaker committee from exercising any authority or taking any decision on behalf of the PDP henceforth on account of being an illegal body. On the tussle between Mr Olagoke Fakunle and Ferdinand Obi (senior advocates) locked in legal battle to represent the two factions of PDP, Abang said the Makarfi-led faction which appointed Obi had no legal authority to do so. The judge said the letter by the Makarfi-led faction appointing Obi to represent the party was illegal, unlawful and was set aside on the ground that the committee was null and void. According to Abang, the committee headed by Makarfi had no law to his side to appoint a lawyer for PDP or carry out any act on behalf of the party. He, however, upheld the appointment of Olagoke Fakunle having been appointed to represent PDP by the Ali Modu sheriff led faction as the authentic legal representation. The judge said Makarfis caretaker committee had missed their way by heading to the Port Harcourt division of the Federal High Court to obtain a favorable judgment. Abang said the Port Harcourt Federal High Court had the same co-ordinate jurisdiction with that of Lagos division. According to Abang, the judgment of the Port Harcourt division which recognised the Makarfi led caretaker committee is unlawful, illegal and has no foundation in law to stand. According to Abang, anything done in contravention of the two subsisting orders are unlawful, illegal and should not be recognised. ``Sen. Makarfi-led caretaker committee as an apostle of impunity found their way to Port Harcourt to get judgment and I hold that the judgment cannot stand. ``The Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High court cannot make an order to neutralise the effectiveness and potency of orders of Lagos Division of the Federal High court. ``As at the time the Makarfi led committee found their way to Port Harcourt division of the Federal High court, the orders of the Lagos division of the court was still subsisting. ``The Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High court, therefore, has no business to have dabbled into the issues of PDP leadership in the light of the subsisting orders issued in Lagos by a court of competent jurisdiction. ``The Supreme court has made it clear that in a situation like this, something cannot be built on nothing and in the instance, I have no liver to depart from the Supreme Court decision. ``Though I have powers to nullify the division of the Port Harcourt that recognised Makarfi leadership; I will not do so because there is no application to that effect before me. I will, however, allow the court of appeal to do justice to that, Abang said. The judge advised politicians not to cause disaffection among judges of the Federal High Court, adding that if they do so, the court has the power to call them to order. He also said that the culture of impunity must stop in this country. Abang also said that any decision outside the Sheriff led committee is illegal, unlawful and is not binding on the party. The court also adjourned to Aug. 15 to rule on the application to join other executive members of the Makarfi led committee in the fresh suit filed by Sen. Sheriff stopping the committee from conducting a fresh convention. Justice Okon Abang had declared the National convention of the party which took place in May as illegal. In a reaction to the ruling, the Markarfi-led faction said the judgement was "objectionable, questionable and very strange to say the least in the history of Nigeria Judiciary." The party's spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye said the judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt was "very clear" that the National Caretaker Committee was duly constituted and recognized; and in line with that, the scheduled National Convention for August 17, 2016 will hold. "We have just received information that Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an Order of Interlocutory Injunction stopping our scheduled National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, but we want to state that the Judgment of the 4th of July, 2016 supersedes any Ex-Parte Order or Interlocutory Injunctions. So, our National Convention will hold as scheduled in Port Harcourt, Rivers State" Prince Adeyeye said. "Let Nigerians recall the two former Judgments before the Port Harcourt Judgment, declared that Senator Sheriff is not qualified to be a National Chairman given that the PDP Constitution 2014 which he claimed brought him to power is not in existence and therefore, null and void. "The PDP wants Nigerians to know that Justice Okon Abang is deliberately engaging in acts of derailing the Countrys democracy given the fact that his Court is not an Appeal Court that can set aside any Judgment. He has penchant for abuse of court processes and actions of legal impunity. "This Judge Nigerians will recall, issued Judgment against the Governor of Abia State that led to INEC re-issuing another Certificate of Return to a man who did not contest election thereby causing unnecessary hardship on the people of that State. He also issued an Order to INEC to recognize Senator Sheriffs candidates in Edo and Ondo states before they could even plan their purported congress in Edo. "In todays case, this same Judge out rightly denied the PDP representation in Court which is unheard of by serving the Plaintiff (Sheriff & Co.) who instituted the case also as PDP (defendants). His excesses are extremely absurd, strange and unbecoming of a Judge who enjoys putting the Judiciary on the spot. "We therefore bring this matter before the highest level of judiciary in the Country to stop this Judge forthwith from waging war against the PDP. We are equally calling on Nigerians and the international community to compel Nigeria Judiciary to address Justice Abangs excesses before he kills our hard earned democracy," Adeyeye said. Marking the third day of his trip to Poland for an international gathering of Catholic youth, Francis spent a few minutes speaking quietly and exchanging gifts with about 12 Auschwitz survivors, including a 101-year-old woman. One of the male survivors gave the pope a picture of himself surrounded by other inmates in a bunk, and asked Francis to sign it. The sombre-looking pope kissed each survivor. The Argentine-born pontiff, 79, made no statement as he proceeded to walk through the barely-lit corridors of the drab, brick building of Auschwitz Block 11 which had housed prisoners selected for special punishment. With aides using small flashlights to light his way, Francis visited the underground cell where Franciscan monk Maksymilian Kolbe was killed after offering his life to save a Polish man whom camp handlers had picked to die of starvation. In Auschwitz's commemorative book, Francis wrote in Spanish: "Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty". German occupation forces set up the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp during World War Two in Oswiecim, a town around 70 km (43 miles) from Poland's second city, Krakow, in the country's south. Between 1940 and 1945 Auschwitz developed into a vast complex of barracks, workshops, gas chambers and crematoria. On July 29, 1941, the camp director, in reprisal for the escape of a prisoner, chose 10 others and sentenced them to death by starvation. When the selection was completed, Kolbe stepped forward and volunteered to die in place of one of them, Franciszek Gajowniczek. Kolbe was later killed by lethal injection but the man he saved survived the war. He was made a saint in 1982 by then-Pope John Paul II, a Pole. On Friday, the 75th anniversary of Kolbe's sacrifice, Francis also visited Birkenau, a part of the camp where most of the killings were committed in gas chambers. He walked solemnly past guard towers, barbed wire fences and remains of crematoria that the Nazis blew up before the camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on Jan. 27, 1945. Francis listened silently as Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, and a priest recited Psalm 130 metres (yards) away from the end of the infamous single rail track where cattle cars brought hundreds of thousands of prisoners to the camp. According to Mohammed Elsadi, terrorist attacks are against the Islamic teachings, as the religion is of peace, not violence, Malatatoday reports. The Muslim community affirms that the terrorists are first and foremost the enemy of Islam and Muslims because they abuse the Muslim faith, tarnish the true image of Islam, destruct the reputation of Muslims all over the world and endanger the Muslim existence everywhere, he said. Reacting to the recent killing of a 86-year-old Catholic priest by ISIS soldiers in France, he said the community were upset with the news. Muslim Community in Malta received with shock, sorrow and grave concern the horrible news of the recent series of terroristic acts committed in several countries especially in France, Germany and the United States and the last heinous coward crime of killing the French priest Fr. , he said. The Imam called on everyone to fight religious violence, as terror has no religion and no borders. It has no justification and it doesnt serve any just cause. While the Muslim community affirms that ISIS and other terrorists are the common enemies of humanity and they target Muslims and non-Muslims, it believes that those who exercise hatred and intolerance towards peaceful Muslims because of terrorism are doing injustice to themselves and to the Muslims who are themselves victims of terrorism. Those who hurt innocent Muslims because of terrorism are playing into the hands of terrorists and contribute in materializing their wicked goals to create chaos and instability in the world and cause conflicts and wars among religions and nations", he added. ALSO READ: Pope Francis says religion is not to blame for terrorism and violence The chairman, governing board, Senator U. K. Umar, disclosed this in an address at the seventh speech and prize giving ceremony organised by Fou'ad Lababidi Nursery and Primary school over the weekend. ALSO READ: Dickson condemned for establishing new varsity According to him, "the greatest challenge ahead of the centre is the establishment of a university in order to have a complete chain of character building and educational training right from nursery up to university level." He disclosed that the centre has acquired 102 hectres of land in Bwari area council of the FCT for the project, saying the planning committee has since been constituted. In just 16 months, the car-hailing app has already carried out 30% more rides than it did over the same period in London, according to Ebi Atawodi, GM of Uber Nigeria. She says the success is down to adapting the Uber model to fit the needs of Lagos residents. "It is a global concept, but it has to be localized by a team that understands the fabric of the city." One of the biggest problems the company has faced in the most populous city in Nigeria is the fuel scarcity that has plagued Nigeria as a whole in recent months. CNN reports that Uber had tried to get around that situation by setting up partnerships with fuel stations to enable some driver skip queues. Prosecutors said Jabiri Ali Dzuya and Bwana Mkuu Alwan were members of the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), a movement which campaigns for the independence of Kenya's coastal regions. Both had denied the charge, but the judge at Mombasa's high court, Martin Muya, said there was enough evidence to show they had "brutally murdered four officers on duty". The MRC had called for people to boycott the 2013 elections, demanding a separate government for the Indian Ocean coastal strip which includes lucrative tourist beaches. It has denied police accusations that it was behind a string of sometimes deadly attacks on police stations and people from outside the area before the vote. The lawyer for the two convicted men said he would appeal against the death sentence. The prosecution said they it would appeal against the acquittal of two other defendants. Kenya has not executed anyone since 1987 - condemned prisoners usually end up serving life in jail. General Khalifa Haftar's troops took the al-Gwarcha district of Benghazi, which has been marred by unrest since his fighters launched a campaign to drive extremists out of the city earlier this year. "We dealt them a firm blow, it's a major victory," Khalifa al-Obeidi, head of press for Haftar's Libyan National Army, told AFP Thursday. "We are presently pursuing terrorists who are entrenched one kilometre east." Haftar's forces have regained several districts of Benghazi in recent months but have yet to retake the whole city. The divisive leader refuses to recognise the joint military command set by the UN-backed Government of National Unity (GNA) in Tripoli, saying he still takes orders from a rival administration based in the far eastern city of Tobruk. France, Britain and the United States also recognise the GNA as the legitimate government of Libya. Benghazi, 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) east of Tripoli, has for the past two years been the scene of clashes between Islamists and forces loyal to the government based in eastern Libya. WFP said a shortage of funds was threatening all its activities in Niger, one of the world's poorest and least developed countries, where more than four out of every 10 children are chronically malnourished. "Our resources are exhausted and if we don't have immediate contributions, by the end of September it will be impossible to continue our help to malnourished children," WFP spokesman Vigno Hounkali told AFP in Niamey. "We have already reduced food rations to impoverished populations." Help for school canteens and rural development work could also be halted, Hounkali said. "He is now at our prosecuting headquarters, in detention," one DNA prosecuting official told Reuters by telephone. "An inquiry is underway." The anti-graft prosecutors, the DNA, want Olteanu detained for 30 days, the official said. "There is data and evidence that shows ... in 2008, Bogdan Olteanu, as lower house speaker, had requested and received 1 million euros and electoral support from a businessman, to persuade the Romanian government members to appoint a certain person as governor of the Danube Delta," the DNA said in a statement. The DNA would not elaborate on the investigation. It did not identify the candidate Olteanu wanted appointed or offer any other names. The statement did say the person Olteanu supported was appointed. In the last two years, prosecutors have begun investigations against some of the most powerful and well-connected people in Romania, where tax evasion and bribery are a drain on public finances and corruption deters investors. The central bank said a statement will be issued soon, an official said. Egypt was the first of a handful of Arab countries to recognise Israel, in 1979, but the downfall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 brought to power the government of Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, straining relations with Israel. At an event at the Egyptian ambassador's residence for Egypt's national day, Netanyahu called the countries' peace treaty an "anchor of stability and security in our region". "I want to thank President al-Sisi for his leadership and for his efforts to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians and in the broader Middle East." Netanyahu said in a speech. "We welcome the effort to incorporate other Arab states in this larger effort of a broader peace between all the people of the Middle East." Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, paid a rare visit to Israel this month to meet Netanyahu, offering Cairo's help to revive peace talks with the Palestinians. It was the first visit to the Jewish state by an Egyptian foreign minister in nine years. The financiers, prominent members of the sprawling 700-member Koch donor network, have been making their case in emails and phone calls to Charles and David Koch ahead of their bi-annual donor seminar, which begins Saturday in Colorado, according to four donors involved in the loosely-coordinated effort and advisers representing two others. An endorsement from the Kochs would be a radical departure: The industrialist brothers have railed against Trump's "monstrous" rhetoric and protectionist policies on immigration and trade. They have said they will not get involved in the presidential election and will instead focus on Senate races. All the while, Trump has blasted the donor class and vowed not to become a "puppet" of outside interests as he campaigns to win the Nov. 8 election. But there is room for a detente. Trump's vice presidential running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, has long been a darling of the Koch network, and Trump's fledgling campaign finance operation could use a cash injection as it faces a $1 billion general election battle against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. "I don't think it's impossible, or beyond the realm of possibility, that at some point the Kochs are going to get involved," said Doug Deason, a member of the Koch network. Deason, who has met with Trump and his confidantes, said he and his father, the billionaire Darwin Deason, had proposed to Charles Koch in an email that he meet the Republican nominee in person. "We think it's really important that Donald convince Charles he's the right guy, and for Charles to influence Donald's policies," said Deason. Charles Koch "indicates he's taking a wait and see approach. He's not completely writing if off." An adviser to another major Koch network donor added: "Some of the Koch donor class this weekend is surely going to say, 'Hey, guys, get on board.'" A spokesperson for Trump, who is scheduled to hold two campaign events in Colorado on Friday, did not respond to a request for comment. James Davis, a spokesman for the Koch's political operation, Freedom Partners Action Fund, declined comment. The billionaire donors eyeing Trump stress they believe it is urgent for the Koch brothers' conservative thinking to start to influence Trump before the election while he is still fine-tuning policy and considering possible Cabinet picks. ----------------------------------------------- Lighting the way to McAfee Pass a waning moon led 21 locals the 10.7 miles that climb almost 3,000 feet to the top of the Silver Peak Range on their way from Fish Lake Valley to the Old School Saloon terminus 34 miles away in Silver Peak for the 22nd annual Silver Peak or Bust hike. History was made at this year's Quad-Cities Taste of Elegance culinary contest in Bettendorf, as chef Aaron McMahon took home top recognition with a perfect score. McMahon, of Springbrook Country Club, DeWitt, Iowa, won with a perfect score out of 300, said Chef Bradley Scott, director of the Culinary Arts program at Scott Community College, Bettendorf. This year's event was held on July 18 at the Isle of Capri Convention Center. "This dish was perfection. I would have licked the plate if I was alone in the judging room," judge and fellow chef Reese McRae said. Scott, who is one of the organizers and emcee of the event, said dishes were judged based on taste, appearance and originality. As overall winner, McMahon was named Chef Par Excellence and took home $1,000. His dish was nuac cham pork shoulder and crispy Vietnamese kimchi pancake with honey sriracha, and grilled king oyster mushroom. McMahon's win entitles him to represent the Quad-Cities in the 2017 Pork Summit at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif., in the spring. The event was sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association, the Illinois Pork Producers, Martin Bros. Distributing Co. Inc., U.S. Foods, Edward Don, Scott County Pork Producers, Scott Community College, Milan Florist, Trophy Shoppe and the Isle of Capri. The panel of judges was Scott Community College professor chef Reese McRae, independent chef Michelle Ruthie, and guest judge Eric Sorenson, meteorologist at WQAD. Scott said the theme of this year's competition required chefs to incorporate pig shoulders in their entrees. Second place went to Chef Chad Myers of the Dubuque Country Club, Dubuque, Iowa. His cuisine was pork, truffle, corn apple and maple jus. Myers won $700 and was named Superior Chef. Jason Culbertson of Hotel Julien, Dubuque, finished third, and was named Premier Chef. He made a huckleberry BBQ shoulder with balsamic pickled huckleberries, jalapeno, and roasted petite squash. Culbertson won $300. Special recognition was given to local chef Matt Finnegan, who won the People's Choice award and $250. Finnegan operates the Front Street Brewery in Davenport. His dish was roasted Cajun coffee with brown sugar and Bucktown stout reduction. Scott described this year's winners as "professional, journeymen chefs, who like to have fun as well." Donald Trump told a Davenport audience Thursday that if Hillary Clinton is elected, she would approve a trade deal with a dozen Pacific Rim nations that would be devastating to Iowa and the rest of the country. Trump was making his first general election appearance in Iowa, a battleground state with six electoral votes. He made stops not only in Davenport but also in Cedar Rapids, with the latter coming about the same time Clinton was scheduled to accept her party's presidential nomination at their convention in Philadelphia. Trump's appeals to voters on trade could have some resonance in eastern Iowa, which has a strong manufacturing heritage. The Republican presidential nominee has argued that he would make better deals than politicians not only on trade but also on foreign policy. He again complained Thursday that partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization aren't paying their fair share. "I'm going to make phenomenal deals," Trump told the crowd of 2,500 people. On trade, Trump has tried to appeal to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost a primary battle with Clinton but roused progressives by criticizing trade deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Sanders has since endorsed Clinton. Clinton initially praised the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but she came out in opposition to it last fall during the Democratic primary. Trump told the Davenport crowd that Clinton would eventually sign it, however, pointing to comments this week from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton ally, who said he thought she would do so. McAuliffe's remarks were disavowed by the Clinton campaign. "It will be approved. I hope you don't have to get to watch, because that means that we as a movement are gone. And this country is going to be a mess, maybe forever," Trump said. "That will make NAFTA, for Iowa and for other places, like baby stuff. So you can't do it. TPP is a disaster." Trump's trade policies aren't exactly in step with many Republicans, including some of those who were at the Adler to speak on his behalf. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has said the TPP would help the state's agriculture industry. Branstad didn't mention trade in his remarks to the crowd at the Adler, but he touted Trump's candidacy. And he said Democrats have "abandoned working people, and they've abandoned middle America. They are now the party of the establishment, the elite in Washington, D.C., the national media and Hollywood." In addition to Branstad, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann joined Trump at the rally. Trump's speech lasted a little more than an hour, and he covered a lot of territory. He criticized the Affordable Care Act, federal regulations, speakers at the Democratic National Convention and the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran. He noted his second place finish in the Iowa caucuses, and he even took time to praise the balcony of the Adler Theatre, the likes of which he said couldn't even be found in New York. Trump's remarks were punctuated frequently with supportive shouts from the crowd. And at times, the audience reacted to the mention of Clinton's name with the chant "lock her up," a call that was prevalent at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week. Francisco Maez, a child welfare worker from Monmouth, Ill., said that Trump is his choice for president because he's putting America first. He also said he thinks he would be a good negotiator. "He seems pretty tough," Maez said. "He's an alpha male." Patti Lawson, a school bus driver from Alpha, Ill., said she, too, is backing Trump. "I think he's a doer," Lawson said. "I think he's the type to get things done." Lawson added Trump has sometimes gone too far with what he says. "I think he kind of has foot-in-mouth disease a little bit," she said, but she added she thinks added emotion is behind many of his remarks and "he doesn't really mean it to be as cruel as it sounds." Iowa Democrats greeted Trump's arrival in Iowa with a statement from members of the party's delegation to the national convention. It called Trump's rhetoric "divisive and hateful" and said Clinton would make history Thursday night by claiming the party's nomination and would share "her vision of building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top." The last time Charles Casey Stengel found himself in a protest line was in January 1973 when he drove from Iowa City to protest the inauguration of President Richard M. Nixon. Stengel, 62, of Moline, a retired Rock Island County Circuit judge, said it took 43 years and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to bring him back on the protest line, where he stood Thursday with his wife, Bridget, outside of Davenports Mississippi Lofts. Holding a sign that said, Trump Making America Hate Again, Stengel teared up when he said, I just couldnt stand aside and let Trump come here without protesting. Trump doesnt represent what American means, he said. Trump doesnt have the temperament to be president, and he doesnt have the experience to run a country. He can run a business into the ground, but he cant do that to America. Hes a danger to our foreign policy, a danger to our allies, hes unprincipled, hes a bully. The Stengels joined about 40 other people protesting Trump along East 3rd Street near Davenport's Adler Theatre where Trump was speaking. But there also were Trump supporters, as well as a few who have nothing good to say about either Trump or his opponent, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. John C. Andrewson, 71, of Silvis said he went to the rally to advocate for Jill Stein, the Green Party's presumptive presidential nominee. He said this years presidential election has been the most exciting one yet. Having to choose between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is like having to choose between Hitler and Satan, he said. Jacob Olson, 19, of Florida was among a few vendors selling Trump merchandise outside the Adler. Olson said he supports Trump because the Republican is creating jobs for people. This is a prime example right here. We have a job right here, he said. I quit my old job just to do this. Before selling Trump memorabilia across the country, Olson worked at a factory, welding boat motors. He said he is happy because his new job allows him to travel the country. I really feel like he is for the people, because he wants people to have jobs and not to be broke, he said. Olsons next stop for the Trump campaign is Colorado. Carrying a sign that said Putin Trump 2016 Paul Dobroski, 50, of Bettendorf, said Trump is the most dangerous person to run for president. He bullied his way to the nomination, Dobroski said. It was a dysfunctional Republican party that nominated him. Trump as president, he added, would be a threat to democracy. Zachary Knox, 23, of Moline had a sign that said Love Trumps Hate. Trump is a threat to democracy and the Constitution itself," he said. "I dont think he represents what America is about. A bucolic Illinois city park with trees and a pavilion, add in Christian band music, ice cream and fresh baked pies ... all are part of the Praise Band Jam in Geneseo. The event is Sunday, July 31, at the Geneseo City Park. It is organized annually by one of five churches in Geneseo, and the money raised from the event goes to charity. This year, First Lutheran Church is the host. The funds will go to World Relief, an organization in Moline that helps refugees settle in the Quad-Cities, and Braveheart, a children's advocacy center in Cambridge, Ill. The host church has several responsibilities: It decides on the spotlight charities, provides ice cream as well as volunteers to help with the ice cream social and lines up pie-bakers for the sale. "We started with five bands," said Glenn Kluge, who founded the event in 2012 and is a member at Geneseo's First United Methodist Church. Kluge, of Geneseo, got the idea when he was at church. The First United Methodist minister suggested that church members with good ideas go ahead and do them. Kluge's original vision was for a big Christian music concert, and it has now grown to 10 bands, with crowds of 400-500 people. "That idea was delivered by the Holy Spirit," the manager at Trinity Logistics Corp., Davenport, said. To date, the event has raised more than $3,000, with the money going to various charities that include the Geneseo Food Pantry. Kluge got involved with church music six years ago, after he was invited to be a drummer in the First United Methodist band. He moved to the region in 2004 from Chicago for the job at Trinity Logistics and has come to love the Quad-City region. "It's been a real blessing to participate in the band," he said. "We are called to be disciples, and this is one thing I can do." Kluge describes himself as an average drummer but said he is "pretty good" at organizing. "This is an example of the community organizations pitching in to give back to the community," he said. The bands provide different takes on the Christian music, but none is too raucous. "We have this in the City Park, and it's great way to come out, enjoy the park, the music and worship God in a very public way," he said. "It's a wonderful afternoon." Chicago police say three men were killed and two more were seriously wounded when gunfire broke out as about 100 street racers took over an intersection in a caravan of vehicles. Chicago police Cmdr. Don Jerome said during a news conference that the shooting happened about 4 a.m. Sunday in Brighton Park on the Southwest Side. Jerome says those killed were between the ages of 15 and 20 and that the two who were wounded are expected to survive. Police have made no arrests. Alderman Raymond Lopez says police and city officials must act aggressively to prevent the caravans, which are promoted on social media ahead of time. Jerome says the caravans block streets to facilitate illegal street racing. NATION Pentagon: No U.S. support for Turkey coup The Pentagon is flatly rejecting allegations by Turkey's president that the U.S. military was somehow involved in or in any way supported the recent failed coup in that country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the U.S. Friday and criticized a senior military commander who had expressed concerns that the coup could have longer-term impact on U.S. relations with the Turkish military. Erdogan says the U.S. was taking sides with coup plotters. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook says any suggestion that the U.S. supported the coup is absurd. San Diego officer shot, killed One San Diego police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shootout following a late-night stop to check out a person, authorities said Friday. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody shortly after the gunfight and police hours later surrounded a home as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman identified the dead officer as Jonathan DeGuzman, a 16-year veteran of the force who was married with two children. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Officer Wade Irwin, 32, underwent surgery after being shot and was expected to survive, Zimmerman said. His wife was at the hospital during surgery. Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests and body cameras, and quickly called for assistance from other officers, Zimmerman said. Police initially said the shootout started following a traffic stop, but Zimmerman later clarified that detectives were trying to determine whether it was a traffic stop or an attempt by the officers to check out a pedestrian. "It happened extremely quickly, very quickly," she said. "From the information that was put out that a stop was being made to that the officers called for emergency cover to when the other officers arrived on scene, we're talking very, very quickly, Seconds to a minute or so. Very quickly." The male suspect was captured in a nearby ravine and was being treated Friday at a hospital. Police did not identify him but Zimmerman said he was in critical condition with a gunshot wound. WORLD 1,300 Cubans stranded in town Nearly 1,300 Cubans who hope to make their way to the United States are stranded in miserable conditions near the Panamanian border, a regional Colombian government ombudsman said Friday. William Gonzalez told The Associated Press that the 1,297 Cubans who arrived in the town of Turbo three months ago include about 300 children aged 1 to 14 and 11 pregnant women. Gonzalez, who heads the ombudsman's office in the Urabia region, said officials haven't figured out what to do with the Cubans. "We only know they are going to be deported, but we don't know how or in what form," he said. Gonzalez said the Cubans have been living amid insects and rodents in a makeshift shelter with inadequate sanitary facilities. "What worries us most at this moment is the health and welfare situation of the 300 children," he said. 77 charged in online child abuse case Scottish police have charged 77 people and found more than 30 million pictures of young people being abused during a six-week operation against online child abuse. Police Scotland says 122 youngsters have been referred to child-protection services, and more than 500 children between 3 and 18 identified as "victims or potential victims of online predators." The suspects face more than 390 charges, including rape, grooming, sexual extortion and indecent communication. Philippine president sets deadline for truce Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday gave communist guerrillas an ultimatum to declare their readiness to match his truce declaration following a rebel attack that killed a government militiaman. Duterte said he would scuttle his ceasefire order, which he issued Monday, if New People's Army guerrillas would not declare their readiness to match it with their own truce by 5 p.m. Saturday. He initially threatened to withdraw his cease-fire order by Friday but extended his deadline after the rebels said they were investigating the guerrilla attack. "Are you ready to declare a ceasefire or not? Duterte asked during a news briefing, visibly upset after visiting the militiaman's wake in southern Davao del Norte province. "If I don't get the word from you, then I will lift the order of ceasefire," the president said, adding he was rejecting rebel demands for him to withdraw government troops and policemen from certain rural areas. UPDATE: Martin Fritzler was located in Chadron Tuesday afternoon, according to Chadron Police Chief Tim Lordino. He was transported to the Chadron Community Hospital for treatment of a possible overdose. ORIGINAL POST: The Chadron Police Department is seeking information on a missing person. Martin D. Fritzler was reported missing during the late night hours Monday, July 25, 2016. He was last seen around midnight that night. He is described as six feet tall, 200 pounds with short brown hair and green eyes. He may be driving his black, 1997 Chevy pickup with a Nebraska license plate 69-2652. The Chadron Police are asking for the publics assistance to ensure that Fritzler is safe. If you have information on his location or you see someone matching his description or his pickup, contact your local law enforcement agency or the Chadron PD at 308-432-0510 or by personal message at www.facebook.com/chadronpolice A 27-year-old man found with a gunshot wound in his foot earlier this month has been charged on multiple offenses, including commission of a felony with a firearm. Cole Younger of Black Hawk rolled into a Pennington County courtroom in a wheelchair Thursday, his disposition sunny despite his left foot being in a bandage and brace. He was arrested the evening of July 11, after Rapid City police discovered he possessed a stolen handgun and Texas authorities wanted him arrested for felony firearm possession. Earlier that day, his mother informed police Cole told her last night he shot two people and he himself got shot in the foot, according to a police report filed in court. Several officers went to a residence in the 900 block of Halley Avenue, where gunshots had been reported the previous evening. Police found Younger, who initially identified himself with a fake name, with a bullet still in his foot. Police found witnesses to the shooting, but have not found gunshot victims, according to the court filings. After an ambulance transported him to Rapid City Regional Hospital, officers found a loaded firearm hidden by a blanket on the chair he earlier occupied. The Ruger .357 Magnum revolver was reported stolen, the police report said. In the backyard, officers found two shell casings made by the same manufacturer as the revolvers bullets. A search of Younger at the hospital yielded a plastic baggie with white, crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. A background check showed Younger had a felony arrest warrant out of Texas, where he served time in prison and was on bond for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Younger's latest felonies include possession of a controlled drug and grand theft by receiving stolen property. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison on the firearm charge alone. But at Thursdays court hearing, the judge allowed him to be released from jail on bond while awaiting further hearings. The lab testing in his case has not yet been completed, and Texas has not told South Dakota it wants him back, said Pennington County deputy states attorney Scott Roetzel. To remain free, Younger was ordered to stay in contact with authorities and complete drug tests three times a week. U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds said the horror stories of inadequate or unsafe care for Native American patients at Indian Health Services hospitals in South Dakota "aren't stories," but are actually true. Some of those documented incidents have included a woman giving birth on a bathroom floor, a lack of sanitizing equipment for surgical instruments, and a heart-attack victim waiting 90 minutes to be seen by a doctor at the emergency room. Rounds, R-S.D., has called the level of care at federally-funded IHS hospitals "inadequate and disgraceful" in recent statements. During a visit to the Black Hills on Thursday, Rounds said that even though IHS is clearly underfunded, and needs an immediate infusion of funding to improve care, he would not support spending any more money in IHS unless accountability measures are put in place first. And to find out how IHS hospitals are managed, or how they aren't, Rounds has requested a full, independent audit of the agency that provides care to Native Americans across the country, including at hospitals in Pine Ridge and Rapid City in western South Dakota. "We know we need to put some immediate money in," Rounds told a crowd of about 35 people who attended a wide-ranging public discussion at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum in Box Elder on Thursday. "But there's no qualitative analysis." In a July 6 letter to Daniel R. Levinson, the inspector general of the federal Department of Health & Human Services, Rounds expressed his concerns over IHS care and formally requested a complete audit. He made several suggestions to expand the audit beyond what HHS inspectors are already looking into, and to expedite the process. "In the Great Plains Area, particularly in South Dakota, this issue has reached a crisis stage," Rounds wrote to Levinson. "People are literally dying waiting for a solution." Rounds said he and the other two members of the South Dakota congressional delegation U.S. Sen. John Thune and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem became acutely interested in the operations of IHS after seeing the federal government close some emergency rooms due to questions about safety and quality of care. On Thursday, he promised to keep pushing to improve care at IHS. "We're not going away and we're not going to let this go to the back shelf," Rounds told the crowd that included a handful of local mayors and top officers from nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base. Rounds said in an interview later that the audit should not take overly long, surely shorter than the six months it took to audit the Veterans Affairs medical system, which included far more hospitals, employees and patients than IHS. "If you don't do the audit, then the money we put back into IHS, we can't be sure it will go where it's supposed to go," Rounds said. The senator shared statistics on Thursday and in recent writings that he says illustrate the inefficiency of IHS and its failure to provide quality care. He noted that IHS spends an annual average of $3,100 on each patient, while the federal Bureau of Prisons spends $5,100 per year on average in medical costs for each prisoner. He said half of IHS medical facilities are led by temporary directors, and that staffing at many hospitals is essentially a revolving door that makes continuity and quality almost impossible. Rounds said the Great Plains Area IHS has the second-highest mortality rate among IHS regions, and that local IHS facilities have the highest diabetes death rate among all IHS regions. The life expectancy in the Great Plains Region is 68.1 years, nearly 10 years lower than for all Americans, Rounds said. Rounds said IHS needs to revamp its operations to focus on more preventative care and operate more like non-governmental medical systems that do more than treat emergencies. On other topics Thursday, Rounds repeated his ongoing frustration over gridlock in Congress, particularly in the budget process, which he suggested could be aided by creating a two-year budget cycle and through compromise among the majority and minority parties. He also promised to keep fighting to maintain effective VA medical facilities in Hot Springs, where he noted that staffing has fallen of late. A Rounds spokeswoman earlier this week told the Journal that Rounds met with VA officials and questioned if there was any intentional staff downsizing or realignment of medical services already happening in Hot Springs. The spokeswoman said Rounds was told that any staff reductions occurring now are only due to difficulty in hiring. Rounds also praised the work done by airmen and officers at Ellsworth, calling the base that he toured on Thursday "marvelous." Came home from seeing the doctor Wednesday, more bad news. Cogitated on it all morning. It woke me up last night at 2 a.m. and had me thinking until dawn. Seems Im headed into Bette Davis territory. She once famously said: Old age is not for wimps. Do tell, Bette. Because she was a great lady and a tough old broad, Im stifling my whimpers. Oh, Ill be around awhile yet, just had my wings clipped some. People my age and older will understand when I say it was just another permanent change. Looking back at the arc of my life, Id say Im just breaking up a little on re-entry. As I watched the sky begin to turn pink this morning, I remembered myself again as a young man. How such glorious confidence and invincible ignorance could exist in the same soul simultaneously remains a wonder to me: Bereft of wisdom; filled with certitude. Or, as my Dad used to say: Never in doubt, often in error. Now, like an old brick building, Im softened around the edges and my floors creak. I wont even get into the plumbing. And wherever I go, with few refreshing exceptions, Im being given the same thoughtless impertinent looks by the young that I used to shed like dandelion cotton whenever I saw someone older than 30. Youth surely is wasted on youth. Mine was. With it all to do and with not a hint or care of how quickly it would pass, I remained mired so long obsessing over trivia. So many of us achieve escape velocity with the abundant vitality of youth not realizing that it is not Gods greatest gift. Not even in the top three. The first two are life and salvation. The third is time. But dont we all try to touch the sun on the way up? As a Journal columnist these past two decades, Ive had the benefit of a public perch from which to muse on this bit of politics or that social change, or just marvel and wonder at life in more than a few of its miraculous details. Whether or not mine has been a responsible tenure I leave for others to judge. But I will say this: the old adage that old people know more about being young than young people know about being old should be carved in granite. People my age remember at least two generations, sometimes three, of the men and women who went before us. We remember their decency, humility and love. We know nothing is more important. Today, in the give and take of American life, I have never encountered so many ill-tempered, spiteful and unhappy souls in all my life. Disagreement now induces an immediate purple-faced rage over matters that are, in the main, hardly transcendental. Sure, I dont like Barack Obama. I think hes been bad for the country. As for that, Trumps a loon, and Hillarys an avaricious old hack. But relax, its just politics. Nebraska is in an economic slump. As a result, revenues for state government look to be about $95 million short of target, owing greatly to the state's agricultural industry that's crushed by high operating costs and a stifling tax burden. In response to the brewing fiscal crisis, our governor wants state government to tighten its belt: Postpone hiring, limit travel to what's essential, buy equipment only if it improves efficiencies. Pete Ricketts also has ordered department heads to reduce spending by 1 percent and be ready to carve out additional savings. We'd like to credit the governor for taking the initiative to address the fiscal storm that's been brewing for months, but Nebraskans should expect more from their top elected official who, from day one, has said he wants government to run like a business. Really? If that's so, where are the parallels in state government compared to the private sector where the sluggish economy puts a lid on raises, discourages hiring and forces aggressive cost control to cover skyrocketing health insurance benefits? Last time we checked, state employees were receiving their normal, annual cost-of-living raises, along with generous health coverage and retirement benefits. As far as Ricketts' call for spending restraint, we credit him for taking the leadership to put the state's fiscal ship back on course. However, there's nothing revolutionary in any of the expense control mandates he has laid out. They're standard practice at modern businesses that must be lean and nimble in today's unpredictable economy. Nebraskans need not feel impressed that Ricketts' cost controls are revolutionary concepts in state government. There's nothing revolutionary about hiring freezes and spending restraints. The reality is they challenge any organization private or public to do more with less and to do it better. Although we're not overly impressed by his belt-tightening mandate, we credit Ricketts for looking forward. He's warned his leaders there likely will be tougher times ahead, and state government will not solve its fiscal challenges on the backs of taxpayers. Ricketts has already slowed the growth in state spending from 6.5 percent to 3.6 percent. Now the question is, can the Ricketts administration eliminate growth altogether? Here's a revolutionary notion: How about spending less in 2017 than in 2016? Nebraskans are crying for tax relief. Higher taxes are rooted in spending growth. Relief won't occur without reduced spending and neither will economic recovery. Can Nebraska government do more with less and do it better? Putin files bill on merger of Crimea and Southern Federal Districts to State Duma MOSCOW, July 28 (RAPSI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has filed a bill on legislative changes related to the merger of the Crimea and Southern Federal Districts to the State Duma, the lower house of Russias Parliament, according to the Presidents press service. The proposed changes will affect numerous federal laws and tax regulations. On Thursday, Russian President Putin signed a decree abolishing the Crimean Federal District and making Crimea and the city of Sebastopol part of the Russias Southern Federal District, which from now on will comprise the Republic of Adygeya, the Republic of Kalmykia, Crimea, and Krasnodar Krai, as well as Astrakhan Oblast, Volgograd Oblast, Rostov Oblast, and the city of Sevastopol. Vladimir Ustinov, who has previously been an acting representative of the President in the Southern Federal District, is appointed to head the new territorial entity. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will institute hoot-owl fishing restrictions on many western Montana rivers and streams beginning Friday, July 29, due to warm and rising water temperatures. The restrictions will close fishing daily from 2 p.m. to midnight until conditions improve. Hoot owl restrictions apply to the following stretches of water in west-central Montana, effective Friday: Blackfoot: entire length Blackfoot tributaries: North Fork and Copper, Monture and Morrell Creeks Bitterroot: Tucker Crossing, downstream to confluence with Clark Fork (around 47 miles) Upper Clark Fork: From headwaters where Silver Bow and Warm Springs Creeks join to Rock Creek (around 100 miles) Silver Bow Creek: From the confluence with Blacktail Creek to its mouth and confluence with Warm Springs Creek. Limiting fishing to the cooler morning hours is very important to reducing stress on fish right now, especially with a weather forecast that continues to be hot and dry, said Pat Saffel, FWP fisheries manager in Missoula. Saffel says that it is a good idea to limit fishing to the coolest hours of the day, even in stretches that are not under restriction, when possible. FWP will continue to monitor temperature, flows and fish mortality on rivers and streams and reevaluate the need for additional restrictions, as early as next week. For up-to-date information on restrictions related to drought, visit fwp.mt.gov/news/restrictions/. When North Carolina farmer James Chaffin died as the result of a fall in September 1921, he left all of his property to his third son Marshall even though he was survived by his widow and three other sons. The will had been duly attested by two witnesses in November 1905. Nearly four years after Chaffins death, James Pinckney Chaffin, the farmers second son, saw the spirit of his deceased dad standing at his bedside and stated, You will find a will in my overcoat pocket. Since his fathers black overcoat had been passed on to another brother, John Chaffin, James traveled to Johns home to examine the coat. The two brothers discovered that the lining of the inside pocket had been sewn together. After cutting the stitches, they found a rolled-up piece of paper that bore the message: Read the 27th chapter of Genesis in my daddies old Bible. James, along with several witnesses, then went to the home of his mother where, after a brief search, they were able to locate the nearly worn-out Bible. Looking through the Bible, one of the witnesses found a piece of paper inside a makeshift pocket, which had been created by folding two pages of the Bible together. The paper turned out to be a new will that was dated just two years before James Chaffins death. In this new document, the farmer divided his property equally among his four sons but also stated that they must provide for their mother as long as she lived. Under North Carolina law, even though the will had not been attested, it would be considered valid - provided it could be proven beyond doubt that it had been written in James Chaffins own handwriting. Marshall Chaffin, the sole beneficiary under the conditions of the old will, had passed away within a year of his fathers death. Marshalls widow and son decided to contest the validity of the second will. Fellow residents of the county eagerly anticipated a long and bitter legal battle; after all, people often enjoy real-life soap operas that involve disputes among family members. However, they would soon be disappointed when 10 witnesses arrived in the courtroom and gave evidence that the second will was in fact in James Chaffins handwriting. After seeing the will and hearing the testimony, Marshall Chaffins wife and son withdrew their opposition. Looking back, why did Chaffin keep his second will a secret? Perhaps he had expected to reveal the new will on his deathbed, but had this plan go awry due to his sudden death? And so, was it necessary for his spirit to appear to correct the injustice? But this raises the question as why his spirit waited four years after his death to come back from the grave. And, why didnt his ghost just tell his son to go directly to the Bible, skipping the cryptic note in his overcoat? Is it possible that during those four years, son James Chaffin perfected forging his fathers handwriting? Could James and his brother John who had their fathers overcoat - have worked together to make up the story of finding the Bible-directing note? After all, both had been left nothing in the original will. So, believable ghost story or conspiracy between brothers? Theres a student movement afoot in the Last Best Place. University students in our great state are joining together and letting it be known they recognize and celebrate the vital role that public lands play in the everyday lives of all Montanans. The Associated Students of both the University of Montana (ASUM) and Montana State University (ASMSU) passed resolutions this spring urging our elected officials to maintain federal management of American public lands. Both resolutions passed with a majority vote. ASUMs vote was unanimous. Public lands generate $6 billion a year annually in Montana--including $403 million in tax revenue--and support 64,000 jobs in the state. But more important than the economic benefits public lands offer Montana are the educational opportunities those lands provide. Students at both universities are the next generation of wildlife biologists, foresters, engineers, artists, geographers, geologists, and leaders. Students in all of these fields and more rely on the natural classrooms that our public lands provide. Furthermore, professors in these fields depend on public lands not only to educate their students, but also to conduct valuable and groundbreaking research that brings acclaim to UM, MSU, and the state. Most students at UM and MSU will tell you that academics are only part of why they decided to attend these schools. UM and MSU attract and retain students because of our states natural beauty and the easy access we have to the extraordinary public lands in Missoulas and Bozemans backyards. We have great respect for the indispensable place public lands have in the cultural identity of our state and its citizens. Hundreds of MSU students have found community on public lands such as Hyalite Canyon through the schools Outdoor Recreation program, and hundreds of UM students have found the same on public lands throughout the state by taking part in the Universitys Freshman Wilderness Experience. Both of these programs introduce incoming students to the importance of conservation, the sanctity found in natural beauty, and the life-long friendships that can be made while enjoying Montanas amazing outdoor opportunities. Having recognized federal public lands as an essential part of Montanas heritage, a majority of Montanans, including students at UM and MSU, are appalled by the short-sighted and irresponsible agenda to transfer ownership or management of American public lands to state or private hands. If Montana took over American public lands, our state would be faced with a $367 million deficit, according to Lee Newspapers. This could lead to many areas losing vital federal protections, including access to conservation and firefighting budgets, or being closed to public access altogether. Opening public lands to such peril is not in our states interest, and does not have the support of our states students. Many from UMs and MSUs student bodies will soon be joining the Montana workforce. We have a responsibility as the leaders of tomorrow to ensure that these public lands remain as pristine and accessible as they are today and an interest in ensuring their continued contribution to economic stability, education and recreation for generations to come. As representatives of UMs and MSUs student bodies, we believe that our Congressional Delegation, our Governor, and our state representatives have a responsibility to their constituents to maintain the natural heritage of Montana by ensuring that federally-owned public lands in Montana are not transferred to state or private hands. Sam Forstag is President of the Associated Students of University of Montana (ASUM). Matthew Campbell is a 2-term senator who currently serves as the Senate Speaker Pro Tempore on the 2016-17 Associated Students of Montana State University (ASMSU) Senate. HELENA - The battle for Montanas lone U.S. House seat continued its focus on public land management Wednesday, as Democratic candidate Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau launched her public lands agenda and traded barbs with her opponent, Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke, over voting records. Public lands and who should own and how to manage and fund them has become a central campaign issue between the term-limited Democrat and the first-term congressman. Both have campaigned as opponents to federal land transfer to state or private hands while portraying each other as taking disingenuous votes. Juneau characterized herself at Spring Meadow Lake State Park in Helena as a champion of public lands and access. Public lands offer a promise to every hardworking Montana family that they can access the very best our state has to offer, not just for the wealthy and not just for the privileged, she said. Juneau rolled out the four priorities of her public land policy. She opposes wholesale transfer or sale of public lands. She supports legislation to put more people to work in Montanas forests via support of collaboratively developed projects. She wants to cut red tape for companies obtaining recreation permits. And she wants to strengthen funding for land management, specifically for firefighting, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and addressing maintenance backlogs in parks and forests. Juneau pointed to her role on the Land Board, voting for timber sales and to open access, as a track record of supporting practical policy that improves local economies. Instead of Washington, D.C. deciding whats best for our land from a top down approach, we need to collaborate with communities to improve the health of our forests and put more people to work, she said. As Juneau touted her work on the Land Board, state Republicans and Zinkes campaign hammered the Democrat for votes to sell state-owned lands and her depiction of Zinkes public land record. Denise Juneau is absolutely a liar and a hypocrite on selling public lands, Zinke spokeswoman Heather Swift said. She is launching false attacks against Ryan Zinke, wrongly claiming he is selling land, but she has actually taken votes to sell public land. She made her position that there is no black and white on this issue but has personally voted to sell land. At issue is the state Land Banking Program. The program allows sale of state parcels with proceeds placed in a trust for the purchase of new state lands. Juneau defended her votes as opening up new access while disposing of often land-locked state parcels. During her time on the board, DNRC recorded 37,000 acres of new access and $68.4 million in timber revenue creating more than 4,000 timber jobs, according to the campaign. Wednesdays press conference also follows Juneau and several conservation groups criticizing the congressman for his recent vote for H.R. 2316, a bill allowing the creation of appointed advisory committees to decide management of designated community demonstration forests. While the bill does not transfer ownership, critics still characterized Zinke as a flip-flopper on land transfer, saying management transfer was a new approach tantamount to ownership transfer. A Billings Gazette story this week said Juneau misses the mark in connecting management transfer with ownership transfer. The article cited a fact check by Ballatopedia and the bills language in its conclusion. Juneau did not reply to the Gazettes request for comment, but was asked Wednesday whether she and the conservation groups were misleading on Zinkes vote. Juneau maintained that she stands with the conservation groups and that they only spoke to management. Congressman Zinke did take a bad vote on transferring management to politically appointed boards, taking millions of acres out of state public hands and putting it in a board thats not accountable to the public, she said. It was Zinkes votes and support for policies, Juneau said, that put public lands and management funding in jeopardy. The campaign pointed to Zinkes support of Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryans 2014 budget, which proposed selling lands to pay down the national debt. Swift countered that Zinke supported the framework of the bill before he was elected, but did not say hed vote for it. She emphasized several votes against federal land transfer that broke party lines as evidence that Zinke is unwavering in his public land support. Many of the policies Juneau supports Zinke has already worked to pass, including wildfire funding reform and the funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Swift said. (Juneau) rolled out her public lands positions today and it included absolutely zero new ideas and she even included legislation Zinke has cosponsored and voted for in the House, she said. Swift did not answer a question about the League of Conservation Voters giving Zinke a 3 percent rating this year. Juneau challenged Zinkes record on LWCF Wednesday, saying that as he touted his votes that broke party lines in favor of LWCF, he recently voted for the Houses Interior Appropriations Bill, reducing funding by nearly $130 million next year. Theres a lot of talk coming out of our congressman that says he wants to permanently reauthorize (LWCF), but at the same time hes taking votes to cut that funding so its a hollow promise, Juneau said. Guwahati : Assam flood situation is more worsened after flood waters submerged more areas in the state with over 20 lakh people of 22 districts are affected and 21 people died in the fresh flood in the state. Five people including a minor girl were washed away in flood waters in the state on Thursday with death toll rose to 21. Flood waters of Brahmaputra and its tributaries had submerged more areas in the most of the Lower Assam district. The Assam state disaster management authority said that, water levels of Brahmaputra and its tributaries had crossed danger level mark at many places following torrential rains in the state in past couple of days. Flood waters had submerged over 80 percent areas in Kaziranga National Park, Pobitora Wildlife sanctuary. Wild animals including one horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park had crossed NH-37 and took shelter in nearest Karbi hills. On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday had vistited the flood affected Majuli, Nagaon, Morigaon, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts and took stock of the prevailing flood situation in these districts. Minister for Water Resources Keshab Mahanta and Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Naba Kumar Doley also accompanied the Chief Minister. Sonowal visited the flood affected areas of Majuli Island and reviewed the relief and rescue operations. Sonowal also inspected the breach on the embankment at Bongaon in Majuli and asked the Water Resources Department to repair the breach on a war footing. He also took stock of the rescue operations being carried out by the NDRF, SDRF, CRPF and Indian Army. The Assam CM also chaired a meeting held at the circuit house in Majuli island and reviewed the prevailing situation with Deputy Commissioner, Jorhat, SDO (Civil) Majuli and the departmental heads of Water Resources Department, Health and Family Welfare, PWD, Agriculture, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry. The Assam CM directed the top functionaries to keep a close vigil on the embankments. He also called upon everybody to work on a war footing to extend all sorts of help to the people reeling under flood. Sonowal also directed the Water Resources Department and Brahmaputra Board to undertake a joint inspection in the vulnerable areas where breach can happen and take preventive steps. Moreover, on the direction of the Chief Minister, teams have been formed for surveillance of emebankments on 24X7 basis. Moreover, necessary steps have also been taken to repair Haldibari- Kamalibari embankments. Sonowal also directed the district administration to take care of the health and hygiene of the camp inmates. He also issued direction to keep special care to babies, old inmates and provide baby foods, medicines in adequate quantity. Moreover, Sonowal asked the administrative machinery to keep an eye on the aftermath of the flood so that outbreak of communicable diseases can be nipped in the bud. Direction has also been given to provide adequate fodder stock. The Assam CM also met some satradhikars and took stock of the problem faced by the Satras and Satridhakars in the wake of current wave of flood. Sonowal also visited relief camps set up at Rang Ghar, Bongaon and Bongaon ME School and interacted with camp inmates. Sonowal then proceeded to Lakhimpur and held a review meeting with the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and the departmental heads posted in the two districts. The Assam CM asked the DCs to prioritise relief and rescue operations and help the flood affected people on a war footing. Sonowal informed that the Chief Secretary V.K. Pipersenia is coordinating and supervising the entire relief and rescue operations in the flood affected districts and asked the DCs to inform the Chief Secretary any critical situation they faced in negotiating with the flood and remedial steps will be taken accordingly. There will be no dearth of Gratuitous Relief (GR) materials in the State and all the district administrations and Food Corporation of India (FCI) have been instructed to procure good quality food items for the flood affected people. Sonowal also handed over two number of cheques worth Rs. 4 lakh each as grant to the next of the kin died in the flood. The Assam CM also interacted with flood affected people taking shelter in relief camps and assured all help to them. Minister for Water Resources Keshab Mahanta, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Naba Kumar Doley, MLAs Utpal Dutta, Debananda Hazarika, Pradan Baruah were also present during Chief Minister's visit to the district. In view of prevailing flood situation in the Assam CM has instructed Ministers to visit flood affected districts to take stock of the situation and supervise relief and rescue operations. Sonowal had instructed Minister Keshab Mahanta to visit Barpeta, Morigaon and Nagaon, Atul Bora to Golaghat, Sivasagar and Jorhat, Ranjit Dutta to Sonitpur and Biswanath, Naba Kumar Doley to Majuli, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji, Parimal Suklabaidya to Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, Rihan Daimary to Udalguri, Baska, Chirang and Nalbari, Pramila Rani Brahma to Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar and Dhubri, Pallab Lochan Das to Darrang, Kamrup (R), Goalpara and South Salmara. *(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)* Activists light candles around posters with the names of death row inmates awaiting executions, including that of India national Gurdip Singh, during a vigil against death penalty outside the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday, July 28, 2016. Photo: AP CILACAP: Indonesia executed four people convicted of drug crimes on Friday despite international protests and said it would decide later when as many as 10 others are put to death. One Indonesian and three Nigerians were executed by firing squad not long after midnight local time as torrential rains hit the Nusa Kambangan prison island where the death row inmates were held. The government had said earlier in the week that 14 people on death row, mostly foreigners, would be executed for drug crimes. Those executed were Indonesian Freddy Budiman and Nigerians Seck Osmane, Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson. Relatives, rights groups and foreign governments had urged Indonesia to spare all 14 lives but it was unclear whether that had any influence on the decision to not carry out all the executions at once. Lawyers and rights groups had raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of the conviction of Jefferson, who had been in prison for more than a decade, as well as the convictions of an Indonesian woman Merri Utami and a Pakistani man Zulfikar Ali. Ricky Gunawan, a lawyer from Community Legal Aid Institute who represented Jefferson and Utami, said there had been no explanation from officials at Nusa Kambangan about the decision to execute only some of the prisoners. But he said it was telling that Africans were eight of the 10 foreigners on the execution list and three of the four killed. They felt they were targeted by the government of Indonesia only because they are Nigerians, only because they are Africans, and their governments did not do anything to help them, he said. They felt they became an easy target to execute. It was the third set of executions under President Joko Jokowi Widodo who was elected in 2014 and campaigned on promises to improve human rights in Indonesia. Last year, Jokowis government executed 14 people convicted of drug crimes, mostly foreigners, sparking a huge outcry abroad, and particularly in Australia, which had two citizens among those condemned. The latest executions did not attract the same level of media attention abroad but the European Union, U.N. Human Rights Office, Australian government and others continued to speak out against Indonesias use of the death penalty. Attorney-General Muhammad Prasetyo told a news conference on Friday that the severity of the drug crimes and exhaustion of all appeals was a consideration in the execution of the four men. A decision about other executions would be announced at a later time, he said. The comments suggest authorities decided at the last minute that the legal grounds for execution in the other cases were not entirely satisfied. I can say that the four executed inmates had important roles either as kingpin, supplier, distributor, providers, and producer as well as importer and even acted as exporters of the drugs, Prasetyo said. They all have passed through all legal stages, including extraordinary appeals. The bodies of Osmane and Titus will be flown to their home country and Jefferson will be buried in Indonesia. A convoy of 17 ambulances, most carrying coffins, had arrived Thursday morning at the port town nearest Nusa Kambangan. Officials began tightening security at the prison several days ago, with more than 1,000 police sent to Cilacap, the port town, and the prisoners moved into isolation cells. Gunawan said he not been able to speak with Utami since the government announced the four executions and nor had her appointed spiritual adviser, a Catholic priest. He said the process was tantamount to torture. She has been in an isolation cell for three days and on the last day she had a very sad farewell with her family members, he said. Then apparently she is not executed. The government of Jokowis predecessor did not carry out executions between 2009 and 2012, but resumed them in 2013. Worldwide, China is believed to be the country with the highest number of executions but it does not release figures. Amnesty International estimates several thousand people are executed in China each year. Of the more than 1,600 publicly announced executions last year, Amnesty says nearly 90 percent of them were in three countries: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran. Kathmandu, Nepal: Supplementary exams of the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) have begun across the country on Friday. Those students, who have got grade D and E in two subjects, are required to sit for the test. The Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE) has said that of the total 147,583 examinees, 108,326 are from the regular category while 39,257 are from the exempted category are taking part in the examination. A total of 192 exam centers across the country have been selected for holding the exams. Kathmandu, Nepal: The United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), an alliance e of agitating Madhes based parties, has given a green single to join in to be formed government. Though formal decision is yet made to join in the government, it is likely that the UDMF would join in to be formed government, said a leader of the CPN Maoist Center preferring anonymity. It is said that informal meetings are underway between the Nepali Congress-Maoist Alliance and the UDMF leaders. The UDMF leaders are hesitating to join in the government as most of the demands would not be fulfilled even after they join in the government, but it is likely that they would join in to be formed government, the leader said. A meeting of the UDMF held on Thursday did not reached on the conclusion though most of the leaders were positive to join in the government. The meeting had concluded with the decision to join the government after reaching a deal with the NC-CPN (MC) alliance. Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato Kathmandu, Nepal: Sadbhawana Party chairman Rajendra Mahato has claimed that United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) would not join new government unless their demands are addressed. Speaking in a program in Kathmandu on Saturday, Mahato made such a claim stating that the Front will support the new government remaining outside only when the environment was created to address their demands. However, multiple sources have claiming that the UDMF has been showing its willingness to join in the government. Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai BIRATNAGAR, July 29: Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai today clarified that the CPN-UML would not join next government as the Nepali Congress 'closed the door for consensus.' He said that the NC has taken a stance that no two major political parties should partner in the same government, ending the possibility for consensus. Talking to media persons at Biratnagar airport, he said that all electionslocal, provincial and parliamentaryshould be held on time even if it means making changes to the action plan and working procedure brought by the incumbent government. The Information Minister also said that the UML will sit in the opposition and make its presence ahead according to how the next government acts. He, however, said that his party would support the next government as much as it could while staying in opposition. Minister Rai went on to claim that this new coalition government could not continue for long as the NC and CPN (Maoist Centre) have agreed to share the partnership of those political parties that scrapped and torched the copies of the constitution, demanding rewriting of the constitution, in the government. RSS sacw.net - 29 July 2016 On the topic of Hindu-Muslim communal rivalry and the formation of the theocratic Pakistan state in 1947, the history of late colonial India has usually fixated on high-level politics of the late 1940s and the political intrigue of leaders, officials, and British statesmen. This top-down perspective has meant that little attention has been paid to the popularity of the two-nation theory among the masses, thereby giving a misleading picture that Pakistan was created by fluke. Instead, an inorganic and reductionistic theory (viz. "the competition for the PM post between Jinnah and Nehru") is being propounded as an explanation of Partition. This is a misleading picture, because it does not account for the support base of the two-nation theory at grass-roots. This top-down historiographical approach also deludes many people into thinking that Pakistan was conceived as a secular state, albeit with Muslim majority, because, purportedly, Jinnah with his liberal lifestyle was a far cry from a Muslim fundamentalist, thereby making us blissfully ignorant and oblivious of the fundamentalists who stood behind Jinnah. Although it is nobodys case that all Muslims wanted Pakistan, we cannot discount the role of popular support of fundamentalists on the ground that goaded a seemingly-secular Jinnah. Pakistan was not Jinnahs accidental creation, but the culmination of grass-root communal mobilisation. The historian Venkat Dhulipala, basing his solid research in newspapers, popular printed materials and interviews, shows that there were strong utopian opinions amongst North-Indian Muslims about the future Pakistan state, which was to be a aNew Medinaa, a stronghold of Muslim resurgence. Dhulipala makes a convincing argument that Pakistan was never conceived as a secular state. While the contribution of Savarkars communal ideas towards Partition is well-known, Dhulipala also takes into account the less-talked-about contributions made by purportedly secular historical personages such as Ambedkar and the CPI leadership to the idea of Pakistan, which increased the mass appeal for Partition. Dhulipalas bottom-up historiographical approach towards Partition carries serious implications for the still-extant discourses about communalism in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Kashmir imbroglio is an offshoot of the same unspoken / ignored communalism of the masses, and is often described by Pakistan as the aunfinished business of Partitiona . SAS Geelani of Kashmir, with no secular pretensions whatsoever, is already hailed as the Quaid-e-Inqilab (taking inspiration from Jinnahas Quaid-e-Azam title). And Geelani is not a lone theo-fascist in Kashmir; he represents the tip of an iceberg which is only partly visible; his support base in the valley cannot be denied or brushed aside as inconsequential. The ability of Geelani supporters to frequently bring the Kashmir valley to a standstill speaks for itself. Looking back at the Partition era, the tragic irony is that all denunciation of the Muslim Leagues communal politics took place just a few months after the Partition. The very people and parties that denounced the actions of Pakistan had earlier themselves advocated the formation of Pakistan as a just democratic demand! One of the first statements of the CP Pakistan, published in Bombay in 1948, is critical of Muslim Leagues communal politics, and the 1950 J&K pamphlet of the CPI, titled "Imperialist aggression in Kashmir" is extremely critical of the Pakistani invasion of Kashmir (described as aimperialist aggressiona ). Like they say, hindsight is always 20-20. So let us give the pre-partition Leftist apologists for communal politics the benefit of doubt. But there is no excuse why self-proclaimed secularists should repeat the same historical mistake vis-a-vis the just democratic demand of many Kashmiri Muslims to form a mini-Pakistan. That the envisaged Free Kashmir may not become part of Pakistan makes no difference; the very demand for Azadi, a demand restricted to Muslims only, is communal to the core and should not be supported by far-sighted and rational secularists and Leftists. Sualeh Keen, September 3, 2013 Paraguay reiterated on Wednesday its support for Western Sahara as a Moroccan territory. The support was voiced by Chairman of the Senate, Roberto Acevedo Quevedo, who is currently on an official visit to Morocco at the head of a Paraguayan delegation. The Paraguayan delegation came to support the Kingdom of Morocco in the dispute (over the Sahara) and confirm its conviction that the Moroccan cause is a just cause, said Acevedo Quevedo, at a joint press conference held on Wednesday in Rabat with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and cooperation, Salaheddine Mezouar. The President of the Paraguayan Senate also expressed his countrys determination to give a strong impetus to cooperation and trade relations with the Kingdom of Morocco. For his part, the Moroccan Foreign Minister underscored the two countries keen resolve to boost bilateral cooperation in various fields and to strengthen relations between their parliamentary institutions, in view of the key role these institutions can play in the rapprochement between Morocco and Paraguay. The Paraguayan delegations visit reflects the two countries shared determination to strengthen and diversify their economic and trade exchanges and to reinforce their political ties, said Mezouar. The opening of a Moroccan embassy in Paraguay and the exchange of visits between the two countries officials and MPs confirm this shared determination to give a new impetus to bilateral relations. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Made in 1988, Gunmen is one of the better gangster thrillers to come out of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s. Unfortunately, due to its availability, the film seems to have become largely forgotten, having disappeared in the crowd of other but not necessarily better Hong Kong gangster films of the time. Loosely based on the Brain De-Palma film The Untouchables (1987), the film stars Tony Leung Ka-fai as Ding Chun Bee as a police officer in 1930s Shanghai. He ends up on the case of the evil Haye, played by veteran actor Adam Cheng. Haye is an opium smuggler who also happens to have history with Ding, due to him torturing Ding and his friends during the war, when he was a Chinese Officer. In addition to torturing Ding, he also killed his partner. Due to the corruption within the police force, Ding has no choice but to recruit his three friends from his time in the War. Kwong (Mark Cheng), Fan (David Wu) and Ching (Waise Lee) join together to help Ding in taking down the villainous Haye. They end up with the assistance of their captain, played by the always brilliant Tsui Kam Kong, as he is the only other officer they can trust. In addition to everything else that is going on, Ding has to also contend with the attention of Mona, a down on her luck prostitute, ably played by Elizabeth Lee. Ding is tempted, but luckily has the love of his wife and daughter to keep him on the straight and narrow. All these factors come together at the end in a bloody climax that owes more to Hollywood westerns than it does to other Hong Kong action movies. Gunmen is directed by Kirk Wong. This was his fifth film as a director. Up until this point, only his first film The Club (1981), starring Chan Wai Man was of any note. With The Club he showed he had a definitive style of his own, and made a very realistic Triad thriller. He followed up The Club with the underwhelming Flash Future Kung Fu (1983), starring a young Ray Lui. The film isnt a total failure as it does have that crazy feeling that only Hong Kong cinema seems to have. He continued with Lifeline Express (1985), a comedy drama starring Teddy Robin and Kent Cheng. Lifeline Express is enjoyable, but is below par compared to Wongs earlier The Club. He went on to make True Colours (1986), a Hong Kong reworking of the James Cagney classic Angels with Dirty Faces (1938). It of course doesnt live up to the original, but is still a decent Hong Kong gangster film, and a major improvement on the previous two films he made. It wasnt until 1988 that he would return to the screen with Gunmen, which although a period piece, is more in the style of his later classics Crime Story (1993), Organised Crime & Triad Bureau (1994) and Rock n Roll Cop (1994), which next to Gunmen is arguably his best work as a director. Wong has also acted in over 20 Hong Kong movies. The most memorable of his roles would probably be as the villain in the Jackie Chan movie Twin Dragons, directed by Ringo Lam & Tsui Hark. He has also made appearances in films such as The Big Heat (1988),Shanghai, Shanghai (1990), The Mad Monk (1993) and most recently had a cameo appearance in Teddy Chens Kung Fu Jungle (2014), which to date is his last credited work, although there has been mention of him returning to directing. In addition to acting and directing he has also produced the excellent category 3 thriller Love to kill (1993) directed by Billy Chung, and the more experimental Police Confidential (1995) which was directed by the underrated Raymond Lee. Both of these films are worth looking out for, especially if you are a fan of Hong Kong cinema. In his career, Wong has shown a great talent for action. His action scenes have the gritty feel of a Ringo Lam, but are visually different, something more akin to the works of Tsui Hark, who produced Gunmen. Throughout Gunmen there are a number of small scale action scenes, until the large scale finale which involves the majority of the main cast. All the action is directed with considerable skill, but he shows as much skill with his actors, getting great performances from his leads. Wong is ably supported behind the scenes with there being a good eye for period detail, with the film utilising a realistic set of Shanghai in the 1930s, with all the weapons and clothing looking authentic. The film is only let down slightly by an unclear script, which doesnt make it clear the motives of certain characters. As already mentioned, the film is produced by the prolific Tsui Hark, director of a number of Hong Kong cinema classics, and also a few not so classics. Tsui Harks stamp is all over Gunmen, and the period setting is very similar to Tsui Harks own Peking Opera Blues (1986). The look and feel of the film also has a lot in common to Ching Siu Tungs The Raid (1990), although that film is more of an adventure film than Gunmen. It also has some elements in common with Poon Man Kits Shanghai Grand (1996). Both of these films were produced by Tsui Hark a number of years after Gunmen. It would be too long to list all the films that Tsui Hark has worked on, but he has directed over 40 films and produced up to 70. As well as directing and producing he has also acted in a number of films, usually playing a supporting role. The most notable of these are Yes Madam (1985), Final Victory (1987) and I love Maria (1988). He also made a brief appearance in Sammo Hungs My Beloved Bodyguard (2016) and the Chow Sing Chi movie The Mermaid (2016). Not to be confused with the other Tony, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai makes for a great leading man. He had recently been making waves with his supporting roles in Ringo Lams Prison on Fire (1987) and Derek Yees Peoples Hero (1987). Both films show his range as an actor, with his character in Prison on Fire being somewhat cowardly, which differs greatly with his portrayal of a Hong Police Officer in Peoples Hero. His character in Gunmen, like in Peoples Hero is a conflicted cop. He is an incorruptible police officer, he is still drawn to a prostitute even though he is a married man. There are definite shades of grey in his character, even though he is clearly the hero of the film. Adam Cheng makes for a slimy villain. More conventionally handsome than lead actor Tony Leung Ka-fai, Cheng plays totally against type as the irredeemable Haye, and loves every minute of it. Before Gunmen, Cheng was more known for playing the hero in a number of television series Wuxias such as Legend of the Book and the Sword (1976) and Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, both made for TVB. He had also appeared in Tsui Harks Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983), once again playing a heroic swordsman. Latterly he has appeared as the patriarch in Ronny Yus Saving General Yang (12013), again playing a heroic swordsman. As fellow members of Dings team, Mark Cheng, Waise Lee and David Wu all give good support, in slightly underwritten roles. Cheng and Lee make more of an impression than Wu due to them being more accomplished actors. Mark Cheng has appeared in over 90 Hong Kong films in his career, and had already worked for Gunmens producer Tsui Hark previously on Peking Opera Blues. Although he has movie star looks he has never really caught on as a leading man but always gives able support. Some of his more notable entries on his filmography are Return to Action (1990), directed by the legendary Chen Kuan Tai, and co-written by Gunmen director Kirk Wong. He has also made memorable appearances in A Taste of Killing and Romance (1994), The Longest Nite (1998) and more recently in Johnnie Tos Election 2 (2006) and the excellent black comedy Two Thumbs Up (2014). Waise Lee does very well in his limited role. Totally different from his role as Shing in A Better Tomorrow (1986), Lee does well against the more veteran actors in the cast considering this was only his second film. After a brief foray as a leading man in Johnnie Tos The Big Heat (1988), he fell into more supporting roles, often playing a villain. The most memorable of these would have to be his role as Paul in John Woos Bullet in the Head (1990). Always consistently working, he has appeared in over 90 films. David Wu who plays Fan has had a varied career. As mentioned before he doesnt make as great an impression as the other stars in the film, due to the limitations of the role and not being as an accomplished actor as the other leads. Although he has made appearances in over 70 films, he is probably more famous as an editor, composer and sometime director. He has edited at least 70 films, some of them the most popular films to come out of Hong Kong throughout the years. As well as editing Gunmen he has worked on such films as Swordsman (1990), Shogun and the Little Kitchen (1993) The Bride with White Hair 1 & 2 (1993), and Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001). He has also worked with John Woo a number of times, assisting with the music for A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow 2 (1987) and The Killer (1989) then editing Bullet in the Head (1990),Once a Thief (1992), Hard Boiled (1992), Once a Thief (1996)and Red Cliff: Part 2 (2009).He has also directed films and television. He took over from Ronny Yu to direct the sequel, The Bride with White Hair 2 (1993), and more recently the excellent war set action film Cold Steel (2011). Amongst his film career he has also directed episodes of the television series Once a Thief (1997 1998), based on the John Woo movie of the same name. Tsui Kam Kong or alternatively known as Elvis Tsui gives able support in his role as the Superintendant, giving a commanding performance. Tsui Kam Kong would have been more than capable in leading the film himself. Unfortunately he is relegated to a supporting role. This is the norm for Tsui. He is quite an imposing figure, being considerably taller than most Hong Kong leading men, and plays a great tough guy. This played to great effect in the films Long Arm of the Law 2 (1987) and its thematic sequel Long Arm of the Law 3 (1989). In that same year he made the excellent true crime story Sentenced to Hang (1989) alongside his Gunmen co-star Tony Leung Ka-fai. He co-starred once again with Ka-fai in the Wuxia All Men are Brothers: Blood of the Leopard (1993). Stealing the film away from the lead, he was thanked for his effort by being nominated for a best supporting actor award at the Hong Kong film awards. As well as his serious side he has been known to be wacky, most notably in the films Return of the God of Gamblers (1994), Sixty Million Dollar Man (1995) and Street of Fury (1996). He also doesnt shy away from more extreme cinema like a lot of Hong Kong actors do. He has appeared in a number of category 3 movies, the most memorable of these for me would have to be A Chinese Torture Chamber Story (1994). I cant really say it is a good film, but if you manage to track a copy down, its a must see. The female roles in the film are unfortunately given short thrift. Carrie Ng gets the underwritten wife role. Ng is more famous as the lesbian hit-women in the movie Naked Killer (1992). She would go on to work with Kirk Wong again in Rock n Roll Cop. She also stars in Police Confidential which he produced. Both of these roles are better than what she plays in Gunmen. Elizabeth Lee gets a somewhat better role as Mona, although the part is still limited. She would also go on to work with Kirk Wong again, appearing in his production of Love to Kill and his own Organised Crime and Triad Bureau. She would also act again with Tony Leung Ka-fai in A Touch of Evil (1995). Unlike the Orson Welles film of the same name, this film is no classic. Gunmen was written by scriptwriters, Law Kam Fai and Lip Wang-Fung. Although the script isnt one of the best elements of Gunmen, it does get the job done, and there are no cringe-worthy scenes included which appear in a lot of Hong Kong action films of the 1980s. Lip Wang-Fung didnt go on to do much after Gunmen, only having another 3 credits as scriptwriter. Gunmen is definitely his most noteworthy work as a screen writer. Law Kam Fai has been more prolific going on to script Red Shield (1991), Legend of the Dragon (1991), the excellent Dr Lamb (1992) and the infamous The Untold Story (1993), all for producer Danny Lee. He would later script the unneeded sequel to that film The Untold Story 2 (1998), also produced by Danny Lee. He would also work with Kirk Wong again, carrying out scripting duties on Love to Kill. His last credited work was as a co-writer on the Ekin Cheng starring Heavenly Mission (2006). As mentioned earlier, the action scenes in Gunmen are excellent. Choreographed by the underrated Fung Hak On, the action is violent and hyper realistic. Working well with Kirk Wong, the action is extremely well shot and would prove to be some of his best work. Fung Hak On has been action choreographer on over 40 films. Starting in the late 1970s he has worked with John Woo on Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979) and also worked with Jackie Chan on a number of his earlier films, namely The Young Master (1980), Dragon Lord (1982) and Police Story (1985). It must be noted that on the Jackie Chan films he is not the only action choreographer credited, and it is unclear how much work he done on those films. For the best example of his work, it would be Gunmen or possibly the later action comedy Fun and Fury (1992). As well as action choreographer he has also acted in almost 200 films, mostly bit parts, from the 1950s till now. In addition he has directed a number of films, including the excellent action movie Edge of Darkness (1988) starring Alex Man. He also performed action choreography duties on this film. In addition to Fung Hak On, Bruce Law was also involved, for the vehicle stunts. If a Hong Kong film needs car stunts, Bruce Law is the man to go to. He also tried his hand at directing with the lacklustre Extreme Crisis (1998), which has high production values but little else. I would recommend any lover of Hong Kong films of the 1980s and 90s to seek out Gunmen. It can be difficult to find, as you may have to buy it second hand. You will not be disappointed as long as you dont compare it to other Hong Kong action movies of the time, as it is made in a different style. Often we talk about Toronto's embrassment of riches when it comes to film festivals and specialized screenings. You would be hard pressed to throw a Timbit in the air and not hit a festival screening. And local hero Johnny Larocque and his weekend long Lost Episode Film Festival (LEFT) is easily worth two Timbits. LEFT is coming up next weekend August 5th through 7th, giving local ScreenAnarchy readers a few days to sober up after the civic holiday weekend that starts today. With weekend passes almost sold out Johnny passed along a promo code for our readers in the local area. When you buy your tickets you can save 10% using the code SCREENANARCHY (case sensitive). Read the full press release below and you will see that there are a lot of festival circuit faves coming to Toronto next weekend. The Greasy Strangler, Under the Shadow, and Sun Choke just highlight the great lineup that LEFT 2016 has in store for you. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Thunderstorms during the morning hours, then skies turning partly cloudy during the afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 76F. SSE winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 54F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. A new trend in sustainable brewing that I hadn't heard about: turning wastewater, or gray water, into beer. The Bay Area's Half Moon Bay Brewing already tried this trick last fall, in an effort to show how the brewery could reduce its drinking water consumption. Now researchers in Belgium have come up with a solar-powered machine that, through a very simple process, turns urine into drinkable water, which they then want to use to make beer. As Reuters reports, University of Ghent researcher Sebastiaan Derese and his team have built a machine that can operate off the grid to provide a new source of drinking water in developing countries. It uses a solar-powered boiler to heat the urine which is then passed through a membrane to separate out any potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus or other minerals which can then be used as fertilizer. NASA has developed a similar device that's been used on the International Space Station to recycle urine and sweat into drinking water, but Derese's machine is being employed in a more fun and useful capacity: turning about 1,000 liters of urine from attendees at a music and theater festival in Ghent, much of it likely derived from beer drinking, back into beer. The beer hasn't been made yet, but Derese is trying to find a brewer willing to try it, using all this recycled water. "We call it from sewer to brewer," Derese says. CNet points out that this machine is almost exactly like what Kevin Costner's character rigs up in Waterworld to recycle his pee. It may sound gross yep, I agree! but a blind taste test of two versions of the Half Moon Bay beer last fall, one brewed with gray water and the other with normal drinking water, proved the recycled-water version passed muster and even tasted less hoppy and bitter. And it could be a good solution for beer-makers when it comes to water usage, since it typically requires three or more gallons of water to make one gallon of beer. It's currently illegal in California, however, to reuse gray water in taps or to sell any products made with it. Related: The 15 Best Beers From Local Bay Area Breweries Though the "help wanted" ad posted for the position of chief of San Francisco's Police Department was taken down this week, it's removal isn't, as some have speculated, because acting chief Toney Chaplin is definitely going to be permanently handed the role. Instead, officials say, the well-paid headhunters hired to find SF's top cop posted a draft for the role, not the properly-completed advertisement. Rocklin-based executive search firm Ralph Andersen & Associates, which as previously reported were the folks who hooked Oakland up with a since-fired chief who oversaw the force that allegedly spent its free time sexually exploiting a minor, is being paid $49,000 to mount a national search to replace SF's also-booted Chief Greg Suhr. Part of their contract involved placing advertisements for the gig, like the posting reported on by the Ex on Tuesday. "Among the limited requirements, a bachelors degree and postgraduate studies are not required to become chief," the Ex said of the job listing. "The limited requirements, in contrast to smaller cities that require a bachelors degree, make it possible for Interim Chief Toney Chaplin...to put his hat in the ring along with others in the departments upper echelons, who have years of experience but little-to-no higher education." It just sounds like its really, really minimal in a city that has been for years a challenging police executive job, a former police chief and criminal justice pundit told the Ex. I would expect, for a city like San Francisco, the candidate should have an advanced academic degree. Members of San Francisco's Police Commission who spoke to the Ex regarding the job ad and its "limited requirements" defended the posting, with Commission President Suzy Loftus saying that I didnt ask [the recruiters] what other cities normally require [relating to] education," and Commissioner Victor Hwang saying that he "expected the firm to survey other similar cities to see what they require" in terms of academic achievement. But the next day, members of the commission changed their tune, then telling the Ex that the posted ad "was a first draft,." What follows is a worrisome level of confusion, as Commissioner Sonia Melara "who Loftus said was in charge of finalizing the edits to the advertisement, said she did not know when the ad would go public or that it was taken down," the Ex reports. The process hasnt even started, said Melara. The commission will be having meetings with the community next month. Commission Vice President Julius Turman says that "he doesnt know who told the firm to publish the ad," which the Ex notes is "a call only the commission can make." Efforts to reach Ralph Andersen & Associates for comment were unsuccessful as of publication time. Though Turman says that the ad will be re-posted after a couple new edits ("including more details about the challenges and reforms underway") are added to it, a press release sent by the San Francisco Police Department on the commission's behalf suggests that they still aren't sure who they're looking for. According to the release, the commission will present "internet surveys to obtain input from both community members (Community Input Survey) and Police Department members, both sworn and civilian (Department Survey)" and has established an email address ([email protected]) "as a method of receiving additional input beyond the Internet survey." (You can take the survey right here, if you want!) In addition, "Five community meetings will be held during the last three weeks of August at various locations throughout the City and County of San Francisco to obtain the characteristics and qualities the community is looking for in the next Chief of Police," they write, all in an effort to "widely encourage the community and Department participation and ensure transparency in the evaluation of attributes and characteristics of candidates for the Chief of Police position." A wish list, one might think, that should be nailed down before the job is posted! The chief position will pay $316,732 with benefits a jump from Suhr's base pay of $307,450, which made him the highest-paid police chief in the US from 2012 to at least 2014. According to the since-removed posting, the Chief will not be required to live in SF even more good news, perhaps, for Chaplin, who does not live in San Francisco. Or maybe not? For as reported earlier today, Chaplin has "been too busy and hasn't had time to consider whether he wants the permanent job as chief." Maybe he can't wait for August 31 the application closing date, according to the since-removed job posting to come and for all this to be placed on someone else's shoulders. Previously: Firm That Recruited Ousted Oakland Police Chief Charging SF $49K To Find New SFPD Chief Acting SFPD Chief Toney Chaplin Talks About His First 60 Days, And Whether He Wants The Permanent Job Sex, love, and other mysteries in the city your mother warned you about. Though he may have programmed dating apps to automatically match with as many women as possible and systematically send them the same series of messages, Sebastian Stadil thinks of himself as a romantic. "That has to do with my French upbringing," he says. "I very much believe in this 'romantic soulmate' kind of thing." Actually, that's the real reason why Stadil sought to date women "at scale," one of many technical phrases he uses in his highly technical approach to courtship. It's an emphasis that plays to Stadil's strengths. After completing his studies in economics and computer science in France he moved to San Francisco to found cloud computing company Scalr, where he serves as CEO. While Stadil has been met with professional success in the Bay Area Scalr boasts millions in investments and he now serves on advisory boards at Google and Microsoft the 31-year-old has been less lucky in love. Stadil and his girlfriend broke up, which was understandably difficult, but he decided he'd better waste no time in his search."I was determined to find the One, even if it meant swiping right on the whole Bay Area," he writes in a Medium post detailing his experience. "Normal dating was a nightmare, so I hacked it." That meant writing a program for automatic swiping, messaging, and date scheduling on OKCupid, Tinder, and Hinge, creating a kind of cyberspeed dating with up to four dates per day and eventually 150 first dates in four months starting last summer. Stadil honed his approach, which he calls "industrialized," over time, testing various photos and messages against controls. "I assumed canned messages wouldnt work well, but after over 10,000 sent, there wasnt a significant response rate difference between personalized and generic messages," he writes. That led to the following series of messages, deployed in order until he got a 'yes' or no response at all. Bonjour ! Care to meet over coffee some time next week? Perhaps I can tempt you with some pastries instead? I know of place with fruit tarts, chocolate pies, and macaroons. :) Can I interest you in a chai latte then? Better than coffee, and we can still get the pastries! Fine, if you dont like coffee nor pastries nor chai, we can do tea. How does tea sound? Yeah, you are right. Tea is a little boring. We should get ice cream! How about the Bi-Rite Creamery? Ice cream is too cliche anyway. We should do something no one else does on a first date, like meet at a gas station and get beef jerky! Think of the stories we could tell our grandkids! Alright, Ill admit that meeting at a gas station isnt the most romantic. And lets be honest: American food portions are so large we dont need more calories. How about a boat ride on Stow Lake? We can get a nice pedal boat and get fresh air and plenty of exercise. How about that? Of course, tea and pastries (incidentally, Stadil found via his data that a "warm" cup of tea was not as tempting as a "nice" cup of it) aren't awfully expensive. But in the end, at scale, costs added up. Stadil also invested in paid premium versions of Tinder and OKCupid to maximize his reach as power-users of Tinder, for example, know, a limited number of "likes" are offered for free. "The thesis behind the decision there," Stadil tells me, "is if I'm going to spend $20 per date for tea, for two, maybe some cookies to go with it, if every date costs $20, then the $20 that it costs you to get infinite swipes, that just makes the whole process a lot more efficient." Stadil also refused to split costs on dates. "I could feel the reaction that you re not supposed to split the bill on the first date," he told me, "that the norm is the guy pays on the first date." Stadil also selected date spots that were near his office, often summoning Ubers for his dates to bring them to him. "I can't really afford to take an Uber and then cross the city and then have a one-hour date and then Uber back to work. That would take two hours of my time. It was just much more time efficient, and gentlemanly, for me to order up an Uber for her," he argues. All told Ubers, tea, and premium subscriptions the endeavor cost Stadil about $6,000. While bringing dates to him made more time to have more of them, that wasn't always easy, Stadil tells me: "There were times when I had three to four dates a day, and those were kind of painful because you end up drinking a ton of coffee or a ton of tea, and that just sucks. Usually what I would do is two, three coffee drinks a day and then drink dates in the evening." That aspect of Stadil's speed-dating appears to exhibit a double-standard. While dating cuts both ways each party investing time and effort in the search and in each date Stadil seems to have valued his time more highly than his dates'. In the end, that predictably led to difficulty for him. Even if, as Stadil puts it in business parlance, he was able to "convert" a first date into a second one, he might forget details of their original date. "It gets tricky, because you end up telling your story three times a week, and you get a little awkward, repeating stories." After learning that a woman was an orphan on date one, he made the mistake of asking her about her parents on date two. "That was an awkward moment," he writes in his Medium post. "If you're reading this, I apologize." Stadil also betrays a double standard when it comes to control in dating. "In my sample of 150, not once did a girl take the initiative, pick a place, and invite me." he writes. "Im told its fear of appearing desperate, but fuck that! Own your life, dont let someone drive it for you." Of course, Stadil automatically sent messages first, and he also told me he "hated" the dating app Bumble, a highly popular option where women must message men first. "It gives all the control to the women. I'm not a passive guy: I take action, I like to control my life," he said. Stadil is, on the whole, a self-effacing and well-intentioned person, both in his post and, fairly clearly, in his life. For example, he's amusing and self-deprecating when it comes to his appearance. "Im a fat, bald, short guy whose only quality is that he isnt an ax murderer." His most successful profile picture hid his flaws, he told me, chuckling. Even if his methods are unorthodox, it's easy to root for him, and in the end to feel disappointed along with him when he says he "failed" in love. "Dating is like enterprise sales," he writes, I think sort of heartbreakingly. "When your customer goes for a competing, more compelling product, youre never told and you dont get any feedback." There was one glimmer of hope in all this: A Google employee whom Stadil refers to as Jane. "She was fun," he writes. "I had a special feeling so I brought her on a special date at Golden Gate Park. I brought a basket with fruits, macaroons and red wine and rented a boat. We took turns, and she rowed with the vigor of a thousand Vikings. At some point, we got lost and I used this opportunity to steal a magical first kiss. That was my best first date on more than 150, ironically the only one that hadnt been part of my rigid routine." Not only was Stadil more successful by devoting time and thought to someone he was interested in rather than abiding by his usual rote system. He was successful in part because he was honest, telling Jane about his program: "She just laughed and said that was ingenius and pretty smart," he recalled to me. After five fun dates, the two parted ways. Stadil was less forthcoming, though, with his other dates. That made me question his choice to publish his story under his own name, revealing to women he'd met that they had, as he writes, "participated involuntarily in this experiment." Stadil does thank them for that participation, and he did leave some time between the dating spree before publishing his story. "I met smart girls, pretty girls, fun girls, and weird girls and it was great even though in the end, I didnt find my soulmate." Did Stadil, I had to wonder, have any of his own questions about the ethics of his project? Not really. "Coming from France, where dating is one at a time, and moving to San Francisco where people are dating four five or six people at a time, that ethical change was kind of already made," he says. "I didn't invent it, I just decided to take that a little bit further." In that vein, I might argue that plenty of people use standard greetings with online dating matches or swipe blindly to see who they might match with or even repeat the same date regimen with different people. Whether or not it's the most rewarding and promising way to go about dating is another matter. Though none of Stadil's dates seem to have been the wiser, save Jane, some of his friends learned of the effort. "Once in a while, with a friend, we had a conversation, and they would start complaining about how repetitive [dating] was, they would say 'oh I tried building [a program to help],' and I would say, well, I have one too... I'm not the only one who has built this pre-built automation, a surprising number of my software engineering friends [have done so.]" That said, Stadil won't share his program with them or anyone for that matter: "If you are to give this to other people, if other people were to use this, I would be arming my competition," he tells me. He also doesn't want to give it away willy-nilly for a reason he discovered over the course of his dates. Here's a Facebook post from him: In hindsight, Stadil doesn't think his tactic was ideal. "I think I would have been more successful if I had spent that time going to a dance class or going to a yoga class, and not being on the dating apps, and being in social places." Couldn't he do both, I asked? No, he says, for him it's a binary. "I have fairly limited time so I had to choose one or the other." Still, he ends his Medium post on a hopeful, if exhausted, note. "I'm running out of steam. It is a very time-, resource-, and attention-consuming thing. The whole point of automating was precisely to make it not so. Its time for another approach. A drastic change. But not tonight. Tonight, I have a date." Actually, he tells me, he hasn't been dating much. "I kind of sometimes start the app again and get a few dates that way, but I'm mostly focused on my company," Stadil says." The other strategy I'm contemplating is just choosing a market, a different market. For example, my friends that are in New York are doing somewhat similar things, and there there is a higher ratio of women to men, which skews the supply and demand equilibrium." In the end, Stadil wonders whether he might attract a partner in revealing his quest. "Who knows, perhaps Ill find my special someone through this post?" he writes. Hear that, ladies? Feel free to reach out with a message, automated or otherwise. Previously: Eff-ing In SF, Vol. 8: Five Signs He's A 'Peter Pan' In December, San Francisco Federal Credit Union began offering zero-down mortgages on home of up to $2 million to an echelon of tech workers who, while rich in assets like company equity, don't have the liquid capital to spend that's necessary to buy a home. Bloomberg reported on the move, something of a new perk, while also observing other signs that lenders were cozying up to tech workers with tailored loans, guaranteed 24-hour approvals, and more. The fact that wealthy, would-be home buyers in the tech industry are struggling with high housing costs and down payments, and the fact that they're getting a helping hand in making those investment, could strike a nerve, the Weekly speculates. "This is certainly going to piss off a lot of people, especially those who were priced out of San Francisco in recent years or who spend half their income on rent or mortgage payments." Will zero-down mortgages may provide triggering flashback to some. the Credit Union says it is highly selective when offering the perk, still rejecting four out of 10 applicants and only approving those with $219,000 in income, for example. "We are vetting our borrowers to make sure they can afford it and have reserves," their chief lending officer, Rebecca Reynolds Lytle, told Bloomberg. Its a loan its not going to be risk free. But while the service "might be good for the borrower and good for the lender, Glenn Kelman, chief executive officer of Redfin, a brokerage, tells Bloomberg, its not necessarily good for San Francisco. Mortgage consultant Terry Wakefield tells Bloomberg that Lenders get so caught up trying to stay competitive and finding a market edge, they basically allow greed to overcome common sense, hinting that such tactics can inflate a bubble. But lenders mostly see potentially loyal customers: They want these people to be clients for life," Paragon chief market analyst Patrick Carlisle says. In that vein, lenders are also establishing themselves with tech companies. Social Finance Inc. has deals with Google to promote itself to new hires (nooglers). First Republic Bank has branches in Twitter HQ and Facebook HQ, having provided CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself with a mortgage. Related: Data Scientist Writes Uneccessary Program To Find SF Apartment Google/Alphabet's fancy on-campus cafeterias are about to get a whole lot more cutting edge in the realm of futuristic foodstuffs. According to Wired, starting in 2017, Google chefs have pledged to start serving employees synthetic shrimp made from algae. As Wired notes, shrimp is the most popular seafood in the US, but it just so happens to be terrible for both the environment and the slaves forced to peel them. That's where New Wave Foods comes in. Perhaps inspired by the 1973 movie Soylent Green in which food is manufactured from plankton (and, of course, people), the company has turned to creating a shrimp simulacrum from red algae. "New Wave Foods, founded in 2015, is a leader in plant-based seafood that is healthier and better for the environment," the company website explains. "New Wave products are high in clean nutrients and deliver a culinary experience consumers expect without the devastating environmental impact of commercial fishing." New Wave's founder and CEO, Dominique Barnes, lives in San Francisco and has a Masters in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In launching a company that is working to replace traditional seafood with something less harmful to the environment, Barnes clearly has placed an emphasis on sustainability. That doesn't mean, however, that she thinks her product will automatically be a slam dunk for consumers. One hurdle that I do see is in our perception of algae," she told Wired. "When I talk to people, usually theyre like, What are you talking about? This is pond scum. Well, maybe yes and maybe no. You probably already consumed something this week that has an algae ingredient, she says. Whether or not the coders of Google are ready from some disruption on their lunch plates, investors are ready to fund it. Forbes reports that the market for meat substitutes is tracking to surpass $5 billion in the next few years, and Recode notes that even Google tried (and failed) to buy meat-substitute company Impossible Foods last year for anywhere from $200 to $300 million. Indeed, other companies manufacturing meat analogs have already found success Eater reports that just this past May a veggie burger that apparently "bleeds" sold out at Whole Foods within an hour. So, in the case of the meatless shrimp, it appears Google is actually following a trend and not setting it. Either way, come 2017, employees snacking away in the company cafeteria on free shrimp while coming up with the next Google Plus may be actually making the world a better place even if not in the manner they imagine. Related: The Nine Best Veggie Burgers In SF (And Oakland) SIOUX CITY | It took more than three years of planning and fundraising, but the Rev. Dimitri Tobias is ecstatic over the installation of two large-scale art pieces at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Each of the 81- by 146-inch murals -- depicting the Nativity as well as Jesus blessing children -- will be officially unveiled during the 16th annual Greek Fest, taking place Friday through Sunday, at the 900 Sixth St. church. "When people see (the art), they will weep," Tobias said. "They will weep not just because of the beauty but because of what this will represent for our church, our community and for the people of Sioux City." The pieces were created by iconographers Christos Chrysospathis and Nikos Papailiou. The men, along with Papailiou's son and assistant Andreas Papailiou, installed the art Monday afternoon. Nikos Papailiou, who is director of the Pyrgos, Greece-based Byzantine Iconography School of Holy Metropolis of Ilia, said the murals are a traditionally Greek form of art that can be traced back to Biblical times. "The word icon means image, and the image depicts a specific scene from the Orthodox Christian scripture," he explained. "While iconographers can devise their own interpretation in scenes, there is no creative license in the depiction of God or Jesus." That's because depicted scenes have to be readily understood. "Centuries ago, few people could read," Tobias said. "They learned stories about the Bible through iconography." Other Byzantine traditions include figures that have been elongated, hands that have been gracefully stylized and small mouths that remain closed. "This is an example of Byzantine iconography at its highest order," Papailiou noted, pointing out the mural depicting the Nativity. "It is very ethereal." But it can also be fanciful. Iconographer Chrysospathis creatively filled up empty space on a mural by including a multitude of houses in the background of Bethlehem. According to Tobias, iconography may even be considered contemporary in a way. "Even in an age of social media and technology, we are all looking for authenticity," he said. "Iconography tells stories in a very tactile way. You can see and you can touch icons. "Iconography is authentic and that keeps us grounded," Tobias added. "It also brings us great joy." In December, Lord willing, I will complete my 18th year of writing this column. As many have said before me and many will say after me, time flies. Of course, while I was living out these moments and weeks and years, they seemed to progress at a normal rate. CHICAGO Parents of newborns with rare genetic conditions used to hear the grim words that the severe birth defects were "incompatible with life." Support groups and social media showing the exceptions have changed the landscape. So has mounting research suggesting that not all such babies are doomed to die. The latest study focuses on trisomy 13 or trisomy 18 genetic conditions that typically cause mental impairment, facial and organ abnormalities, breathing problems, heart defects and other medical problems. They involve extra copies of certain chromosomes. Two decades of data from Ontario, Canada, illustrates how rare the conditions are and how most babies still die. Of the 428 babies born, only 65 less than 20 percent lived for at least a year. Twenty-nine survived at least 10 years. There's little previous research on these children surviving that long, and the new results suggest the birth defects are not always as lethal as doctors have advised parents. The study doesn't include information on survivors' quality of life, but severe disabilities are the norm. The researchers say without that information, the study alone can't guide decisions about how to treat children with the conditions. Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum's 8-year-old daughter, Bella, has trisomy 18. His wife, Karen has said that their doctor told the family there was no need to bring their newborn home with oxygen despite medical problems that included breathing difficulties. "You have to learn to let go," she says they were told. Online images of smiling kids with the conditions has led some parents to doubt the dire warnings and seek aggressive and costly surgeries to correct organ abnormalities. Ethicists say the power of social media is changing the landscape for how the medical community views these children, although some still say it is acceptable to let newborns with the conditions die. In the study, about 70 percent of the 76 infants who had surgery lived for one year after the procedures. But whether surgery prolongs survival is unclear, said Dr. Katherine Nelson, the Canadian study's lead author and a palliative care specialist at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. Most infants in her study who had surgery were at least 3 months old when they had the operations, suggesting they were healthier to begin with. The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A separate study from nine states found 5-year survival rates of 10 percent to 12 percent for trisomy 13 and 18 children. The highest rates were in those who had aggressive treatment, according to the research, published in April in the American Journal of Medical Genetics. Despite the survival of some, an editorial accompanying the Canadian study says it is "ethically justifiable" to withhold aggressive medical treatment and let some infants die while offering aggressive treatment to others. Parents' values should drive the decisions, said Dr. John Lantos, a medical ethicist at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City who wrote the editorial. Lantos notes that 30 years ago, new doctors were taught that the two conditions were fatal, but "in the social media age, however, everything changed," he wrote. Sometimes support groups and imagery of surviving children give other parents false hope. But Lantos said it also empowers parents, "by allowing them to share stories, to compare doctors and to present their physicians with information that challenge medical literature," he said. Kara McHenry's son, Corbin, lived for four months after his birth in 2013. Prenatal tests found trisomy 13; doctors recommended an abortion. But she found a support group on Facebook showing happy-looking children learning to walk. She also found a hospital that offered treatment, in Pennsylvania, 400 miles from her home near Greenville, North Carolina. "I couldn't just give up," McHenry said, so the family temporarily moved north. During his short life, Corbin had pneumonia, a heart procedure and surgeries to help him breathe and to treat a bowel infection. The family was able to bring him back to North Carolina, but he was never well enough to go home "He was going to be impaired mentally and physically," McHenry said. She chose invasive care in hopes that he'd beat the odds, but says she has no regrets. SIOUX CITY | After the death of her husband, Jim, six years ago in a car accident, there were days when Gloree Clausen said she felt like she just couldn't go on living. A therapist suggested the Sioux City woman start attending A Step Beyond, a community support group for the bereaved offered by Christy-Smith Funeral Homes. After hearing an inspirational message delivered by Brenda Zahnley, director of bereavement services, Clausen said she felt uplifted. "She always has such wonderful ideas about positive thinking -- about ways to feel joy in your life, even though you're hurting," she said. "It's really because of her programs that I keep coming." While trudging through the dark valley of grief, Zahnley said those who've recently lost a loved one wonder, "Is there light at the end of the tunnel?" Zahnley helps them find hope and healing through A Step Beyond, which celebrated its 26th anniversary this month. "To have a support group that has been around for 26 years is pretty amazing," she said. "I think part of it is the friendship and the fellowship and the gathering." Adult children who've lost a parent, husbands and wives grieving the death of their spouse, and divorcees all attend the support group, which meets the second Tuesday of the month at Christy-Smith Family Resource Center, 1819 Morningside Ave. A Step Beyond was formed in 1990, by Darlene Smith, former Christy-Smith owner Terry Smith's mother. Zahnley said Smith wanted to start a support group to help people move beyond the raw stages of grief. Outside of meetings, the group traveled to Okoboji and the Grotto of Redemption in West Bend, Iowa, boarded a trolley to view Christmas lights around town and gathered together for New Year's Eve parties. "There was a group that gathered for lunch, because eating alone was kind of difficult," Zahnley said. "Every Wednesday, you just knew to go to Timothy's at noon and somebody would be there from Christy-Smith." Zahnley, who took the reins more than 15 years ago, said those group outings have been scaled back over the years due to budgetary constraints. A Step Beyond will meet for a potluck Aug. 9 at Latham Park. Not alone The topics presented at A Step Beyond are designed to be educational, upbeat and social. Participants often ask Zahnley and each other questions, but Zahnley said they don't have to tell the story of what brought them there. Meetings end with music, which she said helps members cope with their feelings. Zahnley said people usually start coming two or three months after their loss, but for some, she said it might be more than a year before they're ready. Even though they're hurting when they walk through the doors of the Christy-Smith Resource Center, Zahnley said members feel better by the time they leave. "It really is teaching people how to live life to the fullest. When you experience the death of a loved one, there really are times where you just feel like, 'How am I gonna survive this? How am I gonna be able to move forward?,'" she said. "It's an opportunity to be able say, 'I'm not alone in what I'm going through. I'm gonna survive this; and I'm gonna come out on the other side of grief.'" Gloria Monkelien's husband, Gary, lost his battle with an aggressive brain tumor two years ago. The couple would've celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this summer. "You feel like, 'Why me?,'" she said. "I watched these old people hand in hand. I thought, 'That's gonna be us.'" Christy-Smith Funeral Homes handled Monkelien's husband's funeral arrangements, which Zahnley said isn't a requirement to join the support group, and invited her to come to A Step Beyond. Monkelien mentioned the invitation to her children. They told her, "Go for it! You need help. You need somebody to have your back." Monkelien found the meetings uplifting. She said the support group helped her adjust to life without her husband. She's even begun dating a widower, who she meet at A Step Beyond. "You realize life really does go on and there's a lot of people with the same problems that you have," she said. "You aren't alone." We were about at the midpoint of our 75-minute yoga class when the instructor told us to sit cross-legged on our mats hands cupped in our laps, one over the other, as if awaiting communion and breathe. Just breathe. Ahh, I thought. Finally a respite from the stretches and twists. We had just completed a series of simple but horrible poses, holding our arms straight out to our sides for what seemed like hours until our shoulders burned. Sit and breathe, I nodded. What a relief. Close your eyes, the instructor said. Focus on your breath. Keep your back straight, the crown of your head reaching toward the ceiling. Inhale, exhale. So I began. Within seconds I started to fidget, rocking every so slightly on my mat. Breathe, I thought. Inhale, exhale. I wiggled my hands, tapping the pads of my fingers one by one against my thumb. I decided to make potato hash for dinner. I wondered when my car might be out of the shop. I counted the days since I had last spoken with my parents on the phone. Too long, I thought. Need to call them when I get home. I opened one eye and scanned the room. Everyone else seemed to be following the rules, both eyes closed and breathing calmly. I admired the yoga top the woman in front of me was wearing, its purple straps criss-crossing her back. I thought about buying one like it. I imagined going to the mall, stopping at Orange Julius. I envisioned the food court. I suddenly craved a hot pretzel with cheese. Monkey mind, as the Buddhists would say. My thoughts were unsettled and restless. My body, consequently, couldnt sit still. This was excruciating. Having just begun my yoga journey, its little wonder Im easily distracted. But according to the instructor, who has been practicing yoga for decades, the Sukhasana, or easy pose, can be one of the most challenging for people at any level. We live distracted lives. Its hard to find a waiting room or even a restaurant without television screens everywhere. We talk to friends with one eye on our phones, always checking for that next text, tweet, phone call or e-mail. Our minds go a million directions at once. Pile on the recent Pokemon Go craze, and the count may be closer to 2 million directions. If you dont open the app and at least look around now and then, how are you ever going to find that coveted Vaporeon or Alakazam? The trick to meditation, Im told, is to start small. Fifteen breaths, maybe, or just 10. A friend who often accompanies me to yoga shared a video with me in which Tibetan Buddhist master Mingyur Rinpoche shares advice for taming a monkey mind. The key, he says, is to focus on that chattering in your head and lean into it instead of trying to fight it. We can meditate everywhere, anytime, he says. You ask monkey mind, Hello! Watch breath. So monkey mind says, Ah, yeah! Good idea! And be aware of breath: Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in. This sounds a lot easier, my yoga buddy said when she shared the video. Easier said than done, no doubt. But Ill keep working on it. Iraqi Catholic Leader Blasts Assyrian Commander for Tribute to U.S. Troops ( SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Breitbart TV) Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Sako, head of Iraq's largest Christian community, decried the commander of the Christian Assyrian Army, known as Dwekh Nawsha, for shedding tears for U.S. troops killed in Iraq, suggesting the Americans do not deserve to be commended for their sacrifice. In an interview with Assyrian TV earlier this year, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Sako, declared: There went one [man] from here crying at the graves of the troops of America crying for those who died liberating the Nineveh Plain. Americans died liberating the Nineveh Plain? What saying is this? Where did they die in the Nineveh Plain? I want to show appreciation on behalf of the Christian communities in Iraq's Assyrian Nineveh Plain for the sacrifice that the United States made to liberate our country and for the souls of those soldiers who lost their lives to give Iraqis a good life and democracy Really, I am filled with emotion when I see the brave heroes buried in this cemetery. I appreciate all who sacrificed [their life] to make a good life and future for other people. It's an honor to be in the section where those who died and sacrificed for Iraqi freedom are laid to rest. We urge Louis Sako not to confuse his role as a religious figure with that of a political leader, just as political and secular leaders refrain from passing comment on theology or ecclesiastical affairs. The patriarch of the Chaldean church, which is one of the Eastern rite churches in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, was referring to Cmdr. Emmanuel Khoshaba Youkhana. Sako added that the Christian Assyrian Army leader's emotional display, which took place during an exclusive interview with Breitbart News earlier this year at the Arlington National Cemetery, was not "proper." Tears welled in the eyes of the Assyrian Army commander when he reached the section of the cemetery where U.S. troops who died in the name of Iraqi freedom have been laid to rest. According to the Pentagon, 4,497 Americans, including 13 U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, were killed during the first Iraq War that started in 2003, which was known as Operation Iraqi Freedom until September 2010 when it was renamed Operation New Dawn . Another 32,247 were wounded. A tally by CNN shows that many of the casualties (estimated in the hundreds) took place in northern Iraq's Nineveh province, particularly Mosul, once the home of the largest Christian community in the country. Moreover, three Americans have died in combat in Iraq while supporting the campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), including one who died in Nineveh province. Overall, there have been 23 U.S. military fatalities , including 3 civilians, and 16 injuries under the mission against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The Assyria Nineveh Plain, a region in Iraq's Nineveh province outside Mosul, is the historical homeland of the Assyrian Christians. At the Arlington National Cemetery located in Virginia right outside Washington, D.C., the Assyrian Christian commander told Breitbart News, as tears ran his face:Cmdr. Youkhana told Breitbart News he was dismayed" by Patriarch Sako's comments, adding that he remains "very thankful" to the U.S. troops who were killed in an effort to improve Iraq. "For me, the visit was very necessary. It was an opportunity to pay respect to the souls of the people who have sacrificed their lives for Iraq," he added. The commander said that his tribute was "reduced to a political pawn" by Sako. He accused the Catholic leader of ridiculing him for crying at the cemetery, adding that he did so for "political reasons." Youkhana also blamed Sako for inaccurately translating his comments in honor of the U.S. troops into Arabic and turning them into a "personal attack" against him, seemingly fueling the rifts that already exist between Muslims and Christians in Iraq. The translation falsely suggested that the he "went and cried at the Arlington Cemetery to collect some money from the U.S.," said Youkhana. Patriarch Sako did not immediately respond to Breitbart News's requests for comment. It appears that Patriarch Sako plays the role of both political and religious leader . Some Assyrian leaders have condemned the Chaldean patriarch for urging the United States not to arm Christian forces fighting ISIS in the Middle East. In a statement , the Assyrian Confederation of Europe (ACE) said in May:While Sako would like to see the Christian groups join the Iraqi army and forces loyal to northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Youkhana wants his forces to remain independent. Youkhana's Christian army has managed to hold territory in the Nineveh Plain despite repeated attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL). His army has implored President Barack Obama to provide weapons and military equipment to no avail. LE MARS, Iowa | Aly Vondrak watched as Joe Vondrak was crowned king of the Plymouth County Fair on Wednesday night. "I thought to myself, 'It would be cool to have another Vondrak crowned,'" she said. Aly Vondrak got her wish a minute later when she was named Plymouth County Fair Queen. The Vondraks are third cousins, as the grandfathers of their fathers were brothers. Those grandfathers were the late Frank and Joe Vondrak of rural Hinton. Family members and fair officials told me they don't think the king and queen have ever been so closely tied. Interestingly, both of their paternal grandfathers showed at the Plymouth County Fair, which turns 75 this week. Aly's grandpa, Joe Vondrak, 91, of Hinton, might have showed livestock at or around the first fair in Le Mars, in 1941. Joe's grandfather, Sioux City's Phil Vondrak, 80, also competed here during his formative years. Both Aly and Joe have a long list of Plymouth County Fair involvement, as you might expect. And both turned family matters into worthwhile 4-H projects. For Joe, it occurred when he teamed up with his brother, Frank Vondrak, in making a wheelchair ramp three years ago for their maternal grandfather, Ken Bonthuis, of Sioux City. The effort earned the Vondrak boys grand champion accolades in the area of Citizenship. One of Aly's Iowa State Fair efforts came five years ago when she took the memory of a car accident and turned it into a project on "Seat Belt Safety." The creation traced its origins to a roll-over accident she and her mother, Jody Vondrak, suffered on their way to the 4-H judging day at the fair in 2010. "I made cookies to be judged and my mom and I were looking at the cookies as we came to the fair," she said. Jody, who wasn't going fast, lost control and the vehicle rolled before coming to rest on its wheels. Aly's window had been broken out. She suffered cuts from broken glass and some bruises. "We were told that her seat belt may have saved her life," Jody said. Both mother and daughter were treated at the hospital before returning to the fair, whereupon judges awarded Aly's cookies a blue ribbon. Aly has also showed pigs, cattle and sheep at past fairs. This member of the Hungerford TMTs 4-H Club has also done Iowa State Fair projects on bed bugs and Fragile X, a syndrome that is under the autism umbrella. Joe Vondrak, a member of the Johnson Juniors 4-H Club, made banana bread and a flower planter box for judging this summer. Both efforts earned blue ribbons. Joe, who will be a senior at Bishop Heelan this fall, lauded his parents, Chris and Joni Vondrak, of Akron, as well as his club for their support in his 4-H career. He also thanked the Plymouth County Fair board for, "making this the best five days of the summer." Aly, a 2016 graduate of Hinton High School, will study family consumer science education at Wayne State College, starting next month. The daughter of Kevin and Jody Vondrak of Hinton thanked the rest of the girls who were vying for the Fair Queen title. "It's an honor to represent the best county in Iowa," she concluded. And, somewhere, I'll bet, the late Frank and Joe Vondrak, the brothers from Hinton, shared a smile, pleased at what their family tree has produced. SIOUX CITY | Sioux City will host a delegation from its sister city, Yamanashi City, Japan, next week. Kesanori Ichikawa, the superintendent of Yamanashi City, Japan, along with three adult chaperons, two adult citizens and ten middle school students. The group will stay with eight host families Wednesday through Sunday. The cultural exchange is the sixth visit since the sister city relationship was officially formed in 2003. Citizens are invited to attend a welcome breakfast to meet the visitors from Japan, at 9 a.m. Thursday in City Hall Council Chambers, 405 Sixth St. The weekly Coffee with City Council will follow at 9:30 a.m. SIOUX RAPIDS, Iowa | The Sioux Rapids Police Department arrested three people Wednesday as a result of an investigation into a fraudulent winning scratch lottery ticket claim. According to an Iowa Department of Public Safety news release, the ticket, which claimed to have won a $250,000 prize in one of the Iowa Lottery's instant-scratch games, was presented at the Storm Lake Regional Lottery Office on June 17. The prize was not paid, the release said. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, in conjunction with the Iowa Lottery and Buena Vista County Attorney's Office, launched an investigation July 7. Wednesday, Sioux Rapids Police officers arrested Ashley Brianne Bosler, 20, of Sioux Rapids, Johnny Long Jr., 26, of Sioux Rapids, and Sally Bosler, 42, of Cedar Rapids. Ashley Bosler has been charged with theft of a lottery ticket or share and aiding and abetting. Long has been charged with theft of a lottery ticket or share, and Sally Bosler has been charged with aiding and abetting. All are class D felonies. The three were booked into the Buena Vista County Jail Wednesday and held on $5,000 bond. SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has been arrested, after police said he sexually abused multiple girls under age 12. Richard Mackeller, 54, was arrested by the Sioux City Police Department Thursday on multiple charges of second-degree sexual abuse. He is being held in Woodbury County Jail on $30,000 bond. Woodbury County District Court documents showed officers said Mackeller on several occasions, dating back to 2010, had the girls sleep overnight at his home in the 3400 block of Athlone Avenue. The documents said he would sleep in beds with the girls and rubbed their breasts and vaginas. On one occasion, Mackeller reportedly took the hand of one of the girls and stroked his genital area with it. Mackeller's initial court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 8. SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man accused in a string of vehicle break-ins was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for one of the incidents. Wiley Spencer, 20, had pleaded guilty in June in Woodbury County District Court to second-degree theft. Terms of the plea agreement called for the five-year sentence. Spencer had admitted that on Dec. 3 he was in possession of a stolen camera and lens. Police recovered other stolen items after they stopped Spencer's vehicle and later when searching his home. Spencer has also pleaded guilty in a separate case to third-degree burglary for a March 1 vehicle break-in. His plea agreement in that case calls for a two-year prison sentence to be served at the same time as his five-year sentence. Spencer is also charged with vehicle break-ins that occurred on Jan. 4. Those counts were dismissed. Thumbs down Extend sales tax with no strings On Wednesday in Urbandale, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad told members of the Westside Conservative Club he would be open to repurposing an extended penny sales tax for school infrastructure set to expire in 2029 by committing five-eighths of future proceeds to education and three-eighths to a constitutionally protected natural resources trust approved by Iowa voters in 2010. Again today, we urge Branstad and the Legislature to get behind extension of the school tax, without strings. Revenue from an extension should be used only for school infrastructure as was the original intent of a tax supported by Iowans through referendums in individual counties across the state (the school tax became a statewide tax in 2008). Troubling increase More bicycle crash fatalities have been recorded in Iowa so far this year than in any year since 2010, The Journal's Des Moines bureau reported in a story on Sunday. According to the Department of Transportation, six bicyclists have been killed on Iowa roads this year. From 2011 to 2015, no more than five fatal bicycle crashes were recorded in any single year by the DOT. "It's definitely disturbing," Eric Penning, president of Cedar Valley Cyclists, said in the story. Thumbs up Wind energy industry gets boost Alliant Energy and Gov. Terry Branstad on Wednesday announced company plans to invest some $1 billion over five years in its Iowa wind energy operations. The utility said its project will create more than 1,500 jobs and produce 500 megawatts of energy. A welcome study Roxanne Ryan, Iowa's public safety commissioner, will lead a task force studying ways for the state to combat the growing problem of distracted driving, Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday. The panel is tasked with making recommendations to Branstad before the next legislative session. Because we have have used this space many times to urge strong action by the state of Iowa in response to the scourge of drivers distracted by cell phones, we look forward to the results of this important study. In the spotlight Ryan Moore of South Sioux City, Neb., spoke in prime time at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, sharing the story of his longtime friendship with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Moore, 29, who is afflicted with a rare form of dwarfism, and his family first met Clinton when he was 6 years old and she was advocating for health care reform as the nation's first lady. DAVENPORT, Iowa | Donald Trump told a Davenport audience Thursday that if Hillary Clinton is elected, she would approve a trade deal with a dozen Pacific Rim nations that would be devastating to Iowa and the rest of the country. Trump was making his first general election appearance in Iowa, a battleground state with six electoral votes. He made stops not only in Davenport but also in Cedar Rapids, with the latter coming about the same time Clinton was scheduled to accept her party's presidential nomination at their convention in Philadelphia. Trump's appeals to voters on trade could have some resonance in eastern Iowa, which has a strong manufacturing heritage. The Republican presidential nominee has argued that he would make better deals than politicians not only on trade but also on foreign policy. He again complained Thursday that partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization aren't paying their fair share. "I'm going to make phenomenal deals," Trump told the crowd of 2,500 people. On trade, Trump has tried to appeal to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost a primary battle with Clinton but roused progressives by criticizing trade deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Sanders has since endorsed Clinton. Clinton initially praised the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but she came out in opposition to it last fall during the Democratic primary. Trump told the Davenport crowd that Clinton would eventually sign it, however, pointing to comments this week from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton ally, who said he thought she would do so. McAuliffe's remarks were disavowed by the Clinton campaign. "It will be approved. I hope you don't have to get to watch, because that means that we as a movement are gone. And this country is going to be a mess, maybe forever," Trump said. "That will make NAFTA, for Iowa and for other places, like baby stuff. So you can't do it. TPP is a disaster." Trump's trade policies aren't exactly in step with many Republicans, including some of those who were at the Adler to speak on his behalf. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has said the TPP would help the state's agriculture industry. Branstad didn't mention trade in his remarks to the crowd at the Adler, but he touted Trump's candidacy. And he said Democrats have "abandoned working people, and they've abandoned middle America. They are now the party of the establishment, the elite in Washington, D.C., the national media and Hollywood." In addition to Branstad, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann joined Trump at the rally. Trump's speech lasted a little more than an hour, and he covered a lot of territory. He criticized the Affordable Care Act, federal regulations, speakers at the Democratic National Convention and the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran. He noted his second place finish in the Iowa caucuses, and he even took time to praise the balcony of the Adler Theatre, the likes of which he said couldn't even be found in New York. Trump's remarks were punctuated frequently with supportive shouts from the crowd. And at times, the audience reacted to the mention of Clinton's name with the chant "lock her up," a call that was prevalent at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week. Francisco Maez, a child welfare worker from Monmouth, Ill., said that Trump is his choice for president because he's putting America first. He also said he thinks he would be a good negotiator. "He seems pretty tough," Maez said. "He's an alpha male." Patti Lawson, a school bus driver from Alpha, Ill., said she, too, is backing Trump. "I think he's a doer," Lawson said. "I think he's the type to get things done." Lawson added Trump has sometimes gone too far with what he says. "I think he kind of has foot-in-mouth disease a little bit," she said, but she added she thinks added emotion is behind many of his remarks and "he doesn't really mean it to be as cruel as it sounds." Iowa Democrats greeted Trump's arrival in Iowa with a statement from members of the party's delegation to the national convention. It called Trump's rhetoric "divisive and hateful" and said Clinton would make history Thursday night by claiming the party's nomination and would share "her vision of building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top." Dancers enter the stage of Veterans Memorial Park on Thursday during the Winnebago Tribe's annual Homecoming Celebration Powwow in Winnebago, Neb. The celebration commemorates the 1866 return of the tribe's last war chief, Chief Little Priest, and several members of the Fort Omaha Scouts Company. SIOUX CITY | For the first time in nearly seven years, Sioux City's website is in line for a face-lift. City staff on Monday received the green light from the City Council to negotiate a contract with the California-based website development firm Vision for services related to the upgrade of the Sioux City government website. Anne Westra, the city's economic development specialist, said staff began discussion earlier this year about the need to provide a fresh look and more features for city website users. She said the last website upgrade was nearly seven years ago, which she said is "like a century" in today's digital world. For our customers to contact us, our website is like our front door, Westra said. Its available 24/7, and its really probably the primary way our digital-oriented residents want to access city services. Some of the planned changes include better accessibility to online forms and fewer pages to navigate, she said. Vision will work with staff to identify other possible areas for improvement. "Weve already identified an individual with each (city) department, and were engaging with what theyd like to see for their department to enhance user engagement," she said. On its website, Vision touts more than 20 years of experience working with local governments in the digital sphere. Its portfolio includes the design of city government websites for Ames and West Des Moines. A city committee selected the firm from three consultants who responded to a request for qualifications issued in late May. None of the consultants who responded were local, Westra said. Currently, the Woodbury County Information and Communication Commission maintains the city website. John Malloy, the city and county's information technology director, agreed a new site is "way overdue." Malloy added that he supports hiring developers to create the site rather than producing it in-house since city staff would have limited time to give to the project. "We have dozens, if not hundreds, of things going on at one time," he said. "Websites have become more involved, and you need a team of developers." City staff will now enter into negotiations with Vision, identifying the city's needs and the potential costs. Westra said the project will be funded by available fund balances. No specific amount has been budgeted for the project so far, she said. "We need to identify what our needs are. But we dont want anything astronomical," Westra said. Westra said she expects to put a cost estimate before the council in mid to late August. If approved, the site could then take about six to nine months to complete, she said. International Relations July 29, 2016 Sungur Savran The dramatic events that unfolded in Turkey on the night of 15 to 16 July have been excessively confined to the internecine struggle of two different Islamic currents, that of the AKP under the iron fist of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and its latter day nemesis the Gulen fraternity. This is misleading in two senses. On the one hand, it hides from view the distinct possibility or even more and more certitude that other tendencies within the Turkish armed forces (the TSK in its Turkish acronym) were involved in the planning if not the final execution of the failed putsch. On the other, it prevents us from seeing the more fundamental contradiction that besets Turkey today a contradiction that relates to the countrys position in the world system. We have already taken up the first question in an earlier article titled Turkey: A War of Two Coups (originally posted on the web site RedMed, but also published at mrzine.monthlyreview.org). We held there that, in addition to the Gulenists, the coup organizers included a whole gamut of sensibilities in the armed forces which could be called pro-NATO and pro-U.S. for that is the common denominator that brings them together. We also added that, hence, it is an alliance of the pro-U.S. seculars and the adepts of a religious fraternity under the protection of the U.S. that led the putsch. There is evidence to show that the defeat of the coup owes, partially, to the seeds of dissension within this alliance contre nature. Additional evidence that has since surfaced not only confirms this observation, but in effect sheds new light on the coup that radically alters the earlier impression that the coup was organized outside the chain of command. In effect, both the intelligence agency (the MIT) and the top brass hid for hours on end intelligence regarding the coup that had reached the MIT by 4 p.m. and both also refused to respond to the phone calls made by Erdogan. The latter claims he learned about the coup around 8 p.m. from his brother-in-law, probably short-hand for the intelligence agency of a friendly power, say Qatar. Erdogans prime minister has also said that he learned of the coup from friends and relatives. The commander of the air force, for that matter, claims he was alerted by his wife! Harsh State of Emergency This obviously changes the whole nature of the failed coup. If, as seems to be the case, the chief of the general staff and at least some of the commanders of the principal services (army, navy, air force and the gendarmerie) were involved in the planning of the coup, but retracted their support at the last moment, and additionally, if the all powerful leader of the MIT, Hakan Fidan, were also involved, then Erdogan and the AKP government would today be standing in thin air, with no army or intelligence backing behind them. In effect, their whole policy stance since the coup goes to confirm this. Although a very harsh state of emergency was declared and ratified by parliament and torture and other breaches of the law are rampant, this is directed exclusively to the coup plotters, at least for the time being. And Erdogan personally has gone out of his way to establish a warm relationship with the opposition, a stunning turnabout when considered in the light of his perennial style of constant feud with his opponents. Moreover, he now, all of a sudden, seems to have developed a liking for Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the republic (of whom more below): the headquarters of the AKP are now adorned with a gigantic poster of Ataturk! We will have to wait and see how the bewildering anomalies that have surfaced will be explained. However, there is no excuse any more for believing credulously the original AKP version of the unfolding of events presenting the Gulenists as the only culprit. This they continue to do, for reasons we have already explained in our previous article: to ostracize the Gulenists and to hide from view that a much wider array of forces within the army have taken up arms. It is now incumbent on everyone who interpreted the coup in the light of this crass AKP propaganda to rethink the nature of the coup. All this really strengthens our second point: that the coup is the expression of the more fundamental contradiction that has been tearing Turkish society and politics asunder in recent years. To put it succinctly, this is a war between the traditional Atlanticism of the Turkish ruling classes and what we would call the Rabiism of Erdogan and his cohort. Turkey has stood out in the Muslim world as the only such member of NATO for the entire historical period since World War II. However, under Erdogan and the AKP, the country has for the first time turned its face toward Muslim unity, to be reconstituted under Turkish leadership. This is what we call Rabiism for reasons that will become clear in a moment. It is this new orientation that is coming more and more into a clash with Turkeys entrenched Atlanticism. What is Rabiism? The despotic drift of Erdogan and the AKP is there for all to see. In effect, the provocative title of our earlier piece, Turkey: A War of Two Coups, was intended to draw attention to any misplaced conception that what was salvaged from the failed coup of the military was democracy in any meaningful sense of the term. Erdogan has ridden roughshod over the Turkish constitution by arrogating to himself powers that the constitution does not give the president, this being a largely ceremonious position. His whole politics is obsessively concentrated on converting the parliamentary system into a supposedly presidential one, a euphemism in effect for autocracy. He has destroyed any semblance of independence for the judiciary, trampled unabashedly on the freedom of the press, practically banned the right to strike and almost entirely denied the freedom of assembly in protest. The wholesale destruction of Kurdish cities since last summer under conditions of round-the-clock curfews that last for months on end has left speechless all those who have witnessed the resulting rubble of whole neighbourhoods or even entire towns. Thus Erdogans despotism is an incontrovertible fact. The left in Turkey has been quick to label this fascism and Erdogan a dictator. Photoshop images of Erdogan with a Hitler moustache abound on social media. To call the current (i.e. pre-coup) Turkish regime fascist would be a travesty since it still has many features of bourgeois democracy alive. Such a label would also hide from view the fact that Erdogan and the AKP have to go a long way to achieve the establishment of the kind of regime they aspire to and thus would prevent us from seeing the concrete contradictions of the near future. However, in our opinion, it is not useful to call fascist even the accomplished form of that regime, if ever established fully. Leaving aside the complex question of the distinctive characteristics of fascist regimes, which would take us too far away from the topic at hand, we think that what is called for is a category peculiar to the Islamic world, since the whole political agenda pursued by Erdogan is clearly focused on that world. What facilitates the job for us is that Erdogan and the AKP themselves offer a solution for us. The official symbol of the movement is now the rising of the right hand with the thumb turned inside, thus yielding the number four, in remembrance of the victims of the Cairo neighbourhood of Rabia al-Adawiyya, where the forces of General al Sisi gunned down reportedly hundreds of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood protesting against the ouster of the elected Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi during the Bonapartist coup of July 2013. (For details concerning the coup itself, see our Bonapartist coup in Egypt.) Erdogans regime has thus found its symbol. It remains for us to create the label Rabiism out of the name Rabia, which means four in Arabic. This symbol and name are appropriate for Erdogans movement, for the whole idea behind the movement is revanchism that feeds on a kind of feeling of victimization in the Muslim world in general and Turkey in particular. We cannot but be schematic when explaining what lies behind this victimization. (Some of the ideas here explained are elaborated upon in a longer piece of ours: Class, State and Religion in Turkey in Nesecan Balkan/Erol Balkan/Ahmet Oncu (eds), The Neoliberal Landscape and the Rise of Islamist Capital in Turkey , NewYork. Berghahn Books, 2015.) The Islamic world, in particular in its heartland that has always been the societies of the Middle East, experienced the rise of industrial capitalism in Western Europe and the subordination Islam suffered as a result in a manner quite different from many parts of the world. From the 7th century on, Islam had dealt with the Christian Western world, Europe for all practical purposes, on an equal to equal footing and even nibbled away at some of its territory for a time, Spain in the west and the Byzantine territory of Asia Minor and the Balkans in the east. From the 19th century onwards, if not somewhat earlier, Islamic civilization fell under the domination of the West, mostly in the form of colonies established by Western powers, though, in the case of the Ottomans (Turks), Iran and Afghanistan, this took the form of semi-colonial oppression. This colonial or semi-colonial subjugation was experienced in differential manner by the various social classes. The cultural-religious humiliation was, of course, shared. Otherwise, the peasant, the humble artisan and tradesman, and later, the proletarian masses lived in abject poverty and experienced Western domination as straightforward plunder, while the ruling classes, even when they were made junior partners in the pillage of the wealth of these countries and the labour of working classes, grudgingly remembered their days of glory and splendour and yearned for a nostalgic return to those times when they themselves were the plunderers. The Islamic religion, as in many other similar cases of the oppression of a people by another, remained the common medium of these very different grievances and very often acted as the vehicle of domination used by the ruling classes in Muslim societies in holding the labouring classes at bay, while at the same time being presented as the repository of a holy cause that binds the whole society in solidarity. This is, beyond all conjunctural factors, what explains the extremely strong appeal of Islam to the masses in this part of the world. For historical reasons, Turkey has had a unique experience within this overall development. First, it is the only country in the whole Islamic world to have made a great leap toward secularism in undisguised manner. Even today, the word secular is taboo in the Arab world, the closest term used being civil state. Even Erdogan had to learn this aversion at his own expense when he, exceptionally, lauded secularism on his visit to Egypt under Morsi (those were the days!). Turkeys secularism is not without its inner contradictions that really offset many of the gains this principle would normally bring, but, nonetheless, secularism has been a mainstay of the regime, at least nominally. Secondly, however, early republican Turkey under Kemal Ataturk did not only resort to secularism but launched a full-scale attack on the mores, values, practices and cultural forms of Islamic-oriental society, adopting wholesale alternative ones imported from the West, called contemporary civilization by the unrivalled leader. It was a kind of civilizational cleansing. To the mind of the whole society, it appeared that secularism and the civilizational shift were Siamese twins, inseparably linked to each other. Thus, the profound dislike that the popular masses developed toward the civilizational shift also marked their attitude to secularism. The masses, peasants, the humble petty-bourgeoisie of the cities and later the proletariat regarded the Western ways of the bourgeoisie as the cultural outward appearance of the class divide. Class and culture were identified and anything smacking of Western manners was suspicious in the eyes of (a majority of) the popular masses. The rise of a new fraction of the bourgeoisie from the 1970s on expressed itself in opposition to the firmly entrenched original fraction of the bourgeoisie resolutely tied to Western institutions, mores and ideas. For this reason, Islamism was to be its ideology. Erdogan, of humble origins although later turned capitalist merchant, seemed to the masses to be one of us. This confluence of social (class) and cultural (religious) factors is what explains the enduring charismatic influence of Erdogan on the popular masses. Need it be added that this is no doubt a kind of deception on the part of the masses for classwise Erdogan is not one of them, but is firmly anchored in the new wing of the bourgeoisie. Thirdly, and most importantly for our discussion on what we have named Rabiism, being the heirs to the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish ruling classes also had the advantage of holding the Caliphate as a weapon. However, Kemal Ataturk did not only put an end to empire and declared a republic in 1923, but on the heels of this, abolished the Caliphate itself in 1924. A part of the ruling classes of Turkey have never forgiven this. In their eyes, the Caliphate was not only the personification of the unity of the umma, the worldwide community of believers, but also the key to Turkish glory and splendour in the bosom of the Muslim world. This is why Turkish Islamism has always also been very nationalistic, despite the overriding importance of the umma as the religious community. Rabiism is the ideological movement that strives to unify the Sunni-Muslim world around the leadership of Erdogan. It is now this Turkish glory and splendour that Tayyip Erdogan wishes to revive and re-establish. He has posed his candidacy to being the Rais (leader, chief) of the whole Sunni-Arab world to begin with, although he also has claims on the Muslims of the rest of the world, starting with the Balkans and Transcaucasia. Rabiism is the ideological movement that strives to unify the Sunni-Muslim world around the leadership of Erdogan. Whether he will go so far as to take upon his shoulders the mantle of Caliph if given a chance is a moot point, though not unimaginable by any means. His most staunch followers have of late certainly started to treat him in reverential awe bordering on religious sanctification. Objective Bases and Subjective Conditions Predictably, this kind of a socio-political programme is neither the product of one mans fantasies nor even the awakening of a long-dormant political idea. It has its material basis in the growing of the Turkish bourgeoisie into a force capable and in need of opening to the rest of the world for markets and investment. This does not yet mean that Turkey is becoming an imperialist power in its own right. It has rather joined that league of countries in the international system that occupies a midway position between imperialist countries and those that are still anchored in the underdevelopment of their productive forces and dependent on imperialism in the classical sense of the term. We are here talking of countries such as Brazil, India or South Africa, which despite themselves being still beholden to many of the scourges of underdevelopment and dependency, nonetheless have started to distinguish themselves from what was once known, as a single totality, the Third World. This is a process that is continuing, whose outcome is difficult to gauge. We should, however, beware taking a dogmatic approach that freezes countries into the categories of imperialist and dependent, without any intermediate shades and, even more importantly, without the prospect of countries moving up and down in the imperialistic hierarchy. Turkish capitalism reached this important phase with the consolidation of the domination of finance capital (in Lenins sense) under the military dictatorship of the early 1980s. This development coincided with the crisis and then the final demise of the experience of socialist construction in Eastern and Central Europe and the Soviet Union, to be accompanied by the internal decomposition of the Maoist experiment in China. Turkish capital turned its face to the new geography arising from the ashes of this experience and the Turkish bourgeoisie adopted a wholesale programme of extending its influence economically, politically and culturally to the new countries. Turgut Ozal and Suleyman Demirel, both leaders of the traditional centre-right serving successively as presidents of the republic from 1989 to 2000, turned their gaze to the Turkic world that was emerging in Central Asia and the Caucasus as a result of the decomposition of the Soviet Union, not neglecting the Balkans. Necmettin Erbakan, the historic leader of the Islamist movement made a different attempt, during his brief premiership in the mid-nineties, at forming an alternative to the G-8 group in the form of a self-styled D-8 (D for Developing), composed exclusively of Muslim countries. So by the time the AKP of Erdogan, successor to Erbakan as leader of the Islamist movement, came to power in 2002, Turkey already had at least 15 years of experience in practical attempts to extend its sphere of influence. It may be added that, ironically, the system of educational institutions that Fethullah Gulen, who allegedly masterminded the military coup of 15 July single-handedly, has established around the world, including many poor African countries, was conceived in exactly the same spirit and was eulogized by the very people, starting with Erdogan himself, who now compete in vilifying the imam! So in a very well-defined sense, Erdogans Rabiism is a policy that caters to the needs of the Turkish bourgeoisie in gaining new spheres of influence in the less developed parts of the world in Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans (in particular Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania). However, it is also a divisive policy for the Turkish bourgeoisie, based as it is on a clearly revanchist orientation vis-a-vis Kemalism. As we have been emphasising over the years, the traditional and well-entrenched fraction of the Turkish bourgeoisie is entirely committed to the Western alliance, i.e. it is Atlanticist through and through. For the very same reason, it is an ardent partisan of the principle of secularism that is a hallmark of the state founded by Kemal Ataturk. Thus, the two fractions of the bourgeoisie, besides their struggle over resources, loans, markets, state procurements, public tenders etc. are also at loggerheads as to where the country will be heading in the 21st century. This, in its entirety, is what we have called the political (bloodless) civil war of the bourgeoisie that has dominated the scene throughout the 14 years during which Erdogan has been in power. In this struggle between the two fractions, the closest allies of the Westernizing-secular wing are the United States and the European Union. Since the Turkish armed forces (the TSK) have been such a bulwark of NATO first against the Soviet Union and now against resurgent fundamentalist Islam, NATO is of pivotal importance in this struggle between the two fractions. As we have already pointed out on more than one occasion, the idea of Turkeys Pakistanization, i.e. the TSK becoming, as in the case of Pakistan, a vehicle for the promotion of Islamist politics, is premature, to say the least, simply because the TSK is a NATO army through and through. So the drive to establish a despotic regime in Turkey under the specific traits of Rabiism has to come into clash with this definite characteristic aspect of the TSK. The failed coup of 15 July was, in our opinion, a first showdown between these two contradictory forces. It was, as we said in the introduction to this article, in all probability, not the making of the Gulenist faction alone, but a product of the contradictory alliance between the secular pro-NATO forces in the TSK and the adepts of the Gulen fraternity. Whither Turkey? We said a first showdown. Now that the putschists have been defeated, it may legitimately be asked why the qualifier first is used. The trouble is that evidence implicates almost the whole officer corps, including the majority of the top brass, and the intelligence agency as the planners of the coup. There are innumerable questions that are waiting to be answered and contradictions to be explained with respect to the behaviour of the top brass that night. So unless Erdogan and the AKP do not proceed smoothly and skilfully to eliminate the still existing risks, there remains the danger of a new attempt at the ouster of the government. Should that happen and the new putsch succeed where the first one has failed, the success will only be relative, since the resistance put up by the followers of the government has shown that the most likely outcome is a civil war. A first mini-civil war broke out on the night of 15 to 16 July. This will in all likelihood form the model of the more durable civil war that will break out if the country faces another attempt. Turkey is a powder keg. This is where what we have called the (bloodless) political civil war of the bourgeoisie has brought the country. That political civil war now threatens to break out into the open, growing into the military form. Articulated as it is to the progressive Syrianization of Turkey as a result of the governments complicity with ISIL and Erdogans all-out war on the Kurds ever since he lost the June 2015 elections, this war threatens to immerse Turkey in a tragedy next to which the Syrian drama will pale into insignificance. And that is a lot to say. Atlanticism and Rabiism are both reactionary by their very nature. Atlanticism has made the Turkish capitalist state the bulwark of the defence of imperialist interests in the Middle East. Rabiism, on the other hand, is no anti-imperialism. It is the political programme of a class (or class fraction) that wishes to restore its right to plunder a part of the world on the basis of a reactionary ideology and it is despotic through and through. Nonetheless, should war break out between the masters of NATO and Turkey, Marxists in our opinion are duty-bound to come out against imperialism, without a shred of political support to Rabiism and Erdogan and through independent military means of their own, if this is achievable. So we are now facing two reactionary alternatives. Up until recently, there was certainly another alternative emerging on the horizon. Turkey was shaken by three momentous social movements in the space of two years: the peoples uprising of June-September 2013, the Kurdish serhildan (revolt in Kurdish) connected to the defence of Kobane in Syria against the forces of ISIL between 6-12 October 2014, and the metalworkers wildcat strike that gripped tens of thousands of workers in May-June 2015. However, the deep divisions between these movements, the misplaced policies of the Kurdish movement and the deplorable lack of leadership of the working class movement have combined to lead to a situation where despite these remarkable episodes of social struggle, the exploited and oppressed masses have not been able to form an alternative organizational pole and an alternative programme. Yet it is too early to say if the potential that burst forth in those memorable episodes is totally spent. Surely, the only way to save the country from internecine slaughter is to count on that potential and tirelessly build a third alternative to the twin dangers of Atlanticism and Rabiism. WASHINGTON (July 28, 2016)The U.S. Department of Defense today announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities., is being awarded amodification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive (firm target) contract (N00019-13-C-9999) for one E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft configured for the Government of Japan. Work will be performed in St. Augustine, Florida (24.9 percent); Syracuse, New York (20.59 percent); Melbourne, Florida (7.60 percent); El Segundo, California (4.56 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (4.05 percent); Menlo Park, California (3.90 percent); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (2.30 percent); and various locations within the continental U. S. each under 2 percent (32.10 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2018. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $163,957,953 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded afirm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the non-recurring engineering, manufacture, and delivery of up to 103 AN/APS-153(V)1 automatic radar periscope detection and discrimination multi-mode radar kits to upgrade the MH-60R fleet aircraft. Work will be performed at Farmingdale, New York (82.77 percent); Owego, New York (17.10 percent); Oldsmar, Florida (0.11 percent); and Syracuse, New York (0.02 percent), and is expected to be complete by September 2020. Fiscal 2015 and 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $39,783,915 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2). The, is the contracting activity (N00019-16-D-0051)., is being awardedfor firm-fixed-price delivery order 0026 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-00001), to procure 80 advanced capability mission computers and associated non-recurring engineering in support of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by August 2018. Fiscal 2014, 2015 and 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy); and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $41,420,991 are being obligated at the time of award, $3,958,845 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchase for the Navy ($22,743,983; 54.91 percent); and government of Australia ($18,677,008; 45.09 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The, is the contracting activity. PHILADELPHIA (July 28, 2016)Despite their lack of years, millennial Maryland Democratic delegates said they brought a lot to the table at their party's convention and will play an important role in the November election. With millennials making up approximately one-quarter of the American population, there has been a focus on the group during this year's Democratic primary contest. And the youngest members of the Maryland delegation think the party is reaching out to them. "Elections run because young people make it happen," said Amna Hashmi, a 22-year-old delegate from Baltimore. While Hashmi is a Hillary Clinton supporter, she said she recognized that Bernie Sanders resonated with many millennials, thanks in part to his focus on racial issues and college tuition. Sanders was able to energize the voting block and get the 2016 candidates talking about issues important to young people, said delegate Joseph Kitchen, 30, of Fairmount Heights. Kitchen added that the "vibrant, strong, young demographic in the Democratic Party" helped contribute to Sanders' unexpected success. It's unclear how large a role young voters will play in the general election. Historically, young voters are much less likely to vote than older voters. According to the Pew Research Center, "in a low-turnout environment, 58 percent of eligible millennials would need to vote in order for their voting clout to match their share of the electorate." Some young Democrats expressed their frustration by participating in a silent sit-in in the media tent at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday afternoon, after Clinton received the nomination. Annapolis resident Keanuu Smith-Brown, 20, a Bernie Sanders supporter and Maryland delegate, said he felt "disrespected" by the DNC, but he did not participate in the sit-in. The delegate said he recognized the need for the party to unite behind Clinton. Clinton has backed Sanders' higher education policy by pledging to make "tuition-free college at public colleges for families making less than $125,000 per year," Smith-Brown said. "That's a little over 80 percent of people in America." Hashmi said that because Sanders was able to incorporate the college plan into Clinton's agenda and the party platform, it "will help both supporters unite." Smith-Brown said the college tuition proposal would help people receive a more quality education, which will "move our country forward." Some Maryland millennial delegates who support Clinton said they admired her ability to get things done. "The worst thing we can do is lead an aggressive campaign with a lot of promise (and) a lot of talk and then not put (it) in action," Kitchen said. "And that's one thing Hillary Clinton has a leg up on: that she can follow through." Delegate Chirag Vasavda, a 25-year-old medical student from Baltimore, felt that Clinton has "a better grasp of the health care system." Vasavda, an aspiring physician, has followed Clinton's history of supporting the expansion of health insurance as well as her support for LGBTQ rights. "As a gay man, her (gay rights) advocacy over the years has been great," Vasavda said. Clinton "knows when to make it loud and when to not," Vasavda said. In the State Department, the secretary quietly advocated for transgender passport rights and saw success, he said. It is important for transgender people to be able to change their passports to the sex they want. Clinton's low-key handling of the change kept it from becoming a huge social issue, Vasavda said. Dylan Goldberg, a 25-year-old delegate from Columbia, also lauded Clinton for her support of Alzheimer's research. "As a grandson, I never want another grandson to go what I went through," said Goldberg, whose grandmother died of the disease. Both Clinton and Sanders supporters said that as millennials, they are important to their state delegation and to the election. "As young people, we bring a lot of energy, a lot of new perspective, (and) we pushed the party to be bold in new ways," Kitchen said. The five young delegates agreed that they want to continue to be a voice for young Marylanders and bring issues like "Black Lives Matter" and climate change to the forefront. "I'm so lucky to have gotten this opportunity," Hashmi said. "If you are a young person that doesn't vote, you are basically saying that you don't care." WASHINGTON (July 28, 2016)The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) today announced its first class of Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM scholars (STEM Scholars), and four are from So. Maryland. The 100 top-performing African American high school seniors, selected from across the nation, will each receive a total award package of up to $25,000 that includes scholarships and a stipend for STEM internships over five years. In addition, the program will provide wrap-around support critical to students' academic success. The award will enable the students to pursue a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at the college or university of their choosing while learning about innovation and startup tech entrepreneurship. The four student from the local area are: Marquis Barnes, of Clinton High School Attended: Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC Intended Institution: University of MarylandCollege Park STEM Major: Engineering Andre Cook, of Fort Washington High School Attended: From The Heart Christian School Intended Institution: Washington University in St. Louis, MO STEM Major: Engineering Tarek Ellis, of Fort Washington High School Attended: Friendly High Intended Institution: Georgia State University, GA STEM Major: Science Damani Hamm, of Upper Marlboro High School Attended: Charles Herbert Flowers High School Intended Institution: University of Maryland- College Park STEM Major: Engineering UNCF and Fund II Foundation President Robert F. Smith have been focused on diversity and inclusion efforts, respectively, and in particular in the software industry. With African Americans making up less than five percent of the science and engineering workforce, and less than one percent of all tech startups, Fund II Foundation and UNCF joined together to address this challenge. The Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM Scholars Program will create a robust pipeline of African American students well prepared to have careers in the tech industry and to become the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. "We are thrilled by the selection of the first 100 Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM Scholars," said Linda Wilson, Fund II Foundation executive director. "These young scholars offer so much hope and excitement for the future as technology is transforming the economy at lightning speed." Applications opened in November 2015 and closed in February, with more than 2,300 students applying for the coveted awards. The inaugural class of 100 STEM Scholars comprises 50 men and 50 women with an average grade point average (GPA) of 3.83. With regard to their academic aspirations, 44 percent of the scholars plan to pursue a degree in the sciences; eight percent will pursue technology; 45 percent, engineering; and three percent, mathematics. Over the next four years, the Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM Scholars Program will continue its nationwide search to identify 100 more of the most highly motivated and academically talented African American high school students each year who are committed to pursuing STEM majors in college and careers in STEM industries. In addition to scholarships, the program will support their academic progress through mentoring and career development with internships that will help prepare them for the tech workforce. The program also will expose students to the principles of startup tech entrepreneurship and offer them a unique opportunity to pursue their own entrepreneurial ventures upon graduation. Scholars will receive $2,500 per academic year as freshmen and sophomores, $5,000 a year as juniors and seniors, an additional $5,000 for students whose academic programs require a fifth year, and a $5,000 stipend based on a STEM-related project/internship of the student's interest. The inaugural class of STEM Scholars will meet for a leadership summit July 29-31 in Atlanta, where they will meet one another, map out academic and career goals, and hear from African American experts within the STEM fields, including Dr. Ebony McGee, assistant professor of diversity and urban schooling at Vanderbilt University, and Dr. Karl Pendergrass, a UNCF Merck postdoctoral fellow who is director of medical affairs for the cardiovascular and metabolic disease team at Merck. Fund II Foundation executive director Linda Wilson will also welcome the scholars at the summit. PHILADELPHIA (July 29, 2016)Maryland delegates for both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton said they felt optimistic and united coming out of the Democratic National Convention that closed Thursday night. After a nomination acceptance speech from Clinton that made her the first woman to head a major political party's ticket, many from the Maryland delegation emerged from the balloons and confetti saying they felt uplifted. Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin had only one word to say on Twitter: "Wow." "I'm overwhelmed to have witnessed historyboth for what was achieved by Hillary Rodham Clinton and by the idea of what's now possible for my 11-month-old niece, Kaylee, and for what she could want to achieve," said Dylan Goldberg, a Maryland delegate from Columbia. That sentiment was shared among partisans for Clinton's former rival. "How the democratic process workswhen someone loses is to accept it and become a team player," said Maryland delegate Darius Baxter, a Sanders supporter from Accokeek. "I came in on Monday with an open mind and a clear heart and tonight really solidified it. 'I Am With Her' for now," he said, using a Clinton campaign slogan that was frequently used in convention speeches. Maryland delegate Sandra Falwell, a Sanders supporter from Clinton, who participated in one of the media tent sit-ins during the convention, said she felt "guardedly optimistic" and could see herself voting for the former secretary of state in November. "Some of the Bernie people who say they just can't vote for her are going to write in cartoon characters," Falwell said via text message. "One person said he was going to write in his wife. This kind of action is just wasted votes." For Clinton supporters, Thursday night was an overwhelming finale to an emotion-filled week in Philadelphia. The Democratic presidential nominee touched on many of Republican nominee Donald Trump's attacks during the Republican National Convention last week and sought to refute them. She criticized his call to build a wall along the Mexican border and castigated him for his attempts to foment fear in the American electorate. "She defined the difference between a serious presidential candidate and Donald Trump," said Marie Duffield, a Maryland delegate from Huntingtown. Clinton's nomination represents a milestone, especially for women, delegates said. "It was deeply moving for me because I have waited for this day many years," said Maryland delegate Susan Esserman, a Bethesda resident. "I think she has great potential to unify the country and do the good she was talking about." Voters cannot waste their votes or not vote in the upcoming election, Esserman said. "I've heard some great presidential candidate speeches and that had to be one of the best I've heard," said Catherine Pugh, the Democratic nominee for Baltimore mayor. "Let's go win," Pugh said. "I'm excited!" Mars might be our best hope if humans ruin or outgrow Earth. (Photo: Kevin Gill, FlickrCC) Dear EarthTalk: How far along are we on efforts to support large numbers of people on the moon or other planets if our population gets too big or we ruin the environment here on Earth? Barbara Christie, Hull, Mass. As the human population swells and global warming compounds other environmental problems here on Earth, the notion of colonizing other planets is more appealing than ever. While we are far from being able to support human communities elsewhere in the solar system and beyond, environmentalists are increasingly interested in space exploration as one potential solution to our own earthly woes.Mars is by far the most promising planet in the solar system on which we could support substantial human life. Currently, Mars is a desolate desert, but the so-called "red planet" once contained liquid water and perhaps harbored life. Many of the elements we depend upon to support life here on Earth, including carbon, silicon, iron and even frozen water, are present on Mars, giving researchers hope that one day some of us could hopscotch through space and set up shop there.The first challenge of colonizing Mars is transportation. The furthest a manned mission has ever gone to date is the moon, and Mars is 140 times further away. Currently the biggest hurdle is the cost of spaceflight. But a new breed of private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin have invested in making launching more efficient by streamlining manufacturing and even reusing rockets. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, claims he can reduce the cost of spaceflight 100-fold.The best concrete plan for landing humans on Mars is called Mars Direct. Designed by aerospace engineer and Mars Society founder Bob Zubrin, this plan was rejected by NASA because it failed to fully utilize new technologies such as the International Space Station. Zubrin thinks we could get ourselves to Mars for only $55 billion, which seems like a bargain compared to the $250 billion figure suggested for a Mars landing back in 1969 after our first moon landing.The most immediate problem for human habitation on Mars is the severe temperature. The average temperature on the surface of the red planet is -67 Fahrenheit compared to the balmy 61 here on Earth. Elon Musk suggests there are two ways to overcome this obstacle. The fast way would be by dropping nuclear weapons on Mars' poles, while a slower solution would entail emitting huge amounts of carbon into the Martian atmosphere much as we are doing on Earth but to a larger extent. In theory, this carbon seeding plan would cause the atmosphere to grow and eventually shield much of the radiation that would otherwise be harmful to Martians. Since carbon dioxide is the main gaseous nutrient consumed by plants, it's possible that many plants could thrive on Mars. Without competition, plants could take over the planet and put oxygen into the atmosphere, eventually making it possible for humans and other animals to populate Mars without oxygen masks.There are still problems with colonizing Mars, however. Its low gravity would corrode human bones and giant storms rage across the currently barren planet. In sharp contrast, Earth is rich in resources and water, making it naturally habitable for plants and animals. Addressing the problems here on Earth will likely be easier than escaping them by fleeing to Mars or other planets.CONTACTS: NASA, www.nasa.gov ; Blue Origin, www.blueorigin.com ; SpaceX, www.spacex.com ; The Mars Society, www.marssociety.org EarthTalk is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of the nonprofit Earth Action Network. To donate, visit www.earthtalk.org . Send questions to: question@earthtalk.org. Middle and high school students from Camp Dogwood Summer Academy get a Navy gunner's perspective on 40mm anti-air guns at the National Museum of the United States Navy, July 12. Retired Navy officers joined scientists and engineers from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and a museum official to brief 29 students from the academy on submarines and exhibits ranging from a diving capsule and torpedo room to a periscope and artic undersea operations, including ice breakthroughs. (U.S. Navy photo by Brittany Noah/Released) WASHINGTON (July 29, 2016)The deep-diving research vessel that took two hydronauts to the deepest point of the world's oceans 56 years ago is still divingin many ways, deeper than ever.The Triestea Swiss-designed, Italian-built bathyscaphe acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1958first made history by reaching the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean's Marianas Trench on Jan. 23, 1960.U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh and scientist Jacques Piccard traveled nearly seven milesprecisely 35,797 feetaboard the Trieste to prove that humans could safely explore the deepest ocean depths.Now, the Trieste is making history with deep dives into the dreams and imaginations of students visiting the Undersea Exploration exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Navy."I really loved getting into the submarine that went into the deepest part of the ocean," said Tre, 11, who was briefed on the Trieste and its achievementthe equivalent of putting a man on the moon.Tre was among 29 middle and high school students from Camp Dogwood Summer Academy visiting the museum with their scientist and engineer mentors from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), July 12."This camp is a great opportunity for students to learn more about all of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) opportunities within the Navy," said Brittany Noah, an NSWCDD human factors engineer. "It's also a great way for the Navy to pique the interest of bright minds for active duty and civilian service in the future."Retired Navy officers Richard Bryant and Rodney Luck piqued students' minds with presentations that included the science behind how a submarine submerges, dives, and rises to surface."I learned about buoyancy and how a submarine operates," said Jasmine, 12."Being able to interact with all the exhibits really caught my imagination and showed us what things were like a long time ago, and how they are now," added Amir, 12. "I really want to design a future sub. My favorite activity was being on the guns."Amir, Jasmine, Tre and their peers also learned about navigation, fire control, torpedoes, propulsion plant, and sonar."The highlight of the tour was when we were able to move the big guns around," said Brianna, 12. "I would love to join the Navy after I do sports. I learned about how many people fit in different types of submarines and how they have improved over the years."What's more, Bryant and Luck shared sea stories about operational aspects of submarine life, explaining how the crew ate, sleep, trained, and enjoyed morale activities like pizza night, movie night, and Xbox challenges."My favorite part was when we learned about the submarines and how many people can fit in them," said Delonte, 11.The students were briefed at exhibits ranging from a diving capsule, torpedo room, and periscope to 40mm anti-air guns and artic undersea operations, including ice breakthroughs."I loved when we saw the submarine jump out of the water," said Tre. "I thought it was really cool."The museum's Undersea Exploration Exhibit highlights the U.S. Navy's involvement with undersea exploration for navigation, scientific research, strategic, and educational purposes. By 1958, the Navyoften a catalyst for innovative researchfunded nearly 90 percent of all U.S. oceanographic ventures. It enabled scientists to explore the deepest regions of the oceans and to design increasingly sophisticated remotely operated vehicles that could observe the depths without risk to human life."The students saw how submarines have been with the U.S. since the start of our nation and that we are still innovating submarines today," said David Barker, the museum's deputy director of education and public programs. "They loved the story about the Trieste and how deep it went."Improvement of naval operations and equipment continues to be largely dependent on the discoveries made through oceanographic research. The Navy's undersea operations have ranged from diving to the collection of scientific data, to the investigation of shipwrecks such as the Titanic.Camp Dogwood Summer Academy is one of many programs sponsored by the AnBryce Foundation philanthropic organization to promote social change by building a community of global citizens through education, career, cultural, and leadership opportunities to under-resourced young people.The academy offers distinct summer experiences for young people ages 7-18: Camp Dogwood for rising 2nd through 9th graders; Rites of Passage for rising 10th through 12th graders, and the Staff Training Enrichment Program for rising 11th and 12th graders. For over a decade, the ratio of one counselor for two campers ensures individualized mentoring and instruction. At the end of every session, each camper is evaluated on academic performance and overall character development.The Naval Sea Systems Command and its warfare centers, including NSWCDD, offers STEM internships for high school students via the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program. Civilian employment opportunities are also available for college students via the Navy Pathways Internship Program which provides degree-seeking students with exposure to public service while enhancing their educational experience, and possibly providing financial aid to support their educational goals.NSWCDD is a premier research and development center that serves as a specialty site for weapon system integration. The command's unique ability to rapidly introduce new technology into complex warfighting systems is based on its longstanding competencies in science and technology, research and development, and test and evaluation. PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: http://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at http://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at http://so.md/expungeme. (July 29, 2016)The Calvert County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.WEEKLY SUMMARY: During the week of July 25 through (noon) on July 29, deputies responded to 814 calls for service throughout the community.BURGLARY CASE #16-42102: On July 28, at approximately 1:30pm, Deputy R. Spalding responded to Dangus Lane, in Huntingtown, for the report of a burglary. The victim reported that one of their vehicles, kept in their garage, had been tampered with and another vehicle had a wallet and money stolen from it. This theft took place between 10:30pm on July 27 and 6:00am on July 28.BURGLARY CASE #16-41991: On July 27, Deputy S. Trotter was dispatched to a home on Blackfoot Drive, in Lusby, for the report of damaged property. He observed two (2) broken front windows and a side door that had been forced open. The house was vacant but there were items thrown around inside the home.BURGLARY CASE #16-41909: On July 27, Deputy V. O'Donnell was called to Horseshoe Trail, in Lusby, for the report of a burglary. The home owner reported having four (4) brand new Nissan 350Z rims and tires stolen from out of his unlocked garage. The investigation is continuing.DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY CASE #16-41518: On July 25, Deputy C. Idol was dispatched to Greenleaf Terrace, in Chesapeake Beach, for the report of damaged property. Sometime after 4:00pm on July 23 and 9:00am on July 25 an unknown person damaged a rear windshield wiper on one of their vehicles.THEFT CASE #16-41965: On July 27, at approximately 4:00pm, Deputy A. Curtin responded to Empire Court, in Dunkirk, for the report that a theft took place. The victim explained that sometime between 3:34pm on July 23 and 3:45pm on July 27, their concrete medieval statue was stolen from their yard. The statue is gray, approximately 40lbs and is 18" tall. Lokies Khan wants a sex tape banished from the Internet. Lokies is an entertainer from Singapore. The 24-year-old claims a sex tape was leaked online and thats not okay. Contents of me engaging in sexual activities, Lokies says in a video posted on the webpage, www.DearStraightPeople.com Lokies describes it as an invasion of privacy and says its been a challenging week. I have been swamped with messages since the video came out, which has been extremely positive and supportive, Lokies told Mashable, an online news source which describes him as a Singaporean Man. Related: Porn Pulse: Czech Star Dies In Motorcycle Crash But not all responses were sunny and cheerful as Lokies does claim to have been bullied and slut shamed. All this backstabbing. All this gossiping. All this slandering. What are we in high school?! he asks during a four-minute long video that starts soft but rages near the end. Having his nude photographs and scenes posted on Tumblr and re-blogged time and time again is starting to weigh heavily on Lokies emotions. He says hes trying to contain the situation. Employing the hashtag, #RespectPrivacy Lokies says Im tired of it and This is not something I want people to see. The files Tumblr is using, Lokies calls, gifs and he says their distribution is not within his control because I do not give my consent. Slut shaming in the gay community is just one of the most pot calling the kettle black issues, Lokies says in the video. (PGN) While introducing her mother to accept the Democratic nomination for president and become the first female to do so, Chelsea Clinton staked out her mothers commitment to LGBT rights. Im voting for the progressivewho believes that womens rights are human rights, and LGBT rights are human rights, here at home and around the world, Chelsea Clinton said Thursday night at the partys convention. Hillary Clinton, near the end of her own hour-long speech, touched on social justice as well. We will defend all our rights, she said, civil rights, human rights and voting rights, womens rights and workers rights, LGBT rights and the rights of people with disabilities. She also called out the need to repair relations between police and the communities they protect. Lets put ourselves in the shoes of young black and Latino men and women who face the effects of systemic racism, and are made to feel like their lives are disposable, Clinton said. Lets put ourselves in the shoes of police officers, kissing their kids and spouses goodbye every day and heading off to do a dangerous and necessary job. Related: Bill Clinton Shouts Out LGBT Community in DNC Speech Clinton credited her former rival Sen. Bernie Sanders with putting economic and social justice issues front and center where they belong. Speaking to his supporters, she said: I want you to know, Ive heard you. Your cause is our cause. Our country needs your ideas, energy and passion. Thats the only way we can turn our progressive platform into real change for America. We wrote it together, now lets go out there and make it happen together. For the LGBT community, the Democratic platform is the most inclusive in party history, advocates said. Mara Keisling, a Pennsylvania native and transgender advocate, served on the platform committee among others. Clinton set up her speech by retelling the story of Americas founding in Philadelphia, further transmuting the message that Sanders supporters should align with her for the good of the nation. The revolution hung in the balance, Clinton said of the founding fathers as they fought over how to break with the king of England. Then somehow they began listening to each other, compromising, finding common purpose. By the time they left Philadelphia, they had begun to see themselves as one nation. Although there were whispers Thursday among some Sanders supporters in neon shirts that said Enough is Enough that they would have some protest during Clintons speech, nothing unruly occurred. Usually, those in the Sanders shirts kept their hands in their laps while other delegates applauded and chanted Hillary at various points of the speech. (PGN) Lupe Valdez, the openly gay sheriff of Dallas County, called community outreach paramount for her deputies when she took the stage Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention. We attend all sorts of events, Valdez said, listing Ramadan, Cinco de Mayo, Pride and others. You name it, we show up, she said. Some of my officers are uncomfortable at first. But the only way to serve your community is to know your community. In Dallas, five officers lost their lives while trying to keep people safe during a protest, Valdez told the crowd. Related: Mother of Orlando Victim Calls for Gun Control Its been a tough time for law enforcement communities, she said. Ive been trying to make some kind of sense out of it, but violence is not the answer. Valdez said its time for police and communities to actively listen to each others needs and experiences. She said she sees hope for healing in Dallas. Last week, she went to dinner and at least four tables offered to pay her tab. My girlfriend and I teared up, Valdez said. There wasnt a single person in that restaurant that I personally knew. The people of Dallas know that even though our men and women in uniform are hurting, they never stop doing the job. The U.S. Navy will name a ship after LGBT rights icon Harvey Milk. The ship will be a part of a planned Military Sealift Command fleet oiler and be named USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206), according to USNI News. In January, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabaus named a ship after John Lewis, a civil rights activist and congressman. That ship and the Milk ship will be a part of six new fleet replenishment oilers. All of them will be named after civil rights leaders. Related: Levi's teams up with Harvey Milk Foundation on ad campaign Harvey Milk is an American hero and an icon for LGBT equality, and it's phenomenal that the U.S. Navy is going to honor his legacy by naming a ship after him," said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. "Harvey Milk's incredible leadership in the face of adversity continues to inspire all of us in our ongoing fight for full LGBT equality. By breaking down barriers and fighting for the dignity and worth of all Americans, he left behind an example for all of us in his service to our nation, both in and out of uniform." Milk was commissioned to the Navy in 1951, working as a diving officer during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged as a lieutenant junior grade. Later, he became the first openly gay politician to be elected to office in California as a member of the San Francisco board of supervisors. Milk was assassinated while in office in 1978. Other ships in the fleet include former Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, famous for the case that struck down legal school segregation; women's rights activist Lucy Stone; Sojourner Truth, who escaped slavery in 1826 and traveled the country as a rights activist; and Robert F. Kennedy, the attorney general, and brother of President Kennedy who pushed for civil rights before he was assassinated in 1968. Back in May, we reported on an interesting bit of news: Proud Mary, a coffee roasting & cafe brand based in Melbourne, Australia, have plans to open a wholly owned and operated Proud Mary cafe in Portland, Oregon. Its news that first broke via Broadsheet, an Australian food, beverage, and culture publication with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. In that Broadsheet feature, Proud Mary owner Nolan Hirte announced his intentions for the Portland market and ruffled a few feathers along the way. I honestly reckon its harder and more risky for me to do another three cafes here in Melbourne, Hirte told Broadsheet, than it is to go to the other side the planet and do something I know really well, in an area where theres nothing. Hirte went on: One of the big holes there is service. Not in restaurants, not in bars. In coffee shops and cafes. If youd reckon that coffee folk in Portland, Oregonan established coffee town if there ever was one!might not take too kindly to an outsider seeming to knock their service style and declaring the existing coffee scene to be nothing, well, youd be right. Our reblog of the Broadsheet feature was shared widely on Facebook and Twitter, especially by readers in the Pacific Northwest, and the commentary around it was, lets say, not entirely positive. But as can happen in this fast-moving digital news age, we had questions of our own for Hirte that went beyond his quick hitter in Broadsheet: were those quotes taken wildly out of context? Did he really think the coffee scene in Portland was nothing? Was he just, in the great Australian tradition, stirring a bit of shit? To learn more we sat down for an interview with Nolan Hirte, and offered him a chance to clear the air. What we found was a passionate, excited coffee entrepreneur looking to bring his unique blend of rare coffees and comfortable cafe service to a new and growing market. Inside Hirtes spacious new Alberta Street cafe / restaurant hybrid space, early phases of construction are underwayhe could be open in time for Christmas. Sprudge co-founder Jordan Michelman spoke with Nolan Hirte via email. Some of your quotes in the Australian food and beverage publication Broadsheet rubbed folks the wrong way here in the States. Is there anything about that interview you would like to speak to? Firstly I would like to apologise if you read that article. It sounds like I am having an attack at Portland and the US. There was some truth in the things I was trying to say in that article; however, it was taken way out of context. I did not write the article. It was written after a conversation with Nick Connellan, a journalist from Broadsheet. I didnt get the chance to read it over prior to publishing, and he was unaware that it would be taken negatively in the U.S. I think this statement would have been less offensive and have been more accurate if it had said: I honestly reckon its harder and more risky for me to do another three cafes here in Melbourne than it is to go to the other side of the planet and do something I know really well, in an area where theres nothing quite like the cafe model we have flogged to death here. Im well aware how amazing and now somewhat saturated the coffee scene in Portland is. Its considered the mecca of coffee in the States. Im also aware how competitive it is there. The difference for us is not the coffee, but more the cafe model. When I said the biggest gap between the States and Australia was service I didnt mean I think the service is bad in the States at all. Its amazing; however, its a completely different style to what we have here. This is the fundamental reason why we want to come over to Portland: we want to surround ourselves with the best in the industry and try and make a difference. I actually couldnt think of a better place on the planet for it, the audience is right and the stage is set. I am sure Portland will really appreciate all the little things we do that make Prouds special. What draws you to Portland as opposed to any other US city? There is something special in Portland, you can see it in the people that live there and in its amazing surroundings. We think the audience in Portland will really appreciate all those little details and extra things that go in to making Proud Mary what it is. Theres a number of Australian cafe brands moving to the US do you think the work done by Mark Dundon & Russell Beard has helped to blaze a trail? Do you expect more Australian entrepreneurs to open up Stateside? Mark and Russell are always blazing trails, but to be honest I think the fact that there is a number of Australian cafe brands moving to the US has more to do with the Australian cafe model being thrashed out hard here and the opportunities that can be seen elsewhere where this cafe model is really only just beginning to take off. I think we will see the Australian cafe model spread Stateside for sure. Youll be bringing over a chef from Melbournewill you be bringing baristas from Melbourne as well? Yes, I am bringing over one of my good friends and old Head Barista Calum Oliver. He brings with him a wealth of experience and passion. After finishing up with us around three years ago he went on to be the coffee director for Jones the Grocer and then most recently helped set up the coffee program for Heston Blumenthals The Fat Duck restaurant whilst it was in Melbourne last year. For our readers who have never visited, can you tell us a bit about the Proud Mary experience in Melbourne? The Proud Mary experience starts the moment your foot steps in the dooryou are stepping in to our home and we want to treat you that way. We will find you a seat, bring you some water and the coffee and food menu, which will often include specials as some ingredients are only in season for a fleeting moment and we want to be able to show them off while they are at their peak. Our model is closer to a restaurant with table service, but maybe a little more relaxed and loud. We roll our own oats. We make our own curd, yoghurt, and cheese in-house. We even make our own kombucha and fermented kefir drinks. The list goes on and on. This obviously doesnt even mention the coffee, which as you know, we also take that very seriously and make every effort to understand where we are buying and sourcing our coffee from and the impact that it can make. We have been supporting and showcasing the hard work of the farmers for many years now. What parts of the Proud Mary experience do you think will most resonate with Portlanders, and why? It is really important to us that we know where our ingredients come from, how they were handled, and how they can benefit us all. The way we eat can be beneficial not only to us but the planet we leave behind. We recognise the hard work it takes to produce superior products and we want to support those that care about the bigger picture. I think that Portlanders will really appreciate being able to get a range of genuine artisan products often made in-house all under one roof. What parts of the Proud Mary experience wont be coming over to the States, and why? Vegemite because Vegemite. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The United Nations temporarily suspended humanitarian deliveries in northern Nigeria after an attack on an aid convoy that left two people injured, the UN Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement. "The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions pending review of the security situation," the Thursday statement says. The attack on the convoy was carried out on Thursday by "unknown assailants," according to the United Nations. The convoy was carrying humanitarian aid from Bama to Maiduguri in Nigerias northern Borno state. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Members of the US Congress are preparing legislation that will delve deeper into the recently declassified 28 pages of the joint congressional inquiry into the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, experts told Sputnik on Thursday. "Theres a number of members of Congress that are looking to basically have a bill ready to go day one in January [2017], to create a new investigation that will not have the limitations and the flaws of the last one," counterintelligence director of the Executive Intelligence Review, Jeff Steinberg told Sputnik. The 28 page chapter of the 9/11 report, released in June, included a number of intelligence leads implicating Saudi government officials in supporting the hijackers who carried out the terrorist attacks against the United States. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US government and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are practicing double standards in trying to blame the Democratic National Committee (DNC) email hack on Russia when they failed to thoroughly pursue Hillary Clintons email breaches, analysts told Sputnik. "It seems strange to me that when it came to Clintons illegal server, FBI Director James Comey said there was no way to tell if the Russians or Chinese had hacked it," University of Northern Ohio Assistant History Professor Robert Waters told Sputnik on Thursday. Yet when it came to the hacked DNC server, officials within the Obama administration seemed to suggest in minutes that two separate Russian teams were responsible, Waters noted, referring to media reports. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The four drug traffickers were executed by firing squad, The Jakarta Post said. Among those executed were one Indonesian and three Nigerian nationals. The executions are said to be taking place on the Nusa Kambangan prison island. In 2015, Indonesia carried out 14 executions of people convicted of drug-related crimes. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Pyongyang publicly executed six officials responsible for supervising North Korean employees abroad after several people from the North who worked in China fled to South Korea in April, Choi Seong-yong, the chairman of South Korea-based Abductees' Family Union, said Friday. In April, 13 North Korean workers employed in a restaurant in the Chinese city of Ningbo escaped to South Korea. "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered six officials, including intelligence officials, to be executed publicly on May 5 due to their lack of control over overseas (North Korean) workers," the chairman said, as quoted by Yonhap news agency. MOSCOW (Sputnik)The offensive conducted the Afghan troops with foreign air support is still underway in the Achin and Kot districts, provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogyani was quoted by TOLOnews media outlet as saying. The Islamic State group, outlawed in many countries including Russia, operates primarily in Syria and Iraq but is known to have expanded its activities to Afghanistan, challenging government forces, along with other militant groups, including Taliban. Sushma Swaraj had earlier assured Gurdip Singhs family that she is doing her best to save him. The Indonesian government went ahead with the execution of four drug convicts on a remote prison island despite strong international pressure from human rights groups, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union. Earlier, India had approached the Indonesian government to facilitate filing a mercy plea before the Indonesian president. The Indian mission issued a note verbale to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out. Our embassy consular officials are camping in Cilacap and have met Gurdip Singh. They are reaching out to the foreign office and the senior leadership in Indonesia. They are also in constant touch with his wife and brother in India and keeping them informed of the current situation, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters. Gurdip Singh was arrested from the Jakarta international airport in 2004 after he was found in possession of 300 gm of heroin. A bevy of bank workers attended a rally near the Parliament house, chanting slogans like Jo hilter ki chal chalega, wo hitler ki maut mrega (those who act like Hitler will die like Hitler), 'Stop privatization of public sector banks, 'Halt retrograde banking sector reforms', 'Stop foreign direct investments in banking sector', Recover billions dollars of loans from corporations and send defaulters to prison. The Indian government recently announced its decision to merge many small banks into bigger capital banks to facilitate responding to default-like situations. However, the bank unions alleged that the crisis is artificially created by the government so that stakes ould be sold to big corporations. MOSCOW (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko The biggest challenge for Afghanistan as a new World Trade Organizations (WTO) member is to transform its commitments into real policies, Afghanistans Deputy Minister for Trade Mozammil Shinwari told Sputnik in an interview. "Being member of WTO brings challenges as well as benefits. After acceding to WTO, the biggest challenge we face is how to transform the commitments made during accession to implementable policies," Shinwari said. He added that implementation of the undertaken commitments includes harmonizing national policies with the obligations as well as informing other WTO members about the process thus complying with the transparency requirements. The minister also assured Chinese investors that they would be provided with the best facilities for a program of shifting novel technologies to Pakistan. The seminar held in Qingdao, a city on the east coast of China, was attended by a large number of Chinese industrialists, investors, businessmen and senior government officials. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The United Nations (UN) should respect Indonesia's law and its sovereignty on carrying out death penalties, Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament Fadli Zon said on Friday. On Wednesday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called on Indonesia to promptly stop executions and reimpose a moratorium on death penalties. "The death sentence is still imposed in Indonesia, therefore the (UN) should respect the law of Indonesia.It should not be too much of a polemic. We saw a long drama (the death penalty) last year, so it should not happen again," he said as quoted by local Antara News agency. Police are reportedly using flash bangs against protesters who rallied in support of the armed group that took over the local police station. Detentions began near Horenaci Street, and authorities pushed the demonstrators back to the Saritagh neighborhood. Tapio M Luoma-aho (@TapioMatias) July 29, 2016 An armed group seized a police building in Yerevan earlier this month, taking hostages. The armed group demanded the release of Jirair Sefilian, an opposition politician and founder of the New Armenia Public Salvation Front. Many interpret the land return as a bid by Washington and Tokyo to quell local unrest that exploded in May when the body of 20-year-old Japanese woman, Rina Shimabukuro, was found following weeks of searching. A US defense contractor and former marine was arrested in connection with the brutal murder. Okinawans have long resented the US military occupation, especially as a disproportionate number of local crimes has been attributable to American servicemen. Tensions between local residents and American forces are now at their lowest point since 1996 when the US and Japan last agreed to relocate a number of troops following the rape of a 12-year-old local schoolgirl by three US military personnel, that led to similar mass demonstrations. In addition to the land return, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, the US commander on the island, announced a 30-day curfew and called for a "period of unity and mourning," following Shimabukuros death. "We may not have as many forces as we would like, but 60% of the forces will be in the Asia Pacific region," US Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work said at the time. "The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is going to go first to the Pacific. By 2018, the very stealthy and highly capable Zumwalt destroyer will be based in the Pacific, we hope. Were putting more Aegis ballistic missile defense ships in Japan, and weve put a second TPY-2 missile defense radar in Japan." Two years later, some of those plans still have major hurdles to overcome, as both the F-35 and Zumwalt programs have suffered serious setbacks. With a range of 5,100 nautical miles, the B-1 bombers will be well within range of the South China Sea, where the Pentagon has already conducted a series of provocative naval and air patrols, citing "freedom of navigation." Beijing has warned against these moves. Japan plans to upgrade its Patriot PAC-3 missile defense system ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, as the country copes with the threat of a reportedly increasingly unhinged North Korean leadership, according to the Japan Times. Reports that Tokyo plans to upgrade their missile defense, adding both range and accuracy to intercept increasingly advanced North Korean ballistic missiles, comes one day after Pyongyang used terminology to come within a hairs breadth of declaring war on the United States. Although social media users had fun with the idea that North Korea would declare war on the West, lighting Twitter up with memes mocking Kim Jong-Un, Tokyo does not believe that the bellicose rhetoric by Pyongyang is disingenuous. As Shiekh explains it, the New Silk Road plan requires that China win Iran's cooperation to work out a mutually-profitable strategy. One possible solution, proposed by Sheikh, is nuclear cooperation. Now that sanctions are lifted, Iran is seeking opportunities to boost its nuclear energy sector. According to Iran's Atomic Energy Commission head, Ali Akbar Salehi, Tehran plans to accept investment from China for the establishment of two nuclear power plants. In addition, the two countries agreed to cooperate on the modernization and reconfiguration of the Arak nuclear facility, along with enhanced cooperation in other areas of nuclear research. But China's participation is not a done deal, Sheikh notes, as other competitors, most notably Russia, are looking into nuclear cooperation with Iran. "Russia has already agreed to build nuclear reactors in Bushehr as well as aid Iran to develop the Fordo enrichment plant to produce isotopes that are not capable of producing nuclear weapons," Sheikh writes. It should be noted that Russia's Rosatom agency is a particularly strong competitor, as it is capable of designing, constructing and managing a country's entire nuclear power infrastructure. Sheikh also notes that Russia's competition in nuclear energy is not the only challenge for China, pointing out that Japan is interested in oil from Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries. "There are about 6,000 companies which trade with Russia, and many of these enterprises are experiencing difficulty, as the sanctions intended. Most of the [proprietors of the] companies belong to the middle class. When such enterprises experience difficulties, there are always bigger players which like to buy them," Wolff said. "For a large global corporation, trade with Russia is a few percent of its total business, but a lot of German machine manufacturers from the middle class depend on the Russian market. These sanctions can send such a company to the wall, which is convenient for big businesses." Wolff said that anti-Russian sanctions were imposed because they are beneficial to the US economy, which is dominated by the same Wall Street capital that dominates its politics. "Politics is actually just an extension of the economy, and today the economy is primarily based on the finance industry. The biggest global investors are hedge funds and big banks on Wall Street, US big business. What goes on in the background sets the tone and determines what will be done politically. If, for example the EU decided not to carry out sanctions, the US would find a means to put the EU under pressure." Sanctions and counter-sanctions have resulted in a decrease in trade between Russia and other Eastern European countries, to the advantage of US firms seeking to weaken the EU, and institute the controversial TTIP trade agreements. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Iran plans to discuss new oil and gas contracts with Russian companies in the near future, co-chair of the Russia-Iran joint economic commission and Iranian Communications Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said Friday. Earlier it was announced that Iran would prepare new oil investment contract for the international oil and gas companies by July 2016. "The stages of work [on the Iranian oil investment contract] are complete. In the near future, we will talk to the Russian counterparts We welcome close cooperation with oil companies from Russia. Given the scale of our relationship, establishing a working group on energy could be very effective," Vaezi told reporters after a meeting with the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, who also co-chairs the commission. KIEV (Sputnik) According to the prosecutors office, a total of three people were killed in the Thursday blast, including a NATO representative. Two facility workers were injured and are in grave condition at the hospital. Earlier on Thursday, the press service of the military prosecutors office of Central Ukraine said that a blast that occurred at an Ukroboronprom facility in the Sumy region led to the death of three people and injured two others. According to the military prosecutors office, the explosion occurred during the unloading of ammunition. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Russian Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee is ready convene a meeting to consider a candidate for the post of the ambassador to Ukraine soon despite recess, the committee's First Deputy Chairman Vladimir Djabarov said on Friday. Former Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov was dismissed by the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. His duties are currently fulfilled by charge d'affaires Sergei Toropov. "We are ready to convene a meeting as soon as a new ambassadorial candidate is proposed," Djabarov told RIA Novosti. MOSCOW (Sputnik) French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called on Friday for reorganizing relations with Islam in the country. "[It] is necessary to scrutinize and invent new relations with Islam in France," Valls told Le Monde newspaper. He added that Paris was about to toughen control over religious activities to prevent radicalization across the country, including by cutting funding of mosques from abroad for a certain period of time. KIEV (Sputnik) Ukraine temporarily suspended supplies from 243 Russian companies with links to the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas, the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said Friday. Its inspections uncovered that the majority of the firms legally cooperated with Kiev and were not subject to personal and economic sanctions against Russia that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed into law last fall. "At the conclusion of experts, Ukrainian producers are able to fully compensate for Russian imports. Accordingly, a decision was made to temporarily suspend the foreign economic activity of these Russian companies," the SBU press service said. Both Petitjean and Kermiche were known to French security services and were on a watchlist of potential threats to national security. They had both tried to travel to Syria to join terrorists there and Kermiche was supposed to be under house arrest and had to wear an electronic tagging device. "On the whole, Western European countries are too lenient with people who are known to be either terrorist supporters, or previously involved in terrorism," Kemp said. "Obviously the tag didn't work. It's easy to blame the French security services, but they're operating under considerable constraints. One of which is that resources simply do not allow you to monitor individuals round-the-clock and to predict exactly what they're going to be able to do and stop it." "Secondly, there is lack of political will to act with sufficient vigour and force against people who display jihadist tendencies we need to crack down on (them) and adopt a zero-tolerance approach," Kemp said. Kemp said that as well as imprisoning and deporting terrorists, the West must tackle the source of Islamic terrorism in the Middle East. "More decisively, this wave of attacks comes from the inspiration provided by the success of the Islamic State in the Middle East. Yes, the Islamic State (terrorists) have suffered some setbacks, but over all they have been seen to have confronted the US and its allies, and not to have been defeated, and in some respects (seem) to be winning so far," Kemp said. "That is inspirational for people who follow the Islamic State, and therefore the way to stop it is to crush them, they should be annihilated, we could have annihilated them by now through brutal military force against them in the Middle East." On July 14 in Nice, Bastille Day, Tunisian-born Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove a cargo truck into crowds at the seafront, killing 84 people. Following that attack, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve responded to criticism of the government's security measures, and promised an inquiry into the security arrangements in Nice during the Bastille Day celebration. On Thursday, French President Francois Hollande announced the recreation of the French National Guard, and organization that was founded at the time of the French Revolution and disbanded following the fall of the Paris Commune, from existing reserve forces to better protect citizens facing terror attacks. Hollande, together with Cazeneuve, called on "all willing French patriots" to sign up as reservists. The lawmaker recalled his last year trip to Crimea peninsula , pointing at the poor state of roads. He believes that two French major industrial and construction companies such as Bouygues and VINCI can be a good match for these infrastructure projects. Nicolas Dhuicq pointed that in regard to tourism that remains the most relevant way to attract money and to develop Crimea, "the Black Sea peninsula needs to develop high quality, luxury tourism. It will lead to restriction on urbanism to preserve the sea shores." The lawmaker also said that another field for cooperation could be a construction of desalination plants in Crimea to solve peninsulas water supply problem. "These are topics I would like to have more information about and I believe this trip is a good opportunity to discuss ways to boost economic cooperation between the countries," the lawmaker concluded. The Crimean peninsula seceded from Ukraine and became part of Russia after more than 96 percent of local voters supported the move in a referendum in March 2014. The Western countries, including the EU members, have not recognized the legitimacy of the reunification, and imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia. Moscow has repeatedly stated that the move fully complied with international law. MOSCOW (Sputnik) A second visit of the delegation of French lawmakers to Crimea is aimed at drawing Europe's attention to the necessity of lifting anti-Russia sanctions, French lawmaker from The Republicans center-right party Jacques Myard, who is currently visiting the Black Sea peninsula, told Sputnik on Friday. Earlier in the day, a group headed by member of the French parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Thierry Mariani started its three-day visit to Crimea, after traveling there last year. "I think it is necessary to emphasize, to stress the importance of lifting sanctions. The sanctions are still here, we are going back because we would like to draw attention to the matter and to stress the importance of lifting those sanctions. They are counterproductive and are against our interest, interest of Russia, interest of France, interest of Europe. That is why we are back, whether someone likes it or not," Myard said. TOKYO (Sputnik) The non-regional North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATO) vessels presence in the Black Sea does not promote security and is taken into account in Russias military planning, the Russian Foreign Ministrys Director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control Mikhail Ulyanov said Friday. As for the extra-regional NATO presence in the Black Sea, this is factor that is not conducive to the strengthening of security and is of course taken into account in [Russias] military planning, Ulyanov told RIA Novosti. The naval phase of the US-led multinational Sea Breeze 2016 drills began Sunday near the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, with the US Navys USS Ross Aegis-carrying guided missile destroyer and the USS Whidbey Island dock landing ship entering its ports. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Europe and Russia must continue on a path of improving and strengthening ties amid ever-growing terrorist threat despite the US attempts to go back to the Cold War policy, French lawmaker from The Republicans center-right party Jacques Myard, who is currently visiting Crimea, told Sputnik on Friday. Earlier in the day, a group headed by member of the French parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Thierry Mariani started its three-day visit to Crimea, after traveling there last year. "There is a necessity to continue warming up ties between Russia and Europe. Unfortunately, some states in Europe, the United States are trying to go back to a policy of the Cold War. We need Russia to combat terrorism as we have a common enemy which is the Daesh. We can combat it only when we are together," Myard said. Ahmad said that he does not want to "kill merriment," but that he will have to "look at" the times that alcohol is being sold in airports, as well as consider new ways of screening passengers. "I think that it's important for the safety and security of all passengers that we ensure that regime is actually fit for purpose," he said. Pubs and bars in airports run on different licensing restrictions to those found outside, which allow them to serve alcohol throughout the day and night. Airlines have raised numerous concerns regarding the number of alcohol-related incidents during flights into and out of the UK. He says the Investigatory Powers Bill going through parliament at the moment is trying to address this issue. "As long as the balance is there the protection of rights I've always been an advocate of giving [the security services] wider powers because we have seen technology move on so quickly. You look at mobile phones now they're mini-computers and look at how we communicate Twitter and Facebook you're looking at the various methods of communications that are being used. "So gathering of bulk data is needed. The only problem I see with the bill is judicial scrutiny. The powers [of bulk data gathering] are still issued under the authority of the Home Secretary and that authority is scrutinized by a judicial committee. "I think it would be better if you had a judicial committee scrutinize the authority [to gather bulk data} and take it away from the politicians. I think that would help protect personal data, because judges are not averse to saying to the police 'no you can't have it, go away give us some more facts before we issue it,' " Dr Lowe told Sputnik. He says the British intelligence services MI5, MI6, GCHQ and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center (JTAC), as well as the police counterterrorism command have been extremely adept at monitoring the "chatter" on social media to prevent terrorist attacks in the UK, but this is not the case in mainland Europe. "So far and I'm touching wood saying this in the UK we have been pretty efficient, because JTAC is coordinating all the intelligence coming in and constantly assessing the threat. Post 2005 [the London 7/7 bombings] one big lesson we learned that our security agencies have got to talk to each other and to the police [] and they work quite closely together." MOSCOW (Sputnik) French Prime Minister Manuel Valls blamed on Friday the country's security services for insufficient surveillance over Adel Kermiche, one of the attackers that took several people hostage and killed a priest in a church in the Normandy region. "It was a failure which should be acknowledged It should make the officials take a different approach, on a case-by-case basis," Valls said in an interview with Le Monde newspaper. Vasic told Sputnik that the episode is demonstrative of Albanian politicians' successful habit of US lobbying to achieve their aims, and that Kosovan Albanian politicians also use the corrupt system to their advantage. "It is important to note that it was in 1999 that Kosovan representatives first openly employed a US lobbying firm. Today, they have a contract for representation that has been renewed three times, and it is in force until 2017," Vasic said. The researcher said that the connections between US lobbyists and Albanian politics can be traced back to the late 19th century, but the engagement deepened in the late 1980s, when a delegation of top US politicians made a visit to the former Yugoslavia, including Kosovo. Among the delegation was former US Senator and1996 Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole. Vasic says that in the 1990's Dole was one of the main figures in the pro-Albania lobby, and brought Albania's policy objectives to the attention of President Bill Clinton. "That's when the issue of human rights for ethnic Albanians in Kosovo officially began to be the agenda in the US Congress. Later it was internationalized via different media and lobbying campaigns and resulted in Albanians constantly enhancing their international position and authority, and in particular the authority of the main pro-Albanian figures Dole, DioGuardi and Lanatosh, who were later joined by Joe Biden and Elliott Engel," Vasic says. "Thanks to them, the US Congress passed a lot of resolutions against the former Yugoslavia. Lobbyists are very important in Washington, especially those who are from an ethnic community campaigning for nationalist issues, or even secessionist movements, which were exploited in the 1990s and later when Kosovan Albanians announced Kosovan independence." Kosovo's assembly unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, a decision which was criticized by many in the international community. Serbia has vowed never to recognize Kosovan independence, and Russia and China also support Serbia's continued sovereignty over the region. However, according to Catholic priest and philosopher Guillaume de Tanouarn, the majority understands that it is necessary to "regulate the Muslim cult" and there is only one way to regulate it by "abandoning pompous phrases and platitudes." If such a form of legal agreement were proposed, he claims, it will interest all other French religions as well. If an inventory will be conducted in all mosques for signing the agreement, I do not believe it will be too much, especially, when it might resolve the problem of the increased terrorist threat, explains Tanouarn. From an ideological point of view, the French Republic is not ready to take such measures. It cannot invite such controversy or revise the exemplary principle of the separation of state and France's approach to religion, he says. However, according to Tax Justice Net , this is not 100 per cent true and Hinduja is not looking at the bigger picture. Switzerland has been at the top of the financial tax secrecy index and it's there because of a combination of factors, one of which is that it is strong on the secrecy scale. Alex Cobham, Director of research at Tax Justice Net said that it is true that Switzerland among others has had to reduce the extent of banking secrecy and provide information to other jurisdictions, but they have not seen any serious evidence of it losing its global role. "Switzerland has had to give up some of that secrecy, so is everyone else as they are signing up to the OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development]," Mr Cobham told Sputnik. Mr Cobham said that for serious banking, Dubai and Qatar would not be the first choice for most people and that is why Switzerland may not be losing its allure as a tax haven. "There is increasing activity in Switzerland to create new ways of owing financial assets that don't need to be declared, so one country's authorities has to tell another country if someone has assets there. But they don't have to tell them if they have a life insurance product. This allows them to create a life insurance wrapper that allows people to hold assets that do not need to be declared," Mr Cobham said. Perhaps the reason behind Mr Hinduja belief that Switzerland is losing its tax haven appeal could be down to the fact that for the last 10 to 15 years the Indian government has said it plans to crack down on what they call "black money" or income illegally obtained or not declared for tax purposes, yet not made much progress. There is a suggestion however, that the Swiss government will now start to cooperate with the Indian government. But if you were a wealthy Indian family in Switzerland you would feel worried about that. Tax Justice Net has been working towards better transparent reporting since 2003 and the importance of exchange of information between countries. In #Africa, use of companies registered in #taxhavens weakens link between resource wealth and poverty reduction pic.twitter.com/AnAb7YX1iK AfricaProgressPanel (@africaprogress) 27 July 2016 "We have seen some progress but what is lacking is the inclusion of developing countries. So, it is easy for the US to get information from Switzerland but this is not the same for Ghana. These countries need to open up as well." "The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix. The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn." Justin Bowden, the GMB union's national secretary for energy said: "[UK Prime Minister} Theresa May's decision to review the go-ahead on Hinkley Point C is bewildering and bonkers. After years of procrastination, what is required is decisive action not dithering and more delay. This unnecessary hesitation is putting finance for the project in doubt and 25,000 new jobs at risk immediately after Brexit." MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia hopes Ukraine will pay off its $3-billion debt, but retains all the available tools to protect its sovereign interests in light of Kievs recent indications it would refuse to repay the debt, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. Of course, we continue to expect that the needed sovereign obligations are fulfilled by Ukraine. Against the backgrounds of the renouncement of these commitments, as we have repeatedly aid, Russia will use all the tools available in international law to protect its interests, Peskov told reporters. The Law Debenture Corporation plc, representing Russia in litigation of a $3-billion sovereign debt owed by Ukraine, has filed an appeal in the High Court in London to expedite the ruling in a lawsuit over Kiev's failure to repay the debt, the Russian Finance Ministry said Thursday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) may ease sanctions against the Russian delegation to the Assembly, French parliament Foreign Affairs Committee member Thierry Mariani, who is also a member of the French delegation to PACE, told Sputnik on Friday. "I am cautiously optimistic that there will be steps toward easing sanctions against Russia. It is unrealistic to talk about the return of the delegation to the PACE in its normal stature, however, Russia may be grunted back its right to vote but not a right to organize meetings," Mariani, who is also heading a delegation of French lawmakers to Crimea, said. He underlined that incumbent PACE President Pedro Agramunt stood for the return of Russia's delegation to the organization. CRIMEA (Sputnik) The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) should bar the Turkish delegation from participation in the organization if Ankara decides to reinstate the death penalty following a coup attempt that took place this month, French parliament Foreign Affairs Committee member Thierry Mariani, who is also a member of the French delegation to PACE, told Sputnik on Friday. On July 15, a faction in the Turkish military attempted to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government. Following its failure, Ankara launched a large-scale military, governmental, academic and media crackdown. Erdogan also said the country would reinstate the capital punishment if the people demanded this. "The next meeting of PACE is in October, I hope that before that meeting a position of the Turkish government will be more clear. I was shocked when I saw a list of journalist, newspapers which are now detained or banned. If Erdogan will push thorough a death penalty for those attempted to declare a coup, PACE should bar the Turkish delegation from participation in the organization immediately," Mariani, who is also heading a delegation of French lawmakers on their three-day visit to Crimea said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Austria handed over to France two alleged jihadists on suspicion they planned to take part in last years Paris attacks, an Austrian prosecution spokesman said Friday. The gun and bomb attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015 were claimed by the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) terror group, banned in Russia. They killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more. Austria stopped its inquiry into both men "after they were handed over to France under an EU warrant submitted by the prosecutor of the Paris District Court," Salzburg prosecutions spokesman Robert Holzleitner was quoted as saying by Austrias newspaper Wiener Zeitung. Prime Minister Rajoy and his Partido Popular (People's Party), which has followed an economic austerity plan since 2011, have won the most parliamentary seats in two elections held in December and June. However, without an outright majority, the party has been unable to find enough parliamentary support to form a coalition government. "Catalonians were really disappointed by the victory of Partido Popular in Spain's parliamentary elections. A lot of Catalonians voted for Podemos, which supports the right to autonomy and a referendum on the issue of Catalonia's status. However, those expectations were dashed after Partido Popular got even more votes (in the second election in June) than the first time," Fabrega explained. "Brexit also played a part, a lot of Catalonians rightly asked themselves why some countries are allowed to decide issues with a referendum, and some are not. The majority of Catalonians want to decide the fate of the region by a democratic vote, and not a unilateral decision," Fabrega said. "People want independence because the Spanish government is not listening, not reacting to their problems. There is a feeling that the lines of communication have been cut off. Economic problems are getting worse, recently Spain's national debt exceeded GDP, and nothing is being done to find a way out of this situation." "In addition, corruption is getting worse. That's why the majority think that it is better to build a new independent country, to start from the beginning. Catalonia has great potential it can become a much better country than Spain is," Fabrega said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Ankara is disappointed over ambiguous attitude of some EU member states to the attempted coup in Turkey, Turkish Agriculture Minister Faruk Celik told Sputnik on Friday. On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned Ankara's reaction as disproportionate, as Turkish authorities shut down numerous institutions and detained over 13,000 people in connection with the coup attempt. "Though the situation in clear, our allies, the European Union, we have been trying to join for many years are acting not in the way we expected. We would like their position to be more clear. Frankly speaking, attitude of some countries to the recent developments in Turkey leaves much to be desired," Celik said. MOSCOW (Sputnik)Police in Stockholm detained a 36-year-old man on Friday wanted in Russia on terror-related charges, a Swedish prosecutor told the local newspaper. "He was seized at the Arlanda [Airport] while trying to fly out of the country," prosecutor Ronnie Jacobsson told Swedens newspaper Aftonbladet. The prosecutor said authorities were looking into why exactly he was placed on the international wanted list by Russia. The man is reported to have dual citizenship, including a Russian passport. Merkel told a news conference that Germany was able to cope with the migrant crisis and terrorism, saying: "We can still do this. We can manage this historic challenge." A 27-year-old Syrian man, who was denied asylum in Germany a year ago, blew himself up on June 24 outside a music festival in Ansbach, southern Germany, injuring 12 people in the country's fourth violent attack on members of the public in days. Mohammad Daleel, the perpetrator, had fought with al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra. SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) Transformation of the Second World War Nazi concentration camp into a memorial center "Krasny" made by the Crimean authorities was very important for peninsula's history, French parliament Foreign Affairs Committee member Thierry Mariani said on Friday. Earlier in the day, a group headed by Mariani started its three-day visit to Crimea, after traveling there last year. "A transformation of the Memorial "Krasny" that was done by the Crimean authorities is very impressive. It is very important to remember the history of Crimea. The latest events prove that Nazism is becoming stronger in its historical form and in a shape of the Islamic terrorism," Mariani told journalists after visiting the memorial. MOSCOW (Sputnik)On July 15, an attempted coup took place in Turkey, and was suppressed by the following day. Thousands of people were expected to rally in Cologne under the slogan "For freedom against oppression, for democracy against coup," the German newspaper Zeit reported citing police estimates. According to the newspaper, a number of counter-demonstrations are also expected in Cologne, including the one organized by the Kurdish community. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russian nuclear agency Rosatom's Deputy CEO for Corporate Development and International Business Kirill Komarov and Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said on Friday they were fully satisfied with implementation of life extension of the Bulgarian Kozloduy nuclear power plants (NPP) fifth and sixth units, Rosatom said in a statement. Rosatoms subsidiary Rusatom Service has signed agreements with the NPP on developing concept of life extension of its units for 60 years. "The parties noted that they are fully satisfied with implementation of the project of life extension of the fifth and sixth units of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in partnership with the Russias Rusatom Service. During the meeting it was pointed out that the Russian party fully complies with its contract obligations," the statement said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) At least 2,000 people are expected to protest on Saturday in northern English city of York against fracking activities, local media reported Friday. On May 23, the North Yorkshire County Council approved fracking at the village of Kirby Misperton. According to The Press newspaper, people are expected to gather at noon local time (11:00 GMT) to protest against the May decision. This attack came less than two weeks after a Tunisian man killed 84 people and injured 300 after driving a truck through a crowd of revelers during a Bastille Day celebration in Nice. Valls said Kermiches freedom of movement was a "failure," that "has to be recognized." He added that judges must take a 'different, case-by-case approach, given the jihadis very advanced concealment methods," but didnt shirk government responsibility, saying that it was too easy to hold judges responsible for this act of terrorism. With a state of emergency ongoing in France, there is some alarm about a growing number of questionable house arrests since November 2015. Valls responded by saying that France would not be "swayed by populism" and stated that a "French Guantanamo" will not be created. "For one time only, I will be forgiving and withdrawing all cases against the many disrespects and insults that have been leveled against me," he said. "I feel that if we do not make use of this opportunity correctly, then it will give the people the right to hold us by the throat. So I feel that all factions of society, politicians first and foremost, will behave accordingly with this new reality, this new sensitive situation before us." MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) Mexico has received no formal request from Turkey in relation to the search of US-based dissident Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen who is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the coup attempt, a source in the Mexican Foreign Ministry told Sputnik. Earlier this week, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag suggested that Gulen could have left the United States for other countries, including Canada, Egypt, Australia and Mexico. Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has denied receiving asylum application from Gulen so far. "There is no formal tracing request, and the government does not react to media reports," the source said. MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) The deal, signed in Moscow on Friday, is worth almost $1.9 billion, the ministry said. The total cost of the project is about $2.2 billion, thus Argentina now has about 85 percent of the funds needed for its implementation. In April 2015, Russias Inter RAO Group won a tender for the construction of the Chihuido-1 hydroelectric power plant on the Neuquen River, in Argentinas Neuquen province. The power station will have a capacity of 637 megawatts. The Inter RAO company has also expressed interest in building the Chihuido-2 plant with a 296 megawatt capacity. MOSCOW (Sputnik) UN-brokered talks on a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Yemen ended after the Shia Houthi rebels signed an agreement with the General People's Congress (GPC) party of the countrys ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni government said. "The negotiations have completely ended," deputy director of the Yemeni president's office Abdullah al-Olaimi said as quoted by The Business Standard on Friday. On Thursday, Houthis announced that they were forming a supreme political council together with the GPC. MOSCOW (Sputnik) At least 14 civilians were killed in US airstrikes against the Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh) militants and al-Qaeda supporters in Iraq and Syria, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. "We deeply regret the unintentional loss of life and injuries resulting from our airstrikes and express our sympathies to those affected," CENTCOM said in a Thursday statement, as quoted by The Stars And Stripes newspaper. The airstrikes were conducted between July 2015 and April 2016. Most of the civilian casualties come from airstrikes carried out in February-April of the current year. Full control over Aleppo allows one to control not only all of northern Syria but the whole territory along the border with Turkey, the district inhabited by Kurds, and the territory of northwestern Iraq, the political analyst explained. Aleppo is the dominating center of this whole region. And for the Syrian government forces, for their adversaries, for Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the US it is the key to control over the whole Syrian territory and adjacent regions. Hence, Shapovalov said, theres no wonder that since the very start of the military conflict in the country there has been fierce fighting for this city. It is the key to control over the whole Syrian territory and adjacent regions Another political scientist, head of the Center for Middle East and Central Asia Studies Semyon Bagdasarov, also explained that Aleppo is the top strategic point, the economic capital of Syria and its clean-up could be a grandiose victory for Syria and Russia. However the liberation of Aleppo without closure of Syrian-Turkish border crossings, first and foremost in the city of Azaz, will be a hard task, he said. It is essential for cooperation with the Syrian Kurds Azaz is a Turkish crossing gate and a whole load of arms, ammunition and thousands of militants have got into Syria through this crossing. It must be closed and it could be dome only in alliance with the quasi-state [known as] the Federation of North Syria Rojava, or otherwise the Syrian Kurds, Bagdasarov explained. It was not right not to invite the HDP to the meeting where the after-coup measures were discussed, the politician added. Sezgin Tanrkulu also said that everyone already understands that the policy of confrontation is not a solution to the Kurdish issue. The unresolved Kurdish issue and the policy focused on the use of force are breeding grounds for a new coup, the politician added. All the military who violated the law in the east and southeast of the country, are under arrest. The pending solution to the issue is breeding the mentality of coupists, warned the politician adding that the authorities instead should use the current situation to resolve the issue. The government should resolve the issue together with the opposition, he said. Sezgin Tanrkulu also said that the countrys state institutions must distance themselves from being in an alliance with any individual party, a precondition for a fair and just governmental structure. BEIRUT (Sputnik) Militants in the east of the Syrian city of Aleppo forbade local men under the age of 50 to leave the area of active military engagement, an informed source told RIA Novosti on Friday. "Only women, children and the elderly are leaving through the safe passages. Men under 50 years old are practically taken hostage, they are forbidden from leaving the areas controlled by terrorists," the source said. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday that Moscow and Damascus had launched a joint large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians and one for militants wishing to lay down arms. He said Russia offered international organizations working in Syria to join this operation. "As humanitarians, we do welcome any initiative aimed at assisting civilian population in war zones, in conflict zones, particularly in Syria today. We are in principle and we are in practice in favor of humanitarian corridors under the right circumstances that allow the protection of civilians. Therefore we have been studying with great attention and interest the Russian initiative that was sketched yesterday," de Mistura told reporters. The works of five local artists will be on display in South Broadway Cultural Center's spacious gallery at Night of the Arts on Thursday, August 4 from 5-9pm. A reception for the artists from 5-8pm with light refreshments and live music, and a documentary film screening at 8pm make the evening a don't miss event! Entitiled "Channels," the new exhibition features the works of P.K. Williams, Lynne Laier, Rebecca Nolda, Roger Green and Jeff Laird, with music by MoonHat to energize the crowd. From 8 - 9 p.m. the documentary "End of the Century" features the story of the punk rock band The Ramones. The 2003 film, produced and directed by Jim Fields and Michael Gramglia, follows the band's history from their start in the early 1970s through 22 years of touring, and the 1996 breakup, including the deaths of two of the four original members. In the Gallery, "Channels" directs the visitor on a certain course, whether the direction is literal or figurative, visual or cerebral. Whether organic or geometric, the artists own journeys to their truth will inspire. P.K. Williams earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts at the University of Texas, El Paso and has exhibited her works widely throughout the Albuquerque area and beyond. Her media consists of watercolor, acrylic and mixed media. Bold colors and the influence of nature result in an emotional expression of the ebb and flow of the journey of life. Chicago native Lynne Laier earned a Bachelor of Arts at Western Illinois University, then traveled west to earn a Juris Doctorate at the University of San Francisco. Combining her career in law as a public defender with her growing desire to study and teach art, she has built a reputation for her interpretation of the challenges that define our lives through her paintings, fiber work and ceramics. Her work has been exhibited in numerous shows and galleries in central and northern New Mexico. Rebecca Nolda, whose work is shown here, is a Midwesterner who attended Iowa State University, earned her Master of Science in Education from Capella University and her Master of Arts in Studio Art from the University of Minnesota. Moving to New Mexico on a "whim", she soon fell in love with the open spaces, desert and skies of our state. Nolda considers "channels" the pathways that invite us to use her works as a springboard for imagination. The concept of creating "artifacts"-a layering of the seen and the layers underneath that tell stories-evokes a bit of mystery as to what came before. Her work has been exhibited widely in New Mexico, as well as in Minnesota, the Dallas, Texas area, and at UC Berkeley. Another artist whose roots are in the Midwest is Roger Green, whose Chicago roots included mentoring from two of the Art Institute's talented instructors. His career path included leading roles in two of the world's largest advertising agencies and led to many national and international awards for his creativity. His passion for art led him to teach graphic design at the Illinois Institute of Art, and become guest instructor at two other prominent art schools. Since moving to New Mexico he has found that the influences of his Midwestern background combine with the cultural influences of the desert southwest to create multi-layered stories of life, expressed through concealing and revealing archetypes that define our lives. His works have been shown in California, Paris, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, and, of course, a number of shows and galleries in Albuquerque and surrounds. Jeff Laird is an East-Coast New Jersey native who now lives in Estancia, NM. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers and, courtesy of Uncle Sam, had a stint in the U.S. Army that resulted in extensive travel throughout Europe. Returning to the US, he earned a degree in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. His earlier career was in commercial real estate while he continued his interest in art as active member of numerous art museums and foundations. His sculpture, photography and paintings have been seen in numerous galleries and exhibitions throughout the broader Albuquerque area and beyond. Live music and a film about one of the most popular bands of the past few decades, combined with creative artistic "channels" as interpreted by talented artists will make the August Night of the Arts a very special summer event. For more information on events and activities at SBCC, visit cabq.gov/sbcc or call 311. You can sacrifice without hesitation these organizational and party ties if they conflict with your unity and working as one body, it quotes al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri as saying in an audio statement directed to the al-Nusra Front. Many countries and the UN Security Council listed al-Nusra Front as a terrorist organization, thereby excluding it from Syria's February cessation of hostilities. Russia and the United States are now discussing closer coordination to target the group. Alexander Ignatenko, the head of the Institute of Religious and Political Studies therefore suggests that the rebranding is aimed at trying to escape from the grip Russia and the US are tightening on the terrorist organizations in Syria. The political scientist noted that Syria is now witnessing the process of reformatting of terrorist organizations, suggesting that Ahrar al-Sham group, which is not on the UNSC list, will also follow the al-Nusra example and will soon announce breaking of its ties with al-Qaeda, thus confirming that it had been supporting the ties with this terrorist organization. The second purpose is to portray itself as a moderate and purely Syrian national opposition, he told in an interview with Russian online newspaper Vzglyad. MOSCOW (Sputnik) German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged Russia on Friday to cooperate with the United Nations in providing humanitarian corridor for Syrias Aleppo. "We strongly call on Moscow, as opposed to the [Syrian President Bashar] Assads regime, to make a pause in hostilities, to start finally cooperating with the United Nations and with international humanitarian organizations to make humanitarian access for people in Aleppo possible," he said in a statement obtained by RIA Novosti. Steinmeier said that it was necessary to put an end to violence and return to negotiations. Moscow has forestalled the US operations in Syria by launching, together with the Syrian government, a joint large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians and one for militants with weapons and equipment, according to Reuters. US Secretary of State John Kerry's attempt to elicit Russian military cooperation in the fight against Islamic State in Syria suffered two potentially crippling blows on Thursday, the agency quotes some US officials as saying on condition of anonymity. The first blow, they reason, is that the Syrian army had cut off all supply routes into the eastern part of the city of Aleppo Syria's most important opposition stronghold and President Bashar al-Assad's government asked residents to leave the city. The BBC broadcaster reported citing Save the Children charity that part of the hospital had been destroyed after the bombing, however it was still unclear, who had conducted the airstrike. According to the media outlet, there are casualties among both staff and patients, but its number is still unclear. The result of MDAs growing foreign assistance to Israel "puts US missile defense and Israeli missile defense in competition," for the same limited funds, the report noted. The United States has been assisting Israel in developing and procuring a number of missile defense systems including Iron Dome, Davids Sling, and Davids Arrow. Between 1998 and 2011, MDA foreign assistance to Israel accounted for 1 to 3 percent of the agencys budget. By 2014, the Missile Defense Agency was spending 5.5 percent of its budget, or $729 million, on the Israeli systems. The CSIS report suggested the United States may "renegotiate the terms" of US military aid to Israel when it expires in 2018. The renegotiation would involve budgeting strategies to shift the financial strain off of MDA, as the agency faces increasing demands amid a shrinking budget. The MDA came into existence in 2004 following the US unilateral withdrawal of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia. MOSCOW (Sputnik)Clashes between the Iraqi army and the Daesh terrorist group near Mosul may force up to 1 million people leave their homes, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Friday. "The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst. There's the likelihood that fighting will intensify, particularly in the Mosul area. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance," the ICRC quoted Regional Director for the Near and Middle East Robert Mardini as saying. Mosul, the second largest Iraqi city populated by 500,000 people, was turned by the Daesh group outlawed in many countries including in Russia in one of its stronghold. Iraqi forces supported by Kurdish Peshmerga militia are carrying out operations in the ancient city of Nineveh in preparation for an assault on Mosul. BEIRUT (Sputnik) Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that it condemned airstrikes of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militant group, as well as the activities of terrorists that result in civilian casualties. "Syrian government strongly condemns attacks against civilians, infrastructure and economy conducted by the so-called coalition, as well as by terrorists and calls for end of these attacks and crimes and to punish the guilty ones," the statement said, as quoted by the Syrian SANA news agency. The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been conducting airstrikes against the positions of the Daesh, which is outlawed in many countries, including the United States and Russia, in Syria and Iraq since the summer of 2014. However, as Svobodnaya Pressa contributor Anton Mardasov pointed out, "the destruction of the militants blocked off in eastern Aleppo is still a long way off." The journalist recalled that "according to Western analysts, the surrounded territory is populated by about 270,000 civilians and 10,000 opposition militants. It's up in the air whether or not they will agree to leave" the city. At the same time, liberating a large urban area takes a great deal of time and military resources. "For example, the Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces alliance, with US support, has been storming the city of Manbij for two months, having surrounded it in a tight ring, and even cut it into two enclaves. But the Daesh militants are holding, and even forcing the Kurds into negotiations, given the heavy losses taken by their troops. Manij, by its size and density, can't be compared to the Aleppo pocket, and has significantly fewer militants." Asked to comment on the military operation to free the city and the parallel large-scale humanitarian operation, CIS Institute deputy director Vladimir Evseyev suggested that the latter effectively serves as a preemptive measure, aimed at disarming Western critics talking about a humanitarian disaster in Aleppo once the military operation heats up. At the same time, Evseyev added that hopefully, "the provision of a corridor for insurgents will help to minimize losses among both civilians and the Syrian Army, which will also be mauled in case of a sweep through the city. After all, militants actively use civilians as human shields, and use snipers, mines and improvised explosive devices as well." The Turkish President implied that the United States played a direct role in the failed coup by insinuating, "My people know who is behind this scheme they know who the superior intelligence behind it is, and with these statements you are revealing yourselves, you are giving yourselves away." US National Intelligence Director James Clapper acknowledged that the post-coup purge in Turkey impairs NATOs mission in Syria, as a disproportionate number of Turkish forces working with the United States in the fight against Daesh have been caught up in the arrests and firings. "Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested, said Clapper. Theres no question this is going to set back and make more difficult cooperation with the Turks." Accusations that the United States is protecting Erdogans arch-nemesis Fethullah Gulen, and that American forces and intelligence personnel played a direct role in the attempted overthrow, date to a July 16 comment by the Turkish Labor Minister, during a live interview with HaberTurk, in which he stated, "the United States is behind the coup." MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia delivered 25 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Syrias provinces of Aleppo and Homs as well as the city of Deir Ez-Zor besieged by terrorists, a daily bulletin on the Russian Defense Ministry website said on Friday. "Mi-8 helicopters have dropped 2 tons of humanitarian cargos on regions of Aleppo controlled by armed formations. Low-income families of al-Butma (Homs province) have received 2 tons of humanitarian cargos with flour, rice, canned meat and fish," the bulletin said. The Russian Defense Ministry also said that an aircraft of the Abakan Air, Russian aviation company, delivered 21 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Deir ez-Zor. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Islamic State (Daesh) and Al-Nusra Front terrorist groups shelled inhabited areas in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Damascus, a daily bulletin on the Russian Defense Ministry website said on Friday. "Within last 24 hours, terrorists have shelled Tell Jobegja and Handrat inhabited areas, al-Zahraa, al-Khalidiyah, Leramon, and Sheikh Maqsood quarters in the Aleppo city with improvised artillery and mortars. Terrorists have also shelled following inhabited areas: Kabun, Haush al-Farah, Bahariyah, Huteita al-Jarash in the Damascus province," the bulletin said. Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups. On February 27, a US-Russia brokered ceasefire came into force in Syria. Terrorist groups such as Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh), as well as Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front), both outlawed in Russia and a range of other states, are not part of the deal. Aside from the F-16 Falcon, a possible replacement for the A-10 is the next-generation F-35 jet fighter, although it has been plagued by many flaws and technical problems. The US Air Force performed a thorough comparison of the two warplanes, whose release date is separated by almost fifty years, to determine whether the replacement is justified. When asked about the new Lockheed-Martin jet, James was reassuring, defending a machine that is projected to cost some $1 trillion over its operational life, and claiming that the Air Force will soon declare the F-35 ready for combat. "Part of the declaration of [combat readiness] is that the F-35 can do the CAS missions that were designated as required as part of IOC not the full-up CAS but what's called the limited CAS," she said. The Air Force is also considering different aircraft types to take the CAS role. According to Air Force Chief of Staff Mike Welsh, full time overhead "flying artillery," like the Lockheed AC-130 Spectre, may fit the bill. Welsh also suggested that a drone, capable of delivering bombs on demand, something he described as a "flying Coke machine," is also an option. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The Russian military is modernizing with impressive results and its senior officers have displayed flexible thinking in their strategic doctrine, NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Curtis Scaparrotti said at the Aspen security forum in Colorado. You can see that they've imposed discipline on their force, Scaparrotti said on Thursday. They are pretty agile in [their] thinking. Russia is back I'm impressed. The Russian armed forces were modernizing and they had successfully demonstrated long range highly accurate missiles which they had fired at targets in Syrian including from maritime platforms in the Caspian Sea, Scaparrotti noted. SEVERODVINSK (Sputnik)A series of Russian Yasen-class (NATO reporting name: Severodvinsk-class) nuclear-powered submarines will be ready by 2023, Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Vice Adm. Viktor Bursuk said Friday. "The series will have been ready by 2023 and then technologies always imply further development," Bursuk told journalists during the laying ceremony of the sixth Yasen-class submarine. He said that seven submarines of the class would be constructed. MOSCOW (Sputnik)India has six frigates of the Talwar class, the forerunner of Project 11356, which are built at the Yantar shipyard in Russias westernmost Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad. "The final decision on handing them over to a third country has not been taken yet, but we know that talks involving Rosoboronexport [Russian state-run arms exporter] are in progress," USC Vice President Igor Ponomaryov told RIA Novosti. The first sea trial of a Project 11356 frigate took place last year in the Barents Sea. The frigate, displacing 3,850 tons, is designed for anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare as well as for air defense missions. It can operate independently and as part of convoys or naval task forces. According to military experts speaking to the independent online newspaper Svobodnaya Pressa , the launch of the new satellites is expected to significantly enhance the Russian military's space-based surveillance capabilities. Viktor Murakhovsky, retired army colonel and member of the expert council of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission, began by admitting that "as far as optical-electronic intelligence is concerned, we have fallen far behind the Americans." "In the US," Murakhovsky noted, "military satellites are the charge of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). This organization has a separate budget, whose size is equivalent to about one third of the entire Russian military budget. This should give you an indication of the scale of the US approach." "If we subtract the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellites, designed for early warning detection of ballistic missile launches, military communications satellites and electronic intelligence satellites, what's left are the satellites used for optical-electronic reconnaissance." According to the defense analyst, "the Americans have achieved outstanding results in the creation of such satellites both in their design and in the creation of high-resolution digital matrices (matrices with a resolution of 36 megapixels are considered obsolete), as well as in the field of optics, and the synthesis of so-called multispectral imaging. Our military satellites aren't even close to matching these indicators, and this is something we must admit." The posters have been tacked onto trees and pub windows in Leytonstone and despite being taken down, they keep on reappearing. The posters clearly a joke are inviting members of the public to sign up at a local pub to join a pretend "ISIS" (also known as Daesh) band. "Ever wanted to see the world, fight against rock music and get paid for the pleasure?" the poster asks. Furthermore, it is not the first time that Washington has either left its former partners in the lurch or even branded them as "dictators." In his 2003 article for the New York Times, American historian and political writer Roger Morris narrated how Washington and the CIA helped Saddam Hussein come to power in Iraq back in 1963. Furthermore, Roger Morris and Matthew M. Aid of Foreign Policy magazine revealed in 2013 that the US helped Hussein to launch "some of the worst chemical attacks in history" against Iran in 1988. However, in 2003 the US toppled Saddam Hussein under a completely contrived pretext. It is also no secret anymore that ahead of ousting Libyan "dictator" Muammar Gaddafi, the US and its NATO allies cooperated closely with the Libyan leader. A 2009 diplomatic cable exposed by Wikileaks described a meeting between Gaddafi and US Republican Senator John McCain and his colleagues, which "characterize[ed] the overall pace of the bilateral relationship as excellent." At the same time, there is a record of coups taking place within the NATO bloc. For instance, in Greece, right-wing military officers seized power in 1967, subjecting the left-wing party's supporters to repressions. In Portugal a military coup erupted in 1974, resulting in the country's withdrawal from its former overseas colonies. France and Italy as well saw a number of military uprisings. Interestingly enough, in his article for Consortiumnews.com US author Jonathan Marshall suggests that the CIA could have been behind some of the coups within the Alliance or at least may have had foreknowledge of the plots and had not prevented a catastrophe. The question whether or not the US "plotters" played a role in the recent Turkish coup remains open. However, as it turns out, no matter how hard US allies try to abide by the rules set by Washington, they may eventually find themselves abandoned by their US patrons. The newspaper also refers to a written reply from the Japanese embassy in Beijing where it only confirms that a Japanese citizen had been taken away. This month, we received a notice from the Chinese side that a Japanese citizen had been taken into custody by the Chinese authorities, the notice says. Commenting to Sputnik on the above developments, Professor of Political Science at Moscow State University and a member of the scientific advisory board to the Security Council of Russia, Andrei Manoilo suggested that the man in fact could have been on a spying mission. Similar channels are being used by the intelligence of various countries, he said. If it really is the case, then his task was neither meeting with agents nor any secret information exchange. Such people are tasked with studying political elites of a certain country and specific public officials holding different positions, the political scientist explained. He further said that usually there is already a certain profile compiled on the person of interest and an experienced intelligence officer will only need a couple of personal meetings with the man to be able to draw his full psychological portrait. For its part Deutsche Welle also pointed to the fact that the Russo-Turkish relations are normalizing at a great pace. In her interview with the media outlet Anna Glazova of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS) emphasized that the relationship between Russia and Turkey has considerably improved. Erdogan's decision to apologize for the death of the Russian pilot has become the trigger for the thaw. She called attention to the fact that after the failed coup attempt yet another condition of the Russian government has been met: the Turkish pilots responsible for shooting down the Russian Su-24 were arrested. While they were detained for their participation in the failed coup, voices are emerging in Ankara accusing the Turkish military for dealing a blow to the Russo-Turkish partnership. Commenting on the prospects of the Russo-Turkish relationship, American geopolitical analyst Eric Draitser suggested that Turkey may turn its back on the US-NATO-EU axis, and embrace Russia and China's plan to create a unified Eurasian space. "Ultimately, the failed 2016 coup in Turkey will have lasting ramifications that will impact the years and decades ahead. With Turkey now clearly breaking with the US-NATO-EU axis, it is rather predictable that it will seek to not only to mend fences with both Russia and China, but to place itself into the non-western camp typified by BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China's One Belt One Road strategy, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, etc.," Draitser noted in his article for Stopimperialism.org. On this episode of "By Any Means Necessary" host Eugene Puryear is joined by Pastor Marvin Silver and Tev Thulani Ndlazi of the United Congregational Church to discuss the droppings of all charges against the Baltimore police responsible for the death of Freddie Gray. The three also discuss the role of faith and the church to address social justice issues plaguing US cities. Eugene is also joined by John Liss, Executive Director of New Virginia Majority to talk about the importance of local organizing in the run up to the November elections and if the selection of Tim Kaine will deliver Virginia to the Democrats. In the final segment Eugene is joined by Brittany King, Conservation Program Coordinator at the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club, Ms. Margaret Gordon Co-Founder and Co-Director of West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, and Irene Gutierrez, an attorney at Earthjustice to talk about the recent Oakland City Council bill to ban coal from the city despite the state of Utah's best efforts to squash the bill. But, what would a non-fan say about Obamas real record? It might be something along the lines of- the stock market no longer reflects the health of the economy, as 1# financial engineering has led to computers doing most of the trading. In fact, Wired wrote back in 2010 that By some estimates, computer-aided high-frequency trading now accounts for about 70 percent of total trade volume. Thats right. 70%. In the search for larger profits, traders and analysts, real flesh and blood people, have been put out of work robots. In fact, no longer does the search for value matter. What does matter is the small day-to-day data points used by computers to make a penny a trade, a thousand times a day. The second point is the record number of buy-backs. Marketwatch writes 500 S&P companies, determined to keep their share prices on a good footing during the turbulent market conditions at the start of the year, spent more than $161 billion on share buybacks in the first quarter of 2016. Its the second-largest quarterly expenditure on buybacks after the record spent in the third quarter of 2007. Thats right. Companies are buying the shares back, thus creating artificial demand, coupled with computers churning, which means the stock market is basically levitating, or as some call it on life-support. The rest of the points, well, as the NYT wrote Recovery has created far more low-wage jobs than better-paid jobs. Thats right. CNN noted that the majority of jobs were in the food sector (also known as fast food), retail (shopping malls) and temporary work (day labor). So, where are the good jobs? The jobs that support a family? They were shipped to China or were automated. In the meantime, Obama extended unemployment benefits, and due to accounting tricks, this lead to a drop in unemployment figures. Breitbart notes that A record of nearly 95 million Americans are not in the labor force. Thats right. In a country of nearly 320 million, 1 out of every 3 are not working. Now, that, coupled with other accounting tricks, has led to the Schrodinger cat situation, where the US economy is simultaneously alive and dead at the same time, and the 1% doesnt care, as long as the box isnt opened. So, what is to be made of the nomination of Hillary Clinton to be the first woman President? As Obama said and the LA Times reported Obama portrays Clinton, his former foe and advisor, as uniquely qualified for the White House. But what makes her uniquely qualified? What has she done? A failed lawyer that has been able to stay afloat on the corpses of her one-time friends as scandal after scandal has swirled around her for decades. Just ask Debbie Wasserman-Shultz. In fact, a Google search for Hillary Clinton Scandal reveals more than 48 million results. And the recent DNC email leak only proves that there is, to paraphrase HRC, a vast left-wing conspiracy. And what about The Donald? To hear the pundits the day after he accepted the Republican nomination, he either was a chicken little, telling anyone that would listen that the sky was falling, or was the savior of the nation, because, as he said-I am the law and order candidate. Thats right. According to Trump, the nation, which under Obamas rule, learned new words such as sanctuary city, which is essentially a city that doesnt have to follow the official border rules, as generally accepted by passport controls all around the world, is being over-run with illegal aliens, or the pc term-undocumented workers. And those illegals are coming in hordes. And maybe there is something to it. As the Washington Times wrote-Border Patrol ordered to release illegals still soaking wet from Rio Grande. In Trumps speech, which was 76 minutes long, was powerful and provoked an emotional response. But, maybe an avid learner of history should simply think back to the promises that Obama made. He promised Hope and Change. And he was able to deliver. Things in America have changed over the last 8 years. And people no longer have hope for the future. Now, it really seems as if a plurality of Americans simply wishes that they could go back in time, and Donald is stoking that nostalgia. Listening carefully, the vision he paints is that of a police state. Of surveillance, of Big Brother continuously watching, monitoring your every move, tracking you from birth, to stop or eliminate criminals from preying upon society. And of course, those criminals will be one thing today, and tomorrow? Well, that is to be determined, citizen. And it will all be welcomed, once again, with cheering crowds and smiling eyes. So, what do you think dear listeners, Is Donald Trump working for Big Brother? Brian speaks with journalist and historian Gareth Porter and author Richard Becker about Clinton's record as a war hawk both in and outside of the State Department. What will a Clinton White House mean for Syria, the Middle East and beyond? None of the police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray will be convicted. Prosecutors dropped all charges against the remaining officers due to stand trial. Joining Becker to discuss the decision is former political prisoner and journalist Eddie Conway and Sean Blackman of the D.C. Stop Police Terror Project. Conway analyzes how the prosecution of the police officers was deliberately organized to prevent a successful prosecution. Two weeks after the coup attempt in Turkey, the government continues its clampdown. Becker is joined by Turkish journalist Kemal Okuyan to talk about the ramifications of the failed coup. Over 130 media outlets were ordered closed on Wednesday. More than 15,000 soldiers, judges, civil service workers and prosecutors have been detained, but has Erdogan solidified his grip on the country? The latest slew of "lone wolf" terror attacks in Europe has spurred on supporters of increased government surveillance but at what cost? In echoes of Donald Trump's infamous "Muslim ban" rhetoric, a Danish member of parliament has proposed banning Muslim immigration for the next six years. We spoke to Ane Halsboe-Jrgensen from Denmarks Social Democratic Party. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is reported pushing to bring army and national intelligence agencies under presidency control, we discuss this with George Galloway, the leader of the Respect Party. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia will extradite 570 people accused of resonant grave crimes and felonies, the Russian Prosecutor Generals Office said in its roundup of the first half of 2016 on Friday. "It was possible to obtain the extradition of a range of persons accused of committing grave and especially grave crimes. Decisions have been granted to extradite 570 persons from Russia," the Office of the Prosecutor Generals press service said. More than 3,500 Russian and foreign legal assistance requests have been reviewed, it added. SEVERODVINSK (Russia) (Sputnik) Russias new Yasen-class nuclear submarines are able to fire all sea-based cruise missiles from the countrys arsenal, the subs designer said Friday. A sixth Yasen-class submarine, the Perm, was laid down in Severodvinsk earlier today, with four more vessels of this class under construction. "Yasen subs can be fitted with all types of cruise missiles that can be fired from submarines," Vladimir Dorofeyev, the director general of the Malakhit Design Bureau, told RIA Novosti. After the peninsula's merger with Russia in March 2014, many Western governments including the United States, Canada and the European Union imposed sanctions specifically targeting Crimea in addition to those against Russia. These have included targeted measures against the Crimean tourism and infrastructure sectors, with some companies and service providers also prohibiting the sale of their products or services inside Crimean territory. Now, with the peninsula officially merging with the neighboring Southern Federal District, Crimean political consultant Sergei Yukhin says that it will be much more difficult for Western governments and companies to maintain their targeted sanctions against the peninsula. "It's possible to impose sanctions on Crimea and refuse to recognize it [as part of Russia]. But how do our partners expect not to recognize Russia's entire Southern Federal District? There are a whole bunch of foreign companies working there." Essentially, Yukhin noted, the decision will result in "a bunch of unpleasant moments for our Western partners. But for us, the residents of Crimea, it's great." For their part, international law experts speaking to the RIA Novosti news agency have also suggested that it will not be possible to issue targeted sanctions against the Southern Federal District, since it is not a body subject to international law. Naturally, the Russian authorities' administrative decision has already led to threats of more sanctions from Kiev. On Thursday, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kislitsa warned that Western countries could extend sanctions targeting Crimea to the entire Southern Federal District. The proposal, put forth by the Russian Communist Party, follows on the success of a similar initiative in Poland's parliament earlier this month. Last Friday, the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, passed a resolution saying that the Ukrainian nationalist insurgents' brutal wartime campaign of ethnic cleansing against Poles between 1943 and 1945 constituted genocide. The Sejm's resolution also marked July 11 as a day of commemoration, dedicated to the Poles who fell victim to the crime. The campaign of ethnic cleansing, orchestrated by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists Ukrainian Insurgent Army (OUN-UPA), targeted Polish, Jewish, Russian, and anti-fascist Ukrainians in the regions of Volhyn and Eastern Galicia. The campaign against the Poles alone resulted in the deaths of between 80,000 and 120,000 people, predominantly women and children, between 1943 and 1944. The campaign was also shockingly brutal, with militias burning down villages and using knives and axes on their victims to save bullets. The Russian MPs' bill pays direct homage to the initiative of their Polish counterparts. The text of the document, cited by RIA Novosti, reads that "the Russian State Duma expresses its sincere condolences to the Polish people in connection with their national tragedy, and its profound solidarity with the Polish Sejm on the recognition of the crimes of Ukrainian nationalists in Volyn as genocide. This declaration by the Russian Duma is intended to defend the truth about the Great Patriotic War (the Second World War), its heroes and victims." CRIMEA (Sputnik)Vladimir Konstantinov, who chairs the legislature of southwest Russias autonomous region, briefed a visiting French delegation of lawmakers led by Foreign Affairs Committees member Thierry Mariani. "Since your last trip, the gross regional product grew around 17-18 percent. We also observed a steady growth in tax collection. The number of tourists visiting Crimea also shows a steady growth," Konstantinov told reporters. Crimea climbed up the list of Russian tourists favorite destinations after rejoining the country in early 2014. Almost 97 percent of the region's population voted for reunification in a referendum. Sevastopol, which has a federal city status, supported the move by nearly 96 percent of votes. SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik)A dozen of French lawmakers led by Mariani, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, have come to Crimea for a three-day visit, the second since last July. "More can be done but what we heard today from the Crimean authorities proves that rights of the Crimean Tatars are observed better than rights of the Russian minority in some Baltic states," Mariani said at a press conference in Simferopol. The French lawmaker said the rights of the ethnic Tatar population were in the spotlight of Western media these days. Crimean Tatars are a minority group in the Russian-majority region, which voted overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine for Russia in a March 2014 referendum. MOSCOW (Sputnik) A Moscow military district court sentenced on Friday four natives of a former Soviet republic in Central Asia to 28-30 years in prison for murders and recruiting on behalf of the Daesh terrorist organization, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said. According to the FSB, the head of the group received 30 years in high-security correction facility, while the other members 28 years each. FSB said the investigation had revealed that the members of the group conducted in 2014-2015 recruiting of militants to fight in Syria, killed a Russian family in the Moscow region to prove their allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist organization. The extremists were also involved in circulation of counterfeit currency in Central Russia. After a United Nations special rapporteur on torture completed a 14-month investigation into Mannings treatment, the UN concluded that the US government was subjecting her to, "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment," particularly through the use of prolonged periods of solitary confinement. Heavy-handed government tactics have lead many to suspect that Manning is being made an example of, as a means to deter potential whistleblowers. ACLU attorney Chase Strangio said in a statement, "The government has long been aware of Chelseas distress associated with the denial of medical care related to her gender transition and yet delayed and denied the treatment recognized as necessaryNow, while Chelsea is suffering the darkest depression she has experienced since her arrest, the government is taking actions to punish her for that pain. It is unconscionable and we hope that the investigation is immediately ended and that she is given the health care that she needs to recover." PHILADELPHIA (Sputnik), Joanne Stocker Hillary Clinton being the first woman to head a US presidential ticket is not important compared to issues of voter suppression and economic inequality, Bernie Sanders delegate Janice Thomasson told Sputnik at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) "I am so over the woman thing," Thomasson said on Thursday. "Its not a gender issue. Women can do anything in this world. Were far more concerned about voter suppression." Voters in several states have filed lawsuits alleging that the Democratic Party disenfranchised Sanders supporters with complicated voting and registration requirements. Focusing on foreign policy, Clinton quickly ran through the main bullet points of the theme discussed by Vice President Joe Biden the night before. In a rousing speech about American exceptionalism Wednesday, Biden vowed that "the 21st century is going to be the American century," with Washington set to lead the world "not only by example of our power, but by the power of our example." "God willing, Hillary Clinton will write the next chapter in that journey. We are America, second to none, and we own the finish line! Don't forget it!" Biden added, to rousing cheers from the crowd. Clinton continued on that track, praising President Obama and the vice president and vowing to face up to the present challenges to American greatness. "America is stronger because of President Obama's leadership, and I'm better because of his friendship," she said. "We heard from our terrific vice president, the one-and-only Joe Biden, who spoke from his big heart about our party's commitment to working people." Who are the main enemies that a President Clinton would strive to defend America against? The list is surprisingly short actually. According to the Democratic nominee, they include the Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) terrorist group, and Russia. China comes in a distant third, with the former secretary of state mentioning only the economic threat that country poses to American workers. In this sense, at first glance, Clinton's approach appears little different from that of President Barack Obama, who has repeatedly listed Russia, together with Daesh and other global problems such as Ebola, as the key threats to US national interests. "I'm proud to stand by our allies in NATO against any threat they face, including from Russia," Clinton said. "I've laid out my strategy for defeating ISIS," she added. BANGKOK (Sputnik) Russian citizen Dmitry Ukrainsky said Friday that his US extradition request from Thailand could be ready within one month, adding that he planned to appoint an attorney be early next week. "I should hurry up with the lawyers because the Americans have two months to prepare a formal request for extradition. I was even told that all American documents could be ready in a month," Ukrainsky told RIA Novosti. He added he had three lawyers from different companies visit him, saying "my wife and I will decide by Monday which one of them will work in my case." MOSCOW (Sputnik)On Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Joseph Votel said the United States had relationships with a number of Turkish leaders, including with the military ones, adding that several of them had been placed in jails following the coup attempt. "The world is watching Turkish people on democracy watch and says they're concerned about the future," Erdogan said criticizing Votel's remarks, as quoted by the Daily Sabah newspaper. The Turkish leader added that the US general should praise the Turkish state and nation for protection of democracy and not to side with the coup perpetrators. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) A US fighter pilot has died in an air crash during a training mission in the US state of California, the US Marine Corps said in a press release on Friday. "A Third Marine Aircraft Wing pilot, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Mirimar, was killed as a result of F/A 18C Hornet crash," the release stated. The incident that happened near Twentynine Palms, California is currently under investigation, the Marine Corps added. Lawyer Andrew Plasse said Orta "feels he was unjustly singled out for arrest because he took that film of his friend getting arrested," adding, "The police have gone out of their way to follow him and arrest him every chance they get." The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday and states the arrest was an attempt by New York police to "discredit" the footage of Garners death. The lawyer said in court papers, "instead of winning accolades for his professional journalism and/or being praised by the media for his exposure of brutal police tactics and the failure of EMTs to assist victims of Police Brutality, (Orta) was maligned and smeared by the NYPD, (and) arrested continually on false and/or trumped up charges." RT's reporter Caleb Maupin managed to visit Gulen's house in the US state of Pennsylvania and make a photo and filmed a footage with him. On July 15, the coup attempt took place in Turkey. It was suppressed the following day. Over 240 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured during the failed coup excluding the victims among the plotters, according to the country's authorities. This is the second round of charges centered around Flints contaminated water. Schuette appointed a special counsel in January to discern whether laws had been broken, and two state regulators and a city employee were charged with evidence tampering, official misconduct and other offenses in April. At the time, the attorney general guaranteed that others would be charged as well. Mike Glasgow, the Flint utilities director, struck a deal in May with prosecutors, offering cooperation in exchange for a reduction in charges as lead contamination investigations rolled on. He entered a plea to a misdemeanor and one count of willful neglect of duty, in exchange for a dismissal of evidence tampering, a felony charge. Two Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials also received charges of conspiracy, misconduct, misdemeanor violations of clean-water law and tampering with test results, and are awaiting preliminary examinations. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The latest US-EU agreement aimed at protecting European data privacy standards may appear to be a reform, but will unlikely change expansive US surveillance practices, National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Mark Klein told Sputnik. "When they are caught out in public doing nasty stuff, as happened after my revelations about AT&T, and later after [Edward] Snowden's revelations, they paper it over with new reform laws which simply legalize what had been illegal previously," Klein said on Friday. Under the US-EU Privacy Shield, data belonging to Europeans but held by US companies will be subject to the same strict privacy safeguards as under EU law. The transatlantic data protection pact is set to go into effect on August 1. VILNIUS (Sputnik) Ten refugees from Syria and Iraq arrived in Lithuania on Friday under EU quota scheme, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of the Interior Justas Pankauskas said. "Ten people, two families, arrived in Lithuania from Greece early in the morning," Pankauskas told the BNS news agency. The families will be hosted at a refugee center in the Lithuanian central Jonava district municipality. Refugees are said to be able to move to other parts of the country after receiving required documents. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia and Turkey are in discussions on the construction of two legs in the proposed Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Friday. In general, we are currently talking about the construction of two lines. The second line is for southwestern European consumers which can also be laid under the Black Sea and routed through Turkey, Novak told Rossiya-24 broadcaster. Ankara confirmed its interest in the implementation of the pipeline at the Turkish delegations visit to Moscow on Tuesday. MOSCOW (Sputnik)Russia and Iran agreed to develop a five-year strategic cooperation agreement and an energy sector working group, the co-chair of the Russia-Iran Joint Economic Commission and Iranian Communications Minister, Mahmoud Vaezi, said Friday. We conducted a useful review of the agreements that were reached earlier at the level of leaders and previous intergovernmental meetings. We agreed to prepare a strategic cooperation plan for five years, Vaezi told reporters. He added that the parties planned to sign 13 new agreements and move toward developing free trade. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Russian cabinet approved an agreement with Syria on the deployment of the Russian air grouping in the Arab Republic, and has submitted it for President Vladimir Putin to refer to lower house of parliaments approval, a document published on the official portal for legal information Friday said. "Approve and submit to the President of Russia for ratification in the State Duma an agreement between Russia and the Syrian Arab Republic on the deployment of the Russian Armed Forces aviation group on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, signed in Damascus on August 26, 2015," the decree states. The text points out that the Hmeimim air facility, its infrastructure and territory are granted to Russia free of charge. Novak reaffirmed the ministrys earlier forecast that oil prices will stay in the $40-50 bracket, but added that market volatility looked set to continue into next year. The Russian Energy Ministry expects that the market will return to balance by the second half of 2017. Supply and demand imbalance in the global oil market will even out by mid-2017, according to Novak. "We see that the imbalance [between supply and demand in the oil market] is still not eliminated. We expect, I think, that it will happen only in the middle of the next year," Novak said. He added that fundamental factors did not allow to say that the price of oil would be above $50 per barrel, and that the Russian Energy Ministry would thus not adjust its forecast for oil prices standing at $40-50 per barrel in 2016. "If we talk about the fundamental factors, they certainly do not allow us to say that oil prices will be higher than $50 dollars," the minister said. In a Thursday video, Nusra Front leader Mohammed al-Jolani said the group had split from al-Qaeda and changed its name to Jabhat Fath al Sham, or "The Front for Liberation of al Sham." "There is no need to prove that all attempts by terrorists to change their image are futile. The Nusra Front, however it calls itself, was and still is an illegal terrorist organization that has no other purpose than to create a so-called Islamic caliphate with cruel and barbaric methods," the ministry said in a commentary. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia and China condemn plans to deploy US missiles to South Korea , a move they believe will hurt the strategic security in the region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday. Russian and Chinese foreign affairs officials held a fourth round of talks on security in northeastern Asia earlier in the day in the aftermath of the US-Seoul decision to bring Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles to the Korean Peninsula. "There is concern on both sides [in Russia and China] about the US-South Korean decision to deploy THAAD missiles in the country's south. Such actions by the US and South Korea do not correspond to their stated goals and threaten to deal serious damage to the strategic security of neighboring countries, including China and Russia, and worsen the situation in the country," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia and Iran expect a Joint Study Group working on the establishment of the Free Trade Area (FTA) to submit the action plan for FTA's establishment by the end of 2016, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Friday. Earlier in the day, Novak met with the co-chair of the Russia-Iran joint economic commission and Iranian Communications Minister, Mahmoud Vaezi. "We discussed the issues related to the study into the possibility of establishing the Free Trade Area and have noted the progress made in this direction. We expect that by the end of the year, a Joint Study Group will finish the work and will submit proposals of the action plan for the Free Trade Agreement preparation," Novak said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, he held consultations with Japan's Director General of the Disarmament Non-Proliferation and Science Department Kazutoshi Aikawa at the Japanese Foreign Ministry in Tokyo. "We had a separate, detailed conversation about the Russian initiative to develop an international convention on fight against chemical and bio terrorism at the [August] Conference on Disarmament [in Geneva]," he told RIA Novosti. He added, that Japanese are not confident yet that such a convention is necessary, and are not sure it should be developed at the Conference of Disarmament. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) More than 5,580 people in the US territory of Puerto Rico have been diagnosed with the Zika virus, including 672 pregnant women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a press release on Friday. "Positive tests for people with suspected Zika virus infection have increased from 14 percent in February to 64 percent in June," the release stated. Incident Manager for CDCs Zika Response Lyle Peterson said the territory is in the midst of a Zika epidemic. MOSCOW (Sputnik)Turkey's revenues received from the sphere of tourism has decreased by 35.6 percent in the second quarter of 2016, Turkish Statistical Institute said in a press release Friday. "In the second quarter which is April, May and June months of 2016 tourism income decreased by 35.6% and declined to $4 billion 981 million 318 thousand. While 77.1% of this income (excluding GSM roaming and marina service expenditures) was obtained from foreign visitors, 22.9% was obtained from citizens resident abroad," the press release said. The press release added that the number of departing visitors had also decreased in the above mentioned quarter by 30.3 percent on a year-on-year basis. NATO was involved in last year's downing of Russia's Su-24 bomber in Syrian airspace, Willy Wimmer, former Vice-President of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), told Sputnik Deutschland on Friday. On November 24 2015 Turkish jets downed a Russian Su-24 bomber carrying out anti-terror operations in Syria. The plane's two co-pilots parachuted from the plane but one of them, Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Peshkov, was shot and killed by suspected Turkmen militants operating in Syria. The incident caused a major diplomatic dispute between Turkey and Russia; the former said the bomber was shot for infringing Turkish airspace, but Russia maintains the Su-24 did not enter Turkish airspace, and was carrying out an anti-Daesh mission in Syria when it was downed. WASHINGTON (Sputnik)Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday that Moscow and Damascus had launched a joint large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians and one for militants wishing to lay down arms. He said Russia offered international organizations working in Syria to join this operation. W/o [without] further clarification, Russian announcement on humanitarian corridors appears to be demand 4 [for] surrender of oppo [opposition] grps [groups], the twitter said. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Friday the United Nations welcomed Russian humanitarian initiative in Syria. SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik)Earlier in the day, a delegation of 11 French lawmakers headed Mariani started its three-day trip to Crimea. "We are here today and we will be going back year after year until we are sure that the situation in Crimea is normal and also in order to inform the international community about true life in Crimea," Mariani told journalists upon arrival to Simferopol in Crimea. In July 2015, a group of 10 French lawmakers visited Crimea for the first time despite domestic and European criticism. The lawmakers said at the time that what they had seen in the region was completely different from how it was usually portrayed in Western media. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The United States remains doubtful about Russia's humanitarian initiative in Syria, White House spokesperson Eric Schultz said in a briefing on Friday. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday that Moscow and Damascus had launched a joint large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians and one for militants wishing to lay down arms. "The United States is deeply concerned about the situation in Aleppo," Schultz stated. "We are taking a look at the Russian announcement of humanitarian corridors, but given their record on this, we are skeptical." MOSCOW (Sputnik)The measure followed the announcement by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture that unapproved strain of genetically altered wheat was discovered in the western state of Washington, Yonhap News Agency reported. The distribution and sales of wheat are said to have been halted as well. The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it had asked the APHIS to provide details on the unapproved wheat and methods of inspection. "We will thoroughly inspect genetically modified wheat from Washington State as soon as the U.S. provides relevant information," a ministry official said, as quoted by the media outlet. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) General Joseph Votel denied having anything to do with the attempted coup in Turkey, according to a statement released by the US military on Friday. "Any reporting that I had anything to do with the recent unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey is unfortunate and completely inaccurate," Votel said. He was responding to an interpretation of comments made at a think tank in Washington, DC by Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing Votel of sympathizing with the coup plotters. ANKARA (Sputnik) Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed confidence on Friday that Turkey will succeed in bringing US-based dissident Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen back to the country. Earlier in the day, White House spokesperson Eric Schultz said that US authorities are assessing the request by the Turkish government to extradite Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding a recent coup plot. "We will bring back the perpetrator of the coup a leader of terrorist group [Gulen] who is now at the United States," he was quoted as saying by the NTV broadcaster. "Turkish political elites were disappointed by the reaction of Western countries to how the military coup was thwarted, and how these countries were merely focused on human rights issues from their perspectives without even listening to Turkeys domestic concerns. Therefore, we may see a growing desire among Turkish political elites to develop better economic and strategic relations with Russia," he explained. He also added that this shift may well mean that Russia and Turkey may well move to revive the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline project. "I wouldnt be surprised if after the tensions are reduced this would be on the table again because both countries would benefit from it," Habibi concluded. UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) Al-Nusra Front terrorist organization which earlier claimed its separation from al-Qaeda and the change of its name, is still on the UN "ISIL (Daesh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List," Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq said on Friday. In a Thursday video, al-Nusra Front leader Mohammed Jolani said the group had split from al-Qaeda and changed its name to Jabhat Fath al Sham, or "The Front for Conquest of Levant." "In terms of how the UN system views them, theres consolidated list of all of the individuals and entities associated with al-Qaeda. And al-Nusra continues to be on that list," Haq told journalists. It was a rookie heavy program Thursday evening at Mohawk Racetrack as OSS Grassrooters battled in three divisions and pacing fillies sparred in round two of the Whenuwishuponastar Series. Many A Man used a strong stretch rally for driver Randy Waples en route to capturing the first $18,000 OSS Grassroots division for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings. The son of Manofmanymissions-Armbro Sylvie got away sixth and remained sixth through the first-half fractions of :29.1 and :59.4. Waples had his charge on the move going to the half, and they advanced to third on the outside at the three-quarter pole in 1:29.1. Many A Man used a :29.1 closing quarter to haul down race favourite Rosberg by a half-length margin. Zorgwijk Rocket came on with sharp speed late to finish third. Bob McIntosh trains the homebred for his Robert McIntosh Stables Inc, C S X Stables and Dave Boyle. It was the first win in four assignments for the colt who is a sibling to the likes of Dr Cal (1:54.1 - $388,596) and Bernies Babe (1:57.2 - $165,289). He trained down like a nice colt, said McIntosh, he was just a victim of bad luck in his first starts. Warrawee Shipshape was a popular winner in the second division thanks to his gate-to-wire score for trainer/driver Eddie Green. The son of Muscle Mass-U Can Cruise, who was sent off as the 9-5 favourite, led the group through panels of :28.3, :59.1 and 1:29.1 before cruising home in :30.3 to win by three lengths over longshot A J Ricochet. Third prize went to Critical Mass. Purchased for $19,000 from last years Canadian Yearling Sale, the youngster racked up his second win in four attempts for owner Michael Tobin of Port Dover, Ont. The freshman has banked $16,620 to date. Themanofmydreams hauled home the hardware in the final division, and the triumph was his third in as many tries. Denis St. Pierre got away fourth with the colt, but he had him on the move in the backstretch. Themanofmydreams was parked past the half in :59.4, but he cleared before the final turn. He zipped past the three-quarter marker in 1:29.4 before using a :29.4 kicker to win by 2-3/4 lengths over My Big Kadillac. Taking home third prize was Magic Night. Tonight he give a little step at the gate, because he was too aggressive and I dont want to leave with him, said St. Pierre. I want to take him off the gate, because last time he was too aggressive, not that crazy, but he show me he can become too hot and thats why I try to take him off the gate. He got mad and he made a little step, but he come right back on the trot, the Guelph, ON resident added. Hes a good horse. The win was a new personal best for Themanofmydreams, who also captured his Grassroots divisions at Georgian Downs on July 9 and Grand River Raceway on July 20. The trio of victories have the son of Muscle Mass and Uneeda Dream sitting atop the freshman trotting colt standings with a perfect 150 points. I think hes just a great colt, said St. Pierre. I know hes a good Grassroots, he prove it tonight. I think hes one of the best, and maybe next week hell get a chance in the Gold. Just tonight he was a bit hyper, but hes just a great colt, he do everything right, hes got a lot of speed. He can go more than what he showed tonight. Trainer Tiffanee Staley co-owns the son of Muscle Mass-Uneeda Dream with Jesse Legault, Alexandre Pilon and Christian Pilon. The $22,000 purchase from last years Canadian Yearling Sale has now banked $27,000. St. Pierre added that he and Staley would spend the next six days getting the colt to relax behind the starting gate before heading to Rideau Carleton Raceway on August 4, where both the Gold and Grassroots divisions will be contested. He likes to race, but hes going to have to learn to calm down a little bit, noted the driver. Were going to teach him. Two-year-old pacing fillies slugged it out in the second round of the Whenuwishuponastar Series, and in Thursdays lone division it was Black Jack Pat turning a two-hole trip into a 1:56.2 win for trainer Dave Menary and driver Jody Jamieson. The daughter of Well Said-Mrs Noce sat second behind Touching Thought, who sliced out splits of :28.3, :57.4 and 1:26.3. Black Jack Pat angled off the pylons in the lane and used a :29.3 closing quarter to win by a head over Touching Thought. Come What May came on strong to finish third. Dave Van Camp of Hamilton, Ont. owns Black Jack Pat, who now owns a 1-1-0 record from three trips to the track. Purchased for $13,000 from last years Harrisburg Yearling Sale, Black Jack Pat pushed her cash stash to $11,620 with the win. To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results Mohawk Racetrack. (with files from OSS) Despite an early thunderstorm, racing fans were treated to a terrific night of racing Thursday at Harrington Raceways annual Governors Day program during the Delaware State Fair. After heavy downpours invaded Kent County just prior to the first race, mother nature cooperated for most of the rest of the evening as 13 races were contested for nearly $600,000 in total purses. The $40,000 Governors Cup is always a popular event with local bragging rights at stake, as Foulk Stables Sparky Mark ($5.60, Corey Callahan) prevailed narrowly in 1:53. The nine-year-old Astreos stallion held off second-place finisher Leyden in a tight photo finish. Little Ben was third. Sparky Mark notched his 53rd career win for trainer Dylan Davis. Four $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund finals for three-year-olds were among the highlights of the program. KDK Standardbreds Apple Bottom Jeans ($3.40, Montrell Teague) won the filly pacing final in 1:53 with an impressive front-end performance over Delle Donne and Use Your Noodle. Trained by Kevin Switzer, the Mr Apples filly recorded her ninth win in 17 lifetime starts. James Craparotta and Berry Racings Epic Smash ($9, Pat Berry) prevailed in 1:58 in the filly trotting final. Trained by Traci Berry, the Political Briefing never had an anxious moment in her five-length win over Triple Bottom Line and Cicadas Song. Syl King, Jr.s Chipoffthewall ($2.80, Anthony Morgan) won the trotting colts and geldings final in 1:58.4 in front-end fashion over Seafood Scrappy and Rojo. Trained by his owner, the Master Lavec gelding notched his 10th career win. Henry Faragalli III, Nanticoke Racing and Bay Pond Racing Stables Next Success ($13.20, Jim Morand) captured the last DSBF final on the program with a wire-to-wire win from post position eight in 1:54 over Casino Bags Anso and Johns Dream. The Veeza gelding was trained by Les Givens and picked up his 10th career win and completed a sweep of the DSBF finals this year. In non-DSBF events for older horses, winners included Purrfect Bags ($5.80, Victor Kirby) in the Legislators Cup, Raritan Bay ($3.20, Bret Brittingham) in the Presidents Cup and Wingus ($34.20, Roger Plante, Jr.) in the Charles Murphy, Jr. Memorial Trot in 1:57. Aside from Murphy, Jr., there were Memorial races that honoured Hal Belote, Thurman Adams, Jack Walls, John Frazer, Del and Dorothy Manges, Jim Case, Walter Messick and Sam Matthews. Live racing resumes at Harrington Raceway on August 15. (Harrington Raceway) Atheism Destroyed with One Scientific Question Contact: Jen Thompson, Living Waters Publications, 800-437-1893, jthompson@livingwaters.com LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Filmmaker Ray Comfort, whose movies have been seen by millions, claims to destroy atheism with one scientific question, which he reveals in a new movie called "The Atheist Delusion." Comfort, cohost of the award-winning television program "The Way of the Master," said regarding atheists' assertions that there is no God, "Having to point out the existence of the Creator is like having to point out the sun at noon on a clear day. Despite this, a popular skeptic adage is 'Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence,' and thanks to modern science we have that extraordinary evidence. Outspoken atheists such as Bill Maher and Richard Dawkins say that they would believe in God if there was scientific evidence. This movie calls their bluff." After reviewing the film, author and CNN consultant Matt Barber said, "Somehow you managed, in less than an hour, to make the case, beyond any reasonable doubt, for the Creator GodThis is your masterpiece." Filmmaker Alex Kendrick (Fireproof and War Room) called it "Powerful!" and said, "It will confirm that there is a God." Ryan Gatti, State Senator for Louisiana, said, "Wow! No one can deny the Creator after seeing this!" Comfort explained that he made the movie after taking a camera to Southern California universities and asking atheists a scientific question that he'd never asked atheists before. "To my astonishment, those who were open to reason changed their minds about the existence of God in minutes," Comfort claims. "You can see the light come on in their eyes. We also were able to interview outspoken atheist Professor Lawrence Krauss, the well-known theoretical physicist, and show the scientific flaw in his arguments against the existence of God." According to the movie's promotional material, "'The Atheist Delusion' pulls back the curtain and reveals what is going on in the mind of those who deny the obvious. Follow a number of atheists as they go where the evidence leads and display an honesty that is rarely seen on film." Comfort said, "The movie reveals what every atheist prays he will never find." A pre-release digital download of the movie was just released and is available now at AtheistMovie.com Official Trailer: youtu.be/Awpzsi4YUHs For a review screener and interviews with Ray Comfort, contact Jen Thompson: jthompson@livingwaters.com Liberty Counsel Presents Fairfax Transgender Case to VA Supreme Court CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 29, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- Liberty Counsel will present oral arguments on August 31 requesting the Virginia Supreme Court to hear the case against the School Board of Fairfax County regarding its illegal policy involving "sexual orientation," "gender identity," and "gender expression." Liberty Counsel will ask the court to review the case and reverse the trial court's ruling, which leaves minors in Fairfax County subject to unconstitutional violations of their privacy and of their right to education. Virginia procedure provides that, before a case is heard on the merits by the Virginia Supreme Court, the court first considers filed petition pleadings and/or hears oral arguments along with the filed pleadings. If the court accepts review, then another hearing will be set on the merits argument. The Fairfax County Circuit Court previously wrongfully dismissed Liberty Counsel's lawsuit claiming that a minor, his parents and a local taxpayer did not have standing to sue. In effect, the Circuit Court said that a minor, who now must have his educational rights diminished and his privacy invaded by having to share the bathroom, locker room, and showers with members of the opposite sex, suffers no injury under the policy modifications. "The school board act of adding 'gender identity, expression, and sexual orientation' to the local policy violates state law and harms children," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. "Allowing boys to use private facilities for girls violates the right to privacy and places girls at risk of sexual abuse. Virginia law also requires uniformity throughout the state to avoid a patchwork of conflicting laws at the local level. We look forward to victoriously presenting our case to the Supreme Court for the protection of children and in adherence to the law," said Staver. Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. It's Election season and our editor's mailbox is overflowing. Who do your neighbors support? Read about it here. Like Strunk and Whites The Elements of Style, 100 Classic Hikes in Washington sat on the desks of many Seattleites of a certain age. Following in the boot steps of Louise B. Marshalls seminal 100 Hikes in Western Washington guide from 1966, the popular 1998 Classic Hikes collection by the late Ira Spring and Harvey Manning became a generations introduction to the wilderness before Google became a verb. Now, the publishers of Seattle-based Mountaineers Books have assigned one of their senior writers, Craig Romano, to give this classic a reboot. In his recently published 100 Classic Hikes Washington (Mountaineers Books, $21.95), Romano replaced half of the previous Classic hikes with trails in parts of the state ignored in the 1998 guide, including Eastern and Central Washington, the Columbia Gorge and the islands. Although 100 Classic Hikes was assumed to be statewide, the early editions focused on the Cascades from Mount Rainier to the Canadian border, with a handful of Olympics and South Cascades hikes, Romano said. The Mount Vernon, Wash., resident wanted a book that covered the entire state in all of its glory from the ocean beaches and rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula to the arid, desertlike features of the southeastern corner to say nothing of the mountains, alpine lakes and evergreens in between. I wanted this to be 100 Classic Hikes in Washington. Below, in his own words, Romano describes 10 of his favorite hikes from the updated guide, listed in no particular order of preference. Turtlehead Turtleback Mountain, Orcas Island; round-trip loop 5.7 miles; 1,295-foot elevation gain; level of difficulty: moderate Stand atop Turtleback Mountains head for one shell of a view its one of the best in the San Juans. Stare out at a flotilla of islands extending to British Columbias Gulf Islands. En route, stop at the Waldron Overlook for a look at that reclusive islands impressive cliffs and British Columbias golden-faced Saturna Island behind it. Come in spring when brilliant wildflowers make this peak a painted turtle. High Divide Olympic National Park; round-trip loop 20.5 miles; 4,175-foot gain; strenuous This classic loop to one of the most famed places within the Olympic Mountains has it all: sparkling alpine lakes, resplendent alpine meadows, breathtaking views, abundant wildlife, primeval forest and inspiring waterfalls. Hike along a lofty ridge high above the Hoh Rainforest and within the shadows of glacier-cloaked Mount Olympus the highest and snowiest summit in the Olympics. Ira Spring first hiked here in 1929 at the age of 11. I first hiked it in 1989. It instantly became one of my favorite backcountry destinations. Gothic Basin Morning Star Natural Resources Conservation Area; round trip 9 miles; 2,900-foot gain; strenuous Rugged and spectacular, Gothic perhaps. This stark and mysterious basin harbors hidden tarns and disappearing waterways and is surrounded by spiraling peaks. A difficult hike on steep and rocky terrain, Gothic Basin with all its rich beauty cant keep hikers away; just as it couldnt keep miners away a century ago with its lure of riches. It was those hardy folk who built this path. Its been upgraded since somewhat. The splendor of the basin, however, cant be improved one bit. Past glaciers and the agents of erosion have left it pretty darn near perfect. Sourdough Mountain Lookout North Cascades National Park; round trip 11 miles; 5,100-foot gain; very strenuous One of the most challenging trails in the North Cascades, the arduous haul to the historic lookout atop Sourdough Mountain is worth every ounce of sweat youll expend. And youll expend plenty. A mile vertical climb within 5.5 miles of trail; can you say steep? But a priceless panorama of craggy, spiraling, glacier-cloaked, cloud-piercing, unbelievably breathtaking peaks is the payoff. And directly below, an added scenic dividend: Diablo Lakes sparkling, surrealistic turquoise-tinted waters. Lake Ingalls Alpine Lakes Wilderness; round trip 9.2 miles; 2,600-foot gain; strenuous Cradled in a high, barren basin beneath the rocky facade of Ingalls Peak, Lake Ingalls is a sight to behold. When its icy waters lay calm, capturing reflections of the sheer rock face of 9,415-foot Mount Stuart, one of the highest nonvolcanic peaks in the state the view is striking. When surrounding alpine larches set the basin aglow in gold, the scene is simply spellbinding. Loowit Trail Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument; round-trip loop 32 miles; more than 7,500-foot gain; very strenuous Hike around Americas most famous volcano, experiencing its many facets. Traverse primeval forest, old lava flows, new mud flows, pumice plains and flowered meadows. Difficult river, creek, gully and lava-bed crossings, as well as water and campsite scarcity and long stretches exposed to the elements make it a tough and challenging backpacking trip. But what a journey it is, across one of the most fascinating landscapes in the country. Spray Park-Ipsut Creek Loop Mount Rainier National Park; round-trip loop 16.2 miles; 4,375-foot gain; strenuous Ancient cathedral forests, silver strands of cascading water, the snout of a massive glacier, fields of dazzling wildflowers, parklands teeming with deer, bear and marmots, and stunning in-your-face views of the mountain reflected in pretty alpine pools; this loop captures the very essence of Mount Rainier National Park and what makes it so special. Silver Star Mountain Gifford Pinchot National Forest; round-trip loop 5 miles; 1,440-foot gain; strenuous The four-volcano view from Silver Star is stellar. So, too, is the view over the Columbia River to Portland. Starting from a lofty trailhead, saunter up slopes that were scorched clean of timber in Washingtons big burn of 1902 but are now shrouded with alpine meadows bursting with brilliant wildflowers. The shortest of the many routes to this old lookout site, this loop includes a pass through a rock arch. Crowell Ridge-Gypsy Peak Salmo-Priest Wilderness; round trip 14.4 miles for Crowell Ridge or 8 miles for Gypsy Peak; 3,900-foot gain and 3,350-foot gain, respectively; both strenuous Hikes start from the same point. On Crowell Ridge you can roam along one of the loneliest high-ridge trails across alpine meadows and subalpine forest, savoring views of the rugged Selkirk Mountains and deep Pend Oreille Valley. One of the last bastions in the state for grizzly bears, Crowell Ridge is one of Washingtons wildest places. At Gypsy Peak head off-trail over steep grassy knolls and talus slopes to the highest summits in Eastern Washington, admiring a rugged scene of stark cliffs and sparkling tarns in hidden basins. Mount Spokane Mount Spokane State Park; round trip 5.8 miles; 800-foot gain; moderate Rising above the Spokane Valley and Idahos Rathdrum Prairie, 5,883-foot Mount Spokane is a prominent local landmark. This well-rounded mountain of the Selkirk Range, with its thick forest and granite outcroppings, looks like it could be in the Appalachians. Rife with history and loved by area hikers, skiers, equestrians, trail runners and mountain bikers. More than 100 miles of trail traverse this 13,900-acre state park. The hike to the historic Vista House on the mountains summit is a classic. KapStone suffered from production losses and lower prices in the second quarter, reporting Thursday that its profit shrunk 40 percent compared to the same quarter last year. Overall, the company made about $21 million in the second quarter, down about $13 million from the second quarter of last year. Still, it was an improvement over the first quarter, when its profit was $16 million. The companys top executives were optimistic as the quarter ended, saying prices and demand have been stabilizing since June. The paper and packaging maker, which owns a mill in Longview, also acquired a profitable box plant in Central Florida with room for increased capacity. We realize that one month does not make a year, but the industry seems to be trending toward a healthy balance of good operating rates and healthy inventory. Frankly, Im more optimistic than Ive been in some time or actually anytime in the last eight years, KapStone CEO Roger Stone said in an earning call with investors Thursday. In spite of Stones rosy outlook, though, the companys second quarter did not meet Wall Street expectations. Adjusted earnings were 27 cents per share, down from 44 cents a share a year earlier. The average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 30 cents per share. Revenue in the second quarter was $784.9 million, which also did not meet Street forecasts, according to the Associated Press. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $823.8 million. The bright spot in the second quarter were seasonally strong sales from Victory Packaging, a Houston-based packaging firm KapStone acquired last year. The pushed up overall net sales by 17 percent. However, all other revenue streams in the second quarter were down, reflecting lower sales volume as we faced increased competition in select containerboard and corrugated product markets, the company said in a press release. Prices also slid by about $43 per a ton of product, to $624 per a ton. Company officials also said they lost between $1 million to $2 million after the Longview mill lost electricity for 36 hours sometime in the second quarter. They did not specify when this occurred, and neither local company officials nor Cowlitz PUD officials Thursday were able to elaborate or confirm the shutdown event. According to the KapStone earnings report, the power outage caused a loss of about 4,300 tons of paper production. A planned outage at North Carolina mill also dented total production. On the cost side, the company saved with lower energy and fiber prices. It also reduced its workforce by 142 employees, said Matt Kaplan, Chief Operating Officer at KapStone. The reductions will save $2 million every quarter. KapStone did not provide specifics about where the job reductions occurred. Since the start of the year, KapStone shares have fallen about 38 percent. On Thursday, shares hit $13.94, down about 40 percent in the last 12 months. Despite these results, Stone said sales are starting to pick up and inventories are low. Thats always a good sign in this business. Secondly, by our own demand theres just more activity and more opportunities and I suspect were not unique in that regard, he said. Editors note: Today we profile candidates for the position 2 House seat representing the 19th District: Challenger Butch Stavrum and incumbent Brian Blake. The third candidate, Jimi OHagan, did not respond to multiple requests for comment and did not answer a Daily News candidate questionnaire. The two finishers in Tuesdays primary square off in the November general election. The 19th District includes all of Pacific and Wahkiakum counties and parts of Cowlitz, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties. Butch Stavrum Keith Butch Stavrum says hes fed up with the government, so he decided to be a part of it. The Nahcotta Democrat is challenging Blake because Blake is the chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee. The committee controls legislation over pesticide and herbicide use, and Stavrum vehemently opposes their use by other oyster growers in Willapa Bay, where hes farmed oysters for many years. Stavrum, 59, once threatened to sell the Moby Dick Hotel (which he used to manage) to the Aryan Nation in protest of the pesticides. He said Tuesday that the threat was always hollow and intended only to get attention to his fight against pesticide use in the bay, which is considered one of the cleanest estuaries in the nation. We never were in talks with the Aryan Nation, he said. I think anyone who believes that story that Ms. Frizti Cohen would ever sell her land to Nazis is someone who doesnt have the intelligence that I really want to vote for me, to be honest. Stavrum supported a bill that would, if passed, have placed a transaction tax on oysters, steamer clams and geoducks. Blake opposed the bill, saying it would undermine the local shellfish industry. Stavrum said he would use that tax to help fund local school districts and increase the number of apprenticeship programs. He said more apprenticeship programs are the key to maintaining a workforce for the manufacturing industries in rural areas. Stavrum opposes the proposed coal export terminal in Longview because he said it will only create 50 permanent jobs (Millennium Bulk Terminals, the proponent, says the terminal would employ 130) and is bad for the environment. He supports the Kalama methanol plant, however, because he said its more environmentally benign. He criticized the environmental permitting process for not analyzing the impact it will have on small businesses in the area. Stavrum said both projects should be put to a public vote. I think it should go to the voters throughout the state who are on the rail line for the coal, not just this city, he said of the Millennium coal terminal. Stravrum accused Blake, who supports the coal terminal, of being bought out by big businesses. Blake has received numerous contributions by major corporations including Monsanto, Weyerhaeuser, Millennium and Eli Lilly. I dont take money from Monsanto and Eli Lilly like Blake, and I dont take it from bulk terminals, he said. You wonder if you take that who will they vote for when the vote really counts, the people or the money? Stavrum hasnt disclosed any contributions and said his campaign is self financed, estimating he has spent $2,500 so far. My vote isnt gonna be bought and paid for. Its gonna be what people want, he said. On the recent outburst in gun violence, Stavrum said he supports barring people on the no fly list from owning guns, but like Blake, he trusts that most gun owners are responsible people. He wants to see an increase in training for gun owners, including a required safety class for young adults and more opportunities for gun owners to shoot and train. Brian Blake Brian Blake began his political career as an advocate for access to public land. In the mid-1990s, Blake, a former logger and contract worker for Weyerhaeuser Co., joined other community members from opening up land managed by the Department of Natural Resources to the public. Legislation later passed that changed the lands designation in order to allow hunting, fishing, berry picking and bird watching by the public on the land. That was empowering to know that you could change the law, he said. Blake, 55, describes himself as a moderate Democrat whos good at finding middle ground in a two-party system. He was first appointed to the House in 2002. One of my greatest accomplishments is being a bridge, an example to help the various factions within the Legislature work together, he said, adding that hes done so with legislation concerning industrial hemp and off-road vehicle access to public roads. Blake, a gun rights advocate who received donations from the National Rifle Association this year, said recent gun violence in the United States has not changed his views on gun rights and access. I think we have to stay focused on reducing violence, and violence is going down, he said. You cant make good policy based on one incident. ... Focusing on restricting the 99 percent of folks that arent a problem is not a recipe for success. He doesnt, for example, believe people listed on the no fly list should be stripped of their ability to buy a gun until theyre convicted of being a terrorist. On the local economy, Blake said he supports both the Kalama methanol plant and Millennium coal terminal. Hes been frustrated at how long the permitting processes have taken, but he said he doesnt feel theres anything more he can do to speed up that process other than complain to the Department of Ecology, as hes already done. Blake said as a representative, the best thing he can do to support rural economies is to ensure that rail improvements in Kelso and the Industrial Way/SR 432 corridor move forward and to keep money flowing to Lower Community College to support its four-year university programs. I dont think our job is to recruit specific businesses but set the stage so that our highways and bridges and water sources and power sources are affordable, attractive, he said of legislators. To fully fund basic education, Blake said the final step should be levy reform and finishing a current study to determine just how much more money districts need to be fully funded. He doesnt support an income tax and has no plans to push for increasing other taxes. Rather than rural folks paying four times as much as urban folks in an education tax, I think they should be equalized, he said. Water sources at Three Rivers Christian School campuses tested well below the trigger level for lead, according to a press release from the school. According to the release, the school took samples this summer from each of its buildings after a weekend the pipes went unused. The samples were taken from sources most likely to be used for human consumption. They were sent to a Kelso lab in June. Results showed levels ranging from .0038 to 1.8 parts per billion, which is well below the action level of 15 parts per billion as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The school serves more than 500 students, ranging in age from 4 weeks old through high school. tech2 News Staff We've been hearing about Apple's ambitious plans to build an electric vehicle, but now what is known as its Project Titan could be shifting focus on self-driving cars, according to BloomBerg. However, this doesn't mean the company has no plans to build an electric car. The report adds that the company has hired Dan Dodge, former CEO of BackBerry-acquired QNX and ex-head of BlackBerry Ltd.s automotive software division. He will be directly reporting to Bob Mansfield, who leads Titan and directly reports to Tim Cook. "Mansfield answers directly to Cook, unlike his predecessor Steve Zadesky, who reported to hardware chief Dan Riccio, who in turn reported to Cook. Mansfields division comprises three pillars led by Apple veterans: a software team under John Wright; a sensors group headed by Benjamin Lyon; and a unit of hardware engineers led by D.J. Novotney," adds the report. The report further hints at how Apple could partner with or acquire a car maker than build a car by itself. The company has hundreds of engineers working on the design and the previous report suggested that the Titan car wont make it to roads until 2021. Apple is also reportedly opening a research and development center near QNXs headquarters in the Ottawa suburb. This will give it access to the town's pool of automotive software talent. "Any car Apple builds would likely be a proof of concept rather than an upstart Tesla competitor," points out TheNextWeb. Apple isn't new to building software around cars. We've earlier seen CarPlay and how it has helped make cars smarter. Also, the company will then be head on head with its arch-rival Google who has been working on its autonomous car. tech2 News Staff Now, we saw this coming, didn't we? After the dramatic Jabong acquisition, one of India's biggest e-commerce site is in the news yet again, but this time for lay offs. If reports are to be believed, Flipkart has asked its under-performing employees to either resign or opt for severance package. With this move, it is ready to layoff about 700 - 1000 employees, three people familiar with the matter told The Economic Times. While Flipkart is looking for a lean re-organisation, this move shouldn't come as a surprise considering the recent state of affairs in the startup segment. After enjoying a year of over-valuation, excessive flow of funds, investors have started to worry about returns. Flipkart has been in a grim mood ever since the company's app-only strategy backfired, and then took to some major re-organisation in the top-level management. The company also saw some prominent figures exit. The company's valuation had raised many eyebrows late last year as even established large-cap companies weren't valued at $16 billion. There has been some reality check these days and Morgan Stanley lowered the company's valuation to under $10 billion. What could hurt Flipkart more, is the mark down comes just when arch-rival Amazon India is gaining traction in India. Other investors like Fidelity Investments and T Rowe Price have also marked down the company, which is known to be the pioneer of Indian e-commerce industry. It isn't just Flipkart, the e-commerce space has been hurt as startups and investors were optimistic about a rapidly expanding middle class quickly latching onto online shopping from street markets, but it hasnt been the case. The strategy hasnt worked, and it has only led to doubt about the valuation of every other startup out there. There has been a pattern shift that already begun last year. To name a few, we've seen TinyOwl go down the path, Zomato lay offs and the Housing high-drama. Indian startups have raised $3.5 billion in funding in the first half of 2015. It added about 2,000 startups that have been backed by venture capital/angel investors since 2010, of which 1,005 were created in 2015 alone. This is now changing, as VCs look for profitability and companies that adhere to the newly coined term Cockroach startups. hidden Italy's data privacy regulator said on Friday Alphabet Inc's Google had met its requests to change the way it treats and stores user data to bring practices into line with Italian rules. Two years ago, the watchdog told Google its disclosure to users on how their data was being treated was inadequate, giving it 18 months to comply fully and indicating a series of measures that needed to be carried out. The move was one of several privacy challenges against the US Internet giant in the European Union, highlighting the bloc's desire to ensure its citizens' data is treated according to EU law, even when held in foreign jurisdictions. In a note, the watchdog said it was pleased with the agreement but added the monitoring of Google would continue. "We will continue with checks, in tandem also with other European regulators, so that users' data are increasingly protected and their rights recognised by web giants," watchdog president Antonello Soro said. Under the changes agreed, Google will have to make clear to users how their data is used and will not be allowed to use data to profile users without their prior consent. Users will be able to withhold or grant partial consent. Google will also need to improve how it stores data and guarantee its deletion within a specified timeframe. "We're pleased that the Garante (watchdog) has acknowledged the steps we have taken to ensure compliance with Italian law and improve user control," a Google spokesperson said. Reuters hidden By Muqbil Ahmar In spite of the impasse over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, there is solid possibility that it may soon become law. Currently, it is stuck in the Rajya Sabha. For the first time, the comprehensive tax law will bring reforms marking a paradigm shift in the taxation system. It will affect businesses of all sizes, including startups. India is witnessing a boom in startups, particularly those in the IT industry. According to a recent NASSCOM report the number of Indian start-ups is the fourth highest globally, at more than 3,100 start-ups. It also predicts that the number could increase to 11,500 by 2020. Of all these startups, more than 85% fail because of lack of funds and other reasons. In such a scenario, a new tax regime could a tricky proposition. Changes sought by the GST The tax law would be wide-ranging in its effect on the manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services throughout India. It would replace various different taxes that the Centre and State governments charge separately. It would be collected at each stage on basis of the input tax credit method, in which taxes paid in other states can be claimed. This would allow registered enterprises to claim tax credit in proportion to the value of GST that they paid on the purchase of goods and services in other states as a part of their day-to-day commercial activity. Goods/services are not discriminated from each other and are taxed at a flat single rate in a supply chain till they reach the consumer. Gains for startups and enterprises First the good part. A number of experts think the GST would eliminate cascading or double taxation and enable a shared national market, leading to improved collections. They are also of the view that the tax would help businesses save on taxes overall and remove the complexity of taxes that enterprises have to encounter due to the various taxes levied at different stages. They also feel that the GST would prevent or at least de-incentivize the temptation for tax evasion. For instance, if I purchase a product in some other state, the duties that I pay there consist of taxes which eventually get added to costs since I cannot claim it in my home state. This leads to some enterprises getting tempted to evade the system and purchase goods without documentation. But if I am a GST-registered enterprise then I can claim tax credit proportionate to the GST that I paid while buying goods and services as a part of my regular commercial activity, said Saurabh Gupta, an entrepreneur from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. What is happening under the present regime is that big corporate houses stock transfer goods to other states as they have the logistics and the infrastructure to do that. Consequently, they escape paying tax on inter-state movement. However, startups and small enterprises are unable to do that as they dont have the infrastructure. Therefore, they acquire goods through inter-state sales (in place of stock transfers) and end up paying Central sales tax. In this regard, the GST brings startups and small enterprises at par with big corporate houses by taxing stock transfers too. After the GST is implemented, most Central and State taxes will get subsumed, reducing the multiplicity of taxes and reducing the cost of ensuring compliance. Overtime Central sales tax would also be phased out, said a senior tax official not wanting to be named, adding: The differential tax regime between the Centre and states and the frequent turf wars between them results in inefficiencies, including slow transit times, unnecessary red tape and disturbance in the business climate. According to a recent study done by Deskera, a cloud-based business software provider in the Asia-Pacific region, the new tax law would improve competitiveness and efficiency of startups and enterprises while mitigating the cascading effect of the existing tax regime. It could also reduce the overall compliance cost incurred by the government along with de-incentivizing the prevalence and scope of black economy. This could ensure the overall growth of the economy. Disadvantages of the proposed GST There is a sizable number of startups that do not think the tax is good news; they say that the principle of equal treatment for startups and big corporate houses removes the safety net that they used to enjoy earlier. GST proposes to reduce tax exemption threshold for business units. Under the present excise laws, a manufacturer having turnover less than Rs 1.50 crore is not required to pay any duty. On the other hand, GST recommends significant lowering of the limit, which according to some reports could be as low as Rs 25 lakh. Subsequently, a number of startups would come under the tax net. I didnt come within the tax ambit earlier, but with this policy, I would have to bear the added financial burden. My business may not continue to be as profitable as before. In the worst case, I may have to think of other options, remarked Dennis Jesudasan, an entrepreneur from Kerala. Besides those affected by the principle of parity, there are several others sitting on the fence, preferring to wait and watch for the time being. Putting the negatives and positives together If we look at the overall picture, the GST may be truly path-breaking in streamlining taxes in India, removing arbitrary exemptions, and making businesses more tax-compliant. However, it can also potentially present an extra financial burden for unstable startups. There would be a price to be paid. Apart from training employees, processing invoices as per the new model and meeting compliance regulations, companies will have to modify their existing accounting software that is used to generate invoices and payroll. In Conclusion The GST is a radical shift. It will affect every member of the society and the business world. The smallest change in the tax chain leads to a domino effect, affecting the entire structure from the top to the bottom. Businesses, particularly startups, need to brace for the changing regime. They must know which taxes to pay, how the tariffs apply, the quantum of the taxes and the procedures for calculation. But it is easier said than done. Looking at the radical nature of the reform, its best that the GST is tried out in a phased manner. The author is Technology Evangelist, Deskera (Run Your Business Blog). Matt Damon recently went back to the well for another Jason Bourne movie and while it might still be successful, its starting to feel a little predictable. You know whats not predictable? The plot for Damons upcoming movie The Great Wall. The film, a Hollywood and Chinese film studio co-production, features Damon (somehow) as one of the warriors defending the Great Wall of China from invading dragons during the Northern Song Dynasty (roughly 900-1,000 years ago). Has your head exploded yet? Well heres the first trailer cause that should seal the deal. So many questions. How is Matt Damon there? Hes not supposed to be Chinese, is he? Why is Oberyn Martell there too? What does Matt Damon mean about being born into battle? Did Matt Damon just freejump off the Great Wall into mist? Can he fly? Where did everyone get that kick-ass armor from and why dont we still do that? Heres the good news. The film is directed by Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), an absolute master of visual storytelling and gorgeous cinematography. You already get hints of it but you better believe that, if nothing else, this movie is going to look beautiful. The film also comes with a good studio pedigree as its a co-production involving Legendary Pictures (The Dark Knight Trilogy) and Le Vision Pictures, Chinas sixth-biggest distributor. While crossover between Hollywood and Asian film talent has been growing in recent years, this might be the first blockbuster based in China starring a certified Hollywood star that could have crossover appeal in America. And if thats the case, who knows what doors that opens. Screenwriters, start thinking about how you can re-appropriate the origins of other man-made marvels. The Great Pyramids are actually laser bunkers for an eventual alien battle. The Colossus of Rhodes was built to come to life and fight giants. Stonehenge is a portal critical to the battle between good and evil. Skys the limit! [The Verge] 2 `criminals killed in Pabna, Jessore gunfights Two alleged criminals were killed in separate incidents of gunfight with police and members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in Pabna and Jessore districts early Friday. In Pabna, Jahurul Islam alias Hatakata Jahurul, 32, ringleader of infamous robber gang Jahurul Bahini, was killed in a gunfight between his cohorts and members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) at Bakterpur village in Ishwardi upazila early Friday. Tipped off, a team of Rab-12 launched a drive in the area under Salimpur union around 3 am, said Akramul Hossain, additional superintendent of Rab-12 while briefing at its office. Sensing the presence of the elite force, the robbers opened fire to Rab members, prompting them to retaliate, triggering a gunfight. Jahurul, son of Barat Ali Mandal of Ullapara upazila in Sirajganj, was caught in the line of fire and sustained bullet injuries while the others managed to flee the scene. Later the elite force after rescuing him took him to Pabna Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Rab also recovered four firearms and three sharp weapons from the spot. Police had arrested Jahurul in 2012. After being released from jail in 2015 Jahurul got involved in various criminal activities including murder and robbery. in Sirajganj and Pabna, said Akramul Hossain. Besides, he was wanted in several criminals cases filed with Sirajganj, Pabna and Ishwardi Police Stations. UNB Benapole correspondent reports that a gunfight took place between two groups of criminals at a date orchard in Taraf Nauapara of Jessore district town early Friday, said Ilias Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station. On information, a team of police went to the spot around 1am and fired ten rounds of bullet to disperse the criminals. Later, police captured drug peddler, Abu Taleb, bullet-injured around 2am. He was rushed to Jessore Medical College Hospital but doctors there said he was brought dead. Police also recovered one pipe gun and two rounds of bullets from the scene, said Sub-inspector of Kotwali Police Station Rakibuzzaman. Taleb who had long been involved in drug peddling in the area was wanted in several cases, said police. -- Dhaka, July 29 (UNB) China, Russia plan joint military drills in South China Sea Photo shows Russian military ships and a submarine are moored at the Neva River during celebrating Navy Day in St.Petersburg, Russia. AP, Beijing : China's military said Thursday it will hold joint exercises with Russian forces in the South China Sea, following a recent arbitration ruling that rejected Beijing's claim to almost the entire strategic body of water. The air and sea drills will be held sometime in September and were aimed at deepening relations between the two militaries and boosting their capacity to respond to maritime threats, ministry spokesman Col. Yang Yujun said at a monthly news briefing. Yang said the exercises weren't targeted at any third parties. He didn't disclose the specific location, and some areas of the South China Sea are not disputed. Chinese ships have challenged vessels from the U.S., the Philippines and other nations in disputed waters, and China considers the tribunal's ruling earlier this month to be invalid. Russia and China have held numerous joint drills in recent years, united in a desire to stem American power in the Asia-Pacific region, despite their own lingering mistrust over territory and influence in Central Asia. Russia has also spoken in support of China's rejection of the move by the Philippines to bring the South China Sea case before the international arbitration body in the Hague, the Netherlands, and argued that countries without a direct claim to territory should stay impartial, in a reference to the U.S., which has called on China to accept the ruling as binding. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby urged China to be transparent about its military capabilities and intentions. He said military exercises by China and Russia should comply with international law. "There's no need for it to raise tensions. Exercises and operations are meant to hone capabilities," Kirby told reporters in Washington. "It really depends on the way it is conducted. Our expectation is that these exercises and operations, like ours, will be conducted in accordance with international obligations and the law." In the wake of the tribunal ruling, China held live-firing exercises and said it would launch regular air patrols over the South China Sea while continuing with the construction of man-made islands equipped with harbors, airstrips and other infrastructure with military uses. It has also launched a diplomatic campaign to denigrate the ruling that has so far persuaded other Southeast Asian countries that have similar disputes with it to back away. China kept any mention of the judgment from appearing in a joint communique from issued at the conclusion Tuesday of a meeting between it and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Six governments in all claim territory in the South China Sea. China says all disputes should be settled bilaterally through negotiations. NILPHAMARI: Prof Mujibur Rahman, Vice - Chairman of Dimla Upazila distributing dry food of RDRS among the flood victims families at programme arranged at Tepakharibari Union Parishad Premises on Wednesday. Mortgaged property sold legally under Court Decree and possession handed-over is valid High Court Division : (Special Original Jurisdiction) Md Miftah Uddin Chowdhury J Md Mozibur Rahman Miah J Moniruzzaman (Md) ... ........Petitioner vs Bangladesh and others ........... Respondents Judgment November 23rd, 2015 Artha Rin Adalat Ain (VIII of 2003) Section 12 Since the mortgaged property has already been sold having no issue of illegality or irregularity ever raised and the auction purchaser has already taken possession thereof vide registered sale deed executed by the bank as a legal attorney of the mortgagor, so there is no scope to interfere with that very sale because no violation of the provision of section 12 of the Ain, has ever been made .. .... (31) Abdul Momen Bhuiyan vs District Judge, Dhaka passed in Civil Petition for Leave to Appeal No. 2228 of 2011 ref. AKM Nurul Alam, Advocate--For the Petitioner. Khondaker Iqbal Ahmed, Advocate--For the Respondent No.4. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Advocate-For the Respondent No.--5 SM Maniruzzaman, DAG with Mosammat Khairun Nessa, AAG and Suchira Hossain, AAG--For the State. Judgment Md Mozibur Rahman Miah J: On an application under Article 102 of the constitution, the petitioner called in question the propriety of the auction sale dated 12-1-2015 pursuant to auction notice that was held under section 12 of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain, 2003 so published by the respondent No.4 in the 'Daily Rupashi Bangla' dated 20-12-2014. The petitioner also sought direction upon the respondent Nos. 3 and 4 to receive the outstanding dues of Taka 57,45,452 along with 5% of the sale proceed amounting to Taka 4,10,000 for respondent No. 5 on the heels of the auction sale dated 12-1-2015 so made to the respondent No.5 by registered kabala being Nos. 457 dated 21-1-2015. 2. At the time of issuance of Rule an order of injunction was also granted restraining the respondents from dispossessing and disturbing the peaceful possession of the petitioner in respect of the schedule land which has been sold in auction under section 12 of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain, 2003. 3. Relevant facts as has been figured in the Writ Petition in short are: That the petitioner is the owner of 'Mis Prity Dairy Farm' and availed of term loan facility amounting to Taka 40,00,000 on 12-9-2012 from the respondent No. 4 for running his live stock business by mortgaging his property as a security to repayment of the said loan. He though repaid certain amount to the creditor-Bank, so stipulated in the sanction letter but ultimately he failed to repay the dues as per repayment schedule consequent which, the respondent No. 4 Bank issued a legal notice asking the petitioner to adjust the outstanding dues. But as the petitioner failed to comply with the demand so made by the respondent bank, it then proceeded with by publishing auction notice in pursuant to section 12 of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain, 2003 (have in after referred to as "the Ain") on 12-2-2014 fixing the date of auction sale on 5-3-2014. But as no bidder came forward to purchase the property the very auction sale was not materialized. 4. Thereafter the respondent bank for the second time on 17-5-2014 published auction notice under Section 12 of the Ain for realization of outstanding dues to the tune of Taka 57,45,452 (fifty seven lac forty five thousand four hundred fifty two) fixing the auction on 11-6-2014. 5. Challenging the very auction notice the petitioner then moved this Court by filing a Writ Petition being Writ Petition No. 5201 of 2014 and in that very Writ Petition, this Court, Comprising Madam Justice Farah Mahabub and Mr Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Hoque Akondo issued Rule and stayed the operation of auction notice directing the petitioner to repay the claim amount by eight equal installments with a default order-that, in case of failure in repaying single installment, the Rule will have to be discharged and eventually, Rule of that Writ Petition was discharged on 18-11-2014 for non-compliance of that order. 6. The learned Judges of that bench also asked the respondent-bank to proceed with the matter by selling the mortgaged property through auction for realization of the outstanding dues. 7. In view of the said observation so made by that Bench, the respondent-bank then published an auction notice for the 3rd time on 20-12-2014 fixing the date for auction sale on 12-1-2015 for realization of the dues at Taka 57,45,452 (fifty seven lac forty five thousand four hundred fifty two) as on 30-9-2014. By virtue of that very auction notice, 3 (three) bidders participated in the auction to purchase the said mortgaged property and out of those 3 bidders the price quoted by the respondent No. 5 was found to be highest, amounting to Taka 82,00,000 (eighty two lac). The bank then accepted the said highest bid at Taka 82,00,000 (eighty two lac) and accordingly, vide kabala dated 21-1-2015 registered the mortgaged property in favour of the respondent No.5, auction purchaser. 8. On the following date i.e. on 22-1-2015 the respondent bank handed over the possession of the mortgaged property to respondent No.5 it is then, the petitioner filed this Writ Petition challenging the very auction sale and obtained the instant Rule as well as order of injunction. 9. Mr AKM Nurul Alam, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner upon taking us to the Writ Petition and other materials on record submits that, the respondent No. 4,-bank without complying with the mandatory provision so enunciated in Section 33(1), (2) and (3) of the Ain, sold out the mortgage property through auction and thus the said auction cannot be sustained. 10. He next submits that, under the provision of Order XXI, rule 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure if any property in sold in auction in that case, the Judgement-Debtor is entitled to have the said property upon depositing 5% of the purchased value and as the petitioner was ready to pay the claim amount shown in the auction notice accompanied by 5% of the quoted price so offered by the auction purchaser, the impugned auction sale is liable to be set-aside and he is entitled to get the land back. 11. The learned counsel for the petitioner goes on to submit that, possession of the mortgage property has not yet been handed over to the auction purchaser rather, he is still in possession over the mortgaged property, so if this Hon'ble Court is pleased to direct the respondent No. 5, auction purchaser to receive 5% above the quoted price, he would not be prejudiced. 12. Mr Nurul Alam also submits that, the price quoted by the respondent No.5 for the mortgaged property is exorbitantly low in terms of the prevailing market value which presently stands at Taka 2 (two) crores but the bank is going to sell the said property at a very low price in favour of the auction purchaser which smacks malafide intention. 13. In countenance of such submission Mr Alam then cited an un-reported Judgement passed by our Apex Court on the case of Abdul Momen Bhuiyan vs District Judge, Dhaka passed in Civil Petition for leave to Appeal No. 2228 of 2011. In asserting that decision, the learned counsel tried to stress upon that, in that decision their Lordships' allowed the Judgement-Debtors to give compensation to the auction purchaser for an amount of Taka 12,00,000 (twelve lac) over the decreetal dues. Since the petitioner clearly stands in the same footing, so he may also be given same opportunity by directing the Artha Rin Adalat-2 to receive 5% above of the quoted price made in the auction notice. 14. With such submissions, the learned counsel prays for making the Rule absolute. 15. Conversely, Mr Khondaker Iqbal Ahmed, the learned counsel appearing for the respondent No.4 by filing an affidavit-in-opposition controverter the materials statements so made in the Writ Petition contending, inter alia, that, in-compliance of the mandatory provision of section 12 (3) of Artha Rin Adalat Ain, the Creditor-Bank published the notice and 3 bidders participated in the auction bid and out of those bidders, the bank found respondent No.5 as the highest bidder and thereby accepted his bid having no illegality therein. 16. Mr Ahamed next submits that since the mortgage property has already been sold out to the respondent No.5 in fullest-compliance of the provision of Section 12 of the Ain-2003 so the Writ Petition itself is not maintainable. 17. Learned counsel further submits that by virtue of the very sale deed registered 'in favour of the respondent No. 5 on 21-1-2015, the possession of the property has already been handed over to the respondent No.5 on 22-1-2015 having no scope to re-deem the said property in favour of the petitioner. 18. Mr Ahmed, further submits that, the learned counsel for the petitioner has consciously suppressed some material facts while filing this writ petition and obtained the Rule and order of injunction. In support of his such contention, the learned counsel avers that, the delivery of possession of the mortgaged property has been handed over to the auction purchaser on 21-1-2015 but that very fact has never mentioned in the entire writ petition and by suppressing that vital facts the petitioner obtained an order of injunction from this Court on 17-2-2015 even though, long before that very order, the property went to the auction purchaser. 19. To buttress all those assertion, the learned counsel cited two decisions in that regard reported in 18 BLT (AD) 507 as well 20 BLT (AD) 64. 20. On going though the decisions so reported in 18 BLT (AD) 507 we find that, their Lordships in the very Judgement held that-- "if a mortgaged property is sold by virtue of section 12 of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain, the mortgagor cannot raise any objection regarding the very irregularity or illegality of auction sale as section 12(8) of the Ain, has given remedy to the mortgagor in that score". 21. So, it has been settled in that decision that, if there happens any illegality in selling the mortgaged property of the borrower in that case, the borrower is at liberty to file separate suit for his redressal. 22. By citing the decision reported in 20 BLT (AD) 64 the learned counsel further contends that, in that decision it has already been settled that since the mortgagor by furnishing power of attorney to the mortgagee authorizing to sale the mortgaged property, in such a case, the bank has rightly sold out the mortgaged property without any intervention of any court. 23. Learned counsel lastly cited a decision reported in 20 BLT (AD) 84 where their lordships have taken similar view as of the decision reported in 18 BLT (AD) 507 holding that-- "Once an auction sale is complete no relief is available against such auction sale but the mortgage may proceed against the mortgagor bank for any compensation, if it is proved that, there was illegality in the auction sale." 24. On relying upon those decisions claiming to have commensurate with his assertion, the learned counsel for the respondent No. 4 eventually pressed for discharging the Rule. 25. On the other hand, Mr Mohiuddin Ahmed, the learned counsel appearing for the respondent No. 5 by filing an affidavit-in-opposition contested the Rule. On going through his affidavit-in opposition we find that, he echoed the assertion so made by the learned counsel for the respondent No. 4. Since the learned counsel in his affidavit-in-opposition adopted the submission so made by the learned counsel for the respondent No. 4 we ourselves thus refrain from repeating those submission here. 26. However, we have heard the learned counsels of the contending patties, perused the Writ Petitions, affidavit-in-opposition, decisions so cited by the parties and other materials available on record. There is no gainsaying the fact that, the respondent bank earlier on two occasions published auction notice for selling the mortgaged propel1y. Out of those two auction notices, the petitioner challenged the very propriety of auction notice dated 17-5-2014 before this Court and upon considering the submission so advanced by the learned counsel for the petitioner this Court rendered the petitioner opportunity to adjust the outstanding dues by 8 equal installments. But it is petitioner, for whose failure this Court eventually discharged the Rule on 18-11-2014 allowing the respondent No. 4 bank to proceed with the auction of the schedule property under section 12 of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain in the following terms: - "In view of the same we are of the view that this Rule stood discharged on 1-7-2014. In view of the above backdrop, the respondent-bank is at liberty to proceed with the process of auction, of the schedule property of the petitioner in accordance with law." 27. Having complied with the said observation made by this Court the respondent bank-4 then published the impugned auction notice under section 12 of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain and by virtue of that very auction notice the property mortgaged with the bank has been sold in auction. 28. Now let us look in to the core submission of the petitioner who asserts that, in view of the provision provided in Order 21, rule 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure, petitioner should be given a chance to re-pay the decreetal dues along, with 5% of the quoted price the auction purchaser offered but under the provision of Artha Rin Adalat Ain, 2003 particularly under section 12 there is no such provision to be followed by the respondent-bank. Because there is a non obstante clause in section 3 of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain, 2003 where the provision of the Ain, has been given precedence over any other existing laws. 29. Moreover, in the instant case the respondent-bank has resorted to realize the outstanding dues before filing of the suit under section 12 of the Ain, but the provision as raised by the petitioner appears to have applied during the auction proceedings by putting a decree passed by an ordinary Civil Court in to execution so, the submission so made by the learned counsel for the petitioner simply falls through. 30. Then again, the petitioner also raised a dispute by questioning that the quoted price offered so by the auction purchaser is shockingly low but the point is squarely a disputed question of fact as on going through the valuation statement so filed by the respondent No.4 we further find that, after investigation on the valuation of the 'mortgage property' the Creditor-Bank furnished a certificate finding the price of the mortgage property at Taka 96,50,000 and the instant value of the property at Taka 82,00,000 so the point raised by the learned counsel for the petitioner appears to be unsustainable on the face of the record. 31. Over and above, since the mortgaged property has already been sold having no issue of illegality or irregularity ever raised and the auction purchaser has already taken possession thereof vide registered sale deed executed by the respondent-bank as a legal attorney of the mortgagor, so there is no scope to interfere with that very sale because no violation of the provision of section 12 of the Ain, has ever been made. 32. Though the learned Advocate for the petitioner has cited an un-reported decision of our Apex Court, as mentioned hereinabove, but on going through the Judgement meticulously, we find the facts and the points involved in that cited decision is quite distinguishable with the facts and circumstances available in the instant case and accordingly that very Judgement being inapplicable in the present case. On the contrary, the decisions cited by the respondent No.4 are found to be applicable in Support of his assertion. 33. Given the above discussion and observation, we do not find any merit in the Rule. 34. In the result, the Rule is discharged however, without any order as to costs. 35. The order of injunction granted at the time of issuance of the Rule is hereby recalled and vacated. Let a copy of this Judgement and order be transmitted to the Managing Director of respondent No.3, Sonali Bank limited. Kriti Sanon had a working birthday Young actress Kriti Sanon who made her big debut in Sajid Nadiadwalas Heropanti celebrated her birthday on July 27. The actress who hails from Delhi has been living on her own in Mumbai for the last two years. While the actress usually spends her birthday with family and close childhood friends from Delhi, this year the actress was working. Kriti Sanon has been shooting for her upcoming film, Raabta. The actress recently completely a long schedule for it in Budapest. 2 alleged criminals killed in gunfight UNB, Dhaka :Two alleged criminals were killed in separate incidents of 'gunfight' with police and members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Pabna and Jessore districts early Friday.In Pabna, Jahurul Islam alias Hatakata Jahurul, 32, ringleader of infamous robber gang 'Jahurul Bahini', was killed in a gunfight between his cohorts and members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Bakterpur village in Ishwardi upazila early Friday. Tipped off, a teamof Rab-12 launched a drive in the area under Salimpur union around 3 am, said Akramul Hossain, additional superintendent of Rab-12 while briefing at its office.Sensing the presence of the elite force, the robbers opened fire to Rab members, prompting them to retaliate, triggering a gunfight. Jahurul, son of Barat Ali Mandal of Ullapara upazila in Sirajganj, was caught in the line of fire and sustained bullet injuries while the others managed to flee the scene.Later the elite force after rescuing him took him to Pabna Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead.RAB also recovered four firearms and three sharp weapons from the spot.Police had arrested Jahurul in 2012. After being released from jail in 2015 Jahurul got involved in various criminal activities including murder and robbery. in Sirajganj and Pabna, said Akramul Hossain.Besides, he was wanted in several criminals cases filed with Sirajganj, Pabna and Ishwardi Police Stations.UNB Benapole correspondent reports that a gunfight took place between two groups of criminals at a date orchard in Taraf Noapara of Jessore district town early Friday, said Ilias Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station. On information, a team of police went to the spot at around 1am and fired ten rounds of bullet to disperse the criminals. Later, police captured drug peddler, Abu Taleb, bullet-injured at around 2am.He was rushed to Jessore Medical College Hospital but doctors there said he was brought dead.Police also recovered one pipe gun and two rounds of bullets from the scene, said Sub-Inspector of Kotwali Police Station Rakibuzzaman. Taleb who had long been involved in drug peddling in the area was wanted in several cases, said police. Flood situation aggravating Over 1.5m people affected: Cries for food, drinking water, shelter M Faruque Hossain :More than 1.5 million people have been affected in the ongoing deluge across the country; dwelling houses, schools, bazars, government offices and standing crops devoured, with major rivers and their tributaries' water-level rising further. Flood situation in Rajbari, Manikganj, Munshiganj and Shariatpur districts may deteriorate further in the next 48 hours. The Buriganga, the Balu and the Sitalakkhya rivers surrounding the Dhaka city may get higher in next 48 hours, said the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC). The FFWC sources said, the Brahmaputra river remained unchanged. The Jamuna and the Ganges and the Padma basins showed no sign of improvement, but the Surma and Khushiyara rivers registered fall. The Brahmaputra-the Jamuna likely to start falling in next 24 hours, which may continue upto next 72 hours. The Ganges-the Padma river systems likely to continue rising in next 48 hours. The Surma-the Kushiyara Rivers are likely to fall in next 24 hours. Flood situation in the Dharla River in Kurigram and the Surma in Sunamganj districts will improve in next 24 hours. According to the district administration office sources, around 1,12,700 people are being affected in Bogra, 1,50,000 people have lost their houses in 13 unions of Shahjadpur upazila, 10,000 families of 15 villages in Kayempur became homeless, 25,000 people from 16 villages in Garadah union have been marooned. On the other hand, 50,000 people from Potazia and Norina union were suffering miserably for want of food and safety. In Sirajganj, 27,995 people of 6145 families from 215 villages in 35 unions in Kazipur, Belkuchi, Sadar and Chouhali upazilas took shelter in 195 flood protection shelter centers. Around 86.45 kilometer dam and roads were damaged, 38 educational institutions shut down. In Fulchhari 70,000 people have been suffering from drinking water and scarcity of foods for the last seven days. In Fulchhari sadar, around 2,00.000 people from 40 villages are passing days anxiously as the dam could break anytime and flood the area. Meanwhile, the flood situation in the Kurigram district aggravated further in last 24 hours. There are cries for food, drinking water, medicines and shelters, because the supplies are scanty. In the district, about five lakh people had been marooned. The flood situation in Roumari upazila is quite miserable.The Brahmaputra has been flowing 96 cm above the danger lever at Chilmari point. New areas in the Bragmaputra basin were flooded. Sources said, 50,000 people from Fakirhat, Nayabas, Kodaldhoya, Kanchkol, Uttar and Dakkhin Wari, Sutarmari, Mozarhat, Majhipara, Koyerpar, Saraktari, Madonmahon, Jokritari, Moynerkhamar and Panchgram in Raniganj union, Dartiarchar, Mudfatkalipur, Khoddobuspatar, Majhbari, Dighalkandi, Jugni, Kharuvaj, Goyalerchar, Hasenerchar and Noterkandi of Ostomirchar, Korai Barisal, Telipara, Charshakahati, Montola, Bisherpara and Boilmondiarkhata in Chilmari union, Kheruarchar, Bojra Diyarkhata, Uttar and Dakkhin Khauriarchar, Naiyarchar and 200 Bigharchar in Nayarhat union, Tonegram, Sonaripara, Hindupara, Majhipara, Uttarmona, Bangmara, Mudafatthana (Harinerband), Namachar, Satgharipara, Kheunipara and Patrokhata in Ramna union, Rajarvita, Maildanga, Kajaldanga, Hatithana, Majstal, Putimari kajaldanga, Chararpara and Namchar in Thanahat union have been facing miserable life for scarcity of drinking water, foods and straw for the domestic animals. In Lalmonirhat, the Teesta and Dharla are flowing 12 cm above the danger level in Teesta Barrage point. Around 1,00,000 people from 63 char area of Teesta-Dharla basin have been suffering from drinking water. The cooking burners also went under flood water. The local union Parishad chairman office sources said, 30,000 families in Votemari, Dauyamari, Sinduna, Kakina, Palashi, Mahishkhocha, Rajpur, Khuniagachh and Gokunda unions have been marooned. The affected people have been taken shelter on high land and on the embankments. In Gaibandha, about 2,00,000 people from 20 villages have been affected as the Bharotkhali and Sonail dam broke. The Tahsil office, Kamarjani haat and Varotkhali haat have been submerged due to the flood water. The business establishments have been shut down. The roads of Gaibandha-Fulchhari-Saghat in 20 points have been submerged causing disrupting of vehicle movement. DBCCI chief's death Personal security top concern for business community Kazi Zahidul Hasan : Panic and fear have gripped business community after a prominent trade body leader had gone missing and later found dead in Keraniganj. Police found the decomposed body of Hassan Khaled, President of Dutch-Bangla Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DBCCI) was floating on Buriganga river on Tuesday noon, four days after he had gone missing from Dhanmondi in the capital. Many believed that Khaled was abducted and later killed by unidentified assailants. Unnerved by the crime, many of the business leaders are trying to tighten their personal security by installing crime prevention devices in their residences and offices with deployment of additional security personnel. "We are living in fear following the alleged abduction and killing of Hassan Khaled," Aftab-ul-Islam, a former President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Bangladesh, told The New Nation on Friday. He added: "It added a new 'dimension' in the country's crime landscape as the way in which the crime was committed has spelt anxiety to many, particularly the business community". Aftab-ul-Islam further said that this is a tragic illustration of the genuine safety fears that those in our community live with every day. "It is very disturbing. Business community does not expect such a shocking incident," Abdus Salam Murshedy, President of the Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) told The New Nation on Friday. He said the incident is very frightening. How can a person be disappeared in a broad daylight? It is worrying that businessmen have been targets of criminals. "Such incidents are taking place but the police have successfully detected many cases too. We hope, this time also, police would take strong steps to ensure justice," said Murshedy. When asked, he said, "Yes, fear gripped us and we are very much concern over our personal security. We are trying to tighten our personal security by installing security devices at our offices and homes along with deployment of additional security personnel". "But this is not enough. The state has to ensure safety and security to all," he added. Expressing concern over the incident, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abdul Matlub Ahmed told The New Nation yesterday that it has sent a worrying signal to the business community. "We are shocked by the incident. I urge all businessmen and business leaders to remain safe and stay alert to avoid any unpleasant incident," he added. When asked, Matlub Ahmed said that he has already conveyed the concern of the business community to the government high-ups and they have assured us to look into the matter seriously. "I am worried what is happening here. I am scared that this could happen to anyone," President of Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA) Abdul Hamid Sharif told The New Nation. He said, "Businessmen are not only worried about themselves but also for their families because of growing crimes against them". 6500 prisoners shifted to Keraniganj Central Jail Traffic halted on Hanif Flyover for 12 hrs Staff Reporter : A total of 6500 prisoners out of 8,500 were shifted to the newly constructed Central Jail in Keraniganj from the century-old Dhaka Jail amid tight security on Friday. The remaining 2000 prisoners will be shifted today (Saturday). The jail authorities received the prisoners at the gate of new Central Jail in Keraniganj with rose tube. Earlier, some prisoners including female, teenager, war criminals and dangerous criminals were shifted in other jails of the country to avert any risk. The shifting process started around 6.00am on Friday and ended before 7pm, an official of the jail authority said. Earlier in the morning Inspector General (IG) of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Iftekhar Hossain himself along with other high ups of different law enforcing and intelligence agencies monitored the whole shifting process. Carrying 37 prisoners each of eight vans ferried them to the new Central Jail amid complete security blanket since 6 am to 6pm. As the vans plied over the Mayor Hanif Flyover to ferry prisoners, the public transports were barred to use it causing traffic congestion in the area. The eight vans engaged in carrying prisoners ferried around 300 prisons at a time, jail sources said. Apart from the security forces of Dhaka Central Jail and detectives, 24 platoon of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police; 2000 from DMP and 600 from Dhaka district and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) were deployed surrounding the jail areas and in different strategic points on roads leading to the new central jail from old one to run shifting process smoothly. Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Sheikh Maruf Hasan, AIG prison Md Sazzad Hossain, Deputy Jailor Arif Hossain, Senior Jail Super Mohammad Jahangir, DIG Prison AKM Fazlul Karim, Additional Police Super of Dhaka District Golam Azad and other high officials were present while entering the prisoners in the new central jail. "Based on intelligence report the whole process of shifting prisoners has been held amid tight security measures," Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Sheikh Maruf Hasan told newsmen about all-out security measures in this connection. Keraniganj Central Jail has a well-equipped hospital as well as facilities for workshop, laundry and spinning mill. It can hold at least 100 teenage inmates and 30 patients with mental illnesses. There is a visitor room, separate rooms for jail officials and their families, officers club, staff club, school, mosque and conference room in front of the jail, he added. The new jail has been built on 194.41 acres of land at a cost of Tk 406 crore at Tegoria at Rajendrapur under South Keraniganj, adjacent to the Dhaka-Mawa Highway. The new jail is about 12 kilometers away from the capital. In the newly constructed modern jail, 4,000 barracks have been constructed for male prisoners, 100 for male adolescent prisoners, 30 for male mentally challenged prisoners, 200 for woman prisoners, 40 for female adolescent prisoners, 20 for female mentally challenged prisoners, while 60 classified wards and 400 cells have been constructed for dangerous prisoners. A 20-bed capacity hospital, a modern hospital with 200-bed capacity and a day care centre have also been set up at the new central jail. Besides, residential buildings and jailors colony have also been constructed in the new modern central jail. Dhaka Central Jail was the biggest jail in the country, located in the old part of the capital. During the time of the East India Company in 1788, the jail was opened after setting up a criminal ward there. In 1929, jails in Dhaka and Rajshahi were declared as Central Jails. Earlier on April 10, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the new Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj. India Dalit couple hacked to death over 22 cents debt BBC Online : A man from India's Dalit community has been beheaded and his wife hacked to death after a row over a 15 rupees (22 cents; 16 pence) debt in Uttar Pradesh state. Police said the couple were murdered by an upper caste grocer on Thursday when they told him they needed time to pay for biscuits they had bought from him. The grocer has been arrested. Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, form the lowest rung of India's caste hierarchy. Police told the Press Trust of India news agency the incident took place in Mainpuri district early on Thursday as the couple were on their way to work. They were stopped by Ashok Mishra, the owner of a village grocery, who demanded that the couple pay the money for three packets of biscuits that they had bought for their three children a few days ago, reports say. The couple reportedly told him they would pay after they received their daily wages later in the evening. "While Mishra kept shouting for the money, the couple started walking towards the fields. Mishra then ran to his house nearby and returned with an axe. He hacked Bharat repeatedly and then attacked Mamta who was trying to rescue her husband. The couple died on the spot," Nadeem, a local villager, told The Indian Express newspaper. The Dalit community in the village have blocked roads and protested over the incident. Earlier this month four low-caste Dalit men were assaulted by cow protection vigilantes while trying to skin a dead cow in western Gujarat state. Many Hindus consider cows sacred and the slaughter of the animal is banned in many Indian states. In March, a Dalit man was murdered for marrying a woman from a higher caste in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The woman's father handed himself in and admitted to carrying out the attack on a busy road in daylight, police said. How Tamim moving around dodging security surveillance? Sagar Biswas : The regular presence of Tamim Chowdhury at Kalyanpur militant's den proves that the intelligence agencies have apparently failed to track down the high-profile militant leader, who is believed to be the 'mastermind' of Gulshan terror attack. Questions have been raised among the concerned circle how Tamim Chowdhury is moving so frequently around the city, and working closely in regrouping the militants dodging the surveillance of law enforcement and other security agencies? It is also a million dollar question how Tamim, also a Canadian citizen, has been staying in Bangladesh for last two years reportedly without interruption of law enforcement agencies? The stunning news over Tamim's presence at Kalaynpur was revealed by chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit [CTTCU] Monirul Islam on Thursday. Quoting confessional statement of detained Rakibul Hassan Regan [caught alive at Kalyanpur], the CTTCU chief said Tamim used to pay visit to Kalyanpur den regularly. Leader of a faction of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB], Tamim Chowdhury is now conducting terror acts in Bangladesh being inspired by global terrorist organization Islamic State [IS], intelligence sources said. He returned to Bangladesh about two years ago and coordinating terror attacks taking shelter at a secret place, the sources said, quoting Canadian daily newspaper National Post. It is worth to mention that, the English-language magazine from Islamic State Dabiq had described Tamim Chowdhury as Shaykh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif -- the "Amir of the Khilafah's Soldiers in Bangladesh". In an interview published in the 14th issue of Dabiq, al-Hanif said that IS wants to set up a stronghold in Bangladesh for 'strategic reason'. He [al-Hanif] declared that the emergence of ISIS in Bangladesh has 'terrified the kuffar [unbelievers], the atheists [disbeliever of the existence of God] and secularists [who want strict separation of the state from religious institutions] who mock Islam and our beloved Prophet [PBUH]'. Strangely, the authorities of Bangladesh have yet not admitted the existence of IS, though the militant outfit claimed responsibility of several terror attacks, including back-to-back Gulshan and Sholakia. Not only that, the security forces have also no idea about the actual number of IS operatives in Bangladesh. Concerned circles apprehended that the Islamist militants, under the banner of IS, have been trying to turn Bangladesh into a foothold for their expansion, as extremist attacks have ramped up in the country in the recent days. n Photo of Tahmid Hasib Khan was mistakenly printed on Thursday's issue. Actually, Tahmid, a 22-year-old Bangladeshi origin Canadian resident, has been in police custody ever since he survived the deadly 1 July hostage-taking at Holey Artisan Bakery in the city's Gulshan diplomatic enclave. We regret for the inconvenience. DCs asked to track down militancy S. M. Mizanur Rahman :The Deputy Commissioners (DCs) have been asked to fight militancy and terrorism first at their respective districts and take it as a major condition of their job. "The high commands of the government have set condition on DCs to eradicate militancy and terrorism first," Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam told journalists after the end of a four-day conference held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the city.Apart from district towns, he said, DCs, the executive heads of the districts, have also been asked to go to remote areas to oversee the village youths' activities and talk to their guardians. "Short films based on documents and facts about the deadly activities of the militants and terrors will be screened at the field level," the Cabinet Secretary said.The DCs have been instructed to air programme on militancy and terrorism through community radio in order to make people conscious about their deadly activities. They will also have to form committees at grassroots level to track down the perpetrators of terrorism and to motivate the guardians to take care of their children from being spoiled. Being important officers at the field level, the DCs have a crucial role in mobilizing people of all walks of life against terrorism. They must apply highest merit, wit, efficiency and strength to tackle the terror activities in the country.In the four days conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her senior Cabinet Members including Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Law Minister Anisul Huq, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu and Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan echoing the same arguments asked them to go tough on militants.In the inaugural session Sheikh Hasina gave 19-point directives to the DC asking them to discharge their duties with more caution and firmness in maintaining peace, discipline and stability in all spheres of life through eradicating militancy, terrorism and communalism.Law Minister Anisul Huq on Friday directed DCs to contact the ministry's cell that monitors cases against militants if it appears the prosecution is not properly assisting the judiciary in the trial of militants. He said this while talking to journalists at the Secretariat after attending a session on the last day of the four-day conference at the PMO. "The DCs were instructed to inform the Law Ministry cell that monitors cases against militants... if they find the prosecution not cooperating with the judiciary during their trial, we'll take steps," he said.Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said as the employees of the republic it is the Constitutional duty of the DCs to play due role in curbing militancy and establishing good governance. "Now we're fighting for curbing militancy, ensuring development and establishing good governance and the DCs can play role in this fight as directed in the Constitution," he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat after addressing a session of the concluding day of the four days conference.Apart from militancy and terrorism issues, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan on Friday asked the DCs to take effective measures to stop illegal sand lifting from rivers across the country and to curb their pollution and encroachment as well.The minister said this while talking to reporters at the Secretariat after attending the morning session of the DCs conference. Cabinet Members, PM's advisors, PM's Principal Secretary, secretaries of different Ministries and Divisional Commissioners attended the function.The DCs Conference is an annual event organized by Cabinet Division where administrative chiefs of districts and government policymakers interact on development and governance issues and set out priorities and guidelines for work for the subsequent one year. The death of world heritage sites Martin Wagner anf Noni Austin : Climate change has claimed another victim. Almost one-quarter of the coral in Australia's Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area - one of the world's richest and most complex ecosystems - has died this year, in the worst mass coral bleaching in recorded history. Even in the far northern reaches of the Reef, long at a sufficient distance from human pressures like coastal development to preserve, to a large extent, coral health, a staggering 50% of the coral has died. The above-average sea temperatures that triggered this bleaching were made 175 times more likely by climate change. As the ocean continues to absorb heat from the atmosphere, large-scale coral bleaching like that which has decimated the Great Barrier Reef - not to mention other destructive phenomena spurred by rising temperatures - is likely to become even more frequent and devastating. The future of priceless World Heritage sites - and, indeed, our planet - depends on the immediate reduction of climate-change-inducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Yet many of the governments responsible for protecting these sites within their borders are not only failing to take strong climate action; they are actively pursuing dirty energy projects like coal mines and coal-fired power plants. Even as the Great Barrier Reef dies before our eyes, Australia continues to increase its exploitation of dirty fossil fuels. In the past year, the Australian government has approved both the massive Carmichael coalmine and the Abbot Point terminal, located near the Reef, to facilitate the global export of output from the Carmichael mine. The emissions attributable to the Carmichael mine will be some of the highest resulting from a single project anywhere in the world. And the problem isn't limited to Australia. In low-lying Bangladesh, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, the government supports a proposal to build two huge coal-fired power plants adjacent to the Sundarbans World Heritage site. India, too, supports the proposal. Not only will these power plants emit large quantities of greenhouse gases; they will also devastate the Sundarbans, where the Ganges and other rivers meet the Bay of Bengal in a spectacular delta of mangrove islands that is home to endangered Bengal tigers and river dolphins. The power plants will pollute the waters with toxic coal ash, bring constant coal-barge traffic, and require the dredging of riverbeds. Mercury from the smokestacks will accumulate in the marine life, permanently contaminating the food supply of hundreds of thousands of people and vulnerable wildlife. It is true that Bangladesh is energy poor, a problem that must be addressed if it is to continue to develop economically. But there are alternatives. The country has significant potential for renewable-energy production, and it is already a world leader in rooftop solar energy. Of course, the responsibility to avert dangerous anthropogenic climate change does not fall only on countries that are home to World Heritage sites. But, knowing what we know today, initiating such damaging dirty energy projects is indefensible. With governments failing to protect our natural heritage, the World Heritage Committee must step up, in order to help bring an end to the relentless exploitation of fossil fuels. Specifically, the WHC should make recommendations to governments for reducing fossil-fuel-related threats, identify sites that are in particular danger from such threats, and carry out monitoring missions. The objective should be, first and foremost, to encourage governments with the capacity to reduce fossil-fuel-related threats to designated sites to take action. Such action from the WHC would also help to educate and empower civil society, while placing pressure on financial institutions to withhold the funding required for massive development projects. The WHC's annual meetings, such as that which just ended in Istanbul, are the ideal forum for such an effort. Already, dozens of organizations and more than 60,000 individuals have called on the committee to urge India and Bangladesh to cancel the proposed coal plants and invest in renewable energy instead. Similarly, dozens of renowned scientists, NGOs, and international and Australian lawyers have demanded that the WHC counsel Australia not to continue supporting developments that will exacerbate the impact of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef. As the threat of climate change grows increasingly menacing, influential institutions like the WHC must take a stand against the toxic and insidious legacy of dependence on coal and other fossil fuels. If the committee remains silent on this crucial issue, World Heritage sites around the world will suffer. (Martin Wagner is the managing attorney of the International Program of Earthjustice, the largest non-profit environmental law organization in the United States. Noni Austin is an Australian lawyer in Earthjustice's International Program). Courtesy: Project Syndicate History making President to be, Hillary will be against hate and mean politics THE United States of America (USA) is set to make new history to elect a woman president of the world's most powerful nation since its founding in 1776. The Democratic Party nominated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as their candidate for November 8 election breaking the past tradition that a man always to be a President. Hillary has accepted the nomination in Philadelphia party convention on Thursday terming it a 'moment of reckoning' for the nation. She will now fight with Republican nominated candidate Donald Trump in White House race. The US Presidential election has turned critically on debate this time with Donald Trump's unconventional agenda of America first to the exclusion of globalisation is disturbing for America's greatness as the Super Power. His isolationist policy against US allies in Europe and Asia and hatred against Muslims, Mexicans and even on US women led most senior Republican Party leaders to keep away from his Convention in Cleveland where he was nominated party candidate. Particularly his call to ban Muslims entering the USA and build walls on Mexican border go against American values of openness and inclusion.Hillary appears to be facing a tough election campaign, in which Trump is riding on a populist platform that agitates the poor for low wages and America's loss of jobs to people from other continents. Hillary has won a thunderous nomination in a packed Convention Center and vowed America's racial tolerance and liberal policy would continue if she is elected. Party leaders, workers and high profile persons from civil society and cultural fronts endorsed her in unequivocal terms. President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton, senators and retired generals made their public endorsement in the convention asking American people to secure the country's future from an unpredictable Trump. Senator Berne Sander also made his endorsement; who fought to the last every primary for Democratic Party nomination. He asked supporters to defeat Trump in whose hands America would not be safe. What inspires many when Hillary says, she, not alone, but with the American people would write a new chapter of US history making great America even greater if she is elected. One thing is sure about Hillary Clinton is that she is bold and determined. She made her intention clear that she will not ban Muslims rather she will work with everybody to make the world a safer place. She is clear that the Islamists and other jihadists are denounced by the Muslims as terrorists and to be punished and eliminated as they are more anti-Muslim than anti-anything else. He will destroy everything that makes America great if Donald Trump is elected President. By saying that to him 'America first' makes it known to everybody that he is unfit to be the President of great America. Hillary has long experiences and tough when toughness is necessary. As President Obama while praising her determination said she does not quit the race in the middle. Let us watch and see whether a man who invoked the word transparency will simply do the right thing and release the names of sex abusing priests that his four predecessors have wrongfully shielded from the public. Deshotel Lafayette, La., is ground zero for the worldwide clergy child sex abuse crisis that has engulfed the Roman Catholic Church in every country on earth where it has a pronounced presence. Thirty-two years ago the worldwide crisis and scandal ignited in the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette when the diocesan scheme of covering up heinous sex crimes of Fr. Gilbert Gauthe extending to sodomy of scores of boys under the age of ten, a cover up that had existed for many years, was shattered when attorney J. Minos Simon broke the secrecy seal on the litigation of his child-client against the bishop and diocese. The conduct of the Lafayette diocese through four bishops (Frey, Flynn, ODonnell, and Jarrell) has been deplorable. It has been established that Bishop Gerard Frey covered up child sex crimes committed by over a dozen diocesan priests. The vicar general of the diocese, Monsignor Alexandre Larroque, remained in his powerful position, serving as vicar general to four successive bishops after he outright lied on national media as seen here https://vimeo.com/74780302 Bishop Harry Flynn pledged transparency and then hid a massive lawsuit between the diocese and insurance companies arising out of the crisis and scandal, hiding it for nearly 20 years. Flynn was disgraced in Minnesota two years ago and resigned from boards when it was revealed he had covered up scores of cases as archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis. Bishop Edward ODonnell was ill and did not serve long but it is known he covered up for a priest who served in St. Martin Parish, admitting his crimes in guaranteeing the payment of all therapy fees for the family while the priest was shipped to a facility that specializes in the treatment of pedophile priests. It is documented that Bishop Michael Jarrell covered up priestly child sex abuse crimes as bishop in the Houma diocese, and then in Lafayette Bishop Jarrell admitted approximately $24 million was paid out for priests who had credible complaints of sex abuse made against them and he steadfastly refused the demands of media and survivor groups to release the names of those sex criminals to the public, exhibiting the worst instincts of a bishop to cover up crimes in this era when dioceses all around the U. S. are publishing the names of priests who have been credibly abused of sex abuse (the names are being published on diocesan websites from one end of the country to the other). Now, five bishops and 32 years later, another Lafayette diocesan priest, Fr. David Broussard of St. Bernard Parish in Breaux Bridge has been arrested by Louisiana State Police after a computer repairman found five hundred child pornography images on his computer and followed the requirements of Louisiana law in notifying the police. New Lafayette Bishop Douglas Deshotel called a press conference and showed his newness to the region as he repeatedly mispronounced the name of Fr. Broussards church parish, pronouncing it differently than the locals pronounce same. But Bishop Deshotel is no stranger to South Louisiana as he was born and raised in Basile, and hes no stranger to clergy sex abuse as he was deeply involved in the issue in the Archdiocese of Dallas and he was severely criticized by the largest survivor organization in the world for his handling of sex abuse cases in Dallas see http://www.snapnetwork.org/tx_victims_disappointed_in_dallas_catholic_bishop_s_promotion To the credit of Bishop Deshotel, in his press conference he did correctly state that Child pornography is child sex abuse. The children violently sexually abused are filmed or photographed and further exploited by purveyors of this heinous filth that is collected on computers by adults with demented, perverted minds who suffer a serious illness, a condition rooted in pathology that poses a great danger to children and society at large. The most interesting thing said by Bishop Deshotel in his written statement released to media was that he invoked the church charter on the protection of children and minors that was adopted in its original form in June 2002 in a meeting of over 400 U. S. bishops in Dallas where Bishop Deshotel served, in a document approved by the Vatican. Of particular importance is that in the statement, Bishop Deshotel specifically referred to transparency, for the church charter does call for all bishops to be transparent in all matters relating to clergy sex abuse. The Catholic Diocese of Lafayette that is the final posting in the ecclesiastical career of Bishop Douglas Deshotel has never once practiced transparency in matters relating to clergy sex abuse, but rather has practiced quite the opposite in consistently covering up sex crimes and protecting and shielding the criminal priests from criminal prosecution or even being identified publicly. Bishop Jarrell once released a detailed document to Lafayette media that stated that approximately $24 million dollars had been paid for legal settlements on behalf of diocesan priests who had credible complaints of sex abuse made against them. Almost every such priest was shielded from police and prosecutors, thus they have never registered as sex offenders as obligated by law for those who are convicted. Why is it important that a diocese practice transparency and release the names of those priests who have had credible complaints of sex abuse made against them? It is important for many reasons: Clinical data strongly supports that the public revelation of the identity of a sex abuser is a key to the recovery of his victim(s). Even in cases where sex abusing priests are deceased, their identity may be important to parents in understanding the behavior of a child of theirs who was close to the priest (the childs problems in adulthood like alcoholism, drug dependency, antisocial behavior, criminal conduct, even suicide). In cases where the former priest is alive, it is critically important to know who he is, where he is, whether he has access to or is working with children today. Bishop Jarrells refusal to name these sex abusing priests for whom millions in legal settlements was paid was a violation of the church charter adopted by all U. S. bishops and approved by the Vatican, a violation of every moral and ethical standard known to man, a violation of common decency and common sense and a violation of a Christian conscience. We will not comment on the ongoing investigation into the alleged criminal conduct of Fr. Broussard as competent police and prosecutors are in charge of that matter. We do note that there are many ways of viewing this investigation. On KATC it was reported that a parishioner named Monica Champagne believes these are false accusations against Fr. Broussard. Apparently Ms. Champagne believes a computer repairman planted 500 child pornography images on Fr. Broussards computer and then called in the police. What possible motive would a computer repairman have to do something like this? There is no end to the denial some Catholics have about demented, perverted priests in their midst. Another Breaux Bridge resident, Joey Broussard said, I dont think its a reflection on the church. I dont think the church is like that, This is an interesting comment in view of the documented facts that Mr. Broussards diocese has been home to over a dozen child sex abusing priests whose identity has been protected by Lafayette bishops, proving the church is like this. What is incredibly important is something no Lafayette journalist attending Bishop Deshotels press conference seized upon in the question and answer session following the reading of the bishops prepared statement. Bishop Deshotel repeatedly invoked the word transparency. Does Bishop Deshotel actually believe in transparency, believe the faithful and the public deserve the truth? If so, then he will at once release the names of all priests who have had credible complaints of sex abuse made against them. Will this fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette since the clergy sex abuse crisis and scandal began here actually do the right thing? Four successive bishops in Lafayette have covered up matters relating to clergy sex abuse. The Catholic Diocese of Lafayette does not need more cover ups. The Catholic Diocese of Lafayette needs and deserves closure. There can only be closure if Bishop Deshotel releases the name of every priest, employee or associate of the diocese who has had a credible complaint of sex abuse lodged against him or her. Let us watch and see whether Bishop Deshotel, a man who invoked the word transparency repeatedly in his press conference, a bishop who has more experience with clergy sex abuse than any bishop who has ever served in Lafayette, will simply do the right thing and release the names of sex abusing priests that his four predecessors have wrongfully shielded from the public. Ray Mouton is the author of In Gods House_, a longtime advocate for victims of clergy sex abuse and a vocal critic of the churchs handling of clergy child sex abuse who has appeared in major news journals like The New York Times, The Washington Post, CBS 60 Minutes, and over 1,000 other national and international journals, as well as over 100 nonfiction books on the subject. Moutons introduction to the issue was in Lafayette, La., when he was asked to represent Fr. Gilbert Gauthe, one of the most notorious pedophile priests on record, and realized the diocese was guilty of covering up Gauthes crimes and crimes of over a dozen other priests for decades. Mouton worked in dioceses and with religious orders across the U. S. with Fr. Tom Doyle of the Vatican Embassy where they uncovered the secrets of the church that revealed over six thousand American Catholic priests have sexually abused children._ Paris, TX (75460) Today Rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. High 59F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 54F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. 2012 Camaro Ss For Sale Find 2012 to 2015 chevrolet camaros ss for sale on oodle classifieds. 2012 chevrolet camaro ss | sunroof | leather | low kms we offer. 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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. SPRINGFIELD The crowded field in the race for U.S. Sen. Mark Kirks seat is likely to get a little thinner before the Nov. 8 election. An initial Illinois State Board of Elections review found that independent Eric Conklin of Le Roy and Constitution Party candidate Chad Koppie of Gilberts fell well short of gathering the 25,000 signatures each needed to earn a spot on the ballot, said Bernadette Harrington, an attorney for the board. A hearing officer conducted the review this month after the elections board received objections to Conklins and Koppies nominating petitions from Republican precinct committeeman Mike Bigger of Wyoming, who serves on the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and Rob Sherman of Buffalo Grove, whos running as a Green Party candidate for the U.S. House in Illinois 5th Congressional District. The elections board will likely confirm the removal of Conklin and Koppie at its meeting Aug. 26, the deadline for certifying the ballot. Conklin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Koppie, a frequent candidate, said he knew he didnt have the necessary signatures to get on the ballot and blamed the high number required for independent candidates and those from lesser-known parties. U.S. Senate candidates from established parties only have to collect 5,000 signatures to get on the ballot. Illinois is one of the worst states there is for signature requirements, Koppie said, adding that hes contemplating a legal challenge to the requirement. Koppie said that given Kirks reputation as a moderate, he believes he could have defeated the Highland Park Republican if the states conservative and anti-abortion leadership had rallied behind his candidacy. Kirks main opponent in November is U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Hoffman Estates, and the field also includes Green Party candidate Scott Summers of Harvard and Libertarian candidate Kenton McMillen of Melrose Park. The contest between Kirk and Duckworth is widely considered to be one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races this year. HARRISBURG Law enforcement officials in Harrisburg teamed up with the Department of Children and Family Services and a child advocacy nonprofit this week to remind the public that hot cars plus children is an equation that always equals trouble. Though pounded into our collective brains hot summer after summer, children still die every year of heatstroke inside vehicles. In fact, almost 37 children a year die this way every year in the United States, according to a news release issued this week by DCFS. Of those, about one-third of tragedies occur when a child enters a car on their own, unbeknownst to an adult, and is unable to get out. On Thursday, officials from IDFS, the Harrisburg Police Department and Saline County Sheriffs Office, in partnership with the organization KidsAndCars.org, came together to demonstrate a rescue from a hot car in an effort to remind people of the danger, and offer parents and caregivers tips on how to keep children safe in and around cars during the hottest months: July and August. The rescue demonstration took place at the Harrisburg Fire Department on Thursday afternoon. Harrisburg Fire Chief John Gunning said its particularly pressing that people in rural areas who suspect a child is locked in a hot car call 911 immediately, as response times can be longer than in cities. Its better to be wrong than have a child die. The temperature rises so rapidly in cars, we ask the public to be aware of your surroundings and if you see a child alone in a car, with the windows rolled up, get involved, call 911 immediately, Gunning said in a statement. In a big city first responders can arrive quickly but in rural areas it can take longer for us to show up, so preventing this scenario is the key to saving lives. Harrisburg Safety Commissioner Beth Montfort said she hoped the demonstration hit home with parents and caregivers. Rick Mallady, training officer at the Harrisburg Fire Department, demonstrated at the event how quickly the heat rises in a car. It was 80 degrees outside at the time, but the temperature of the demonstration vehicle quickly rose to 130 degrees. Mallady also talked about solutions for breaking open a window if a child is observed in distress, and it would take too long for law enforcement to arrive on scene. In some vehicles, the head rest on the drivers and passengers seats can be removed, and the metal spikes can be used to break the window. Window punch devices that are no bigger than a marker also are available for purchase at places such as Rural King. It is suggested that one break a window furthest away from the child, if possible. So far this calendar year, 19 children have died in hot cars in the United States, according to the release. In Illinois, a 4-year-old child was hospitalized after being discovered inside a hot car in McHenry County, in northern Illinois. The release states that Illinois ranks 10th among all the states in the nation with the most child vehicular heatstroke deaths. Twenty children died in Illinois trapped in hot cars between the years of 1990 and 2014. A childs body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adults, so the risk of heat stroke, brain damage and even death is much greater for a child left in a hot car, said DCFS director George Sheldon, in the release. Never leave your child alone in a car, even for a minute or two. And make sure empty cars are locked at all times, so young children cannot get in by themselves and get locked in. Below are life-saving tips for parents and caregivers that were provided in the news release from KidsAndCars.org: Never leave a child alone in or around vehicles not even for a minute. Keep vehicles locked at all times, even in driveways or garages. Ask home visitors, child care providers and neighbors to do the same. Keep car keys and remote openers out of reach of children If a child goes missing, immediately check the inside passenger compartments and trunks of all vehicles in the area very carefully, even if they are locked. A child may lock the car doors after entering a vehicle on their own, but may not be able to unlock them. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 immediately. If a child seems hot or sick, get them out of the vehicle as quickly as possible. Be especially careful during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays. This is when many tragedies occur. Look before you lock. In other words, get in the habit of always opening the back door to check the back seat before leaving your vehicle. Make sure no child has been left behind. Create a reminder to check the back seat. Possible suggestions include putting something youll need like your cell phone or handbag in the back seat so that you have to open the back door to retrieve that item every time you park. Another idea is to keep a large stuffed animal in the childs car seat. When the child is in the car seat, place the stuffed animal in the front passenger seat as a visual reminder that the child is in the back seat. Make sure you have a strict policy in place with your childcare provider to call you if your child does not show up as planned. MOUNT VERNON The Fifth District Appellate Court heard oral arguments on Thursday in Larry Youngs appeal of a lower courts decision to dismiss his wrongful death lawsuit against former Carbondale police dispatcher Richie Minton, in whose apartment Youngs daughter Molly Young was found dead on March 24, 2012. A written decision will be issued at a later date. Jackson County Circuit Judge W. Charles Grace dismissed the case on May 6, writing in a seven-page order that he was sorry for Youngs loss of his daughter, but that Larry Young failed to file the civil lawsuit within two years of his daughters death, as required by state law. Judge Graces dismissal of the case was solely based on the issue of whether the statute of limitations had passed. The manner of Molly Youngs death whether suicide or homicide has never been determined. In November 2014, a States Attorney Appellate Prosecutor report said there was no conclusive evidence to issue an indictment, but stopped short of ruling the death a suicide, leaving the case open. Belleville-based attorney Charles Stegmeyer, Youngs attorney, argued at the time and in Thursdays appeal hearing that the law allows for an extension of the statute of limitations because crucial facts were purposefully kept from Larry Young, which he was not able to obtain until months and years later, that led him to file the wrongful death lawsuit. The legal term for this is fraudulent concealment, and it extends the statute of limitations to five years when it can be demonstrated that the person filing the lawsuit made a good faith effort to uncover such matters within the statute of limitations, but could not because attempts were made to conceal discovery, he said. At Thursdays appeal hearing, Stegmeyer said this happened in numerous ways. The Southern did not attend the hearing in Mount Vernon, but reviewed the audio recording posted online by the court. Stegmeyer alleged on the day Molly Young died that Minton called her around 3 a.m. pretending to be drunk and lured Molly to his apartment with the sole purpose of commitment murder. Stegmeyer alleged that after killing Molly, Minton took off his clothes, took a shower, washed his clothes, and waited four to five hours to call police. While preliminary reports suggested that Molly Young died of suicide, Larry Young was skeptical, Stegmeyer said, and grew more so as he continued to ascertain additional information. But Stegmeyer said that Young anticipated working closely with law enforcement and legal authorities to solve the case and seek justice for his daughters death. But the months dragged on with no criminal charges against Minton. Young filed numerous records requests under the Freedom of Information Act in an attempt to obtain information about the case as he searched for facts to back up his suspicion that Minton murdered his daughter. But officials stalled in releasing those documents to him, Stegmeyer said. In doing so, they cited numerous exemptions to the FOIA law, including an ongoing investigation, and as it related to graphic photos of the crime scene, privacy of the deceased. The Illinois Attorney Generals Office only recently ordered that officials turn over all documents that Young had requested. Stegmeyer also pointed out to the court Thursday that Gov. Bruce Rauner had recently signed a two-bill package known as Mollys Law, and that one of the bills extends the statute of limitations in wrongful death cases to five years. Benton-based attorney Bryan Drew, representing Minton, told the court he would not spend much time discussing Mollys Law because it is not applicable to this case. The effective date of the bills is January 2017. As he argued in lower court, Drew said Thursday that the only question before the appellate court is whether the statute of limitations had passed for Young to bring this lawsuit against Minton. He said the law clearly states that the clock begins in wrongful death cases at the time of a sudden traumatic event, and that a gunshot wound to the head clearly fits that definition. Beyond that, Drew noted Larry Young still had two years from that time to file the lawsuit. I will acknowledge this is a very harsh result and its difficult and I feel for the family of the plaintiff, he said. They want to move forward. They want to investigate. I understand that. But the law is the law. Drew said statutes of limitations, which vary based on the nature of a lawsuit or alleged crime, are important because they are intended to provide a measure of fairness to the accused as over time evidence can go stale and memories fade. Of Mollys Law, which extends the statute of limitations in wrongful death cases, Drew said that sometimes legislators do things to make people feel better. They run for election, he said. Drew did not mention any legislators names. The primary sponsor of the measures is Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, who is being challenged by Marsha Griffin, a Democrat from Jonesboro. The court is here, I believe, as a check on that, to say the law is what the law is, Drew said. It can be painful. It can be harsh. But this is what the law is. Thumbs down to a cyberattack on the statewide Illinois Voter Registration System, which occurred on July 12. A representative of the Illinois Election Board said the board is confident that no voter information was altered. The board also plans to properly notify voters if any personal information was compromised. Attacks on governmental databases are not rare. But our governmental agencies need to make cybersecurity the highest priority, especially as more personal data is transmitted and stored online. Thumbs up to two companion bills in the U.S. House and Senate that aim to add Jonesboro to the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. When the heritage area was formed in 2008, Jonesboro was left out, even though it was the site of one of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858. If Jonesboro is added to the network, it would be eligible for grants awarded to sites in the federally designated heritage area, and its addition to brochures and informational materials around the state would hopefully provide a boost of tourists and history buffs to Southern Illinois. Thumbs down to the never-ending state-level political drama. After a judge ruled last week against a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would change how political districts are drawn, Rauner urged lawmakers to vote on term limits. This is just more political pandering. In a Tuesday story in The Southern, Chris Mooney, director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, said, Its not just Illinois. Legislatures do not pass these laws. It should come as no surprise that lawmakers dont usually vote for measures that would kick them out of office. This is another one of those things that promises to continue the endless tug-of-war in Springfield, while the people of Illinois (and the more than 560,000 voters who signed the position to get the redistricting amendment on the ballot) yearn for common sense political reform and meaningful change. Thumbs up to Joe McFarlands planned information shop for the Makanda Boardwalk. And to Bob and Pam Barker, who are collaborating with McFarland to add an eatery to the info shop. Southern Illinois and its smaller communities like Makanda is in a unique position as the crossroads of two full solar eclipses, one in 2017 and one in 2024. The 2017 eclipse will be the first full solar eclipse to touch any of the 50 states since 1991. Many eclipse enthusiasts and the casually curious will be staking a spot to get a good glimpse. Southern Illinois should see this as an opportunity to introduce ourselves to many people who havent visited us before. Lets help them fall in love with our region. Shops like McFarlands are a viable means toward that end. Thumbs up to the Marion City Council for continuing to grow the city by entering into tax increment financing redevelopment agreements with Buffalo Wild Wings and Mach 1 gas station. This is another example of the council working to add businesses and taking advantage of its position next to Interstate 57. Several other businesses, including Culvers, IHOP and Jimmy Johns, are setting up shop in town, too. One thing is for sure if you are in Marion, there is no shortage of places to eat. SPRINGFIELD As a history major at Illinois State University in the late 1990s, Samuel Wheeler was a self-described library rat. Leafing through a book of Civil War photographs one day at the Milner Library, he came across a powerful image of a young soldier who was killed at Burnsides Bridge during the Battle of Antietam. He looked just like one of my friends, Wheeler said. Just like him, just a dead ringer. The chance encounter with that picture brought home that immediacy of history that all of a sudden, it wasnt 150 years ago; it could have happened just right now to somebody that was one of my friends, he said. From then on, Wheeler, a 38-year-old Springfield native who graduated from Illinois State in 2000 and went on to earn a doctorate in history at Southern Illinois University, was hooked on the Civil War and its most iconic figure, fellow capital city resident Abraham Lincoln. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency board of trustees this week named Wheeler Illinois 10th state historian. In that role, he will oversee research and collections at the state historical library, created in 1889 and now part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Wheeler, who has been a research historian at the library and museum since 2013, sees it as his job to help bring the states history to life for Illinoisans and people around the world, just like that photograph of the soldier at Antietam did for him. Its so much more than just Abraham Lincoln or those soldiers that fought in the Civil War from the town that youre from, Wheeler said this week, sitting in his office at the presidential library in downtown Springfield. Illinois has long been viewed as a state that, in many respects, serves as a demographic and economic microcosm of the United States as a whole, he said. Wheeler, who will earn $70,000 a year in the new job, succeeds Thomas Schwartz, who left in 2011 to become director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum in West Branch, Iowa. His selection comes as the Lincoln institution and the state Historic Preservation Agency seek stability following a period of controversy over their management structures and leadership. Alan Lowe, who was the first director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and took over as director of the Lincoln library and museum July 11, had a hand in selecting Wheeler. I was impressed by Sams love of Illinois history, his experience as both a researcher and teacher, and his ideas for engaging the public, Lowe said in a prepared statement. Filling this position is an important step forward. Wheelers experience as a teacher came at SIU, where he served as a teaching assistant and lecturer for courses on subjects including Illinois history and the Civil War era. Kay Carr, who chairs SIUs history department, said Wheeler was highly regarded among students and faculty. Carr also oversaw the committee that reviewed his dissertation, which covered an aspect of Lincolns life often overlooked or dismissed by other scholars: his poetry. Its a tough thing to go into Lincoln studies of any sort because a lot has been done, Carr said. So its difficult sometimes to find an angle to pursue that is unique, but he did find that, and he did an amazing job. Wheeler said he was drawn to Lincolns verse, published anonymously, because it revealed aspects of his character that were often otherwise hidden. To me, he became infinitely more interesting when I sort of took those poems at their face value and tried to figure out what he was talking about, Wheeler said. As state historian, Wheeler wants to help scholars, teachers, students and the general public gain that kind of deeper understanding of Lincoln and the larger story of the land he called home. Illinois history needs a champion, Wheeler said. A fifth person has been charged with murder in a July 19 shooting incident that left one person dead and one person injured. Dwendell Lamont High, 24, of 124 Bullrun Drive, Summerville, stood before Magistrate Peggy Doremus on Thursday. She formally charged him in the shooting death of Jackqueline Wright. High turned himself in to authorities and is represented by Orangeburg attorney Charlie Williams. High told Doremus hes currently unemployed but was recently stationed at Fort Jackson and in Kentucky for military assignments. The Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office has charged High with failure to stop for a blue light, murder, attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Investigators believe High was the driver of the vehicle that transported the other co-defendants in the case. The co-defendants, all of Holly Hill, include: Matthew Kamin Brown, 20, of 186 Bridgewater Drive; Frank Jemerrl Jarzman Smoot, 20, of 163 Altamese Drive; ZaQuan Markel Taste, 18, of 160 Big Oaks Drive and Treshawn Markeese Jenkins, 22, of 818 Rush Street. Theyve each been charged with murder in the case. High and the four other co-defendants will appear before a Circuit Court judge at a later date for bond consideration. According to a sheriffs office incident report and arrest warrants, the shooting occurred around 12:23 p.m. at 191 Craig Street in Eutawville. Witnesses claimed the men came to the residence, spoke to a group of people at the scene and unleashed a barrage of bullets with a semi-automatic rifle into a shed which contained the victims. The six people in the shed were able to escape, except for Wright. Officials believe Wright was an innocent bystander. A male on the scene was transported to a hospital with a gunshot wound. Laverne Gypsy Phillips is in need of your assistance. Laverne Gypsy Phillips, announcer with NICE Radio, is in need of urgent medical attention. Sources indicate that Phillips, who is currently hospitalised at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, is in need of surgery which necessitates her travelling overseas. Indications are that the procedure is deemed to be urgent. NICE Radio has begun an appeal to assist the young lady towards ensuring that she can afford the medical attention that she needs. Those who are resident here and are so moved to assist, can make a donation at the Nightingale Bookstore in Middle Street or use the quick deposit facility at FCIB to deposit their donation to Account #106983792. Those in the Diaspora can do likewise via Western Union or send their donation to Wells Fargo Bank, Account #1630634616. THE VINCENTIAN joins in urging persons to donate to this cause. Privately promoted Carnival events, like this fete, are said to be expensive but well attended. Inset:Senator Julian Francis, himself a fixture in the trickledown activities fed by the annual carnival, has hinted at ensuring a greater share of the costs of staging the festival by private event operators. There cannot be a platform that is provided with the use of public and sponsorship moneys, such as Carnival, and then have others during that period promoting their events. Somebody ought to be paying. That, in short, was the view articulated by Minister of Transport and Works - Senator Julian Francis as he addressed the issue of the number of all-inclusive events that occurred during Vincy Mas 2016. Francis echoed the point made by Dennis Ambrose, the Chairman of the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC), who said at a press briefing held by that body earlier this month, that he felt that private promoters were "piggy-backing on the festival. Francis, while speaking on the weekly radio programme ULP Speaks, proposed that there be a licensing process, similar to what existing in neighbouring territories, which would require the promoter to pay over a percentage of the earnings to the CDC. "This is not a bridle on private investment. This is having a product that you invest in, creating a platform and then others coming, using that platform. If that platform was not there, these events would not have been as successful, Francis contended. He noted that although some of the private events were expensive (gate fee), they were all well attended. Francis called for a very serious discussion to take place in the near future, as to where we are with carnival and where we want to go with carnival. "Carnival has its base Mas, Calypso and Steel Pan - and someone had to carry the load, he said, but lamented that the private sector entrepreneurs are not interested in that part of carnival. Notwithstanding, the government must ensure that somebody has to carry the main events of carnival, and that is the responsibility of the CDC. He questioned, with all the criticism leveled at the CDC whether those who criticized wanted the CDC to go the way of private events. But he insisted, "There has to be a role for an organization to carry the fundamentals of carnival, and the government over the years has been the ones putting the resources into this aspect of carnival to keep it on the calendar, he said. And as far as this divergence (private events) being used as an excuse for not patronizing the official shows at Victoria Park, Francis said, "This was something that we have to look at carefully. (DD) Attorney at law, and Opposition Senator Shirlan Zita Barnwell has come out against what she described as deplorable conditions at holding cells where remand prisoners are kept. by Dayle DaSilva Attorney at law, and Opposition Senator Shirlan Zita Barnwell has spoken out against what she has described as "deplorable conditions to which individuals who are being held on remand are subjected. Barnwell, who is also legal counsel for Paul I-Madd Scrubb, who was recently arrested and charged for using seditious words in comments he made regarding Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, said, while a guest on Mondays New Times radio programme, that when she accompanied her client into the area of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) where there is a holding cell, she saw seven young men. She continued, saying that three were seated on a bench, but the other men were lying on the floor. "When you look at that, you think that although I am being detained, am I not entitled to be treated in a humane manner? "People may look at this and say, Oh, they are young boys, but they ought to be treated as human beings and must be treated properly, Barnwell said. She also spoke of the condition of the former facility that was referred to as Her Majestys Prisons in Kingstown, where individuals who have been denied bail are usually held on remand pending their scheduled appearance in court. "We have a snail (pace) justice system. Sometimes you have to wait there for a time. What about those who are found not guilty, or the case thrown out because of insufficient evidence? she questioned. Scrubb was granted bail in the sum of EC$25,000, and according to Barnwell, had he not, he would have been confined to that place, although not yet convicted of any wrongdoing. Paul I Mad Scrubb will be in limbo for the next three months as the state details its investigation into the matters for which he has been charged. by HAYDN HUGGINS New York based local calypsonian Paul I Mad Scrubb could receive a penalty of up to ten years in prison, if he is convicted on a charge of uttering threats to kill Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and his family. Scrubb, originally from Barrouallie, has been charged with between December 9 and 31, 2015, maliciously sent or uttered threats to kill, to wit, "Ralph Gonsalves should be assassinated, also his whole damn family period; Blessed love. The charge was laid under Section 165 (1) of the Criminal Code, Chapter 171 of the revised edition of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2009. This matter is indictable and carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Scrubb is also charged with, between December 9 and 31, 2015, uttered seditious words to wit, "Ralph Gonsalves should be assassinated, also his whole damn family period; blessed love. In this matter, Scrubb is charged under section 53 (1) (B) of the Criminal Code, chapter 171 of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2009. This was not laid indictably, but because both charges reportedly arise out of the same facts and circumstances, they would be heard together at a Preliminary Inquiry (PI). The sedition matter carries a maximum penalty of five years behind bars. Assistant Superintendent of Police Clauston Francis of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) laid both charges. The allegations stemmed from postings made on the social media site, facebook. Scrubb was not required to plead to the charges when he was taken before Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne at the Serious Offences Court on Monday. Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpleche had no objections to bail, but requested suitable surety and conditions. Delpleche also had an application granted by the court for a three-month adjournment of the matter, to allow the investigator time to prepare the case file. Scrubb was then granted bail in the sum of $25,000 with one surety, on condition that he surrender his travel documents and report to the Calliaqua Police Station on Mondays and Fridays. He was also ordered not to leave the country without the expressed permission of the Serious Offences Court or a higher court, and stop notices would be placed at all ports of entry and exit. The matters have been adjourned to October 31. Attorneys Israel Bruce and Shirlan Barnwell appeared on Scrubbs behalf. Reports are that police officers, attached to the Narcotics Unit, picked up the 52-year-old calypsonian at the E.T. Joshua Airport around 8 a.m. last Friday, July 22. He was about to leave for the United States via Trinidad. Scrubb was then taken to the CID where he was interviewed and charged. The calypsonian, said to be an equipment operator in the United States, had been in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for five weeks prior to his apprehension. He was reportedly staying at Gomea with a friend. Left:Dr. Kenny Anthony has decided to do the honourable thing and hand over leadership of the SLP to someone else. (Photo Credit: SL. Online) Right:Right: Allan Chastanet overcame challenges to his leadership by party ranks, but held on to lead the UWP to victory over the SLP. (Photo Credit: caricom.org) It is the norm that leaders of political parties that lose a general election, publicly concede defeat. It is rare, especially in the Caribbean, that those who lead and lose would also make it public that they accept the blame for their partys defeat. Dr. Kenny Anthony, political leader of the recently defeated St. Lucia Labour Party, put spent to the latter sentiment above, when in an interview with HTS News Force, a St. Lucia News Agency, he openly said that as leader of the SLP, he took full responsibility for the partys election defeat. Dr. Anthonys incumbent SLP went under to the United Workers Party six seats to eleven, in the June 6, 2016 general election. Within days of the election results being accepted, Dr. Anthony declared his intention to step down as political leader of the SLP, and added further that he would neither be accepting the position as leader of the Opposition. Dr. Anthony rationalised his stance to HIS News Force, saying, "Having lost two general elections, I would not have had the credibility to continue as political or leader of the opposition. The leader has to take responsibility for defeat and loss. Pointing to the case of David Cameron who resigned as Prime Minister of the UK after the Brexit vote, Dr. Anthony declared, "That is what honourable people do. That is what people of integrity do. In the interview, Dr. Anthony admitted that he was a bit surprised by the election result, but that he was prepared for anything that came his way. He also admitted that he knew that the SLP had lost the elections as the votes were being counted. He said, "I was following the announcements of the voting pattern, and early on there was an indication that something was happening. There was no room for any doubt. The former law lecturer also denied reports that he plans to leave the island, saying that he was born and raised in St. Lucia, and he did not have any intention of leaving. Dr. Kenny Anthony retained his seat in the Vieux Fort South constituency. He was Prime Minister of Saint Lucia from 1997 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2016. As leader of the SLP, he was Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2011 and returned to office as Prime Minister on November, 30, 2011 following the 2011 election. (Source: St. Lucia Online News) Books about St. Vincent and the Grenadines on display at the West Tisbury Library, Marthas Vineyard. (Photo Credit: westtisburylibrary.org) Vincentian artists and craft persons, home and abroad, now have another avenue to showcase their creativity. As per the intentions of a Memorandum of Understanding between Marthas Vineyard and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the artists and crafts people have been invited to display their wares at a Vineyard Vincy Festival, slated for August 27, on Marthas Vineyard. Marthas Vineyard is an island off the coast of Massachusetts, USA, and in addition to be second-home residence to many wealthy home-owners, the island attracts droves of tourists from all over the world. Marthas Vineyard and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines officially became Sister Islands in September 2014, formalizing a relationship between the two islands that stretches back to the 19th century. The Sister Island programme is built on diplomatic initiatives and West Tisbury resident Anita Bottis long-standing personal relationship with St. Vincent and the State Department. Ms. Botti, former Chief of Staff for Hillary Clintons Office on Global Womens Issues at the Department of State, was a former Peace Corps volunteer on St. Vincent. The West Tisbury Library recently received a gift of books about St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These books were presented on island by the Selmon Walters, Consul General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The books range in subject from pocket-sized tour guides and coffee table photo books, to essay collections about the various Prime Ministers, notable scholars, and the nature of the islands. (Story prompted by Youlou Arts Foundation) by HAYDN HUGGINS A mixed feeling of joy and sadness was how Commissioner of Police Michael Charles summed up his soon to be exit from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF). "It is sad having to leave an organization which I have served for over 35 years; but at the same time, I am happy to go home and get some rest after a very long innings at the wicket, the outgoing Commissioner told THE VINCENTIAN during an interview on Tuesday. The top cop cited no regrets being a police officer. When THE VINCENTIAN reminded him of his turning up to a Unity Labour Party (ULP) rally leading up to the December 9, 2015 general elections, fully donned in red, he admitted, "I may have made an error on that occasion, but hastened to add, "It did not hamper my ability to perform my duties as Commissioner without fear or favour. And he assured that if he had to relive the 2015 elections as Commissioner, he would never repeat the action. When THE VINCENTIAN visited Charles at his office on Tuesday, he was busy putting things in place as he prepared to proceed on pre-retirement leave next Tuesday, August 2, which will run to August 1 next year. However, this may not be the end of his contribution to the nation, as Charles assured that his service will be available to the constabulary at any time, once needed. The outgoing COP is admired by many for his simple and down to earth character which he maintained even during his tenure as Commissioner. He is a calypsonian and regular performer at karaoke outlets, and enjoys socializing with the public. His favourite liming spots are at Famous Richie at Heritage Square, South River Road, Kingstown, and at Phills at the Central Market, Kingstown. Charles stressed that during his tenure as Commissioner, he enjoyed an excellent relation with the media and general public. Shortly after he took up duties in that capacity, July 16, 2013, he declared an open door media policy, and told journalists to feel free to speak to him at any time. "In my view, the open door stance I took in relation to the media and the public, helped to make my job as a police officer and Commissioner much easier, he told THE VINCENTIAN. "I will recommend a similar approach by the person who succeeds me, he added. Charles recalled 2014 as his most challenging year as Commissioner. "There were 36 homicides recorded that year, and we had to come up with strategies to deal with the situation, he explained, adding that some of the measures which were taken are still in place today. He cited, for example, the mobile police units at Fountain and Glen. One of his major concerns is the prevalence of illegal firearms, though he is aware that a lot of unlicensed firearms have been taken off the streets within the last two years. He lauded the judiciary for the stance they have been taking in dealing with persons who have been convicted for possession of unlicensed guns and ammunition. Charles has had a number of memorable moments as a police officer, but one that stands out in his mind, was during Trade Winds Exercise 1990 in Puerto Rico. "I was in charge of the shooting range, and I had Superintendent Leroy Latchman, now deceased, who was my immediate boss in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, under my control on the range. I let him know that day who was the boss, he recounted with a chuckle, in his usual humorous style. Though a constable in SVG at the time, Charles was a Sergeant as an RSS instructor in that Exercise. "I knew Supt Latchman was very proud of his constable, he asserted, on a more serious note. Charles also holds fond memories of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Independence parades which he conducted, at the time holding the ranks of acting Superintendent and Superintendent. Joining the local constabulary in 1981, he served in several departments, including Beat and Patrol, Special Services Unit (SSU), Narcotics Unit, and Special Branch. He was also Commandant of the Police Training School, and acted as Deputy Commissioner while Deputy Commissioner Reynold Hadaway was on study leave. Editors Note: The following is a letter to the Prime Minister of St,. Vincent and the Grenadines, addressing concerns with the proposed Cybercrime Bill for this country . Dear Prime Minister Gonsalves, Dear Minister of Information Gonsalves, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international organization that defends freedom of information, would like to express to you its concern about Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Cybercrime Bill currently being debated in Parliament. We do not dispute the principle of this law or some of its provisions. The Internet should not escape the authority of the law altogether and we believe that it is perfectly legitimate to sanction such crimes and offences as the theft of documents or data, online identity theft, cyberbullying or, even more serious, child pornography. However, we regard some of the clauses in this bill extremely damaging to the free flow of news and information and to public debate. For example, Section 16 (2) of Part II incorporates criminal libel, which is already a criminal offence in Section 274 of the criminal code. Section 16 (3) states: "A person who, intentionally or recklessly uses a computer system to disseminate any information, statement or image; and exposes the private affairs of another person, thereby subjecting that other person to public ridicule, contempt, hatred or embarrassment, commits an offence. Offenders can be sentenced to up to 5 years imprisonment and/or pay a fine of 200,000 East Caribbean dollars. Under what criteria can information be considered to expose "private affairs of another person regardless of factual accuracy (which this subsection refrains from mentioning)? This provision could very easily constitute an obstacle to the dissemination of information of public interest. It could, for example, provide any demonstrably corrupt public figure with a strong argument for refusing to be held accountable. Clause 16 also defines cyberbullying as using "a computer system repeatedly or continuously to convey information which causes fear, intimidation, humiliation, distress or other harm to another person; or detriment to another persons health, emotional well-being, self-esteem or reputation. This language remains subjective and could be broadly interpreted in a manner that negatively impacts the free flow of information. We are also concerned about the range of the bills applicability. Clause 31 of Part III states that "an act [constituting an offence] is carried out in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines if the effect of the act, or the damage resulting from the act, occurs within Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Here again, the lack of precision about the nature of the effect to which this clause refers could result in significant obstacles to freedom of information. The danger posed by these provisions is, in our view, all the greater because the law gives the police and judicial authorities a great deal of scope to access the personal data of someone who is being investigated. Furthermore, RSF considers criminal defamation to have a chilling effect on freedom of the press and freedom of expression and has repeatedly urged countries to decriminalize this offense. For all these reasons, we urge you not to pass this bill into law in its present form and to amend the most sensitive clauses. We also urge you to amend the criminal code in order to de-criminalize defamation. We thank you in advance for the attention you give to this letter. Sincerely, Delphine Halgand US Director, Reporters Without Borders St. Vincent & The Grenadines continues to be a primary source for cannabis cultivation in the EC, with most plants being grown for export. As had been the custom, the final week of a Regional Security Services (RSS) Training Couse held here, saw field activity in the mountainous terrain of mainland St. Vincent . Reporting during the graduation ceremony held at the Old Montrose Police Station, , July 22, of the RSS Basic Course One of 2016, conducted here from July 3 to 22, Course Officer Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Randy Connaught disclosed that some 47 searches were conducted over a 3-day period, during the final week of the Course. According to the Course Officer, those searches accounted for the destruction of: 347,170 mature marijuana plants; 3.1 million marijuana seedlings, 325 dried marijuana plant material; and 57 huts. The searches also resulted in the seizure of some 510 pounds of compressed marijuana and the arrest of one illegal immigrant. As far as the Course was concerned, 32 police officers from 6 Caribbean countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines), successfully completed the course work. The Course was conducted in two phases over a 12-week period. Phase One was held in Barbados, May 3 July 1, and Phase Two in SVG, July 3 to 22. Also addressing the graduation ceremony was Commissioner of Police Michael Charles, under whose watch the Course would have been conducted. Commissioner Charles, in congratulating the graduates, urged them to share the knowledge and skills they would have learned with their colleagues. Deputy Executive Officer of the RSS - Mr. Bertie Hinds, in his address, pointed to the future undertakings of the RSS, among these being the eradication of corruption in the member Police Forces and to continuing retune and refine efforts to combat transnational, organised crime. The RSS Basic Course One was made possible through funding provided by the government of the United States of America in keeping with that governments commitment to work with the Caribbean under the terms of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). The Regional Security System/Services (RSS) was established by a treaty signed by contracting parties in March 1996, in which they agreed, inter alia, to maximize their strength in the interest of the defence of their State, and to achieve social and economic development for their people. Original signatories to the treaty included the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Left:Giovanni Sutherland-Sam became this countrys latest drowning victim. Right:Cetar Ming Francis has been affected by Sams death as though she had loss one of her own children. A teenage from Sandy Bay lost his life at sea, after going fishing with friends. That was the news that greeted the nation on the afternoon of Saturday, July 23. The body of 15-year-old Giovanni Sutherland-Sam, also known as Joe, was removed from the sea between Clare Valley and Questelles on Saturday 23rd, around 11:00am. An autopsy report indicated that he died from drowning. Sam, a resident of Sandy Bay, was holidaying in the South Leeward village of Clare Valley at the time of the incident. He had left his temporary abode that day with friends, to go fishing, a pastime he loved. Sam was easy-going and quiet According to Cetar Ming Francis, at whose home Sam was staying while in Clare Valley, he had a passion for fishing, and was a very good swimmer. Sam, she said, along with two of her nephews, came to stay at her home during the Carnival season. Sam was not related to her. The three made it a habit of going fishing. Francis described Sam as very easy- going. "You have to talk to him for him to talk to you, she said of his quiet disposition. So much so, she was of the view that because he stuck to himself, many residents of Clare Valley were unaware of his presence in the community. When not fishing, he spent most of his time at home watching television or playing video games. Before the expedition Francis recalled that the teenager spent Friday at home. On Saturday, having declared that they were bored, he and her nephews, Kiante and Kareem, decided to go "shoot fish. They left at about 8:00 that morning. But there was something strange about the day, Francis recalled. Sam was unable to find his "favourite short pants for fishing, and appeared peeved, but because he was eager to get going, he left without it. The boys used a boat belonging to Kiante and Kareems grandfather for their fishing expedition. Getting the news During the course of that morning, Francis left home and was sitting under an almond along the shoreline at the Clare Valley beach, when a villager came along shouting "Ming , Ming (Francis) , one of the boy drown, one ah de boy dey in the bottom of the sea water. Francis, confused as he was, asked, "Which one? Before she got a response, she saw her uncle bringing her two nephews back to the shore. "Kiante was trembling, he couldnt talk, said Francis. She said one of the nephews told her Sam dived into the water, surfaced then dived again. On hearing the news, fishermen on the beach gathered their boats and went out to the area where the incident had taken place. Francis, in the meantime, tried calling the Coast Guard and the Police. She succeeded with the police who then summoned the assistance of the Coast Guard. A diver from the Coast Guard recovered the body with the assistance of the local fishermen. Sams body, with diving goggles and snorkel still on his face, was placed in a fishing boat and transported back to land, where a doctor pronounced him dead. "Up to now, me cant catch me self, I cant even eat. He was so sweet. Knowing him, he would just catch the fish and them, sell what they want and bring home the rest. Them would just sit down and play game or watch tv. He never use to walk around in the village, said Francis. From what THE VINCENTIAN was able to discern, it appeared that Sam was determined to shoot an angel fish, and may have descended too far, making it life-threatening as he attempted to surface. Interestingly, since the incident, the Clare Valley beach has not seen the number of residients and visitors it would normal attract. Sam was expected to continue his schooling at the Sandy Bay Secondary School in September, as a Form 3 student. It is interesting to consider how our country, SVG, which for centuries past had been known as "Hairoun - the Land of the Blessed, has "morosed to become a pathetic cesspool of moral decay, exuding a stifling stench of mismanagement, ULP U for under, L for Leviathan, and P for Palms so, Under Leviathan Palms! And how did this come about? Since the advent of adult suffrage in 1951, we have been generally holding to the principle of electing a government every five years. The process though energetically engaging the citizens, had, in the main, been peaceful. But at the end of the last millennium, an evil force attended and aroused in the people a spirit of discontent, to the extent that they were induced to feel that they could not bear to wait until the term of the elected government had ended constitutionally. They wanted them out, now! Fanning these flames of discontent was a group of men and women of varying levels of societal distinction and influence the "ODD, who had been spurred on by those individuals whose ambition it was, to "seize the reins of power. These aspirants vouched to make the country ungovernable if their demands were not met. The prospects for serious conflagration and bloodshed were quite real! Fortunately, the government surrendered, and their defeat was in large measure due to the perceived pompous insensitivity of Prime Minister James Mitchell, who the people felt had become "too big for the boots. That was the gateway to the sad realities of today, where, the "V in SVG seems now to represent vulgarity, particularly by our women whose exhibitions are captured for posterity. One wonders how they will handle their shame, when they are graphically confronted by the peers of their grandchildren, in the evening of their years. To garner the support of the general population, the aspirants, the ULP and their cohorts, had effectively presented a case for the need for change. The people having begun to see in the attitude of the James Mitchell led government, failure to be seriously concerned with matters of importance to the whole society. Roads were being neglected, agriculture was suffering, the vital banana industry was under stress and receiving no serious attention, the government had focused on un-economic projects. The Kingstown Vegetable Market, the Ottley Hall Marina and the Union Is. Marina did not help our economy. A socially crippling exercise was the closing down of our stone mills. Yet later, stones were imported for road construction, with seemingly no consideration for the welfare of displaced workers. So the people were receptive to the idea of change, were fertile to accepting the promises of the ULP, and the leader, Dr. Gonsalves, seemed to have been given licences by his party to spew out promises. It is difficult to recall if any other person had on his own volition, presented anything of significance to the people. So in 2001, the people gave Dr. Ralph Gonsalves the mandate to govern. It will be remembered that he made sincere promises, seemingly with great passion: 1. The roads were going to be properly repaired and maintained; 2. The banana industry was going to be "revitalized; 3. There was going to be "no victimization; 4. Integrity legislation was going to be introduced immediately; 5. The health services were going to be seriously addressed; 6. There was going to be no tolerance of corruption; 7. There was going to be improved travel by air. And now in 2016,more than fifteen years after, what do we have more than those promises that had been made? The roads have not yet been seriously addressed. The trade in bananas to the UK has ceased, and the several promises by the Prime Minister for the recommencement have all come to nothing. There has been a prolonged crisis in management in the Ministry of Agriculture, and this was clearly demonstrated in the handling of their responsibility for Pest and Disease Control in the Industry. To date, there has been no integrity legislation brought to Parliament, while there have been dozens of cases of victimization, the charges of which cannot be effectively refuted by the administration. Dozens of businesses have closed, sending many workers to join the growing sector of the unemployed, while the large numbers of graduates find it extremely difficult to find gainful employment in our strangled economy. The stories coming out from the Ministries of Agriculture, Works, Housing, National Security and Legal Affairs do not credit the government with being strong against corruption. On the contrary, the message seems to be "you safe in the party! Our ship of state now seems to be effectively grounded, marooned on the reefs in a sea of stagnancy into which the mismanagement by the crew has brought it. Yet the captain parades the deck spouting self-commendations while he smilingly acknowledges the robotic approval from his crew. The citizens are in ever-increasing numbers coming to the conclusion that this pressure is evidence, the sign, that we now are "Under Leviathans Palms ULP. Vincentians gathered in their numbers at the annual Vincy Unity Picnic held on Browns Bay Park in Western Ontario, Canada last weekend. THOUSANDS OF VINCENTIANS from all walks of life on Saturday, July 16, 2016, converged on Browns Bay Park in Western Ontario, Canada for the annual Vincy Unity Picnic. Organizers said about 20,000 nationals from major North American cities trekked to the picturesque site, bordering the St. Lawrence River in the 1,000 Is. area, for the extravaganza. In almost picture perfect weather temperatures in the 70s nationals displayed a cornucopia of colors, gyrated to pulsating Vincentian and Caribbean music, and feasted on a potpourri of national delicacies, washing them down with local drinks, such as sorrel, ginger beer and mauby. Vincentians, their friends and supporters came on the annual pilgrimage from major North American cities, such as Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston and Washington, D.C. They proclaimed, in interviews with THE VINCENTIAN, that the get-together is a must! "I love it, its great, said Cassandra Gonsalves-Thompson, a banker in Toronto, originally from Biabou, sitting on a large blanket under a tree. "They (organizers) picked the perfect location. "You have folks from Montreal, Toronto and the [United] States all over the place, added Gonsalves-Thompson, enjoying her third picnic. "This is great. You get to meet the people you grew up with. Its good to reconnect, and its a good reminder of how you grew up. Vincy spirit alive! Gonsalves-Thompsons friends, Carol Hendrickson and her daughter, Leanna Estwick, along with Hendricksons parents, Charles and Pauline Hendrickson, of Layou, joined her at the picnic. "Its a lovely day out to see old friends and family, said Carol, who was born in London and recently migrated to Toronto, as Leanna, enjoying her first Unity Picnic, turned chicken legs and thighs on a small gas grill. "I love the family aspect of it the food, the music, added Carol, later putting corn on the grill. "Its worth the drive [three hours by car from Toronto]. "Very nice! intoned her Barbadian-born mother, who met Carols father in London before the couple decided to retire in Layou, Mr. Hendricksons place of birth. "Plenty of people to chat to. Im enjoying the music; lovely atmosphere. Brooklyn, New York resident Nolene King, originally from the Rose Bank/Troumaca corridor, brought along her elder sister, Ester, and Trinidadian friend, Marilyn Sampson, during the 10-hour bus trip, organized by the Brooklyn-based Vincentian umbrella group in the US, Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Organizations, U.S.A. Inc. (COSAGO). "I really like it, said King, purchasing Vincy memorabilia at a tent with a plethora of Caribbean merchandise, as a DJ nearby struck up Kevin Lyttles "Coming Home for Carnival. "Meeting people, family and friends is great. Sampson agreed: "Im meeting people and enjoying some of the good food. Further away and closer to the waters edge at the expansive park, COSAGO set up tents, with busloads of supporters volunteering to prepare meals. "I like it a lot of unity and togetherness, and you get to meet people, said Kimberly David, from Belmont, on the environs of the Marriaqua Valley, as she prepared vegetables with Celloy Williams, of Rose Place, Kingstown. "Everybody works together. "Its a great opportunity to reconnect with Vincentians in the Diaspora, said Williams, enjoying her fourth Unity Picnic. "You meet new people, make new friends. Ruth Browne-King, of Prospect, said the picnic served as "a great get-away time for me "Whatever thing theyre [organizers] doing here, theyre doing a great job in getting people together, said Browne-King, grinding garlic and preparing chive. As she turned breadfruit, roasting on charcoal, lawyer Curlina Edwards, part of the COSAGO organizing committee and co-captain on one of four buses from Brooklyn, said she did not mind getting her fingers dirty. "Im a country woman, said Edwards, who was born in Kingstown, grew up in Park Hill, and whose mother is from Fitz Hughes, Chateaubelair and father from Spring Village both in North Leeward. "I enjoy serving my people, she added. "I dont mind roasting breadfruit, doing food preparation and doing whats necessary. While peeling mangoes, Joanne DeShong, of Bentick Square, lower Kingstown, expressed amazement about COSAGOs organizational skills. "Theyre my favorite organization, said the Registered Nurse, attending her fourth picnic. "They seem to inspire people to contribute for Vincy [the Vincentian community]; thats very good. Nearby, Kingstown Hill native Arlette Dopwell-James, former president of the Philadelphia-based St. Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Pennsylvania [SVGOP], attended the picnic for the fifth year. "Ive enjoyed this picnic from Day One just how people work together, said Dopwell-James, who trekked from Philadelphia, courtesy driver James Cordice, also a former SVGOP president and architect behind the nations participation in the prestigious Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. "One day, Ill like to take a week off [from work] and go down [to New York], and help them [COSAGO] prepare [for the picnic], she added. COSAGO president Laverne McDowald-Thompson, said the groups work "exemplifies the capabilities of the Council in bringing our people together. "One of our aims is to continue to foster a relationship with the Vincentian community, said the former elementary school teacher at home. "So, Im very pleased and grateful for the people who support this event. "Over the years, people have formed great relationships from these trips, keeping them together, McDowald-Thompson continued. "And more and more, Im seeing the support to the Vincentian community from our people. Erline Granderson and Cornetta Mason, members of the Unity Picnic organizing committee from Toronto, said the picnic has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. "Its always a pleasure seeing your compatriots in one place, said Granderson, who sold 20 tickets to bus travelers from Toronto. "This organization has done a fabulous job in pulling this off, added Mason, who, with Granderson, also plans to attend the Vincy Unity Picnic in Long Island, a New York City suburb, on Aug. 20. "It [picnic] helps to bring Vincentians across North America together and to remember the culture back home, Mason continued. Alfred "Jack Dear an ex-Customs Officer at home, who heads the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Montreal and who helped to organize four busloads of nationals from Montreal to the Unity Picnic in Ontario said he was grateful to COSAGO and all nationals who went beyond the call of duty to make the picnic an overwhelming success. "I feel weve come a long way, he said. "Its past the embryonic stage. "The picnic is very big, but we still want more, he, however, added. 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. NEW YORK Today Reuters, the worlds largest international multimedia news provider, announced an agreement with Samsung to bring Reuters photography and video to new dimensions through an inventive program, Focus 360. The Focus 360 partnership capitalizes on the expertise and scope of Reuters global team, providing virtual reality and 360 degree video and photography news content from around the world, using Samsung Gear 360 cameras and editing technology. Users will be able to view local and global stories in this new immersive medium on Reuters.com, Reuters.com mobile web and the Reuters News and Reuters TV apps. Newsrooms around the world will have free access to the content via Media Express. Focus 360 will provide rich VR and 360 content to meet the changing needs of customers, who are increasingly relying on engaging video and photo experiences for their users and viewers. The Focus 360 program will feature: A devoted channel on Reuters.com, allowing users the option of viewing the complete catalog of content in one place; Native placement on Reuters TV, Reuters dedicated connected video service. 360 content will be viewable on iPhone, iPad, Android and on the web at Reuters.tv; A full presence on Media Express, Reuters delivery platform for Reuters News Agency customers, including two devoted channels for distribution of VR video and 360 photography and video; An embeddable player and a how-to guide to enhance customer usage and understanding; Free content available for download for the duration of the program, including coverage of key planned events and news that would be enhanced through a VR or 360 experience. Program content will be available on Reuters.com and the Reuters TV app for Android starting August 2 and on iOS beginning August 5. Viewers with the latest Samsung mobiles including Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, S7, S7 edge and upcoming flagship models will be able to watch Focus 360 video content on the Samsung Gear VR. The Reuters Content Solutions team will also create branded content executions for Samsungs Youtube channel, blog, and sponsored placements on Reuters.com as part of the program. "Our agreement with Samsung allows us to enhance our visual journalism and provide a more absorbing experience for our viewers, said Stephen Adler, Editor In Chief and President, Reuters. Through VR and 360 technology, customers will be able to deepen their perspective on news events and gain a richer understanding of the context." Reuters cross-platform 360 video player was built in house, and is powered by the same technology that underpins Reuters TV. Reuters Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Follow news about Reuters at @ReutersPR. Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com. CONTACT Abbe Serphos Reuters Tel: +1 646 223 8243 Email: abbe.serphos@thomsonreuters.com /By Azernews/ By Nigar Abbasova Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov met with an Indian delegation led by the Deputy FM Sujata Mehta on July 28 to conduct the next round of political consultations between the two countries. Implementation of the project on the North-South transport corridor was one of the issues on the highest agenda during the meeting. The Indian diplomat praised works carried out by Azerbaijan in implementing and boosting the project. Being a very important initiative, the project will provide a huge benefit for the countries of the region, she said. The North-South corridor, from India to Helsinki, with a length of 5,000 kilometers is designed to carry more than 20 million tons per year. It is a multimodal route for transportation of passengers and cargo from Russia's St. Petersburg to the Mumbai port. It is designed to carry transit cargo from India, Iran and other Persian Gulf countries to the territory of Russia (the Caspian Sea) and further - to Northern and Western Europe. Currently the flow of goods from India towards the European part of the Russian Federation is provided by maritime transport. The North-South route, part of which will pass along the western coast of the Caspian Sea, from Russia to Iran through Azerbaijan enjoys several advantages compared to other transport such as Suez Canal-the Mediterranean Sea-Northern Europe and the Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan-Russia-Northern Europe routes. Mehta also expressed readiness of her country to cooperate with Azerbaijan in all fields, especially in economy and energy. She added that the cooperation in the IT sector, agriculture, cooperation within the UN and other issues were also discussed. Moreover, the two sides discussed possible mutual visits. India also is interested in maintaining the political dialogue with Azerbaijan, she added. She also hailed the importance of the cooperation in the field of energy, underlining that and Indian companies are interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan. India recognized Azerbaijan in December 1991. Diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan were established on 28th February, 1992. /By Azernews/ By Rashid Shirinov The Sumgayit Chemical-Industrial Park has recorded its ninth resident -- Alco Lubricant Company. The corresponding certificate was handed over to the company during an event hosted by the Economy Ministry of Azerbaijan. Alco will produce lubricating oils in the Sumgayit Park. The investment cost of the project is $10 million. A plant with an annual industrial capacity of 30,000 tons will be built in the framework on the project. The production process is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2017. The decree on creation of Sumgayit Chemical-Industrial Park was signed in December 2011 by President Ilham Aliyev. The Park covers an area of 167.66 hectares and resides nearby Sumgayit city, 32.5 km away from Baku. The Park is designed to accommodate 35-40 enterprises on its territory. As a result, opening of 10,000 new jobs is assumed. To date, eight residents have been registered for activities in the Park. They are Azertexnolayn, SOCAR Polymer, Azerfloat, Azerbaijan Fibro Cement, Baku Non-Ferrous Metals and Ferro-Alloys, SIKA, MST Engineering and Aqrokimya Ltd. Meanwhile, more residents are expected to enter the park soon. The appropriate external and internal infrastructure (electricity, heating, water supply, communication and other systems) with offices, training centers, laboratory, etc. were established in the Park to enable profitable activity and development of entrepreneurs, produce competitive products and render services through the application of modern technologies. To increase the investment attractiveness of the Park, all its residents are exempted from income, land and property taxes for seven years. Moreover, the equipment and technology used in the Park are also free of value-added tax (VAT). Armenian armed forces have 24 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry July 29. Armenian armed forces, stationed on the nameless heights of Armenias Ijevan district, in the villages of Voskevan and Shavarshavan of the Noyemberyan district opened fire at positions of Azerbaijani armed forces on the nameless heights and in the villages of Gushchu Ayrim and Kemerli of the Gazakh district. Azerbaijani positions located in the Munjuglu and Alibayli villages of the Tovuz district also took fire from the positions located on nameless heights and in the Aygepar village of Armenias Berd district. Azerbaijani positions were shelled from the positions near the Kuropatkino village of Khojavand district and Mehdili village of Jabrayil district. Moreover, Azerbaijani positions took fire from the positions located on nameless heights of Goygol, Goranboy and Jabrayil districts. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. /By Trend/ /By Azernews/ By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has met with a British delegation led by MP, chair of Azerbaijan All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Bob Blackman. Mammadyarov briefed the delegation on the current state of relations between Azerbaijan and UK, as well as the key areas of cooperation, Azertac reported. The minister praised the country's cooperation with BP in the energy sector, including the development of Azerbaijan's oil and gas fields and the realization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which, he said, was considered the key route for the export of crude oil. Mammadyarov highlighted the regional projects which were initiated by the country, underlining their benefits to the participating states and the whole region. He further emphasized the essence of the North-South and East-West transport corridors and the targets set forward, providing an insight into the steps taken by the country in this regard. Saying Azerbaijan could be a model to the world for its traditions of multiculturalism and tolerance, the FM noted that people of different religions had lived together in peace in the country for centuries. Pointing to the history of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the current state of negotiations on the conflict settlement, FM Mammadyarov drew the British parliamentarians' attention to Azerbaijan`s stance. The British MPs praised the development processes and achievements of Azerbaijan in a variety of fields. Earlier, the delegation was received by Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev. They discussed cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture and tourism. Garayev informed the MPs about the development of the culture and tourism in the country, as well as reconstruction works carried out in Azerbaijan. The sides expressed assurance that development of cultural and tourism relations would continue to develop between the two countries even further. /By Azernews/ By Gunay Hasanova Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu sharply criticized the U.S. position regarding extradition of Fethullah Gulen, who is involved in the military coup attempt. Also, Cavusoglu considered incompetent the statement of the head of the Central Command of the U.S. Armed Forces, General Joseph Votela that the Turkish generals are "friends of the United States", reported the Turkish newspaper Milliyet on Friday. If the United States believes that only the arrested generals were fighting against the terrorist organization "Islamic State", they are completely mistaken. Earlier, Turkish Presidential administration told Trend that Ankara will do its best to extradite Gulen, whom it considers to be the organizer of the coup attempt. According to the administration, the coup attempt shows that Turkey was facing the threat of a terrorist attack. The administration also stressed that if the U.S. is a strategic partner of Turkey, it should extradite Gulen to Turkey. The administration added that the extradition of Gulen will greatly weaken the terrorist organization, which is hostile to the interests of the Turkish people. "The U.S. continues to study the documents sent by Ankara regarding Gulen's extradition, since this is a legal process and needs to be conducted in accordance with extradition agreement," responded the State Department spokesman Elizabeth Trudeau, RIA Novosti reports. In turn, Fetullah Gulen called on the U.S. authorities not to extradite him to Turkey. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. /By Azernews/ By Rashid Shirinov The violation of rights, detentions and disorders carried out by Armenian police and authorities caused a further wave of protest in society. That resulted in rise of anti-government positions in the Armenian society. Yesterday's actions of the Armenian police on Khorenatsi Street are completely meaningless and illegal, the Chairman of the Democratic party of Armenia, Aram Sargsyan stated at a press conference on July 28. The police detained 66 people, five of which were further transferred to the Investigative Committee, on July 27. The detentions were linked with suspicion of alleged carrying of weapons. In the same way, you can detain any man on the street. This is the most wrong and most dangerous political line, pursued by the Armenian authorities, Aram Sargsyan said. The authorities should be accountable to society for their actions, because people require fundamental reforms, he believes. However, the current public opinion is that the authorities have failed to solve the internal problems of the country. Meanwhile, more people support an armed group that keeps seizing a police station in Yerevan. The actions of Sasna Tsrer are an expression of despair, a Canadian actress of Armenian origin Arsine Khanjyan told Radio Freedom. She believes that not only Sasna Tsrer, but by the Armenian people should engage in change of authorities in Armenia. Even if the police, without any rights, will intimidate people, people are no longer afraid. People also try to become the participants of changes, following the example of the heroes [Sasna Tsrer], Khanjyan claimed. Director of the National Self-Determination Union, Paruyr Hayrikyan , for his part, said that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan should resign because he changed the referendum results last year. 70 percent voted against, but the authorities changed everything the way they wanted. He [Sargsyan] named all who saw him as a provocateur slanderers, Hayrikyan said. He believes that the situation in Armenia will not be resolved as long as the current authorities stay in power. Standard Chartered has named former deputy governor of the Bank of Spain Jose Vinals as its new chairman, ending a 16-month search for a new leader to oversee a sweeping turnaround plan being undertaken by its new CEO. StanChart announced on February 26 last year that chairman John Peace and former chief executive Peter Sands would step down from their roles in a comprehensive overhaul of management that sought to draw a line under a disastrous three-year period for the lender. Since new chief executive Bill Winters joined last June to lead the bank's transformation he has axed over 15,000 jobs, raised $5.1 billion in fresh capital, and sold bad loans to shrink and refocus the lender. Vinals will join the Asia-focused bank as chairman designate on October 3 and succeed Peace on December 1, StanChart said. Winters and Naguib Kheraj, the board member who led the search for a new chairman, said Vinals was an expert on the global financial system with contacts in central banks worldwide. "Jose brings deep and extensive economic, political and regulatory experience of our markets and an exceptional grasp and understanding of the international financial system," Winters said. Vinals joins from the IMF where he was head of its Monetary and Capital Markets Department, as well as its chief spokesman on financial matters and global financial stability. Kheraj said Vinals was also familiar with key Asian markets including India and China through his work with the IMF. "He is well known to the central banks in Hong Kong, Singapore and India... He displayed a great deal of understanding and knowledge of all our key markets in Asia. Before joining the IMF he spent 25 years at the Spanish central bank, in a deputy governor role that involved oversight of monetary policy, supervision of banks and management of financial reserves. StanChart also named Naguib Kheraj on Wednesday as its new deputy chairman. Kheraj told reporters on a conference call that the length of the search reflected the increased obligations on a bank chairman post-2008 and the challenge of finding someone conversant with StanChart's markets of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Responding to questioning of Vinals's lack of direct experience in commercial banking, Kheraj said the path from public sector to private sector among senior bankers is well-trodden. "Jose has a lot of experience in dealing with commercial banks because he been a bank regulator...he has spent a lot of time with banks' management," Kheraj said. Vinals will be paid 1.25 million pounds ($1.64 million) a year, the bank said. He will move from Washington to London and devote four days a week to the role. After a decade of record profit growth leading up to 2012, Standard Chartered's fortunes under Peace and Sands changed as it became embroiled with US regulators over Iran sanctions, and suffered losses amid plunging commodities prices globally. Standard Chartered shares ended the day one per cent firmer while the benchmark FTSE 100 .FTSE finished 0.4 per cent higher. - Reuters Libya's government has reached a deal with an armed brigade controlling the Ras Lanuf and Es Sider oil ports to end a blockade and restart exports from the major terminals shut down since December 2014, officials said. Officials from the government's presidential council and the oil guards gave no details of the terms or any date for when exports from the two ports would restart. But technical damage and opposition from the state-run National Oil Corporation may complicate any swift restart. Reopening the ports would be a major boost for the OPEC member which since the 2011 war to topple Muammar Gaddafi has fallen deeper into turmoil that disrupted its oil output. Rival governments and a complex network of armed groups are vying for power and control of the country's oil wealth. Members of the U.N.-backed Presidential Council were in Ras Lanuf late on Thursday at a joint conference with Ibrahim al-Jathran, head of the Petroleum Facilities Guards brigade, which controls Ras Lanuf and Es Sider ports. "I am pleased on behalf of the Presidential Council to announce, as I am hopeful and optimistic, the resumption of the exports of Libyan oil from the ports," Presidential Council deputy Mousa Alkouni told reporters. "This is the beginning of the restoration of our country." Ali Hassi, a spokesman for Jathran's PFG brigade, said no date had been decided for reopening the ports because that would depend on the National Oil Corporation. But he said an agreement had been signed between the council and Jathran's forces. Armed factions, labour disputes and security threats from Islamic State militants have helped cut oil output to less than a quarter of the 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) before the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Gaddafi. Jathran's brigades led blockades of the ports starting in 2013 saying he was trying to prevent corruption in oil sales, though others have disputed his motives. He has also called for more autonomy for his eastern region. Opening Ras Lanuf and Es Sider would add a potential 600,000 barrels per day of capacity to Libya's crude exports, though experts estimate damage from fighting and the long stoppage must be repaired before exports are at full capacity again. The NOC has said damage from recent attacks by Islamic State, which expanded in the country's chaos, meant the ports would struggle to get beyond 100,000 bpd in the near term. Beyond technical problems, NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla has objected to any deal with Jathran saying it was a mistake to reward the brigade commander by paying to end his blockade of the oil ports. Sanalla said a deal including payments would encourage other groups to disrupt oil operations in the hope of a similar payout. The NOC has also threatened to withdraw its recognition of the Presidential Council. Reuters RAWLINS Wyomings plan for improving its highways originally included widening, straightening and rebuilding its more than 7,000 miles of federal roads and maintaining about 2,000 bridges. But funding limits forced the state to focus on just keeping up with repairs. The Wyoming Transportation Departments goal now is to keep roadways from getting worse. Tom DeHoff, a district engineer for the agency, said the repairs might keep the highways going for another 20 years. Right now, we are going to manage our assets and keep them in the condition, or try to keep them in the condition they are or maybe a little bit better, which would be nice, DeHoff said. The primary funding for Wyoming highway construction and maintenance comes from fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees and federal aid. Officials say a bill approved by Congress might help cover funding for the next five years, but future money is uncertain. DeHoff said highway construction and maintenance is a national problem. This bill included $225 billion in spending over the next five years nationwide, with $207 billion of that going to the states for appropriation to the highways. Thats about a $20 billion increase spread over the next five years, he said. That provides about a 5 percent annual boost to the Wyoming Transportation Department. Forrest E. Mars Jr., who helped shape his familys confectionery company into a multi-billion dollar empire with beloved brands such as M&Ms and Snickers bars, has died. He was 84. The retired Mars Inc. co-president died Tuesday in Seattle of complications following a heart attack, the company said. He was living in Sheridan at the time of his death. A philanthropist, he supported projects focused on environmental preservation and American history, including the Brinton Museum of Western and American Indian Art in Big Horn. He also donated $5 million to build an ice rink in Sheridan, and $4 million for the Sheridan College agriculture center that bears his name. With his brother and sister in 1973, Mars inherited the company from their father, Forrest E. Mars Sr. Their grandfather started the company more than a century ago, making and selling butter cream candy from his kitchen in Tacoma, Washington. From the time Mars became co-president with his brother John in 1975 and until his retirement 1999, he helped grow the company into a global enterprise selling diverse products including Pedigree pet food, Skittles candy, Uncle Bens Rice and Flavia beverage. He later served as a board member until 2006. Forrest was a great inspiration to all of us at Mars, CEO Grant F. Reid said in a statement. He was instrumental in building our business, while remaining committed to the founding principles of the Company. Mars joined the company in 1959 as a financial staff officer for M&M Candies. He managed a confectionary factory in The Netherlands and directed Mars France before returning to McLean, Virginia in 1970 to serve as the companys vice-president. After taking over control from their father as co-presidents, the brothers increased annual sales from $1 billion to $35 billion and expanded its reach in Europe, Australia and Japan and later into other countries such as China and Russia, the company said. Mars and his siblings also codified a set of five principles including creating shared mutual benefits for everyone that still guide the family business of more than 80,000 employees in 78 countries. Born in 1931 in Oak Park, Illinois, Mars attended Fay and Hotchkiss private schools. He earned his bachelors degree in science from Yale University in 1953, and a masters in business administration from New York University School of Business in 1958. After serving in the U.S. Army for two years, he started his career an accountant in 1955. He was recognized for his civic leadership and contributions over the years, including earning the distinction of chevalier, or knight, in Frances National Order of the Legion of Honour. Mars is survived by his wife Jacomien Mars and four children. Helping Others Vendors, volunteers meet Vendors and volunteers for the Middle Platte Renaissance Faire are asked to attend the final briefing Tuesday August 2 at 6 p.m., in the Arena classroom at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds. Contact Stage III Community Theatre or mprfdirector@yahoo.com for more information. WMC needs volunteers The Wyoming Medical Center volunteer program is seeking qualified volunteers to serve in the following areas: hospital gift shop, information desk, escorts, surgical information desk, and mother and baby unit. Volunteers must be at least 18 and are required to fill out an application, which includes a background check and drug screening. Most volunteers serve two to three hours a week. For more information please contact NJ Olsen at 577-2794 or email nolsen@wyomingmedicalcenter.org. Stuff the Bus with school supplies Each year, it costs families between $60 and $100 for basic school supplies for one child. Common supplies include pencils, crayons, highlighters, permanent markers, colored pencils, markers, dry erase markers, binders, safety scissors, erasers, notebook paper, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, composition notebooks, pocket folders, white school glue, backpacks and a plastic supply box. The Casper Area Education Foundation (CAEF), the Natrona County School District (NCSD), and The Salvation Army have once again partnered to conduct the annual Stuff the Bus drive; a community-wide school supply drive to benefit students in need. The campaign encourages the community to donate simple school supplies at local businesses. Donations will be distributed to families in need at a School Supply distribution event prior to school starting in August. Donations can be dropped off around town at Reliant Federal Credit Union (Plaza Drive and Landmark Drive branches); Platte Valley Bank, 3131 SW Wyoming Blvd; NCSD Central Services, 970 N. Glenn Rd.; SunSations Tanning Salon, 1220 W. Collins Dr.; Keefes Flowers, 632 CY Avel Foxhill Apartments, 1900 S. Missouri Office Bldg. 30. Cash donations are also accepted at casperedfoundation.org. Make fleece blankets The Fleece Blanket Project provides a time of fun and fellowship while working on a community service project to benefit others. The group will be meeting at First Christian Church, 520 CY Avenue, Saturday, August 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, September 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This informal group welcomes volunteers of all ages from churches, agencies, and groups, as well as anyone who would like to help cut and tie fleece to make blankets to be given to the homeless and those in need in Natrona County. To date, volunteers have made 190 blankets which were given to individuals and agencies that provide help to those in need of warmth and comfort. In addition to volunteering your time, you may donate fleece (2 yards each of two complementary colors/patterns). Bring sharp scissors if you have them or just come and tie! Parking is in back of the church. If you have any questions, please call First Christian Church at 234-8964. Blood donors have chance to win Ranger Blood Donors who give at United Blood Services blood center or blood drives through September 9, 2016, will be automatically entered to win a 2016 Polaris Ranger 900XP in the Rollin Up for a Ranger Giveaway. We are excited to offer this giveaway particularly now because donations have been down, said Jennifer Bredahl, regional donor recruitment cirector, United Blood Services. We encourage new and existing donors to participate in this fun promotion to ultimately save lives and to ensure our supply is strong enough to respond to any emergencies or traumas. To make an appointment please call 877-827-4376 or go to www.UnitedBloodServices.org. To save time, donors can now fill out their Fast Track Health History Questionnaire online at www.UnitedBloodServices.org the day of their donation. To donate blood, volunteers must be at least 16 years old (16 year old donors need a minor donor permit which is available online) and be in good health. Must be 18 years or older to win. Offer applies to participating United Blood Services blood centers and mobile blood drives operated within Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. Thanks to Blue Envelope Pathfinder Boat and Fishing Club would like to thank Blue Envelope Health Fund for their donation of an AED. This piece of equipment will be housed at Pathfinder Marina and would be used in a life saving event. The board and members of Pathfinder Boat Club thank you for your generosity. Suggestions for food bags The Wyoming Food for Thought Project is now providing weekend food bags to nearly 600 children in Natrona County weekly. While all donations are appreciated and used, this year the staff has compiled a list of things to donate monthly, in order to stock the shelves of the pantry at the program center. Here is a list of suggestions for the entire year: July, canned vegetables; August, Chef Boyardee products; September, pork and beans; October, cereal; November, soup; December, canned chili. Donations can be dropped off any time at Food for Thought drop site locations, which include Great Harvest Bread, eastside WAC, Reliant FCU, Mary Anns Beans, Casper College Library, Aspen Ridge Dental, and the Food for Thought Program Center, 900 St. John St. Grownup Stuff Patio talks at trails The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) is once again hosting summer afternoon programs on pioneer and Wyoming history. These short interpretive programs, ranging from 20-45 minutes, are free and open to the public. July 30, 1 p.m. Native American Spiritual Traditions: Stop in and help us welcome back Willie Leclair, Wyoming's resident ambassador for the Eastern Shoshone people! Willie brings articles of worship and describes their significance as he explains a Shoshone spiritual perspective on the world and the human being's place in it. This is a wonderful opportunity to interact with a Shoshone cultural interpreter! July 31, 1 p.m. Pioneer Doll Making: During the early days of America, children often played with dolls. Dolls could be soft and cuddly, such as a rag doll or made from other items found in the home. Dolls were easy to make and were generally made from scraps of fabric already available. Since these dolls were homemade, surely no two were ever the same! Join NHTIC volunteer Jean Smart as she illuminates the most popular of these early American pastimes. For more information, please contact Jason Vlcan at (307) 261-7780. Four Casperites in state Dem delegation Four Casper Democrats will be among the 18 Wyoming delegates attending the National Convention in Philadelphia through Thursday. Michael Bond, Natrona County educator, Mary Hales, Wyoming national committee woman, Brenna Cain and Matthew Frias (alternate) were chosen at the State Convention in Cheyenne on May 9 to represent Wyoming. Of the 18 delegates going, seven represent Hillary Clinton, seven represent Bernie Sanders, and the four super delegates represent Clinton. The super delegates are from the Wyoming Democratic Partys elected leadership; they are State Chair and Vice Chair, National Committee Woman and National Committee Man. Wyoming will be represented on three national DNC committees during the convention. On the Platform and Credentials committees, representing Bernie Sanders, will be Richard Kusaba and Michelle Argento, respectively, while Bonnie Brown Koelb will be on the Rules and ByLaws committee, representing Clinton. Ana Cuprill, Wyoming Democratic state chair, said the states 2016 Platform adopted at the May 9 convention will be considered along with those from all other states during the National Convention. Wyoming Blues Challenge Calling all Wyoming Blues Bands and Solo/Duo Blues acts. Here's your chance to represent Wyoming in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge. Prelims will be held on August 7 at the Alibi Pub in Laramie and August 20 at the Attic above the World Famous Wonder Bar in Casper. Finals will be held on September 18 in the ballrooms at the Parkway Plaza. If you think you have what it takes, contact Rick Davis at wyomingblueschallenge@gmail.com to get rules and receive your entry information. Jonah Bank celebrates 10 years Jonah Bank of Wyoming has been building a better Wyoming for 10 years. Come celebrate with us. Caspers celebration will take place from 4 to 7 p.m., on Thursday, August 11, at Jonah Bank on the Platte River (777 West First Street). Jonah Bank of Wyoming was established in 2006 and continues to build a better Wyoming through support of Wyoming small businesses and their employees. The bank strongly believes in old fashioned, relationship-based banking where your banker is your neighbor, friend and most importantly, your partner in growing your business. Jonah Bank is dedicated to the communities it serves, with two locations in Casper (777 West First Street and 3730 East Second Street) and two in Cheyenne (2015 Central Avenue and 205 Storey Boulevard). New displays at senior center What is Zentangle? Zentangle is a fun, relaxing ,easy method of drawing that creates structured images. Visit the Senior Center at 1831 E. 4th St. to view this fascinating display of amazing drawings by local artists. Also featured is a collection of Japanese collectibles including pottery, clothing, dishes and more. For more information, call 265-4678. Veteran Cigar Night Every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m., all veterans are invited to Veteran Cigar Night at the Casper Cigar Company, 4717 W. Yellowstone Highway, sponsored by Casper Cigar Company. There is no cost to attend. This is a time and place for our community's combat veterans to relax and share their stories with other combat veterans while enjoying a good cigar. Veterans receive 20 percent off cigars. For more information, call Josh Cruse at 307-337-4400 or josh@caspercigar.com Submit to miniature show ART 321/Casper Artists Guild would like to invite all artists to submit entries in our 22nd Annual International Miniature Art Show 2016. You can find the specifications on entries and entry forms by visiting our website at art321.org and looking under Exhibits. Fees and entries are due July 30, 2016. The show opens to the public on August 4, 2016, and closes August 27, 2016. Cash awards and ribbons will be given. Size of cash awards will depend upon number of entries. Dr. Valerie Innella Maiers is the show judge. She teaches art history and museum studies in the Visual Arts Department at Casper College. CHEYENNE Fifteen people have been arrested in connection to a sting aimed at stopping prostitution during Cheyenne Frontier Days. The Cheyenne Police Department and FBI officials used a series of stings between Monday and Wednesday to arrest suspects accused of solicitation, prostitution and drug possession. Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak says the FBI had noticed a spike in escort services in the area during Frontier Days, which led to the sting. Kozak says the operation helped train Cheyenne police officers about how to spot escort services and conduct a similar sting in the future. He says the only downside of the operation was that it did not uncover any cases of overt sex trafficking. CHEYENNE A new wildfire that blew up in southwest Wyoming has destroyed eight rural homes and forced the evacuation of about 140 others. State forester Bill Crapser said the Tokawana Fire in Uinta County was detected Thursday afternoon and grew quickly, burning about 3 square miles in a matter of hours. No containment was reported. An estimated 250 to 300 rural residents and summer camp members were evacuated on short notice. Crapser says firefighters are using helicopters and tankers to fight the fire and more resources are being brought in. The fire was also threatening water supplies, utility lines and a cell tower, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA has authorized federal funds to help with firefighting costs. Wyoming Highway 410 and County Road 271 were closed due to fire traffic and smoky conditions, according to the Bureau of Land Managements Kemmerer Field Office. The cause of the fire is unknown. Anyone with information is asked to contact BLM Assistant Fire Management Officer Kevin Cahill at 307-352-0236. Elsewhere, firefighters have made their first measurable progress in battling a wildfire that is threatening hundreds of seasonal homes in northwest Wyoming. Firefighters say they have managed to gain 20 percent containment of the Lava Mountain Fire that is burning in Shoshone National Forest and on neighboring private land northwest of Dubois. The fire has burned about 19 square miles since it was started July 11 by lightning. More than 1,000 firefighters are battling it. About 900 people have been evacuated from the area that includes about 290 rural seasonal homes and guest ranches. In the Bridger-Teton National Forest, firefighters have increased containment of the Cliff Creek Fire to about 20 percent. That fire has burned about 41 square miles. PHILADELPHIA Long a lightning rod on the right, Hillary Clinton is making a targeted appeal to Republicans who challenge Donald Trumps claim to the conservative mantle and fear his possible presidency. Clintons final day of the Democratic National Convention featured speeches by a former member of President Ronald Reagans administration and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce official who is heading a GOP group supporting Clinton, part of an expanded outreach to Republican voters and donors. Clinton pivoted to the left during the primaries and fended off self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. Trumps national security stumbles in questioning U.S. support for NATO allies and urging Russia to meddle in the race provides a general-election opening for Clinton and other Democrats to reach out to Republicans. In his speech Wednesday night, President Barack Obama evoked Reagan, reminding voters that the conservative hero famously called the United States a shining city on a hill. Trump, he said, calls the United States a divided crime scene and hopes to win votes by scaring people over immigration and crime. Shortly before Obama spoke, Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent Michael Bloomberg urged voters to back Clinton, calling her the sane, competent person. In her first post-convention TV interview, Clinton was slated to appear on Fox News Sunday this weekend. She is holding an event in Republican-leaning Nebraska on Monday, giving her the opportunity to reach Republican voters. Obama won the Omaha congressional district in 2008. Several prominent Republicans, including the two former presidents Bush and 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, have not endorsed Trump. Clinton has picked up some Republican endorsements in recent weeks, including Brent Scowcroft, a national security adviser to President George H.W. Bush, and Hank Paulson, a Treasury secretary under President George W. Bush. You have to make them feel that theyre not traitors. And the way to do that is to roll out a bunch of well-known Republicans saying, Hey Im for Hillary, said former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. The former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state has been the frequent Republican target during her more than three decades in national politics, most recently for her use of a private email server for government business at the State Department. Republicans said that history and her high negative numbers among rank-and-file Republican voters make it unlikely shell find many cross-over voters. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday in Philadelphia that Trumps fight against Washington insiders was prone to turn off some Republicans. Donald Trump is the outsider. Hillary Clinton is the corrupt insider. And if thats going to mean that were going to lose some Republican votes, so be it, Giuliani said. Republicans also argue she should pay more attention to her own base. Sean Spicer, chief strategist for the RNC, noted eruptions of boos inside the Democratic convention hall and omnipresence of Sanders fans, and said, Clinton should really focus on getting her own party in order before she worries about our party. But Democrats view Trumps provocative statements and the failed Never Trump movement as leading indicators in their ability to win over college-educated Republicans who have been wary of the businessmans foreign policy views or incendiary statements about Mexican-Americans, Muslims and women. John Stubbs and Ricardo Reyes, two former officials in President George W. Bushs administration, attended the convention to generate interest in their pro-Clinton grassroots organization called R4C16.org. For likeminded Republicans, they said sitting out the election is not enough. Reyes called Trump an existential threat, not just to the party but to the entire United States. Clinton hopes to win over not only the hearts of Republican voters but also the wallets of some of the partys donors. Her campaign has assembled a team to field calls from Republicans interested in giving money and helping with fundraising. In Chicago, former U.S. attorney Daniel Webb told Clinton fundraisers in recent weeks that he supports her and wants to help gather contributions for her campaign. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Webb said Trumps bias against Hispanics and Muslims, among other groups, spurred him to action. PHILADELPHIA Promising Americans a steady hand, Hillary Clinton cast herself Thursday night as a unifier for divided times, steeled for the challenges of a volatile world by decades in politics that have left some Americans skeptical that she understands their lives. I know that at a time when so much seems to be pulling us apart, it can be hard to imagine how well ever pull together again, Clinton said as she accepted the Democratic nomination, becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S. political party. But Im here to tell you tonight progress is possible. Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates. But her real audience was the millions of voters who may welcome her experience but question her character. Clinton acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying I get it that some people just dont know what to make of me. But her primary focus was portraying herself as the only qualified candidate in a general election contest against Republican Donald Trump. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis, she said. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Clintons four-day convention began with efforts to shore up liberals who backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and it ended with an outstretched hand to Republicans and independents unnerved by Trump. A parade of military leaders, law enforcement officials and Republicans took the stage ahead of Clinton to endorse her in the general election contest with Trump. This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future, said retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan. We must seize this moment to elect Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America. American flags waved in the stands of the packed convention hall and the crowd broke into chants of U-S-A! drowning out scattered calls of No more war. The Democratic nomination now officially hers, Clinton has just over three months to persuade Americans Trump is unqualified for the Oval Office and overcome the visceral connection he has with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. The Star-Tribune talked to a number of Wyoming delegates Thursday before Clintons speech. On Tuesday, the Wyoming delegation announced that the state that was first to grant women the right to vote and the first to have a woman governor was proud to nominate the first woman president of the United States, said Mary Throne of Cheyenne, a delegate for Clinton. No matter what the politics, its an exciting moment as an American, Throne said. Of the states 18 delegates, seven pledged delegates supported Clinton, seven supported Bernie Sanders and four superdelegates supported Clinton, said Bruce Palmer of Lander, vice chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party. An attempt by the Wyoming Democratic Party to allow some pledged delegates to support Sanders, to reflect the majority he captured at the partys caucuses, was rejected by the national party, Palmer said. Palmer believes Clinton will appeal to Wyomingites who think Trump is too arrogant, not a good match for a state. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton is probably the most qualified person ever to run for president, he said. While Trump has been vague on details for policies, Clinton has extensive plans for coal, oil and gas, Palmer said. With Hillary Clinton, youre always going to have a plan, he said. Everyhing she does shes always has a plan. I think a lot of people are saying wow, shes the safest choice. Throne is the Democratic Partys leader in the Wyoming House, although she said she disagrees with her energy policy because she doesnt do enough to promote coal. I dont expect Secretary Clinton to win Wyoming, Throne said. Her energy policy, as President Obamas energy policy, is harmful to Wyoming. But you know, the truth of the matter is I dont think Donald Trump understands Wyoming, someone on Fifth Avenue. Throne said many of Trumps campaign promises have not been thoroughly planned. Theyre not policies. Even if his energy policies are marginally better for Wyoming, if he destroys the economy, hes not going to be good for any of us, she said. Sanders delegate Brenna Cain of Casper remains undecided. She feels the convention is a performance to win over Americas conservatives and moderates. She doesnt like how many Republicans have spoken. The party has taken it for granted that the Sanders supporters will vote for Clinton, since he endorsed her. Theyre not going out of their way to welcome Sanders supporters into the party, she said. Theyre really going to have to do that in order for me to say Im going to support her. Theyve forgotten us. Theyve silenced us. They feel theyve been taken care of. Theyre moving on and theyre hoping to attract moderates and conservatives who are afraid of Trump. Clinton delegate Mike Bleakley of Cheyenne feels its more unified. On Monday there were a few boos and a little bit of contention, but I feel like everybody has been committed to unifying the party, he said. The focus for me and everyone has been theres more that unites us than divides us. If Hillary wants a $12 an hour minimum wage and Bernie wants a $15 minimum wage, the $15 minimum wage is what made it into the platform. Bleakley, who is gay, said the history of a woman becoming a majority party presidential candidate is important. Anything we can do to break down barriers and let people know anyone can do anything, thats the American dream, he said. And its really, really exciting. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Wyoming Attorney Generals Office filed charges Friday against Republican state lawmaker Sam Krone for allegedly stealing from his local bar association. Krone, a Cody attorney, has been serving as treasurer of the Park County Bar Association. An affidavit by a Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agent alleges Krone diverted over $9,600 from the bar association for personal use. On Friday afternoon, Krone told the Star-Tribune he was shocked by the charges. He said he was aware of allegations and had been talking with representatives of the attorney generals office and DCI. I really thought we had a dialogue going on and we were discussing the matter, he said. Im surprised by the criminal charges. Krone said he couldnt discuss the allegations at this point. Ive been in enough trials I know that the details said in advance can certainly be used against a person, he said. I do know, based on my experience as a lawyer, that people are innocent until proven guilty, and I look forward to going through this process. Krone said he had been talking with people from the state without an attorney representing him, but now that its before the courts, hell seek representation. Krone said he continues to campaign for re-election to House District 24, a seat in the Wyoming House that he has held since 2011. If I were convicted, I couldnt serve, he said. At this stage Im continuing to run for the Legislature, and Im hopeful we can resolve this case in a manner in which I think is just. Earlier this year, Park County Attorney Bryan Skoric fired Krone from his job as Park County deputy prosecutor while he was serving in the Legislature in Cheyenne. Krone had said he lost his temper and sent text messages to a woman being prosecuted by his office that were profane and inappropriate. Krone declined to discuss Friday whether he is facing any disciplinary action on that matter. But he said he continues to practice law, having started his own firm in his northwestern Wyoming hometown. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Descendants of Northern Cheyenne tribal members who fled Fort Robinson, Nebraska, in 1879, returned recently to dedicate a memorial thats been 15 years in the making. More than 200 members of the tribe gathered around the four-sided pyramid-shaped monument inlaid with precisely cut slabs of red pipestone. A brass plaque on each side is inscribed with historic words of the Northern Cheyenne. The 15-foot-high, 22-ton monument is 20 feet tall, including the two-dimensional stainless steel Morning Star designed to appear straight on from all angles. The dedication began July 14 at Fort Robinson as people joined together to walk the 2 miles to the monument, turning off of Highway 20 onto a new road leading up to the site. Above the monument are skyscraping cliffs where archaeologists have uncovered clues that skirmishes with soldiers took place there after the escape. This is a healing event, said Jay Mullins, an engineer who has been working on the project for more than a decade. His remark echoed the sentiments heard over and over from speakers during the dedication. The idea for the memorial came in 2001 after Edna Seminole, then 75, made the pilgrimage from Montana to Fort Robinson with others to visit the site where her ancestors had made a heroic, desperate escape from Army imprisonment during the freezing Great Plains winter. She, Rosie Eaglefeathers and others left in tears, heartbroken. There was no tangible recognition of the Fort Robinson Outbreak, in which 149 escaped and 61 were killed in their efforts to reach freedom. There was an old wood sign with bullet holes through it. Thats all, Seminole said. How could this be, they wondered, during the long drive home. Their thoughts then turned to What can we do about it? Determined to get a proper memorial erected on the site, Seminole and Eaglefeathers began fundraising on the Northern Cheyenne reservation. They began with $200 from Seminoles son Vincent Whitecranes employer, Western Energy. With the money they bought the best cuts of meat, and their meat bingo games were wildly successful. From their small apartments at the Heritage Living Center in Ashland an assisted living facility funded solely by private donations they brainstormed. Then there was a breakthrough with the land. A Nebraska rancher and friend of the Cheyennes, T.R. Hughes, had always believed there needed to be a monument. His and his wife Kays land surrounded the site. When the land the monument sits on today came up for sale, he bought it and donated 350 acres to Chief Dull Knife College in Lame Deer. Another friend who had received a rare permit to pull stone from the Pipestone rock quarry in Pipestone, Minnesota, the only place on Earth where geology has formed the red soft rock determined he would help, a lot. Rick Hall, a Northern Cheyenne, mined the massive slabs for the monument, noting the specific grade and thickness required was 12 feet below ground. Machinery is not permitted in the quarry. Shovel, slegehammer and buckets, he said. Hall eventually moved to Crawford, Nebraska, a few miles from the monument. A huge development came when a Wisconsin engineer spoke with Seminoles brother Ralph in the early 2000s. Mullins threw in and brought a contractors arsenal of equipment and labor every summer to the site beginning in 2004. The structure began to take shape. Then we ran out of money, Seminoles son Vincent said, who by then was fully invested in the project. David Sands runs a private land conservation organization out of Lincoln, Nebraska. They had it three-fourths finished but needed money for the professional services they couldnt do, he said. The road, plaques, trimming would require $150,000. Sands and others facilitated behind-the-scenes fundraising and discovered there were many in the Lincoln area who loved the project. In two years they had they money. Looking over the scene Friday one couldnt help but sense a feeling of pure joy and satisfaction. Few Indians came here before this (to Fort Robinson), said pipestone supplier Hall. Now they will. Hughes died before he could see it completed. His wife, Kay, was at the dedication. Four teepees were positioned a hundred yards or so from the monument forming the corners of a rectangle. Bison grazed in an adjacent field on Fort Robinson State Park land. Overcast skies turned sunny and an eagle appeared overhead. The monument is on private land and unaffiliated with state or government operations. However, park services have endorsed and supported the project from the beginning. The thing is, we are all from here, Whitecrane said, meaning those on the reservation today are all descendants of the men, women and children in a single wooden army barracks 137 years ago, breaking out into the winter. Eaglefeathers died in 2013. Seminole, now 89, saw it through. A dozen speakers took turns speaking. Clearly there were many people, subcommittees and organizations who contributed to getting the monument built. From Mullins perspective, theres only one reason its there. She was firm and determined. She made staunch decisions. No question, its Edna. Judy Rich, president and CEO of Tucson Medical Center, was named to the board of the American Hospital Association, a national advocacy nonprofit. The group, founded in 1898, counts nearly 5,000 hospitals and health-care organizations as its members, with nine regional policy boards representing different areas of the country. The Tucson executive recently became chairwoman of the board for the region that includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Her new position has given her a voice at the national level. Its been an incredible learning experience for me to meet these leaders. Its a lot of very smart people looking to make health care better, keep our patients safe and provide quality care, Rich said in an interview Thursday. Her term on the American Hospital Association board runs through Dec. 31, 2018. Rich rose through the ranks at TMC from staff nurse to executive positions. She first joined the hospital in 2003 as chief operations and chief nursing officer but left in 2005. She returned to Tucson in 2007 as hospital administrator and executive vice president and was officially named CEO in 2009. Tucsons only independent community hospital, TMC is one of Southern Arizonas largest nonprofits, with more than 3,000 employees. Judy brings a wealth of clinical-health-care knowledge to the AHA Board of Trustees, said Jim Skogsbergh, AHA board chairman, in a news release Thursday. As the field continues to evolve, Judys depth of experience will help guide the AHA and our hospital and health system members into the future. Her experience as a nurse and lifetime in health care are assets she is ready to bring, Rich said, along with her regional viewpoint. I bring a perspective from a state that is really far away from Washington, D.C., and at times were somewhat distanced from all the policy making that goes on, she said. I bring that kind of Western perspective. The future includes several challenges for health-care providers, Rich said. At the national level, the fate of Medicare and its continued funding is at the top of the list, as well as how to improve and measure quality of care and how to report patient outcomes fairly and objectively. Locally, she said, TMCs biggest challenge is how to continue to serve the region as an independent community hospital. We have a board of directors that is very focused on the benefit to our community as the number one goal. Every decision we make is framed in that goal and we are constantly striving to provide good access to care and the best quality care, Rich said. She is proud of TMC receiving a four-star rating from the agency that manages and regulates Medicare and being the only hospital in Tucson to receive that recognition. The rating was given this week by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Anniversary of first walk on the moon A footprint left by one of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission shows in the soft, powder surface of the moon on July 20, 1969. Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Air Force Col. Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. became the first men to walk on the moon after blastoff from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on July 16, 1969. They headed back home from the lunar surface on July 21, 1969. The end of man's first voyage to another planet ended with a splashdown 950 miles southwest of Hawaii, thus achieving President John F.Kennedy's challenge to land men on the moon before the end of the 1960s. (AP Photo/NASA) Health coverage for thousands of refugees and immigrants across Arizona has been wrongly restricted by the states Medicaid agency, according to a lawsuit filed this month in U.S. District Court in Tucson. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, known as AHCCCS, improperly classified immigrants and refugees as only eligible for a limited emergency version of AHCCCS, instead of the full AHCCCS benefits for which they qualify, attorneys for the William E. Morris Institute for Justice allege. The complaint was filed July 22 by the Phoenix-based firm and the D.C.-based National Health Law Program. It says AHCCCS misclassifications have harmed the health of plaintiffs with serious conditions including diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and depression that require medication and treatment. The emergency-only AHCCCS plan covers only conditions that place ones health in serious jeopardy or cause serious impairment of bodily function or dysfunction of body parts, the suit says. AHCCCS deputy director Beth Kohler said Thursday that the agency cant comment on pending litigation. The complaint lists two Tucson-based plaintiffs, who attorneys say are among thousands with coverage that were wrongly transferred to emergency-only, despite no changes in immigration status. The suit also alleges inadequate notification of the coverage transfers, in violation of the due-process clause of the U.S. Constitution and the federal law establishing Medicaid. Notification letters sent to immigrants dont explain what emergency-only means, how to file an appeal nor why the agency believes the recipient no longer qualifies. Not everyone who lost coverage even received notification, said attorney Ellen Katz of the Morris Institute. Some immigrants dont qualify for public benefits like AHCCCS and food stamps until theyve been in the country for five years, but federal law exempts others from the time requirement. Among the exempt immigrants: refugees, those who entered the U.S. before 1996 and victims of domestic violence and extreme cruelty. The complaint says the five-year requirement appears to have been wrongly applied to many qualified immigrants over the past 18 months. Katz said her firm first contacted AHCCCS about the situation in October 2015. AHCCCS responded that it had identified 3,500 immigrants whose coverage was wrongly changed and restored their full coverage. But the problems have persisted since then, Katz said. Some families whose benefits were restored have already been kicked off their AHCCCS plan again, she said. Last year, AHCCCS said the transfers to emergency-only were due to errors in the new computer system that checks eligibility, the complaint says. The system is used at the Arizona Department of Economic Security, which does the eligibility checks for beneficiaries of AHCCCS and other benefits like food stamps. The mistakes didnt affect DES food stamp eligibility checks, which rely on a different system, the complaint said. Weve been trying to negotiate this with AHCCCS for nine months, Katz said. We have continued to see persons who were improperly transferred, so we know its still going on. ... We just feel like at this point, we need to bring the matter in front of a judge. The attorneys arent trying to prove that AHCCCS is intentionally cutting benefits, Katz said. They dont have to be intentionally doing this in order to be violating the law, she said. Tucson plaintiffs One of the plaintiffs, Tucson resident Aita Darjee, 30, arrived in the U.S. in 2011 as a refugee from Nepal, along with her husband and child, the complaint says. She first discovered her familys AHCCCS coverage had switched to emergency-only last year. AHCCCS restored the coverage. But this month, the family was again transferred to emergency-only, without explanation or notification. Her husband, who has diabetes and asthma, discovered the change when his doctor called to cancel an appointment to check his blood sugar, which isnt covered under emergency-only AHCCCS, the complaint says. The other plaintiff, Tucson resident Alma Sanchez Haro, 48, came to the U.S. before 1996. She was a victim of domestic violence and is eligible for AHCCCS under the Violence Against Women Act, the complaint says. She received a boilerplate notice in April that she now only had emergency coverage, according to the complaint. During the confusion over her reduced coverage, she had to forgo weeks of medication to treat her depression and anxiety, which led to her becoming suicidal, the complaint says. Attorneys are asking the judge for certification as a class-action case so that the ruling will cover thousands who have lost full coverage across Arizona. The complaint seeks reinstatement of full coverage for eligible immigrants, improved notification of benefit changes for plaintiffs, payment of attorneys fees and, if the court allows it, reimbursement for out-of-pocket medical expenses the immigrants may have incurred after their health plan was cut. That likely wouldnt amount to much money, since most who lost coverage simply had to forgo medical care, Katz said. Most of these folks just dont have money, she said. Theyre going without. A man who led law enforcement officers on a chaotic chase through Tucson was a suspect in a bank robbery that occurred Wednesday in Marana, police said. The man was shot and killed by police during the chase Thursday that went from the southwest side to near the UA campus and included two shootouts and a carjacking, officials said. On two occasions the man exchanged gunfire with police officers and fled in a Marana police car, carjacked another vehicle, and attempted to flee in a Tucson police car before he was finally captured, spokesmen for the two agencies said during a briefing Thursday night. A Tucson police spokesman confirmed the man was pronounced dead at Banner-University Medical Center, where he was taken after being shot by police. The chase came to an end at East Eighth Street and North Campbell Avenue.The man, whose name was not released, had an extensive criminal history and he was affiliated with prison and street gangs, police said. Authorities have shut down a stretch of southbound I-19 from the I-10 interchange to West Valencia Road because of several crime scenes involving the incident. North Campbell Avenue near East Eighth Street is also closed. Heavy traffic is reported on surface streets around the closures, including Campbell, Ajo Way, South Park Avenue, Irvington Road, Benson Highway. Westbound traffic from I-10 is not being allowed to exit onto southbound I-19. The incident began when Marana police detectives attempted to arrest the man at a house on South Mission Road near West Irvington Road. The man was wanted in connection with a robbery that happened Wednesday afternoon at the Bank of America on North Cortaro Road near I-10. The man fled in a vehicle from the residence and was pursued by a Marana police car. He ended up crashing the car on I-19 and Ajo Way. There, he exchanged gunfire with the Marana officer who was chasing him, said Lt. Tim Brunenkant, a department spokesman. The man then escaped in the Marana police car and headed south on I-19 where he exited at West Valencia Road. In the 1400 block of West Valencia the man carjacked a 2006 Chevrolet Impala, running over the legs of the elderly drive who he forced out of the car. That man was not seriously injured, police said. By this time Marana police had requested assistance from other agencies in the area and Tucson police officers located the stolen car near East 22nd and South Country Club Road. Officers began chasing the car. The car headed northbound on Campbell, where at Eighth Street, the driver attempted to turn east onto Eighth but crashed the vehicle. The man got out of the car and fired a shotgun at responding officers who were behind him. One Tucson police officer fired back, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a Tucson police spokesman. The man managed to get into a Tucson police patrol car, but he was blocked from driving away by other patrol vehicles. Officers took the man into custody and saw that he had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was given first aid at the scene by officers before being taken by paramedics to Banner-UMC, where he was pronounced dead several hours later, Dugan said. Dugan said it was not immediately known who shot the man. A video taken by resident Micah Chermak shows heavily armed Tucson police officers performing CPR on a person lying in the street following the shooting. Chermak said he heard about six shots as the incident unfolded in front of his residence. "My girlfriend and I were in our house when we heard a crashing noise, and then what sounded like a gunshot," said Chermak in an interview shortly after the incident. "I told her to get down and get in the bathroom," he said. "Then we heard more gunshots. I saw SWAT and police walking around," Chermak said. "It was a crazy mess. It was scary for sure," said Chermak, a ballet dancer and University of Arizona fine arts student. A man linked to a bank robbery who was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with a Tucson police officer has been identified. Jesus Isaac Rael, 31, was mortally wounded after firing at a police officer then trying to steal a second police squad car in a series of crimes that started Thursday afternoon and stretched across the city. Rael previously served several years in an Arizona state prison, for felony charges stemming out of Maricopa County that included robbery, unlawful use of means of transportation and misconduct involving weapons, according to records from the Arizona Department of Corrections. After his release in 2008, he was arrested in Yuma, and convicted of felony aggravated assault, where he served a three-year sentence, prison records show. In May 2013, he was arrested in Pima County on a warrant, for leaving the jurisdiction of his parole without permission, records show. He was returned to prison and released in March 2014. About 1:45 p.m., Marana police called TPD asking for help capturing a man who they tried to stop in connection with a bank robbery. After an exchange of gunfire the gunman escaped in a stolen police car. There were at least seven Marana police officers on the scene at the time of the shootout, said department spokesman Sgt. Chris Warren. The same man was then linked to a carjacking on West Valencia Road in which the cars owner suffered serious injuries when the gunman ran him over in the Chevrolet Malibu he was stealing, police said. The chase resumed when the stolen Malibu was spotted by police in midtown. The driver crashed trying to turn onto East 8th Street from North Campbell Avenue. He fired on an officer with a shotgun, was shot and wounded by that officer, then tried to escape by stealing the officers squad car, police say. Two other officers used their squad cars to prevent an escape. Tucson police started cardio pulmonary resuscitation at the scene of the shooting, but Rael died later at the hospital. Marana police said Friday that surveillance photos taken during the Wednesday bank robbery helped detectives identify Rael as the robber. Also, a citizen gave police a license plate number of the car used in the robbery. The department said it obtained a felony arrest warrant for Rael and notified surrounding agencies that he was wanted in connection with the robbery. Rael was driving that car, a 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, when confronted by Marana police officers trying to arrest him on Thursday. He crashed the car during his attempt to escape, Marana police said. Two midtown private schools are scrambling to correct city zoning violations with the new school year just weeks away. The schools, Pathways School and Veritas Academy, are within blocks of each other in midtowns Palo Verde Neighborhood, near Catalina High School. Pathways, 3618 E. Pima St., is a new school serving students with special needs and Veritas, 2151 N. Palo Verde Blvd. serves Christian students who are home-schooled part time. Unlike district and charter schools, private schools must abide by city code, said John Beall, section manager for entitlement and special exception at the citys planning and zoning department. The heads of both schools said they were unaware of that fact. There are requirements for educational uses regarding hours of operation, outdoor activities, vehicular and pedestrian access, passenger drop-off areas and the size of the campus, according to Beall. Both Pathways and Veritas are on the campuses of churches in a residential area and neither meet the 5-acre requirement to operate a school, which is why they need to apply for special exceptions. The schools violations came to the citys attention when members of the Palo Verde Neighborhood Association contacted Ward 6 Councilman Steve Kozachik. Both schools were operating in good faith, he said. Neither of them were trying to slip through the cracks. But they must still go through the proper rezoning process, he added. Ronni Kotwica, president of the neighborhood association, said she and other neighbors did not know that Veritas was operating as a school and that another one, Pathways, was going to open in August. In Veritas case, neighbors didnt realize it was a school for several months; neighbors only found out after members of the senior community neighboring the school complained of noise. They started noticing all of the screaming and yelling at 7:30 in the morning up until 5:30 in the afternoon, Kotwica said. Both schools are working to make amends, Kozachik said. They have met with the neighborhood association and city officials to start the process for special exceptions. The process can take four to six months, he said. In the meantime, with the stipulation that both schools go through the proper zoning process, they would be issued temporary certificates of occupancy so they could open for the new school year. For Veritas, a school of about 90 students, there are additional conditions. The school must work to rectify the disruption to the neighboring community. That means extending an existing block wall, moving around playground equipment and increasing supervision of children during school hours, said Christopher Barnes, head of Veritas Academy. Were sorry for any of the problems that we have had, he said. Were working to be good neighbors. Pathways School is assessing what renovations need to be made for the special exception process, said Debra DeLabio, the schools director. Upon receiving the notice of violation from the city, the school immediately sought out an architect and began the application. Were moving forward feeling very positive, she said. We intend to do everything that were expected to do under the guidelines of the city. The search for University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart's replacement will be led by what some might call an odd couple: one of Hart's staunchest critics alongside one of her biggest fans. Arizona Board of Regents member Bill Ridenour of Paradise Valley, a UA alumnus and former fundraising trustee and the only regent to publicly question Hart's job performance, will chair the search committee for the school's next leader. Tucson Regent Ron Shoopman, the longtime CEO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council who regularly praises Hart at regents' meetings, will serve as vice chair of the search effort. The two were appointed by Regent Greg Patterson of Scottsdale, who recently took over as chairman of the board and also is a Hart supporter. Patterson, asked in an email why he chose a pair of search leaders with divergent views of the current UA president, said he is seeking diverse perspectives that they will be able to provide due to their extensive community connections. Ridenour said he and Shoopman respect each other and predicts they will "work very well together. "He is very involved in the Tucson business community and that will be an important constituency" to connect with during the search, Ridenour said. The search committee also will include outside members but those appointments have yet to be determined. Hart announced June 10 she plans to step down as president in 2018 when her contract expires. Some regents have said she could be replaced next year once a new leader is aboard Ridenour said in an email interview that before the next president is hired, he intends to seek a change to the policy that allowed Hart to accept a paid post on the board of for-profit DeVry University and hold onto it despite months of public opposition. The current policy allows university presidents to moonlight wherever they choose without regents permission. Their contracts state only that they must give top priority to their day jobs, which Hart has said she is doing. The regents also are issuing a request for proposal to hire a search consultant to aid in the effort. First, they came for your mailbox. Then your favorite television station. Now they are after the cord-cutters and seek to dominate your favorite streaming media format as well as your social-media channels. Welcome to the new reality as local and national political ads begin to dominate the airwaves. In addition to ads from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton running during the Democratic National Convention, several local races have begun to run ads. U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, who is running for re-election in Congressional District 2, announced her campaign has reserved time to run ads during the Olympics. The six-figure ad buy for the freshman Republican, her first in this election cycle, is estimated to be worth $350,000 and will run on both broadcast and cable TV. Her campaign also will air ads on other platforms, including radio stations in Pima and Cochise counties. One of McSallys would-be Democratic rivals, Matt Heinz, is also on the airwaves with his first ad buy. His 30-second spot, titled Oath, has already begun to play on local airwaves and is scheduled to play during commercial breaks for Inside Edition, the Today show and Saturday Night Live. Congressional District 1 GOP candidate Wendy Rogers has also bought air time for late July and early August, scheduling ads to run during local news shows. In Arizonas U.S. Senate race, both John McCain and his rival from the Democratic Party, Ann Kirkpatrick, have reserved ad time. Tucson presence felt in Philadelphia In addition to the delegates hailing from the Old Pueblo, there were a number of notable locals on the stage at the Democratic National Convention. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords took the stage during prime time with her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly. Noting that speaking is difficult for her, Giffords wowed the crowd by saying, Come January, I want to say these two words: Madam President. Also taking the stage was U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva. Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild was part of a panel discussion on infrastructure, talking up the citys modern streetcar and the impact it has had on downtown development. Also was on hand was former Rep. Ron Barber, who said he remains passionately committed to gun control reform. Still a maverick Sen. McCain visited Tucson on Thursday and to beat the heat, the 79-year-old chatted with supporters while campaign staffers scooped up ice cream. You might blame the heat for McCain saying he would Make America great again, borrowing the phrase from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. But that love fest didnt last long, with McCain voicing deep criticism of Trump for his stance on NATO. McCain then criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin. Then President Obama. And Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. OK, he still is a maverick. Help India! By A Mirsab, TwoCirlces.net, Mumbai: Maharashtra assembly witnessed sharp criticism from Muslim MLAs over the baseless statement of Shiv Sena MLA Rahul Patil in Maharashtra assembly that 100 Muslim youths have gone missing from Marathwada region and that state government should probe if they have joined ISIS in Syria. Support TwoCircles On July 22, Patil raked up a controversy when he alleged that the 100 youths have gone missing from Marathwada recently and they were in touch with ISIS. If the state government fails to act in time, these youth would pose grave threat to communal harmony in society, Patil said in the assembly. Same statement was also reiterated by one more sena MLA Subhash Sambe. Muslim MLAs reacted sharply to this allegation and asked Patil to produce any evidence to substantiate his claim or it would be his attempt to spread fear among Muslims. Waris Pathan, an AIMIM MLA from Mumbai, strongly denounced Patils allegation and said, Sena is making wild allegations to create fear psychosis among majority community ahead of next years BMC elections for its vote bank politics. Has anyone from the families of these youth registered a missing complaint? Abu Asim Azmi,SP MLA from Mumbai questioned while addressing media at Legislative Assembly complex. He alleged the BJP-led Maharashtra government and police are misusing the ISIS issue to spread fear among the Muslims. The government and police are using the ISIS issue to spread fear among Muslims, Azmi alleged. Arif Naseem Khan, Congress MLA and former minority minister also rubbished Patils claim and said it is an attempt to terrorise Muslims under the name of ISIS. If there was anything like this then government should probe but without any investigation such statement should not be made in the assembly, he said. Patil made such statement in the wake of two arrests Naser Bin Yafai Chaus, 31 and Shahid Khan, 24 made by state ATS from Parbhani suspected of being in touch with ISIS members in Iraq. Police reject Patils claim ToI reported three special IGs heading the Marathwada region to have dismissed Patils claim and said there is no such information available with the police and neither did they provide the information to the MLA. Special IG (Nanded range) Chiranjiv Prasad told, We do not have any such information and I think these are exaggerated and conjured figures. Another superintendent of police said, Many a times such vague statements allegedly given to garner publicity, diverts the focus of the law enforcement agencies. Abu Asim Azmi uses polices dismissal to counter Patil On Thursday Azmi, took on Shiv Sena and its MLA Patil for raking a baseless controversy and said that police has proved Patils ill intention behind propagating false news of 100 youths joining ISIS. In a peace meeting with community leaders in Marathwada police have told that there only eight youths who are missing out of which three were mentally disturbed while one was indebted and disturbed. Only four youths are missing from the region, so Patils claim has been thrown back to him by police themselves, Azmi said in the assembly. On July 26, police had convened a peace meeting with community leaders as Muslims were upset due to presence of ATS in the region and apprised them that they should not be bothered with the Patils statement in the assembly. Police told them that only four youths are unaccounted for and whereabouts not known and there was no indication that they had joined ISIS. Armed with the police counter claim, Azmi told in the assembly, Shiv Sena MLAs have misguided assembly by raising baseless charges against Muslims. Russian Player Sets New Streaming Record that Will be Hard to Beat, Winning 250K on PokerStars.fr July 29 2016 Jason Glatzer PokerStars France offers three-max, hyper-turbo, lottery-style Spin & Go's at a variety of buy-in levels ranging from 1 to 100 where players can win up to 10,000-times their buy-in. Players from around the world can play on PokerStars France, provided that they are not in a restricted country and have a European bank account. According to the PokerStars Blog, a Russian player with the charismatic screenname "SolidPenis" recently won a life-changing sum of 250,000 in a 25 Spin & Go on July 22 while streaming live on his aKTepnopHo Twitch account. Since the stream was in Russian, PokerStars Team Online Pro Mikhail innerpsy Shalamov took it upon himself to narrate in English in a 12-minute video the entire experience. The odds are very steep to play in the highest prize pool in Spin & Go's on PokerStars France. At the 25 buy-in level, just one in 250,000 games launch off with a 300,000 prize pool which awards 250,000 to the winner and 25,000 to both second and third place finishers. The reactions by "SolidPenis" during the stream were just as many would react if they were playing the top prize. At first, it appears he was in shock sharing with his viewers, "It cant happen. Its not happening for real?" The Russian player makes some folds that Shalamov admits are uncommon in Spin & Go's for lower prizes including when he folded a straight when he was raised all-in by his low-stacked opponent who possibly nailed a flush when a third diamond spiked the river. Just before the final hand is dealt, Shalamov shares, "That is just a solid performance from 'SolidPenis'." Shortly thereafter, his opponent "DFDNFH?" shoves all-in for approximately 10 big blinds which "SolidPenis" calls with with about 27 big blinds. "DFDNFH?" turns over making him an almost 70 percent favorite to win the hand. When the flop came out , the odds for "SolidPenis" to win the hand went down to about 20 percent although he gained two outs with the or on the turn or river giving him a straight. That is exactly what happened on the turn when the appeared on the turn giving "SolidPenis" a straight and transforming his hand from a huge underdog into a more than 77 percent favorite to win the hand. "SolidPenis" was able to avoid any of the cards that would give his opponent a full-house when the harmless spiked the river and awarding him the top prize of 250,000. His reaction on the win is just priceless as he is in complete shock. "SolidPenis" shares with his Twitch viewers that, "I have no words," before also stating, "What important thing can I say at this moment? Be kind to everyone, believe in love, and I wont say I deserved it or didnt deserve it." History is Made! The 250,000 or almost $278,000 that "SolidPenis" hauled in for his victory, marks a new record for the amount won in online poker while streaming. The previous record was set a few months ago when American poker refugee Doug "WCG|Rider" Polk shipped the Mountain Series $700 Kilimanjaro, NL Hold'em, $750K Gtd for a huge haul of $162,952 while streaming live on Twitch. Get Unlucky? Win Free Spin & Go Tickets on PokerStars France Players must get really lucky to play for the top prizes Spin & Go's offer. Most of the time, players will be playing for just the minimum 2-times the buy-in in a winner-takes-all format. With this in mind, PokerStars France is hosting a promotion aptly named Get Unlucky, where players are awarded Spin & Go tickets just for playing for the minimum prize pool these games offer. Players must opt into a daily challenge, then play in an unlucky 13 Spin & Go's with the minimum prize awarded within a period of 24 hours to receive a free ticket to a Spin & Go with the same buy-in. Lead image courtesy of the PokerStars Blog. Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+! Sharelines Russia's "SolidPenis"establishes a new streaming record by winning 250K in a PokerStars France Spin & Go! Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby, who pursued charges against six officers involved in the May 2015 death ofFreddie Gray,is the subject of an ethics complaint filed in late June. On Wednesday, she announced that remaining charges had been dropped. With that, the gag order lifted. Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby unleashed a torrent.Gray, 25, died of a spinal cord injury sustained while handcuffed with feet shackled in the back of a Baltimore police van. His death sparked riots in the city. Baltimore now calm, but Mosby is still on fire "I made a promise that my prosecutors and I will never cower to prosecute crimes where we... have probable cause that a crime has been committed." Mosby asserted.Gray's mother stood at Mosby's side in a vigorous, highly quotable 13 minute press conference after the cases were dismissed. Meanwhile, back at the Baltimore FOP In a short statement, Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police President Gene Ryan responded to the Prosecutor at their own press conference."The comments made today by Ms. Mosby were outrageous, uncalled for and simply untrue," he said. "She had her own agenda." Ryan said that all officers did an excellent job cooperating fully in the legal matters regarding Gray's death, contrasting sharply with specific concerns listed by the Mosbyin her statements. Mosby's perspectives on police brutalityand urban crimewere undoubtedly influenced by her childhood in Boston. She lost a cousin to gun violence.According to a 2015 article in the Boston Globe, her grandfather's early negative encounter with police looking for a robbery suspect inspired him to join the Boston Police Department. Her father was also Boston cop, but he was dismissed after an internal investigation. Mosby was raised by her single mother in her grandfather's home, which was known around the neighborhood as "the police house." Her mother and several uncles were also Boston police officers. Critics fan the flames The Baltimore FOP is not Mosby's only detractor. Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz also accused her motives.He told the Baltimore Sun that she could be disbarred because of the Freddie Gray cases. His complaint resulted in an investigation by the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission, which refuses to comment. In the past, Banzhaf had a hand in disbarring the district attorney in the 2006 Stanford University lacrosse players case. Scott Greenfield, a criminal defense attorney, blogged on Simple Justice that he receives frequent press releases from Banzhaf on the subject of Marilyn Mosby's legal actions. To add to the onslaught, officers formerly charged in Freddie Gray's death have filed suit against Mosby, seeking $75,000 for each of their allegations, plus legal fees.The Gray cases didn't result in convictions, but spurred reforms within the Baltimore police department including the installment of cameras in transport vans and body cameras for all officers. They now have a searchable app to quickly locate policies and procedures. As the nation processes morerecent deaths of black people during police encounters, the fallout with public officials should be scrutinized. Indonesia, Ctrip join hands in attracting more Chinese tourists Updated: 2016-07-29 17:30 (Xinhua) A Chinese employee leaves the office building of Chinese online travel agency Ctrip in Shanghai, China, March 26, 2014.[Photo/IC] BALI, Indonesia - Indonesian Tourism Ministry and Ctrip, a leading Chinese online travel service provider, jointly held a digital marketing workshop here on Friday, discussing ways to lure more Chinese tourists. During the one-day workshop which was organized by PT.YSR Multi Media - Ctrip's exclusive partner in Indonesia, representatives from hotels, shopping malls, and other businesses in tourism industry will focus on how to increase the arrival number of Chinese tourists to Indonesia through digital marketing and how they could enjoy their stay through accommodating their preference and providing Mandarin service such as guides, city-maps, restaurant menus and so on. "We are hoping that this cooperation will increase the number of Chinese tourists to Indonesia further, because cooperation with Ctrip is not only about awareness and branding but also increasing sales," said Sandy Sanyoto, CEO of PT.YSR Multi Media. China's online travel market continues to boom, with growing numbers of Chinese booking outbound travel online. Ctrip is the leading player in Chinese online travel service industry. "The program is also intended to leverage the Ctrip brand and platform to attract new travel suppliers, to expand the hotel supplier network and room inventory, and to enrich air-ticketing as well as other travel product offerings," Ratna Suranti, assistant deputy for international marketing strategy at Indonesian Tourism Ministry, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the meeting. According to Ratna, cooperation with Ctrip is one of the many ways the Tourism Ministry has taken to realize the target of attracting 2.1 million Chinese tourists this year. "The workshop alone is expected to draw around 200,000 tourists," said Ratna. In 2015, there are over 120 million Chinese outbound tourists who spent $104.5 billion. But Indonesia could only attract 1.5 percent market share of the Chinese outbound tourists market, the Indonesian Tourism Ministry said, adding that Indonesia still ranked No.7 and Bali ranked No.8 respectively on the list of top visited countries and cities for Chinese tourists. The Indonesian government has made multiple efforts to tap into the huge potential of this market as the country expects 20 million foreign tourists by 2019, said Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya in an exclusive interview with Xinhua previously. Thanks to the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, and promotion efforts the Tourism Ministry has made in China, the arrival number of Chinese tourists in Indonesia has been increasing in recent years. Mainland police transfer robbery-murder suspect to HK Updated: 2016-07-29 09:04 (Xinhua) SHENZHEN - Police in South China's Guangdong province on Thursday handed over a suspect in a grave robbery and murder case to Hong Kong at the request of the region's police, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The case dates back to March 14 when a currency exchange store was robbed and its keeper was murdered. On March 17, Hongkong police offered tips to their Guangdong counterpart that suspect Kit Kwun-kwok had escaped to the mainland the day the case occurred and requested cooperative investigation. Police in the two regions have since kept in touch over the latest progress of the case under a law enforcement notification mechanism between the two sides, the ministry said in a statement. The suspect was ultimately arrested in a factory in Shenzhen by Guangdong police and later confessed to the crime. The public security department of Guangdong immediately informed Hong Kong police of the development. "The transfer showcases the firm will of mainland and Hong Kong police in joint criminal crackdown and warns outlaws that neither the mainland nor Hong Kong is a 'harbor" for crimes," the ministry said. Official figures show that Guangdong police have sent a total of 172 suspects back to Hong Kong since 2000. GE taking IIoT to the next level in China Updated: 2016-07-29 23:57 By WANG YING in Shanghai(China Daily USA) US conglomerate General Electric Co has launched its first Asian digital foundry in Shanghai to support the growth of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in China. IIoT refers to the integration of machinery with big data and the Internet of Things. The 4,000-square-meter foundry, located in GEs Shanghai campus in Zhangjiang of Pudong district, is designed to incubate startups, improve collaboration and drive ecosystem growth. It will also enable the company to fast track more than 10 digital industrial pilot programs and 40 big data analytics applications it is currently operating in China. These pilot projects cover GEs key vertical sectors such as aviation, healthcare, power and intelligent environment and will serve as test beds for full-scale industrial solutions for Chinese customers. The facility is the first of its kind in Asia and the second of four foundries to be opened this year, following the GE Digital Foundry in Paris last month. Developed with an investment of $11 million, the Shanghai foundry is set to welcome more than 1,000 developers over the next few years and generate more than 200 jobs. The facility will also serve as a platform where GEs customers, partners and third-party developers can share resources and contribute to the expanding digital industrial ecosystem supported by Predix, GEs operating system for the Industrial Internet, as well as Predix.io, which allows third-party software engineers to leverage the platforms capabilities to build, deploy and scale Industrial Internet applications within a safe and secure developer environment. Today, Industrial Internet is profoundly transforming the global industry and how industrial companies operate. Building GEs digital industrial presence in China is one of our key strategic priorities in the market, said Rachel Duan, president & CEO, GE China. GE also announced on July 20 the establishment of an alliance with Huawei. The US conglomerate will tap into the Chinese companys proven track record of information communications technology (ICT) to help accelerate the development of innovative Industrial Internet applications that will support Chinas industrial transformation. By collaborating with GE, we are able to provide our customers with an E2E industrial IoT solution to help accelerate their success. In this market, Huawei will continue its strategy of being open and integrated to provide customers with the connectivity of their industrial assets and devices, said William Xu, Huawei executive director of the board and chief strategy marketing officer. Boasting strong government support and substantial private investment, Chinas Internet of Things (IoT) market is expected to hit $166 billion by 2020. GE said that it is looking to expand its Digital Alliance Program in China to help scale the reach of Industrial Internet. The company will also invest more than $20 million over the next two years to further boost its technical and commercial capabilities in China. In addition, GE Power has introduced its new Digital Power Plant for Steam to potential Chinese customers. The suite of technologies could play a significant role in helping the country dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving the performance and efficiency of coal-fired steam power plants. China led important changes in 2015 to raise the average net efficiency of its entire coal fleet to 39 percent. The world is going to need 50 percent more power in the next 20 years and it will need to be affordable, accessible, reliable and sustainable, said Steve Bolze, CEO and president of GE Power. Digitizing and decarbonizing coal are two of the most effective actions we can take in order to meet these needs and achieve the Paris COP21 goals, and we have an opportunity today to help shape the future of power generation in China. We are excited about bringing the Digital Power Plant for Steam to the region. In December last year, 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding deal on climate change known as COP21 in Paris. According to the deal, the nations agree to work toward several measures to limit global warming. GE said that its Digital Power Plant for Steam can provide 1.5 percentage points higher efficiency while reducing unplanned downtime by 5 percent and CO2 emissions by 3 percent for a typical 1000 MW plant in China, compared to a plant without GEs Predix-enabled technologies. These gains can lead to 350 million yuan ($52.3 million) in incremental value over the lifetime of a plant, lower CO2 emissions and reduce coal usage by 35,000 tons annually. wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn Too hot to handle Updated: 2016-07-30 00:10 By XU JUNQIAN in Shanghai(China Daily) The heat of summer has made the scenes in Shanghais iconic shikumens, or lane houses, more vibrant. People dine, rest and socialize in the public areas to avoid the heat trapped inside their homes. Photos by Gao Erqiang / China Daily A look back at how Shanghai residents dealt with unbearable heat during an era when air conditioners were not yet common The current heat wave in Shanghai has brought more than just scorching temperatures to the city, with residents also hit by a wave of nostalgia as they reminisce about how they survived a similar situation in 1934. Average temperatures since July 21 this year has been 37 C and the heat wave is expected to continue for another week. But as unbearable as the current heat wave may seem, the current situation still pales in comparison to the one in 1934. Residents back then had to endure 55 days of overwhelming heat as temperatures constantly exceeded 35 C, with the mercury peaking at 40.2 C at one point. That year also marked the fourth hottest summer in the United States, with 13 states experiencing stifling temperatures of over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainy season in Shanghai, which usually lasts for weeks ahead of the onset of the summer heat, lasted just one day that year, according to the Hundred Cases of Chinas Severe Disasters in the 20th Century. The heat wave of 1934 was so serious that on June 26, 61 million gallons of water was used. It was the largest daily consumption volume of water for the year. The heat had also caused the stock market in Shanghai to halt its afternoon trading for the entire month of July. The municipal government took measures to help people cope with the heat as well companies and factories were told to let their employees off work at four oclock, an hour earlier than normal. The rickshaw pullers union also helped their members submit less of their earnings to their bosses so that the latter could buy a pair of shoes to protect their feet from the scorching hot tarred roads. Over at the 44 air-conditioned cinemas in the city, the movie The Song of Fishermen had an unusually long run of 84 days as it gave residents the opportunity to enjoy two hours of reprieve from the heat for just 50 cents. Because of this incident, a neighborhood was later named after the movie. Other ways of escaping the heat wave was making a trip to the mountain resorts in the north. For those who could not afford to do so, they resorted to finding a spot in the shade and passed time by exchanging ghost stories, according to local newspapers back then. The heat had also made the nightlife scene in Shanghais iconic shikumens, or lane houses, more vibrant. Right after the sun had set, residents would pour out of their stuffy homes and occupy a spot in the open where it was relatively cooler. The sound of chopsticks hitting bowls would fill the air as families exchanged food among one another. This was followed by the chattering noise of mahjong tiles as residents entertained themselves through the nights which were too hot for a restful sleep. The shikumens were also turned into water parks as the lanes were filled with shower basins that children cheerfully splashed around in. But it wasnt all fun and games during this period. Local authorities said that 123 people in the international concession suffered from heatstroke and had to be picked up by ambulances in July. The soaring temperatures had also claimed the lives of 52 people, including four foreigners, in this particular area, and this subsequently meant that the funeral parlors across Shanghai became one of the most thriving businesses around. xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn Rise of the robots Updated: 2016-07-30 00:10 By Zhu Lixin in Hefei and Wang Ying in Shanghai(China Daily USA) Companies have often turned to robots to perform tasks in environments which are too uncomfortable for humans to work in. Gao Erqiang / China Daily Experts say that the automation revolution is inevitable and companies need to start introducing robots to their manufacturing processes and start thinking long-term if they are to remain competitive Rising labor costs as well as a rapidly aging population in major cities like Shanghai have inherently accelerated the replacement of human workers with industrial robots. According to a report jointly released by Deloitte and ChinaInfo100, a non-governmental organization started by Chinese scholars, Chinas labor costs have soared five times in the past decade, driving some multinational corporations to relocate their plants to lower cost regions or back to their home markets. In the meantime, Chinas working population, defined by those aged between 15 and 64, has encountered negative growth for the first time in the past two decades. The report projected that the countrys young population, or people aged between 15 and 39, will decrease from 38 percent of the population in 2013 to 28 percent by 2030. The problems caused by an aging population looks to be even more severe in Shanghai a blue paper published by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences last month said the citys demographic dividend, which is the economic growth potential resulting from a working-age population surplus, will disappear come 2020. As such, Shanghai will face a series of challenges posed by an aging population during the 13th Five Year Plan period (2016-2020). More than 6.4 million people in Shanghai, or 45 percent of the total permanent residents in the city, are expected to be aged 60 and above by 2045. Automation is inevitable Manufacturers have said that the replacement of humans with robotics is bound to happen, though the present economic slowdown has made some of them think twice before doing so. Hefei Meiling Group, a major home appliances manufacturer based in Hefei city, capital of East Chinas Anhui province, has since years ago been planning to install more industrial robots in its refrigerator plants located in the Hefei Economic & Technological Development Area (HETDA). Though we believe the replacement of human workers will be inevitable in the manufacturing sector, we are contemplating if we should do it now when growth of the home appliances sector has been slowing down in recent years, said Huang Danian, assistant general manager of Meiling. We worry that the investment recovery period might be too long, said Huang. In contrast, Giti Tire (Anhui) Co Ltd has already been benefiting from automation. Yu Nenggao, assistant general manager of the company, said that Giti Tire has even been increasing its investments in robots since a year ago. The company is expected to invest more than 100 million yuan ($14.98 million) this year into further automation upgrades. He added that the robots have also made it more efficient and safe when transporting the big and heavy tire products around the plant. Every year in July through September, many workers at the production line quit since the temperatures in some areas of the plant can get really high. As a result, weve had to constantly employ new workers, explained Liu Zhiyun, the human resource manager, about the companys decision to embrace automation. However, despite the introduction of robots to the manufacturing process, Giti Tire has not axed too many of their workers. Instead, Liu said that employees who have had their jobs taken over by the robots now work in other sectors of the plant. While the production capacity has been steadily growing, the number of workers at the plant has always been maintained at around 4,000. Robotics have also helped a lot in improving the product quality and this means that we can become more competitive in the market which has witnessed overcapacity problems in recent years, said Yu. Police training welcome move Updated: 2016-07-29 07:37 (China Daily) Police on patrol at the Wuwei city's railway station in Gansu province on Feb 14. [Photo/Xinhua] In a move to promote standardized law enforcement by police, a 70-minute training video produced by the Ministry of Public Security was shown to police officers across China on Tuesday. The video shows the correct ways for police officers to handle different situations involving the public. Noticeably, police officers are instructed not to stop onlookers from taking photos or shooting videos of their behavior unless it interferes with their duties. They are also informed that they must get used to working in front of the cameras of the public. This is indeed necessary and marks a concrete step toward bringing police officers' behavior under the supervision of the public and promoting law enforcement in a manner that is itself in line with the law. Reports of police officers abusing their powers damaged the image of the police and weakened their credibility. So it is right for the ministry to promote police officers following set procedures in the performance of their duties. The Public Security Ministry's training video is aimed at standardizing the behavior of police officers in various situations they might encounter and thereby establishing a code of conduct. The video shows officers how to act when they encounter non-violent resistance from suspects without resorting to the use of force. If accustomed to standardized law enforcement that does not involve undue force, police officers will be less adverse to their behavior being videoed or photographed as they will be performing their duties as they should. The latest training program marks the country's latest effort to forge a police force that fulfills its intended purpose of serving and protecting the public, and making people feel a greater sense of fairness and justice in the enforcement of the law. --GMW.CN Ruling a chance for Tsai to break impasse Updated: 2016-07-29 07:57 By Zhou Bo(China Daily) Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, April 15, 2015. [Photo/IC] The arbitral tribunal's ruling that Taiping Island, 0.51 square kilometer in area and the largest island in the South China Sea, is a "rock" rather than an "island" sparked public outcries in Taiwan. Sixty-two percent of the people wished Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen could visit the island to demonstrate Taiwan's defiance to the ruling. The South China Sea issue was not Tsai's priority. So far she has eschewed China's historic rights in the South China Sea and the implications of the dotted line so as to distance herself from the position of the Chinese mainland. But overwhelming public resentment against the ruling gave her no choice but to denounce it as "totally unacceptable". Tsai's first priority, realistically, is the economy, which depends heavily on the mainland. The poor performance by her predecessor Ma Ying-jeou on the economic front tells why Taiwan residents selected herfor a change. Her second priority is to break the cross-Straits impasse. The mainland insists that exchanges are possible only if she accepts the 1992 Consensus on one China. So far her attitude has been one of studied ambiguity. Here is the chance. The protest in Taiwan over the ruling, in fact, resonates with that of the mainland. She could use this to respond positively to public opinions across the Straits. The only price to pay is the pressure from the United States and Japan, neither of which wants her to stress China's historic rights in the South China Sea, let alone join hands with the mainland on the sovereignty issue. But Tsai could still maneuver her move by citing the obvious loophole in the ruling and the overwhelming public opinion. This is a price she can afford. She could, in the first place, heed the public opinion to visit Taiping Island. Her predecessors Chiang Ching-Kuo, Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou did so while in office. The one who didn't is Lee Teng-hui. She could show that she is no less determined on China's sovereignty. And she could make a difference. If she visits two months after taking office, it will be impressive. Ma visited the island only toward the end of his tenure. Apparently didn't need to bother about US disapproval any more. Tsai could make position of Taiwan on the South China Sea clearer. A day after the ruling, she stood on Di Hua frigate and said: "Now is the time for us to demonstrate our resolve to safeguard the country's interests." But her remarks that the frigate's upcoming patrol "carries special significance as new changes just occurred yesterday (July 12) in the South China Sea" sound more like a concealed analogy. In contrast, Ma made it crystal clear on Taiping Island that the sovereignty of Nansha, Xisha, Zhongsha, Dongsha islands and their surrounding waters is beyond doubt Chinese. Ma also elaborated how islands in the South China Sea had been included in the coastal defense system since 1721 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and how, legally speaking, the island was not a rock at all. Also, Tsai could strengthen the defense of Taiping Island, organize more frigate patrols and even drills in the South China Sea. She could even take the boldest stepallow scholars from the mainland to use the archives on the South China Sea in Taiwan. Most of the archives were shipped to Taiwan when Kuomintang withdrew from the mainland. Historians and legal experts across the Straits could hold workshops or seminars making use of the documents. She could also allow low sensitivity cooperation on, say, fishing and salvage operations with the mainland in the South China Sea. None of these steps have been taken by her predecessors. So she could make history. The author is an honorary fellow at the Center of China-American Defense Relations, Academy of Military Science. Mind your manners, book tells Chinese tourists in US Updated: 2016-07-29 12:24 By Shi Xi In New York(China Daily) Tourists from diff erent countries are gathering in Times Square, New York on Wednesday. The city is attracting over 50 million travelers a year, including a large number of Chinese tourists. Nancy Kong / For China Daily Sneezing or picking your teeth without covering your mouth. Yelling at a waiter or waitress. Blocking other people when you are on an escalator. Swearing at others in public. Those are some examples of bad behavior by Chinese tourists when they're in the US, according to the China National Tourist Office (CNTO) in New York. And it hopes a 135-page small-sized book - How To Be A Popular Traveller in the USA - will help Chinese tourists mind their manners, especially this year, which has been declared the year of China-US tourism by Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama. The US is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists. Brand USA, a destination marketing organization, said that 2.2 million Chinese tourists traveled to the US in 2014, and that China will become the largest source of travelers to the US in three years. The book - in Chinese except for its preface in English - has just had its first print run of 5,000. It will be given out free through the Chinese Consulate General in New York and travel agencies that bring tourists from China. Pan Xiaopeng, deputy director of CNTO in New York, said China has become the fourth-largest inbound tourism source for the US. Since New York has several direct flights from China, the Big Apple is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists. "With the increase in cultural exchange, more conflicts between tourists and locals are observed has been noted," says the book's preface. "Travelers from each respective might have a lack of knowledge about each other's and local religion, lifestyle, customs, laws and regulations. In the United States especially, misunderstandings from Chinese travelers could come across as inappropriate or offensive." Pan said that the book with five chapters covers every aspect of a trip to the US: destinations, people, culture and religion, local customs, transportation, food, medical services, safety and security. The chapter Good Manners for Chinese Visitors highlights common improper behavior exhibited by Chinese tourists and the possible reasons for each is analyzed and explored. It "encourages Chinese visitors to raise awareness of specific Western ideologies with the intention of minimizing and ceasing improper behaviors," the preface says. "I like the idea of having this section in the book," said Chi Jin, a business owner from Fujian, China, who was in New York City. "We could first have a mindset of how to behave in a different country by reading this book, then we can show proper behaviors when we are actually traveling in the US." "By understanding culture, Chinese visitors will have a better grasp on how their behavior is perceived by American locals," the manual reads. Ye Huanwen, a teacher from Beijing who is taking his students to a summer camp in the US, said the book would be especially helpful for the children coming to US for the first time. "The first things I taught my students about the US before we came here were its culture and how that differs from the Chinese culture," Ye said. "For example, in US restaurants and hotels we need to leave tips after we enjoy the service. I told the kids about that, so they would act properly here. The book is serving a similar function as a teacher for every visitor." "I think overall the Chinese tourists are showing good qualities," said Wang Yan, a medical worker from San Francisco who was traveling in New York City with her family. "Yesterday we visited the Charging Bull (the bull statue on Wall Street), and people, including a large number of Chinese, were all waiting in line to take pictures. I think in general we Chinese people are performing as good as others." Gabrela Uras, a staffer at New York City Center who interacts with tourists daily, said being respectful should be a universal value for tourists. "Good behavior is to be respectful and accept suggestions, and just be nice," said Uras. "And it's good to see Chinese tourists getting prepared through a book like this." Nancy Kong in New York contributed to this story. More than 400 Chinese Americans join Pennsylvania gun club Updated: 2016-07-29 12:03 By By Amy He in Philadelphia(China Daily USA) Asian Americans may be among the least likely group to own guns in the US, but within that group, Chinese Americans probably are even less likely to do so. The Greater Philadelphia Chinese Gun Club reflects a changing attitude toward gun ownership in Chinese communities across the country, however, says one of the club's founding members. "For Americans, gun ownership is in their blood. It's part of the culture and part of their identity. For most Chinese, however, it's not something they're naturally interested in. But it's becoming not safe to not have a gun," said Li Ran, one of 10 co-founders of the club, which began in 2013 after the group originally met through an online forum to talk about their shared interest in shooting. Now the club has more than 400 members, and it has grown so much that Li said it is creating a new paid-membership level, which will offer members discounts at various stores and restaurants across Pennsylvania. Li said the club's biggest goals are promoting gun safety and self-defense capabilities for Chinese Americans. The group teaches basic firearms knowledge, gun-related legal knowledge and proper usage. It also organizes exercises at shooting ranges in and outside of Philadelphia, as well as various other outdoor activities and community-building exercises, he said. Pennsylvania allows people to openly carry a firearm if one has a proper license, but it is not allowed in "cities of the first class," making Philadelphia the only city in the state not to allow open carry. Li said that the growing ownership of guns within the Chinese community is mostly in response to an increase in deadly shootings in the US and in Europe. Li, who came to the US in 2002 to study at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, lived in Canada prior to that, and said that Canada - despite having similar levels of gun ownership per capita compared to the US - has much less gun violence. He attributes that violence to growing anger that he says he sees in America. Li mentioned the 2012 shooting in Aurora, Colorado, when a gunman fired into the audience at a midnight screening of the movie The Dark Knight Rises, killing 12 people and wounding seven. "That's something I think about a lot. I have three kids and take them to the movies all the time," he said. Asked what he would do as a gun owner if he and his family were in a similar situation, Li said: "If I could protect my family by fleeing, we would flee. If we can hide, we will hide. But if the last choice is to use a firearm, I don't want to not even have that last choice." amyhe@chinadailyusa.com Hillary Clinton accepts Democratic presidential nomination Updated: 2016-07-29 11:43 (Agencies) Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton arrives to accept the nomination on the fourth and final night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on July 28, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] PHILADELPHIA - US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Thursday Americans faced challenges at home and abroad that demand steady leadership and a collective spirit, and attacked Republican Donald Trump for sowing fear and divisiveness. In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination for the Nov 8 election with a promise to make the United States a country that worked for everyone. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid," she said. She presented a sharply more upbeat view of the country than the dark vision Trump offered at last week's Republican convention, and even turned one of Republican hero Ronald Reagan's signature phrases against the real estate developer. "He's taken the Republican Party a long way, from 'Morning in America' to 'Midnight in America,'" Clinton said. "He wants to divide us - from the rest of the world, and from each other. He's betting that the perils of today's world will blind us to its unlimited promise." The speech was Clinton's turn in the spotlight after three days of electrifying appearances by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama, and Clinton acknowledged that some people still do not know her well. Citizens, politicians, media in S. Korea raise voices against THAAD deployment Updated: 2016-07-29 16:29 (Xinhua) SEOUL - South Korean citizens, politicians and news organizations are raising a dissenting voice over the decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in their homeland. Villagers living in the site where one THAAD battery is scheduled to be installed by the end of next year continue their protest against the US missile defense system, while civic group activists and student groups who advocate peace and stability rally against the US weapons program. Opposition lawmakers call for the retraction of the THAAD deployment decision, and in several TV programs, panelists are divided over pros and cons of the installation, which reflects the nationwide split between people over the untested, environmentally hazardous US anti-missile system. Park Wan-joo, first vice floor leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party, told a party meeting on Thursday that the THAAD deployment raised risks of easing isolation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), asking to form a special parliamentary committee to discuss countermeasures against possible negative effects. Following the DPRK's fourth nuclear test in January and its launch in February of a long-range rocket, which was condemned as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology, the international community adopted tougher-than-ever UN Security Council resolutions. The agreed-upon THAAD installation raised concerns here about difficulties that South Korea could face in winning cooperation from China and Russia to achieve the goal of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula. China and Russia have expressed strong oppositions to the deployment as it breaks regional strategic balance and damages security interests of the neighbors. THAAD's X-band radar can spot Chinese and Russian territories as the forward-based mode radar has a detectable range of at least 2,000 km. Seoul has claimed that it would introduce a terminal mode radar with a coverage of 600-800 km, but it can converted at any time into the forward-based mode as the two use the same hardware. The modified version even doesn't need any conversion, according to a local media report. Local newspaper Hankyoreh reported that the AN/TPY-2 radar can range 3,000-4,000 km, citing Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) emeritus professor Theodore Postol. It confirmed Chinese and Russian worries about the damaging of security interests. Moon Jae-in, former Minjoo Party leader and presidential candidate during the 2012 presidential election, said in his Facebook account that the THAAD deployment would cause more losses than gains and that the Park Geun-hye government's adherence to the US anti-missile system endangered international coordination in resolving the peninsula's nuclear issue. Minority political parties more strongly express their objections to THAAD, while liberal activists and peace advocates voiced dissents almost every day from different places nationwide. Panelists appear in TV discussion programs, raising awareness among ordinary people over why THAAD is useless for the protection of South Korean people. Public opinion is changing into more objections to the THAAD deployment. According to a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by local newspaper Media Today between July 21 and 22, 53.1 percent demanded re-negotiation of the deployment decision. Calls for the installation as planned took up 42.6 percent of the respondents. Clinton 'clear-eyed' on challenges Updated: 2016-07-29 12:24 By Associated Press And Chen Weihua In Philadelphia(China Daily) Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton cheer on the convention floor on the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday. Carlos Barria / Reuters Hillary Clinton is casting herself as a unifier for divided times and as a tested, steady hand to lead in a volatile world. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against," she said in excerpts released ahead of her speech Thursday to accept the Democratic presidential nomination in Philadelphia. "But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have." Clinton's national convention address at the Wells Fargo Center follows three nights of Democratic stars, including a past and present president, asserting she is ready for the White House. Clinton is vowing to create economic opportunities in inner cities and struggling small towns. She also says terror attacks around the world require "steady leadership" to defeat a determined enemy. The first woman to lead a major US political party in a bid for the White House, Clinton will be greeted by a crowd of cheering delegates eager to see history made in the November election. But her real audience will be millions of voters who may welcome her experience but question her character as she prepares to face Republican Donald Trump in November. Clinton also has had to deal with a divided convention that saw many supporters of her primary opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, engage in various forms or protest this week. Late Thursday, the Sanders campaign was urging calm among its 1,900 delegates attending the acceptance speech. The campaign said in a text message to delegates it would be a "courtesy to Bernie" if the delegates show respect to Clinton when she gives her speech accepting the party's nomination for president. The text tells the delegates the Clinton campaign asked her delegates on Monday to be respectful to Sanders when he spoke to the convention. The text asks delegates to "extend the same respect" to Clinton. Some Sanders delegates were wearing high-visibility green T-shirts at the Wells Fargo Center. China Daily sought reaction from Democrats about any impact Sanders' announcement that he would give up his short-term membership in the Democratic Party and go back to being an independent would have on the campaign. "I think that Bernie did a great job of bringing a lot of very serious ideas and proposals to the Democratic Party," said Alissa Keny-Guyer, an Oregon state representative from Portland, who is also a delegate to the convention. "I come from a state where Bernie won a big majority of the delegates, but I will be working very hard to make sure those delegates come over to Hillary. I think there's about 90 percent agreement (on the issues). Both of them are totally opposite Trump. I sure hope that both Democrats and independents and moderate Republicans or reasonable Republicans would see that choosing Trump would be a total disaster." On the Jewish calendar, that first retreat included the first day of Elul. That's when I learned the melody for psalm 27, Achat Sha'alti , which I still pray and sing and teach today. This year, we're about two weeks short of that Jewish anniversary. But on the Gregorian calendar, that first retreat began ten years ago today. The anniversary gives me a good excuse to remember that first retreat, and to reflect on these ten years I've been blessed to spend in Jewish Renewal community. I remember that feeling of startlement at seeing so many people wearing kippot. I wondered, at the time, what my reaction said about me; in hindsight, I think what it said was that I was completely unaccustomed to being around ardent Jews who were comfortable being visible in their Jewishness! (And I remind myself, whenever I bring my family into ALEPH contexts, that my family now is likely to be as startled by the sight as I was then...) In August of 2002 I went for the first time to Elat Chayyim, the Jewish Renewal retreat center which was then located in Accord, New York. (It has since become the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, but my first visit was many years before that change happened.) That week-long retreat was my first taste of Jewish Renewal outside of books. A first big step on what I didn't yet know was my life's path. [at my first dinner] Sat with [name redacted], who talked about the power of laying tefillin, which makes me want to try it... The white yurt, where we davened on weekday mornings. (my journal, August 7, 2002) So much! Interpretive shacharit with Phyllis. Chants, prayers, intentions. What they really mean. Cold air, sun, one man and maybe 12 women. Seeing the face of God in all our faces at bar'chu. En route to lunch I found myself amused by this notion: sure, if I could spend the first six hours of every day davening, meditating, and practicing yoga, of course I'd be this bright and serene all the time! Shacharit was really gorgeous. All easy chants, easy to learn. (As we bless the source of life, so we are blessed...) I especially liked the interpretation of "ashrei yoshvei veitecha, od y'hallelucha selah" -- lit. "happy are those who live in your house, they will praise You always," but Phyllis talked about the houses we carry with us -- our bodies -- and how liberating it is to become happy in that house. That first Jewish Renewal weekday morning service -- I chose the "interpretive" morning service, rather than the "traditional" one -- had a profound imapct on me. I remember sitting in a circle on the floor of the white yurt. I remember my first sight of women laying tefillin, and how the idea both startled and attracted me. And that teaching which Reb Phyllis offered -- her interpretation of the ashrei, the idea of becoming happy in our own bodies and praising the One out of that sense of grateful embodiment -- is one I still offer sometimes when I lead morning services. The field. (my journal, August 9, 2002) Reb Nachman practice: walking in field talking out loud w/ God. Breakthrough experience. Was talking about this week, how I want to take this awareness with me -- and wound up weeping, wrapped in my tallit, because I understood that God is always with me. Even when I feel most alone. It was staggering. I can't entirely explain it. During that first week-long retreat at Elat Chayyim, I spent my mornings studying Jewish meditation with Rabbi Jeff Roth, and my afternoons studying tikkun olam with Rabbi Arthur Waskow. On Friday morning, the culmination of our weekday learning, Reb Jeff gave us the practice of walking in the fields, speaking aloud with God quietly. I remember telling God how glad I was that we were finally on speaking terms again. (That's a story which doesn't really bear exploration at this juncture; the short version is, I'd been feeling estranged from God for a while.) I remember saying that I was sorry I couldn't bring God home with me. And I remember realizing, in a flash of insight as sudden as any lightning bolt, that God would be coming home with me; that God had been with me all along. Even in the moments when I had felt most distant from God, God had been with me. Is it corny to say that that moment changed my life? Services at the old Elat Chayyim. Photo credit: Elat Chayyim. (my journal, August 10, 2002) As we sang mah norah hamakom hazeh ("how awesome is this place") I found myself weeping. All the voice parts, and the feeling! Also remarkable was the 84-year-old woman who, since we were using a mini-sefer Torah, got to do hagbahah and lift it overhead. She wept and so did I. My first Jewish Renewal Shabbat, davening beneath the white tent which was open, like the tent of Abraham, on all four sides. On Friday night, Reb Jeff led services, all in white with a brocade vest for ornamentation. He played guitar and he sang and the service was beautiful. And on Saturday morning, the service was led by Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener. The three-part melody she taught us for Mah norah hamakom hazeh is still one of my melodic touchstones, something to which I return when I need to feel connected. And I remember the joy on the face of the woman who, at eighty-four, was able for the first time to perform the mitzvah of lifting our Torah scroll into the air for all to see. Her husband had died some years before, and she told us she could feel his presence with us as she held the scroll aloft. I think most of us were weeping happy tears by the time that part of the service was over. (my journal, August 10, 2002) By the end I felt...opened. Awed. Transported. ...I think this is what they mean by ecstatic prayer. That I can gain access to that joy -- I, with all my unOrthodoxies -- is overwhelming. Opened. Awed. Transported. I hadn't known, then, that prayer could be like that. That service cracked my heart open, and all of my yearning for God and yearning for community and yearning for connection came pouring out -- and something ineffable poured back in. I came home from that first week at Elat Chayyim and said to Ethan, "I've found my teachers. Someday I want to be a rabbi like they are rabbis." Ten years. Could I have imagined, then, who and where I would be now? Thank you, Elat Chayyim. Thank you, Reb Jeff and Reb Arthur and Reb Phyllis and Reb Andrea -- and everyone with whom I have learned and davened in the ten years since. Thank you to everyone in Jewish Renewal who has been a part of this extraordinary journey. I am grateful beyond words. 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. The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) has revised its preliminary conclusion of the anti-dumping investigation of Vietnamese circular welded carbon-quality steel pipes, citing significant ministerial errors. Photo thesaigontimes.vn HA NOI The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) has revised its preliminary conclusion of the anti-dumping investigation of Vietnamese circular welded carbon-quality steel pipes, citing significant ministerial errors. In a notice dated July 15, DOC raised the dumping margin rates for both Vietnam Haiphong Hongyuan Machinery Manufactory Co Ltd and Hoa Phat Steel Pipe Co to 2.32 per cent, instead of 1.19 per cent and 0.38 per cent, respectively, mentioned in the preliminary report in June 2016. The rate for SeAH Steel Vina Corporation remained unchanged at zero per cent. Other steel pipe exporters will still face the countrywide rate of 113.18 per cent, based on adverse reports. On June 8, 2016, DOC had published its affirmative preliminary determination that circular welded carbon-quality steel pipes (CWP) from Viet Nam was being sold in the United States at less than fair value provided by section 733 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and at different rates. However, American petitioners filed comments alleging significant ministerial errors in the margin calculated for Vietnamese businesses. After analysing the comments, DOC detected the errors in margin calculation and decided to revise the dumping margin rates for the two Vietnamese steel exporters. On December 17, 2015, DOC initiated dumping investigation concerning imports of CWP from Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan and Viet Nam. Among these four countries, the highest rate of more than 113 per cent was imposed on Viet Nam. Viet Nams CWP exports to the United States reached US$60.6 million in 2014, the highest among the four countries probed, according to the Viet Nam Competition Authority. VNS The board of directors of Dream House Investment Corporation (DRH) has approved a plan raising its stakes in Binh Duong Mineral & Construction Co (KSB) to at least 51 per cent, the company announced Wednesday. Photo cafef.vn HA NOI The board of directors of Dream House Investment Corporation (DRH) has approved a plan raising its stakes in Binh Duong Mineral & Construction Co (KSB) to at least 51 per cent, the company announced Wednesday. The firm holds 20.2 per cent of the charter capital of the Binh Duong mineral company. It would buy shares to raise its holdings at a suitable time, the company said. Dream House Co made the first investment in Binh Duong Mineral Co in March 2016 when it spent about VN100 billion (US$4.5 million) to acquire almost 10 per cent of the mineral company. Phan Tan at, CEO of Dream House Co, said this was not only a pure financial investment but the company wanted to make use of construction material, including brick and stone, of Binh Duong Mineral Co for real estate projects. The company made other two share purchases in May and June, raising its holdings in Binh Duong Mineral Co to a total of 20.2 per cent of its charter capital on July 1. Total funds that Dream House has spent on this acquisition reached VN260 billion. KSB shares yielded one of the best returns in 2015 when its price soared over 68 per cent, from VN21,300 to over VN37,000 by the end of last year. Its price continued to skyrocket in the first half of this year, after the State Capital Investment Corporation announced its total divestment of over 50 per cent from Binh Duong Mineral Co in February. KSB profits have been stable at about 23 per cent in the last four years. Last year it reported a net profit of VN125 billion, a year-on-year increase of 30 per cent. VNS HA NOI The legal system, mechanisms and policies of Viet Nam have been incomplete and incomprehensive, failing to match the requirements of the countrys socialist-oriented market economy, said Le Xuan Ba from Viet Nam Economic Sciences at a forum in Ha Noi yesterday. The forum of the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) was convened to collect ideas from business experts and researchers about the institutional reform required to boost the local economy in the context of the 12 FTAs the country has signed. According to the forum, the FTAs have so far contributed to improving the economy, with foreign direct investment (FDI) reaching US$22.75 billion in 2015 and.more than $11.2 billion in the first half this year. However, Ba believes the business environment in Viet Nam is not sufficiently healthy, while many State-owned enterprises have not performed well and many private enterprises are weak. He said that along with policies to support private firms, it is crucial to strengthen the financial market structure and boost the comprehensive growth of all kinds of markets. Ba told the forum that the country should enhance transparency, improve inspection to identify flaws, boost judicial and public administration reform as well as improve the investment climate. Pham Van Tan, deputy head of VUSTA, said many market laws are still not fully applied making it hard for Viet Nam to compete with other similar ASEAN economies that have better technology, more skilled labour and stronger capital. Hoang Xuan Hoa, director of the general economics department of the Central Party Committees Economic Commission said the country should continue to improve the regulation systems and reform the institutions. Viet Nam should continue to complete institutions related to ownership and development economic sectors as well as business types, he said, adding that policies to boost the growth of enterprises and the synchronous development of all kinds of market are also vital, Hoa said. Viet Nam has economic relation with 224 countries and territories. According to the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), 12 signed FTAs including the TPP, ASEAN, ASEAN-India, ASEAN-Australia/New Zealand, ASEAN-Korea, ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN-China, Viet Nam-Japan, Viet Nam-Chile, Viet NamKorea, Viet Nam-Eurasian Economic Union, Viet Nam-EU. VCCI said Viet Nam was waiting for RCEP (ASEAN+6), Viet Nam-Israel and Viet Nam-EFTA. VNS HA NOI Three inspection teams will be established to vet production firms discharging more than 500 cubic metres of wastewater daily in 23 cities and provinces nationwide. The inspection is expected to begin next week. The decision comes from the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha on Thursday, the Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper reported. The ministry will examine the adherence to laws on environment and water resources, targeting projects that release wastewater into the environment. Cities and provinces subjected to the move include Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, Ha Nam, Lao Cai, Lang Son, Phu Tho, Son La, Tuyen Quang, and Thanh Hoa in the north; ak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lam ong in the (Tay Nguyen) Central Highlands; Ha Tinh and Quang Binh in the central coastal region; and An Giang, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Soc Trang, Tay Ninh and Vinh Long in the south. During the inspections, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) leaders will require a clear demonstration of law compliance by inspected businesses. The inspection teams will look into making reports on environmental impacts or commitment to environmental protection, the implementation of contents mentioned in the reports and commitment, environmental protection measures once projects are put into operation, and the declaration and payment of fees for environmental protection. In regard to water resources, the inspections will check the compiling of dossiers to ask for licences for exploring, exploiting and use of water resources, and releasing wastewater into environment; the compliance to regulations in the licences and other related rules. MoNRE has called for the 23 cities and provinces to assign local officials to the inspection teams. VNS HCM CITY HCM City plans to launch a pilot programme on using technology to control and trace the origin of pork in an effort to ensure consumer health and benefits. The programme will help pig breeders build brands and improve competitiveness, as well as provide better oversight over hygiene and food safety, according to the city Department of Industry and Trade (DoIT). It is part of the citys pilot project on creating safe food markets in the 2016-20 period implemented by the DoIT, with technologies used to trace pork origin developed by the HCM City High Technology Association. Under the programme, pigs at breeding farms will wear two leg rings with an electronic stamp, which will record information about feed and vaccinations and other data. This will aid in individual identification of pigs as well. Before slaughtering, quarantine staff will check and grant electronic quarantine certificates for pigs that meet hygiene and food safety standards. When pork is transported to markets, market management boards and quarantine staff will use specialised machines to check the pork origins and allow the meat with clear origin to enter markets. Traders at traditional markets who take part in distribution of meat under the project will be provided with an electronic stamp" (integrated with the stamp attached on leg rings) to put on pork products. ao Ha Trung, chairman of the HCM City High Technology Association, said consumers could check product information with their smartphones and scan the stamp, or use devices set up at markets. They could also access the programmes portal at www.te-food.com. Consumers can check the product origin anytime and anywhere. The information will be automatically transferred to relevant agencies for easy inspection and control, he said. Tran Vinh Tuyen, deputy chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee, said this was one of several important measures to reduce the amount of unsafe meat as well as create conditions for consumers to use more safe products. Initially, the programme will be carried out on a trial basis at 12 slaughterhouses; Hoc Mon and Binh ien wholesales markets; Ben Thanh, Hoa Binh, Bau Cat, Thai Binh and An ong markets; and Co.opmart, Co.opFood, Satramart, Satrafood, Vissan and Sagrifood stores. The department has worked with provinces that supply meat to the city market, as well as slaughterhouses. It will work with traders to disseminate the programme and mobilise more participants to expand the scale of the programme. Huynh Tan Phat, deputy head of the HCM City Animal Health Department, supports the programme but said agencies should pay more attention to the practical situation of food trading and adopt proper technical solutions. The city consumes 10,000-10,500 pigs per day, but supplies meet only 18-20 per cent of demand. The rest is supplied by other provinces, including ong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An, Ben Tre, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Binh Thuan. About 7,300-7,500 pigs are slaughtered at slaughterhouses in the city each night, and the rest in other provinces. They are then transported to Binh ien Wholesales Market. To ensure the efficiency of the programme, provinces supplying pork to the city should offer their consent. At wholesales markets, in addition to selling half sides of pork (that still have an ID ring), traders also sell pork cuts (tenderloin, ribs and others) that are hard to manage since the ID sign no longer exists. Van uc Muoi, general director of Vissan, said the implementation of the programme would help control the safety of meat sources, but would only become feasible when it was implemented at most breeding farms, slaughterhouses and retail places. VNS QUANG NAM Relevant offices of Viet Nam and Laos are jointly investigating a large-scale po mu forest destruction ring, said an official from Quang Nam Province Peoples Committee. Le Tri Thanh, deputy chairman of Quang Nam Peoples Committee said a joint meeting was held between leaders of the province and Laos Sekong Province on Wednesday with a focus on the investigation plan. The Vietnamese side requested Laos to co-ordinate in the investigation of a 60 po mu tree (Fokienia hodginsii) felling case in the Nam Giang Districts border area, where the wood was later transported through Laos. Thanh told Lao ong (Labour) newspaper that Sekong Province authorities would examine their wood processing workshops. Two sides also agreed on measures to check forest destruction at the border area. Colonel Nguyen uc Dung, spokesman of Quang Nam Provinces Police on Tuesday said documents relating to the forest destruction case in Nam Giang District were sent to the Ministry of Public Securitys Investigative Police Office. The Investigative Police Office is working with Laoss Sekong Province police to investigate further. The forest destruction case has caused serious consequences, according to Quang Nam Police, showing that loose inspections by local authorities and relevant offices led to the problem. During the investigation, police discovered a group of suspects - local officials and forest management staff - who supported illegal loggers in destroying the forest. Quang Nam police said many circumstances showed that it was a long-time organised criminal wood smuggling ring. The ring arranged for loggers to cut down trees in the border areas forest that was still strictly patrolled by security forces. The illegally cut wood would then be transported to Laos. In Laos, all goods were legitimised by customs procedures and returned to Viet Nam for consumption. Sixty po mu trees, with a volume of about 10cu.m of timber each, was imported back into Viet Nam and sold at price of VN35-40 million (US$1,800) for one cu.m of wood. Police estimate that the 60 po mu trees were worth more than VN18-24 billion ($800,000 to $1.1million) VNS HA NOI Typhoon Mirinae, the first to hit Viet Nam this year, has caused human and property damage in the north of the country after it rolled into the mainland from the midnight of Wednesday. Trees reportedly fell on cars on Hai Ba Trung, Ba Trieu, Tran Thanh Tong and Nui Truc streets. Many motorbikes skidded due to strong winds. Police officers have been asked to instruct people to walk with their motorbikes, instead of riding them, on Thang Long, Nhat Tan and Vinh Tuy bridges. Ten areas in the city have reportedly been flooded. The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting yesterday morning issued flood warning of 0.2m to 0.4m in the inner city streets such as Phan Boi Chau - Ly Thuong Kiet, Giai Phong, Pham Van ong and Phan Van Truong, besides Truong Chinh, Giap Bat, Minh Khai and Thai Ha, as well as Nguyen Trai, Hoang Mai and inh Cong. The centre also said residents should not go out of their homes. Many schools have cancelled classes to ensure the safety of students. The strong winds caused the wall of a house to collapse in Ha Nois Phu Xuyen District, killing one person and injuring five, Vietnam News Agency reported. Many flight departures from Ha Noi have been delayed or cancelled due to bad weather. The citys Peoples Committee has ordered district-level authorities, police and relevant agencies to ensure power supply and to conduct water drainage, while preparing for any unexpected situation that might be caused by the storm. The eye of the storm last night hit the northern and north-central provinces extending from Thai Binh to Thanh Hoa, bringing heavy rain of 120mm to more than 200mm. Directly hit by the storm, Hai Phong City has prepared well and so far has not recorded any major losses. As of 7am yesterday, less rain and winds were reported. The city has dispatched more than 7,000 people and dozens of vehicles and has prepared 14,000 tonnes of food to deal with the storms aftermath. In Thai Binh Province, electricity poles collapsed due to heavy rain and strong winds, causing blackouts in the districts of Tien Hai and Thai Thuy. Torrential rains inundated 39,300ha of rice and destroyed 1,900ha of other crop in the province. According to the standing office of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in Ninh Binh Province, no loss of human life has been reported in the province, but there has been heavy damage to property. The whole province had suffered from power cuts since Wednesdays night. Till 10am yesterday, power had been restored only in Ninh Binh City. Roofs of thousands of houses have been blown away, while more than 34,000ha of newly planted rice have been flooded. Seven boats sank while looking for shelters in Nam inh Province. One waterway police officer was injured while being on duty. About 74,100ha of rice in the province was flooded.VNA/VNS Photo Seven boats sank while looking for shelters in Nam inh Province. One waterway police officer was injured while being on duty. About 74,100ha of rice in the province was flooded. Hundreds of trees fell down in Hung Yen Province, where widespread power outages last for 12 hours from 10 pm of Wednesday. Around 800ha of rice in Tien Lu District were deep under water, and nearly 800ha of longan trees in Hung Yen city were damaged. Strong winds also blew away roofs and advertising banners there. In Ha Nam province, by 9 am yesterday, the tropical storm flooded almost 28,500ha of rice and 3,000ha of other crops, knocked down over 9,100 trees and unroofed some 1,000 houses, the local disaster prevention agency said. Three residents in Thai Nguyen Province and another one in Hoa Binh Province were injured during the storm, which triggered blackouts in Hoa Binh and Hai Duong provinces. It also wreaked havoc on crops, livestock and houses in these localities. Some 160 houses were unroofed in Lao Cai Province, with some kindergartens collapsing due to falling trees. In Bac Giang Province, serious landslides containing some 200cu.m of soil occurred, and more than 1,400ha of crops were flooded. In Yen Bai Province, a 14-year-old child drowned in floods and 17 houses were unroofed. As of 10am yesterday, the tropical storm had weakened into a tropical depression, bringing continuous and heavy rain in the affected areas. The storm is forecasted to move west-northwest at about 10km per hour to 15km per hour and will become weaker as it approaches the mainland. Thanh Hoa Province and other northern provinces have been warned about continuous heavy rain, flash floods, landslides and floods. VNS HA NOI An alleged Chinese hacker group carried out several cyberspace attacks on Viet Nams two biggest airports and the official website of the national flag-carrier Vietnam Airlines this afternoon. During the time of the cyber attacks, passengers at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International airports used their smartphones to record clips of screens at the airports check-in areas displaying pictures with words insulting Viet Nam and the Philippines regarding the East Sea (South China Sea) dispute. These videos were posted to Facebook and quickly went viral. The hackers also took control of the speaker system at Noi Bai airport for a few minutes, during which the speakers broadcast a male voice distorting Viet Nams claims over the East Sea in English. The hackers claimed to be the 1937CN from China, which is one of the biggest hacker groups in the country and has a history of hacking Viet Nams and the Philippines websites in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Airport security forces soon regained control over the hacked screens and speaker system. The official website of Vietnam Airlines, vietnamairlines.com, was hacked by the 1937CN group at about 4pm the same day. The website page was replaced by the same picture that appeared on the airports screens. The website was back to normal at 5.10pm, however, the airlines customer database was stolen and made public on the internet, according to a press release from Vietnam Airlines. The airlines advised its members to change their account passwords as soon as the network system is recovered. Transportation Deputy Minister Nguyet Nhat acknowledged the hacking incident, saying the polices C50 division on anti-cybercrime is leading the investigation into the biggest cyberspace attack raid ever seen in Viet Nam. VNS Two girls switched at birth three years ago returned to their rightful parents last Monday, but the families said they first wanted more compensation from the hospital that made the mistake. The VN20 million (US$890) offered and the payment for previous DNA tests are not satisfactory, said Hoang Van Tuan, one of the parents, from Binh Phuoc Province. He said the amount was insufficient for the damage caused to both families since 2013, when the girls were born. I will file a lawsuit against the hospital. Hoang Van Thanh, director of Binh Long Town General Hospital in the province, apologised to the two families during a recent meeting on July 25. This is an unfortunate mistake that has affected the psychological health of the girls, and has also upset the families daily activities, Thanh said. On January 10, 2013, Nguyen Thi Thu Trang and Thi Lien gave birth to baby girls at the hospital. The newborns, each weighing three kilos, were mistakenly handed to their wrong mothers. In May, 2016, while selling bread in a nearby village, Trangs father noticed a baby who looked strikingly similar to his daughter. Both families then filed a complaint against the hospital. One of the parents, Vu inh Khien admitted that he had even questioned his wifes fidelity after noticing that the baby girl did not look like either parent. Local authorities have promised both families that proper identity papers for their children will be issued soon. VNS By uc Minh Hon o beach in the central province of Ninh Thuan attracts tourists though it doesnt have a white sandy beach. Instead, tourists enjoy walking and fishing on the beach covered by rocks and green moss. There, the rising and ebbing tides create caves, crevices and strange stone formations next to the sea. It opens up an endless world of discovery because each time the tide ebbbs and flows, it brings out different creatures from the ocean, which are then cradled in the stones, along with seaweed and coral. Finding them hiding in the stone holes and chinks can take a whole day. Children especially are excited because they discover a part of the ocean which is othewrwise inaccessible, seeing sea creatures in various forms and colours. From the centre of Phan Rang-Thap Cham city, tourists should head toward Vinh Hy Bay, about 20km to My Hiep Hamlet, Ninh Hai District. The road is only accessible by motorbike because it meanders through the casuarinas forests. A 20-minute walk along a coastal stretch of golden sand, brings them to Hon o. The new weekend getaway destination is also wonderful for adventurous tourists and young people who want to enjoy a camping trip, or for those simply wanting to fly a kite. After a day discovering the stone edges and the coral reef, the stars beckon, as does the sunrise the next day. Bring tents and food because there are no tourism services and the nearest village is quite far. The cool sea breeze together with the sound of soft, low whispering sea-waves is a recipe for relaxation, an antidote to the worries and sadness of daily life. When the sun comes up, the fishermen come out, hauling out the fist catch of the day. Tourists can join them to experience the work of a true fisherman. Local speciality People may hesitate when they are offered nhum (sea-urchin), a specialty of Hon o, due to its spiky, prickly black outer shell. But once you have tried it, you will wonder why it took you so long to experience the sweet, delicious taste. Locals cut off the horns and divide it in two. Sea-urchin is served in two ways. The first is raw, with a sprinkling of lemon juice or wasabi paste, but this can be hard to digest. The other, safer option is grilling nhum with fried onions and oil, which delivers an irresistible smell and taste. You should also try ca oi (flying fish), which live near the coral reef. The locals will fry, grill or cook them in a sour-sweet broth. The fish can be served with garlic wine made from garlic grown on this land, which is called toi mo coi (orphan garlic), or garlic whose bulbs contain only one big single clove each. This kind of garlic is scented and spicy. Hon o, in particular, and Ninh Thuan, in general, are dormant treasures waiting to be discovered and developed. Tourists should come, but only if they promise to protect the pristine beauty of the sites. VNS In addition to beautiful beaches, delicious food and charming scenery, Viet Nam is one of the safest countries worldwide, where tourists can avoid the threat of terrorism, according to a list issued by the Daily Star newspaper. Viet Nam and Laos were suggested alternative destinations for Thailand, the country judged to be "high risk because of terrorist attacks in recent years. Other countries on the list were Laos, Hungary, Switzerland, New Zealand, Fiji, Barbados, Gambia and Iceland. The countries rated as having a "high risk of terrorism" were France, Spain, Turkey, Australia, Indonesia, Egypt, Tunisia, Israel and Lebanon. VNS One of the original faces of the Paribartan Chai campaign that ushered in Mamata Banerjee to lead West Bengal, writer and social activist Mahasweta Devi, 91, died in Kolkata on Thursday. Some companies in spend months building temples with bricks and cement, but Lin Fu-Chun's firm simply pours concrete into a giant mold and waits for it to dry. The yields on the 10-year bond fell six basis points to 7.19 per cent on Thursday as foreign investors continued to pump in money into domestic debt, bringing about $1 billion in July alone. Heartbreaking family update after mother-of-six was killed in horror crash Hannah Fraser's father and stepmother are trying to make it from the United Kingdom to Australia in time for their daughter's funeral. Firefighter unions latest message to Andrews Government More than a hundred fire trucks in Victoria will carry pointed messages about the Andrews Government as part of a union campaign in the lead up to next month's state election. Family of Aboriginal teen who died in apparent suicide after sexual abuse back calls for inquiry Police believe 15-year-old Layla Leering took her own life after being raped in the Northern Territory community of Bulla in 2015. Duttons declaration to voters amid Labors big mess The Opposition Leader said the Prime Minister "might write me off" but he believes Australians will vote the Coalition back into power in 2025 to clean up "the big mess" Labor will leave behind. Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa will honor three area business leaders and one Young Entrepreneur for their outstanding community achievements at the 21st annual Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa Business Hall of Fame event Oct. 27 the Park Place Event Centre in Cedar Falls. Honors will be given to: Laureates Robert M. (Bob) Heaton, Cedar Valley Wealth Advisors Bob Beach, University Book and Supply (retired) Stephen R. Jackson, Cedar Valley Corp., LLC Young Entrepreneur Andy Van Fleet, Visual Logic Group and ID8 Workspace Nominated by community members, these distinguished business leaders were then selected by an independent committee. These individuals have lived and worked in eastern Iowa and epitomize five key standards of excellence: Their impact on their industry or organization. Their integrity as an ethical business leader. Their commitment to bettering the community as a whole. Their leadership qualities, which allow them to be exemplary role models for all of us, especially the children of Iowa. Their entrepreneurial spirit in starting or significantly advancing local businesses. This elite group of Iowa leaders will be inducted at a black tie dinner held in their honor. Highlights of the evening include video biographies of each laureate and students from local schools serving as hosts, escorts and masters of ceremony to reinforce the purpose of the event to inspire children to visualize success. Junior Achievement helps young people recognize how their talents and abilities can create better lives for themselves and for those around them. The Business Hall of Fame honors eastern Iowa business people who have shown by example the importance of achieving a high level of success both personally and professionally. This event is also intended to encourage and inspire young people to become productive citizens by contributing to their communities. For tickets to the event or additional details, contact Junior Achievement at 274-0760 or email Heather Arnold at harnold@jaeasterniowa.org. CEDAR FALLS Iowas longest-running river cleanup group is gearing up for the 29th annual cleanup and festival. This years Cedar River Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday and will launch at Gateway Park in Cedar Falls and end at Exchange Park in Waterloo. There will be a midway point with lunch at George Wyth. Volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. at Exchange Park in Waterloo for a 9 a.m. launch. Volunteers will celebrate their cleanup efforts with a music festival at Spicolis Rockade on University Avenue in Waterloo. Festivities will kick off at 5 p.m. The Cedar River Festival Group is a local organization working to improve the quality of the Cedar River. For more information, visit the Cedar River Festival Group on Facebook. CEDAR FALLS -- A Saudi Arabian citizen accused of forcing his way into a Cedar Falls home and attempting to rape a woman in 2013 has been granted a trial after an earlier plea failed to result in a trip back to his home country. Hamad Abdul Aziz Alsalman, 26, argued that he had entered an Alford plea --- not admitting guilt but contending he would be convicted if case went to trial --- to charges of first-degree burglary and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse in 2014 because he thought he would be scooped up by immigration officials and deported before he began serving a 25-year prison sentence. Once back in Saudi Arabia, he would be free. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to act on his removal until after parole, and Alsalman lingered in an Iowa prison, where he challenged his plea. I was advised by counsel that if I plead guilty, I would be detained only long enough for ICE to get everything in place to deport me, Alsalman wrote in his appeal. Although he initially argued that his attorney gave him bad advice, the resulting legal analysis that unfolded hinged on the judge who presided over his plea and sentencing. Under Iowa court rules, judges are required to inform foreign defendants that criminal convictions may have an adverse effect on their ability to remain in the United States. If someone pleads guilty without the warning and later finds out they are going to be deported because of the conviction, they can argue they werent fully notified of the consequences of the plea. Alsalmans case was different because he knew there was chance he would be deported, and he counted on it. Alsalmans initial attorney had advised him of the possible immigration consequences before the plea. But the judge, however, did not. In the end, Chief District Court Judge Kellyann Lekar, who reviewed the case as part of Alsalmans post-conviction relief petition, had to withdraw the plea, not because of the advice his attorney gave him, but because the earlier judge didnt give him the same advice, even though he ultimately wasnt deported. This conundrum leaves the court in the position of having to apply a statutory rule literally, even though it may have no practical impact on this particular case, Lekar wrote in her opinion. Alsalmans trial is tentatively set for August. Authorities said Alsalman had been a university student in December 2013 when crashed his vehicle in a Cedar Falls neighborhood around 3 a.m. after a night of drinking and went to a nearby home for help. When the woman answered the door, he assaulted her, biting her neck and strangling her while telling her he intended to have sex with her and kill her, according to police. Her 4-year-old son witnessed part of the attack. When the woman struck him with a ceramic figurine and attempted to fled, Alsalman tackled her and shoved her head in the snow, court records state. Police used a Taser to subdue Alsalman. WATERLOO A Black Hawk County jury has found an Indiana man guilty in a 2014 fast food restaurant robbery. Jurors found Tyler Qualice Chandler, 23, of West Lafayette, guilty of first-degree robbery Tuesday following about a week of testimony. First-degree robbery is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, and sentencing will be at a later date. Prosecutors said Chandler and two others were behind the April 23, 2014, holdup at Burger King on Jefferson Street. Chandler allegedly displayed a handgun and climbed over the counter to raid the cash register while another robber assaulted workers, according to court records. Chandler and alleged accomplices Charles Darryl Jenkins Jr., of Gary, Ind., and Jessie Lee Mathews, of Waterloo, were arrested in connection with the Burger King robbery in November 2015. Trial for Jenkins is scheduled for October, and Mathews is slated to go to trial August. WATERLOO A man who picked up a 13-year-old girl at her school and took her to a motel for sex has been sentenced to prison. Orlando Ramirez Ruiz, 27, of Waterloo, was sentenced to 10 years in prison during a July 8 hearing in Black Hawk County District Court. Authorities said Ramirez had arranged to meet the girl, who told teachers at George Washington Carver Academy she had a doctors appointment on Sept. 14, 2014. He then took her to a motel where they had sex, according to prosecutors. Ruiz denied he had any sexual contact with the girl when he took the stand during his May 2016 trial. Jurors found him guilty of third-degree sexual abuse and enticing a minor. He was sentenced to up to 10 years for the sexual abuse charge with a concurrent five years for enticement. There is no mandatory minimum, but he will be placed under lifetime probation and will have to register as a sex offender. FLOYD Driving west on the U.S. Highway 18, part of the Avenue of the Saints, Sara McDonnell had a sick feeling when she saw a white car begin to drive south across the road in front of her near Floyd. It was last August at Quarry Road. I could see this woman stop and I could see her start again, said McDonnell, of Omaha. And I kind of panicked because I knew if she would pull into that intersection, there was no way I wasnt going to hit her. The crash that sent McDonnells Toyota across the road was one of 35 crashes reported at the intersection since June 1, 2011, according to county data. McDonnell, who had minor injuries, believes the Iowa Department of Transportation needs to build an overpass to avoid having more crashes similar to hers. More than 100 people gathered Tuesday at the Floyd Community Center to voice their support for an overpass with on- and off-ramps at that intersection. The meeting was sparked by the death of T.J. Houdek, a 23-year-old Charles City man killed last week at Quarry Road when he drove a motorcycle in front of an oncoming semitrailer. An online petition urging the Iowa DOT to take action had nearly 3,000 signatures as of Tuesdays meeting. Many meeting attendees lined up to sign a hard copy placed on the community center stage. Its something that needs to be put out there, that this intersection is deadly, said Travis Wiemann, who started the petition. And, its not going away. Its not. The divided four-lane highway, part of the Avenue of the Saints, runs east and west through the intersection. Quarry Road takes vehicles to the south. Highway 218 goes north. It is at grade, or level with the road, as are most of Floyd Countys intersections with the Avenue. Building an overpass at that intersection is not currently in the Iowa DOTs 5-year plan. However, the DOT has taken steps to speed up the process should the estimated $18 million project get the green light. A required environmental impact study was completed last month. DOT spokesman Pete Hjelmstad said a community meeting is planned for November to discuss the departments desired design alternative, the second meeting with residents it has held in the past two years. Over the years, the Iowa DOT has made changes in an attempt to make the intersection safer, although many residents at Tuesdays meeting said those changes werent enough and an overpass is what is needed. Lorraine Winterink, of Charles City, believes the DOT should take steps immediately to make at least some changes to increase safety. I think theres kind of a good, better, best solution, she said. Good would be lowering the speed limit. Better is lower the speed limit and put in a stop light. Maybe we need some flashing lights coming up to that, two miles ahead ... And then the best solution would be that we need that overpass. Iowa State Rep. Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, who facilitated Tuesdays discussion with former State Rep. Josh Byrnes, R-Osage, said he remains optimistic something can be done. He urged those with concerns to send letters to state transportation officials. The good thing is the community is definitely behind this. You look at a town like Floyd, with a population of a few hundred people and about 120 people showed up (at Tuesdays meeting), Prichard said. We heard that people are passionate. Theyre tired of the accidents, theyre tired of seeing people hurt and unsafe conditions in their community. So now its up to us to kind of stay organized and send a message to the DOT that this project has got to be a priority. WAVERLY Displaced Terex Cranes workers heard about opportunities for the future at the Waverly Civic Center Thursday. Morning and afternoon meetings provided information on unemployment benefits, community assistance, education, retraining and future employment options. Between 80 and 90 former Terex employees attended the morning meeting. 175 Terex employees were laid off when the Waverly plant ceased operations immediately July 19. The manufacturing outfit, a staple of the community for 75 years, will move work to Oklahoma City, where production is scheduled to begin in September. Were hoping they will see theres a lot of assistance available to them, as well as community support, said Christi Mason, director of workforce development for Cedar Valley IowaWorks. Mason said many of the workers are more than 50 years of age and had been with the company for decades. Im one year from retirement, so I suppose Ill be okay, said Rick Hardee, who worked in maintenance with Terex for 28 years. I can stretch things out and pick up something for a year, but the younger workers are a lot worse off I think. ... They gotta find something different. Hardee added he was thankful to have a voice via United Auto Workers 411 union representation. Im hoping someone will pay me to go back to school or retrain, said Robert Paulson of Fayette, because the position Ive been doing for 20 years no longer exists in Iowa. Paulson, a Terex assembler, said hed been solely supporting his family for years with a $25-per-hour manufacturing job, but was doubtful hed find similar work. Multiple representatives at the meeting stressed the workers have highly sought-after skills, and Connie Tolan at Waverly Economic Development said her office has been contacted by 36 Cedar Valley employers asking specifically for former Terex workers. A job fair featuring those employers will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Civic Center. Some of those employers include John Deere, looking to fill three to four positions, a newly opened Winnebago plant in Waverly seeking 15 to 20 hires and Transco Railway Products of Oelwein seeking to hire 150 workers. The great thing that you guys have going for you is that the economy is relatively strong, and youre a very, very sought-after commodity, said Ronee Slagle, district manager for Iowa Workforce Development. Slagle said the former Terex employees will receive 60 days of vacation pay as well as maximum or near-max unemployment benefits given that most workers had been with Terex for many years. Workers are also eligible for various extensions in benefits, including the anticipated extension if the plant is deemed a closure or if one chooses to return to school. Devin Kielman, 30, of Waverly was glad to hear he could collect unemployment while attending school. Im not sure, but I may check out Hawkeye (Community College) and maybe look into something with heating and cooling, said Kielman, who worked 10-plus years with Terex as an assembler. Something stable, he added. Terex representatives told The Courier via email 100 Terex office workers will remain at the companys global business systems offices in their present location in Waverly for now. Our current plan is to keep the GBS team in the existing office space until we determine interest in purchasing the Waverly facilities. We are open to considering leasing office space in the Waverly area for GBS, said Jamie Harthoorn, an associate marketing manager with Terex. Around 75 nonproduction, commercial office, design/engineering and purchasing team members will remain in place during this transition, company officials added. Additional community organizations represented at the meeting included Hawkeye, Consumer Credit Counseling of Waterloo, Iowa Department of Human Services, the Educational Opportunity Center, Veterans Affairs, UAW Local 838 community services and others. While community representatives offered an optimistic picture for the future, a moment of levity betrayed a hint of desperation on the part of ex-Terex workers. When noisy roof work on the Civic Center interrupted the meeting, a former Terex worker asked, Do they need help? The room erupted in laughter. PHILADEPHIA U.S. agriculture secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack wanted to inspire Democratic activists to work hard to elect Hillary Clinton as president, so he shared his story of a good friend who worked hard for Vilsack, even in that friends final days. Speaking to the Iowa and Wisconsin delegations, Vilsack implored activists to go home and start the hard work of the presidential campaign. Vilsack shared the story of his good friend Mark Weiner, a Democratic activist from Rhode Island who died Tuesday. Weiner, who had leukemia, passed away at his home just as he was preparing to come to the convention, according to the Providence Journal. Vilsack said Weiner, also a close friend of the Clintons, supported Vilsack as Clintons running mate and made calls on his behalf, even though he was living in hospice. He cared that much about our country, Vilsack said. Each of us needs to care that much about this election, and if we do, were going to make history. Former president Bill Clinton mentioned Weiner during his address to the convention Wednesday night, saying he and Hillary cried when they learned of his passing. Mistake to elect Trump Just like it was a strategic mistake for him not to campaign in Iowa in the 2004 Democratic caucus campaign, retired Gen. Wesley Clark told Iowa delegates to the Democratic National Convention it would be a strategic mistake to elect Republican Donald Trump. Clark, who now works with Americas Renewable Future, which promotes ethanol and other fuels, said electing Trump would be the biggest mistake in history. No other presidential candidate, he said, has shown less willingness to respect other people, less attention to detail or less respect for his opponent. Clark also suggested Trump violated the Logan Act when he encouraged Russian cyber-hackers to look for Hillary Clintons 30,000 lost emails. The Logan Act forbids Americans from siding with its enemies. WATERLOO Iowa House District 60 Democratic candidate Gary Kroeger received the endorsement of the Iowa State Education Association. We believe Gary Kroeger will do what is best for all of Iowas students regardless of zip code in which they live and be a voice for education professionals as important decisions are being made about our public students and schools, said ISEA President Tammy Wawro. Kroeger, who is an advertising executive at Mudd Advertising, is challenging incumbent Iowa State Rep. Walt Rogers, R-Cedar Falls. Iowa House District 60 includes parts of Waterloo and Cedar Falls and Hudson. Kroeger, of Waterloo, noted his mother taught in Iowa public schools for more than 30 years and said he is honored to be endorsed by the group she belonged to during her career. If elected, I promise that I will be a vocal advocate for Iowas students and teachers, Kroeger said in a statement. My two boys attend public schools and, as a parent, there is nothing more important to me than ensuring that all of Iowas public schools are given the support they need. ISEA represents more than 34,000 classroom teachers and other licensed professional staff, school support staff workers, retired teachers, area education agency employees, community college faculty, and future teachers. DES MOINES Dr. Dennis Klein has been named as state medical examiner, according to the head of the states Department of Public Health. IDPH Director Gerd Clabaugh said Friday Klein has accepted the position after having served as interim state medical examiner since Dr. Julia Goodin resigned in January to join the Tennessee Department of Public Health. Klein graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, with a bachelors degree in chemistry. He subsequently attended the University of Vermonts College of Medicine, where he received an M.D. degree in 1993. Klein completed an internship in internal medicine at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Mass., where he continued his residency training in anatomical and clinical pathology. He completed his subspecialty training in forensic pathology at the Office of the Medical Investigator at the University of New Mexico. Upon completion, Klein moved to Iowa to join the state medical examiners office. He has academic appointments with Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Iowas College of Medicine. DAVENPORT Donald Trump told a Davenport audience Thursday if Hillary Clinton is elected, she would approve a trade deal with a dozen Pacific Rim nations that would be devastating to Iowa and the rest of the country. Trump was making his first general election appearance in Iowa, a battleground state with six electoral votes. He made stops not only in Davenport and in Cedar Rapids. The latter appearance came about the same time Clinton was accepting her partys presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Trumps rejection of the Trans-Pacific Partnership has some resonance in eastern Iowa, which has a strong manufacturing heritage. The Republican presidential nominee has argued he would make better deals than politicians not only on trade but also on foreign policy. He again complained Thursday partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization arent paying their fair share. Im going to make phenomenal deals, Trump told the crowd of 2,500 people. On trade, Trump has tried to appeal to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, who lost a primary battle with Clinton but roused progressives in part with his criticism of trade deals like TPP. Sanders has since endorsed Clinton. Clinton initially praised the Trans-Pacific Partnership but came out in opposition to it last fall. Trump told the Davenport crowd Clinton would eventually sign it, however, pointing to comments this week from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton ally, who said he thought she would do so. McAuliffes remarks were disavowed by the Clinton campaign. It will be approved. I hope you dont have to get to watch, because that means that we as a movement are gone. And this country is going to be a mess, maybe forever, Trump said. That will make NAFTA, for Iowa and for other places, like baby stuff. So you cant do it. TPP is a disaster. Trumps trade policies arent exactly in step with mainstream Republicans, including some of those who were at the Adler Theatre to speak on his behalf. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has said the TPP would help Iowas agriculture industry. Branstad didnt mention trade in his remarks, but he touted Trumps candidacy. He said Democrats have abandoned working people, and theyve abandoned middle America. They are now the party of the establishment, the elite in Washington, D.C., the national media and Hollywood. In addition to Branstad, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann joined Trump. In a little more than an hour, Trump criticized the Affordable Care Act, federal regulations, speakers at the Democratic National Convention and the Obama administrations nuclear deal with Iran. He noted his second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, and he even took time to praise the balcony of the Adler Theatre, the likes of which he said couldnt even be found in New York. Trumps remarks were punctuated frequently with supportive shouts from the crowd. The audience reacted to the mention of Clintons name with the chant lock her up, a call prevalent at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week. Francisco Maez, a child welfare worker from Monmouth, Ill., said Trump is his choice for president because hes putting America first. He also said he thinks he would be a good negotiator. He seems pretty tough, Maez said. Hes an alpha male. Patti Lawson, a school bus driver from Alpha, Ill., said she, too, is backing Trump. I think hes a doer, Lawson said. I think hes the type to get things done. Lawson added Trump sometimes goes too far with what he says. I think he kind of has foot-in-mouth disease a little bit, she said. But she thinks emotion is behind many of his remarks, and he doesnt really mean it to be as cruel as it sounds. Democrats greeted Trumps arrival in Iowa with a statement from members of the partys delegation to the national convention. It called Trumps rhetoric divisive and hateful and said Clinton would make history Thursday night by claiming the partys nomination and would share her vision of building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. WATERLOO In the wake of the shooting that killed a 21-year-old man, ReQuia Campbell decided to take action. The east side resident is organizing a Pray for Peace Walk on Saturday that the public is invited to participate in. The event begins in Lincoln Park downtown at 12:30 p.m., when shell offer some remarks and a local pastor will pray. Afterwards sign-carrying participants will walk to Sullivan Park, which is on East Fourth Street, where Campbells husband, William, will grill hotdogs. Otavious Brown, 21, was killed during a daytime shooting July 17 in the 800 block of Logan Avenue, which is near where Campbell lives. Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. The incident follows a number of high-profile shootings around the country. It starts with the community, said Campbell. If we dont do something, how can we expect the country to be better? Im trying to get people to step up and say something. Campbell, a Waterloo native, remembers a time when she didnt worry about gunfire in her community. I could walk to school in third grade at (the former) Roosevelt (Elementary School), she said. And now Im scared to send my kids across the street. We need some peace in this neighborhood. Campbell has a tie to another shooting three years ago. Her stepson, Dae-Quan Campbell, was shot to death in November 2013 while sitting in his car in a parking lot behind an apartment building. Saturdays walk also will commemorate him. The day that we walk is his birthday, she said. He would have been 21. Donald Trump has gone rogue again, indefensibly asking Russia to assist his presidential campaign by doing what the FBI couldnt find Hillary Clintons missing emails. At a press conference Wednesday, the Republican nominee said, Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Make no mistake, Clintons handling of departmental emails as secretary of state was cavalier and irresponsible, if not criminal, putting personal convenience before national security. She was warned upon taking office Russia had tried to bug furniture in the departments Mahogany Row executive suites. She signed off on and immediately ignored a memorandum to not use her Blackberry for departmental emails. She potentially made matters worse by using personal servers. But it was deplorable for Trump to invite a foreign nation to intervene in U.S. politics and countenance, if not specifically encourage, espionage into U.S. government activities. His running mate, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, tried to distance himself from Trump. House Speaker Paul Ryan also weighed in: Russia is a global menace led by a devious thug. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin should stay out of this election. U.S. intelligence sources are fairly certain Russian operatives hacked the Democratic National Committee servers, leading to a WikiLeaks email dump last week showing its bias in favor of Clinton and against Sen. Bernie Sanders. The Russians were accused last year of hacking State Department servers, long after Clinton departed in 2013, as well as other agencies. The Chinese have been accused as well. Of course, the U.S. also is engaged in cyberspace attacks against foes and, as a Wikileaks dump showed, friends such as Germany and France. Democrats accused Putin of being behind the DNC hack to boost Trumps candidacy. However, the New York Times reported the hack began when Trump announced his candidacy, when he was considered a longshot. More likely, it involves Putins disdain for Clinton, who he accused of inspiring protests after a disputed 2011 election. The first thing that the secretary of state did was say that they were not honest and not fair, but she had not even yet received the material from the observers, Putin remarked, adding, She set the tone for some actors in our country and gave them a signal. They heard the signal and, with the support of the U.S. State Department, began active work. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange also wants to embarrass Clinton for impinging on freedom of speech. Yet Clinton indeed, the Obama administration neither sought a criminal complaint nor pressured for Assanges extradition after WikiLeaks dumped documents exposing CIA operatives, identifying Afghan and Taliban commanders who were informants and detailing European military operations to intercept refugee boats with ISIS terrorists. Just as unsettling as Trumps misguided attempt to interject Russian espionage into the U.S. presidential campaign was his remark about recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. The former Ukrainian territory was forcibly annexed by Russia in 2014. The United States and its European allies responded with economic actions. Well be looking at that, said Trump, whose campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was a political strategist for Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russia Ukrainian president ousted in early 2014. Trump seems captivated by Putin, who once called him a bright man. When people call you brilliant, its always good, especially when the person heads up Russia, Trump said on MSNBCs Morning Joe. He deflected a question about Putins opponents and journalists being murdered. Hes running his country, and at least hes a leader, you know, unlike what we have in this country, he said, adding, Well I think our country does plenty of killing also, Joe. So, you know. Theres a lot of stupidity going on in the world right now, Joe. A lot of killing going on. Trump has indicated he might not support NATO defending member nations facing Russian invasion if they dont pay more. The Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are wary of being forcibly reannexed by Putin. Were talking about countries that are doing very well, he said, adding, I would be absolutely prepared to tell those countries, Congratulations, you will be defending yourself. After a 2001 encounter with Putin (the former director of the KGB), President George W. Bush told Secretary of State Colin Powell, I looked the man in the eye. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country. Powell responded, Mr. President, I looked into President Putins eyes and I saw the KGB. 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(1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) Jill Abramson in The Guardian: In her convention speech, Hillary repeated a story shes often told about her mother. Dorothy Rodham insisted that her daughter stand up to bullies, saying Cowards dont live in this house. Her mantra was hit back when someone hits you. Her daughter clearly took the lesson to heart and enjoyed every punch she delivered on Thursday night in Philadelphia. It was payback time for all of those Crooked Hillary jabs from Trump and the Republican convention refrain, Lock her up. It was an effective performance, spoken not in anger, but in a tone of humorous sarcasm. Clinton often and proudly talks about how she gets under Trumps skin and judging from his tweets after the speech, she surely did. Besides getting a kick out of kicking Trump, shes quite good at ridiculing him. Her script was scrupulously factual, making her case against her opponent all the more devastating. Running against Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries and Barack Obama, she never seemed comfortable going negative. Politically, it was risky for a female candidate, especially her, to seem mean as shes already viewed as unlikeable by a significant portion of voters. But Trump has been so vulgar and mean himself, the political risk seems minimal. His temperament and crazed policy proposals, which have only become more preposterous lately, make him an easy target. Hillarys best speeches in the campaign have been the ones in which she tears apart Trumps proposals. Her speech in San Diego before the California primary was a triumph with its tight focus on Trumps dangerous international and national security proposals, including banning Muslims from the country and reviving torture. Her convention speech was an artful retort to Trump, contrasting President Reagans Morning in America with Trumps Midnight in America. She portrayed Trumps boasts of being able to fix the countrys problems himself as un-American. The American way, she stressed repeatedly, is working together to fix the ills of society. Her performance in Philadelphia also showed that shes become more media-savvy. A witty put-down is sure to receive more coverage than a dry policy lecture. Maybe Clinton has finally learned that she cant let Trump own every news cycle. One of her funniest lines was: There is no other Donald Trump. This is it. The delegates roared. More here. There are two kinds of vacationers: those who lounge on the beach and those who hang out the sides of helicopters. And while I'd normally opt for poolside cocktails, as I did last year in Maui, a recent tip to Oahu called for a more adrenaline-fueled vacation mode. So, with only a couple days and two shores to explore, I set out to have the most adventurous trip possible. Here's what I did. Magnum P.I. Helicopter Ride Hoping to gain a new perspective during your time away from the office? Try a bird's eye view of paradise. On a slightly rainy morning earlier this month, I strapped myself into a tiny replica of the Magnum P.I. chopper (and when I say "strapped," I mean that a mere seatbelt was all that stood between me and a dizzying fall), and took to the skies. It was amazing. With breathtaking views of the fabled North Shore, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, the Stairway to Heaven, Sacred Falls, and more, there's not a better way to see the whole island at once. // paradisecopters.com Hans Hedemann Surf School For someone who has lived her entire life near the ocean, I'd never been surfing. And it seems I chose the wrong day to start. On a not-so-clear day in October, I donned my rash guard and strapped my board to my ankle and braved the 5-foot waves (measured Hawaiian-style) that crashed into Turtle Bay on the North Shore. And while our friendly instructors admitted these were not normal conditions for beginners, they had us all standing up and cruising before the two-hour lesson was over. They were even nice enough to tow you back in when your arms were tired from paddling and the relentless waves gave you a pummeling. Note: you will be sore the next day. // hhsurf.com Glider Rides Because a helicopter ride just wasn't perilous enough for me, I also decided to get into a tiny, engine-less airplane that more closely resembled a paper plane than anything safe for air travel. Oh, and did I mention that you're towed into the air by a Korean War army plane that looks like it's not handling the modern era very well? Regardless, the views are incredible as you glide along the North Shore, and the ride surprisingly smooth. And if you're willing to experience zero-gravity, your pilot is more than willing to take you into a nose dive. // honolulusoaring.com Lunar Legends Lagoon Tour Imagine this: you're lying on your standup paddle board under an ocean of stars, listening to ancient Polynesian legend and lore. That's the magic of the Lunar Legends Lagoon Tour. Guided by a native Polynesian, you'll be visiting the islands of Samoa, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Tonga, and Easter Island on a SUP board, kayak, or our SUP party board, without ever having to leave the Polynesian Cultural Center. No Waves. No Sharks. No Worries. // turtlebay.com/lunarlegendslagoon Huakai Iki Adventure This little mountain adventure has it all: scenic views, exotic plants, and refreshing mountain streams. Easily one of my favorite parts of the whole trip, the journey starts off with a 7-mile off-road ride in an old army van to the trailhead and continues with a hike through unspoiled natural beauty. We scaled windswept ridges, forged through freshwater streams, and trekked through verdant tropical valleys. Wild bananas, guava, bamboo, and ginger were plentiful. And the whole time our expert Hawaiian guide shared his insight into the land's fascinating history and laughed at our mispronunciations of traditional Hawaiian words. The climax: a rejuvenating swim in a private mountain pool. What could possible be better than that? // northshoreecotours.com Kualoa Ranch (Jurassic World Experience) Love Jurassic World? Much of the movie was filmed at Oahu's Kualoa Ranch, an area considered to be one of the most sacred places on the island. The ranch offers a special movie sites tour to see filming locations such as the pen where (spoiler alert!) the Indominus Rex escapes and the Ka'a'awa Valley, where the main characters got to roll around in little hamster balls among the Brontosaurus. Selfie-worthy moments abound. // kualoa.com Wild Side Specialty Tours Our last morning on the island was spent swimming with dolphins, but before you launch into your Blackfish-fueled lecture, hear this: a team of marine biologists led us out into the ocean to admire spinner dolphins in their natural habitat. Sound incredible? It was. Like a well-oiled troop, we spotted the dolphins, donned our snorkel gear, and then jumped in the water, hoping the dolphins would tolerate us as we swam alongside their pod for as long as we could keep up. After a tasty lunch, we headed inland to spot turtles in the tepid, crystal clear waters near shore. // sailhawaii.com South Dakota high school football quarterfinal schedule and scores The road to the DakotaDome continues tonight with 28 quarterfinal games in seven classes across South Dakota. AUSTIN, Texas Who would have thought that, even in death, Homer the Homeless Goose who became a mascot for Austins homeless population in the late 1980s would continue his advocacy from beyond the grave? Yes, Homer died last year, but his spirit is still alive and, after being stuffed and prepared by Martinez Brothers Taxidermy, Homers carnal remains are ready to continue the famous waterfowls homeless advocacy into the afterlife with the Homer the (formerly) Homeless Goose Roadshow. The tour will have members of the Challenger Street Newspaper serving as roadies in taking Homer to area schools and nonprofits and educating the public about the issue of homelessness. Were hopeful that resurrecting Homer from the grave and resurrecting his prior success as an ambassador for the homeless, we can have the same kinds of giant leaps that he was able to make in the community in the late 80s, Lori Renteria told the Austin American-Statesman (http://atxne.ws/29mGZm1 ). The wife of City Council member Sabino Pio Renteria is Homers self-proclaimed godmother who cared for him for 18 years. The goose burst onto the local political scene in May 1988 when several homeless men and Lori Renteria decided they needed a flashy gimmick to get the citys attention on the growing problem of homelessness. They rounded up $17 and bought Homer, just a gosling then, from Callahans General Store. They threatened to eat him if city officials didnt meet with them. Animal lovers were outraged, and the city, thankfully, obliged. Homer was credited with bringing much-needed attention to the plight of homeless people in the city and spearheading the push for social services for that population. The goose garnered national attention and had his picture published in newspapers across the country. He was even flown first class to the 1988 Democratic Convention in Atlanta where he met Jesse Jackson and former first lady Rosalynn Carter. He also met fellow Austin icon Willie Nelson. Homer, a white Chinese goose, lived to be 27 and spent his final years at the Austin Zoo and Animal Refuge, where he battled and beat cancer before dying peacefully in his sleep last year. The new tour comes at a good time. Homelessness has once again become a rising issue in the city, particularly compounded by a lack of affordable housing. Last year, the population of Austin residents who were chronically homeless grew 13 percent to 7,054. And the yearly count that tracks the number of homeless people on the street in Travis County on any given day increased by 20 percent. In late June, Council Member Renteria and Mayor Steve Adler kicked off the roadshow with a press conference in City Hall. Organizers hoped to keep the stuffed goose there for a month, but they were told in no uncertain words last week that Homer had to go. Hes getting evicted, said Valerie Romness, director of the Challenger Street Newspaper. Last month, Romness, Lori Renteria and a crew from the Challenger newspaper wobbled the goose out of City Hall. He is now at an undisclosed location in East Austin, Romness said. The gooses caretakers dont want anyone messing with him. They eventually hope Homer will be housed permanently in the Austin History Center, Romness said. But they are looking for a temporary home for Homer. If any school or nonprofit is willing to play host to Homer, Romness asks that they contact the Challenger newspaper at (512) 560-4735 or log onto Homers Facebook page, which is titled Homer the Homeless Goose. That would be really helpful, Lori Renteria said. I dont think people know hes available for their work places or organizations. ___ Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com Editors note: This is an AP Member Exchange shared by the Austin American-Statesman. Two Santa Fe men were seriously injured Thursday morning in a single-engine plane crash near an airport in Fond du Lac, Wis., according to several news outlets. The men are identified as pilot David D. Spencer, 78, and his passenger Rafael J. Chaves, 71. They were transported separately by helicopter to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Neenah, according to the Fond du Lac Reporter. Witnesses said the plane a two-seat fixed-wing CTLS model aircraft manufactured by Flight Design appeared to have a mechanical problem shortly after taking off and was trying to return for a landing about 8:20 a.m. Thursday. It banked abruptly and crashed in an open field several hundred yards from the runway. The Fond du Lac County Airport is not far from Oshkosh, which is hosting the Experimental Aircraft Associations annual AirAdventure this week. According to the Reporter, the airport manager said the Fond du Lac airport typically gets about 150 flight operations per day, but because of the increase in air traffic in the area this week the average has been about 625 per day. NEW YORK Hundreds of terrorists will fan out to infiltrate western Europe and the U.S. to carry out attacks on a wider scale as Islamic State is defeated in Syria, FBI Director James Comey warned. At some point theres going to be a terrorist diaspora out of Syria like weve never seen before, Comey said Wednesday in New York. We saw the future of this threat in Brussels and Paris, said the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, adding that future attacks will be on an order of magnitude greater. Comeys blunt warnings echo those of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has scoffed at Obama administration efforts to defeat Islamic State extremists in Syria and Iraq. Nonetheless, the FBI chiefs comments reflect a consensus among U.S. intelligence officials that the group inevitably will strike out abroad as it continues to lose ground militarily under attack from a U.S.-led coalition. CIA Director John Brennan told the Senate Intelligence Committee in June that our efforts have not reduced the groups terrorism capability and global reach. Using an acronym for Islamic State, Brennan said, as the pressure mounts on ISIL, we judge that it will intensify its global terror campaign to maintain its dominance of the global terrorism agenda. Comey, who called violence directed or inspired by Islamic State the greatest threat to the physical safety of Americans today, said that a lot of terrorists fled out of Afghanistan in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This is 10 times that or more. In his remarks at the conference on cybersecurity, Comey also cited the difficulty of heading off what are often called lone-wolf attacks acting on the groups calls for violence. It is increasingly hard for counterterrorism officials to find and stop individuals inspired or directed by Islamic State who use a knife or a vehicle to kill people, Comey said. Attacks in France have left more than 230 dead since the start of last year. A mass shooting that killed 49 people at a nightclub last month in Orlando, Fla., was carried out by a man who claimed allegiance to Islamic State. Less than two weeks before the Olympic Games begin in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian police have rounded up a dozen people it said were possibly members of an Islamic State cell. Beyond the West, Islamic State took credit for a July 23 suicide bombing at a rally in Kabul that killed more than 80 people, the deadliest single attack in Afghanistan in 15 years of war. The FBI chief also spoke Thursday of the unresolved fight over law enforcement access to encrypted communications that brought his agency into conflict with Apple Inc. earlier this year. The debate over encryption has dipped below public consciousness right now, Comey said. The FBI is using that time to collect data on the negative impact that encrypted communications is having on investigations, he said. From October through March, 500 of 4,000 devices the FBI confiscated couldnt be opened due to encryption, he said. Debate by policy makers over the issue probably will have to wait until next year, after the U.S. elections, he said. At some point encryption is going to figure in a major event in this country, Comey said. Weve got to have the conversation before that happens. Captain Fantastic is about the fantasy of being able to create a perfect world for your children and the crushing realization that such control is ultimately impossible. Ben (Viggo Mortensen) pursues this ideal in a particularly extreme way by removing his family from society altogether and creating his own little utopia in the Pacific Northwest wilderness. We meet the family in the midst of a hunt. Theyre all covered in camouflaging mud. The eldest, Bo (George MacKay), slaughters an animal, and Ben tells him that he is a man now. Primitive though the ritual may be, this family is not. Far from it. They are survivalist philosopher kings highly educated and extremely self-sufficient. Ranging in age from single digits to late teens, the six children Nai (Charlie Shotwell), Zaja (Shree Crooks), Rellian (Nicholas Hamilton, who resembles young River Phoenix), Vespyr (Annalise Basso), Kielyr (Samantha Isler) and Bo have been molded in Bens very specific image. And, for the most part, they worship their father and their lifestyle Noam Chomsky Day and all. The casting director should win an award for finding these truly excellent young performers, who shine alongside the always wonderful Mortensen. But the cracks are starting to show in this little family unit, and not just because normal hormones and attitudes are emerging. Im not a Trotskyist anymore. Im a Maoist! Bo says in an angsty teenage huff at one point. No, there is something more serious festering. Their mother, Leslie (Trin Miller), has been away for three months, hospitalized with severe depression. The kids miss her dearly, and her absence is becoming an issue. But we never get the chance to really meet her. Ben finds out early in the film that shes killed herself. He tells the kids this fact very frankly. Ben never lies to his children. He trusts that they can handle the truth, whether its the circumstances of their mothers death and mental illness or the littlest one asking what rape is. The death forces the family out of its little paradise and into the real world to attend her funeral in Arizona even though Leslies grieving father Jack (Frank Langella) has threatened to arrest Ben if he shows up. But, cmon. Its their mother. Of course theyre going to go. Grandpa cant oppress us! the youngest exclaims. So they pack up their rickety green school bus and venture down from their ivory tower to go south, into the depths of the America that Ben hates. The younger ones have been so sheltered that theyve never heard of Coke or Nike, or seen an obese person. Things get especially tense when they meet Bens sister (Kathryn Hahn) and her family and disrupt their suburban normalcy. While the kids seem happy, all outsiders are pretty much in agreement that Ben is unfit to parent. Unlike Harrison Fords unsympathetic Mosquito Coast protagonist, however, Ben clearly loves his family deeply and genuinely thinks that his way is the best way. This struggle between the individual parent and societys expectations is one without an easy resolution. Both are right and wrong. The film veers into cloying sentimentality a little too often, and, some might tire of Bens philosophies. But that also just means that theres room for his character to grow, too. Captain Fantastic is the second feature from writer-director Matt Ross (his first was the affair drama 28 Rooms), who is currently best-known for his acting. In addition to over two decades in the movies, Ross plays the tech titan Gavin Belson on HBOs Silicon Valley. I imagine a film of the caliber of Captain Fantastic is bound to change that this is no flash-in-the-pan success. Its a single, beautifully realized vision with edge and a true heart. Captain Fantastic RATED: R (for language and brief graphic nudity) WHERE: Opens today HOW MUCH: Century 14 Downtown, High Ridge Unity BPO, an Albuquerque health care technology company, plans to hire nearly 300 full-time employees over the next few years as part of its expansion plans, Gov. Susana Martinez announced Thursday. The jobs come with salaries ranging from $38,000 to $90,000. The average salary for the positions will be in the $55,000 range, Unity CEO Steve Wade told the Journal. About 75 percent of the new hires will be clinical analysts working with medical professionals over the phone and using other technology to assist with health care information technology issues, such as those involving electronic medical records. The companys current staff of clinical analysts solve tens of thousands of such issues a month, he said. Wade said that to qualify for the entry-level clinical analyst positions, candidates will need a high school degree, a technical certification and a background in health care. All the positions will come with competitive benefits that include a 401k, he said. The company, at 7601 Jefferson NE, was recently spun off from the Kemtah Group, an Albuquerque-based information technology management and engineering firm. New Mexico has an ideal business climate for growing our business, Wade said at a news conference. We could locate elsewhere, but places like Austin, Denver or Phoenix wouldnt provide incentives, such as JTIP, LEDA or Rapid Workforce Development. These generous incentive programs help us grow our business and create more jobs in New Mexico. The states Job Training Incentive Program has awarded Unity $517,000 to help hire and train 70 health IT professionals with health domain understanding and IT skills by the end of the year. Wade said funds from the Local Economic Development Act will be important to the company in the future. The company will add more than 200 additional new employees within the next two years. Wade said he believed his companys responsibility was not only to bring new jobs to Albuquerque, but also to attract other health care companies to the city. Unity specializes in providing clinical, managed, professional and telehealth services to hospitals, physician practices, private networks and clinics, as well as home health, hospice and skilled nursing providers, according to its website. It has 35,000 clinical contacts monthly, its website said. Unity BPO is the kind of company we want to see grow and help diversify our economy, state Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela said at the news conference. They are creating economic-base jobs, bringing new dollars to our state and expanding our private sector economy. Kemtah, which provides a comprehensive suite of IT services to clients in 26 states, has been seeing big growth. It signed a $20 million contract in September with Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. The General Services Administration also selected Kemtah in early October as part of a team that will manage a new five-year, $50 million IT services contract. We all full well know what we need, which is a whole lot more announcements like Unitys, said Albuquerque Economic Development President Gary Tonjes. Not everyone gets to make a living by pursuing a passion that feeds their sense of history, culture and spirit. Gustavo Victor Goler knows he is lucky. Its great I can do something in life that gives me an artistic outlet, supports my family, and supports my interest in history and cultures, said the Talpa carver and painter. I feel very fortunate for that. Goler, whose retablos and bultos both honor the traditional and sometimes tweak it with contemporary humor, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award this month from the Spanish Colonial Arts Society. And hes only 53, so hes got a lot of achievement to still look forward to. Hell be making his 29th trip to the Traditional Spanish Market this weekend on Santa Fes Plaza, one of some 250 artists from New Mexico and southern Colorado who will present their works in the Spanish Colonial tradition, whether in woodcarving, tinwork, colcha, straw applique, weaving, jewelry or other works. This is the 65th year for the market, which, besides the artist booths, will include a schedule of music and dance performances, book-signings, artist demonstrations and a special Mass at the cathedral. In his years at the market, Goler said he has won 28 awards for his work. It used to be easier, he added. Its definitely gotten more competitive, in carving particularly. But that is a good thing, Goler said. People are moving forward with new techniques and designs. Still, it can be hard to compete, he said, since he has to rely on his art as his main source of income. Other people who have regular jobs or are retired, they can put months and months into a large carving. If I risk that, it may not sell. Its hard to dedicate three to four months into a large work of art, he said. Still, hell probably bring only five to six carvings and 10 to 15 retablos (pictures of saints painted on wood) to the market, he said. Among them will be his two entries for prizes: Cruising Heaven, a bulto of the Holy Family riding in a 1958 Cadillac for the innovations within traditions category, and Our Lady of San Juan de Los Lagos, a bulto of this Mexico-based image of Mary that plays with the sense of a nicho by adding an umbrella-like canopy with carved openings over the figure. This origin of that latter figure comes from a pilgrimage site in Mexico where the small statue of Our Lady is believed to have been brought in the 1500s and was credited with several miracles. Devotion to the figure and subsequent images were brought to New Mexico or created here, including one in a chapel dedicated to her in his small town near Taos, Goler said. I like to do in-depth research on a saint and pull out something you dont normally see, he said, although he did include the two candles traditionally seen in this depiction of the mother of Jesus. Goler said he generally carves in pine, basswood or Malaysian jelutong, a very forgiving wood that became popular among New Mexico carvers in the late 80s to the mid-90s, when everyone was jumping on the Santa Fe Style bandwagon and a lot of artists were coming in. While he uses water colors to paint the wood, he does make his own gessos and varnishes, Goler said. The gesso is sort of a primer that helps the wood accept the paint. Its made from a type of glue produced from boiling animal hides You have to sit and cook it right. Its kind of difficult. I teach a lot of people how to do it then its mixed with marble dust and applied to the wood. After he sands that down, its ready for drawing and painting, Goler said. With roots in Argentina, but raised in Santa Fe, Goler went to work in an uncles conservation studio when he was only 11 and started wood carving when he was 13. Through the conservation business, he was able to see old techniques in Spanish Colonial works and learn how to restore them, forming a base for launching his own artistic career. While he has had his own conservation studio and still does some of that work, including authenticating old carvings, the bulk of his time is spent on his own art these days, Goler said. He does a number of works on commission and his art is found many private collections, as well as area museums and churches. While he was raised as a Catholic and still attends church services (although not every Sunday), Goler said he started carving for fun and for the history. I like Holy Week, the processions, the Penitentes, the feast days, he said. My work encompasses a lot of those things. There is a spiritual and a religious side in them. If you go WHAT: Traditional Spanish Market PREVIEW: Collectors Hour, 5-6 p.m. today, $80 Public Viewing, 6-8 p.m. today, $20 At the Eldorado Hotel and Spa MARKET HOURS: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday WHERE: Santa Fe Plaza and nearby streets COST: Free Ive worked in outdoor tourism for a quarter-century, as a guide or through a permitting agency, mostly in Alaska. Ive worked with kayaking, hunting, fishing and hiking companies, and dozens of tour boats and cruise ships. People working in the industry radiate a genuine love for the natural world and guides actively connect people to their public lands, often in life-changing ways. But often I see the passion fizzle when it comes climate change. And if the silence I hear on climate translates across the West, the industry is short-changing millions of visitors at a time when dialogue is needed. Of course, there are plenty of reasons for holding back. Bringing up climate change can be a downer for clients simply hoping to fish a fabled river or see their first glacier. Scaring the kids or getting crosswise with Dads political views are also sure ways to blow your gratuity. Hypocrisy plays a role, too. We all burn fossil fuel on our dates with nature, especially in Alaska, where we cross great distances to raft, kayak or camp in the wild. Whether aboard a tour boat in Glacier Bay or on a bus along the Grand Canyon, the engine is a droning reminder of our complicity in changing the climate. The issues complexity is also daunting. Distilling carbon cycles or climate patterns into campfire small talk isnt easy and keeping abreast of fast-moving research takes time. Profit comes into it, as well: Companies want happy clients and bosses may discourage guides from discussing anything they consider political, not scientific. So avoidance is easy. But, on the other hand, speaking up is bold, and boldness in the name of the land is deeply rooted in the outdoor professions. Take John Muir, who found rapture when he wandered into the Sierra in 1869. Soon he was guiding hikes, sharing his passion with whoever would listen. His growing reputation attracted Ralph Waldo Emerson, Theodore Roosevelt and others, and he certainly wasnt quiet about the damage he saw grazing do. In the 1950s, David Brower used rafting trips on Colorados Yampa River to alert people to a dam proposal. In the 1980s, The Boat Company and other tour boat operators in Alaska exposed destructive logging on the Tongass National Forest. Muirs work led to new national parks. Brower helped stop a dam. In Alaska, old-growth forests escaped the cut. Today, we enjoy these and other places because outdoor guides shared their love of the land. Discussing climate change is also great natural history. Warming has accelerated the reproductive cycle of the bark beetle, for example, and we can clearly see the links between less snow, fewer fish and more disastrous wildfire. These stories are intriguing in their own right and they also help us tell the lands story. In Alaska, retreating glaciers help tell the story. Whats happening before our eyes is visually stunning and also fascinating geology: Our transport of carbon from ground to sky has altered the atmosphere, much like a comets impact, triggering planetary warming that collapses glacial systems. The short-term result is Genesis, with new fiords bursting to life with plants, marine mammals, migrating birds and new human traditions. Its an amazing moment for the nature geek in every guide. But theres another angle to consider: self-preservation. The changes occurring to rivers, glaciers, forests and snow awaken economic and even existential concerns for tour operators. Raising the issue the way the ski industry has with its Sustainable Slopes campaign may carry a bottom-line benefit. Obviously, climate discussion need not dominate a tour and initiating The Talk is not necessary for every trip or every client. But silence doesnt work, either. Changing the industry is a shared responsibility. Companies must provide training, resources and encouragement, while guides need to apply their natural creativity to raise the issue without raising hackles. And what if the guide is silent? Clients should feel free to ask questions; doing so could improve the quality of the tour. The biggest role belongs to the agencies that steward the land and issue the permits. A shining example is the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau, Alaska, where the namesake glacier is shrinking from the scenery. Instead of denial, Forest Service officials shifted to a climate-change focus. The centers 550,000 annual visitors, mostly from cruise ships, now experience unabashed, science-based climate education. So do their tour guides on bikes, rafts, kayaks and buses. Similar openness occurs at Kenai Fiords National Park and the Chugach National Forest visitor center at Portage Glacier, near Anchorage. At each, agencies improve the experience of the guided public, with positive reception. They are good examples to consider while leading the public on outdoor adventures this summer. Tim Lydon is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News (hcn.org). He writes from Girdwood, Alaska. District Attorney Jennifer Padgett acknowledged last week that, back in May, she had cleared New Mexico State Police officers of wrongdoing in the shooting death of an Edgewood man described as pointing a rifle at police after four hours of negotiations and a day-long dispute that started as an argument among neighbors over a dog. Padgett abandoned former DA Angela Spence Pachecos past practice of presenting evidence in police shootings to grand juries in closed-door proceedings, which had become increasingly controversial. Padgett said she instead used an internal review process to decide on the Edgewood case. Her decision slipped into the public record only because of a low-profile filing in a civil suit filed by the wife of the man shot by police. We wont argue with Padgetts review process here without specifically saying it, she has taken responsibility for deciding whether a police shooting is justified instead of passing it off to a grand jury. In any case, it will be up to a new Santa Fe district attorney either Democrat Marco Serna or Republican Yvonne Chicoine, who face off in the November election to decide how to handle police shootings long term. But keeping her decision secret for so long is strange and an error in judgment. Padgett said she hadnt issued a press release before because I still have not issued my opinion letter to the State Police; and it was important for the NMSP to release the official public record to all entities with pending discovery requests and IPRA (Inspection of Public Records) requests. Once the official public record is received and an opinion letter sent, the final part of my review would include posting to DA website. We fail to see the connection between her decision and the State Police following the law and fulfilling public records requests. We assume that Padgett has already seen every report the State Police has to offer. Under Pacheco, the grand jury process was secret but Pacheco always called a news conference (no mere press release) after a jury decision on a police shooting, described the evidence as she saw it and took questions. Padgett should have made her call on the Edgewood shootings, then immediately let the State Police know and told the public about one of the most important decisions a prosecutor can make: whether agents of a public agency were justified in the use of deadly force. The New Mexico Attorney General wants to spend more time looking into allegations of voter fraud in an Espanola City Council race that have already produced criminal charges against one defendant. Felony voter fraud counts filed in June in Magistrate Court against Dyon Herrera, 21, have been dismissed, but without prejudice, meaning the charges can be refiled. And the July 20 dismissal notice filed by the AGs Office says Criminal charges will be refiled at a later time. The case involves the March council District 4 race in which challenger Richard Seeds narrowly defeated incumbent Cory Lewis by a count of 238 to 236. Herrera accompanied Seeds wife on a couple of trips to cast absentee ballots. The three ballots at issue in Herreras criminal case were not counted in the final election tally. Dismissal of charges in Magistrate Court is standard in many felony cases as a predecessor action for taking the case to the higher District Court level or to a grand jury to seek indictments. Asked about the case this week, a spokesman for the Attorney Generals Office provided a statement saying the office had been asked by the Santa Fe District Attorneys Office to review the allegations of voter fraud after an investigation was completed by the State Police. The statement adds, Upon review by our office, it was determined that further investigation is needed prior to proceeding with any criminal charges, the statement added. This investigation follow-up is currently being undertaken by the Special Investigations Division of the OAG (Office of Attorney General) in coordination with State Police and is in progress. The statement said the AGs Office would say no more on the investigation for now. The Journal had submitted questions, including whether there were any other targets beyond Herrera. In an interesting twist, Espanola attorney Yvonne Quintana filed notice in Magistrate Court that shes representing Herrera on July 22 two days after Herreras charges in that court were dropped. Her filings also included a demand for a speedy trial, a motion to obtain prosecution evidence and a request to interview prosecution witnesses. The Journal was unable to reach Quintana for comment on why she made the filings in Magistrate Court after the charges were dropped there. Quintana also represents Seeds in a civil lawsuit filed by Lewis that seeks to have a judge throw out all early and absentee ballots cast among the total 477 votes counted in the election. The suit says Lewis got 100 of the early/absentee votes and Seeds got 189. Herrera was arrested by State Police in early July. A criminal complaint charges him with two counts of false voting, for purportedly fake signatures on absentee ballots for his grandparents Lenora and Lee Roy Herrera, and one count for a fake signature for another person, Ben Lopez, on an application for an absentee ballot. The investigation started when the Espanola City Clerk wrote a letter to the New Mexico Secretary of States Office a couple of weeks before the March election. Squires provided the Journal with a copy of the letter this week, but did not respond to subsequent phone messages for comment. Clerk describes suspicious behavior Squires letter says that, on Feb. 17, Laura Seeds candidate Richard Seeds wife and Herrera were delivering absentee ballot applications when Mrs. Seeds got a call from Herreras grandmother, Lenora Herrera, saying her husband Lee Roy Herrera had accidentally torn in two the absentee ballots that the couple received in the mail. A city clerk worker got on the phone and confirmed the account, and it was agreed that grandson Dyon Herrera could come back with the damaged ballots. Dyon Herrera returned with the torn ballots the next day. New ballots were issued, and Herrera left, but absentee ballot presiding judge Therisa Aguilar went to get something in an adjacent room and through a window saw Herrera in his car in the parking lot, according Squires letter. Aguilar saw Herrera opening the ballots. He came back inside within five minutes with the two ballots, now purportedly signed by his grandparents. Augilar and the other clerks office employee found this suspicious, says Squires account. After Herrera left again, Aguilar again watched through the window and saw only young passengers and no elders in the car with Herrera, wrote Squires. On another occasion, Laura Seeds and Dyon Herrera came in with a woman, Daysi Lopez, who asked that Mrs. Seeds help her vote early. Lopez voted, then submitted applications for four absentee ballots for her siblings, but one for Ben Lopez had not been signed. Mrs. Seeds said Ben Lopez was outside in the car and told Herrera to go get the application signed. Herrera came back in with a signed application but, again, Aguilar looked through a window and saw Mrs. Seeds, Herrera and Lopez as the only passengers in the vehicle as Mrs. Seeds drove away, Squires wrote in her request for an investigation. Meanwhile, for Lewis civil lawsuit that challenges absentee votes in the election, Lenora Herrera has signed an affidavit saying that she and husband, who has since died, did in fact sign their ballots. She said she instructed grandson Dyon Herrera to deliver the signed, sealed envelopes to the clerk. Also, Ben Lopez provided an affidavit saying he voted absentee and that he had signed his own ballot envelope. Lewiss court complaint maintains that there are enough fraudulent, illegal or improper absentee or early ballots that, if thrown out, would mean the election was won by Lewis. He has submitted names of more than 20 people he believes didnt sign the mailing envelopes used for returning their absentee ballots. Seeds: Poll worker has unclean hands Seeds, in his initial response to the suit, maintained that polling official Aguilar acted in collusion in order to promote Lewis in the election and in bad faith and with unclean hands. Earlier this month, lawyer Quintana submitted for Seeds affidavits from 21 people who Lewis has said didnt sign their own ballot envelopes, all of them saying they had voted themselves and in fact signed the mailing envelopes. One of those voters and Lenora Herrera also said in their affidavits that they were being harassed by the police. Quintana made a counter claim asking that the three votes by Ben Lopez, and Lenora and Lee Roy Herrera be added to Seeds count, arguing that Aguilar had no authority to disqualify their ballots. The bad blood between Seeds and Herrera started early when Laura Seeds sought a District Court judges order to throw Lewis off the ballot before the election for allegedly not living in City Council District 4. Judge Sarah Singleton, who is now hearing Lewis election challenge, rejected the request. Lupe Salazars son went to jail for his first DWI 14 years ago. He did time for a mistake, Salazar admits, but she said he came out of jail with track marks on his arm, clear evidence of heroin abuse. On Thursday, he was transported from the Rio Arriba County jail in Tierra Amarilla to the Central New Mexico prison in Los Lunas for violating parole, continuing the spiral he fell into just over a dozen years ago. Salazar made the trip to Tierra Amarilla from her Espanola home Thursday, but her 32-year-old son was gone and on his way to state prison by the time she got there. She said his drug habit started when he went to jail when he was 18 and now she is left to care for his 2-year-old daughter. It started a snowball effect and grew out of control, Salazar said. My son gets out of jail, and sometimes he lasts a week or maybe a month, but he always goes back. I do the time, too, its just behind a different wall. It just saddens me that I couldnt get him the help he needed and deserved. Lauren Reichelt, director of the Rio Arriba County Health and Human Services Department, is starting a program aimed at helping people like Salazars son avoid the tragic revolving door of going in and out of jail. A pilot version of the Opiate Use Reduction network will begin operations August, with 10 test subjects who will be chosen by judges at Espanola Magistrate Court and state District Court. Reichelt said the program will provide addicts with assistance, from inpatient detox in the county jail to transitional housing to outpatient treatment, requiring a network of health care providers and others to work together. The worst public policy we ever made regarding drugs was to criminalize them, Reichelt argues. It funnels a lot of resources incorrectly into our corrections system. It makes it much harder for treatment providers when someone is a convicted felon. They lose access to things that can help them, and it makes it way harder to live a normal life. The program is also a means to curb drug deaths in the county. Rio Arriba has the highest rate of heroin overdose deaths in the country, according to the most recent data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 78.4 overdose deaths for every 100,000 residents in the county between 2010 and 2014, compared with 24.3 statewide and 13.8 in the U.S. per 100,000 residents in that same span, according to Health Department data. Reichelt said she wants to get eligible people enrolled in Medicaid once theyre booked into the county jail, with treatment continuing after release. Inmates who are at a high risk of using again will be given naloxone, an injection or nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses, while others may qualify for more extensive treatment. She said judges will use a risk assessment tool, which has yet to be decided on, to determine who can best utilize the services. The assessment works by asking the user a series of questions and outputs a score, similar to a personality test. What were really looking for is who is most likely to benefit from treatment, Reichelt said. Theyll pick people who they think will be successful and will use the services. Giving an inmate naxolone, typically known by the brand name Narcan, upon release can have a profound impact, she said. Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan said peoples drug tolerance goes down when theyre in jail, and they get out and use the same dosages they were used to taking before getting locked up, sometimes with fatal consequences. They come out and think they can start back up where they left off, and they shoot up and end up dying, Lujan said. Were trying to keep from sending them home without something to fall back on. Reichelt will also train the sheriffs office on how to administer naloxone next week and all deputies will be equipped with the antidote. Lujan said deputies are the first to arrive at an overdose call and often have to clear the scene before medics can get to work, putting them in a position to take life-saving measures when seconds matter. He said his department responded to three overdose calls this week and two of those people didnt make it. The best bet is to get Narcan to them (overdose patients) sooner, before the medics get there, Lujan said. The main function of our job is to protect and serve. Its our responsibility to save them if we can. New legislation Thanks to new state legislation passed in March, naloxone is now in the hands of a lot more people. House Bill 277 and Senate Bill 262 essentially allow for anyone to carry an opioid antagonist to reverse overdoses. The new statutes also greatly expanded who can distribute naxolone. Before, only someone licensed by federal, state or local government was permitted to provide the drugs. Tiffany Wynn, the executive director of the Santa Fe Mountain Center, which provides harm reduction services for Santa Fe and Rio Arriba counties, said the center went from distributing Narcan two days a week to five days a week, without the previous requirement that a nurse handle the drug. She said the organization, which uses outdoor adventures to provide therapeutic services, probably went from reversing 12 overdoses a week to 12 overdoses a day and that anyone who knows or is around an opiate addict should carry naxolone with them. This legislation has been a godsend, said Dave Koppa, the Mountain Centers harm reduction center program manager. That is helping people by getting naloxone to the community. The intent is to get it in the hands of everybody and expand the access. Sheriff Lujan believes a lot of the people his deputies arrest for drug crimes want out of the addiction cycle, suggesting the Opiate Use Reduction network can be a success if people use it. If we show them that we can get them the help, then I think they can follow through with it, he said. Its a multi-faceted issue, Koppa said. Fixing it is going to take a village. What Lauren (Reichelt) is trying to do is coordinate care and make sure that care happens. I think we helped make a dent in it, but theres a lot more work to be done. Lupe Salazar believes change will occur when people change a drug culture that now seems normal in Espanola and other parts of Rio Arriba. She recently founded Barrios Unidos in Chimayo, a nonprofit organization that will provide peer counseling and other services to drug addicts, and she says the first open house will be in October. She regrets not being able to help her own son, but she now dedicates a lot of time helping other mothers to not know the disease of addiction. Its not uncommon for addiction to be generational, Salazar said. Weve had addiction in the Valley for many years and shame on us if we dont try to work together as a community to fix it. I really feel that we can nip this epidemic, and its not going to be an overnight process, but I think the first step is admitting we have a problem. A protest at last years Fiesta de Santa Fe set off the latest round of discussion about the history of the City Differents signature event, which commemorates the re-occupation of Santa Fe by Spanish conquistador Don Diego de Vargas 12 years after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. But with another Fiesta coming soon, it doesnt appear theres any official plan to execute what Mayor Javier Gonzales said in 2015 he hoped would be an effort to broaden that narrative of Fiesta. A City Council measure on the issue has fizzled out after some councilors said it was an overreaction to the 2015 protest during the Entrada, the annual re-enactment on The Plaza of de Vargas return. In the protest, about a dozen people wore T-shirts with 1680 printed across the front and black tape over their mouths to signify that Native American voices had been muted. They carried signs with such messages as Don Diego Showed His Ammunition and Prepared for War and In 1693 Don Diego Executed 70 Warriors and Enslaved Hundreds of Women & Children. This week, City Councilor Ron Trujllo said that he felt Fiesta officials and Los Cabelleros de Vargas, the group that has staged the Entrada since the 1950s, do perform outreach with the Native community to make sure no one is slighted. They want to make Fiesta the best they can be, he said. No one wants to hurt anybody. Thats the last thing anyone wants to do. The purpose is to bring people together to commemorate part of our history. Alexis Brown, one of the protesters, said their point was to raise awareness around the false narrative that has happened. (Fiesta) is one of the oldest celebrations in the country. Its part of who we are, and we dont ever want to lose that. We just want the narrative to be more honest. Organizers say Fiesta and the Entrada celebrate the meeting of the Spanish and Native American cultures. This years Fiesta events run from Sept. 3-11. I think Santa Fe is a place made up of people who are peaceful, understanding and willing to help all they can, said Dean Milligan, an Albuquerque native who has lived in Santa Fe nearly 50 years and now serves as president of the Santa Fe Fiesta Council. Its a multi-cultural place where everybody treats each other with respect. I dont think theres any place better in the world. Fallen through the cracks Last years demonstration was organized by Jessica Montoya, then with Tewa Women United, an intertribal support group for women. Im hoping that, together as a community, we might come up with some truth and accuracy. That hasnt happened yet, she said. Montoya, who describes her ethnicity as mestizo Chicana, said she approached Mayor Gonzales last October about staging an educational conversation about the true history behind the Pueblo Revolt sometimes called the first American revolution and the Spanish reconquest of what is now New Mexico. That has fallen through the cracks, she said. She also met with Milligan twice about changes to the program, but nothing has come from the talks, she said. Montoya said she has no problem with staging the Entrada, but not on the Plaza. They should do it at Fort Marcy Park, or better yet in a theater, said Montoya, who now works for One Billion Rising, a group that works to end violence against women worldwide. Not on the Plaza being depicted as actual fact, because it is not. While the program changes slightly from year to year, generally, the Entrada re-enactment depicts de Vargas entering the Plaza with his cuadrilla, or entourage. He lays down his armor and sword as he meets an Indian cacique, who eventually welcomes him. While indeed it was a bloodless re-occupation in 1692, history does show that de Vargas made sure his weaponry was visible and he threatened to cut off the Indians water supply. And, after that day, there was plenty of bloodshed, with both sides as aggressors. After last years Entrada protest, city officials talked about holding a symposium meant to serve as an educational platform. City councilors Patti Bushee and Peter Ives introduced a resolution to hold a symposium, proposed to be held between Indian Market and Fiesta de Santa Fe, on the history of the Santa Fe and the Fiesta and the dynamic interplay of cultures within the city of Santa Fe, both then and now. The City Councils Public Works Committee in November postponed the measure, and it was never taken up again. Two men who portrayed de Vargas during la Entrada, City Councilors Trujillo and Carmichael Dominguez, voted to postpone. They were joined in their vote by Joseph Maestas, who, according to the minutes of that meeting, said he felt it was an overreaction to the demonstration at the 2015 Fiesta. I think this is an overreaction, and I think were unnecessarily infringing on the Santa Fe Fiesta Council, he said, adding that la Entrada has usually been incident-free. I dont know what a symposium would do and what would be the benefit. Dominguez said the Fiesta Council already held events to educate the public about the history of the Fiesta and Santa Fe, and wondered if approving the resolution would mandate the Fiesta Council to hold a symposium or if the $7,500 proposed for a symposium would just help fund what the council already does. Maestas said this week that a symposium might be a good idea if racism were really an issue in Santa Fe. As an engineer and problem-solver, he said, he believes the best way to solve any problem is at the lowest level. If you focus on the problem and make a grassroots attempt to solve on that level, these things can get done, he said. If that doesnt work, then we need to have an appropriate community dialogue, he said. Its a religious celebration Joe Mier is president of Los Cabelleros de Vargas, a nonprofit Catholic ministry that, according to its website, is dedicated to preserving the rich Spanish History, Culture and Faith of Santa Fe. The group also strives for a harmonious relationship with descendants of Indian, Spanish and Anglo ancestry, and actively assists in religious observations during Fiesta. Mier said theres a misunderstanding over what the Entrada is about. Its a celebration, not that we conquered anyone, he said. Its a religious celebration. That should be the main focus. Mier said Native Americans are consulted and included in the presentation, and that some that he knew were offended by last years protest. And he said hes offended that last years demonstrators havent reached out to Los Cabelleros. While Montoya, the protest leader, has met with the Fiesta organizer, she has not tried to meet with him, he said. Mier said that Montoya, as a former candidate for la Reina the Fiesta queen and as someone who played a princesa in the Entrada, should know better. If they want to meet with us, they should have met with us already, he said, adding that he thought Montoya was just trying to stir the pot. Manuel Garcia, chairman of the Entrada committee, said hes willing to listen to anyones opinion. The Entrada re-enactment, he said, already includes language that acknowledges that Native people have their own religious beliefs, which came at the request of Native Americans involved in the program. Last year, he agreed to allow a prayer, acknowledging hardships the Native people suffered at the hands of the Spanish, to be read before the presentation. Quotes from Pope Francis speech last summer asking forgiveness for the wrongs the church committed against indigenous people were included in the remarks, which were read by Anastacio Trujillo, a member of the Entrada cuadrilla and Montoyas boyfriend. Garcia said he was tipped off by an anonymous caller the morning of the Entrada that there would be a demonstration of some kind, but he didnt know what to expect. He, too, feels that the demonstration was misguided. The Entrada is a pageant. Its the telling of a moment in history when de Vargas arrives, and the Native American and Spanish people collaborate and figure out a way to live together, he said. Thats what it is about. We wouldnt be here without that happening. A broader narrative needed Councilor Ives said this week that he plans to resurrect his resolution for a symposium in some form. Its my intent to follow through on that and try to get folks to gather around a table and talk about Santa Fes history, and make sure all sides are acknowledged and recognized, he said, later adding, Even if the city didnt sponsor it, I think there would be enough groups within the city willing to sit down and talk about things and keep an open discourse. Ives said that taking on such a task might be something for the citys recently hired tribal liaison, Rima Krisst. The citys media liaison did not respond Wednesday and Thursday to Journal emails and phone calls requesting interviews with Krisst and Mayor Gonzales, who also once portrayed de Vargas during the Entrada. In an interview after last years Plaza demonstration, Gonzales said he hoped the protest might inspire the Fiesta Council and Los Cabelleros de Vargas to look for opportunities to tell the indigenous peoples side of the story. I spend a lot of time saying whats beautiful about Santa Fe is the blend of cultures that has developed over the course of 400 years. And what we need to do is broaden that narrative and say for longer than 400 years, which started with the indigenous cultures that occupied this territory, raised families, became the first farmers, and through time and through the presence of new cultures, that identity changed. Montoya laughed when asked if she planned to stage another demonstration this year. Maybe someone else will feel the calling. I hope we dont have to do that, she said. I hope the Fiesta council hears our cries. I think we got their attention. The Land of Enchantment was important to Charles Lummis. And the state and its people made an impact on this visionary man. The documentary Charles Lummis: Reimagining the American West chronicles Lummis life and legacy as he traveled across the Southwest, writing for the Los Angeles Daily Times, which is now the Los Angeles Times. The film will be screened at 6 p.m. today at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe. Andrew Wulf, director of the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors and Juan Devis, executive producer of the documentary, will follow the screening with a discussion. In 1884, Lummis set out on a trek from Cincinnati to Los Angeles to take a job as a reporter for the Los Angeles Daily Times. He went on to become one of the most flamboyant and influential personalities of his day as a book author, magazine editor, preserver of Spanish missions, adviser to President Theodore Roosevelt and a crusader for civil rights for minority groups. Lummis was especially passionate about the mistreatment of American Indians, with whom he lived for several years on Isleta Pueblo. He was one of the first white Americans to assail unjust policies toward the original settlers of the region he loved, and his decades of relentless advocacy on that issue ultimately helped turn the tide. With the documentary, we thought it was necessary to put a context of why he is important, Devis said. The first museum in Los Angeles was started by him and its a museum that paid attention to the culture of the Southwest. Devis and the crew spent time with Lummis granddaughter, Suzanne Lummis, a poet, arts organizer and editor in Southern California, to talk about the overall narrative of the documentary. They worked on putting together the film for over a year. The documentary also features historians and experts such as William Deverell, William Estrada and Liza Pozas. Charles had a big impact on the Santa Fe region and, having lived on the Isleta Pubelo, this is where he became a strong advocate for American Indian rights, Devis said. His story is one that isnt often told. The documentary gets into how he lived his life and the legacy he left behind. The documentary will also be broadcast on TV at 7 p.m. Tuesday on Link TV. (Channel 375 on DirecTV and 9410 on Dish Network.) If you go WHAT: Screening of Charles Lummis: Reimagining the American West WHEN: 6 p.m. today WHERE: New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave., Santa Fe HOW MUCH: Free with admission People have become more mobile in recent decades and so have the viruses that cause death and misery for humans. Dr. Terry McNearney, a specialist in viruses at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, will discuss emerging pandemics from 3-5 p.m. today at the University of New Mexico Continuing Education Conference Center. The speed with which infectious illnesses such as Zika virus spread today requires the public and health officials to remain vigilant about possible infections and seek immediate medical attention, McNearney said in an interview. For a long time, you just had infections in fixed pockets, because people werent very mobile, she said. It really is a global issue now, and we really have to have good surveillance. McNearney plans to discuss a variety of infectious illnesses, including Zika, influenza, and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which swept through 37 nations in 2002-2003, causing 774 deaths in nine months. She will also discuss common-sense ways that people can protect themselves from disease. If you go Who: Dr. Terry McNearney, a specialist in rheumatology and retrovirology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. What: New Viruses: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, a lecture sponsored by the Albuquerque International Association. When: 3-5 p.m. today. Where: The University of New Mexico Continuing Education Conference Center, 1634 University NE. Cost: $15 for association members; $20 for nonmembers; free for students with ID. The principles and practices that make the U.S. Navy SEALs the elite team that the U.S. military calls on to perform its most critical no-fail missions can be applied in the business world, a retired SEAL told more than 400 people attending Thursdays annual meeting of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce. Have you ever had a job that you really had to nail that you could not fail? retired Rear Adm. Scott Moore asked as he began an hourlong presentation that included lessons he learned during his 30-year career as a SEAL team member and leader. SEAL is an acronym for Sea, Air and Land teams, the U.S. Navys primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. According to Moores bio, he participated in more than 2,000 covert missions around the globe and was the on-scene commander for the April 2009 rescue of the cargo ship MV Maersk Alabamas captain, Richard Phillips, from Somali pirates. The event was the basis for the 2013 movie Captain Phillips. Moore, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, served in every leadership position in the SEAL teams, including commanding the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. He closed out his career as the No. 2 leader in the entire SEAL organization. Although the extensive and sometimes tortuous training Navy SEALs must undergo to become and remain a SEAL makes them an elite fighting force, much more is required to succeed at the critical missions entrusted to them, Moore said. Theres really three things that matter, and none of them have to do with an individuals skill or performance, he said. Thats what you have to have on these missions, especially where you cant fail. Those three things, which Moore calls foundations, are the leadership, the team and the culture that lead ultimately to success. Its more than the training that made us who we were, Moore said. Leadership, at least leadership that works, requires a leader to accept that role, to listen to more-experienced team members regardless of rank, and to make a decision and explain it to team members. Once a decision is made, he said, the leader has to lead the decision by being fully committed to it. I remember having three books as a SEAL lieutenant The Art of the Leader and a couple of others I never finished any of them. Im the experiential guy, Moore said. The second foundation is the team which takes precedence over any individual on it, he said. A successful team is cohesive and transparent, meaning there are no secrets among its members and they speak honestly to one another; each knows their own and others roles, and trust is paramount. The third foundation, he said is the culture developed within the team and the organization itself. The culture drives everything, Moore said, and ensures the success and longevity of the enterprise, whether its an elite component of warriors, the SEALs organization, a military branch or a business venture. These are things that transform an organization, Moore said after his presentation. And theyre easily transferable to any organization if the top folks just care about including their people in the discussion. Thats how you grow your culture, thats how you enhance the communication of your mission just include your people. The University of New Mexico outlined its new protocols to handle sexual assault for a committee of lawmakers, even as critics said the school has more work to do to better help victims of rape and harassment. That was the discourse at a legislative committee meeting held at the universitys Technology and Science Park. The agenda called for UNM to address a recent Department of Justice investigation that found the school in some cases failed to handle sexual misconduct correctly and failed to comply with gender anti-discrimination laws. The report also found that UNM had confusing policies regarding sexual assault, and that investigations were lengthy and inadequate. That review started in late 2014 and the federal agencies findings were released earlier this year. Since that time, UNM has simplified its policies and altered the investigative process to make it faster, among other changes. Those efforts include a recent survey of students about their perception of sexual assault on campus. About 3,000 students participated and the results of that survey will be made public in the coming weeks. The university also held training this week for employees to better deal with sexual assault. They also mentioned The Lobo Respect Center, a site where students can report sexual assault. Elsa Cole, the universitys attorney, said the DOJ had not yet developed a final plan for UNM to move forward. She did say that, after sending the letter of what the school had done recently, the list of things UNM would have to be shortened. We have not heard from them about what should be in the final agreement, Cole said. Victims of rape and their advocates who criticized the university followed the administrators presentation. Ashlynn Ota, a former student who said she was raped at a fraternity, said the process of reporting her rape was confusing. The UNM police didnt communicate with administrators, university investigators requested her rape report and she lost her university therapist. She said it took months to secure her medical leave. All of the issues with the way that UNM handled my sexual assault fall squarely in line with the findings set forth by the DOJ, Ota said. If UNM really wants to pursue its mission of providing high-quality education, health care and research, you should realize none of the goals are realized if students, faculty and staff are unsupported. May Sagbakken, the director of The Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico, praised the university for the steps it had taken, but said those recent efforts are a small part of the bigger picture. The center later on Thursday issued a statement calling for the university to formally accept responsibility for the findings of the DOJ report and apologize for allowing the problem to persist for so long. No news conference or carefully prepared testimony can distract from the hard truth that UNM has only just begun to address these deep, systemic problems, Sagbakken said. On one hand make that paw the state of New Mexico has set up a CougarCam so YouTube viewers can watch the antics of two orphaned cougar kittens who now call Edgewoods Wildlife West Nature Park home. On the other, it expands the trapping of cougars starting Nov. 1, a practice as barbaric as it is indiscriminate and one that broke one of the sisters legs before the kittens were relegated to living in a 60- by 90-foot enclosure. A cynic could argue its really just the business of supply and demand, with Game and Fish officials ensuring there will be many more orphaned and injured cougars like True and Zia for Tourism Department officials to put on 24/7 web feeds. But is that the kind of business the so-called Land of Enchantment wants to be in? Its really just one step short of having Game and Fish put GoPros on every animal it comes in contact with so when one is caught in a trap or snare we can all go online and watch it gnaw its paws off trying to escape. If thats too graphic, so is trapping. Leg-hold traps were invented in the 1800s and have been banned in more than 80 countries in great part because they are like land mines and pose a threat to any unsuspecting living thing that comes in contact with them. They can clamp down on a dog. A nontargeted species. An endangered or protected species. A hiker. A kid. Thats why eight states, including Arizona and Colorado, have banned or placed severe restrictions on leg-hold and instant-kill traps. No other state except Texas allows cougar trapping. The Tourism Department says in its CougarCam news release that the kittens mother was killed and the sisters were rescued, one after suffering a broken leg from being caught in, yes, a trap. They were just 3 months old when a licensed trapper notified conservation officers that a cougar kitten was in a foothold trap near Wagon Mound. Responding officers found the second kitten nearby. Jessica Johnson, chief legislative officer for Animal Protection of New Mexico, says we need to know how these two cougar cubs got orphaned in the first place, but our request for details from the Department of Game and Fish has left us empty-handed. How did their mother die? Were there any criminal consequences for the person who illegally killed the mother and caught one of the cubs in a leg-hold trap? An internal Game and Fish memo says the wildlife center in Espanola that first treated the kittens said they thought there was some criminal circumstances which led to the cubs being taken there. Johnson says state rules make it unlawful to kill a female cougar accompanied by spotted kitten(s), or any spotted kitten. Lance Cherry, chief of information and education at Game and Fish, says, Although Game and Fish officers are investigating, they have not yet determined if the mother had abandoned the cubs or if she died prior to their capture. Tourisms CougarCam, which is inside the enclosure where True and Zia will live out their lives because they did not have a mother to teach them how to hunt, went live last Friday. They nap inside their den, sunbathe on top of it, chase each other and look expectantly off-camera, making watchers question what interests them so much visitors? feeding time? Wildlife watching is an internet sensation, and so far all viewers have given CougarCam a thumbs up. Cherry says the efforts of everyone involved will ensure the lions receive ongoing veterinary care and will provide a unique educational opportunity for the people of New Mexico and visitors to the state. In announcing the webcam, Tourism Secretary Rebecca Latham said, Cougars are part of the natural history of our state. Their range is all over New Mexico but because they are quite shy, very few people have actually seen them. Now people from all over the world can watch these two grow up. Which means they have might have better odds than their wild brethren. It used to be that to trap a cougar in New Mexico, you had to get a special permit, and you could do it on private land only. But in August, the seven-member New Mexico Game Commission decided cougar permits are not needed on private land which means there is no way to track how many are killed. It also added 9 million acres of state trust land to the leg-hold trapping and snaring kill zone. Animal Protection and the Humane Society of the United States are suing in state and federal courts over the expansion, arguing, Littering New Mexico with leg-hold traps and snares will expose endangered Mexican wolves and jaguars to cruel and unnecessary suffering and death. Not to mention anything else that steps across them, like a cougar kitten. In this digital, interconnected world, nobody bats an eye when people on one side of the globe watch something as its happening on the other. But in this disconnected place, somebody needs to bat a paw at a state government that is expanding cougar trapping while it celebrates two orphaned cougars on a state webcam. UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to assistant editorial page editor DVal Westphal at 823-3858 or road@abqjournal.com. Go to ABQjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor. Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal Color New Mexico dry and Albuquerque desperate. Data released Thursday by the New Mexico Drought Monitoring Workgroup show that more than 21 percent of the state is in moderate drought and nearly all of it is abnormally dry. And numbers from the National Weather Service reveal that, up to this point, Albuquerque is experiencing its third-driest year ever. As of Thursday, Albuquerques official rainfall total for the year was 1.61 inches, considerably shy of the 4.47 inches that is average for this point in the year. Weather service statistics list only two years that got off to drier starts 2011, when the city accumulated 0.58 of an inch through the last day of July, and 1947, when Albuquerque got 1.31 inches through July 31. If Albuquerque gets some official rainfall before the end of the month, the city might fall back to its fourth- or fifth-driest year. But any way you cut it, July has been plenty hot and dry through much of the city and the state a sharp contrast with last year, the states fifth-wettest year. Even when there is rain, high temperatures dry it up in a hurry. The lack of rain and triple-digit temperatures are hurting us, said Raymond Abeyta, a hydraulic technician with the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Reclamation. Royce Fontenot, senior hydrologist in the Albuquerque office of the National Weather Service, echoed the sentiment. The trend is there, Fontenot said. Were drying out. Abeyta and Fontenot made their comments during this weeks meeting of the Drought Monitoring Workgroup, made up of representatives of the weather service and state and federal agencies. After analyzing information such as soil moisture content, the group decided to increase the percentage of the state in moderate drought from 16 percent to 21.46 percent and to boost the percentage of the state listed as abnormally dry from 77 percent to 96 percent. Moderate drought now extends along the entire western edge of New Mexico, from the Bootheel in Hidalgo County through San Juan County up to the Colorado border. The work group also designated a swatch of moderate drought in southeastern New Mexico. Twenty-one percent moderate drought doesnt sound all that bad when you consider that 43 percent of New Mexico was in moderate drought in early April and 37 percent was so designated in late May. Above-normal rainfall throughout the state in April and in significant portions of New Mexico in May and June rolled the drought back to 16 percent by late last month. High temperatures and less rain so far this month accounted for the increase to 21 percent this week. And while Albuquerque is having its third-driest year, figures available through June show that New Mexico as a whole is experiencing its 43rd-driest year. New Mexicos statewide precipitation average for January through June is 4.95 inches. Statewide, an average of 3.97 inches fell through June. Statewide precipitation numbers are calculated by averaging totals collected at rainfall monitoring stations around the state. Fontenot takes them with a grain of salt. Im not fond of statewide averages unless you are Rhode Island, he said. (New Mexico) is too big. There are too many variables. There are variables even in a relatively confined space such as the Albuquerque area. Albuquerques 1.61 inches total for this year is based on rainfall collected at the citys official weather-monitoring station at the airport. Unofficial gauges at points around the city may record precipitation on days when the airport station gets none. On Monday, for example, no rain was recorded at the airport. But the same day, a gauge in Northeast Albuquerque recorded 0.68 of an inch of rain and a gauge at Paseo Del Norte and Tramway measured 0.22 inch. Rainfall totals around the state on Monday include 2.48 inches at Bonito Lake, 11 miles northwest of Ruidoso; 0.98 inch in Dora, 16 miles south of Portales; 0.68 inch in Clines Corners; 0.66 inch in Santa Fe and Tucumcari; and 0.55 inch in Tijeras. Good news, but not all that impressive, considering the state is in its monsoon season. Striking an optimistic note, Fontenot noted that the monsoon season continues through Sept. 30. The trend is drier now, he said. But we are only a third way through the monsoon, when we get most of our moisture. Click here to watch on Facebook PHILADELPHIA Hillary Clinton made history Thursday night as the first woman to accept a major U.S. partys presidential nomination, and she quickly drew stark contrasts between her campaign and that of her Republican rival, Donald Trump, on issues including immigration, jobs, terrorism and national defense. After a warm introduction by her daughter, Chelsea, Clinton appeared to the sound of Rachel Plattens Fight Song, waving and beaming as she strolled from one side of the massive stage to the other. Moments later, the Wells Fargo Center erupted in ecstatic cheers when the candidate acknowledged the significance of the moment. Tonight, weve reached a milestone in our nations march toward a more perfect union: the first time that a major party has nominated a woman for president, Clinton said. When any barrier falls in America, it clears the way for everyone, Clinton added. After all, when there are no ceilings the sky is the limit. Clintons national convention address followed three nights of Democratic stars including a past and present president asserting she is ready for the White House. But while Democrats in Philadelphia roared their approval, national polling data suggest a tough fight ahead. A University of Southern California Dornsife/Los Angeles Times tracking poll showed that Trump got as much as a 10-point bounce after the GOP convention in Cleveland last week. The poll Thursday showed Trump now holds a 7 percentage point lead over Clinton in the race, 47 percent to 40 percent nationally. Journal pollster Brian Sanderoff said New Mexico once a fiercely contested presidential swing state has voted Democratic in the past two presidential elections and Trump has his work cut out for him if he expects to compete in the state. New Mexico is the bluest state in the Rocky Mountain region, Sanderoff said. Well have to wait and see if Trump can narrow the gap. However, anything can happen in this unpredictable election season. Immediately after Clintons speech, the chairman of the Republican National Committee described her as corrupt and unfit to lead. Time and again, Hillary Clintons dishonesty and cronyism have proved she is the wrong person to lead our country as president, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. The American people have had enough of the corruption, the deceit and the stonewalling which have been the hallmarks of her entire career. Although Clinton officially clinched the Democratic Party nomination with a roll call of states votes two days earlier, some supporters of her formal rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, remained defiant Thursday night. Sanders endorsed Clinton during his speech Monday, but a few of his delegates taped their mouths shut in a nod to what they believed was unfair treatment of their campaign by the Democratic National Committee. A smattering of others occasionally jeered Clinton during her speech. Meanwhile, Clinton extended an olive branch. I want to thank Bernie Sanders, she said, in particular, for the young people who put their hearts and souls into our primary. You put economic and social justice issues front and center where they belong. She said her top priority as president would be creating jobs. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States, from my first day in office to my last, especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind, she said. I believe America thrives when the middle class thrives, she said. Clinton also suggested she would continue the Democrats fight to reform immigration laws. Comprehensive immigration reform will grow our economy and keep families together, and its the right thing to do, she said. On national security, the former secretary of state pledged to be vigilant on terror, wary of Irans nuclear ambitions and supportive of Israels statehood and security. Im proud that we put a lid on Irans nuclear program without firing a single shot. Now we have to enforce it and keep supporting Israels security, she said, referring to a nuclear deal with Iran the Obama administration struck. Im proud to stand by our allies in NATO against any threat they face, including from Russia, she added. Clinton also outlined her strategy for combating the Islamic State terror group. We will strike their sanctuaries from the air and support local forces taking them out on the ground, she said. We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks before they happen. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country. It wont be easy or quick, but make no mistake: We will prevail, she said. She also took a direct shot at Trumps vision for the country. He wants to divide us from the rest of the world, and from each other, she said. Hes betting that the perils of todays world will blind us to its unlimited promise. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., said she was attending her first convention and got a bit emotional during the speech. I thought she crushed it, Lujan Grisham told the Journal. She hit all of the high points that will be debated in the next 100 days. For me, it was really valuable and important for her to talk about family issues, because they are issues important for this country and for New Mexico. It was really exciting. Fred Harris, a former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, said hes been to every Democratic convention since 1964. This is the best convention Ive ever been to, Harris said, adding that part of the appeal was the give-and-take between supporters of Clinton and Sanders, who made a strong run against her in the primaries. We had a roll call vote, we had two candidates and now weve made a decision. I think we leave here more unified. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Noted Mexican-American writer Sandra Cisneros says New Mexico needs a truth and reconciliation commission like South Africa to address its history of violence between Hispanics and Native Americans. Cisneros told The Associated Press this week that such a commission could help bridge divisions among descendants of Spanish settlers, Mexican immigrants, and American Indians. There is real division here, historically, Cisneros said while in Albuquerque to promote an art exhibit based on her 1984 novel The House on Mango Street at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. I think what New Mexico needs is what South Africa hadthe Truth and Reconciliation (commission). And that hasnt happened. Cisneros said she considered relocating to New Mexico but changed her mind because she felt some of the states Hispanics looked down on down on Americans of Mexican descent. She currently lives in Mexico. In October, Cisneros told the Santa Fe New Mexicans Pasatiempo she contemplated moving to northern New Mexico until she read residents there dont like Mexicans. Cisneros said the book Desert America: A Journey Through Our Most Divided Landscape by Ruben Martinez highlighted the racial divisions within New Mexico and she couldnt get past that in a region obsessed with its mythical, Spanish colonial past. Some Hispanic residents in New Mexico often differentiate themselves from other Latino in the U.S. by claiming they have a more direct Spanish-colonial lineage. Some scholars have disregarded those claims. Her comments come as Native American students are seeking to change the seal of the University of New Mexico. The students say the seal with a rifle-toting white frontiersman and a sword-carrying Spanish conquistador depicts the states violent past and makes American Indians students feel uncomfortable. Nick Estes, a University of New Mexico doctoral student who is pushing for the seal change, said he believed the states communities should talk honestly with each other about New Mexicos violent past. I do think there is a lot of truth telling to do, said Estes, who is Native American. But Ralph Arellanes, chair of the Hispano Round Table of New Mexico, said Cisneros was being too simplistic in her critiques of New Mexico Hispanics. Shes forming her opinions based on what she hears, based on what she reads and not on what she knows, Arellanes said. For the most part, New Mexicans are very welcoming to other groups, especially Mexicans. Arellanes said there is nothing wrong with New Mexico Hispanics being proud of being descendants of originally Spanish land grant families. Their land was later stolen by white settlers, and the legacy of that land theft is still felt today, Arellanes said. Cisneros is known internationally for her novel The House on Mango Street and recently published A House of My Own: Stories From My Life. ___ Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/russell-contreras . BRENHAM, Texas Police in suburban Houston say a McDonalds worker has been fired for refusing to serve an officer. Brenham Police Chief Craig Goodman says in a Facebook post that one of our employees, who was off duty with his family, was refused service at a local restaurant simply for being a Police Officer. Goodman doesnt say when it happened but does say the owners were quickly notified. Goodman tells Houstons KHOU-TV that the owners investigated and the employee in question no longer works for their business. Goodman says the workers son is in some legal trouble and that might have sparked her negative feelings toward police. McDonalds hasnt responded to a request for comment. The owners of the franchise appeared alongside Brenham police in a picture posted on Facebook. EL PASO, Texas Federal authorities in El Paso say an 18-year-old man believed from Africa is held without bond on a sex trafficking charge after he was arrested for bringing two 15-year-old girls from Phoenix and then prostituting them on an internet classified website. FBI assistant special agent Keith Byers says authorities arrested Edema Missiadan after police in Mesa, Arizona, relayed information that a girl possibly was being forced into prostitution in the El Paso area. An investigator responding to ads set up a meeting at an El Paso motel Wednesday evening and Missiadan was arrested. The El Paso Times reports (http://bit.ly/2amiXK3 ) Missiadan told a federal judge Thursday he committed no crime and is a U.S. citizen. Officials say hes a refugee from Ghana and is believed to be a citizen of Togo. ___ Information from: El Paso Times, http://www.elpasotimes.com WARSAW, Poland Pope Francis visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday included an encounter with 25 Christian Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust a powerfully symbolic meeting that Polands chief rabbi played a key role in orchestrating. Rabbi Michael Schudrich, a native of New York City whose grandparents all immigrated from Poland, had long hoped to see such a meeting in Poland between a pope and some of the remaining Poles who risked their lives during World War II to help and protect Jews. Yad Vashem in Israel has recognized 6,620 Polish gentiles who sheltered Jews among the so-called Righteous Among the Nations. Today fewer than 240 in Poland are still alive. Remembering their sacrifices is an important part of Schudrichs mission as the spiritual head of Polands Jewish community, and he has often said that one can never do enough for them. In a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Schudrich said the popes meeting with survivors was something I have been thinking about for a while: what kind of non-material present, what kind of thank-you, can we give to the Righteous? He noted that a U.S. group, the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, offers them some financial help. But I wanted to come up with a spiritual gift and I thought that a special blessing from the pope would make them feel honored because of their unbelievable morality and humanity, he said. He said he approached members of the church hierarchy several months ago with the idea of including a meeting during the popes visit to Poland this week. They were receptive and then they all got down to the business of organizing the meeting, which happened Friday during the popes mostly silent visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Schudrich had tried to arrange a meeting between a group of Righteous and Benedict XVI when that pope visited Poland in 2006, but it did not work out. John Paul II had met with some at the Vatican during his papacy, but it was the first such encounter at one of the former death camps. Francis met with them one by one and presented each one with a gift in a small red box. One, 86-year-old Tadeusz Stankiewicz, valued the fact that the pope made his visit in silent contemplation, saying the site is no place for pompous speeches which are not always honest. Stankiewicz had hoped to tell the pope that faith in God helped him and his family overcome fear and help Jews, but there was no possibility to speak. Schudrich said he was grateful that the pope met with the Righteous and also valued his silent homage to the victims of Auschwitz-Birkenau, most of whom were Jewish. Afterward, when he met Francis briefly, he said he told him: Thank you for your prayer of silence. He said the pope responded: Pray for me. ___ Monika Scislowska in Krakow contributed to this report. HONOLULU A Korean tourist who was arrested after he became violent when he wasnt allowed to do yoga on a plane leaving Hawaii wont get additional jail time. But he must pay United Airlines more than $44,000. A federal judge in Honolulu on Thursday sentenced Hyongtae Pae to time served, which was about 13 days. Hell be under court supervision for three years, which is the amount of time he has to pay the restitution. Pae and his wife were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary with a Hawaii vacation and the couple was headed home when he was arrested. According to court records, Pae didnt want to sit in his seat during the meal service on the March flight from Honolulu to Tokyo, so he went to the back of the plane to do yoga and meditate. Authorities say he refused to return to his seat, threatened crew members and passengers and shoved his wife. The pilot turned the plane around and returned to Honolulu. Pae told authorities after his arrest that he hadnt slept in 11 days. Court records say he threatened to kill passengers and was yelling that there is no god. Pae went into a rage because he felt the flight crew was ordering him around, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty in April to interfering with a flight crew and was allowed to return home to South Korea, even though prosecutors warned he might not return for his sentencing. U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor said she agrees with prosecutors that Paes actions constituted a violent felony. Because of that, its possible he may never be allowed to return to the United States. Thats fine by Pae, who is in his 70s and doesnt intend to travel to the United States in the future, said his defense attorney, Jin Tae J.T. Kim. I think your client is getting off very easy with the $44,235 restitution amount considering the costs of turning the plane around, including jet fuel and all the passengers who had to return to Honolulu, Gillmor said. I take this very seriously and I have a great deal of concern about this behavior, she said. It was a traumatic experience for the passengers and the flight crew, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Otake, adding that its fortunate there were Marines on board who helped restrain him. Pae tried to bite and head-butt the two Marines, prosecutors said. Gillmor said Pae may return to home to Korea, but before he leaves must meet with a probation officer to work out restitution payments. Pae declined to speak in court. He didnt say it but he does apologize for what happened, Kim said outside of court. This is a truly isolated incident. Kim noted that Pae flew to Korea and back without incident. Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front row taxi ridesymbolic of the shows content as a fun ride that takes audiences from point A to point B. Gabina VOAs main goal is Enlightening young people, introducing them to cutting-edge technological innovations, exposing them to new processes and ideas so they can be productive, informed and self-governing citizens. The smell of freshly sharpened pencils, your brand new backpack that perfectly matched your first-day outfit, along with your brand new shoes. Going back to school is a big day for many K-12 students. But how much money are you spending on these items? According to ConsumerReports.org, parents are planning to spend $917 on average per child this year on back-to-school shopping. For many families, this can be a serious financial burden, not to mention the prevalence of back-to-school scams and tricks that could cost your family even more than necessary. BBB serving New Mexico and Southwest Colorado is here with tips to make the transition back into the busy fall routine easy and safe: Create a Budget: Before you decide to hit the stores for back to school shopping, do a quick price search online so you dont have to waste time comparing prices from store to store. Make sure to clip or print out coupons, review cashback/rebate programs and note expiration dates. Keep in mind that for some items its worth spending a few more dollars for important items such as a backpack. Set up Email Alerts: Observing pricing early is key to finding deals on quality products. Retailers may have an informed community of savvy shoppers on the blogs or forums who share exclusive coupons, deals, and insider information. These alerts will help you not miss any hot back to school trends. Read the Return Policy Twice: Just in case you need to return or exchange a purchase you make while back-to-school shopping, BBB has a few tips to make it seamless. We recommend that you keep all original packaging for supply items (cellophane, bubble wrap, boxes and all). Bring your identification (many stores will need your ID to reverse the charge on your credit or debit card). Keep all of your receipts and return/exchange the item(s) as soon as possible, seeing as many stores have a time frame in which shoppers can bring the items back. Beware of Potential Form Fraud: With back-to-school shopping comes the filling out of forms for supplies, books, enrollment you name it. While we can sometimes fall into an auto-haze of filling out information, be careful what information you provide to who. Additionally, keep a copy of the forms you turn in that have sensitive information, including your childs birthday, address, and social security number and if you are throwing a paper away that has this information, make sure to shred it first. Social Media Scams: While we all love a good deal, be wary of back-to-school coupons and deals you see on Facebook, Twitter, etc. See an ad for a discounted computer? An offer for a $100 gift card if you complete a survey? Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. These seemingly unbeatable deals are often just a ploy to collect personal information so be careful before you fill out any online form to receive a deal. A federal judge on Friday refused to order a halt to Albuquerques plan to build a bus-rapid-transit system down the middle of Central Avenue. In a late-night decision, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Gonzales denied a motion for a preliminary injunction that would have prevented Mayor Richard Berrys administration from starting construction on the $119 million project. Work could begin as early as Wednesday, city attorneys told the judge. Gonzales said he wasnt convinced that its in the publics interest to stop the project called Albuquerque Rapid Transit and he noted that the mayor and a City Council majority favor the project. Completing the ART project on time will address existing safety concerns sooner and save the public money due to construction delays, he said in a 14-page opinion. The judge expressed mixed personal feelings about the project, but he said it was his job to apply the law objectively, regardless of the political debate. Granting a preliminary injunction, he said, requires meeting strict legal standards. If or when the ART project is constructed and put into operation, there may be a day when I will utilize it and fully realize everything the system now is envisioned to be: a speedy, convenient, environmentally smart transportation system that, in addition, spurs necessary economic development into an area of Albuquerque that needs it, Gonzales wrote. Today, however, and from a personal standpoint, he continued, I cannot be certain that I buy in. It means changes to an area of Albuquerque that I may not be ready to accept. But, to resolve this matter, I must set aside my personal opinion and employ the correct legal standards. Mayor Berry, a Republican, has made construction of ART a priority of his administration. Im happy for our city, he told reporters at City Hall. The project would create a nine-mile network of bus-only lanes and bus stations in the middle of Central Avenue, from roughly Louisiana to Coors. The system could be in operation late next year if all goes well. Berry pledged late Friday to continue listening to opponents and skeptics, with the hope of assuaging their concerns. We want this to be successful for everybody, he said. To win an injunction, opponents had to show they were likely to succeed on the merits of their case that the Federal Transit Administration improperly exempted ART from the requirement for a detailed environmental analysis. They also had to show that allowing the project to move forward would create irreparable harm and that stopping it now was in the publics interest. Gonzales said the law required him to give deference to the FTAs technical expertise, a tough standard for opponents to overcome and win their case. Gonzales heard closing arguments Friday and thanked the attorneys involved for their professionalism during a grueling hearing that began Wednesday morning and stretched into the evening that night and the next one. He issued his ruling in writing about 8 p.m. Friday. City executives argued that any delay whether because of a court order or something else would push up the cost of the project. But they never said theyd abandon it altogether if a preliminary injunction were to stop them from starting working immediately. Over the past three days, opponents of Albuquerque Rapid Transit offered emotional testimony, calling the project a potential disaster for local businesses and a cultural catastrophe that would damage the car-friendly charm of the road that was once Route 66. Their attorneys argued that the Federal Transit Administration improperly granted the project an exemption from rules that would normally require a detailed environmental assessment or study. They also accused the city of misleading the FTA about the potential impact to the environment and neighborhoods along Central Avenue the longest urban, intact stretch of the old Route 66. Attorneys for the city and Federal Transit Administration, meanwhile, said the project met the requirements for an exemption from further study something known as a categorical exclusion. The decision was sound, they said, because the construction needed to carry out Albuquerque Rapid Transit will occur almost entirely within the sidewalk-to-sidewalk boundaries of Central Avenue, or the public right of way. City officials also testified that they changed the design of the project to address neighborhood concerns about traffic and consulted with state officials on historic preservation. The new ART buses would generally move down the center of Central in what is now the median. To make room, there will be one lane fewer for general traffic in each direction throughout much of the corridor. Federal funding would pay for most of the construction, though Congress has not yet approved all of the money. President Barack Obamas administration has recommended funding, however. Memorandum Opinion and Order by Albuquerque Journal on Scribd ANKARA, Turkey Turkeys president slammed the United States on Friday, claiming it was not standing firmly against a failed military coup and accused it of harboring the plots alleged mastermind, as a government crackdown in the coups aftermath strained Turkeys ties with key allies. Turkey has demanded the United States extradite Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania whom it accuses of being behind the violent July 15 coup attempt that left more than 200 people dead. It is accusing Western nations of not extending sufficient support to its efforts to counter further threats from followers of the Gulen movement, which it says have infiltrated the countrys state institutions. Turkey considers Gulens movement a terrorist organization. Gulen has denied any prior knowledge of the plot and says his movement espouses interfaith dialogue. The United States has asked Turkey for evidence of his involvement, and said the U.S. extradition process must take its course. Instead of thanking this nation that quashed the coup in the name of democracy, on the contrary, you are taking sides with the coup plotters, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an angry speech Friday at a police special forces headquarters in Ankara. The facility was bombed and fired upon during the attempted coup, and 47 police officers were killed. The putschist is already in your country, Erdogan said. The president also lashed out at an American military official who expressed concern that the failed coup may have longer-term effects on the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Gen. Joseph Votel said Thursday the unrest could affect U.S. relations with the Turkish military, noting that some of its leaders have been jailed. Weve certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular. And so Im concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue to move forward, Votel said at the Aspen Security Forum. Erdogan criticized the comment. Its not up to you to make that decision. Who are you? Know your place, he said, and hinted the United States could be behind the failed plot. My people know who is behind this scheme they know who the superior intelligence behind it is, and with these statements you are revealing yourselves, you are giving yourselves away, he said. Speaking later in the evening at an event in Ankara to commemorate the dead and wounded, Erdogan said nobody from the European Union or the Council of Europe had visited Turkey to express their condolences for those killed in the coup. He noted the West simply offered condolences and then followed up with messages of concern about those suspended or fired. You simply send a message of condolence, and you follow it up with nine kinds of advice? Erdogan said. Keep that to yourself. The president insisted a broad crackdown on the Gulen movement was necessary and would continue. Some say youve dismissed 10,000, 20,000. We will purge tens of thousands of whomever they are, Erdogan said. It is not possible for them to remain in this countrys institutions, those who rained bombs purchased with taxes on my pristine people, he added. Speaking earlier in the day, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey wanted Gulens extradition process to conclude rapidly and has asked the United States to make sure he does not escape to another country. He also criticized Turkeys European and Western allies for their stance on the governments broad crackdown, which has included a purge of the civil service, military, judiciary and education sectors, and the closures of hundreds of schools and dozens of media outlets. We are disturbed by our European and Western friends approach, Cavusoglu told reporters. Very few have given us clear support against the coup. They started to give us lessons in democracy, to talk down to us, to warn us. The European Union and other countries, as well as human rights groups, have voiced increasing concern about the crackdown. According to recent figures from the interior ministry, more than 18,000 people have been detained since the coup attempt. Of those, more than 3,500 have since been released, a senior government official said. More than 66,000 people in the wider civil service have been suspended from their jobs. Ankara has also been seeking to extend its crackdown on the network of schools and institutions abroad connected to his movement. In Germany, the governor of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said his regional government received a letter from the Turkish consul-general in Stuttgart asking it to check and reevaluate organizations, facilities and schools which in the opinion of the Turkish government are, it says, controlled by the Gulen movement. That surprised me greatly, Winfried Kretschmann told the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Of course we will not do that. Kretschmann said he has seen no evidence to back Turkeys assertion that the Gulen movement was responsible for the coup attempt or that Islamization is taking place at schools in Germany. Germanys foreign minister said it was good that the coup had been foiled but now the reactions are getting far out of proportion. When tens of thousands of civil servants, teachers and judges are dismissed, thousands of schools and education facilities shut and dozens of journalists arrested without any direct connection with the coup being discernible, we cannot simply stay silent, Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted as saying Friday in the Ruhr Nachrichten paper. Steinmeier said bringing back the death penalty would be a major step backward for Turkey. In his Friday night speech, Erdogan said that I hear the people chanting about the death penalty and we are a democracy. He said the issue would be discussed by Parliament. Cavusoglu, in an interview with Germanys Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to be published Saturday, raised the possibility of a referendum on reinstating capital punishment. This decision should not be taken in the heat of the moment, he was quoted as saying. Perhaps the decision on this will be taken in a referendum. These are very serious questions. He argued that officials are getting thousands of tweets and texts saying if you dont reintroduce the death penalty, we wont vote for your party anymore.' The EU doesnt have the right to give us lessons on this matter, Cavusoglu was quoted as saying. ___ Becatoros reported from Istanbul. Cinar Kiper in Istanbul, Lolita Baldor in Washington DC and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a North Carolina law that required voters to produce photo identification and follow other rules disproportionately affecting minorities, finding that the law was intended to make it harder for blacks to vote in the presidential battleground state. The Virginia-based 4th Circuit Court of Appeals declared that the measures violated the Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act by targeting black voters with almost surgical precision. It marks the third ruling in less than two weeks against voter ID laws after court decisions regarding Texas and Wisconsin. Fridays opinion from a three-judge panel states that the legislature enacted one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history when it rewrote voting laws in 2013. The appeals court also dismissed arguments by Republican lawmakers that the law was aimed at preventing voter fraud. Although the new provisions target African Americans with almost surgical precision, they constitute inapt remedies for the problems assertedly justifying them and, in fact, impose cures for problems that did not exist, the opinion states. Opponents of the law say the ruling should increase participation by black and Hispanic voters on Election Day in the state that also has closely contested races for U.S. Senate and governor. The U.S. Justice Department, state NAACP and League of Women Voters were among those who sued over the restrictions. This is a strong rebuke to what the North Carolina General Assembly did in 2013. Its a powerful precedent that federal courts will protect voting rights of voters of color, said Allison Riggs, who served as the League of Women Voters lead lawyer. The Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, said the ruling was a vindication of our constitutional and moral critique and challenge to the constitutional extremism of our government. The decision was lauded by Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch, but decried by Republicans including Gov. Pat McCrory as an effort to tilt the electoral balance in the November elections. North Carolina legislative leaders Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, both Republicans, issued a statement that they would appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court and blasted the judges as three partisan Democrats. We can only wonder if the intent is to reopen the door for voter fraud, potentially allowing fellow Democrat politicians to steal the election, they said. All three panel members were appointed by Democratic presidents. However, its unlikely that the evenly divided and short-handed Supreme Court would take the case or block Fridays ruling from governing elections this November, said election-law experts Ned Foley of Ohio State University and Richard Hasen of the University of California at Irvine. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court ruled that Texas strict voter ID law is discriminatory and must be weakened by November. That followed a ruling by a federal judge in Wisconsin that residents without a photo ID will still be allowed to vote. Hasen said the Obama administration took on the North Carolina and Texas cases as a bulwark against voting restrictions. If North Carolina and Texas could get away with these voting restrictions, it would have been a green light for other states to do so, he said. I think this is a hugely important decision. North Carolinas voting laws were rewritten in 2013 by the General Assembly two years after Republicans took control of both legislative chambers for the first time in a century. It was also shortly after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling changed the requirement that many Southern states receive federal approval before changing voting laws. The voter ID mandate, which took effect in March, required people casting ballots in person to show one of six qualifying IDs, although voters facing reasonable impediments could fill out a form and cast a provisional ballot. North Carolina legislators imposed the photo ID requirement, curtailed early voting and eliminated same-day registration and voters ability to cast out-of-precinct provisional ballots in their home counties. The appeals court cited data that these methods were used disproportionately by black voters, who also were more likely to lack a qualifying ID, and it blocked the contested provisions of the law. The judges wrote that in the years before the North Carolina law took effect, registration and participation by black voters had been dramatically increasing. We recognize that elections have consequences, but winning an election does not empower anyone in any party to engage in purposeful racial discrimination, the panel said. The Rev. Moses Colbert, a 61-year-old pastor at a church in Gastonia, said the elimination of same-day registration ensured that he couldnt vote on Election Day 2014 shortly after moving within North Carolina. Hed sought to change his voter registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles, but the update didnt get to county officials by the election. He was told his name wasnt on the rolls where hed just moved. But when he drove 20 miles back to the county where he was registered before, election workers turned him away because of the new address on his license. I was stunned. Im only two generations away from slavery, said Colbert, who is black. This is a privilege every American needs to be allowed to exercise. CPA Ontarioannounced on Friday that Matthew Roman of Toronto has won the Ontario Gold Medal, awarded to the top writer of theCommon Final Examination (CFE)in the province. The CFE represents a national three-day evaluation test that challenges students' essential knowledge, professional judgment, ethics, and communication ability on their way to becoming CPAs. Roman holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto Mississauga and a Master of Taxation from the University of Waterloo. He currently works atSF Partnershipin Toronto. "I began a career in taxation immediately after university and what became apparent to me was that I needed to know more than just tax in order to be the best tax practitioner I could possibly be," Roman said in a statement. "I believed that, to be successful in tax, I also had to know the accounting side of things. I was concerned that I would be putting myself at a disadvantage in my career, learning and growth if I didn't also have the skills and expertise that come with being a CPA." Seven Ontario CPA students, including Roman, placed on the 20-member National Honour Roll. Ontario also notably had 417 of the country's 1,011 successful CFE writers. "Congratulations to all the successful Ontario candidates," stated Carol Wilding, president and CEO of CPA Ontario. "Qualifying to become a CPA is a very challenging process. I am confident that all the students will make great contributions to the accounting profession and will uphold the high standards of the CPA designation in the public interest." The following six other Ontario CFE writers were also named to the 2016 National Honour Roll: Christopher Chan Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto York University's Schulich School of Business, Bachelor of Business Administration, 2015 Jesse Dufour Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, Toronto Ryerson University, Bachelor of Commerce, 2014 Nina Mak WalMart Canada Corp., Mississauga York University's Schulich School of Business, Master of Accounting 2016 and International Bachelor of Business Administration, 2015 Andy Ramsey Loyalty One, Toronto University of Western Ontario, Bachelor of Arts, 2008 Darren Rennie MNP LLP, Waterloo Conestoga College, Bachelor of Business Administration, 2015 Sviatoslav Romaniuk Prentice Yates & Clark, Toronto University of Toronto Mississauga Bachelor of Commerce, 2013 For more on CPA Ontario, head to theirsite here. Massachusetts decided this year to cancel its sales tax holiday, and in the years ahead other states may decide to follow suit. Massachusetts, a lot of times when they run their sales tax holiday, they exempt everything except for vehicles, said Sonya Daniels, a state and local tax manager at CBIZ MHM. So they decided against having a sales tax holiday this year. But the rest of the states that typically participate, mostly in the Southeast, are participating as they have in the past. Massachusetts officials cited the high cost of the exemption on the 6.25 percent sales tax, estimated to cost up to $26 million. The commonwealth has had the sales tax holiday in place ever since 2004, except for 2009 when state revenues took a major hit from the recession. But Massachusetts is facing a substantial budget shortfall this year that could be as high as $1 billion, according to some estimates, and lawmakers are searching for ways to fill the gap. If you think about it, a state depends so much on sales tax for revenue, said Daniels. While the rate in Massachusetts may seem lower than in a lot of other states, when you think about that tax rate on every tangible product a company would sell, and for two days theyre not collecting that tax, thats a pretty large hit to Massachusetts for all of their retailers across the state to do that. This year, 17 states are offering sales tax holidays: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. For the most part, the rules exempt back-to-school shopping items, but they vary from state to state. From the end of July through early September, what theyre running basically is back-to-school, said Daniels. Computers are included a lot of times, but you mainly have clothes, paper, pencils, backpacks, all that kind of stuff. Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas all have a different kind of sales tax holiday at other times of the year, maybe on hurricane preparedness in Florida, or energy-saving appliances, or in Mississippi hunting supplies, but right now what theyre running is basically on back-to-school supplies. In most states, the sales tax holiday lasts over the course of a weekend from Friday through Sunday, with the exception of Connecticut, where it runs for a full week. Each state generally lists on its tax departments website the specific timing and items included. They have a specific list of items that theyre selling tax exempt during that time, and you have to watch to make sure its within a specific dollar amount range, Daniels advised. Theyre following the same general rules they follow every year. However, she is hearing more talk about states possibly dropping the sales tax holiday in future years, as Massachusetts decided to do this year. Im wondering in the next few years if youre not going to see more drop off, said Daniels. A lot of states are talking about the loss of revenues during that time. When they first started this, online sales werent considered. Now you can go online during that time in most of these states and purchase. As long as youre within that window, theyre tax exempt online as well, so its even bigger revenues being lost. Retailers, on the other hand, mostly are in favor of continuing the tax holidays. The retailers seem to want to keep it going, said Daniels. Its basically free advertising during this time. Everybodys talking about the sales tax holiday: go to your retailers and buy this. Theyve worked past the cost of doing this if theyve been around for a while. Right now its getting the people in the stores during that period of time based on somebody elses ads. However, consumers should beware that prices may actually be lower in the period just ahead of the sales tax holiday. Make sure you dont miss any good sales leading up to those dates, said Daniels. A lot of times retailers are running some really good sales in a couple of weeks before these dates, and then on these dates the sales are not as good, but youre saving on the tax. As a mother whos sending her kids back to school, you may want to watch the papers and watch whats coming up to be sure youre getting the best deal. Saving the tax may not be your best deal. Participants from Om Creations Trust, one of Indias leading NGOs for differently-abled kids, create unique handmade Rakhis. Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year in honor of the Kargil War Heroes that successfully took command of Kargil high-posts on 26th July, 1999. Pidilite- the maker of iconic brand Fevicol, is commemorating 17 glorious years of Kargil Vijay Diwas by launching a nation-wide initiative to honor the countrys soldiers. Pidilite is creating awareness about Kargil Vijay Diwas, and encouraging children to create handmade Rakhis and cards for their brothers in Armed Forces, as a token of gratitude and respect for them. Pidilite will then handover these Rakhis to the Army Jawans on the eve of Rakshabandhan. As a part of the campaign, Pidilite associated with Om Creations Trust, a leading NGO for differently-abled young adults. These young adults who suffer from Down syndrome paid tribute to the spirit of the army jawans by presenting their exquisite Rakhi creations to guest of honor Lt.Col. K.J. Singh, C.O.D, Mumbai region who graced the occasion with his presence. Pidilites art & stationery business, with brands like Fevicol and Fevicryl, constantly strives to nurture creativity among children through Art and Craft, and facilitates this through its range of products, as well as innovative content ideas. For the campaign, Fevicol has provided tutorial sheets of 6 unique ideas for Rakhi creation, which kids can take guidance and inspiration from while creating the Rakhis. The Rakhi making kickstarted on Kargil Vijay Diwas i.e 26th July 2016 , and continue till 10th August, 2016. Over one lakh students across 300 schools and 50 cities pan-India, are expected to participate in the event. The initiative was organised in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Surat, Baroda, Nagpur, Nashik, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur, Udaipur, Indore, Varanasi, Lucknow, Chennai and Pune among other cities. Mr. Rahul Sinha, President- Arts & Stationery Business, Pidilite Industries said, It is wonderful to see the enthusiasm with which children across India are creating hand-crafted Rakhis to thank the Indian army for protecting the nation. The skills demonstrated by the kids at Om Creations are admirable and these kids are an inspiration to everyone who wishes to ignite their inner creativity. Dr. Radhike Khanna, Founder-Trustee, Om Creations Trust, said, These young adults at Om Creations Trust look up to the Indian Army as national heroes and are inspired by them to make a positive contribution to the nation. These kids are exceptional with their art and craft skills. Om Creations believesart heals from the soul and is a medium of expressing oneself to connect with the world. Nakul Chopra, CEO South Asia, Publicis Communications India Pvt Ltd, was elected President of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) for the year 2016-2017 at its Annual General Body Meeting held today. Ashish Bhasin, Chairman & CEO South Asia CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network (Aegis Media India Pvt Ltd), was elected Vice-President of the Association. Other members of the Executive Committee in alphabetical order are: C V L Srinivas Group M Media India Pvt Ltd Ganesh Baliga Fifth Estate Communications Pvt Ltd Kunal Lalani Crayons Advertising Ltd Pranav Premnarayen Prem Associates Advertising & Marketing Rana Barua Contract Advertising (India) Pvt Ltd Srinivasan K Swamy R K SWAMY BBDO Pvt Ltd T Gangadhar Mediaedge:Cia India Pvt Ltd Vivek Srivastava Innocean Worldwide Communication Pvt Ltd Immediate Past President, Dr M G Parameswaran will be the ex-officio member of the new AAAI Executive Committee. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) is the national organisation of advertising agencies, formed in 1945, to promote their industry interests so that they continue to make an essential and ever-increasing contribution to the nation. The AAAI today is truly representative, with a very large number of small, medium and large-sized agencies as its members, who together account for almost 80% of the advertising business placed in the country. The U.S. Air Force released today a request for proposals for its Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, or GBSD, intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system program. Up to two contract awards are expected in 4th quarter fiscal year 2017. GBSD is the follow-on to the aging LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBM. The launch systems and weapon system C2 physical infrastructure being used for MMIII today first became operational with the Minuteman I ICBM system in the mid-1960s. While certain components and subsystems have been upgraded over the years, including a transition to Minuteman III configuration in the 1970s, most of the fundamental infrastructure in use today is original and has supported more than 50 years of continuous operation. The Minuteman III flight systems in use today were fielded in the late 1990s and early 2000s with an intended 20 year lifespan. The current Minuteman III system will face increased operational and sustainment challenges until it can be replaced. The Air Force is focused on developing and delivering an integrated weapon system, including launch and C2 segments. The new GBSD weapon system will meet existing national requirements, while having the adaptability and flexibility to affordably address changing technology and threat environments through 2075. Deployment is projected to begin in the late 2020s. "The Minuteman III will have a difficult time surviving in the active anti-access, area denial environment that we will be dealing with in the 2030 and beyond time period," said Gen. Robin Rand, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, to the House Armed Services Committees Strategic Forces Subcommittee in March. "This request for proposals is the next step to ensuring the nation's ICBM leg of the nuclear triad remains safe, secure and effective" said Maj. Gen. Scott Jansson, commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Strategic Systems. Admiral Cecil Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, supports the GBSD to "ensure an adversary cannot launch a comprehensive counterforce attack on the United States by striking only a few targets," during his keynote speech at a Strategic Deterrent panel at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in January 2016. F-35A program continues to make improvements Airmen of the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings have been preparing the F-35A Lightning II for combat readiness since the first operational aircraft was received in September 2015. Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of Air Combat Command, has said he expects the jet to reach initial operational capability sometime between August and December. Aircrew and maintainers at Hill Air Force Bases fighter wings say theyre confident in the combat ability of the aircraft. So far, they have flown more than 854 sorties with a 91 percent mission effectiveness rate. Aircrew and mission The wings 21 combat-ready active and reserve pilots put the aircraft through its paces during training sorties at the Utah Test and Training Range and a deployment to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, in June. The pilots have trained against fourth-generation aggressors, like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15 Eagle, and also low- and high-end surface-to-air threats, said. Lt. Col. George Watkins, the 34th Fighter Squadron commander, a former F-16 pilot with four deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The combination of the stealth and sensor fusion (has) really blown me away, Watkins said. We can be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. We can cover so much ground and airspace, but the F-15s or F-16s were going up against dont know where we are. They cant see us and they cant target us. All the pilots have deployed either live or inert GPS and laser guided munitions against ground targets and the aircraft are performing well in a basic close air support role. Weve had really good feedback from the (special forces on the ground that) weve been working with over the course of our CAS training, Watkins said. As a multi-role stealth fighter, the F-35 can perform basic CAS missions, air interdiction and limited suppression of enemy air defenses. Thats where our capability really comes into play. We can detect (SAM) threats and take those threats out, negating them for the follow on forces while doing close air support at the same time, Watkins said. (In training,) the only reason the enemy could track us is because we basically told them where we were and said try to shoot at us. We were still able to take out the surface threats. They were only able to fire on us a couple times and they were what wed call low-probability of kill shots with both low- and high-end surface threats. These mission sets will expand with the weapons suite as the program matures, Watkins said. Aircraft and modifications Twelve of the 15 operational F-35As at Hill have received the required modifications and software upgrades to deploy. The modifications included a fuel system upgrade that allows for higher G limits and another provides protection against lighting. These modifications had to be done on our existing fleet, but all of these mods are being implemented on the production line and by the time we get our 25th aircraft those will be done, said Lt. Col. Steven Anderson, the deputy commander for the 388th Maintenance Group. Thats the beauty of concurrent development. Part of the reason weve done a low rate initial production is because feedback from the initial unit gets put into the production line. The aircraft have also received software upgrades, which corrected radar instability issues that popped up with the initial fielding of jets. Because of their progress in the past 10 months, Airmen expect the improvements and capabilities will only continue. I went through F-35 training about a year ago and the jets were flying now are very different from the jets I learned to fly on at Eglin AFB, (Florida,) just 12 months ago, Watkins said. Maintenance and systems There are currently more than 220 F-35 maintainers at Hill AFB, and that number will continue to grow as 78 jets are delivered through the end of 2019 and three F-35 squadrons are stood up. Anderson said the current cadre is a dream team of hand-picked maintainers from Luke AFB, Arizona, and Eglin AFB -- where the Air Force began training Airmen and testing the aircraft. It takes roughly 12 months to transition a fourth-generation maintainer to a fifth-generation platform. At full strength, there will be approximately 1,600 maintainers. While it will be a challenge, Anderson said, there is an extensive plan in place and he doesnt foresee any shortfalls in maintainers or pilots. The current version of the Autonomic Logistics Information System is fully deployable and improvements are in the works. Capability wise, were (where we need to be), said Capt. Richard Palz, a 388th Maintenance Squadron operations officer. Can there be improvements? Can there be increased efficiencies? Of course, and those are programmed in and some of those are being made with input from the field, which is the great thing about concurrent development, but there is nothing that we lack at all for a deployment. An IOC declaration is just the starting gate for the wings, said Anderson, but Airmen are excited for the future. It is a really good time to be at Hill AFB. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to bed down a new weapons set and make it employable for the defense of our nation, he said. Even the youngest people in this program feel like they are making contributions that will last throughout the life of this aircraft. Attacking the Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janta Party(SAD-BJP) led government in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said he is not scared of the defamation case filed against him and if Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. I am not frightened by the case filled by Majithia. He should keep these papers with him, but if he has courage then he will get me arrested within six month, otherwise after six months, I will get him arrested,said Kejriwal, while addressing a mass gathering in Amritsar before appearing in the court. After six months (I will) reconstruct a new Punjab, he said. The AAP leader said he was not afraid of false cases and warned Majithia that the people will take revenge from him in the coming elections. The people of Punjab will take revenge for each and every case against them. In the coming elections, people will take revenge from Majithia, he said. Kejriwal called the Revenue Minister Bikramjit Majithia a Drug Lord in-spite of the fact that, the Delhi CM was in Amritsar, for the hearing of a defamation case on the same issue. Kejriwal lived up to his reputation of taking on the mighty and powerful as he did during the Delhi assembly elections. Majithia is known as a muscle man and is related to Punjabs most influential family The Badals. He is Brother in law of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal. Majithia had filed a case against Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khaitan in May for tarnishing his reputation and accused them of maligning his family name by levelling false, baseless and malicious allegations. However, Kejriwal and his party colleague Sanjay Singh have been granted bail by the Punjab Court in connection with the defamation case on a personal bond of Rs. 40, 000. The matter would be next heard on October 15. The stay on the execution of 10 drug convicts, including Indian national Gurdip Singh, in Indonesia was a last minute decision after considering judicial issues and a final decision on their fate is yet to be made, the countrys attorney general M Prasetyo said on Friday. Singh, who was to be executed last night on drug charges in Indonesia, has not been put to death, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday. Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed, Swaraj said on twitter. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. Despite widespread criticism by rights advocates and appeals from distraught families and foreign governments, Indonesia executed four drug convicts early on Friday. Ten other condemned people who were to face a firing squad were granted a reprieve. Talking to reporters in Jakarta, Prasetyo said the execution of the 10 death row prisoners on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap city was a last minute decision after considering various judicial and non-judicial aspects. Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. He also challenged Goswami for an open debate over the allegations made against him. Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has slapped Rs 500 crore defamation notice to Arnab Goswami editor-in-chief of Times Now for making false statements against him and tarnishing his image. Earlier Naik had criticised about the media trial running against him. Naik was under scanner after the terror attack in Bangladeshs capital Dhaka for allegedly inspiring terrorists through his sermons. In a press conference through skype from Saudi Arabia Naik had accused a section of media for carrying out media trial against him. He also challenged Goswami for an open debate over the allegations made against him. Naik clarified that he was not involved in terror activities and this entire issue has been blown out of proportion by media. He has sought an apology from Arnab Goswami and has asked Times Now to withdraw the statements made against him. He has been running a campaign often under hashtag #StopZakirNaik on his prime time debate. According to sources, Media trial should be stopped against Zakir Naik. We have never doubted the credentials of media. Some outfits have been planting false stories in media about Naik for defaming him. For stopping media trail against Naik, we have slapped a notice to Arnab Goswami. There have also been reports about Naik carrying out 800 illegal conversions in India by using funds collected from Saudi Arabia which has been denied by Naik supporters. They said, These allegations are baseless. If Naik has carried out conversions then people making allegations must provide evidence and data for the same and mention about how many people have been converted by him. Naiks lawyer Mubin Solkar has mentioned in the notice that the preacher has also levelled few other charges against the channel including creating enmity and hatred against religious communities and hurting religious sentiments of Muslim community. Notice has also been issued to Mumbai Bureau Chief Megha Prasad and Chief Executive Officer Avinash Kaul, Times Global Broadcasting, and its CEO, Sunil Lulla. It is you (Arnab Goswami) who is willfully without any authority carrying out a media trial and influencing the minds of the public and authority to the detriment of my clients (Zakir Naik) interest and are malign statement without verifying records. The statements so made by you publically, is misleading and contain falsehood and half-truths. You have intentionally maligned my clients reputation. You on your television channel have started a hate campaign against my client without having knowledge of the truth which you have deliberately hidden, Solkar states in the notice . Bangladesh had banned Naiks channel Peace TV and cancelled the permit to downlink the channel. Opposition along with Shiv Sena demanded a clarification from the Maharashtra government over a bill moved by BJP MP Nana Patole in Lok Sabha seeking separate statehood for Vidarbha and created ruckus that led the House being adjourned for the day. Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde, while raising the issue through the point of propriety, said Patole, an MP from Bhandara-Gondia, moved a non-government Bill in Lok Sabha and demanded a separate statehood for Vidarbha. 105 martyrs laid their lives for a united Maharashtra. In the last few months, there are people like Shrihari Aney (former Attorney General), who are demanding not only a separate Vidarbha but a separate Marathwada as well. This is a very serious issue. The government needs to clarify if it supports its party MPs stand, he said. Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe then said that people of the state expect at least a few words from the government backing a united Maharashtra and that the House should pass a proposal for the same. Dilly dallying over the issue is not good for a united Maharashtra. We cannot forget the martyrdom of those who wanted Maharashtra to remain one, she said. Senior Congress leader Narayan Rane said had it been an Independent MPs bill, one could have understood, but a BJP MP could not have brought such a bill without seeking an opinion from partys national and state leaders. The CM should clarify if he endorses this MPs demand, because this is a question of yourself respect. We will not compromise over this issue, he said. Parliamentary Affairs minister Girish Bapat then opined that discussions over the issue have been going on from a long time and that group leaders should sit together and decide a time when the issue can be discussed. In the ensuing ruckus, the House was adjourned for 10 minutes. On re-assembling, Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar said that the issue is important and the government should respond, but, at the same time, the House proceedings should also not be disrupted. NCP member Sunil Tatkare then said the Opposition would be satisfied if the government gave a statement contending that it does not endorse Patoles demand. Commotion over the issue, however, continued, following which Nimbalkar adjourned the House for the day. Police in Pakistan have been told to act against the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawa Pakistan (JuD), linked to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, for fundraising, it was reported on Friday. The Punjab Home Department on Wednesday issued the directive to the police after becoming aware that the JuD was engaged in illegal fundraising via its charity collection wing Falah-e-Insayat Foundation (FeF). The JuD, headed by Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, is accused by India of masterminding the Mumbai terror attack that killed 166 people. It is also on the UN watch list, Dawn online reported. The Home Department has demanded details of the fundraising by the JuD and other proscribed groups as fundraising is against the Pakistan law. According to the directive, JuD is making efforts to collect funds through different kinds of charity. It said its members were more active during Ramadan and distributed pamphlets, put up posters at various locations inviting people to donate charity money, Dawn online said. A senior police official said the step should have been taken earlier and that the Punjab government had been reluctant to act against religious parties without concrete reason. The JuD`s Falah-e-Insayat Foundation (FeF) has been blacklisted by the US State Department, which has described it as an alias of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is already on its list of foreign terrorist organisations. Actress Surveen Chawla says her first love will always be Punjabi films. The 32-year-old has worked in Punjabi films like Dharti, Taur Mittran Di, Saadi Love Story, Singh vs Kaur, Lucky Di Unlucky Story and Disco Singh. I am so happy and feel so proud to be a part of the change in Punjabi films Punjabi films will always be my first love, Surveen told IANS over phone from Mumbai. The actress credits Punjabi films for giving her a lot of love and a humongous fan base. I belong there and that is going to be my first love. I will contribute to it in any which way I can and then it also of course depends on the right roles, added the Hate Story 2 star. Currently, Surveen is seen in the second season of television drama series 24 starring Anil Kapoor and will soon be seen in the celebrity dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Web Toolbar by Wibiya There has been a lot of discussion in Canada's media about public health care funding shortfalls. But how much of that is linked to possible abuse by doctors. The case of Dr. Jerry Tenenbaum suggests possible abuse by members of the medical community. Dr. Jerry Tenenbaum appears to have been engaged in a practices of ordering many tests that patients thought was to help them get better. But instead these tests appeared to be directed at trying to justify charging the public healthcare system with little or no interest in actually treating patients from those tests. Has he been using any of these test to collect data for his medical sciences teaching work at the University of Toronto? In one particularly disturbing case, Dr. Jerry Tenenbaum kept ordering multiple tests for the mother of his daughter-in-law. But after all those tests he ordered bottles and bottles of Tylenol Arthritis for her. He furthermore capriciously order a nasal spray that cause her to get chronic high blood pressure when before, her blood pressure used to be below average. The result of Dr. Tenenbaum's tests was that his patient can no longer walk on her own, write and talk. It's apparent that his patient would have been better off with pretty much any ethically-minded doctor. There have been many disturbing reviews by ex-patients who claim that Dr. Jerry Tenenbaum lacks empathy and has been engaged in a pattern of professionally questionable conduct. Having known Dr. Tenenbaum for many years, I have observed the kind of human destruction that he has been responsible for. The fact that it is a violation of the guidelines of the Ontario College and Physicians and Surgeons to treat family relations did not stop Dr. Jerry Tenenbaum from turning a superwoman RN into someone who is now being subjected to neglect and abusive conduct by her own husband. Dr. Tenenbaum maintained himself as the primary care physician for an elderly woman in Ottawa that's a five hour drive from Toronto. In no way was he in a position to provide the necessary care giving support which would require direct personal observation of signs of progress by his patient. Instead he apparently made himself content with ordering test by labs that he could use to justify charging Canada's public health care system. Thanks to Dr. Jerry Tenenbaum who needlessly allowed Dezrin's health to decline, she is without the voice and the strength to escape neglect and abusive conduct by her spouse who has blocked visitation access by her son who had obtained a court order on 1 February 2016 to see his Mother. In my view, Dr. Tenenbaum's conduct is consistent with exploitation. Web Toolbar by Wibiya A series of "honour killings" in the recent past has again raised serious speculations over women rights in Pakistan. Few days back a social media celebrity was murdered by his brother in the name of "honour". Qandeel Baloch was a social media celebrity turned model who got fame from a reality show. Within few years there were millions of followers on her facebook and instagram accounts. Her bold approach and western styled dressing had brought both fame and criticism for her. In a religious dominant country like Pakistan such acts by any female are considered highly obscene. Police has arrested the murderer and after investigations it was revealed that he killed her to save honor of his family. But her father on the other hand had different version. In a press conference her father reiterated his resolve to pursue the case of murder against his own son. He further added that Qandeel was just like his son. She was bearing all the expenditures of his family. The grieved father condemned the act of his son. This murder has triggered a serious debate in Pakistan over women rights violations. Recent serious of murders in this respect has already caused hue and cry in the masses. Murder of Qandeel gave a new life to the movement and members of civil society launched a strong protest against honor killings. This murder has even triggered a debate among the lawmakers of the country. A proposal is under discussion to suggest severe punishment for those who commit murder in the name of honor. Pakistan in the past has faced severe international and human rights organizations reaction over violation of women rights. This murder has further stressed the need of a strong legislation to curb this tendency. Cases of acid throwing and burning women to death are commonly observed in Pakistan. Recent movement and struggle of civil society and international human rights organizations has forced the government of Pakistan to take solid steps in this regard. A positive step in this regard was taken by the government when it announced that state will act as representative in this murder case, so that the accused couldnt be granted bail on the request of family members. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Malik Obama, the half-brother of President Barack Obama has sworn to vote for Trump, come November 2016. And it is not because of any personal feelings or connections, but largely because he believes that Trump represents all that he stands for. He said that he was frustrated and disappointed with the Democratic Party as well as the Obama administration in their undertakings especially with same sex marriage and the role they played in ousting is good friend Muammar Gaddafi. I still feel that getting rid of Gaddafi didnt make things any better in Libya, he said. I feel like a Republican now because they dont stand for same sex marriage and that appeal to me, he said on a call from his village of Kogelo in Kenya. He plans to return to the U. S State of Maryland where he is registered as a voter and vote for his presidential candidate, Trump. He also used to be an accountant in Maryland. He further stated that he is disappointed with the Democratic nominee for President, Hillary Clinton and her use of a private e-mail server while she was the Secretary of State. She should have known better as the custodian of classified information, he said. He also said that Trump encouraged him more to vote for him as he speaks from the heart. Malik and the President happen to share the same father but have different mothers. Their father moved from Kenya to the U.S in 1959 and was not present in most of Baracks life. But Malik and is brother got in touch in 1985. Malik Obama is known to drop names whenever he sees fit or wen e thinks it can help steer is agenda in the right direction. For example, in 2013 Kenyan general elections, Malik Obama used his presidential connections to run for governor of his County, Siaya. He promised the people loads of things and said that he would have direct line to the white house. In the end he only managed to gunner 2,792 votes, 140,000 votes behind the winner. Web Toolbar by Wibiya His distastes for all things world can never get any worse than this, be it personal, political or just Business Republican nominee Donald Trump, trumps it all. He has the nudge and ability to just take a simple thing and turn into something totally different. Whether he will actually act on it if he becomes the President is the big question. In his latest appearance at NBCs Meet the Press, he threatened to pull the U.S out from international institutions and compacts. He further stated that he would consider pulling the U.S from the World Trade Organization should he win the election come November 2016. His disgust for trade deals is well known and has been some sort of pivotal point in his campaign. In his convention in Cleveland he reiterated to the New York Times that he would not come to the aid of NATO allies if they had not fully paid their dues to the organization. He further added that he would like to levy a tax of about 15 and 35 percent on all the products of companies in the United States that move their production jobs overseas. But when he was told by Meet the Press host Chuck Todd that such hikes will never get through the WTO, he only responded the best way he knows how. Then we are going to renegotiate or we are going to pull out, he said. These trade deals are a disaster, Chuck. You know, the World Trade Organization is a disaster. His dislike for the WTO has so far appeared to be based only on his view that it has helped created a trade imbalance for the United States of America. Though he does not explicitly say it but refers to the organization as a disaster and if elected as President he might actually do away with it. In his quest for the Presidential seat, Trump has often said some misogynistic, barbaric and cruel things just to please the masses that believe in his ideology. He has even pledged to ban an entire religion from entering the U.S. He would practically say anything out of question just to see how the mass will respond. WASHINGTON, July 29, 2016 - EPAs Environmental Appeals Board has upheld the cancellation of flubendiamide, a Bayer CropScience insecticide sold under the trade name Belt, but will allow existing stocks to be sold by retailers. The EAB decision, issued late this afternoon, upheld an earlier ruling by an administrative law judge who said Bayer and fellow registrant Nichino America willingly agreed with the terms of conditional registrations they received in 2008: that if EPA determined flubendiamide caused unreasonable adverse effects on the environment, then the companies would have to voluntarily cancel their registrations. When EPA made the unreasonable adverse effects determination on Jan. 29, however, the companies decided to file an administrative challenge. In its decision, the three-judge EAB said that under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Bayer and Nichino could not challenge the conditions of the registration. Said the EAB: The scope of a cancellation hearing under FIFRA section 6(e) is narrowly limited to the resolution of two issues: (a) whether registrants have complied with the conditions of registration (or have initiated and pursued appropriate action toward fulfilling those conditions), and (b) whether the (EPA) Pesticide Programs determination with respect to the continued sale and use of existing stocks is consistent with FIFRA. By failing to request voluntary cancellation of their flubendiamide registrations within a week of EPAs determination that flubendiamide causes unreasonable adverse effects, Bayer and Nichino failed to satisfy the termination condition in their flubendiamide registrations, the EAB said. Dana Sargent, Bayer's vice president of regulatory affairs, said in a press release, "Bayer maintains the EPAs actions on flubendiamide are unlawful and inconsistent with sound regulatory risk assessment practices. The science supporting the registration of flubendiamide may be complex, but it is solid, and its unfortunate that we were denied the opportunity to argue the scientific merits of our case. You cannot use the regulatory process as a shield to avoid engaging in meaningful dialogue, but that is exactly what the EPA has done. The ruling was narrowly focused on process issues around the registration," she said. "It is notable that it did not weigh in on the lawfulness of EPAs cancellation nor did it consider the fundamental science underpinning Bayers argument. In a victory for ag dealers, however, the EAB disagreed with EPAs and the ALJs decision that existing stocks could not be sold. That could be important for Southern growers currently fighting larval infestations. The Office of Pesticide Programs did not make a specific unreasonable adverse effects determination with regard to flubendiamide existing stocks, the EAB said. However, OPP did say that if its existing stocks determination were overturned, it would not continue to oppose sales of the product remaining in the hands of dealers. Watching for more news about the EPA and agriculture? Sign up for an Agri-Pulse four-week free trial subscription. Bayer and Nichino argued to the EAB that OPP should not be allowed to avoid substantive review of its unreasonable adverse effects finding by presenting powerless entities the Hobsons choice of either accepting conditions designed to bypass the cancellation process or receiving no registration at all. The EAB disagreed, saying that the companies were offered a real choice, not an illusory or Hobsons choice. In 2008, (OPP) offered them either, (1) a registration with conditions that the Program found necessary to meet the terms of FIFRA, or (2) the opportunity under FIFRA section 6(b) and the applicable regulations to dispute (OPPs) conclusion that such conditions were legally required. Bayer and Nichino had an alternative the same alternative available to any applicant for a government license: accept the governments decision on its application or challenge the governments determination either administratively or in court. #30 WASHINGTON, July 29, 2016 President Barack Obama quietly signed into law legislation that prevents states from requiring on-package labeling of genetically modified ingredients, capping an historic win for farm groups, food companies and the biotech industry. The Senate gave final congressional approval to the measure on July 14 with backing from a majority of both Republicans and Democrats. Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts called the bill the most important farm legislation in 20 years. USDA has already formed a working group to write rules needed to implement the legislation. The bill was one of 20 the president signed into law late on a Friday afternoon. Most of the other measures were bills officially naming Post Office facilities. The Agriculture Department, which is charged with implementing the disclosure standard, issued a statement saying that a working group has already been working to develop a timeline for rulemaking and to ensure an open and transparent process for effectively establishing this new program. We are committed to providing multiple opportunities for engagement, and will have more information about this very soon. AMS has already established a website for the new biotech program. The biotech bill mandates disclosure of genetically engineered ingredients but will allow companies to do it through scannable smartphone codes as an alternative to on-package text or symbol. The legislation is intended to nullify Vermont's first-in-the-nation GMO labeling law, which went into effect July 1 and has already forced major companies to start disclosing GMO ingredients on product packages. Chip Bowling, president of the National Corn Growers Association, said the coalition of 1,100 food and agriculture groups that pushed for passage of the legislation would press USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service to implement the law in line with congressional intent. The law provides what supporters intended to be a narrow definition of biotechnology that would exclude new techniques such as gene editing and highly refined ingredients such as vegetable oil and sugar. The Grocery Manufacturers Association said the legislation will open a new era for transparency in ingredient information for consumers Its consistent national standard is far better than a costly and confusing patchwork of different state labeling, Pam Bailey, GMAs president and CEO, said today in a release. The presidents signing of this legislation stops, effective immediately, Vermonts mandatory on-package labeling law that already has left consumers in the state with fewer products on the shelves and higher compliance costs for small businesses. Clay Hough, senior group vice president and legal counsel for the International Dairy Foods Association, said the law will bring much-needed consistency to the marketplace. Many companies, including Pepsi, Mars, Dannon, General Mills, Kelloggs and Nestle have already started labeling products because of the Vermont law, and Consumers Union urged them to continue doing so. Consumer Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, opposed the federal law. Companies have already done the work of determining which products have GMO ingredients, and have incurred the expense of changing product packaging to include the required words. These companies have been extremely forward thinking in responding to consumer needsnine out of ten consumers surveyed have said they would like this information on the package, said Jean Halloran, director of CUs food policy initiatives. The law was the result of weeks of negotiations between Roberts, R-Kan., and the committees ranking Democrat, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Mandatory, nationwide GMO labeling is now the law of the land and that should be celebrated by all those who worked so hard to ensure that all consumers have more information about their food, said Stabenow. Following stories about GMO? Sign up for an Agri-Pulse four-week free trial subscription to stay on top of this and other ag, rural policy and energy news. House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said earlier this month that state labeling laws like Vermont's threaten to increase consumer confusion and food costs while interfering with interstate commerce. For lawmakers from both parties, the bill was a flawed compromise, either because it will require disclosure of GMOs or because it didn't mandate the on-package labeling that typically gets strong support in consumer polls. But food and agriculture interests nationwide were united in their support for the bill, which had the support of the Organic Trade Association as well as the conventional industry that relies on biotechnology. The Obama administration and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack played a key role, too, in helping develop the bill as a way to end the long-running controversy over GMO labeling and provide some certainty for the future of biotechnology. (Updated July 30 with the URL for the AMS website.) #30 WASHINGTON, July 29, 2016 An unapproved strain of genetically modified wheat has been found growing in a U.S. field, but it has not been detected anywhere in the nations wheat supply. In a statement released Friday, USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed that 22 plants were discovered by a farmer in an unplanted agricultural field in Washington State. The field had not been planted since the spring of 2015. The detected strain is resistant to glyphosate, the Monsanto weed killer sold as Roundup. No biotech strains of wheat are approved for sale or cultivation in the United States. A similar strain of GMO wheat was detected in 2013 in a field in Oregon. That strain (MON71800) is a sister event to the MON71700 strain that was discovered in Washington. According to a Monsanto release, the two strains have the same inserted DNA, just in a different genomic location. The farmers full wheat harvest is being tested for the presence of any genetically enhanced material, and APHIS says it has taken prompt and thorough action in response to the discovery and has no evidence of GE wheat in commerce. In 2013, the discovery of the unapproved strain in Oregon led trading partners including South Korea and Japan to cut off imports of U.S. wheat for concerns of bringing in the biotech grain. Monsanto has developed a test that would identify MON 71700 in commercial grain shipments, and USDA says the test has been validated and trading partners could use it to screen their imports should they so choose. However, both USDA and Monsanto say that there is no evidence of unapproved GMO wheat in the supply chain. Even if that were the case with this MON 71700, a Monsanto spokesperson said that the strain poses no food safety risk. Did you know Agri-Pulse subscribers get our Daily Harvest email and Daybreak audio Monday through Friday mornings, a 16-page newsletter on Wednesdays, and access to premium content on our ag and rural policy website? Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription. Due to the small number of affected plants, and based on the available information about MON 71700 (and an associated protein), FDA concluded it is unlikely that the wheat would present any safety concerns if present in the food supply as a result of this incident, the spokesperson said in an email to Agri-Pulse. According to Monsanto, MON 71700 was evaluated in field trials in the Pacific Northwest from 1998 to 2001 but was never commercialized. #30 For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com With the price of gold high for years following the 2008 global economic crisis, illegal mining has blossomed in many parts of Latin America, particularly Peru. The mining operations cause widespread environmental damage and leave a legacy of toxic waste. The Peruvian government, having tried varied policies to contain the Demanding targets are being met in the build-up to delivery of Airbus Helicopters commitment to the UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS). Today, the company has carried out the first flight of the initial UK MFTS aircraft, bringing delivery one step closer. With 12 UK MFTS aircraft already in production at the companys site in Donauworth, the programme is meeting the challenging deadlines by delivering key programme events to time including production ramp up and initial ground runs of the first UK MFTS H135, which took place at the end of June. Airbus Helicopters will deliver 29 H135s and 3, hoist-equipped H145s to the UK MoD. These aircraft will be factory fitted with wire cutters and Safrans Arrius 2B2Plus and Arriel 2E turbines for the H135 and H145 respectively. The schedule will see early deliveries in the latter part of this year, the majority of aircraft delivered during 2017 and final aircraft in early 2018. The aircraft will be delivered to the companys UK headquarters for completion, which will see the aircraft fitted with the final configuration of equipment, including communications, sensor and access equipment to meet the customers requirement, before handover to the customer in time to meet the delivery of flight hours for Ascents UK MFTS training schedule. The UK MFTS programme will benefit from the latest enhancements available to the H135 and H145 family of aircraft, including lower maintenance burdens, reduced noise levels and intuitive avionics which provide pilot assistance enabling safe full use of the flight envelope. The benefits of this latest generation aircraft became apparent to the customer and to the end user when AVM Andy Turner, AOC 22 Gp responsible for flight training across the armed forces, and Paul Livingston, Ascent Flight Training Managing Director, visited the Donauworth site and had their first experience of and H145. After the flight AVM Turner, a helicopter pilot, who had the opportunity to fly the aircraft, said, There is no doubt that we have a strong, committed, capable and dedicated partner in Airbus Helicopters. The aircraft have a tremendous pedigree with 20 years and 4m flight hours behind them. The innovations are superb, the flight dynamics are excellent, the Helionix instrumentation is incredibly intuitive and the platform will be an excellent lead in to Apache, Chinook, Merlin, Puma and Wildcat. Selection for UK MFTS of the H135 and H145, already the aircraft of choice for utility, law enforcement and emergency medical services, reinforces the role of these aircraft as the global reference in military flight training. H135 Military Training Infographic Medias: July 28, 2016 Media hosts have been leaving the Egyptian and Arab screens and more are likely to leave in the future. Among the first to leave was satirist Bassem Youssef, whose show, "Al-Bernameg" ("The Program"), was canceled in 2014. The show had appeared on Saudi-owned MBC MASR. In September 2014, famed media host Yosri Fouda called it quits for his program, "Akhir Kalam" ("The Last Word"), on the ONtv network which also suspended "Gamea Moanath Salem," a television show that had been hosted by Reem Maged. After ONtv was fully acquired by Egyptian businessman Ahmed Abu Hashima, it also canceled the contract of Lebanese-British presenter Lilian Daoud in June. A few hours after she announced her show had been canceled, Egyptian security forces arrested and deported her, claiming her residency permit had expired. Many celebrities have made comebacks, such as TV anchor Youssef al-Hosseini, whose ONtv program was temporarily suspended in April after he criticized the transfer of Tiran and Sanafir islands from Egypt to Saudi Arabia. He resumed the same program in June. TV anchor Jaber al-Qarmouty, whose ONtv contract was ended by Abu Hashima in June, signed a new contract with Al-Asema TV to host a new program with the same name as his old show, "Manchet" ("The Headline"). Presenters such as Youssef and Fouda who were unable to find a space on Egyptian screens most likely because of their criticism of the current regime have received offers from Western media networks. Youssef now hosts "The Democracy Handbook" on the US network Fusion. German broadcaster Deutsche Welle announced June 21 that Fouda has joined its team to host a new program called "The Fifth Estate." The network also contracted Fouda to write a series of articles critical of the Egyptian regime and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, including 7 Questions for Sisi, which he wrote July 2. In a July 19 article, titled Revealing the Unseen in the Last Word, he addressed what he did not publish in his last book, "The Last Word," about his experience with his ONtv program by the same name. In the article, Fouda explained why his program was canceled, indicating that the program was cut under pressure from the regime, which he accused of underestimating the value of a free media. In an interview with Shabab Talk aired on Deutsche Welle, Fouda said he tried to retain a presence in Egyptian media but this was no longer possible. Fouda criticized some of the administrations political positions on freedom of the press and expression, human rights and justice. Khalid al-Balshy, a member of the Journalists Syndicate and former editor-in-chief of Daouds "The Full Picture," told Al-Monitor that Egypts political restrictions and limits on freedom of the press are behind the departure of Fouda, Youssef, Reem Maged and Daoud. The restrictions have reached an unprecedented level under Sisi, he said. More programs could be canceled, but Balshy said he expects presenters who have been excluded to achieve success in other countries. He also believes young Egyptians who reject the current political situation will remain loyal to the figures they have followed since the January 25 Revolution in 2011, especially since they feel much of the current mainstream media doesnt represent them. Hussein Amin, a professor of journalism and mass communication at the American University in Cairo, expressed a somewhat different opinion. Amin told Al-Monitor that it is hard to blame the departures solely on political and media restrictions, as some presenters who have recently left the Egyptian screens started their career on Western networks. For example, Fouda and Daoud both formerly worked for the BBC. It is all about supply and demand, the target audience of each channel and whether those presenters are consistent with the general mood of the target audience, Amin said. It is difficult as well to describe the agreement between these [Western] channels and the media hosts as a conspiracy against the Egyptian regime, as some believe. The matter needs to be studied. Some channels are [quick to criticize] the Egyptian regime, such as Al Jazeera, while other channels have their own agendas and therefore they are encouraged to make contracts with media people who are consistent with such agendas. Sami al-Sharif, a former professor of mass communication at Cairo University and former head of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union, told Al-Monitor the Egyptian media has produced many stars and experts who contributed to building Arab and Western media networks. Sharif indicated that Fouda joining Deutsche Welle and Youssef joining Fusion is normal. He said their moves do not mean the regime restricts its opponents, given that there are several media hosts who oppose certain aspects of the regime (Ibrahim Issa, for example) and who are not harassed by the regimes security forces or suspended by the channels management. Sharif said the matter is complicated because some TV channels are owned by businessmen who seek to flatter the regime by excluding its opponents, without realizing the opponents have the right to disagree. Sharif pointed out that he has not observed any blatant intervention by the regime or the president against the media until recently. He also indicated it is hard to say that world-renowned channels such as Deutsche Welle and Fusion have decided to recruit some presenters only to attack the Egyptian regime, as these channels are already able to criticize the regime and have the right to do so as long as they are not spreading certain offensive or misleading information. July 29, 2016 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Qatars Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani unexpectedly ordered the disbursal of the July salaries of around 50,000 employees of Gazas former government. The disbursement of an estimated 113 million Qatari riyals ($31 million), ordered July 21, is intended to alleviate the financial crisis in the Gaza Strip. The employees of Gazas former government have been receiving a monthly advance payment that ranges from 1,200 to 4,500 shekels ($311-$1,168) since early 2014 following the financial crisis that Gazas former government faced. The Palestinian consensus government refused to recognize them as official staff, as they were employed following the Palestinian split and Hamas control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. The Ministry of Finance in Gaza ensures the advance payment from tax levies and some foreign financial aid. Sources in the Qatari committee for the reconstruction of Gaza, formed following the 2012 war on Gaza to rebuild the city and its infrastructure, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the funds that Qatars emir sent to the Gazan workers indeed reached the Gaza Strip a few days ago and will be disbursed in early August. The funds will reach Gaza through the Qatari committees bank accounts, bypassing the Israeli financial siege that has blocked money transfers to Gaza since 2007. The sources asserted that the Qatari ambassador to the Palestinian territories, Mohammad al-Amadi who arrived in Gaza on July 28 to inspect the Qatari projects to build houses destroyed in the last war and to pave some major roads will meet with Finance Ministry officials July 30 to decide on a mechanism to disburse the salaries. Many employees called on the ambassador and the Ministry of Finance in Gaza to leave banks out of the salary disbursal to avoid deductions for the workers outstanding debt payments. The sources denied rumors that Qatar would pay the salaries of Gaza staff members for three consecutive months. They confirmed that the funds from Qatar to the Gaza Strip are enough to cover just one month and noted that the Palestinian Authority and Israel are well aware of Qatar's plan. Undersecretary of Gazas Ministry of Finance Youssef al-Kayali told Al-Monitor the ministry is waiting to meet with the Qatari ambassador to the Gaza Strip and agree on the mechanism of disbursement. He noted that the mechanism and date of disbursement will be announced after the July 30 meeting. Kayali confirmed that the amount that Qatar vowed to pay is enough to disburse the full salary of military officers and regular staff for the month, and expressed hope that Qatar would continue helping Gazas employees in the coming months. The staff members asked that banks exempt the Qatari payments from any deductions. Kayali said that the disbursement mechanism that will be agreed upon with the Qatari ambassador will decide this issue. Hamas welcomed the step, while Fatah objected to it. Jamal Muhaisen, a member of Fatahs Central Committee, said in a July 23 press statement, This money represents aid from Qatar to Hamas rather than to the Palestinian people. The Gaza Labor Syndicate also welcomed the move. Its spokesperson, Khalil Zayan, told Al-Monitor, This step comes amid a disastrous economic and financial situation for the employees who have not received full and regular salaries since early 2014 due to the financial crisis, the Israeli blockade and the refusal of the consensus government to recognize them as civil servants. Zayan called on Qatars emir and people as well as the Arab and Muslim nations that support the Palestinian cause to interfere to stop the criminal acts by certain parties against the employees of the Gaza Strip that deprive them of their salaries. The Israeli Walla news site reported July 25 that Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman approved the money transfer from Qatar to Gaza to pay the staff of Gazas former government their salaries, a change in his previous stances against money transfers. The website stated that the issue of salaries was one of the main reasons behind the outbreak of the 2014 war and Israels allowing Qatar to transfer money this time may keep another possible war at bay. Ahmad Babili, who works in the field of security systems, told Al-Monitor, I did not believe the news first because there have been many rumors about salaries in the country every month. He added, When I heard Kayali in Gaza talking about the Qatari grant on television, I believed the news. We havent been paid a complete salary for two years, and we have been facing successive financial crises. Wasseem Jarwan, told Al-Monitor, I ask the Finance Ministry in Gaza and Qatars ambassador to disburse our salaries through post offices in the Gaza Strip or through the Ministry of Interior rather than banks to avoid deduction of the loans that we took years ago against our salaries. He added that banks have not taken the peoples tough economic and financial conditions into consideration and that they deduct part of the advance payments the workers receive from the government to settle the loans. The 50,000 employees Qatar promised to pay are rejoicing and hope that Qatar will continue this support. July 28, 2016 Ali Tayebnia, Irans economy minister, is seeking to reassure a skeptical public that the economy is headed in the right direction, despite a lack of tangible signs of progress six months after the implementation of the nuclear deal. At a conference in the city of Mashhad, Tayebnia referred to the Persian acronym for comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers, BARJAM. Although we still have not seen the results of BARJAM in practice, it has brought about good openings that have caused the gradual signs of improvement to appear, he said. The statistics of economic activity in the first four months of this year [Persian New Year starting in March] have been promising. Tayebnia stressed that investment is key to Irans economic growth, saying, In the last few years, volatility in the stock market had created some concerns, but now these worries have been addressed and the performance of this segment has a positive evaluation. Tayebnia added, After decades of sanctions and slow economic growth, now there is room for serious economic transformations. As a result of the nuclear deal, sanctions related to Irans nuclear program have been lifted. However, non-nuclear sanctions remain. US banking sanctions in particular have caused concerns for European companies seeking to invest in Iran. Tayebnia said that the private sector has come to a proper understanding of the economic situation in the country and that during his meeting with companies in the private sector, they were not seeking government concessions. With the presidential election 10 months away, Tayebnia said it is possible that election slogans may influence perceptions of the economy. Former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, who ran against and lost to Hassan Rouhani in the previous election, has been extremely vocal about the lack of tangible benefits from the nuclear deal, the handling of the economy and recent corruption issues. During a speech July 28, Jalili said, They said that with the implementation of BARJAM, the sanctions would be removed and the banking restrictions would be resolved. Six months since the implementation, the wheel of production and export should have accelerated, but your own statistics do not show this. He asked why Irans exports to some neighboring countries are basically nothing" despite the country having the infrastructure and potential to export. Jalili also spoke about the issue of exorbitant salaries of government employees that have led to a number of firings and has become another scandal to grip the Rouhani administration. If we officially accept injustice and disparity and discrimination in the world we will reproduce that same disparity, injustice and discrimination domestically, Jalili said. He continued, The exorbitant salaries are not unrelated to our conception of international relations. According to Jalili, who is considered the ideological heir to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his populist policies, some in the country have accepted this disparity between elites and lower classes in the world. He said those who were receiving the high salaries viewed themselves as belonging to the elite and everyone else belonging to the lower classes. While Jalili did not mention Rouhani in this speech, it is likely he will try to link to the scandal involving exorbitant salaries to the presidents outreach to the West. July 29, 2016 TEHRAN, Iran Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was until recently a frequent critic of Irans policies in the region. These criticisms were not only numerous, but also expressed at different levels and particularly after differences over Syria became more serious. But would a coup in Turkey have changed relations between the two countries? There is no doubt that Turkey-Iran relations in the past few years and especially with the coming to office of President Hassan Rouhani in 2013 and the return of Iran to the international stage has not been as warm as in the recent past. This cooling down is rooted in differences of opinion over developments related to the Arab Spring. The increasing political gap appears to also have had economic repercussions. Indeed, in the past three years, bilateral trade has been mired in a significant downward trend: In the first 11 months of 2015, trade volume dropped almost 30% to $9 billion, compared to the year before. But do the differences over the Arab Spring and the declining economic component of the Tehran-Ankara relationship mean that Iran would have been happy with the removal of Erdogan through the Turkish militarys undemocratic intervention? As the recent coup attempt in Turkey unfolded late on July 15, Iran and in particular its foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif was among the first to react. But what is the reason for the immediate Iranian support for Erdogan, despite the serious differences over the region and especially Syria? While the bilateral trade volume has been declining in recent years, the big picture is that economic exchanges have overall expanded since Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) first came into office. Indeed, pre-Erdogan Turkey, which suffered from continuous political instability, was so entangled with economic and security problems that it could under no circumstances have been a significant trade partner of Iran. Erdogan, who embodies a combination of his predecessor Necmettin Erbakan in the realm of political Islam and his former partner Fethullah Gulen in the realm of ideological Islam, has been able to implement his own unique model of governance. This model has seen Turkey both continuing efforts to join the European Union while also seeking to develop relations with the East and regional and Islamic countries. Indeed, Erdogan has since the very beginning of his rule sought to establish closer ties with Iran. The success of the attempted military coup would have brought about three fundamental problems for Iran. First, it would have created instability in a neighboring country, and particularly triggered insecurity in Turkeys eastern Kurdish region. The latter would have carried the risk of a spillover, potentially causing a crisis within Irans borders too. Second, for Iran there are no desirable alternatives to the AKP. The person Erdogan accuses of masterminding the coup, Fethullah Gulen, is stridently anti-Iranian, anti-Shiite and especially opposes Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution. Thus, if Gulen really was behind the attempted coup, the coming into power of his followers would certainly have been undesirable for Tehran. If Erdogans claims of Gulens involvement are erroneous, the history of the Iran-Turkey relationship nevertheless suggests that military rule or at least a dominant political role for the Turkish military also spells trouble for bilateral ties. The third reason why Iran views Erdogan as the best choice for Turkey is the character of the other parties in the country. Whether the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), which is a secular movement; the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP); or the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), which is an ethnic movement neither of these political groupings have ever had a good or close relationship with Iran. There is another salient reason for Irans backing of Erdogan: Prior to the July 15-16 coup attempt, the Turkish president had decided to resume relations with Russia, effectively ending the crisis with Moscow after having apologized to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for the shooting down of a Russian warplane on the border with Syria. Given the latter, there has been the perception of the possibility of greater Turkish movement on the Syrian crisis, which could have a major impact since Syria has turned into the primary dispute between Iran and Turkey. However, with Erdogans purges in the military, there is the question of who will guide Turkeys military strategy in the region, and especially in Iraq and Syria. Indeed, of the 360 generals in Turkeys army, 127 have been sacked over alleged ties with the Gulen movement, while two more have resigned. Yet, despite the many uncertainties, Erdogans continued rule is desirable for Iran primarily given that there are no real attractive alternatives, and also because changes in Turkeys domestic politics is likely to change Ankaras foreign policy in a direction that is in the interest of Tehran. Al-Monitor spoke with prominent Iranian political and economic analyst Saeed Laylaz. He confirmed these perceptions, saying, The unsuccessful coup in Turkey was the best option for Iran, because in the scenario that the military would have been successful, insecurity would have reached a maximum in Turkey and the condition of the [already] unstable region would have been on the threshold of an explosion. He added, Erdogan is certainly the best option for Iran, which the history of our relations shows. Still, things could be better if he changes his foreign policy, which evidence shows is on the way. In this vein, Nasser Hadian, a strategic expert and leading professor of international relations at Tehran University, told Al-Monitor, Although we have various problems with Erdogan, we must acknowledge that the success of the military coup would not have been a good sign. We believe that every change in Turkey should come through the ballot box and not with guns and tanks. Hadian added, I think that after this failed coup, Turkey's position is weakened and thus we are going to see a more balanced relationship between Tehran and Ankara. On the other hand, we should consider that our relationship has always been pragmatic. However, Hadian ominously warned, This point must not be forgotten that the continuation of Erdogans trajectory in the domestic environment can reverse the situation, and even turn those opposed to the coup into opponents of Erdogan. July 27, 2016 BAGHDAD, Iraq Iraq's civil associations took action after the Iraqi parliament suddenly announced the inclusion of a draft law on freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration on its July 13 agenda. A leaked revision of the draft had contained several acts that restrict Iraqis' freedom of expression and peaceful protest. The draft includes such tough punishments as a one-year minimum prison sentence for insulting a religious symbol or figure, and set difficult procedures for obtaining permits to protest. The protesters must apply for the permission six days before the event and can be denied for any reason. The would-be protesters' recourse is only to complain to the court, and the time-consuming procedures of the judicial system means the protest will not be allowed. Notably, Article 38 of the Iraqi Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press and of expression, and also ensures peaceful demonstration, provided it be regulated by the law. The draft led to protests among Iraqi civilians, as many Iraqis including prominent bloggers took to social media to express their disapproval with hashtags such as #NoToMuzzlingThePeople and #FreedomRepressionLaw. On July 17, a number of civil society organizations made an alliance against the draft law and held a press conference at the headquarters of the Burj Babel for Media Development Organization to announce their rejection of the draft law and all its articles. The organizations formed an alliance to call for a July 18 protest in Liberation Square to declare their rejection of the draft law's severity because of its authoritative discourse. Dozens of activists and journalists participated in the protest. In its July 13 session, the parliament decided to postpone the vote because of civil pressure on the draft law, and tasked committees dealing with culture, information, human rights, legislation and religious endowments to draft amendments to the bill. The parliament had also listed on its July 16 agenda a draft law about cybercrime the first version was drafted in 2006 by the Iraqi government. That draft law was also withdrawn under street pressure, because it contained proposals to restrict public freedoms on the internet. The draft law reappeared on the parliament's July 26 agenda after the anger in the street calmed slightly. Zuhair Diaeddine, legal adviser to the Association for the Defense of Press Freedom in Iraq, told Al-Monitor that the proposed law should not require a permit for the holding of a protest or stipulate a six-day notice before the holding of the protest. Also, articles overlapping with other laws should be removed, knowing that some of these laws are enacted while others are currently being drafted, he said. Article 3 of the law is covered by the law of access to information, which is currently being drafted by the Council of Ministers Legal Department, while its punishments in the 'freedom of expression' draft is related to Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969 and must be discussed there, he added. The law was not drafted in a sophisticated way, and the drafting process can sometimes be disingenuous, as legislators use the term 'freedom of expression' when ironically the law is full of restrictions, harsh punishments and vague phrases. Diaeddine said his organization, the Association for the Defense of Press Freedom in Iraq, is working on the elimination of six outdated laws: the Iraqi Penal Code of 1969, Publications Act 206 of 1968, the law of the Ministry of Information of 2001, the law of censorship on movies and movies' scenarios and tapes and disks No. 64 of 1973, the law of the Journalists Syndicate of 1969 and Coalition Authority Order No. 14 of 2003, which covers prohibited media activity and gives the prime minister the authority to close any media outlet, confiscate its equipment and funds, and even imprison its staff. The association is also working to modify the Journalists' Rights Law. Habib al-Torfi, a member of the Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights, told Al-Monitor that the amended draft must be agreed upon by parliamentary committees and civil liberties and human rights organizations across Iraq. He said, This is in accordance with the democratic system and to ensure the freedom of Iraqis. Lawyer and civil activist Marwa Abdul Redha said, The number of lawsuits filed against journalists, activists and bloggers is growing steadily due to the legal system inherited from the previous dictatorial regime and to the political class attempt to pass a new set of laws that support it. She said that the number of complaints registered against journalists this year has increased to 500 as of mid-July, while only 307 lawsuits were brought in 2015. Abdul Redha noted that passing the new law would lead to increased restrictions and sanctions on citizens in general. Abdul Redha expressed contentment about the maturity of the civil society action, adding, Had such action taken place before the passing of other laws, such as the Journalists' Rights Law, politicians would not have been able to tighten their grip on the street and muzzle the people. The parliament first introduced the freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration law in 2011, but faced objections from an alliance of organizations that demanded a chance to comment on the law in a session dedicated to the topic. The parliament included the law again on its agenda in August 2015 to give it a second reading and vote on it after being amended, but it faced another wave of objections from civil liberties organizations. They held a press conference in conjunction with the Human Rights Commission within parliament to declare its refusal to vote on the draft, which the organizations had not reviewed at the time. Thekra Sarsam, vice president of the Burj Babel for Media Development Organization and coordinator of the alliance of civil liberties organizations, told Al-Monitor that the organizations are trying to increase pressure on the government and parliament to "achieve what we want from this law. She added, The allied organizations intend to set up an extended conference in one of the official halls of parliament in late July to extend invitations to several parliament members and inform them of their suggestions regarding the draft law. July 28, 2016 ERBIL, Iraq Political wrangling between Iraq's federal government and the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in the north appears to have, for the time being, overshadowed planning for a military offensive to liberate the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS). After what they saw as a series of antagonizing gestures coming from Iraqi authorities in recent days, Kurdish military representatives reacted by canceling at the last minute their plan to attend an important trilateral meeting between the KRG and officials from Iraq and the United States. The meeting was planned for July 22 in Baghdad to discuss Mosul's liberation, Halgurd Hikmat, a spokesman for the Kurdish Ministry of Peshmerga, told Al-Monitor. The meeting has not been rescheduled yet. The row started when the Iraqi government excluded Kurds from participation in its delegation in the anti-IS global coalition's meeting in Washington, which kicked off July 21. As a major force in the fight against IS, the Kurds did not take their exclusion from the Washington talks favorably. Subsequently, the Kurdish representative to the United States was incorporated into the Iraqi delegation. The marginalization of the Kurds at the international forum came shortly after a memorandum of understanding signed July 12 between the US government and KRG representatives in the Kurdish capital, Erbil, which ensured US financial aid of up to $415 million and military support for Kurdish peshmerga forces. That memorandum was primarily meant to give the Kurds incentive to contribute strongly to any future offensive to retake Mosul from IS. Then on the first day of the coalition meeting in Washington, Iraqi Defense Minister Khalil al-Obeidi told a group of journalists, We will not even let Kurdish forces take part in the battle of Mosul. Beside the novelty of such remarks coming from Obeidi, they were also shocking because the Kurdish forces are strategically positioned to take part in any future offensive against IS in Mosul. The peshmerga have encircled Mosul from eastern, northern and western sides and are just about 10 miles away from the city in some areas such as Mount Bashik, northeast of Mosul. Obeidi's statements came a couple of weeks after Iraqi forces captured the strategic Qayyarah air base, some 37 miles south of Mosul, in early July. Iraqi forces can use the strategic air base as a supply hub and launching pad for future operations toward Mosul and hence reduce their reliance on the KRG. So far, the Iraqi military has been largely operating out of its command base in the Kurdish-controlled town of Makhmour, which lies to the southeast of Mosul. A day after Obeidi's remarks, the Iraqi Defense Ministry released a statement on its website saying an item in the memorandum between the United States and the KRG requires that the Kurdish forces pull out of the areas liberated during the Ninevah operation in line with a timetable set by the Iraqi government. It also said the memorandum obliges the KRG to provide full cooperation and coordination with the Iraqi government during the Ninevah offensive. That statement did not go down well with the KRG. On July 23, the Kurdish Ministry of Peshmerga issued a statement of its own rejecting the Iraqi Defense Ministry's claim that the Kurdish forces will have to withdraw from the Ninevah areas liberated from IS. The KRG statement, a copy of which was sent to Al-Monitor, said the KRG forces will only withdraw from areas liberated after the signing of the recent US-KRG memorandum of understanding and then only after those areas are safe and secure. This item does in no way mean the peshmerga will pull out of the [Ninevah] areas liberated over the past two years and the pullout [condition] only applies to the city of Mosul itself, the statement said. The Kurdish Ministry of Peshmerga even threatened to cease all cooperation with the Iraqi forces if it's felt that the heroism and sacrifices of the peshmerga are being treated inappropriately. Perhaps sensing the damage caused by the statements on the extent of Kurdish cooperation with Iraqi forces, the Iraqi Defense Ministry put out a clarification July 23 saying Reuters news agency had misquoted Obeidi as saying that the peshmerga will not be allowed to take part in the Mosul offensive. The statement said the question of who will participate in the battle of Mosul will be determined by the commander in chief of the Iraqi armed forces, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Two days later, Massoud Barzani, Iraqi Kurdistan's acting president, offered his take on the recent chain of events, lashing out at Baghdad and Washington for not involving the Kurds in the anti-IS coalition meeting. The whole episode, Barzani said, shows we are at a crossroad: either to accept this reality where other people can create problems for us whenever they want and determine our destiny or make a joint decision [as Kurds] and move toward sovereignty and independence. The key question now appears to be whether the antagonistic rhetoric and actions from both sides will affect the planning and possibly execution of the Mosul operation. Mosul is Iraq's second-largest city and after much-touted recent victories by Iraqi forces in Fallujah and Qayyarah, Abadi's government appears keen to dislodge IS from its final major stronghold in the country. Renad Mansour, a fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, described the Kurdish statements and actions in recent days as a typical negotiation tactic. He said knowing that their peshmerga are needed in any future operation to capture Mosul, the Kurds are trying to gain as many guarantees and commitments as possible from the United States and Baghdad. The Kurds are important because the Iraqi military even the [elite] Golden Division cannot do it [liberate Mosul] alone, Mansour, who has written on the Kurds' role and ambitions in post-IS Mosul, told Al-Monitor. The two strongest fighting groups are the [Shiite] Popular Mobilization Units [PMU] and the peshmerga. Out of these two, the residents of Mosul would accept the peshmerga much more than the PMU, which reminds them of Shiite-rule and [former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-] Maliki's problematic second term. Hikmat said military cooperation between the Kurdish, Iraqi and US sides over Mosul is still ongoing despite the tensions, showing Kurdish and Iraqi desire not to take matters too far. He said that due to the peshmerga's strategic positions around Mosul, the city's importance for Kurdish security and the presence of significant numbers of Kurds there, the peshmerga forces will be part of an eventual offensive on Mosul. But our major concern is avoiding getting caught in possible future sectarian tensions between the city's residents and Iraqi forces, Hikmat added. Many Ninevah residents have expressed their opposition to the participation of the PMU, and it is still not clear whether those forces will be allowed to take part in the Mosul operation. Editor's note: This article has been updated since its initial publication. July 28, 2016 Iraq's population growth rate has declined in the past two years, but it is still among the top 10 in the world, according to CIA statistics. Despite the country's lack of security or political stability, and the 251,000 Iraqis who have been killed since 2003 when the United States and its allies invaded, the population has grown significantly. On July 16, the Ministry of Planning announced the countrys population has topped 36 million. In 2003, that figure was estimated at between 23 million and almost 26 million. Iraq's gender distribution, the ministry said, is 50.5% men and 49.5% women, and population is growing quickly at a rate of almost 3% per year. The working-age population in Iraq, aged 15-64, represents 56.6% of the total population, while those aged 5-14 represent 25.3%. Only 30% of the people reside in rural areas, with the other 70% in urban areas. Iraq already suffers from high poverty, unemployment and malnutrition rates. To make things worse, some think the government does not appear to have realistic plans to handle any of it. Rizan Sheikh Dalir, a member of parliament's Committee on Women, Family and Children, says the Iraqi parliament simply has not discussed the countrys population growth. She told Al-Monitor, The issue should be carefully studied in order to find a way out before it turns into a crisis. If long-term plans to halt it and deal with the current situation are not developed, poverty and unemployment will be widespread in the future. However, Abdul-Zahra al-Hindawi, spokesman for the Ministry of Planning, told Al-Monitor, A number of population-concerned official institutions are closely following this matter, such as the Supreme Council for the Population, headed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, and the National Committee for Population Policies. Indeed, he noted, The government adopted a birth control plan that resulted in a decline in population growth over the past two years. Growth decreased from 3.2% to 2.8%. But the rate is still high and Hindawi acknowledged the large population increase. Part of the problem, he pointed out, is Iraq's battle with the Islamic State (IS). The Iraqi government developed a plan to handle such an increase. Yet, the Islamic State organization's occupation of Iraqi cities, such as Mosul and Ramadi, since 2014 has prevented the implementation of these plans. On whether the ministry has long-term development plans to handle the population explosion, Hindawi replied, We are working on several plans, including one being prepared with the United Nations. But first we need to eliminate IS before we embark on the implementation of these plans. Other problems plague the country as well, including early marriages, which contribute to overpopulation and are caused by social compliance to tribal norms rather than the state laws prohibiting early marriages. Sociologist Watheq Sadeq told Al-Monitor, Under the current security, social, political and particularly the economic circumstances, this increase in population may cause a catastrophe in the short and long terms in Iraq. Sadeq, who has been observing social variables in Iraq, explained that in light of the obstructed national economy, lack of development plans, lack of a solid national strategy to alleviate poverty and the great disparity between social segments, any increase in the population will further burden and pressure the available resources. He said, The increase in population will increase the state's burden in terms of the provision of services, such as security, health, education, transport and other basic services, which consist of consumption expenditures that drain state resources. This is added to the subsequent higher unemployment rate. The problems need to be addressed soon, Sadeq said. Any increase in the population in any society lacking a plan and vision by the state institutions could quickly reflect on the future of this society." In such cases, population growth remains steady without any restraints, Sadeq said. Crime rates will possibly increase, as well as family and delinquency problems and drug addiction. This may result in a wider gap between social classes, as well as social and psychological problems, such as inferiority complexes, frustration and social exclusion. With roughly 1 million people being added to Iraq's population each year, the outlook is grim. With no plans in place to stop overpopulation, with a lack of development plans and private business growth, and in light of government austerity measures and reliance on oil sales instead of diversified sources of income, poverty, crimes and psychological problems may discomfit the young Iraqi society. July 28, 2016 In September 2015, an announcement was made about the formation of the New Syrian Army (NSA), which would initially begin its operations by fighting the Islamic State (IS), without any mention about it possibly confronting Bashar al-Assads forces. This is despite the fact that the NSA commander, Khazal al-Sarhan, told various media outlets that Assad and IS were but two sides of the same coin, and that his army would fight Assad once IS is defeated. As part of the US Pentagons plan to combat IS, the NSA was supplied with arms and logistical support through camps located in al-Tanf, close to the border with Jordan, in southeastern Syria. Al-Monitor met in Istanbul with Abdulsalam Muzil, a senior member of the NSA and general coordinator for the Authenticity and Development Front (Free Army), considered to be the nucleus of the NSA, to ask him about his army and its activities. The text of the interview follows: Al-Monitor: Could you describe the NSA? Its objectives, numbers, financing, members? Muzil: The NSA was [effectively] established at the beginning of 2016 as part of the Pentagons plan to combat IS in Syria and Iraq. The army is comprised of members from the Authenticity and Development Front which withdrew from the eastern region [of Syria] when IS overran it and to other volunteers who joined [the NSAs] ranks in growing numbers, especially after the latest operation against IS in al-Bukamal. This is when we received and are still reviewing many applications to join. Currently the number of our forces that stand ready and able to fight is 300, and these are tasked with liberating the eastern region from IS, return it to its people and restore safety and security to its lands. Al-Monitor: You undertook an operation that was the first of its kind against IS strongholds in al-Bukamal. What was the motive and results thereof? Muzil: Indeed, on June 26, we launched a military offensive in al-Bukamal, located 130 kilometers [80 miles] east of Deir ez-Zor. It was unprecedented in that it was the first time that a Syrian opposition military faction encroached into a wide swath of IS-controlled land; previously, contact was confined to limited skirmishes along adjoining fronts, leading to small advances and retreats. In al-Bukamal, our offensive aimed to raise the morale of our people there and demonstrate that IS was but a paper tiger that could easily be vanquished with proper planning, sufficient support and coordination between our fighters, who demonstrated their ability to penetrate into sprawling IS-controlled areas that no one previously dared to attack. Our successful breach into their area of control greatly affected the morale of IS members who mistakenly thought that the areas that they controlled could not be breached. We thus proved that IS is but a soap bubble whose fighters withdraw when attacked. We sustained regrettable losses, as two of our members were killed in the fighting. Furthermore, one of our troops was taken prisoner by IS and immediately killed in the most brutal manner when his throat was cut. But we killed and wounded dozens of them, with initial estimates indicating that 20 IS militants were killed in the fighting, in addition to a number of wounded who died later on. We managed also to destroy many of the organizations vehicles and equipment that we targeted with anti-armor and long-range weapons. Al-Monitor: What are your future plans against IS? Who are you coordinating with, and what level of coordination is there with the allies? How is coordination being implemented with [coalition] air power? Muzil: Undoubtedly, new operations will be undertaken against our enemy IS. We are presently preparing for a larger offensive that will surprise the organization. It will be of a higher caliber and will employ different strategies. For the sake of operational security and to maintain the element of surprise, I cannot say more. As for coordination with allies, it is excellent and high. Keeping in mind that we are not the only faction that coordinates and cooperates with the allies, the NSA is distinguished by the fact that unlike other revolutionary factions its coordination with the allies and international coalition rises to the level of receiving air support from warplanes the cover of which has been good with warplanes remaining overhead throughout the battle. Previously no one was afforded such support, except for the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF]. Al-Monitor: About one month ago, you were targeted by the Russian air force. Why did that occur, and what were the repercussions? Muzil: On June 16, our camp fell victim to a significant attack, when, in one day, it was targeted by more than 14 Russian air force raids that led to the death of two of our troops and the wounding of 13 others. The intent, it seems, was to challenge alliance forces as well as weaken our capabilities and reduce our strength. This is because they [Russian forces] do not want IS to be defeated at this time, to give Assad additional time to allege that he is combating terrorism. In addition they want to follow their own timeline in fighting IS, by destroying all moderate opposition forces prior to getting rid of IS thus allowing Assad to remain alone in power. We also believe that the air raids were a direct message to the effect that Russia considered us a terrorist enemy, in no way different from IS. Al-Monitor: Do you expect the United States to change its strategy toward dealing with you? Muzil: We expect, and hope, that the United States will change its IS fight strategy. The current one has proven to be ineffective because the organizational structure of IS has changed since its inception. IS has expanded into new areas, requiring the adoption of tactics other than just air raids. In addition to aerial bombardment, special forces must be deployed on the ground in Syria, thus allowing the launching of attacks against IS militants once their encampments are targeted from the air. As I said, these forces must be Syrian, and thus receive popular support and aid from the civilian population, instead of their being viewed as non-Syrian invaders. Al-Monitor: Do you think that the current anti-IS strategy is effective? What alternatives are there? Muzil: Honestly speaking, yes, we believe that a change in strategy is required in the fight against IS, because the nature of the battle is changing, as is the reality on the ground. When battle strategies were drawn to combat IS, the latter only controlled Raqqa in 2013, and some opposition military formations refused to fight against it. These strategies are still being employed to this day, despite the fact that IS now has expanded to many other regions that include deserts, plains, rocky areas and some villages. As a result, combat tactics and strategies must be changed. Though it should be noted that, as a result of the successive defeats leveled against it, IS today is much weaker than it was, and the Free Army is continuously attacking its strongholds in Aleppos northern countryside. This is not to mention the fact that a number of prominent IS leaders were killed, the latest among them Abu Omar al-Shishani, the organizations so-called war minister. Al-Monitor: Will you participate in the operation to liberate Raqqa from IS when said operation is launched? Muzil: It must be said that the final battle to break IS back will be in its self-declared capital of Raqqa. Said offensive might be launched without warning, to maintain the element of surprise. The attack will signal the end of IS existence on Syrian soil. As natives of Syrias eastern region, we understand its intricacies and geography more than anyone else. As a result, we will have a bigger role to play and will endeavor to oust IS from al-Bukamal and Deir ez-Zor first, because we cannot go to Raqqa and leave IS behind. Al-Monitor: Is there coordination between you and Russia? Muzil: There is no coordination with Russia, which we consider to be playing a part in our demise. For, as I said, it launched 14 attacks against our training camp, leading to the death of a number of our troops. Notwithstanding that fact, Russia has been targeting civilians on a daily basis with internationally banned phosphorus and cluster munitions; how then could we have any dealings with the Russians? Furthermore, we have lost faith in the Russian government, which makes press statements contrary to its actions on the ground. For every time a truce is announced somewhere, we abide by its terms only to see the Russian or regime air forces breach it, the latter with Russian blessings. They always justify their actions as being part of the fight against terrorism, but the facts on the ground indicate that their aim is to attack the Syrian revolution and target civilians. Al-Monitor: How does the NSA deal with civilians when seizing control of an area? What are the procedures and measures taken to protect the civilians? Muzil: As a matter of fact, civilians are of paramount importance to us and at the basis of our planning and precautionary measures so as to protect them against the threats of clashes and airstrikes. We often try to drag IS fighters to areas not very populated. In the latest battle in al-Bukamal, we used a new technology that has not been previously used in the war in Syria; we used the local radio frequency to communicate with civilians and inform them of safe areas where they could take refuge. The coalition aircraft had dropped leaflets mentioning the radio frequency so that we could communicate with civilians. Al-Monitor: Will the NSA resort to guerrilla warfare, which involves small clashes without controlling IS, or to the battle of armies aimed at liberating lands and maintaining them? Muzil: We are resorting to all possible ways to weaken and eliminate IS. We are using hit-and-run tactics in the areas under IS control in Raqqa, through the assassinations of its leaders and fighters. We also use armies from time to time to weaken it and expel it from certain areas and seize control of liberated areas, so as to reduce its areas of control. July 29, 2016 In October 2012, a previously unknown English professor was nominated by the Fatah movement for mayor of Bethlehem. Vera Baboun, a mother of five, beat a male opponent supported by the Islamic Hamas movement and has become a well-known icon in Bethlehem and the world. Since her election, Baboun has met Pope Francis, US President Barack Obama and other world leaders, and has attended the annual Christmas Eve mass (held three times on Dec. 24) every year since. The decision of Fatah to nominate a respected woman rather than the usual party activists was taken as a result of the 2006 parliamentary defeat and the desire to win. But the Fatah movement is more divided now than ever and Palestinian satisfaction with President Mahmoud Abbas is at a low 34%, according to a June 7 poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. Nearly 2 million Palestinians are eligible to vote in 141 municipalities (local councils) and 275 village councils in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the spokesman for the Central Elections Commission told Al-Monitor by email. The Palestinian Basic Law calls for municipal elections once every four years, but since the signing of the Oslo Accord in 1993, only two municipal elections have taken place. Gaza and the West Bank held unified municipal elections in 2004, and that was the last time the Gaza Strip has held municipal elections because of the split between Gaza and the West Bank. In 2012, municipal elections took place in the West Bank only. Gaza-based local activist Samer Tarazi told Al-Monitor that the situation in the Gaza Strip is very complicated. In Gaza, these elections will do little to change the reality on the ground. People are tired of the current situation and most people will probably favor family or tribal candidates rather than party representatives, he said. The possibility of tribal nominees dominating the elections is expected in some of the West Bank cities as well. Riyad al-Halees, a veteran Fatah member from the town of Yatta, told Al-Monitor that he expects electoral lists to be dominated by tribal nominees in his town. My advice to my own party leadership is to find appropriate local tribal leaders and to reach an agreement with them, he said. Halees added that Fatah should negotiate with local leaders by delivering youth voters in return for this high-level coordination and partnership. Halees hopes that in return for supporting family representatives, the elected mayors and council will be more attuned to some of the political needs of the Fatah movement. The fading role of both Fatah and Hamas is also felt in other locations. Palestinian security officials were given a scare after gunmen heavily fired on July 17 at the home of a local resident in Nablus, Mohammad Dweikat, who had plans to run for the city council. The Palestinian security was able to discover and detain the perpetrators within 24 hours. Fatah activists in the West Bank city of Nablus and Gaza have expressed serious worries about their movement losing the municipal elections because of continuing divisions within Fatah itself. As long as President Abbas and Mohammed Dahlan are at loggerheads, the chances of success by Fatah in the upcoming elections are scarce while the movement is divided, a Fatah leader who asked not to be named told Al-Monitor. Amin Maqboul, the secretary-general of Fatahs Revolutionary Council, told Al-Monitor the movement looks forward to these elections and all other elections, even though they are not necessarily a reflection on the political mood of the Palestinians. Municipal elections are about services and participation in it is not for all. There are no local elections in refugee camps, for instance, since they are not considered local councils and are run by UNRWA. So I dont think [elections] are a political barometer that can measure political support, he said. But at the same time, Maqboul noted that factions will be involved in nominating candidates. It [elections] will have some indicators as to the public atmosphere such as how strong a turnout a particular party or movement can bring out to support its candidates and affiliates, he said. Maqboul worries about Palestinian participation. Our biggest concern is public apathy and a low turnout in the coming elections, he said, adding that his movement will set up professional criteria as to which candidates to support. According to him, Fatah will support individuals who "have clean hands and provide popular public services. Maqboul welcomes Hamas participation in the upcoming poll, but insists that Hamas cannot cherry-pick which elections to participate in. They [Hamas] choose to participate in student council elections and municipal elections while refusing general parliamentary and presidential elections. This is not how democracy works, he said. Nevertheless, Maqboul hopes that Hamas participation in the October elections and the opportunity for Gazans to participate will make it easier to conduct general elections in the near future. Back in Bethlehem, Baboun is seriously considering participating in the upcoming elections. While she has yet to announce her plans, municipality council colleagues told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that she has made a decision and will run for mayor again. Regardless of whether the nominees will consist of party members or family/tribal members, elections are a referendum of sorts. The coming months will gauge and reflect the direction that Palestinians will be taking. The fact that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will be making a choice for the first time since 2006 is very telling. The key question that is on everyones mind is whether these upcoming municipal elections will open the way for parliamentary and presidential polls, or if this will be a one-time event. July 28, 2016 A July 27 cartoon by popular Turkish cartoonist Musa Kart speaks volumes. Ruminating after the failed coup attempt, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is depicted wondering, Somewhere I didnt make a mistake, but where? Indeed, the list of the Justice and Development Partys (AKP) wrongs is so long that the rights are hardly discerned. After 14 years of AKP rule, Turkey is in turmoil. The events that led to this state of affairs boil down to one simple reason: the AKPs skewed understanding of democracy and popular will. The toll of the July 15 coup attempt, blamed on followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, is staggering. Some 250 civilians were killed and around 1,500 injured. As of July 28, about 16,000 people were detained, including 9,000 in jail pending trial. Close to 50,000 public employees were dismissed, and 149 generals and admirals, roughly 40% of the total, were expelled from the military. Dozens of media outlets were shut down, and arrest warrants were issued for more than 50 journalists. The pre-charge detention period was extended from four to 30 days. The crackdown is being conducted through legislative decrees, made possible under the emergency rule declared after the coup attempt. The first harbinger of the current turmoil was perhaps the 2010 referendum on constitutional changes that profoundly reshaped the judiciary. Erdogan drummed up popular support for the amendments, arguing they would end the supremacy of elites and make the judiciary truly independent and impartial. Soon, however, Erdogan and his aides would admit that Gulenist judges and prosecutors took advantage of the amendments to take control of the judiciary. This admission, however, happened only after massive corruption probes targeted government ministers and Erdogans family in December 2013, shattering the decadelong alliance between the AKP and the Gulen community. The problem is not limited to the judiciary. Turkey today is a far cry from the country the AKP promised 14 years ago, with the government backtracking or turning about on key matters shaping the course of the country. Take, for instance, emergency rule. The AKP had long boasted of ending a lengthy state of emergency in the Kurdish-majority southeast in the early 2000s, but today the whole country is under emergency rule, while dozens of cities and towns in the southeast lie in ruins after a ferocious crackdown on Kurdish militants. Similarly, the government used to boast of stamping out torture, but today Turkey is back on the watch list of leading rights groups. Even the restitution of the death penalty, removed from the books in 2004, is back on the agenda. Keen to end the militarys tutelage in politics, the AKP backed sprawling trials of army officers accused of plotting to topple the government, which extended also to dissident journalists and intellectuals. The so-called Ergenekon and Sledgehammer cases led to a big purge in NATOs second-largest standing army and upended its line of succession, which, as it turns out now, cleared the way for the ascent of the Gulenist officers accused of leading the July 15 coup attempt. Ironically, some of the officers who spent years behind bars in the sham trials were instrumental in foiling the coup, and some have been reinstated to senior positions. After the Gulenist-AKP alliance collapsed, the government grumbled how Gulenists in the police and judiciary had framed the military and designated the Gulen community as the Fethullahist terrorist organization (FETO). The coup attempt was only the culmination of the open war that had raged between the two since then. On another front, the Gulen community had long been accused of stealing the questions of public service exams to install its followers in state offices. Erdogan had defended the exams as clean despite ample indications to the contrary. Now, the AKP chorus says FETO was able to infiltrate the state by stealing the exam questions. Throughout the years, the AKP was persistently cautioned by opposition parties and the media. But criticism of the Gulenists was flatly dismissed, often perceived as malicious secularist attacks on devout Muslims. AKP leaders and supporters lauded the Gulenists as an exemplary charity movement, paid visits to Gulen in Pennsylvania and praised the communitys schools, which are now being closed en masse. But not only that. The AKP saw the critics as enemies, vilified them and often portrayed them as bootlickers of the military. Erdogan and the AKP, after all, knew best how to run the country. Riding on a high horse, Erdogan disparaged opposition parties as incapable of even herding a few sheep and told critics to keep their wisdom to themselves. The result is a Turkey stuck in a miserable governance crisis the product of a mindset that sees democracy as dictating ones own will on others and rejects any compromise with opposing thinking. Lending an ear to the opposition would have probably prevented much of the current disaster. The AKPs own backpedaling and turnabouts are arguably a proof in itself that the opposition was right on many issues of governance, not to mention foreign policy and the Syrian crisis. The price for Turkey is steep. Veering off from its European Union membership path, it is back to ground zero as a country associated with military coups, emergency rule, torture and mass detentions. The question now is whether the AKP can face up to its mistakes and move to control the damage. Some positive signs have emerged to that effect. Erdogan this week convened a rare meeting with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and the leaders of the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which resulted in a deal for a constitutional amendment on judicial independence. The downside was the exclusion of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party. In a further gesture, Erdogan retracted libel cases against the MHP and CHP leaders. If the AKP sticks to this course with an earnest sense of reconciliation, Turkey stands a chance to extract a silver lining from the bloody coup bid and salvage its democracy. Yet, one should take the gestures with a big grain of salt, given the AKPs 14-year record and the practices unfolding under emergency rule. This is true also for this writer, who was the first in the Turkish media to use the term parallel setup as uttered by intelligence chief Hakan Fidan to describe how mighty the Gulen community had become. This was back in 2012, a whole four years before the putschists shed blood. July 29, 2016 Can Turkey really reinstate the death penalty after the failed coup attempt? According to the European Union and many politicians, jurists and human rights activists, the answer is no. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, however, insist capital punishment could be brought back. Since the failed putsch on July 15, both leaders have repeatedly spoken in favor of capital punishment, be it in media interviews or in speeches to angry crowds that continue to demonstrate in the streets. Immediately after the putsch, Yildirim was quick to reassure a crowd chanting slogans to restore the death penalty in the parliament's courtyard. "Your message has been taken. We'll do what is necessary." Meanwhile, Erdogan said he would readily approve any bill parliament that might pass to restore capital punishment. "In democracies, people have the say, and the people want the death penalty back," he told Germany's ARD television. Top EU officials, meanwhile, have issued a series of warnings that the death penalty is a thick red line, the violation of which will torpedo Turkey's already struggling membership bid. "If Turkey should bring back the death penalty, we will immediately stop the negotiation process," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said, stressing that a country recognizing capital punishment has no place in the EU. European Parliament President Martin Schulz was similarly blunt, saying that restitution of the death penalty would mean an end to Turkey's accession process. Ankara took the warnings as a threat and hit back. The EU is free to express its position, "but if they use a threatening tone against Turkey, this will backfire," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the Haberturk channel. "Juncker is not Turkey's boss." The death penalty is a highly poignant, emotionally charged issue in Turkey's political history. The hanging of Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and two ministers after the 1960 coup has been an omnipresent theme in Erdogan's outbursts against Turkey's past rulers. To emphasize how committed he is to his political struggle, Erdogan would often refer to Menderes' fate and say he has "set off on this path with his [funeral] shroud on." The next coup, in 1971, was marked by the hanging of Deniz Gezmis and two other iconic leaders of Turkey's leftist revolutionary movement. Following the 1980 coup, martial courts sentenced more than 500 people to death, and at least 50 were eventually executed, ending an eight-year moratorium. Death row included both leftists and rightists and even ordinary criminals, but one name left an enduring scar on the collective memory. Aged only 17, high school student Erdal Eren was sent to the gallows on a dubious conviction for gunning down a soldier. Today, Eren is commemorated each year as the symbol of coup victims on the day of his execution, with songs that top Turkish musicians have dedicated to him. In a blunt defense of the teenager's execution, the leader of the 1980 coup, Kenan Evren, had uttered these memorable words: "Shall we feed them rather than hang them?" Thirty-six years later, Evren's rhetoric is back. This time, however, his line of thinking is endorsed not by putschists but by their target Turkey's first popularly elected president. Erdogan said he narrowly escaped capture or death as soldiers raided the hotel where he was vacationing minutes after he left. "Life sentence or aggravated life sentence why should I keep them and feed them in prisons for years to come? That's what the people say," Erdogan told CNN, three days after suppressing the coup attempt. No one has been executed in Turkey since 1984 first under a de facto moratorium on implementing death sentences and then a gradual removal of capital punishment from the books. One of the last death sentences was handed down against Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999, several months after his capture in Kenya, which, according to speculation, was made possible by the United States on the condition he would not be executed. In 2002, the government of Bulent Ecevit lifted the death penalty except for times of war, and two years later Erdogan's government signed Protocol 13 of the European Convention of Human Rights, abolishing capital punishment in all circumstances. Ocalan's sentence was thus commuted to life in prison, and he remains behind bars on the prison island of Imrali. Ankara's main motivation in lifting the death penalty was to launch membership talks with the EU, which it eventually did in 2005. The accession process, however, has long hit a standstill, and the EU has lost much leverage over Turkey. "We've been [waiting] at Europe's door for 53 years. We lifted the death penalty, but what has it changed?" Erdogan grumbled in the ARD interview. According to media reports, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is already working on legal formulas to reinstate capital punishment. But even if the death penalty is brought back, it cannot be applied retroactively to the July 15 putschists, as Article 38 of the Turkish Constitution states. Hence, some AKP legal experts are reportedly floating the idea that the coup attempt could be considered a "continuous crime" on grounds that the danger is still continuing. Foreign policy experts, however, warn that the EU's stern messages are not a bluff, while human rights activists worry also about domestic consequences. Retired Ambassador Yalim Eralp sees far-reaching implications both for Turkey's international standing and economy. If the AKP proceeds with reinstating the death penalty, Turkey risks not only an end to its EU membership process but also expulsion from the Council of Europe, Eralp told Al-Monitor. He said, "This would mean an end to any reform on Turkey's democratization. I'm afraid this could lead also to a serious flight of foreign capital from Turkey, warning that Turkey could end up as a typical Middle Eastern country "lost in the quagmire" of the region. Soli Ozel, a scholar of international relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul, was similarly apprehensive, stressing that the restitution of capital punishment would only aggravate mounting tensions with the West. "The dialogue with the EU is already very bad, if not nonexistent. And with the United States, the Fethullah Gulen problem appears bound to escalate. So I hope both sides [Turkey and the EU] will be able to develop different attitudes," he said. Senel Karatas, the head of the Human Rights Association's Istanbul branch, believes the political rhetoric in favor of the death penalty is meant to only curry favor with the angry masses, but warned it risked fanning tension and polarization. Political leaders should adopt a conciliatory rhetoric, "otherwise this could pose a threat to internal peace in Turkey." Amnesty International's Turkey researcher Andrew Gardner noted that the calls to reinstate the death penalty were chanted mostly by nationalist and conservative demonstrators, while many segments of society remained opposed to such a move. The sentiment is likely to further moderate as the post-coup anger simmers down, he added. Mensur Akgun, international relations scholar at Istanbul's Kultur University, holds a similar view. The issue is likely to die down after a while, he said, while slamming the EU's attitude. "Being a country whose membership was slated for the year 3000 at the recent referendum in Britain, Turkey should not be expected to take the EU's membership threats seriously," Akgun told Al-Monitor. "EU officials need to encourage Turkey on democracy and human rights instead of speaking as if they could punish it." July 29, 2016 For the past few years, both the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) have been warning about the Gulen movement supporters infiltrating the police and the army. After the July 15 coup attempt, the relevant question is whether the government, while weeding out the Gulenists, can return to the peace table with the Kurds. There are some signs that give hope to such an eventuality. It is said that some of the key coup plotters were the generals who were commanding operations against the PKK. The process for removing immunity from parliamentarians, mostly HDP deputies, was postponed. Minister of Energy Berat Albayrak said the Roboski file on the killing of 34 villagers in 2011 by the Turkish air force will be reopened. Huseyin Erten, the former commander of the Roboski area, was detained in the coup plot investigations. From unofficial channels a message was conveyed that, if there is a return to 2013 circumstances, negotiations can be resumed. Imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in his 2013 Nowruz Day message had called on the organization to withdraw from Turkey and initiated negotiations with the government. Of course, as much as they can be genuine, moves toward peace can also be a tactic to pass through a critical period without much damage. Game spoilers Just as the government said that the Russian jet was shot down by a Gulenist pilot when it was making up with Russia, it is also putting the blame on Gulenist commanders for the destruction and fatalities inflicted on the Kurds. But this doesnt really mean that the government is ready to sit down with the Kurds. The government keeps saying, Yes, we will open up to the Kurds, but also fight the PKK. Also there are a myriad of internal and external reasons why it wont be easy to revert to the optimistic days of 2013. What are these factors? President Recep Tayyip Erdogan invited leaders of three political parties in the parliament to a meeting to give an impression of national unity, but he kept the HDP out. HDP Chairman Selahattin Demirtas called that a mistake. This is an indicator of how they did not fully grasp the consequences of the coup attempt. The key to democracy is the HDP. The coup was triggered by the mindset that passed on the Kurdish question to the army. If one more time they pretend the HDP doesnt exist and say We will solve the problems with Turkish national front, it is their choice, but it is a very wrong, flawed approach, he said. There are rumors that Demirtas could be invited to the presidents next meeting with party leaders. But Erdogan continues to rely on nationalist backing. A new peace initiative with the PKK could disrupt Erdogans relations with nationalist party leader Devlet Bahceli. Erdogan will revert to his normal agenda after removing the Gulenists from power and when he feels confident again. His normal agenda is the presidential system. His close relations with the nationalist and conservative circles give Erdogan a chance to amend the constitution. Should the HDP change position and support such a presidential system, the entire picture could change, but that would be political suicide for the HDP. The PKK is no longer an issue confined to the internal dynamics of Turkey. The governments priority is to terminate the autonomous body in the Rojava region. None of the post-coup statements signal a softening up of its approach to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military arm, the People's Protection Units (YPG). The government has committed itself so much to the narrative of the PKK and YPG are more dangerous than the Islamic State that any backtracking could be detrimental to the Justice and Development Party. Tensions with Washington were escalated when Turkey accused the United States of being behind the coup attempt. The Obama administrations lack of commitment to extradite Fethullah Gulen has seriously soured relations. Meanwhile, the United States continues its partnership with the YPG. Turkeys anger against the United States has amplified its distrust in the US-Kurdish partnership. Parallel to the tension with Washington, Turkey is sliding away from the Atlantic axis toward a Eurasia axis. The condition for a new beginning with Russia is a change in its Syria policy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained it eloquently when he said developing cooperation with Turkey depends on how much the two countries can cooperate for a solution to the Syrian question. Lavrov said Russia delivered plenty of evidence of how Turkish territory was used for financing of terrorists and transfer of armed militants. Our Turkish partners will not only have to respond to these charges, but also adopt measures against them, he said. Given the Shiite-phobic character of the Gulen movement, a similar rapprochement with Iran is possible. Should a Moscow, Tehran and Ankara partnership become functional, its reflections on Syria could be against Kurdish interests. In return for changing its Syrian policy, Ankara could demand that Rojava be under control of the central regime as an integral part of Syria. Such a scenario will of course mean wiping out any peace prospects with the Kurds. HDP not very optimistic The HDP is anxiously awaiting the post-July 15 changes. Although they feel that in such a difficult period the government will not pursue a combative stance, nobody expects a return to 2013. The prevailing feeling is that the government could launch moves to win over the Kurdish voters after the destruction of Sur, Cizre and Nusaybin and while doing that transfer operations from towns to rural terrain. Former HDP deputy Nazmi Gur thinks that marginalizing the Kurds will not solve the problems. This is discrimination. The HDP was ahead of the [main opposition Republican People's Party] CHP against the coup and proposed a parliamentary inquiry. The HDP wanted the parliament to be functional instead of declaring a state of emergency. Marginalizing the HDP under the guise of national unity will seriously weaken the struggle against the coup, he told Al-Monitor. About a new dialog possibility, Gur said, Since July 24, 2015, the government has opted for war. It didnt change its attitude after the coup attempt. The government cannot shirk its responsibility by blaming the Gulen movement for everything. Currently there is deep silence about those facing the lifting of their parliamentary immunities. Prosecutors are busy with coup perpetrators. Some prosecutors dealing with the immunity issue have been dismissed. I suppose when it is all calm again, the issue will be brought up. HDP Deputy Ahmet Tan said that some people close to the government have asked the HDP to send messages to the PKK command at Qandil that should there be a return to the 2013 circumstances, a new process can be launched. According to Tan, cessation of hostilities does not depend only on the government but also the PKKs decision. The government wont say lets pick up from where we left it. It will leave touchy issues to time. While the PKK sits at Qandil and Rojava, nobody in Ankara can initiate a peace move because of nationalist rejection, said Tan. The government is playing the option of reaching agreements with Russia, Iran and the Syrian Baath to have the Syrian regime again control Rojava. Here, what the PKK does is important. The PKK says, Let the state start negotiations and we will talk without giving up our positions. But the government feels that unless the PKK gives up its arms and leaves Turkey, the concept could not change. Will the PKK agree to this? The PKK is no longer alone. It has divergent currents internally. There are some who are closer to Russia. There are those who deal with Americans via the PYD. These trends will somehow determine the PKKs attitude. Tan dismissed the possibility of Erdogan extending a hand to the HDP. I dont expect a new dialogue process with the HDP. They will not enter a dialogue with the HDP while the war with the PKK continues. About the parliamentary immunity issue, Tan said, In all this chaos, the government wont press on this issue. But if the clashes escalate, it may speed it up. As for the escalating military operations, Tan said, While they are busy cleaning up their own neighborhoods, they will defer the Kurdish file a bit. Kurds are wondering why Ocalan has been even more isolated since the state of emergency declaration. In short, the government is spending most of its time hunting down Gulenists. But purges in security forces have raised concerns of weakness. The government is not sure of the police, army and intelligence. It doesnt feel secure and doesnt want the people to leave the streets. It is, therefore, in the governments interest to lower tensions with the Kurds for the time being. But none of this raises the hope of peace. July 28, 2016 WASHINGTON The United States on July 28 rebuked as a demand for surrender a Russian Defense Ministry announcement of humanitarian corridors for civilians and unarmed rebels to leave rebel-held eastern Aleppo. But despite the US criticism, Syrian opposition members and Syria analysts said that Aleppo is steadily falling to the Syrian regime, even as US-Russian negotiations on deeper cooperation in Syria continue. Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, have in recent weeks nearly surrounded rebel-held eastern Aleppo and cut off its main supply route, Castello Road, causing a humanitarian crisis for the estimated 300,000 people living in the almost besieged area. But while the United Nations has called for a 48-hour humanitarian pause in Aleppo to bring in humanitarian aid, Russias Defense Ministry on July 28 instead announced a plan in coordination with the Syrian regime to let residents and unarmed rebels leave the area. A tough humanitarian situation has developed in the city of Aleppo and its suburbs, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said July 28. Russia, together with Syrian authorities, will open three humanitarian corridors, for civilians and unarmed rebels to leave, he said. A fourth corridor for armed rebels is also being set up, he said. Both the United States and the United Nations said they had been blindsided by the Russian announcement, and described the proposal as problematic. Without further clarification, it would appear to be a demand for surrender of opposition groups, and the forced evacuation of innocent civilians from Aleppo, State Department spokesman John Kirby told journalists at the State Department press briefing July 28. "The innocent people of Aleppo should be able to stay in their homes safely and receive the humanitarian access, which Russia and the regime have agreed according to the UN Security Council resolution, Kirby said. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said flatly that he and his staff had not been informed about the Russian Defense Ministry plan for Aleppo in advance. We were not consulted, de Mistura told journalists in Geneva on July 28. We actually learned during the [humanitarian] task force [meeting July 28] this breaking news of a Russian military proposal, de Mistura said. It is premature for me and others to actually make any comments until we have further details on what has been and is the Russian proposal. A top UN humanitarian chief said that the UN needed safe and sustained access to provide aid to nearly besieged Aleppo residents, and that people could not be forced to leave the city. No one can be forced to flee, by any specific route or to any particular location, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen OBrien said in a statement July 28. Protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of neutrality and impartiality. Our proposal for 48-hour humanitarian pauses to enable cross-line and cross-border operations is what we as humanitarians require, OBrien said. Despite the US protests and UN expressions of concern, Syrian opposition activists and analysts see the United States as being unwilling to provide the resources to stop Aleppo from falling to the Syrian regime, even as it continues discussions with Russia on deeper coordination in targeting the so-called Islamic State (IS) and Jabhat al-Nusra militants. (Jabhat al-Nusra on July 28 announced that the group had broken with al-Qaeda, and changed its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. But the State Departments Kirby said it was too soon to make any changes in US and UN assessments that the group is a designated foreign terrorist organization.) Aleppo is done, Bassam Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat in Washington now with the Syrian opposition High Negotiating Committee, told Al-Monitor July 28. The [US] administration is 100% focused on two things, Barabandi said. The war against IS and [Jabhat al-] Nusra, and [retaking] Raqqa. They will do that [before the administration leaves office]. In Iraq, US officials know who their ally is to retake Mosul the Iraqi army. But in Syria, They will see who will work with them on the other side, Barabandi said. He added, The US experience with the moderate forces [in Syria] failed. It didnt give any results. Are US officials essentially acquiescing to Aleppo falling to the regime? Yes and no, said Syria expert Aron Lund. Well, it is falling and theyre not doing what would be required to stop it, like pushing in lots of resources to the rebels, hitting the pro-Assad forces or grounding the air forces bombing them, Lund, a nonresident Syria analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Al-Monitor July 28. But I dont see how that is letting it fall. It seems the US cant stop it happening except by doing things that they really dont want to do. Lund added, I guess the question is how far in advance theyve seen this coming, how long its been part of their planning. US Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking in Laos on July 26 after meeting with his Russian counterpart, said he hoped that the United States and Russia would be able to announce the details of an understanding on Syria that is still being negotiated by early August. Were doing our homework, Kerry told journalists in Laos after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of an East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers meeting. And so today, Foreign Minister Lavrov and I talked about the next piece of homework that needs to be completed before we would be prepared to make a public announcement. He continued, My hope would be that somewhere in early August in the first week or so, who knows, somewhere in there, we would be in a position to be able to stand up in front of you and tell you what were able to do, with the hopes that it can make a difference to the lives of people in Syria and to the course of the war. But as the US-Russia negotiations continue, the situation on the ground is changing very quickly in ways that will seemingly deeply impact the potential for a negotiated political solution at resumed Syria political talks, which de Mistura aims to hold in late August. There is a feeling too that perhaps, waiting for talks, or, perhaps, waiting for whatever the follow-up is to the Moscow understanding, facts on the ground are taking place, de Mistura said July 28. De Mistura said he was heading to Iran for consultations and sending his deputy to Damascus to discuss with the Syrian authorities some ideas that we have developed for resumed Syria talks next month. Barabandi suggested that de Mistura may be under pressure from Russia to propose a national unity government rather than a transitional government, during which Assad would stay in the transition but not run again in new Syrian presidential polls. Capture.JPG Limestone County Archives then and now. (Courtesy photos) The archives building in Limestone County will shut down next week while major renovations take place at the historic building in Athens. Limestone County Archives will close Monday so work can begin on refurbishing and providing fire protection to the former Athens L&N Passenger Depot on 102 W. Washington St. The project, which has been planned since October 2012, should be complete by early 2017. Michelle Williamson, a spokeswoman for the Limestone County Commission, said Athens-based Premier Structures was the low bidder for the two-phase project with a bid of $311,987. Morell Engineering, also of Athens, is assisting with the effort. "ALDOT (Alabama Department of Transportation) funds 80 percent of the project cost, with the remaining 20 percent coming from the Limestone County Commission," Williamson told AL.com. Work will begin Aug. 22 and include a new fire suppression and alarm system, lead paint abatement, repair and replacement of exterior boards, scraping and painting of the building's exterior and interior, and addition of interior lighting. Archivist Rebekah Davis and assistant archivist April Davis will be unable to provide assistance to researchers from Monday until Aug. 22 as they work to move historic records out of the way in preparation for the overhaul. Limestone County Archives will reopen during renovations with limited operations in the basement of the Limestone County Commission Washington Street Annex. Researchers must schedule an appointment to use the archives by calling 256-233-6404 or e-mailing archives@limestonecounty-al.gov. "We are excited to get this project on the move," Rebekah Davis said. "These renovations will provide protection to our historic building and its priceless contents, and will help ensure that the building remains strong and viable for at least another century and beyond." Collage by Connor Sheets - Photos from Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons / Flickr.com 20 Conspiracy Theories That Won't Go Away New conspiracy theories crop up every year as well-researched skeptics and legitimate crazies alike find ways to question the prevailing narratives that define current events, pop culture and daily life. Some of these alternate versions of reality are quickly disproved, or supporters lose interest as attention to a given topic wanes. But some persist for decades or even centuries. Here's a breakdown of 20 conspiracy theories that don't appear to be going out of style anytime soon. Don't Edit Evan Agostini, The Associated Press The world is run by the Illuminati The prospect of the Illuminati is perhaps one of the best-known and most-believed conspiracies out there. Essentially, people who subscribe to this theory believe that there is an international cabal of elites who control world politics, economic affairs and other global events. Members of the Illuminati supposedly include celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyonce, politicians like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, and finance titans like Lloyd Blankfein and Jamie Dimon. Don't Edit Wikimedia Commons 9/11 'Truth' movement If youve ever heard some variation of the saying jet fuel doesnt melt steel beams, then youve encountered the 9/11 Truth movement. Truther is a blanket term for a person who believes that we are not hearing the whole story about what happened on Sept. 11, 2001. Variations of this theme range from people who believe the World Trade Center was not hit by planes to those who believe President George W. Bush orchestrated the attacks. Don't Edit File photo Tupac and Biggie's deaths Some of the most persistent of the many celebrity death conspiracies surround the killings of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. in the nineties. Gunned down at the peak of their careers, many people believe alternative narratives than the one police (who have never charged anyone with their murders) presented in the aftermaths of their deaths. Ranging from the concept that Pac is still alive (Machiavelli!) to the concept that the two icons were both killed by government agents as part of some kind of plot aimed at causing discord within the hip-hop community, theories about Big and Pacs deaths seem unlikely to fade away anytime soon. Don't Edit File photo Kennedy assassination This may be the most dissected and best-known of all the American conspiracies. The terms grassy knoll and Zapruder film have become part of the zeitgeist due to the preeminence and popularity of alternative theories about how President John F. Kennedy was killed in Dallas. From the concept of a second shooter to the idea that the Mafia was behind his death, the list of explanations for his tragic assassination is almost limitless. Don't Edit Don't Edit As one of the most popular recording artists of all time, Elvis Presley's death was simply unfathomable for many. The King Of Rock & Roll still lives on in some tiny town in Montana or Cambodia, or wherever else he may roam, if you believe the conspiracy theories of his true believers. Bob Gathany Elvis lives As one of the most popular recording artists of all time, Elvis Presleys death was simply unfathomable for many. The King Of Rock & Roll still lives on in some tiny town in Montana or Cambodia, or wherever else he may roam, if you believe the conspiracy theories of his true believers. Don't Edit Lee Roop | lroop@al.com Moon landing never happened Some people believe there was no giant leap for mankind and astronauts never landed on the moon. Some people believe Stanley Kubrick staged it all. Lloyd Christmas (of Dumb & Dumber fame) just heard about this crazy whole moon landing thing. Don't Edit The Associated Press Stevie Wonder can see A few years back, Deadspin wrote an article attempting to prove that musician Stevie Wonder is not actually blind. The piece presents some pretty intriguing evidence, including a video where he appears to catch a falling microphone that he ostensibly wouldnt be able to see. Other people say that he has been spotted checking his watch. And why would you write a song about someones ebony eyes if you cant see them? Don't Edit File photo Harper Lee vs. Truman Capote Harper Lee and Truman Capote are two of the preeminent authors of the 20th Century. Growing up together in Monroeville, Alabama, Lee and Capote were friends and literary contemporaries, each penning classic books in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "In Cold Blood." But the persistent conspiracy theories about them suggests that one of them wrote both books, or at least did the vast majority of the work on both of them. If you believe either that Lee wrote "In Cold Blood" or Capote wrote "TKAM," sorry, but you subscribe to this conspiracy theory. Don't Edit Cincinnati Zoo There's more to the Harambe story The death of Harambe, a gorilla who was shot in May by security officers at the Cincinnati Zoo after a boy fell into his enclosure, continues to generate controversy. Multiple conspiracy theories about his death persist, including that there was a so-called second shooter that complicates the narrative and that it was a set-up. Don't Edit Don't Edit File photo TWA Flight 800 The 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York shocked the nation and left 230 people dead. Authorities stated that the cause of the crash was an explosion in a fuel tank that resulted from an electrical issue. But conspiracy theories posited that the plane was in fact bombed or shot down by a missile. Don't Edit File photo Bigfoot exists The concept of Bigfoot or Sasquatch can serve for our purposes as a catchall for a number of legends of furry, upright-walking beings that conspiracy theorists believe have been spotted and even photographed in various wooded areas across the U.S. and around the world. Though the names for these beasts may differ depending on region, their basic physicality remains largely the same. Don't Edit For many decades, people have believed that an aquatic, dinosaur-like creature lives in Scotland's Loch Ness lake. There are numerous photos that conspiracy-minded individuals believe depict the "monster," and it has created a whole cottage tourism industry in Scotland. Wikimedia Commons A monster lives in Loch Ness For many decades, people have believed that an aquatic, dinosaur-like creature lives in Scotlands Loch Ness lake. There are numerous photos that conspiracy-minded individuals believe depict the monster, and it has created a whole cottage tourism industry in Scotland. Don't Edit File photo Obama was born in Kenya Though it has largely died down since its 2008 peak, the concept that President Barack Obama was not actually born in Hawaii has never quite gone away. A pet issue of Donald Trump before he became the Republican Partys nominee, the beliefs of birthers include the concept that he was born in Kenya, and often extend to unfounded assertions that he is a Muslim who is sympathetic to ISIS, al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorism groups. Don't Edit Steve C. Mitchell/Invision/AP Paul McCartney is dead Paul McCartney is one of the worlds most successful and wealthy recording artists. But some conspiracy theorists think McCartney in fact died in the sixties and that the man who performs his songs today on world tours is not really the bass-wielding Beatle whose boyish looks captured girls hearts in the 1960s. Explanations for this belief range from the idea that the new Paul has different earlobes to the idea that fellow Beatle John Lennon said I Bury Paul (not cranberry sauce) on the song Strawberry Fields Forever. Don't Edit Don't Edit File photo Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were targeted The idea that Malcolm X and Martin Luther King (and Peter Tosh, and a whole slew of other black leaders) were killed by the FBI, CIA or other U.S. government actors has persisted ever since they were killed. Though the official evidence suggests that unaffiliated individuals in fact assassinated them, conspiracy-minded investigators have uncovered evidence of their own that suggests an alternate narrative often with federal agents pulling the trigger, much like in the case of JFKs killing. Don't Edit J. Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press Ted Cruz is the Zodiac killer Over the course of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz couldnt outrun persistent allegations that he is the Zodiac Killer. The conspiracy arose out of the fact that some believe that Cruzs face is eerily similar to sketches of the Bay Area murderer. Don't Edit AP file photo Hillary Clinton killed someone Conspiracy theories about the Clinton family abound. From the idea that Bill Clinton engaged in numerous sexual escapades and sexual crimes that were never reported on by a complicit media to the allegation that Hillary Clinton killed people, these theories have gained new life this campaign season. Don't Edit Wikimedia Commons Jimmy Hoffa was killed by the Mafia A labor union leader in the 1970s, Jimmy Hoffas disappearance has spurred numerous theories about his death, including that he was taken out by the Mafia. References to his name still serve as secondhand for conspiracies in certain circles. Don't Edit File photo Shakespeare was gay / he never existed Some of the most difficult conspiracies to disprove are ones from centuries ago. Many such theories have come and gone, but one that persists to this day is the idea that the William Shakespeare we know and love was actually either gay or never lived, or even that he was in fact the pseudonym of another writer. Any of these stories would turn the official narrative of Shakespeares life on its head, which may be what makes them so appealing even hundreds of years after the Bards death. Don't Edit A crowd will be waiting for the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles when it meets next week to consider the parole of Thomas Blanton, the Klansman convicted in the murders of four little girls in the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Family and friends of the four girls, prosecutors, civil rights groups, and others, all who oppose Blanton's release, plan to be at the hearing in Montgomery. The board also has a number of letters and petitions seeking to keep Blanton behind bars to weigh in its decision. Like other inmates who seek parole, the 78-year-old Blanton will not be at the hearing, a parole board official said. Blanton is serving four life sentences at the St. Clair Correctional Facility. "I think it would be a travesty of justice if he were paroled," said Hezekiah Jackson IV, President of the Metro Birmingham NAACP. "I think it would send a terrible message to the greater community if he (Blanton) were paroled," Jackson said. "I think the place he is now is the place he should remain." The Metro Birmingham NAACP is sponsoring a "Justice Matters" bus trip to bring people to the board hearing in Montgomery. The bus will load at the NAACP Office, 1520 4th Ave. North in Birmingham, at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. To register for the bus, which is first come, first serve, call the NAACP office at 714-5860. The hearing begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday and should be the first, or among the first, paroles to be considered that day, a parole board official said. The board is expected to announce its decision that day. A twist in the process came Friday. Instead of its usual three members, however, the board will only have two members - Cliff Walker, the current Chairman, and Eddie Cook, Jr. William W. Wynne, Jr. is retiring effective August 1 leaving a vacancy. Parole board officials had hoped to have a new person in place by the time Wynne left. But when Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley on Friday appointed Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Lyn Head to the board, he didn't make it effective until Sept. 6, said Yasamie August, the governor's press secretary. A tie vote with two members voting is considered a "no" vote. But most people don't think it would come to a tie vote anyway with Blanton. "He committed a heinous crime against innocent children," said Binnie G. Myles, local talk show host and volunteer with the Birmingham Metro Chapter of the NAACP. "What message are we sending if he gets out - that these children didn't matter and the church didn't matter?" Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Carol Denise McNair were killed in the dynamite blast that happened on that Sunday morning - Sept. 15, 1963 - at the church. It is Blanton's first crack at parole since his 2001 conviction for his role in the bombing. Blanton is the last surviving Klansman who was tried or suspected in the bombing. No one was arrested in the bombing for years, until federal and state prosecutors revived investigations. Robert Chambliss was convicted in 1977. Bobby Frank Cherry was convicted in 2002. Both Chambliss and Cherry died in prison. A fourth suspect in the bombing, Herman Cash, died in 1994 without ever being charged. The Metro NAACP chapter held a press conference Friday morning at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute - across the street from the church - to talk about next week's parole hearing. "No Earthly parole for Mr. Blanton," Jackson said. Jackson said paroling Blanton would send the wrong message during a time of racial tensions and the justice system. Bishop Calvin Woods, president of Birmingham chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said that he was "appalled" when he heard that Blanton was getting a parole hearing. For 39 years Blanton walked free after the bombing, he said. Another man who spoke encouraging the denial of parole for Blanton was 79-year-old Harvey Henley. He said he was at home about five miles away from downtown Birmingham getting ready to go to church on the morning of Sept. 16, 1963 when he felt the explosion. "It felt like a mini earthquake," he said. "I don't believe in the death penalty but he (Blanton) should stay in jail the rest of his life," Henley said. Doug Jones, the former U.S. Attorney who prosecuted Blanton, is among those who has predicted the parole board meeting likely won't turn out well for Blanton, especially since Blanton hasn't shown any remorse or acceptance of responsibility. Jones plans to be at the hearing. Jefferson County District Attorney Brandon Falls said he too will be there. So will officials with the group Victims of Crime and Leniency. The sisters of Denise McNair also are expected at the hearing, Jones said. Sarah Collins Rudolph, who was injured in the blast and whose sister Addie Mae Collins was killed, has said she will be going to the parole hearing and has also written a letter to the board. Dianne Braddock, Robertson's older sister, is among those who have sent letters to the parole board. It reads, in part: I write to you in great shock, sorrow and concern regarding the letter you sent me dated June 22, 2016. ... It is incomprehensible and unfathomable that the State of Alabama is contemplating the release of the man who was convicted on four counts of murder for the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Denise McNair, and my baby sister, Carole Rosamond Robertson, when he has served a mere fifteen years toward his life sentence. ... With all due respect for the gravity and momentousness of this decision, I submit that it would be a travesty of justice to release Blanton from prison and exonerate him from completing his sentence. Accordingly, I adamantly oppose his parole. Besides those wishing to speak, the parole board also will have a number of letters to consider. The parole board, however, said they can't release any letters they have received either for or against parole. There also are at least two on-line petitions seeking to keep Blanton in prison. One of those was created by a Colorado woman, Mavis Austin, on Change.org. As of Thursday night that petition had more than 54,000 supporters. Block Parole Inc., a non-profit group based in Ohio, on July 24 also created an online petition in which individuals' comments will be relayed to the Alabama parole board. All information will be kept strictly confidential and will only be available to the victims and their families and The Alabama Parole Board, according to the website. Bret Vinocur, the Ohio man who founded Block Parole Inc., told AL.com that Blanton parole is one of the few cases the website has highlighted outside of Ohio. Those petitions, however, may not be considered by the parole board. "The Board does not independently research public petitions or protests that are not actually presented to them at the hearing or included in the file because they are sent to the Board," Meridith Barnes, counsel for the parole board, said Friday. An investigation is underway after an unborn baby died following an assault on his mother. The incident happened sometime before 11 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Jefferson County Coroners Office. The mother, whose name hasn't been released, was at her home on 26th Street North at the time of the attack, which is believed to be domestic. She was taken to St. Vincent's hospital where an examination determined her baby was dead. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates today emphasized that authorities don't yet know what caused the death of the unborn baby boy and whether the death was related to the assault. The baby was delivered stillborn on Wednesday, and now is undergoing testing by the medical examiner. Yates said the mother was in the advanced stages of pregnancy. Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said a police investigation is ongoing, but he declined to elaborate. It wasn't immediately clear whether an arrest has been made in the assault of the mother. Four months ago, a 21-year-old man was charged with murder following the March 7 head-on crash that left a Mountain Brook pregnant woman seriously injured and took the life her unborn child. That accident happened just before 7:30 p.m. on a Monday when police say 21-year-old Irwin Francisco-Bartolo crossed the U.S. 280 median and collided with Tiffany Horton, who was 33 weeks pregnant with her first child - a daughter named Adley. Also in March, Christopher Ammons Kemp was charged with capital murder an attack that left his ex-girlfriend in critical condition and led to the death of their unborn child. Hoover police were dispatched at 6:35 p.m. that Tuesday to a report of an assault on Larkspur Drive. Police said the 28-year-old female victim was found walking near the roadway. She appeared to have significant injuries. The woman was treated on the scene and then taken to UAB Hospital by a Hoover Fire Department rescue unit. The victim, whose name police haven't released, was able to communicate with officers and told them she was about seven months pregnant. Detectives learned later that night the baby didn't survive. The victim identified her attacker as Kemp, her ex-boyfriend. "We don't yet know what prompted this brutal attack but it's just sickening,'' Hoover Capt. Gregg Rector said in the hours after the assault. "It really takes a special kind of evil to carry out a crime such as this." Both men were charged under a section of Alabama Law that allows authorities to charge a suspect with the murder of another human being, including an unborn child. According to Alabama Code 13A-6-1, the term "person," when referring to the victim of a criminal homicide or assault, means a human being, including an unborn-child in utero at any stage of development, regardless of viability. Two more unborn babies have died this year when their mothers were shot and killed. In January, 16-year-old girl Raven White was shot to death during a robbery while sitting in a car eating pizza with her baby's father outside of her Birmingham apartment in Apple Valley. She was six months pregnant. No arrests have been made in her slaying. In March, 18-year-old Naki'a Harris was shot to death in her Eighth Court West home. She was the mother of a 1 -year-old son and seven months pregnant with another son who was to be named Zion. Harris' boyfriend, Joshua Watson, was charged with capital murder because the shooting resulted in the deaths of two or more people. More information will be released on the most recent case as it becomes available. Investigators said it could be weeks before they determine the cause of the unborn baby's death. A Vestavia Hills man will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to capital murder in the 2015 stabbing death of his estranged girlfriend. Jeffery Dewayne Mixon, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of capital murder and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Teresa Pulliam during a hearing Tuesday, court records show. Under a plea agreement with prosecutors a second count of capital murder was dismissed, along with five other charges related to the crime. The other charges dismissed are first degree kidnapping, first degree rape, first degree burglary, first degree theft of property, and attempted murder, according to court documents. Mixon was charged in the stabbing death of 34-year-old Victoria Morrow inside her Hoover apartment on Jan. 5, 2015. Hoover police said that Morrow's 18-year-old daughter and her daughter's 19-year-old friend were also bound and beaten by Mixon. The 19-year-old also was sexually assaulted. Mixon fled the scene with the 5-year-old daughter he and Morrow shared. Several hours later he surrendered at the Dallas County Jail. Morrow also had a son, who was 16 at the time. Mixon was to have gone on trial Aug. 22. If convicted, he could have faced the death penalty. Attorneys Wendell Sheffield, Jacqueline Morrette, and Christopher Daniel represented Mixon. Morrow's family and the victims in the other crimes were present at Tuesday's hearing and had given Deputy Jefferson County District Attorney John Camp approval to resolve the cases, according to Pulliam's order. Court records chronicle a troubled relationship between Morrow and Mixon. Morrow had obtained a protection from abuse order against Mixon just one day before she was murdered, court records show. Morrow had sought the protection after she said Mixon had threatened her with a knife the weekend before her death. It was one of several protection orders sought, and obtained, by Morrow in recent years including one where the woman claimed Mixon raped her at gunpoint. The chief of a small-town Alabama fire department is under fire amid allegations he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his own agency. Collins Chapel Fire Chief Shawn Carlisle, 45, was arrested Thursday on a charge of first-degree theft, which is a felony, according to court records. He was released from jail after posting $10,000 bond. The fire department is located in Thorsby. According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Carlisle between Jan. 1, 2013 and June 17, 2016, cashed checks from the department's Peoples South Bank in Clanton at a local business. The total number of money taken from one account exceeded $20,000. The Alabama State Fire Marshal's Office launched their investigation into Carlisle in late May. Authorities have not said what sparked the probe. Carlisle is set to have his first court hearing on Aug. 30. Amber Nicole Harris, Eugene Hale, and Andre Dunlap.jpg Amber Nicole Harris, Eugene Hale, and Andre Dunlap A woman who was convicted, and two men who pleaded guilty, were sentenced this week in the 2013 slaying of an Ensley drug dealer. Amber Nicole Harris was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and Andre Dunlap to 23 years in prison, on Thursday by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Teresa Pulliam. The judge on Monday had sentenced Eugene Hale to a split 20-year sentence, with five years to serve in prison. Harris, Dunlap, and Hale had all been charged with capital murder in the Dec. 21, 2013 slaying of 22-year-old Quintin Long near an apartment complex in the 3400 block of Avenue E in Ensley. According to testimony at Harris' trial she had set up the drug deal with Long, who she knew, so that they could rob him. Harris also knew that Dunlap carried a gun and evidence presented at that trial pointed to Dunlap as the shooter, although prosecutors and the judge said that wasn't totally clear. Harris was convicted of the lesser count of felony murder at a trial in April. Dunlap and Hale were both set to go on trial this week. Hale pleaded guilty Monday to felony murder in a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced that day. Dunlap also agreed Monday to plead guilty to felony murder and receive the 23-year sentence under a plea deal, but his formal sentencing was not held until Thursday. Dunlap's attorney, John Wiley, said that he doesn't believe Dunlap was the shooter. But the plea deal insulated Dunlap from being convicted for capital murder and a possible death sentence, he said. Jefferson County Deputy District Attorneys John Camp and Carl Randall had asked that the judge sentence Harris to 30 years in prison. They argued that if Harris had not suggested and set up the drug deal, Long might be alive now. Also after Long was killed, Harris shot up the heroin she took from his pocket, they said. Camp and Randall declined comment after Harris was sentenced to 14 years. But the victim's mother was upset with that sentence. "I didn't like it," Long's mother, Laquita Long, said after Harris' sentencing. Ms. Long had testified at Harris' sentencing that her son Quinten had just gotten two jobs to help support his children. "She needs to pay for what she did ... You don't set up friends to be killed like that," she testified. Harris apologized to Long's family. "I never intended for him to lose his life ... and I know my actions caused him to lose his life," she said. Harris also apologized to her grandparents, who had raised her since she was five after her mother committed suicide. Both her parents had been on drugs. "I let drugs control my life," she said. But Randall questioned Harris about her role in the robbery and shooting. "It's not your background that made you do it, it's the choices you made, correct?" Birmingham attorney Bill Myers and Ken Gomany represented Harris. Two women who worked with Harris in helping her get her GED while in the Jefferson County jail testified that Harris has become a math tutor for other female inmates trying to get their GEDs. Gomany said that Harris' parents were both drug addicts and her mother committed suicide when she was five years old. "She didn't have a chance in life," Gomany told the judge. Myers said that Harris, now 21 years old, has a future and asked the judge to allow her to "get to that future as soon as possible." "I thought it was an extremely fair and equitable," Myers said of the sentence Pulliam imposed on Harris. district 1 board race. The candidates for the District 1 seat in the 2016 Huntsville City school board race are, from left, Laurie McCaulley, Michelle Watkins and Mary "Jackie" Sawyer. (File) Incumbent Laurie McCaulley is campaigning for a third term on the Huntsville School Board, running against fellow Johnson High graduate Michelle Watkins and longtime Huntsville educator Mary "Jackie" Sawyer. The three candidates, at first glance, have much in common. All three are mothers and grandmothers whose children attended District 1 schools. Each has a history of involvement with District 1 schools - Watkins and Sawyer as educators, McCaulley as PTA president and later school board member. They've all got deep ties to the North Huntsville community, which they've been at pains to highlight on the campaign trail. McCaulley points out that she raised all four of her children and many of her grandchildren in Huntsville City Schools, while Watkins - whose daughter did attend Huntsville schools - has grandchildren who are zoned for Lakewood but attend private schools. "You won't allow your grandchildren to go to public schools, but you want to govern public schools?" McCaulley said. "My daughter asked my advice and I gave her advice," said Watkins. "I would not send my kids to a school that has failing scores. That's the problem right now that I'm concerned about. I have taught in classrooms and I have seen the problems. "Plus I don't have the liberty like Ms. McCaulley to pick which school my grandchild could go to." For her part, Sawyer wants to stay out of the disagreements and infighting she's seen among community leaders, the board and superintendent. "While you're busy bickering, the persons going to be hurt are our children," she said. "We need to come together for the students in the city." In a district that's struggled with poverty and low-performing schools for decades, the school board race is one that's watched closely by the community and its leaders. "Your zip code should not determine your destiny," said McCaulley. "Not only did I fight for my children, I fought for children everywhere. Parents knew I would demand a standard of excellence. If something wasn't right (at a school), they were going to see McCaulley up there." The desegregation shadow The school system's implementation of a federal court-ordered desegregation plan has prompted drastic changes citywide, but District 1 has gone through multiple school closings and mergers over the last couple of years - some, such as the closing of Johnson High School, have drawn fierce criticism from North Huntsville leaders. Watkins testified two years ago for the Department of Justice during Huntsville's desegregation hearing, saying the board's plan to consolidate failing schools in North Huntsville into McNair Middle and Jemison High, located on the same campus - was "a plan for failure." McCaulley said it's more vital than ever that someone with detailed knowledge of the consent order represent District 1. "That court order sets the course for Huntsville City Schools for the next four to five years," said McCaulley. She pointed to a variety of promises North Huntsville schools have gotten from the district over the past four decades - an Air Force academy, for example - that were never delivered on. "It's important now to me that I follow that consent decree, make sure it's been implemented correctly," she said. "It will be detrimental to the people I've been elected to serve if it is not, because it is indeed a game-changer for North Huntsville." Education background McCaulley, once an active PTA and school volunteer, is current president of the school board and seeking her third term. She points to positive changes in District 1 since she came into office, including college counselors at all high schools, an increase in scholarship money received by high school seniors, and pre-Kindergarten offered at each school. Older school buildings in the district have been replaced or are being replaced by new construction. "We have started the rebuilding of North Huntsville through the school system," she said. "There's been decades of broken promises, so even today some people are stunned that what was promised has actually occurred. These facilities, the programs they bring - it's more than building buildings. It's building a better future for our kids." Watkins taught for three years at Johnson High School and has served as Johnson's PTA president. She has been a vocal critic of the board in the past and has clashed with McCaulley and Superintendent Casey Wardynski at board meetings. "You don't hurt children in the process of disagreeing," said Watkins. "We are adults, and this is about the children. That's what we're all here for. Just because I don't agree with some of the things you do does not mean you can't work with me." Sawyer spent 29 years teaching in Huntsville City Schools before retiring in 2014. More recently she was recruited to come back to Dawson Elementary as a math and reading interventionist. "I believe we have a good system, but it's like anything else: there's always room for improvement," she said. Campaign finances Since May 2016, McCaulley has raised $7,088 in campaign contributions. Some of the largest Individual donors since January live outside District 1 and include Ken Upchurch, owner of TCU, a contracting company that has worked with Huntsville City Schools; and Rex Cheatham, former Huntsville representative of the Alabama Education Association. Citizens for Progressive Leadership, a PAC operated by public relations consultant David Driscoll, donated $3,597 of advertising. Driscoll's firm has been employed by Huntsville City Schools to provide public relations services. Watkins has raised $3,493 in contributions since May. Some of her largest individual donors include Pastor Troy Garner, member of the HCS Desegregation Advisory Committee; former U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith; and Huntsville-Madison County NAACP Vice President Alice Sams. Watkins pointed out that many of her donors live inside District 1. "The people in the community know who they want to represent them," she said. "You have outside interests donating to you and I really have a concern when you have a contractor with a contract for Huntsville City Schools donate to your campaign. That's one thing I would not do because that raises a red flag. My donors speak to who trusts me." Sawyer, who entered the race this month, has not yet had to file a campaign finance report. Communication McCaulley believes fairly implementing the consent order and improving the quality of education are the most important issues facing District 1. Watkins wants to see a focus on improving reading and addressing discipline in schools. Sawyer is concerned about retention of experienced teachers and school discipline. All three address communication between District 1 parents and the school board. "One thing parents have talked with me about is not knowing what's going on in District 1 until after the board has decided on something," said Sawyer. "That would not happen if I'm elected because I would have town meetings and workshops. As I know, they will know, so they can let me know how they want me to vote." Watkins also promised town halls and meetings around the district if elected. She said District 1 deserves new leadership. "We need to focus on getting our community involved, getting parents involved, and making the parents feel they have ownership," said Watkins. "They don't feel welcome in schools." McCaulley said she is still the candidate who has the most in common with District 1 parents and can best understand their concerns. "When single parents tell me they don't have time to get to the school, I understand that," said McCaulley, who raised her children as a single mother. "The things I struggled with, I try to take that off the plate of parents I've been elected to serve. And I don't' think they know that. That's a side of me they may not know." After taking on new responsibilities as the Republicans nominee for the US presidency, is Trump losing his capacity to make jokes? It was a comment that was typically Donald Trump. It was not thought through, the pros and cons weighed, the political and media fallout considered. No. It was a gut feeling, a remark to amuse and provoke. It was Trump bringing chaos again. Struggling with the idea that he wasnt the centre of attention this week, with the media more focused on the Democrats convention in Philadelphia, the Republican nominee has been travelling through swing states, making speeches and raising money. He even mentioned the number of cameras at an event, wondering why there werent more at the Democratic National Committee (DNC). There were. Trying to make light of the hacking of the DNCs computer, Trump said he hoped the Russians successfully hacked Hillary Clintons email and encouraged them to publish whatever they may have taken. READ MORE: Trump urges Russia to find Clintons missing emails Looking straight into the camera, he said: Russia, if youre listening, I hope you are able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will be rewarded mightily by the press. For Trump, it was another chance to land a zinger on the deleted emails from the former secretary of states personal email server. In the aftermath, as people lined up to criticise the businessman for his remarks, he insisted he was simply being sarcastic. He will inevitably blame the media. But its worth taking a moment to actually consider the meaning of all this. American intelligence agencies have told the White House they have high confidence the hacking was the work of the Russian government. If that is indeed true, by releasing the hacked emails when it did, it appears the Kremlin is trying to influence the US election. Not only that one of the candidates for the US presidency is essentially urging a foreign power to break US law by hacking into a private computer network. By publishing the emails, it is possible whoever did so could be charged with espionage. This comes a week after the Republican Party agreed on a platform which condemned cyber espionage and promised a forcible response against anyone suspected of doing it. Senior Republicans immediately weighed in, as they are often forced to do when Trump makes the headlines. Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the most senior elected Republican in the country, described Russia as a global menace led by a devious thug. Before claiming he was being sarcastic, Trump tweeted that if Russia or any other country had Clintons emails, they should turn them over to the FBI. But there is perhaps a comment that needs some attention, lost in the typical US coverage of a Trump controversy. When asked if he would recognise Crimea as Russian territory, he said hed be looking in to that. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2014 just after the Russian annexation of part of Ukraine calling on states, international organisations and agencies not to recognise the changed status. Trumps reluctance to condemn Russia is a huge switch of Republican Party policy and certainly cuts across a lot of US foreign policy. Accepting the Republican nomination, Trump has taken on new responsibilities. His comment on hacking was an attempt at humour. It backfired. That is no longer a luxury he has. In the recent comedy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Tina Feys rookie war reporter falls down every pothole in Kabul. At first she thinks the local people are Afghanis (that would be the currency). Peeing while out on patrol proves problematic. The marines point out that her rucksack, which is orange, may not be combat-effective: Where are you going to hide it? Inside a f****** sunset? Based on the book The Taliban Shuffle, an account of journalist Kim Barkers stint in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Feys life in the Kabubble is all shambolic encounters with politicians and peasants, and close shaves washed away on the heavy expat partying scene. Standard pick-me-up in this particular outpost of First World Problems is a dose of stiff cynicism. The kind of shell-shocked comedy displayed by Whiskey Tango Foxtrot has been on view a fair bit recently; treating real-life big news events with gonzo-style abandon. Thrusting Westerners, mostly Americans, out of their comfort zones, the new style even has a name: traumedy. Traumatic comedy The term traumatic comedy was used by director Adam McKay to describe The Big Short and its caffeinated, panicky realisation that the financial markets are going down. Here, it means national tragedy played as screwball comedy; the four trader protagonists ahead enough of everyone else to fill their pockets but still enmired. Farce is the response in The Big Short to being buffeted by socioeconomic winds; the bracing realities of foreign living produce the same effect in other recent traumedies. As well as Tina Feys Afghan excursion, there was Sandra Bullocks Our Brand is Crisis, set during a fictionalised version of the 2002 Bolivian presidential elections. READ MORE: Brazils evangelical film Her political consultant, shilling for the loathed standing president, gets off to a similarly laughable start as Fey: vomiting into a wastepaper bin during her first meeting with her client, giving rousing campaign speeches in the wrong language. Theres at least one other hapless overseas jaunt in development, too: A Journey to the Dark Heart of Nameless Unspeakable Evil, an adaptation of South Park writer Jane Bussmans detour into reporting on Ugandan child soldiers. Real-life scenarios are already outlandish The traumedy-on-tour has its roots in the suave ironies of mid-century English folk-abroad capers such as Our Man in Havana and The Lady Vanishes. The Last King of Scotland and Argo are updated versions of the same, their protagonists dancing awkwardly to foreign rhythms. But traumedys mood of mania as a coping strategy in crazy times comes from the excitable likes of Catch-22 and M*A*S*H. Unlike those films, though, traumedy isnt explicitly satirical. Caricatural totems such as Catch-22s Major Major Major, or M*A*S*Hs freak parade of a military unit, lampooning straight society, could make easy countercultural mischief in simpler times. But 21st-century realities, blurring the lines between the powerful and the powerless on which satire thrives, have outgrown those kind of games. Nowadays, we dont need to exaggerate the scenario, because our distempered times far more minutely documented by modern media the real-life scenarios are already outlandish. Journalists becoming over-embedded, spin doctors getting lost in the details, short sellers cannibalising carcinogenic banks traumedy is maybe the first genre outside documentary to fully appreciate how truth is stranger than fiction. Add Chris Morriss Four Lions to the file as well. Its daft suicide bombers would seem like traditional hyperbolic satirical constructs were it not for their fact that their bumbling jihad is all too familiar from news and Twitterfeed titbits: ISIL fighters lionising Jumanji when Robin Williams died, et al. READ MORE: Can a film please China and the West? Its tempting to chalk off traumedy especially when its centred on that most hapless of creatures, the American overseas as primarily a US concern. But it would be truer to say its a Western one; a kind of freakout in the face of an increasingly bewildering world in which default American and European pre-eminence no longer applies. One traumedy speciality is taking perverse pleasure in watching players in the new hierachies jostle for position: Fey, for example, spends most of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot playing hard to get with the besotted Afghan attorney-general because she needs information from him. This Pashtun peacock loses the upper hand when he turns up at the Westerners party pad in order to show off his dancing prowess. Then theres how the cocksure politicos in Our Brand Is Crisis are the irony! betrayed by their own candidate, who breaks his election promises and sells his country out to the IMF. These reverses are the geopolitical equivalent of slamming doors in a farce. But is this punchdrunk hysteria the best way of engaging film-goers with the wider world? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot does become more interesting when it calms down and grounds itself in something serious: foreigners losing their perspective abroad and how, in the case of journalists, this affects their reporting. There are limits, though, to how much pedagogy a film can indulge in, as The Big Short acknowledges with cheeky braindumps such as Margot Robbie in a bubblebath explaining junkbonds. Traumedys comedic blitz certainly grabs the attention. If it leaves anything in our whirling brains, its a reminder to take a quiet moment to consider the meaning of overwhelming times. Phil Hoad has written about cinema for the Guardian, the Observer, the Times, The Independent, The Face and the Big Issue. Formerly the Guardians global box-office analyst and Dazed & Confuseds film editor, he specialises in the effects of globalisation on cinema. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. We may add a qualifier to their label, but never do we deny their chosen identity altogether. ISIS is not Islam! declared many Muslims on social media after the attack on the mosque holding the final resting place of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina during the holy month of Ramadan. Popular social justice figure and New York Daily News columnist Shaun King wrote an editorial declaring that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) are not Muslims, but rather evil men hell-bent on carnage. It is something that Muslims have been saying almost since ISIL atrocities took over Western media. Believers, counterterrorism experts and government officials have long been going back and forth about what words should be used to describe the group, with many loudly pushing to deny any intimation of Islamic. Whether or not the debate over language achieves anything on the ground, what is clear is that language plays an important part in the publics emotional outrage. Who gets to define Islam? Which is why I need to urgently request that all my non-Muslim ally friends please stop saying ISIS is not Islam. We love our Muslim brothers and sisters, but we are teetering on a dangerous cliff by dabbling in this bit of theological absolutism about a community we are not a part of, especially considering our historical role in colonialism and the war on terror. The vast majority of Muslims are, indeed, opposed to violence in the name of Islam, and this is a statistic we should never forget. But does the majority get to define the identity of the minority? Surely they may reject it and ostracise that minority, but self-identification cannot be dismissed even if its for a good cause. Shaun King is a man with his heart in the right place. His statement that ISIL is not Islam is, by and large, a reaction to the pronouncement of people like Bill Maher that Islam is ISIL. But substituting one absolutism with its absolute opposite is not helpful. When we say Islam is a religion of peace it is coming from a place of love, but it is not respectful of Muslims autonomy in defining themselves. To build a truly pluralistic society, we must interact with each other as people, not concepts. by There is no supreme authority in Islam. We cannot privilege one version of Islam over another just because it feels good to us. What we can do is talk about the people of Islam, for they are the supreme authority over themselves. In Western thought, religious identity is a personal choice. Whatever religious label one personally ascribes to is what we recognise them to be. We may add a qualifier to their label, such as fundamentalist or non-practising, but never do we deny their chosen identity altogether. Who is a Muslim? We may call ISIL a group of militant Muslims, but we cannot deny the identity they have chosen for their militancy. Is theirs the true Islam? Thats not for those of us outside the Islamic faith to judge. A Muslim is whoever says hes a Muslim, says religious scholar and noted Muslim, Reza Aslan. Aslan is adamant that neither Muslims nor non-Muslims dismiss the language ISIL uses to describe themselves, but also points to a tendency for many in the West to favour the violent definitions while ignoring the majority who proclaim Islam while acting non-violently. OPINION: The myth of the moderate Muslim For while it is true that ISIS are Muslims, he continues, its also true that so are the tens of thousands who are battling them, and the tens of thousands of victims of ISIS. Theyre all Muslim too. Does ISILs militancy represent all Muslims? Absolutely not. Around the world, we see high levels of Muslims aversion to ISIL, especially in countries where most of the violence has taken place. When a Muslim tells you, ISIL is not Islam you must believe them. They are telling you there is nothing they recognise in ISIL as part of their Islamic identity. Those of us non-Muslims who consider ourselves allies must be careful when making sweeping statements about a centuries-old complex system of beliefs, even though the believers are our friends. Instead of taking up theological arguments that we arent qualified to make but still sound good we should be talking about the virtues of the people in the Muslim community. To build a truly pluralistic society, we must interact with each other as people, not concepts. Christa Blackmon is a media analyst and digital anthropologist. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Social Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and researching the oral histories of women about the Palestinian Nakba and how they are being recorded on digital video. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Environmental damage and climate change are threatening the lake which is often described as Cambodias beating heart. With its rich and diverse ecosystem, Cambodias Tonle Sap Lake is often described as the beating heart of the country, supporting the livelihoods of more than one million people and attracting visitors from across the region. Yet, climate change and man-made pressures are affecting the lake, resulting in a drastic reduction in its fish stocks and worrying low water levels. Earlier this year, the Global Nature Fund designated it as the worlds most threatened for 2016. In recent years, the water volume continuously declined with negative impacts on fish migration and the import of sediments, GNF said in a statement. In some places in the Tonle Sap Lake, the water level dropped more and more in the dry season and wetlands dried up permanently. Beyond that, illegal fishing methods, like poison, explosives and small-meshed nets are often used. I gave up For years, fishermen have earned a living from the lakes waters, which spread across 16,000sq km. But things have changed recently for people like Bun That, whose family have been fishing for generations. For the past several years, the catch got less and less and I couldnt feed my family, he said. So I gave up and looked for work as a taxi driver. In 2016, the region saw an unprecedented drought but according to officials environmental factors and man-made effects pressure were mainly to blame. The lake is vital for the region, and for a part of the population it is their only option to survive. If the current situation continues, many may have to find other ways to earn a living. Hillary Clinton seeks to heal rifts within her own party as she formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania As Hillary Clinton made history as the first woman to accept a major partys presidential nomination, she told Americans that their country was at a moment of reckoning with powerful forces threatening to pull us apart. Addressing the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, Clinton called for unity, saying it is up to Americans to decide whether were going to work together so we can all rise together. To much applause, she told supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders that they shared the same cause. In a speech that resonated with the audience, the former secretary of state and first lady rebutted many of the messages delivered by the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this time last week. Dont let anyone tell you we dont have what it takes, Clinton said. Most of all, dont believe anyone who says: I alone can fix it. The reference was to a Trump line. Mentioning the billionaire tycoon more than 20 times, Clinton painted a picture of a failed businessman who does not pay contractors, makes business deals abroad, not locally, and lacks national security credentials. We are clear-eyed Having visited more than 100 countries, Clinton presented herself as a more experienced candidate, a bulwark against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), and as a leader who will know how to deal with Russia and Iran, and guide a nation that she knows is frustrated and anxious. We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have, she told the convention. Even though Clinton spoke of threats at home and abroad, her broader message was one of hope a stark contrast to the dark image painted by Trump in his acceptance speech of an America lacking law and order and marred by terror. When people get to this point in either political party, they have a message of hope, a message thats positive, constructive, gives people an aspirational notion of what they can come to, said Steve Clemons, a political and foreign-policy expert. Trumps message was that we no longer live in a world of trust, we live in a world we have to be afraid of. We have to be afraid at home, because people are seeing their jobs shift away and terrorists are coming into malls, and we have to be afraid abroad because we have bad players moving against American interests. Rocky start The convention, which nominated Clinton, got off to a rocky start this week: a leaked cache of emails showed the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, had favoured Clinton over Sanders. Although Schultz resigned her position, Sanders supporters staged a walkout following the roll call that officially nominated Clinton for their president. Sanders supporters then held a sit-in at the media tent in protest, after the socialist senator endorsed Clinton and called on his followers to unite around the party. The initial division seemed to dissipate following strong calls for unity by First Lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday. All three warned about the consequences of a Trump presidency, which they said would pose a threat to the US at home and abroad. What almost always happens when the more centrist candidate gets the nomination, is that voters get the choice between two evils, said David Meyer, professor of political science at UC Irvine. Trump makes that choice very easy for most Democrats. The polls Ive seen suggest that the Sanders people are already coming around. More good jobs Viewership of the first two nights of the convention was higher than its Republican counterpart last week, leaving aides relieved and hopeful that polls would bounce afterwards, as Clinton and her vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine tour Pennsylvania and Ohio. In an effort to win over independents and disgruntled Republicans, Clintons campaign has made sure to include disaffected conservative speakers, such as former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and Jennifer Pierotti Lim, a co-founder of Republican Women for Hillary. Clinton has also geared her economic policy to appeal to working-class white men, who usually lean Republican, and in her speech on Thursday night, she acknowledged Americans frustration, especially those in the working class, with economic problems exacerbated by the recession. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States, Clinton said. From our inner cities to our small towns, from Indian Country to Coal Country I believe America thrives when the middle class thrives. Clinton touched on many raw subjects: gun violence, policing, immigration and race. She talked about the rights of the LGBT community, and reminded the crowds of how Trump had slammed women, Mexicans, prisoners of war, and people with disabilities. Heres the sad truth: There is no other Donald Trump This is it, she said. So enough with the bigotry and bombast. Donald Trumps not offering real change; hes offering empty promises. What are we offering? The choice is clear. Father of Muslim American soldier slain in Iraq calls out Republican presidential nominee, thrilling crowds at DNC. The father of a Muslim American soldier who was killed in Iraq struck a chord on the final day of the Democratic National Convention, as he challenged Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to read the constitution. Addressing thousands of delegates in Philadelphia on Thursday evening, Khizr Khan, flanked by his wife Ghazala, remembered his son Humayun Khan, who died in 2004 at the age of 28. If it was up to Donald Trump, he [Humayun] never would have been in America, Khan said. KHIZR KHAN SPEECH IN FULL: Tonight, we are honoured to stand here as the parents of Captain Humayun Khan, and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country. Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed. We believed in American democracy that with hard work and the goodness of this country, we could share in and contribute to its blessings. We were blessed to raise our three sons in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams. Our son, Humayun, had dreams of being a military lawyer. But he put those dreams aside the day he sacrificed his life to save his fellow soldiers. Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son the best of America. If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He [Trump] disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the US constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. We cant solve our problems by building walls and sowing division. We are stronger together. And we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our next President. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Humayun was killed by a suicide bomber as he approached a car packed with explosives. Before enlisting in the army, he had planned to study law at university. Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the US Constitution? said Khan. He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a copy of the document. I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law. The audience whistled and cheered as he waved his copy in front of them. Later in the evening, Hillary Clinton became the first woman in American history to accept the nomination to run for presidency. Throughout the convention, there were speeches from members of minority groups as the Democratic Party aimed to present itself as supporting equal rights and rejecting racism. On Tuesday, the mothers of African Americans killed by police or who died in custody took to the stage to support Clintons bid to become the next US president. Im here with Hillary Clinton because she is a leader and a mother who will say our childrens names, said Geneva Reed-Veal, the mother of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old woman who died in jail after being arrested over a traffic violation. Hillary knows that when a young black life is cut short, its not just a personal loss. It is a national loss. It is a loss that diminishes all of us. The US election will take place on November 8 and will pit Clinton against Trump. For her part, as she accepted the nomination from the Democratic Party, Clinton said the nation was at a moment of reckoning. As the convention came to a close, Trump said on Twitter: No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton corruption and devastation wherever she goes. He also said: Hillarys wars in the Middle East have unleashed destruction, terrorism, and ISIS across the world, in reference to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). Trump has repeatedly called for a ban on Muslims entering the US, as he conflates terrorism with Islam. Here are some tweets commenting on Khans speech: Wow. Khizr Khan's speech might be the most important speech of this whole convention. #DNCinPHL Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) July 29, 2016 As soon as Khizr Khan finished his speech, "register to vote" spiked as a Google search. pic.twitter.com/0HZbBuCWwR Nate Goldman (@NateGoldman) July 29, 2016 Capt Humayun Khan is America. If u can't see this thru the words of his dad Khizr, u don't know America. #ImWithHer https://t.co/b0HDHU9w1C Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) July 29, 2016 https://twitter.com/KhaledBeydoun/status/758844788053385216 So proud to be an American Muslim very proud to see Khizr Khan&Kareem Abduljabar speaking at the #DNc. We've come along way, America! Jomana Qaddour (@jomanaqaddour) July 29, 2016 Now Islamphobic Trumpians, I dare you to throw shade on Khizr Khan! #DemsInPhilly Matti Colley #FBPE #GTTO #Resist #Rejoin 3.5% (@matti_colley) July 29, 2016 I have total faith that #KhizrKhan has read and understands the Constitution of the United States, and zero faith that Donald has and does. Adam Jacobi (@Adam_J_Tweets) July 29, 2016 #KhizrKhan's daughter in law told me he's kept that worn out copy of the Constitution in his coat pockets for as long as she's known him. Wajahat "Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic" Ali (@WajahatAli) July 29, 2016 People ask me, as a retired vet, why I don't support Trump. #KhizrKhan just explained it better than I ever could. Thank you, sir. Amy Cook (@ajcook77) July 29, 2016 I'm not sure I've ever been happier my parents came to America than after listening to #KhizrKhan tonight. https://t.co/Oka7fhpxFP Ali Noorani (@anoorani) July 29, 2016 https://twitter.com/annecleader/status/758833978195402752 Whistleblower Chelsea Manning could face indefinite solitary confinement for a suicide attempt, her lawyers say. US soldier Chelsea Manning, imprisoned for passing classified files to anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, has been accused of misconduct following a failed suicide attempt earlier this month, and could land in solitary confinement indefinitely, according to her lawyers. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said Manning, a 28-year-old transgender soldier, was notified by the army on Thursday that she was under investigation for three administrative offenses, including conduct which threatens. The ACLU, which on July 12 confirmed Mannings suicide attempt, said the soldier remained despondent over what it described as the armys continued denial of appropriate healthcare for her. READ MORE: US army whistleblower Chelsea Manning attempted suicide While Chelsea is suffering the darkest depression she has experienced since her arrest, the government is taking actions to punish her for that pain, ACLU staff lawyer Chase Strangio said in a statement. It is deeply troubling that Chelsea is now being subjected to an investigation and possible punishment for her attempt to take her life, he added. The government has long been aware of Chelseas distress associated with the denial of medical care related to her gender transition and yet she is denied the treatment recognised as necessary. The ACLU, which denounced the disciplinary action as unconscionable, said it hoped the investigation ended immediately and Manning was given the healthcare that she needs to recover. READ MORE: Chelsea Manning targeted for her her public persona? Manning, a former intelligence analyst in Iraq, was sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison after a military court conviction of providing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to WikiLeaks. The case ranked as the biggest breach of classified materials in US history. Among the files Manning leaked in 2010 was a gunsight video of a US Apache helicopter firing on suspected Iraqi fighters 2007, in an attack that killed a dozen people, including two journalists. Things will get back to normal soon A transcript of the army notice of investigation, as dictated over the phone by Manning to one of her supporters and posted online by the ACLU, makes no explicit mention of a failed suicide attempt. But Manning was told the inquiry stemmed from her July 5 attempt to take her own life, which led to her being hospitalised for 24 hours, according to Strangio. The circumstances of the incident have not been disclosed, but the ACLU said it occurred in her cell and that she lost consciousness. Manning has since been returned to confinement at the Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where she remains in a medical observation unit, Strangio said. A tweet posted on Tuesday on her behalf read: Feeling a little bit better every day. Thank you for your mail, your love, and your support. Things will get back to normal soon =) Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) July 26, 2016 The other two administrative offenses listed in the army notice of investigation were resisting the force cell move team and holding prohibited property. Manning has yet to respond to the charges, Strangio said. If convicted, she could face punishment that includes indefinite solitary confinement, reclassification into maximum security and an additional nine years in medium security, the ACLU said. READ MORE: Chelsea Manning hormone therapy reportedly approved by military Initially arrested as Bradley Manning, the soldier later announced she would start living as a female and filed a transgender prisoner rights lawsuit. She appealed against her conviction, arguing that her sentence was grossly unfair and that her actions were those of a naive, troubled soldier who aimed to reveal the toll of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The appeal contends that Mannings disclosures harmed no one, but prosecutors said the leaked material damaged US security and identified informants who helped US forces. Top rebel negotiator calls on president Duterte to investigate the military, as Philippine leader declares ultimatum. Philippines communist rebels will declare a ceasefire very soon, their chief negotiator has said, in response to President Rodrigo Dutertes ultimatum to stop fighting by Saturday. Speaking to Al Jazeera on Friday, Luis Jalandoni, chairman of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), said the armed groups fighters on the ground were maintaining an active defensive mode, ahead of a truce announcement. That means theres no offensive being planned, Jalandoni said, adding that the ceasefire could be declared within a day, or a few days. Earlier on Friday, Duterte had told the state-owned broadcaster RTVM that the rebels New Peoples Army (NPA) has until 04:00 GMT on Saturday to declare its own ceasefire, or fighting will resume. The rebels have been waging an armed rebellion to seize power since 1969 and tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict The military estimates the current strength of NPA, which is the armed wing of the NDFP, at about 4,000 fighters, significantly down from more than 26,000 at its peak in the late 1980s. Profile: Rodrigo Duterte to take helm in the Philippines The Saturday deadline was set by Duterte after a rebel ambush in the southern island of Mindanao on Wednesday left one government militia member dead and four others wounded. The recently-elected president had initially threatened to withdraw his ceasefire order by Friday, but the deadline was extended after the rebels promised to investigate the attack. The president said he also demanded an explanation from the communists about the attack, and asked them to punish the rebels behind the assault. Misleading the president The militiamen were withdrawing from a security mission, and were traveling back to their base when rebels carried out the attack, according to military spokesman Colonel Edgard Arevalo. Despite the rebel action, Arevalo said the military would continue to enforce the truce. Meanwhile, Jalandoni told Al Jazera that NDFPs own investigation found that the military continued offensive operations, even after the presidents declaration of a ceasefire last Monday. Jalandoni blamed the army for misleading Duterte about the encounter on Wednesday, and for causing embarassment to the president by violating the truce order. I think the president should not issue an ultimatum, Jalandoni said. He should not just believe what the military has given to him. Jalandoni acknowledged that one person was killed by the rebels during the incident, but said the man was a member of a government militia notorious for carrying out human rights violations against minority ethnic groups in Mindanao. Duterte was swept to power in May on a wave of public anti-establishment frustration over crime and poverty, winning 16 million votes. After becoming president, Duterte gave concessions to the rebels, naming left-wing activists to two Cabinet posts and moving to resume peace talks with them, starting on August 20 in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. But Jalandoni told Al Jazeera that communist negotiators were still awaiting for the president to make good on his promise to declare a general amnesty for political prisoners numbering up to more than 500 people. He also called for the immediate release of 22 detainees whom he identified as peace consultants. Red Cross warns up to one million face being displaced as Iraqi forces prepare to launch anti-ISIL offensive in Mosul. Up to one million Iraqis risk facing displacement in the coming weeks as fighting intensifies ahead of a government offensive to retake the northern city of Mosul from ISIL, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst, Robert Mardini, the ICRCs regional director for the Near and Middle East, said in a statement on Friday. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance. We need to be ready. READ MORE: Iraq humanitarian crisis one of the worlds worst Following the recapture of Fallujah last month, Iraqi forces are currently conducting operations aimed at setting the stage for an assault on Mosul, which has been held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known as ISIS) armed group since June 2014. Mosul was once home to some two million people, but the current population has been estimated at around half that figure, with the number of those fleeing their homes increasing. More than 3,000 people were forced from their homes this week in Shirqat, south of Mosul, as Iraqi forces retook territory near Mosul. According to the UN, approximately 10 million Iraqis are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 3.3 million already displaced from their homes within the country. The operation to retake the far smaller city of Fallujah, located much closer to the capital Baghdad, forced tens of thousands of Iraqis to flee, leaving the aid community overwhelmed and many people in challenging humanitarian conditions. The scale of displacement as Iraqi forces fight to retake Mosul is expected to be much larger. READ MORE: PM Abadi declares victory over ISIL in Fallujah Overall, some 2.6 million Iraqis have fled the country since the beginning of the crisis in January 2014 when ISIL overran large swaths of the country, according to UN figures. Additionally, more than one million Iraqis fled the country between 2006 and 2008 owing to growing violence following the US-led invasion and occupation in 2003. Iraqi government forces, backed by US-led coalition air strikes and advisers, have managed to regain some of the territory seized by ISIL. However, the group still controls vast areas of northern and western Iraq. Spanish government moves to nullify text by Catalonias parliament urging the region to push ahead for independence. Spains government is seeing if it can bring criminal charges against the speaker of the Catalan parliament for letting the assembly vote for independence. Politicians in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, voted on Wednesday to continue with a plan to detach the north-eastern region from Spain. On Friday, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, deputy prime minister in the caretaker administration in Madrid, said the government had asked the Constitutional Court to annul Wednesdays resolution and see if Catalan assembly speaker Carme Forcadell had broken the law by trying to press ahead with the independence plans. READ MORE: Madrid rejects fresh Catalonia freedom bid The text passed by the Catalan parliament outlines the steps Catalonia a region of 7.5 million people which represents nearly a fifth of Spains economic output needs to take to defend its right to self-determination. It argues the only way possible for Catalans to exercise their right to decide on their future is if the region disconnects from the Spanish state and disobeys Spanish institutions. Its a violation of our constitution, government spokeswoman Santamaria told reporters in Madrid after a cabinet meeting. She also warned that separatist politicians, and especially Forcadell, the speaker, risked fines of up to 30,000 euros ($33,500), suspension from their posts and even legal action if they continued to disobey Madrid. Speaking to a Catalan television channel, Forcadell hit back at Madrids reaction, accusing the government of using legal tools to try and fix something they do not know how to resolve politically. This does not help resolve the problem, it makes it worse, she said. With the backing of acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys conservative government, Spains Constitutional Court has already taken measures against Catalonias independence drive. It suspended an independence referendum called by the Catalan government in 2014, as well as a resolution passed by Catalonias parliament in November declaring the start of a secession process. Secessionist parties hold a majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament, and the text was approved with 72 votes in favour. A poll published last week showed support for Catalan independence growing at a time when political deadlock at the national level after two inconclusive general elections has prevented the formation of a new government in Madrid. The survey, by the regional governments official pollster, found 47.7 percent of Catalans supported independence, with 42.4 against. Many Catalans who favour breaking away from Spain say their region pays too much in taxes and receives less than its fair share of government investment. Independence also sentiment grew during Spains near economic meltdown during the financial crisis. Two killed and several wounded in air strike on maternity hospital in rebel-held part of Idlib, says Save the Children. At least two people have been killed and several, including babies, wounded, in an air strike on a maternity hospital in Syrias Idlib province, according to the international charity Save the Children, which supports the facility. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said on Friday the hospital in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim was heavily damaged and left barely operational. Save the Children said the strike hit the front of the hospital building, at a time when two operations were under way and a woman was in labour. Several babies were injured when their incubators crashed to the floor, and a woman who was six months pregnant had her leg severed, Save the Children said in a statement. Two other women have shrapnel wounds to the stomach and a number of patients and staff have suffered light injuries. Our partners confirm two people have been killed and several injured in the hospital bombing. #Idlib #Syria pic.twitter.com/PS9Ewvlm4u SavetheChildren News (@SaveUKNews) July 29, 2016 A spokeswoman for the charity told Al Jazeera that the hospital is the biggest in the area, serving over 1,300 women monthly. Save the Children also published a 15-second-long video from the hospital in the immediate aftermath of the attack, showing the level of destruction caused by the bombing. It is not yet clear who was behind the air strike. Bombing a maternity hospital which is helping women living under the shadow of war to give birth safely is a shameful act, whether it was done intentionally or because due care was not taken to avoid civilian areas, Sonia Khush, Syria director for Save the Children, said. There is no excuse, and unfortunately this is only the latest in a series of strikes on health facilities in Syria. The hospital, which was set up in June 2014, delivered about 340 babies in June, according to Save the Children. Around 61 percent of the patients at the hospital are mothers, the spokeswoman said, and 39 percent are children. This is the only hospital specialising in maternity and children in the northern western side of rural Idlib. Fridays bombing was the latest in a series of attacks targeting hospitals in Syria. Syrian government air strikes put four makeshift hospitals and a local blood bank in Aleppo out of action last week, according to local rescue workers and a monitor. Coalition raids kill civilians, as US greets with suspicion Russian plan for safe corridors for Aleppo civilians. At least 28 civilians have reportedly been killed and several wounded in US-led air strikes on the suburbs of the northern Syrian city of Manbij, according to a monitoring group. The reports on Friday come a day after the US-led coalition announced it had enough evidence of civilian casualties from its attacks on the same area last week to launch a formal investigation. Thursday nights air strikes targeted the town of al-Ghandour, controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) group according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which documents daily human rights abuses in Syria. The SOHR said the civilian death toll included seven children. Thirteen more people died in the same attack, but their identity remained unclear, the group added. Ghandour lies 23km northwest of Manbij in the Aleppo governorate, a strategic waypoint between Turkey and the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital for ISIL, also known as ISIS. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said late on Thursday it had initiated an assessment following internal operational reporting that a strike today near Manbij, Syria may have resulted in civilian casualties, confirming that there had been coalition air strikes there in the past 24 hours. Last week, a separate coalition attack targeting the Tokhar area of Manbij killed at least 56 Syrian civilians, according to SOHR and local activists, in one of the highest death tolls from coalition air strikes yet. READ MORE: Syria war- Dozens killed in US-led strikes on Manbij After examining internal and external information following the strikes, the coalition determined that there was sufficient credible evidence of civilian deaths to open a formal inquiry, spokesman Colonel Chris Garver said on Wednesday. The US coalition knows that it is very important for it to be seen as trying to respond to these allegations, Al Jazeeras Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington, DC, said. This is the third such investigation in the past 11 days. Death corridors The reports of further civilian deaths from coalition air strikes emerged amid setbacks to attempts by the US and Russia to cooperate militarily in the fight against ISIL. Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, supported by Russia, made a strategic advance in recent days by shutting the last remaining supply route into the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo. Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, also announced a joint plan on Thursday to open up three passages to give rebels willing to surrender, and the more than 300,000 civilians in Aleppo, a way out. Responding to the plan, however, the US said on Friday that Syrias peace process could be derailed if Russias motives surrounding humanitarian corridors were not genuine. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the announcement has the risk, if it is ruse, of completely breaking apart the level of cooperation, but also added it could open up some possibilities if an agreement on the way forward was reached in US-Russia talks about Syria in the Swiss city of Geneva on Friday. According to SOHR, only a dozen of Aleppo residents trickled out through one of the passages on Friday, while others wanting to flee were turned back by opposition fighters. A correspondent for the AFP news agency in east Aleppo said streets were empty with residents holed up indoors and shops shuttered. Ahmad Ramadan, from the opposition Syrian National Coalition, accused Russia and the Syrian regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about death corridors, he told AFP. The SOHR also said that Syrian government air strikes killed at least eight civilians in two eastern areas of Aleppo, warning the death toll could rise as more were trapped under the rubble. UN: Leave Aleppo corridors to us Also responding to Russias plan, UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan De Mistura urged Moscow to let the UN take charge of any humanitarian corridors created in the divided city. Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us, de Mistura told reporters, at a press conference in Geneva on Friday. The UN and humanitarian partners know what to do. De Mistura also echoed calls by UN humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien for a 48-hour truce to allow life-saving supplies into the citys rebel-held east, which has been surrounded by pro-government forces since July 17. How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing fighting, the UN envoy said. Reporting from Gaziantep, on the Turkish side of the Syria-Turkey border, Al Jazeeras Mohammed Jamjoom said de Misturas comments echoed what weve heard from opposition activists up until this point. There are far more concerns at this hour than there are any type of guarantees. US watchdog says area under Kabul governments influence shrank by nearly 5 percent since beginning of this year. The Afghan government has lost control of nearly 5 percent of its territory to the Taliban since the beginning of this year, according to a report by the US governments top watchdog on Afghanistan. Published on Friday by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the report says the area under Afghan government control or influence decreased to 65.6 percent by the end of May from 70.5 percent last year, based on data provided by US forces in Afghanistan. That accounts to a loss of 19 of the countrys approximately 400 governing districts. The commander of US forces in Afghanistan, Army General John Nicholson, said most of the areas the Taliban control were rural. READ MORE: Afghanistan: Surge in civilian, children death tolls They believed they were going to be able to seize and hold terrain, and they failed to do so, Nicholson told a Pentagon briefing via video link on Thursday. Afghan officials, however, say the exact figure cannot be measured as the fight against the Taliban and other armed groups is still ongoing. Its not just the Taliban but many other insurgent groups in Afghanistan battling to gain territory, and we are fighting to push them back, so we cannot really measure how many areas are in control of the Taliban or other insurgent groups, General Dawlat Waziri, spokesperson for the Afghan defence ministry, told Al Jazeera on Friday from Kabul. However, we can confirm that the Taliban seems to be present mostly in rural districts and not in strategic cities of the country. The US has been training and equipping Afghan security forces in order to withdraw American troops from the country, but the Afghans remain short of personnel and hardware. The report cited US forces in Afghanistan as saying the loss of control was because Afghan forces were redeployed from lower-priority areas to conduct offensive operations, gain and maintain the initiative, exploit opportunities, and consolidate tactical gains. Acknowledging that security in Afghanistan remained precarious and Taliban forces had gained ground in some places, US President Barack Obama plans to leave 8,400 American troops in Afghanistan at the end of his term an increase from his previous plan, reflecting the difficulty of drawing down the US presence in the country. READ MORE: Civilians caught in crossfire of war against Taliban Obama also approved US forces new authorities that enable them to accompany Afghan forces, while allowing greater use of US air power. Previously, Nicholson, who commands both the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and a separate US counterterrorism mission, was permitted to take action against the Taliban only if they pose an immediate threat to US or coalition forces, or if the Afghan forces face a catastrophic failure. The restrictions have not been lifted by the new authority. Afghanistan remains one of the most heavily landmine-riddled countries in the world, after almost 40 years of conflict. With additional reporting by Shereena Qazi, follow her on Twitter: @shereenaqazi More visitors have been exploring Iran since last years landmark nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions. When the video Dont Go To Iran first hit the internet this spring, the title made some Iranians fear it would be yet another effort to taint the countrys image. But it was quite the opposite. French filmmaker Benjamin Martinie said the video aimed to clear up misconceptions about Iran, by countering common stereotypes through clips from his recent visit. The video has now been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube and Vimeo, and is frequently shared among Iranians within the country via social media. I would say a lot of people might not know [much] about Iran, outside of the things you hear on the news, Martinie, who specialises in travel videography, told Al Jazeera. Iran is changing, and the tourism potential is really high. The warmth of the people, the cultural warmth and the many amazing landscapes are all assets. IN PICTURES: Skiing at Irans gateway of the mountain The tourism industry in Iran is experiencing a rebirth these days, after years of stagnation following the 1979 revolution and the war with Iraq in the 1980s. After the 2013 election of President Hassan Rouhani, who is viewed as a moderate, the number of incoming tourists to Iran surged by a nearly a quarter to 4.8 million, according to the World Tourism Organization. The landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, along with the lifting of sanctions, has opened the door for more visitors: Last year, the countrys tourism affairs department reported 5.2 million tourists, with each spending an average of $1,700 during their stay, bringing in a total revenue of more than $8bn. Iran is home to 19 UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites, more than any other country in the Middle East. From the 2,500-year-old ruins of Persepolis to the large, historic bazaars of Tabriz and Tehran, there is a variety of cultural options for tourists to embrace. Even now, it was hard for us to get hotels. It was completely full, mainly in Tehran and Isfahan, Leo Wong, a tourist from the United Kingdom who recently visited the southern city of Shiraz with his wife Sera, told Al Jazeera. Sera said Iran has been on the couples travel radar for close to a decade, but friends and family at home were initially worried about their safety: Everyone was, like, freaking out, she said. Some peoples impression of Iran is terrorists, no alcohol and veils, because they dont really understand. But is Iran ready for a tourism boom? According to Mojtaba Rahmanian, the cofounder of Iran Travel Service a company that offers a variety of tours to Iran the industry is growing rapidly, and will need significant investment in order to continue. We need more five-star hotels, and more service of a high calibre, Rahmanian told Al Jazeera. As part of its 20-year economic plan, Iran has an ambitious goal to host 20 million overseas tourists annually by 2025, and is in need of more places to house them. With exhausted infrastructure frequently cited as an issue for the tourism industry, a recent deal to bolster tourism ties with Turkey gave the green light for several Turkish investors to build hotels in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz and Mashhad. Hotel groups from France and Spain have also invested in Iran in recent years, while Iran has bolstered tourism ties with China by establishing tourism offices in Shanghai and Guangzhou, in the hope of attracting Chinese tourists and investors. We've seen a lot of Americans take an interest in wanting to explore Iran - but because they need a guided tour, the price has gone up for them, and a lot of people don't like travelling that way. by Mojtaba Rahmanian, cofounder of Iran Travel Service The lifting of sanctions has also enabled Iran to upgrade its ageing fleet of passenger planes, while airlines such as Air France and British Airways have announced that they will resume flights to Tehran. But Rahmanian says tourists may still face challenges when it comes to booking hotels or purchasing plane or train tickets within the country. The use of credit cards is still not available in Iran, forcing many tourists to bring cash. Despite these issues, Rahmanian says he has seen an increase in visitors through his own tours. Last year, tourists were mostly from Australia and Germany, but weve seen a lot more from places like Italy, Spain, and even the United States too, he said. We even had two Americans come to Iran for their honeymoon, Rahmanian added, noting that they customised their tour to include a trip to northern Iran, a trendy mountainous region covered in forests. WATCH: Iran hopes to unlock tourism potential As part of its efforts to attract more visitors, Iran has recently allowed for citizens of 190 countries to obtain a 30-day visa on arrival, although nationals of several countries including the US and the UK are not eligible to travel to Iran independently, and must be bound to a tour guide. Because of improved political relations between the two countries, weve seen a lot of Americans take an interest in wanting to explore Iran but because they need a guided tour, the price has gone up for them, and a lot of people dont like travelling that way, Rahmanian said. For those who do, Rahmanian said his tours allow for customisation, so that tourists can add experiences not included in their preset packages: Tourists recently have found an interest in the Kurdistan region and Hawraman, because its a bit more untouched and natural. For his part, Martinie says that while he had some of the same concerns about Iran that many tourists do, he found the country to be incredibly welcoming and helpful. Iran is a very hospitable country, he said. People will go out of their way to help you with something or to have you over for dinner. The popularity of his video within Iran in the ensuing months was not a surprise, he added. Every time Iranians see something that could change the image of their country, Martinie said, they will share it to do their best to change it. General Hulusi Akar, who was held hostage during failed coup attempt, retains post as Turkish army shake-up continues. Turkeys top army commander, who was held hostage during a failed attempted coup, has kept his post, the presidency has announced. Hulusi Akar, a four-star general, retained his position as chief of staff, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters on Thursday following a five-hour meeting of Turkeys Supreme Military Council (YAS) to discuss a restructuring of the armed forces in the wake of the July 15 coup bid. The heads of the navy, land and air forces also remained in their posts. READ MORE: Turkey investigates those who say coup attempt was hoax The YAS meeting came after the government ordered the discharge of 149 generals and admirals nearly half of the armed forces entire contingent of 358 for alleged complicity in the failed coup bid. Reflecting the militarys waning power, the meeting was held at the Cankaya Palace, the prime ministers official residence in Ankara and not, as is customary, at military headquarters. The soldiers who traditionally stood in front of the meeting room to provide security were replaced by plain-clothes officers, according to Turkish daily Hurriyet. Just hours before the YAS meeting, two high-ranking Turkish officers handed in their resignations in protest against the governments ongoing dismissals in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt, sources told Al Jazeera. Turkish media identified them as Kamil Basoglu and Ihsan Uya, both high-ranking members of the land forces. In a separate development, a parliamentary official said on Thursday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants the armed forces and the national intelligence agency brought under the control of the presidency. The president said that he would discuss with opposition parties bringing the armed forces and the MIT [Turkeys national intelligence agency] under the control of the presidency, the official was quoted by Turkish media as saying. Both the armed forces and MIT currently report to the prime ministers office. READ MORE: Fear grows as Turkey introduces state of emergency Such a change would require a constitutional amendment, so Erdogans Justice and Development party would require the support of opposition forces in parliament. Putting them under the presidents overall direction would be in line with Erdogans push for a new constitution centred on a strong executive presidency. The announcement came only a day after the Turkish government issued a new decree announcing that the gendarmerie and the coastguard would in future fall under the interior ministry and not the army. The decree also ordered the closure of scores of media organisations that allegedly had links to the US-based cleric and businessman Fethullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government holds responsible for the coup attempt. A total of 1,684 members of the armed forces were also dismissed from the Turkish military as a result of their alleged connections to the Gulen movement, according to the decree, the second to be issued under the powers of the state of emergency. Since the failed coup attempt, more than 16 000 people, including soldiers, judges, prosecutors and civil service workers, have been detained. Of them, a total of 8,133 have been charged, according to the latest interior ministry figures. READ MORE: The West fails the coup test in Turkey The rapid pace of arrests since the failed coup has worried many of Turkeys allies, who say they see the country going down an increasingly authoritarian road. My concern has to do with the fact that the actions here are very tough and the principle of proportionality is not always central, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin on Thursday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday also expressed deep concerns about the ongoing wave of arrests in Turkey following the attempted coup. In a phone conversation, Ban told Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that credible evidence must be presented swiftly so that the detainees legal status could be determined by a court of law. Prime Minister Abadi says Shia forces will be subjected to military law if they are integrated into Iraqs armed forces. Though theyve been accused of widespread human rights abuses, the Popular Mobilisation Units or Shia militias have become a crucial part of the Iraqi governments strategy against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). Now, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi wants to integrate them into the national armed forces. Its a move that he says will make them subject to military law and ban them from having any political affiliations. But can the state control them? And where do their loyalties lie? Presenter: Sami Zeidan Guests: Sabah Al-Mukhtar President of the Arab Lawyers Association Kenneth Katzman Senior analyst at the Congressional Research Service. Ali Al-Dabbagh Former spokesman of the Iraqi Government 2005 .. According to a statement released today by the International Raelian Movement (www.RaelPress.org), the movements founder and spiritual leader, Rael, has been awarded the Golden Elephant Super Prize by the Pan African Organization of Francophone Youth in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The distinction marks the 8th time the prize, awarded annually, has been conferred. The Golden Elephant []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric... Sundie Seefried sees herself as a pioneer who's pushing her Denver-based credit union and by extension, the financial services industry into uncharted territory. Her customers and fans view her as more of a savior acting in the public good by helping take cash off the streets. And the bankers who would be her competitors? For now, most are watching and waiting. Seefried, who is the chief executive of the $300 million-asset Partner Federal Credit Union, has done something few bankers dare: launch a program to openly serve the fast-growing marijuana industry. Even though pot has been legal in Colorado since 2014, it remains illegal under federal law and frowned upon by much of society. That makes it a dicey business for banks. "It's the most interesting thing I've ever done," Seefried said. "The question I get most often is, 'How do you deal with the discrepancy between federal and state laws?' It's a real Pandora's box." Think of it as reefer madness, banking style. The intersection of marijuana and financial services is filled with enough it's-legal-but-it-isn't ambiguity to make it a problem for everyone involved marijuana-related businesses, the government, financial institutions and society at large and the sense of urgency around finding a solution is growing. To date, 25 states and the District of Columbia have made it legal to purchase or possess medicinal marijuana, while four states Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington have legalized sales of recreational or "adult use" cannabis to anyone of age. As many as a dozen states are expected to have marijuana legalization initiatives on their ballots this fall. The list includes Florida, where advocates are taking their second stab at winning the 60% of the vote required to make medical marijuana legitimate, and California, where a second bid to legalize recreational cannabis (medical is already legal) is given good odds to win. All this activity has laid the groundwork for a boom. Sales of legal cannabis hit $5.7 billion in 2015, with the tally expected to rise to $7.1 billion this year and $22.8 billion by 2020, according to the Arcview Group, an investment and research firm. Throw in revenue from paraphernalia and the numbers are much higher. "This is an industry that's going to grow at a 31% compounded annual growth rate between now and 2020," said Arcview CEO Troy Dayton. "It's a tremendous opportunity for small business owners, and potentially for banks." As the industry continues to expand, anecdotal evidence suggests more growth-hungry bankers are intrigued. But many consider it an insurmountable barrier that marijuana remains an illegal, Schedule 1 drug under the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Since the banking system is a federal endeavor, it technically can't be used to facilitate transactions for something that's against federal law. In other words, businesses that make their money from marijuana sales are not allowed to have bank accounts. But locking this industry out of the banking system creates some bizarre dynamics. Marijuana-related businesses, or MRBs, are shunned by credit card issuers and processors. That leaves them with no alternative but to take in piles of cash, which they then cannot deposit in a bank. MRB owners have been known to regularly lug around thousands of dollars in duffel bags and pay their vendors and employees with money orders or thick bill-filled envelopes. Many feel compelled to hire armed private security forces to keep watch over their outlets (and safes) 24/7 for lack of a better alternative. Business is booming for armored-car services. Pot facilities have been robbed and owners victimized. Owners have been known to take large sums of cash home or stash it in off-site hiding places. In 2012, the owner of a California medical-marijuana dispensary was tortured with a blowtorch and had his penis cut off by kidnappers trying to learn where he kept his cash. But he had no stockpile to give up. Just this June, a security guard was shot and killed at a dispensary in Aurora, Colo., a Denver suburb. "When you have the perception that there's a lot of cash on the streets that you could be one or two people away from a hoard of cash it's going to attract a criminal element," said Chris Myklebust, Colorado's state banking commissioner. "It's a public safety issue." The Department of Justice realized shortly after Colorado legalized recreational sales in 2013 that barring a fast-growing industry one that sells drugs, no less from the banking system was both potentially dangerous and detrimental to government anti-money-laundering efforts. In 2014, it created a guidance workaround, which makes it clear prosecuting banks for serving the industry isn't a priority. "Having a billion-dollar market frozen out of the formal financial system is counterproductive," said John Vardaman, a former DOJ attorney who co-authored the guidance. "It opens the door to corruption and fraud, because you can't track the money." The DOJ's "Cole memo," backstopped by guidance from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, permits financial institutions to accept deposits from MRBs, provided they monitor those clients for compliance with state law, the DOJ guidance and the Bank Secrecy Act, and file specialized suspicious activity reports when warranted. "In effect, the Department of Justice and FinCEN have issued a road map to banks for how to successfully evade the law," said Vardaman, who is now general counsel for Hypur, a provider of technology solutions for cash-intensive businesses. "It's something you don't see every day ... very confusing." The guidance is a half-step too short for most institutions, which worry about the expense and risk of doing business with an industry the feds still deem illegal. There is no regulatory handbook on banking pot, nor is there much in the way of established best practices. FinCEN's eight-page guidance says a bank must certify that its MRB customers are complying with DOJ priorities to keep pot from being sold to minors or crossing state lines, for example, but offers no specifics on how to do that. "No bank can assert with any certainty that none of those things will ever happen, and nobody knows what a bank's legal liability would be if it does," said Don Childears, CEO of the Colorado Bankers Association. "We suggest that banks don't go an inch into this business until they get a clear go-ahead from their own legal counsel," he said. "Quite honestly, I can't imagine a lawyer telling a bank that it's good to go." Banks that decide to get involved with these types of businesses tend to err on the side of caution, which ratchets up the costs. Monthly fees for marijuana-related banking services vary greatly around the country, from less than $1,000 in Oregon to close to $10,000 on the East coast, according to Andre Herrera, Hypur's executive vice president. Even so, the field is already littered with banks that have jumped in, only to get out again due to compliance costs. MBank, a $175 million-asset institution in Portland, Ore., began banking MRBs in 2014, citing the opportunity to "meet a need, while at the same time enjoying additional revenue opportunities." A year later, it shuttered the program. "They overdid things," sending investigators into every marijuana business on a regular basis, said Robert McVay, a partner with Harris Moure, a Seattle law firm that works with MRBs. "The compliance costs got to be too much for them to bear." Things aren't much clearer for federal banking regulators, who can feel caught between policy and law. Some have been known to quietly discourage bankers from entering the business, citing legitimate security concerns: Small banks taking in large amounts of cash deposits make for attractive robbery targets. Regulators grudgingly work to meet the spirit of the Cole memo, but with the emphasis on grudgingly. There's a sense that they're holding their noses in the process, not wanting to permit some sort of precedent-setting back door run around federal law. As the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City wrote in a recent court filing defending its decision not to grant a master account to Fourth Corner Credit Union, a new Colorado state-chartered institution intent on banking pot dispensaries and growers, "transporting or transmitting funds known to have derived from the distribution of marijuana is illegal." Existing Colorado institutions with MRB clients "haven't been criticized, but they haven't been given the green light either," Childears said. "They're in that yellow-light phase. As long as they color within the lines, they can continue." Even banks that choose not to serve the cannabis industry face risks. Dispensaries and growers that make money directly off of weed are considered MRBs, but so are ancillary businesses makers of greenhouse lighting, marketing firms, packaging producers and the like. Childears tells of one bank that recently cut ties with a solid long-term customer who owns a strip mall with a dispensary as a tenant. "The bank is unwilling to take the risk of someday getting nailed for a BSA violation," he said. "It's a very conservative view of the law, but if you're worried about compliance it's easy to conclude it's not worth banking that client." Underlying the cautious approach is a nagging worry that the DOJ's guidance could be overturned by a future administration, leaving banks that serve MRBs vulnerable to prosecution or financial losses. In one frequently mentioned scenario, Donald Trump wins the November election and appoints New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, an outspoken legalization critic, as attorney general. "If a Christie DOJ started cracking down on marijuana, it could cause a lot of financial turmoil for these banks," McVay said. While no bank has actually gotten in trouble for banking the industry and legal experts say it's reasonable to think that the past guidance would protect banks against prosecution a policy change would at the very least make the hefty expenditures required to set up marijuana-related compliance wasted money. Such fears already keep banks from lending to MRBs. "Law trumps guidance," said Ernie Panasci, a Denver-based partner at the law firm Stinson Leonard Street. "If the federal government decides to crack down, you'd be stuck with a borrower that lacks the cash flows to pay you back." Throw in softer factors moral objections to legalized pot, the potential reputation risk from serving drug-oriented businesses, and the distaste many bankers have for playing the role of bad cop and most have concluded that marijuana isn't worth the effort. Until marijuana becomes legal on a national level, "I don't think we will be able to bank this industry," said Ron Tilton, a regional president of FirstBank Holding Corp., a $15.6 billion-asset banking company in Denver. Coping in Colorado Nowhere are the challenges and opportunities of legalized marijuana illustrated more vividly than Colorado, where cannabis sales hit $1 billion last year, generating $100 million in state tax revenue, most of which went toward school construction, regulation and public safety programs. The Denver area alone has some 200 dispensaries and the market is already consolidating. There are chains, with names like Green Solution and Starbuds, and a robust "seed-to-sale" regulatory tracking system run by the state. The industry even has its own local "newspaper," the Cannabist, published by the Denver Post, which features everything from the latest industry news to reviews of pot strains with names like "Banana Kush" and "Durban Poison," as well as a growing array of marijuana-infused edibles and oils. When it comes to finding a banking relationship, MRBs here are doing much better today than in the past. Dispensary owner Tim Cullen said most of his peers who want a bank account can find one, which wasn't true a year ago. Even so, just 12 Colorado banks serve the industry, by the CBA's count. About 40% of MRBs remain unbanked, according to U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Colorado Democrat. While some of the customers might be stoners, the people running MRBs are often sharp entrepreneurs. Cullen, a clean-cut, 44-year-old father of two, left his job as a high school biology teacher six years ago to grow medical marijuana, and today is co-owner of Colorado Harvest Co., a thriving, three-store chain that last year did 94,000 transactions and $7 million in sales all of it in cash. Sitting in a glass-walled office overlooking his shop's sales floor on Broadway Avenue, a bustling commercial street not far from Denver University, Cullen nods to the steady stream of customers many of them in their 40s and 50s who have stopped in. Cullen said there's a bit of a gold-rush feel to the industry, but also no shortage of concerns. His biggest frustrations center on managing an all-cash business in a digital world. Over the past six years, he has burned through 14 different checking accounts in a near-constant struggle to manage his business' cash receipts. For a while, he managed to maintain an account under the name of a third party, but the bank eventually figured it out. There was a two-month bankless period when he kept large amounts of cash in his safe and hired armed security to monitor it. Another time, he chartered an armored-car company to shuttle his cash to a small-town banker two hours south of Denver who had launched a marijuana banking program. After a few months, the banker reconsidered and shut down the program. No bank will give him a loan. "The business expands by buying buildings with briefcases full of cash," he said. "We're fighting 70 years of propaganda and negative stigmatizations by the federal government." Last year, Cullen opened an account with Partner, gladly paying roughly $2,500 a month in fees for the privilege of having a deposit account at the credit union. "The bottom line is you need to have a checkbook to be a business," he said. Colorado lawmakers have done what they can to help, creating a state-run financial cooperative in 2014, and chartering a credit union to serve the industry last year. "We didn't get very far with the Federal Reserve on either of them," said Andrew Freedman, the state's director of marijuana coordination. The true solution would be for Congress or the Drug Enforcement Administration to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule 1 drugs, though no one expects that to happen anytime soon. An alternative, in the form of "safe harbor" legislation that would explicitly permit financial institutions to bank MRBs if they followed state law, died in committee last year. This June, an amendment that would have prevented federal regulators from pursuing enforcement actions against banks just for working with MRBs was stripped from a bill. None of this uncertainty has stopped Seefried, who said she was nearing retirement when Partner's board decided it wanted to "make Colorado a safer place" by banking marijuana businesses. Eighteen months after launching its program, Partner has 70 MRB clients running about $500 million annually through the credit union. "That's cash that could be on the streets changing hands, and now is running through a bank, being accounted for and reported," Seefried said. But the program is labor-intensive and stressful. Nine of Partner's 40 employees are devoted full time to tasks related to serving the pot industry, even though it accounts for just 5% of deposits at any given time. They do quarterly on-site visits with clients to review operations and cash flows, and reach out to them more regularly to keep tabs. Partner charges 0.3% per-month on incoming funds $3,000 for $1 million in deposits with a $3,500 cap. "We tell our clients it's a compliance program, not a service program," Seefried said. To allay regulators' safety concerns, Partner never actually touches its clients' cash. Instead, an armored car delivers cash from a dispensary or grower to a vaulting facility. "They vault it, count it and then take it to the Federal Reserve," where it is credited to the credit union's account, Seefried said. "We never see the cash." It helps that Partner's primary federal regulator, the National Credit Union Administration, seems more open to serving MRBs than its bank-oriented counterparts. Even so, Seefried said she constantly worries that regulators will have a change of heart and close the program down. One comfort is that her efforts are making the community safer. "What I'm banking on is that no one wants to be responsible for putting that money back on the streets," she said. In the end, the struggles banks face in serving the marijuana industry are mostly about stagnation and congressional inaction. As Freedman rightly notes, few are openly hostile to the notion of banking marijuana, but neither are they motivated enough to change things. As more states legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use, advocates are betting that congressional indifference will morph into wider concern and, ultimately, lead to change that makes it possible to bank the industry without fear. Michelle Obama gave a speech at the DNC convention that her adoring media and minions described as remarkable, memorable, a speech for the ages, an absolute home run, and Reagan-esque, among countless more proclamations and platitudes. The first lady started out by reminiscing about the last eight years. In an obvious attempt to connect with her urban contingencies, she began with a personal topic they all can surely relate to. MICHELLE: "When they [her daughters] set off for their first day at their new school, I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black SUVs with all those big men with guns." As a fellow parent, it brings a tear to my eye. In Chicago and D.C., all those mothers can relate to how, like Michelle, they wonder if their children will make it home from school or will they run into bad men with guns and drugs, wishing they had protection as the Obama children do? Surely they can imagine Michelle's young daughters' faces pressed up against the limousine's bulletproof glass on their way past the unionized corrupt public schools as they are whisked away to the most exclusive private schools in America the same ones Bill and Hillary sent little Chelsea to. MICHELLE: "... how we urge them to ignore those who question their father's citizenship or faith. How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country." She has a pretty low opinion of this country but I'm certain that they weren't seeing any of this while their dad was watching ESPN, preparing for his March Madness picks, or getting his news from MSNBC, where they still get shivers up their legs whenever they talk about him. MICHELLE: "You see, Hillary has spent decades doing the relentless, thankless work to actually make a difference in [children's] lives ..." Yes, Hillary has devoted her life and career to the children of the world. Especially the 12-year-old rape victim she steamrolled in order to set a 41-year-old rapist free. She laughed about the whole thing later. MICHELLE: "And when I think about the kind of president that I want ... someone who understands that the issues a president faces are not black and white ..." That disqualifies Barack. Everything with him seems to came down to racism, or blacks versus whites. MICHELLE: "Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can't make snap decisions. You can't have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well informed." There's a lot here. Where do I start? I seem to remember that it took Obama 16 hours to decide to take out Osama bin Laden, but only minutes to assassinate two American citizens with a drone. Maybe Hillary should have spoken up and saved Anwar al-Awlaki's young son. Next, nobody would ever accuse Obama of having a thick skin. Lashing out has always been reserved for his surrogates, most notably Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emanuel. Hillary herself is legendary for lashing out. Books and movies have been written on the topic, and Bill has scars to prove it. As far as being well informed, her husband's record for skipping national security briefings and then admitting that he found out about important situations by reading the paper just like everyone else doesn't seem to meet "well informed" status. MICHELLE: "I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life's work shows our children that we don't chase form and fortune for ourselves ..." Wow, it just doesn't stop! Her husband's and Hillary's public service records have prepared them to run absolutely nothing, let alone the largest and most powerful country on the globe. Clinton can't even use email properly. As for chasing form and fortune for herself, Clinton's $26 million of speaking fee income and billions brought into her personal piggy bank, aka The Clinton Foundation, as quid pro quo for God knows what, certainly is nothing to show our children "Yes, sweetie. Maybe if you get a job serving the public like Hillary, you too can make $250,000 for a twenty-minute speech." We won't even get into what Slick Willy was chasing in the name of public service. MICHELLE: "I want a president who will teach our children that everyone in this country matters." Did she just give a shout out to the All Lives Matter movement? If Trump said this, would the liberal media talking heads blow a gasket? MICHELLE: "... don't let anyone ever tell you that this country isn't great." This from a woman who admitted that until her husband ran for president, she had no pride in America . MICHELLE: "So in this election, we cannot sit back and hope that everything works out for the best." How's that whole Hopey Changey thing working for you after eight years, Michelle? Not so well. I guess being president really is more than just sitting back and hoping. MICHELLE: "So let's get to work." Finally, a jobs program from Hillary and Michelle. Oh, no it doesn't pay anything. Whatever happened to $15 minimum wage? We'll have to wait for her husband's speech to find out. MICHELLE: "Thank you all and God bless." Hey, didn't somebody else say that? Where are the plagiarism police? As the country struggles to find points of unity during this election year, politicians are offering all sorts of economic policies to bring together a fractured nation. They say jobs, wages and trade will make America prosperous and united again. However, the means to achieve this goal -- whether it be by the government or the market -- only serves to be more divisive and leads to ever more bitter debates. The elusive unity so needed to heal the nation was recently found in a most unexpected place -- heroism. In the wake of the police shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, there has been an outpouring of grief and support from citizens and fellow police officers. Whole communities have come together -- young and old, black and white -- to mourn the loss of heroes who died to protect them and to grieve for the state of the nation. Videos of the funeral ceremonies are exceptionally moving and symbolic. Police from all over the country and even Canada came to salute their fallen comrades. The highways along the path of the funeral cortege were filled with tearful citizens holding flags to pay their last respects. The graveside services featured gun salutes, mournful bagpipe dirges and flag-folding troopers. Ironically, it is in tragedy that Americans have found unity. It is selfless service, not self-interest that deeply moves the American soul. People cannot help but be impressed by the generosity of those heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to nation and community. The uniform, whether military or police, testifies that there exist values that are greater than life itself and for which one must be willing to die. The attitude of heroes runs so contrary to a party culture that abhors risk and pain and adores pleasure, sensations, and festivities. Everything conspires against this heroism that asks for everything from those who it visits. And yet heroism attracts powerfully, irresistibly, perhaps because it speaks to something deep inside the soul where vague longings for a code of honor still linger. Maybe it appeals to that which is most noble by inspiring people to put the use of force at the service of the good and against the deeds of the wicked. It forces people to examine their consciences and consider stepping up to the plate of suffering and sacrifice for something greater than self. Curiously, the Dallas Police Department has reported a huge surge in job applications in the days after the July 7 shooting that killed five officers. Before the tragic event, the department faced recruiting difficulties. They even had to cancel classes at their police academy due to lack of students. Now their offices are flooded with a 344 percent increase in the number of applicants! To serve Dallas, these new recruits will forego higher pay, career opportunities, and less risk found in police departments in richer Texas suburbs. Like those who responded to the call of 9/11 by flooding the military with applications, it is inspiring to see that when Dallas was in trouble, these recruits also rose to the occasion. In tragedy, the nation is unified. Of course, no one can wish for tragedy as a means for securing national unity. However, the events in Dallas and Baton Rouge do call into question some of the basic premises that dominate in postmodern society and present political discourse. One of those premises is that life only exists to be enjoyed. As a result, our every material comfort must be maximized and every physical suffering minimized. There is nothing greater than self to be considered. To use the poignant words of Irving Kristol, modernity proposes a society with no high nobility of purpose, no selfless devotion to transcendental ends, no awe-inspiring heroism. Perhaps it is the case to question this bland secular society officially stripped of its spiritual elements that inspires and unifies no one. With each person thinking only of self, it leads to the shattering of the nation. It leads to elections in which candidates bicker over benefits and economic policies. This election should be focused on those principles and values what will unify America under God. It is instead focused on that which is tearing America apart. John Horvat II is a scholar, researcher, educator, international speaker, and author of the book Return to Order, as well as the author of hundreds of published articles. He lives in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania where he is the vice president of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property. The brilliant historian Davis S. Landes was perceptive about the correct attitude in life. The optimists rather than the pessimists have it, he wrote, not because they are always right, but because they are positive. The need is to keep trying: no miracles, no perfection, no millennium. This outlook is the basis on which Israeli international policy is formulated. Prominent in this outlook at the present time is the drive for conciliatory and amiable relations with both Arab states and sub-Saharan African countries. Israel, with a social democratic leadership, soon after its creation and victory over the Arab invasion of it in May 1948, sought to forge good relations with the less developed countries, many new ones, of the world, both in Africa and in Asia. In a policy, in essence a combination of enlightened self-interest, support for its existential survival, and genuine Jewish humanitarian concern, Israel provided help to those countries in Africa and Asia. The help took many forms: economic, military, medical, and agricultural. Diplomatic and commercial relations were established. As a result of world political developments, harmonious relations between Israel and what came to be called the Third World (le tiers monde) began to be curtailed or ended. The so called non-aligned movement, supposedly neutral in the Cold War, starting with the Bandung, Indonesia Conference in 1955, and then the official Non-Aligned Movement, now about 120 members, founded in Belgrade in 1961 by a number of leaders including Gamal Abdel Nasser and Indias Jawaharial Nehru, led to a reduction of diplomatic and technical assistance by Israel. Following the 1967 and 1973 wars, many of these states broke relations with Israel for a number of reasons: pressure by Arab and Muslim countries; sympathy with the Soviet Union, hostile to Israel at that time; identification with Egypt that had been defeated twice; and wholesale bribery by Libya and Saudi Arabia. The lowest point was Third World approval of the infamous UN General Assembly Resolution of November 10, 1975 that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination. Yet, there was never a complete break, either economically or militarily. Many relations were restored in the 1990s: 42 of the 45 sub-Saharan countries now have some form of relationship with Israel, even if it is not as cordial as in earlier days. African leaders have visited Israel, and more than 1,000 African students have been trained in various disciplines such as agriculture, medicine, and communications. Optimism spurs on efforts at reconciliation and mutual benefit. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July 2016, accompanied by a host of Israeli business people, spent four days meeting the leaders of seven African countries -- Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. He is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to visit sub-Saharan countries since Yitzhak Shamir did so in 1987. To some extent, the event was important symbolically, a reminder of heroism and the correct way to fight terrorism, on the 40th anniversary of the hostage rescue operation on July 4, 1976 at Entebbe International Airport. The daring operation by the IDF successfully rescued more than 100 passengers of an Air France plane held hostage by Palestinian and German terrorists. The prime ministers older brother, Yoni Netanyahu, the golden boy of Israel, was the only fatality in the rescue. Even more important than the symbolism was the practical concern for harmonious trade and political relations between Israel and African countries, who almost automatically vote for anti-Israeli resolutions in international forums. Arab countries are changing in their attitude to Israel, with which some have had contacts in spite of no formal ties. Israel since 1996 has had trade offices in Oman and Qatar and cordial relations with Muscat, though there have been interruptions because of political and military events. Some have accepted the reality that Israel is not their enemy nor is it seeking to destroy them. The rhetoric of hostility to supposedly colonial powers, Israel as well as the U.S., remains, but actions of conciliation for mutual advantage tell otherwise. As recent events show, the times they are a changin. On July 14, 2016 Dore Gold, Director of Israels foreign ministry, went to Fada, to meet Chad President Idriss Deby to renew diplomatic ties with Guinea, cut in 1967, and on July 20 in Paris they were restored. A surprising development was the Israeli diplomatic mission set up in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Israel in 2009 had supported Abu Dhabi becoming the HQ of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). In 2014 Israel suggested a permanent mission to IRENA, an arrangement that in itself did not mean recognition of Israel. Change is illustrated most clearly by Saudi Arabia, a country that still has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, which believes in Palestinian rights to a state, and that Israel should withdraw from territory captured in 1967. The Saudis rejected the Camp David Accords, and for a time broke diplomatic relations with Egypt after that country signed the peace treaty with Israel. Nevertheless, Saudis in 2002 proposed an Arab peace initiative between Israel and the Palestinians. In recent years the two countries have exchanged information on security issues especially regarding Iran, and maintained informal contact. Israel may supply SA with Iron Dome technology. Optimists can be encouraged by the rare visit for a number of days at the end of July 2016 of a delegation, led by retired General Anwar Eshki, of Saudi academics and businessmen to meet with Israeli Knesset members, including opposition members, and foreign ministry officials including Dore Gold. It was meaningful that meetings took place not in official government facilities but in the King David Hotel in central Jerusalem. High on the discussion was a renewal of the Arab Peace Initiative, a multilateral proposal presumably relevant to all 57 Arab and Muslim states, a call for rapprochement between Israel and the Arab world and acceptance of a Palestinian state. Though there is intelligence contact between the two countries, Eshki, the Saudi leader of the delegation was diplomatically coy; to my knowledge there is no cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia in counter terrorism efforts. It seems probable that the Saudis, under certain conditions, want to speed the peace process and to work together with Israel. General Eshki earlier in April 2016 suggested a Saudi Embassy in Tel Aviv contingent on Israels attitude. He and other Saudis see Israel as an ally, not as an enemy. He appreciated that Israel had approved of Saudis fight against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Irrespective of opinions on the nature of the Saudi Peace Initiative, secret cooperation between Israel and the Saudis has been continuing. The Saudis allow Israel to use their air space and cooperate on the use of drones, rescue helicopters, and tanker planes. It has assured Israel of freedom of passage through the Tiran Straits. Israel sees Saudi Arabia as a bulwark of stability and did not oppose the sale of Leopard tanks to the Saudis. Israel policy resembles the axiom of another historian, a man named Winston Churchill. The great Briton once said, A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity: an optimist sees the opportunity on every difficulty. The beheading of French priest, Fr. Jacques Hamel, along with all the other recent terrorist atrocities, demonstrates once more that we are truly in a civilizational war. Its not a war of all Christians against all Muslims. But it is a moment when everyone -- Muslims, Christians, even those with no explicit faith commitment -- must decide which civilization they wish to be part of -- the civilization that honors the Judeo-Christian god? -- or the civilization that submits to the god of Islam? There is no secular option. The sweet, all-accepting world of that cute little COEXIST bumper sticker is a myth. Whether its murders of priests, or rapes of Western women, or attacks on night clubs or wine bars or civic festivals or government offices or satirical magazines -- everything the Islamist radicals are doing makes disinterested secularism impossible. Because everything has to do with advancing the cause of the caliphate and sharia law. Which is to say: Islam. Dont bother quoting the statistics that show church participation in decline or that the fastest growing denomination is ex-Catholics. These only demonstrate the extent of the secularist refusal to see. As I ask my good-hearted, well meaning, non-religious friends over and over How long do you think youll be free to live in comfortable, undemanding agnosticism should radical Islam triumph? Europe is coming to understand -- painfully so. Italian journalist and author, Giulio Meotti, points out that European Union leadership has tried to enshrine secularism as a virtual state religion. Writing on the website of the Gatestone Institute, he observes how the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union only referred to the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe. The European Parliament had rejected a proposal from Christian Democrat MEPs [Members of the European Parliament] and Pope John Paul II, to include in the text Europes Judeo-Christian roots. This act of willful ignorance set the stage for the current tragedy, Meotti says Not only has secularism no answers for terrorism; it also leaves Europeans unsure about what is worth fighting, killing, and dying for. If you believe, as the secularists do, that our values are mere accidents of history and that the highest good is comfort, then you will care nothing for the future of civilization. We are not far from that here in the U.S. with our own tendencies toward religious blindness. This was certainly evident at the Democratic National Convention. On opening night not one of more than 60 speakers mentioned ISIS, the most threatening exponent of religion-themed barbarity our civilization faces. Regardless what Hillary and her cadre might say, do you believe that the Democrats can disentangle themselves from their web of interlocking interests -- one key element of which is the huge block of illegal immigrants and Middle East refugees they see as a guarantee of future Democrat majorities -- in order to concentrate seriously on defeating Islamist radicalism? I dare say, civilizational war is a concept they cant wrap their heads around. The very idea that ISIS terrorism is motivated by religion disqualifies it as a fit subject for discussion at the highest echelons of party planning -- except as it validates the Lefts cherished principle that religion itself is inherently evil. And what of the Republicans? Certainly Donald Trump has made political hay with his call for suspending Muslim immigration. And while hes lately tried to state his case in somewhat more nuanced terms, every new terrorist outrage only strengthens it, enlarging his base of support. But does he -- this very worldly businessman -- fully comprehend the apocalyptic nature of the challenge presented by radical Islam? Does he even recognize its religious character? Has he thought through a reasoned, effective approach to meeting it? Is he consulting with thoughtful, knowledgeable advisors? Up to now, thoughtfulness hasnt been Trumps defining characteristic. Regardless who wins this election, the agenda of history is currently being driven by people who do not see history in human terms, but see themselves as the avenging angels of Allah. The argument over whether Islamist radicalism reflects authentic Muslim teaching will go on. But it surely reflects some understanding of Islam. Which means that individual Muslims face their own choice. They can choose silent assent to the horrors being perpetrated in the name of their religion. Or they can choose the heroic embrace of a faith-based civilizational vision that elevates love as the greatest ideal, even if we flawed human beings fall short of attaining it. Accept this fact: The fundamental choice before all of us right now is religious -- in its essence, in its totality. There is no secular option. Bill Kassel is a writer, communications consultant, and media producer. His essays and random rants can be found at his blog, The Guy in the Next Pew (billkassel.com). The latest of his novels, My Brother's Keeper, has recently been released as an eBook. In around 100 days America will be witnessing a crucial election. In the meantime, much will be done on both sides of the national divide, and this year we may see more than the usual political maneuvering in the run-up to this election. Regardless of the outcome, the next president will face the same unique national security challenges. The Middle East is in a greater crisis than ever before and according to various analysts, it is heading toward anarchy. The scenes of defenseless people getting killed in Syria have only grown more painful over the past year, even as they have become less prevalent on our TV screens. Islamic extremism and the resulting terrorism is now targeting Western Europe, America, and the Middle East with unprecedented barbarity, and there is no easy response to it. The issue of Islamic extremism brings to mind one of our main foreign policy challenges: Iran. This is a country ruled by a theocracy that plays an active and destructive role in all major wars in the Middle East, from Syria to Iraq to Yemen. Tehran is known as the main state sponsor of terrorism across the globe, as well as being one of the originators of modern extremist Islam. And despite the nuclear agreement with the international community, Iran continues its provocative gestures toward the Western world, for instance by test-firing its ballistic missiles. In considering future U.S. policy toward such a totalitarian regime, it is imperative to consider whether there exists an alternative -- a serious and credible opposition to the existing government. The answer, in the case of Iran, is clearly yes. On July 9th in Paris the Iranian opposition coalition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), held a massive rally in which around 100,000 people from all over the globe took part. An unprecedented bipartisan American group of senior dignitaries and former military commanders attended the gathering, as did hundreds of European dignitaries. And perhaps the most significant part of this rally was the presence of Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal, who stood before the Iranian opposition and endorsed its call for a regime change for the first time this year. Turkis speech conveyed a strong message of regional unity. The message of the rally as a whole was that this unity can help Iran to achieve freedom through regime change by the Iranian people and their organized resistance. Insofar as the rally demonstrated international consensus regarding the legitimacy of the NCRIs cause, it also showed that there is indeed a domestically organized and globally recognized force for change within Iran. The seriousness of this resistance movement was made more obvious by the Iranian regimes hysterical response to the NCRI rally. Immediately after the Free Iran gathering, a large number of Iranian officials including the first vice president, foreign minister, judiciary chief and to the spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard lashed out at France for hosting the event, at Western politicians for supporting it, and at the Saudi government for apparently raising the banner of regime change. In the past, the Iranian regime has attempted to dismiss the resistance movement as insignificant. But if Tehran has no concerns about its opposition and the opposition has no impact in Iran, then what has motivated Tehrans aggressive response to a peaceful meeting held many thousands of kilometers away? The truth is that this movement has roots deep inside Iran. About 120,000 members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), men and women, and all Muslims, were executed as they refused to succumb in the face of the ayatollahs' Islamic extremism, and as they persisted in defending human rights and democracy. Subsequently, the effort to destroy the opposition came to involve a campaign of demonization and the systematic spread of lies about the group. The PMOI is the main constituent of the National Council of Resistance of Iran which is headed by Maryam Rajavi, a Muslim woman with deep anti-fundamentalist beliefs. Mrs. Rajavi is an effective leader in coordinating pro-democracy Iranians, especially the youth and women, in campaigns against the religious fascism ruling Iran. Iranians demand change. And Tehrans reaction to calls for such change demonstrates that the ayatollahs understand how near at hand it is. A democratic and non-extremist Iran is the guarantor of peace and stability in the entire region, promising good economic relations and the regions achievement of its maximum potential. It will improve development, growth, and cooperation with the West. And once this has been achieved, we in the West can focus our regional efforts on investments and transactions, instead of the impossible task of trying to stabilize the region through short-sighted military interventions. Let us hope our next president is willing to adopt a new approach to Iran and support an era of domestically-fostered stability. More than ever before, both Iran and America are eagerly awaiting a change in policy. And with adequate coordination between the next administration and the existing Iranian resistance, both nations can achieve what they desire. Ken Blackwell, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, is the senior fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance at the Family Research Council, in Washington, D.C. FBI director James Comey is warning that even if ISIS is defeated in Syria, it won't make the West any safer. Comey believes that hundreds of ISIS-trained terrorists would fan out across Europe and the U.S., continuing the fight even if the Islamic State ceases to exist as an organized force. New York Times: At some point there is going to be a terrorist diaspora out of Syria like weve never seen before, Mr. Comey said at a cybersecurity conference at Fordham University. Not all of the Islamic State killers are going to die on the battlefield. Mr. Comey predicted that the military coalition would eventually succeed in crushing the Islamic State, but that through the fingers of that crush are going to come hundreds of really dangerous people and they are going to flow primarily to Western Europe. But some, he said, could well end up in the United States. He drew a parallel between this scenario and the formation of Al Qaeda more than a quarter-century ago, which drew from fighters who had been radicalized fighting in Afghanistan in the 1980s and early 1990s. This is 10 times that or more, Mr. Comey said. This is an order of magnitude greater than anything weve seen before. Mr. Comey said the American public got a glimpse of what this threat would look like in the terrorist attacks in the past year in Brussels and Paris. We in the American counterterrorism business are constantly focused on that thats not here yet, but that challenge is going to come, he said. ISIS fighters returning home in great numbers will almost certainly have terrorist infrastructure already in place in Europe's major cities. Financing, intelligence, weapons procurement, transportation all would be available to fighters who wished to carry on their jihad against the West. This infrastructure would allow them to plan sophisticated and deadly attacks resulting in mass casualties, as we saw in Brussels and Paris. Comey is right to worry, but it would be a great achievement to destroy the Islamic State's base of operations in Syria and Iraq. As in the reduction of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan after 9/11, it won't stop the terrorists in their tracks. But it will make it more difficult for them to attack us. But before that happens, the wave of attacks in Europe will continue and probably wash up on our shores before long. Hillary said our economy is not working because our democracy is not working. Our democracy is not working because of the money in politics allowed by the Supreme Court case of Citizens United, which held that corporations and unions have First Amendment rights to influence elections. She will appoint Supreme Court justices who will overrule Citizens United, and if that fails, then she will pass a constitutional amendment to get rid of Citizens United. It is too bad Obama did not think of this. He could have made the economy work if only he had gotten rid of Citizens United. Next, Hillary said all her programs will be paid for by taxing the rich, because that is where the money is, and she will follow the money. This may be the only true statement she made. She knows where the money is, and she has followed it to accumulate $200 million during the past 15 years, giving speeches at $500K per speech. She did call for no wall on the southern border and a path to citizenship for all illegals in other words, amnesty and open borders. Next she said the president must respect the military. She did so in Benghazi by failing to provide the requested security, and failing to respond during the attack, and then by lying to the families by telling them that the attack was caused by a video. Hillary said Trump is in the pocket of the gun lobby, which means those who support the Second Amendment. She will pass laws to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists. Well, criminals already are not permitted to purchase guns. All this from someone who just barely escaped indictment because the FBI's Comey chickened out. Here is a woman who covered up the rape of Juanita Broaddrick by her husband, Bill, who will be known as the First Defendant if, God forbid, Hillary wins. There is not enough space to catalogue the lying in Whitewater, evading sniper fire in Bosnia, making $100K in cattle futures by reading the Wall Street Journal, selling pardons, endangering our national security by her private email server, lying as spelled out by Comey, etc. Only a Democrat could believe this gibberish. The rising tide of jihad violence committed against Europeans by Muslim immigrants is having a predictable effect. No matter how many times people are told that the overwhelming majority of Muslims are peaceful, people understand the calculation that a small percentage of a Muslim population numbering in the hundreds of thousands or millions amounts to an unacceptably large army of would-be terrorists in their midst. As long as Islams scriptural commands to violent jihad are respectable within Islams ummah itself, this reaction is not just inevitable, but logical. Thus, in tolerant Denmark, we learn via the Associated Presss Jan M. Olsen: Denmark should halt immigration from Muslim countries to stem the threat of violence from extremists, the nation's second-largest party argued Thursday. The deputy party leader of the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party, Soeren Espersen, and other officials said the existing 270,000 Muslims in Denmark, a country of less than 6 million people, already posed a severe risk of harboring sympathizers to the Islamic State militant group. In the 2015 election, the DPP became the second largest party, with 21.1% of the vote, an 8-percentage-point gain over its last showing, by far the fastest-rising force in Danish politics. Needless to say, the Danish left is not happy: Denmark's largest party, the opposition Social Democrats, condemned the comments and compared them to the anti-immigrant policies of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. Oooh, that means it must be bad, right? Social Democrat lawmaker Lars Aslan Rasmussen, whose father is Muslim, said the Danish People's Party's position amounted to "religious discrimination, religious apartheid. ... It's far out." The DPP has a plan to counter this criticism: Martin Henriksen, the Danish People's Party immigration spokesman, told The Associated Press that his party which supports Denmark's year-old minority government but holds no positions inside it would not seek a law explicitly banning Muslim immigrants, but that would be a primary goal. "Islam is a belligerent religion. One should not be blind that many who commit terror find inspiration in Islam. That is why there is a connection between the number of Muslims in a country and the general security risk," Henriksen said. He declined to back the details of a proposal attributed to party colleague Espersen calling for Muslim immigrants specifically to be banned for four to six years. Espersen, who was quoted as telling this to the Berlingske newspaper, declined to comment Thursday to the AP. Henriksen said any crackdown on immigration should be written as "religion neutral" but still have the greatest impact on reducing Muslim migration. As the West grapples with the threat of violent jihad, I suspect we will be seeing more consideration of whether Islam is merely a religion or rather a totalitarian political doctrine. Quite obviously there is considerable appeal among Muslims (see the support for ISIS) for the latter interpretation. In what was mercifully one of his last major primetime speeches as president, Barack Obama declared to the fawning hordes at the Democratic National Convention that "America is already great." The "America is great" message echoed First Lady Michelle Obama's Monday night speech, in which she lectured, "Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country isn't great." In speech after speech, Democratic Party elites breathlessly proclaimed how great America is and how misguided Donald Trump is for painting a "dark" vision of America. Claiming the "America is great" mantle as a way to differentiate from Donald Trump's "America is in decline" message might have been a shrewd political strategy were it not being promulgated by an invariably non-credible messenger: the American left. The left has never held the United States and its core institutions in high regard. Just the opposite: the left has consistently promoted a decidedly negative view of America. This is a movement and a political party that venerates left-wing extremists like Ta-Nehisi Coates, who believes America is inherently and irreversibly racist. This is a movement and a political party that has wholeheartedly embraced the radical black Lives Matter movement, an explicitly anti-American organization whose leaders never proclaim the virtues of America, but only amplify its alleged sins. How can a movement that perpetuates the "white privilege" lie claim that America is great? Can a nation where bigotry and discrimination are ubiquitous really be great? Can a nation where corporations and the "1%" allegedly control our politics and our economy be great? If we are to believe the things the left has historically said about America and says about America today, it's impossible to see America as a great nation. When he ran for president in 2008, President Obama infamously sought to fundamentally transform America. Because a country that's already great does not need to be fundamentally transformed, it follows that in 2008, Obama did not think America was great. We know he has never believed that America is exceptional. As Obama was calling for fundamental transformation, Michelle Obama confessed to being proud of the U.S. for the first time in her adult lifetime because her husband won a few primaries. Now the Obamas assure us that America is already great and rebuke those who want to upend the status quo. What's changed since 2008? It's true that Obama has in many ways altered our republic's cultural, economic, and political fabric through Obamacare, left-wing Supreme Court appointments, unconstitutional executive orders the list goes on. Perhaps Obama believes he has made America great. But even this explanation is belied by his frequently painting an America as a country besieged by unacceptably lax gun laws, trigger-happy racist cops, gender discrimination, a Congress not willing to advance all his policies again, the list goes on. Bernie Sanders, the de facto political leader of the far left, is a democratic socialist and a staunch denier of America's greatness who seeks to transform America's political and economic foundations. Did I miss the campaign speeches in which Sanders extolled America's virtues? Was the "America is great" message subliminally hidden in Sanders's sweeping condemnation of American society as being controlled by billionaires (right before he endorsed the billionaire's favorite candidate)? The left has historically never touted America's greatness, opting instead to present a view of America as a deeply flawed, unjust nation, whose only salvation can come by the grace of an all-powerful Leviathan. In contrast to the Democrats' sudden and transparently opportunistic embrace of America's greatness, Donald Trump's convention speech, panned by liberals as "dark," actually reflected the current national mood: 70 percent of Americans think the country is on the wrong track, and a majority believes that the established political class and its favored special interests benefit at the expense of ordinary Americans. In assailing Trump's assessment of the state of the union, the mainstream media pointed to Reagan's "Morning in America" to contrast the Gipper's optimism with Trump's alleged cynicism. What the media conveniently forgets to mention is that Reagan's "Morning in America" was the theme of his 1984 re-election campaign, after four years of the Reagan administration. When Reagan ran in 1980, it wasn't morning in America; it was national malaise, and Reagan made sure to emphasize how bad things were after four years of Jimmy Carter every chance he got. And for all the talk about Obama's hope and optimism, the underlying theme of his 2008 campaign was fundamental change. He was calling for change not because he thought things were going swimmingly. Obama's soaring rhetoric and flowery prose may have artfully masked his message that the country was in turmoil in a way that Trump's blunt, artless delivery cannot, but Obama's campaign was grounded in an optimistic future that could be realized only if the nation voted for him, not John McCain. Obama and the left did not think America was great in 2008. This week's empty rhetoric about America's greatness notwithstanding, they don't think America is great in 2016, either. Eugene Slaven is a freelance writer and the author of the comedy novel A Life of Misery and Triumph. Follow Eugene on Twitter @eslaven or connect with him on LinkedIn and Facebook. Donald Trump is not a Russian agent, nor has he committed treason by asking Moscow to release Clinton's deleted emails, nor has he broken any laws in doing business with at least one Russian oligarch. But Trump's suggestion that he would consider recognizing Moscow's illegal annexation of Crimea as well as lifting sanctions imposed as result of Russia's war in Ukraine raises legitimate questions about whether he really would follow an "America First" policy in dealings with foreign governments. The Russian government is looking favorably on Trump's comments. Washington Free Beacon: Russian state media covered Trumps statement with responses from officials who said that it reflects a growing desire among Americans for better relations with Russia. Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev wrote on Facebook that Trumps comments in favor of improving ties with Russia indicate that similar sentiment is becoming more and more popular in US, and it can bring political points. Trump has repeatedly proven that he, like no one else, understands the publics demand for a change in course, and the attitudes of a large part of voters who have grown tired of the Clintons and the Bushes, Kosachev wrote, according to Russias state-run TASS news agency. Only time will tell whether Trump is ready or, which is no less important, capable of implementing this, he added. It is definitely too early to celebrate. Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian separatist who now serves as leader of the Crimean Peninsula, responded similarly to Trumps remarks. Trump says only what his voters want to hear. This means there is a desire to improve ties with Russia in American society, Aksyonov wrote, noting that it remains unclear how he will behave if he wins the election. The Crimean people dont need recognition from Western leaders. We have made our choice once and for all, Aksyonov wrote. If part of the US political establishment, such as Trump, is ready to recognize the reality, we can only welcome this. The Kremlins official reaction to the comment was more muted. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov toldreporters Thursday that the governments attitude toward Trump had not changed as a result of the admission. It seems impossible to draw conclusions on the basis of pre-election rhetoric, Peskov said. We know perfectly well that candidates say one thing in the heat of election campaign but later after taking office and under a burden of responsibility, the rhetoric changes, becoming more balanced. Rohac told the Free Beacon that legitimizing Russias annexation of Crimea would undermine the United Nations resolution condemning the aggression and align the United States with North Korea, Syria, and other repressive nations that have deemed it legal. Improving Russia-U.S. ties is solely up to the Russian government. They are the aggressors. They are the violators of international law and order. How can Trump claim to be a super-negotiator if he's willing to give Russia what they want in Crimea without receiving anything in return for the United States? "Improved relations"? A rather nebulous return for giving the Russians concrete concessions. Besides, recognizing Russian aggression in Crimea will only embolden Putin to flex his muscles in the Baltic and Eastern Europe. Would Trump recognize a Russian takeover of Lithuania in the name of "improving relations"? Trump may admire Putin. But he doesn't have to damage U.S. security to show it. The second quarter of 2016 has proven to be a wild ride for most in the tech sector, but Amazon has managed to stay the course and put out a fairly good report. Not a single number isnt up year over year, making this the fifth straight quarter that Amazon has seen a positive net profit figure. The shopping and tech giant has even managed to increase their operating cash flow, a figure that most big companies tend to struggle with whenever the market is in a swing or theyre in the middle of an innovative project. Indeed, all over the map, Amazon seems to be on the upswing, but their stock prices have been falling, albeit very slightly and very slowly, in the few hours since the reports went live. As for the raw numbers, the biggest upswing seemed to be in Amazons revenue from Amazon Web Services, their Cloud Infrastructure as a Service platform. Despite others clawing their way into the space and fighting tooth and nail for a bite off of Amazons plate, Jeff Bezos saw his fortunes in the space grow 58% year on year, netting the company $2.8 billion for this quarter, versus $1.82 billion in Q2 of 2015. That powerful upswing was far from the only one for the company, of course, with a total revenue figure of $30.4 billion for the quarter putting that number up 31% year on year. Their earnings per share went from $1.11 in Q2 of 2015 to $1.78 now, and their total operating cash flow went up 42%, rising from $9 billion to $12.7 billion year on year for the second quarter. Total net profit for the quarter was $857 million. Jeff Bezos credits the great quarter to Amazon rolling out a number of services in India, including Prime with all of the requisite perks and unlimited free shipping, along with Amazon Web Services. Prime Video is reportedly hitting India soon, and will feature territory-exclusive content featuring the best local finds, from top Indie films to Bollywood A-list features. After-hours trading falling about 2.5% for Amazon since the earnings call isnt much sweat off the companys back; theyre reeling from a recent uptick of about 50%, making Amazon the fifth most valuable company out there and giving CEO Jeff Bezos the third largest net worth in the world at $65.05 billion. Googles Chromecast media streaming dongle has been a runaway hit, becoming Googles best selling hardware product since its debut a scant few years ago. After having received an updated model and an audio-only variant, the Chromecast seems to have finally found its niche in the market, and recent sales have shown it. Driven by a number of factors, more than likely including the rise of YouTube Red, sales of Chromecast units of all spades have exploded. Of the Chromecast familys total sales of 30 million over the course of its lifetime, 5 million of those have been sold since May. Google CEO Sundar Pichai let the figure slip during Google and Alphabets second quarter 2016 earnings call, along with the fact that Chromecasts had only seen 17 million total sales back in May of 2015. The sudden jump in sales since May of 2016 comes on the heels of steady and reliable sales from the devices inception. With Google having recently handed over hardware duties to a dedicated department of Alphabet, its hard to say exactly where responsibility lies for the sudden burst in Chromecast sales. Whatever may have happened and whoever may have caused it, the Chromecast has recently seen a huge uptick in sales, proving that Amazons stark refusal to sell the device or its competitor from Cupertino didnt do the devices appeal or revenue much harm. Google has been mostly mum about their new hardware divisions adventures, though bringing on Rick Osterloh recently made it quite clear that they were getting serious about their hardware efforts. The division is in charge of just about all of Googles hardware products now, from Chromebooks to the Nexus program, and of course, Chromecasts. Having topped sales of all streaming devices in Q3 of 2015 during its steady sale period, its not hard to imagine the Chromecasts momentum keeping its fever pace and spelling at least another few million sales before the third quarter of 2016 is wrapped up, though thus far, analysts havent spoken up on the matter. The Chromecast seems set to keep up at least steady gains in sales figures, but at this point, only time will tell if the device will continue selling at a good pace or if sales will begin to plateau or even drop off. Between making some big global marketing moves, pushing the Honor lineup hard, and releasing great flagships like the Nexus 6P, Mate 8, and P9, Huawei didnt exactly get to their current spot as the worlds third biggest smartphone maker by sitting on their haunches. Moving up in the dog-eat-dog smartphone business doesnt exactly happen by accident, and Huawei is well aware of this. Being no strangers to getting their hands dirty, theyre planning on rolling up their sleeves to make another big global move. They plan to keep the momentum going this year by opening up about 15,000 new retail locations around the world as part of their quest to get their total smartphone sales for 2016 over the 140 million mark. Fresh off of a Q2 report that showed a 25 percent year on year increase to over 60 million smartphone sales for the quarter, Huawei is optimistic and confident that they can hit their goal for the year, according to consumer business chief executive Richard Yu Chengdong. The global telecoms giant currently has about 35,000 stores worldwide, including outfits like mall kiosks and accessory stores run by carriers and other third parties. 11,000 of those stores are in mainland China, with a number of others scattered across Asia and Europe. In the United States, where Huawei is just beginning to pick up steam, there are no physical retail outlets. Meanwhile in India, Huawei needs all the help they can get in throwing down the gauntlet against Samsung, Lenovo/Moto, and a number of cheap Chinese and local competitors. Even in the midst of a worldwide economic slowdown, Chengdong is spirited about the planned effort, saying that the number of Huawei stores out there right now is far from enough. In the face of their 35,000 stores in 170 countries compared to competitor Apples 484 stores in 17 countries, that statement gives a good glimpse into the strategic thinking behind this decision; Huawei is clearly looking to become a household name in a far larger number of countries by putting up physical locations that will get noticed, and where consumers can actually play with their devices, rather than just seeing them online. The telecom giant seems to be going all in on smartphones this year, but only time will tell if theyll ever be able to snatch the top two spots from Samsung and Apple. Samsung is due to hold their second Unpacked event of 2016 on August 2nd, which is coming up in just about a week. The reason for the event, of course, will be to announce the Galaxy Note 7 which will be the successor to last years Galaxy Note 5. Although there is nothing official about the Galaxy Note 7 just yet, much about the device has already been leaked giving the public most of the knowledge about what the phone will offer in terms of specifications and hardware, and they have painted a good picture of what features consumers will be able to expect should they be considering an upgrade to the Galaxy Note 7 after it launches. So far, the Galaxy Note 7 is shaping up to be an impressive device from design to functionality, and while not everyone is going to agree with this statement, the Galaxy Note 7 stands a good chance at being the biggest phone of the year in regards to success. Of course, there is a decent chance that it wont be the biggest phone of the year as well, as it does have some pretty impressive handsets to contend with. Both the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge have been extremely popular for Samsung and are their best yet devices in terms of a well-rounded offering. Theres also the upcoming Nexus devices from Google and HTC that are rumored to get an announcement and a possible launch in the near future. Despite these things though, the Galaxy Note 7 still has plenty going for it which might help it come out as just a little bit more popular or successful than these other devices, including Samsungs own early 2016 smash hits. The first and likely most obvious reason as to why the device is in the running for biggest phone of the year is simply because its a Samsung device. For years Samsung has been known as the top Android device manufacturer and they are one of the top smartphone vendors. Theyre a massive, well-known brand and that alone will get the device recognition. On top of this, you can expect Samsung to market the device like its going out of style, as their marketing on products is fierce and unrelenting. Perhaps a slightly less obvious reason as to why the device will be a big hit is the S Pen, Samsungs proprietary stylus that was designed specifically for the Galaxy Note devices. Over the years, the S Pen has evolved to include some pretty advanced features and functionality, and its only improved with each phone release. The same looks to be true this year too. The S Pen is what makes each Galaxy Note a Note device in the first place, and naturally this is where Samsung places a lot of emphasis. Judging by the leaked images that have surfaced so far, the S Pen does not look to have changed a whole lot in the design department as it looks just like the S Pen from the Galaxy Note 5. It still appears to retain the clickable button that resides at the end of the pen which more or less unlocks it from the silo it sits in until its ready for use. Many if not all of the previous S Pen functions are expected to remain with the Galaxy Note 7, but it should also come along with some new functions that enhance the usability even further. Rumors peg the S Pen as being able to section off portions of the screen and record video, as well as create GIF images from those recordings fairly simply, and with what seems like a recent surge in GIF popularity lately, this could prove to be a hugely successful function of the S Pen. This feature is called Glance. Its also been stated that the S Pen will be water resistant and dust proof just like the device itself. There should be some other new S Pen functions as well, but those have yet to be discovered. Advertisement What might be the most talked about new feature of the Galaxy Note 7, although not necessarily what will make it the biggest device of the year, is the rumored iris scanner that Samsung is integrating into the device. New details of the iris scanner were reported by Android Authority on July 24th which also showcased screenshots of the option to enable it as an unlock method in the settings menu. While it may not be the unlock method of choice for all users, it appears that it will be a reasonably viable method, pending a few criteria, of course. The iris scanner will likely work best indoors where it is able to read the iris away from direct sunlight, and glasses or contacts may result in less successful use. The best part though is that Samsung seems to direct users to hold the phone about 25-35 cm away from the face, which means you wont have to hold it uncomfortably close. Holding it at a distance that is just as normal for things like browsing or reading should help it appeal to more people. So while it might seem gimmicky to some, the Galaxy Note 7s iris scanner has plenty of potential to be a big hit with users, and being the only major phone on the market that carries it will give the Galaxy Note 7 an edge in this particular category. The Galaxy Note 7 is rumored to potentially come powered by the Snapdragon 821 processor (although the most recent leaks seem to be pointing to the Snapdragon 820), and if that is the case, at least for the North American model, it could end up being the first phone to do so, provided it launches before the upcoming Nexus devices from Google and HTC which are also both rumored to have the latest Qualcomm chipset inside. Even though the Snapdragon 821 chip will not be introducing massive gains and improvements as its more of a refined Snapdragon 820 CPU, Qualcomm states that it does provide a 10% increase in performance over the Snapdragon 820, and that should prove to be beneficial in the Galaxy Note 7. Performance is key to multi-tasking, and the Galaxy Note 7 is a device that is built for multitasking, so any boost in performance, no matter how incremental, is a good thing. Having the most powerful specs is not always a priority for most people when it comes to a device, but a device that functions and performs well typically is, and the Snapdragon 821 should help the Galaxy Note 7 in this way. One thing to also consider is that each Galaxy Note has been more and more successful than its predecessor, and theres no reason to suggest that the Galaxy Note 7 wont end up with similar results. This could be especially true as the Galaxy note 7 takes heavy inspiration from the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge that were launched earlier this year, both of which have proven to be wildly successful phones for Samsung and have helped them rise back up from a drop in sales of their mobile devices. More specifically, it looks to take more inspiration from the Galaxy S7 Edge, as its been rumored and looks likely to carry a dual curved edge screen. While Samsung introduced the Edge on the Galaxy Note Edge before any other device, there has not been an edge variant in the Galaxy Note line since, as the Galaxy Note 5 featured a flat display. The edge feature of Samsungs screens has been very popular and they serve quite a functional purpose that can make using the device more efficient, from edge notifications to quick access to apps, and even glanceable details like the time and date. With the option for an edge on either side on this years Galaxy Note 7, and rumored functionality between the edge part of the display and the S Pen, The Galaxy Note 7 could end up gaining quite a bit of praise. Another important display feature which is likely to help ensure the Galaxy Note 7 will be a contender for biggest phone of the year is the rumored use of Gorilla Glass 5, which Corning states can survive up to 80% of drops from shoulder height. As expensive as devices like the Galaxy Note 7 are these days, any extra protection is a good thing and the display is the most important part since this is how we interact with it. This will be a detail of the device which helps the Galaxy Note 7 stay relevant among other top phones this year if it indeed does carry Gorilla Glass 5. Advertisement Although details are not official, the Galaxy Note 7 appears to have a lot going for it including some unique features that may not be found on other phones for a little bit. It will of course have what are becoming standard across the industry, like the fingerprint sensor and high-grade cameras. Its very possible that it could hold a few features that are similar to the HTC Nexus Marlin and Sailfish devices, but the Nexus lineup has never ended up more popular from a sales figure standpoint than Samsungs flagship devices. Having said that, it is possible for the Galaxy Note 7 to fall behind other 2016 flagships too, and like most phone releases, a combination of the features, useful functionality, design, and price point as well as availability will all play a factor in how big the phone becomes this year. When it comes to power banks, most of them are pretty similar. They all have about the same capacity, they all have a few USB ports, but where some of them differ is the speed at which they can charge. The Tronsmart Presto here uses Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, but on top of that, they also allow you to charge via USB Type-C. Something you dont see too often with power banks these days. The majority of them are still powered by micro USB cables. The Tronsmart Presto is the companys latest power bank and its aimed at the future, as is evident by including both USB-C and Quick Charge 3.0. Weve been using the power bank for a good week or two now, and have put it to good use thanks to Pokemon GO. So how well does it stand up to the competition? Lets find out. This is a 12,000mAh battery pack here which can charge most smartphones about 4 times before running out of juice. That does also depend on the size of your battery. For instance, the iPhone would be able to be recharged about 6-7 times or more. While something like the Oukitel K6000 Pro with a 6,000mAh battery would only be able to get about two recharges, if that. We used the Tronsmart Presto with the LG G5 (Quick Charge 3.0 compatible and uses a USB Type-C port) as well as the Nexus 6P (Quick Charge 2.0 compatible and uses a USB Type-C port) for the past few weeks. Using both the USB Type-C and USB Type-A ports included on the Presto, and it has charged both devices about 3-4 times the Nexus 6P was closer to three times, due to it having a larger 3450mAh battery inside. Advertisement With the Tronsmart Presto supporting Quick Charge 3.0, its also important to note that the charger will support Quick Charge 2.0 and Quick Charge 1.0, in addition to traditional charging. Due to the way Quick Charge 3.0 is built, it is backwards compatible to earlier versions, as well as traditional charging. This is a good thing, as users are able to charge other things using this battery pack like a smartwatch, fitness tracker or even a laptop without having to worry about the device being overcharged and causing issues. As we mentioned already, we used the LG G5 and Nexus 6P with the Presto. It charged both without an issue. But with the Nexus 6P not sporting Quick Charge 3.0, it was a bit slower than the LG G5. The LG G5 saw similar speeds to a wall charger that is Quick Charge 3.0 compatible, while the Nexus 6P was about the same as a Quick Charge 2.0 wall charger or the one that is included with the Nexus 6P. This was the case for both USB ports on the Presto. So theres no issue with charging speeds from the Tronsmart Presto. Always a good thing to see. Lets talk about that USB Type-C port for a minute. As most of you know, USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. Meaning that its a Universal port that can be used for just about everything. And while that is mostly true, USB Type-C is a bit more universal. Not just because it is reversible, unlike USB Type-A, but also because it can do input and output through the same port. For example, on the Anker PowerCore 10,000 we reviewed recently, it uses a micro USB port to charge up. So you would need to unplug your micro USB cable from the USB Type-A port and plug that into the wall charger and plug the micro USB end into the battery to charge it. With the Tronsmart Presto, thats not needed. You can use that USB Type-C port for charging the Presto as well as charging your smartphone. Which means that this is technically a dual-port battery pack, even though it features just one USB Type-A port. Its a feature that most people probably wont care about, which is understandable, but those with USB Type-C devices, they are going to love this feature. Advertisement The design of the Presto is pretty straight forward. Its not made to look like a great battery pack. Its made to be functional, and keep your smartphone and other gadgets charged up when needed. And it does that quite well. Its a rather long battery pack, so its not going to fit in your pocket unless you are wearing cargo shorts/pants but its also fairly heavy. This is to be expected since this is a 12,000mAh battery. Ive carried it around in my bag that I take when traveling, and its worked quite well. Id like it to be a bit shorter, but theres not much to complain about here. Now if you thought that because this has a USB Type-C port on it, that you would get a USB Type-C cable in the box, then you would be correct. Tronsmart includes a fairly small USB Type-C to Type-A cable (its just under a foot long), but it does its job. Of course, if you have a USB Type-C device like the HTC 10, LG G5, OnePlus 2, OnePlus 3, Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P, then you probably already have one or two of these laying around. Tronsmart also offers up a 18-month warranty with the Tronsmart Presto. So if you do have any issues with the battery pack, youll be able to get it straightened out without much of an issue. Thats always a good thing, these days. Especially when talking about batteries that are charging your smartphone. So the real question here is, should you buy the Tronsmart Presto? Well this is a bit more expensive than most battery packs. Were looking at a $34.99 price tag here. Which is effectively double the price of a normal 12,000mAh battery pack. But that is due to it packing extra power for Quick Charge 3.0 and new technology in USB Type-C. Realistically, its not a bad price. However, I would say that you should only buy the Tronsmart Presto if you have a USB Type-C and/or a Quick Charge 3.0 device or plan to buy one. For example if you have the HTC 10 or LG G5, both of which use USB Type-C and Quick Charge 3.0 over USB Type-C, then its definitely worth picking up. Tronsmart is selling the Presto exclusively through Amazon, which is definitely a good thing for those that have Amazon Prime. Meaning that you can get free two-day shipping on the Tronsmart Presto, by hitting the link below. The IFA trade show in Berlin is closing in, and if recent rumors turn out to be correct, Samsung will likely unveil its next smartwatch during the event, in a similar timeframe as the previous models launched at IFA in 2015 and 2014, respectively. The product is expected to be known as the Samsung Gear S3, and much like the ongoing Gear S2, it will probably sport a circular dial and a rotating bezel. But interestingly enough, it appears that Samsung Electronics has now applied to trademark a new moniker in South Korea, namely Samsung Gear S3 Frontier. According to a new report from SamMobile, the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier nametag was recently spotted in the KIPRIS database (Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service), under the Designated Goods section which includes products categories such as smartwatches, wearable computers, computer interfaces, software interfaces with multi-health devices to record health conditions, and smartwatches to make mobile payments. At this point in time, theres no telling what Frontier stands for, and it remains to be seen whether it will be a different variant based on a standard Samsung Gear S3, or the only Gear S3 smartwatch to be seen at IFA 2016. Either way, judging by the product categories listed in the trademark application, its possible that the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier could offer Samsung Pay support out of the gate, along with better health and fitness-tracking capabilities. Previous rumors have suggested that Samsung may also prepare a luxury model based on the Samsung Gear S3 similar to the Samsung Gear S2 by de Grisogono but its more likely that these types of variants will come at a later date, and wont be introduced at IFA in Berlin at least if we assume that Samsung will follow a similar launch pattern for the upcoming model. As for the Samsung Gear S3 / Gear S3 Frontiers specifications, at the moment theres not much information to go by, but its worth reminding that older rumors from December 2015 explored the possibility that Samsung will no longer rely on the Exynos 3250 SoC for the third Gear in the series, and instead, the company may have developed a new system-on-chip specifically optimized for wearables. IFA 2016 will open its doors to the public on September 2nd, and the event will end on the 7th day of the same month. SoftBank has had a bit of a rocky time in the US, since purchasing a majority stake in Sprint back in 2013. The company has tried a few things to turn Sprint around. Including buying competitor, T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom. After it appeared that regulators were not going to approve a bid for Sprint to buy T-Mobile USA, SoftBank decided to install a new CEO for Sprint, and they chose Marcelo Claure. Since becoming CEO in August of 2014, Claure has been focused on lowering prices, and gaining customers. It has been a slow process for Sprint, but they are actually bringing in more customers now. Despite still posting an operating loss for the quarter, when they announced their earnings earlier this week. Sprints owner, SoftBank, reported their earnings this week as well. As youd expect, CEO and Founder of SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, was asked about Sprint. Son told reporters that Sprint is no longer dragging us down but is about to turn into a cash maker for us. Son continued to say that Sprint sales were better in USD terms. They appeared lower, due to the currency exchange rate. He also stressed that revenue and customers are improving though. Masayoshi Son is definitely looking forward to Sprints turnaround. It was reported earlier this year that Son has lost $3.2 billion since his company acquired Sprint nearly three years ago. On top of that, since SoftBank took a controlling stake in Sprint, the company has dropped from the third largest US wireless carrier, to now being the fourth and in last place. Although a big part of that is due to Deutsche Telekom installing John Legere as T-Mobile USAs CEO in 2012, who has led a pretty impressive turnaround of his own at T-Mobile USA. Something that Son is hoping Marcelo Claure is able to do with Sprint. And so far, it appears that he might just be able to do that. Advertisement In the quarter, Sprint added 173,000 customers. Although their losses did widen from $20 million a year ago to $302 million. However, as long as they continue to add customers, their losses should dissipate in the next few quarters. The Internet of Things, or IoT as we know it, is developing at a rapid pace. The term Internet of Things was coined by MIT researcher Kevin Ashton, in 1999 and refers to a group of sensors and devices working in synchronization with each other. Little did we know then that this very technology would be the next big revolution in technology after the second industrial revolution. A report by Ericsson Mobility published in June 2016 claims that as many as 16 billion devices will be connected to the IoT network by 2021. Now, along with corporate giants and businesses, governments are funding the development of IoT as well, and soon we will have urban cities connected by IoT for better management and reduced waste of resources. Cities are the major consumer of natural resources, and also the most contributing factor to pollution. Smart urbanization of cities can address the problems without decreasing the efficiency or growth of technology while making life easier for the people. Contrary to popular belief, the reach of IoT is no longer limited to wealthy businesses or private tech firms, with the government trying to integrate sensors into every aspect of the public sector to monitor transport systems, reduce operating costs, and anticipate security risks. A whopping $430 billion is being invested in total by the government and private sectors for the development of IoT and the figure is expected to increase to $476 billion by 2020. With technological breakthroughs happening in medical fields as well, the time is not far off where swallowing a pill would allow the doctor to monitor all the vitals of the human body. Two early adopters of IoT on a massive scale are Netherlands and South Korea, both competing against each other. They have both announced IoT-ready networks in their countries and are looking into integrating various sensors into modern devices. Advertisement Singapore is a unique country with the lowest kids per woman ratio of 0.81, whereas the recommended value is 2.2. This leads to a problem where there are fewer people looking for the elderly demographic. Their government is looking for innovative ways to use sensors to improve the lifestyle and health of their citizen, by using IoT to track movements, sedentary behavior, and the number of flushes. They are also utilizing sensors across their cities to monitor cleanliness, reduce the number of crimes, and movement of every registered vehicle. Germany is another country leading the field of automobile and biomedical research and development and integration of IoT. They introduced smart buses which charge along their way of transit, significantly reducing the carbon footprint. The biggest problem faced in the development of IoT is that the current infrastructure is not adequately equipped to accommodate the additional demands of IoT. Current Wi-Fi technology, although enough for homes, does not have enough range to cover entire fields, thus giving birth to Long Range Networks or LoRa. IoT is slowly changing the world, as much as internet itself did. (ANSA) - Rome, July 28 - Lecce prosecutors on Thursday released 2,223 olive trees that had been marked for felling in a bid to stop the spread of the fatal Xylella bacteria. The trees had been seized by court order last December as part of an investigation into 10 people including researchers, Puglia regional officials, and former special commissioner for the Xylella emergency, Giuseppe Silletti. The Xylella state of emergency is over and the trees in question are no longer at risk, prosecutors said. The Europan Commission last Friday opened new infringement procedures against Italy over alleged delays in implementing measures to stop the spread of the Xylella fastidiosa bacteria that kills trees. A letter of formal notice was sent to the government on grounds "it is extremely important that Italy fully enacts" measures to stop the spread of Xylella, a Commission spokesperson told ANSA. This is the second infringement procedure to be opened against Italy in relation to Xylella after the EC took issue with its alleged failure to fulfil its obligations in the plan to eradicate the bacteria in December 2015. Xylella was first detected in southern Italy in 2013, marking the first outbreak of its kind in the EU. It reportedly caused about a million olive trees in Puglia to die as of summer 2015. Italy started chopping down affected olive trees in Puglia in April last year, after the epidemic prompted France to declare an embargo on products from the southern Italian region at risk of infection from the deadly pathogen. However the cull was suspended following an appeal and legal action by environmental associations and Puglia farmers, who said it is excessive. Hundreds of migrants rescued by Italian navy vessels Rescues part of Safe Sea operation launched in March 2015 (ANSAmed) - ROME, JULY 29 - Hundreds of migrants and refugees were saved by Italian navy vessels under the 'Safe Sea' operation in the southern Mediterranean Friday. The Fremm Margottini rescued approximately 250 people travelling on two dinghies, while the Grecale rescued 119 people from one dinghy and the Bettica rescued 234 people from two dinghies, before beginning a third operation. A search for other migrant boats was underway. The Safe Sea operation was launched in March 2015 following the deterioration of the situation in Libya. (ANSAmed). TUNIS - Tunisian filmmaker Alaeddine Slim has described his feature film 'Akher Wahed Fina' (The Last of US) as a ''contemporary film, with an original approach to the themes of illegal immigration and shared territories''. The film is competing in Venice at the International Film Critics' Week organized by the national union of Italian film critics as part of the 73rd International Film Festival in the lagoon city. The Last of Us, a co-production by Tunisia-Qatar-UAE-Lebanon in 2016, focuses on the lead character, N., interpreted by Jawer Soudani (with Tunisia's Fathi Akkari in the supporting role), and is the story of an unlucky attempt to illegally cross the sea undertaken by a sub-Saharan youth, which ends in the open sea. ''This crossing will turn into a new route towards unknown territories for N. who will have singular meetings during the course of his trip and see a different image of himself'', explained the author, who filmed the movie at the beginning of 2015. He called the film a different model of production for Tunisia and an intense human experience. The film's project was recently awarded at FIDLab 2016 in Marseille. Alaeddine Slim has made feature films including L'automne (2007), Une nuit parmi d'autres (2008), Le stade (2010) and Journal d'un homme important (2010). He has also made the documentary Babylon, which won the Grand Prix at Fid Marseille in 2012. 21 Turkish journalists appear in court Suspected of links with alleged coup plotter Gulen (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JULY 29 - Twenty-one Turkish journalists appeared in court on Friday morning after being arrested Monday on suspicion of links with the exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen who the government claims was behind the recent failed military coup. The judges must decide whether to confirm their arrest. In total 42 arrest warrants were issued against journalists on Monday and 21 people are still on the run. The Turkish authorities believe 11 may have fled abroad, Dogan news agency reports.(ANSAmed). Syria: children's hospital in Idlib bombed Save the Children, largest in the area (ANSAmed) - ROME, JULY 29 - The pediatric hospital of Idlib, in Syria, has been hit in an air raid that caused victims among patients and doctors, Save the Children was quoted as saying Friday by the BBC. The structure is the largest in the area, with some 300 births a day. The number of victims and casualties is still unclear, as well as who carried out the raid. Save the Children, which finances the structure through its partner Syria Relief, said that over 1,300 women and children are hospitalized there each month. (ANSAmed). Syrian asylum seeker detained over Rouen attack Premier Valls says Kermiche release a 'failure' (ANSAmed) - PARIS, JULY 29 - A Syrian asylum seeker has been detained in connection with Tuesday's deadly attack on a church in the northern town of Saint-Etienne-de-Rouvray, sources close to the investigation said Friday. The 22-year-old was apprehended on Thursday in the department of Allier, said judicial sources cited by BFM-TV. He is alleged to have links to Adel Kermiche, one of the two knife-wielding terrorists who entered a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during Mass, and took the priest, 86-year-old Jacques Hamel, and four other people hostage. The attackers slit Hamel's throat before being killed by security forces. In total five people have been detained in connection with the attack, of whom two were subsequently released. Meanwhile French Premier Manuel Valls said on Friday the decision to release 19-year-old Kermiche from prison earlier this year with an electronic tag had been a "failure". Kermiche was already known to anti-terrorism investigators after twice being stopped trying to enter Syria. (ANSAmed). Syria: 'Leave humanitarian corridor Aleppo to UN' Special envoy de Mistura suggests to Moscow (ANSAmed) - GENEVA, JULY 29 - UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, on Friday suggested to Russia to let the UN manage the humanitarian corridor for the Syrian city of Aleppo. ''We have studied the Russian initiative'', said de Mistura but, while awaiting for further information, ''improvements'' are necessary, he added. De Mistura stressed that the 48-hour break for humanitarian access discussed by the UN Security Council needs to be sustainable, listing a few ''suggestions''. ''Our suggestion to the Russians is to leave the corridor established at their initiative to us'', de Mistura told reporters. ''The UN and its humanitarian partners know what to do, they are experienced and it is our job''. The UN envoy moreover stressed that nobody needs to be forced to leave the besieged city of Aleppo, but those willing to do so must be able to reach the area they choose or have options. Moreover, guarantees must be in place for the protection of civilians, whether they decide to stay or choose to go elsewhere through corridors, said de Mistura, stating he believes the Russians are open to suggestions and advice. There is no time left for the population of Aleppo, he also said. The city in northern Syria is ''emblematic'' and the way the situation is managed there, without forgetting other areas in the country, is an ''important element'' that can have an impact on action decided in the next few weeks, said de Mistura, who wants to re-start intra-Syrian talks at the end of August for a solution to the conflict. (ANSAmed). Turkey asks Germany to hand over Gulen supporters President of Baden-Wuerrtemberg denounces intrusion by consulate (ANSAmed) - BERLIN, JULY 29 - Turkey has asked Germany to hand over supporters of the preacher and alleged mastermind of the recent failed coup Fethullah Gulen living on its territory, German media reported Friday. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung however excluded this possibility after Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday Germany "is tied to procedures of the State of law. Meanwhile, the president of Baden-Wuerttemberg Winfried Kretschmann has denounced the attempt by Turkish authorities to influence German public officials in the federal state. Kretschmann told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the Turkish consul general in Stuttgart had asked his government to open investigations into associations, institutes and schools alleged to be close to the exiled leader. "Naturally we will not do it," the president said. (ANSAmed). YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. To make more available the access of the Armenian financial organizations to the international capital markets, the Central Bank of Armenia offers to use the international rating instrument. On July 29 the Central Bank, the HSBC bank and S&P Global Ratings have organized a seminar entitled S&P Global Ratings: New Opportunities for Growth . Vice-President of the Central Bank of Armenia Nerses Yeritsyan said having a rating enables to have an access to the international capital markets without a mortgage, as well as it ensures availability of funds of institutional investors which are measured in trillions of dollars. The ratings are important for directing the domestic savings to the investments, since at this stage of development our savings remain low at the national level. In order to convince our citizens to save more, the companies must show that they have long-term goals and projects, they are rapidly growing, not only the loan funds, as well as the capital are available which requires trust rather than a mortgage. The rating is the bar which says you can trust this company and invest your money here, Armenpress reports, Nerses Yeritsyan said. He said S&P Global Ratings company is open for the cooperation with the Armenian companies. He said all states like Armenia receive the ratings of three big rating companies. Currently discussions are being held over Armenias receiving S&P Global Ratings in addition to Moody and Fitch. S&P Global Rating Director of the Corporate Ratings Alexander Griaznov said currently their company is not working in Armenia, but they think here are companies which can become their clients. The criteria are quiet a lot for working with us, first of all, the presence of the international accountability, as well as the need of our rating to the companies. If the companies aim to attract foreign capital, this is one of the criteria that we will help them, Alexander Griaznov said. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Representatives of the Ombudsmans Office once again visited Alek Yenigomshyan on July 29 in the detention facility of the National Security Service. The representatives had a private meeting with Yenigomshyan as well as with the administration of the facility. The Ombudsmans Office told ARMENPRESS specialists from the Nork-Nursing Home of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs have already arrived in the detention facility for organizing Yenigmoshyans care. The representatives of the Ombudsmans Office met the nurse-specialist. Four specialists are dispatched in the detention facility and a round the clock duty is conducted for the care of Yenigomshyan. Yenigomshyan has already received a parcel, he is provided with necessary medications and personal hygiene products. In the presence of the Ombudsmans staff, the head of the detention facility gave personal and judicial documents with Braille system to Yenigomshyan. The administration of the detention facility of the NSS takes into consideration the special needs and disability of Alek Yenigomshyan. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service has apprehended persons criminally assisting the gunmen who have taken control of the Police precinct in Yerevan. In particular it was revealed that M.M who is currently under arrest has been in contact with gunmen Armen Lambaryan and Martin Hakobyan, and has planned to induce the rally participants by violence against on-duty police officers on July 24 in Khorenatsi Street to break through the barricades and join the gunmen and get armed. Moreover, he has calculated that multiple civilian casualties could have happened and must have happened during the process. Taking into consideration the abovementioned, the NSS once again urges citizens not to comply to provocations of individuals for the criminal goals of others, not to obstruct law enforcement agencies from their duties and not to endangered their own lives and safety. We remind and warn that any unauthorized attempt to enter the blocked area will be prevented by all lawful means, the NSS statement reads. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Turkey's president has blasted remarks by top US general Joseph Votel in the wake of the failed coup, accusing him of being "on the side of the plotters", BBC reported. Gen Votel, head of US Central Command, said jailing some military leaders could damage Turkish-American military co-operation. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Gen Votel should thank Turkey for securing democracy. The interior minister said on Friday 18,000 people had so far been detained. Gen Votel had said on Thursday: "We have certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders - military leaders in particular. I am concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue." President Erdogan said on Friday: "It's not up to you to make that decision. Who are you? Know your place! You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt." He added: "They [the critics] say, 'We worry for [Turkey's] future'. But what are these gentlemen worried about? Whether the numbers of detained and arrested will increase? If they are guilty, they will increase." Erdogan also said: "My people know who is behind this scheme... they know who the superior intelligence behind it is, and with these statements you are revealing yourselves, you are giving yourselves away." Replying on Friday after President Erdogan's comments, Gen Votel said any reports that he was involved in the coup were "unfortunate and completely inaccurate". He added that Turkey had been an "extraordinary and vital partner" for many years and he was looking forward to their partnership in the fight against self-styled Islamic State. US national intelligence director, James Clapper, had also said on Thursday that Turkey's crackdown was disrupting Turkish-American military co-operation in fighting IS. Turkey announced a military reshuffle on Thursday evening, including the dishonourable discharge of 1,700 military servicemen. About 40% of generals and admirals have been discharged since the coup. Turkey is removing potential supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen from state institutions. It accuses him of being behind the coup attempt, something he denies. More than 66,000 public sector workers have been dismissed from their posts and 50,000 passports cancelled, while the labour ministry is investigating 1,300 of its staff. The state has also shut 142 media outlets and detained several journalists. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjrn Jagland has expressed concern over the events in Yerevan. The statement of the Secretary General reads: I follow with concern the events taking place in our member state of Armenia, where for several days already, an armed group has taken hostages in a police station in Yerevan. I would like to recall that in states governed by the rule of law, all conflicts should be resolved through political dialogue with a respect for democratic norms and standards. I therefore call on all those concerned to put an end to this dangerous situation without delay, and to return to the use of democratic means. Democracy, human rights and the rule of law must prevail. The freedom of assembly must be fully respected. YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS. The protesters who were proceeding from the Freedom Square towards Khorenatsi Street have surprisingly changed the direction of the rally and began moving towards the Sari Tagh neighborhood of Yerevan. Sounds of gunshots were heard near the seized police precinct and flashbangs were seen. Some degree of escalation can be seen near the seized police precinct. Police have addressed the demonstrators urging them to disperse. Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police Department Valery Osipyan is currently negotiating with the demonstrators. A day after news media picked up on social media criticism that only five of 15 cast members for a first concert reading of the work-in-progress, a stage adaptation of the hit 1998 animated film about Moses, were nonwhite, Dreamworks and the producing theater called off the event with no explanation. Polish economist Karol Jan Borowiecki, who previously examined the link between art and war, charted the emotional life of the three composers via their correspondence. He found creativity, measured by the number of important compositions (they produced), is causally attributable to negative moods in particular, sadness. Rupture mutually agreed. The creation of a new "front for the conquest of Syria". In this way Nusra Front hopes to escape US and Russian anti-jihadist bombings, and maintain a strong influence on rebel groups. Damascus (AsiaNews) - The Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, announced last night that it has broken ties with the terrorist organization, launching a new face with a new name: Fateh Jabhat al-Sham (Front for the conquest of Syria). Analysts believe that the move - taken in agreement with the leaders of al Qaeda aims to save the group from US-led coalition bombing and Russian raids, and create a link between all the rebel groups, perhaps to exclude "moderates" who are involved in the dialogue on the future of Syria. The announcement was made by the head of al Nusra Front, Abu Mohamad al-Jolani. Appearing for the first time on video (see photos), Jolani explained that the separation from al Qaeda is to "protect the Syrian Revolution", forming a new front that "unites the masses of the people of Al-Sham [Levant] freeing their land, giving victory to their faith". He also thanked "the leaders of al Qaeda for having understood the need to breakr ou bonds" and promised that the new group "will not have any ties with foreign groups". Just last week, US Secretary of State, John Kerry, and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, agreed to take "concrete steps" and save a slender ceasefire in Syria and stop the jihadists of al Nusra Front and the Islamic State. The Jolani move seems an attempt to avoid the external bombings. It is also an attempt to bring together all opposition to Assad under its banner. Al Nusra Front was born in January 2012, almost a year after the conflict in Syria. It is the most important group including the Islamic State militia. Unlike the latter, which fights anyone other than its closest allies, the Nusra Front has collaborated with different rebel groups. by Kamran Chaudhry The Episcopal Commission presents a comprehensive study on violent content in curriculum. Many references to hatred and intolerance fuel an atmosphere of violence, religious fanaticism and extremism. Over the years, textbooks have been cleansed of references to non-Muslim heroes, whilst weapon-wielding warriors have been chosen as heroes. Lahore (AsiaNews) State-approved textbooks and curricula are full of references that incite hatred and intolerance against non-Muslims, this according to a study released yesterday in Lahore by the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of Pakistan. This is not only about religious minorities but a national issue, said NCJP executive director Cecil Shane Chaudhry. It is a red flag for the government, which must ask the Church to promote the role of minorities in creating and defending the country." According to the 40-page study, government-approved curricula used in the countrys four provinces are responsible for the rise in mass violence, religious fanaticism and extremism. It examines the effects of Islamic texts on society, looks at its effects on Muslim students, and reviews educational reforms. At the same time, it points out human rights violations in education policy and in the school system, showing how historical facts are twisted, ending with some recommendations from the Commission. When I was in Grade 6, I felt proud when reading about my fighter pilot dad in the school book, said Cecil Shane Chaudry. However his name along with other non Muslim heroes disappeared by the time I reached in college. For me, this deliberate change set off an alarm bell. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two South Asian countries with compulsory Islamic education. Both nations exclude other religions from the curriculum. Catholic educators have been demanding reforms in the education sector and curriculum policy since 2006, when the government began a dialogue on major educational issues. This year, a chapter on the role of minorities was included. However, 74 per cent of textbooks still encourage militancy and hate speech. For instance, on page 85 of a history book used in Peshawar, a centre of Taliban extremism, one can read that The English took power from Muslims, so they considered Muslims as their true enemies. They closed all doors of development to Muslims. So Muslims had no choice but to fight the English . . . Christian pastors were forcefully converting locals to Christianity. Beards are getting longer, said Asma Bukhari, a Muslim lawmaker. Humanity is disappearing. Both women and Islam are being manipulated. Our textbooks are full of personal opinions, which have nothing to do with Islam. It is embarrassing that extremists shout 'Allah is great' (God is greatest) when they blow themselves up." Mohammad Tahseen, founding director of the South Asia Partnership Pakistan (a consortium of Canadian and South Asian NGOs), praised the NCJP for its courageous step and urged participants to share it in schools, media and news articles. This is more than an academic effort. The cited references from the syllabus are normal for many parliamentarians. We produce Muslim fighters because we have chosen weapon wielding warriors as our heroes instead of poets or Sufi saints, he said. by Mathias Hariyadi Despite criticism from Church and world leaders, Jakarta carries out death sentences. An Indonesian, two Nigerians and a South African are killed. For now 10 prisoners saved, but they are due to be killed before 31 July. Former president Habibie writes to Joko Widodo calling for a moratorium on the death penalty. Jakarta (AsiaNews) The Indonesian death squad carried out four death sentences for crimes related to drug trafficking. The executions took place 50 minutes after midnight (local time). The deceased are the "king of the drug mafia" Freddy Budiman, two Nigerian nationals (Michael Titus, 34, and Humphrey Ejike, 40) and Cajetan Uchena Onyeworo Seck Osmane, a 34 year old South African citizen. For days, the authorities had announced the shooting of 14 prisoners on death row, by 31 July. HM Praseyto, attorney general, did not explain why 10 prisoners have been spared for now. They include Merri Utami, an Indonesian migrant worker and Zulfikar Ali, a Pakistani citizen. The international community has criticized Jakarta's decision to go ahead with the executions. The European Union and the United Nations has asked to suspend the killings. Yesterday, the Indian Foreign Minister addressed a final appeal to save the life of a 48 year old accused of drug dealing. Even Pakistan has stepped up diplomatic efforts to obtain the suspension of the sentence for Ali. BJ Habibie, former president of Indonesia (1998-99) wrote a letter to President Joko Widodo to seek pardon for Ali for "humanitarian reasons." The condemned man, in fact, is in poor health and is forced to move around in a wheel chair and breathe through oxygen tank. In his message Habibie appealed to the government to approve a moratorium on the death penalty "as done by other 140 countries in the world". "My question - writes the former president - is whether it is true that the death penalty automatically stops drug dealing. It is possible to combat drug trafficking without applying the death penalty, as in Sweden and in other countries". Even the Catholic Church has spoken out against the death penalty, undermining human dignity. Yesterday Msgr. Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, asked all the faithful of the diocese to pray especially for the victims of the death penalty and for the approval of the moratorium. Today is the third round of a series of executions that started last year. Since 1979, 70 prisoners have been executed for drug crimes. by Christopher Sharma The species is still endangered even though its numbers are up. Poaching to meet demand from China remains the main threat. In Chinese culture, tiger meat has magical powers, and tiger parts go into local pharmacopeia and religious items. Kathmandu (AsiaNews) Nepal has marked World Tiger Day with several initiatives, events and awareness campaigns but also amid fears for the animals surviva, mainly because of poachers and Chinese culture. Nepals tiger population has been growing in recent years, but the species is still at risk and protecting it remains a challenge. There are three different challenges for tiger conservation in Nepal, said Maheshwor Dhakal, the Deputy Director at National Conservation. They are: managing adequate prey for tigers, controlling poaching and preserving jungle area. Animals living along the border with China were the most at risk. In Chinese culture, tiger meat is seen as precious and sacred, and tiger parts are used for medicines and to purify religious objects. Many Chinese are willing to pay higher prices for them. At present Nepal is successfully protecting its tigers from poachers. That was the largest challenge, Dhakal explained. In fact, Nepali authorities have made significant strides to counter this activity. We successfully convinced China to raise awareness among its people that tigers should be preserved, said Nepals Forestry and Wildlife Minister Agni Sapkota. Chinese traditional medicine started using other items instead of tiger parts, but the risk is still high. For this reason, Nepal has increased its security personnel in protected areas. The tiger is one of the most endangered species in the world, with less than 4,000 animals living in the wild (half in India). In 2010, countries with tiger populations, including Vietnam, Russia, Thailand and Indonesia, met in St Petersburg, Russia, and agreed on a plan (TX2) to double their numbers by 2022. A census carried out in 2013 found that Nepal had 298 tigers. Now that number should be higher. The next census is set for 2018. A Bikini-Clad, Swedish Cop Arrests A Guy Trending News: This Is Why You *Don't* Mess With A Bikini-Clad Sunbathing Babe In Sweden Why Is This Important? Because this is law enforcement for the 21st century. Long Story Short Social media in Sweden was all abuzz this week about the story of a cop sunbathing and wearing only a bikini, who made an awesome takedown of a suspected thief. Long Story Mikaela Kellner has been a Stockholm cop for a while now, but as she points out on her Instagram, its never too late for firsts. A photo of Kellner subduing a suspected thief in a park has been trending in Sweden this week. Its not hard to see why. It was her "first intervention while wearing a bikini during my 11 years as a police officer, according to her Instagram account. Kellner and some friends were sunbathing in a park when a homeless man selling newspapers approached the group, she told the Swedish newspaper Aftonblaedet. Even after the group declined to buy anything, the man kept hanging around. That set her cop spidey-sense tingling. She warned her friends to watch their stuff, but after the man left, one of them noticed her cell phone had gone missing. There was no time, so I ran after him, maybe 15 meters or so, she said. One of my friends is also a police officer, so we got ahold of him. He tried to get away so we held onto him harder, she said. She added that she didnt worry too much about what she was wearing. I did not hesitate. Had I been naked, I would have also intervened, she said. There was nothing stopping me, but it was a little comical that I grabbed him in a bikini. Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question Does anyone still doubt that women can kick ass just as much as men? Disrupt Your Feed Who needs a gun to make an arrest? Drop This Fact Female officers account for just over a quarter of Swedens police force. Jason Bourne Movie Review Does Jason Bourne Still Work In The Obama Era? After the brief tire change that was The Bourne Legacy, Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass try to recreate their franchises political urgency and Pac-man-on-Red-Bull thrills, this time in the Obama-era. Thats a tall order. The original trilogy, which began with 2002s The Bourne Identity and made an effective exit in 2007s The Bourne Ultimatum, is a self-contained bottle rocket of a franchise, easily the best thing to come for action movies since Die Hard. And audiences will recognize so many traits from those originals in the cleanly titled new movie Jason Bourne. There are the extraordinary chases in Athens and Las Vegas that have all the manic energy of modern blockbusters but stay grounded in a bedlam of concrete, broken glass and twisted metal. Sure, they dont hold a candle to what came before, but compared to most action vehicles today, these scenes roar. Theres even a welcome addition with Alicia Vikanders CIA techno-freak Heather Lee. She improvises with keystrokes, planting malware to track enemies and using algorithms on social media to close a net around Bourne. The master of on-the-fly getaways is finding it increasingly hard to go undetected when the public keeps feeding surveillance with Instagram. Whats lost is a sense of passion and an investment in the stakes. Damons Bourne seems as world-weary as ever, especially now that he has his memory back and isnt quite as ignorant to the harm he is capable of. But his character, and the plot that keeps him running, feels like it has chugged past the point of relevance. What made the former trilogy tick-tick-boom wasnt just the storytelling skill but the moment it captured. The Bourne Identity opened not even a year after 9/11; Supremacy (the franchise peak) came along a year the Iraq invasion; and Ultimatum arrived in 2007 to direct its bee sting at the War on Terror and Patriot Act. All three films opened during George W. Bushs presidency. That made former CIA assassin Jason Bournes confusion, distrust and sense of betrayal (his countrys and his own) all the more in tune with the overwhelming emotions of the time, when the public was still digging into the truth about those WMD stories. When we first met him, Bourne was floating in water, a literal man with no country who never sets foot on American soil that is, until the very end of the trilogy when he finally brings his fight home. Channeling the disenfranchised heroes from 70s paranoia thrillers like The Parallax View and Three Days of the Condor, Bournes identity crisis was hard-wired with the disconnect many Americans experienced felt with the Bush administrations prevailing ideology. The characters convenient case of amnesia was a clean slate for him to take a hard look at how hes helped his country meddle in foreign affairs. Then he would go ahead and make amends. In the franchises most jaw-dropping stroke at the end of Supremacy, Bourne barrels through a masterful car chase where two vehicles tango in a Russian tunnel just so he can reach a former victim and take ownership of his mistakes. Things changed when President Obama took office, at least in terms of popular sentiment. There was a renewed sense of hope in leadership. The world is still in conflict but the cynicism towards the current U.S. government is not as palpable as it once was. You felt like the President was guiding us through a mess instead of luring us into one. Tellingly, Jason Bourne had been on hiatus the whole time, perhaps lacking a sense of purpose. Certainly, the current prez isnt the only reason Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass refused to return to the franchise. They had a fall out with the films writer Tony Gilroy, which soured them on returning. Though an interview with Greengrass in the New York Times reports that he took a shot at writing another Bourne movie in the time since, he couldnt find an idea that excited him. Thats why Universal Studios resorted to the placeholder starring Jeremy Renner. You can feel that lack of purpose in this long-awaited return. The franchise just doesnt have the claws it once did; it cant conjure the same outrage in a movie that goes beyond the CIA for a post-Snowden look at how Silicon Valley can be corrupted for the sake of global surveillance. We even tinker with the possibility that maybe Bourne can still fight with his country in a gigabyte war instead of against it. To add some personal motivation for a Bourne who now has his memory back, the film desperately adds a groan-worthy backstory with operatic secrets about the characters past. Once again, Bourne has to look to the time before Obama to get angry. Unfortunately, were just not feeling it this time. But hey, maybe a Trump presidency can renew this characters sense of purpose. More than a thousand people attended the funeral of former Federal Court judge Alan Goldberg who passed away last weekend. He was 76.Leaders of the community, politicians, government officials and his colleagues in the legal field all paid their respects to the well-respected jurist, a report from The Australian Jewish News said.At the funeral on Monday were Federal Attorney-General George Brandis , Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu and fellow jurists and long-time friends Ray Finkelstein and Ron Merkel.Finkelstein said in the funeral service that Goldberg was a brilliant barrister who had the wisdom of Solomon as a judge. Merkel said Goldberg was a real mensch who helped to change all of us here today, and so many others, for the better.Appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2005, Goldberg also served as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia for more than a decade.He also became the president of the Australian Competition Tribunal, the deputy chairman of the committee advising the Victorian Attorney-General on racial vilification and the president of what is now Liberty Victoria.In his career as a barrister, he was involved in many landmark cases over the last 50 years, including in the planned takeover of BHP by Holmes-a-court and the repeal of Tasmanias anti-homosexuality laws in the Rodney Croome case.Goldberg ran for the Liberal Party preselection but was not selected. Frydenberg, in the funeral service, said that it was clear to everyone that the Liberal Partys loss was the legal fraternitys gain.He will be greatly missed, Frydenberg added.Alans wise counsel, loyalty and friendship will be sorely missed by everyone at AIJAC, where he played an important and valuable role over many years, said Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) executive director Colin Rubenstein.Swinburne University, where Goldberg received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in 2015, noted the jurists distinguished career in the law and the protection of civil liberties.In recognition of his career, the Alan Goldberg Scholarship has also been established at Melbourne Law School.The launch of the scholarship was attended by Governor of Victoria the Hon. Linda Dessau AM, Justice of the High Court of Australia the Hon. Michelle Gordon, Chancellor of the University of Melbourne , Elizabeth Alexander, as well as other dignitaries, the major donors and Mr Goldbergs family, a report from J-Wire said. And they came to my house and into my room to talk to me when I was sleeping in my underwear. Thats what Lan Cai, a 20-year-old waitress, recounted in a post on Facebook warning people to stay away from the Tuan A. Khuu & Associates law firm. Now, shes being sued by the Houston outfit in a libel suit seeking between $100,000 and $200,000 in damages. Cai, who works six days a week to fund her nursing studies at the Houston Community College, hired the firm after she got into a major accident. She broke two bones in her lower back after a drunk driver and another car hit her while she was driving home from work one late night. It didnt take long for Cai, however, to dump Tuan A. Khuu, hire another law firm and feel the need to warn others not to waste their time with the firm. Tuan A. Khuu alleges that what Cai wrote online has many half-truths which is why they are suing for defamation, a report from the Houston Press said. The firm claims Cais mother told them to go into her room, which lawyer Keith Nguyen did, afterwards claiming he did not know she was sleeping in her underwear. In a post to the Facebook Group called Vietnamese Americans in Houston, a repost of Cai's review by a Richmond resident, Tuan A. Khuu is said to not have advised Cai which doctor she needed to go to, as was required, days after the incident. I was in a lot of pain. Not only that, they didn't know where the hell my car was! the review reads, before going into the bedroom incident and saying that this was super unprofessional. Cai also wrote that she asked Tuan A. Khuu for a release letter without interest but it took the firm a week to give her one. Not ONLY that, they also put a LIEN on all 3 insurances including my own. I called them, and they told me they were only charging the fees for 2 days. I said that was fine and told them to put it in writing because I needed it, but they kept intentionally ignoring me, the review said. I came in the office to meet with my previous attorney, but [Nguyen] literally ran off, it added. Nguyen told the Houston Press that he was on his way out when Cai went to see him, but that he explained why there were liens on her insurance. The attorney also told the publication that he doesnt feel bad at all about the lawsuit. I feel sorry for her, because again, I gave her plenty of opportunities to retract and delete her post and she refused. She was proud: 'I've got it on Facebook. I've got it on Yelp,' with no remorse, he said. In an email, Nguyen told Cai, It has come to my attention that you have posted some dispariging [sic] words on your Facebook account. ...If you do not remove the post from Facebook and any other social media sites, my office will have no choice but to file suit. However, Nguyen also told the Houston Press that they dont mind if someone writes a bad review, as long as its true. And there isnt a dearth of bad reviews of the firm. Duped and filthy legal services. They trap you in their plan and dupe you out for their own goods. Stay away to protect yourself and your family, Han from Richardson, Texas said of the firm, the publication noted. They like to delay responses and make excuses for not returning calls. Incompetent and unreliable are the words I would use to describe their staff, Kevin from Austin said. I went in for a 'free consultation' and it became a decision I would soon regret, Charlie from Houston wrote. Cai said that she plans to take a semester off with all that is happening at the moment. If she loses the lawsuit, she said she will probably have to drop out. Nguyen said that the lawsuit is not ruining someone's career chances and that Cai and others need to learn that there are consequences for their actions. Hi Everyone, We are Marcus and Magenta. Magenta is a Australian citizen and live in Australia Marcus is a Dutch citizen en lives in Holland. We met each other online, and we meet up in real life, and that was even more perfect. Now we are trying to get Marcus into Australia, but it's even harder then we thought. We hired an migration agent, but not any concrete news so far. Now we found this forum, so we decided to sign up in the hope to read more information on here. Marcus & Magenta. Hi, In Australia it is my understanding that you automatically have the choice of changing a surname from your maiden name to the husbands surname. It does not require a document changing your name like in Deed Poll, basically the marriage certificate gives you the right to change your name. If the applicant has a Passport and National ID card in the Australian husbands surname (with the marriage certificate (& cert translation) from overseas) Do you need any other documentation. I believe in the country we were married in, there may have been a piece of paper issued at the time of marriage stating that a pregnancy test had been conducted and my wife has chanced her name. This was nearly a decade ago, this may have been required for my wife to change the name on her national ID card, can't remember now, if we don't have this (if it even existed) would this be a problem for Aust Immigration with the application for PR 820 ? There is a chance that it may be in storage abroad possibly, (not sure). How important is it. I am referring to Part J mentioning this in 47SP Document Check list. Later Edit : (Further phone calls indicate that in my wife's country this form would have existed.) From 1973 to 1983, literally all American carmakers have given up on making exciting cars. The Malaise Era also took its toll on very underrated C3 Corvette, making everything worse. But before the inevitable happened, Chevrolet had shoehorned the almighty L88 big-block V8 engine under the hood of the C3 Corvette, thus creating an instant classic.Very few L88 were made for the 1968 and 1969 model years, as in 80 and 116 units, respectively. The Corvette L88 Convertible in the adjacent photo gallery is one of the latter and, if youll look closely, it almost seems as if the car rolled off the assembly line yesterday. Mecum Auctions believes that this rarefied piece of American car history is worth anything between $600,000 and $750,000, which isnt unheard of. Earlier this year, Barrett-Jackson had auctioned off a 1969 L88 for $624,800. A year ago, Mecum had parted ways with an L88 Convertible from the same model year for $750,000.Other than the original tank sticker verified by the NCRS historic document service, Protect-O-Plate, and original owners manual, the Fathom Green-painted C3 Corvette also happens to be in pristine condition. Thats because a nut-and-bolt restoration was completed in 1988, a timeframe when the car was at its third owner from new.But the actual reason why the L88 is the most badass of C3 Corvette variants is the engine. Connected to a period correct Muncie M22 Rock Crushed four-speed transmission and a 4.56 posi rear end, the big-block bruiser can develop as much as 560 horsepower. That's a helluva lot more compared to the official SAE Gross rating of 430 horsepower. The car was ordered in California through Lamborghini Newport Beach, who were only too glad to share a few photos on Facebook. The car kind of feels like it's been inspired by the Sesto Elemento without blatantly copying anything in particular.The matte carbon fiber roof is the big story here. Even though the company specializes in such exotic finishes, it took them quite a while to figure out hot to make that complex shape and fix it to the rest of the body.We have no idea how much weight is being saved, but the idea here is to match the carbon fiber finish of exterior components such as the rear wing, rear engine intakes, side intakes, window intakes, and front hood vents.Because of the red center hub caps and brake calipers, the customer also wanted red for the SV graphics, which he got. Inside, everything is made from black leather and Alcantara with accents in red.The exotic supercar's interior also features glossy carbon fiber in the instrument cluster shroud, center media console, navigation screen trim, door panels, Aventador-branded door sills, and fixed bucket seats. Also visible inside is Lamborghini's new "Carbon Skin" for the roof lining.The engine bay still houses a standard 750 PS 6.5-liter V12, but it's been dressed up with the X-cross bracing and T-shaped engine cover in glossy Carbon Fiber.Even though the base price of a Lamborghini is just over $200,000, almost nobody buys that. Looking at how cool the interior looks and the matching carbon everywhere, we can see why. According to the Bloomberg report quoting people familiar with the matter, Apple will only develop self-driving technology for cars, instead of building a car that features the technology.The change in Apple s Project Titan , the companys automotive initiative, is claimed to be linked to the hire of Bob Mansfield , a veteran Apple executive that now leads the division.The same reports, put together by Automotive News , show that Apple also hired Dan Dodge, the former founder and CEO of QNX, a company that developed operating systems, which was acquired by BlackBerry Mr. Dodge is claimed to be a part of the team led by Bob Mansfield, and his job will focus on the development of self-driving car technology, with particular attention to software that allows cars to drive themselves.It is worth noting that the reports do not claim that Apple has abandoned plans to build a car, but they might have been placed in Neutral, while self-driving car software is shifted into high gear with the throttle fully open.Instead of designing and building a car from scratch, Apple could have the possibility of developing an advanced software solution to help existing or future vehicles to drive themselves Apple representatives contacted by Automotive News have declined to comment any of the rumors relating this matter. We must underline that Apple has a habit of not discussing any hearsay regarding future products, so this story is no different from any other regarding plans made by the Cupertino giant.A significant difference between Apple and Google is the formers focus on bringing hardware and software solutions together. Apple does not sell its software to third-party companies, and iOS only runs on devices made by the corporation.Meanwhile, just about any manufacturer can sign a deal with Google and build Android-powered devices. With this in mind, we would take the news of an Apple-powered software solution for such a complex matter with a grain of salt. Bugatti recently opened its first dedicated showroom in London, and the Brits at the Top Gear magazine were curious to know what steps does a potential owner undertake before getting a new Chiron As it turns out, Bugatti representatives are more than happy to talk about the brand and its history. If previous models were discussed in particular, as a machine in itself, the new Chiron is being showcased after Bugatti personnel talks about the roots and spirit of the brand with a potential customer.Unlike Ferrari (and Ford, with the GT), which have a screening process to buy its limited-edition models, Bugatti does not require any recommendations for potential customers. However, half of those that signed up for a Chiron were already Bugatti customers, so this article refers to people new to the brand.According to Anita Krizsan, Bugatti Brand Director at the new H.R. Owen base in Londons posh Mayfair, potential customers are not asked if they can afford the new car.Furthermore, just about any person that walks into the showroom can have a look at the Chiron , touch the vehicle, and feel its shape and physique.Prospective buyers can also be invited on a complimentary trip to Molsheim, France, which is where every Bugatti is made. The representatives will provide a tour of the factory and its surroundings, as well as test drives with previous models. Depending on how things go, a customer may even get to spend hours on their tour and at the wheel of some Bugatti models.If the prospective buyer is not convinced, Bugatti has commissioned an airstrip nearby, which can be used for test driving the Chiron without fear of a speeding ticket. Upon inquiry, the Brits at Top Gear have discovered that no accidents have occurred on customer test drives in the venue.Evidently, you cannot go inside the Bugatti dealership in London and request a free trip to Molsheim for the test drive of your life, as trained sales persons will be able to spot someone that cannot afford the car.Must customers are collectors, and also own boats and planes, so a person with that kind of wealth is easily distinguished without a credit score verification.If your finances are sturdier than Lehman Brothers used to be, Bugatti expects a downpayment of 200,000 pounds. Another unspecified payment is required exactly nine months before production begins, while the rest of the price can be paid anytime before delivery.Unlike most car companies, Bugatti values its relationship with its customers, so after sale services are of utmost importance. At least one representative will be on call for the Chiron client at any time, and almost any kind of repair or scheduled maintenance can be arranged hassle-free for the customer.Bugatti thinks this strategy is essential to its success, not just the specifications of its cars, Top Gear reports. The meet, which took place during the July 16-17 weekend, saw 15 hypercars getting together. And while the automaker brought the Regera we showed you in the story mentioned above and one of the world's seven One:1s (the one Koenigsegg is now rebuilding after that Ring crash), the remaining 13 vehicles were customer cars, with some of them having traveled from far away to make it to the event.With the Christian von Koenigsegg using the video below to explain this makes for 10 percent of the automaker's total production, we're talking about quite a feat. For the record, the last official confirmation we have on the autoamker's overall production number dates back to May, when the K people announced their 128th build.The high-octane hostilities kicked off in Copenhagen, Denmark's capital city, with the go-fast convoy obviously turning into a huge attention magnet."Every point of the journey even the underground parking garage proved to be a much appreciated photo opportunity for both the owners and Scandinavias dedicated car-spotting community," the K brand explains.The next day saw the group driving from Copenhagen to Sweden, which meant crossing the show-worthy Oresund bridge. After what the company calls "a country drive through Skane to Angelholm [ Koenigsegg 's headquarters]," lunch was served inside the factory (check out the image gallery to see how crystal glasses mixed with a titanium exhaust).The Scandinavian weather may have tried to bite the rear-wheel-drive monsters, but nothing could keep the Koenigseggs from going wild on the company's test track. What came next? More driving, of course, with the group going on a wet road adventure.The following day saw the Koenigseggs hopping aboard a ferry and, since such an adventure couldn't go undocumented, you'll find the ferry loading scenes in the second video below. The trip took everybody to the Kokkedal Castle in Denmark and when such an event ends with the cars mixing with a polo event, the horsepower count can only go up. Since both the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz exhibits are based in Stuttgart, the two companies have decided to swap two classic cars in August, and provide a great deal for visitors.Not only will guests have the privilege of seeing a 1966 Mercedes-Benz W111 230S on display in front of the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen, but the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Bad Cannstatt will have an exhibit from Porsche, in the form of a 1975 911 Carrera 2.7.While odd at first, the temporary swap of exhibits arranged in August has the purpose of promoting a special deal for visitors in seeing both museums. Presenting an entrance ticket from the Porsche Museum at the Mercedes-Benz Museum will bring a 25% discount for the ticket holder.The offer is valid for both parties until December 30, 2016. Visitors will pay 25% less to see the Porsche Museum after they have been to the Mercedes-Benz Museum.Offers like these are not unique in the world, but some of them are often conditioned by the purchase of a city visiting card (very helpful, but it still costs money), while this offer is only focused on automotive museums in a city.To the best of our knowledge, Stuttgart is the only town in the world to host two operational automotive museums operated by the automakers that they represent. Italys Turin could have easily been in the same situation if it had separate galleries for Lancia and Fiat in their hometown, and Detroit could do the same if The Big Three each open a brand museum.According to Christian Boucke, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic and Customer Center, many visitors of the brands museum have told him and his colleagues that their only reason for visiting Stuttgart were the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz museums.Car enthusiasts across the world are encouraged to visit both exhibits, and we also suggest a trip to Munchen to see the BMW Welt , the name of the BMW Museum. European fleet management provider Fleet Logistics is looking at expanding into other regions, including Africa, South America and Australia, as it continues its carefully controlled global expansion. The company finished 2015 with a contracted fleet of 180,000 units and is budgeted to finish at around 197,000 vehicles under contract by the end of 2016. However, the company said it is adamant that this year will be one of consolidation, of process refinement and development in new IT platforms and systems. Any growth will come from expansion into countries where its clients already have operations, along with a number of new business wins, but it is not planned to be at the same rate as the previous 12 months. When it comes to expansion, areas already earmarked include Sub-Saharan Africa where a number of new countries will be serviced from a hub in South Africa, the precise location of which has yet to be determined. In South America, new countries include Brazil and Argentina, serviced from the existing hub in Sao Paolo in Brazil. The company currently operates a hub system in Singapore from which it provides fleet management services to an array of countries including India, Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Malaysia, China and Taiwan. Further expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, including the fleet management markets in both Australia and New Zealand, will be facilitated via the Singapore hub, according to the company. Fleet Logistics Chief Commercial Officer Gianni Granata, Ph.D., explained that the company currently had two operating models which it was using in different regions of the world to suit the needs of clients in these areas. Our core business model offers consultancy, professional fleet management including multi-bidding, state of the art reporting and forecasting tools, and we employ this in the main countries in Europe in which we operate, he said. Our second business model offers a reduced version of the above, less in depth with a reduced product offering but on a global basis in countries where we are operating for the first time. The operations we run from our Singapore hub are an example of this second business model and we would also use the same approach for any moves into new countries such as Australia and New Zealand. We use a similar approach in Southern America, although we could see our operations in Brazil migrating from business model two to model one as we become more established there and the economy recovers. Fleet Logistics recently announced it had made its first tentative move operationally into the U.S., working with a large international chemical company with a global fleet of around 8,000 vehicles in a first U.S. pilot project. The project was progressing well, said Granata, but he stressed that the U.S. would not be a targeted destination for Fleet Logistics. We have huge respect for the US fleet management market and for our customers there many of whom have their global headquarters in the US and our American partners, he said. But given the complexity of the market and its scale we do not see ourselves playing a major role there. Granata said that 2016 would focus on consolidation and investment in the business. And he said a degree of corporate reorganization was taking place to better reflect the company that Fleet Logistics had evolved into. We will no longer operate in three regions in Europe nor do we see the need for the role of Chief Regional Officers, as we have become much more of an international player, playing on a world stage, he said. So, instead, we will devolve more power to the countries themselves, including P&L responsibility. And we will create a new management team with a global focus in our head office in Munich, which I will lead, to concentrate on sales, systems development and quality standards, he said. The one exception to this new structure will be in the largely Germanic-speaking countries of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, along with the Czech Republic and Poland, which will continue to be managed by Arnd Martin, the legal MD for the region. There is already an organizational connection between these countries with operational benefits and cost advantages, so it made sense to keep them together under one MD, said Granata. Photo: Nexus Communication A new Guide to Fleet Management in Asia has been produced by Global Fleet to provide international fleet decision makers with greater insight into the main fleet markets of the region and to help them make fleet decisions in a more informed way. The markets covered are China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand, and the guide provides an indepth analysis of each from a variety of different economic, financial and legislative perspectives. Topic areas covered include: Economic landscape and forecast, automotive and fleet car markets, funding methods and available suppliers, legislation and taxation covering company cars, future outlook for fleet management, tips and advice from country experts, and case studies of corporate fleets. Of the individual markets, the guide identifies China as the largest new car market and has a very complex fleet market. With 34 administrative provinces, volatile taxation, and a cluster of mega-cities, harmonization of fleet management in China is seen as a challenge. The guide also notes that fleet management in India is characterized by a preference for buying vehicles, although outsourcing and car leasing are both starting to take off. Driver behaviors and safety are also both big issues. Of the other markets, South Korea has a stable economy driven by technology, while Thailand is seen as following the path to an increased fleet maturity. Malaysia, meanwhile, is an attractive hub for fleet management in South East Asia, and in Indonesia, professional fleet management is still on the starting blocks, according to the guide. The guide, which has been produced with the support of LeasePlan, also includes case studies of global fleet managers, Chris Tinajero of Ericsson and Axel Ernst of Syngenta, who both share insights into aspects of fleet management in Asia. Nick Salkeld, chief commercial officer of LeasePlan Corporation, explains why Asia is both an interesting and challenging fleet management region. Our new Guide to Fleet Management in Asia is essential reading for fleet decision-makers who want to achieve a greater insight into the main fleet markets of six major countries in the region, said Caroline Thonnon, Global Fleet CEO and head of business development. Our 2016 Global Fleet Survey showed that for todays fleet managers, Asia is the region where they have the least information and where they want to increase their knowledge the most. Its little wonder. Asia is a gigantic continent with a jigsaw puzzle of different countries, of which many are at the start of the road to fleet management professionalism. With our Global Fleet expertise platform, we provide information and expertise on the various emerging markets in Asia. The Global Fleet Guide to Fleet Management in Asia can be ordered at a price of 125 (excluding VAT) for the printed version and 95 (excluding VAT) for the digital version through the Global Fleet e-shop at http://shop.nexuscommunication.be/ Jiz is a lot of things rolled into one: queer genderqueer gender-varient trans fag androgynous erotic model pornstar dykestar sex worker artist activist instigator sweetheart lover polyamorous non-monogymous hippie punk leftist past-vegan sex positive nympho slut dyke darling juicy geek. Jizs career started in 2006 with Shine Louise Houstons The Crash Pad (Pink & White Productions) which was awarded the Feminist Porn Awards Best Dyke Sex Scene 2006. Jiz has appeared in approximately 25 released films and a handful of political/art-minded websites. Jiz stared in Houstons 2009 film CHAMPION, awarded 2009 Movie of the Year and nominated Best Video Feature in the 2010 AVN Awards. Other films include queer-meets-mainstream hit Belladonnas Strapped Dykes, and numerous titles by Indie Porn Pioneer Madison Young and Queer Alt Princess Courtney Trouble, and Carlos Batts with muse April Flores. Lee has appeared under various pseudonyms including Gauge, Kaltes Klaris Wasser (Vasa), and Beau Flex, and has appeared in Here!TVs Lesbian Sex and Sexuality Documentary Porn Today: Pushing the Limits, as well as Kink.coms series Behind Kink: Uncovering Porn for Pussies, and can be found online as a prolific character in Pink & White Productions highly acclaimed online porn saga CrashPadSeries.com. Other projects include Joanna Angels upcoming feature Doppleganger, Tristan Taorminos Expert Guide to Female Orgasm and Rough Sex 3: Adrianna Nicoles Dangerous Mind, Dr. Carol Queens GUSH: The Official Guide to the G-Spot, Anna Devias Alpha Femmes. The 2010 Feminist Porn Awards presented Jiz the Boundary Breaker award. In 2010, Jiz was also nominated for the AVN Awards Best New Web Star and walked the red carpet packing an 8 1/2 cock. Throughout the years, Jiz has worked behind the scenes at Pink & White Productions (CrashPadSeries.com, PinkLabel.tv) and fundraised for LGBTQ and sex worker-focused organizations through their erotic philanthropic art project, Karma Pervs. Theyve presented at Princeton University, University of Toronto, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, the American Studies Association Conference, and Wonderlust Helsinki (awarded by the Finnish Association for Sexology), and were featured on MSNBC, Fox News, and Hollywood productions including a recurring role in Amazon TVs Transparent. Performing in porn opened up a lot of opportunities, one of the least anticipated being writing. In 2007, Jiz began a blog to chronicle their adventures in the adult industry. Their words has since appeared in The Feminist Porn Book, Best Sex Writing, Global Information Society Watch: Sexual Rights and the Internet, among other publications. They are the co-editor of Porn Studies Journal Special Issue: Porn and Labour. Coming Out Like a Porn Star marks their first book and foray into editing, and they couldnt be more proud. Bio courtesy of Jiz Lee; photo by Sophia Wallace. image: Wikimedia The pilot was killed when an F/A-18C fighter jet crashed Thursday night during a training mission in southern California, the Marine Corps has reported. The crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. in the vicinity of the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center near Twentynine Palms, about 140 miles east of Los Angeles. The pilot, whose name has not been released, was with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based out of the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego. The F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, carrier-capable multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft. It has been flown since the 1970s by both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of several other nations and, since 1986, by the U.S. Navys Blue Angels. 29 July 2016 10:00 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Armenian invaders continue destroying the monuments regarded as the tangible cultural heritage the occupied Azerbaijani territories. These historical monuments are the heritage of not only Azerbaijani nation but also of all mankind. The destruction of Azerbaijani cultural monuments, illegal trade of cultural objects accompanied by illegal archaeological excavations in fact erase the traces of true history. In general, the Armenian falsification and vandalism has begun long ago. The destruction of Azerbaijani cultural monuments by Armenian nationalists began back in the beginning of the 19th century after tsarist Russia carried out a massive resettlement of Armenians from the Ottoman Empire and Iran to the Azerbaijani territories. Afterwards, Russia conquered Irevan and Nakhchivan khanates and established on those territories the Armenian oblast. Since then, armenization of Azerbaijani toponyms has begun, thus instigating destruction of Azerbaijani monuments of material culture including mosques, palaces, tombs and cemeteries. Armenian historians started falsifying history of the South Caucasus in an effort to prove that ancestral lands of Azerbaijanis and other peoples of the region belong to the newly resettled Armenians. But the Armenians did not stop there. They also implemented mean actions on cities and villages of Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Currently, the administrative centers of the occupied Azerbaijani regions are ruined, including the pearls of Karabakh - Shusha and Aghdam. All this resulted into a fact that almost not a single monument created by Azerbaijanis remained in the west of the country. One of the manifestations of Armenian vandalism is altering the historical toponyms of Karabakh. For instance, they call the palace complex Shahbulagh as "Surenavan", and Aghdam Akna. There are myriads of such examples of erasing the traces of genuine Azerbaijani history. Recently, a new sensation turned up Armenians claimed that they found two places with the remains of ancient city of Tigranakert in the occupied Aghdam region and on the bank of the river Tartar. Another evidence of the Armenian crimes against the Azerbaijani culture is the export to Armenia of historical items found in more than 15 destroyed and looted mounds in the occupied Aghdam region of Azerbaijan. Overall, since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Armenian aggressors destroyed 1,200 historical and architectural monuments, looted 27 museums, over 100,000 items were exported to Armenia. In addition, the Armenian occupiers destroyed 152 religious monuments and 62 mosques, 4.6 million books in 927 libraries, including the Holy Quran and rare Islamic manuscripts. Thus, the policy of Armenia is sufficiently clear destruction of monuments with the aim of not a single piece of Azerbaijani history to remain in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is quite obvious that by falsifying the historical data the ancient and long-suffering Armenian nation tries to support itself with some imaginary right on Nagorno-Karabakh and other Azerbaijani lands. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 10:15 (UTC+04:00) Armenian armed forces have 24 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported on July 29. Armenian armed forces, stationed on the nameless heights of Armenias Ijevan district, in the villages of Voskevan and Shavarshavan of the Noyemberyan district opened fire at positions of Azerbaijani armed forces on the nameless heights and in the villages of Gushchu Ayrim and Kemerli of the Gazakh district. Azerbaijani positions located in the Munjuglu and Alibayli villages of the Tovuz district also took fire from the positions located on nameless heights and in the Aygepar village of Armenias Berd district. Azerbaijani positions were shelled from the positions near the Kuropatkino village of Khojavand district and Mehdili village of Jabrayil district. Moreover, Azerbaijani positions took fire from the positions located on nameless heights of Goygol, Goranboy and Jabrayil districts. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 11:57 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Thirteen days have passed since the seizure of a police station in Yerevan by an armed group Sasna Tsrer, who still stays inside refusing to surrender. Currently, they keep hostage an ambulance crew of three people, including one woman. From the first day of the seizure, Armenian people started their protest actions against authorities by gathering on the Khorenatsi street and some other main venues of the capital. Every evening they conduct rallies in front of the police cordon to stop the implementation of a special operation against the armed group. Last night, demonstrators on the Freedom square carried out a protest march towards Baghramyan Avenue, where the residence of the President is located. Some protesters held posters with the inscription I Want to be a hostage of Sasna-Tsrer. Despite heavy rain and thunderstorm, the demonstrators did not postpone holding of the protest action. However, again the police cordoning didnt allow the protesters to disturb President Sargsyan. The police banned the marchers to continue the action, noting that the protest march had not been notified about, it is illegal and they would not allow its holding. Following that, the demonstrators turned around to the Freedom square. There, they were also met by police crews armed with batons and shields. The activists repeated their requirements including the release of detained demonstrators, resign of the authorities and formation of the transitional government. Meanwhile, protests against the Armenian government have spread to the second largest city of Armenia, Gyumri. The protesters expressed support for the members of the armed group Sasna Tsrer and the arrested citizens. The protesters, mainly youth, walked through the central streets of the city and encouraged citizens to come out and join their struggle. They also appealed to the police to join the procession and be with the people. Meanwhile, the Armenian court made a decision to arrest a member of the armed group Aram Manukian, who is currently placed in a hospital together with his father Pavlik Manukyan. On July 17, a group of armed men entered the territory of the Armenian police patrol department in the Erebuni district of Yerevan and took several people hostage. The attackers demanded the release of Armenian opposition figure Jirair Sefilyan, who was arrested nearly a month ago on charges of illegal possession of arms. They also claim resignation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. Following the long-lasting talks, the armed group on July 23 released all of the hostages. Nevertheless, they refused to lay arms down and surrender to the authorities. On July 27, the group took new hostages. They were four ambulance doctors who arrived at the police station to assist the wounded in the shootout between the police and Sasna Tsrer members. One of the hostages was released, whilst the others are still being kept in the station. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 15:30 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The violation of rights, detentions and disorders carried out by Armenian police and authorities caused a further wave of protest in society. That resulted in rise of anti-government positions in the Armenian society. Yesterday's actions of the Armenian police on Khorenatsi Street are completely meaningless and illegal, the Chairman of the Democratic party of Armenia, Aram Sargsyan stated at a press conference on July 28. The police detained 66 people, five of which were further transferred to the Investigative Committee, on July 27. The detentions were linked with suspicion of alleged carrying of weapons. In the same way, you can detain any man on the street. This is the most wrong and most dangerous political line, pursued by the Armenian authorities, Aram Sargsyan said. The authorities should be accountable to society for their actions, because people require fundamental reforms, he believes. However, the current public opinion is that the authorities have failed to solve the internal problems of the country. Meanwhile, more people support an armed group that keeps seizing a police station in Yerevan. The actions of Sasna Tsrer are an expression of despair, a Canadian actress of Armenian origin Arsine Khanjyan told Radio Freedom. She believes that not only Sasna Tsrer, but by the Armenian people should engage in change of authorities in Armenia. Even if the police, without any rights, will intimidate people, people are no longer afraid. People also try to become the participants of changes, following the example of the heroes [Sasna Tsrer], Khanjyan claimed. Director of the National Self-Determination Union, Paruyr Hayrikyan , for his part, said that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan should resign because he changed the referendum results last year. 70 percent voted against, but the authorities changed everything the way they wanted. He [Sargsyan] named all who saw him as a provocateur slanderers, Hayrikyan said. He believes that the situation in Armenia will not be resolved as long as the current authorities stay in power. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 18:06 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Varuzhan Avetisyan, a member of the armed group Sasna Tsrer that seized the building of the regiment of patrol-guard service in Yerevan, announced that they are ready to release the doctors being kept hostage if they are replaced with another crew. On July 27, the group took hostage an ambulance crew of four doctors, including a woman, who arrived at the police station to assist the wounded in the shootout between the police and Sasna Tsrer members. Later, one of the hostages was released, whilst the others are still being kept in the police station. Avetisyan said that the doctors feel good, they fulfill their professional duties, and the condition of the wounded attackers is normal. He complained on the violation of the ceasefire agreement by Armenian government in relation to Sasna Tsrer members. He said that when Paul Manukyan, the leader of the group, was trying to transfer the injured attackers, Armenian police opened fire at him. Therefore, the attackers will stay in the regiment, and are not going to give up to the Armenian National Security Service. Answering the question on the future actions of Sasna Tsrer, Avetisyan said: We will not surrender and continue until we reach our goal. On July 17, a group of armed men entered the territory of the Armenian police patrol department in the Erebuni district of Yerevan and took several people hostage. The attackers demanded the release of Armenian opposition figure Jirair Sefilyan, who was arrested nearly a month ago on charges of illegal possession of arms. They also claim resignation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. Following the long-lasting talks, the armed group on July 23 released all police-hostages. Nevertheless, they refused to lay arms down and surrender to the authorities. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 20:00 (UTC+04:00) By Mabel van Oranje A few weeks ago in Mozambique, 19-year-old Rosanna told me, If I could give one message to other young girls, it would be to stay in education, and out of marriage. She spoke from experience; Rosanna was a child bride, just like nearly half of all girls in her country. The link between education and marriage is essential. Indeed, the more I speak to girls like Rosanna, who were wrenched out of childhood and married before the age of 18, the more I am convinced of the inverse relationship between the prevalence of child marriage and access to education. I will never forget the young Ethiopian girl who described her wedding day to me as the day that I had to leave school. Rosanna, too, nearly had to write off her education on her wedding day. She was in school when she became pregnant. Growing up in a society where talking about sex is taboo meant that she did not understand what sex was, let alone that it could result in pregnancy. When she found out that she was pregnant, marriage became inevitable and so, it seemed, did dropping out of school. In fact, Rosannas potential could have been extinguished at the moment when her new husband demanded that she end her education a demand imposed on many child brides. But Rosanna was exceptionally courageous and refused, claiming control of her own future. Unfortunately, most child brides do not have that option, and end up facing a far bleaker fate. When girls like Rosanna stay in education, instead of marrying early, the benefits are not theirs alone; their countries economies gain as well. If Niger, for example, were to end child marriage by 2030, the combination of higher educational attainment and lower fertility rates would leave the country $25 billion richer than it was in 2015. That should be enough to make any government pay attention. But the benefits of education extend far beyond statistics. After all, students do not just learn subjects like math, science, and literacy at school. They also develop friendships and learn life skills, such as how to articulate opinions, negotiate, listen, and be respectful toward others. All of these lessons help to boost not just their earning power, but also their confidence and capacity to participate in public life. Beyond creating a better life for herself, an educated, empowered girl supports the prosperity of members of her family and wider community including fathers, brothers, and husbands, as much as mothers and sisters. In short, we all benefit when girls are able to live up to their full potential. Seen in this light, ending child marriage and improving education for girls is a no-brainer. Yet only nine developing countries have developed national strategies to end child marriage. Meanwhile, 15 million girls under the age of 18 are married each year that is a marriage every two seconds. At this rate, in 2050, 1.2 billion women will have been married as children. A lack of quality, safe, and accessible education options surely contributes to this dire reality. Beyond the low-quality education delivered at many schools, girls can face sexual harassment on the way from home to school. Teachers might demand sexual favors in exchange for fair grades. Parents might decide that they would rather put their daughters in the perceived safety of marriage, instead of exposing them to these risks. This partly explains why 65 million girls of primary- and early-secondary-school age are out of school. Recognizing the link between child marriage and education should be central to developing countries development strategies. But education often gets much higher billing than child marriage. The failure to integrate measures to tackle child marriage into development programs hindered progress on six of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which guided global development efforts from 2000 to 2015. The good news is that this is changing. Last year, when world leaders adopted the Sustainable Development Goals to succeed the MDGs, they included targets for both education (to ensure that all children complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education) and child marriage (to eliminate all harmful practices against girls and women, such as child, early, and forced marriage). Ensuring that girls can be students, not brides, is essential to achieving gender equality and economic prosperity. Only with a holistic approach which integrates protections against child marriage, equitable educational opportunities, adolescent health, and poverty reduction can we ensure that girls and women worldwide have the opportunity to fulfill their potential, and thus to contribute positively to their societies. We all need to encourage governments around the world to fulfill their promises to end child marriage and improve girls access to education. As Rosanna put it, We have to fight for our future and the future of our children. Copyright: Project Syndicate: Students, Not Brides --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 14:22 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Azerbaijans Economy Ministry issued 12 documents of the investment incentives with the total worth over 106 million manats ($ 67.00 million) on July 29. The documents were presented to entrepreneurs during a meeting held in the ministry. Deputy Economy Minister Niyazi Safarov, addressing the meeting, said that the government takes systematic measures to bolster entrepreneurship in the country, regardless difficult economic situation in the world. As many as 30 entrepreneurs have received the document of investment incentives so far, overall volume of investments under the documents amounted to approximately 300 million manats ($ 189.6 million). The investments are expected to allow the creation of about 2,700 new work places. The projects cover seven economic areas of Azerbaijan, Safarov said. Businessmen in Azerbaijan became eligible to get a document of the investment incentives following the approval of amendments proposed to the Tax Code of the country. The country is working to create a more attractive business environment, and become more alluring for foreign investments, as it aims to reduce its dependence on oil revenues and diversify its economy. Under the document of investment incentives, half of the revenue of an individual entrepreneur, profits of legal entity are exempted from income tax for seven years. Import of equipment for the implementation of the projects is also exempt of VAT and customs duties. Safarov also said that creation of industrial parks and districts is one of the issues of top priority for the government, mentioning growing interest to the projects. To date, we have already selected residents for Neftchala industrial district while the project of Masalli industrial district received some 33 offers worth over 31 million manats. Moreover, industrial parks in Sumgait, in the village of Balakhani and Garadagh in Baku are currently operating. Works on the provision of infrastructure in Mingachevir industrial district are currently underway. Earlier, Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said that the government plans to invest more than 1.1 billion of manats (about $704 million) in development of the industrial parks. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 17:16 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova A national beauty pageant "Miss & Mister Azerbaijan-2016" will kick off at Buta Palace on August 3, Trend Life reported. "Miss & Mister Azerbaijan-2016" contest has been held in Azerbaijan since 1996. In 2015, Natalia Sokolevsklaya and Elvin Mammadov became the winner of the beauty contest. Finalists will compete in three rounds demonstrating elegant walk, flexibly beautiful make-up and hairstyle, their charm and beauty. The most beautiful girl and boy will be chosen by Azerbaijani citizens and foreigners via online voting on the official web-site of the contest (www.missazerbaijan.org). Contestants and their guests will enjoy a fabulous, fun-filled exciting day. The stunning show will give you vivid emotions and excitement. Hurry up to to buy tickets! To receive an invitation and tickets for beauty pageant, please contact: (070) 220 01 74 (051) 465 44 13 Media partners of the event are Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az and Azernews.az -- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 14:46 (UTC+04:00) Grigory Karasin, Russian deputy foreign minister, state secretary, and John Tefft, US ambassador to Russia, discussed the prospects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, said a message posted on the Russian Foreign Ministrys website on July 29. "During the meeting the sides discussed the situation in Syria and the Caucasus, the message said. The problems related to the conflict in the south-east of Ukraine, the prospects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, as well as other topical issues of the international agenda were also discussed." Russia, along with France and the United States, is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating between the sides to 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 us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 17:51 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Hasanova Italy has announced that it will keep focus on resolution of protracted conflicts, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, during its presidency in the OSCE. Resolution of the conflicts in the OSCE area (Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia and Transnistria), migrant and refugee flow problem and strengthening of relations with the Mediterranean countries will be the core of the agenda during our Presidency, said Paolo Gentiloni, Italian Foreign Minister and future chairman of the OSCE. Italy will chair the OSCE in 2018, while Austria will chair the organization in 2017. Earlier, the German chairmanship also asserted that Germany favors the intensification of the negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, it failed to make any move to achieve a breakthrough in the peace process. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 10:43 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has met with a British delegation led by MP, chair of Azerbaijan All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Bob Blackman. Mammadyarov briefed the delegation on the current state of relations between Azerbaijan and UK, as well as the key areas of cooperation, Azertac reported. The minister praised the country's cooperation with BP in the energy sector, including the development of Azerbaijan's oil and gas fields and the realization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which, he said, was considered the key route for the export of crude oil. Mammadyarov highlighted the regional projects which were initiated by the country, underlining their benefits to the participating states and the whole region. He further emphasized the essence of the North-South and East-West transport corridors and the targets set forward, providing an insight into the steps taken by the country in this regard. Saying Azerbaijan could be a model to the world for its traditions of multiculturalism and tolerance, the FM noted that people of different religions had lived together in peace in the country for centuries. Pointing to the history of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the current state of negotiations on the conflict settlement, FM Mammadyarov drew the British parliamentarians' attention to Azerbaijan`s stance. The British MPs praised the development processes and achievements of Azerbaijan in a variety of fields. Earlier, the delegation was received by Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev. They discussed cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture and tourism. Garayev informed the MPs about the development of the culture and tourism in the country, as well as reconstruction works carried out in Azerbaijan. The sides expressed assurance that development of cultural and tourism relations would continue to develop between the two countries even further. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 15:41 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova The International Organization for Migration (IOM) greatly values its cooperation with the government of Azerbaijan. IOM Regional Director for the South and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia Argentina Szabados made the remark as she met with the country`s Deputy Premier, Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs, Ali Hasanov, Azertac reported. She praised Azerbaijan`s management of migration processes, saying this practice could serve as a role model for other countries. Szabados also applauded tolerance in Azerbaijan as well as transparent working conditions created in the country for foreign organizations, noting the necessity of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and the IOM. Hasanov, for his part, recalled National Leader Heydar Aliyevs and President Ilham Aliyevs meetings with the IOM Director-Generals at various times. He said these meetings discussed ways of deepening cooperation between the country and the organization. The deputy premier hailed the work of the IOM Baku office, particularly humanitarian and development projects. Azerbaijan is open for new projects of the IOM, he emphasized. After the restoration of independence we used professional experience and expertise of the IOM to build a legal framework for solving the problem of migration which was new for us at that time. Today Azerbaijan has joined international conventions, improved its national legislation to international standards and built a robust legal framework in this sphere., Hasanov said adding that the government of Azerbaijan is interested in continuing and developing cooperation with the IOM. The official emphasized that Azerbaijan was an attractive destination for migrants due to its economic advancements and the government`s effective policy to create new jobs and improve the living standard of refugees and IDPs. Speedy development of the country has led to an increase in the number of migrants visiting Azerbaijan, so we still need to continue cooperation within the IOM in priority areas, he said. Szabados hailed Azerbaijan`s great achievements despite the occupation of a fifth of its territory and the existence of more than one million refugees and IDPs. She lauded the conditions created for refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan thanks to efforts of President Aliyev. She expressed hope that her visit to Azerbaijan would contribute to cooperation between the country and the organization. With a population of over 9.6 million, Azerbaijan is among the countries carrying the highest IDP caseload in the world in per capita terms. Due to the ethnic cleansing policy carried out by Armenia and the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions of Azerbaijan, the number of refugees and internally displaced persons hit more than 1.2 million. Over 20 years, Azerbaijan has allocated $ 6 billion to resolve social problems of refugees and IDPs, as well as 250,000 refugees and IDPs were provided with apartments in 93 modern towns for temporary dwelling, according to the official. The level of poverty among them declined from 75 percent to 12 percent. Azerbaijans achievements in the resolution of problems of internally displaced persons were hailed by the international organizations and countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 10:17 (UTC+04:00) Turkeys Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar will remain in office, according to the Supreme Military Councils decisions announced late Thursday, Anadolu reported. In remarks made at a press briefing following a five-hour meeting of the Supreme Military Council in the capital Ankara, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Land Forces Commander Gen. Salih Zeki Colak, Air Forces Commander Gen. Abidin Unal, Naval Forces Commander Gen. Recep Bulent Bostanoglu, and Fleet Commander Admiral Veysel Kosele were also going to keep their respective posts. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler was appointed the new Gendarmerie Commander while Gulers previous post was given to former First Army Commander Gen. Umit Dundar. Gen. Musa Avsever is now the new First Army Commander while Gen. Ismail Metin Temel is the Second Army Commander. Third Army Commander Gen. Ismail Serdar Savas, and Aegean Army Commander Gen. Abdullah Recep are also keeping their posts, Kalin said. Gen. Hasan Kucukakyuz was appointed the Commander of Combatant Air Force and Air Missile Defense Command. General Tahir Bekiroglu was appointed the Commander of Land Forces Training and Doctrine Command. Kalin added the council's decisions had been approved by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, the meetings venue was -- in the wake of the July 15 failed coup -- changed for the first time from General Staff headquarters to the prime minister's residence at the Cankaya Palace. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 12:04 (UTC+04:00) Turkey has launched searches in houses and apartments of supporters of Fethullah Gulens movement, the Haber7 newspaper reported on July 29. Over 150 people were detained as a result of the searches in 250 apartments of Gulen supporters on July 29 in Izmir province alone. Such searches will be carried out in other Turkish provinces as well. Reportedly, a number of employees of Turkish Akdeniz University were also detained on July 29 as part of the fight against Gulen movement. Also, Head of the Executive Board of Boydak Holding Mustafa Boydak has been detained in Turkeys Kayseri province, the Sabah newspaper reported. Vice chairman of the Board of Directors Sukru Boydak has also been detained. Currently, searches are underway in the apartments of the detained. Mustafa Boydak and Sukru Boydak have been detained for rendering financial assistance to the terrorist organization of Fethullah Gulen who was involved in the military coup attempt in Turkey. The July 15 coup attempt occurred when rogue elements in the Turkish military tried to overthrow the country's democratically elected government. Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly plot, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 2,000 others, was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen. Gulen is also accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration into Turkish state and government establishments, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the "parallel state". The General Staff of Turkish Armed Forces has said that 8,651 servicemen of the armed forces participated in the military coup attempt in the country. The rebels used 35 planes, 37 helicopters, 246 tanks and three vessels during the military coup attempt in Turkey. The Turkish president declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 12:25 (UTC+04:00) Turkey and Russia will discuss the details of construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline during the meeting of the two countries energy ministers in Moscow on August 9, Turkeys Economy minister Nihat Zeybekci told CNN Turk onJuly 29. Currently, there are no obstacles to construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey in accordance with the Russian project, he added. The minister noted that Ankara and Moscow have nearly agreed to completely lift the sanctions on import of Turkish goods to Russia. Earlier, Turkish presidential administration told Trend that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will discuss a number of important economic and political issues during the meeting in St. Petersburg on August 9. Fighting the terrorist organizations in Syria is among the issues planned to be discussed during that meeting, said the presidential administration. Moreover, the presidents are expected to discuss the joint energy projects of Russia and Turkey, such as the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and the construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant. The parties will also discuss the ways of further developing the relations between Ankara and Moscow, said Turkeys presidential administration. The relations between Russia and Turkey deteriorated after the Su-24 bomber incident in 2015. On June 27, Erdogan sent a letter of condolences to Putin over the death of Russian Su-24 pilot and expressed regret over the incident. Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, commenting on the improvement of relations between Turkey and Russia, thanked Azerbaijan for its contribution to normalization of the relations. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 12:39 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Hasanova Commander of NATO forces in Europe, General Curtis Skaparotti said on Thursday that the resumption of cooperation between Russia and Turkey is "a positive step" for NATO, RIA Novosti reported. "We have encouraged Turkey to solve the problem with Russia and restore the cracked relations after downed Russian bomber Su-24," said Skaparotti at a security forum in Aspen, the U.S. State of Colorado. "It is a positive step that the sides have left it behind. Hence, they can work closer with us on the border with Syria." The general added they are closely watching the further development of relations between two countries. The crisis in relations between Russia and Turkey began after the incident with the downed Russian plane on November 15. After the incident, the Russian president signed a decree on measures to ensure national security and launch special economic measures against Turkey. The turning point in the situation came after the letter of Recep Tayyip Erdogan to his Russian counterpart, where he expressed condolences to the family of the deceased pilot of SU-24 and regret over the incident with the Russian aircraft. On June 29 the presidents of Russia and Turkey held a telephone conversation to normalize their cracked relations. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on August 9 in St. Petersburg. The issues of normalization of relations and a series of economic and political issues are expected to be discussed during the visit. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 13:30 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov While the summer months are known as vacation time, its also peak season for the Emergency Situations Ministry to ensure the safety of people. Many in Azerbaijan rush to beaches when the summer months had temperatures warmer than average. To provide visitors with convenient and safe conditions for rest on beaches, the ministrys staff carries out regular inspections. The Ministry, talking to Trend on outcomes of inspections, revealed that five jet skis on the beaches of Baku villages Turkan and Sahil were banned of use due to rough violation of the rules of control over safe operation of small vessels. Appropriate measures will be taken against the violators, the ministry said. From the beginning of summer season, local beaches are regularly being checked for compliance by the government structures. For instance, the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry periodically examines the coastal water of the Absheron peninsula for its fitness for bathing. The Ministry assured that monitoring will be held systematically throughout the whole vacation season to ensure the safety and healthcare of visitors. Moreover, the Main Police Department of Baku carried up numerous audits on Baku beaches in July, which resulted in drawing up of records regarding 20 object owners on violation of legal requirements on industrial and household waste. Moreover, three other object owners were penalized on dumping of waste in inappropriate places. The audits will continue until the summer season ends. Overall, the most popular beaches of Azerbaijan are located in Mardakan, Shuvalan, Novkhani, Buzovna, Zagulba, Pirshagi, Nardaran, Turkan and Hovsan villages of Absheron peninsula. All beaches are equipped with changing rooms, loungers, awnings, umbrellas to protect from the sun, warm-water showers, toilets, and drinking water supplies. Furthermore, a number of bus routes make their trips to the beaches every day. The important moment is that the entrance to the beaches and coastal area is free, and the Baku districts executive authorities have been entrusted to monitor their compliance with this requirement. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 July 2016 16:00 (UTC+04:00) The German page of Azerbaijans history is one of the most interesting facts of the world. Unstable situation in Germany in the 18th-19th centuries forced some Germans to leave their homelands. Landless German peasants left their native German princi pality of Wurttemberg at the beginning of the 19th century, and found shelter many thousands of kilometers away in Azerbaijan, which was then part of the Russian empire. A number of colonies were created across the country. In early 19th-20th centuries, three of eight German colonies, Eigenfeld, Annenfeld and Georgsfeld, were located in Shamkir. These colonies were a shelter for German colonists, who created a little Germany here with cozy houses built in German style and tidy streets, with pear and plane trees along them. But, the World War II destroyed the peaceful life of the colony. Germans were exiled from their second home by Josef Stalin. In October 1941, more than 20,000 German colonists were living in Azerbaijan, and almost all of them were deported to Siberia, Northern Kazakhstan or to the Soviet Republics of Central Asia, to harsh environments. In 2017, Azerbaijan will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first settlement of Germans in Azerbaijan and this date will be marked by UNESCO. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 79F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 48F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Top 13 dealer tricks Most car dealers arent really out to rip you off, but keep in mind that car dealerships are for-profit entities. In her speech accepting the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton wrongly implied Donald Trump has proposed banning Islam in America and sketched out a plan for defeating Islamic State militants that merely mirrors what the U.S. is already trying to do. Clinton spoke Thursday night to the largest TV audience she is likely to have until the presidential debates, meaning many Americans were probably hearing of her agenda for the first time. Although she brings plenty of policy detail when stacked against the broad-brush ideas of her Republican rival, in some cases there's less than meets the eye to what she says she will do. A college education, for example, might not end up as debt-free for everyone as she suggested. For his part, Trump spun a story about the Iran nuclear deal that was more fiction than fact at an Iowa rally that preceded Clinton's convention speech. A look at some of the claims from the political maelstrom: CLINTON: "I've laid out my strategy for defeating ISIS. We will strike their sanctuaries from the air, and support local forces taking them out on the ground. We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks before they happen. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country. It won't be easy or quick, but make no mistake we will prevail." THE FACTS: Clinton might as well have said she laid out President Barack Obama's strategy for defeating Islamic State militants. Everything she mentioned, the Obama administration already is trying to do. CLINTON: "Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all." THE FACTS: Tuition-free for students who go to an in-state public college or university. Debt-free is a harder lift. Clinton has adopted parts of Sanders' plans to defray some of the costs of higher education. Under her proposal, the government would pay for tuition at in-state colleges and universities for students from families earning less than $125,000 a year. That would leave students still bearing the cost of room and board, which makes up more than half of the average $18,943 sticker price at a four-year public university, according to the College Board. Experts worry about other impacts: Will colleges raise tuition once the government starts paying, increasing the cost to taxpayers? Will more students flock to public colleges because of the subsidy, also raising costs? CLINTON: "In my first 100 days, we will work with both parties to pass the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II." THE FACTS: It would be the biggest since World War II only if you don't count Obama's $814 billion 2009 stimulus. Clinton doesn't have price tags on all her proposals, but the bulk of the investment appears to be her plan to spend $275 billion over five years on roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Obama's stimulus included infrastructure as well as tax cuts and aid to state and local governments, all intended to boost the economy and hiring. CLINTON: "We will not ban a religion." THE FACTS: Trump never proposed banning Islam in the U.S., as Clinton seems to suggest. He proposed a freeze on the entry of all foreign Muslims into the U.S., then adapted the idea with several iterations. Recently he said he'd stop immigration from any country compromised by terrorism, or impose "extreme vetting" on people coming from places with a history of terrorism. He's also spoken in support of surveillance on mosques in the U.S. As contentious as his thinking has been on the subject, it hasn't extended to outlawing a religion. CLINTON, on taxing the wealthy and corporations: "Because when more than 90 percent of the gains have gone to the top 1 percent, that's where the money is." THE FACTS: While vague, Clinton's claim probably relies on outdated figures and exaggerates inequality. Her assertion echoes similar claims made by Sanders during the primary campaign, though it's not clear if she is referring to income or wealth or over what time frame. According to Emmanuel Saez, the University of California at Berkeley economist whose research on the wealthiest 1 percent helped spark the Occupy Wall Street protests, income gains have been more widely shared in recent years. The top 1 percent captured 52 percent of the growth in incomes from 2009 through 2015, still a hefty amount. But that's down from the 2009 through 2012 period, when the top 1 percent captured 91 percent of the growth. CLINTON: "In Atlantic City, 60 miles from here, you'll find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Donald Trump refused to pay his bills. People who did the work and needed the money, and didn't get it not because he couldn't pay them, but because he wouldn't pay them." THE FACTS: Indeed, Trump casinos failed on several occasions. During the bankruptcy of the Taj Mahal Casino in the early 1990s, some contractors who'd helped Trump build the property went bust because Trump's company didn't pay what it owed them. Trump himself was short on cash at the time, though his bankers did give him a $450,000-a-month allowance to maintain his lifestyle while his debts were renegotiated. DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION VIDEO, narrated by Morgan Freeman: "She could have joined a big law firm, been a corporate bigwig. Instead she chose the Children's Defense Fund. There, she went door-to-door gathering stories to help children with disabilities over denied schooling." THE FACTS: She had a "bigwig" path in her legal career, too. Although Clinton did devote her early career years to the Children's Defense Fund, she also worked at the Rose Law Firm, a prestigious Little Rock, Arkansas, firm and the third oldest in the United States. Clinton became its first female partner when her husband, Bill, was the state attorney general and then governor. Among the firm's clients were Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart and several brokerage houses. It became well-known during the Whitewater scandal, when investigators probed real estate deals between the Clintons and a Rose client, Jim McDougal. CLINTON: "Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again well, he could start by actually making things in America again." THE FACTS: Trump has regularly sourced his branded products from overseas, including his menswear line and products for his hotels. Trump has defended himself on the grounds that as a private businessman his priority is to make money. But in stump speeches, Trump has regularly shamed companies like Apple for doing the same and manufacturing products elsewhere. Gov. Rick Scott held a roundtable discussion with medical officials in Orlando on Friday to find out how theyre prepared for the Zika virus. 383 people have been diagnosed with Zika in Florida President pledged $5.6 million for mosquito-control efforts Scott has pleaded with Congress, White House for more resources to fight Zika spread The meeting was held at the Orange County Florida Department of Health offices on Lake Ellenor Drive. During a press conference, Gov. Scott said that at least four people in South Florida were bitten by mosquitoes that likely carry the Zika virus. In these four cases, health officials say the people didn't travel outside of the state, meaning that it's possible the mosquitoes carrying the virus are in Florida. #Breaking: Gov Scott says 4 people who have #Zika got bit by mosquitoes with the virus in #Florida. @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/zU22MEmfJT Jerry Hume (@JerryHume) July 29, 2016 All other cases in the state involve people who traveled to Latin America and contracted Zika there and then returned to Florida. A total of 383 people have been diagnosed with Zika in the state. Zika continues to spread in Florida. Scott has pleaded with both Congress and the White House for more resources to combat the spread of Zika. President Barack Obama has pledged an additional $5.6 million for mosquito-control efforts in Florida, but Congress has refused to pass a deal for vaccine research funds. Senator Mark Rubio issued a statement following the announcement by the Florida Department of Health. "The news is disturbing, but no one should be surprised," said Rubio. "I've been warning Congress for months that we would eventually have locally transmitted cases of Zika virus in the United States, and sadly that has now become a reality. We need to prepare ourselves for more locally transmitted cases to emerge in the weeks ahead. All of us must redouble our efforts to protect our families from mosquitoes and, whenever possible, to prevent water from pooling where mosquitoes might breed." On Friday, OneBlood announced all blood collections throughout its service area in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina will be tested for Zika effective immediately. OneBlood says if testing reveals a unit of blood is reactive for the Zika virus, the unit will be quarantined. The decision comes after the FDA asked that all blood donations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties be completely stopped until blood could be tested. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Starting Monday, Aug. 1, just weeks before colleges are back in session for the fall semester, licensed gun owners will be allowed to bring concealed handguns into public four-year colleges in Texas. The campus-carry law was signed last summer by Governor Greg Abbott after years of statewide wrangling and debate. In the past year, the new law, sometimes referred to as simply "campus carry," has continued to be the subject of much conversation. Coupled with the outcry in some circles over open carry in Texas (which went into effect in January), its been hard to escape talk about the concealed or open possession of firearms. The recent rash of tragic shootings across the state has only reheated that conversation. RELATED: Regents OK campus carry policy for Lamar University With universities getting ready for the fall semester, many students and parents are likely wondering what campus carry means for them. Some schools have opted out of campus carry, citing their own list of concerns. One Houston lawyer, Charles Adams, says that even as a gun owner himself he doesnt agree with campus carry. By the same token, hes not a fan of "safe spaces" on college campuses that protect students from strident rhetoric or difficult discourse, either. I do believe campuses should strive to create a space safe from physical harm and fear. I strongly believe 'campus carry' is antithetical to that goal, Adams says. Guns wont be going with his teenage son when he enters Rice University in the coming weeks, because Rice doesnt allow campus carry. I own guns. My son who is about to be a freshman in college owns guns. But he will not have one with him on campus. His chosen school, Rice University, does not allow it and if they allowed it, I would not, Adams says. RELATED: Three University of Texas professors sue to block campus carry law Earlier this month, at least three University of Texas at Austin professors filed a lawsuit over the state's new campus carry law. Jennifer Lynn Glass, Lisa Moore and Mia Carter want a federal judge to block the law. They are suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, UT Austin President Gregory Fenves and the UT regents to do so. "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 professors argue in the lawsuit filed in U.S. district court in Austin earlier this month. Some professors across the state have said that they think that campus carry will stifle heated discourse inside classrooms and lecture halls. RELATED: UH faculty suggest steering clear of some topics if students armed The argument, or fear, is that students carrying guns will in some way influence the way that some material is taught or discussed. One University of Houston professor thinks such concerns are overblown. "It's an absolutely unfounded fear," Jacob Smith, who teaches courses at UH as he works toward a doctorate in economics, said in February when many UH professors protested the law. Like many supporters of the new law, Smith said he wants to be able to protect himself and mentions all the alerts from UH about armed robberies and break-ins he receives. Adams thinks that campus carry is a waste of time, which would be better suited tackling other on-campus issues. Instead of allowing students to have firearms on campus, we should stop wasting valuable law enforcement energies on the very pointless war on drugs and vice crimes, and, instead, focus all campus police on insuring that our students are free from fear of violence and victimization, Adams says. A prominent campus carry group, Students for Concealed Carry, has repeatedly said in press materials that campus carry to them is more about personal protection than campus protection. RELATED: Sex toys to replace guns at UT-Austin campus carry protest The evidence strongly suggests that licensed concealed carry will have no detrimental effect on Texas college campuses and that there is no justification to deny licensed students, faculty, staff, or guests on those campuses the same measure of personal protection they enjoy throughout the rest of the state, the group said in a statement earlier this year. As for the fears of professors who think that gun-toting pupils will make taking on hot topics dangerous, the group thinks they are being dramatic. There is little or no evidence that it negatively impacts free speech in the places where its allowed, including more than 100 U.S. college campuses and several state capitols, they say. They note that those who have been licensed to carry a concealed firearms have passed a training course, a shooting test and extensive background checks, making them a cut above. Adams is worried that even with licensed owners on campus, the harm will outweigh the good. I think campus carry will lead to tragedy very quickly if students are allowed firearms in dormitory rooms. I think it will most likely be an accidental tragedy but a tragedy nonetheless. Kids, and most undergraduate students are still kids, do stupid things, he says. According to data from the Texas Department of Public Safety, college-age Texans aren't the ones getting the majority of licenses to carry. Back in 2015, just under 10,000 Texans under 24 years of age were getting those licenses. The majority of Texans getting license-t0-carry certifications were between the ages of 35 and 65. Walnut Creek, Calif.-based John Muir Health and UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco have expanded their ACO, which will allow it to better compete with California health giants like Sacramento-based Sutter Health and Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Formed in 2015, John Muir and UCSF's Bay Area Accountable Care Network originally included five hospitals. The ACO recently expanded, adding seven more hospitals and three medical groups. With the addition of the new facilities, the ACO has been renamed Canopy Health. The following California hospitals recently joined Canopy Health: San Ramon (Calif.) Regional Medical Center, Washington Hospital in Fremont, Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, Sonoma (Calif.) Valley Hospital, San Leandro (Calif.) Hospital, Alameda (Calif.) Hospital and Highland Hospital in Oakland. More articles on ACOs: BCBS of Kansas, St. Francis launch ACO Wellmark saves $35M in ACO contracts: 5 key statistics Essentia, Medica launch ACO The following hospitals announced plans to expand, upgrade or renovate their facilities in the last week. 1. UNC Hospitals to borrow $250M for new surgical tower Chapel Hill-based UNC Hospitals changed the proposed location for its planned 6-story surgical tower as it prepares to borrow $250 million to pay for the project, one of the system's largest ever bond issues, according to The News & Observer. 2. IU Health opens new urgent care clinic Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health opened its fifth urgent care clinic since 2015. 3. TriHealth completes $6.8M expansion of McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital ED Cincinnati-based TriHealth will open the expanded emergency department at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford, Ohio, according to a Cincinnati Business Courier report. 4. Transylvania Regional Hospital to expand ED Brevard, N.C.-based Transylvania Regional Hospital is planning to build a new emergency department to keep up with the surrounding community's growing population, according to News 13 WLOS. 5. Sovereign Health expands to Pennsylvania San Clemente, Calif.-based Sovereign Health will open a facility in Ashland, Pa., in 2017. 6. UPMC to open advanced cancer center in Colombia Pittsburgh-based UPMC and long-time partner Bucaramanga-based Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia are opening one of the most advanced cancer centers in Colombia. The new Oncology Institute, which is part of a recently opened 870-bed hospital owned by FCV, will serve both adults and pediatric patients. 7. Penn Medicine to build Center for Healthcare Technology Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania plans to build a non-clinical office tower in West Philadelphia that will serve Penn Medicine's corporate functions and house childcare for employees of the health system, according to the Philly Voice. 8. Construction company plans 4 microhospitals in central Indiana Embree Group, a construction and development company based in Georgetown, Texas, unveiled plans to build four "microhospitals" in central Indiana, a region where community hospitals, urgent care centers and retail clinics already compete for patients, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) plans to call a special session of the Legislature to consider a proposal to help fund state services, according to AL.com. It's been 17 years since Alabama voters last rejected a proposal to launch a state lottery, put forth by Gov. Don Siegelman (D). According to Gov. Bentley, the state cannot afford to finance basic services, and has relied on loans for decades to fill the gaps. "The time has come for a permanent solution," Gov. Bentley told AL.com. "This solution will provide funding that we can count on for year after year without ever having to raise your taxes or put one more Band-Aid on our state's money problems." The most urgent issue currently is the Alabama Medicaid Agency, as it consumes the most money from the state General Fund and serves about 1 million Alabamians. Earlier this year, legislators overrode Gov. Bentley's veto and approved a budget that will allocate $700 million from the General Fund to Medicaid for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, according to the repot. Gov. Bentley said Medicaid requires $785 million to maintain services while transitioning to a managed care program operated by regional care organizations. "Let's hear from the people of this great state on whether the time has come to approve a statewide lottery to help fund essential state services for our children, our elderly, those with mental illness and those who are in most need, as well as the men and women in law enforcement," said Gov. Bentley, according to the report. The governor added his proposal would only allow for the lottery and no other forms of gambling. He did not give a date for the session, but lawmakers would have to approve a lottery bill by Aug. 24 to get the measure on the ballot for the general election Nov. 8, according to the report. The sun is setting on paper-based payments in healthcare, prompting many healthcare organizations to digitize their business-to-business payment functions. This was the theme discussed during an executive roundtable held during Becker's Hospital Review's 7th Annual Meeting in Chicago and sponsored by American Express. Perspectives shared in the discussion have been summarized below. As government and commercial payers reduce reimbursement levels, many hospitals are seeing their margins shrink. Hospitals and health systems must find new ways to streamline operations to remain financially viable. While accounts payable departments may not be the sexiest place to focus cost-cutting efforts, reducing waste and improving workflow in this area can have a profound impact on hospital spend. Most hospital accounts payable departments currently use paper-based processes, which can be costly, tedious and ineffective, Stephen Anderson, Manager of Business Development for Healthcare and Education Payment Solutions with American Express. Cutting and mailing checks to service parties and suppliers carries significant material costs, including paper, printing and postage expenses. The more vendors a hospital contracts with, the more cumbersome and costly their payment process. Additionally, sending business checks through the mail makes checks vulnerable to loss or theft, and there is a fee associated with reissuing payment or responding to instances of fraud, Mr. Anderson added. This labor- and time-intensive payment process can harm the hospital's relationship with its supplier, which wants payment as quickly and efficiently as possible. Fortunately, moving paper-based processes onto electronic platforms is low-hanging fruit for hospitals eyeing cost-cutting opportunities. How automating processes can help Buyer initiated payment(BIP) programs help relieve the administrative burdens associated with account payables by automating manual processes through an electronic platform. These automated payment solutions can work in place of or alongside a hospital's preferred banking partner to make account transfers seamless, efficient and on-schedule. A BIP program enables hospitals and health systems to better manage and understand their spend behaviors, said Bryan Olson, Manager of Business Development for Healthcare and Education Payment Solutions with American Express. American Express' BIP program is uniquely positioned to help hospitals manage their cash-flow. Accounts payable staff can direct American Express to make payments to vendors as the hospital receives invoices. Unlike paying by check, however, the hospital is not out any cash because American Express fronts the appropriate check amounts, incumbent upon the hospital footing the total spend once a month. This arrangement enables the hospital to be more flexible with its cash flow and extend or withdraw capital as needed. In addition to operational advantages, BIP can improve hospital relationships with business partners by offering more favorable payment terms with improved speed and efficiency. The CFO of a nonprofit, two-hospital system in the Midwest said his organization currently uses an e-commerce solution. An e-commerce program has many of the same benefits in principle as a BIP it can facilitate electronic payments automatically, reduce administrative burdens and material spend and improve spend management. For this system, the program has dramatically revolutionized how the system does business by eliminating the need for staff to personally monitor each electronic transaction. "Talk about a culture shift, our e-commerce program moved the needle dramatically in terms of our speed-to-pay," said the CFO. Unlike American Express' BIP solution, e-commerce programs typically require the hospital open a credit card in order to facilitate transactions. This can be a hassle for hospitals that are satisfied with their current banking relationships. American Express' BIP solution works in concert with hospitals' existing relationships with banks, thereby eliminating the need to open a new account. Unlike BIP, e-commerce solutions also don't offer the benefit of giving clients greater flexibility with their spend, like American Express does by fronting hospital expenses. Baking it into your contract An important element of adopting a BIP program is planning for strategic supplier contracting after an e-commerce or BIP solution is implemented. Both the hospital and supplier must have an agreement with the e-commerce or BIP facilitator to use the respective platform. This means payment methodology must be part of the contracting discussion. The CFO of the Midwest system said his organization has had some success in negotiating a payment method during contract discussions with its suppliers. "We have found [payment methodology] really is part of vendors' contracting schemes" in addition to payment terms, he said. Unfortunately, this can make or break potential or existing service agreement contracts. E-commerce and BIP facilitators contract with a broad network of suppliers, vendors and banks. These companies can be a valuable partner to hospitals and health systems by steering organizations into new vendor relationships with reduced service rates. This can aid hospitals as they pursue greater operational efficiency and reduce spending, which are essential strategic priorities for all hospitals as they navigate the shift to value-based payment models. The content in this published material is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, tax, legal or other professional advice on any subject matter. Please contact your investment, financial, tax, legal or other professional advisor regarding your specific needs and situation. American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (American Express) do not accept any responsibility for any loss which may arise from reliance on information contained in these materials. The statements and opinions by participants are those of the participants and not those of American Express. References to third-party companies, products, or services that may appear do not constitute endorsements by American Express of such companies, products, or services. Imagine opening your medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink in the morning. One shelf is littered with a toothbrush, mouthwash, a spool of floss and a bottle of aspirin. A jar of q-tips, a razor and a box of bandaids sit on another. And on the last shelf, a miniature physician in clean whites holds a tiny tablet, smiles at you, and asks "How are you feeling feeling this morning?" "If I had to capture what telemedicine and telehealth is all about, this is the one image that tells the story better than anything else," says Roy Schoenberg, MD, co-founder, president and CEO of American Well. "Having a personal physician in your medicine cabinet represents the capability to extend care to where it's most convenient for us." Today, the argument for telehealth no longer comes from the fringe. But it wasn't always that way, according to Dr. Schoenberg. He says 2016 is actually a very compelling time for the concept of virtual care and virtual visits because quietly, with little fanfare, all of a sudden the industry has reached a consensus that telehealth is here to stay. A very similar timeline and trajectory of acceptance can be mapped out for Amazon, Dr. Schoenberg says. When the company first launched in the mid-1990s as an online book retailer, the odds were very much stacked against it. Customers didn't trust buying books online without first flipping through them and didn't want to make a purchase with no guidance from a bookseller. They weren't comfortable entering their credit card information online, and there was no shelf display for them to browse through. And perhaps the most challenging hurdle was the removal of immediate gratification if you order a book online, you don't have anything to show for it, and who knows when you'll receive it? "It took them about 10 years to chip away all of those different barriers one by one, until around 2005, without anyone paying much attention to it, it became mainstream to buy books online," Dr. Schoenberg says. "We know now in hindsight that the transition wasn't about books at all, the reality is the entire retail industry from that point on changed completely." Telehealth has arrived at a similar turning point, Dr. Schoenberg says. With virtual care, physicians can't touch the patient, there are immense concerns about the safety of storing and transmitting payment information and medical data online, and a web of unanswered legal questions about prescribing and diagnosing depending on where a patient receives care and where a clinician practices. Above all else, when exchanging goods happens over the internet, costs decrease. But what will that mean for quality? In 2016, however, most of these questions have begun to resolve themselves. Physicians are understanding why patients in many cases prefer remote care, and patients increasingly understand they don't have to sacrifice care quality or the safety of their data for convenience. Dr. Schoenberg says this is also reflected in American Well's hard data about telehealth. Ironically, he says, there's very little overlap between a map of the U.S. that shows where the regulatory infrastructure for telehealth is in place and where it is most commonly utilized. "What that means is that if you're a provider in a state with all the prerequisites for telehealth, you have an enormous patient population waiting to be captured," Dr. Schoenberg says. "And if you find yourself in a state where telehealth is booming, but the regulations haven't caught up, imagine what will happen when those last barriers are removed. No matter were you are, it's a volcano rumbling under your feet." More articles on telehealth: Telemedicine companies join Uber, Lyft among most-funded companies 50 healthcare apps for clinicians and consumers to know Rutgers' pilot telehealth program seeks to help underserved The CEO of the embattled Palo Alto, Calif.-based Theranos is set to take the stage Monday at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry to talk about the science behind the company's blood test technology. The company is still working to submit to peer-reviewed journals, according to former CDC Director Bill Foege, MD, MPH, meaning founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes won't have peer-reviewed data to present. However, due to the company's secretive nature, many are awaiting details about Theranos' technology, particularly considering its recent troubles that have led to a federal criminal investigation, a congressional investigation and several lawsuits pending class action status. Some experts in the field doubt Theranos has a place at the prestigious scientific conference, according to a report from STAT. Those in that school of thought told the publication it is "embarrassing" the AACC would even give Ms. Holmes the stage. However, many others want to hear what she has to say and are giving her the benefit of the doubt. Theranos has weathered a storm of bad press since a pair of investigative reports in The Wall Street Journal alleged Theranos overstated the capabilities of its technology. Since then, Walgreens and Safeway have terminated contracts with the company, Ms. Holmes has been barred by CMS from operating labs for two years, the company voided two years of test results and faces several investigations. It also has, however, made efforts to turn things around by overhauling its leadership and adjusting lab practices. Ms. Holmes' willingness to be more transparent by sharing the company's science at the meeting may also be a step in the right direction. More articles leadership and management: City mayor learns of cancer diagnosis while filming hospital ad Ambulatory care platforms aid hospitals to better manage surgical spend ZDoggMD gets personal in latest video about path to becoming a PCP Jacque Causey, who is just days short of 21, is celebrating leaving Cleveland Clinic Children's for the first time in 561 days, according to a report from ABC News. Mr. Causey, who was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy at age 2, waited almost a year and a half at Cleveland Clinic for a new heart, spending his time mentoring younger patients through their illnesses, according to the report. He told ABC News how thankful he was for his time spent there. "I want them to know how special they made me feel," Mr. Causey told ABC News. "It's like family here and I'm pretty sure it's going to be like that for a real long time." The young man's send off was celebrated with bubbles and music. After his departure from the hospital, Mr. Causey plans to become a vet tech and get a car, according to the report. More articles on patient flow: Carilion Clinic highlights patient flow solutions at The King's Fund in London Penn students look to build transportation network for hospital appointments Lee Memorial Hospital treats victims of Florida nightclub shooting W.J. Mangold Memorial Hospital, based in Lockney, Texas, will no longer deliver babies and will end its newborn nursery service, according to a report in the Plainview Herald. After 68 years of offering maternity and obstetric services, the hospital decided to stop delivering babies due to a decline in volume. The hospital will now offer ambulance services to bring mothers in labor to a larger hospital, such as Covenant Hospital in Plainview, Texas, and University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, according to the report. In the absence of maternity care, the hospital plans to bolster its other services, according to the report. More articles on patient flow: Carilion Clinic highlights patient flow solutions at The King's Fund in London Penn students look to build transportation network for hospital appointments Lee Memorial Hospital treats victims of Florida nightclub shooting The U.S. Department of Justice denied Anthem's request for an expedited trial regarding the department's challenge to block the insurer's $54 billion acquisition of Cigna, Bloomberg reported. The Indianapolis-based insurer requested the DOJ schedule the trial in 87 days and reach a decision 35 days after its conclusion, citing an example from a coal company lawsuit in a request sent to the department Monday. DOJ lawyers determined Thursday the Anthem-Cigna lawsuit is much more complex, as it "challenges the largest merger ever proposed in the healthcare industry." Anthem is the first insurer to respond to the DOJ after the department sued to block the Anthem-Cigna deal and a $37 billion deal between Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna and Louisville, Ky.-based Humana last week. In addition to its request for a quick trial, the insurer called out the DOJ in a full-page ad in The Washington Post Tuesday More articles about payer issues: Anthem to DOJ: Cigna merger will boost insurance market CareFirst BCBS revises rate requests in Maryland Insurers, consumers debate up to 48% rate increases in Pennsylvania International Business Machines, based in Armonk, N.Y., is joining global health officials in the fight against Zika by offering its technology, resources and expertise to track the spread of the virus, according to Reuters. Here are four ways IBM is helping combat the spread of Zika: IBM will donate a one-year subscription feed of highly localized daily rainfall, average temperature and relative humidity data to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, since these weather factors contribute to the breeding habits of the mosquitoes that carry Zika. A research institute called the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of Health will use IBM's technology to analyze information about the spread of the virus ranging from official data of human travel patterns to anecdotal observations made by the public on social media. IBM is working with Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y., to collect biological and ecological data of mosquitoes and primates that may help create algorithms to determine which primates are Zika carriers. Currently, IBM runs the 'OpenZika Project' through the World Community Grid the company's crowd-sourced supercomputer. The project lets scientists in the U.S. and Brazil analyze millions of chemical compounds to identify potential drug candidates that could be used to treat someone infected with Zika virus. More articles on infection control and clinical quality: Evidence of mosquito transmission of Zika in Florida mounts CDC backs away from using controversial insecticide to fight Zika in Puerto Rico Texas Children's to open first Zika clinic in the state HHS has announced the formation of a public-private partnership with the Wellcome Trust of London, the AMR Centre of Alderley Park in the U.K., and Boston University School of Law that will focus on discovering and developing new antimicrobial products and combating antibiotic resistance. Here are 10 things to know about the partnership, called Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator, or CARB-X. 1. Wellcome Trust, AMR Centre, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority within HHS and the National Institutes of Health's Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will oversee the project. The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council in Cambridge and the California Life Sciences Institute of South San Francisco will provide support for antibiotic development projects. 2. CARB-X will be headquartered at Boston University School of Law and will be led by Kevin Outterson, a health law researcher who will serve as the principal investigator. 3. Wellcome Trust will guide product developers in multiple skill sets, including medicinal chemistry, biology, pharmaceutic formulation and clinical development. It will also monitor project progress and provide business development support. 4. The AMR Centre will fund and provide capacity and capability to support programs for product developers. 5. MassBio will allow access to capital and mentoring. 6. CLSI will partner with MassBio to provide business support and mentoring services and will also share best practices with Wellcome Trust and AMR Centre. 7. RTI International in Research Triangle Park, N.C., is a CARB-X partner that will provide research support services to product developers in the partner accelerators and build and run computing systems to monitor all research programs. 8. BARDA is providing $30 million in the first year and up to $250 million through the duration of the program. The AMR Centre will provide $14 million in year one and up to $100 million in five years. 9. Starting in September, CARB-X will look at applications for funding to find the most promising products to support. 10. "Increasingly, it is becoming clear that partnerships of global reach and efficiency are needed to address complex problems like antimicrobial resistance," said Richard Hatchett, MD, acting BARDA director. "The establishment of CARB-X is a watershed moment; governments, academia, industry and nongovernment organizations have come together to operate under a common strategic framework to tackle a monumental public health threat of our time." The Indian Health Service on Wednesday entered a one-year contract with the Joint Commission to improve the quality of care and patient safety at government-run hospitals in eight states, according to Argus Leader. IHS will spend $700,000 to ensure hospitals in Arizona, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Oklahoma meet Joint Commission accreditation standards. Last November, CMS conducted an investigation of an IHS hospital in Rosebud, S.D., and discovered the hospital was participating in a variety of dangerous healthcare practices. Employees hand-washed surgical tools for six months when a sterilizer machine was broken, failed to disclose that a patient had an untreated case of tuberculosis and did not monitor a patient who delivered her baby prematurely on a bathroom floor. The hospital's emergency department was closed for seven months while IHS addressed the concerns. It re-opened in July and is working to maintain CMS certification. Sixteen IHS hospitals have already earned accreditation by the Joint Commission. More articles on infection control and clinical quality: Evidence of mosquito transmission of Zika in Florida mounts FDA OKs label changes for popular antibiotics to help limit use Pregnant women need better counseling to understand risks, benefits of elective C-sections, study says Here are six spine surgeons and neurosurgeons in the news this past week. The International Association of HealthCare Professionals welcomed neurosurgeon James P. Argires, MD. Spine surgeon Jeff A. Lehmen, MD, will join the International Association of HealthCare Professionals. Neurosurgeon William Tobler, MD, discussed his experience using TranS1's AxiaLIF in a TranS1 YouTube video. Dr. Tobler serves patients at The Mayfield Brain and Spine Clinic in Cincinnati. In an interview on a Fox News Radio show, Alan Colmes Show, former presidential candidate Ben Carson, MD, claimed he rejected offers from both President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush to serve as the country's surgeon general. Continental Who's Who, a publisher of business leaders' professional biographies, named neurosurgeon Kamal R. Woods, MD, a Pinnacle Professional in healthcare. Steven Cyr, MD, of San Antonio-based Orthopaedic & Spine Institute, dons a customized superhero costume to immerse children into the medicine world in terms they can understand. To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below BT has said it had a "solid" performance in the first quarter of the year in Northern Ireland. The telecommunications giant said growth was driven by the signing of new contracts with companies and the public sector, as well as tight management of costs. Colm O'Neill, managing director of BT major business and public sector in the UK and Ireland, said: "Our roll-out of fibre broadband networks continues across Northern Ireland as we push fibre technology deeper into rural areas in partnership with government." He said that fibre broadband was now available to 93% of premises - but only 37% of users had made the switch. The firm said that UK-wide revenues lifted 35% to 5.8bn in the first quarter, compared to the same period in 2015, while adjusted pre-tax profits stepped up 16% to 802m over the period. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) also rose 25% to 1.8bn in the three months to June 30. However, BT said the results were impacted by its 12.5bn takeover of E in January. Mr O'Neill also welcomed a report this week by regulator Ofcom, which called for restructuring within the BT group of its broadband network Openreach - but stopped short of recommending sale of the division. "We welcome Ofcom's recognition this week that BT Northern Ireland Networks has delivered successfully for the people and businesses in Northern Ireland and that changing the current arrangements as part of the Digital Communications Review would be disproportionate. "We will continue to engage with Ofcom and stakeholders in the coming months." BT shares were up more than 3% on the London market. Hannan Meats in Co Down has become the best performer ever in a high-end, UK-wide competition for food quality. The Moira business, famed for its salt-aged Himalayan beef, this week won a record haul of 59 stars from the Guild of Fine Food. Winning products included Hannan's sugar-pit beef brisket and Glenarm shorthorn four rib roast. Hannan Meats products were among 13 from eight Northern Ireland firms to win the top prize of three gold stars from the Guild. In total, 212 products from here won stars. Abernethy Butter, Thompson's Family Teas and Dale Farm were among the others who secured the top, three star badge of quality. To be awarded three stars requires the unanimous approval - following a blind taste test - of a panel of 40 judges, including TV chef and author Valentine Warner and MasterChef judge Charles Campion. Allison Abernethy, who runs Abernethy Butter with husband Will from their home in Dromore, Co Down, said the three-star win for their smoked butter was an honour. "It really makes a huge difference when we are selling our produce to have this type award - especially when you consider that only 141 producers out of 10,000 entrants get three stars." The couple's handmade butters, which come in three flavours, are already stocked in high-end London grocer Fortnum & Mason. Mrs Abernethy revealed that another two top names in retail in the capital are soon to sell their products. And boutique tea house Suki Tea in Belfast won three stars for two of its products - an orange blossom and oolong tea, and its Ayurvedic tea, made of Indian spices. Esme Porter, sales and marketing executive, said the win was important. "It's so good for promoting the brands and encouraging sales, as it's something the consumer seems to look for." And Peter Hannan, owner of Hannan Meats in Moira, Co Down, said: "We had a wonderful result out of Great Taste with four sets of three stars, and a total of 59 stars for 36 products." After big wins in 2013 and 2014, he'd decided to take a break from the competition in 2015. But the Kildare man said he'd wished to return this year to celebrate Northern Ireland's Year of Food and Drink - an initiative led by Tourism NI to highlight the province's food. His famous Himalayan salt-aged beef is another past three-star winner, while his guanciale, a pork cheek product, earned him the title of Supreme Champion from the Guild of Fine Food in 2012. Corned beef entered by George McCartney of McCartney's Butchers in Moira secured him the same title a year earlier. Thompson's Family Teas also won the top accolade of three stars for its Punjana and Thompson's Irish Breakfast tea bags. The company said Punjana tea bags had now won more Great Taste Awards than any other blended teabag in the UK and Republic of Ireland over the past decade. The tea is blended by cousins Ross and David Thompson in Belfast. Ross Thompson said: "I feel that with this latest endorsement, we have come one giant step closer to our ultimate goal of blending the perfect everyday cuppa." Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said: "We have a dynamic and progressive food and drink industry and the results of the 2016 UK Great Taste Awards will help to consolidate Northern Ireland's growing reputation for excellence in food and drink production. "In keeping with our Year of Food and Drink celebration, a record number of local companies submitted produce this year and 212 products have been duly rewarded with this valuable independent validation of taste and quality." He added: "I would like to congratulate all of those who have been recognised for their hard work and dedication - in particular, the eight triple-gold star award winners, Clandeboye Estate, Suki Teahouse, Dale Farm, Rooney Fish, Kearney Cheese Company, Hannan Meats, Thompson Family Teas and Abernethy Butter." He also congratulated Hannan Meats for its "record-breaking achievements". A US software company is setting up an office in Belfast creating a dozen new jobs at salaries of nearly 40,000. Crossvale Inc from Dallas, Texas was founded by Northern Ireland man Conor Brankin. It's now extending its software engineering team with an opening in Carryduff. Customers include a multi-national Spanish banking group and a Saudi Arabian telecoms company. The company will be paying salaries of around 38,000 to its Northern Ireland recruits. Economic development agency Invest NI has been under pressure to demonstrate that Northern Ireland can continue to attract foreign direct investors following the vote to leave the EU. Its chief executive Alastair Hamilton has argued that Northern Ireland's talent pool and lower costs are more important selling points to US firms than access to the single market. Yesterday, he welcomed the arrival of Crossvale to Northern Ireland, and said: "Once again it is the availability of high quality software engineers that has attracted this US company to Northern Ireland. "This, combined with low staff turnover, low costs and Invest NI support, has secured this mobile project and the new developer roles for Northern Ireland." He said the new roles will be filled over the next two years - and that Invest NI support at an unnamed sum would go towards generating nearly 500,000 of annual salaries into the Northern Ireland economy. Conor Brankin, CEO of Crossvale, said: "Our new engineering centre in Belfast will support our company's growth and help service both our existing US clients, as well new clients in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and the Middle East." Ian Purdy, Crossvale Europe's managing director, said it had spent a long time considering where its new software centre should be located. He added that the Northern Ireland talent pool helped sway the company's decision. The local talent here is hard to beat and we are keen to recruit both experienced developers and recent graduates." The Crossvale Group was set up in 2001 by Conor Brankin. He started his working life with BT in Northern Ireland in 1992 after graduating in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Manchester. Mr Brankin worked for two years at BT as a software engineer. He then joined DCS Communications, which is based in Texas, before going on to work as a senior consultant at CustomWare and Borland and then setting up Crossvale in 2002. The company also has an office in Saudi Arabia. Its Northern Ireland base is at Emerson House on Ballynahinch Road in Carryduff. Jenna Coleman has made her debut as a young Queen Victoria in the first trailer for the much-anticipated drama. F ormer Doctor Who star Coleman plays the monarch in new eight-part series Victoria, following the early years of her reign after she ascends to the throne at the tender age of 18. Victoria is shown finding out for the first time that she is to become queen, receiving news from Windsor that the King, William IV, has died. She promises a portrait of her late father, Prince Edward: "I will do my best, papa." Rufus Sewell is shown as the monarch's first prime minister Lord Melbourne, encouraging the young monarch despite criticisms from around her that "she is out of her depth" and "the strain is too much for her". But the two also clash, with Victoria warning: "Lord Melbourne, you forget yourself. I believe I shall find my own way and if I require advice, I will ask for it." The series chronicles the public and private life of the monarch through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert, played by Tom Hughes. The clip was shared on Twitter and will air for the first time on ITV at 7.28pm on Friday. Victoria will air in the autumn. Vivean Gray - the British-born actress who played meddlesome Neighbours character Nell Mangel - has died at the age of 92. Gray was best known for her role in the Australian soap, but also played gossipy neighbour Ida Jessup in The Sullivans. She landed her most famous role, as busybody Mrs Mangel in Neighbours, in 1986. The actress became an overnight star in the soap but her role was so convincing that she received abuse from viewers, and decided to leave Neighbours after two years. "You've just got to have a sense of humour about the whole thing, and rationalise it by saying at least the character is working!" she once said of the reaction to her alter-ego. Neighbours executive producer Jason Herbison said in a statement: "It's with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Vivean Gray. "Mrs Mangel was the ultimate busybody, remembered for her conservatism and her caustic wit. She was a true soap legend and we thank her for all the wonderful memories." Rick Maier, head of drama at Network Ten, told Australian blog TV Tonight: "Mrs Mangel and Mrs Jessup were two of our most iconic characters from one our very best character actors. "Ramsay Street changed forever, and certainly no secret was ever safe, with Mrs Mangel on the lookout. "Vivean's contribution to Australian drama will never be forgotten. It is a very sad day for the Neighbours family." Mark Little, who played Joe Mangel in the soap, paid tribute on Twitter. "Vivean Gray: Legend many times over. I was privileged to know and work with her. We laughed a lot creating The Mangel," he said. Jean Vivra Gray was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, the eldest of four children and the daughter of a fish and chip owner. The family moved to Surrey and Gray came to acting late in life, after working as a photographer's assistant and a sales assistant in a department store. She moved to Australia in 1953, looking for acting work, and landed roles on the stage and in radio. Gray is said to have moved back to West Sussex after leaving Neighbours. Little later told ITV show This Morning: "What an actress. She was one of the main reasons that I joined Neighbours, because I was going to be her estranged son and join the Mangel dynasty. "And what a wonderful, subtle, fabulous actor she was... "She did such a wonderful job as Mrs Mangel that she sort of got hounded out of existence. That's the sad part. "It's one of the reasons that I didn't want to be a baddie on that show, because you just get hell." He added: "She played the busybody, the street's stickybeak, the nosy parker, she encapsulated that role so well. "There was also the feud that she was having with Anne Charleston as Madge. "She played the prim and proper, almost old-fashioned Australian that clashed with the modern Australian. She did all those things so wonderfully subtly." He added: "It got everyone's imagination and love - love and hate at the same time." Former Home And Away star Isla Fisher, who was also on This Morning to promote her children's book, said the actress's death was "really sad news". This time last year Bangor nursing student Emma Bell was cruising through her teenage years without a care in the world, when overnight a shocking cancer diagnosis turned her world upside down. Now back at university, but still recovering from a gruelling personal battle to beat the disease, she has selflessly thrown herself into fundraising for Cancer Research UK, helping to launch this year's Pretty Muddy race. In May her four older sisters - Elizabeth (23), Sarah (25), Victoria (33) and Alex (39) - joined her in raising 500 in the charity's Race for Life. All five will now be getting dirty in the fight against cancer as they support the second Race for Life Pretty Muddy, a women-only, non-competitive 5k obstacle course - with mud. As a 19-year-old diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last summer Emma, now just turned 21, says she never dreamt that cancer would touch her life at such an age. "Cancer definitely wasn't something I ever thought about," she admits. "You see the posters everywhere, and the TV ads, and you never think it will affect you, especially at a young age. The day I was diagnosed I told myself I could beat it, and I did. The work that Cancer Research UK does to try and find a cure is unbelievable. They do such a fabulous job, and we need to keep research going, and for that they need funds. "I did the Race for Life in May with my sisters and it is great fun taking part in the events, so I had no hesitation helping launch Pretty Muddy and signing up, and my sisters, who have been a brilliant support, are doing it with me." Emma's symptoms started suddenly and proved very aggressive. Within hours she was in hospital, where she stayed for two weeks undergoing a number of tests for a suspected viral condition. She says cancer was never mentioned, and after her release from hospital, when she had returned to her part-time job as a carer in the community, it was her GP who called at the family home and broke the shocking news to her parents Yvonne and Ian. Emma says: "I was getting ready for college when I had this horrendous pain at the right side of my back. I was home alone and had to call my mum, who was in hospital at the time being treated for a kidney abscess. "She sent my sisters round, and by the time they arrived I was in so much pain I had started to hyperventilate. "My sisters rang an ambulance, and because I was hyperventilating, the hospital ordered a full CT scan straight away." The CT indicated swollen lymph nodes in her neck and a tumour under her sternum. Emma remained in hospital for two weeks while tests were carried out, but never once did she suspect just how seriously ill she was, which was why the diagnosis, just as life was getting back to normal, was such a shock. She says: "The consultants kept telling me I had nothing to worry about, and it was probably an infection, so cancer never entered my head. "I went back to my job and was out at work when our family GP called at our house one night. "He has known us for years and he said that he felt we should know that it was believed I had Hodgkin's lymphoma." Emma had to arrange to get her work shift covered and headed home to hear the news from her parents. Initially, she said, that all three of them were so shocked that they found it hard to comprehend that she was seriously ill. She says: "Until this I was a healthy 19-year-old girl studying for a level four health and social care course to allow me to go on to study adult nursing. I hadn't a care in the world. "When my parents told me what the doctors thought was wrong with me it just didn't sink in, and I couldn't believe it was really happening. "Then when the consultant confirmed it, I felt the whole world was crashing down around me - I had sleepless nights full of fear, went through so many emotions, and battled fatigue. It all got too much. One day I was living a carefree life, then within a flash one sentence had the potential to knock me off my feet. Except I didn't let it. I knew I could do it. I just had to tell myself every day: 'Come on Emma, you can do this'. And I did!" Emma underwent surgery to have one of the lymph nodes removed from her neck. As she was so young, before she could start chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she faced three weeks of IVF, when she had her eggs frozen as a precaution against any fertility issues which might or might not be caused by the treatment. She then started chemo and had eight rounds from June until October, followed by four sessions of radiotherapy from November until Christmas. Happily, Emma started this year with the news everyone was praying for - she was 100% in remission. In February, just two months after she finished her treatment, she started a three-year BSc degree course in adult nursing at Queen's University in Belfast. She says: "I just wanted to get back into a routine and get my head focused on something. I am feeling really good, especially in the last couple of months, the tiredness is not as bad, although I do have days when I still struggle a bit with fatigue, and find it hard to get out of bed. "I haven't decided what aspect of nursing I want to go into yet, but I currently have a placement in a ward in the Ulster Hospital, and it is nice to be on the other side, and to have the chance to give back to other people the type of great care that I received when I was ill. "That's why I have got involved with Cancer Research UK and I think it is important that people support research. "Pretty Muddy is a way to do that and have fun." Now, women across Northern Ireland are being urged to join Emma and her sisters and "fight dirty" when it comes to conquering cancer by signing up for Belfast's second Pretty Muddy race. Last year Race for Life's first Pretty Muddy received a wholehearted welcome from the thousands of women who took part. It is thanks to their enthusiasm that organisers have decided to stage another one in September and are urging women to secure their place as soon as possible. Angela Wilson, Cancer Research UK area events manager for Northern Ireland, says: "We're delighted to be able to bring Pretty Muddy back to Ormeau Park, as it's a fantastic addition to our Race for Life family of events. It has all the fun and camaraderie of our much loved 5k and 10k events but with added obstacles and, of course, mud. "Women can complete the Pretty Muddy course at their own pace, climbing, jumping, walking and laughing their way around. It's about women of all ages, shapes and sizes tackling obstacles together. "This event is an amazing way to celebrate everyone we love who has survived cancer. It's also an emotional and moving way to pay tribute to those dear to us whose lives have been cut short by the disease." Money raised will allow Cancer Research UK's doctors, nurses and scientists to advance research, which is helping to save the lives of men, women and children across Northern Ireland and Britain. The Muddlers Club in Belfast was awarded best newcomer in Co. Antrim The Old Schoolhouse Inn on the Ballydrain Road in Comber. Wine and Brine in Moira was crowned best newcomer in Co. Down What Northern Ireland eateries are in the Good Food Guide? [Photos] Close A Northern Ireland restaurant in its first year of trading has been named UK winner of the Good Food Guide Local Restaurant of the Year Awards. Wine & Brine, located in the picturesque small market town of Moira and overseen by husband and wife team Chris and Davina McGowan, has only been open since December. Chris previously worked alongside top chefs, such as Richard Corrigan and Gary Rhodes, in London, before returning back home to Northern Ireland after two decades away. Waitrose Good Food Guide editor Elizabeth Carter said Wine & Brine was a worthy winner. "A role-model of its kind, Chris McGowan's relaxed restaurant has a big heart, friendly, laid-back staff and generous cooking of fresh, seasonal and local ingredients at ridiculously reasonable prices," she added. "A hive of endeavour, it is no wonder that Wine & Brine has a huge and very vocal fan base. Every town should have a restaurant of this standard." Davina McGowan said: "To say we are delighted by this accolade is a great understatement. "We are such a young business, it makes it all the more profound for us. We are trying to make good food accessible to everyone, using local suppliers. We only have one draught beer, and that's from a brewery a few miles away. Our butcher is within a five-mile radius, as are most of our suppliers." Belfast Telegraph food writer Joris Minne said the accolade was "very well deserved". "I'm delighted for Chris and Davina, who offer Michelin standards at affordable prices," he added. "I wish he would open three more restaurants." It's only in its second year but already a 20,000 award organised by the Metropolitan Arts Centre in Belfast has established itself as a major global competition attracting 1,000 submissions from 40 countries. Eighteen professional artists from the likes of Brazil, Slovenia, France and Iceland have been shortlisted for the Mac International prize, which is sponsored by Ulster Bank and is the biggest contemporary art award in Ireland. One of the finalists is based in Northern Ireland. French photographer Frederic Huska has exhibited in Los Angeles, New York, London and Toronto, and recently completed a PhD at the Ulster University in Belfast, where he is now a visiting lecturer at the School of Art. Another of the finalists is Mariah Garnett, who has family ties to Belfast, and one of her video images in her submission is of a man in a balaclava set against a backdrop of fire. Mac senior curator Hugh Mulholland, who is on the judging panel, said: "Mac International has quickly positioned itself as an important international platform for artists, as well as a must-see exhibition with our visitors. The exhibition and the significant prize on offer is a demonstration of the Mac's continued commitment to supporting ambitious work." Roisin McDonough, chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, applauded the prize: "Mac International is helping to build a valuable reputation for Belfast, and indeed Northern Ireland, as a place of note. It is a great addition to our treasure trove of attractions." Tourism Northern Ireland is one of the funders of the prize and Aine Kearney from the organisation said: "With 38% of overnight visitors participating in cultural activities in 2015, Mac International presents a unique opportunity for national and international visitors." One of the judges, art historian Katerina Gregos, said: "The Mac International has become one of the top exhibitions to spot exciting artists from different generations and geographies." The shortlisted entries for 2016 MLA Jim Wells has launched legal proceedings against Stephen Nolan and the BBC over the reporting of gay child abuse comments that ended his career as Health Minister. The DUP politician said he was determined to restore his name and integrity after being accused of making controversial comments linking child abuse and gay relationships during a hustings event last year. Mr Wells has long claimed that a recording of the allegedly anti-gay speech was "doctored" and gave a misleading impression of what he said. The comments were featured on Radio Ulster's Nolan Show in April last year, and Mr Wells has now decided to sue the programme's popular host, Mr Nolan, and the BBC for defamation. Writs against the radio star and corporation have been lodged with the High Court. However, the BBC said yesterday, it was unaware of any legal action initiated by Mr Wells. Defamation proceedings have also been launched by the South Down MLA against a Belfast blogger and another woman. Mr Wells said he was not currently in a position to confirm all the names of those people he had decided to sue. However, he did confirm that writs have been served. "My career was totally destroyed by completely false allegations," Mr Wells said. "Whilst I accept the vast majority of people in South Down now believe me, there are still others who don't. "I have a long battle ahead to clear my name, but I will see it through. It has been a trying time, but I can see things coming into line. "I will stop at nothing to clear my name. I am going to restore my name and integrity." Mr Wells indicated he also intended to take action against a number of other organisations and individuals. There was a furious backlash against the MLA following a hustings debate in Downpatrick last year. During the event, Mr Wells said: "All evidence throughout the world says the best way to raise children is in a loving, stable, married relationship. "The facts show that certainly you don't bring a child up in a homosexual relationship." Immediately afterwards, against a backdrop of uproar from the audience, he then added: "I say again... a child is far more likely to be abused or neglected in a non-stable marriage situation, gay or straight." Mr Wells later argued that in the full context, his remarks made it clear he was talking about unstable relationships, whether heterosexual or homosexual. Two days later, the DUP politician was involved in an altercation with a lesbian couple while canvassing in Rathfriland. The events led to his resignation as Health Minister. A police investigation into both incidents concluded there was no basis to prosecute him. On Monday, a Co Tyrone woman was told by a judge that she could face prison after admitting to wasting police time over the hustings row. Dorothy Elaine Dawn Gardner, a 48-year-old from Dungannon, pleaded guilty to charges of knowingly making a false report or statement over the DUP MLA's allegedly homophobic remarks at the pre-election meeting. Mr Wells said the criminal case represented "a first but major step towards my total vindication". Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. A heavy police presence on Royal avenue as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Sunday 10th August 2014, Belfast, Northern Ireland - News - Anti-Internment parade passes off in Belfast mainly peacefully with just some minor scuffles between police and protesters Caption - Riot Police move into position in Royal Ave Picture Credit : Kevin Scott Sunday 10th August 2014, Belfast, Northern Ireland - News - Anti-Internment parade passes off in Belfast mainly peacefully with just some minor scuffles between police and protesters Caption - The parade makes its way past the protesters Picture Credit : Kevin Scott Sunday 10th August 2014, Belfast, Northern Ireland - News - Anti-Internment parade passes off in Belfast mainly peacefully with just some minor scuffles between police and protesters Caption - William Frazer Picture Credit : Kevin Scott Sunday 10th August 2014, Belfast, Northern Ireland - News - Anti-Internment parade passes off in Belfast mainly peacefully with just some minor scuffles between police and protesters Caption - Councillor Joleen Buntings husband shouts abuse at Police Picture Credit : Kevin Scott Sunday 10th August 2014, Belfast, Northern Ireland - News - Anti-Internment parade passes off in Belfast mainly peacefully with just some minor scuffles between police and protesters Caption - Police TSG riot police Picture Credit : Kevin Scott Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Loyalist protestors hold a counter protest as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Loyalist protestors hold a counter protest as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Loyalist protestors hold a counter protest as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Republican spokesman Dee Fennell walks down Royal Avenue as Loyalist protestors hold a counter protest as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Around 4,000 republicans start their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march will make it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Various groups join the rally as around 4,000 republicans start their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march will make it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Loyalist protestors hold a counter protest as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Around 4,000 republicans start their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march will make it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Around 4,000 republicans start their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march will make it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Loyalist protestors hold a counter protest as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. A heavy police presence on Royal avenue as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Loyalist protestors hold a counter protest as around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press Pacemaker press 10/8/14 Anti Internment march in Belfast City. Around 4,000 republicans take part their ant-internment march from the nationalist Ardoyne area of North Belfast. The march makes it's way through Belfast city centre and then on to the Falls road. Picture Mark Marlow/pacemaker press The republican anti-internment march passes by loyalist protesters on Royal Avenue in Belfast city centre. Pic Mark Marlow The Parades Commission has said it restricted an anti-internment parade next month over fears about the organiser's intention to hold a lawful and peaceful event. The Anti-Internment League organised parade planned for August has been banned from marching to Belfast City Hall by the Parades Commission. Organisers of the march have told the Parades Commission that they expect 5,000 people to take part in the event on August 7. There had been concerns over disturbances, with loyalists threatening to hold counter-demonstrations if the rally was given the go-ahead. Dissident republicans have marched through the city centre to commemorate internment before, but this is the first time they have sought to hold a rally outside Belfast City Hall. The commission's determination states that the National Anti Internment Parade should disperse at the junction of Divis Street and Barrack Street. The parade will set off from Andersonstown and walk along the Falls Road before dispersing. Four flute bands are scheduled to take part. A Parades Commission spokesman explained the decision: "The commission has decided that it is necessary to restrict the route of the Anti-Internment League away from the city centre to Barrack Street. "The commission has always recognised the city centre as a neutral space that should be accessible for all and therefore this decision has not been taken lightly. "The deliberate breach of the timing condition, resulting in public disorder by the parade participants and/or supporters last year, has increased significantly the risks of the proposed parade this year as has the organisers refusal to engage with the Commission. "The commission has not received some essential information, specifically requested, about the proposed parade including the dispersal plans at the city hall. "The commission has received no assurances about any aspect of the parade." He continued: "The lack of assurances about the proposed parade raises serious concerns about the organisers genuine intention to hold a peaceful and lawful event this year. "The commission has addressed in its decision the disproportionate, serious and prolonged impacts the parade had upon the human rights of others. "It has reflected the adverse impacts of the parade upon community relations and community life, and the extremely high risks of public disorder." A statement from the Anti internment league said: "This year's route avoids any interfaces, any Protestant places of worship. Our departure and dispersal times meant no impact on trade. "In contrast, the UVF recently marched through Belfast City Centre, accompanied by DUP and UUP representatives and thousands of followers. They did so on the busiest trading day, Saturday, and at the busiest time of that day. "The Parades Commission not only approved this parade without restriction, they did not even deem it sensitive. "By comparison, the Six County Stormont State has again today publicly announced that progressives, republicans and others should be restricted and treated as second class citizens." This is the fourth year that dissidents have sought to march through the city to commemorate internment's introduction. In 2013, 56 PSNI officers were injured after loyalist protesters attacked the police during the demonstration. The following year, trouble was prevented following a massive police operation which saw streets blocked off hours in advance. Last year, there were clashes between the PSNI and republicans after police stopped the march, which started in north Belfast, entering the city centre. The Parades Commission's full determination can be downloaded here [PDF]. A chef arrested after 140,000 of cannabis was posted to his home in west Belfast knew nothing about the package, a court was told yesterday. Jian Bo Yu's lawyer also claimed 16,000 seized from the house on Wednesday was a loan to set up a Chinese takeaway. The 37-year-old, from Iveagh Drive, was charged with another man after police intercepted seven kilos of the drugs believed to have been sent from Scotland. He is accused of attempted possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possessing criminal property. Mei Feng Yu (41), also from Iveagh Drive, is charged with the same offences. The pair were arrested as part of a proactive police operation carried out this week. Appearing together at Belfast Magistrates' Court, Mei Feng Yu made no application for bail. But counsel for Jian Bo Yu applied to have him released from custody, claiming he was unaware of the drugs. Declan Quinn argued: "The defendant's case is that whoever is sending this material has got their wires crossed. "The address is wrong and he has nothing to do with this." A detective told the court that the seized cash was recovered from a bedroom table and a coat inside the property. "He (Bo Yu) said an unidentified man came to the house and gave him the money," the officer explained. Mr Quinn countered that his client claimed members of the Chinese community provided the cash as a loan for him to start his own food business. In a bid to allay fears that Bo Yu may flee, the barrister revealed his client had been living with his family in Northern Ireland for 10 years. He also suffers from a chronic form of hepatitis B, the court heard. Refusing bail, however, District Judge Liam McNally held there was a risk of further offences being committed. In a reference to the seized money, he told Bo Yu: "You're a man who, according to your legal aid application, is in receipt of child benefit and tax credits. "There's no proper explanation for that (cash)." Both defendants were remanded in custody to appear in court next month via videolink. A forensic officer at the scene where the body of Gediminas Stauskas was found in 2015 A man charged in connection with a murder in Co Tyrone was "terrified" of men who took over a garage where the victim's body was found, the High Court heard on Friday. Dmitrijus Indrisiunas was also made to bring food and alcohol to the lock-up premises he had rented, a judge was told. The 42-year-old, of The Shanoch in Coalisland, is charged with withholding information and assisting an offender over the killing of fellow Lithuanian Gediminas Stauskas. The body of Mr Stauskas, 32, was found in the garage near the town last October. A 35-year-old man has been charged with his murder. As Indrisiunas was granted a bail variation to go on holiday to the Irish Republic, defence counsel said any allegation of a link to an international crime racket was denied. "There's no evidence that he has any kind of connection to the mafia or an organised crime ring," the barrister insisted. He described what allegedly took place at the premises as "a terrible incident". Indrisiunas claims the man charged with murder arrived at the garage he was renting with another man, the court heard. "He knows there were two very serious characters, not to be messed with," his lawyer claimed. "They said 'We are staying in the garage, keep your mouth shut'." It was alleged that Indrisiunas and another man were forced to go on food and alcohol runs to a shop in the area. "There was a large level of violence going on in the garage," defence counsel added. "He (Indrisiunas) has a young family and instructs that he was terrified of the men taking over his garage." The accused, who has been out on bail since December, was seeking permission to go on holiday to Co Donegal next month. Granting the application, Mr Justice Stephens rejected claims that he could re-offend or flee. He ordered Indrisiunas to report to the Garda while out of Northern Ireland. The map shows the genetic breakdown of people across the UK, with some surprising results A DNA-based study has answered the question of how British or Irish people in Northern Ireland actually are. The results of a test of two million people around the UK, carried out by genealogy website Ancestry, showed that on average people here are 48.49% Irish (Celtic) and 23.64% British (Anglo-Saxon). Added to our gene pool is a French and German mix (Europe west) of 12.11%, 6.19% Scandinavian, 2.07% Spanish and Portuguese (the Iberian Peninsula), 1.24% Italian-Greek and 1.1% eastern European. The study obtained DNA samples from participants through saliva-based home testing kits. The technique allowed researchers to trace the ethnic make-up of people as far back as 500 years. In England, the average citizen is 37% British, with a smaller Irish heritage of 20%. English people have the largest French and German influence at 20.45%, and they are also 9.39% Scandinavian. Scots are significantly closer to the Irish, with a 43.84% Celtic share mixed with 26.18% British, 13.05% from Europe west, as well as a Scandinavian element of 7.19%. Given their geography, it is perhaps unsurprising they also have the highest Finnish-northwest Russian heritage at 1.31% The Welsh have a more even combination, with an average British stock of 36.15%, compared to 31.99% Irish. Wales also shows the highest Spanish and Portuguese influence than anywhere else in the UK, with a 3.21% share. London is the UK's biggest melting pot, with the average citizen having a 33.6% British make-up, followed by 20.4% Europe west and a 19.76% Irish ancestry rate. Elsewhere, Yorkshire has highest percentage of British ancestry at 41.17%, and east Midlands the largest Scandinavian ancestry rate at 10.37%. The north-east of England has the heaviest Celtic connection, with an Irish ancestry of 27.58%. Ancestry spokesman Brad Argent said that the results showed that many of us were not as British or Irish as we thought or had been told. "At a time when the concept of British identity is at the forefront of many people's minds, it's interesting to see that when it comes to our ancestry, we're not as British or Irish as we may think," Mr Argent explained, adding that the UK had long been a meeting point of cultures from around the world. "The UK has been a cultural and ethnic melting pot for not just generations, but centuries, and our DNA data provides a fascinating glimpse into our ancestors, including hints of immigration and emigration," he said. A family pet seized from its home by Belfast City Council will be reunited with its owners on Tuesday. A expert concluded that Hank the dog did not pose a risk to the public. Hank was taken two weeks ago on suspicion of being a pit bull - a banned breed in Northern Ireland. It sparked a huge online campaign, with almost 300,000 signing a petition calling for his release. However, the council said yesterday Hank could be returned. An assessment concluded that although he was "a pit bull terrier-type", he could be placed on the council's exemption register. He is expected to return home on Tuesday, but his owners have still not yet been allowed to visit him. Last night anger was growing over Belfast City Council's handling of the case. There were also calls for a review of Northern Ireland's dog laws. Hank's owners Leonard Collins and Joanne Meadows said they are looking forward to welcoming the dog (below) home. "We're both really happy that it looks like Hank will be released on Tuesday," Leonard told the Belfast Telegraph. "The council said he is boisterous and in need of some training, but he is certainly no danger to the public, and that is something I have said from the start." Hank was seized two weeks ago after being reported because he "looked like a pit bull". He was taken under the Dogs (NI) Order 1983 by a team of police officers and dog wardens. His owners claim he is actually a Staffordshire-Labrador cross, and has never shown aggressive behaviour. The council and PSNI have been criticised for their heavy-handed approach. Eight police officers and four council officials were involved in the operation to remove the pet from Mr Collins' home on July 14. He was out at the time, and had returned to a notice on his door saying that the property had been searched and Hank seized. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Hank the dog with owner Joanne Meadows Leonard Collins with his dog Hank, who was seized by authorities amid claims that he looks like a pit bull (Leonard Collins/Joanne Meadows/PA) Hank with his owner Joanne Meadows Leonard Collins and Joanne Meadows at home after their dog Hank was seized by Belfast City Council Kevin Scott / Presseye Hank as a pup / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hank the dog with owner Joanne Meadows The pet has spent the last fortnight separated from his family. On Wednesday Hank's owners claimed that Belfast City Council was "refusing" to speak to them after they phoned for an update. Mr Collins said: "I do have serious concerns with how this case has been handled. I feel the council has hid behind the legislation to explain its behaviour, but I'm happy that common sense has prevailed." He added: "My concern would have been that the council would have come back and said that he was a pit bull and a danger, and it would have been a lengthy process with further assessments. "(Dog expert) Peter Tallack in this case has made an initial assessment that he does not believe Hank is a danger. "So I am very happy that the council has come to this conclusion and hasn't dragged this out any further, but it could have been avoided. I hope this case shows that change is needed." He added he and Joanne will have to accept that Hank is a pit bull-terrier type in order to secure his release. Although they dispute this, they will comply in order to get their dog back. But they are considering a legal challenge in order to overturn the council's findings. The case sparked a massive campaign with celebrities such as Dermot O'Leary and Carl Frampton calling for Hank's release. Celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell also joined the fight. She posted last night: "Hank will most likely be going home next week. Today is a good day. Thanks to all who helped to #SaveHank." The case has echoes of the Lennox saga, where a dog was seized in 2010 and put down two years later after a failed legal battle. Last night there were calls for a change in the law to avoid similar issues in the future. Belfast City Council said: "Hank first came to the attention of the council due to concerned members of the public raising a welfare issue. "He has displayed some behavioural issues but, having worked with him since he was taken into our possession, and, in light of the expert opinion received, we believe these can be addressed through additional training. "Subject to this court approval, and with the agreement of his owners, Hank will be the 12th dog to be placed on the exemption register and returned to their owner by the council since 2011, out of 13 dogs assessed to be pit bull types during this period. All 12 have had conditions attached to their return which are aimed at addressing issues of public safety." It added: "The council has a statutory responsibility to protect the health and safety of the public by carrying out its duties under the current breed specific legislation, which is set by the Northern Ireland Assembly and not Belfast City Council." Fortnight of uncertainty after beloved pet seized Thursday, July 14: Hank is seized from his east Belfast home with Leonard Collins and Joanne Meadows by Belfast City Council officers accompanied by police. The council said it had received a call from a member of the public about the dog . Friday, July 15: Leonard and Joanne set up a campaign to save Hank, starting with a Facebook page Save Hank which attracted thousands of likes within hours, and an online petition which received a similar response with support around the world. Tuesday, July 19: Council announces an expert from England will determine whether or not Hank is a pit bull terrier type Wednesday, July 27: Expert examines Hank Thursday, July 28: Council announces Hank has been deemed to a pit bull type, and will be placed on an exemption register, but that Hank can be returned to his owners as early as next Tuesday following court approval with conditions. Father ODonnell is priest of St Brigids in south Belfast as well as a canon at St Annes Cathedral Fr Edward O'Donnell has been appointed to serve alongside clergy at Belfast's Church of Ireland cathedral. It's move that would have left his parents bemused, he tells Ivan Little. The priest who has just become the first Catholic ecumenical canon at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast has acknowledged that the move will be a challenge for some Protestants and Catholics. And Fr Edward O'Donnell, who is the parish priest of St Brigid's in south Belfast, admitted that his own parents might have struggled with the groundbreaking initiative if it had happened in their lifetime. He said: "They were of a very different generation and I'm not sure how I could have explained to them that I was a canon in the Church of Ireland Cathedral in Belfast. They wouldn't have been negative, but they would have been puzzled." The 65-year-old said his appointment was "bound to cause ripples on both sides" and added: "I can understand it being somewhat challenging for some people in both Churches, but I don't think I will be a threat to anyone." The Magherafelt-born cleric said he was "stunned" when he was approached to take the post by Dean of Belfast, the Rev John Mann. "It came out of the blue when the Dean told me I had been elected by the cathedral chapter, but I know it's a significant move and I welcomed it. "I was aware that in 2009 the Church of Ireland agreed to have ecumenical canons and two clerics from the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches were appointed, but this is a very generous step forward and in some ways a courageous one. "The significance of the move is the real point which has to be emphasised. It will help to build up ecumenical relationships and bonds of friendship which are important, because when people get to know one another they develop a respect and can talk more freely with one another. "But in practical terms it means I can preach occasionally in St Anne's and I will be able to attend chapter meetings and to take my place as one of the canons at important events in the life of the cathedral." Catholic canons have already been appointed by the Church of Ireland in Armagh and Dublin but the move is a first for Belfast, where close relationships have already been forged down the years between the cathedral and a number of Catholic churches, notably St Peter's Cathedral in west Belfast. But Fr O'Donnell's appointment takes the outreach to a whole new level in a week when the Catholic Church has been rocked by the murder of elderly priest Fr Jacques Hamel in France by Islamist extremists as he said Mass. The Pope said that the killing and other terrorist attacks showed the world was at war because it had lost peace, but he added that it was not a war of religion. Fr O'Donnell said: "Pope Francis pointed out that thousands of ordinary Christian men and women are losing their lives because they are Christians and we never hear about all the murders. But it is something that all of us, whatever our Church, should be conscious of." He said he was appalled by the Normandy killing. "Fr Jacques was a harmless old man and for two young boys to go in and murder him in such a horrific way is just beyond words. "But you also have to think of the two young lads and the way they were manipulated - they had their whole lives ahead of them." Fr O'Donnell said that his appointment at St Anne's was, in the grand scheme of things, only a small gesture, but an important one, towards unity and reconciliation. The priest, who was educated at St Malachy's College in Belfast, said he had tried to establish bonds with the growing Muslim community in south Belfast. "From time to time they ask to use our parish centre for social events and we are happy for them to do that. I have also visited the mosque in Belfast and had their tea there. And the people who carry out these appalling acts do not represent the Muslim community," he explained. He celebrated the 40th anniversary of his ordination in June. One of his first roles was as chaplain at the City Hospital in Belfast at the height of the Troubles. What he experienced there and at other hospitals in Belfast was to shape his life. "It was a baptism of fire. It was quite awful, a rough station where in casualty you saw all kinds of terrible things. I can imagine how people in Paris and Nice felt when their loved ones were killed recently. I saw it so often," he said. Fr O'Donnell said some of the most harrowing times as a chaplain came during IRA feuds when rival factions with the republican movement turned their guns on each other. "I also remember very clearly going into the Royal Victoria Hospital one Sunday morning to celebrate Mass and I was called to casualty where I saw a young man of 18 who had been shot in Ardoyne and wasn't going to survive," he added. "However, the medical teams managed to keep him alive until his parents arrived that evening. He was a Catholic, but he was also a British soldier. "However, orange tears and green tears were the same." He said his time as a chaplain made him realise what was important in life. He stressed that he didn't have strong political views, and he added: "If only we could convince people to live for values rather than to die for values, we would achieve much." After 18 months as a hospital chaplain Fr O'Donnell moved to a parish in Drumbo, and was the first Catholic chaplain at Hydebank Young Offenders' Centre before becoming secretary to the late Dr Cahal Daly when he was Bishop of Down and Connor. Fr O'Donnell said working with the bishop was a real education. "He had a profound respect for other people's points of view. He was a very good listener and he didn't jump to conclusions. He was very comfortable in his own faith and no one knew it better than him. He also introduced me to all sorts of people from all traditions." Fr O'Donnell's next parishes were in Antrim, Newtownards and at St Anne's in Derriaghy, before going to St Brigid's six years ago. He said that even though his parish was in one of Belfast's most affluent areas, he was only too keenly aware that people in other parts of the city "still had quite a struggle". He went on: "But the fabric of society is breaking down and that touches us too, and it all poses a challenge for the Churches and for religion. People are so distracted with so many different things that we can appear irrelevant, apart from the very important times in their lives." On a lighter note, Fr O'Donnell - who keeps fit by swimming - said that it was only after he accepted the cathedral's invitation to become a canon that he discovered he will also be expected to join the Dean in the Black Santa sit-out at Christmas outside St Anne's in freezing temperatures. "Dean Mann broke that news to me after I said yes to the appointment. But I don't mind. I will do my bit..." A man who trashed a Belfast hotel room and fled without paying a 180 bar bill has been sentenced to six months in jail. Stephen McCleland, 27, was handed a four month term for inflicting damage to fixtures and fittings at Madison's, and a further two months for stealing 210 worth of food and alcohol from a supermarket a day earlier. A judge at Belfast Magistrates' Court told him: "This was shocking behaviour and abuse of the position you were placed in, in taking the hotel room." However, he was released on bail pending an appeal against the prison sentence imposed. McCleland, of College Court Central in the city, booked into Madison's on Botanic Avenue for a night's stay on June 2. He was said to have run up a bill on drinks, snacks and ordering room service while there with another, unidentified man. Later that night staff at the hotel were alerted to smashing and banging noises coming from one of the rooms, the court heard. Prosecutors said a night porter who went to investigate was confronted by two men exiting. When he told them police had been called one of the pair lifted a fire extinguisher, causing the porter to fear he was about to be hit. Although the men ran from the hotel McCleland was detained at a nearby location. Damage had been caused to a safe, mirror, crockery, lamp and telephone. The cost of repairs was not disclosed, but Deputy District Judge Austin Kennedy was informed the room had to remain shut for the following weekend. With Madison's said to be fully booked at the time, the closure caused a further loss in trade, the prosecution lawyer added. It was revealed in court that McClelland has since secured a job as a barman at another hotel. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage, common assault and making off without payment. McCleland also admitted a theft from Asda on Belfast's Shore Road on June 1. The court heard he left the store without paying for 210.35 worth of food and drink placed in a bag. Defence counsel Kelly Doherty stressed there had been no physical assault on the porter. She told the court McClelland originally booked to stay at the hotel with his partner, only for his plans to change when she went into hospital. Passing sentence, Mr Kennedy said: "Trashing the room in Madison's Hotel and the altercation with staff thereafter (was) a shocking episode. As well has jailing McCleland for a total of six months, the judge ordered him to pay 180.95 compensation for the unpaid bar bill. He then granted an application for the defendant to be released on 500 bail until his appeal hearing. There have been calls for a crackdown on illegal dog breeding in Northern Ireland and the Republic after 20 Irish-bred puppies were rescued in Scotland. The tiny dogs, which began life in puppy farms across the border, were saved in the port of Cairnryan, having been ferried there by dealers who had travelled through Northern Ireland. The animals, aged from four to eight weeks old, were discovered earlier this month crammed in the boot of a car. Among the breeds found were shih tzus, bichon frises, cavalier King Charles spaniels, pugs and cocker spaniels. USPCA welfare officers played a key role in the move to save the animals, called Operation Delphin - a multi-agency initiative intended to bring an end to the illegal trade in puppies. According to the charity, the tiny dogs were far too young to travel any distance, never mind from the Republic, through Northern Ireland and then to Scotland. They were also not accompanied by the proper paperwork demanded by authorities. The 20 puppies and their mother were rescued from a consignment that also included increasingly popular mixed designer breeds such as cavachons and chihuahuas. The operation was launched in response to the spike in demand for designer cross-breed and handbag dogs in recent years. The USPCA, along with similar agencies in Republic of Ireland and Scotland and government authorities including HMRC, are committed to bringing an end to such abuse. In a statement, the investigator assigned to Operation Delphin appealed for the public's help in ending the trade. "The loss of this consignment represents a hit of around 10,000 to the dealer," they said. "But co-ordinating successful rescues comes at a significant cost to this charity. "This is the third such seizure in the past month, with more than 50 pups rescued from exploitation. "The more resources at our disposal, the more effective that we can be in ending the shameful suffering caused by the treatment of young pups as commodities and not as companion animals. Please help us shine a light on this exploitation of vulnerable creatures taking place day and daily on our doorstep." The puppies have since been checked by a vet and moved to the care of the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which will soon launch an appeal to find them homes. Press Eye Belfast - Northern Ireland 29th July 2016 Funeral of Lorraine Clyde at St Comgall's Church in Antrim. The 56-year-old Lorraine Clyde died along with 35-year-old Michelle McStravick in a car crash near Randalstown on Monday. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye Belfast - Northern Ireland 29th July 2016 Funeral of Lorraine Clyde at St Comgall's Church in Antrim. The 56-year-old Lorraine Clyde died along with 35-year-old Michelle McStravick in a car crash near Randalstown on Monday. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye Belfast - Northern Ireland 29th July 2016 Funeral of Lorraine Clyde at St Comgall's Church in Antrim. The 56-year-old Lorraine Clyde died along with 35-year-old Michelle McStravick in a car crash near Randalstown on Monday. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye Press Eye Belfast - Northern Ireland 29th July 2016 Funeral of Lorraine Clyde at St Comgall's Church in Antrim. The 56-year-old Lorraine Clyde died along with 35-year-old Michelle McStravick in a car crash near Randalstown on Monday. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye A guard of honour waits for the coffin to arrive at the funeral of amateur jockey John Thomas McNamara at St Michael's Church, Manister Croom, Co Limerick. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. Known as JT to family, friends and fans, the top rider, from Croom, Co Limerick, was paralysed from the neck down after a fall at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013. It is understood JT suffered complications in recent days from his paralysis and spent time in hospital before returning home to Springfield Stables in Croom, where he died. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire The coffins arrives at the funeral of amateur jockey John Thomas McNamara at St Michael's Church, Manister Croom, Co Limerick. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. Known as JT to family, friends and fans, the top rider, from Croom, Co Limerick, was paralysed from the neck down after a fall at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013. It is understood JT suffered complications in recent days from his paralysis and spent time in hospital before returning home to Springfield Stables in Croom, where he died. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire The coffins arrives at the funeral of amateur jockey John Thomas McNamara at St Michael's Church, Manister Croom, Co Limerick. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. Known as JT to family, friends and fans, the top rider, from Croom, Co Limerick, was paralysed from the neck down after a fall at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013. It is understood JT suffered complications in recent days from his paralysis and spent time in hospital before returning home to Springfield Stables in Croom, where he died. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire The coffins arrives at the funeral of amateur jockey John Thomas McNamara at St Michael's Church, Manister Croom, Co Limerick. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. Known as JT to family, friends and fans, the top rider, from Croom, Co Limerick, was paralysed from the neck down after a fall at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013. It is understood JT suffered complications in recent days from his paralysis and spent time in hospital before returning home to Springfield Stables in Croom, where he died. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire JP McManus leaving the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Trainer Enda Bolger leaving the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire AP McCoy leaving the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire TD Michael Lowry during the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Ted Walsh leaving the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Jockey Robbie Power during the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Former Jockey Robbie McNamara attends the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire A riding helmet and whip are carried during the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Nina Carberry leaving the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Tom Taaffe leaving the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Jockeys form a guard of honor during the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Jockey Davy Russell during the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Crowds outside St Michael's Church in County Limerick, for the funeral of jockey JT McNamara. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Jockey Ruby Walsh speaks to the media before the funeral of jockey JT McNamara in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday July 29, 2016. See PA story FUNERAL JTMcNamara. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Coffins arrives at the funeral of amateur jockey John Thomas McNamara at St Michael's Church, Manister Croom, Co Limerick. PA The devastated wife of jockey JT McNamara has paid an emotional tribute to her husbands courage, saying he had continued to set himself goals all the time and that getting back home and out to his yard had been a major one he had achieved. Caroline McNamara received a standing ovation today at the funeral in Manister, Co Limerick after her words. She told mourners that though they had faced many, many difficult days since the tragic accident in Chelteham three years ago, the intervening time had allowed John to spend more time with their three children, Dylan, Olivia and Harry and granted time for the children to build previous memories of their dad. And she thanked the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund, the Turf Club and the Injured Jockeys Fund UK, saying that without their assistance, JTs return would not have been possible. Tears slid down the cheeks of mourners as little Harry said a prayer of the faithful, thanking God for my dad and saying; We ask the angels to take good care of you. We love you dad. President Michael D Higgins was represented by his ADC, Commandant Michael Kieran while Taoiseach Enda Kenny was represented by ADC, Kieran Carey. Many senior figures from the world of racing filled the little church at Manister, where JT had been a faithful mass-goer. They included JP McManus, wife Noreen and sons John and Kieran. Mr McManus later paid tribute to TJ McNamara , saying: His death is not in vain. The lives and welfare of many jockeys will be much improved because of what had happened, he said. Expand Close Sad loss: JT McNamara passed away at his Limerick home on Monday night / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sad loss: JT McNamara passed away at his Limerick home on Monday night Trainers Ted Walsh senior, Mouse Morris, Tom Taaffe, Willie Mullins, Enda Bulger and Gordon Elliot were amongst those present. Around 30 jockeys formed a guard of honour as the remains left the church for burial. Amongst those who attended were Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty, Nina Carberry, AP McCoy, Davy Russell, Robbie Power sporting cuts on his forehead from the Galway Festival yesterday, John Joe ONeill, Robbie McNamara and former jockey Mick Kinane. Chief celebrant of the funeral, Canon Gary Bluett paid tribute to JT in the words of Shakespeare, saying: Goodnight sweet prince, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. That was Hamlet - Prince of Denmark, John - Prince of Manister. May he rest in peace, he said. Afterwards, Ruby Walsh spoke of JTs courage and fortitude in the face of such hardship. "Today is a very sad day but three years ago in Cheltenham was a very sad day, he recalled. "His mental strength and his will power for the last three years have been incredible. So too have Caroline's and all his family. "I guess to be dealt the cards he was dealt on that day in Cheltenham are the worst. They are any jockeys' worst nightmare come true. "I guess wherever he is now at least he's not suffering anymore. "We spoke as colleagues, it's unbelievable, you couldn't start to think about how you'd cope with it, how you'd deal with it. It'd be frightening to think about it." Walsh also paid tribute to the strength shown by JT's widow Caroline and the children. "She must be an Iron Lady," he said. Irish Independent The cottage near the village of Glenties, Co Donegal, where former Sinn Fein member and British spy Denis Donaldson was murdered in 2006 A 74-year-old man from Scotland has been charged with withholding information in relation to the murder of IRA spy Denis Donaldson. Patrick Gillespie, from Craigvar Street, Glasgow, appeared before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin more than 10 years on from the killing of the top Sinn Fein official. Donaldson (55), a close colleague of party president Gerry Adams, was shot dead at an isolated cottage near Glenties in Co Donegal in April 2006. Gillespie, who was arrested in the county on Tuesday, was remanded in custody by the non-jury court until today at midday. He sat in the court during the brief hearing wearing tinted glasses, a green T-shirt and a black jacket. The three judges, Cormac Dunne, Alison Lindsay and presiding judge Paul Butler, heard Gillespie is charged with having information between April 3, 2006 and July 26, 2016 regarding the involvement of another person in the Donaldson murder. Detective Sergeant Barry Doyle gave details of the arrest and said the accused made no reply when the charges were put to him. Gillespie's lawyer Michael Gillespie LLB disputed the principal address in Scotland that was given for his client and said he lived at Cronashallog, Dungloe, Co Donegal. The Det Sgt told the court: "I do not accept that. His main residence is in Glasgow. I accept that he makes trips to Dungloe." Det Sgt Boyle told the court that he met Gillespie on Main Street, Dungloe, on Tuesday, July 27, and arrested him later at 10.25pm. The court heard that the alleged offence was contrary to section nine of Ireland's Offences Against the State Act 1998. Mr Gillespie told the court his client would apply for bail, legal aid and "whatever other applications" that would be advised. Judge Butler refused an application from the solicitor for the charge to be struck out over a procedural matter in the arrest. Mr Donaldson had been living in a remote area of Donegal following his exposure as an MI5 agent a year before his death. Dissident republican group the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the murder in 2008, but the circumstances surrounding Mr Donaldson's outing as a British agent and subsequent assassination have long been shrouded in mystery. A long-delayed inquest into the shooting has been adjourned almost 20 times. Gardai have repeatedly urged the coroner to postpone the probe, citing concerns it might compromise their criminal investigation. In 2014 the Garda made a mutual assistance request to a police force outside the Irish Republic in a bid to gain what it described as potentially "significant" evidential material. That material was secured in March this year. Gillespie was one of two men arrested on Tuesday in Donegal. The second man, aged in his 40s, was released without charge and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Foyle's War star Honeysuckle Weeks has been urged by Sussex Police to contact them after she was reported missing. The 36-year-old actor was last seen at Graylingwell Drive, Chichester at 9pm on Thursday night. She was reported missing around 10pm. Police said in a statement: "We are concerned about Honeysuckle as her recent behaviour has concerned family and friends and she has expressed to them she is feeling anxious. "Although she travels around a lot and has links in London and has family in Wiltshire, it is unlike her not to be in touch with family. "If you read this Honeysuckle, please get in touch to let us know you are ok." Police have asked anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact them on 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 999 in an emergency, quoting serial 1632 of 28/07. Honeysuckle was last seen wearing a blue coat and faded blues jeans. She is around 5'4" with ginger blonde hair. Ryanair is to force passengers travelling with young children to buy a reserved seat. Under the carrier's existing rules, all passengers can choose to save money by having their seats randomly allocated. But the Dublin-based airline claimed this had led to "boarding issues" as crews tried to re-seat adults and children who had been separated. From September 1, adults travelling with children under 12 years old will have to purchase a reserved seat. Children under 12, meanwhile, will receive a reserved seat free of charge. A standard reserved seat costs 4/4 per flight, according to Ryanair's website. The airline's chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, said: "Ryanair is Europe's number one airline for families, and this summer all customers are enjoying fares 10% lower than last year. "These changes will allow parents to save another four euros for every one of their children travelling together. "It will also allow families to select their preferred seats at the time of booking, check-in for their flights up to 30 days prior to departure and fly safe in the knowledge that they always sit with their children. "This will also prevent other customers who have chosen to purchase a seat of their own being displaced on board." The Irish airline, run by the businessman Michael O'Leary, returned to Belfast this year and is offering routes from Aldergrove to London Gatwick, with more set to run from October. People hold signs protesting over the handling of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 outside China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing (AP) About two dozen Chinese relatives of passengers on board missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have staged a small protest outside China's Foreign Ministry, calling on governments to continue searching for the plane. The families gathered outside the ministry in Beijing and demanded to see the foreign minister to submit a petition to him saying that last week's decision to suspend the search was irresponsible. China, Australia and Malaysia announced last week that the more than two-year-long hunt for the missing plane would be suspended once the current search area in the Indian Ocean has been completely scoured, something expected by the end of the year. In Beijing, several of the relatives held up hand-written signs calling for the search to be continued and asked to meet Chinese officials involved in last week's decision. "Since these people spent the money of Chinese taxpayers to represent Chinese relatives to attend the meeting, they are obliged to see us," said Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the plane. He said their request for a meeting had been rejected. "We will continue to demand the meeting because we want to know the most accurate information of what was going on in that meeting" between Chinese, Australian and Malaysian officials who discussed the fate of the search, he said. The Boeing 777 vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 2014. It is believed to have turned back west and then south before dropping into the Indian Ocean west of Australia, where the search has been concentrated. Much of what happened to the plane remains a mystery, although many suspect that it was deliberately steered off course. Officials have said the search, hampered by bad weather and damaged equipment, will end by December. AP The protest came on the day Australian officials announced that a wing part found last month on an East African island most likely came from the missing plane. The debris, discovered on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania, was analysed by experts at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is leading the search for the plane in a remote stretch of ocean far off Australia's west coast. They determined it was "highly likely" to have come from the missing Boeing 777, Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said in a statement. Several pieces of the doomed airliner have washed ashore in various spots around the southern Indian Ocean since it vanished more than two years ago with 239 people on board. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has previously determined that four pieces of debris it examined almost certainly came from the plane, and another wing part found a year ago on La Reunion island, off the African coast, was positively identified by French officials. Though the discovery of the debris has bolstered authorities' beliefs that the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean, none of the parts have yielded any clues into exactly where and why the aircraft crashed. Officials are hoping to find the underwater wreckage and the critical flight data recorders, or black boxes, which could provide some answers. But with the end of the search looming, the black boxes may never be found. AP Rick Scott said health officials believe the infections occurred in a small area just north of central Miami (AP) Florida appears to have the first cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes on the US mainland, according to the state governor. Rick Scott said during a news conference in Orlanda that no mosquitoes in the state have tested positive for Zika, but one woman and three men in Miami-Dade and Broward counties probably contracted the virus through mosquito bites. More than 1,650 Zika infections have been reported in the US, but the four patients in Florida would be the first not linked to travel outside the US mainland. Mr Scott said health officials believe the infections occurred in a small area just north of central Miami. Zika primarily spreads through bites from tropical mosquitoes. In most people, the virus causes only mild illness, but infection during pregnancy can lead to severe brain-related birth defects for the foetus. Miami-Dade County has reported 96 Zika cases, the most in Florida so far, and Broward County has 55. Until Friday, health officials said all the cases stemmed from international travel. Zika is mainly spread by mosquitoes and can also be sexually transmitted. There is no vaccine. The tropical mosquito that spreads Zika and other viruses is found in the southern US. While health officials have predicted that mosquitoes in the continental US would begin spreading Zika this summer, they have also said they expect only isolated clusters of infections and not widespread outbreaks. The US Food and Drug Administration has told blood centres in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to suspend collections until they can screen each unit of blood for the Zika virus with authorised tests. The FDA also has recommended that neighbouring counties implement the same precautions, and visitors to south Florida in the last month are urged to defer donations as well. The FDA previously advised US blood banks to refuse donations from people who had recently travelled to areas outside the country that have Zika outbreaks. Florida's main supplier of blood, OneBlood, said it was working as quickly as possible to comply with the FDA's "unanticipated" request and would start testing all its collections for Zika straight away. Mr Scott said: "This is not just a Florida issue. It's a national issue - we just happen to be at the forefront." Health officials believe the infections occurred in the popular Wynwood arts district, he added. It is the only part of the state being tested for potential local transmissions of Zika, he said. Women in the area who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant are urged to contact their doctors and the county health department for Zika prevention kits. Federal health officials have not recommended that pregnant women avoid travel to south Florida. US surgeon general Vivek Murthy said: "There are a series of factors we'll have to look at. The number of cases, the relationship in geography of those cases, how closely linked they are in time, as well as a series of other factors that we will use to determine what recommendations we issue in terms of travel guidance." AP Orange County mayor Teresa Jacobs said potential visitors to Florida should not think twice about going to the Sunshine State. Ms Jacobs, whose jurisdiction covers the major theme parks in the Orlando area, said Florida's attractions have some of the best mosquito control measures that she knows of and the parks are safe. But she encouraged visitors to take precautions such as wearing insect repellent and getting rid of any standing water. Attacks against Muslims and Dalits have risen since Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist party came to power in India two years ago Police in India say they have arrested a shopkeeper for axing to death a couple from a lower caste for not promptly paying a debt of 15 rupees (17p) for groceries. District magistrate Pramod Chandra Gupta said the upper caste shopkeeper killed the couple in a rage when they asked for more time to pay for the groceries they bought from his shop in Mainpuri, a town in Uttar Pradesh state. The couple were construction workers and left behind five children, Mr Gupta said. Attacks against Muslims and Dalits have risen since prime minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist party came to power two years ago. Four low-caste Dalit community men were beaten by Hindu hardliners while trying to skin a dead cow in western India earlier this week. AP Mr Gupta said the couple's heads were severed in the attack . He added: "The shopkeeper panicked after killing the couple and hid in the village. But he was arrested." The shopkeeper is from the Brahmin caste. Formal charges are due to be filed after the police investigation is completed. Mainpuri is 185 miles south west of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state. Dalit protests have turned violent in some towns. In western Gujarat state's Amreli district, a police constable was killed when angry mobs pelted officers with stones. Although caste discrimination was banned soon after India's independence from Britain in 1947, the practice persists. Successive governments have set quotas for jobs and university spots to level out disadvantages faced by lower castes, but it has been difficult to change social attitudes. AP You will have seen the online poll run by the Belfast Telegraph about demand for a border poll, and how people would perhaps vote if such a poll took place. This produced a large response but as detailed here, they can't really be taken as representative in terms of what perhaps the result would be if a full actual Northern Ireland border referendum took place. Read More To be fair to the Belfast Telegraph it never claimed the poll to be representative, or taken as a prediction. The poll is currently running at 75% Yes to a border poll, and 70% Yes to a United Ireland, and I don't need to tell you that common sense, and history, tells us that this is obviously not representative of Northern Ireland. Polling companies like ours are 'easy' with these 'self-selecting' polls as they're known - i.e. just allowing anyone who wants to, to take part, as most people see them for what they are i.e. a bit of fun. They can, however, give a very rough approximation as to current general feeling - in this case, it shows the EU referendum result has increased interest in the border poll debate, as a response of 50,000 is pretty high. Read More As opposed to these 'self-selecting' polls, representative polls like LucidTalk's (and others) select a representative sample of Northern Ireland opinion, i.e. basically we choose and target who we poll. The current Belfast Telegraph poll is the other way around i.e. they invite the public (i.e. any of the Northern Ireland public) to take part. This is where the very large error comes in, an error so large that you can't even calculate it, as you don't know who took part in the poll - in terms of age-group, gender, area, socio-economic group, and most importantly community background etc. For example in terms of the last LucidTalk pre-EU referendum poll we received over 1,500 responses from our already Northern Ireland representative Opinion Panel, and then honed this down to a 'very' representative 1,075 Northern Ireland sample, totally matching the Northern Ireland demographic measurements as detailed. In terms of our selected sample polls - when we know our e.g. 1,075 sample is representative of NI, we expand out from that (extrapolate as the mathematics gurus call it) to end up with a representative view of NI opinion. Because we expand from a relatively small sample there is a calculable mathematical error of +/-3% either way, and this is published in all our reports. However, it's the accuracy, representativeness, and quality of the initial sample, which counts - i.e. our 1,075 sample. This approach allowed us to predict the NI EU Referendum result to within 1% a week before the actual referendum (June 23). In terms of the current Belfast Telegraph self-selecting online poll these tend to attract 'politically active-interested' higher earners, younger age-groups, urban dwellers, etc... - i.e. you end up with an unrepresentative sample of opinion, and this is regardless of the numbers taking part (although for 'marketing' purposes 50,000 does sound impressive). LucidTalk (& other polling companies) select our samples, and then work hard to get them to be representative of Northern Ireland - e.g. in terms of our online Opinion Panel we make sure that there is a representative number of lower income earners, a representative number from say loyalist and republican working class areas, a representative sample of over 65s, and a representative sample of people from the west of Northern Ireland taking part etc.. etc.. Basically we match - in terms of our 1,075 sample - the Northern Ireland demographics as detailed above. In terms of these latter demographics I would doubt that few from these groups are taking part in the current Belfast Telegraph online poll. However sizable numbers from all these groups took part in the EU referendum, and would undoubtedly take part in a border poll referendum. Hence you can see where the large error comes in with these self-selecting polls? In a sense the Belfast Telegraph 'border poll' complements the more accurate research carried out by the polling companies. The Bel Tel poll did show high interest in the issue, and that probably the Brexit decision has perhaps caused some former pro NI in the UK (as long as it's in the EU) to perhaps think about a United Ireland that's in the EU (if the UK are leaving the EU). However unless we have accurate polling we can't estimate the numbers related to this 'change to support a United Ireland based on Brexit' - it may be a few hundred, a few thousand, or tens of thousands. With our next Northern Ireland-wide poll coming up in September we'll hopefully be able to put a few estimates on these numbers. Bill White is Managing Director of Belfast polling and market research company LucidTalk. You can follow LucidTalk on Twitter: @LucidTalk. This newspaper, along with thousands of dog lovers around the world, welcomes the decision by Belfast City Council to return Hank the dog to its owners. An expert has assessed Hank to be a banned breed - a pit bull terrier type - but that he does not pose any risk to the public. While the dog's owners dispute the definition of Hank, what is not in doubt is that they have been textbook owners. The dog was microchipped, well looked after and given regular veterinary examinations and treatment for a skin condition. It was equally obvious that Hank was not some sort of trophy dog, bought by his owners to create a certain air of menace, but rather a first pet which was adored as a playful companion. Belfast City Council has been at pains to point out that under the legislation it must act if it receives a complaint about a suspected illegal breed. Many people will think that the seizure of Hank, which was carried out while his owners were absent from the house and involved several police officers and four council wardens, was an over-the-top response, especially now that the dog has been deemed to be harmless. Nevertheless, the council has attempted to outline its responsibilities and the procedures which have to be followed once a complaint has been made. This willingness to engage as far as possible in the social media debate over the fate of Hank deserves to be acknowledged positively. Now that this case has been settled - a few legal loose ends have yet to be tied up - there should be a review of the dangerous dogs legislation in the province. UUP leader Mike Nesbitt has described the law as flawed and statistics seem to bear out his criticism. Between 2011 and 2015, local authorities in the province seized 243 dogs, but only four ended up being put to sleep. This would indicate that the legislation is weighted towards those who complain about a dog's appearance rather than its behaviour, and would appear to back up Mr Nesbitt's assertion that the law is no longer fit for purpose and requires an overhaul. This is a welcome and timely contribution to the debate and the Assembly should re-examine the law as a matter of urgency, so that local authorities are not compelled to enforce a law which only results in alienating them from responsible dog owners. I refer to your article, headlined 'Welfare shake-up in crisis as universal credit delayed until autumn next year' (News, July 20), which this department considers to be misleading. The current reform of the welfare system represents the biggest change to the benefit and tax credit system in more than 70 years, and there are many elements to this change. A number of these changes have already gone live in Northern Ireland, and the article makes no reference to their successful introduction. Universal credit is being introduced incrementally across Great Britain. It had originally been scheduled to be introduced in Northern Ireland from January 2017, but its introduction has been delayed to accommodate changes to the UK-wide welfare system. It is still planned that the roll-out of universal credit across Northern Ireland will be completed during 2018. The department does not believe that a planned eight-month delay in introducing universal credit in Northern Ireland can justify a headline that the changes to the welfare system are "in crisis". KIM BURNS Senior information officer Department for Communities There will be days when getting out of bed will feel like the hardest thing to do. There will be times when you want nothing more than to be alone while you cry. And there will be days when you feel as if youll never be good enough. Have you ever been there? Have you ever questioned your validity or self-worth? Of course you have! We all have! No one is perfect. The outside world makes us feel as if something is wrong with us, but the truth is no one airs their dirty laundry. Think about it, your social media newsfeed is filled with filtered photos and statuses that proclaim perfection. But its not true only the greatness is shared. Youre not seeing the other side of the lens. Despite everyones inability to achieve perfection, its important to remember that you are the only you. Therefore, you should always strive to be the best version of yourself. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself or looking at the things that arent think about what can be if you just try. Heres your new 30 day plan: Day 1: Stop Comparing: Its not going to be easy. In fact, if you have any social media outlets I recommend that you temporarily suspend them. Stop looking at what is going on with everyone else and focus on your own individual life. Day 2: Make Goals: A productive person has a much higher level of self-esteem. Evaluate what you want in life and make a list of how you can achieve those goals. Day 3: Stop Judging: Judgement is different from comparison. Only your Lord and Savior has the right to judge his children. Fight the urge to proclaim judgment on others. Day 4: Make a List of the Positive: Negativity is contagious. Get a piece of paper and pen out, write down all of the things in your life that are positive and relish in those items. Keep this list somewhere for easy reference your pocket, purse or wallet. Then the next time youre fighting off negative feelings break out these list. Day 5: Be Social: Seek out friendly faces no matter where you are work, the grocery store or at your childs school. Be social and say hello. A smile goes a long way and will strike a chord within your own everyday persona. Day 6: Learn Patience: Patience really is a virtue. If you rush throughout life without taking in the blessings surrounding your life youll miss out on true greatness. Take the time to stop and smell the roses. Day 7: Divvy Your Stress: We live in a world where oftentimes we eat, breathe and sleep stress. Take the time to designate the items that stress you out on a daily basis. Give your spouse a honey-do list or assign chores to your children. Learn how to divvy up your stress. Day 8: Stay Healthy: Being healthy will keep you in a good mood. Make good food options and exercise on a regular basis. One day youll thank yourself. Day 9: Have Fun: Each day, take time to do something fun. We all only live once, so its important to have fun while we are living our lives. Day 10: Speak Up: Learn how to speak up for yourself because if you dont then no one will. Its important to cultivate your individual voice and find ways you can stand behind the issues youre passionate about. Day 11: Say No: Learn the word no. Its easy to get caught up in the business that rules every day. Day 12: Breathe: It sounds easy, but sometimes the constant stress of a day can make us forget how to breathe. Educate yourself on breathing techniques that are driven to calm people down. Day 13: Fight: No, were not talking about throwing blows at someone. Instead learn how to fight for what you believe in. Speak up and learn how to never back down. Sometimes you can incorporate an effective mantra, into your regiment, to help you when youre feeling overwhelmed or defeated. Day 14: Me Time: Enjoy me time. Sometimes the best cure for a stressful day or week is to set aside some me time for yourself. Do something that you enjoy or perhaps you should schedule time alone to help reset your focus. Day 15: Tell the Truth: Make a promise to yourself that youll always tell the truth no matter what. Day 16: Refill Your Faith: Remember that youre here today because Jesus sacrificed his life for yours always keep that in mind. Attend a small group and/or go to service. Maintaining your faith in God is key. Day 17: Educate Yourself: Never stop learning. Always be willing to be take the time to learn new elements in life. Day 18: Fail: Its okay to fail. Accept failure and learn how your mistakes can shape you into a better-rounded person. Day 19: Charity: There are so many people in the world that need help. Seek out these individuals and do Gods work. Day 20: Be Self Reliant: Think of something that you rely on others to do change a tire, cook a meal, laundry or perhaps changing your oil. Now seize the day and be self-reliant. Learn a new technique and feel empowered. Day 21: Accept Your Flaws: Make a list of your flaws and evaluate how these items can help you become a stronger person. Surround yourself with people that make you stronger. Day 22: Recite I Can, I Will: Youll find if you say something enough, it becomes a way of life and youll believe it. Receive the phrase, I can, I will. Say it every day until you believe it. Day 23: Show Love: Always show the ones around you that you love them. You never know how much time youll be granted on earth therefore, its imperative that you live your life without regrets and tell those you love. Day 24: Vow to Try Something Once: If you dont try things out youll miss out on a lot of great opportunities that could cultivate you into a better human being. Day 25: Find Peace: Dont stay mad. Find peace. Day 26: Forgive: Staying angry at someone and holding a grudge can change an individual. Its very important to forgive others for their mistakes and shortcomings. Dont allow someone elses mistakes steer your future. Day 27: Be Hopeful: No matter how dark the day may be, find reasons to be hopeful. Youll find that possessing hope will give you the opportunity to keep many doors open. Day 28: New Beginnings: Allow each day to serve as a new beginning. Dont allow other days to infringe upon what could have been. Day 29: Become One with Nature: There is a reason why God made nature. Take the time to get acquainted with the world outside of your walls. Youll find peace, solitude and newfound opportunities. Day 30: Pray: Communicate with God through prayer every day. Youll find a stronger connection and presence of your faith and Jesus Christ if you reach out to him every day. Just taking it slowly - day by day - you'll start to feel like a new person, and all those doubts you had about yourself slipping away, giving up a little bit of their hold over you each day. Focus on each day's plan for full effect, and you'll never look back! Angela Guzman is a Writer at Large for Beliefnet. Courtesy of RMHC When Noelle Johnson is asked about her son Jordans health, she can rattle off the dates of his three heart surgeries, his seven-month stay in the hospital as a newborn, when he got a tracheotomy tube inserted to help him breathe and the nights shes spent by her 12-year-olds side every time hes come to Advocate Hope Hospital in Chicago. This little guy has been through a lot. But hes tough. Hes really tough, she said. Yet when you ask her about how Ronald McDonald House Charities has helped her and her family by giving them a place to stay and comfort for nearly free she gets a little tongue-tied. I cantI cant I cant even find the words to say how I feel about what theyve done for me and my family, she said. Its hard to put into words. But its made a huge impact on my family that we have some place to stay. Noelle is staying at the Oak Lawn Ronald McDonald House, kitty cornered from the hospital. Shes been here since March 11, and may be able to leave at the end of May if her son is discharged. That means shes here this Sunday, too. On Mothers Day. She wont be the only mother here. Its sad, but its so nice to have other people around who understand what youre going through. Weve met three different families and when they have a good day, we steal some of their joy, she said. Its so great to see someone else have a good day. And then, well have a good day, and they enjoy that, too. To help mothers who find themselves staying at a Ronald McDonald House over Mothers Day, Chicago-based McDonalds Corp. is partnering with 1-800-Flowers to send baskets of spa goodies like soaps and lotions to mothers staying at each of the 179 Ronald McDonald Houses in the United States. Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is not a part of McDonalds Corp., but the company is the Founding Mission Partner of the non-profit and provides direct support for a portion of its annual budget. Not one company could sustain the growth of the Charity therefore the majority of funding comes from the public, including donations from McDonalds customers at its restaurants. Noelle, her husband, Jim, and their two other children live in McHenry, Ill., near the Wisconsin border about a two-hour drive from Chicago. Their youngest, Jordan, was born at Advocate Hope Hospital when an ultrasound discovered that he had a rare heart condition his left heart chamber was so weak it couldnt pump blood. That started more than a decade of surgeries and long hospital stays. Now hes back because he lost a tooth, bled too much, got blood in his lungs, then got a bad flu virus. He was on a breathing machine for weeks. Noelle will never forget her familys stay in Chicago for Jordans first heart surgery. They stayed in a hotel room for a few nights, but realized they couldnt afford it. Plus they were commuting back and forth because their other children were in school and Jim still had to work. We were sleeping in recliner chairs in the hospital lobby and brushing our teeth in public restrooms, she said. It was awful. Then RMHC opened this House in December 2008. I couldnt believe it! We get a bed and a shower! The local RMHC Chapter has five houses in the Chicago area and houses 153 families every night. It asks for a small donation of $10 per night, but doesnt turn away families who cant afford that. It also has three Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in hospitals where families can rest and relax in a space near the Neonatal Intensive Care Units. The 24,000-square-foot House in Oak Lawn where Noelle stays is on three-quarters of an acre and has 16 bedrooms with private baths. Four of those have living rooms and are for families that have to stay 30 days or longer. The House has a large kitchen, playroom, three living rooms and even a wheelchair accessible tree house. Its not just the big kitchen with three sinks and three dishwashers and four refrigerators that has helped make her life easier, its the volunteers who come to cook lunch and dinner every day for the families staying there. Sometimes the Brownie Scouts will come in and bake cookies, she says, amazed still that it happens. It is beyond words. Noelles oldest son, Justin, 20, has been so impressed with the care his family has received that he gave a speech about the Ronald McDonald House for his speech class at college. You dont have to worry about anything but caring for your kid, says Noelle. Its hard to put into words what its meant for us. Help make a difference for the Ronald McDonald House Charities today. Make it Fun Send something that your college student loved when they were a child. Tinker toys, crayons, coloring books board games or maybe even some play-doh. These simple toys from your kids childhood will provide them with a fun break from their newfound reality. Music or Movies Send a subscription to Netflix, an iTunes gift card or a Hulu subscription. If your student is a film junkie, theyll definitely appreciate watching a new flick or refreshing their music library with some great tunes. Homemade Yum Does your kid love your cookies or maybe you make a killer brownie? Bake some of these delicious treats and put them in a Tupperware container for them. If there is a special frosting, package that in a separate container. Keep in mind that packages can get shaken and tossed around during their transit. Remember to include enough for their roommate too! Gift Card Check out the restaurants and other shops that are around your kids college campus. Favorite Drink Is there a favorite cocoa mix, coffee or tea that your college student loves? Find the mixture packs and include it in the package. Perhaps theyd like a new tumbler or mug to drink it in as well find their college themed cup on Amazon or at the local college memorabilia store. Something Huggable and Comforting No one is ever too old for a huggable stuffed animal or comforting blanket. Framed Photo Go through your favorite photos of the two of you or the whole family and frame the picture. Having a photo by their bedside could serve to be very comforting and remind them how much theyre loved. Holiday Themed Items If youre nearing a holiday season be sure to send your college student a fun themed gift. For Halloween send candy or fun masks or perhaps a tiny lighted tree for Christmas. Underwear Yes, youve probably been buying your kids underwear since they were a toddler so some new boxers or briefs will be appreciated. Plus it gives them a laundry break! Candle Do you usually burn a specific candle scent at home? Send your college student the same scent to help them feel more at home. Essential Reading Books are great gifts that can be enjoyed again and again or at ones leisure. Flip Flops Flip flops will be used in the shower or a quick go-to item if theyre running late for a class. Electronic Gadgets USB cord, adapter or even ear buds will be appreciated by any college student. Even if theyre not in immediate need for the gadgets, theyll be used at some point. Christmas Lights Yes, I said Christmas lights! Dorm rooms can feel somewhat dingy and the white walls dont have a lot of character. A string of Christmas lights can brighten any weary room and bring a smile to your students face no matter what. Vitamins or Emergen-C packets Okay so you didnt think every item on the list was going to be strictly fun, right? Allow your parenting side to come out and include vitamins or Emergen-C packets to keep your kid healthy especially if its cold and flu season. Your child may not initially appreciate this gift however, they will when theyre feeling sick or others around them are. Toiletries If your kid is use to you purchasing all of their toiletry items then they will appreciate the replenishment. Even if you didnt before, itll save them the money and time of having to buy these when theyre needed. Angela Guzman is a Writer at Large for Beliefnet. When your child is away at college things can be difficult. The newfound independence can be great for parent and child, but sometimes that alone time can be hard to deal with for both parties. Sending a parent care package can be a fantastic way for parents to still feel nurturing and part of their childs life. The college student also benefits from the emotional pick-me up by feeling loved.While you may feel tempted to pack yourself in the box because you miss your kid so much, fight the urge.College can be a difficult transition for both parent and child. A parent care package can be the perfect option to show your child some love. Even though teens tend to play the tough and stubborn card, odds are theyll thoroughly appreciate your generosity. Remember a care package doesnt have to be purely made of necessities, it should include items that will comfort your college student - feel free to get funny and creative. The logo of RCBC bank appears atop the RCBC building in Manilas financial district, March 11, 2016. Bangladesh Central Bank officials say they plan to file a legal case in the Philippines to get back about U.S. $15 million in recovered money from the $81 million stolen by computer hackers nearly six months ago. Philippine authorities recovered $15.25 million in installments a few months ago. They have been cooperating with Bangladeshi government representatives to find the remaining nearly $66 million in stolen Bangladesh Bank money, which also wound up in the Philippines and is believed to have been laundered there, central bank officials said. The $81 million was stolen during an electronic transfer from an account held by the Bangladeshi bank at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The theft was a record heist for Bangladesh, but before it can recover the $15 million, Bangladesh Bank must file a legal claim of ownership of the money in a Philippine court, according to a senior official. Now, we have to file a case with a Philippine trial court for the recovery of the stolen money. Without the courts permission, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) of the Philippines cannot return our money, Debaprosad Debnath, a Bangladesh Bank general manager in charge of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), told BenarNews. Some of our central bank officials will fly to the Philippines soon, he added. The $15.25 million was handed over to the Philippine anti-money laundering agency by Kim Wong, a Filipino junket casino operator. Bangladesh also is trying to find out what happened with the rest of the money that was wired by the New York Fed to the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), a bank based in Manila, on Feb. 4, according to reports. In May, Bangladeshs ambassador to the Philippines, John Gomes, told a Filipino senate inquiry that the whole world knows the money belongs to Bangladesh. Eighty-one million dollars came over here. Not a single dollar went anywhere else, Gomes told a panel of senators. Debnath said Bangladeshi investigators were trying to trace where the remaining $65.75 million went. So, we will have to wait for some time to get back the remainder, Debnath said. Manila bank chiefly responsible According to a former governor of the central bank who is heading a Bangladeshi government probe into the heist, the RCBC bank in Manila was at fault and could soon be the target of a Bangladeshi lawsuit. In our investigation, we have found that the RCBC is chiefly responsible for the disbursement of the money [$81 million]. The Bangladesh Bank sent messages to the RCBC informing [it] that the payment orders were fake, but the bank went ahead with the payments, Mohammed Farashuddin told BenarNews. The RCBC must shoulder the responsibility of the whole $81 million, he added. Farashuddin said the Philippine Senate had been supporting Bangladesh in its efforts to recover all of the money, but this could take some time. For its part, RCBC said in a statement that it supported the Bangladesh Banks efforts to recover the money from the parties who ultimately received them, according to Reuters. In Bangladesh, no arrests have been made in connection with the case. But in March, Farashuddin told BenarNews that the heist could not have happened without the collusion of Bangladesh Bank officials because SWIFT codes needed to execute such a transfer were confidential and only known in-house. Meanwhile, the New York Fed has urged the Philippine Central Bank to help Bangladeshs central bank recover the stolen $81 million in full, Reuters reported on Friday, citing a letter sent from the Feds general counsel to his Philippine counterpart in late June. According to the letter obtained by Reuters, payment instructions for four monetary transfers to beneficiary accounts at RCBC were authenticated using a commercially reasonable security procedure, but that these were issued by persons using stolen credentials, the news agency reported. Officials at the Philippine embassy in Dhaka could not be reached for comment on Friday. Close relations between parents and children are powerful tools in the struggle to prevent young people from being lured to join the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, according to an Indonesian teen who knows firsthand. Teuku Akbar Maulana, a 17-year-old from Aceh province, was on the verge of joining IS, but communication with his parents was one of the main reasons he chose to stay away from the militant group in the end. I backed down from joining [IS] because I am close with my parents. I often have heart-to-heart talks with them, Akbar said during a discussion after the recent screening in Jakarta of a 50-minute documentary film, titled Jihad Selfie. The term became popular last year when IS fighters uploaded photos of themselves brandishing weapons or posing in front of tanks or armored vehicles to justify their decisions to family and friends back home. Such selfies went viral over social media and serve as a recruitment tool to convince young people that its cool to join IS, according to Indonesian security experts. Akbars story is one of many told in the film by local terrorism expert Noor Huda Ismail. The pair answered questions following a screening in Jakarta on July 24. Saved from crossing over Part of the film tells the story of a special bond between the two and how they met in the Turkish town of Kayseri two years ago. Akbar was studying there through a Turkish government high-school level scholarship and Noor Huda was on a sightseeing break while attending a conference. Upon learning that they were both Indonesians, they struck up a conversation during which Akbar revealed that he was waiting for someone to pick him up and take him across. What he actually meant was across the border to Syria, said Noor Huda, who is working on his doctoral dissertation about gender and masculinity in terrorism at Australias Monash University. Noor Huda also runs a program to reintegrate former convicted terrorists and ex-combatants, who fought with militant groups abroad, through hiring them as workers at steak houses in Solo and Semarang, Central Java. Akbar, who knew nothing about Noor Hudas background as a terrorism expert, showed him a Facebook conversation he was having with a friend, Yazid. A teenager from Surabaya, East Java, Yazid studied in the same school as Akbar before joining IS, and invited Akbar to join him. Noor Huda said he could not say much to Akbar at that time, but gave the teenager his contact number. Akbar lucked out when his friend stood him up. The film revealed that Yazid later died in Syria. Akbar soon got in touch with Noor Huda and their friendship grew. Noor Huda said he was then compelled to make the documentary to show that the accepted norm of radicalized Islamic ideology is not the only route that IS uses to recruit members. Teuku Akbar Maulana (left) and Noor Huda Ismail answer questions following the screening of the documentary film Jihad Selfie, in Jakarta, July 24, 2016. [Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata/BeritaBenar] Angst-ridden Noor Hudas film, which wont be released commercially but has been shown in limited screenings since he finished his documentary last year, reveals the angst that many teens experience as they search for their identity. The films message is that the lack of a warm, close relationship with parents can play a role in some becoming radicalized. Yazid and a teen from East Java, Wildan Mulkholad, who was killed in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq in 2014, were not close to their parents, especially their fathers, Akbar and Noor Huda said. The film is actually about parenting, Noor Huda said, adding he dedicated it to his two children. Akbar said he was lured by Yazids Facebook photo in which he clutched an AK-47 that garnered a lot of likes. He also said that Yazid talked him into joining IS by telling him that life was good because he received an allowance and could eat kebab every day. Actually there were bad stories about IS, but there were also those on social media, Akbar said. Just a meatball seller Yazid was known as a loner and often spent hours in an internet cafe, playing online games and interacting on social media. Another character who appears in the film is Fauzan Anshori, an IS supporter in Indonesia and founder of an Islamic boarding school in West Java. In the film, he acknowledges that social media can be powerful in disseminating propaganda. I have no problem that it was the Jews who created Facebook and WhatsApp. Alhamdulillah [Thank God] they created them for us to use, says Fauzan, who would die of natural causes at a hospital in West Java in December 2015. Other scenes tell the story of Ahmad Junaidi, who is serving a three-year prison term for joining IS. A meatball seller in Malang, East Java, he was sentenced after Densus 88, the countrys anti-terrorism squad, arrested him in March 2015. Ahmad Junaidi is more like a victim of radicalization. He was just a meatball seller. But those who recruited him and provided financial means [to go to Syria] were never arrested, Noor Huda said. According to Noor Huda, telling these stories can help prevent Indonesians from being lured to join IS. In his eyes, no one is born a terrorist. Terrorism is not just a security issue but also a social issue, he said. A scene is Jihad Selfie shows young IS recruits. [Courtesy of Noor Huda Huda Ismail] Chinese political refugees in Thailand, many of whom smuggled themselves across Southeast Asia to escape persecution by the authorities back home, say the country is no longer a safe haven for dissidents, as the Thai authorities seem increasingly willing to hand them back to Beijing. Several Chinese asylum-seekerssome of whom were recognized by the United Nations as genuine refugeeshave been deported for immigration violations, throwing the expatriate dissident community into a state of constant fear, some told Radio Free Asia, a sister entity of BenarNews, in recent interviews. The Thai government began an operation to round up any foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas, said Wu Yuhua, a rights activist who escaped to Thailand more than a year ago. This means that the Chinese refugees are now living in constant fear, every day, she said. We fear that one day, itll be us who gets taken in. Thailand is no longer the safe haven it once was for Chinese dissidents fleeing persecution, according to Wu and many others like her. Its not so much being locked up in immigration detention. Thats not so bad, but if we get repatriated, we will definitely wind up in jail, Wu said. Some rights activists never even make it as far as Thailand, she said, citing the case of Liu Jiaqing, who was arrested by police in Myanmar. I heard recently he was sentenced to two years imprisonment, Wu said. Those who do get to Thailand face the constant threat of detention, as well as official retaliation against loved ones back in China, she said. Chinese activists in Thailand now face being followed and watched on a regular basis by personnel hired by the Chinese government, refugees say. The following, the surveillance, the monitoring: all of this makes it much more risky, said Yu Yanhua, who fled persecution in his hometown of Xuzhou, in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. I dont dare go back to where I am living; Im too frightened, Yu said. There is nowhere safe to hide. Agents everywhere Fellow asylum-seeker and former Henan rights activist Xing Jian said Thailand now seems to be full of Chinese agents. People get suspicious if you ask after them, because China has sent a huge number of agents to Thailand, planting them among the refugees and messing with their relationships, he said. The refugees here have very few dealings with one another now, even at the UNHCR, Xing said. Even if we see them there, we wont go over and greet them. Zhang Wei, from the southwestern Chinese province of Guangxi, said he was followed by suspected Chinese agents when he helped organize an event commemorating the 1989 Tiananan massacre. There were three suspicious-looking people there, he said. They looked exactly like Chinese state security police, to judge from the way they were dressed. Somebody even went to the home of [Thailand-based refugee] Li Xiaolong and tried to visit him, he said. Thailand-based dissident Liu Xuehong said the Chinese agents are busy eroding any support for refugees, either among each other or from supporters in Thailand. Their aim is to obstruct us, and to stop us from speaking out, Liu said. Even the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is concerned about our safety. Two handed back Last November, Chinese asylum seekers Jiang Yefei and Dong Guangping, who had fled persecution in their home country, were handed back to Chinese authorities in a move that drew strong criticism from the U.N. at the time. They are now in pretrial detention in the southwestern city of Chongqing. We call on the U.N. to speed up our applications for resettlement as refugees so that we can live life like normal human beings, Liu said. The fear of meeting a similar fate has left many Chinese asylum-seekers in serious financial difficulties, he said. Some people are reduced to eating waste or leftover food, or rely on friends to live, Liu said. There isnt much support in place, and the UNHCR is overwhelmed by too many international refugees. Earlier this month, Zhao Changfu, a prominent rights activist from the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, skipped bail for subversion and fled through mountains and jungle, using Google Maps as a guide. Liu said that he and Zhao were followed by an unidentified person when they went to the UNHCR to process Zhaos asylum application. It was just one person, following us. ... The security situation hasnt been quite right since Zhao Changfu arrived, he said. Thai authorities have detained a Chinese college student and political asylum-seeker for having an expired passport, raising concerns that he will be sent home, where he has reported being detained and beaten repeatedly by state security police. Xu Zhenxin, 19, was detained on Sunday after Thai police asked for his identification en route to the northern city of Chiang Rai, where he had hoped to find work, activists told Radio Free Asia, a sister entity of BenarNews, on Friday. Fellow Chinese national and Thailand-based asylum-seeker Lu Taizhi said he got a call from Xu, saying he was in police custody. He was on his way to Chiang Rai when he ran into some police, who asked to see his passport, Lu said, adding that Xu had applied for political asylum with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). His passport had expired. I informed UNHCR on Monday morning around 9a.m. local time, he said. Fellow refugee Liu Xiaoying said Xu is being held in the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center alongside another Chinese refugee. Calls to the detention center in Bangkok rang unanswered during office hours on Friday. Xu arrived in Thailand last November after taking a cross-border bus to Vietnam and a flight to Bangkok. He had already received approval for resettlement as a political asylum-seeker, and held a UNHCR letter of protection. A former freshman student at the Nanjing Post and Telecommunications University, Xu described himself as a political activist who frequently handed out leaflets calling for democratic reform on the streets of the city. He had been interrogated several times by the city's state security police, who had beaten him at least twice, fellow refugees said. He also spent a week in a black jail, an unofficial detention center, they said. Xus detention comes amid a growing climate of fear for Chinese dissidents who have sought political refuge in Thailand. Meanwhile, asylum-seeker Li Xiaolong, whose wife Gu Qiao is facing deportation for illegal immigration after the family were rescued from the wreck of a sailing yacht off the coast of southern Thailand, has been protesting outside UNHCR offices for the past month at a lack of action on their case. Li said he was allowed to meet with UNHCR officials on Friday to discuss the family's plight. Li, who speaks no Thai, has no current means of supporting the couples youngest son. Torture risk in China He has complained to U.N. officials that he lacks money to buy milk powder for the child, but they referred him to a refugee camp, he said. Partly this is about saving Gu Qiao [from deportation], and partly its about my own circumstances and my personal safety, said Li, who was detained in early March with his wife, the couples two children, and fellow refugee Song Zhiyu after a yacht they chartered to sail to Australia capsized off the Thai coast. Gu, who holds no passport, is being held in an immigration detention center, and recently pleaded guilty to immigration offenses, paving the way for her repatriation. Li was released on bail with the children, while another refugee who sailed with them, Zhao Wei, was released because he holds a valid Thai visa, as were two other members of the yachts crew. Gu was later transferred to the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center from a similar facility in Chumphon, where the rescue operation took place. Li said Friday's meeting with UNHCR officials was not a success, however. There was no Chinese-language interpreter today, so it was impossible to communicate with the officials on Gu Qiaos case, he said. Calls to the UNHCR representative office in Bangkok rang unanswered during office hours on Friday. Li, a founding member of the banned opposition China Democracy Party (CDP) from the southwestern province of Guangxi, escaped China with his family in 2014, before being classified a genuine refugee by UNHCR. He had set up a local chapter of the party while in Thailand, and was also vocal in the campaign to prevent the repatriation of Chongqing-based activists Dong Guangping and Jiang Yefei. Jiang and Dong, who had fled persecution in their home country, were handed back to Chinese authorities last November, in a move that drew strong criticism from the U.N. They are in criminal detention in Chongqing, where they face subversion charges. Jiangs wife Chu Ling, and Dong's wife Gu Shuhua and daughter Dong Xuerui flew to Canada from Bangkok for resettlement as political refugees just days after the two men were repatriated. They now fear Jiang and Dong are now at risk of torture and other violations of their rights. 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. 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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. First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain. Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that. And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details. If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices For Immediate Release, July 29, 2016 Contact: Michael Robinson, (575) 313-7017, michaelr@biologicaldiversity.org Lawsuit Filed to Protect Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout as 'Endangered' Fish Gone From Nearly 90 Percent of Historic Range in Colorado, New Mexico DENVER The Center for Biological Diversity today sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over its denial of Endangered Species Act protection to the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, a cold-water fish of the headwaters of the Rio Grande, Pecos and Canadian rivers in Colorado and New Mexico. In response to a 1998 Center petition and two lawsuits, the agency determined in 2008 that the rare trout warranted protection due to habitat loss, introduction of nonnative trout, climate change and other factors. But in 2014 the Service reversed course and denied protection to the species. The Rio Grande cutthroat trout survives only in a few isolated headwaters, said Michael Robinson of the Center. Without help from the Endangered Species Act, this fish will disappear forever. Characterized by deep crimson slashes on its throat, the fish once swam throughout the Rio Grande, Pecos and Canadian river basins from Colorado to southern New Mexico. It is now limited to a small number of tiny headwater streams in only 11 percent of its historic range. Todays lawsuit not only seeks endangered status for the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, but also challenges a new Fish and Wildlife Service policy of disregarding historic range and instead assessing species viability only within their current range, regardless of how diminished that might be from historic levels. Under the Endangered Species Act, a species qualifies for protection when it is in danger of extinction in all or a significant of portion of its range, to make sure species are protected before theyre at risk of disappearing from everywhere they once lived. The challenged policy, however, precludes protecting a species as endangered based on the fact it no longer occurs in much of its range a rule that prevents species like the trout from receiving needed protections and ignores the certainty that, without intervention, dangerous trends will continue and likely worsen. Congress wisely specified that imperiled wildlife should be afforded legal and practical protection before theyre reduced to the point of looming extinction, said Robinson. What a travesty that we now have to file a lawsuit to get the government to protect the Rio Grande cutthroat trout when its already gone from almost all its historic range. Background Most surviving Rio Grande cutthroat trout populations are too small and too isolated from each other to survive the effects of loss of genetic diversity; other populations are hybridized with non-native rainbow trout in ways that can eliminate the traits that make the Rio Grande cutthroat unique. Unchecked logging, road-building, livestock grazing, pollution and global warming are also pushing these cutthroat toward extinction. Todays lawsuit points to the inconsistency of the 2014 Fish and Wildlife Service decision not to place the Rio Grande cutthroat trout on the endangered list with the agencys previous 2008 finding that the trout needed federal protection. Since 2008 conditions for the fish have only worsened, with persistent drought contributing to forest fires that burn trees needed to shade trout streams. Silt deposited in rivers by post-fire erosion is another threat since it can kill trout and smother their eggs. The Services 2014 denial of protection identified hybrid fish, with as much as 10 percent ancestry from non-native trout, as somehow bolstering the Rio Grande cutthroats long-term survival. But in 2002 the agency had taken the biologically prudent course of only considering fish with less than 1 percent hybridization to contribute to conservation of this native animal. In denying protection to the trout two years ago, the Service could identify only 55 populations that could be considered marginally secure based on absence of exotic trout, number of fish, and the length of streams that they inhabited. But these populations still face threats from fires, drought and outright habitat destruction. Read more about the Centers work to save Rio Grande cutthroat trout. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. For Immediate Release, July 28, 2016 Contact: Amaroq Weiss, (707) 779-9613, aweiss@biologicaldiversity.org Wolf OR-7's Pack Has Pups for Third Straight Year, Neighboring New Wolf Pair Also Has Pups Oregon Wolves Ongoing Migration to Historic Wolf Territory Highlights Importance of Maintaining Federal, State Protections PORTLAND, Ore. Wildlife officials today released photos confirming that Oregon wolf OR-7 has sired his third litter of pups since establishing the Rogue pack in 2014 in the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest. Officials also have photo confirmation that in neighboring Lake County a pair of wolves known as the Silver Lake wolves has also produced pups. The Silver Lake wolves are a female wolf that dispersed westward from the Mount Emily pack and a male wolf, OR-3, that was born into the Imnaha pack and is OR-7s brother. Rogue pack wolf pups. OR-3 and pup. Photos courtesy Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Its incredibly exciting that Oregons wolves are starting to find their way back to places this remarkable species once called home, said Amaroq Weiss, West Coast wolf organizer for the Center for Biological Diversity. The fact that individual wolves are coming into this same general area tells us how important it is to keep wildlands available for continued safe passage, and to keep legal protections in place for wolves at both the state and federal levels. OR-7, named by wildlife biologists because he was the seventh wolf captured and radio-collared in Oregon, established the first wolf pack in western Oregon in more than 60 years. Like OR-7, his brother, wolf OR-3, also dispersed from northeastern Oregon in 2011. But OR-3s radio-collar stopped working and biologists feared he was dead. Then, last year, a trail camera in southwestern Oregon captured an image of OR-3 with his distinctive ear tags. He then met up with OR-28, the only radio-collared female wolf to have dispersed from northeastern Oregon to the other end of the state. The two were dubbed the Silver lake wolves. This is the first known litter of pups for 8-year-old OR-3. More wolves from northeastern Oregon have been gradually making their way into the southwestern part of the state. In addition to the Rogue pack and the Silver Lake wolves, two other radio-collared wolves born into the Imnaha pack, OR-25 and OR-33, have been ranging in southwestern Oregon, with OR-25 making occasional forays into California. And two other uncollared wolves have been captured on trail camera in the Keno Wildlife Management Unit for the past several years. Wolves were once widely distributed throughout Oregon but were eradicated by a government-sponsored effort on behalf of livestock operators. In 1999 wolves from Idaho began to make their way into Oregon but the first several wolves that entered the state were returned to Idaho, struck by vehicles or illegally shot. It was not until 2008 that Oregons first pack was confirmed, and though Oregons wolf population has been increasing it is still significantly lower than what the state can support. A scientific analysis determined that Oregon can support as many as 1,400 wolves. Oregon wildlife officials have indicated that there are currently approximately 155 wolves in the state, and that wolves are occupying only a little more than 12 percent of suitable wolf habitat. Despite these low numbers and limited occupancy of habitat, last year the state stripped wolves from the states list of endangered species. The Center for Biological Diversity and two allies have filed a legal challenge to the delisting. When an 8-year-old wolf has his first-known litter of pups and when his 8-year-old brother is confirmed to have had his third litter, its a moment of awe and wonder, said Weiss. Oregon killed off its wolf population by the 1940s but state and federal protections have allowed these magnificent animals to make a comeback, and those protections should remain in place until wolves are fully recovered. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. In a no-smoking era, promoting a cigarette manufacturer is not an easy task at the best of times. But when the client is engaged in a market showdown with a global monopoly and finds itself the victim of a smear campaign on top of it, turning around perceptions can be a challenge. Dharmesh Nagar This was the situation Media Revolution had to address in 2013, when our client, Zimbabwes Savanna Tobacco, came under fire in the media. Leading newspapers alleged involvement in Savanna Tobacco by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, and claimed Savanna was smuggling cigarettes into South Africa to bypass taxes. None of it was true, but the company had not been given an opportunity to respond. The negative publicity was causing reputational damage and threatening to derail Savannas contracts with distributors in neighbouring countries. Our strategy was to go fully transparent, highly public and straight to the source of the allegations. We put Savannas founder and then-executive chairman, Adam Molai, directly into the line of fire, securing mainstream TV and newspaper debates and interviews, where he could tell his side of the story. This is not something that happens a lot. Youll often find that the CEOs hide behind spin doctors in the face of controversy. But we believe in transparency, and fortunately, our client supports this. Adam Molai, a canny and experienced entrepreneur who is currently building a diversified business empire in Zimbabwe, participated in the live interviews and stated his case. He emerged with his professional reputation enhanced, and even his initial critics changed their tune. I knew that once the media had an opportunity to question Adam, they would see the smear campaign for what it was. He is a reputable and highly experienced businessman, with a great success story to tell. This success story, which has seen the empowerment of tens of thousands of small scale farmers and the emergence of a significant tobacco manufacturing and distribution player out of Zimbabwe, is also the foundation of our marketing efforts for Savanna across the region. While the cigarettes themselves might not be marketable, we have focused on building the brand exposure around its quality tobacco, the fact that it is a home-grown product, its lower cost and its innovation in packaging which extends to packs for two or five cigarettes, so meeting a uniquely African need for low-cost, small packs of product. This approach has seen steady growth in exposure and supported Savanna Tobaccos successful expansion into a number of neighbouring markets. The objective of the Ronald McDonald House is to ensure that families stay together on-site, during the hospitalisation of their child. It also helps the doctors stay in constant contact with the parents, should they need them at short notice. Nothing else should matter when a family is focused on their child's health; not where they can afford to stay, how they can pay for transport or where they will get their next meal. Helping a sick child fight their illness takes a big enough emotional toll on a family, let alone the financial strain. McDonalds understood the need to improve the lives of children and their families during difficult times by creating the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). RMHC was founded more than 41 years ago in Philadelphia, US and is currently in 63 countries and regions, however the Ronald McDonald House at the Nelson Mandela Childrens Hospital is a first for Africa, says Sphiwe Reggie Skhosana, RMHC SA chairman. Pat Thekisho, Greg Solomon, Dr Dorothy Sekhukhune, Dr Lea Chirwa and Reggie Skhosana. On Mandela Day, Skhosana hosted media and investors at the new hospital in Parktown for a hard hat tour of the development. The house is scheduled to open in December 2016. We are very excited to be part of Madibas last wish and are certain that he would be delighted at the addition of a facility to accommodate families in a time of crisis, he says. The house will function as a home-away-from-home for 27 affected families so that they can stay close to their hospitalised child, at no charge. At the house, families will have access to: Clean, comfortable, secure environment to live in that is close to their child Home cooked meals Private bedrooms Playrooms for children Supportive staff and volunteers who are there to listen and lend a helping hand in any way they can Here, Skhosana explains everything from how the opportunity to establish the home at the hospital presented itself, to RMHC SAs plans to roll out three core programmes nationally, including the Ronald McDonald House With 27 rooms, how does one decide who is allowed to stay there and for how long? With 27 rooms, how does one decide who is allowed to stay there and for how long? The hospital social worker is the one who will refer the families to the house and decide case by case which families have the greatest need to be near their sick child. If there is no space available, the family will go onto a waiting list and will be placed as accommodation becomes available. How did the opportunity to establish a home at the hospital present itself? How did the opportunity to establish a home at the hospital present itself? The Nelson Mandela Childrens Hospital Trust met with the RMHC global office in the US to look at an option to offer accommodation for families at the new hospital. The local RMHC chapter negotiated the current relationship. How many jobs has this initiative created to date? How many jobs has this initiative created to date? We have six full-time staff and are currently recruiting for various positions. The applications have been overwhelming and interviews are under way. Mention some volunteer opportunities. Mention some volunteer opportunities. Volunteers are the backbone of RMHC SA and critical to our success in serving the families and children that need our support. There are many ways one can help from cleaning, making beds and cooking a meal for families staying at the house to donating foodstuffs and helping with administration work, or assisting at fundraising events. Any volunteered time is appreciated. Are there plans to open another house elsewhere? Are there plans to open another house elsewhere? Our three core programmes are: Communications Minister Faith Muthambi on Thursday dismissed the notion that censorship was being implemented at the SABC. She said the SABC informed and educated people compared to mainstream media which was "feeding propaganda" to the public. She brushed off comments that she had been quiet in the wake of the controversy at the public broadcaster. "People have been discussing this debate of censorship. There has been a hype and the people are saying where is the minister of communication, why is she so quiet. (It's) not that we don't know what to say. But censorship, I don't know what you mean by censorship," she said. She accused mainstream media of writing negatively about the government, describing this as "the propaganda we (are) feeding our people". "We cannot allow a situation where the public is misled." Muthambi also praised the SABC for its decision "not to advertise print media". In June the SABC banned the reading of newspaper headlines or discussing front pages on air. Chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng rationalised this by saying the SABC would not give free publicity to newspapers. "I like the decision taken by the SABC, it's one of the state-owned company's (decisions) I am proud of," she said at a discussion on the importance of community media. There has been a public outcry over certain editorial decisions taken at the public broadcaster. This includes the ban of footage of violent protests where public property is being burnt. Source: Business Day BEIJING, CHINA: Chinese regulatory authorities conditionally approved brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev's giant takeover of SABMiller on Friday, 29 July 2016, clearing one of the last major hurdles for the $103 billion deal to go ahead. The commerce ministry "decided to approve" the sale on condition that SABMiller's own stake in China's biggest brewery was disposed of, its anti-monopoly bureau said in a statement on its website - a transaction which has already been agreed. The takeover has previously been approved by regulators in the US, European Union and South Africa, where SABMiller has its origins. AB InBev has agreed to a series of concessions to win the authorities' green lights, including selling SABMiller's 49% stake in Snow Breweries, China's biggest beermaker. The anti-monopoly bureau said the sale - to a unit of China Resources, SABMiller's local partner - had to go through within 24 hours of the overall merger. Otherwise, it said, the deal "would have the effect of eliminating and restricting competition, and ultimately would harm the interests of Chinese consumers". AB InBev is already the world's top brewer and the SABMiller acquisition is in line to be the third largest in history if it goes through. The Belgium-based brewer of Budweiser and Stella Artois this week raised its offer for SABMiller to 45 a share, after sterling slumped following Britain's Brexit vote, cutting the value of the deal to global investors when measured in other currencies and triggering shareholder resistance. The new offer values the London-headquartered firm at 79 billion ($104 billion), and the deal is expected to boost the unified firms' prospects in developing markets in Africa and China. Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge WWF South Africa awarded international river flow expert, Dr Jackie King, with the Living Planet Award - given to exceptional individuals in South Africa who inspire people to live in harmony with nature - at its annual conference. Dr Jackie King As a leading aquatic ecologist in South Africa, Dr King was praised for inspiring several generations of scientists, planners and legislators in South Africa and around the world. Over the past four decades, she has been part of and led scientific teams working on the river flow management of many of the worlds major river systems, among them the Nile, Mekong, Indus and Okavango. Dr King was recognised for her leading role in ensuring that aquatic ecological research led to the sustainable development and management of river systems and, in particular, her innovative and practical approaches that gave effect to improved water management in the real world. Living Planet Conference Dr King was one of three keynote speakers to address WWF-SAs fourth Living Planet Conference in Sandton, Johannesburg. This years conference was held under the theme: Why South Africas future is brighter than you think: A case for optimism. WWF-SA CEO Dr Morne du Plessis commented: In a world filled with seemingly overwhelming challenges, for this years Living Planet Conference we decided to turn the question of sustainability on its head. It is a challenge to us all to think more positively about the changes we can make for the better of all South Africans, particularly in the quest for a more sustainable and equitable future. Other keynote speakers at the conference were Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba and social entrepreneur Ludwick Marishane. Panellists included scenario planner Clem Sunter, environmental and social activist Tasneem Essop, WWF-SAs Saliem Fakir (head: policy and futures unit) and Dean Muruven (programme manager: water source areas). Proceedings were facilitated by social commentator Eusebius McKaiser. Among the issues under the spotlight on the day were food, energy and water security for South Africa in the 21st century with the emphasis on innovative solutions in the areas of food production, water stewardship and renewable energy. To encourage students to participate, WWF-SA also ran a #IAmTheFuture competition which offered 50 seats to students, five of whom would win a two-hour professional lunch with one of several leading South Africans who volunteered their time. The country's trade balance for June 2016 came in at a surplus of R12,5bn following May's unexpectedly high revised surplus of R18,3bn. The trade account's year-to-date position has improved to R-22,9bn when comparing it to June 2015 (R -46,7bn). A trade surplus was in line with market expectations. Exports South Africa's export market has been doing well this year. Exports have grown by 11,3% year to date, while imports grew by 4% year to date. This is due mainly to the market fluctuations that have been seen globally this year. The rand experienced a weak few months at the beginning of the year and has recently improved. The weaker rand provided improved opportunities for exporters to sell their goods. Manufacturing Manufacturing production increased by 4% in May 2016 compared with May 2015 this was more than expected by the market. Although manufacturing was one of the sectors that impacted the 1,2% contraction of the GDP in the first quarter, there have been some pockets of growth within the sector including food and beverages; petroleum; wood and wood products as well as iron and steel. The manufacturing sector provides an opportunity to build a better, more collaborative mutually beneficial relationship between the public and private sector. The sector has potential to contribute greatly to the countrys growth if more innovation and collaboration is brought into the sector. External factors The economy has benefitted from improved weather after the severe drought and lower oil prices. The rand has made gains for a number of weeks following the Brexit decision and has appreciated against the US dollar by 8,4% in the past month. Businesses in the private sector could contribute to growth of the economy by bringing agility and innovation to the table. Collaboration and competition in the market are important for bringing about a thriving economy. Improvements in manufacturing as one sector would have a greater impact on the wholesale retail trade sector. This would in turn benefit the economy and give rise to opportunities for financial institutions to support and sustain the growth. The reinvention of Durban's old Dunlop tyre factory into state-of-the art warehousing is on track and will be ready for occupation by logistics companies in October. Grant Smith, a director at JT Ross the Durban-headquartered property development firm that owns and is developing the 130,000m site in Sydney Road said about R1.5 million was already spent on repairing and preserving the original buildings built in 1928 in line with the requirements of Amafa, KwaZulu-Natals heritage agency. This is the biggest brownfields development in Durban in the recent past. Keeping the construction within the confines of the Amafa regulations has been an interesting, but worthwhile journey. What we have done is a first, he said. Smith said the scale of the development meant it was the anchor address in Sydney Road. That is where the future of our citys economy now lives, he said. About 35,000 bricks were recycled for use in the new buildings, 10,000m of concrete and brick was demolished and used as sub-base material under the surface beds. Features such as the original saw tooth profile was retained and a large proportion of the tyre manufacturing plant was sold to other industries rather than dumped as scrap, he added. Smith said that there was a surge of interest in the property from bigger corporates and logistics companies. Over 100,000 land claims were frozen by the Constitutional Court when it struck down the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act yesterday, 28 July 2016. In a unanimous judgment, the court struck down the act because it was rushed into law without proper consultation. The court said parliament had "failed in its constitutional duty" by not having adequate consultations. "This is a significant judgment," said Legal Resources Centre attorney Henk Smith. "It tells parliament to listen to the people." The act had opened up new land claims from 2014 until 2019, even though thousands of claims made before 1998 had yet to be heard. Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga ruled yesterday that all land claims made from 2014 - estimated to be between 100,000 and 120,000 - be "frozen" until outstanding claims from before 1998 were dealt with or the act was reworked properly by parliament. About 8,000 land claims filed before 1998 have not been heard, according to state figures. But Smith disputed this, arguing in court that as many as 20,000 land claims had been ignored over 18 years. "People have been waiting for their land for 20 years. Some have died," said Constance Mogale, an applicant and spokesman for the Alliance for Rural Democracy. Commenting on the judgment, Aninka Claassens, of the department of public law at the University of Cape Town, said the act was controversial because it was rushed through parliament just before the 2014 national elections. At the time, President Jacob Zuma told tribal chiefs to "find good lawyers" to "make land claims on behalf of your people". Analyst Nick Henson, of the Africa Research Institute, said the act was more about vote-catching and political theatre than about meaningful rural change. Smith said that, under the new act, chiefs were given preference in new land claims to the detriment of the rural poor. One of the main objections to the act was that it did not stop new land claims being made after the land had already been claimed, said Mogale. "It may seem counter-intuitive that the Constitutional Court has frozen land claims," Claassens said, "but it has confirmed what we believed. "The law was being used cynically by the government to give it a reason to ignore the claims made before 1998." Claassens said the judgment was "significant". "The Constitutional Court is recognising the politics here. It is saying to the minister of land reform, and to President Jacob Zuma, 'You can't take a process that was meant for the poorest of the poor and give the land to chiefs'. The timing is significant." Source: The Times via I-Net Bridge Toyota is in danger of losing its crown as the world's biggest automaker this year as sales fall behind those of German rival Volkswagen, new figures showed on Thursday. tookapic via Pixabay The Japanese giant, which has held the title for four years running, was outsold by Volkswagen in the first half of 2016, as key North American sales fell and disaster-linked factory stoppages hit production. The Camry and Prius maker sold 4.99 million vehicles in the six months through June, edging down from a year earlier. Volkswagen sold 5.12 million vehicles globally in the same period, also ahead of third-placed General Motors which moved 4.76 million vehicles. The German automaker had pulled ahead of Toyota in the first half of 2015 as well, until a massive emissions cheating scandal dented sales. This year, Toyota saw first-half unit sales fall in North America - a key market - while US sales of its popular Prius hybrid fell by one-quarter. The company was also hit by plant shutdowns linked to deadly earthquakes in Japan earlier this year. Toyota previously warned that its annual net profit will fall as a stronger yen, and a slowdown in Chinese growth and other emerging markets, dent its bottom line. Toyota, among other major automakers, has also been struggling to recover a reputation for safety after the recall of millions of cars around the world for various problems, including a deadly exploding air bag crisis at supplier Takata. In 2008, Toyota broke GM's decades-long reign as the world's top automaker but lost the crown three years later as Japan's 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster hammered production and disrupted the supply chains of the country's automakers. In 2012, Toyota again overtook its Detroit rival, which sells the Chevrolet and luxury Cadillac brands, to grab the top spot globally. Source: AFP The IT industry has successfully virtualised the data centre, including storage, servers and the data centre local area network. Now it's time to virtualise the wide area network (WAN), still a significant infrastructure investment that simply isn't keeping up with the technology demands of today's dynamic enterprises. Those demands all centre around bandwidth - now required at volumes unsuited to the static architecture of typical networks. It is bandwidth that enables the vast number of mobile devices on any corporate premises to operate without crashing the company network. Bandwidth supports access to geographically-dispersed data and services in the cloud. Without bandwidth, enterprises cant process the massive amount of information that is big data without risking the performance of their network. Bandwidth expansion Enterprises reliant on current networking paradigms will find themselves increasingly constrained, unable to take advantage of exciting computing trends like software as a service and bring your own device, says Greg Montjoie, executive: connectivity at Internet Solutions. A physical network cannot support bandwidth expansion demanded by the cloud and other virtualised technologies in a way that is agile, scalable and still economically practical. Simply put, software-defined networking (SDN) separates physical data network hardware from the people who configure and manage the network. This means that turning up and turning down bandwidth requirements is done more responsively, as demand dictates, from a single network console. Instead of manually accessing and adjusting expensive network devices that are bundled with proprietary firmware, administrators use a software interface to aggregate several different connections so they function like one virtual, overlapping network. This enables programmatic control and automation of path selection and traffic engineering as data traffic rules can be adjusted almost instantly. Most importantly, SDN connects clouds, applications and network devices in a manner that is dynamic, cost-effective and infinitely adaptable. Montjoie is quick to acknowledge that network hook-up and breakdown operations can still be done manually for now. As our mantra and end-goal is increasingly do more with less, the demand for cost efficiency and flexibility, as well as shortened project timelines will require IT departments to configure networks more efficiently, he says. Early days Its early days for software-defined networking. Recognisable industry players like Cisco, IBM, Citrix, Dell, Google, Verizon and others are all exploring how SDN will save on network infrastructure costs while improving network performance. In South Africa, Internet Solutions is currently piloting the countrys first elastic wide area network, or e-WAN, built on SDN principles. Were seeing interesting use cases in retail and construction verticals, and in companies that have various offices or branches where synchronised communication is important, says Montjoie. SDN is maturing rapidly and it is time for enterprises to keep an eye on industry developments in this area so they can assess when SDN should appear on their IT roadmap. Three non-governmental organisations which provide support to cancer sufferers in the Eastern Cape will benefit from the 2016 Algoa FM Cell C Big Walk for Cancer. Now in its 18th year, the Big Walk is one of the biggest charity events in the Eastern Cape. It raised R380,000 in 2015. This year it will be hosted at The Boardwalk on Saturday, 29 October. Given the massive success of the event thanks to the support of the community we are able to support the Igazi Foundation, CANSA and CHOC this year, says Algoa FMs public relations and corporate social investment manager, Jennilee Peremore. As a proud sponsor of this event for the past two years, we at Cell C are delighted to be associated with these organisations. As a caring company, giving back to the communities in which we operate is vital and as we watched the event gain momentum, it gives us hope that with the proceeds increasing every year too, these organisations can improve on their services to those with cancer, says Louis Burger, Managing Executive: Eastern Cape Region. With over R700,000 in proceeds raised with the walk collectively over two years, in 2014 and 2015, Igazi Foundation was able to establish the Aloe Igazi Haematology Unit and the Aloe Igazi Paediatric Unit at the Provincial Hospital in Port Elizabeth. The Igazi Foundation was founded in the Eastern Cape five years ago to provide support to people suffering from blood cancer. The foundation has five projects in the Eastern Cape, as well as representation in East London, Cape Town and Gauteng. The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) offers wide-ranging prevention and early detection programmes in the Eastern Cape and the rest of the country. Funds raised through the Algoa FM Cell C Big Walk for Cancer will be used for the organisations Cancer Care Clinic, its mobile clinic and its home-based care, according to spokesperson Michelle Goddard. CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa) provides support to both children suffering from cancer and their families in all the major centres in the Eastern Cape. CHOC will use the funding from the walk to continue support of M3, the Aloe Igazi Paediatric Unit at Provincial Hospital. As can be seen, all three organisations complement each other and provide much-needed support to those suffering from cancer and their families. We trust that thousands of residents from Port Elizabeth and surrounds will once again turn the beachfront pink in October as we raise funds for the fight against cancer, says Peremore. In 2015 close to 12,000 people walked the five-kilometre route. Many have tried and few have succeeded, but now Infiniti is about to release a variable compression fourstroke petrol engine, plus a high-performance 'S' line to sit atop all new models. Infinit Q60 sports coupe. The upcoming QX50 crossover SUV will deliver the brand a technical breakthrough, becoming the first car in the world with variable-compression engine technology - the technology which could bring about the death of diesel engines in passenger cars. To be based around an all new four-cylinder engine, the variable-compression system is claimed by Infiniti to deliver V6 power with four-cylinder diesel fuel economy. It is said by Infiniti to achieve this by changing the engine's compression ratio depending on the power demand from the driver. But the company isn't ignoring its more established technology, and this year it will also deliver a rear-drive Q60 coupe with a 300kW biturbo V6 powerplant. The new engine also underscores Infiniti's new family of S models, which will be the Japanese premium brand's high-performance family and the naming of which is bound to have Audi (which has S versions of the A3, the A4, the A6, the A8 and the A7, along with its Q3, Q5 and Q7 SUVs) fuming. "There is a little red 'S' on the Q60 and you will find it going forward on all our performance vehicles," Infiniti boss Roland Krueger said. The 300kW Q60 engine should also find its way into at least two other Infiniti models as well, and there is potential for either Nismo or Renaultsport, or both, to have input into an even hotter Infiniti using the revolutionary powerplant. A bridging technology The company is far from being the first car maker to try to use variable compression motors in production, with Porsche, Volvo, PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) and Renault all pushing ahead, viewing it as a bridging technology between internal combustion engines and electric cars. The concept is effectively to change the swept volume of the engine's cylinders at top-dead centre, delivering the best of both worlds for performance and fuel consumption. It's also far from new, with British internal combustion engineering legend Sir Harry Ricardo inventing it in the 1920s. Technology of the day ruled out mass production, but Ricardo's invention led to his equally pioneering work in fuel quality, which delivered us today's octane rating system. Saab's bankruptcy stopped it from delivering on the supercharged variable-compression four-cylinder petrol motor it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 2000. Very much a last addition to Saab's long list of quirky engineering innovations, its engine split the block into two halves, with what was effectively a hinge in the middle lifting one side of the block up to four degrees higher than the other. There are other ideas for achieving the same result, though. Yamaha has worked with two-stroke variable- compression motors since the late 1990s, while Lotus's singlecylinder Omnivore concept used a movable puck at the top of the combustion chamber, Orbital fuel injection and a two-stroke cycle. Its development effectively stopped during the Dany Bahar era. Peugeot has a concept dubbed MCE-5, which adjusts the connecting rod's length via a system that looks fearfully complex, while Dutch engineering outfit Gomecsys has a system it says that bolts on to existing crankshafts. One of the more promising and imaginative ways comes from Finland's Waulis Motors, with the crankshaft attached to an eccentric wheel, which is itself attached to a guidance wheel. But Infiniti is staying mum on whether it's developing its own system or working with a concept that it has bought in from outside. Source: Business Day On Thursday, 28 July 2016, Biz Takeouts Marketing and Media Radio show host Warren Harding ( @bizwazza ) took a closer look at customer experience management and the annual CEM Africa Summit taking place on 17 and 18 August in Cape Town. We were joined by Simon Cranswick, managing director at Anana Africa. Simon has been involved in the CEM space for the last 21 years from a consulting and business-enabling technology solution perspective. As MD of Anana Africa, he is passionate about CEM practices, focusing on how business processes are viewed and experienced by an organisation's customers. We chatted to Simon about: The overall CX landscape in Africa and how it has evolved over the last year. We discuss how you find out what your customers think about your service, product, brand and experience. We look at the recipe for successful CX implementations. We chat about the CEM Africa Summit event objectives. What has made the event so successful for the last four years? We look at what delegates can expect at CEM Africa Summit 2016. How does the event contribute to the sector at large? Check out the CEM Africa Summit website here. Episode 183: We look at the rapid evolution of Customer Experience Management and the CEM Africa Summit. Date: 28 July 2016 Length: 19:17min File size: 18MB Host: Warren Harding Then later in the show, we spoke to Mike Jones, strategic planning director for NATIVE VML in Johannesburg to look at the Native VML monthly Trends report. We chatted to Mike about: What exactly a strategic planning director does at Native VML. We discuss how and why the report is put together by the agency and what his involvement is. We discuss the research behind the report. We also discuss some of Mikes top trend highlights. Get the NATIVE VML trend report here. Episode 183: We look at the rapid evolution of Customer Experience Management and the CEM Africa Summit. Date: 28 July 2016 Length: 15:30min File size: 14.5MB Host: Warren Harding If you are interested in getting interviewed on Biz Takeouts, or want to suggest a show topic, email Warren Harding (@bizwazza) on moc.ytinummoczib@stuoekatzib. Bizcommunity.com's Biz Takeouts Marketing & Media Show takes South Africa's biggest online marketing, media and ad industry platform to the airwaves and gives relevant, useful and interesting insights into all aspects of marketing in SA, Africa and beyond. Each week, the show features the movers and the shakers of the industry, current media trends, upcoming events and brand activities. For more: When you don't have the biggest budget, nor (let's just keep it real) the sexiest brand, how do you maximise your agency's output, and then some more, to reach your business' goals faster? With the help of an incredible team, I have helped build Saatchi & Saatchi Synergizes first social media service - one that is regarded within the business as effective and fast-growing. Over this two-and-a-half-year period, Ive gathered a handful of suggestions and insights on how you, the client, can get the most out of your social media agency. My seven suggestions: Educate each other twice a year, at least: Ask your agency to present the industrys latest trends Plagued by fears that our client may mention a new app, video or update that were not yet aware of, many of us are voracious readers or listeners to the best thinking and case studies available. This means weve got the information, so take advantage of it. Most budgets dont easily allow for a full-day workshop, so Id suggest asking for a concise 15-minute presentation per specialisation. This will give you the best bang for your buck as well as the opportunity to excitedly holler, "Hey, can we do that?" Teach, update and explain your business products or services and vision. Again. How many times has your agencys core team changed since you first took them on? If youre wondering why your agency is regurgitating the same old, same old month on month, Im willing to bet its because they only want to colour in the shapes they best understand. The shapes, you the client, have approved before and were once happy with. To get your agency out of this rut, take the proverbial bull by the horns and arrange time to tell us about your business and your challenges again. Ask your client service lead this question monthly: "Based on the data at hand, is the way were using our hours this month, really going to get us closer to our goals?" Make sure you and your agency has not fallen into the trap of simply doing the social work and creating the reports. Most of us are guilty of this. Its a rarity that we have a time plan for the implications - and get your approval - but its essential. It is going to lead to better results. Use the data. Help us to help you: Averagely performing social brands are characterised by clients who never get back to us on our suggestions, so get back to us its a two-way relationship. Dont just get the smartest, get the most likeable client service lead on your account. As an insider, I can tell you that agency people work harder, and do better work, when they like and respect the client service lead on the account. Were simply just more willing to get stuck into and solving your challenges on a consistent basis. This is not systemic to Saatchi, but rather across agencies - we are all human. Change your mindset from being trustworthy to that of someone makes their agency deservedly accountable: If your agency is brand-new, create a mental note to monitor the good and bad of your agency's performance over a three-month period. If they pass the test, meeting the goals they promised in the pitch (with you coming to the party over this period too), then give them more freedom to take your work further, keeping the team continually excited to make their name on your brand. The key is to keep your agency in high-performance pitch mode while continually giving thanks so we feel good about it. The 80/20 rule: To keep your boss's boss's boss happy - as well as the agency on its toes - explore revising your scope of work to allow for 80% servicing the general retainer and 20% for testing and experimental creative. Great leaps can be made in your brand's performance when we have the hours to act quickly on an emerging trend or testing the efficacy of an uncontested platform. It also gives you a good idea of how educated your agency's educated guesses are, as the results unfold. Get your social marketer to join your monthly meeting - Im always pushing for this with the team. Its not about staying on top of status queries, its about: Making them emotionally invested in your brand. It deepens their read of exactly what you want to see from us. We can develop on and approve ideas and solve challenges speedily face to face, versus a laborious and boring PPT. The notable poet, Brown Sugar, would of course agree that aint nobody got time for that. It offers you the chance to build a relationship with someone who is the face of your brand on social. Choose to take my point 6 seriously or not, but I see my guys are more invested in clients they have a personal relationship with. Instead of me having to manage and push, making sure theyre into it, I instead just have to guide here and there. Lastly, dont be a d*&%: Believe it or not, were on your side. We all got into advertising because we want to do work thats cool and really delivers results. Really, it gives us something to talk about when were out drinking. So, if you find were making the same mistakes, falling over the same hurdles on a monthly basis, theres likely a situation of broken telephone that can be fixed with the a combination of face-to-face communication - and of course, the right decision-makers in the room. Have I missed any pertinent suggestions of how clients can inspire great social marketing work from an agency? Leave a comment below. #MandelaMonth: From street vendor to small business owner Underwear brand, Jockey, has partnered with Texcon Hawkers Forum and Business Support KwaZulu Natal, to make street vendors' dreams come true. They've implemented the New Venture Creation learnership programme, which will equip the vendors with knowledge on how to run a business and give them experience to enhance their employment opportunities. We spoke with Jockey's marketing associate, Natalie Bennie, to find out more about the initiative and the the importance of CSI to the brand. Where did the idea for the initiative come from? Where did the idea for the initiative come from? Bennie: Jockey saw the ladies coming to the shop and having to queue outside for the goods. Many of these hawkers are consistent Jockey customers. We saw the need for them and we wanted to make their purchasing process a lot easier than having to queue outside the factory. These hawkers have trusted our brand enough to want to sell it, and we want to be just as loyal to them as they are to us. How were the "hawkers" selected? How were the "hawkers" selected? Bennie: We requested Texcon to make the selection. They spent a week at our factory shop talking to various hawkers. We identified who these hawkers were, and initiated an interview process. In terms of the learnership this was based on an application and qualifications and this was the responsibility of Texcon. What are some of the challenges facing small business owners in South Africa? What are some of the challenges facing small business owners in South Africa? Bennie: Two of the biggest issues that small businesses are faced with are 1. Marketing elements and 2. Cash flow. We are committed to assisting our selected hawkers with marketing elements that will aid their businesses. We will provide special packaging of the garments, as well as other branding elements associated with our brand. In terms of purchasing stock, they will be able to buy all their garments from the Jockey factory shop, making it affordable to not only buy garments, but also to make a profit. What will participants learn from the New Venture Creation learnership programme and the Texcon Hawkers Forum Initiative? And how are they different? What will participants learn from the New Venture Creation learnership programme and the Texcon Hawkers Forum Initiative? And how are they different? Bennie: From the New Venture Creation learnership programme 20 selected candidates will learn the necessary business skills and be provided with the experience needed to open up better self-employment or employment opportunities. Being a part of the Texcon Hawkers Forum Initiative has other benefits. The difference between the two is that the New Venture Creation Learnership Programme allows these 20 hand-picked and carefully selected street vendors with an opportunity to acquire a qualification through the programme. All will benefit from the marketing elements and the discounts. What will happen when the participants graduate? What will happen when the participants graduate? Bennie: They will remain part of Texcon, and they will be assisted with registering their businesses. They will be more empowered with their new qualifications, and businesses, which will ultimately create a brighter future for these candidates. How important is a CSI strategy for companies today? How important is a CSI strategy for companies today? Bennie: CSI is as important as any other strategic initiative in order to be a real contributor to company growth, and allows our company to constantly contribute to the real needs of communities that we operate in. CSI projects are vital for sustainable contribution to the development and economic growth of the country. The success of the country is heavily reliant on companies getting involved in CSI we have the ability and the power to embrace an opportunity to provide a better future for those members of community who truly can make our country a better place. The benefits of CSI for companies is that it enhances the company image, as well as improves the relationships with its communities. It improves loyalty and involvement amongst the employees, and provides a stable economic and social environment, enhancing the long term survival of company, and ultimately, it allows for strong brand identity. What does Mandela Month mean to you? What does Mandela Month mean to you? Bennie: Mandela Month reminds us of the importance of assisting the less fortunate. It reminds us that if we have the power, resources and the opportunity to give back to communities, allowing them the opportunity to pay it forward in the future, then we have done something to make this country a better place, together. The International News Media Association (INMA) has unveiled plans for a Global Media Summit 14 - 15 November 2016, in Cape Town, featuring a high-impact programme of top media executives from around the world. The INMA Global Media Summit Africa will bring together, on one stage, more than 20 executives from the worlds leading newspaper companies, to focus on accelerating digital while preserving the best in print. Sessions will focus on revenue diversification, developing digital capabilities, culture change and innovation, reinventing advertising, paid content, the new multi-media brand, and more. The Global Media Summit is a rare opportunity to connect the huge changes happening in African media markets with similar experiences in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, India, United States, Norway, Canada, Colombia, South Korea, Sweden, and Poland. In addition to the world-class programme, international speakers will be available to Summit participants one-on-one to go deeper into experiences and (hopefully) help relate those experiences to individual markets. There will be more news and more developments on the INMA Global Media Summit Africa in the weeks ahead and there are discounts for group registrations, according to INMA, which will release more details regarding the summit over the next few weeks. First, new data out from Return Path indicates increased spending on fitness, travel and subscription based music services. Researchers analyzed item level receipt data from more than one million opt-in shoppers between January 2014 and December 2015. The data shows a 25% increase (YoY) in consumer spending at BeachBody, a leading fitness hub. This report is an excellent example of the powerful insights business professionals can get using our anonymized, item-level data. And its just the tip of the iceberg, said Eric Weinberg, Return Paths Executive Vice President of Field Operations. By providing this rich, highly detailed information on consumer buying habits, Return Path can help analysts, market researchers, and retailers understand their audience, recognize market trends, and make more confident business decisions. Meanwhile, new Valassis research shows an increase in coupon use across demographics. Their data shows most (87%) consumers are using print coupons received by mail, and 82% are using newspaper coupon books. Ninety percent of all consumers across a variety of demographics use print and digital coupons, said Curtis Tingle, Valassis Chief Marketing Officer. What may be a surprise is that 83 percent of the influential millennial generation used the same or more print coupons last year in addition to their increased digital coupon use. The key for astute marketers is to develop integrated print and digital coupon strategies to optimize consumer activation. Other interesting findings from the 2K16 Coupon Intelligence Report: Savvy Shoppers Provide Reality Check, include: a 90% of affluent shoppers use coupons a 76% of affluents only buy if they have coupons a 91% of brand loyal shoppers use coupons a 78% say coupons are a purchase influencer There is no difference between islam and islamism, says the spokesperson of the Prague archbishopric 29. 7. 2016 cas cteni 1 minuta Islam is not a friendly religion and it is connected with violence, said Milan Badal, the director for external relations in the Office of the Archbishop of Prague on Czech television. He warned that islam and islamism may be more alike than it seems. "Only in 2014, there were 467 attacks against Christian churches in France. Now the first person was actually murdered. Both the media and the politicians keep silent about these attacks due to their political correctness. The murder of the Catholic priest at Saint-Etienne du Rouvray is the consequence of their silence," said Badal. "Radical attitudes prevail in islam. Islam is becoming more and more militant because this is how they understand it. We are 'unbelieving dogs' for them and if you kill an unbelieving dog, you will be received in Paradise," said the spokesperson of the Prague Archbishopric. The Prague archbishop Dominik Duka is well-known for his hostile attitude towards refugees and towards islam. In an interview for the newspaper Lidove noviny Archbishop Duka said in May that those people who demonstrate demanding that the Czech Republic should accept refugees should be ready to give up a quarter of their income. He warned against an uncritical reception of refugees because "such action would divide society". Source in Czech ZDE 0 Update: Responding to an email from Bluestem Prairie, reporter Josie Gerezek called Bill Schulz about his statement, and the story now reads: At the rally, Schulz said he lived in California during his time in the Navy, through the 60s and early 70s. In a later phone call, Schulz said he had actually served in the 50s and 60s. I saw what happened when the movement for equality among blacks turned into something violent, with the Black Panthers in the San Francisco and Oakland area, and I saw those people out on the street and the crimes they were committing, the murders they were committing, Schulz said. Now, I see that coming again. Schulz said after his 13 years in the service, he visited Mississippi and Alabama. Martin Luther King and a number of other black leaders were holding the freedom parades, and I marched with them a few times, Schulz said, adding hed served with men who were black, white and Hispanic. I have no problem with race. This too is problematic, since the Black Panther Party was formed in October 1966, after the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Marches to secure the passage of the Voting Rights Act and the June 1966 March Against Fear. Schulz could not have seen "those people out on the street and the crimes they were committing, the murders they were committing" while serving in the Navy in California if he marched with King in Alabama and Mississippi after his service with the Navy ended. While the Panthers legally carried guns from their founding, no fatal shots were fired until late October 1967. Either way, Schulz is trying to have it both ways--that he was both a participant in the great civil rights marches in 1965 and 1966 after leaving the Navy and a witness to '"those people out on the street and the crimes they were committing, the murders they were committing" while serving in the Navy in California. If he meant to say that he marched with King, then didn't like the Panthers, he simply should have said that, without using his naval service to place himself as an eyewitness to a history he probably just watched on television. Moreover: Bluestem has yet to meet a veteran who doesn't know when she or he served our country. Schulz is a regular guest columnist at the newspaper, so apparently their regular guest columnist's shifting life history matters. Black History? Not so much. [End update] It is a fact universally acknowledged that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968. Unless you're Fergus Falls conservative activist Bill Schulz, who marched with King after leaving the Navy in the 1970s, Fergus Falls Daily Journal staff writer Josie Gerezek reported Thursday in Fergus Falls residents attend rally in support of local law enforcement: Rally organizer Bill Schulz, who Fergus Falls Police Chief Kile Bergren describes as a long-time supporter of law enforcement, said what motivated him were the targeted shootings of police officers like those in Dallas and Baton Rouge. The I-94 Black Lives Matter protests in the Twin Cities, too, were a call to action, he said. That is anarchy, Schulz said of the protests, which took over major interstates resulting in nearly two dozen officers being injured. It may be free speech, but its promoting anarchy. Schulz said it was time local police knew the sentiments of the people were with them. Schulz said he lived in California during his time in the Navy, through the 60s and the early 70s. I saw what happened when the movement for equality among blacks turned into something violent, with the Black Panthers in the San Francisco and Oakland area, and I saw those people out on the street and the crimes they were committing, the murders they were committing, Schulz said. Now, I see that coming again. Schulz said after his 13 years in the service, he visited Mississippi and Alabama. Martin Luther King and a number of other black leaders were holding the freedom parades, and I marched with them a few times, Schulz said, adding hed served with men who were black, white and Hispanic. I have no problem with race. While Schulz may or may nor have a problem with race, he does appear to have a problem with timelines, given that King was no longer living when Schulz visited Mississippi and Alabama in the 1970s, after his 13 years in the service. Shame on the Fergus Falls Journal for running this copy. Here's the screenshot of the original copy online: The paper seems to be a bit uncritical about reporting on Black American history, as we noted in April in Fergus Area College Foundation sponsored speaker who said white men are target of racism. Photo: If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen at gmail.com as recipient. According to the police, the Bengali Muslim hail from Kyauk Taw township of Arakan State and the lady human trafficker lives in Yangon, the former capital of Burma. All of them are suspected to be involved in human trafficking exercise from Myanmar to Malaysia through the Thailand border. Reliable sources claimed that a police team led by superintendent Than Ma Raung succeeded in arresting the lady human trafficker along with the Bengali nationals while they were running through two vehicles in Kyaikto locality under Thaton district of Mon State. A woman named Ma Thet Mar Win was rounded up as she was on the process of trafficking 8 Bengali nationals to Malaysia through Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon stae on 27 July, said a police officer on duty. Ma Thet Mar Win (daughter of U Soe Myint from Yangon) later confessed that she brought the Bengali nationals from Yangon to Mawlamyine by two vans to send them to Malaysia. Her husband Soe Than (alias Kabir Ahmad) was also questioned in the matter. The detained Bengali Muslims including Harbay Samit (19), Sorawni Bawshow (18), Arjit (19), Amir Ahmad (16), Dwanmar Sathwbar (16), Rawrail Zilut (18), Zubor (28) and Mather Hay (18) hail from Kyauk Taw township, which is located at upper Kaladan river areas. The authority lodged a case (number {Pa} 263/2016) at Kyaikto Myo Ma police station against Ma Thet Mar Win and her husband Soe Than under the act 26 that relates to illegal overseas labour movement. The request took the form of an open letter sent to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, on Monday [July 25]. We believe that, with the experience and skills gained on the border, we can support and help strengthen the process of national reconciliation, peace building and the democratic transition, said Ma Thwel Zin Toe, a Steering Committee member of the Womens League of Burma. Ma Thwel Zin Toe added that the CSOs would like the Government to consider restoring their original citizenship status and safety in the country, and to set the necessary guidelines for this as soon as possible. They also requested the government disclose the names of activists who remain on the blacklist and wish to take part in the nation-building process now that Daw Aung San Suu is leading the country. The border-based CSOs have worked to establish democracy and federal union, to free political prisoners, to secure support from the United Nations and the international community, to support refugees and migrant workers in education, health, and capacity building along the border said Nai Kasauh Mon, Director of Human Right Foundation of Monland. We, border-based CSOs, wish to take part in various roles during the transition and utilize the skills that we have been learning for many years to rebuild a better country he continued. In the current transition and political reform in Burma, the border-based CSOs held a meeting from May 7-9, 2016, regarding their role and participation along the Thai-Burma border and decided to send the open letter. The signatory border-based CSOs who sent the open letter to the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are generations of democratic activists involved in ethnic, youth and womens groups who have crossed the border since 1995 due to political oppression. They have been based along the borders liberated areas and are working for human rights, democracy, peace and a federal union in Burma. An official travelling with the delegation told S.H.A.N. that the trip was mainly a goodwill visit but there was discussions on political matters and the peace process. He said: This is the first time in this new administration there has been a meeting between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and our leaders. Special Region (2) UWSA leader U Bao Youxiang and Special Region (4) NDAA-ESS leader U Sai Leun; and their spouses, boarded a Keng Tong charter plane yesterday morning. This month, Suu Kyi has been meeting with some leaders of ethnic armed groups in advance of the 21st Century Panglong Conference (also Union Peace Conference). During a meeting last week with United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) leaders, Lt. Gen. NBan La questioned the state councillor whether the ethnic armed groups that didnt sign last years nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) would be allowed to participate in the conference that is planned for the end of August. Suu Kyi replied that she wanted the conference to be inclusive so all of the groups can attend but cannot guarantee that NCA non-signatories will have the same rights as those that signed. Nobody would want to sign the NCA if they can get the same rights without taking part, she reportedly said. It would be better if they came after signing the NCA, a UNFC leader that attended the meeting allegedly heard her say. The UWSA and NDAA-ESS didnt join the NCA. Both groups have been in ceasefires that were signed with the military government in 1989, and again in 2011 with the Thein Sein government. However, they want to be included in on-going political dialogue with the NLD government. At the same time UWSA and NDAA-ESS leaders met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the countrys capital, 17 other armed groups are attending the ethnic summit in Maijayang in eastern Kachin Statethe second largest city controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization. The NDAA-ESS sent representatives to attend the summit in but UWSA representatives were absent. Reporting by Hwan Hein for S.H.A.N. Translated by Thida Linn Edited by BNI staff Moses C. Tehlo, research director of Centre for Development and Ethnic Studies (CDES), said that its important to feed the minds of the next generation because todays youths may become leaders tomorrow. I want youth to have a full understanding of what is federalism and peace when the federal union will be built. Federalism and peace are related. Peace cannot be obtained without the establishment of a federal union. The workshop held in cooperation with Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) was in Shan State capital Taunggyi. Discussions included the distribution of power for building a federal union; the importance of Amyotha Hluttaw (parliament); political dialogue; and whether a constitution is needed or not for a federal union in Burma. Other topics included the nationwide ceasefire agreement and increasing womens participation in the upcoming 21st Century Panglong Conference (also Union Peace Conference). RCSS/SSAs Information Officer (Taunggyi office) Captain Sai Kyaw explained that the workshop was held to raise awareness about the importance of federalism for the ethnic groups and country. We couldnt talk about federalism during U Ne Wins regime because it was considered (by doing so) we wanted to separate from the country. Now, we can talk about federalism. Thats why I want youths to know about it. About 50 young people from eastern, northern, and southern Shan State joined the workshop. Reporting by S.H.A.N. Translated by Thida Linn Richa Chadha Takes Indian Fashion To Next Level With Her Blue Suit Bollywood Wardrobe Kaustubha Richa Chadha is not only highly talented but also a style icon. From her Cannes looks to movie premiers, Richa has always maintained a style that is low key and traditional. We spotted Richa earlier clad in blue looking beautiful. She was sporting a beautiful Indian suit by the label Mayyur Girotra. The maxi long blue kurti is embellished with intricate silver work. The kurti comes with a back cutout. The addition of a blue net dupatta is remarkable. The soft tone of the suit and delicate embroidery on the suit is what makes it look stand out. Richa added a pair of heavy earrings to this look. She wore her hair in a traditional bridal bun and enhanced it with a gajra. She was also sporting highly accentuated mojris. We love how everything in this look go so well. From makeup to shoes, the look has been neatly put together. Richa looks lovely and also, she will make a perfect bridesmaid-to-be. Richa was caught goofing around in this outfit. Take a look... ... As in dupatta made by @mayyurrgirotra #vanmasti #werecrazyonly A video posted by Richa Chadha (@richachadha9) on Jul 28, 2016 at 11:10am PDT Six UK teenagers had a lucky escape after almost getting cut off by the sea while searching for Pokemon Go characters. The boys had been hunting for the virtual creatures at the unsafe Old Pier on Birnbeck Island, Weston super Mare, Somerset. Pokemon Go has attracted millions of users worldwide and involves finding the characters in real locations across the world. Weston's volunteer lifeboat crew were alerted by Milford Haven Coastguard shortly before 9pm on Thursday to rescue the group. * If you cant see the Facebook embed, you can view it here. Meanwhile police, the fire brigade and local coastguard teams gathered at the landward end of the pier in case the teenagers became trapped. As the volunteer lifeboat crew launched, they spotted two boys wading back across the shingle bank to the shore with the tide rising rapidly to chest height. Before the lifeboat could enter the water the teenagers scrambled their way back to the shore to the waiting coastguard team. The lifeboat crew then noticed four more boys walking along the pier's unsafe walkway back to the shore. They were forced to leave the old boathouse on the island three years ago because the same walkway had been deemed too dangerous for volunteers to use. The crew waited to see all the group made it back to the shore to be met by the police and coastguard. The RNLI said no one was injured in the incident. Crew member Chris Lyons said: "It is great to see people getting out and about enjoying themselves, however, putting your life in danger trying to catch Pokemon is extremely irresponsible. "In Weston the tide comes in so quickly, in seconds you can be in life-threatening danger. "I would like to say please if you do see a Pokemon either on the rocks or in the muddy areas of Weston bay, don't put yourself into a position where you could become stuck. "The water is unforgiving, it doesn't give you a second chance whereas a game will." This is the latest incident involving Pokemon Go. Uber driver Jose Figueroa admits he had a little devil on his shoulder after finding $3k in a wallet left in his car by a passenger. Chicago-based Figueroa noticed a wallet in the back of his vehicle after dropping a man, who'd just arrived into the country from Ukraine, to an apartment complex in the city. According to Uber, the app deletes any passenger information from the driver after the fare ends and that left Jose with no way of contacting the owner of the wallet. However, being of strong religious faith, Jose felt he had to do all he could to reunite the passenger with his lost wallet which also contended the mans immigration documents. Jose decided to return to the complex and ring every door bell until he found the man. His perseverance paid off as finally the passengers sister opened the door and there he returned the wallet to a very grateful Volodymyr Kytsknuik. Volodymyr immediately handed Jose $100 and insisted he stay for dinner as a thank you. Speaking to ABC11 Jose admitted there was some temptation to keep the money. I mean there was temptation. Ill be honest with you, said Figueroa. But me being a Christian, I couldnt. I wanted to make sure I sleep good, so thats what I did. I returned the money and the wallet. He had just come from Ukraine, he sold his business and he was coming to the United States to look for work. Between 30 and 40 teenagers are being interviewed by gardai this week in connection with a fire at Vernon Mount House in Frankfield on Sunday night. Chief Superintendent of Cork, Mick Finn, said that the investigations into the fire are progressing well, and gardai now believe that they have identified most people who were at the iconic 18th Century building in the hours preceding the fire. We believe that we have identified most people there and the completed interview process may lead to some arrests, Chief Finn said. The house, which is considered by many to be a Cork landmark, was badly damaged by the fire, but the Irish Georgian Society have called on the State to protect what remains of the house. Donough Cahill, IGS executive director, said that from his examination of drone footage of the fire-damaged house, he noted that a number of architectural features had survived and he believes that these should be protected. He said that the house was Corks finest neo-Classical villa and that money previously spent to preserve it would be completely wasted if the structure was not saved now. Mr Cahill advised that the house should first be stabilised and made safe, before an archaeological sift of the site could begin to retrieve archaeological and historical artefacts that may have survived the blaze. The IGS first raised concerns about the Georgian villa and asked Cork County Council to work to protect it in the 1950s. The house is a protected structure but is privately owned by Cork based quantity surveyor Olaf Maxwell and a company called Massila Limited. Mr Maxwell told the Evening Echo that he did not want to see the house demolished. Although a planning application to turn the house into a hotel had been refused, Mr Maxwell said that he had discussed opening the house for public use with Cork County Council, but financial constraints shelved these plans. This story first appeared in the Evening Echo newspaper. Update 11.57am: Three former banking executives have been jailed for conspiring to defraud the public about the state of Anglo Irish Bank in 2008. Judge Martin Nolan described what they did as a wrongful, deceitful and corrupt crime that could have affected thousands of people. It was standing room only in Court 9 at the Criminal Courts of Justice when Judge Martin Nolan began his scathing criticism of the three former bankers. He said he appreciated the desperate situation they found themselves in back in 2008, but said the survival of their institutions wasnt everything. He accepted they gained no direct profit from the conspiracy and was aware that certain public bodies turned a blind eye, but he said he had to impose custodial sentences. Anglos former Finance Director Willie McAteer was jailed for three and a half years for his part in a dishonest scheme that saw 7.2bn ping-ponging between Anglo and Irish Life & Permanent with the aim of misleading investors and depositors in the troubled bank. His former colleague John Bowe was jailed for two years, while Denis Casey, who used to be CEO of ILP, was sentenced to two years and nine months. John Bowe There was a deafening silence in the court room after the sentences were handed down and the trio were led away by prison officers shortly afterwards. Update 11.14am: Three former banking executives have been jailed for their parts in a conspiracy to defraud lenders and depositors in Anglo Irish Bank in 2008. Anglo's former Finance Director Willie McAteer (pictured below) was jailed for 3.5 years, while his former colleague John Bowe was jailed for two. Irish Life & Permanents former CEO Denis Casey was also sentenced to two years in prison. Earlier Three former banking executives will be sentenced today for their parts in a conspiracy to defraud lenders and depositors in Anglo Irish Bank. Former Anglo executives Willie McAteer and John Bowe were convicted last month along with Irish Life & Permanents former CEO Denis Casey (pictured below) following the longest criminal trial in the history of the state. Judge Martin Nolan has a wide range of options open to him, including community service and an unlimited term of imprisonment. Lawyers for the accused have asked for leniency. Just one of the three have a previous conviction. In 2014 Willie McAteer was convicted of giving unlawful loans to ten developers and carried out 240 hours of community service. Prosecuting lawyers have said that the maximum sentence that can be imposed in this trial is ten years. The racing world is to say its goodbyes to former champion jockey JT McNamara at his funeral in his native Manister, today, writes David Raleigh . The legendary jockey, who rode 600 winners in a sterling career, was left paralysed from a horrific fall at Cheltenham in 2013. The 41-year old father of three, who continued training horses after sustaining the life changing injuries, passed away Tuesday, surrounded by his wife Caroline, and family, at his home in Toureen, Croom. Tributes have continued to pour in from the elite of the world's racing community, since news broke of his sad passing. Very Rev Canon Gary Bluett, retired PP, Manister, who spoke with his ailing friend shortly before his untimely death, will concelebrate the funeral mass at 11am. "He was a genius with horses," Fr Bluett said, paying a personal tribute last night. "He was always very honest and straightforward, and what you saw was what you got." Fr Bluett described McNamara as "a great family man" who had racing "in his blood". "It's a terrible tragedy. He fought all the time during his illness," he added "He got a special wheelchair and he could go from his home to his yard - he was training horses. He was only out there last Saturday night, giving orders," Fr Bluett said. "I'll remember him as a young man who always cared for his family, who had a passion about his racing." "He was a shining light, and a very good friend," he added. Fr Bluett received his friend's remains in an Oak coffin at St Michael's Church, Manister, on the beginning of his final furlong. Regarded as one of the very best riders of his generation, the Co Limerick jockey will be laid to rest in his local cemetery in Manister. The McNamara family has requested family flowers only at his funeral, with any donations to go to the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund. The LE James Joyce has rescued 155 refugees in two separate missions in the Mediterranean. Following a request from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre, 25 migrants were rescued from a wooden vessel located North West of Tripoli. A man jailed for damaging a Claude Monet painting estimated to be worth 10m has lost an appeal against conviction. Andrew Shannon (aged 50), of Willians Way, Ongar, Dublin 15 had pleaded not guilty to damaging the Claude Monet painting entitled 'Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sail Boat (1874)' at the National Gallery of Ireland on Clare Street on June 29, 2012. Shannon was directed to be found not guilty of damaging two paintings at the Shelbourne Hotel on January 8, 2014 but was found guilty of the National Gallery incident by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to six years imprisonment with the final 15 months suspended on December 4, 2014. He lost an appeal against conviction today with the Court of Appeal holding that his trial was satisfactory and his conviction safe. Giving judgment, Mr Justice John Edwards said the National Gallery incident concerned damage to an 1874 impressionist paining by Claude Monet, 'Argenteuil Basin with a single boat', estimated to be worth 10,000,000. Shannon had entered the gallery on the date in question and was observed standing in front of the Monet painting. He was captured on CCTV moving forward in the direction of the painting with his arm raised and striking the painting, causing a substantial tear to it. The State's case was that the damage was premeditated and deliberate. Shannon, however, contended that he had fallen accidentally after suffering a coronary episode. On January 8, 2014, Shannon and his nephew were in the Shelbourne Hotel. There had been a function taking place in the Deirdre and Arms suite of the hotel, in which two large paintings by the artist Felim Egan were hanging. When the function was over and the participants, as well as two staff members, had left, the paintings were undamaged. Shannon and his nephew were recorded on CCTV as being in the vicinity of the suite before leaving the hotel at 7pm. Some time after this staff members returned to the suite and found two Felim Egan paintings had been damaged. They appeared to have been torn or possibly slashed. Shannon maintained that he had merely been visiting the hotel's spa facilities but was later charged with criminal damage. He faced trial on the National Gallery but the jury in that matter were unable to reach a verdict. Later, he faced trial on both incidents together but his lawyers applied for separate trials. Mr Justice Edwards said the trial judge correctly exercised his discretion not to sever the indictment and allow proposed evidence from the Shelbourne Hotel incident to be relied upon in the case involving the National Gallery incident and vice versa. It was properly characterised as system evidence, the judge said. After the granting of a direction to acquit in respect of the Shelbourne Hotel incident, Mr Justice Edwards said the trial judge was correct not to discharge the jury. After the direction to acquit, the jury were given explicit and crystal clear instructions that they were to disregard all evidence in relation to that incident. Mr Justice Edwards said the incidents were separated in time and place and there was no overlap of witnesses. Furthermore, it was made clear to the jury from the outset that evidence relating to the two incidents was to be considered separately from one another. Mr Justice Edwards, who sat with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, said the trial was satisfactory and the conviction safe. The appeal was therefor dismissed. After the judgment was read out, Shannon said he would like to appeal to the Supreme Court. Earlier, counsel for Shannon, Michael Bowman SC, said his client was being charged with two separate and distinct instances the causing of damage to a painting in the National Gallery and subsequently the alleged causing of damage to a painting in the Shelbourne Hotel. Mr Bowman said the prosecution had not been able to sustain a conviction on the first incident in the National Gallery a jury failed to reach a verdict - when the second incident in the Shelbourne Hotel allegedly fell into their lap. By facilitating the prosecution to merge and run two trials together, a fair trial became impossible, Mr Bowman submitted. With the second incident, he said the prosecution now had the missing piece of the puzzle. They were taking the mindset and motive from the first incident to allegedly prove that Shannon had something against paintings and liked to put holes in paintings, Mr Bowman said. They thought they could prove the second incident by using the first incident and vice versa, Mr Bowman said quoting from transcript. For technical reasons, he said the DPP weren't allowed to do what they did. Mr Bowman further submitted that once the trial judge directed the jury to find Shannon not guilty of the Shelbourne Hotel incident, he erred in failing to discharge the jury at that point. A full-blown case was run in front of the jury for three days with 15 witnesses and it was hard to conceive of something as prejudicial, Mr Bowman submitted. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Kerida Naidoo SC, said Mr Bowman could not point to any authorities for his proposition that it was impossible to get a fair trial. Mr Naidoo said the case was opened to the jury on the basis that they were to treat both cases separately and only if they got to a cartain stage could they look to see what they could learn from putting the two cases together. The jury were ultimately told that Shannon was not guilty of the Shelbourne incident, Mr Naidoo said, and Mr Bowman was suggesting that the jury ignored that direction. In law, Mr Naidoo said, the starting point was that juries do not ignore directions from judges and honour their oaths. He said there was an abundance of evidence to establish that what had happened in the National Galley was done deliberatly. He said two eyewitnesses, from New Zealand, said they saw Shannon punching the painting and expert evidence established the force of the blow. Shannon had a bag with him with a tin of paint stripper in it and when he fell, as he claimed, he did not drop the bag containing the tin of paint stripper, Mr Naidoo said. A man's extradition to the UK on sexual assault charges should be refused because of the Brexit vote, a lawyer has told the High Court in Dublin today. The case concerns a 78-year-old Irish man, who is wanted to face prosecution in the UK on 10 alleged offences including rape, attempted rape, indecent assault and indecency of a child alleged to have been committed in the Camden area of London as well as Essex on dates between 1960 and 1973. The south Dublin man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, denies the allegations, contending that they are scurrilous and totally groundless. He was arrested by gardai last October on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by a Westminster Magistrates Court in September 2015 and has been on bail since that date. At today's hearing, the man's barrister, Patrick Gageby SC, told the court that there "isn't any doubt" about the UK leaving the EU. "Mr Cameron and Ms May have committed to exit," he said. "Both the EU and the UK have nominated able candidates to negotiate same." Mr Gageby said that the court can give no assurance whether his client's trial would be pre- or post-Brexit. "It cannot be assured the trial will be pre-Brexit," he said, adding that there was "a real risk it won't occur pre-Brexit". The barrister said that the court ought to refuse the surrender of the man. Counsel for the Minister of Justice, Ronan Kennedy BL, said that Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty "has not even been invoked". The court must exercise jurisdiction on the basis that the UK is a member of the EU, he said, adding that the UK is required to abide by EU treaties. "The court is aware that the UK is a signatory to the EU Convention on Human Rights," Mr Kennedy told the court. He said that it is to "enter into the realm of speculation when Article 50 hasn't even been invoked". "What Mr Gageby refers to as a commitment by Mr Cameron and Ms May that the UK will at some time leave the EU, it is unclear when that will occur," Mr Kennedy said, before adding that it seemed "unlikely" that Article 50 will be invoked in the immediate future. After listening to the arguments, Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly said that she would reserve judgement in the case until October 14. Submissions from the extradition hearing on July 12, 2016: The High Court heard that the 78-year-old man grew up in south Dublin and moved to England in 1961 until the mid 1970s. His health was described as poor and his wife recently passed away. One of two alleged complainants first approached the authorities in England in 2005. In that year, a letter was also sent to the man in Dublin outlining certain allegations. In an affidavit opened in court, the man stated that he was shocked and dismayed at the contents of the letter. The allegations were the first he had heard of this from any source, he stated. He said the allegations were scurrilous and totally groundless. He said he was very disappointed on a personal level given the close relationship he had with the complainant's family for may years. He said he never stayed overnight in the complainant's home and rarely saw the second complainant. He moved back to Ireland in the 1970s but frequently spent Christmas in the UK as recently as 2001 and was always welcome, he stated. Owing to the absence of time and lack of specificity, the man said he could not think of any witness to call in his defence. It appeared from police material that there was a third suspect, Mr Gageby said, whose surname was unknown. As such, it appeared there was some other unascertained person. Mr Gageby said the court ought not to extradite his client because it would interfere with his family and privacy rights under Article 8. Two men have been arrested after over 420,000 worth of cocaine was seized in West Dublin. The discovery was made during a planned search of a number of cars in Blanchardstown at 9pm last night. Muslims and Christians have prayed together at a mosque in the French town where an elderly priest was killed this week, with one imam calling the extremists non-Muslims who are "not part of civilisation" or "humanity". Muslims came from other parts of France to be present for the service shared with Christians in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. The killing of 85-year-old Reverend Jacques Hamel as he celebrated morning Mass on Tuesday sent shockwaves around France, and deeply touched many among the nation's five million Muslims. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as the attack in Nice, where 84 people were killed by a man who drove his lorry down a seaside promenade on Bastille Day. The head of the main Muslim umbrella group, Anouar Kbibech, who attended Friday's gathering, reiterated a call for Muslims to visit churches on Sunday to show solidarity with Christians as they pray. However, one imam made a rare direct strike at the killers who claimed to act in the name of Allah. "You have the wrong civilisation because you are not a part of civilisation. You have the wrong humanity because you are not a part of humanity," said Abdelatif Hmitou. "You have the wrong idea about us (Muslims) and we won't forgive you for this." "How," he asked, addressing the extremists, "may the idea reach your mind that we might loathe those who helped us... to pray to Allah in this town? How could you think that, Mister killer? Mister criminal?" He was referring to the help by the St Therese church adjacent to the mosque that sold the plot to the Muslims for a symbolic sum so they could build a house of worship. The St Etienne church where the attack occurred has been sealed shut. The two 19-year-old attackers were killed by police as they left the church, where they had held two nuns and an elderly couple hostage as they slit the priest's throat. A third nun escaped and gave the alert. Three people were being held on Friday for questioning in the attack, including a Syrian refugee, a judicial official said. The Syrian was detained on Thursday in the Allier region of central France because a photocopy of his passport was found at the home of one of the attackers, Adel Kermiche, according to the official. Also being held was a cousin of Kermiche's accomplice, Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean, on suspicion he was aware of the attack plan based on information gathered from social networks, the judicial official said. A 16-year-old arrested just after the attack remained in custody. Two members of Petitjean's family, a sister and her companion, were released after questioning, the official said. How Kermiche, from Normandy, concocted the attack plot with Petitjean, from Aix-les-Bain in the Alpes of eastern France, remained unclear. What is known is that he arrived in Kermiche's town just three days earlier, apparently staying at his home, according to the judicial official. Kermiche wore a tracking bracelet after arrests with false IDs trying to go to Syria but had four hours a day of freedom. Petitjean had no record. Petitjean's identity was made public only on Thursday based on DNA tests. It became clear that anti-terrorist officials came close twice to identifying him as a threat. In one instance, four days before the attack, an alert with a photo of him went out to police with a note he may be planning an attack - but the photo had no name to match the face. He was spotted in Turkey in June but French authorities were alerted too late and he quickly returned to France. Outside the mosque a sign read: "Mosque in mourning." The Reverend Pierre Belhache, in charge of relations with the Muslim community, affirmed to the Muslim and Christian faithful that "we won't let anyone divide us. It is so rich to have these differences but still be together." Hillary Clinton has cast herself as a unifier for divided times, an experienced leader steeled for a volatile world - and aggressively challenged Donald Trump's ability to do the same. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," the former US secretary of state and first lady said, as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president early on Friday. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Mrs Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates on the final night of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, relishing her nomination as the first woman to lead a major US political party. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching at home, many of whom may welcome her experience, but question her character. She acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying: "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me." But her primary focus was persuading Americans to not be seduced by Republican presidential candadate Mr Trump's vague promises to restore economic security and fend off threats from abroad. Mrs Clinton said the US needed a leader who would work with allies to keep America safe. The presidential election presented a stark choice on national security, she said, with the US facing "determined enemies that must be defeated". She said people wanted "steady leadership", vowing to stand by Nato allies against any Russian threats. And she pledged to defeat the Islamic State group with air strikes and support for local ground forces, while authorising a "surge" in intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks. "We will prevail," she said. She also said she was proud of the Iran nuclear and global climate agreements and both must be enforced now. Neither deal happened while she was in government. Mrs Clinton's four-day convention began with efforts to shore up liberals who backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and it ended with an outstretched hand to Republicans and independents unnerved by brash billionaire Mr Trump. A parade of military leaders, law enforcement officials and Republicans took the stage ahead of Mrs Clinton to endorse her in the general election contest. "This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future," said retired Marine general John Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan. "We must seize this moment to elect Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America." American flags waved in the stands of the packed convention hall. There were persistent, but scattered calls of "No more war", but the crowd drowned them out with chants of "Hill-a-ry" and "U-S-A!" Mrs Clinton now has just over three months to persuade Americans that Mr Trump is unfit for the Oval Office and overcome the visceral connection he has with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. She embraced her reputation as a studious wonk, a politician more comfortable with policy proposals than rhetorical flourishes. "I sweat the details of policy," she admitted. Mrs Clinton's proposals are an extension of President Barack Obama's two terms in office: tackling climate change, overhauling the nation's fractured immigration laws and restricting access to guns. She disputed Mr Trump's assertion that she wanted to repeal the Second Amendment, saying: "I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place." Campaigning in Iowa Thursday, Mr Trump said there were "a lot of lies being told" at Mrs Clinton's convention. In an earlier statement, he accused Democrats of living in a "fantasy world", ignoring economic and security troubles as well as Mrs Clinton's controversial email use at the US State Department. The FBI's investigation into her use of a private internet server did not result in criminal charges, but it did appear to deepen voters' concerns with her honesty and trustworthiness. A separate pre-convention controversy over hacked Democratic Party emails showing favouritism for Mrs Clinton in the primary threatens to deepen the perception that she prefers to play by her own rules. Mrs Clinton was introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, who spoke warmly of her mother as a woman "driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love". A parade of speakers - gay and straight, young and old, white, black and Hispanic - cast Mr Trump as out of touch with a diverse and fast-changing nation. But Mrs Clinton sought to reach beyond the Democratic base, particularly to moderate Republicans unnerved by Mr Trump. Former Reagan administration official Doug Elmets announced he was casting his first vote for a Democrat in November and urged other Republicans who "believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party" to do the same. Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Mr Trump said he would like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Mrs Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. Hours later, he told Fox News he was being "sarcastic", although shortly after his remarks on Wednesday, he tweeted that Russia should share the emails with the FBI. Mr Trump attacked Mrs Clinton for not saying the words "radical Islam" in her speech. "Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words," he said in a series of tweets. Neither Mrs Clinton nor US president Barack Obama uses the phrase "radical Islam" because they say it is misleading, pointing out that the ideology motivating terrorists does not reflect true Islam. But Republicans argue that the failure to use the label has hampered the fight against terror. In her speech, Mrs Clinton said she would work to fight the radicalisation of young people in the US and abroad. A Save the Children-backed maternity hospital in an opposition-held area of northern Syria has been bombed, with casualties reported, the charity has said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that air strikes had hit a hospital and a centre for first responders in Kafr Takhareem village, in a rural part of Idlib province. The monitoring group, which relies on a network of activists in Syria, said the hospital is no longer operational. Save the Children said the maternity hospital is the only such facility in the area, with the next unit 40 miles away. The hospital opened in 2014 and has an on-call paediatrician and six incubators for premature babies. Meanwhile, Syrian activists said a US-led coalition air strike targeting a village in northern Syria held by the so-called 'Islamic State' group had killed 28 civilians including seven children. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief Rami Adurrahman said another 13 people were killed in the strikes on Al-Ghandour, near the Turkish border, but he could not say if they were IS fighters or civilians. Al-Ghandour is 15 miles north west of the town of Manbij, a key hub in the extremist group's Syria network and a supply route to IS's de facto capital of Raqqa. The bombings came a week after air strikes, also blamed by Syrian activists on US aircraft, killed at least 56 civilians in IS-held territory in northern Syria. The Manbij area has seen extensive battles between 'IS' extremists and US-backed Kurdish-led fighters, who have been advancing under the cover of air strikes by the US-led coalition. The town is encircled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF extricated another 1,000 civilians from Manbij on Thursday, according to Mustafa Bali, a local media activist living in the town of Kobani. Elsewhere, the Observatory said 'IS' militants had recaptured the nearby village of al-Bouweir and killed 24 civilians. Hamoud Almousa, a founding member of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, an activist group, said IS sought retribution from the village for "not defending Islam" when the SDF drove out 'IS' earlier this summer. Mr Almousa said most of the villagers fled before the extremists retook al-Bouweir but the men who remained were killed. In Geneva, the UN special envoy for Syria urged Russia to leave the creation of any humanitarian corridors around the embattled northern city of Aleppo to the United Nations and its partners. "That's our job," said Staffan de Mistura as he explained his "suggestion" to Moscow at a press conference, a day after Russia said its forces and those of the Syrian government would open humanitarian corridors around Aleppo and offer a way out for civilians and surrendering fighters. He expressed support "in principle" for humanitarian corridors "under the right circumstances", but he is awaiting clarification from Russian authorities about the plan, noting the urgent situation in the northern city, and adding: "The clock is ticking for the Aleppo population." "How do you expect people to walk through a corridor - thousands of them - while there is shelling, bombing, fighting?" Mr de Mistura said. He added that no-one should be forced to leave Aleppo, but "indeed, some civilians may want to avail themselves of the possibility afforded by the corridor and by the Russian initiative. When they do, it is crucial that they be given the option of leaving to areas of their own choice". Mr de Mistura also praised a statement from the International Committee of the Red Cross about the Russian proposal, which said any such corridors should have the "consent of all parties on all sides". ICRC regional director for the Middle East, Robert Mardini, said he had no indication all sides were on board with the plan. The website of Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, has been deleted. Its removal comes as questions were raised about her biography on the site which reportedly said she has a degree in design and architecture from a university in Slovenia. Melania Trump's website is scrubbed from Internet after questions about university degree. https://t.co/u0rx5l900h pic.twitter.com/fUsmGBbnN0 Jim Roberts (@nycjim) July 28, 2016 Clicking on www.melaniatrump.com brings internet users to www.trump.com - the website of The Trump Organisation, which features a biography of Mr Trump that does not mention his wife. The Slovenian-born former model posted a statement on Twitter which said: "The website in question was created in 2012 and has been removed because it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests." The removal of her website comes just days after her prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention went viral after many suggested that she stole parts of it from a speech given by Michelle Obama. Social media users were quick to suggest that passages from the speech were very similar to one delivered by the First Lady at the 2008 Democratic convention. A speech writer for Trump's company said Mrs Trump had read excerpts of Mrs Obama's speech to her when they were discussing people who inspired her and messages she wanted to share with the American people. The speech writer said she then included some of the phrasing in the draft that became Mrs Trump's final speech, and did not check Mrs Obama's speeches. Videos of the two speeches side by side were widely shared online. Update 11.30: A police officer has died and another has been hurt after they were shot in San Diego. The wounded policeman is undergoing surgery. The shootings follows recent attacks on officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, in which 8 were killed by gunmen. One person has been arrested in connection with the shooting. Earlier: In the US, two police officers have been shot in California. New police shooting in California: https://t.co/RXUtDMPNMS Linda Stouffer (@LindaWSB) July 29, 2016 The San Diego police department says their condition is unknown they have one suspect in custody. They are also searching for another suspect. BREAKING: We have one suspect in custody. We are still searching the area for other possible suspects. San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 It follows recent fatal shootings of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge. Pope Francis said human "cruelty did not end in Auschwitz" and that similar atrocities are being inflicted in war zones across the world today, citing prisoners who are kept in inhuman conditions and tortured. Francis visited the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, expressing his sorrow there in contemplative silence and prayer. Only hours later did he finally speak out about his feelings as he addressed pilgrims from a window of the archbishop's residence in Krakow. He said: "How much pain? How much cruelty? Is it possible that we humans created in God's image are capable of doing these things? ...Cruelty did not end in Auschwitz, in Birkenau." The pope continued: "Many prisoners are tortured just to make them talk. It's terrible. Today, there are men and women in overcrowded prisons. They live - forgive me - like animals. Today, there is this cruelty. We say, yes, there we saw the cruelty of 70 years ago, how people died being shot or hanged or with gas. "Today in many parts of the world where there is war, the same thing is happening." The pope had earlier paid a sombre and largely silent visit to the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than a million people. Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly in his white robe beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the words Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Will Set You Free). After Auschwitz he moved to nearby Birkenau, where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in gas chambers. It was a contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that Francis passed in silence, except for a few words he exchanged with camp survivors and Holocaust rescuers. Vatican and Polish church officials had explained that he wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. However, he did express his feelings, writing in the Auschwitz memorial's guest book in Spanish: "Lord, have pity on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty." As an Argentinian, he is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not live through the brutality of the Second World War on Europe's soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal historical connection to the site, with the first, John Paul II, hailing from Poland and himself a witness to the suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation. His successor Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before meeting several survivors of the camp, greeting them one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners were murdered. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar who sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the white-clad figure. He then travelled the two miles to Birkenau, the vast satellite camp where the Nazis murdered Jews, Roma and others from across Europe. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the Pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths. When Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests applauded. He slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited in Hebrew Psalm 130, which starts: "From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord." Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish. The visit to Auschwitz came on the third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global youth celebration. Former television entertainer Rolf Harris has appeared in court accused of indecently assaulting young girls over a period of more than 30 years. The Australian-born 86-year-old allegedly attacked seven women and girls, one of whom was aged under 13, between 1971 and 2004. LAHORE: Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and rest of the world marked Black Day on Thursday,... BERLIN: The world must not squander time but help Ukrainians rebuild their country swiftly, European Commission... COLOMBO: Crisis-hit Sri Lanka slashed fuel prices on Monday, the second cut in as many weeks, after the World Bank... More than a century ago, when the Children's Court in Surry Hills was under construction, someone hid a lucky charm in the building. In those days, Surry Hills was a slum and the children brought before the court were some of Sydney's most impoverished.They needed all the help they could get. The boot was uncovered behind the fireplace at Children's Court in Surry Hills, more than a century after it was hidden. Credit:Steven Siewert The anonymous gesture of goodwill only came to light last month, during the NSW government's redevelopment of the Albion Street site. Construction worker Todd Tregent was demolishing internal walls and discovered an old boot in a void behind the fireplace. Australia's corporate watchdog has alleged internet search company Uglii's multibillion-dollar earnings projections are a sham and the existing managers should be removed to protect shareholders and creditors. Counsel for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Michael Pearce, QC, told a Federal Court hearing on Friday the Victorian firm was a house of cards built on wildly inflated and untested claims by chief executive John Knorr. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has moved to wind up Australian internet firm Uglii. Credit:Paul Jeffers "There is hardly a need for me to say, your honour, that these are not small numbers," said Mr Pearce in reference to the now former chief executive's projections that his firm would reap annual profits of more than $10 billion. Mr Pearce told Justice Jennifer Davies ASIC's investigations revealed it was "most unlikely the many extravagant, unfulfilled promises of income generation" made by Mr Knorr over several years "will ever be realised". No class? So are class actions really cactus? Not at all. Especially if you ask the big end of town. Right now there are several class actions on the go in Australia and plenty of others in the works being mounted by Maurice Blackburn and its rivals such as Slater and Gordon. They include those against listed dairy outfit Murray Goulburn for allegedly misleading investors ahead of its float last year, against car makers Volkswagen, Skoda and Audi over the diesel emissions scandal and two potential actions against Slater and Gordon itself for alleged failures of disclosure. According to fresh research provided to BusinessDay, there has been a resurgence in class actions since 2007 and shareholder and investor suits are leading the charge. Professor Vince Morabito from the Department of Business Law and Taxation at Monash University has reviewed the class action landscape in Australia over the past 24 years, ever since the Australian legal system opened the door for class actions in March 1992. Morabito has found that, during the first 12 years, only 21 claims were brought by investors other than shareholders (such as unit-holders in trusts and note-holders). This figure jumped to 95 claims in the next 12 years between March 2004 and 2016. When the numbers of all types of class actions were tracked, after a roaring period in the late 1990s there was a lull in total filings between March 2003 and March 2007. Just four actions were launched between March 2005 and March 2006 compared with the 31 lodged in 1998. "The federal class action regime around 2005 and 2006 was pretty much like a dying patient," Morabito says. "There were just a handful of class actions started because it was becoming too expensive." Things changed with the arrival of litigation funders. "In 2006, the High Court gave the green light to litigation funding in Australia and then, in December 2007, the Full Federal Court in the Multiplex class action said closed classes are not illegal," Morabito says. Litigation funders are companies, both here and abroad, that will fund a litigation for a handsome cut of between 20 per cent and 40 per cent of the settlement. They also wear the costs if the decision goes against the class action, such as in the most recent ANZ bank fee case, meaning investors, or consumers, or bushfire victims face no out-of-pocket costs for participating in the claim. Also boosting the number of shareholder actions was the decision by the NSW Supreme Court in 2006 to accept class action claims. The move came four years after the Victorian Supreme Court put in place a class action regime and more than a decade after the Federal Court regime. The staggered introduction of the schemes has led to Victoria stealing a march on NSW class action crown with both states almost equal in filings on March 3 this year. Floodgates The increase in investor class actions over the past 12 years has not gone down well at the big end of town amid complaints that the "floodgates had been opened" with the increase in litigation funding. Indeed, class action settlements are often described as "walk-away money", often because a company will hand over millions while making no admission of wrongdoing. And there is some evidence of a potential flood. A study by King Wood Mallesons last year found $1 billion in claims had been settled in the year to June 2015 alone, a figure that led to concerns Australia was becoming a litigation haven. However, the figure was buoyed by the landmark $800 million settlement by power companies in the 2009 Victorian bushfire claims. Maurice Blackburn class action principal Andrew Watson, who ran the ANZ bank fee class action, argues that most players demonstrate a "steady and sensible use of the system". "There's never been an orgy, a flood, whatever term you use, in the history of the 24 years," he says. "There have been fluctuations over the course of the 24 years. What we're probably seeing is a slight increase in line with population growth." He says the key point of class actions in Australia is about access to justice. In the case of shareholders, their only redress is through a mass claim. "We have to accept that some of the people who complain most bitterly about class actions are the people who will be the targets of them," Watson says. "Major corporations who do the wrong thing will no doubt love to never to be held to account. But the fact is that they ought to be held to account when they've done the wrong thing." And investor claims are no longer a case of retail investors in the suburbs raising their pitchforks at the big end of town. Often class actions will include major institutional investors, such as super funds, looking for redress. Swiss bank UBS took part in the Centro class action, while UniSuper a $40 billion industry super behemoth has also signed up to class actions in the past (although it won't say which ones). Watson says the 2003 settlement of the GIO class action for $97 million led to institutional investors realising it was better to participate in an action rather than sit on the sidelines and pay out other shareholders. "It's also often the case that the institutional shareholder will have already sold their holding at a loss or they have fiduciary duties to other funds that invest in their funds," Watson says. Class competition Damian Grave, who heads up Herbert Smith Freehills global class action practice and has defended some of Australia's top companies against claims including actions against faltering property trust Centro says class actions are likely to become an even bigger part of the corporate landscape in Australia. "There's likely to be a continued growth in shareholder class actions," Grave says. "That's due to a couple of reasons. There's the entry of promoters of those actions, whether they be plaintiff law firms and funders including overseas funders, and the continued sophistication in the litigation funding industry." Grave says an issue companies and their directors are facing is the rise in competing claims by different group of investors. "There has been an increase in recent years in the number of competing class actions," he says. "That leads to some complexity and uncertainty for defendants because sometimes those actions are in different courts." Grave's concerns are not unfounded. In recent years some companies have faced three, simultaneous, separate class actions while other companies face claims launched years apart by different groups of investors. In 2013, federal Attorney-General George Brandis took aim at litigation funders for the lack of transparency regarding their cut of settlements and concerns about "opportunistic claims" that were damaging to both companies and unsophisticated investors. A Productivity Commission report in 2014 made a series of recommendations to regulate the industry, including the potential licensing of litigation funders with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. However, Brandis is yet to respond this report. Louise Petschler, general manager of advocacy at the Australian Institute of Company Directors, says class actions rank among the biggest concerns of Australian company directors. "When you are sitting around a board table and you're considering the distraction from the core business of the company and the risks that are potentially exposed, the merits of the legal case aren't the only decision that goes into a settlement," Petschler says. Petschler says regulation will lead to fewer opportunistic claims and more claims being run on merit. "Corporate Australia is concerned about the growth of entrepreneurial litigation funders who find our lack of class action regulation a really conducive environment to their profit model," she says. "The access to justice argument is legitimate, but we are at risk of having a friendly common law environment that's ripe for exploitation by litigation funders. "And you don't want to have a regulatory environment that's creating an incentive for companies to be almost threatened by the cost burden into settling a case that doesn't have merit without some checks and balances in place." Indeed, Watson's firm has recently been burned to the tune of $11 million after problems with the funder of its equine influenza class action being accused of running a Ponzi scheme. "We've had one instance where, not withstanding our checks, the funder did not end up having the financial resources to carry on and complete the case," Watson says. "When you do deal with a funder, you try satisfy yourself about whether the litigation funder is going to have the wherewithal to fund the action." He, and his firm, are advocates for the contingency fee model where no funder is required and lawyers run the case on the basis that, if they win, they take a cut of the settlement. "The fees charged by litigation funders are often too high," Watson says. Clive Bowman, chief executive of Australia's biggest litigation funder IMF Bentham, says he also has been concerned about some of the litigation funders entering Australia. "Obviously we're in favour of more regulation around capital adequacy and that might be of benefit to the sector," Bowman says. "But there hasn't been any public examples of outrageous behaviour or people not being able to perform their obligation and that's why I think regulation of funding has taken a back burner." Yet, as the debate about litigation funding rages, concerns remain about how long it takes to divvy up a settlement between victims and the lack of transparency about how much the funders and the victims receive. Recently, Watson and his colleagues were criticised over how long it has taken to distribute the 2014 settlements to the victims of the Victorian Black Saturday bush fires. It's criticism Watson says is unfair because of the large number of claimants 2000 personal injury claims and 13,000 property claims and the different ways in which each person was affected by the fire. "It's an incredibly complex matter," Watson says. But, without full transparency, such delays, even if they are understandable, cause confusion and angst among people who have participated in the action and gives an opportunity to class action nay-sayers to take their shots. Loading Yet, as the judgment of the High Court decision in the ANZ bank fees is pored over by lawyers, other banks and companies to see exactly how the legal precedent has been laid out, Watson is sure of one thing. Mobile carrier Vodafone is reducing its losses and increasing its customer base, but remains a long way from turning a profit for its foreign owners. Hutchison Telecommunications Australia, which owns half of Vodafone Australia, reported on Friday a $66 million loss in the first half of this year. However, it was pleased with the result, which was an improvement on a $90 million loss in the same period last year. The other part owner is UK-based Vodafone Plc. Vodafone has increased the number of customers on its network to 5.5 million. Credit:Bloomberg Hutchison results reveal Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) lost $164 million in the first half of the year on revenues of $1.6 billion. Last year, VHA endured losses of $260 million on revenues of $1.8 billion. Lower expenses helped reduce the loss. VHA was also happy to see an increase in customer numbers in the six months to 5.5 million. Vodafone now boasts 4.98 million of its own customers, up from 4.86 million in June 2015. In late 2015, VHA signed a deal with TPG to carry TPG's mobile customers. This deal led to a 29 per cent increase in wholesale customers to 508,000. However, average revenue per user has dropped from $51.32 a month to $49.11. It was by no means a perfect address. At times, Hillary Clinton's delivery sounded scripted, and she offered little indication of how she hoped to steer her agenda though a hostile Congress. But the job of a party convention is to remind casual supporters and swing voters why they admire a party. It's why candidates get a boost in approval after their nomination speech; following the Republican convention, polls had Donald Trump tied with or ahead of Clinton. Clinton is likely to get her own bump in coming days. If she does win the presidency in November, it will be because of the groundwork she laid at the convention in reintroducing herself to voters: as a smart, passionate, and nerdy woman who likes to get things done. In a debate in the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama gave Clinton an infamously backhanded compliment: "You're likeable enough," he sniped. But on Thursday, Clinton showed a side of herself that was just plain likeable. The wife of a former president should definitely be the next leader of the United States. It's just a pity the wrong woman is running for election. "When you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military in your command, you can't make snap decisions," declared Michelle Obama in what amounted to a tremendous speech to the Democratic faithful this week in Philadelphia. Illustration: Jim Pavlidis Credit:Jim Pavlidis Just imagine if her words had been a pitch for her own candidacy at this time of great global uncertainty, and what another Obama presidency could mean for countries like ours with such strong ties to America. Malcolm Turnbull's political fortunes could well be hostage to the decision US voters make in a few months time, and how the next US leader chooses to deal with China's aggression in the South China Sea, almost daily terrorist attacks, or a sick man in Europe suffering from a bad bout of Brexit. Federal cabinet needed to show leadership and consign political cynicism to the background in dealing with Kevin Rudd's United Nations leadership ambitions. It failed and so did Malcolm Turnbull. His authority has been diminished and so has Australia's role in world affairs. Mr Turnbull says Mr Rudd is "not well suited" for the job, but is not saying why. An information vacuum makes this appear even more politically motivated. Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull has chosen not to support Kevin Rudd's bid for the top United Nations post. Credit:Bloomberg Some will say it's a moot point that cabinet was so divided that Mr Turnbull had to make the final decision and, inevitably, take the blame for withholding the government's support. Mr Rudd would not have been elected secretary-general anyway, the argument goes. Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres is a deserved favourite for the job of secretary-general. If an outsider were to get up, former New Zealand Labour prime minister Helen Clark has the credentials to do well and she has the full support of the National Key government. Mr Turnbull is right on one point: "This is far from the most important issue confronting the government." In the green-marbled hall of the United Nations, the diplomats will know next-to-nothing about the dusty barnyard brawls of Australian politics. But they do know Kevin Rudd. Oh boy, do they know Kevin Rudd - and his relentless interest in all things going on around the world and not-so-secret lobbying for more than a year to become the next UN chief. Rudd was an outside chance to win the job. Far from a favourite, most likely to end up an also-ran, yet his odds were not impossible. Hillary Clinton certainly likes him from her days as US Secretary of State, and if she goes on to become US president, you have to wonder if she will hold a grudge on behalf of her old friend against Malcolm Turnbull. Lindt cafe waitress April Bae runs into the arms of armed tactical response police officers. Credit:AP But whatever that work involved, none of it was "operational" according to Scipione, Burn and then acting deputy commissioner Jeff Loy. The families of the victims formally requested in June that these three commissioners give evidence. Through a barrister, the police responded that the coroner would find little use in calling them. Assistant Commissioner Mark Jenkins was recorded in notes as saying he was "nervous" about police storming the Lindt cafe. Credit:Daniel Munoz "The position of Scipione and Burn and Loy is that they did not give any orders, directions or provide any guidance or advice in respect of the conduct of the siege on the day," Ian Freckelton, QC, said. That will be tested in court. Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, victims of the Lindt Cafe siege two years ago. For Scipione, much turns on his 10.57pm phone call with Jenkins. "DA plan to occur as last resort COP," a police scribe recorded after their call. DA stood for "deliberate action", the kind of tactical assault police launch to catch the offender off-guard, while COP referred to commissioner of police. The parents of Lindt Cafe siege victim Katrina Dawson, Jane and Alexander Dawson. The families of Dawson and Johnson pushed for commissioners Scipione and Burn to testify. Credit:Daniel Munoz The inquest has spent many hours on the question of whether police ought to have launched deliberate action. Two tactical commanders and several squad members of the elite operations unit have said they prefer taking the initiative. "It's at a time of our choosing," Officer A, who shot Monis, said this week. "It's our plan rather than a reaction to an event occurring." The event that forced police into the cafe stronghold under an "emergency action" at 2.13am was the execution of Johnson. While a deliberate action plan was devised, it did not pass the first of a two-stage approval process. The tactical commander was "surprised" this had never happened to him before, he said. No reasons were given to him. Simon Chesterman, the head of British armed policing who has reviewed the NSW response for the coroner, said he would have been "screaming out" to have the deliberate action plan at least approved. So what did Scipione, Commissioner of Police, say to Jenkins, his top commander? The barrister acting for the Dawson family, Michael O'Connell, SC, has pushed Jenkins on what was meant by the note, "DA plan to occur as last resort - COP". "It conveys the impression, does it not, that this is a directive that has come from the Commissioner of Police, do you agree or disagree with that?" O'Connell asked. "Disagree with that," Jenkins replied. O'Connell: "Your version of this conversation now is that at the time you spoke to the Commissioner you told him that the DA plan was the last resort, is that right?" Jenkins: "No. What I'm saying, Mr O'Connell, is that it's highly likely that I said that to him because I had the telephone to my ear, and the scribe would be unable to hear what the Commissioner was saying to me." Jenkins told the inquest he had no specific, independent recollection of precisely what was said. Three minutes after the phone call with Scipione, Jenkins spoke with his forward commander, whose name has been suppressed. "Political pressure?" a note taken by the forward commander's scribe said. "Quite the opposite," read Jenkins' recorded reply. "Nervous on DA, not sure what's in backpack." Police were terrified to think Monis was carrying two to four kilograms of explosives in his backpack. They believed he may have held in one hand a deadman switch a detonator that would automatically trigger if let go. "I believed that once we entered that cafe, none of us were coming out alive," said Officer B, the second shooter on the night. The forward commander said "I shut my eyes and braced myself for the shockwave". Early on, Monis had demanded police bring him a black and white Islamic State flag. He wanted the ABC to broadcast that this was a terrorist attack by IS, the first on Australian soil. He wanted an audience with the then prime minister Tony Abbott. For Burn, the deputy commissioner, cross-examination will likely focus on her remit as head of police negotiations. "Police negotiators have had contact and they continue to have contact and we will work through this," Burn said in a press conference on the day. But the contact was only ever indirect, through hostages, the inquest has heard. Two British experts who reviewed the NSW response said the negotiators tended to go in circles and miss opportunities, such as using social media or intermediaries. "It didn't seem that any progress was being made whatsoever," Chief Superintendent Kerrin Smith said. The negotiation team began working out of a four-wheel-drive before moving into a cramped room in the NSW Leagues' Club, which became the forward command post. The team of up to five people had one mobile phone and one landline. "Our truck wasn't available on the day," a negotiator codenamed Reg said of his team's special-purpose vehicle. It had broken down three years earlier. Negotiators missed calls from hostages that were diverted elsewhere in the club when the one landline was busy. The primary negotiator, Peter, had never negotiated a hostage situation before. His boss, Graeme, worked a 33-hour shift and managed four other high-risk incidents during the Lindt siege. One of Monis' demands -that lights in Martin Place be turned off did not reach top commanders for four hours. All police recordings of hostage phone calls over a 15-hour period have been lost. While Burn was responsible for counter-terrorism resources, lawyers will not be permitted to cross-examine her about resourcing problems when she appears on Tuesday. Coroner Michael Barnes said there was no evidence Burn was told of problems by her commanders on the night. But lawyers will be able to probe whether she gave any directions on how the siege operation ought to have been conducted. A statement by Loy, the acting deputy commissioner on the night, appears to suggest Burn played a high-level role. "Commissioner Scipione stated that Deputy Commissioner Burn, Specialist Operations, would be in command of the operation within the Pioneer controls," Loy said in his statement, referring to the protocols enacted during an terrorist attack. The head of the police Terrorism Intelligence Unit was asked to provide a copy of a profile of Monis to Burn on the day of the siege. "What role did you understand she was playing?" the commander was asked. Loading The traffic remains at a standstill along two motorways north and south of Brisbane. The Gateway Motorway between Brisbane Airport and Brisbane Entertainment Centre remained bumper to bumper, while the Pacific Motorway faces heavy congestion between Woolloongabba and Mount Gravatt. Traffic was flowing freely on all other roads north and south of the CBD. We are now wrapping up the blog, please head to our homepage if their are any further updates. An allegedly drunk driver has been charged after ramming his ute into a police station south of the Gold Coast on Friday afternoon. It will be alleged about 4.20pm, a 50-year-old Bonogin man drove his ute into the side of the Mudgeeraba Police Station via the car park. The ute breached the wall of the Mudgeeraba police station and also hit a police car. Credit:Nine News Brisbane Police said the incident caused extensive damage to an exterior wall and a police car, but no one was injured. The incident resulted in the arrest of the driver at the police station and he was being questioned shortly after the incident. Some staff at a Queensland school could face disciplinary action for strapping an epileptic boy to a chair with a seatbelt. Eight months after Lynette Nolan and Cary White went public with complaints about their son's treatment, a joint-department investigation has supported their claims. Daniel White's parents, Lynette Nolan and Cary White, say he was strapped to his chair at Hervey Bay Special School with a seat belt. In October last year the parents from Hervey Bay, Queensland's whale-watching capital, told Fairfax Media their 13-year-old son, Daniel, was regularly tied to a chair at the town's special school to stop him running around. A contractor at the school confirmed he had seen Daniel, now 14, strapped to the chair but the Education Department's regional investigators couldn't substantiate the claims, saying they were unable to find the chair or seat belt, according to a letter seen by Fairfax Media. A Brisbane youth worker who was sexually assaulted by a female client has been awarded more than $1.5 million in compensation over the ordeal. The victim of the assault was working as a family support worker with Brisbane Youth Service with a client, identified in court documents as T, when the incident occurred. A youth worker has received compensation after being sexually assaulted by a client. The Supreme Court heard evidence that T had a long history of making support workers feel unsafe due to highly sexualised violent behaviour towards them over a number of years. Several staff had ceased working with T due to the behaviour. Next time you sweep away a spiderweb, think of the millions of years of evolutionary engineering you are casually brushing aside. Scientists for years have worked to unlock the fantastic capabilities of silk for its medical, microelectronic and light-manipulation potential. And of course, for centuries, tailors have been aware of the uses of similar material from silkworms in fashion. Now researchers in Texas, Europe and Singapore have uncovered another amazing feature of spider's silk. Seoul: South Korean police said Thursday that the North's main intelligence agency had stolen the personal data of more than 10 million customers of an online shopping mall in the South, in what they said was an attempt to obtain foreign currency. The online mall, Interpark, was subjected in May to an online attack on a server that contained customers' names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other personal data, the National Police Agency said. South Korea has blamed the North for a number of online attacks on banks, government websites and media companies since 2008 Credit:AP Interpark did not learn about the breach until July 11, when it received an anonymous message threatening to publicise the leak of personal data unless it paid the equivalent of $2.6 billion in South Korea's currency, the won. After the attack was reported, thousands of Interpark customers threatened to sue for damages. Most of the customers whose data was stolen were South Koreans. On Thursday, the National Police Agency attributed the attack to the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, North Korea's main spy agency. It said the intrusion had used some of the same code and IP addresses as in previous digital breaches attributed to the North. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams A dog bit a housekeepers toe off in a luxury Greenpoint apartment building on July 27, according to police. The 63-year-old woman was at the residence on Bayard Street between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street around 1:40 pm when the pooch attacked, sinking its teeth into her left foot, cops said. Emergency responders put the detached appendage on ice and rushed her to the hospital, while officers took the dog to in a kennel to an Animal Care and Control of New York City rescue center, authorities said. The dog was cooperative and did not have to be tranquilized, police said. The residents were dog-sitting the pup according to a New York Post report, but it was not the first time the victim had met the dog, police said. A visibly distressed apartment owner turned up at the scene shortly after police arrived, according to ace photographer Paul Martinka, who captured the aftermath of the attack. The owner later visited the housekeeper in the hospital, according to police. Reach reporter Dennis Lynch at (718) 2602508 or e-mail him at dlync h@cng local.com . Was there a murder 100 years ago at Yardley's Continental Tavern? Frank Lyons began excavating the basement of the Continental Tavern in Yardley. He found a gun, bloody corset and part of a woman's purse. France will always remain France. We cease to be ourselves, when we lower our standards, said the French President Francois Hollande as a reply to the US presidential candidate Donald Trump, reports the RFI. July 29, 2016, 12:29 Francois Hollande responds to criticism of Donald Trump STEPANAKERT, JULY 29, ARTSAKHPRESS: France will never retreat, because France remains faithful to its ideals, values, and principles that are recognized worldwide. When you lower your standards, you are no longer what you are. That's something that may happen to others, on the other side of the Atlantic, said Hollande, without giving the name of the American billionaire. In Florida at a press conference Trump said, "They will not like me for saying this, but look what happened in Nice (where 84 people were killed July 14 in an attempt to ram a truck). You saw what yesterday with the priest () France is not France, insisted the Republican candidate. Earlier, the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, wrote in his Twitter account: France is still France, and France is strong, Mr. Trump. Earlier Valls has criticized the candidate nominated by the Republican Party. In addition, this week the Prime Minister condemned the trumpanization of the French right-wing politicians after the terrorist attacks. latest news October 3, 2022 Dee Gambit Hundreds if not thousands of new and returning TV shows and movies are released every month your options of what to watch are endless. Variety, they say is ... Polarized politics is the result of representing polarized Americans A new book by UB political scientist James E. Campbell looks at political polarization in America and why the divide occurred. developed and widened. New book by UB political scientist explains how a moderate nation became divided Although polarization will likely begin to solidify, it doesnt have to generate as much heat. BUFFALO, N.Y. America is polarized. Our political parties are highly polarized and the American electorate is highly polarized, writes University at Buffalo political scientist James E. Campbell. But this wasnt always the case and Campbells new book, Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America (Princeton University Press), provides new insights that explain how and why the divide occurred, developed and widened. Today, an individuals ideological leanings on specific issues and policies are a good indicator of their party affiliation. Liberals have their natural home with the Democratic Party, while conservatives align with the Republicans. For a long time, Americans were more moderate, and though it might be comfortably obvious to attribute polarization to deceptively vivid targets like political elites or media bias, neither is principally responsible. Polarization is a very democratic process, according to Campbell, UB Distinguished Professor of Political Science. Polarization is not something foisted on Americans. No one is pulling any strings here, he says. This is a natural process. What were seeing is representation. Both parties are representing the views of Americans. Campbell says polarization is a bottom-up process, starting with the public as the base and moving up to the political parties. Many people in political science believe that polarization is a top-down process, starting with the parties and moving down to the public, he says. But my research shows the reverse is really the case. Political moderation was widespread in America for decades, especially with the generations coming out of the Great Depression, World War II and the aftermath of the 1950s. These groups had surviving coalitions from the New Deal period that left both major parties ideologically heterogeneous. There were many liberal Republicans, says Campbell. In New York State, a prime example would be the Nelson Rockefeller and Jacob Javits Republicans in contrast to the Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan Republicans out west. In the Democratic Party, there were many liberals, but there were also conservative Democratic southerners. The parties, however, werent reflecting the divisions that were forming in the public, according to Campbell. That left many people with the impression that the U.S. was still a largely moderate nation. The divisions created instability and the mix of liberals and conservatives within the same party proved unsustainable. The cracks that would form and eventually become the expansive divide began about 50 years ago when the parties started catching up with the public. In the 1960s, after a series of congressional elections, liberals in the Democratic Party got the upper hand over conservative Democratic southerners. Campbell says this tipping point set a string of changes in motion that made the Democratic Party more liberal in terms of governing and in turn attracted liberals to the party. This also put conservatives in play and Republicans started gravitating in the other direction. It was a long period of realignment that for generational and institutional reasons took about 30 years to complete. There were generational differences, but on top of that there were organizational reasons, too, says Campbell. Since before the Civil War there werent really viable state Republican Party organizations in the South. So conservative southerners were voting for Republicans at the presidential level where you really didnt need a local infrastructure, but they were stuck voting for Democrats for Congress. Its not until the 1990s when Republicans broke them down in those states in the South. Once that happened it helped the sorting of conservatives and liberals. Party polarization now accentuates public polarization when it once lagged behind and muted it. Campbell says this causes a good deal of animosity that makes governing more difficult and frustrating for both sides across a whole range of issues which is likely to continue. Although polarization will likely begin to solidify, it doesnt have to generate as much heat, says Campbell. People see things in different ways and they tend to align with those who are like-minded. This level of polarized conflict is natural to American politics and something we need to get used to and deal with in a respectful way, he says. Campus News UB establishes chapter of national French honor society Brian Page is congratulated by Fernanda Negrete during his induction into UB's Pi Beta chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society. Photo: Nancy J. Parisi By CATHLEEN DRAPER It seemed to me that we had excellent students, instructors and French programs, and that any department with this ideal setup should also offer this specific recognition of quality. Students of French at UB now can receive a high academic honor awarded to French students with the founding of a campus chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society. Nine students were recognized for their exceptional achievements by being inducted into UBs Pi Beta chapter of Pi Delta Phi at a ceremony on May 11 following the formal installation of the chapter at the university. Induction into Pi Delta Phi is the highest academic honor for French students, according to the societys website. The oldest academic honor society for modern language in the United States, Pi Delta Phi was founded as a departmental honor society at the University of California, Berkeley in 1906. Fernanda Negrete, UB assistant professor of French, spearheaded the effort to establish a chapter of Pi Delta Phi at UB, contacting the honor societys national president to request a chapter be established at the university. I reached out to Pi Delta Phi to start a chapter when I realized we didnt have one, despite the fact that we have some truly outstanding students of French who deserve recognition, says Negrete, who serves as the Pi Beta chapter moderator. It seemed to me that we had excellent students, instructors and French programs, and that any department with this ideal setup should also offer this specific recognition of quality. Universities must maintain a four-year French program to qualify for a chapter, but students are not required to be French majors or minors to be nominated. The inaugural Pi Beta inductees are Elham Dehghanipour, Kelsey Pilewski, Brian Page, Madison Featherstone, Rylee James, Anna Kozlowski, Tina Liu, Jenna Reiner and Kara Walsh. Pilewski, a recent UB graduate, found her passion for French language and culture in middle school; she took French as her minor while majoring in biochemistry. Pi Delta Phi is a prestigious society, and its an honor to be a part of it, she says. It represents students of the highest level of French language mastery and immersion. To be nominated, undergraduate students must complete at least one advanced French course, maintain a 3.25 GPA cumulatively and in French, and maintain sophomore standing or higher. Dehghanipour, a first-year PhD student studying French literature, hopes to one day teach at the university level. She says she accepted her nomination to show appreciation for French language and culture in her own way. As a student in French literature, by becoming a member of Pi Delta Phi I show respect for and interest in French culture, she says. It means that I am a member of French-speaking society. Graduate students like Dehghanipour must complete two graduate French courses and maintain a 3.5 GPA to be considered for membership. Upon induction into the honor society, students receive a certificate, pin and graduation cords. Pi Delta Phi also offers three scholarships that cover the cost of six- or seven-week summer study abroad programs in Paris, Aix en Provence or Chicoutimi, Quebec. The scholarship program provides the opportunity for undergraduate members to travel to a French-speaking country and take a class for credit. Negrete feels scholarships and membership in Pi Delta Phi complement UBs language curriculum, which prepares students to have a global impact in a culturally and economically interdependent world. Not only is learning a foreign language a true gateway to reaching out to others and understanding them; when you can think about things in more than one language and cultural context, you realize you have more than one way of seeing things, so its a wonderful resource for genuine freedom of thought and creativity, she says. What you need to know to sign up for NJ Obamacare this year health STEPANAKERT, JULY 29, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Government approved the draft inter-governmental agreement which was presented by Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. He said the signing of the agreement is necessary in terms of boosting the bilateral relations, strengthening mutually beneficial economic, trade and other ties between Armenia and Uzbekistan. The agreement aims to regulate the regime of mutual visits of the citizens of both states. It defines that the two countries citizens with ordinary or diplomatic passports can visit the other country without a need to obtain a visa, FM Nalbandian said. Taking into account that Uzbekistan has proposed to sign a bilateral agreement in this field, as well as Uzbekistans policy in the CIS, the Armenian Foreign Ministry supports signing the mentioned agreement. In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, actor Naseeruddin Shah shared his opinion of Rajesh Khanna, the late 1960s superstar. "For all his success, I think Mr Khanna was a very limited actor," Shah told the newspaper. "In fact, he was a poor actor. Intellectually, he wasn't the most alert person I have ever met. His taste ruled the industry." What followed was altogether less savoury than anything Shah had said. Khanna's daughter Twinkle, naturally, defended her father. On Twitter she said: "Sir if you can't respect the living, respect the dead. Mediocrity is attacking a man who can't respond." While Twinkle's tone was measured, and her reaction expected, what was surprising was Shah's rapid issue of an apology for his comments. Indias largest e-commerce player, Flipkart, is downsizing its workforce, as it looks to cut costs and better compete with global rival Amazon. The move will affect 700-1,000 staffers, or up to 3.3 per cent of its workforce, according to a The Economic Times report. Naru's professional view of the essence of each of these provisions, and particularly their respective scope, shows his ignorance of the law on which these provisions are based. Here is why. These provisions are sections 99 (structure of government), 115 (parliamentary privileges and immunities) and 37 (protection of the law). The media widely reported his statement. In his speech before the vote, Naru (pictured) called on the executive and legislative arms of national government to launch a judicial review because in, his professional view, important provisions of our mama law (the national constitution) had been breached. WE KNOW that Kelly Naru, the Morobe governor, is a lawyer as well as a high-profile politician and that in the no confidence motion of Friday 22 July he supported prime minister Peter ONeill. Naru argues that the recent decision by a three-person supreme court directing the speaker to recall parliament to debate the no confidence motion in the prime minister was in breach of the separation of powers principle incorporated into sections 99 and 115 of the Mama Law. Was it really? Section 99 adopts the separation of powers principle by dividing the structure of government into three separate principal arms, namely, the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary (subsection 2). But it makes it quite clear that this is merely a description of the structure of government, meaning it does not create any legal rights or obligations and therefore cannot be challenged in court (subsection 4). To that extent, you can't go to court and challenge section 99 purely on structural grounds, for instance, that it is unconstitutional to house the personnel of the three arms of government under one roof. A good example of this is the fact that O'Neill is both the real constitutional and therefore political head of the executive arm of government (the Queen is the formal head) who sits in the legislature. But you can't go to the supreme court and get it to kick him out just because he happens to be a member of the executive and therefore he shouldn't be sitting there. The supreme court's decision on recall of parliament is in no way concerned with restructuring the structure of government as presently provided under section 99. So, the court has not breached the separation of powers principle under section 99 on that point. Section 99 goes further and says the "power... of the people shall be exercised by the national government", but then it adds two very important limits to this power: The first and a general one, is that the exercise of that power is subject to the constitution (subsection 1) meaning any subsequent amendment to the constitution can permit other public authorities such as subnational governments to share that power. This is the basis on which the validity of provincial and local-level government lies. The second limit the provision imposes is that the powers and functions of the three principal arms are "in principle" to be kept separate from each other (subsection 3). The second important limit contained in the term "in principle" spelt out in subsection 3 of section 99 is a very important limitation in the context of this article because it is the one Naru is struggling with largely because he does not appear to understand its meaning and scope. The term "in principle" is an acknowledgement by the constitutional drafter that the separation of powers is a good idea which has been adopted but because of the needs of the particular society which the constitution as the fundamental law is going to govern, the idea has been adapted to meet those needs, and therefore it may not be applied either in full form or to its full extent. That is, in practice, there may not be a separation of powers in some areas of the governmental system. At UPNG Law School law students studying constitutional law unit (a compulsory unit) are taught two general reasons why this important limit contained in the term "in principle" is imposed on the application of separation of powers principle in section 99: The first reason is that in a Westminster system of parliamentary government (which PNG has) there is no full separation of powers because the ministry headed by a prime minister (the political head of the executive arm) comes from parliament (the legislative arm). It is a partial fusion of two the legislative and executive arms. And secondly, in a country with a written constitution that contains a bill of rights (such as PNG) the judicial arm in which the judicial power to interpret the law is conferred, has the constitutional obligation to ensure that these rights are protected by all agents of the state, including the legislature. After all the national parliament is a creature of the mama law, and therefore its exercise of power is limited by that Law. Among the 19 fundamental rights contained in our mama law, is the right of a citizen to an elective public office guaranteed by section 56, and the office of the prime minister is an elective public office in that the member of parliament occupying it is elected by the parliament. If the leader of the opposition as a citizen is denied his right to access that office because the parliament refuses to allow him by refusing to make a decision on his motion of no confidence in the prime minister, and that refusal is due to the prime minister using his numerical strength to adjourn the parliament, which lawyer true to his colour as such, cannot see a breach of section 56 and thereby justifying the intervention of the supreme court? Naru doesn't see it. This raises the critical question of what criteria do judges in other Westminster systems use to determine when and to what extent courts should intervene in the legislative process in order to maintain the respect section 99 demands that they show to the separation of powers principle. Again, law students at UPNG Law School are taught that the general criterion is that courts can't intervene in the normal processes of parliamentary procedure. For instance, the leader of the opposition cannot expect the justices of supreme court to support him if he goes crying to them that O'Neill has denied the leader of the opposition the opportunity to debate a motion of censure against the prime minister because that type of motion is part of the internal procedures of parliament, which the Constitution does not deal with. By that yardstick, there is a fundamental distinction between a breach of any internal process rules of Parliament and a breach of section 56 Constitutional Right. Again, Naru fails to see this fundamental distinction. This question of the extent to which the separation powers principle protects parliament from judicial scrutiny in regulating its own internal affairs again arises under section 115 because the section confers certain power, privileges and immunities on the parliament and its members (MPs). The power of parliament in the context of the provision the section points to and makes clear, relates to the power to regulate internal matters of parliament. It does not include the law-making power of parliament on broad policy matters such as national security or education and so forth. The power well known among lawyers here which is not stated in the section, is the power of parliament to commit anyone for the offence of contempt of parliament. But even then, the section makes it quite clear in subsection 9 that the power does not include the power to impose punishment of a criminal nature. That main privilege the section confers is that members have the freedom of speech, debate and proceeding in parliament and are immune from being sued in court if, for instance, they say anything on the floor of parliament that would otherwise be defamatory if it is said outside the parliament. That is why this particular freedom is a privilege and not a right, for instance, in the sense of freedom contained in the right to freedom of expression section 46 of the mama law confers on an individual. A privilege is a limited legal entitlement law grants to a particular person or class of persons and not generally to all people. The main immunity the section confers on the MPs is protection against legal processes being served on MPs within the precincts of parliament. And the reason for this is to ensure that MPs are not restricted from performing their function as people's representatives in parliament. The freedom of proceeding of parliament the section protects covers the workings of internal procedures and processes of parliament. But none of these privileges and immunities are relevant in the context of motions of no confidence because it is not part of the internal proceeding of parliament. It is an external procedure specifically directed by the mama law to be used to provide access to MPs to exercise their right to hold a particular public office, namely, that of the prime minister. This renders the whole of section 115 irrelevant and therefore inapplicable to the question of judicial intervention in this case involving a motion of no confidence. Again, to argue that the judicial intervention breaches section 115 is to express an ignorance of the law on which the provision is based. Section 37 confers the right to protection of the law on everyone. That protection includes the presumption of innocence. That is, anyone charged with an offence is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. And so Naru has gone to the media and argued that O'Neill has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. But the issue involving the prime minister is not one of his guilt or innocence because up to now he has not been formally charged with any offence. So, for anyone to claim that O'Neill is innocent until proven guilty is misleading, a red herring, because it assumes that he has been charged. The real issue the prime minister faces is whether he has the right to challenge the basis on which the first court issued a warrant for his arrest. He does have the right, and he has exercised his right successfully, in getting a second court to stop the execution of the warrant on him. It is not clear, however, on what basis the second court ordered the stay of execution of the warrant, leaving one to speculate that it could be that the second court was not satisfied with the quality of information the police had submitted on which the charge was formulated, and on which the first court ordered a warrant for the arrest of the PM. The matter is before the courts and therefore justice should be allowed to take its due course through to completion. But it is quite misleading for the prime minister and his lawyers to take this defect in the police information, that they have submitted to the first court, as evidence and argue that there is no evidence on which he could be charged with any offence, and on that basis he is entitled to refuse to be served the warrant of arrest. The prime minister's lawyers should know surely that this police information at this stage of the proceeding is not evidence. It is only information and information becomes evidence only after its authenticity is established by the rules of evidence in a formal court proceeding. So, to claim that there is no evidence to warrant a charge for an offence and using that as the basis for resisting the service of warrant of arrest on him, the prime minister and his lawyers not only fail to understand the vital distinction between police information and evidence, but they have put the prime minister above the rule of law, not under it, because the rule of law requires guilt or innocence to be proved beyond reasonable doubt on the credibility of evidence, not on the strength of information. This is hardly a good example to the nation from a person holding the highest political office in the land, and is unhealthy for the future of the Rule of Law in the land of the unexpected. The separation of powers principle is an example of a principle of the rule of law. As originally defined by A V Dicey, a famous English constitutional lawyer, in his constitutional law text, 'Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution first published in 1885, one of the essential components of the concept of rule of law is that breaches of legal rights of the individual are enforceable through the courts. Our mama law ensures this by giving our courts the power to intervene and guard David against Goliath when the latter tries to avoid the rule of law. A trial court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Friday declared beleaguered industrialist a proclaimed offender, after he failed to appear before the court on Friday. The Delhi High Court on Friday directed budget airline to deposit Rs 579 crore and resolve a share purchase dispute with its former owner Kalanithi Maran through arbitration over the next 12 months. On Friday, judge Manmohan Singh directed to deposit Rs 579 crore in a fixed deposit in the name of the registrar of the Delhi High Court for 12 months. The amount was to be deposited in five instalments with the first one in August, the court said. The court restrained from diluting its equity till the amount was deposited. In March, Maran moved the Delhi High Court alleging though he gave the company Rs 679 crore, the current management under Ajay Singh was not issuing 189 million convertible warrants as promised. These warrants would give Maran a 20 per cent stake in the airline from which he walked away for a consideration of Rs 2 a year ago. In his plea, Maran said he had lent the airline Rs 579 crore and the amount was to be adjusted towards issue of warrants. The airlines management has said the warrants can be issued if approvals are granted. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) expressed its inability in May to approve SpiceJets board resolution for issue of warrants in favour of Maran and his firm Kal Airways. The board resolution for issue of 189 million warrants convertible to equity shares at Rs 16.30 was passed in September 2014, when Maran was in charge of the airline. Also, the BSE submitted it could not allow the issue, citing Sebi regulations that did not permit the transfer in the current circumstances. The stock exchange pointed out the change in the price of SpiceJets shares since 2014 and said the transfer could only be made on a fresh resolution issued by the company. The court has directed both sides to appoint an arbitral tribunal to resolve the dispute. The tribunal will also decide on the compensation payable to Maran due to the non-issue of warrants and shares, said Anirban Bhattacharya, partner, Luthra & Luthra, which represented Maran in the case. Maran was also entitled to seek a release from the amount deposited by the airline in court, he added. Both parties have been given liberty to file applications under Secttion 17 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, before the tribunal SpiceJet underwent a change in ownership last January with founder promoter Ajay Singh taking over the airline from Sun TV promoter Maran. The Spicejet stock closed at Rs 68 today, gaining 2 per cent over the previous close. A company source said raising funds for the airline would not be an issue and the court order could actually benefit the airline as it may no longer have to issue any shares to Maran. It is actually a blessing in disguise for us, he said. In a note to its investors Edelweiss Securities said the airline's expansion plans could be delayed because it would not be able to raise funds through issue of shares. This could also affect fleet expension because Spicejet would need to make payments to equipment makers to block assembly slots. Aviation consultant Mark Martin, however, said with improved passenger loads and lower fuel prices the airline would be able to raise the cash it was required to deposit in court. SpiceJet which has scripted a remarkable turnaround after Singh took control of the airline. It had a 90 per cent load factor for 14 consecutive months. The airline is in discussions with Boeing and Airbus and plans to place an order for 100-150 narrow body planes. Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd (MHRIL), the leisure and hospitality company of the $16.7-billion Mahindra Group, is planning to invest around Rs 550 crore. The proposed investment is to add around 500-550 units. 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. has resigned as the non-executive vice-chairman of Ashok Leyland. He is currently the chairman of the board of directors of Infosys. Ashok Leyland informed the National Stock Exchange that the company board has accepted his resignation with effect from July 28, 2016. The company did not give any reasons why he resigned and Seshasayee was not available for a comment immediately. The veteran of commercial vehicle industry, Seshasayee held various positions in the Hinduja Group, including the managing director of Ashok Leyland for 13 years from April 1998 to March 2011. Then he became the executive vice-chairman of Hinduja Group. He joined Ashok Leyland in 1976, rose to become the executive director - finance in 1983 and was elevated to deputy managing director in 1993 and managing director in 1998. He became the executive vice chairman of Ashok Leyland in 2011, and is presently the non-executive vice-chairman of the company. During his tenure as the managing director from 1998-99 to 2010-11, Ashok Leyland's turnover increased five times from Rs 2,045 crore to Rs 12,093 crore, net profit 30 times, and market cap 14 times. He also led the company towards self-reliant, to build global technology and diversification, with acquisitions and joint ventures. Budget carrier today announced the launch of Smart Check-In facility using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies for customers at Hyderabad International Airport. It is first-of-its-kind initiative by any airline in India, the company said. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the facility at the airport run by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited. To avail the facility customers have to book their tickets through the mobile app. With this feature they do not require to carry the itinerary printouts nor has to key-in the PNR number to initiate check-in. This is set to relieve customers from standing in long queues as the customers will have to simply open the app and touch the mobile device on the NFC check-in. The facility will be extended to all other airports supporting e-boarding facility, the company said. Customers can also avail a touchless beacon based check-in to receive their boarding pass on the smart phone. Customers who have booked their tickets through the SpiceJet mobile app will receive an alert as they walk towards the SpiceJet check-in area provided their Bluetooth and the mobile app are activated. Post acknowledgement of the notification, the customers will immediately receive the boarding pass on their smartphone. Venture Catalysts, a seed investment platform, announced its investment in AppSay, a business communications platform. Led by Shreyans Shah and Mayank Shah os Venture Catalysts, the $150,000 investment round will allow to scale up its operations and develop its tech framework to further refine its product. The platform is built to protect customer information of businesses. It provides the end user with a non-intrusive way of reaching out to businesses like banks, schools, utilities, NGOs, hospitals, insurers and government departments for information, service and support. The Delhi high court refused to entertain liquor-barron Vijay Mallyas plea against summons issued by a trial court in relation to a cheque bouncing case against him on Friday. The order of the trial court was passed in relation to a cheque worth Rs 1 crore issued by Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) on 22 February 2012, which bounced due to insufficiency of funds. In total, the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has instituted four cases against Mallya under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, in relation to cheques issued in by KFA to DIAL amounting to Rs 7.5 crore, which were subsequently dishonoured by Kingfisheras bank. Mallyas lawyers has made submissions on an earlier date praying for quashing of the trial court summons on the premise that KFA had a full time chief executive officer at the time and as such Mallya was not involved in the day to day functioning of the airline. Negating the submissions, the court concluded that the trial could order could not be termed as unsustainable or illegal as no ground was made out to set aside the same, as was alleged by Mallyas counsels. There was no need to issue notice by the complainant in his (Mallyas) name. It is not in dispute that the cheques in question were issued by the said company and he (Mallya) being its chairman and managing director was responsible for the conduct of business of the company. The bench of judge P S Tegi said while upholding the trial court order and directed proceedings to continue in the manner prescribed by law. As thousands of commuters were left stranded on Gurgaon Delhi Expressway and NH-8 due to massive traffic jam, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner T L Satyaprakash on Friday imposed prohibitory orders near Hero Honda Chowk here for easing out the congestion. "Considering the unprecedented rainfall and the flow of huge volume of water due to downward gradient from Delhi towards Gurgaon, prohibitory order under section 144 CRPC has been imposed near Hero Honda Chowk in the city," he said. The Deputy Commissioner said DEO has been directed to request all schools in the city to remain close on Friday and Saturday due to potholes and open manholes. "Civil agencies may requisition all infrastructure equipment at benchmark rates so as to reposition roads, traffic congestions and other necessary actions. For next three days, the flash flood management works shall be undertaken on quotations basis and all the contractors shall coorperate with the civic agencies," he said. Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, has called an emergency meeting in Chandigarh to tackle the ongoing traffic jam and waterlogging problem. The Deputy Commissioner directed that wherever the flow of water was obstructed due to encroachment, the concerned engineer or staff may undertake removal of such encroachment on urgent basis with summary information to the concerned owner. "The traffic management will continue till the end of September. CEO, Sheetla Mata Mandir Board shall make payments for all additional home guards even if it is beyond the competency of Chief Administrator considering the task at hand," Suryaprakash said. "Wherever the co-operation is not received the police may register cases against such delinquent officials till the end of the monsoon on request by civic agencies," he said. Thousands of office goers and other commuters were stranded in Gurgaon as heavy rains led to waterlogging on NH-8 causing huge traffic jams, forcing authorities to shut down schools in Delhi's satellite city while some offices too declared it an off. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has ordered Highways Chief Raghav Chandra to send a team of officials to clear the traffic and submit a report to him. Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi has said the traffic situation in Gurgaon is expected to improve by evening. He said this at a media interaction in Chandigarh after reviewing the situation at a meeting of the Crisis Coordination Committee here on Friday. Dhesi said the state government got to know that the traffic situation was getting complicated due to heavy rain around 7 pm last evening and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar immediately directed officials for prompt action. He said Khattar personally wanted to monitor the situation but his helicopter could not take off due to bad weather. Dhesi, who has also spoken to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Road Transport and Chairman, Highway Authority of India (NHAI), said that while the state government has rushed two senior IAS officers to Gurgaon to coordinate and speed up operations to clear the traffic jam, NHAI and Ministry of Road Transport too have deputed teams of senior officers to ease the situation. Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster Management, Haryana Keshni Anand Arora has spoken to the Chief Secretary of Delhi regarding the situation and would go to Gurgaon on Saturday, he added. Dhesi said as rainwater in Gurgaon is discharged in the Najafgarh drain, a Chief Engineer of Irrigation Department would also be deployed at Dhansabad in Delhi to ensure better coordination with his counterparts in the Delhi government. He said the state government has decided to immediately deploy a company each of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and India Reserve Battalion (IRB) to ensure smooth flow of traffic, especially on Highway 8 where traffic was disrupted due to heavy rain between 2 pm and 5 pm on Thursday. Also, Home Guard personnel will be deployed to regulate traffic in the town, he said, attributing last evening's situation to the "unexpected" 4.6 cm rainfall in three hours. To put things in perspective, a total of 19 cm rain was recorded between June 1 and July 27 in Gurgaon. Dhesi claimed the traffic situation had normalised between Ambience Mall and Rajiv Chowk but vehicular movement was slow from Rajiv Chowk to Hero Honda Chowk, adding that normalcy would be restored by the evening. He claimed the situation had aggravated because of an under-construction flyover at Hero Honda Chowk. How it turned into a total abuse of power and deliberately misconstruing the constitution to justify politicians' criminal acts while turning it against us, the true owners of power, is absolutely condemnable in the strongest possible terms. We, the citizens of Papua New Guinea, have given you a mandate for five years to represent us, not yourselves, in parliament. IT IS with dismay that I read that Kelly Naru had abused parliamentary privilege by labelling concerned professional Papua New Guineans as domestic terrorists. Are intellectuals who are able to discern right from wrong now terrorists because they took conscionable action against what is clearly a disregard for the rule of law and the systematic disassembling of democratic institutions by the prime minister? We are talking about professionals in the fields of medicine, engineering, aviation, electronics, marine and aviation among others. Personally I have never had a criminal record and my professional resume speaks for itself. I fought against the inequities of entrenched expatriate management when I was in Air Niugini. I was captain of a Fokker-28 aircraft at the age of 26, went on to the Airbus A310 before leaving the country to go abroad. I was the first Papua New Guinean to fly the Boeing B777 with Emirates Airlines, one of the most iconic airlines in the world. I was also the first Papua New Guinean to fly a Boeing B747-400 jumbo jet. My countrymen have earned the distinction of flying aircraft such as the Airbus A380, the largest civilian aircraft in the world. We all share the same concern as other Papua New Guineans who are alarmed at the lack of accountability that seems to be the hallmark of the present political leadership. If speaking up and protesting against a prime minister who will not subject himself to the rule of law is against the constitution and an act of domestic terrorism, then I volunteer to be the first one arrested. Mr Naru, I am arriving home from China today. I challenge you to personally go to Jackson International Airport and press the appropriate charges and have me arrested. Otherwise I suggest you practice what you preach and refrain from using your knowledge of the law to justify the wrongs which seem to be the norm now. Tomorrow in PNG Attitude: Constitutional lawyer Dr Anthony Deklin writes on how Kelly Naru (and others) display ignorance of PNG law Indian Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed last night on drug charges in Indonesia, has not been put to death, External Affairs Minister said on Friday. "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Swaraj said on twitter. However, it was not clear why the Indian was not executed while four other convicts were put to death by the firing squad. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were to be executed but were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroine and was handed death penalty in 2005. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Thursday said that Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian foreign office and the senior leadership of the country on the issue. Swaraj had said government was making last minute efforts to save Singh "Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. The Embassy sent a Note Verbale to Indonesia's Foreign Ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out," Swarup said. Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The decision has been criticised by human rights organisations. The 14 convicts to be executed included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. With schools across the Valley closed for nearly a month due to prevailing situation, government on Thursday, assured every possible support for smooth functioning of schools and asked the institutions to play a constructive role by motivating parents and prominent citizens. "The administration will provide every possible support for smooth functioning of schools so that the studies of the students do not hamper. "The heads of the institutions have to play constructive role to ensure the attendance of the students by motivating the parents and prominent citizens of the areas," Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Samoon said chairing a joint meeting here. The meeting was convened to review the smooth functioning of educational institutions across the Valley and was attended by the Director School Education, Kashmir, Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir Division, President Private School Association and Principals of various schools, besides the officers of Traffic Police and Police, an official spokesman said. He said it was emphasised that the district commissioners concerned would ensure necessary possible support to all the educational institutions for ensuring their smooth functioning. The Zonal Education Officers concerned were directed to monitor the functioning of the schools in their respective zones. The Divisional Commissioner urged the school authorities to seek cooperation from the parents and other stakeholders to ensure regular attendance of the students in the schools, he said. The schools were closed on July 1 for 17-day summer vacation which was subsequently extended following unrest in the Valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. As many as 47 persons were killed and scores of others injured in the protests which are still continuing amid curfew, restrictions and separatist-sponsored general strike. Meanwhile, the spokesman said authorities have made necessary transport arrangements for the candidates appearing in the examinations of Stenographer (Grade C&D) to be conducted by Staff Selection Commission at Girls Higher Secondary School Nawakadal Srinagar and CET by Board of Professional Entrance Examination Srinagar at various institutions in the district on July 31. "The candidates are hereby informed that the Transport facility shall be available at Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) Srinagar from 7.30 AM to 8.30 AM for their convenience," the spokesman said. He said the candidates appearing in these examinations are informed that in case of curfew or restrictions on the said date, their admit cards would be treated as curfew passes. "All aspirants who would like to avail the facility up to the institutions, shall report to TRC between 7.30 AM and 8.30 AM sharp," the spokesman said. Allowing women into military combat units is fiercely contested even in countries like the United States (US) where gender equality is advanced. In relatively conservative India, Minister Manohar Parrikar was forced to backtrack less than a month after mooting the idea of all-women combat units in the army, and their entry into Sainik Schools and the National Academy (NDA). The Centre unveiled a regional connectivity scheme in which air fares will be capped at Rs 2,500 for flights up to one hour on unserved and under-served routes The Centre on Friday met states and airlines to discuss plans for an ambitious scheme that will put the hinterland on the countrys aviation map. The centre today met the states and airlines to discuss plans for the ambitious regional connectivity scheme, which will result in improved connectivity of smaller airports by airlines and put India's hinterland on the country's aviation roadmap. The Rail Corporation (DMRC) said on Friday it will assist Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) in operating and maintaining the 29.7-km-long Noida-Greater Noida Metro corridor. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between the two entities on Friday. The DMRC will be providing the assistance to the NMRC until the latter develops the expertise to operate and maintain the corridor itself. "The assistance would be rendered during the pre-commercial operation period and three years post commercial operation period of the NMRC. The agreement may be extended with mutual consent," said a statement from the DMRC. The DMRC will help the NMRC hire people during its pre-commercial operation period. The construction work of Noida-Greater Noida corridor is already being executed by the DMRC as the project management consultant. The DMRC has been involved in planning, consultancy or construction of almost all Metro rail projects across the country, including 9.25-km-long Jaipur Metro corridor which became operational in June 2015. India is planning to buy 33 million tonnes of summer-sown from farmers in the 2016/17 season for its food welfare programmes and meet emergency needs, it said in a statement on Friday. The world's second biggest producer had bought 30.93 million tonnes of a year before. The government agencies usually start paddy rice procurement in September and buy mainly non-basmati rice. The purchases help farmers in avoiding distress sales. As on July 29, farmers have cultivated rice on 23.19 million hectares, slightly higher than 22.56 million hectares during the same period a year ago. Services at around 80,000 bank branches in the country were hit on Friday as employees of went on a one-day strike to protest the proposed merger of State Bank of India (SBI) associates with the parent and privatisation of . A nation-wide bank strike has hit the public transactions like cheque clearances and cash deposits, as nearly 10 lakh employees are said to have participated in it. The strike has been called as a mark of protest against central governments policies for the sector and the merger of five associate of State bank of India with the parent.. They were also protesting the privatisation of IDBI Bank. "The strike has evoked a good response nationwide as around ten lakh have participated in it. Most of the nationalised are closed," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), told IANS. Echoing this, K. Phamaraiselvan, General Secretary of Andhra Bank Employees Union (Tamil Nadu unit) said: "The operations have been paralysed nationwide." However, the vital treasury operations including Rs 15,000-crore government bond auction were most likely to be unaffected, traders said. "Treasury people have been allowed to enter the head office of the bank, so there is no problem for us in trading or bidding at the auctions," said a senior trader at a large state-run bank. However, there could be some issues in some settling the previous day's trades due to thin staffing. "Settlement will be a problem at back office," said a senior official with State Bank of India. The RBI was also not too worried about the impact of the strike on treasury operations and settlements of banks. "There shouldn't be any problem. Primary dealers are also there to underwrite if needed. But auctions should go through smoothly," the official said. Earlier this month, major bank unions deferred a two-day strike call for July 12 and 13 following a restraint order by the Delhi High Court. The all India strike called by the bank unions today against the banking reform policies of the central government has been a resounding success, claimed one of the employees' association. I must admit that I believed the same thing until I got on the ground out in the desert. I had obviously brought back from Papua New Guinea that attitude of colonial superiority that Rashmii Bell alluded to in a recent PNG Attitude article . The Museum made the mistaken assumption that if I had worked in Papua New Guinea I was ideally suited to work with Aboriginal groups. WHEN I first returned from Papua New Guinea in 1974 I got a job with the South Australian Museum working with Aboriginal people in the remote Pitjantjatjara lands. The two peoples couldn't have been further apart. In terms of polarity I gauged myself and the Papua New Guineans at one end of a long line and the Aborigines at the other end. I worked with tribalised men who still actively retained all of their traditions and were practising them. They were a coherent group that felt at one with their environment and I enjoyed working with them. But they were a threatened species. Within a generation they were mostly all gone and their traditions with them. What replaced it was horrifying and was very similar to what Chris Overland described in Alice Springs. A people without a cause or a soul. Over the years I've watched bucket loads of money being pumped into Aboriginal communities to no avail. Ive watched some of the old men desperately try to bring back the old ways but the younger generation wouldn't have a bar of it. The government was taking desert nomads whose sole material wealth consisted of a few spears and a woomera [spear thrower] and putting them into prefabricated houses and they wondered why they burnt holes in the floor and smashed the windows to let the warm desert air inside. We in the west seem to have developed this attitude that everything can be solved with money. Throw enough of the stuff at a problem and it will fix itself. This has been the most significant element in how Australia deals with its indigenous people. They don't seem to realise that they don't necessarily want our money, they want something else from us. What that is cannot easily be put into words. As Paul Oates says, I suspect what all people want is an identity they feel happy with. In all my years working with Aboriginal people I've never understood what makes them work and I doubt whether anyone else does, themselves included now. But Aborigines ain't Papua New Guineans, far from it. Rashmii's other comment about Australia and Papua New Guinea having become despondent in their relationship also struck me as being very true but our relationship with our own indigenous people has probably never even existed. One of the things that I learned from my experience working with Aboriginal people is that if you destroy, intentionally or otherwise, a society's culture you will inevitably destroy that society. This has pretty much completely happened in most Aboriginal societies but an element of the same thing also happened in Papua New Guinea. In my own country of Eire the old Celtic culture was severely damaged by British invasion. That, I think, provided a large part of the resistance to British rule. A revival of sorts has occurred in Eire since independence in 1921 but a lot was lost and a lot had to be re-created in a form that may not be consistent with the original. The irony of all this cultural destruction by colonialism is that it wasn't really necessary. Ireland would have done quite well without the British and, no doubt, Papua New Guinea would be a different place if the German, British and Australian annexations hadn't taken place. The only sin of all those colonised places prior to their colonisation is that they presented themselves to greedy westerners as eminently exploitable. If those invading entities hadn't been like they were they would have left those places happily alone. When you say that, people trot out the old argument that if it hadn't been Australia in Papua New Guinea it would have been someone else who took over and they might not have been so sanguine. That has some relevance I suppose but Australia really took over for geopolitical and strategic reasons with a little bit of gold fever and a likely source of cheap labour in mind. Altruism was the last thing on their minds. When you look at modern day Papua New Guinea you can see the full blown effects of colonisation in the towns and urban areas but out in the sticks there is something resembling the old pre-colonial Papua New Guinea, sadly without its broader cultural base. That part of Papua New Guinea is the real Papua New Guinea and it is well worth saving. The other, in places like Port Moresby, is a dysfunctional hybrid mess. I know which Papua New Guinea I prefer. Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Sudarshan Bhagat has said that formation of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa has been completed with the untiring efforts of the Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh in which the youth of India and Bihar are getting education in Agriculture science which will in turn benefit agriculture in Bihar. . . Shri Bhagat informed that under the process of the formation of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, it was decided to bring the assets of Rajendra Prasad Agriculture University, Pusa under Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa for which formation of Assets Taking over Committee was pending. . . The Minister said that on 28.7.2016 i.e. yesterday the Government of Bihar has sent the names of two of its representatives. The committee has been formed today and the state government has been informed. Tomorrow i.e. on 30.7.2016 two representatives of Government of India of this committee will leave for Patna, Bihar. . . Shri Bhagat hoped that State Government will extend full cooperation to this Committee so that the work of hand over take over is completed on time. . . SS/AK The Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Anil Madhav Dave has exhorted tourists from across the world to come to India to see the Tiger. Speaking at a function to celebrate the International Tiger Day today, the Minister urged upon the students to conserve tigers. Shri Dave pointed out that students from various schools have gathered here today, because they all are themselves Tigers. He said that people in India love the Tiger and added that by conserving the Tigers, India has 2, 226 Tigers, which constitutes 70% of the population of Tigers the world over. The Environment Minister said that the Tigers are spread out in over 17 States and 49 sanctuaries across the country. He stated that a healthy Tiger is a symbol of healthy environment. Shri Dave expressed the hope that India will be able to double the population of its Tigers by 2022 by conserving and caring for the Tigers. He also emphasized that India is contributing significantly towards achieving the St. Petersburg target, commonly referred to as T X 2. The Minister also administered a pledge for tiger conservation to the gathering of students. Later, the Minister later flagged off the Walk for Tiger. . . Due to the ongoing conservation efforts under Project Tiger, India has the maximum number of tigers, along with its source areas, amongst the 13 Tiger Range Countries in the world. The status of wild tiger across Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) continues to remain endangered. Though there have been some gains in the population build-up in some TRCs like India, Nepal, Bhutan and Russia, the global scenario is a major cause for concern. Tigers have become locally extinct in some TRCs and the status of prey, as well as the habitat, has declined in many. The heads of Governments of Tiger Range countries which inter alia includes India, have resolved to strive to double the number of wild tigers (T X 2) across their range by 2022 and adopted the St. Petersburg Resolution on Tiger Conservation, at St Petersburg, Russia, wherein July 29 was endorsed as Global Tiger Day. . . In his welcome remarks, Additional Director General, Forests, Shri B.S Bonal said that children are the custodians of the future and their presence, on the occasion, shows their love for Tiger. Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ajay Narayan Jha and officers of MoEFCC and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), as well as conservation partners, besides hundreds of school students from Delhi NCR were among those present on the occasion. . . The National Tiger Conservation Authority, along with conservation partners organized the Walk for the Tiger". The event had been organized in collaboration with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Global Tiger Forum, WWF-India, Wildlife Trust of India, TRAFFIC, Kids for Tigers and Aircel. . . Pledge for Tiger conservation . . I recognize and value, . . That tiger is an umbrella species with charisma, and is the flagship indicator of a balanced ecosystem; . . That a balanced ecosystem is crucial for life support, while providing numerous ecological services to the society; . . Being aware that the status of wild tiger is highly endangered in its natural habitat across Tiger Range Countries with a declining global population; . . I hereby solemnly pledge: . . To protect the tiger and its wild habitat to ensure crucial ecological services for posterity; . . To contribute for fostering awareness for tiger conservation by factoring in its concern in areas where tiger is not the goal; . . To work for a balance between tiger conservation and ecologically sustainable development towards harmonious co-occurrence of human beings and the tiger; . . Commit to conserve our natural heritage while making all efforts for the future sustenance of wild tiger. . . Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday declared that former premier Kevin Rudd would not be nominated by the government to be the next UN Secretary-General, declining to endorse him and declaring him unfit for the job. "The fundamental threshold point is this: does the government believe, do we believe, do I as Prime Minister believe Rudd is well suited for that role?" Turnbull told the media here, adding "My considered judgement is he is not". The decision by Turnbull effectively crushed Rudd's hopes of nabbing the post after he spent months lobbying for government support. Without the backing of the Turnbull government, Rudd, the former Prime Minister of the opposition centre-left Labour Party, cannot run for the next UN chief. Rudd had hoped Australia's conservative government would take the crucial step of formally nominating him to succeed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when Ban's second five-year term ends on December 31. A final nominee will not emerge before October once the UN Security Council offers its candidate to the General Assembly for consideration. The Security Council is set to hold its second straw poll next week, which had strong support for former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres. There currently 12 contenders vying for the post, with six being female, and eight from Eastern Europe. will consider its position with respect to other candidates, including compromise contender, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark in due course, Turnbull added. British Prime Minister Theresa May has travelled to Warsaw in a bid to reassure the Polish government that the hundreds of thousands of Poles living in Britain still had a post- future there. "I want to be clear that Poles living in the UK continue to be welcome and we value the contribution they make to our country," May told reporters yesterday during a joint press conference with her Polish counterpart Beata Szydlo in Warsaw. At some 790,000, Poles make up by far the largest community of some three million European Union migrants living in the United Kingdom and Polish is the second-most spoken language there. Migration featured as the main hot-button issue for voters wanting Britain to leave the EU during the heated campaign in the run-up to the referendum last month. "I fully expect and intend to be able to guarantee the rights of Polish citizens when we leave the EU," May said, but also demanded reciprocity. "The only circumstances in which that would not be possible would be if the rights of British citizens living across the EU were not guaranteed," she said. Yesterday, May had offered the same reassurances in Bratislava to her Slovak counterpart Robert Fico, whose country currently holds the rotating half-year EU presidency and has around 90,000 of its nationals living and working in Britain. But May also stressed that "there was a very clear message from the British people in the vote that they want us to ensure that we can have some control on the movement of people from the EU into the UK in the future." The Polish and British prime ministers announced they had decided to hold annual bilateral summits. May said: "I have offered to host the first of those in the UK." Szydlo for her part said the European Union needed to engage in some soul-searching after Brexit and make the necessary changes "to become a stronger institution." The bloc "has to give thought to what happened that such an important country, with such a big economy, decided to leave the European Union," she said. Following recent terror attacks, the French government is considering a ban on foreign financing of mosques in the country, the media reported on Friday. According to Le Monde, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that the prohibition would be for an indefinite period but gave no further details. "There needs to be a thorough review to form a new relationship with French Islam," he added. "We live in a changed era and we must change our behaviour. This is a revolution in our security culture... the fight against radicalisation will be the task of a generation," the Independent quoted Valls as saying. was "at war" and further atrocities were predicted, Valls said, following the murder of a priest at a church in Normandy and the attack in Nice in Grench Riveira by Islamic State supporters. "This war, which does not concern only France, will be long and we will see more attacks," the Prime Minister said. "But we will win, because has a strategy to win this war. First, we must crush the external enemy." The French government has come under increasing criticism for failing to prevent atrocities, including the attack in a Normandy church. Security services were tipped off that Abdel Malik Petitjean, 19, was planning an attack but police were reportedly unable to identify him from photos and a video showing him declaring allegiance to the Islamic State terror group, the Independent reported. He was already on country's "fiche S" terror watch list, an indicator used by law enforcement apparatus to signal an individual considered to be a serious threat to national security. He attempted to travel to Syria in June but was intercepted by Turkish authorities and forced to return to France. Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, 19, took six people hostage at a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy and slit the throat of its priest, Father Jacques Hamel. Both were shot dead by police. Kermiche was also known to security services and was wearing an electronic surveillance tag while on bail as he awaited trial for membership of a terror organisation at the time. It came less than a fortnight after the Nice attack, when a Tunisian man killed 84 persons and injured over 300 when he ploughed a lorry into crowds celebrating Bastille Day. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was not among the 10,000 names on the "fiche S" but the inclusion of terrorists, among them, several of the Paris attackers, the two Charlie Hebdo gunmen and their accomplice Amedy Coulibaly, as well as a lorry driver who beheaded his manager and attempted to blow up a chemical plant, has shown the system to be ineffective, said the Independent. Intelligence officials have admitted that they are under-resourced to deal with the potential threat from each individual, who would need up to 20 people monitoring them every day. France's continuing state of emergency has drastically expanded security forces' detention powers, sparking a wave of controversial house arrests since November. Responding to criticism, Valls said his government would not create a "French Guantanamo" or be swayed by populism. Promising a populist agenda to build a better nation based on unity, on Thursday night aceppted the Democratic Party's historic presidential nomination making her the first women candidate of a major US party and challenged Republican rival Donald Trump on what she said was his message of hate and divisiveness. "It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for President of the United States," Clinton said to thunderous applause at the Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia. "Your cause is our cause," she declared as her party members waved placards and flags and roared their support. "Our country needs your ideas and commitment." She promised to take on Wall Street, large corporations and the rich to make them pay their fair share of taxes and treat workers fairly. The former First Lady also said she would penalise corporations that send jobs abroad and hit out at Trump for having some of his products manufactured abroad, mentioning picture frames made in India. At the same time she promised stern against terrorism, but by working with allies. Clinton said she would strike the Islamic State (IS) terror group from the air and and empower allies to defeat them, while countering its appeal to youth. She invoked the commitment of Humayun Khan, a 27-year-old Pakistani American Army captain, killed in 2004 in Iraq trying to save his soldiers, and Nat Kaine, the Marine son of her Vice President nominee, Tim Kaine, to protect the US to declare her commitment the armed forces and to keeping the nation safe. Philadelphia was where the US Independence Declaration was signed 240 years ago. From the Convention in the city, the party and the nation should message of unity, liberty and equality enshrined in it, she said. The former Secretary of State presented her vision of a "country that works for everyone, not only those at the top. Clinton promised to work to bring jobs, penalise corporations that hurt workers, and improve the life of the citizens. She said she would work along with the Republican Party to make the biggest investments since the Second World War to create jobs. In an appeal to the Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' backers and to assuage the sense of economic insecurity that plagues also the supporters of Trump, she said, "Our economy isn't working the way it should because democracy isn't working the way it should." She said that she would appoint Supreme Court judges who would overturn judgments that allowed some types of political donations and, if necessary, introduce a constitutional amendment. "Wall Street will not be allowed to wreck Main Street," she said, outlining her populist agenda. Corporations, Wall Street and the rich will be made to pay more taxes, Clinton added. Working with Sanders, she said she would work to make college tuition free and eliminate college tuition debts. Overcoming an early party leadership crisis and the persistent vociferous opposition to her from the supporters of insurgent rival, Sanders, the Convention ended generally on an upbeat note. In a political coup to tamp down dissent and build unity for the party, Sanders on Tuesday night asked the convention to discard the votes cast for him and nominate Clinton unanimously by acclamation. Pockets of resistance persisted with the Sanderistas - the supporters of Sanders - booing her speech. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama addressed the Convention and gave her a resounding endorsement and declare Clinton the leader to pick up the baton and give the nation continuity and strong leadership. The coronation of the Clinton dynasty came eight years late after Hillary Clinton's first bid for the presidency was waylaid by President Barack Obama, who came from behind and seized the party's nomination in 2008 and went on to become the first African-American to lead the US. And it was 24 years after her husband, Bill Clinton (1993-2001), was crowned with the party's nomination. Now comes the momentous task of waging a tough electoral battle against Republican Donald Trump, who has taken the campaign to new levels of bitter and aggressive animosity. The Democratic Party presented her as an amalgam of compassion and toughness, a leader who can heal the economic, social and racial of the nation, but is also has the steely resolve to taken the enemies of her nation. Trump loomed large over the Convention as an ominous presence that Democrats saw as a divisive and disrupt force. Clinton said he had taken the country from "morning in America to midnight". he conceded there was economic stagnation and various problems, but the nation still remained strong and a beacon of multi-ethnic harmony that inspired the world. "Don't trust anyone who says he alone can fix" the nation, she said. For the Convention's finale, Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother extolling her commitment to public service and the values of compassion for the less fortunate she instilled.She said keeps going amid the sound and fury of despite setbacks because of her commitment. Patriotism was the theme of one of the last segments of the Convention showing support of military veterans, placards with "USA" shouts of "USA,USA" by the audience and a show of cards by participants to spell out a patriotic theme. The displays sought to douse Republican Party criticism and to seek to reassure a nation uneasy with terror and Islamic radicalism - a fear Trump has mined - that Clinton would be a determined leader who would keep the country safe and at the same time douse anti-Americanism at home. A Sikh ex-serviceman, Major Kamaljeet Singh, in a pink turban stood with his colleagues behind retired General John Allen, who declared, "We are the greatest country on the planet". As the audience shouted, "USA, USA,", he said that under Clinton the country will not "abandon the world," and pursue our enemies defeat the IS and stop the spread of nuclear weapons. To rebut Donald Trump plans on Muslim immigration, Khizr Khan, the father of a 27-year-old Pakistani American Army captain, Humayun Khan, killed in 2004 in Iraq trying to save his soldiers from a bomb, challenged Trump, "You are asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, if you have read the US Constitution?" He added, "We will become stronger when Clinton becomes president." The four-day convention began on an uneasy note with the party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigning after WikiLeaks revealed emails by party leaders strategising to undermine Sanders, who is Jewish by portraying him as an atheist, and a vociferous revolt by his supporters. The scenario changed on the second day, when Sanders strongly endorsed her. Every major political speaker from Obama to Clinton herself praised Sanders for bringing progressive ideas to the public discourse. Now in the tight race, polls have been seesawing. The latest polls released Thursday and consolidated by Real Clear showed Clinton leading by between 1 per cent and 9 per cent, enjoying a bounce from the Convention coverage and reversing Trump's edge. Keeping and building the lead will require reaching out to discontented Republicans made uneasy by Trump's rhetoric and anti-establishment streak. Besides adding to her margins, the Republicans may offset any loss of votes from die-hard Sandrs supporters. The Convention presented a parade of Republican Party notables and a Texas sherrif designed to appeal to them. Doug Elmet, who had worked with late President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) as his spokesperson, declared "Trump is no Reagan," the icon of the right, and said he would vote Democrat for the first time. Sherriff Lupe Valdez spoke in defence of her beleaguered law enforcement colleagues under attack from sections of the Democratic Party base. She went on to present family members of police off killed in action. With a large number of voters questioning her trustworthiness because of the email scandal involving her communications being kept on a private computer in contravention of government rules and her handling of the Benghazi attack on the US consulate there and it aftermath, Obama took on the issue head-on. In his endorsement speech he admitted she made mistakes, but so had everyone at some time. Sitting on the sidelines was not the way to avoid mistakes he said. Former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, today accepted the official Democratic Presidential nomination for US elections 2016 while addressing the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The Monetary Fund on Thursday said it had not yet decided to resume a bailout of war-torn Ukraine, which the crisis lender halted over corruption concerns last year. A spokesman for the Fund had earlier this month held out the possibility of a resumption by the end of July. Since last August, Ukraine has received no new disbursements from a USD 17.5 billion bailout package approved in April last year. "We expect that Ukraine would be taken up by the executive board sometime when the board reconvenes. Possibly in August or September," spokesman William Murray told a news conference. Any resumption of funding would have to be approved by the board, which represents 189 member countries. Ukraine is currently awaiting the next USD 1.6 billion tranche from the bailout, intended to help stabilise the country following the 2014 ouster of the pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych. So far USD 6.6 billion have been disbursed. After two years of war, the country has suffered deep economic contractions, with GDP dropping 9.9 per cent last year after falling 6.6 per cent in 2014. Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in February that, without substantial anti corruption and reform efforts from officials in Kiev, a resumption of funding could be difficult. Reforms prescribed by the IMF have been tough and unpopular in Ukraine but local lawmakers have approved measures proposed by the Fund. Every Friday, The Citizen features a pet available for adoption from the Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York. This week, we spotlight Beau. Q: Who is your best friend? A: Ummm, let me think for a minute here. As you can tell, I am a baby. Everyone likes babies especially dog babies and we like everyone, too! So I would have to say that everyone I meet is my BFF. I'm sure that as I mature I will become more selective, but right now I love everyone, and that includes you! Q: What has been your worst experience? A: OK, so when I was brought here I was covered in so many fleas I didn't know which itch to scratch first. My shelter people immediately took care of that little problem, but I can tell you that was the worst thing ever. Q: If you could have a job, what would that be? A: Is there a job description for cute? If there is a job opening, I would like to apply! Q: If you could visit any place in the world, where would that be? A: They say that I am a chug you know, a chihuahua and a pug mix! There is some disagreement among the experts, but right now that's what I'm being called. So there are a couple of possibilities here. My origins are in Mexico and China, and everyone likes to go back to their roots. So, for starters, I would like to visit China with a side trip to Mexico. Talk about being confused! Q: If you could meet someone famous, who would that be? A: Let me give you some information about some famous pug owners! That would be the late Duke (King Edward VIII) and Duchess of Windsor, who owned 11 pugs over their lifetimes. Their pugs went everywhere with them, ate off of silver dishes and were spritzed with the duchess' favorite scent! Well, perhaps a little over the top, but it would have been fun to have met the royals! Q: Do you have an interesting fact to share? A: I do! The chihuahua part of me can be very soft and tender. It has been said that a Chihuahua can actually die from a broken heart. We form very close attachments to our owners and while we will get along with our other family members, we will bond very closely to one particular person. We are a loyal breed and very protective of our owners. We have even been known to jump out of our owners' arms onto a larger dog to protect them. We are also not so smart sometimes! Ha! Q: Do you have any advice for our good Citizen readers? A: I do! Finally, Hogs for Dogs is here on Sunday, July 31! Registration for our ride begins at 10 a.m. right here at my shelter place and leaves at 11:30 a.m. for a wonderful ride, returning at around 2 p.m. for the best party of the summer at the Knights of Columbus! There will be awesome raffles, a 50/50, great food and fabulous music by Bad JuJu! Please don't miss this opportunity for a fun day and an opportunity to help me and my shelter buddies! We are grateful for your support! Love, Beau and friends. The Home Department of Pakistan's Punjab province has directed it's police to take strict action against fund raising activities of Jamaat-ud-Dawa Pakistan (JuD), an organisation headed by 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind . Saeed, who is on the UN watch list and is accused by India of being involved in Mumbai attacks, has been engaged in fundraising throughout the country via the organisation's charity wing, Falah-e-Insayat Foundation (FIF), reports the Dawn. The Home Department has directed additional inspector general of police operations Punjab, divisional police chiefs across the province for details of fundraising by JuD and other proscribed organisations citing the activity is against the law. Reports suggest that JuD is making efforts to collect funds through fitrana, zakat and sadkaats. The Home Department said that members of the organisations were more active during Ramazan and distributed pamphlets, put up posters at various locations in Matiari Sindh, inviting people to give them their charity money. Meanwhile, FIF activists have asked locals in Matirai to make donations to the group. The Madressah Umar Bin Khatab (RA) in new Saeedabad and Falah Markaz in New Hala, Matori have been designated as donation points for the fundraising. A senior police official has said the action was based on reports from intelligence agencies who watched proscribed organisations. He added that the step should have been taken earlier but the provincial government has been reluctant to take direct action against religious parties without concrete reason. Ukraine's UN ambassador today dismissed as "null and void" a decree by President Vladimir Putin incorporating annexed into the southern region of Russia. Volodymyr Yelchenko said he will ask the Security Council to issue a statement reaffirming Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the decree, even though he fully expects Russia to block it. "The decision is null and void as any other decision taken by so far," Yelchenko told reporters, adding that there was "indignation" in Kiev over the move. The proposed statement would refer to a UN General Assembly resolution that rejected Russia's 2014 annexation of . "We would not be surprised if Russia will block this press statement but it will show again who stands where," said the ambassador. Putin issued a decree merging Crimea into the southern federal district of Russia to strengthen the work of federal state bodies, the Kremlin press service said. Wading into the US election campaign, the Ukrainian ambassador said he expected any future US president to respect UN decisions rejecting Russia's annexation of Crimea. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he would consider recognising Crimea as part of Russia and lifting sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to the land grab. "Mister Trump is not the president of the United States, at least not yet," said Yelchenko. "There are well-known decisions of the United Nations," he added. "I am pretty sure that any US government will pay full respect to those decisions. Venezuela's congress has sworn in three opposition lawmakers in violation of a Supreme Court ruling that is likely to further inflame the country's political divisions. Electoral authorities certified the victory of the indigenous lawmakers as part of the opposition's landslide victory in December elections. But they were denied their seats after government allies alleged electoral irregularities in the Amazon region and the high court ruled that any legislation passed with the three lawmakers voting would be nullified. The court's decision denied the opposition a two-thirds super majority that would have allowed it to dramatically challenge President Nicolas Maduro's socialist rule. The government-stacked Supreme Court has shot down almost every piece of legislation passed by congress. But on Thursday opposition leaders vowed to ignore future court rulings that they consider unconstitutional. Activists and rights groups have warned that civilian casualties from airstrikes by the US-led coalition fighting ISIS have spiked in the past two months. Recently, the US also said it was investigating a village bombing that appears to be one of the deadliest single air attacks on civilians of the entire war. A single attack on a village last week killed at least 74 named civilians, mostly women and children, and potentially more than 50 others, according to multiple observers. That makes the bombing one of the deadliest single air assaults on civilians of the entire war. The US military has launched a formal investigation into the bombing, but has not said how many deaths it is investigating, reports the Guardian. It said on Thursday that Manbij had been hit by another airstrike that "may have resulted in civilian casualties" in the previous 24 hours. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said 28 civilians had been killed. According to Washington, its bombs have caused 55 civilian deaths since the coalition air strikes were launched two years ago. But campaign groups that keep a tally of the war's civilian toll , including Amnesty and Airwars, say the real total is at least 10 times that number. The Violations Documentation Centre, which keeps a detailed public database of civilian deaths in the conflict, says 513 Syrian civilians have been killed by international coalition attacks since their aircraft joined the conflict. Overall Russian and regime air attacks have killed many more civilians than the coalition and they have also been accused of intentionally targeting homes and key infrastructure such as hospitals. Moscow has, however, not admitted a single civilian death caused by its actions in Syria. "Levels of civilian killings from the coalition are so high now, we are edging towards the 1,000 figure, and they don't disclose it, they are covering it up," said Amnesty's researcher for the region, Neil Sammonds, adding that there had probably been more than 200 civilians killed during the fight for Manbij alone. The US should be making sure strict measures are in place to protect people on the ground during complex battles, said Syrian Network for Human Rights spokesman Wael Aleji. He added that some of the armed parties deliberately operate within residential areas, which makes civilians vulnerable. Indonesia on Friday executed four convicted drug traffickers, including three Nigerians, late last night despite a string of legal appeals, diplomatic pressure and international condemnation. Three Africans and an Indonesian man, all sentenced to death for drug offences, were shot by the firing squad at the Nusakambangan prison island. They were identified as Indonesian citizen Freddy Budiman, Nigerian nationals Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke and Michael Titus Igweh, and Seck Osmane from Senegal, reports the Guardian. Ten others, includes three Indonesians and foreign nationals from Pakistan and India, who also faced execution were not killed. However, the officials said that they would be put to death at a later date. Deputy Attorney General Noor Rachmad said the four convicts were executed shortly after midnight local time. "This is not a fun job. For us, this is really a sad job because it involves people's lives... This was done not in order to take lives but to stop evil intentions, and the evil act of drug trafficking," the Guardian quoted him as saying. The Indonesian authorities yesterday said that 14 prisoners, including the citizens of India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe, would be executed this weekend. Following the announcement, security was stepped up at the Indonesian embassy in Nigerian capital Abuja as the protesters urged Indonesia to halt the executions. A vigil also took place in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta yesterday, where candles were lit in a last-minute appeal to save the lives of those condemned. Meanwhile, Amnesty International described the execution as "a deplorable act". "Any executions that are still to take place must be halted immediately. The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won't be compounded," said Amnesty's director for south-east Asia and the Pacific Rafendi Djamin. The execution of four people is the first in more than a year. Indonesia resumed executions in 2013, ending a four-year unofficial moratorium on the death penalty. The Samajwadi Party on Friday condemned the brutal killing of Dalit couple, who was axed to death by a shopkeeper in Lakhmipur village of Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district for alleged non-payment of Rs. 15, and said that the state government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is delivered to the family at the earliest. Speaking to ANI, Samajwadi Party leader Gaurav Bhatia also advised the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to refrain from politicising the issue and not to think about mere votes. "It is most unfortunate that a person is killed for a small amount of money. We condemn it and the state government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is delivered to the family of the victims at the earliest. Investigation would be done at great speed to ensure that justice is not delayed," Bhatia said. "I heard that a BSP spokesperson is again trying to politicise the issue. I would only request them that there are moments when they should not stoop to petty politics and should not think of votes. Rather, they should think of the pain that the family would be going through," he added. The couple was yesterday hacked to death allegedly by an upper caste man for refusing to part with a paltry Rs.15 so he could buy his daily fix of intoxicant. Bharat Nat (48) and his wife Mamta (45) were attacked with an axe by Ashok Misra when they refused to give him Rs.15 in Kurra area in Lakhmipur village early this morning. Confirming the incident, Mainpuri District Magistrate Pramod Gupta said, "Bharat and Mamta, who were labourers, died on the spot after the accused, Ashok Mishra, attacked them with an axe. According to villagers, the matter was concerning Rs. 15 that led to a argument and resulted in the killings. The accused has been arrested and stringent action will be taken against him." According to Bharat's mother, the couple had left home in the morning for sowing paddy, but they were stopped by the shopkeeper who asked them to payback his money that led to an argument between them. In the fit of rage, Ashok allegedly attacked them with an axe and they died on the spot. The Mainpuri Police have arrested the accused and started inquest proceeding. Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dayashankar Singh who was today arrested from Bihar's Buxar district has been sent to a 14-day judicial custody. "UP CM should take action against the people who have insulted my family. I dare Akhilesh Yadav to arrest Naseemuddin Siddiqui," Singh told the media after his arrest. A case was lodged against Dayashankar on 20th July for making a derogatory remark against BSP chief Mayawati. Singh's comment caused a huge furore inside and outside Parliament, forcing the BJP to expel him for six years. The state police was searching Dayashankar with a non-bailable warrant issued by a SC/ST court of Lucknow for his alleged derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati. Earlier, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High court had rejected his plea for a stay on his arrest. Singh had moved the High Court seeking a stay on his possible arrest and challenging the FIR lodged against him by BSP leaders. Dayahsankar was wanted in connection with an FIR lodged with the Hazratganj police on July 20 at Hazratganj under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for passing "derogatory" comments against Mayawati. On Thursday, Mayawati had hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government for not arresting Singh, alleging that he was roaming scot-free in BJP-ruled Jharkhand and giving interviews to media. Extremely enraged with the rigged July 21 election which witnessed the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerge victorious in 32 out of 41 seats, the locals in Neelum valley in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Friday took to the streets to vent their ire against the ruling establishment. The protestors had to face the police wrath as they burnt Pakistani flag and raised slogans against the government. Besides blackening election posters, the protestors also burnt tyres, blocked traffic and clashed with the police personnel deployed on duty. Widespread protests have been witnessed in the major towns, including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Chinari and Mirpur, after members of the PML-N killed a supporter of the Muslim Conference in Muzaffarabad. Locals allege that the elections in are always fixed in favour of the ruling party in Pakistan, in current instance, for the PML-N. The PML-N bagged 31 out of the 41 seats up for grabs, while the Muslim Conference and Pakistan People's Party bagged three seats each. The political parties have questioned the authenticity of the elections. They say public money has been wasted as the so-called democratic process was fraught with corrupt practices. The Pakistan Human Rights Group has confirmed the allegations of corrupt practices, involving money and muscle power. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday asserted that Home Minister Rajnath Singh was visiting Islamabad next month solely for the purpose of attending the SAARC ministerial conference and ruled out any possibilities of bilateral talks with leaders of Pakistan. "The Home Minister is not travelling for a bilateral engagement with Pakistan, he is going for a SAARC related event. You know the importance that we attach to SAARC, to regional cooperation, to regional prosperity. So please take this in the right context. The Home Minister is visiting Pakistan for a SAARC related event as Home Ministers of India have been attending all previous Home Minister related events in the SAARC context," MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a press conference. Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has articulated his vision on innumerable occasions that SAARC should be revitalized and that it's is an important vehicle for bringing the region closer to each other, Swarup added that it would not send a very healthy signal if importance is not given to SAARC and to SAARC related cooperation in important areas, such as drug-trafficking, narco-trafficking, border management, anti-terrorism Maintaining the stand that India wants a peaceful, cooperative relationship with Pakistan, Swarup said that India is prepared to discuss all outstanding issues with Pakistan, but in an atmosphere free of terror and violence. "It is incumbent upon Pakistan to create the right conditions for that political dialogue to take place. Humanitarian issues will always be important to us, in fact they are important to both countries and any mechanism or institution which promotes cooperation on humanitarian issues, must be pursued," he added. When asked if the Home Minister could possibly hand over any information, any dossier or any follow-up bilaterally on India's terror concerns to his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, the MEA spokesperson stated that there is no such proposal and re-iterated that Rajnath is only going for a multi-lateral SAARC event. Rajnath will be accompanied by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and several other senior officers of the Home Ministry. Sources told ANI that Rajnath will raise the issue of cross-border terrorism at the meeting. The meeting in Pakistan is significant as Singh last week slammed the neighbour state for interfering in India's internal affairs - the current unrest in Kashmir. Blaming Pakistan directly for the tense situation in Kashmir, Rajnath had said that Islamabad must understand that instigating youth to pick up weapons is not correct. "I want to tell my neighbour that instigating our youth to pick up weapons is not correct. We don't need third party's involvement to address the situation that prevails in Jammu & Kashmir," he said, adding that Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism and it must not encourage violence in Kashmir. At the 13th SAARC Summit held in Dhaka in November 2005, the Heads of State decided that the SAARC Interior/Home Ministers would meet annually preceded by a meeting of the Interior/Home Secretaries to strengthen cooperation in the area of counterterrorism, which they agreed was a challenge to all states and a threat to humanity, and could not be justified on any grounds. July 29, 1936 Voters of Cato gave the privilege to the village board of raising by bond issue, not to exceed $40,000, financial facilities for erecting a village water system, at a special mass meeting here Tuesday night. The vote was 64 to 58 in favor of the system proposal. In 1918, fire destroyed about two-thirds of the village, and since then agitation has been increasing for the water system to combat such fire dangers as well as to provide the water for household use. July 29, 1961 Thursday's talent show-hot dog roast participants at Osborne Playground were Margie and Terry Kahl, Debbie Cramer, Linda Saphara, Margaret and Ann Malvaso, Ernie Green, Patty Napoli, Jerry Stafanio, Susan Taylor. Also participating were Lyle Rouen, Vera Planty, Linda Blair, Janie Gower and Pat Kahl. Tuesday winners from the boys' meet were Johnny McKeon, Dave Napoli, Donald Ryan, Jim Napoli, Steve Pasquale, Gary Salvage, Jimmy Johns, Tom Spades, George Brugette. July 29, 2006 A master's program for urban regeneration is nonexistent in the U.S. So Auburn resident Rob Dusel is going to study the field in England at the world's top-ranked school for the program, which takes just 14 people each year. Dusel -- who graduated early from Cornell University in January with a 3.9 grade point average -- said he inherited his strong work ethic from his late father, Thomas Dusel, and his mother, Joanne. And he wants to continue working hard. "I wanted to go where the best program was," Dusel said. "Cambridge has an education experience you can't beat." In comparison to the U.S., the urban regeneration field in England is growing widespread, Dusel said. Dusel will leave at the end of September to begin a one-year master's program in planning, growth and regeneration at Cambridge University. Dusel said both the academic work and hands-on experience will be amazing. Dusel is accepted to Cambridge on a partial academic scholarship from the Cambridge Overseas Trust. Cambridge's program accepts 14 students each year. July 29, 2011 The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Central Government over a plea of eight army doctors challenging the retirement age of 58 prescribed in the armed forces. The apex court will hear the petition on Monday. The army doctors have sought parity with doctors in other doctors working with central government whose retirement age has been set at 65. The doctors, all of Colonel rank, reportedly including Amitabh Thapliyal, AK Hota, Yogesh Verma have sought a direction to Ministries of Defence, Health, Chief of Army Staff and Director General Armed Forces Medical Services that the notification of May 13 be followed to enhance their age of superannuation to 65 years. Continuing aggressive stand on maritime sovereignty in the South China Sea, China has said it will never accept any kind of dispute settlement by the third party and will never accept the settlement plans or ideas imposed upon Beijing. Speaking on the occasion of the 89th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Liberation Army on Thursday, Major General Wang Xiao jun - the Military, Naval and Air attache at the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, said, "China firmly defends its territory sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. As for the so called for the arbitration of south china sea award brought unilaterally by former government of one country, China states time and again its stand of non-acceptance, non-participation, and non-exclusion. China will never accept any kind of dispute settlement by the third party and will never accept the settlement plans or ideas imposed upon China." "China will continue to talk directly with relative parties and try the best to search the South China Sea dispute peacefully on the basis of respect, historical facts and international law. China respects and supports the freedom and limitation of over flight in the south china sea according to international law and would like to cooperate with any other coastal countries and international society to ensure the streamline in that area of sea," he added. China has refused to accept the South China Sea arbitration award issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Hague and reaffirmed its territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests. The ruling had favoured petitioner Philippines saying the country's sovereignty had been breached by the dragon. Expressing her grief over the Mainpuri Dalit couple murder, Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Friday said the Samajwadi Party (SP) is getting inspired by the government at the Centre and is developing a biased attitude towards the weaker sections of the society. "There is considerable increase in the rate of criminal activities in Uttar Pradesh. The attitude of BJP government is biased towards the Dalits and weaker section of the society. The government has a racist mentality and the Dalits are being harassed across the country. SP is getting inspired by the BJP government," said Mayawati. She strongly criticized the Mainpuri incident where a Dalit couple was allegedly hacked to death over mere Rs. 15 by a shopkeeper. She said, "The real culprits must be arrested immediately and the family member of the Dalits couple must be helped financially by the government." However, the Samajwadi Party today, condemned the brutal killing of Dalit couple and said that the state government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is delivered to the family at the earliest. Speaking to ANI, Samajwadi Party leader Gaurav Bhatia also advised the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to refrain from politicising the issue and not to think about mere votes. "It is most unfortunate that a person is killed for a small amount of money. We condemn it and the state government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is delivered to the family of the victims at the earliest. Investigation would be done at great speed to ensure that justice is not delayed," Bhatia said. The Mainpuri Police have arrested the accused and started inquest proceeding. Launching a scathing attack over his fellow drivers for not presenting a united front on the introduction of Halo device, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel has favoured the launch of head protection device for the 2017 Formula One season saying nothing could 'justify death'. Vettel, who tested the device in practice at Silverstone this month, said although most of the driver don't like the way it looks, he believes nothing is more important than life, news.com.au reported. Meanwhile, F1's Strategy Group had voted against the introduction of the Halo head safety device for the upcoming season. Although the Halo looks a 'strong option' for safety in F1 and there are possibility of more tests to be carried out in practice session, the Strategy Group said they need more time to evaluate all potential solutions. The group has also decided to lift the new restrictions on radio messages. The Strategy Group, which consists of 18 votes, were split into three parties --- the teams, the FIA and the Formula One Management (FOM) group. Six teams i.e Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Williams and Force India carried one vote each while Bernie Ecclestone casted six votes on behalf of FOM as does Jean Todt, the FIA president. Ecclestone was a known vocal opponent to the Halo while Red Bull boss Christian Horner dubbed the cockpit safety system as 'an inelegant solution' to the problem. Earlier, three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had slammed the concept by describing the Halo as the "worst-looking mod in F1 history". However, the German driver later observed that about 17 percent of improvement was done on life saving device and, therefore, all the drivers should accept it. Earlier, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen became the first driver to test the Halo closed cockpit system during the testing in Spain. The Halo was designed to protect drivers from flying debris and from life-threatening accidents. Several Government organisations like Department of Science & Technology (DST), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeiTY), have been supporting startups and innovation industries. During over last two decades, DST has provided over 250 crores in setting up of specialised institutional mechanisms spread across the country i.e Science and Technology Entrepreneur's Park (STEP) and Technology Business Incubators(TBIs). The STEPs and TBIs are engaged in nurturing startups and since the year 2008, few of them have also been provided support totaling to about Rs.60 crores to implement the seed support system (SSS) for startups in Incubators. DSIR has provided a support of over Rs.225 crores to industries for development and demonstration of innovative technologies, since 1992 and a support of over Rs.25 crores to individual innovators, since 1998. Biotechnology Industry Research Assessments Council (BIRAC) under DBT has provided funding of Rs.677 crores to entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs and translational organisations since 2012. DeiTY under a scheme for Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE), supports 27 TIDE centres up to March 2017 in the area of Electronics & ICT to strengthen the technology incubation centres at the institutions of higher learning. The outlay for each TIDE centre is Rs.55 lakhs for the entire duration. Rs.32.12 crores have been released to TIDE centres till now. The support certainly needs to be scaled up to bring in more and more state-of-the-art and affordable innovations into the market for the benefit of society. DST has introduced several new schemes namely National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI), New Generation Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (NewGen IEDC), Grand Challenges and Competitions for Scouting Innovations (GCC), Promoting and Acclerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups (PRAYAS), Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR), Start up NIDHI, Technology Business Incubator (TBI), Seed Support System (SSS), Accelerator, Centers of Excellence (CoE). The Government over the last two years has taken initiatives to promote innovations, such as announcement of AIM, SETU, Start-up/Stand-up India, IMPRINT, Uchhatar Aavishkar Yojana etc. DSIR on its part has a scheme which provides common research facilities including research, testing and quality control equipment in public funded institutions for the benefit of micro and small enterprises. BIRAC has initiated several flagship programmes such as BIG, SBIRI, BIPP, SPARSH, CRS and BioNEST that bridge the gap in the biotechnology innovation pipeline. In addition to this, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion has initiated a start-up fund of Rs. 10,000 crores. During 2016-17, DSIR has provided an amount of Rs 27 crore, DeiTY has provided Rs 3 crores and the budget of BIRAC is Rs 120 crores for the startup and innovation industries. DST has also earmarked a budget of Rs 180 crores to promote innovation and enterpreneurship. The Government has identified 10 themes under the IMPRINT scheme to promote innovations and DSIR has been identified to pursue innovations in the areas of manufacturing technology and water resources. BIRAC has identified the areas of Biopharma including vaccines, bio-agriculture, bio-industrial and bio-informatics for building the national biotechnology capabilities and has initiated several new awards to promote innovations such as SITARE (BIRAC-SRISTI GYTI Awards), BIRAC Hackathons, BIRAC Technology Day Award and BIRAC Innovator Awards. Under the existing scheme of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP) of MSME, there is a component namely, Support for Entrepreneurial & Managerial Development of Small & Micro Enterprises through Incubators'. Financial assistance (up to Rs.6.25 lakh per idea subject to a maximum of 10 ideas in each financial year) is given to the innovators for incubating innovative ideas that can be converted into business activities through Host Institutes i.e. engineering colleges, IITs, NITs, etc. in this scheme. MSME gives National Award annually to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to promote innovations. Six awards, comprising three awards (first, second & third) to Micro & Small enterprises and three awards (first, second & third) to Medium enterprises are given. The first, second and third award carries a cash prize of Rs.3 lakhs, 2 lakh & Rs.1.5 lakh respectively including a trophy and certificate. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Sales rise 46.72% to Rs 9.61 crore Net profit of Cambridge Technology Enterprises declined 25.00% to Rs 0.51 crore in the quarter ended June 2016 as against Rs 0.68 crore during the previous quarter ended June 2015. Sales rose 46.72% to Rs 9.61 crore in the quarter ended June 2016 as against Rs 6.55 crore during the previous quarter ended June 2015.9.616.5519.3517.101.891.431.070.680.510.68 Powered by Capital Market - Live News Rajya Sabha passed The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2016. The Bill had earlier been passed by Lok Sabha in May 2016. Replying to the discussion on the Bill today, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Anil Madhav Dave, said that it is a good bill and the money is for the country. He said that the Parliamentary process has now been completed. Shri Dave assured the House that if there are any concerns with the rules on consultation with Gram Sabhas in the Bill, the same will be reviewed after one year. MPs from various political parties participated in the discussion on the Bill. Background to Compensatory Afforestation Bill, 2016 The passing of the Bill has ended the long era of ad-hocism and will help the Centre and State Governments to utilise these amounts in a planned manner. It will facilitate make available more than Rs. 6,000 crores per annum to the States/UTs for conservation, protection, improvement and expansion of forest and wildlife resources of the country. Availability of these amounts will not only help the States/UTs and local communities to ensure better management of their forest resources but will also result in creation of more than 15 crores man-days of direct employment. A major part of these amounts will be used to restock and improve quality of degraded forests, which constitutes more than 40 % of the total forest cover of the country. Rules to be framed by the Central Government in consultation with the States/ UTs will provides for use of native species in afforestation activities to be undertaken from these funds. Majority of the employment will be generated in tribal dominated and backward areas of the country. Apart from creation of direct employment, utilisation of these amounts will result in increased availability of timber and various other non-timber forest products, and will thus help in improvement of the overall living standards of the forest dependent communities. The Bill provides for establishment of a permanent institutional framework at the Central at each State and Union territory to ensure utilization of these funds in an expeditious and transparent manner. The Bill also seeks to transfer these amounts to dedicated, non-lapsable interest bearing funds under public account of the Union of India and each State so as to bring these funds within the overall oversight and control of the Parliament and the State legislatures, without impairing easy availability of these funds to utilise the same for the purpose for which it has been realised. The Bill also seeks to provide for constitution of a multi-disciplinary Monitoring Group to monitor activities undertaken from these funds. The Bill also provides for annual audit of the accounts by the C&AG. The Bill provides for transfer of 90 % of the accumulated amounts, which presently is of the order of Rs. 40,000 crorers (excluding about Rs. 2000 crorers of interest already accrued on amounts presently being kept as FDs.) to the States for creation and maintenance of compensatory afforestation and execution of other activities for conservation, protection, improvement and expansion of forest and wildlife resources of the country. All fresh amounts to be realised by the States in lieu of forest land to be diverted for non-forest purpose will be deposited directly into the funds to be created under public account of the respective State. State-wise details of funds likely to be made available to each State/UT is enclosed. The remaining 10 % Amounts to be retained at the National level will be used for monitoring and evaluation of activities to be undertaken by the States/UTs and Central Government from these funds and to provide, research and technical support to the States so as to ensure that these amounts are used in the technically best possible manner. Central Government while according prior approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose stipulates conditions to the effect that the State Government shall realize funds from the user agency for compensatory afforestation, catchment area treatment plan, wildlife management plan etc. to mitigate impact of diversion of forest land. In most of the States, funds received from the user-agencies were deposited in consolidated fund as revenue receipts which were made available to the Forest Department through budgetary provisions. The Central Government in exercise of powers conferred under Section 3 (3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 constituted Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). However, the CAMPA could not be operationalized. In 2008 Central Government formulated the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2008. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 23rd December, 2008. However, the Bill could not be taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha. On dissolution of the 14th Lok Sabha, the Bill lapsed. C & AG in his D. O. letter dated March, 4, 2013 requested the then Finance Minister to examine the entire issue of maintaining a fund outside Government Accounting System. The C & AG in his said D. O. letter also suggested to move the Supreme Court for review of its decision with regard to Ad-hoc CAMPA fund so that it can be transferred into Public Account of India. In compliance of the suggestions of the C&AG, and in exercise of powers conferred under section 3 (3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the MoEF formulated a draft CAMPA Order, 2014 for establishment of separate funds under public account of Union of India and each State and constitution of authorities at Union of India and each State for management of these funds and placed the same before the Supreme Court for approval. The approval of the Supreme Court to the draft Order is still awaited. To ensure safety, security and expeditious & efficient utilization of accumulated funds which are presently managed by the ad-hoc CAMPA, consisting of only three officials and one representative of the CEC, without having any full time regular staff and administrative support; and to ensure harmonization between the original CAMPA notification dated 23rd April 2004 and the State CAMPA Guidelines, as approved by the Supreme Court in July 2007, and also to provide statutory back up to the State CAMPAs, the Central Government introduced the Compensatory Afforestation Fund, Bill, 2015 in Lok Sabha. On 13th May, 2015 Lok Sabha referred the Bill to the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests. The Committee held extensive consultations with the States/UTs and various other stakeholders. The committee submitted its report containing 26 recommendations. The Central Government accepted 20 recommendations. Based on recommendations of the Committee and further examination of the Bill, the Central Government moved 49 official amendments. Details of Amounts Available with the Ad-hoc CAMPA As on 31.03.2016(Rupees in Crore) Sl. No State/UT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 2.59 0.98 3.57 0.01 0.36 3.21 2 Andhra Pradesh 1,793.17 676.91 2470.08 6.15 247.01 2223.07 3 Arunachal Pradesh 1,179.61 445.30 1624.91 4.05 162.49 1462.42 4 Assam 213.35 80.54 293.89 0.73 29.39 264.50 5 Bihar 342.99 129.48 472.46 1.18 47.25 425.22 6 Chandigarh 11.31 4.27 15.57 0.04 1.56 14.02 7 Chhattisgarh 3,114.39 1175.66 4290.05 10.69 429.00 3861.04 8 Dadar& Nagar Haveli 9.96 3.76 13.72 0.03 1.37 12.35 9 Daman & Diu 0.77 0.29 1.06 0.00 0.11 0.95 10 Delhi 77.33 29.19 106.52 0.27 10.65 95.87 11 Goa 100.61 37.98 138.58 0.35 13.86 124.72 12 Gujarat 892.86 337.05 1229.91 3.06 122.99 1106.92 13 Haryana 743.26 280.57 1023.83 2.55 102.38 921.45 14 Himachal Pradesh 1,125.38 424.82 1550.21 3.86 155.02 1395.19 15 Jammu & Kashmir 747.13 282.04 1029.17 2.56 102.92 926.25 16 Jharkhand 2,499.82 943.66 3443.48 8.58 344.35 3099.13 17 Karnataka 739.84 279.28 1019.12 2.54 101.91 917.21 18 Kerala 61.51 23.22 84.73 0.21 8.47 76.25 19 Lakshadweep - 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 20 Madhya Pradesh 2,790.25 1053.30 3843.55 9.58 384.36 3459.20 21 Maharashtra 1,964.25 741.49 2705.75 6.74 270.57 2435.17 22 Manipur 259.50 97.96 357.46 0.89 35.75 321.72 23 Meghalaya 112.34 42.41 154.75 0.39 15.48 139.28 24 Mizoram 67.99 25.67 93.66 0.23 9.37 84.29 25 Nagaland - 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 26 Odisha 4837.24 1826.03 6663.27 16.60 666.33 5996.94 27 Puducherry - 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 28 Punjab 633.32 239.08 872.40 2.17 87.24 785.16 29 Rajasthan 1149.44 433.91 1583.35 3.94 158.33 1425.01 30 Sikkim 183.68 69.34 253.02 0.63 25.30 227.72 31 Tamil Nadu 85.31 32.21 117.52 0.29 11.75 105.77 32 Telangana 301.18 113.69 414.87 1.03 41.49 373.39 33 Tripura 131.82 49.76 181.58 0.45 18.16 163.43 34 Uttar Pradesh 1060.37 400.28 1460.66 3.64 146.07 1314.59 35 Uttarakhand 1783.12 673.12 2456.24 6.12 245.62 2210.62 36 West Bengal 123.89 46.77 170.66 0.43 17.07 153.59 Total Powered by Capital Market - Live News To harness the enormous investment opportunities offered by the tourism sector, the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) and Invest India are setting up an investment desk. The emphasis so far has been on attracting tourists but now the time has come to focus on creating quality infrastructure and filling the gaps on the supply side to allow tourists to have a fulfilling experience. This was stated by Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, at the second edition of FICCI's 'Tourism Investors Meet 2016'. Zutshi said that for the tourism sector to flourish there was a need to develop the core infrastructure of the country which included rail, road, air and waterways. He added that a Task Force was being created by the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Railways to improve the connectivity to tourist destinations. He said that there was immense scope of investment in the hospitality sector as there was a shortage of almost 190,000 rooms at present. He added that the government has been facilitating the private sector investors by improving ease of doing business, introducing single window clearance, business friendly policies and creation of land banks for investors. However, Zutshi said that there is still a need to bring on board the state governments. Some states have been proactive and have introduced policies for promoting tourism but other states too need to realize that besides attracting tourists, investing in infrastructure was equally important. Zutshi said that the government was planning to organize 'Incredible India Tourism Investors' Summit 2016' in September to showcase the plethora of investment opportunities in areas of infrastructure development, both from India and overseas. The main objective of the summit is to position the Indian tourism sector for attracting large investments and presenting to the investors tangible investment-ready projects in different states of India. Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, DIPP, Govt. of India, said that the government has been able to ease the process of construction permits and custom clearance. The government realizes that adopting right policies would result in double digit growth of GDP for the next three decades and would allow the tourism sector to grow. He added that state portals have also been developed for making the processes transparent. Abhishek said that the private sector should encourage and promote start-ups and incubators in the tourism sector. He added that the government realizes that the laws in the start-up space have not been able to keep pace with innovation and these were creating obstacles for start-ups. Hence the government was trying to become a partner of the private sector rather than a regulator. Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, said that the hospitality sector had been brought under the infrastructure segment which would enable the sector to grow. However, the threshold for the hotels which is at present INR 200 crore needs to be brought down to INR 50 crore to meet the deficit in hotel rooms and allow middle level players to enter the market. Billa said that the investment landscape was changing in India with the 'Make in India' initiative. There was improvement in ease of doing business, land banks were available for investors and handholding was being done for investors. He added that there has been a change in the mindset and with infrastructure development in the country, investments are coming in. Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Immediate Past President FICCI, Chairperson, FICCI Tourism Committee and Chairperson & MD, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, said that the Ministry of Tourism and various states are ensuring that the right strategic initiatives are taken to guide stakeholders in making the right investment decision, and FICCI has been working on Tourism Infrastructure development for the last four years. She added that this year at TIM more than 600 meetings have been pre-scheduled between 72 buyers and seven sellers. These numbers indicate a substantial increase from the last year which witnessed around 350 meetings and 52 buyers. Nikhil Sahni, Senior President - Government Banking & Strategic Government Advisory, Yes Bank, said that the tourism sector offered ample opportunities for investment and if the status of export industry was accorded to it the sector could grow phenomenally. Also, intelligence and tourist research should be encouraged and efforts should be made to make India a safe destination for tourists. He added that focus should be on improving tourism infrastructure, seamless travel and connectivity and promoting state-owned tourism units. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Eicher Motors rose 4.51% to Rs 22,026.05 at 9:30 IST on BSE after consolidated net profit surged 58.61% to Rs 376.29 crore on 42.81% growth in total income to Rs 1602.51 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q1 June 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was down 57.17 points, or 0.14%, to 28,168.95. On BSE, so far 1,649 shares were traded in the counter, compared with an average volume of 4,328 shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 22,080, which is also a record high for the stock. The stock hit a low of Rs 21,526.05 in intraday trade. Eicher Motors (EML)'s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin improved to 30.2% in Q1 June 2016 from 26.1% in Q1 June 2015. Commenting on the company's performance Mr. Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director & CEO Eicher Motors said that Eicher Motors has started the new financial year on strong note and reported its best ever quarter results registering 42% growth and posting the highest ever quarterly income from operations at Rs 1556 crore for Q1 June 2016. In this quarter, EML also recorded its highest ever and best-in-class EBIDTA margin at 30.2%, he added. Commenting on Royal Enfield's performance, Siddhartha said that Royal Enfield has maintained its strong volume growth in Q1 June 2016 and the company continues to take more orders than monthly supply. The response to Himalayan- Royal Enfield's first adventure-tourer, has been extremely encouraging and it is now available for booking across the country. The company continues to expand footprint in India with 566 dealerships now open across the country. The company's immediate business outlook remains strong and Royal Enfield continues to grow consistently, competitively and profitably towards leading and expanding the mid-sized motorcycle segment globally, he added. In Q1 June 2016, Royal Enfield continued with its focus on the overseas markets. In June 2016, Royal Enfield opened its store in Manila, Philippines with its global retail identity. With a large chunk of the population using commuter motorcycles, there is an enormous potential for customers to upgrade to mid-sized motorcycles, a segment in which Royal Enfield operates, he added. Commenting on VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV)'s performance, Siddhartha said that VECV demonstrated an impressive performance in Q1 June 2016 with sales of 16,071 units recording a growth of 32.5% over Q1 June 2015. VECV also increased its overall market share to 15.1% in Q1 June 2016, as compared to 13.2% recorded in Q1 June 2015. VECV continues to do well in the sub 5-ton category with the introduction of Pro 1049 where it is currently selling more than 100 trucks every month since its launch in the last quarter. Eicher Motors' 50:50 joint venture with Polaris Industries, Eicher Polaris Private Ltd., through its product Multix is generating a lot of interest among its target customers. Multix is now present in 50 locations across 8 states and it continues to gain momentum in its target markets, he further added. Eicher Motors is the flagship company of the Eicher Group. EML is one of the leading players in the Indian automotive space. Eicher Motors owns the iconic Royal Enfield motorcycle business which leads the premium motorcycle segment in India. EML's joint venture with the Volvo group, VE Commercial Vehicles, designs, manufactures and markets reliable, fuel-efficient trucks and buses. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Automobiles maker Eicher Motors' consolidated net profit surged 58.61% to Rs 376.29 crore on 42.81% growth in total income to Rs 1602.51 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q1 June 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin improved to 30.2% in Q1 June 2016 from 26.1% in Q1 June 2015. Commenting on the company's performance Mr. Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director & CEO Eicher Motors said, that Eicher Motors has started the new financial year on strong note and reported its best ever quarter results registering 42% growth and posting the highest ever quarterly income from operations at Rs 1556 crore for Q1 June 2016. In this quarter, EML also recorded its highest ever and best-in-class EBIDTA margin at 30.2%, he added. Commenting on Royal Enfield's performance, Siddhartha said, Royal Enfield has maintained its strong volume growth in Q1 June 2016 and the company continues to take more orders than monthly supply. The response to Himalayan- Royal Enfield's first adventure-tourer, has been extremely encouraging and it is now available for booking across the country. The company continues to expand footprint in India with 566 dealerships now open across the country. The company's immediate business outlook remains strong and Royal Enfield continues to grow consistently, competitively and profitably towards leading and expanding the mid-sized motorcycle segment globally, he added. In Q1 June 2016, Royal Enfield continued with its focus on the overseas markets. In June 2016, Royal Enfield opened its store in Manila, Philippines with its global retail identity. Philippines is among the largest two-wheeler markets in the world. With a large chunk of the population using commuter motorcycles, there is an enormous potential for customers to upgrade to mid-sized motorcycles, a segment in which Royal Enfield operates. Commenting on VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV)'s performance Siddhartha said that VECV demonstrated an impressive performance in Q1 June 2016 with sales of 16,071 units recording a growth of 32.5% over Q1 June 2015. VECV also increased its overall market share to 15.1% in Q1 June 2016, as compared to 13.2% recorded in Q1 June 2015. VECV continues to do well in the sub 5-ton category with the introduction of Pro 1049 where it is currently selling more than 100 trucks every month since its launch in the last quarter. Eicher Motors' 50:50 joint venture with Polaris Industries, Eicher Polaris Private Ltd., through its product Multix is generating a lot of interest among its target customers. Multix is now present in 50 locations across 8 states and it continues to gain momentum in its target markets, he further added. Eicher Motors owns the iconic Royal Enfield motorcycle business which leads the premium motorcycle segment in India. EML's joint venture with the Volvo group, VE Commercial Vehicles Limited, designs, manufactures and markets reliable, fuel-efficient trucks and buses; and is leading the path in driving modernization in commercial transportation in India and other developing markets ICICI Bank and Larsen & Toubro are set to announce Q1 results today, 29 July 2016. UltraTech Cement said it participated in the auction of coal linkages for captive power plant sub-sector and won two linkages of 27,600 tons and 19,700 tons, respectively, from Dipka Mines (SCDG) in Chhattisgarh. The company said that both the linkages were at premium of Rs 150 over notified price of Rs 970 per ton. The company said it intends to participate in the future linkage auctions for its plants located strategically near the coal mines. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Indian Bank said it raised Rs 600 crore under Basel III compliant Tier II Bonds on 28 July 2016 with a coupon of 8.10% per annum, tenor at 10 years and call option after completion of 5 years, on private placement basis. The credit rating assigned is "CRISIL AAA/Negative" and "CARE AAA". The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. On 8 March 2016, Indian Bank received an approval from its board for raising Rs 1100 crore in one or more tranches. Later on 31 March 2016, the bank announced raising Rs 500 crore under Basel III compliant Tier I bonds on 30 March 2016. Manappuram Finance said it raised Rs 140 crore on 28 July 2016 by allotting 1,400 secured redeemable non-convertible debentures by way of private placement. The debentures have face value of Rs 10 lakh each. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Muthoot Finance's net profit rose 47.56% to Rs 270.26 crore on 13.85% increase in total income to Rs 1300.81 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q1 June 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Shriram Transport Finance Company said it allotted 100 secured redeemable non-convertible debentures (NCD s) of face value of Rs 10 lakh each, aggregating to Rs 10 crore on private placement basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Jaiprakash Associates said that the principal installment of Rs 33.33 crore and interest of Rs 2.92 crore that became due for payment on 25 April 2016 in respect of 11.75% Non Convertible Debentures, still remains unpaid. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. The board of Somany Ceramics has approved increasing investment in paid up share capital of Vintage Tiles to 50% from 26%. The board also approved expanding the company's current capacity from 2.99 million square metres (msm) per annum to 4.80 msm per annum for polished vitrified tiles (double charge). The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Take Solutions said that the securities issue committee of the board approved allotment of 1.08 crore equity shares of face value Re 1 each to eligible qualified institutional buyers (QIB) at the issue price of Rs 166.10 per equity share, aggregating to Rs 179.99 crore. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. L&T Infotech's consolidated net profit rose 3.3% to Rs 235.80 crore on 0.2% drop in revenue to Rs 1550 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q4 March 2016. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Sanjay Jalona, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director said that with over 4% sequential growth in services revenue and close to 22% of company's projects in Digital technologies, the company has seen growth across verticals. Powered by Capital Market - Live News One person was killed and another was injured in a two-vehicle crash near a popular eatery in Owasco Wednesday night. The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said the crash occurred at about 9:41 p.m. on East Lake Road, which is also Route 38A. Chloe Calhoun, 18, of Auburn was driving a 2005 Ford Escape and had just exited the Tom Thumb Drive In parking lot. Her vehicle was heading north when it was struck from behind by a 2013 Chevy Avalanche operated by Dain Schneider, 33, of Owasco. Calhoun, a 2016 Auburn High School graduate, was transported to Auburn Community Hospital and then airlifted to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where she died as a result of the injuries sustained in the crash. Schneider was transported to Upstate University Hospital and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries, authorities said. The sheriff's office said the drivers were the only occupants in their respective vehicles. Investigators said they could not immediately comment on what factors may have contributed to the crash, saying the investigation was continuing. The speed limit along the two-lane stretch road by Tom Thumb, where vehicles frequently enter and exit the parking lot, is 55 mph. The sheriff's office asks anyone who witnessed the crash or either vehicle prior to the accident to contact Detective Brian Schenck at (315) 253-3545. The stretch of road near Tom Thumb was also the site of a fatal crash on July 11, 1979. Carmela Galbato, wife of longtime drive-in owner Thomas Galbato, was struck by a drunk driver while walking from the family's nearby home to the restaurant. Thomas Galbato has spent many years raising awareness about drunk driving dangers through an organization called CARM (Curb Alcohol Related Mortalities). On 5 August 2016 Intrasoft Technologies will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on 5 August 2016, to approve the Un-Audited Standalone and Consolidated financial results for the quarter ended 30 June 2016. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Muthoot Finance gained 2.65% to Rs 327.10 at 10:45 IST on BSE after net profit rose 47.56% to Rs 270.26 crore on 13.85% increase in total income to Rs 1300.81 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q1 June 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was down 70.10 points, or 0.25% to 28,138.52. High volumes were witnessed on the counter. On BSE, so far 1.54 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with an average volume of 75,434 shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 340, which is also a record high for the stock. The stock hit a low of Rs 326.35 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 152 on 23 September 2015. The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 28 July 2016, rising 14.15% compared with 6.35% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, advancing 52.06% as against Sensex's 10.18% rise. The large-cap company has an equity capital of Rs 399.05 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10. Muthoot Finance said that retail loans registered an increase of 48% to Rs 1481 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q1 June 2015. Asset under management (AUM) has increased by 6% at Rs 25860 crore at the end of 30 June 2016 as against Rs 24409 crore as on 30 June 2015. The company has infused Rs 40 crore as fresh capital acquiring 38.23% of the expanded equity share capital of Belstar Investment and Finance Private Limited (BIFPL), thereby holding 46.83% in the company in July 2016. Further acquisition of 10.32% from the existing shareholders is expected to be completed soon thereby taking the total holding to 57.15% making it a subsidiary. During the quarter its loan portfolio grew by 9% at Rs 287 crore. Commenting on the results, M G George Muthoot, Chairman stated that the current excellent performance could be attributed to total revamp in collection mechanism, structural changes made in operations and improved customer sentiment due to better practices adopted by the company. During Q1 June 2016, the company could reduce the auctions drastically which is a step in the right direction. The company should expect growth momentum to continue with economic activities expected to pick up on account of good monsoon, he added. Speaking on the occasion George Alexander Muthoot, Managing Director said, that forays into other business segments is yielding benefits to the group and business of these segments are picking up. The company would like to tread a cautious path rather than be aggressive on these new segments, he added. Muthoot Finance is the largest gold financing company in India in terms of loan portfolio. Powered by Capital Market - Live News On 4 August 2016 REIL Electricals India will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on 4 August 2016, to consider the Un-audited Financial Results for the quarter ended 30 June 2016 among other items. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Tata Motors rose 0.49% to Rs 508.35 at 12:00 IST on BSE after the company announced that the board constituted committee approved offering of non-convertible debentures on private placement basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 July 2016. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was down 44.13 points, or 0.16% to 28,127.81. On BSE, so far 87,911 shares were traded in the counter, compared with an average volume of 8.9 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 510.35 and a low of Rs 504.75 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 513.50 on 26 July 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 266 on 11 February 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 28 July 2016, rising 14.87% compared with 6.35% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, advancing 23.11% as against Sensex's 10.18% rise. The large-cap company has an equity capital of Rs 577.44 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2. Tata Motors announced that the board constituted committee after a meeting held yesterday, 28 July 2016 approved offering of 4,000 rated, listed, unsecured, 8% coupon, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of face value Rs 10 lakh each, at par, aggregating upto Rs 400 crore on a private placement basis. The NCDs have a tenure of 1095 days and a deemed date of allotment is 1 August 2016. The date of maturity of NCDs is 1 August 2019. Tata Motors' consolidated net profit jumped 201.6% to Rs 5177.06 crore on 18.8% growth in net sales to Rs 79926.12 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q4 March 2015. Tata Motors is a market leader in commercial vehicles in India. The company's British unit JLR sells premium luxury cars. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Sales decline 15.23% to Rs 14364.01 crore Net profit of Vedanta declined 27.03% to Rs 615.02 crore in the quarter ended June 2016 as against Rs 842.85 crore during the previous quarter ended June 2015. Sales declined 15.23% to Rs 14364.01 crore in the quarter ended June 2016 as against Rs 16943.71 crore during the previous quarter ended June 2015.14364.0116943.7123.9524.123140.083669.991648.042168.12615.02842.85 Powered by Capital Market - Live News At least 35 civilians were killed in the US-led air strikes near a town controlled by (IS) militant group in Syria, the media reported on Friday. The strikes, which targeted the town of Ghandur in the countryside of Manbej, were the third to hit civilians there since the Syrian Defence Forces and the US started operations against the IS in May, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the air strike, saying seven children were among those killed. Manbej has a strategic importance to the US-backed rebels due to its location near Turkey. Capturing Manbej would deprive the IS from a key stronghold near Turkey. "We can confirm the coalition conducted air strikes in the areas in the last 24 hours," said the US central command late on Thursday, adding that the strikes may have resulted in civilian casualties. Following recent incidents of ordnance depot fires, the government is planning to upgrade the storage facilities as well as considering underground storage of the ammunition to reduce the risk, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in the Lok Sabha on Friday. Answering supplementary questions from members, including Anandrao Adsul (Shiv Sena), Parrikar said the government is aware of the "inherent" risky proposition around ordnance depots and "that too in thickly populated urban areas". "Most of the ordnance depots are storage facilities which were created many years ago when there was no population around. I myself am aware of such areas like Dehu Road (in Maharashtra) and I used to travel on that road about 30 years back. There was hardly any population around that ordnance depot then," he said, adding that as population has increased in the vicinity, this has added to problems lately. "We are trying to find out solutions to the issue. First, improve the storage facility, go for upgraded storage facilities and go for underground, so that the risk itself reduces and better storage improvement takes place," he said. This will require additional expenditure, he noted. The government is examining these options, he said and maintained that it is also "considering the distance parameter" from depots to ensure safety. An expert committee is reviewing the situation based on the "international norms", Parrikar said. Members, including Kalyan Banerjee of Trinamool Congress, expressed concern over fire accidents happening from time to time in and around ordinance depots. --IANS nd/rn/vt A man posing as BJP President Amit Shah's nephew helped himself to generous hospitality of Madhya Pradesh legislator Mohan Yadav and thousands of rupees in other assistance, and disappeared. Yadav, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Ujjain, told reporters here on Friday that a man phoned him on Wednesday morning, identifying himself as "Niraj Shah, the nephew of (party president) Amit Shah". Yadav, who was in Bhopal to attend the ongoing session of the state assembly, was then smooth-talked into having 'Niraj Shah' entertained in Ujjain and helped out of various troubles he conjured up. "I called my friend Naresh Sharma in Ujjain to help him," said Yadav. Sharma entertained the man at his own home. He also bought 'Niraj Shah' a new mobile phone when the latter said his phone had been stolen. The privileged 'nephew' was also helped with an air ticket to Ahmedabad and other assistance. By the time Yadav realised he has been deceived, the trickster had disappeared. The legislator has now filed a complaint with the police. M.S. Parmar, the in-charge of Madhav Nagar police station in Ujjain, told IANS that the police is investigating the complaint. --IANS sp/kb/vt The auto-rickshaw and yellow-top taxi drivers on Thursday night called off their indefinite strike after an assurance from the Delhi government on their demands. Joint Action Committee of Auto and Taxi Unions (JACATU) president Rajendra Soni said: "We have ended our strike after getting an assurance letter from Satyendar Jain (Transport Minister). Now, the auto-rickshaw and taxi services will resumed from today (Thursday) night." Soni said the minister had accepted JACATU's demands. He warned that if the government went back on its promises, all autorickshaw and taxi drivers will again resort to strike. "The government has agreed to formulate a policy for app-based cab agreegators like Uber and Ola," Soni said. A Delhi government in a statement said if any vehicle registered outside Delhi is found plying as auto or taxi in Delhi it would be either challaned or impounded. "Now it would not be mandatory for the auto and taxi drivers to take class for getting their light motor vehicle (LMV) license renewed. It was also decided in the meeting that autos and taxis coming from NCR will not ferry the passengers outside Delhi while going back," the statement said. Autorickshaws and yellow top taxi drivers went on an indefinite strike on Tuesday against the app-based cab aggregators. The Delhi government announced on Wednesday evening that 17 unions had decided to call off the strike. Thousands of autorickshaws returned to the roads on Thursday amid a continuing strike by some unions, but passengers complained that those still on strike forced them out of the plying autos. Incidents of forcible stopping of autorickshaws were reported from several areas in the capital, making commuting difficult. The Delhi government has alleged that the strike was covertly backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Delhi is home to some 90,000 autorickshaws and 15,000 yellow top taxis. The autorickshaws, considered the poor man's taxi, are particularly critical to the capital's commuting needs. --IANS rak-am/tsb China has reached out to Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, assuring full cooperation and support to the new government if he is elected the new Prime Minister. Chinese Ambassador Wu Chuntai on Friday held a meeting with Dahal, commonly known as 'Prachanda', in what is seen as Beijing's desperate move to safeguard its interests in Nepal and in carrying out the deals reached between Beijing and Kathmandu in March. China had already said in a statement that the change of regime in Kathmandu would not affect its ties with Nepal and it will hone its engagement with the new government in Nepal. In the meeting the Chinese envoy, according to a statement, Prachanda assured that deals, agreements and MoUs signed by the outgoing Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli government with China will be carried out and implemented. In March, during Oli's official visit Nepal and China signed first ever Transit and Transportation Agreement that sought to end Nepal's decades long dependency on -- and monopoly of -- Indian ports to reach out to a third country for trade. Dahal took up the ownership of agreements, saying they were made by the coalition government that included the Maoist party too. He went on to say the recent Nepal-China agreements were, in fact, an outcome of the agreement made by the government that he led earlier. The new government would not only implement the recent agreements but also make new ones with China, according the statement. Besides transit and transportation, Nepal and China agreed on energy cooperation, free trade area, connectivity, tourism, financial cooperation, exploration of petroleum products and import from China. In the meeting with Wu, Prachanda told the visiting Chinese envoy that he is "all set to become the new PM" and sought favour of China and support to his government. While congratulating Dahal, the Chinese ambassador said "the Chinese government, Chinese people and Chinese Communist Party will work with new government in Nepal". The resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on July 24 paved the way for Prachanda to become the 39th Prime Minister of the Himalayan nation after the Nepali Congress and Madhes-based parties pledged to support him. (Anil Giri can be reached at girianil@ians.in) --IANS giri/ksk/vt An Owasco man involved in a crash that killed an Auburn teen was charged with several crimes Friday. The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office said that Dain R. Schneider, 33, of 6977 Owasco Road, has been charged with felony driving while intoxicated, first-degree unlicensed operation, and operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device. Schneider, currently being treated at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse for injuries he sustained in the Wednesday night crash, was arraigned in his hospital room by Cayuga County Judge Thomas Leone. He will be guarded by the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office until he can be discharged from the hospital and taken to the Cayuga County Jail, according to the DA's office. Schneider was driving a 2013 Chevy Avalanche on East Lake Road Wednesday night when he struck another vehicle from behind, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said. The driver of that vehicle, 18-year-old Chloe Calhoun, died as a result of her injuries. The district attorney's office said that Schneider was charged with DWI as a Class E felony because of a Dec. 20, 2011 DWI conviction in the town of Marcellus. The unlicensed operation charge is also a felony because Schneider's license had been revoked following the 2011 DWI conviction. Authorities said that Schneider did not own the vehicle he was driving Wednesday but, even though his license had been revoked, he was still subject to the ignition interlock order attached to his prior conviction. Schneider's bail was set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond. Assigned defense attorney Ryan Muldoon and Cayuga County Assistant District Attorney Diane Adsit were present at Friday's arraignment, the DA's office said. Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said Friday that Schneider also was convicted of DWI in 2007 in the town of Delhi and was arrested for DWI in Skaneateles in 2000, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. In addition, Schneider is facing multiple previous charges from separate cases. According to the Auburn Police Department, a warrant was issued for Schneider's arrest July 1 for two misdemeanor counts of second-degree criminal contempt for violating an order of protection. The APD would not comment further on that case. Schneider was also arrested and charged with second-degree burglary in June and first-degree criminal contempt, second-degree criminal trespassing and endangering the welfare of a child in May. The status of those cases was not immediately available. Detective Lt. Brian Schenck of the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said Friday that investigators are still looking to speak to anyone that has information related to this investigation, including witnesses to the crash or any bystanders that assisted at the scene after the collision occurred. Anyone with information is asked to contact Schenck at the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office at (315) 253-3545. Former BJP leader Dayashankar Singh, whose abusive remarks against BSP chief Mayawati caused an outcry, was arrested on Friday in Bihar after being on the run for days, police said. Singh was arrested by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and the Bihar Police from Chini Mill area in Buxar. Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sharma told IANS, "He was arrested around 12 p.m. when he was roaming around in the Chini Mill area of the city." "The STF team had leads about his position following surviellence," the officer added. The officer said that the STF team from Uttar Pradesh had reached Buxar on Thursday night after getting a tip off about his whereabouts. Singh belongs to Buxar and was last seen by people in Deogarh in Jharkhand performing a puja. After pictures of Singh outside the Baba Dham temple in Jharkhand's Deoghar district surfaced on social media, the STF zeroed in on Bihar and Jharkhand to trace him. Following electronic surveillance, he was arrested from the Chini Mill locality on Friday. "The STF team has taken him to Lucknow, and will be produced in a court there," the officer added. A local court earlier issued a non-bailable warrant against him and the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday refused to put his arrest on hold. Singh, who was Uttar Pradesh BJP Vice President, went into hiding after an FIR was lodged against him for his derogatory comments against Mayawati. He was also expelled by the party for six years. Following the uproar over his remarks, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supporters took out a strong protest rally, demanding his arrest and made disparaging remarks against his family. Traumatisied over the remarks by BSP supporters, Singh's wife Swati Singh and mother Tetra Devi lodged an FIR against Mayawati, senior BSP leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui, and others for using objectionable language against them in Lucknow on July 22. --IANS aks/rn/vt Dubbing the GST as an "instrument of growth", the Congress however said on Friday that it has not yet given its final nod for the bill's passage as its apprehensions had still not been addressed. "There is no final assurance yet given to government either by Congress or other Opposition parties," Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala told a press conference. "GST is not a political instrument but an instrument of growth which was blocked by then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj," he added. The Congress leader said that "issues" are still being deliberated and the party is willing to negotiate. "GST shouldn't be only consensus based but it should also reflect the will of the nation," he said. The Congress, however welcomed the Union Cabinet decision to approve key changes in the proposed legislation, including dropping the proposed one per cent additional tax on inter-state sale. The Congress demands on the bill include capping GST rate at 18 percent and mentioning this in the Constitution amendment Bill. It also wants an independent dispute resolution mechanism. "The government has acceded to demands made by Congress and it hopes to persuade the government to agree on other issues," Surjewala said. Earlier on the day, the government said it was hopeful of the GST Bill being passed during Parliament's ongoing monsoon session. It has also listed it on the Rajya Sabha's agenda next week. --IANS bns/vd/bg The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with two hydroelectric companies to set up a hydro engineering college in the state's Bilaspur district. The agreement with the National Thermal Power Corporation and the National Hydro Power Corporation was inked here in the presence of Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Piyush Goyal and state Technical Education Minister G.S. Bali. The college will come up at Bandla at a cost of Rs 125 crore, for which both public sector undertakings have committed Rs 37.50 crore and Rs 25 crore each in the first and second phase respectively. Nadda assured the Power Ministry that all possible support would be extended for the timely completion of the project. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would soon visit the state to lay the foundation stone. Goyal said the engineering college would initially introduce five courses, each having 60 seats. Bali said the state has identified and transferred the land to the proposed college. --IANS vg/tsb/bg Actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, who has travelled across the world and has been part of various global films, says she has never faced racism. "I think we as artists are privileged because we always interact with people who are far more evolved so to be honest I have never faced racism," Tannishtha, who is promoting her film "UnIndian", told IANS. "I have worked with so many different cultures for instance I have worked with Australian director, American directors. I only meet people who are trying to understand my point of view...fortunately I have never faced (racism) so I think as artist that's how it should be and I am privileged to be in that community," she added. Directed by Anupam Sharma "UnIndian" features Brett Lee, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Supriya Pathak, Akash Khurana and Gulshan Grover. Talking about her character in the film "UnIndian" she said: "It's a very progressive character. Meera is a singe mother she does not think she has to have a man to complete her life. She is a responsible mother, good daughter but she is also an individual. The Indian women audience will connect to this film." --IANS uma/nv/vm Damascus, July 29 (IANS/AKI) The Islamic State jihadist group has publicly executed and crucified a man in Syria's Aleppo province for alleged apostasy, ARA News website said Friday quoting activists and witnesses. Twenty-eight-year-old Hussein Muhammad was executed by gunfire on Thursday, and his corpse was strung up on an electricity pole in central al-Bab, ARA News reported. Hundreds of al-Bab residents gathered on Thursday to watch the execution, ARA News said, citing activists. "The victim's body will remain crucified for three days, and IS has warned that anyone who tries to remove it will be mercilessly punished," rights activist Ahmed al-Beik was cited as telling ARA News. A Shariah court sentenced Muhammad to death for apostasy after he was reportedly arrested earlier this week by IS religious police in al-Bab city in the northern countryside of Aleppo province. "The Sharia Court accused Muhammad of apostasy for refusing to join prayers at the mosque," a media activist was quoted as telling ARA News in al-Bab, speaking on condition of anonymity. "A Sharia judge decided to execute and crucify the man in public, claiming he was an apostate who refused to perform Sharia duties and violated the basic laws of the Caliphate," the source reported. IS militants publicly beheaded four young Syrian men in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province town of al-Bukamal on Wednesday for "supporting enemies of the Caliphate", according to local sources cited by ARA News. IS has executed over 2,350 Syrian civilians since it declared an Islamic 'Caliphate' across swathes of Syria and Iraq in June 2014, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Friday. --IANS/AKI mr/ Japanese Emperor Akihito has planned to deliver a televised speech in August on his desire to abdicate in favour of his son Naruhito, officials said on Friday. Officials from the Imperial Household Agency said that Akihito, 82, intends to pass on the Chrysanthemum Throne to his son, 56, "in the coming years" because he feels increasingly tired, state broadcaster NHK reported. The speech is planned to take place around August 8 after an extraordinary session of the Japanese Parliament, and a cabinet reshuffle scheduled for August 3. The Emperor is anticipated to deliver a speech aired live for about 10 minutes. Since the current Constitution does not include provisions for living succession, the Emperor would avoid speaking of his abdication directly and announce his intention to the Japanese public using other words. The monarch has only appeared on television to address the nation once, that was on March 16, 2011, following the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country's northeast and triggered the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986, EFE news reported. On that occasion, Akihito's speech, calling it the worst tragedy to hit Japan since the Second World War was recorded before transmission. The Japanese Emperor's health has deteriorated as he underwent a coronary bypass operation in 2012 and also suffered from prostate cancer in 2003 after receiving hormonal therapy to treat osteoporosis. The current Succession Act in Japan does not include the assumption of abdication, so a review to specify that the position goes to Naruhito after the resignation of his father would be necessary. --IANS ksk Actress Megan Fox will reprise her role as Reagan in American sitcom television series "New Girl" after signing up to star in eight episodes. The 30-year-old, currently expecting her third child with husband Brian Austin Green, will join halfway through the new series, after she has given birth, reports eonline.com. Fox joined the "New Girl" cast in season five to help add some star power to the show while Zooey Deschanel -- who plays the main character, Jess -- was on her own maternity leave. Speaking about the pregnancy, she said: "The pregnancy is really good. I'm happy and healthy. There are no more cravings". News of her pregnancy came as a shock to many as it was revealed just a month after she announced she and Green were divorcing. --IANS ank/nv/mr A new suspect involved in an attack at a church in Normandy, France, was arrested by police as part of the investigation, officials said on Friday. The suspect, a 20-year-old Syrian asylum seeker whose passport was found at the residence of Adel Kermiche -- one of the two hostage-takers, was arrested on Thursday in Cusset, Efe news reported. Abdel Malik Petitjean's, the second church attacker, friend and sister, both arrested as part of the investigation, were released on Friday over lack of evidence linking them to the Tuesday attack. Petitjean and Kermiche took six persons hostage in a church in Normandy, before slitting the throat of an 84-year-old priest and seriously wounding another hostage. Both were later shot dead by the police. The two teenagers who appeared in a video broadcast by IS's official Amaq news agency, pledged allegiance to the group. --IANS sm/py/bg US technology firm Oracle on Friday expressed interest in forging ties with the Himachal Pradesh government for its technological initiatives, the government said. The company's President Loic Le Guisquet called on Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here and expressed interest in this regard, the government said in a statement. It said the Chief Minister invited suggestions from the company to develop solutions for modernisation of horticulture, agriculture and tourism sectors. Chief Secretary V.C. Pharka emphasised on the role of technology in identifying and developing adventure tourism sites across the state. State Information Technology Adviser Gokul Butail asked Oracle to set up incubation centres for start-ups as the state has ample human resources and electricity to promote the Information Technology industry. The company has 12 development centres in India, including facilities in emerging cities like Vijayawada, Thiruvananthapuram, Noida and Ahmedabad. --IANS vg/lok/bg Police in Pakistan have been told to act against the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawa Pakistan (JuD), linked to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, for fundraising, it was reported on Friday. The Punjab Home Department on Wednesday issued the directive to the police after becoming aware that the JuD was engaged in illegal fundraising via its charity collection wing Falah-e-Insayat Foundation (FeF). The JuD, headed by Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, is accused by India of masterminding the Mumbai terror attack that killed 166 people. It is also on the UN watch list, Dawn online reported. The Home Department has demanded details of the fundraising by the JuD and other proscribed groups as fundraising is against the Pakistan law. According to the directive, JuD is making efforts to collect funds through different kinds of charity. It said its members were more active during Ramadan and distributed pamphlets, put up posters at various locations inviting people to donate charity money, Dawn online said. A senior police official said the step should have been taken earlier and that the Punjab government had been reluctant to act against religious parties without concrete reason. The JuD's Falah-e-Insayat Foundation (FeF) has been blacklisted by the US State Department, which has described it as an "alias" of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is already on its list of "foreign terrorist organisations". --IANS ask/rn/mr The parents of deceased television actress Pratyusha Banerjee on Friday accused the Mumbai police of "bias" in the ongoing investigations into their daughter's death. "The police is not cooperating with us. They appear to be protecting Rahul Raj Singh (Pratyusha's boyfriend) and his associates. They are trying to convert a murder case into a suicide case," said the late actress' father Shankar Banerjee and his wife Shoma. Speaking to media persons, they expressed their "extreme unhappiness" at the manner in which the police was investigating their daughter's death and alleged that the police was "going easy" on those responsible for it. The couple spoke to the media on the eve of the next hearing in the case scheduled before Borivali Magistrate's court on Saturday, July 30. Meanwhile, Rahul Raj Singh has reportedly gone missing. Pratyusha, the popular star of 'Balika Vadhu' teleserial, on April 1 was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her flat which she shared with Singh. "We are kept in the dark about the developments in the case. The chargesheet lodged has not been shared with us despite repeated requests. We asked to see the flat where Pratyusha was living, but were informed it was sealed and they would need the court's permission," Banerjee said. He alleged that the flat in Goregaon had been quietly opened, without the Banerjee family being told. "That flat and each and everything in it belongs to Pratyusha. We are certain that some evidence could have been found there, some photographs or something else which could prove she was murdered by Singh and his cronies," Banerjee said. He claimed the police always discarded the family's plea on checking the flat properly, saying the case was being investigated by senior officers. They claimed that Singh's former girlfriend Saloni Sharma was not made an accused though she was involved in the crime and was being treated like a "witness". Pratyusha's parents said they would continue their attempts to meet the Police Commissioner and decide their next step after getting the chargesheet. --IANS qn/bim/vt Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray on Friday called on his estranged cousin and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's 'Matoshri' residence, sparking off intense political speculations. Raj drove down from his Shivaji Park residence to his former home of many years in Bandra East without any aides and was later closeted with Uddhav for around an hour. Though both parties kept mum on what transpired at the meeting, they hinted that Raj had gone only to wish Uddhav on his 56th birthday which was celebrated on July 27. It is described as Raj's first visit to 'Matoshri' in over three years, though the two cousins have met on certain other occasions elsewhere. Soon after he was received by Uddhav and his family members, Raj immediately went to a first-floor room where a picture of his uncle and the Shiv Sena founder, the late Bal Thackeray is kept, bowed with folded hands and paid homage. Then he wished Uddhav and the duo retired to another room for a tete-a-tete. Raj was walked to his vehicle by Uddhav and his family amidst lot of jostling by party workers from both sides curious to know what had transpired. Besides the birthday greetings, there is also talk of the duo discussing the late Bal Thackeray's will, which has been challenged in the Bombay High Court by Uddhav's estranged brother Jaidev Thackeray. At one of the ongoing hearings recently, Jaidev dropped a bombshell on the family by alleging that Aishwarya Thackeray was not his (Jaidev's) son, after which the court decided to conduct the trial in-camera. Raj, 48, had left 'Matoshri' 10 years ago to chart his independent political journey, but shares a good personal rapport even with cousin Jaidev and might consider intervening in the matter of the disputed will. Prior to Friday's meeting, Raj had sent a bouquet to Uddhav after the Shiv Sena's spectacular performance in the 2014 Maharashtra assembly elections. In July 2012, he had visited Uddhav at Lilavati Hospital, where the latter had undergone an angioplasty, to enquire after his health. Two years later, in November 2014, Uddhav recriprocated by visting Raj whose daughter Urvashi was admitted in a hospital following an accident. Besides, the cousins have met during Bal Thackeray's funeral in November 2012 and later at his death anniversaries. --IANS qn/tsb/vt The Supreme Court on Friday asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar for a status report on the ground situation in the Valley as it said that it could not ask the state governor to assume the reins of the administration. Seeking the report, a bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice A. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud told the petitioner, the J&K National Panthers Party, that they "can't direct the Governor to assume the reigns of the state administration". "Situation at the grounds changes in hours, these are not the issues that could be judicially dealt with," Chief Justice Thakur told senior counsel Bhim Singh who also heads the party, and was appearing for it. The Panthers Party had moved the top court on July 22 seeking the imposition of Governor's rule in the state on the ground of paralysis of administration. It had referred to Section 93 of the Jammu and Constitution that empowers the Governor to assume all the powers to run the state by placing the government and the assembly under suspension. Asking Bhim Singh "in what way your (petitioner's) fundamental rights were violated", the bench warned that the court would come down very heavily on the party if it tried to derive political mileage from the court proceedings. "Make sure you don't take any political mileage of the court proceedings. We will come down very heavily if we know that you are making political mileage," Chief Justice Thakur told Bhim Singh. "You are a political person. Go and sort out these issues in public, not in the court," the CJI told Bhim Singh, asking him when was it last he had gone to Kashmir, pointing out that in last one year he had not gone to valley. As senior counsel told the court that children could not go to their schools, the bench said: "Ok, they have not gone to schools, because situation has been such." Fixing the hearing in the next week, the bench told Bhim Singh: "You bring one person who could not go to hospital on account of recent turbulence." A total of 50 people, including 48 civilians and two policemen, have been killed since July 9, a day after the gunning down of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces. --IANS pk/vd China and Vietnam have held a joint anti-terror exercise, a media report said on Friday. The Thien Thanh 2016 drill, with representatives from Vietnam's Ministry of Defence, Command of Border Guard, Ha Giang People's Committee, took place at Thanh Thuy International Border Gate in China-bordering Ha Giang province on Thursday, Xinhua news agency cited from a local newspaper. The drill showed mutual trust between the two neighbour's armed forces and laid foundation for relevant authorities to build legal framework on law enforcement cooperation in response to emergency situation and coordination in dealing with cross-border cases. --IANS sm/ksk/vm At Sainsbury's, my wife bought us two collapsible umbrellas so small, they turned out to be useless against the gentle London drizzle. She returned them on her last day there, complaining they were as good as new but unlikely to survive a New Delhi monsoon, hence, she no more had use of them. Not that umbrellas have done any good to us, no matter where we've bought them. They've been pinched by the staff, sprung leaks, disappeared, warped, refused to open, turned upside down, fed a colony of bugs, been borrowed and never returned, so that every time the monsoon comes, we're unprepared yet again for the rain. is still a deal junkie. The Chinese conglomerate's drug unit is buying India's Gland Pharma for up to $1.3 billion. Shortages should boost prices of injectable drugs in the United States, a key market for the group backed by private equity firm KKR. Still, it is hard to reconcile Fosun's latest deal binge with its promise to cut debt. The Goa opposition on Thursday walked out of the assembly after angry exchanges with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar over government's alleged support to the casino industry. The opposition members led by Congress Legislative Party leader Pratapsing Rane walked out shouting anti-government slogans, after Parsekar accused the opposition legislators of trying to "misuse" the assembly proceedings. "We won't do what you say. We have been elected for five years to run the administration. Some MLAs are misusing the assembly for their own benefit," Parsekar said during a discussion on Home Department affairs. Casinos in Goa are licensed by the department. Following Parsekar's comment, opposition legislator demanded that the Chief Minister name the legislators who were "misusing the assembly" over the issue of casinos. "You have to name the MLAs who are misusing the assembly or else do not indulge in loose talk," Independent MLA Naresh Sawal said. The altercation between Parsekar and Sawal reached a feverish pitch, after the chief minister said that he would come to the latter's constituency and make public, certain questionable business transactions between "certain casino owners and businessmen". "Just because we are listening, they think they can talk whatever they want to and get away with it. We will not take this lying down. Either you give us answers or we are going to go from here. We have no interest in your stories," Sawal said in his heated exchange with the Chief Minister, after which the Leader of Opposition Rane led the walkout. The controversy surrounding the arrival of a fifth offshore casino and the opening of India's largest onshore casino has been a point of heated debate in the monsoon session of the assembly. Opposition parties on Friday staged a walkout from the over incidents of atrocities against Dalits and the recent thrashing of two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh by cow vigilantes. Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, raised during Zero Hour the issue of beating up of two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh on beef rumours and slammed the BJP-led state government over the issue. "In Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh, two Muslim women have been beaten up for allegedly taking beef with them by the Gau Rakshak Dal, and that too in the presence of police. Later the meat was found to be of buffalo," Kharge said. He alleged that without support of the state government such acts can't happen. Kharge also raised the issue of atrocities against Dalits, saying it has risen since the Narendra Modi government came to power. "Everyday atrocities against Dalits are reported, and since this government came to power it has risen, but no action is being taken against the culprits," Kharge said, citing incidences of atrocities against Dalits. He also took on Prime Minister Modi for "keeping mum" on such issues. Responding to the matter raised by Kharge, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh confined himself to the Mandsaur incident. "The Madhya Pradesh government took prompt and effective action in the matter. I assure the House that justice will prevail in this case and the culprits will not be spared," Singh said. Not satisfied with the government's reply, Congress members led by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Kharge staged a walkout from the Lower House. The Left, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal-United and Rashtriya Janata Dal members also joined them and staged a walkout. Two women were allegedly beaten up by a mob in Mandsaur, around 350 km from state capital Bhopal, by cow vigilantes following a rumour that they had large quantity of beef to sell. In a video, police was seen making attempts to stop the mob. A drug smuggler was arrested and heroin worth Rs 17.5 crore seized from his possession here during a joint operation by the BSF and police today. Following a tip off, the joint team checked a bus and recovered heroin from a passenger Samarth Lal in Sridungargarh area. The accused was on his way to Jaipur from Bikaner and has been arrested, SHO Srigungargarh police station Vishnudutt Vishnoi said. Atleast 12 people were injured in a clash between the Odisha police and villagers at Daruthenga on outskirts of the capital here today over dumping of garbage by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). "Around 300-400 agitators pelted stones in which some policemen were injured. Tear gas and rubber bullets were fired to disperse the mob which was getting violent. The situation is now under control. A discussion was held with the villagers and dumping of garbage will continue for the time being," DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said. Though the BMC had stopped dumping garbage at the yard located at Daruthenga village due to protest from villagers till yesterday, it took help of the police to upload the pilling waste baskets in the state capital. The situation turned violent in the morning when the BMC deployed police to dump the garbage at the demarcated place at Daruthenga village even as locals started blocking road by burning tyres and police reinforcements had to be called. BMC Commissioner Kishan Kumar, DCP Bhoi and senior BDA officials were presently at the spot. The BMC with help of police had yesterday uploaded 106 truckloads of garbage. The BMC stated that the government has already decided to relocate the garbage dumping yard from Daruthenga to Tulsadeipur and relocation of the dumping yards would be done within a month. The administration deployed as many as 18 companies of force in view of the prevailing situation. PHILADELPHIA Edward Manuel ticks off the issues water shortages, federal approval of mining projects, allocation of scarce resources all decisions made with what he thinks is insufficient input from the nations tribes. Thats why Manuel, the chairman of the Tohono Oodham Nation, joined scores of tribal leaders who called on the next president to have a strong Native American presence in political discussions, something they said has been happening under the Obama administration. Our voice, tribal voice, was the mantra during Mondays caucus of Native American delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Kim Tehee, vice president of the Cherokee Nation, brought the caucus to its feet when she told them that they have to fight to keep their seat at the table. Make sure Native Americans are represented in every aspect government, through tribal voice, Tehee said to applause, whistles and cheers, For the Native American Council, the last eight years under President Barack Obama were eight good years, she said. We have the secretary of Interior, we have the chairman of the National Gaming Association, Tehee said. We have slots already. Theyre ours. We dont have a lot of friends in Congress, but were gaining momentum, said Delia Carlyle, an Ak-Chin member and convention delegate. Manuel said those slots are important for tribes in Arizona, pointing to his frustrations with the governments approval of the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine southeast of Manuels home. He called approval of the mine a slap in the face for tribal governments. Right now decisions are being made about major water shortages and were not included, Manuel said. He said he has hope for a potential Clinton presidency, noting that the likely Democratic presidential nominee met with tribal leaders during her campaign stop in Phoenix earlier this month. For about an hour, we discussed with her [Clinton] about our concerns. She agreed that U.S. governmental departments will respect tribal land codes and rules when it affects tribal lands, Manuel added with a wide smile. Delia Carlyle, an Ak-Chin member who is also a delegate to the convention, said that she is willing to cross party lines if it means giving Native Americans that seat at the table. We, Native Americans, are named twice in the Constitution, Carlyle noted. She said that tribal gains need to be realized across government. We dont have a lot of friends in Congress, but were gaining momentum, Carlyle said. Carlyle acknowledged that if Clinton were elected she would have a long road ahead of her for Native relations largely because of the current administrations success in involving tribes. If Republican nominee Donald Trump is elected, caucus members said, they hold little hope for being consulted. Weve made strides with the Obama administration and we want to see that with the next administration, Carlyle said. Twelve persons were arrested by the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) for allegedly duping people of crores of rupees on the pretext of selling them 'radioactive material' in Rajasthan's Dausa district. "Acting on a tip-off, a team of ATS arrested 12 persons, including two locals Satya Narayan and Ram Ratan, in a raid conducted at a house yesterday in Lavaan village. "A glass box with three partitions containing the suspected radioactive material was seized from their possession and will be tested at Nuclear Power Corporation," ADG ATS & SOG Umesh Mishra said. "The accused, in connivances with some scientists from Delhi, used to dupe people. The accused were arrested yesterday," Manohar Lal, SHO of Lawan police station said, adding, they have been booked under relevant sections of IPC. A total of 151 armed forces personnel have been martyred while fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and the North East since 2013. The figures given in a written reply to the Lok Sabha by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar showed that the maximum casualty of 67 happened last year. Of this, the majority of 40 was in the North East which witnessed a big ambush in Manipur last year which claimed the lives of 18 army personnel. Till July 21 this year, 21 armed forces personnel have been martyred including 8 in the North East and 13 in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab area. Expelled BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh Dayashankar Singh, who was on the run after an FIR was filed against him for making alleged derogatory remarks against BSP President Mayawati, was today arrested from Bihar's Buxar district. Dayashankar Singh was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) team with the help of the district police from a house in Chinni Mill locality, Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sharma told PTI. Buxar is about 100 km from Patna on the border of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Singh had gone underground after an FIR was registered against him on July 20 by UP police on a complaint by BSP leader Mewalal Gautam, alleging that Singh's remarks hurt the feelings of BSP workers and the Dalit community across the country. The arrest comes a day after Singh failed to get a stay from Allahabad High Court which directed the UP government to file its reply by August 5 on his plea challenging the lodging of the FIR against him. The remarks by Singh, former UP Vice President of BJP, had stoked a major controversy with BJP expelling him from the party. A photograph of Dayashankar Singh at a temple in Deogarh in Jharkhand had gone viral on social media and was also published in newspapers, triggering angry reaction from Mayawati against BJP which is in power in Jharkhand. Dayashankar Singh hails from Ballia in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He is a Thakur and even though the caste accounts for only 7.6 per cent of the population, they wield enormous influence. BJP has initiated a fight in the name of daughter's honour giving a slogan "Beti ke samman mein, BJP maidan mein" after BSP leaders targeted Singh's family. The party threw its weight behind Swati Singh, wife of Singh, demanding action against BSP leaders for making derogatory remarks against her daughter and mother-in-law. In a show of strength BSP staged a massive dharna at Hazratganj on July 21 and has been demanding Singh's arrest terming BJP as "anti-Dalit". (REOPENS CAL3) Days after he was made Uttar Pradesh BJP Vice President, Singh had made a derogatory remarks about Mayawati. The BSP supremo warned in a Parliament speech that if Singh was not punished, Dalits would erupt in protests across the country. Her statement evoked angry reactions in Parliament after which Singh was suspended from the party. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had condemned his statement in Rajya Sabha and apologised to Mayawati on BJP's behalf. In a swift damage-control measure, BJP expelled Singh from the party, but Mayawati said "it was not enough". In retaliation, BSP leaders brandished posters that use cuss words to describe Singh and offered a reward of Rs 50 lakh for his tongue. Singh's wife also filed a police case against a BSP leader who, she said, made comment what amounted to a sexual threat against her 12-year-old daughter. Dalits, who form 21 per cent of UP's population, are a crucial determinant of election results. An elderly Afghan cleric has been arrested after he married a six-year-old girl, officials said today, in the latest case highlighting the scourge of child marriages in the war-battered country. Mohammad Karim, said to be aged around 60, was held in central Ghor province as he claimed her parents gave him the girl as a "religious offering", officials said. But they cited the family of the girl, believed to be in shock, as saying that she was abducted from western Herat province, bordering Iran. "This girl does not speak, but repeats only one thing: 'I am afraid of this man'," said Masoom Anwari, head of the women affairs department in Ghor. The girl is currently in a woman's shelter in Ghor and her parents are on their way to the province to collect her, the local governor's office said. "Karim has been jailed and our investigation is ongoing," said Abdul Hai Khatibi, the governor's spokesman. The arrest comes just days after a 14-year-old pregnant girl was burned to death in Ghor, in a case that sparked shock waves in Afghanistan. The family of that girl, Zahra, said she was tortured and set alight by her husband's family. But relatives of the teenager's husband insisted her death was by self-immolation. The incidents underscore rising incidents of child marriages in Afghanistan. "In some regions because of insecurity and poverty the families marry off their daughters at a very early age to get rid of them," Sima Samar, head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, told reporters this month. Afghan civil law sets the legal age of marriage at 16 for girls, yet 15 per cent of Afghan women under 50 were married before their 15th birthday and almost half were married before the age of 18, according to Save the Children. "So many children who are married off at a young age are deprived of their right to education, safety and the ability to make choices about their future," the international charity said this month. "This is such a fundamental breach of a child's basic rights." The latest case comes after a young woman was stoned to death in Ghor last November after being accused of adultery. Accusing senior Congress leader Kamal Nath of "undermining his prestige", party's former MLA Ajay Yadav today announced his decision to quit the party. In a series of tweets and a Facebook post, the former Rewari MLA accused "some people of undermining" his "endurance and capacity to work for the party" and expressed his displeasure over "importance" being given to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda claiming "BS Hooda is Supreme and others are insignificant". Yadav claimed he had given his entire life to the party but said in return he got "humiliation and pain by those who had allegedly looted the state exchequer". "Some people are misleading and undermining my endurance and capacity to work for the party and I believe in destiny, God, karma and friends," Yadav said in a tweet. "Friends I gave my youth and life for the Congress party and worked as true soldier of the party but my ego has been hurt I quit congress," he said in another tweet. He attacked Kamal Nath saying,"Mr Kamalnath you in a month mislead high command and undermined my prestige, you have 40 years of experience but I too have 30 years of work." "My father (Rao Abhey Singh) was true Congressmen and I too had great faith in Nehru-Gandhi family but BS Hooda is Supreme and others are insignificant," he said. Though Yadav remained incommunicado, the former minister was reportedly perturbed for not being called by Kamal Nath, who is party incharge of Haryana affairs, in a meeting at Delhi to end party's "internal bickering". Initially Yadav was asked to attend the meeting but later he was told not to come. In 2014, Yadav had resigned from his ministerial post while accusing Hooda of sidelining him. At that time, he was posted as Power minister, but he later withdrew his resignation. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh yadav will inaugurate 'Aala Hazrat Hajj House' here on August 4. He will arrive at Hindon air force station here at around 11 am and his cavalcade will go to the Hajj House built at Hindon river bank, the district administrations sources said. District Magistrate Nidhi Kesarwani confirmed the programme and said all amenities for Hajj travellers are available at the house such as currency exchange and medical check up. Passports and tickets will also be provided to the pilgrims and the Chief Minister will flag off the first group. A meeting in this regard was convened at collectorate conference hall yesterday where representatives of Nagar Nigam, Ghaziabad Development Authority, Power Corporation, Jal Nigam, health and police department were present. They were instructed to appoint one nodal and two assistant nodal officers for smooth functioning of the facility, Kesarwani said. The state government has spent around Rs 40 crore to construct the Hajj House on four acre land. About 2,000 pilgrims can stay here, Project officer of Jal Nigam Vikram Singh said. Former Democratic Vice President Al Gore's daughter and other activists arrested during a natural gas pipeline protest in Boston have returned to court. Karenna Gore, activist Tim DeChristopher and four others appeared yesterday in Municipal Court. They'd previously pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of trespassing and disturbing the peace following the June 29 protest. They were told to return to court September 6. They were among 23 protesters arrested for trying to block construction of Spectra Energy's West Roxbury Lateral pipeline by lying in a trench and refusing to move. Several protesters struck deals to have charges reduced to civil infractions or serve probation. Gore and the others declined. Houston-based Spectra Energy Corporation says the pipeline will provide a reliable energy source for the region. DeChristopher a few years ago tried to stop drilling operations in Utah. Asserting that "America is once again at a moment of reckoning", Hillary Clinton will say that every generation of the US has come together to make it "freer, fairer and stronger", in the acceptance speech of her nomination as a first woman presidential candidate by a major political party in the country. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. It's truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we're going to work together so we can all rise together," Clinton would say according to the excerpts of her speech released by her campaign. Clinton, 68, is the first woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major political party. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have," she would say according to the excerpts of the speech. In her acceptance speech Clinton will lay out her vision for the future. "I want to tell you tonight how we're going to empower all Americans to live better lives. My primary mission as President will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States," Clinton said in excerpts of her remarks as released by her campaign. "From my first day in office to my last. Especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind. From our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country. From the industrial Midwest to the Mississippi Delta to the Rio Grande Valley," the former Secretary of State would say. When it comes to national security, the choice being faced is just as stark, she would say. "Anyone reading the can see the threats and turbulence we face. From Baghdad and Kabul, to Nice and Paris and Brussels, to San Bernardino and Orlando, we're dealing with determined enemies that must be defeated. No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance -- looking for steady leadership," she would say. "Every generation of Americans has come together to make our country freer, fairer, and stronger. None of us can do it alone. That's why we are stronger together," Clinton said. The UN will soon reverberate with the music of Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman who will perform here next month to pay homage to legendary vocalist M S Subbulakshmi on India's Independence Day. India's ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted about the event. "Jai Ho to echo UN? AR Rahman to perform at UN in homage to MS Subbulakshmi on India's 70th Independence Day," the tweet read. The tweet is accompanied by a poster showing the images of Rahman and Subbulakshmi superimposed on the image of the UN headquarters. Rahman will perform on August 15 in the UN General Assembly, the iconic hall from where global leaders address the world and legendary performers enthral an international audience. The concert aims to commemorate the birth centenary of the legendary Carnatic music vocalist and Bharat Ratna awardee. The gala musical evening also coincides with the completion of 50 years of Subbulakshmi's performance in the General Assembly hall in 1966. She was invited by the then United Nations Secretary General late U Thant and then Chef de Cabinet late CV Narasimhan to perform in the UN General Assembly, becoming the first Indian artist to perform here. Steel giant ArcelorMittal today reported over six-fold jump in net profit to USD 1.11 billion for the quarter ended on June 30 aided by rising steel prices and one-time gain from a US subsidiary. The Luxembourg-based firm, which follows January-December fiscal year, had clocked a net profit of USD 179 million in the year-ago period, it said in a statement. "Net income of USD 1.1 billion in Q2 2016 (including one-time USD 0.8 billion gain from employee benefits at ArcelorMittal USA) as compared to a net loss of USD 0.4 billion in Q1 2016 and net income of USD 0.2 billion in Q2 2015," ArcelorMittal said in a statement. Net sales, however, dipped by 13 per cent to USD 14.74 billion in April-June 2016 against USD 16.89 billion during the same period in 2015. "ArcelorMittal enjoyed a stronger second quarter largely due to a more supportive pricing environment in our leading markets. Sales and EBITDA increased in all segments, including mining," ArcelorMittal Chairman Lakshmi N Mittal said. The firm also significantly strengthened its balance sheet with proceeds from the rights issue, the Gestamp sale and working capital release reducing net debt to USD 12.7 billion, he added. The firm continues to focus on the implementation of our strategic initiatives, in particular Action 2020, to support profitability, Mittal said. "Although the industry continues to face the challenges of structural overcapacity, we are seeing better market conditions compared with the second half of 2015 which lead us to be cautiously optimistic about the remainder of the year," he added. Steel shipments rose by 2.9 per cent to 22.1 million tonnes (MT) in the second quarter as compared to the previous quarter. Gross debt decreased to USD 15.1 billion as on June 30 from USD 20.2 billion as on March 31, 2016, it said. "Net debt decreased to USD 12.7 billion as of June 30 as compared to USD 17.3 billion at March 31, 2016 mainly due to proceeds from the rights issue (USD 3.1 billion), asset sales (USD 1.1 billion), working capital release (USD 0.2 billion) offset in part by USD 0.2 billion premium on early repayment of debt," ArcelorMittal said. On its Action 2020 programme, the firm said the United Steelworkers (USW) union deal has been ratified by members and ArcelorMittal USA is now progressing with a footprint optimisation project at its Indiana Harbor steel making complex in East Chicago, Indiana (US). On outlook, the firm said: "Despite the steel spread recovery losing momentum in recent weeks, the impact of lagged prices will be an important support for operating results as we move into a period of seasonally slower steel demand." Improved market conditions are likely to consume working capital in 2016 (current estimate of around USD 0.5 billion). The company nevertheless expects cash flows from operating activities to exceed capex in 2016, it added. The lawyer of Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal and 11 others, who were convicted in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, today pleaded for minimum sentence, saying they were only foot soldiers and not ringleaders of the conspiracy. Yug Mohit Chaudhary, who argued for all the convicts before the special MCOCA court here, drew parallels with the verdict in 1993 Mumbai blasts case. Actor Sanjay Dutt, who was not held to be part of the conspiracy (but convicted for illegal possession of a weapon) had been given bail in that case as against the main accused, he pointed out. In the present case, the 12 convicts were only transporters of arms and ammunition seized by ATS and not the suppliers or the end users. Therefore they should be given lesser punishment than what the owners, conspirators or users of the contraband would get, he said. "The court should award maximum punishment to those who financed and arranged these arms and explosives," he said. The MCOCA court convicted Jundal and others yesterday and is now hearing arguments on quantum of sentence. Chaudhary also said the court should consider whether there was any chance of the convicts repeating the offence, and whether they may be rehabilitated, on the other hand. Most of them had already spent eight years in jail and some of them, who did not get bail, had spent 10 years, which was enough punishment, the lawyer argued. They were not a menace for the society and their behaviour during the trial showed they could be reformed, he said. The convicts were only the "arrows" and not the "archers", he said. Also, they did not open fire on policemen when the ATS chased them, he pointed out. Chaudhary also said that in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of 12 convicts who had planted the bombs to life imprisonment, considering that they were mere foot soldiers and not the main conspirators. Two masterminds of the conspiracy in the present case were absconding, he said. The prosecution will argue tomorrow. On May 8, 2006, a Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad team chased two cars on Chandwad-Manmad highway near Aurangabad and seized 30kg of RDX, 10 AK-47 assault rifles and 3,200 bullets with the arrest of three persons. Jundal, who was driving one of the cars, escaped. He later fled the country, and was deported to India from Saudi Arabia in 2012. Yesterday the special court for Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act cases convicted 12 persons including Jundal and acquitted eight others. The Assam government has decided to felicitate 'High Performing Employees' in each of it's departments with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal honouring such staff on the occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day. Chief Minister Sonowal today said the state government has decided to accord recognition to the 'High Performing Employees' to boost their morale and to inspire others to put in extra effort in the greater interest of the state and its people, a government release said here. "The officials and employees are the ones that execute government's schemes and policies. We have decided to felicitate those employees who have done exemplary work in the interest of public service," the release quoted Sonowal as stating. "They deserve approbation for the good job. It will inspire and motivate other employees to follow their example. In this way we will be able to further improve our work culture and make the state glorious and prosperous," he said. Meanwhile, the Personnel Department has directed all the departmental heads to formulate guidelines and to furnish the list of 'High Performing Employees' of their respective departments at the earliest. Australian High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu today said her country it will continue to support India's bid to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other non-proliferation regimes as it has "credentials". Sidhu said her country was in the forefront in supporting India's application to the 48-nation elite club. "We are both committed to a non-proliferation world. Australia wants to see India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other non-proliferating regimes mainly because India has the potential and we trusted India's credentials. "Australia had been in forefront of supporting India's application at the Nuclear Suppliers Group. We will continue to support India," Sidhu said. She was speaking at interaction at the Foreign Correspondents Club. India and Australia has a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in place. India intends to import Australian uranium to quench its energy requirement. "We did complete our civil nuclear cooperation agreement recently and we are hopeful that activity will take place on that front too," she said, adding that the matter lies between the commercial entities and India. Commenting on the verdict by an international court on the South China Sea, Sidhu said "restrain" really matters in the dispute. Nothing that Australia has strong economic interests in South China Sea, Sidhu said around 60 per cent of its country's trade passes through the region. "We don't take sides of competiting territorial claims. We have strong interest in regional peace and stability and respect for maritime and international law. "The ruling clarified the maritime rights in the South China Sea and we call for the parties to abide by it," Sidhu said. The AAP today claimed that successive bail orders to its legislators in the cases filed against them "conclusively prove" that the Delhi Police was "deliberately framing" them, and also alleged that the BJP government at the Centre was "vindictive". Armed with a number of bail orders and reading out a few of them, AAP spokesperson Ashutosh wondered whether "Modi's police" would now apologise to the legislators. Police "abused" Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan's wife during his arrest, he claimed. He said the bail, and in some cases the acquittal, orders of the MLAs - who included Khan, Somnath Bharti, Surender Singh, Bhavna Gaur, Dinesh Mohaniya, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi and Manoj Kumar - were not "highlighted" enough by the media. "The way Amanatullah Khan was arrested from his bedroom at 7 AM in the morning and his wife was misbehaved with by the police is shameful. His wife was abused and heckled. Police did not observe basic courtesy. "But the court rapped the police saying that the FIR against Khan had no allegation that it was he who abused and threatened the complainant. Nothing could be recovered from him during his two-day-long police custody," Ashutosh told reporters. Eleven AAP MLAs were arrested by Delhi Police and their Punjab counterpart in various cases since the party came to power in Delhi for a second time in February last year. The party has stated that its MLAs were being arrested under a "conspiracy", and that a writ petition will be filed in the Delhi High Court with a compilation of "false" cases slapped against them. An MLA of the ruling BJD and party activists today allegedly thrashed some BJP supporters for showing black flags to two state ministers during a protest against the Chhattisgarh government in Odisha's Boudh district. The incident took place at Manmounda area when the two ministers, Sanjay Dasburma and Pushpendra Singhdeo, were on their way to attend a party programme at the district headquarters town of Boudh. The ruling party was organising the programme in protest of construction of barrages by Chhattisgarh government on the upstream of river Mahanadi. The police said a group of BJD activists led by party MLA Prashant Jagdev attacked BJP workers at Manmunda where they showed black flags to the visiting ministers. The MLA was also joined by a party corporator. In the process, three BJP activists sustained injuries, the police said, adding that BJP has named five persons including Sanjay Dasburma, Pushpendra Singhdeo (both ministers), MLA Prashant Jagdev and two others in their complaints. "We have received three complaints, two from BJP activists and one from BJD leaders. A case has been registered on the basis of the complaints of BJP activists. Two other complaints were being examined," Boudh SP Buttula Gangadhar said. While BJP activists alleged that there was a murderous attack on them and that one of the party workers was kicked by BJD leaders on his face and chest after he fell down, BJD leaders in their FIR said they had to act in self defence. Condemning the incident, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said it was an inhuman and undemocratic act by the BJD. "We were protesting in a democratic way. They suddenly came out of their cars and attacked our workers. Three of our workers were injured in the attack," said Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Boudh president Narayan Karmi. Meanwhile, the BJP state leadership has decided to send a team of its legislature party to the spot tomorrow to take stock of the situation. "A team of the BJP legislature party led by K V Singhdeo will visit the spot at Manamunda in Boudh district tomorrow to take stock of the situation," BJP general secretary Prithivraj Harichandan said. BJD MLA from Begunia Prashant Jagdev, who led the charge against protesting BJP workers, however, gave a different account of the incident. "In the name of showing black flags, the BJP activists wanted to kill us. All we did was to act in self defence," he said. Protesting BJD's attack, BJYM and the BJP women's wing blocked roads at Master Canteen square in the state capital. The BJP has said its supporters would demonstrate in front of government offices in Boudh tomorrow. A 28-year-old militant, said to be the 'Area Commander' of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland who was taken into custody from Kanjikode here, was today formally arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Kormeswar Basumithri, hailing from Sonitpur district of Assam, was taken into custody by Kerala police on July 26 and was being questioned. He was today produced before a court here and remanded to judicial custody and soon would be taken to Assam, police said. Basumithri was working at a unit in Kanjikode in Palakkad district since the last three months, police said. Police had received intelligence inputs from their counterparts in Assam about the youth after it was found that there were regular telephone calls from Palakkad to Assam during the past couple of months. Skin and horns of a rare species of deer that took shelter in a church complex due to floods in Assam's Sonitpur district were recovered from one of its employees, said a senior Forest Department official today. Last night, Forest department received information from sources that Jayanta Baruah, an employee of GEL Church, had caught a rare deer which took shelter in the church complex after coming from forest due to heavy floods and sold its meat, Assistant Conservator of Forest Jasim Ahmed said. Sonitpur Forest Division (West) conducted a rescue operation at Bishop House complex in GEL Church near Bamuni Hill under Tezpur Sadar Police Station and recovered the deer's skin, horns and its head buried there, Ahmed said. The horn of a buffalo was also recovered from the house of Jayanta Baruah who fled from the place, Ahmed said, adding search operation is on. Meanwhile in Biswanath Chariali, villagers and forest officials today rescued three deers and later released them in the nearest forest. Government bonds (G-Secs) continued their upsurge for the second straight day following sustained buying by market participants as well as foreign funds, while yields tumbled to three-year low. The interbank call rates staged a smart rebound on the back of strong demand from borrowing banks owing to tight liquidity conditions in the banking system. The benchmark 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2029 climbed to Rs 102.6850 as compared to Rs 102.49 yesterday, while its yield dropped to 7.26 per cent from 7.28 per cent. The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2026 rose to Rs 102.89 from Rs 102.7350, while yield declined to 7.16 per cent from 7.19 per cent. The 7.88 per cent government security maturing in 2030 firmed up to Rs 105.29 compared to Rs 105.01, while yield slumped to 7.26 per cent from Rs 7.29 per cent. The 7.61 per cent government security maturing in 2030, the 7.68 per cent government security maturing in 2023 and the 7.72 per cent government security maturing in 2025 were also quoted higher at Rs 103.34, Rs 102.94 and Rs 103.2050, respectively. The overnight borrowing rate finished sharply higher at 6.90 per cent, recovering from Thursday's close of 6.05 per cent. It opened at 6.50 per cent and hovered between 6.90 per cent and 6.00 per cent. The 3-day call money rate ended at 6.55 per cent after trading between 6.60 per cent and 6.15 per cent during the trade. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), purchased securities worth Rs 34.95 billion in 8-bids at a three-day repo auction at a fixed rate of 6.50 per cent this evening. It sold securities worth Rs 79.90 billion from 29-bids at the overnight reverse repo auction at a fixed rate of 6.00 per cent late yesterday. An alleged criminal wanted in several cases of bootlegging was today arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, police said. On a specific information, a police team arrested Gurbachan Singh, wanted in several cases of smuggling illicit country-made liquor, from Katra area of the district, a police officer said. On May 20, he managed to give police the slip when he was trying to smuggle 650 pouches of illicit liquor in the town, he said, adding several cases have been registered against the accused under the Excise Act. Both Houses of the Bihar legislature were adjourned for the day today after a brief sitting on the first day of monsoon session as members paid tributes to some departed legislators. In the Assembly, Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary briefed the members about introduction of supplementary budget and some legislations that would be taken on coming days of the session. He reminded them that decent behaviour both inside and outside the House was prime responsibility of the members. "It is a well known fact that no positive discussion can take place without ensuring free speech, but a debate cannot take place without proper arrangement," he said in his brief speech at the outset. He asked both ruling party and Opposition to play "positive role" during the Session. Later all members stood in silence to pay tributes to eight departed leaders. The State Legislative Council also had a brief sitting on the opening day. After a brief address by Chairman Awdesh Narayan Singh, members paid tributes to the same eight departed leaders and also 10 jawans killed by Maoists on July 18. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and RJD leader Rabri Devi were present in the Upper House. A British-Pakistani woman, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances, was strangulated as she had a bruise mark on the neck and blood-stained froth was leaking from her mouth, according to an autopsy report, raising suspicions that she was a victim of "honour killing". 28-year-old Samia Shahid's family had claimed that she died on July 20 due to cardiac arrest in Mangla area of Jhelum district of Pakistan's Punjab province. But her husband Syed Mukhtar Kazim had registered FIR on July 23 against Samia's father, mother, sister, cousin Mobeen and her former husband for allegedly murdering her as they were not happy with the marriage. Police briefly detained the father of the woman but later released him after finding no evidence against him. Her father has rejected the charges insisting that Samia died of 'heart attack'. However, police said the autopsy report showed that she was strangled to death. "There were some bruises on the neck and now the medical report confirms that she was murdered," a police official said on anonymity. He said further probe was going on and the first phase of investigation would be completed after availability of results of more reports and tests by next week. Samia, a resident of Dhok Pandori village, Jehlum, some 230 km from Lahore, had come to Pakistan from Dubai about two weeks ago to see her ailing father. A beauty therapist from Bradford, Samia had previously been married to her first cousin Shakil but the couple parted ways after divorce in May 2014. She then married Kazim of Taxila in September 2014 and both started living in Dubai. Kazim claimed in the FIR that Samia had been killed by her family who refused to accept their relationship because he was an outsider. "Samia's mother phoned her on July 11 and asked her to come to Pakistan to see her ailing father. Samia arrived in Pakistan on July 14. She told me by phone that her father was all right and now she was feeling threats to her life. "On July 20 his wife's phone was switched off and he contacted Mobeen, her cousin, who said that Samia had suffered a heart attack and died," Kazim said. He said he reached Pakistan on July 21 and got a murder case registered against his in-laws. A British MP Naz Shah was first to raise the issue when she wrote this week to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to order probe as Samia might have been killed for "honour". Honour killing is common in Pakistan. Last week, social media sensation Qandeel Baloch was killed by her younger brother as he objected to her photos and videos. Aid agencies on Friday called on Syria's government to end its encirclement of rebel-held east Aleppo as a handful of civilians managed to use humanitarian corridors to flee the ruined city. Pro-regime forces have surrounded Aleppo's eastern districts since July 17, leaving an estimated 250,000 trapped without reliable access to food or medical aid. Russia, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, on Thursday announced the opening of humanitarian passages for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit the city's rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods. The Red Cross welcomed the corridors but said Russia and pro-government forces had an obligation to protect everyone in Aleppo, once Syria's economic hub and a battleground city seen as key in its five-year-old conflict. "Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in Eastern Aleppo must be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess their well-being and needs," the Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement. Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition's main supply route into the northern city. The US-based Rescue Committee said those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a humanitarian pause in fighting. "The people of Aleppo should not be forced to choose between fleeing their homes and remaining under attack in a besieged area," said IRC's acting Middle East director Zoe Daniels. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday that three humanitarian corridors were being opened "to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms". But only a few Aleppo residents were able to leave eastern neighbourhoods through the passages before rebels prevented them from fleeing, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Around 12 people managed to use the Bustan al-Qasr corridor before rebel groups reinforced security measures and prevented families from approaching the corridors," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said. The UN has warned that any corridors must be used voluntarily and protection be guaranteed. An AFP correspondent in east Aleppo said streets were empty on Friday morning, with residents holed up indoors. Shops were shuttered and generators in several neighbourhoods had stopped after their fuel ran out. Ahmad Ramadan from the opposition Syrian National Coalition accused Russia and the regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. "What is happening now is not battles, but the complete and systematic destruction of the city and its residents, whether they are civilians or fighters," he told AFP. Regime aircraft bombed eastern areas of Aleppo overnight, the Observatory said, without specifying casualties. Analysts say that losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the armed opposition and could signal a turning point in the conflict, which began in 2011 with the brutal crackdown of anti-government protests. CBI has registered a case against three directors and promoters of a private firm for allegedly siphoning off funds worth Rs 49.95 crore from State Bank of India (SBI) through forged and fabricated documents. The agency has registered a case against Ashish Garg, Sunil Kumar Garg and Anuj Garg, the then Promoters and Directors of Delhi-based Mastermind Trade-in Pvt Ltd, the company and unknown public servants and private persons on the complaint of SBI, sources said. "It was alleged in the complaint that the accused persons in connivance or criminal conspiracy with the branch officials and with each other siphoned off the bank funds by misrepresentation, fabrication or forgery of documents. An alleged loss of Rs 49.95 crore (approx) was caused to the complainant bank," CBI spokesperson said. She said searches were conducted at the premises of accused persons at four locations at Delhi and Noida in Uttar Pradesh, which led to recovery of around Rs 59 lakh in cash, foreign currency worth Rs three lakh and other incriminating documents. Check-in screens at Vietnam's two major airports were hacked today to contain distorted information about the South China Sea and insult Vietnam and the Philippines, state media reported. The sound systems at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively were also affected, forcing airport authorities to switch off the check-in screen and sound system, the online VnExpress said. The website of the national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, was also briefly hacked, it said. The paper quoted Vice Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat as saying the incidents did not affect the security or air traffic control at the airports. Earlier this month, an international tribunal issued a ruling in favour of the Philippines that invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam also has overlapping claims to parts of the sea, which is rich in natural resources. Chinese regulatory authorities conditionally approved brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev's giant takeover of SABMiller today, clearing one of the last major hurdles for the USD 103 billion deal to go ahead. The commerce ministry "decided to approve" the sale on condition that SABMiller's own stake in China's biggest brewery was disposed of, its anti-monopoly bureau said in a statement on its website -- a transaction which has already been agreed. The takeover has previously been approved by regulators in the US, European Union and South Africa, where SABMiller has its origins. AB InBev has agreed to a series of concessions to win the authorities' green lights, including selling SABMiller's 49 per cent stake in Snow Breweries, China's biggest beermaker. The anti-monopoly bureau said the sale -- to a unit of China Resources, SABMiller's local partner -- had to go through within 24 hours of the overall merger. Otherwise, it said, the deal "would have the effect of eliminating and restricting competition, and ultimately would harm the interests of Chinese consumers". AB InBev is already the world's top brewer and the SABMiller acquisition is in line to be the third largest in history if it goes through. The Belgium-based brewer of Budweiser and Stella Artois this week raised its offer for SABMiller to 45 pounds a share, after sterling slumped following Britain's Brexit vote, cutting the value of the deal to global investors when measured in other currencies and triggering shareholder resistance. The new offer values the London-headquartered firm at 79 billion pounds (USD 104 billion), and the deal is expected to boost the unified firms' prospects in developing markets in Africa and China. The CII and the India Business Forum (IBF) in Shanghai today launched a social media account to provide "meaningful" interaction between the Indian and Chinese businesses and to stay updated with the latest industry and trends. A Wechat account was launched at a ceremony attended by Prakash Gupta, Consul General of India in Shanghai, Sujit Chatterjee, Chairman designate of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-IBF China, Madhav Sharma, Head of Greater China and Chief Representative, CII China and Ravi Shankar Bose, Director of Fugu Mobile which provided the software backup. "The launch of the CII - IBF Wechat App is a unique initiative of CII-Shanghai, which aims to bring together leading Indian industries in China on one common electronic platform," Gupta said at the function held at the Consulate General of India in Shanghai. "While this is a unique and welcome step to adapt to one of China's most popular communication platforms, we do hope that it would also enable faster and greater sharing of information and success stories amongst local Indian CEO's on a real time basis, and thereby further promote Indian business interests in Eastern China", he said. Chatterjee, who is also President, Tata Consultancy Services, China said "The CII IBF We Chat App is a great platform to stay up-to-date with the latest industry and trends in China. It provides a meaningful opportunity for India and Indian companies to market themselves to the larger consumer group in furthering their commitment to the Chinese economy". He said the CII-IBF Wechat account is in line with the growing social media trend in China, this will help us in creating greater awareness of CII in China and CII-IBF member companies amongst Chinese businesses. Sharma said: "It will showcase CII-IBF Members business interest in China leading to greater businesses, highlightopportunities for Chinese businesses in India under the Make in India initiative, highlight some of the latest policy updates, business development events both in India and China". "I believe that this platform will help build greater two way communication between businesses ", a CII statement quoted him as saying. It said since the establishment of CII office in China in 2003, the number of Indian companies in China have grown substantially, therefore in 2009, CII China launched the India-Business Forum. "The CII India-Business Forum aims to promote Indian business interests in China through collective approach. The CII-IBF also platform for members to meet with Chinese companies interested in doing business with India, Think Tanks, universities and other policy organisations of China. The forum also works in showcasing India and Indian industry, thereby building "Brand India" in China", it added. Declaring that the US is at a "moment of reckoning", Hillary Clinton today attacked her Republican rival Donald Trump for his "bigotry and bombast" while pitching herself to be a steady leader, as she scripted history by becoming the first woman presidential nominee. Presenting her vision of inclusive growth for America that maintains its global leadership and military power, the Democratic presidential nominee warned voters that a man who could be baited with a tweet cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons. "He (Trump) loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protester at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons," the 68-year-old former secretary of state told fellow Americans while accepting the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. "Ask yourself: Does Donald Trump have the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief?" she asked. Clinton, in her nearly hour-long address, said the nation is facing a serious "moment of reckoning" from economic pain, violence and terror. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. It's truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we're going to work together so we can all rise together," she said. Clinton said she would build an economy that gives jobs to everyone and not a few and a country where "love trumps hate". That is the country, Clinton said, she is fighting for. "It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for president," Clinton said as thousands of party delegates, leaders and supporters at the Wells Fargo Center erupted in cheers and applause. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state set her sights on the White House and blasted Trump, portraying him as a small man, who got rich by stiffing workers, peddles fear and lacks the temperament to be commander-in-chief. "Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, 'I know more about ISIS than the generals do. No, Donald, you don't," Clinton said. She alleged that the 70-year-old business tycoon wants to divide Americans. "And in the end, it comes down to what Donald Trump doesn't get: that America is great -- because America is good. So enough with the bigotry and bombast. Donald Trump's not offering real change," she said. "He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other. He's betting that the perils of today's world will blind us to its unlimited promise," Clinton said. "We heard Donald Trump's answer last week at his convention. He wants to divide us...He wants us to fear the future and fear each other," she said. "No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance. Looking for steady leadership. You want a leader who understands we are stronger when we work with our allies around the world and care for our veterans here at home. "I'm proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear programme without firing a single shot -- now we have to enforce it, and keep supporting Israel's security," Clinton said. She promised to be a president for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. "For the struggling, the striving and the successful...For all Americans," Clinton said. Clinton said if Americans are serious about keeping the country safe, they cannot afford to have a president who is in the pocket of the gun lobby. "I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place," she said. "For the past year, many people made the mistake of laughing off Donald Trump's comments -- excusing him as an entertainer just putting on a show. They think he couldn't possibly mean all the horrible things he says. "Or said that an American judge couldn't be fair because of his Mexican heritage. Or when he mocks and mimics a reporter with a disability," she said. Clinton said Trump has taken the Republican party a long way from morning in America to mid-night in America. "A president should respect the men and women who risk their lives to serve our country," she said, adding that Trump cannot even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign. The choice is clear, Clinton asserted. "I want to tell you tonight how we're going to empower all Americans to live better lives. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States," Clinton said. "We will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism," she said. "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have," she said in her speech punctuated by applause and watched by a misty-eyed former President Bill Clinton. Clinton also promised a comprehensive immigration reform arguing that this will grow the economy and keep families together. Terming her mother as a "doer", Chelsea Clinton said she will vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton who is her "role model" and can protect the planet from climate change. Hillary Clinton also reached out to disappointed Bernie Sanders supporters during her speech, after her contentious primary race against the Vermont senator. With Sanders watching from the arena, Clinton told his supporters, "I've heard you. Your cause is our cause." President Barack Obama quickly congratulated Clinton at the conclusion of her speech. "Great speech," he tweeted. "She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too)". The Delhi High Court today extended the interim bail granted to two directors of Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL), R S Rungta and R C Rungta, who were convicted and sentenced to four years jail in a coal block allocation scam case. Justice Vipin Sanghi extended the relief to the Rungta duo till its further order in the case. The two were granted relief on May 13 on a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh each with two sureties of the like amount after Special Public Prosecutor R S Cheema, who appeared for CBI, said he was not opposing the grant of interim bail. During the brief hearing, Cheema said that they have filed an application before the Supreme Court for day-to-day hearing in the matter, which has not yet been listed. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Rungta duo, told the court that the sentence awarded to his clients should be suspended. He also urged the court to extend the term of interim bail given to the convicts, which will end on July 31. The bench had earlier sought CBI's response on the appeals filed by the Rungta duo, who were sentenced on April 4 by the special court which had said that India was lagging behind in development due to such "unscrupulous businessmen". The special court had also imposed a fine of Rs five lakh each on R S Rungta, 79, and R C Rungta, 60, who were convicted on March 28 for the offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy under IPC. It had also slapped a fine of Rs 25 lakh on the company JIPL which was also held guilty along with the Rungta duo. It was the first case in the coal scam which was decided by the special court, constituted exclusively to deal with all such cases. The Rungta duo and JIPL were convicted by the court which had noted that they had "fraudulently" and with a dishonest intention "deceived" the government in the allocation of the North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand to the firm. Besides this case, 18 other cases investigated by CBI in the coal scam are pending before the special court. Two other cases probed by ED are also pending before the court. The Congress today challenged the BJP to "come clean" on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's statement yesterday on the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Buhan Wani by security forces. "PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beig had said the Chief Minister was not aware of the encounter. Now, the Chief Minister says that had the forces known that Burhan Wani was there, he could have been given a second chance. The BJP should clear its stand on the Chief Minister's statement," Congress Jammu and Kashmir general secretary Vikram Malhotra told reporters here. He said the BJP, which used to advocate dealing with the insurgency in Kashmir with an "iron hand", should come out with a clarification regarding the Chief Minister's statement that the "sacrifice of the youth killed will not go waste". "The BJP says it was a statement made in personal capacity. How can that be when she is the Chief Minister of the state heading a coalition government with the BJP?" asked Malhotra, adding that Mehbooba's statement has to be regarded as the official stand of the Jammu and Kashmir government. "Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh should tell the people of the state what does 'giving safe passage to Burhan Wani' mean. BJP leaders, who always opposed talks with separatists, should come clean on what have they been doing when in a coalition with the PDP," said Malhotra. Mehbooba had told reporters yesterday that had the security forces known of Wani's presence in the house in Kokernag area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district, it would have been possible to keep the situation "from turning to what it is today." "I feel, if they (security forces) knew, perhaps we would not have such a situation when the overall situation in the state was improving, so it could have been a chance," she had said. A special court today sentenced four gangsters to life imprisonment for killing an eyewitness in an attempt to murder case. Additional District Sessions Judge Dinest Gupta held the four-Naushad, Mehboob, Afraj and Kamyab guilty under section 302 of IPC (punishment for murder) and the Gangster Act and sentenced them to life in prison. The court imposed a fine of Rs 60,000 on each of them for killing the eyewitness Rashid Khan, government lawyer Sitaram said. Khan, who was the Vice President of the Gau Rakshak Committee, was shot dead by the gangsters at village Nagla in district Saharanpur on October 10, 2003 after he refused to withdraw a case of attempt to murder by the four after Khan's team conducted raids against the gangsters for alleged cow slaughtering. He was the witness of his own case. Curfew was on Friday reimposed in four districts of south Kashmir and Srinagar city, while the authorities clamped restrictions in some other areas of the Valley to thwart a planned march by separatists in Srinagar. "There is curfew in entire south Kashmir and Srinagar, while restrictions have been imposed in north and central Kashmir," a police official said. He said all the four districts of south Kashmir Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian were under curfew to maintain law and order. The official said restrictions were imposed in north Kashmir and some areas of central Kashmir to thwart the march announced by separatists to Jamia Masjid. The separatists had asked the people to reach Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar to pay tributes to the people killed in the recent violence in the Valley. Protests broke out across Kashmir Valley on July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces. In the ensuing clashes between protesters and security forces, 47 persons, including two policemen, were killed and 5,500 others were injured. On Thursday, the authorities had lifted curfew and restrictions from across the Valley, except Anantnag town, after some improvement in the situation. Mobile internet services continued to remain snapped in the entire Valley where the postpaid mobile telephony services have been restored across all networks. The incoming facility on prepaid connections has also been restored, but the outgoing calls are barred on such numbers. Meanwhile, normal life remained paralysed elsewhere in the Valley for the 21st consecutive day on Friday in view of the strike call given by the separatist camp. Schools, colleges and business establishments remained closed due to the strike while public transport remained off roads. Attendance in government offices was very thin, the official said. The separatist camp has extended the shutdown call in Kashmir till July 31. "The shutdown will continue as usual with daily relaxation after 7 pm till late hours," a joint statement of the separatists, including both factions of Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front led by Yasin Malik, said late last night. The separatists asked the people to hold sit-in on roads on Saturday and offer the late afternoon and evening prayers together on roads. They also asked people to observe an hour-long 'blackout' from 8 pm. On July 31, the separatists said, people to visit 'martyrs graveyards to offer special prayers and paint slogans and graffiti on walls and roads. Dalit rights groups today vowed to hold a mass gathering on Sunday near the Collector office here to register their protest over brutal thrashing of their community members in Una taluka even if police deny them permission for the event. As they announced the plan, community leaders alleged police have indicated permission will not be granted for the event, and accused the BJP Government of being "anti-Dalit". However, police claimed they have only suggested the groups to shift the venue to a bigger place as the gathering at Collectorate would block the vehicular traffic on the adjacent Ashram Road and create chaos. The gathering is being organised as a mark of protest against the July 11 thrashing of four Dalits youths in Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district for skinning a dead cow. Addressing a press conference after a meeting with police, Dalit leaders alleged the law enforcement agency is denying them go-ahead at the behest of State's BJP Government. "This is the same place where OBC leader Alpesh Thakor addressed a mass gathering of his community a few months back (organised as part of Patidar quota stir). "Earlier, police gave permission to the Patel community to hold a rally at GMDC Ground. Why are they denying sanction to Dalits to organise their event? This shows the anti-Dalit mentality of the BJP Government," said Jignesh Mevani of Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti. "During our meeting with police, officials gave us clear indications they will not grant permission to us. But we have clearly told them the event will take place even if they do not give us permission. We will not change our venue out of pressure," he asserted. According to him, Dalits want the Government to hold talks with them and accept their demands, just like it did with the Patel quota leaders. "After the Una incident, all Dalits are united and want their rights, which are denied by this Government since long. Apart from allocation of land to Dalits, we want the Government to set up Special Courts to hear atrocity-related cases. We also want more allocation of funds for our welfare," he said. V B Patel, Police Inspector of Ranip, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, clarified they only advised the Dalit leaders to shift the protest venue. The organisers may invite the family members of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, whose suicide in January created uproar across India, and also JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar. "Some of our leaders are in touch with Vemula's family and may invite them to attend our gathering. We are also planning to invite JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar," said Mevani. (Reopens BOM16) "We have not denied them permission. Since it may block a busy road, we suggested to hold the gathering at a bigger place, which will also help them to accommodate more people," said the Police Inspector. Ahead of the gathering, Islamic organisation Jamiat-E- Ulema extended its support to Dalit leaders. "Till now, Muslims have been subjected to such atrocities. Now, Dalits are being given the same treatment. We both are victims of this system. Jamiat is with the Dalits and our leaders and supporters will remain present at the gathering," said General Secretary of Jamiat's Gujarat wing AbdulQuiyum Haque, who was present at the press conference. As many as 843 companies listed on BSE have higher debt than net worth, Parliament was informed today. Out of 4,066 companies that have submitted balancesheet for the last financial year with BSE, there are 843 firms in which debt is greater than their value considered as net worth on a stand-alone basis, Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today. Thus, 20.73 per cent of companies have more debt than net worth, he added. Currently, 5,522 companies are listed on BSE, formerly known as the Bombay Stock Exchange. The companies finance their projects through debt as well as equity. The debt-equity ratio varies as industries rely on different amounts of capital to operate and use it in various ways. A relatively high ratio may be common in one industry while a lower one may be common in another. A day after the police ruled out murder theory in the Abesh Dasgupta death case, his mother today met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to seek justice and said she assured her of help. "The Chief Minister told us to keep faith on her. She assured us that truth will come out. She said culprits will be traced," Abesh's mother Rimjhim Dasgupta told reporters after the meeting. Dasgupta, who called on the Chief Minister along with other family members, said, "I told her that many questions still remained unanswered". Dasgupta, who met Kolkata Police Joint Commissioner (crime) Visal Garg yesterday, said, "Garg told me that the case is still on. Many investigations are yet to be completed. He called me to give update on the CCTV footage." She maintained the CCTV footage did not have entire sequence of the events of that day. Garg yesterday ruled out the murder theory in the case and said the 17-year-old boy died due to injuries he met after falling from a small wall in the lawn of the Sunny Park residential complex on July 23. According to Garg, going by the CCTV footages at the complex, circumstantial evidences and statements of several witnesses including those present at the birthday celebration, security guards and others, sleuths were of the opinion that there was no "conspiracy" behind Abesh's death. Abesh's family members, however, refused to accept the "no conspiracy"-theory behind his death and kept on claiming that the it was a case of murder. The actual expenditure of defence modernisation had come down to Rs 62,341.87 crore last fiscal from Rs 66,850.30 crore in 2013-14 event though the total allocation has increased. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the budgetary provision of Rs 69,898.51 crore for the financial year 2016-17 made for the Defence Services Estimates is 27.45 per cent less than the projected requirements (Rs 96,343.03 crore) of the various Services and Departments. However, he said the funds allocated are adequate to meet the contractual commitments and some fresh modernisation schemes for the present. "Additional requirement of funds as necessary will be projected depending on pace of utilisation of allocation, progress of ongoing and new modernisation schemes and other priority requirements,' he said. Giving details of the amount spent on modernisation, Parrikar said that in 2013-14, Rs 73,444.59 crore was allocated of which Rs 66,850.30 crore was spent. In 2014-15, Rs 75,148.03 crore was allocated of which only Rs 65,862.38 crore was spent. Last fiscal, while there was an allotment of Rs 77,406.69 crore, only Rs 62,341.87 crore was spent. A delegation of dyers in nearby Tirupur are expected to meet Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani, after the ongoing Parliament session to discuss pollution-related issues with the ministry. Irani has asked Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA) President A Sakthivel, to bring a delegation along with dyeing units representatives, when he met the minister today at Delhi. Along with the problemd being faced by the knitwear garment exporters and various issues to be addressed for the growth of garment sector, Shaktivel had taken up the problems of dyeing units in Tirupur, particularly Rs 200 crore grant announced by the Centre a decade ago, TEA sources said. The minister has asked him to come as a delegation along with the dyeing units representatives, after the parliamentary session is over mainly to discuss about considering of the grant to Common Effluent Treatment Plants in Tirupur and also other pollution related issues. Dyers are expected to raise the issue of high cost of operations and also request the minister to consider to set up Dyers Park with the financial assistance of Centre and State governments, they said. A demand was made in Lok Sabha today for increase in the minimum pension to Rs 3000 per month, review of the Employees Pension Scheme and hike in the government share in Provident Fund. Supporting a resolution introduced by N K Premachandran (RSP) on 'Steps to Ensure Welfare of Employees Provident Fund pensionsers', Saugata Roy of Trinamool Congress said the government's contribution to the EPF is just 1.16 per cent since 1971 and that has to be increased. Roy also demanded PF for the unorganised sector the way it is being given by the West Bengal government. He said the pension amount worth thousands of crores of rupees is lying with the government. Under the existing provision, the unused pension is used for the benefit of the senior citizens fund. Opposing this, Roy said the money of the workers should be spent on workers and the government can make separate provision for the senior citizens fund. He said the Labour Ministry should protest publicly against the Finance Ministry regarding this move. He also opposed the move of EPF be allowed to be invested in the market. Roy said the existing pension is of Rs 1000 per month and it should be increased to Rs 3000 as there has been no revision in this for the past 20 year. There was a lighter moment when Roy mispelt the name of Labour Minister Banadaru Dattatreya. To this, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri said, "Hota Hain Budhape mein hota hain". (It happens in old age). 68-year-old Roy responded to 55-year-old Bidhuri: "Tum toh Navjavan Ho" (You are still young). (Reopen PAR35) Sankar Prasad Datta (CPI-M) said the BJP government has not fulfiled any of its election promises and the prices of essential commodities have continued to rise burdening common man. He added that PSU bank employees have gone on strike today, not to demand salary increase, but to press for policies for a welfare of working class. Supporting the demand for monthly pension of Rs 3,000, he said it is "reasonable and just" and should be given to all workers in the unorganised sector. Blaming Congress for low penetration of pension in the country, Nishikant Dubey (BJP) said only 10 per cent of the people get pension. He said the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in the past and Modi government presently are trying to increase the penetration of pension. He said the government has increased the minimum pension to Rs 1,000 per month. Sharpening his attack on Democratic leadership, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said his rival party leaders were speaking about "a world that does not exit" even as he set out a "different vision" for the US. "At Hillary Clinton's convention this week, Democrats have been speaking about a world that doesn't exist," he said hours before Clinton was scheduled to deliver her historic acceptance speech as the Democratic party's presidential nominee. "A world where America has full employment, where there's no such thing as radical Islamic terrorism, where the border is totally secured, and where thousands of innocent Americans have not suffered from rising crime in cities like Baltimore and Chicago," Trump said yesterday. Trump proposed a "different vision" for the US, "one where we can break up Washington's rigged system, and empower all Americans to achieve their dreams." "In our vision, we will put America First. If we deliver this change, the future is limitless and we will Make America Great Again for everyone," he said. "In the Democrats' fantasy world, there is no problem with Hillary Clinton maintaining an illegal, exposed server full of classified information that could have been hacked by any foreign enemy, and in which Hillary Clinton risked prison time to delete 33,000 emails that were simply about yoga and wedding planning," he said. "In this world, there is no Hillary Clinton disaster in Syria, Libya and Egypt, ISIS doesn't merit a mention, Iran isn't on the path to nukes, convention stages don't need American flags, and our great men and women of law enforcement, our police, do not need to be honoured," Trump alleged. Meanwhile the Republican National Committee (RNC) released a new video entitled 'The Truth' which alleges how a rigged system has gotten Clinton off the hook despite her sending classified information over her secret email server and repeatedly lying about it. "For decades, Hillary Clinton has been embroiled in scandals caused by her own lies and unethical behaviour, and Americans have had enough of it," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "From Whitewater to Benghazi to her secret email server, Hillary Clinton has proven over the course of decades that she doesn't have the honesty or integrity to be entrusted with the nation's highest office. It's time to break from a Democrat establishment which has protected her for years and elect someone who will bring true change to Washington in Donald Trump," Priebus said. Infrastructure company Dilip Buildcon today raised over Rs 196 crore by way of issuance of shares to anchor investors ahead of its initial public offering. The company has allotted 89,58,592 shares at Rs 219 per share aggregating Rs 196.19 crore to 10 anchor investors. Under anchor investors (AIs) portion in the public issue of Dilip Buildcon, 89,58,592 equity shares have been subscribed by 10 AIs at Rs 219 per equity share, as per the information available with BSE. The anchor investors include Smallcap World Fund, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, HDFC Trustee Company, Nomura Singapore, DB International (Asia), IDFC Infrastructure Fund and East Bridge Capital Master Fund. The company will hit the capital markets on August 1 to raise funds through IPO and has fixed a price band of Rs 214-219 per share. The firm plans a public offer of shares aggregating up to Rs 430 crore and an offer for sale of up to 10,227,273 shares, including the anchor portion of 89,58,592 scrips. Dilip Buildcon, which is primarily into construction of roads and highways, has an orderbook of almost 8,000 km worth of over Rs 11,000 crore to be executed over the next 2 years and a half. Earlier, the company had proposed to raise Rs 650 crore through the IPO. However, since the issue was delayed for over a year, Dilip Buildcon reduced the issue size to Rs 430 crore. The lead managers are Axis Capital, IIFL Holdings, JM Financial Institutional Securities and PNB Investment Services. The Delhi High Court today told several unaided private schools not to hike fees till August 22 and to submit their account details to the Delhi government by then for permission for effecting a raise. The direction by Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva came on the plea of an association claiming to represent about 450 private unaided schools who had sought three more months to submit the documents, the last date for which was July 31. These schools were allotted land by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) at concessional rates and under the allotment conditions, they have to take permission from the Directorate of Education (DoE) before hiking fees. This position had been upheld by the high court on January 19 this year and a review plea by the association against that decision was dismissed on July 27, 2016. The association, Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools, sought more time to file the documents on the ground that its review plea was dismissed on July 27 and the last date was July 31. Advocate Santosh Tripathi, appearing for DoE, opposed the plea for extension of time saying the schools had time from January this year to prepare the accounts and submit them and one extension was granted by the court on May 31. DoE also said if more time were to be granted, then there was apprehension that the schools would also charge arrears for the extended duration once the fees were hiked. To this, the association said the fees of last year would be charged till DoE takes a decision. In its January 19 decision, the High Court had held that private unaided schools which were allotted land by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) have to take prior government sanction before hiking fees. It had directed the Delhi government's DoE to ensure compliance with the terms in letter of allotment regarding increase of fees by recognised private unaided schools on land alloted by DDA, which in turn was asked to take appropriate action against violation of the stipulation. The judgement had come on a PIL filed by an NGO, Justice for All, which had sought that the recognised private unaided schools on land alloted by DDA be directed to abide by the stipulation in letter of allotment to take prior sanction of DoE before hiking their fees. Two persons, who allegedly killed a woman for desecrating the holy book of the Sikhs, surrendered before a local court today. Nihal Singh of Patiala and Gurpreet Singh of Sangrur, accused of killing Balwinder Kaur, surrendered in the court of Judicial Magistrate Lakhwinder Kaur here. After the medical check up of the duo, the court handed over them to the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Ludhiana, Dhruman Nimble said police would seek remand of the both accused from the court for further investigations. Balwinder, a 'sewadar' at Gurudwara, was arrested on October 18 last year for the alleged desecration in Ghwaddi village and was out on bail. On July 26, she was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today accused a top US general of being on the side of Turkey's coup plotters after commenting that the country's turmoil could downgrade military cooperation with Washington. "You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt," Erdogan said in angry remarks at a military centre in Golbasi outside Ankara, where air strikes left dozens dead during the failed putsch on July 15. Quoted by US media, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel had said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of dozens of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. In particular, Votel suggested the US had lost key Turkish military interlocutors who are now in jail and accused of being behind the coup. "Know your place!" Erdogan told Votel, using one of his favourite expressions of anger. "The coup plotter is already in your country, you are already feeding him," he said, referring to the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who Ankara accuses of being the mastermind of the coup. Turkey is a key member of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, with its Incirlik air base used as a launch hub for raids on the group. A fast track court convicted four persons, including a woman, for abducting and gangraping a 16-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district. Judge Rajesh Bhardwaj yesterday held Inam, Naushad, Mohammad guilty of abducting the girl and gangraping her in 2008 at Bihari village in the district, while Kavita was found guilty of helping in the crime. The four were convicted under sections 363, 366 and 376 IPC, the prosecution said, adding, the quantum of sentence will be pronounced on August 2. The minor girl was abducted and gangraped by three youths on January 2, 2008 with the help of a woman and the victim was held captive for 64 days. Leader of Opposition in North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mukesh Goel today alleged corruption in the procurement of four lakh pairs of shoes for it schools and demanded an independent inquiry into it. Goel said he has also written a letter to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung in this regard. North Delhi Mayor Sanjeev Nayyar, however said, "I myself have already asked the municipal commissioner to look into the case. And, we will wait for its results. I only though think there could be question on the quality." Goel said, "NDMC procured shoes at the rate of Rs 85 and Rs 95 for boys, and Rs 83 and Rs 93 for girls. The average cost of shoes for boys and girls is Rs 90." He claimed that the corporation distributes shoes to students once in a year but the shoes supplied by the concerned company are of very poor quality that the shoes may not stay even for a month. "There appears to be a corruption in the procurement of the four lakh pairs of shoes and we demand an independent inquiry into it," he said. After a gap of two years, government has started search for the new head of loss-making telecom PSU MTNL. "The Government of India has constituted a search-cum- selection committee under the chairmanship of Chairman, PESB for appointment to the post of CMD, MTNL on deputation basis for a period of five years," according to a notice. The telecom PSU has been without a full-time CMD since May 30, 2014, when A K Garg retired from the post. Selection 'on deputation' basis opens up the eligibility for government officers in any department who can also go back to their service after their tenure. MTNL Senior Executive Association General Secretary Rajendra Prasad said, "A person who does not have any stake in MTNL will not feel pain of the company. Anybody can apply, stay here till the time he feels good and then go back to his cadre as there is no absorption as per the rule." P K Purwar, the Director (Finance) of MTNL, had earlier held the additional charge between June 2014 and June 2015 and is holding the post again as additional charge. Narendra Kumar Yadav, a Member (Services) Department of Telecom, was been given the additional charge of CMD on June 8, 2015 and as per rule he relinquished the post a year after. The company decided network expansion when Garg was CMD. A tender estimated to be around Rs 400 crore was floated but the company later on shelved off that project. Due to shortage of equipment, network quality of MTNL has deteriorated sharply. In drive test conducted by telecom regulator, the state-run firm failed badly on call drop parameters. The PSU posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 2,012.24 crore for year ended March 31, 2016, against that of Rs 2,901.16 crore at the end of March 2015. The telecom firm, however, expects to post operational profit at the end of the current financial year and turn profitable in 2017-18. The government has told the National Green Tribunal that it has taken various measures, including implementation of Bharat Stage IV norms in 63 selected cities and universalisation of BS-IV by 2017, while considering the gravity of air pollution. The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises told the NGT that a decision has been taken to "leapfrog directly" from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards by April 1, 2020. In an affidavit filed before the green panel, the ministry said that besides notifying the construction and demolition waste management rules, it has also banned burning of leaves, biomass and municipal solid waste to curb pollution. It said that National Air Quality index was launched by the Prime Minister in April last year to monitor ambient air quality. The affidavit said that "comprehensive amendments to various waste management rules, including municipal solid waste, plastic waste, hazardous waste, bio-medical waste and electronic waste" have been notified. It said that there has been a revision of existing environmental standards and formulation of new standards for prevention and control of pollution from industries. The affidavit contains the details of assessment of air pollution here conducted by IIT Kanpur in collaboration with the Delhi government. It gave details of the source apportionment study for PM 10 (dust) executed by the Central Pollution Control Board during 2007-2010 in association with some leading institutes in six cities -- Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Kanpur. The tribunal, which had recently directed the Delhi government to cancel registration of all diesel-powered vehicles which are more than 10-years-old from plying in the city, would hear the matter on August 2. A BJD MP today asked the government to take policy decision on how poor farmers should better handle cows and buffaloes when they get old and stop milching. Raising the matter during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Tathagata Satpathy (BJD) said the poor farmers are not able to take care of old cows and buffaloes and sell them off to butchers. Satpathy sought a discussion in the House on what can be done at the policy level as it was not possible for poor farmers to retain the old cows and buffaloes and wanted the Speaker to allot time for it. "You give notice, we will think about it," Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said. Ninong Ering (Cong) drew the attention of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of External Affairs to construction of a dam on Chinese river saying it could lead to flash floods in downstream Arunachal Pradesh. Ering demanded that the matter be raised by India during the upcoming C2 Summit in September and BRICS Summit in October. Raising the issue of judges appointment, Bhagirath Prasad (BJP) said the Supreme Court and High Courts judges should be appointed through All India Judicial Service examination. "This will ensure impartial judiciary and help doing away with the present controversial process of appointment of judges," Prasad said. Manoj Tiwari (BJP) raised the issue of inclusion of Bhojpuri in eighth schedule, saying the language was spoken in several countries across the globe and it should be included. Currently, there are 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Renuka Butta (YSR Congress) raised the issue of "indifferent attitude" of banks for lending under MUDRA Yojana. She said banks were demanding collateral for extending loans under the scheme and indulging in favouritism. "The Government should look at rectifying the deficiences in the scheme and limit its scope of discrimination," Butta said. Anju Bala Devi (BJP) asked the government to name its schemes and roads after Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Meenakshi Lekhi (BJP) wanted that medical students who passed out one-and-a-half year back are not being given degrees by the Delhi University. Lekhi said these students need the degree certificate to apply to foreign universities. Accusing the Vice Chancellor of not holding convocation, she said at least the students be handed over degrees. Gram and masoor prices firmed up by up to Rs 300 per quintal at the wholesale pulses market following uptick in demand from retailers coupled with paucity of stocks. Traders said pick up in demand from retailers against tight stocks position on restricted supplies, mainly pushed up gram and masoor prices. Meanwhile, India is in talks with Myanmar and some African nations for government-to-government import of pulses to boost domestic supply and check prices. Already, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with Mozambique for importing pulses on a long term basis and address the domestic gap. In the national capital, gram edged higher to Rs 8,500-8,700 from previous level of Rs 8,200-8,600 per quintal. Its dal local and best quality were up by Rs 300 each to Rs 8,800-9,000 and Rs 9,100-9,200 per quintal respectively. Besign Shaktibhog and Rajdhani also quoted higher at Rs 3,820 instead of Rs 3,800 per 35 kg bag respectively. Masoor small and bold too finished higher by Rs 100 each to Rs 6,100-6,400 and Rs 6,150-6,450 per quintal. Its dal local and best quality traded higher by a similar margin to Rs 6,650-7,150 and Rs 6,750-7,250 per quintal. Following are today's pulses rates (in Rs per quintal): Urad Rs 9,600-11,000, Urad Chilka (local) Rs 9,800-9,900, Urad best Rs 9,900-10,400, Dhoya Rs 10,300-10,600, Moong Rs 5,100-5,700, Dal Moong Chilka local Rs 5,650-6,050, Moong Dhoya local Rs 6,050-6,550 and best quality Rs 6,550-6,750. Masoor small Rs 6,100-6,400, bold Rs 6,150-6,450, Dal Masoor local Rs 6,650-7,150, best quality Rs 6,750-7,250, Malka local Rs 7,250-7,550, best Rs 7,350-7,650, Moth Rs 5,300-5,700, Arhar Rs 8,100, Dal Arhar Dara Rs 10,900-12,600. Gram Rs 8,500-8,700, Gram dal (local) Rs 8,800-9,000, best quality Rs 9,100-9,200, Besan (35 kg), Shakti Bhog Rs 3,820, Rajdhani Rs 3,820, Rajma Chitra Rs 5,300-6,550, Kabuli Gram small Rs 9,900-10,300, Dabra Rs 2,700-2,800, Imported Rs 4,700-5,100, Lobia Rs 5,400-5,600, Peas white Rs 3,800-3,825 and green Rs 4,000-4,100. Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta accompanied by the husband and daughter of the AAP worker who had committed suicide last week after being allegedly harassed, today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. "It is a serious matter and calls for in-depth and expeditious enquiry ... Justice will be done to her and members of the family," Singh was quoted as saying in a release by Delhi BJP. The 28-year-old woman had consumed poisonous substance at her home in north west Delhi's Narela and died during treatment at LNJP Hospital on July 19. The woman had filed a complaint against Ramesh Bhardwaj for allegedly touching her inappropriately and a case of molestation was registered in June. The accused was arrested and later released on bail. On July 20, Delhi Police had registered a case of abatement to suicide and handed over the entire matter to a Special Investigation Team. The family members of the woman had claimed that she had gone into depression after her alleged molester Bhardwaj, an AAP colleague, was released on bail. Bhardwaj was again arrested by a police team from Sonipat on July 26. The victim had also alleged that the accused was being protected by a local AAP MLA. Her husband Ashok Mishra told Singh that the family has received "no concrete help so far". The wife of Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed over drug charges last night in Indonesia today said that she spoke to him twice this morning and he has been sent back to jail. Appealing the Indonesian government for mercy to Singh, his wife Kulwinder Kaur said he has spent 14 years in jail which was enough penance for his crime if he was guilty and he should be sent back to his country. "I spoke to him twice this morning and he said he is fine. His execution was dropped at the last minute after four others were put to death by the firing squad," Kaur said. External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj said this morning that 48-year-old Singh had not been executed. However, it was not clear under what circumstance the Indian who was to be executed along with 14 other convicts was spared. Four of them were put to death by the firing squad last night. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. "A priest was invited and a van had also arrived to carry his body but the execution was halted at the last minute. He was then sent back to the prison," she said. "Gurdip asked me to appeal to the government to halt the execution and bring him back to the country. He wants to meet his family," Kaur said. Expressing gratitude to the central government for its efforts, she said "Swaraj has been constantly in touch with me and has assured me that the government is trying everything to save Gurdip from execution." Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The 14 convicts included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. Haryana is one of the four states in India which have recorded maximum decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), state Health Minister said today. The other states are Assam, Tripura and Dadar and Nagar Haveli (Union Territory), Health Minister Anil Vij said in a statement. In Haryana, the IMR for children below one year of age has shown a decline of five points from 41 per 1000 live births in Sample Registration System (SRS) 2013 to 36 per 1000 live births in SRS 2014 (July 2016 Bulletin). This is the result of strengthened health network and concerted efforts made by state Health Department, he said. Vij said the result of samples collected by SRS of the Central Government was announced during this month. According to data of September 2014, the IMR was 41 in Haryana. As per SRS 2014, Haryana's IMR was below the national average of 36. This reduction in death of children under one year of age is due to the concerted efforts of the government. Vij said that after the formation of BJP government in Haryana in October 2014, there has been considerable improvement in the infrastructure and sanitation of hospitals, efforts have been accelerated to remove shortage of doctors, medicines and equipment. Special Newborn Care Units have been made functional in all the district hospitals to provide specialised care for sick newborns. Supplementation of iron folic acid was being given to prevent anemia, albendazole for deworming and vitamin A to all under five years of age children. Vij said that in 2014-16, Haryana also introduced three new vaccines - Pentavalent vaccine to include Hemophilus influenza vaccine in the schedule; Inactivated Polio Vaccine in line with global policy of ensuring sustained eradication of polio and Rotavirus vaccine for preventing severe diarhoea and subsequent deaths due to rotavirus infection among children. Under the Mission Indradhanush, a strategic endeavor was made to strengthen immunisation coverage. The state immunised a total of 56 lakh children through 86,000 immunisation sessions. Haryana is one of the first states in the country to start lab-based Vaccine Preventable Disease Surveillance. He said in 2015, the state had also drafted the Haryana Newborn Action Plan. As per the plan, Haryana is committed to achieve the national and global goal of single digit neonatal mortality rate by 2025. The Bombay High Court today said not person will enter the premises of the recently demolished Ambedkar Bhavan in Central Mumbai and attempt to rebuild or restore it. Justice S J Kathawalla was hearing an application filed by People's Improvement Trust, which runs the Ambedkar Bhavan in Dadar, against the proposed rebuilding of the demolished structure through 'shramdaan' (voluntary contribution of labour). According to the Trust, it had on June 1 received a notice from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) directing it to demolish the three structures in the premises as it was in a dilapidated and dangerous condition. As per the notice, the Trust started demolition work on June 25. However, the same day, supporters of B R Ambedkar, mobilised by his grandson Prakash Ambedkar entered the premises and protested against demolition. Prakash Ambedkar has now called for the followers of the late Dalit leader to assemble at the premises on July 30 and rebuild and restore the structure. The court today restrained any person or group to enter the said premises and maintain status quo till the next hearing of the application August 1 (Monday). "I do not want anyone to do anything till this matter is heard. Maintain status quo. If some person breaches this order then the Commissioner of Police shall take necessary action," Justice Kathawalla directed. According to the Trust, there were three structures in the premises, which have been demolished. Prakash and his brother Anandraj were occupants of one of the structure. The Trust told the High Court that Prakash and Anandraj would be allowed to occupy the proposed 17-storeyed redeveloped structure in future. From one structure, Prakash operated and undertook printing press work and from the other structure, the Trust operated. The open courtyard along with a hall was often given on rent for public functions to earn funds for the maintenance of the structure. The Delhi High Court today asked Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife to appear before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in connection with a money laundering case lodged against him. Justice Vipin Sanghi asked Singh's wife Pratibha to cooperate with ED when she appears before it on August 9. The court, however, asked ED not to take any coercive step against her on August 9 and in case it wants to further question her it will have to give reasons for it. "In case the ED wants to further question her (Pratibha Singh), they will have to file a status report before it on August 24 and inform about the instances on basis of which they further want to interrogate her," the court said. Pratibha had not appeared before ED yesterday and has been asked to present herself before the agency on August 9. The court's order came on Singh's wife's plea seeking a direction to ED not to take any coercive step against her in the wake of the arrest of an LIC agent in the case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the CM's wife, told the court that she has no problem in joining the questioning by ED, but the agency should ensure that it will not take any coercive step against her. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain said that he was not in a position to give an undertaking that she will not be arrested as at the time of interrogation it will be upto the officer concerned to decided whether her further custody is required or not. He, however, said that on August 9, the agency will not take any such step and will file a status report with regard to the interrogation that takes place that day. The ASG said that in case any further appearance is required or her custody is required, it will be indicated in the status report. The court agreed with the ASG and said that the agency shall not take any coercive step. Besides his wife, Singh has also moved the court, seeking protection from arrest in the case. However, he has not been summoned by ED so far. (Reopens LDG21) In his plea, Singh has said he apprehended that ED might arrest him on the basis of an alleged disclosure statement of insurance agent Anand Chauhan, who was recently arrested from Chandigarh in connection with the case. Chauhan was arrested by ED under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case. The probe agency had alleged that Singh, while serving as the Union Steel Minister, had invested huge amounts in purchasing LIC policies in his and his family members' names through Chauhan. ED had earlier termed as "premature" the plea filed by Singh and others seeking quashing of the money laundering proceedings. It had said the plea seeking stay on the proceedings was "not maintainable" as the inquiry into the matter was in a preliminary stage. ED had last year lodged the case against Singh and others under PMLA after taking cognisance of a criminal complaint filed by CBI in this regard. CBI had lodged a separate disproportionate assets case against Singh and others alleging that he and his family members had amassed wealth of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009 and 2011 disproportionate to the known sources of income. Earlier, CBI had moved Delhi High Court after the Supreme Court transferred its plea seeking vacation of the Himachal Pradesh High Court's interim order restraining it from arresting, interrogating or filing a charge sheet against Virbhadra. As heavy rains lashed Delhi, traffic was thrown out of gear with vehicles moving at snail's pace on several roads due to waterlogging, causing hardships to thousands of office goers and other commuters throughout the day. Morning showers slowed down traffic on the arterial roads of the city. Waterlogging on several roads, underpasses also resulted in heavy traffic jams on different stretches, causing hardships to the commuters. The traffic snarl on roads leading to Gurgaon following heavy rain last evening continued with Delhi Traffic Police warning commuters to avoid NH-8 this morning. "There is traffic jam on NH-8 near Hero Honda chowk, Gurgaon. Motorists going from Delhi to Gurgaon are advised to avoid NH-8," Delhi Traffic Police said in a tweet. Gurgaon Police also cautioned commuters, saying that traffic situation in the city was yet to be normalized. Different roads leading to Gurgaon including NH-8 and Sohna Road were congested in the morning. The movement of vehicles was very slow due to rains and waterlogging. Traffic was slow till afternoon on many roads due to waterlogging. Delhi Traffic Police cautioned commuters to avoid certain road stretches due to waterlogging and heavy traffic. The movement of vehicles was hampered due to waterlogging at many places including at Bharthal Chowk on Dwarka Link Road, Wazirabad Road, Apsara roundabout, Mandoli and Rajokri flyover. Traffic was also affected on NH-24 due to movement of Kanwarias. Heavy traffic was reported on different roads till late afternoon hours. Traffic from Rajdhani Park metro station towards Mundka metro station was hampered due to waterlogging. Rain in the second half of the day caused waterlogging at many other places such as Pamposh Enclave, under Savitri flyover, Chirag Delhi flyover and Modi Mill flyover. US health officials today said that there is a "high likelihood" that four cases of Zika virus have been locally transmitted, the first evidence that mosquitoes carrying the virus are present in the country. Florida Department of Health said they have gathered enough information as part of its ongoing investigation into non-travel related cases of Zika to conclude that "a high likelihood exists" that four cases are the result of local transmission. At this time, the department believes that active transmission of the Zika virus are occurring in one small area in Miami-Dade County, in Florida, the statement said. Florida has already seen nearly 400 cases of Zika, all involving people who were infected while traveling to parts of the world where the virus is circulating. "While no mosquitoes trapped tested positive for the Zika virus, the department believes these cases were likely transmitted through infected mosquitoes in this area," it said. "While no mosquitoes have tested positive for the Zika virus," Florida Governor Rick Scott said, health department is aggressively testing people in this area to ensure there are no other cases. Florida Senator Marco Rubio said the is disturbing. "But no one should be surprised. I've been warning Congress for months that we would eventually have locally transmitted cases of Zika virus in the US, and sadly that has now become a reality," he said. Rubio asked the Obama Administration to use all the tools at its disposal to reprogramme existing public health emergency funding in the short term to deal with Zika. As protests continued for the 21st day today in Kashmir, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said "highly motivated" people in some parts of the Valley, who are "out of national mainstream", were making it difficult for the government to improve the situation there. Delivering a lecture on cyber security, Minister of State for Home Rijiju advocated for building a responsive society for any government to succeed and reasoned that any "adverse public mindset will create big hurdle which is difficult to take care of." He cited the example of Kashmir, which has been witnessing an unrest for the past three weeks after killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8. In the aftermath of this encounter, 47 people have died during protests. "In Kashmir, in some of the places, what we have realised is that people are highly motivated and totally out of the national mainstream thought. The situation is very adverse. We face hostile attitude and in those kind of situation it is really difficult to get into the bottom of the things," he said. The Minister said that state and central intelligence agencies should not allow "any gap" to come in while gathering the intelligence. "You will find there is a gap (in) state intelligence agencies and central intelligence agencies. The sharing of information has to be seamless. If we have a gap, even a small gap, it can become a huge gap," he said. He said while technology made lives easier for a common man, it has also made it easier for the terrorists too. "Sitting somewhere in Iraq or Syria, somebody can recruit someone from India. Cyber world is real and we need to understand it," Rijiju said. When asked about his reaction on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's statement that security forces would have spared terrorist Burhan Wani if they had known about his presence during the encounter, Rijiju said that he has not heard what she has said and will be unable to comment on it. He assured the industry that the government would cooperate and support them in framing policy required to secure cyber space. Minister for State for Information Technology P P Chaudhary said Internet in the country is like nervous system which connects every organ in the body and hence securing it is of prime importance for the government. A 32-year-old Pakistani Hindu doctor was allegedly found dead under mysterious circumstances inside the Intensive Care Unit in a hospital here, a police official has said. Anil Kumar was found dead sitting in a chair on Friday after he had gone inside surgical ICU early in the morning, senior police official Naeemuddin said. "His death is being investigated as he was found dead in mysterious circumstances," he said. According the official, Kumar was discovered after he did not answer to knocks on the door of the surgical wing. The door was broken and he was found dead sitting on his chair. A syringe was found from the spot. "It appears he had administered an injection on his hand as it was bandaged," Naeemuddin said. The body was shifted to the hospital's mortuary where doctors reserved his cause of death for chemical examination while the syringe has also been sent to a forensic laboratory for examination. Earlier this week, a young Hindu businessman was killed and his Hindu friend injured when someone from a mob fired upon them during protests against the desecration of the Holy Quran by another Hindu man who had converted into Islam in Sindh province. Second largest two-wheeler player Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) is looking to double the number of its Best Deal outlets to 200 by the end of 2018 as the company sees huge potential in this space. The company, whose flagship scooter brand Activa last month became the largest selling two-wheeler in the country, opened the 100th Best Deal outlet in Mumbai on Friday. At present, the outlets, part of the regular Honda dealerships, are available in 70 cities across 19 states, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at HMSI said. Best Deal is the first and the only organised retail set-up exclusively for certified Honda pre-owned two-wheelers. Though the company buys any brand of two-wheelers, it will resell only Honda brands. Non-Honda brands are sold to Shriram Automall and CredR, Guleria told PTI. When asked the volume through the Best Deals, he said over the past three years, they have acquired 45,000 new customers through these pre-owned Honda sales. He further said that Honda gives six-month warranty and two free services to the models it sells through these outlets, apart from all other after-sales support. On the direct benefit for the company, Guleria said apart from brand-building through customer retention and acquisition, incremental sales of spare parts lead to better commercial realisation. On the rationale for entering the pre-owned business, he said, "As a pioneer, Honda introduced the concept of certified pre-owned outlets under the Best Deal label, which allows us to create more touch-points of interacting with customers and also to tap into the huge potential that the pre-owned two-wheeler market offers." "Our experience shows that the pre-owned industry is evolving very fast. The replacement cycle for two-wheelers has come down from seven-eight years to three to five years in the past decade alone," he added. When asked about the potential for this business, Guleria said they see immense scope in the pre-owned two-wheeler retail and therefore decided to aggressively scale up the business. He said Honda globally promotes pre-owned sales and that India is not the only or its first market. Through Best Deals, those who want to exchange their existing two-wheelers of any make for a brand new Honda model, or those customers who want to buy a refurbished and certified pre-owned Honda model. A huge haul of explosives, including 1,838 gelatin sticks and 150 kg of ammonium nitrate, suspected to be meant for delivery to Naxals during their ongoing 'martyrs week', was today seizedfrom Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bastar district. Two persons were also arrested with the cache, police said. The recovery was made from the forests near Nagarnar police station area on Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range SRP Kalluri told PTI. Acting on a tip-off about the presence of two suspects with a consignment near Dhanpunji railway crossing, located around 400 kms away from here in Nagarnar area, security forces were rushed to the spot last evening, he said. During the search, two separate bags, filled with 1250 pieces of electronic detonators, were found from their possession following which the two were arrested, the IG said. The duo have been identified as Niranjan Das and Durjati Mahangkodo, natives of Koraput district in Odisha. "The arrested admitted that they supplied explosives and other related materials to Naxal commander Vinod in Chandameta area," the IG said. According to the duo, they had recently struck a deal with Vinod to supply detonators, ammonium nitrate and explosives during the Martyrs's week being observed from July 28 till August 3 by rebels, he said. Subsequently, they revealed about a dump of explosives, which was to be transported to ultras, in Machkot forests on Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. Based on this, 1838 gelatin rods, three bags of ammonium nitrate (150 kg), 397 special ordinary detonators and three bundles safety fuse wire were seized from the region, he added. A case has been registered in this regard and further probe was on, the IG said. Notably, Bastar Police in September last year had recovered a huge haul of explosives including 1,000 kg of ammonium nitrate and 750 kg gelatin, which was being supplied to Bastar from Odisha for naxals. The establishment of the first hydro engineering college in Himachal Pradesh will boost regional development and provide more job opportunities, Union Health Minister J P Nadda today said. He was speaking at an event where an MoU was signed between the Himachal Pradesh government and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) for setting up of the hydro engineering college in Bilaspur. "Setting of the first hydro engineering college will boost regional development and provide more job opportunities for local educated youths and make available specialised work force to NTPC and NHPC. It is indeed a historic moment," Nadda said. He said the institution will help in generation of a technical human resource specialised for specific requirement of hydro power projects. "This initiative of a specialised engineering college dedicated to hydro engineering would be unique not only to our country but perhaps globally as well," he said. The Health Minister noted that hydro power generation, particularly in Himalayan region, requires a combination of technical skills spanning different fields of engineering - civil, hydrology, mechanical and electrical engineering, among others. "Thus, there is a need to have a comprehensive and specialised field of study - hydro engineering college would be an appropriate model," he said, thanking Power Minister Piyush Goyal for taking up the project. Noting that the Hydro Engineering College was conceived in 2009, Nadda said the long-cherished dream is being realised through signing of the pact today. Himachal Pradesh possesses more than 20,000 MW hydropower potential and NTPC and NHPC are engaged in operation and construction of many projects in the state. Goyal said that the institute will provide avenues for higher and technical education and youth of the state will not have to go to faraway places for being technically trained and skilled and added that the college will develop into a Centre of Excellence. BCCI President and BJP MP Anurag Singh Thakur was also present at the event. Noting that "persistent and intensive" focus on maternal and child health has yielded dividends, Nadda said that besides sustaining the country's polio-free status, India has successfully validated Maternal and Neonatal tetanus elimination in May 2015, well before the global target. "What is noteworthy is that India's Under-5 Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Ratio declined at a higher pace than global average," he said. The Health Minister said that initiatives like free drugs services, free diagnostics services, strengthening district hospital, roll out of comprehensive primary health care, quality assurance programme and the Kayakalp awards are all intended to reduce fragmentation of care, improve quality of care and reduce out of pocket expenses. Nadda also released operational framework on management of common cancers, guidance note for outsourced call centre for tele-consultation, grievance redressal and providing information about schemes. On the basis of health indicators and service delivery, the best performing large states for decline in IMR was given to Haryana and West Bengal while Nagaland and Tripura were given the award in the small state category. For service delivery in public health facilities, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were awarded amongst large states and Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh were awarded amongst small states. Best performing Union Territory was Dadar and Nagar Haveli. Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said that this summit is a good platform to share experiences and collectively strategise on how to improve health services in the country. Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas highlighted various steps taken for pregnant women, reducing Infant Mortality Rate, Maternal Mortality Rate and reducing out-of-pocket expenditure for the patients while appreciating the Centre's help for free drugs and diagnostics for the poor and telemedicine schemes. Ahead of his much-anticipated clash with swimming sensation Michael Phelps at the Rio Olympics, Chad Le Clos said that he's the best out there and is busy fine-tuning his skills for the biggest week of his life. The South African created ripples in 200m butterfly at London Olympics after snatching a fifth gold from the American superstar who later ended his career only to return to Rio in what will be a second swansong for the 31-year-old. "Mentally, I believe I'm the strongest athlete out there. Not a lot can break me," the 24-year-old Le Clos told PTI in an email interview, ahead of his much-hyped 200m butterfly duel against Phelps. "It will be a lot different to how it was in London. I feel like I almost have a target on my back. Coming into the Olympic Games in London, I was an underdog. I wasn't really given a shot. So it was almost like I had no pressure coming into the event. "What changes now is that there's a lot of media hype around me. But I think I've learned to deal with all sorts of pressures. I've prepared myself in ways that no one else has," he added. Le Clos' rivalry with his one-time idol has taken the sport to a new height and the latest swimming sensation said he's shifting into sixth gear to finish hard into the wall (touchpad). "You have to go through the gears. A car has five gears, but you almost have to push into 6th gear and get that final burst of speed. In practice and in butterfly especially, I'm always finishing with my head down and into the wall." "Obviously at the Olympic Games in 2012 there were some very tight races, especially the famous one against Michael Phelps. What I've been working for this year is tweaking the small things. It's been all about sharpening my tools and getting ready for the biggest week of my life." "We've mastered the details of doing the long mileage and putting in the hard yards. Now, it's all about fine-tuning my starts, fine-tuning my turns, and making sure that I'm finishing right on a full stroke," he added. A brand ambassador of OMEGA since 2011, he said the luxury Swiss brand was part of his family since his grandfather's days. Terming it a special relationship, he said, "It's actually 80 years. My grandfather would be 103 or 104 today. He had that watch for many years and it's still in the family. I felt like it was destiny when I signed with the brand," he said adding that he would be sporting his favorite Seamaster Planet Ocean. OMEGA is the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932. Terming her mother as a "doer", Chelsea Clinton today said she will vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton who is her "role model" and can protect the planet from climate change. "This November, I am voting for a woman who is my role model as a mother and as an advocate. A woman who has spent her entire life working for children and families," Chelsea said in her address to the Democratic National Convention introducing her mother Hillary Clinton. Clinton, 68, has been nominated as the presidential candidate of the Democratic party for the November elections. In her speech, Chelsea, 36, narrated the story of her mother, her values and family life and how she grew up. "My mom is a listener and a doer, a woman driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice and a heart full of love. Mother Clinton never forgets who she is fighting for," Chelsea said. "She has worked to make it easier for foster kids to be adopted. For our 9/11 first responders to get the health care they deserve. For women around the world to be safe, to be treated with dignity to have more opportunities," she said. Chelsea said she was voting for the progressive who will protect the planet from climate change, communities from gun violence, will reform the criminal justice system and believes that women's rights are human rights and LGBT rights are human rights. "I am voting for a fighter who never, ever gives up and who always believe we can do better, if we come together and work together," Chelsea said as she introduced her mother to the audience. Earlier, a new video on Hillary Clinton made by award-winning television producing partners Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers was released. Narrated by Actor Morgan Freeman, the twelve-minute film, "Hillary" featured interviews with the President and her husband Bill Clinton, US President Barack Obama, a 9/11 survivor and first responder, as well as Clinton's childhood friend. India today raised with Japan various issues, including greater market access for its goods and services like marine products and pharma in that market, to boost trade between the two countries. These were discussed during the third meeting of the Joint Committee at the secretary level under the India-Japan CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) here. The Commerce and Industry Ministry also said that though there has been an increase in work visas issued by Japan after the co-operation agreement, the market share of Indian IT companies in Japan is considered below potential. Both sides also tried to figure out how to improve this, the ministry said in a statement. "The Indian side highlighted various issues which need to be addressed by the Japanese side for providing greater market access to Indian products in Japan, especially items with a high potential like sesame seeds, marine products and pharmaceuticals," it said. India also sought recognition of the Indian organic standards by Japan. The decision of Japan to reduce its increasing healthcare costs on account of its ageing population and switch over to a higher share of generic medicines was seen as a potential opportunity for the Indian pharma industry, which is strong in generics. Further, Japan raised several issues relating to taxation and investment in India. Both the sides agreed on the need for higher cooperation in providing market access to Indian products in Japan and facilitating Japanese investments in India, the ministry added. The Indian side was led by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia and the Japanese delegation by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Keiichi Katakami. The bilateral trade between the countries stood at USD 14.51 billion in 2015-16. India received USD 20.96 billion FDI from Japan during April 2000 and March 2016. Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave on Friday expressed hope that India, home to 70 per cent of world's population, would be able to double the number of wild cats by 2022 through "conservation and care". "India has 2,226 tigers spread out in over 17 states and 49 sanctuaries across the country," Dave said. "A healthy is a symbol of healthy environment," he said on the International Day. In an official statement, Dave expressed hope that India will be able to double the population of tigers by 2022 by "conserving and caring for them." He emphasised that India is contributing significantly towards achieving the St Petersburg target, commonly referred to as the global wildlife conservation goal 'TX2', which aims to double tiger numbers in the next six years. Although India has the maximum number of tigers amongst the 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRC) in the world, the status of the wild cats across the TRCs continues to remain endangered. Though there have been some gains in the population build-up in some TRCs like India, Nepal, Bhutan and Russia, the global scenario is a "major cause for concern", the statement said. Dave exhorted tourists from across the world to come to India to see the wild cats and administered a pledge to students for tiger conservation after which he flagged off the 'Walk for Tiger' campaign. Tigers have become extinct in some TRCs and the status of prey, as well as the habitat, has declined, it said. The heads of governments of TRCs, have resolved to strive to double the number of wild tigers (TX2) by 2022 and adopted the St Petersburg Resolution on Tiger Conservation. Indonesia today executed four drug convicts by firing squad, but temporarily spared 10 others including an Indian, drawing swift condemnation as Jakarta pushes on with its tough campaign of capital punishment. Ten expected to have faced the firing squad, including nationals from Pakistan, India and Zimbabwe as well as Indonesians, were not put to death but officials said they would be executed at a later stage. Authorities did not give a reason for the reprieve, but the prison island where they were expected to be executed in outdoor clearings was hit by a major storm as the other sentences were carried out. The executions, which saw an Indonesian and three Nigerians face the firing squad, were the first in the country since April last year when authorities put to death eight drug convicts, including two Australians. President Joko Widodo has defended dramatically ramping up the use of capital punishment, saying that Indonesia is fighting a war on drugs and traffickers must be heavily punished. Noor Rachmad, deputy attorney general for general crimes, said the latest executions were "done not in order to take lives but to stop evil intentions, and the evil act of drug trafficking". He added that "the rest (of the executions) will be carried out in stages", saying that the timings had not yet been decided. Amnesty International condemned the executions, with the group's Rafendi Djamin labelling them "a deplorable act". "Any executions that are still to take place must be halted immediately. The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won't be compounded," he said. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union had also voiced opposition to the plan in recent days. The executions, which happened at 12:45 am (1745 GMT Thursday), came after a day of frenetic activity, with distraught relatives travelling to Nusakambangan island to say farewells to their loved ones and ambulances carrying coffins over to the heavily guarded penal colony. The executed Indonesian was named as Freddy Budiman, while the three Nigerians were: Seck Osmane, Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke and Michael Titus Igweh. Eleweke's lawyer, Afif Abdul Qoyim, told AFP the execution should not have gone ahead as his client this week filed a legal appeal. "When this process in not respected, that means that this is no longer a country that upholds the law, nor human rights," he said. Two people whose cases had raised high-profile international concern among rights groups were not executed. The first was Pakistani Zulfiqar Ali, whom rights groups say was beaten into confessing to the crime of heroin possession, leading to his 2005 death sentence. The other was Indonesian woman Merri Utami, who was caught with heroin in her bag as she came through Jakarta airport and claims she was duped into becoming a drug mule. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Friday said it is the Centre's duty to help the Union Territory by sanctioning required funds for developmental activities. Addressing a meeting, organised by Pradesh Congress Committee to celebrate the 122nd birth anniversary of former Congress Chief Minister Edouard Goubert at the party office in Puducherry, Narayanasamy mentioned his visit to Delhi recently and his meetings with the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Finance Minister and others to seek adequate funds for . "I get the positive signals that Centre would assist to meet its commitments in developmental programmes.It is, however, the duty of the Centre to help Puducherry as it is our right to claim for funds," he said. He hit out at the previous All India N Rangasamy Congress government led by N Rangasamy, alleging that various public sectors had suffered losses during its tenure. "Development is the only goal for us and it would be our relentless efforts to relieve government undertakings and government departments of the present ills," he added. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leader Sanjay Singh were today granted bail by a local court here after they appeared in connection with a defamation case filed by Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. The court has fixed October 15 as the next date for hearing. "Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh today appeared before the court here which granted them bail. Ashish Khetan has been asked to appear before the court on the next date of hearing which has been fixed as October 15," AAP member and advocate H S Phoolka told reporters here. The court had on July 18 issued summons to Kejriwal, Singh, who is AAP's Punjab affairs in-charge, and Khetan, a journalist-turned-politician, to appear before it in the defamation case. On May 20, Majithia had filed the criminal defamation case against the three in a court here alleging that AAP was bent upon tarnishing his and his family's image by levelling baseless allegations over the drug issue. A large number of AAP supporters, carrying placards, gathered at Amritsar circuit house here to express solidarity with Kejriwal and other party leaders. Tight security arrangements were made by the police to maintain law and order. It is Kejriwal's third visit to Amritsar this month. He first came to the city on July 3 for launching party's youth manifesto ahead of the 2017 state Assembly elections and then on July 18 to perform 'Sewa' (volunteer service) at the Golden Temple . Kerala Chief Minister said on Friday, his government plans to expedite the construction activities of Vizhinjam port after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his commitment to make it a reality. "PM assured that the proposed Colachel port (in Tamil Nadu) is not going to affect the economic prospects of the Vizhinjam project. He also said that the Centre is committed to make Vizhinjam project a reality," Vijayan told reporters here after meeting Modi. "We have expressed our concerns over the in-principle nod given to the Colachel port as it would affect the economic prospects of both the ports. Our concern is real," he said. A new port within 30 km of Vizhinjam will affect the prospects of both the ports. Centre had already approved a viability gap fund of 800 crore for Vizhinjam, Vijayan said. "Earlier, the Shipping ministry had questioned the need for a new port at Vizhinjam as we already have a transshipment terminal at Cochin... As per the directions of Planning Commission, until a port attains 90 per cent of its capacity or completes 15 years after its construction, no new port must be allowed within a radius of 100 km. But the PM has taken a stand that the proposed Colachel port is not going to affect the Vizhinjam project," Vijayan said. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said the speeding-up of Vizhinjam project indicates a healthy competition between the states. "Both the ports would help the nation develop. We have two ports along the Tamil Nadu coastline. Similarly, Maharashtra also has got two ports nearby. This will add to the development of the nation as whole," he said. Vijayan, during the meeting with Modi, demanded to include Vizhinjam project in the Sagar Mala project, which is a strategic and customer oriented initiative of the Union Government to modernise India's ports. "We are planning to complete the construction works within a time frame. We are concerned but we can't drop the project. We need to finish the project fast. The only option available as of now is to expedite the construction works," he said. Meanwhile, Radhakrishnan thanked Modi for taking a firm stand for the proposed Colachel port and said he hoped that the Tamil Nadu government would also take a speedy decision to expedite the necessary steps to make Colachel port a reality. Engineering major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) today reported a 45.51 per cent increase in net profit at Rs 609.6 crore for the June quarter on the back of improved performance in various segments. The firm had clocked a net profit of Rs 418.94 crore in the year-ago period. Total income rose 9.10 per cent to Rs 21,873.8 crore in the April-June quarter from Rs 20,048.24 crore during the same period in 2015-16. "The revenue growth was driven mainly by infra, power and services segments. Revenues from international business grew 18 per cent to Rs 7,622 crore in the quarter, which was nearly 35 per cent of the total revenues," Group Chief Financial Officer R Shankar Raman told reporters here. The company bagged fresh orders worth Rs 29,702 crore at consolidated level in the first quarter, registering an increase of 14 per cent. International orders at Rs 13,211 crore constituted 44 per cent of the total order inflow. "Order inflow growth was mainly from hydrocarbon, water, and heavy civil verticals. International order inflow growth was primarily from the hydrocarbon business where we bagged a large order from Saudi Arabia," he said. Raman said even as the international markets are looking positive in terms of awarding contracts, the domestic space is yet to pick up. "The domestic capex from the private sector is still muted. The orders are coming largely from the public sector projects. We are bidding for various projects in the roads, railways and water segments. In addition, we will participate in the coastal road and metro projects," he said, adding, "large order book provides multi-year revenue visibility." The consolidated order book of the group stood at Rs 2,57,427 crore in the first quarter, up 8 per cent y-o-y. International order book constituted 29 per cent of the total order book. "The investment climate in India is yet to gather pace, particularly in the private sector. High corporate debt levels, balance sheet challenges of banks, weak industrial and rural demand and sluggish exports are posing hurdles to the investment momentum," Raman added. Both Central and state governments-led push to capital expenditure holds the key to accelerate the growth engine. Good progress of monsoon and pay revisions for government employees are expected to spur household demand, he added. "The government's intent to pursue economic reforms is visible through passage of bankruptcy code as well as efforts to build consensus on GST Bill and attract foreign investments to make India a high-tech manufacturing hub. "The initiatives for development of smart cities and other infrastructure projects augur well for the company," L&T Deputy Managing Director and President S N Subrahmanyan said. On the international front, the company will continue to target select prospects in the space of core infrastructure and oil & gas sector in the Middle East (West Asia), Africa and neighbouring countries. "We have recently finalised our strategic plan for five years with a focus on profitable growth. We remain well placed to benefit from emerging opportunities with execution capabilities and leadership position in various sectors," Subrahmanyan added. BJP today gloated over RJD and JD(U), two major constituents of grand secular alliance government in Bihar, charting different courses in Uttar Pradesh poll and said it would have "effect" on the ruling coalition here. "It would have effect on the ruling coalition in Bihar," BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, reacting on RJD president Lalu Prasad's announcement that his party would not contest UP polls, told reporters. While Prasad has announced that his party would not field any candidate and indicated helping his 'samdhi' and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kumar has been making frequent tours of UP signalling his intent to play a significant role in upcoming polls in the neighbouring state. "Even as Lalu Prasad is strongly siding with SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, many of the assertions of Nitish Kumar have been against SP chief which indicates sharp difference between 'Bade bhai' (Lalu) and 'Chhote bhai' (Nitish)," said Sushil, the Leader of Opposition in state Legislative Council. "Their clashing interests in UP would definitely have an effect on the grand secular alliance in Bihar," he said and claimed that Prasad and Kumar have "conflicting interests". "RJD chief's floating demand for 80 per cent reservation for Biharis in jobs and admission in technical institutions and his assertions against ban on toddy sale in Bihar appears to be guided by his intent to play one-upmanship against Nitish Kumar who has favoured extension of reservation for SC, ST and OBC in private sectors as well as in judiciary and his going all hog in support of prohibition," the BJP leader claimed. Sushil also lamented the Nitish Kumar government scheduling the monsoon session for only five days. "Such a short session of five days is unprecedented in Bihar. The session will end on August 4 (Thursday) and the members would be deprived of asking any question on education department which is scheduled for Friday," he said. He also criticised the state government circulating amendment in new Excise Act with "draconian" provisions of arrest of adult members of the family if alcohol is seized from that house without consulting all parties. "The state government which circulated the amendment legislation in state Assembly this morning has sought opinion of the members till 3 PM. Is it possible for members to go through the detailed legislation properly?" he asked, adding BJP would still place its reservation particularly on arrest of adult family members in case of seizure of liquor from their house. Aircraft lessors have approached the civil aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), asking it to deregister their three planes loaned to Air Pegasus after the airline defaulted on rental payment. The Bengaluru-based airline, which is facing severe fund crunch, has already suspended operations indefinitely, DGCA sources said. The airline has not been carrying out operations since Wednesday. "We have received an application from the lessors seeking deregistration of three ATR-72 plane with Air Pegasus," a source said. The application is being processed, it said, adding that of the three aircraft, one is already out of operation for quite sometime. The deregistration will enable the lessors to take the aircraft out of the country after repossessing them. Air Pegasus Managing Director Shyson Thomas did not respond to calls. The carrier, which was launched in April 2015, operates flights from Bengaluru to Chennai, Cuddapah, Hubli, Madurai, Mangalore, Puducherry, and Trivandrum in South India, as per latest data available with the DGCA. Recently, DGCA has suspended five Air Pegasus pilots for serious safety violations. The civil aviation regulator had also warned that the airline would not be allowed to fly on new routes unless the lapses were addressed at the earliest. At that time, a senior Air Pegasus official had said that the issues raised by the regulator had been addressed. A safety audit of Air Pegasus, conducted in late April, showed serious violations safety rules in some of its flights. A senior leader has hinted that the agitating Madhesi parties may join Nepal's new government if their demands are addressed. "The United Democratic Madhesi Front may join the new government if we get commitment of fulfilling our demands from the new government," said Rajendra Mahato, president of Sadbhawana Party, one of the members of the Madhesis alliance. Nepal plunged into a political turmoil after Prime Minister K P Oli resigned just before a no-confidence vote. Oli tendered his resignation after two key ruling alliance partners -- Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic and Rastriya Prajatantra Party -- decided to support the no-confidence motion tabled against him by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-Maoist Centre led by Prachanda in the 596-member Parliament. President Bidya Bhandari called political parties to form a national consensus government within one-week time as per the provision of the constitution the largest party in the Parliament Nepali Congress and the Maoists agreed to take initiatives to form a national consensus government. The two parties have also agreed to form a new government under the leadership of chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal Puspha Kamal Dahal who is also known as Prachanda. The deadline issued by Bhandari to form a consensus government is till Monday. If no consensus could be reached among the parties on the formation of a government then the process of forming a majority government will start from Tuesday. "They (Maoist and Nepali Congress) have not yet asked for our support to form the new government," Mahato said, adding "if they seek our support we will clearly put our issues and until and unless they express commitment to address these issues we cannot consider joining the government." The first point in the seven-point agreement signed between the UCPN-Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress before registering vote of no-trust against Oli government mentions about addressing the demands of the Madhesi parties, he pointed out. Madhesis have been demanding amendments to the newly-enacted Constitution to ensure adequate political representation and reorganisation of the federal boundaries. The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court today that it had decided to post four armed policemen round-the-clock at 16 government hospitals in the state to provide security to resident doctors who face the risk of being assaulted by relatives of patients. A bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed was hearing a public interest litigation by social activist Afaq Mandviya, challenging the strike undertaken recently by resident doctors of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD). During the hearing, MARD had said that the government has not taken any security measures to protect them from physical assaults by relatives of patients, who are not satisfied with the treatment provided to their kin. The court thereupon asked the government to immediately go into the issue of providing security to the doctors. Perusing the papers, the bench today noted that the committee headed by retired Judge V C Daga, appointed to look into the grievances of the doctors owing allegiance to MARD, had not met even once during its tenure so far. The court asked the government to appoint another Judge as the head of this committee if Justice Daga was busy or not available for personal reasons. The government pleader assured that it would talk to Justice Daga and ensure that the committee resumes its task as early as possible. The matter has been adjourned to August 12. On previous hearing, acting Advocate General Rohit Deo informed the High Court that the government has decided to deploy 56 more policemen in state-run hospitals in the city. On earlier hearings, MARD had assured the HC that henceforth it would not give a call or go on strike anywhere in the state and would only hold peaceful demonstrations highlighting their grievances which included attacks on doctors by relatives. Maharashtra government today said it has decided to regularise unauthorised constructions till December 2015 on a mass scale in the state's urban belts. Minister of State for Urban Development Ranjit Patil informed the Legislative Assembly that the government was planning a comprehensive policy for the entire state. "This is an emotional matter for those, who have bought flats in such (illegal) buildings and are living there," Patil said. "The decision (to regularise constructions,) will be taken by the court. The government has only to go there (court) and declare its policy on the matter," the minister said. This policy will be applicable for the entire state, he said. "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had to rush to Nagpur today or else and announcement on the policy would have been made today itself," Patil said. Patil's response came after a calling attention notice on illegal constructions at Digha in Navi Mumbai was put off owing to absence of Fadnavis, who also holds the Urban Development portfolio. NCP MLA Jayant Patil said the Supreme Court had stayed the demolition of illegal constructions in Digha till July 31. If demolitions begin, it will be Injustice to Digha residents, he said. Normal life across Karnataka is likely to be affected tomorrow in view of a bandh called by pro-Kannada and farmer organisations protesting the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal's interimorder rejecting the state's petition seeking 7.56 tmcft fordrinking water projects. Transport services may be hit with several transport workers unions, autorickshaws and cab unions extending support to the call. Film theatres, hotels, restaurants and malls will also remain shut in support of the bandh.Sensing the inconvenience that the bandh may cause tostudents, some private schools and colleges have declaredholiday tomorrow. Kannada film industry has also come in support of the bandh and film stars, directors and producers will be holdinga protest march in the city tomorrow. Appealing for peace, Home Minister G Parameshwarawarned against any act that violates law and causes damage topublic or government property. He said two companies of Rapid Action Force and an equal number of Border Security Force had been deployed at sensitive areas besides state Reserve Police and regular forces. Three Additional Director General of Police ranking officials Bhaskar Rao, Raghavendra Auradkar and Kamal Panth have been deputed to sensitive areas to avoid any untoward incident, he added. Stating that Superintendent of Police of all districts have been instructed to ensure that no untoward incident happens, he said Hubballi-Dharwad Belagavi, Gadag, Haveri as also Chikkaballapura and Kolar have been identified as sensitive. Tension has gripped most parts of northern Karnatakalike Gadag, Hubballi, Dharwad, Haveri, Belagavi, Naragunda, Navalagunda and other places as protest had turned violent yesterday during which government offices had come under attack and damages were caused to public property. Stating that prohibitory orders are in place indisturbed areas, he said several people have beenarrested and cases have been booked at various places inconnection with the violence. He said the Director General and Inspector General of Police has been asked to file a report on violence and lapses by police in preventing it. Karnataka government, which has locked horns with neighboring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states, had petitioned the tribunal seeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project. The tribunal which gave its interim order Wednesday after hearing arguments from both Karnataka and Goa had rejected state's plea citing various grounds includingecological damage that the project may cause. The Kalasa-Banduri Nala (diversion) project, whichwill utilise 7.56 tmcft of water from the inter-state Mahadayi River, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag. It involves building barrages across Kalasa andBanduri, tributaries of Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 TMC to Malaprabha River which supplies drinking water needs of the twin cities. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier said thatafter consulting legal experts and leaders of all politicalparties the further course of action would be decided. Goa government had earlier rejected Karnataka'sattempt for an out-of-court settlement of the dispute statingthat the people of the state felt it was more prudent tosettle the dispute through the Tribunal. A veterinary institute here will now adopt 'gaushalas' to guide them in providing better care to the cows for their rearing and breeding at these shelters. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu-chikitsa Vigyan Viswavidyalaya Evam Go-Anusandhan Sansthan vice-chancellor K M L Pathak said it has adopted Panchayati Gaushala Vrindaban to begin with and others will be adopted gradually. A three-member team of doctors for guidance in terms nutrition, breeding, reproduction and medicine has been formed, he said. "The team consists of expertin nutrition, gynecology and medicine," he said, adding it would visit the 'gaushalas' twice a month to guide and advise them. Managers of the 'gaushalas' would be given proper training in cow-keeping and nutrition. "Training for preparation of silage (green fodder stored in airtight conditions without being dried and used in the winter) would also be given since it is not only nutritious, digestive and cheap but animals also like it," Pathak said. The University has also signed an MOU with Uttar Pradesh Livestock Development Board for supply of semen. "Good quality of Sahiwal breed semen, as per the MOU, would be received at the University. It would be used for up-gradation of indigenous and non-nondescript, breed of cow present in the 'gaushalas' other areas of the district," he said. In order to make goshalas self-relient, managers would also be trained for preparation of value-added products like like 'paneer', 'khova' etc, Pathak said. Actor Matt Damon has praised his best friend Ben Affleck for his poker abilities and said he was even banned from Las Vegas' Casino. The 45-year-old "Jason Bourne" star said he cannot compare himself to his longtime actor friend Affleck, 43, in terms of playing cards, reported Female First. Damon said he learned poker when he was preparing to star in 1998 movie "Rounders", "They keep letting me back in here. I'm not Ben Affleck good. Ben Affleck is not allowed to play, he got banned from all these places, I didn't. I downloaded that card-counting app and then I didn't do it because Ben can't play blackjack in Vegas anymore. He's been disinvited," he said. When asked about working with Affleck again Damon joked, "The problem there is that he just keeps giving himself the best roles, so until he stops doing that and maybe just directs, none of us can really work with him. A Mumbai-based diamond merchant was relieved of a 11-carrot diamond worth about Rs 2.75 lakh by two men under the pretext of "examining" it here today, police said. Nazeer and his friend Arumugam took to their heels with the diamond, much to the shock of the merchant, who raised an alarm seeking help to catch them. Two policemen, who were on patrol duty, chased the duo and nabbed Arumugam, while Nazeer made good his escape with the diamond. The incident happened when Nazeer, a broker dealing with precious stones, and his friend Arumugam, had gone to meet diamond merchant Rajesh Waswani of Mumbai to examine the diamond and suggest a suitable buyer for it. A hunt is on for Nazeer, police said. The mortal remains of tabla maestro Pandit Lacchu Maharaj, who passed away on Wednesday night in the city, were today consigned to flames at the Manikarnika ghat here. He was 72. The renowned Banaras Gharana musician, whose real name was Laxmi Narayan Singh, was ailing for some time and had been admitted to a private hospital on Wednesday, where he died of a heart attack, his younger brother Jai Narayan Singh said. Born and brought up in Varanasi, the maestro had worked in many Bollywood films and performed all over the world. Filmstar Govinda, who was his relative, learnt music from him at a young age. He had married a French woman Tina, who along with their daughter lives in France. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet, condoled the tabla exponent's death. "Pt Lacchu Maharaj's demise is a big loss to the world of Indian Classical Music. He was a widely admired musical maestro-My condolences," the Prime Minister said. Congress president Sonia Gandhi described him as one of the frontline exponents of tabla and conveyed her condolences to the bereaved family. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also expressed grief over Lacchu Maharaj's death. A 55-year-old man and his son, who were accused in a murder case, were allegedly shot dead by eight unidentified persons on motorcycles at Patsera village under Pichhore tehsil in Shivpuri district, police said today. Jaswant Yadav and his 35-year-old son Vijay were going on a motorbike when the incident took place at Patsera village last evening, Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) S S Tomar said. They were returning from a court hearing, he said. "The double murder case might be the fallout of some old enmity. The deceased, both local residents, were accused in a murder case," district Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Yusuf Qureshi said. The SP said that police have registered a case against the eight unidentified accused. Further investigation is on. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today launched 'Mission Harita Andhra Pradesh', with the theme 'green cover for a happy living', by planting saplings at Sunkollu village under Nuzividu mandal in Krishna district. Interestingly, Harita Andhra Pradesh was a pet project of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy but Chandrababu has now made it a 'mission' with a new slogan Vanam-Manam (forest and we). The objective of the mission is to increase the green cover in the state to 50 per cent by the year 2029. Andhra currently has 23 per cent green cover (forest area) and another 3 per cent non-forest, besides 13 lakh hectares of degraded forest. The Chief Minister gave a call to everybody to plant one crore saplings today alone. "We have to double the green cover by taking up plantation in four lakh acres per annum in the next 10 years. We have to grow 25-30 crore trees every year," the Chief Minister said. "Everyone breathing oxygen should grow a tree otherwise you can't be called a human being," Chandrababu said. Saplings planted would be geo-tagged while a geo-fencing would be provided to guard the plantation. Urban forests would be developed in all municipal corporations in the state, he added. Women self-help groups would be entrusted with the task of dibbling for growth of seedlings and they would be given 100 days of work every year for this under the MGNREGA, the Chief Minister announced. The state government would also establish a tree bank and come out with a white paper and an action plan for implementation of the Mission Harita AP. Ministers, public representatives, officials and others took part in the programme. Three people including a NATO observer were killed when ammunition exploded at a military depot in northern Ukraine, officials said. Two other people were wounded in the blast yesterday that happened as ammunition which had been brought for disposal at the facility in the northern Sumy region was being unloaded. "A NATO representative was among those three killed in the explosion," Yuliana Lazarenko, a spokeswoman for Ukraine's military prosecutor, told AFP. She added he was a Ukrainian citizen who oversaw ammunition disposal as part of a joint Ukraine-NATO programme. Ukraine still hosts vasts stockpiles of surplus and obsolete Soviet-era ammunition and weapons, including landmines and small arms. The western military alliance has been funding the safe disposal of the arms caches for several years. Motorists and other commuters had a harrowing time today in Delhi as they remained stuck for hours in massive traffic jams due to water-logging caused by incessant rainfall and the ripple effect of the 'monstrous' Gurgaon jam. The worst affected stretch on National Highway-8 towards Gurgaon was clogged by miles-long tailbacks of thousands of vehicles forced-stuck in the jam that began late last evening. As heavy rains lashed the capital, traffic was thrown out of gear with vehicles moving at snail's pace on waterlogged stretches, troubling office-goers and other commuters. In a report on waterlogging and roads leading to NH-8, Delhi government said there was free flow of water in Najafgarh drain while the three drains pertaining to Haryana government - Bajghera, Dharampur and Badshahpur - that discharge water from Gurgoan into NG drain, were found to be under construction, which led to waterlogging. A senior Delhi government official said the findings were conveyed to HUDA and Haryana Irrigation department for action. Morning showers slowed the traffic on the capital's arterial roads. Waterlogging on roads and underpasses resulted in massive jams on several stretches, holding up commuters. With traffic almost standstill towards Gurgaon, the Delhi Traffic Police issued advisory for motorists to avoid the Delhi-Jaipur expressway. "There is traffic jam on NH-8 near Hero Honda chowk, Gurgaon. Motorists going from Delhi to Gurgaon are advised to avoid NH-8," Delhi Traffic Police tweeted. Roads leading to Gurgaon, including NH-8 and Sohna Road, were congested in the morning. The movement of vehicles was very slow following the rainfall and the waterlogging. Vehicle breakdowns were reported from several areas. Waterlogging hampered movement of vehicles at many places including at Bharthal Chowk on Dwarka Link Road, Wazirabad Road, Apsara roundabout, Mandoli and Rajokri flyover. Traffic was also hit on NH-24 due to movement of Kanwarias. Heavy traffic was reported on several roads till late afternoon. Traffic from Rajdhani Park metro station towards Mundka metro station was hampered due to waterlogging. Another spell of rainfall in the late afternoon caused severe waterlogging at Pamposh Enclave, near Savitri flyover, Chirag Delhi flyover and Modi Mill flyover. According to the Met department, the Safdarjung observatory received 10.1 mm rainfall while the Palam observatory in south Delhi recorded 64 mm of rainfall. The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) has set up a centre for child rights along with UNICEF to reach out to marginalised children of the society for protecting their rights. "The centre will reach out to the marginalised children in the society and facilitate better protection of their rights by providing complementary support to different stakeholders involved in the child rights paradigm," said Centre head Ruchira Goswami. The centre visualises not only being a nodal centre of child rights in eastern India but also establishing itself as an important stakeholder in promotion and protection of child rights at the national and international level. Goswami, also a professor at the top law school, said they will provide integrated support to different layers of institutional governance for the protection of child rights by creating a framework of research-support and logistical backup to the statutory processes concerning protection of children. Established within the university recently, the centre is being run in partnership with international child rights body UNICEF to promote, protect and fulfil the rights of the children. She said the centre will conduct research work on various aspects of child rights and organise capacity building exercises for stake holders in the juvenile justice system and the civil society. Central government employees, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) receiving foreign and domestic grant and their executives need to file details of their assets and liabilities by the extended deadline of December 31. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday issued an order notifying the new deadline. This is the sixth extension given to about 5 million government employees for filing details of assets and liabilities, along with that of their spouses and dependent children, as part of mandatory obligations under the Lokpal Act. Whereas, for NGOs and their executives, this is the first such extension. The existing deadline was to end on Sunday. The six-month extension came after Parliament had on Thursday passed a Bill to amend the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, following representations from Members of Parliament against one of the provisions of the law that mandates disclosure of assets by NGOs and their office-bearers. The Lok Sabha had on Wednesday passed the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Amendment) Bill, 2016. It got Rajya Sabha nod on Thursday. With the latest extension, the declarations now need to be filed by December 31. The declarations under the Lokpal law are in addition to similar ones filed by the employees under various services rules. As per rules, notified under the Lokpal Act, every public servant shall file declaration, information and annual returns pertaining to his assets and liabilities as on March 31 every year or on or before July 31 of that year. For 2014, the last date for filing returns was September 15 of that year. It was first extended till December 2014, then till April 30, 2015 and third extension was up to October 15. The date was then extended to April 15 and then July 31, this year for filing of the returns. The DoPT had last month issued an order bringing NGOs receiving more than Rs 1 crore in government grants and donations above Rs 10 lakh from abroad under the ambit of the Lokpal. The order had mandated filing of mandatory returns of the assets and liabilities by such organisations and their executives director, manager, secretary or any other officer. Government has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that currently there was no legal provision under which diesel vehicles which were more than 15 -year-old and were BS I or BS II compliant could be scrapped. The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises said that the tribunal's orders of July 18 and July 20, in which it had directed the Delhi government to cancel the registration of all diesel-powered vehicles which are more than 10-year-old from plying in the city, was in "contravention" of the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act. "At present no legal provisions exist under which diesel vehicles which are more than 15 years old and are BS I or BS II compliant could be scrapped," the ministry said in its affidavit filed before the green panel. It said that "forcible scrapping" of vehicles might give rise to various litigations and such an order would "amount to penalizing the motor vehicles owners who have complied with the law of the land". "It is apprehended that forcible scrapping of vehicles done in compliance of the Tribunal's order may give rise to innumerable writ petitions by affected vehicle owners, in various courts leading to wastage of precious time of these courts," the affidavit said. "There is no provision in the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 as amended in 2015 or any rule made thereunder that has been violated by the motor vehicles whose registration has been ordered to be cancelled," it said. It said motor vehicles have to carry a valid Pollution under Control certificate and therefore, "there is already a mechanism in place to allow only those motor vehicles to ply on road that comply with the requirement of having a valid PUC certificate". The ministry has filed the affidavit in pursuance to the NGT's direction which had asked it to give status of electric and hybrid vehicles in the country and also about the benefits the ministry was considering for those who wish to dispose of their old vehicles. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, who is representing the ministry, will argue the matter before the tribunal on August 2. In its July 20 order, the NGT had said that deregistration of 15 to 10 years old diesel vehicles in the national capital would be carried out in a phased manner and had barred entry of such trucks with national permits in Delhi-NCR. In its affidavit, the ministry said that as per the NGT's order, "the deregistration authorities are directed to start deregistration with reference to the oldest of the vehicles, in other words at the first step the vehicles which are more than 15 years old would be deregistered and then gradually other vehicles would be deregistered from 15 years to 10 years respectively." Referring to the existing Motor Vehicle Act, the ministry said that it does not provide any power to the State or the Central Government to cancel registration without examination of the vehicle. "Further, the owner of the vehicle should be given an opportunity to make a representation before his vehicle is considered for cancelLation of registration. The Motor Vehicle Act also clearly mentions that registering authority should satisfy that the vehicle will constitute a danger to public and it is beyond reasonable repair," it said. The affidavit further said that term 'de-registration' of vehicles does not appear in The Motor Vehicle Act and there were enabling provisions for 'suspension of registration' and 'cancellation of registration'. The tribunal had earlier said that diesel vehicles which are 15-year-old should be de-registered first and would not get a No Objection Certificate (NoC) for plying outside Delhi-NCR. It had said that only de-registered diesel vehicles which are less than 15-year-old can get NoC for plying in select areas outside Delhi-NCR to be decided by states where vehicle density is less. The NGT had on April 7, 2015 held that all diesel vehicles which are more than 10-year-old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR. On November 26, 2014, it had banned plying of all diesel or petrol vehicles which were more than 15-year-old. The Centre has requested the Maharashtra government to expedite auction of properties attached in the Rs 5,600 crore NSEL payment crisis matter and also deploy full time "competent authorities" for dealing with work related to the defunct exchange. Providing an update on the NSEL case, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also told the Lok Sabha that Sebi is examining audit reports related to five brokers in the matter. Multiple agencies, including Enforcement Directorate and CBI, are probing the matter for fraud to the tune of Rs 5,600 crore by duping investors. "The Government of Maharashtra has been requested to strengthen the EoW, Mumbai Police, increase the number of designated courts under MPID Act, deploy full time competent authorities for dealing exclusively with NSEL-related work and approve panel of evaluators and auctioneers to facilitate early auction of attached properties," Jaitley said. MPID Act refers to Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (In Financial Establishments) Act, 1999. So far, five gazette notifications have been issued with respect to attachment of assets worth Rs 6,115.25 crore. "The state government has been requested to expedite the auction of properties attached with a view to refunding the amounts to the investors," Jaitley said in a written reply. Meanwhile, EoW is awaiting the decision of MPID Court on a proposal to pay the remuneration of two forensic auditors appointed by the Maharashtra government from the auction proceeds in the case. In 2015, the state government had appointed two forensic auditors, who rendered their assistance to EoW in the investigation. "However, due to pending issue of remuneration, they have stopped their audit work. A proposal to disburse their remuneration from the auction proceeds in this case has been submitted by EoW, Mumbai Police for decision in the MPID Court," the Minister said. With regard to the case, Corporate Affairs Ministry has ordered merger of NSEL with parent firm FTIL. Besides, the Ministry has sought disqualification of directors of the earlier and existing boards of FTIL. "The actions taken by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in respect of FTIL/ NSEL await judicial decision/ pronouncement," Jaitley said. The Enforcement Directorate has filed a prosecution complaint before PMLA Court, Mumbai againt NSEL and 67 others in March 2015. "CBI registered a case each against NSEL and Projects and Equipment Corporation of India Ltd and NSEL and Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India Ltd on February 12, 2014 and June 18, 2014, respectively," Jaitley said. US President Barack Obama is hopeful that his successor will continue to take forward America's engagement with India, the White House has said. "President Obama's Asia rebalance has included prioritizing the United States' relationship with the world's largest democracy," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday at his daily conference. "So I think it's an indication of the long-standing warm relationship between United States and India. Some of that is a result of the investment of diplomatic capital that President Obama has made in that relationship," he said. The President is hopeful that his successor will do the same thing, because it benefits the American people, and our economy, and certainly our national security, he said. "And President Obama has traveled multiple times Indian and the president has been warmly received by the Indian people in each visit. I know that he has enjoyed each visit," he said in response to a question. Earnest said Obama has appreciated the effective working relationship that he's had with the leaders of both countries. "Of course, the President and Mrs. Obama hosted by Mr. (Manmohan) Singh and his wife here at the White House for the very first White House State Dinner. And President Obama was able to work effectively with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach an agreement about the commitments that India would make in the context of the Paris Climate Talks," he said. "That was viewed by many as the linchpin of completing the agreement in Paris," Earnest said. Obama, he said, has indicated is that he is committed to ensuring a smooth transition from the Obama administration to his successor. "I'm confident that will include conversations between President Obama and the President-elect when the time comes. I don't know how wide-ranging that discussion will be. It certainly could include India. But whoever it is, President Obama is committed to ensuring a smooth transition," he said. China's state media today praised K P Oli as "probably the most important prime minister of Nepal since the 1990s" who nearly ended the land-locked country's "full dependence" on India. "He almost broke his country's full dependence on India, which haslasted since 1956 when Nepal became a modern state," an article in the Global Times said. It described Oli, who recently resigned, as "probably the most important prime minister of Nepal since the 1990s." "He turned India's belief that the blockade can make Nepal surrender into thin air," it said, referring to the months long blockade of Nepal's trade routes with India by Madhesis, who are mostly of Indian-origin. "Another notable achievement is that Nepal has become a dialogue partner of the China and Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which will help it become involved in East Asian affairs," it said. "This has made India frustrated as it breaks the tradition that Nepal should only join India-led regional blocs such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, (SAARC)", it said. The article also said that Prachanda, who is tipped to become the next Prime Minister of Nepal will rectify "pro-China" policy of Oli and balance it by taking India's interests into consideration. Prachanda in a bid to balance factions within his own party "formed the principle of keeping an equal distance from China and India", it said. "So once Prachanda takes power, he is bound to rectify Oli's pro-China tendency when in government and take India's interests into account, as India is sour about losing its grip on Nepal," it said. "The fixed agreements between China and the Oli government are unlikely to be changed, or it will deal a heavy blow to bilateral ties, which is too much for the new government to bear," it sid. In the first nine months, given Prachanda's equi-distance principle, there is little chance that China-Nepal ties will retreat, but the relationship will proceed very slowly. After the first nine months, it remains to be seen how the pro-India Nepali Congress will cope with trilateral relations, it said. There has been a chill in India's relationship with Nepal after the months-long crippling blockade by Madhesis who are demanding amendments to the newly-enacted Constitution to ensure adequate political representation and reorganisation of the federal boundaries. India has denied playing any political role in the protests by the Madhesis in Nepal. Opposition on Friday hit out at BJP over an attack on two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh on the beef issue and alleged that and Muslims were being increasingly targeted, prompting Home Minister Rajnath Singh to assert that justice will be done in the case. Raising the matter in Zero Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge reeled out statistics to highlight attacks on and cited the incident in Mandsaur (MP), besides one in Gujarat and the killing of two in UP to buttress his point. Demanding a ban on cow vigilante groups like 'Gau Rakshak Sangh', he alleged that they have become a law unto themselves and were being encouraged by BJP governments in states. Kharge also attacked the Sangh Parivar alleging that their members and those of the BJP are also involved in such incidents. "Such incidents can happen only when they have government's support," he said, while also referred to reports today that a dalit couple was hacked to death in UP. Amid cries of 'shame, shame' from opposition benches, the Congress leader said the two women pleaded with the attackers that they were carrying buffalo meat and not cow meat and had produced receipt to make their point. "They were still thrashed in front of the police. They were told that if they were men, they would have been killed," he alleged. The forensic report, Kharge pointed out, also said it was buffalo meat. He also cited crime data to take on the government, saying every 80 minute one crime against dalit was taking place, three dalits raped and two murdered every day. "You (government) will say that it has been happening earlier too, but it has risen after you came to power. It has your support," he said, drawing support from Trinamool Congress. In his brief reply over the incident in Madhya Pradesh, the Home Minister "this is a law and order issue. We all know it is a state matter. The Madhya Pradesh government has acted swiftly and effectively. Investigation is being done. I assure the House that justice will be done and the guilty not spared." Unhappy over his response, opposition members, including those of the Congress, TMC and the Left, walked out. Opposition along with Shiv Sena today demanded a clarification from the Maharashtra government over a bill moved by BJP MP Nana Patole in Lok Sabha seeking separate statehood for Vidarbha and created ruckus that led the House being adjourned for the day. Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde, while raising the issue through the point of propriety, said Patole, an MP from Bhandara-Gondia, today moved a non-government Bill in Lok Sabha and demanded a separate statehood for Vidarbha. "105 martyrs laid their lives for a united Maharashtra. In the last few months, there are people like Shrihari Aney (former Attorney General), who are demanding not only a separate Vidarbha but a separate Marathwada as well. This is a very serious issue. The government needs to clarify if it supports its party MP's stand," he said. Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe then said that people of the state expect at least a few words from the government backing a united Maharashtra and that the House should pass a proposal for the same. "Dilly dallying over the issue is not good for a united Maharashtra. We cannot forget the martyrdom of those who wanted Maharashtra to remain one," she said. Senior Congress leader Narayan Rane said had it been an Independent MP's bill, one could have understood, but a BJP MP could not have brought such a bill without seeking an opinion from party's national and state leaders. "The CM should clarify if he endorses this MP's demand, because this is a question of your self respect. We will not compromise over this issue," he said. Parliamentary Affairs minister Girish Bapat then opined that discussions over the issue have been going on from a long time and that group leaders should sit together and decide a time when the issue can be discussed. In the ensuing ruckus, the House was adjourned for 10 minutes. On re-assembling, Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar said that the issue is important and the government should respond, but, at the same time, the House proceedings should also not be disrupted. NCP member Sunil Tatkare then said the Opposition would be satisfied if the government gave a statement contending that it does not endorse Patole's demand. Commotion over the issue, however, continued, following which Nimbalkar adjourned the House for the day. (REOPENS BES13) The ripple effect of Patole's resolution on Vidarbha in the Lok Sabha was seen in Mumbai where the issue was raised in the Legislative Assembly, leading to the adjournment of the House. After slogans by some BJP MLAs, favouring a separate Vidarbha state, Shiv Sena minister Diwakar Raote, whose party is vehemently opposed to any such move, rushed to BJP legislators. Senior ministers including Chandrakant Patil pacified Raote, after which the House was adjourned for the day. Congress-NCP legislators also staged a protest at the entrance of Vidhan Bhawan building, condemning the BJP over demand for separate Vidarbha. BJP legislators also reached the scene, shouting pro-Vidarbha slogans. (REOPENS BES18) Talking to reporters at the Vidhan Bhawan later, NCP MLA Jayant Patil said the legislators who are backing the demand for separate Vidarbha should first resign from the House and then contest fresh poll on the plank. "Then you (BJP) will come to know whom the people of Maharashtra support," Patil, former Finance Minister, said. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said Maharashtra was formed after the sacrifice of 105 martyrs in Samyukt Maharashtra movement. "BJP has insulted people of Maharashtra by making and backing demand for separate Vidarbha," the Congress leader said. French authorities filed terror charges today against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. The 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and the 35-year-old Pakistani Mohamad Usman were charged with "criminal conspiracy with terrorists", the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. Investigators believe they travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same boat full of refugees as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. Those two, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France stadium, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. But Haddadi and Usman were held up, detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. Once let go, they followed the main migrant trail and made it to Salzburg in western Austria at the end of November -- after the Paris attacks. Austrian police commandos then arrested them in December at a migrant centre a few hours after French authorities informed them the men could be in the country. After his arrest, Haddadi told investigators that he wanted to go to France to "carry out a mission," according to a statement seen by AFP. A source close to the investigation said that Haddadi "was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions." After France filed a European arrest warrant, a court in Salzburg approved at the beginning of July the transfer of the two men to France. Prosecutors said on Friday that both have now "left the country". Usman is reportedly thought to be a bomb maker for Pakistani extremist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba. Usman unsuccessfully appealed against his transfer from Austria, saying he would not get a fair trial in France and that he feared for his safety. Salzburg prosecutors added Friday that two more men, a Moroccan and an Algerian arrested eight days after the others, remained in custody. In December prosecutors had said that the men, aged 25 and 40 at the time, were being held "because of indications of close contact" with the two now transferred to France. India has said that peace and security cannot be seen in isolation from the wider development related issues as it underlined the need for a holistic approach to building peace and preventing conflict. Participating in the UN Security Council debate on 'Peacebuilding in Africa' yesterday, India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Tanmaya Lal said holistic approach was needed to prevent conflict and build peace. "Peace and security cannot be seen in isolation from the wider development related issues and a more holistic approach is needed to prevent conflict and build peace," he said here. Lal said that the spirit displayed during the adoption of the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals last year is "sadly" not matched in the discussions on collective resource mobilisation to achieve common goals. "This once again betrays a lack of appreciation that in today's world there cannot be islands of peace and prosperity. We can see this all around us in the cross-border reach of terrorist groups, the growing refugee crisis, outbreaks of pandemics and spread of hate ideologies," he said. "What continues to elude us is the real comprehension of the importance of sustainable development to building peace and security and even more importantly the indivisibility of peace and security across borders in today's world. Unless there is this comprehension and consequently the political will to address these issues over longer term, conflicts would continue to obstruct our collective better future," he said. Underscoring India's longstanding engagement with Africa, Lal said the two nations had worked together for de-colonialisation, anti-apartheid, rights of the developing countries and now are significant development partners. He outlined the areas of cooperation between India and Africa, including in education and vocational training, healthcare, women empowerment, constitutional and parliamentary processes and agribusinesses. The first ever Female Formed Police Unit provided by India and deployed in Liberia received recognition as role model for pursuing gender balance, Lal said. Earlier this week, a course on UN Peacekeeping for African partners, commenced in India in cooperation with the US government and is aimed to assist in building capacities in African Troop Contributing Countries to help the regional efforts to maintain peace and security. Lal said while the African Union, the regional organisations and national governments in Africa are best placed to address most of the challenges facing their region, it is the responsibility of the international community to strengthen their capabilities. He lamented that the Peacebuilding Commission was not taken seriously enough so far at the UN, with its funding "completely inadequate" and not even one per cent of the peacekeeping budget. "We need to empower the Peacebuilding Commission through adequate resources, capacities to gauge the requirements on the ground, and a serious consideration to its advice by the Council," he said. Last week, India made a contribution of a million dollars to the Peacebuilding Fund. The Pentagon is flatly rejecting allegations by Turkey's president that the US military was somehow involved in or in any way supported the recent failed coup in that country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH'-jehp TY'-ihp UR'-doh-wahn) lashed out at the US yesterday and criticized a senior military commander who had expressed concerns that the coup could have longer-term impact on US relations with the Turkish military. Erdogan says the US was taking sides with coup plotters. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook says any suggestion that the U S supported the coup is absurd. He says Defense Secretary Ash Carter received assurances from his Turkish counterpart that the fight against Islamic State militants won't be affected. The U S launches airstrikes, surveillance aircraft and other missions out of the Incirlik air base. Minister on Friday said the convention that deposits were safe investment avenues would be a thing of past and people would shift to alternative instruments which have the potential to provide better returns. "It (bank deposit) is certainly safe, but then the whole concept of economic system that banking system pay high rate of interest for those deposits were no longer relevant. And world over people have successfully experimented it. "The conventional deposit rate, the lending rate are very low but you have very powerful alternative instruments in which if you invest you will earn a lot higher. That is how the pension funds and sovereign funds are surviving and doing extremely well," he said while launching the State Bank of India's wealth management initiative SBI Exclusif. The Bank, he said, can play a role in helping large section of retired persons who were trying to live a respectable life on the strength of their savings. "In India now as that opportunity expands, as a number of people with additional resources increases, you need a set of competent managers to manage the resources," Jaitley said. SBI Exclusif is targeted at the fast-growing affluent segment in the country for wealth management which will come initially free of cost. Under the scheme, SBI Exclusif customers will have access to a dedicated Relationship Manager supported by a team of investment experts to take care of all their banking and investment needs. The bank had launched the offering in Bengaluru on a pilot basis on January and it rolled out this service in Delhi today for customers who earn a monthly income of Rs 2 lakh per month or fixed deposits of Rs 30 lakh or Rs one crore housing loan. Government today said in Rajya Sabha that the possibility of sabotage in the mysterious disappearance of AN-32 aircraft of IAF was "comparatively very less" and informed that the help of the US has also been sought in locating the plane. All types of techniques are being used to locate the aircraft, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said while replying to clarifications sought by members on his suo motu statement on the disappearance of the aircraft on July 22. As members expressed concern and raised questions over how the plane went missing, he said, "I can't speculate because we are searching for it and I will not like to speculate. But I can say only this much. The possibility, although we are checking all angles, of any sabotage is comparatively very less because they have standard operating procedures." While sharing the concern of the members, he gave details of the operation being carried out for the last one week in trying to locate the plane, carrying 29 people, which went missing during a flight from Tambaram in Tamil Nadu to Port Blair. "I appreciate anxiety of members. I am also disturbed at the sudden disappearance of the plane. I have spoken to several experts and former air chiefs who were also puzzled by the sudden disappearance," Parrikar said. The Minister said that at the time of disappearance, the aircraft was on "secondary/passive radar" and that "There was no SOS or transmission of any frequency. It just disappeared so that is the worrying part". The Government has sought help from the US for detection of images and is seeking help from American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites had picked up any signal before the disappearance of the plane. "It is total blank. There was not even a single signal recorded. That is the reason we are contacting American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites picked up any signal," Parrikar said. "Besides our own satelleite imagery, we have asked the US for their imagery for the detection of emergency frequency to space based assets. Foreign countries we have already asked. I only hope that our efforts succeed," he added while replying to queries whether foreign help has been sought. Queried about the age of the aircraft, the Defence Minister said it was "almost as good as new aircraft". Elaborating he said, "I don't know exact age but it is well within lifetime. It has undergone first overhauling. Lot of replacement has been done.... They are considered as one of the safest aircraft." He said the accident rate of Indian Air Force is 0.23 out of 10,000 hours of flying against the global rate of 0.023 and assured the House that maximum efforts would be made to ensure that the mishaps come down. "If aircraft is not fit for flying we don't fly it. We have decided to check up whether we can improve the signalling system," he added. About the missing aircraft, Parrikar said that after the first overhaul, the plane had already done 279 hours and the pilot was experienced, having put in 500 hours on this route. The Defence Minister, who had made suo motu statement on the plane's disappearance in both Houses of Parliament yesterday, said, "Let us hope that we track it down. I can assure that maximum efforts will be taken." Sharing details of the search operation so far, he said 10 Indian Navy ships as well as submarine 'Sindhudhwaj' are carrying searches and "virtually checking up everything". 23 inputs had been located, out of which 6 were of the nature of blinks and all inputs have been checked, he said. "If we locate something, then we can send deepwater equipment to pick up. We have also diverted 'Sagar Nidhi' (vessel) from Mauritius. It will reach on August one and it can go upto 6,000 metres depth. But we have to locate objects. We have to locate it because at this depth you cannot keep on scratching the bottom," Parrikar said. The Defence Minister said he was personally monitoring the situation. "We owe that much to the people, I have seen (to it) that every family is kept in touch." Yesterday, he had said that "several inputs and leads" regarding floating objects have been picked up but there is no concrete evidence so far with respect to missing AN-32 aircraft of the IAF. BMC today informed the Bombay High Court that it has decided to withdraw the advertisements displaying the mobile numbers of its engineers for people to lodge complaints of potholes as the officers have been hounded with "abusive" phone calls. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) counsel Anil Sakhare told a division bench of Justices S M Kemkar and M S Karnik that it will now hand out new mobile phones and SIM cards and only these numbers will be advertised and used to receive complaints from the people. On July 15 this year, HC had directed BMC to publish the numbers of the road engineers of each municipal ward. The direction had come after the court was informed that BMC's web based app MCGM 24x7 was not working and the people had no other means to get their complaints registered. Sakhare told HC that people have been calling the road engineers and abusing them. To this, the bench observed that "people must be getting frustrated after driving through long stretches of roads riddled with potholes and hence making those heated calls". Sakhare also informed the bench that in compliance with its previous orders, BMC had shortlisted three firms to supply "better quality of road repair material". Meanwhile, the state government informed the bench that since the last hearing in court, it had filled up 3,247 potholes on the Eastern and Western Expressway Highways and 137 more potholes remained to be repaired on both the highways. Nepal's Maoist chief Prachanda today assured China of implementing key bilateral deals, including one that could end India's monopoly in transport to the landlocked country, reached during the previous regime would be honoured even after the new government takes over. Chinese Ambassador Wu Chuntai during talks with the Nepalese leader, who is set to succeed K P Oli as the Prime Minister, in response, committed Beijing's 'full support' to the new government and Prachanda's leadership. 61-year-old Prachanda, known for his anti-India stance, took the ownership of implementing the deals reached during Oli's regime, saying they were made by the coalition government that included the Maoists also. He added that the Nepal-China agreements were in fact outcome of the agreement made by the government that he led earlier, according to a statement by Prachanda's secretariat. During the meeting held at the Maoist leader's residence here, the CPN (Maoist Centre) chairman said a new government would be formed within the next few days and expressed his commitment to implement the pacts signed with China by the previous government. He also said that the soon-to-be-formed government would prioritise the implementation of the new constitution, reconstruction, and development projects. The new government would not only implement the agreements but also make new ones with China, it said. Chuntai pledged full support of the Chinese government, Chinese Communist Party and Chinese people to the new government. He said the Chinese government would lend 'full support' and backing for Nepal's development through the coming government. In March, the two countries signed 10 agreements, including a landmark transit treaty to end the land-locked country's total dependence on India. China has also agreed to extend the strategic Tibet rail link to Nepal to boost connectivity. China's strong backing to Nepal had come in the backdrop of a chill in its relations with India following the months- long crippling blockade by Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, who are demanding amendments to the newly-enacted Constitution to ensure adequate political representation and reorganisation of the federal boundaries. Indian superstar Priyanka Chopra is not making any compromises in swapping Bollywood for Hollywood. The former Miss World, who has won an army of fans in the US since taking the lead in the American spy thriller television series "Quantico" last year, refuses to be stereotyped by her beauty or her origins. "I didn't want to do a show that would stereotype me or put Indian people into a box. I'm a leading actress in India and I wanted to make sure I was a leading actress in whatever I did," she said. "I would not compromise on that," said the star of the ABC show in which she plays an FBI agent suspected of committing a terrorist attack. Proud to call herself a "strong-willed feminist", the 34-year-old is determined to build her career and still "have lots of babies. But there is nothing under way on that," she told AFP in Paris on a visit to promote "Quantico", whose second series begins in September. "I've still to find the right guy. That's important," she laughed. Like her character in "Quantico", Alex Parrish, who has to go into hiding to clear her name, Chopra sticks to her guns. She has turned down roles in Britain because she was "always asked to play the stereotype of an Indian". The spy show's international success is changing all that. That has been such a hit may have surprised some but Chopra -- the first South Asian to headline a US network series -- said its backstory of people with secrets is universal. "This show talks about people with secrets and everyone has secrets. Terrorism is a huge part of our reality whether you like it or not," she said. "It is the most cowardly way of instilling fear to make people understand someone's belief." But jumping to conclusions about terrorism was equally dangerous, she said. "In America it is easy to frame a brown girl" like Alex, she added. Chopra's ability to carry such a complex character has opened other more meaty roles, with the actress playing the baddie in the new "Baywatch" film due for release in May. "I make the good guys' lives miserable," he said with some relish. Having campaigned to close the gender pay gap in Bollywood, she credits her mother, a doctor who served in the Indian army, for helping forge her feminist principles. "She raised me to be the kind of girl who thinks, who has opinions too. For so many years women were told to act a certain way, to dress a certain way, to think a certain way, even not to think at all. A day after Rahul Gandhi derided Prime Minister as "Arhar Modi", Congress on Friday stepped up attack on the government on the issue alleging that the "crisis" is a "man made scam" of Rs 2.5 lakh crore in which common man was "robbed" of by profiteers, hoarders and black marketers. Party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala demanded that the Prime Minister must answer and take "decisive action" against those who "fleeced" the ordinary citizen in the last 15 months. "People of India have paid 150 per cent to 200 per cent extra for alone during 15 months of Modi government ie, April, 2015 to July, 2016. This comes to over Rs 2,50,000 crore for this period. It is a man made crisis of great magnitude and proportion under the very nose of Modi government ...Covert and overt support of the Modi government," Surjewala said. "This day light robbery is clearly discernible when one compares the MSP/import price of (even after adding Rs 5 per kg of Processing Fee + Rs 10 per kg of Transportation Charges + Rs 5 per kg of Profit) as against the actual sale price to ordinary consumer", Surjewala said. Noting that the MSP of pulses as also imported pulses was in the range of Rs 40 to Rs 50, he said that this clearly showed that price of domestically produced pulses or imported pulses for the common man cannot be more than Rs 60/65 per kg by any stretch of imagination even after adding 'processing fee', transportation charges' as also 'profit margin'. "As against this, price of pulses has been ranging between Rs 130 to Rs 200 per kg since April, 2015 till today i.e, July, 2016. Hence, it is clear that the average price of pulses has been in the range of Rs 150 per kg in the last 15 months. Thus, profiteering of Rs 85/90 per kg (Rs 150 per kg of average price minus Rs 60/65 per kg of final sale price) is writ large.", he alleged. He said when multiplied by 23 million tonne (2.30 crore tonne) of annual consumption of pulses, this figure comes to Rs 2,50,000 crore for a 15 months period between April, 2015 to July, 2016. He alleged that "long windows" of 'no stock limit' in big states of Gujarat and Maharashtra ruled by the BJP were used by hoarders and black marketeers to push the prices of pulses at an insurmountable high of Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg. Elaborating the "long windows", he said restriction on stock limits on pulses were lifted by Gujarat government on 30.09.2013, then headed by Narendra Modi as Chief Minister. On 27.09.2013, UPA government decided to extend the validity of restriction on stocking of pulses, edible oils and edible oil seeds for a further one year i.e, 30.09.2013 to 30.09.2014. "Gujarat government headed by Modi, however, refused to extend the order beyond 30.09.2013 despite a specific recommendation by Director, Food & Civil Supplies, Gandhinagar. This is apparent from the copy of documents available under RTI.", he said. Similarly, BJP Government of Maharashtra issued an order dated 23.04.2015 removing all stock limits on storage of pulses, thereby discontinuing Congress government's imposed ban of seven years, Surjewala alleged. "Even this was done in a surreptitious manner in as much as the original note dated 11.02.2015 of Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies, Government of Maharashtra was qua lifting of stock limit ban only on edible oils and edible oil seeds. In a surreptitious manner, word 'pulses' was added on 14.02.2015, which was finally approved by Shri Devendra Fadnavis, CM on 18.03.2015", he claimed. Alleging that an organized syndicate of hoarders/importers/select corporates is artificially enhancing the prices, he wanted an independent investigation into the whole issue. He said that an organised cartel of hoarders and importers runs across India with tentacles spreading from Myanmar to African continent. "Modus operandi is simple importers take delivery of pulses stocks and hoard it at foreign ports; Ships from Myanmar carrying tonnes of pulses are halted at port in Singapore; Ships coming from African continent are made to slow down for days together. Aim is to create artificial scarcity in India. Similarly, hoarders stock pulses procured in godowns in different States where there is no stock limit, including sometimes at private ports. This racket continues to thrive," he said. Surjewala claimed that a big Gujarat traders syndicate called 'ETGWORLD' headed by one Jayesh Patel has been importing 'Arhar (Tur) Dal' from Mozambique at Rs 55 per kg in the year 2015 and is now selling the same at Rs 175 per kg. Adani Wilmar has been using 'ETGWORLD' to source 'Dal' internationally. He said it needs to be investigated as to how much quantities of pulses were purchased Nationally and Internationally by Adani Wilmar since formation of joint venture in 2014, including final sale prices of stocks so acquired (which are stated to be in the range of Rs 180 to Rs 200 per kg). Besides, he said that in October, 2015; as prices of 'Dal' rose up to Rs 200 per kg, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) inked a pact with 'Indian Pulses and Grain Association' (IPGA) to handle import of pulses across its ports. He claimed that this has been duly noted by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), but no action has been taken. Taking a dig at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who had spoken on the issue yesterday, Surjewala said that the Finance Minister does not know in which season pulses are grown. Asked whether the party would press for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the issue, he said it was a matter to be decided by the Parliamentary party. Punjab government today approved the criteria for grant of financial assistance and facilities to Sangharshi Yodhas who participated in anti-Emergency protests and Punjabi Suba movement to safeguard the interest of the state. The decision was taken by the Council of Ministers during its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here. A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said financial assistance of Rs 1000 per month would be given to the participants who had undergone imprisonment for up to three months. The Sangharshi Yodhas who were under imprisonment for three months to six months would be given a financial assistance of Rs 1500 per month and Rs 2000 per month for those who were imprisoned for more than six months. They would be required to submit the jail certificate or two co-prisoners certificates for the purpose of proof. The panchayat in rural areas and municipal committee in urban areas can also give in writing after unanimous approval, the time spent by Sangharshi Yodha in prison due to participation in Morchas. Apart from this, those Sangharshi Yodha who were beneficiaries in the past their pensions have also been restored. Keeping in view the administrative exigencies, the Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval to revive and fill up 25 posts of Punjab Civil Service (Executive Branch) for direct recruitment as well as of various registers. The Cabinet also gave ex-post facto approval to the appointment of Manjinder Singh Sirsa as Advisor to Deputy Chief Minister in the rank of State Minister. It also gave approval for the creation of posts of six Private Secretaries, six Personal Assistants, six Clerks, six Telephone Attendants, six peons and six cooks for the office of the new Chief Parliamentary Secretaries,. The Cabinet also gave green signal to amend The Right to Service Act-2011 by promulgating an Ordinance thereby substituting the name 'First Appellate Authority' and 'Second Appellate Authority' with 'Grievance Redressal Authority' and Appellate Authority, respectively in the principal Act and empowering them to take suo-moto notice of failure to deliver services and to pass order. Highlighting new regulations, grants and policies in the agriculture and allied sectors, the Rajasthan government today invited farmers and industrialists from West Bengal to partner it in the sector. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a roadshow on the Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet 2016 to be held in Jaipur from November 9-11 this year, Rajasthan Industries Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said the primary objective of the meet is to ensure economic empowerment of farmers through acclerated farm growth and to double farmers' income by 2022. In the event, the state would showcase investment opportunities in the sector involving products like pressure irrigation, solar pumps, custom hiring of farm machinery and implements, farm mechanisation, agro-processing, he said. Representatives from Netherlands, Israel, Australia and Canada are scheduled to be partner countries for the event which is expected to be attended by over 50,000 farmers. The government is likely to table in the Rajya Sabha several crucial bills, including that on GST and for amendments to legislations on enemy property and benami transaction, next week. About five-and-a-half hours have been allocated for discussion on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The constitutional amendment bill on GST, which had earlier been passed by the Lok Sabha, has again been listed there next week. Sources said if the bill is passed by the Rajya Sabha with amendments, it has to be taken up in the Lok Sabha again. According to sources, the Rajya Sabha will take up the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015, and the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, next week. The government has also listed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, along with a few others, for the Upper House. In the Lok Sabha, the government has listed for introduction the Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, the Central Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill and the Employees Compensation (Amendment) Bill. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill seeks to make changes to the Enemy Property Act, 1968. Last month, the government had for a third time promulgated an ordinance to amend the law to guard against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China after the wars. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on March 9. However, it could not get the Rajya Sabha nod from where it was referred to a Select Committee. The Committee has recently submitted its report. An ordinance lapses after 42 days from the day a session begins unless a bill to replace it is approved by Parliament. As per the proposed amendments, once an enemy property is vested in the Custodian, it shall continue to be vested in him as enemy property irrespective of whether the enemy, enemy subject or enemy firm has ceased to be an enemy due to reasons such as death, etc. The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, which will be introduced in the Lok Sabha next week, is a private member's bill and was moved by Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva. This was for the first time in 45 years that a private member's bill was passed by the Upper House. Among the other bills adopted by a voice vote today include The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to amend the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority Act 1985 to change the nomenclature of some posts of authorities representing the authority in the interest of administration; The Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to amend the act of 2000 to rename the "Karnataka State Women University" as "Karnataka State Akkamahadevi Women University" in the honour of 12th centenary Kannada saint poet Akkamahadevi who also fought for women's rights; BJP members Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Govinda Karajola, who participated in the debate, asked government to focus on improving the quality of education and infrastructure at the University and put the ongoing inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the appointments there, to fast track. Also adopted today is The Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer and Postings of Forest Officers and Other Officials) Bill 2016 aimed at regulating transfer and posting of Deputy Range Forest Officers, Forest Guards and Forest Watchers of Forest Department to provide equal opportunity to lower level field staff in selecting place of their choice during transfers and improve administrative efficiency and discipline in the staff. Some legislators, including JD(S)' Shivalinge Gowda expressed their reservation on the counselling method for postings. Aalok Sathe, a student from Pune, won a Bronze medal at the 14th International Linguistics Olympiad (ILO), which concluded here today. The top three individual scorers included Jaeyeong Yang from Republic of Korea, James Wedgwood from USA and Liam Robert McKnight from UK. Teams from Sweden, Australia and UK took the top three positions in the team contest, according to a statement issued by Microsoft India. The ILO, which is for secondary school students, has been holding the event annually since its inception in 2003, thestatement said. It is one of the 12 international science Olympiads. Thisyear's global competition was co-organised by MicrosoftResearch India to encourage computational thinking and the study of linguistics among students, it said. Over 170 students representing 30 countries, including India, USA, Japan, Germany and Singapore among others, gathered to test their minds against the world's toughest puzzles in language and linguistics, the statement said. Microsoft Research India has been actively engaged in promoting the Linguistic Olympiad in India since 2013. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today made a plea to Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi to conduct a study to assess whether or not the prohibition on liquor has affected people's lives which the 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan' spearhead readily accepted. Kumar made the request at a function organised by Bihar Legislative Council to felicitate the world-famous child rights activist Satyarthi. "We know the prohibition has changed the atmosphere completely. The lives of people who quit liquor following the prohibition has improved a lot. But we need a detailed and scientific study on the issue by a neutral organisation," Kumar said. "People like you (Satyarthi) can take initiative for carrying out study on the issue. The government could have carried out the study but it would be better to get the study conducted by a neutral person," he said. In his address, Satyarthi, who was accompanied by his wife, agreed to conduct the study. "Prohibition is not a small thing rather it is a brave step (by the state government). The move would certainly help in checking child abuse and labour. I accept the suggestion to carry out a detailed study about the impact of prohibition," Satyarthi said. (Reopens CAL9) Kumar further said in his address that it has been seen that lives of people have changed post prohibition as they are now saving more money which have prevented them from engaging their children as labour but this needs to be studied. There had been instances of people selling their children due to extreme poverty, the CM said, adding there are women who tell their tales of positive change in the wake of the prohibition. "There is also a need of documentary film to be made on the stories of such women whose lives have changed positively in wake of the prohibition," Kumar said, adding the documentary would be shown to other people. The Chief Minister said he had announced a financial help of Rs 25,000 in June for every rescued child labour to be given from Chief Minister's Relief Fund. "Every rescued child will be given Rs 25,000 from Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The money would directly go to their bank account. The money would be given to all those children who will be registered under the tracking system," Kumar said. He also inaugurated 'Child Labour Tracking System (CLTS)' in order to keep a track of rescued child labourers for their proper rehabilitation. Satyarthi, in his address, also praised CM's announcement to give Rs 25,000 to every rescued child and informed he has submitted a list of 10,000 - out of a total of 45,000 rescued children - to the state government. "I hope the amount of Rs 25,000 would help rescued children in a big way," he said. Satyarthi observed that it is a matter of great satisfaction that girl children are going to schools in small groups. "This is good to see as it is a sign of girls' empowerment," he said. Sharing his experiences, Satyarthi talked about children who were rescued from various parts of the country and said that "freeing children from slavery, bondage, labour gives me immense satisfaction especially when the children meet their mothers." Legislative Council Chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh, Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and a host of MLCs and MLAs were present during the felicitation function at the Council's annexe building. Four priests of a church were killed when their car collided with a stationary lorry at Pallapatti near here today, police said. The priests Sri Lankan (30), Michael (55), Sahayaraj (56), and Jesu (41) of a church near Kodaikanal, were returning from Sivakasi when the accident occurred. All the four died on the spot. In another incident, three occupants of a 108 ambulance were killed, after it collided head on with a bus in Tirupallani in Ramanathapuram district, about 180 kms from here, police said today. The incident occurred when one Velumani (68) was being taken to the Ramanathapuram government hospital for treatment, along with his daughter Muthu Mari. The duo and the ambulance driver Saravana Kumar (28), died on the spot, they said. A special CBI court on Friday rejected the bail application of Sanjeev Khanna, one of the accused in the sensational . Special CBI judge H S Mahajan, after hearing the arguments of Khanna and CBI, rejected his bail plea. Khanna, in his bail application filed through his lawyer Shreyansh Mithare, had said that he was not present when Sheena was strangled in a car here on April 24, 2012. According to the CBI, Sheena was picked up from Bandra here by her mother and prime accused Indrani Mukerjea Khanna's former wife around 6.30 pm that day, whereas Khanna had reached a Mumbai hotel at 6.04 pm, where he was to stay, the lawyers said. "It was impossible for Khanna to reach the spot, where Indrani and Sheena were in such a short time," his lawyer had argued. Refuting CBI's claim that Khanna was at Indrani's house at Marlow Bungalow in Worli, his lawyers said around that time he was ordering a meal at his hotel. "The waiter, who served him in his room, took Khanna's signature on the bill," they said. There was no "meeting of minds" between Khanna and Indrani to hatch the conspiracy, the lawyers added. A key witness, who saw the body being disposed of, emerged three years after the incident and witnesses identified Khanna as his face was all over the media, his lawyers said. The CBI, while arguing against the granting of bail to Khanna, told the court that he was in the know of the conspiracy and Indrani's former driver (who has turned approver), has named Khanna. Indrani, Khanna and her current husband and former media baron Peter Mukerjea are accused of conspiring to murder Sheena, Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship, with a financial motive. Her former driver Shaymvar Rai has turned approver in the case. According to CBI, Indrani, Khanna and Rai were involved in the actual murder on April 24, 2012. Sheena was strangled inside a car and her body burnt in a forest in Raigad district. Slovak President Robert Fico today said he believed there is a high risk that fresh attacks will occur in Europe, and he blamed migrants for the threat. In less than two weeks Islamic State group jihadists have claimed four bloody assaults in France and Germany that killed nearly 90 people, wounded hundreds and left the continent on edge. "It is obvious that potential terrorists could have used uncontrolled migration to smuggle in weapons and explosives," said Fico, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union. "Therefore the possibility of more ... Terrorist attacks is very, very high. There is potential for this," he told reporters in Bratislava. Fico, who was re-elected on an anti-migration platform in March, added that intelligence gathered by the Slovak secret service showed "there is a link between migration and terrorism". "During the large influx of migrants, anyone could have come here," he said. "What on Earth do these people have in their backpacks? Why don't we take a look? Besides mineral water, food and clothes, there could be something else." Earlier this year Fico filed a lawsuit against an EU-wide quota plan to redistribute refugees across the bloc after insisting it was committing "ritual suicide" with its acceptance of hundreds of thousands of migrants, mostly refugees from war-torn Syria. Fico also vowed to "never bring even a single Muslim to Slovakia" ahead of the March general election, which saw a far-right party enter parliament for the first time. His anti-migrant policies have echoed eastern EU hawks like Czech President Milos Zeman, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and Poland's Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Australia lost three early wickets to Sri Lanka's spinners before skipper Steve Smith steadied the ship as the visitors struggled to chase down a formidable target of 268 in a nail-biting first Test. Australia were precariously placed at 83 for three, with Smith unbeaten on 26, when bad light forced the umpires to call tea early on the fourth day in Pallekele in a match that has already been badly hit by rain. Australia still need another 185 runs for victory to take a lead in the three-match series. Rangana Herath struck early with his left-arm spin when the veteran bowled David Warner for one. Offspinner Dilruwan Perera then soon had Usman Khawaja trapped lbw with the score reading 33/2. Debutant spinner Lakshan Sandakan, who bagged four wickets in the first innings, cleaned up opener Joe Burns who had looked well set on 29 until he chopped a turning ball onto his stumps. Smith then began a battling 54-ball innings, which has so far not seen him score any boundaries. His partner Adam Voges was similarly steadfast as the Australians looked to consolidate their status as the number one Test team. Earlier it was Kusal Mendis' superb maiden century of 176 that helped Sri Lanka seize control of proceedings after lagging behind for three full days in a match shortened by several rain interruptions. Sri Lanka, starting Friday on 282 for six, managed 353 in their second innings to turn things in their favour against firm favourites Australia. A tenth standard student went missing in Manikpur area of Howrah district prompting his family to level allegations of kidnapping by two of his friends. Police said one of the friends (a minor) was picked up for questioning after the missing 15-year old Enamul Purkait's father lodged an FIR. The father Zaheer Purkait alleged his son Enamel was abducted by two friends yesterday evening and taken to a nearby river bank. Search was on for the missing boy. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today instructed NHAI to immediately rush a team of senior officials to Gurgaon to ensure smooth flow of traffic on NH 8, which has faced severe water-logging and massive traffic jam following heavy rains. The road transport, highways and shipping minister asked NHAI Chairman Raghav Chandra to personally monitor the situation, a Road Ministry official said. The ministry has also directed NHAI to take all necessary steps in this regard, the official added. For the second day today, Gurgaon was caught in back-to-back traffic after heavy rains lashed Delhi's satellite city, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and forcing authorities to issue prohibitory orders. Schools were also ordered to shut for two days. Prohibitory orders were imposed near Hero Honda Chowk in a bid to decongest the traffic gridlock. (REOPENS DCM 89) In a statement, the National Highways Authority of India said the Chairman has deputed a high-level team comprising three chief general managers and GMs at ground zero. "To remove water-logging, the NHAI team was pressed into emergency service and... Tools, machinery and labour were deployed," it added. There has been close co-ordination with the police and policemen have been deployed at the site to maintain smooth flow of traffic while the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon and HUDA officials are also on board, the statement said. NHAI is also following up with HUDA and HSIDC for proper construction of Badshahpur and Khandsa drains, respectively. "Once these outfall drains are constructed, the issue of rain water stagnation will be resolved," NHAI said, adding that "desilting of these two drains is also required". Tata Group invested USD 9 billion in its businesses globally in 2015-16, even as its worldwide revenue fell marginally to USD 103 billion due to commodity market slowdown and volatile currencies among other reasons, the diversified conglomerate's chief Cyrus Mistry said today. Addressing the Annual Group Leadership Conference (AGLC) of the steel-to-software conglomerate, Mystry also announced a new leadership competency model based on key competencies to develop and identify leaders within the group firms and outlined a new framework focussed on 'happiness at work'. The total investments by the over 100 group companies in the last three years totalled to over USD 28 billion, said Mistry, Chairman of the main holding company Tata Sons Ltd. Addressing the top leadership and senior management personnel from various Tata group companies, Mistry said the conglomerate's total revenues dropped 4.62 per cent to USD 103 billion in fiscal year 2015-16, from USD 108 billion in the previous financial year. He attributed the marginal fall in revenue to global political uncertainties, a steep reduction in commodity prices, and volatility in currencies. International revenues at around USD 70 billion constituted 69 per cent of the group's revenues. Sixteen companies in the group registered a turnover of over USD 500 million each, with ten of these registering a turnover of over USD 1 billion. The market cap of Tata group's 29 listed companies was down by 7.4 per cent to USD 116 billion as against 9.4 per cent correction in the stock market benchmark BSE Sensex. In furtherance to a vision for 2025 announced at the AGLC, held every year on founder JRD Tata's birth anniversary, Mistry also outlined a 'Tata Quality of Life' framework that will focus on 'happiness at work'. Speaking at the NCPA auditorium near its global headquarters 'Bombay House' here, Mistry further said the set of values that define the Tata Group have also been refreshed with the changing times to include the virtue of "pioneering". "This value has always been core to the Tata group's approach to business and is reflected in many inspiring endeavours," Mistry said. (REOPENS DEL36) Mistry said the pioneering innovation has led the group to nearly double the number of published patents in the last two years to 7,000 at the end of 2015, from 3500 at 2013-end. In 2015, Tata companies filed 2,000 published patents in India and abroad, he said. Mistry, who took over from Ratan Tata as head of the group in 2012, exhorted the leadership to work with the Tata values of pioneering, integrity, excellence, unity and responsibility for delivering sustainable and profitable growth. In his address, Mistry emphasised, "Our people are at the heart of the group's Vision 2025." Under the Vision 25, Mistry reiterated, Tata is aiming to touch a fourth of humanity with its products and services. "25 per cent of the world's population will experience the Tata commitment to improving the quality of life of customers and communities," Mistry said, while adding that Tata will be amongst the 25 most admired corporate and employer brands globally by 2025. This will also entail the combined market capitalisation of its listed companies -- which stand at 29 at present --- being among the 25 best globally. The investment of over USD 28 billion over the past three years has helped develop many remarkable projects, including the Kalinganagar steel plant, the largest greenfield infrastructure project, which commenced commercial production on May 25. Speaking about Tatas' contribution to the society, Mistry said its employees devoted one million hours to voluntary causes during the fiscal 2015-16, making the Tata volunteering programme the largest in the world. The Tata leadership and employees also paid their respects to Titan's founder and first managing director Xerxes Desai, who passed away recently. Tirupur-based S P Apparels, a manufacturer and exporter of knitted garments, today said it aims to raise Rs 215 crore through its initial public offer opening on August 2. The company has fixed a price band at Rs 258-268 per equity share of face value of Rs 10 each for the IPO. A total of nine lakh shares would be on offer and this would aggregate up to Rs 215 crore, company Chairman and Managing Director P Sundararajan told reporters here. Bids can be made for a minimum of 55 equity shares and in multiples of 55 thereafter and the shares were proposed to be listed on BSE and NSE, Sundararajan said. The business of the company consists of garments division for manufacture and export of knitted garments for infants and children and the retail division for manufacture, distribution and marketing of products in India under the Crocodile brand, he said. The company generated a revenue of Rs 5,377.54 million with a net profit of Rs 347.14 million in 2016 fiscal. On future plans, Sundararajan said that though the company was totally concentrating in infants, children and menswear (Crocodile) as of now, it may foray into women's garments in the future. With 40 retail showrooms, the company propose to open another 70 stores, including franchisee in the next three years, he said. The Tamil Nadu government today informed the Madras High Court that out of 264 deaths that occurred in prisons across the state between 2012 and 2015, compensation was given only in three cases. This was stated in a report filed by the government in the court in response to a PIL by advocate K Kesavan who sought a judicial inquiry into prison deaths and interim compensation of Rs five lakh each claiming that more than 1,000 prisoners had died of various reasons in 13 years from year 2000. After going through the report filed by the Home Department and Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA), a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan said, "We would like to see what is the further progress in this regard by the next date of hearing." The report by the Home Department stated that the death of prisoners has been informed to the local police, judicial magistrates, district collectors, government, SHRC and NHRC. It said the total number of deaths of remand prisoners dealt by the public department from 2012 to 2015, was 137. The total number of convicts whose deaths were dealt by the state Home Department from 2012 to 2015, was 127 and the inquiry reports in 99 deaths were yet to be received. While referring to the report filed by the TNSLSA, which stated that in the last one week, 40 cases have been dealt with, the bench said, "What we fail to appreciate is that if this pace of progress can be made one week before the date of hearing, why cannot the same pace to be maintained throughout the period. "It thus suggests that things are done only at the last minute when the court hearing day is about to reach." The bench then adjourned the matter to September 30 for further compliance. The father of a Pakistani- origin Muslim American soldier, who was killed in the Iraq war, today lambasted Donald Trump for disrespecting minorities and "sowing division", saying the Republican presidential nominee has "sacrificed nothing" for the country. Asking Trump if he had ever read the US constitution, Khizr Khan, father of Humayun S M Khan who was one of the 14 American Muslims who served US forces for 10 years and died in Iraq in 2004, told Americans to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. "Trump, you have sacrificed nothing," Khan told a cheering audience at the Democratic National Convention here. "Do not take this election lightly. This is a historic election. I request you to please honour the sacrifice of my son," Khan said. Captain Khan, a University of Virginia graduate, was one among 14 American Muslims who gave their lives serving the US forces in Iraq war that followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Before his speech, the Democratic National Committee released a video on Captain Khan. The video showcased a moving excerpt of Clinton's December remarks on national security - delivered in Minneapolis, Minnesota - in which she paid honour to Captain Khan. In his address Khan alleged Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. "He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country," he said. "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the US Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words "liberty" and "equal protection of law," Khan said amidst applause from the audience. Khizr Khan, who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, also appears in the video. Khan was born in Pakistan, but moved to the US in 1980 from the UAE. "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America - you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. We can't solve our problems by building walls and sowing division," he said. "We are Stronger Together. And we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our next President," Khan said. In Clinton's Minneapolis speech, she hailed Khan's exemplary service, noting that it exemplifies the US at its best - a country that derives great strength by embracing and celebrating its diversity. The speech, which also laid out her comprehensive plan to bolster homeland security, was delivered shortly after Donald Trump called to ban Muslims from entering the US. Never one to pull his punches, a combative Donald Trump today said he wanted to "hit" several Democrats who spoke against him "so hard, their heads would spin". The Republican presidential nominee often uses the term "hit" to mean verbally attack, rather than physical contact. After hearing speeches at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week, Trump said he wanted to "hit a number of those speakers so hard, their heads would spin. They'd never recover". The real estate tycoon zoomed in on one speaker especially, though he didn't mention his name, CNN reported. "I was going to hit one guy in particular, a very little guy," Trump said to laughs at a campaign rally in Iowa. "I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin, he wouldn't know what the hell happened," he reiterated. Trump said this individual "came out of nowhere" and had done work with him in the past. "He made deals with me. 'Will you help me with this? Would you make this deal and solve the problem?' I solved the problem," Trump said. Several speakers this week have gone after Trump including Michael Bloomberg. The former New York City mayor made a surprise endorsement over the weekend for Hillary Clinton, and described Trump in his convention speech last night as a "dangerous demagogue." Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine also targeted Trump, mocking the businessman's tendency to bolster his promises with a plea of "believe me." "He said a lot of things about me, I never met the guy," Trump said. "I mean the things that were said about me. I mean, should I go through some of the names?" Trump recalled telling a friend this week that he wanted to retaliate against the people who slammed him at the convention, mentioning current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio by name. "I was going to say that de Blasio is the worst mayor in the history of the city, but I didn't say it," Trump said to laughs. "He's a terrible mayor. I was going to say that, but now I won't say it." Trump said his friend, who he labelled a "very great governor," urged him to stay focused on attacking Clinton, not other Democrats. "He said, 'Don't hit there. Don't hit down. You have one person to beat. It's Hillary Rodham Clinton,'" Trump recalled, adding that he initially objected to the advice. "I said, 'But I really want to. I don't like what they're saying because a lot of it is lies. Not all of it but a lot of it is.' I said, 'I just really ... It makes me feel good.' " Ultimately, he said, he conceded and decided not to launch into verbal assaults against the Democrats. "But every once in a while I still wake up, I say 'boy, I wanna,'" Trump said, growling as he stopped himself from saying more. "Someday!". Turkey today insisted its military will keep up the fight against Islamic State jihadists and other militants after the failed coup, saying the armed forces would emerge stronger from a purge of its top ranks. A senior US military commander had been quoted by American media as saying that the turmoil in post-coup Turkey could affect its role in the US-led coalition fighting IS jihadists in Syria. But Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara that he found such statements "ridiculous" and "unfortunate". Turkish forces face the challenge of fighting both IS jihadists and guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Cavusoglu said making the military's capacity to fight such groups an issue in the wake of the coup "stemmed from a lack of knowledge and ignorance, if there is no ill intention". Turkey has embarked on a major military reshuffle after the putsch, which Ankara blames on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen and his followers. Authorities accuse the reclusive cleric of building a "parallel structure" inside Turkey. The government has ordered the discharge of 149 generals -- nearly half the armed forces' entire contingent of 358 -- for complicity in the putsch bid. Almost all of these generals are currently under arrest. But Cavusoglu denied the army was weaker as a result of the ongoing purge. "On the contrary. When we weed them (pro-Gulenist elements) out, our army will first of all be more dynamic, cleaner and more effective." The minister ridiculed the idea that it was only pro-Gulen elements in the military that wanted to fight IS militants. "We don't find such assessments right," he said. Turkey, which has itself been hit by deadly attacks blamed on jihadists, regularly targets IS positions in Syria with artillery fire. Its Incirlik air base in the south also hosts US and other coalition warplanes launching deadly raids on jihadists in Syria. Cavusoglu said that Turkey had "never dragged its feet" in its cooperation with the United States in fighting terror. According to US media, Central Command chief General Joseph Votel said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. Turkish authorities today widened their post-coup crackdown to the business sector, detaining three top tycoons as part of investigations into the activities of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. Twenty-one journalists also appeared in an Istanbul court after being rounded up in the sweeping purge, which has seen almost 16,000 people detained since the failed July 15 putsch. Turkish authorities blame Gulen for the rebellion, which aimed to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and they are now seeking to erase the reclusive cleric's influence from all aspects of Turkish life. But the scale of the crackdown has sparked international alarm, with the EU enlargement commissioner implicitly warning the bloc would freeze Turkey's accession talks if it violated the rule of law. Johannes Hahn said he needed to see "black-and-white facts about how these people are treated". "And if there is even the slightest doubt that the (treatment) is improper, then the consequences will be inevitable," he told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Following a shake-up of the military on Thursday after nearly half of its 358 generals were sacked, the top brass of the reshuffled armed forces met Erdogan at his presidential palace in Ankara. Ninety-nine colonels have been promoted to generals and admirals, although Chief of staff General Hulusi Akar -- who was held hostage during the coup attempt -- stayed in his post along with the heads of the navy, land and air forces. Turkey insisted its military would keep up the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and other militants, saying the armed forces would emerge stronger from the purge. "When we weed them (pro-Gulenist elements) out, our army will first of all be more dynamic, cleaner and more effective," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, dismissing concerns that the forces would be weakened. Meanwhile the probe into coup plotters shifted focus to the financing of Gulen's activities in Turkey, with what appeared to be the first major arrests targeting the business world. Security forces in the central city of Kayseri detained the chairman of the family-owned Boydak Holding company, Mustafa Boydak, and two other top executives, state-run Anadolu agency said. He and the two other executives -- Sukru and Halit Boydak -- were detained at their homes. Efforts were continuing to detain former chairman Haci Boydak as well as Ilyas and Bekir Boydak, for whom warrants have also been issued. US Federal Trade Commission has reported over 23,700 'technology support scam' complaints in January-August 2015, with consumer loss seen at over $5 million, according to Nasscom. "According to Nasscom, US FTC has reported that between January and August 2015, 23,709 complaints were filed under the technology support scams category, with a reported consumer loss of more than $5 million. FTC has further stated that our (US) law enforcement experience indicates that many tech support scams originate from call centres located in India," Minister of State for Electronics and IT, P P Chaudhary said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. Nasscom has been working closely with US FTC over the last few years to address "the growing threat of deceptive and unlawful telemarketing" in India. Nasscom-Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and FTC have hosted two meetings in India with stakeholders in India, the US and Canada. The United States has said it is "skeptical" of a Russian announcement that it had opened humanitarian corridors in Aleppo, with Secretary of State John Kerry fearing a potential "ruse." Russia, a key ally of the Syrian regime in the five-year war, announced Thursday several corridors for civilians and surrendering fighters to leave the northern Syrian city, which has been under heavy assault for weeks. Besieged residents were cowering indoors, afraid to use what some called "death corridors." Kerry -- who has spoken twice with Moscow in the past day and met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday in Laos -- said cooperation between Moscow and Washington could turn sour if the announcement proves deceitful. "It has the risk, if it is a ruse, of completely breaking apart the level of cooperation," Kerry said. "On the other hand, if we're able to work it out today and have a complete understanding of what is happening and an agreement on the way forward, it could actually open up some possibilities." The proposal raised concerns that the corridors could be used to flush out Aleppo before a final push by the Syrian regime forces to take the city. "We are taking a look at Russia's announcement of humanitarian corridors, but given their record on this, we are skeptical to say the least," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz at a briefing. The White House remains "deeply concerned about the situation in Aleppo," said Schultz. "Over the last few weeks Russian and Assad regime offensive have offensively cut off the opposition held parts of the city. This only exacerbates the humanitarian situation by laying siege to some 300,000 civilians," Schultz said. "Access to the city should be open to fully allow for unimpeded humanitarian support and commercial traffic to Syrian civilians in their homes. Mining conglomerate Vedanta Ltd today reported a 30 per cent fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 615.02 crore for the quarter ended June 30. The billionaire Anil Agarwal-led firm had clocked a net profit of Rs 884.14 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a BSE filing. Total consolidated income declined by 15 per cent to Rs 14,437.08 crore in April-June quarter this fiscal from Rs 17,008.81 crore during the same quarter in 2015-16. Total expenses of the company were, however, lower at Rs 12,489.51 crore as against Rs 14,423.47 crore during the same period last fiscal. Reacting to the results, shares of Vedanta fell by 2.69 per cent to close at Rs 164.60 apiece on BSE. Vedanta Ltd CEO Tom Albanese said: "We have made good progress on the ramp up of capacities at our aluminium, power and iron ore businesses during the quarter. These would be significant contributors to earnings as the year progresses." Zinc India was impacted by lower mined metal production and the second half is expected to be substantially higher, he added. "We are focused on generating stronger free cash flow and delivering the balance sheet in line with our strategic priorities. Another of these priorities, the simplification of the group structure is also on track following the recent announcement of the revised and final terms for the Vedanta Ltd and Cairn India merger," Albanese said. The firm said it has a strong financial position with a total cash and cash equivalents of Rs 52,299 crore at the end of the June quarter. "On y-o-y basis, revenues in Q1 were 15 per cent lower on account of the fall in oil and metal prices, weaker power market and lower zinc volumes, partially offset by ramp up in volumes at iron ore, power and aluminium," it added. During the April-June quarter, rupee depreciation of 2 per cent led to a forex loss of Rs 67 crore primarily on restatement of MAT assets at oil & gas business, it said. As on 30 June 2016, the firm said gross debt reduced by Rs 606 crore to Rs 76,953 crore given repayment of inter-company loan of Rs 5,736 crore to Vedanta Resources Plc, partially offset by borrowings at Zinc India and aluminium businesses. Net debt increased by Rs 6,400 crore to 24,654 crore mainly on payout of special dividend at Zinc India during the current quarter, it added. Out of the total debt of Rs 76,953 crore, the INR/USD split is around 63 per cent/ 37 per cent. Further, the gross debt comprises of long term loans of Rs 59,263 crore and short term loans of Rs 17,690 crore. "Fiscal 2016-17 debt maturities are Rs 12,406 crore, which the firm intends to meet through a combination of roll over, refinancing, internal accruals and working capital initiatives," it added. A 45 years old woman at Khaling village in Bhiwandi tehsil was injured last night when a bottle, left for her son by an unknown person, exploded when she tried to open it. Rekha Gharat, the woman, is now being treated at the KEM Hospital in Mumbai. On July 26, her son Abhijit found a gift-wrapped bag left on his motorbike. A message with the bag said it was a gift for him and he should the "open the bottle". Inside was a plastic bottle with some liquid. He took it home, and feeling that something was wrong, asked his mother not to open it. However, last night his mother tried to open the bottle and it exploded, police said. Further probe is on. Yemen's government delegation to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait said it will leave tomorrow, signalling the collapse of four months of UN- brokered negotiations with Shiite Huthi rebels. "Today, we are holding some farewell meetings... And the delegation will leave on Saturday," delegation spokesman Mohammad al-Emrani told AFP. "There can be no more talks after the new coup," he said referring to the rebels' formation of a supreme political council to run war-torn Yemen. The Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the General People's Congress of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday jointly announced setting up the 10-member council. The job of the council would be to "manage state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security", a statement issued by the rebels said. UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the rebels' move "contravenes" their commitment to the peace process and "represents a grave violation" of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 on Yemen's conflict. A UN spokesman in Kuwait, however, said Ould Cheikh Ahmed was scheduled to meet with the rebels and with ambassadors of the 18 countries backing the peace process in Yemen. Indirect negotiations held in Kuwait since April have failed to make headway. Most of the discussions focused on the type of the government to run Yemen during a transition period. "It must be made clear here that it is the Huthi-Saleh alliance that foiled the peace talks in Kuwait. They have shown that they were never serious about a peaceful settlement," Emrani said. A top aide to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said yesterday that the government considered the peace talks had wound up without agreement. "The negotiations have completely ended," said Abdullah al-Olaimi, deputy director of the president's office and a member of the government delegation. More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi's government. Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 per cent of the population urgently needs humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. BJD councillors of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation allegedly physically assaulted their Congress and BJP counterparts during the civic body's monthly council meeting here today. Disrupting a discussion on the acute dengue situation in the city, the corporators broke into a scuffle after a heated exchange. This is the fourth consecutive monthly council meeting of the civic body ending amid disruption without transacting any business. Two councillors, one each from Congress and BJP, registered separate police complaints at the Purighat police station accusing the rival party members of criminal misconduct. "We have already registered two cases in this regard", the Purighat police inspector Tapas Chandra Pradhan said. Congress corporator Arun Kumar Sethy in his police complaint has named five BJD corporators alleging that the ruling party members slapped and kicked him using remarks against his caste. Similarly, Itishree Das, one of the named accused in Sethy's complaint, has also filed a counter case against the latter, the police said. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today said her government will not spare anyone involved in corruption while retorting to Congress's attack on the state's governance condition. Speaking at a programme in Sirohi, she said, "Our vision is to do work and Congress has a vision to disseminate disinformation among public. Congress made records in corruption and now its leaders are pointing fingers at our governance which has no blot." "The government has been following a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and the result is that public is experiencing corruption-free governance," she said. Raje said the government has launched Bhamashah scheme and other programmes for the welfare of public. By Devidutta Tripathy MUMBAI (Reuters) - ICICI Bank Ltd, India's top private sector lender by assets, reported first-quarter profit fell about 25 percent as its provisions for bad loans more than doubled. Standalone net profit fell to 22.32 billion rupees for its fiscal first quarter to June 30, from 29.76 billion rupees a year earlier, the Mumbai-based bank said in a statement on Friday. The profit was, however, ahead of analysts' expectations of 21.99 billion rupees. Indian banks have seen their bad loans surge after an asset quality review ordered by the Reserve Bank of India, which has set a March 2017 deadline for a sector clean-up, as high bad loans hobble credit growth. ICICI's gross bad loans as a percentage of total loans rose to 5.87 percent as of end-June, from 5.82 percent three months earlier. On the top of its gross bad loans of about 272 billion rupees, the bank said it has about 387 billion rupees of loans on its watch list. "Our focus is to continue to work on resolution of most of these large exposures," Chief Executive Chanda Kochhar said on a conference call, referring to the watch list loans. The bank, which is also listed in New York, is setting up a dedicated credit monitoring group to help tackle a rise in sour assets in the corporate and small-and-medium enterprises segments, she said. ICICI's provisions jumped to 25.15 billion rupees in the June quarter, from 9.55 billion rupees a year earlier. The provisions were less than the 33.26 billion rupees made in the March quarter. The bank's domestic loans in the quarter grew 17 percent from a year earlier, with loans to individuals rising at a faster rate of 22 percent. ICICI Bank's life insurance unit has filed for an initial public offering that if it goes through will be India' biggest IPO in six years. The bank, which is selling a stake of about 12.6 percent in the joint venture with Britain's Prudential, will get all the proceeds from the IPO. Shares in the bank fell 3.4 percent ahead of the results in a Mumbai market that closed 0.3 percent lower. ($1 = 66.9750 rupees) (Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by Alexander Smith) Jesus Camacho, 28, a schoolteacher, recalled a time in his youth when he refused to read Don Quixote, the most famous work of Spain's celebrated writer Miguel de Cervantes. "I saw that it was the same size as the Bible,'' he said, "so I got scared." But in July, Camacho, who is also a rapper known as Camaccho, found himself enthralled by the themes in the writer's works as he prepared to participate in the "Rap in Cervantes" competition in Spain. The event features contestants improvising lyrics based on a phrase or character from and other works by the writer. It was about the end of the monsoons of 1959, and the Sessions Court in Mumbai had morphed into a local tourist spot. Hundreds of people were making detours on their regular route from work or school to gather near the building in Flora Fountain, not owing to any sudden surge in litigations, but because of unprecedented public interest in one particular legal battle: the case of Commander Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati of the Indian Navy versus the state of Maharashtra. Tata Sons on Thursday denied strongly the speculation that its assets in Britain could be seized following the London arbitration award against the group in the Tata Tele-Docomo case last month. The company also said that though it has time till August 2, it hopes to deposit the entire amount of $1.17 billion with the registrar of the Delhi High Court by Friday. On June 23 this year, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) had asked the Tatas to pay up $1.17 billion to Japanese partner Docomo. Following this Docomo has obtained an exparte order from the commercial court in London to enforce the award in Britain. Because the order was obtained exparte, Tata's arguments have not yet been heard, Tata Sons said in a statement this evening. "We would like to clarify that the London commercial court has granted Tata Sons a period of 23 days, starting July 27, 2016, to apply to set aside the exparte order. The arbitral award cannot be enforced until the end of that period, or until any application made by Tata Sons has been finally decided upon. "Further, the British assets of Tata Steel and Jaguar Land Rover are not owned by Tata Sons. These are subsidiaries of Indian public listed companies of which Tata Sons is a promoter with a minority shareholding of not more than 30-35 per cent," the statement said. The statement pointed out that these companies are not party to the arbitration proceedings, and therefore no award has been issued against them. Therefore, it follows that the award cannot be enforced against those companies. The company further said it has made its position clear in statement on July 26 to the Delhi High Court. "Tata Sons has from the outset underlined its commitment to honouring its contractual obligations to Docomo, and has taken every possible step keeping in mind the interests of all stakeholders and in accordance with the laws of the land," it said. "The regulatory approval for performance of the arbitral award of the London Court of International Arbitration has been denied by the Reserve Bank. However, in the Delhi High Court, Tata Sons, as a gesture of good faith and without prejudice to its rights, has in line with its earlier offer to Docomo, committed to deposit the entire amount of the arbitral award by August 2, 2016, with the Delhi High Court Registrar," the company said. The statement further noted that the Delhi High Court has given time till August 30, 2016, for both parties to try and resolve the outstanding issues between them. Fulfilment of the arbitral award requires conformance to Indian regulations and laws, and Tata Sons is committed to be in full compliance with all such requirements, it said. The company had earlier said it has been consistently underlining its commitment to honour the contractual obligations with NTT Docomo, and has taken every possible step to keep the interests of all stakeholders in mind. The arbitral award is the result of a two-year tussle between the partners in their failed joint venture Tata Teleservices in which NTT Docomo of Japan holds 26 per cent stake which it had picked up in November 2008 for $2.7 billion or about Rs 12,770 crore at the then exchange rate. At that time Tata Sons held 38 per cent in the CDMA operator and the deal valued the company at $10.38 billion. According to their initial agreement in 2008, the largest Japanese teleco was given the option of exiting the venture after a three years at a predetermined share price, which was to be bought by Tata Sons or an external buyer which the Tatas were to arrange. By 2014, as Tatas failed to get a buyer, Docomo decided to exit, at a time when the share price of Tata Teleservices has plunged far below the earlier decided exit agreement. Unable to find a buyer, Tata Sons sought the permission of the Reserve Bank to buyback the shares at the previously agreed price but was told no, on the ground that such a transfer could not be made on a subsequent date at a predetermined share price, according to existent forex and securities norms. Following this Docomo went in for international arbitration, which ended in the Japanese company getting awarded $1.17 billion in compensation. It's hard to ignore the sheer number of billboards, hoardings, neon signs and banners off the eight-lane highway leading to Delhi airport. The bustling area of Mahipalpur has over 100 budget hotels, owned and managed by small operators. In recent years, the display boards of these hotels have been replaced with in-your-face signages of Goibibo, MakeMyTrip and OYO Rooms, among others. The trend also marks a change in how business is conducted in this hospitality hub. Of late, Mahipalpur has become a battleground for online travel agencies (OTAs) and hotel aggregating portals, which focus on accommodations such as hotels, hostels and homestays. Hotel Alpine Tree - one of the 100-plus budget hotels in Delhi's Mahipalpur - has been witnessing the battle up close. It has tie-ups with most OTAs - MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip, Expedia, Yatra, Goibibo - and OYO Rooms. For a 24-room hotel, the number of partnerships seems disproportionately high. Even though OTAs claim that online selling of inventory for such hotels increase occupancy, and incomes in general, the reality is somewhat different. Says Tarun Garg, promoter, Hotel Alpine Tree: "It's a cyclical business. It doesn't matter if the inventory is sold online or offline. The occupancy usually remains low between March and July even after the discounts offered by online players." The slugfest between the OTAs and hotel aggregators for a bigger slice of the estimated $20 billion (Rs 1.32 lakh crore) Indian budget hotel pie has led to discovery of a host of value-additions. And, the new-gen hotel aggregators have always set the terms of engagement when it comes to quality of service and innovation - they are demanding and keep pushing the limits with partner hotels. Apart from offering basic services - Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast and cleanliness - they run audit checks to help hotel operators maintain service standards throughout the year. For instance, OYO Rooms has a 30-point checklist for each of its partner hotels, in addition to the 150-point must-do list that hotels have to adhere to before 150-point must-do list that hotels have to adhere to before going live. "Our cluster managers audit hotels every week," says Ritesh Agarwal, founder, OYO Rooms. On the other hand, OTAs, which were mostly launched around early- and mid-2000s, mostly offered hotels bundled with rail and air travel, or holiday packages. The content and consumer trust, however, remained weak because the property shown online was often different from the actual experience of the users. They were hit really hard when OYO Rooms, and a bunch of other hotel aggregators, started off around 2013. Backed by significant funding, these start-ups went on an expansion spree and ensured minimum standards. This forced OTAs to look into the hotels category more seriously, especially over the past one year. However, there is still huge scope for them to work on improving quality. War of Rooms The rush to add more hotels on their platforms has pitted OTAs against hotel aggregators. According to Morgan Stanley Research, India's hospitality sector has over 40,000 branded and 30,000 unbranded hotels, which include guest houses, serviced apartments, villas and lodges. While MakeMyTrip claims 30,000 hotels on its platform, Yatra puts the number at 60,000. At last count, OYO had 70,000 rooms across 6,000 hotels in its portfolio with another 60,000 rooms under contract. And, there's more room for them to grow. This vast universe of unbranded, single-property hotels is where the big fight is taking place because of several reasons - the margins are higher (than branded chains), budget hotels have a sizeable demand, the market is fragmented so players with more fleet-on-street can sign more exclusive deals and there are opportunities to play with the product. "Our penetration in branded hotel chains is over 70 per cent. But there's a huge market of unbranded hotels that's yet to be tapped," says Rajesh Magow, CEO, MakeMy-Trip. Last year, the company's hotel and packages business contributed 50 per cent to its revenues, compared to just 20 per cent in 2010/11. "It's expected to reach 70 per cent in three years," adds Magow. Experts say that high growth in the hotels segment is primarily due to the new hotels that are added to the portfolio and not because of more businesses from the existing portfolio. "At some point, the growth will start to taper down as most of the accommodations are now covered," says an analyst. Firing Salvos The battle has now reached a stage where both sides are heavily discounting to keep the occupancy rates high. Well-funded players offer deep discounting to acquire customers, something akin to the e-tail market. In many cases, the price of rooms sold is below the selling price of hotel operators. For instance, a deluxe room in Hotel Alpine Tree, which is available for Rs 2,650, is selling on the MakeMyTrip platform for Rs 2,154 per night and on OYO Rooms for Rs 1,537. The best bargain, however, is on Goibibo - the Rs 1,524-per-night price tag comes with a Rs 1,985 promotional cash offer, which can be redeemed on the next booking. The discounting is largely funded by online players. If OTAs and hotel aggregators fail to sell the inventory offered on their platforms, the hotel is also paid for the unsold units. Players like OYO and Treebo work on the "minimum guarantee" model, which is strongly criticised by people on either side because it did not take into account low demand during off-seasons. OYO, for instance, had started off promising assured payments to hotel owners. It took a part of the inventory and refurbished it to meet its standards. Hotel owners, in return, asked for a minimum guarantee. For example, if OYO took 10 rooms in a hotel, it had to pay for those rooms to hotel owners irrespective of whether OYO was able to sell those rooms or not. The churning and opportunities in the sector have also attracted both start-ups and investors. According to a 2015 report by ratings agency ICRA, 70 per cent of hotel rooms in Europe are booked through online portals, while in the US it is at 35-50 per cent. In India it is at just 16 per cent. And, to cash in on the opportunity, both OTAs and aggregators have already raised substantial money in the past 18-24 months. Major fundings include SoftBank putting in $100 million in OYO Rooms last August, Chinese travel giant Ctrip investing $180 million in MakeMyTrip this January, and South African media company Naspers investing $250 million in Goibibo in February. A substantial part of OYO's $126-million funds raised so far (in four rounds) has gone into customer acquisition including advertising and discounting, referral offers, and cashbacks. Others, from both sides, who don't have deep pockets are waiting for aggressive ones to run out of cash. "We also give discounts within reasonable limits. The crazy discounting by other players has to stop somewhere. Moreover, the loyalty of customer changes as soon as discounting ends," says Sharat Dhall, ?President at Yatra. "OYO is going whole hog in giving discounts to create scale. It will give them valuations but not profits," says Achin Khanna, Managing Director, Consulting and Valuation Practice, HVS South Asia. Says MakeMyTrip's Magow: "This kind of discounting is unsustainable. We have also invested heavily in marketing and sales promotions," he says. In fact, promotional offers in the hotels segment have significantly increased the net losses MakeMyTrip. - $49.92 million in March 2016 quarter from $5.94 million in the year-ago period. Goibibo did not respond to email request for a meeting. The competition between OTAs and hotel aggregators heightened last year when MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and Yatra jointly blocked OYO Rooms and Zo Rooms from listing on their websites. While it affected both sides, OTAs were ready to sacrifice revenues to protect their turf. "At that time, OTAs were contributing single-digit percentage to our bookings," says Agarwal of OYO Rooms. The Imitation Game With rising competition, every move of one player is closely being watched and, often, copied by others. MakeMyTrip, for instance, launched Value+ to deepen its relations with hotels and co-branding some of them. Under Value+, MakeMyTrip has aggregated about 1,000 hotels that are offering clean washrooms, Wi-Fi, air-conditioned rooms and complimentary breakfast - something that was core to OYO's 'standardisation' model. Other OTAs, including Goibibo and Yatra, have their own versions. "While OTAs are getting into property management, their role is still largely restricted. We are far deeper penetrated from the quality point of view," says Prafulla Mathur, Founder of Wudstay, an online hotel aggregator with 650 partner hotels. It also follows the 'standardisation' model. In early 2016, OYO launched a premium product, OYO Flagship, under which it "takes over" empty properties and converts them to boutique hotels and serviced apartments. For a slightly higher price, it offers conference room facilities, room service and a front desk. This is similar to Treebo's franchise model, which is along the lines of what global hospitality chains, such as Wyndham, Carlson Rezidor and Starwood, follow. "Unlike organised chains, we are more dependent on technology than manpower," says Sidharth Gupta, Co-founder, Treebo. By the end of 2015, OYO had to shun the minimum guarantee model as many hotels having a tie-up with OTAs were undercutting OYO. Treebo, however, might have to continue because it exclusively manages the hotels and, being a smaller player (with just 100 properties), minimum guarantee ensures that property owners see value in the partnership. Tightrope Walk In the cut-throat competition, however, customer servicing often takes a backseat. Sample this: Amber Goel booked a hotel room for his parents last December in Agra-based Taj Prince. Goel frequently books hotels online but that experience was particularly unpleasant. "It was like a night shelter. The mattresses were torn, and when I called the OYO call centre, I was told that it is too late," he recalls. "OYO has greater control over guest experience than intermediaries and third-party platforms and is committed to offer predictable, affordable, standardised stays that are always available on demand. After undertaking a network-wide review in January and February this year, we removed 120 partners that were unable or unwilling to meet our standards," said a company spokesperson. To battle customer perception, WudStay's WudCare ensures that its staff stay in the partner hotels and experience the quality of services. "We also help train hotel staff. While OTAs can shun their responsibility in case of customer dissatisfaction, we have a lot more at stake," says Mathur. The Next Warfront The homestays market also seems to be luring both OTAs and online hotel aggregators. Start-ups like Stayzilla and Findmystay, a reverse bidding OTA that enables customers to book hotel rooms at their price, are focused on this segment alone. Almost everyone has ventured into homestays in the past one year. MakeMyTrip, for instance, has launched RightStay whereas Yatra has TG Stays. "Homestays is going to be the next battlefield for online travel players," says an analyst. However, the homestay market is even more fragmented than hotels, and the potential is huge. "The market for homestays is even bigger than hotels because every home can potentially become an accommodation," says Yogendra Vasupal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Stayzilla, which claims to have over 25,000 rooms across 400 cities. The tariff for homestays are like budget hotels. Start-ups can sign exclusive deals with home owners, which translates into higher margins. Initially, people used to give their spare accommodation for homestay, but that is changing fast. In India, people have inhibitions in allowing strangers to live in their houses. Stayzilla claims to have built a platform that allows homeowners to select the kind of people they want to stay with, based on various preferences. "We have applied for a patent in India and the US," adds Vasupal. Pegged at around Rs 5,200 crore by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the online hotel market is witnessing a brutal fight that seems to have just started. Normal banking operations may take a hit on Friday as public sector bank employees will go on strike today to protest against the proposed merger of associate banks with SBI and banking reforms announced by the government. The United Forum of Banks Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine bank employees and officers unions representing 8 lakh staffers, will go ahead with the strike, potentially affecting services like cheque clearances, cash deposit and withdrawal at branches and other facilities. Most banks, including SBI, informed customers that banking services would be hit on July 29 due to the strike at all banks on "issue and demand to stop banking sector reforms". ALSO READ: Now, transfer money instantly via SBI ATM without debit card "The All India State Bank Officers' Federation and the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation are members of UFBU. Thus, it is likely that the bank will also be impacted to some extent by the said strike calls," SBI said in a statement. According to All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C H Venkatachalam, the conciliation meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner on July 26 did not yield any positive results though UFBU is willing to reconsider the strike call if the government considers their demand and addresses it. "The unions were ready for meaningful discussion, but the government only tried to justify their present policy decision on banking reforms and hence, there was no meeting point," he explained, trying to justify the proposed action. Ashwani Rana, Vice-President of the National Organisation of Bank Workers, another affiliate of UFBU, said the strike call stands for Friday, but banks will work as usual on Saturday. Unions, which are protesting against FDI in the banking sector, are pressing for various demands, which include one not to privatise public sector banks and increase private capital in such banks, Rana said. The unions are also opposed to the move to privatise regional rural banks and co-operative banks, and consolidate and merge banks, among others, he added. Finance Minister Michael Noonan last night welcomed the publication of a report by the International Monetary Fund. The IMF periodic consultation reports, published yesterday, is designed to help protect the economic and financial well-being of countries. The reports highlight Irelands positive economic performance and discuss how Irelands economy is likely to be affected by Brexit. The report says Irelands successful fiscal consolidation and growth turnaround have created fiscal space in the medium term..but more efficient public spending could further increase the effective fiscal space. A more efficient delivery of public services could yield better outcomes for a given cost, or the same quality of outcome at a lower cost. Mr Noonan broadly agrees with the content of the report. Commenting on these publications by the IMF Minister Noonan said, I am particularly heartened to see that the IMFs assessment is broadly in line with the Governments own assessment of the health of the economy and that the IMF continue to recognise the hard work of Irelands and the Governments policies that together have facilitated our recent improvements. The IMF also recognises that the Government is fully committed to sound budgetary policy in the years ahead and that Irelands financial regulatory and supervisory frameworks have been significantly upgraded and the financial soundness of the banking sector has improved. He added. (Reuters) About Us Source: www.businessworld.ie European Union states will not oppose the EU executive's decision to cancel Spain's and Portugal's fines for their excessive deficits, two EU officials said on Friday, despite the head of euro zone finance ministers criticising such leniency. Under EU rules, the Council of EU countries could reject the European Commission's decision within ten days, an option that Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem hinted at on Wednesday. However, the majority needed to block the Commission's decision was not reached at a meeting on Friday, paving the way for an automatic waiver on Aug. 8, when the 10-day tacit acceptance procedure ends, the officials told Reuters. Spain and Portugal risked a fine up to 0.2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) for breaching EU fiscal rules requiring that their deficit are below 3 percent of GDP. But the Commission, amid fears of growing euroscepticism in the bloc, decided to waive the fines. Its decision may weaken EU fiscal discipline, but is seen as helpful in not hampering growth in the euro zone's fragile economies. As part of the procedure, the European Commission will decide after the summer recess whether to temporarily suspend EU funds to Spain and Portugal next year. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie MasterCard Inc, the world's second-biggest payments processor, reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as consumers shopped more using cards on its network. Shares of MasterCard rose as mcuh as 3 percent to a near five-month high of $96.50 on Thursday. The company's results mirror those of rival Visa Inc, which also reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as payments volume rose 10.2 percent. MasterCard's worldwide purchase volume rose 9 percent to $897 billion on a local currency basis in the second quarter. U.S. volume rose 8.1 percent to $335 billion. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, rose for a second straight month in May on increased demand for automobiles and other goods. Data for June has not been released yet. MasterCard's cross-border volumes - the value of transactions made by card holders outside the card-issuer's country - jumped 10 percent. The company said it did not anticipate any significant impact this year from Britain's vote to leave the European Union. In fact, the company is seeing an increase in inbound cross-border spend in the United Kingdom. Europe accounted for more than 26 percent of its total purchase volume during the second quarter. "The increased activity in Europe has to do with better economic health, which is yet to be affected by Brexit," Wedbush Securities analyst Gil Luria told Reuters. Cross-border spending activity fell "significantly" in Turkey, Chief Executive Ajay Banga said on a conference call. MasterCard's net income rose 6.7 percent to $983 million, or 89 cents per share, in the quarter ended June 30, from a year earlier. Excluding a charge, the company earned 96 cents per share, beating the average analyst estimate of 90 cents, according to Thomson Reuters. Revenue jumped 12.7 percent to $2.69 billion, above analysts' average estimate of $2.59 billion.(Reuters) About Us Source: www.businessworld.ie Enterprise Ireland has published a new guide for Irish businesses exporting to the UK. The Guide contains information on UK market and sector opportunities, business planning, supply chain, competitiveness, innovation, tax and legal structures. Enterprise Ireland is the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. The organisation supports Irish enterprises win export sales in global markets. In the past few weeks alone Enterprise Ireland has supported job creation nationwide; CoreHR announced a major expansion of its operations, yesterday, creating 300 new jobs with support from Enterprise Ireland. Compliance & Risks, the global regulatory solutions provider, announced that it will be adding 50 new jobs to its workforce over the next three years. The company was supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland. Sigmar Recruitment Announced 150 new jobs last week. Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland commenting at the time said Enterprise Ireland has worked closely with Sigmar Recruitment over the past five years to support its growth and development. Enterprise Ireland spoke last week of their strong focus on diversification into Northern Europe, USA and High-Growth Markets as part of their expanded international trade missions and events programme across the 2nd half of the year. The free guide is available from the Enterprise Ireland website from today. About Us Source: www.businessworld.ie Alphabet Inc, Google's parent, on Thursday revealed that efforts to push its vast advertising business toward mobile is paying off as second quarter earnings handily beat Wall Street's expectations. The results put to rest lingering concerns about how the rise of mobile might impact Google, which has a strong mobile presence with its Android smartphone operating system but has long relied on desktop search traffic to power its profits. Advertisers typically pay less for user clicks on mobile ads than on desktop ads, Google's traditional strength, but the strong earnings performance suggests that is beginning to change, said Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Partners. "They're doing an excellent job of pulling the mobile landscape through to being more efficient," Gillis said. Alphabet said revenue grew by 21.3 percent to $21.5 billion, while earnings jumped to $4.88 billion from $3.93 billion for the comparable period a year ago. The company's shares rose 6.5 percent to $816 in after-hours trading on Thursday. Robust gains in the red-hot video market also drove the company's growth, Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said during a call with investors. Over the past year, Google, Facebook and Twitter have all doubled down on video, a format where advertisers are willing to pay a premium for a few seconds of users' undivided attention. Google has used artificial intelligence to improve video recommendations to users, driving more engagement on the site, Pichai said. "Video is a huge component of digital content, and YouTube continues to shine," he said. "It's a thriving home for creators." Google and other tech players are hoping to siphon advertising dollars from traditional television, where advertisers will spend a projected $70.6 billion in the U.S. this year, according to market research firm eMarketer. YouTube is in a prime position to strike, with an audience of more than 1 billion users, including more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any U.S. cable network. Google faced heightened pressure to deliver after Facebook, its chief competitor in mobile advertising, reported a 63 percent increase in total advertising revenue on Wednesday, sending its shares to an all-time high. The rivalry between the companies has intensified as advertisers shift more of their budgets toward mobile. But Google's healthy performance shows there is room for both to thrive in the burgeoning market, said analyst Bob O'Donnell of TECHnalysis Research. "The back-to-back, stellar earnings by both Google and Facebook highlight the continued growth of online advertising and its impact on more traditional media," he said. Revenue at Alphabet's Other Bets business rose 150 percent to $185 million, while operating losses widened to $859 million. The division includes broadband business Google Fiber, home automation products Nest, self-driving cars and X - the research facility that works on "moon shot" ventures. Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat, widely credited with bringing a culture of greater financial discipline to the company, suggested that she will continue to scrutinize the Other Bets business. "I've commented many times that our focus on long-term revenue growth does not give us a pass on managing expenses," she told investors. Google's ad revenue rose 19.5 percent to $19.14 billion, while it notched a 29 percent rise in paid clicks, where advertisers pay the company only if a user clicks on the ad. Google's other revenue surged 33 percent, driven by gains in the cloud computing business, in which Google competes with Microsoft and Amazon to rent computer servers to other companies. Former VMware CEO Diane Greene, who began leading Google's cloud business last year, has streamlined engineering efforts and appointed new leadership, helping the company get more traction with clients, Pichai said. "It's a big set of changes, and it's obviously having an impact," he said. Although Google continues to expand its advertising business, the falling cost-per-click on advertisements is cause for concern, said analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy. "Advertisers aren't willing to pay as much for Google advertising," he said. Excluding items, Alphabet earned $8.42 per share, beating analysts average estimate of $8.04, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.(Reuters) About Us Source: www.businessworld.ie Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell OConnor TD has today officially opened the digital hub in Skibbereen, Cork. The Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, which originally served as the local cinema from 1941 1981 and then a bakery, has been transformed into a 10,000 sq. ft digital hub which is the first of its kind in a non-urban area in Ireland. The hub boasts of an impressive 1 Gigabit (1,000 Mbps) 100% fibre-optic broadband network. The Ludgate Hub is part of an initiative which aims to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the West Cork region and seeks to create 500 jobs in five years with an initial 75+ jobs in the start-up phase. The hub is now fully operational and has over 30 people signed up and working from the premises. Vodafone Ireland is the telecoms partner to the project and SIRO, the ESB and Vodafone joint venture. The broadband infrastructure is three times as powerful as the market leading service in Dublin and is powered by light, making it different and better than any other network in Ireland, with no copper connection at any point. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell OConnor TD speaking at the launch said, Im delighted to be here in Skibbereen today to officially open the Ludgate Hub. 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. Anne OLeary, CEO Vodafone Ireland and Ludgate Hub board member said: The overarching aim of the initiative is the creation of a blueprint Gigabit town for other rural areas, once disadvantaged by geography, but now enabled by the rapid development of the digital world. Skibbereen has begun a transition, made possible by the arrival of 100% fibre optic broadband, and is leading the way for similar communities to become part of a Gigabit society in Ireland. Supporters of the Ludgate Hub include; AIB, Vodafone, Ronan Daly Jermyn, Moore Nathan Stephens, KPMG, Cork County Council, Google and SIRO. Source: www.businessworld.ie SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Mormon church has pulled its 15 missionaries out of Turkey, citing concern about unstable conditions there. The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2a7bOKs ) that a news release from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says the missionaries were transferred to Germany and will work with the Turkish-speaking population in Berlin. The church says it plans to send the missionaries back when things return to normal in Turkey. A violent attempted coup on July 15 recently heightened tensions in the country. The Mormon churchs website says it has one active mission and 439 members in Turkey. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Utah Supreme Court is upholding a murder conviction in the death of a gas-station clerk that was solved using DNA in blood on a dollar bill. The high court on Thursday dismissed arguments the verdict should be overturned because prosecutors didnt prove the bill came from the scene. While the justices acknowledged weak points in the two-decade-old chain of evidence, they said there was no proof it was tainted. Authorities say Glenn Howard Griffin tied up 22-year-old Bradley Newell Perry and killed him during a graveyard shift in 1984, but two customers drove up before he could get away. Prosecutors say Griffin handed them the bloody money as change while posing as a gas-station worker. The customers gave it to police, but the crime went unsolved until it was tested for DNA in 2005. LOGAN Jason Summers has pleaded not guilty to allegedly breaking into a Smithfield church and shooting at a neighbor who confronted him. The plea came after 1st District Court Judge, Thomas Willmore found sufficient evidence to bind the 30-year-old Smithfield man over on seven felony and misdemeanor charges. During Thursdays preliminary hearing, an alleged witness testified how he confronted a man matching Summers description on the night of July 8, outside an LDS Church after hearing the noise of a window pane breaking. The witness said as he started walking across the street toward the church, the man climbed out of the broken window and reportedly shot at him with what sounded like a shotgun. The witness said he lost sight of Summers as he called 911. When officers arrived on the scene, they performed a protective sweep of the property and secured surrounding areas looking for the gunman. During that time Summers came out of a nearby home and began confronting officers. Detective Brandon Muir testified during the hearing that Summers told officers he had been drinking that night and reloading shotgun shells, replacing bbs with rock salt. Investigators also saw what was believed to be drug paraphernalia in his carport. Muir said, after obtaining a warrant officers found a shotgun inside the carport. It was laying on the ground, behind some closet doors. Officers found one spent shell in the gun that looked like it had been reloaded. There was another shell in the rifle that had not been fired. Summers had claimed earlier that the shotgun was at his fathers home, locked in a gun safe. Muir said when he returned to the crime scene the next morning, he found what looked like rock salt behind where the victim was standing. Wadding from a shotgun shell was also found in the church parking lot. Summers was charged with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, discharge of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, both third-degree felonies and four misdemeanor drug charges. Defense attorney Diane Pitcher argued that several of the charges should be dismissed because they are duplicated and reference the same incident. She also asked that Summers bail be reduced from $150,000. Judge Willmore asked prosecutors to research the charges filed and set a bail hearing for Monday.

will@cvradio.com LOGAN One year ago Kira Anderson left her home in Concord, North Carolina to attend school at Utah State University on a two-year scholarship. She spent her freshman year studying, making friends and working at Aggie Ice Cream. When the school year ended she started her summer job at a Bear Lake resort. Things changed for the 19-year-old student while driving through Logan Canyon July 19th. She sustained serious head injuries when her car went off the road near the summit and into some trees. She was flown to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City where she has been in the Neuro Critical Care Unit since. Her mother Celestia Anderson flew out to be by her daughters side immediately. Her father Carl Anderson is anxiously waiting to arrive in Utah and see his daughter Friday. Carl said his daughter is still unconscious and has a long road ahead, but the family has hope and has felt support in many different ways. I have a lot of family out there (in Utah), he said. My wife has family out there. Between family and friends in both locations its been a great outpouring of support and help and encouragement. I just wish we had better news to report sometimes, but things are going as well can be expected at this point. Were just waiting it out. According to Carl, although Kira is still unconscious, she is showing good signs of improvement. Theyre treating her for everything that comes up, there is nothing specifically out of the ordinary, he said. Its just stuff that happens when you go through this kind of accident or procedure, but they continue to take her off more of the monitors and take her off more of the medications, except for the antibiotics. Theyre progressing, but she is still unconscious at this point. Kira was described by her father as someone who is outgoing, personable and friendly who enjoys being around other people. USU student Amberley Wallace worked with Kira at Aggie Ice Cream and noticed those same qualities. She always had a smile coming into work, Wallace said. She loved to laugh and make it a great place to be, even when we knew it was going to be a long day working there. Carl said the USU staff has been very helpful and assured him they will honor Kiras scholarship whenever she is ready to come back. A crowdfunding website has been set up to help support Kira and her family with medical costs. Carl Anderson said it was set up by a family friend. He was uncomfortable with the idea, but said that help will be appreciated. It was not our first idea, there were friends here that wanted to do that, he said. Obviously were going to need some of that help. Donations can be made here. Skip to comments. President Obama Allows 400,000 Migrants From Central America Since 2012 breitbart.com ^ | July 28, 2016 | NEIL MUNRO Posted on by PROCON President Barack Obama has allowed some 400,000 unskilled Central American migrants to pour into the nations schools, job-markets, welfare offices, hospitals and jails since 2012, according to government data. By the end of June, he had cleared the path for 214,982 unaccompanied youths plus 181,456 women and children to come in to the country since October 2012. That adds up to 396,428 migrants with three months to go before the end of the 2016 fiscal year in October. The inflow is so large that it is greater than the number of African-American men who will turn 18 this year. It is equal to roughly 40 percent of the annual inflow of 1 million legal immigrants, and equal to 10 percent of all young Americans who join the workforce each year. Judging by prior years, the government will allow another 27,000 unskilled welfare dependent, Spanish-speaking, Central American migrants into the country by the end of October. (Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ... Behind the Numbers: 1.5m take part in World Youth Day Published on July 29, 2016 Story by Katarzyna Piasecka Translation by: Katarzyna Piasecka en pl it fr es de According to recent estimates, Krakows World Youth Day will be attended by 1 million fewer people than previously estimated; down more than 2.2 million on the event in Brazil in 2013. Are pilgrims disaffected by the Polish governments lack of empathy towards refugees and women? Or are they just scared of swords? The World Youth Day event - a global Catholic festival described by the British Benedictine monk Christopher Jamison as "Glastonbury with God" - began in Krakow on 26 July and will last until 31 July. According to the organisers initial estimate, 2.5 million pilgrims were expected to attend the event. Soon it descreased to only 1.5 million. Only 300,000 are officially registered. By comparison, around 3.7 million people attended the last event three years ago in Rio de Janeiro. Considering Poland has recently turned into a battleground, violently dividing society between conservatives and liberals, the World Youth Day might be an occasion to improve its image in the eyes of international observers. But it probably will not, and a very unfortunate programme of events is only one of the reasons behind it - a programme which has been organised by the Ministry of National Defence, of all groups. So less "Glastonbury with God", more "Glastonbury with Guns". In the programme, entitled "The Polish Army as the multigenerational intercessor of Christian values", pilgrims from over 180 countries will be treated to, among other things, a reconstruction of Battle of Vienna, one of the bloodiest clashes between Christianity and Islam in history. Such a military staging of an attack on the "unfaithful" brutally contrasts with the main theme of World Youth Day, which promotes the spirit of reconciliation and intercultural dialogue. The deficiencies in diplomacy and sensitivity are even more stark in the context of the Polish governments recent decision to refuse all quotas of refugees and xenophobic comments of some members of the ruling Law and Justice party. The headline act of World Youth Day, Pope Francis, has been calling for solidarity and compassion towards those who flee violence and persecution since the beginning of the refugee crisis. However, the treatment of refugees is not the only issue demonstrating the deepening dissonance between the radical hybrid of the Polish government and the countrys Catholic church on one hand, and the more and more liberal attitude of Vatican on the other. During the Sunday mass Pope Francis is expected to ponder upon the question of the total ban on abortion (even in the event of rape or foetus deformation) that the ruling Law and Justice plans to introduce. Despite the fact that Francis, alike his predecessors, condemns abortion, he has recently criticized the church for being "obsessed" with issues like abortion and homosexuality. In 2015, he also gave priests permission to absolve women who underwent abortion. Whether they call it "Glastonbury with God" or "Glastonbury with Guns", hopefully festivalgoers won't get too covered in mud or be too hungover by the end of the week. --- This article is part of our Behind the Numbers series, illustrating newsworthy stats with artistic design and a brief analysis. Story by Katarzyna Piasecka Translated from Liczby mowia: 1,5 mln uczestnikow podczas krakowskich Swiatowych Dni Modziezy Archive Oct 2022 (118) Sep 2022 (127) Aug 2022 (135) Jul 2022 (132) Jun 2022 (138) May 2022 (136) Apr 2022 (128) Mar 2022 (138) Feb 2022 (127) Jan 2022 (132) Dec 2021 (136) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (155) Aug 2021 (184) Jul 2021 (170) Jun 2021 (168) May 2021 (168) Apr 2021 (169) Mar 2021 (179) Feb 2021 (153) Jan 2021 (161) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (152) Oct 2020 (160) Sep 2020 (158) Aug 2020 (169) Jul 2020 (173) Jun 2020 (169) May 2020 (165) Apr 2020 (164) Mar 2020 (144) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (118) Dec 2019 (113) Nov 2019 (105) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (122) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (125) Jun 2019 (116) May 2019 (124) Apr 2019 (117) Mar 2019 (123) Feb 2019 (108) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (125) Nov 2018 (122) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (114) Aug 2018 (127) Jul 2018 (124) Jun 2018 (114) May 2018 (130) Apr 2018 (123) Mar 2018 (128) Feb 2018 (114) Jan 2018 (126) Dec 2017 (123) Nov 2017 (121) Oct 2017 (121) Sep 2017 (116) Aug 2017 (119) Jul 2017 (108) Jun 2017 (116) May 2017 (110) Apr 2017 (111) Mar 2017 (119) Feb 2017 (109) Jan 2017 (108) Dec 2016 (113) Nov 2016 (116) Oct 2016 (118) Sep 2016 (120) Aug 2016 (112) Jul 2016 (111) Jun 2016 (125) May 2016 (111) Apr 2016 (112) Mar 2016 (121) Feb 2016 (114) Jan 2016 (114) Dec 2015 (119) Nov 2015 (117) Oct 2015 (125) Sep 2015 (124) Aug 2015 (103) Jul 2015 (125) Jun 2015 (131) May 2015 (123) Apr 2015 (129) Mar 2015 (133) Feb 2015 (125) Jan 2015 (135) Dec 2014 (134) Nov 2014 (129) Oct 2014 (144) Sep 2014 (127) Aug 2014 (130) Jul 2014 (143) Jun 2014 (131) May 2014 (137) Apr 2014 (139) Mar 2014 (134) Feb 2014 (128) Jan 2014 (141) Dec 2013 (140) Nov 2013 (136) Oct 2013 (145) Sep 2013 (146) Aug 2013 (147) Jul 2013 (151) Jun 2013 (141) May 2013 (150) Apr 2013 (149) Mar 2013 (151) Feb 2013 (133) Jan 2013 (160) Dec 2012 (154) Nov 2012 (157) Oct 2012 (165) Sep 2012 (145) Aug 2012 (161) Jul 2012 (170) Jun 2012 (162) May 2012 (169) Apr 2012 (162) Mar 2012 (162) Feb 2012 (156) Jan 2012 (169) Dec 2011 (157) Nov 2011 (178) Oct 2011 (182) Sep 2011 (170) Aug 2011 (178) Jul 2011 (174) Jun 2011 (157) May 2011 (158) Apr 2011 (164) Mar 2011 (172) Feb 2011 (162) Jan 2011 (177) Dec 2010 (171) Nov 2010 (169) Oct 2010 (182) Sep 2010 (179) Aug 2010 (184) Jul 2010 (190) Jun 2010 (189) May 2010 (198) Apr 2010 (185) Mar 2010 (210) Feb 2010 (195) Jan 2010 (212) Dec 2009 (225) Nov 2009 (209) Oct 2009 (215) Sep 2009 (202) Aug 2009 (230) Jul 2009 (269) Jun 2009 (252) May 2009 (241) Apr 2009 (256) Mar 2009 (254) Feb 2009 (255) Jan 2009 (214) Dec 2008 (204) Nov 2008 (252) Oct 2008 (268) Sep 2008 (304) Aug 2008 (210) Jul 2008 (251) Jun 2008 (206) May 2008 (203) Apr 2008 (202) Mar 2008 (204) Feb 2008 (195) Jan 2008 (212) Dec 2007 (179) Nov 2007 (189) Oct 2007 (179) Sep 2007 (176) Aug 2007 (209) Jul 2007 (155) Jun 2007 (135) May 2007 (106) Apr 2007 (120) Mar 2007 (138) Feb 2007 (77) Jan 2007 (70) Dec 2006 (63) Nov 2006 (70) Oct 2006 (67) Sep 2006 (70) Aug 2006 (61) Jul 2006 (56) Jun 2006 (44) May 2006 (60) Apr 2006 (53) Mar 2006 (45) Feb 2006 (38) Jan 2006 (42) Dec 2005 (46) Nov 2005 (54) Oct 2005 (60) Sep 2005 (46) Aug 2005 (86) Jul 2005 (43) Jun 2005 (47) May 2005 (52) Apr 2005 (39) Mar 2005 (29) Feb 2005 (26) Jan 2005 (12) Chickens restlessly clucked and squirmed as they and their owners were judged at the Gage County Fair on Wednesday afternoon. Ten youths, ages 18 and under, showed as many as five broiler chickens each in the 4-H/FFA Broiler Show. Broilers are chickens grown for their meat. Exhibitors and their chickens were judged in as many as three categories -- broiler showmanship, individual broiler and broiler pen-of-three. Claira Janssen, 14, of Beatrice, joined 4-H about five years ago and started showing broilers three years ago. This year, she showed five broiler chickens, which hatched on June 17 and will be butchered at maturity, in about two weeks. "When I was little, we had ducks and then we got chickens," Janssen said. "I absolutely loved the ducks and chickens. ... So I was basically raised into it." Janssen said she was always fascinated by her family's layer chickens' ability to lay eggs. She said she saw the option at the fair to show chickens and wanted to join in on the fun. "It teaches a lot of responsibility," Janssen said of raising broiler chickens. "You have to change the bedding almost once a day because if you don't it will get wet and they'll lose feathers. "You have to make sure they get the right amount of food so they grow bigger and get more meat." Other care of the chickens includes giving them water. "This year, I learned that if you feed them once in the morning, their gullets will get fuller and they won't poop as much," Janssen said. Janssen said she will definitely enter broiler chickens in the competition next year. "It's a really fun experience," she said. "I hope everyone who has the chance to do it, does it, because it's a lot of fun. A lot of people get scared to do showmanship. I don't know why." Janssen said the showmanship event is her favorite, because she gets to know the judge and learns knew things. "I get to talk with the judge and get to know them," she said. "We have a different judge every year. "Usually, after the show, I shake the judge's hand and say, 'Thank you for doing this.' Because I appreciate it." The judge this year was Sheila Purdum, a Nebraska Extension Poultry Specialist. "In showmanship, I was looking at how the exhibitor showed the bird," Purdum said. "Their knowledge of the bird; the cleanliness of the bird." In the single broiler event, Purdum said she was looking for birds that were ready to go to market. She assessed cleanliness, weight, size and presentation. "In pen-of-three, I was looking at uniformity" between the three chickens, Purdum said. "They don't all need to be huge ... but we don't want one weak one, either." Purdum said the youths' presentations at the Gage County Fair were excellent -- they took good care of the chickens, which were clean and had no diseases or bugs, she said. Purdum also complimented the fair's poultry show as a whole, adding that it showcases the importance of poultry. "The variety here and the presentation is first class," Purdum said. Purdum judges at fairs but spends most of her time educating youth on poultry. "Poultry is emerging in our state," she said. "New (poultry producing) companies are coming in. It's a good career for youth to get into. Poultry is the number one meat consumed in the U.S. It will continue to grow." SHARE Caller-Times file Laurie J. Turner, State Board of Education District 2 candidate. By Beatriz Alvarado of the Caller-Times Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday a Gregory-Portland Junior High School teacher was appointed to the State Board for Educator Certification, a news release states. Abbott appointed Laurie J. Turner to the board. Her term will expire Feb. 1, 2021. The board develops certification and continuing education requirements and standards of conduct for public school teachers. Turner is an American history teacher at Gregory-Portland Junior High and former social studies department head. She is president of the Flour Bluff ISD Education Foundation and vice president and subcommittee member of Corpus Christi Community Outreach. She is a member of the Nueces County Historical Commission, former coordinator for the Collaborative Education Program for Americas and a former Court Appointed Special Advocate. Twitter: @CallerBetty MATT WOOLBRIGHT/CALLER-TIMES Residents and business leaders talk with city officials and consultants about three possible wastewater plans at an open house on Thursday. SHARE By Matt Woolbright of the Caller-Times Corpus Christi's wastewater system has a problem. When it rains, it floods. Residents who live near the Greenwood Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was constructed in 1957, deal with wastewater overflows when it rains heavily. The problem is just a symptom of a bigger issue. The majority of Corpus Christi's wastewater system is outdated and sorely needs costly repairs. As city leaders look to spend nearly $1 billion to fix the problem they're asking the public to get involved. On Thursday, that involvement came in the form of an open house where consultants unveiled three options to address the need. The preferred option, which includes building a new wastewater treatment plant and upgrading the Oso plant while decommissioning half the existing facilities, is anticipated to cost $800 million to $850 million. "It's a lot of money up front, but it saves money in the long run," said Guy Le Patourel, one of the lead consultants on the plan development. "If existing facilities are kept open longer, you have more money needed to fix them and keep them operating." The second choice plan calls for expanding and upgrading the Allison and Oso treatment plants while closing the Laguna Madre and Greenwood plants. The upfront costs are similar, but the long-term costs are higher, said Le Patourel, a vice president at Stantec. The third choice and last finalist doesn't involve consolidating wastewater treatment and instead paying to modernize the existing facilities. The initial costs are below $800 million, but the long-term costs, again, are much higher, Le Patourel added. City Council hopeful Greg Smith, who attended the open house, said the costs may be daunting, but the deficiencies are nearing a boiling point. "We actually have more needs in our wastewater system than our potable water system," Smith said. City Councilwomen Lucy Rubio and Carolyn Vaughn were among the first to visit the open house, and both said settling on a plan and enacting it is critical. "We have to do something. We don't have a choice," Vaughn said. "But I want to know how much it's going to cost first." Rubio said she won't support a plan that doesn't address the Greenwood flooding issues. "If it rains, even if it's a hurricane, (the Greenwood facility) has to be high enough that we don't have overflows," Rubio said. Carl Crull, 68, hasn't yet wrapped his head around the complexity of the issue, but praised the city for inviting the public into the decision-making process. "These open houses are important to keep citizens advised of what the city's plans are so they can have a say in the future of this city," Crull said. Twitter: @reportermatt CALLER-TIMES file photo Sheriff Jim Kaelin SHARE By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times Sheriff Jim Kaelin came back from an annual conference feeling encouraged about the state of his office in Nueces County. Kaelin and his chief deputies attended the 138th annual Sheriffs' Association of Texas training conference July 23-26 in Grapevine. The conference gives a chance for sheriffs across the state to learn more about what other counties are doing. Seminars covered topics like civil processes, robbery prevention, and how to handle mass murders and domestic terrorism. "As a sheriff, I often wonder if I'm doing things the right way in my county," Kaelin said. "I came away feeling we are way ahead of the curve with the way we do things." Kaelin said it was his ninth time attending the annual training conference. Twitter: @Caller_Fares Four people were arrested Thursday after law enforcement officers raided three houses in Beatrice in a joint-agency drug bust. Officers from the Beatrice Police Department and Gage County Sheriff's Office worked together in the raids, with assistance from the State Patrol. They searched buildings at 1222 Ella St., 1420 Scott St. and 954 W. Mary St., "where they located large amounts of illegal narcotics," according to a joint press release from the Police Department and Sheriff's Office. The searches were used in the four arrests related to delivery or intent to deliver a controlled substance. Justin Kipf, 21, was arrested for delivery of a controlled substance and child abuse. Sydney Bent, 18, was arrested for delivery of a controlled substance. Alicia Chapman, 26, was arrested for delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, and child abuse. Glen Walk, 23, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The information that led to the search warrants and arrests was gathered through a joint narcotics operation conducted by the Police Department and Sheriff's Office, according to the press release, and more arrests are expected as the investigation continues. Edgar De La Garza/Special to the Caller Times LULAC President Nick Adame speaks to scolarship recipients before the LULAC Banquet. Thursday July 28, 2016. SHARE Edgar De La Garza/Special to the Caller Times LULAC President Nick Adame takes a photograph with the scholarship recipients before the LULAC Banquet. Thursday July 28, 2016. Edgar De La Garza/Special to the Caller Times Victoria de Leon , Leon Bazar and Tj Jimenez look at the seating arrangements as the LULAC banquet begins. Thursday July 28, 2016. Edgar De La Garza/Special to the Caller Times Guests make their way to their seats during the 2016 LULAC Banquet Dinner. Thursday July 28, 2016. Edgar De La Garza/Special to the Caller Times Marisela and Jessica Sanchez look at the auction items availabe before the LULAC scholarship banquet dinner. Thursday July 28, 2016. By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times Ariana Jones wasn't sure about being a contestant in the 57th Annual Feria de las Flores scholarship pageant. Jones, who will be a junior at Gregory-Portland High School in the fall, said joining the pageant was her mom's idea. "But it really grew on me," said Jones, 16. "I'm more of a leader now and I've learned a lot about my Hispanic culture." Jones and seven other girls have spent the last six months preparing for the pageant, which will be held this weekend at Selena Auditorium. On Thursday, contestants were honored at a banquet at Holiday Inn Marina Downtown. The pageant is open to Hispanic women ages 16-23. League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 1 continues hosting the pageant to empower young Hispanic women, president Nick Adame said. "We're always looking for the next Latina leaders," Adame said. "We want them to be in city, county or state government." During the months leading up to the pageant, contestants worked on public speaking skills and learned more about their culture. "We really immersed ourselves (in cultural education,)" Jones said. "I've been learning about Puebla, which is great because I have family from there." Adame said contestants are always shy when they first sign up for the pageant, but by the end of it, they radiate with confidence. "You can see the metamorphosis," Adame said. "Their communication skills are developed and they're talking to everyone." Each contestant receives a scholarship, but one queen will be crowned following the pageant, which kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. The pageant is a free public event. Twitter: @Caller_Fares CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Pope Francis greets Catholics during World Youth Day on Thursday, July 28, 2016, in Krakow, Poland. SHARE By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times A church congregation from Robstown traveled nearly 6,000 miles to see the pope. Members of St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church spent the week in Krakow, Poland, for World Youth Day, an event for Catholics ages 16-35 to gather and worship. Max Emilio Garcia, 22, said he was honored to be in Pope Francis' presence Thursday. "It's a true blessing, not only for me, but for all of the youth around the world," Garcia said. World Youth Day is hosted every three years in a different country. The event was last hosted in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The gathering ends Sunday. Twitter: @Caller_Fares KRISTA TORRALVA/CALLER-TIMES Family Endeavors received a $500,000 check from Texas Veterans Commission on Friday, July 29, 2016. SHARE JULIE GARCIA/CALLER-TIMES Charlie's Place Recovery Center received $125,000 from the Texas Veterans Commission on Friday, July 29, 2016. JULIE GARCIA/CALLER-TIMES Charlie's Place Recovery Center received $125,000 from the Texas Veterans Commission on Friday, July 29, 2016. By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times A military veteran has commanded a squadron. The men and women of the armed forces have been in charge of millions of dollars worth of equipment. They've provided for their families. So when they found themselves in a position where they couldn't continue providing for their families, many of the veterans who have gotten help from Family Endeavors at first struggled to reach out. "They see that they were a soldier before and they can take care of their affairs and coming in for help is like an embarrassment," said Melissa Escamilla, the organization's regional program manager. That's where Family Endeavors, a nonprofit organization that last year helped about 800 veterans who were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in 44 South Texas counties, comes in. "Our biggest thing is ensuring that our veterans and their families and surviving spouses have access to improve their quality of life," said Eliseo "Al" Cantu Jr., commission chairman and retired Army Major. "When they come in and you give them a smile and say, 'We're glad you're here,' it really helps." On Friday, Family Endeavors received $500,000 from the Texas Veterans Commission. The Austin-based commission delivered checks to three other Corpus Christi organizations in addition to Family Endeavors: Goodwill Industries of South Texas, Inc., Salvation Army-Corpus Christi and Charlie's Place Recovery Center. Family Endeavors received the most dollars. The Salvation Army received $200,000 for Housing 4 Texas Heroes, which provides rental and utility assistance and other services like identification, certifications/licenses and clothes for veterans, their dependents and surviving spouses who are homeless or at a risk for homelessness. Goodwill Industries of South Texas, Inc. received a check for $150,000 in general assistance for a new program for job training, placement and supportive services for unemployed or underemployed veterans and their surviving spouses. Charlie's Place Recovery Center received $125,000 for a veterans' mental health program. The program will service 100 veterans, their surviving spouses and 25 dependents who need substance abuse treatment. Cantu said 74 organizations were approved for $14 million in grants this year. More than $1 million went to organizations in Nueces County. Staff writer Julie Garcia contributed to this report. Twitter: @Caller_Jules Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton walk through the falling balloons during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) SHARE Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press "America is once again at a moment of reckoning," Hillary Clinton said Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where she became the first female presidential nominee of a major party. By Matt Woolbright of the Caller-Times Tears were shed by Nueces County Democrats as the balloons fell in Philadelphia for the first female presidential nominee of a major party. It wasn't sadness inside the local Democratic Party's headquarters during a heavily attended watch party for Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech Thursday night. It was a mixture of joy and pride. "I love Hillary, and I am so proud she's our nominee," said Jennifer Ellis, the chair of the Nueces County Democratic Party. "We've never been more proud to be Democrats. This is such a glorious, historic time for us." While Clinton's nomination moved her, Ellis said the most riveting moment for her happened at the local watch party. Women much older than herself wept as Clinton broke one glass ceiling. Confidence is also building that she'll break another the highest of them all in November. "For someone that has known gender struggles longer than I have been alive to be so moved was just powerful," Ellis said. "It brings me to tears." Still, Ellis called Clinton's gender "secondary" to her unprecedented list of qualifications as a candidate, and she's not alone in that thinking. Democrats are rallying behind Clinton as a team leader rather than an individual champion. "There was a lot of hope in (Clinton's acceptance) speech," said Nick Gilby, president of the Coastal Bend Young Democrats. "She focused on what's right with America and us coming together rather than (Republican nominee Donald Trump's) message of he alone can fix it." Both Republicans and Democrats opened their respective conventions with disunity rampant as #NeverTrump and #BernieorBust movements made last dtitch efforts to derail the presumptive nominees' bids. Still, Clinton may have earned the support of more detractors than Trump did, said Joseph Ramirez, the previous chair of the Nueces County Democratic Party. "They were able to win them over. You saw that on both sides, truthfully," Ramirez said of the parties' leaders and disgruntled members. "But there's a big difference in how it ended on the Democratic side with Sen. Bernie Sanders backing his party's choice." And no one presented that new, unified Democratic front better than its nominee for the Oval Office who emphasized issues Sanders championed on the campaign trail, Ellis said. "In her speech, she told the nation she'd continue the fight for those issues," Ellis said. "That sends a strong message that she'll work on those concerns, as well as her own." For Solomon Ortiz Jr., a former legislator and son of Corpus Christi's former longtime congressman, Clinton's ability and Sanders' willingness to tighten the core of the party is invaluable, especially compared to former Republican candidates Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich's refusal to back Trump. "Those represent the far right and the moderates, which are big parts of the Republican Party, and neither of those components are with Trump," Ortiz said. "That will be an issue as we approach November." Still, he added, the race will likely be "closer than anyone thinks." Twitter: @reportermatt File photo SHARE By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times After serving alongside San Patricio County Attorney David Aken, Tamara Cochran-May will now be running against him. Cochran-May, the Republican candidate for county attorney, announced her resignation as San Patricio Assistant County Attorney and Gregory's city attorney in a news release Wednesday. She is running against Aken, the Democratic incumbent, in the general election on Nov. 8. The resignations were submitted so Cochran-May could focus on campaigning for the county attorney office full-time, according to the news release. Her resignation as San Patricio Assistant County Attorney was effective immediately, and her resignation as city attorney in Gregory is effective in 30 days, according to the release. Twitter: @Caller_Fares BRENHAM, Texas (AP) - Police in suburban Houston say a McDonald's worker has been fired for refusing to serve an officer. Brenham Police Chief Craig Goodman says in a Facebook post that 'one of our employees, who was off duty with his family, was refused service at a local restaurant simply for being a Police Officer.' Goodman doesn't say when it happened but does say the owners were quickly notified. Goodman tells Houston's KHOU-TV that the owners investigated and the employee in question 'no longer works for their business.' Goodman says the worker's son is in some legal trouble and that might have sparked her negative feelings toward police. McDonald's hasn't responded to a request for comment. The owners of the franchise appeared alongside Brenham police in a picture posted on Facebook. SHARE Labor rights are human rights. Never has this been more apparent than in the summer of 1966 when South Texas farm laborers engaged in the simple act of walking to raise awareness of the blood, sweat and tears that were spent providing fruits and vegetables for families. In June 50 years ago, Starr County agricultural workers went on strike in protest of the 40 to 85 cents per hour they were paid (the national minimum wage was $1.25 an hour) to perform this back-breaking work in the South Texas heat for 10 hours each day. Eugene Nelson, recently of the National Farm Workers Association, organized the Independent Workers Association and led the farm workers' strike. Receiving no satisfaction from the growers and enduring threats of violence, the farm workers began a 380-mile march to Austin to persuade the state to create a state minimum wage of $1.25 an hour. The group started from Rio Grande City July 5 on their two-month journey, walking five to 20 miles each day, resting at supporters' homes at night, and resuming their trek the next morning. The 100-degree heat forced some to quit. Completing the march were Jesus Laurel, Elvira Lopez, Valdemar Garza, Roberto Arredondo (from Rio Grande City), Reyes Alaniz and Candida Rosa (from Garceno), Gregoria Ramirez Villareal and Julia Ana Ramirez (from La Joya). They were joined in this by several clergymen, including Wendell Scott of McAllen, and Father Antonio Gonzalez and the Rev. James L. Navarro, both of Houston. They marched through Weslaco, McAllen, Falfurrias, Premont, Kingsville, and Robstown attracting supporters in each community they entered. They marched along Highway 44 into Corpus Christi, spurred on by hundreds of supporters. Their fundraiser rally on the Peoples Street T-Head on Saturday, July 30, drew 800-1,000 people. The farm workers proceeded on to Gregory, Taft, Beeville, and San Antonio en route to Austin. They invited Gov. John Connally to attend a Labor Day rally at the state capitol where they intended to publicly ask him to call a special legislative session to consider a state minimum wage bill. Connally refused. Undaunted, the farm workers and supporters marched into Austin on Sept. 5 and held a rally at the capitol that drew 20,000 to hear remarks by Cesar Chavez of the National Farm Workers Association, Dr. Hector P. Garcia of the American GI Forum, and the Rev. Emerson Marcee of the Texas Conference of the NAACP, among others. In January 1967 Rep. Lauro Cruz of Houston introduced a bill calling for a $1.25 statewide minimum wage. The bill died, amid significant opposition from the Texas Farm Bureau. The impact of the march, however, went far beyond a legislative bill. Combined with the state officials' lack of support, the march awakened the Tejano community to the importance of voting. The political landscape of Texas began to change in subsequent years as Hispanic participation grew. The Mexican-American presence in the Texas Legislature increased from five in 1965 to 20 by 1979. The total number of Hispanic office holders in the state grew as well, totaling 540 by 1974 and 2,536 by 2015. Social activism also increased following the march. The Mexican-American Youth Organization formed in 1967 and La Raza Unida in 1970. Established groups like the League of Latin American Citizens and the GI Forum continued to advocate on behalf of the Hispanic population in Texas and beyond. Labor organizing efforts continued following the 1966 march. Workers formed the United Farm Workers Committee No. 2 and subsequently the Texas Farm Workers union, strove for better treatment in the fields, won a civil rights lawsuit against the Texas Rangers, and organized marches to Austin and to Washington, D.C., in 1977. This political and labor activism was rooted in the efforts and desires of those involved in the 1966 farm workers march, which stands as a testimony to the indomitable human spirit and simple dignity of those who provide food for our tables. The 50th anniversary commemoration of the marchers' arrival in Corpus Christi will be 1-3 p.m. Sunday at Old City Hall Park on Shoreline Boulevard at Kinney Street in Corpus Christi. The public is invited. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our free email newsletter to receive the latest breaking news and daily roundups Tributes have been paid to a man described as a gentle giant" after he was killed in a tragic" industrial accident at a grain storage facility in Linton. The man was yesterday named as Camgrain site manager, Edward Orlopp, 47, who is believed to have died after being in collision with a lorry on Wednesday. A statement from Camgrain chairman John Latham said: It is with great sadness I have to inform you that our long standing site manager, valued colleague and friend, Edward Orlopp, tragically lost his life in an incident at our Linton site. We are doing everything we can to support Edward's family and colleagues at this very difficult and distressing time." Officers were called to Cambridge Road at around 5.25pm on Wednesday. The family of the deceased have been informed. A spokesman for Camgrain said: It was a tragic accident. We are now investigating the matter with all the relevant parties. Camgrain has an extremely good record for safety. We've been in Linton for 34 years." The accident happened on Wednesday evening when Mr Orlopp was in collision with a lorry at the 76-silo Camgrain site on the outskirts of the village of Linton, 10 miles from Cambridge. Mr Orlopp, who is survived by his brother and father, lived alone in Bury St Edmunds and was a keen member of the Suffolk Young Farmers group. Tory Lugsden, county co-ordinator for Suffolk Young Farmers, knew him for more than 20 years. She said: Eddie-o was one of the nicest, kindest people you would ever meet. He would always come to Suffolk Young Farmers events and be there late, always laughing right until the end. His death is a huge loss for the club and for everyone who knew him. He was such a lovely man, a gentle giant." Ms Lugsden said Mr Orlopp loved his job and had worked there for as long as she had known him. She added: He was a special man, a big loss to our club and to our generation of Suffolk Young Farmers." The Camgrain site was closed overnight following the accident. A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: We sent HART (hazardous area response team), rapid response vehicle, ambulance crew, ambulance officer, and the EAAA response car. Sadly nothing could be done for a man at the incident and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Our thoughts are with his friends and family involved during this sad time." A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive confirmed they were aware of the incident, and would be assisting Cambridgeshire Police. A police spokesman said: His next of kin have been informed and the incident has been referred to the Health and Safety Executive for investigation." The incident caused a temporary bout of rush hour congestion on the A1307, with both lanes closed for around half an hour. One of Mr Orlopp's neighbours, who did not wish to be named, added: He was a lovely man, very friendly and considerate, it is such a tragedy." Roland L. Chritton, 80, rural Tecumseh. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3 at the Wherry Mortuary in Tecumseh with Rev. Eric Biehl officiating. Visitation will be at the mortuary Aug. 2 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with family greeting friends from 6-8 p.m. Inurnment will be in the Vesta Cemetery, rural Tecumseh, with military honors by the Nebraska National Guard Funeral Honors Team and the VFW Post #8221 of Tecumseh. Gerald R. Egger, 97, of rural Douglas. Funeral services 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 30 at the Douglas United Methodist Church with Rev. Ed Millican officiating. Burial in the Rosehill Cemetery of Douglas. A family prayer service at 9:45 a.m. at the church on Saturday. Military graveside honors by Nash-Jensen Post #195 of the American Legion of Palmyra. Ruth Fishwood, 89, of Humboldt. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 30 at the United Methodist Church in Humboldt, with Pastor Dean Joy officiating. Interment will be in the Heim Cemetery in Dawson, Neb. Carol (Lancaster) Johnson, 66, St. Paul, Minn. A celebration of Carols life Saturday, July 30, 2 p.m. at Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center, 2800 Curve Crest Blvd. (NW corner of Highway 36 and County Road 5), Stillwater, Minn. Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Harlan H. Parde, 68, Oklahoma City, Okla. Burial of cremains will be held Saturday, Aug. 6 at Evergreen Home Cemetery, Beatrice, at 10 a.m. with Sharon Schuster presiding. Willard Parde, 83, of rural Filley. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2 at the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Eighth and Elk streets, Beatrice, with Pastor Josh Hillmann officiating. Burial will be at in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery of rural Pickrell. A family prayer service will be held at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday at the church. The body will lie in state at the Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice from 8 a.m. Sunday until 9 p.m. Monday and at the church one hour preceding the services on Tuesday. The family will meet and greet friends and other relatives from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, July 31 at the funeral home. Dorothy Mae (Hardenbrook) Pyle, 90, of Wymore. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1 at the Wymore Church of Christ with Kevin Redfield officiating. Burial will be at the Blue Springs Cemetery. The body will lie in state Sunday from 1-8 p.m. with the family greeting guests from 2-3:30 p.m., and at the church one our prior to the service. Mary M. Ward, 63, Reynolds, Neb. Memorial service Tuesday, Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home, Fairbury, with Pastor Randy Novotny officiating. Fred E. Weber Sr., 86, of Adams. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1 at the American Lutheran Church in Adams with Rev. Nathan Metzger officiating. Interment will be in the Highland Cemetery in Adams. The body will lie in state Sunday from 1-9 p.m. at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Adams with the family greeting friends from 4-5:30 p.m., and at the church one hour preceding the service on Monday. A family prayer service will be held at 9:45 a.m. Monday at the church. Among those picked up were two young ladies. ADS Dang Simon, Pouwo Fonter, Fosso Yannick, Kum Ernestine and Yangen Elizabeth, are presently helping the Judicial Police in Douala with investigations after they were arrested on July 25, 2016, for assaulting a passenger onboard their taxi. A passenger, Ndoumbe M, boarded the taxi at Bonanjo, Douala, when it was occupied by two young ladies and a man. As he sat down on the seat beside the driver, another man entered the taxi few minutes after and sat next to him. Ndoumbe complained of the overload and asked to alight, but the taxi driver, who is believed to be one of the robbery suspects, gave a deaf ear to his supplication. As the argument ensued, policemen of GMI N2 spotted the taxi near DHL Bonanjo and discovered that it was the same taxi whose occupants assault passengers and seize their hard-earned money. The police intervention vehicle trailed the robbery suspects and finally arrested them. They were immediately taken to GMI N2 where they revealed they have been operating for a year. With the two ladies, the gang leader confessed that they recently seized 700,000 FCFA from six victims. The group reportedly operates three times a week on the Bonaberi-Rond Point-Bonanjo stretch onboard their Toyota 92 taxi with registration number LT 187 FG. The vehicle is now in the keeping of GMI N2 while the five suspects, who are also said to be rape masterminds, are in Judicial Police custody after a packet of cannabis, four mobile phones and two identity cards were collected from them. ADS | BY Ricki Green | By ad industry veteran Gawen Rudder Dont think Ive ever been to Bulimba, but Im told its a pleasant enough suburb on the Brisbane River. It was the home to one of Queenslands oldest breweries, passed through a series of owners and was finally purchased by Melbourne-based Carlton & United Breweries in 1960. Hugh Mackay, then a junior researcher at George Patterson in Sydney, accompanied legendary MD, Bill Farnsworth and his much admired creative director Bruce Jarrett, to a new business pitch in Melbourne for the ailing Bulimba Gold Top brand. Mackay had earlier reported that the beer was not only ailing, but in its death throes, and affectionately known to Brisbane drinkers as The Green Death. The 1965 launch was off the back of the now familiar reward strategy, A big, big thirst needs a big, big beer, and a big, big beer is Gold Top, brewed by Bulimba with the self-same music track we know today. (Check it out on YouTube.) The agency won the account. And the campaign worked its tops off. But only for a while as Bernbach reminds us, A great ad will make a bad product fail faster. Colin Fraser, creative director of Patts Melbourne saw Victoria Bitter as the brand to go into combat against the imminent launch of the UK giant Courage. In an interview 14 years ago, Fraser told me that although locals disliked the monopolistic CUB, they loved the beer, Even Sydney people used to say Melbourne had only three things going for it, the Melbourne Cup, the MCG and the beer. He wrote a Big City TV ad that was about, The real Melbourne, the real drinkers and Carltons long history. Fraser added, Later we adapted for Vic Bitter the commercial Bruce Jarrett had written for Bulimba. | BY Ricki Green | Following a competitive pitch process last month, Sydney-based integrated marketing agency Magnum & Co has emerged with yet another flagship consumer client to its portfolio this time in the form of Harmans audio electronics brand JBL and its high-end sister sound system company Harman/Kardon. Tasked with developing big creative ideas that could be amplified across a number of integrated platforms, it was Magnum & Cos unique response to the brief and the calibre of their entire team that ultimately won them the account, says Harmans marketing and communication manager, Noeleen Lechner. Says Lechner: Our team was impressed not only by the agencys creativity, content ideas and strategic insights-led approach to our brief, but their obvious capability in running a really robust press office and great brand associations. Not only that, but our decision was as much about the right chemistry as anything else were a tight-knit team here at Harman, so it was important that the agency who well be working so closely with, in what we feel is going to be a very big year for us, was the complementary fit. Magnum & Cos managing director, Michelle Hampton is likewise enthusiastic about the new win, framing it as more proof of how the agencys integrated methodology works when deconstructing any creative brief. Says Hampton: Were ready to turn the volume up on both brands. If you look back, JBL have such an incredible legacy in music culture it was there at Woodstock 69, and it was there at Lollapalooza 2016. And already, having seen some of the amazing new products launching this year, were convinced its going to further cement JBLs rep as a brand built on both innovation and killer sound especially amongst millennials. The same goes for Harman/Kardon. Its high-end audio systems are already universally renowned for both excellence in design, beauty and sheer refinement of sound they are a real audiophiles first choice. Suffice to say, I think a lot of music aficionados are going to be blown away by what Harman/Kardon has to offer this year. Magnum & Cos work with Harman will see them operate across influencer marketing, PR, content creation, experiential and social media integration. In recent months, the agency has also been appointed by Carlton & United Breweries to lead the PR and influencer marketing component for two of its leading brands. Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 10:08PM Microsofts Research team is at it again with a new app for the iPhone. This time, the tech company claims the Microsoft Pix can take better shots than the default iPhone app. This smarter camera app makes use of artificial intelligence to do things like adjust camera settings, automatically enhance shots, and choose which image is the best out of a burst of photos. The app has more automatic enhancements for focus, color, and exposure if it sees people in the photo. Microsoft Pix also has a Live Photos-like feature that stitches together burst frames and creates a looping video. You can see the difference between the original and enhanced shots with a toggle button within the app. The app is already available for free download on the App Store. Source: The Verge Only in the final scene do the production and the script capture the vitally needed empathy with the despairing Matthew, struggling to come to terms with his sense of alienation and committing himself to a Faustian pact. Moments of wit and humour throughout the play evoke a modicum of laughter from the audience, due to the assured and experienced performances of the actors. It is an ensemble that I would like to see in a more challenging and engaging work. Hillary Clinton plans to appear in Omaha on Monday, fresh off accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for president. Her campaign confirmed the visit late Wednesday. Additional details will be announced later. Clinton last visited Omaha on Dec. 16, speaking at a rally at the Sokol Auditorium. Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton appeared at Lincoln's Fuse Coworking in February. And former President Bill Clinton addressed crowds in Lincoln and Omaha the day before the state's Democratic caucus in March. Monday's visit by the former U.S. senator, secretary of state and first female presidential nominee from a major political party is also expected to include a fundraiser. An email from Hillary Clinton's campaign said she will "discuss her commitment to building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top." People interested in attending can RSVP at hillaryclinton.com/events/view/WOWNZEAXF6UJFAOB Higher sentences are also justified because of the randomness of the act. If, for example, someone kills or attempts to kill with a motive directed at a particular victim say in revenge, anger, jealousy, or to remove a drug-dealing competitor and so on then the deed is done, so there is less likelihood of reoffending than in the case of terrorist crime. Webb takes command of AFSOC Lt. Gen. Brad Webb took command of Air Force Special Operations Command July 19 here in the Freedom Hangar. Gen. David L. Goldfein, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, presided over the ceremony where Webb replaced Lt. Gen. Brad Heithold, who will go on to serve as the principal deputy director of cost assessment and program evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Goldfein said he has a special place in his heart for Air Commandos. If it werent for the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron and the 55th and 21st Special Operations Squadrons pulling me out of Serbia, I wouldnt be standing here today, he said. Our nation has no idea how good AFSOC is on the battlefieldbut I do. And, I want to say thank you. Navy Vice Adm. Sean Pybus, deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, also participated in the ceremony. Pybus said Air Commandos are indispensable to USSOCOMs efforts to win and influence around the world. Todays special operations are about shooting, moving and communicating faster than our adversaries, he said. [We] have come to depend on AFSOC to provide a great degree of that shooting, moving and communicating with the worlds best joint special operations force. Goldfein welcomed Webb, who previously served as the commander of NATO Special Operations Headquarters in Mons, Belgium. "When it came time to pick the next AFSOC commander, we scanned the entire general officer corps to find another officer named Brad, said Goldfein. In all seriousness, General Brad Webb was the obvious choice. Heithold agreed. During his final remarks as the AFSOC commander, he spoke highly of Webb. This is a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient. This is a man who understands battle. This is a man who has been there. This is a man, an Airman, who has led multi-ship formations deep into Iraq, Heithold said. General Brad Webb is a person who has earned his spurs. Hes commanded at all levels, and hes exactly the right person to take command. Then, Heithold thanked his Air Commandos. I am humbled to have served with you, he said. Thank you to each and every one of you in the formation and in the audience today. Thank you for your dedicated and selfless service to our country. It was truly a privilege to serve as your commander. AFSOC's mission is to present combat-ready forces to conduct and support global special operations missions. The command consists of highly trained, rapidly deployable Airmen, conducting global special operations missions ranging from precision application of firepower, to infiltration, exfiltration, resupply and refueling of special operations forces' operational elements. Webb inherits a command with more than 19,000 Air Commandos worldwide. He is the 11th commander of the organization. Our challenges today run the continuum of the spectrum of conflict, Webb said. AFSOC will tirelessly seek to strike the balance of these myriad of challenges. "And, we will always have our most important assetour people, our Airman and families, in mind, Webb continued. As Orde Wingate said, I will [go] with you boys any place, any time, any where. Lavon Crosby had a knack for leaving a positive impression as she went about her business as a politician, arts supporter and friend to children in need. She didn't have to get in anyone's face to accomplish what she wanted. She did it with subtle suggestions and by garnering respect with a conscientious and diligent daily way of being, family, friends and co-workers said. Crosby died Wednesday at age 92. She was a wife, mother, supporter of the arts, musician, state lawmaker, political staffer and community volunteer. "For me, she was a stellar example to live by," said her youngest son, Fred Stuart. "I'm inordinately proud of everything that she achieved." She was married to former Nebraska Gov. Bob Crosby in 1971 after both were widowed. Between them they parented six children. Lincoln Monsignor Clarence Crowley had set them up to go on a date, said her son, Mike Stuart. Bob Crosby picked her up in an Oldsmobile 88, making a big impression on her sons. "We got her all dressed up and shoved her out the door," he said. "They hit it right off and never looked back." Throughout her life, Tim and Mike Stuart said, their mother instilled perspective, the ability to stay above the fray, and to not shy away from the passionate defense of her beliefs. As an Irish-Catholic mother, she was strict but tenderhearted, they said. She described herself as a "hard-headed, soft-hearted conservative." Someone else once called her a Republican with a heart, one without a mean-spirited bone in her body. Crosby was raised in a family of Democrats, but joined the Young Republicans because they asked her first, she once said. She was one of the few people, one would suppose, who was able to wring a two-minute public apology out of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, after he called her a liberal and a member of an outraged women's group, neither of which were true. Limbaugh had picked up inaccurate information when "USA Today" attributed a quote to Crosby that had actually been said by Sue Ellen Wall, then executive director of the Lincoln-Lancaster Commission on the Status of Women. And Crosby might have had some influence on the artist who painted murals on the Capitol walls when in 1993, she "encouraged" him to portray women accurately, and not just in subservient roles, in those murals. Because women are the backbone of society, she said. Encouragement and subtle influence was her way, Tim Stuart said. It worked for him when, after graduating from college and not knowing what to do with his life other than play guitar in a rock and roll band in bars, she softly suggested: Have you thought about Washington, D.C.? He started working for Congresswoman Virginia Smith at age 25 and stayed on Capitol Hill 10 years. "I owe a lot to little moments like that," he said. Crosby worked for a time in Nebraska Sen. Roman Hruska's Washington, D.C. office, but when her husband, Les Stuart, was dying in 1970, the family returned to Nebraska, transferring to Hruska's Omaha office. Crosby ran for a seat in the Legislature in southeast Lincoln's District 29 in 1980 but was defeated by incumbent Shirley Marsh. When Marsh decided not to run in 1988, Crosby ran again and won. Sen. Ernie Chambers, who served with Crosby 12 years in the Legislature, said he couldn't think of anyone there he thought so much of and got along with so well. That's despite their disagreement on the issue of abortion. Crosby was a devout Catholic. "She was so nice she could have gone to heaven without dying. For real," said Chambers. "She was one of those people who was almost too good to be walking around on this earth." Clerk of the Legislature Patrick O'Donnell said Crosby had a calming effect on her fellow senators during debate. "Even though Lavon would have strong positions on issues, she always would have the ability to kind of calm things down, let members regroup a little bit, and go on and continue with the discussion," O'Donnell said. C.K. Duryea was Crosby's legislative aide for a dozen years, and said the senator was so much more than what many people could see. She understood what humanity brings to the world. She was a major supporter of drunken driving legislation that sought to lower the legal level of blood-alcohol content from 0.1 percent to .08, Duryea said. "And the thing that she is most proud of in the Legislature would be the passing of the Nebraska Cultural Endowment Fund," she said. Crosby served on the Education, Health and Human Services and Appropriations committees. Her health deteriorated after she fell in March and hit her head. Crosby retained her sense of humor to the end, instructing her kids about her funeral: I want them to have a real wake and sit around and cry and have a drink and talk about what a swell person I was. Services are pending with Butherus, Maser and Love in Lincoln. The deal will see the Ethiopian government-owned telecoms provider serve multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) services to CMC Networks carrier base and virtual network operator (VNO) clients into Ethiopia and across the globe. "We are very excited to announce the partnership and interconnect with Ethio Telecom in Ethiopia and offer seamless connectivity to arguably one of Africa's fastest growing economies," said Grant Walker, CEO of CMC Networks, which serves the data communications needs of carriers and value-added resellers (VARs) into African and Middle Eastern countries. "We look forward to serving data connectivity needs of telecommunications carriers, network integrators and VARs across the globe into Ethiopia." CMC Networks owns in excess of 104 global PoPs which are integrated into other wholesale carrier partner networks in order to deliver a global wholesale footprint to the carrier community. Rollins Follow Rollins Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The Texas rancher was rehashing his Capitol Hill meeting over a cold beer and a not-much-warmer steak at a swanky restaurant a block or two from the White House. It was pretty discouraging, he said as he sliced into the slab of red rib-eye. That guy his congressman had no more idea of what he was talking about than a bluebird in a tree, but that didnt keep him from talking. I liked the picture the rancher had painted, an always-warbling bluebird rather than an ever-listening owl, so I complimented him. Fact is, the rancher said after a long pause, I failed. You dont hear a thing when your mouths open. He didnt hear a word I said. That 30-year-old picture came to mind after two weeks of non-stop talk from political candidates and pundits in Cleveland and Philadelphia. For anyone other than the most addicted political junkie, it was too many days of too many shouters not listening to too many speeches with too few facts and ideas. What both party conventions did showcase, however, is a big reason why almost half of all Americans choose not to vote: todays political arena looks more like a scream-filled asylum to avoid than a marketplace of ideas to enter. Political discussion, debate and decision, hallmarks of a functioning republic, have given way to partisan boasting, bullying and baloney. And that goes for members of both political parties who are more ready to dig for divisive differences than search for common solutions. For example, the House Ag Committee, either meeting as a full committee or in separate subcommittees, has held 17 hearings on every aspect of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or the old Food Stamp program, since January 2015. Seventeen. Why? Because majority Republicans have long held that SNAP is too expensive, too bloated and too infested with fraud to justify its cost. SNAP costs, however, have dropped from $80 billion in 2013 to $74 billion in 2015 and, according to government forecasts, will continue to decline well into the 2020s. Still, the majoritys too-expensive view persists, a holdover from the last Farm Bill debate when dozens of tea party House members fought a hard and, eventually, failing battle to reform the program. That fight was not forgotten; it delivered the current Committees obsession over SNAP where one in five ag hearings in the last two years has been used to x-ray federal food assistance programs. Meanwhile, back on American farms and ranches, U.S. net farm income over that same period has dropped like a proverbial rock; its cratered from a record high $123.3 billion in 2013 to a forecasted $54.8 billion in 2016. In almost any other sector of the American economy, a three-year, 65 percent crash in overall net income would be seen as a disaster, a cataclysmic event so devastating that Congress could be counted on to quickly swing into action to examine its underlying causes and develop soon-to-be-needed solutions. Not so in agriculture today. Neither farming or ranching or even food, for that matter merited more than a passing mention at either recent political convention. At some level, that was to be expected because todays political conventions, like todays politics, are broken. They dont exist anymore to nominate a candidate, debate a party platform or explain new ideas. They exist to slander an opponent, ridicule an ideology and preempt debate. Worse, this breakdown of politics is now seen by some as a root cause behind the breakdown of civic behavior. If leaders dont lead, why should anyone follow? In other words, if politics wont fix growing public problems crumbling roads, worsening schools, widening income gaps people will find other ways, oftentimes violent, they believe will fix them. Real fixes, however, arent that simple. Most involve less hard talk and more hard listening, and thats something we didnt hear at all from the bluebirds in either Cleveland or Philadelphia. [Your Business Name] Contact Info Phone: Fax: Email: Web: CAPITOLHILLCUBANS.COM Business Overview Geographic Area Line of Business Brands We Carry Products and Services Discounts Offered Additional Information Business Hours Timezone We Accept 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. Mumbai: Council of Education and Development Programmes (CEDP Skill Institute) one of the premier institute imparting Skills based training and education recently announces admission to Diploma in Hotel Management for the working professional as well as for the aspiring students who want to enhance their skills in Hospitality sector at its campus located at Mulund West, Mumbai. CEDP Skills Institute is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Vocational institute of Education, Training & Placement centre. Eligibility Criteria: Admissions are done on the basis of candidates scoring minimum qualifying marks in 10+2 / graduation Examination. Duration: 1 Year How to apply: Application forms can be obtained from the admission office of CEDP Skills Institute Located at: CEDP SKiLL INSTITUTE, 304-305, 3rd FLOOR, Koteshwar Plaza, J.N. Road Mulund-West-400080 Course Fee: Rs 1,00,000 Important dates: Application Deadline - Last date for Submission of application form is {25th Aug 2016) CEDP is committed to maximize the knowledge and skills of students, thus making them competent to meet global challenges. The ethics of value-based education system are strictly followed in the CEDP to promote good character building among the young generation. For further information contact: Phone: 8879774435 /8879787553 Email: cedp.mulund@gmail.com About CEDP Skills Institute: Council of Education and Development Programmes (CEDP) was formed in the year 2010, with a sole objective of providing improved quality of life to individuals and groups through apt training and education. Since then, the organization has strived to provide the most relevant training solutions to not only the metro and the mini-metro cities of the country, but to the most remote geographies so that the student communities at large can benefit from the knowledge gained from the education provided and enhance their employability and therefore, employment opportunities. CEDP is specialized exclusively for the students of 10th &12th class and dropout from school/college looking to make career with short term job oriented trainings. Shaheen khan founder director of CEDP Skill Institute has identified 9 essential sectors for Job as well as Entrepreneurship tie up with over 1000 clients for placement, tied up with Greater Bank for Educational Loan & professional Loan scheme for starting own venture. 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." One of the most important automotive events in the United Kingdom, the Salon Prive, will host the public debut for the all-new Bristol Bullet Speedster. Set to open its gates on September 1, the show will allow visitors to take a closer look at the latest British roadster. The fresh design is a visual clue to the brands roots as an aeroplane manufacturer, but since Bristol adopts a modern approach, bespoke carbon fiber composites are part of its construction insuring high strength and rigidity with low weight. Step inside and you will be greeted by the hand-trimmed in the finest British hides sport seats, developed for comfort over long driving distances and by the dashboard paneling offered in classic wood, modern herringbone carbon fiber weave or hand-laid unidirectional carbon fiber weave. A multi-touch screen is embedded into the dashboard, providing access to WiFi, Bluetooth, smartphone connectivity and digital radio, and it also supports screen mirroring for compatible devices. The Bristol Bullet Speedster is hand-made in Chichester, powered by a 4.8-liter V8 engine sourced from BMW and engineered in-house to develop 370 HP. Nicknamed Hercules, the mill propels the light roadster from naught to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.8 seconds and up to a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). PHOTO GALLERY Photo: BCLC Stuart Smithson is looking forward to giving his money away. The Kelowna resident won $500,000 on Saturday's 6/49 draw after saying 'yes' to the Extra. Saying yes is a routine for me, said Smithson. I had a co-worker who once had all four Extra numbers, but she said no,' and I took that lesson to heart. Smithson said the win will allow him to focus on philanthropic work. I feel motivated after winning the lottery, he said. I can now tackle things like supporting refugees, or setting up a sustainable legacy fund. Of course, he is also making time to enjoy the win with his wife. The timing of this is perfect because August is our wedding anniversary, smiled Smithson. Ill have a big celebration with my wife, and possibly take her on a trip to Ireland. The winning ticket was purchased at the Save on Foods on Cooper Road in Kelowna. Photo: topmmanews.com Cory Richard Eric Van Gilder in 2010. The man charged with manslaughter in the death of a 30-year-old Ontario man outside the Kelowna Cactus Club in February had a court appearance Thursday, but his matter was adjourned for three more weeks. Cory Richard Eric Van Gilder, 26, was charged with manslaughter in early July, after Zachary Gaudette was knocked unconscious, and later died, outside the Banks Road restaurant on Feb. 17. Police said Gaudette was the victim of an assault just before 9 p.m. A witness said the restaurant's manager performed CPR on the man for almost 20 minutes before police arrived. Gaudette died in hospital two days later. Van Gilder fought one professional mixed martial arts fight in Edmonton on May 28, 2010, and has a minor criminal record, consisting of two previous driving charges. Van Gilder, who is currently not in custody, was not present in court on Thursday, but a lawyer representing Van Gilder's defense attorney requested a three-week adjournment, as his defense has yet to receive the disclosure on the case from the Crown. Disclosure is the evidence the Crown and police have collected to prosecute the case. Van Gilder's next court date is now set for Aug. 18. Photo: Columbia Basin Trust By John Boivin Higher power revenues have turned into a windfall for the people of Southeastern BC. The Columbia Basin Trust says it was able to pump millions of dollars more into the regional economy last year because of new power agreements and the expansion of one of the dams on the system. The CBT says it distributed a milestone $31 million in benefits to local communities and groups last year, on revenues of $48 million. The year before, it provided $22 million on revenues of $29 million. The Columbia Basin Trust was created the mid-1990s to ensure residents of the region saw some benefit from the hydro dams that were built in the area decades before. It was started with an initial investment from the province of $295 million $45 million of that was allocated as an endowment for economic and social development. The trust supports a wide range of activities in the basin area, in activities as diverse as agriculture, the arts, to developing local Internet access and other business. The goal is to build social, economic and environmental well-being in the region. Officials say the payoff will likely continue. We expect significant growth again this year, providing a solid financial foundation to do more to support communities and residents to address priorities that collectively, help this region thrive, said CBT CEO Neil Muth. Details of the Trusts performance last year can be found here. Photo: Contributed B.C. Chiefs Executive Council Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Chief Byron Louis, Chief Jonathan Kruger, Chief Robert Louie, Chief Keith Crow and Coun. Carmelletta Holmes sign a letter of support at Lower Similkameen Indian Band office in Cawston. The Okanagan Nation Alliance is throwing its full support behind the Lower Similkameen Indian Band in seeking protection and preservation of recently-discovered ancestral remains. The remains were found at Cawston and the ONA is now taking direct action on the matter due to what they say is the longastanding lack of meaningful dialogue and lack of solution. Elders, chiefs, former chiefs and community members of the ONA held an emergency meeting at the Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) Thursday, July 28 to address the issue of the ancestral remains. In a press release, the ONA said at the heart of this issue is the disturbance and desecration of ancestral remains on a property in Cawston on Feb. 29. Under the direction and guidance of the LSIB, the chiefs executive council of the Syilx Okanagan Nation is prepared to take any and all political, legal and direct action measures to protect and preserve these Syilx ancestral remains. The ONA also sent a letter to Premier Christy Clark, John Rustad, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations expressing their concerns. In the letter, the ONA said Despite repeated efforts by the LSIB chief and council to come to a just resolution of these disturbed ancestral remains, no respectful solution has come so far. Instead, the Province has repeatedly tried to minimize its role and responsibilities in this process. Under the direction and guidance of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band, the Chiefs Executive Council of the Syilx Okanagan Nation are prepared to undertake any and all political, legal and direct action measures to preserve and protect these Syilx ancestral remains. ONA officials say the issue has come to a stand still due to lack of action on the part of the Province. The discovery of ancestral remains and the disturbance of sites of significant cultural heritage has often strained the relationship between the Province, First Nations and third party owners. The LSIB has developed a comprehensive approach to address the proper and respectful protection and preservation of these remains, yet the Province remains staunch in its position that it does not have any role or responsibilities in the resolution of this issue; this is wrong and disrespectful. Chief Keith Crow of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band said, enough is enough. Enough dithering. We have waited long enough and we demand immediate action from the Province. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, both chairperson of the Okanagan Nation Alliance and also the president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs has stated, Clearly, as leaders, we carry a sacred duty to protect, preserve and defend our ancestral remains. Therefore, we cannot continue to tolerate the onagoing stonewalling on part of the Province of BC. I stumbled upon The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel recently. In the 2007 book, Kovach, a former New York Times reporter and former editor of The Atlanta Constitution, and Rosenstiel, head of the American Press Institute, seek to identify what they see as the essential principles and practices of journalism.Their first, and, presumably, most important element states:Having watched how the media handled the terrorist attack in Orlando, this is almost laughable.An incident of obvious radical Islamic terrorism became, at the hands of mainstream journalism, merely an issue of homophobia and gun availability. Within a week, the worst modern mass shooting in this country had dropped out of the news almost completely.This could not be accomplished had the media not enthusiastically followed cues and spin from the Obama administration. The administration refused to name "radical Islam" as the motive for the Orlando massacre, and the media, sadly, followed suit, repeating the absurd claim by Attorney General Loretta Lynch that the motive of the shooter, Omar Mateen, was simply unfathomable.Obama and his spokespeople declared immediately that the issue was guns and gun availability. The mainstream media took that cue, too, and ran with it. The result was some of the most embarrassing, ignorant, and inaccurate journalism seen in some time.Reporters nationwide, local and national, showed their ignorance of "automatic weapons," "semiautomatic weapons," "AR-15s," "assault weapons," "clips," and "magazines."The relish with which the media followed uncritically and enthusiastically the administration's cues conflicts starkly with two other important journalistic elements on Kovach and Rosenstiel's list:andThe fawning media coverage of the anti-gun Democratic sit-in, in which Democrats tried to replicate a 1960s civil rights sit-in in support of taking away constitutional rights of citizens, ran directly counter to another Kovach-Rosenstiel element of journalism:That media bias against "the people" revealed itself a week later, in the coverage of Great Britain's surprise vote to leave the European Union. Those on the winning side were widely characterized as uninformed, uneducated, xenophobic, racist, and worse.It's clear that if there are any elements of journalism left, they are merely trace elements. UPDATE: 5:30 a.m. Castanet has learned Justin Trudeau is staying at a private residence on a local winery property in the Central Okanagan. To safeguard the prime minister's privacy during the personal visit, we won't say which one, but several tips came in Thursday that the PM was spotted around Kelowna, arriving at the airport and making a brief stop at UBC Okanagan. The PM apparently was also set to dine at another local winery. According to the Prime Ministers Office, Trudeau arrived in B.C. Thursday for a personal visit leading into the B.C. Day long weekend. He won't be the only tourist here during the holiday. Temperatures are expected to be in the thirties, and tourism businesses, lakes and beaches should be busy. According to Trudeau's Twitter page, he is planning to be in Vancouver for the Pride Festival on July 31. If you see Trudeau let us know send us your photos and video to [email protected] Photo: UrosPoteko People in Penticton could be part of the dispensary dialogue on regulations, with the city looking at a potential survey in the near future. Penticton communications officer Tina Lee said the city could post an online survey within two weeks. Lee said questions haven't been finalized yet, as staffers need to ensure that a survey would be the right route. "We haven't actually kind of gone back to see if, with our corporate administration, if this is the right process, if this really was a direction of council," she said. She said that questions would likely deal primarily with zoning issues. "Generally speaking, I would say they are around planning purview, which is zoning," she said, noting that it's still too early to tell what the public will be consulted on. If the city were to conduct public surveys, they would be a part of an ongoing report from city staffers to produce recommendations on how to potentially regulate cannabis dispensaries in the city. Council gave orders to staff on July 19 to look at ways to regulate pot dispensaries in the city, after it voted to cancel the business licence of local dispensary Rush In and Finish Cafe. Staff was given 60 days to report back to council. At about 3:30 this afternoon, I as waiting for a green light a Cedar Avenue and Pandosy, on the corner opposite me a man with a large black Lab-cross dog was also waiting to cross Cedar Avenue. We were going in opposite directions - he and dog south and I north. The dog could not stand on four feet at any time during the wait. His pads were clearly burning from the heat. As they crossed, I saw the dog lifting a paw and hobbling on three. The owner seemed unaware of his dog's suffering. He may have been a tourist as he had a large camera hanging on this chest. The temperature at the time was (34 C). This man may wonder why his dogs paws are cracked or blistered if he takes the time to look later this evening. Residents know better than to walk their dogs in the heat of the day, but tourists may not know this. I took my shoe off to see how I could take the heat of the sidewalk. I would have had serious burns if made to walk barefoot like that dog this afternoon. Kelowna does have good day dog daycare places that could help tourists on days too hot for any animal. If anyone reading this knows how to alert a few radio stations about the dangers dogs face on hot days, please do that. Helen Schiele The second-annual Arts on the Avenue festival filled downtown Kelowna Thursday evening. Based on last year's success, this years event expanded to two blocks on Bernard Avenue and featured art, live cultural performances, Spotlight Artist presentations, drop-in visual art activities, interactive community art projects and more. When we launched this new visual-arts festival last year we were unsure how people would respond to the event, said Lisa Brown with Festivals Kelowna. To say that we were blown away by the positive feedback, the huge number of artists that wanted to participate, and the willingness of local arts groups like the Federation of Canadian Artists, Kelowna Arts Council, and Artsco to partner on the event would be an understatement. This years event is even bigger and better than last year. Initially launched in 2015, Arts on the Avenue has grown to include artists from a variety of disciplines selling their original handcrafted products from such artistic streams as fibre art, jewelry, pottery, painting, wood carving and more. New this year was the inclusion of two 3D Chalk Artists. Emmanuel Areizaga, an emerging visual artist heading to CATO this fall, and Shawn Smith, a professional and well-known local chalk artist whose work can be seen in restaurants all over the Okanagan, and who is breaking into new territory with the 3D format. People should come prepared to buy art and experience all kinds of visual arts, said Brown. This is a great chance to start some early Christmas shopping or to buy a one of a kind gift for a special occasion. Well also have live musical performances throughout the night so plan to spend a few hours with us. Photo: The Canadian Press Police searched Thursday for the driver of a car that plowed into the front of a Los Angeles house where a group of mostly elderly people were holding a Bible study and prayer meeting, leaving one person dead and eight injured. The red sedan left a gaping hole in the home and was almost entirely inside when it came to a rest late Wednesday. Charry Madduma, who saw the car speeding through the neighbourhood, said it "went airborne" and struck a real estate sign after jumping a curb. "I thought she was going to turn down the street, but she couldn't hit the turn," Madduma told KABC-TV. The female driver ran away from the crash and police were looking for her, but the car had no license plates and there was no identification inside, authorities said. The car was speeding before it slammed into the house, killing one person, police Capt. Leland Sands said. Angie Villanueva, one of 11 people attending the prayer meeting, said she thought a bomb had gone off. "So I ducked and I saw so much debris, so much debris, and someone afterward was screaming," Villanueva told the news station. "They were screaming for help." Some of the victims were trapped by the car, and neighbours tried to lift it off them before firefighters arrived. Seven women and one man ranging in age from their 40s to 80s were injured. Five of them were seriously hurt, city fire spokesman Brian Humphrey said. He had no further details on the injuries. Photo: The Canadian Press A Korean tourist who was arrested after he became violent when he wasn't allowed to do yoga on a plane leaving Hawaii won't get additional jail time. But he must pay United Airlines more than $44,000. A federal judge in Honolulu on Thursday sentenced Hyongtae Pae to time served, which was about 13 days. He'll be under court supervision for three years, which is the amount of time he has to pay the restitution. Pae and his wife were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary with a Hawaii vacation and the couple was headed home when he was arrested. According to court records, Pae didn't want to sit in his seat during the meal service on the March flight from Honolulu to Tokyo, so he went to the back of the plane to do yoga and meditate. Authorities say he refused to return to his seat, threatened crew members and passengers and shoved his wife. The pilot turned the plane around and returned to Honolulu. Pae told authorities after his arrest that he hadn't slept in 11 days. Court records say he threatened to kill passengers and was yelling that there is no god. Pae went into a rage because he felt the flight crew was ordering him around, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty in April to interfering with a flight crew and was allowed to return home to South Korea, even though prosecutors warned he might not return for his sentencing. U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor said she agrees with prosecutors that Pae's actions constituted a violent felony. Because of that, it's possible he may never be allowed to return to the United States. That's fine by Pae, who is in his 70s and doesn't intend to travel to the United States in the future, said his defence attorney, Jin Tae "J.T." Kim. "I think your client is getting off very easy" with the $44,235 restitution amount considering the costs of turning the plane around, including jet fuel and all the passengers who had to return to Honolulu, Gillmor said. "I take this very seriously and I have a great deal of concern about this behaviour," she said. It was a traumatic experience for the passengers and the flight crew, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Otake, adding that it's fortunate there were Marines on board who helped restrain him. Pae tried to bite and head-butt the two Marines, prosecutors said. Gillmor said Pae may return to home to Korea, but before he leaves must meet with a probation officer to work out restitution payments. Pae declined to speak in court. "He didn't say it but he does apologize for what happened," Kim said outside of court. "This is a truly isolated incident." Kim noted that Pae flew to Korea and back without incident. Photo: The Canadian Press Police in Vermont say a car ended up almost vertical when the driver swerved quickly in response to her GPS ordering her to "turn around." The car was suspended almost vertically on guy wires attached to a utility pole in Mendon on Wednesday night. Police say 30-year-old Nabila Altahan of Dorchester, Massachusetts, was headed west on U.S. Route 4 when she passed her intended destination and the GPS gave sudden directions to turn around. Police say Altahan reacted quickly to the instructions, leaving the road at a significant enough speed to propel the vehicle up the wires. Neither Altahan nor her passenger was injured. Photo: Contributed There have been 13 Star Trek movies. Star Trek Beyond is the third film in the latest iteration of the revived series and boldly goes into a previously unexplored territory one of formulaic predictability and campy fun. The movie opens with Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) on a good-will mission to deliver an ancient weapon being offered as a symbol of peace. The gift is rejected by the menacing creatures who turn out to be the size of teddy bears as they attack him. While this opening bit is clearly an homage to the campy original television series I ripped my shirt again, it hardly makes a compelling beginning to a story. Back on the Enterprise, Kirk bemoans his ennui and seems disappointed that space exploration isnt all it was cracked up to be. He rifles through his closet of identical captains uniforms, sighs and heads to the bridge. He is bored and plans to apply for an assistant admiral position, which will take him back to the space station Yorktown once his five-year term is up. Spock (Zachary Quinto) is also in a state of flux since Admiral Spock has now died (a nod to the late Leonard Nimoy). He has broken off his relationship with Lt. Uhura (Zoe Saldana), and is expecting to return to his home planet to assist in re-populating it. While on Yorktown, a distressed ship arrives with an alien who claims her ship crashed on a planet on the other side of a nebula. She begs for help and Kirk volunteers for the mission, presumably in the hopes of a little novelty and excitement. Upon passing through the dangers of the nebula, the Enterprise is attacked and destroyed by a swarm of ships. The surviving crew eject from the Enterprise, but are captured in their individual pods. Because they were the last to eject, the key players (Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty and Chekov) find themselves wandering the terrain of a hostile planet alone, synching up later in the film. It is up to the band of senior officers along with a local rebel fighter, Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), to free the crew from the clutches of the evil Krall (an unrecognizable Idris Elba) who is determined to destroy Yorktown with a bio-weapon hes created. The script, written by actor Simon Peg (Scotty) and Doug Jung, marches forward with the assuredness of a tank through a cornfield and unfortunately, it is the lack of an interesting story line that makes Star Trek Beyond drag. While the overriding theme of together we stand, divided we fall is a worthy one, we dont learn anything new about the voyagers of this Enterprise, which is a shame. One also has to wonder if the writers consulted the Independence Day Resurgence writers for the idea of the attack drones as the similarities in these two villainous armies is uncanny. While J.J. Abrams was the director of the last two movies, Justin Lin (Fast and the Furious) is the director of Beyond and brings along his love of chase scenes and quick cutaway shots. One might wonder at the impossibility of a motorcycle chase on an impossibly rocky planet, but it makes for a fun action sequence as Kirk conjures his Motocross mojo to save the day. Indeed, there is lots to look at in Beyond and the 122 minutes pass quickly. The graphic design of Yorktown is nothing short of brilliant like Elysium meets Escher. This other world creation is a real highlight in the film and the CGI makes it work flawlessly. The actors are excellently cast and it is their talent and faithfulness to their characters that truly is the heart of this film. Where the last two Star Trek movies broke new ground and took the franchise to greater depths, this latest film seems to have pushed full reverse thrust and propelled the film back to the light and campy realm of the 1960s. There is a slight feeling of flogging a dead horse (er, franchise) in this story that doesnt seem to go anywhere, but if youre looking for fun escapism some familiar characters, its an enjoyable movie. I give this film 3 1/2 hearts. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: The Canadian Press Victoria police say four officers were injured Thursday evening while intervening in a domestic dispute at the controversial "tent city" outside the city's courthouse. Police say just after 7:20 p.m., two special duty officers heard what they believed to be a domestic assault in a tent that is part of an encampment of about 100 homeless people that has been up since last fall. When the officers tried to intervene, they were assaulted by a "highly combative man." Two officers who arrived at the scene were also assaulted and the man was taken into custody after he was subdued with a stun gun. Police say three of the four injured officers were taken to hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries while the suspect, who remains in custody and is to appear in court on Friday, was not injured. Police are recommending multiple charges against the unidentified man, including assaulting a police officer, possession of a prohibited weapon, assault and resisting arrest. Photo: Facebook Surrey residents halted a botched home invasion by restraining the would-be crook with a belt. Video posted to Facebook shows the man subdued with the belt tied around his neck. Police said the citizen's arrest took place July 19, when three men tried to break into a home on 124A Street. It began with an assault and a break-and-enter from the suspects, and that was repelled basically with fisticuffs by the victims, Cpl. Scotty Schumann told CTV. The other two men fled in a car. The suspect was hospitalized for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Two of the victims received minor injuries. Police say the residents acted legally in making the arrest, but don't advise such action. Certainly, when they decide to take action into their own hands its a risk, and people need to know that the risk can be grave, Schumann said. with files from CTV Vancouver N.C. discloses identities of those getting state tax credits for renewable energy investments The federal government issued tax credits in North Carolina approaching a half-billion dollars for renewable energy investment in the five most recent years for which records are available, and high-income earners have benefited the most from the tax favors.But the names of beneficiaries of that $466,928,000 in carve-outs from 2009 to 2013, the last year for which federal data is available, are sealed.said Internal Revenue Service spokesman Luis Garcia.That nondisclosure prevents cross-referencing recipients of the 30 percent federal solar tax credit to those that have collected North Carolina's more generous 35 percent renewable energy tax credit, which totaled $101 million over the five-year federal credit period, and then more than tripled at the state level to $363 million through 2015.Together, those state and federal tax credits total at least $830 million since 2009, without knowing the 2014 and 2015 federal tax credit amounts.said Jacki Pick, executive vice president and senior energy fellow at the Dallas-based National Center for Policy Analysis.Pick said.She suggested the secrecy might be a matter for investigation by congressional oversight committees.Carolina Journal made numerous attempts by telephone and email to get a reaction from U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-8th District, who sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight subcommittee. Hudson did not respond.Hudson also voted against the 2015 omnibus spending bill that included an extension of the federal renewable investment tax credits.Nicolas Loris, research fellow in energy and environment policy at the Heritage Foundation, agrees with Pick that the secrecy is puzzling.Loris testified before a congressional committee in March against the U.S. Department of Energy's tax-funded loan-guarantee programs that include solar and other renewable energy projects. The federal government releases the names of loan recipients, he said.including the renewable energy tax credits, Loris said.The best solution would be to terminate all programs that provide preferential tax treatment for some individuals or businesses and not others, he said.Until then, passing stricter laws demanding transparency on the renewable tax creditsLoris said.According to CJ research, in 2015 all 23 North Carolina entities receiving $1 million or more in state renewable energy tax credits were large corporations. Eighty of the 86 recipients of at least $100,000 in renewable tax breaks were corporations. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Duke Energy collected $54 million between them.with corporations receiving the lion's share of tax credits, Pick said.While the IRS does not identify renewable tax credit recipients, it lists the aggregate number of tax filers receiving a tax credit across several income ranges, and provides a total amount of tax credits issued for each income group.According to IRS records, 90,180 North Carolina recipients received federal tax credits totaling $38,324,000 in 2013.Those earning $1 million or more averaged $3,790 in tax credits. That was nearly nine times more than the overall average of $425, and roughly 12 times higher than the $319 average tax credit of those earning between $25,000 and $49,000. The state's median household income is $46,693.But those numbers pale in comparison to what would be a $17,500 average on $70,000 in tax credits issued to four tax filers in the group that claimed less than $1.00 in net income on their 2011 tax returns. The overall average tax credit for all tax filers that year was $381. The IRS did not respond to multiple requests for an explanation.North Carolina passed a law eliminating its 35 percent renewable investment tax credit at the end of 2015, though it will continue to be issued for several more years because the law allows it to be divided and claimed over a five-year period. Last year the General Assembly extended the tax credit for select companies still in the process of developing their solar projects.Congress voted last year to extend the federal tax credit until 2023.Pick said.Targeted tax programs usually start for a limited number of years, with the affected industry claiming it needs some time to become competitive. After the tax carve-out is established, industry lobbyists almost always seek recurring extensions, Loris said.It is a bipartisan problem, Loris said. Even states with mostly Republican members in their congressional delegations fight to perpetuate the policies "because it's their states that stand to benefit," whether it's for wind power in the Midwest or solar power in the Southwest.But he remains optimistic, even though the federal wind production and solar investment tax credits were extended last year.Loris said, and some members of Congress are vigilant to keep them from being sneaked into "must-pass" bills unrelated to energy.Loris said. Photo: CTV They escaped a war, only to be forced out of their new homes by fire. Dozens of Syrian refugees are among those without a home after a fire gutted an apartment building in Coquitlam, Thursday. The blaze broke out just after 10:30 a.m. at the three-storey building, which was undergoing repairs and was without water at the time. Most of the refugee families came to Canada from Aleppo last fall. Mohammed Meimeh told CTV the building manager banged on his door, telling his family to get out. Meimeh, his wife and four-year-old child came from Damascus in December. Now we search for new home, and return to our lives. That's OK, he said. Abdulrahman Siad, a refugee who lives nearby, said the fire doesn't compare to the horror they fled in Syria. We not expect that. But not like what we see in Syria, he told CTV. The families are receiving aid from the City of Coquitlam and emergency services. The cause of the fire is under investigation. with files from CTV Vancouver Photo: The Canadian Press An Angus Reid Institute online poll has found that most respondents support a tax on foreign buyers of Metro Vancouver homes but at the same time doubt how effective the move will be at cooling the region's red-hot real estate market. Nine of every 10 people who responded to the poll conducted between July 26 and 28 say they support the new property transfer tax. But only six out of 10 believe the initiative will help improve access to the local market for local buyers and increase vacancies for renters. The poll was released Thursday, the same day the British Columbia legislature passed a law introducing an additional 15-per-cent tax on homebuyers in Metro Vancouver who aren't either Canadian or a permanent resident. The new policy comes into effect Aug. 2. The provincial government has been facing increasing pressure to take action to address skyrocketing housing prices across the Lower Mainland, which encompasses Canada's most expensive real estate market. This move comes as British Columbians prepare to go to the polls in May 2017. Despite Thursday's policy change, seven out of 10 respondents believe affected buyers will manage to find loopholes allowing them to get around the new tax. Eight of 10 say the government should have intervened sooner to temper the ballooning housing market, including three quarters of those who voted for the incumbent B.C. Liberals in the 2013 election. The poll found little difference between home owners and renters in terms of their support for both a foreign-buyers tax, as well as another provision that allows just the City of Vancouver to tax vacant properties. The surveys respondents are part of the Angus Reid Forum, a 130,000-member panel of Canadians who participate in surveys and discussions. Angus Reid says the forum comprises of people in each major demographic group, and respondents receive a small monetary incentive from $1 to $5 for completing each survey. The polling industrys professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. Photo: The Canadian Press UPDATE: 3 p.m. John Nuttall and Amanda Korody tasted freedom only fleetingly on Friday. The couple was released from B.C. Supreme Court after terror charges against them were stayed. But they were immediately re-arrested and taken to provincial court for a peace bond application that would mandate strict conditions for up to a year. The Public Prosecution Service will apply for terrorism peace bonds for both of them and is reviewing whether to appeal the judge's ruling. with files from CTV Vancouver UPDATE: 10:50 a.m. Two people found guilty of terror charges will walk free after a British Columbia Supreme Court judge ruled they were entrapped by the RCMP in a police-manufactured crime. Justice Catherine Bruce said police instigated and skillfully engineered the very terrorist acts committed by John Nuttall and Amanda Korody, who believed they were planting pressure-cooker bombs that would blow up at the legislature on Canada Day in 2013. "The world has enough terrorists. We do not need the police to create more out of marginalized people," Bruce said in a landmark ruling Friday. "The defendants were the foot soldiers but the undercover officer was the leader of the group," she said. "Without the police it would have been impossible for the defendants to carry out the pressure-cooker plan." Bruce said RCMP officers overstepped their authority during a months-long, undercover sting and their actions were egregious. "The police decided they had to aggressively engineer and plan for Nuttall and Korody and make them think it was their own," she said. "To say they were unsophisticated is generous," she said, adding there was no imminent threat to the public from a pair who demonstrated they were not intelligent but naive. A B.C. Supreme Court judge is expected to rule today on whether the RCMP coerced a Vancouver-area couple into plotting to blow up the provincial legislature on Canada Day three years ago. Justice Catherine Bruce is to decide if an elaborate police sting that was originally launched to assess a potential homegrown terrorist threat actually manipulated its targets, John Nuttall and Amanda Korody, into breaking the law. Nuttall and Korody were arrested on July 1, 2013, after planting what they believed were deadly pressure-cooker bombs on the grounds of the B.C. legislature. Last year, a jury found the couple guilty of terrorism-related offences, but the judge delayed registering the convictions until lawyers could argue whether entrapment had occurred. The defence says the pair would never have committed the acts were it not for the encouragement of undercover police officers, while the Crown says the RCMP were simply guiding Nuttall toward one of the many plans he had proposed but which would pose the lowest threat to the public. If the court rules that entrapment occurred, a stay of proceedings will be issued and Nuttall and Korody will walk free; if the judge finds entrapment did not take place, a date will be set for a sentencing hearing. Photo: The Canadian Press A Toronto police officer sentenced to six years for gunning down a troubled teen on an empty streetcar three years ago has been granted bail while he appeals the conviction. The appeal judge, Justice Eileen Gillese, said in her decision that Const. James Forcillo poses no risk to the public "as there is no risk that he would commit further offences." Gillese noted that until Thursday, the Crown consented to bail being granted every time the issue arose, including after Forcillo, 33, was convicted of attempted murder in January in the death of Sammy Yatim, 18. A condition of Forcillo's bail is that he surrender himself on Nov. 9. Gillese said that before that date, the Crown and defence lawyers should update the presiding judge on the status of the appeal. If the appeal isn't ready to be heard, Gillese said the surrender date can be modified. At sentencing on Thursday, Justice Edward Then said Forcillo abused his authority in a way that undermines public trust in law enforcement and the justice system. Then said that in letting loose a second volley of shots on Yatim, Forcillo committed an "egregious breach of trust" and his sentence must serve as notice to other police officers. Forcillo's lawyer, Peter Brauti, said an appeal had already been filed on the conviction and sentencing. Both sides were in appeal court shortly after the sentencing as the defence applied for bail pending appeal. The defence argued that Forcillo should be granted bail because he wouldn't be likely to reoffend, given that the conditions under which he shot Yatim would not be repeated. After the sentencing, Toronto police suspended Forcillo without pay, according to police spokesman Mark Pugash. Police Chief Mark Saunders said in a statement that Forcillo still faces a disciplinary matter in the Toronto Police Service Tribunal, but declined to comment on the criminal case. The outrage over Yatim's death prompted Saunders' predecessor to launch a review of officers' use of force and their response to emotionally disturbed people. Then cited cellphone video as "powerful evidence" that what Forcillo said occurred on the streetcar that night did not actually happen. Forcillo did not mistakenly believe that Yatim was getting up after being struck with a first volley of bullets, as the officer testified in court, Then found. Instead, he based his decision to fire again entirely on the fact that Yatim had managed to recover his knife, he said. Under police training, that alone would not justify shooting a suspect, the judge said. The second volley of shots was "not only contrary to (Forcillo's) training, but unreasonable, unnecessary and excessive." Photo: Contributed Long weekend travellers should anticipate delays on B.C. roads as motorists head out for the holiday. Western Pacific Marine is advising drivers of high traffic volumes at Kootenay Lake starting Friday and going through Monday Aug. 1. Heavy traffic is also expected off of Highway 23 on the Upper Arrow Lake Ferrry from Galena Bay to Shelter Bay in both directions, as well as at Kootenay Lake. Border delays have yet to cause any major issues for drivers at the Peace Arch, Pacific, Aldergrove and Sumas Crossing. Historically waits increase on the Saturday of the B.C. Day long weekend with average delays between 30 and 60 minutes, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. BC Ferries are anticipating a very busy long weekend and expect Friday, Saturday and Sunday to have the most traffic. With the Vancouver (Tsawwassen) - Victoria (Swartz Bay) route and Horseshoe Bay - Nanamio route to have the busiest sailing times from 7 a.m. to mid-evening. Photo: World Airline News A WestJet flight out of Kelowna this week had to divert to Vancouver after declaring a hydraulic system malfunction. The WestJet Encore De Havilland Dash 8-400 departed YLW on Tuesday, en route to Victoria, with 25 people on board. According to aviation website Aeroinside.com, as the aircraft was climbing out of Kelowna and the landing gear was retracted, the gear did not uplock and the gear doors remained open. The crew diverted to Vancouver, where they performed an alternate gear extension and landed safely. A replacement Dash 8-400 was used to continue the flight to Victoria, delaying passengers by about 80 minutes. WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart said the plane's right landing gear door failed to close, causing the aircraft to vibrate. No emergency was declared, she added. "Out of an abundance of caution, the crew did ask for firetrucks to be on hand for arrival. The flight landed without incident in Vancouver, and the guests were re-accommodated to Victoria a couple of hours later. At no time was there a danger to guests, our crew or the aircraft." The Transportation Safety Board reported that maintenance crews found air in the hydraulic system. Aeroinside's report contains information from the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report System. Transport Canada endeavours to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the data contained within CADORS, however, the information within should be treated as preliminary, unsubstantiated and subject to change Photo: Contributed A hot air balloon came a little too close for comfort for some residents in a Kelowna neighbourhood. The balloon landed in an empty lot on Upper Canyon Drive in the Wilden area of Glenmore Friday morning. One resident called it a "close call for nearby homes." "Looked like it was going to hit trees at one point," said the resident. Every so often Castanet gets reports of hot air balloons going off course and landing in residential areas. Photo: Contributed With the fierceness of Beyonce and a celebrity status to boot, a feisty B.C. resident goes by a familiar name. A curmudgeonly mammal with the moniker Justin Beaver has been terrorizing a popular Port Alberni swimming hole. According to CTV there have been reports the critter is attacking other animals and swimmers at the Somass River. Fiona Gibson told CTV she was once charged by the aggressive beaver. Hes got some pretty big ferocious claws and teeth, she said. He came at me! I was surprised, its not something you expect from a beaver or a rodent. Just like his namesake, the beaver is notorious for his antics. No one is holding back in ratting on the dam-building creature either, conservation officers are fully aware of the beavers behaviour. The Conservation Officer Service received a report that there was an aggressive beaver that possibly attacked a residents dog, CO Daniel Eichstadter, told CTV. Dog owner Mark Thomson estimates Justin Beaver has been around for at least four years. His dog Max was attacked by the celebrity animal, which angrily approaches anyone who treads on its territory, some say that's the entire riverfront area. The beaver went under, grabbed Max, picked him up and then brought him back down, he said. The dog was left with a bloody gash on its abdomen. Swimming hole enthusiasts want something done about the bad beaver before someone gets seriously injured. Im afraid for the childrens safety mostly, and for the dogs because if it gets them in the water thats where hell attack them, said Gibson. On land hes a little fat and slow. But conservation says the rodent is just acting in defence, and the public needs to do its part to steer clear and keep dogs on a leash. Eichstadter confirmed the service would not be relocating the beaver. With files from CTV News Photo: Contributed Update: 1 p.m. After an investigation police say a report of a gunshot on Hein Road seems to be an unfounded report. It is believed the noise was fireworks. Residents on Hein Road are in shock after a gunshot rang out just before 11 a.m. A Castanet viewer says he was at home when he heard one loud distinct shot. He ran outside and saw his neighbours looking around in panic. The man called police, who he says quickly converged on the scene. At least four police cruisers along with two unmarked cars searched the 400 block of Hein Road. According to reports this is same area police seized a prohibited firearm and ammunition from a home back in May. It's unclear if anyone was hurt. Castanet will have more information as it becomes available. Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Penticton's director of development services is no longer with the city, as of this week. Mayor Andrew Jakubeit would only confirm that Jules Hall no longer works for the city. "It is typically not our practice to disclose circumstances around the departure of staff," he said. In the Beginning Considering that Hillary Clinton, from the recently concluded email investigation, is charged with gross negligence, dereliction of duty, was recommended that she lose her security clearance, while pathologically lying to congress, the press and the American People; and even though she was not referred for indictment because she is a Clinton: Will you? 11.84% Vote for Hillary 78.78% Vote for The Donald 9.39% Vote for none of the above 245 total vote(s) Voting has Ended! And Now Some other Polls for your Voting Pleasure Should Americans be thankful for North Carolinians setting precedent in taking a stand for their state's right to manage the safety of their public facilities, where separation of the sexes remains, or should they follow Bruce Springsteen's lead and boycott the state as bigots since they will not allow grown Transgender men to use the same bathrooms /locker rooms as pre-pubescent girls? North Carolina is right to control the separation of the sexes as a matter of decorum and safety. North Carolina is a bigoted state to not require that children of opposite sexes share the same public facilities with adults of the opposite sex, although misidentified - the Transgender. I generally prefer the natural environs of the vacant, although rather public, large tree. 236 total vote(s) What's your Opinion? poll#95 What should be the priority of the Federal Government after the "Pulse" massacre: Should we turn our attention toward destroying, earadicating ISIS as Candidate Trump suggests, or, as Democrats' President Obama suggests, broaden our efforts to effect stricter Gun Control laws to limit "Gun Violence?" 88.24% After many years of trying to degrade and contain the murderous ISIS, we should make it the nation's policy to destroy ISIS immediately. 3.68% Gun Violence in America can be eliminated by limiting access to guns for all American citizens. 8.09% I don't care either way; I just live here. 136 total vote(s) Voting has Ended! It began, remarkably enough, as the national political convention that would be normal, far out-distancing the abnormality of the Republican national convention, one week earlier, where the luminaries of past presidents and political competitors did not show up to nominate Donald J. Trump. Regardless, and even with Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz self-destructing , the Republicans had a remarkably successful national convention: No outrageous protests, from outside the Cleveland convention hall, or within; outstanding speeches from those that did participate to invigorate the base; and, consequently, the Republicans left Cleveland relatively united.Now, contrast the Republican convention against a Democrat National Convention rife with acrimony in the convention hall, outside the convention hall, and deep within the bosom of downtown Philadelphia. There are ten times the demonstrators at the Democrat convention /downtown Philadelphia, and, remarkably, the one thing that they have in common with the far fewer demonstrators in Cleveland is that they are all Democrats /Liberals /Socialists /Anarchists; none were Republicans. In Philadelphia, where the greater propensity of demonstrations have already occurred, the two largest contingencies of demonstrators were the Bernie Sanders army of Socialists, and the racist group Black Lives Matter The Bernie Sanders army of Socialists were peaceable enough, as they muddled through their skewed vision of what America is ... never was. The racist Black Lives Matter group were angry, mean-spirited, even doused Geraldo with water, which would have refreshed many on this hot day, but not Geraldo, who discovered that even special interest, racist Anarchists don't always love Liberals. Surprisingly, the protestations of Black Lives Matter members that they would never vote for Hillary, were in direct contrast to the abject pandering of L. Hillary to that racist group , and showing great compassion for the wide variety of criminals. Nothing would be mentioned about peace officers gunned down in the streets of Obama's America.Understandably, with Lying Hillary's Unfavorability Rating at 58% and her Favorability Rating at 38% (her poll numbers on honesty are far lower), even the Black Lives Matter racists are not convinced of her veracity; pandering be damned; it was not working with them.While an unappreciative racist group, like Black Lives Matter, was placed on a pedestal at this convention, this freak show; alternately, police gunned down by snipers in the city's streets they protect; ISIS knocking on the door of our borders, made more porous by Obama, were never mentioned. Not a word uttered, but, what was mentioned was the shrill, constant yell ofand, by the disenfranchised Bernie Sanders supporters, every time Hillary's name was mentioned on the first night of the convention. The Wikileaks exposition of the DNC e-mails that exhibited their bold propensity to bury Candidate Sanders, reminded those 'feeling the Bern'of the abusive measure of a "rigged system" - the "rigged system" that Hillary has long taken advantage of, and worked to rig as a card carrying member of the "ruling class".Is it any wonder that L. Hillary would not believe that she is well immune to having an unsecured server (mishandling the public record); one that she wiped clean of all condemning emails when they were requested (obstruction of justice); and the ultimate lie stonewalling the delivery of emails and server upon request, and then blaming it on the Republicans in congress that the FBI investigation was extended?You can't be shocked when Hillary helps to fabricate the Benghazi lie of the 'offensive video' , rather than the truth that she and Hussein Obama elected to let the consulate staff, the entire CIA mission staff and their contract security detail to die rather than rush to save them, thereby casting a bright light on the truth that all was not well in the World in regards to Islamist Terror. When the contract security detail bravely fought off the organized, repeated attacks of hundreds of Libyan Islamist Terrorists, who sought to kill these Americans, they brought the truth back home with them. That truth did not jive with the lies told by the Obama Administration, with Hillary as his secretary of state, as Obama continued to convince Liberals thatIt was basically a huge lie, with CIA briefs telling a far different reality, a reality that spoke of a budding ISIS; and that even though the Obama spin machine made the argument that War on Terror was over, it was far from over.For Obama, Hillary, all Liberals, all Democrats, whether they want it or not, the War on Terror is far from over, the World is a far more dangerous place than in 2008, and no matter how long, and how well, and how often Hussein and Hillary lie openly to the American People, the reality is something far different.None of this, nothing resembling any real concern for the safety of Americans, will be the subject of this Democrat Freak Show in Philadelphia ... and that is no lie. Photo: Getty Images Worried that Swedes aren't having enough sex, the government wants to analyze the bedroom activities of its citizens in a major new study. It's been 20 years since the last in-depth study of the sex habits of the Scandinavian welfare state, so Public Health Minister Gabriel Wikstrom says it's high time for another survey. One of the goals of the investigation, set to be completed in 2019, is to find out whether there's any truth to Swedish tabloid reports that Swedes are having less sex than they used to. "It's important to investigate whether that is the case and if so, what the reason is," he wrote Friday in an opinion piece in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. If stress and other health issues are affecting Swedes' sex lives, he said, "that is also a political problem." Morgan Eklund, an official in Wikstrom's office, said the minister was referring primarily to a 2013 survey of 3,000 people by the Aftonbladet tabloid, which found that lovemaking is on the wane in Sweden, a country with a reputation of being sexually liberated. Eklund said the survey was not scientific enough to be used as the basis of government policies "but it points in a direction that can be interesting to follow up." In a separate article on the government's website, Wikstrom said the Social Democratic-led government needs better information about people's sex habits to guide its policies related to sexual and reproductive health. "Sex is an area that strongly influences people's health, so we can't just talk about things like, for example, venereal disease, but also things that are positive and lust-filled about sex," Wikstrom said. The study will be carried out by the Public Health Agency of Sweden. Photo: Bureau of Prisons To get a Kentucky marriage licence, Bradley Jones just has to bring his fiancee to the clerk's office, but there's a problem: She's in prison and can't make the trip. Shelby County Clerk Sue Carole Perry says state law requires both applicants to apply in person, and won't issue the licence. So the Louisville man on Thursday sued Perry in federal court, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. According to the lawsuit, Perry on July 14 denied Jones a licence to marry Kathryn Brooke Sauer, who is serving sentences for robbery and other charges at a Kentucky prison. Sauer isn't scheduled to be released until 2026. Perry says she believes the law prevents her from issuing a licence unless both people come to her office, and she can't issue it to just one person. "I don't see that the law says that I can do that," she said. Since Sauer can't visit in person, the lawsuit states that the in-person marriage application law infringes on Jones' constitutional right to marry. It seeks to bar Perry from enforcing the law. Janet Conover, a warden at the prison where Sauer is serving time, said she told Jones she had no objection to the marriage. However, she also told him both parties must be at the clerk's office to apply for a licence, and that the prison doesn't transport inmates for that purpose. The lawsuit said Jones did not want to wait to marry Saur because he is deeply religious. Jones' statement said Sauer is as well. Photo: David Wylie The one-bag challenge is spreading far and wide. It started in Kelowna with Mayor Colin Basran dropping off a bag of groceries at the Okanagan Community Food Bank and challenging five others. During the past 10 days, the challenge has begun to break out of the Okanagan and spread across Canada. Jim Belshaw, with the Kelowna Sunrise Rotary Club, says the club has challenged the 300 Rotary clubs across Canada to fill a grocery bag for every member and drop it off at their local food bank. Belshaw took the lead and dropped off a van full of food Friday at the Kelowna food bank. "We support the Kelowna food bank year round, but sometimes they need a push," said Belshaw. He said he'll soon be in touch with Rotary clubs in Ottawa to issue the challenge. "Hopefully, it will just fill in from coast to coast." Central Okanagan Community Food Bank executive director Lenetta Parry said she's already seen the campaign spread through social media to Prince George, the Fraser Valley, Castelgar, Red Deer, Alta., and even parts of Saskatchewan. "We're so grateful to the community for embracing this campaign," she said. In 10 days, about 24,000 pounds of food has been collected. However, Parry says the food bank distributes 7,000 pounds of food each day. Meanwhile, if it's feast at the Okanagan Community Food Bank, it's famine at the Salvation Army. The Sally Ann says donations at its Kelowna food bank are at an all time low. The downtown food bank is the first place to go for help, we are the next stop when that food just doesnt quite make it. We often support the same individuals and families, said Sonia Withers, community outreach co-ordinator. There has been a significant increase in people using the Salvation Armys resources due to rising food prices, cost of living and job challenges, she added. We are all seeing an increase in need, hence all agencies' supplies are running out faster. The biggest needs are for basic staples: cereals, pastas, canned goods, canned proteins, beans, bottled drinks, cases of water, toilet paper, and feminine products. Donations can be made to the Salvation Army Central Okanagan online or in person at 1480 Sutherland Ave. Photo: NewsKamloops.com The weather outlook for the B.C. Day long weekend is a good news/bad news scenario. First the bad news: A low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska is expected to bring showers. The good news? The system isnt expected to arrive until late Monday. And there is more good news: temperatures will moderate through the weekend, with mainly sunny skies, a slight possibility of showers and afternoon thunderstorms. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-30s in the Southern Interior this afternoon, easing back to 30 C or just under on Saturday, and 25 C on Sunday. Increasing cloudiness and wind Saturday afternoon could bring a risk of thunderstorms. Sunday, with a mix of sun and cloud, should offer the most pleasant long weekend weather and a slight reprieve from the heat. Monday is mostly back to sun, with a high of 29 C in Kelowna, with clouds moving in overnight, followed by showers on Tuesday and a high of only 21 C. with files from NewsKamloops.com If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,... Pakistan cement exports down 27.6% in FY15-16 ICR Newsroom By 29 July 2016 Pakistan's cement industry exported 5.97Mt of cement in FY15-16, which represents a fall of 22.3 per cent YoY, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The bureau attributes the decline to contracting demand and competition among other issues. In terms of value, exports during July 2015-June 2016 saw a 27.6 per cent YoY decrease from US$443.63m to US$321.29m. The average price of cement also fell to US$53.75/t from US$57.64/tt during this period. In June 2016, 394,905t of cement was exported at a value of US$19.96m, down by 24.2 and 26 per cent, respectively from May, when 521,188t was sold in the country's overseas markets at US$26.98m.Year-on-year, the drop reached 22.8 and 34 per cent, respectively as 511,691t with a value of US$30.24m was exported. According to All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), export to Afghanistan during FY15-16 recorded a decline of 15.1 per cent to 2.43Mt. However, exports to India expanded 42.5 per cent as the country dispatched 992,631t to its eastern neighbour. Export to rest of the world saw a fall of over 33 per cent. A spokesman of APCMA said that sharp decline in cement exports should be an eye opener for the policy makers of the country. APCMAs spokesperson appealed the government to support local manufacturers in recovering their markets by providing freight and transportation subsidies to strengthen their global competitiveness. Published under Thank you for your interest in the issue of "NO Ferry Tax". Because of your support, we won! Congratulations! The 2016 Budget Bill, passed on 7/1/16, stabilizes funding for the purchase of ferry vessels and forbids the NC Dept. of Transportation (DOT) from imposing tolls on ferry routes that are presently toll-free.When the ferry tax issue erupted in 2011, many coastal residents felt like David facing Goliath. HB#200/SL2011-145 , page 338, provided for tolling on all ferries except the Ocracoke/Hatteras Ferry and the Knotts Island Ferry, effective July 1, 2011. Beaufort, Pamlico, Hyde, & Currituck County Commissioners determined to lobby the NC General Assembly, including the "heavy lifting" of contacting leadership in the Senate and House.Beaufort and Pamlico citizens recalled the desperate economic circumstances that gave rise to the river ferries. Highway 306 was constructed and Pamlico & Neuse River ferries instituted to open up an impoverished peninsula and promote employment. Knotts Island residents rely on their ferry to provide the only in-State access to schools for students. Residents of the small island community in Currituck County must drive through Virginia if the ferry is not running. Ocracoke residents must take the Ocracoke-Hatteras ferry or pay to ride on the Cedar Island or Swan Quarter routes. Local historians researched the individual roads and ferry routes, reading about the introduction of state-maintained ferries. They wrote histories that proved to be invaluable evidence for legislators.Because of the voices of citizens and the growing expressions of concern from coastal Legislators, we were able to persuade the Legislature that slapping tolls on untolled ferries was a huge issue. In 2012, the Legislature temporarily stopped the new ferry tolls. SB#187/SL2012-145, page 13, ordered DOT not to collect the increased ferry tolls during the fiscal year 2012-2013. Our momentum grew in 2013. Communities from Oriental to Ocracoke organized local groups, created Facebook pages, and compiled email lists for quick and effective communications. Social media churned with the news that the beloved Minnesott Beach & Bayview & Ocracoke ferries were going to be "taxed".The Legislature relented somewhat more in 2013. In the Appropriations Act of 2013, the Legislature provided DOT could not toll any untolled ferry route unless or until it received a Resolution approving tolling by the Transportation Advisory Committee of the affected local transportation planning organization. Further, the law provided for Public Hearings in each affected geographic area. SB#402/SL2013-360, page 308. DOT announced a schedule of ferry tolls. DOT workers hastily built tollbooths, and DOT Board members loudly announced tolls were "just a matter of time".In our great country, the government is not a monolithic "Goliath". It is true a bureaucracy like DOT can seem to be a gigantic, unresponsive opponent. For a while, it seemed that nothing would change. DOT refused to change course. DOT Board members mocked these citizen efforts, and focused on bullying County officials and Rural Planning Organization (RPO) members into voting for ferry taxes. They pressured for RPOs to vote prior to Public Hearings scheduled for early 2014. To their credit, RPO members held their ground against this pressure. When citizens learned about the bullying tactics the DOT Board, they resented the concept of ferry taxes even more. Instead of quashing opposition, actions of DOT bureaucrats incensed citizens.In early 2014, DOT conducted ferry toll Public Hearings. Citizens called them taxes, and hated them. Public Hearings were crowded with citizens who vociferously opposed ferry taxes. Newspapers loved us, and the articles were widely circulated online. Former US Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill once said, "All politics are local." What started as a local concern had moved to the halls of the NC General Assembly and become a statewide issue in 2014. The ferry toll issue appeared in "top ten issues" lists by political analysts.The Legislature is the branch of government more directly responsive to local concerns. There are 170 Legislators, 50 Senators and 120 Representatives. Our message resounded loud and clear. Citizens began to say, "NO Ferry Tax"! Delegations from Beaufort, Pamlico, Hyde, and Currituck Counties visited Legislators. You sent emails, wrote letters, and called your legislators.In 2014, leaders of the House Transportation Committee, including Rep. John Torbett, visited our coastal counties to hear from citizens and ride the ferries. They attended DOT Public Hearings at Knotts Island, Ocracoke, Oriental, and in Beaufort County. Thanks to your outreach and active participation, these Legislators were impressed! When the 2014 General Assembly convened, they went to work with new energy. On July 2, 2014, HB#1234 "Ferry Tolling/Replacement Funds" passed the House by a vote of 106-2. Its primary sponsors were Rep. Bob Steinburg (R, Dt.#1, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell), Rep. Paul Tine (U, Dt.#6, Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Washington), Rep. John Torbett (R, Dt.#108, Gaston), and Rep. Michael Speciale (R, Dt.#3, Beaufort, Craven, Pamlico). Sen. Bill Cook (R, Dt.#1, Beaufort, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans) and Sen. Norman Sanderson (R, Dt.#2, Carteret, Craven, Pamlico) filed a similar bill SB#792 "Ferry Tolling/Replacement Funds, filed on 5/19/14.Rep. Torbett never stopped working on our issue from July 2014 until July 1, 2016 when the 2016 Budget Bill became law. In 2016, Rep. Torbett spearheaded successful negotiations with the Senate to stabilize funding for the ferry system, with a guarantee in the law that DOT cannot establish tolls on the ferries that currently have no tolls. HB#1030/SL2016-94, page 155. The Budget passed the House with a vote of 103-12 and passed the Senate 26-13.We won the "NO Ferry Tax" battle because we fought together and never gave up. We gained allies by telling our history, repeating our story, and reaching new allies. This is an important lesson for the future. We are coastal residents in a state with burgeoning urban and suburban populations. We persuaded legislators from the Piedmont to stand with us. In the ferry tax battle, we made new friends and won the issue. We now have advocates from the Piedmont region who know and love the beautiful coast of North Carolina. We did not give in to the bullying tactics of our opponent. Never be concerned with the size of your enemy. As Winston Churchill said, when recalling an ominous period when Great Britain stood alone against Hitler's Germany early in World War II:"This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."By the end of 2015, North Carolina's population crossed the 10 million mark, making us the ninth most populous state. We gained an average of 281 people per day during 2015. As of the 2010 census, we are one-half urban and one-half rural, and our legislative districts reflect this new population distribution. As North Carolina continues to grow, we will have opportunities and challenges. We in the coastal region must continue to form allies in the Piedmont, as we have done with the "NO Ferry Toll" issue.Coastal counties working together can help to bring the prosperity that has arrived to other areas of the State. Thank you for the opportunity to represent you in these efforts. The future of coastal North Carolina is in the hands of citizens who care enough to stand up and fight. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this exciting process. Again, congratulations on a job well done.Best regards, Joe & HenriJoe McClees & Henri McCleesMcClees Consulting, Inc.Post Office Box 430Oriental, NC 28571OfficeFaxJoe McClees's mobileHenri's mobile Zack Terakedis has some ambitious plans for his new gallery in downtown Billings. Terakedis Fine Art opened recently at 112 N. Broadway, joining an array of new galleries in the same area, including Western Emporium on North 27th Street, Stapleton Gallery on North Broadway and Montana Gallery on Second Avenue North. Terakedis predicts that North Broadway will be a hub for art lovers and artists during ArtWalk on Aug. 5, even though the popular gallery, Catherine Louisa closed last month. Terakedis Fine Art will will host grand opening events beginning with ArtWalk and continuing through Aug. 15. Zack's father, award-winning Livingston sculptor Sam Terakedis, will be sculpting in the gallery on Aug. 4 and 5. In addition, regional artists Kathryn Ashcroft and Brandon Bailey will demonstrate their technique at the downtown gallery. Aug. 11-13, noted Whitefish painter Rob Akey will be at the gallery working on a painting of the Babcock Theatre. Also working in and around the gallery in downtown Billings Aug. 11-13 are artists Tobin Capp and David Shingler. On Aug. 15, Stacey Peterson will demonstrate her technique. Terakedis said his goal is to help educate patrons about the process of creating art. He wants to set an atmosphere that is welcoming to all patrons, whether they are just curious observers or major collectors. The gallery will be hosting experiential artist events so that people will gain an understanding of how artists create and what drives their work Terakedis said. Terakedis Fine Art exhibits emerging and established artists creating original art in bronze, wood, oils, watercolor, acrylic, and graphite. Terakedis defined his mission as providing artists greater exposure, developing and supporting a new generation of collectors, and enhancing the regional art market. For more information, call 406-696-0149 or visit www.terakedisfineart.com. A steamy Thursday night in Billings got even hotter when Florida Georgia Line hit the Rimrock Auto Arena stage at MetraPark amid shooting flames. These guys cross more than state lines with their genre-bending version of rap, pop and country. A packed house of 7,500 fans was on its feet the minute the floor-to-ceiling curtains fell and the duo emerged 20-feet above the stage on identical suspended platforms. Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley who make up Florida Georgia Line already were sweating on their opener, the fist-pumping party song, This Is How We Roll. One fan asked, How will all the country fans like this music? The simple answer is they love it. Shane Schell, of Baker, surprised his wife Stephanie on his April Fools Day birthday with VIP tickets to the show, which got them backstage for an acoustic set before the show that started at 7 p.m. The tickets were insanely expensive, but I love these guys, Stephanie said, holding up her $45 concert T-shirt. Fans showed up hours before the 7 p.m. show, following advice by MetraPark officials who said new security rules would slow things down. But additional personnel helped get most of the fans through the doors by 7. Jack Real Bird, of Garryowen, said he was pleased that he got into the arena in time for the opener. Its a good day for a concert, Real Bird said. Its all about the build up. Ray Massie, MetraPark marketing director, said staffers were able check 100 people a minute. The new security rules are industrywide, and Billings fans should expect the beefed up security at concerts from now on, assistant general manager Sue DeVries said. Nashville trio The Cadillac Three opened the show, playing a longer set because another opener, Kane Brown, had to cancel. Looking like the cast from Waynes World and sounding a bit like ZZ Top, the trio filled the first hour with blazing riffs and songs about Southern pride. They even managed to slip Montana into one of their lyrics. Then Cole Swindell blew through his radio-friendly, feel-good hits, starting off with Down Home Boys and finishing with the crowd-favorite sing-along Aint Worth the Whiskey/Drink You Away. As loud as the fans cheered for Swindell, they were definitely there for Florida Georgia Line, and the duo didnt disappoint. Thank you for hanging with us, Hubbard said. We just want to say thank you for being here tonight. Its the biggest thrill for us to be up here performing for you. When the first Mexican Fiesta was held in Billings in 1953, Bill Contreraz was a boy assigned to straighten out used nails so his father and others could construct booths from salvaged lumber. Contreraz laughs about those early days when things were cobbled together by the Hispanic community to raise money for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, which they built across from South Park. The fiesta raised money to pay for necessities at the church, such as pews, a crucifix and a chalice, said Josie Torres Quarnburg, whose parents were also among the founders of the church, along with 10 or 12 other families. On Saturday, the tradition continues, with a Mexican Fiesta from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fiesta outgrew the church grounds decades ago and moved to South Park where it will be held on Saturday. The event is free and open to all. Activities include games, music and the Fiesta Car Show. On Saturday night, a dance featuring the Las Vegas mariachi band, Mexico Antiqua, will be held at the Radisson Billings Hotel Convention Center, 5500 Midland Road. The church is closed, but the painting of its namesake, which was framed with curtains and placed near the altar, has been moved, with the congregation, to Mary Queen of Peace Church, 3411 Third Ave. S. Some congregants were reluctant to leave the old church, but not Quarnburg. "I didn't let go of my faith, I let go of the building," she said. Money raised on Saturday goes to help maintain Mary Queen of Peace. But even bigger than the fundraising aspect is the sense of cultural pride that the festival instills, now in the grandchildren of church elders like Quarnburg and Contreraz. "The main thing is that this is a family thing, a church thing," Contreraz said. "Everybody who is capable is working to help out." Contreraz's family has performed music for the festival since the beginning and his grandchildren continue the tradition of performing Mexican dancing as part of the Guadalupanos dance group. Quarnburg is closing her restaurant, Torres Cafe, on Friday so she and her employees and volunteers can prepare a traditional Mexican meal for fiesta-goers. She is also donating much of the food. An authentic Mexican dinner with rice, beans, a beef taco, cheese enchilada, and pork verde, is $12 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under. Quarnburg has been helping serve the meal for many years. Its easy to volunteer at the parish, she said. I just want what I had as a child, to be proud of our heritage. I want my grandkids to be able to say, My grandma helped make money for the church. Its nice to belong somewhere. Two weeks ago, volunteers started helping Quarnburg get ready for Saturday when she will serve 700 meals. The first task was cleaning pinto beans, purchased from a Bridger farmer. We had over 20 people there and it was so much fun. They wrapped silverware for 1,000 and I said, Now, who is going to clean beans? They are beautiful beans, the newest crop. Throughout the week, Quarnburg and her employees at Torres made 120 dozen flour tortillas to serve. They will boil and mash the beans and toast the rice. Because Our Lady of Guadalupa Church is no longer available to use, a 40 by 60-foot tent will be set up at South Park to serve the meal. Im excited and Im scared, Quarnburg said. Billings and Roundup will be featured in a new web series if Ted Kim gets his old-fashioned screwball comedy funded. A sneak peek of the Montana-based comedy series Welcome to Big Sky Adventures will be part of an open house on Monday at the Art House Cinema & Pub. Scenes filmed earlier this month at the Hay Fox Ranch near Roundup and in downtown Billings will be shown, and some of the actors will be on hand to talk about their roles. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public Kim will also make a pitch for donations Monday to help fund a pilot episode that he can shop around to find producers and studios interested in funding the series. Production costs for a pilot episode, including editing, are $15,000. There is also an Indiegogo crowd-funding pitch set up. Billings actress Caitlin Alice Hart, who starred in Mary Poppins at Billings Studio Theatre and Sweet Charity at NOVA, plays one of the Tuss sisters. Chicago actress Robin Elizabeth Denk plays the other Tuss sister, a polar opposite to her cowgirl sister. The two are thrown together by their mother to run a guest ranch. Roundup artist Troy Evans and Billings native Shane Patrick McClurg are also featured in the comedy. Kim said the show is a mashup of Game of Thrones, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia and A River Runs Through It. Its a comedy, which means the conflicts and the situations get a little outrageous. At its heart, it is a love story about two sisters who deep down really care for each other. Circumstances dictate that they are never on the same wavelength and they are always misunderstanding each other, Kim said. Kim manages Billings Open Studio and 2905 Montana Ave. He moved to Billings four years ago after working in Los Angeles on TV drama projects and in New York on film and TV projects. He holds a master's of fine arts in filmmaking from Columbia University. Kim said he would like to shoot three episodes this year if the show gets a positive response from studios and producers. No one really knows how the distribution will go. Video streaming on demand has turned things upside down. One thing that is for sure is there is a need for original content. If you have original content, the business model will work. State lawsuits should focus on Montana, not other states' bathrooms, Democratic Attorney General candidate Larry Jent said Thursday. In his time as a state representative and then senator, Jent focused on raising salaries for Montana Highway Patrol troopers, passing stronger drunken driving laws and preventing meth crimes. These issues were central to what Montanans care about, Jent said. This is in contrast to what Attorney General Tim Fox cares about, Jent said. "Joining a lawsuit in Nebraska about who pees where is a waste of time and resources," Jent said. The former Bozeman-area legislator said the lawsuit Fox joined regarding rules requiring public schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms conforming to their gender identity, distracts from real state issues. Jent ran unopposed in the June primary, and only this week began campaigning in earnest. Fox has strayed from issues concerning Montana in the past, Jent said. He pointed to the money Fox spent interfering with Washington state port inspections, Fox's pledge to stop Obamacare and Fox's practice of joining lawsuits of other state's Republican attorneys general. "Meanwhile, he wants to move the DMV, which has operated out of Deer Lodge for over 100 years, to Helena," Jent said. "Government jobs should be diffused throughout the state." The state DMV employs 35 people. Jent was a state legislator for over a decade, first in the House and then in the Senate. He sat on the Senate Law and Justice Interim Committee and carried a bill that boosted the salaries of Montana Highway Patrol troopers from about $27,000 a year to about $36,000. The bill also increased the number of patrol officer positions. At the time, the bill created the largest infusion of manpower and cash into the Montana Highway Patrol since its inception in 1935. As attorney general, expanding the Montana Highway Patrol would be a major priority, Jent said. "More canine units, more patrol positions," Jent said. And cross-deputized troopers for the Native American reservations in Montana. Helping tribes increase the presence of law enforcement will help all of Montana. "I don't think you can separate the issues of Indian Country, even thought there is a reservation boundary," Jent said. He pointed to the exportation of meth to Montana and the increase in what he sees as meth-related crime. Jent noted the attack on a Crow woman that caused the Crow Legislature to begin discussions on bringing local law enforcement agencies onto the Crow Indian Reservation. "You've got to get some people patrolling down there," Jent said, "because the people there are frightened and the criminals are emboldened." Major crime trends concern him. He voted for the Montana law that limited the sale of pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient in the cooking of meth. He also carried the bill creating the crime of aggravated driving under the influence. This helped to get those people committing "alcohol-driven crime" into intensive treatment for longer, helping them to kick their alcohol addiction before they became seventh- or eighth-time DUI offenders, he said. Targeting addiction is paramount to preventing crime, Jent said. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the University of Colorado Law School, a practicing attorney in Bozeman and a former active- duty U.S. Army infantry officer and paratrooper, Jent said he has the qualifications to manage the Department of Justice as Attorney General. He led troops as a platoon leader, a signal officer and as a commander of a special forces unit, Jent said. "Management and leadership positions are where I've spent my whole career," Jent said. He called himself a "meat-and-potatoes" politician. "The people need a voice," Jent said. "The people need a champion. I think Tim's a good guy, but I have the right priorities." Montanas Supreme Court is being asked to strike a ballot issue that commits Montanans to spending $200 million on medical research. The Montana Taxpayers Association and others say Initiative I-181 is unconstitutional because it commits public money to a private group not under control of the state. Slated for the November ballot, the initiative would commit Montanans to providing $20 million in bonds each year for 10 years for medical research. A research board would determine who received the money. The state would not have a return on investment for any successful research. This method is bad public policy, bonding for programs, said Bob Story of MonTax. If you want to bond to build assets, thats one thing, but if you want to bond for basically a spending program. The group behind the initiative is Montanans for Research and Cures. The money behind the initiative is mostly from McLaughlin Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences. MRI research concerns Alzheimers, Parkinsons and other brain illnesses. The research group has put up half of MRIs roughly $80,000. "I-181 is a bipartisan, constitutional measure written to serve Montanans affected by terrible diseases and disorders, said Randy Gray, MRI treasurer. That's why the voters of Montana, not special interests, will decide the fate of this important measure, which benefits tens of thousands of our seniors, kids and veterans." Bonds are how Montana pays for public infrastructure projects. The concern, say plaintiffs, is that if taxpayers are already committed to paying for research bonds, legislators will be reluctant to add the burden of infrastructure funding on top of it. If the state of Montana wants to invest in medical research it should do it through legislative process so that it can be balanced against the other needs and obligations our state faces, said Al Ekblad, AFL-CIO executive secretary. After two legislative sessions in which lawmakers and Gov. Steve Bullock failed to agree on an infrastructure bill, organizations are desperate for the 2017 Legislature to break the impasse. Labor organizations, construction groups and even teaching groups are trying to come up with a bill that will pass. They say I-181 could siphon enough money from the funding conversation to hurt infrastructure. It isnt often that the Montana Supreme Court strikes an initiative from the ballot. Typically, the court waits to see if voters approve the initiative. The plaintiffs say their case will depend on convincing the Supreme Court that I-181 violates the section of the Montana Constitution that reads, No appropriation shall be made for religious, charitable, industrial, educational, or benevolent purposes to any private individual, private association or private corporation not under the control of the state. The state Constitution also prohibits bond money from being used to benefit private individuals and entities not under the states control. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions An armada of hot air balloons will reward early risers in Billings with some added color in the morning sky. The Big Sky International Rendezvous began Thursday morning but poor weather prevented the balloons from flying farther than a few hundred feet. However, as conditions permit, the balloonists will take off every morning from Amend Park at about 6 a.m. until the event's conclusion Sunday, said Kelli Grantham, president of the Rendezvous Association. Grantham said seven of the 15 balloons at the event are new to Billings. They come from seven states, Canada and as far as Belgium. The Belgian balloon, known as Nelly B, stands out with its pink hue and elephant shape. Its the only oddly shaped balloon this year. Most of the balloons are from out of state, but there are a few Montana-based pilots. Casey Heupel traveled to Billings from his home in West Glacier. This is the first balloon festival hes attended in Montana since earning his private pilots license in 2015. Heupel said his experience didnt start there. He worked as a crew chief on corporate balloons for General Motors in the 1990s. He logged many hours every summer attending balloon festivals, NASCAR races and drag racing events. After a long hiatus from ballooning he decided to fulfill a childhood dream and pilot his own rig. He scoured the internet until he found a lightly used balloon named Back to the Future, a reference to the baskets 1985 build date and the year the classic movie was released. I figured since I graduated in 85 Id keep the same name. All the stars aligned so I guess it was meant to be, Heupel said. Now he flies through the Flathead Valley every chance he gets and ballooning has turned into a family hobby. His 14-year-old daughter, Martina, and 10-year-old son, Logan, spend time in the air and are learning the nuances of balloon travel. Heupel said balloon pilots have control only over the flights elevation. They try to catch drafts and return to the area they took off from or find a safe and open space to land. Most of the time its possible for the chase team following the balloon on the ground to get landowners permission to clear a landing on private land. Most people are pretty excited to see balloons and are pretty happy, especially if they have kids, Heupel said. The Rendezvous also hosts a night for folks who dont wake up early enough to see them in flight or have the balloons land on their property. The collection of balloons will be fully inflated and anchored at Amend Park Saturday night at 8:30. A courier and the ringleader in a meth distribution ring that brought 178 pounds of the drug to the Fishtail area were sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court. Merrill Clark Gardner, 62, was sentenced to 15 years and three months in federal prison for coordinating the import and distribution of as much as 178 pounds of meth. He was sentenced for one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters said that the conspiracy involved the largest amount of the drug shes seen as a federal judge. In a separate hearing, 37-year-old Jason Harold Wacker received a sentence of 24 months in prison, as well as five years of supervised release afterward, for his role as a courier. Wacker, who is from Sheridan, Wyo., had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He told investigators that he transported money to Arizona twice, and he brought new supplies of meth to Montana for distribution. At least seven people tied to the drug ring have been charged in federal court, and more were involved in the operations, according to testimony from Robert Grayson, a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency. Using confidential informants, federal agents obtained a warrant and served it in June 2015. They obtained at least five pounds of meth and $102,000 from Gardners Fishtail house, vehicle and a stash house in Nye. As the investigation continued, agents learned that Gardner contracted with at least three couriers who would drive to Arizona with drug proceeds. The courier would pick up more meth and return to Montana. Wacker was a courier. Gardner provided the pickup for the trip. Wacker's meth addiction brought him into this work, and he was paid in user amounts of meth, said his attorney Murdoch Walker II. Gardner paid a Nye man for use of his home as a stash house, according to Grayson. Additionally, he sold the meth to others who would distribute the drug in other areas of Montana. For this central role in the operation, Watters denied a request by Gardners attorneys to remove a sentencing enhancement that deems a suspect an organizer in a conspiracy. Wacker will be referred to the federal prison in Yankton, S.D., and recommended for substance abuse treatment. He will also be required to undergo treatment while on supervised release. Gardner was referred to a federal prison in Sandstone, Minn., and will also be recommended for substance abuse treatment. He will be subject to five years of supervised release after his prison term. Three other men were indicted alongside Wacker. Kenneth George Kramer, Gene Andrew Tufton and Juan Carlos Dorado are still set for trial in December. A Helena woman, Rinda Lee Morgan, was sentenced in May to four years in prison for her role in the conspiracy. She took meth from Gardner in Fishtail and distributed it to others in the Helena area. An Absarokee man, Brett Wade Clouse, pleaded guilty in June to charges that he was one of the couriers in Gardners organization. Jessica Lautz, a leading expert and national voice on todays housing landscape, will addresses the latest housing market trends and research at the annual Economic Update Luncheon on Aug. 10, coordinated by the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors and the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga.As the National Association of Realtors managing director of Survey Research and Communications, Ms. Lautz keeps a finger on the pulse of the housing market and has been featured in the Bloomberg News, Fortune, Fox Business, New York Times, TIME, U.S. News and World Report, among others. She conducts annual studies on demographic trends for both Realtors and housing consumers research that has revealed a consistent finding: the desire to own a home isnt going anywhere.The Economic Update Luncheon offers a unique opportunity for the community to plug directly into the latest news and happenings in the housing market and help maximize their homeownership experiences, said Nathan Walldorf, GCAR president.Knowing current trends and where you stand amongst them plays a significant role in making informed decisions about home repairs and remodeling, the pricing and marketing of your home and more.Ms. Lautz will be addressing at the Aug. 10 luncheon a number of questions at the forefront of current and prospective homeowners minds, such as the value of renovations, the hurdles to homeownership and housing preferences among varying demographics. She will also give insight into the profile of the modern homebuyer and what they are looking for in a home.This years luncheon is open to the public and will be held at The Chattanoogan Hotel from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Reservations must be made no later than Friday, Aug. 5. Members of GCAR or HBAGC may purchase tickets for $20, while tickets for non-members will be sold for $25. Interested attendees may register by calling 423-698-8001. U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) announced a 31 county tour across Tennessee. During the month of August, Senator Corker will travel across the Volunteer State to hear from Tennesseans and share his perspective on how to address some of the major challenges facing our nation. One of the most enjoyable and valuable parts of my job is spending time with the people who have given me the great privilege of serving them in the United States Senate, said Senator Corker. I am excited to travel across our state over the next four weeks and look forward to hearing from Tennesseans about the issues they care about most. A list of the counties Corker will visit is below. Detailed information for media planning purposes will be released in advance of each event. Week of August 1-5: Campbell County Carter County Claiborne County Cocke County Hamblen County Hancock County Hawkins County Johnson County Unicoi County Week of August 8-12: Bedford County Clay County Fentress County Giles County Grundy County Jackson County Lincoln County Moore County Overton County Pickett County Williamson County Week of August 15-19: Bledsoe County Cannon County DeKalb County Morgan County Rutherford County Sequatchie County Van Buren County Week of August 22-26: Crockett County Gibson County Hamilton County Hardeman County Solvay has announced the successful conclusion of the LIFE+ GLEE project, a highly focused sustainability program the aim of which was to replace organic solvents with water in the rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) battery manufacturing process. Because cathode materials are usually water-sensitive, well established rechargeable Li-ion battery manufacturing processes involves usage of organic solvents. According to REACH1 and CLP2 regulations, most of these solvents are classified as "substances of very high concern" (SVHC) because of their carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic effects on reproduction properties. The European Union's REACH regulation encourages progressive substitution of these solvents. For the LIFE+ GLEE project, Solvay Specialty Polymers built a pilot plant to develop an innovative cathode protection technology which shields the active material from water contact during manufacturing. This unique technology carries no toxic risks and reduces the manufacturing costs associated with solvent recovery and re-purification processes. The pilot plant, located at Solvay Specialty Polymers R&I center in Bollate, Italy, has been producing the new Li-ion battery materials since the beginning of 2015. Lab-scale tests confirmed the advantages of this new solvent-free, green Li-Ion battery manufacturing process and Solvay Specialty Polymers is now ready for large scale batteries evaluation, stated Francesco Triulzi, Alternative Energy Open Innovation Manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. The LIFE+GLEE Project was partially funded from the LIFE financial instrument of the European Community under the grant agreement LIFE12 ENV IT 000712. With the aid of platinum catalysts, it is possible to efficiently produce hydrogen. However, this metal is rare and expensive. Researchers have discovered an alternative that is just as good, but less costly. The mineral pentlandite is a potential new catalyst for hydrogen production. As described in the journal Nature Communications, it works just as efficient as the platinum electrodes commonly used today. In contrast to platinum, pentlandite is affordable and found frequently on Earth. A team headed by Dr. Ulf-Peter Apfel and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schuhmann of the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum describes the results together with colleagues from the Max-Planck-Institute for Coal Research in Mulheim an der Ruhr and the Technical University of Bratislava. Producing hydrogen without precious metals In addition to platinum, there are numerous other substances that can catalyse the reaction of water to hydrogen and oxygen and do not contain any precious metals. Among such compounds are the so-called metal chalcogenides. Usually, however, these non-metallic materials are distinctly poorer conductors of electrons and are thus inefficient catalysts. Pentlandite consists of iron, nickel, and sulfur. Its structure is similar to the active center of hydrogenases, which are hydrogen-producing enzymes, as found, for example, in green algae. In the current study, the researchers compared the hydrogen production rate of naturally obtained and artificially produced pentlandite with platinum and other non-metallic catalysts. Mineral pentlandite just as good as platinum Artificial pentlandite and platinum prove to be equally good catalysts, with a performance that surpasses that of all the other materials tested. The mineral synthesized in the lab produced hydrogen much more efficiently than the naturally found variant. The reason: Inclusions of magnesium and silicon in natural pentlandite reduce its conductivity. The scientists called the output of artificial pentlandite surprisingly high, and the rate of synthesis also remained stable for a long time. The mineral has another advantage compared to other non-precious-metal materials. It has a greater active surface area to which the reacting substances can dock. In other non-precious-metal materials, this surface has to be created using complex methods by applying the catalyst to an electrode in the form of nanoparticles. For the seventh time in as many years, Trent Ayers will host his "Free Free Free Sale" Saturday at his home at 3436 Barley Circle. All items, as the name indicates, are free for the taking, although donations to Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley are encouraged and appreciated. The sale starts promptly at 8 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Free lemonade will be served. It's not a bad retail record for a Billings boy whos only 11. His mother, Beth Ayers, said Trent, who will be a sixth-grader at Big Sky Elementary School this fall, was chagrined to learn at a young age that shoppers must fork over their own money to bring items home from the store. That led to his decision to hold an annual giveaway targeted at people in need. I have always had a soft spot for homeless people, he wrote in a school assignment. That is why I wanted to help them. With help from Family Promise, neighbors and friends donate to Trents sale. Donated items take up about half the Ayers garage as well as a storage shed. Donors were so generous this year that were going to have to move the sale into the backyard, he said. On Wednesday, Beth Ayers was busy securing enough borrowed tables to help make her sons sale successful once again. He wanted to have a free store when he got older, and people would tell him that business-wise, that doesnt make sense, his mother recalled of Trents earliest giveaway foray. So he decided to start a garage sale to see if that would work out. And it has. His event raised nearly $200 that first year, and the proceeds have gone up each succeeding year. Last year, the Free Free Free Sale raised $504 for Family Promise, which partners with churches to minister to homeless families in Billings. Trent is a pretty amazing kid. Hes got a huge heart, said Lisa Donnot, executive director of Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley. Every year he brings us a Mason jar full of money. I tell him that one day, he could grow up to be the director of Family Promise. Trent said he remembers the dinner seven years ago when he first told his family, I want to help homeless people by doing a garage sale once every year and people wouldnt have to pay. My parents loved the idea, he said, and we started immediately. During those early years, he said, hed walk right up to shoppers and tell them, Hi. My name is Trent. Everything is free. According to Donnot, Family Promise donors deliver items to the Ayers household during the days before the Free Free Free Sale, but the family does all the work. Beth Ayers also credits Trents sister, Cassidy, 17, a huge supporter of his. People still cant believe that its all free, Beth Ayers said. They insist on giving him something for it, so he puts out a jar, and anything that people give him goes to Family Promise. She said she believes Trents passion for the project has come about as hes gotten to know some homeless youth that Family Promise has worked with. Kids cant relate to older adults who are homeless, but to see children and their family homeless that hits home for him, she said. Nobody should live without a place to call home, and items to call their own, Trent said. When we count the money after (the giveaway), it shows how much people like to help the homeless and care for them. I love to see that in people. That is what the free sale is all about. Opternative, the Chicago-based startup offering online eye exams for prescriptions, has formed a partnership with 1-800 Contacts, an earlier industry disruptor. Opternative launched $40 online refractive eye tests last year with no visit to the eye doctor. The tests are available in 36 states, including Illinois, but a few have banned prescriptions from the company's tests amid backlash led by the American Optometric Association. Advertisement 1-800 Contacts recently enlisted Opternative to provide "InstaRx," which screens customers to make sure they're eligible for an online eye exam, then reroutes them to Opternative's site for a test. The prescription can be used at any retailer. The partnership has another benefit: It joins two companies that have battled resistance from the eye-care industry. Advertisement "Working with 1-800 has been and will continue to be very helpful in our efforts to deal with the issues that come up when you disrupt an industry," Opternative co-founder and CEO Aaron Dallek said. "They've definitely had experiences that we're learning from." Kellen Fowler, director of business development with 1-800 Contacts, said the companies began a pilot test in September. He said nearly 5,500 customers used the service over the course of the pilot. "We got really good feedback about both their experience and interest," he said. 1-800 Contacts officially launched InstaRx to its customers in the past few weeks, Fowler said. Dallek said he hopes the partnership is the first of many. "This is important because it's the beginning of the next phase of growth for Opternative," he said. "We believe that making Opternative's technology available to patients through partners like 1-800 is how we're going to bring online eye exams to patients around the country." But major players in the industry remain skeptical. The American Optometric Association and state groups have said they don't believe existing online tests are able to provide patients with accurate prescriptions, and that consumers might substitute online tests for a comprehensive eye exam that can uncover health problems like diabetes. Opternative said it urges customers to get an eye exam every two years, as recommended by the American Optometric Association. The company says that its own studies demonstrate their exams' effectiveness. Advertisement American Optometric Association president Andrea Thau said in an emailed statement that the association is "concerned that offerings such as InstaRx put patient health in danger." Thau said the online tests create potential for yielding inaccurate prescriptions due to what she said are "limitations of the technology" and carry a risk for missing diagnoses of health problems. The American Optometric Association has complained to the Food and Drug Administration about online eye exams in the past. To date, the FDA has not cleared any online eye tests, an Administration spokeswoman said. Dallek said Opternative is "FDA-registered," follows FDA guidelines and will seek approval if it is required for the company to launch new products or services. According to the FDA, anyone can self-list as registered. Dallek said he hopes the buy-in of a large customer like 1-800 Contacts will help the startup prove that it's providing a quality service. "We know that it's just going to take working with companies like 1-800 Contacts and other retailers, as well as other partners, to continue to legitimize Opternative and what we've created," he said. Fowler added that 1-800 Contacts doesn't claim the online test is a replacement for comprehensive eye exam. Advertisement "We believe technology can help to replace some of the human interactions that currently drive up costs," and can improve convenience and affordability for customers, he said. mgraham@tribpub.com Twitter @megancgraham Fledgling financial tech startups face daunting hurdles when trying to make it into the big leagues: Tough regulations and steep costs can be enough to run a startup into the ground before it sees its first dollar. For help, startups turn to FinTech Sandbox, a Boston-based nonprofit that provides data and resources. And now, Peeptrade has become the first Chicago company accepted into the program, which has worked with nearly 50 startups. Advertisement The program gives those companies six months of free access to data feeds, software and APIs from major providers including Chicago-based Morningstar, CME Group and Barchart. That way, a startup can test out different products without having to dole out the often costly subscription fees. The organization also aims to help startups network with other companies, advisers, experts and potential customers. For Peeptrade, founder Juan Mendoza said the costs of trying out providers to find the right fit would have been tough on a startup budget. A FinTech Sandbox survey of its startups found startups typically allotted 40 to 50 percent of monthly burn rate on data costs, but said the costs can range widely depending on the company and data source. Advertisement "We might work with one or two members, but having all this information available wouldn't be possible," Mendoza said. "It would be very restrictive in terms of our budget." Mendoza's company is a platform that lets investors watch the portfolios of traders, allowing investors to give access to their portfolio for a fee. The four-employee company, based at Merchandise Mart tech hub 1871, launched in Austin in 2014 and moved to Chicago earlier this year. FinTech Sandbox accepts companies based in Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco area and London and that have a strong engineering team that can get to work quickly on implementing the data. The organization partnered with Chicago-based FinTEx Chicago this year to recruit local companies into the program. World Business Chicago's tech council ChicagoNext is also working on a hub for fin-tech companies, akin to 1871 for tech or Matter for health-related startups. That project is ongoing. "Having free access makes it a lot more reasonable for startups to utilize the data in a meaningful way, because they have the opportunity to switch around between (data providers)," said Tatiana Urban, a marketing and community relations specialist at FinTech Sandbox. And what's in it for the big players? Morningstar Global Head of Alliances and Redistributor Solutions Joanna McGinley said the partnership has brought on startups as clients and lets the financial giant get its data in the hands of more investors through startups. "Innovation in fin-tech can lead to better tools for investors," McGinley said. Advertisement Chicago-based financial data and technology provider Barchart has also worked with startups through the program. CEO Mark Haraburda said providing data is a low-cost way for Barchart to help out startups and woo future clients. "There are a lot of people out there with good ideas and often not a lot of money. They really need this to get going and build their prototypes and build the concepts," he said. "The cost to us is minimal. For us, it's good exposure to these newcomers." mgraham@tribpub.com Twitter @megancgraham SABMiller's board unanimously recommends AB InBev's new $104 billion acquisition offer, making it the largest merger in the history of the beer industry. (tronc video - Chicago Tribune) SABMiller's board unanimously recommended Anheuser-Busch InBev's improved $104 billion takeover offer, paving the way for the biggest acquisition in the history of the beer industry and capping a tumultuous week in which the Budweiser maker bowed to pressure to sweeten its offer. The board of London-based SABMiller proposed that its two biggest shareholders, Altria Group Inc. and Bevco Ltd., be treated as a separate class of stockholders and allow other SABMiller investors to vote on the new offer separately, the company said in a statement. AB InBev said it welcomed the recommendation, in a separate statement. Advertisement SABMiller's board faced the choice of backing a bid that Chairman Jan du Plessis said was at the "lower end" of what he deemed acceptable, or risk letting the industry-transforming combination fall apart. AB InBev gave in to some investors when it raised its bid once more this week to factor in the pound's plunge in the wake of the U.K.'s Brexit vote that put minority and institutional shareholders at a disadvantage. "The board's decision was difficult," du Plessis said in the statement. "Various factors have affected the value of the offer, most importantly the impact of the Brexit vote on the value of sterling and the re-rating of comparable companies. This has made the Board's decision more challenging." Advertisement SABMiller shares rose 2.1 percent Friday in London, while AB InBev rose 4.6 percent in Brussels. "I think this is a further step towards successful completion, but by splitting the shareholders into two groups, it makes it somewhat more difficult to gain the necessary level of acceptances," Andrew Holland, an analyst at Societe Generale, said by phone. "You need a higher percentage of SABMiller shareholders to get it done than if the shareholders hadn't been split into two groups." AB InBev's latest cash offer was 45 pounds a share, 1 pound more than the prior proposal. It also increased the cash in a cash-and-stock alternative designed for Altria and Bevco, the value of which rose to more than 51 pounds a share after the pound's plunge. The deal was tested after SABMiller suspended integration of the two brewers following resistance from shareholders who said they hadn't been compensated enough for sterling's fall. But major SABMiller shareholders then signaled they favored AB InBev's sweetened bid, which received a further boost Friday by getting regulatory clearance from China, the last major antitrust hurdle after it was approved in the U.S. and South Africa in recent weeks. Part of the approval process includes a complex set of divestments around the globe. Molson Coors is set to acquire SABMiller's stake in the MillerCoors brewing venture, while Japan's Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. has agreed to buy the Peroni and Grolsch brands in Europe. The deal to merge SABMiller and AB InBev, termed "Megabrew" by analysts, would create a behemoth controlling about half of the industry's profits. The combined company will have the No. 1 or No. 2 positions in almost all of the world's biggest beer markets, and provide AB InBev its first toehold in Africa, where about 65 million people are due to reach the legal drinking age by 2023. Associated Press Abbott Laboratories Chief Executive Officer Miles White, in the midst of buying two medical technology rivals, told investors last week he thought the company's stock price would only be going up. Now he's using his own cash to back the assertion. White added 1.28 million shares to the 1.46 million he already owned, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The $45.5 million purchase will make him one of the company's top 100 shareholders, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. To make the purchase, White exercised options of 550,000 shares at a price of $25.25 at a total cost $13.9 million, and bought an additional 731,500 shares at a total cost of $31.6 million, according to the filings. White, who's been with Abbott for more than three decades and has served as CEO since 1999, said last week that he knew investors were unnerved as the company moves forward with buying medical device maker St. Jude Medical Inc. and waits for more information about a contentious Alere Inc. acquisition. Abbott, based in Abbott Park, Illinois, has said it may issue more equity to help pay for the deals, a move investors frown upon because it would dilute their ownership. The company also continues to hold shares of Mylan Plc gained by selling part of its generic drugs business. With shares trading near $42, White said it was a great time to buy. "I don't think investors are ever going to see another point to buy in at this level," White said on a July 20 conference call, after the company reported earnings that beat analysts' estimates. This week's question: "I'm starting my first job after college, and everyone says I should start saving for retirement already. Should I? How do I do it?" One day you will be old, and you will need money. That's hard to absorb when you're young and healthy and rightly concerned with curating a compelling Snapchat story. It's also a drag to lock up your money in a retirement account when you're just getting used to having more than $10 in the bank. But now that you have a job and you're figuring out what to do with your paycheck, saving for retirement is possible, and spoiler alert critical. A simple life expectancy calculator told me I will probably live to 86. My Italian grandmother is healthier than I am, and she's 93. We've all got to plan for life after we stop working, even if it's hard to tell exactly how long we'll be around. In your early 20s, you can save a little money now to have a lot of it later. Here's how to be financially secure when you're old, gray, and crossing the globe on luxury cruises in oversized sunglasses. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. YOU'LL GET SOCIAL SECURITY. Don't worry: Social Security will not run dry by the time you retire, though it isn't bringing in enough revenue to pay you 100 percent of what you're supposed to receive in retirement. The most recent Social Security Administration annual trustees' report says that after 2034, retirees will probably receive about three-quarters of the amount they're promised, which is still a nice chunk of money. Changes to Social Security policy could mean a bigger benefit or a smaller benefit later on, but you shouldn't discount it altogether. Like many other variables in the retirement savings game, it's hard to predict how much you'll earn and be able to save on your own. But with Social Security in your back pocket, you won't be on the hook to save every penny yourself. According to the Social Security Administration, the benefit will likely replace about 40 percent of the average earner's pre-retirement income. Get a gold star in retirement preparedness and use a calculator to see a rough estimate of your monthly Social Security benefit. GO FULL STEAM AHEAD ON YOUR 401(K) Even though Social Security will be there, it won't cover all of your expenses in retirement. Contribute to a 401(k) at work, if one is available to you, to help make up the difference. Thanks to the beauty of compound interest, you can save $100 a month in a retirement account starting at 22 and end up richer by 65 than if you started saving $200 a month at 32. There's often an extra incentive to sign up: Almost three-fourths of employers match at least a portion of workers' contributions to their 401(k)s, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. It's also increasingly likely your company will do the enrollment work for you, Jean Young, senior research analyst at the Vanguard Center for Retirement Research, told me. Two-thirds of millennials in retirement plans joined because their employers enrolled them automatically when they started, she wrote in a 2015 Vanguard report. You don't even have to pick your investments. You can choose a target-date fund based on the year you plan to retire, which will reduce the risk in your investments as you age. If you cash out before you retire, though, you'll pay major fees and lose out on years of growth. "Unless it is truly your undying passion from birth, don't take that money out of your 401(k) to buy a boat," says Timothy LaPean, a financial planner in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NO 401(K)? FLY SOLO WITH AN IRA A 401(k) is great if you've got one, but less than half of full-time employees ages 18 to 29 have the option to contribute to workplace retirement accounts, according to the Pew Research Center. If your company doesn't offer a 401(k), or you work part-time or freelance, you're on your own but you're not without options. Young folks like you often opt for a Roth IRA, a retirement account you can set up online or through an investment broker or an automated financial adviser (often called a robo-adviser). As long as you earn taxable income that's less than $132,000 annually as a single person, you can put away up to $5,500 a year and watch it grow the longer you let it sit there. Because a Roth IRA is a long-term savings account, not a Caribbean vacation fund, you'll be rewarded for waiting it out with the ability to withdraw your money tax-free after age 59. That makes a Roth different from a traditional 401(k): You contribute to a 401(k) before taxes are taken out of your paycheck, so you'll be taxed once you start using that money in retirement. Set up a monthly automatic transfer from your checking account to your IRA, or sign up for your 401(k) the minute Human Resources hands you that stack of forms to fill out. Then you can gleefully check off one more item on the Adult Responsibility List. Associated Press Bucktown and Wicker Park are two of Chicagos trendiest neighborhoods, filled with people flocking to independent boutiques, national retail chains and vibrant dining and nightlife options. But their popularity also has led to an uptick in crime, an alderman says. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Bucktown and Wicker Park are two of Chicago's trendiest neighborhoods, filled with people flocking to independent boutiques, national retail chains and vibrant dining and nightlife options. But their popularity also has led to an uptick in crime, an alderman says, and put the communities at the center of a debate over whether private security officers should help patrol busy streets, using funds typically reserved for purchases like bike racks and sidewalk planters. Advertisement Two aldermen, Brian Hopkins, 2nd, and Joe Moreno, 1st, want to hire firms, staffed mostly by off-duty and retired police officers who have arrest powers and sometimes carry guns, using $100,000 from a special $1.2 million budget that comes from property taxes and is managed by business people in the neighborhoods. Hopkins' rationale: Extra patrols are needed because of a 16 percent rise in crime on the neighborhoods' major thoroughfares in a 14-month period, although that's down slightly from the same period two years ago, according to a study by his office. Advertisement "My phone is ringing off the hook," he told more than 70 people attending a recent public meeting. "They want me to do something about security." Chicago has 53 business districts that are designated as "special service areas," where a tax levy on commercial and residential property in those districts helps pay for items above and beyond what the city provides. Wicker Park-Bucktown's special service area has been tapped to hire artists to paint colorful wall murals, get rid of graffiti, help business owners redo their facades and install bike racks. If the service area were used to hire security officers, it would join seven other districts that already do so. However, some businesses contributing to and controlling the district's purse strings balk at Hopkins' proposal. They reason that hiring private security would lessen the incentive for the city to put its own police manpower there. They also argue the money is meant for enhanced not essential services, like arts events and landscaping. Some also say crime can be curbed by better urban planning, not just policing, because well-managed public spaces can be safer. Liability is also a concern, as well as the question of the fairness of many neighborhood businesses paying for problems caused by a relative few. Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, whose ward also includes Bucktown and Wicker Park, opposes using the money for private security. "We need to address some of the root causes of crime, including late-night businesses that could do their job to assist in providing a safe environment," Waguespack said in a letter sent to the service area. Tim Gillengerten, founder of Transit Tees on North Milwaukee Avenue, just doesn't see the neighborhood the way Hopkins does. He hadn't even thought of crime being a more serious problem for the area until Hopkins raised the issue. The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce said serious crimes last year were down 4 percent compared with 2014 and down 12 percent compared with 2013. Advertisement "It's a frivolous use of funds," Gillengerten said. "'What are you going to do? Build a wall around the neighborhood?'" he recalls a friend saying. "I can't imagine up to four extra guards catching the random behavior that is causing the alderman's concern," Gillengerten said. "The current police force is adept at serving the business district." Gillengerten lives five minutes from his Wicker Park store, and when the alarm sounds for whatever reason, the police beat him there, he said. He's tight-knit with neighboring businesses and they alert each other to shoplifters. The business district's funds were "never intended for security," Gillengerten said. "I'd like to see it being used in more practical ways," such as keeping sidewalks clean, installing more bicycle racks, and adding benches and trees to make walking around more comfortable so people spend more time in stores. Hopkins' response to those arguments is pointed: "Neighborhood safety should be a higher priority than bike racks," he said. His proposal does have backers, including some residents who, while their property taxes might not go into the district's $1.2 million pot, want to see extra security when they're out and about. At the community meeting, area resident Joanna Novak, spoke in favor of the idea but also said bars that remain open until the wee hours are part of the problem. "The 4 a.m. bars have got to go," she told the crowd. Advertisement Later, Novak said that policing the area is "the city's responsibility," but because law enforcement isn't always responsive, private security should be hired. "If criminals think that the cops aren't going to show up, and I'm walking down the street pushing a stroller, they know I'm not going to fight them," she said. Concerns about crime could prompt her to shop more on Southport Avenue in Wrigleyville. "Southport has everything that Wicker Park does," Novak said. On July 20, the Bucktown and Wicker Park service area, which like others is run by commissioners appointed by the mayor, revised its proposed 2017 budget to include $20,000 for safety initiatives, including possibly cameras. The area must get the support of the aldermen whose wards include part of Wicker Park and Bucktown for the proposed budget to be approved by City Council. The service area said it already had allocated its 2017 budget when Hopkins proposed to spend $100,000 on private security. "We look forward to working with Alderman Hopkins on next steps and believe this new safety allocation indicates our willingness to collaborate," Brent Norsman, an architect who is chair of the service area said in a news release. "While the late presentation of this security patrol proposal made it impossible for us to thoroughly vet this option before our budget deadline, we are open to creating safety programs that are a responsible use of taxpayers' money." But $20,000 toward a crime prevention program won't cut it, a Hopkins spokesman said Wednesday. Advertisement "Alderman Hopkins will not support the proposed $20,000 amendment, as he feels this is a weak attempt to solve serious issues for the community," spokesman Christian Ficara said. David Ginople, owner of Store B Vintage and secretary of the service area, opposes using the district's money for private security. The district "is already expending more than half of its budget supplementing city services," such as trash, graffiti and snow removal, he said. "Security should be the responsibility of government and not the taxpayer in this instance, and ... funds allocated to supplement city services should not take the place of city services." A few miles away, the city's Lakeview East special service area has had private security officers on patrol for about three years, and it's made visitors and businesses feel safer and helped direct, say, homeless people to where they can get help, said Maureen Martino, executive director of the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce. The service area "funds that we use for security teams should not be a solution for the shortfall" of not having on-duty police officers when so much is paid in taxes, she said. But when there are shootings and gang activities in higher-crime areas, then those police officers might leave parts of Lakeview unattended, and that's where the private security force helps to fill a need, she said. "Obviously, we'd rather have the Police Department" patrolling Lakeview East, she said. But "we have to do something as business leaders to keep our commercial district safe and to help our merchants so they feel safe." Some of the security officers carry guns. She said there haven't been any liability problems, and, if there were, the security firms are required to be well-insured, she said. Advertisement For years, the service area resisted using money for private security. Martino believes that funding for policing should come from all property tax funds, not just from the service area. "First and foremost, I still would like to see police officers on duty assigned to neighborhood community watches," she said. Private security is "not a long-term solution, but it's what we step up and do while we're hoping for more officers." Foot patrols still are assigned by the police to Lakeview but she wishes they were a more consistent presence. "Quite often they are called away to other areas," she said. "How much longer can you wait without doing something?" byerak@chicagotribune.com Twitter @beckyyerak Chicago-Kent College of Law professor William Birdthistle is photographed July 20, 2016, at the College of Law library in Chicago. In his book, Empire of the Fund: The Way We Save Now, Birdthistle is critical of mutual fund fees and what he sees as lax government regulation. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) Americans feel insecure. One reason is that their 401(k)s look too empty. As people peer into the contents, they see a retirement disaster coming. Even after years of working and saving, people just 10 years away from retirement age have accumulated little. Advertisement Half of all Americans with incomes up to $91,000 and 401(k)s have reached age 55 to 64 with $100,000 or less saved for retirement, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. While this fragility has barely gained a peep from politicians in this presidential election year, think tanks and college professors have been seeking solutions. Some have called 401(k)s a failed system. Some long for a return of old-style pensions even though some companies and states such as Illinois have made a mess of them. Advertisement Now, William Birdthistle, a Chicago-Kent College of Law professor, has joined the 401(k) critics. In his new book, "Empire of the Fund: The Way We Save Now," he describes how mutual funds let people down and how the government fails to police them. He talks about what he saw when working as an attorney for mutual funds before teaching law. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: Why do you think the 401(k) system is failing many people? A: Mutual funds are a good tool, but they are like a power tool or a car. You wouldn't give a person a car and not give them any driver's education, seat belts or air bags. Over the last 30 years we've wanted everyone to be an investor, to be in charge of their own 401(k). And we do practically nothing to give them any training. It's a fundamentally unfair bargain. Q: A lot of people who are critical of 401(k)s are demanding that government bring back guaranteed pensions. A: I can understand why, but pensions just don't work. Every time we use them there are problems because of longevity. People have a way of living a long time. The people who are supposed to fund the pensions fail to set aside the money needed to fulfill the obligations, and they fail to disclose. Q: And the problem with 401(k)s? A: The problem is, we each have our own 401(k) bucket, and we have to make sure it's as full as possible when we retire. And a lot of initiatives go into pouring more water in the bucket, but the leaks are ignored. Q: A popular solution comes from University of Chicago professor Richard Thaler, author of "Nudge." He says: Don't wait for people to take care of themselves. Instead, employers should pull money automatically out of each person's paycheck and stick it into their 401(k) account. A: It's a little cheeky to tell people: "We give you this new bucket system. You have no training for it, but the bucket doesn't have much in it, so pour more into it." Too much of their money leaks out. We have to stop the leaking. Advertisement Q: By leaks, you mean the mutual fund fees that people pay without knowing it the fees that drain their money away the moment they put anything from their paycheck into the 401(k) or IRA. A: Yes. If you have a house that's leaking air conditioning, the solution isn't to turn the air conditioning up higher without shutting the windows. It's just foolish to keep pouring money into a system with a lot of leaks. Q: Many people don't realize that they always pay fees for their funds in 401(k)s, IRAs and 529 plans. But when I tell them to beware they say consumers pay for everything: sweaters, phones, computers; so why not pay for mutual funds? A: Of course, you should pay for that service, but studies have demonstrated that the more you pay a mutual fund in fees the worse its performance. The more you pay, the more you are handicapping your funds. Q: You argue that funds take advantage of individuals knowing full well that people with 401(k)s are unsophisticated. A: When you are sold a mutual fund, the fund management knows exactly how sophisticated you are because you tell them when you buy for a 401(k). If you buy $100,000, you are sophisticated and you will get institutional shares, which will be a better bargain. If you show up with $135 dribbling in from your 401(k), they know you are not sophisticated. So you have no bargaining clout. Simply because people operate as individuals they are handicapped. Advertisement Q: You also draw a distinction between a customer buying products like phones and mutual fund investments. A: When you buy a phone, you pay the money and get the phone. But with funds, it's very different. You give the fund $10,000, they keep $100, and then you wait to see if they will make your $9,900 bigger. And some of your fees go toward advertising so the fund can attract more customers. Q: You emphasize that people must pay attention to fees because small numbers are deceptive. I find people are surprised when I say that if they invest $10,000 and pay half of a percent in fees and earn 10 percent on the investment they will have about $61,160 after 20 years, but if they pay 2 percent they will only have about $49,160. A: One solution is for the federal government to open the Thrift Savings Plan to any American who wants to join. You could get your investments at a 20th of the price you would pay for the average equity mutual fund. So the compounding factor over long-time horizons is just enormous. Q: What do you think of states offering IRA savings plans at work plans like Illinois' Secure Choice Plan? A: It is not a good idea for California, Oregon, Illinois and many states to each spend money and charge for their own plans. We already have a really good working model at the federal level. If we opened up the federal plan to everyone it would be great for the buyers, but not the mutual fund industry. Advertisement Q: What about the fiduciary standard? Will that help make sure that people aren't sold expensive mutual funds when cheaper ones are better? A: It won't solve everything. Instead, I think the solution is for the SEC to pick the worst mutual funds, to line up 8,000 and find those with the worst fees, and sue them. This would be the difference between knowing there's a speed limit and knowing there's a cop out there to pull you over when charging outrageous fees. Now we have sheriffs, and they are meek. Q: The U.S. Department of Labor has blessed target-date funds as a solution to 401(k) complexity. Are they a solution? A: Target date funds have a halo around them because they were blessed by the government. But you still have to worry about the fees. On average they charge 0.74 percent, but Vanguard charges only 0.15 percent. What scares me is people think all they have to do is pick the target-date fund with the right year in it and they will be safe. And I say, "no," you must pay attention to fees or they are going to be ravaging your account forever. gmarksjarvis@chicagotribune.com Twitter @gailmarksjarvis SABMiller has hit the pause button on the beer-industry merger known as "Megabrew," its $104 billion deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev. Blame Brexit. Following the U.K.'s vote to leave the EU, some shareholders of London-based SABMiller, the takeover target, objected that they hadn't been compensated enough for the pound's recent plunge. Belgium's AB InBev, which financed the acquisition with the largest corporate bond offering in history, responded by sweetening its offer. SABMiller Chief Executive Officer Alan Clark then sent an internal memo ordering "no contact with AB InBev" while the board reviews the latest bid. 1. What's Megabrew? The deal struck last November would combine the world's biggest brewers into a company controlling about half the industry's profit and holding the No. 1 or 2 position in most of the world's biggest beer markets. AB InBev makes Budweiser, Stella Artois and Beck's; SABMiller's brands (for now) include Peroni and Grolsch. The deal has withstood regulatory reviews, and the two companies were in the process of integrating their operations. 2. What's the problem? In a word, Brexit. The pound plummeted after British voters elected to leave the European Union in a June 23 referendum, forcing recalculations of global deals. SAB investors who were likely to take an all-cash payment -- including Aberdeen Asset Management -- will be hurt by the pound's fall. By contrast, SAB's two biggest stakeholders, Altria Group Inc. and Bevco Ltd., were granted a tax-friendly cash-and-stock option that's only gotten better after the Brexit vote. 3. Could the deal fall apart? Advisers continue to work on the transaction, and SABMiller's board hasn't decided to walk away from the deal as it reviews the improved offer from AB InBev, people familiar with the matter said. If it does fall apart, it's by far the biggest corporate casualty so far of the Brexit vote. 4. What's at stake for AB InBev and SABMiller? If the deal doesn't close, ABI would need to book a loss of about $9.6 billion based on the fall of the pound. If SABMiller walks away, it loses a break-up fee of $3 billion. SABMiller's shares could also fall below 40 pounds if the deal's off, analysts say, from about 43 pounds Thursday. 5. How are markets reacting? SABMiller shares fell the most in almost 10 months Thursday. Molson Coors, which is buying assets from the brewers as part of the deal, fell 5.1 percent Wednesday. Debt sold by AB InBev to fund the takeover tumbled, sparking concerns the company could redeem more than $35 billion of the $60 billion in securities sold at a discount to where they have been trading. 6. What other deals has Brexit complicated? Indian steel company Tata temporarily halted the sale of its U.K. assets after many of the shortlisted bidders pulled out, people with knowledge of the matter said. Telefonica, the Spanish telecom, has delayed the planned initial public offering of its Telxius infrastructure unit and the possible IPO of its U.K. wireless unit O2 because of Brexit-related market volatility. 7. What's next? SABMiller, which recently added Centerview Partners to its cadre of deal advisers, said Tuesday it would consult with shareholders and meet "in due course" to review AB InBev's higher offer. There's also one final regulatory hurdle ahead, in China. Analysts expect the deal to gain clearance there any day. Magnificent Mile Association President John Chikow gets frustrated when people point to a handful of high-fashion brands moving off Michigan Avenue to nearby Gold Coast streets questioning whether Chicago's famous shopping strip is losing its luxury luster. "Our strength has always been variety," he said. "We've got a little something for everybody." Advertisement Real estate watchers tend to agree, saying there are plenty of brands interested in the exposure Michigan Avenue provides at a relative discount to other big-city high streets. But with rents hitting an all-time high at a time when traditional retailers are looking to shrink footprints and figure out how to mix online and brick-and-mortar sales, the companies filling Michigan Avenue's open storefronts will likely look a little different than those they replace. The Apple Store's relocation to a can't-miss 20,000-square-foot flagship along the Chicago River, currently under construction, is likely to have a large impact on the Mag Mile's future. But it isn't likely to pull any of the luxury tenants clustered to the north end of Michigan Avenue to the south, said Peter Caruso, vice president at real estate firm JLL. Advertisement Apple's existing location will need a new tenant too, adding to the nearly 197,000 square feet of real estate about 6 percent of all retail space along Michigan Avenue sitting vacant. Garmin also will be leaving its high-profile flagship in November. On the north end, Gucci upgraded and expanded its building, and Louis Vuitton is planning its own expansion across the street, near Oak, Walton and Rush streets, which have pulled boutiques like Armani, St. John and Swiss FineTiming off Michigan Avenue, said Todd Siegel, first vice president with real estate firm CBRE. While true high-fashion brands likely will cluster nearby, "Apple gives a lot of other users a reason to look at something not as far north," Caruso said. Across all 3.25 million square feet of Michigan Avenue retail space, the average asking rent hit $162.41 in 2016, up 25 percent from the previous high in 2013, according to a recent report from CBRE tracking retail space on North Michigan between the Chicago River and Oak, about a third of which is located in the street's five department stores. But that's the streetwide average rents in small ground-floor boutiques have topped $600 per square foot, Siegel said. Tourists and shoppers walk by a closed store at 700 N. Michigan Ave., Friday July 29, 2016. With rents at record highs, the famous shopping strip is undergoing change. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) The rise of online shopping means most traditional retailers don't need as much store space, but Michigan Avenue has relatively few spaces under 5,000 square feet, and they tend to get snapped up quickly, Caruso said like the former H20 Plus store at 600 N. Michigan that jeweler Na Hoku is taking over. Most of the available space comes from a few large empty storefronts, such as the roughly 40,000-square-foot former Saks Fifth Avenue men's store at 717 N. Michigan. "There are a lot of big spaces coming available, and not that many big players on the market. Landlords are going to have to be a little creative to figure out how to use that space," Caruso said. That means they might also take longer to fill, though not for lack of interest from potential tenants, he said. Advertisement "Experiential" stores like the high-tech AT&T and Verizon flagships are promising candidates, in part because they stock less inventory and are cheaper to operate, making those high rents more feasible, Caruso said. T-Mobile is "going gangbusters" trying to get their own version ready by the fall, in AllSaints' former 700 N. Michigan location, Chikow said. "The fact that T-Mobile is following is a sign those companies see value in exposing their brands to a Michigan Avenue consumer," Siegel said. T-Mobile declined to comment on plans for the store. Stan Nitzberg, principal of Mid-America Real Estate Corp., said off-price chains a rare retail bright spot actively seeking new stores are also good candidates, but would likely only be able to afford upper-floor space. Recently, larger spaces have been going to established U.S. brands aiming to boost their visibility, Siegel said. Sephora, which has said it plans to open at 605 N. Michigan in late August, was already in two Michigan Avenue malls but lacked a stand-alone street-facing store. But both Siegel and Caruso said they could see some of the larger flagships coming on the market going to new retailers or international brands entering the U.S. market. Advertisement Japanese fast fashion chain Uniqlo, which opened at 830 N. Michigan last fall, opened 40 U.S. stores on the East and West coasts before turning to the Midwest. When it did, it built a flagship its second-largest location at 830 N. Michigan. "Whether it's some of the smaller omnichannel brands or some of the larger big-box players, I think that the timing will be right, by the time some of these larger opportunities come on the market, that we could see some make their way to Chicago," Siegel said. Pricey as Michigan Avenue rents are, they're a lower-risk option for new brands trying to introduce themselves to customers with a major flagship. That's what brought Garmin to Chicago 10 years ago, said spokesman Ted Gartner, who confirmed Garmin plans to close by late November. At the time, Garmin was a relatively little-known maker of GPS systems that hoped to boost its profile with customers around the world by putting its name on a can't-miss Michigan Avenue building. "To that end, it was a great success," Gartner said. "But it's time to move on." lzumbach@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @laurenzumbach The MillerCoors brewery is seen in Milwaukee in 2014. Chicago-based MillerCoors is taking a majority stake in Hop Valley Brewing Co., based in Eugene, Ore. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) MillerCoors continues to make moves in craft beer, announcing Friday it reached an agreement to take a majority stake in the Eugene, Ore.-based Hop Valley Brewing Co. This comes just about a week after Chicago-based MillerCoors said it was taking a majority interest in Athens, Ga.-based Terrapin Beer Co. another craft brewery with a reputation for India pale ales, or IPAs. Hop Valley is known for beers such as Alphadelic, Citrus Mistress and Alpha Centauri, according to the MillerCoors news release Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Advertisement Hop Valley will join Tenth and Blake Beer Co., MillerCoors' craft and imports division, and will continue to operate independently under the same management team, the release said. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter. As craft beer sales continue to grow, albeit a slower pace, large beer companies like MillerCoors increasingly have worked to acquire craft breweries. IPAs, in particular, continue to lead the craft beer movement. Advertisement "We're thrilled to join forces with the Hop Valley team, to add an incredible roster of brands that complement our portfolio perfectly," said Scott Whitley, president and CEO of Tenth and Blake, in the news release. Hop Valley opened its first brewpub in Springfield, Ore., in 2009. It also has a 30,000-square-foot brewery and taproom in Eugene and distributes in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Vermont, the news release said. Greg Gianfortes approach to stream access is the ideal balance between public access and property rights, which is where most Montanans position themselves. Yes, it is correct that in 2009 Gianforte filed to quiet title against the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks due to a factual and legal discrepancy of where the public access should be on Gianfortes property. This type of suit is a common tool for landowners to use in order to allow the courts to sort out these types of factual and legal issues. Instead of serving the suit, Gianfortes attorney sent FWP letters and emails. FWP corrected their mistake, moved the access point, provided fencing and worked with Gianforte to allow public access and protection of private property rights. Instead of being against public access, as the Democrats are alleging in ads, and as proclaimed by Gov. Steve Bullock, Gianforte actually worked to provide the public with better access while protecting his property rights. This the real Montanan position. It is Bullock who is out of touch with Montanans. In 2012, Bullock used his position as attorney general to bully a rancher in White Sulphur Springs to provide public access over his private property where public access does not exist. This issue is still being litigated. It is Bullock who has sided with out-of-state interests and money to work against rural Montanans who are part of Montanans agricultural tradition. Agriculture is still the No. 1 contributor to the economy in Montana. I wrote in an op-ed published in 2012 in the Great Falls Tribune in which I said, Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock is misusing his office, being a bully and not speaking accurately regarding his plans to engender better landowner relationships with the public for access to hunting and fishing while suing a family ranch for dubious public access. If Bullock really cared about Montanans and their constitutional rights, he would have attempted to use his position to negotiate a deal between the Forest Service and Zehntner, instead of using his office to file a questionable lawsuit to gain press for his political campaign. Many farmers and ranchers in Montana allow fishing access on their private property like Gianforte because they value their neighbors. Unfortunately, it is the out-of-state money and extremists who are wrecking the traditional relationship and trust between Montana landowners and those who seek access across private property to pursue their recreational activities. The recent ad run by the Democrat Governors Association is really an attack on Montana values cleverly disguised as a fishing story. Even though Bullock may have been born in Montana, he is the candidate that is out-of-touch with Montana values relating to public access and private property rights. The record on this issue is clear: Gianforte best reflects Montana values relating to public access and property rights. It is Bullock who does not understand private property rights or how to develop a good relationship between landowners and those who desire access. NASA's next cargo delivery vehicle - a spunky little space plane that looks like it could be an offspring of the space shuttle - is getting ready to fly. The svelte and snub nosed Dream Chaser will soon be shipped to the Mojave desert in California where it would begin a series of ground tests that would eventually culminate with a flight from an altitude of 2.5 miles high. Advertisement To get to this point, however, has been a long road for its manufacturer, the Sierra Nevada Corp. The company had originally pursued a NASA contract to fly astronauts to the International Space Station. But it lost out to SpaceX and Boeing, and so it then turned its attention to another contract - one to fly cargo and supplies to the station. The bid was something of a longshot, especially since the incumbents were well liked and had proven vehicles. But Sierra Nevada last year won a slice of the contract, along with incumbents orbital ATK and SpaceX, and could begin flying by late 2019. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 47 On March 1, 1919, Bill Boeing, left, and Eddie Hubbard flew the first international mail flight from Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia, in the Boeing Model C, the companys first production plan. (Boeing) The victory breathed life into the program, and the company has been progressing ever since, said Mark Sirangelo, the heads of Sierra Nevada's space systems division. He said he was especially proud that the Dream Chaser would be tested in the same area where so many other programs got off the ground, from the first test flights of the shuttle to Chuck Yeager's breaking of the sound barrier. "We're picking up that torch and carrying it forward," Sirangelo said. "There's a lot of historical meaning to us, a continuation of the long legacy of America testing advanced airplanes and leading the world in this arena." First, the Dream Chaser will undergo ground testing. But eventually it will be carried aloft by a heavy-lift helicopter, then let go, gliding back down to Earth to practice the landing. A Ruby Tuesday burger features bacon and a pretzel bun. The franchisee who ran 10 Illinois locations of Ruby Tuesday has closed its restaurants, including four locations in Chicago's suburbs. (Chicago Tribune) Tuesday was the last day you could eat at a Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Illinois. All 10 Illinois restaurants franchises of the Maryville, Tenn.-based casual dining chain closed their doors Wednesday, including four suburban Chicago locations. Advertisement RT Midwest Holdings, a Minnesota-based franchisee that previously reorganized through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2012, operated the Ruby Tuesday restaurants in Illinois. "As the franchisor of this concept, we went to great lengths in assisting the franchisee to remain open but he has made the decision to close his restaurants," Ruby Tuesday said in a statement. Advertisement Efforts to reach Guerrino Ruta, president of RT Midwest, were unsuccessful Friday. The closed Chicago-area Ruby Tuesday locations are in Gurnee, Melrose Park, Downers Grove and Skokie. Other Illinois locations included Rockford, Champaign, Effingham, Morton, Decatur and DeKalb. "We appreciate the patronage of the many residents and guests that have dined at the Illinois Ruby Tuesday restaurants over the years along with the dedicated employees of the franchisee and will evaluate opportunities to return to the market in the future," Ruby Tuesday said. Ruby Tuesday was founded in 1972, opening its first restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn. The company went public in 1996 and launched its franchise operation the following year. As of March, there were 729 Ruby Tuesday restaurants in 44 states, 13 foreign countries and Guam. Most of the restaurants are corporate-owned. RT Midwest operated 11 of the company's 28 U.S. franchise locations. It closed its Quincy, Ill., restaurant in March. Ruby Tuesday had nearly 800 locations in 2012 and has been closing restaurants in recent years amid soft sales. In fiscal 2015, same-restaurant sales were down 0.5 percent, an improvement over the previous year, when they fell 5.3 percent. In April, Ruby Tuesday reported a 5.1 percent revenue decline and a $3.1 million net loss for its fiscal 2016 third quarter. The company is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Aug. 11. rchannick@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @RobertChannick Southwest Airlines is resisting calls by some investors to pull back on planned expansion this year and raise fares, moves that could help stem declines in a key industry revenue gauge. The carrier won't join rivals in trimming capacity during the rest of this year, Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly has said. Its unwillingness to take that step, which generally enables airlines to increase prices, is a disappointment to investors like Chris Terry. "I'd like to see them boost their fares but also cut capacity," said Terry, a portfolio manager at Hodges Capital Management Inc. "That's what the market wants. That's what the market is telling everyone. Supply growth is exceeding demand growth, and I don't think that's healthy." The conflict fueled Southwest's biggest drop in seven years on July 21, when the carrier said revenue for each seat flown a mile would fall more than expected in the current quarter. Investors have been clamoring for airlines to rein in capacity growth as a way to turn around declines in that benchmark revenue gauge. "While the trends weren't what we had hoped they would be for the third quarter, they're still quite good comparatively,'' Kelly said in an interview. "As to what we should do about it, we may just have a disagreement there.'' Southwest also didn't tell analysts and investors on a conference call last week how much the Dallas-based carrier would expand in 2017, beyond noting that it would be less than the growth this year of 5 percent to 6 percent. The U.S. economy, a proxy for travel demand, is forecast to expand by about 2.2 percent next year. Rivals American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Continental Holdings said this month they would trim capacity in the second half of the year to help better match demand, a step that generally enables carriers to increase prices. Kelly declined in the interview to comment on whether Southwest would raise fares. Those four U.S. carriers are part of a U.S. Justice Department investigation into price collusion. Southwest has published its operating schedule through early March, and won't drop flights that customers may have already booked, Kelly said. The company already reviewed that option and found that fixed costs associated with each flight meant trimming would increase unit costs and hurt profits, he said. "There was no compelling reason to do that," Kelly said. "What is far more important and a much better use of our time is to look at what we do with the next schedule for the balance of 2017. That's where our focus is." Southwest said on July 21 that unit revenue would fall as much as 4 percent this quarter from a year earlier. That was double what some analysts were expecting and what the airline itself had forecast just a month earlier. The news sent the stock tumbling 11 percent that day, the most since 2009. Shares have fallen 18 percent over the past three months. For more than a year, airline investors have fretted over sagging revenue from each seat flown per mile a key measure of fares and demand. Ticket prices slid after carriers, enjoying low fuel prices and record profits, expanded faster than demand. That led to discounting, even on more expensive tickets purchased just before travel. The need to lower those last-minute fares for July and August caught Southwest by surprise. Its forecast looked particularly glum following the second quarter's 0.6 percent increase in unit revenue. Some analysts and investors like Terry disagree with an emphasis on profits over acting near-term to reverse unit-revenue trends. Southwest won't have technological tools to boost revenue from scheduling flights differently and sources other than fares until next year, when a new reservation system is in place. "Margins are really high, but are they really sustainable when you have fare degradation going on?" Terry said. "If you want a higher multiple, to have earnings valued more, you need to generate those with higher revenue. We're just not there yet." Southwest's 18 percent decline since April 27 is almost double the drop in the Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index. Barry James, chief executive officer of James Investment Research, has been reducing its weighting of airline stocks as a share of equity holdings, although he favored Southwest until the recently. "Southwest has done very, very well for our clients for a long period of time, up until this year," James said. "This kind of surprising news definitely will put a damper on the stock. It's not one we're necessarily looking to add at this juncture." JPMorgan Chase cut its rating on Southwest to neutral from buy Wednesday, saying the carrier is "playing little if any role in trying to solve the industry's domestic revenue challenge." Analyst Jamie Baker also cited pending cost increases, estimating a 55 cent effect on earnings per share and 5 percentage-point boost in costs for each seat flown a mile next year from expected new employee contracts. Argus Research Corp. also dropped the stock to hold from buy, and Credit Suisse pulled Southwest from its U.S. and global focus lists. Not everyone is bearish on Southwest. Evercore ISI recommended July 26 that investors buy the shares, in part because of the company's domestic focus, strong balance sheet and longer-term ability to improve revenue. The new reservation system will produce $200 million in earnings before interest and taxes at the start, growing to at least $500 million a year by 2020, Southwest has said. "We should get more credit for how well the company is performing and has performed," Kelly said. "Results matter, and the strongest answer is that results have been outstanding. We have a quarter coming up that is not meeting our goal. I don't think that means you should throw the baby out with the bathwater. " Dagney Pruner contributed. Glenview natives Adam Klosowiak, left, and brother Ian Klosowiak, right, recently launched a guitar making company called Klos Guitars. They make carbon fiber travel guitars, which they say can take some punishment but still sound great. (Adam Klosowiak / HANDOUT) Two brothers from Glenview, Adam and Ian Klosowiak, may have accomplished something few have dared to try. They have engineered, built and are selling durable carbon fiber travel guitars that may be able to withstand the rigors of rock and roll. "Is it rock and roll proof? I hope so," Adam Klosowiak laughed. "There's only one way to find out. I'd love one of those musicians to try." Advertisement They started their company, Klos Guitars, last year in Utah, where Ian attended university. After his graduation, "it just made sense to start the company here. Ian knew all the local resources and he also had access to a machine shop here," Adam said. But the brothers often come back to Glenview from Provo, Utah, where they now live, to visit their parents and friends, he said. "A constant me and my brother get all the time is 'how did you guys end up doing that?'" Adam said. "We were always oddball, I'd say." Advertisement Their father, Tom Klosowiak, said he supports his sons' foray into the guitar building business, but they have taken on a "big challenge." "We'll see how it will go," he said. "They have a good idea and are working on it." Tom Klosowiak said that he came to America from Poland 35 years ago, adding that his two others sons are in medical school. He also said he has been a bit reluctant to offer Adam and Ian advice. "I have to be careful with advice, because you know young people don't want to hear too much advice," he said. "I am an engineer, so from the engineering point of view, I was giving them advice that the product should be as good as it can be." That advice stuck. Adam said that while the carbon fiber guitars are tough and made to take some punishment, they also produce a sweet melodic sound. And, due to their smaller size, he said the guitars are easier to play than a full-size guitar and are easier to travel with. "The guitar is a very universal because not only is it small and easy to play, but it's also extremely durable so it's good for traveling," Klosowiak said. "Carbon fiber is not indestructible, but it's pretty immune to everyday damage." He said the idea for the guitars originated in 2014 when Ian, now 28, made a carbon fiber guitar for an engineering class project at Brigham Young University in Utah. "He was a bike mechanic in Glenview," Klosowiak said of Ian. "He had a lot of guitar playing experience under his belt, and he also had a lot of experience with carbon fiber from bicycles." Advertisement That year, the brothers, both graduates of Glenbrook South High School, started talking about building a company to manufacture the guitars for sale on the internet. They launched an online fundraising Kickstarter campaign in June 2015 and sold 69 guitars at a discounted price of $499 each. Kickstarter is a New York-based online "public-benefit corporation" which helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the financial resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality, according to the Kickstarter website. People who back Kickstarter projects are offered incentives in exchange for their support. In the Klosowiaks' case, they offered their guitars at a discount to supporters. They recently launched another Kickstarter campaign, and hope to sell as many as 200 guitars at $599 each. "It's going to be a lot of work building those guitars," said Adam, who graduated from Princeton University with an electrical engineering degree last year. "All the funds from the Kickstarter will let us get the business finally to a stable position. Once we deliver all those Kickstarter guitars, we will launch an online store." "The playability is very good," he said of the guitars. "It's light and easy on your fingers. But by no means is it a beginner guitar, because it's a pretty high-quality instrument that would also please an expert guitarist." Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. The wait is finally over: Jollibee, the most popular fast food chain in the Philippines, opened its doors in Skokie today. As far as rabid cult followings go, Jollibee's fandom rivals that of In-N-Out and Shake Shack. With more than 900 stores internationally, the brand's new Skokie location is its 34th in the United States but its first in Illinois and in the Midwest. Advertisement "We expect 7,000 people to show up on opening day," said Jose A. Minana Jr., the North American group president for Jollibee Foods Corp., the brand's parent company, the day before the Skokie opening. "We always try to let police know that we expect large crowds at each opening, but they never believe us. It's a real frenzy." Indeed, during a media preview Thursday, Jollibee groupies rolled up every few minutes at the Touhy Marketplace outpost to inquire when it would be open. Advertisement "I'm learning today that Jollibee is not just a restaurant. It's a tourist destination," said Skokie's mayor, George Van Dusen, at the media event, to laughter and applause from the predominantly Filipino crowd. Palabok Fiesta is Jollibee's fast-food version of pancit palabok, a tangle of rice noodles covered in a savory garlic gravy, minced pork, teeny shrimp, sliced eggs and chicharon. (Joseph Hernandez / Chicago Tribune) Why all the buzz? After expanding into California in the late '90s, the company has strategically grown in markets with robust Filipino and Filipino-American populations. The menu taps into both Filipino and American cuisine, with an emphasis on the former, offering approachable food, with meals as low as $6. It certainly helps that culinary dynamo Anthony Bourdain has sung its praises not just once, but twice, on his hit show "Parts Unknown." If you've never been to Jollibee, you're in for a treat. The menu isn't that extensive, and like any fast food joint, some areas are stronger than others. Here, that means sticking to the Pinoy grub: It's tasty, easy to enjoy and a nice change from your standard fast food fare. The burgers are fine, but you can order that anywhere. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > From the crispy Chickenjoy to the hallowed halo-halo, here are Jollibee's top five dishes. Chickenjoy: Shatteringly crisp, the Chickenjoy the company's name for its fried chicken makes up 50 percent of the chain's sales. Described in cutesy terms like "crispylicious" and "juicylicious" in brand marketing, it is precisely that. The well-spiced batter fractures into a million delicious shards upon biting into the juicy bird, which is treated with a secret marinade. Served with a side of rice (the ubiquitous Filipino side and staple) and a serving of gravy, this is the dish Jollibee has become famous for. $6 for two pieces with a side and drink; buckets start at $10. Palabok Fiesta: Jollibee's rendition of pancit palabok, this is a tangle of angel hair-thin rice noodles covered in a savory, garlicky gravy, minced pork, thumb-sized curls of shrimp, sliced hard-boiled eggs and a dusting of parsley and chicharon. It's a great version of a Filipino classic that you'd never expect from a fast food joint, but here we are. $6 with a drink. Halo-Halo: The quintessential Filipino dessert, this shaved ice treat's name translates to "mix-mix." Sweet beans, fruits and jellies are layered into the bottom of a cup, topped with shaved ice and evaporated milk. Crowning this tasty slurry are scoops of jackfruit and ube (purple yam) ice cream, and a cube of leche flan. Remove the lid, jab your spoon into the heart of the ice and mix with abandon you want every bite to be a riot of flavor. $5. Peach Mango Pie: On the outside, this looks like your standard McDonald's apple pie, but a quick bite into the hot, crispy crust will tell you otherwise. Bright and not too sweet, the molten puree of peaches and Filipino mangos makes for an easy-to-enjoy dessert. $4. Advertisement Spaghetti: Jollibee is perhaps best known for its spaghetti-and-Chickenjoy combo meals. Here, the spaghetti is firetruck-red and sweet, a signature component of this Filipino dish. It's loaded with both beef, pork and, in another unique twist, slices of hot dogs. $7 with one piece Chickenjoy and drink. Try our version of this Filipino favorite >>> jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com Twitter @joeybear85 The Crunch bowl is a collection of varying textures -- crisp cucumber, soft edamame, crackly tobiko (flying fish roe) and extra-crunchy fried tempura onions, topped off with fish. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune) Taylor Hammond gave up being a lawyer, after eight years, for The StopAlong (Pizza and Stuff), a new place opening just off The 606 walking/biking trail. The 40-year-old former director of the Justice Entrepreneurs Project says he grew up an Army brat and eventually joined the fighting force himself, but during his time in New York, he fell in love with the city's large, hand-tossed, thin-crust pies. Advertisement That's where the core inspiration for StopAlong came from that and all things '80s. The menu features pizzas named after movies from the era, and the space features three arcade-style games, including Ms. Pacman and Galaga, as well as superhero prints and vintage toys, Hammond said. "Basically, it kind of has all the things that you loved as a kid and still love as an adult. It's trying to appeal to the kid in all of us," he says. "(I'm) just trying to make it fun and a little different." Advertisement The StopAlong will offer pizza and burgers in a setting heavy with an '80s vibe. (StopAlong) Others seem to be buying into the idea. In a month, Hammond raised more than $15,000 on Kickstarter with 175 backers for the venture. He aims to open in late August or early September. The menu will feature that New York-style pie, as well as burgers, salads and soft-serve ice cream. The restaurant will seat 54 and includes a full bar. The design, Hammond says, is bright and colorful but still cool and modern. For Hammond, StopAlong is a dream come true. "This is something I've always wanted to do," he says. "I reached a point where I was ready and the time was right." 1812 N. Milwaukee Ave., 312-508-3942 Aloha Poke, the Chicago-based Hawaiian casual spot in the French Market, is branching out to include two new locations: one that opened in Lakeview two weeks ago; and a spot that is slated to open in the Revival Food Hall. (How's the poke? Read about the first location here.) The Lakeview location has presented the eatery with the opportunity to try new things, says owner Zachary Friedlander. The hours are more consistent and longer, and there are some new additions to the menu: octopus (tako) salad, cold brew coffee and matcha green tea. The Lakeview location is a small space that seats 14 and features some splashes of standout color, with pink chairs and plants. There are also hand-drawn murals done by the staff, Friedlander says. The two new stores represent a jump from the four-member team Friedlander had four months ago. The goal, Friedlander says, is to continue to expand even in the face of growing competition from other poke spots. Advertisement "Every Coke needs its Pepsi, its RC Cola, there's a Kirkland brand there's room for all of it. The goal is to be the Coca-Cola," he said. "Competition is the best thing for (poke restaurants). It forces us to elevate and strive for the best." Lakeview: 843 West Belmont St.; Loop: 125 S. Clark St. Old Town Pour House, a venture from Bottleneck Management, opened its fourth location Monday in Naperville. In addition to the over 90 local, regional and global craft brews featured on the menu, the new location has a 110-seat outdoor patio with a four-sided fireplace, five TVs and a heating system. 1703 Freedom Drive, Naperville, 630-448-6020 Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Spilt Milk, a new Logan Square Bar, is slated to open soon. The 60-seat bar will serve popcorn and chips as its only food, plus a limited selection of draft (up to six) and bottled/canned beers (about 12), just 12 wines by the glass, plus cocktails, according to Chicago magazine. 2758 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-413-8440 Advertisement Coming soon? Three spots with teasing signs but that hadn't responded to calls by deadline: Two doors west of the new Aloha Poke is Azteca Grill , an eatery that touts itself as bringing a new twist to Mexican food. It is the business second location. The first is at 3731 N. Clark St. Yet that menu offers standards like tacos, tortas, burritos and cochinita pibil. 847 W. Belmont Ave. , an eatery that touts itself as bringing a new twist to Mexican food. It is the business second location. The first is at 3731 N. Clark St. Yet that menu offers standards like tacos, tortas, burritos and cochinita pibil. 847 W. Belmont Ave. On the corner of State and Ontario streets in River North, there are signs in the window for Sweetgreen , an East Coast, fast-casual salad chain. 621 N.State St. , an East Coast, fast-casual salad chain. 621 N.State St. Signs at 109 W. Hubbard St. are up for Fat Baby Taco. In case you missed it Pleasant House Pub with its savory pies has opened its doors in Pilsen in the former Nightwood space. nwooten@chicagotribune.com Actor Chris Klein and his wife Laina Rose Thyfault welcomed their first child on Saturday. (Araya Diaz) Chicago-area native Chris Klein and his wife Laina Rose Thyfault welcomed their first child on Saturday. Klein, who spent part of his childhood in Brookfield, posted a photo of their son Frederick Easton Klein on his Twitter account on Wednesday. Advertisement "All is well! Mother and baby are home and doing wonderful. Chris is so in love," Jaime Primak Sullivan, the actor's rep, said in a statement to US Weekly. So incredibly blessed and forever grateful for my amazing wife and our healthy baby boy. Laina delivered me a mirac https://t.co/NR5harArB3 Chris Klein (@iamchrisklein) July 27, 2016 The "American Pie" series star tied the knot in August, and announced they were expecting their first child in March. 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) Malia Obama talks with a friend during day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park Saturday, July 30, 2016, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) As the Democratic National Convention wrapped up Thursday in Philadelphia, Malia Obama was spotted at the Cashmere Cat set at Lollapalooza. Social media users photographed and filmed Obama, 18, in the crowd watching the Norwegian producer. Cashmere cat with Malia Obama today lmao pic.twitter.com/seupJdkqQb lexi (@lexidubb) July 29, 2016 Was going hard to @CASHMERECAT and then Secret Service and Malia Obama just pull up pic.twitter.com/lfNRxWzwRu Alex Lao (@alexanderlao) July 29, 2016 Obama was also spotted taking in the Mac Miller set Friday. Advertisement A White House spokesperson declined to comment. This is not Obama's first visit to Chicago's largest music festival. She caused a stir in 2014 when she was spotted at Chance the Rapper's set. RELATED STORIES: Advertisement Lollapalooza live blog: Follow along Best (and worst) things we ate at Lollapalooza Best style at Lollapalooza 2016 Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 Wearing black on a blistering afternoon, the still relatively unknown Montreal band makes an indelible impression with singer Win Butler wading into the crowd. (Matt Carmichael / Getty Images) The day I went to the racetrack with Mickey Rooney was a long time ago, and we both lost some money he a bit more than I but the day remains so vivid that it might as well have been yesterday and so I can hear Rooney say, "I lost a $2 bet 65 years ago and I've spent about $3 million trying to get it back." Rooney and I went to the track, the exquisite and exhilarating Arlington International Racecourse (www.arlingtonpark.com), on a sun-splashed afternoon in May 1993. The celebrated actor was in town starring in a play called "Lend Me a Tenor" at the Apollo Theater. He was 73 years old and it was brutally hot and he was dressed improbably in a heavy wool suit. A green handkerchief peeked from his breast pocket and his green tie was dotted with tiny white ducks. Advertisement Rooney loved the track and so do I and so does Thomas Allen Pauly, who makes a very fine and satisfying living painting the magnificent four-legged creatures who call the racetrack home. He refers to himself a "horse artist." That is the name of his website as well, www.horseartist.com, and though human beings (jockeys primarily) are also in his paintings, horses are to this artist what birds were to Audubon, water lilies to Monet. MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR Advertisement "It's all about the beauty, the tradition," Pauly says. "For me a racetrack is a magic kingdom." A lot of people love the ancient sport of horse racing, but that number has been diminishing over the past decades as casinos and lotteries have proliferated. It always confounds me that when the Kentucky Derby rolls around (along with its Triple Crown buddies, the Preakness and the Belmont), all sorts of people get into it, placing bets on the horses in offices, saloons or at off-track betting parlors. The pity is that they don't then take themselves to a local track to experience the sport firsthand. (The Arlington Million takes place Aug. 13). There are few things as exciting to watch as a horse race. In this increasingly mechanized society, it can inspire awe to watch horses striving toward the finish line, steered by their own hearts and those athletes called jockeys. There is nothing that compares to these two-minute (give or take) collaborations between human and horse, these bursts of muscle, energy and speed in which people invest money and hope. You can now add those above words to the millions previously written about horse racing. Others come from Jane Smiley, one of the most gifted writers of our age, winner of the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her "A Thousand Acres" and author of a couple of dozen more books. In 2004's "A Year at the Races: Reflections on Horses, Humans, Love, Money and Luck," she writes, "Every horse story is a love story." The book recounts her experiences as two of the horses she owned began their racing careers. In it she writes that "the racetrack is an inherently amazing place, rich in language and personality, sometimes beautiful and sometimes sordid, always unpredictable." Collectibles and paintings by Artist Thomas Allen Pauly, well known for painting portraits of race horses, at his North Side studio Thursday July 14, 2016. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) Pauly, 56, knows this. This is his world, and he works in a subterranean studio filled with his creations, dark wood furnishings and all manner of racing-related items such as photos, jockey silks, saddles and dozens of books, including some featuring the work of the late Richard Stone Reeves, perhaps the most famous equine artist and an inspiration to Pauly. This place, where Pauly also entertains friends and clients, is so sumptuous and ruggedly refined that it would make Ralph Lauren jealous. The studio also contains many bottles of Woodford Reserve, the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. This year's limited-edition bottle features Pauly's work, specifically his painting titled "Barreling Down," which depicts two horses and their jockeys charging toward the finish line. "It was a great honor," he says. Advertisement His studio he lives a few blocks north in the Ravenswood neighborhood, near our mayor, who, Pauly says, "is a friend and his wife, Amy, is very into the arts" is a long way from the home in which he grew up in the Jefferson Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side, the eldest of four children and the only boy. His father, Tom, ran a newsstand, tended bar and made a little book on the side, and his mother worked as a waitress. "I was in fifth grade when I saw a Mort Drucker caricature of Richard Nixon in Mad magazine," he says. "I copied it and did what I thought was a pretty good job and that got me drawing caricatures and cartoons all through school, but just for fun." (Next to his signature on all his paintings your will find three small dots in homage to the renowned Drucker, who did likewise). Pauly attended Schurz High School and, more dramatically life-altering, he attended a June 17, 1978, horse race at bygone Sportsman's Park. A friend's father had a horse racing and when the horse, whose name was Rusty Win, did win, Pauly was invited into the winner's circle. "That did it," he says. "I was hooked for keeps." He made a drawing of the horse, which he sold for $50, and over the next decades he pursued this passion as he worked as a lineman for the telephone company for 30 years. He is and now pause to look at his work in the accompanying photos or online, so that you can be suitable impressed self-taught. Advertisement "I really don't know where the talent comes from," he says. "I am always amazed at what comes out of my paintbrush." His original work now sells for many thousands of dollars to horse owners, racetracks, collectors, jockeys and fans. Prints of his work are on walls across the world. He was selected to be the official artist of American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown champion, and his print of Pharoah winning the Kentucky Derby sold out within hours of being released. He is also actively involved with the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, helping it in various ways and contributing his artwork for fundraising efforts. He loves what he does. He is enthusiastic, friendly and unpretentious, retaining not only the accent but the down-to-earth charms of a neighborhood guy. Richard Duchossois, who owns Arlington Racecourse among many other things, is as passionate about and devoted to thoroughbred racing as any person alive (he is 94). He is a collector of Pauly's work and once said of him, "Even the horses seem to like him." It was long ago that Pauly's father told him, "Only bad people go the racetrack." The racetrack has been very good to Pauly. He has traveled the world. He has met celebrities and millionaires. And he has met some great horses and some very good people. He never did get to meet Mickey Rooney. Too bad. They really would have hit it off. rkogan@chicagotribune.com Advertisement MORE FROM RICK KOGAN: Dust off your soapbox for Bughouse Square Debates Was Jesus married? A journalist circles the question CFD paramedic's war stories from the city are a shot to the heart 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) This political convention season, as in all political convention seasons, two distinct narratives have emerged. There's the Trumpian narrative of crisis that dystopic world of murderous illegal immigrants, political corruption and middle-class malaise. It's a narrative that any party in opposition is, to some degree, forced to embrace, but Trump has been spitting out a uniquely terrifying spin. Advertisement And there's the competing Democratic narrative, trumpeting the merits of Clintonian continuity, of incremental change and of trust in proven qualification. This past week, the Democrats strove to offer an assurance that, minor ideological differences aside and the omnipresent fat-cat lobbyists notwithstanding, they were the only leaders who could and would keep us all safe in our treacherous world, as one baton was passed, steadily, to another. MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR Advertisement "She's been there for us," President Barack Obama said, tellingly, on Wednesday night of the former rival he now fervently hopes will become his successor. "Even if we haven't always noticed." In the middle of all that, I went to London to see "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." Fantastical escapism? Not at all. Once you got past all the talk of Hogwarts and Quidditch, Gryffindor and Slytherin, muggles and Dementors, the takeaway of the entire breathtaking enterprise was perfectly clear. It was grasped by everyone in the theater. Pain will come. Donald Trump cannot prevent it. Hillary Clinton can't, either. In fact, J.K. Rowling and her collaborators were saying, as Rowling has been saying for years through her magnificent "Harry Potter" books, that pain is an integral part, actually the defining part, of the human experience, given that we all will lose many of those we love. There's no way to avoid that pain, and to delay or to deny it actually just makes it worse. What matters is how you deal with it, how you teach your children about what lies ahead for them, how well you listen to them, and how honest you dare to be with them about your fears, and how honest you dare to be with yourself. To put all that another way, we will not remain safe, convention promises notwithstanding. Understanding that reality is perhaps the most challenging aspect of our time on this planet, and yet the most crucial of life's lessons. Of those three world views that hit me within two weeks, I found Rowling's to be the most honest and the most useful. That probably explains why the diverse, international audience at that theatrical performance in London was held in rapt attention for six hours, longer than even Trump would dare to speak, in contrast with the crowd of unmoved, cynical, furtive-eyed travelers with whom I watched the Republican nominee's address to his crowning convention. Advertisement You might argue this is an unfair comparison. Rowling, a writer of fiction, can deal with metaphysical issues with impunity, offering balm for the soul and succor for the spirit. History teaches us that politicians who wade into those deep waters do so at their peril conventional political wisdom being that these personal, moral, spiritual things are best left alone, lest division be sown or mistakes be made. Better by far to stick to policy. Except that these conventions don't stick to policy, of course. They're shows themselves. Their engine is narrative. Their uber-text is our lives. They're just weak narratives when you stack them to up to those from a master of the form. Like Rowling. Watching "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" you can buy the text this weekend you feel like the human species has finally reached a more enlightened place. In the place of the elitism, authoritarianism and bottled-up emotion of our Dickensian industrial past, Rowling lays out an inclusive, open-hearted, non-exceptionalist philosophy for life, one marked by realism, honesty and communal responsibility across the globe. It's hardly a Trumpian view unless you are listening to Lord Voldemort for she is arguing that we're all immigrants, all strangers in a strange land, all insecure, struggling souls looking for happiness and trying to do the best for our kids. But it also doesn't pretend that our leaders can protect us from our worst. Advertisement Moreover, there is something about this Rowling vision that makes it consumable by multiple generations at once, a contrast with the division between, say, the Bernie Sanders-loving millennials and the older Clintonian pragmatists of the Democratic Party. That's another weakness of these conventions; they do not know how to address different generations at the same time. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is not so different, actually, from Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton." Sure, Miranda uses a real Founding Father as his narrative canvas, not a young wizard. But if you go to "Hamilton," you leave with the same sense of the evolved human species the same understanding of the power of creativity, the crucial spirit of adventure and idealism, the same implied statement that it is those who first feel they don't belong who tend to get the job done. And yet, Alexander Hamilton knows pain. He loses a child. And thus the show makes clear that achievement on a global scale even the writing of the great Constitution of the United States will immediately then disappear into a veil of sadness. Like Harry Potter, Miranda's Hamilton is an idealist who must confront deep sorrow and personal loss. Both ultimately find redemption. We crave such narratives. This is why both shows will make the kind of money that could buy all kinds of political influence, were it spent that way. Watching Trump in Cleveland, it felt like we'd evolved hardly at all. Watching his opposition, it felt like nobody wanted to speak the full truth. At least both conventions featured a candidate introduced by their daughter; their most authentic moments. That's another article of Rowling and Miranda faith we're all better off with a family, imperfect as any family turns out to be, lest we spend our lives looking for them even as we try to prove ourselves worthy of our office. Advertisement Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. cjones5@chicagotribune.com Twitter @ChrisJonesTrib RELATED STORIES: 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' is simply magical in London Of Hillary and history: The best late-night comedy about the DNC, Night 4 Advertisement What's the next 'Hamilton'? Could it be Harry Potter? Magic returns: Bookstores celebrating 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' with release parties 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) Maidenwena Alba, center, and several other Chicago high school students perform a classroom scene during a rehearsal of "Learning Curve" on July 22, 2016. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) "Welcome to the future home of Ellen Gates Starr High School," announces Albany Park Theater Project co-founder David Feiner, smiling, unable to stand still. "Whoooo!," responds a crowd of Chicago public school students. They're assembled outside a school building on a warm March day. Advertisement The group heads inside. But what comes on the loudspeakers isn't the morning announcements. Bastille's "Pompeii" plays as the group begins an exercise akin to follow-the-leader but with enough clapping and stomping to kick up the dust in these mostly abandoned gray and yellow hallways, where Virgin Mary statues seem to pop out of the woodwork. Next on the soundtrack is Missy Elliott's "WTF." Advertisement It's the coolest day of school ever. Because Ellen Gates Starr High School is a work of imagination. The students in APTP's acclaimed ensemble are in the former St. Hyacinth Basilica Catholic School in the Avondale neighborhood, closed by the Archdiocese of Chicago in June 2014. They're joined by members of Third Rail Projects, a Brooklyn-based theater company known for immersive theater projects that invite audiences into transformed spaces such as this one, a fictional school given over by the archdiocese and renamed for a co-founder of Chicago's Hull House known for her focus on the arts. David Feiner, co-drector of the "Learning Curve," talks with students before a recent rehearsal. The show, a collaboration of the Albany Park Theater Project (co-founded by Feiner) and Third Rail Projects, presents a day-in-the-life look at CPS students. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) The collaboration is for a work titled "Learning Curve," an ambitious, yearslong project that presents a day-in-the-life look at students in the Chicago Public Schools system. "Learning Curve" began as a weeklong workshop, then a showing of works-in-progress at the company's Eugene Field Park home in early 2015. The new production opens this weekend at Ellen Gates Starr. The interior will become a four-floor jungle gym of reimagined classrooms. Guided by Third Rail members, students start to play as they begin testing out what can be climbed on, what can be hidden in and what familiar things can be made entirely strange. Carlton Cyrus Ward and Zach Morris demonstrate, turning a chalkboard into a tightrope and mounting a protective barricade made from rows of desks. Out in the stairwell, Maidenwena Alba, a veteran APTP performer heading into her final year at Amundsen High School, slides down the stair railing to make a quick escape. "Is this what it's like all the time?" an APTP newbie asks. Third Rail co-artistic director Jennine Willett, a co-director of "Learning Curve," stops in one of the long hallways, its doors splayed open to create a shadowed, geometric tunnel. Advertisement "Wait," she says, as she snaps a photo. "This is magic to me." Down the rabbit hole Feiner knew he wanted to collaborate with Third Rail and Willett after he and his wife Maggie Popadiak (another co-director of "Learning Curve") saw their now long-running hit "Then She Fell," a mental ward-set spiral down the rabbit hole of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." "I remember walking out after the show and talking with three strangers on the street on the sidewalk in front of the ward," Feiner says. "And after that conversation ended, Maggie and I just kind of looked at each other and said, 'This changes everything.' " Years after Feiner's revelation, in the middle of April, I stand on that same sidewalk by the red-brick Brooklyn church building and prepare to enter Kingsland Ward, now in its 5th year of checking audiences in to "Then She Fell." A man in a clinical uniform ushers me into a hallway adorned with vintage medical posters as an accordion plays through hidden speakers. The audience of 15 gathers in a waiting room and all are offered a bittersweet alcoholic concoction, a welcomed gesture to those with more fluttery nerves. We are never together again during the show's two-hour labyrinth. But mirrors come alive, a man climbs the stairs upside down and I win a game of poker, luckily. In one of the more terrifying moments, I am tucked into a cot and a bedtime story is whispered into my ear. The lights are turned on to reveal a wall littered up and down with black tally marks, perhaps representing the days since I had first fallen asleep. Advertisement The experiences weave in and out of reality, but in every new moment, there is a guide extending a hand, drawing me deeper into the madness. Coming together In June, in a joint interview with Willett and Feiner at Ellen Gates, Willett recounts her own "aha moment" before working with APTP. She came to see "God's Work," APTP's dance and puppetry-fueled remount about a young girl's escape from her abusive father, at the Goodman Theatre in 2014. "I was like, we can really up the ante on this workshop," she says. So much of what Willett and Feiner talk about is how merging the two companies translates a day at a Chicago public school into a dream world of its own, by matching actual students that are part of an ensemble concerned with social justice with a company that revels in depicting otherworldliness, even that strange in-between world of adolescence. Advertisement "There are moments when you're aware, even as a 15-year-old, of the way in which the macro issues of school and education and policy are limiting your life, restricting your life," Feiner says. "And then there are moments when all of that doesn't seem to matter and what matters is this really pressing thing that's happening at home with your father's immigration status. And then there are moments where what really matters is, 'Do I look good today'?" "It's the Lynchian world of high school where you're sort of going in and out of reality," says Willett. There are over 25 possible scenes to encounter in "Learning Curve," with each audience member participating in roughly 60 percent of them during the course of a show. The nostalgia or current experience visitors bring will be their own. "That's the magic of being inside of something," Willett says. "That you can't separate yourself from it anymore." All-day rehearsals By the beginning of July, thick cables hang from the ceilings at Ellen Gates. Spotlights peak out from corners and coats of bright paint cover the walls. By now there are more than 60 people involved in "Learning Curve," including the performers. Soon Ellen Gates Starr High School will have its own website and Facebook page. Advertisement A group of APTP performers, now in rehearsal eight hours a day, five or six days a week, take a pizza break. One of the newer members and first-time "Learning Curve" performer Alex Suarez, 16, says he wasn't sure what he was stepping into. "I'm like, 'Oh my god. I'm kind of scared that I have to join this,' " he says. "But, at the same time, I'm really excited for it." Few want to divulge their favorite moments in the show, not wanting to spoil any secrets. But Paola Rico, a 17-year-old senior at Roosevelt High School, speaks about one of her scenes, loosely labeled "body image." "Kids aren't sad just because," she says about the scene that activates every thought that goes through the minds of the self-conscious when they look in the mirror. During the show's workshops, Rico says she was stunned as audience members shared secrets, cried or even hugged her. "You get a chance to see what people feel," she says. "And you get to have a chance to comfort them." Advertisement Alyanna Parajado, who recently graduated from Amundsen High School and says she is heading to St. Olaf College in the fall, had a different reaction from an audience member during a bullying scene when a woman cried out, "Stop the scene!" An alternate ending was created in case any other observers were moved to action. The conversation turns to the subject of learning, and what an ideal education would look like. The first request, shared by the entire group, is no standardized tests. They also mention support for arts programs. Education can and should be fun, they say. More hands-on activities. Smaller classrooms. And most of all: learning for the joy of learning, not grades. On the way out, Feiner shows off a room-in-progress that will house a library scene. A maze opens up into walls of books; worn, shiny, fat, tall, all stacked one-by-one in dimly lit cases reaching to the ceiling. A bibliophile's recycled dream. Abraham "Kito" Espino, a longtime APTP performer, had talked about this scene. "In a world where education has become this scary, sinister kind of thing, the library feels like a light in the darkness," he said. "It seems like you're in a 'Harry Potter' world or something." All around are pages and pages of novels in limbo, suspended in time. Full of possibilities. Advertisement "Learning Curve" opens Saturday and runs through Nov. 19 at 3640 W. Wolfram St.; more information at aptpchicago.org mgreene@chicagotribune.com 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) VEVEY, Switzerland One bright October afternoon two days before harvest, Swiss winemaker Blaise Duboux chucked a fallen quince over the iron fence girding his terrace and into the sloping vineyard next door. It should have easily rolled 600 precipitous feet down to shimmering Lake Geneva, plied by stately steamers and backdropped by the snowcapped French Alps across the water. But some 40 levels of terraces staircase the hillside, intervening. "The monks stopped gravity," explained the 17th-generation winemaker. "In the Lavaux, everything is handmade." Advertisement He refers, of course, to the local wines, but also to the Lavaux itself, a 2,000-acre patchwork sown across 10,000 small parcels upheld by miles of stacked stone walls, on the Swiss Riviera between Lausanne and Montreux. In Switzerland's food hall of fame, chocolate and cheese easily overshadow wine. But only from a foreigner's perspective. Here, wine is a matter of civic, if not national, pride; the city of Lausanne, for example, owns five wineries. Cultivated for centuries, Swiss wine is so popular in Switzerland that most of it is drunk domestically. Advertisement Switzerland, too, claims its own unique grapes, the red gamay-descendant Plant Robert and the light, bright white called chasselas. The latter accounts for 80 percent of grapes planted in the Lavaux, deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site not just for its beauty but, given the 45-percent grade of its best appellation, its improbability. Beginning in the 11th century, Cistercian monks, courted by the bishops of Lausanne with the lakeside land gift, began clearing the south-facing, pine-covered slopes to plant vineyards for the church. Later, the friars trained area farmers to maintain the labor-intensive plots with the hope that their knowledge would be passed down through the generations. In both landscaping and recruitment, they were successful, as family winemakers a millennium hence have continued to tend the needy terraces, patch the walls and cultivate the vines. The Cistercians grew red grapes, but winemakers long ago switched largely to white to better showcase the soil varieties forged by Alpine geology and glacial carving. "Chasselas is a soil revelator, and the terroir here varies greatly," said Duboux, in a rare break from pre-harvest preparations at his winery in the tiny town of Epesses. "The Rhine glacier made a real patchwork here. It gave us 100,000 years of up and down and freezing. I'm trying to be as close to the character of the soil as I can, going parcel by parcel to reveal each one." Seven appellations make up the Lavaux, with two boasting the highly rated Grand Cru distinction: the steepest section known as Dezaley, and its neighbor, the rocky Calamin. An impressionable grape, chasselas varies from richly honeyed Dezaley to more mineral Calamin, with subtle variations across the unoaked spectrum (most chasselas is aged in stainless-steel vats). "For me, chasselas is the grape that goes with all food," said Jerome Ake Beda, sommelier of the celebrated restaurant Auberge de l'Onde in the medieval village of St. Saphorin, another of the Lavaux appellations. "It's the king of the cepages (grape varieties). You finish eating, and you feel light." I polished off my lunch of lake perch at Auberge de l'Onde a favorite of late local resident Charlie Chaplin with a glass of chasselas midway through a daylong hike among the vineyards. Most of the roads that switchback throughout the terraces and link the ancient villages are closed to all but winery vehicles, inviting traffic-free walks between tasting cellars. An eight-minute train ride from the lakeside city of Vevey to the hilltop village of Chexbres puts most of the routes, which have good signage, downhill. Plaques along the way highlight the mix of geographic and human-made gifts that bless the Lavaux. Vines here are warmed by the trois soleils, or three suns: the one overhead, another reflected off the lake the largest in Switzerland and the radiant third, stored by the ancient walls. The mild climate suits chasselas, pressed into a friendly quaff in which alcohol levels generally run 11 to 13 percent. Advertisement "Our wines, first they are all light," said Patrick Fonjallaz, another Epesses winemaker who counts 13 generations in the business. "We want them light. I want to have wine where you can drink three glasses and not grip the table." To prevent future development from crowding out winemakers, locals united to seek UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Awarded in 2007, it ensures that the vineyards will remain productive rather than excavated for homes of the rich and famous who reside in cities like Montreux, just 20 minutes away by train. "We must preserve this region not as a museum, but as a living thing that produces," another winemaker, Louis Bovard told me, standing on the shore of Lake Geneva in the town of Cully and gesturing to the surrounding hillsides, where a helicopter the most efficient transport in the region had just plucked a crate of harvested grapes to ferry to the presses. Elaine Glusac is a freelance writer. IF YOU GO: Tours: Sunday morning and afternoon tours of the Lavaux wine region through Oct. 30; www.lavaux-unesco.ch/en/N9214/regular-guided-tours.html. For those who prefer not to walk, the Lavaux Express trolley runs on various routes through Oct. 30; www.lavauxexpress.ch/en. Advertisement Lodging: A few of the wine towns offer atmospheric lodging, including Cully, home to the inn Auberge du Raisin (from roughly $133) with a destination restaurant; www.aubergeduraisin.ch. The lakeside town of Vevey, home to the elegant Grand Hotel du Lac (from $275), makes a great base for day trips in the wine region; www.hoteldulac-vevey.ch. Dining: Reserve a table at Auberge de l'Onde in St. Saphorin; www.aubergedelonde.ch. Near Chexbres, the outdoor terrace Le Deck at Le Baron Tavernier hotel overlooks the vineyards and the lake; www.barontavernier.ch. RELATED STORIES: Despite pre-Olympics bad press, beautiful Rio is a winner Queen Elizabeth II's dresses on display Have some lavender with that wine in Traverse City, Mich. Lollapalooza is not only a huge weekend for music fans but has long been a boon for the hospitality industry in Chicago. But this year, home-sharing sites like Airbnb are seeing a spike in bookings, thanks in part to a fourth day tacked on to the music fest. The event draws hundreds of thousands last year Lollapalooza attracted 300,000 fans, a sellout to see big-name headliners like Radiohead and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but they also need a place to lay their heads. Advertisement Considering a four-day pass to Lollapalooza costs $335, some ticketholders searched beyond pricey downtown hotels for affordable places to stay during the music fest, which began Thursday and winds up Sunday. Billed as an affordable option, home rental platforms such as couchsurfing.com, HomeAway and Airbnb fill the bill. For example, the average Airbnb rental for the weekend is $199, according to the spokesperson. In recent days, hotel rooms offered on online booking sites were going for $300 and more downtown. Molly Reinle began her search in May for a place to stay and decided to book on Airbnb for the first time because hotels were too pricey. While some hosts upped their prices for Lollapalooza weekend, she successfully negotiated the rate with a host, settling on a room at a River West apartment for $100 a night plus cleaning fees and $10 a day for parking. Advertisement "I go to Lollapalooza every year, and I really wanted the full experience, being able to stay downtown and not having to commute," said Reinle, 25. She said she did not want to worry about whether she'd catch her Metra train at Union Station to get back to her Aurora home. Airbnb expects an average of 10,300 guests per night Thursday through Saturday. Last year, saw an average of 6,500 guests per night over the same three nights of the festival weekend, up from the average of 5,300 guests who stayed in Chicago on a summer weekend night, according to Airbnb data. The extra day tacked onto the fest this year Thursday may in part be driving up the number of bookings this year, according to Airbnb. The home-sharing site says more guests lined up housing on Wednesday night 6,900, double the number of guests who booked rooms the Wednesday before the music fest in 2015. On Sunday night, 7,500 guests booked rooms, up from 6,400 a year earlier. Last year, Lollapalooza was three days and saw the most guests and bookings for a weekend in Chicago for the entire year, according to Airbnb spokesman Christopher Nulty. The reason, Nulty said, was "a combination of great summer weather in Chicago, people coming to enjoy the lake, (and) a pretty incredible lineup of acts at Lollapalooza last year." HomeAway.com's inventory of 1,102 rentals for the Chicago area are mostly booked for the weekend, spokesman Adam Annen said. Bookings skyrocketed 89 percent for this year's four-day festival compared with last year's three-day festival dates across the HomeAway portfolio, which includes HomeAway.com, VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com, he said. The average nightly rate spiked to about $475 per night for the weekend from the typical average rate of $260 a night this year, giving homeowners a financial advantage from the increased demand, Annen said. Hotels, too, will likely come close to selling out, said Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association President Marc Gordon. He's not only looking at Lollapalooza but also general summer tourism. Last year the 41,000-plus hotel rooms downtown were almost completely booked as the occupancy rate hovered at 97.5 percent for Lollapalooza weekend, according to data from STR, a hotel industry research firm. The law of supply and demand High demand for lodging over the Lollapalooza weekend means higher prices. While an average summer weekend night is $147, the average price per weekend night during the music fest is almost $200, Airbnb said. Advertisement Collectively, Airbnb hosts are expected to earn $4 million this weekend, up from $3 million during last year's music fest, according to Airbnb. In all of 2015, hosts made a total of more than $34 million. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Of course, the government gets its cut too, with income taxes paid by hosts and hotel taxes paid by guests to the city, county and state. Additionally, guests will eventually fork over a 4 percent surcharge fee as a result of new legislation regulating shared housing and vacation rentals. The money collected from the new surcharge fee would go toward supporting services and housing for the homeless once the ordinance passed in June by the Chicago City Council takes effect. In Pilsen, which is among the top five neighborhoods where Airbnb guests book over Lollapalooza weekend, Letty Salgado, 32, has used her earnings as a host to pay her mortgage, grow her event planning business and make repairs like replacing furnaces at her two-story flat where she rents out three apartment units on Airbnb. This weekend will be her third time hosting Lolla guests, and she is completely booked. For her rates, she uses Airbnb's smart pricing model, which automatically generates a nightly price based on demand that falls between the minimum and maximum price set by hosts. A higher price for Lollapalooza weekend will help cover the cost of utilities as well as cleanup after guests leave, Salgado said. For example, she is charging $152 for a one-bedroom apartment up from $79 a night. "They come home, you see their faces. They're happy and stress-free and (say) 'this is awesome' and 'we just saw Florence and the Machine.' The energy is always a 10," said Salgado, who lives on the property in a separate unit. She had never been to Lolla until last year when one of her guests gave her a free ticket. "I've met so many people," she said. "I never had any problems. I never had guests being rowdy or coming in late at night, none of that, or breaking stuff or spilling things on furniture." Advertisement lvivanco@chicagotribune.com Twitter @lvivanco The city of Chicago's budget shortfall next year is expected to be the smallest in a decade, but the estimate doesn't account for billions of dollars owed to the city's largest pension fund a debt expected to trigger another significant tax increase. City financial officials conceded Friday that a new money stream of hundreds of millions of dollars each year will be needed for stepped-up contributions to the retirement fund for municipal workers. That signals additional pain for taxpayers hit this year with the largest property tax increase in modern Chicago history. Advertisement A shortfall of $137.6 million is expected in next year's estimated $3.7 billion corporate budget, which is used to cover day-to-day expenses, according to the city's Annual Financial Analysis released Friday. That would be the lowest shortfall since 2007, before the Great Recession started taking its toll on city finances. To deal with declining revenues and ballooning debts back then, Mayor Richard M. Daley resorted to the use of one-time revenues like spending most of the $1.15 billion paid to the city to lease its parking meter system for 75 years. Advertisement Since taking office in 2011, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has significantly reduced the city's reliance on one-time revenues by cutting costs and enacting a smorgasbord of new taxes, fines and fees. Those efforts, coupled with an improving economy, have significantly reduced the budget shortfall, which topped $630 million his first year in office. At the same time, Emanuel has worked to find ways to step up contributions to the city's four pension systems. The city owed those funds tens of billions of dollars when he took office. Last year he pushed through a property tax increase of $543 million that's being phased in over four years to address shortfalls in the pension systems for police officers and firefighters. He also has come up with a plan to increase contributions to the city laborers fund, the smallest of the pension systems, that initially would be funded with a $1.40-a-month increase in emergency communications taxes tacked on to landline and cellphone bills. That still leaves a debt pegged at $18.6 billion owed to the municipal workers fund far more than the $15.2 billion owed to the other three retirement accounts combined, according to the Annual Financial Analysis. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > "We're going to be announcing very shortly the plan for muni," city Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown said Friday, referring to the municipal fund. While the city already has set aside some money from existing revenues to pay for that plan, it still will ultimately have to come up with hundreds of millions of additional dollars a year, Brown and Budget Director Alexandra Holt said. Options being considered to cover those costs include another property tax increase and stepped-up utility taxes in the city, sources have told the Tribune. Property taxes are generally more reliable from year to year, and many people can deduct those taxes on their federal income tax returns, but utility taxes tend to result in less political blowback. A property tax increase could prove more difficult to get passed because Chicago Public Schools is expected to boost its property taxes by $250 million next year to increase contributions to the teachers pension fund. To close the $137.6 million operating budget shortfall, the city will first look to ways to cut costs, but additional taxes, fines or fees also could be in store to address that problem, Holt said. Advertisement "We're going to start with the process of trying to balance and squeezing out every dollar we can and looking for those opportunities on the expense side first," Holt said. hdardick@chicagotribune.com Twitter @ReporterHal Cook County Judge William Hooks sharply assailed a Chicago police officer for his allegedly false testimony before throwing out the evidence. That prompted prosecutors to dismiss the charges against two drug suspects. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Cook County prosecutors recently notified defense lawyers in at least 10 criminal cases that a judge found the court testimony of a veteran Chicago police officer to be false, a determination about the officer's credibility that could affect the cases as they move to trial. The state's attorney's office also has told defense lawyers in at least three other cases that another Cook County judge has cast doubt on testimony from two other police officers, raising questions about those cases as well. Advertisement Prosecutors notified the lawyers through a type of court filing commonly called a disclosure notice, and followed a Chicago Tribune investigation in May that found Chicago police were rarely punished when a judge found they had testified falsely or in a way that raised questions about their credibility. The state's attorney's office, in fact, had done nothing about any of the officers' testimony until the Tribune investigation raised questions about the cases. The office then issued the disclosure notices, which the Tribune obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Advertisement The Tribune also had reported that although prosecutors should routinely file the notices when judges make adverse credibility findings about officers' testimony, a number of longtime criminal defense lawyers said in interviews that they had never received one or even heard of them. In fact, veteran Judge William Hooks even summoned a supervisor in the state's attorney's office to his courtroom recently to explain the notices after a defense lawyer received one in a case before him. The state's attorney's office alerted the Police Department about the most recent notices, following new protocol it established after the Tribune's investigation. The department had already launched an internal affairs inquiry into the officers' testimony and sought to talk with judges about the officers' testimony. The judges told internal affairs investigators that any transcripts memorializing the officers' testimony "speak for themselves," police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. "These investigations remain open and internal affairs is conferring with the state's attorney and searching for objective, verifiable evidence for possible rule violations," Guglielmi said. The disclosure notices filed in court in May and June concern three officers, all of whom were identified in the Tribune's investigation: Jorge Martinez, James Lynch and Wahbe Askar. The notices told defense lawyers that Hooks found Martinez to have testified falsely in one case and that Judge Joseph Claps questioned Lynch and Askar's credibility in separate cases. The disclosure notices could be filed in every case in which the officers are listed as potential prosecution witnesses. Martinez, Askar and Lynch could not be reached for comment. The disclosure notices that the state's attorney's office has been filing regarding Martinez stem from a major drug case in 2013 in which he and a colleague abandoned an undercover surveillance operation to stop a minivan on the Southwest Side that had turned without signaling. The officers found a $50,000 brick of cocaine in the vehicle. Hooks, who presided over the drug case, at a 2015 hearing called Martinez's testimony "a very clear falsehood." He said he did not believe that the officers would break from drug surveillance to make a routine traffic stop, and threw out the evidence, according to a hearing transcript. That prompted prosecutors to drop the case. Hooks demanded that prosecutors explain why Martinez was not being investigated criminally for his testimony. Advertisement The state's attorney's office recently filed additional disclosure notices in cases involving Lynch and Askar. They testified in front of Judge Claps in separate cases, both of which involved gun seizures. Claps made it clear he found the testimony of the officers lacking credibility, according to transcripts. He said in August 2015 that he did not "believe for a second" a key part of Askar's testimony. In January, he said that Lynch's testimony was not "credible or believable." The rulings led the prosecutor in both cases to dismiss the charges. Hooks summoned a state's attorney supervisor to his courtroom in a case in which Gregory Fikes was arrested after police in March 2015 seized about $43,000 worth of marijuana. At a hearing in late May, Hooks quizzed Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Coleman about the disclosure notice involving Martinez. He said he had talked with colleagues as well as with some defense lawyers; none, he suggested, had ever received one. He wondered why notices were being issued, according to a transcript of the hearing. "All I can tell you," Coleman told Hooks, "is what we are doing now in the interest of justice." Fikes' lawyer, Jayne Ingles, said in an interview that Martinez obtained a search warrant based on information he said was from a confidential informant. Ingles said that she was skeptical an informant existed, and hopes to use the disclosure notice to attack Martinez's credibility as the case moves forward. Advertisement "Without him," she said of Martinez, "they couldn't prosecute the case." It is unclear, however, what effect the disclosure notices will have on the outcome of the cases involving Martinez and the other officers. In some cases, the officer's testimony is not central to the case. And in at least two of the cases in which disclosure notices were issued, the defendants have pleaded guilty. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Defense lawyer Gigi Gilbert said that she received a disclosure notice in May about Lynch's testimony in the earlier gun case after a client, Melvin Sharkey, was arrested on charges that he allegedly fired a gun at a South Side park in a gang-related incident. Lynch said he found a gun on the roof of the park's field house, and an informant told him Sharkey had fired it. Gilbert said that she was skeptical of Lynch's report and hoped to show in court that he was not truthful. So she asked Judge Vincent Gaughan, who is presiding over the case, to allow her to introduce the disclosure notice to show that Lynch lacked credibility. Gaughan denied the request. The judge's ruling, she said, made her wonder what purpose the disclosure notices served. "What's the use of disclosing this if we can't use it?" Gilbert asked. "What's the point if you're not going to do anything about it?" smmills@chicagotribune.com Advertisement tlighty@chicagotribune.com Twitter @smmills1960 Twitter @tlighty Warning: This video contains graphic content. Chicago officials released the police dash-cam video of the October 2014 fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, 17, by a Chicago police officer. The Chicago Tribune edited this version only for length. (Chicago Police Dept./Handout) A former Cook County judge was appointed special prosecutor Friday to investigate whether numerous Chicago police officers at the scene of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald covered up wrongdoing by Officer Jason Van Dyke. LeRoy Martin Jr., presiding judge of the criminal division, named Patricia Brown Holmes to look into whether the officers lied to justify the shooting of the 17-year-old in October 2014. Her investigation also could extend to police supervisors who were involved in any cover-up, said the lawyers who had asked the judge to appoint a special prosecutor. Advertisement "This is a grave responsibility," Holmes told reporters after the brief hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. "This is something that I think is very important to the public that they get it right and that they have confidence in whatever the results may be." "I plan to look at the facts and go from there. I don't have any preconceived notions about how it's going to go or what I'm going to do," she said. Advertisement Holmes said she had not decided if she would involve a grand jury in the investigation or make those charging decisions herself. The judge's order allows her to investigate officers involved in the "providing of reports, handling of evidence and interviewing of witnesses" in the McDonald shooting. The dashcam video of the white officer shooting the black teen 16 times has caused a firestorm of controversy and led to calls for major reforms and a U.S. Justice Department investigation of police practices. The accounts of several officers dramatically differed from the dashcam video. Holmes, who is African-American, had been among four candidates proposed for the post by a coalition of about 25 community groups, prominent attorneys and a member of McDonald's family who sought the appointment. "We're certain that Judge Holmes is going to get to the bottom of this," said Locke Bowman, an attorney for the coalition who expressed confidence her investigation would be "thorough, zealous (and) fair." Born in San Diego and raised on the Far South Side, Holmes, 55, has nearly 30 years of legal experience in an unusually wide range of public posts, including eight years as a Cook County judge, stints as both a Cook County and federal prosecutor as well as serving as a chief assistant corporation counsel for the city. Holmes is also a founding member of the Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago and is a board trustee of the University of Illinois and La Rabida Children's Hospital. After eight years on the bench, Holmes stepped down in 2005 to join Schiff Hardin, a major law firm based in Chicago where she led its white-collar crime group. She is now a founding partner of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila. The firm's lawyers and staff will be paid to assist Holmes in her investigation, Martin said in his order. Advertisement "She is the perfect choice," said Ronald Safer, her law partner and a former federal prosecutor who convinced Holmes to leave the bench to join him in private practice, pitching it as an opportunity for an accomplished African-American litigator to influence the next generation of attorneys. "She has the respect and the confidence of the entire legal community and I think the larger community." Holmes was also the court-appointed trustee in charge of the cleanup of Burr Oak Cemetery, a historic African-American graveyard where workers in 2009 were accused of digging up and dumping hundreds of bodies in a scheme to resell burial plots. "That was a tremendously difficult assignment," Safer said, and a powerful example of Holmes' evenhandedness. Around 15 years ago, Holmes was diagnosed with cancer and told she wouldn't survive, Safer said. Instead she rallied with her family and friends, endured a grueling course of treatment and eventually became cancer-free. She and her husband, Michael Holmes, the head football coach at Leo High School, an all-male Catholic institution on the South Side, have even taken in struggling students to help ensure they graduate, Safer said. "I get exhausted just thinking about her schedule," he said. Advertisement In February, the coalition filed a petition asking that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate not only McDonald's shooting but also the officers at the scene. State's Attorney Anita Alvarez opposed a special prosecutor during her hard-fought re-election effort earlier this year, but after her primary loss, she withdrew her opposition. Judge Vincent Gaughan, who is overseeing the criminal case against Van Dyke, could appoint a separate special prosecutor to handle Van Dyke's prosecution as early as next week when the officer is scheduled to appear back in court on the first-degree murder charge he faces. The video showed Van Dyke opening fire within seconds of exiting his police SUV as McDonald walked away from police with a knife in his hand, contradicting many of the officers' written accounts that the teen had lunged with the knife. Federal prosecutors also have been looking into possible charges against those officers for many months. Citing sources, the Tribune has reported that the federal inquiry has branched into possible obstruction of justice by the officers at the scene. In addition, the city inspector general's office, which has the power to investigate and make recommendations on employee matters and policies, is looking into the matter. For the better part of a year, Mayor Rahm Emanuel fought the release of the dashcam video of the shooting. A judge ordered Emanuel to release the video last November, more than a year after the shooting occurred. Van Dyke was charged with murder hours before the video was made public, leading some to accuse Emanuel of being complicit in a cover-up and fueling weeks of street protests calling for his resignation. Advertisement G. Flint Taylor, another attorney for the coalition, applauded Judge Martin's appointment of a prominent African-American lawyer to serve as special prosecutor, saying McDonald's killing was of particular importance "in that community." If Holmes uncovers evidence that the mayor's office was involved in any cover-up, Taylor said he hoped she would ask Martin for expanded authority to pursue that angle if necessary. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Bowman, executive director of the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, had earlier proposed that Holmes and three other lawyers to be appointed together as special prosecutor to investigate the conduct of other officers at the shooting. The other candidates were Safer; Sergio Acosta, a former federal prosecutor; and David Coar, a retired federal judge. Bowman has said he believes the video evidence leaves no doubt that officers at the scene orchestrated a cover-up of how the shooting actually happened. "There's hope on our part that an appropriate response would include criminal charges," he said. But Holmes told reporters following her appointment that she is approaching the case with an open mind. Advertisement "It's not a matter of choosing sides and then coming to a result," she said. "It's a matter of looking at every single piece of evidence and then making the right decision based on what that evidence is." sschmadeke@chicagotribune.com Twitter @SteveSchmadeke POLSON Seven of the 11 dogs seized during the search of a commercial kennel in Lake County have been returned to the kennel, Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said Friday. The other four remain under veterinary care. Larry and Nadene Latzke, the owners of LDR Kennels, were cited for felony aggravated cruelty to animals Tuesday after the sheriffs office received a complaint and investigated. The Lake County Attorneys Office is reviewing the case and will decide what, if any, formal charges will be filed. Deputies, who noted the Latzkes had refused to let officers check on their animals when previous complaints had been lodged, obtained a search warrant this time. The court will decide where the dogs will be placed after this case is completed, Bell said. More than 120 dogs were found at the kennel, which sells Chihuahua, Maltese, Yorkshire terrier, Havanese and Shih Tzu breeds. LDR Kennels is located between Charlo and St. Ignatius on Dublin Gulch Road. The person who filed the complaint reported a terrible smell coming from the kennel and that they had seen one dog with its hair matted and smelled like urine, and the dog did not look in good health, according to the sheriff. Jamie Varvaris, 37, was fatally shot early July 20, 2016, on the block where she lived in the 3200 block of West 62nd Street. (Family photo) A woman found shot in her Chicago Lawn neighborhood last week died a few hours later, authorities disclosed Thursday. Jamie Varvaris, 37, was found shot in the same block where she lived, in the 3200 block of West 62nd Street, about 12:45 a.m. July 20 and was pronounced dead at 5:58 a.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital the same day, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. She died of a gunshot wound to the back, the office determined following an autopsy. Advertisement Officers were called to West 62nd Street and found Varvaris on the sidewalk, suffering from a gunshot wound, police said last week. Initially, she was taken to Holy Cross Hospital but was transferred soon after to Mount Sinai. No one was in custody in the killing, police said Thursday. Authorities did not release information about her death until Thursday, after Varvaris' sister contacted the Tribune. Advertisement Family members found out about Varvaris' shooting from her neighbors and had to call around to authorities to confirm she was hospitalized, her sister, Michelle Varvaris Becker, said in Facebook messages Thursday. Their parents live in Florida, and had to call both Holy Cross and Mount Sinai before they were told Becker should go to Mount Sinai about 10:30 a.m. the day her sister was shot, where she was told by staff that Varvaris had died several hours earlier. "No officers or investigators notified my parents or next of kin," Becker said in a Facebook message. "I choose to go over to (Mount Sinai) as soon as my (parents) told me, 'They need a family member to go there.' That was around 10:30 a.m. I identified her, no officers ever even came to the hospital to talk to me either." Varvaris, who attended Hubbard High School and later received her GED, had three children, ages 10, 11 and 12, and her family has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for them. In addition to her sister, survivors include her parents and a brother, as well as three nieces and four nephews. A memorial service was held Sunday. Police investigate the scene of a fatal shooting on Ohio Street near Homan Avenue on June 8, 2016. A reputed Gangster Disciples hit man was killed just five months after being released from prison. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) When Lanarris Webster went to prison in 2010, the name of the reputed Gangster Disciples hit man still meant something in the blocks around Homan Avenue and Huron Street on the West Side. By the time he was paroled in February, that world had changed. Webster, known on the street as "Baby Folks," returned to the corner he had once controlled to reassert his authority. But the 34-year-old did not last long. Last month, in the middle of the afternoon, Webster happened upon a friend who was having his minivan fixed by a curbside mechanic. As the men chatted and shared a marijuana blunt, a gunman emerged from a vacant lot and began firing, police sources said. In a hail of gunfire, the friend scrambled away as Webster spun and dropped to the pavement. Advertisement When Chicago police arrived, they found Webster sprawled on the sidewalk, dying of a gunshot wound to the chest. Gunned down on the turf he once controlled, Webster was another casualty of the gang violence spinning out of control in the city this year. A tent revival service was held at Union Missionary Baptist Church Thursday, July 21, 2016, in the East Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago. Pastor Raymond Hillman helped organize the revival in response to violence in the area. 34-year-old Lanarris Webster was shot and killed less than two blocks from the church last month. (Erin Hooley, Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Street gangs, once compared with Fortune 500 companies for their organizational skills and ruthless pursuit of profits, are now mostly made up of small, leaderless sets of members bound together by personal relationships rather than geographic or narcotics-trade ties. Personal insults and petty conflicts, often inflamed by social media posts, are just as likely to lead to a shooting as is competition for drug turf. Taken together, these changes have created an anything-goes atmosphere on the streets. Advertisement The causes of violence in Chicago are complex and defy simple explanation. But police and other experts identify the fracturing of Chicago's gangs as one apparent contributor to a surge in violence that includes more than 2,300 people shot so far this year. It is no secret that the nature of Chicago's street gangs has changed, resulting in less centralized and less hierarchical organizations. Chicago's top police officials have spoken frequently about how the splintering of the city's gangs has fueled the city's nonstop violence. Stature of the kind that Webster once enjoyed now means nothing, and gang members on the street have no bosses giving orders. The violent results have become increasingly unpredictable. As the gang affiliations and conflicts have become more chaotic, the criminal justice system has become less effective in dealing with the violence, according to interviews with five investigators who together have decades of experience in local and federal law enforcement agencies dealing with gangs. All spoke on the condition that they remain anonymous, either because of security concerns or because they were not authorized by their agencies to speak publicly. The investigators say that, at a time of dwindling resources and increased scrutiny of their credibility, law enforcement is struggling to keep up with the fast-changing identities of the gangs and their rivalries. Indeed, since May, the Cook County sheriff's office has begun weekly security meetings inside Cook County Jail to talk about the shifting landscape of gang alliances and conflicts. Much of the information they share comes from interviews with the young inmates; those interviews have yielded a picture of chaos on the street. "It's really confusing. Every day we learn something new," said a gang expert at the County Jail. "It's constantly changing." Lanarris Webster was a Chicago gang leader who went to prison and died in a recent shooting when he got out. (Illinois Department of Corrections) For the most part, the gangs are leaderless inside the jail, the source said. The Latin Kings still appoint a leader, known as an "Inca," to supervise members behind bars. That gang, like many other Hispanic gangs, largely continues to operate under more traditional hierarchy, which law enforcement continues to pursue. Just this past week, federal authorities announced sweeping indictments that rounded up dozens of Latin King leaders and members in the suburbs and Far South Side. But other gangs, and especially black gangs such as the Gangster Disciples, or GDs, are rudderless, mirroring the situation outside the jail, he said. "Every GD they interviewed," according to the source, "said they didn't answer to anybody." Advertisement A baseball cap remains on the ground after a West Side shooting June 8, 2016, on Ohio Street near Homan Avenue. Lanarris Webster, 34, was shot to death in the 3300 block of West Ohio in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Not too many years ago, the organization of Chicago's gangs was very different. From the 1970s into the early 2000s, street gangs in Chicago were sprawling, hierarchical organizations built to reap the profits of the drug trade. Often the highest-ranking leaders wielded power and influence beyond street crime. Even from prison, kingpins such as Jeff Fort, Larry Hoover and Willie Lloyd controlled multimillion-dollar drug operations and armies with thousands of soldiers. Fort and Hoover even dabbled in politics, and Fort eventually went to prison for trying to negotiate a terrorism-for-hire deal with the Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. When federal authorities prosecuted the hierarchy of the Black Disciples in 2004, the investigation revealed that one of the gang's top leaders, Donnell Jehan, had the use of then-Ald. Arenda Troutman's SUV. Troutman denied she had a personal relationship with the gang leader, known as "Scandalous." But Jehan was part of an organization that laundered its money by investing in apartment buildings and businesses, and Troutman was later convicted of corruption charges. The prosecution of the Black Disciples was one of the last large takedowns by the federal authorities of a gang hierarchy in Chicago. Leadership of other big gangs had been dismantled and imprisoned earlier, and with them went the centralized control of gang members. By the mid-2000s, the rank and file were learning how to fend for themselves on the street. While gang members still identify with the old "nations," such as the Gangster Disciples, Black P-Stones, Vice Lords and Four Corner Hustlers, the sources said their real loyalties are to the smaller subsets with names like Killa Ward, Terror Dome or Gutterville. Two federal law enforcement officers who regularly work with Chicago police on gang violence said that, among the black gangs, the old hierarchical rules of engagement "are nonexistent." One of the officers said he traces the change, in part, to the dismantling of public housing high-rises in Chicago. Without those buildings, the officer said, there was no infrastructure around which to rebuild the gangs the way they used to exist. Advertisement "Public housing scattered," he said. "You used to have a hierarchy of people who had to live together. You have this big housing event, and now GDs are living with Four Corner Hustlers." The disruption in gang structure also changed the way they did business, according to the investigators. Most of the drug dealing is now controlled by the individual sets, with the proceeds used to fuel activities on the street rather than funneled up a chain of command. "There's not as much wealth out there," said one federal agent, who has participated in undercover operations against gangs. "They're like a virus that kills the host too quickly." Another federal agent described an uptick in gang members stealing luxury vehicles from North Shore suburbs. But instead of selling the cars and SUVs to make money and fuel expansion, the federal agent said, "they're just driving them around and doing shootings." Investigators said the breakdown in the system of control over gangs has fueled violence for violence's sake. Social media, they say, has contributed to the atmosphere of quick, pointless violence. YouTube is jammed with videos of amateur local rappers, surrounded by their friends chanting boasts and taunts. Often, the teens and young adults in the videos can be seen wielding firearms. Investigators are troubled, too, by a breakdown in the code of what kind of violence is acceptable, and which targets are fair game. Advertisement The killing of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee last year signaled that children could be targets in the ongoing disputes. Authorities allege Lee's father was a gang member involved in a string of retaliatory gang violence, and that his son was lured into an alley and killed as a substitute. Investigators in the jail said they have found a similar, and deeply troubling, mentality among jail inmates affiliated with gangs. One teenage gang member from the South Side recounted a conflict in which the gang was targeting a rival who drove a black Mercedes-Benz. "So they started targeting black Mercedeses," the county sheriff's investigator said. "They started shooting at any black Mercedes." The results of Chicago's violent subculture have been alarming this year. As of Friday afternoon, the city had seen at least 381 homicides, according to data compiled by the Tribune, with 68 killings in May and 72 in June. The bloodshed has put the city on pace to surpass 600 homicides in 2016, a total not seen since 2003. Stopping the retaliatory violence that contributes to those sorts of figures has always been the biggest challenge for police. In 2003, when Chicago police first launched a version of the CompStat data analytics system, the principal goal was to quell retaliation. Data gathered from gang intelligence on the street was used to predict where retaliatory shootings were most likely to happen next. Police would then saturate those areas with large teams of officers. In 2004, the homicide rate dropped by 25 percent, taking the city's homicide tally below 600 for the first time in decades. But in the intervening decade, a combination of budget crises and misconduct scandals have undermined efforts by police. The big saturation teams the Special Operations Section and Targeted Response Unit have been disbanded, replaced by smaller units that investigators say do not have the same impact. Advertisement And levels of mistrust between police and the communities they patrol are high, making it difficult to solve gang crimes. It is a problem Chicago police have had a significant hand in building. The culture of mistrust between the department and residents has a foundation based on much more than just the current uproar the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald by Officer Jason Van Dyke. Since the early 1980s, the department has repeatedly been tarnished by scandals involving detectives and special units assigned to combat gangs, and who instead have been convicted of committing ganglike crimes such as shaking down drug dealers. A veteran gangs detective said some fault for the spiking violence lies with a department on its heels because of the McDonald scandal. "A lot of it has to do with the fact that we're not getting out of the car. Not locking people up that's a huge thing," the detective said, noting that gang members have benefited from the troubles of the police. "We're no longer believable. They're more believable than we are. We're not believable in court, and we're having to add more and more things to show that what happened was actually what happened." Half a block west of where Webster was killed, the Union Missionary Baptist Church has been holding nightly "tent revival" meetings in the parking lot. The Rev. Raymond Hillman hopes to show people that the community has something other than gunfire to offer after the sun goes down. When asked about a shooting that happened down the street on Ohio, he immediately blurted out, "Oh, yes. Baby Folks." "With that murder, I had heard about it," Hillman said, noting he knew Webster by reputation only but was surprised by the brazen killing of a high-ranking Gangster Disciple. "I think that marks a shift." Hillman said something needs to change with the level of mistrust with the police. The black community, he said, lacks the leadership to negotiate better relations with the police, and the police are too quick to write off every black man they encounter in certain neighborhoods. Advertisement Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > "We're going to need, I wouldn't say more police, but I'd say more compassion from them," Hillman said. The situation, he said, is dire. Having grown up in the gang-afflicted ABLA Homes housing development, Hillman agrees that the breakup of public housing and scattering of gang members has caused confusion about gang alliances. That, he added, has resulted in more unpredictable violence. "I felt safer there than I do in this kind of community," he said. In the housing developments, "we all knew each other." The slaying of Webster remains unsolved, but police are pursuing leads that suggest he may have been shot by someone from a faction of the rival Vice Lords gang associating with members of the victim's own Gangster Disciples, sources said. The clues in his homicide mirror the emerging confusion about traditional gang alliances; that is, other gang members resisted Webster's efforts to reclaim his place, not giving him the deference he once enjoyed. Webster's death also seems to be an example of the ongoing trend of indiscriminate violence when gang members are pursuing a target. A week before he was killed on the West Side, Webster was shot at but the gunfire missed, police sources said. But the gunman wounded four other people. dheinzmann@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @davidheinzmann A high-ranking Chicago police officer recommended for firing after a string of excessive force complaints filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging officials at the embattled Independent Police Review Authority botched investigations of wrongdoing against him and set him up for criminal charges by leaking reports to the media. Glenn Evans, a controversial former South Side commander known for his aggressive policing style, was acquitted in December by a Cook County judge on charges he shoved his gun down Rickey Williams' throat, despite evidence showing the alleged victim's DNA on Evans' gun. Last month, a bid to fire Evans, who is now a lieutenant, over a separate misconduct allegation fizzled after officials realized they had failed to act before a five-year statute of limitations passed on taking disciplinary action. Advertisement Evans alleged in a nine-count lawsuit filed Thursday evening that a disgruntled IPRA investigator, Matrice Campbell, leaked key information about the DNA tests on the gun to a reporter for WBEZ, who used it in a series of reports on the investigation. According to the suit, Campbell long held a grudge against Evans because he had written her up for insubordination in 1999 when she worked at the Wentworth District police station while he was a sergeant. Advertisement CPD Supt. Eddie Johnson comments on Glenn Evans. May 26, 2016. (WGN-TV) (Chicago Tribune) "Campbell has harbored animosity toward Evans ever since," the 28-page complaint alleged. Evans filed a complaint about the alleged leak with the city's inspector general in May 2015, according to the lawsuit. The suit also alleged that Evans had been charged with Williams' aggravated battery in 2014 only because of mounting political pressure on Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and others to do something about police misconduct in the wake of deadly shootings in Ferguson, Mo., New York and elsewhere. After Evans was acquitted of the charges in a bench trial earlier this year, authorities at IPRA "inexplicably re-opened" a previous investigation into the alleged battery of Rita King during an arrest in 2011, the suit alleged. King had accused Evans of breaking her nose after she refused to be fingerprinted, but an initial IPRA investigation had cleared Evans of wrongdoing. The suit alleged that current IPRA boss Sharon Fairley re-opened the King investigation "in order to retaliate against Evans for prevailing in the Williams matter," as well as for complaining to the inspector general and refusing to voluntarily retire. The suit alleged Fairley made the move to "create the appearance of being tough on 'dirty' policemen." "IPRA has once again failed the citizens of the City of Chicago by not playing it down the middle with its investigations," Evans' lawyer, Victor Henderson, said in a statement. "Shooting victims and police alike deserve a fair and honest investigation. Anything less only serves to undermine Chicago in our own eyes and in the eyes of the world." Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > A spokeswoman for IPRA could not immediately be reached for comment. Advertisement Evans' lawsuit comes as both the Police Department and the police oversight system undergo upheaval sparked late last year by the release of video of a white officer shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. The video inflamed long-smoldering dissatisfaction with Chicago police, particularly among African-Americans, touching off sustained protests, and a probe by the U.S. Department of Justice into whether the department has systematically violated residents' rights. Emanuel, meanwhile, has responded to the political crisis by promising a raft of reforms to policing and officer discipline, and a key plank of his plan is to abolish IPRA. That agency, as detailed in a recent Tribune investigation, has conducted cursory investigations, shown deference to officers accused of abuse and recommended light discipline on the rare occasions when it determined police were in the wrong. Neither City Hall nor its allies have given details as to what might replace IPRA. Still, Fairley, has worked to change the agency even as its demise looms. Fairley, whom Emanuel appointed in December after forcing out former leader Scott Ando, has vowed to improve investigations and request tougher discipline, and she has ruled more shootings by police unjustified in the last two months than the agency had in the prior nine years. Evans' suit is not the first high-profile litigation to target IPRA. Former IPRA supervisor Lorenzo Davis is suing the city in Cook County court, alleging that Ando fired him for refusing to change his findings in shootings by police that Davis considered unjustified. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com dhinkel@chicagotribune.com A man was taken to a hospital after being shot by police in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood Thursday night after a report of a robbery, authorities said. One man was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair-to-serious condition after an incident near 67th and May streets about 6:55 p.m., according to the Chicago Fire Department's media office, which referred inquiries for more information to police. The person shot was believed to be a robbery suspect, said Mia Sissac, a spokeswoman for the Independent Police Review Authority, which is investigating the shooting. Advertisement Officers were called at 6:50 p.m., according to Sissac and a news release from Chicago police. When officers arrived, they found a 24-year-old man who said someone who had just robbed him was running away through a gangway, according to the release. Officers saw the man with a gun in his hand and ordered him to drop it. Advertisement When the man did not drop the gun, officers fired twice, hitting the man in "the lower extremities," according to the release. The man was taken into custody and taken to the hospital. A weapon was found and taken into evidence, according to the release. The officers involved were to be put on desk duty for 30 days, a routine procedure begun last year. A University of Illinois at Chicago student has been charged with sexually assaulting a former high school classmate during what his attorney called a fraternity party. The alleged assault took place during a July 4 party at the Little Italy neighborhood apartment where Joseph Vinod, 18, lived with two roommates, authorities said. Vinod's lawyer, Todd Pugh, identified all three as UIC students who belonged to the same fraternity. Advertisement "What are we going to do with our young people?" an exasperated Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. said Friday before setting bail at $100,000 and ordering Vinod to wear an electronic-monitoring bracelet on his release. He is charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault. Cook County prosecutors said that Vinod and a group of friends had spent the holiday drinking at the beach. By the time they returned to Vinod's four-bedroom apartment in the 1300 block of West Taylor Street, the woman, 18, was intoxicated, prosecutors said. Advertisement At about 10 p.m., the woman went to Vinod's bedroom to retrieve something from her purse, said Assistant State's Attorney Elena Gottreich. Others were also in the bedroom, but when they left, Vinod closed and locked the door"forcibly removed" the woman's clothing and sexually assaulted her, Gottreich said. The woman had told Vinod to stop and tried to push him off her with both hands, Gottreich said. She was "hysterically crying" and immediately told a friend what had happened when others eventually entered the bedroom, she said. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > "The defendant ... did not say anything when confronted by the friend but smirked," Gottreich said. The woman's brother was contacted and drove her home, where she told a family member what happened, according to the prosecutor. She was then taken to the hospital. Vinod's lawyer said his client has no criminal history. Pugh questioned prosecutors' version of the alleged attack if no one in the apartment heard cries for help from the woman. Vinod, a computer science major, was set to begin his sophomore year this fall, but Pugh said that under university policy, students facing such charges are suspended until the criminal case ends. In an emailed response, a UIC spokeswoman said the incident occurred off campus and declined to say what if any action might be taken against Vinod. Advertisement sschmadeke@chicagotribune.com Twitter @SteveSchmadeke A Chicago woman whose police officer husband was gunned down in 2010 called on people to honor the memory of slain officers during an emotional speech Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention. Jennifer Loudon's husband, Thor Soderberg, was shot to death by a man who surprised him as he was changing clothes in his car in a parking lot near the police facility where he worked. The man took Soderberg's service gun and executed him with it, and later shot at three other officers during the chase that ensued. Advertisement The killer, Bryant Brewer, was convicted in the slaying and last year was sentenced to life plus 115 years in prison. Wayne Owens, Barbara Owens and Jennifer Loudon, family members of fallen law enforcement officers stand on the stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP) Loudon was among several relatives of slain officers who addressed the convention as part of a segment of speeches featuring everyday Americans. It came after a Tuesday night segment that featured two Chicago women who lost their daughters prematurely, one to gang violence and another after a controversial traffic stop. Advertisement Noting that "in light of recent events, some of us have lost faith," Loudon said she wanted to remind Americans that officers are risking their lives to protect people, and called for honoring them "by acting as our officers did, helping others, bridging communities and bringing peace." "Thor knew that every interaction he had mattered, that every word he spoke, and yes, every arrest he made, defined what it meant to serve and protect," Loudon said. "He knew effective policing required treating people with kindness and respect, especially when he was most often called to their worst moments." Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 200 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves to delegates after her speech during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. (Mary Altaffer / AP) To illustrate that, Loudon told of how Soderberg had once encountered a boy who had stolen a belt to replace the rope that he was using to hold up his pants. "Thor negotiated and the charges were dropped," Loudon said. "He also paid for the belt." A night earlier at the convention, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the longtime leader of Chicago's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, voiced concerns over the recent killings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La. kgeiger@chicagotribune.com Twitter @kimgeiger PHILADELPHIA Senate-seeking Rep. Tammy Duckworth drew on her military background and borrowed a line from her Republican opponent to declare GOP nominee Donald Trump "not fit to be commander in chief" during a Thursday speech at the Democratic National Convention. The comment came a day after Trump angered Democrats when he said he hoped Russian hackers had gotten ahold of Hillary Clinton's emails and encouraged them to publish them if so. Amid much criticism, Trump suggested Thursday that he was being "sarcastic." Advertisement Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost her legs in the conflict, took the opportunity to rip Trump anyway. "Of course, in Donald Trump's America, if you get knocked down, you stay down," Duckworth said. "By the way, Donald Trump, I didn't put my life on the line to defend our democracy so you could invite Russia to interfere in it. Advertisement "You are not fit to be commander in chief," said the two-term lawmaker, to cheers from the crowd gathered at the Wells Fargo Center awaiting Clinton's nomination acceptance speech. Duckworth's opponent, retired Navy Reserve officer and first-term Republican Sen. Mark Kirk, has been trying to distance himself from Trump and recently ran a TV ad touting himself as someone who "bucked his party to say Donald Trump is not fit to be commander in chief." Besides the Trump talk, Duckworth, who is running her first statewide campaign in what is expected to be a costly and nationally watched battle, used the venue to reintroduce herself to potential donors and supporters. She related her personal tale of financial struggle growing up poor and overcoming adversity, crediting programs supported by Democrats for helping her achieve success. "I worked hard, but I had a lot of help, from my community and my country," Duckworth said. "And my story is not unique. It's a story about why this is the greatest nation on Earth a nation that so many are willing to die defending. A nation that says if you keep working hard, we won't abandon you." As the mother of a 1-year-old, Duckworth tried to rally Democrats around the historic nomination of the first woman to the top of a major-party ticket. "My Abigail already knows that women can fly helicopters in combat," said Duckworth, 48. "And in 102 days, when we elect Hillary, my daughter's first memories of a president will be of a woman." Duckworth lost her legs when the Blackhawk helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq. She went on to serve in the administrations of now-imprisoned ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and President Barack Obama before being elected to Congress in 2012. She was the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress from Illinois. kgeiger@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @kimgeiger According to the World Health Organization, being transgender is a mental illness. But that could soon change, as WHO prepares a new edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), its global codebook that influences national disease diagnostic manuals worldwide. The current version, ICD-10, has been around since 1990 and ICD-11 is expected to be approved in 2018. Advertisement The proposals to declassify transgender identity as a mental disorder have been approved by each committee that has considered it so far. A study published this week in the Lancet Psychiatry journal, offers up new evidence supporting the change. A condition is designated as a mental illness when the very fact that you have it causes distress and dysfunction, said Geoffrey Reed, a professor of psychology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, a consultant on the ICD-11, and co-author of the study told the Washington Post. The study argues that this isn't the case with transgender identity. Advertisement Between April and August of 2014, Reed and his team interviewed 250 transgender adults who were receiving transgender-related health services at the Condesa Specialized Clinic in Mexico City. They asked them about their childhoods, when they knew they were transgender, and what kinds of reactions they had gotten from work, school, or family. Reed found that many of his interviewees experienced a lot of distress in their lives. Later, using mathematical modeling, he found a good way to predict who was suffering -but the most important determining factor was not being transgender, it was something else. "We found distress and dysfunction were very powerfully predicted by the experiences of social rejection or violence that people had," he said. "But they were not actually predicted by gender incongruence itself." This finding contradicts the basic classification of a mental illness, which is that "distress or dysfunction are essential elements of the condition," the paper said. One of the primary goals of the reclassification is to also improve transgendered people's access to health care. Reed hopes his work shows that being transgender doesn't have to equate to suffering. It's actually the external factors, Reed said, that cause the suffering: the societal stigma, the violence, and the prejudices. Remove them, and all that remains is the feeling of "gender incongruence," the label proposed in ICD-11 in a new chapter called "Conditions Related to Sexual Health" which will be medically and biologically oriented. This issue echoes past controversies. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the psychiatric disorder guidebook, used to include homosexuality as a mental illness. In 1973, they changed the diagnosis to "sexual orientation disturbance," and then removed it completely in 1987, largely due to gay rights advocates. Hysteria, an affliction often attributed to women, was in the DSM until 1980. The DSM called transgender identity "sexual deviations," in 1968. In 1980 it was "psychosexual disorders," and in 1994,"sexual and gender identity disorders." The DSM-5 changed the listing of transgender to "gender dysphoria" in 2013 (though it remains classified as a mental illness today). There's been progress, but as long as mental illness continues to be widely stigmatized, Reed said it's going to affect trans people in a negative way. In most cases in the United States, to undergo a sex change operation, a person must first get a diagnosis from a doctor. That means readily accepting a mental illness diagnosis, even though the patient may not feel they have one, to go through treatment. Advertisement After that, "stigma associated with both transgender status and mental disorders has contributed to precarious legal status, human rights violations, and barriers to appropriate health care among transgender people," the paper says. "The fact that people have a mental disorder has sometimes been misused to say, that means that they're not competent to make their own decisions," Reed said. "They're not competent to decide if they want to be a different gender, they're not competent to decide if they want to change their identity documents, they're not competent to have custody of their own children, they're not competent to manage their own reproductive rights." So why not remove the classification all together, as was done with homosexuality? Because one of the primary goals of the reclassification is to also improve transgendered people's access to health care. There are often insurance coverage differences between mental and physical illness, and one of the incentives for the authors of the study would be to close that gap. "The risk would be if we took conditions related to gender identity out of the classification all together, it would undermine the access to health services that transgender people have," Reed said. "They wouldn't have a diagnostic code that conveyed eligibility." Jack Drescher, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst at New York Medical College, who serves on the WHO working group told the New York Times that inmates, like Chelsea Manning, are able to receive hormone treatments in part because transgender identity belongs to a medical category. Trans activist groups have been working toward this for years, said Mauro Cabral, one of the program directors of the Global Action for Trans* Equality (GATE). Advertisement Jamison Green, the former president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), said the change would be a tremendous relief to any person who is gender variant or gender nonconforming. WPATH has been publishing Standards of Care since 1979, guidelines for health professionals to assist transgender, and gender nonconforming people. "If we could stop society from judging people's gender expression as a kind of craziness if it doesn't fit what someone else thinks their gender identity ought to be," he said. "That's going to be a long process, it'll be more than just changing the diagnosis. But that would be a step in the right direction." I don't see it as necessarily a victory to differentiate ourselves from mental illness. The true victory would be to de-stigmatize diversity and difference itself." Alok Vaid-Menon, trans activist The study also reveals how much a toll societal stigma can have on a young person. A 2012 study showed that teens who grew up with unsupportive families had 57 percent percent suicide rate, compared to a 4 percent suicide rate of those who had supportive families. Some studies show that transgender people can develop PTSD just from being trans. Because of this, for some trans activists, like Alok Vaid-Menon, changing the language of the ICD-11 is a small battle won, but the war is still being waged for trans rights. "For me I don't see it as necessarily a victory to differentiate ourselves from mental illness," Vaid-Menon said in an interview Wednesday night. "The true victory would be to de-stigmatize diversity and difference itself." Even the fact that mental illness is stigmatized so much, to the point that trans people don't want to be associated with it, is a cause for concern Vaid-Menon said. The issue is not the labeling, but how people can damage each other through their actions. Advertisement "I think the bigger question that we need to ask is, why do we stigmatize difference?" said Vaid-Menon. Vaid-Menon is part of a trans South Asian performance art duo called Dark Matter, along with Janani Balasubramanian. This year, The New Yorker said they "offer a cheeky radical-queer critique of the gay-rights movement." They perform poems related to transgender rights and transphobia all over the country, and are heavily involved in trans activism. Even before this new study, to Vaid-Menon, it's been painfully obvious that any distress related to being transgender comes from the outside world. "We literally are traumatized doing really basic actions, like going outside, walking, doing our laundry, eating, where we have people say and do horrendous and horrible things to us," said Vaid-Menon. "The only representation we see of ourselves in the media is violence and in the case of black and Latina trans women, often incredible murder. I think that it's really really irresponsible, rude, and humiliating to say that it's trans people's internal fault that we are dysphoric. That makes no sense to me." Vaid-Menon is proud of the ICD-11 change, but said that the biggest problems that trans people are facing, is not a semantic definition, but real issues like violence, poverty, homelessness, and housing discrimination. Reed acknowledged this in his paper, saying that "ample documentation from existing studies shows that transgender people experience high rates of harassment and violence, including sexual violence, not only from strangers but also from their own families and communities." "Young people who grow up in supportive environments" are not particularly distressed, Reed said. "They are receiving adequate social support, they come from families that are not treating them with stigmatization and violence, and they expect that there will be services available to them. So there's no reason for them to be distressed. They still have the anatomical incongruence, where they experience themselves to be a different gender than what their body may be developing into, but they don't have to have hallmarks of distress and dysfunction." Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, shakes hands with the Chief of general staff General Hulusi Akar during a meeting with the top-level military meeting at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, July 29, 2016. Erdogan met with Hulusi Akar, the four-star general who retained his position as chief of staff following a Supreme Military Council meeting, as well as other top military brass of the Turkish armed forces. (Kayhan Ozer / AP) ANKARA, Turkey Turkey's president slammed the United States on Friday, claiming it was not standing firmly against a failed military coup and accused it of harboring the plot's alleged mastermind, as a government crackdown in the coup's aftermath strained Turkey's ties with key allies. Turkey has demanded the United States extradite Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania whom it accuses of being behind the violent July 15 coup attempt that left more than 200 people dead. It is accusing Western nations of not extending sufficient support to its efforts to counter further threats from followers of the Gulen movement, which it says have infiltrated the country's state institutions. Advertisement Turkey considers Gulen's movement a terrorist organization. Gulen has denied any prior knowledge of the plot and says his movement espouses interfaith dialogue. The United States has asked Turkey for evidence of his involvement, and said the U.S. extradition process must take its course. "Instead of thanking this nation that quashed the coup in the name of democracy, on the contrary, you are taking sides with the coup plotters," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an angry speech Friday at a police special forces headquarters in Ankara. The facility was bombed and fired upon during the attempted coup, and 47 police officers were killed. Advertisement "The putschist is already in your country," Erdogan said. The president also lashed out at an American military official who expressed concern that the failed coup may have longer-term effects on the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Gen. Joseph Votel said Thursday the unrest could affect U.S. relations with the Turkish military, noting that some of its leaders have been jailed. "We've certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular. And so I'm concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue to move forward," Votel said at the Aspen Security Forum. Erdogan criticized the comment. "It's not up to you to make that decision. Who are you? Know your place," he said, and hinted the United States could be behind the failed plot. "My people know who is behind this scheme ... they know who the superior intelligence behind it is, and with these statements you are revealing yourselves, you are giving yourselves away," he said. Speaking later in the evening at an event in Ankara to commemorate the dead and wounded, Erdogan said nobody from the European Union or the Council of Europe had visited Turkey to express their condolences for those killed in the coup. Advertisement He noted the West simply offered condolences and then followed up with messages of concern about those suspended or fired. "You simply send a message of condolence, and you follow it up with nine kinds of advice?" Erdogan said. "Keep that to yourself." The president insisted a broad crackdown on the Gulen movement was necessary and would continue. "Some say 'you've dismissed 10,000, 20,000.' We will purge tens of thousands of whomever they are," Erdogan said. "It is not possible for them to remain in this country's institutions, those who rained bombs purchased with taxes on my pristine people," he added. Speaking earlier in the day, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey wanted Gulen's extradition process to conclude rapidly and has asked the United States to make sure he does not escape to another country. Advertisement He also criticized Turkey's European and Western allies for their stance on the government's broad crackdown, which has included a purge of the civil service, military, judiciary and education sectors, and the closures of hundreds of schools and dozens of media outlets. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, rear center, with the Chief of general staff General Hulusi Akar, left, during a top-level military meeting at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, July 29, 2016. Erdogan met with Hulusi Akar, the four-star general who retained his position as chief of staff following a Supreme Military Council meeting, as well as other top military brass of the Turkish armed forces. (Kayhan Ozer / AP) "We are disturbed by our European and Western friends' approach," Cavusoglu told reporters. "Very few have given us clear support against the coup. They started to give us lessons in democracy, to talk down to us, to warn us." The European Union and other countries, as well as human rights groups, have voiced increasing concern about the crackdown. According to recent figures from the interior ministry, more than 18,000 people have been detained since the coup attempt. Of those, more than 3,500 have since been released, a senior government official said. More than 66,000 people in the wider civil service have been suspended from their jobs. Ankara has also been seeking to extend its crackdown on the network of schools and institutions abroad connected to his movement. In Germany, the governor of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said his regional government received a letter from the Turkish consul-general in Stuttgart asking it to check and "reevaluate" organizations, facilities and schools "which in the opinion of the Turkish government are, it says, 'controlled' by the Gulen movement." "That surprised me greatly," Winfried Kretschmann told the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "Of course we will not do that." Advertisement Kretschmann said he has seen no evidence to back Turkey's assertion that the Gulen movement was responsible for the coup attempt or that Islamization is taking place at schools in Germany. Germany's foreign minister said it was good that the coup had been foiled "but now the reactions are getting far out of proportion." "When tens of thousands of civil servants, teachers and judges are dismissed, thousands of schools and education facilities shut and dozens of journalists arrested without any direct connection with the coup being discernible, we cannot simply stay silent," Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted as saying Friday in the Ruhr Nachrichten paper. Steinmeier said bringing back the death penalty would be "a major step backward" for Turkey. In his Friday night speech, Erdogan said that "I hear the people chanting about the death penalty and we are a democracy." He said the issue would be discussed by Parliament. Cavusoglu, in an interview with Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to be published Saturday, raised the possibility of a referendum on reinstating capital punishment. Advertisement This decision should not be taken "in the heat of the moment," he was quoted as saying. "Perhaps the decision on this will be taken in a referendum. These are very serious questions." He argued that officials are getting thousands of tweets and texts saying "'if you don't reintroduce the death penalty, we won't vote for your party anymore.'" "The EU doesn't have the right to give us lessons on this matter," Cavusoglu was quoted as saying. Associated Press Donald Trump was speaking at an event in Iowa, complaining that America was not allowed to waterboard terrorists, when Khizr Khan and his wife walked up to the microphone at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Khan's son Humayun Khan was a captain in the U.S. Army. When a vehicle packed with explosives approached his compound in Iraq in 2004, he instructed his men to seek cover as he approached it. It exploded, killing Khan instantly. He was awarded the Bronze Star posthumously. "We are honored to stand here as the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan," the elder Khan said, "and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country." He spoke of his son's dreams of becoming a military lawyer and how Hillary Clinton had referred to his son as "the best of America." Then he focused his attention on Trump. "If it was up to Donald Trump, [Humayun] never would have been in America," Khan said. "Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country." "Donald Trump," he said, "you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy." He pulled a copy of the Constitution from his pocket. "In this document, look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law.'" Earlier this month, Trump promised Congressional Republicans that he would defend "Article XII" of the Constitution, which doesn't exist. Advertisement "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America - you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities," Khan said. "You have sacrificed nothing. And no one." In Iowa, according to The Guardian's Ben Jacobs, Trump was talking about polls. Supporters gather as a construction crew breaks ground on the Obama Presidential Center site at Jackson Park on Aug. 16, 2021. (Vashon Jordan Jr. / Chicago Tribune) President Barack Obama and the first lady are "thrilled" that his presidential library will go up in Jackson Park, "in the heart of Chicago's South Side, a community we call home and that means the world to us," according to a statement issued Friday. The foundation charged with developing the Obama Presidential Center on Friday made official the choice of Jackson Park for the library, museum and foundation headquarters, a decision first reported earlier this week. Advertisement Washington Park also had been considered for the center, and officials on Friday did their best to try to suggest that community also would benefit from the presence of a presidential library a few miles to the east. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a release from the foundation announcing the choice that the center "will bring tremendous cultural, economic, and educational benefits not just to Jackson Park, but to Washington Park, Woodlawn and the entire city of Chicago for generations to come." Advertisement Louise McCurry, president of the Jackson Park Advisory Council, says she's thrilled that Jackson Park will be home to the Obama Presidential Center. (Marwa Eltagouri/Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune) Martin Nesbitt, chairman of the Obama Foundation and a close friend of the Obamas, said building in Jackson Park "will have the greatest long-term impact on the combined communities." Officials from the foundation, the city of Chicago and the University of Chicago are scheduled to talk about the selection at a news conference Wednesday. They will be joined by community leaders and local elected officials. The center will host the 44th president's library, archives and foundation headquarters. It is expected to cost at least $500 million and to open in 2021. Jackson Park, on Chicago's lakefront, already is home to the Museum of Science and Industry. The park was designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. It was the setting for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, timed to 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1492. The Woodlawn neighborhood is on the park's western edge, and the city and two other entities own much of the nearby vacant land. One entity is the nonprofit Woodlawn Community Development Corp. The other is the Apostolic Church of God, a 20,000-seat house of worship led by the Rev. Byron Brazier. Brazier, in the foundation's release, said Woodlawn would work with the foundation and mayor's office to ensure economic growth and "full participation of South Side community stakeholders and residents." In June, foundation officials announced that New York-based architects, husband-and-wife team Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, will design the center with Chicago-based Interactive Design Architects. "We are proud that the center will help spur development in an urban area and we can't wait to forge new ways to give back to the people of Chicago who have given us so much," President Obama said. Advertisement kskiba@tribpub.com Twitter @KatherineSkiba Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves to delegates after her speech during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. (Mary Altaffer / AP) As a male, I can't say I've ever had a particular urge to be a woman. But seeing the expressions of pride and excitement on the faces of women in the audience at the Democratic convention listening to Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech, I wish I could feel what they're feeling. Hillary Clinton is such a well-known and sometimes tiresome politician that it's easy to forget the deep historical significance of her candidacy. But a lot of women obviously have not forgotten it. Entrusting a female with our highest office would be a change more momentous than a lot of people realize. As someone whose general philosophy is broadly libertarian, I have many differences with Clinton on policy, from Libya to the minimum wage to campaign finance regulation. Her calculating ambition and willingness to bend rules for her benefit are often infuriating. She's often humorless, and she lacks the natural charm of Bill Clinton or even George W. Bush. Advertisement Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during the last day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 28, 2016. (Olivier Douliery / TNS) But Hillary Clinton has a sincere concern for the interests of poor people, women and disadvantaged minorities, and it has underpinned her career in public life. Contrast that with many Republicans, including Donald Trump, who often appear callous, shallow, ideologically blinkered and uninformed about the challenges facing people less fortunate than themselves. Clinton has educated herself on a lot of issues that probably didn't come easily to a middle-class white woman from Park Ridge, Ill., who graduated from prestigious universities. Trump, to put it charitably, has not. She's a grown-up, and he has no desire to be one. Advertisement Clinton is a long way from a model of integrity, transparency or aversion to conflicts of interest. But on those counts, she's not the worst person in this race. And in most important ways, she's far superior to what the GOP has offered. Steve Chapman, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/chapman. Follow Steve Chapman on Twitter @SteveChapman13 and Facebook. President Barack Obama hugs Democratic nominee for president Hillary Clinton on stage on the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, on July 27, 2016. (Shawn Thew, EPA) WASHINGTON "The best darn change-maker I ever met in my entire life." So said Bill Clinton in making the case for his wife at the Democratic National Convention. Considering that Bernie Sanders ran as the author of a political revolution and Donald Trump as the man who would "kick over the table" (to quote Newt Gingrich) in Washington, "change-maker" does not exactly make the heart race. Which is the fundamental problem with the Hillary Clinton campaign. What precisely is it about? Why is she running in the first place? Advertisement Like most dynastic candidates (most famously Ted Kennedy in 1979), she really doesn't know. She seeks the office because, well, it's the next the final step on the ladder. Her campaign's premise is that we're doing OK but we can do better. There are holes to patch in the nanny-state safety net. She's the one to do it. Advertisement It amounts to Sanders lite. Or the short-lived Bush slogan: "Jeb can fix it." We know where that went. The one man who could have given the pudding a theme, who could have created a plausible Hillaryism, was Bill Clinton. Rather than do that the way in Cleveland Gingrich shaped Trump's various bar stool eruptions into a semi-coherent program of national populism Bill gave a long chronological account of a passionate liberal's social activism. It was an attempt, I suppose, to humanize her. Former president Bill Clinton began his speech at the Democratic National Convention July 26, 2016, talking about the love story between him and Hillary Clinton. (C-SPAN) (Chicago Tribune) Well, yes. Perhaps, after all, somewhere in there is a real person. But what a waste of Bill's talents. It wasn't exactly Clint Eastwood speaking to an empty chair, but at the end you had to ask: Is that all there is? He grandly concluded with this: "The reason you should elect her is that in the greatest country on Earth we have always been about tomorrow." Is there a rhetorical device more banal? Trump's acceptance speech was roundly criticized for offering a dark, dystopian vision of America. For all of its exaggeration, however, it reflected well the view from Fishtown, the fictional white working-class town created statistically by social scientist Charles Murray in his 2012 study "Coming Apart." It chronicled the economic, social and spiritual disintegration of those left behind by globalization and economic transformation. Trump's capture of the resultant feelings of anxiety and abandonment explains why he enjoys an astonishing 39-point advantage over Clinton among whites without a college degree. His solution is to beat up on foreigners for "stealing" our jobs. But while trade is a factor in the loss of manufacturing jobs, even more important, by a large margin, is the emergence of an information economy in which education, knowledge and various kinds of literacy are the coin of the realm. For all the factory jobs lost to competitors from underdeveloped nations, far more are lost to robots. Hard to run against higher productivity. Easier to run against cunning foreigners. In either case, Clinton has found no counter. If she has a theme, it's about expanding opportunity, shattering ceilings. But the universe of discriminated-against minorities so vast 50 years ago is rapidly shrinking. When the burning civil rights issue of the day is bathroom choice for the transgendered, a flummoxed Fishtown understandably asks, "What about us?" Telling coal miners she was going to close their mines and kill their jobs only reinforced white working-class alienation from Clinton. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 200 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves to delegates after her speech during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. (Mary Altaffer / AP) As for the chaos abroad, the Democrats are in see-no-evil denial. The first night in Philadelphia, there were 61 speeches. Not one mentioned the Islamic State or even terrorism. Later references were few, far between and highly defensive. After all, what can the Democrats say? Hillary Clinton's calling card is experience. Yet as secretary of state she left a trail of policy failures from Libya to Syria, from the Russian reset to the Iraqi withdrawal to the rise of the Islamic State. Clinton had a strong second half of the convention as the Sanders revolt faded and as President Barack Obama endorsed her with one of the finer speeches of his career. Yet Trump's convention bounce of up to 10 points has given him a slight lead in the polls. She badly needs one of her own. She still enjoys the Democrats' built-in Electoral College advantage. But she remains highly vulnerable to outside events and internal revelations. Another major terror attack, another email drop and everything changes. In this crazy election year, there are no straight-line projections. As Clinton leaves Philadelphia, her lifelong drive for the ultimate prize is perilously close to a coin flip. Charles Krauthammer is a Washington Post columnist. letters@charleskrauthammer.com Advertisement Washington Post Writers Group "At some point there is going to be a terrorist diaspora out of Syria like we've never seen before. Not all of the Islamic State killers are going to die on the battlefield." FBI Director James Comey, July 27, 2016 Advertisement A French teen slits the throat of an elderly priest in France. Islamic State claims credit. A truck driver barrels over hundreds of men, women and children celebrating Bastille Day in Nice. Islamic State claims credit. Gunmen rampage through a nightclub in Orlando, and a health center in San Bernardino, bombs explode at airports in Brussels and Istanbul, a car bomb in Baghdad kills more than 180, a suicide bomber in Ansbach, Germany, wounds 15 ... The stomach-churning headlines come in rapid-fire bursts now. Behind them all, the same terror inspiration: Islamic State. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 72 People place flowers on the Promenade des Anglais at the scene of Thursday's truck attack, prior to a minute of silence in Nice, southern France, Monday, July 18, 2016, to honor the victims of the Bastille Day attack. (Claude Paris / AP) Chilling thought: On Wednesday, FBI Director James Comey said the worst could be yet to come when the U.S. and its allies crush Islamic State in its self-anointed caliphate in Iraq and Syria. When, not if. The defeat of Islamic State could disperse hundreds of fighters to the West, including the U.S., Comey says. The scale of the potential threat is "an order of magnitude greater than anything we've seen before." Is Comey suggesting that America and its allies go easy on Islamic State to prevent the dispersal of defeated terrorists? Not at all. It's logical to expect that Islamic State will ramp up attacks as it loses territory to a U.S.-led coalition. But Islamic State won't be appeased or contained if its enemies back off. It won't hesitate to inspire and launch more terror attacks against the U.S. and its allies. Islamic State would use any respite to grow stronger, to threaten more of Iraq and Syria, to spur even greater conflict in the Middle East. Residents gather at the site of a bomb attack in Syria's northeastern city of Qamishli on July 27, 2016. A massive bomb blast claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 44 people and wounded dozens in the Kurdish-majority Syrian city, according to Syrian state media. (Delil Souleliman / AFP/Getty Images) That's why this page has urged America and its allies to squeeze harder on Islamic State. Help Iraqi forces and other allies capture the key Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, Islamic State's de facto capital, and Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. Some encouraging developments: NATO is muscling up its anti-terrorism forces, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg writes in The Wall Street Journal. That includes training more Iraqi officers and providing logistical, strategic and intelligence support across the region to fight Islamic State. On Thursday came reports that the U.S. is poring over a huge trove of intelligence about Islamic State fighters who have trekked into Syria and Iraq and, in some cases, returned home. That could help Western security forces blunt some future attacks, whether in Europe, America or elsewhere. Advertisement After the truck rampage in France, the U.S. and Russia agreed to cooperate militarily to end the Syrian civil war. We'll see if that is more than a diplomatic feint by Russian President Vladimir Putin: Is he serious about ramping up the fight against Islamic State? Putin has reason to help crush Islamic State after terrorists bombed a Russian jetliner out of the sky last year. He knows, too, that the terrorist suicide bombers who attacked the Istanbul airport in June reportedly came from Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Close enough to home, Vlad? The U.S. coalition has a better shot at prevailing over Islamic State with Russian help, or at least without Russian interference. Islamic State gains its credibility by battlefield successes, by the territory its fighters hold, the numbers of people they terrorize, the brutality they inflict on the weak and innocent. If the U.S. and its allies extinguish Islamic State, the terror inspiration flickers out. A terrorist diaspora is a terrible possibility to contemplate. But far worse is a rising Islamic State, inspiring more savagery against civilians across the West. Comey calls violence directed or inspired by Islamic State "the greatest threat to the physical safety of Americans today." That may be an exaggeration particularly to people in some of Chicago's violence-wracked neighborhoods. But imagine how much greater the threat if Islamic State thrives, expands its vicious reach. If a terrorist diaspora is the price of victory, then let's make it as small as possible and as soon as possible. Advertisement Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. Volunteers of the "3 E" (Eastern Environnement and Economy) association usually in charge of costal cleaning search for more potential plane debris and items on the shore in Saint-Andre, Reunion Island, on July 31, 2015. (Ouissem Gombra, AFP/Getty Images) Secrets don't keep the way they once did. Technology sees to that. Everyone knows too much, monitors too much, backs up too much data to allow modern mysteries to linger. So if street crime can be solved using video evidence, and a lost smartphone can be located via tracking software, there is no way a passenger jet with 239 souls aboard could simply vanish, right? That's the stuff of the Bermuda Triangle, a myth involving lost ships, planes and crews in the Atlantic Ocean that was debunked long ago. Advertisement The missing airliner, though, really is gone. Perhaps forever. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, disappeared less than an hour into its overnight journey. Something went seriously wrong aboard the plane, which veered wildly off course and flew in the wrong direction for hours before running out of fuel. Search boats have plied the suspected crash zone a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean for two years looking for wreckage. And? Advertisement They've come up empty. A few bits of debris from the missing jet washed up on distant African shores. But the crash site hasn't been located and survey vessels, equipped with sonar, are running out of ocean to scour. Investigators mapped out 46,000 square miles of sea bottom to examine an area about the size of Mississippi. There is less than 4,000 square miles to go. If the wreckage isn't found in the remaining area, the governments of Australia, Malaysia and China say they will suspend the search. "The likelihood of finding the aircraft is fading," they acknowledged after meeting July 22. That fact is heartbreaking for relatives. It's troubling for all fliers. Without wreckage to study, there will be only theories, some more plausible than others, about why the plane went down. An official, left, escorts a woman protesting the handling of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices in Beijing on July 29, 2016. Several relatives of passengers gathered at the ministry to deliver a letter of protest amid the recent announcement that the search operations for the missing flight would soon be suspended. The womans sign reads, The three countries' governments (involved in the search) must implement their promises to the world. (Mark Schiefelbein / AP) Everything seemed normal aboard Flight 370 until about 40 minutes into the journey. One of the pilots bade good night to air traffic controllers in Malaysia but never took the next required step: checking in with Ho Chi Minh City. Instead, the plane disappeared from air traffic control screens. Based on Malaysian military radar data and other evidence, the aircraft broke from its planned flight and crossed back through Malaysian territory. It flew south for about six hours over open ocean before falling from the sky. The basis for calculating a potential crash zone was the discovery of a single point of continuing contact between the Boeing 777 and the outside world: a series of six automated hourly pings from a satellite communications system that were answered automatically by Flight 370. These "handshakes" confirmed the plane's satellite connection was operating. The seventh ping got a different response, indicating the jet's communications equipment was logging in again after a disruption. That, in all likelihood, signaled that the aircraft had run out of fuel, gone dark and then switched to emergency power. Amazing the different ways machines keep tabs on us all. The pings contained no location data, but experts were able to identify a presumed crash zone within a 400-mile arc off the west coast of Australia based on complex measurements of the distances traveled by the pings. Yet all this amazing technology hasn't found the jet. What happened aboard Flight 370? Perhaps a fire or other catastrophe was too much for the crew and passengers to manage, leaving the plane to fly on autopilot. Some see a terrorist plot or hijacking. There are theories about the captain's intentions, based on news reports that someone used his home flight simulator to plot a course to the Indian Ocean. But the Joint Agency Coordination Center the Australian agency in charge of the search seems nonplussed, declaring a few days ago that "the simulator information shows only the possibility of planning. It does not reveal what happened." One point of speculation is whether searchers are looking in the wrong place. The potential crash zone was identified partly based on the assumption that the plane fell from the sky. But if someone was at the controls of Flight 370 and glided it to a water landing, the wreckage could be well off the search grid. ... And with that scenario, we enter the uncharted territory of conspiracy theorists. Advertisement What we can say with certainty: The tragic disappearance of Flight 370, with all its passengers and crew, remains a tantalizing, frustrating mystery. The plane is out there somewhere. May the wreckage one day be found, and the mystery solved. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. Donald Trump challenged Russia on July 27, 2016 to find Hillary Clinton's "30,000 emails that are missing" in response to intelligence claims that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee's emails to help get Trump elected. It is now the concensus of cybersecurity firms and the U.S. intelligence community that " the Russia Government directed the recent" hacks of the D.N.C and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. (C-SPAN) (Chicago Tribune) All the talk of a Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin bromance has been pretty hard to stomach. Two self-aggrandizers with a penchant for intolerance and boorish behavior. Spasibo, nyet. And if the courtship of Vlad and Donald isn't enough of an eye-roller, consider Contestant No. 3 in this Dating Game: Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. Putin-Trump-Assange: Cue theme music to "Three's Company." It's a triad armed with untold bombast capability, and its connective tissue is a common enemy: Hillary Clinton. Trump's opponent in the presidential election won't be Putin's vodka partner any time soon. Unlike George W. Bush, we haven't looked into Putin's eyes and seen his soul, so we can't be sure what he thinks about a Hillary presidency. But we do know Russia's Kremlin-controlled media churn out anti-Hillary messages by the bales. Commentary in one Russian pro-government tabloid, Komsolmolskaya Pravda, called the prospect of Clinton in the Oval Office "insanity, a deadly danger to all of humanity, which could threaten the very existence of our civilization." Advertisement Hillary is just as radioactive for Assange. She hails from an administration that has been investigating him on espionage allegations stemming from an unauthorized release of classified information to WikiLeaks in 2010. In February, he wrote on WikiLeaks that "Hillary lacks judgment and will push the United States into endless, stupid wars which spread terrorism." (Scott Stantis) So it's no surprise that all three are central characters in the latest email scandal, the batch pilfered from Democratic National Committee computers and diverted to Assange's WikiLeaks. Some of the emails suggest the DNC favored Clinton over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during the primaries. Democrats accuse Russia of hacking into the DNC in an attempt to meddle in the presidential campaign in Trump's favor. Cyberexperts have also said they believe Russian intelligence agents are behind the hack, but that hasn't been proved. Advertisement Assange is no fan of Trump, either. Asked by a British interviewer his preference between Trump and Clinton, Assange replied, "You're asking me do I prefer cholera or gonorrhea? Personally, I'd prefer neither." But he certainly has reasons to look upon Putin favorably. It was one of the Kremlin's pet propaganda projects, the English-language, state-run Russia Today television network, that gave Assange airtime for a 10-part talk show series in 2012. We're not that worried about the Trump-Putin-Assange triad common nemesis, but in the end, different agendas, different playbooks. What concerns us is the bromance. Trump has made it increasingly clear that as president he would view Russia and Putin far differently than Obama, Clinton or even the rest of the Republican Party have. Putin's commandeering of parts of Eastern Ukraine has made NATO more relevant than ever. Yet Trump has suggested he would condition coming to the defense of other NATO allies on whether they meet the alliance's defense spending requisites 2 percent of a member nation's gross national product. The Kremlin sees NATO as one of the biggest threats to Russian security, and Trump's stance plays perfectly into Putin's playbook. Trump has taken his flirtations with the Kremlin a step further, encouraging Russia to hack into Clinton's emails in order to hurt her chances in effect daring an adversarial nation to violate American law by breaking into a private computer network and committing cyberspying on the U.S. Trump now says he was being off-handed and sarcastic. Was he also riffing when, at the same press conference, he said he would consider recognizing Crimea as Russian territory? Does he disagree with the U.S., the Western world and his own Republican Party that the annexation amounted to an illegal seizure of another country's territory? It's becoming clearer that a Trump White House could take a friendlier tack with Putin's Kremlin. Trump has spoken admiringly of Putin, and has said that if elected, he would want to "get along with Russia." It's a tack that likely would backfire, and the consequences could prove disastrous. Putin has crafted a reputation as a ruthless pragmatist. Allies who no longer remain useful quickly morph into enemies. And his only rule is, there are no rules. But Trump could end up being red meat for a Kremlin that, in many ways, has recoiled into a Cold War-like mindset. And there's nothing sarcastic or off-handed about that. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. There are adults in this presidential race and there are children, and this week's Democratic National Convention did an excellent job of separating the women from the boys. There was a constant drumbeat in the lead-up to Hillary Clinton's nomination-accepting Thursday night speech, and that drumbeat, which had to pound loudly in Donald Trump's ears, was: no, no, no, no. Advertisement No, a real estate mogul and reality television star is not qualified to be president. No, the condemnation of an entire religion is not in line with American values. No, demonizing immigrants will not make America great again. And no, as Clinton said in perhaps the best line of her speech, "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons." Advertisement You don't have to like Clinton. You don't have to trust her. But you do have to decide which America is really out there: the flame-engulfed hellhole presented at the Republican National Convention, the one that Trump believes can be fixed only by Trump; or the still-strong, inclusive, flawed but fixable-if-we-work-together nation that Clinton invited Democrats, Republicans and independents to join her in making better. "In the end, it comes down to what Donald Trump doesn't get that America is great because America is good," Clinton said. "So enough with the bigotry and bombast." Perhaps that's just flowery talk coming from a politician. But it is also, notably, what an adult would say. Cut the crap. Let's work together. While Clinton was making her speech, Trump was at a rally in Iowa saying how he would like to punch some of this week's Democratic convention speakers. "You know what I wanted to. I wanted to hit a couple of those speakers so hard," Trump said. "I would have hit them." That may thrill some voters, but call it what it is: childish. The words of a big talker. Chum for angry supporters but nothing that would appeal beyond a churlish base. Clinton referenced her book, "It Takes A Village," in calling people to work together, saying: "None of us can raise a family, build a business, heal a community or lift a country totally alone. America needs every one of us to lend our energy, our talents, our ambition to making our nation better and stronger." Trump's lead spokeswoman tweeted in response: "#crookedHillary doesn't understand that there is only ONE President not a village of Presidents. @realDonaldTrump can fix it!" Advertisement That is, without exaggeration, one of the dumbest things I've read in my life. And it is, again, childish. Clinton's convention dared to address policy, where none was found at Trump's rage-fest in Cleveland. Speakers in Philadelphia called for compassion and unity, showed the diversity that is America and built a case against Trump that was far more than the "Lock her up!" gibberish chanted at the Republican convention. The most powerful moment Thursday night belonged to Khizr Khan, the father of a soldier, an American Muslim, killed in Iraq. He put a question to Trump: "Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?" Then he pulled a pocket-size Constitution from his jacket and said: "I will gladly lend you my copy." Khan continued speaking to Trump: "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go and look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You'll see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing! And no one!" That was a man, talking to a boy. That was a father whose son died defending this country, now faced with a presidential candidate who glibly casts aspersions at all Muslims. Advertisement As the convention wrapped up, many conservatives real conservatives, not those staining their legacies by falling in line behind Trump took to Twitter and acknowledged the adults. GOP consultant Matt Mackowiak tweeted: "This Democratic convention has been an unmitigated disaster for the GOP. Very well produced. Unifying. Patriotic. Bravo." Republican strategist Rich Galen wrote: "How can it be that I am standing at my kitchen counter sobbing because of the messages being driven at the DNC? Where has the GOP gone?" Washington Post conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin acknowledged: "there is joy here, entirely missing at the RNC." There are adults in this presidential race, and there are children. Clinton is by no means a perfect adult. But this convention made a strong case that she is also not the insidious caricature her political opponents have spent years sketching. Advertisement The people calling her the embodiment of evil are the same ones who spent the past seven years claiming Obama is a secret Muslim sent here to destroy America. It's a fine fantasy, a childish nightmare, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. So where does this leave us? It's simple: We have two major party candidates. One is an adult. The other is tweeting a poorly thought out response to a minor insult, like a frustrated, angry child. rhuppke@chicagotribune.com DEER LODGE The state Board of Pardons and Parole has voted to recommend that the governor grant executive clemency to a Glasgow man who was convicted of raping his girlfriend when she was 15 and he was 19. Russell "Delano" Foster argued the sex was consensual, but because she was under the age of legal consent, Foster was convicted in 1996. The two married when he got out of prison in 2000. They now have four children ranging in age from 14 to 20. Delano and Amber Foster traveled to Deer Lodge and were prepared to speak to the board Wednesday about their request, but board chairman Mark Staples noted the board was familiar with the request. "We're inclined to approve it and sent it to the governor," Staples said, noting that clemency is rarely granted. "This is a rare circumstance." Staples and board members Sandy Heaton and Patricia Iron Cloud voted to forward the clemency request to Gov. Steve Bullock. The couple says having the sex offense on his record can prevent them from getting certain state licenses or government contracts. They said that if Bullock grants executive clemency, they will seek to have the conviction expunged from Foster's record. Delano Foster, 40, said he was relieved his petition had passed one hurdle. "I've waited for this for over 20 years," he said. The Fosters petitioned the Parole Board for a pardon in 2012, but received a form letter denying the request, Amber Foster said. Delano Foster said the decision "is evidence the board of pardons has changed," he said. The board had come under increased scrutiny after inmate complaints about inconsistent decisions and concerns over the amount of power the board had. The former chairman, Mike McKee of Hamilton, resigned in December 2014. The 2015 Legislature passed a bill that gave the governor the final say on whether to grant clemency, even in cases that did not involve the death penalty. Before that, the board could deny a clemency petition and block the governor from considering it. The Council of State Government's Justice Center reviewed Montana's justice system and recommended in June that the parole board be made up of three paid members rather than seven volunteer members, who would then have more time for training, more availability and develop more expertise. The center recommended the board rely on evaluations by prison staff in determining whether someone is eligible for parole and under what conditions, rather than adding their own conditions at a parole hearing. Phillips County Sheriffs Deputy Alan Guderjahn, who shot and killed a man who stabbed him on Wednesday, has been released from the hospital and is resting at home. The Sheriff's Office confirmed the deputy's release on Friday, and a representative said that he is "recuperating comfortably." He was treated at a medical facility in Great Falls. Guderjahn responded to a call of a suspicious man walking along U.S. Highway 191 near Malta on Wednesday. The man pulled out a knife and stabbed the deputy multiple times. Guderjahn shot the suspect. Emil Ambrose Mecklenburg, 20, of Malta, was identified by law enforcement as the suspect. He died from gunshot wounds. The incident closed Highway 191 Wednesday morning as officials processed the scene. The Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is handling the ongoing investigation. If all goes as planned and thats a really big if Eddie Braun will not only rocket over Idahos Snake River Canyon this September, hell clear three times that 1,600-foot span. I should go three-fourths of a mile to a mile, Braun said of his quest to do what his longtime idol, the late Evel Knievel, failed to do in 1974: take off from one side of the canyon and land on the other. Braun was in Butte for the Evel Knievel Days festival this past weekend, showing off a replica of the steam-powered rocket he plans to launch over the Snake River a few miles down from Twin Falls, Idaho, on Sept. 17. The real rocket is made from spare parts Knievel used in his Skycyle X-2 to make the jump in 1974. On that September day 42 years ago, the parachute deployed just as the rocket left the launch pad. Winds blew it backwards and it landed at the bottom of the canyon on the same side as the take-off. Knievel survived with only minor injuries, and since then, at least seven others have said they might make the same jump. But nobody has done it. Braun, 54, idolized Knievel growing up and, at 17, began his career as a stuntman because of it. He did stunts in movies that include The Avengers, Transformers and The Green Hornet, according to imdb.com, and has performed in television shows, including Walker, Texas Ranger. He was a kid when he met Knievel in California after Evel had done a jump. He wound his way through a crowd and got Knievels attention. He came over and put his arm around me and that was something, Braun said. I mean, for a kid, thats as close as it gets to touching Supermans cape. Braun said he has spent $1.5 million of his own money on the Snake River project and his rocket, which he calls Evel Spirit. He hopes to collect $10 a pop for people to watch a livestream of the jump, money he says would pay for the effort to bring this to the masses. A television network had approached him about a deal, he said, but the network wanted to dress it up too much. I will not have this cheesified or sensationalized, he said. Braun said the jump wasnt about making money or gaining fame. As a stuntman all these years, he said, Im the guy whose face you dont see anyway. This was about finishing something his hero did not. In 1974 Evel left one side of Snake River Canyon, he said. I hope this time his spirit lands on the other side. How many people get to fulfill a dream of their hero? He also wants to do it for his four children. This will always be an example to them of something that has never been done successfully, that I did something that everyone thought was impossible, he said. Braun said it took him three years to get through all the bureaucratic red tape, but he has all the necessary paperwork completed and permission from the federal government to make the jump. Unlike Evel or Joe Namath when he boldly said his New York Jets would win Super Bowl III (they did) Braun is not saying he will make it. This is an attempt, he said. If my parachute fails, you wont be talking to me for a follow-up story. By Zolzaya Erdenebileg Female employment in China used to be moving in a positive direction. In the late 1970s, almost ten years after Chairman Mao famously remarked that women hold up half the sky, about 90 percent of working-age women in cities were participating in the workforce. In 1980, China was one of the first countries to ratify the United Nations International Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW). In 1992 and 1994, gender equality was integrated into Chinese law, with the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women and the Law on Maternal and Infant Health Care being signed into practice, respectively. But recent statistics now show that the composition of the workforce is becoming increasingly unbalanced. The trend is clear female employment rates in China are steadily decreasing. According to data from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the work participation rate of women dropped nine percentage points from 73 percent in 1990 to 64 percent in 2014. According to the 2010 national census, the rate of employment for women between the ages of 20 and 59 in 1990 was 84.3 percent. In 2000, it had dropped to 79.5 percent, and in 2010, it was 73.6 percent. Statistics from the All-China Womens Federation (ACWF), a state-sponsored womens rights organization, are about the same or lower it put the participation rate at 71.1 percent for 2010. Nevertheless, Chinas female employment participation rate is on-par with, and sometimes better than, many developed countries. In 2014, Canadas female employment participation rate was 61.4 percent; Norway was 61.2 percent; Sweden was 60.2 percent; and the U.S. was 56 percent. The drop is partly explained by Chinas economic transformation over the last two decades. As the country has moved away from labor-intensive employment towards consumer goods and services employment, womens participation in the workforce has decreased in tandem. However, Chinas shift to a service and consumption driven economy does not explain all aspects of the countrys falling female employment rate. For a fuller picture, government policies and social pressures have to be taken into account. RELATED: Payroll and HR Services from Dezan Shira & Associate Urban vs. Rural Female Employment However, an important distinction has to be made at this point. Chinas overall employment rate includes statistics for women in urban and in rural areas. This is significant for two reasons. Firstly, despite rapid industrialization during the past three decades, China is still heavily dependent on the agricultural sector, which employs roughly equal numbers of men and women, with some years more female-dominated than others. Secondly, Chinas future is highly urban. It is projected that close to 70 percent of Chinas population will live in cities by 2030. Therefore, rates for urban women are seen as the best indicators to track gender equality within the workplace, and those numbers are much lower, as seen in the table below: In 2010, according to census data, the employment rate for urban women aged between 20 and 59 was 60.8 percent. This is a full 16.6 percentage points lower than in 1990, when it was 77.4 percent. On the other hand, rural women employment decreased only 2.7 percentage points, despite heavy industrialization between 1990 and 2010. Resurgence of Traditional Gender Norms The ebbing of female workers in China comes at a time of a gradual resurgence of traditional gender norms that places the majority of household and childrearing responsibilities on women. The popularity of the perception that the public domain is for men, and the domestic domain is for women () has increased 7.7 percentage points amongst men and 4.4 percentage points amongst women since 2000. There has been a concerted effort to encourage women to focus on marriage and family instead of careers, most prominently through the dissemination of the leftover women () term. Leftover women refer to those past the ripe old age of 27 with high levels of education and successful careers, but who have yet to marry. While some believe that the term is complimentary, it was initially a derogatory term used to galvanize well-educated women to marry and procreate. Besides public perception, female-friendly policies have also eroded. Systems in place to aid working mothers, such as subsidized healthcare, largely disappeared after the economic reforms of the 1990s. While 72 percent of mothers between the ages of 25 and 34 with children under the age of six are employed, economic reforms in the 1990s have reduced the number of options available to working mothers. In particular, government support for subsidized childcare has significantly decreased. According to the 2006 Chinese enterprise social responsibility survey, less than 20 percent of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and 5.7 percent of all enterprises included provided childcare for employees. Women who have not yet had children are also discriminated against during the hiring process. In China, maternity leave is paid and must be a minimum of 98 days. For some employers, this is a disincentive to hire women. The ACWF survey found that 72 percent of women believed that they were not hired or passed over for promotion because of their sex; 75 percent believed that they were fired because they either were married or became pregnant. Another limitation within the workplace is mandatory retirement ages. For women in blue-collar positions, the required retirement age is 50. For women in white-collar positions, the age is 55. For some women hired in special positions, like college professorships, the retirement age matches those of urban men, which is 60. Again, some employers choose to use this policy to justify discriminatory hiring practices. In addition, there is a prevalent gender pay gap within China. On average, women earn 35 percent less than men for similar work. This places China near the bottom of the World Economic Forums (WEF) 2015 Global Gender Gap Index, ranking 91st out of 145. In urban areas, womens average annual income is equivalent to 67.3 percent of mens income; in rural areas, it is only 56 percent. Lacking Representation The issue may continue to proliferate because women are severely underrepresented in leadership roles in China. The WEF report found that, while women outpaced men in educational attainment, political empowerment numbers were very low. In 2015, the female-to-male ratio for enrollment in tertiary education (beyond high school) was 1.15. However, the ratio for positions in parliament was 0.31; for ministerial positions, it was 0.13; and for years with head of state positions within the last 50 years, it was 0.08. No woman has ever been a member of the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party, the leaders of Chinas government. In the corporate world, the situation is more encouraging, but still has ample room for growth. According to the Asia Development Bank (ADB) Womens Leadership and Corporate Performance, women made up four percent of company chairs, and 5.6 percent of CEOs. RELATED: Chinas Work-related Insurance Scheme Looking Ahead Despite the inauspicious state of female employment in China, more and more women are getting higher degrees to increase their competitiveness. Already, women outnumber men in Chinese higher education. In 2013, 50.7 percent of students enrolled in tertiary education were women. In 2014, China had the highest number of Graduate Management Admissions Tests (GMATs) taken by female citizens. 37,631 Chinese women took the exam, or 65 percent of total Chinese test takers that year. Given uncommon but well-publicized rulings, policies may evolve as well. On December 18, 2013, China settled its first gender discrimination lawsuit in Beijing. In the case, a women named Cao Ju filed suit against the Juren School, a private training institute, for rejecting her job application on the basis of her sex. While she settled for RMB 30,000, the case drew wide attention to the issue of discrimination against women in the workplace, raising hopes that vague policy wording will be backed up by tangible consequences. About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. Human Resources and Payroll in China 2015 This edition of Human Resources and Payroll in China, updated for 2015, provides a firm understanding of Chinas laws and regulations related to human resources and payroll management essential information for foreign investors looking to establish or already running a foreign-invested entity in China, local managers, and HR professionals needing to explain complex points of Chinas labor policies. How IT is Changing Payroll Processing and HR Admin in China In this edition of China Briefing magazine, we examine how foreign multinationals can take better advantage of IT in the gathering, storing, and analyzing of HR information in China. We look at how IT can help foreign companies navigate Chinas nuanced payroll processing regulations, explain how software platforms are becoming essential for HR, and finally answer questions on the efficacy of outsourcing payroll and HR in China. Labor Dispute Management in China In this issue of China Briefing, we discuss how best to manage HR disputes in China. We begin by highlighting how Chinas labor arbitration process and its legal system in general widely differs from the West, and then detail the labor disputes that foreign entities are likely to encounter when restructuring their China business. We conclude with a special feature from Business Advisory Manager Allan Xu, who explains the risks and procedures for terminating senior management in China. Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co has agreed to buy an 86 percent stake in Gland Pharma backed by KKR & Co for up to US$1.3 billion, India's largest inbound acquisition this year. The deal, announced by the Chinese company yesterday, is the first major move by the Fosun group since Guo Guangchang, founder of flagship holding firm Fosun International Ltd and one of China's best-known entrepreneurs, briefly went missing late last year. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approvals, would also underscore a positive outlook for drugmakers in India, which is a major global supplier and counts the United States as its largest export market, helped by lower manufacturing and labor costs. Hyderabad-based Gland Pharma owns four factories from where it supplies a variety of injectables widely used medicines administered through vials, syringes, bags and pumps, which are harder to make than regular medicines. Moody's Indian associate ICRA expects patents to expire on about US$16 billion worth of injectables in the United States over four years through 2019, offering a growth opportunity for Indian suppliers. ICRA estimates the US injectables market to grow at about 10 percent annually over five years. Gland Pharma's founders and US private equity firm KKR jointly hold roughly 96 percent of the drugmaker. Shanghai Fosun, in a statement, said it will buy 86.1 percent of Gland, and plans to raise up to US$800 million in loans from financial institutions to help fund the deal. Fosun group is also looking for opportunities in Britain and Europe, in markets rendered increasingly volatile by Britons' vote to leave the European Union, Guo said at a Reuters Newsmaker event last month. Besides Fosun, the Gland Pharma sale attracted interest from private equity firm Advent, medical company Baxter International Inc and drugmaker Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd, people close to the matter told Reuters in April. Opportunities for injectables in the US has attracted large pharmaceutical firms such as Mylan NV, which bought the injectables business of Strides Shasun Ltd in 2013. Steady growth in overseas oil and gas developments helped China National Petroleum Corp reap a 11 percent gain in profit in the first half of 2016 despite the fall in energy prices, according to company and media reports. Over the first six months this year, CNPC produced 38 million tons of oil equivalent in overseas oil and gas projects, helping it meet half the target set for 2016, the company said yesterday. It reported smooth progress in its gas project in Amu Darya in Turkmenistan while its LNG project in Russia has been half completed and its oil drilling business in North Azadegan in Iran has been operational since April 19. The output of oil drilled in Brazil and Sudan from January to June contributed to a 4.2 percent growth in CNPC's oil output compared with the same period last year. CNPC made a profit of 27.6 billion yuan (US$4.1 billion) even as prices of oil plunged 36.5 percent and gas fell 22.1 percent year on year at the end of June, Bloomberg News said on Tuesday. The energy giant cited the gain to a cut of nearly 30 percent in overseas expenses from the same period in 2015. Graham Cunningham, a Citibank analyst, said in a recent report that CNPC benefited from the recent recovery of oil prices and its sale of Trans-Asia Gas Pipeline Co and PetroChina Kunlun Gas Co for 20.7 billion yuan. CNPC said in a recent proposal that it would cut its annual total investment over the next five years by 40 percent to 260 billion yuan. The Chinese government has recently promoted innovation and entrepreneurship in an attempt to reverse the slowdown of the economy. This has contributed to the rise of startup companies and enhanced the development of the incubator industry. China's first incubator appeared in 1987, and in 2005 there were already more than 500 incubators across the country. By 2015, that number had more than tripled, and there are expected to be at least 5,000 incubators in China by the year 2020. Governmental policies support companies that encourage startups by providing free or low cost land, lower tax rates, subsidies for operational cost and financial assistance. Business incubators further contribute to the development of startups by offering benefits such as affordable office space, access to financial resources and different types of management and marketing training. Chief Operations Officer, Bai Jie, speaking to a reporter about the HomeX Accelerator in the company salon. [Photo by Li Xiaohua/China.org.cn] According to a report from iiMedia, most of China's incubation spaces stay empty, with an average occupation rate of less than 40%. However, there are some incubator businesses that have been able to avoid this problem. HomeX Accelerator's Chief Operations Officer informs China.org.cn that her incubator business has had no trouble filling its offices. "We have 27 startups with more than 400 employees in our accelerator," said COO Bai Jie. HomeX Accelerator was started by CEO, Zhang Zhihao in August of last year and carries out its business practices with a small staff of 17 people. The company, located in Wudaokou, focuses on technology startups and prides itself on being unique from most other incubators in its field. "Our market position is quite unique compared to normal accelerators because our position is A Round Accelerator. A Round is the most difficult stage for a startup company, because at this stage you may have proven that your product is worthy, but you may not have the ability to bring your product to the market," said Bai. Most business incubators help startup companies during their early stages of development; however, as a startup accelerator, HomeX chooses to support startup companies at their point of breakthrough. The word "Home" in the company's title is meant to represent the fact that they offer consistent support and serve as a home for ambitious startups. The "X" represents the unknown factor and stands for the infinite possibilities available to their startups. To connect their startup clients with investors, the company often hosts a "demo day" which allows a few of their client companies to present their business projects to multiple investors at a time. So far these events have been successful for their clients, as it provides them with financial support and feedback about their products or services. Sources of capital for China's incubation spaces primarily include government (28.4%), enterprise or private (22.8%) and universities (17.7%), with the remaining made up of other mixed resources. As both the CEO and COO of HomeX are graduates from Tsinghua University, they have built relationships that allow them to continue to use the university as a resource. Since companies like HomeX can't expect to earn large short-term returns from the startups themselves, government incentives and university resources will continue to play a large role in the growth of the business incubator industry in China. The Chinese military said on Thursday that it will consider taking "necessary measures" to protect national security and regional strategic balance, in response to the decision by the United States and the Republic of Korea to deploy an advanced missile defense system in the ROK. China seeks development of its own missile defense system, Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun confirmed at the ministry's monthly news conference. "We will closely follow relative moves of the US and the ROK and will consider taking necessary measures to protect national strategic security and regional strategic balance," Yang said. Yang also responded to a report on Monday in PLA Daily that quoted missile defense expert Chen Deming as saying that Beijing has the capabilities for a land-based defense system to intercept missiles midway in their trajectory. "China seeks moderate development of its anti-missile capabilities to protect national security and raise defense capabilities. It is not targeting any country or target and will not impact global strategic stability," Yang said. Washington and Seoul said in a joint announcement on July 8 that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system will be deployed to deal with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear and missile threats. China and Russia expressed strong opposition to the system, whose radar will be capable of monitoring missiles in the two countries, saying it will destabilize the balance of security in the region. Xie Yongliang, an expert at the PLA's Academy of Military Science, said the repeated success of China's midcourse missile defense tests shows that "China has fully grasped key technologies about anti-ballistic missiles". Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said it is unwise for Seoul to accept the deployment of THAAD on its territory. "China and Russia will certainly strengthen military implementation targeted at the THAAD system, which will actually push the ROK to the front line of confrontation of major powers". Yang also announced that China and Russia have decided to hold a joint military exercise in the South China Sea in September. He said the "routine" exercise will deepen ties between the two nations and two militaries and "strengthen the two navies' capabilities to jointly handle security threats from the sea", adding that it is not targeted at third parties. China and Russia have held joint maritime exercises annually since 2012. The two countries take turns holding the drills in their adjacent waters. Vladimir Petrovsky, a researcher at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said the regional tensions have become a common concern for both countries, and military cooperation such as joint drills is a good way to respond to threats in the region. While journalists create a lot of headache for a lot of people a lot of time, sometimes they do good too - even if they do it accidently. A man who fell off an embankment of Qiantang River was luckily saved by a journalist before being swept off by the rivers rising tide in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on Monday.[Photo/qq.com] A man who fell off an embankment of Qiantang River was luckily saved by a journalist before being swept off by the rivers rising tide in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on Monday. When the journalist first spotted the man through his camera he thought the man was resting by the riverside. But when he saw him again an hour later, he realized that the man was injured. He immediately called the emergency number and the injured man was rushed to hospital with the help of police officers and firefighters. Police in South China's Guangdong province on Thursday handed over a suspect in a grave robbery and murder case to Hong Kong at the request of the region's police, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The case dates back to March 14 when a currency exchange store was robbed and its keeper was murdered. On March 17, Hongkong police offered tips to their Guangdong counterpart that suspect Kit Kwun-kwok had escaped to the mainland the day the case occurred and requested cooperative investigation. Police in the two regions have since kept in touch over the latest progress of the case under a law enforcement notification mechanism between the two sides, the ministry said in a statement. The suspect was ultimately arrested in a factory in Shenzhen by Guangdong police and later confessed to the crime. The public security department of Guangdong immediately informed Hong Kong police of the development. "The transfer showcases the firm will of mainland and Hong Kong police in joint criminal crackdown and warns outlaws that neither the mainland nor Hong Kong is a 'harbor" for crimes," the ministry said. Official figures show that Guangdong police have sent a total of 172 suspects back to Hong Kong since 2000. Flash Africa's first completed standard gauge railway, built in collaboration with by China, opens to traffic in Nigeria on July 26, 2016. (Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Zhang Weiwei) Africa's first completed standard gauge railway, built in collaboration with by China, opened to traffic in Nigeria on Tuesday. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the commercial operation of the rail service, which is 186.5 kilometers long with nine stops. President of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Yuan Li, said at the ceremony that the railway would facilitate the economic development of Nigeria. "It is the first Chinese standard gauge railway to be built abroad, and also the first standard gauge railway to be built in Africa. It could serve as an example for other railways being built in Africa. The construction of railways will not only promote local economic development and create more jobs, but also stimulate the export of Chinese railway products such as rail accessories, junctions, and carriages, thus pushing forward the economic cooperation between the two countries." With a designated speed of 150 km per hour, the railway links Nigerian capital Abuja and the northwestern state of Kaduna, reducing travel time to one hour. Some locals believe the creation of a modern railway represents a positive sign for the country's economy. "I'm very happy today because the new line that is commissioned signals a new life, a new beginning of railroad modernization in Nigeria. Our hope is to send it to other parts of the country because we have been talking about this for a very long time. This is the only time they are able to actualize it." The next two projects between China and Nigeria will be the Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Kano railways. Flash There has been a noticeable rise in anti-American sentiment in Turkey over Ankara's request to extradite a cleric accused of being the mastermind of a recent coup attempt, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday. In an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk, Cavusoglu said Turkish-U.S. ties would be adversely affected if Washington does not extradite Fethullah Gulen, who now resides in Pennsylvania. The United States insists on "concrete evidence" linking Gulen to July 15 coup attempt as a precondition to his extradition. Turkish authorities said at least 290 people died in the coup, including more than 100 "coup plotters." On Wednesday, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told broadcaster Haberturk TV that Ankara has received intelligence that Gulen may flee to a third country that does not have an extradition treaty with Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yilirim has also repeatedly urged Washington to agree to sending Gulen back to Turkey. "Turkey and the U.S. have had friendly, amicable relations, and have been allies and strategic partners for a very long time," Yilirim said in an interview with The Guardian on Tuesday. "We do not believe that the U.S. will support this terrorist organization's leader." Flash Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday called on Syrian people to stand by the army to eradicate terrorism. In a statement issued by the Presidential Palace, Assad said the Syrian army is determined to root out terrorism, "particularly after the terrorism was exposed to aim at Syria, as a homeland, civilization, people and identity." The statement said the national reconciliation is an important way to end the violence, and for Syrians to return to safety and security. "The president called on everyone to return to the homeland and drop weapons and they will find that Syria, as always, is the warm lap for everyone," the statement added. On Thursday, the president offered amnesty to rebels who disarm and surrender themselves within three months, an offer also extended to kidnappers who release their hostages within a month. The statement highlighted the pardon, describing it as "an opportunity for all those with weapons to express their belongingness to the homeland, and to listen to the national voice that urges them to abandon violence to get engaged in the reconstruction process in Syria." Assad's call comes as the Syrian army is making sweeping progress against the rebels in Aleppo city in the north. The advance began last week when Syrian forces successfully intercepted and severed the last rebel supply route connecting the rebel-held areas in the north of Aleppo with others inside the city, mainly in the east. With the Castello road severed, the rebels in eastern Aleppo became completely isolated and besieged. Army units on Thursday stormed into and regained control of the notorious Bani Zaid district in eastern Aleppo, which was once the rebels' main launching pad for attacks against government-controlled areas in western Aleppo. As the army advanced, government aircraft dropped tens of thousands of leaflets on Wednesday, urging rebels in Aleppo to surrender in exchange for a pardon. The army also asked local civilians to cooperate with the military, as the army prepares for their safe exit out of eastern Aleppo. Flash The UN Special Envoy for Syria warned Thursday that the situation in Syria's second-largest city is extremely concerning, with only two to three weeks of supplies remaining for Aleppo's desperate population. "The city is de facto besieged because it is almost militarily completely encircled. The clock is therefore ticking, there is no doubt about that," Staffan De Mistura told the press after a weekly humanitarian taskforce meeting here. A Russian and Syrian scheme to open corridors for those seeking to flee Aleppo was noted by the envoy, adding that it will be discussed with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "I also want to be able to have my colleagues on the humanitarian side to analyze the information they may be getting on how this Russian initiative fits in with a humanitarian initiative," he said. The provision of humanitarian aid this month has been severely hampered by ongoing fighting between warring factions. Latest UN figures reveal that over 1.11 million civilians have received multi-sectoral assistance since relief operations kicked off in February this year. Though a marked improvement compared to 2015, this number falls far short of targets set by the UN. With UN-mediated negotiations seeking to broker an end to the five-year conflict still on hold, De Mistura said efforts were ongoing in a bid to resume talks towards the end of August. He said he will be traveling to Tehran shortly, while his team will discuss ideas with Syrian authorities in Damascus in the coming days in view of facilitating the launch of talks next month. Flash Syrian authorities announced on Thursday the opening of three safe exits for civilians to leave rebel-held areas in the north of Aleppo, according to state news agency SANA. Citing Aleppo's governor, Muhammad Olabi, SANA said the three safe passages have been prepared to allow civilians to leave rebel-held districts in the east of Aleppo as well. "The governorate has finalized all arrangements and measures to secure the safety and accommodate civilians leaving the eastern districts of Aleppo with temporary shelters equipped with the necessary medical and aid services," the governor said. Olabi said that transportation has also been secured to take families to the new shelters. Meanwhile, SANA, citing locals in the east of Aleppo, said rebels have been preventing dozens of families from leaving Aleppo. Aleppo, Syria's largest province and once a thriving economic metropolis, has witnessed intensified violent battles lately as the Syrian army advances against the rebels in the north. The new development comes as government forces, supported by the Lebanese Hezbollah and Russian air cover, made sweeping progress against the rebels. The advance began last week when Syrian forces successfully intercepted and severed the last rebel supply route connecting rebel-held areas in the north of Aleppo with rebel-held ones inside the city itself, mainly in the east. With the Castello road, as it was known, severed, the rebels in eastern Aleppo became completely isolated and besieged. Army units on Thursday stormed into and regained control over the notorious Bani Zaid district in eastern Aleppo. That area was once the rebels' main launching pad for attacks against government-controlled areas in western Aleppo. As the army advanced, government aircraft dropped tens of thousands of leaflets on Wednesday, urging rebels in Aleppo to surrender in exchange for a pardon. The army also asked that civilians to cooperate with the military, as the army prepares for their safe exit out of eastern Aleppo. On Thursday, President Bashar al-Assad offered amnesty to rebels who disarm and surrender themselves within three months, an offer also extended to kidnappers who release their hostages within a month. The new steps were said to have been executed under Russian supervision. "To assist civilian hostages kidnapped by terrorists, as well as militants who choose to lay down their weapons," Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday, "the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of warring parties, together with Syrian authorities, will open three humanitarian corridors in Aleppo." "I want to emphasize that we are taking this step, first and foremost, to ensure the safety of Aleppo residents," the minister said. He also urged international organizations to take part in the humanitarian operation in Aleppo. The Syrian and Russian offers appear to have had some results. The pan-Arab al-Mayadeen television station said three armed rebel groups have agreed to lay down their weapons in exchange for a safe passage out of Aleppo city toward the province's western countryside. Flash China said on Thursday that Japan should reflect why it has become the "small minority" on the South China Sea issue, otherwise it will get increasingly disappointed and isolated. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the comment in response to Japanese media reports that Japan will continue to work with the international community to urge China to comply with international law and accept the "award" of the South China Sea arbitration. "Japan seems reluctant to give up its fancy of forcing China to accept the so-called award, despite the South China Sea littoral states, including the claimants, have expressed willingness to cooperate with China," Lu said. During the foreign ministers' meeting between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Lao capital of Vientiane this week, China and ASEAN have agreed the South China Sea disputes should be resolved peacefully through dialogue between directly concerned countries. Most of the members attending the meeting made no mention of the South China Sea arbitration but advocated the issue should cool down as soon as possible, Lu said. More than 80 countries and international organizations have expressed understanding and support to China's stance on the South China Sea disputes. Only a couple of countries are uttering the "award" is "legally binding and in compliance with international law," the spokesperson said. Lu said the few countries should follow the impartial position of the majority of the international community rather than the majority compromises to the minority. The "award" is invalid from the beginning and runs counter to international law and arbitral practices. China has always safeguarded the international law and hopes Japan will do the same, instead of misinterpreting and distorting the international rules, Lu said. Some people in Japan might be disappointed with the outcomes of the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings. Indeed, they have been disappointed with the results of other multilateral events too, Lu said. He urged these people to calm down and reflect why they have become the small minority on the South China Sea issue. "If they go farther and farther in the wrong way, they will get increasingly disappointed and isolated." China hopes Japan can face reality and historical trend, comply with international law and order, and contribute to regional peace, stability, harmony and prosperity rather than the opposite, the spokesperson added. Flash About 13 persons were injured after a bomb targeting police ripped through a local bazaar in Afghanistan's northern province of Balghlan on Thursday, a local official said. "An improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a rickshaw was detonated in Baghlan-e-Markazi district at around 6:45 p.m. local time. The blast caused 13 people wounded," district governor Gowhar Baburi told Xinhua. The target of the attack was a unit of Afghan Local Police (ALP) patrolling the area, he said. Among the injured were two ALP personnel and 11 civilians. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital and none of the injured were in serious condition, the official added. The government established the ALP, or community police, in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where army and police have limited presence. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban militant group has launched similar attacks in the past. Some 1,601 civilian were killed and 3,565 injured in first six months of the year, according to a report released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Monday. Flash Austrian Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil has called for a more comprehensive strategy for defending against domestic terror attacks in order to be best prepared should one occur. In an interview with the Krone newspaper published Thursday, Doskozil said while there is no obvious threat in Austria at present, there is "terror in Europe," and for this reason the country must be ready. "Nothing should occur where we later say, we were not prepared for it," he added. The minister said he is in agreement with Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka over needing a stricter approach. This is to include a more clearly-defined division of powers between the army and federal police. He noted there is currently a commission made of experts from both the defense and interior ministries who are looking into how this should best be done. Concerning amendments to, or a tightening of the actual anti-terror laws, Doskozil said a need for this could not yet be ascertained, going from advice given by experts in the relevant ministries. In a separate interview on Thursday, Chancellor Christian Kern said he believed the present laws were enough. Flash China and Russia on Thursday voiced serious concern over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea. At a fourth meeting on Northeast Asia security held in Moscow, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov noted that such a unilateral and non-constructive action taken by the U.S. brings negative effects to the strategic balance, security and stability of the region and the world. The deployment of the advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea is just a part of Washington's global anti-missile scheme, which clearly contradicts with the aims claimed by the U.S. and South Korean governments, the two officials noted. Expressing the firm opposition to issues relevant to the THAAD deployment, both sides agreed to enhance coordination in order to better cope with the negative developments, also to protect the strategic security of China, Russia and other regional countries. Under the comprehensive strategic partnership, China and Russia would further strengthen communications and coordinations based on the joint statement on strengthening global strategic stability, signed in June by leaders of the two countries, with a view to protect each other's interests, especially the interest in strategic stability, through the most reliable and effective ways. Kong and Morgulov also said the two countries would continue pushing forward the settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula through dialogues and negotiations, in particular the irreplaceable platform of Six Party Talks. To realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to reduce military and political tensions on the peninsula, to downscale the military drills held in the region and thus to build mutual trust, the two officials added. They also urged both South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to resume dialogues to achieve inter-Korean reconciliation and create a sound environment for development on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington announced the agreement to install one THAAD battery in Seongju, a county some 250 km southeast of the South Korean capital city, by the end of next year, as one way to counter the nuclear and missile threats posed by the DPRK. China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to the THAAD deployment in South Korean territory as it damaged China's security interests and broke a strategic balance in the region, while Russia indicated a military response by deploying a missile unit in the Far Eastern region. You are here: Home Flash The al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front group announced on Thursday breaking its ties with the larger al-Qaida terrorist group. In a video-taped message, the group leader, known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, announced that his group is no longer part of the al-Qaida, changing the group's name into Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Arabic for the Front for Conquering the Levant. The move came almost a week after the Unites States and Russia announced that al-Nusra will always be deemed as a terrorist group, agreeing to jointly carry out strikes against this group. In his televised message, al-Jolani said the move came to strip the West of any pretext to strike Syrians. Meanwhile, the U.S. state department said that the Nusra announcement could be a "rebranding exercise." According to al-Arabyia TV, the al-Qaida told Nusra that it could break organizational ties with global al-Qaida to preserve its unity and continue its battle in Syria. The Nusra Front announced its formation on Jan. 23, 2012. In November 2012, Western media said al-Nusra was the most successful arm of the rebel forces. Ten days later, the United States designated al-Nusra as a terrorist organization. In early 2015, there were reports that Qatar and other Gulf states were trying to get al-Nusra to split away from the al-Qaida, after which they would support al-Nusra with money. Now, observers express pessimism about the split, which could usher in a fresh support to the newly named group. You are here: Home Flash A bid to prevent Britain's Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn from fighting the leadership battle was blocked by a court in London Thursday. A Labour Party donor, Michael Foster, said Corbyn should need nominations from members of Parliament (MPs) just like his challenger Owen Smith. The party's national executive committee (NEC) had ruled on a majority vote that Corbyn, as leader, did not need to find 51 supporters from MPs or MEPs. The decision by the High Court means Corbyn can continue to defend his leadership. Legal arguments were heard from both sides in the High Court on Tuesday with the judgement given Thursday afternoon. The challenge comes as the civil war in the party continues, with Corbyn estranged from most of his MPs. But the left wing leader has massive grassroots support. Corbyn welcomed the decision, but said it had been a waste of court time. Flash There have been 14 civilians killed in U.S. airstrikes conducted in Iraq and Syria from July 28, 2015 to April 29 this year, the U.S. Central Command reported Thursday. "We deeply regret the unintentional loss of life and injuries resulting from our airstrikes and express our sympathies to those affected," the Command said in a news release. The civilian deaths occurred in six separate U.S. airstrikes during the period, it claimed. On April 29 this year, four civilians were killed in Mosul of Iraq during a U.S. airstrike targeting Neil Prakash, an external operations facilitator of the terror group Islamic State (IS), according to the release. Three civilians were killed in each of three other U.S. airstrikes, including one near Idlib, Syria on July 28, 2015, one near Al Qaim of Iraq on Feb. 15, 2016, and one in Mosul on April 5, 2016, the release said. One civilian was killed in Sharqat of Iraq on April 26, 2016 during a strike on an IS checkpoint, it said. Only one civilian was reportedly wounded in a strike on Feb. 16, 2016 in Ar Rayhaniyah, near Mosul. The U.S.-led counterterrorism coalition "takes all reasonable measures to avoid non-combatant casualties during the course of military operations," the release alleged. The Central Command did not elaborate if the strikes were conducted by manned jets or drones. The White House recently released a report on the civilian fatalities in U.S. drone strikes from 2009 to 2015, estimating that some 100 civilians were killed during 473 U.S. drone strikes in regions where the U.S. is not at war. But human rights groups following the U.S. drone strikes criticized the report for apparently underestimating the number of real civilian casualties in such strikes. A recent report from the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a non-governmental organization, shows that the U.S. drones have caused 492 to 1,100 civilian deaths in Pakistan and other countries since 2002. Flash Two top U.S. intelligence bodies are being accused in an indictment of providing training to followers of the alleged mastermind behind the failed coup in Turkey, state-run Anadolu Agency said Thursday. Demonstrators seen through a hole in hotel's a window near Istanbul's Taksim Square wave Turkish flags on July 24, 2016 during the first cross-party rally to condemn the coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. [Photo/Xinhua] "The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provided training in several subjects to the cadre belonging to the Gulen movement," the indictment was quoted as saying. It was referring to Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric based in the United States. The Turkish government has been accusing Gulen and his followers in the military of orchestrating the coup bid. Ankara has demanded that the U.S. extradite Gulen, but Washington insists on "concrete evidence" linking Gulen to the July 15 coup attempt as a precondition for his extradition. Turkish authorities said at least 290 people died in the coup, including more than 100 "coup plotters." Prepared by the Edirne Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and accepted by the Second Heavy Penal Court, the indictment said the operations carried out by prosecutors and security officials during the Dec. 17 process can be taken as a good example. The "Dec. 17 process" refers to the corruption probe launched on Dec. 17, 2013, which targeted senior government officials and led to a rivalry between Gulen and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Some in Turkey, including government ministers, have referred time and again to U.S. involvement in the failed coup, despite vehement denial from Washington. "This attempt aimed to weaken the state with all its institutions by getting rid of the government completely," the indictment said. "Those in the Gulen movement who work in the judicial and security institutions and who received the aforementioned training, took on this task and moved into action." Flash Amid reports that Aleppo is 'de facto besieged,' as the war-battered city is now almost completely encircled by Syrian troops, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Thursday reiterated his demand for safe, regular and sustained access to the quarter of a million people trapped behind the front lines, and stressed that "all options must be considered." "The situation for people trapped in eastern Aleppo remains of the gravest concern," said Stephen O'Brien, noting that he is aware of the measures proposed today by the Russian Federation to set up humanitarian corridors. Media reports suggest that Russia has proposed establishing several so-called "exit corridors" that would allow for the distribution of food, as well as provide an opportunity for civilians to flee the city. While underscoring that the situation is so dire that all options must be considered, Mr. O'Brien stressed that it is critical that the security of any such corridors is guaranteed by all parties and that people are able to use them voluntarily. "No one can be forced to flee, by any specific route or to any particular location. Protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of neutrality and impartiality," he stated. Mr. O'Brien said that his proposal for 48-hour humanitarian pauses to enable cross-line and cross-border operations is what humanitarian actors require. This would ensure that relief workers are able to see for themselves the dire situation of the people, assess their needs, adjust to logistical constraints and assist people where they are now with their life-saving and protection needs. "In any event, all parties are required and obliged, under long-established and accepted international humanitarian law, to allow safe, unimpeded, impartial and immediate humanitarian access for civilians to leave and for aid to come in," he said. Earlier in the week, Mr. O'Brien, who is also the UN Under- Secretary-General for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, warned the Security Council that the clock is ticking and the parties, and those with influence, "must act now" to establish a weekly, 48-hour humanitarian pause so much-needed assistance could be provided to the people trapped in Aleppo. "This must be a full United Nations call not just from me as the UN's humanitarian chief this has to come from you, the Security Council," he said. Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, spoke to reporters in Geneva today and told them that fighting on the ground is impeding humanitarian aid in the country. Noting "serious concern" about the situation in Aleppo, saying that the city is "de facto besieged," because it is almost completely encircled militarily. "The clock is therefore ticking; there is no doubt about that. If Aleppo becomes a [] major besieged area and we are very close to that we would have a huge number of additional besieged humanitarian wise- people in the country, when we were actually having a reduction," he said. On the humanitarian side, the Special Envoy is urging the two co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the Russian Federation and the United States, to expedite discussions on how to reduce the violence, along the lines of the meetings in Moscow and then in Laos, particularly between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and United States Secretary of State John Kerry. Along with Russia and the US, the ISSG comprises the UN, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 other countries that have been working on a way forward since late last year. Mr. de Mistura said that his Deputy Special Envoy, Ramzy Ezeldine Ramzy, will head to Damascus in the next few days to discuss with the Syrian authorities some ideas that the Office of the Special Envoy has developed in order to facilitate the launch in August of the intra-Syrian talks. The Special Envoy in the meantime is proceeding to Tehran to talk to the Iranian authorities. Flash Chinese soldiers will assist Western African countries in securing navigational safety in the Gulf of Guinea at a time when the region is facing an increasing threat from pirates, a visiting Chinese major general said Thursday. China will join the international anti-piracy effort in the Gulf of Guinea by helping littoral states in the region build necessary infrastructure, said Qian Lihua, former head of the foreign affairs office of China's Ministry of National Defence. Speaking at a meeting on African peace and stability, the Chinese major general also put forward a few proposals on fighting piracy in the region. He called on the international community to help regional countries strengthen their capacity by training maritime security troops, putting more financial and technical resources into anti-piracy efforts and expanding development aid to those countries so as to rid poverty and raise the employment rate among young people. China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace and security in Africa based on the principles of respecting the will of African countries, not interfering in African internal affairs and observing the basic norms governing international relations, he noted. China welcomes third-party initiatives regarding cooperation on peace and security in Africa, but "that can only be done on the bases of African consent and African dominance," he added. The two-day meeting which began on Wednesday, was co-sponsored by the Carter Center in the United States, Togo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN office for West Africa. It was a preparatory event for a maritime security summit of the African Union in October. Flash At least 35 civilians were killed by fresh U.S.-led airstrikes near a town controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group in northern Syria, a pan-Arab TV reported Friday. The airstrikes targeted the town of Ghandur in the countryside of the town of Manbej, which has seen several strikes by the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition. The strikes come in the context of the U.S. support to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has besieged Manbej in a bid to flush the IS out. Al-Mayadeen TV said the airstrike is the third to hit civilians in Manbej since the SDF and the U.S. started operations against the IS there in May. On July 19, as many as 56 civilians were killed in Manbej by French strikes, part of the U.S.-led coalition, according to local media. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the airstrike, saying seven children were among those killed. Manbej has a strategic importance to the U.S.-backed rebels due to its location near Turkey. Capturing Manbej would deprive IS from a key stronghold near Turkey. The U.S. military said that more civilians may have been killed in another strike around Manbej. "We can confirm the coalition conducted airstrikes in the areas in the last 24 hours," said the U.S. central command late on Thursday, adding that the strikes "may have resulted in civilian casualties." The Education Committee met last Friday in the Roughrider Room. The agenda included updates from The National Conference of State Legislatures representative regarding the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, academic content standards for the state, N.D. Center for Distance Education and review of two bill drafts: technical corrections bill regarding North Dakota Education/North Dakota United and student restraint and seclusion. Below is a brief summary of the key points for each agenda item. Every Student Succeeds Act: Provisions in the bill strengthened stakeholder consultations (this includes state legislators), prohibits Department of Education/federal authority and allows for a new approach to accountability. Implementation timelines: negotiated rulemaking sessions on assessments in March/April with comments due Sept. 9, proposed rules on state plans and accountability systems published with comments due Aug. 1, current flexibility waivers end as of Aug. 1, 2016, and full implementation of ESSA in the 2017-18 school year. ESSA increased state responsibility for accountability, assessments, turning around low-performing schools and focusing on struggling students. According to ESSA , schools requiring intervention are those in the bottom 5 percent, any high school failing to graduate one-third or more of it student, and any school in which a subgroup of students is consistently underperforming. For more detail on the specifics of state accountability systems go to NCSL PowerPoint titled The Every Student Succeeds Act: A Briefing for North Dakota at www.legis.nd.gov/files/committees/64-2014%20appendices/17_5128_02000appendixa.pdf. State Academic Content Standards: Two content committees have been established to review the current English language arts and mathematics standards based on Common Core. The review includes studying the implementation of the academic content standards and drafting revisions to update and improve the structure and content of the standards. A public comment period will be solicited and announcements made. Implementation of the new standards is planned for the fall of 2017. N.D. Center for Distance Education: Since 2009, the data reflects an increase in student enrollment in distance education. Course selection by subject and percentage of total enrollments (6,000 enrollments per year) follows: English 20 percent, social science 18 percent, math 17 percent, science 15 percent, agriculture 9 percent, health 7 percent, CTE 7 percent, business 3 percent, world languages 2 percent, computer education 1 percent, and art and music 1 percent. North Dakota has a 95 percent completion rate for distance education. NDCDE was ranked fifth best in the nation for online high schools. Ranking criteria included affordability, number of courses, range of support services and number of concentrations/advanced tracks. All North Dakota high schools had at least one enrollment in NDCDE in 2015-16. According to data shared with the committee, the following schools in and immediately surrounding District 31 demonstrated enrollments in the NDCDE: Flasher High School (44), Glen Ullin High School (18) Glen Ullin Middle School (2), Hettinger High School (48), Mandan High School (11), Mott-Regent High School (8), New Salem High School (16), Richardton-Taylor High School (19) and Solen High School (3). The data also included homeschooled children: high school (73) and middle school (18). A complete list is continually updated and is available upon request. 17.0043.02000 Updating Statutory References to the NDEA: A second draft of the bill was reviewed. At the last meeting there was a request for NDU Bylaws to see if appointments are addressed. According to Legislative Counsel, the NDU bylaws are silent in this area. Section 4 was amended to clarify that board appointments made by the governor are actively employed as teachers in full-time positions. The bill was approved as amended by the committee. 17.0143.02000 Student Restraint and Seclusion: A second draft of the bill was distributed for review. No committee action taken. More information is requested in the area of restraint definitions for review at the next meeting. HANOI - Over 1.468 million person-times of Chinese tourists are expected to visit Vietnam in the first seven months of 2016, up 54.5 percent year-on-year, said Vietnam's General Statistics Office (GSO) on Thursday. During seven-month period, the country is likely to welcome over 5.552 million person-times of foreign tourists, up 24 percent year-on-year. Among the figure, some 4.66 million person-times arrive in Vietnam by air, up 28.7 percent year-on-year. Other 806,400 person-times travel to Vietnam by road, up 8.2 percent year-on-year while some 86,300 person-times go to the country by sea, down 22.4 percent, said GSO on its website. From January to July, tourists from Asian countries coming to Vietnam total at some 3.967 million person-times, up 29.5 percent year-on-year. Growth is seen in major markets including China (up 54.5 percent year-on-year), South Korea (up 37 percent), China's Taiwan (up 15.9 percent), Thailand (up 37.2 percent) among others. BEIJING - The G20 summit to be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in early September is unlike any previous one: it will be hosted by the largest developing country in the world. But a key question remains: can China succeed in shaking the world's 20 biggest economies out of their torpor? China has high hopes for chairing a successful G20 summit, the country's biggest diplomatic event of the year. With the two-day meeting less than two months away, plenty is already on the table, including a Beijing-led push to upgrade the G20 from a crisis response mechanism to a long-term governance platform. The economic weight and growing agility of China in managing international affairs, experts say, would prove advantageous in getting things done at the forum, particularly in bringing major industrialized economies as well as emerging markets together to tackle the root causes of faltering global growth. Long-term governance The G20 mechanism, as a primary platform for international economic cooperation, has long focused on coordinating monetary and fiscal policies among the world's top developed and developing nations in response to global financial crises. But after eight years of slow recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, an urgency can be felt across G20 members for collective action on more fundamental aspects of the global economy. A highlight of the upcoming summit will be developing a G20 blueprint for innovative growth, which includes a concrete action plan for building a new industrial revolution and the digital economy. "It is the first G20 summit with a focus on the long-term impetus of global growth," said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a briefing late May. "Fiscal and monetary policies can only serve as countercyclical tools that help smooth out volatility in the short term," said Professor Zhu Jiejin of Fudan University. "It's just like medicine. It may cure an illness, but does not strengthen the health of an economy." Zhu said the consensus on innovation had been a hard-won achievement under the Chinese presidency, especially given the severe market volatility in the first quarter of 2016. "It is not easy for China to stay focused on a long-term agenda when some are calling for short-term stimulus packages," Zhu said. Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer underlined China's emphasis on fostering innovation and other structural reforms, which, he said, were important to raise productivity and ensure the quality and sustainability of growth. "In this respect, the G20 Blueprint on Innovative Growth represents an ambitious agenda toward a new paradigm for growth based on knowledge and on new and cleaner technologies," he told Xinhua. "Many countries have, since the global financial crisis of 2008/09, relied too heavily on monetary and fiscal easing," Another eye-catching item on the agenda is going to be outlining steps to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the first time development is being given priority in a global macro-policy framework. Huang Wei, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that "developed countries cannot thrive alone in this increasingly interconnected world. Developed and developing countries need to pool their resources to reverse sagging global growth." Huang noted the systematic nature of implementing the United Nations development goals, which incorporate social and environmental dimensions as well as growth. "Only with a holistic approach can we solve fundamental problems in the global economy," she told Xinhua. "The G20 used to deal with only specific problems." According to Chen Fengying, a researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, the G20 has expanded its main policy goal for strong, sustainable and balanced growth that was laid down at the Pittsburgh summit in 2009. "It is not easy for China to host a fruitful summit when there is no apparent crisis," she said. "But China has made an unprecedented contribution to the G20 by charting out a new future." Moreover, amid sluggish trade and weak investment, the G20 under China's presidency this year opened up a new and more substantive avenue for stimulating growth: a trade ministers meeting to promote international trade and investment. "We cracked some real issues, because China took the initiative of setting up the trade and investment working group and put in lots of work, which has been very productive," said Rita Teaotia, commerce secretary of the Indian Department of Commerce. "From the Hangzhou summit onward," said Chen, "there will be two wheels driving the G20, with the traditional finance ministers and central bank governors meeting, and the new mechanism of trade ministers' meeting." This could be one of the biggest breakthroughs at this year's summit. Many of the long-term structural problems in the global economy have to do with trade and investment, she said. Shaping the agenda At this year's G20 summit, China will also be playing a more prominent role in international affairs. "This will be the first time that China hosts a global economic governance summit, unlike chairing regional meetings such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation," said Chen. "It is a good opportunity for China to exercise its power in global economics." She explained that because the G20 is an international forum with no secretariat or enforcing agencies, the outcome of the summit is to a large extent determined by the will of the host country. "As a big country, China has the influence to push for specific goals, especially when they coincide with the interests of other countries," she said, praising China's concrete action plans in the context of vaguer pledges of past years. Zhu stressed that China, as the biggest developing country, has the responsibility to promote more balanced governance of the global economy. "The birth of the G20 has broken the myth of the G7 and allows for the exploration into diverse paths of growth," he said. According to statistics from the International Monetary Fund, emerging and developing economies are home to 85 percent of the world's population, accounting for almost 60 percent of global GDP and contributing to more than 80 percent of global growth since the 2008 financial crisis. China alone has contributed 35 percent to global growth in the past five years. The view of China's growing role in global economic governance is widely shared. "There is probably some means for building new institutions given the rise of Asia and rise of China," said Tim Harcourt of the University of New South Wales in Australia. "I think in some ways the G20 can play that role." China is now in a position to assert its influence in the management of the global economy, according to a report that was released in March by the London-based Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Other countries are ready to learn from China's experiences in transforming its economy, it added. Taikang Life, one of China's biggest life insurers, has become the single largest shareholder of Sotheby's, the auction house, by acquiring a 13.5 percent stake. According to a regulatory filing on Wednesday, Taikang owns Sotheby's shares worth around $233 million, ahead of other top investors including Third Point, BlackRock and Point 72 Asset Management. Sotheby's has a market capitalization of $1.84 billion. Taikang's chairman and CEO is Chen Dongsheng, also the founder and president of China Guardian Auctions Co, one of China's largest auction houses. He is married to Chairman Mao Zedong's granddaughter, Kong Dongmei.. Sotheby's has said that it is in direct competition with China Guardian Auctions in the Chinese art market. China is the third-largest market for Sotheby's, behind the US and the UK. Last week it reported 22 percent year-on-year growth to $461.5 million during the first half of 2016. Taikang said in the regulatory filing that it had expressed support to Sotheby's board and management for its broader strategic initiatives, "and provided suggestions regarding future director nominations." Such nominations could include persons associated with Taikang, the insurer said. Tad Smith, Sotheby's chief executive, said in a statement that the auction house's board had met with Taikang's executives and "warmly welcome their support of Sotheby's strategic initiatives." Smith said he expects "all shareholders, clients, and staff will benefit" from the move. Taikang's filing follows a May disclosure that Singapore-based Sotheby's shareholder Shanda Payment Holdings Ltd is poised to increase its stake. Tianqiao Chen and Chrissy Qian Qian Luo, co-founders of Shanda, owner of 2 percent of Sotheby's, received US antitrust approval allowing them to CEO is Sotheby's earlier fought a bitter proxy battle with activist Dan Loeb's Third Point LLC. In May 2014, it settled, agreeing to appoint Loeb and his two nominees, Olivier Reza and Harry J. Wilson, to its board. Third Point was Sotheby's largest shareholder until Wednesday's filing, which shows that Taikang has overtaken the hedge fund. Marcato Capital Management, the activist hedge fund, has also amassed an active 9.7 percent stake. Billionaire trader and collector Steve Cohen's Point72 Asset Management also recently built a 5.5 percent stake. Taikang, Third Point, Marcato, Point72 and Shanda collectively own about 43 percent of Sotheby's, based on the latest available disclosures. Representatives from Chinese and African enterprises attend a photo session after signing cooperation contracts during the China-Africa Business Cooperation seminar in Beijing, July 28, 2016. [Photo/China Daily] More than 40 deals worth $18 billion were signed in Beijing on Thursday between Chinese and African businesses and financial institutions. The agreements, signed during a China-Africa Business Cooperation seminar, cover infrastructure construction, energy and manufacturing. They were reached on the eve of a coordinators' meeting that aims to implement follow-up action on the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation held in December. Ministerial representatives from 53 forum members will attend Friday's meeting to review progress and to discuss how to put the plans and ideas produced at the summit into practice. During the summit, President Xi Jinping put forward 10 major plans to boost cooperation with Africa in the next three years and said China would provide a $60 billion investment package to finance the implementation of the initiatives. P. Mupazviriho, permanent secretary at Zimbabwe's Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, said, "I'm looking forward to the water project involved in today's signing ceremony." Mupazviriho was in Beijing to sign a contract with a Chinese company for the construction of a dam in the African country. He said the dam will take more than three years to complete, but the project means there will be many opportunities for investment in agriculture and domestic water supplies. Chinese companies have been busy investing in Africa in recent years, with the continent becoming China's second-largest market for overseas contract construction. In the first six months of this year, China's direct investment in Africa increased year-on-year by 10 percent, according to the Ministry of Commerce. On Thursday, Vice-President Li Yuanchao met with the heads of delegations from African countries to attend the coordinators' meeting, and called for China and Africa to promote practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and to enhance cooperation on international affairs. Yao Guimei, a researcher of African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the agreements signed on Thursday show that China is optimistic about the great potential in Africa. "Backed by funds such as the China-Africa Fund for production capacity cooperation, Chinese companies, which have a good capacity for infrastructure, can help African countries to build much-needed infrastructure facilities," Yao said. A panel of experts told a full auditorium at the Heritage Center Thursday night that it was not enough to learn about opioid abuse, a growing problem in Bismarck. It is time to take action. "The problem is here right now," said Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who asked the audience to go home, open their medicine cabinets and return their unused prescription drugs to a police station. Talk frankly to your kids about drugs, said Tyler Auck, a recovering addict. "Put down your phones, look at your kids, look in their eyes." "Call your legislator," said former U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon. "We need the resources for prevention, treatment and re-entry." Over 200 people recovering addicts, parents, kids, medical professionals and law enforcement officers appeared gripped by a video detailing the lives and struggles of addicts and their families at the forum hosted by U.S. Attorney Chris Myers. After the film ended, the audience wanted to know the extent of the problem in Bismarck and how they could get help. "We're seeing a dynamic change right now," said Casey Miller, a Bureau of Criminal Investigations agent on the drug task force, who noted that more people in the area are abusing the opiates and often harming their kids along the way. A sign of the increase statewide, the crime lab is analyzing hundreds more samples of heroin than five years ago, Stenehjem said. Myers said his office is targeting interstate opiate traffickers. "We're not going to quit the fight," Myers said. Dr. Mark Detwiller, an emergency room doctor at Sanford, who grew up in Bismarck, said he is "shocked" by the number of people he sees abusing prescription pills and heroin. He said he is trying to prescribe fewer opiates. He warned parents to keep an eye on their kids, especially if they seem withdrawn or disconnected, because it may be a sign of drug abuse. But there is a lack of treatment in the state to help the people struggling with addiction, said Dr. Melissa Henke, the medical director at Heartview Foundation, who believes it needs to be viewed as a chronic disease. Henke said providers around the state should offer medication-assisted treatment, because it is effective in getting addicts clean. Henke told the audience she was initially opposed to working with addicts and prescribing medications like buprenorphine, a drug that helps people get through withdrawal and avoid relapse. But once she read the research around it, she decided to try. "What I saw was so profound and life-changing," she said. "They weren't substituting one addiction for another. They were getting their lives back." Sun Deshun, president of China CITIC Bank Co Ltd. [Photo/VCG] Internet banking union formed in the wake of the rapid growth of web-based financial services Twelve national commercial banks formed an internet banking union on Thursday, announcing that they will waive service fees for their clients to make interbank money transfers among member banks via internet and mobile applications. Clients who have opened accounts at a counter of a member bank will find it convenient to open electronic accounts at the other 11 banks, to buy wealth management products and pay for their bills, based on mutual recognition of accounts and account information shared among the banks. "The Internet Banking Union will serve as an open platform promoting services and product innovation through a wide cooperation among commercial banks, insurance companies, trust companies and internet companies, in order to achieve win-win outcomes for the whole industry," said Sun Deshun, president of China CITIC Bank Co Ltd, joint chair of the union. The union will also push forward transitions in the banks' operation and profit models, he added. Member banks will enjoy the interconnection of their systems and mutual recognition of accounts. "The 12 banks agreed to open their account information queries and verifications to one another," said Fan Shuangwen, deputy director of the payment and settlement department of the People's Bank of China, the central bank. "It will effectively prevent the risks of opening accounts online and provide a foundation for them to build a platform for business communication and cooperation," he said. Fan said he hoped the union will gradually open up account information queries and verifications to a wider range of financial institutions. The alliance of national joint-equity commercial banks was formed against the backdrop of a rapid growth of internet-based financial services such as Alipay, the online and mobile payment arm of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. As of June 30, 2015, the number of Alipay users registered in their real name exceeded 400 million. More than 200,000 offline merchants and more than 500,000 taxis in China accept payments via Alipay. Its overseas network has been expanded to nearly 2,000 merchants in more than 30 countries and regions, according to the information posted on its website. BEIJING - China's cabinet said Thursday that inspectors had been dispatched to seven provinces and municipalities that reported huge but markedly slowed private investment. The inspection teams consist of officials from the National Development and Reform Commission and other relevant departments, according to a notice from the State Council. The regions to be inspected are Beijing, Liaoning, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Hubei and Qinghai. China saw fixed-asset investment by the private sector increase 2.8 percent in the first half of the year, down from 3.9 percent in the first five months and 5.7 percent in the first quarter. A State Council executive meeting last month revealed that during official surveys in May some local governments were found to have failed to fully implement the pro-private investment measures. Private firms were treated unfavorably, having difficulty raising funds and suffering from heavy financial burdens, according to the surveys. The inspection will identify outstanding problems and push local governments to take effective measures to support private investment, the State Council said Thursday. Authorities should improve government services, widen market access and create a level playing field for private investors. The private sector generates about 60 percent of China's GDP and around 80 percent of jobs. Private fixed-asset investment accounts for more than 60 percent of the total. Experts from both Chinese and overseas think tanks plan to offer policy recommendations to G20 leaders in the form of a proposal document. The document, titled "T20 Policy Recommendations to the G20", which is expected to be released at the ongoing Think 20 Summit, the last session in a series of T20 events held this year, is an innovative move, said Huang Wei, director of the Department of Global Governance at the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "It will be the first time that the T20 has made such a policy proposal in this way," Huang told China Daily prior to the T20 Summit, which opens on Friday and will last through Saturday. The T20 is a mechanism by which experts and scholars from think tanks in the G20 member countries, and others, contribute wisdom and insights to the G20 dialogue. The country holding the annual G20 presidency generally names a think tank within its territory to be responsible for the T20 events throughout that year. "Compared with the previously loose cooperation between the T20 and G20, we wish to make a greater and more solid contribution to the upcoming G20 Summit this year," Huang said. As a participant in drafting the document, Huang said the policy recommendations to the 2016 G20 Leaders' Summit, scheduled to be held on Sept 4 and 5, will mainly focus on economic issues. "We present a global economic outlook and major risks in the first part of the document to allow for a better understanding of the overall context for development trends," she said. In the following section, experts propose recommendations from the perspectives of enhancing global economic growth potential, improving global financial governance, facilitating international trade and investment cooperation and promoting inclusive and sustainable development. "In addition to focusing on issues on the G20 agenda, we'd like to offer a further perspective on where the cooperation mechanism will go in the future," Huang said. Thus, the recommendations also cover G20-related engagement groups, which "reflected the G20's attention to certain types of people and issues", she added. Under the G20 umbrella, the B20 is related to the business community, the T20 gathers think tanks, the C20 features dialogues with civil society organizations, and the Y20, W20 and L20 are concerned with issues affecting young people, women and labor respectively. "It shows that the G20 mechanism is growing into a more diverse and more inclusive cooperation platform," Huang commented. As the last leg of this year's T20 event series, the summit, co-organized by three Chinese think tanksthe Institute of World Economics and Politics, the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies and the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studieshas attracted some 500 renowned experts and scholars, including more than 170 from overseas. The three coordinating think tanks for this year's T20 series held nine meetings with their overseas peers in China and other countries including the United States, Germany, Switzerland and India from last December to June. After in-depth discussions on such topics as global economic growth, innovation and structural reform, and international finance, trade and investment in previous sessions of the T20 series events from November to June, experts have offered valuable suggestions and solutions, which have been included in the policy recommendations, Huang said. "Experts have high expectations for the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit and believe that a sound and robust Chinese economy will have a positive effect on, and will continue to make a great contribution to, the global economic recovery," according to the recommendations. "China has no interest in seeing a fundamental change in the global governance pattern," Huang said. "I hope that international organizations will play a more prominent role in the global governance landscape." Pu Jiayun drinks water under the summer heat in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, July 26, 2016. [Photo/IC] Pu Jiayun, 23, has been a courier for more than half a year. Initially, he worked at an outlet with only four to five staff members. Now he leads a team of more than 20. The team recently received more than 400 take-away orders as the temperature rose and people's will to go out for lunch went cold. During the peak hours in afternoon, they delivered up to 300 orders. Pu left his hometown in Southwest China's Yunnan province at the age of 15. He had been to many places before arriving at Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province. He liked the city due to the hospitality of local people. Once he had to take the stair to reach the eighth floor of a building to deliver a meal as the elevator was not working. The customer, a man in his 30s, bowed to him when he received the meal. Whenever Pu is tired, he thinks of the experience and feels that it is worthwhile as long as the customer is satisfied. Visitors walk the hotongs with Beijing Hutong Trips.[Photo provided to China Daily] For an ancient city like Beijing with many must-sees, foreign tourists know the major sites that they will set foot on. However, for some, the hidden gems in secret corners of this sprawling metropolis are what they really need to see. After living in Beijing for three and half years, Cesar Casellas Martinez saw the untapped opportunity of offering an authentic local tour service, jumped off the wagon of working for a tour company and started Beijing Hutong Trips with a Chinese partner. Starting in January, the 34-year-old Spaniard designed eight different walking tour routes, two bike tour routes and sidecar routes. Each route was designed for different needs, with one purpose to help visitors explore authentic local life in Beijing. "Being a photographer and a tourist guide, Im always trying to find ways to combine my passions. With this project I could offer something special to expats who want to see the real Beijing, " he said. Cesar Casellas Martinez, co-founder of Beijing Hutong Trips. [Photo provided to China Daily] At first he gave free tours to friends in Beijing, but through word of mouth, more people turned up for the excursions. Now offering tours from 190 yuan and up, Casellas leads the way through hutongs, a network of labyrinthine lanes and alleys in the city's center. Staying away from the most commercialized and touristy spots, he always manages to wow visitors with old houses tucked away in ancient alleys, local restaurants offering authentic flavors that aren't in restaurant guide books and newly-sprung Western-style brew pubs and cocktail bars scattered on old streets. "When I first started, I just wanted to build good social networks with businesses as well as establishing a good image for my company for long-term development, so I'd offer trial tours for free. Now people have seen it, they like it, and they recommend me to others, so our business is now growing, " he said. "Since we offer tours in Chinese, English and Spanish, we even have local Chinese participating on our tours to see their city in a fresh angle," Casellas said. Andrea Gottschalk, an expat who lives in Beijing, found Casellas' tour a great way for her to re-discover Beijing. "The bike tour has been one of the best experiences I've had, being able to see the hutongs from within with Cesar' comments and explanations is a must-do both for tourists and expats, " she said. A self-driving car manufactured by Chongqing Changan Automobile Co, a modified version of its Raeton sedan, stands on display as a technician fixes a sensor onto its roof at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing in April. [Photo/Agencies] Automakers call for regulations that will allow real-world tests to take place in near future Chongqing Changan Automobile Co, the Chinese automaker that completed a 1,931-kilometer trek with a self-driving car earlier this year, has postponed public road tests in response to a regulatory ban it said could impede efforts to develop autonomous vehicles. The joint venture partner with Ford Motor Co will try to simulate real-world traffic conditions in private testing yards and has suspended all road tests on public streets, said Liang Fenghua, the head of Changan's intelligent vehicle division. China's auto industry regulator said last week that it is working with police on rules governing autonomous-car testing and warned automakers against conducting public highway trials before the regulations are released. "We can make up for it if we don't need to wait longer than a year," Liang said by phone from Chongqing. "Eventually, the tests have to be carried out on real roads in large scale. Simulations are remedial measures we take to reduce the impact as much as possible, but cannot replace real road tests." Changan joins Baidu Inc and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co in urging the government to speed up the drafting of a legal framework for technology being pursued worldwide to make roads safer. Carmakers have emphasized local road testing will be vital to developing cars capable of self-navigating the complex traffic conditions, driving habits and road signage associated with the world's largest auto market. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Mark Rosekind said last week that no incident would derail efforts to improve road safety, without specifically mentioning Tesla Motors Inc. The automaker has continued public beta testing of its Autopilot system despite a fatal crash in May. "There needs to be a balance," said Steve Man, an auto analyst in Hong Kong with Bloomberg Intelligence. "If local companies are barred from doing it at all, there's a high risk for them to fall behind. It is of big concern to them." Changan's 1,931-km autonomous driving trip from Chongqing to Beijing in April followed a similar road test by Volvo on Beijing's Sixth Ring Road last year. China's self-driving vehicle push has been part of a broader initiative urging manufacturers to upgrade their technology, as lower-cost countries emerge and compete for labor-intensive factory jobs. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Public Security have a preliminary draft of the rules to govern testing of autonomous cars, She Weizhen, head of the MIIT's autos department, said in a forum in Beijing last week. With ambitions to produce highly automated vehicles by 2020, Changan will run more tests once regulations are finalized to catch up with competitors, Liang said. "I'm not optimistic about the rules coming out soon," said Jia Xinguang, an analyst with the China Automobile Dealers Association. Bloomberg Toyota Motor Corp President Akio Toyoda speaks during a joint news conference with Daihatsu Motor Co President Masanori Mitsui in Tokyo, Japan, January 29, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Toyota is in danger of losing its crown as the world's biggest automaker this year, as its sales fall behind those of German rival Volkswagen, new figures showed on Thursday. The Japanese giant, which has held the title for four years in a row, was outsold by Volkswagen in the first half of the year, as key North American sales fell and disaster-linked factory stoppages hit production. The maker of Camry and Prius sold 4.99 million vehicles worldwide in the six months through June, edging down from a year earlier. Volkswagen sold 5.12 million vehicles globally in the same period. Third-place General Motors sold 4.76 million vehicles. The German automaker had pulled ahead of Toyota in the first half of 2015 as well, until a massive emissions cheating scandal dented sales. This year, Toyota saw first-half unit sales fall in North America, a key market, while US sales of its popular Prius hybrid fell by about 25 percent. The company was also hit by plant shutdowns linked to deadly earthquakes in Japan earlier this year. Toyota previously warned that its annual net profit will fall, as a stronger yen and a slowdown in the Chinese and other emerging markets dent its bottom line. Toyota, among other major automakers, has also been struggling to recover a reputation for safety after the recall of millions of cars around the world for various problems, including an air bag crisis at supplier Takata. In 2008, Toyota broke GM's decadeslong reign as the world's top automaker. It lost the crown three years later as Japan's 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster hammered production and disrupted the supply chains of the country's automakers. Agence France Press Minoru Usui, president and CEO of Seiko Epson Corporation. [Photo/Agencies] If you take the innovation away from epson, there is no meaning for the company, says its chief Innovation is the driving force of an enterprise, which is unquestionably true for Minoru Usui, president and CEO of Japanese electronics company Seiko Epson Corporation, commonly known as Epson. Usui, the founder of the group's core technologycalled micro piezo technologysaid innovation was of great importance to a company and it needs to constantly innovate to create new products to help improve society and help people achieve more affluent lifestyles. Since Usui became the CEO of Epson in 2008, he has adjusted the original business structure, after analyzing the strengths of the company, and decided to vigorously develop its inkjet printing instead of the laser printing business. Founded in 1942, Epson had humble beginnings, starting with making watches. The company, now one of the world's biggest manufacturers of computer printers and information and imaging related equipment, announced its Epson 25 Corporate Vision (2016-25) recently, which set out the direction it will take over the next decade. Epson plans to step up the pace of its technological innovation, not only in traditional fields such as printers and projection equipment, but also by expanding its robotics and wearable devices activities. Usui said his confidence in China was based on strong sales of its Epson products, including inkjet printers and projectors, which have enjoyed sustained steady growth. Faced with a continuing labor shortage and a requirement for more elaborate production, Usui concedes more robots are needed to make the manufacturing processes smarter and contribute to greater productivity. He told China Daily that the "Made in China 2025" action plan will provide a number of opportunities for Epson, a technology-driven company. The following are edited excerpts from the interview. How do you see your company's prospects in China in the context of the current economic situation? China is changing dramatically. It has been growing for years and is now very stable. We are focusing on two categories: production and sales in China. The sales activity is very positive for Epson, which means we have a big opportunity for our new products, for example inkjet printers and projectors, and we hold a dominate position in these areas, so there is no problem for us generally. However, the productivity problem is very severe in China as labor costs are dramatically increasing and we can't sustain labor quality and quantity as our employees are leaving us. What is the biggest opportunity and challenge for doing businesses in China? Why? We are now changing dramatically, not only in the consumer sector, but also in the business and industry sectors, which is the same situation as in China. We are concentrating on consumer products or small-business products, and by using our micro piezo technology, we are now involved in high-performance business inkjet printers, an alternative to the traditional laser printer. In order to achieve success in business, we must be a customer-oriented company, which is the biggest opportunity, but also the biggest challenge for us. We must establish collaborations with local Chinese companies to develop both software and hardware solutions. With the 'paperless office' concept prevailing, the traditional printer sector is deemed as a "sunset industry". What is the future for Epson? The reason people wish for the paperless office lies in the fact that it has less of an impact on the environment, the cost is relatively low, and electronic documents are easier to manage. We have made efforts in two areas. On one hand, we hope to promote inkjet printers, which are more environmentally friendly, instead of laser printers. On the other hand, because the use of paper can deplete forest resources, we have developed our PaperLab technology which takes used paper and creates fresh new sheets, to form a papermaking ecosystem in offices. And this is our future direction. As to the printing technology, we don't only print on paper, but also on fabrics and other multiple media. We hope to provide our inkjet technology for the printing process, which is digital and causes less impact on the environment. As the founder of the company's core technology of micro piezo, how do you map out Epson's strategy with that strong technical backgroud? What kind of change did you bring after becoming president in 2008? We were facing tough times. First, we had the LCD display business, which was very uncompetitive and the business was shrinking. Moreover, our printer business also met with severe challenges in emerging countries. Meanwhile, we were only making consumer printers, so the overall situation was not good. The financial crisis in 2008 made the Japanese yen appreciate very rapidly. So we analyzed what Epson's strengths were and made an adjustment to the business structure and developed some new business models. Because we are good at technology, our technology shouldn't lag behind our competitors. But we noticed that our traditional technology, like the LCD screens, has lost competitiveness, so we transfered the business. We also reduced our semiconductor business. Meanwhile, we considered areas where we could expand our business. After analyzing our strengths, we focused on inkjet printing technology and projector equipment. We originally had a laser printer, but it had no competitive advantage in the market, so we abandoned this field in many countries and concentrated on inkjet printing, improving the technology to adapt to the office environment. Generally speaking, we stand on our own merits, expanding our production line and the competitiveness of our products, and really analyzing the demands of consumers. What is the role of innovation at Epson and how do you keep that innovation going? If you take the innovation away from Epson, there is no meaning for the company. The innovation doesn't mean defeating other companies or winning in competition with our rivals, but providing customers with our products and services. One characteristic of Epson's employees or engineers is that they focus very much on one thing and are diligent in achieving their goals. As the CEO of Epson, my job is to create value for customers, facilitate the whole corporate culture of innovation and push everybody in that direction. How do you motivate your international team? The role of our headquarters in Japan is to create the core of technologies, but we don't just create products in Japan and send them to other countries. What is really important to Epson is to understand each of the customers in each single country. The local staff must be involved in creating business models and products that suit their individual area. I think China is a very good example for that. So we want to have a maximum input from all the countries where we do business. That enables us to create products to suit customers in each market. Epson has a lot of employees around the world and what is important is to create ways of sharing information between the countries, so everybody can access it and people from different countries can come together to discuss the direction Epson should go in. How do you view the balance between work and life? Work and life balance is very important. However, as a CEO of big company, it is very difficult to achieve that. I have some hobbies, and do them on the weekend. While I am doing my hobbies, I am always thinking about work. I even get many good ideas about work when I am sleeping. What Epson products are you using? I always wear a Seiko watch made by Epson. At home, I have an Epson printer, a motion sensor for running, which can tell how fast you run with a GPS, and an Epson PC, smart glassesa lot of Epson's products. CV Age: 61 Career: 2008 onwards: President of Seiko Epson Corporation 2007: COO of the production technology division and the R&D division 2005: COO of the production technology division 2002: Director and deputy chief executive of imaging and information products operations division 1979: Joined Shinshu Seiki Co Ltd (Currently Seiko Epson Corporation) Education: 1970: Bachelor degree in Engineering Sciences from The University of Tokyo Family: Married with three children Researchers at BGI work in the lab in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. [Photo/CFP] Research institutions in China are leading the world in the increase of high-quality output, according to a ranking released on Thursday. The Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars supplement shows that 40 of the top 100 institutions that improved the most worldwide are from China. More than half of the 40 showed a growth of over 50 percent. The supplement identifies the countries and institutions rising the most significantly in high-quality research publications. The ranking is based on the change in the institutions' absolute contribution from 2012 to 2015 to the Nature Index, which tracks the research of more than 8,000 global institutions that is published in 68 high-quality natural science journals. China's institutions, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, took the top nine places on the list of the world's 100 most improved institutions for high-quality science. Shi Yi, a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, attributed China's achievements in scientific research to the government's financial support and to policies to entice talent to return to China. "An increasing number of brilliant people studying or doing research overseas came back during the past 10 to 15 years," Shi said. "Meanwhile, ample resources were gathered and provided to ensure that researchers could generate world-class research output." China has topped the list of the most improved countries in the indexboth overall and in the four subject areas tracked by the indexfor the past four years. The four areas are physical sciences, chemistry, life sciences and Earth and environmental research. The United States, while remaining the largest contributor to high-quality scientific papers overall, had 11 institutions enter the list's top 100the second-largest number. David Swinbanks, founder of the Nature Index, said China has experienced an enormous rise in high-quality research output and is no longer considered a rising star because its trajectory is well established. "Given that China's investment in R&Dis set to continue growing as it pushes ahead to become an innovation-driven country and a world-leading power in science and technology, this impressive upward trajectory seems likely to continue," he added. Yang Huanning, minister of the State Administration of Work Safety As the number of accidents and fatalities decline in mining, rail transportation and on highways in China, work safety officials vow to take further action to upgrade safety standards in industries that experience more major accidents with many victims. About 23,500 accidents occurred in China during the first half of the year, a decline of 8.8 percent year-on-year. Those accidents killed 14,100 people, down 5.3 percent, said Yang Huanning, minister of the State Administration of Work Safety, during a news conference on Thursday. Major accidents in which more than 10 people died declined from 59 in 2012 to 38 in 2015, but the average death count increased from 15.6 to 20.2. Sixty percent of all accidents nationwide, including major ones, occurred in the coal mining industry or on roads. In some regions, 70 percent of the accidents were related either to traffic or mining. But in recent years, more major accidents have been occurring in other areas not considered key for work safety. In August last year, a series of explosions tore through a port in Tianjin, claiming the lives of 165 people and causing direct economic losses of 6.8 billion yuan ($1 billion). On Dec 20, a collapsing hill of construction waste in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, killed 73 people and left another four missing. It also destroyed 33 buildings and resulted in direct economic losses of 881 million yuan. Yang noted that other major accidents happened at ports, industrial parks, development zones or new urban districts. As the economy develops, China may lack safety management, especially where different departments overlap, raising the prospect of negligence, Yang said. Some local government departments fail to stick strictly to their urban plans and related safety standards, and some factories or facilities with higher risk have been located in areas with dense population. The risk of a high death toll is greater in those places, he said. Yang said that to solve such problems, the administration has been coordinating with related departments to strengthen supervision of new areas and to enact or revise laws and regulations. He said the government will introduce and implement a handbook for law enforcement related to work safety. The rapid development of the hazardous chemicals industry has been posing more challenges in work safety, he added. "The number of enterprises in the hazardous chemicals industry is on the rise, but safety supervision has failed to be upgraded in a timely manner," he said. Li Wanchun, head of the administration's statistics department, said safety standards in the hazardous chemicals industry still need to be upgraded. "There is a regulation covering hazardous chemicals, but we will suggest enacting a law to enhance safety management in the industry," he said. We like to think when a case goes to court both sides have an equal chance of victory. Unfortunately, the scales of justice arent always balanced. Some defendants have more resources and can hire a team of lawyers and investigators. Sometimes they can overwhelm the prosecution, but thats not the norm. Whats more common is the reliance on public defenders. Defendants who dont have the financial ability to hire an attorney are provided an attorney. In theory this gives them the same kind of representation as if they had hired someone. Thats not always true. Public defenders, overall, are dedicated to their clients and, if anything, put in more hours than they receive compensation for. It can be a thankless job being a public defender with many of the defendants garnering no sympathy. A new survey shows another problem with the public defender system: low pay. The North Dakota Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents survey found that supervising attorneys in public defender offices earn an average of $32,000 less than state's attorneys and nearly $12,000 less than senior assistant state's attorneys. An assistant state's attorney without senior status is paid an average of $7,000 more than a typical public defender, according to the survey. The findings disturb Jean Delaney, the commissions executive director, who notes public defenders and prosecutors do comparable work. She argues the pay should be comparable. Delaney points out that the defendants freedom is often at stake. The low pay can make it difficult to retain experienced public defenders. They can be lured to law firms that offer higher salaries and better benefits. The danger becomes that younger, less-experienced lawyers are counted on as public defenders. Some of the cases can be complex and experience becomes important. Unfortunately, the pay gap in North Dakota between public defenders and prosecutors is higher than the national average. Delaney said the survey was conducted because of the high turnover in public defender offices due to the low pay. While public defenders would like higher pay they arent asking for the same salaries as states attorneys. They acknowledge that states attorneys have additional duties, many supervisory, that demand their attention. The commission plans to ask for $779,000 during the 2017 legislative session to bring the salaries of public defenders and their support staff on par with counterparts in the state's attorneys offices. The commission knows getting the money will be difficult because of the tight budget situation, but it feels the request is reasonable. The Legislature should look at an adjustment. If the full amount isnt possible, lawmakers should look at phasing in the increase. A good legal defense can be priceless, so it makes sense to provide a salary that will retain experienced lawyers and provide that defense. Police in Jiangsu province have detained 19 suspects for allegedly dumping a massive volume of garbage on the banks of Taihu Lake in Suzhou. Since mid-June, more than 12,000 metric tons of garbage were shipped from Shanghai to a dumping site near a drug rehabilitation clinic in the Suzhou Taihu National Tourism Vacation Zone. Police said the plan was to dump more than 3 million tons of waste at a cost of 5.4 yuan ($0.80) per ton, over an 18-month period. According to the local government, all the garbage has been removed and processed by authorized departments. Measures have been taken to restore the ecology of the site. To avoid similar cases, the Suzhou government has recently created a regulation that prohibits the transportation of garbage to the city. Also, no companies or individuals are allowed to sign garbage delivery contracts. Suzhou has appointed a deputy mayor to monitor the garbage-control system. Many government departments, such as police, transportation and urban management, will work to stop illegal garbage transportation. Xu Hesheng, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Construction and Development Association, said that garbage can be transported between cities of the same province. For megacities like Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing that are not as big as the provinces, "sometimes they cannot treat garbage produced by others", Xu said. However, Yang Xinhai, chief engineer at the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, said that people can earn a lot by shipping garbage out of Shanghai. "Shanghai has the ability to treat all kinds of garbage it produces," said Yang. "There are mainly two methods to treat garbage in the cityto burn or to bury. It costs about 200 yuan to burn a ton of garbage, while the cost to bury a ton would be around 80 to 100 yuan." "But transporting the garbage to other cities will cost far less than the other two methods." He added that China's environmental protection departments encourage different areas to share garbage treatment facilities, but sharing facilities differs from dumping garbage in other areas. "Private companies and individuals are often involved in dumping the garbage in other cities," Yang said. "The penalties imposed by the governments are not stringent, so they would rather take the risk to make money." In mid-July, garbage shipped from Shanghai was also found in Nantong, Jiangsu province. Guo Jun contributed to this story. People line up for free laba porridge, a kind of rice mush with nuts and dried fruit, on Hefang Street, celebrating a past Laba Festival.[Photo by Long Wei/China Daily] Hangzhou has long been regarded as a city of gourmet food and has a long history of cuisine culture. The dishes have a reputation among foodies for fresh ingredients, elaborate processing and natural flavor. Apart from time-honored restaurants such as Louwailou and Tianxianglou, visitors can visit famous food streets to explore the tastes of the city. Shenglihe Food Street Shenglihe Food Street, once in ruins, has grown into a popular destination for food lovers in Hangzhou. The street, put into operation in 2009, is home to many popular restaurants. Some small but famous restaurants are also on this streetfor instance, Ding's Boiled Mutton. Many Hangzhou residents like to order some boiled mutton and beer here to relax in summer. Some people said it's relaxing to see staff members cutting boiled mutton in the restaurant. Foodies who are keen on visiting Shenglihe Food Street have to leave home early because there are long lines outside famous restaurants during peak hours. Gaoyinxiang Food Street Visitors can find traditional food and newly developed Hangzhou dishes on this street close to the Hangzhou train station. It is an ideal destination for people who have difficulty deciding where to eat. Weizhai Restaurant and Huangfan'er Restaurant are two good dining choices. Weizhai Restaurant is the upgraded version of century-old Zhiweiguan, which developed several brands to serve the demands of diners. Popular dishes in Weizhai include Dongpo-style brewed pork and West Lake Vinegar Fish. It is said that Huangfan'er Restaurant obtained its name from Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Huangfan'er can be interpreted as a place where the emperor takes meals. The restaurant remains popular in Hangzhou after serving local residents for centuries. Qianlong fish-head soup is a must-order dish of Huangfan'er. Representatives talk on the sidelines of Y20 China 2016 in Shanghai on Wednesday. The event for young adults is affiliated with the G20 Leaders Summit, which will take place in September. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily] More than 100 delegates aged 18 to 30 from G20 member states, guest countries and international organizations attended the weeklong Youth 20 event in Shanghai on Wednesday. It's a platform for young adults to discuss hot global issues and topics. The gatheringknown as Y20 China 2016is affiliated with the G20 Leaders Summit to be held in September in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The theme, "Youth Innovation for Our Shared Vision", is in line with the G20 theme, "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy". Many topics are on the agenda for participants, including the elimination of poverty, joint development, entrepreneurship and creative thinking, social justice, green lifestyles and sustainability, and global governance. Opinions and suggestions from the delegates will be gathered, and a statement will be drafted and submitted to the preparatory committee of the G20 summit. "We want to encourage young people worldwide to boost innovation and contribute to industry," said Wang Meng, head of China delegation. "The sustainable development goal for 2030 has been adopted by more than 120 UN members, so we want to use this platform to gather with other delegations to find solutions for the future world," Wang said. As part of the event, delegates visited Beijing on July 24. Vice-President Li Yuanchao met the delegates on Monday and called on young people from G20 member countries to inject vitality into the world economy through entrepreneurship and innovation. Li told the delegates that the Chinese government highly values young people's desire to contribute to global economic governance. He also called on young people to play a positive role in the building of a more just and equitable international order, as well as a more fair and rational global governance system, according to Xinhua News Agency. The Ministry of Public Security is to clean up live broadcasts on the internet and crack down on illegal activities associated with them. The operation, expected to be carried out nationwide from the end of July to October, will shut down the accounts, channels and platforms for online live broadcasts involving illegal activities, the ministry said. The operation will target information or material advocating pornography, violence, terrorism and other crimes, and programs organizing pornographic performances or gambling. Anyone involved in these illegal activities will be subject to punishment, the ministry said. As live broadcasts have become increasingly popular in China, problems have emerged. These include the broadcasting of pornographic performances and gambling, the ministry said. A joint working system will be set up between public security departments' internet safety units and broadcast platform providers. People are encouraged to report any violations to www.cyberpolice.cn, a website set up by the ministry. China has 150 major websites providing online live broadcasting platforms with a total audience of more than 200 million, according to the ministry. A statement from Inke, a widely used live streaming app that has been downloaded more than 100 million times since being founded a year ago, said: "We support the operation. Stricter supervision from authorities will help boost the sound growth of online live broadcasts." A 1,000-strong review team from the company oversees such programs around the clock. "It will report violations to police departments immediately and provide assistance in combating illegal activities," the company said in a statement. China's media watchdog has also stepped up efforts to clean up internet culture by banning indecent material in videos online. In April, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television ordered Papi Jiang, a video blogger, to take her videos offline for her use of "swear words and insulting language" in the show, which had more than 10 million followers and has raised 12 million yuan ($1.8 million) from investors. Shen Yi, a professor of cyberspace management at Fudan University, said there should be proper management of cyberspace and the parameters for indecent information should be stipulated and made public. These should be announced after fully consulting the public and be based on concerted opinion from society, Shen added. Contact the writers at zhang_yi@chinadaily.com.cn Hebei attracts foreign loans for nursing service (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-07-29 13:32 SHIJIAZHUANG - Hebei Province in north China will receive a loan of 26 million U.S. dollars from the government of Israel to build elder care facilities as the country opens its service sector to foreign investors. The loan from the Israeli government will be spent on upgrading facilities of Chengde City Central Hospital and building an affiliated nursing home with 600 beds, said an official with the provincial finance department Friday. It is the first time for this northern Chinese province to use foreign government loans in a medical and nursing facility project, he said. The whole project will cost 200 million yuan (about 31.75 million U.S. dollars). The hospital will handle the remaining investment. Foreign government loans can solve funding shortages and are a financial reform move by the province to promote social development, said the local government official. China's nursing services for the elderly are developing rapidly. The number of people aged 60 or above reached 222 million in 2015, or 16.1 percent of the country's total population. In Hebei alone, the population aged 60 and above had reached 11.2 million, or 15 percent of the province's total, by the end of last year. Ma Jianhua (right) and Li Rongfu (middle) pay respect to their deceased parents after going home 44 years later. [Photo/Huashang Daily] When Ma Jianhua and Li Rongfu appeared in front of the waiting crowd on July 24, cheers and applause erupted. The family members who have been separated for four decades hugged and shed tears of joy. Ma and Li are twin brothers who were born in Shaoxing in Zhejiang province in 1972. They had five elder sisters and brothers. When they were three months old, their parents decided to give them to other families for adoption, because they were unable to support so many children. The brothers were given to two relatively well-off families from a village in Henan province, which is over 1,000 kilometers away. The adoptive families of the two brothers were only 500 meters away, but the two families had no close contact. And the parents did not let them play together. The two boys' lives were parallel until they entered the middle school. They were arranged in the same class and sat together as "their teacher thought they looked alike and had similar height." They became intimate friends, playing together and sharing secrets with each other in spite of the objection from their parents. They were good buddies and they even found their identity numbers were all the same except the last digit. Life went on and if it were not the sudden changes that happened, the true identities of the two brothers may have not been revealed. About 10 years ago, Ma's adoptive parents and elder sister died in succession. The trauma left Ma depressed. And then the foster father of Li Rongfu came to Ma, along with a yellowed photograph. He told Ma to not be sad because he had other family members alive in the world. It was then that Ma Jianhua found out that Li Rongfu was his twin brother. After recognizing their real identities, the twin brothers did not start looking for their real parents immediately in order to not harm the feeling of the adoptive parents. They only started searching for their family members in recent years when they thought it was right time to do it before they came in contact with their sisters and brothers in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. When they finally found their family members, they were told that their parents had passed away long time ago. "I could understand my adoptive parents. I would have done the same if I were in the similar situation," said Ma Jianhua who did not blame his adoptive parents for covering the truth for years, and said he will be grateful to them for the rest of his life. "We will invite our family members from Shaoxing to my adoptive home in Henan, and we will also go to Shaoxing to visit them often," said Li Rongfu. The 2016 National Youth Scientific Innovation and Experiment Contest opened on Friday. [Photo by Yan Dongjie/chinadaily.com.cn] Brainwave wheelchairs, automatic gesture language translation gloves, and even solar power smart houses are all works invented by teenagers at an innovation contest in China. More than 15,000 teams and 140,000 students took part in the National Youth Scientific Innovation and Experiment Contest since 2013, which was initiated by the China Association for Science and Technology and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and supported by Samsung. The fourth consecutive year of the contest themed "Solve for Tomorrow" started on Friday. "What's more important is that the experience of taking part in such competitions will greatly improve their confidence and awake their consciousness of self-learning, which will have a huge impact on their whole study career and even their future direction," said Wang Youyan, vice-president of Samsung China, adding that the contest aims at spreading scientific innovation education and cultivating young energetic talents. LyvXiaobo, a college student in Henan majoring in English for Tourism, discovered his passion towards scientific innovation after last year's contest, in which he ranked fourth for his wind power utilization innovations. Now he is an assistant at Jiaozuo Science and Technology Museum. "I used to wear no glasses, but now they are 8.5 diopter. It is all a result from my staying up to do experiments over and over again .But I do not regret, because scientific innovation excites me," said Lyv. Once, in order to gain some statistics of his robot, Lyv stayed in his laboratory for a whole month without going out. He admitted it was tiresome but worthwhile. Eventually he succeeded in making his own robot that could wave hands, walk and even dance. "I have found out what I truly love through the contest and I will always challenge myself and persist for the rest of my life," said Lyv. Du Yungang, professor of Inner Mongolia University of Technology, organized 20 teams to sign up for the contest and won the national champion in the "Security Protection" category. After that, he set up a public elective course named Scientific Innovation Experimental Course back in school. "I just want to make scientific innovation not so distant and unfamiliar to our students," said Du. This year's contest will for the first time invite an advisory group composed of both technological expert and scientific expert, ensuring a professional guide to the students. Wang Keju and Zheng Jinqiang contributed to the story. Lower fares likely for international passengers, as well as better services Relocation of two top Chinese airlines to a new airport in Beijing could help cut airfares for international passengers while improving services for national carrier Air China, which will remain at Beijing Capital International Airport. China Eastern and China Southern Airlines, along with some other SkyTeam Alliance members, will move to Beijing's new international airport when it begins operation in 2019, according to a statement from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Other carriers to be relocated include Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air. National carrier Air China and other Star Alliance partners, including United Airlines, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and Japanese airline ANA, will stay, the CAAC said. Slot shortages at Beijing Capital International Airport have made it increasingly difficult for airlines to add flights and launch new routes. The ultra-large new airport, which will be in Daxing district in Beijing's southeastern suburbs, is expected to serve those who travel to and from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province. Li Xiaojin, a professor at the Civil Aviation University of China in Tianjin, said: "Beijing Capital International Airport is overly saturated. The relocation of China Eastern and China Southern Airlines to the new airport will provide them with significant growth potential." Since the new airport will be nearly 50 kilometers from the downtown area, airline companies based there will likely offer cheaper ticket prices to attract passengers and tour groups, he said. As the southern part of Beijing further develops, with more businesses and government agencies moving there, passengers will find it increasingly convenient to use the new airport, he added. China Eastern and China Southern will be allowed to build their own infrastructure facilities at the new airport, and the two airlines will become the airport's main carriers, accounting for 40 percent of annual passenger volume. They will both be given a transition grace period of four years to move to the new airport. The two carriers will be given favorable policy support on flights and routes, as well as ground services, the CAAC statement said. Air Transport World, a US aviation magazine, said Air China will be the big winner in the move. The statement did not mention whether Hainan Airlines, the country's fourth-largest airline, will remain at the capital airport or move. Relatives of victims of the bus crash and fire in Taiwan mourn their loved ones at a funeral home in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Friday.[Wang Hua/China Daily] The driver of the tour bus in which 26 people died when it crashed into a barrier and caught on fire in Taiwan on July 19 was drunk when the accident occurred, investigators said on Friday. In the worst road accident ever to overcome Chinese mainland visitors to the island, the entire tour group of 23 tourists and a guide were killed as they headed for Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to return home. The driver and another tour guide from Taiwan also died in the crash. Investigators said tests done on the driver, identified only by his surname Su, revealed his blood-alcohol level was 215 mg per 100 ml, more than four times the legal limit. "He was drunken driving, a very severe case of drunken driving," said Wang Yi-wen, chief investigator and deputy chief prosecutor of the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office. Investigators are trying to determine what role the driver's intoxication may have played in the accident. An Fengshan, a spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a statement on Friday that the mainland has paid close attention to the investigation results disclosed by Taiwan authorities. "We have repeatedly asked the Taiwan authorities to investigate the cause of the accident, who was responsible, and to console the victims and their family members," he said. A memorial service was held on Friday morning in Dalian, Liaoning province, where most of the victims came from. Zhang Qing, 48, said her younger sister, Zhang Hong, died along with her husband, child and mother-in-law in the accident. Relatives of the tourists went with a work team in charge of the accident to Taiwan to identify the dead, and they returned home with their cremated remains on Tuesday. The team said that relatives of 23 victims have agreed to sign a compensation contract made by Taiwan, and the other decided to deal to seek legal recourse. Beijing's cooperation with Africa has been dominated by commercial deals instead of aid in the past, with $46 billion in direct Chinese investment and commercial loans having been signed since December, Chinese officials said.[Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily] Officials from both sides meet in Beijing to discuss achievements since December summit Beijing's cooperation with Africa has been dominated by commercial deals instead of aid in the past, with $46 billion in direct Chinese investment and commercial loans having been signed since December, Chinese officials said. "At present, Chinese aid to Africa makes up only a very little part of our cooperation. ...Investment cooperation has been the main avenue of China-Africa cooperation," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. Wang made the remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting in Beijing on delivering what was agreed on at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. More than 100 ministerial officials from China and Africa attended the meeting. On Thursday alone, Wang said, companies from China and Africa signed 64 agreements worth about $19 billion at a seminar in Beijing on China-Africa business cooperation. The deals included direct investment and commercial loans worth $16.7 billion, accounting for 85 percent of the total volume, Wang said. In December, President Xi Jinping announced at the Johannesburg Summit in South Africa 10 major China-Africa cooperation plans for the next three years, backed by $60 billion, including interest free loans and lending with preferential terms. After Friday's meeting, Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Ming said at a news conference that China and Africa have signed at least 243 cooperation agreements of various kinds worth $50.7 billion since the summit. "Among these agreements, Chinese companies' direct investment and commercial loans to Africa surpass $46 billion, accounting for 91 percent of the total volume," he said. Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the meeting on Friday, saying that in the past six months, China and Africa have worked together to overcome the negative effects of the sluggish world economy and that they have made tangible achievements in implementing the agreements at the summit. The current weak performance of the world economy brings opportunities and challenges for the economic development of China and Africa, Xi said. Anil Sooklal, South Africa's coordinator on implementing agreements of the summit, said now the relationship between China and Africa is not one between donor and receiver but one between partners and equals. "We must understand that the coordinator's meeting is taking place at a time when the global economy is facing severe crises, when access to finance for development is very difficult to come by ... but China has come forward to push this cooperation." "What is encouraging also ... is that ... Africa wants to learn from China and partner with China," he said. Tolstoy wrote of epidemic suggestion to describe those moments when humanity seems to be gripped by a kind of mass hypnosis that no force can counter. The resulting movements, like the Crusades or the 17th-century Dutch tulip craze, cannot be controlled. We find ourselves in such a moment. To imagine that the words I write, or those of countless others lamenting the worlds lurch toward the politics of violence, may stem this epidemic suggestion is to indulge in fantasy. It is part of the infernal nature of such eruptions that everything feeds them, including outrage. The slouching beast is insatiable. Warnings of danger are just the self-important whining of those in whose favor the decadent, soon-to-be-destroyed system has been rigged. The movement is the answer. Mendacity is the new truth. Choreography is stronger than content. The world is upside-down. Writing into such an environment is like directing a canoe into a gale. Still, here goes, while words still have some meaning. Goodbye to all that. This looks like the end of a brief interlude that began in 1945. The interlude was relatively peaceful by historical standards. It saw the construction of a rules-based world order undergirded by visceral knowledge of destruction and acute awareness of potential Armageddon. The postwar order involved new institutions, treaties, alliances, and even a union of the very European nations most given to repetitive bloodshed. Its end was signaled in 2014 by Russian President Vladimir Putins annexation of Crimea, a move that ripped to shreds the territorial integrity of Ukraine in direct violation of Article 2 of the United Nations Charter. But it was not so much this act itself that presaged the unraveling. It was the lies that accompanied it. The Soviet Union, in 1931, used the slogan that two plus two equals five. Putin, a pure Soviet product, traffics in lies the supposed Western encirclement of Russia, the preposterous notion that all the Russian forces and materiel in eastern Ukraine have been figments of the worlds imagination. As George Orwell observed, From the totalitarian point of view history is something to be created rather than learned. Enter Putins pal, Donald Trump, who declares that there will be no lies as a prelude to shrieking unvarnished untruth for 76 minutes from a gold-limned podium. Where was Leni Riefenstahl when she was needed last week in Cleveland? Facts are now a quaint hangover from a time of rational discourse, little annoyances easily upended. Volume trumps reality, as Roger Ailes understood at Fox News, before a downfall that coincided with the apotheosis of his post-factual world. A red-faced bully, adept in the choreography of collective hysteria, arises. He promises that he alone can set things right. He is the voice. He stands against a great tide of menace, from ISIS to immigrants, and only he understands the vast dimensions of the danger. We have been here before. Fascism was a backlash against dysfunctional democracies. It invited belief in the leadership of the strongman against enemies within and without. Its currency was untruth and its culmination bloody unreason. It was decried and dismissed by those it would devour. It is inevitable, given what he represents, that Trump looks to Putin. Orwell again: Totalitarianism demands, in fact, the continuous alteration of the past, and in the long run probably demands a disbelief in the very existence of objective truth. Putin is not a totalitarian, but he has totalitarianism in him, and the conditions of today are not those of the 1930s. But in technologys disorienting cacophony, the disaggregation of increasingly unequal societies, the frustrations of the many millions for whom life has become an exercise in precariousness, the pressures of globalization and mass migration, the stirring of racism, the spread of terrorism, and the steady undermining of truth, the seeds of a new authoritarianism have been sown. This is the wave Trump rides. Trumps strongest argument is that he represents change and Hillary Clinton does not. He will see Clintons charges of mendacity with accusations that she is untrustworthy. He may well win. Anyone denying this has not grasped that epidemic suggestion tends to be unstoppable. The East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform (EAMCP), a high-level program under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative that was originally proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, is expected to usher in a brand-new era in maritime cooperation among countries including China, Japan, South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, participants agreed at a recent forum. With the theme of "connectivity brings mutual win-win results", the first Huangdao Forum of EAMCP was held from Tuesday to Thursday in the Qingdao West Coast New Area in east China's Shandong province. The forum attracted more than 400 participants including officials, experts and entrepreneurs from related countries. "All the countries should enhance practical cooperation in marine-related fields such as the economy, technology, ecology, disaster prevention and resilience, and culture, in a bid to safeguard peace and security on the seas and ensure the prosperity of the marine sectors," said Chen Lianzeng, deputy director of the State Oceanic Administration of China. Former foreign minister Li Zhaoxing and former secretary-general of the Boao Forum for Asia Long Yongtu made key speeches at the opening ceremony. Li Fengli, director of the administrative committee of the Qingdao West Coast New Area, said the prospect of enhanced cooperation between Qingdao and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, and South Korea is very exciting and the establishment of EAMCP will offer a broader platform for regional cooperation. He said the forum will build an information-sharing platform for both east and southeast nations to connect with each other and facilitate trade and cultural cooperation. "Leveraging the platform, partner nations can share information about the economy and culture, and we believe East Asian nations can work together to build an even more vibrant future with closer ties, better channels for information exchanges, an improved cooperation infrastructure and well-designed policies," Li said. As host of the forum, the Qingdao West Coast New Area will seize the opportunity to accelerate its growth thanks to the opportunities generated from increasing cross-border cooperation taking place in the area. "The platform has effectively given us a magic pen with which we can redraw the area in front of a global audience," Li added. A joint proposal released at the forum called for industrial and commercial enterprises to build harmonious relationships and carry out pragmatic cooperation and increase trade and investment opportunities in the context of globalization. There were also four parallel sessions: an East Asia Culture and Arts Exhibition, East Asia Commodities Fair, East Asia Marine Summit Forum and East Asia Seaport Alliance Assembly. huqing@chinadaily.com.cn A launch ceremony on Tuesday to mark the official establishment of the EAMCP. Former and current officials as well as leaders of Shandong province and Qingdao attended the event. Photos Provided to China Daily (China Daily 07/29/2016 page12) Actor Jackie Chan poses for the cameras at the announcement of the beginning of production for the science fiction action film "Bleeding Steel", which has been billed by producers as the biggest budget Chinese film ever shot in Australia, in Sydney, Australia July 28, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Hollywood ace Jackie Chan is set to star in the most expensive Chinese movie production ever to be filmed in Australia. The science-fiction thriller titled "Bleeding Steel" will be filmed across various locations Beijing, Taipei and Sydney, including the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge. Bleeding Steel is Chan's first movie to be filmed in Australia after a 20-year lapse. In 1996, he starred in "Mr. Nice Guy" which was filmed across Melbourne. "I love Australia and (I always) come back here again and again," Chan told reporters on Thursday. "My parents lived in Australia for 40 years, (so) anytime we got (a) chance we come here." "Bleeding Steel", Chan's first forey into the sci-fi genre, tells a story of a hardened special force agent Lin (played by Chan) who fights to protect a young woman who is an important witness for a major case, but ends up being a victim of the case himself. The flick also stars Aussie actress Tess Haubrich, China's Erica Xia-Hou and Show Luo from China's Taiwan, newcomer Nana Ouyang, while 40 other local actors and extras are expected to take part. Australia has been an attractive destination for film studios in recent years, such as Hollywood blockbuster series "Pirates of the Caribbean", thanks to the low Australian dollar reducing production costs. Chan produced flick is not the first sci-fi movie to be filmed in Sydney after having already played host to "The Matrix" trilogy. Related: Chinese film 'Bitter Money' to compete at Venice film fest Actor Gong Zheng. [Photo provided to China Daily] The Chinese TV series My Love Hit the War recently made waves in the country. Set in the late 1930s, the 46-episode series revolves around a romance during the Battle of Songhu in Shanghai, which is among China's bloodiest battles during the Japanese invasion. Following a fictional Chinese secret agent's revenge for his sister's murder, the series narrates the protagonist's love for a doctor during wartime. Since it aired on Beijing Satellite TV on July 23, the series has been viewed more than 5 million times on iQiyi, one of China's largest streaming sites. Zhang Yongchen, the scriptwriter, told a promotional event on July 22 in Beijing, that wartime love stories were "more romantic and dramatic" compared with other times. To capture historic scenes on screen, he read local chronicles of Shanghai and eastern Suzhou, among other material. Pan Yue, the director, said at the same event that the main shooting was done in Tongli, a picturesque town in Suzhou. In addition to lead actor Gong Zheng, the series stars actress Xu Fanxi. Related: Spy-themed TV series hits the screen Holy Lotus Flower, a work from a Chinese female artist showcased at the exhibition in the Egyptian Embassy in China, July 27, 2016. [Photo/Chinaculture.org] From a women's perspective, the whole world could look very different. Let alone images depicted in their artworks. As the female artists gain a higher profile in China, they are bringing creativeness to traditional Chinese ink painting to make it more expressive. On Tuesday, an exhibition featuring six Chinese women painters' works was held in the Egyptian Embassy in China. Ink paintings showcased works of Xie Lifang, Luo Ying, Li Daimei, Zhao Yi, Xu Qiping and Huang Huan, who got inspiration from their experience in Egypt. With the support of the cultural ministers of both countries, they visited Egypt in April and held an exhibition of their paintings and a workshop in Cairo from April 19 to 24. Being an important part of 2016 China-Egypt Cultural Year, the event aims to promote the cultural exchange between the two nations and let Chinese artists know more about Egypt. Beli Simeon, a senior ham carver, demonstrates proper slicing at a recent tasting event organized by a producer of Spanish ham, 5J Cinco Jotas. Provided To China Daily Iberico ham brings a luxe touch to food imports of Spain, Liu Zhihua reports. In 1879, Spanish entrepreneur Rafael Sanchez Romero founded 5J Cinco Jotas to offer meats from 100-percent Iberian black pigs, an animal species descended directly from the prehistoric Mediterranean boar. More than 130 years later, the company's premium ham is capturing the hearts of Chinese foodies, while it has become a national treasure of Spain. "Iberico pigs are called 'running olive oil with four legs'," says Beli Simeon, the company's master ham carver, at a recent tasting event in Beijing. "The purer the breed is, the better the Iberico ham will be." Simeon joined the company when she was 24; she had developed a strong interest since the age of 16, when she began slicing ham while working for her family store. Midnight snacks are provided at Zhongshan South Road Food Street in Hangzhou. Photo provided to China Daily Hangzhou has long been regarded as a city of gourmet food and has a long history of cuisine culture. The dishes have a reputation among foodies for fresh ingredients, elaborate processing and natural flavor. Apart from time-honored restaurants such as Louwailou and Tianxianglou, visitors can visit famous food streets to explore the tastes of the city. Shenglihe Food Street Shenglihe Food Street, once in ruins, has grown into a popular destination for food lovers in Hangzhou. The street, put into operation in 2009, is home to many popular restaurants. Some small but famous restaurants are also on this street - for instance, Ding's Boiled Mutton. Many Hangzhou residents like to order some boiled mutton and beer here to relax in summer. Some people said it's relaxing to see staff members cutting boiled mutton in the restaurant. Foodies who are keen on visiting Shenglihe Food Street have to leave home early because there are long lines outside famous restaurants during peak hours. Fadhhili Mpunji, who has traveled to about half of the provinces in China, learns to play a Chinese instrument during his trip to Yunnan province. Photos provided to China Daily Fadhhili Mpunji, a radio producer from Tanzania, says he is 'stuck' in Beijing for more than a decade - and is loving it. Liu Xiangrui reports China always made Fadhhili Mpunji curious. The 42-year-old journalist from Tanzania was familiar with Chinese during his childhood: They stayed in his hometown to help operate a railway built by a Chinese company in the late 1970s. Besides, he was intrigued by kung fu movies and watched Chinese gymnasts at the Olympic Games on TV. He briefly studied Chinese history and politics in college. Mpunji worked for the Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation before coming to China in 2003 as part of a cooperation program between his former employer and China Radio International. He has been working as a producer for CRI's Swahili service since. He writes reports and records programs that introduce China to African listeners. Mpunji has paid close attention to the deepening of ties between China and Africa. The cooperation and trade between the two sides have benefited African people's lives, Mpunji says. When he got his first cellphone in 1994, he was among some 3,000 people in his country to own such a gadget. Now nearly half of its population of 50 million are using cellphones, lots of which are imported from China. In 2013, Mpunji broadcast programs on President Xi Jinping's visit to Tanzania, among his earliest state visits. According to the National Visual Health Report released by Peking University's China Center for Health Development in June, China is experiencing a visual health crisis. The report said that among the overall population over the age of 5 in 2012, about 500 million Chinese people suffered some form of sight defect, among which about 450 million suffered from shortsightedness. It means 1 out of 3 people in China has shortsightedness, which is a very high rate. According to the report, without effective policy intervention, the prevalence rate of shortsightedness in China's population over the age of 5 will increase to about 51 percent, which means the overall population with shortsightedness in China will be 700 million. Shortsightedness is especially prevalent among teenagers. Forty-seven percent of China's population aged 6 to 15, and 55 percent of those aged 16 to 25 suffer from shortsightedness. The prevalence of visual problems in China is far above the global average and the problem is getting worse, which will have a negative influence on not only people's health but also social development. On the one hand, the high prevalence of shortsightedness in adolescents will undermine national health as well as social, economic and national security. On the other hand, as China is stepping into an aging society, the prevalence of visual diseases that afflict the elderly will pose heavy economic burden on individuals as well as the society. Police on patrol at the Wuwei city's railway station in Gansu province on Feb 14. [Photo/Xinhua] In a move to promote standardized law enforcement by police, a 70-minute training video produced by the Ministry of Public Security was shown to police officers across China on Tuesday. The video shows the correct ways for police officers to handle different situations involving the public. Noticeably, police officers are instructed not to stop onlookers from taking photos or shooting videos of their behavior unless it interferes with their duties. They are also informed that they must get used to working in front of the cameras of the public. This is indeed necessary and marks a concrete step toward bringing police officers' behavior under the supervision of the public and promoting law enforcement in a manner that is itself in line with the law. Reports of police officers abusing their powers damaged the image of the police and weakened their credibility. So it is right for the ministry to promote police officers following set procedures in the performance of their duties. The Public Security Ministry's training video is aimed at standardizing the behavior of police officers in various situations they might encounter and thereby establishing a code of conduct. The video shows officers how to act when they encounter non-violent resistance from suspects without resorting to the use of force. If accustomed to standardized law enforcement that does not involve undue force, police officers will be less adverse to their behavior being videoed or photographed as they will be performing their duties as they should. The latest training program marks the country's latest effort to forge a police force that fulfills its intended purpose of serving and protecting the public, and making people feel a greater sense of fairness and justice in the enforcement of the law. --GMW.CN What if Hillary Clinton were a man? What if she were a 68-year-old man rather than a 68-year-old woman? Would we think differently of her? Her raised voice would be lower. She would be better at physically commanding the stage. Her indomitability might be seen as manly. If she were taller and bigger, might she have been able to get away with saying nothing about her email server as Donald Trump has with his tax returns? As they say, I'm just askin'. I am asking because the dislike of Hillary Clinton is so palpable that it has become akin to a prejudice. I understand the criticisms and don't reject them out of hand. She has been slippery. She has fibbed. She's used a private email server, which was wrong and careless. She has been the marital partner of a man who has taken other partners. She did not leave him, as many women wanted her to do. To them, she became the personification of the female doormat. Still, it does not all add up. I know her a bit but I know others who know her quite well. In the corners of rooms dedicated to ugly gossip and whispered betrayals, what you hear from those who know her is not agreement with the general consensus, but puzzlement: She's warm. She's bright. She's charming. She has a great sense of humor. And yet, on the podium, these qualities are rarely in sight. Her voice escalates, the pitch rising, the emphasis misplaced. She is often rhetorically wrong-footed. Her smile seems fake, the wave is to no one, the laugh sounds manufactured. She is defensive. She fights for privacy, yet she has chosen politics played on the most expansive of all scales. If she wins, she will be a renter in a house owned by all of us. She will remain under continuous observation. I met Hillary Clinton during her husband's first campaign for the White House. It was 1992, New Hampshire, and both Clintons had stopped at a coffee shop to greet the folks and get something to eat. It was Bill's campaign, so he took question after question, exhausting much of the county before finally sitting down at the counter. Hillary joined him. So did I. There was one more question to go. The waitress was a single mother. She wanted to go to college. Was there some sort of program that could help her? Bill started to answer. There was this and there was that, all of them designated with some government number, and there was yet another and here he stopped to put some eggs in his mouth and Hillary finished the sentence for him. They weren't a team. They were a machine. She was no ordinary political spouse, whatever that may mean or might have meant. This one was different. This was Hillary Clinton. I would, to get right down to it, vote for Kim Kardashian over Donald Trump, so support of Hillary Clinton comes easy. Still I am vexed by her rampant unpopularity, especially among the young women who found Bernie Sanders so exciting. I had to recall the wisdom of Gloria Steinem, who knew, because she had once been a young woman herself, that aging is tough on women. When they are young, they are cherished, adored. But as they age, they become less adored by men, sometimes, but by employers, too. They have children, complicating their lives. Every day care center is constructed out of glass ceilings. Sanders somewhere along the line had a child out of wedlock. Imagine if Hillary had done the same. After Bill Clinton's sex scandal broke, I never thought Hillary would accept Rep. Charlie Rangel's suggestion and run for the Senate. I thought she'd seek privacy, a place to nurse her wounds. But she jumped into the race. She worked New York state hard, campaigning in every county, eschewing her usual outfits. Gail Collins reminds us in The New York Times that she wore nearly the same thing nearly every day. She won. She will win this time, too. But it will be harder than it ought to be. It will be hard because she is a tone-deaf politician, because lots of people find her to be shrill and because she has an awesome ability to turn a political misdemeanor into a firestorm. But as Trump lazes through the campaign, relying on his unreliable instincts, she will work harder than he knows how. After all, as a woman, she's always had to. Participants attend a 100-day countdown launch event for the Group of 20 (G20) 2016 summit in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, May 27, 2016. More than 5,000 staff and volunteers preparing for the summit attended the countdown launch event in Huanglong Stadium of Hangzhou on Friday. [Photo/Xinhua] Big events, no matter where they are held, always draw attention, and criticism. The upcoming G20 summit in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, is no exception. Speculations have been rife over the mega-diplomatic eventfrom the cost of hosting the summit to the strengthening of security measures. The Hangzhou local government has vowed to host the big event at the lowest possible cost. True to its promise, it has not even built a new conference hall. Instead, it has just upgraded and renovated existing buildings to showcase Chinese architecture. Speculations on the strengthening of security in the city, however, are uncalled for, because cities across the globe that play hosts to important international events have to beef up security, especially because of the growing risk of terrorist attacks. And as the host country, China cannot take any chances with the security of the delegates to the summit that will comprise 20 heads of state or government. Despite not being a victim of the ongoing refugee crisis plaguing European countries and thus fearing terrorists would enter the country in the garb of refugees, China cannot let its guard down. During last year's G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey, at least 12,000 police officers and a slew of army checkpoints were put into service. The 2014 summit in Brisbane, Australia, saw the deployment of 6,000 police officers and 1,900 troops, establishment of a no-fly zone in a wide area over the convention center, and enforcement of special rules that gave more power to police officers and prevented people from entering certain areas with items such as eggs and surfboards. High-profile international meetings like the G20 Summit can be an easy target of unruly protesters, even terrorists. Australia and Turkey learned a lesson from the clashes that erupted at previous G20 meetings and beefed up their security. In particular, the one in Toronto, Canada, six years ago saw the arrests of more than 1,100 protesters within a week amid reports of police brutality. Enhanced security measures may be causing some inconvenience to Hangzhou residents, especially to daily commuters, and increasing the possibility of traffic jams and longer queues in metros. Complaints have also been made against more frequent checks on identification cards, which some local residents do not usually carry. Some people's frustration is understandable, but tightening security before and during major events is an absolute necessity in these times of terrorism fears. Hosting a major international event comes with a cost. However, for the host city and country, it can boost their images and the economy. That explains why Australia spent about 100 million Australian dollars ($87 million) on security alone during the Brisbane summit. Besides, hosting a successful G20 summit can help China enhance its soft power and enable it to play a bigger role in global governance. In a recent survey conducted by the Zhejiang University of Technology on how Hangzhou residents see the G20 Summit, more than 97 percent of the respondents said they take great pride in it and most of them promised to improve their civic behavior ahead of the summit. Hangzhou residents' support and enthusiasm should be taken seriously but not for granted. Still, the Hangzhou authorities are obliged to ensure the security measures cause minimum inconvenience to local residents. In this context, inviting more locals to participate in the preparations and offer suggestions would be a worthwhile effort. The author is a writer with China Daily. cuishoufeng@chinadaily.com.cn Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (L) and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump are seen in a combination of file photos taken in Henderson, Nevada, February 13, 2016 (L) and Phoenix, Arizona, July 11, 2015. [Photo/Agencies] People entering the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia these past days for the 2016 Democratic National Convention have been first greeted by goods on display in an official merchandise store. The most eye-catching is a poster of the party's nominee Hillary Clinton, looking 20 years younger and with red and gold rays radiating from her. Each day from 3 or 4 pm on, the speakers talked about how great Clinton has been in fighting for the American people in everything from women's rights, social and racial equality, education, healthcare and national security, and how evil Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is in everything he represents. In between the speeches, short video clips were played eulogizing Clinton and mocking Trump, triggering a frenzy of applause and laughter from the audience. The mood smacks of a cult of personality. Yet the bid to present party unity and widespread support for Clinton has been interrupted from time to time by shouts of protests from supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. There have been other "conventions" outside the arena in the FDR Park and outside City Hall. Tens of thousands of supporters of Sanders and Green Party candidate Jill Stein have braved the heat to stage protests every day, portraying a Clinton that is starkly different from the one depicted inside the arena. The debates on the street are far more exciting and thought-provoking than the speeches delivered in Wells Fargo Center. For example, there has been no talk inside the arena about the Democratic National Committee staffers working in favor of Clinton and against Sanders, including efforts to manipulate US news media to disadvantage Sanders. A garbage collector rides his tricycle as he looks for recyclable items on the streets of Beijing May 26, 2014. [Photo/Agencies] Reports show that some migrant workers in Beijing are choosing to live in shipping containers by the roadside because they can't afford to rent a place to live. Youth.cn comments: Living inside a shipping container means one has to endure high temperatures and no tap water, as well as face the dangers of electric wires that are tangled up. Yet many migrant workers choose to reside in them because of the high cost of renting an apartment. Some argue that the migrant workers earn wages and they just want to save money. But even if that is true, it is the lack of social security and welfare that compels them to save money to support their families left behind in their hometowns. Besides, in some cases their employers delay or fail to pay them, which means they have to endure financial difficulties. In order to improve their living conditions, the government needs to better enforce the law so that employers pay migrant workers properly, and pay them on time. But more importantly, it needs to strengthen the social security net so that the migrant workers can be sure about their futures and dare to spend money instead of saving it. There are many more things that the government can do. Currently, most cities have low-rent apartments, but only those with a local hukou, residence registration, are allowed to apply for them; the central leadership needs to accelerate reform and break the barriers that prevent migrant workers from renting these homes. Their living conditions are a test to the conscience of our society. 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] Using the threat of the North Korea's missile program as an excuse, the US and South Korea have decided to deploy THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. This is a serious threat to the peace and stability of East Asia. American decision to deploy THAAD missile defense system in South Korea should be a clear indicator to those who still hold misguided assumption about the US military strategy in East Asia and the world. The logic of the US military is very simple. It wants to threaten everybody in the world with its own military supremacy, but it will not tolerate anybody else to threaten the US in any way. According to the US strategy, as the only remaining superpower in the world, it should be able to threaten whoever it pleases, and other countries could only put up whatever it had to put up to survive. In order to survive, Saddam Hussein of Iraq abandoned its nuclear program, and allowed the UN Nuclear Inspection full access to its nuclear program. But in the end, the US still used lies about Iraqs mass destruction weapon as an excuse to invade Iraq, destabilize Iraq and the region, causing more than a million of civilian causalities there. Today, the Iraqi people are still suffering from the consequences of the illegal invasion of Iraq. In order to survive, Kaddafi of Libya gave up its nuclear program, with a US promise of nonaggression. But in the end, the US the French and the British bombed the hell out of Libya, decimating Libyan infrastructure, with hundreds and thousands civilian casualties. In the end, the US, the French and the British billed the Libya fifty billions of dollars for the bombing service, it rendered, which equals Libyas oil revenue for the next fifty years. North Korea government originally agreed to join the nuclear nonproliferation treaty in the 1994 after negotiations with the United States. But the Bush Junior Administration wanted to use North Korea as a means to threaten China, and stopped fulfilling its treaty obligations with North Koreas. In response to US breach of its treaty obligations, North Korea restarted its nuclear program for self defense. In light of what happened in Iraq and Libya, the North Korean Governments decision to develop its nuclear program for self defense is justified and wise. Many people in the world, including some Chinese, feel that North Koreans nuclear program is a threat to the peace and stability of East Asia. They fail to see that North Koreans nuclear program is for self defense only. The real threat to the peace and stability of East Asia and the world is the humungous nuclear arsenals of the United States and other permanent members of UN Security Council. North Koreas few nuclear weapons are an effective deterrence against the US continuous provocative military exercises outside North Korean sovereign waters. Without the nuclear deterrence, what happened to Iraqi people and Libyan people would have fallen on the North Korean people. Nobody have any right to criticize North Korean peoples determination to use its nuclear weapons for self defense. Now the US and South Keas deployment of THAAD missile defense system would render North Koreas nuclear weapons of self defense ineffective. More importantly, the THAAD missile defense system would render Chinas and Russias nuclear deterrence against the US missiles ineffective as well. This is a serious threat and provocation to the Chinese and Russian National security. In a way, the US and South Korean Government are telling China and Russia that they will continue to threaten China with their missile capability, but will not allow China and Russia to threaten them back. China must take this new threat very seriously. China cannot afford to ignore this threat to its national security. It must use clear and unequivocal language to tell the US and South Korea that China will not tolerate the existence of THAAD in South Korea. If the US and South Korea ignore the concern of the Chinese people, China should take some measures in collaboration with Russia with consequences which would make the US think twice. The author is a professor at Warren Wilson College, North Carolina, and a guest professor at Hebei University. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and don't represent views of China Daily website. Visitors enjoy lotus bloom on the Broken Bridge at the West Lake in Hangzhou, July 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] A seven-day paid holiday order from the Hangzhou municipal government last month brought a rush of overseas travel arrangements by local residents and increased competition between travel agencies and domestic tourist attractions. Hangzhou, the capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, will host the G20 Leaders Summit early in September. The municipal government released a notice on its website on June 30 that civil servants not essential to summit preparations, along with the employees of State-owned enterprises based in nine main districts of the city, can take an extra seven days of paid holiday from Sept 1 to 7. It also suggested private enterprises offer their employees a similar amount of time off during the summit. "I would feel bad if I wasted this extra holiday time," said Yang Tingxuan, a program manager at a magazine. Her boss decided to suspend the publication of two issues around the time of the summit. Many people felt the same as Yang. Xiao Xue had visited the Entry-Exit Administration of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau several times for passport-related matters. When she went the day after the notice, she was shocked by the long, winding line of people. Travel agencies reacted quickly. A leading online travel agency, Tongcheng, set up several special routes for Hangzhou residents. Its G20 route from Hangzhou to Phuket, Thailand, and Bali, Indonesia, provided a "second person free" offer. It also offers discount coupons. "About 4,000 coupons were downloaded a week after the government released its off-work notice," said Li Dan, a manager at Tongcheng's Zhejiang branch. Nearby cities and provinces are also pouncing on the potential market. Neighboring cities in Zhejiang province - Taizhou, Wenzhou and Quzhou - provide free tickets to scenic spots for visitors with a Hangzhou identification. Jiangsu province offered an extreme incentive program under which visitors from Hangzhou can pay 1 yuan ($0.15) and enjoy classic travel service. Kanas National Geopark in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region - the well-known scenic attraction 4,500 kilometers from Hangzhou - offered 500 free entrance tickets specifically for Hangzhou residents. Dream Cruises, an Asian luxury cruise line, has announced that guests boarding its inaugural cruise ship Genting Dream will be able to savor the Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker. [Photo provided to China Daily] Dream Cruises, an Asian luxury cruise line, has announced that guests boarding its inaugural cruise ship Genting Dream will be able to savor the Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker. When visitors step into Johnnie Walker House on Genting Dream, they will be led to an environment complete with a tasting bar where whiskeys from the Johnnie Walker Super Deluxe portfolio are available. Johnnie Walker House showcases the brand's whiskey culture and has locations in Beijing, Seoul, Chengdu, Taipei, Mumbai, Johannesburg, Singapore, Auckland, Brisbane, Paris, Amsterdam and Atlanta. Bottles may be purchased duty-free and personally engraved at the house on the ship. In addition, special cocktails and Johnnie Walker whiskey and food pairing menus will be offered on the Genting Dream. Genting Dream, currently undergoing fit-out at shipbuilders in Germany, will debut from her home port of Guangzhou (Nansha) in November this year. "We are delighted that Genting Dream will feature the world's very first Johnnie Walker House at sea," says Thatcher Brown, president of Dream Cruises. "Whisky appreciation in Asia is significant and growing, and guests on Genting Dream will be able to learn more about the art of producing the very finest Scotch whiskies," Brown adds. Johnnie Walker House is one of the many diverse food and beverage options that will be available on board. Guests will enjoy discovering an eclectic array of over 35 restaurants and bars. They will find Southeast Asian restaurant Blue Lagoon, a menu offering Japanese classics at Umi Uma, and a sophisticated afternoon high tea at Palm Court. Alternatively, the menu at Crystal Life Cuisine has been put together with healthy eating in mind. For something different, fine-dining Chinese restaurant Silk Road turns into a cabaret and burlesque show late in the evening. Related: Offer of extra time off work sparks a travel rush French nuns react in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, France, during a tribute July 28, 2016 to French priest, Father Jacques Hamel, killed on Tuesday in an attack on the church that was carried out by assailants linked to Islamic State. [Photo/Agencies] PARIS/SAINT-ETIENNE-DU-ROUVRAY, France - Police had been hunting the second teenager who killed a priest in a church in France this week after a foreign intelligence tipoff that a suspected jihadist might be preparing an attack, police and judicial sources said. The revelation is likely to further fuel criticism by opposition politicians that President Francois Hollande's Socialist government did not do enough to stop the pair given that they were both already known to intelligence services. They stormed a church service, forced a 85-year-old Roman Catholic priest to his knees at the altar and slit his throat. They were later shot and killed by police. Police had already identified 19-year-old Adel Kermiche as one of the attackers. He had made failed bids to reach Syria towage jihad, wore an electronic bracelet and was awaiting trial for alleged membership of a terrorist organisation having been released on bail. They have now identified the second man as Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean, also 19, from a town in eastern France on the border with Germany, a judicial source said on Thursday. A source close to the investigation said Petitjean was not known to French security services until a tipoff from Turkish authorities. He was stopped and questioned by profilers on his arrival at Istanbul's international airport on June 10 before he was allowed to continue on his way, a Turkish official said. Turkey notified the French authorities in late June, the source said, and anti-terrorism officials opened up a special file, suspecting he had become radicalised. The government has said there are about 10,500 people with such so-called 'S files' related to potential jihadi activities in France. But in the time it took security agencies in Turkey, awell-trodden entry point into Syria for foreign militants, tonotify France, Petitjean had returned. "We know that he turned around and returned on June 11, "said the source. "The Turks hadn't yet flagged his name, so hecame back normally, there was no file at this point, he wasn't known to us." A second tipoff from an unidentified foreign intelligence source led to the French authorities circulating a photo to its security agencies on July 22 of a man believed to be planning an attack. They had no name to go on, but the police sources said there was now little doubt that the photo was of Petitjean. The person in the photo also appears to be one of a pair seen in a video posted on Wednesday by Islamic State's newsagency, the police sources said. The video claimed the two men were the church attackers and showed them pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Islamic State's leader. Petitjean's mother Yamina told BFM TV that her son had never spoken about Islamic State. A judicial source said that one man who had travelled to Turkey with Petitjean in June was among three people close to the teenager who were being detained in police custody. Two opposition lawmakers on Thursday submitted a draft bill to parliament that would prohibit the media from publishing the identities and photographs of militant attackers to preventtheir names being glorified in death. German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses a news conference in Berlin, Germany, July 28, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her leadership style on Thursday after she remained on vacation this week following Islamist attacks in Germany that critics have blamed on her open-door refugee policy. Interrupting her holiday to hold a news conference, Merkel batted away questions about why she had not visited the scene of any of five attacks committed since July 18 that have left 15 people dead - including four attackers - and dozens injured. "A decision has to be taken on this each time and perhaps some members of the public have a different view to the way I decided to do things," she told a news conference, adding that she would attend a memorial ceremony on Sunday in Munich. Munich was the scene of the bloodiest of the attacks, in which an 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman killed nine people. Merkel faced criticism on social media after failing to react until the next day, 17 hours after U.S. President Barack Obama. "I have the feeling that I acted responsibly and correctly and no other feeling," she told Thursday's packed news conference, condemning two attackers who were refugees for mocking Germany and the other refugees the country has welcomed. The attacks in Germany have led to accusations from Merkel foes and even some allies that her open-door refugee policy is to blame after over a million migrants entered the country in the past year, many fleeing war in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. Two assailants, a Syrian asylum seeker who blew himself up in Ansbach and a refugee from either Pakistan or Afghanistan who attacked people on a train in Bavaria, had links to Islamist militancy, officials say, although the Munich gunman did not. The attacks have burst any illusions in Germany that the country is immune to attacks like those claimed by Islamic State in neighbouring France. "Angst cannot be the guide for political action," Merkel said, setting out a nine-point plan to respond to the attacks, including measures to recruit more staff for security agencies, and an early warning system for the radicalisation of refugees. Merkel's methodical response is in stark contrast to that of French President Francois Hollande, who has rushed to the scene of recent attacks. On Tuesday, he visited Normandy where two assailants killed a priest. In Britain too, former Prime Minister David Cameron joined opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn last month to lay flowers in the town of Birstall, Yorkshire, where lawmaker Jo Cox was killed days before Britain's vote on European Union membership. Merkel's response to the German attacks is not the first time her pragmatic, problem-solving approach has laid her open to accusations of heartlessness. Last year, the chancellor was mocked online after reducing a Palestinian girl to tears by explaining her policy on asylum and adding that "sometimes politics is hard". "WE CAN DO THIS" Asked if she was exhausted, Merkel told the news conference "sometimes I do like to go to bed in the evening", before adding: "I am not without too much to do." Merkel's popularity, already eroded by the refugee crisis, is likely to suffer again after a temporary boost following Britain's vote last month to leave the European Union. But the chancellor defended her open-door refugee policy, defiantly repeating the mantra of "Wir schaffen das", or "We can do this," that she adopted last summer when Germany opened its doors to migrants fleeing wars in the Middle East. "We can do this and we have already done a lot over the past 11 months," she said. "The terrorists want to make us lose sight of what is important to us, break down our cohesion and ... our willingness take in people who are in need," Merkel said. "They sow hatred and fear between cultures and they sow hatred and fear between religions. We stand decisively against that." Qiu Yi gives a speech at the reception. [Photo by Liu Hongjie/chinadaily.com.cn] China's steadfast commitment to promote peace and stability in Africa will continue despite paying a high price with the loss of its personnel during peacekeeping missions. Speaking during the celebration of the 89th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the defense attache in the Chinese embassy in Kenya Qiu Yi said China stands ready to strengthen the continent's bid to silence the guns and promote development by providing funding and capacity building. The country has lost 21 military and police personnel in UN peacekeeping operations. In May this year, Chinese troops in Mali suffered a terrorist attack that saw one soldier lose his life while seven were injured. Barely two months later, another infantry team based in South Sudan was hit by a rocket while protecting refugee camp. Two soldiers were killed. "This shows that Chinese Armed Forces have made great contribution to and sacrifice for maintaining peace and stability in Africa. In order to support UN peace operations, President Xi Jinping announced at the UN Peacekeeping Summit in September 2015 that China will establish a standby force of 8,000 troops," said Qiu, adding that President Xi also announced free military aid worth $100 million to African Union to support the building of African Standby Forces and African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis. Furthermore, Beijing will deploy helicopter squads, more engineering, transportation and medical personnel to take part in UN peacekeeping operations; train 2,000 peacekeepers from other countries and carry out 10 de-mining assistance programs in the next five years. He was speaking to invited diplomats and government officials at the embassy grounds. The defense official said China will unswervingly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and a national military policy that is defensive in nature. Speaking on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary of Defense, Janet Mugo, the chief administration in the ministry, lauded China's unwavering support in the infrastructure sector that supports Kenya's ambitions to improve the country's road and rail network. "By 2030, it will become impossible to refer to any region of our country as remote," she said. For Yifan Xu, the Washington correspondent for The China Press, covering the 2016 Republican and Democratic national conventions has offered her some insight into the two parties. She said the Republican convention in Cleveland, Ohio, was much better organized the shuttles were more convenient, the press center better equipped and the screens in the arena also more visible. In the ongoing DNC from July 25-28, journalists sitting in the general press stand are looking at the back of speakers. But Xu said the RNC had no other activities for the press besides daily briefings, while DNC has lots of caucus events, convenient for journalists to set up and do interviews. The reporter for the Los Angeles-headquartered publication noticed an interesting phenomenon that DNC seems more controlled, handing out placards but not allowing people bring their own, while it was somehow permitted at RNC. "I saw a Sanders supporter getting angry with this and change the slogan Stronger Together' from the organizer into Stop Her'," she said. Xu also went to interview protesters on the street. She felt that both parties are divided, especially from the supporters for Bernie Sanders on the Democrat side and Ted Cruz on the Republican side. A Chinese citizen, Xu said she is more inclined to Republican candidate Donald Trump and was uncomfortable about Hillary Clinton's problem with trustworthiness. Several opinion polls in the US show that about two thirds of Americans believe Clinton is dishonest. "I am not American citizen, so I am basically just watching," said Xu, who has been working 16 hours a day these days covering the conventions. Danielle Ziri, a TV cameraman with Israel's 124 News, also praised the RNC for better organization and easy access for journalists. But she said the lineup of speakers at the DNC is better and more interesting. Ziri was expecting a lot more chaos at RNC with protesters but found out it was not the case. "Action is really at the DNC," she said, referring the tens of thousands of protesters descending in Philadelphia this week. "We actually spoke to lot of the protesters. They were angry. Bernie voters who felt they have been let down," she said. Ziri, who has been working 18 hour-day this week, said the Sanders supporters are mostly angry at the way that the Democratic National Committee's email scandal "showing they are clearly in favor of Clinton from the very beginning." "For them, that was very disturbing," she said. Ziri would not reveal her personal preference for the candidates. "I would rather not express my personal opinion on that as a journalist," she said. "As a journalist being able to cover that is a big deal. I feel very lucky to be here, the RNC or DNC," She described both conventions as "very interesting, the biggest moment for me as a journalist." SilvinaSterinPensel, a correspondent for Argentina's TodoNoticias, was amazed that the two parties have turned the conventions into a Broadway show. "I enjoyed very much looking at the costumes both in the Republicans and now the Democrats," she said, adding that only Americans can make boring and serious politics into "a spectacle, kind of a circus." Pensel said she enjoyed listening to "emotional" speeches by Michelle Obama and Barack Obama and seeing and listening to Trump's family members. She also spent time on the streets with protesters but said it was peaceful and there has been no clashes as she had expected before coming to DNC. An Argentinian who has become an American citizen, it will be the first time for Pensel to vote. She admitted being a Sanders follower. "I voted for him in the primary This is going to be my first time voting. I think I am with her," she said, referring to Clinton. FARGO -- In new federal ratings of hospitals on a five-star scale for overall care quality, St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck and Essentia Health in Fargo each received four stars -- the best in the state. Of the 3,167 hospitals across the U.S. rated in the hospital comparisons, only 102 earned five stars. In Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester was the only facility awarded a five-star rating. North Dakota had none. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid added the star ratings this week to its existing online database allowing consumers to compare hospital and other health facilities in different categories. The overall ratings take into account 64 measurements that federal officials say provide a comprehensive guide to quality of care for the nations hospitals. The American Hospital Association vigorously opposed the five-star overall rating, arguing it is confusing for patients and families trying to choose the best hospital for their individual needs. But consumer and patient advocacy groups supported the release of the ratings. I dont know that its a fair assessment at this point, Jerry Jurena, president of the North Dakota Hospital Association, said on Thursday. He noted that comparisons started with nursing homes, and there were some bugs to work out. The release of information to allow consumers to compare hospitals is part of a major initiative by health insurers, public and private, to base payments on performance as measured by quality and safety indicators, Jurena said. So you have to perform at the top of your scale, otherwise you wont be in business, he said. Were going to have to up our game. Tim Sayler, chief operating officer for Essentia in Fargo, said the new star rating system is intended to give consumers a quick measure of overall quality -- but said he is not sure many find it useful. We do know anecdotally people are looking at information on a number of websites, he said. Similarly, more patients are using smartphone apps or the web to access their information or schedule appointments, suggesting online comparisons might grow in usage. Theyll probably interact more and more with this type of information, Sayler said. But we dont know. As for Essentias rating, he said, A four-star rating is certainly excellent. Sanford representatives were not available for interviews, but Dr. James Volk, vice president of the Sanford Fargo Clinic, provided a statement. Ratings are important to be aware of, but they do have shortcomings, he said. There are so many of these external ratings groups and each applies its own methodology to the data to arrive at a score, often producing contradictory ratings for the same hospital. Also, Volk said, there are differences in how physicians document care, which can affect ratings or scores. Federal officials acknowledge that the rating systems underlying measurements, which include some data sets from just Medicare beneficiaries and some from hospitals general adult population, give no weight to cutting-edge or specialized treatments. Three-star facilities in North Dakota were Sanford Medical Center in Bismarck, Altru Hospital in Grand Forks and Sanford Medical Center in Fargo. Trinity Hospitals in Minot got just one star. To search all of the ratings, go online to medicare.gov/hospitalcompare. HANOI - Border guard command of Vietnam's northern Ha Giang province and border police detachment in China's Southwest Yunnan province's Wenshan have held a joint anti-terror exercise, local media reported on Friday. The Thien Thanh 2016 (Tianqiang 2016) drill, with attendance of representatives from Vietnam's Ministry of Defense, Command of Border Guard, Ha Giang People's Committee, took place at Thanh Thuy International Border Gate in China-bordering Ha Giang province, some 220 km north of capital Hanoi, on Thursday, according to local Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army) newspaper. Thanks to good preparation, the drill was successful in set plans, scripts and intentions, representatives assessed. The drill showed mutual trust between the two neighbors' armed forces and laid foundation for relevant authorities to build legal framework on law enforcement cooperation between border forces in response to emergency situation and coordination in dealing with cross-border cases, the newspaper reported. Huge numbers of oysters shell cover the beach in Karachi in Pakistan, July 28, 2016. [Photo/IC] The number of tourism visa application to Pakistan submitted by Chinese in the first half year of 2016 jumped by 37 folds, according to an industry report released on Friday. The visa center of Ctrip, a leading online travel agency in China, said new tourism destinations are increasing as top choices of Chinese mature outbound tourists and Pakistan is "a dark horse" this year. "Driven by the strong relations between the two countries, many Chinese tourists put Pakistan on the top list of their outbound travel plans," said Shi Yuzhuan, marketing director of the hotel division of ctrip.com. Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain said earlier that his country firmly supports China's principles and positions on key issues concerning the South China Sea, Taiwan and Tibet, winning wide support and praise from Chinese netizens. In the past, despite the close relations between China and Pakistan, the country in South Asia did not attract too many international tourist arrivals due to security reasons. In 2015, Chinese tourists paid 120 million visits to countries and regions outside Chinese mainland. However, the majority of them went to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, as well as some western countries such as the United States and Britain. Shi Yuzhuan, Chief Marketing Officer of Ctrip, said visits paid by Chinese outbound tourists would keep growing in the following years, however, their preferences have changed. "Many traditional popular tourism destinations are losing visitors. For an example, France has less Chinese visitors because of terrorist attacks," said Shi. "On the other hand, Chinese tourists are getting more mature and they would like to explore new destinations." Besides Pakistan, tourism destinations including Kenya, Finland, Egypt, South Africa, Argentina, Czech, Israel, Iceland, received more visa applications from Chinese tourists in the first half year of 2016. "Many of the visa applications were from second- and even third-tier cities of China," said Shi. "For example, the visa applications to Czech submitted from second- and third-tier cities jumped by five folds after Czech opened more visa centers in five cities." Britain said it would review plans to build a Chinese-backed nuclear power plant and deliver a final decision in the fall, after the board of France's EDF Energy, the main investor, approved plans on Thursday for the plant. British Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said that the British government will now "consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in early autumn". The plant would be built at Hinkley Point in southwest England. The 18 billion pound ($23.7 billion) nuclear power plant would mark the first Chinese investment in a nuclear project in a developed country. If the plan goes ahead, China General Nuclear Power Corp would have a 33 percent share in the project. Clark's announcement came as a surprise, since the government of former prime minister David Cameron had been enthusiastic about the project. Cameron stepped down this month following the European Union membership referendum in June, and Theresa May formed a new government. The Chinese government still must formally approve the plan, a CGN spokesman said. "The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply, and the government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix," said Clark. The CGN spokesman, who requested anonymity, said, "CGN remains committed to delivering this much-needed nuclear capacity with our strategic partner, EDF, and providing the UK with safe, reliable and sustainable energy. "We respect the new (UK) government's need to familiarize itself with a project as important to the UK's future energy security as Hinkley Point C, and we stand ready to help the government in this respect," said the CGN spokesman. EDF and CGN's cooperation on Hinkley is the first step of a larger collaboration effort between the two companies, including EDF's agreement to support CGN's investment at the British nuclear power plant Bradwell at a later stage. For that, CGN will be the majority investor, and Bradwell will use Chinese nuclear technology. Tim Yeo, chairman of pressure group New Nuclear Watch Europe, said the project will create many jobs in the construction sector in the next five to seven years. EDF hopes to have more than 2,500 workers on site by next year. However, critics warn of the project's potential technological challenges and escalating costs. The project is set to use European pressurized reactor technology. Flamanville, a site in France using the same technology, reportedly is more than three times over budget and years behind schedule. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 MOSCOW - China and Russia on Thursday voiced serious concern over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea. At a fourth meeting on Northeast Asia security held in Moscow, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov noted that such a unilateral and non-constructive action taken by the US brings negative effects to the strategic balance, security and stability of the region and the world. The deployment of the advanced US missile defense system in South Korea is just a part of Washington's global anti-missile scheme, which clearly contradicts with the aims claimed by the US and South Korean governments, the two officials noted. Expressing the firm opposition to issues relevant to the THAAD deployment, both sides agreed to enhance coordination in order to better cope with the negative developments, also to protect the strategic security of China, Russia and other regional countries. Under the comprehensive strategic partnership, China and Russia would further strengthen communications and coordinations based on the joint statement on strengthening global strategic stability, signed in June by leaders of the two countries, with a view to protect each other's interests, especially the interest in strategic stability, through the most reliable and effective ways. Kong and Morgulov also said the two countries would continue pushing forward the settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula through dialogues and negotiations, in particular the irreplaceable platform of Six Party Talks. To realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to reduce military and political tensions on the peninsula, to downscale the military drills held in the region and thus to build mutual trust, the two officials added. They also urged both South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to resume dialogues to achieve inter-Korean reconciliation and create a sound environment for development on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington announced the agreement to install one THAAD battery in Seongju, a county some 250 km southeast of the South Korean capital city, by the end of next year, as one way to counter the nuclear and missile threats posed by the DPRK. China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to the THAAD deployment in South Korean territory as it damaged China's security interests and broke a strategic balance in the region, while Russia indicated a military response by deploying a missile unit in the Far Eastern region. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says a lawsuit brought by the North Dakota Farm Bureau seeking to overturn the states anti-corporate farming law is so vague that the state cant properly respond to it. The lawsuit, filed June 2 in U.S. District Court in Bismarck, claims the law passed by North Dakota voters in 1932 is unconstitutional and hurts farmers by limiting their ability to attract investment and secure financing, and lowering the value of their farms. In a motion and memo filed Wednesday, Stenehjem asked the court to order the plaintiffs to file an amended complaint specifying which parts of the law violate the U.S. Constitution. He argued that the anti-corporate farming law takes up nearly 20 pages of the North Dakota Century Code, and the complaint makes only general and obscure references about the source of the unconstitutionality. The complaint is currently so vague or ambiguous that the State is unable to adequately prepare and frame a proper responsive pleading, the motion reads, later adding that the state should not be relegated to speculation or outright guesswork. Fargo attorney Sarah Andrews Herman, who is representing the plaintiffs, said she was somewhat surprised by the motion, noting she had received a call from an assistant attorney general and referred him to similar complaints that successfully challenged anti-corporate farming laws in South Dakota and Nebraska. I dont think there is any validity to (the motion), she said. I think theres a lot of information there, and were not trying to be mysterious at all, and I think they know what were talking about. North Dakota is one of nine states that prohibit or limit corporate farming, and it is the only state with no exemption for livestock. The law contains an exemption for family corporations and limited liability companies with up to 15 related shareholders. State lawmakers passed a bill last year that would have partially lifted the ban to allow non-family corporate ownership of dairy and swine operations. But opponents led by the North Dakota Farmers Union gathered enough signatures to force a referendum, and residents voted down the exemptions on June 14. Stenehjem noted that state and federal courts have consistently upheld North Dakotas anti-corporate farming law, but similar laws in other states havent always survived challenges. South Dakota voters approved a corporate farming ban in 1998, but a group of feedlot owners, ranchers and landowners challenged it in federal court and won. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in 2003, finding that the ban violated constitutional protections against undue burdens on interstate commerce. The other plaintiffs in the North Dakota lawsuit are Thompson-based Galegher Farms Inc.; Wisconsin-based Breeze Dairy Group LLC, which is made up of five unrelated families who want to expand to North Dakota; and Wisconsin dairy farmer Brian Gerrits, one of the companys founders. The suit claims the ban discriminates against citizens of other states and interferes with interstate commerce. A former government official of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks from a construction contractor has pleaded guilty to federal charges in North Dakota. Randall Phelan was an elected representative of the governing body of the Three Affiliated Tribes from the end of 2012 to the middle of 2020. Investigators say Phelan used his official position to help the contractors business by awarding contracts, fabricating bids and managing fraudulent invoices. His trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday. Phelan and two others were originally charged with receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the bribery scheme on the oil-rich Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The contractor has pleaded guilty to bribery. Thank you for joining! Access your Pro+ Content below. Giving fashion a digital makeover In this weeks Computer Weekly, we find out how one of the UKs biggest mail order retailers N Brown, owner of JD Williams and Simply Be is moving to digital. We examine the growing importance of network function virtualisation and what it means for CIOs. And a year after Microsoft turned Lync into Skype for Business, we assess how the unified communications product is faring. Read the issue now. (Photo : Chinanews) Chang Zheng-7 Advertisement The second stage of a Chinese rocket that orbited two top secret Chinese anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons targeting U.S. military satellites last June 25 burned-up in a spectacular series of fireballs in the night sky over the West Coast of the United States. The remains of the Chinese rocket Chang Zheng-7 (CZ-7) or Long March-7 triggered numerous reports of UFO sightings in social and news media. Media reported that fragments of CZ-7 were seen by witnesses disintegrating at around 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time on July 27. Witnesses pointed out the burning debris moved from west to east trailing bright fireballs of different colors. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The object was the 30 feet-long second stage of CZ-7 that fragmented into pieces as it plunged earthward at over 18,000 mph, said astronomer Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. McDowell said this conclusion was confirmed by the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC). JSpOC also confirmed it had "removed a Chinese rocket body, a CZ-7 rocket body, from our U. S. satellite catalog as a 'decayed object' last evening (July 27)." McDowell noted it's rare for objects weighing over five tons to re-enter Earth's atmosphere. He was also puzzled why China didn't ensure this massive booster disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean, fueling speculation China intentionally had the booster burn-up over continental USA to strike fear into Americans. "It's a bit surprising that their new, fancy modernized launch system didn't include the ability to safely dispose of the upper stage," he said. CZ-7 orbited Aolong-1 or Roaming Dragon, one of two secret satellites identified only as "ADRV" and "BPV" during its maiden launch. China made no prior mention of Aolong-1 as among the payloads aboard CZ-7, leading to speculation this small satellite is a military satellite with a military mission as part of China's ongoing campaign to militarize space. China only announced CZ-7carried into orbit a prototype capsule for China's future next generation crew vehicle (NGCV); a CubeSat; ADRV, BPV and a block of ballast. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said Aolong-1 is equipped with a robotic arm to remove large hunks of orbiting space debris such as old satellites. Weighing only a few hundred kilograms, Aolong-1 is just the first in a spacecraft class that will collect space debris in the future. An unnamed researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories in Beijing, however, was quoted in the media as saying Aolong-1 isn't what it seems since it also has the potential to be used as an ASAT. The source said it's "unrealistic" to remove the millions of pieces of space debris with robot spacecraft. Further evidence Aolong-1 has a military mission is its small size that makes it easy to build dozens of this weapon. The technological challenge of identifying, maneuvering close to and grabbing a specific piece of tumbling space junk flashing by at thousands of kilometers per hour is impossible with existing Chinese technology. As part of its disguise, Aolong-1 will do its advertised job of trying to remove space junk. In wartime, however, Aolong-1 will revert to its true purpose as a "Clean ASAT" that won't explode close to its target U.S. satellite but will instead nudge the target satellite so it either deviates from its current orbit or falls to Earth as flaming debris. NASA estimates there are some 20,000 pieces of space trash larger than a softball orbiting the Earth. There are more than 10 million man-made pieces of debris orbiting the planet. Advertisement TagsChang Zheng-7, Long March 7, anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon, china, Aolong-1, Joint Space Operations Center (Photo : Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Chinese and foreign toursits walk on a section of the Great Wall of China in Mutianyu, near Beijing, China. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage will reportedly launch an investigation into the deterioration of the historical site. Advertisement China is set to start assessing the level of damage to the Great Wall. At the moment, less than 10 percent of one of the Seven Wonders of the World is considered to be well-preserved. The move to assess the damage to the ancient structure comes 10 years after the country introduced protection laws for the Great Wall of China. The first law introduced was called "Great Wall Protection Code" and was followed by other laws aimed at preserving the historic site. Despite these laws, it has been found out that the Great Wall continues to deteriorate. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement People have allegedly been stealing bricks from the Great Wall to build houses. Poor villagers in Lulong County have reportedly knocked out some of the thick gray bricks of the wall to build their homes. It is unclear if these people have been fined as it has been reported that they pay up to 5,000 yuan ($723) to take bricks from the Great Wall of China. At least one-third of the whole structure has also been turned into rubble. The rapid deterioration has also been linked to the number of tourists visiting the site, The Telegraph reported. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage said in a statement that inspection groups would be formed to investigate the state of the Great Wall of China in each of the provinces it passes through in the country. The project will reportedly last until October this year. Time reported that officials from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage added that they would begin inspections and random checks along the wall to ensure that local authorities are implementing the protection laws. The Great Wall Society's vice-chairman, Dong Yaohui, said in a statement, "It doesn't have large-scale damage, but if you accumulate the different damaged parts, it is very serious. The problem is we spend a lot of money on repairing the Great Wall instead of preserving the Great Wall." The Great Wall stretches for thousands of miles from the east coast to the edge of the Gobi desert - it passes through many villages and provinces. The construction of the Great Wall began in the 3rd Century BC. Advertisement Tagschina, Great Wall of China, historical site, Preservation, investigation, bricks removed, villagers, build homes, tourists (Photo : Getty Images.) Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has downplayed reports that Chinese troops have entered Uttarakhand. Advertisement Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday rubbished reports of Chinese incursion in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, Indian newspaper Indian Express reported. Parrikar clarified that it was a small act of transgression that had taken place near the Sino-India border in the Uttarakhand state, adding that the issue has been peacefully settled between armies of both countries. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "India-China border is not formally demarcated. There are areas where both sides have differing perceptions of LAC. Barhoti (Uttarakhand) is one such area. There was no incursion, just transgression which has been settled. There is a well-defined mechanism to settle such transgressions," Parrikar said in India's parliament. On Wednesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat told reporters that Chinese troops had intruded near the Barhoti border in Chamoli District. Rawat added that the matter is of grave concern, and the central government must take cognizance of the issue. China, so far, has not issued any official statement on the matter. However, in the past, China has swiftly dismissed similar allegations leveled by India. Last month, India accused Chinese troops of intruding into the disputed state of Arunachal Pradesh. An allegation that was duly rejected by China. China-India diplomatic relation is currently going through a difficult period, with China playing a spoilsport in India's bid for Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG) membership last month. The Chinese snub has put pressure on the Indian government to act tough with China. Earlier this month, reports surfaced that India had deployed 100 tanks to Ladhak. Although there were no concrete reports that this was in direct response to China's NSG snub, the move was criticized by Chinese state media. Advertisement TagsIndia, china, Manohar Parrikar, India and China, Uttarakhand (Photo : Getty Images) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, for the first time, has explicitly pointed to China as the biggest smuggler of illegal drugs into the Philippines. Advertisement Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday pinpointed China as the largest smuggler of illegal drugs into Manila, accusing Beijing of coddling major drug lords and drug traffickers. Duterte, who has launched a campaign against drug lords as part of his ruthless anti-crime program, accused Beijing for the first time of harboring big-time drug lords who smuggle drugs into Manila. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "Where is the big fish [in illegal drugs]? If you want them, go to China. Look for them there," he told soldiers and police during a visit to a military camp. Drug war Duterte said he planned to talk to the Chinese ambassador to ask for assistance in capturing the mainland-based drug traffickers, admitting that Manila could not just go to China and fight the drug war. "I wanted to talk to the ambassador. That is how serious it is. Now, how do I fight this? We cannot just go there and just declare war," he pointed out. Less than a month in office, Duterte has explicitly named China for the first time as one of the countries harboring major drug lords who smuggle drugs into the country. Drug trafficking Duterte had stated maintained that most of the illegal drugs smuggled into Manila came from China. He said that many Chinese nationals that engaged in drug trafficking in the Philippines have been arrested in the past years. Duterte's first order of business upon assuming the presidency less than a month ago was to kill drug dealers and traffickers. Police records said around 300 drug suspects have been killed by the police since he assumed office on June 30. Self defense Although the police have justified the killings as 'self-defense,' human rights advocates said that these extrajudicial killings were the offshoot of the president's orders. Local media news agencies pegged the drug casualties as more than 300, way above the records showed by local police. Last week, the Chinese Embassy reached out to Duterte saying it was willing to help in Manila's crackdown on drug traffickers. "China has expressed explicitly to the new administration China's willingness for effective cooperation in this regard, and would like to work out a specific plan of action with the Philippine side," the embassy said. Advertisement Tagsdrug lords, drug traffickers, extrajudicial killings, Chinese Embassy, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, china (Photo : NASA) The death of Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon on July 21, 1969, was linked to coronary artery disease. Insignia of the Apollo Program. Advertisement A disturbing new study that found American astronauts of the Apollo Program from 1961 to 1972 are more prone to heart attack deaths illustrates the dangers of deep space radiation. This is the first study looking at the mortality of Apollo astronauts. The men of the Apollo Program that landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969 are experiencing higher rates of cardiovascular-related deaths thought to be caused by their exposure to deep space radiation, said the study conducted by Professor Michael Delp, Florida State University Dean of the College of Human Sciences. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The Apollo program consisted of 11 manned flights into space between 1968 and 1972. Nine of those flew beyond Earth's orbit into deep space. Twelve Americans landed on the Moon with 12 others having either orbited the Moon or journeyed into deep space. In a new paper in Scientific Reports, Delp found out the astronauts who traveled into deep space as part of the Apollo Moon missions were exposed to levels of galactic cosmic radiation not experienced by any other astronauts or Russian cosmonauts. That exposure is now manifesting itself as cardiovascular problems. "We know very little about the effects of deep space radiation on human health, particularly on the cardiovascular system," said Delp. "This gives us the first glimpse into its adverse effects on humans." Delp found that 43 percent of deceased Apollo astronauts died from a cardiovascular problem. That's four to five times higher than non-flight astronauts and astronauts who have traveled in low Earth orbit. Of the 24 men who flew into deep space on the Apollo lunar missions, eight have died and seven were included in the study. The eighth -- Edgar Mitchell -- died after the data analysis was completed. Delp and his colleagues also exposed mice to the type of radiation that Apollo astronauts would have experienced. After six months -- the equivalent of 20 human years -- the mice demonstrated an impairment of arteries that is known to lead to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in humans. "What the mouse data show is that deep space radiation is harmful to vascular health," said Delp. Delp is working with NASA to conduct additional studies on the Apollo astronauts regarding their cardiovascular health. Delp's research is of special interest now as the United States and other nations, plus private organizations, make plans for deep space travel to the Moon, the asteroids, Mars and its moons. NASA has unveiled plans for U.S. orbital missions around the moon from 2020 to 2030 in preparation for a manned flight to Mars. Russia, China and the European Space Agency are all looking at lunar missions. And SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, has proposed landing humans on Mars by 2026. As a group, astronauts are highly educated and have access to top medical care, meaning their healthcare outcomes are generally better than the general population. But the group of men in the Apollo program experienced different environmental conditions than anyone else in the world when they traveled into deep space. Advertisement Tagsastronauts, Apollo Program, moon, cardiovascular-related deaths, Professor Michael Delp (Photo : Getty Images) Cadillac introduces the new CT6 at the New York International Auto Show at the Javits Center in New York. Advertisement While General Motors is currently building its partial hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) battery packs in Brownstown Battery Assembly Plant in Brownstone Charter Township, Michigan, the production may soon shift to China for the automaker to qualify for the country's green car incentives, according to Autoblog. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Bill Wallace, director of General Motors for global battery systems, told AutoblogGreen that the situation is "evolving" as China introduces its "Made in China 2025" plan. The plan likely means that General Motors will soon need to build all of its parts, including batteries, in the country. The news specifically revolves around the 2017 Cadillac CT6 PHEV, which will be fully assembled in China and shipped to the United States. Battery packs for the CT6 PHEV will be first made in Michigan and then shipped to China for final assembly. Cadillac has already defended its move to export its 2017 CT6 PHEV from China to North America because of the forecasted low demand. For now, the Cadillac CT6 PHEV will qualify for China's incentives offered for car makers who build green cars in the country. Other CT6s will be produced in Michigan. Meanwhile, while the CT6 PHEV battery range is yet to be announced, Hybrid Cars reported that it is likely to be at least 50 kilometers (31 miles). Cadillac's CT6 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle will first be launched in China this fall before coming to the United States in 2017. Advertisement TagsGeneral Motors, PHEV, battery pacts, Electric Vehicles, green cars, 2017 Cadillac CT6 PHEV, CT6, Cadillac, Made in China 2025 (Photo : Getty Images.) China's Taikang Life Insurance has picked up 13.5 percent stake in famous auction company Sothebys. Advertisement Taikang Life Insurance Co, one of China's largest insurance companies, has picked up 13.5 percent stake in Sotheby's, Bloomberg reported. Sotheby's is a prominent British multinational corporation that runs auction houses across the world. The firm's headquarter is based in New York. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Taikang Life Insurance disclosed the investment in its filings with China's securities exchange on Wednesday. The company said in the filing that it would seek for representation in Sotheby's Board of Directors. The company added in its filing disclosure that it has fully conveyed to Sotheby's management its support for the company's "broader strategic initiatives." The news of Taikang's investment comes after reports emerged in May that Sotheby's Singapore-based shareholder Shanda Payment Holdings Ltd is set to increase its stake from two percent in the company. Sotheby's is yet to issue any official statement about Taikang's filing with China's securities exchange. Sotheby's has a market capitalization of $1.84 billion. Last week, Sotheby's said that its auctioned revenue stood at $2.4 billion during the first half of the current year, down 25 percent from a year earlier. Taikang Life Insurance is owned by well known Chinese businessmen Chen Dongshen, who is a grandson son-in-law of revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. Chen Dongshen runs one of China's largest auction houses, China Guardian Auctions Co. Dongshen founded the auction company three years before creating Taikang Life Insurance. Advertisement TagsTaikang Life Insurance, Sothebys, china, Chen Dongshen (Photo : Getty Images) Meizu could release a smartwatch next month. Advertisement The sales of smartwatches are not picking up right now, but Meizu is still optimistic. Alleged pictures of the Chinese company's first smartwatch have surfaced online, providing a glimpse at a compelling and finely designed wearable. The alleged photo also shows its retail packaging. The image of a round gray box with the Meizu logo suggests that the company is ready to start shipping the smartwatch soon, according to Xiaomi Today. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The upcoming Meizu smartwatch is said to feature a classy metal casing, tan leather straps, and customizable wallpapers. The control buttons are on the right side of the watch. Rumor has it that the smartwatch will be powered by the Rockchip RK6321 SoC with two Cortex A5 cores. Due to this, there are speculations that the Meizu smartwatch will not run on Android Wear, which only works with Qualcomm chips. Based on the pictures, there also seems to be no flat tyre like the Moto 360. Meizu recently sent out invites for a press event on August 10. There are speculations that the company would launch the device at the upcoming event. The event may also see the launch of the new Meizu Metal 2 smartphone, an affordable phone with a 5.5-inch 1080p resolution display which is powered by the MediaTek Helio P10 chip and comes with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. Advertisement TagsMeizu, Meizu Smartwatch, Meizu Smartwatch Specs, Meizu Smartwatch Features, Meizu Smartwatch Price, Meizu Smartwatch Release Date Chiswick dentist Raffaella Gabassi on the charity's efforts in that country Boy in Sierra Leone get his first Jaguar Participate Your Children's Needs At White Dental & Cosmetic Rooms White Dental and Cosmetic Rooms 128 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick. W4 1PU Telephone 020 8747 9933 Sign up for our weekly newsletter Comment on this story on the After two years of devastation on an already impoverished country, Smiling World Foundation is back again in Sierra Leone. It was expected that the post Ebola situation would have left the country in a much worse situation than before, but in our commitment to complete our task we still need a two flights journey both ways, to reach the capital Freetown. Unfortunately British Airways does still not deem Sierra Leone safe enough to resume direct flights from London. It is our hope that this trip will bring much relief to those who have suffered exceptionally during this time, our focus is merely on the children but extends to adults, especially where the adult is the sole provider for a large family. It has been a crazy time for the world in general and, with so much unrest there is no better time, to do something good to get the feel that we all can do a little, to improve the lives of at least some people. This is the rainy season in Sierra Leone, so we expect difficulty, but hopefully together with the ambulances that we sent out during the time of Ebola, we will have some extra support when moving around. If like us you feel you wish to make a small contribution please donate via the charity web site www.smilingworld.org or www.justgiving.com , maybe you will wish to donate the equivalent of your morning coffee.. To remind us all . 2 feeds a whole family for a week. We also accept toys (small and not battery operated), little cars and small dolls goes down a treat, clothes (summer clothes of course) for babies and children. If you chose to clear some of the toys outgrown by your precious little ones then please drop off at White Dental and Cosmetic Rooms, 128 Chiswick High Road W4 1PU. On behalf of the children of Sierra Leone a heartfelt thank you. Dr Raffaella Gabassi BDS July 29, 2016 Christians as peacemakers in troubled times: 'You gotta figure out who your people are' 29 July, 2016 by Tammi Ledbetter/Jane Rodgers , | Dallas / Louisville (Christian Examiner) While pundits call for political solutions to race relations, several Baptist colleges are enlisting students and partnering ministries to find long-lasting solutions. "Our objective is not to be color blind," the new president of Dallas Baptist University said, but to "embrace the diversity of the family of God" and recognize sin as the problem society must address. Adam C. Wright, the freshly installed DBU president, is well aware that Christians are in a much better position to offer the Gospel as the only answer to a sin problem. He called on believers to "persevere as peacemakers under the banner of the cross" during a pep talk for the school's community partners. Expressing his grief at the killing of five Dallas policemen, Wright July 11 told a lunch gathering, "The problem is that we do not more appropriately reflect the Imago Dei, the image of God. If we did, we would be just as incensed against Ferguson, against Charleston and Minnesota as we are about Dallas." Drawing lessons from effective social justice activists like William Wilberforce, the British statesman who fought for the end of the slave trade and slavery, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., Wright said, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Do not give up." Perseverance in peacemaking has been the challenge that Wayland Baptist University senior Clara Baxter embraced after relocating from Texas to Kentucky to live in the inner city this summer serving with the Christian social justice organization Love Thy Neighborhood. Peacemaking began with introducing herself to neighbors and sharing freshly baked cookies. She found residents to be friendly in the area near Sojourn Community Church. "People were kind," Baxter told Christian Examiner. "The worst that happened was that some people didn't open their doors," Baxter said. The simple act of kindness led to broader conversations and developing relationships, including a fledgling friendship with Stacy, a 30-year resident of the neighborhood. Stacy warned the women not to settle there and described local problems of drug use and prostitution. Are you "missionaries or something?" Stacy asked as they explained their work with LTN, a partner of Louisville's Sojourn Community Church. "I don't go to church," Stacy immediately replied, describing her "bad experiences" with various congregations. "I could understand why she wouldn't want to go," Baxter said. "This woman felt isolated by a community that is supposed to be just that a community." "She told us that she didn't talk to neighbors much and that she was glad we came by," Baxter said after leaving Stacy's home. In the midst of giving her summer to be a peacemaker on behalf of a Christian ministry in Louisville, Baxter was dealing with "hurt and mourning" over the shootings that occurred in her home state of Texas. "These events only show that the world needs the love of Christ constantly presented," confirming "that what we at LTN do is part of God's plan to love the world." Richard Ellis would applaud Baxter's attempt at establishing community. "From the get-go, the intent [in founding Dallas' non-denominational Reunion Church] was to be very intentional about being diverse without making it the main thing." Even the downtown location in the Dallas Convention Center theater encourages diversity. "Downtown is neutral territory and the convention center is neutral turf," Ellis said, adding with a laugh, "Plus you have so many shelters that are within walking distance of where we are meeting that we get bums to billionaires." Reunion, with an average attendance of 600, is anything but a typical homogeneous white or black church. "When you get a roomful of people who have nothing in common but Jesus...and there is no other explanation but that we are followers of Christ... then the world buys into what we're selling or giving away. And they go, 'You can't do this without God.' This might be an oversimplification, but it works for us," Ellis said. Of peacemaking, Ellis advised, "Just shut up and listen. When you have a basic understanding of the situation, then it makes you more sensitive, possibly, to the plight of someone in that situation. You can't stop racism overnight. But if a black man thinks that somebody actually has a category for what he goes through ... it helps. "[Racism] has been going on for hundreds of years," Ellis continued. "White people in particular act like they have no idea. I have many friends who get profiled. You can't understand people till you've been in their shoes. You won't get there, but at least you have a category. And if they think you really care enough ... then they feel a little better." "Hopefully change is going to come. But change comes out of relationship," Ellis added. On the Sunday following the Dallas shootings, Reunion held services as usual. When the microphones were passed around for people to share, a black woman in her thirties and a member of the worship team, raised her hand to talk, Ellis recalled. "I woke up this morning," the woman said. "And in the flesh, my first thought was, I wanna go be with my people. And then I realized that you are my people and I came to church." Ellis puts it more simply when advising Christians on how to be peacemakers. "You gotta figure out who your people are." With reporting by DBU student Lauren Reynnells Libertarian candidate says religous freedom 'a black hole' 29 July, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , | PHILADELPHIA (Christian Examiner) A third-party candidate gaining traction among both Republicans and Democrats said in an interview at the Democratic National Convention that religious liberty is "a black hole" that can be used to promote discrimination. Libertarian Gary Johnson said in an interview with the Washington Examiner that the First Amendment has been too narrowly defined and private business owners should not be allowed the right to refuse to provide services for events such as same-sex weddings. In particular, Johnson the former governor of New Mexico was asked by reporter Timothy Carney if the New Mexico wedding photographer fined by the state for not photographing a gay wedding should have been allowed to refuse the request. He did not directly address the case, but answered: You've narrowly defined this. But if we allow for discrimination if we pass a law that allows for discrimination on the basis of religion literally, we're gonna open up a can of worms when it comes to stopping discrimination of all forms, starting with Muslims ... who knows? "Here's the issue. You've narrowly defined this. But if we allow for discrimination if we pass a law that allows for discrimination on the basis of religion literally, we're gonna open up a can of worms when it comes to stopping discrimination of all forms, starting with Muslims ... who knows? You're narrowly looking at a situation where if you broaden that, I just tell you on the basis of religious freedom, being able to discriminate something that is currently not allowed discrimination will exist in places we never dreamed of." He also said he didn't believe the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, passed by Congress during the Clinton administration, could be used to "cut out a little chunk" for groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns that has been in a multi-year fight over the Obama administration's mandate that health care plans cover abortion-inducing birth control medications. Allowing the nuns to follow their consciences, he said, will "open up a plethora of discrimination that you never believed could exist. And it'll start with Muslims." Johnson said he is aware that his message will likely turn off conservative Republicans who have been eyeing his candidacy and he admits that his take on religious liberty is at odds with the Libertarian Party as a whole. But, he said, "My crystal ball is that you are going to get discriminated against by somebody because it's against their religion. Somehow, you have offended their religion because you've walked in and you're denied service. You." Johnson said he believes the role of the federal government is to prevent all cases of discrimination and to prevent claims that seem "to go outside the bounds of common sense." He then offered his own example, straining the bounds of common sense, of someone shooting another person and saying it was permissible because "their freedom of religion says God has spoken to them and that they can shoot somebody dead." "I just see religious freedom, as a category, of just being a black hole," Johnson said. That isn't an answer that is likely to gain Johnson many followers among conservative evangelicals who believe groups like Little Sisters of the Poor and private businesses like Hobby Lobby and the Masterpiece Cake Shop can obey the dictates of their conscience instead of the heavy hand of government. Hobby Lobby sued the federal government after the Affordable Care Act mandated the company provide abortifacients in its health plans. The company won the case. Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop in Colorado, has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Colorado Supreme Court refused to hear his case. He was found guilty of discrimination by the state's Civil Rights Commission for refusing to decorate a cake celebrating a same-sex marriage. In the same interview, Johnson said he did not favor changing America's abortion laws and said he was socially liberal on the issue of abortion. He said the law allows abortion up to the point of the fetus's viability outside of the womb (even on artificial life support). That makes is view opposite that of most evangelical Christians. "I'm not a social conservative," Johnson said. U.S. Navy will name ship after gay rights icon 29 July, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , | WASHINGTON (Christian Examiner) The U.S. Navy, which normally names its ships after presidents, elected representatives, military leaders and combat heroes will name one of its newest ships for a gay rights activist. U.S. Naval Institute News reports one of the Navy's new John Lewis-class ships will be named for controversial gay rights icon and San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, who was shot to death along with Mayor George Moscone by a disgruntled former city supervisor in 1978. Milk was not assassinated because he was gay, but he has nonetheless become a hero of the LGBT community because he was openly gay during a conservative era. The Obama administration has pushed Milk forward as a national hero on repeated occasions. Milk was placed on a U.S. postage stamp in 2014, and five years prior he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. At the time the medal was awarded, the White House said "Milk is revered nationally and globally as a pioneer of the LGBT civil rights movement for his exceptional leadership and dedication to equal rights." Milk was a Navy veteran. He was commissioned in 1951 during the Korean War and served on the submarine rescue ship Kittiwake through 1955. He was a Navy diver, as well. According to the U.S. Naval Institute, several California politicians have pushed to name a ship after Milk since the Defense Department lifted its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy prohibiting the open service of homosexuals in 2011. One of those was former Congressman and San Diego Mayor Bob Filner [D-Calif.], who was convicted in 2013 of sexually assaulting three women while in office. Two other ships will be named for actual civil rights leaders. One will be named for Lucy Stone, a suffragette and contemporary of Susan B. Anthony. Another will be named for Sojourner Truth, also a women's rights advocate and abolitionist. According to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, all of the John Lewis-class ships ("oilers" which replenish other ships) will be named after civil rights leaders. The class of ship is named for Rep. John Lewis [D-Ga.], who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement. Other ships named for civil rights leaders include the Medgar Evers and the Cesar Chavez. A missionary priest in Mexico is working to get violent gang members to instead join the Gang of Christ. The Christian Examiner reports that Jose Luis Guerra, a Catholic deacon who will be ordained as a priest in August, has a passion for ministering to gang members. Guerra works in the city of Monterrey, Mexico, about 125 miles from the United States border. Monterrey can be a dangerous place, but Guerra doesnt shy away from walking its streets. My alba is my shield, he says, referring to his white religious robe. Guerra seems to feel at home among the young men and women he meets on the streets. He is a large man, and often jokes about his weight: It just means that I am full of love, he says. Guerra works with a team of 15 fellow missionaries, most of whom are ex-gang members. When a gang member decides to give his or her life to Christ, they must renounce the gang life of theft, assault, insult, and in some cases, even murder. Those who wish to join Guerra as a missionary go through a rigorous program of preparation. They spend three days at a camp, reflecting on the decision to renounce their old life and turn to Christ. Then they spend seven weeks at a missionary training school. Upon graduation from this school, there is a celebration, but this is only a precursor to the responsibilities ahead. Guerra then explains the responsibilities of being a missionary to the new convert and presents him or her with a Bible, so they can join the Gang of Christ, as Guerra puts it. Publication date: July 29, 2016 The Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) voiced their concerns about the slaughter of Christians in the country by terrorist organizations including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Shabab. As of July, about 384 Christians had died and another 111 wounded across Nigeria this year. The figure is close to the total of 431 deaths in the entire 2015. CANAN has called on the Nigerian government to take concrete steps to rein in the militant groups to end the brutal killings of Christians. "We are saddened by the rapid occurrences of these atrocious killings without a corresponding accountability being meted to the growing list of perpetrators," said Dr. Ade' Oyesile, Executive Director at CANAN. Former Congressman Frank Wolf visited Nigeria earlier this year and saw the miserable condition of the internally displaced people who were fleeing Boko Haram. "People of faith, Christians, feel very much forgotten. Nigeria is fractured and is breaking down in so many ways, and it seems that the world has forgotten about it," Wolf told The Christian Post. Millions of Nigerians are displaced in the country because of the ongoing terror campaign unleashed by radical Islamist organizations. Wolf said that Nigerians feel abandoned by Western churches as they are not coming out in support of Nigeria as the situation demands. Terrorism has been on the rise in Nigeria during the past decade. Apart from the militant organizations, the Fulani herdsmen were also reported to have turned violent in recent years, carrying out massacres on the routes they traveled. "Everywhere we went, the issue of Boko Haram came up. But secondly, the issue of the Fulani militants came up even more," said Wolf. United Nations' children's agency said that over 240,000 children in Nigeria are suffering from malnutrition, and about 134 children succumb to harsh conditions of life wrought upon by terror activities of Boko Haram. "Some 134 children on average will die every day from causes linked to acute malnutrition if the response is not scaled up quickly," said Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF regional director for Western and Central Africa, who visited Borno state. Joseph Bagobiri, Catholic bishop of Kafanchan, issued a plea for "a global fund to help in the meaningful rehabilitation of victims, to ensure that both land and property of Christians and other vulnerable minorities are returned to them unfailingly." Bagobiri told the world leaders at a UN conference in New York that about 11,500 people were killed between 2006 and 2014 in Nigeria, and 13,000 churches were destroyed by Boko Haram. Over 1.3 million people were internally displaced by terrorist activities in the country. North Korea's diplomat for US affairs said that the US had "crossed the red line" by putting leader Kim Jong Un on its sanction list for alleged human rights abuses documented by the United Nations Human Rights Commission. The country said that it is now at war with the US, and might retaliate if the US and South Korea hold annual military exercise scheduled for next month. "The Obama administration went so far to have the impudence to challenge the supreme dignity of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] in order to get rid of its unfavorable position during the political and military showdown with the DPRK," Han Song Ryol, director-general of the U.S. affairs department at the North's Foreign Ministry, told Associated Press. "The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown," he added. "We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war." The US and South Korea conduct joint military exercises every year, and Pyongyang is never pleased with the drills. North Korea had been heavily sanctioned in the past for its nuclear weapons program, but this month the US sanctioned the leader personally, essentially putting the two countries on a "war law," according to Pyongyang. The human rights abuses listed against Kim relate to the prison camps in the country, and the US restrictions are directed to hold accountable those who are in a position to stop the state-sanctioned crimes. North Korea persecutes all dissidents severely, but "reserves its most severe persecution for Christians," according to an annual 2016 report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedoms (USCIRF). Recently, North Korea banned import of all products that look like or have markings resembling the Christian cross. "We've always had to make sure there were no Korean characters on the labels of products that we brought in from China," a source told Radio Free Asia. "Now we have to check again to see that there isn't anything that looks like a cross," he said. "Some designs on women's clothing can look a lot like a cross, depending on who is looking at it. Cross designs also appear on women's hairpins and hair bands and on men's neckties." The source told RFA that sometimes Chinese confectioneries are shaped like an 'X,' and its visual interpretations is at the discretion of the officials. "If customs officers confiscate these products, insisting the shape looks like a cross, we have nowhere to complain," he added. North Korea disconnected the last official communication line with the US a week after the sanctions were imposed. The current discussion about political correctness is the result of a perfect storm. Changing gender norms, new social media platforms, and deepening class divisions have led to a renewed conflict over language. In a number of intimate and sensitive areas of life, cultural and moral norms have changed dramatically. Eight years ago, a democratic presidential candidate opposed the idea of same-sex marriage outright. In 2016, such opposition is regularly condemned as bigoted, even violent. Changes in public perception of transgender politics have occurred even faster. In just over a year and a half we have gone from one ordinance about the use of bathrooms by transgendered people in Houston, Texas (ultimately struck down), to a national directive from the president. Similar shifts in public conversations about race, class, and religion have brought with them new and ever-evolving rules about language. For many, mislabeling or intentionally not referring to someone with their preferred name and pronoun is a direct insult to how they define themselves. In effect, such an action says, I do not accept your identity. Given the tremendous significance of defining, discovering, creating, and displaying our identity in modern society, to publicly renounce or deny someones identity can be deeply hurtful, on an existential level. It can be felt as a direct denial of ones basic humanity. Of course, frustration over these rules and fears that free speech is being stifled have led some people to intentionally offend in order to defy what they feel is political correctness. After all, if you believe that political correctness is a cancer eating away at open public discourse and freedom of speech, then ... 1 Earlier this week, I talked about the religious and economic implications of the RNC platform. As the DNC wraps up, it is time to examine the relevant points of the Democratic platform. Innovation & Entrepreneurship We need an economy that prioritizes long-term investment over short-term profit-seeking, rewards the common interest over self-interest, and promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. Minimum Wage Democrats believe that the current minimum wage is a starvation wage and must be increased to a living wage. No one who works full time should have to raise a family in poverty. We believe that Americans should earn at least $15 an hour and have the right to form or join a union. We applaud the approaches taken by states like New York and California. We should raise and index the minimum wage, give all Americans the ability to join a union regardless of where they work, and create new ways for workers to have power in the economy. We also support creating one fair wage for all workers by ending the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers and people with disabilities. Democrats support a model employer executive order or some other vehicle to leverage federal dollars to support employers who provide their workers with a living wage, good benefits, and the opportunity to form a union. The $1 trillion spent annually by the government on contracts, loans, and grants should be used to support good jobs that rebuild the middle class. Poverty We believe that todays extreme level of income and wealth inequalitywhere the majority of the economic gains go to the top one percent and the richest 20 people in our country own more wealth than the bottom 150 millionmakes our economy weaker, our communities poorer, and our politics poisonous. We reaffirm our commitment to eliminate poverty. Democrats will develop a national strategy to combat poverty, coordinated across all levels of government. We will direct more federal resources to lifting up communities that have been left out and left behind, such as the 10-20-30 model, which directs 10 percent of program funds to communities where at least 20 percent of the population has been living below the poverty line for 30 years or more. We will also focus on communities that suffer from persistent poverty, including empowerment zones and areas that targeted government data indicate are in persistent poverty. Democrats will protect proven programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)our nations most important anti-hunger programthat help struggling families put food on the table. We will also help people grow their skills through jobs and skills training opportunities. Religious Liberty Opposes attempts to impose a religious test to bar immigrants or refugees from entering the United States. Supports a progressive vision of religious freedom that respects pluralism and rejects the misuse of religion to discriminate. Supports protecting both Muslims and religious minorities and the fundamental right of freedom of religion in the Middle East. (Read more here) Donald Trump seems to be breaking yet another political tradition this election: the God gap. In previous US elections, polls consistently showed that a persons level of religiosityhow important their faith is to them and how often they attend churchwas one of the biggest predictors in how they would vote. The more religious an American was, the more likely he or she was to vote Republican; the less religious, the more likely to vote Democrat. But that correlation appears to be weakening, enough that some are asking whether this years unusual matchup between Trump and Hillary Clinton will be the end of what political scientists Robert Putnam and David Campbell termed the God gap. Trump only leads Clinton by four percentage points among regular churchgoers (49% vs. 45%), a notable shift according to the Pew Research Center. By comparison, Mitt Romneys 15-point margin over Barack Obama in 2012 (55% vs. 40%) was much more indicative ... 1 Archbishop of Canterbury is making plans for another primates meeting The Archbishop of Canterbury is to call another meeting of the worldwide Archbishops of the Anglican Communion in a further attempt to heal divisions over sexuality. At the last meeting in January this year, "consequences" were imposed on The Episcopal Church of the United States over its decision to go ahead with same-sex marriage. The Church in Canada is subsequently agreed this summer to do the same, although a second vote on the issue will not take place for another three years. At the last primates' meeting, the Church leaders agreed to try to walk together. However, given the growing differences over sexuality, that is looking like an increasingly difficult journey. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has asked the primates of the Anglican Communion to reserve a week in October next year. This will be just months before the next meeting of the conservative leadership body, GAFCON, in Jerusalem in 2018. Many primates in the Global South countries of Africa and Asia now look to GAFCON for Anglican leadership because of the liberalism of the church in the West over issues such as sexuality. Although formal invitations have yet to be issued, the meeting is expected to take place once more in Canterbury. The primates will be given an interim report from task force created by the Welby in response to the consequences imposed on the US Church. George Conger of Anglican Ink reports: "Relations amongst the Churches are at a point not seen since the boycott of the 2008 Lambeth Conference, with a number of GAFCON affiliated primates and others nonplussed by what they see as a disconnect between Archbishop Justin Welby's words and his deeds." Calls for an end to 'continuous massacre of Christians' in Nigeria Nearly as many Christians have been murdered by Islamists in Nigeria this year as throughout the whole of 2015, latest figures show. The Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans has strongly condemned the "atrocious" killings and called for the perpetrators to be called to account. Dr Ade Oyesile, head of the association, said: "We are saddened by the rapid occurrences of these atrocious killings without a corresponding accountability being meted to the growing list of perpetrators." He called on Nigeria's government to go "beyond mere expression of shock at the vicious killings" and set in motion practical steps to stem "this ugly spectacle of continuous massacre of Christians". He released figures that show that at least 384 Christians have been killed and 111 injured across Nigeria so far this year, which compares to a total of 431 deaths and 301 injured Christians throughout 2015. Oyesile said: "These killings, we noticed, are carried out either by tit-for-tat attacks, arson on properties especially churches or the targeted systemic killings of Christians perpetuated by the Boko Haram terrorist religious sectarian group." Examples this year include: *16 Christians were killed and 32 injured when a suicide bomber hit a vegetable market in Chibok, a Christian town in Maiduguri. *10 Christians were killed and 28 injured when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at a busy market near a church in Adamawa. All the victims were Christians. *A brother and sister were hacked down in a Christian- dominated community and 19 people injured in Uzo-Uwani, Enugu State in an attack by Fulani herdsmen. *Merciless killings of at least 300 Christians by radical Islamic mercenaries including pregnant women in Agatu, Benue State. 48 Christians killed and 60 injured by Fulani herdsmen in Enugu. *A man and his daughter burnt alive in a church by Boko Haram in Dadawa, an outskirt of Sabongari in Kano State. *Three Christians burnt to death in a pastors' home as they slept at Ninte village in Jema in Kaduna State. In addition, most recently, in Kano on June 2, a Christian woman was beheaded by Islamic fundamentalist after a minor argument. On June 30 at Obi town in Nasarawa State, a pastor was killed by a militant Islamist. On July 9 a female pastor was hacked to death by Islamist radicals. Oyesile said: "This dastardly killings of Christians in the country must stop. It is most disappointing that these unprovoked killings of Christians have continued despite the federal government condemnation statements. "There is palpable anger in the land and it is anger without answers from the federal government [which] has a direct responsibility to secure the lives of all citizens. This is more so as we Christians do not preach [a] gospel of retaliation, we preach peace and peace we are seeking now." He continued: "The federal government needs to step up and take bold actions to give members of the Christian community in the country a sense of security and belonging." The sectarian killings, he said, had turned countries into "failed states". Egyptian President praises Christians for 'wisdom and patriotism' The President of Egypt has praised Christians in that country for demonstrating "wisdom and a spirit of patriotism" in response to the sufferings and provocation inflicted on them in recent years. President Abdel Fattah al Sisi paid tribute to Christians in Egypt for remaining united in the face of those who "try to exploit religion as a means of fomenting division and spreading extremist ideas". The President was speaking as he received the visit of Copt Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II at the presidential palace with a delegation including several Bishops of the Copt Orthodox Synod of Bishops. Sisi emphasised the value of links between Christians and Muslims in Egypt, and expressed appreciation for initiatives undertaken by the Egyptian Family House, a body for inter-religious cooperation formed to prevent and mitigate sectarian clashes. The comments come after a string of attacks against Christians, especially in the Minya region, home to a relatively high proportion of Coptic Christians. Earlier this month, police arrested 15 people after an arson attack on homes belonging to Coptic Christians in an Upper Egyptian village. Days before that, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of Minya, Anba Makarios called on police to enforce the law protecting citizens from sectarian violence, saying that attacks are taking place at an average of one every 10 days. On July 5, an Orthodox Christian nun from Mar Girgis Monastery in Old Cairo was killed after reportedly being hit by a stray bullet on the Cairo-Alexandria Highway. June saw the assault on homes of Christian families in the village of Karm el Loofy, the burning of a kindergarten run by Christians in Minya, and the murder on June 30 of Rafael Moussa, a Coptic Orthodox priest of the church of St George. In May, also in Minya, a 70-year-old Christian woman said to be the mother of a man who was allegedly romantically involved with a Muslim woman was stripped naked by a mob of 300 Muslims and paraded through the streets of her village. Tensions between Christians and Muslims have intensified in the country since the Arab Spring of 2011. The worst single incident came in February 2015, with the beheadings by Islamic State of 21 Egyptian Christian migrant workers. Egypt has an estimated population of 9 million Christians. Mostly Orthodox Copts, they account for about 10 per cent of Egypt's population, which is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. Naming and Shaming - the Named Person Debacle In an astonishing and unusual decision the UK Supreme Court has struck down a Scottish government law, the Named Person Act, by a majority of five to zero. There are many aspects to this case but because it was brought by, among others, Christian charities, it is important for us to realise and understand what is going on here. CARE and the Christian Institute have portrayed this as a victory for them against the Named Person scheme. Dr Gordon MacDonald of CARE stated: "This is a stunning victory for parents and families across Scotland. We are delighted judges at the UK's highest court have backed our case." But the Scottish government had a different point of view. The minister responsible, John Swinney posted: "I welcome the publication of today's judgment and the fact that the attempt to scrap the named person service has failed." So what is going on? The Named Person Scheme came about because of perceived weaknesses in child protection provision in Scotland. There was a particular concern for joined up thinking and co-operation between different agencies involved with child welfare. The SNP has a scheme entitled "Getting it Right for Every Child" of which the Named Person legislation is a key part. The idea is that each child in Scotland from the womb (an interesting development in itself) to aged 18 will have a state appointed Named Person, who will be a point of contact for parents, welfare services, the NHS, education etc. The aim is to improve access to services and to provide early detection and prevention when problems are likely to occur. So far so good. So why were CARE and the Christian Institute opposed to this, to the extent that they were prepared to go to court? And it's not just some Christian groups. There are secular, political and other charitable groups who are opposed, although the majority of children's services and government social work organisations are strongly for it. The main concerns are that it erodes parental rights and that it is so broad-based that it will be costly to implement and will limit more targeted intervention for high-risk children. From initially being a widely accepted programme that had been trialled successfully in the Highlands, there is now significant political and parental opposition, with polls showing that up to 75 per cent of parents are opposed. The Supreme Court ruled that the Named Person scheme did breach the right to privacy and a family life under the European Convention on Human Rights and that it therefore went beyond the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. The Court stated that the aims of the scheme were 'legitimate and benign' but ordered the Scottish Parliament to redraft the legislation to comply with ECHR legislation. I find myself in a bit of a bind here. I support the basic idea of a Named Person because I have listened to many of those involved in child welfare provision and they are generally supportive. There is a need for such a service and it is, as the Court stated 'legitimate and benign'. I also question why Christian organisations are taking the government to court. Is this not a waste of money? Does it really help the Christian witness? Why is this issue so important? But when you ask questions, you also need to listen to the answers. So I have been asking the Scottish Government, CARE and others involved, and I actually took the time to read the whole judgment. Here are the main lessons I have learned. It is wrong for anyone to claim that the Named Person scheme is "dead in the water". I realise that when money, time and effort has been invested in a particular action there is a temptation to talk it up, for ourselves and our supporters, but we still have to be honest and measured. The fact is that, barring a significant change in circumstances, the NP scheme will go ahead. The Scottish Government has a clear majority in the Scottish Parliament and now this has been made a point of principle and pride, they will not back down. Given that SNP MSPs are forbidden from disagreeing with any aspect of party policy and that their party discipline is so tight it is unlikely that any MSP will break ranks. So the government will change the legislation, tighten it up and then pass it in a form that the court will allow. At most, unless there is a major change of heart, the most that will happen is that it will be delayed for a few months. However, this may turn out to be a real Achilles heel for the SNP, because it is a deeply unpopular policy and the court's ruling will not help that. Hence the almost desperate spin being put on it by the Scottish Government. It is also wrong for the Scottish Government to claim that the Supreme Court decision was in any sense a victory for them. By a majority of five to zero (which given that fact that cases that come to the Supreme Court tend by definition to be highly contested and controversial is itself extraordinary), without any dissent, the Court has declared that one of their Acts is illegal. This was as great a victory for the Scottish Government as Culloden was for the Jacobites, or Pearl Harbour for the Americans! The denial of their defeat and the attempt to spin it as victory does not reflect well on the SNP. What is even more concerning is the potential harm that this legislation could have been used for. This is what the Supreme Court recognised. In a stunning citation as part of their judgment they declared: Here we have the Supreme Court warning the government that it is in danger of behaving in a totalitarian manner. Why? Despite Nicola Sturgeon suggesting that the Named Person scheme is voluntary, it is not. It is a compulsory scheme. Every child in Scotland has to have a Named Person, whether they want it or not. This is not about targeting particular needs or dangers; it is about attempting to identify them by making it compulsory. A case can be made for this if it was only about preventing child abuse. But the Scottish Government has made the scheme about much more because they have made the NP responsible for 'child well-being'. This creates an open door for abuse, because it is so ill-defined. This would not be the first time that well-intentioned legislation ended up being used for harm. What if the Named Person wants to enquire about what kind of values and views the child is being brought up with? Let me give one example. In June of this year I was asked by Barnardos if my church would be willing to partner with them on the question of adoption. I was very interested in doing so and looked forward to the discussion, when I got a somewhat embarrassed phone call from their representative saying that they had been instructed from higher up in the organisation not to partner with us because we did not accept Same Sex Marriage. Imagine that. A child welfare organisation were prepared not to provide adoptions because of their ideology on same sex marriage! So much for the welfare of the children needing to be adopted. Barnardos are supporters of the Named Person scheme. The Scottish government regard supporting SSM as a basic civil right. It does not take much imagination to find parents being accused of putting the child's 'welfare' at risk because the current zeitgeist morality of the State is not being taught in the home. The journalist Kevin McKenna wrote in the Guardian of the Named Person scheme that the Scottish government was: "constructing an illiberal, big government control centre that is seeking to insinuate itself into every corner of family life in Scotland. The family unit, no matter which way you try artificially to stretch it, is the natural authority in the life of every child. The state has many, many tendrils to sense when there is danger, but it has no right to presume to act as a grim, surrogate parent for the nation's children". This is why ultimately I am thankful for the Court action taken by the charities and for the decision in their favour. It allows the Scottish government to change and amend this legislation so that the rights of parents are protected, and the welfare of children best provided for. We can only hope that they will have the humility to listen and act. CARE and the Christian Institute have done the whole society a favour by drawing attention to the dangers involved and compelling the government to think again. It is a rare bit of good news in a time of seemingly endless bad news. For that we should be thankful. And we should all continue to work for the welfare of all children, and not rely just on governments or courts. The little children are to be brought to the Christ who loves and welcomes them. That is an on-going battle. David Robertson is the moderator of the Free Church of Scotland and director of Solas CPC, Dundee. Follow him on Twitter @theweeflea. Nun who escaped Jacques Hamel murder hugged and applauded at memorial A nun who escaped after being held hostage in the attack on the church Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray church near Rouen where Fr Jacques Hamel was killed has been applauded at a memorial for the dead priest. Sister Danielle received hugs and applause from several thousand mourners at the emotional ceremony at the Gagarine park in Saint Etienne yesterday. In an earlier interview, the nun described how Adel Kermiche, 19, and his accomplice Abdel Malik P burst into the church in northern France shortly after morning mass on July 26, and took the priest, two nuns and two fellow worshippers hostage. "It was fear, especially when they entered," she said in an interview with the BBC. "When I saw them I said to myself, 'well, that's it. It's over'. They were so motivated. They told me 'you Christians, you kill us'." Sister Danielle explained how the priest had just celebrated Mass when the attackers "took his place and started preaching in Arabic". She told how the pair "forced him to kneel and told him not to move". The attackers then brutally murdered Hamel, cutting his throat. The nun managed to escape and alert the police to what was going on in the church. "Jacques loved all people regardless of religion. That is all I can say. A faithful priest, a priest who loved everybody, who loved much," she said. On Wednesday, French President Francois Hollande was among those who attended an earlier memorial Mass for Hamel at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. After the attack, local witnesses described Hamel as a humble man who shunned attention and was deeply valued by the community. A woman who works at a local beauty parlour, Eulalie Garcia, said: "My family has lived here for 35 years and we have always known him. He was someone who was treasured by the community. He was very discreet and didn't like to draw attention to himself." Father John Hogan, OCDS, a Secular Discalced Carmelite priest, said that Hamel was "a good priest...discreet. He was quiet, didn't like attention...He assumed his duties to the end. He was well-liked. It seems he was a simple, faithful priest, quietly serving God and his people." When it comes to something as important as a presidential election, most Americans dont want to vote for a candidate who will very likely lose. But pragmatic considerations have no place in the voting booth, for two reasons. First, one persons vote almost certainly wont impact a presidential election. Second, voting for someone we consider the lesser of two evils loses sight of the value of the voting process. We should, instead, vote for whomever we think is best for the office, regardless of his or her likelihood of winning. More and more voters are beginning to approach the election in this way. Well over 50 candidates ran for president in 2012, 26 of whom had ballot access in at least one state. Ninety-eight percent of the popular vote went to just two of those candidates. The third place finisher, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, finished with just 1 percent of the popular vote. This year is looking to be dramatically different. Gary Johnson and presumptive Green Party nominee Jill Stein have been receiving as high as 13 percent and 7 percent in national polls, respectively. These numbers are higher than those any third-party candidate has received in a general election since Ross Perot in 1992. These numbers are partly the result of the fact that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have the lowest favorability ratings for major United States presidential candidates ever measured. Dissatisfaction with the Republican and Democratic candidates was evident at the Republican National Convention, when, instead of endorsing Donald Trump, Ted Cruz told voters to vote your conscience. Along with Cruz, many voters are wondering if they are morally obliged to vote against both Trump and Clinton. The most common objection to independent and third-party options is rooted in pragmatic concerns: a vote for any third-party candidate is a wasted vote, or even worse, an implicit vote for the worse of the two major-party candidates. Even some voters who identify themselves with third parties are influenced by this way of thinking about elections. Wayne Allyn Root, for example, the Libertarian Partys vice-presidential nominee in 2008, said recently at FreedomFest: If you want to know whose side you should be on, theres only two candidates. Please dont try to tell me theres a third or fourth there arent. Its either Hillary or its Donald Trump. The purpose of voting is clear: to reveal the will of the people. As Americans, we should do what we can to foster an election process that brings forth the candidates who best align with the will of the people. Trump and Clintons favorability ratings show that our election system, in its current state, is horrible at doing that. This problem can be described more formally as a mismatch between voter preference and voter choice. What weve run into resembles what economists call a collective action problem. A classic example of a collective action problem occurs when competing fisheries each overfish, leading to depletion of fish populations. All the fishermen know that in an ideal world, each fisherman would take the same number of fish. But the incentive to be the one person who comes out ahead by overfishing, as well as the fear of being the one person who does not overfish, destroys the fish population and hurts everyone in the long run. Similarly, when it comes to the U.S. presidential election, we make compromises and limit our own voting options because we think voting independent or third-party will leave all the decision making power in the hands of other voters. If we vote for a candidate with low winning chances, our vote wont have any impact on the election. The problem with this reasoning is that no matter who we vote for, our vote wont impact the election, because in order to have that kind of impact, the election must be decided by just one vote. The probability of this happening is clearly negligible. This problem, then, impacts voter choice as if it were a collective action problem, but lacks the incentive structure of such a problem. In the example above, to take ones fair share of fish is to give up something significant. But by choosing to vote for a candidate with low winning chances, one does not give up any control of the election results, because none was really had in the first place. In the fishing illustration, overfishing is a collectively irrational decision but an individually rational decision, in the sense of cost-benefit analysis. But voting for a presidential candidate who isnt ones first choice is both collectively irrational and individually irrational, because theres nothing notable to be gained by doing so. For this reason, voting third-party is not overly idealistic or unrealistic; voting two-party when you prefer a third-party candidate is. After all, what assumption is more unrealistic than the idea that there is a notable chance of the presidential election being decided by only one vote? So if one vote wont make an impact, why should the average American vote at all? The United States is like a ship were all rowing if one person quits rowing, the rest of us wont feel a difference on our oars, but if many of us quit, we lose control of the direction of our ship. This makes rowing a noble act of solidarity. Voting is the primary means by which the United States remains of the people, by the people, and for the people. Not all of us need to participate to attain this end, but is doing ones part for the common good not also a worthwhile act? Im not arguing that we have a duty or moral obligation to vote. But it should not be said that there is no moral value in voting or that voting is a waste of time. Voting for a candidate we consider the lesser of two evils loses sight of this value. When one votes for a political candidate, she is also voting for the kind of electoral system she wants. If one prefers a candidate other than Clinton or Trump but buys into the idea of a two-party system and casts a vote for one of the major-party candidates, she is also, intentionally or not, voting for an electoral system with only two options. By casting a vote for a lesser of two evils, what were really doing is voting our own voice away. Were endorsing a system in which our opinion is not represented. There is only one way to waste your vote: voting for someone you dont want to be president. It is simply not true that there are only two options, or three options, or 50,000 options in November. Voting should never give our conscience a regrettable, dirty feeling. When you vote, do it proudly and vote for someone you truly believe in, whether thats Clinton, Trump, Johnson, Stein, or someone else. How much more democratic would our country be if everyone voted this way? Persecution of Christians stepped up in China with increased raids on house churches Persecution is surging in China as authorities in Xinjiang detain pastors and Christian families. Charities are receiving reports of growing numbers of raids in the northwestern Xinjiang province in particular, where house churches have been targeted and numerous Christians detained. One entire family was confined to their house, according to China Aid. In Hetian in the south of the province, several churches were raided in one day. Christians taken in for questioning were held for many hours. A pastor's wife was also taken into custody, and her husband Zhong Shuguangonly escaped arrest because he was travelling. She was released the next day. Zhong had posted a message online protesting the lack of religious freedom for Christians in Xinjiang. The pastor has previously been detained and fined for holding religious meetings. Zhong prayed for persecuted Christians "to be endowed with confidence, tenderness, eloquence and a loving heart so that they may defend their faith". According to China Aid, Christian persecution is occurring elsewhere throughout Xinjiang, such as the blacklisting of the entire family of Pastor Lou Yuanqi who were not allowed even to buy train tickets recently. Lou said: "The day before yesterday, officials called and asked our children to return. Our children do not live at home; only one daughter lives at home. The rest of our children are in Urumqi. The public security bureau called us and asked us to tell them to come home. I asked why, and they said to gather their information, take their pictures and conduct blood tests. I said they have all married and started their careers. "This is too unreasonable to do. A while ago, they even took away my ID card and returned it later." Pope in silent tribute at Auschwitz Pope Francis has paid a sombre visit to Auschwitz, praying in silence and meeting Holocaust survivors at the Nazi death camp in Poland where 1.1 million people were killed. The Pope walked beneath the gates marked with the words arbeit macht frei work sets you free before sitting alone on a bench at the extermination site in quiet contemplation. Pope Francis had said he wanted only silence and tears during the visit: "I would like to go to that place of horror without speeches, without crowds only the few people necessary. Alone, enter, pray. And may the Lord give me the grace to cry." At Block 11, the Pope met a group of former prisoners and some of those hailed as "righteous among nations" for risking their lives to save Jews. One passed him a lit candle, which the Pope carried to the "wall of death" at the end of the block's yard, where several thousand were shot dead. At the cell of Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest who volunteered to take the place of a prisoner selected for death, Pope Francis spent several minutes alone. Kolbe was killed on 14 August 1941 and was later canonised by Pope John Paul II. This papal visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day Kolbe was condemned to death. After signing a visitors' book, Francis went to the adjacent camp at Birkenau, while Psalm 130 "Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord" was recited by a rabbi in Hebrew. The vast majority of those who were killed Aushwitz-Birkenau were Jewish, but thousands of Polish Catholics, Roma and Soviet prisoners of war also lost their lives. The Polish president, Andrzej Duda, and prime minister, Beata Szydo accompanied the Pope along with Father Stanislaw Ruszala, the parish priest of Markowa, where in 1942 the parishioners Josef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children were shot dead for sheltering eight Jews. The visit by Pope Francis to Auschwitz follows that of John Paul II in 1979, and of Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. Sky News 'I could have killed them all' church report goes viral A report by Sky News on the risks to English country churches in the wake of the murder of Father Jacques Hamel in France has gone viral after the reporter stated: "I could have killed them all." Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt went to pretty 19th century St James' parish church in Weybridge to investigate whether any increased security was visible. He reported: "The morning service began about 20 minutes ago." With apparent astonishment, he continues, "There are no obvious signs of any security. In fact, this sign at the church door says: Everybody is welcome." The gravitas goes on: "There are about a dozen worshippers in there. "One priest." Solemnly, he delivers his damning verdict: "If I was a terrorist, I could have killed them all." The crime rate in Weybridge was 5.78 per cent for May 2016, with just 126 reports, one of the lowest in the county. Influential political Order-Order blogger Guido Fawkes published a YouTube a spoof based on the Sky footage: Twitter picked up the spoof, and soon the hashtag #icouldhavekilledthemall was trending: Sky News engaging in some cutting edge dark satire - & that's the positive way of looking at it...#ICouldHaveKilledThemAll David Hamblin (@UnionisedDavid) July 29, 2016 Awoken by the dawn chorus. If I was a cat #icouldhavekilledthemall. Then I'd sit and watch @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/TaGdcBk87g Gareth B Jenkins (@Garethbjenkins) July 29, 2016 I went for a walk today. No signs of any security. I saw about half a dozen dog walkers. If I was a terrorist #ICouldHaveKilledThemAll. Jason Kalapothakis (@UnmarredGlory) July 29, 2016 Loads of squirrels in my backyard this evening. Calmly eating nuts. If I was a terrier #ICouldHaveKilledThemAll Law Turley (@treacle_a) July 28, 2016 Just walked into HMV. Bought a Smiths CD. There were around a dozen shoppers in there... #ICouldHaveKilledThemAll pic.twitter.com/zlW9fuUFsX Christian R. Allan (@ChristianRAllan) July 28, 2016 @SkyNewsBreak Just been to Tesco... must have been at least 70 people buying groceries... #Icouldhavekilledthemall Allister Manson (@AlliManson) July 28, 2016 Rev Theresa Ricketts, assistant curate, at St James, told Christian Today: "We did find it a slightly strange way to present the story, but we're not planning on stopping welcoming everyone to our church any time soon, and were glad the reporter was able to join us, albeit briefly!" Christian Today has reached out to Sky News for comment. South Sudan: Hundreds of young Christians forced to flee gun battle Hundreds of young people taking part in an Anglican youth festival in South Sudan were forced to flee after a gun battle erupted. The three-day outreach festival in the Anglican Diocese of Juba attracted up to 1,000 young people, according to Anglican News. The Juba diocesan secretary, Rev Jackson Aripa, was closing the festival when he was interrupted by gunshots. The congregation fled as bullets flew above them. There were no casualties, but three young people were badly injured as they sought refuge in a small church hall. The gun battle continued until late into the night, forcing them to remain in the church until morning. They later spoke of having to lie flat while government and rebel soldiers shot at each other. Juba Diocese youth coordinator David Luate later encouraged the young people to persevere in organising such meetings and advised them to remain strong in their faith. He appealed for Christians to pray for South Sudan. The incident is the latest in a series of clashes between the government and rebel forces resulting from rivalry between President Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar. Hundreds have died in the latest outbreaks and aid agencies are warning of a spiralling humanitarian crisis. A statement from 10 aid agencies including Christian Aid said: "Violence and insecurity continue in Juba and are spreading to other states despite a fragile ceasefire in a country where half the population relies on humanitarian aid." Even before the latest fighting, the agencies said, 4.8 million people did not have enough to eat and 2.5 million people had fled their homes. 'They say we are infidels': How the Church in the Middle East endures amid intense persecution "Everywhere militants were blowing up Christians... the message to these 'infidels': You don't belong in Iraq. Leave, pay the penalty to stay, or be ready to die." Journalist and editor of WORLD magazine, Mindy Belz, has reported on the ground in the Middle East for more than a decade. Having travelled extensively in and around Iraq since before the beginning of the Iraq invasion of 2003, she's had an insider's view of the way that the war has affected civilians, in particular Christians. The ultimatum above features on page one of her new book, They Say We Are Infidels (Lion Hudson, 12.99). It refers to war-torn Iraq in 2006 long before the catastrophic rise of Islamic State and reveals the heartbreaking decision faced by Christians all over Iraq and Syria. A believer herself, Belz has compiled the harrowing, and often inspiring, accounts of the Christians she's met throughout the region while covering the war and its aftermath. People like Insaf Safou, an Iraqi Christian wife and mother who travelled throughout the country with packets of donated money to give to families in desperate need. Odisho Yousif, who was shot and kidnapped by Islamist militants in 2006 while trying to deliver aid. And Fr Najeeb Michaeel, who packed up and transported hundreds of ancient, priceless documents from his church in Mosul which was later overtaken by ISIS militants, and is now working to preserve church history by digitising them. Belz says she "stumbled upon" the persecuted Christians of Iraq and was drawn in by their resilience. "It's embarrassing to admit because I am a Christian and should have been more aware of the ancient roots that our religion has there, and yet I wasn't," she tells Christian Today. "I began a whole long journey that I didn't expect; it was a door opening onto a community that I think most of us in the West have little appreciation and understanding of." Christians have long been persecuted in the Middle East. Though the world woke up to the plight of religious minorities in 2014 with the overrunning of Mosul, they had suffered for years under brutal regimes and extremist groups. "We didn't fully pay attention... until ISIS came in in 2014 and started beheading people, hanging Christians on crosses, taking women as slaves and doing all of these unspeakable, atrocious things," Belz said. "[This is the] kind of persecution that Christians have been facing all along. They haven't had a seat at the table, their voices haven't been heard." Belz has kept travelling to the region because she was amazed by not only the resilience, but the good humour of the Iraqi Christians she met. "I was just amazed by how much they were suffering, and how much they continued to endure it. How they kept starting schools, kept on holding worship, and starting new churches," she says. "Their families were bombed, they had to leave [their homes], but they started a new church, started a new business, [connected] with others who had been through similar misery and maintained their faith in the midst of all that." The persecuted, and persevering, Church They Say We Are Infidels sheds light on how the ongoing political crisis in the Middle East has intensified persecution for some of its most vulnerable groups. Belz offers an overview of the complexities of war-torn Iraq and Syria, but gives it a human face. Despite the suffering she's witnessed, however, she is insistent that Iraqi Christians aren't simply to be given our sympathy. "So often when we talk about the 'persecuted Church' in the West, we think of something far away, something exotic, and we give it our pity," she explains. "I think of the persecuted Church more as a persevering Church certainly something that needs our help, but also something that needs respect. People who have endured, and who we can learn from. There is so much in the West we can learn from what they have been through and how they have continued to 'try to make water in the desert'." She's adamant that she's "learned so much" from spending time with people who have given up everything for their faith in Christ. "I've learned both about the human experience, and as a Christian what it means to turn the other cheek, really, truly to do that, and to continue to trust in Jesus Christ when life is not rewarding you. "They truly are considered infidels," Belz continues. Though ISIS laid out the extremist position on other faiths in 2014, she traces the brutal harassment as far back as 2003, when "Christians showed me these letters that were put under their doors threatening them, accusing them of being infidels, and telling them if they didn't convert or leave they would be killed. They promised their heads would be chopped off, and their children's too, it was very graphic." During her travels, Belz has met many Christians who are determined to stay in Iraq and Syria to make sure the faith remains rooted in its birthplace. But she's worried for the future. "I have concerns... that the vibrancy of the Christian community will diminish to the point that it will lose its place in the [wider] community. Sadly, we can already see this happening to a great degree," she said. Before the Iraq war, there were more than one million Christians living in the country. Now there are believed to be fewer than 150,000. "The demise of Christianity, you could argue, has already happened," she says. She recalls a senior Church leader in Aleppo telling her that the Christian community needs to maintain its presence in the Middle East, "not only because it's the birthplace [of Christianity] but because there are others who need us. Muslims need us, our witness, our testimony, our coming along side and being the 'other''.' "And that's a really hard word," Belz says. "Because being the 'other' in that part of the world can get you killed." Christians have fractured over whether to stay or leave, and yet Belz says she's seen the Church unite in ways that seemed impossible before the persecution began. Tensions between the older Catholic, Orthodox and Chaldean Churches and the newer evangelical churches have "melted away" and churches are offering help indiscriminately to those who need it whether they're Christians, Muslims or Yazidis, a minority religion considered devil worship by ISIS. "This is unique," Belz says. "Churches are not simply serving Christians, which takes a lot of courage on both sides. It takes a lot for a Muslim family to show up on the church doorstep and ask for help. This is one of the things God has been doing through this situation." She believes the Church has risen to the challenge of serving the midst of a terrible situation, whether by providing food and shelter for the poor and displaced, opening medical clinics or serving at homes for the disabled. "It's very hard to keep [the Church] down," she says. Tim LaHaye and the end times: What should we believe about the end of the world? I knocked on the door which was ajar. My friend was not at home and yet a pan was boiling on the hob, the radio was on, and the house gave every appearance of being occupied. The lines from Larry Norman's I wish we'd all been ready 'the Son has come and you've been left behind', went through my head. I had not been a Christian long but already the very popular apocalyptic Left Behind genre was part of my life. I even gave a lecture, at the request of my history teacher, on the end of the world based entirely upon Hal Lindsey's The Late Great Planet Earth. All of this came back to mind this week when I heard of the death of Tim La Haye, aged 90. LaHaye, along with Jerry B Jenkins, authored the Left Behind series of books which have sold more than 65 million copies and been made into a successful film series. The 'rapture' theology is important, not just because of the impact it has upon Christians, but because of the potential impact it has upon the rest of the world. It directly impacts politics and key world questions such as the Middle East and Israel. It also taps into a very popular film and book genre the apocalyptic, 'it's the end of the world as we know it', scenarios. It appears that everyone loves disaster movies. But is the Bible the ultimate disaster movie? Does the Book of Revelation provide a blueprint for the end times? Next month I hope to begin a new series for Christian Today on Revelation for Today, but meanwhile let's consider what the Bible has to say about the end of the world. In particular let's deal with the challenge that there are Christians who have a kind of armageddon, apocalyptic theology. Armageddon is a reference to the belief (based on Revelation 16:16) that some Christians have about the last great battle on earth. I am always wary about beliefs based on one particular verse, even more so when it comes in a difficult to grasp book like Revelation. The Bible teaches that just as Christ ascended into heaven so he will return not this time as a baby in a manager but as the King to judge the whole earth. Revelation chapter 20 speaks of the Millennium, the 1,000-year reign of Christ. There are three basic understandings of that (along with numerous variations); Post, Pre and A-Millennialism. Post millenialists believe that the Gospel age began with Pentecost and will end when Christ returns, but before he does there will be a great period (not necessarily a literal 1,000 years) in which there will be Gospel prosperity, the Jews will be converted and many come into the Kingdom. A-millienialists believe that the millennium began with Pentecost and that there will be no special end time blessing. Pre-millenialists believe that Christ will return, and then establish his 1,000-year reign. It is from this latter group that we get a lot of millennial thinking in the Christian church associated with strong support for the nation state of Israel (the emergence of Israel in 1948 and the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 is seen as a fulfillment of prophecy). The emergence of the Christian Brethren founded by JN Darby towards the end of the 19th Century, and the Scofield Reference Bible had an enormous impact, especially in the US. End times theology remains incredibly influential (and lucrative). I grew up in that tradition and can testify that the imagery of the Rapture (when Christ returns and takes Christians up to heaven, leaving the rest of the world to get on with it) is very powerful. However I have since come to see that dispensational pre-millennialism is a 19th century creation and is only one particular interpretation of the Bible that is by no means clear on this. The literal and physical are not the same as the literal and figurative. Whatever one's view of the millennium (and personally I think as a Christian you could hold any one of the three the one thing we can all agree on is that Christ is returning as both judge and saviour), it is surely not right to read the USA and the UK into the Bible, when they are not there. However this field does allow for all kinds of weird and wonderful speculations and all manner of eccentricities. At best they are harmless, at worst they can fuel fantasies which could do a great deal of harm. The doctor who told me that the British are the lost tribe of Israel (a rather bizarre heresy known as British Israelitism) is not quite on a par with those who think that Armageddon is coming, so it won't do any harm to speed it up. Poor theology in the hands of twisted minds is always a dangerous combination. Poor theology in the hands of twisted minds is always a dangerous combination As Philip Jensen states "Christianity is a big story religion". There are multiple facets to the cosmic story that it seeks to tell. Sometimes people get bogged down in the details. Sometimes they get things out of proportion. But what is obvious is that there is a clear Christian view of history. It is not directly linear, as some people believe; ie that the world is steadily getting better or steadily getting worse. The Christian view is that the world is moving from the first coming of Christ, to the second, but that it does so as history is moving in circular patterns towards that deliberate end. I will leave it to Justin Martyr, the early Church apologist, to summarise Christian teaching about the end of the world. "He shall come from heaven with glory, accompanied by his angelic host, when also He shall raise the bodies of all men who have lived, and shall clothe those of the worthy with immortality, and shall send those of the wicked, endued with eternal sensibility, into everlasting fire with the wicked devils." (First Apology p180). Sensible thinking modern Western people of course regard all such talk of the end of the world as medieval, fanatical and depressing. And yet their alternative is, if anything, more apocalyptic. The world will be destroyed by nuclear weapons, climate change, a comet or a virus. Ultimately of course nothing matters because the universe is going to either explode or implode...and there is nothing we can do about it. It's such a hopeless position. Bertrand Russell spoke of his 'unyielding despair' when he contemplated the inevitable death of the universe. "No fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought or feeling, can preserve a life beyond the grave...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system; and the whole temple of man's achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins." The Christian has a far greater hope. We believe that this universe is indeed time limited and bound for destruction. But we also believe that the heavens and earth will be renewed. Rather than a universe in ruins, we see a renewed universe. Meanwhile as Romans 8 tells us "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." David Robertson is the moderator of the Free Church of Scotland and director of Solas CPC, Dundee. Follow him on Twitter @theweeflea. Top journalist announces he is converting to Christianity A leading journalist has announced on Twitter that he is becoming a Christian. Sohrab Ahmari, editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal, announced on Twitter that he is converting to Catholicism. A tweet referring to the death of Fr Jacques Hamel, murdered by two Islamlists in his church near Rouen, read: He subsequently deleted this and pinned to the top of his profile: To new followers: I deleted my tweet professing my conversion, to avoid drawing Internet-crazies' attention to my church. Otherwise, Welcome Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) July 27, 2016 According to ChurchPop, Ahmari was born in Iran and moved to the US when he was 13. He studied law in Boston and began working as a journalist after the 2009 election in Iran and the subsequent protests. Police are investigating a fatal shooting in northwest Houston. The shooting happened shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday during what authorities appeared to be a robbery at a business in the 7300 block of N. Breen, officials said. The person who was shot was taken by ambulance to the Texas Medical Center where he later died, authorities said. His identity has not been released. Houston police are searching for at least one gunman but did not have a detailed description. Further information was not immediately available. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Michael Palumbo Smoothie King is developing 15 new stores in the Houston area that will soon add to its large presence here, says Steve Shields, franchise development manager for Smoothie King. The chain entered Houston more than 20 years ago and is home to half of the chain's roughly 130 Texas locations. "It's one of our better markets and we have some great franchisees," Shields said. As we approach what would be Milton Friedmans 104th birthday this Sunday, July 31st, we should note the enduring significance of his evaluation of the connection between economic and political freedom. In his popular work, Capitalism and Freedom, in a chapter titled The Relation between Economic Freedom and Political Freedom, Friedman explains how a society cannot have the latter without the former. Friedman criticizes the notion that politics and economics can be regarded separately and that any combination of political and economic system is possible. He calls the view a delusion, holding that there is an intimate connection between economics and politics. Though Friedman concedes the possibility of an economically free and politically repressed society, the opposite, he claims, is impossible. Political freedom, both historically and logically, is inseparable from economic freedom. In a cogent but comprehensive analysis, Friedman explains that economic freedom is a crucial element of individual freedom in its own right, but is also crucial for supporting political freedom: Political freedom means the absence of coercion of a man by his fellow men. The fundamental threat to freedom is power to coerce, be it in the hands of a monarch, a dictator, an oligarchy, or a momentary majorityBy removing the organization of economic activity from the control of political authority, the market eliminates this source of coercive power. It enables economic strength to be a check to political power rather than a reinforcement. He further outlines the issues with government control of resources, especially of media, which allows for suppression of unpopular speech. Without simplifying the issue, Friedman exposes the realities inherent in allowing for political control in the economic sphere, from difficulty funding and expressing unpopular speech to direct government discrimination against political dissenters freedom of speech or even livelihoods. Preserving real political freedom in a system that gives economic power to the government is, Friedman concludes, virtually impossible. These principles are no less true today, and, while the United States is relatively economically free, threats to both economic and political freedom are growing. The 2016 Index of Economic Freedom evaluated the United States thus: The United States remains mired in the ranks of the mostly free, the second-tier economic freedom status into which it dropped in 2010. Americas historically vibrant entrepreneurial growth is significantly hampered by intrusive, expensive, and often ineffective government policies in areas ranging from health care to energy to education. Government favoritism toward entrenched interests has hurt innovation and contributed to a lackluster recovery and stagnant income growth. These concerns over political coercion have already become a reality in the growing bureaucracy. Similar concerns about religious freedom have cropped up in the wake of the passage of the Affordable Care Act and other state healthcare programs. Friedman asserts that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. If the trend toward larger government control of economic activity continues, where will it leave political freedom in the United States? The Soviet Union officially fell on Dec. 25, 1991, but before its collapse, the country was highly focused on science and technology discoveries. Now, nearly 25 years later, some of the Soviet Union's sites that were of great importance to technological progress have become abandoned, places frozen in time that have lost their significance. In most cases, a director gets only one shot at telling a particular story. In very rare instances, they get a do-over, as Hitchcock did with "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and, more to the point, what Frank Capra did with a Damon Runyon story called "Madame La Gimp." Capra, who made "Lady for a Day" in 1934 and "Pocketful of Miracles" almost three decades later, comes to mind because Sian Heder should take another whack at "Tallulah," a rather glorious mess of the brilliant and the banal, starring indie darling Ellen Page. The film became available for streaming on Netflix Friday. Tallulah (Page) is an untethered wild child, living in a van, seemingly totally at ease with her lifestyle, but finding that being free takes a lot of work. One day, she's cruising the halls of the Warwick Hotel in New York, foraging for uneaten food from trays left out for room service, when she's mistaken for a hotel employee by a blowsy blonde named Carolyn (Tammy Blanchard), who leaves Tallulah to care for Carolyn's toddler daughter while she goes partying with a gentleman caller. More Information 'Tallulah' Available for streaming on Netflix xxx See More Collapse Apparently on instinct, Lu, as she prefers to be called, kidnaps the baby and, having nowhere to go, knocks on the door of her sometime boyfriend's mother, Margo (Allison Janney), introduces herself and says the baby is Margo's granddaughter. From there, "Tallulah" explores the characters of its primary female characters. Having been abandoned herself, Lu is wary of settling down or trusting anyone. She's willing to travel around with Margo's son Nico (Evan Jonigkeit), but it has to be on her terms. And at the moment, Nico seems to have gone out for a pack of smokes and failed to return. She tries valiantly to shrug at Nico's disappearance, but we can see it's eating at her. Similarly, she's torn between knowing the baby isn't getting the best of care from Carolyn and not wanting to be burdened with the child herself. Margo is living on eggshells. She has to pretend her estranged husband (John Benjamin Hickey) is still living with her because the apartment is faculty housing, and he's the professor in the family. Symbolically, she hasn't disturbed the interior at all. His "fancy paintings" are still on the wall, despite the fact that she hates them. She is living her life in suspended animation, wallowing in resentment over her husband's departure, angry beyond words that he's left her for a man (Zachary Quinto). Carolyn was always told how lucky she was that Russell (Fredric Lehne) married her. She coos and gurgles over her baby, but while her husband is in London, the bored Beverly Hills housewife has escaped to the city for a little fun. She is afraid to admit she resents the baby, but is it resentment she feels, or fear and insecurity that she's not up to motherhood? These are the ideas that propel the story in "Tallulah." They are fighting an uphill battle, though, against a cloying, melodramatic script that is so overloaded with coincidence and irony, Runyon himself would have called for a rewrite. Cliche piles on top of cliche to make a nearly two-hour film feel twice as long, simply because we see so many things coming that we feel as though we're watching each section twice. In addition to the ideas Heder rightly wants to explore about women being trapped by societal expectations, the other reason I hope she has a chance to remake the film are the performances - each one powerful, deeply thought, exquisitely nuanced. In fact, Janney, Page, Blanchard and, as a children's protective services agent, Uzo Aduba are so convincing that they almost elevate the film from bloated melodrama. Heder's purpose here is clearly worth exploring, and somewhere in all of this, there is a very powerful film. But moralizing can lead a director down the path of melodrama, and that's what keeps "Tallulah" from reaching its potential. Passion and sentiment cannot breathe within a melodramatic structure. The key in this case that less could have been a great deal more. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With a cabbage roll, Houston chef Kevin Naderi rolled over Food Network superstar Bobby Flay to win the July 28 episode of "Beat Bobby Flay." Naderi hosted a viewing party at 8th Wonder Brewery on Thursday night where friends and fans got to watch him conquer the rarely beatable Flay in the head-to-head cooking challenge that was all about who could make the best stuffed cabbage roll. The episode, titled "Stop, Drop and Roll," found the chef-owner of Roost restaurant challenging Flay to see who could make a better version of the comfort dish. But before Naderi could get to Flay he had to take down a competing chef in the first round. Naderi bested chef Mark Vecchitto of Connecticut in a show-down using cannellini beans. He then got to take on one of food television's most formidable chefs. Naderi, composed and unflappable during the entire event, prepared lamb- and pistachio-stuffed cabbage rolls that were cooked sous vide and set over a tomatoes and feta. Flay went with a more traditional approached to the classic Polish dish using beef, saffron rice and currants as his filling and topping the rolls with a fiery tomato sauce and crumbled feta. In the end the judges agreed Naderi's rolls easily beat Bobby Flay's. After a long day of shooting (about 12 hours), Naderi said this of Flay: "There was a lot of banter while we were cooking which was fun. He's a stand-up guy and I respect him a lot. I would take him on anytime." Houston chefs have done very well on Food Network competitions lately. In June chef Erin Smith of Camerata won "Chopped." In March Shannen Tune of Craft Burger Food Truck also won on "Chopped," as did Justin Turner of Bernie's Burger Bus. Police have identified a security guard who died in a shootout with an armed suspect Thursday afternoon at a game room in northwest Houston. The shooting happened about 3 p.m. at 7303 Breen near North Houston Rosslyn, according to the Houston Police Department. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GALVESTON A federal discrimination complaint alleging former Galveston Police Chief Henry Porretto sought sexual favors from an employee sheds light on his abrupt resignation last fall. The complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges that Porretto, who is married, promised a promotion to a female officer in return for sexual favors over two years. Porretto denied her promotions and removed her from positions of responsibility after she began rebuffing his requests for sex, according to the complaint. The woman, whose name is being withheld because she is an alleged victim of sexual harassment, accuses Porretto of pressuring her into a sexual relationship, said her attorney, Scott Armstrong. RELATED: Galveston picks new police chief The complaint, filed in February, was revealed recently after the city council discussed it in closed session. A phone message left for Porretto, who is now interim police chief for Mathis, was not immediately returned Thursday. He declined to respond to requests for comment last year on the events leading to his suspension and resignation. Armstrong said he is awaiting permission from the EEOC to sue the city, but is open to a settlement. His client wants the city to acknowledge that she is blameless as part of any settlement, he said. Porretto was suspended more than 10 months ago, but the city manager's office would only say then that he had been accused of violating the 1964 Civil Rights Act. A Houston law firm was hired to investigate the complaints against Porretto, but the investigation ended after he resigned Sept. 23 to take an earlier-than-planned retirement. City Manager Brian Maxwell confirmed Thursday that the allegations referred to in the complaint contributed to Porretto's suspension. The relationship between Porretto and the female officer began at a police charity event in December 2013, Armstrong said in an interview, but had ended by the time Porretto was suspended. BACKGROUND: Galveston police chief Porretto resigns, ending probe "Essentially he is calling her to his office on a regular basis and once she's up there he is making requests for sexual favors and promising promotions and making racist comments as well," Armstrong said of Porretto, who served 25 years in the department and became chief in 2012. He said the alleged sexual acts occurred on the job. "I don't know if it was fondling or full sexual contact," the attorney said. The officer felt pressured into the relationship, Armstrong added. "She felt that this was now going to be required of her to maintain standing in the police department," he said. "Once she said, 'I'm not doing this,' he began taking things away from her at work," Armstrong alleged. A sergeant who worked on the street supervising other officers, the woman said she was assigned to desk duties and removed from the police honor guard, Armstrong alleged. Sammy Ford IV, an attorney who initially handled the woman's case but passed it on to Armstrong before leaving the law firm, said in an interview soon after Porretto's resignation that his client was afraid of Porretto and initially made no attempt to report his alleged conduct. She might not have lodged a complaint if her supervisor hadn't noticed that she seemed depressed and inquired about the reasons why, Ford said. She confided in her supervisor, who set up a meeting with the city manager without telling her, Ford said. "She came in off patrol and the supervisor said, 'Get in the car,' and the supervisor drove to the city manager's office," Ford said. Armstrong said his client is still employed as a police officer but has been shunned by some other officers since she made an oral complaint to the city manager. Under Porretto, well-liked by most on the council during his tenure, the chief pushed for community policing as complaints against officers dropped. CONTROVERSY: Galveston officials defend silence on probe of ex-chief "I take great pride in leaving this department with an enhanced and valued open relationship with all segments of this great community," Porretto wrote in his letter of resignation. Porretto nearly lost his job once before. In 2004 he was accused of firing at a suspect fleeing in an automobile who posed no threat, of trying to persuade another officer to turn off a dashboard video camera recording the incident, and of hiding the spent shell casing in his shirt pocket while other officers searched for it, according to city documents. He was fired but reinstated after he appealed. In 2009, then-Police Chief Charles Wiley demoted Porretto, who was operations bureau chief, from captain to lieutenant. The demotion followed the highly publicized storming of a wedding party by at least 30 police officers in October 2008 at the San Luis Hotel outdoor bar. Guests accused officers of indiscriminately beating and firing stun guns at guests while needlessly screaming profanities. Among the guests was then-Astros pitcher Brandon Backe. Porretto's demotion came a week after Wiley disciplined 13 officers for failing to properly document events during the fracas. Backe and other wedding guests sued the police department and the case went to trial in Houston federal court last year while Porretto was chief. Although Porretto was not one of the 10 officers being sued, he appeared in court every day to show support for them. A jury awarded the plaintiffs $48,900 in damages. Maxwell said last year that "it takes a great deal of courage for an employee to come forward" with a civil-rights complaint and that he wanted to ensure any complainant had "all the protections the city can offer." Maxwell said the administration was protecting the employees and the city's liability. "We handled it swiftly, and we handled it right according to the rules," he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A former Katy Independent School District teacher was charged this week with having an improper relationship last year with a then-student, authorities said Friday. Katy ISD police arrested 42-year-old Robert Milton, who had been a teacher at Katy High School, according to court documents filed Thursday in Harris County. He was released on a $30,000 bond. READ MORE: Former teacher of the year accused of sexually abusing student The Harris County District Attorney's Office notified KISD of the charges against Milton on Thursday, district officials said. The school district placed Milton on administrative leave after becoming aware of an investigation into the teacher. He resigned shortly after being placed on administrative leave, KISD said. Milton did not return phone calls for comment Friday evening, and court records do not yet list a defense attorney. READ MORE: Aldine ISD teacher accused of sex with student back in court Milton's allegedly inappropriate relationship with the female student began through the social-networking app Instagram and shortly before she graduated in June 2015, according to a probable cause statement by a KISD peace officer. Milton, who was the student's art teacher, met with her outside of school on April 19, 2015 to take senior photos, the statement said. READ MORE: Former Milby High School teacher accused of having sex with student During the photo shoot, Milton and the student went inside a car when it began raining, and she and Milton engaged in sexual touching but stopped once the girl began feeling uncomfortable, the statement alleged. The relationship then escalated, with Milton and the teenager engaging in sexual intercourse both before and after she graduated, authorities allege. READ MORE: Students, teachers and social media get a second look in light of recent scandals A police officer once caught them engaging in sexual intercourse inside of a car in Brookshire, but the officer let Milton and the student go when she explained that she was of legal age and was consenting to the act, the statement said. The legal age of consent is 17. The former student and her parent recently approached Katy High School's principal, Rick Hull, to explain that she had been in a relationship with Milton prior to her graduation, the statement said. Texas law prohibits improper relationships between teachers and students. Milton is due back in court on Monday, according to information from the Harris County Sheriff's Office. If convicted, the second-degree felony charge could carry a prison sentence of two to 20 years and a fine up to $10,000. Andrew Kragie contributed to this report. In a new article written in the Wall Street Journal, President and Co-Founder of the Acton Institute, Fr. Robert Sirico, comments on the integrity of Catholic politicians. While respecting the traditions and doctrines of the Catholic Church, Sirico says, communicant members should not compromise or adjust points of faith depending on institutional contexts. Key doctrinal and moral rules apply to all Catholics in all contextsin business, at home, or in elective office. One cannot personally oppose something while making a living advocating it. An example of doctrinal compromise can be seen by comparing the differing Catholic paths chosen by Gov. Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Kaine. While both Pence and Kaine possess deep Catholic and Democratic roots their opinions on policy have not aligned with their beliefs. Because the Catholic Church supports specific policies in conjunction with crucial doctrinal issues, Sirico points out that a Catholics political views must be consistent with the faith. Catholic politicians should advocate policies that help the needy and care for the planet, but the church leaves it up to policy makers to debate the best way of achieving those goals. Sirico admits that although he is dejected to see Pence make a decision to leave the Catholic Church, at least it displays his honesty. Read the article here. This week, the Catholic Church celebrates World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. Fittingly, Pope St. John Paul II was chosen as one of the patron saints of the week, both as a figure who fits into the theme of the Year of Mercy and as a beloved Polish Saint who once served as the Archbishop of Krakow. John Paul II has a central place not only in the history and tradition of the Catholic Church, but also in world history as one of the driving forces behind the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent fall of several totalitarian regimes around the globe. He was a voice for truth at a time when many people, including Christians, had resigned themselves to the idea that the Cold War tension and oppressive regimes were too formidable an obstacle for the world to overcome. In an article for First Things, George Weigel wrote of his enduring hope and courage of conviction: [H]e refused to accommodate to the tyranny of the possible: the idea that some things just cant be put right; that were stuck with the way things are, however much we may dislike them He refused to believe that the false ideas of the human person and human history embodied in communism could divide Europe indefinitely; and by igniting a revolution of conscience behind the iron curtain, the man the last president of the Soviet Union called the worlds greatest moral authority became an agent of liberation for his Slavic brethren and the precursor of new possibilities in international affairs. Pope St. John Paul II is remembered for constantly repeating do not be afraid. In his inaugural homily as the newly elected Pope in St. Peters Square, he spoke to the world: Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christs power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind. Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows what is in man. He alone knows it. At a time when there was much to fear, when millions in his home country and around the world struggled under the heavy injustice of despotism, he reminded us to continuously find strength and guidance in faith and truth. He refused to accept the world as it was or to participate in the rhetoric of the inevitable decline of the free world and the Church. His commitment to truth in the face of tremendous fear and uncertainty was unwavering. Today, the Iron Curtain has fallen and the fear of a nuclear apocalypse is not so pressing in the minds of everyday citizens, but new challenges have emerged: terrorism, instability in the Middle East, growing movements toward socialism, institutionalized degradation of life, and a decline in church membership in the West. Some Christians despair and have ceded all hope for an improved future. In these trying times, we must remember the conviction and courage of Pope St. John Paul II in the unrelenting battle against evil, and we must continue to take his humble, but powerful, advice to heart: Do not be afraid. A New York Times Round-Up Omits Anti-Israel Terror | Main | Anti-Israel Human Rights Watch Accidentally Admits: Israel Does Not Occupy Gaza On New Years' Day, Israeli Arab Nashat Milhem opened fire in a Tel Aviv bar, killing Alon Bakal and Shimon Ruimi and injuring at least three others. During his flight from the killing scene, Milhem killed taxi driver Amin Shaaban, his third murder victim. Here's how The Los Angeles Times whitewashed that deadly attack this week: "After an Arab citizen attacked a Tel Aviv bar in January. . . " The assailant did not merely attack a Tel Aviv bar. He murdered three people, so why the obfuscation? Posted by TS at July 29, 2016 11:25 AM Time to add this piece to your Joshua Mitnick link under the Journalists link (left side of main page) Posted by: wsg at July 29, 2016 03:27 PM Did he (Nashat Milhem) "attack a bar" or kill 3 Isrealis. Can't you report the news as it happens? What business are you in to? Posted by: Eugene Wolkow at August 4, 2016 10:33 AM SO long as there is anti-semitism, there will be facts obscured, Israelis made the demons, even when they are defending themselves, and increased hatred learned from parents. SO long as this hatred continues, peace will be a dream! Posted by: ellen sue jacobson at August 14, 2016 03:44 PM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment Planned Parenthood officials in Utah have backed down from plans to use a registered Mormon trademark to promote free condoms. Religion News Service reported this week that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, took exception to plans to emblazon pink and white condom packs with the acronym "CTR." A Texas police officer who saved a little girl last year sat down for tea with her to mark the first anniversary of the event. Rowlett Corporal Patrick Ray met with 2-year-old Bexley Norvelle on July 17 for a tea-party themed photo shoot. Ray came to Bexley's rescue last year when she was choking on a small coin, according to CBSDFW. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Dallas meteorologist resigned Friday, one day after he made a racially charged comment on Facebook. Paul Mann, news and program director at the KRLD 1080, confirmed to mySA.com Friday afternoon that chief meteorologist Bob Goosmann resigned, however, he could not "say anything more than that," including the reason for his resignation. RELATED: Texas Roadhouse employee fired after tweeting she would 'kill as many Mexicans' as possible Goosmann's status read: "As many of you have probably noticed, I've stayed away from politics on FB. The DNC parading the mothers of slain thugs around on their stage has me furious." Twitter user Torraine Walker tweeted a screenshot of Goosmann's Facebook page Thursday, prompting a firestorm of angry internet users. A group of women who have lost children to gun violence or after contact with police took the stage to applause and chants of "Black Lives Matter" on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention. Known as the Mothers of the Movement, the group includes Sybrina Fulton, whose 17-year-old son Trayvon Martin was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012. Walker tweeted at the radio station asking if Goosmann was an employee there. RELATED: FOX Sports reporter Emily Austen 'was trying to be funny,' issues apology for racist remarks KRLD did not respond to Walker. A cached version of the station's staff page shows Goosmann covered weather for them. Goosmann no longer appears on the page as of Friday morning. According to his LinkedIn account, Goosmann has been the chief meteorologist at KRLD Radio for three years and 10 months. RELATED: USAA selects new ad agency after racist email Goosmann, whose radio Twitter account is no longer active, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 AUSTIN The Texas Education Agency wants to dig into records of Harmony Public Schools following complaints the state's largest charter school operator has funneled contracts to Turkish-owned vendors who have ties to the organization's leadership. The state agency also wants to explore whether the 31,000-student charter school system has misused federal and state funds after Harmony allegedly guaranteed a $1.9 million bond debt of a Turkish charter school network in Arkansas. Officials with the Houston-based charter operator contend the allegations are baseless and are part of a political move by the Turkish government to discredit the school system. "I've never seen anything like this" said attorney Robert Schulman, who represents Harmony Public Schools. "Registered foreign agents are using the TEA's complaint mechanisms to malign the largest charter school system in the state of Texas and the largest and one of the most successful STEM schools in the nation." Explore Harmony charter schools in Texas A group hired by the Republic of Turkey to probe operations of Texas' largest charter school network is urging the state to investigate its claims of employment discrimination, self-dealing and misuse of public funds at Harmony Public Schools.Below, see where Harmony schools are located in Texas. The TEA probe into the inner workings of Harmony stems from a complaint filed by agents of the Republic of Turkey who argue the charter school network has ties to Fethullah Gulen, an expatriate Muslim cleric living in Pennsylvania who the Turkish government believes masterminded the recent failed coup to take over that country. Turkish leaders have asked the United States to turn over Gulen. The 38-page complaint was filed in May by Amsterdam & Partners LLP, a law firm hired by the Republic of Turkey at a cost of at least $50,000 a month to investigate the school system. The complaint, which was amended this month to include accusations about how the school system issues bonds, accused Harmony of an illegal hiring scheme, which the state is not investigating at this time. The complaint also accuses the school of supporting Gulen and using state and federal dollars to support what is referred to as the "Gulen movement" seeking social change in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly has accused Gulen of trying to overthrow the Turkish government. TEA officials asked the school system for copies of documents pertaining to contracts, bonds, purchasing agreements, vendors and a list of employees involved in purchasing from July of 2014 to July of 2016. Harmony has until Aug. 11 to respond. The department will use the information to decide whether to launch a special accreditation investigation of the network, a spokesperson said. "We've received a complaint and so we're asking them for more information to see if there's any substance to the complaint," spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said. State Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Cantor, steered attention to the embattled charter school earlier this month, asking the attorney general to begin its own investigation into Harmony's hiring practices and use of taxpayer funds. The attorney general's office on Friday declined to comment on whether it would investigate the school. The charter network, which claims a 98 percent graduation rate, has attempted to bat away criticism from Amsterdam & Partners since the firm first filed a 90-part open records request of Harmony last year. Harmony officials say they welcome the opportunity to "repudiate the preposterous claims" and clear its name. "Harmony Public Schools looks forward to laying the charges to rest and returning to its successful mission of educating young Texans," Dr. Soner Tarim, CEO of Harmony Public Schools, said in a Friday statement. "For almost two decades, Texas families have entrusted their children with us. So, let me reiterate: Harmony Public Schools has no affiliation of any kind with any religious or social organizations or movements." On Nov. 8, 2016, the American people will decide between two presidential contenders who represent the starkest political choice in living memory. They will choose between one candidate with vast experience and a lifelong dedication to public service and another totally lacking in qualifications to be president. They will decide whether they prefer someone deeply familiar with the issues that are important to this nation or a person whose paper-thin, bumper-sticker proposals would be dangerous to the nation and the world if somehow they were enacted. Her opponent The Chronicle editorial page does not typically endorse early in an election cycle; we prefer waiting for the campaign to play out and for issues to emerge and be addressed. We make an exception in the 2016 presidential race, because the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is not merely political. It is something much more basic than party preference. An election between the Democrat Clinton and, let's say, the Republican Jeb Bush or John Kasich or Marco Rubio, even the hyper-ideological Ted Cruz, would spark a much-needed debate about the role of government and the nation's future, about each candidate's experience and abilities. But those Republican hopefuls have been vanquished. To choose the candidate who defeated them - fairly and decisively, we should point out - is to repudiate the most basic notions of competence and capability. Any one of Trump's less-than-sterling qualities - his erratic temperament, his dodgy business practices, his racism, his Putin-like strongman inclinations and faux-populist demagoguery, his contempt for the rule of law, his ignorance - is enough to be disqualifying. His convention-speech comment, "I alone can fix it," should make every American shudder. He is, we believe, a danger to the Republic. It's telling that so many Republicans have distanced themselves from their party's nominee. That sizeable list includes a number of prominent Texans, Bush family members foremost among them, as well as Sen. Cruz and House Speaker Joe Straus. These stalwart Republicans are concerned not only about the future of their party (and, with the exception of the two Bush presidents, their own political careers), but, more important, they're concerned about the future of this nation. It would not be surprising to discover that these experienced politicians and public servants share the existential concern that first lady Michelle Obama raised in her powerful speech on behalf of Clinton at the party convention in Philadelphia: "Because when you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and the military at your command, you can't make snap decisions. You can't have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out. You need to be steady and measured and well-informed." Experience Americans know Hillary Clinton; post-Philadelphia, they're even better acquainted with "the real Hillary Clinton," as her husband phrased it. After her quarter century and more in the public eye, they know her strengths and her weaknesses. Anyone who has paid even a modicum of attention to her experience as first lady, as U.S. senator, as secretary of state and as candidate for president will have at least a general notion of her positions on the issues. As President Obama noted, she's the most qualified person in years to serve as president - "and that includes Bill and me." The only candidate to come close is George H.W. Bush. Whether voters like her personally is almost irrelevant at this "moment of reckoning," to use Clinton's words. She herself concedes that she's not a natural campaigner. She lacks Obama's oratorical gifts or her husband's folksy ability to connect with crowds. Too often she comes across as calculated, inauthentic. We're confident that she is, indeed, "steady and measured and well-informed" and that she would be a much better president than a presidential candidate. The issues On the issues, there's no comparison in terms of thoughtfulness, thoroughness and practicality. Acknowledging the influence of erstwhile competitor Bernie Sanders, for example, she will focus as president on repairing an economy that has left many working people behind and struggling. She will address income inequality and wage stagnation and will work to create jobs. She'll work with Congress to end tax loopholes, noting as she did on CBS's "Sixty Minutes" last weekend that an executive shouldn't be paying the same tax rate as his secretary. She also will push for equal pay for women, increasing the minimum wage and expanding tax credits for poorer families. Immigration reform Rejecting the ridiculous border-wall notion her opponent famously touts, she'll push for comprehensive immigration reform, building on a sensible plan that passed the U.S. Senate three years ago, only to be held hostage by a rump group of tea-party opponents in the House. She has said she intends within the first 100 days of her administration to introduce a path for the undocumented among us to earn citizenship. Health care Health care has been a decades-long issue for Clinton, at least since her days as the first lady of her adopted state of Arkansas. As first lady in the White House a few years later, her failed health initiative led to the creation of CHIP, the immensely successful children's health insurance program. She will work to improve the Affordable Care Act, not abolish it. Energy On energy, an issue of importance to Houston, she acknowledges the seriousness of climate change, the most "consequential, urgent, sweeping" problem the world faces. She has said she wants the United States to be the "clean energy superpower of the 21st century." She also acknowledges that clean-energy reforms will result in economic casualties, among them the coal industry. She has proposed a $30 billion plan to revitalize communities where coal production is in decline and, as Bill Clinton mentioned in his convention speech last week, she intends to dispatch him to West Virginia to help struggling families and communities build a viable economic future. Hillary Clinton has said she sees natural gas as a bridge fuel and foresees a new economy built on rapidly increasing shares of renewable energy. She has a record of supporting fracking, and she supports the Paris agreement on climate change. Foreign affairs On trade, another vital Houston issue, we have our differences with the Democrat. Although she now says she opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal we support, we're confident she will be adept at negotiating deals that would grow wages and jobs and that would protect American workers. Despite his vaunted deal-making claims, her opponent, we suspect, would be lost at sea trying to meet the nation's trade goals. On foreign affairs, the former secretary of state is knowledgeable, dependable and trusted worldwide, unlike her blusterous opponent whose outrageous remarks last week about Russia were merely the most recent bizarre outburst to unsettle our allies. Needless to say, Clinton supports NATO, unlike Trump who, in the words of columnist Timothy Egan, "now stands ready to repudiate nearly 70 years of security for our European allies under an 'America First' banner. ." Temperament We could go on with issues, including her plans for sensible gun safety and for combatting terrorism - her policy positions are laid out in detail on her campaign web site - but issues in this election are almost secondary to questions of character and trustworthiness. We reject the "cartoon version" of Hillary Clinton (again to borrow her husband's phrase) in favor of a presidential candidate who has the temperament, the ability and the experience to lead this nation. These are unsettling times, even if they're not the dark, dystopian end times that Trump lays out. They require a steady hand. That's not Donald Trump. The times also require a person who envisions a hopeful future for this nation, a person who has faith in the strong, prosperous and confident America we hope to bequeath our children and grandchildren, as first lady Michelle Obama so eloquently envisioned in Philadelphia. That's not Donald Trump's America. It is Hillary Clinton's, who reminded her listeners Thursday night that "When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." America's first female president would be in the Oval Office more than a century and a half after a determined group of women launched the women's suffrage movement, almost a century after women in this country won the right to vote. It's a milestone, to be sure. Few could have imagined it would be so consequential. -- MOMENT OF RECKONING: Clinton accepts the Democratic nomination Mrs. Clinton radiated confidence, from her pungent delivery and easy laugh to the unusually expressive ways she shifted her tone and delighted in her own best lines. She smoothly acknowledged her own limitations and trust issues as a public figure and forcefully challenged Mr. Trump over his claims that he alone could fix Americas problems. And after 25 years in a sometimes brutal national spotlight, Mrs. Clinton tried to explain who she is and what drives her from her Methodist faith to her passion for government policy that could mean all the difference for people, write The New York Times Patrick Healy and Amy Chozick . *** MUST READ from The New York Times Jodi Kantor this morning: How could having a woman as president alter the experience of being an American woman? >> The father of Muslim soldier killed in action just delivered a brutal repudiation of Donald Trump, by The Washington Posts Philip Bump -- Welcome to the party, by the Houston Chronicles Bobby Cervantes For all the talk, however, about how Democrats fortunes have changed in this regard since 2008 when they elected a two-term president who killed Osama Bin Laden it has as much to do with the ground Republicans have ceded this election. Nothing has put that political calculation in greater context than President Obamas Wednesday night speech at the Democratic National Convention. Remember, though, that this time last week, all anyone could talk about was Ted Cruzs decision not to endorse Trump during his primetime speaking slot at the convention. Thursday morning, when the focus was supposed to be on Trump and his star turn before the convention, the conversation focused on party disunity. A lot can be forgiven at a disastrous convention if the presidential nominee, now the partys leader, can end it on a high note with positive press. -- Trump says he would like to 'hit' DNC speakers who disparaged him, by CNNs Ashley Killough The Republican nominee zoomed in on one speaker especially, though he didn't mention his name. I was going to hit one guy in particular, a very little guy, Trump said to laughs at a campaign rally in Davenport, Iowa. I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin, he wouldn't know what the hell happened. -- SEE YOU IN COURT: Ken Paxton sues Austin over gun ban, by the Houston Chronicles Bobby Cervantes The lawsuit - which was filed in a Travis County state district court and named Mayor Steve Adler and the 10-member city council - asks a judge to force city leaders to change the policy. It also asks for civil penalties of $1,500 each day the city does not comply. We are prepared to defend this lawsuit and look forward to having this matter resolved by a court, the city said. SPEED READ Greening Texas, Houston Chronicle Lawyer seeks gag order in Sandra Bland lawsuit, Houston Chronicle At Convention, Van de Putte on Front Lines of Unity Effort, Texas Tribune He always wondered if the man he helped on 9/11 had lived. 15 years later he got his answer, The Washington Post Joaquin Castro Takes his Democratic Convention Turn, Texas Tribune Why Texas women say they can or can't support their party's nominee, Dallas Morning News Castro smart to avoid chairmanship of DNC, San Antonio Express-News Downturn reshapes oil field services sector, Houston Chronicle Memorial to slain Navy Seal Chris Kyle unveiled in Texas, Austin American-Statesman Texas detective fired for mishandling child abuse cases, Austin American-Statesman GOP group launches new attack on Gallego, Houston Chronicle Is Zika virus treatment already on the market? Houston Chronicle CAPITOL DAYBOOK: No scheduled meetings RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE -- Trump walks back email hack comments, but damage lingers, by CNNs Stephen Collinson The GOP nominee tried to dampen controversy over his apparent call Wednesday for Russia to either stage an espionage cyber hack to find Clinton's deleted emails or to publish information it had already stolen. The affair is a lesson for Trump in how every word a potential commander in chief utters is parsed and amplified, and can have significant political and diplomatic consequences. US presidents in the modern era have seen singular sentences and offhand comments define global perceptions on US policies and leadership. >> Experts: Stop freaking out about Trump getting classified briefings, by Politicos Sarah Wheaton >> Clinton offers an optimistic vision for the future, The Washington Post >> 21 thoughts about the Republican and Democratic conventions, Los Angeles Times 5 Braves land All-Lakes; 6 on All-Academic Cherokee finished atop the Lakes Conference volleyball standings this fall at 5-0 and claimed its first volleyball league title in... Raptors on to finals with win over Titans HOLSTEIN - The Class 2A #15-ranked Ridge View volleyball team hosted South Central Calhoun for the Class 2A Region 2... Warriors end season with win over Rebels SIOUX RAPIDS - The Alta-Aurelia football team traveled to face Sioux Central for their final game of the season and... Cherokee takes down Generals to finish season CHEROKEE - The Cherokee football team hosted Sibley-Ocheyedan on Friday and won 35-28 to finish out their season. The... Cameron May hearing.jpg Cameron May is led into Ocean Springs Municipal Court for a preliminary hearing last October. May entered a not guilty plea Friday to charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and sexual assault of an Ocean Springs woman last September. (File photo/Gulflive.com) Cameron May PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- The suspect in the brutal rape and assault of a woman from a prominent Ocean Springs family pleaded not guilty Friday to kidnapping, sexual battery and two counts of aggravated assault, according to the Jackson County District Attorney's Office. Cameron May entered the plea Friday morning during an arraignment in Jackson County Court. Judge Dale Harkey set an Oct. 17 trial date. May is accused of attacking Ocean Springs resident Barbi Jalanivich last September inside the office of The Dominion Apartments on Holcomb Boulevard in Ocean Springs, where Jalanivich worked. The Mississippi Press typically does not identify the victims of sexual assault, but Jalanivich and her family went public with her story last fall. She is the daughter of former Ocean Springs alderman and current Ocean Springs harbormaster Danny Jalanivich. The attack occurred Sept. 10 and left Jalanivich with a jaw broken in multiple places, a brain bleed, an ear partially torn from her head, and numerous cuts and abrasions around her body, according to police testimony during a preliminary hearing in Ocean Springs Municipal Court last October. Sgt. Matthew Morvant the lead investigator in the case, described the injuries as "severe." Police also said they interviewed Jalanivich at both Ocean Springs Hospital after the attack and again after she had returned home to recuperate. She told investigators the attack began when May took a swing at her, which she deflected, and then he choked her, rendering her incapacitated. May fled to Florida, where he was apprehended by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 21. May refused to waive his right to an extradition hearing, forcing the Jackson County District Attorney to obtain a governor's warrant from Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant which was later signed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott. May was ultimately transferred back to Ocean Springs in late October. During the preliminary hearing last October, Morvant outlined some of the evidence investigators had compiled in building a case against May: A phone call from an apartment complex in Gulfport which indicated May had been there the day before the Ocean Springs attack. Surveillance footage from that complex allowed police to put together a photo lineup of suspects from which Jalanivich positively identified May as the suspect. A pair of reading glasses found at the scene of the Ocean Springs attack which May was seen wearing in the footage from the Gulfport complex. May's confession when Ocean Springs police questioned him after he was apprehended in Okaloosa County, Fla. During that hearing, Ocean Springs Judge Matthew Mestayer ruled May a flight risk and ordered he be held without bond. He remains incarcerated in the Jackson County Adult Detention Center. LM OTERO/AP PHOTO Barack Obamas supporters and detractors dont agree on much, but as the president enters his final two years in office, they have voiced a common complaint: the president lacks competence. They cite multiple management breakdowns, such as the disastrous rollout of the Obamacare health-insurance website, which have eroded public support; his lack of engagement with Congress, which has impeded his legislative agenda; and his chronic inability to address serious problems before they become full-blown crises, undermining Americans confidence in his leadership. There is no doubt considerable truth to these charges. But Obamas fundamental problems stem less from incompetence than from his philosophy of governance. In his first presidential campaign, Obama took pains to distinguish his approach from the incrementalism of Bill Clinton and modeled himself instead on the transformational leadership of Franklin Roosevelt and of Ronald Reagan. During the race, and increasingly after the election, it became clear that Obama embraced a theory of dramatic political changethat of progressivism, which dates its American origins to an early-twentieth-century era of social and political reform. And he has adhered to it, despite some of the worst midterm election defeats faced by any two-term president. Progressivisms vision of the role of the state conflicts with the system of government envisioned by Americas Founders. The Founders wanted citizens to be free to pursue their affairs individually and in voluntary association; the powers of the federal state were to be tightly constrained. In contrast, the greatest political theorist of American progressivism, Herbert Croly, said that the nations democracy should be focused on an equal sharing of wealth and responsibilitiesan enterprise that demands a larger and more intrusive federal state to enforce. Obama spoke from this tradition on the campaign trail in 2008most famously, when he told Joe the Plumber that it was good to spread the wealth around. But Obama and his supporters face a more challenging political landscape than did their progressive forebears. In the early twentieth century, progressives introduced new entitlements against the backdrop of low federal spending and a much smaller federal government. At the beginning of the Progressive Era, federal government spending represented only about 4 percent of GDP; it reached 11 percent when FDR introduced Social Security. (Even that figure was artificially high because the Depression had dramatically reduced GDP.) And progressivism in its early years enjoyed support among the legions of poor, who had little to lose from the rearrangement of rights by government programs. Today, the federal government spends more than five times as much, as a percentage of GDP, than it did at the beginning of the last century, and twice as much as when Social Security was introduced. That amount will continue to grow, driven by the rising cost of entitlements for an aging population. The future consequences of past decisions thus constrain the present capacity of the state, even as progressivisms reach becomes more ambitious: reorganizing health care, as the Obama administration has begun to do with the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, touches everyones life in ways that, say, the regulation of railroads did not. Such massive programs are more likely to be complex and to generate popular resistance, as Obamacare has done. On top of these structural difficulties, the progressive coalition has also become harder to maintain. Over the course of the twentieth century, free-market capitalism created unprecedented mass affluence. The average income of Americans grew by more than four times in the last century, making the United States the wealthiest nation of any substantial size. Citizens now have more to lose from interventions in the free market, because they are better off. Its hard to imagine that a progressive party could maintain control of both the House and Senate for 20 consecutive years and the House for 40 years, as did the Democrats earlier in the twentieth century. Faced with these constraints, todays progressives must resort to more misleading and sometimes coercive measures, as they seek to bring about equality through collective responsibility; they must rally support by looking beyond economics, to cultural and social identifications, in a bid to maintain the support of voters with little need for government intervention. They also want to limit the voices of citizens at election time, and thereby magnify the influence of the press and academia, which lean sharply in the progressive direction. Nothing shows the progressive dependence on subterfuge more starkly than Obamacare, which, by imposing a personal mandate to buy insurance in an effort to bring health care to all, will restructure one-sixth of the American economy. Single-payer government health insurance has been a dream on the left for decades, but it was never a politically realistic option. This was true even while Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, as they did during the first two years of Obamas first term. The American public wouldnt tolerate the level of government funding that a single-payer system would require, so the best that the administration could do was to impose a regulatory structure, while accepting a private-insurance model. In crafting the Affordable Care Act, the administration intentionally avoided describing the individual mandate as a taxa tacit admission that doing so could have sunk the bill. After the bill became law, however, the administration turned around and argued before the Supreme Court that the mandate was, in fact, a tax. The Court upheld the mandate as an exercise of an enumerated government power to levy taxes. Even then, the administration concealed Obamacares taxes on the wealthy, which were not added to the income-tax tables. The recently publicized comments of MIT professor Jonathan Gruber about the deception involved in promoting the Affordable Care Act demonstrate that such chicanery has become intrinsic to modern progressivism. American affluence also proved a political obstacle for the laws drafters. Most Americans already had health insurance and a doctor with whom they felt comfortable. To secure support for the ACA, therefore, Obama had to promise repeatedly that those happy with their current health plans (and doctors) could keep them. But ACA requirements resulted in the cancellation of many insurance plans, causing patients to lose access to their doctors. This proved the most damaging blow to Obamas credibility. Some have labeled the presidents economy with the truth a personal failing, but its more like a professional necessity. Modern progressivisms business model requires obscuring the reality that new programs have winners and losersand the losers are spread throughout the general population, not confined to members of the so-called 1 percent. As the Affordable Care Act goes fully into effect, the losers will become more visible. If people had known the truth about Obamacare in 2010, the bill would almost certainly have been defeated. If they had known it in 2012, Obama would likely have lost his reelection bid. The architects of Obamacare needed these deceptions, in part, because more people are becoming aware of the financial burden of unfunded liabilities. As a result, it is not as easy to slough off costs on future generations. Obamacares ill-fated CLASS (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports) provision, a long-term-care insurance program for the elderly, is a case in point. A voluntary program, CLASS was required by law to be financially self-sustaining, meaning that it would need large numbers of young and healthy people to sign up for ita dubious prospect. The revenues expected in CLASSs first years made Obamacare seem more fiscally responsible in the short term than it really was, though the Medicare actuary warned that this was a mirage. Thirty-six years of actuarial experience, he wrote in an internal e-mail, lead me to believe that this program would collapse in short order and require significant federal subsidies to continue. Less than two years later, HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius concluded that the program could not be self-sustaining and terminated it. Even before Obamacares false promises were revealed, the law was not popular with middle-class voters, who felt that Obama was less interested in restarting the stagnant economy than in creating a new welfare program. Riding a wave of dissatisfaction with the new law, Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2010. Four years later, with the ACA even more disliked, the Republicans took the Senate, too. Since Obamacare never had bipartisan support, the Democrats would have been hard-pressed to pass amendments to improve it under the best circumstances; their legislative losses made the question academic. This difficulty underscores a key problem with central planning: the world is unpredictable. Just as no military plan survives contact with the enemy, no program of government benefits, and certainly not one as ambitious as Obamacare, can anticipate the changing circumstances in which it will operate. Struggling with problems of implementation and public resistance, the administration has held off enforcing inconvenient parts of the law, such as the one requiring businesses to offer health-care insurance to their employees by 2013. That provision was delayed by one year. The law also required uninsured individuals to purchase health plans, but the administration exempted those who would face hardship. Since following the laws required timeline would have had adverse political consequences, the administration claimed the authority to delay and amend these provisions. But the laws statutory deadlines were clear. The Supreme Court will soon determine the legality of yet another Obama administrative action that appears to contradict the plain language of the Affordable Care Act. The statute provides taxpayer subsidies for insurance policies bought on exchanges established by the states. But almost half the states have declined to establish such exchanges. When states dont set up exchanges, the ACA then requires the federal government to do so but provides no parallel authorization for subsidies. Nevertheless, the Treasury Department has adopted regulations offering such subsidies, arguing that they advance the overall purpose of the ACA. Authorizing subsidies for federal exchanges is vital to the future of Obamacare, particularly because sign-up numbers have been disappointing. Should the Supreme Court rule that the administration lacks this authority, though, any attempt to provide authority through legislation will lead to wholesale revision of Obamacare in the Republican Congress. Progressivism has long valued executive discretion in domestic affairs because presidents need to make fewer compromises than do legislatures. Not surprisingly, Obama-era progressives argue for maximizing the scope of that discretion. The Democratic Senates decision to do away with the filibuster on judicial nominations, for instance, was principally designed to eliminate any roadblocks to confirming Obamas nominees to the District of Columbia Circuit. That court oversees the exercise of administrative discretion in many important government programsincluding Obamacare. But todays progressivism needs more than wide-ranging discretion to adapt its laws to new circumstances when its coalition no longer controls Congress. The examples above suggest that President Obama is exercising unilateral power to decline to enforce laws or even to rewrite them. Such power exceeds the traditional norms of prosecutorial discretion. Indeed, it comes perilously close to the dispensing power of the Stuart monarchs, who claimed the authority to disregard laws. The British rejected that power during the Glorious Revolution, and the Founders rejected it, too, by inserting language into the American Constitution requiring that the president take Care that the law be faithfully executed. Progressives also want to transform the rights provisions of the Constitution to improve their chances of political success. The president was so concerned about the Supreme Courts protection of free speech in political campaigns that he attacked its Citizens United campaign-finance decision, which abolished restrictions on independent political expenditures by nonprofit groups. In a State of the Union address, Obama claimed that the ruling reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interestsincluding foreign companiesto spend without limitation. Obamas comment about foreign corporations was no truer than his claims about the Affordable Care Act. It was instead an attempt to use xenophobia in support of the suppression of political speech. And the principal beneficiaries of Citizens United, in fact, arent for-profit corporations, which dont want to offend their consumers by taking political positions, but nonprofit corporations that allow citizens to band together to deliver political messages for various causes. The freedom of citizens to pay for political messages poses a threat to progressives because it endangers the control over political and social discourse that the Left otherwise enjoys. The media lean overwhelmingly Democratic, with some studies estimating the imbalance between Democrats and Republicans at more than four to one. Academia is even more lopsidedly left-wing. In the Ivy League, which remains the most powerful educational megaphone for social ideas, Obama attracted 20 times as many contributors as Mitt Romney. This ideological imbalance provides progressivism with one of its most powerful weapons. And here the attack on Citizens United becomes especially practical: restricting independent campaign expenditures will allow the press and the academic world to control the agenda, as they already do for periods between elections. Its worth noting in this light that the single constitutional amendment that Obama has endorsed in office is one overruling Citizens United. Last year, Senate Democrats brought to the floor an even broader amendment that would have permitted Congress to regulate both campaign expenditures and contributions. The amendment would have exempted the press from regulation, suggesting that the political objective is indeed agenda control. Obamas exercise of executive discretion extends further still. Most recently, in a move decried by conservative constitutionalists, he signed an executive order deferring the deportation of some 4 million illegal immigrants, allowing them to work legally in the United States. While his stroke of the pen cannot grant citizenship, it can create a new political reality, making it harder to resist the main political prize for progressives: guaranteeing a path to voting citizenship. These and other moves represent an attempt to create a new political order in which progressivism is more likely to thrive. This goal also explains why the new progressivism must enlarge its agenda to include social issues, engaging in the wars of culture as well as class. While the old progressivism focused almost exclusively on economics, the new progressivism seeks a panoply of new entitlements, from on-demand contraception to same-sex marriage. Todays progressive enthusiasm for creating new constitutional rights out of the latest social cause expands progressivisms appeal to more affluent, secular voters, for whom bending the arc of history gives meaning to life. To succeed, then, modern progressivism must reconstitute the nature of politics, not merely change the content of policies. In response to the progressive agenda, conservatives and libertarians must also focus on the structure of politics. Where the new progressivism would burst the bounds of law to pursue its goals, todays conservatives must strengthen the rule of law. For instance, the response to modern progressivisms desire for a dispensing power should be statutory requirements that expressly forbid the president from modifying laws with which he disagrees, together with statutes that widen the ability of citizens to challenge such executive illegality. Moreover, the new Republican Congress should enact amendments to the Administrative Procedure Act that require congressional approval for major exercises of executive discretion. The Right became more enamored of executive discretion when Republicans seemed to have a lock on the presidency. But for reasons of both principle and tactical necessity, conservatives should re-embrace a notion of limited government based in congressional, not presidential, power. Countering the progressive drive to reduce the speech rights of those outside the symbolic class, conservatives should emphasize the principle of equality before the law. No class should be given particular privileges to speak about politics. The answer to complaints about the undue influence of campaign money at election time can be found in the principle of neutrality. Congress should commit itself to operate by evenhanded rules of appropriate generality and thus ban earmarks, targeted regulatory relief, and other favors often used to reward political support. Devotion to the rule of law can also contain corrosive culture wars. By decentralizing decision making and diffusing debate in this context, federalism lowers the temperature of national politics and allows the national government to focus on defense and other issues to which it is uniquely suited. And decreasing the payoff to victory in the culture wars lessens progressives motivation to use social appeals to rally a coalition that might otherwise fracture. From its inception, progressivism has posed a threat to constitutional government. It has sought to replace limited and decentralized governance with dynamic, centralized authority in order to force some arrangement of equality on the nation. Because the world has a way of upsetting abstract designs, progressivism depends on empowering administrators to impose its frameworks while disempowering citizens from resisting these coercions. The Obama administrations push for unilateral presidential authority to disregard the law is thus the logical extension of the progressive program. Opposition to this program requires nothing less than a rededication to our Founding ideals: our nation must be governed by the rule of law, not the rule of an elected monarch or of a legally privileged aristocracy. When a trophy hunter or rancher kills a wolf, it can have a cascading, splintering effect, leading to the deaths of other members of the pack, particularly yearling wolves and pups. Photo by Alamy 3.2K shares Approximately 59 percent of the worlds biggest mammalian carnivore speciesfrom wolves to tigers to lions and 60 percent of the largest herbivores, are now listed on the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List of Threatened Species as threatened with extinction, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. That information is at the core of a new report from dozens of scientists from six continents, published in the journal Bioscience, that details how large mammals throughout the world are facing an existential crisis. The report warns that business as usual will allow the declines to continue and eventually lead to the extinction of some of the worlds most iconic species. As Ive written in The Humane Economy, by liquidating these species for short-term gains whether trophy hunting, bush meat, the pet trade, or animal parts for medicinal or commercial uses, along with habitat destructions and fragmentation we are robbing present and future generations of aesthetic, emotional, and economic opportunities. The animals should be protected for their own sake, but wed be foolish not to recognize the benefits they bring to people throughout the world, especially to communities that live among or are adjacent to these species. These animals, who often have made a last stand in national parks and other protected areas, are the draw that bring millions of people to these public lands, and jobs and revenue to rural and gateway communities. We see that circumstance in the United States. When state officials in Alaska relentlessly kill off wolves and grizzlies, by aerial-hunting the species, they are diminishing the economic potential of their national preserves and national wildlife refuges, which can draw immense numbers of visitors who want to see the animals in the wild. The same is true when Montana and Wyoming kill wolves around Yellowstone and threaten the viability of packs. Weve engaged in litigation for years to protect wolves in this ecosystem. When a trophy hunter or rancher kills a wolf, it can have a cascading, splintering effect, leading to the deaths of other members, particularly yearling wolves and pups. Its ironic that there are more than 300 million Americans and only 5,000 wolves in America, and some people say thats too many wolves. If a single town had 5,000 people, settled within a few square miles, wed call it a small town. But if it has 5,000 wolves scattered around tens of millions of acres of federal and state lands, some people say its too many. Weve gone dangerously astray and lost perspective on the issue. We need more predators, not fewer. When they thrive, there is more tourism, more human happiness, and more ecological integrity. The New York Times reported last week that if cougars made a comeback in the east, once part of their range, wed see fewer human casualties, not more, since the cougars would exert an impact on deer, diminish deer densities, and reduce the frequency of deer-auto collisions. The same is true for wolves, perhaps even more so. Yet in Congress, there are riders attached to a number of bills to remove federal protections for wolves in the Great Lakes and Wyoming, and one rider to end all protections for wolves in the lower 48 states. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking to delist grizzly bears, even though the animals are an economic engine in the Northern Rockies. Weve filed a lawsuit against the state of Wyoming for rushing to open up a grizzly trophy hunting season. The government should be an agent of the humane economy, rather than an executor of archaic policies and practices past that got the animals into these dire circumstances to begin with. When the people of Michigan had the wolf hunting and trapping issue on their ballot, they resoundingly rejected wolf killing, with citizens rejecting one of the measures with an emphatic 64 percent of the vote. The HSUS and Humane Society International are fighting for large carnivores and other megafauna in other parts of the world. We led the fight to upgrade U.S. protections for African lions, restricting trade in lion trophies and other parts. Weve just petitioned to upgrade protections for African elephants and leopards. Also here at home, weve qualified an initiative in Oregon for the November ballot to stop the trafficking of the parts of 12 species and taxa of imperiled animals, including elephants, rhinos, lions, and tigers, and also sharks and rays. That measure closely tracks the provisions of a Washington state measure we backed last November, which won 70 percent of the vote. Of course, weve actively lobbied for, and then celebrated, the adoption of federal rulemaking to almost entirely end the trade in ivory in the United States. The Bioscience report doesnt consider marine species, but its evident that the same trends are at work in those environments, with only fewer than 100 vaquita in Mexico surviving and declining populations of Atlantic right whales (animals weve won protections for by slowing down ship speeds in the Atlantic) and sea turtles, among others. Elizabeth Kolbert has written that we are now in the midst of the sixth great extinction in the history of the planet, and this is the one that humans created. If we produced the crisis, we can turn it around. But that can only happen with intentional, decisive, bold action. We must sweep away the trophy hunting, the trading in parts, and all of the other activities driving these losses, and figure out a way to share space with the other large mammals on the planet. That wont come without its challenges, but its within our capacity, as the creature of conscience and creativity, to figure out a way forward, so that we arent the loneliest species when these other animals are gone. Saunders Named President and CEO of Economical Insurance The Board of Directors of Economical Insurance named Rowan Saunders president and CEO effective November 1, 2016. This follows the announcement on February 19, 2016, that current president and CEO, Karen Gavan, will retire from the company and the board this year. Having served as president and CEO of RSA Canada since 2003, Saunders will advance the companys strategic initiatives, including: Canadas first P&C demutualization; Becoming a publicly-traded company with access to new sources of capital to make strategic investments that will drive growth and increase market share; Continuing to invest heavily in the companys partnership with broker partners across Canada; Expanding its digital direct channel (http://sonnet.ca) to service a segment of Canadians that prefer to self-manage their home and auto insurance online; Potential future acquisitions. Gavan will remain as president and CEO until Mr. Saunders assumes office. In her five years at the helm of Economical, Gavan successfully led the company through a period of transformational change. Under her leadership, the company established a bold vision and strategy for profitable growth and long-term success. It grew significantly while transforming its operating platform. GEICO Names Hoagland Vice President of New York Operations Rick Hoagland has been named vice president of GEICOs New York regional operations. Hoagland joined GEICO in 1994 as a telephone claims representative and advanced through several assignments before becoming a manager in 2002. Hoagland then completed the executive assistant program at the companys headquarters in Chevy Chase, Md., and was named director of claims home office systems. In 2009, Hoagland was elected assistant vice president of claims for GEICOs Midwest operations in Macon, Ga., and assumed the role of assistant vice president of underwriting for the same region a year later. He was then promoted to vice president of GEICOs corporate-wide claims operations in 2012. Hoagland went on to serve as regional vice president at the companys Buffalo regional office, where he oversaw insurance operations for New England states and New Jersey. In Woodbury, Hoagland succeeds John Pham, who was named vice president of GEICOs Virginia Beach region and the companys military, motorcycle and recreational vehicles division. QBE North America Appoints Lange Senior Vice President, Regional Executive Midwest Region QBE North America, an operating division of QBE Group, announced that Jeff Lange has joined the organization as senior vice president, regional executive Midwest Region. Embodying the enterprise approach the company delivers to its customers as an integrated specialist insurer, Lange will lead QBEs go-to-market activities in the 13-state region consisting of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Based in Chicago, he will be accountable for the regions profitable growth across QBEs specialized insurance business portfolio, as well as the development of all agent and broker relationships in the region. He will oversee business planning and collaborate with Underwriting and Claims leadership to drive service excellence, and build the strongest partnerships with agents, brokers and clients. Lange brings to QBE more than 20 years of experience in building and leading teams to exceed growth and profitability objectives across multiple product and customer segments in the insurance industry. He comes to the company from Hartford Financial Services Group, where he spent 14 years in leadership roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, he served as division executive of The Hartfords Midwest Division, leading a team of 55 professionals. Before The Hartford, he held leadership and client relationship roles at CONSECO, Channelpoint Inc., Deloitte & Touche, Hewitt Assoc. and Marsh & McLennan Inc. NeCastro Appointed CEO at Erie Insurance Effective August 1 Erie Insurance president & chief executive officer Terrence W. Cavanaugh announced that he will step down as CEO effective Monday, Aug. 1. Timothy G. NeCastro, who was previously selected as president & CEO-designate, will succeed him as chief executive officer. Cavanaugh, who previously announced his intention to retire this year, will continue as president until Dec. 31, 2016. NeCastro joined Penn.-based Erie Insurance in 1996 as manager of internal auditing and was promoted to senior vice president and controller in 1997. In 2008, he broadened his experience, taking on the role of senior vice president of product and policy services, overseeing customer service, personal and commercial product development and processing areas. Previous to his selection as ERIEs next CEO in May 2016, he held the position of senior vice president and regional officer of ERIEs west region. This encompasses the sales and agency responsibilities in the western half of ERIEs 12-state footprint. Prior to joining Erie Insurance, NeCastro held positions as the director of finance at Plastek Group and as a senior manager at Ernst & Young. NeCastro holds licenses in property & casualty insurance. For two years and more, it has been a lost ship, a metal container carrying 239 souls that simply disappeared one late Asian night never to be seen again. And now, the search for the remains of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 likely will become a thing of memory, too. With Fridays announcement that the meticulous ocean search for the missing jetliner will be suspended in effect, called off one of this decades most tantalizing unanswered questions is headed toward becoming, in effect, a cold case. I am not surprised its coming to an end without any answers, Tony Wong, a businessman in Kuala Lumpur, said Monday. People are slowly forgetting the incident, he said. No one will ever know the truth. The truth may be out there. The problem is, you have to know where to look. And thats been precisely the problem all along. The Boeing 777-200ER vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Investigators believed it turned back west and then south before dropping into the Indian Ocean west of Australia, where the search has been concentrated.The Malaysian government has concluded that it was deliberately steered off course. Conspiracy theories, unsurprisingly, still abound in the vacuum of facts: Was it blown up? Steered into the sea? Diverted to a remote airstrip somewhere? Abducted by aliens? For a long stretch, it seemed the worlds biggest loose end a global obsession for weeks, a niggling unsolved riddle for years. And behind the epic tale were the lost souls and the families they left behind, which expected maximum effort and, to hear many relatives tell it over the long months, a successful resolution. They were not happy at the news that the search was being suspended. To varying degrees, they have accused investigators and searchers and the governments overseeing them of disingenuousness, incompetence and nefarious political agendas. In China, relatives have roundly denounced the decision. They still dont seem ready to think about the finality of it all. They are actually just playing with words, Hu Xiufang, the mother of a Flight 370 passenger, said Monday. Suspension means termination to us. We strongly demand a re-investigation into how the plane went missing, and there is no excuse for the suspension of the search. The decision to suspend the search, which has endured through damaged equipment and punishing weather, was made jointly by the three countries conducting the operation: Malaysia, Australia and China, which lost the most people in the aircrafts disappearance. Together, they already have spent $135 million searching a 46,300-square-mile area. The governments were delicate in their language Friday they did not say outright that they were ending the search. But there is a general sense that it is unlikely to continue unless specific new evidence is found to suggest a particular location. And the search in its current incarnation will not end immediately; it could last into the winter months, officials have said. Finding the plane would not just bring emotional closure to families. It also would hand investigators and the airline industry crucial information and tools to understand why Flight 370 might have gone down and how similar occurrences might be prevented. A critical mass of actual wreckage beyond the few confirmed pieces that have turned up would also convey a sense of competence that we humans can go out and find our lost stuff in the depths of our oceans. Which in many ways, despite complex oceanographic models, we still cant. We can send spacecraft to Jupiter and Saturn and Mars to see their surface, but we cant send a craft to the bottom of the ocean to look at our own surface, Western Australia University oceanographer Charitha Pattiaratchi said. The pressure on authorities, he said, suggests that a breather from the search might actually be the best approach. Its probably good to pause and then take stock of things, Pattiaratchi said. They can try again if theres some better data or better technology. In the meantime, the world goes on. The increased pace of the news cycle, the unremitting parade of minor violence and major cataclysm, pushes us away from this singular puzzle and into the more recent sad and lethal spectacles of Orlando and Nice, Dallas and Munich, Baghdad and Kabul. It is so much, sometimes, that we might fail to remember one fundamental point in the story that was, and is, Flight 370: The world we call home swallowed a giant airplane and the people aboard it and, 871 days later, we have absolutely no idea what became of them. There is an expectation, fueled by a modern world filled with technology and accomplishment, that if we want something enough, if we throw enough money and resources at it, theres nothing we cant do. And when that narrative of expectation is interrupted by something as strange and terrible as the unresolved disappearance of a giant metal machine, it doesnt go down easy. Its all a big fabrication, a big cover-up, said Sakinab Shah, the eldest sister of senior pilot Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah. Things just dont add up. Then she said something that echoed many peoples comments in the first days after the disappearance, when the modern worlds best machines and algorithms were brought to bear to find that plane and there were high hopes it would be found. With modern-day technology, Shah said, how can there be a mystery? Associated Press journalists Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Yu Bing in Beijing and Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Michigan has approved $17 million in funding to help convert the site of a former General Motors plant that once pumped out World War II-era bombers into an autonomous car testing facility. The American Center for Mobility a joint initiative between the state, the University of Michigan and business leaders is planned for 311 acres at the Willow Run site in Washtenaw Countys Ypsilanti Township. Officials hope the site will become a global center for research, development and testing for self-driving vehicles. The investment finalizes acquisition of the land and facilitates the design and construction of the site, Gov. Rick Snyders office said Tuesday. We are making a major commitment to the next chapter of the states legendary automotive history, Snyder said in a statement. In the next decade, Michigan will be in the international forefront in responding to the opportunity to reimagine transportation, an unfolding world of autonomous vehicles that requires collaboration among private industry, academia and government. The state had previously approved a $3 million grant to kick-start the project, which Snyder highlighted during his state of the state address in January. The Michigan Strategic Fund board part of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. also on Tuesday approved a $5.7 million performance-based loan for an auto industry supplier in Flint. The loan to C3 Venture could be converted to a grant if the company meets job-creation milestones. C3 Venture is planning a $9.7 million investment that could lead to 380 new jobs. The company will make interior plastic automotive components along with injection molding and tooling. Im very pleased to see this manufacturing plant established within the city, and hope it is the first of many new employers to invest in Flint, Snyder said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A woman who was killed when a house exploded in Omaha, Nebraska, was a property inspector sent to check the home after a tenant was evicted, authorities said Tuesday. Clara Bender, 30, was fatally injured in the blast just after noon Monday in Omahas Benson neighborhood. The explosion leveled the home, badly damaged four adjacent homes, and injured a woman who lived next door and a 14-year-old boy. Bender died after being taken to Nebraska Medical Center, authorities said. Its unclear whether the evicted tenant has been questioned or if the explosion was being criminally investigated. Omaha police declined to answer those questions Tuesday, saying only that they were investigating all leads. Omaha Fire Battalion Chief Tim McCaw asked that anyone with information about the blast contact the citys arson hotline. Theres a lot of stuff that could have happened, said Jeremy Aspen, president of Certified Property Management. Foul play is a possibility. But just as possible is that there was a gas leak or somebody removed a stove or bumped it on accident or any number of things. Officials also havent released the conditions or details about the 46-year-old neighbor and the teenage boy who were taken to hospitals following the blast. The Omaha World-Herald reported Tuesday that the woman was treated and released from a hospital. Bender, who worked for Certified Property Management, was at the home to check on its condition after allowing a tenant who was evicted this month to enter the property over the weekend to collect personal items, Aspen said. We loved Clara, he said. She was just the sweetest person and the hardest worker. Bender had worked for the company since November, and was married with a young child, Aspen said. He said her husband also works for Certified Property Management. Aspen said his company has turned over all its documents regarding the property and any contact with the former tenant to police. He said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that police have been in touch with him about this investigation, but asked him not to share that information with reporters. Aspen also noted that several of Benders family members were in the process of traveling from Mississippi to Omaha. The company noted that a GoFundMe page set up to benefit Benders family had raised nearly $12,000 by mid-afternoon Tuesday. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. As crude oil trains began rolling through its downtown a few years ago, Spokane was among the first Washington cities to pass a resolution calling for stronger federal safety regulations. But when a mile-long train derailed in the scenic Columbia River Gorge along the Oregon-Washington border last month after earlier passing through this major railroad hub in eastern Washington some city leaders said they couldnt wait for tougher federal protections. This week the Spokane City Council decided 6-0 to ask voters in November whether the city should prohibit the shipment of crude oil or coal by rail. The ballot measure, if approved, would make rail shipments of crude oil or coal a civil infraction, punishable by a fine of up to $261 per tank car. Spokane is certain to face a steep uphill legal fight, since the federal government regulates railroad operations and safety. Even councilmembers expect the matter to end up in court, though some say its worth putting to voters. Main rail lines converge in Spokane and theres no realistic alternative route, BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas said. There have been a distressing number of incidents in the U.S. and Canada with oil trains derailing or exploding, sometimes with catastrophic consequences, so cities certainly have a strong reason to regulate this kind of traffic, said Michael Gerrard, a professor and director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. Unfortunately, the jurisdiction over it is firmly centered on the federal government. Spokane, which sees up to 19 oil trains a week, is the latest community attempting to assert its local authority in the fight over fossil fuels. Cities from Oakland, California, to South Portland, Maine, have also passed local ordinances to block crude oil or coal terminal projects. Last month, Oakland unanimously voted to ban the handling and storage of coal and petroleum coke at bulk material facilities or terminals in Oakland over concerns about public health and safety hazards. Meanwhile, South Portland is defending its city ban on the loading of crude oil into tankers in Portland Harbor in federal court. Its ordinance also prevented the Portland Pipe Line Corp., which sued the city, from reversing the flow of its pipeline to bring Canadian tar sands oil into Maine. The company says the ordinance is unconstitutional; the city argues it is exercising traditional police power and land use authority. And last week, Vancouver in southwest Washington voted to ban new or expanded crude oil storage facilities. The decision, however, wont affect a massive crude-by-rail facility currently proposed at the citys port and which the city has opposed. Spokanes measure is unusual in that the city of 210,000 people is trying to regulate which goods are shipped in trains, rather than other local attempts to regulate the construction of facilities that receive oil or coal. I believe personally that theres something we have to do, and that means try every single argument that we possibly can in order to make a difference and make Spokane safer, Council President Ben Stuckart before Monday nights vote. Some at the meeting criticized the tactic and worried about potential costs to taxpayers if the city has to defend it. In a memo, the councils legal adviser wrote there is likely a small chance the proposed ordinance would survive a legal challenge. But Councilman Breean Beggs, an attorney, believes a provision of the Federal Railroad Safety Act allows states to adopt certain laws to protect a local safety hazard in this case Spokanes sole source drinking water aquifer if the federal government hasnt yet addressed the issue. Other municipalities have fought in different ways, including two Illinois communities that last year challenged new train safety rules they say would allow the continued use of oil tank cars known to fail during accidents. Andrew Johnsen, BNSF Railways assistant vice-president of community affairs, wrote to the Spokane council Tuesday, saying its proposed ordinance, if enacted, would be pre-empted by federal laws. He said moving hazardous materials by rail is safe, and added that it appeared the proposed ban is less about safety and more about a political agenda against fossil fuels. Justin Jacobs, a Union Pacific Railroad spokesman, wrote in an email that if a customer delivers an oil or coal rail car within federal regulations, the railroad is required to transport it to its destination. But Eddie Scher, a spokesman with advocacy group Stand, said Spokane can and should make the case for authority over oil trains. Public safety has to come first, he said. Deadly oil trains were not on the table when pre-emption was dreamed up. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Philadelphia Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, in her historic acceptance speech here Thursday, pledged to provide broader access to a quality education, praised teachers in the couse of attacking her GOP rival Donald Trump, and highlighted her past work on behalf of students with disabilities. Her speech was light on K-12 policy specifics, in keeping with a Democratic National Convention that has largely bypassed substantive education talk in favor of more general rhetoric. And she also leaned on language often used by the teachers unions, some of her staunchest and earliest allies. Clinton, the first woman to receive a major party nomination, said she would to build a country where parents can send their kids to a good school no matter what ZIP code you live in. Thats a line straight from the National Education Associations list of talking points about education. Excoriating Trump for his remark at the GOP convention last week in Cleveland that I alone can fix it, Clinton mentioned a litany of professions, including teachers who change lives who work to address the nations needs and problems. Just as other speakers from previous nights of the convention did, Clinton highlighted her work for the Childrens Defense Fund , such as advocating on behalf of students with disabilities in Massachusetts, and how it led to changes in legal protections for those children. Its a big idea. Every kid with a disability has a right to go to school, Clinton said, adding that she sweated policy details because its not just a detail if its your kid. She promised to push for affordable child care. And touching on a theme thats been a top priority for her vice-presidential pick , Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Clinton gave a nod to career and technical education, saying, We will help more people learn a skill or practice a trade, and make a good living doing it. Clinton also pledged to pass comprehensive immigration reform and to keep families together, touching on a theme earlier in the DNC. Clinton mentioned that plan as well on Thursday, and also promised to liberate people from student debt Clinton still doesnt have a comprehensive K-12 plan, and she didnt lay one out during her Thursday speech. But she has addressed specific elements of education policy, such as her plan to eventually create universal prekindergarten programs in the U.S. Breaking the Glass Ceiling Policy details or not, Jon Fielbrandt, a high school math and science teacher and Michigan delgeate, said Thursday night he was heartened by everything Clinton has said about bullying, standing up for teachers collective bargaining rights and early-childhood education. Ive got faith shes going to take us in the right direction on education, said Fielbrandt, whos a member of the NEA. But he was most excited to be here Thursday night because he has two daughters. That feeling of that glass ceiling being broken. That means a lot, Fielbrandt said. Early Learning, Equity, Crumbling Schools In an interview at the convention Thursday, Sen. Patty Murray D-Wash., said shes just ecstatic about the prospect of working with a possible President Hillary Clinton on expanding access to early-childhood education. I just say the words to her early-childhood education. And she says, What do we need to do? This is a passion for her, said Murray, ranking member of the Senate education committee. California Rep. Xavier Bacerra raised that issue, too, in his speech Thursday night, highlighting Clintons plan to provide universal preschool to Americans 4-year-olds. And he raised Clintons stated Chelsea test. Thats Clintons line that if she didnt think a school was good enough for her daughter Chelsea Clinton, it wasnt good enough for any child. Shell rebuild our crumbling schools. Shell give our teachers the support and tools they need and the pay they deserve, Becerra said. (Presidents dont directly control and cant dictate teacher salaries, although a portion of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act directed funds to shore up local funding for schools .) David Wils, an 8th grade social studies teacher in North Carolina, gave brief remarks Thursday nightbut he didnt talk about K-12. Instead, Wils, who has $35,000 in student loan debt, detailed his belief that Clinton would help relieve the college debt burden for Americans. Teaching offers so many rewards. A big salary isnt one of them, Wils said. The nation has two educational systems, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in his speech during the 7 oclock hour: one for rich students, where they work on laptops; and one for poor students, where the most sophisticated technology they encounter is a metal detector. That is not educating every child equally, said Cuomo, whos had an uneven relationship with the New York State United Teachers. Reps. Tim Ryan of Ohio and Becerra promised the crowd that Clinton would put people to work building schools. She expressed a desire to rebuild crumbling schools earlier this year. Track Record With Children When education was discussed throughout the convention, much of it dealt with Clintons work in her younger years to help children disadvantaged in various ways. President Bill Clinton made that work a major focus of his Tuesday night speech , ticking off the nominees efforts in Alabama and Massachusetts, for example, to help put a spotlight on segregated schools and inequality for students with disabilities, respectively. And in Arkansas, Clinton recalled, the nominee worked to improve early-education programs, overhaul the states academic standards, and change the school funding setup. That night, both Bill Clinton and Dustin Johnson, an 5th grade teacher in Arkansas, also discussed Clintons work on improving classroom instruction and educational standards. In fact, Clinton said in Iowa last December that, I wouldnt keep any school open that wasnt doing a better-than-average job, although her campaign later clarified that she wasnt intent on shutting down schools en masse . Connections to Education Speakers this week also connected hot-button issues in the campaign to education. On Wednesday Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut spoke about the 26 students and school staff killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. And the daughter of the schools principal, Erica Smegielski, said the nation should not have our teachers and principals going to work in fear of gun violence. The school-to-prison pipeline, meanwhile, made it into the speech given by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont on Monday. Clintons one-time rival for the Democratic nomination, Sanders urged the nation to make sure young people are not rotting in jail cells and added, Hillary Clinton understands that we have to invest in education and jobs for our young people. The same night, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts highlighted Clintons plan to provide free tuition for public colleges and universities. And the children of undocumented immigrants also spoke about their fears of Donald Trump and their confidence that Clinton would support them. Assistant Editor Alyson Klein contributed to this post. Photos: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton with vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, July 28; Clinton and Kaine after she finished her acceptance speech; the floor of the DNC the previous day; DNC attendees hold signs in favor of Clinton on Wednesday. (Deanna Del Ciello/Education Week) Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Russ Pry Summit County Executive Russ Pry (Gus Chan, Plain Dealer Publishing Co.) AKRON, Ohio -- Summit County Executive Russ Pry won't seek re-election this year so he can focus on battling colon cancer. Pry, who has led the county for nearly nine years, will fulfill the remainder of his term. The Summit County Democratic Party will nominate a candidate to run in Pry's place at a central committee meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 11 in the North High School auditorium. "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers remain focused on Executive Pry's recovery. We ask that all Summit County residents please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers," said Summit County Democratic Party Chair, Jeff Fusco in a statement. "We look forward to many more years working with him to improve the lives of people throughout the county." During his tenure, Pry focused on local economic development and was a key figure in keeping Bridgestone and Goodyear in Akron. He worked to bring community organizations together to save money and eliminate redundancies, consolidating building department operations with the city of Akron and other communities. Pry worked with 53 area agencies to establish and lead the county's early childhood initiative, First Things First. As chair of the Summit County Democratic Party, Pry has also mentored up-and-coming politicians. "Russ Pry has been a mentor, friend and confidant for 15 years," Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said in a statement. "This City and this County were lucky to have his strong, steady and capable leadership for as long as we did. We would not be the City we are today without him." 27FschoolA.jpg Amonica Davis of Beechwood and her children, from left, Naja, 8, John, 7, and Jalen, 5, shop for school supplies at the Target Store in University Heights in this Plain Dealer file photo. The National Retail Federation says spending on back-to-school and back-to-college items is expected to grow 11 percent this year, to $75.8 billion, a welcome boost for retailers heading into the holiday shopping season. (Bill Kennedy, Plain Dealer file) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio parents looking to make the most of back-to-school shopping budgets might want to save their lists for Aug. 5-7, when they can take advantage of extra savings during Ohio's second annual Sales Tax Holiday. That's when consumers will be able to buy clothing and shoes priced at $75 or less, or school supplies or instructional materials priced at $20 or less -- and skip the state and local sales tax. The popular event is the continuation of what was supposed to be a one-time-only promotion last August to jumpstart back-to-school shopping among Ohio retailers. "Ohio's second sales tax holiday, Aug. 5-7, will boost Ohio's retail sales this year, just as it did last year," Gordon Gough, president and chief executive of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, said in a statement. "Consumers looking for bargains know they can find them next Friday through Sunday. "The sales tax holiday became a mini-Black Friday in many communities, as consumer groups and school organizations across Ohio drove their members to the malls and stores to save money." Like last year's Sales Tax Holiday, which ended up generating $4.7 million in sales tax revenues statewide and saved taxpayers $3.3 million on $46.75 million worth of back-to-school purchases, the savings are available to everyone shopping at Ohio stores, not just families with schoolchildren. The event also generated an additional $4.7 million in tax revenues for Ohio from purchases of items that were not eligible for the discount, as well as buying from out-of-state visitors. Ohio is one of only 17 states offering a sales tax holiday for back-to-school shoppers, and just like last year, none of our neighboring states is offering anything similar. That, combined with the estimated $75.8 billion that families are expected to spend on back-to-school and off-to-college items (up 11 percent from last year), is expected to give apparel, shoe, school supply and consumer electronics stores a welcome boost heading into the holiday shopping season. The National Retail Federation anticipates that American families will spend an average of $674 per household on back-to-school, up from last year's $630, with most people hitting discount and department stores. Consumer Reports recommends that families take advantage of sales tax holidays to maximize their savings. "With the average family planning on spending more than $900 per kid on back-to-school shopping this year, those savings could really add up," the magazine said. "Even with the sales tax savings, it's easy to go over-budget on back-to-school shopping, so head to the stores with a list and don't feel pressured to buy every item on it right away. After school starts, you might find discounts that are worth more than what you'd save without the sales tax." Synchrony Financial says consumers have more confidence in their financial situations than they do in the economy as a whole, with 59 percent of parents saying they are "extremely" or "very confident" in their finances versus only 29 percent saying that about the U.S. economy. Moreover, 51 percent of parents and 67 percent of college students expect to shop for back-to-school items after Aug. 1. More than a third of families of children in kindergarten through 12th-grade and college students anticipate spending more on clothing, shoes and electronics this year, Synchrony said. When it comes to buying for college, families might start out looking for deals online or via mobile, but 65 percent of parents and 61 percent of college students buy what they need at brick-and-mortar stores. Almost 40 percent of students buy from nearby stores and take stuff to school. Ohio's Sales Tax Holiday runs from 12 a.m. Friday, Aug. 5, through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9. All retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar, that sell to Ohio consumers, will be excluding taxes from eligible purchases. Some retailers already are offering additional savings: Staples, the office supply retailer with 10 stores in Greater Cleveland, has the following deals that overlap with Ohio's Sales Tax Holiday: -- Buy a backpack and save 25 percent off school supplies, in-store and online, from now through Aug. 13. -- Bring in proof that a competitor is selling the same item for less, and Staples will match the price and give you an extra 10 percent off the difference. -- Buy a laptop, desktop or all-in-one personal computer, and get 30 days of free tech support. -- Staples is also offering 10 percent off your total in-store purchase Aug. 5-7 to customers who simply mention the extra discount. Not valid on gift cards, postage stamps, online orders, or with other coupons, discounts or promotions. OfficeDepot and OfficeMax stores are offering the following deals July 31-Aug. 6, while supplies last: -- 1-cent Elmer's pourable school glue, 4 ounces (with a minimum $5 purchase); -- 1-cent Office Depot brand 1-subject composition book (with a minimum $5 purchase); -- 25-cent Bic Round Stic Grip ballpoint pens, 12 pack (limit three); -- 25-cent Crayola broad line markers, 10 count (limit three); and -- a $399 Laptop Bundle, including an HP laptop, Microsoft Office 365, McAfee Internet Security, and Logitech M325 wireless mouse. Follow @janetcho Who tried to get Libertarian Charlie Earl off the Ohio ballot? A federal appeals court has ruled against the Ohio Libertarian Party in a lawsuit accusing the Secretary of State and others of conspiring against a candidate in the 2014 gubernatorial election. (File photo) CINCINNATI, Ohio -- A federal appeals court has upheld a Columbus judge's decision to throw out a lawsuit by Libertarians that accused Ohio's elections chief of conspiring to help Republican Gov. John Kasich win re-election in 2014. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled that the Ohio Libertarian Party has not presented any evidence to show that Secretary of State Jon Husted's office and the state's Republican Party conspired to keep a candidate off the ballot in the 2014 gubernatorial election. The appeals court's decision upholds a decision made in May by U.S. District Judge Michael Watson. The Libertarian Party of Ohio brought the suit Jon Husted and voter Greg Felsoci, claiming they were part of a scheme to selectively enforce Ohio election law and helped Kasich win another term. Libertarian Charlie Earl was seen as a potentially attractive alternative for those who may vote for Kasich, who later easily won re-election against former Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald. Felsoci filed a successful challenge against Earl that disqualified him from running. An Ohio Libertarian Party spokesman said a few weeks ago that none of its members will run for office in Ohio this year, as the party declined to apply for recognition as a minor party. The Associated Press contributed to this report. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A former Wayne County probation officer and former Montville police officer was indicted this week on charges of raping a 7-year-old girl while at University Hospital. A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted 34-year-old Carl Kannenberg Tuesday, charging him with four counts of rape in which he is accused of sexually assaulting the young girl several times. Three counts happened during an incident at University Hospital in February while his victim was wearing a hospital gown, according to the indictment. A fourth occurred prior to that at another location. Kannenberg, of Brunswick, was arrested July 12. He was not working at the hospital at the time the attacks occurred, but was visiting a patient there, Joe Frolik, spokesman for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office said. Hospital personnel helped report the incident to police, according to Frolik. "Patient safety is our highest priority. UH takes the safety of our patients very seriously," University Hospitals Spokeswoman Alicia Reale said. "We are continually refining and strengthening our protocols to maintain a safe environment for our patients and their families." The hospital did not have comment on the specific incident. Kannenberg was formerly employed as a police officer in Montville Township, Frolik said. Kannenberg left the Montville department in 2015 and was employed as a probation officer with Wayne County Municipal Court from August 2015 until March. Kannenberg is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 17. He did not return a voicemail left on his listed phone number. This article has been updated to include a response from University Hospitals, as well as to clarify that Kannenberg was charged with three counts of rape stemming from an incident at the hospital. ohio statehouse.jpg Some Ohio city and villages are still dealing with the impact of state tax and budget policy changes made over the last few years by lawmakers in the Statehouse. (Robert Higgs, cleveland.com) CLEVELAND, Ohio - The good news for the state budget outlook is that Ohio's rainy day fund has grown to more than $2 billion, including another $30 million deposited into the account this week. But not all is swell for many local governments still reeling from a series of state tax and budget decisions over the last few years that directly hurt their ability to deliver services. Could it be time now to revisit some of the policy changes that in part led to local tax hikes for residents of some cities and cuts for residents of other places to core services such as street repairs and garbage collections? As part of cleveland.com's ongoing series - Impact 2016: Where the cuts hurt most - we explore whether the growth in the rainy day fund might signal an opportunity for state lawmakers to consider coming to the aid of hurt villages and cities? Cleveland.com's Robert Higgs reported Wednesday how the rainy day fund has been replenished from near zero in 2011. Meanwhile, cleveland.com over the last few months has outlined how some cities have suffered at the same time and have blamed the state. Kent Scarrett, who represents Ohio's cities and villages as executive director of the Ohio Municipal League, said the growth in the rainy day fund illustrates what has not been a fair deal for cities. "Our cities and villages contributed to that state recovery" by absorbing cuts imposed by the state, Scarrett said. "But our local communities continue to struggle." But John Charlton, spokesman for the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, said the rainy day fund should be viewed as an insurance policy for both state and local governments going forward. "Given the fact that 85 cents of every dollar in the general revenue fund is passed along to locals, the Budget Stabilization Fund (rainy day savings account) is actually protecting communities should the economy unexpectedly turn sour," Charlton said an an emailed response. At least 38 cities and villages increased their local income tax rates in 2015 and 2016, including Cleveland Heights, Lyndhurst, Oberlin and Rocky River in Greater Cleveland, state records show. Others will seek voter approval of tax increases this fall, including: Athens, income tax from 1.65 percent to 1.85 percent Cleveland, income tax from 2 percent to 2.5 percent. Newark, income tax from 1.75 percent to 2 percent. South Euclid, a 5.75-mil property tax. Springfield, income from 2 percent to 2.4 percent. Local governments lost substantial money from two changes by the Republican-controlled legislature and Gov. John Kasich since 2011. The estate tax was abolished The Local Government Fund was cut about in half. The fund was Kasich administration officials have maintained that the cuts to local governments represented only a small share of local budgets; so it was unfair to blame the state for the problems some cities were experiencing. And they said many local governments needed to tighten their belts, as the state was doing. Some of the cuts helped the state first balance its budget and then to pay for cuts in state income tax rates the governor's office has maintained was good tax policy to stimulate the economy. Cleveland.com recently interviewed candidates statewide in races for open Ohio Senate seats, and found a majority favored at least exploring the issue of restoring some of the money cities have lost from the state. Scarrett said he has been hearing the same, even from officeholders. "I think the legislature is really starting to gravitate to the needs of infrastructure in our local governments," Scarrett said. "The framing continues to change. There may be a move away from giving back our local government revenue money, and more to the needs of our communities." Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner or see previous stories at cleveland.com/datacentral. East Cleveland police car.png Two East Cleveland police officers have been fired after it was determined they used excessive force against a robbery suspect, officials said Thursday. (File photo) EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An East Cleveland man said two former police officers took him to a local park and assaulted him while he was in custody, his attorney said. Jesse R. Nickerson, 28, of East Cleveland, is still recovering from the incident that led to the firings of officer Denayne Dixon and part-time officer Gerald Spencer II, defense attorney Heather McCollough said Thursday. "I don't know what his injuries were, exactly, but he appeared to be in a lot of pain," McCollough said following Nickerson's appearance Thursday in East Cleveland Municipal Court. East Cleveland Chief Michael Cardilli declined to comment on the incident but characterized the officers' conduct as "illegal and immoral activity." "Upon completing [an internal] investigation, I made a recommendation [to Mayor Gary Norton] that the two officers involved be terminated," he said. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is now reviewing the incident, Cardilli said. Neither Dixon nor Spencer could be reached for comment. The officers arrested Nickerson early Sunday while investigating a robbery on East 135th Street. Officers were on patrol at 2:19 a.m. when they spotted a 2000 BMW 5 matching the description of a car involved in the robbery, Dixon wrote in the police report. Three men exited the car when the officers arrived. Officers searched them but did not find any weapons. The officers found a handgun under the car, near where Nickerson was standing. All three men were arrested and taken to the East Cleveland Police Department, the report says. Nickerson told McCollough the officers took him to Forest Hill Park before taking him to the police station. The report does not mention a stop at the park. Nickerson is charged with receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence, carrying a concealed weapon and having weapons while under disability in the incident. Nickerson's bond was set at $50,000 during his arraignment Thursday in East Cleveland Municipal Court. He is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Dixon's and Spencer's personnel files -- which were released Thursday to cleveland.com -- do not show any prior incidents that resulted in discipline. Dixon has been with the department since October 2014 and was still in his probationary period, Cardilli said. Spencer joined the department in May 2015. If you'd like to comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section. the fixers logo jpg.jpg 'The Fixers' film series told the stories of Cleveland. As they were released, community screenings took place throughout the city. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- 'The Fixers' became the most iconic artistic response to the Republican National Convention, garnering continuous national media coverage during a week when all eyes were on Cleveland. It may also become its most enduring. But what happens to a piece of political art after a convention comes and goes; after the dust settles and the protests end? The series of six short films spearheaded by producer Kate Sopko lifted its name from the journalistic term 'fixer,' a local sought by outside media to help them shape their story. A fixer is meant to offer regional insider perspective and authenticity. With press flocking to Cleveland for the convention, the films documented the city through the eyes of individuals whose contributions often go overlooked. As out of town media fixated on narratives about a city on the rise, 'Fixers' asked whose stories were being left behind. Many of the subjects of 'Fixers' work in low-income neighborhoods, which are far from the heart of the convention's downtown core where most incoming journalists spent their days. Among them were education advocates, leaders in food access and young activists. But the project didn't end when the credits rolled. Screenings were held throughout the city, often accompanied by panel discussions that involved the subjects of the film. "At many of these screenings, you had everyday Clevelanders, you had international media and you had policy makers in the audience," says Sopko. "Seeing these people in rooms together is rare." 'Fixers' took film as an artistic medium and leveraged the power of politics. It was ultimately part art installation, part social experiment. The experiment worked. What began as a call-out to international media that important stories were going unheard soon became the story itself. Subjects featured in the films were being coveted by major outlets to tell their side. Panel discussions ended in audiences asking, "What can I do to help my community?" A community screening and discussion of 'The Fixers.' "I heard a lot of dialogue around the importance of the people who are most impacted by public policy decisions becoming leaders within those processes," says Sopko. "I saw a lot of insistence on turning those processes as we know them on their head because they're not working for people." During the screening at the Bop Stop, a jazz club along the Detroit Shoreway, Sopko says the audience questions turned to how to go beyond just offering thoughts and prayers when injustices occur. "I saw people asking of themselves, how do we really act in support of each others' needs?" she says. "I really think these are the pressing questions of our time and all of us have to individually engage with them. For this to create a conversation around a lot of those questions was really powerful." Beyond the local level Tanese Horton, the subject of the first 'Fixers' film, was also in the audience at the Bop Stop screening. It was there that she realized the impact of the project. "That's when it hit me," she remembers. "The audience said, 'I really want to do something.' It charged them up. You see what's happening from a different lens, and now we have to figure out how we can mobilize that energy to move toward positive action." Horton works at Harvey Rice Elementary School, one of Cleveland Metropolitan School District's schools using the wraparound method. The strategy involves schools addressing social service needs for children living in poverty, allowing kids to direct their entire focus toward education. "People who've seen the film are saying, 'This is great, how come it isn't in every school?'" says Horton. "Support can go beyond local, it can go beyond regional. It can go to state and federal." While Horton hopes that the film can serve as a model of what's working, she's content with starting small. She's already received sponsorship for one of their programs aimed at increasing student attendance rates. "Given this type of profile, it does bring wraparound schools to a new audience," says Horton. "I think that this is starting to get the attention it desperately needed in the beginning. Any avenue to bring it attention is going to be good." Tying it all together "I'm a cynic," admits Maria Miranda, the subject of the last 'Fixers' film to be released. Despite being a long-time women's health advocate, Miranda wasn't sure what to expect when Sopko approached her about the project. And she certainly didn't consider herself a fixer. She decided to direct her story to a topic that hits close to home: Cleveland's rate of infant mortality, which is one of the highest in the nation, particularly among black women. It was a fitting finale, which addressed how every aspect - and challenge - of a woman's life affects a healthy pregnancy. "When I have these conversations about infant mortality, it's also a conversation about the way a community treats a baby and the woman that has that baby," she says. She connected with midwife Susan Greene to examine Birthing Beautiful Communities, a doula service that provides free pregnancy assistance in Cleveland's hardest-hit neighborhoods. Instead of focusing on hurdles women face in obtaining assistance from established organizations, she decided to steer the film toward individual women making a difference. "It was more about what was working than what was wrong," says Miranda. Knowing that there was a chance this film may never be seen by policy makers was key to leaving healthcare institutions out of the equation. On the other hand, she says she questions whether they would have been the audience that could have led to change in the first place. "I worry, in a lot of ways, are we preaching to choir?" she asks. "It wasn't going to be RNC delegates coming to these screenings. Kate knew that. But can we build a critical mass of like-minded people around an issue? I think that can happen." Miranda's film screened at Stonebrook Montessori alongside another film spotlighting Fairfax/University Circle resident Vel Scott, who is educating communities about healthy food through cooking classes. "We spent at least an hour on an entire conversation about the connections between healthy eating and birth," says Miranda. Several people approached her afterwards asking how they can help. She offered ideas about volunteering at a birthing center or referring other women who may need assistance. Even a conversation can be progress, Miranda notes. If there's one word to describe 'Fixers,' she says it's a 'catalyst.' "As artists, we can't say we made a film and now we're done," she says. "That would be doing a disservice to the creative process. We're obligated to keep it alive." During Cleveland's moment in the spotlight, 'Fixers' reminded us that there shouldn't be a tale of two cities divided by the stories we're told and those left unheard. It challenged both outside media and our own residents to dig deeper, and at the same time, it bridged not only stories, but people. First Year Cleveland to combat infant mortality Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson at the launch of First Year Cleveland in December. The group now has a fiscal agent in Case Western Reserve University, which has pledged in-kind support in the form of office space, legal and staff expertise and help with grant seeking, report writing and other financial functions. (Lisa DeJong/The Plain Dealer) (Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Case Western Reserve University will act as the money manager for Cleveland's newly launched infant mortality initiative, First Year Cleveland, the university announced this week. First Year Cleveland, a city-county initiative designed to reduce the region's high infant mortality rate, has about $5 million in support from state, city and county sources. Dr. Michael Konstan, vice chair for clinical research in the Department of Pediatrics, said Case's relationships with the region's major hospital systems and its academic and medical expertise make it an obvious choice to take on the role. "We have the expertise and the leadership that's required to make this a success," he said. As fiscal agent for the next three years, Case is providing about $450,000 worth of support to the effort in the form of office space, equipment and the time of three School of Medicine staff members, including Konstan; Elizabeth Littman, senior director of government relations and strategic initiatives; and David Silvaggio, director of operations in the department of pediatrics. The Case staff will help design First Year Cleveland from the ground up, assisting with operating and staffing plans, and with the recruitment and hire of an executive director and other staff members. Case's Office of General Counsel will also provide legal assistance. The university will process and disburse all the grants and awards the initiative receives, assist in writing progress reports for grants, prepare financial reports and help the initiative with data analysis. Providing these services takes pressure off grant recipients, Konstan said. "The amount of [grant] reporting that's required takes a considerable amount of time," he said. "This allows them to focus on what they need to focus on." First Year Cleveland was launched in December, the brainchild of City Council President Kevin Kelley. Since its launch, an advisory group composed of local political, health and foundation leaders, has been meeting regularly to appoint membership to the initiative, develop its mission, and determine its structure and location. Case's appointment as fiscal agent is the first step the group has taken to define its structure. First Year Cleveland has about $500,000 in support from the City of Cleveland, and $1.5 million from Cuyahoga County. In June, the partnership received $3 million from the state department of Medicaid to support home visiting, group prenatal care and local fatherhood programs. Case will now help disburse this money, and will also seek more grant funding, Konstan said. "It's really going to take a lot of funding if we're going to make a dent in this problem," he said. Cleveland has averaged about 13 infant deaths per 1,000 live births over the past five years. That's more than twice the national average. In Cuyahoga County, 122 babies died in 2014 before reaching a first birthday. Infant mortality is defined as the death of a live-born baby before his or her first birthday. The infant mortality rate is calculated as the number of such deaths per 1,000 live births. The region also has an alarmingly high disparity -- or gap -- in the rate of infant deaths between white and black communities. Black babies born in the area are more than twice as likely to die before the age of one than white babies. The rate of infant death among babies born to black mothers in Cleveland was more than 15 in 2012. The county didn't fare much better, at 14.51 infant deaths per 1,000 live births that year. Konstan, a pediatrician, said the university has a moral obligation to be part of changing these numbers. "I've been in the [neonatal intensive care unit] taking care of some of these babies," he said. "Here we have these nationally prominent health institutions and in our backyard we have what many people would call a travesty." Case's Dean, Pamela Davis, echoed Konstan's words, calling it "a matter of social justice." "We have taken a number of steps at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine to help end massive health disparities such as this and are honored to add our knowledge and skills to this enormously important cause," she said in a news release. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man is accused of shooting a gas station employee because he refused to sell him beer. Efrain Cruz, 48, is charged with two counts of felonious assault. His bond was set Thursday at $200,000 during his first court appearance. His case was bound over to a Cuyahoga County grand jury. Cruz about 10 p.m. Monday walked into the Sunoco gas station on West 14th Street and Clark Avenue and tried to buy two cans of beer. The 30-year-old employee refused to sell him the beer because he was already drunk and didn't have enough money to buy them any way, gas station owner Nick Zayed. Cruz became irate and argued with the employee. The employee grabbed the beers off the counter and the two men fought inside the store. Cruz left and returned seven minutes later with a gun, surveillance video shows. He walked around the counter and the employee opened the door to the bulletproof booth. Cruz pulled out his gun and shot the employee once in the shoulder and twice in the stomach. The employee continued fighting the man. He grabbed the customer's hand that was still holding the gun and kept him from shooting him again. The video shows Cruz waving the gun around and sometimes pointed at the man's face. A second employee struck Cruz it. He grabbed the gun and threw him to the ground. At one point, the employee grabbed his own gun but didn't fire a shot. The second employee shoved Cruz out of the store. The video shows the first employee pacing around with blood on his shirt behind the counter as he called police. During the call, he fell backward and collapsed. He was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center for treatment. He suffered a collapsed lung and was hospitalized. The man left the store and drove to MetroHealth about 10:30 p.m. for an unrelated incident, police said. A hospital police officer walked up to Cruz in the parking lot. Cruz grabbed the officer by her arm and tried to punch her, according to court records. Cruz and the officer fell to the ground. Cruz got on top of her and choked her to the point the officer couldn't breathe and nearly blacked out, court records say. Cruz is charged with felonious assault in connection with an attack on the officer. Cruz's criminal history includes a 1996 conviction for bashing a man in the head and arm with a tire iron during a New Year's Day celebration in the 4500 block of Storer Avenue. The victim needed three stitches. Cruz was sentenced to six months in prison for aggravated assault. He also has convictions of drug possession, attempted possession of a weapon as a felon and attempted grand theft since 1987. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section. A Louisville, Ky., high school has retreated from a dress code policy that would have banned cornrows, twists, and dreadlockshairstyles commonly worn by African-Americans. The decision to suspend the dress code policy came on Friday, days after the mother of a Butler Traditional High School student publicized the policy on Twitter. Soooo...my daughter had registration today and lets just say shes not happy abt the #JCPS no natural hair policy. pic.twitter.com/ApPDyv3sbo -- Attica Scott (@atticascott) July 27, 2016 The policy also banned hairstyles that were extreme, distracting or attention-getting. In addition to prohibiting cornrows (which the document referred to as cornrolls), twists, and dreadlocks, Mohawks and two-toned hair were also no-nos. Boys were also expected to wear their hair at a reasonable length, no longer than the top of their collar, according to post. Attica Scott, the parent, told the Courier-Journal that the policy was discriminatory against students who chose to wear their hair naturally. I dont understand why were going to focus on something like natural hair styles when we should be focused on education, Scott told the paper. They specifically outlined hairstyles that are worn most by black kids. To me, this stinks of institutional racism. Scotts Tweet prompted a number of responses, some of which questioned the policys legality. The ACLU of Kentucky also weighed in. In KY, the states RFRA may provide students an alternative path to challenge dress code requirements that burden their religious beliefs -- ACLU of Kentucky (@ACLUofKY) July 28, 2016 Singling out culturally specific hairstyles may send a signal to students of color that their very being is a distraction in the classroom -- ACLU of Kentucky (@ACLUofKY) July 28, 2016 We should all be able to agree that all students should be respected for who they are. -- ACLU of Kentucky (@ACLUofKY) July 28, 2016 At a hastily-called meeting on Friday, the schools governing council suspended the policy. .@BTHS_Bears Principal: Today, Im proposing we immediately suspend the entire section of our dress code policy about student hair. -- JCPS (@JCPSKY) July 29, 2016 In the wake of the backlash, superintendent Donna Hargens asked other school councils to examine their dress code policies, the Courier-Journal reported. She said the district will provide guidance to schools to ensure their policies are not obtrusive, do not conflict with board policy and most importantly do not infringe on the many cultures embraced across our school district, according to the paper. Image by Getty CLEVELAND, Ohio - The solemn words rose in the North Madison Cemetery, through drooping pine branches to the gray skies overhead where clouds seemed to hang in monochromatic melancholy for the occasion. "We are here to remember an American hero, Private First Class Albert L. Shimek," said Mike Evangelista, commander of the Madison Community Funeral Team, the group you call to salute the military's fallen in Lake County. The team and a small group of about 15 spectators and Shimek family members remembered the 28-year-old soldier who may have been the first native Ohioan killed during the war in Vietnam, on April 10, 1964, in a helicopter crash. Not everyone knows about that distinction because he was living in Texas when he enlisted, and that's the home state listed with his name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. But the people who gathered at the cemetery Thursday knew that Pfc. Shimek was born in Painesville and raised in Madison with four brothers and two sisters before heading for the Lone Star state. They'd come to the cemetery for a re-dedication, of sorts, for a new gravestone for Shimek, replacing the old one that had sunk into the ground, nearly buried beneath pine needles and bushes, as visibly overlooked as the soldier who served his country twice. Shimek did a stint as a truck driver with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After the military he returned to truck driving until disaster struck, prompting Shimek to enlist in the Army as a medical corps instructor. Richard Shimek, 81, of Painesville Township, recalled at the cemetery that when he heard that his brother had re-joined the military, "I told him that I thought he was an idiot. I said you're going to get your butt shot up over there. "He said, 'I had five children run up underneath my trailer (in a car). They were killed. They were high school students.' He said, 'I don't want to hurt nobody no more.' He said, 'I'm going to be a medic. I'm going to teach these guys how to take care of the wounded.' "I said, well, good luck on it." They were close - as little kids. "We played cowboys and Indians together, and we played in the dirt under the front porch" on their farm, Shimek recalled. He described his brother as a "character" and an "imp." He recalled that when the brothers started rolling corn silk into newspaper for homemade cigarettes, Albert had to smoke the real thing. Shimek said their father found out and figured he'd teach Albert an object lesson. After smoking half of a fat cigar, he handed the other half to Albert and told him to finish it, figuring the boy would smoke himself sick. But, according to Shimek, Albert smoked it down, prompting his father to shake his head and reluctantly say, "Well, if you're going to smoke, don't burn down the house." As they grew older, there was some distance between the brothers. "Albert was a rolling stone," Shimek said. "I try to be peaceable and he always tried to be antagonistic. The last time I saw him before he got killed, we got in a fight." When he heard of his brother's loss, Shimek said he was shocked. "Oh yeah, because he had only been there 10 days." He knew there was always that possibility in a shooting war. He said he'd told his brother, "You're going where they're hurting people. You don't need to be there. You put in your time in Korea. "He said, 'That's what I want to do.'" Shimek said his brother had a day off and volunteered to be a door gunner on a helicopter ferrying South Vietnamese troops. According to varying accounts, the helicopter crashed either as a result of an accident, its tail boom separating in flight, or was brought down by enemy gunfire. His niece, Chris Bunner, of Geneva, remembered at the cemetery that whenever Uncle Al dropped by, it was always "just a big party time. He smoked like a chimney, but he was just a sweetheart." Glancing at the new gravestone, she said, "I love it. They did a wonderful job. They went above and beyond." The effort to replace the old stone started with her brother, Larry Cole, who took the project to Jim Belding of Jim Belding Monuments in Madison. Belding dug out the former government-issued stone, set it on a base, and added engravings that noted how Shimek was killed, and recognized his service in both the Army and Air Force. A photo of Shimek in uniform was added, plus a poem: I put my life on the line for you. What are you going to do? Life is short. Live it. Love is rare. Grab it. Anger is bad. Dump it. Fear is awful. Face it. Memories are sweet. Cherish it. At the cemetery, Belding said that like others, he was unaware of Shimek's distinction as possibly Ohio's first death in Vietnam. When he got the new gravestone job and learned about Shimek, Belding said, "I Google'd it and found out he was actually forgotten . . . Just the way he enlisted. Everything was not acknowledged." Bedling said the new stone was paid for through his own donation of time and work, plus donations from the family and others. "It was a lot of energy and a lot of efforts from a lot of different areas," he said. Shimek's brother was pleased with the results. "They did an awesome job," he said. "I'm just flabbergasted, the effort they put into it. It's amazing." But he was a bit overwhelmed, to the point of tears, by the ceremony. "It shook me up," he said. "Worse than the first (burial ceremony). That was pretty numbing but this is just, I don't know, I wasn't prepared for this. Of course, you never are, are you?" And as the last echoes of the bagpipe and rifle salute faded into the pines, Shimek let his mind drift to the things that once were, and would never be again. "Sure, I miss him," he said. "I miss all my brothers and sisters. There's only three of us left. "It'd be nice to sit down with him . . . nice to sit down with my family and talk like (when) we sat around the dinner table in the evening," he added. "Yeah, that would be so cool." CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Republican National Convention might be gone, but downtown Cleveland is preparing for another crowd tonight. A free public fireworks show and orchestra concert, a VeloSano kickoff party, as well as post-game fireworks at the Indians game should make for a bustling city. The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee is throwing a weekend-long celebration to thank the community for its support during the RNC. The festivities begin tonight with the Star-Spangled Spectacular - a concert by the Cleveland Orchestra performed to fireworks - in Public Square. The free Orchestra concert typically is held during the Fourth of July weekend, but instead will be tonight as part of the convention-ending party. The concert, which was held on Mall B last year, will return to its normal location - on Public Square. (Photo: Cleveland Orchestra) The annual event last year drew a crowd of about 12,000. Add to that an expected near sellout crowd of 30,000 as the Indians kick off a home series against Oakland, and downtown should be a busy place. And a few blocks away on Mall B, there will be a VeloSano kickoff party starting at 4 p.m. The Indians game starts at 7:10 p.m., and the Star-Spangled Spectacular begins at 9 p.m. However, there will be pre-concert activities, food trucks and a jumbotron presentation starting at 6 p.m. on Public Square. Road closures Starting at 4 p.m. today, Public Square and the following roads will be closed: Superior Avenue from West 3rd Street to East 6th Street Ontario Street from Prospect to St. Clair Avenue West Roadway from Rockwell to Euclid Avenue East Roadway from Euclid Avenue to Rockwell Avenue Rockwell Avenue from West Mall Drive to West Roadway Euclid Avenue from East 4th to West Roadway RTA detours A number of RTA bus and trolley routes will be detoured during tonight's events. RTA spokesperson Linda Krecic said RTA will have extra staff at Tower City and other major stations to assist riders, and will be selling $5 all day passes at the busiest stations. Extra train service will be available as needed to help with crowds. #1: St. Clair Westbound: Regular route to St. Clair and Ontario, continue on St. Clair, left on West 3rd, right on Superior to regular layover. Eastbound: Regular route. #1: St. Clair (starting at 7 p.m.) Westbound: Regular route to St. Clair and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on Lakeside left on Ontario, right on St. Clair, left on West 3rd, right on Superior and layover. Eastbound: Regular route to St. Clair and Ontario, left on Ontario, right on Lakeside right on East 6th, left on St. Clair returning to regular route. #3: Superior #38: Hough Westbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on St. Clair, left on West 3rd, right on Superior, to regular layover. Eastbound: Regular route to St. Clair and West 3rd, continue on St. Clair, right on East 6th, left on Superior returning to regular route. #3: Superior (Starting 7:00 PM) #38: Hough (Starting 7:00 PM) Westbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on Lakeside, Left on Ontario, right on St. Clair, left on West 3rd, right on Superior and layover. Eastbound: Regular route to St. Clair and West 3rd, continue on St. Clair, left on Ontario, Right on Lakeside, right on East 6th, left on Superior returning to regular route. #8: Cedar - E 116 Westbound: Regular route. Eastbound: From West Prospect layover, left on West 6th, right on Huron, right on Superior, right on West Prospect, continue Prospect returning to regular route. #11: Quincy - Buckeye Westbound: Regular route to Prospect and Ontario, continue on West Prospect, cross over Superior to West 6th, right on St. Clair, right on West 3rd and layover. Eastbound: From West 3rd, right on Superior, left on West Prospect, continue Prospect returning to regular route. #14: Kinsman #15: Union - Harvard Westbound: Regular route to Prospect and Ontario, continue on West Prospect, cross over Superior to West 6th, right on St. Clair, left on Ontario returning to regular route. Eastbound: Regular route to West 3rd and Superior, right on Superior, left on West Prospect, continue Prospect returning to regular route. #14: Kinsman (Starting 7:00 PM) #15: Union - Harvard (Starting 7:00 PM) Westbound: Regular route to Prospect and Ontario, continue on West Prospect, cross over Superior to West 6th, right on St. Clair, left on Ontario to Lakeside and East 6th Layover on Lakeside. Eastbound: From Lakeside an East 6th, continue on Lakeside right on East 9th, right on St. Clair, right on East 6th, left on Lakeside, left on Ontario, right on St. Clair left on West 3rd, right on Superior, left on West Prospect, Prospect returning to regular route. #19: Broadway - Miles Westbound: Regular route to Ontario and Prospect, left on Prospect, cross over Superior to West 6th, right on St. Clair left on Ontario returning to regular route. Eastbound: Regular route to West 3rd and Superior, right on Superior, left on West Prospect, right on Ontario returning to regular route. #19: Broadway - Miles (Starting 7:00 PM) Westbound: Regular route to Ontario and Prospect, left on Prospect, cross over Superior to West 6th, right on St. Clair left on Ontario right on Lakeside, layover on Lakeside at West 6th. Eastbound: From Lakeside an East 6th, continue on Lakeside right on East 9th, right on St. Clair, right on East 6th, left on Lakeside, left on Ontario, right on St. Clair left on West 3rd, right on Superior, left on West Prospect, right on Ontario returning to regular route. #22: Lorain Ave. #26: Detroit #45: Ridge #51-A-B-C: West 25 Westbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on St. Clair, left on West 3rd, right on Superior returning to regular route. Eastbound: Regular route to Superior and West 3rd, left on West 3rd, right on St. Clair, right on East 6th, left on Superior returning to regular route. #22: Lorain Ave. (Square Trips) #26: Detroit (Square Trips) #45: Ridge (Square Trips) #51-A-B-C: West 25 (Square Trips) Westbound: From West 3rd layover, right on Superior returning to regular route. Eastbound: Regular route to Superior and West 6th, left on West 6th, right on St. Clair, right on West 3rd and layover. #39: Lakeshore #239: Euclid Park-N-Ride Eastbound: Regular route to West Prospect and Ontario, right on Ontario, right on Huron, Right on Superior left on West 6th, right on St. Clair returning to regular route. Westbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th left on St. Clair, left on West 6th, cross Superior to West Prospect to layover. #53F: Broadview - North Royalton Westbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on St. Clair, left on West 6th, cross Superior to West Prospect returning to regular route. #55-A-B-C: Cleveland State Line Eastbound: Regular route to West 3rd and St. Clair, left on St. Clair, right on East 6th, left on Superior returning to regular route. Westbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on St. Clair, right on Ontario returning to regular route. #55-A-B-C: Cleveland State Line (Starting at 7:00 PM) Eastbound: Regular route to Lakeside and West 3rd, continue on Lakeside, right on East 6th left on Superior returning to regular route. Westbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on Lakeside returning to regular route. #76: Broadway - Turney Northbound: Regular route to Ontario and Prospect, left on Prospect, cross over Superior to West 6th, right on St. Clair, right on East 6th, left on Superior returning to regular route. Southbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on St. Clair, left on West 6th, cross Superior to West Prospect, right on Ontario returning to regular route. #76: Broadway - Turney (Square Trips) Northbound: Regular route to Prospect and Ontario, left on West Prospect, cross over Superior to West 6th, right on St. Clair, right on West 3rd and layover. Southbound: From West 3rd layover, right on Superior left on West Prospect, right on Ontario returning to regular route. #77F: Brecksville #90F: Broadway - Libby Northbound: Regular route to Prospect and Ontario, continue on West Prospect, cross Superior to West 6th, right on St. Clair returning to regular route. Southbound: Regular route to St. Clair and Ontario, continue on St. Clair, left on West 6th, cross Superior to West Prospect, continue Prospect returning to regular route. #77F: Brecksville (Square Trips) #90F: Broadway - Libby (Square Trips) Northbound: Regular route to Prospect and Ontario, continue West Prospect, left on West 6th, right on Huron, right on Superior, right on West Prospect and layover. Southbound: From layover, continue West Prospect, Prospect returning to regular route. #79A-B: Fulton Northbound: Regular route to Superior and West 6th, left on West 6th, right on St. Clair, left on East 6th, to regular layover. Southbound: Regular route to St. Clair and Ontario, right on St. Clair, left on West 3rd, right on Superior returning to regular route. #79A-B: Fulton (Square Trips) Westbound: From West 3rd layover, right on Superior returning to regular route. Eastbound: Regular route to Superior and West 6th, left on West 6th, right on St. Clair, right on West 3rd and layover. #81: Tremont - Storer Westbound: From West 3rd, right on Superior returning to regular route. Eastbound: Regular route to Superior, and West 6th, left on West 6th, right on St. Clair, right on West 3rd and layover. #246: Westlake Park-N-Ride #263: North Olmsted Park-N-Ride Westbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on St. Clair, left on West 6th returning to regular route. #251: Strongsville Park-N-Ride Southbound: Regular route to Superior and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on St. Clair left on West 6th returning to regular route. HealthLine Westbound: Regular route to Euclid and East 14th, left on East 14th, right on Prospect, left on Ontario, right on Huron, right on Superior, right on West Prospect and layover. Eastbound: From West Prospect, continue Prospect, left on East 14th, right on Euclid returning to regular route. E-Line Trolley Eastbound: Regular route to West 6th and Superior, cross Superior to West Prospect, continue Prospect, right on East 21st to STJ. Westbound: From 22nd and Prospect, left on Prospect, continue West Prospect, left Superior returning to regular route. E-Line Trolley (Starting at 7 p.m.) Eastbound: Regular route to West 6th and Superior, cross Superior to West Prospect, continue Prospect, right on East 21st to STJ. Westbound: From 22nd and Prospect, left on Prospect, continue West Prospect, left Superior returning to regular route. B-Line Trolley Counter-Clockwise Only: Regular route to West 6th and Superior, left on St. Clair, left on West 3rd, right on East 6th, left on East 12th, left on Lakeshore returning to regular route. B-Line Trolley (starting at 7 p.m.) Counter-Clockwise Only: Regular route to West 6th and St. Clair, left on St. Clair, left on East 12th, left on Lakeshore returning to regular route. C-Line Trolley Counter-Clockwise Only: Regular route to West 6th and Superior cross Superior to West Prospect, continue Prospect, left on East 9th, right on Euclid, Regular route to St. Clair and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on Lakeside, left on Ontario, right on St. Clair returning to regular route. C-Line Trolley (starting at 7 p.m.) Counter-Clockwise Only: Regular route to West 6th and Superior cross Superior to West Prospect, continue Prospect, left on East 9th, right on Euclid, regular route to St. Clair and East 6th, right on East 6th, left on Lakeside, left on Ontario, right on St. Clair returning to regular route. Clark County, the nations fifth-largest school district, has long struggled to fill vacant teaching positions before the start of each the school year. But it looks like the district might be getting a handle on its perennial teacher shortage. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journa l, district officials told the Nevada Board of Education recently that it now has only 370 teacher-vacancies to fill before the school year gets underway. Thats down from 700 in June. If those numbers still seem high, consider this: Last July, the district had more than 1,000 teaching slots to fill, according to the Review-Journal. The district has tried a number of ways to attract new teachers , including holding out-of-state and virtual job fairs; launching a slick marketing campaign last year, dubbed Calling All Heroes ; and offering financial incentives. One such incentive is geared toward keeping teachers in low-income schools, the paper reported. Clark Countys chief recruitment officer, Mike Gentry, told the board of education that the recruitment strategy also included reaching out to teachers on social media, including Facebook. The districts teacher-staffing woes has roots in years of rising student enrollment, retirements, and not enough new teachers graduating from education schools in Nevada and, to some extent, nationwide. The Review-Journal noted that state board of education members saw the districts hiring data as a step in the right direction, though they were restrained in their praise. Its consoling to see that we are finally starting to address this, Elaine Wynn, the state board of education president, was quoted as saying. Related stories: By allowing the debate to focus on what schools can do for us and not what we can do for schools, we create an argument that schools can only lose. John Hattie Finland. For years its all we have heard about in the world of education. For good reason, because not only do they outperform us on international assessments, but more importantly their teachers are highly thought of in their country. Additionally, students seem to seamlessly walk in to Finnish classrooms and begin reading when they want to, and continue that love of reading throughout life. After all, according to this Guardian article , Finland is ranked the most literate nation in the world. The article goes on to explain the ranking, Rather than measuring a country's ability to read, the World's Most Literate Nations says it ranks nations on their "literate behaviours and their supporting resources". It set out to look at data from 200 countries, drawing from sources ranging from Unesco to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)." In other rankings, such as this one by the World Atlas , Finland has a literacy rate of 100% and ranks at the top of 25 of the most literate countries. The United States doesnt make the list of the top 25, which has made Finland a very desirable nation to learn about. For years it has made us wonder how we can be like them. What do they do to be at the top year after year? Scores of educators go over to visit the country every year to find out. Many educators wonder what can we do to prove that we are just as good as they are in providing the best education to our students, and there are a plethora of books, articles and blogs on the topic. But we seem to read what we want to read and hear what we want to hear. I worry we will never get to the top spot because we spend our time (politicians, leaders, educators) looking for easy fixes, and try to do too much at the surface level without ever going deep. If we want to be more like Finland and offer the educational opportunities they seem to offer to so many in their country, then we need to change the dialogue we are having around education in our own country, fund it with equity, and focus on the social-emotional aspect of learning as well. We shame and blame when they seem to foster growth and stay positive. If we want to be more like them, we have a few things we need to fix, and those are: The way we talk about teachers - Those who can...do, and those who cant...teach. We have all heard that statement over and over again. It has been used against us, and has led to the degradation of the teaching profession. In this recent guest blog in the Huffington Post , international educational systems expert Andy Hargreaves writes, Teaching will become more prestigious if it is publicly valued. It will attract more candidates if they can see this as a true profession where they will be supported to develop and grow over many years, rather than a version of the Peace Corps that puts them on the urban frontline to champion change all by themselves." Who wants to enter into a profession where the rhetoric is focused on the negative? Teachers have the power to change minds and futures of students, and we should honor that. In John Hatties research, he found that teacher-student relationships have an effect size of .72 which is well over the hinge point of .40 that can lead to a years worth of growth in a years time. However, we also know that there are teachers who have a low level of self-efficacy, which leads them to believe that they dont have an impact on student learning. Creating as much positive dialogue around the benefits of being a teacher could go a long way to negate the negative rhetoric that has been out there. The way we talk about students - We label students at the same time we tell them to have a growth mindset. That growth mindset seems to be needed more to combat the way we make students feel when they dont learn something the first time around...or worse...when they dont get a high enough score on a test that only politicians and policy makers seem to want to focus on. In the Huffington Post article, Hargreaves goes on to write, In Ontario, over 40% of students come from families born outside Canada, yet these students far outperform their counterparts in the US. As one of our US team members observed, when students in his former US turnaround district struggled in math, they were just drilled in more and more math until they couldn't bear math any longer. But in Canada, these struggling students also get support for their overall wellbeing so they are more ready and eager to learn math and everything else." That support with their social-emotional health will help them with their growth mindset as they struggle through not learning something the first time. Additionally, maybe we need to look at why they arent learning it and reflect on whether its them or our teaching strategy. The way we value (or dont) education - This last one is sort of a culmination of the first two. And sadly, its very subtle how we devalue education. Take summer for example. We all love it and its been a time to refresh. Summer symbolizes freedom among many students and adults, but when school is around the corner we begin seeing television commercials that focus on how awful it is to go back to school. In those commercials we see happy parents and frowning students. We seem to care more about what we wear and the backpacks we carry than we do about the excitement of school and the importance of getting a quality education. It wasnt so long ago when President Obama received criticism for wanting to give a back to school speech in his first term as President and many people berated him for wanting to put out a positive message about school. We need to have dialogue around how important education is, and less dialogue around what we wear and carry to school. In the End Sure, we want to be like Finland but we seem to want their results without putting in the work to get there. That work involves working collaboratively in our school communities. We need less drill, kill and bubble fill, and more of a focus on learning. We need to have a more authentic understanding of what we want out of our education system. Finland doesnt get caught up in the test scores, as much as they focus on understanding what progress looks like, and creating a love for learning and a respect for education among their students and families. That seems to be the thing we think of the least in the US. Peter DeWitt, Ed.D. is the author of several books including Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students (2012. Corwin Press) and the forthcoming Collaborative Leadership: 6 Influences That Matter Most (2016. Corwin Press). Connect with Peter on Twitter . Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. China and Russia will hold "routine" naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, adding that the drills were aimed at strengthening their cooperation and were not aimed at any other country. The exercises come at a time of heightened tension in the contested waters after an arbitration court in The Hague ruled this month that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea and criticized its environmental destruction there. China rejected the ruling and refused to participate in the case. "This is a routine exercise between the two armed forces, aimed at strengthening the developing China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership," China's defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a regular monthly news conference. "The exercise is not directed against third parties." China and Russia are veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council, and have held similar views on many major issues such as the crisis in Syria, putting them at odds with the United States and Western Europe. Last year, they held joint military drills in the Sea of Japan and the Mediterranean. White House spokesman Josh Earnest played down the significance of the exercises even though he conceded that the South China Sea was "a sensitive diplomatic topic right now". Newtown, Conn., will open a new Sandy Hook Elementary School Friday, providing public tours of a new building constructed on the site of the 2012 school shootings that remain a centerpiece of discussions about school safety in the United States . The $50 million cost of the pre-k-through-4th grade school was covered by state funds, the Hartford Courant reports. We are very grateful to the taxpayers of Connecticut for giving our town the funding to build this school, Newtown First Selectman Patricia Llodra said in a statement to the paper. Our goal was to create a place of community and learning, a place that would honor those we lost and allow those who were left behind the chance to move forward. I hope everyone who comes to see this new building takes away from it these ideals. The town previously razed the old building where a gunman killed 20 children, six adults, and himself . To protect the privacy of a still-grieving community and to prevent pieces of the building from being sold, organizers shielded the site from public view with large screens and required demolition workers to sign non-disclosure agreements that would prevent them from taking materials off-site. Public interest in the town and the project has remained high since the shootings even as residents have worked to restore a sense of normalcy. A board formed to oversee the rebuiliding processed opted to build a memorial to the shootings off of school grounds, architects Svigals + Partners said on a project website. And creating a new building, complete with safety upgrades and asbestos removal, was ultimately less expensive than it would have been to upgrade the old building, a project description said. The new building, created with community input, incorporates childrens artwork, upgraded safety features, and tree-themed features like sculptural branches that reach toward high ceilings. Rendering: Svigals + Partners Related reading about the Newtown shootings and school safety: Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. "Those sales are coming out of the hides of other, more traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, and it might just be pretty much a zero-sum game," Cramer said. However, retail told a much different story about the American consumer when Amazon reported. The online giant reported a 31 percent increase in sales and blew away earnings. "You lose the auto industry, you're losing a major prop to the economy," the " Mad Money " host said. The market was thrown for a loop on Thursday when Ford Motor Company confirmed in its earnings report that the consumer is stalling, and so is the auto cycle. Ford stock fell by more than 8 percent in response. The inconsistency is maddening, and that is why you can have such incredibly inconsistency in the stock market itself. Overall mall traffic might be down, but it was clear to Cramer that the consumer has become very bargain conscious. This explains the rally in stocks like Dollar Tree , Dollar General , Ross Stores and TJX . Or perhaps the consumer is just spending differently? Cramer was shocked by the strength Universal Theme Parks, owned by Comcast , which were extraordinarily strong. "The inconsistency is maddening, and that is why you can have such incredible inconsistency in the stock market itself," Cramer said. He found the same dichotomy in the supermarkets. Whole Foods reported a disappointing quarter, with same-store sales dropping 2.6 percent. Usually that would indicate that the consumer isn't spending. But on its conference call Whole Foods co-CEO John Mackey discussed the company slowing the expansion of new stores to avoid cannibalization. It also has seen increased competition from Wegmans and Kroger , which indicated to Cramer that perhaps people are just shopping somewhere else. Ultimately it is too hard for Cramer to get the pulse of the consumer, and it seems the averages are also having difficulty. "Without a strong consumer, this market simply won't be able to sustain these heights, but if the consumer is still spending, just at different places, than the averages could still go higher," Cramer said. He anticipates that stocks will continue to bounce back and forth until investors figure out if the consumer is strong or weak. Until then, there is no place in between. Disclosure: Comcast is the owner of NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC and CNBC.com. watch now Jim Cramer has run out of superlatives to describe just how amazing Facebook is. Somehow this $357 billion company can still generate accelerating revenue growth and 58 percent gross margins. In Cramer's opinion, Facebook is on a different plane than everyone else. Shares of Facebook initially skyrocketed to $128 at the open on Thursday but pared gains to $125 by market close. With such an amazing quarter, how could this be possible? "We have seen bouts of selling after great quarters before. I suggest you use the weakness to buy the stock, because I can see Facebook rolling toward $160 over time, which is where it starts to get classically expensive on an earnings basis," the "Mad Money" host said. The biggest takeaway for Cramer? Facebook isn't just technology. It is a mobile identity for people. Just as people cannot go without food, they probably can't go without Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and chief executive officer of Facebook Inc. Tony Avelar | Bloomberg | Getty Images Consumers are driving Cramer crazy. The market was thrown for a loop on Thursday when Ford Motor Company confirmed in its earnings report that the consumer is stalling, and so is the auto cycle. Ford stock fell by more than 8 percent in response. "You lose the auto industry, you're losing a major prop to the economy," Cramer said. However, retail told a much different story about the American consumer when Amazon reported. The online giant reported a 31 percent increase in sales and blew away earnings. "Those sales are coming out of the hides of other, more traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, and it might just be pretty much a zero-sum game," Cramer said. Another company that played into the paradigm of retail was Tanger Factory Outlet Centers , which has defied the odds of the shopping mall by offering bargains to shoppers. Hence, the stock is up more than 26 percent for the year. Tanger reported after the close on Tuesday and delivered a top and bottom line beat, while also raising its full-year outlook for 2016. Cramer noted that for most of bricks-and-mortar retail, there are too many stores. However, when it comes to off-priced outlets, there aren't enough. Tanger is a real estate investment trust that owns 43 upscale shopping centers in the U.S. Cramer spoke with its CEO Steve Tanger, who explained why re-tenanting is so lucrative. This refers to the process of bringing in the best brand names that can pay higher rent because they have higher sales volumes. "Part of our skill set is identifying the new hot retailers, educating them on the success of the outlets as a distribution channel, and then installing their first stores and rolling them out," Tanger said. Amazon's website Indranil Bhoumik | Mint | Getty Images PHILADELPHIA The Muslim-immigrant father of a U.S. Army captain killed in the Iraq War lashed out at Donald Trump, saying: "You have sacrificed nothing and no one" for the U.S. Holding a Constitution while speaking on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Khizr Khan told the audience that "Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims." "He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy." A man walks past floral tributes and a note including a picture of French priest Jacques Hamel, killed on July 26 in the church during a hostage-taking claimed by Islamic State group. Police had been hunting the second teenager who killed a priest in a church in France this week after a foreign intelligence tipoff that a suspected jihadist might be preparing an attack, police and judicial sources said. The revelation is likely to further fuel criticism by opposition politicians that President Francois Hollande's Socialist government did not do enough to stop the pair given that they were both already known to intelligence services. They stormed a church service, forced a 85-year-old Roman Catholic priest to his knees at the altar and slit his throat. They were later shot and killed by police. Police had already identified 19-year-old Adel Kermiche as one of the attackers. He had made failed bids to reach Syria to wage jihad, wore an electronic bracelet and was awaiting trial for alleged membership of a terrorist organisation having been released on bail. They have now identified the second man as Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean, also 19, from a town in eastern France on the border with Germany, a judicial source told Reuters on Thursday. A source close to the investigation said Petitjean was not known to French security services until a tip-off from Turkish authorities. He was stopped and questioned by profilers on his arrival at Istanbul's international airport on June 10 before he was allowed to continue on his way, a Turkish official said. Turkey notified the French authorities in late June, the source said, and anti-terrorism officials opened up a special file, suspecting he had become radicalized. The government has said there are about 10,500 people with such so-called 'S files' related to potential jihadi activities in France. But in the time it took security agencies in Turkey, a well-trodden entry point into Syria for foreign militants, to notify France, Petitjean had returned. "We know that he turned around and returned on June 11," said the source. "The Turks hadn't yet flagged his name, so he came back normally, there was no file at this point, he wasn't known to us." A second tip-off from an unidentified foreign intelligence source led to the French authorities circulating a photo to its security agencies on July 22 of a man believed to be planning an attack. They had no name to go on, but the police sources said there was now little doubt that the photo was of Petitjean. The person in the photo also appears to be one of a pair seen in a video posted on Wednesday by Islamic State's news agency, the police sources said. The video claimed the two men were the church attackers and showed them pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Islamic State's leader. PHILADELPHIA Hillary Clinton marked her place in history on Thursday night by accepting the Democratic presidential nomination, fighting to shift perceptions that have dogged her for more than two decades on a global stage as first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state. Clinton, 68, becomes the first woman nominee of a major American party, a milestone not lost on her allies at the Democratic National Convention this week. Images of shattered glass ceilings and ringing proclamations of progress from civil rights icons and lawmakers who broke barriers of their own filled the four days leading to Clinton's address here. "Tonight, we've reached a milestone in our nation's march toward a more perfect union. The first time that a major party has nominated a woman for president," Clinton said to a standing ovation. "Standing here as my mother's daughter, and my daughter's mother, I'm so happy this day has come. Happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in between. Happy for boys and men, too, because when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." She channeled the prevailing theme of optimism that the Democrats this week have tried to contrast with Republican billionaire Donald Trump's acceptance speech in Cleveland last week. She described a clear difference from Trump and the GOP on key issues, calling to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, act on climate change and maintain women's health care institutions. She echoed Vice President Joe Biden in portraying the Democratic Party as the party of the middle class. "So don't let anyone tell you that our country is weak. We're not. Don't let anyone tell you that we don't have what it takes. We do," she said. "And most of all, don't believe anyone who says, 'I alone can fix it.' Those were actually Donald Trump's words in Cleveland," Clinton said. Corrado Passera, the veteran Italian businessman and former industry minister, has teamed up with Swiss bank UBS to present a last-ditch alternative rescue proposal to the board of struggling lender Monte dei Paschi di Siena on Friday. The proposal will be presented to MPS only hours before the world's oldest bank is expected to be ranked as one of the weakest banks in Europe when the results of the latest European stress tests are published on Friday evening. The Siena-based lender has been racing to finalise details of a private-sector rescue package involving the sale of 10bn in non-performing loans and a 5bn capital raising before the stress-test results come out. More from the Financial Times: Italy seeks private Monte Paschi bailout Day of reckoning for world's oldest bank Bad-debt warning triggers fresh Italy bank fears Some bankers are sceptical about the prospects for the 5bn capital-raising target facing its lead advisers JPMorgan Chase and Mediobanca because MPS has already burned through the 8bn it has raised over the past two years. The involvement of Mr Passera, who ran the Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo until 2011, came as a surprise to some people working closely with MPS. They pointed out that, this month, he was sentenced to a year and 11 months in jail for complicity in manslaughter over the deaths of several workers from asbestos poisoning when he was chief executive of Olivetti in the 1990s. A new certificate program run by the University of Washingtons College of Education will aim to better educate and equip teachers , especially non-Native teachers, to work with Native students. The program will offer online courses on aspects of Native life and culture, such as tribal sovereignty, and students will spend time in Native communities before completing the program. At least 25 staff members from the Wellpinit School District, a majority-Native American district in eastern Washington, will be the first participants of the program. One of the things that is really vital to becoming better educators to Native children is understanding Native communities, said Megan Bang, an associate professor of education, in a university news release. Some teachers are great teachers, but if you ask them if theyve spent time in the community and really understand Native children and culture, theyll say no, Bang said. About 6.2 percent of students in Washington state are Native and studies show those students are more likely to be homeless and face discipline than their non-Native peers. An article published last year by the Seattle Times reported that during the 2013-14 school year, 7.6 percent of Native American students were homeless, compared to 2.3 percent of white students and 4.1 percent of Hispanic and Latino students. A 2014 report found that in nine Washington state school districts that were examined, Native American students were more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white or Hispanic peers. A 2013 series by Education Week highlighted the many challenges facing Native American communities , including high rates of poverty and low graduation rates. Students in those communities are often impacted by alcoholism, suicide, and high unemployment rates. In addition to educating non-Native teachers on tribal life, many tribes and colleges are attempting to increase the number of Native teachers who are becoming teachers. As a result, some districts that have hired more Native teachers have seen graduation rates increase and improved academic performance. In March 2015, solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse 2 took on the mammoth task of a round-the-world flight without a drop of fuel. More than a year later, the plane successfully landed back Tuesday where it started and has managed to clock up a number of world records. Solar Impulse 2 pilots Bertrand Piccard (R) and Andre Borschberg (L) waves to the crowd after landing in Abu Dhabi to finish their world flight on July 26, 2016. Pool/Solar Impulse/Bertrand Piccard/ | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Dubbed as the "definition of adventure" by its pilots and having brought solar-powered technology to the forefront of people's minds, CNBC takes a look back at some of Solar Impulse 2's most noteworthy moments during its round-the-world trip. Before taking flight The concept of Solar Impulse actually dates back to 1999, when pilot Bertrand Piccard flew around the globe in a balloon. On his trip with Brian Jones, Piccard became extremely conscious of the amount of fuel needed during the voyage; triggering a desire to ensure his next round-the-world flight was fuel and emissions-free. Following years of research, Piccard officially founded the Solar Impulse project with fellow pilot, Andre Borschberg in 2004 and began working on the aircraft's first prototype. In December 2009, the first prototype took a successful short "flea hop" test for 350 meters, one meter off the ground and then went on to do its maiden flight in April 2010. In 2014, the project's pilots and co-founders unveiled Solar Impulse 2 and took it on its first flight. Taking to the skies On March 9, 2015, Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) set about to create a world record: to fly around the world powered only by the sun, during the course of five months. Taking flight from the Abu Dhabi, Solar Impulse's CEO Andre Borschberg flew the plane for 13 hours to Muscat, Oman. watch now While the journey itself was seen as a first for many, for the pilots it was about promoting clean technologies and demonstrating what solar energy can do for current and future generations. "In our world today, if we want a better quality of life, to create jobs, to make profit for the industry, to sustain growth for our world, we need new clean technologies, because this is what the world needs," Solar Impulse chairman, Bertrand Piccard told CNBC before the journey began. The carbon-fiber aircraft itself weighs 2,300 kg, and is equipped with more than 17,240 solar cells stretched out on its wings, which helps power the propellers and electric engines. July 2015: Breaking records After travelling to countries including India, China and Japan, Si2 took on its eighth and most challenging leg yet during the early hours (local time) of June 29, 2015: a five-day non-stop flight from Nagoya, in Japan to Kalaeloa, Hawaii. Piloted by Borschberg, Si2 travelled for more than 8,900 km, achieving the world record for the longest non-stop solo flight. Grounded: July 2015 April 2016 Less than two weeks after landing in Hawaii, the pilots announced that Si2 had to be grounded for several months, after the record-breaking flight caused the plane to suffer from "irreversible damage to overheated batteries." Solar Impulse takes its tech to COP21 watch now Even though Si2 was grounded in Hawaii, this didn't stop the pilots from promoting the power of clean technologies, with Piccard and Borschberg taking to climate summit COP21, to show their support for a greener world. Everything society currently uses for energy is a "100 years old" Piccard told CNBC at COP21, saying that if the world wants to solve climate change, "it will be done only by having these new technologies which are profitable, create jobs, make new industrial markets and at the same time, reduce CO2 emissions." April 2016: Recharged and ready to fly July 2016: Mission Complete watch now For example, you could invest in a 15 percent portfolio, which means that in a really bad year, there is a 95 percent chance that this fund won't lose more than 15 percent. It's the latest start-up to come to market in the fast-growing robo-advisory and investment space. A client can put their money in a Scalable Capital account and then choose their risk level. Unlike traditional funds that use terms like "medium" or "high" risk, Scalable gives it as a percentage. A robo-advisor start-up that automatically allocates your investments and claims to have outperformed the market during the Brexit volatility, has launched in the U.K. "Traditionally you would end up with a portfolio with a risk label like medium risk, but it has no real meaning. Instead of giving you an arbitrary number, we give a percentage, so a 15 percent portfolio, that represents what you could lose in really bad year," Adam French, chief executive of Scalable Capital, told CNBC by phone. "We are able to target that because we dynamically adjust the risk of assets." Scalable Capital launched in Germany at the start of the year and is looking to further grow across Europe. It has an internal team that narrows down the investment opportunities, and then essentially inputs those into the algorithm. Scalable chooses the "most liquid and cheapest" assets, which are filtered using an algorithm to find the best ones. So far, the start-up has 1,000 invested clients and is hoping to sign up a lot more now that it has launched in the U.K. Scalable is coming up against stiff competition, however. Betterment is a larger rival which offers a similar service and secured $100 million funding earlier this year, in one round alone. So far, Scalable has raised around $12.2 million in total. Betterment also reached $5 billion of assets under management earlier this year. Robo-advisors are on the rise however with much room to grow. Currently, these trading platforms have around $50 billion of assets under management, compared to the $71.4 trillion for the entire fund management industry globally. And these management firms believe they can help investors through volatile periods of trading. French told CNBC that the company's portfolios were up between 10-12 percent from the June 23 Brexit vote in the U.K. until Friday July 29. The S&P 500 in comparison is around 2.7 percent higher. "We still had a conservative risk allocation going into Brexit which helped us to outperform someone who has a high equity allocation and a portfolio with a lot of home bias. Both of those helped us do a good job on that day versus what we are benchmarking," French said. "We know the customers love it," Olsavsky said on an earnings call. Critics, apparently, do too Amazon Studios received 16 Emmy nominations for Original Series. The announcement was slipped into the company's better-than-expected second-quarter earnings , where chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky said Amazon was "very happy" with free trial conversions and renewal rates on Amazon Video, the company's $8.99 standalone streaming offering. Amazon will double its video content spend in the second half of this year, and triple its spending on original content, the company said this week. Amazon is now consistently profitable and that means a lot more money is going toward the video-streaming battle with Netflix . The company declined on the call to give a particular figure for its video content spending, saying only that they've continued to add content since the $1.3 billion the company spent in 2014. Canaccord analyst Michael Graham estimates that 20 to 25 percent of that was on original programming. It's unclear how that stacks up with Netflix's promised $6 billion cash outlay on content in 2016, but Graham estimates that Netflix has about 14,000 movies and TV series and Amazon has about 13,000. As for original programming, Canaccord says Amazon has about 25 titles compared to Netflix's 100 originals. Either way, both companies have been throwing "unending bales of money" at the content wars, Andy Cohen, executive producer of Bravo's "Real Housewives," told CNBC. To be sure, Netflix is far-and-away the most popular streaming service, with 45 percent of all U.S. TV households holding a subscription, according to Nielsen. Twenty-two percent have Amazon Prime, Nielsen said. But there are signs that Amazon is already gaining ground. "We are confident that once it announced a standalone service, Amazon declared war on Netflix, and intends to back up its new offering with a branding strategy of its own," Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter wrote in April after the announcement of Prime Video. He had an "underperform" rating on the stock (the average rating in FactSet is overweight). The e-commerce company snatched an exclusive deal for PBS's children's shows, many of which had been on Netflix and Hulu. Amazon's Prime service in India will have local content and also Amazon Originals, Olsavsky said. That's after Netflix in June announced a new original series shot in India in Hindi and English. Netflix announced in its latest quarterly earnings that it added 1.7 million subscribers, far lower than expectations. Amazon did not specifically disclose its Prime subscribers, which have access to its video content, but Ben Schachter of Macquarie Research estimates Prime is in upwards of 30 percent of U.S. households. "We think you see both massive investments as well as massive profits," Schachter said of Amazon on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Friday. "More and more people are using the internet more and more often." Disclosure: Comcast, which owns CNBC parent NBCUniversal, is a co-owner of Hulu. "There are investors, business people and talent who are thinking about going elsewhere...we have to say to them London is very much open." Khan, who unlike his predecessor Boris Johnson supported the campaign to stay in the EU, said: "When it becomes to negotiations with the European Union, London needs to be on the other side of the table. We are the only region in the U.K. that voted to remain in the EU decisively. We have got special interests." London needs to have a special role in negotiations over the U.K.'s exit from the European Union, Sadiq Khan, the Labour Party politician who became Mayor of London earlier this year, told CNBC Friday. Labour's London Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan and member of Parliament for Tooting walks through East Street Market in Walworth on May 4, 2016 in London, England. The capital, where 60 percent of those who voted in the referendum wanted to remain in the European Union, may find its status as a financial center threatened by the departure of the U.K. from the trading bloc. Khan also called for greater autonomy for the capital, which generates a quarter of the U.K.'s total national tax take, but lags behind in terms of spending per head of population. One of the most important facets of the negotiations over the U.K.'s exit is likely to be whether banks operating in the country can continue to use "passporting", which allows them to trade with EU countries without having a branch there. The London property market has already been affected by the referendum, according to the capital's dominant estate agent Foxtons, which reported a 42 percent fall in profits for the first half of 2016 on Friday and warned that the rest of the year would remain difficult. Khan pledged to build more affordable housing in the capital, rather than what he called the "gold bricks" of more expensive investment properties. On Thursday, Hillary Clinton reached the moment she'd been waiting for her entire career, accepting the Democratic nomination for president and becoming the first woman to do so. In classic Clintonian-speak, her words mirrored more of a mechanic methodically checking every last nook and cranny of a car than a leader offering hope to millions stuck in their struggle. There certainly were some good zingerslike noting the risk of electing a man you can bate with a tweet to have his finger on the nuclear codes. Clinton also delivered a moment of authenticity, acknowledging she's always been better at the "service" aspect of her job than the "public." "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me," she said in a rare moment that dropped her iron-wall veil. "So let me tell you." But that's where connectivity endedand scripted theater took over. "Stronger together" and "breaking down barriers" were two of the campaign bumper stickers Clinton tossed around throughout the speech, rousing many in the crowd. But , for the millions struggling at homeand thousands of Bernie Sanders supporters protesting outside throughout the weekwhat do these empty phrases really mean? Sure, as compared to Donald Trump's fearmongerging and politics-by-hate, Clinton seems like Mother Teresa. But, the majority of persuadable Americans on the fence about who they'll vote for aren't up at night worrying about Donald Trump's rhetoric. They're debating whether they'll have to sacrifice groceries or medicine for the kids this week; scrambling through their Excel sheets to find a nickel here or there to pay for the kids summer camp; and worrying about whether they can make their car, or student loan, or rent payment this month. Environmental activists oppose the project at a time when some countries, like Germany, are moving away from nuclear energy. As the company's board met throughout the day, unions argued that the 24 billion euro ($27 billion) cost of the Hinkley Point project could put the company at risk. They even took legal action to try to delay the project. French energy company EDF Thursday gave the green light to a major nuclear power plant project in southwest England that some consider too costly, including one board member who announced his resignation. In a surprise move, the British government said it would take time to consider the project, rather than giving it the green light immediately. Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said nuclear energy was "an important part of the mix" for the U.K.'s energy supply. "The government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn," said Clark, who took office this month in the new government of Prime Minister Theresa May. EDF is majority-owned by the French government, which supports the project. The two reactors could ultimately produce 7 percent of British electricity and create 25,000 jobs, according to EDF. One board member resigned Thursday to express disapproval of the project to build the reactors 165 miles (265 kms) west of London. Gerard Magnin, who was among six people representing the French state on the EDF board, wrote in a letter seen by The AP: "I don't want to endorse any longer a strategy that I don't share." EDF did not immediately comment on Magnin's resignation. In March, one of EDF's senior vice presidents resigned. French media reported that Thomas Piquemal quit over concerns about the financing of the nuclear power plant. John Sauven, executive director at Greenpeace, urged the British government not to sign the deal. EDF "can barely hold itself together," he said in a statement. "Major figures are quitting in dissent, the company's employees are up in arms and a similar reactor being built in France is under investigation by the French nuclear regulator." Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. ExxonMobil reported its quarterly profit fell nearly 60 percent from a year ago as commodity prices remained low and its refining margins were weak. The world's largest publicly traded integrated oil company earned $1.7 billion, or an adjusted 41 cents per share in the second quarter, compared with $4.2 billion, or $1 per share, in the year ago period. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected earnings per share of 64 cents. The stock was 2.6 percent lower in premarket trading (See what shares are doing now .) "While our financial results reflect a volatile industry environment, ExxonMobil remains focused on business fundamentals, cost discipline and advancing selective new investments across the value chain to extend our competitive advantage," CEO Rex Tillerson said in a statement. Revenues were $57.694 billion, versus $74.11 billion in the second quarter of 2015. Earnings in ExxonMobil's upstream exploration and production business fell by $1.7 billion as the company's liquids and natural gas products fetched a lower price. The Irving, Texas-based company produced 4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, with liquids output up 1.7 percent and natural gas production down 3.6 percent. Downstream earnings were down $681 million, due to weaker refining margins. Refiners have seen their profit margins squeezed this year as prices rise for crude oil, the feedstock for gasoline. U.S. crude prices rebounded about 85 percent from the lows of January through the end of the second quarter. Earlier in the oil price downturn, integrated oil companies' refining operations offset battered production segments. The amount of gasoline sitting in storage in the United States is about 15 percent above the five-year average, RBC Capital Markets said in a note ahead of earnings. As such, the firm expects weak profit margins from refining crude oil into gasoline to persist at least through the spring of 2017. ExxonMobil left its quarterly dividend unchanged at 75 cents per share ahead of earnings on Wednesday. The company hasn't raised its dividend since the second quarter of 2014. Dividend distributions for the quarter totaled $3.1 billion. From her early career fighting for children and families, to her remarkable service as First Lady, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is better prepared to step into our highest office than any candidate in modern history. Most importantly, she has used her experience to address the most pressing concerns of our country, and she knows how to get things done. Her career and her campaign have particularly showcased that she is prepared to do everything in her power to expand economic opportunity for all Americans. Globalization and new technology have meant that businesses have more choices than ever about where to locate and invest, and need fewer workers to make the same products. Secretary Clinton understands that we have to rise to this challenge to keep America's economy strong. That means ensuring that our workers get the best education and training in the world so we can compete to retain and attract good jobs. As hundreds of executives have told me in eight years as Governor, that is the single most important thing government can do to foster their success. That includes better supporting our teachers, whose work is essential to prepare students to be ready for college and the workplace. She wants to invest in training for high-growth industries like computer science so that American workers can meet employer demand. She would better connect our higher education and business communities to ensure a pipeline from the classroom to the workforce. Finally, no one has been a stronger advocate for getting our youngest children off to the best possible start through access to high quality early childhood programs, which have been shown by the Federal Reserve to produce the best return on investment of just about any policy. Secretary Clinton also understands that to thrive in an era when the majority of wealth will be created overseas and where export jobs pay above-average wages, we must tap new markets for American goods and services. Instead of building walls to the world, Secretary Clinton wants to give our businesses opportunities to reach as many customers as possible. How J&J Offered $1.3M to Silence a Talcum Powder Victim Talcum powder used to seem soft and sweet and clean and was associated with good things, like newborn babies. But today the powder, which has made its way into countless cosmetic and other products, is associated with ovarian cancer. Now, women all over the country are suing Johnson and Johnson, the premiere talcum powder purveyor, for fraud, negligence, and failure to warn of the risk of ovarian cancer created by use of the stuff. For decades, many have sprinkled it in their underwear, unaware that the product was dangerous. The company, however, did know for some time it seems, and tried to hide this fact. Diane Berg, a woman from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 49. She was a longtime user of talcum powder, sprinkling it in her underwear to keep fresh. In 2006, she discovered that the product was actually killing her. She sued Johnson and Johnson. The company offered her a $1.3 million settlement in 2013. But there was a condition. Berg, a physician's assistant, would not be allowed to speak out about the dangers of talcum powder. She refused the settlement, telling reporters her case has never been about money. She wanted to warn other women about the dangers of this product. With respect to this mission, the physician's assistant was successful. The jury affirmed the connection between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. But Berg did not recover damages, reportedly. She did, however, establish a connection that has been affirmed since. Johnson and Johnson knew about the powder's dangers but hid it from women. A juror in a case that found Johnson and Johnson liable to the tune of $62 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory, stated that internal documents revealed that the company was hiding information. It continued marketing the product despite knowing it was dangerous. Ill or Injured? If you are ill or injured due to a defective product or the negligence of another, talk to a lawyer. Tell your story. Many attorneys consult for free or a minimal fee and will be to talk. Related Resources: You remember the exchange in the 2008 debate when then-Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) was running against then-Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.). Obama felt the need to put her down, and in a particularly disdainful way, he said, famously, "You're likable enough, Hillary." I've always thought that was small and petty of Obama and it was neither fair nor accurate. But Clinton's public perception has always been that she is not warm and is only a policy wonk. I first met her in the fall of 1991 when her husband came to D.C.'s Jefferson Junior High School to tape a campaign commercial. She literally bounded up to me and introduced herself. She could not have been more informal or charming. Since then, every time I have seen her, she has been consistently friendly and open to conversation. (Maybe it's our shared Chicago upbringing.) I bring this all up because the purpose of this speech was to let you into who the real Hillary Clinton is. I believe she made people see her in a different and better way. Beyond all the public policy prescriptions, she had to show her personal side. When she talked about her Methodist faith "Do all the good you can" she seemed to shine. I thought she was at her very best when she quoted her mother: "No one gets through life alone." And also when she spoke about her experience with disabled children, and the time she wonderfully said, "When there are no ceilings, the sky is the limit," it touched me and I am sure many others. She reached out to the Sanders people with praise, letting them know she heard their concerns. That was crucial. By the way, we also found out her personal four battleground states: Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin (where Trump should manufacture his products, instead of abroad). Clinton tried to tell her story of America and compared it to her opponent's. She revealed herself in a highly attractive way and you believed her when she proclaimed, "You have to keep working to make things better." The speech appealed to the best in all of us. That's the way she believes she can win. Plotkin is a political analyst, a contributor to the BBC on American politics and a columnist for The Georgetowner. This convention was the 12th Democratic convention he has attended. An historic and iconic portrait of England's Elizabeth I has been "saved" and put into public ownership for the first time in its history thanks to a public appeal and a large grant from the U.K.'s national lottery fund. "Record numbers of donors, large and small, stepped forward with determination and generosity, creating an irresistible momentum that has brought this great work into public ownership at last," Stephen Deuchar, director of the fundraising charity Art Fund, said in a statement. The appeal was launched in May with a 1 million ($1.32 million) grant from the Art Fund and a 400,000 donation from Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG). It benefited from 8,000 public donations in only 10 weeks, which saw 1.5 million raised. "Major" contributions were made by the Linbury Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation and Headley Trust, with the fund further boosted by a 7.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. In all, 10.3 million was raised and the painting, known as the Armada Portrait, was successfully purchased from descendants of the English explorer Francis Drake. The Art Fund went on to describe the painting as encapsulating "the creativity, ideals and ambitions of the Elizabethan era." The portrait will now be displayed in public at the Queen's House in Greenwich, London. It marks the defeat of the vast Spanish Armada in 1588, regarded as one of the most iconic events in English history. It was during this period that Elizabeth, who was queen from 1558 until 1603, gave a rousing speech to her men at Tilbury, in Essex. "I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too," she said. "The Armada portrait is a compelling historic icon, illustrating as it does a decisive conflict, inspiring female leadership, maritime power and the emergence of the Elizabethan 'Golden Age'," Peter Luff, the Heritage Lottery Fund chair, said in a news release. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) missed signs of a banking calamity, lacked independence and failed to hold countries to account, the organization's internal watchdog said in a report that sharply criticized its handling of the euro zone debt crisis. IMF officials suffered from a "culture of complacency" and were unduly positive about the euro zone project, the IMF's Independent Evaluation Office said. "The IMF's handling of the euro area crisis raised issues of accountability and transparency, which helped create the perception that the IMF treated Europe differently," it said on Thursday. The plant-based "Impossible Burger" that has the tech world talking was finally made available at New York restaurant Momofuku Nishi this week, and CNBC got a sneak peek. Several staffers had the meatless burger for lunch and gave their verdict. Most thought it was delicious and could pass for real meat, while some others said the texture and taste didn't quite compare to the real thing. The start-up behind the food invention, Impossible Foods, has raised $182 million in equity since launching in 2012. It has been reported that Google attempted to buy the company, offering between $200 million and $300 million. Among its high-profile investors is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. "Making meat a better way" is how Stanford University biologist and physician Patrick Brown describes his Impossible Burger. The founder and CEO of California-based start-up Impossible Foods expounded on the benefits and the complex process of recreating the experience of meat using only plant-based ingredients. "Our challenge was to make a product that would appeal to the hardcore meat lover," Brown told CNBC's "Squawk Box" in a March 2015 interview. "We wanted to have a product that would deliver all the pleasures that people get from eating meat without any of the baggage; no cholesterol, antibiotics, hormones, [or] E. coli." On his personal blog, Gates expressed concern about providing meat to what's expected to be 9 billion people by 2050. "We can't ask everyone to become vegetarians. That's why we need more options for producing meat without depleting our resources," he wrote in March of 2015. That's a sentiment shared by Brown, who said animal farming "is the single biggest environmental threat in the world today," given the enormous amounts of land and water needed. He hopes one day to replace all products that use animal farming. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is threatening to leave the World Trade Organization and rip up agreements like the North American Free Trade agreement, and his critics predictably are branding him everything from "wrong-headed" to "insane." But here's the real deal. When our politicians and diplomats negotiate trade deals, we lose because they don't know a good deal from a bad one. For instance, when President Bill Clinton signed NAFTA in 1993, he believed it would "create 200,000 jobs in this country by 1995 alone." Instead, the U.S. has lost over 700,000 jobs, according to the Economic Policy Institute, while our trade deficit with Mexico has rocketed from $1.6 billion in 1993 to $60 billion in 2015, according to the Commerce Department. Clinton also lobbied for China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, promising China would "play by the same open trading rules we do." Instead, the U.S. has had to file WTO case after case against China's questionable trade practices on products ranging from apparel, aircraft, and autos to shrimp, steel, and textiles. Despite numerous WTO "victories" for the U.S., most have been pyrrhic. It takes years to adjudicate a case. In the interim, American companies go bankrupt, China takes over the market, and the court ruling becomes moot. This happened to Bethlehem and 30 other steel companies that went bankrupt waiting for relief. As a second glaring flaw, many of America's trading partners rely on value-added taxes, and WTO rules permit VAT rebates on export sales. However, the U.S. has no VAT yet our exports don't receive similar corporate income-tax rebates. While Congress has tried three times to modify our laws to get equal treatment, each modification was rejected by a hostile WTO, giving foreign competitors a huge tax-break edge. The WTO also provides little or no protection against four of the most potent unfair trade practices many of our trade partners routinely engage in currency manipulation, intellectual property theft, and the use of both sweatshop labor and pollution havens. America's status as the largest market in the world with a freely floating exchange rate and the world's most advanced set of environmental and work safety regulations makes us a defenseless victim. watch now The level of non-performing loans (NPLs) at European Union banks will be in the spotlight as the region's biggest banks face stress tests on Friday. "We have 1 trillion (euro) of NPLs - it's a big figure," Andrea Enria, chairman of the European Banking Authority (EBA), told CNBC, ahead of stress tests published Friday night which will be a key measure of the region's banks' financial strength. "The level has started decreasing in all countries. The point is the pace of adjustment. Are we adjusting the levels fast enough? You don't want to be too fast, because then you have a massive capital impasse and fire sale of assets, but you don't want to be too slow, because then the banks would be unable to lend and remain unprofitable for long periods of time." Dan Brownsword | Getty Images This is the third time since the credit crisis that stress tests have been carried out. This time, there is no pass/fail mark, and the number of banks being tested is less than half the 123 banks subject to the previous test in 2014. The tests do not include any banks from Greece or Portugal, two other euro zone countries where lenders are struggling. "We have the most important banks in the euro area. That's how the selection was made," Enria said in defense of the concentration on the region's biggest banks. "The smaller banks will be subject to tests from the relevant authorities which will to some extent rely on our methodology." The focus has shifted from capital requirements to bad loans on banks' balance sheets. Enria, who has led the EBA since 2011, told CNBC: "Now this capital strengthening has been successful, the point is now to link it more closely to medium term capital planning, which is what the US authorities have done. "The non-performing loans is an important element I would say the missing link in the adjustment process of European banks." The results are likely to make somber reading in Italy, where banks like Monte dei Paschi di Siena are struggling with bad debts and may need a bailout from the government. In the past, they have identified banks which need to raise additional capital. Raising capital may prove difficult under current stock market conditions. The amount raised by European banks this year so far is 73 percent less than at the same time in 2015, according to Dealogic figures, as investor appetite for banks has slowed. Two of the Italian banks hit by the country's banking crisis, Banca Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca, had to shelve plans to raise money earlier this year. This slump may in part be blamed on the uncertainty surrounding what would happen in the U.K.'s referendum over European Union membership. While the vote to leave has removed some of that uncertainty, it is unlikely to boost faith in the region's banks as was seen in a series of share price plunges the morning after the referendum. The EBA is currently based in London but is likely to move after the vote for the country to leave the EU. "It is not up to us to decide where to go. It's important to have a decision as soon as possible, because of the difficulty of recruiting new staff or retaining the good staff we have under uncertainty of the location," Enria said. watch now "Envy and isolationism" were the forces that contributed to the U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union and if those forces grow stronger, the human race is at risk, according to world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking. Writing in The Guardian newspaper on Friday, Hawking said that the June 23 vote was down to British attitudes towards wealth and money and that it was time for an "honest" debate about "the role that wealth does and doesn't play in our society." Hawking had been a part of the remain camp in the lead up to the referendum, saying that it would be a mistake for Britain to leave the union. He had argued that Britain risked being isolated and that crucial funding for scientific research was at risk. The vote to leave the EU was largely seen as having been driven by concerns over the U.K.'s sovereignty and immigration, although there were widespread regional and socio-economic differences between those voting to leave and those wanting to stay in the EU. Professor Stephen Hawking Bruno Vincent | Getty Images News | Getty Images In his opinion piece Friday, Hawking said he was "sad about the result, but if I've learned one lesson in my life it is to make the best of the hand you are dealt." "Now we must learn to live outside the EU, but in order to manage that successfully we need to understand why British people made the choice that they did," he said, adding that "I believe that wealth, the way we understand it and the way we share it, played a crucial role in their decision." Species at risk The speech Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gave tonight in accepting her party's nomination blew this American woman's mind. I never thought I'd live to see the day a woman had a real shot at becoming President. I watched the speech on one screen, and the reactions of female friends and peers on the internet on my iphone, and wept. "When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." Yep. It was Herstory. Oh my god they're treating a woman like me as if she is a complete human being I'm weeping Xeni Jardin (@xeni) July 29, 2016 A woman is the center of the world's attention at this moment and her sexuality and desirability as a sex object has nothing to do with it Xeni Jardin (@xeni) July 29, 2016 You are watching a woman take power and her husband is watching with pride. We have never been just for ourselves before like this. Xeni Jardin (@xeni) July 29, 2016 To the men, I wish you knewhow it feels right now. No matter who you support. Just how this is, right now. #DemConvention Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) July 29, 2016 I've never heard a presidential candidate tell white people to do this. #DemConvention pic.twitter.com/NWdjEUStx7 Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) July 29, 2016 that condescending "no, Donald, you don't." line was perfect. that'll drive him absolutely nuts shrillary tintin (@theshrillest) July 29, 2016 MEN: Talk less HRC: What MEN: Smile more HRC: Huh MEN: Don't let them know what you're against or what you're for HRC: You can't be serious Steve Horton (@tropicalsteve) July 29, 2016 Clinton quotes Hamilton: "Though 'we may not live to see the glory, let us gladly join the fight.'" Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) July 29, 2016 WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS. WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS. IT IS LIKE A MOON LANDING FOR WOMEN. https://t.co/M97iyNbp9r Xeni Jardin (@xeni) July 29, 2016 In her speech, Clinton offered hope for the future, a promise of jobs and affordable education and health care for the middle class, and an inclusive vision of America led by its first female president. Say what you want about her delivery, but for a year, 16 men tried & failed to hobble Trump. Tonight Hillary completely eviscerated him Ethan Weiss (@ethanjweiss) July 29, 2016 The temperament argument is the core of her case: "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons." Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) July 29, 2016 I'm a scientist and I cried. https://t.co/I9ye6fJfuo Jamie Abaied (@jabaied) July 29, 2016 A little girl born to teenagers & neglected as a child raised the first woman presidential candidate in our 240yr history. That's America. Michelle Ruiz (@michelleruiz) July 29, 2016 Donald Trump. YABURNT Wil Wheaton (@wilw) July 29, 2016 Kind of amazing that we're watching a female presidential nominee argue that her male opponent is too hysterical & emotionally volatile. kelly (@kelly_erin) July 29, 2016 It was at this point at the RNC that we learned about Trump's winery. jasoncherkis (@jasoncherkis) July 29, 2016 Please please Trump pick up that smart phone Hari Kunzru (@harikunzru) July 29, 2016 Figure right now Trump's reaching for that smartphone and Twitter app like a smack addict in rehab looking for a fix. Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 29, 2016 Trump's skin is so thin I thought it was the Martian atmosphere. #rimshot SarcasticRover (@SarcasticRover) July 29, 2016 Trump, thin-skinned and orange-haired, could not contain himself. Moments after the post-speech ballloons dropped at the DNC, he took to the Twitters. Hillary's refusal to mention Radical Islam, as she pushes a 550% increase in refugees, is more proof that she is unfit to lead the country. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary will never reform Wall Street. She is owned by Wall Street! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary will never reform Wall Street. She is owned by Wall Street! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary's wars in the Middle East have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 The upcoming Presidential debates in September are going to be amazing, as political theater goes. The Hillary/Donald debates will be wild. #DemsInPhilly deray mckesson (@deray) July 29, 2016 My favorite Hillary moment pic.twitter.com/nQ9qT6ZzFI Sask (@saskdraws) July 29, 2016 I let my daughter stay up late to watch @HillaryClinton prove that girls can and will run the world. #ImWithHer pic.twitter.com/uhwisLfXqy Megan Fishmann (@mfishmann) July 29, 2016 Maybe Hillary is right. We should all get off twitter before we all turn into the Donald. Gary Shteyngart (@Shteyngart) July 29, 2016 The DNC is co-opting Republican tropes while maintaining Democratic ones because there is now only one political party for grown-ups. Josh Barro (@jbarro) July 29, 2016 Why this convention is better: It's about loving America. GOP convention was about loving Trump. If you didn't love Trump, it offered nada. Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) July 29, 2016 BILL! God, he was made for GIFs. pic.twitter.com/ljwZkxmaJy Allison Rockey (@AllisonRockey) July 29, 2016 He was so excited to hit the balloon, then he realized who he was standing next to #DemsInPhilly pic.twitter.com/kZjzwZ6A4y Brandon Wall (@Walldo) July 29, 2016 TRANSCRIPT Hillary Clinton, Democratic National Convention, Philadelphia, July 28, 2016 (source: Los Angeles Times) Header photo: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton celebrates among balloons after she accepted the nomination on the fourth and final night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Young Some new security devices for paper currency based on the concept of micro mirror technology were introduced at the Banknote Conference 2016 by the German firm Giesecke & Devrient, including the one shown in this screen capture. Some new security devices for paper currency based on the concept of micro mirror technology were introduced at the Banknote Conference 2016 last May in Washington. They were developed by the German firm Giesecke & Devrient and its Louisenthal subsidiary. The micro mirror technology that two of the devices make use of involves the incorporation of microscopic mirrors into a note. The first device is named Rolling Star LEAD, a security foil with microscopic mirrors technology. The foil is described by the manufacturer as making use of optical variable device effects including color shifts and three-dimensional images. Giesecke & Devrient calls the security foil different not only for its use of multiple techniques and innovations but also in the intuitive way it enables recognition. The firm says creating new 3D effects and adding vividness to enliven portraits are now possible. According to the firm, RollingStar LEADs dynamic effects can be recognized even in poor lighting conditions to allow for quicker authentication. Connect with Coin World: Another device, the Galaxy Security Thread, also uses the microscopic mirrors along with color-shifting technology. Unlike a static security thread, the mirrors allow the appearance of movement and striking color shifting within the thread, and the effect is termed eye-catching by the manufacturer. The technology also allows for three-dimensional effects within the thread. Also featured was RollingStar Registered, a technique that enables the security thread to be embedded into the paper during production of the paper. The integration of the window thread into the design of the paper enables identical-looking windows and 3D elements to be incorporated into every note. En stackars hemlos kille som man kan tro forsoker gora ratt for sig. Han saljer tidningar istallet for att tjuva!! Nar vi avbojer att kopa hans tidningar passar han pa att stjala min kompis mobiltelefon!! Valdigt skickligt av honom da han smyger ner sina tidningar over mobilen och far sedan med sig den med latthet!! Osis for denna kille att han rakade sno av tva poliser????!! Mitt forsta ingripande ikladd bikini under mina 11 ar som polis!! Ganska kul och trivsamt maste jag saga ??! Se upp for ficktjuvar, hall koll pa era vardesaker!! A photo posted by mikaelakellner (@mikaelakellner) on Jul 27, 2016 at 7:18am PDT It's not the clothes that make the cop. Swedish police officer Mikaela Kellner was sunbathing in Stockholm with friends, including another off-duty female cop, when a homeless man approached them selling newspapers. According to Aol.News: As the man lingered, Kellner grew suspicious. Her suspicions were confirmed just as he started to walk away when her friend noticed her cell phone was missing. The bikini-clad cop then ran 15 meters, tackled the man and held him down until fellow on-duty officers were arrived to make the arrest. Kellner says that in her 11 years of being a cop, it's the first time she's made an arrest while wearing a bikini, but says she'd go further than that. She would have arrested the thief even if she'd been naked. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has invalidated parts of North Carolina's voter suppression laws, ruling that the requirement to show photo ID was enacted "with racially discriminatory intent." The requirement to spend money on state ID cards was a form of poll tax created by GOP operatives across many Tea Party states, the legislation all modeled on draft texts circulated by operators who boasted of using the measures to restrict the franchise of traditional Democratic voters, including African-Americans, naturalized citizens, poor people and students. North Carolina's voter law is the third such to be struck down: the Wisconsin and Texas versions have already been invalidated by judges. Given that the remaining voter suppression laws follow the same template, it's likely they won't survive until the November elections. As for the photo ID provision, the court found that the data examined by the legislature "showed that African-Americans disproportionately lacked the most common kind of photo ID, those issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles." "The legislature amended the bill to exclude many of the alternative photo IDs used by African-Americans (and) retained only the kinds of IDs that white North Carolinians were more likely to possess," the ruling reads. The law had been upheld by a district court judge in April, and North Carolina argued in court papers that the plaintiffs failed to prove the law was an "unconstitutional burden on any voters, much less African-American voters." Attorneys for the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law countered that the law was enacted "under highly rushed and sharply polarized circumstances," after the 2012 election "where early voting and same-day registration were used heavily by African-American voters." North Carolina voter ID law overturned on appeal [Jason Hanna, John Newsome and Ariane de Vogue/CNN] (Image: Register to vote African American 1960s sign, Kheel Center, Cornell University, CC-BY) WORK EXPERIENCE: Boone County public administrator for two terms, beginning in 2009; Office manager, Boone County Commission; president of the Missouri Association of Public Administrators Martha Stevens NAME: Martha Stevens AGE: 32 FAMILY: Husband Ben Edes EDUCATION: Bachelors degree in sociology from MU; masters degree in social work with an emphasis in public policy from MU WORK EXPERIENCE: Worked with low-income seniors and adults with disabilities for the state of Missouri and a not-for-profit agency in Seattle, Washington; community organizer for Planned Parenthood in Columbia, January 2013-October 2014; health care advocate with Missouri Rural Crisis Center, October 2014-May 2016. Missouri's Abrams-Draine draws NFL Draft hype at cornerback Missouri's Kris Abrams-Draine is only in his second season as a full-time defensive back, but the junior is drawing NFL Draft hype. Explore Six Vintage Buildings That Have Found New Life as Hotels A Sentury Tire production facility SHARE By Tyler Whetstone/USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee The Memphis Regional Megasites first tenant could be Sentury Tire Americas, a Chinese tire manufacturer who, according to sources, has narrowed down its options to the Megasite and a site outside of LaGrange, Georgia, for its first U.S. manufacturing operation. The Atlanta Business Chronicle has also confirmed the companys search. According to the Chronicle, the Sentury Tire operation could bring an initial $500 million investment and more than 600 jobs to start, and could eventually expand to several thousand jobs. The plant would also have about 100 research and development jobs. Randy Boyd, commissioner of Economic and Community Development, declined to comment on the project, saying he couldnt comment on projects under negotiations. Chassen Haynes, director of business development with the state's Economic and Community Development office, told the Memphis Regional Megasite Authority Board on Monday that the plant would be situated on about 545 to 560 acres cut off from the contiguous 3,300 acres of the overall Megasite. The site would include a testing track and proving ground. On Monday, Haynes confirmed a foreign ownership group is planning to visit the site early next month. According to Tire Business, Sentury operates plants in Qingdao, China, and Rayong, Thailand, and the company is represented in the U.S. by Sentury Tire Americas of Miami, which operates warehousing in Miami and Memphis, and earlier this year opened a new headquarters in Miami. The 70,000-square-foot Memphis warehouse, located close to the I-40/I-240 interchange on the east side of Memphis, is capable of stocking more than 50,000 tires to expedite fill-in orders for Sentury Tires distributor customers. Sentury Tire started mass producing tires in 2009 mostly passenger, crossover, sport-utility vehicle, commercial van and aircraft tires. According to Rubber & Plastics News, Sentury is targeting a start date of 2017 for a U.S. plant and is planning a "highly automated smart tire factory that could produce 10 million tires a year. If the company chooses to locate at the Megasite, it would represent another step forward for the growth of the tire industry in Tennessee. Overall, the automobile industry in the state employs nearly 120,000 workers. Bridgestone Americas is headquartered in Tennessee and recently committed to building a new 514,000-square-foot, 30-story high-rise building in downtown Nashville that will eventually house 1,700 workers. In addition, Hankook Tire is building a new $800 million, 1.5 million-square-foot plant in Clarksville on roughly 149 acres. The first tires are expected to roll off the line in December. The plant is expected to employ around 2,000 workers. Hankook Tire Company visited both the Megasite and the site outside of LaGrange in recent years before it settled on Clarksville for the new plant. And last year, China's largest tiremaker Triangle Tire Group moved its U.S. headquarters to Franklin and has aggressive growth plans in the U.S. A deal would mark the first tenant for the Megasite, which has been touted as a future economic driver for years in the region. The Megasite takes in a total of 4,100 acres. The state says it has appropriated $140 million in development of the site. More than 1,500 job seekers learned about potential work or eduction from 120 employers, colleges and schools Thursday at the JobLINC Career Fair in Memphis. SHARE By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal As a recruiter for Mahaffey Fabric Structures in Memphis, Stacy Hancock was thinking come to me when she saw people on television say they needed jobs following Black Lives Matter movement protests earlier this month. On Thursday, Mahaffey was one of 120 employers, colleges and schools with booths hoping to lure potential job candidates at the JobLINC Career Fair at the former fairgrounds Pipkin Building. I see a disconnect because I have my jobs out and I dont have a lot of people applying, Hancock said. And I think my jobs are entry level, but they have room for growth and opportunity. Thats the same message that workforce development officials for the Memphis metro area are trying to convey as employers dig deeper to find workers. The Memphis-area unemployment rate in June stood at 5.7 percent, compared with 6.9 percent a year ago. It is the lowest rate for any June in nine years. On Thursday, more than 1,500 job seekers attended the career fair, which outgrew its traditional location at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library and moved this year to the larger Pipkin Building, said Patricia Myers, training coordinator for career services at the Workforce Investment Network. The Memphis Public Librarys JobLINC, WIN and the Society for Human Resource Management of Memphis offered the career fair, with financial help from sponsors. Mary Denita Moore, 42, emerged from the career fair with an armful of folders and thoughts that policing or an industrial job might be a next step. Mother of a 10-year-old daughter, Moore said shes a licensed practical nurse, but working for agencies that pay per day without health insurance and benefits led her to go to business school and consider a change. The job market looks good, so I want something, and shed like to help people but also earn better pay, Moore said. I need to buy a house, you know what Im saying, I need something that can help me and my family. At Mahaffey, a 150-employee company on Delp Street founded in 1924 that provides industrial tent rentals, about 10 to 12 more employees are needed, Hancock said. The labor-intensive jobs are full time with benefits. Memphians say criminal records are cited as a major obstacle for unemployed and underemployed people in the current job market. At Mahaffey, felony convictions may not stop a job applicants prospects with the company, as long as they are honest on their applications, Hancock said. Background checks are required. The job fair came as state officials reported the June unemployment rate. At 5.7 percent it is the lowest rate in any June since 2007 for metropolitan Memphis. It rose from Mays 4.5 percent. June unemployment rates usually exceed May as schools release students and workers for the summer. Within the Memphis metro area, June unemployment rates were 5.8 percent in Shelby County, 5.2 percent in Fayette County, 6.1 percent in Tipton County, 5.7 percent in the Mississippi portion and 4.9 percent in the Arkansas portion. Within Shelby County, June unemployment rates were 4.6 percent in Bartlett, 4.1 percent in Collierville, 3.9 percent in Germantown and 6.3 percent in Memphis. SHARE By Kevin McKenzie of The Commercial Appeal Second-quarter results for Memphis-based ServiceMaster Global Holdings Inc. were marked down by an $88 million charge to settle all claims from fumigation in the U.S. Virgin Islands that sickened a Delaware family. ServiceMaster on Thursday reported net income of $16 million, or 11 cents a share, for the three months ended June 30, compared with $67 million, or 49 cents per share a year ago. ServiceMaster brands include Terminix, Merry Maids, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, ServiceMaster Restore, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. The company said the settlement ends all civil claims by the sickened family. In spring 2015, they were staying at Sirenusa resort on the island of St. John. They were airlifted to a hospital in the United States and eventually stabilized, the Wilmington News Journal last year reported. U.S. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate. Coons knows the victims, Wilmington private school administrator Steve Esmond, his wife Dr. Theresa Devine, and their two teenage sons, the News Journal reported. EPA sampled air at the resort and said methyl bromide had been used recently to fumigate a room for pests. The use of the chemical was seen as an isolated incident. Except for a government contract at the Port of Baltimore, Terminix had stopped using methyl bromide pesticides in the U.S. and its territories, the U.S. Justice Department said. In 1984, the EPA banned indoor use of methyl bromide products except for certified applicators. Another $3 million was previously paid in the incident, ServiceMaster reported. In addition, Terminix and its U.S. Virgin Islands operations earlier this year agreed to pay $10 million in a plea agreement with the U.S. Justice Department and EPA. ServiceMaster's second-quarter revenue grew to $747 million from $716 million, or by 4.3 percent. Revenue rose by 8 percent at home warranty brand American Home Shield and by 5 percent at pest control brand Terminix. Rob Gillette, chief executive for ServiceMaster, said in a statement that its businesses remain strong. "Our margins continue to improve as we continue to streamline operations, convert our Merry Maids branches to franchises and realize the benefits of operating leverage," Gillette said. "This positions us well for future growth as we continue to invest in marketing our ServSmart platform and build on our brand awareness." ServiceMaster announced in June that it will move its headquarters, including 1,200 employees and an innovation center, Downtown to Peabody Place from East Memphis in stages next year. Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County is located at 616 Adams Avenue. (Dave Darnell/The Commercial Appeal files) By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal A June report to the U.S. Department of Justice about juvenile detention in Memphis contains allegations of youth being disciplined in 23-hour, locked-room confinement with handcuffing and shackling during the single out-of-room hour. The detention chief denied the practice exists. Youth interviewed for the report by David Roush of Juvenile Justice Associates in Albion, Michigan also said they sometimes do not get to shower daily and are confined in locked rooms 22 hours a day on weekends, which Chief Kirk Fields also disputed. Roush, who has been monitoring juvenile protection from harm following a 2012 agreement between the DOJ and the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, submitted his findings after a visit to the facility April 4 - 7. He found that documentation by the Shelby County Sheriffs Department of Juvenile Detention Services to be unacceptable and unreliable. For example, a review of all youth observation logs from March 12, 2016, were so incomplete that it was impossible to determine the amount of time youth spent in locked room confinement, he said. Here, on a critically important protection from harm metric, documentation was so poor that no verification existed of mandatory room checks. The absence of documentation lends additional credibility to the claims of youth that confinement on the weekends is a 22/2 (22 hours in the room and two hours out of the room for meals and recreation) type of isolation. Roushs report is his seventh following the DOJs 2012 agreement with the court to resolve findings of serious and systemic failures in the juvenile court that violate childrens due process and equal protection rights. The DOJ found discrimination against African-American children, unsafe conditions of confinement and failures to provide due process to youth appearing for proceedings. Black youth are still overrepresented and "race continues to explain case outcomes even after taking into consideration relevant legal factors, such as crime severity, crime type, etc.," wrote Michael Leiber, of the University of South Florida, who monitors equal protection. Further, Leiber wrote in June, being black increases the chance of detention and decreases the chance of receiving a non-judicial outcome in comparison to similar whites. Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael told The Commercial Appeal on Thursday the court has done a tremendous amount of work the last four years in diverting children from the system, including children diverted into community programs to help them learn not to reoffend. Michael said the number of children in detention has been cut dramatically. Leiber recently visited Memphis and provided a list of specific things the court can do to make improvements. Juvenile court is committed to what needs to be done to try to reduce the disproportionate minority contact at juvenile court, Michael said. Roush found in his latest report that juvenile detention staff receive training consistent with practices for working in an adult facility. Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham took over detention operations on July 1. An underlying assumption exists that there are no difference between juvenile and adult detention skills, Roush said. Fields said 56 hours of ongoing training will include 16 hours of juvenile-specific training. Roush found that observation logs on March 13 indicated that the juveniles were out of their rooms only one hour and 34 minutes, while best practices would be 14 hours out of the room. He said the unexpected discovery of the March 13 confinement practice suggests the presence of inadequately supervised staff, a lack of sensitivity to youth complaints, an insufficient responsiveness to monitoring reports, and a confounding and inadequate system of documentation. Youth reported a red card disciplinary status with 23-hour confinement, which Roush said warrants more investigation. Fields said youth are not held for 22 or 23 hours a day. That has never taken place, he said. Fields did acknowledge documentation issues. Accomplishments Roush noted include the hiring of a full-time counselor to expand youth programs, more activities and extended visits, as well as the implementation of a system that encourages positive behavior. He also noted expansion plans for Hope Academy, a 45-person capacity school that youth can attend inside the Juvenile Court building while detained. Plans are in place and renovations are occurring to expand the Hope Academy to provide educational services to all detained youth, Roush wrote. During the visit, staff and youth reported that using a restraint chair or pressure point tactics were prohibited. In 2012, the DOJ found that children at the detention center were subjected to unnecessary and excessive restraint, including use of restraint chairs and pressure point control tactics, endangering their safety. Roush found a lack of an accurate, documented count of mechanical restraint use and that physical restraint use is too frequent. There has been improvement in the quality of food, but Roush called for continued attention to the quantity of food. He noted reductions in the daily youth population, and said the detention service and court regularly meet to identify juveniles for release. June 6, 2016- Mayor Jim Strickland exits a press conference regarding public safety held in the Hall of Mayors. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal) By Ryan Poe of The Commercial Appeal Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland defended his administrations record on transparency in an email to constituents Friday following concerns raised by local media outlets about new restrictions on access to City Hall and public employees. The Strickland administrations relationship with the media has been stretched in recent months as his office has put in place new policies that lead some people to question whether hes following through on campaign promises to make government more transparent. But Strickland discounted that idea in his weekly email to constituents, saying hes reached out in new and innovative ways by directly communicating with citizens in weekly emails and through Facebook and Twitter a process that sometimes bypasses independent review by what he called legacy media outlets. Our administration is committed to communication and transparency more than any local government entity in recent history, he said. Strickland wasnt giving interviews on transparency concerns Friday, said city spokeswoman Arlenia Cole. She said his email was his statement. The email, which was entirely dedicated to defending Stricklands communications record, comes as his administration begins building up a new communications division headed by Chief Communications Officer Ursula Madden. Madden recently began enforcing new rules that required media but not citizens, in some cases to make appointments with specific offices in City Hall and be escorted there by police or staff, and that threatened to punish or fire employees who speak to the press without permission. Employees who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, the policy reads. The nature and degree of the violation will be factors in determining whether discipline will be imposed and the severity of any such discipline, up to and including termination of employment. In his seven months in office, Strickland has overseen a tectonic shift in the way his administration interacts with media outlets compared to previous administrations. Some of the more positive changes are that some public records are delivered faster and calls are usually returned promptly. But his administration has also tightened controls on communications, reduced the number of press conferences and cut some of them short, and recently denied The Commercial Appeals request for all applications related to a publicly funded police director search by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Shelby County Chancellor Walter Evans sided with The CA on Friday, ruling that the plain language of the states open records law entitled the public to inspect the records. He denied to declare that the city and IACP willfully refused access, which would have triggered additional costs. As of Friday afternoon, The CA was still waiting for the city to fulfill the records request. In the latest dust-up, local television news outlets ran stories this week after they were required to notify Stricklands new communications division of visits to council members offices, raising concerns by council members that their interviews were essentially being vetted by the administration. Friday, City Chief Operations Officer Doug McGowen sent council members a note apologizing for the inconvenience, and outlining a revised process where council staff coordinate council visits. My administration respects the media, Strickland said in his weekly email Friday. If were available, were glad to do interviews. Thats been our stance since New Years Day, and it will continue to be our stance moving forward. That said, the employees who are paid by your tax dollars to focus on the core services of our city deserve to be able to do their jobs without interruption. We have had instances of reporters showing up in offices unannounced. This isnt good for the work our employees are doing, and it doesnt help our shared goal of having accurate, contextual information reported in the media. Plus, its not how the general public is treated at City Hall. Council member Berlin Boyd, who had a heated exchange with the administration over the access issues, said Friday the revision will ensure the council will remain open, if not the rest of City Hall. If this is what they call being transparent, thats on them, he said. Copies of the new media access policies, which went into effect June 28, didnt say an escort was a requirement, and other public buildings like the states legislative annex, the Shelby County administration building, the county courthouse or even the county Criminal Justice Center dont require an escort once the public passes through security. Boyd said that policy would be open and fair, and the way it should be. The administrations new rules could also possibly run afoul of state open records law. All state, county and municipal records shall, at all times during business hours, which for public hospitals shall be during the business hours of their administrative offices, be open for personal inspection by any citizen of this state, and those in charge of the records shall not refuse such right of inspection to any citizen, unless otherwise provided by state law, the law states. Council member Edmund Ford Jr., who also complained to the administration for not telling the council about the phantom policy, said the jury is still out on whether Stricklands administration is as transparent as he says it is. This is the job we asked to be elected to, he said. Theres no reason to limit access just because of bad experiences someone may have had with media in the past. Follow more politics and policy coverage from the InforMemphis team on Twitter and Facebook State Rep. Raumesh Akbari, D-Tenn., speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) By Joel Ebert and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee PHILADELPHIA Rep. Raumesh Akbari, a 32-year-old Democratic lawmaker from Memphis, called for members of her generation to join her and vote for Hillary Clinton, arguing that the bad sister will fight on behalf of young people as president. In a three-minute speech delivered Thursday at the Democratic National Convention, Akbari said theres a simple decision to make when considering voting for Clinton or Republican nominee Donald Trump. My fellow young people we have a choice, and its crystal clear! What side of history do we want to be on? Which political leader will we allow to define our generation? she asked. Akbari, who is the only Tennessean speaking on stage at the convention and the first since 2008, suggested that Clinton would help fight for debt-free college for everyone, free community college and work to advance new strategies to combat the problems unique to those in her generation. Will you join me and support a leader who understands that the deep racial wounds of our country have not yet healed, but together we can work to be the change we wish to see in the world? she asked, before plugging Clintons credentials, which date back to the former secretary of states law school days, work with the Childrens Defense Fund and her time as first lady. Come on yall, shes a bad sister! Akbari said, going off script while reiterating a phrase she previously used when introducing Clinton at an event in Memphis last year. Turning to Clintons opponent, Akbari said Republicans have nominated a man whose campaign and party are centered on divisions and intolerance. The stakes are too high, the consequences too severe, Akbari said. She even gave a plug to her hometown in the brief but energetic speech that had some in the Wells Fargo Center cheering, especially those in Tennessees delegation. Whether youre black, white, Latino or Asian whether you are gay, straight or transgendered whether you run a ranch, a farm, a church or a beauty shop down in Memphis, Tennessee Secretary Clinton is a fighter for us all. The line drew cheers from Tennessees delegation, many of whom held and proudly waved Akbari campaign signs during her speech. She ended her remarks by reminding Democrats that the months leading up to the November election would be no simple task. But when has fighting for whats right ever been easy? Working together, we are stronger and more powerful than we ever dare dream. So stand up. Go back to your cities and states and make sure Secretary Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States of America, she said to applause from throughout the arena. Akbaris speech was well received at watch parties back home in Tennessee and by members of the states delegation. Her mother, Lisa, said she was proud of her daughter because of the conviction with which she spoke. This meant a lot to me personally but it also meant a lot to me for her, Lisa Akbari said, sitting near members of the state delegation. Gale Jones Carson, who was also seated with the states delegation and lives in Memphis, said Akbaris success as a community leader and lawmaker has given her ease. Shes given me hope regarding young people because I have been so concerned about people taking the reins of civil rights. I often have said I wonder if Dr. King would be disappointed. But when I see Raumesh Akbari and other young people like her, I have great hope that there will people continuing to fight for the rights of all people, she said. I am very, very proud of her. Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Mary Mancini said she especially liked the portion of Akbaris speech where she called upon Democrats, Republicans and independents to support Clintons campaign. Cheers and applause rang out as friends and family members recorded Akbaris speech with cell phones at a watch party held at the East Memphis Broadway Pizza that was hastily organized by the Democratic Women of Shelby County. I mean, its surreal. Ive got chills coming down my spine. Its amazing, said Raumina Akbari, the state lawmakers twin sister as she witnessed her sister ascend for a few minutes onto the national political stage. As kids, Raumina Akbari said she knew her sister planned to go into politics. And even while she was in law school in St. Louis, there was no question that she would come back to Memphis. She was like, I have to help my city. So to see her doing it now, its crazy to me, said Raumina Akbari, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Im so proud of her, said Akbaris father, Hooshang. Akbari took the stage a few minutes before her 4:30 scheduled appearance, though, causing a few people at the event to miss the speech. In Nashville, about 25 people, including Akbaris family and friends, gathered at Waller Law Firm, which was decked out with red, white and blue balloons hung throughout the room, to watch the speech. Those in attendance wore Akbari T-shirts that read Millennials for Hillary. Akbaris aunt, Jacky, 55, said her nieces speech was on the mark. She represented the demographic that will turn the tide in the election for Hillary Clinton, and she represented them well, she said. Were so proud to have her represent us on a national stage. Akbaris 28-year-old cousin, Alex, said the moment was especially empowering for millennials. Mahesh Yarlagadda, 27, a friend of the lawmaker, said she represented Tennessee well. She spoke about the importance of having big dreams. Even if you come from humble beginnings. She stayed positive and on par with Hillary and Tim Kanes message, he said. Linda A. Moore and Thomas Novelly contributed to this report. The following is a transcript of the speech Rep. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, delivered at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 28, 2016: Good evening Democrats! I am thrilled to join you here in Philadelphia. It's my honor to serve as the youngest member in the Tennessee General Assembly, representing the "Fighting 26" Tennessee House Democratic Caucus. My fellow young people - we have a choice, and it's crystal clear! What side of history do we want to be on? Which political leader will we allow to define our generation? Will we raise our voice and demand a leader who will fight for debt-free college for all, and make community college free; a leader who will help people loaded down with crippling student loan debt; a leader who will push new strategies to combat the problems people in our generation face? Will you join me and support a leader who understands that the deep racial wounds of our country have not yet healed, but together we can work to be the change we wish to see in the world? Will you stand with a leader who has defined her life by helping the least among us? From going down to segregated Alabama as a law student, to work with the Children's Defense Fund, to fighting for health care for children across this nation, to standing up for women everywhere and proclaiming before the world that "Women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights." The stakes are too high, the consequences too severe. In Cleveland last week, the RNC nominated a man who has built his campaign on words that divide us and walls that divide us; and approved a party platform that enshrines intolerance. Whether you're a Republican, Democrat or Independent. Whether you're black, white, Latino or Asian - gay, straight or transgendered - whether you run a ranch, a farm, a church or a beauty shop down in Memphis - Secretary Clinton is a fighter for us all. These next few months won't be easy. But when has fighting for what's right ever been easy? Working together, we are stronger and more powerful than we ever dare dream. So stand up! Go back to your cities and states! And make sure Secretary Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States of America. At the British biotech company Oxitec, scientists study the pupae of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a vector for transmitting the Zika virus. Andre Penner Associated Press SHARE By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal The Shelby County Health Department confirmed Friday that a third person has contracted the Zika virus. The affected individual traveled to an area where the disease is prevalent, according to a statement released by the department. In the previous two cases, both residents contracted the virus after traveling to countries most affected by the disease. Earlier this month, the Mississippi Health Department confirmed a new case in DeSoto County where the person affected traveled to Jamaica. Although the virus develops as a mild illness in most, Zika is associated with serious birth defects primarily microcephaly, distinguished by small heads in babies born to infected mothers. The virus has spread to much of Latin America and the Caribbean. "As the mosquito that can carry Zika becomes more prevalent in Shelby County this summer, it will be essential for Shelby County citizens to take the appropriate precautions to reduce their risk of mosquito bites and possible transmission of Zika," the statement read. To avoid mosquito bites, the health department recommends using bug repellent, avoiding the use of fragrances which may attract them and wearing light colored, loose clothing to create a barrier for skin. SHARE The Commercial Appeal files The triplet daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Harold McCommon of Burlison, Tenn., 8 weeks old, are allowed out of their incubators at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital at feeding time on July 30, 1956. The babies, watched over by Supervisor Frances Dugan, were born in a Covington, Tenn., doctor's office and brought to the Memphis hospital. Mary Jean (left) now weighs five pounds three ounces; Vera Elaine (center) four pounds 11 ounces, and Martha Ann, five pounds two ounces. They'll be able to go home soon. July 29 25 years ago: 1991 Hollywood Three cable networks will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer tonight. A&E airs four hours of highlights from the BBC's 1981 coverage of the event, The Family Channel airs "Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story" with David Robb and Caroline Bliss, and Lifetime has "The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana" with Catherine Oxenberg and Christopher Baines. The TV movies debuted within three days of each other in 1982. 50 years ago: 1966 Mayor William B. Ingram wants to put the entire Program of Progress charter change proposal on the November ballot instead of the 96-word summary that has been suggested by POP directors. If the Mayor were successful, each voting machine in the city would contain wordage that now fills 16 legal-size double spaced typewritten pages. 75 years ago: 1941 The Red command made early today its first positive claim that the German offensives had failed both at the Russian center protecting Moscow and about Zhitomir in the Ukraine and in some areas Soviet troops were destroying great numbers of invaders in counter-attacks. 100 years ago: 1916 History of an interesting character was made last night when more than 100 veterans of the Union and Confederate armies, their sons and daughters, and members of the Spanish American war met at Confederate headquarters for a general get-together meeting. 125 years ago: 1891 The Legislature has under consideration a bill prohibiting physicians who use intoxicants from practicing their profession. It is said that a bill inflicting a like penalty on the solons would wipe out the Legislature in a few hours. Sound technician Jim Bryant sweeps up water as spillage from the morning rain begins to creep into the pavilion at Founders Square at the Neshoba County Fair Thursday in Philadelphia, Miss. The annual fair is a traditional gathering place for politicians, area residents, business leaders, voters and families. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) SHARE By Jeff Amy, Associated Press PHILADELPHIA, Miss. Top Mississippi leaders redoubled their defense Thursday of the state's attempt to protect religious objections to same-sex couples, transgender people or anyone engaging in sex outside marriage. "They started this fight," Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said. "We're simply trying to carry out the will of the people of the state of Mississippi as we were duly elected to do, and we're going to continue to do that." "We operate based upon convictions. We don't need a poll to tell us that we need to fight for your religious liberty," said House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton. Bryant and Gunn spoke at the Neshoba County Fair, where U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker called on Republicans to unite behind party presidential nominee Donald Trump to defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and preserve the GOP majority in the U.S. Senate. State Treasurer Lynn Fitch called for a state constitutional amendment requiring Mississippi to balance its budget, saying this year's budget problems show the need for one. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves blocked House Bill 1523, the religious objections law, less than an hour before it would have taken effect July 1. Bryant and Department of Human Services Executive Director John Davis are appealing. Opponents recently filed court papers showing that the Alliance Defending Freedom wrote a proposal that ultimately mirrored key parts of the law. "They get so excited because they say, 'You know the governor and the Legislature, well, actually they had some contact with some religious organizations,'" Bryant said. "Yes, yes we did. We do that quite often. As a matter of fact, I reach out to the American Family Association, the Alliance for Defending Freedom. I'll continue to do so." Bryant called for people to recognize more of the state's positive achievements including the new Continental AG tire plant planned for Clinton, a recent award for educational innovation from the Education Commission of the States and his decision to require single able-bodied adults who get food stamps to participate in work, job training or community service. "Unfortunately, the blame-Mississippi-first crowd just keeps on going. But I've always been optimistic," Bryant said, Gunn said other actions in 2016's legislative session, which was riven by tensions between the Republican supermajority and the Democratic minority in the House, were also motivated by the principled convictions of leading House Republicans. But he also offered an olive branch of sorts to Democrats. "If you want to work, I know that the best decisions are not made in a vacuum," Gunn said. "I know that we reach consensus by discussing the issues, by reaching across the aisle, by trying to find common ground. We need to better understand each other and we need to better deal with the issues of the day." Fitch called for Mississippi to pass a law guaranteeing equal pay. She also called for a state constitutional amendment for a balanced budget, saying a looming deficit in the just-started 2016 budget proved her case. "It sounds sort of like Washington: We don't know what the answer is; we'll balance it later," Fitch said. "Well, we don't want to be like Washington." SHARE Heather Fox By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal A former Donald Trump campaign leader and Republican activist from DeSoto County has been charged with disturbing the peace and domestic violence after becoming intoxicated and wielding an ax at a Nesbit home, police say. Heather Leigh Fox was arrested and charged by DeSoto County Sheriff's deputies about 2 a.m. Friday at a home in the 5400 block of Church Road West in Nesbit. The DeSoto County Jail website shows that Fox was booked at 2:53 a.m. on a charge of disturbing the peace-domestic violence. It does not indicate whether she was released on bond. According to the police report, Fox was agitated and had "the odor of an intoxicating beverage emitting from her body." The report also said officers, on a video recorded by the complainant, observed Fox swinging an ax inside the home's garage. Fox, 42, of Olive Branch, is a member of the DeSoto County Republican Party Executive Committee as well as the state party's executive committee. Fox also identifies herself in an April posting on her website as North Mississippi director of Trump's presidential campaign. The posting includes a photograph of her being embraced by Trump. However, a campaign spokesman Friday said Fox has not worked for the campaign in any capacity since March. The police report states that the unidentified owner of the Nesbit home told deputies Fox was "irate" because another person, also unidentified, was at the residence. The homeowner told police Fox didn't want the other person there because Fox believed she had damaged Fox's vehicle and stolen a swim suit on a prior occasion. The homeowner said that when he heard Fox outside, he went out to talk to her and noticed she was holding an ax so he began recording the encounter on his cellphone. The officer watched the video and said he "observed Fox swinging an axe inside the garage. Fox continued screaming and using profane language advising (unidentified) to make (unidentified) leave his residence." The report says Fox told the homeowner their relationship was over if the other person did not leave. "Fox advised me that she had three mixed drinks containing Jack Daniels liquor," the arresting officer states in the report. "I asked Fox why she picked up the axe she found inside the garage. Fox advised me that she was mad." The officer goes on to say Fox told him she knew she was wrong and "did not wish for this to happen." No one was injured. In addition to being active in politics, Fox founded a group called DeSoto County Reform after a 2012 dispute with county school officials over conditions at Olive Branch Elementary School, where Fox's children attended. The DeSoto County Reform site is where Fox identified herself in an April 2 posting as Trump's North Mississippi director. The post has since been removed. SHARE By Francis Wilkinson Kristen Day is not making progress. The executive director of Democrats for Life of America, she manned a booth at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, which features caucus meetings, presentations and lots of activists offering their wares to Democrats in Philadelphia for the big party convention. Democrats strolled by, including more than a handful wearing pink Planned Parenthood T-shirts. Few stopped at Day's table, which featured a poster promoting paid parental leave, a higher minimum wage and "Medicare for all" but no mention of abortion. "We're trying to appeal to Democrats, and we want them to talk to us," she explained. "Safe, legal and rare" was the abortion-rights mantra of Bill Clinton in the 1990s. In her 2008 presidential run, Hillary Clinton said abortion should be "safe, legal and rare, and by rare, I mean rare." Abortion "should not in any way be diminished as a moral issue," she added. But abortion is increasingly deemed a health care issue by Democratic leaders, not a moral issue. The 2016 party platform makes no mention of "rare," and Clinton herself seems to have dropped the word from her political lexicon. Meanwhile, the number of pro-life Democrats in Congress has dwindled to a handful. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, whom Clinton selected to be her vice presidential nominee, has suggested that he has personal qualms about abortion while compiling a 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood. It's hard to avoid the conclusion that the party's pro-choice components have consolidated power. There is little in the polls to support a more liberal posture on the issue. Since Gallup began tracking abortion in the 1970s, the main default position of Americans has been support for abortion "only under certain circumstances." According to a 2014 Pew Research survey, millennials hold similarly hedged views. In a 2015 CNN poll, Democrats' views on abortion ranged across: "legal under any circumstances" (48 percent), "legal under most circumstances" (19 percent), "legal under certain circumstances" (22 percent) and "illegal in all circumstances" (9 percent). Despite the diversity of opinion, there is nonetheless a clear party line. "When we try to find Democratic fundraisers to help us raise money," Day said, "they say, 'Oh, we don't want to touch that.' " In 1972, before abortion became a polarized partisan issue, more Republicans than Democrats supported legal abortion, according to Gallup. "It makes more sense for Republicans to be the pro-choice party and the Democrats to be the pro-life party," Day said, since Republicans object to government interference and Democrats are more inclined to protect the vulnerable. But that's not a view with much traction in American politics. Abortion politics is unforgiving terrain. "Two pro-lifers contacted me on Facebook," Day said. "One said I was going to hell. The other said the Democratic Party is evil." Democratic critics can be similarly unkind. "One Democratic friend said she was ashamed I was a Democrat," Day said. "The other said I'm un-American because I don't support taxpayer-funded abortions. You gotta have tough skin for this job." Day, a 47-year-old former Capitol Hill aide, isn't winning this battle, but she hasn't lost it completely. The new platform doesn't endorse "safe, legal and rare," which carried an implicit moral judgment against abortion and a desire to curtail it. Democratic platforms haven't included the word "rare" in the abortion plank since 2004. But it still implies a desire for fewer abortions. "We recognize that quality, affordable comprehensive health care, evidence-based sex education, and a full range of family planning services help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions." Reducing the need for abortions, which echoes language from the 2008 platform, is at least a backhand acknowledgment that abortion remains, in Clinton's apparently discarded locution, a "moral issue." Francis Wilkinson is a Bloomberg View editorial writer. SHARE By Michael Lindenberger It's crystal clear that Hillary Clinton stands a very good chance at becoming the next president of the United States. But win or lose, now is the time for her to act like the president she hopes to be. Starting today, she will model for America how she'll conduct herself as president, should she takes that oath of office come January. In one critical respect, she's been failing to even try. She hasn't had a formal press conference in more than 200 days. That's bad enough. But she also avoids the press even at regular events. Her spontaneous Q&A with reporters in March was the first time in 88 days, for instance, that she even took their questions. This year, in total, she's met with the press about nine times. When she has, it has usually been for five minutes or less. The White House Correspondents Association has blasted both Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump. The former avoids the press and the latter tries to bully any reporter who is critical of his campaign. Clinton's refusal to regularly engage with the reporters who cover her campaign, like her failure to hold even infrequent formal press conferences, is more than a mistake. It undermines our democracy. It's also bad politics. Her avoidance of the press has opened her up to lengthy invectives from Republican nominee Trump, whose readiness to endure a press conference is not to be doubted. "I think it's time for Hillary Clinton to do a news conference because it's been almost a year now. And it would be interesting to see how she does," he said Wednesday at a news conference. He also put himself and his disassociation from the truth on full display for a full hour before the news media. It was a bizarre performance. He wasn't more than 90 seconds into the opening remarks before he started making no sense. He was jabbing at Clinton for the hacked emails and what they said about ousted DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's hidden biases during the primary campaign. But that's the beauty of press conferences. They can be, in a word, revelatory. And for all his faults from his failure to release his tax returns to his absurd decision to yank the Washington Post's press credentials he has taken questions from the press. Routinely. In doing so, he has explained his views and his priorities, and in a format where they can be questioned, probed and rebutted. Hillary Clinton hasn't. And she's wrong. There may be good reasons, or at least ones that made sense to her campaign, for why this is the case. She was ahead of Bernie Sanders and probably didn't want to give him something to seize on. Maybe her lawyers had her convinced that questions about the email scandal could only harm her while the FBI was investigating. Maybe she just doesn't like the press, and who, really, could blame her? But her reasons, whatever they were, weren't good enough. Now they have simply disappeared altogether. With her acceptance of the nomination, the time has come, urgently come, for her to interact in a meaningful way with the press. Not because Trump has said she should. Not because writers like me say she should. But because she knows that her actions over the next 100 days will say much more than her words, and even more than her past performances, about how she will conduct herself as president if she wins in November. The press is ugly. It's imperfect. It can be myopic and endlessly fascinated with conflict. It can be easily intimidated and often manipulated. But in these it reflects the foibles of the same people who read and view it, and despite all this, it remains the best check, maybe the only durable check, against tyranny in this country. Courts can be packed. Precedents overturned. Congressmen cowed. The free press endures as the best way to ensure individuals have a voice in this, their own country. In disrespecting that, Clinton disrespects the people she'd like so badly to lead. Now is the time for her to change that policy. Michael Lindenberger is a columnist for the Dallas Morning News. Contact him at mlindenberger@dallasnews.com. Trade groups representing many U.S. ISPs have filed an appeal challenging a court ruling that upheld the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules. Trade groups CTIA, USTelecom, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and the American Cable Association on Friday asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to rehear their challenge of the net neutrality rules after a three-judge panel upheld the rules in June. The challenge isn't to the FCC's rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking or slowing web traffic, but to the agency's reclassification of broadband as a regulated, common-carrier service, the NCTA wrote in a blog post. "We believe this action is necessary to correct unlawful action by the FCC," the NCTA wrote. "Dynamic Internet networks do not resemble or deserve to be treated like archaic telephone systems." The appeal of the ruling was expected. It comes as no surprise that the big dogs have challenged the three-judge panels decision," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in an emailed statement. "We are confident that the full court will agree with the panels affirmation of the FCCs clear authority to enact its strong Open Internet rules, the reasoned decision-making upon which they are based, and the adequacy of the record from which they were developed." A rehearing of the case would be before nine judges at the appeals court. The FCC, in a 3-2, party-line decision, voted in February 2015 to pass the new net neutrality rules barring broadband providers from selectively blocking or slowing web traffic. The commission, in an effort to give the rules a solid legal foundation, also voted to reclassify broadband from a lightly regulated information service to a more heavily regulated telecommunications service. In the following months, more than a dozen groups filed lawsuits challenging the reclassification of broadband. Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has censured WikiLeaks release of information without proper curation. On Thursday, Snowden, who has embarrassed the U.S. government with revelations of widespread NSA surveillance, said that WikiLeaks was mistaken in not at least modestly curating the information it releases. Democratizing information has never been more vital, and @Wikileaks has helped. But their hostility to even modest curation is a mistake, Snowden said in a tweet. WikiLeaks shot back at Snowden that opportunism won't earn you a pardon from Clinton & curation is not censorship of ruling party cash flows. The whistleblowing site appeared to defend itself earlier on Thursday while referring to its accuracy policy. In a Twitter message, it said that it does not tamper with the evidentiary value of important historical archives. Snowden was granted asylum by Russia so that he could avoid prosecution in the U.S. for his revelations of confidential government information. WikiLeaks recently released emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee, which suggested that committee officials had favored Hillary Clinton over rival Senator Bernie Sanders. Clinton accepted on Thursday her nomination as the candidate of the Democratic Party for president of the U.S. There is speculation that the DNC was hacked by Russians aiming to influence the elections. WikiLeaks has refused to disclose its source. On Thursday, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said his agency was not quite ready yet to make a public call on the attribution of the hack. WikiLeaks' release of the emails, which contained sometimes information such as email ids, phone numbers and passport numbers of DNC donors has been criticized. WikiLeaks was also criticized after its release of emails said to belong to Turkeys ruling party, the AKP or Justice and Development Party. WikiLeaks also posted links on social media to databases that were said to contain sensitive and private information of millions of ordinary people, including a special database of almost all adult women in Turkey. It later turned out WikiLeaks had linked to a database uploaded by another person, which was disabled after the controversy. There are 69,000 households in temporary accommodation, often hostels. It is both highly unsatisfactory for the people concerned (especially those with children) and very expensive for the taxpayer. Furthermore there is a shortage of hostel accommodation which means that some pretty awful places end up being used by desperate local authorities. Some applicants end up sofa surfing or rough sleeping (an estimated 3,569 a night) having failed to give a housing officer the correct answers to be categorised as statutorily homeless. Of course the principal and long term solution must be to increase the housing supply. However there is another way that could also alleviate the problem. That is to ensure those currently homeless are able to find work and earn enough to make their own housing arrangements. That is the approach favoured by Caritas Anchor House, a homelessness charity in Canning Town. They have a building with 118 bed spaces but regard it not just as a hostel but as acting as a residential and life skills centre, supporting more than 220 single homeless adults each year[It] acts as a community hub by providing vital education, training and personal rehabilitation. The charity says: The alternative is to improve the throughput of homeless people within the homeless sector and reduce the average length of stay from current levels of 12-14 months. If this can be achieved, capacity within the homeless sector will be released to support more people in significant need thereby helping to reduce demands on public services while also realising the ambitions of the governments Life Chances strategy. Of course it is not the only homeless charity that makes this effort. But it is more successful than most twice as successful as a matter of fact. Twenty-eight per cent of Caritas Anchor House residents were in employment from January to March 2016. The average in the homeless sector is 14 per cent. Caritas Anchor House has requested funding for a project called the Global NoticeBoard. They suggest an investment in technology could provide a better return than more bricks and mortar. Making better use of the existing bricks and mortar could provide better value. They estimate that their approach could free up about ten per cent of 38,000 hostel beds allowing an extra 3,800 homeless people a year to be helped. The Global Noticeboard website would aim to achieve this by allowing job searching, accommodation searching, volunteering and time banking to suits the particular needs of the individual requiring help. It would also encourage the rest of us to donate time and items as well as money. It would provide a platform for citizen journalism and would also seek revenue from classified advertising. Their pitch for Cabinet Office funding is as follows: The 2016 Budget committed spending 100 million to provide 2,000 accommodation places for rough sleepers who are ready to move on from crisis hostels. However, whilst welcome, this will be insufficient to address the extent of homelessness in England. It will also limit the number of people that can be helped by government to the total number of additional hostel places secured. A 2.5million government grant to support the development of the Global NoticeBoard would increase the throughput of rough sleepers through homelessness charities and services by ten percent. We would expect this development to assist 3,850 people (10% of the 38,500 homelessness housing stock) through the vital provision of accommodation, employment and training opportunities. Spending 2.5 million to get 3,850 off the streets does sound like a better deal than 100 million to get 2,000 off the streets. Naturally the bid should be scrutinised with due rigour but their success on a modest scale in Newham does give the charity credibility. There is a wider point for charities and housing officers that deal with homelessness. Throughput might not be an attractive term but surely it makes sense to give it priority rather than struggling to provide ever more hostels where ever more people remain stuck. Iain Dale is Presenter of LBC Drive, Managing Director of Biteback Publishing, a columnist and broadcaster and a former Conservative Parliamentary candidate. You may have seen Ive signed a deal with Hodder. Hope all well. That was a text message I received from Craig Oliver, David Camerons former Director of Communications, earlier this week. I hadnt actually seen that news, so it came as a bit of a surprise to say the least. Two or three weeks ago I had texted Craig to ask if he was thinking of writing a book and we subsequently met for an hour to discuss it. The meeting seemed to go well and I liked his approach. We agreed to talk again soon. I texted him a week later to ask if he had had further thoughts. Lets talk more when things settle, came the reply. Ten days later he had signed up with a literary agent and done a deal with Hodder & Stoughton. Quick work and the best of luck to him with what I am sure will be an excellent book. But this experience has taught me several lessons. I will leave it to you to decide what they are. So, Turkey has shut down hundreds of media outlets in the wake of the failed coup attempt. Restoration of the death penalty is next. Isnt it time that Brussels announced that Turkeys application to join the EU is now in a semi-permanent state of suspension? As the Democratic Convention moves to a close it will be interesting to see how far apart the two Presidential candidates are in the polls. Donald Trump completely failed to rise to the occasion and delivered a speech full of his usual bile and aggression. But he surpassed himself when, during the Democratic convention he urged Russian hackers to continue their efforts to hack into Hillary Clintons emails. Just in case you think I am making this up, here were his exact words: Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Lets see if that happens. Quite astonishing. The trouble is, if the Clinton campaign uses this in any campaign adverts, then it just reminds the voters of the email problem, so in that sense it was a clever move by Trump. But more generally it shows how unfit he is to be President. Owen Smith is a likeable cove. He also suffers from a major fault for a politician. He tends to answer a question and give his opinion a sometime fatal flaw. Hes someone I always look forward to interviewing because he usually avoids and spin or flim-flam. But its very risky and also perhaps naive. We saw that this week with his off the cuff remarks about wanting to Smash Theresa May back on her heels. As soon as I heard him say it I knew what would happen next, and sure enough it did. He stuck by his remarks only to then apologise for them a couple of hours later. A more experienced politician wouldnt have made the remark in the first place. And thats my point. Politicians nowadays seem to think that four or five years in Parliament qualifies them to lead their parties. There may be the odd exception (David Cameron, for instance), but generally experience shows that candidates with little experience tend to crash and burn. Why does no one quietly whisper in their ears have you ever thought you might not be ready?. This week the FTSE 100 reached a twelve month high, and the FTSE 250 surpassed its pre-Brexit level. GDP growth was higher than expected at 0.6 per cent. Various international companies who had warned against Britain voting to leave the EU announced multi hundred million pound investments in the UK, including GlaxoSmithKline and Siemens. Wells Fargo Bank is spending 300 million creating a world HQ in London. I could go on. OK, we are only five weeks away from the vote so its too early to draw definite conclusions, but I think it is fair to say that the almost immediate implosion of the economy which we were warned about hasnt happened. Thats not to say there are no stormclouds on the horizon. Retail sales have fallen at their fastest rate for four years and order books are apparently low. The lower pound has caused foreign suppliers to put their prices up by 10 per cent. Despite what the naysayers continue to warn I have real confidence in British industry to come through this and view the whole scenario as an opportunity rather than a threat. Exporters are already showing that they know the way forward. I was speaking to the owner of a manufacturer of safety equipment who has just announced hes closing his Chinese operation and bringing it all back to the UK, creating forty jobs. Hes doing this because his costs will be lower. He says he knows quite a few other businesses who are doing the same thing. Its not because our labour costs are lower, its because we have become so technologically advanced. It may be a straw in the wind, but its an encouraging one. President Obama put on his usual polished performance, speaking at the Democratic convention, although he didnt quite have the emotion of his wife Michelle. But this passage in his speech caught my eye. He said: Our power doesnt come from some self-declared saviour promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. It was obviously an indirect attack on Donald Trump, but it displayed a distinct lack of self-knowledge on the part of the President. Wasnt that the whole basis of his 2008 campaign, and isnt it reminiscent of his own style of government? In October last year, Nick Timothy criticised the Government for selling our national security to China. In his sights was, amongst other things, the Hinkley Point nuclear power station planned for Somerset. He wrote: During Xis visit to London, the two governments will sign deals giving Chinese state-owned companies stakes in the British nuclear power stations planned for Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. It is believed that the deals could lead to the Chinese designing and constructing a third nuclear reactor at Bradwell in Essex. Security experts reportedly inside as well as outside government are worried that the Chinese could use their role to build weaknesses into computer systems which will allow them to shut down Britains energy production at will. We dont know for sure whether this mornings announcement of yet another delay in confirming the project is directly related to the new regimes very different analysis of the right balance to strike between commerce and economic security, but it seems likely to have played a part. Brexit may have been another factor as Jeremy Warner puts it in the Telegraph: Britains most ambitious nuclear power station to date appeared so bound up in the spirit of European communautaire that it was hard to imagine how the French, state controlled, energy giant Electricite de France (EDF), could proceed if Britain voted to Leave. Perhaps it is simply that Mays Government doesnt feel it loses face by walking away from one of the grand infrastructure projects of the previous regime. Whatever the truth of it, the decision to pause is going down well with the press: the Guardian, Times, and Mail have all run editorials critical of the project this morning. The critical consensus seems to be that there are more practical, less grandiose alternatives to Hinkley Point which can come online quicker, and without exposing our energy infrastructure to foreign powers. A final thought: if the Government is prepared to review top-tier projects in which the previous administration was heavily invested, might we see a change of direction on HS2? News / Local by Stephen Jakes A member of the Zimbabwe National Army based at the Llewellin Baracks in Bulawayo was in trouble after he assaulted his wife accusing her of infidelity.Lizwe Mpofu (38) was lucky to be freed after his wife withdrew the case.He had pleaded guilty to the charge of domestic violence when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure.He apologized to the court and his wife for the offence.The court heard that the complainant in the matter was his wife Violet Mpofu (34).It is the state case that on July 34 at 6.20pm the two were in the city where Mpofu was drinking beer. His wife later asked him to accompany her to board transport to go back to her home in Pumula South, but Mpofu refused and accused her of being promiscuous.A quarrel ensued resulting to Mpofu bashing her with clinched fists and also kicked her on the stomach several times.She sustained injuries and went to hospital. A report made to the police led to Mpofu's arrest. Yesterday, the Supreme Court sent seemingly welcome news to liberals, by ruling against the Named Person scheme. An essential part of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, and the Scottish governments GIRFEC policy bundle, the schemes aim is to provide every child in the country regardless of their family situation with a state-sanctioned guardian. Usually a health visitor or teacher, the Named Person will be the person anyone can approach if they have concerns about a child or young persons well-being, or if they think they require some help or support. As Mark Wallace has written here, the proposed legislation is a gross intrusion into family life and the privacy of the home, which would imbue [the Scottish government] with powers of oversight over the child and his or her parents. It has been widely challenged, not least by Ruth Davidson: in response to yesterdays ruling, she reiterated her view that the scheme is illiberal, invasive, and deeply flawed. However, it is important to note that it is not a fundamental problem with the schemes overall concept that has blocked its progress: the Supreme Court called its aims unquestionably legitimate and benign. It also ruled that it was indeed within the Scottish governments purview to legislate in this area the scheme having been contested before the court on the grounds of needing Westminster approval. That remains a contentious and significant issue, as post-referendum questions persist around the competence of the devolved nations. Rather, the scheme was found to breach ECHR rulings on privacy and family life, particularly in relation to certain data sharing provisions. Therefore, as it stands, Named Person is unlawful but not impossible. The court suggested that the scheme needs adjusting; it has been reported that the Scottish government still hopes to implement it by the end of the year. There are few lesser and more conflicting current obsessions than privacy and transparency. We want everyone to know everything about everyone, except for people wanting to know things about us. Wikileaks, Whittingdale, Whitewater and thats just a quick single-letter review. Of course, this feeds into age-old arguments about the ideal size of the state, and its justification for authority. And its unsurprising that members of the SNP have different views on this from, say, libertarian-leaning Conservatives. Not all libertarian-leaning Conservatives agree on these issues, either. Some of us arent opposed to the security services accessing or storing private information, for instance agreeing that, today, that constitutes a crucial part of the protection we should expect from the state. Its hard to see why that kind of privilege should extend to other institutions, however. The obvious example is local government, but its even harder to see no matter how big you think the state should be quite why it should extend to some Person, chosen through convenience, whose only cause for involvement in an unrelated childs life is that they have been preemptively Named to do so. It would be easy now to go into practical reasons why the scheme is insidious: the potential obviation of personal responsibility, the dilution of a focus on real instances of vulnerable children in need, and on. But it all just seems like a ridiculous straw man from an amusingly overblown political sketch. And thats why its terrifying. How have we come to the point at which we need to take this sort of proposal seriously? News / National by Stephen Jakes An reliable irate source at the Harvest House, the MDC-T's headquarters in Harare has written a damning document claiming party leader Morgan Tsvangirai was deceived to appoint losers for the two Vice Presidents position contrary to the party's constitution which he said would head the political organization towards another split ahead of the elections slated for 2018.Tsvangirai recently appointed Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as second and third Vice Presidents respectively.The source said the appointments started as a joke by Morgan Komichi deputy national Chairman after the last party congress who hoped to be appointed as the second vice resident then."Komichi's theocracy was that there was need of the second Vice President in the party to align the national constitution with the MDC constitution so that the president will go to elections with his two running mates," said the source. "The clause in the national constitution which talks about two Vice Presidents as running mate can only come to life in 2023."The source said secondly the constitution says, "The President may appoint second Vice Presidents"."The use of the word was an intelligent clause used by the authors of the constitution which we must applaud our elected secretary general (Douglas Mwonzora) for being vigilant during the constitution writing process during COPAC. This may means you can have two or not running mates. The discretion is with the party. The MDC believes in a mean government with a small cabinet that will run issues in government. It is only Zanu PF that believes in a bloated government."The source said Komichi did not surrender pushing for the party to adopt the Zanu PF set up of second Vice Presidents."He was hoping to be appointed. Komichi is only popular in the party for being a very divisive person. In his agenda pursuit he recruited Chamisa to join force in his crusade to throttle the President to have a buy in into their agenda," said the source."I am one of those who actively participated into the scheme, plot and programs of advancing the plan. Komichi didn't know that behind his back we were going to the President He was phoning and lobbying everyone to be appointed the second Vice President. We were telling the President that we need Chamisa because he will represent the youths in the party set up.""However we needed Komichi because he had a big asset under his sleeve. He goes kuMasowe where he was prophesied that he shall be someone big in this country. That the prophet has seen many people coming and kneel before him being worshipped and that the prophecy has seen Komichi being anointed to take over the party by Tsvangirai."He said Komichi pushed for the second Vice Presidency that the day before the National Executive and the National Council he phoned almost everyone lobbying for support."He send SMSs to those who were not reachable. Some who asked for some little cash were generously send through Ecocash. Komichi for a week became so rich that you would wonder where such loads of cash came from.The source said such moves has always caused the split of the party every time towards any general election. News / National by Stephen Jakes The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, (ZUJ) has condemned strongly the attacks made on Mugove Tafirenyika, a journalist with The Daily News while covering a war veterans solidarity march at Zanu PF headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.Tafirenyika was reportedly attacked by Zanu PF activists while pursuing his professional duties.ZUJ Secretary General, Foster Dongozi said the Union was deeply concerned by the unwarranted vicious attacks on the journalist as it seriously compromised the safety and security of working journalists."Any barbaric acts of brutality against journalists should be condemned strongly and what is even more appalling was that the attacks were done in the presence of Zanu PF and government leadership," said Dongozi.The Union calls on the leadership of Zanu PF and other organizations to encourage its members to adopt zero tolerance on violence against journalists. SHARE Richard Cannon, owner of the Brickyard Luxury Apartments and Townhomes, and his staff, were honored as the 2015 Best Property Management Company/Owner in Southern Indiana during the annual Apartment Association of Southern Indiana's annual awards banquet. At the same event, director Kristi Pfeiffer of Brickyard was named the property management industry Expert of the Year. The Brickyard is locally owned and managed by The Brickyard Development LLC and began in 1999. The development is on Upper Mount Vernon Road in Evansville. Mark Bryant SHARE By Staff report The Marion, Kentucky city administrator has been arrested and accused of drug trafficking. Mark Bryant, who oversaw the Crittenden County Detention Center Work Release Program, was trafficking in synthetic drugs to various inmates while they were on work release, according to Kentucky State Police investigators. State police were tipped off to the activity by postal inspectors, the release stated. Bryant also is accused of defacing shipping labels on U.S. Postal Service packages "to avoid detection of drug trafficking," according to a Kentucky State Police news release. Bryant faces felony charges of trafficking in synthetic drugs, promoting contraband and tampering with evidence. He is lodged in the Crittenden County Detention Center. The investigation included the state police, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Crittenden County Detention Center. SHARE By Zach Osowski, zach.osowski@courierpress.com INDIANAPOLIS A few days after being named the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb rounded out his ticket by asking Evansville native Suzanne Crouch to be his running mate. Crouch, a former state legislator and current state auditor, will be formally accepted by the Republican State Central Committee on Monday. The same committee chose Holcomb to replace Gov. Mike Pence in the governors race after Pence chose to run for vice president with Republican nominee Donald Trump. Suzanne Crouch brings to our ticket a strong record, an impressive resume and valuable experience in four separate and important roles in local and state government, Holcomb said in a statement. Crouch did not release a statement Friday and did not return calls seeking comment. A spokesman said she will wait until the vote was official on Monday. Rep. Tom Washburne, R-Evansville, served in the Indiana House with Crouch for two years. He said Crouchs previous experience is going to serve her well if shes elected in November. She has a background in local government that will be very beneficial in the governors office, Washburne said. Vanderburgh County GOP Chairman Wayne Parke said Holcomb gets a hard worker and a proven fundraiser in Crouch. Shes qualified for the job, Parke said. Suzanne is very knowledgeable about the government process. Crouch had been encouraged by some members of the GOP state committee to consider running for governor, an opportunity she ultimately passed on. Before saying no, she told the Courier & Press her proven track record of winning a statewide election and raising money were an asset. Those skills will assist Holcomb now. Although being involved in Hoosier politics for years, Holcomb has never won an election and was promoted to his current position of lieutenant governor by Pence back in March. Crouch served as Vanderburgh County auditor and commissioner before winning a seat in the Indiana House of Representatives in 2004. During her time in the House, she served as vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. In 2014, she was named state auditor after Dwayne Sawyer resigned. She won re-election to her position in November that same year, defeating Michael Claytor by 23 percentage points. Parke said it is exciting to have someone from Southwest Indiana so high on the ballot and thinks it will have a positive impact on voter turnout in November. I think voter turnout will be good; this is going to encourage swing voters to come out, Parke said. Washburne said the addition of Crouch makes the city of Evansville no longer a sure thing for Democratic candidate John Gregg. I think with Suzanne on the ticket, John Gregg is going to have to work for Evansville, Washburne said. Shes going to be pretty formidable. Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last Thursday. SHARE By Joel Mathis And Ben Boychuk, Tribune News Service (TNS) The Republican National Convention hit Ohio last week, with Donald Trump officially taking his place as the party's nominee for president. One notable characteristic of the gathering: Anger. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie helped lead cheers of, "Lock her up," in a speech describing the supposed crimes of Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee. And Tuesday night supposedly devoted to the economy was instead devoted to a line of speakers listing non-economic grievances against Clinton. Are Republicans particularly angry? Why? Joel Mathis and Ben Boychuk, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, debate the issue. JOEL MATHIS You know who I miss? George W. Bush. Yeah, that's kind of crazy. Bush I've argued was probably the worst president in living memory. He started a disastrous, unnecessary war in Iraq. He authorized torture. He led the nation when the economy collapsed into the Great Recession. He ran a 2004 campaign based on denying gay Americans the right to marriage. And he probably could've been a bit more proactive in preventing the attacks of 9/11. Bush was just a disaster. But he's still preferable to what we've seen on stage at the Republican National Convention this week. Bush, for all his many faults, seemed to possess a bit of human decency that's pretty much missing from the GOP's incarnation under Trump. Bush, after all, tried to figure out a way to resolve the immigration issue sensibly knowing that any realistic solution won't involve the deportation of millions of migrants living here already. Bush, after all, tried to expand the GOP appeal beyond its base of old white people, appealing to Hispanics and openly breaking with the racist "Southern strategy" used by earlier generations of Republican politicians. Bush, after all, was the force behind U.S. aid to Africa to help stem the tide of AIDS there. The GOP under Trump, though, doesn't much like immigrants. It has open antipathy toward the Black Lives Matter movement. And where the conventions under Bush seemed to be of the "happy warrior" stripe remember Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2004 appearance in New York? this convention has been sour and cranky. This is no surprise. Republican voters have been primed for decades by Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and websites like Breitbart, all of which are mad as hell and not taking it anymore, good times or bad. Trump is the perfect candidate for such voters. Given his general ideological incoherence his position on key issues is often slippery at best it's natural to assume that anger is pretty much the main feature unifying what's left of the Republican Party these days. It's enough to make you miss Bush. BEN BOYCHUK If your political party just nominated Trump, wouldn't you be angry, too? Anger follows denial in the five stages of grief, after all. Too many Republicans simply refused to believe that Trump would be the party's standard-bearer. As recently as Monday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, the man who had stepped up to lead the doomed Never Trump insurgency, was pleading on Twitter for somebody like failed 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney to announce an 11th-hour independent bid in hopes of derailing the Trump train. It's sad to see wishful thinking replace prudence. Politics is supposed to be the art of the possible. For example, it's possible that the anger we've been hearing from the dais at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland is serving a larger political purpose. What were Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani shouting about, anyway? Ron Fournier writing at The Atlantic on Wednesday argued that Republicans aren't using the convention to make the case for Trump so much as they're making the case against Clinton. Christie's, "Lock her up," refrain wasn't intended to make listeners pause and reflect, any more than Giuliani's passionate defense of the police on Monday night was about anything Trump will do if he's elected. The point is to sow the seeds of doubt. Because, apart from being widely disliked and distrusted by many voters, Clinton almost certainly mishandled classified information in violation of federal law. She's utterly in thrall of the Black Lives Matter movement, which until about a week ago had no problem with its speakers advocating violence against police. And the FBI is still looking into the activities of her family's foundation, especially its foreign donors. Republicans might well be angry that they're facing an uphill fight against a crooked Democrat. Republicans' anger this week seems to be about squandered opportunities. After eight years of inept administration, diplomatic embarrassment abroad and middling economic growth at home, the GOP should have been able to beat any candidate the Democrats put up. The fact that Trump was the best the Party of Lincoln could muster with this year is sad and infuriating. 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. Visit them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/benandjoel SHARE Thirty-five years after shooting President Ronald Reagan, John W. Hinckley Jr. is a free man, having been released from a mental institution by a federal judge who concluded that Hinckley no longer suffers from the mental disorder that led him to attempt the assassination in 1981. In recent years Hinckley has been able to leave St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington to visit his family. Now he will be able to live full time with his mother in Williamsburg, Va. But while this may mark the end of Hinckley's legal case, American law continues to be influenced by public outrage over his acquittal by reason of insanity and not for the good. The outcry over that verdict, stoked by opportunistic politicians, led to a weakening of the insanity defense and undermined the principle that a defendant shouldn't be held criminally responsible when his crime is the result of mental illness. Hinckley was 25 when he shot Reagan with the deranged expectation that attacking the president would impress film star Jodie Foster. Reagan recovered, but another of Hinckley's four victims, White House Press Secretary James Brady, suffered lasting brain damage and partial paralysis. (Brady died in 2014.) A jury acquitted Hinckley after concluding that he satisfied the definition of legal insanity in use in Washington at the time: that, because of a mental disease or defect, the defendant "either lacked substantial capacity to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law or lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct." Even though Hinckley faced many years in a mental institution, his insanity acquittal caused an uproar, one that politicians were eager to inflame. Jurors in the trial were called before a Senate subcommittee and interrogated about whether they understood the judge's instructions. Congress passed a law narrowing the federal definition of legal insanity and shifting the burden of proof on the question of mental disease to the defendant. State legislatures did likewise, and some adopted a verdict of "guilty but mentally ill" a concept that is hard to square with the principle that an insane person can't be criminally responsible for his act. In the outcry over the Hinckley acquittal, two realities were obscured. One was that the insanity defense was seldom asserted and rarely successful. The other was that defendants acquitted by reason of insanity, far from being set free, were often confined (albeit in a mental institution where they could receive treatment) for longer than they would have been imprisoned if they had been convicted. In Hinckley's case, it's possible that, had he been convicted, he would have been released on parole years ago. Hinckley's attack on Reagan was a shocking act of violence. But the reaction to it weakened an important legal principle without increasing public safety. This editorial first appeared in the Los Angeles Times. News / National by Stephen Jakes A controversial Zanu PF youth members Energy Mutodi say he was chucked out of the Zanu PF meeting at the party's offices in Harare on Wednesday by the G40 cabal.In his post on Facebook Mutodi said Zanu PF members loyal to a G40 cabal have surprisingly asked him to leave the gathering at the party headquarters, accusing him of being sympathetic to deputy president Emmerson Mnangagwa."The situation is so tense here that there are fears that anyone accused of supporting Mnangagwa is hiding to avoid being spotted by Zanu PF Harare youths who are taking instructions from the province's political commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe to flush out anyone who is perceived to be a Mnangagwa ally," he said."Youth league members Tendai Wenyika, Cecilia Chikukwa who is daughter to Harare Provincial Affairs minister Miriam Chikukwa among other youths are allegedly fueling hate and division among ZANU PF members based on factions."He said this is the second time he has been asked to leave a Zanu PF meeting after another incident at Chipadze in Bindura where the same youths who were heavily drunk behaved in a barbaric manner and demanded that Mutodi leaves before security officials intervened."Zanu PF members are currently divided over who should take over from President Mugabe when he leaves office with Mutodi being accused of siding with the Mnangagwa faction against a G40 faction that would like to see First Lady Grace Mugabe taking over," he said."At the meeting, President Mugabe who has now arrived at the party headquarters is expected to hit hard at his deputy and his allies particularly a section of war veterans who have recently authored a communique demanding that he steps down and pave way for a successor, most likely Mnangagwa. Harare youths are also reportedly asking for a special congress that will deal with the Mnangagwa faction once and for all." Opinion / Columnist Reflecting on what happened during those dark days of the war of liberation, one wonders whether it was worth it or not. Young men and women, the older folk fondly referred to as "king killers", children and many others lost their lives under every cruel and most painful circumstances in pursuit of what they dreamt of FREEDOM. As the war ended at the end of 70's those that had survived rejoiced believing that finally freedom had come, but it was the choice of leaders that changed that joy introducing a new form of oppression never expected.Former ZANLA forces were immediately launched into a revenge for personal issues of the early 60's when ZAPU and ZANU separated, most of these issues had nothing to do with the freedom of our beloved country. Our colleagues in ZANLA forces were given unbridled power over life and death of all former ZIPRA combatants and civilians as long as they did not belong to ZANU-PF or were suspected of not belonging. Some killings were of general joy, a serial killer drive. Mugabe used these guys and slowly turned them into killing heartless machines. Evidence has it all.Gradually some of these guys started realising the mistakes they had done and how far they had gone but fear of not only the enemity they had created with the population but the hold Mugabe had over them with the divide and rule stinging creating so much mistrust among themselves had to soldier on.As that communique came out detailing so much truth in it, it appeared time had come for the war veterans to break that hold. Never before has ZANLA former combatants faced the truth about the objectives of the struggle and the misrule by their leader Robert Mugabe a tyrant who has never in his life wanted to see any other person rule Zimbabwe except him, be it destroying it as he is doing.The communique by the war vets spelt the true systematic truth about how Mugabe has destroyed those that started the fight against in the colonial rule in the 50's. His destructive drive started in Mozambique, detaining and killing those opposed to him. He came into Zimbabwe and divided his drive into two fronts, within ZANU-PF and outside, the victims being ZAPU and its leaders, with Joshua Nkomo the prime target. On the other hand Tekere though having broken the law, he had to go and be silenced, Mugabe had started building himself as the only revolutionary leader in Zimbabwe. He now worked tirelessly to create an image for himself that would eventually see him as one and only leader who freed Zimbabwe. He labelled all opposition as assassination attempt to cover up what next he would do to his enemies. Unfortunately, his persuasive language had war vets licking from his dirty fingers dripping with blood of both genocide of the western regions and the Murambatwsina cruel executions.Now the war vets are starting to see how wrong they have been all the years and are now not allowed to say they have seen the light. They are being persecuted for attempting to turn their lives around and point out where the wrong lies. They are being persecuted for trying to ask for forgiveness from the people of Zimbabwe, directly or indirectly. How sad and evil. Yes, they let down those they went out to liberate, yes they compromised the values that drove them to join the war of liberation and most of all those that did not have the chance to see a "free" Zimbabwe. Why then are they persecuted for offering their apology to all they mistreated believing they were right?Of interest is how Mugabe built his strangle hold on the war vets. It was first the Gukurahundi, followed by the Genocide in both Midlands and Matabeleland then the white community at which stage the world intervened refusing him and his inner circle visit to Europe and other Western countries. The one word that was used during this exercise was SANCTIONS, which gave Mugabe and his cleverness in words the liberty to mislead the country into seeing the west as the problem in an otherwise well governed state. Without analysis or rejecting it the war vets were misled into supporting actions of a mafia leader who is also a renowned serial killer again sucking his dirty blood dripping fingers. The war vets forgot to check where this blood came from and wanted to enjoy its fruits yet it all came from the innocent citizens as had happened before. It is only now that they look up to see how much they have been conned into believing that this oppressive leader was their friend and comrade, yet a killer only ready to keep himself in power. Mugabe then talks about people removing him at congress, only himself as the people and no other. He is both the majority and minority in ZANU-PF doing whatever he pleasesYes, as former ZIPRA forces we owe the masses of Zimbabwe an apology. We failed them when we could have been there for them. I don't remember anywhere in our history that we fought to take away other people's properties. We fought to remove the system and not fight the civilians yet Mugabe misled us to raiding the white people's farms. I stand in support of the issued communique by War vets, and I add my voice to say," sincere apologies for letting the citizens of the Zimbabwe down." BARCELONAThe newest brainchild from Blacked.com and Tushy.com creator Greg Lansky officially launches today with the inaugural offering of "Library Girl" Kendra Sunderland's first-ever boy/girl scene. Vixen.com, as the new site is dubbed, provided an invitation-only preview of its fare beginning Tuesday, in the form of a three-way scene between 2016 AVN Best New Starlet nominee Megan Rain and Male and Female Performer of the Year winners Mick Blue and Riley Reid. Blue also serves as the male talent in the scene debuting today with Sunderland, who shot to fame after a webcam video of her pleasuring herself in the Oregon State University library went viral. Sunderland garnered worldwide media attention for the stunt, and has since become one of the world's most popular webcam models. "Greg and his team's professionalism and hospitality far exceeded any expectation I could've possibly had," Sunderland said of shooting for Vixen. "I was treated like a princess the entire time and had such an incredible experiencethis was my first time on camera with a partner! I'm honored Greg chose my first scene to be the debut of Vixen.com and I'm also excited to see it." Offered Lanksy, "I am thrilled that Kendra is inaugurating the public launch of Vixen.com. In very little time, her fearless personality has made her one of the most popular names in the adult industry. Kendra is committed, genuine and so inspiring to work with. Her beauty inside and out completely resonates with our brand. I was very impressed by her performance and I know our members will be as well. There will definitely be a lot more collaborations between us in the future." Speaking on the success of his brands and his team over the past year, Lansky added, "The brands have truly attracted a fantastic and talented group of people who refused to create cheap, boring adult films. Without the belief of our team that we could create a successful studio, the adult industry might not be where it is today. I am so proud of our little company and that our unique films and brands have won every major adult award, 16 alone this year. It's humbling. We also did something almost unimaginable in times of free porn and rampant piracy: Our studios won the hearts and fierce loyalty of fans around the worldpeople love Blacked and Tushy. We are still in the very early stages but through transparency and constant communication with our audience we intend to do the exact same with Vixen." See the trailer for Kendra Sunderland's Vixen.com scene here. Sussex News Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. THE NETHERLANDSOnce again, Shots hosted its annual Shots Party to close out its popular Sales Week. The party is a time for retailers and manufacturers come together and mix and mingle at the finish line of the Nijmegen Four Day Marches. Each year, Shots uses the party as a way to raise money for charity. This year, instead of donating all the money to one single charity, Shots established the Shots Charity Foundation with the idea to support various little and lesser-known charities without big overheads and solely working with volunteers. In this way the full donation goes to those in need. This year Shots, the Shots Party sponsors and the attendees raised an amount of 1402.40, which will be divided between three charities. The first charity of choice which receives one third of the donations is De Liedjesfabriek (The Song factory), which gives sick children a positive distraction through music and song writing. Apart from working in hospitals, De Liedjesfabriek wants to go and visit children who are being taken care of at home. To accomplish this they need a bus which will be converted into a mobile recording studio. With this bus they can take the children to their own school or club while writing and recording their own song during the trip. The other two charities of choice will be announced soon. For more, visit ShotsMedia.nl. Cloud News Partners: Oracle's Acquisition Of NetSuite Expected - Now Come The Questions Of Product Positioning Joseph Tsidulko Share this Mark Rhyman, co-CEO at Big Bang ERP, a NetSuite reseller based in Montreal, was participating in a roundtable discussion Wednesday with some other NetSuite partners, and the conversation turned to the prospect of Oracle acquiring the cloud-based business software vendor. "We didn't think it would happen the next day," Rhyman told CRN. "Maybe in six months. But none said they would be surprised." The deal, in which Oracle agreed to pay $9.3 billion for the San Mateo, Calif.-based Software-as-a-Service pioneer, did get announced the very next day. [Related: Oracle Is Planning To Get Partners To Cloud Nirvana] And many partners who spoke to CRN on Thursday, like Rhyman, weren't all too surprised. Apparently rumors had been swirling around the vendor's channel for weeks. Brenda Brinkley, founder and CEO of Houston, Tex.-based Epiphany, also was having a conversation with another NetSuite reseller Wednesday about whether the Redwood Shores, Calif.-based software giant would pull the trigger on an acquisition. "I actually always thought it would," Brinkley, who partnered with NetSuite back in 2002, told CRN. "My gut tells me it was always part of the plan. That when they built it, that's exactly what they intended would happen." Brinkley, like Rhyman, believes Oracle founder Larry Ellison was playing a long game with NetSuitethe tech mogul provided much of the funding to get the company off the ground some 18 years earlier, maintained a hefty stake in the company (more than 47 percent of its stock), and often mentored its leaders. "I think it was a card well played," Rhyman said of Ellison's gambit. "NetSuite now has the right partners and right technology to play into the perfect market for them." Where Oracle is a leading software vendor to large enterprises, NetSuite has carved out a strong position with small and mid-market customers. That's a market Oracle has made clear it wants to penetrate with a rapidly developing portfolio of cloud solutions. There had been a number of unsubstantiated rumors of an acquisition in recent weeks, but "most people seemed to be betting against it happening," said John Hughes, a co-founder of ManageForce, a NetSuite- and Oracle-aligned solution provider based in Chicago. "Ultimately, I dont think its too surprising as there is such a heated battle in the marketplace by the largest ERP providers," he said, referring to both Oracle and NetSuite, as well as SAP, Workday, Microsoft and others. "These two organizations maintain a lot of synergies and history," said Hughes, who remembers back when he worked at Oracle that NetSuite, in its early days, temporarily went by the moniker Oracle Small Business Suite. Jan Liband, vice president of marketing at Celigo, a NetSuite integrations specialist in San Mateo founded by the vendor's former director of technical services, also wasn't shocked by the news. "Weve long suspected NetSuite would be acquired either this year or next," Liband told CRN. "Oracle was always the prime acquiring suspect. We just werent aware it would happen so soon." While both companies develop suites of business software for managing the back office, customer relationships, human resources and e-commerce, the clear division between their two target markets means opportunities for both channels, he said. "Oracle has a large ecosystem of SIs, VARs, service providers, solution consultants, and more. Many could view the addition of NetSuite as a new growth area for their business's portfolio, without damaging prior relationships with Oracle," Liband said. Oracle could also accelerate international expansion for NetSuite, especially in emerging markets where Oracle already has a much larger direct and channel presence, Liband told CRN. The merger could also cause disruptions, said Hughes, of ManageForce. "The acquisition will likely disrupt and challenge many traditional NetSuite partners, especially those focused on business services like accounting and auditing, since Oracle's channel organization is more accustomed to dealing with services partners focused on delivering those services through the cloud," Hughes told CRN. ManageForce, which only recently added a NetSuite practice, is bullish on the deal, he said. "We think it substantiates our decision to have partnered with NetSuite, as the main driver for us doing so was because we felt NetSuite offered the most mature, proven, cloud ERP platform in the market," Hughes said. "Obviously, Oracle thought so too." Rhymer, of Big Bang ERP, said the two product portfolios can naturally coexist up until Oracle decides an integration makes sense, which probably won't be for several years. He rarely sees Oracle in direct competition for a deal, because the company's solutions are geared to much larger enterprise customers. "Personally, for eight years doing NetSuite services, I never had a feeling that Oracle was competitive," he said. But Brinkley disagrees that the two software vendors can continue to not intrude on each other's turf, based on insights she gained after her company, Epiphany, which builds integration software and add-on modules for NetSuite, abandoned its NetSuite reseller practice at the start of the year and replaced it with an Oracle one. Working closely with Oracle convinced her such a deal would happen sooner rather than later, Brinkley told CRN. Oracle is aggressively attacking the mid-market, NetSuite's traditional stronghold, with the Oracle Fusion suite of business applications, which includes ERP, CRM, and HCM solutions. That suite has an "elegant simplicity," Brinkley said, that's clearly aiming to win over smaller customers. "This acquisition just pulls it together," Brinkley said. "Now they're taking NetSuite, with all the midmarket attention, and pushing that all to Oracle Fusion." Hughes said it's important to consider the public statement from Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd that the two cloud application suites will be coexisting "in the marketplace forever. With its PeopleSoft acquisition more than a decade ago, which also delivered JD Edwards products, Oracle proved it could honor such an arrangement, he said. "I think that the acquisition will lead to a broadened portfolio for both companies, and for both companies respective partners," Hughes told CRN. "It will provide an opportunity for NetSuite and its partners to more easily scale up-market, as well as for Oracle and its partners to go down-market." Everyone is telling us one-ship companies are dead and disappearing, said Oliver Steuber, managing director of Plantours, which operates the 400-passenger Hamburg. But we have a great shareholder in Ligabue. Its a win-win situation. We can operate with one ship. It works. We have no private equity company behind us. Its a family run business and its a clear and stable setup. After a successful Asia winter, the Hamburg is back for a Northern European summer. We have very good booking figures, Steuber told Cruise Industry News. We are very happy with our summer season. Plantours, which also operates a handful of river ships, offers a three-star-plus product in the so-called soft adventure space. This coming winter, the company will mix up deployment a bit more, sending the Hamburg to South America and Antarctica, which Steuber said were growing in popularity in the German market. We try to find new destinations where the big ships cannot go, he said. In the Germany market, more and more people are learning about cruising, and then they come to us for a smaller vessel and more unique destinations. In 2017 the company will circle back to North America with two high-demand sailings in the Great Lakes followed by 2017-2018 in Cuba and the Amazon. The company has nine-night sailings around Cuba planned, turning around in Havana. Emphasizing his deployment, Steuber added: We try to escape the price fight by operating the vessel in places where big ships cant go. We can achieve better prices. / H John Voorhees III NEWTOWN - A committee studying how the school district should deal with declining enrollment has given its report to the Board of Education, which is now tasked with deciding what to do. The committees report to the school board outlines a variety of responses including: In the same way that you wouldn't talk to kindergarten kids about macroeconomics, you wouldn't talk to London School of Economics students about coloring books. Crafting your content to your audience is key. Get it wrong and you will be met with blank faces. Definitely not the response you were looking for. Clarifying your target audience and making your content suitable for them are essential steps to media outreach. Before you decide what you want to say, the first step should always be to ask yourself: Who do I want to speak to? Far too often companies begin PR campaigns with their "heads in the clouds,'' starstruck by big names like Techcrunch and New York Times. They are determined to get their news or article in the biggest most well-known publication possible. Now, this is not to belittle the importance of the aforementioned publications. If you are a tech startup, then TC is the Holy Grail. If you are a childrens clothing company then its not really relevant. So how can startups create effective content which is suited to their target audience and avoid time-consuming misguided campaigns? 1. Be clear about your goals. One of the first steps in any PR campaign should be to clearly outline your companys media goals and then create a strategy which has the best chance of fulfilling them. There are many reasons for reaching out to the media. Some companies just want straight up media coverage and to showcase their company or product to a general audience, some want to attract investors, and some want to target a specific market to advertise a new product. The most common PR aims are: Building customer awareness Building investor awareness Improving your brand image Growing your company/brand The first step after you have highlighted your media goals, should be to head to the drawing board and decide What is my announcement? and Who do I want to be interested in this? Your aims will define your audience, and your audience will define the style of content you create, and the media outlet or publication that you pitch it to. 2. Choose your weapon. Your media goals will define the type of content which you want to publicize. Leading publications only want to cover newsworthy stories, not stroke egos. So if you dont have a specific announcement which you feel would be useful to a wider audience, then you should head down the blog or thought leader guest article route. Related: 6 Small Differences Between Average Content Strategy and Genius Strategy If you simply want to shout "we are here and we know what we are talking about," then a guest article which develops a topic, adds to wider conversation and gives takeaways to the reader is the way to go. If you have an interesting product and backstory, but no real announcement you could send out pitches to journalists which offer interviews about your company or your expert opinions on trending topics. For example, if you are a UK-based tech startup predominantly staffed by foreign developers, and are considering moving your company abroad in light of the Brexit announcement, your opinions could well be of interest to a journalist writing a broader story about the situation. If you want to reach existing customers, and let them know that you are still alive and kicking in-between regular announcements, regular blog, social media and community posts are the way to go. You can always boost this type of content through paid social media advertising. When trying to reach the ears of investors, the type of content you should create really depends on what stage your project is at. After an unforeseen period of VC investment which peaked in 2015, the VC ecosystem has become extremely competitive and investors have been more conservative ever since. If you are launching a new product, you could go down the press release route, but VCs are being more protective of the purse strings this year, so it might be best to hold off until you have reached an eye-grabbing milestone, such as one million downloads, or a top-10 rating in the app store. Another way of catching investors eyes is by positioning yourself as a real leader in your industry, by writing non-promotional articles which discuss current trends in your field, and making educated predictions for the future based on real data. For companies in their early stages, this type of contribution will put power behind your name, and if you write an article which is truly advancing the conversation and making comments which make peoples heads turn then they will be sure to click on your name to find out a little more about you. 3. Choose your channel. So you have decided who you want to speak to, and what you want to say. Now its time to choose the correct loudspeaker which will amplify your message and reach the audience you are aiming for. While its admirable that people want to "shoot for the moon," bigger is not always better in the media world. Leading publications: If you are advertising your crowdfunding campaign for a Jacuzzi hot-air balloon with embedded beer cooler, you need to bear your target market in mind. While leading publications like Techcrunch and Venturebeat do occasionally cover "weird and wonderful" stories, the average Techcrunch reader is unlikely to really donate to your campaign, even though your story might raise a smile and gain your homepage some clicks. Related: How the Experts Scale Their Content Strategies On the other hand, if you were to target medium range, less "highbrow" publications which have a readership of 18-30 males and college kids such as bro bible, The lad bible, Maxim, Upworthy or Cool hunting, you would probably see your contributions page spike. Looking at your product or service, and assessing who is interested in it, or more importantly who actually uses and buys it, should be the first step. Also, be realistic, if you have had no previous coverage, are on your first campaign and have no funding to speak of, then regardless of how cool your idea is, it is unlikely to go on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Remember that different publications cover different types of stories, which will be of interest to their readership. Often a quick look at the title of the publication should be enough. Techcrunch, unsurprisingly tech. Entrepreneur, unsurprisingly content of interest to entrepreneurs. Business insider Of course not all publications wear their readerships on their sleeves, but a quick browse of articles on their webpage should reveal all. Industry specific publications: When trying to reach investors, sell industry specific items, or raise your profile within your peers, it is often best to aim for industry specific publications. While getting covered on the Oil & Gas Journal, or Offshore might not seem like such an achievement to the person sitting next to you on the bus, these publications offer a direct channel to the people who are really interested in what you have to say -- assuming you work a field connected to oil and gas. While these publications might not be common household names, they have high readerships and allow for use of technical language and data-heavy reporting which would not fly in more general publications. Finally, you can talk about energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) without the listeners head exploding. Related: The Content-Strategy Conundrum: When, What and How to Generate Demand Social Media/Linkedin: It is extremely important to differentiate between real news and "company news." While you moving offices to a swanky open plan glass palace in Palo Alto is 100 percent interesting for your employees, customers and industry contacts, it is unlikely to get picked up by a leading publication. Save yourself the time pitching "inwards facing" news stories to the press -- unless it is a local newspaper or radio station -- and focus on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, and your own community pages. Blogs: Many people often view blogs as "a poor mans publication." The fact that they are normally run by individuals often brings about the assumption that they are of low quality or dont have many readers. In fact, this couldnt be further from the truth. In 2012, author Michael Ellsberg coined the phrase "The Tim Ferriss Effect", referring to the influence a blog post on Ferriss' site had on the sales of his book. Ellsberg found that his post on Ferriss' blog led to more sales than a feature in the New York Times and a three-minute slot on CNN. Getting on Ferrisss blog is by no means easy, but there are hundreds of respected tech blogs which offer access to large readerships of interested and engaged readers. According to Quantcast, Gizmodo has more than 19.9 million unique U.S. visitors, Lifehacker has 12 million U.S. visitors and Zdnet has more than 1.4 million unique visitors from the U.S. alone. Dont forget that Mike Arrington started Techcrunch as a blog back in 2005, and look at it now. Podcasts: Podcasts offer a channel to a different crowd than with leading publications. Recent studies show that more than half of podcast listeners in the U.S. are between 12 to 34 years old. While millennials might not be engaged by reading the WSJ on their commute home from work, while in the gym, or on a break from work, it appears that they are very much engaged by listening to podcasts. Overall, an estimated 46 million Americans over the age of 12 now listen to podcasts on a monthly basis which accounts for 17 percent of the 12+ U.S. population. While many companies use podcasts to fill the voids in between media campaigns, they are also a great way to get your name out there as an expert, and share news about your company. There are many great tech podcasts out there, but a quick browse on the iTunes store will reveal hundreds of weird and wonderful topics to cater for any niche. While writing blogs and guest posts requires creating,or contributing content of value to a journalist, podcasts should take up less of your time, but can be equally as valuable. The media world has evolved well past print publications. Nowadays, there are a huge range of channels to reach potential consumers, its a matter of working out who you want to reach, and what you want to tell them. Different demographics are naturally going to be drawn to different media channels. If you want to reach over 60s in the Miami glade region, it may be best to stick to local TV or radio, if you want to reach Millennial developers why not try Geekwire or Reddit. Dont fall into the trap being blinded by the lights of leading publications. Instead take the time at the start of your campaign to assess which channel can really lead you to the people you need to speak to. Always, remember the end goal of media outreach is to reach a wider audience, not just to collect logos to proudly post on your webpage. Related: Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Jetblue: We started to fly to Cuba on August 31 and $ 210.00 round trip! The US airline JetBlue has just announced that from next August 31, will begin offering its flights to Cuba from the international airport in Fort Lauderdale - located just 40 miles from Miami - to Santa Clara city, in the center of the island. Jet Blue thus becomes the first US commercial airline started its commercial operations with Cuba for more than 50 years. One day after this flight, Silver Airways will fly to the same city and on September 7, American Airlines will fly to Cienfuegos. The round trip ticket cost $ 210, including taxes and health insurance coverage required by Cuba, so it is the lowest advertised rate so far by a commercial airline. This will definitely mean the "death" of scammers charter flights with "Europe" prices between 400 and 460 dollars. The airline said that still in force limitations prohibit US citizens to travel freely to the island, so to do, shall comply with either of the 12 categories of travel, of course, exclude tourist visits. source: www.cibercuba.com Section of GAP closed during bridge work "The last time the bridges were re-decked was in 1995. They have become almost unsafe to be used," said Lindsay Baer. Boo! What are the scariest spots in Lake County? The old courthouse. A tea room in Mount Dora. Lake County has several places that are thought to be haunted. Opinion Wordle The next day I woke to find myself in a WhatsApp group titled Quordle is Awesome!! A small group of three. There was no getting out of it now. Every time I travel on a car ferry, as we did last week on return from holiday in Brittany, my mind flashes back three decades to a nightmare five minutes in the late Eighties. Well, I say it was five minutes, it may have been even less than that, but at the time it felt more like five hours. We were on the boat from Stranraer in Scotland to Larne in Northern Ireland, when I took myself to the bar, leaving my wife and our firstborn son, then three years old, dozing on recliner seats in the lounge after our long drive up from London. All I can say to other parents is that if you must lose sight of a child, dont let it be on a large ferry in the middle of the Irish Sea (pictured, file image), with plenty of gaps in the deck rails wide enough for an adventurous toddler to climb through and plunge into the water beneath But barely was I halfway through my pint when my wife appeared, looking frightened. Wheres George? she said. I dont know. Isnt he with you? No. Hes disappeared. I thought he must be with you. By now I was scared stiff, too. All I can say to other parents is that if you must lose sight of a child, dont let it be on a large ferry in the middle of the Irish Sea, with plenty of gaps in the deck rails wide enough for an adventurous toddler to climb through and plunge into the water beneath. For the next five hours all right, minutes we searched for him frantically, my wife scouring the bars, restaurants and on-board shops while I tore around the decks, shouting: Anyone seen a three-year-old? Drawing a complete blank, I was beginning to fear the worst until I went back inside, just in time to see a kindly stranger, with a firm grip on George by the straps of his OshKosh Bgosh dungarees, restoring the boy to his mother, who was sobbing with relief. When I read this week of the tragedy of five-year-old Charlie Dunn (above), who drowned at Bosworth Water Park in Leicestershire, my first reaction was a surge of compassion for his mother and stepfather You might think that after that terrifying experience I would have learned my lesson about the importance of keeping a close eye on children when theres water around. But no. Fast-forward eight years to the mid-Nineties and a family walk on Clapham Common in south London. While our boys played nearby by now, there were four of them my wife and I sat chatting on a bench by the pond. After a few minutes, I looked over my shoulder to see an elderly couple running towards us, with their eyes fixed in horror on something in the water. Wondering what it was, I turned my head and with a thumping heart, I realised that our youngest son, Harry, had fallen into the pond, where only his blond hair was visible on the murky surface. Though we were no more than 20 yards away, we hadnt even heard a splash. I shall never cease to thank my guardian angel that this elderly couple had seen it all. They reached Harry before I could, the old man wading into the water to fish him out. Soaked and shivering, the boy was otherwise none the worse for his ordeal. So it was that when I read this week of the tragedy of five-year-old Charlie Dunn, who drowned at Bosworth Water Park in Leicestershire, my first reaction was a surge of compassion for his mother and stepfather, who are said to have been packing the car to go home when the child wandered off on his own. I cannot believe that I was the only parent in this land who thought: There, but for the grace of God, go I. But theres a disturbing twist to this story, which so far seems wholly unexplained. For not only have Charlies 28-year-old mother and 35-year-old stepfather suffered the heartbreak of losing a child, they have also been put through the ordeal of being arrested and bailed on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence. I must stress that I know nothing of the circumstances of this tragedy apart from what Ive read in the newspapers. And, of course, it may turn out that the police had good reason for acting as they did. It would certainly be wrong to speculate until a fuller picture emerges in court if the case ever gets there. For now, I shall confine myself to saying that if the facts are anything like as they have been reported, the couples arrest is not only baffling but seems also to be cruel. By these accounts, the boys three-months pregnant mother, Lynsey Dunn, was feeling unwell, and so his stepfather Paul Smith helped her to the car, with their baby of nearly one year old, to pack up for the trip home. Both thought Charlie was playing with his eight-year-old sister, Rebecca. It was only when the girl returned without him, not knowing where he was, that they started to search and saw someone dragging him out of the water. On the face of it, anyone with a heart would surely think it punishment enough for the couple to have lost a child and to have to live for the rest of their days with the guilt of having taken their eyes off him without the added torment of being arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Did the police have a compelling reason for driving them away separately, in the depths of their grief, and holding them in custody overnight before they were released on bail? Or were these arrests just a symptom of the modern mania for apportioning blame and refusing to accept that ghastly, freak accidents happen? Yes, obviously Ms Dunn and Mr Smith should have kept a closer eye on Charlie. They dont need me to tell them that and Ill be very surprised if, after this terrible experience, they are not a great deal more watchful over Rebecca and their unborn child. But how many parents can put their hands on their hearts and say they have never for one second let their children out of their sight when there were potential dangers around? Mercifully, in 999 cases out of a thousand, our occasional lapses of vigilance have no terrible consequences. A missing boy turns up on the ferry, wondering what all the fuss is about, while another is fished out of the pond on the common, shocked but unharmed. Is anything really to be gained, in that one in a thousand that ends in heartbreak, by getting the police involved and threatening the vengeance of the law? Indeed, there is another side to this coin, which is that tragedies such as Charlies risk making the new generation of parents over-protective of their young as was highlighted this week by a National Trust survey of 1,001 mums and dads of children aged four to 14. This found that in their own childhood, todays parents spent twice as many hours as their children playing outside, climbing trees, flying kites, building dens or hunting for frog spawn. Of course, the lions share of the blame must go to the spread of computer games and round-the-clock childrens TV. But another factor must surely be the modern obsession with health and safety. Indeed, it is striking that of the 50 suggestions on the National Trusts checklist of recommended outdoor activities for children, quite a few carry a degree of risk, great or small. I notice that many, such as fishing with a net, skimming stones, river canoeing, damming streams and going wild swimming, involve playing in or near water. When I was growing up, I did all of the above often without adult supervision of any kind. At the risk of being prosecuted for historic child neglect, I confess that so, too, did my four sons. Yes, of course we should be alert for the dangers, and particularly where the very young are concerned. We should certainly keep an eye on them when were aboard ship or theyre playing by the pond. To celebrate her 23rd birthday last month, Ariana Grande got a piercing. Well actually, she got about 15 of them, and they weren't in her ears, nose, tongue or belly button - they were in her hair. The not-as-scary-as-it-sounds look, created on Ariana by celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, is one of the edgy and unique hair accessory trends currently making waves on Instagram, the runways and among the young Hollywood set. Before taking in the tunes at Glastonbury Festival in June, for example, Cara Delevingne, 23, stopped by London's The Braid Bar for French pigtail braids studded with safety pins. And at the Valentino Fall 2016 Couture show in Paris last month, models were given low ponytails wrapped in gold twine before stepping onto the catwalk. The new flower crown? Inventive accessories like metallic coils, seen here on a model after the Valentino Fall 2016 Couture show, are a fresh and fun way to top off your music festival look Feeling inspired, we asked celebrity hairstylist Simon Miller to create his takes on the summer music festival-ready looks and to share his tips for trying them at home. Read on below to find out how! Scroll for video. LOOK 1: PIERCED HAIR Ringing in 23: Hairstylist Chris Appleton 'pierced' Ariana Grande's hair with custom-made rings to achieve a playful look she could wear on her 23rd birthday last month Ariana called this look her 'alien birthday princess space pony', but you don't need a special occasion to rock these rings. A handful of brands (check out Regal Rose) make rings specifically for use in your hair, but you can also achieve the same effect by picking up an inexpensive pack of jump rings at your local craft store. Here, Simon secures the rings along the top of a half-up look to create a bejeweled mohawk of sorts, but as Ariana proves, the accessory is also a cool way to spice up braids or twists. Try using a variety of ring sizes or mixing and matching metallic finishes. STEP 1 to 3: Build texture and volume by applying mousse onto dry hair (try KMS Styling Foam). Pull the top half of your hair into a ponytail and secure with a bungee elastic. To conceal the band, take a small section of the ponytail and wrap it around the base, keeping it in place with a bobby pin STEP 4: Use a pair of pliers to forge open the metal rings slightly STEPS 5 and 6: Starting just above the center of your forehead, slide the first ring into hair. Close the gap in the ring with pliers. Continue placing the rings into hair in a straight line until you get within an inch of the ponytail's base The finished look: Don't sweat it if the rings don't look completely uniform - a disheveled finish only adds to the edge-factor LOOK 2: SAFETY PIN BRAIDS Pin it to win it: Models Suki Waterhouse (left), 24, and Cara Delevingne (right), 23, hit up London's The Braid Bar before Glastonbury for head-turning plaits that were weaved with blue hair extensions and embellished with safety pins The double French braid is having a major moment thanks to the Kardashian sisters. But at Glastonbury Festival last month, where Adele, Coldplay and Ellie Goulding took the stage, Cara Delevingne and model Suki Waterhouse, 24, put their own spin on the look with the help of blue hair extensions and safety pins. The pins were placed haphazardly throughout the braids, transforming the basic style into a statement accessory in itself. To recreate the punk-inspired look at home, Simon shows us below that you can use colored hairspray in place of extensions. STEPS 1 and 2: Separate hair down the center into two sections, French braid each and secure at the ends with a clear elastic STEPS 3 and 4: For an ombre look, apply pink temporary hair dye on the bottom half of each pigtail braid, and apply blue on the top half STEP 5: Fasten safety pins into the braids in random places below the ears The finished look: Stick with the theme when it comes to your make-up by applying a fun, colored eyeliner under half of each lower lash line LOOK 3: GOLD-WRAPPED SLEEK PONYTAIL Golden girl: To get her low ponytail red carpet-ready, hairstylist Adir Abergel tied pieces of gold elastic around sections of Emilia Clarke's, 29, ponytail ahead of the Game Of Thrones season six premiere in April In addition to the Valentino runway, gold thread has also been used recently by hairstylist Adir Abergel on clients like Emilia Clarke and Maria Sharapova to dress up a low ponytail. The result is elegant yet thoroughly modern. To achieve this style, you'll need a roll of gold elastic cord (check your craft store) and likely, a friend to help you wrap. STEPS 1 and 2: Get a sleek start by flat ironing hair. Prep for the next step by cutting five, six-inch pieces of gold elastic cord STEPS 3 and 4: On one side of the head, separate the face-framing section of hair that lies in front of the ear and clip the rest of the lengths back. Then, take a piece of twine and starting one inch from the scalp, loop it around the section of hair twice and tie it into a knot before coiling it around the area STEPS 5 and 6: Once you've wrapped the coil to your liking, tie it into a knot to secure it and cut the ends off with a scissor. Continue this four more times in sections one inch apart STEPS 7 to 9: Brush back your hair and pull it into a low ponytail and secure with a thin elastic. Take the entire roll of string and tie the end to a bobby pin and place it into the base of the ponytail to ensure a tight finish. Next, begin wrapping the cord around the base of the ponytail STEP 10: Once the base is fully wrapped, knot the end of the cord and cut off the excess Bear this in mind the next time you see a photo of yourself in which you look bigger than you thought you were. It may well be the fault of the 'focal lens' of the camera which has the effect of making you look chubbier. Dan Vojtech, who is based in Prague, Czech Republic, shared a GIF demonstrating that old chestnut the camera can add 10lb - or more. The young photographer illustrates how different lenses change the the look of a subjects face in the time-lapse. The GIF has been shared more than 800 times on Facebook. The man in the picture, wearing a grey vest and with his hair long and wavy, looks straight into the camera but each photo is far from the same. In the 20mm picture, he has a slim, oval-shaped face with full lips, thick brows and a prominent nose. But as the focal length of the lens increases the proportions of his face start to change. His face becomes wider, his hair becomes appears bushier and bigger and his features seem to shrink in comparison. Dan Vojtech shared the GIF showing different focal lenses. The narrowest (left) and widest (right) If the first photo appears to capture a sensitive hipster type, the final one could be of a sportsman or someone who spends more time in the gym - and yet they're the same person photographed on the same day with the same camera. Dan Vojtech writes on his blog: 'It's always difficult to answer what is the best focal length for a portrait. Here is small preview how different focal lengths can change look of a face.' Focal length is defined as the distance between the centre of a lens or curved mirror and its focus, or the equivalent distance in a compound lens or telescope. According to nikonusa.com: 'Focal length, usually represented in millimeters (mm), is the basic description of a photographic lens. Dan writes on his blog post: 'Its always difficult to answer what is the best focal length for a portrait' Focal length is defined as the distance between the centre of a lens or curved mirror and its focus 'It is not a measurement of the actual length of a lens, but a calculation of an optical distance from the point where light rays converge to form a sharp image of an object to the digital sensor or 35mm film at the focal plane in the camera. 'The focal length of a lens is determined when the lens is focused at infinity. 'The focal length tells us the angle of view - how much of the scene will be captured - and the magnification - how large individual elements will be. The focal length tells us the angle of view and the magnification; how large individual elements will be The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of view and the lower the magnification Therefore we see more of the subject's face the wider the focal lens, making the face look wider 'The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view and the higher the magnification. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of view and the lower the magnification. Dan normally specialises in extreme sport and lifestyle photography. He writes on his website: 'You can find me almost everywhere on the planet during super cool shoots for my clients. The days of serving a three-tiered fruit cake at your wedding are officially over. Today's newlyweds have a growing appetite for dramatic, unusual creations made with anything from macarons to chocolate sprinkles, all crafted for breathtaking effect. Now Brides magazine has showcased some of the most incredible designs in the world including a unicorn carousel and one that appears to be levitating, many of which cost up to 6,000. Each of the gateaus, which were photographed by Catherine Gratwicke, will be on display at Brides the Show in October. But for a sneak peak, scroll down for the ultimate wedding inspiration... Oh, What A Night Trashed Trifle Cake By Nevie-Pie Cakes, 4,500 (serves 300), neviepiecakes.com Oh, What A Night Trashed Trifle Cake By Nevie-Pie Cakes Pictured above, this is a deconstructed 'trashed' trifle cake, which is essence is a three-tiered cake plopped on top of a trifle. Cakemaker Natasha Collins decided to create the smashed-up rhubarb and custard cake in a classic trifle, on a base of rich chocolate mud cake with a dark ganache. The construction is topped with what looks like a traditional wedding cake - but is actually a vanilla bean sponge with a strawberry preserve - while on top of that balances a 'pork pie' of apple and blackberry. Brilliantly bonkers additions like a yes-you-can-eat-it sugar-coated ashtray filled with cigarette biscuits and ash made from coconuts will make guests gasp. 'My inspiration was the fun side of the detritus of wedding-party leftovers,' says Natasha. 'Everything on this cake is edible, including the lace made of rice paper (which took over a day to make) and the confetti with a craft punch.' Cake, 4,500 (serves 300), neviepiecakes.com The Rotating, Flying Cake By Peboryon The Rotating, Flying Cake By Peboryon, 4,200 (serves 300), peboryon.com The cake pictured above rotates and actually flies as the top layer of each literally floats but with no strings attached. But with no visible strings or wires, guests will be left wondering, 'how'? But cakemaker Christine Jensen refuses to reveal her secrets. The elegant confection even comes with its own discreet 'bodyguard' as part of the price to stop nosy guests finding out. Christine says: 'Guests can watch the cake floating, turning and hovering, and then you just lift the top tier up, cut into the cake and eat it. Cake, 4,200 (serves 300), peboryon.com. Eat Your Greens By Nevie-Pie Cakes Eat Your Greens By Nevie-Pie Cakes, 6,000 (serves 400), neviepiecakes.com A crudite wedding cake is a new trend and over 500 vegetable 'cookies' including carrots, leeks, peas and red spring onions, adorn this beautiful creation. And the green theme continues inside with 16kg of vegetables baked into the cake, which includes layers of sweet potato, coconut and lime, chocolate beetroot, and Mexican chocolate and avocado. Even the cabbage 'topper' is spiced pumpkin cake with lemon. 'It was inspired by my love of making veg biscuits they always surprise,' says cakemaker Natasha Collins. 'It took four days to make them, plus seven to create the cake.' Cake, 6,000 (serves 400), neviepiecakes.com The Unicorn Carousel By Tattooed Bakers The Unicorn Carousel By Tattooed Bakers, 3,250 (serves 400), tattooed bakers.com It took 160 hours to create this intricate artwork, with the tail alone taking three days. 'Everything is edible, except the unicorn's legs and the pole, which hold this 80kg bake together,' says cakemaker Eddie Amon-Lebeau, one half of Tattooed Bakers. 'We wanted to show there are no boundaries to what you can choose for your wedding.' Inside you'll find a rainbow sponge (what else would a unicorn be made of?) with the mane using Rice Krispies for texture. Cake, 3,250 (serves 400), tattooed bakers.com. Your Venue In A Cake By Tier By Tier Your Venue In A Cake By Tier By Tier, 1,275 (serves 170), tierbytier.co.uk This cake is guaranteed to make you do a double take. 'From one side, it looks traditional with its lace and scrolls, but spin it around when you're about to cut it and you reveal something else your venue,' says cakemaker Julia Baker. 'Everything here is edible other than the chandelier and Swarovski-crystal piano, including the paintings and wood-effect floor.' Cake, 1,275 (serves 170), tierbytier.co.uk The Over The Rainbow Cake By Fondant Fox and The Meringue Girls The Over The Rainbow Cake By Fondant Fox and The Meringue Girls, 1,500 (serves 200) A kaleidoscope of more than 600 meringues - some which are gin and tonic flavour - make up this eye-catching cake. And at the end of the rainbow are two sponges decorated with Persian rosewater fairy floss. 'You set it up as a dessert and sweet table for guests to help themselves,' says Carla Fox, from Fondant Fox. 'The cloud cakes can be removed for the cake-cutting photos, then everyone can pick at the meringues.' Cake, 1,500 (serves 200), fondantfox.com and meringuegirls.co.uk The Sweetie Shop By Georgia's Cakes The Sweetie Shop By Georgia's Cakes, 1,470 (serves 210), georgias-cakes.co.uk This five-tiered creation brings back memories of old fashioned sweet shops with decoration that includes lollipops, macarons, meringue kisses, dribbled chocolate and buckets of hundreds and thousands. Georgia Green says: 'You know how your eyes light up when you see a pick'n'mix stand? What better day to get that feel-good factor than on your big day?' Cake, 1,470 (serves 210), georgias-cakes.co.uk The Flamingo Love Cake By Choccywoccydoodah The Flamingo Love Cake By Choccywoccydoodah, 1,945 (serves 220), choccywoccydoodah.com For chocolate lovers, this is the dream. It is a rich, velvet chocolate cake layered with chocolate truffle, enrobed in Belgian coating and decorated entirely with handmade chocolate sculptures. Creative director Christine Taylor said: 'My inspiration was the 150th anniversary of Alice In Wonderland, and all the love and fun it celebrates just like a wedding. But there is nothing quick and easy about this labour of love, with the green chocolate dahlias alone taking 10 hours to create. Cake, 1,945 (serves 220), choccywoccydoodah.com The Wedding Bouquet By Cakes By Krishanthi The Wedding Bouquet By Cakes By Krishanthi, 750 (serves 10), cakesbykrishanthi.co.uk This relatively petite and delicate floral masterpiece is as much for your decor as it is for your dessert. The pedestal vase with cherubs around the base is actually made from almond-infused sponge with clementine syrup, layered with luscious orange curd and buttercream. The decorative peonies, dahlias, poppies and cosmos are a sugary labour of love that look like blooms from a Dutch still life. Couture cakemaker Kristhanthi - a former investment banker who spent years learning about sugar craft - said: 'The cake itself serves about 10. But if you wanted a more traditional cake-cutting moment, it could be perched on top of another cake for dramatic effort. Cake, 750 (serves 10), cakesbykrishanthi.co.uk These towering treats and more will be at Brides The Show, where you can also win your own dream wedding cake, worth 1,000 thanks to London chocolatier Choccywoccydoodah. A man has shared a heartbreaking story of how he became a victim of male rape but is struggling to find someone who believes him. The victim revealed in a Reddit thread that he had been attacked at a party but upon finding out about the incident his girlfriend has accused him of being unfaithful. In a post called 'I was raped but my gf thinks I cheated on her and won't talk to me. Is there anything I can do to prove I'm telling the truth?' he seeks help from other users. A Reddit user has revealed that he was raped by a woman and after finding out his girlfriend accused him of cheating on her He writes: All your advice will be much appreciated. I don't want to go into too much detail but I got too drunk at a party my gf and I were attending, and she left a bit early with her friend who was unwell. 'I don't usually get drunk and I'm a bit of a light weight so as it was getting late I just crashed in one of the bedrooms upstairs. 'Later on at some time I'm not sure of I wake and someone is on top of me. I was extremely groggy and as soon I realised it wasn't [my gf] I began to panic. I couldn't really move and I think my body just froze? 'Like I really wanted to scream but nothing came out and she wouldn't get off me. I swear I tried. I feel sick and disgusted with myself. I don't know this girl and I could've probably put a stop to it had I not reacted like I did. I admit that much is my own fault. I woke up and it seems a bit unclear now but I cried when I got home and I thought of what the hell I needed to do while I took a shower.' He goes on to explain that someone at the party saw the act take place and informed his girlfriend who went on to block his number and he has since received 'unpleasant' messages from mutual friends. He continues: '(My girlfriend) is the person I go to when something is wrong and I can't get through to her. Her sister is my best friend and she won't talk to me and hates me now. He took to the social media site to appeal for help and advice on how he could get his girlfriend to believe him 'The only other person I trust is her mum but I just can't bring myself to tell anyone what happened. They would laugh. I'm a big guy and no one would believe me. I feel horrible and I can't stop crying. I'm alone. The person I love most wants nothing to do with me and believes I would cheat on her. I wouldn't and never wanted to. 'I would go to the police but they probably wouldn't take me seriously and I can't picture her face properly anyway. Is there anything I can do?' The post attracted has more than 3,000 views and it wasn't long before a flood of supportive messages came through with the majority encouraging him to go to the police. One user wrote: 'Go to the police man. Someone made you do something you didn't want to do sexually. 'You never said yes. Please get over the stigma that you can't be raped bc you're male. Please try not to care that people might laugh. This is your life, you should be in control of what happens to it.' MALE RAPE: THE FACTS A study conducted in England has found that 3 per cent of males surveyed had experienced non-consensual sex as adults. Police crime figures for England and Wales show there were 3,580 rapes against men in 2014. Although the majority of perpetrators are male, men can be sexually abused by women. However this is not defined as rape under UK law. Erection and ejaculation are physiological responses that can result from physical contact and even extreme stress. They don't imply the victim experienced pleasure. Advertisement Some posters came forward to share their own harrowing stories of male rape in a hope to encourage the victim to seek further help. One man recalled: 'Back in my early college days, I was at a party with a large group of friends and had too much to drink. I don't remember much other than wanting to go to bed, so I left the party and went to my friends room. 'The next thing I remember is hearing my friend screaming, and waking up sitting on a toilet in a bathroom with a naked girl on me. I vaguely remember some commotion, and then it's all a blur again. 'I woke up the next day and my friend was asking me if I was ok. Apparently he went to use the bathroom and this girl had gotten me in there and forgotten to lock the door. My pants were around my ankles, she was naked from the waist down. According to my friend, I was completely unconscious and unresponsive. 'I was extremely shaken and didn't know what to do. Because I was a young guy and my friend said it didn't look like she'd actually had sex with me, I figured I was mostly ok and tried my best to shrug it off. I dealt with a lot of guilt and was really upset about the whole ordeal for some time afterwards. 'I couldn't get my head around how it was possible that I was erect when passed out, kept thinking I must have agreed to go into the bathroom with her, etc. It took a long time for me to realize that that girl assaulted me and put it behind me.' After hearing others' experience with male rape the original poster later updated his readers to say he was planning to book a doctors appointment and has had a response from his girlfriend who has agreed to talk. Lizz Todd, who was duped out of some 168,000 When Liz Todd met her internet date for the first time, two words sprang to mind. Pleasantly normal, she says. As the date went on, her impressions only improved. A barrister, who seemed passionate about his work, Christopher Smith was not just charming and handsome but intelligent, too. Finally, she thought, someone on her wavelength. For it was hard for Liz, then 28, to find romance while working long hours as a hospital doctor. It would take more than six months for Liz, now 31, to discover dark-haired Smith was not what he seemed. In fact, he was a serial conman with a staggering 133 previous convictions for fraud, and a string of jail sentences to his name which, in reality, is Christopher Heayns, although he has gone by 17 different aliases. By then it was too late. Heayns, 35, had fleeced Liz of 168,000 money he told her he was investing in their future but which he was actually spending on prostitutes and strippers. Such was his manipulative charm he had also, unbeknown to Liz, persuaded her mother, Hilary, 60, to part with 125,000 from savings and credit cards. To say his cruelty has devastated the family is something of an understatement. Liz has been left penniless, was forced to sell her own home and has been declared insolvent while she battles to pay off creditors. Her mother, who had retired after 30 years as a biochemist, has been forced to return to work to pay off her own debts. It is hard to imagine a more distressing, not to mention humiliating, set of circumstances. Now, as her former lover was jailed this week for nine and a half years, Liz is still struggling to comprehend the extent to which she was duped. Scroll down for video Serial offender: Christopher Heayns - who posed as a successful barrister - pictured with Liz The thought that I was once in love with him or the person I thought he was makes me feel physically sick, she says. I feel violated for having had those feelings. Facing him in court was the most humiliating experience of my life. I felt everyone was judging me, wondering how on earth I could have got myself into this situation. It is a pertinent question; attractive and intelligent, Liz does not strike you as an obvious target for a lonely heart scam. The product of a happy middle-class childhood with loving parents (since separated) who funded her through medical school, she bought her own home in her early 20s. By her mid-20s she was working in acute care at a busy hospital in the North-East. And like many other young professionals, Liz turned to the internet for romance and joined dating website Plenty of Fish in 2013. I wasnt in a desperate rush to settle down, but I was looking for a partner, she recalls. Nobody caught her eye until in June she was contacted by Heayns, who said he was a barrister. The couple seemed to have a lot in common and chatted over email before meeting for coffee three weeks later. The date was a roaring success and sparked a whirlwind relationship. I fell head over heels, she says. So when, two months later, Heayns who was living with his father after claiming to have relocated from London asked her to help him secure a 2,500-a-month flat in a manor house in Hexham, Northumberland, she agreed. He said he would be able to secure a long-term lease if I first put my name on an initial short-term tenancy agreement, because being self-employed could unnecessarily complicate things for him, recalls Liz. She adds: It did seem extravagant. I remember thinking, Why on earth does he need somewhere like this? At the same time he had the money, or so I thought, and part of me felt, Good on you. I did think it was too soon for financial ties, but Christopher constantly reassured me he had the funds and at that stage he wasnt asking for money. He seemed to be planning long term for us and I told myself that in time it might be my home, too. His funds certainly seemed generous, with a six-figure salary, a multi-million pound rental portfolio, and an investment set to mature early the following year to the tune of 300,000. He had reams of convincing paperwork for all of it files and files of correspondence and documents, says Liz. For Heayns had gone to extravagant lengths to flesh out his financial and professional persona. He had mountains of barrister case files and I heard him on the phone several times with clients and investors elaborate, sometimes heated phone calls, although presumably there was no one else on the other end of the phone. On occasions Liz drove him to court dates all over the North Manchester, York, Edinburgh. It beggars belief the lengths he went to, she says. Meanwhile, Heayns had builders and decorators extensively renovating his newly-leased flat with thousands of pounds in bills soon mounting up. Yet like many accomplished fraudsters, he was careful never to specifically ask for money. Instead he started saying he was worried about his cash flow, says Liz. He was obviously distressed, saying over and again that he couldnt pay the bills and was a bit stuck until his investment matured. It was stressful some of the contractors were getting intimidating. I didnt have money to hand so I started to put payments on various credit cards. By late November, only three months after hed moved in, Liz had spent 50,000. Did she not see things were already out of control? Heayns, left, was convicted of four counts of fraud and several offences under the Insolvency Act. But it was too late for Liz, who he left penniless and humiliated It sounds ridiculous now, doesnt it? All I can say is that I wanted to be in this relationship and I thought this was something we just had to work through. I had seen ample evidence he could pay me back. Ultimately, I trusted him. This was despite Heayns, shortly after moving into the Hexham apartment, confessing he had been released from prison a year earlier after being accused of taking a bribe, an offence for which he was subsequently acquitted. It was, of course, a lie. While Heayns had been in prison shortly before they met, it was for fraud. It was a clever, calculated tactic, Liz says now. It made me trust him more because I felt hed confided in me, shown his vulnerabilities. More bills followed Heayns had employed a cleaner, handyman and PA, none of whom were being paid. Liz says she told him to cut back on expenses but ended up paying the staff because she didnt want them to suffer because of his financial mess. When he went to work, meanwhile, she gave him money for hotels and expenses. Yet the outgoings were beginning to make Lizs own financial situation desperate. I was working every hour I could at the hospital to pay all the bills. I felt stressed beyond belief. And never more so than when, in early December, her mother confided that she had also given Heayns 125,000 from savings and on credit cards, believing she was helping tide him over and by extension her daughter. I was utterly mortified, says Liz. They had formed a close friendship and he had approached her separately for help. My only consolation was that I believed she, too, would get the money back. When Liz challenged Heayns about going behind her back, he told her he didnt want to worry her. But this increasingly fragile veneer of reassurance was shattered on December 23. As she and Heayns returned from a Christmas shopping trip to Edinburgh, Liz received a text from a builder working on Heayns home with a link to a newspaper article from 2008. Clicking on it, she found herself staring at the headline Conman Jailed next to a picture of Heayns. I felt sick, she says. I looked up to where he was sitting across from me on the train and thought, I dont know who you are? I was panic-stricken. My family were arriving to stay the next day for Christmas. I didnt know what to do. Naturally, Heayns had an explanation he had been a juvenile offender but his subsequent arrest and imprisonment was on remand for an offence of which he was not convicted. He was pleading with me, saying he was desperately trying to make up for the errors of his youth, Liz recalls. In some ways it didnt matter he had lied to me. In the space of a few months I had gone from being swept off my feet to feeling utterly horrified at what I had got involved with. Too terrified to tell her parents, Liz put on a brave face through the festive season. I still thought he was a barrister. I remember thinking I just needed to hang on in there and get my money back. In the new year things got worse. She learned via a call from a friend that Heayns had been cheating on her for months with someone connected to their wider circle. I didnt want to believe it, she says quietly. I couldnt understand how he could do this to me when I was working so hard to maintain the life he wanted. I confronted him and he denied it, but I knew he was lying. At that point he got nasty, screaming at me for accusing him of lying. I knew then it was completely over. Liz returned to her own flat in such dire financial straits that she had only 25 to live on until payday. I have a good job and I work hard, so it was embarrassing beyond comprehension that I was in this situation. I confided in one close friend. She took me to the supermarket and filled my fridge with food so that I could spend the money on fuel to get to work. It was utterly humiliating. Sickened: Liz Todd bankrolled Heayns's indulgent lifestyle, including paying for him to rent a luxury flat in a manor house (pictured) And while Liz wished to sever contact with her ex, she needed to maintain some sort of relationship, as she wanted her money back. Nauseating as it was, I felt it was in my interests to remain cordial until his investment matured. The problem being, of course, that there was no investment. The spring maturation date came and went and Liz finally grasped the truth. When he didnt answer calls she confronted him at his home, telling him that unless she saw proof he could repay her, she would go to the police. Then, she says, he got really nasty and told her that in his line of work he had protection and if she even spoke to the police he couldnt control what they did to her or her family. One analogy he used was that if people crossed him in the past, if he was punched once in the face they would be stabbed ten times in the back. Despite everything hed lied about, I felt these threats were genuine. In despair, Liz worked day and night to try to pay the credit card bills with their spiralling interest and the 23,000 outstanding rent on Heaynss home, which she learned of only when she received a county-court judgment. It was hopeless. There were so many. All I could do was try to keep my head above water. I didnt know what to do. I felt so alone. I was a nervous wreck, terrified he might hurt my family. It got to the point where I couldnt bear not to be working, as that meant sitting down and confronting the car crash my life had become. I couldnt sleep, and felt sick from stress. Just when Liz thought it couldnt get worse, however, it did. A friend of Heayns rang. He told me that instead of going to work, whenever I dropped him off at various places he had been going to a hotel with a stripper. 'He had hosted a prostitute party at his flat while I was working a nightshift, and had countless other girls over sleeping in the bed we shared there. I thought he couldnt sink any lower, but he had. It was the trigger she needed to finally go to the police although first she told her parents the truth, after months of prevaricating when her mother asked about the money. They were amazing, just incredibly pragmatic, she says. Mum has never once blamed me, but it took me many months to be able to look her in the eye. The hardest part of all this is what he has done to her and the fact I am helpless to take her debt away. The police revealed Heayns was a serial offender who had been jailed for fraud seven times, with 133 separate convictions. When he first contacted Liz, he had been out of prison for just 11 days. At his trial, he was convicted of four counts of fraud and several offences under the Insolvency Act. As he handed down the nine-and-a-half-year sentence, the judge said he was completely without morals and the most dishonest person I have ever encountered in 40 years practising law. Liz is grateful for the stiff sentence, but says: The reality is he will probably be out in half the time and up to his old tricks while I will still be trying to repair the financial and emotional damage he inflicted. She will be living on the breadline for the foreseeable future, she adds. The ring is a very thin, simple band with no Most celebrities flash jaw-dropping engagement and wedding rings worth tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars, usually purchased from high-end designer jewellers. But on Wednesday, frugal Hollywood star Mila Kunis revealed that she bought her wedding band online for a meagre US$90. When being interviewed on Conan, she told the host that she purchased both her own and husband Ashton Kutcher's wedding rings on online marketplace Etsy. 'My husband and I got married and he got me a beautiful engagement ring. Like, stunning, stunning, stunning,' she said. 'But for our wedding bands, for when we got married, I decided to just get them off of Etsy. And so our wedding bands are from Etsy.' Scroll down for video Easy going: Mila Kunis told Conan O'Brien on Wednesday evening that she bought her own wedding band on Etsy for USD90 Cheap as chips: FEMAIL rounds ups how you can steal her style with similar rings on Etsy, like one from Jahresring (above) that only costs $76 FEMAIL has rounded up the best options to emulate the actress' style with gorgeous-and cheap-wedding rings from the site. Kunis' ring is a very thin, delicate, platinum band. It doesn't seem to have any markings or stones, and there are plenty of options if you like that look. Etsy store Jahresring, which is based in the United States, has one millimetre wedding bands in white gold for only AUD$76, or AUD$231 for platinum. Bargain: Another store, Formonte Jewellery, sells one millimetre platinum bands for $486 (above) Marked up: An almost identical ring by Tiffany and Co (above) costs $1,500 Another store, Formonte Jewellery, sells similar plain one millimetre bands that start at AUD$147 for white gold and up to AUD$486 for platinum. For comparison, a two millimetre platinum ring from Tiffany and Co costs around AUD$1,500. The Hollywood star told Conan in the interview that she wanted 'the thinnest possible platinum band' as her ring, but thought the prices for platinum rings at Tiffany and Co was 'astronomical'. Loved up: Kunis married Ashton Kutcher in 2015, and bought his wedding band on Etsy as well A girl's best friend: If you're after something with some sparkle, Wan Love Designs sells a white gold and diamond band for $649 Whilst FEMAIL couldn't find any platinum bands for as low as $90, it is possible that Kunis ended up going for a white gold or palladium. Prices for thin white gold bands generally range from AUD$70 to $100 for one millimetre bands. Many of the different types come in various shapes and colours The stickers allow the users to get perfect feline flicks with liquid liner Many beauty bloggers have posted videos on their Instagram pages 'Never ask a girl with winged eyeliner why she is late'. It's a common phrase that will have many women nodding their head in understanding. Whether you are prone to getting one eye perfect and messing up the other, or simply can't seem to master the perfect wing at all, liquid liner is one of the trickiest make up products to get right. Which is why this invention is a godsend. Winged eyeliner stickers allow the user to apply the stencil-shaped stickers to their eyes, and then simply draw inside them with eyeliner. And since their release, they've been a huge hit with beauty bloggers. Huge hit: Winged eyeliner stickers are helping beauty bloggers to perfect their liquid eyeliner (pictured) Laiba Zaid, from Toronto, posted a video to her Instagram page on Thursday showing the genius inventions in action. In the brief clip, Ms Zaid is seen to merely dot the stickers on to her eyelids, before she fills in the gaps with several differently-coloured eyeliners. The results are perfectly drawn, feline flicks. Perfect flick: Laiba Zaid, from Toronto, posted a video to her Instagram page on Thursday showing the genius inventions in action (pictured) Marvellous: In the brief clip, Ms Zaid is seen to merely dot the stickers on to her eyelids, before she fills in the gaps with several differently-coloured eyeliners - the result is perfect feline flicks 'Bought these stencils from @bethbenderbeauty so obv I had to test it out! [sic],' Ms Zaid wrote on her winged stickers post. 'They aren't that hard to put on, you might have to fix the tip of the wing a little at the end, but over all I approve! I'm not the best at eyeliner so it's convenient [sic]'. The comments below the video are filled with appreciation. Despite only being uploaded one day ago, the short clip has already amassed 128,000 views. 'Pretty,' one person writes, while another makes the point that using these stickers might be an entirely different affair if you had eyeshadow on. Tricky: Getting liquid eyeliner flicks absolutely perfect is notoriously difficult and something many women struggle with Fallen in love: Many beauty bloggers have fallen in love with the new way to get perfect eyeliner - and many of the brands sell different shapes, from huge cat eye flicks to the classic round style Ms Zaid isn't the beauty blogger who has fallen head over heels for winged stickers. One of the biggest names in the blogging business, Huda Kattan, has also posted a tutorial in which she tests out different stickers created by the make-up artist, Agustin Fenandez. Mr Fernandez sells various different versions of his eyeliner stickers online, including glittery and two-tone styles, as well as a variety of shapes, from huge cat eye flicks to the classic round style. Perfect eyeliner in mere moments. Where do we sign? This isn't the first time Kylie Cosmetics has been accused of plagiarising Thousands of people on Twitter leapt to the blogger's defence A New Zealand-based beauty blogger already has a similar eye palette Kylie Jenner has been accused of plagiarising her eyeshadow palettes First, bloggers slated her lip kits for flaking, looking awful and under-delivering considering they were so pricey. And now Kylie Jenner has been accused of ripping off an eyeshadow palette for her hot-off-the-press, sell-out Kyshadow range. New Zealand-based beauty blogger and make-up artist, Shannon Harris (Shaanxo on YouTube), has indirectly claimed that the Kylie Jenner palettes are rather similar to her own. Bad reaction: As sure as it is that Kylie Jenner's cosmetics will sell out, so is it that there will be uproar about something or other Bad blood: This was the case when a New Zealand-based beauty blogger tweeted the Kylie cosmetics eyeshadow palettes next to her own original version indirectly claiming they were similar (pictured) Sharing a picture of her $14 AUD version of the palette next to Kylie's $56 AUD offering with her 263,000 Twitter followers, Ms Harris captioned the post with just two emojis. The post was soon re-tweeted and favourited on the social media site thousands of times. As well as this, countless people on Twitter leapt to the blogger's defence. Different versions: Sharing a picture of her $14 AUD version of the palette next to Kylie's $56 AUD offering with her 263,000 Twitter followers, the blogger, Ms Harris, captioned the post with just two emojis Anger: Twitter soon went into uproar (pictured) Going viral: Thousands of users retweeted and favourited Ms Harris's tweet - while others responded with their anger in detail (pictured) Controversial: In the past, Kylie's cosmetics have proved controversial - some say they are over-priced and that the Lip Kits flake on the lips Not good: Others criticised Kylie Jenner's palette for different reasons (pictured) 'The #KyShadow are literally the same as the morphe 35o nd shaaanxo palettes but more $$ bcos it has Kylies name slapped on it [sic],' one user wrote on her Twitter profile this week. 'Look like drugstore shadows, repetitive colours, nothing original, looks like shaaanxo palette, no mirror #KyShadow [sic],' another person added. After all of the furore, Ms Harris was quick to later tweet that: 'I never once said "Kylie copied me" I made a joke bc they look similar lol come on! Yes, like lots of palettes do! No beef here guys'. She later added that she intends to buy one of the Kylie Jenner palettes, which include nine matte shadows and range from an off-white hue called Jasper right the way through to a dark brown called Obsidian. Come down: Ms Harris later wrote that she didn't mean to create a massive fuss, and added that she intended to buy a Kyshadow palette Not cool: Last year, Kylie Jenner was accused of plagiarising when her popular Lip Kits were released Look familiar? The world-famous teenager was questioned over the brand's Lip Kit packaging, which bore an uncanny resemblance to LA make-up artist Vlada Haggerty's creations (pictured) Keeping schtum: However, on this latest subject, Kylie Jenner is keeping quiet Sadly for Kylie Jenner, this isn't the first time Kylie Cosmetics has been accused of plagiarism. Just last year, the world-famous teenager was questioned over the brand's Lip Kit packaging, which bore an uncanny resemblance to LA make-up artist Vlada Haggerty's creations (above). A female comedian's humorous analogy about sexual consent has gone viral, with thousands applauding her witty remarks. Alice Brine, 27, who is based in Auckland, New Zealand, posted a tongue-in-cheek message to Facebook on Wednesday, likening rape to robbery. In the post, Brine said she would 'start going home with random very drunk guys and stealing all of their s***.' Alice Brine, who is based in Auckland, New Zealand, posted a message to Facebook on Wednesday, likening rape to robbery She continued: 'It won't be my fault though... they were drunk. They should have known better. I'll get away with it 90% of the time but then when one brave man takes me to court over it, I'll argue that I wasn't sure if he meant it when he said 'no don't steal my Audi.' I just wasn't sure if he meant it. 'I said 'Can I please steal your Gucci watch?' He said 'no' but I just wasn't sure if he meant it. He was drunk.' Brine then touches on the subject of blaming. Imagining what she might say as a defense in the 'robbery case', she writes: 'He brought this on himself. You should have seen how he was dressed at the club, expensive shirts and shoes. 'What kind of message is he sending with that!? I thought he wanted me to come and steal all of his shit. He was asking for it. To date, Brine's post has garnered more than 140,000 'likes' and more than 62,000 shares. 'When he said "no" to me taking everything he owned I just didn't know if he meant it. "No" isn't objective enough, it could mean anything.' To date, the post has garnered more than 138,000 'likes' and more than 60,000 shares. Its really inspiring to hear people say, "I'm so relieved you did this"' Dozens of people have left comments on the post, with the majority applauding Ms Brine for her remarks. One commenter wrote: 'This is brilliant, I'm so glad it came up on my feed.' Another added: 'Don't know you but bloody well said!' While she said it was 'really cool' that her post started going viral, Ms Brine said it was also 'really heartbreaking' that she had to 'compare raping a woman to stealing a man's Audi for people to finally click.' However, one commenter disagreed with Brine's sentiments, writing in response: 'Not really. You have simply made it easier to understand and get your point across by using the same legal argument that is used against victims. 'Many men support you, don't forget that the good guys are still out there.' One female reader thanked Ms Brine for the post but took time to highlight the seriousness of the topic. She wrote: 'This is good. But a mans Audi will never compare to ownership of your own body as a woman. 'I'm sure he [doesn't] need therapy for the rest of his life and have fear of trusting anyone because of his stolen Audi. Good point though.' Ms Brine has revealed that since she published her post she has received hundreds of 'thank you' messages, including some from those who have been victims of rape and sexual assault. He's known for his dapper dress sense and was once ranked the most fashionable man in the world, by style bible Esquire magazine. But today Prince Charles swapped his fine threads for a rather different look - a factory uniform. The 67-year-old popped on a white worker coat and mesh hat as he embarked on a tour around a seaweed harvesting and processing plant in north Scotland. Prince Charles popped on a white worker coat and mesh hat as he embarked on a tour around a seaweed harvesting and processing plant in north Scotland Talking to workers at the New Wave Foods factory, Charles appeared to be comfortable in his not-so-glamorous ensemble. At one point he stopped to readjust his hat slightly. Along with the factory tour, Charles stepped out into the open air to watch the harvesting process. Swapping his white uniform for wellies and a windproof jacket, he walked along the beach near Castle Mey, to watch staff from New Wave Foods collect the edible seaweed. The royal has been busy this week and yesterday he officially opened a new warehouse at a Ross-shire business known for making textiles and pottery. Talking to workers at the New Wave Foods factory, Charles appeared to be comfortable in his not-so-glamorous ensemble The Prince meets operations director Tom McGee (left) and director Peter Elbourne during a visit to New Wave Foods, Wick Along with the factory tour, Charles stepped out into the open air to watch the harvesting process The royal talks with research and development coordinator Ben Seaman (left) and operations director Tom McGee, from New Wave Foods The Duke of Rothesay, as he is known in Scotland, met members of staff at ANTA Scotland, by Fearn, as he walked around the new 500,000 complex. The company employs about 40 staff at the site - many of them young employees who have been trained since leaving school. Owners Annie and Lachlan Stewart opened their first shop in London in 1984, but six years later returned home to the Highlands to start making their products - all of which are sourced and made in Scotland. At the end of his tour the Duke, a patron for The Campaign For Wool, said: 'I am very pleased to open this wonderful new factory. Swapping his white uniform for wellies and a windproof jacket, the Prince walked along the beach near Castle Mey, to watch staff from New Wave Foods collect the edible seaweed The prince, also known as the Duke of Rothesay, also visited Anta home furnishings in Fearn, Scotland, to see how the business supports traditional craft skills At the end of his tour the Duke, a patron for The Campaign For Wool, said: 'I am very pleased to open this wonderful new factory' 'I am such an admirer of what you do here and I do hope this factory gives you more scope for all your exports.' ANTAs e-commerce manager Heather Robertson said: 'In terms of local employment we are hugely important. 'It supports the whole community and certainly with the opening of a new factory, about a dozen more jobs have been created. 'The important thing is that its providing training and skilled labour in the local manufacturing industry.' The Duke spoke firstly with staff in the textiles team as they demonstrated how they make products such as bags, seats and rugs. The Prince with Rhiannon Laing (left) and Megan Sutherland during a visit to Anta home furnishings Charles also tried his hand at some handicrafts during his Scottish tour of local businesses On Friday, the Duke also visited Wick Sheriff Court to mark its 150th anniversary The Prince with Sheriff Andrew Berry at Wick Sheriff Court Textiles technician Vincent Kilcollins has been working for ANTA for nearly two years and moved from the USA to be with his family, who are from the area. He said: 'As well as talking to the Duke about the process of making the rugs, we spoke about the military. 'He served on HMS Norfolk and I was based out of Norfolk, Virginia, so we had that commonality. The Duke also met ceramics decorator Jane Swanson, who has worked for ANTA for 14 years. She said: 'He commented on how marvellous it was that we managed to paint such straight lines on the pottery. I said to him its down to years of practice. 'This new building has made a huge difference. We have all of these windows along the side of the building now which makes it far brighter, and there is just a lot more space.' Cannibalism and suicidal leaps; marital discord and fights that go on for hours. Theyre all featured in a new BBC show thats bound to be a big hit. But who knew there was more drama every day in the Highlands of Scotland than there is in an EastEnders Christmas special? At 20,000 square miles, the Highlands region makes up around one-sixth of the British Isles but because of its extreme weather and unforgiving terrain its one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe. This means the creatures that live there have largely been left to their own devices. A red deer stay. At 20,000 square miles, the Highlands region makes up around one-sixth of the British Isles but because of its extreme weather and unforgiving terrain its one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe Now a brilliant new four-part documentary series thats taken three years to make, Highlands Scotlands Wild Heart, will delve deep into their world. Its a world inhabited by animals you dont normally think of as British from wildcats to reindeer, tiny beetles with antennae three times the size of their bodies and bottlenose dolphins hunting for salmon. Theres cute: a red squirrel rolling moss to make its nest more comfy and the tiny red deer fawn who decides he wants to start a fight with a huge-antlered stag and wont take no for an answer. Theres incredible: scenes of guillemot chicks leaping off 400ft cliffs and an ospreys life-or-death battle with a trout it wants for dinner. And then theres the mystery of the bull seals that have started eating their own young, and the fierce four-hour battles between male reindeers for the right to mate with the females. I think people will be amazed by the range of animals you can find in the Highlands, says Nigel Pope, the creative director of the company that made the show for the BBC. But the thing that will surprise them most is the drama. Theres cute stuff, weird stuff, and the ospreys practically have their own soap opera with divorces, marital tiffs and attempted murder. A Scottish wildcat. The creatures that live in the Highlands have largely been left to their own devices Ospreys fly from their homes in Africa to spend the 12-week breeding season in the Highlands. The birds mate for life but the couples only spend their time in Scotland together, heading off alone for the rest of the year. This means theyre never sure whether their mate will return to Scotland; and there are always young males looking for a mate. Sometimes they dont even care that the female is married; theyll try to knock her eggs out of the nest and frighten away her partner. Stunning footage showing male ospreys battling over a mate was filmed by Nigels team of six cameramen and women, but rarer still is their slow-motion footage of an osprey hunting. Its seen capturing a trout in its talons but the fish swims down, almost dragging the osprey beneath the water before the bird finally wins its prey. Another first was the footage of male grey seals eating their own young. We were filming seals on a remote island, says Nigel. It had been stormy and quite dangerous for our crew. Our cameraman started filming once the storm had ended. He saw that some of the pups, which are white, had been swept into the waves, and suddenly he saw a big bull seal surfacing with a mouthful of white fluff and he realised it was cannibalism. And because bull seals mate with many females, its highly likely they were eating their own offspring. More than 500 days were spent filming some of the most elusive creatures on the British Isles. These include the critically endangered Scottish wildcat; there could be as few as 100 left in the wild It solved a long-standing mystery because for years people had been finding seal pups on beaches with large bites taken out of them and no one knew what creature had done it, says Nigel. It seems to be on the increase and nobody knows why. Its a mystery. The idea that grey seals are killing their own pups had just started being discussed in the science community and this is the first time its been filmed professionally. Thankfully its not all tales red in tooth and claw. In another dramatic first, guillemot chicks are seen leaping from cliffs on the island of Handa. This happens one day a year in July and we waited three weeks to see it, says Nigel. The sea birds breed on cliff edges but the chicks are at risk from larger predators like gulls so its important they spend minimal time on the cliffs. Leaping off the edge seems a high-risk strategy for the chicks, which cant fly, but a lot survive after landing in the sea. We captured one knocking his head on the rocks before bouncing off and he was fine. More than 500 days were spent filming some of the most elusive creatures on the British Isles. These include the critically endangered Scottish wildcat; there could be as few as 100 left in the wild. Bigger and broader than domestic moggies, they have yellow eyes, striped fur and thick tails. Another rare Highlands creature is the reindeer, which was reintroduced in the 1950s after dying out many hundreds of years ago. Theyve thrived, says Nigel. Theyre superbly adapted for these conditions, from their broad feet which dont sink into the snow to their furry noses which never freeze. Theyve done so well that people are talking about bringing other native species back, including the Eurasian lynx and even wolves and bears. Although obviously theres the issue of safety for people and their livestock. The series is narrated by proud Scotsman Ewan McGregor, who grew up in Crieff at the edge of the Highlands region. Because he was in the middle of editing his first self-directed film American Pastoral the team had to fly to LA to be with him. They took with them his favourite Scottish sweets, soor plooms (sour plums), and some other native delicacies a bottle of Irn-Bru and some Tunnocks wafers. Ewan is a natural history lover and a huge fan of Scotland, says Nigel, who also worked with the actor on the BBC2 series Hebrides Islands On The Edge, shown in 2013. But even he couldnt have made up the drama we captured in the Highlands. n A 74-year-old Christian minister has become an internet sensation after her stellar rap skills impressed a stranger she gifted her album to last week. Keith Brown met Sister Bobbie Lively from Arkansas at a gas station in Pearl, Mississippi, and after chatting for a bit, she handed him a copy of her CD, Uh Huh, which features the original songs In Jesus Name and Prodigal son. After their chance encounter, Keith took to Twitter on Wednesday share a video of himself jamming to Lyrical Lively's tune What Does the Word Say. Scroll down for video Star in the making: Keith Brown turned Sister Bobbie Lively aka Lyrical Lively into an internet sensation after he shared a video of himself listening to her Christian rap album, Uh Huh Chance encounter: Keith met the 74-year-old from Arkansas at a gas station in Pearl, Mississippi, where she gave him her CD 'She gave me her CD at gas station. She 74 rapping for Jesus,' he captioned the clip. Despite being in her seventies, Sister Lively has laid out an impressive rap about the Bible to a pretty sick beat. And Keith wasn't the only one who was dazzled by her skills. His tweet featuring her song was liked more than 61,000 times, and it was retweeted more than 49,000 times. Spreading the word: This Twitter user said Lyrics Lively outshines Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye Loving it: Keith's post has been liked more than 60,000 times, and many people tweeted how impressed they are by her rap skills 'Kendrick who? Drake who? Kanye who?' Twitter user Jande wrote. Lyrical Lively got bars... in the name of the Holy Ghost too...' A man named Stevie added: 'I just found out who Lyrical Lively is. I am not disappointed with this discovery. Before her sudden online fame, the theology teacher and former missionary was relatively unknown, but after doing a bit of online research, her new fans were quick to point on Twitter that her music is on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal. 'She's on iTunes nahhh she's too lit [sic]' Shaina Auxilly tweeted. She gave me her CD at gas station. She 74 rapping for Jesus. pic.twitter.com/65IpcWS3rw Keith. (@Keith_The_God) July 27, 2016 'Too lit': Shaina Auxilly pointed out that Sister Lively is on iTunes, and others noted that she is also on Spotify and Tidal Catchy tune: This Twitter user too time to tweet one of Sister Lively's lyrics Growing fan base: Skye Grant said that the world needs more women like the Christian rapper Grateful: Barrett Tomek thanks Keith for giving the heads up about the album, which he said is 'straight fire' Meanwhile, Keith returned to Twitter on Wednesday to urge his followers to check out Lyrical Lively on Apple Music, which many appreciated. 'The world needs more of the women,' Skye Grant wrote, while Barrett Tomek added: 'Not even lying this is straight fire. Check it out thanks to @Keith_The_God for the heads up.' And a woman named Linda simply tweeted out one of Sister Lively's lyrics, writing: 'We are the branches without the vine'. Sister Lively's music has even attracted the attention of Questlove, who shared a video of his band The Roots listening to her song I'm Wise on YouTube. Damn You @JamesPoyser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WhyWhyWhy must you enter this into our lives especially after friggin no sleep and being up like 22 hours!!!! Why are you trine make this a thing like "fetchin"!?!? #UhHuh #LyricalLively #ImWise #NeedCrashCutsDuetNOW! A video posted by Questlove Gomez (@questlove) on Jul 27, 2016 at 11:04am PDT Famous fans: Questlove shared an Instagram video of his band The Roots listening to her song I'm Wise on YouTube Feeling blessed: Sister Lively called Keith an 'angel' after he texted her to say that she has gone viral Not having it: Keith initially wanted to help grow her musical career, but after having a sit down with on Thursday, he learned that 'she's not interested in the fame' Looking at the big picture: 'She just want's y'all to fine Jesus,' he explained in his tweet Keith later revealed on Twitter that he texted Sister Lively to tell her that she went viral, noting that 'she's so excited'. 'Thank you so much. I always pray send me an escort of angels to send your to the hurting lost lonely people,' she texted him, 'You Mr. Keith are the angel. God bless you!' Keith initially wanted to help grow her musical career, but after having a sit down with on Thursday, he learned that 'she's not interested in the fame'. Excited: And while Sister Lively wasn't looking for fame, Keith was able score plenty of copies of her album Not talking: Sister Lively has gotten so popular that Keith took to Twitter on Thursday to say that she isn't interested in any interviews Making a point: Keith joked that Sister Lively is 'not about to miss church for nothing' 'She just wants y'all to find Jesus,' he tweeted. However, he did score plenty of copies of her album, sharing a photo of the CDs sitting in the front seat of his car, writing: 'Look what I got.' But people can't seem to get enough of Sister Lively, and on Friday afternoon, Keith had to return to Twitter that say that 'Lyrical Lively is not interested in doing any interviews right now'. From being a sometimes vegetable that occasionally appeared in salads, avocado has become a worldwide phenomenon. One of the most Instagrammed foods on the planet - thanks largely to cafe favourite smashed avocado on toast - it has reached insane heights in popularity over recent years. But has our avocado addiction gone a step too far? Colette Dike, from the Netherlands, is the founder of food blog Fooddeco and has now used the hit vegetable to create, of all things - green cheeseburger buns. Green dream: Colette Dike, a food blogger from the Netherlands, created this cheeseburger with avocado buns. The 30-year-old said she often makes unique food creations that come to mind Showcased on Ms Dike's 'Fooddeco' Instagram account, she said the inspiration for her unique creation had simply sprung to mind. 'I just create something in my mind and recreate it in the kitchen next,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'I do get inspired by everyday things and like to come up with a 'fresh take' on classics, such as sushi waffles, sweet potato toast and in this case avocado burger buns.' The first thing that strikes you when you look at it the burger is the colour - there's simply green everywhere. If the bright emerald avocado bun wasn't enough there's also an abundance of green provided by lettuce and pickles. But somewhere in among all the greenery sits a delicious beef burger, onion, tomato and her very own secret sauce. The 30-year-old food lover began her blog in 2013 and has amassed more than 64,000 Instagram followers since, with many of them eager to see what incredible creation she will next come up with. 'This ended up in so much more (than I initially expected) and I'm now working for really cool clients all over the world,' Ms Dike said. No limits: Not only has Ms Dike used the bun for cheeseburgers, she also made it recently as part of a chickpea burger (pictured) topped with vegan mayonnaise and roasted baby corn World domination: Avocado has become one of the world's most popular vegetables in recent years, with demand for meals such as smashed avocado on toast outweighing the rate at which they can be supplied 'I still post what I eat on a daily basis but also a little bit more, for inspiration purposes.' 'I'm very happy I can do what I love most and work with food styling, photographing, recipe development and blogging.' Following on from all her online success the cook said she hopes to one day have her own television show and knows that with an ever growing fan base, her options are limitless. Instagram famous: Avocados were one of the most Instagrammed foods in the world in 2015 'The possibilities are endless and it's an easy way to make a 'healthier', low carb, more decorative, yummy and fun 'burger bun' at home,' she said. 'Maybe I'll do more books and maybe a cooking show, but I would also like to achieve home cooked dinners who will look a little bit more appealing with less effort. Melbourne may be Australia's food capital, but one Sydney restaurant has proven to be among the world's best. The Apollo in Potts Point, Sydney, has been ranked at number seven by lifestyle website Monocle. Receiving praise for its old-school style Greek food, particularly their roasted lamb with lemon and Greek yoghurt. But while the food was praised it all has to start somewhere and for restaurant owner and leading chef Jonathan Barthelmess, the plaudits were humbling. Scroll down for video World beater! Sydney restaurant The Apollo has been awarded the seventh best restaurant in the world by Monocle for its traditional Greek food including lamb and Saganaki (pictured) Success! Opened by leading chef Jonathan Barthelmess (pictured) in 2011, it has quickly become a celebrity hotspot 'I started off cooking just after school and then got into working on the Gold Coast, but then I moved to Sydney because I wanted to take cooking seriously,' Mr Barthelmess told Daily Mail Australia. 'I was made head chef at Coast at 22 and worked there for six years as head chef and started winning awards. MONOCLE AWARD TOP 10: 1. Cignale Enoteca, Tokyo 2. The River Cafe, London 3. Beard, Tokyo 4. Dinings, London 5. Pa & Co, Stockholm 6. Veranda at Bad Schorgau, South Tyrol 7. The Apollo, Sydney 8. Zum Schwarzen Kameel, Vienna 9. Tawlet, Beirut 10. Kronenhalle, Zurich Advertisement 'Then got approached to go and work at Manly pavilion as head chef and then I decided I wanted to do my own thing.' Opening The Apollo in 2011, the now 37-year-old has developed his restaurant into one of the best in an ever-changing food scene. But for Mr Barthelmess, while winning awards and being a celebrity hot spot is great, the key remains satisfying the tastebuds of customers. 'You dont really think about awards and things, but the most satisfying thing is definitely when youve got heaps of customers and you're in demand,' he said. 'Awards are great and being mentioned in the Monocle is such a good thing for the staff and the team and is inspiring for us all, but as long as the customers are having a good time that gives us energy.' Tough competition: Landing at number seven on the list The Apollo (pictured) was beaten to top spot Cignale Enoteca, Tokyo Expanding: Mr Barthelmess has recently opened a franchise of The Apollo in Tokyo and also owns Sydney restaurant Cho Cho San Not content with dominating the Australian restaurant landscape, Mr Barthelmess just returned from Tokyo where three months ago he opened a second The Apollo restaurant. With his new Japanese franchise and other Sydney restaurant Cho Cho San, Mr Barthelmess is kept on his toes, but as he sees it that's the key to success. 'It was a big challenge for us to go to Japan, but we wanted to take on something like that,' he said. A cream which causes bacteria to slide off the skin could mark a turning point in the fight against superbugs, scientists believe. The lotion prevents infection without directly killing bacteria and promoting antibiotic resistance. The pioneering treatment has been tested on laboratory-grown 'model' skin and could be ready for clinical trials in as little as three years. Scientists said it is a 'breakthrough' that could help hospitals deal with the burden of infection from bedsores and ulcers. A cream which causes bacteria to slide off the skin could mark a turning point in the fight against superbugs, according to scientists from Sheffield University. Pictured is a petri dish with MRSA growths Bacteria invading a wound or bed sore attach themselves to the skin by hijacking sticky patches on human cells. The Sheffield scientists found that proteins called tetraspanins made the patches much less sticky, allowing the bugs to be harmlessly washed away. Tests of the proteins on the model skin have shown that the therapy is safe and effective, the researchers said. Next, they hope to produce a cream or gel that can be applied directly to the skin, or more efficient dressings. Dr Pete Monk, from Sheffield University, said: 'This development is a huge breakthrough in the fight against antibiotic-resistance. 'Skin infections, such as bed-sores and ulcers, can be incredibly troubling for patients who may already be dealing with debilitating conditions. They are also a significant problem for modern healthcare. 'We hope that this new therapy can be used to help relieve the burden of skin infections on both patients and health services while also providing a new insight into how we might defeat the threat of antimicrobial drug resistance. The lotion prevents infection without directly killing bacteria and promoting antibiotic resistance. Scientists say it is a breakthrough as it could help patients in hospitals with bed sores or ulcers (file photo) 'The therapy could be administered to patients using a gel or cream and could work well as a dressing. We're hoping it can reach clinical trials stage in the next three to five years.' The 3D skin model, also developed at the University of Sheffield, mimics the tissue structure of normal adult skin and can be used to simulate infected wounds. The scientists hope to develop new anti-bacterial dressings derived from tetraspanin proteins that will make it easier to keep wounds sterile and promote more rapid healing. Being shy with other children is more concerning than around adults Most parents will remember their little-ones clinging to their leg or being reluctant to speak to someone new. But when does this stop being a natural part of growing up and become something to worry about? Typical examples of being shy in social situations include being clingy, reluctant to interact with others and playing alone more often than other children their age. Here, Heidi Gazelle, a senior lecturer in Developmental Psychology from the University of Melbourne, explains how shyness is of more concern if it is persistent rather than temporary. Writing forThe Conversation, she explains when parents should be worried. In social situations, shy children may to their parent, be hesitant to speak, reluctant to interact with others, and play alone when in groups more often than other children their age Some children are 'slow to warm up' or engage with others, but do engage well after initial hesitancy. Also, some children grow out of shyness during primary school. However, others demonstrate persistent shyness over time. Shyness with other children is of more concern than shyness with adults. It is common for children to be wary of adults, particularly men, but less common for children to be wary of children around their own age. Shyness is of concern if it results in playing alone when in groups of children. When children engage in interaction with peers they learn skills that serve as a foundation for normal development, such as how to understand other people's feelings and perspectives. They also learn to take turns in play and conversation, negotiate a mutually enjoyable joint activity, reciprocate friendly overtures and express their point of view in a way that is acceptable to others. Children who engage in very little social interaction in comparison to children their age are missing out on these important, cumulative learning experiences. As a result, their social cognition, social skills and sense of self may be less mature than those of other children their age. SHYNESS AND MAKING FRIENDS Shy children are more likely than other children to be excluded and victimised by kids their own age and to have trouble making friends Shyness with familiar social partners is of more concern than shyness with strangers. It is of particular concern if children are shy with other children their own age they see regularly, such as childcare or school classmates. Shyness with familiar classmates suggests children may be worried about how other kids treat them, or whether they will be liked and accepted. It is of more concern if a child is poorly treated by other children than if a shy child is well treated by other children. Shy children are more likely than other children to be excluded and victimised by kids their own age and to have trouble making friends. Being excluded and victimised are damaging to children's emotional health and sense of self, especially when these conditions persist over time. Although shyness tends to be equally prevalent in boys and girls, shy boys sometimes encounter more difficulties with friends than shy girls. This is probably because shyness is a violation of norms for males to be bold and self-assertive. However, it is important to keep in mind both shy boys and girls can encounter peer exclusion and victimisation. WHAT YOU CAN DO Shyness is of concern if it interferes with your child's or family's routines or activities, or if your child often appears miserable or complains of being lonely Children need help from adults to stop exclusion and victimisation by other children. When parents become aware their child is being excluded or victimised by other children at childcare or school, they should contact the childcare centre or school to advocate on their child's behalf. Shyness is of concern if it interferes with your child's or family's routines or activities, or if your child often appears miserable or complains of being lonely. For instance, if shyness prevents your child from attending other children's birthday parties or school, or prevents your family from visiting friends, then you should consider seeking help from a child psychologist. Online programs to help children and parents cope with child shyness and anxiety are starting to become available and provide convenient help for a lower cost. Parents can also do many things themselves to help their shy child. They can arrange play dates and help the child join a group extracurricular activity. Parents can also talk to children about their friendships and act as a sympathetic source of encouragement and constructive ideas. A woman who is celebrating her 75th birthday this weekend is believed to be the oldest woman in the world with Down syndrome. Frances Gillett - who has also battled breast cancer and tuberculosis - will have defied all the odds when she reaches the milestone on Sunday. When she was born in 1941, the average life expectancy for someone with the condition was mid-20s. Frances Gillett, who has battled breast cancer and tuberculosis, has defied all odds to reach 75. She celebrated her birthday with a party for her family and friends at her residential home in Ely, Cambridgeshire But despite having other health setbacks, Ms Gillett has already celebrated her special birthday with a party with family and friends at the residential home where she lives in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Ms Gillett lived with her parents in nearby Soham until 20 years ago when she moved into the residential home. Twelve years ago she stunned doctors by beating breast cancer and has now made a full recovery. She also had tuberculosis around 10 years ago, but fought that off six month battle. 'Frances is really and truly amazing and over the years she has become more than a resident, she is like family,' said Wayne Bent, part owner of her care home, Holly Cottage, where she lives. 'Years ago there was zero expectancy for someone with Down syndrome to live such a long life, so for her to celebrate her 75th birthday is wonderful. Ms Gillett, pictured gardening in her 30s, stunned doctors by beating breast cancer 12 years ago while she also defeated tuberculosis around 10 years ago Family and friends describe Ms Gillett as 'truly amazing' for surviving breast cancer and reaching 75 She cuts her cake to mark the milestone which is thought to make her the oldest surviving woman with Down Syndrome 'She used to love needlework, although her eyes are not so good now, and she loves music.' The life expectancy for someone with Down syndrome has increased hugely in recent years. It is believed Ms Gillett has taken the crown from Dollie Grissom, 74, from Oklahoma, who was previously believed to be the oldest woman alive with the condition. The worlds oldest man with Down syndrome was Bert Holbrook, from Minnesota in America, who was 83 when he died in 2012. Joe Sanderson, from Cleveland, Lancashire, is thought to have become the oldest living man with Down in March when he celebrated his 80th birthday. Around 775 babies in England and Wales are born with Down Syndrome each year. A spokesman for the Down Syndrome Association said: 'Thanks to medical advances and the care and love of those around them, the average life expectancy for people with Down syndrome is between 50 and 60 years, with a small number of people living into their seventies and beyond. 'Everyone at the Down Syndrome Association wishes Frances a very happy birthday.' them as they share vital organs Doctors say it will be harder to brains but share the same heart These moving pictures show conjoined twins sharing a kiss moments after they were born fused together. Delivered in Mumbai, India, last week, the boys have seperate brains and spinal cords but share all the other vital organs - including the heart, kidneys and liver. Doctors at Sion Hospital have warned the twins are unlikely to survive surgery because of how they are joined. Despite currently having no breathing difficulties, a CT and MRI scan revealed only one of the newborns has lungs. Born in Mumbai, India, last week, the boys have separate brains and spinal cords but share all other vital organs - including the heart, kidneys and liver While experts at the hospital have delivered several conjoined twins in the past, these are unusual as they share one heart and neck - making it harder to separate them. Dean of the hospital, Dr Suleiman Merchant, said: 'These conjoined twins have a very complex internal architecture. 'While they have two separate heads and necks, they are joint from the thorax, that is the part between the neck and the abdomen, and so are completely fused below the umbilicus level. 'Overall, rarely 5-25 per cent of these babies survive. This type of case rarely survives surgery, and without surgery no baby survives. Shahin Khan gave birth to the twins - who have two legs and three hands and weighed 9.9lbs - by Caesarean section two months early. An ultrasound revealed the 26-year-old was carrying conjoined twins, leaving doctors shocked. Dr Merchant added: 'We realised she was carrying conjoined twins right away and asked her to stay in the hospital. 'She went home only briefly. She returned a week back and we carried out a planned Caesarean section.' Dean of the hospital, Dr Suleiman Merchant, said twins joint together like this will rarely survive surgery - but he said not having surgery would cause a certain death But the mother-of-two has been left devastated by their birth and is worried her family will react badly when they hear the news. Dr Paras Kothari, head of paediatric surgery at the Sion Hospital, said: 'As they share one heart, it isn't going to be an easy decision to make for the parents. 'But without a surgery none of them would survive. A hospital ethics committee will first discuss the surgery and its possible outcome before counselling the parents.' The next course of action will be decided after all investigations are complete, and the hospital will provide all the facilities completely free of cost. Conjoined twins are a rare case and occur around once in every two hundred thousand births. A pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage which may be linked to the Zika virus, scientists claim. Zika virus is known to cause microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with underdeveloped heads and brains. Ever since a Zika virus outbreak in Brazil was linked to severe birth defects late last year, health experts have been trying to understand when developing foetuses are most vulnerable. Until now, the link to miscarriage has not been clear. A pregnant woman may have suffered a miscarriage after catching the Zika virus, scientists claim (file photo) But Dutch scientists have described the case of a woman who lost her baby at 11 weeks after catching Zika on a trip to Suriname, a South American country which borders Brazil. The 31-year-old woman who was 10 weeks pregnant when she visited an outpatient clinic in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. For two days, she had been suffering from a headache, pain in her wrists and knee and an itchy rash, according to doctors describing her case in the New England Journal of Medicine. The symptoms had begun the day after she had returned from a three-and-a-half week trip to Suriname. During the holiday, she had not used malaria tablets or insect repellents. She recovered after six days, but around two weeks later she went for a routine prenatal screening and medics couldnt find a heartbeat. MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION PREGNANT WOMEN 'COULD GET ZIKA BEFORE EPIDEMIC BURNS OUT' More than 1.6 million pregnant women could catch Zika in Latin America before the epidemic burns out. That is a modest estimate of the global reach of the virus reseachers said. Recent studies have predicted that Zika's aggressive spread will diminish within three years as human immune systems adapt to the infection. But the study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, shows there could be another 90 million infections - at least - before the current epidemic fades. In Latin America alone, that means at least 1.6 million women of child-bearing age are vulnerable to catching the infection. And Rio de Janeiro is one of the highest-risk cities in the continent, it revealed. Advertisement A week later she underwent a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure to remove tissue from inside of her womb. An array of tests revealed the Zika virus was present in her amniotic fluid, placental tissue, urine and blood. They also found traces of Zika in foetal stem cells. Dr Annemiek van der Eijk, of Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands said: Our observation indicates that the Zika virus replicates in cells involved in early-stage embryo development. The study cannot prove that contracting Zika caused the womans miscarriage, it can only show a link. However, as the virus was found in the patient after 21 days, the window for testing a pregnant woman for the virus may need to be expanded, the researchers said. A recent study sought to discover at which stage of their pregnancy women who catch Zika are most at risk of giving birth to a baby with microcephaly. It found those infected late in their pregnancies had babies with no apparent birth defects. The greatest risk to infants comes from infection early in pregnancy, the research seemed to confirm. It found troubling cases of severe birth defects in babies born to women who never realised they had contracted Zika - and had no symptoms. The 31-year-old woman caught Zika after a trip to Suriname, which borders Brazil - where Zika is rife. The virus was found in her blood, urine, amniotic fluid and in foetal cells (file photo) The Zika virus is spread mainly through the bite of a tropical mosquito, the Aedes Aegypti - but can also be spread sexually as the virus can live for months in semen. And studies showing Zika can also survive in saliva raised concerns the virus could be passed through kissing or sharing cutlery or toothbrushes with people who are infected. Most people with the virus never develop symptoms. Others get a fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes, and recover within a week. There is no vaccine so in outbreak areas, the main defense is to avoid mosquito bites. Brazil, which has suffered the largest outbreak of Zika, has had more than 500 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, a severe birth defect in which a baby's skull is much smaller than expected because the brain hasn't developed properly. More than 50 people in the UK have been diagnosed with Zika virus this year, health officials confirmed today. Public Health England released a statement following reports of three people in West Yorkshire being treated for the virus after returning from overseas. Professor Paul Cosford, Medical Director at Public Health England, said: 'As of 27 July 2016, over 50 cases have been diagnosed in UK travellers since January 2016. The risk to the general public is low - and all the patients had caught the virus abroad, he said. He said: 'We expect to see small numbers of Zika virus infections in travellers returning to the UK, but the risk to the wider population is very low as the mosquito that spreads the Zika virus is not found in the UK. Three people in West Yorkshire have been treated for Zika after testing positive for the virus (file image) 'Public Health England is monitoring the international situation closely and the risk to the UK remains unchanged. 'If you have recently returned from an area where Zika virus transmissions are currently reported and have a fever or flu-like illness, seek medical attention without delay to exclude malaria and mention your recent travel.' The three patients from West Yorkshire were treated at hospitals in Huddersfield and Calderdale, it emerged at an NHS trust board meeting yesterday. An infection control report presented to the board said: 'Three patients have tested positive for Zika virus following return from foreign travel.' Zika virus is known to cause microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with underdeveloped heads and brains. It has been declared a 'global public health emergency' by the World Health Organisation and has spread rapidly in South America. The Zika virus is spread mainly through the bite of a tropical mosquito, the Aedes Aegypti - but can also be spread sexually as the virus can live for months in semen. The Zika virus is spread mainly through the bite of a tropical mosquito, the Aedes Aegypti (pictured) - but can also be spread sexually as the virus can live for months in semen And studies showing Zika can also survive in saliva raised concerns the virus could be passed through kissing or sharing cutlery or toothbrushes with people who are infected. Most people with the virus never develop symptoms. Others get a fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes, and recover within a week. But pregnant women are advised to delay travelling to affected countries overseas after evidence was found linking Zika to birth defects. Dr Gavin Boyd, infection control lead at Calderdale and Huddersfield hospitals, said: 'There is no specific treatment for Zika and it usually wears off naturally after two to seven days. 'After a diagnosis patients are cared for by their GPs if needed. Zika has reached America, Florida governor Rick Scott has confirmed. All four of the mysterious Zika cases diagnosed this month almost certainly came from local mosquitoes, Governor Scott announced on Friday. His words confirm fears that the virus which is plaguing Latin America is now in the continental United States. So far three men and one woman have been infected all within a one-mile radius in northern Miami. While no mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus, health officials can find no other explanation for the infections. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO AVOID ZIKA? If you are pregnant - particularly if you are living in Miami - see your OB/GYN for advice. At home, wear insect repellent. Also ensure there are no cups, buckets, gutters, or containers of any kind that have gathered standing water. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes - which most commonly carry the virus - breed in water. Eliminating standing water is crucial to stopping the spread. Advertisement As far as scientists currently know, the only way to spread the virus is through sex or a mosquito bite. To date, all of the 1,400 patients being treated for Zika in the United States contracted the virus abroad, except for 14 who got it through sex. But none of the four patients under investigation had traveled to a Zika-infected region, nor had they had sex with a Zika-infected patient. As a result, Governor Scott said, it is almost certain that local mosquitoes have picked up the virus, possibly by biting someone who contracted the infection abroad before coming home. The fact that no mosquitoes have tested positive is unsurprising. Authorities have been spraying the area to kill the mosquitoes before collecting them for tests. Speaking at the Orange County Health Department on Friday, Scott urged all residents within or near the area to get tested. He said he 'will not hesitate' to pour tens of millions of state funds into fighting the virus, which has already absorbed $26.2 million a Florida's coffers. Comparing it to a hurricane, Scott vowed to take an 'aggressive' approach to tackle the outbreak. 'Since our first travel-related case in February, Florida has taken an aggressive approach and committed state and local resources to combat this virus,' he said at a press conference. 'Just like with a hurricane, we have worked hard to stay ahead of the spread of Zika and prepare for the worst, even as we hope for the best.' His words come a day after the FDA suspended all blood donations in Florida to stop the spread. The freeze will remain in place until each individual unit of blood collected in the two counties can be tested for Zika. Meanwhile, blood-taking establishments have been ordered to implement an approved pathogen inactivation technology, to monitor for viruses themselves. So far three men and one woman have been infected all within a one-mile radius in northern Miami (pictured) Zika is a concern for pregnant women as they face a risk of giving birth to a child with a malformed skull and brain. Officials have urged expectant mothers to avoid travelling to infected areas ARE YOU IN THE ZIKA ZONE? MAPS SHOW CITIES AT RISK OF OUTBREAK CITIES AT RISK The first map shows which cities are most likely to get Zika locally. It is based on data from the Public Library of Science (PLOS). Sat on the southern coast, Miami has the perfect climate for the Aedes mosquito, which has spread Zika across Central and South America. Tampa's chance of a Zika outbreak is 9.1 out of 10; Orlando's is 9.4 out of 10. No other cities are above 9. New York City's risk is 8.5 out of 10, according to the data. Houston, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Charleston all have a risk higher than 8 out of 10. Cities at the Highest Risk for a Zika Epidemic | HealthGrove HOW FAR ZIKA MOSQUITOES COULD GO The second map shows the reach of the two mosquitoes that typically carry Zika. The Aedes aegypti - which spreads other tropical diseases like dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever - is most commonly associated with Zika. It thrives in warm climates. Its cousin, the Aedes albopictus has also been linked to Zika. Worryingly for Americans in northern states, this species can survive in cooler temperatures. Consequently, the albopictus has a much further reach than the aegypti. Based on data from the CDC, the albopictus - unlike the aegypti - has the potential to touch the upper and outer reaches of the Midwest (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado), all of the Northeast (Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine), and Hawaii. The only state the aegypti can reach which the albopictus cannot is Utah. However, there are 10 states with neither of the two species could reach: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Alaska. Though five of these states have reported case of Zika infections, it would be highly unlikely that Zika-carrying mosquitoes could thrive there. Any spread would be minimal. Estimated Range of Mosquitos Linked to Zika | HealthGrove Advertisement The FDA also said anyone who has traveled to Miami-Dade or Broward county in the past four weeks should be temporarily barred from donating blood. 'As a prudent measure to help assure the safety of blood and blood products, FDA is requesting that all blood establishments in Miami-Dade County and Broward County cease collecting blood immediately,' the FDA said in a statement on Thursday. 'Additionally, FDA recommends that adjacent and nearby counties implement the precautions above to help maintain the safety of the blood supply as soon as possible,' said the federal agency. Florida has already seen 381 cases of Zika, all involving people who were infected while traveling to parts of the world where the virus is circulating. If a pregnant woman is infected with Zika, it raises the risk of her bearing an infant with microcephaly, a permanent defect which results in children being born with unusually small heads. The CDC is now warning all pregnant women to get tested. In newly fine-tuned guidelines, center has urged doctors to at least ask pregnant women if they or their sex partner were in an outbreak area, and suggested expanded use of a sophisticated blood test. A four-year-old boy resembles an 80-year-old pensioner due to an incredibly rare condition. Bayezid Hossain, from outside Magura, southern Bangladesh, suffers a swollen face, hollow eyes, sagging skin, aching joints, difficulties passing urine and already has weak and broken teeth. People in the community stay away from him and children are afraid to play with him, despite him having above average intelligence. Bayezid is believed to suffer from progeria, which ages the body at eight times the normal rate. The disorder is said to have inspired the F Scott Fitzgerald novel and Brad Pitt movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, in which the character is born an old man and ages backwards. Bayezid Hossain, from southern Bangladesh is only four years old but resembles an old man due to a rare ageing disease Bayezid is believed to suffer from progeria, which ages the body at eight times the normal rate, as well as a condition which causes his skin to hang loosely (left). He is pictured with his mother Tripti, 18 (right) Progeria patients normally die from heart attacks or strokes at an average age of 13. Bayezid also has a form of cutis laxa, a rare connective tissue disorder in which the skin hangs loosely in folds. His 18-year-old mother, Tripti Khatun, says she is amazed at how clever her son is, but it breaks her heart that his appearance is so unusual. She said: Bayezid only learned to walk aged three but he had a full set of teeth at three months old. 'His physical growth is completely abnormal but mentally, he has wonderful conversation, very aware and is very intuitive for his age. 'He does not look like other children. He looks like an old man. As a first time mother I cant bear the pain of seeing my child like this. When Bayezid was born at a government maternity hospital, in 2012, Tripti and her husband Lovelu Hossain, 22, were devastated as doctors had no idea how to treat him. Tripti said: I was terrified to see him when he was born. He was just flesh and bones. He looked like an alien and it was heartbreaking for me. 'Doctors had no idea what to do, they said they had never seen such a baby. They warned us that there was nothing they could do. He is more intelligent than the average, but other children are afraid to be around Bayezid and he doesn't go to school After they returned home the news of their abnormal child quickly spread around the village and neighbours lined up outside the family's home to see him. But Tripti and her husband said they received no support from the local community. People feared being close to Bayezid and often gossiped about the couples capabilities as parents, as Tripti and Lovelu are first cousins. In rural parts of Bangladesh and southern Asia it is normal practice for cousins to marry, and the pair tied the knot at 13 years old. The couple now live with Lovelus parents, grandfather Hashem Shikdar, 50, and grandmother Ayesha Begum, 40. As Bayezid grew older both his personality and body developed much faster than other children in his village. Tripti added: Hes very stubborn and knows what he wants, and he gets very impatient. But hes playful, his mind is very sharp, and hes full of conversation. As time has passed his neighbours have slowly gotten used to his presence and have now fondly tagged him the old man. Bayezid doesnt go to school but he loves to play with his ball, drawing on paper, and even breaking his toys so he can fix them back up again. Lovelu works as a labourer and earns Rs 5,000 (50) a month. He said he has already spent approximately Rs 4 Lakh (4,000) since Bayezid was born on seeing different doctors and healers but none have been able to treat the condition. He added: Weve been to hospitals, shrines, fakirs, shamans whoever suggested whatever. 'Yet his situation remains the same and hes probably getting even worse day by day. My son isnt a normal baby and its tragic for any parent to know that his child will not survive for long. His mother Tripti is heartbroken at her son's unusual appearance. She said: 'He does not look like other children. He looks like an old man. As a first time mother I cant bear the pain of seeing my child like this' Debashis Bishwas, a consultant from Magura Central Hospital told the family he doesn't think Bayezid will survive for longer than 15 years But I am proud of him. He is extremely intelligent compared to other children of his age. His relationship with his cousins is very friendly and funny. 'He understands his condition but he doesnt like to talk about it. He just cries when he feels awkward. Debashis Bishwas, a consultant from Magura Central Hospital, in Magura, met with Bayezid last month and told his parents he believes he is suffering from progeria and cutis laxa. He said he fears he may only live for 15 years. Dr Bishwas said: His signs suggest he is suffering from a very difficult disease. 'The skin of a Progeria patient start getting loosened like an elderly person months after birth. 'We can only advise the family to get specialized care in a hospital like Dhaka Medical College Hospital or Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka, as theres no treatment here. 'He understands his condition but he doesnt like to talk about it. He just cries when he feels awkward,' Tripti said about her son Lovelu understands there may not be a cure for his sons condition but he fears Bayezid is not getting the best possible chance of survival because the family are poor. He said: His mother is in uncontrollable tears all the time. It has been four years now and nothing has changed. It is so painful to see that our first child suffers a disease we cannot even treat. 'Wed like more children but were too scared. We feel very helpless. SPECTACLES by Sue Perkins SPECTACLES by Sue Perkins (Penguin 7.99) I cannot go anywhere in the world without someone shouting: BAAAKE! laments Sue Perkins. Ah, the trials of celebrity! But as her funny, touching and ferociously readable memoir shows, there is more to Perkins than soggy bottoms and caramelised nuts. This is a woman who uses the expression ontological badinage with the supreme confidence only a Cambridge English degree can bestow. Not that the route to fame and fortune was all glamour, what with her childhood in Croydon (twinned with Mordor) and the gig in Stockton-on-Tees where she turned up with comedy partner Mel Giedroyc to discover they were playing a battered womens support group. TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD by Eowyn Ivey TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD by Eowyn Ivey (Tinder Press 16.99) Set once again in the authors native Alaska, this follow-up to the bestselling, Pulitzer prize-nominated The Snow Child is another absorbing historical yarn. In 1885, Lieutenant Colonel Allen Forrester is about to lead a small expedition up the perilous Wolverine River. His aim is to map the interior of the state, a wilderness where the line between living and dead is supposedly blurred and the Indians are suspected cannibals. Meanwhile, back in the relative comfort of their army quarters, Forresters young wife Sophie awaits their first child. But as winter approaches, both find themselves facing challenges that, while very different, are equally severe. Iveys novel is composed of various texts and voices, braided like the channels of the river itself. The diaries of the Forresters are framed by present-day correspondence between the explorers great-nephew and a young Alaskan museum curator, and this device allows Ivey to trail weightier debates around the treatment of Americas First People. The consolations of art and the thin line between man and beast - both enchanting possibility and, in extremis, terrifying fact - are also central themes, all making for a superior page-turner. THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH by Emma Chapman THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH by Emma Chapman (Picador 12.99) When veteran photographer Rook finds his wife Junes lifeless body in a chair, his first reaction is to frame a shot. It was June who kick-started his meteoric career, which saw him swap a small English mining town for Sixties Vietnam, where he made his name documenting the war. Now its to his beloved Ho Chi Minh City that the widowed Rook returns, enjoying his newfound freedom. But hot on his heels (slightly improbably) is his estranged son, searching for answers. Emma Chapmans debut, How To Be A Good Wife, earned widespread praise, but this is a rather more patchy affair. The romantic figure of the whisky-slugging snapper is a familiar one, and in spite, or perhaps because, of Chapmans research, Rooks experiences in wartime Vietnam feel second-hand, while unfinished business is tidied away a little too easily. More interesting is the story thats pushed to the margins (a consequence of the narratives ambitious backwards direction of travel): the misfit Rooks tragedy-haunted early life, and his tension-filled marriage to the hard-edged, glamorous June. This is where you wish the camera had lingered. YOU WILL KNOW ME by Megan Abbott YOU WILL KNOW ME by Megan Abbott (Picador 14.99) In publishing, as in life, timing is often all, and this grip-lit take on competitive sport clearly has its sights set on Olympic gold. At its centre is 15-year-old Devon Knox, a future gymnastics superstar but one whose career almost never began: in childhood, a gory accident claimed two of her toes, leaving her foot deformed and numb. Its a metaphor that serves Abbott well as she probes the dark underbelly of the BelStars gym, where Devon and her stony-faced peers mask their pain as grimly ambitious parents look on. More sympathetic are Devons own parents, Katie and Eric, although no less dedicated. But when a dreamboat local construction worker is killed in a hit-and-run and a tangled web is revealed, Katie is forced to recognise her extraordinary offspring is a mystery even to her. With its febrile blend of ruthless tiger mums, satin leotards and terrifyingly intense pubescent desire, this could have been first-rate schlock. But the bestselling Abbott is a past master of the psycho thriller, turning a cool and knowing gaze on the more preposterous details. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE by Jonathan Ames YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE by Jonathan Ames (Pushkin Vertigo 4.99) A striking and powerful noir debut that can be consumed in a single sitting, this novella lives on in the imagination long after the final page is turned. Joe, a former Marine and FBI agent, has seen so much ugliness that, after contemplating suicide, he has retired to seclusion in his mothers house. And yet he cannot quite rid himself of the desire to right injustice when he finds it, so accepts a request to rescue the daughter of a notable New York politician who is being held hostage in a Manhattan brothel. Inevitably, the corruption that bubbles under the surface of so much of American politics comes to the surface as the hero wreaks havoc on men who wish him ill with a relentless efficiency that would give even Jack Reacher pause. His weapons of choice are his bare hands and a hammer. The creator of two successful U.S. TV series and a comic novelist of note, Ames reveals himself here as a stylish thriller writer, who is already planning a sequel to this which is itself to become a movie. Both will be well worth waiting for. THE BEAUTY OF THE END by Debbie Howells THE BEAUTY OF THE END by Debbie Howells (Pan 7.99) Sadly, this second thriller from the writer of last years impressive The Bones Of You does not quite live up to its predecessor. It is good, but not quite as good, though still satisfyingly taut and twisty, with a smart premise and an intriguing protagonist in April Moon, a young woman on life support in hospital, who also happens to be the prime suspect in a murder enquiry. The man who loved her when they were young is Noah, a former lawyer attempting to get his life back together when he learns about Aprils plight. At the same moment, a young woman called Ella sets out to find out what lies behind the murder. These two stories coalesce and, as they unfold, a string of revelations emerges, reminding the reader that the most dramatic events can often take place against the most commonplace domestic background. With this second novel out of the way, I hope Howells will write a brilliant third to confirm her exceptional promise. BLOOD WEDDING by Pierre Lemaitre BLOOD WEDDING by Pierre Lemaitre (MacLehose Press 12.99) A scorching, serpentine novel from the French author of the brilliant Brigade Criminelle thriller trilogy that started with Irene. This standalone story is every bit as compelling, and features an extraordinarily resourceful heroine, Sophie Duguet, who appears to kill people without realising she is doing it. She also gets away with it, reinventing herself relentlessly as she evades the police across France, staying in the shadows until she finally purchases a whole new identity. As that drama unfurls, another begins, for Sophie is being stalked - or is it tracked? - by the mysterious Frantz, who seems to know everything about her and her crimes. Lemaitres skill with suspense shines from every page, supported at every turn by an elegantly constructed plot complete with elements of noir that would make even James Ellroy proud. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Soddy Daisy, Sale Creek and north Hamilton County communities. Parkridge Health recently received approval from the state of Tennessee to build a freestanding emergency room in Soddy Daisy that will serve the northwest area of Hamilton County. This approval would not have been possible without the support of the citizens, businesses ... (click for more) Amendment 1 is an important legislative item for us Tennesseans. Vote yes on keeping Tennessee a Right to Work state, where we get to decide if we want to keep our right to work anywhere we want, without being forced to join a union. Opponents of the amendment will tell you, Right to Work only guarantees the right of an employer to fire you. What they wont tell you is some ... (click for more) THE MAVERICK MOUNTAINEER by Robert Wainwright THE MAVERICK MOUNTAINEER by Robert Wainwright (Allen & Unwin 9.99) In 1901, aged 13, George Finch decided he was going to be a mountaineer. When his family left their home in Australia for a year-long tour of Europe, George and his younger brother, Max, embarked with enthusiasm on a climbing career. This included Beachy Head in East Sussex, the spires of Notre Dame in Paris and the more conventional peaks of the Swiss Alps. While his personal life was disastrous - he had two sons by two early marriages, the elder of whom was actor Peter Finch - and he was unpopular with the stuffy Establishment figures at the Royal Geographical Society, Finch was selected to join the 1922 Everest expedition alongside George Mallory, who would perish on a subsequent attempt. Romantic novelist Edith, the protagonist of Anita Brookner's Hotel Du Lac, has a broken heart HOTEL DU LAC by Anita Brookner HOTEL DU LAC by Anita Brookner (Penguin 8.99) Edith, romantic novelist and astute on-looker at life, has a broken heart. Shes escaping after embarrassing herself in a no-future affair with a married man. At a splendid Swiss lakeside hotel she sits, forlorn and unsociable, quietly absorbing details of her fellow guests. She writes agonising letters to her lover and takes solitary walks along the shore. And she is befriended by a slightly rakish Mr Neville, a man of judiciously selected words. For the intrigued Edith, the sensation of being entertained by words was one she encountered too rarely. Charming, seductive, rich - Mr Neville offers mousey Edith the chance to escape from her loneliness. She anguishes over conflicting possibilities and the surprise ending is sheer genius. AUGUST IS A WICKED MONTH by Edna OBrien AUGUST IS A WICKED MONTH by Edna OBrien (Faber 7.99) Separated from her husband, her son left with his dad, Ellen heads off to France looking for sex. She plans to make overtures to every good-looking man she meets, hoping that her trip will be a jaunt into iniquity. In France she is groped, assaulted and dragged along to a hideous party by a crowd of vacuous, sybaritic Americans. Here, despite her Irish Catholic guilt, she has joyless, consensual sex with a raddled septuagenarian. Nowadays wed say that Ellen has a personality disorder. And a drink problem. Back in England, a domestic tragedy occurs but Ellen, instead of rushing home, falls into bed with a wham-bam-thank-you-maam movie actor, with squalid consequences. Banned in several countries on publication in 1965, this disquieting novel evokes little ripples of disgust. MRS PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT by Elizabeth Taylor MRS PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT by Elizabeth Taylor (Virago 8.99) Genteel hell is the setting for Taylors brilliant tragi-comedy. Mrs P, dignified widow and ex-colonial wife, moves into a shabby residential hotel. Unwanted by her adult son and nephew, home is now a small room with a view of brick walls, a clanging lift outside her door and a sprint along a corridor to the bathroom. She arranges her pills on the bedside table, her heart staggering in appalled despair. Her fellow residents are doddery old-timers fighting off their shared dread of tedium and death. When Mrs P falls in the street, she is rescued by a charming opportunist, Ludo, who is writing a book about old people and who immediately latches on to Mrs P as perfect material. Regardless of the recent street protests in Gujarat and the uproar in Parliament over anti-Dalit atrocities, violent crimes against the downtrodden lower castes show no let-up in India. In the latest assault, an upper-caste man beheaded a low-caste couple in Uttar Pradesh over a Rs 15 row, police said. Bharat Singh and his wife were walking towards their field for their daily farm labour when a village shopkeeper, Ashok Mishra, encountered them. Mishra wanted the pair to repay Rs 15 they owed to him. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi (left) recently met a Dalit man who was beaten up by cow protectors in Rajkot district Within minutes, he furiously killed Singh and his wife with his axe, police alleged. The attack occurred at Lakhmipur village of Mainpuri district, the stronghold of Uttar Pradeshs ruling Yadav family. Relatives wailed around the severed bodies as district magistrate Pramod Gupta promised the strictest possible action. Mishra, he said, was taken into custody and charged with murder. The victims belonged to the Nat caste. Their alleged attacker is a Brahmin. The murder evoked a sharp political reaction. It is one of the most heinous things that have happened, said BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria. It speaks volumes about the law-and-order situation in the state. Eventually, I would like to say the whole nation should stand up against these atrocities, he told India Today TV. This repression should pinch the conscious of each citizen, Bhadoria continued. He accused the SP and BJP of pursuing anti-Dalit and anti-minority policies as he cited the case of four low-caste men earlier this month at Una in Gujarat. A lawyer representing the death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone who can prove that the victim was violated with an iron rod. The case that prompted nationwide revulsion and turned a global spotlight on crimes against women in India is entering its final lap in the Supreme Court, and the defence lawyers are exploring all possibilities to help their clients escape capital punishment. ML Sharma, the lawyer for convicts Mukesh and Pawan, sought to give a fresh twist by contesting the police claim that they inserted an iron rod into the victims body through her vagina and pulled out her internal organs. ML Sharma, the lawyer for convicts Mukesh and Pawan, is trying to spare his clients the death penalty for the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old Delhi woman A trial court awarded the death penalty to four adult men for the gruesome act. The 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist, dubbed Nirbhaya (meaning fearless), was sexually assaulted on a moving bus and died after sustaining serious internal injuries after allegedly being violated with an iron bar during the attack. The Delhi High Court upheld the sentence and the matter is now being heard in the Supreme Court. One of the six accused, Ram Singh, committed suicide in the citys Tihar Jail three years ago. Another, who was a juvenile when the crime took place, was sent to a reform home for three years and later released. Something which is not possible medically was said by police - that an iron rod was repeatedly inserted and intestines pulled out, Sharma argued on Monday before a three-judge special bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra. The post-mortem report prepared by the Singapore hospital (where the victim received treatment) says the uterus and ovaries were intact. Going by the human anatomy, if a rod is inserted through the vagina, it cannot reach the intestines without breaking the uterus. Outside the court, the lawyer declared a cash prize for anyone who can prove that intestines can be pulled out with a rod without damaging the uterus and ovaries. I have already declared that I will pay Rs 10 lakh award to a doctor or anybody who can prove as per medical science that without destroying the uterus, the intestines can be pulled out using an iron rod, he said. I am sure they cannot. The police are lying. The rod theory was added later to sensationalise the whole case and also to provoke public anger. The 2012 incident sparked nationwide outrage and spurred Parliament to tighten Indias rape laws and pass legislation lowering to 16 the age at which someone can be tried for serious crimes. Sharma also pointed out that neither the victim in her dying declaration, nor her male companion, mentioned anything about an iron rod. When the girl was admitted in the hospital on December 16, 2012 at 11.15pm, the doctor found her in a fit state of mind and recorded her statement. While narrating the entire happening she did not utter a single word about unnatural rape using a rod. If patient herself did not mention anything about such a cruel and painful act, from where did the police get this? The iron rod is missing in the testimony of her boyfriend also, the lawyer told the court. Nirbhayas mother Asha Devi, who witnessed the hearing from the visitors' gallery, broke down as she heard Sharma reading her daughters dying declaration. The hearing will continue on Friday. Reacting to Sharmas contentions, prosecution sources told Mail Today: We will prove to the court that two iron rods which we have seized were used. One rod, 2 feet 9 inches, was used to beat up the victim and complainant. Another rod, one foot and 11 inches, was inserted into the body. The intestines, remember, were pulled out using the hand. Convicts Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay, and Akshay had filed appeals against the death sentence handed down by the trial court and the Delhi High Court. As per procedure, the apex court must also confirm capital punishment, and only then can the four convicts be hanged. Turkey has been in news over the last several months for all the wrong reasons. The latest in this series is the unsuccessful coup on July 15. Turkey is no stranger to coups. Turkey has been in news over the last several months for all the wrong reasons. The latest in this series is the unsuccessful coup on July 15 The violent ouster of four elected governments had taken place in 1960, 1971, 1980 and 1997. The recent coup is the only botched attempt by the army to forcibly remove an elected government. In that sense it may be perceived as a victory of democracy as the coup was foiled by ordinary citizens pouring into the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, heeding the call of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the constitutionally elected leader of the country. However, as unfolding events reveal, it is anything but that. But more of that later. Authoritarian Some analysts have gone so far as to suggest that it was masterminded by Erdogan himself to discredit the Opposition which has been getting restive in recent months owing to Erdogans increasingly authoritarian rule. This insurrection, they aver, would provide a pretext to him to crush his rivals and establish unchallenged sway over all instruments of power. This possibility appears rather far-fetched but cannot be totally discounted. More than 290 people, including 104 coup plotters, 41 police officers, and 47 civilians were killed, and 1,400 wounded in the coup. About 2,745 judges were dismissed. Vice-chancellors of all universities including several thousand teachers and tens of thousands of public employees from different ministries have been dismissed. The post-coup purge smacks of a Cultural Revolution. It appears that members of the judiciary, academia, among others, opposed to Erdogan are being removed and will be replaced by his supporters. Erdogan vowed that those involved in the coup attempt would face severe punishment. Capital punishment which was abolished in 2004 is likely to be reinstated to deal with the plotters. The President has blamed Fethullah Gulen, a 74-year-old reclusive Turkish cleric who leads an Islamic movement known as Hizmet, (meaning service in Turkish) of being behind the coup attempt. Gulen, who is reportedly in fragile health, has a wide following in Turkey that includes military, police, and judges. He has been living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania in the US since 1999. Gulens popular movement embracing moderate Islam has spawned a global network of organisations, publications, think tanks and schools. Erdogan has demanded that the US extradite Gulen to Turkey. Gulens supporters denied any role in the violence, termed the Turkish governments charge as highly irresponsible and said that they do not support the militarys attempt to take power. In a subsequent interview with reporters, Gulen suggested that the Erdogan government might itself be behind the coup. Corruption US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in Moscow discussing the evolving situation in Syria, said that US would consider Gulens extradition if sufficient evidence of his involvement was presented. Gulen has long been an ardent advocate of tolerance, peace and acceptance of religious and cultural diversity drawing on the traditions of Sufism. In a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Gulen denounced the Islamic State, called for an end to violent extremism and advocated equal rights for men and women, and education for Muslims. Gulen and Erdogan were once friends but split bitterly several years ago after the President blamed him for levelling allegations of corruption against senior officials as well as his son. Since then, Erdogan has accused him of trying to seize power by using his movement to infiltrate the government and its security forces. Turkish analysts appear sceptical that Gulens followers could have been behind the attempt. The coup has resulted in Erdogan launching a massive witch-hunt to weed out opponents from the police, judiciary, army, academia and media. Rather than serving as an opportunity to strengthen democracy, the aborted coup will only consolidate Turkeys autocracy and despotism. This has pitted Erdogan against the US and the EU, both of whom have proclaimed that NATO will scrutinise Turkey to ensure that it fulfils the alliances requirements for democracy and rule of law. Distrust In an unusually strong statement, the Turkish PM said that Istanbul considers itself at war with any nation that stands by Gulen. The Turkish Labour Minister alleged that the US was behind the failed coup attempt. Many Europeans fear that the crackdown could unleash a new wave of refugees fleeing persecution in Turkey. It also threatens unraveling of a recent agreement in which Turkey agreed to take back some refugees to reduce the number of those seeking asylum in Europe. Relations between the US and Turkey have witnessed a rapid decline because of ostensible support by Washington to Syrian Kurds as also due to rapid warming of ties between Istanbul and Moscow in recent days following the freeze after downing of a Russian jet-fighter by Turkey in November 2015. Instability in Turkey will have serious repercussions on NATOs operations in Syria against ISIS and the Assad government. The US and the EU suspect Erdogan of divided loyalties in the war against terrorism. Mutual distrust and suspicion is likely to grow further. You probably have a better chance of sneaking into the dark dictatorship of North Korea than getting into Kia's vast, top-secret research and development complex creating its next generation of cars bound for British showrooms. But this week, I managed to do just that as one of the first group of journalists to be granted access to the fast-growing firm's high-security Namyang R&D facility and test track an hour's drive south-west of South Korea's capital, Seoul. There I met its top executives and had a chance to put some of its newest cars through their paces before they arrive in Britain. Hot hybrid: Kia's new five-door petrol-electric Niro, on sale in Britain on August 8 They've even replicated UK road conditions on their test tracks including all manner of potholes and ruts. I was given a privileged peek into its ambitious plans to create sportier-looking, exciting cars that won't break the bank. Such was security that my smartphone and laptop were confiscated for the duration of the visit to avoid me taking sneaky photographs. But there's still lots to share. Kia has been expanding aggressively, and has shamelessly poached top European design and engineering talent to turn its once bland range into affordable and attractive cars. Now it is putting its energy into ensuring the driving performance matches the good looks. New signing: Kia poached Albert Biermann, 59, from BMW to be its new chief engineer It's launching five brand new models including the 22,000 petrol-electric Niro, which goes on sale in Britain from August 8. The five-door carries five people and their luggage in comfort with fuel economy of up to 74.3 mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 88g/km. Five refreshed models, including the Rio and Picanto, are also on their way. I also had a preview drive of two new cars set to reach UK forecourts soon: the sleek, load-lugging Optima Sportswagon estate and the 'green' hybrid Optima plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Watch out for my road test verdicts in the coming weeks. The designer of the original ground-breaking Audi TT coupe has transformed the look of Kia in the decade since 2006. Bavarian-born Peter Schreyer, who studied at the Royal College of Art, London, introduced a unifying grille resembling a tiger's nose, while ditching earlier neutral looks in favour of sporty and contemporary European styling. He told me: 'We've got the looks right. With our next cars, we'll have to top what we've done so far.' Albert Biermann, 59, whom Kia recently poached from BMW to be its new chief engineer, told me: 'It's a clear target that the driving experience should match the sporty looks of our cars. We're concentrating on the emotional side, the sporty side, the driving fun. 'Kia is the wild guy. With sportier GT models we are adding more spice,' says Mr Biermann. 'They will work nicely in the UK with all its winding roads.' New model: Ray with Kia's sleek, load-lugging Optima Sportswagon estate set to reach UK forecourts soon High Security: Inside Kia's Namyang R&D facility and test track an hour's drive south-west of South Korea's capital, Seoul HEART AND SEOUL: HOW BRITAIN FELL IN LOVE WITH KOREAN MOTORS Korean car-makers have nearly trebled sales to British customers over the last 15 years and now account for one in every 15 vehicles sold here In 2001, Korean manufacturers sold 58,411 cars taking just 2.38 per cent of the UK market. Last year that soared to 169,950 accounting for 6.45 per cent of UK total sales Daewoo, with its catchy Thatll be the Daewoo campaign and quirky Matiz super-mini, spearheaded the drive in the 1990s but is no longer sold here. Kia, Hyundai and Ssangyong are the main players. In 2001, Korean manufacturers sold 58,411 cars taking just 2.38 per cent of the UK market. Last year that soared to 169,950 accounting for 6.45 per cent of UK total sales. Back in 2006, Kia and Hyundai ranked 18th and 19th respectively Last year Hyundai had risen to be the 10th most newly registered marque in the UK, with Kia in 12th place. Kia has been named 'manufacturer of the year by UK car dealers. It topped the Car Dealer Power 2016 Awards Kia was founded in Korea in 1944 and began making bicycles. It may have started its first quarter century in the UK in 1991 selling fewer than 1,800 cars a year -beginning with the Kia Pride but today it sells that number on average every two weeks across its 188 strong dealer network. Over the 25 year period it has sold a total of 763,500 cars, of which 44 per cent has been in the last five years alone. Over 2016-7 Kia will launch fourteen new and face-lifted cars. The Picanto, launched in 2004 is the biggest selling Kia in the UK with over 156,000 sold to date, followed by the Sportage 4X4, now in its fourth generation, which has sold nearly 140,000. For the first half of this year (2016), Kia's Sportage which launched only in February is the biggest Korean seller in the UK (22,437) achieving almost as many sales in six months as it did in the whole of last year. It is followed by the Hyundai Tucson (13,794) and new Hyundai i10 (12,607). Don't rule out a full-blooded Kia sports car or even an open-top convertible. Kia's top engineers and designers tell me they are itching to do one and think it would be a it. However the firm's official line is that there are 'no plans at present' while it concentrates on hybrid electric power and fuel cells. Watch this space. The biggest Kia dealership in Britain opens in September on the A4 Great West Road into London. Kia will be a visual landmark and distraction for thousands of motorists stuck in Heathrow or commuter traffic. Britain is Kia's fourth-largest export market after China, the U.S. and Russia, accounting for a hefty 20 per cent of its European sales. Kia is on course to sell 100,000 cars a year in the UK by 2020. The top six Korean sellers in the UK last year were the Hyundai i10 (23,846), Kia Sportage (23,010), Hyundai i30 (17,392), Hyundai iX35 (14,338), Kia Picanto (14,275) and Hyundai i20 (14,228). BMW is putting finance before driving fun and suffering from a culture of endless meetings and infighting, claimed Kia's engineering boss Albert Biermann in an astonishing side swipe at his former employer of 35 years. Green machine: Kia launches its new family-friendly Niro hybrid crossover in the UK on August 8 priced from under 22,000 Tech: Niro is the first Kia with Android Auto which connects the user's smartphone to the car's infotainment system giving access to a variety of services such as Google Maps navigation and Google Play music Giving his opinion of the changes at BMW, he said financial bean-counters have the upper hand over engineers. 'The culture at BMW has changed. It's not like it was ten to 15 years ago,' he says. 'It's more financially driven. In the Eighties and Nineties, it was an engineering-driven company.' By contrast today at BMW, he said: 'You get tired of fighting, fighting, fighting.' Kia launches its new family-friendly Niro hybrid crossover in the UK on August 8 priced from under 22,000. The five-door Kia Niro aims to carry five people and their luggage in comfort and promises fuel economy of up to 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 88g. KIA BOSS: BREXIT 'NOT AN ISSUE' Kias target of selling 100,000 cars a year on Britain by 2020 is unlikely to be affected by Britains decision to leave the EU - the car firms global number three, executive vice president and chief operating officer Thomas Oh, told me in Seoul. Some 78,489 British motorists bought a Kia last year and 53,700 have done so already this year, with 90,000 predicted for 2017. Mr Oh said of Brexit: If I look at sales trends in the UK, I dont see any issue. Were still confident to hit our target. He said strong design and engineering quality, good dealerships and customer service, and effective marketing were central to Kias success: Theres no short cut. The firm which pioneered the seven-year car warranty and this year celebrates its quarter century in the UK sold under 1,800 cars in 1991. Britain is Kias fourth biggest export market after China, the USA, and Russia, accounting for a hefty 20 per cent of its European sales. But Kia stresses its a family car first, that just happens to have green technology at its heart. It also has the top five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating. Like Toyotas Prius, the Korean-built Niro has been designed from the ground up to be exclusively an electric hybrid carwith an all-new platform which will only ever be used for electrified vehicles. It also features an all-new powertrain featuring a 1.6-litre, 104bhp petrol engine linked to a 43.5bhp electric motor driving through a six-speed double-clutch automatic transmission, with electric charge stored in lithium ion batteries. There are four versions of Niro with prices ranging from 21,295 for the entry-level 1.6 GDi lithium-ion 139bhp 6DCT up to 26,995 for the fully-stocked First Edition version. Metallic paint is an optional extra at 545. Kia says the Niro has been engineered exclusively for electrified vehicles: There will be no combustion engine-only version of Niro. Its all-new platform has been engineered exclusively for electrified vehicles, and a plug-in hybrid version (PHEV) will be introduced for the 2017 model year. All versions - badged 1, 2, 3 and First Edition - have a lane keep system, hill-start assist, cruise control, a speed limiter, DAB radio, Bluetooth smartphone connectivity and music streaming. Niro is also the first Kia with Android Auto which connects the user's smartphone to the car's infotainment system and, through pre-downloaded apps, gives access to a variety of services such as Google Maps navigation, Google Play music, hands-free calls and texts and voice recognition. The entry level Niro 1 comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, a high-gloss black radiator grille with a black and chrome surround, dual automatic air conditioning, an automatic windscreen de-fogging system, LED daytime running lights and tail lights, a 3.5-inch TFT screen cluster, all-round electric windows and electric exterior mirror adjustment, USB and AUX ports and a trip computer. Higher levels add higher spec items such as 7 or 8 inch screens, privacy glass, 18 or 19 inch alloys, power adjustable seats, autonomous emergency braking, heated door mirrors, parking sensors, smart cruise control and an electric tilting and sliding sunroof. The petrol and electric motors work together most of the time but the Niro can run in electric-only electric mode for short distances. Energy from braking is stored in batteries for use later. Every Kia Niro comes with a seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, subject to wear and tear conditions, which is fully transferable if the car is sold before limits have been reached. It's a difficult time to be an income investor. Britain's decision to leave the EU could leave its smaller, domestically-focused companies scrambling to cover their dividends as they gear up to face a potential recession. And Brexit has arrived at a time when UK dividends aren't exactly robust. Several large companies such as Tesco and Standard Chartered took the axe to their dividends last year, while many others also have payouts that have been cut or are under threat. And while the recent Capita Dividend monitor release indicated that quarterly payouts reached a record 28.8billion, this was skewed by an unusually high number of special dividends. Without those, the underlying figure fell by 2.7 per cent. Household names: 'Unilever is globally diverse and has the strength to continue investing in its brands' What's more, the figures were from the end of June, so did not capture the full impact of the referendum, which only took place a week before the end of the second quarter. Hugh Yarrow is the manager of the Evenlode Income fund, which sits in the top quartile of its peer group over one, three and five years to the end of June. Over a five-year time period, the fund's shares have risen by 82.4 per cent, compared with 36.4 per cent for the UK All Companies sector. His fund has a historic yield of 3.6 per cent, compared with 3.8 per cent average dividend yield for the FTSE 100, and he believes that the best prospects for dividends lie away from the usual FTSE 100 suspects. What next for dividends? Yarrow predicts that the overall level of UK dividend payouts is likely to fall over the next year or two. He notes the dividend outlook for the UK is 'very mixed', with several large companies cutting dividends recently - particularly in the energy, mining, food retail, banking and utilities sectors. The manager explains that a variety of factors has led to these cuts, including difficulties in their respective industries, large capital investment requirements, poor cash generation and high debt levels. Not only has the recent environment proved tough, but the decision to separate from the EU may also affect the UK market's future dividend payments. This is particularly true of domestic sectors, such as banks, commercial property, construction, house builders and retailers - which may find it difficult to sustain or grow dividends. Mitigating against that is the weakened price of the pound, which should provide a boost to UK nationals using their global cash flow to pay dividends in sterling. Tougher times: Construction is one of the areas that could be hit hard by the Brexit vote Which UK companies can investors turn to for income? It's not all doom and gloom. Despite the clouds gathering on the horizon, Yarrow says that 'many high-quality, market-leading British businesses remain well placed to sustain and grow dividends over coming years'. Hugh Yarrow: Picking the income stars He has cherry-picked the stocks he thinks can do this over time. These 10 stocks come from diverse sectors, including software, food services and recruitment, but they all have a few common traits. Firstly, they all currently provide an initial dividend yield of at least 2 per cent. Secondly, these companies have very strong balance sheets, with six of the 10 boasting no debts at all. They are also self-funding, which means they produce more than enough free cash flow to support future re-investment in the business as well as their existing dividend payments. The Evenlode Income team is also looking for companies that have long-term growth potential but are 'asset light' - meaning that they only need to invest a relatively small proportion of cash back into the business to generate that growth and thus have more left over to spend on growing their dividend. The companies in Evenlode's list pay out an average dividend yield of 3.2 per cent and have enjoyed a growth in their payout rate of at least 9 per cent. On top of their ordinary dividends, many of the companies have paid out a special dividend in the past, or are well placed to do so in the future. Interestingly, all but one are global businesses so are set to benefit from a prolonged weakness in the pound. And all but one of the 10 are currently invested in by the Evenlode Income fund - with only Spirax left out for valuation reasons. The Ten Stocks 1. Sage Market cap: 7.1billion Dividend yield: 2.5 per cent Founded in Newcastle in the early 1980s, Sage has grown to become the global market leader in the provision of enterprise software for small and medium-sized businesses. It sells to more than 6million customers in 160 countries. Its products, such as accountancy software, become embedded in the day-to-day running of a business, creating a consistent revenue stream from subscription and support contracts. This revenue is growing steadily and now makes up almost three-quarters of sales. The company routinely converts profit to cash-flow, the balance sheet is strong. Sage has grown its dividend every year for the last 15 years. Sage's products 'become embedded in the day-to-day running of a business, creating consistent revenue' 2. Fidessa Market cap: 0.9billion Dividend yield: 3.7 per cent Fidessa provides software to investment banks, brokers and asset management firms around the world. The software firm has some loyal customers - a considerable 85 per cent of revenue is recurring, while its renewal rates are more than 99 per cent. Long-term growth potential is good as Fidessa's customers look to improve efficiency, cope with regulation and compliance, and bring down costs. However, Fidessas markets have been difficult over the last two years as its customer base has faced headwinds, slowed spending, and in some cases merged with each other. The company deliberately operates a very prudent balance sheet with no debt and a strong net cash position. Because the company is capital-light, it needs little of its cash flow each year, so free cash flow is regularly returned as ordinary and special dividends. Including its regular annual special dividend, the stocks current dividend yield is 3.7 per cent. Methodology: Why these 10 stocks? Factor Reason Quality compounders Quality companies are more likely to increase their dividend sustainably, thanks to the compounding of reinvested free cash flow over time. Low or no debt Companies that hold a high level of debt, relative to their potential earnings ability risk having to sacrifice the dividend to meet interest payments. Strong free cash flow cover Where cash entering the business is not sufficient to meet the cost of the dividend then it is unsustainable. Companies with high free cash flow coverage of their dividend have a higher current ability to raise the dividend. Strong dividend history A long-term track record of paying dividends through thick and thin is a good sign. We screened for companies that have not cut their dividend over at least the last 10 years. Valuation Even the highest quality company is not a good investment at too high a starting valuation. Balancing attractive dividend growth with a solid starting yield is the key to income and growth investing. Evenlode filtered the FTSE 350 for companies on a dividend yield of at least 2 per cent. 3. PayPoint Market cap: 0.6billion Dividend yield: 4.9 per cent This is a Hertfordshire-based payment technology company, helping consumers pay utility bills, top-up mobile phone credit, pay tax, buy parking tickets and send parcels. Paypoints network of yellow boxes spans more than 28,000 retailers across the UK. The business has limited capital requirements and its strong free cash flow and net cash balance sheet supports a healthy dividend yield. The management takes a pragmatic attitude to returning excess cash to shareholders and along with growth in ordinary dividends, and recently announced a programme of special dividend payments over the next five years to return surplus cash that has built up on the balance sheet. 4. PageGroup Market cap: 1billion Dividend yield: 4.3 per cent Page Group is a market-leading global recruitment company that has good long-term potential thanks to structural growth in the outsourced recruitment market, particularly in developing countries. It is an economically sensitive business, but as it is an asset-light business, cash generation is strong through thick and thin. Page Group's management also look to run the business very conservatively over the industry cycle. The company never borrows money, and its growth over the years has been driven by organic expansion rather than by acquiring other companies. This consistent approach has enabled Page to take market share in more difficult times, while continuing to pay healthy dividends too. The current dividend yield is 4.3 per cent, and Page has a record of returning excess cash to shareholders, most recently via a special dividend in 2015. 5. Compass Market cap: 23.6billion Dividend yield: 2.5 per cent Compass is a global market-leader in the food service industry, providing outsourced catering to other businesses and institutions. Growth opportunities are good thanks to steady structural growth in food outsourcing and the companys global expansion strategy. Compass has a resilient business model backed by long-term contracts with high renewal rates. It also doesn't need to hold much capital, and consistently converts profits to free cash flow. Dividends have grown every year since 2001, when Compass separated from Granada Group, and growth over the last five years has averaged more than 10 per cent each year. 6. Spectris Market cap: 2.2billion Dividend yield: 2.9 per cent Spectris is a Surrey-based global market leader in the precision instruments and controls sector. These products typically represent a very small part of the customers cost base but can have a material impact on a customers efficiency and product quality. Sector exposure is broad, with end markets ranging from biotechnology to energy. Spectris benefits from a reputation going back decades, intellectual property, research and development expertise and a strong distribution network. Relationships with customers become highly embedded and more than 80 per cent of sales come from repeat customers. Spectris operates in rational, niche markets and typically faces three or four competitors that haven't tended to change much over the years. The business consistently turns profits into cash and its balance sheet is strong. Spectriss most recent dividend increase was by 8 per cent and the company has grown its dividend by 10 per cent each year since its flotation in 1988. 7. RWS Holdings Market cap: 0.5billion Dividend yield: 2.5 per cent Buckinghamshire-based RWS is a specialist in intellectual property support services, and the global market leader in patent translation. Its team of highly-trained employees translate patents for many blue chip companies. As such, RWS provides a service that is essential for the smooth and efficient functioning of a big companys innovation efforts, but costs them very little relative to the total cost of research and development. Once a pharmaceutical company, for instance, has spent millions of pounds developing a new drug, they dont want to risk the whole project on a poorly translated patent. So they return again and again to RWS. This is an asset-light, highly cash generative business with a very strong balance sheet. The company has grown its dividend every year since its flotation in 2003. Global reach: Unilever's portfolio of brands are used by an estimated 2 billion people around the world daily 8. Unilever Market cap: 106.5billion Dividend yield: 3 per cent One of the classic dividend growth stocks in the UK market with roots going back to the 19th Century. Unilever owns a portfolio of global brands including Dove Soap, Lipton Tea and Magnum ice creams. This low ticket, repeat-purchase business model has helped drive dividend growth of more than 10 per cent each year per over the past half a century and the company recently increased its dividend by 6 per cent. Unilever is globally diverse and has the financial strength to continue investing in its brands and distribution network to strengthen its competitive position and help drive long-term growth. The current dividend yield is 3 per cent. 9. Spirax-Sarco Market cap: 2.8billion Dividend yield: 2 per cent This is a high-quality engineering franchise based in Cheltenham with a remarkable 48-year record of dividend growth. Spirax has a dominant global position in the niche market of steam and thermal energy management, providing products that help customers make their industrial processes more efficient and improve product quality. Customers range from food, drink and pharmaceutical manufacturers to power stations. A large proportion of sales come from spare parts and maintenance, which provides the company with a resilient cash flow stream. Spirax has no debt and has a record of paying special dividends to supplement its ordinary yield when cash builds up on the balance sheet. 10. Victrex Market cap: 1.3billion Dividend yield: 3.9 per cent Lancashire-based Victrex is a global leader in high performance polymers, materials that have several advantages over metal in applications such as planes, cars and medical implants. Its products help customers save money, reduce production time and improve the performance and efficiency of their products. Profits at estate agent Foxtons tumbled 42 per cent in the first half of the year, and it said the drop was due to the decision to quit the European Union denting Londoners' appetite for buying and selling homes. The firm, which has 63 branches almost all within the M25 motorway, handled sales of a little over 2,300 properties in London over the period, a 10 per cent drop from the previous year. As a result pre-tax profits slumped from 18.1million to 10.5million for the six months ended June 30, on the back of overall sales dipping 3 per cent to 68.6 million. Lettings revenues also suffered in the run-up to the referendum on 23 June, declining 2.7 per cent to 32.6million. Warning: Uncertainty surrounding the EU referendum led to slow residential property markets in London during the first half of the year Foxtons said Following the slowdown Foxtons will also review the pace of new branch openings, having opened five in the capital so far this year. Last week French bank Societe Generale warned that London property prices could fall by more than 30 per cent in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the EU and may halve in the most expensive parts of the city. However agents are more worried about transaction levels, rather than property prices. However the precise impact on transaction levels still remains unclear. According to Nationwide's monthly report on mortgage activity growth in UK house prices was steady in July, with the average price of a home increasing by 0.5 per cent to 205,715. Foxtons chief executive Nic Budden said: 'Uncertainty surrounding the EU referendum led to slow residential property markets in London during the first half of the year. 'Q2 experienced a sharp contraction and we believe that the overall level of property sales transactions made in London during the first half of the year is substantially down on last year. Like them or loathe them, Foxtons is known for its fleet of green and gold minis 'The result of the referendum to leave Europe is likely to lead to a prolonged period of further uncertainty and we do not expect London residential property sales markets to show signs of recovery before the end of the year.' Analysts expect Foxtons to report a 3 per cent dip in full-year revenues to 146million in 2016 and for profits to fall to 34million, from 41million in the previous year. Neil Wilson, analyst at ETX Capital, added: 'Foxton's results paint a pretty dire picture for the property market, particularly in London. 'Buyers and sellers were clearly holding back ahead of the vote, but the real question is whether they keep calm and carry on with their purchases, or pull out. 'Nationwide has said it could take months for the impact of the vote on the housing market to become clear, but it's certainly evident that activity slumped in the run-up to the referendum. 'It's unlikely that we'll see much uplift until at least Article 50 is triggered and there is greater certainty about the post-EU Britain.' Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, continued: 'If the Brexit negotiations don't go well, the London property market is probably first in the firing line because financial jobs could move out of the city. 'However, at this early stage it's far too early to judge the likelihood of this happening.' Yesterday fellow estate agent Countrywide reported a 25 per cent drop in profits for the first half, saying the London market had been especially badly affected by the Brexit knock to consumer confidence. As a result the country's largest estate agent said its full year earnings would not be able to match 2015's figure of 113million. The company said in its results report: 'We saw a slowdown in our retail and London residential businesses and, since the EU referendum result this has become more marked in London, the South East and expensive prime markets.' Enjoying a rare day in the sun were shares in Gulf Keystone Petroleum, which rose almost 6 per cent after the Kurdistan-focused oiler received a $300million bid approach. The Middle East-focused, Norwegian group DNO is proposing a cash and equity deal that would put long suffering investors out of their misery. The putative transaction follows very quickly on the heels of a debt for equity swap that effectively rescued London-listed GKP, but diluted existing holders out of sight. Offer: Norwegian group DNO has offered $300m for rival Gulf Keystone Petroleum It has been a roller coaster ride for those with cash still tied up in GKP, which in recent years has involved a rather scary downhill section. The stock topped out above 4 in 2012 when it first began to enjoy success at Shaikan field, at a time when the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq was seen as an exciting new oil frontier. The company funded growth by raising debt based on the potential of its world class assets. However, a perfect storm of falling prices, political instability and rather modest export income (that fell well short of what was needed to meet its financial requirements), hurt GKP badly. Today the stock was changing hands for a little over 4p, but has been even lower. Looking at the market for small cap stocks, the FTSE AIM 100 has enjoyed a decent run this week, posting a gain of 2.3 per cent this week, outperforming the index of blue-chip shares, which unchanged over the same period. The days biggest mover was Braveheart Investments, which rocketed 140 per cent after it said one of its portfolio companies was in talks to be bought. The deal, if it goes ahead, would result in a significant profit for Braveheart. However investors were also warned: There can be no certainty that such transaction will be completed. Newcomer Concepta has enjoyed a decent first week on the junior market, delivering a 22 per cent return for those who invested in the stock placing. The company specialises in fertility monitors for women who are finding it difficult to conceive. The product goes on sale this year in China and next in the UK and Europe, which means backers wont have to wait long before the business is revenue generative. This is a novelty in a sector noted for its ability to burn through prodigious amounts of cash. Concepta was one of three small-cap floats this week stem cell specialist WideCells and Italian PR firm SEC being the others. Both are trading above their issue prices. Also on a high was Quartix, the vehicle tracking specialist which posted a 47 per cent rise in revenues earlier from its insurance operation earlier this week. The shares, currently changing hands for 377p, are up 5 per cent this week. However in the past year they have advance almost 70 per cent and have more than doubled from the 2014 float price of 145p. Newcomer: Fertility monitor firm Concepta has enjoyed a decent first week on the junior market The company, led by chief executive Andy Walters, certainly seems to be delivering. Miner Sierra Rutile rose around 3 per cent today after it received a bid approach. However it appears a few people spotted its potential well ahead of time with the stock up around 70 per cent in the 30 days before Aussie firm Iluka lodged its 200million cash offer. Sticking with the miners, the copper producer Weatherly International has had a week to forget with the stock down 39 per cent in the wake of last Fridays market update. Production at the Tschudi operation in Namibia is suffering from groundwater inflows. Sticking with the fallers and it has been another dire week for Xcite Energy, the North Sea focused heavy oil play which has lost a quarter of its value in the last five trading sessions. The AGM statement earlier this week appeared fairly anodyne, though debt negotiations are taking place in the background as it seeks partners for the Bentley heavy oil field. It is interesting to note the stock was worth almost 170p in 2012 and is now changing hands for just over 5p. Finally, Stride Gaming shares were off slightly, although its investors will forgive the management after they unveiled a 70million deal that will effectively double the online bingo firms market share. The deal will be part funded via an 27million issue of stock. British Airways owner International Airlines Group has brushed off concerns about Brexit, saying: People will continue to fly. Chief executive Willie Walsh was upbeat despite a summer of shocks, including terror attacks, strikes in France, an attempted coup in Turkey and a sharp drop in the pound. The group, which also owns Spanish flag carrier Iberia, Irelands Aer Lingus and budget airline Vueling, reports its figures in euros so suffered a big currency loss due to the plunge in sterling. Lower demand: BA owner IAG said profits for the year will be lower than expected and that it was reviewing its investment plans for next year The firm said this, and other factors, had caused it to lower its forecasts for growth and review routes and investment. Most of the pain will come from outside the UK, with the focus on Latin America. On Brexit, Walsh said: People will continue to fly. Im not concerned. There will be a bit of turbulence in the short term but I think the British consumer will still look to travel and take their holidays in the sunshine. 'In the longer term I dont see any change we will still get business people and tourists. Once corporates have worked through the uncertainty and we get out the other side, things will return to a normal trading environment. IAG is seen as a bellwether for the economy because travel is often cut when businesses and consumers feel under financial pressure. The comments from Walsh came after drugs giants GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca pledged hundreds of millions of pounds for their British operations in a vote of confidence in the UK following the Brexit vote. Shares in IAG dipped 0.8 per cent, or 3.30p, to 406p despite a 125million hit from currency conversions. IAG gets a third of its revenues from Britain and said this would also hit third-quarter results, usually the most profitable time of the year due to the summer holidays. Profit rose to 688million for the six months to June 30, up from 412million on sales of 8billion. IAG has now cut capacity growth to 4.5 per cent this year, down from the 4.9 per cent rise planned in April. And it has placed its capital expenditure across the group under review. The firm expects 2016 underlying operating profit to rise by a low double-digit percentage. Nicholas Hyett, an analyst at broker Hargreaves Lansdown, said: The group has played down the impact of Brexit. The Next Step: Saving Our Suns is a free empowerment conference for teens boys ages 13-19 and their single mothers. It will be held on Saturday at the Edney Innovation Center at 11th and Market Streets, from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.The program is designed to link teen boys ages 13-19 and their mothers to resources that will assist them with developing and maintaining positive life choices using exposure and by introducing them to mentoring relationships, officials said.Speakers at the event will be Hamilton County School Board District 4 Candidate Montrell Besley, Artist Rondel Crier of Studio Everything, Minister Brian Allen of New Season Christian Ministries,Terry Davis of UnaVerSoul, Patrick Jackson of LCGI Productions, local businessman Chris Ramsey, Comedian Tresha Rutledge,Knox County educator Chris Lewis, Angela Daniels of For The Love of Sisters, and Linda Murray Bullard of LSMB Business Solutions.Grab bags and door prizes are from donations received by area businesses.Father To The Fatherless is the fiscal sponsor. This is a community funded event.Supporters include the Christian Women's Job Corp, Southside/Dodson Avenue Health Centers, Boy Scouts of America, Erlanger Heath System, Chattanooga State's Reconnect Program, Grand Finale Events and Decor, Jane of Trade and Resale, Susan M. Freeman Enterprise, ACP Photography, 2 Wheels Towing--Tennessee, and many other area businesses.The remaining tickets available to the event are limited and can be obtained by teenage boys ages 13-19 and their single mothers on Eventbrite at www.SavingOurSunsEvent.eventbrite.com.Monetary donations to support the event can be made at www.gofundme.com/SavingOurSuns.Merchandise donations can be made by emailing lsmbbusiness@gmail.com. A teenager who became an internet sensation after appearing to suffer a horrific broken ankle at a music festival has claimed it was all just an impressive prank to shock onlookers. Mobile phone footage taken at Byron Bay's Splendour in the Grass Festival on Sunday shows Sam Cooper, 18, sitting in a car park with his entire right foot twisted 180-degrees - before he simply stood up and limped away. But the Sunshine Coast teenager has claimed a childhood motorbike accident left him able to perform the 'little prank' for horrified festival-goers. 'I lost a bet with one of my mates to trip over someone and twist it around,' Mr Cooper told Daily Mail Australia. Sam Cooper, 18, has two metal bolts in his ankle due to a motorbike accident and pranked festival punters into thinking he had horrifically broken the ankle before walking away Mobile phone footage taken at Byron Bay's Splendour in the Grass Festival on Sunday shows him sitting in a car park with his entire right foot twisted 180-degrees When he was nine, Mr Cooper had two metal bolts inserted into his right ankle after it was crushed when he came off his motorbike. Numerous operations left the teenager able to twist his foot to a bizarre angle and over the years 'trained' it to snap the full 180-degrees. 'Over time I twisted it further and further and suddenly it was the other way,' Mr Cooper said. He said while the movement makes a 'really gross sound,' the skin around his ankle has stretched and remarkably 'sits into place,' when his foot is backward. At the Byron Bay festival on Sunday, Mr Cooper and his friends decided to use the party trick to fool unsuspecting onlookers. The footage then shows Mr Cooper simply stand up and limp away to horrify unsuspecting onlookers Mr Cooper said after ten minutes he was forced to abandon the prank when a concerned bystander notified paramedics The teenager said he 'tripped' over someone and sat on the ground before his friend began to film on his mobile phone. 'Most [onlookers] looked at it and had to have a second glance as if to be like "is that legit?",' Mr Cooper said. 'When they realised, they went into shock and were like: "Oh bro, you need help".' Mr Cooper said after ten minutes he was forced to abandon the prank when a concerned bystander notified paramedics. As he flipped his ankle back to its normal position, he was greeted with a wave of clapping and cheering. 'I thought people wouldn't think it was funny, but everyone seemed to be on board,' he said. Advertisement Britain is set for a dry and bright weekend with temperatures up to 22C - however despite the country basking in a heatwave earlier this month, cloud and showers could be on the way. The weather will feel much cooler than last week, when the mercury hit 34C, and there could also be the odd light shower in the North and West. But for most of us conditions will be fine, with racing fans at Glorious Goodwood in Sussex hoping for sunny conditions that live up to its name. It's a beautiful day: People enjoy the late afternoon sunshine on the beach at West Bay on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset yesterday By the sea: The beach at West Bay in Dorset - which is used in the popular ITV drama Broadchurch - was busy was tourists yesterday Today was largely cloudy in England and Wales with showers slowly spreading south-east with northern areas becoming drier and brighter later. Tonight the showers across central and southern parts will gradually ease away to leave much of the UK dry with clear spells. Tomorrow will see sunny spells and cloudy skies for most of Britain with scattered light showers possible in the North and West. Sunday will again see variable amounts of cloud with scattered showers, most frequent in the north with southern areas staying largely dry. Temperatures this weekend are expected to peak in London and the South East, with 22C expected on Saturday followed by 21C on Sunday. In London, sunshine and showers are predicted on Sunday and the Met Office predicts a mainly dry day on Monday, with rain spreading east overnight. The rain is then set to clear east through Tuesday, with further outbreaks in the west later. Across the rest of the country, there will be a mixture of sunshine and scattered showers, although an area of potentially heavy rain will transfer eastwards across southern areas later on Monday and into early Tuesday. It comes after scorching temperatures last week saw the hottest day of the year so far recorded on July 19 with 33.5C observed in Oxfordshire. There are no flood alerts, pollution alerts or severe weather warnings in place for the country today or over the next few days. Three-day forecast: Tomorrow will see sunny spells and cloudy skies for most of Britain with light showers possible in the North and West Walkers - with four legs and two - braved the wet and windy conditions in the seaside town of Seaton in east Devon today Waiting game: Vehicles queuing at the Port of Dover in Kent last Sunday as motorists faced misery on the roads amid severe disruption Meanwhile, tourists heading towards the Port of Dover in Kent have been advised to be properly prepared for the journey and pack plenty of food and water. There are also concerns that holidaymakers heading across the Channel will face the Black Saturday of congestion once they get to France. This Saturday is Frances first of the year to get a 'black' traffic warning thanks to much of the nation going on holiday and others returning from trips. It comes after tailbacks around Dover reached 12 miles last weekend and some holidaymakers waited for 15 hours on gridlocked roads. Advertisement Six baby rhinos have been dramatically rescued from being washed away by floodwaters that swamped a national park in northeastern India. Torrential monsoon rains have caused widespread flooding in Assam state and completely submerged Kaziranga National Park, home to two thirds of the world's one-horned rhino population. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the 185-square-mile animal sanctuary in April and Kate was overjoyed at having the chance to feed a baby rhino and elephant calf. One of the six one-horned rhino calves that was rescued from being washed away by floodwaters at the Kaziranga National Park Forest guards went out on their boats to save the rhinos that had been displaced by the torrential monsoon rains in northeastern India Wildlife workers travelled through two villages by boat to save the rare animals from the Kaziranga National Park Wildlife workers covered the face of a baby rhino with a cloth to prevent it getting alarmed before moving it to the conservation centre The Duchess of Cambridge fed a baby rhino at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation in Kaziranga, in April A baby rhino gave Kate the runaround at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation at Panbari reserve forest Prince William also tried his hand at feeding the calves, using a special bottle to give them milk or formula, during the Royal visit Wildlife workers travelled by two villages by boat to save the six rhinos. A three-month-old male rhino calf a yearling female were rescued on July 26. Four rhino calves were successfully saved from the floods two days later and all were admitted to the wildlife rescue centre for rehabilitation. Rathin Barman, a wildlife official in Kaziranga, said: 'Dehydrated and in distress, the babies have been wrapped in blankets. The staff has been bottle-feeding milk and vitamin supplements. The rhinos will be released into the wild after the flooding subsides and the calves recover. We are hoping they will be all fine soon.' The most dramatic rescue involved a male rhino calf, approximately six months old, trying desperately to find higher ground in the flood waters. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi told the International Fund for Animal Welfare: 'All households here have their own boats since the area is flood prone. We somehow managed to drag the calf and tie it to a tree in front of a house.' Two boats were then lashed together and the calf placed on one, with villagers acting as a counterweight on the other boat. Dr Samshul Ali, a local vet who sustained a minor injury in the rescue operation, said: 'This was a first-of-its-kind rhino calf rescue in the present flood phase. We had to be very cautious with our handling of the animal, particularly during the boat journey.' Subhamoy Bhattacharjee, assistant manager at Awareness for Conservation, added: 'The courage and empathy of the flood-affected villagers deserves special mention here. 'The entire village came together, setting aside their own predicament, to save a baby animal.' Indian forest officials and wildlife conservationists try to catch a baby rhino that strayed into an adjacent village after the floods Forest officials said they have rescued six rhino calves from being washed away by floodwaters that have swamped the national park During floods, hundreds of animals in the park move to the adjacent hills of Karbi Anglong for safety There are currently 2,431 rhinos in Assam, 2,401 of which live in Kaziranga National Park - six baby rhinos were rescued by villagers All of the rescued rhinos will stay at the conservation centre until the floodwaters recede and they will be released back into the wild. At least one rhino drowned in the floods. Forest guards found its remains earlier this week in the park, which is located alongside the mighty Brahmaputra River which has breached its bank in several places. Earlier this week, a herd of elephants was photographed swimming through the flooded park and crossing a national highway for drier higher ground. Officials had also rescued seven hog deer from the floods, they said. Assam forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma told AFP that 'at least a dozen' animals have drowned or been hit by cars while crossing the highway or moving towards the adjoining Karbi Anglong Hills. The rhino babies, aged between one month and one year, were pulled out using ropes from deeply flooded areas in the region All of the rescued rhinos will stay at the conservation centre and will be released in the wild once the flood waters recede An infant rhino calf stands near a human settlement following floods at the Kaziranga National Park, east of Gauhati, in north east India A rhino lingered behind a motorbike when he tried to cross a national highway road near the national park The park in the state of Assam in the north east of India is a unique mix of grasslands, wetlands and forest and is more than 800,000 square kilometres in size and has designated a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is home to the world's largest population of rare, one-horned rhinos as well as other endangered species including swamp deer, tigers and the Hoolock gibbon. Floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in Assam have killed three people and displaced more than a million over the past week, according to state government officials. A nine-year-old girl has been killed after a 24-year-old man drove his boat into her family's vessel during an out-of-control lake party. Charlotte McCue from Carlsbad, California, was on her family's boat Lake George, New York, when it was hit on Monday. The tragic collision occurred during Log Bay Day party - an event in the backdrop of the picturesque Adirondacks hat has become notorious for alcohol, arrests and chicken fights featuring topless women. Officials are now looking to ban the raucous event - suggesting it is now out of date and threatens public safety. Scroll down for video Charlotte McCue (left and right with her younger brother) from Carlsbad, California, was on her family's boat Lake George, New York, when it was hit by another vessel in - believed to be operated by a reveller The tragic collision occurred during Log Bay Day party - an event hat has become notorious for alcohol, arrests and chicken fights featuring topless women Log Bay Day, which began nearly 20 years ago as a way for tourism industry workers to relax on their day off. But it now attracts hundreds of boats and sometimes more than 1,000 people to drink and wade in the lake's secluded Log Bay on the last Monday in July. This year's event resulted in more than two dozen arrests, including several for boating and driving while intoxicated. According to the Warren County sheriff's office, Charlotte was riding in her grandfather's 28-foot boat. It was broadsided around 9:30 pm Monday by a 21-foot powerboat piloted by Alexander West, 24, of Lake George. Charlotte's mother was also injured, but five other family members escaped harm. Courtesy News 10 Alexander West, 24, was believed to have been piloting the boat that slammed into the McCue family's vessel Authorities said West didn't stop and instead continued to a nearby motel where he docked. Police said he and the four people on his boat then went home without reporting the collision. West showed up the next morning at the sheriff's office and submitted a blood test. He hadn't been charged as of Thursday afternoon. A phone message left at a home where West is listed as a resident wasn't returned. 'Log Bay Day has run its course,' said David Wick, executive director of the Lake George Park Commission, a state agency that enforces environmental and navigational laws on the 32-mile-long lake, a popular tourist destination 50 miles north of Albany. 'It's becoming a public safety hazard.' Wick said he met this week with Warren County Sheriff Bud York and District Attorney Kate Hogan to discuss ways to minimize the Log Bay party or eliminate it altogether. But Wick acknowledged that since it's an informal gathering with no official permits required, the party could be difficult to regulate. Charlotte was riding in her grandfather's 28-foot boat (pictured). It was broadsided around 9:30 pm Monday by West. Charlotte's mother was also injured, but five other family members escaped harm 'The question is: Can we control every eventuality at the event? The answer is we cannot,' he said. Secluded yet easily accessible by boat, the bay's shallow, sandy bottom made it a perfect party spot when James Looby and fellow musicians organized the first Log Bay Day in 1997. 'It was a huge success,' said Looby, now a computer and information sciences professor at an Albany-area community college. But Looby said he stopped going more than a decade ago, turned off by the drunken rowdiness and disregard for the lake's environment. 'It's a shame. It's really a shame,' he said. Wick said more than 60 officers from several local and state agencies were on duty at this year's event and authorities are considering assigning more in the future if the party is allowed to occur. 'If you party on that bay,' he said, 'you're going to have a lot of eyes on you.' This year's event resulted in more than two dozen arrests, including several for boating and driving while intoxicated. It is not known if anyone in the above picture was collared Three children were found living in a shed in Kentucky that had no electricity, no running water and a bucket containing human feces, according to authorities. Deputies found the children Tuesday in the shed just southwest of Danville after receiving a report that children were being abused or neglected, the Boyle County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. Gregory Wilkerson, 44, and Brandi Harmon, 25, were living with the three children in the shed behind a home, authorities said. Scroll down for video Gregory Wilkerson (left) and Brandi Harmon (right) were living with the three children in the shed behind a home, authorities said The Boyle County Sheriff's Office said: 'Inside the shed was found extreme unfit living conditions, having no running water, no electricity and a bucket containing human feces.' Deputies say the children were taken into protective custody and received treatment for 'extreme rashes and bed bug bites'. The shed is behind Wilkerson's sister's house, WKYT reported. Harmon's sister Mary Cox gave an interview to the station and said: 'I mean they were trying to get in a house, a regular house to live in. I mean that might take some time but they were working on it.' The shed is behind Wilkerson's sister's house, it's been reported. Deputies say the children were taken into protective custody and received treatment for 'extreme rashes and bed bug bites' Deputies found the children Tuesday in the shed just southwest of Danville after receiving a report that children were being abused or neglected, the Boyle County Sheriff's Office said Harmon and Wilkerson had previously been living at Cox's home, according to WKYT. Cox explained that 'they decided to move to the shack 'til they get a house cause this house ain't big enough for all of us'. Both Wilkerson and Harmon are charged with three counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child under the age of 12. Cox said: 'They said they were living, all three of [the children] down there, but [...] I know the other two was living with me.' Deputies said in the release: 'Wilkerson also had a Child Support warrant out of Lincoln County, and was also charged with Possession of Marijuana. Indonesia executed four drug traffickers on Friday and said it had not yet decided when 10 others convicted of drug crimes would be put to death. Deputy Attorney-General Noor Rachmad said one Indonesian and three Nigerians were executed by firing squad not long after midnight local time. The government had said earlier in the week that 14 people on death row, mostly foreigners, would be executed on the Nusa Kambangan prison island. Humaira Bibi cries in Lahore, Pakistan for her brother Zulfikar Ali, who was convicted of drug crimes but had his life spared in a last-minute reprieve on Friday Indonesian activists hold candles and posters written with 'Jokowi (President Joko Widodo), stop the executions', during a candlelight protest against death penalty executions, outside the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia Authorities did not give a reason for the reprieve, but the prison island where they were expected to be executed in outdoor clearings was hit by a major storm as the other sentences were carried out. Those executed Friday were Indonesian Freddy Budiman and Nigerians Seck Osmane, Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson. Relatives, rights groups and foreign governments had urged Indonesia to spare all 14 lives but it was unclear whether that had any influence on the decision to not carry out all the executions at once. Officials said the remaining ten death row inmates, including nationals from Pakistan, India and Zimbabwe as well as Indonesians, will be executed at a later stage. Zulfiqar Ali, whose life was spared in a last-minute reprieve on Friday, looks skyward as his death sentence is read in June 2005, at a court in Tanggerang, Indonesia People try to comfort a family member of Zulfikar Ali, whose life was spared after being convicted of drug crimes in Indonesia, in Pakistan An ambulance carrying the remains of an executed prisoner leaves the port of the prison island of Nusa Kambangan island, in Cilacap, Central Java Two people whose cases had raised high-profile international concern among rights groups were not executed. The first was Pakistani Zulfiqar Ali, whom rights groups say was beaten into confessing to the crime of heroin possession, leading to his 2005 death sentence. Syed Zahid Raza, the deputy Pakistani ambassador in Indonesia, hailed his reprieve as a victory and said it was due to diplomatic efforts in Jakarta and Islamabad. The other was Indonesian woman Merri Utami, who was caught with heroin in her bag as she came through Jakarta airport and claims she was duped into becoming a drug mule. A family member of Zulfikar Ali, who is convicted of drug crimes but had his life spared, prays for his release during a protest outside the Provincial assembly, in Pakistan Family members and relatives of Zulfikar Ali, who is convicted of drug crimes, demand his release during a protest outside the Provincial assembly, in Pakistan It was the third set of executions under President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo who was elected in 2014 and campaigned on promises to improve human rights in Indonesia. 'It was not a pleasant thing but it was to implement the law,' said Rachmad. 'The executions are only aimed at halting drug crimes.' A convoy of 17 ambulances, most carrying coffins, had arrived Thursday morning at the port town near Nusa Kambangan. Friday's executions were the first in the country since April last year when authorities put to death eight drug convicts, including Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, sparking international outcry. Sajida Bibi, right, sister of Zulfikar Ali, convicted of drug crimes, cries with her sister Humaira Bibi, in Pakistan. Ali's life was spared on Friday An activist lights candles arranged around a poster containing the names of death row inmates who are facing imminent executions during a vigil against the death penalty An activist holds a candle during a vigil against death penalty outside the presidential palace in Jakarta Relatives and area residents carry photographs of Pakistani national Zulfiqar Ali, who was sentenced to death in 2005 for heroin possession in Indonesia but had his life spared on Friday, during a protest in Lahore Investigators have found a hidden room outfitted with restraints inside a barn belonging to a man accused of abducting and killing an Ohio college student, according to search warrants released Thursday. The room also had a carpet-lined freezer with blood inside and had been covered by hay bales behind which several pairs of women's underwear was found The Toledo Blade reported. The warrants also reveal evidence that Worley was a repeat abductor. Worley, the warrant states, told a therapist he was mandated to see by Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge after his previous abduction conviction that he learned from each abduction he had done and the next one he was going to bury. The remains of University of Toledo student Sierah Joughin, 20, (pictured left and right) whose disappearance earlier this month prompted a search in Ohio were found last Friday James Worley, 57, of Delta, Ohio pictured above. Worley committed an eerily similar crime against a 26-year-old woman in 1990 James Worley, 57, who spent three years in prison after abducting a woman in 1990, has been charged with aggravated murder and abduction in the death of 20-year-old University of Toledo student Sierah Joughin. She disappeared a week ago while riding her bicycle on a country road in rural Fulton County, about 20 miles west of Toledo. Her body was found three days later in a cornfield near Worley's home. The student, was last seen riding her bike a week last Tuesday at around 6.45pm with her boyfriend in Metamora, about 20 miles west of Toledo. They then split directions to head home, but Joughin did not make it. Her bike was later found in a cornfield after her mother filed a missing person's report that evening. Last Friday, authorities arrested 57-year-old James Worley, of Delta, on an abduction charge related to her disappearance. Investigators have found a hidden room on James Worley's property. Evidence found so far suggests he was repeat abductor Law enforcement are shown above as they searched for Joughin last Friday at the property of James Worley, 57, of Delta, Ohio Since Worley's arrest, investigators have been looking into the possibility of additional victims. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said earlier this week that Worley's criminal history in the 1990 attack made it worth investigating whether other women have been victimized. Worley has declined interview requests from the news media, and his attorney said Thursday that he had not seen the search warrants and could not comment. At this time, police do not believe there was prior connection between Worley and Joughin. Worley has requested an attorney who has represented him previously, however that attorney has declined to comment. Miller said he anticipates additional charges will be filed against the suspect. 'This investigation is far from over,' he told reporters. Authorities have spent the past several days digging through the farmhouse and barns where Worley operated a small-engine repair shop surrounded by northwestern Ohio's fields of soybeans and corn. The search warrants released say that cell phone evidence shows Worley was at the spot where Joughin's bike was found for two hours on the day she went missing. Investigators said he had marks on his arms and bruises on his lower legs but told them 'he didn't steal anything or kill anyone,' according to the documents. A sign for Evergreen schools posted with words for Sierah Joughin after she was last seen riding her bike near the school in Metamora, Ohio Joughin was last seen riding her bike a week last Tuesday at around 6.45pm with her boyfriend in Metamora, about 20 miles west of Toledo. They headed in different directions to head home, but Joughin did not arrive Paul Bishop, the Joughin family representative, left, thanks members of the public for their concern and support after Fulton County Sheriff Roy Miller, center, announced the remains of Joughin had been found He first told investigators he had been riding a motorcycle and that he lost his helmet, screwdriver, sunglasses and fuses after it broke down, the search warrants said. Those items were found at the location where Joughin's bike was uncovered, the documents said. Worley served three years of a four- to 10-year sentence in the 1990 abduction of a woman who was riding her bike, which happened about 20 miles from where Joughin was riding last week near Metamora. Warrants reveal Ms. Joughin was found in a shallow grave in a cornfield, approximately one mile west and one mile south from Worleys property. Worley entered an Alford plea to abduction, meaning he didn't admit guilt but conceded that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him. The circumstances in the 1990 abduction are eerily similar. In that case, 26-year-old Robin Gardner, had been biking along a country road,The Toledo Blade reported. As she rode past farm fields, Worley passed her once before striking her with his truck from behind, causing her to tumble into a roadside ditch, court records indicate. He then stopped to ask if she was okay before coming up behind her and striking her on the head, according to the Toledo Blade. Video courtesy of WTVG/ABC 13 Delta Community Fire Department responders arrive on scene with a rescue boat at the property of James Worley Worley then reportedly dragged her to the side of his truck, threatened to kill her and pulled out handcuffs from his glove box. Gardner, recalling the incident, told the Toledeo Blade that she was screaming in the cornfield at the top of her lungs. 'A blood-curdling scream, a scream I didn't know I had in me,' Gardner, now 52, said. She managed to escape injured, but alive, after fleeing out the driver-side door and hopping onto the back of a motorcycle whose driver had pulled over down the road after seeing her flailing inside the truck, The Toledo Blade reported. Following that abduction, Worley was indicted for kidnapping and felonious assault but entered an Alford plea, not admitting guilt, to abduction, according to The Toledo Blade. He was found guilty and entered prison in November 1990, and was paroled in December 1993. Ms Gardner said she was shocked but not surprised he'd been arrested again. 'Of course, I think he's done it before and after me,' she said. Warrants reveal Ms. Joughin was found in a shallow grave in a cornfield, approximately one mile west and one mile south from Worleys property, close to Evergreen school which posted a message of support on its signs After the attack, Gardner moved out of state soon afterward. She says she still has panic attacks when she's far from other people. 'I can't walk in the woods alone, I can't hike, camp, bird watch,' she said in an email. 'I get very afraid if people aren't around to help me if I'm in need.' She said she was heartbroken over 'knowing the fear that Sierah experienced and the sadness that her mother is experiencing.' 'My heart aches so much for Sierah and her family,' she said, adding that Worley should have been kept in prison longer. 'I wish I could have done more to protect them but it was out of my hands.' Miller said investigators continue to search for evidence in Joughin's case, and he encouraged people with any information to call authorities. At Saturday's news conference, a family spokesman thanked law enforcement and others for their help in the search for Joughin. The incident occurred at Helensvale Plaza, on the Gold Coast The young man around 15-years-old was looking over the top of the cubicle The boy, 6, was using the bathroom while his parents waited outside A father who allowed his six-year-old son to use a public bathroom alone was shocked to find a young man watching his child go to the toilet over the top of a neighbouring cubicle. The father had accompanied his son to the toilets before leaving him alone as he waited outside with his wife at Helensvale Plaza, on the Gold Coast on Monday at around 3.20pm. It wasn't until he returned to check up on his son did he realise his six-year-old was being watched. In a disturbing incident a father caught a man perving at his six-year-old son who was using a public bathroom at Helensvale Plaza (pictured) Desperate to warn other parents, the victim's mother, Jodie Wright, took to sharing the disturbing occurrence on their local community Facebook page. 'I saw the cleaner enter the cleaning stockroom at the end of the corridor just past the boys toilet,' Mrs Wright said. 'He was quickly followed by a male who he then ushered out and shut the doorThe other male started walking up close to the cleaner and thrusting his pelvis at him but not close enough for the cleaner to know what was going on behind him. 'When he saw me watching him he pulled his shirt down over his crotch in an attempt to hide his erection.' Police are investigating the incident and have warned parents to not allow their children to use the bathroom unsurpervised Mrs Wright asked her husband to check on their son as she was shocked by the man's actions. 'A ll of a sudden I could hear my husband yelling and a lot of loud banging,' she said. 'The creepy guy was in the other cubicle with his whole head/face over the top of the cubicle watching my son on the toilet! 'My husband tried to break the door into the cubicle this guy was in, but could not access. He quickly removed my son from this disgusting situation at which time this sick guy took off.' Police believe this may be an isolated incident, reported Gold Coast Bulletin. 'We are obtaining CCTV from the shopping centre and will be looking to generate flyers to help track down the male,' Senior Sergeant Andrew Godbold said. 'Parents should not send young children unsupervised to the toilets under any circumstances. 'The male involved is described as 14 to 15-years-old, with brown hair, a stocky build and was wearing shorts and a T-shirt at the time.' A young woman suffered a drug overdose at a Pomona, California, rave last year and died. Katie Dix, 19, was a California State University, Channel Islands student. Now, her parents Mark and Pamela Dix are suing Live Nation and the Los Angeles County Fair Association and accusing them of negligence, the Los Angeles Times reported. Scroll down for video Katie Dix, 19, was a California State University, Channel Islands student. She suffered a drug overdose at a Pomona, California, rave last year and died They were accused by the lawsuit of having 'breached their duties to protect' ravers from illegal drugs, according to the newspaper. Dix attended the Hard Summer rave, which was held at the Los Angeles County fairgrounds in August 2015. The lawsuit filed by her parents and seen by City News Service said the 19-year-old college student believed she took pure Ecstasy which was actually bath salts. She was discovered unresponsive, transported to a hospital and died there, it reported. The lawsuit was quoted as saying: 'had medical treatment at Hard Fest been timely and proper, Katie Dix would have been saved.' Dix attended the Hard Summer rave, which was held at the Los Angeles County fairgrounds in August 2015 It also reportedly alleges Hard Summer had 65,000 attendees and four medical stations. The suit accused the defendants of having 'turned a blind eye to the known risks in order to capitalize on teenagers and young adults who believed they were attending a safe party environment'. The lawsuit, City News Service reported, claimed that ravers thought there were going to be enough emergency and security staff. Other defendants in the suit are Los Angeles County, Staff Pro Inc and Pomona itself. Ousted Fox News Chief Roger Ailes' derogatory language allegedly contributed to not only to his downfall at Fox News but also to his departure from NBCUniversal 20 years ago. Ailes - who resigned from Fox News last week amid sexual harassment allegations - is accused of regularly making cruel and derogatory statements about women, Jews and minorities, sources who have met with him told CNN Money. He has been described as uncouth and often inappropriate, making crude remarks that include allegedly calling an NBC executive 'a little f***ing Jew p***k' to joking to a staffer 'that he liked having women on their knees.' Scroll down for video Ousted Fox News Chief Roger Ailes' (pictured in 2006) derogatory language allegedly contributed to not only to his downfall at Fox News but also to his departure from NBCUniversal 20 years ago Ailes - who resigned from Fox News last week amid sexual harassment allegations - is accused of calling David Brock (right), the founder of the left-leaning media watchdog, Media Matters For America a 'f****t' during a meeting with former Politico CEO Fred Ryan (left) And it is the 76-year-old's inappropriate language that many believe played a role in his resignation from NBC Universal in 1996, according to CNN Money. At the time, Ailes was president and CEO of the CNBC and America's Talking channels and had officially quit because he was reportedly 'uncomfortable' with recent organizational restructuring. However the year before, Ailes had allegedly used the phrase 'a little f***ing Jew p***k' to describe NBC executive David Zaslav, according to biographer Gabriel Sherman, CNN Money reported. Ailes' remark prompted the television network to launch an investigation. His boss at the time, former NBC chairman and CEO Bob Wright, told Sherman 'my conclusion was that he probably said it,' according to CNN Money. However, Ailes and Zaslav reportedly denied Sherman's story and NBC did not address the investigation. While sources said Ailes is not always so vulgar, they said often times he is very inappropriate, and seems to take pleasure in leaving those in conversation with him in shock, CNN Money reported. Ailes allegedly described NBC executive David Zaslav (pictured) as 'a little f***ing Jew p***k.' Ailes' lawyer said that story was debunked 'What Roger says can often be, in polite parlance, inappropriate,' Michael Wolff, a media columnist who has met with Ailes several times, told CNN Money. 'But it is also very funny and keenly perceptive. 'This is not just vulgarity or slurs, it's an original world view, novelistic in a sense. 'If you haven't heard it, you've missed out on something memorable. He's the Toscanini of inappropriateness.' Ailes allegedly used the derogatory term 'f*****' to describe David Brock, the founder of the left-leaning media watchdog, Media Matters For America during a meeting with Fred Ryan. In 2011, Ryan, the then CEO of Politico, was working to re-establish relations between Politico and Fox News after Politico reporters had been banned from the network due to suspicions of it having anti-Fox bias, sources told CNN Money. During a meeting with Ryan, Ailes lined out what he wanted which reportedly included fair coverage and for Politico to stop taking talking points from 'that f****t David Brock.' Ryan was left so shocked after hearing Ailes' use of the derogatory slur that he told both friends and colleagues, and a few then told CNN Money. Ryan declined to comment. Brock - who previously noted in his book The Fox Effect that Ailes once told President George HW Bush not to wear a short-sleeve shirt because he would 'look like a f***ing f****t' - was not surprised after learning that Ailes allegedly used the slur to describe him. Sources also told CNN Money that on several other occasions, Ailes used the slur. Ailes pictured with his wife Elizabeth Tilson as they leave the News Corp building on Tuesday in New York City According to the book Nixonland, he also reportedly used the N-word when speaking with President Richard Nixon, and during a lunch after September 11 with former President Bill Clinton, he allegedly suggested to rebuild the World Trade towers and fill the 'last ten floors with Muslims so [the terrorists] never do it again,' the biographer Sherman reported. Ailes resigned last Thursday, two weeks after former anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment suit against him, in which she charged her career had been sabotaged because she did not have sex with him. The embattled executive has denied the allegations, but quit last week after other women told investigators working for Fox's corporate parent that they too had been sexually harassed. In addition to the sexual harassment allegations, he has also been accused of making inappropriate comments about women's bodies. A former Fox employee told The Washington Post that Ailes sometimes joked, saying 'he liked having women on their knees' and made comments about women including 'she's really got the goods' and 'look at the tits on that one.' Ailes (right) resigned last Thursday, two weeks after former anchor Gretchen Carlson (left) filed a sexual harassment suit against him, in which she charged her career had been sabotaged because she did not have sex with him. The embattled executive has denied the allegations According to CNN Money, a former Fox host said Ailes once told her 'walk down the hallway slower, I want to get a look at those legs.' Meanwhile, Ailes' lawyer, Susan Estrich, has taken issue with the claims, calling them 'worn out and inaccurate gossip items' that were 'shot down years ago,' according to CNN Money. She noted the story about Roger and NBC executive Zaslav had been debunked by the only two participants who could have been on the call, adding 'both of whom proved such a conversation never took place, yet it continues to be repeated as if it were true.' Capture - A Community Filmmaking Project is coming Sept. 16-18 in Chattanooga and Kansas City, Mo. The live events schedule includes: Capture Kickoff Event - Friday, Sept. 16, 5:30 p.m. at Tech Town and Capture Premiere Event - Sunday, Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m. at Cine-Rama. Capture is a "fun, creative filmmaking project" that gives everyone the opportunity to be involved. Capture returns to challenge two cities and four filmmaking teams to each create one final short film, with original music scores, in 24 hours using video provided by citizens in both Chattanooga and Kansas City. Two teams from each city will compete for the 'Best In Show' film which will be awarded at the Capture Premiere Screening event on Sunday, Sept. 18. Organizers announce a theme and then participants go out and use their phone or video camera to capture film clips that express their interpretation of the theme, and upload them to the Capture site. Teams of video editors and musicians compile short films set to original music scores using footage from any or all of the uploaded clips. The public may attend the premiere, look for their footage in the finished films, and then vote for the team they believe captures the theme best. The entire community in both cities is invited to be a part of this unique, creative process. Anyone may register to contribute up to five, 30-second video clips. Any device that can capture video can be used, including iPhones, smart-phones, camcorders, DSLR cameras, etc. Its not about the equipment, its all about capturing and collectively sharing videos for the project. The Community Video Capture registration is open now at CAPTUREFILMPROJECT.ORG. The Capture 2016 call for film editors and musicians will be released on Monday. Keep in the loop for the call via the website, weekly newsletter, and the Capture Facebook page. Tori Johnson's partner of 14-years has accused police of a 'cover-up' and said some officers 'orchestrated testimonies' to hide their failures. Thomas Zinn has claimed law enforcement officials have been 'betraying their own system' in the 14-month inquest into Sydney's Martin Place siege. 'They are trying to cover up as much as they can,' Mr Zinn, the long-term partner of Lindt cafe manager Mr Johnson, told The Australian. Scroll down for video Tori Johnson's partner Thomas Zinn has accused police of a 'cover-up' and said some officers 'orchestrated testimonies' to hide their failures (Mr Johnson, right, and Mr Zinn, left, are pictured together) Tori Johnson's brother, James, and partner, Thomas Zinn, leave his funeral at St Stephen's Uniting Church in December, 2014 'The loss of memory, unawareness and confusion among them is mind-boggling: one would not think they could work for the police or carry guns if this was a true reflection of their state of mind.' Mr Zinn said he believes some evidence given to the inquest was fixed. 'Everybody in the courtroom knows that some of the police's evidence is orchestrated and the witnesses previously admitted that they aligned their accounts prior to the hearings,' he said. The inquest is examining the three deaths at the December 2014 siege and has raised serious questions about potential flaws in the police response. The siege had gone on for 17-hours before Mr Johnson was shot dead execution-style on his knees by lone gunman Man Haron Monis. 'Everybody in the courtroom knows that some of the police's evidence is orchestrated,' Mr Zinn said (pictured with Mr Johnson) His death triggered the 'emergency action' from NSW Police, who then stormed the building. Fellow hostage Katrina Dawson, a barrister and mother, and the gunman were killed by police bullets in the gunfire that followed when officers from Tactical Operations Unit stormed into the Lindt Cafe. Mr Johnson's mother Rosie Connellan walked out of the inquest two weeks ago and called a police commander 'an absolute disgrace'. Earlier this month, a sergeant told the inquest he altered his testimony after reading media reports detailing evidence given by other officers. A UK counter-terrorism expert this week told the inquest he would have been 'screaming out' for NSW police to storm the cafe. Detective Senior Constable Simon Chesterman said there was 'no rational basis' for not approving a direct action plan. Commanders twice refused to approve a direct action plan produced during the Martin Place stand-off. Det Sen Const Chesterman said the DA developed appeared to be workable, and was inherently less risky than an emergency action plan, which was ultimately triggered after Monis executed hostage Tori Johnson. A direct action plan was more detailed, could be rehearsed, and could be executed at a time chosen by police, he said. Police should have had in the back of their mind that at some point he was going to start killing people, Det Sen Const Chesterman said. Det Sen Const Chesterman said if he were in charge, its likely he would have ordered police to assault after Monis first shot at escaping hostages at 2.03am on December 16, 2014. The inquest is examining the three deaths at the December 2014 siege and has raised serious questions about potential flaws in the police response (armed police are pictured outside the Lindt Cafe during the siege) NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione talks to media at the scene of the siege. He is due to give evidence to the inquest next week Had he not triggered the emergency action then, he said that he definitely would have several minutes later when Mr Johnson was forced to his knees. The inquest has heard snipers reported seeing Mr Johnson kneeling at 2.06am, but radio failures meant this information never reached commanders. Officers ultimately stormed the cafe and killed Monis at 2.14am after Mr Johnson was shot dead, with hostage Katrina Dawson also fatally wounded in the crossfire. Mr Zinn's criticism comes just days before the three most senior NSW police during the siege will front the inquest next week. NSW Commissioner Andrew Scipione, his deputy Cath Burn, and then-acting deputy commissioner Jeff Loy will be quizzed on Tuesday and Wednesday about whether they inappropriately interfered - or failed to intervene when they ought to have. All three have denied giving any operational guidance, advice or orders during the siege. The inquest continues in Sydney. A NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the force 'has fully cooperated with the Coronial Inquest and continues to do so'. 'NSWPF respects the coronial process and it is important for it to run its course. We await the Coroner's findings. Accordingly, we do not propose to comment further at this stage,' the spokesperson said. Mr Johnson was manager at Lindt Cafe at Martin Place, where lone gunman held hostages for 17-hours in December, 2014 Ninety women have accused a doctor of sexual assault while he was treating them, a court has heard. Immunologist Dr Jeremy Coleman, 63, faces 31 charges, including the alleged indecent assault of an 11-year-old girl in 1988 at his practice in Newcastle, NSW, the Newcastle Herald reports. In March the doctor was charged with seven sexual assault charges in regards to six woman, who allege they were abused during consultations at the immunologist's specialist clinic between 2003 and 2012. Immunologist Dr Jeremy Coleman (pictured), 63, faces 31 charges, including the alleged indecent assault of an 11-year-old girl in 1988 at his practice in Newcastle, NSW In March the doctor was charged with seven sexual assault charges in regards to six woman, who allege they were abused during consultations at the immunologist's specialist clinic between 2003 and 2012 Newcastle District Court heard on Thursday that there could be 100 complainants in the matter, but the figure was later revised to 90, the ABC reports. The complaints mostly relate to women aged between 22 and 54, who allege they were indecently or sexually assaulted during consultations between 1986 and 2014. Defence barrister Peter Harper, told reporters outside Newcastle District Court on Thursday that his client Dr Coleman was innocent. 'Dr Coleman will defend each and every allegation that's been levelled against him,' the ABC reports. Mr Harper added that he was disappointed by the case and said that it had turned into a 'one sided' trial by media. 'We heard more about the case levelled against us from you guys [the media] than any other source.' Dr Coleman has agreed not to practice while the trial continues, which could take six months. Newcastle District Court heard on Thursday that there could be 100 complainants in the matter, but the figure was later revised to 90 Mr Harper said that he was disappointed by the case and said that it had turned into a 'one sided' trial by media An Irishman who says he has been unfairly detained at an immigration detention centre has revealed he has an extensive criminal history, including drink driving and obstructing police. Bernard Lee, 26, was arrested by armed officers at the Perth home he shares with his Australian partner on July 25 and whisked off to the notorious Yongah Hill Detention Centre in West Australia. Mr Lee, who is a tiler, was detained after his application for a residents' visa was rejected and his current working visa cancelled. Irishman Bernard Lee was arrested by Australian immigration officers at his home in Perth on July 25 Mr Lee's girlfriend Amal (right) says her partner was detained due to an 'error' made by Australian authorities But Mr Lee and his lawyer insist he was never issued with a letter telling him the application had been turned down and warning him he had only 20 days to leave Australia. He was arrested for failing to comply with the 20-day order. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection would not say if it had sent a letter to Mr Lee, but a spokesperson said proper process had been followed. 'This persons visa was cancelled because he was found not to be of good character. He was issued with a notice of consideration to refuse his visa application, to which he responded,' the spokesperson said. 'The Department was not satisfied his reasons met the threshold and that he continued to pose an unacceptable risk to the community so it refused that application.' Mr Lee would be removed 'as soon as practicable'. The Irishman spoke with Perth radio station 6PR from his cell at Yongah Hill on Friday and admitted to a number of criminal offences in Ireland and Australia, including drink driving, driving without a license and obstructing police. He said he had changed his ways. 'When I was younger I lived for the weekend, out on the drink. Im a changed man now,' he said. 'I work six days a week and I have an Australian partner. I compete in bodybuilding, I dont drink anymore.' He said he was prepared to leave Australia but could not understand why he had to be detained for the next three months when he had a ticket to leave on August 3. Mr Lee was arrested after his application for a residents' visa was rejected and his current visa cancelled Mr Lee and his lawyer insist he was never issued with a letter telling him he had 20 days to leave the country Mr Lee has lived and worked in Australia for seven years and was due to fly to Europe to meet his girlfriend, Amal Michelle, next Wednesday. The pair planned to celebrate his brother's engagement. Ms Michelle said she was stressed and worried about her boyfriend. 'His phone has been taken off him, but I have been able to contact him on a cellmate's phone,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Hes in high spirits, as we always is. Hes mentally and physically strong.' She said officials had not explained to him why he could not be released immediately. 'Theyve admitted that they made a mistake but everyone says that it is out of their hands. He wants to go,' she said. Mr Lee, a fitness fanatic, has lived and worked legally in Australia for seven years Mr Lee's father Norman said his son was worried that appealing the decision could mean he was locked up for a long time. 'Bernard does not want to appeal the decision of the Department of Immigration and Border Control because we have been advised that such appeals take months or years, during which time the person is kept in detention,' he told the Irish Independent. The Yongah Hill Detention Centre, about 90km northeast of Perth, has been the scene of violent brawls, riots, breakouts and one case of self immolation. The centre was originally intended to house male asylum seekers but convicted criminals awaiting deportation have been also been sent there. Mr Lee's family are worried about his safety and are appealing to Australian authorities to release him so he can join them in Ireland. Mr Lee was due to fly to Europe on to meet his girlfriend Amal (right) on August 3 The first transgender woman to be a speaker at a national political convention took to the stage in Philadelphia tonight where told the touching story of losing her husband and how it pushed her to want to expedite change. Sarah McBride, a 25-year-old trans woman and former White House intern, told the crowd: 'Knowing Andy left me profoundly changed, but more than anything else his passing taught me that everyday matters when it comes to building a world where every person can live their life to the fullest.' McBride was introduced by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., an openly gay congressman who talked lovingly about his husband, before handing the floor to the trans activist. 'Sarah is a courageous young leader, and the first trans person ever to address a national convention,' Maloney said. Scroll down for video LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride takes the stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia Trans activist Sarah McBride made history tonight by being the first transgender woman to address a national political convention in the United States McBride was introduced by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., an openly gay congressman Being greeted by huge cheers, McBride introduced herself. 'My name is Sarah McBride and I am a proud transgender American,' she said. 'Four years I came out as transgender while serving as student body president in college. At the time I was scared. I worried that my dreams and my identity were mutually exclusive,' she continued. Her coming out story was featured in national news outlets and she was praised by Vice President Joe Biden, probably the most famous name from her home state of Delaware. And his son, the state's attorney general Beau. Sarah, I just wanted you to know, I'm so proud of you. I love you, and you're still a part of the Biden family,' the late Beau Biden said. Sarah McBride posing on her wedding day in 2014. The transgender activist married Andrew Cray, another activist who died of cancer just four days later McBride is seen above on her wedding day with her husband Andrew Cray who had first contacted her on Facebook Tonight onstage, she said she now believes that change is possible. 'I've witnessed history interning at the White House, and helping my home state of Delaware pass protections for transgender people. Today I see this change in the LGBT caucus and in my own job at the Human Rights Campaign, but despite our progress, so much work remains' In 2012, McBride worked at the White House and became the first openly transgender person to do so. In 2012, McBride worked at the White House and became the first openly transgender person to do so 'Will we be a nation where theres only one way to love, one way to look, one way to live?' she asked. 'Or will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally? A nation thats stronger together?' 'Thats the question in this election,' She then told the Democrats in the audience about meeting Andrew Cray. 'For me this struggle for equality became all the more urgent when I learned that my future husband Andrew was battling cancer,' she said. 'I met Andy, who was a transgender man fighting for equality and we fell in love.' 'And yet even in the face of this terminal illness, this 28-year-old he never wavered his commitment to our cause. And his belief that this country can change,' she said. 'Andy and I married in 2014. And just four days after our wedding he passed away,' she said. 'For me this struggle for equality became all the more urgent when I learned that my future husband Andrew was battling cancer,' she said. 'I met Andy, who was a transgender man fighting for equality and we fell in love' She then made her pitch for the Democratic nominee. 'Hillary Clinton understands the urgency of our fight.' 'Today in America, LGBTQ people are targeted by hate that lives in both laws and hearts. Many still struggle just to get by,' she said. 'But I believe tomorrow can be different,' she continued. 'Tomorrow, we can be respected and protected. Especially if Hillary Clinton is our president,' she said. While McBride didn't mention Clinton's rival Donald Trump, Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin did. Sarah McBride told the touching story of losing her husband, a transgender man who had terminal cancer, after only being married for four days Griffin shamed Trump for exploiting a national tragedy, the Pulse nightclub mass shooting, and claiming to be a friend of the LGBTQ community. 'He even challenged his skeptics to "ask the gays,"' Griffin noted. 'Well, since he asked.' 'While Donald Trump has threatened to strip away our rights, the Hillary Clinton I first got to know as a closeted kid growing up in Arkansas has always been willing to stand up to the voiceless, and she's made fighting for equality a cornerstone of her campaign,' Griffin said. Trump, he said, 'promised to legalize Kim Davis-style discrimination in all 50 states, Hillary Clinton has promised to sign the Equality Act into law,' Griffin continued. 'Andy and I married in 2014. And just four days after our wedding he passed away,' McBride told the convention. They are pictured above 'While Donald Trump chose as his running mate a governor who tried to divert HIV funding to finance his abusive practice of "conversion therapy,"' Griffin said, referencing Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, whose state saw an HIV outbreak last spring. 'Hillary Clinton is committed to stopping the spread of HIV, banning conversion therapy for minors and ending the hate and violence our community still faces.' 'And long before Donald Trump struggled to read the letters "LGBTQ" off a teleprompter, Hillary Clinton stood before the United Nations and boldly declared that gay rights are human rights,' Griffin said. Griffin also reminded Trump of the LGBTQ community's diversity. 'We are Muslim. We are Jewish. We are women. We are black, white, and Latino. We are immigrants and we are people with disabilities,' he said. 'And when you attack one of us, you are attacking all of us.' In Trump's convention speech, he pledged the protect gay people from radical Islamic terrorists. A judge has launched a scathing attack on a defence lawyer, calling him 'stupid' for presenting evidence that would help send his client to prison. The extraordinary verbal stoush between Victorian County Court Judge Mark Dean and the defence counsel in an armed robbery case explodes the normally serious and staid environment of law courts. Judge Dean called defence counsel 'stupid' and labelled his submissions 'ridiculous' after the defence lawyer tried to introduce evidence the judge had already ruled was inadmissible, Fairfax Media reported. Victorian Court of Appeal judges criticised Judge Dean's (pictured) behaviour as 'needlessly argumentative and rude' 'You are unbelievable. Unbelievable. I will use my description that I used yesterday. You are stupid. I ruled,' Judge Dean told defence counsel. The heated argument took place during the criminal trial of Michael Calvert Cook, who was convicted of two counts of armed robbery after holding up two Mentone gaming venues in 2012. His co-defendant Katherine Nanopoulos was sentenced in June 2013 after pleading guilty. Cook appealed his conviction in March, claiming the judge's behaviour was biased against him and he 'interjected on too many occasions, descended to the arena and donned the mantle of [the] prosecution.' Judge Dean said Cook was unable to receive a fair trial after his lawyer tried to revisit evidence that was deemed favourable to the prosecution's case. The prosecution sought to use evidence that Nanopoulos' burned clothes two or three days after the robbery as proof she was trying to cover up the crime. But Judge Dean ruled the evidence as inadmissible, meaning the prosecution would not be able to present it to the jury. But lawyer cross examined Nanopoulos about the evidence, meaning it would be presented to the jury and available for the prosecution. 'So you want to open up all the evidence that I've ruled is inadmissible,' Judge Dean asked lawyer after he questioned Nanopoulos about burning clothes in her April 30 statement. During the tense exchange in court, defence counsel told the judge: 'I've got my role. You've got your role.' Judge Dean told the lawyer his behaviour was 'completely unacceptable.' 'It is an embarrassment. Your conduct of this trial, and the ridiculous submissions you make, and points that have no substance, are a serious breach of your duties to this court,' he said. The heated argument took place during the criminal trial of Michael Calvert Cook, who was convicted of two counts of armed robbery after holding up two Mentone gaming venues in 2012 The judge also described the defendants as 'pathetic drug addicts' and called defence counsel incompetent after he asked whether Nanopoulus had enjoyed jail. The Victorian Court of Appeal judges saidJudge Dean's comments and interjections were 'needlessly argumentative and rude' but quashed the appeal and upheld Cook's conviction. They criticised Judge Dean's actions, saying: 'No matter what view a judge has of the manner in which counsel is running the case, to insult and demean counsel, even in the absence of the jury, is not only likely to offend and embarrass counsel but also to risk impeding counsel in conducting the trial and thus risk giving rise to a miscarriage of justice.' Judge Dean and defence counsel declined to comment when contacted by Fairfax Media. Just two days after the Mail published a detailed investigation into the new boss of the Commonwealth, exposing her links with evil tyrannies and questioning whether she was fit for public office, I was passed a copy of an email subsequently sent to her staff. It was from the organisations corporate affairs chief, Gary Dunn, on behalf of Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland, and had the subject line Together we are so much stronger. This hackneyed phrase has been used by many in public relations and advertising over the years, and was even trotted out by Michelle Obama this week to endorse Hillary Clinton. In an email the Commonwealth's corporate affairs chief said the Mail's coverage of Baroness Scotland was 'distorted' and 'unfortunate' Mr Dunns email a round-robin to members of the Secretariat, or civil service, which runs the Commonwealth was somewhat different in tone, and dropped into the inbox of staff at 9.50pm on Monday, when many were preparing for bed. It stated: I am sure you will share my concerns about recent press coverage making allegations about the Secretariat. These allegations are based on a distorted representation of information contained in some leaked documents. It is unfortunate that the actions of the very few impact on all of us and the reputation of our organisation. Mr Dunn was talking about leaked documents which formed part of the material used in my investigation, which was published in last Saturdays Mail. The article took a close look at Baroness Scotland, a Labour peer and close friend of Tony Blair, who took office as the Commonwealths Secretary-General, or effective boss, in May. It detailed, among other things, how she is spending extraordinary and unprecedented amounts of public money on aggrandising herself and her office, and giving highly paid jobs to an assortment of loyal friends and political chums. Baroness Scotland, pictured with Cherie Blair, took over as Commonwealth Secretary-General in May Not only has she added a motley bunch of Blairite old boys to the Commonwealths (publicly funded) payroll, but another large portion of the organisations cash is being spent on a lavish refurbishment of her official residence in Londons Mayfair. While no rules appear to have been broken, this comes at a time when the cash-strapped Commonwealth has a 6.7 million hole in its pension fund, a sum equal to its entire annual wage bill. Judging by Mondays email, the Baroness was rattled that the Mail had exposed these awkward facts. She also seemed anxious to employ her propaganda machine to silence any future whistle-blowers tempted to inform the media about developments at this important diplomatic body, which represents 53 sovereign states with 2.2 billion citizens. The email from her factotum reminded staff of a diktat issued last month, when the Mail began investigating Baroness Scotland, announcing that the Secretariat has launched a draconian internal review to find the source of our information. Staff were warned they were being watched and that their bosses could check and monitor official electronic communications and equipment where there are grounds to suspect serious misuse. The Head of IT would also be carrying out routine monitoring of their computer equipment. Anyone caught talking to the Press would face disciplinary proceedings for gross misconduct and dismissal. This newspaper is also in the firing line: lawyers for Scotland have also (so far unsuccessfully) tried to stop us publishing leaked documents by arguing that it is illegal under the Data Protection Act. So much for a free Press. But then, how ironic that the Baronesss contempt for the media is shared by two evil and corrupt dictatorships to which she has ties. Shortly before taking office as boss of a body whose charter talks of upholding democracy, human rights and the rule of law she undertook a mysterious working visit to Kazakhstan, meeting key figures in its despotic government. Baroness Scotland, pictured with the Queen, went on a mysterious 'working visit' to Kazakhstan shortly before taking on the Commonwealth job The country has for 30 years been run as a personal fiefdom by Nursultan Nazarbayev, a deeply oppressive autocrat whose regime has fixed elections, imprisoned and murdered opponents, shut down opposition newspapers and siphoned vast wealth to his friends and family members. Being visited by the Baroness was a PR coup for the regime, which has been accused by the U.S. State Department of presiding over pervasive corruption along with torture, restrictions on freedom of speech, arbitrary arrest and discrimination and violence against women. Its official news agency circulated photographs to the domestic media of what it called the Secretary-General of Commonwealth Nations shaking hands with senior politicians and discussing the strengthening of the mutual relationship between the UK and Kazakhstan. The trip looked especially curious, as Scotland has in recent years been a paid adviser to a secretive Swiss-based private investigation firm called Arcanum. Run by a polo-playing financier called Ron Wahid, the strategic intelligence firm was, at the time she worked for it, hired by the Kazakh regime to track down and investigate opposition dissidents who had fled overseas. Kazakhstan, of course, has also paid Scotlands friend Tony Blair to give its autocratic president advice on how (among other things) to manage his image after the slaughter of unarmed civilians protesting against his regime. And Kazakhstan isnt the only dictatorship to which the Baroness has been linked. One of her first moves after taking office at the Commonwealth was to hold meetings with the brutal regime in charge of the Maldives, which had previously paid her 7,500 a day to do legal work. Following her meeting with an envoy of the Maldivian dictator (a client of her friend Cherie Blair, and a man who has jailed more than 1,700 opposition activists since seizing power in a coup), it was revealed that the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (which deals with persistent and serious violators of the Commonwealths shared principles) will conveniently not be disciplining the Maldives, a member nation. This ought to raise concerns about whether Scotland nicknamed Baroness Shameless is fit to lead an organisation of fine repute whose head is the Queen. Yet depressingly, like increasing numbers of the so-called great and good, she appears blind to what might be regarded as everyday standards of moral probity. How symbolic, therefore, that Scotland first came to public attention in 2009 as Attorney-General in Gordon Browns Cabinet, when she was found to be employing an illegal immigrant from Tonga called Loloahi Tapui as a housekeeper. Patricia Scotland, who became Baroness Scotland of Asthal, was born in Dominica although her parents moved to London when she was two Despite being a multi-millionaire QC with a riverside house in Chiswick and a country home in the Cotswolds, Scotland, it emerged, was paying her domestic servant the minimum wage of just over 6 an hour. She was duly prosecuted for breaking the immigration laws that she had helped to draft, and fined 5,000. But her lack of contrition she likened the misdeed to a motoring offence was shameless. Repentance is clearly not a word in Baroness Scotlands vocabulary. She had already been accused of securing her job through an utterly corrupt process in which she allegedly awarded bogus knighthoods and made offers of charitable donations in exchange for votes. What is more, aspects of her self-aggrandising would shame a monarch. For example, the Mail has revealed how she recently appointed two spin-doctors to her retinue of staff. They are Blairs former PR man Matthew Doyle, and Joe Phelan, an employee of slick city lobbyists Weber Shandwick each being paid 16,000 a month, despite the Secretariat already having its own fully staffed press office. She also agreed to hire for 30,000 a month (plus a further 325,000) a company controlled by her chum Lord Patel of Bradford, a Labour peer. It is apparently now advising her on how to run the Secretariat. Thanks to the leaked documents, we have also discovered that because the Commonwealths code of ethics states that purchasing decisions will never be made on the basis of personal friendships, Patel was appointed after Scotland had secured a waiver from the Secretariats preferred recruitment practices. Other documents recently revealed by the Mail detail the extraordinary steps taken to beautify Scotlands five-storey grace-and-favour home in Mayfair, which is currently completely swathed in scaffolding in order to be extensively refurbished, at the Commonwealths expense. Among those helping out on the project is famous interior designer Nicky Haslam. While not being paid for his work, Haslam (whose memoir was entitled Sheer Opulence) has suggested improvements that would add almost 140,000 (plus VAT) to the initial 230,000 budget for the work, including 33,000 on luxury paint, 5,000 on a vanity unit for her powder room and 7,000 to upgrade her carpets to top of the range. How on earth, one wonders, do the noble principles of the Commonwealth Secretariat, which looks after some of the worlds poorest people, fit with these grandiose plans to upgrade the Baronesss home? If you are looking for answers, they wont come from her office, despite its overstaffed press team. They have refused to say how much the project is now costing, or how many of Haslams spreadsheet of recommendations have since been given the go-ahead. The organisations most substantive response to the Mails revelations have actually come in a letter sent this week to the High Commissioners of all 53 Commonwealth nations. Marked confidential, but promptly leaked to me by one outraged recipient, it said her first 100 days in office had been clouded by the publication of articles in one newspaper group which, with their half-truths and innuendo, could easily give rise to distrust. The letter accused the Mail of a scurrilous and unwarranted attack based on false allegations. Funnily enough, it failed to identify a single false allegation in our coverage. No inaccuracies in our account of the refurbishment of her home were identified, either. The letter does not deny our revelation that she has employed two spin-doctors on 16,000 a month (a sum which exceeds not only Scotlands 160,000 salary but the Prime Ministers, too), or dispute our coverage of her chum Lord Patels recruitment. What is more, the confidential missive also failed to address an important claim, made by the Mail on Sunday, that the Commonwealths procurement manager has resigned because of his dismay at being asked to carry out various tasks. Instead, it has sought to justify the hiring spree by arguing that section 3:2 of the rules governing the recruitment of staff gives the Secretary-General the discretion to recruit persons the Secretary-General deems appropriate. In other words, like many a lawyer, Baroness Scotland seems to be arguing that because something isnt illegal, it is right. That is a line which generates short shrift from one of the many appalled Commonwealth staff members whose deep dismay at her stewardship has prompted them to raise concerns about her reign. One says: Its outrageous. Traditionally, Secretary-Generals only use rule 3:2 to appoint their deputy. She is putting an entire kitchen cabinet of friends on the payroll, at grossly inflated salaries. Seemingly impervious to criticism and in defiance of worried staff, Baroness Scotland, I learnt last night, is on the verge of appointing a third spin-doctor to her staff. He is a former BBC journalist called Barnie Choudhury, who just happens to be a long-standing acquaintance of Scotlands chum Lord Patel, with whom he shares a senior role at a charity called AWAAZ (its mission statement says it envisions a just society that promotes and protects the rights of women, believes in gender equality and celebrates womanhood). He was arrested in Lebanon last year for recruiting and fundraising for ISIS A Sydney charity with links to a man who allegedly raised money and recruited fighters for Islamic State is believed to be under investigation. Dar al Quran wa Sunnah, an Islamic charity based in Bankstown in Sydney's west, has raised more than $800,000 in the past two years. The charity has links to Ibrahim Barakat, 41, a Lebanese national who was arrested in Tripoli last year. He faces charges of fundraising for jihadists, recruiting for ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and fighting against the Lebanese army. Dar al Quran wa Sunnah, an Islamic charity based in Bankstown in Sydney's west, has links to Ibrahim Barakat (pictured) who is accused of fundraising for jihadists and recruiting for ISIS in both Iraq and Syria While Mr Barakat is not listed as a director of Dar al Quran wa Sunnah, he has appeared in a number of YouTube videos urging for donations to the charity, which was set up to help Syrian orphans and refugees. 'My brothers in Sydney Australia, spend and don't be stingy and help in righteousness and in piety with your brothers at Dar al Quran wa Sunnah,' he said in one posted last year, according to The Australian. Dar al Quran wa Sunnah's income statements filed with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) showed it raised more than $630,000 in 'donations and bequests' last financial year and more than $200,000 in 2014. The charity holds fundraising events, including a $50 per head 'Help Spread Happiness This Ramadan' presentation at the Villa Blanca reception in Bankstown earlier this month. Dar al Quran wa Sunnah, an Islamic charity based in Bankstown in Sydney's west, has raised more than $800,000 in the past two years Mr Barakat (pictured right) is not listed as a director of Dar al Quran wa Sunnah, but he has appeared in a number of YouTube videos urging for donations to the charity The ACNC is now understood to be investigating the charity and told The Australian it was aware of allegations it 'may be financing terrorism' but had no further comment. Daily Mail Australia attempted to contact Dar al Quran wa Sunnah for comment but received no response. The charity has previously distanced itself from Mr Barakat in a written statement and said it 'completely disavows and rejects' Mr Barakat's alleged actions. The charity said he is a 'former teacher' of the group, and his actions are 'not representative of the organisation itself in any way, shape or form', according to the ABC. 'Dar Al Quran Wa Sunnah prides itself on its transparency, robust corporate governance and meeting the objectives for which it was established,' the statement said. 'It will continue its work in providing education and aid to the poor, needy, widows and orphans in the countries in which it operates.' Mr Barakat was due to face a military court last November but there have been no updates on the case. Dar Al Quran Wa Sunnah remains active and is requesting donations into its Commonwealth Bank account for its missions in Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Bangladesh. The two boys and four others have filed civil suits The Northern Territory Government has dropped its countersuit against two boys who claim they were tear-gassed and by Don Dale detention centre prison officers. The Chief Minister's office told ABC it withdrew the suit, which sought more than $160,000 in legal costs and damages to facility after the two boys tried to escape from the Darwin centre on May 31, 2015. The two boys being countersued and four other boys are seeking damages for the alleged mistreatment by guards at the centre and have each filed civil suits. Chief Minister Adam Giles said the government will continue to defend itself against the civil suits and will refuse to settle. The NT government has dropped it's countersuit against two boys who were tear gassed and allegedly taunted by officers after the pair escaped from the Don Dale detention centre The government claimed the two boys caused $89,000 in damage after they escaped from the centre on May 31 before stealing a car and ramming it into a roller door and causing a further $74,000 in damage on July 1. In response to the government's claims the boy's lawyers said their clients would not have attempted to escape if they weren't mistreated. This comes after a royal commission sparked by footage of brutal abuse of boys behind bars in the Northern Territory revealed it will investigate whether their treatment was illegal, racist and breached Australia's international human rights obligations. The abuse victims could also be given compensation for their suffering if newly-appointed commissioner Brian Ross Martin believes they deserve it. The two boys being countersued and four other boys are seeking damages for the alleged mistreatment by guards at the centre and have each filed civil suits The Don Dale Youth Detention Centre (pictured) has been plagued with reports of unrest Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's cabinet on Thursday approved the terms of reference for the commission, which he ordered after shocking videos emerged of children being stripped, tear-gassed and held in solitary confinement. The footage aired on the ABC's Four Corners also showed a boy, 17, being shackled to a chair before being left alone for two hours, and another being tackled and hurled across a room by staff at the Don Dale detention centre in Darwin. The royal commission will focus on the failings of child protection and youth detention systems run by the NT government since 2006 while investigating any law or human rights breaches. Mr Turnbull said Australians had been 'shocked and appalled' by the images of mistreatment of children. 'Every child in our justice system must be treated with humanity and respect at all times,' he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday. Mr Martin, a former chief justice of the NT, will examine whether enough was done about two reports of abuse of young people at Don Dale centre in August and January. Footage that aired on the ABC also showed one boy being shackled to a 'mechanical device' chair He'll also investigate whether the NT government should have done more to stop the abuse of children and what role racism had to play in the culture of child protection systems. 'We believe that these terms of reference are both sufficiently focused but, at the same time, sufficiently broad that we'll get tangible outcomes,' Senator Brandis told reporters. Justice Martin pointed out he had the power to recommend compensation to the victims, but Mr Turnbull would not be drawn on whether the thought financial reparation was appropriate. While revealing Justice Martin as the head of the commission, the prime minister hailed him eminently qualified and praised his understanding of the NT justice system and his familiarity with indigenous people. Justice Martin maintains there is no conflict of interest in his appointment, despite his prominent former role in the territory's justice system. 'There's never been any suggestion that this sort of treatment was brought to my attention,' he said. Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles (pictured) agreed to the terms of the royal commission Acting Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said it was extraordinary Mr Turnbull had ruled out the inquiry looking into other states The commission will hold a directions hearing on September 6 and report by the end of March, however Justice Martin was confident he'd be granted extra time if needed. 'That is tight when one looks at the breadth of the terms of reference,' he told reporters. 'But given some hard work, hopefully we'll meet it.' The federal opposition had been calling for the inquiry to be extended to other states and territories but the prime minister warned a broader royal commission could lose its way. 'A royal commission is most effective when it has clear terms of reference,' he said. Earlier, acting Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said it was extraordinary Mr Turnbull had ruled out the inquiry looking into other states. She was also 'deeply disappointed' that despite the opposition giving bipartisan support to the commission the party had not been consulted properly by the attorney-general. NT Chief Minister Adam Giles had agreed to the terms of reference, Senator Brandis said. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner Mick Gooda was pleased the terms of reference included potential human rights breaches. 'We don't see that very often,' he told ABC radio on Thursday. Tycoon Sir Philip Green has kept a low profile in recent weeks after being damned as the unacceptable face of capitalism in the wake of the Bhs collapse. But his daughter, Chloe, has other ideas. The fun-loving 25-year-old has spent this week in the South of France, sunbathing and partying with supermodels and the well-connected fashion crowd, including designer Roberto Cavallis son, Robert, who shared this selfie with her on social media. Proving that she has not lost her love of expensive bling, the smiling daughter of Sir Shifty and his wife Tina had teamed her white kaftan with earrings, a thumb ring, a watch and what appeared to be a gold bracelet. You either believe in luck or you dont, she once told me, and for me, Im lucky that my parents are who they are. Im blessed all around. The fun-loving 25-year-old has spent this week in the South of France, sunbathing and partying with supermodels and the well-connected fashion crowd, including designer Roberto Cavallis son, Robert Reluctant to be eclipsed by her husband George Osborne, who is schmoozing the great and good in New York, author Frances allowed the British Consul-General Antonia Romeo to throw what another guest - former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown - described as a girls lunch for her on Monday. Lets hope the ex-Chancellor footed the bill to ease the financial burden on his erstwhile colleagues in government. Cleese takes to the Tube Monty Python star John Cleese rejoiced at being financially free last year after he finished paying 12 million to his third ex-wife, American psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger. And yet the 76-year-old actor, once reduced to going on an Alimony Tour to finance his divorce settlement, is clearly taking no chances as he launched his own YouTube channel yesterday in an attempt to boost his income. I havent the foggiest what a YouTube Channel is, admits Cleese, now married to jewellery designer Jennifer Wade, 44. I will be releasing seen, unseen and should never be seen material on it periodically in order to benefit from as much advertising revenue as possible. That should spare us all another Alimony Tour. Monty Python star John Cleese launched his own YouTube channel yesterday in an attempt to boost his income Shes currently starring on the London stage, but impressively well-preserved actress Glynis Barber is battling demons by doing so - as she confesses her greatest fear is forgetting her lines. The former Dempsey And Makepeace star, who looks years younger than her actual 60, and who is appearing in the drama Stalking The Bogeyman at the Southwark Playhouse, says: I have a recurring nightmare about preparing to go on stage and not being able to find my script and realising I havent looked over the words in months. Lets hope her dreams dont come true. Poldark comforts his co-star Poldark beauty Eleanor Tomlinson is deeply smitten with her on-screen husband, played by heartthrob Aidan Turner, in the hit BBC series. Sadly, the same cannot be said for her real-life romance: the 24-year-old actress has split from her boyfriend, 22-year-old equestrian Ben Atkinson, whom she met on set two years ago when he worked as Aidans stunt double. Theyre no longer together, confirms a friend of Ben. They split on very amicable terms. However, she is not nursing a broken heart alone. As my picture shows, Eleanor snuggled up to Irish actor Aidan as they enjoyed an evening out at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, this week. Is the Palace getting bolshy in the battle for tourists? Historic Royal Palaces, which looks after the Queens estate, issued a tweet aimed at Netflix addicts: Real drama doesnt come in a box set. Enjoy an unforgettable day out this summer at the Tower of London. Global warming is causing swathes of jellyfish to flock to British beaches as warmer seas attract the stinging menaces. The number of jellyfish blooms - when jellies mass together - are on the rise in coastal waters, The Marine Conservation Society found. Now the charity has urged beach-goers to report sightings of the gelatinous creatures to the MCS Jellyfish Survey to warn others of their presence. A Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish washed up on the beach: and the Marine Conservation Society found jellyfish blooms are on the rise in coastal waters Left, a Lion's mane jellyfish, which have the most powerful and painful sting of the UK species. Right, a barrel jellyfish - which are spotted regularly on Britain's beaches, but are mild Dr Peter Richardson, Head of Biodiversity and Fisheries at the Marine Conservation Society said: 'There's evidence that jellyfish numbers are increasing in some parts of the world, including UK seas. 'Some scientists argue that jellyfish numbers increase and then decrease normally every 20 years or so, however, others believe and these increases are linked to factors such as pollution, over-fishing and possibly climate change. 'The MCS jellyfish survey helps provide some of the information we need to understand more about these ancient creatures.' So far, this year has been a relatively quiet one for jellyfish, unlike the last two years when record numbers were recorded throughout spring and early summer. Tourists heading to Devon and Cornwall should be extra-wary. Despite having had no confirmed sightings this year, Portuguese Man Of War jellyfish - which have dangerous stings leaving victims in severe pain - were spotted along the South West coast in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and could be set to return. The south west coast: Tourists heading to Devon and Cornwall should be extra-wary Mauve stingers, which also have powerful stings, were also spotted across the South West as recently as last year, although usually in the winter. The annual survey - now in its 14th year - tracks where and when jellyfish occur in UK seas amid global reports of a rise in jellyfish numbers. Lion's mane jellyfish have the most powerful and painful sting of the UK species, but are rarely seen south of the Irish Sea or Norfolk, with most reports coming from Scottish waters. MCS warns swimmers to stay away from the creatures and report them to lifeguards and the charity's website. A Mauve Stinger jellyfish: Mauve stingers were spotted across the South West as recently as last year, although usually in the winter Dr Richardson added: 'We still know relatively little about jellyfish and what drives changes in their numbers, so reporting even a single one can help. 'One thing we do know is that Leatherback turtles travel to UK waters to feed on jellyfish and are usually recorded along the west coast of the UK between May and October - this year we've already heard of sightings from the south west of England and the Irish Sea.' The most commonly encountered species in the UK is the moon jellyfish, but their very mild stings are little cause for concern. Displacement, a short film created by Heritage High School alumni Connor Rentz and David Besh, will premiere Saturday, Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. in the Heritage High School theater. Admission is free. Filmed in Ringgold, Ga., the short film stars HHS alumni Hannah Hale, Josh Miles, and Ashton Sawyer and also starts J Manning Smith-Tate and Normand Caissie. David Besh is the film's producer and cinematographer, and Conner Rentz is the film's writer and director. Displacement is a family drama that follows a transformative time in the life of Elle Hart (Hannah Hale), a teenage girls who works daily on her poverty-stricken family's farm with her distant father (J Manning Smith-Tate) while aiding her consistently ill mother (Ashton Sawyer) and her disabled younger brother (Josh Miles). This is the second film collaboration by David Besh and Connor Rentz, who were both broadcasting students at Heritage High School. Their previous film, Spectrum, is a silent film starring Joseph Watts and Ingrid Brindle. The film was produced for Campus MovieFest 2015 at Georgia Southern University and won awards for Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, and the Jury Award. It advanced to a national competition and also played on Virgin America airlines as part of their Best of the Web series. Spectrum will play before Displacement at the premiere on Aug. 6. After the screening, the cast and crew of Displacement will participate in a question and answer panel. Displacement was funded through a campaign on Indiegogo and through donations outside of the campaign, many of the contributors from Ringgold. The films trailer was released on YouTube on May 5. Displacement can also be found on IMDb. Apple Man Productions was launched in the summer of 2015 for the release of Lief and Lyra, another short film by Connor Rentz. The film is currently available on DVD through Amazon, and Apple Man Productions will also release a DVD of Displacement later this year. The DVD release of Displacement will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and bonus material. Apple Man Productions can be found on Facebook. Advertisement A first edition of world-famous children's book The Tale Of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter has sold for 43,400. The book had been estimated to fetch up to 35,000 when it went under the hammer in London on Thursday. Featuring 41 full-page line drawings, it was printed privately by Potter in 1901 after several children's book publishers turned her down. A first edition of world-famous children's book The Tale Of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter has sold for 43,400 The Dreweatts & Bloomsbury auction raised a total of 99,968.80 Among the 50 lots sold was an original watercolour design for The Story Of Miss Moppet. Created in 1906, the drawing of the mouse, which is autographed by Potter and includes her notes, raised 16,120 The special auction marked the 150th anniversary of the author's birth The Tale Of Peter Rabbit became a hit with friends and family, and a publisher decided to release the book. The special auction, which marked the 150th anniversary of the author's birth, raised almost 100,000. Among the 50 lots sold was an original watercolour design for The Story Of Miss Moppet. Created in 1906, the drawing of the mouse, which is autographed by Potter and includes her notes, raised 16,120. Many of the items come from the John Cawood Collection, amassed by the collector since 1972. The Dreweatts & Bloomsbury auction raised a total of 99,968.80. A judge has ruled that Kansas child welfare officials will keep custody of the younger children of a woman who took them to sing for the Oregon wildlife refuge occupiers and is accused of abusing them. A Shawnee County judge cited the children's descriptions of abuse Wednesday in ruling that Auburn resident Odalis Sharp couldn't get the younger ones back, The Kansas City Star reported. Sharp has 10 children, but several are over 18. Seven had been temporarily placed in state custody. Three Sharp children testified that their mother hit them with rods and would say she was trying to 'beat the fire' out of them. They said she also yelled and screamed Bible verses during the punishment. Scroll down for video Odalis Sharp was accused of physical and emotional abuse of her children. A number of them testified of the abuse they received at her hands. Now seven of them are in the care of the state of Kansas Odalis Sharp's children had detailed to the Shawnee County District Court judge how their mother had beaten them, yelled at them and called them names. She would also make them put pumps of hand soap in their mouths to wash it out. In January Sharp, 46, of Auburn, traveled with seven of her 10 children, who have a family gospel band, from Kansas to Oregon to sing for and support the 41-day occupation by armed militants at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Sharp told the judge she loved her children, adding before the ruling that she was a woman of God and that 'the real abuse is to take these children from their home.' But Judge Steven Ebberts had heard enough. There was a line between punishment and abuse, Ebberts said, and the mother had repeatedly crossed it. The children told how Sharp had two different rods that she would hit the children with, one plastic and the other wooden. If they moved, Sharp told them that they would be hit once again. She would use the rod to spank them on their butt, but sometimes it would hit their thighs, the children testified. Sometimes it would break the skin and they would bleed. Odalis Sharp pictured here with seven of her children, pictured in February. The Sharps were there to support Ammon Bundy in relation to the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge. All seven will now remain in care Mother of ten, Odalis Sharp, was told by a judge that she couldn't get custody of her children back. He cited emotional and physical abuse as the reason One daughter, 18-year-old Victoria Sharp, was riding with Nevada rancher LaVoy Finicum and three of the other militants when Finicum was shot and killed by Oregon state police. At the end of April, five of her children bolted as she climbed in the shower, according to court testimony. Worried about the possibility of a shootout if authorities came to the house, the children stashed family guns at the end of their driveway before going to the Shawnee County sheriff's office. One of her underage children had already run away. 'We felt it was unsafe,' one of the teenage Sharps said. 'We were not sure what would happen in the future.' As the three children finished testifying, Sharp told each one that she loved them, but she never apologized for hurting them. 'I love you all,' Sharp said. 'But it seems you have made your choice.' Sharp has 30 days to appeal but said after the hearing that she hasn't decided if she will. 'I think crying wolf, crying abuse, was their way out,' she said, describing the charges as trumped up. A total of 25 people are charged in connection with the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which began January 2 and lasted until February 11. With big shoes to fill on the Democratic convention stage as well as in the New York governor's mansion, Andrew Cuomo opted to repeatedly invoke his late dad rather than avoid him. He said the 1984 election was important because it was about two opposing philosophies, and that the current race was a battle for the 'soul of America.' 'I would like to acknowledge my father, who we lost last year. He gave the keynote speech in 1984, and he loved the Democratic party,' New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told an appreciative convention crowd Thursday. He hailed Hillary Clinton, the party's nominee who used his home state as a springboard to her career when she won election to a New York Senate seat when she left the White House. But he also kept returning to his dad in his remarks. 'Mario Cuomo was a dreamer too, but our progressive government is working in New York,' he said after invoking Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson. Scroll down for video New York governor Andrew Cuomo made repeated references to his late father, Mario Cuomo, in his convention speech Thursday Cuomo trumpeted his state's enactment of a $15 minimum wage, paid family leave, and a ban on fracking. 'These are not dreams, they are realities,' he said. The generally centrist Cuomo accused Republicans of having 'short term memory loss.' And he said the Trump campaign was 'marketing a great distraction using people's fear and anxiety to drive his ratings.' 'His message comes down to this: be afraid of people who are different," Cuomo added. "It's not right. It's divisive. It's delusional and we must expose the truth to the people of this nation." He continued, 'Fear has never created a job and fear has never educated a child and fear has never built a home and fear has never built a community and fear will never build a nation. Let them remember, when they sell fear, fear is not strength. Fear is weakness. And no matter how loud you yell, our America is never weak," he said. Delegates from New York listen to Cuomo's speech in Philadelphia Cuomo, a possible future presidential candidate, pointed to New York's passage of a $15 minimum wage and other liberal priorities 'We Democrats must unite so that the entire nation can unite, because surely the Republicans won't bring this country together. Their policies divide the nation into the lucky and the left-out, into the royalty and the rabble." Cuomo served in Bill Clinton's administration as the secretary of housing, and has been mentioned as a possible future presidential candidate. But the second-term governor's administration came under investigation by the Manhattan U.S. attorney for interference with an anti-corruption commission. No charges were brought. He ended his speech with one more reference to his dad's 'timeless message.' A former airman who was caring for the 21-month-old son of another airman who was deployed to Qatar has been convicted in the child's death. Justin Corbett, 28, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide Thursday. Corbett had been charged with first-degree murder by abuse or neglect in Evan Dudley's death, the News Journal of Wilmington reported. Authorities say Corbett, who was serving at Dover Air Force Base, was caring for Evan in November 2012 while the boy's mother, also a Dover airman, was deployed. Twenty-eight-year-old Justin Corbett was convicted of criminally negligent homicide Thursday. Corbett had been charged with first-degree murder by abuse or neglect in Evan Dudley's death Police say Corbett called 911 to report that Evan was unresponsive after falling down stairs. The boy died at a hospital. His death was ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma. Corbett faces up to eight years in prison at sentencing on September 15. He has denied killing the boy. While not his main carers, Corbett and his wife, Aubrey, would occasionally watch little Evan while his mom, Nicole Dudley, was serving in Qatar. The arrangement was part of a family-care plan approved by the Air Force. However, in the afternoon of November 3, 2012, Corbett, who was assigned to Dover Air Force Base, called 911 from his base housing home and told dispatchers the boy had fallen down a flight of carpeted stairs and was unresponsive. Evan was initially rushed to Kent General Hospital where he was assessed and then transferred to Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in critical condition with head injuries and multiple bruises on his body, authorities said. Military mom: While not his main carers, Corbett and his wife, Aubrey, would occasionally watch little Evan (right) while his mom, Nicole Dudley (left), was serving in Qatar He died four days later due to the injuries, which included a detached retina, excessive swelling and bleeding in his brain and numerous bruises on his head. His mom, who had flown back from Qatar, was by his side in his hospital bed when the life support was switched off. The state Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide by blunt force trauma. But a lengthy state police investigation ensued, including an Attorney General's Office review. Then the case was sent to a child abuse expert and pediatric pathologist for review because certain injuries were noted during the boy's autopsy. Both experts agreed Evan was a homicide victim, authorities said. Several people described Evan to investigators as being 'healthy and normal' up until the day he went to visit the Corbett family that day, according to court documents. Troopers and agents from the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations arrested Corbett at home. 'We knew it was going to take some time to properly charge him, only because of the complexity of the investigation,' Sgt. Paul Shavack of the Delaware State Police told Delaware Online. Evan's care arrangement was part of a family-care plan approved by the Air Force 'Child death cases can be among some of the most complex cases that we investigate.' Dudley had written on a Facebook page she set up called 'Evan's Heaven' that she was relieved an arrest had been made in the case and that she's closer in her quest justice for her baby. 'The past 15 months and 11 days have been a non-stop emotional roller coaster for me and my family,' the emotional mother wrote. 'From the moment the doctor gave his characterization of Evan's injuries at A.I. Dupont Hospital, to receiving word of last night's arrest, I've alternated between grief, anger, depression and anxiety ... I can now add hope to the list, as the arrest gives me the feeling that resolution and justice for Evan are within reach.' When Dudley was sent in May 2012 to Qatar with the 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron, a supply unit, she selected Evan's godmother, Nicole Payne, and her boyfriend, Dave Holecek, as his primary caretakers. However, it was arranged that he would occasionally visit the Corbett home to play with the couple's young son and daughter. It's not clear how Dudley and the Corbetts knew each other or if in fact they did. Justin Corbett was alone with Evan and his own 18-month-old child when the incident happened. Dudley said when she spoke to the doctor treating her dying son while she was still in Qatar, he told her Evan wouldn't survive and that what happened to him, in his view, wasn't an accident, but an assault. She immediately flew home to Delaware in time to lie in the hospital bed with Evan for less than two days before he was taken off life support. A New Zealand Jiu-Jitsu athlete and his journalist girlfriend have fled Rio for Toronto after suffering further harassment at the hands of police in Brazil. Jason Lee had been living in the Brazilian city for the past 10 months when he was kidnapped by two military police officers last weekend. The officer forced the 27-year-old into an unmarked car and made him extract 2000 Reais ($812) from ATMs. But the couple decided to leave the country after police visited their apartment a second time in what Mr Lee described as an attempt to intimidate them, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Scroll down for video Jason Lee and his girlfriend Laura McQuillan, a Kiwi journalist reporting on the 2016 Olympics, fled Rio The second time they arrived, in the middle of the night, they had a document that confirmed our fears that information had been passed from the civil police to the military police. It basically confirmed our address had been passed on,' Lee, a Jiu-Jitsu champion, said. 'After the first visit from the police we immediately began to talk about whether leaving was the best option. Once we had the second visit there was no other course of action.' Lee and his girlfriend, Laura McQuillan, who is a Kiwi journalist reporting on the Rio Olympics, live tweeted when the same men showed up to their apartment though they shouldn't have had the couple's address. Mr Lee said they were both still feeling pretty anxious, and they hadnt been been sleeping' since the ordeal. Ms McQuillan later tweeted that she and her boyfriend had decided to leave Rio Lee, a New Zealand Jiu-Jitsu athlete, said he was kidnapped and robbed by men wearing Policia Militar uniforms in Rio, Brazil 'Policia Militar have shown up at my apartment unannounced. I have refused them access, called my embassy and we are waiting for Civil Police,' Jason Lee wrote on Twitter on Monday afternoon, local time Lee, who has been living in Rio for the past ten months, said he had been kidnapped and robbed by men wearing Militar Police uniforms - who later showed up at his Rio apartment when he reported it 'I was assured by Civil police that by making a statement, my personal information could not be accessed by Policia Militar,' he said New Zealand Jiu-Jitsu athlete Jason Lee (pictured far right in Brazil with other competitors) had spoken with the NZ Embassy and Civil Police before leaving Rio It was a terrifying experience for Lee who said they were 'locked in our apartment awaiting advice from the NZ ambassador' when the men left about 15 minutes later. Lee had first rehashed the robbery and kidnapping on Twitter: 'What did you guys get up to yesterday? I got kidnapped. Go Olympics! #Rio2016' The martial arts sportsman later explained on Facebook, in a post which has since been deleted, that he was 'threatened with arrest' if he did not get into the private car with the men. 'I'm not sure what's more depressing, the fact this stuff is happening to foreigners so close to the Olympic Games or the fact that Brazilians have to live in a society that enables this absolute bullshit on a daily basis,' Lee wrote online. 'This place is well and truly f***ked in every sense of the word imaginable.' 'What did you guys get up to yesterday? I got kidnapped. Go Olympics!' Lee had earlier written on Twitter A Democratic convention whose opening drew attention mostly for clashes between protesters and ticked-off supporters of Bernie Sanders turned into a flag-filled arena filled with patriotic chants when retired General John Allen delivered a vigorous defense of Hillary Clinton. 'The free people of the world look to America as the last best hope for peace and liberty for all human kind,' Allen told a cheering crowd. 'We are the greatest country on this planet!' Allen's remarks were a strong dose of nationalism and patriotism for a party that has often found itself subject to attacks from Republicans as being soft on defense. In the current election, many prominent members of the foreign policy establishment, including conservatives, have publicly raised doubts about Donald Trump for his statements questioning U.S. alliances and calling for retrenchment in overseas commitments and trade agreements. 'We stand before you tonight to endorse Hillary Clinton for the president of the United States of America,' he said, with veterans of many ethnicities standing behind him. Scroll down for video Retired Gen. John Allen, former commander of the International Security Assistance Forces and Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, addressed the Democratic convention backed by a group of veterans 'We trust in her judgement. We believe in her vision for a United America. thats a just and strong leader against the forces of hatred against the forces of chaos and darkness,' said, who commanded U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan and served as the top envoy to the fight against ISIS. A convention hall that conspicuously lacked any American flags on stage on Monday the situation was rectified after it was reported turned into a sea of red, white and blue as huge flags were distributed to the crowd. Gen. Allen marched out to the beat of snare drums to set the tone, along with a group of military leaders and recent veterans. He said they represented men and women of every race and ethnicity, faith, and creed, including Muslims and people of 'every gender and every gender orientation.' He said of Clinton: 'She as no other knows how to use all instruments of American power not just the military to keep us all safe and free,' he said. 'I tell you without hesitation or reservation that Hillary Clinton will be exactly exactly the kind of Commander in Chief America needs.' 'I know this because I served with her. I know this as the former special presidential envoy to the global coalition to counter ISIS,' he said. 'With her as our cic am will continue to lead this volatile world,' he intoned, picking up a theme of American exceptionalism that has been a cornerstone of U.S. policy but more commonly used in conservative think tanks. Retired Gen. John Allen delivered a rousing speech in Philadelphia where he vowed to preserve alliances and defeat allies - and endorsed Hillary Clinton GRAND OLD FLAG: Democrats filled the arena with flags for the national security speech, as the crowd changed 'USA!' Allen spoke of diversity as a strength of the U.S. military 'We will oppose and resist tyranny and we will defeat evil,' he told the still-cheering crowd. 'America will defeat ISIS and protect the homeland. Am will honor our treaty obligations. We will lead and strengthen NATO and the Atlantic Alliance,' as well as allies in Asia 'whom we have sworn a solemn oath to defend.' In addition to questioning NATO, Trump has questioned the continued stationing of thousands of U.S. troops in South Korea. 'With her as commander in chief, our international relations will not be reduced to a business transaction,' he said in another dig at Trump. 'Our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture and they will not be engaged in murder or carry out other illegal activities. While Allen happily endorsed Clinton on tonight's Democratic National Convention stage he's not always seen eye to eye with another Democrat President Barack Obama, according to he Marine Corps Times. He urged the president to keep troops in place in Afghanistan, suggesting to the Marine Corps Times in September 2014 that the Democrat's withdrawal plan could cause the Afghan government to collapse. And last September he abruptly resigned from his post leading international efforts against ISIS as reports suggested that he and the White House, along with Defense officials, couldn't agree on the best strategy to beat the Islamic State. Allen had been a deputy commander in Iraq's Anbar province from 2006 to 2008, helping to defeat Al-Qaeda by bringing Sunni sheiks and tribes into the fold. This group had been pushed from Iraqi politics after the 2003 war began. Then, Allen was the top commander of all American and NATO troops in Afghanistan between the years of 2011 and left that post in 2013. He retired from the military to take care of his ailing wife instead of taking over the head of U.S. European Command, a position he was nominated for. Allen quit his post after clashing with President Obama over the speed of the drawdown in Afghanistan, and disagreements over the strategy to defeat ISIS, Military Times reported. A youth support worker who was assaulted by sexually aggressive female client has won more than $1.5 million in compensation because her employers did not warn her about the woman's behaviour. The young female client, known as 'T', sexually assaulted the Brisbane Youth Service (BYS) worker during a 2011 meeting at a Child Safety department office. T's sexualised and violent behaviour had led to two other BYS employees stopping work with her, a fact that was not disclosed to the youth worker, Brisbane Supreme Court heard. The worker was 'frozen in fear' as T, an ice user and mother-of-two, slid her foot up the support worker's skirt and used her toes to 'caress' her genitalia, The Courier Mail reports. A Brisbane Youth Service worker was 'frozen in fear' as T, an ice user and mother-of-two, slid her foot up the support worker's skirt and used her toes to 'caress' her genitalia (stock image) T's sexualised and violent behaviour had led to two other BYS employees stop working with her, a fact that was not disclosed to the youth worker, Brisbane Supreme Court heard The support worker had moved her chair away before T attempted to use her foot to assault her for a third time. The support worker told T to stop, to which she responded: 'You just need a f***ing lay.' When the meeting end, T said: 'Next time I see you can you make sure your husband's f***ed you.' The sexual assault triggered post-traumatic stress from childhood abuse and the worker had to be hospitalised, the Courier Mail reports. Her marriage also broke up and she lost all enjoyment for activities she used to take part in as a result of the attack. Justice Ros Atkinson said Brisbane Youth Service, which supports disadvantaged young people aged between 12 and 25, knew the risks involved for employees that worked with T and failed to disclose these warnings to the worker. The family support worker was not told that T had written out thoughts about stalking, drugging and raping women. Another youth worker had stopped seeing T after she told her she thought about murdering her and performing a sex act on her body. Brisbane Youth Service was found liable for the woman's injury and WorkCover was ordered to pay her $1,508,639. Police ejected a woman from Donald Trump's campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Thursday night after she yelled a vulgarity at him while he spoke. 'You f***ing Nazi!' Melissa Jo Kelly, 67, held up a sign with the word 'racism' behind the international 'no' sign a red circle with a diagonal slash through it. And she brought extras: Shortly before she was marched out of the Cedar Rapids Convention Complex, the sign was snatched out of her hands. She calmly produced a new one from under her jacket. Responses from Trump loyalists were fast and furious. Scroll down for video 'YOU F***ING NAZI!": Melissa Jo Kelly screamed at Donald Trump during his rally Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, Iowa KEEP CRANKING: Trump never skipped a beat, continuing with his speech while security officers called police to eject Kelly TIME TO GO: Kelly refused to budge until uniformed police came 'Go join all the illegals!' one man near her shouted. 'Shut up, b**ch!' screamed another. 'Go home! Get out of here!' He told her to leave and meet up with her 'Muslim friends.' A third man tried to reason with her, to no avail, saying that while she had a right to protest, the thousands of people in the room with her had the right to hear Trump speak. In between verbal jousts with a private security officer, Kelly asked DailyMail.com: 'How could anybody argue with being against racism?' 'You're not invited here. You need to leave,' the guard told her. 'Somebody tore down my sign. Somebody just hit me,' she argued back. 'I'm standing against racism,' Kelly trumpeted, as one rally-goer held up a Trump sign to block hers. 'I'm saying, "Not in our name will you attack Muslims. Not in our name! Not in our name! Not in our name will you attack Mexicans".' IOWA 2.0: Trump lost the Iowa Caucuses this year to Ted Cruz but came back Thursday for two rallies in the critical swing state SIGN NUMBER 3: Kelly brought at least three identical signs with her, producing replacements every time someone snatched one from her hands Early in his campaign, protesters drew an inordinate amount of attention, with Trump griping that network TV cameras would only show the size of his crowds when his antagonists drew their focus in distant corners of giant arenas. Dozens of protesters flipped off crowds and law enforcement as they were tossed out. One threw a tomato at him in Iowa City. Trump caught flak the next week for saying he would pay the legal bills of anyone who attacked future produce-flingers. Over time he graduated from yelling 'Get him out! became a familiar command to police, always followed by cheers to shrugging his shoulders and joking that he might begin hiring his own protesters to keep things interesting. At their peak, protesters were so plentiful that an emcee would announce before each event that Trump fans should chant his name loudly in order to attract the attention of police if an interloper was present. Some rallies now feature that pre-show warning; others omit it. NOT BUDGING: The elderly, foul-mouthed protester argued with a private security guard while Trump fans hurled insults at her HE'S BUSY: Trump said he might watch Hillary Clinton's Democratic National Convention speech after his rally: 'I really don't wanna go home and watch that crap!' Now accustomed to dissent in his campaign events, Trump didn't skip a beat on Thursday except to ask if Kelly and another less boisterous activist were 'friend or foe.' A belligerent Kelly refused to leave. 'You're not a cop. ... You don't tell me what to do!' she boomed at the security guard. As police came and flanked her for the walk out of the convention center, a man grabbed sign number two from her. She sneered at him and produced a third. Trump kept rolling, bashing 'crooked Hillary Clinton' and telling his throngs that he would watch her during the Democratic National Convention's final night when he finished his speech. Maybe. 'Tonight I'll go home, I guess, and watch. I guess,' he said. 'Are we gonna watch tonight? I don't know. I don't know.' After anti-Hillary-Clinton chants of 'Lock her up! Lock her up!' erupted, he paused and said he might stay and speak all night instead Fresh food shelves at Coles stores have been left stripped bare after an industrial dispute over workers' pay entered its fourth day. A massive shortage across perishable goods is frustrating many customers that can't get a hold of basic fresh fruit, vegetables or meat. Around 650 workers walked out of the Polar Fresh warehouse in Melbourne's west on Wednesday morning, causing the warehouse to shut down. Fresh food shelves were left empty after workers at Polar Fresh warehouse went on strike this week Polar Fresh warehouse workers - who store and supply cold and fresh goods for Coles stores across Victoria and Tasmania - are demanding an increase in pay. Photos are now surfacing of shelves that have been left empty as the dispute rages on. Dr Gary Mortimer, an Associate Professor in Marketing from Queensland University of Technology, says that customers are are caught in the cross-fire. 'One of the immediate consequences is that shoppers have faced frustration that they can't get the products they want and need,' he said. Union officials met with company representatives on Thursday and will meet again on Friday. A spokesperson for National Union of Workers said that workers could potentially reach a deal on Friday evening but if not, they'll strike over the weekend and into next week as well if need be. Some Coles stores have been left entirely sold out of certain products as the dispute rages on Customers have been unable to buy basic groceries like meat and vegetables due to the ongoing dispute Earlier this week Paul O'Grady, acting for Coles, said workers holding union flags were linking arms and standing across the exit at the site to stop Coles trucks exiting. But they were also stopping Coles trucks gaining access to other contingency sites set up so business operation could continue, he said. Those sites were unrelated to the Polar Fresh dispute, the court heard. 'This is a specific targeting of Coles trucks,' Mr O'Grady told the Victorian Supreme Court. Photos of empty shelves show the shortage of fresh vegetables at Coles stores in Victoria The strike could continue into the weekend or even early next week if an agreement isn't reached on Friday evening 'One can infer it is to apply pressure to Polar Fresh through Coles.' Justice Michael McDonald ordered the workers stop the picket action at the concerned sites by midday Thursday at the latest, and the matter will be revisited on Monday. There was a risk millions of dollars of fresh produce could turn rotten and be wasted, the court heard. The union was not represented at the hearing as it was at a Fair Work Commission conference over the dispute, the court heard. A very bare looking vegetable aisle in a Coles store is a result of the industrial dispute with workers asking for more pay Around 650 workers went on strike in a big to get an extra $3 an hour to take their hourly rate to $30 The National Union of Workers said workers are fed up after struggling with under-employment for years. 'Negotiations for a new workplace agreement have broken down, and now workers have taken the tough decision to go on strike,' Coles employees wrote on a crowd funding website dedicated to the strike. 'The fight against casualisation and under-employment is a fight for us all. Big corporations like Coles have an obligation to the workers that help them make massive profits.' The workers are calling for a $3 pay increase to $30 an hour. Unless an agreement is reached on Friday the strike could continue into the weekend The grocery giant has since been forced to look at alternative suppliers to ensure their chains across Victoria are not affected, reported the ABC. There are more than 200 Coles stores within Victoria, according to their website. 'This is placing millions of dollars of fresh food grown and produced by Victorian farmers at risk of rotting and spoilage,' a company spokesperson said. The city of New York has agreed to pay $2.7million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit that was filed by the mother of a 14-year-old autistic boy who was found dead after leaving his school in Queens. The lawsuit, as seen by the Daily News accuses school officials and the NYPD safety division of negligence for failing to monitor the exit doors of the school at which Avonte Oquendo attended. It also suggests that Avonte was not properly supervised as he had a history of being a flight risk. Avonte ran off from his school in October 2013 and was found dead in a river in January 2014. Avonte Oquendo, 14, pictured left ran away from his school in Queens, New York, on October 4, 2013. His mom Vanessa, pictured right, along with police, were not informed of his disappearance until at least an hour after he ran from the school building A law in his name was passed after his death requiring schools to install audible door alarms at schools with special needs programs. 'The loss of a child is a tragedy no family should endure,' City Law Department spokesman Nicholas Paolucci said, 'and hopefully the resolution of this legal matter will bring some measure of solace to Avonte's family'. 'The Department of Education has taken a number of steps and is dedicated to taking every measure possible to prevent something like this from occurring again,' the spokesman added. At the time of his disappearance, Avonte's mother Vanessa Fontaine led massive searches for her son after he ran out of the Riverview School in Long Island City. Runaway: CCTV footage shows Avonte Oquendo running through the corridors of his school towards the exit On camera: Avonte left his school on October 4 through a security door that had been left open CCTV: Avonte was spotted walking the streets, but it was never determined exactly how he died Hordes of volunteers walked alongside cops in looking for the teen as they searched subway stations and tunnels because the boy was fascinated by trains. A recording of his mother's voice was even played over tannoys in the hope of reaching the boy. 'No amount of money can ever heal the pain or somehow lessen the loss,' Fontaine said in a statement. Avonte search leader joins hunt for missing Brooklyn man 'I only hope the Department of Education and the city of New York take the sorely needed steps to properly care for all their students, especially the ones with special needs.' Hordes of volunteers walked alongside cops in looking for the teen as they searched subway stations and tunnels because the boy was fascinated by trains. A missing poster is seen above Search: An arm, torso and legs were discovered along the Queens shoreline three months after Avonte vanished in October 2013 Fontaine's lawyer David Perecman told the Daily News that the civil case was unusual because it was never determined what actually happened to Avonte after he left the school. His body was so badly decomposed the medical examiner was not able to determine a cause of death. A Department of Education investigation has also taken place into how the autistic boy managed to get out of his special needs school and how teaching staff handled his disappearance. Avonte's mother Vanessa, along with police, were not informed of his disappearance until at least an hour after he ran from the school building. The school failed to go into lockdown mode while none of the administrators had passwords to access the surveillance cameras at the school on the day of Avonte's disappearance. The fifth permit for participation in Tennessees eighth managed elk hunt will be awarded to the successful bidder in an eBay auction to be held from July 28-Aug 7. Proceeds from the auction benefit the states elk restoration program. Since the elk hunt was implemented in 2009, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has donated a permit to a Non-Governmental Organization to join four others who will be chosen from a computer drawing. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation is the recipient again this year for the donated special take permit. The TWRF will award its permit to the successful high bidder through the eBay auction. The successful bidder will be a participant in the hunt along with four others who will be selected in a random computer draw later this summer. Applications for the four permits for the elk hunt must be submitted by midnight (CDT) on July 27. The 2016 elk hunt will be held Oct. 17-21 at the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area. The North Cumberland WMA will be divided into five open elk hunting zones (EHZ). Each of the five hunters will be designated an EHZ in a drawing to be conducted at a later date at a TWRA Region IV location. All proceeds from the sale of the remaining special bull elk tag will go exclusively to the elk restoration program. The auction will begin at 9:30 p.m. (CDT) on July 28 and will end at 9:30 p.m. (CDT) on Aug. 7. Search Tennessee Elk Permit on eBay to find the listing after the launch time or visit the TWRF website at www.twrf.net for information. FBI Director James Comey has warned success against ISIS in the Middle East could lead to more terrorism in the West. Comey said the destruction of the extremist group's bases in Syria and Iraq would likely mean its remaining forces spread further abroad. 'At some point there is going to be a terrorist diaspora out of Syria like we've never seen before,' Comey said at a cybersecurity conference at Fordham University in New York on Wednesday, according to CNN. Scroll down for video FBI Director James Comey (pictured) has warned success against ISIS in the Middle East could lead to more terrorism in the West Comey said the destruction of the extremist group's bases in Syria and Iraq would likely mean its remaining forces spread further abroad (stock image) 'Not all of the Islamic State killers are going to die on the battlefield.' The FBI Director also said stopping attacks is harder than trying to find a needle in a haystack, before comparing the potential spread to the one seen when al-Qaeda was formed. 'We have to figure out which pieces of hay may become a needle because there are troubled people consuming that propaganda all over the world,' he said. 'This is an order of magnitude greater than anything we've seen before. 'A lot of terrorists fled out of Afghanistan... this is 10 times that or more. 'We saw the future of this threat in Brussels and in Paris.' The US Navy is set to name a ship after slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk. The Navy will name a Military Sealift Command fleet oiler 'USNS Harvey Milk' after the pioneering gay leader, according to a Congressional notification dated July 14, obtained by USNI News. The ship will be the second of the the next generation of fleet replenishment oilers named USNS John Lewis after civil rights activist and congressman Rep. John Lewis, which are being built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego. The US Navy is set to name a ship after slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk (pictured above) The Navy will name a Military Sealift Command fleet oiler 'USNS Harvey Milk' after the pioneering gay leader (pictured left), according to a Congressional notification dated July 14 In the last several years, California lawmakers have been pushing for a ship to be named after Milk following the repeal of the Department of Defense's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in 2011. Stuart Milk, Milk's nephew and co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation, said back in 2012 that naming a ship after Milk would boost a sense of esteem among the military's gay, lesbian and bisexual members. 'This action by the secretary of the Navy will further send a green light to all the brave men and women who serve our nation that honesty, acceptance and authenticity are held up among the highest ideals of our military,' Milk said in a statement to San Diego LGBT Weekly. At this time, the Navy's office has not released any additional information about the ship being named after the gay rights activist. Milk, who was commissioned in the service in 1951, served as a diving officer in San Diego during the Korean War until 1955 before he was honorably discharged as a lieutenant junior grade. He became one of the first openly gay men elected to public office in the U.S. when he won a seat on San Francisco's board of supervisors in 1977. A disgruntled former city supervisor assassinated him and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone at City Hall in 1978. Supporters say he set the tone for the modern gay rights movement. The activist's life was memorialized in the Oscar-winning 2008 movie 'Milk,' and he also has been honored with a commemorative stamp and a posthumous Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. The activist's life was memorialized in the Oscar-winning 2008 movie 'Milk,' and he also has been honored with a commemorative stamp (pictured) and a posthumous Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama In April, the Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to name a street after Milk. Signs bearing his name were added to parts of 900 South, near thoroughfares honoring civil rights icons like Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren has said the John Lewis-class oilers will be named after civil rights leaders. Names included in the class include women's rights activists Lucy Stone and Sojourner Truth, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren whose court ruled to desegregate US schools and former Attorney General Robert F Kennedy. For 40 years it has been the fastest plane ever built, and now the crew who flew the record-breaking, speed-shattering mission have been reunited with the aircraft they once commanded, and climbed back into the cockpit. It was 1976 when U.S. Air Force pilot Maj. Gen. Eldon 'Al' Joersz and Lt. Col. George 'GT' Morgan flew a jet faster than a speeding bullet. They flew faster than anyone had done before, or since. On July 28, 1976, the two men flew a SR-71 Blackbird spy plane for more than a thousand kilometers at 2,193 miles per hour, covering one mile every 1.64 seconds, a record that still stands today. Back in the saddle: Maj. Gen. Eldon 'Al' Joersz, USAF pilot retired, front, and Lt. Col. George 'GT' Morgan, USAF retired reconnaissance systems officer, set a world speed record in 1976 in this SR-71 aircraft Big metal bird: The pair were reunited with the plane that they flew in 1976 to set an air-speed record that has stood for the past 40 years. The reunion happened at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia Forty years on from their speed-smashing record, the pilots were able to sit in the cockpit of the aircraft once again. The supersonic spy plane, which flew at more than three times the speed of sound is now on display at the Century of Flight Hangar at the Museum of Aviation in Georgia and on Thursday the original crew were reunited with the record-setting plane they flew. Joersz, who retired from the Air Force as a major general, was the pilot. Morgan, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, was the reconnaissance systems officer. The idea was to set the World Absolute Speed record as part of the nation's bicentennial celebration. They crew set their course and altitude and fired the afterburners to soar into the sky and with it, the record books. Flying the flag: SR-71 Blackbird pilot Al Joersz and reconnaissance systems officer George Morgan hold Bicentennial Flag to recreate a photo made the day they set at world speed record of 2,193 mph In 1976, reconnaissance officer George Morgan, left, and pilot Eldon 'Al' Joersz set the world aviation speed record in an Air Force SR-71 Blackbird spy jet. Their record -- 2,193 mph -- still stands. On the day of the record, Joersz recalls how after making final checks, he lined the aircraft at the end of the runway, ready for takeoff. When he got the green light Joersz pushed the throtles forward the plane blasted into the sky and were at their target altitude at 80,600 feet within minutes. It was so high that Joersz remembers seeing the curvature of the Earth. In the seat behind him, Morgan helped Joersz follow the mission checklist and made sure they remained on track. 'I was watching very closely to make sure we were right on the money,' Morgan said to CNN. 'And we were.' The plane had to complete a 15 kilometer course which it passed through within a matter of seconds, before turning around and flying the same course one more time. 'I powered back ... and began the turn -- 90 degrees to the left, then a 270-degree turn to the right,' Joersz said. Morgan and Joersz say they encouraged each other over their headsets. Morgan spoke into the microphone, 'What do you think? Are we gonna make this thing? Oh, yeah, piece of cake!' Reconnaissance Systems Officer George Morgan stands in front of a Cold War-era U.S. Air Force SR-71 spy plane in an undated photo Lockheed engineers working on the Blackbird - the dark color acted as a camouflage After crossing four states, the pair landed safely back at Beale Air Force Base in California about 55 minutes after they took off. Joersz and Morgan climbed out of their cockpits to be met by a crowd of saluting VIPs that included generals, Lockheed executives and a congratulatory phone call from commander in chief of the Air Force Strategic Air Command. The pair had beated the previous record by 123mph but were just 7mph short of breaking the 2,200mph mark. Joersz said he never expected the record to stand. He said he was happy to see the plane for the first time at the museum. 'It wasn't supposed to be that big of a deal,' Joersz told CNN. 'We knew we were going to be setting some records, but we didn't look at it as something that would endure this long.' Morgan said they were lucky to get the assignment. 'We didn't go as fast as we could, we just went as fast as we needed to go to set the record.' To withstand high temperatures during sustained Mach 3 flight, the Blackbird required an array of specially developed materials including high temperature fuel, sealants, lubricants, wiring and other components Around 93% of the plane's frame was made of titanium alloy which allowed the aircraft to fly fast and high This Saturday, the museum hosts Blackbird Day - which includes a panel discussion about the SR-71 with Joersz and Morgan and a chance for the public to meet the world's fastest jet crew. 'I'm real pleased to see the way the museum has cared for the airplane,' he told the Macon Telepgraph. 'It's encouraging to see the respect the aviation community and this museum in particular has for this airplane.' The plane was so fast that it could outrun surface-to-air missiles as it traveled close to the edge of space at about 85,000 feet, or about 16 miles above the earth. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outfly the missile. The plane flew so high above the Earth's surface that Joersz said there was no real sense of speed at all with the clouds so far below. A total of 32 of the aircraft were built which flew from 1964 to 1999; 12 were lost in accidents, but none were shot down by enemies. Lockheed's previous reconnaissance aircraft was the relatively slow U-2, designed for the CIA. In late 1957, the CIA approached the defense contractor Lockheed to build an undetectable spy plane and within ten months they had come up with the design for the Blackbird. Flying at 80,000 ft meant that crews could not use standard masks, which would not provide enough oxygen above 43,000 ft, so specialist protective pressurised suits were made. The plane's titanium skin was capable of surviving temperatures up to 482C. An SR-71B trainer over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1994 - the raised second cockpit is for the instructor Since 1976 the Blackbird has held the world record for the fastest manned aircraft The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career and is believed to be the most advanced airplane ever built in relation to the technology available at the time. Almost every aspect of its design required new approaches or breakthroughs in technology. To withstand high temperatures generated by friction in the upper atmosphere during sustained Mach 3 flight, the Blackbird required an array of specially developed materials including high temperature fuel, sealants, lubricants, wiring and other components. Around 93% of the Blackbird's airframe consisted of titanium alloy that allowed the aircraft to operate in a regime where temperatures range from 450 degrees to 950 degrees. On July 24 1964, US President Lyndon B. Johnson publicly announced the existence of the classified Lockheed SR-71 program. The first flight was held on December 22 and operational aircraft deliveries began in 1966. Looking back over the past 40 years, Joersz is confident a new aircraft will someday break the record he managed to set, perhaps reaching five or even six times the speed of sound. 'It'll make Mach 3 seem pretty slow.' An SR-71 refueling from a KC-135Q Stratotanker during a flight in 1983. Because they were powered by a uniquely formulated jet fuel, SR-71 Blackbirds were refueled exclusively by KC-135Q tankers THE RECORD BREAKING SR-71 BLACKBIRD The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. On July 28 1976 it broke the world record for absolute altitude - reaching 85,069 feet. That same day a different SR-71 set an absolute speed record of 2,193.2mph - a record it still holds today. The SR-71 also holds the Speed Over a Recognized Course record for flying from New York to London a distance of 3,461.53 miles travelling at 1,806.964 miles per hour - at an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds. This record was set on September 1 1974 while flown by U.S. Air Force Pilot Major James Sullivan and Major Noel Widdifield. In comparison, the best commercial Concorde flight time was 2 hours 52 minutes and the Boeing 747 averages 6 hours 15 minutes. When the SR-71 was retired in 1990 a Blackbird was flown on March 6 from California to Virginia. Lt. Col. Raymond E. 'Ed' Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph T. 'JT' Vida set four new speed records in the process: 1. Los Angeles, CA, to Washington, D.C., distance 2,299.7 miles, average speed 2,144.8 miles per hour (3,451.7 km/h), and an elapsed time of 64 minutes 20 seconds. 2. West Coast to East Coast, distance 2,404 miles, average speed 2,124.5 miles per hour, and an elapsed time of 67 minutes 54 seconds. 3. Kansas City, Missouri, to Washington, D.C., distance 942 miles, average speed 2,176 miles per hour, and an elapsed time of 25 minutes 59 seconds. 4. St. Louis, Missouri, to Cincinnati, Ohio, distance 311.4 miles, average speed 2,189.9 miles per hour and an elapsed time of 8 minutes 32 seconds. These four speed records were accepted by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), the recognized body for aviation records in the United States. Advertisement The Blackbird's first flight was held in December 22 1964 and operational aircraft deliveries began in 1966 The Blackbirds kept flying after their retirement from the USAF - one of them even stayed at NASA. This photo shows an SR-71 at the Armstrong Flight Research Center being retrofitted for a test A P-plate driver who crashed a truck into a Sydney shopfront causing serious damage before speeding off is being sought by police. The truck fled from the scene after smashing into the premises on Parramatta Road in the citys inner west early on Friday, police said. Officers were called about 2.15am and found major damage to the front of the store. Police are searching for the driver of a truck who crashed into a shop in Sydney's inner west on Friday A green P-plate was discovered nearby. Footage from the scene showed the front roller doors ripped from the shopfront and smashed glass on the ground. There were no witnesses to the crash, but police believe the vehicle that hit the building was a truck. Police said the truck's front end was likely to have been damaged in the incident and travelled west on Parramatta Road afterwards. Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The truck sped from the scene after smashing into the premises on Parramatta Road about 2.15am Australian universities are under fire for using cruel animal testing practices as part of various medical and scientific studies. But one Deakin University student is calling on the prestigious institutions to end their cruel practices. Alexandra Sedgwick, 24, has kickstarted a campaign against her own university. Scroll down for video Alexandra Sedgwick, a vegan activist, pictured with rhinoceros, is campaigning against her own Deakin University for using animals in scientific studies The University of Melbourne made six kittens deaf before killing them as part of a medical study with the Bionics Institute, while Monash University made eight healthy baby monkeys brain dead as part of a brain injury study A mouse used in a typical animal experiment for scientific purposes, a practice that may be used by some Australian universities Ms Sedgwick organised a meeting on Friday morning with the Dean of the faculty of science, engineering and built environment, to put her case against the university's current animal testing policy. But the vegan activist said her message was difficult to get across as she was refused any support in the meeting. 'It was an intense experience. I had requested to bring in people as support which [the Dean] didn't allow,' Ms Sedgwick told Daily Mail Australia. Ms Sedgwick said the university branded her view as 'unique' and unsupported as she was not allowed to bring in her support team. Other Australian universities also use cruel animal testing practices for scientific and educational purposes. The University of Melbourne made six kittens deaf before killing them as part of a medical study with the Bionics Institute while Monash University made eight healthy baby monkeys brain dead as part of a brain injury study, Fairfax Media reported. Deakin University Professor Trevor Day said the university uses animal material from deceased animals in teaching biology ranging from organs such as hearts, brains and kidneys sourced from abattoirs, cane toads, and naturally still-born piglets collected on farms. 'Students report that access to such material enhances their learning experience and allows them to understand issues, such as the three dimensional relationships between various anatomical structures, in a manner that books and computer simulations rarely achieve,' Professor Day said. Ms Sedgwick organised a meeting on Friday morning with the Dean of the faculty of science, engineering and built environment to encourage the university to step away from its current animal testing policy But the vegan activist said her message was difficult to get across as she was refused any support in the meeting Despite Ms Sedgwick's efforts, the Dean stood by his position that animal tissue was more effective in scientific studies than non-animal alternatives, and insisted they had already adopted a cruelty-free stance. 'If they were a cruelty-free university, why wouldn't they agree to stop using animals? It doesn't make sense to say we have all these animals but then say we're not going agreeing to stop,' Ms Sedgwick said. 'For me this was never about Deakin, it was about Victorian universities and institutions and I had hoped Deakin would be the first to change,' she said. She acknowledged the difficulty of being up against a big organisation with extensive resources but hopes to further expose animal cruelty in science through her social media accounts and by connecting with like-minded people. Despite Ms Sedgwick's efforts, the Dean stood by his position that animal tissue was more effective in scientific studies than non-animal alternatives and insisted they had already adopted a cruelty-free stance 'I've had hundreds of people contact me and hopefully they will be willing to tell their stories,' Ms Sedgwick said 'I've had hundreds of people contact me and hopefully they will be willing to tell their stories. 'I hope to connect with Victorians, students, researchers and interns who are brave enough to tell the truth about this, as universities are all quite secretive especially in the research department,' she said. Over 900,000 animals are killed for scientific purposes in Victoria alone, which has been increasing every year for the past 10 years according to the most recent data from 2014. Ms Sedgwick said this does not include animal organs purchased from slaughterhouses. While she described the mood as 'devastating', Ms Sedgwick said she will not stop pursuing the issue and urges all students not to participate in dissection. Professor Day said there is very limited use of live animals in teaching and training at Deakin. 'All but one of the types of live animals used for the purposes of laboratory teaching classes are invertebrates, that is animals without backbones, such as flies, cockroaches, leeches, mussels and shrimp. The exception is a single class using goldfish.' Over 900,000 animals are killed for scientific purposes in Victoria alone, which has been increasing every year for the past 10 years according to the most recent data from 2014 Suspect was taken to hospital in fair-to-serious condition and investigators recovered a weapon at the scene About 45 minutes earlier, officers in Englewood shot and injured a robbery suspect who police said refused orders to drop a weapon A male, believed to be a teenager, was struck and died at a hospital while a second person was taken into custody Driver attempted to flee and in doing so swiped a marked police car and another vehicle before two officers opened fire on the car, police said Around 7.30pm on Thursday, police said two officers tried to pull over a stolen Jaguar convertible in the South Shore neighborhood Chicago police are investigating two police-involved shootings including one that left one person, believed to be a male teenager, dead. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said two officers tried to pull over a Jaguar convertible reported stolen earlier in the day on Thursday in the South Shore neighborhood around 7.30pm. The officers curbed the vehicle got out of their car at the same time the driver attempted to flee, and in doing so swiped a marked police car and another vehicle parked on the street. Scroll down for video Chicago police are investigating two police-involved shootings including one that left one person, believed to be a male teenager, dead. The scene of the shooting in the South Shore neighborhood shown above The mother of the male believed to be a teenager who was shot after the shooting in the South Shore neighborhood is pictured kneeling down sobbing after learning her son was shot First Deputy Superintendent John Escalante said the driver 'put the vehicle in drive and literally forced his way out,' according to the Chicago Tribune. Two officers then opened fire 'onto the vehicle,' and the male, whose age was not immediately known, was struck and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he died, Guglielmi said. A second person was taken into custody. Meanwhile, police said an unknown number of officers were transported to University of Chicago Medical Center, however it was not clear with what injuries, but they were not shot, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Witness Rico Butler, 24, told the Chicago Tribune he saw a patrol car chasing and an officer or officers opening fire on a car before barricading the driver's vehicle and firing seven shots. 'After the last shot, [the driver][ hopped out and ran down the alley,' Bulter told the Chicago Tribune. 'Soon as he disappeared, they fired five more shots. Then it was over with.' Butler noted that police repeatedly told the driver to 'stop running, stop running,' before firing the last shots, and said it was visible that the driver did not have any weapons while running from police. Guglielmi said police have questions about why the officers fired their weapons. He said they were wearing body cameras and the police vehicles had cameras. Several witnesses told the Chicago Tribune they saw officers remove their body cameras following the shooting. An officer stands outside a patrol car. The shooting in South Shore came just after officers in Englewood shot and injured a robbery suspect who police say refused orders to drop a weapon A police spokesman said it was standard procedure for officers to take off their body cameras and stop recording after a police shooting in order for the video from the incident to be handed over to investigators immediately. Escalante said the investigation is going to be very active and that it will take a while to be able to view the all the body camera footage and the in-car camera footage of the incident. The shooting came about 45 minutes after officers in Englewood shot and injured a robbery suspect who police said refused orders to drop a weapon. Authorities said officers were called to a robbery at around 6.50pm in the 6700 block of South May where a 24-year-old man pointed officers to a man he said robbed him. Police said officers chased the suspect down a gangway and saw a weapon in his hand, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The officers instructed him to drop it and when he did not, they shot him twice in 'the lower extremities,' police said. The suspect was then taken to Stroger Hospital in fair-to-serious condition, fire officials said. Police said investigators recovered a weapon at the scene. The officers involved int he shooting will be placed on administrative duties for 30 days, which is standard department policy. Escalante said during the shooting, body cameras and squad car cameras were also on. Donald Trump went on a Twitter tirade after Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech - calling her 'corrupt' and criticizing her failure to mention radical Islam. The Republican nominee also claimed no one has 'worse judgement' than his Democratic adversary, adding that her wars 'have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world'. The billionaire businessman also bashed her vision of a 'borderless world' where 'working people have no power, no jobs, no safety'. In all, he wrote seven tweets after Hillary formally accepted the nomination for president. Donald Trump went on a Twitter tirade after Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech - slamming her as 'corrupt' and criticizing her failure to mention radical Islam The Republican nominee also claimed no one has 'worse judgement' than his Democratic adversary, adding her wars 'have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world' They read: Hillary's refusal to mention Radical Islam, as she pushes a 550% increase in refugees, is more proof that she is unfit to lead the country. Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words. Hillary will never reform Wall Street. She is owned by Wall Street! Hillary's vision is a borderless world where working people have no power, no jobs, no safety. Hillary's wars in the Middle East have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world. No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes. His campaign followed the fired-up comments with an official statement. Stephen Miller, Senior Policy Advisor, said: 'Hillary Clintons speech was an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric. 'She spent the evening talking down to the American people shes looked down on her whole life. 'Hillary Clinton talks about unity, about E Pluribus Unum, but her globalist agenda denies American citizens the protections to which they are all entitled tearing us apart. 'Her radical amnesty plan will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries. 'Her refusal to even say the words Radical Islam, or to mention her disaster in Libya, or her corrupt email scheme, all show how little she cares about the safety of the American people. 'Its a speech delivered from a fantasy universe, not the reality we live in today. 'Hillary Clinton says America is stronger together. But in Hillary Clintons America, millions of people are left out in the cold. Earlier on Thursday, The Donald said he thought about 'hitting' a number of speakers 'so hard' after they criticized him at the Democrat convention 'She only stands together with the donors and special interests whove bankrolled her entire life. Excluded from Hillary Clintons America are the suffering people living in our inner cities, or the victims of open borders and drug cartels, or the people whove lost their jobs because of the Clintons trade deals, or any hardworking person who doesnt have enough money to get a seat at Hillary Clintons table.' Earlier on Thursday, The Donald said he thought about 'hitting' a number of speakers 'so hard' after they criticized him at the Democrat convention. Although he didn't name and names, he appeared to reserve particular fury for Michael Bloomberg who called the Republican nominee a 'dangerous demagogue' and called on voters to elect Hilary Clinton - a 'sane, competent person'. Addressing a rally in Davenport Iowa, Trump said: 'I was going to hit one guy, in particular a very little guy. I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin. He wouldnt know what the hell happened' - in a clear reference to the diminutive former New York City mayor. He claims he was talked down from lashing out after receiving a call from a persuasive U.S. governor. Melyssa Jo Kelly holds up a sign during a speech by Trump at a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa 'What are you doing?' the governor said, in Trump's retelling, urging him to ignore 'all these people who want to get the spotlight for 5 minutes.' 'Don't hit down. You have one person to beat. Hillary Rodham Clinton. One person. Hillary Clinton.' The billionaire developer went on to refer to the Democratic National Convention as an exercise in Pollyanna thinking and cast the party of Hillary Clinton as a home for clueless idealists who are uninterested in facing tough problems. 'I watched last night, and they're not talking about the real world, you know,' the Republican presidential nominee told supporter. Advertisement A leading Adelaide psychiatrist has avoided the forced auction of her $1.4 million mansion after paying $15,000 to settle a court action over a minor car crash she was involved in four years ago. Dr Helen Marmanidis' house on Barton Terrace West in North Adelaide was due to be auctioned at 11.30am on Friday, after it was repossessed in May. Auctioneer Oren Klemich confirmed that Dr Marmanidis had payed $15,000 and the auction would not go ahead, reported the Adelaide Advertiser. A leading Adelaide psychiatrist has avoided the forced auction of her $1.4 million mansion (pictured) after paying $15,000 to settle a court action over a minor car crash she was involved in four years ago Dr Marmanidis pleaded her lengthy case in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, asking for the sale to be put on hold. Judge Jane Schrammer said she would not stay the sale unless Dr Marmanidis paid $14,768.75 by 5pm on Thursday, given 'the lateness of this application and the substantial costs incurred'. Dr Marmanidis later said she was given an ultimatum by the sherriff to pay $15,000 to take the house off the market, which she accepted but said she was still not taking responsibility for the accident. Dr Marmanidis was sued by Samuel Germein, 35, after she is said to have reversed her 1994 BMW Coupe into his Alfa Romeo hatchback in traffic in November 2012, as he was waiting to make a right hand turn. Dr Helen Marmanidis (right) is pictured with her husband Dr Michael Hammerton (left) She didn't pay the $2,084 crash cost or challenge a legal judgment won three years ago by Mr Germeins insurance company, the RAA. Dr Marmanidis still claims she never had an accident in her BMW, because she has been driving a new Mercedes Benz coupe since 2011. Dr Marmanidis denies being involved in the crash, which is said to have damaged Mr Germein's rear bumper. Repeated efforts by Mr Germein's insurance company RAA to recover the accident costs had failed in the past. Court officials said the judgment against Dr Marmanidis was entered in the Adelaide Magistrates Court in August 2013 and won by the RAA, but Dr Marmanidis said she wasn't made aware of it until the following year. While she questioned the validity of the claim against her, Dr Marmanidis said she was willing to enter into mediation regarding the matter. Court documents show that as of last December the court costs had increased to $3552, taking into account interest, fees and other legal costs. A Warrant of Sale for the house was issued by the Supreme Court almost eight months ago and South Australia's acting sherriff Steve Ferguson, seized the two-storey home in May. Dr Marmanidis is alleged to have attended an open inspection of her house and is said to have handed out flyers, warning potential buyers of the 'illegitimate action'. Courts Administration Authority officials are said to have invited the parties to mediation last week but Dr Marmanidis was unavailable. Dr Marmanidis told the Adelaide Advertiser the locks on her house had been changed and she was distressed about being ejected from her home, which still contained her possessions and medical files. 'It is a highly unusual thing to have ones property taken away by the Sheriff over a purported debt of $3,000, for which I am not responsible,' she said. 'This is a democracy ... we are not in Myanmar. It doesnt feel like it is Australia. This is an odd situation.' Mr Germein said he was shocked at hearing news of the auction, over what he described as 'minor cosmetic damage' to his car. Dr Helen Marmanidis was sued by Samuel Germein, 35, after she is said to have reversed her 1994 BMW Coupe into his Alfa Romeo hatchback in traffic in November 2012, as he was waiting to make a right hand turn 'I just claimed for it and I thought, That is it, it is done. I dont hold any malice towards her. It was just a car accident. I am surprised,' he said. In a statement on behalf of the courts, Judge Hribal said the insurer, RAA, 'was entitled to seek enforcement of the judgment'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Dr Marmanidis for a comment regarding the house auction. Daily Mail Australia has also contacted the RAA but they were unable to provide a comment for legal reasons. Dr Marmanidis was forced to pay $15,000 to remove her house off the market after pleading her case in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday. She still denies being involved in the car accident in 2012 Her house (pictured), which was due to be auctioned on Friday is on Barton Terrace West and overlooks the northern parklands and Adelaide Aquatic Centre A Warrant of Sale for the house was issued by the Supreme Court almost eight months ago and South Australia's acting sherriff Steve Ferguson, seized the two-storey home (pictured) in May Dr Marmanidis allegedly attended an open inspection of the house and is said to have handed out flyers, warning potential buyers of the 'illegitimate action' Dr Marmanidis told the Adelaide Advertiser the locks on her house (pictured) had been changed and she was distressed about being ejected from her home, which still contained her possessions and medical files Auctioneer Oren Klemich confirmed that Dr Marmanidis had payed $15,000 and the auction of the house (pictured) would not go ahead Judge Jane Schrammer said she would not stay the sale unless Dr Marmanidis paid $14,768.75 by 5pm on Thursday, given 'the lateness of this application and the substantial costs incurred' Dr Marmanidis said she was later given an ultimatum by the sherriff to pay $15,000 to take the house (pictured) off the market, which she accepted but said she was still not taking responsibility for the accident In a statement on behalf of the courts, Judge Hribal said the insurer, RAA, 'was entitled to seek enforcement of the judgment' regarding the house auction to recover the legal costs The suicide bomber who targeted a crowded wine bar in Bavaria had been tortured both in Syria and Bulgaria before launching his failed attack, it has emerged. Mohammad Daleel killed himself trying to detonate a bomb after failing to get into a packed music festival in the town of Ansbach in Germany on Sunday. Today it has emerged that the 27-year-old may have turned to radical Islam after being tortured in his homeland, Syria, under the regime of Bashar al Assad and then later in Bulgaria - the first European country he entered three years ago. The suicide bomber who targeted a crowded wine bar in Bavaria had been tortured both in Syria and Bulgaria before launching his bungled attack, it has emerged He launched the attack days before he was due to be deported back to the eastern European country. The fresh details of his background come as it was revealed Daleel made a catalogue of errors in the run-up to his failed attempt to kill and maim music lovers in Ansbach. According to The Times, notes from a psychological examination reveal how Daleel bore the scars of horrendous torture having been arrested during protests against Assad's regime. He was first jailed in 2008 for six months when he was forced to watch other prisoners being burnt to death and was beaten with cables, wood and the butt of a gun. Torturers also put him in a room with a ceiling that got lower and lower, cramping his body so he was unable to raise his head above his knees for two days, he claimed. In Germany he had tried to kill himself twice after facing the prospect of being returned to Bulgaria - where he also claimed he had been tortured. Today it emerged that Daleel made a mess of his escape from Syria to Europe three years ago - he was detained and fingerprinted in Bulgaria before a mysterious benefactor gave him a free plane ticket to help him get to Germany. The 27-year-old bungled his suicide bomb attack in the Bavarian town of Ansbach on Sunday, days before he was to be deported back to Bulgaria. Today it has emerged that the 27-year-old may have turned to radical Islam after being tortured in his homeland, Syria, under the regime of Bashar al Assad and then later in Bulgaria - the first European country he entered three years ago He first failed to get past ticket collectors into an open-air concert packed with 2,500 music lovers and then set off the detonator but not the bomb itself. Daleel killed himself in the attack carried out in the name of ISIS and injured 15 people in a crowded wine bar next to the entrance of the concert, but his heavy black backpack packed with explosives and shrapnel failed to go off. The partial explosion destroyed the table and chair he was sitting at, and caused lacerations to several patrons nearby. But most of the glasses on nearby tables remained upright and hardly any of the courtyard's windows were damaged. 'It wasn't a bomb that went off, it was only the trigger,' said Ralph Millsaps, a retired U.S. army officer who was drinking wine at a table just six meters away from Daleel at Eugen's Weinstube bar, and was left with deep cuts on his side from wooden splinters. 'We're extremely fortunate that the main charge didn't go off,' Millsaps told Reuters in his soft North Carolina twang. 'There were 25 people in the courtyard of the wine bar and another 30 outside on the alley in front. We wouldn't be here anymore if the bomb had gone off.' The attack has prompted further criticism and concern about Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door refugee policy, which has seen more than a million migrants enter Germany in the past year, many fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Her political opponents say the policy has allowed Islamist militancy to take hold in the country, while there is growing fear among the general public. The picture of Daleel that emerged from a dozen interviews in Ansbach, a pleasant cobblestone-street town of 41,000, is one of stark contrasts. The fresh details of his background come as it was revealed Daleel made a catalogue of errors in the run-up to his failed attempt to kill and maim music lovers in Ansbach Much is unclear, including whether the Syrian came to Europe with the intention of carrying out an attack, or was 'radicalised' while in the West; and whether his actions were driven by ideology, mental illness or a combination of both. At the three-storey refugee shelter where he lived, on a hill overlooking the town, many of those who knew him described a quiet but friendly young man, a loner with long black hair who kept mostly to himself. They said he spoke English fairly well, and was eager to find a job and start a new life in Germany. But another character has also surfaced: a shrewd figure who managed to foil previous attempts by German authorities to deport him back to Bulgaria - his first documented point of entry into the European Union - by exploiting legal loopholes. What drove Daleel to try to commit mass murder is also unclear. Investigators found a video on Daleel's phone in which he pledged allegiance to ISIS and are examining whether he might have been sent to Germany as part of a 'sleeper cell'. Yet those who knew him at the shelter said he was not particularly religious, a sentiment echoed by his psychotherapist Gisela von Maltitz, who is based in the town of Lindau, a two-hour train journey from Ansbach. She said Daleel was mentally scarred and left suicidal by the death of his wife and son in Syria and by being tortured. 'We called him 'Rambo' because of his long hair and muscles,' said Mahmood Mubaritz, who lived in the same refugee shelter, adding that he bore a resemblance to American actor Sylvester Stallone. 'He had very strong arms and liked to wear tight, sleeveless shirts. He wanted to show us he was a strongman.' Mubaritz, who came to Germany four years ago from Pakistan, said he could not fathom how the quiet man he knew could have carried out such an attack. He lived with Daleel and 26 others over the past year in a former budget hotel that was converted into the shelter to house an influx of migrants. The shelter's name is actually 'Hotel Christl' but the 'l' was broken off and the giant sign atop the rundown building now reads: 'Hotel Christ.' The 27-year-old bungled his suicide bomb attack in the Bavarian town of Ansbach on Sunday, days before he was to be deported back to Bulgaria A spate of attacks in Germany since July 18 has left 15 people dead and dozens injured. Last week a 17-year-old refugee from either Pakistan or Afghanistan who had links to Islamist militancy attacked and stabbed four tourists from Hong Kong on a train near the Bavarian town of Wurzburg, about 80 km from Ansbach. Investigators of the Ansbach bombing are trying to find out when Daleel might have been recruited by ISIS, and who may have supported him in Germany and ordered him to carry out the attack. Authorities searching his room at the Hotel Christl found diesel fuel, hydrochloric acid, alcohol, batteries, paint thinner and pebbles - the same materials used in the bomb - along with computer images and film clips linked to the jihadist group, and a substantial amount of cash far in excess of what refugees receive from the German government. Investigators said he had an 'intensive' phone message exchange with someone who was in the Middle East shortly before the blast. 'The exchange appears to have ended immediately just before the attack,' said Bavaria's state interior minister Joachim Herrmann. Authorities are also looking into Daleel's account of his journey to Germany, documented during sessions by psychotherapist Von Maltitz, managing director of the Exilio refugee support group which offers mental health services to migrants. Daleel told von Maltitz that a benefactor paid for his passage from Bulgaria to Austria, from where he travelled over the border to Germany. 'Fortunately I found a Syrian man who bought an airplane ticket for me to Austria,' he said. Investigators will likely seek to shed light on who the benefactor was, as well as other unknowns, including why Daleel was detained in Bulgaria and subsequently released. Daleel killed himself in the attack carried out in the name of ISIS and injured 15 people in a crowded wine bar next to the entrance of the concert, but his heavy black backpack packed with explosives and shrapnel failed to go off Despite Daleel's professed allegiance to ISIS, von Maltitz said she had seen no indication of any link to radical Islamist ideology, or religion at all. 'A connection to Islam doesn't match the picture I had of him at all,' said the therapist, who added she had 40 sessions with Daleel between May 2015 and January this year. 'He never made any kind of comment in that direction at all, about Islam or any other religion.' 'He had been badly tortured in Syria,' she said. 'His wife and small child had been killed in Syria when a building collapsed on them after an explosion. In Bulgaria he was in prison and maltreated,' she added. 'We're certain that the information he supplied was truthful.' Von Maltitz, who said Daleel's death had freed her from patient confidentiality obligations, had scheduled further appointments with him for this week but he had postponed them until Aug. 1. The therapist said she repeatedly intervened with authorities not to deport him. 'He was suicidal,' she said, adding that the prospect of deportation to Bulgaria 'scared him horribly'. Mubaritz at the refugee shelter also said Daleel had shown no overt signs of religious faith. 'I never saw him praying,' he said. 'He was definitely not a fanatical Muslim.' He said he had talked with the Syrian about how to find a job in Germany and encouraged him to apply at the McDonald's restaurant in town where he worked as a cook and cashier. They talked sometimes in the communal kitchen or on the terrace in front of the shelter, where Daleel also helped repair the bicycles of other refugees. A German teenager living across from the shelter (pictured) said Daleel was known in the neighbourhood as a friendly man who liked to watch the world go by from his top-floor flat 'He was always smiling and always seemed to be happy even though he was alone most of the time and tended to stay in his room,' said Mubaritz. 'I think he was eager to find a job in Germany and stay here.' A 21-year-old Ethiopian refugee who gave his name as Jamal Hassan said the Daleel he remembered at the shelter was more of a brooding character. 'He seemed serious and kept to himself,' said Hassan, who came to Germany six months ago after crossing the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy. 'I never saw him smiling.' A German teenager living across from the shelter said Daleel was known in the neighbourhood as a friendly man who liked to watch the world go by from his top-floor flat. 'I thought he was a nice guy,' said Nick Geier, 14. 'He used to smile and say hello. He certainly didn't look like someone who would do something like this. I'm really afraid now.' Geier's father Alexander, 41, added: 'We were stunned when we heard what he had done.' Daleel had hired a lawyer to help him successfully defeat two attempts by German authorities to send him to back to Bulgaria, citing his mental instability, according to his therapist. But his bid to stay eventually failed this month, and his deportation notice was issued on July 13. Eleven days later, he carried out his attack. He died from internal injuries suffered from the blast even though an off-duty German nurse rushed to try to save him and three days later was still going through a jumble of emotions about the attack. 'Almost everyone at the wine bar had run inside but I saw one man lying on the ground,' the woman, who asked to be called Sabine, said in an interview. 'I didn't know he was the attacker. I just thought he was someone who had been overlooked in all the chaos. There wasn't any pulse in his wrist but I felt a pulse in his neck.' She said she tried to keep him alive until rescue crews arrived moments later even though it was all for naught. A man who posted a series of vulgar comments towards women on social media has escaped jail after a Magistrate said he didn't deserve the online backlash. Zane Alchin, 25, from Sydney, was drunk when he posted dozens of comments during a Facebook fight that erupted after his friend posted Olivia Melville's Tinder profile. Ms Melville referenced a song lyric in her Tinder biography by rapper Drake which read: 'The type of girl that will suck you dry and then eat some lunch with you.' Scroll down for video Zane Alchin (pictured), 25, from Sydney, was drunk when he posted dozens of comments during a Facebook fight that erupted after his friend posted Olivia Melville's Tinder profile One shocking comment said: 'It's people like you who make it clear women should never have been given rights' In one post (above) he told a woman she was not good looking enough to rape Among Alchin's comments was one which referenced 'raping feminists'. In another he told a different woman she was not good looking enough to rape. 'You know the best thing about a feminist they don't get any action so when you rape them it feels 100 times tighter,' one of his posts read. In another shocking comment he said: 'It's people like you who make it clear women should never have been given rights.' His vitriol continued: 'Please you deserve to be taken back to the 50s were (sic) you will learn to know your role and shut your damn mouth. 'If anything you've proven the only thing good a women's (sic) mouth is useful for is to get face f*** till she turns blue. 'Your (sic) all basic sluts who clearly couldn't get *** even from their plumber. So shut the f*** up.' Ms Melville said that Alchin's comments and the widespread sharing of her Tinder profile had significantly affected her. 'Seeing my photo everywhere was probably the most terrifying experience,' she told ABC News. 'Seeing my face consistently being shared on Facebook ... It was in the news everywhere as like, ''Oh, there's the Drake Tinder girl''.' Zane Alchin arrives at the Downing Centre court in Sydney. His barrister Sophie Walsh told a court on Friday that her client had become the victim Magistrate William Pierce found Alchin's comments did not amount to inciting rape and that he had suffered more than his fair share of abuse from around the world since being charged Alchin, 25, from Sydney, was drunk when he posted the comments Alchin's barrister Sophie Walsh told a court on Friday that her client had become the victim. 'The irony is that he has become a far greater victim to the crime that he has pleaded guilty to....they were the first victim but this has sky rocketed out of control,' she said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Magistrate William Pierce found Alchin's comments did not amount to inciting rape and that he had suffered more than his fair share of abuse from around the world since being charged. Magistrate Pierce said Alchin had 'experienced a great deal of pain' which he did not deserve, according to the Herald. He pleaded guilty last month and was handed a 12-month good behaviour bond on Friday. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is seeking fields to lease for the upcoming 2016 dove season. The first segment of dove season opens at noon on Thursday, Sept. 1. According to officials, mourning doves are a popular game bird and one of the most widely distributed and abundant birds in North America. More mourning doves are harvested than all other migratory bird species combined in 39 of the continental states. In Tennessee, about 40,000 hunters harvested approximately 300,000 mourning doves last year. Landowners can earn up to $3,600 for providing a dove field for public hunting. These fields must be available for a minimum of three priority hunt dates in September. TWRA began its leased dove field program in the late 1980s and the program has been very successful in providing quality hunting opportunities for hunters. In addition to leased fields, many public dove fields are provided on wildlife management areas in each TWRA region. The TWRA website will have specific information about WMAs and leased dove fields in each region by Aug. 15. The standard fall leased field is a harvested grain field to which TWRA leases the hunting rights for three priority dates. The hunting access rate paid to landowners for fall leased fields may be up to $75 per acre for a maximum of 40 acres. Fields that are top sown with wheat are eligible for an additional $15 per acre. Interested landowners must sign up their fields in August. Anyone interested in leasing a dove field to TWRA should contact their TWRA regional office. The TWRA has four regional offices across the state that interested landowners can contact: Region I (West Tennessee) 731-423-5725 or toll free 1-800-372-3928; Region II (Middle Tennessee) 615-781-6622 or toll free 1-800-624-7406; Region III (Upper Cumberland) 931-484-9571 or toll free 1-800-262-6704; Region IV (East Tennessee) 423-587-7037 or 1-800-332-0900. Advertisement Huddled together on one couch, this is the newest photo of Britain's biggest family after they celebrated the arrival of baby number 19. Noel and Sue Radford, from Morecambe, Lancashire, have also not ruled out making it 'an even 20'. The couple, whose childrens ages range from a few weeks old to 27, brought home their newest member this week - Phoebe Willow. And even though Mrs Radford, 41, is still getting over the birth of her 7lb 15oz daughter, she was still thinking about the possibility of having another child. Scroll down for video Huddled together on one couch, this is the newest photo of Britain's biggest family after they celebrated the arrival of baby number 19 The family posted these photographs of their latest arrival on their website, including one of Phoebe Willow with her older sister Hallie, who was born last summer Mrs Radford told The Sun: Phoebe is so beautiful and I am happy to have her here safely for now but never say never. Our friends and family keep saying I should have one more child to get an even number, rounding the family off at 20. I cant rule it out. At the moment I am happy to have Phoebe with us. She is healthy and a little stunner. We are over the moon to have her here. The rest of the kids are lining up to have a cuddle with her. I find it easy to run the family because they muck in so much. The couple, who rose to fame on Channel 4 documentary series 16 Kids And Counting, run a successful family-owned bakery and pie business and do not claim benefits. Phoebe, who was born after a 40-minute labour, joins siblings Chris, 27, Sophie, 22, Chloe, 21, Jack, 19, Daniel, 17, Luke, 15, Millie, 14, Katie, 13, James, 12, Ellie, 11, Aimee, ten, Josh, nine, Max, seven, Tillie, six, Oscar, four, Casper, three and Hallie, 13 months. Noel and Sue Radford from Morecambe, Lancashire pictured with their large family last year before the birth of their new daughter Phoebe Willow. The family now live in a large 240,000 Victorian house that they bought 11 years ago The family said they were 'thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our precious baby girl Phoebe Willow Radford', who was born on Sunday Mrs Radford, who takes care of the family at home while her husband works at the family bakery, has to make her way through nine loads of washing a day to keep her family in clean clothes The couple, whose childrens ages range from a few weeks old to 27, are the parents of Britains biggest family Writing on their website today, Mr and Mrs Radford said: 'We are so thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our precious baby girl Phoebe Willow Radford, who arrived on Sunday the 24th July at 3.37pm weighing 7lb 15oz shes so gorgeous and so far a very chilled out little girl. The children are totally besotted with the newest member of the family.' Though Mr and Mrs Radford consider themselves the parents of 19 children, the couple sadly lost their son, Alfie, in July 2014, 23 weeks into the pregnancy. They gave Hallie, who was born last summer, the middle name 'Alphia' as a tribute to her brother. The Radfords announced the birth of little Phoebe on their social media pages and website this morning Mrs Radford had noticed that Alfie had not been moving much, and she could not find his heartbeat. The couple went to hospital for a reassurance test, only to learn that their child had died. Writing shortly after, Mrs Radford, said: 'I think losing a child changes you as a person, Im not the same person I was before I lost Alfie. 'I will never be that person again but Im learning to live life as an angel mummy and put a smile on my face when theres times I really dont feel like smiling.' Speaking of the loss, she told the Mail last year: 'Your life simply shatters and nothing is the same ever again. When the doctor couldnt find a heartbeat, I remember Noel grabbing me and I was screaming "No!" with tears running down my face. I gave birth to Alfie that night and we spent the next 24 hours saying goodbye and taking photographs. It seemed so cruel and unfair. After falling pregnant with their first child when Sue was just 14-years-old, the couple decided to keep the baby as they were both given up for adoption at birth. The family now live in a large 240,000 Victorian house, a former care home, that they bought 11 years ago and they pride themselves on having no credit cards or finance agreements. They also enjoy a holiday abroad every year. The family, pictured last year after the birth of daughter Hallie, get through 20 loaves of bread and 28 toilet rolls a week The Radfords enjoying a holiday in the sun. The couple run a family-owned bakery and pie business and do not claim benefits Four years after the couple became parents to their first child, they decided to get married and shortly after the wedding, received the news that they were expecting their second baby, Sophie. Another year on, Mrs Radford fell pregnant again and since then, pregnancy has been a recurring theme within the family. Mr Radford leaves for work at around 5am every morning, where he works an 11-hour shift at the bakery with help from their eldest children. Mrs Radford, who takes care of the family at home, has to make her way through nine loads of washing a day to keep her family in clean clothes. The family spend 300 a week on food shopping, with 18 pints of milk, three litres of juice and three boxes of cereal being consumed every day. When it comes to celebrating their children's birthdays they have a budget of 100 for presents, while at Christmas they set aside between 100 to 250. When Hallie, now one, was born last summer the Radfords said that they were not planning on having any more children, but would 'leave it up to nature'. Writing on their website earlier in the year, the couple said their other children were thrilled with the prospect of a new baby brother or sister. 'We announced our news to the children last week after having a brilliant scan, we decided to put the scan photo on the fireplace and sit back and watch to see who noticed it first,' they said. The announcement of Mrs Radford's latest pregnancy in January came just a few weeks after Sophie welcomed her third child, a boy called Leo on Christmas Eve. Sophie, who married husband Joe last year also helps out with the family business. After falling pregnant with their first child when Sue was just 14-years-old, the couple decided to keep the baby as they were both given up for adoption at birth A huge search operation is underway in India to find the country's most famous tiger. Seven-year-old Jai won the hearts of millions when he went on an epic trek three years ago to find a mate, and he has legions of fans across the subcontinent. But Jai, who was named after Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan's character in 1975 classic Sholay, has not been seen for three months. Scroll down for video Jai has not been seen for three months, prompting a huge search and the offer of a 50,000 rupee reward ahead of World Tiger Day on Friday Wildlife officials want to trace him in time for International Tiger Day on Friday, but admit they have no idea where he is. The state government in Maharashtra, in western India, is offering a 50,000 rupee (US$745) reward to trace the big cat, and hundreds have joined in searches for Jai. In the eastern district of Nagpur this week, home to the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, where Jai lives, worried locals held a pooja, or ceremony, praying that he would be found safe. Some devotees threw religious offerings onto a fire while others held up posters of the missing beast. Rumours abound about what has happened to Jai, with pessimists speculating that he may have been wounded in a fight with another tiger or poached by hunters Jai has been credited with both boosting tourism and helping to repopulate India's tiger population. Rohit Karoo, a conversationalist helping to co-ordinate the hunt, said: 'He's successfully fathered more than 20 cubs and has boosted the local economy by attracting wildlife enthusiasts. 'Losing such a majestic tiger would be a great loss for India.' He's successfully fathered more than 20 cubs and has boosted the local economy by attracting wildlife enthusiasts. Losing such a majestic tiger would be a great loss for India. Rohit Karoo He said no stone was being left unturned in the bid to find Jai, with the search extending over several hundred kilometres. Karoo added: 'Around 10 non-governmental organisations, locals from nearly four hundred villages and forest officials are patrolling the forests in Maharashtra to locate Jai.' A firm favourite with tourists and conservationists alike, the seven-year-old, 250kg big cat was last seen at the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, where he usually lives, on Apr 18. Tiger expert M S Reddy, field director of the sanctuary, said: 'Whether he has moved to forest interiors or is with a new mate, no information is available as of yet.' And Reddy told NDTV: 'Jai is a huge animal. The sanctuary is only 190 sq km. But his territory spread over 550 sq km. 'That's thrice the size of the sanctuary. 'I'm sure Jai has been pushed out of sanctuary by his seven cubs who are trying to find their own territory.' Forestry rangers said they first become worried about Jai's fate after his electronic collar stopped transmitting his location three months ago, while tourist sightings of the cat have dried up. India is home to around 2,200 tigers, representing 70 per cent of the world's endangered tiger population. Some reports have speculated that Jai may have been wounded in a fight with another tiger, poached by hunters involved in the illegal trade of endangered wildlife or merely fallen sick. However, Karoo was quick to quash such rumours. 'I don't think anything bad has befallen him as he is a dominant male tiger with the capacity to travel large distances,' he said. This isn't the first time Jai has gone missing. In early 2013, however, he went missing in Nagzira, prompting fears about his safety. But just as experts were starting to give up hope of locating him again, he turned up in Umred, 150km away. His colleague Wade Irwin, a veteran of nine years, was shot and injured 'J.B' DeGuzman was killed in the gun attack during a traffic stop in the Southcrest area of San Diego last night The police officer shot dead during a traffic stop in San Diego has been named as Officer Jonathan DeGuzman, a father-of-two and 16-year veteran. The officer, known as 'J.B', was described as a 'loving, caring' husband and father who 'talked about his family all the time'. His colleague Officer Wade Irwin, a veteran of nine years, was injured in the attack in the Southcrest area of the city last night. The married 32-year-old underwent emergency surgery and is making a recovery. Scroll down for video Killed in the line of duty: San Diego officer Jonathan 'J.B' DeGuzman (left) was shot dead. Officer Wade Irwin (right) was injured. The 'gang suppression' officers were attacked as they made a traffic stop around 11pm on Thursday Heavily armed San Diego police officers surround a house about half a mile away from the scene of the fatal shooting of Office Jonathan DeGuzman A man was arrested and shot and wounded by officers at the scene but a major manhunt continued as police searched for possible accomplices. Residents were warned to 'shelter in place'. Nine hours later, heavily armed police surrounded a home half a mile away from the scene of the shooting as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. The two officers, part of the gang suppression squad, radioed to say they were making a traffic stop around 11pm on Thursday night. Seconds later they radioed for back-up. Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests and body cameras. Officer DeGuzman was shot multiple times. He died in hospital. A SWAT officer runs down an alley as police surround a home after San Diego police officer Jonathan DeGuzman was shot dead and his partner Wade Irwin was wounded SWAT officers search a back alley after the fatal shooting of officer Jonathan DeGuzman San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, who worked with Officer DeGuzman before she was promoted in 2014, said: 'I know him, and this is gut-wrenching. He cared. He came to work every day wanting to just make a positive difference in the lives of our community.' She said: 'I can tell you he is a loving, caring husband, father. Talked about his family all the time.' His partner Officer Irwin is making a recovery at UC San Diego Medical Center. Speaking outside the hospital Zimmerman said: 'It's a little bit of a long haul until he makes a full recovery, but the good news is that he is going to survive and he is going to recover.' San Diego police chief Shelley Zimmerman, pictured, announced one of the two officers had died in hospital San Diego Police Department announced their officer died following last night's shooting The shooting took place in the 37 and Boston district in Southcrest. Police confirmed they arrested one suspect who had been hiding out in a ravine. He was shot and is recovering after surgery. Residents were ordered to stay in their homes throughout the night as San Diego police and officers from other law enforcement agencies scoured ravines, yards, streets and alleys for other possible suspects. About nine hours after the shootout, heavily armed police officers surrounded a house about a half-mile away, one of them using a bullhorn to urge a man to surrender. Authorities also detonated several devices at the scene that made deafening booms. Zimmerman said a potential second suspect was holed up in the house and that information she did not describe led officers to the home. Speaking about the incident, she said: 'It happened extremely quickly. From the information that was put out that a stop was being made to that the officers called for emergency cover to when the other officers arrived on scene, we're talking very, very quickly, Seconds to a minute or so.' The male suspect was captured in a nearby ravine and was being treated Friday at a hospital. Police did not identify him but Zimmerman said he was in critical condition with a gunshot wound. Two San Diego police officers have been shot in the Southcrest area of the city by unknown assailants Officer DeGuzman was killed and Office Irwin was wounded in last night's double shooting in San Diego The shooting came as law officers around the country are on high alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. 'Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all,' San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said after the shootings in his city. 'I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities. We need them and they need us.' U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch mentioned the San Diego shooting during a meeting Friday with police officers and other first responders in Baton Rouge, where a gunman killed three on-duty law enforcement officers earlier this month. 'I know this community, more than most knows exactly what these families are feeling at this moment,' she said. Advertisement Pope Francis left a heartfelt message asking God to 'forgive so much cruelty' when he paid a sombre visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than one million people, most of them Jews. Wearing white robe and skullcap, Francis walked slowly beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the cynical words 'Arbeit Macht Frei', meaning 'work sets you free'. He was then transported on a small car past barracks and brought to a spot in front, where he sat on a bench, his head bent for many long moments in contemplation and prayer. The Argentine pontiff led prayers for the 1.1 million mostly-Jewish victims murdered at the camp and rather than making a speech he stood in silence to reflect on the horrors committed and let his tears flow. Later in the day the Pontiff blessed children during a visit to the University Children's Hospital in Prokocim during the week-long Catholic festival, World Youth Day. Scroll down for video Pope Francis walks through a gate with the words 'Arbeit macht frei' (Work sets you free) at the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland The Argentine pontiff will not make a speech, instead he will stand in silence to reflect on the horrors committed and let his tears flow Pope Francis prays in the dark underground cell of St. Maximilian Kolbe. The Polish Catholic friar sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man. The pope's visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day Kolbe was sentenced to death Pope Francis blesses a child during a visit to the University Children's Hospital in Prokocim, on World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland At the hospital he met children of various ages, from teenagers to babies in their parents' arms, on a day that he had dedicated to the theme of suffering. He stroked their heads and chins and shook hands, while one girl gave him a drawing of a heart on a yellow background. At the concentration camp he prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before meeting with several survivors of the camp, greeting them one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle and placed it at the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed. The wall is a reconstruction of the original - situated next to the Block 11 torture chamber - where Jewish inmates were forced to collect dead bodies from after prisoners were executed by firing squad. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar who sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man, Francis prayed again. Kolbe was first captured by the Nazis and sent to prison for three months near the beginning of the war. When he was released he set up shelters for people fearing persecution and hid 2,000 Jews in his monastery. He was then captured again, in 1941, after refusing to sign a document recognising him as a German citizen despite his German ancestry and for publishing anti-Nazi documents. He never abandoned his priesthood and was subjected to severe violence and harassment. He became a martyr when he volunteered to take the place of a man with a family who had been picked to face death by starvation. St. Maximilian Kolbe was killed on August, 14, 1941 and beatified by Pope Paul VI on October 17, 1971. The visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day Kolbe was sentenced to death by lethal injection. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the white figure of the pope, who knelt for many minutes before he crossed himself and rose to his feet. After arriving Wednesday in Poland - the heartland of Nazi Germany's atrocities - the pontiff said the world had been plunged into a piecemeal third world war. At the hospital he met children of various ages, from teenagers to babies in their parents' arms, on a day that he had dedicated to the theme of suffering The Pope stroked the children's heads and chins and shook hands, while one girl gave him a drawing of a heart on a yellow background Wearing white robe and skullcap, Francis walked slowly beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the cynical words Pope Francis is seen from behind passing the main entrance to the former Nazi German Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp Pope Francis prays at the Death Wall in the former Former Nazi German concentration camp. The wall, situated between Block 11 and 10, was the place where people were lined up and shot Pope Francis enters the dark underground prison cell at Auschwitz of a Catholic saint, Maximilian Kolbe. He also visited the gas chambers where thousands were killed Pope Francis quietly reflected as he sat and prayed for 15 minutes in front of camp buildings at the former concentration camp The Argentinian pope is the first pope to visit who did not himself live himself through the brutality of World War II on Europe's soil Pope Francis was driven along tracks laid in 1944 to allow trains of prisoners to be transported right to the gas chambers and crematoria Pope Francis walks towards the main entrance to Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, on Friday. He has devoted the day to the theme of suffering He has repeatedly denounced those committing crimes in the name of religion, after Europe suffered a string of deadly jihadist attacks. The pontiff, who has forged ever-closer ties between the Catholic Church and Jews since his election in 2013, met 12 former inmates at the site which is now a memorial and museum. As the morning rain subsided and the sun began to shine, around 200 people gathered by a big screen in Birkenau to await his arrival, among them a group of elderly Poles known as the 'righteous among the nations' who risked their lives to help hide and protects Jews. Francis met a group of survivors during his visit, shaking their hands, kissing them on the cheeks and stroking the heads of some of them. After leaving Auschwitz Pope Francis traveled the two miles (3 kilometers) to nearby Birkenau, a part of the deadly death complex where about a million of Europe's Jews were murdered in gas chambers On his visit to the concentration camp Auschwitz II the pope appeared emotional as he walked under the notorious sign Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich welcomed the pontiff's intention to remain silent during his visit to the camp The meeting took place by the Auschwitz Death Wall, where inmates, chiefly Polish resistance fighters, were executed. Some of the survivors made Francis offerings that were linked to their suffering. One offered a copy of a black-and-white picture, indicating he was in it. Earlier, some of the inmates told The Associated Press they were excited about meeting the pope, a great authority to them. 'This is a huge thing for me,' said 100-year-old Alojzy Fros. Among those who met the pope was a 101-year-old woman violinist called Helena Dunicz Niwinska who played in the Auschwitz orchestra as a prisoner, alongside others who worked at the camp hospital or who were there as children. During the visit, prayers were said just a stone's throw from the ruins of one of the crematoriums which was blown up by the Nazis as they evacuated the camp. Thousands of prisoners were lined up for execution by firing squad at the 'death wall', also known as 'The Black Wall'. There are no bullet holes in the wall because this is a reconstruction which looks like the original Pope Francis lights a candle at the Death Wall in the former Former Nazi German concentration camp The original 'death wall' was removed after Arthur Liebehenschel replaced Rudolf Hoess as the camp commander in November, 1943, and ordered the executions at the wall to stop An aerial photo shows the pope lighting a candle in remembrance of the 1.1 million people who lost their lives at the camp Former Auschwitz concentration camp prisoner Naftali Fuerst (L) shows his camp picture to Pope Francis (R) in a yard next to the Death Wall As he left the death camp, the Pope wrote in the Auschwitz guest book: 'Lord, have pity on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty.' He wrote the words in Spanish, signing the message 'Franciscus'. As an Argentine he is the first pope to visit who did not himself live himself through the brutality of World War II on Europe's soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal historical connection to the site, with the first, John Paul II, coming from Poland and himself a witness to the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation. His visit in 1979 made history and was part of the Vatican's historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. As a pope hailing from afar, Francis's visit helps to underline the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. Francis had been scheduled to fly from Krakow to Oswiecim, the small town where the former death camp is located, but due to bad weather traveled the 65 kilometers (40 miles) by car instead. Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich welcomed the pontiff's intention to remain silent during his visit to the camp, saying 'often people go to Auschwitz... and they are silent (about the horrors) for the rest of their lives'. 'Instead, once we leave Birkenau we must spend the rest of our lives screaming, yelling and fighting all kinds of injustices,' he said on Thursday. AUSCHWITZ: THE MOST NOTORIOUS OF THE NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS Perhaps the most notorious of all the Nazi concentration camps, 1.1million Jews were killed at Auschwitz. The camp consisted of three main parts: Auschwitz I (the base camp) Auschwitz II - Birkenau (the extermination camp) and Auschwitz III - Monowitz (the labour camp). During the war, the camp was staffed by 6,500 to 7,000 members of the infamous SS - 15 per cent of whom were later convicted of war crimes. It was run by camp commandant Rudolf Hoss who was tried and hanged in 1947 for his part in the extermination. The 'Arbeit Macht Frei' sign, meaning 'work sets you free', was inscribed on the gates of concentration camps to mislead prisoners into thinking the only way of securing their freedom was labour. A photo of prisoners taken during the reenactment of the Auschwitz camp liberation on the day after its liberation on 28 January 1945 This picture of a group of children at Auschwitz was taken just after the liberation by the Soviet Army in January 1945 SS General Theodor Eicke, inspector of concentration camps, reportedly ordered the use of the slogan. Some historians believe it has a less literal meaning and instead was intended as a declaration that self-sacrifice in the form of endless labour brings a kind of spiritual freedom. For 1.1million people, Auschwitz meant death. For many others, this dismal railway town in southern Poland was a horrific transit point on the way to being murdered somewhere else in a labour camp or on a 'death march' to another prison-mortuary. A prisoners barracks is pictuered here in the former Nazi extermination camp Birkenau in KL Auschwitz-Birkenau Among the many millions who met their death here were Poles, gypsies and Soviet prisoners of war. Only 8,000 emaciated prisoners were still inside Auschwitz and its sub-camps when Stalin's forces arrived in January 1945. The rest were already being herded across central Europe with just flimsy pyjamas and wooden clogs to protect them against the winter. Most were dead by the time Europe was liberated in May 1945. The day the camp was liberated by the Red Army on January 27 1945 has subsequently been declared International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Following its liberation the camp has become a symbol of the holocaust and has operated as a museum since 1947. Advertisement The pope then travelled the two miles (three kilometres) to Birkenau, the main extermination site, and was driven along tracks laid in 1944 to allow trains of prisoners to be transported right to the gas chambers and crematoria. Pope Francis met with some 25 Christian Poles who risked their lives to help Jews during World War II. One by one, the elderly Poles shook the pope's hand, some kissing it. He handed a gift in a small red box to each one. Among them was Maria Augustyn, whose family hid a Jewish couple behind a wardrobe for years, and Anna Bando, who helped rescue an orphan from the Warsaw ghetto and gave several Jews forged 'Aryan' papers. The encounter at Birkenau was the first time a pope had met with a group of the so-called 'Righteous Among the Nations.' Israel's Yad Vashem has recognized 6,620 Poles, more than from any other country, as 'Righteous.' That reflects the fact that Poland was home to the largest Jewish community in Europe before the Holocaust. The pope was driven to the main extermination site alongside tracks laid in 1944 to allow trains of prisoners to be transported right to the gas chambers and crematoria Francis is seen here with the train tracks that led people to their death in the background at the death camp of Birkenau Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim The pope is pictured praying behind the remaining barbed wire at the camp. Francis's visit helps to underline the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world The pontiff has forged ever-closer ties between the Catholic Church and Jews since his election in 2013 Very few of the 'Righteous' are still living. The survivors were typically teenagers or young adults who worked with their parents to help Jews. Poland's chief rabbi has prayed a penitential psalm in the presence of Pope Francis at Birkenau. Rabbi Michael Schudrich, originally from the United States, prayed Psalm 130 in Hebrew, which starts: 'From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord.' The prayer was then read in Polish by a priest. During the prayers, Francis clasped his hands and bent his head before a memorial to the victims. The audience included Auschwitz survivors wearing striped scarves evoking the garb prisoners were forced to wear, and Poles who had helped save Jews. The Holocaust is an extremely delicate subject in Poland, where locals fuelled by anti-Semitism were accused of butchering Jews or delivering them to the Nazis. Pope Francis touches the head of a woman as he meets concentration camp survivors in the former Nazi German concentration camp Among those who met the pope was a 101-year-old woman violinist called Helena Dunicz Niwinska who played in the Auschwitz orchestra as a prisoner Francis also met survivors who worked at the camp hospital or who were there as children during the horrifying years Pope Francis enters block 11 in the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau Pope Francis pauses to pray during the visit to the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau The Holocaust is an extremely delicate subject in Poland, where locals fuelled by anti-Semitism were accused of butchering Jews or delivering them to the Nazis A sign reading 'Halt, Stop' with a skull and cross bones is seen at the former Nazi death camp Cardinals and bishops walk through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim Those who did help sometimes paid the ultimate price. A Hebrew prayer for the dead was read aloud in Polish by Stanislaw Ruszala, Catholic parish priest of the town of Markowa, where a family was wiped out after they were discovered to be sheltering Jews. Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children were butchered. Wiktoria, who was seven months pregnant at the time, had started giving birth before she was executed, according to the Vatican. More than 100,000 non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, homosexuals and anti-Nazi partisans also died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in occupied Poland. The Soviet Red Army liberated it in 1945. It is his third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global youth celebration. In a bizarre third-person statement Kevin Rudd has described his snub for the United Nations' top job as a 'pity'. The government refused to nominate the former Prime Minister for the job of UN secretary-general, with Malcolm Turnbull saying he was not well suited to the role. In a statement released following the decision, Mr Rudd said Mr Turnbull even refused to meet him face to face to discuss the decision. Scroll down for video Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has blocked Kevin Rudd's (pictured) bid for the position of UN secretary-general, saying he believes Mr Rudd is 'not suitable' for the role The statement, issued by Mr Rudd's office, described how the Prime Minister snubbed him on Friday morning and instead delivered the bad news over the phone. The statement said: 'Mr Rudd flew to Sydney this morning requesting a meeting with the Prime Minister, having sought such a meeting the previous evening. 'On arrival in Sydney Mr Turnbull telephoned Mr Rudd, indicating there was no opportunity for a meeting.' The statement continued: 'Mr Turnbull stated he would not be nominating Mr Rudd as a candidate for UN secretary-general. 'It is a pity the government has not seen fit to support him, as the Hawke Government supported Malcolm Fraser for the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth or the Howard Government supported Gareth Evans to be head of UNESCO.' Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) made the final call on whether the government would back Mr Rudd's nomination on Friday, after Mr Rudd failed to get the support from the federal Cabinet on Thursday In a press conference in Sydney on Friday, Mr Turnbull said Mr Rudd was 'not well-suited for this particular role'. 'Do we believe Mr Rudd is suited for the role? My considered judgement is he is not,' Mr Turnbull said. 'Not everyone is well-suited to every role, this is not a disparagement on Mr Rudd as the former Prime Minister of Australia. 'This is an important issue but far from the most important issue facing the government.' Federal Cabinet failed to reach a decision on support for Mr Rudd's bid for the UN role on Thursday, with a number of ministers arguing against it, including veteran liberal Eric Abetz. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is said to have argued strongly for Mr Rudd, with acting Labor leader Tanya Plibersek and Greens leader Richard Di Natale also backing his nomination. When asked about his decision earlier in the week, Mr Turnbull told reporters in Canberra: 'I owe Mr Rudd a telephone call before I say anything more about it publicly.' Mr Turnbull earlier told 2GB radio the decision was not high on the agenda, but agreed with host Alan Jones that a nomination was a sign of indirect support. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (pictured) is said to have strongly argued in the cabinet room in favour of nominating Mr Rudd for the position Ms Bishop has previously said Mr Rudd is qualified to be a candidate because he is a former Prime Minister. Veteran Liberal Eric Abetz said Cabinet should not back Mr Rudd, citing past Labor assessments of the former leader as a 'narcissist, a micro-manager, an impulsive control freak and a psychopath'. 'Any cursory glance at Mr Rudd's temperament and capacity would show that Mr Rudd is poorly qualified for this role,' Senator Abetz said. Duncan Bannatyne has sparked a backlash after turning the swimming pool heating down by 'one degree' at his health clubs in a bid to survive the cost-of-living crisis. The Dragon's Den star, 73, revealed online that he and his company Bannatyne Group have told staff to turn down pool temperatures amid soaring energy prices - and said some of his running costs had at least quadrupled. It came as Twitter users alleged some of the pools were 'freezing', as one claimed: 'Plenty of people have complained yet no change.' Mr Bannatyne responded: 'My swimming pool temperatures are set at 28C which is certainly not too cold to use. They were turned down 1 degree to help us combat the energy crisis. Some other clubs have closed pools or hot tubs Many clubs & leisure centres will close during the next few months.' He added: 'The cost of energy to heat pools has quadrupled in costs. Sometimes more.' After one person told him to ignore the haters, the entrepreneur added: 'Thank you. Many members have offered support of our temperatures.' And following another comment suggesting it was 'motivation to get swimming if people think it's too cold' he replied: 'Yep.' It comes after the Bannatyne Group tumbled into the red after the pandemic triggered the prolonged closure of its venues. A movie featuring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn flipping the bird has been described as 'inappropriate' for display in public places, according to an Australian Member of Parliament. Federal member for Moreton, Graham Perrett, has expressed distaste for what he has described as 'someone attempting to profit by shocking the family values of our community'. The film poster is for the upcoming film, 'Bad Moms', in which the three Hollywood starlets play overworked and under-appreciated mothers who are pushed beyond their limit. Scroll down for video Moreton MP Graham Perrett has pasted his own posters over offensive hand signals seen in the Bad Moms movie advertisement poster in his electorate The poster is already pixelated, however Mr Perrett doesn't think the attempt to meet community standards goes far enough Although the rude gestures on the poster are pixelated, Mr Perrett has said that it is a 'lame attempt' by the company who knew the image would not meet community standards. 'If they were so concerned about the rudeness of the gesture why not cover it than semi-conceal it,' he told the Brisbane Times. 'It's not appropriate for public. I do have children, I have an idea of what's appropriate and what's inappropriate. 'This isn't the internet, this isn't television, these are public spaces I am talking about.' As the author of a number of racy novels Mr Perrett has said that he isn't a 'prude' but doesn't like children being exposed to such images. 'People might be familiar with the gesture, a grade one kid might make the gesture but might not understand the intent or the inappropriateness.' Mr Perrett believes the posters should be removed commenting that he was 'surprised' that the outdoor media association signed off on something which would breach their guidelines. The movie contains nudity, sex scenes and drug and alcohol use, and is rated R. Mr Perrett says he is not a prude, but the posters should not be accessible to children The concerned father and politician took to Facebook and said that he first noticed the movie poster on a local bus shelter. 'It's hard to avoid outdoor advertising and impossible to prevent children being exposed to it.' A picture posted to Mr Perrett's Facebook page shows the Member of Parliament covering up the rude gestures with his own posters which read 'reclaiming public spaces'. Mr Perrett has urged anyone that believes the content of the poster is inappropriate to call the Lord Mayor's office or the Outdoor Media Association. He has called on Adshel - who lease the advertising space and Roadshow Films who distribute the film in Australia to remove it immediately. The British beautician allegedly murdered in an 'honour killing' suffered a 'horrible' 7.5ins neck wound suggesting she was strangled to death with a rope, her post mortem report has revealed. Samia Shahid, 28, originally from Bradford, also had saliva oozing from her throat and may also have been smothered, the leaked document says. A doctor who inspected her body in the hours after her sudden death nine days ago in her ancestral Punjab village marked the large gash on her neck in his report. It says: 'The body of deceased was found at midday in her home and froth was coming from mouth and nose. There is horrible mark on the right side of the neck of reddish discoloration'. The report's author added that her mouth and face may have been 'congested' - a technical term for being asphyxiated or smothered. The report was then handed to police on July 20 but officers still decided she had no suspicious injuries so allowed her family to bury the 28-year-old in the local graveyard. Her husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, 30, claims she was killed for marrying him against her parents' wishes and police have launched a murder inquiry with her father and first husband now suspects. Revealed: Syed Mukhtar Kazam, left today, the husband of Samia Shahid, 28, right, clutches his wife's post-mortem report reveals she had a 'horrible' neck injury that could have been caused by strangulation Damning: A doctor who completed a post-mortem on Samia Shahid after her sudden death marked a huge 7.5 inch wound in his report - possibly from a rope- on this post-mortem report - but police initially claimed she suffered no injures Mr Kazam has flown to Pakistan from their home in Dubai and said: 'I have received the post-mortem report that says there is a 7.5ins (19cm) long reddish bruise on her neck, which strengthens my doubts'. 'I am not trusting the doctors and I am not trusting the police at the moment because the evidence I have now has changed everything. Bradford West MP Naz Shah, who has called for Samia's body to be exhumed, said: 'I have seen some pictures which are quite graphic in detail - that does really really raise some serious concerns. We need to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible'. The leaked post-mortem report says Ms Shahid suffered 'marks of violence' in the form of a 'reddish brown bruise' around her throat and was found dead with 'froth coming from her mouth'. An external examination of the body revealed she had signs of asphyxia. Samples from her major organs and toxicology tests were taken, and results will take several more days to come back. WHAT THE POST-MORTEM REPORT SAYS ABOUT SAMIA'S DEATH MailOnline has translated the post-mortem carried out nine days ago from a leaked report. It says: Government of Punjab Health Department Post Mortem Examination report. The Post Mortem report of Samia Shahid was prepared by Doctor Naz from District Headquarter Hospital Jehlum. Name: Samia Parveen Shahid, age 28, Caste: Jatt, Husband name: Shakeel [First husband] Body identified: M. Shahid [father] Date and Time: Received dead body at 5pm Information furnished by police: The body of deceased was found at midday in her home and froth was coming from mouth and nose. There is horrible mark on the right side of the neck of reddish discoloration. External Examination A well built woman young 28 years old length 5.6, weight approximately 76 kilogram. Rigor Mortis developed. Mouth face congested Examination of neck: Reddish brown linear horizontal bruise measuring about 19cm x.5cm excending form just below right ear around the neck Description of injuries No marks of violence visible on body except mentioned above Advertisement A senior doctor at the Jhelum hospital where her body was inspected, who asked not to be named, said her neck injury was consistent with a murder. He said: 'Cause of death looks like strangulation of the neck with a narrow rope-like object'. Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said the report confirms claims she died of natural causes are 'wrong'. He told The Sun: 'The family's claims that she died of natural causes are apparently wrong and we have ordered a reinvestigation. 'The reinvestigation is aimed at a murder case rather than a natural death case. The new investigators are sure the family's claims about natural death are not true. 'I have been told to apply for permission to exhume her body. I will do that if necessary.' The British beautician allegedly murdered in an 'honour killing' had a giant bruise on her neck suggesting she may have been strangled with a rope, her leaked post-mortem report has revealed. But her husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, 30, claims she was killed for marrying him against her parents' wishes after leaving her first husband from an arranged marriage. Police have arrested Samia's father Mohammed Shahid, her cousin Mobeen Mohammed, and first husband Mohammed Shakeel - all three have been bailed. Her family have claimed the large bruise was 'probably from a hair clip' and strongly deny the claims of an honour killing. Police officer Aqeel Abbas said bruising found on Ms Shahid's neck could have occurred while her body was being moved or buried. Some 500 women are killed each year in Pakistan by relatives who feel their family has been shamed by a daughter or sister fraternising with men, eloping or otherwise infringing conservative demands on women's modesty. Detail: The doctor's report, which is part in English, part in Urdu, says she suffered a 'horrible' injury to her neck Tragedy: Her body was found in the family home in Pandori, a village in northern Punjab (pictured today) Her relatives reportedly said she died from a heart or asthma attack last week and swiftly buried her in the village graveyard - but her local MP wants her body exhumed from her grave (pictured today) Mr Kazam told Xpress in Dubai: 'For her family, I was always an outsider. They wanted Samia to leave me and return to them'. Now police say there was a 7.5inch (19cm) long mark which went around her neck below her right ear. A family friend, Wasim Nawaz, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, has played down the post-mortem examination, which revealed there was a 'small', he said. Mr Nawaz said: 'There was a small mark on her neck, probably from a hair clip or something, but I am just guessing. 'When a woman wears a head scarf, she has to put in a safety pin to tie it. The mark was not even an inch long.' Mr Kazam sent a series of desperate final messages to his wife who he claims was poisoned by her family for marrying him. He text his wife to say he was 'worried to hell' and urged her to 'find a way to contact me' but he believes she may already have been dead. Mr Kazam, who lived with his wife in Dubai, is now in Pakistan where police have arrested Samia's father Mohammed and an unnamed cousin, while her first husband is on the run. He has told police her death is a 'straightforward case of honour killing' and a week after they claimed her death was not suspicious they have opened a murder inquiry. Marriage: Ms Shahid's second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam claims he fears she was killed by her family because they allegedly refused to accept their marriage partly due to him being an 'outsider' He added: 'Initially her family members claimed she had a heart attack while her father told local media she committed suicide. Neither sounds believable as Samia looked just fine mentally, emotionally and physically when she left for Pakistan on June 14.' Mr Kazam, who works in the chemicals industry, said: 'She was reluctant but gave in when she was told that her father had taken ill. They were so desperate that they even sent her a ticket'. Samia Shahid, 28, died last week while visiting relatives in her ancestral village who her husband alleges disagreed with her choice to marry for the second time, to a man from outside the family. The murder investigation and arrests came just a week after police had initially claimed Ms Shahid's death was not suspicious, but her second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, claims she was killed by family who disapproved of their marriage. Samia was buried in Pandori, a village in northern Punjab, after a post-mortem examination found no signs of injury and her local MP Naz Shah has led calls for her body to be exhumed. The media in Pakistan has claimed she may have been found at the foot of some stairs, other reports claimed she was found in her bedroom frothing at the mouth. It came as one of Samia's relatives, a woman, 32, was arrested over alleged threats against their local Labour MP in Bradford, Naz Shah, who has been involved in the case. A second person, a 37-year-old man, has also been arrested, West Yorkshire Police said. Both have since been bailed. Police in Pakistan have performed a U-turn after initially claiming her death was not suspicious. Mohammad Aqeel Abbas, police chief for the Jhelum distric investigating the case, said post-mortem examination found no injuries or signs of violence, and she was buried in a village graveyard. But now they have revealed the bruise. Police said the reason for not reporting the bruise was because it was not confirmed as the cause of death, according to the BBC. New life: Samia Shahid, 28, had moved to Dubai (pictured) to live with second husband Syed, who claimed her family murdered her in an honour killing on her first trip to Pakistan since they wed before police made the discovery of a seven inch bruise, which the family is playing down as a mark from a hair clip Final messages: Syed Mukhtar Kazam, 30, told Samia Shahid, 28, he was 'worried to hell' and urged her to 'find a way to contact me' but he believes she may already have been dead Wedding: Mr Kazam married his wife at Leeds Town Hall in 2014 and the pair had been living together in Dubai Address: The family home of Ms Shahid in Bradford is pictured yesterday. Ms Shahid's second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, who lived with her in Dubai, claimed he was told she had suffered a heart attack It has also emerged Samia had complained to police in Britain of harassment last year and was visited by officers at her Bradford family home last September after the complaint. Samia, a popular 28-year-old from Bradford, had lived in Dubai with her husband Syed for the past year and went to visit an ill family member a fortnight ago. Her relatives in Pandori, a village in northern Punjab, reportedly said she died from a heart attack or asthma attack last week and swiftly buried her in the village graveyard. But Mr Kazam, a Pakistani national, said his wife had been healthy and he fears she was killed by her family as punishment for splitting from her first husband, a first cousin of hers from their Pakistani village. Mrs Shahid is said to have angered her family when she met Mr Kazam through mutual friends in 2013 and married him in Leeds in September 2014. The family have strongly dismissed the allegations. Shahid's father, who is in Pakistan, said the claims were 'lies and allegations'. Mohammed Shahid added: 'An investigation is under way and if I am found guilty I am ready for every kind of punishment. My daughter was living a very peaceful and happy life. She had come to Pakistan on her own and was not under any pressure from her family.' Her maternal uncle Akhtar, who lives in Bradford, said he believes police in Pakistan will leave 'no stone unturned' in investigating the death of his niece He said:'The police in Pakistan have to do what they have to do it's their job. 'They can't leave no stone unturned. It's horrible what the whole family has gone through and whatever the outcome is going to be that will be it. 'But the family will be back here and they will know better what happened to Samia.' Norway is considering moving a mountain to neighbouring Finland to celebrate its birthday. The country is considering giving the Halti peak as a gift to help the Finns celebrate 100 years of independence next year. Most of the mountain is on the Finnish side of their northern border but the peak of 4,367 feet is in Norway. The proposal would redraw the border 490 feet north and 650 feet to the east to put the peak in Finland. The country is considering giving the Halti peak (mountain pictured) as a gift to help the Finns celebrate 100 years of independence next year Most of the mountain is on the Finnish side of their northern border but the peak of 4,367 feet is in Norway Norway is considering moving a mountain to neighbouring Finland to celebrate its birthday While mountainous Norway has several peaks that are higher, Finland's highest mountain is 4,347 feet. Former Norwegian state surveyor Bjorn Geirr Harsson, 75, who came up with the proposal, said 'it would be nice to give Finland an extra six metres (20 feet).' He launched a social media campaign which has been backed online. Erna Solberg, the Norwegian prime minister, said the government was examining the official request to move the peak to Finland. According to The Times she said: 'There are some formal challenges and I haven't yet decided my own view on the matter. But we are considering it,' she said. The proposal would redraw the border 490 feet north and 650 feet to the east to put the peak in Finland Finns will celebrate 100 years of independence from Russian rule on December 6, 2017. Although the social media campaign has backing there are also groups in Norway opposed to the mountain move. The Byron burger chain lured its foreign staff to a fake meeting about a new patty recipe to trap illegal workers in an immigration sting, a chef at the upmarket chain claimed today. The under-fire company also allegedly told other staff they needed to attend training on the dangers of cooking burgers rare, before border agents questioned them over several hours. Restaurant goers are now staging a revolt against the chain as protests are staged outside its eateries across Britain and the hashtag #BoycottByron is tweeted thousands of times. Angry: A protest took place outside Byrons Bristol branch yesterday where banners read: 'Exploits workers and shops them to Home Office #BoycottByron' Demonstration: University of Bristol law lecturer Katie Bales, an activist involved in yesterdays protest in the city, said the 'fake meeting in order to trap migrant workers was unnecessary and morally reprehensible' Demonstrators are angry that bosses at the company conspired with the Home Office to trap workers in the immigration sting meaning they escaped a potential 700,000 fine. A Facebook group called Protest: Shame on Byron no one is illegal is planning a demonstration outside the branch of the chain in Holborn, Central London, at 6.30pm on Monday. A member of kitchen staff told The Guardian journalists Lisa O'Carroll and Sam Jones that four minutes after she arrived for a meeting at 9.30am, immigration officers burst into the building. She added: They said nobody move, were immigration, stay where you are, and then they started calling out names and took the people they were looking for aside. Another witness told the newspaper: I arrived at work for 10.30am to open the restaurant as a waiter. I was welcomed by about 15 immigration officers talking to my colleagues. One employee told the Daily Mail that staff were asked to arrive at work at 9.30am - despite the fact that most Byron branches open at 11.30am - on the pretence of a meeting. Islington branch: Byron managers were kept in the dark by the company about the early morning raids by immigration officials so they could not tip off non-EU citizens who did not have permission to be in Britain But when they arrived at outlets across the capital, immigration officials turned up with documents containing their names and photographs and started to interview them. The source claimed a disgruntled former employee reported the illegal workers to the police. They said: I think [the employee] might have been fired. #BOYCOTTBYRON: SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONDS TO IMMIGRATION STING Under the #BoycottByron banner, many took to Twitter in disgust at Byrons handling of the issue, while others defended the chain for complying with the Home Office. Kevin Brady said: Its one thing complying with immigration laws but quite another engaging in entrapment. Disgusting. While Hannah Lincoln added: Byron Burgers employed migrant workers then had them arrested and deported? How can the company get away with this but not the workers? On a Facebook protest page, Ned Winstanley said: Imagine hearing that 50 people were unexpectedly and violently torn away from their friends and family and thinking, yeah, Im gonna spend all day on the internet saying it was their own fault! Full solidarity, see you on Monday. However, others werent as sympathetic with the migrants plight. Commenting on Mr Winstanleys post, Benjamin Khan said: Well done Byron. Dont we have enough illegals? Advertisement They were sour about what had happened and reported people [working illegally] to the police. The immigration system then investigated it and got in touch with Byrons head office. The individual restaurants knew nothing it all. Because the area managers knew what was going to happen, they had already sorted moving people from one restaurant to another. The officers, who turned up with documents containing names and photographs of suspected illegal immigrants, then questioned the people over several hours on July 4, witnesses said. One chef, who has already been deported, was bundled into a van marked police immigration and taken to a Home Office centre near London Bridge. He was then sent to Tinsley House detention centre near Gatwick airport, then to Verne immigration removal centre in Dorset and finally to a centre at Harmondsworth near Heathrow. He said: There were 20 of us there, all from Byron. At the beginning, I couldnt believe what was happening. But then, when I realised they were going to deport us, I felt so bad. They were destroying everything I have done. I worked hard, I paid taxes and Byron did this to us. It is immoral. They were happy to employ me for years doing really hard work that no British person would do. The worker who spoke to the Mail said: We had five kitchen staff who were deported on the day. One of our chefs has an English girlfriend who is pregnant. After the raid he didnt even get to go home and see her or get any of his clothes. A lot of these people have families over here, but theyve been dragged away from them. Next Mondays protest, co-hosted by groups including Global Justice Now and United Voices of the World Union, has 900 confirmed members on Facebook and a further 1,500 listed as interested. Under fire: Demonstrators are angry that bosses at the chain (pictured in London's Fulham) conspired with the Home Office to trap workers in the immigration sting meaning they escaped a potential 700,000 fine Another protest took place outside Byrons Bristol branch yesterday where banners criticised the firm and a further demonstration is scheduled for the chains Shaftesbury Avenue branch tonight. University of Bristol law lecturer Katie Bales, an activist involved in yesterdays protest, told MailOnline today: Staging a fake meeting in order to trap migrant workers was unnecessary and morally reprehensible, particularly as Byron profits hugely from precarious migrant labour paying low wages for long and unpredictable hours of work. It is unclear whether the persons deported were able to collect unpaid wages or say goodbye to their loved ones. They said nobody move, were immigration, stay where you are, and then they started calling out names and took the people they were looking for aside Byron employee She added: This protest aimed to draw attention to the employment practices of Byron and indeed we gathered a lot of interest from members of the public on Queens Road in Bristol who were unhappy with Byrons actions. We stand in solidarity with migrant workers whose insecure status makes them vulnerable to exploitation as fear of deportation discourages workers from challenging poor and unfair working conditions. It was unnecessary for Byron to stage a fake meeting in order to entrap employees. Co-operating with the Home Office need not involve the entrapment of their own work force. Byron managers were kept in the dark by the company about the early morning raids by immigration officials so they could not tip off non-EU citizens who did not have permission to be in Britain. Meanwhile, ministers have come under fire for refusing to fine the firm - despite repeatedly promising to crackdown on the problem of foreigners working unlawfully in the UK. In 2014, tough new laws were introduced, doubling the maximum penalty for bosses to 20,000 per illegal worker and increasing the top prison sentence from two to five years. The burger chain - known to be a favourite of former chancellor George Osborne - employs 1,300 staff in 56 outlets across the country and posted a 5.5million pre-tax profit in 2014-15. Discussions: The under-fire company allegedly told staff at restaurants that they needed to attend training on the dangers of cooking burgers rare, before border agents questioned them over several hours Thirty-five workers from Albania, Brazil, Mexico, Nepal and Egypt were held in the early-morning raids. So far, 25 have been deported. Suspicions have mounted that the chain - bought by investment firm Hutton Collins in 2013 in a deal worth 100million - managed to evade a hefty fine by conspiring with the Home Office. Critics said immigration chiefs had treated Byron much more leniently than smaller companies caught employing illegal workers. Removal of staff: Byron - founded by Tom Byng (pictured) - said it is 'fully compliant with immigration and asylum law in its employment practices' Carolyn Harris MP, Labours Shadow Home Office Minister, said: We have seen it before from this Government its all too often one rule for big companies and another rule for the rest of us. The Home Office must make clear how the fines are applied and clear up the suggestion of unfairness. Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said: The decision of the Home Office not to fine Byron is most surprising and sends out the wrong message concerning the employment of illegal migrants. Ministers have been strident in promising to pursue those who break the law. We have received many complaints from local businesses in exactly the same position who have been heavily fined and whose reputation has been tarnished as a result of Home Office raids. Byron said in a statement: We can confirm that several of Byrons London restaurants were visited by representatives of the Home Office. These visits resulted in the removal of members of staff who are suspected by the Home Office of not having the right to work in the UK, and of possessing fraudulent personal and right to work documentation that is in breach of immigration and employment regulation. The Home Office recognises that Byron as an employer is fully compliant with immigration and asylum law in its employment practices, and that Byron had carried out the correct right to work checks on staff members, but had been shown false/counterfeit documentation. A Home Office spokesman said: We are absolutely clear that employers who intentionally flout the law to undercut wages, cheat the taxpayer and deny legitimate workers employment opportunities will face enforcement action. A French ISIS fanatic who ended up murdering a Catholic priest got through a police investigation to become an airport baggage handler easily, it emerged today. Abdelmalik Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, both 19, were both on terrorist watchlists when they slit Father Jacques Hamels throat in Normandy on Tuesday. Now it has emerged that Petitjean worked full time at Chambery airport, which is used by more than 250,000 passengers a year including many from Britain, until just three months ago. It comes as ISIS released a new video of the teenager calling on fellow extremists to 'destroy' France and launch attacks on its allies. Abdelmalik Petitjean worked full time at Chambery airport, which is used by more than 250,000 passengers a year including many from Britain, until just three months ago It comes as ISIS released a new video of Kermiche's accomplice calling on fellow extremists to 'destroy' France and launch attacks on its allies Dressed in a striped t-shirt, Petitjean speaks mostly in French but uses some Arabic phrases, and appears to be filming in a home. Addressing President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls directly, he says: 'You will suffer what our brothers and sisters are suffering. We are going to destroy your country.' 'Brothers go out with a knife, whatever is needed, attack them, kill them en masse.' Meanwhile, a Syrian refugee staying at a French centre for asylum seekers was this morning taken in for questioning in connection with a deadly jihadist attack on a church, a source revealed. A photocopy of his passport was found at Kermiche's home. The arrest, which took place in central France yesteday, raises to three the number of people currently being held as part of the investigation into Tuesday's murder. A cousin of Petitjean and a minor arrested just after the attack were being questioned along with the Syrian. Last night it emerged that Petitjean started as a porter at Chambery Airport in December after completing his Baccalaureate at the Marlioz high school in nearby Aix-les-Bains, where he lived. There have been numerous security scares at French airports over the years, and all employers are now meant to undergo stringent tests. Petitjean had no trouble getting through a police investigation and psychological evaluation, said a source close to the ongoing investigation into his crimes. He was considered to be a hardworking, friendly young man who did not pose any danger to passengers or others using the airport. He got through the police investigation easily. Petitjean left the airport in April, and in June was caught by Turkish intelligence services as he tried to get into the Isis caliphate in Syria. Last Friday there was a warning that Petitjean was back in France and ready to strike, but by this time it was too late for police in his homeland to catch him before he milled Father Jacques. Abdelmalik Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, both 19, were both on terrorist watchlists when they slit Father Jacques Hamels throat in Normandy on Tuesday Petitjean and Kermiche butchered 86-year-old priest Jacques Hamel (pictured) at a church in Normandy This morning a second video showing Petitjean calling for more attacks on France was released by ISIS. It came a day after another one was circulated in which Petitjean and Kermiche, who was electronically tagged since last March, swear allegiance to the terrorist organisation. French prime minister Manuel Valls, who is facing calls to resign, today said the antiterrorism judges who let Kermiche out of prison in March with the tag should not be blamed for an act of terrorism. They have to take a different, case-by-case, approach, he said, while admitting that the decision to free Kermiche under such weak bail conditions was a failure. Mr Valls also said he was open to the idea of stopping foreign financing for the building of mosques in France. There are some five million Muslims in France the largest group of its kind in any western European country and they frequently complain about the lack of places of worship available for them. Mr Valls, who has often been criticised for his reactionary domestic policies, told Le Monde that his secular country needed to invent a new relationship with Islam. The airline says he has been banned and billed 12,000 over his actions The 21-year-old now faces a potential jail term for his behaviour He then threatened a family and abused a member of flight crew Joshua Strickland has been banned by an airline for life and billed for a drunken rampage on a flight A drunken air passanger has been banned from flying with Jet2 for life and billed 12,000 after his mid-air rampage forced a Cyprus-bound flight to land in Manchester. Joshua Strickland, 21, threatened a family on board a plane from Leeds Bradford to Larnaca, before verbally abusing a cabin crew member who tried to step in, the airline said. The plane was diverted after take-off on Sunday, July 3, for other passengers' safety and Strickland - who had been drinking his own alcohol 'illicitly' - was arrested when it landed in Manchester. He was initially charged with recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or person in an aircraft but pleaded guilty to a lesser alternative charge of being drunk on an aircraft. District Judge Sam Goozee said the nature of the offence and the fact Strickland could face jail meant the case had to be committed to Manchester Crown Court. Mr Goozee told the defendant: 'Your threatening behaviour towards passengers and crew placed many people in fear or distress. As a consequence a custodial sentence is a possibility.' Strickland, of York, will be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday, August 25. A Jet2 spokesman said: 'Jet2.com has issued a lifetime ban to disruptive passenger, Joshua Strickland, plus billed him 12,000 after his abusive and aggressive outburst led to a divert to Manchester Airport yesterday lunchtime. 'When a cabin crew member stepped in to try to calm him down he started to make physical threats towards her and also began to punch the seats.' Phil Ward, managing director of Jet2.com, added: 'Joshua Strickland's violent outburst was absolutely unacceptable and caused a lot of distress plus significant delays for our customers. 'He now has to face up to the consequences of his actions and we will vigorously pursue to recover the costs incurred by this unnecessary divert..' A severely disabled man who gave up his place in the queue for a kidney transplant so a young girl could live has died after his kindness was rewarded with a quad bike which he then crashed. Mesut Irvul, 31, from Agri, Turkey, died in the accident despite the best efforts of medics to keep him alive. He was waiting his turn for a kidney transplant and regularly met other youngsters during his dialysis visits. Mesut Irvul, 31, from Agri, Turkey, died in the accident despite the best efforts of medics to keep him alive Irvul (pictured with fellow sufferers) was 19 when both his kidneys stopped working and became dependant on dialysis to stay alive. One of those was a young girl and although she was behind him in the queue he decided to let her take his place when a kidney became available. When news of his gesture was made public a wealthy sponsor bought him a quad bike so he could independently travel to his dialysis treatment. But he later drove it off the road and suffered fatal injuries. The accident happened on July 20 while he was doing a reversing manoeuvre and his vehicle rolled down an embankment. Doctors at Dogubayazit State Hospital treated him before he was transferred to Agri State Hospital for surgery to stop bleeding on the brain. Doctors at Dogubayazit State Hospital treated him before he was transferred to Agri State Hospital for surgery to stop his bleeding on the brain He was moved to Van State Hospital's intensive care unit but died seven days later. Irvul was 19 when both his kidneys stopped working and became dependant on dialysis to stay alive. Last year he was told he would be getting his kidney transplant which he then passed up on. Irvul said at the time that he did not regret his decision and that he would do the same thing again. Oktay Topci, president of Dogubayazit Disabled Persons Association, said: 'Mesut was one of the many disabled ones among us. However he was special, he gave his turn for surgery to a little girl. 'Thus he was rewarded with an ATV [quad bike] but who would have known that the ATV which eased his life would bring about his death too. An unemployed man who murdered his girlfriend's 13-month-old toddler son during a drink and drugs binge has been jailed for life. Hardeep Hunjan killed Noah Serra-Morrison in November last year after downing vodka and smoking cannabis from a homemade 'bong'. The 27-year-old was told he would serve a minimum of 23 years. The youngster's mother, 23-year-old Ronnie Tayler-Morrison, was jailed for six and half years after being convicted of allowing his death. She was cleared of murder but the couple were found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and of cruelty to a child under 16 after a trial at Luton Crown Court. Medical experts said the toddler's injuries, likely caused by him 'being deliberately and violently swung against a wall or floor', were so severe they were similar to those arising from a car crash or a fall from a building. Scroll down for videos Hardeep Hunjan, left, 27, killed Noah Serra-Morrison, right, leaving him with injuries so severe they resembled a 'car crash or fall from a building' On the night of November 19 last year, with baby Noah just hours from death, Hunjan was filmed smoking three joints at once through a home made tube (pictured) Video footage filmed hours before Noah's death showed Hunjan smoking three joints at once through a makeshift tube. Reggae music could be heard playing in the background and Tayler-Morrison then joined in to smoke the joints through the tube. The video was found by detectives who also came across a picture of the boy with a cannabis joint positioned behind his ear. Hunjan and Tayler-Morrison both said they did not know how Noah was killed but, if he had been murdered, then the other person was to blame. The unemployed couple began living together shortly after Tayler-Morrison separated from Noah's father in July last year. Their 'chaotic' relationship was fuelled by alcohol and cannabis and based on 'love, jealousy and control', prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff QC said, and the couple binged on drink and drugs during Noah's last hours. Ms Bickerstaff told the court the pair delayed calling paramedics for an hour as they tried to cover up the 'deliberate' crime, trying to wash away forensic evidence in a shower in the 'blind hope that somehow they might get away with it'. They repeatedly lied to police during interviews and after they were released on bail fled to Scotland, which the prosecutor said was because they knew what doctors would uncover. Noah's death at the hands of his mother's unemployed boyfriend came after he had endured weeks of violence in which he suffered 15 fractured bones in his arms, his legs and his left foot. He had been born to Tayler-Morrison in October 2014. Together with Noah's father, Stefano Coiana, they all lived in a flat in Northolt, Middlesex. But, in early 2015, her relationship with Mr Coiana finished and she began a new one with her co-defendant, Hunjan who was known as 'H'. Hunjan claimed the toddler had toppled out of his tiny cot in his bedroom resulting in the 15cm wound across his skull. But detectives were told the injuries could not have been caused accidentally by medical experts, with a post-mortem showing they did not match a fall from a cot. Had he survived, the little boy would have been severely brain damaged. During the six-week trial, the jury saw shocking pictures of the couple's 'chaotic' lifestyle which was fuelled by drinking and drug taking. Following the death of Noah at the flat in Luton where he lived with his mother and Hunjan, detectives seized mobile phones from the couple and 'painstakingly examined' Tayler-Morrison's iPhone. When the first ambulance crew were eventually called to the flat at around 3.30am on the morning of Saturday November 21, where Tayler-Morrison (left) and Hujan (right) claimed Noah had fallen from his cot Detective Constable Solomon Beere was tasked with going though text messages, photos and video clips on the phone. He told the court how he found one photograph on the phone dated July 8 of last year which showed Tayler-Morrison posing with a handful of herbal cannabis. Asked in the witness box about the picture, Tayler-Morrison told the court 'It is a spliff. It is a photo. It didn't mean nothing. There was no purpose behind it.' The mother said the photo was not a mark of disrespect to Noah. She said she thought her partner took the picture. Tayler-Morrison had previously told the jury how Hunjan was 'excellent' with her son and was ' a proper kid's person'. She said: 'He was excellent with Noah. He was a proper kid's person - he was good with babies. He wasn't a typical Asian. We smoked and drank and we liked to go out. We were outgoing people.' But the court also heard the couple frequently argued, and that Hunjan, who had been raised in a Sikh family, was known to have a temper and had been to prison for violence. He had previous convictions for grievous bodily harm and assault, drank and regularly smoked cannabis, which he bought in bulk, and sold quantities to friends, using the money he made to buy more. The court heard the three briefly lived in Hull before Tayler-Morrison got a two bedroom flat in Crawley Road, Luton, Beds. Hunjan quickly moved in with her and Noah and soon they had acquired a dog, a Bulldog-Mastiff cross. Neighbours frequently heard the couple arguing, walls banging and a baby crying. He had been arrested for causing grievous bodily harm on a woman neighbour and was having to sign on regularly at Luton Police station. In Luton, the mother wanted little to do with health visitors for her son. One had to cold call on her at the flat, having been made aware of Noah's arrival in Luton. The mother and her lover were told the crib they had for him was too small. Two weeks before his death, Noah's grandmother - who was the mother of his real father - noticed a massive bruise on the child's face. Maria Serra said it ran from his temple, down his face and under his chin. She told the court that when she questioned Tayler-Morrison, she was told the dog had jumped on the boy and scratched him while playing. On the early evening of Friday November 20, Hunjan took the child with him to a nearby Sainsbury store where he bought vodka for him and Tayler-Morrison. Detective Constable Solomon Beere told the court how he found this photograph on Tayler-Morrison's phone which shows her posing with a handful of herbal cannabis (pictured) Medical experts who examined Noah's body, which was covered in bruises, concluded that his injuries were so severe, they were similar to those likely to be found in a car crash or fall from a building Later that evening, he went out on his own to buy a litre bottle of vodka and a pack of ice. Back at their flat, they were drinking and smoking cannabis. Tayler-Morrison told the jury she had three glasses of vodka and smoked a number of joints. She said she couldn't remember anything until Hunjan woke her and told her he had found Noah out of his cot and lying in the floor. He told the court Tayler-Morrison had been 'mashed' that night as they lay on the floor of their lounge drinking, smoking cannabis and listening to music. Hunjan said he left her on the floor late that night while he went out to a local chicken shop to buy a takeaway meal. When he returned he said she was still lying on the floor but when he went to check on Noah he found the child out of his cot and lying on the floor with his right eye 'half closed' and black dots visible on his forehead and a red mark under his nose. Despite Noah's injuries, the couple delayed calling for an ambulance for nearly an hour and a quarter. During that time, Tayler-Morrison used her phone to search the Internet, googling the search terms 'My Baby is Hurt' and 'My baby is breathing but not moving.' Half an hour later she phoned her student nurse sister, telling her she had found Noah on the floor after he pulled a fan on to his cot, and that he was 'awake and moving, with his eyes open', but 'not with it and not crying'. But she did not call an ambulance until almost 3.30am. Hunjan apparently attempted CPR, but Ms Bickerstaff said that if he did so 'it was a false and futile attempt, for show'. Hunjan took the toddler under a shower in an attempt to wash away any forensic evidence, said the prosecutor. A doctor told police officers who had arrived at the hospital that the explanation given by the mother for the injuries to the boy were 'suspicious' and not consistent with a fall from a cot. When police officers went to the flat shortly afterwards, Hunjan was found hiding under a duvet in the kitchen and arrested. Family pays tribute to happy, smiley and cheeky baby boy who 'made life worth waking up for' After the jury's verdicts, Noah's father Stefano Coiana said 'When Noah was alive he made my life happy. It wasn't his job to make me happy but he did. He did it by just being here. 'He completed my life - he made life worth being here, worth waking up in the morning and worth trying again and again even when I failed. 'Noah was the most important thing to me. More than my mum, more than anything. Before Noah was here, my life was normal. Not a care in the world other than what to do with myself and my time. 'But when Noah came it made my life special. I had someone that loved me and I loved him. 'It was good to love Noah. He loved me unconditionally - what can you say to describe how that feels? It was just so very, very good. I don't see a lot in my future without him.' Noah's paternal grandmother Mrs Maria Serra said 'Noah was everything you could hope for and so much more. 'He was a happy, cheerful soul who had an inquisitive nature. He had such a beautiful, sweet, sweet soul. And he was cheeky - very cheeky. Noah's father Stefano Coiana, left, and paternal grandmother Maria Serra, right, have paid tribute to the 'beautiful, sweet, sweet soul' 'He loved to laugh. He loved it if you sung to him. Already at such a young age he had such a pleasure and joy in music and song. And he was a pleasure to sing to. Noah was affectionate and his affections for the people in his life knew no limits. 'Noah was very amusing - he caused us many a chuckle in the little things he did, the way he reacted to life around him. The expressions on his face - all that is good in life you could find in the expressions on Noah's face. 'I suppose you could say that of all babies, but with Noah there was just that extra sparkle of something special. I think it was the sweetness of his soul that would just shine through.' Noah's maternal grandmother, Mrs Varsha Patel said 'Noah had an infectious smile, lovely big dark eyes and curly hair. He was always a happy and smiley baby and a pleasure to be with at all times. 'As soon as he came out of the car or woke up, we all fought as to who gets to hold him first. He was a beautiful baby and would have been a real heartbreaker with all the ladies. Your heart would melt when he would look at you with his cheeky eyes. 'We were fortunate to spend a lot of quality time with him, capturing many amazing memories that will always remain with us in our lives. 'His early departure on the 21st November 2015 has left a massive void in our lives as he was loved by all of us. Nolly will be greatly missed but never forgotten. He will always remain in our hearts forever and ever. Our loss, heaven's gain.' Police say 'sheer malice and utter cruelty' of case made it one of the worst instances of child abuse they had ever seen Detective Inspector Fraser Wylie from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said this was one of the most shocking and sickening cases of violence they had ever come across. He said: 'Rarely do we come across a case that involves such sheer malice and utter cruelty against a small child, by two people who were supposed to love and care for him. 'Throughout this case the disregard shown by both Tayler-Morrison - Noah's own mother - and Hunjan has been evident, not least in the fact they attempted to evade justice by attempting to flee to Scotland whilst on bail. 'Poor Noah experienced fear, pain, neglect and extreme brutality during his too-short life. Noah had also suffered multiple limb fractures consistent with being twisted or swung. A post-mortem examination revealed 24 bone fractures across his body. The injuries in green were inflicted over a number of weeks, the red within a week of Noah's death and the red marks show injuries he sustained half an hour to 2 hours before he died 'No child deserves that, and it has been evident throughout our investigation and the trial that Tayler-Morrison and Hunjan chose a tumultuous, drug and alcohol-fuelled lifestyle over his happiness and welfare. 'Little Noah suffered unimaginably as a result of the volatility of his mother's relationship with Hunjan, who today has been convicted of the little boy's murder. 'Even in his death he was denied any dignity by being left to suffer for more than an hour. 'This has truly been one of the most shocking and sickening cases of violence we have ever come across, and I would like to thank my tenacious, dedicated team of investigators who have worked so hard in all hours of the day and night to bring this traumatic case to a resolution. 'Though nothing can ever bring back their beautiful boy, I hope today's verdict can bring some semblance of peace for Noah's wider family.' After Noah's death from a massive head injury which caused his skull to fracture, Hunjan claimed the toddler had toppled out of his tiny cot (pictured) in his bedroom resulting in the 15cm wound across his skull A multi-agency serious case review, which involves more than one local authority, is on going at the moment which will examine the dealings social services had with Noah and his mother and her partner (pictured: the home where Noah lived with his mother and her partner) The 999 call was eventually made one hour and 14 minutes after the call to Tayler-Morrison's sister. In the call Tayler-Morrison can repetitively be heard saying 'he's not breathing' and 'he fell out of his cot and he's not breathing'. The operator then gave directions to her to give mouth-to-mouth to Noah and she can be heard blowing during the call. She also was talked through giving Noah chest compressions where she can be heard crying throughout. Alcohol, cannabis and jealousy: The chaotic life of Noah's mother and her boyfriend The chaotic relationship of the couple responsible for 13-month-old Noah Serra-Morrison was laid bare in his mother's diary. The lives of Ronnie Tayler-Morrison and her boyfriend Hardeep Hunjan were fuelled by alcohol and cannabis and based on 'love, jealousy and control', prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff QC told Luton Crown Court. Among her handwritten diary entries in 2015, Tayler-Morrison wrote: 'I don't see life without him and as much as this sounds selfish I know that I love Noah but I love H more.' She also wrote: 'So he got rude and I left him and bought Noah home. He turned up at my door, strangled me, threw me around, smacked a bottle on my head, broke the fish tank. Violent Hardeep Hunjan, 27, (pictured left) of Luton, Bedfordshire, beat 13-month-old Noah Serra-Morrison (right) to death at the flat where he lived with the child and his mother, Ronnie Tayler-Morrison, 23 (far left) 'Called me a wanna be model, slag and lots of other things. I hate him right now.' The jury was shown another diary entry in which Tayler-Morrison said: 'I don't care what has happened all I no is that I still want him. 'Why am I so crazy about him. I'm sitting on the living floor and all I feel right now is ugly, wasted away, unwanted and unneeded. 'He said it himself, this is why I don't get along with anyone, further more this is why no1 wants to get along with me, and I bet its the same with him. 'Just like the few close people I've had. One day he will leave me to.' In graffiti written on the wall of their flat, on Crawley Road, Luton, Beds., the young mum wrote to her boyfriend: 'My whole life is dedicated to you and ONLY you.' A multi-agency serious case review, which involves more than one local authority, is on going at the moment which will examine the dealings social services had with Noah and his mother and her partner. The chaotic relationship of the couple responsible for 13-month-old Noah Serra-Morrison was laid bare in his mother's diary (pictured) The review is being lead by Luton Borough Council's Luton's Safeguarding Children Board. Fran Pearson, Independent Chair, Luton Safeguarding Children Board, said: 'Luton Safeguarding Children Board has commissioned a serious case review (SCR) to scrutinise the actions and decisions of the organisations that had contact with the child and his parents. 'It will establish whether there are lessons to be learnt from the case regarding the way professionals and agencies work together to safeguard children at risk. 'The review will not be concluded until the criminal proceedings have been completed, as any new evidence presented will need to be considered.' A police officer who wanted to speak out over the Sandra Bland case claims prosecutors threatened to 'end his career' if he provided evidence of wrongdoing. Prosecutors deny the claims made by Prairie View officer Michael Kelley, who is currently suspended over using a taser to subdue a black councilman in a separate incident. Prosecutors claim Kelley has made the allegations relating to the Bland case to divert attention from his own situation. Scroll down for video Sandra Bland, left, was arrested following a traffic stop in July 2015 by Brian Encinia, right Bland's mother, Geneva Read Veal, center, addressed the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia Kelley said he wanted to tell a Grand Jury that Bland appeared to have marks on her forehead after a confrontation with state trooper Brian Encinia, who pulled her over last July for allegedly failing to signal while changing a lane. Kelley said he was never contacted by special prosecutors handling the case, and the Waller County district attorney's top assistant said there'd be repercussions if he spoke to a Bland family attorney. Prosecutors have strongly denied Kelley's allegations. Bland, who was black, was found dead three days after the traffic stop in a county jail cell; authorities ruled it a suicide. But her death galvanized the national Black Lives Matter movement and others protesting recent police misconduct, all of whom said she was mistreated and shouldn't have been arrested. Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, appeared on stage at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday with other black women whose children had died in encounters with law enforcement. Many of Bland's supporters have long questioned whether local authorities would fairly investigate the case. No one from the jail or the sheriff's office has been indicted, even though the county acknowledged jailers did not properly monitor Bland or screen her properly after she mentioned she had a history of mental illness. One jailer has given a deposition admitting he falsified a jail log. Encinia was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of perjury, which is pending, and was fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Kelley, meanwhile, is suspended from the police department after being captured on video using a Taser on a black city councilman in Prairie View and being indicted for official oppression related to an unlawful arrest. He claims prosecutors sought that indictment as retaliation. Sandra Bland was found dead in her cell three days after her arrest. Authorities ruled her death suicide He said: 'I didn't become a cop to become shady like a lot of officers. I became a cop to do justice and to try to change the community which I work in.' Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis issued a statement implying Kelley is trying to profit from Bland's death. He said: 'I unequivocally state that he never approached me, my first assistant, or any member of my staff with any such information. I can only imagine this is an attempt to divert attention.' Darrell Jordan, a Houston attorney who was one of five special prosecutors handling the Bland case when it went to a grand jury, also said Kelley never approached him or any other prosecutor. He said: 'We walked the campus; we walked the main roads trying to talk to people.' On the day of Bland's traffic stop, video from Encinia's squad car and a microphone on his uniform show the two beginning to argue. Encinia then reaches into the car and tries to drag Bland out of her seat before arresting her. On the video, Encinia can be heard shouting: 'Get out of the car! I will light you up! Get out!' The two struggle outside of the car as Encinia handcuffs her and calls for backup. Kelley said he was one of the first to respond. Encinia is later captured on audio going through possible charges for Bland, from resisting arrest to assault. On the video, Encinia is heard saying: 'I kind of lean toward assault versus resist because I mean, technically, she's under arrest when a traffic stop is initiated, as a lawful stop.' He eventually wrote a report accusing Bland of assault on a public servant. But Kelley said he saw bruises on Bland's forehead and heard Encinia tell his supervisor, '"I don't know what I'm going to charge her with yet."' Kelley's allegations are the latest to raise the idea that authorities haven't thoroughly investigated Bland's death. Daniel Rodriguez, 28, who posed as a top gangster rapper as he groomed schoolgirls on social media before filming himself having sex with them was today jailed for 16 years A pervert who posed as a top gangster rapper as he groomed schoolgirls on social media before filming himself having sex with them was today jailed for 16 years. Daniel Rodriguez, 28, boasted of being a hip hop megastar as he targeted 10,000 children via Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Blackberry Messenger, grooming five girls as young as 13 after they responded to his friend invitations. In reality the jobless paedophile was was living at home with his parents and sister in a cramped terraced house in Hackney. Rodriguez, who called himself Grimey D, was jailed today at Wood Green Crown Court after admitting a string of sex offences. Sentencing Rodriguez, who wore a casual shirt and had his long hair in a plait, for 15 counts, Judge Joanna Greenberg QC said he deliberately targeted young girls in order to carry out 'deviant sexual fantasties'. He had contacted the girls online and persuaded them to come to his home, before filming himself having sex with them as they wore their school uniforms. Rodriguez was sentenced on a total of 15 counts relating to seven victims, including sexual activity with a child, sexual assault, making indecent photographs and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Judge Greenberg told him: 'Your modus operandi makes it clear to me that your desire for them was because they were young girls.' She added: 'Your expressions of remorse ring hollow.' The judge said Rodriguez targeted 'vulnerable and impressionable' girls, telling him: 'You cannot have failed to be aware just how seriously the sexual exploitation of children is dealt with.' She pointed out that many victims of crimes like these 'feel a life-long degradation and shame'. She added: 'You do present a significant risk of causing serious psychological harm to young girls.' The paedophile sent out more than 10,000 messages to youngsters as he trawled the web for vulnerable victims. After being befriended by one girl, he bombarded her friends and then their friends with messages over a three-year period between 2012-2015. Rodriguez, who is known as Grimey D, and pictured here with his mother, filmed himself having sex with schoolgirls in school uniform after contacting them online and persuading them to come to his home Addressing the court yesterday, Edward Lucas, prosecuting, said: 'This defendant is predatory. He preyed on young, vulnerable girls around the ages of 13 to 15. He used his experience, charm and his guile and ultimately his force - his force of personality - to indulge in his own perverted activities.' The tattooed rapper who posted a series of music videos on YouTube showing him performing his music with a scantily-clad woman in lingerie wearing a mask, projected an image that he was a famous hip hip star to ensnare his victims. Mr Lucas said Rodriguez trawled social media for young girls 'with whom he could indulge his sexual fantasies'. He groomed them by complimenting their appearance, telling them he loved them and inviting them to his home before filming himself having sex with five girls aged 13 to 15. The girls were forced to carry out his demands which became more sexually demeaning, but none of them went to the police fearing that they would be blamed. Mr Lucas said there was a 'real risk' of Rodriguez re-offending and that it was likely he would continue to target girls in the same way. The paedophile sent out more than 10,000 messages to youngsters through Facebook, Whats App, Instagram and Blackberry Messenger as he trawled the web for vulnerable victims But Charles Evans, mitigating, said Rodriguez 'certainly did not appreciate the gravity of what he was doing' and was 'absolutely stunned' when he learnt of the seriousness of the offences. 'If he had known quite how serious this was he would not have committed it.' However, Judge Greenberg said 'he must be blind and living as a hermit' to have missed news of similar cases involving high-profile celebrities and that he may just have been unable to help himself. Rodriguez was only caught by chance when police examined the phone of a 14-year-old girl in an unrelated investigation and discovered messages from him. She told officers he had first contacted her on Instagram when she was 13, and she was 14 when she visited his home, where he engaged in sexual activity with her on her second visit. On one occasion, the girl went with a friend, also 14, and Rodriguez engaged in sexual activity with both of them. Following his arrest on August 27 last year, police found videos of Rodriguez having sex with four of the victims - three aged 14 and one aged 15. They also recovered an indecent image of a sixth girl. In the face of the overwhelming evidence, he later pleaded guilty in June to five counts of sexual activity with a child, one sexual assault and four counts of creating an indecent image of a child. After sentencing, Detective Superintendent John Macdonald said he was pleased with the jail term, saying it sends a 'strong message' to those targeting children for the purposes of sexual abuse. 'I don't accept his remorse. If there is any it is probably because he realises the effect on him of a long sentence,' he added. Yesterday, Det Supt Macdonald described Rodriguez as a dangerous and predatory paedophile yesterday as he warned that there may be many more victims. He said: Rodriguezs exploitation and targeting of young girls was disgusting. He used social media to groom children online, paying them compliments, pretending to be affectionate and sexually abusing them. Unfortunately this is a pattern of abuse we are increasingly seeing. Your modus operandi makes it clear to me that your desire for them was because they were young girls Judge Joanna Greenberg QC Rodriguez's prison sentence comes as police warned that child exploitation online had become so common that most girls in Britain have received an inappropriate message on social media, and that many children are unable to distinguish between internet and real-life friends. Detective Constable John Knox, who was in charge of the investigation, added: Daniel Rodriguez cast this huge net out online, with friend request after friend request, spamming all these girls. He sent out 10,000 friend requests, got around 100 acceptances, and had sexual contact with six of them, all from sitting at his computer. Rodriguez is a dangerous and predatory paedophile targeting and exploiting young, vulnerable girls. He played on his image as a gangster rapper, his victims were fearful of him and believed they would be hurt if they spoke to anyone in authority. And these girls are intimidated by the fact and worried there would be repercussions, because of his gangster rap image. But the reality is he was a 28-year-old man, living at home with his mum and dad and big sister, not exactly the gangster rap image of Doctor Dre. Detective Superintendent John Macdonald said that men approaching young girls through social media is a 'real risk' and something police are 'particularly concerned about'. Rodriguez was jailed today at Wood Green Crown Court for grooming teenagers He said figures for online grooming are not 'any reflection on what is actually happening', and that police are dealing with other investigations similar to the Rodriguez case where men have approached 'many, many hundreds' of girls online and tried to 'befriend them'. After 'lavishing affection on them and then persuading them to come and meet them as potential boyfriend material', the men take the opportunity to sexually abuse them, Mr Macdonald said. 'Although it's not possible to put a perspective on how many people are doing this, I feel that it is a real risk in terms of child sexual exploitation and something concerning that we need to tell the public about. He was a 28-year-old man, living at home with his mum and dad and big sister, not exactly the gangster rap image of Doctor Dre Detective Constable John Knox 'The tactic is to approach hundreds and hundreds of children, just to try and hook two, three or four that they then have sex with. The level of success of what they actually do is quite low but the results of that are incredibly serious.' Mr Macdonald said children often do not report the abuse because they are not aware they are victims. He said other children might have been abused by Rodriguez, but officers are not aware of them despite contacting other girls he approached online. 'Bearing in mind that of the six that he has been convicted of, none of them came forward originally. It is just reflective of the vast under-reporting of this type of case - it is a concern.' Det Con Knox, said young people tend to have a vast number of online friends, half of whom they only know through the internet. 'Teenagers who have grown up in a social media world don't differentiate between online - they don't differentiate between that at all.' Mr Macdonald added: 'I would say to any child or young person out there who has had this type of situation whereby a much older person has met and abused them, speak to the police. If you are not comfortable about that, as many aren't, there are many third party agencies who will speak to you.' An NSPCC spokesman said: 'Daniel Rodriguez committed appalling offences towards vulnerable young people, and his deplorable activities have highlighted yet again the dangers young people face online from grooming by predators. 'His actions are likely to have a profound effect on his victims for years to come. 'Too often children who have suffered abuse are denied the mental health support they need until they reach crisis point. 'Our It's Time campaign is demanding that all child victims of abuse get the support and therapy they need to recover. The shooting occurred around 2.30pm in Bruthen, 300km east of Melbourne Police said they were not treating the 'firearms incident' as suspicious A 12-year-old boy has died after he was shot in the head in rural Victoria A 12-year-old boy has been shot in the head and killed on a farm in rural Victoria. Emergency services were called to the property around 2.30pm on Friday after reports of a gun being fired. Police described the boy's death as a firearms incident and said they would be investigating how it happened, The Age reported. A 12-year-old boy has been shot and killed at a property in Bruthen, about 300km east of Melbourne (pictured) Police were called to the property on Chambers Road around 2.30pm after receiving reports that a gun had been fired The boy was already dead when police arrived at the Chambers Road property in Bruthen, about 300km east of Melbourne. A spokeswoman for Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia the death was not being treated as suspicious. Bruthen is a small town with a population of less than one thousand. A firebrand cleric who called his daughter 'Jihad' has been deported from Italy for preaching radical Islam. Mohammed Madad, 52, was arrested at his home in Noventa Vicentina in northern Italy, taken to the airport and sent back to Morocco. He has been banned from entering Italy for the next 15 years over his anti-western sermons and support for terrorist organisations. Firebrand preacher Mohammed Madad, 52, has been arrested in Italy and deported back to Morocco In his homeland of Morocco he has a wife and four children, who were also living in Italy until earlier this year. Police said he called one of his two daughters Jihad but released no further details. Madad headed the Centre of Prayer and Islamic Culture in Noventa Vicentina, where he arrived in December last year from the northern Italian province of Reggio Emilia. He was found to be preaching radical Islam and as local media reports, he also preached an extremist Salafist ideology. Salafism is an ultra-conservative reform movement within Sunni Islam that emerged in the second half of the 19th-century and advocated a return to the traditions of the 'devout ancestors.' The charges against the Islamic priest include threats to state security in various forms - such as supporting terrorist organisations or activities, including international ones. Madad has been banned from entering Italy for the next 15 years over his anti-western sermons An Austrian city has been ordered to pay nearly 7million to the heirs of a local art collector - after losing work belonging to their grandmother. Olga Jaeger had given a drawing and three pictures to the Lentos Art Museum in Linz on a long-term loan in 1951 - 14-years before she died. In 2006 her family asked for the return of the work, by celebrated artists Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. An Austrian city has been ordered to pay nearly 7million to the heirs of a local art collector - after losing work belonging to their grandmother. Artwork similar to the one pictured, by Egon Schiele, is among the missing paintings But when the art museum was unable to find a drawing, the heirs took the museum and the city of Linz to court seeking compensation. Schiele and Klimt are considered to be the some of the most famous Austrian artists ever. The Supreme Court had already ruled in 2011 that the museum must pay back 100,000 euros in compensation for one of the Schiele artworks - the drawing Paar. The newest compensation ruling concerns drawing Zwei Legende by Klimt, and the watercolour Junger Mann and oil painting Tote Stadt by Schiele. Olga Jaeger had given a drawing and three pictures to the Lentos Art Museum in Linz on a long-term loan in 1951 - 14-years before she died However, the end of the decade-long legal battle might not yet be in sight. The city of Linz, which runs the museum which lost the artworks, may challenge the ruling. The Director of the museum claims he has found evidence that Jaeger said the long-term loan should have been terminated in 1990. If that claim were to be true, the ruling could be made void due to statutes of limitations as the legal challenge was filed too late to be heard in court. Zika fears: Pregnant Deiseane Santiago, 22, also known as Daisy, came to Britain last November on a five-month visitor visa to spend time with 26-year-old fiance Simon Ellis (pictured together) A mother-to-be who feared her unborn child might contract the deadly Zika virus if she was deported to her native Brazil has been allowed to give birth in Britain after a Home Office U-turn. Pregnant Deiseane Santiago, 22, also known as Daisy, came to Britain last November on a five-month visitor visa to spend time with 26-year-old fiance Simon Ellis. Miss Santiago, who is originally from Sao Paulo, met Mr Ellis online three-and-a-half years ago. The couple had planned to travel to Brazil together before her visa expired but Miss Santiago fell pregnant while she was in Britain. She changed her return flight to November - after the baby's due date - and applied to have her visa extended until then. The former business student was worried her unborn baby would contract the Zika virus after the Home Office told her she had to return to the South American country. The couple were initially told that their application had been refused in June, but the Home Office has now done a U-turn on the decision. The parents-to-be were told the good news this week that Miss Santiago can stay until the end of October - a month after her due date at the end of September. Today, she said: 'I feel so relieved. I can relax and look forward to our son being born in a safe environment now.' Mr Ellis, from Kegworth, Leicestershire, said: 'It's a massive weight lifted off my shoulders. 'I have been so worried. I can concentrate and look forward to the birth of our baby boy now.' A Home Office spokeswoman confirmed that Miss Santiago had been granted permission to remain in Britain until October 31 on an 'exceptional basis'. The NHS reports the Zika virus disease is mainly spread by mosquitoes and for most people it is a very mild infection and isn't harmful. The former business student was worried her unborn baby would contract the Zika virus after the Home Office told her she had to return to the South American country. Pictured are the mosquitoes which carry the virus It states: 'However, it may be more serious for pregnant women, as there's evidence it causes birth defects - in particular, abnormally small heads (microcephaly). 'Zika does not naturally occur in the UK. Zika outbreaks have been reported in the Pacific region, and the virus has now spread to South and Central America and the Caribbean.' Rev Paul Phillips, pastor of the church Simon and Daisy attend in Kegworth, said: 'We would like to thank everyone who prayed for Simon and Daisy. 'We thank God that Daisy has been given the right to remain until after the baby is born.' Advertisement Thousands of Incan and Christian worshippers descended on the Sinakara Valley deep in the Andes to celebrate the Quyllur Rit'i festival. Every year, days before the celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi - a Latin rite which celebrates the belief in the body and blood of Jesus Christ's presence in the Eucharist - thousands of worshippers travel to the base of the Sinakara mountain for the vibrant festival in Peru. Each small village or clan in the Andes sends a delegation of colour dancers and pauluchas to the Chapel of Qoylloriti, which is situated at the base of the Sinakara mountain at 4,600 metres above sea level. Dance: Thousands of worshippers travel to the base of the Sinakara mountain for the vibrant festival in Peru Colour: The Feast of Corpus Christi is a Latin rite which celebrates the belief in the body and blood of Jesus Christ's presence Scale: Each small village or clan in the Andes sends a delegation of colour dancers and pauluchas to the Chapel of Qoylloriti Photographer Christopher Roche ventured deep into the Andes to witness the beautiful spectacle. He said: 'I decided to visit the area to witness the festival as I have spent the last couple of years working on a photographic project exploring different faith traditions around the world. 'I've published a couple of books on the subject - The Priests and Pilgrims of Ethiopia and Banaras, Holy City.' The festival originates from the tale of a young boy who helped an alpaca shepherd take care of his animals, the man's father returned his kindness by making him new clothes of the highest quality. The Bishop of Cusco was interested in the young boy's generosity and wanted to meet him and asked the people of Ocongate to find him. Painful: Part of the festival involves different people dressed in colourful outfits being whipped (left). The event mixes South American culture with Catholicism (right) Spectacle: The Chapel of Qoylloriti is situated at the base of the Sinakara mountain at 4,600 metres above sea level Tradition: The festival originates from the tale of a young boy who helped an alpaca shepherd take care of his animals Dramatic backdrop: Photographer Christopher Roche ventured deep into the Andes to witness the beautiful spectacle Sequenced outfits: In the story the Bishop of Cusco was interested in the young boy's generosity and wanted to meet him and asked the people of Ocongate to find him Family and tradition: Despite continued dedication to the festival, some think the celebration has become more of a spectacle to some worshippers than in the past Festival: Worshippers begin to ascend the Sinakara at 4am to reach the Chapel of the Lord of Qoylloriti which is built over the rock with Christ's image Sound and music: Different clans from villages bring an assortment of musical instruments to be played during the festival Procession: The festival has evolved over the years to include more dance groups which some think mean the event is less focused on religion But the boy disappeared and the shepherd died of sadness, but at the place this occurred an image appeared of the crucified Christ. Despite continued dedication to the festival, Roche believes the celebration has become more of a spectacle to some worshippers. Christopher said: 'I think the festival - like others around the world - is becoming more of a celebration and a spectacle, even amongst locals. 'More dance groups turn up than previously and it has become less of a strictly religious pilgrimage. 'Having said that, there are tens of thousands who take it very seriously indeed.' Worshippers begin to ascend the Sinakara at 4am to reach the Chapel of the Lord of Qoylloriti which is built over the rock with Christ's image. However, the joyous mood transforms into a sombre one higher up in the mountains. Roche added: 'Throughout the festival there was an incredible energy - non stop music and dancing. Fun on the mountain: Many other rituals occur during the festival which is celebrated by Incan worshippers and Christians alike Honouring tradition: Other attendees of the festival include the ten brotherhoods that belong to the Paucartambo, Qusipicanchis and Tahuantinsuyo provinces Moment for thought: Photographer Christopher Roche said his favourite moment of the festival was trekking up to the Sinakara glacier before dawn 'However in the church the mood was very sombre and devotional. 'The further up the mountains and glaciers one went the focus changed from Catholicism to a pre-Christian mountain worship. 'The altitude, at times over 5,000m, seemed to make everything twice as vivid.' Other attendees of the festival include the ten brotherhoods that belong to the Paucartambo, Qusipicanchis and Tahuantinsuyo provinces. Simulated battles take place on the mountain and their resolution leads to the cohesion of all the brotherhoods. Many other rituals occur during the festival which is celebrated by Incan worshippers and Christians alike. Roche said: 'My favourite moment was trekking up to the Sinakara glacier before dawn. An altitude of 5,200m and watching the Ukukus perform an initiation ceremony before marching back down into the valley carrying crosses. 'It felt like I was on the set of a medieval movie - with armies of different colours appearing over various mountain tops. A teenage Deliveroo rider is tackled to the ground and arrested for 'spooking' police horses with his bike in a dramatic video. Raven Morrello, 19, can be seen writhing around and yelping in pain as he is held down by two officers on the streets of Manchester city centre. The teen, who is well known to restaurants in the city, was accused of startling their horses and causing them to 'jump around' in the road as he rode towards them. Deliveroo rider Raven Morrello (left), 19, is accused of 'spooking' police horses (right) when he rode his bike through Manchester city centre When police asked Mr Morello to get off his bike, he refused and started swearing and 'acting aggressively' towards the officers, prosecutors claim. The officers also claim he swore at them during the incident on June 23. Mr Morrello has now appeared before the city's magistrates to deny charges of riding his bicycle without due care or attention and a public order offence. Tense video footage, captured by a witness to the altercation, shows a clearly distressed Mr Morrello bound by his arms and feet as he is arrested. He can be heard shouting at the officers to not twist his arm as well as saying they had 'no right' to take his phone and other possessions. At a first appearance before Manchester Magistrates' Court, Mr Morrello,from Old Trafford, pleaded not guilty to both offences. Prosecuting, Asafa Jiro said: 'The defendant is riding past on his bike and he swears at them, causing the horses to panic and jump in the road. The defendant becomes more aggressive. As police were arresting him, he continued swearing at the officers.' In dramatic video footage, captured by a witness, Mr Morrello is heard screaming at police officers that he is in pain and telling them to leave his possessions alone Mr Morrello, denies being aggressive towards police prior to his arrest and claims he was 'man-handled' by the officers during the incident. Defending, Adam Bonney said: 'He is a Deliveroo driver and as he rode along the road the police horse was startled. He says he was riding as normal and officers then man-handled him. He got agitated when the officers held him to the ground. He only admits swearing when he was man-handled. It was quite a scene.' The incident was captured on mobile phones by passers-by and restaurant workers who know the teenager. Video footage of the defendant's arrest is expected to be played in court when the case goes to trial on Friday, September 23. North Korea publicly executed six officials in front of their families, a local Pyongyang worker has said. They were blamed for the defection of 13 workers at a North Korean-run restaurant in China. The group of 12 women and one man fled China's eastern port city of Ningbo and defected to South Korea in April. Following that the families of the six officials were locked up and then had to watch their public executions on May 5. North Korean despot Kim Jong Un has reportedly overseen a series of killings, purges and dismissals since he took power in late 2011 It is claimed the workers had tired of Pyongyang's ideological campaigns and had become disillusioned with their home country after watching South Korean television dramas and films. They were accepted into South Korea on humanitarian grounds. North Korean watcher Choi Seong-yong, who is the chief of Abductees' Family Union, told the Yonhap news agency: 'North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered six officials, including intelligence officials, to be executed publicly on May 5 due to their lack of control over overseas [North Korean] workers. 'North Korea locked the families of the defectors up and forced them to take ideological education at a training facility in Myohyang Mountain, in the northern part of the communist country.' As many as 80 government authorities and more than 100 family members were forced to watch the public execution, it is claimed. North Korea publicly executed six officials in front of their families, a local Pyongyang worker has said About 50,000 North Koreans, including some minors, have been sent to other countries to earn money for the world's most secretive state, working in mining, logging, textiles and construction. It is reported that Pyongyang runs as many as 130 restaurants in Asian countries such as China and Vietnam generating up to $10m (7.6m) a year. Most of the restaurant workers are generally handpicked from families that are 'loyal' to the regime and go through extensive ideological training before being sent out. In the latest case, North Korean authorities claimed the South forced the workers to defect, blaming it on a 'hideous abduction', something Seoul vehemently denies. North Korean despot Kim Jong Un has reportedly overseen a series of killings, purges and dismissals since he took power in late 2011, in an attempt to tighten his grip on power. The rival Koreas have shared the world's most heavily fortified border since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, and they bar ordinary citizens from exchanging phone calls, letters and emails without special permission. About 30,000 people have fled North Korea and arrived in the South, including 1,276 last year, with numbers declining from a 2009 peak. North Korean defectors to South Korea typically travel through China to a third country, such as Mongolia or Myanmar, before reaching the South. A judge in New York has ruled in favor of a police officer who 'didn't feel safe' conducting CPR on a dying girl. The family of Briana Ojeda were suing the city and officer Alfonso Mendez after their 11-year-old daughter died from an asthma attack in 2010. Supreme Court Justice Dawn Jimenez-Salta said the police department does not require officers 'to know and be willing and able' to perform the life-saving resuscitation. Briana Ojeda was 11 years old when she died in 2010 after an asthma attack in New York. Briana's parents were 'shocked' by the decision, saying that it should come as a shock to the public too. 'People don't know that when you call 911, the police can do whatever they want and that's unfair,' Briana's mom Carmen Torres told New York Daily News. 'They should be made to help a person because they are the first ones on the scene.' Torres was rushing her daughter to the hospital on August 27, 2010 when she was stopped by Officer Mendez for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Torres alerted Mendez that her daughter wasn't breathing and needed immediate attention. The officer testified in a deposition that he had only received CPR theory training and had never practiced on a dummy. 'I didn't feel safe putting my hands on someone without actually knowing what I'm doing,' said Mendez, according to court papers. Lawyers defending the city argued that there is no constitutional or state law saying officers must provide medical attention in emergencies. The only exception is if the person is in police custody. Judge Jimenez-Salta says the incident in 2010 'did not trigger a constitutional duty to provide medical assistance.' 'Indeed it is tragic that Ms. Torres felt a sense of relief when she initially encountered Officer Mendez because she believed a uniformed officer of the law could help her,' Jiminez-Salta wrote. 'However there is no policy in the New York Police Department which requires officers to know and to be willing and able to perform CPR. 'While the merits of such a policy may be the subject of public scrutiny, it is not for this court to challenge.' Alfonso Mendez is an officer for the New York Police Department. The judge also dismissed the Ojeda family's claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress as she did not find Mendez's failure to perform CPR 'extreme and outrageous' due to his lack of knowledge. Lawyer Jason Leventhal has been hired by the family to review Judge Jimenez-Salta's decision. 'Despite this heart-wrenching decision, Briana's case has provided strong evidence that the NYPD has failed to provide officers with a basic life-saving tool needed to protect and serve New Yorkers,' Leventhal said. Two twin sisters were the talk of the world after a creepy performance on British morning television earlier this month which saw them conduct a four-minute interview entirely in unison. The 42-year-old sisters have now said they don't have time for love with anything that doesn't have feathers. Bridgette and Paula Powers, from Queenaland, Australia, speak almost completely in unison, and told 'A Current Affair' on Friday that they don't have time to date - even George Clooney, who the inseparable pair say is 'too old'. The Hollywood heart-throb shouldn't feel too bad however, as the sisters giggled bashfully before they were even able to consider the possibility. Bridgette and Paula run Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue in Queensland, and say they are much too busy for men. 'We give all our love to the wildlife,' they said. Scroll down for video The synchronised sisters say they are much too busy for dating, and they give all of their love to the wildlife Even heartthrob George Clooney won't do - the women say he is simply 'too old' for them Posted on the Facebook page of the rescue centre, the twins helped to remove a hook from this bird's neck The pair (pictured) - who are both vegetarians - insist they have no distinguishing features and still sleep in twin beds The sisters found themselves in the spotlight after answering every question in unison during a four-minute interview on 'Good Morning Britain' earlier this month. When questioned by Piers Morgan over their love lives, the pair say they are 'very, very busy' - and claim they have no time for men. They add: 'If he hasn't got feathers then he's got no hope.' TV host Piers Morgan and his colleague Susanna Reid look shocked as the 42-year-old sisters together explained how they devote all their time to rescuing seabirds off the Australian coast. The sisters say they are not sure why they both speak the same words at the same time but insist it happens 'automatically' - shooting down claims that they rehearse conversations. 'We don't know how it happens,' they say. 'Some people go 'do you rehearse a conversation?' but it's like no, how can you rehearse a conversation, it'd be stupid.' However, many people have taken to social media to suggest the twins aren't quite speaking in sync. Matt Darlington from Maroochydore in Queensland said the unique trait was nothing more than a 'trick'. 'I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed they speak really slow so the other will know what to say,' he said. 'Trying so hard to speak in unison, good trick they've been working on for a long time.' Paula (left) and Bridgette Powers from Queensland, Australia, spoke in unison for their entire Good Morning Britain interview Piers Morgan could not help but laugh as the pair answered his questions in complete unison throughout the interview Although believing they are individuals, the twins admit they do sometimes feel like one person - even wearing identical outfits and sharing a mobile phone. 'All our time is spent together because we have the same interests and we go shopping together, we go and rescue together, we work as a great team together,' they say in sync. 'We know what each other's thinking and we know what to do together when we rescue a big bird as the pelican.' In the middle of the interview, Piers sits forward and says: 'This is one of the greatest interviews I have ever conducted in my life.' Bridgette and Paula Powers say they are devoted to helping Australian seabirds - meaning they have 'no time' for men Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue is a 24/7 rescue and rehabilitation service for seabirds which was set up by the twins 12 years ago The animal-loving pair can be seen helping a huge bird - just one of many at their Australian rescue centre According to the The Sydney Morning Herald, the pair - who are both vegetarians - insist they have no distinguishing features and still sleep in twin beds. They were also both born with heart and blood-pressure conditions, as well as bone deficiencies. Speaking to the Herald, their mother, Helen, said the longest the women have been apart was three days while in their teens. Paula was hospitalised for an appendectomy and although their mother explained the issue was likely to affect Bridgette soon afterwards, they refused to remove her appendix at the same time. The 42-year-old identical twins have never spent more than three days apart since they were born When questioned about their love lives, the twins replied: 'If he hasn't got feathers then he's got no hope' And, as predicted, Bridgette was hospitalised and had it removed just weeks later. The sisters told 'A Current Affair' that the prolonged separation was a 'really really bad experience'. Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue is a 24/7 rescue and rehabilitation service for seabirds which was set up by the twins 12 years ago. And although their website says they specialise in seabirds, they insist 'we never turn away any injured animal'. This is the shocking moment an overtaking car came within millimetres of a head-on smash with a lorry. The footage was captured on a dashcam by Richie Gillman near Cooma on the Monaro Highway in New South Wales, Australia. Lorry driver Richie said: 'A truck travelling behind me called over the radio "you're kidding, look out" before the vehicle shot past. The white Ford car overtakes the lorry - just as another is heading towards it in the opposite direction 'I didn't really have long to think. I just thought, "this is going to be bad". My heart sank.' The white Ford can be seen speeding down the opposite side of the road as a huge lorry approaches. But the car cuts back into Richie's lane at the last second - narrowly avoiding a potentially deadly pile-up. The lorry can be seen on the far left of its lane - seemingly trying to avoid a crash as the car approaches and, potentially, the only reason why the fast car did not smash into its front. The lorry can be seen travelling on the far left on its lane, suggesting it was trying to avoid hitting the vehicle Janet Wooding died after developing a brain aneurysm after routine surgery. Her family say doctors should have spotted the warning signs The family of a mother who died after doctors missed a life-threatening illness say just Googling her symptoms would have shown how ill she was. Janet Wooding died after a routine operation to remove a brain aneurysm led to an abscess forming in her skull. The 54-year-old, from Hampton Hill, south west London, died at St George's Hospital, in nearby Tooting, in September 2013, where she had been transferred for post-operation care after her brain surgery. Grieving daughter Dionne, 33, said a quick web-search of the symptoms would have shown that the paracetamol her mother was taking was most likely making her condition worse. She said: 'The tragic events that transpired in the hospital were due to complete lack of communication between the hospital staff caring for her. 'If just one of them had taken the time to even just Google her test results, they would have found that she had developed pyroglumatic acidosis which if diagnosed, is entirely treatable. 'Instead of that, mum ended up having a further operation which she shouldn't have had in her condition, and the doctors continued administration of drugs including paracetamol, which ultimately led to her death.' While at St George's Hospital, Ms Wooding developed metabolic acidosis, which occurs when the body produces too much acid or when the kidneys are not removing enough. The metabolic acidosis was noted by junior doctors who did not alert any consultants and was also spotted by the consultant anaesthetist, who chose to proceed with the surgery. Ms Wooding was admitted to the intensive care unit after the surgery to close the wound in her skull, but died on September 27, 2013. The family received a 23,000 payout this month, but daughter Dionne said she has never received a formal apology. Bosses of St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London have paid compensation after the blunders She is concerned other families may have to experience the same suffering if issues are not properly addressed. She added: 'I would hate any other family to have to go through what we have been through and would like to have assurances from St George's that significant improvements in procedures have been made to patient care.' A spokeswoman from the hospital said a formal written apology will be sent to the family. The hospital undertook a Serious Incident Investigation Report, which highlighted failures assessing her condition, as well as communication between junior and senior doctors. A teenager is fighting his Baptist school's ban on the 'man bun' hairstyle, saying if Jesus had long hair he should be able to as well. West Australian student Texas Reeks tied his long, curly hair into a bun to keep it neat and said he was sick of being told by teachers the hairstyle was inappropriate. Mr Reeks, a student at the private Mandurah Baptist College, said there was no passage in the bible that banned long hair on men. Mandurah Baptist College student Texas Reeks (second from left) is fighting a ban on the man bun hairstyle The man bun is a popular hairstyle where long hair is bunched up into a bun on top of the head (stock photo) Mr Reeks has started a petition to persuade his college's board to change its uniform policy. The petition has so far gained 343 signatures. Mr Reeks said: 'For too long Mandurah Baptist College has been too strict on male hair. 'Males should be able to have their hair long at school as long as it is tied up and looks neat. At school we should be able to experiment. 'Where in the bible does it say males cannot have long hair? It does not. Jesus had long hair.' It was sexist that female students were allowed to shave their heads but males were not allowed long hair, Mr Reeks said. 'I don't see why females get to have their hair long, short, shaved or whatever, but us males don't get a choice,' he told the Mandurah Coastal Times. 'I find it sexist and I would like the board to reconsider the rules for male hair. 'I am only asking for it to be long and tied back and look neat not to be long and scruffy.' Tex Reeks said it was sexist that females could have short hair but males could not grow man buns (stock photo) The principal of Mandurah Baptist College (pictured) said all students signed up to a uniform code when they enrolled at the school Mandurah Baptist College principal Tracy Holmes said she had no plans to amend the uniform policy, which each student signed when they enrolled at the school. She told WAToday: 'As representatives of our school community, our students are expected to maintain uniform standards consistently. 'We are consistently proud of the way Mandurah Baptist College students wear their uniform, both at school and in public, and regularly receive compliments about both their appearance and their exemplary conduct as they represent our school community.' Police in Benidorm have arrested a British holidaymaker accused of abandoning her two nine-year-old twins while out drinking in the Spanish seaside resort. One of the boys was taken into a police station after he was found wandering the streets looking for his mother by a concerned couple. His twin brother was found three hours later lying at the entrance of their holiday apartment having crossed the whole of Benidorm on foot to reach it. She later admitted she thought they would be fine on their own as she had given them money to buy some food, while she enjoyed the bars. The 40-year-old British mother abandoned her twin boys in Benidorm (pictured) after giving them some money to buy some food The incident happened in Finestrat, adjoining Benidorm, and the mother has now been arrested Police searched for their 40-year-old mother through the night after she moved on from the busy drinking spot where she had first left the twins. The incident happened on Tuesday night in Finestrat adjoining Benidorm. She was eventually found 'sleeping peacefully' at 8am the following morning inside their holiday flat. The twins were then taken to a child protection centre, while she appeared in court before a judge. The result of the private court hearing has not been made public. Spain's National Police said in a press release: 'Police in Benidorm have arrested a 40-year-old British woman for abandoning her two nine-year-old sons in an area full of bars to continue drinking. 'At 10pm on July 27 a couple came into a police station with a nine-year-old boy they'd found walking around the streets looking for his mum. 'The youngster was with his twin brother and his mother in an area of bars and she gave them money to go to get something to eat. 'However when they returned she was not in the same spot and the boys decided to separate to look for her. The incident happened on Tuesday night in Finestrat (pictured) adjoining Benidorm - the mother was found at 8am the following morning 'sleeping peacefully' in their holiday apartment 'Officers began searching for the mother and the other child and found the minor three hours later lying at the entrance to his holiday apartment in Finestrat having walked across town to reach it. 'The boys were taken to a police station and then to a child protection centre to guarantee their safety. 'The search for their mother continued throughout the night until she was found at 8am the following morning sleeping peacefully inside her holiday flat. 'She claimed she had lost her children around 8pm the previous evening while she was out drinking and admitted she hadn't gone looking for them or alerted police because she thought they knew the way home, despite it involving them crossing the whole of Benidorm on foot.' It is believed the woman has now been reunited with her children and may have decided to cut short her holiday so they could return to the UK A police spokesman declined to issue her name. A Florida man is accused of throwing an 11-year-old boy he was taking care of into a swimming pool filled with algae and bugs after claiming God ordered him to baptize the child. Volusia County Sheriff's deputies say 51-year-old Henry Love, Deltona, was arrested Wednesday on a child abuse charge. Love told investigators God awakened him Wednesday morning and told him to baptize the child, according to the station ClickOrlando. Scroll down for video Baptism by algae: Henry Love, 51, has been charged with child abuse for allegedly dunking an 11-year-old boy into a filthy pool because God ordered him to baptize the child Infected: The young boy was later diagnosed with eye and ear infections, possible caused by exposure to unsanitary water in the above-ground pool (pictured above) An arrest report says Love took the boy, believed to be his nephew, next door to the neighbor's above-ground pool and dunked him several times under water. Upon learning what happened, the boy's mother took him to an urgent care center where doctors diagnosed him with an ear and eye infection, possibly caused by exposure to unsanitary water. The young victim told investigators that Henry Love woke him up at around 9am Wednesday in his home on Outrigger Drive in Deltona, made him strip down to his shorts and then dragged him to his next-door neighbors pool, according to an incident report. The 11-year-old said the water in the pool was nasty, green and filled with insects. Love allegedly dunked the boy's head in the dirty water several times while yelling that he was being baptized. He then took the drenched child back to his house, reported the Daytona News-Journal. The owner of the home where the incident took place later told officials that when he saw Love and the soaking-wet boy on his property and asked him what had happened, the 51-year-old man allegedly replied, I baptized the kid. Love has been released from jail on $2,500 bail. A young black man was filmed as he was pinned to the ground by police officers and had a 'spit hood' placed over his head while he was being arrested at a London train station in front of his horrified girlfriend. IK Aihie, 20, was detained by British Transport Police at London Bridge station after he allegedly became aggressive towards officers when they intervened during an argument with his girlfriend. Footage of the incident, filmed by a fellow passenger, Ayda Mosharraf, during the incident on July 21, shows Mr Aihie screaming 'it hurts, it hurts', as officers pin him to the ground, one apparently holding Mr Aihie's face and neck. Shocking videos have shown the moment IK Aihie, 20, was pinned to the ground by police officers and had a mask placed over his head while he was being arrested at a London train station Mr Aihie was detained by British Transport Police at London Bridge station after he allegedly became aggressive towards officers when they intervened during an argument with his girlfriend The officers are then shown pulling a hood over Mr Aihie, as a passerby is heard to shout 'what the hell are you putting on his head?' Police say he threatened to spit at them while he was being held, so they placed the mesh covering - known as a spit guard - on him. It is not clear from the video if this was the case. Mr Aihie's girlfriend, Jessica McConkey, is shown visibly distressed by the incident, as she desperately tried to explain that the two had been having an argument, and begs bystanders to film her boyfriend on the ground. After calling Mr Aihie's treatment 'disgusting', she is heard to say: 'He's a young black boy, he's had an argument with his girlfriend, that's it. You have an argument with your girlfriend and that happens.' Footage of the incident, filmed by a fellow passenger, Ayda Mosharraf, during the incident on July 21, shows Mr Aihie screaming 'it hurts, it hurts', as officers pin him to the ground Mr Aihie can also be heard to cry out to the officers: 'You are racist, so racist' Mr Aihie was taken to a police station in Islington where he was held overnight. The following day he was given a caution for a public order offence An officer is heard saying 'you tried to spit in my face', while Miss McConkey is held back. Shortly afterwards her boyfriend is led away by officers. Mr Aihie was taken to a police station in Islington where he was held overnight. The following day he was given a caution for a public order offence. Footage of the incident was uploaded to Facebook by Ms Mosharraf, 26, where it has now been viewed more than 448,000 times. Today she uploaded another version of the video in which Miss McConkey can be heard asking passersby to help her. Mr Aihie's girlfriend, Jessica McConkey (pictured in the striped dress), is shown visibly distressed by the incident, as she desperately tried to explain that the two had been having an argument, and begs bystanders to film her boyfriend on the ground After calling Mr Aihie's treatment 'disgusting', she is heard to say: 'He's a young black boy, he's had an argument with his girlfriend, that's it. You have an argument with your girlfriend and that happens' 'He's a black boy, I'm a white girl,' she says in the second clip. 'Please, I'm after public help. 'He's done nothing wrong, I promise you, other than arguing with me, his girlfriend.' Mr Aihie can also be heard to cry out to the officers: 'You are racist, so racist.' Then one officer says to Miss McConkey: 'Can you mind your language because you are going to be arrested as well.' Ms Mosharraf wrote that once the footage had gone viral, she had added statements from both Ms McConkey and Mr Aihie. He had said: 'We [Jessica and I] just had a little argument, I walked off then I got pounced on by the two officers at the front of video. Then backup was there before I could even say anything.' Miss McConkey (pictured with Mr Aihie) said the couple 'have the utmost respect for the police force', but had been treated unfairly The officers are then shown pulling a hood over Mr Aihie, as a passersby is heard to shout 'what the hell are you putting on his head?' Police say he threatened to spit at them while he was being held, so they placed the mesh covering - known as a spit guard - on him Footage of the incident was uploaded to Facebook, where it has now been viewed more than 448,000 times Fellow passenger Ayda Mosharraf said she had found the officers' treatment of Mr Aihie 'shocking' According to Ms Mosharraf, Ms McConkey said officers had heard her ask for her phone and 'jumped on him as if he had stolen it', claiming her boyfriend had been kicked to the floor. Ms Mosharraf wrote: 'The treatment by these policemen was shocking for me to see. That's why I had to share this for people to see the "need" for such heavy police force for taking down a 150 pound young man.' Miss McConkey has complained to the force over 'excessive force', which is now being investigated by its professional standards department. Miss McConkey told The Guardian: 'Both IK and I are law abiding citizens and have the utmost respect for the police force and the work they do. However, in this instance we were treated unfairly and the use of force during IK's arrest was excessive and unwarranted and I have made a complaint to the British Transport police.' An officer is heard saying 'you tried to spit in my face', while Miss McConkey is held back. Miss McConkey has complained to the force over 'excessive force', which is now being investigated by its professional standards department Mr Aihie posted this message on his Facebook page earlier this week as he thanked his friends and the public for sharing the video online Mr Aihie said: 'It was a completely terrifying experience for both of us and I've been left bruised and shaken. I've never been arrested before and certainly don't intend to be ever again.' This week he thanked the members of the public who had shared the video online, writing in a Facebook post: 'Thank you for all the sharing of that video showing you how racist the police can be especially when they don't know who you are. I'm not being funny I'm not a racist guy or play that race card cause if have a look through my friends list you'll see that 95% of my friends list include WHITE people. 'However besides the fact of that I am so appreciative of the support from everyone and don't worry I wont be letting this go lightly as those of you who know me personally.' A British Transport police spokesman told MailOnline: 'The incident occurred shortly after 11.30pm when officers intervened in an argument between a man and a woman. 'The man then became aggressive towards the officers, at which point he was arrested. Whilst being held, he made a threat that he would spit at officers who then placed a spit guard on him. 'The man has since accepted a caution for an offence under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. Ray was sentenced to life in prison in 1980, but that was changed to 25 years on appeal in 1990 and he is now a free man to make money by handling legal matters for the Bailey family as they dealt with the deceased mayor's $2.5millio He allegedly murdered Walter H. Scott, the man driving the car Bailey was in which caused the vehicle to crash, but failed to kill the mayor William was allegedly part of a plot to murder Mayor Eugene Bailey of Williston, Florida in 1977 along with his brother Ray and their friend He had been on the run since 1980, disappearing after he posted $20,000 bail following his arrest on charges of murder and A fugitive who disappeared after being indicted on charges of murder and aggravated battery has been captured by the FBI 40 years after he allegedly committed the crimes. William Claybourne Taylor, 67, was taken into custody in Reidsville, North Carolina on Thursday, where he had been living under a fake name for decades while evading law enforcement. He at first denied his identity to federal investigators, but a fingerprint check soon confirmed that he was indeed the man who at one time was one of the 10 people on the FBI's Most Wanted list. William went on the run in 1980, shortly after posting $20,000 bail following his arrest for his alleged role as the gunman in a botched murder plot against Mayor Eugene Bailey of Williston, Florida. The 1977 shooting failed to kill Bailey, despite the fact that he was shot three times at point blank range by alleged gunman William after the car he was a passenger in drove of the side of the road and crashed into some trees. Walter H. Scott, 64, was killed however after being shot in the back of the head by the gunman in a targeted move meant to cause the car crash. Caught: William Claybourne Taylor, 67, was captured by members of the FBI in Reidsville, North Carolina on Thursday (mugshot above) Ready to run: He had been on the run since 1980, disappearing after he posted $20,000 bail following his arrest on charges of murder and aggravated battery It took local authorities three years to arrest William, his older brother Ray and another man for their involvement in the botched hit job. The trio had been hoping to cash in by representing Bailey's family in the wake of his death, with struggling lawyer Ray planning to serve as executor of the deceased man's $2.5million estate. Ray, who in years after the plot had risen in the legal ranks to become a successful Tennessee prosecutor, was convicted in 1980 as the mastermind behind the plot. He appealed that conviction however over the next decade and in 1990 agreed to plead guilty to a charge of second-degree murder, receiving a 25-year-sentence that included time served for the decade he had already spent behind bars prior to his conviction. Ray has since completed his sentence and is a free man. The third man involved in the shooting, Paul Allen, was the driver of the car, and avoided prison completely after he agreed to testify against Ray during his murder trial. Allen was instead given 15 years probation for his role in the murder. William was indicted and arrested in May of 1980, but after posting bail in Tennessee never returned to Florida, which was a condition of parole. A federal warrant was issued three months later in August 1980 after William was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. William's wanted poster at the time listed his occupations as dance instructor, trumpet player, keypunch operator and welder, among other things. The FBI did not reveal how they came to discover that William was living under a false name in Tennessee. 'William Claybourne Taylor thought he could avoid taking responsibility for this horrible crime, but our agents continued an exhaustive search year after year,' said Michelle S. Klimt, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. William's arrest in North Carolina came just two weeks after police officers in nearby Kentucky captured Billy Burchfield, who also spent close to 40 years on the run. Burchfield, who like William is 67, managed to escape from the Jackson County Correctional Institution in 1979 where he was serving time for voluntary manslaughter following the death of his wife, who he shot in the neck. Vladimir Putin wanted to meet Donald Trump at the 2013 Miss Universe pageant but their plans were scuppered after the billionaire arrived late, a source has said. Trump - who owns the Miss Universe brand - was visiting Moscow for the beauty show and the Kremlin wanted to arrange a meeting between him and the Russian leader. However, the plans are said to have fallen through when Trump took a later flight so he could attend the 95th birthday of evangelical minister Billy Graham. Keen to build a relationship, Putin sent an oligarch's daughter to deliver a gift to Trump in New York, the source said. Scroll down for video Vladimir Putin wanted to meet Donald Trump at the 2013 Miss Universe pageant but their plans were scuppered after the billionaire arrived late, a source has said Sheyla Agalarov (center, with her parents Aras and Irina) was sent to deliver a gift and a note to Trump in New York after he missed the meeting A source close to Russian oligarch Aras Agalarov told NBC News that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was instructed to arrange the meeting before the pageant. Arrangements were made but Trump apparently missed the meet-up because he stayed late in North Carolina at Graham's birthday party. Trump made it to the pageant in time to see Gabriela Isler, from Venezuela, crowned Miss Universe 2013 Putin was unable to rearrange the sit-down meeting because he had to meet the King of Holland. Putin sent a gift and a note to Trump, the source said, and had Agalarov's daughter, Sheyla, deliver them to the Miss Universe offices in New York. The Agalarovs and the Trumps appear to have been friends at the time, having met each other at least once already that year at a Miss USA show in Las Vegas. Trump is also said to have helped arrange for Agalarov's son, Emin, to appear in a music video for Miss Universe 2013. The source claimed Trump did not waste his networking trip of Moscow as he met up with a businessman from Sberbank Russia, where he is said to have talked about the EU and The Apprentice. Trump said earlier this week that he has never met Putin, in direct contradiction with a claim he made in 2013 during his trip to Moscow. He told NBC News at the time that they had 'a relationship' and that the Russian leader was particularly 'interested' in him and what he had to say. However, on Wednesday Trump said: 'I never met Putin, I don't know who Putin is.' Trump's denial came after claims that Russians were involved in the leak of emails and voicemails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Trump (left) with Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo (center) and Aras Agalarov (right) onstage at the 2013 Miss USA pageant earlier in 2013 before the event in Moscow There have been suggestions that the Kremlin may be trying to derail the Democrats' campaign in an attempt to win Trump the presidency. The emails - published by WikiLeaks - led to the resignation of the DNC's Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on the eve of the party's convention, which ended last night. Security sources say the hack has all the hallmarks of a state-sponsored attack. Officials admit that the likelihood of recovering the doomed plane is fading The simulated route was similar to the one the plane took before vanishing Experts say it is highly likely to have come from the Malaysia Airlines jet Wing part debris was found on the shores of Tanzania earlier this year MH370 vanished during a flight to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur back in 2014 Australian officials are now reasonably convinced that a wing part found on the shores of Tanzania earlier this year is from the missing MH370 - and from it vital clues might now be gleaned. Greg Hood, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau which has had experts examining the large wing part, said today that it was clear it was from a Boeing 777, leaving experts to declare it was highly likely to have come from the Malaysia Airlines jet. Experts now hope to determine how MH370 hit the water in an area believed to be in the southern Indian Ocean 1,600 miles south west of Australia. Australian officials are now reasonably convinced that a wing part found on the shores of Tanzania earlier this year is from the missing MH370. Police carry a piece of debris from an unidentified aircraft found in the coastal area of Saint-Andre de la Reunion, in the east of the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reports of the discovery, that appears to indicate the captain practised crashing the plane, emerged in confidential police documents last week They will examine whether the jet had the wing flap down for a controlled landing on water or whether it had not been deployed, suggesting the plane came down in a dive. If the flap - the largest piece of debris found among other pieces said to be highly likely from the missing jet - shows signs of being torn off, it suggests it had been deployed, say officials. And that, they say, possibly means that someone was in control of the aircraft at the time it hit the water. The ATSB has been working on a theory that the jet ran out of fuel and then plunged into the sea, but other experts say it couild have been manually glided into the ocean to minimise damage and make it harder to find. Weve got no evidence either way to say there was somebody at the controls, said Commissioner Hood. Malaysia's national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said investigations will not be conclusive until the black boxes - the cockpit voice recorder and a data recorder - are recovered Questions are now arising about the official search area, with oceanographers saying the discovery of the item in Tanzania is a further indication that the plane came down north of the current search zone. Mr Chester, however, said last night that he remained hopeful that the aircraft will be located in the remaining search area. Virtually all of the 46,000 square mile search area has been covered with no sign of the main part of the aircraft. But pieces that experts believe are from the jet have washed ashore off the east coast of Africa and nearby islands. It comes as Australian officials confirmed data recovered from a home flight simulator owned by the Flight MH370 pilot shows 'someone' used it to plot a course to the southern Indian Ocean weeks before the plane vanished. Reports of the discovery, that appears to indicate the captain practised crashing the plane, emerged in confidential police documents last week. But while Australian authorities have now confirmed the data, they insist it doesn't prove that captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah deliberately crashed the plane. Australian authorities confirmed data recovered from a flight simulator owned by MH370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah appears to show 'someone' used it to plot a course similar to that followed by the plane before it vanished over the Indian Ocean The simulated flight path that was allegedly practised by Mr Shah was similar to the one the plane is believed to have followed before it disappeared 'Someone had plotted a course to the southern Indian Ocean,' confirmed Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Centre, which is overseeing the search for the plane off Australia's west coast. It said, however, that evidence of the route didn't prove Mr Shah had planned to steer the plane off course and showed only 'the possibility of planning' for such an event. Malaysia's national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar would not confirm, saying investigations will not be conclusive until the black boxes - the cockpit voice recorder and a data recorder - are recovered. 'We cannot confirm anything. Whatever findings now are not conclusive until we recover the black box which will tell us what actually happened. 'If not, everything else is speculative.' There has been confusion over what exactly was found on the captain's flight simulator since New York Magazine reported last week that an FBI analysis of the device showed Mr Shah had conducted a simulated flight to the southern Indian Ocean less than a month before the plane vanished along a similar route. A family member of a passenger aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 holds a placard saying: 'The three governments have an obligation to the world to carry out their promise' A man surnamed Lee whose said his son was aboard the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that went missing wears a t-shirt saying: 'Pray for MH370. Bring them home safely' Relatives of Chinese passengers onboard MH370 protested at the Chinese Foreign Ministry after a Ministerial Tripartite Meeting involving China, Malaysia and Australia Zhang Huijun, one of the relatives of passengers missing on Malaysia Airlines MH370, performs kowtow to appeal for help during a protest outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing The magazine cited the discovery as strong evidence that the disappearance was a premeditated act of mass murder-suicide at the hands of the captain. Before the flight vanished it is understood Mr Shah had been distracted and withdrawn as he dealt with the break-up of his marriage. Speaking in 2014 about the mystery, the wife and daughter of Mr Shah said the 53-year-old pilot had been desolate in the weeks before the aircraft's disappearance and refused pleas to attend marriage counselling sessions. Three weeks after they split the plane went missing, with some investigators suggesting it was a deliberate and desperate ploy by Mr Shah. Police Chief Bakar said the Malaysian police had never handed any document or information to any overseas authority, including the FBI. However, Malaysia's own transport minister confirmed two years ago that Malaysia was working with the FBI to analyse data from the simulator's hard drives. The search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will be 'suspended' if the plane is not found in the current search area, a statement issued to the next of kin said A map showing where investigators have been searching for the plane for the last two years. It is believed it could be the wrong place and officials are yet to pinpoint a new area WASHED UP DEBRIS: THE SEARCH FOR MISSING MH370 The first piece of debris believed to have come from MH370 was discovered last July on a beach on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Experts believed that the debris was one of the plane's flaperon and that other debris that washed up on the shore was suitcase items from China and Indonesia. Later that year in December a grey piece of debris was found in southern Mozambique thought to belong to the aircraft. Two months later an object with the words 'no step' then washed up off the coast of the African country. Then in March this year, an engine part was found in South Africa while in Apirl the segment of a flap track fairing and part of a horizontal stabiliser were found off Mozambique. Officials say it was almost certainly from MH370. Meanwhile on Monday, investigators in Australia on said they were examining a wing flap found last month on an East African island The 'large piece of aircraft debris' arrived at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau headquarters in the capital, Canberra, for examination. Advertisement Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai insisted on Wednesday there was no evidence to prove that Mr Shah had plotted the same course as the doomed airliner into the machine. Earlier this week, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declined to offer any details on what evidence had been found on the simulator, saying it was a matter for Malaysia, which is leading the investigation into the missing plane. 'I just note that even if the simulator information does show that it is possible or very likely that the captain planned this shocking event, it does not tell us the location of the aircraft,' Turnbull told reporters. Officials have been hindered in their efforts to explain why the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people veered so far off course during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Theories have ranged from a deliberate murder-suicide plot by one of the pilots, to a hijacking, to a mechanical catastrophe. Similarly, search crews have been unable to find the main wreckage of the plane despite a sweeping underwater hunt of a remote stretch of ocean off Australia's west coast. Last week, officials from Malaysia, Australia and China announced that the underwater search will be suspended once the current search area has been completely scoured. Kevin Rudd has released a series of damning letters which appear to show Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull promising to support his tilt at the UN's top job. On Friday Mr Turnbull refused to back Mr Rudd as the UN's next secretary-general, saying the former Prime Minister was not well suited to the role. But Mr Rudd has hit back by releasing the letters, in which he reminds Mr Turnbull about a pledge he made in December last year to support his bid. Scroll down for video Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has released a series of letters which apparently show Malcolm Turnbull promised to support his tilt at the UN's top job In one of the letters Mr Rudd claimed the Prime Minister had promised to support him and had even gone as far as to ask for a list of governments to start lobbying on his behalf. In the letter, dated May 1, 2016, Mr Rudd wrote: 'You in fact sent me a message on your preferred Wickr system [a messaging app] where you stated that you and the [Foreign Minister] were 'as one' in your support for my candidature. You asked for a list of governments you would need to lobby at a prime ministerial level in the future...You had always said to me that the Australian government would be 'mad' not to support my candidature. Kevin Rudd in a letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull 'You will also recall I came to see you in your Parliament House office on 11 November last year where we discussed the matter at length. 'Once again you restated your position of support for my candidature. 'You went further to ask for a list of governments whom you would to lobby at a prime ministerial level in the future.' Mr Rudd went on to claim that Mr Turnbull had assured him the Australian government would be 'mad' not to back him. He wrote: 'We continued this discussion further on Wednesday 23 December in your Sydney office.' 'Once again you stated your support for my candidature. 'You added that when the time came to lodge my nomination, you now wanted to take it to Cabinet to avoid the perception of a 'captain's pick'. 'You also said to me that the Cabinet process would not change the outcome.' Mr Rudd claims that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) assured him that cabinet would agree to nominate him for the role On Friday Malcolm Turnbull refused to nominate Mr Rudd (pictured), saying he was not well suited to the role A spokeswoman for Mr Rudd told the ABC that the letters were released to dispute Mr Turnbull's version of events. She said: 'Mr Turnbull said he would not be supporting Mr Rudd for [UN secretary-general]. 'He also asked Mr Rudd to keep the confidentiality of their conversations on this matter. 'Mr Rudd has unfortunately now discovered that briefings are occurring conveying the Prime Minister's version of events. 'In the interests of transparency Mr Rudd thinks it is far better that he release the three letters he sent Mr Turnbull on this issue over the past few months.' Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (pictured) is said to have strongly argued in the cabinet room in favour of nominating Mr Rudd for the position Earlier on Friday Mr Rudd released a bizarre third-person statement describing his snub for the role as a 'pity'. The statement also described how the Prime Minister rebuffed him on Friday morning and instead delivered the bad news over the phone. It read: 'Mr Rudd flew to Sydney this morning requesting a meeting with the Prime Minister, having sought such a meeting the previous evening. 'On arrival in Sydney Mr Turnbull telephoned Mr Rudd, indicating there was no opportunity for a meeting. 'Mr Turnbull stated he would not be nominating Mr Rudd as a candidate for UN secretary-general. Two men have been arrested after a female cyclist was dragged into a park and sexually assaulted. The woman in her 30s had been pushing her bike down the road six miles outside central Dublin at around 3am when she was approached by three men. The victim was then forced into a park on the adjoining road and raped, it is alleged. Two men, aged 19 and 20, are now being held at Lucan Garda Station in Dublin. The woman in her 30s had been pushing her bike down the road six miles outside central Dublin at around 3am when she was approached by three men Gardai believe three men were involved but only one of them committed the alleged rape, which happened in the town of Clondalkin. The victim was taken to receive treatment at the nearby Rotunda Hospital following the attack. Gardai placed a large sheet of white plastic on the floor, stretching from the footpath at the roadside and over a low wall. The victim's bike was placed in a police van for a forensic examination. Police said they are continuing to investigate the attack, which took place at around 3.20am yesterday. Sinn Fein TD Eoin O Broin said the horrifying assault had spread fear throughout the Clondalkin community. The woman was then dragged into a park on the adjoining road and raped in Clondalkin (pictured), six miles outside central Dublin He told Dublin Live: 'That area of road is normally quite busy but it was quiet at that time of night. 'There are a lot of trees in the area and it's quite dark. We will be writing to the council to see if we can get the area made safer for everybody. 'People here are very shocked. A crime like this will create a significant amount of fear in the area. 'This is the third time a sex attack has happened in the constituency in the space of two years. 'So people will naturally be fearful and angry and looking for answers from Gardai.' Noeleen Blackwell, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said the attack was 'the kind of classic nightmare, it is not the norm for a sexual assault'. 'For the most part, the offenders and people who commit sexual assault and rapes are known to the victim,' she told the Irish Independent. 'But this kind of case is awful because it is so violent,' Ms Blackwell added. A third cat has joined Whitehall's increasing team of mousers with the arrival of Gladstone at the Treasury. The 18-month black moggie - who wears a red ribbon around his neck - is described as 'greedy' and an animal with 'catitude' - stoking fears he will join the increasingly bitter turf war between No 10's Larry and Palmerston from the Foreign Office. Like his new neighbours, Gladstone was recruited from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, where he was called Timmy. A third cat has joined Whitehall's increasing team of mousers with the arrival of Gladstone at the Treasury The 18-month black moggie (pictured) - who wears a red ribbon around his neck - is described as 'greedy' and an animal with 'catitude' - stoking fears he will join the increasingly bitter turf war between No 10's Larry and Palmerston from the Foreign Office Only time will tell whether Gladstone joins the increasingly bitter turf war between No 10's Larry (left) and Palmerston (right) from the Foreign Office He was renamed after the former prime minister and Chancellor William Ewart Gladstone. He will hope not to suffer the same fate as the last Chancellor's cat. Freya was banished to the Kent countryside just months after joining George Osborne's family in No 11 after becoming embroiled in several scrapes with Larry and her tendency to go missing for days. Today new Chancellor Philip Hammond welcomed his fellow new arrival at the Treasury, posting a picture of the cat peering from his Red Box. Gladstone already has Twitter and Instagram accounts and this morning showed he was living up to his reputation as a 'greedy' cat by telling his new boss: 'I eat three times a day and like to have biscuits available inbetween.' Treasury staff are paying for the maintenance and food for Gladstone, Buzzfeed News reported - and given his appetite their kitty will need regular refills. Gladstone, pictured next to Chancellor Philip Hammond's Red Box, is the newest recruit in Whitehall and is tasked with solving the Treasury's mouse problem Gladstone arrived a couple of weeks ago but was confined to just a few rooms before he is fitted with a tracker and let further afield to fulfill his job of solving the Treasury's chronic cat problem Larry (left) also fought with George Osborne's cat Freya (right) before she was banished to the countryside Palmerston sat staring at his arch enemy, Larry, positioned outside No 10 this morning as their feud continued earlier this week One picture shows Gladstone resting on the windowsill at the Treasury staring out into the building's courtyard, eager to get on with his new job of catching mice in the building. The 18-month old Domestic Short Hair wasted no time in warning his new neighbours he is a force to be reckoned with. A caption to a photo of Gladstone in a cat carrier jokes: 'Me on my first day at my new home. The humans had to keep me in this cage in case I ran down the street and tormented some other mouser called 'Larry'. Personally, I've never heard of him. #movingday.' His Instagram profile also describes him as 'the most popular colleague at Her Majesty's Treasury', where he catches mice and 'receives cuddles'. Gladstone already has Twitter and Instagram accounts and this morning showed he was living up to his reputation as a 'greedy' cat by telling his new boss: 'I eat three times a day and like to have biscuits available inbetween' One picture shows Gladstone resting on the windowsill at the Treasury staring out into the building's courtyard, eager to get on with his new job of catching mice His arrival means the turf war in Whitehall could be about to get more complicated and fierce. After a recent 'fracas' with Palmerston, Larry had to be treated by a vet after developing a limp in his front right paw. It was unclear whether Palmerston was responsible but the Foreign Office's 'diplomog' has been pictured in recent days being evicted from No 10 and squaring up to Larry. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home revealed Gladstone used to be called Timmy and was found wandering the streets of London hungry and with no microchip. The animal shelter described him as a 'quite greedy' cat who needs to be fed in moderation. He arrived a fortnight ago but was restricted to a small number of rooms before he is fitted with a tracker so he can start his job of solving the Treasury's mouse problem. Like his new neighbours, Gladstone (pictured climbing out of Philip Hammond's Red Box) was recruited from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home, where he was called Timmy A caption to a photo of Gladstone in a cat carrier jokes: 'Me on my first day at my new home. The humans had to keep me in this cage in case I ran down the street and tormented some other mouser called 'Larry'. Personally, I've never heard of him. #movingday' Gladstone moved into the Treasury a fortnight ago and will soon be fitted with a tracker device so he can get on with his job of catching the building's mice Tourists in Scotland on the hunt for sea creatures are more likely to search for Nessie than they are for sharks. But stunning footage has captured a huge school of basking sharks off the idyllic coastline. Tour operators Basking Shark Scotland filmed 50 sharks on the tidelines between Coll and Tiree in the inner Hebrides yesterday. Stunning footage has captured a huge school of basking sharks off the idyllic coastline Tour operators Basking Shark Scotland filmed 50 sharks on the tidelines between Coll and Tiree in the inner Hebrides yesterday Breathtaking drone footage was shared online showing the gigantic creatures, known to be the second largest fish in the world, gliding along together while feeding off plankton. During the 30 second clip, the tourer's tiny boat can be spotted just metres from the sharks. Extra camera footage, filmed from the team onboard, show clear blue skies shining as dozens of shark fins pierce through the Scottish waters. Shortly after the clip, several tourists got even closer to the fish, who can weigh up to 7 tonnes, after hopping in the water to swim alongside them. Extra camera footage, filmed from the team onboard, show clear blue skies shining as dozens of shark fins pierce through the Scottish waters Shortly after the clip, several tourists got even closer to the fish, who can weigh up to 7 tonnes, after hopping in the water to swim alongside them The clips were filmed yesterday - the same day figures were released by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust claiming basking shark sightings had fallen. The Mull-based organisation recorded 11 reports involving 15 sharks while far larger numbers of sightings have been made in previous years. Basking Shark Scotland owner, Shane Wasile said: 'We've had shark sightings for a few weeks now, probably from about April, but this was the first big aggregation of the year. 'It was the first time we tried Facebook Live and luckily we had no wind and great conditions to spot them yesterday. There were about 30 near the boat when I was filming and then 50 by the end. 'Some visitors usually get to see one or two, sometimes even up to fifteen but when you come across large groups like this it's just great to see. 'For some guys it was their first trip and I had to tell them 'this doesn't happen every day'. They were completely blown away. 'They came right up to the boat so were only a couple of metres away then we took a few people out to swim with them. They swim towards you and come really close, they're no danger as they feed from plankton. The clips were filmed yesterday - the same day figures were released by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust claiming basking shark sightings had fallen The Mull-based organisation recorded 11 reports involving 15 sharks while far larger numbers of sightings have been made in previous years 'These are areas where the plankton is most concentrated so the sharks zero in on these zones to make the most of the abundance of food. 'We've not heard of any large sightings of them so far in Scotland and we are one of the main operators for tours in the area so I'm fairly confident we managed to spot the first largest aggregation this season.' The 35-year-old live streamed some of the breathtaking experience on Facebook giveing thousands of viewers at home the opportunity to be involved. Sorcha Cantwell said: 'I'd give anything to be there right now.' Gwen Sands wrote: 'Such a thrilling sight when you round the top of Coll.' And Camilla Hughes said: 'Wow. Would simply love to see this.' One unlucky visitor Steven Garven, who went out on the tour earlier in the week, wrote: 'I was out on Monday and not one.' Basking sharks are known to be highly migratory and appear seasonally in different areas of the world. They distribute in temperate coastal waters and can weigh up to 7 tonnes and grow up up to 12 metres long - the same size as a bus. They are one of the three plankton eating sharks along with the whale shark and megamouth shark and have a lifespan of up to 50 years. Basking sharks are currently on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and listed as 'vulnerable' meaning they face a 'high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future'. Basking Shark Scotland, based in Oban, are the only dedicated basking shark tour operators in Scotland. They offer single, two and three day, four day and week long basking shark swimming and wildlife excursions to the Inner Hebrides. Hillary Clinton says she - not Donald Trump - will be the jobs president. 'I feel like I have a very good idea about how a president can help create jobs,' she said at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Friday night, 'because over the eight years my husband was president he created 23 million new jobs.' She said of her future administration, 'We're going to be working really hard.' 'You know I told Bill if he thought he was going to get to retire he was wrong...It's all hands on deck.' The 69-year-old former president beamed behind her as she talked up his two terms in the Oval Office. Hillary Clinton says she - not Donald Trump - will be the jobs president. 'I feel like I have a very good idea about how a president can help create jobs,' she said at a rally, 'because over the eight years my husband was president he created 23 million new jobs.' She's seen here with Bill today at another campaign stop The Clintons are on a bus tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania for the next three days ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Friday night Clinton rallied supporters in Harrisburg. She made a stop earlier in the day in Hatfield. They left from Philadelphia, where the Democratic National Convention concluded Thursday night MY TURN: When the Clintons campaigned by bus in 1992 it was Bill who was running for president. Now it's Hill 'You know I told Bill if he thought he was going to get to retire he was wrong...It's all hands on deck,' Hillary said of her husband tonight. He's seen her at the Harrisburg rally talking to Tim Kaine's wife Anne Hillary Clinton got right down to business ripping Donald Trump on Friday as she embarked on a post-convention bus tour. Clinton told supporters in Philadelphia, at the Democratic convention 'you heard something very different' than at the Republican one. Trump painted a 'negative, dark, divisive picture of a country in decline,' she said, 'and claimed that he can fix the nation's problems 'alone.' 'We might as well have been talking about two different countries, or as someone said to me, two different planets,' she said the first of three stops she would make that day. At a manufacturing plant in Hatfield later in the afternoon she blasted the billionaire's business practices and said, 'Donald Trump goes around with that hat on, "Make America Great Again" ' 'The only thing he makes in America are bankruptcies, both his own and other people who did business with him.' In Philadelphia she said, 'I find it highly amusing that Donald Trump talks about "make America great again." He doesn't make a thing in America except bankruptcies.' Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine said that Republicans' convention in Cleveland last week was 'twisted and negative.' 'It wasn't a tour of this country,' he said. 'It was like a journey through Donald Trump's mind - and that is a very frightening place.' Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are campaigning together on a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio starting Friday She told a cheering audience at the first stop, 'This has been such an invigorating exciting week.' Kaine and the Clintons kicked off their campaign at a rally after the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Friday Clinton claps as running mate Tim Kaine talks to her Hillary's husband Bill at a campaign kickoff rally Bill, Hillary and Kaine appeared on stage at the rally at McGonigle Hall at Temple University in Philadelphia With her history-making nomination in hand, Clinton kicked off her general election campaign with a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio two states could hand her the presidency if she can prevent Donald Trump from winning there. She began with a rally in Philadelphia, where she took the stage with husband Bill, Sen. Kaine, and his wife Anne more than an hour late 'The four of us are going to barnstorm the country,' she said. 'Because as a very smart president who just so happens to be here today once said, "There is nothing wrong with America that can't be cured with what's right with America." ' It was originally planned to be an an outdoor event with sweeping views of the city's historic Independence Mall. But rain forced the event indoors to a Temple University hall. As she heads west, Clinton will make her way to battleground Ohio - a state Kaine accidentally referred to as 'Iowa' in his remarks in Philadelphia today. The tour takes her through areas with white working class voters who may be receptive to Donald Trump's message of making better trade deals, rolling back immigration, and hitting hard at terrorist enemies. In Harrisburg Friday night she talked up an independent analysis of their economic plans done by a former adviser to John McCain that said the Republican proposal would cost Americans three and a half million jobs. As she did so, Clinton was heckled. She said in response, 'I understand that there are people that feel like the economy's not working well for them. I think that gentleman is one of them. I don't know. And I understand that, because I'm not satisfied with the status quo...I think we can do better.' Clinton blamed Republicans for the economic downturn that President Barack Obama faced when he came into office and said, 'So I know that we can do better, but I am glad that we are stable, w're on firm ground, now we gotta figure out what we do next.' Cutting into Trump again for outsourcing the production of his companies goods, she brought up her husband and the role she expects him to play in her administration as an informal economic adviser. Clinton and Kaine hit the road on Friday, starting in Philadelphia on their tour of western Pennsylvania and Ohio Clinton will try to reinforce themes of her convention throughout her campaign tour as she tells her story to the public Clinton looks on as her running mate Kaine speaks to the Philadelphia crowd on Friday Clinton had three stops on Friday and her husband, Kaine and Kaine's wife joined her at all of them. The bus tour was reminiscent of the one that Bill and Hillary took 24 years ago when he was running for president. Hillary brought it up tonight in Harrisburg and said, 'I was thinking as we got on the bus, the first time I campaigned on a bus and came to Pennsylvania was way back in 1992. 'Looking at this crowd there a bunch of you who weren't even born in 1992,' she said as millennials in the audience broke out into high-pitched screams. 'But we got on that bus and we started driving through Pennsylvania and as we stopped to talk to people, do events like this, it was exciting because we knew that if we worked together we could...get results for people.' She said, 'Well I feel exactly the same way. This is a moment of reckoning for our country.' Clinton primarily put Kaine, who is Minnesota-born and Kansas-bred, in charge of charming and disarming Pennsylvanians at her first two events as she used her time on the stump to take a convention victory lap. Taking the podium after him she told a cheering audience in Philadelphia, 'This has been such an invigorating, exciting week.' Her husband Bill at her side, she marveled at how great it as to hear from the president from Hope' at the Democratic convention, as well as the president of hope, Barack Obama. 'I don't know about you, but I stayed up really late last night. It was just hard to go to sleep...It was so exciting...It was also kind of overwhelming,' she said. Clinton didn't finish her speech on Thursday night until nearly 12 am. She celebrated into the wee hours of the morning at an after party. Hillary and Bill Clinton and Tim Kaine greet rally attendees before speaking to the crowd on Friday 'When I did start moving, and Bill and I started drinking our coffee, or asking that it be administered through an IV,' she said to laughter, 'we suddenly looked at each other and realized that as of tomorrow we have 100 days to make our case.' 'So what better place to kick off this campaign than right here in Philadelphia where it all started 200 years ago,' she said. The country's founders understood, 'We are stronger together!' Several times during her remarks Clinton was interrupted by hecklers. At one point, as she talked about the country's founding, her detractors overpowered her and were subsequently shouted down by her fans. She paused and grinned as the protest and counter protest unfolded in front of her. On a dime she she said, 'I'll tell you something else' the founders 'also expected a kind of raucous debate in America. 'But at the end of the debate, we have to come together to get things done, don't we?' she told them. In the truncated 15 minute version of her stump speech Clinton said Democrats 'had a great convention, but we've gotta go out and we've gotta fight for our vision of the future. And I can't do it alone. I need each and every one of you.' 'I'm not satisfied with the status quo. I'm not telling you that everything is just peachy keen,' she said, defending her position. 'I'm telling you we've made progress but we have work to do.' Trump talked at his convention for 75 minutes 'and did not offer one solution,' she accused. 'In fact, hjs speech, his whole convention seemed more about insulting me instead of helping the American people.' Kaine said in his remarks Clinton will invest and jobs and higher education. And she will continue the she began as first lady to make sure children receive health care. 'Don't you want a president who knows how to battle and get things done for regular people who might not be able to get these things done' themselves? he asked rhetorically. The former secretary of state believes in leadership that's 'based on alliances, and building bridges and just using the relationships we have to defeat forces of terrorism, and forces of prejudice, and forces of anti-Semitism.' 'We can do that when we work together,' he added. Former President Bill Clinton was also on hand for today for his wife's event in Philadelphia at Temple University A former civil rights lawyer, Kaine said it matters deeply to him 'that we've got a community of respect' in which people are not 'demeaned because of who they are' or 'dissed because they're someone with a disability,' or LGBT, foreign born or a minority. Clinton spent considerable time at her convention trying to bolster her own credentials in a way that might help her bolster her performance among these types of voters. She selected Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her running mate rather than opting to run with another woman or some minority candidates who were on her list. And she made her convention into a flag-waiving show of American exceptionalism with a rousing endorsement speech by Gen. John Allen. After holding a four-day convention that let Clinton tell her story to the public in public in prime time, Clinton will try to reinforce themes of her convention: that she is a competent and experienced public official who cares about ordinary Americans and that Donald Trump is a risk and would divide the country. Clinton during her acceptance speech Thursday said that Trump thinks he alone can solve the country's problems but that Clinton wants people to solve them together and make the country 'greater than ever.' Democrats were criticized earlier this week for not having| American flags physically on the stage at their convention. Old Glory was prominently Kaine, Kaine's wife Anne Holton, and Bill and Hillary Clinton Clinton walk to board their campaign bus after finishing a rally at McGonigle Hall at Temple University i The Clintons and Kaine speak to onloookers outside their campaign bus, which features the phrase 'better together' Clinton took a bus tour to New Hampshire before winning the primary there in 2008 Clinton and Kaine forged a bond campaigning together in Virginia, and have already done a joint media interview, but will get the chance to gel on the two-day campaign swing A LONG STRANGE TRIP: Bill and Hillary Clinton on a bus on their way to Seattle in 1996 Clinton leads Trump by 50 to 49 per cent in a Suffolk University survey released Thursday. It's the same margin she had in an NBC / Wall Street Journal poll. Clinton was leading with 50 percent of women and 41 percent of men statewide, while running up a huge margin in Philadelphia. Trump and his running mate Mike Pence campaigned in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, and Trump has repeatedly stressed his commitment to winning in the blue-tilting state. On Saturday, Clinton and Kaine will visit Youngstown, in a struggling industrial part of the state, and then Columbus, where the Clinton team will try to drive up support among their base voters in the state capitol. The trip will also include retail stops that will give the duo the chance to interact with voters. 'Now this is the part of the campaign I really like,' he said Friday afternoon at Temple University. 'I mean, you know, the big events are fun, but I don't like wearing a tie that much so I'd rather... just go out and pound the pavement.' Clinton likewise said in her remarks, 'Its' gonna be fun to travel with both Tim and Anne because they are going to demonstrate to the country what the people of Virginia already know. There's no better people to have in your corner than Tim Kaine and Anne Holton.' Traveling through Pennsylvania 'is kind of nostalgic for me,' she said at her first stop, noting that her father grew up in Scranton. Donald Trump is campaigning in swing state Colorado Friday Bill Clinton reportedly encouraged his wife to choose Kaine, a fellow southerner who once ran the Democratic National Committee ENOUGH WITH THE BUSES!: Hillary Clinton and her husband also took a bus from Monticello to D.C. as part of the inauguration There are other ways to get around: Bill Clinton took a pontoon boat on the Savannah River in Georgia on the way to a campaign rally 'We wanted to drive through Pennsylvania, a state I've spent a lot of time in,' she said at a stop in Hatfield, reminiscing about the summers she spent in the state. She added, 'My dad played football at Penn state, my brother played football at Penn state; it's a place that is very meaningful to me.' The U.S. senator and former Virginia Governor said Clinton would be 'laying out why she's going to be such a fantastic president' during the two-state trip. He said the duo would also be drawing a 'contrast between Hillary Clinton's plans for our country and Donald Trump's empty promises and no plans for our country.' Clinton and Kaine have known each other for years, and showed some chemistry on the stump during a joint appearance in Virginia shortly before Kaine was selected. A bridal shop owner has been charged after he was spotted naked while staggering around in his own store window holding a mannequin's hand, police say. Peter Scolieri, 54, was seen inside One Enchanted Evening, in Zelinople, Pennsylvania, after closing June 20 by a member of the public who said he was visibly aroused at the time. The witness also reported that Scolieri was carrying a black object that was later established to be a mannequin's hand and may have been pleasuring himself with it. Peter Scolieri, 54, has been charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness and disorderly conduct after he was seen naked and aroused while carrying a mannequin's hand in this store window, police say The witness called police who arrived at the store and managed to contact Scolieri's wife, Linda, who was forced to take him home to sober up. Despite avoiding jail, Scolieri has still been charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness and disorderly conduct, according to a criminal complaint seen by Dailymail.com. Police were called to the store after three witnesses reported seeing Scolieri in the window, with one person taking a picture of the incident. When officers arrived, they were shown the footage and made their way to the store but found it was locked and Scolieri was gone from the window display. However, officers found a car registered to Scolieri and wife Linda parked nearby and managed to get in contact with her. She eventually persuaded him to go outside where he admitted to officers that he had been drinking, though insisted he'd only had 'two drinks'. Officers said that Scolieri's eyes were glassy, he was staggering around while standing, and was unable to follow simple instructions. After being placed inside the police car, police say he began 'bashing his head on the window' and had to be instructed 'multiple times' to stop. Officers were going to take Scolieri to jail in order to sober up, but his wife agreed to come and collect him instead. Linda told officers that her husband had 'not been himself' lately and had taken to hanging around the store after hours. Charges were filed on Sunday in the court of District Magistrate Wayne Seibel in Evans City, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30. Records show no criminal history for Scolieri. Local resident Nancy Deutsch told CBS: 'Whats wrong with that guy? Why would you do that? Just because the mannequins are standing there with nothing on doesnt mean you have to.' A statement on the store's website says: 'One Enchanted Evening is aware of an incident that took place at our store on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 involving a minority owner of the company. 'Our customers should know that this incident took place after store hours, and there were no customers or employees on the premises at the time. 'While the minority owner is not involved in the day to day operations of the business he has voluntarily taken an indefinite leave of absence from the store in order to deal with this incident and other personal issues. 'One Enchanted Evening intends to continue its long tradition of providing excellent customer service uninterrupted.' The store moved to Zelinople from nearby Pine two years ago after outgrowing its premises there, with locals saying that people come from out of state to visit the store. Facebook Posted A 'Violent Crime Safety Check' To Some Chicago Users By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 28, 2016 7:10PM Facebook Facebook sent a Safety Check alert for Violent Crime in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday morning. The social network has sent alerts in the past for users in the vicinity of major catastrophes, including terrorist attacks and natural disasters. It is intended to allow users to notify friends and family of their safety. Previous Safety Check alerts include ones related to the November 2015 attacks in Paris, the earthquake in Nepal last year and the Easter bombing in Pakistan. The first issuance of such an alert in the United Sates was reportedly activated following the Pulse nightclub mass shooting in Orlando. The alert was vaguely worded and did not offer details on a specific threat beyond violent crime. (Early on Thursday morning, near midnight, two people were fatally shot, two more were wounded and a 16-year-old witness suffered a fatal asthma attack.) Questions remain as to how Facebook determine which users to alert and for how long. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Facebook users speculated that the alerts may have particularly targeted people of color, voiced surprise and expressed disgust with Chicago violence. [HT Reddit] Update 2:50 p.m.: A Facebook representative told Chicagoist on background that the activation was a community-generated alert. If enough people chat in a clustered location about a particular incident, it can result in an automatic safety check. The community-generated kind of alert was launched last month and differs from alerts like Nepal and Paris, which were initiated by Facebook. A third-party agency is used to substantiate that an incident has actually occurred. Update 4:15 p.m.: A Facebook representative sent the following statement to Chicagoist: "We've seen how Safety Check can helpful tool to people in times of crisis and we recently started testing ways to allow communities to activate the tool on their own. We are continuing to learn from each activation, as we did today in Chicago." An 80-year-old man driving a 1994 Winnebago mobile home led police in Indiana on a chase through two counties, with speeds reaching 80mph. Rolla Samson, of Danville, Illinois, was eventually cornered by police officers in Monticello, Indiana, Thursday afternoon and arrested on domestic battery charges. The police pursuit got under way at around 4.10pm after officials got a 911 call from Mr Samson's wife claiming that he was battering her. Fugitive: Rolla Samson, 80, from Illinois, was arrested on Thursday in Indiana after leading police on a chase through two counties in his RV, with speeds reaching 80mph According to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, a short time after making the initial report, the alleged battery victim called police again and said that her husband had fled in an RV, reported WISH-TV. Responding deputies gave chase, starting at US 421 and continuing onto Indiana 18. In the course of the pursuit, the octogenarian suspect tried to run law enforcement officers and other motorists off the road, according to the sheriff's office. Samson eventually crossed into White County and turned north onto White County Road 300 East. There, officers from the Monticello Police Department deployed stop sticks, which caused the front left tire on Samsons mobile home to deflate. Samson eventually brought his vehicle to a stop in a ditch near the intersection of 300 East and 400 South and was taken into custody. The 80-year-old man now faces charges of domestic battery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, resisting law enforcement and battery on law enforcement. Samson is being held at the Carroll County Jail on $50,000 bond Bharat, 45, died after an alleged axe attack by a shopkeeper who flew into a rage in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday morning A couple were hacked to death with an axe by a shopkeeper after they asked for more time to pay for three packets of biscuits, according to police in India. The shopowner allegedly flew into a rage over an unpaid bill of 15 rupees, the equivalent of 17p or 22 US cents. The victims, named as Bharat, 45, and his wife Mamta, 41, were killed in the Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday morning. It is understood the couple had still not paid for three packets of biscuits for their children, aged 11, nine and eight, sparking the row. They also had two married daughters. Their deaths have sparked protests among the dalit community. Dalits are India's lowest caste, and were previously referred to as untouchables. Shopkeeper Ashok Mishra and his wife Rajni were arrested, the Indian Express reports. A villager, who identified himself as Nadeem, said: 'While Mishra kept shouting for the money, the couple started walking towards the fields. Mamta, 41, died as a result of her injuries 'Mishra then ran to his house nearby and returned with an axe. 'He hacked Bharat repeatedly and then attacked Mamta who was trying to rescue her husband. 'The couple died on the spot.' It has been claimed that the couple said they would pay their debt from the wages they would earn that day. The killing sparked protests, with people gathering outside the shopkeeper's home and threatening to lynch him. A police spokesman said: 'Police surrounded the house and brought out the accused by breaking down the doors while the (district magistrate) pacified the mob and assured them of action. 'The villagers also blocked the road demanding that the police hand over the accused to them.' Pramod Chandra Gupta, district magistrate, told NDTV: 'The villagers have told us that the couple had bought something worth Rs. 15 from the shopkeeper and that led to the killings. 'We have sent the bodies for post mortem and the accused has been arrested. We will take the strictest possible action against him.' Attacks against Muslims and Dalits have risen since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist party came to power two years ago. Four low-caste Dalit community men were beaten by Hindu hardliners while trying to skin a dead cow in western India earlier this week. Hindus consider cows to be sacred, and the slaughter of cows is banned in many parts of India. Slaughtering a cow carries a punishment of up to seven years in jail. The Dalit protests have turned violent in some towns. In western Gujarat state's Amreli district, a police constable was killed when angry mobs pelted police with stones. A bear called Baloo - named after the Jungle Book character - who broke out of his enclosure at a zoo in Slovakia has been killed after keepers decided he posed too much of a threat. The six-year-old bear came from a zoo in the Czech Republic and keepers at his new home in the Slovakian city of Bojnice said he showed signs of being aggressive from the moment he arrived. Zoo spokesperson Andrea Klasova said: 'A vet first used a tranquiliser gun, but without success. As a result, we had to kill the animal - in the name of security for everyone.' Killed: Baloo the brown bear was shot dead by zoo keepers at the Bojnice Zoo in Slovakia The zoo claimed the brown bear could never live in the wild again and there were fears that if he was corralled and taken back to his enclosure, he would try to break out again. A statement on the zoo's Facebook page said the bear had learned to climb up the branches of trees at his previous home and this led to him escaping at Bojnice Zoo. The zoo said it was 'very sorry for what happened' and has 'immediately begun working on other preventive measures to avoid similar situations'. Baloo will live for eternity - in a way - as a stuffed bear. He was handed over to local taxidermists to be preserved. His death caused a wave of protest from the public and also calls for the resignation of the zoo head, Milan Sovcik. One outraged animal lover called the zoo's response 'pathetic' on Facebook and another said 'if you were unable to handle the bear, it was appropriate to give it back or find another zoo. And not to kill him'. One man also described the shocking conditions he discovered when he visited the zoo, saying it was the 'perfect room for a depressed bear'. Breaking free: Keepers claimed he had shown signs of being aggressive from the moment he arrived A Colorado man who spent 11 years believing he had fathered a daughter with his ex-wife is now fighting to stop paying child support after discovering the girl isn't actually his. Chris Atkins, 48, is legally obliged to pay $730 each month to his ex wife, Lori Lonnquist, despite a DNA test recently proving he is not the child's father. Atkins says he had only been dating Lonnquist a 'short time' when she told him she was pregnant. The two married in 2000 before the child was born, but split up two and a half years later, with Atkins paying child support ever since. However during a fight, Lonnquist blurted out that the girl did not belong to Atkins, setting in motion a nasty parental rights battle, Fox 31 reported. 'I just want everybody to know this is happening': Denver man Christ Atkins has been legally forced to pay child support despite DNA testing showing the child is not his 'I don't feel bad': Lori Lonnquist told Atkins for 11 years that the child was his. She recently admitted the girl was fathered by someone else Atkins daughter is now 15, however he says he has not been allowed to see her for four years. He says that while the courts can force him to pay child support, he is still not allowed visitation. 'It doesn't make any sense to me,' Atkins told Fox 31. 'I just want my daughter, but I can't even see her, but yet I'm still paying child support. And the biological father has been found and he gets to spend time with her. I don't get nothing.' Lonnquist insisted Atkins abandoned any relationship with her daughter when he learned she wasn't biologically his. Atkins denied that and said Lonnquist refused to facilitate visits. Furthermore she is trying to get him to relinquish his parental rights, so that her daughter can take the surname of Lonnquist's current partner, who she will soon marry. Chris Atkins spent 11 years raising a daughter he believed to be his but wasn't. The two are seen together here Atkins said that he married Lonnquist (pictured together at their 2000 wedding) after discovering she was pregnant, despite the two only dating for a short time Lonnquist said she would agree to stop collecting child support from Atkins if he would agree to terminate his parental rights. When asked if she was being greedy by Fox, Lonnquist said: 'Maybe, but I don't feel bad about it, I really don't.' Legal experts say the process to give up parental rights is cumbersome, because it requires someone to step in and have their name recorded on the birth certificate. The obvious choice would be the girl's biological father, however he is not willing. Atkins says he will continue to fight, but does not know what the outcome will be. 'You know, I don't want pity, I just want everybody to know this is happening,' he said. 'It's not right, it is not right.' Shows Queen in gold embroidered and jewelled dress with hand on globe One of the most iconic portraits of Queen Elizabeth I will be saved for the nation after a 10 million fundraising campaign to keep it in the country. The Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I shows the Queen in a gold embroidered and jewelled dress with her hand resting on a globe, while the English fleet enjoys calm waters and the approaching Spanish fleet is wrecked in a storm. The life-sized oil painting, one of three surviving renditions, depicts the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in 1588 and is considered to be a masterpiece. The Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I will be saved for the nation after a 10 million fundraising campaign to keep it in the country Historian David Starkey called on the public to donate generously in order to prevent this work from being lost from public view. While fellow historian Sir Roy Strong said: 'Such an icon of England should not leave the country and for it to find its final resting place on the walls of the museum that celebrates our maritime heritage would seem only right and proper.' A major public appeal by the Art Fund and Royal Museums Greenwich attracted 8,000 donations, totalling 1.5 million, and a 7.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Art Fund had already pledged 1 million, while Royal Museums Greenwich committed 400,000. Owner: The painting was once owned and possibly commissioned by vice-admiral Sir Francis Drake The portrait, believed to have been painted in 1590 by an unrecorded artist, was sold by descendants of Sir Francis Drake and will now enter public ownership for the first time in its 425-year history. The other two are on display at Woburn Abbey and the National Portrait Gallery in London. They commemorate the most famous conflict of Elizabeth's 45-year reign and one of the best-known images in British history. Sir Peter Luff, chair of the HLF, said: 'The Armada portrait is a compelling historic icon, illustrating as it does a decisive conflict, inspiring female leadership, maritime power and the emergence of the Elizabethan 'Golden Age'. 'This image has shaped our understanding of 'Gloriana', the Virgin Queen, for over four hundred years and I am delighted that it will now have such an appropriate permanent home in Greenwich.' As part of the national collection it will hang in the Queen's House, on the site of the original Greenwich Palace, which was Elizabeth I's birthplace. The Queen's House will reopen on October 11 following major restoration. Kevin Fewster, director of Royal Museums Greenwich, said: 'Through this generous donation from HLF, Art Fund and others, Royal Museums Greenwich has been able to secure this remarkable portrait of Elizabeth I for the nation. A major public appeal by the Art Fund and Royal Museums Greenwich (pictured, National Maritime Museum) attracted thousands of donations and raised 10million ARMADA PORTRAIT OF QUEEN ELIZABETH: DRAKE'S PAINTING The artwork was once owned by Sir Francis Drake, vice-admiral of the British fleet and a favourite of Elizabeth I, and may have been commissioned by him as a memento of the victory over the Spanish. After he died childless, the painting apparently passed to his cousin and godson, also named Francis Drake, whose descendants still own the work today. The family - now known as the Tyrwhitt-Drakes - hung the portrait at Shardeloes, their country home in Hertfordshire which later became a hospital and then a block of flats, and now keep it at their mansion in Hampshire where they remain well-known landowners. After well over 400 years they are selling the Armada Portrait, which is expected to fetch around 16million on the open market, in order to raise funds which will secure the future of the estate. The Tyrwhitt-Drakes have been keen to keep the painting in Britain and have previously expressed delight at the prospect of the work entering a public collection. The Treasury has agreed to waive 6million in tax if the work is bought by a public body, which is why Royal Museums Greenwich and the Art Fund had to raise total of 10million. Advertisement 'We are overwhelmed and extremely grateful for the response and great support we have received, and wish to thank everybody who has donated. She's with them! Hillary Clinton honored the women of the suffragette movement and Geraldine Ferraro while appearing on stage in Philadelphia Thursday night to accept the Democratic nomination for president. The first female to ever become the presidential nominee of a major political party did this not with her words though, but instead with her decision to wear an ivory pantsuit for the historic moment. It was a chic and shocking choice for Clinton, who tends to favor brighter and more electric hues while out on the campaign trail. That sartorial statement was a clear nod to the dresses worn by the suffragettes as they marched in the streets to get women the right to vote in the country. The women chose the wear white to demonstrate their purity against the verbal - and at times physical - attacks they endured during their protests. Clinton's suit was also remarkably similar to the ivory look Ferraro wore to the 1984 Democratic Convention in San Francisco. Ferraro made history of her own on that night as the first female to ever become the vice presidential nominee of a major political party. Scroll down for video Thumbs up: Hillary Clinton wore an simple and chic ivory suit (above) to accept the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday night Shattering the ceiling: The color choice was a clear nod to the white dresses worn by suffragettes (above in 1912) as they protested to get women the right to vote 100 years ago Herstory: Clinton's suit was also remarkably similar to the ivory look Geraldine Ferraro wore at the 1984 convention (above) Clinton's look also earned high praise from her the newest member of her team - freelance fashion consultant Anna Wintour. 'Clintons look tonight is one of subtle, streamlined elegance,' declared Vogue of Clinton's suit. 'Her outfit tonight picked up that thread, allowing her speech and spirit to take center stage, with her clothing and simple accessories - a golden pendant necklace and nude kitten heels - highlighting the woman herself.' One thing Vogue was not able to do however was identify who designed Clinton's custom-made convention look. She paired the pantsuit with a pair of nude kitten-heeled shoes and understated jewelry Business of Fashion reported on Thursday morning that Clinton was being styled by Wintour for select events on the campaign trail. The longtime Vogue editor's work definitely seemed to be on display when she hosted a fundraiser for the Democratic nominee at the California home of CAA chief Bryan Lourd and The Palm owner Bruce Bozzi this past May. Clinton was outfitted for the event in a fashion forward Armani jacket that earned her high praise from the fashion community, but left some members of the public in disbelief when they learned of the jacket's $12,495 price tag. Wintour, like all celebrity stylists, has also reportedly been busy approaching designers to gather looks for Clinton's campaign wardrobe. Unlike most celebrities however, Clinton's campaign insists on paying for all clothing. Admiring her work: It was reported on Thursday that Anna Wintour was working with Clinton as a fashion consultant (above on right watching Clinton with Bryan Lourd at a May fundraiser) Breaking the bank: Wintour is responsible for outfitting Clinton in an Armani jacket that cost over $12,000 (above) Clinton has benefited greatly from the support of the British fashion editor, who previously supported President Barack Obama back in the 2008 primary. In February, Wintour announced the launch of the Made for History line, which was comprised of three t-shirts honoring Clinton whose proceeds benefited her campaign. And to design the shirts Wintour called on fashion heavyweights Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, and Public School designers Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow. That same month Clinton also landed in the pages of Vogue, with Wintour running the 10-page spread in the front of the magazine. Both Clinton's campaign and Vogue did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com about Wintour's new role styling the presidential nominee. Clinton was not the only woman to make a statement in white on Thursday night either, with Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio creating a stir after taking the stage in a white dress that looked just like the Roksanda Illincic frock Melania Trump wore last Monday when she spoke on the first night of the Republican National Convention. The dress, which retails for $2,190, sold out online last Monday before Melania even finished delivering her brief, and slightly plagiarized, speech. Trisha Anderson Rogers, 45, is accused of using her cell phone to contact a 13-year-old boy for sex while working as a student teacher at his school A former student teacher has been charged with trying to solicit sex from a 13-year-old student during her first semester at a North Carolina school. Trisha Anderson Rogers, 45, allegedly contacted the boy for sex while she was working at Murray Middle School, New Hanover County Rogers is accused of using her cell phone to solicit the unidentified boy for sex between February 29 and May 5 this year. Rogers only worked at the school as a student teacher for one semester during the spring, a district spokesman said, but had previously been a substitute instructor in the area. Sheriffs spokesman Lt. Jerry Brewer said that Rogers was reported to investigators on May 5, and that her internship at the school was removed the same day. Rogers has also been removed from the district substitute teachers' list, WNCN reports. Police investigated Rogers and she has since been charged with soliciting a child by computer, indecent liberties with a child and indecent liberties with a student. Rogers was was booked into the New Hanover County Jail yesterday, and was released after paying a $20,000 bond the same day. ISIS has launched a brutal new crack down on civilians trying to flee from their territory, gunning down women and children and beheading a group of men for helping people escape. Fanatics executed the four men in public after arresting them for helping families out of the besieged city of al-Bukamal in Deir Ezzor province in Syria. In a separate murderous clampdown, the terror group executed 14 Iraqis, including five women and a child, who tried to flee from ISIS-held Mosul for the safety of liberated villages to the south. Scroll down for video ISIS has launched a brutal new crack down on civilians trying to flee from their territory, gunning down women and children and beheading a group of men for helping people escape (file picture) They were reportedly surrounded by jihadis as they tried to reach Ahjila village - controlled by Iraqi forces - before being gunned down by a firing squad. It comes as it emerged that ISIS has executed at least 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria from a Kurdish-Arab alliance. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said ISIS carried out all of the killings 'in the last 24 hours' after seizing the village of Buyir close to the northern town of Manbij from the Syrian Democratic Forces. Earlier, the respected monitor suggested as many as 2,353 Syrian civilians had been executed by ISIS during the 25 months since declaring its so-called caliphate. Yesterday, the AhlulBayt News Agency reported that the terror group had executed 17 of its own commanders for fleeing from a key battlefield south of Mosul. Fanatics executed four men in public after arresting them for helping families out of the besieged city of al-Bukamal in Deir Ezzor province in Syria Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned today that up to a million people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq soon as fighting intensifies in a government offensive to retake Mosul from ISIS. U.S.-backed Iraqi government forces have stepped up their military campaign against ISIS in an expected push on Mosul, Iraq's second largest city and the militants' biggest bastion, later this year. 'Up to a million more people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in the coming weeks and months, posing a massive humanitarian problem for the country,' the Geneva-based ICRC said in an statement. Local mayor said the original carving will never be the same again Youth scratched over it a supposed bid to make it clearer for visitors The etching inspired the symbol for the 1994 Winter Olympic Games The rock carving is one of A 4,000 year old rock carving of a figure on skis has been 'damaged forever' by a teenager who thought he could improve it. The etching from the late Stone Age is believed to show the first skier in Norway and is one of the country's most historical sites. The youth, who has not been named, scratched along the lines of the carving in an attempt to make it more visible for visitors coming to see it on the island of Tro, off the coast of Nordland, The local reports. After: A young man has scratched over the outline of an ancient rock carving depicting a figure on skis to make it 'clearer' Before: This is what the etching from the late Stone Age looked like before the teen got his hands on it The ancient rock carving provided the inspiration for the symbol of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games at Lillehammer. Nine other figures can also be found on the rocks at Tro, depicting whales, moose, seals and boats. It's believed the youth also tried to 'improve' them. 'It's a tragedy, because it's one of the most famous Norwegian historical sites,' Bard Anders Lang, the mayor of the nearby Alstahaug Municipality, told The Local. Archeologists said the carving is 'probably damaged forever'. Attempts will be made to restore it but Lang said 'we may not ever be able to see the pictogram of the skier as it was originally made 4,000 years ago'. Inspiration: The ancient rock carving inspired this symbol which was used at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games at Lillehammer The only rays you'd expect to be catching in California this summer involve sunglasses and tanning lotion. But some visitors to the resort city of Coronado have had bigger fish to fry, with reports of 39 people being stung by stingrays across the space of one day. Lifeguards are warning visitors to be careful after the uncharacteristically high spate of stings occurred in the San Diego County area on July 28. Stingrays' love the warm shallow water when the sea is calm. Lifeguard captain Sean Carey says he expects just as many visitors over the next few days. Beachgoers wading in the Pacific Ocean encountered the rays throughout the day on Thursday in Coronado. Lifeguard captain Sean Carey has told the San Diego Union-Tribune that more stingrays show up in the warm shallows when the waters are calm. 'There's a lot of people wading in shallow water,' he said. 'When it's calm, we get more stingrays.' Stingrays are shy creatures and usually hide just beneath the sand but their venomous stingers can be a rather painful affair if disturbed. A woman walks barefoot along the Coronado Beach in Coronado. Most stings happen when people accidentally step on them. They don't tend to have a serious impact, but the pain can last up to a few hours for some. Carey says people can avoid being stung by shuffling their feet when they walk in the water so that rays know they're coming. He added there were a number of stings on Friday, July 22, and very few last Saturday. Local reporter for 10News Anne State captured some photos of distressed beachgoers hit by stingrays. A sign reads the hazard level at Coronado Beach. Someone has scribbled over to add that there are lots of stingrays. 'It's not too unusual,' another Coronado lifeguard Kyle Goff told Patch, confirming that several people had been treated that day. 'A certain amount of toxins are on the stinger, which will cause pain and irritation, so we soak the foot in hot water,' He added. 'The most common ones take about an hour to soak; for the venom and pain to go away.' Speaking to 10News, some of the people who were stung said the pain was 'excruciating'. Sting in the tail: One visitor to the beach is treated by lifeguards. 'I actually thought Id stepped on a piece of glass or something,' one woman said. 'It was just so bad. It was like I couldnt even feel my upper thigh.' 'Ive never seen this many sting rays out here in Cornado and Ive been here for over 20 years.' Another man added. Guy On The Metra Creepily Tried To Follow A Woman Off The Train By Mae Rice in News on Jul 28, 2016 9:41PM Photo via Mobius in Mobili on Flickr A man who appeared drunk and smelled like "rotten food and alcohol" sat next to a woman on a Metra train on Wednesday night and, when she got up to leave, attempted to follow her off the train, the woman told Chicagoist. Suzanne Miller, 30, managed to get away from the man, who appeared to have "soiled himself," she saidbut she was "SO SKETCHED OUT" by the experience, as she wrote in a Reddit post. Miller had been downtown for a work event and was headed back to Palatine, where she works, when she got on the 9:30 p.m. run of the outbound Union Pacific Northwest Metra line on Wednesday. She sat on the aisle side of a bench seat, putting her purse on the window seat, since there were "other open seats on the train," when an older man got on and sat down right next to her. "He almost sat right on top of me, and I had to scoot over," Miller said. She immediately noticed he smelled strongly. The manwho Miller describes in her Reddit post as a white man in his 50s or 60s, about 5'8", with a lanyard around his neckstarted "muttering to himself right away," Miller said, and "looking at me out of the corner of his eye." Miller said she at first though the man might have a disability, "so I didn't want to be rude and get out." But then the man took out his phone and appeared to make calls, on which he "sounded more lucid." She couldn't tell exactly what state he was in. Throughout the ride, the other passengers on the train and the conductor didn't move to help her, Miller said. "People could tell he wasn't with me, that we weren't friends. I thought for sure someone would say something or give me a look." But everyoneincluding the conductorwas "completely ignoring the situation." Halfway through the ride, Miller decided that regardless of the man's state, "I didn't want him to know where my stop was"so two stops before her own, Miller moved to leave. The man said, "Oh, is this your stop?" He proceeded to follow her down the aisle to the area where passengers wait to get off the train. At this point, Miller said, "It looked like he had soiled himself." In the dark of the area where passengers wait to exit, Miller managed to lose the man and duck into a different car. She clearly saw the man waiting outside on the platform for her, though, and decided to share her story to let other women know to watch out for him. (She may not be the only person this man has tried to follow.) Miller didn't report the incident to Metra or the policeshe said she was just "hyperfocused" on her own safety that nightand Michael Gillies, a Metra spokesperson, told us he hadn't received any complaints about incidents like this. However, "I have asked Union Pacific to keep an eye out for the guy," Gillies said. "I don't know if he's a regular rider." Gillies added that in situations like the one Miller was in, passengers should tell the conductor that they're uncomfortable. "That's why the conductor is there," he said. "Never hesitate to talk to the conductor." If passengers can't find the conductor, they can call Metra police at (312) 322-2800. We've reached out to Reddit user rodddstar, who reported a friend had a similar experience. We'll update this post if we hear back. Stephen Jackson, 51, pictured, has been jailed for nearly five years after admitting trying to smuggle 17 illegal immigrants into the UK A British yachtsman has been jailed for attempting to smuggle 17 Albanian men into Britain. Stephen Jackson, 51, was sentenced for four years and nine months in prison at Lewes Crown Court today after being caught at Chichester Harbour on a catamaran. The 17 illegal immigrants had paid 7,000 each for the trip and had been trying to get back into the country having been previously deported, with one ejected from the UK for trafficking prostitutes. The court heard Jackson chose the West Sussex marina as there are no border controls at the site. When he was stopped, police background checks revealed he was also wanted in Spain in connection with the disappearance of young mother Lisa Brown from her home near Gibraltar, facing allegations of perverting the course of justice. Sentencing Jackson, Judge Guy Anthony said he had been 'caught red-handed'. Dressed in a dark suit and tie, Jackson stared blankly ahead as he was sentenced. He acknowledged a woman sitting behind him in the public gallery before he was jailed. The judge said: 'The scale of illegal immigration is something that has attracted a lot of publicity but there are not many cases where somebody is involved in bringing in that many people in one go.' Judge Anthony said the Albanians were transported in cramped conditions, adding: 'Quite apart from the illegality, they are plainly at risk of their health and safety.' Martha Walsh prosecuting said: 'On May 23 this year a boat called the Fontinella catamaran was seen off the coat of the Isle of Wight making its way towards Chichester Harbour. 'It wasn't initially stopped, however marine patrol communicated with the vessel and asked the captain to identify himself. 'They ran a check through the police national computer and it came up he was wanted under a European Arrest Warrant for what is tantamount to perverting the course of justice. 'He was allowed to enter Chichester, which has no boarder controls, where it was boarded and inquiries made of Mr Jackson were made and it was discovered there were 17 Albanian men on board between the ages of 20 and 44. 'None of them had permission to enter the country or any legal documentation. 'This is a boat that would normally be suitable for six to eight passengers. Jackson, pictured outside Lewes Crown Court, tried to bring the immigrants in via a catamaran at Chichester Harbour in West Sussex where there are no border controls His boat was stopped at the harbour in West Sussex, pictured, and police found 17 illegal immigrants onboard 'There were not sufficient life jackets on board for the number of passengers as only seven were found when police boarded. 'Of the individuals on the boat eight were found to have no immigration history here and were returned to Albania. 'Nine did have a history here one of whom had a previous convictions for a trafficking sex offence. 'One is claiming asylum under article 8 of the European Convention of Human Right and that is currently outstanding.' 'When interviewed it's right to say he admitted to the authorities he wad aware of the presence of the men on the boat. 'He said he bought the boat himself and travelled from Surbourg the previous day discovered the Albanian men on board. 'He said he felt that if he didn't take them they would 'grab' him and he felt forced and pressured to do it. 'Asked if he was paid to transport the Albanians his answered 'no comment'. 'There's no suggestion this was a humanitarian issue, it was purely a commercial venture. 'The illegal immigrants told Crawley magistrates that they paid someone 7,000 for the voyage. That's not to say all that went to Mr Jackson, but it went to someone. 'The crown say there was a significant degree of planning, he is an experienced sailor and he chose Chichester harbour because it has no boarder controls. 'Given that it would have taken between 10 and 18 hours to travel under sail and the lack of life jackets, the crown say the 17 passengers lives were in some jeopardy.' Jackson claimed he was 'acting under partial duress' at the time, but admitted facilitating the migrant's entry into the UK. The judge at Lewes Crown Court, pictured, said Jackson had been 'caught red handed' at the harbour Gregory Fishwick defending said: 'The details of the arrest warrant in Spain are somewhat sketchy at best. 'He is a man of good character who had spent most of his life between Canada and Australia, where he was a professional cyclist for a time. 'He has led a fruitful life and was a benefit to the community as a carpenter and building many homes for Aboriginal people. 'At the time of the offence he was left by a previous partner with less that 2,000 savings when he was approached by a man who offered him a boat to take what he thought would be an Albanian family from France to the UK. 'When he found it was 17 men he was told to just get on with it. 'He says each of the passengers were looked after, he is an experienced sailor and would not endanger anyone on board.' Speaking after the case, assistant director David Fairclough, from Immigration Enforcement Criminal Investigations, said: 'Stephen Jackson was at the centre of an organised attempt to smuggle migrants into the country illegally, seeking to profit from the desperation of others to reach the UK. 'His conviction follows a thorough investigation supported by our Border Force colleagues, Sussex Police and Hampshire Police. 'I hope this case serves as a warning to anyone tempted to get involved with this kind of crime. Working closely with Border Force colleagues we will identify the criminals behind illegal entry attempts and they will be jailed.' Jackson, of West Wittering, West Sussex, will also face an extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 11 to see if he will be taken to Spain over the disappearance of Miss Brown. Nine of the Albanian men pleaded guilty to attempted illegal entry and were jailed for between eight and 16 weeks before they will be deported. The other eight were detained until their removal from Britain. Miss Brown, 32, from Dunbartonshire, Scotland, vanished from her home in Guadiaro, near the British outpost and the upmarket Spanish port of Sotogrande on November 4 last year. Spanish authorities say there is insufficient evidence to believe she was murdered but her body has not been found. Vice President Joe Biden was in New York City on Friday to film a scene for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to highlight the backlog of rape kits that have gone untested by the police. SVU star Mariska Hargitay shared on Instagram a single image from Friday's shoot showing her appearing on a monitor alongside a grinning Joe Biden. The snapshot, which has been liked more than 8,500 times, was accompanied by hashtags '#SharedVision,' '#StrongerTogether' and '#SquadroomGoals.' VP on SVU: Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay shared on Instagram an image showing Vice President Joe Biden filming a scene for the show on Friday Biden has long campaigned against violence against women and sexual assault. He traveled with his wife, Dr Jill Biden, from Delaware to New York to tape his appearance. The episode featuring Biden's cameo will be aired on NBC later this year. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, there are more than 100,000 rape kits that have been used but are waiting to be tested. Biden gave $80million in grants to help clear the huge backlog last year, the Huffington Post reported, however they are still not being cleared quickly enough. The Vice President has also worked to bring down the rate of sexual assaults on college campuses. In 1994, he championed the Violence Against Women Act, which introduced the 'rape shield law' and funded support for victims of domestic violence, among other things. After winning an award earlier this year for his work on the matter earlier, Biden said: 'When I wrote the Violence Against Women Act over 20 years ago, domestic violence was considered a private matter. Biden, who has long campaigned against violence against women and sexual assault, will make a cameo on the NBC show later this year. Above, file picture of Law & Order: SVU Biden has already appeared on a television show, making a short cameo on Parks and Recreation in 2012 'There was no hotline or special victims units, and the legal system and public opinion routinely re-victimized the victim. 'I became convinced that if we pulled back the mask on this epidemic that occurred in the country, we can begin to not only change the laws, but we could change lives.' Biden's appearance on the crime drama is not his first foray into television. This is the dramatic moment police cornered a gang of robbers just minutes after they had carried out a 200,000 armed raid on a jewellers store. Domingo Nsita, 29, David George, 21 and Joshua Tiloye, 22, had driven to Winchester, Hampshire, in a white van - with the latter two of them jumping out wearing motorcycle helmets. One of them used a frightening-looking mask of a pensioner as they entered the Justice Jewellers store while the owner was opening up, threatening him with an imitation firearm. The three men managed to steal thousands of pounds worth of watches and pieces of jewellery. Frightening: A rubber face mask used by the gang during the jewellery raid was seized by Hampshire Police Dramatic: This is the moment armed police officers cornered 29-year-old Domingo Nsita just minutes after the gang of robbers had carried out a 200,000 armed raid on a jeweller's store in Winchester, Hampshire In a rush: One of the robbers wearing a crash helmet runs away following the 200,000 armed raid on the store But members of the public raised the alarm and armed police were scrambled to the shop, where they managed to stop Nsita from escaping in the van when his route was blocked by a bin lorry. The trio were sentenced at Winchester Crown Court for robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. Nsita was jailed for 12 years while George and Tiloye each received ten years in jail. Hampshire Police officers recovered a BB gun, a hammer, face masks and all the stolen jewellery. A force spokesman said: The two inside the store attempted to flee the scene, but with help from members of the public who pointed officers in the right direction, they soon were in custody. All weapons were seized, a gas powered BB gun and a hammer, as well as face masks and all of the jewellery which was taken from the store, which was worth around 200,000. Sentenced to jail: Domingo Nsita, 29, David George, 21 and Joshua Tiloye, 22, were sentenced at Winchester Crown Court for one count of robbery and one count of possession of an imitation firearm Evidence: A bag (left) and a hammer (right) taken from the gang of robbers in the dramatic raid on April 15 Fake gun: The men entered the Justice Jewellers store as the owner was opening up, threatening him with an imitation firearm (pictured) as they stole thousands of pounds worth of watches and pieces of jewellery Detective Constable Darrin Carey said: Thanks to the swift actions of our officers, these three dangerous men have been taken off the streets of Hampshire. Within minutes of this raid starting, our officers were on scene, ready to confront whatever they were faced with to protect the public. Despite information that these men had firearms, our teams did not hesitate to carry out their duty. Our units had contained the scene and blocked off any escape route giving the offenders no chance of a getaway. This is the remarkable moment a teacher who was thrown out of her home after a row over roof stones breaks her way back into the cottage with a crowbar. Rekha Patel, 43, was kicked out on June 10 after a row with a neighbour over building work ended up in court. She and a band of supporters begged enforcement officers to stop - but they hacked through the door of her Grade II listed cottage in Simmondley Village, Glossop, before boarding up her front door. Rekha Patel (pictured), 43, forced her way back into her home in Simmondley Village, near Glossop, Derbyshire, after she was evicted following a row with a neighbour The eviction order, which Miss Patel - a maths teacher at Glossopdale Community College - contends is not valid, was over a debt of 72,000 in legal fees and court costs which she refused to pay. But Miss Patel, who was forced to move in with her parents in Stalybridge, has now fulfilled her promise to take back her beloved home. She admits it was by force, and that police were called - but insists she is in the right. She said: 'We got back in but someone called the police and they turned up. 'But I showed them all the documents to prove that I was the rightful owner and they wished me well and left. 'It's so good to be back, this is my home and I love it.' She added that she will not be paying up. She added: 'The eviction was simply wrong. It's like something out of a film that you'd never expect to happen. 'I hear it's quite common, people being made homeless for no reason. This could happen to anybody.' Miss Patel bought the cottage, her first home, in 2010 for 162,500. She spent 30,000 doing it up before moving in to the property three years later. 'I belong to Miss Patel' was scrawled across the board that enforcement officers put up after they hacked into her house Miss Patel said: 'The eviction was simply wrong. It's like something out of a film that you'd never expect to happen' But it was during the renovation - and when her builder carried out alterations to the roof without listed building consent - that her ordeal began. Although she did get retrospective consent for the work, her neighbour took her to court. Representing herself, Miss Patel was found against by a judge. He ruled stones belonging to the neighbour, a 'key architectural feature' had been removed, and ordered she pay costs and damages, and denied an appeal. She paid 17,000 but was served with an outstanding bill of 72,000. She added: 'The court case broke me, totally broke me. I had tried to set up instalments but they ignored me. 'In the end I thought it would be criminal to pay and fuel these bullies. 'It's never been about the money - it's about right and wrong. I feel morally obligated to stand up to them. I teach hundreds of kids. If I can't do what's right how am I supposed to teach them to do what's right?' Derbyshire Police confirmed they attended Miss Patel's cottage after a 'call from a solicitor'. After she showed documentation to prove ownership, they left. Jill Symmonds was left with shocking facial injuries after she fell at her care home. Her family are angry they were not informed The family of a grandmother who was left with shocking bruises after a fall at a care home are angry they were not told. Jill Symmonds, 78, fell at Sunnybank Care Home in Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, on Tuesday, leaving her with two black eyes and horrific bruising across her face. Her granddaughter has released a picture of the injuries and hit out at what she says are inadequate staffing levels at the home. She is also angry that that no one from the home called the family to tell them about the fall, meaning Mrs Symmonds was taken to hospital for treatment on her own. Beauty therapist Emma Stephen said it is not the first time Jill has fallen at the home during her five years there. She said her grandmother had previously broken both her legs while suffering one of the fits which she is prone to. Emma, from Stuartfield, Aberdeenshire, was so angry about what happened that she put a photograph of Jill's injuries online in a post that has now been shared more than 1,000 times. She said: 'When I made that post, I was quite upset and quite angry. We were getting no answers from the home. 'Now, they are doing a full investigation and we have a meeting on Monday with them. We have to give them the chance to explain themselves but I don't think we're going to get answers we want at it. 'She's had a fall and it's pretty horrendous, but it's not the first fall that has happened. This is probably the most severe, but what we're trying to get to the bottom of at the moment is why she has fallen. 'It does appear that care homes do not have the level of staffing that people like us think they should have, which is totally wrong. I think the majority of carers at the moment do a fantastic job and I really do take my hat off to them. 'It's something I used to do when I was younger, and it's not something I could now. 'But the problem is it cannot be OK if people are falling like this. It happens too often and it's disgraceful that elderly people are treated this way.' Mrs Symmonds' granddaughter posted the photo on Facebook, saying she is 'disgusted' with the care Home operators Meallmore Ltd admitted it was 'unacceptable' that Jill's relatives had not been informed of the fall and said the matter was under review. A spokesman for the firm said her family had not originally been contacted because of a 'retraining issue' with the staff member involved. He added: 'We are still reviewing the incident and, as is our policy following any significant event, we will undertake a full review with the resident, her family and other relevant professionals to update the resident's care plan to minimise the risk of a future incident. 'The fact the resident's family weren't alerted as soon as she was admitted to hospital was unacceptable and we wholeheartedly apologise. 'We take the prevention of falls very seriously and each resident is assessed, in line with national falls guidance, to limit their risk. 'However, it is important to note we do not restrict movement or choice of people in our care. Any incident such as this is reviewed to ensure lessons are learned for the future and care plans, along with ways of working, are then adapted accordingly. 'As a company, we take matters like this extremely seriously, as the care, comfort and security of residents is our top priority.' A father-to-be has died in a workplace accident just one week before his first child was due to be born. Robert Herweyer, 23, of Michigan, died on Tuesday after he was 'overcome by fumes' during a shift at Agri-Science Technology Co. in Saugatuck, his family told Michigan Live. His tragic death is now being investigated by Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which could take several weeks according to a spokesperson. Robert Herweyer, 23, of Michigan (pictured with wife Joy) died on Tuesday after he was 'overcome by fumes' during a shift at Agri-Science Technology Co. in Saugatuck Herweyer said his son Robert (pictured) was one of six children and loved 'the outdoors, hunting, fishing and driving all-terrain vehicles' and was an athlete who played for Caledonia High School. Grieving father Brian Herweyer told the site: 'He had so much to live for, especially his child.' He says his daughter-in-law, Joy, who had just moved into a new home with his son just three weeks ago, is 'sad and hurting'. The couple wed in November and were happily married, he said. Herweyer said his son Robert was one of six children and loved 'the outdoors, hunting, fishing and driving all-terrain vehicles' and was an athlete who played for Caledonia High School. He said that his son 'laughed a lot' and had many close friends. A GoFundMe page has since been set up by his sister-in-law, Jennifer Herweyer. A GoFundMe page has since been set up by his sister-in-law, Jennifer Herweyer, so far raising $12,905 The funeral service is at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 30, at Bethany United Reformed Church, 5401 Byron Center Ave. SW (pictured) According to the page, the funds will be directly given to his widow to be used for any current or future expenses. She writes: 'Thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers. On behalf of both families, thank you. Our hearts are broken, but we hold onto comfort knowing Robert was a believer and follower of Jesus Christ.' So far $12,905 of the $50,000 goal has been raised in just 12 days. An Indian man presumed to have died after being bitten by a snake rose up from his own funeral pyre moments after it was set on fire - only to die 'again' after visiting a traditional healer. The 23-year-old man, only known by his first name Sandeep, had gone to collect wood from the forest after leaving his village in Madhya Pradesh when he was bitten. He was taken to a Tantric practitioner in the hope he could use traditional methods to save him - but it appeared not to work and, believing he had lost his fight for life, relatives decided to burn his body at a local cemetery. An Indian man presumed to have died after being bitten by a snake rose up from his own funeral pyre moments after it was set on fire - only to die 'again' after visiting a traditional healer. His body is pictured He was taken to a healer in the hope he could use traditional methods to save him - but it appeared not to work and, believing he had lost his fight for life, relatives decided to burn his body at a local cemetery (pictured) However, after the pyre was lit at a local cemetery, Sandeep started to moan and mourners realised he was still alive. Relatives took him to the same Tantric practitioner instead of a hospital after he regained consciousness. But his life could not be saved, and the Tantric declared Sandeep dead for the second time. After lighting the pyre at a local cemetery, Sandeep started to moan and mourners realised he was still alive. His body is pictured Relatives took him to the same Tantric practitioner instead of a hospital after he regained consciousness. His father is pictured right and his wife and child, left Sandeep's life could not be saved, and the Tantric declared Sandeep dead for the second time. He was taken to the district hospital where a post mortem examination took place. Tantra is an ancient Indian tradition of beliefs and meditation and ritual practices In India, many superstitious beliefs and practices still occur on a daily basis especially in rural areas. Hillary Clinton made history last night standing next to her husband 8,778 days after fresh-faced Bill received the Democratic nomination at the party's 1992 convention in New York. President Clinton was the first man elected to the White House who was born after the Second World War. His predecessor George Bush Snr had served in the conflict, been vice president under Ronald Reagan and been director of the CIA. Bill Clinton, left, received the Democratic nomination with his family in Madison Square garden in 1992 Now with the couple approaching 70, Hillary Clinton is seeking to return to the White House When Bill Clinton took up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Drive, he had served as Governor of Arkansas as well as the Arkansas Attorney general. He became governor aged just 32 and was president at 46 - a year younger than Barack Obama. Only John F Kennedy was younger when he entered the White House at 43. Now, 24 years later, Hillary Clinton, if elected, will only be a few months younger than Ronald Reagan when he became president, while her opponent Donald Trump will be less than five months from his 71st birthday. Unlike her husband, who only had experience in Arkansas and was a relative unknown until his surprise victory in 1992, Hillary Clinton is a household name - having been First Lady for eight years. She later successfully ran for the Senate in New York and failed to secure the Democrat nomination eight years ago when she was beaten by Barack Obama. Yet, she later served as Obama's Secretary of State between January 2009 and February 2013. On the subject of women in politics, Hillary Clinton is fond of quoting the words of another illustrious first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, who once said: 'You need to grow a skin as thick as a rhinoceros.' When out on the stump, in cafes, and rallies across the country, Clinton talks of the adversity she has faced down over the course of four decades in public life. She said: 'I have the scars to prove it.' In 1992, Hillary Clinton, like her husband, was a virtual unknown to the American people outside Arkansas However, in 2016, Hillary has almost a quarter of a century experience of politics on the national stage She was described as the most experienced and best qualified candidate ever for the job by President Obama A Machiavellian image clings to the ambitious Chicago-born native, dating back to her years in the political spotlight as a tandem with Bill. She is considered 'dishonest' by a majority of Americans, and the mudslinging is only set to intensify as she heads into a brutal showdown with presidential rival Donald Trump. And yet, at age 68, Clinton now stands at the threshold of the White House. On Thursday, she accepted her party's formal nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, making history as the first woman to carry the colors of a major US political party in the presidential race. In her acceptance speech, Clinton vowed to be the president of all Americans. She said: 'I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans and independents. For the struggling, the striving and the successful. For those who vote for me and those who don't. For all Americans.' Having finally defeated Bernie Sanders, Clinton began directly attacking Trump, citing his various gaffes and controversial policies. 'He wants to divide us - from the rest of the world, and from each other. He wants us to fear the future and fear each other.' President Barack Obama delivered a soaring testimonial Wednesday, praising Clinton's caliber and readiness for the job. 'I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman ... more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president.' Clinton, pictured at Bill's nomination in August 1996, controversially redefined the role of First Lady Hillary Diane Rodham was born on October 26, 1947 and raised in a middle-class household in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge. She adored her mother Dorothy but described her father, Hugh Rodham, born from Welsh immigrants, as a rigid taskmaster. He imposed his work ethic on young Hillary, but also his frugality. She still puts uneaten olives back in the jar and is loath to waste anything, she wrote in her 2003 autobiography, 'Living History'. Clinton shared her father's Republican convictions in adolescence, as well as his thunderous laugh. The family is Methodist, and to this day Hillary remains in the church. Since her school days, she chased success, earning honors and accolades that could fill a bookcase. Smart and ambitious, Clinton was admitted in 1965 to Wellesley, an elite women's college near Harvard, and eventually was elected class president. It was the social tumult of the sixties, and Clinton learned of the struggle for civil rights, the explosive debate over Vietnam and the fight for gender equality. When she was accepted in 1969 at Yale Law School, she met Bill Clinton, the 'Viking' from Arkansas who would change her life. After working for the Children's Defense Fund, and a period in Washington in 1974 on the commission investigating the Watergate scandal, she gave in and joined Bill in Arkansas. He was soon elected governor and Hillary Rodham joined a prestigious law firm, eventually becoming its first female partner. Chelsea, their only child, was born in 1980. She soon dropped her maiden name and became Hillary Clinton, first lady of Arkansas and then the nation after her husband's 1992 presidential election victory. Her assertive style contrasted with that of her predecessors. She played an active political role as first lady. But her relations with lawmakers and journalists quickly soured over her efforts to reform health care, a role bestowed by her president husband. Republicans branded her a radical feminist. She suffered intense humiliation when news of Bill's affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky surfaced in 1998. But her popularity has never been higher than the 67-percent approval rating she enjoyed that December, a Gallup poll at the time showed. Hillary attempted to run for president eight years ago but was beaten by Barack Obama for the nomination Pressured by friends and associates in Hillaryland, the first lady launched herself into politics, winning a US Senate seat for New York in 2000. Eight years later, she challenged fellow senator Obama, who savaged her vote supporting the Iraq war, in the presidential race. Clinton chose to run on her experience, refusing to campaign on gender. But Americans opted instead for Obama, bringing hope of change after eight years of George W. Bush. Following detente with his party rival, Obama appointed Clinton secretary of state. Her critics argue she can claim no major diplomatic successes, and Republicans accuse her of incompetence over a 2012 militant attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans. Her use of a personal email account instead of an official government one remains problematic for her. When the FBI chief declared he would not recommend charges be brought against her, it only heightened suspicions that the Clintons see themselves as above the law. But her four globe-trotting years as secretary of state also cemented her image as a powerful stateswoman and that potent mix of tenaciousness and cold realism finally saw the better of her idealist Democratic challenger Bernie Sanders. Suzanne Salomon, a development consultant and former Wellesley College dorm mate of Hillary's, said: 'I don't see that much change in her. The grieving husband of a British beauty therapist who died in a suspected honour killing while visiting family in Pakistan has released a photo of her body to prove she was murdered. Samia Shahid, 28, died suddenly when she went to see her sick father last Wednesday. Her family said she died of a heart attack. But her husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam insists she was murdered by her family because they disapproved of their marriage. The shocking picture shows a 7.5 inch red mark around Samia's neck, which her husband said proves she was strangled. The beautician, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, also has saliva and blood oozing from her mouth and nostrils. Mr Kazam, 30, told MailOnline: 'I am releasing this picture of my wife's dead body because I want the world to know that she didn't die of natural causes. She was murdered.' Shocking: Samia Shahid's dead body (left) shows a 7.5 inch red mark on her neck, which her second husband said confirms she was murdered while visiting her family in Pakistan Grief: Syed Mukhtar Kazam, pictured today, said he wanted to release the shocking photograph to prove that she had been strangled and was the victim of an honour killing. He married Samia in Leeds in 2014 First marriage: Samia is pictured at her first wedding to cousin Mohammed Shakeel, whom she left after a year of marriage. Shakeel has been arrested on suspicion of her murder and released on bail Marks: A post mortem found a 7.5 inch wound on Samia's neck. Police in Pakistan initially claimed she had suffered no injuries and allowed the family to bury her. But detectives have now launched a murder probe Arrested: Ms Shaid's father Mohammed, whom Samia had been visiting in Pakistan, has been arrested by detectives investigating the 23-year-old beauty therapist's death. He has been released on bail 'The police told the media and everybody here that the body did not have any visible marks on it. 'Well, this proves that it did. What sort of heart attack leaves a bruise like that? It is obviously murder. 'Her family killed her because they weren't happy that she had married me.' A post mortem confirmed Ms Shahid had a red gash around her throat after she died. A doctor who examined her body described it as a 'horrible mark on the right side of the neck'. The report was handed to police on July 20. Police decided she had no suspicious injuries so allowed her family to bury her in Pandori, northern Punjab. But detectives in Pakistan have now launched a murder investigation. Her father Mohammed Shahid and her first husband Mohammed Shakeel have both been arrested on suspicion of murder. A cousin Mobeen Mohammed has also been arrested in Pakistan. All three have been bailed. Wedding: Mr Kazam married his wife at Leeds Town Hall in 2014 and the pair had been living together in Dubai Marriage: Samia's second husband claims he fears she was killed by her family because they refused to accept their marriage. He said he was made to feel like an outsider Detail: The doctor's report, which is written in English and Urdu, says Samia suffered a 'horrible' neck injury Grave: Samia's relatives reportedly said she died from a heart or asthma attack and buried her in the village (pictured). But her local MP wants her body exhumed Tragedy: Her body was found in the family home in Pandori, a village in northern Punjab (pictured) Mr Kazam, who married Samia in Leeds in 2014, added: 'I've lost Samia and I can't bring her back but I need help because we are all human and we need to bring the truth out. 'The picture is enough evidence to prove it wasn't a natural death. I'm shattered. I can't describe my pain, I don't have the words. She is such a great loss. 'I listened to the statements and they are so obviously not true. I don't know what to do.' Mr Kazam has flown to Pakistan from their home in Dubai. He added: 'I have received the post mortem report that says there is a seven and a half inch long reddish bruise on her neck, which strengthens my doubts. 'I do not trust the doctors or the police at the moment because the evidence I have now has changed everything.' Bradford West MP Naz Shah, who has called for Samia's body to be exhumed, said: 'I have seen some pictures which are quite graphic in detail - that does really really raise some serious concerns. We need to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible'. The post mortem report said Ms Shahid suffered 'marks of violence' in the form of a 'reddish brown bruise' around her throat and was found dead with 'froth coming from her mouth'. 'The body of the deceased was found at midday in her home and froth was coming from mouth and nose. There is horrible mark on the right side of the neck of reddish discoloration,' it said. The author added that her mouth and face may have been 'congested' - a technical term for being smothered. New life: Samia Shahid, 28, had moved to Dubai (pictured) to live with second husband Syed, who claimed her family murdered her in an honour killing on her first trip to Pakistan since they wed before police made the discovery of a seven inch bruise, which the family is playing down as a mark from a hair clip Final messages: Syed Mukhtar Kazam, 30, told Samia Shahid, 28, he was 'worried to hell' and urged her to 'find a way to contact me' but he believes she may already have been dead An external examination of the body revealed she had signs of asphyxia. Samples from her major organs and toxicology tests were taken, and results will take several more days to come back. A senior doctor at the Jhelum hospital where her body was inspected, who asked not to be named, said her neck injury was consistent with a murder. He said: 'Cause of death looks like strangulation of the neck with a narrow rope-like object'. Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said the report confirms claims she died of natural causes are 'wrong'. He said: 'The family's claims that she died of natural causes are apparently wrong and we have ordered a reinvestigation. 'The reinvestigation is aimed at a murder case rather than a natural death case. The new investigators are sure the family's claims about natural death are not true. 'I have been told to apply for permission to exhume her body. I will do that if necessary.' Mr Kazam claims she was killed for marrying him against her parents' wishes after leaving her first husband from an arranged marriage. Her family have claimed the large bruise was 'probably from a hair clip' and strongly deny the claims of an honour killing. Police officer Aqeel Abbas said bruising found on Ms Shahid's neck could have occurred while her body was being moved or buried. Some 500 women are killed each year in Pakistan by relatives who feel their family has been shamed by a daughter or sister fraternising with men, eloping or otherwise infringing conservative demands on women's modesty. Mr Kazam added: 'For her family, I was always an outsider. They wanted Samia to leave me and return to them'. Mr Kazam sent a series of desperate final messages to his wife on the day she died. Address: The family home of Ms Shahid in Bradford is pictured yesterday. Ms Shahid's second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, who lived with her in Dubai, claimed he was told she had suffered a heart attack Calls: MP Naz Shah (left) has called on Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (right) to intervene in the case after Ms Shahid's husband alleged she was an 'honour killing' victim for wedding an outsider He texted her to say he was 'worried to hell' and urged her to 'find a way to contact me' - but believes she may already have been dead. Mr Kazam added: 'Initially her family members claimed she had a heart attack while her father told local media she committed suicide. 'Neither sounds believable as Samia looked just fine mentally, emotionally and physically when she left for Pakistan on June 14.' Jessica Cato, 27, tried to flee arrest by escaping through the ceiling of a Grand Rapids, Michigan courthouse on Thursday A 27-year-old Michigan woman tried to flee arrest by escaping through the ceiling of a courthouse while attending a class on how to make good decisions. Jessica Cato, 27, was attending the court-ordered 'Thinking Matters' class at the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids when staff learned there were two warrants out for her arrest. Cato, who was wanted for contempt of court and a probation violation, learned she was about to be taken into custody and fled the class, barricading herself inside the women's bathroom. She then took down a ceiling tile and began climbing across the scaffolding, according to MLive.com. Officers ran up to the second floor of the courthouse as they tried to catch Cato, bringing ladders to try and reach her. Witnesses said it was a chaotic scene. 'There was drywall dust falling as she was walking across it,' Jessie Siersema told WoodTV. 'She was running back and forth through the same spot in the ceiling.' Cato barricaded herself in the Kent County Courthouse women's bathroom on the second floor and took down a tile before she climbed into the ceiling Witnesses said drywall dust rained down on them as Cato ran back and forth across the ceiling (pictured) 'And I guess as she tried to climb over here, she kicked through the whole ceiling and her leg fell through.' Cato's escape on Thursday lasted a whole 10 minutes before she was put in handcuffs. That same day she was supposed to be sentenced on a charge of possession of less than 25 grams of liquid morphine. The sentencing has been rescheduled for August. Cato was also on probation for a 2015 larceny offense. Texas Officer Says He Was Pressured Into Silence About Sandra Bland Case By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 29, 2016 8:50PM Facebook A police officer who works in the town where Sandra Bland was pulled over, Prairie View, TX, claims he was forced into silence by prosecutors when he wanted to testify to a grand jury about police impropriety, according to an Associated Press report. Officer Michael Kelley claims that an assistant at the Waller County district attorneys office threatened his career if he aired grievances to the Bland family lawyer. Kelley alleges that Bland exhibited marks on her forehead after being pulled over, and that the arresting officer, Brian Encinia, spoke with a supervisor on the phone about how to charge Bland, according to the AP. He also reportedly claims Encinia left out important detailsalthough it is not specified what those details are. Waller Count District Attorney Elton Mathis has denied the allegations. Kelley is not without controversy of his own, however. As the story points out, he was suspended after using a Taser on an African-American city councilman and indicted for a misdemeanor charge of official oppression over the incident. This past July 13 marked one year since Blands death. The Naperville woman died while in police custody following a traffic stop in Texas. Her death was ruled a suicide, a determination Blands family, friends and supporters dispute. Trooper Encinia was indicted on perjury charges stemming from the incident and fired. Sandra Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, appeared alongside the mother of Hadiya Pendleton, Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday. Pendleton was shot to death in Kenwood weeks removed form performing at President Barack Obamas second inauguration. Mothers are giving away their leftover frozen breastmilk through social media sites to fellow mums who are unable to breastfeed their own children. The online social communities are linking mothers in Sydney and across Australia, as well as parents in numerous countries, who then meet up and exchange cold zip-locked or bottled breastmilk for no cost. Mothers who participate in the Human Milk 4 Human Babies and Eats on Feets communities - which have gained tens of thousands of followers - said they have been forced to share their milk because of a shortage of hospital-approved milk banks. Milk banks collect, screen and dispense milk donated by nursing mothers to children who are not their own. Sydney mothers are giving away their leftover frozen breastmilk through social media sites to fellow mums who are unable to breastfeed their own children (pictured) The online social communities are linking mothers across Australia, and the world, who then meet up and exchange cold zip-locked or bottled breastmilk for no cost You cannot sell body parts within Australia, but because the milk is being given away, the women are not breaking the law. Health authorities are warning mums that by using another woman's breastmilk, they could place their child at risk of getting a bacterial infection, according to The Daily Telegraph. Many of the mother's using the communities are seeking milk because they're bodies are unable to make it, or they are sick and want their child to receive the nutrients within breastmilk. Others have an excess of milk leftover because their child no longer wants it and want to give it to another infant. 'A friend of mine does not have Facebook but wants to donate her spare milk-Melbourne, Australia. Her new born son was sick and spent many days in hospital, she expressed and safely stored her milk. Baby is now well and feeding daily so no need for the stored milk,' one woman wrote. 'So she has 30+ bottles of frozen milk and colostrum milk to share. Bottles are 250 ml capacity, not all are full, as it depended on the milk supply when she expressed. Contact me if you want this donated milk.' You cannot sell body parts within Australia, but because the milk is being given away, the women are not breaking the law The mums said they have been forced to share their milk because of a shortage of hospital-approved milk banks (stock image) A woman in Blacktown, west of Sydney, wrote in July that her premature son is in need of breastmilk. 'I ended up having my milk not come properly [and] he's now 2 months old and am seeking some donor milk please just want what's best for my son,' she said. Director of Mothers Milk Bank in northern NSW Marea Ryan told the Telegraph that the charity hears from upset mothers daily. 'There's a huge need [for milk banks] I have mothers in tears ringing up every day,' she said. The charity organisation has several locations on the east coast and transfers frozen milk, after blood tests and checks, to mums in need. The sister of Foyle's War star Honeysuckle Weeks revealed last night that her sibling is 'safe and sound' after police began looking for the troubled actress. Detectives became concerned and started searching for the 36 year old because of her 'recent behaviour' and her feelings of anxiety she reported to her family. Police issued a photograph of the actress and released an urgent appeal to try and track her down. But her sister and fellow actress Perdita Weeks posted on Twitter on Friday evening: 'Safe and sound thank you all xxxx.' Detectives became concerned about Honeysuckle Weeks' 'recent behaviour' and feelings of anxiety she reported to her family Honeysuckle Weeks' sister posted on Twitter on Friday evening: 'Safe and sound thank you all xxxx' The actress is pictured here on her wedding day. She married Lorne Stormonth-Darling in a West Sussex church in 2007 Sussex Police - who launched the desperate appeal on Friday afternoon - confirmed that Honeysuckle had been found Sussex Police - who launched the desperate appeal on Friday afternoon - confirmed that Honeysuckle had been found at a relative's address in London at around 7.45pm, and that the person notified police. A spokesman said: 'We can confirm missing Petworth woman Honeysuckle Weeks has been found safe and well, and is with police. Further updates to follow. 'She remained with police as of 10.45pm on Friday, prior to being returned to West Sussex.' The actress, who found fame when starring in the ITV wartime crime drama Foyle's War, was last seen in Chichester, West Sussex, yesterday evening and her friends had not been unable to get hold of her. A spokesman for the Sussex Force said earlier today: 'Honeysuckle, who is 36, was last seen in Graylingwell Drive, Chichester at 9pm on Thursday night and was reported missing around 10pm. 'She is around 5'4' with cropped gingery blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a blue anorak and faded blues jeans.' Detective Kate Witt said: 'We are concerned about Honeysuckle as her recent behaviour has concerned family and friends and she has expressed to them she is feeling anxious. 'Although she travels around a lot and has links in London and has family in Wiltshire, it is unlike her not to be in touch with family. 'If you read this Honeysuckle, please get in touch to let us know you are OK.' It is understood the actress has been receiving psychiatric care in recent weeks. Police released a recent picture of the actress (left), pictured, right, with co-star Michael Kitchen Earlier this year the actress was reportedly ordered to wear an electronic tag after she was caught speeding on the A3 in south-west London in August 2015. A child in the back seat was not wearing a proper seat belt and it emerged she was already banned from driving. In February, magistrates also ordered her to adhere to a four-week curfew forcing her to stay at home at night. The actress is best known for her portrayal of the character Samantha Stewart in the wartime drama Foyle's War, starring in the ITV show from 2002 to 2010 and appearing again in 2013 and 2015. She has also appeared in TV favourites The Bill, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Death In Paradise. The star went to Roedean, the elite girls' school in Brighton, and studied English at Oxford. She dated Hugh Grant in 2000. The mother-of-one was said to 'regret' her recent driving offences and was also banned from driving for four months. Honeysuckle Weeks and Lorne Stormonth-Darling pictured on their wedding day. They married in St. Mary's church in Barlavington, West Sussex The actress pictured on the red carpet with director Jez Bond in November 2015 and right, at the Crime Thriller Awards in 2011 Neighbour Betty Poku, who lives next door to Honeysuckle in Kensal Green, north west London, spoke in support of her neighbour. Ms Poku, 20, said: 'She regrets it, of course. No one sets out to speed.We all speed at times. It's just luck to get caught or not. 'Obviously there is no reason but it happens sometimes. She was cleared of the charge of having no seatbelt, he was in fact wearing a seatbelt around his waist.' Ms Poku added: 'She is lovely, down to earth and she is great.' The actress moved to her house in Kensal Green, north west London, 12 years ago and is said to get on well with neighbours. And Honeysuckle's sister, Perdita, said she was unaware of her sibling's tag. Speaking outside her home in Vauxhall, south London, Perdita said: 'I didn't know anything about it. 'I have not seen her in a while.' Honeysuckle Weeks pictured left in May 2015, and right in October 2014 The actress is best known for her portrayal of the character Samantha Stewart in the wartime drama Foyle's War Foyle's War: The actress starred in the ITV show from 2002 to 2010 and appearing again in 2013 and 2015 Her agency The Artists Partnership said earlier in the evening they were 'unable to get hold of Honeysuckle'. It added that she had recently finished working on shooting Lewis for ITV and Sky mystery The Five. Weeks and hypnotherapist Lorne Stormonth-Darling held an impromptu Buddhist wedding ceremony in the Himalayas in 2005, before later marrying in St. Mary's church in Barlavington, West Sussex in 2007. More than 70 per cent of Ulster want to become part of a unified Ireland following the Brexit vote, a new poll has found. The survey also discovered a huge appetite for a historic referendum on Irish unity, with just under three quarters in favour. Irish republicans have been calling for the reunification of Ireland after Britain voted to leave the European Union last month. More than 70 per cent of Ulster want to become part of a unified Ireland following the Brexit vote, a new poll has found The Brexit decision means that a new era of border controls are likely to emerge between the two countries, despite Northern Ireland voting Remain by 56 per cent The UK's decision means that a new era of border controls could emerge between the two countries, despite Northern Ireland voting Remain by 56 per cent. And a poll conducted by the Belfast Telegraph, which received around 48,000 votes, shows an incredible amount of support for change. Around 74 per cent voted in favour of a 'border poll', with 70 per cent saying they would vote for the a unified Ireland. Northern Ireland has the only land frontier between the United Kingdom and the rest of the EU. It was marked by military checkpoints until a 1998 peace deal ended three decades of sectarian violence. Within minutes of the referendum outcome becoming apparent, Northern Ireland's largest Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein, said the result intensified the case for a vote on whether Northern Ireland should leave the United Kingdom. But, Stormont's First Minister has insisted Northern Ireland's place in the Brexiting UK is safe. The border was marked by military checkpoints until a 1998 peace deal ended three decades of sectarian violence The customs stop between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland on the road from Belfast to Dublin in 1950 Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein leader, believes Irish people should be given a chance to vote on their future, saying there was a 'democratic imperative' to allow people to vote on reunification. He said: 'If Britain votes to leave the European Union then that could have huge implications for the entire island of Ireland and, given all the predictions, would run counter to the democratic wishes of the Irish people.' He added: 'The people of the north of Ireland have made it clear at the polls that they wish to remain in the EU. 'This decision to drag us out of the European Union against our democratically expressed wishes has nothing to do with issues around the European institutions and everything to do with the civil war within the British Tory party.' The renewed focus on Northern Ireland's constitutional position comes as Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said a second referendum on Scottish independence was 'highly likely'. Mr Kenny said that he and Prime Minister Theresa May are both against creating a post-Brexit string of customs posts on the island of Ireland London and Dublin are agreed there will be no return to a 'hard border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic, Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny insisted after Downing Street talks. Mr Kenny said that he and Prime Minister Theresa May are both against creating a post-Brexit string of customs posts on the island of Ireland. 'I do not favour, and would not agree to, a hard border with a whole range of customs posts, and neither does the Prime Minister. 'There will be no hard border from Dundalk to Derry in the context of it being a European border, and by that I mean customs posts every mile along the road. 'We are both agreed very firmly there will be no return to a hard border as existed,' Mr Kenny said to reporters outside Number Ten following the meeting earlier this week. A babysitter who left a one-year-old boy with hand-shaped bruises on his face has been jailed for just three months for assaulting the child. Markell Hilaire, 27, was left to look after Jacob Marbury for two hours in March while the baby's parents, Joshua Marbury and Alicia Quinney, went on a date. When they returned to their home in Sherwood, Oregon, they found their son screaming and Hilaire - a family friend - fast asleep. The next morning they noticed that Jacob was covered in bruises and reported what had happened to the police. But it took three months for any charges to be brought against Hilaire, possibly because of a state law which makes it difficult to prosecute violent offenders unless the victim can speak for themselves. One-year-old Jacob Marbury was left with horrific bruises on his face after he was assaulted by babysitter Markell Hilaire Family friend Hilaire, 27, was left to look after Jacob Marbury for two hours in March while the baby's parents, Joshua Marbury and Alicia Quinney, went on a date Jacob's parents posted pictures of his bruised face on social media and after three months of campaigning, Hilaire was charged. The parents believe the delay in prosecuting the babysitter was linked to a ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals which makes it harder to file abuse charges if the victim cannot speak. Prosecutors have to prove the victim suffered a 'physical injury' and suffered 'substantial pain', which is not easy when the victim cannot describe what pain they were in. A Facebook post written by Mr Maybury was shared 150,000 times as he appealed for the authorities to take action. Ms Quinney said when she returned from the date and saw Jacob's black eye, she assumed he had drawn on his face - but quickly realized something far more sinister had happened. Hilaire, who initially pleaded not guilty, admitted third-degree assault today and was sentenced to three months in prison followed by three years of probation, Fox 12 reported. Jacob's mother Alice Quinney (pictured together above) says that she noticed Jacob's black eye immediately but thought he had somehow got marker on his face Hilaire (above in court earlier this year) admitted assault today - more than four months after the incident Jacob's babysitter was jailed for three months and he has now recovered physically from the incident in March He said sorry in court today after changing his plea. 'First of all, I want to apologize for what I did,' he said. 'It does not define what I am and I was not in the right state of mind when I did what I did and I hope that Jacob is OK and he grows.' Ms Quinney said her three-year-old daughter - who was also being looked after by Hilaire when he attacked Jacob - 'still talks about the stuff that happened last night'. Dionee Hilaire, the babysitter's aunt, said she thought the sentence was harsh as she claimed the parents knew her nephew was drunk when they left him to care for their children. A medical transport plane with four people aboard crashed in a densely forested mountain range in Northern California early Friday after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit. Searchers found the crash site hours later and confirmed that all four people - including a flight nurse, transport medic and patient - had been killed. The Piper PA31 departed from Crescent City Airport for Oakland International Airport at around 12.29am. A medical transport plane with four people aboard crashed in a densely forested mountain range in Northern California early Friday after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit. Wreckage from the crash shown above An officer is pictured at the crash site. Searchers found the crash site hours later and confirmed at least two deaths The plane was about 360 miles from Crescent City, near the Oregon border, when the pilot declared an emergency around 1am. The pilot had reported smoke filling the cockpit before a search started across a densely forested mountain range. No identities or other information about the victims has been released. Rescue teams found the crash site on remote land owned by a private timber company in Humboldt County, about 280 miles north of San Francisco. Sheriff's Lt. Wayne Hanson confirmed the deaths, saying only two bodies could be seen inside the plane from a distance. Wreckage shown above. Rescue teams found the crash site on remote land owned by a private timber company in Humboldt County, about 280 miles north of San Francisco The plane is part of Cal-Ore Life Flight, a small company of about six planes that transports patients throughout Northern California and Oregon The pilot planned to return to Crescent City before the plane vanished from radar five miles north of the Arcata-Eureka Airport on the far northern coast, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. The plane is part of Cal-Ore Life Flight, a small company of about six planes that transports patients throughout Northern California and Oregon. Don Wharton, a spokesman for parent company REACH Air Medical Services, previously said flights at night are common. He was not immediately available for comment on the deaths. The National Transportation and Safety Board was notified of the crash and the FAA was sending a crew to the scene. Donald Trump's campaign chief pointed the finger of blame at Hillary Clinton and sitting President Barack Obama today for the dire straights America's in. Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said today, 'If it's "midnight in America," it's because of seven and a half years of the Obama-Clinton administration.' Clinton yesterday channeled Republican President Ronald Reagan's 1984 'Morning in America' ad and said that Trump's taken the Republican Party a long way' from those days to 'Midnight in America.' Scroll down for video Donald Trump's campaign chief pointed the finger of blame at Hillary Clinton and sitting President Barack Obama today for the dire straights America's in during an appearance on Fox and Friends Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton told the Democratic National Convention that Donald Trump had taken the GOP from 'morning in America' to 'midnight in America' In the speech Thursday night before the Democratic National Convention Clinton tore into Trump. 'He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other,' she said. 'He wants us to fear the future and fear each other. He wants us to fear the future and fear each other.' She invoked Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to say he 'came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than 80 years ago, during a much more perilous time: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." ' Clinton also went Trump for having his ties, suits, furniture and picture frames produced overseas. 'Donald Trump says he wants to "make America great again." Well, he could start by actually making things in America again,' she charged. Manafort hit back at her this morning on Fox and Friends. He said she was trashing Trump 'because she has no message.' 'She has to try and confuse by making these kinds of attacks,' the senior Trump official said. 'Donald Trump says America is great, but the problem is the American people don't feel that their future is what they want it to be. 'For the first time in history, first time in history, people are saying people believe, according to all the, a number of recent polls, that their children's future is not going to be as good as their future. I mean, that is a scary thought.' Donald Trump has been on a tear against Hillary Clinton since her Democratic Party acceptance speech last night Hillary Clinton is advertising herself a change maker, but she's wrong, Manafort said on the show. 'We are the change. The problem that Clinton had last night is she can't hide from 25 years.' Manafort said he found her message Thursday night to be 'very confusing.' 'On one hand she was saying there's a need for a third term, an Obama third term. On the other hand she was saying she's going to make a change,' he said. 'She can't have it both ways. there's no way she can establish that she's the change. She is the establishment.' The candidate also launched a blistering counter attack on Clinton. 'Crooked Hillary Clinton mentioned me 22 times in her very long and very boring speech. Many of her statements were lies and fabrications!' he said in a tweet Friday morning. Another one said, 'Crooked Hillary Clinton made up facts about me, and "forgot" to mention the many problems of our country, in her very average scream!' Just after her remarks Trump said, 'No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes.' The Trump campaign said in an official statement: 'Hillary Clintons speech was an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric. She spent the evening talking down to the American people shes looked down on her whole life.' Senior Adviser Jason Miller said Clinton 'talks about unity, about E Pluribus Unum, but her globalist agenda denies American citizens the protections to which they are all entitled tearing us apart. Donald Trump went on a tirade after Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech - slamming her as 'corrupt' and criticizing her failure to mention radical Islam 'Her radical amnesty plan will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries. Miller said, 'Her refusal to even say the words Radical Islam, or to mention her disaster in Libya, or her corrupt email scheme, all show how little she cares about the safety of the American people.' 'Its a speech delivered from a fantasy universe, not the reality we live in today.' Bashing her campaign slogan 'Stronger Together' the way she came after Trump's 'Make America Great Again,' Miller said, 'In Hillary Clintons America, millions of people are left out in the cold. She only stands together with the donors and special interests whove bankrolled her entire life.' Clinton said Thursday she'd place a special emphasis on ensuring Americans in blighted communities are not left behind. But Miller said those people would not be part of her America. An 18-year-old man believed to be a refugee from Africa is being held without bond on a sex trafficking charge after he was arrested for allegedly bringing two 15-year-old girls from Phoenix and then prostituting them on a classified website. FBI assistant special agent Keith Byers says authorities arrested Edema Missiadan after police in Mesa, Arizona, relayed information that a girl possibly was being forced into prostitution in the El Paso area. An undercover investigator responding to ads offering escort service on the notorious classified website Backpage.com set up a meeting at a Super 8 Motel in El Paso Wednesday evening, and Missiadan was arrested on one count of sex trafficking of children. Trafficking suspect: Edema Missiadan, 18 (left and right) has been arrested on one count of sex trafficking of children for allegedly prostituting 15-year-old girls online Classified: Missiadan allegedly had been using the site Backpage.com to offer escort services The case against Missiadan involves two 15-year-old girls who were believed to have come to El Paso from Phoenix on Tuesday, said Agent Byers. One of the alleged victims possibly was featured in at least 164 ads offering escort services outside El Paso, reported El Paso Times. Missiadan made his initial court appearance on Thursday, telling a federal judge that he did not know why he was being charged, as he committed no crime, and said he is a US citizen. According to officials, Missiadan is a refugee from Ghana and is believed to be a citizen of the West African nation of Togo. Court records cited by the El Paso Times indicate that the 18-year-old's brother, 21-year-old Mawuli Missiadan, was arrested in June in Arizona on a slew of child prostitution and drug charges. Claims of innocence: The teen, pictured on the right arm-wrestling over a pile of $100 bills, told a federal judge he did not know why he was being charged Online presence: Missiadan's Facebook page is filled with selfies and images of him holding fans of $100 bills and flashing what appears to be gang signs Edema addressed his brothers arrest in a Facebook post in mid-June, calling for his release and claiming that he had been set up by a woman. The younger brother's social media account is filled with selfies and images of Missiadan holding fans of $100 bills and flashing what appears to be gang signs. Backpage,com is the second-largest online classified ad service in the United States after Craigslist. The case fell apart when testimony from Guandique's former cellmate Aramando Morales was shown to be a lie, it is reported The mother of Chandra Levy says she is 'in a state of shock' after investigators dropped all charges against the Guatemalan immigrant jailed for her murder. Susan Levy told NBC Bay Area that the surprise news has brought back the grief she felt 15 years ago after her daughter was reported missing. Ingmar Guandique has spent the last six years in jail for the 2001 killing but is now due to be freed after the case against him collapsed due to an 'unforeseen development'. It has since been reported that vital testimony from Guandique's former cellmate, Armando Morales, was shown to be fabricated. Scroll down for video Susan Levy, the mother of Chandra Levy, said today that she is 'in a state of shock' after investigators dropped all charges against Ingmar Guandique, who was jailed for her murder in 2010 Guandique was granted a retrial last year because of doubts over the evidence in his case, but the charges against him was dismissed yesterday due to an 'unforeseen development' Susan said the news of Guandique's release has brought back the grief she felt 15 years ago when her daughter (right) was first reported missing Susan Levy said: 'I have to say I'm in a state of shock, it kind of puts you back to the level of grief that you originally had. 'I only wish that we can get the right person, whoever did what happened to my daughter. 'I always want justice, but even if I get justice it doesn't bring con back to a family that has been fractured by a crime like this.' Ingmar Guandique was jailed for the murder in 2010 after prosecutors argued that the death matched a series of attacks Guandique committed against female joggers in parks. Levy's remains were found in Washington's Rock Creek Park in 2002. However, Guandique was granted a retrial last year after his attorneys argued that a key witness gave false or misleading testimony. That witness is believed to be Armando Morales, who told jurors at Guandique's trial that he had confessed to killing Levy while the pair shared a jail cell. With no physical evidence or witnesses to tie Guandique to the attack, Morales' testimony was absolutely essential to the government's case against him. However, after his release Morales confessed to neighbor Babs Proller that he had invented the story in order to buy credibility with prison officials, the Washington Post reports. Proller, who lived next door to Morales after his release, said she began recording her conversations with him after she learned of his true identity and his part in the Levy case. According to two officials close to the case, who spoke with the Post, it was those recordings that caused the case to collapse. The Post notes that it has been unable to verify the claims, and a call from the Dailymail.com to the prosecutor's office had not been returned at the time of publication. The sudden move will avoid a retrial scheduled later this year during which Guandique's lawyers were also expected to implicate former California Congressman Gary Condit, who was having an affair with Levy at the time of her murder. In a motion filed in May, Guandique's legal team wrote that Condit had a 'powerful' and 'obvious' motivation for killing Chandra, referring to his affair with the much younger college student. 'Mr. Condit was fully aware of the cost he could pay if his affair with Ms. Levy became public,' the defense motion states. Levy's (left) 2001 disappearance created a national sensation after the Modesto, California, native was romantically linked with then-Congressman Gary Condit (center) Guandique will now be passed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement where he faces deportation proceedings, authorities say 'He therefore had an obvious motive to kill Ms. Levy in order to keep the relationship secret, and an equally powerful motive to cover-up the circumstances of her death if she died while she was with him either through his intentional conduct or otherwise.' Condit knew Levy, then a 24-year-old Bureau of Prisons intern, but previously refused to answer questions about the nature of their relationship while under oath. Condit, a married father-of-two, was considered a suspect for a time after her disappearance but he was never charged. Condit's lawyers said: 'Gary Condit was extremely disappointed to learn today that the prosecution has decided against a retrial of Ingmar Guandique, the individual previously found guilty of the murder of Chandra Levy. The failure of authorities to bring formal closure to this tragedy after 15 years is very disappointing but in no way alters the fact that Mr. Condit was long ago completely exonerated by authorities in connection with Ms. Levy's death. At some point in the near future, I expect Mr. Condit to speak publicly about the case but he does not believe that it is appropriate to do so at this time.' A statement released today said: 'Pending action by the Court, Mr. Guandique will then be released to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where he faces removal proceedings. A spokeswoman for Guandique's lawyers said Thursday that the informant who reported that Guandique confessed to the crime was found to have lied. 'It is now clear that the jailhouse informant, who was central to the governments case, was a perjurer who too easily manipulated the prosecutors," Laura E. Hankins said in a statement. In May this year, the intern's mother, Susan Levy, was shocked to learn that her daughter allegedly had rough bondage sex with Condit. She also supported Guandique's legal push to depose at least two women who said they both had affairs with the former congressman over claims that 'he tied them up' during sex, the New York Daily News reported. 'It's very hard to hear about this,' Susan Levy told the Daily News. 'But I want the truth to come out, and I want them to follow every lead.' Guandique's lawyers said at the time that the jogging tights tied in knots near the former Washington, DC intern's body could be linked to circumstantial evidence that the women could provide about Condit's 'desire to engage in aggressive sex and tie a woman up'. Just in May, the intern's mother, Susan Levy, was shocked to learn that her daughter (right) allegedly had rough bondage sex with Condit (left ) The defense also attempted to convince Judge Robert Morin to allow depositions to be taken from three women who claim to have had affairs with Condit as well as a friend who worked as his former driver and bodyguard. According to the Daily News, the motion filing stated that Condit's sperm was located on a pair of the Chandra's underwear, 'conclusively' proving that they indeed had an affair. In addition, the motion also stated that the first woman allegedly told authorities that she and the seven-term congressman engaged in 'aggressive sex' a few months prior to when Chandra disappeared on May 1, 2001. The first woman allegedly said she was 'scared' by his aspiration to tie her up with his neck ties and fasten them to a bed. At the time, Susan Levy said that she was not against Guandique's actions in requesting a retrial, but still misses her daughter. 'Talk about knots I have a knot in my stomach and in my throat,' the heartbroken mother said. 'Even if they do find the truth, I won't ever have my daughter back. 'Put yourself in my situation.Your child is supposed to come home for graduation and never does.' Guandique (left) was facing retrial for the publicized case. His lawyers planned to use resources to link the tights tied in knots near her body to Condit (right), who 'desired to engage in aggressive sex and tie women up' Authorities spent days searching for evidence relating to Levy's disappearance in Rock Creek Park (above) Chandra (second right) was last heard from on May 1, 2001 when she emailed her parents Susan and Robert to inform them about her travel plans as she prepared to head home to California for her graduation Chandra's remains were not found until a year after she disappeared. Guandique's lawyers argue that the location her bones were found in Rock Creek Park were less than three miles away from Condit's apartment. The defense was also going to suggest that Chandra was tied up during the murder, basing this on the fact that a pair of knotted tights were found near her body. Chandra was last heard from on May 1, 2001 when she emailed her parents Susan and Robert to inform them about her travel plans as she prepared to head home to California for her graduation. She had ended her apartment lease and cancelled her gym membership in the area around this time as well according to authorities. Her parents attempted to contact her for three days before reaching out to police on May 5 and filing a missing persons report. Her parents attempted to contact her for three days before reaching out to police on May 5 and filing a missing persons report. Above her photos are displayed at a memorial service in California The next day, on May 6, they called Condit, who was their congressman in California, for help locating their daughter. Condit and Chandra had a friendship according to the congressman, though it was later reported that the two were far closer and that the married politician had been intimate with Chandra while the University of Southern California student was interning in the nation's capitol. In the months after Chandra's disappearance more and more details were revealed about her relationship with Condit, which led him to hire a criminal defense team while still denying he had anything to do with her disappearance. A search of the park where the young woman often jogged meanwhile turned up no evidence suggesting that Chandra had been in the area when she went missing. Authorities announced that July there was a good chance that Chandra's body might never be found, and though Condit was cleared as a suspect his political career never recovered and he was defeated in the California primary the following March. Two months after that, in May 2002, a man found human bones and a skull in Washington's Rock Creek Park, where police had previously searched for Chandra's body. The park's administrative office was also one of the last searches on Condit's computer the day that Chandra went missing. Her death was determined to be a homicide soon after, and a month after her skull and bones were found private investigators hired by her parents also found her shin bones less than 100 feet from where her remains had initially been discovered that May. After her parents reported her missing, a search of the park (above) where the young woman often jogged meanwhile turned up no evidence suggesting that Chandra had been in the area when she went missing In May 2002, a man found human bones and a skull in Washington's Rock Creek Park, where police had previously searched for Chandra's body (above) It was months before the discover of Chandra's body however that Guandique was introduced as a suspect, when a prison informant said he had spoke about murdering Chandra. Guandique had also been accused of assaulting two other female joggers in the park. He was behind bars at the time on drug charges but was never formally charged in the death of Chandra and her case went cold until 2006 when it was reopened by the city's new police chief. After a three-year investigation, Guandique was charged with Chandra's murder in 2009 and later indicted on six counts including kidnapping, first-degree murder committed during a kidnapping, attempted first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree murder committed during a sexual offense, attempted robbery, and first-degree murder committed during a robbery. He was convicted in November 2010 and sentenced to 60 years in prison the following February. Gary Condit, who served in Congress from 1989 to 2003, moved to Arizona with his wife Carolyn Condit, who served in Congress from 1989 to 2003, moved to Arizona with his wife Carolyn after losing his seat and opened an ice cream franchise with Baskin-Robbins. However, in 2008 the company sued the family to seek unpaid franchise and other fees. The Condits lost the suit and were ordered to pay roughly $98,000. He at one point also served as president of the Phoenix Institute of Desert Agriculture, a nonprofit group, but it is unclear if he still holds that job. Condit's son Chad ran for a seat in the California House of Representatives in 2012, and his daughter Cadee is married to Adam Gray, a former aide for Condit who now serves in the California State Assembly. And while the defense may think the six-term lawmaker is a possible suspect in the case, Chandra's father thought that the right man was behind bars. Robert Chandra said about the retrial in an interview with Today in April; 'As far as I can see, it's just some defense attorneys trying to make themselves a name and make more money. 'He's guilty.' The father of slain schoolboy Daniel Morcombe tried to book an airline ticket under a false name so he could act revenge on his son's killer, a coming film will reveal. The film 'Where is Daniel?' will tell the true story of Daniel's parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe and their battle for justice for their murdered son. Daniel, 13, was abducted from a bus stop on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in 2003, and choked to death in bushland when he tried to escape. Scroll down for video The film 'Where is Daniel' will tell the true story of Daniel's parents Bruce (left) and Denise Morcombe (right) and their battle for justice for their murdered son The father of slain schoolboy Daniel Morcombe (pictured) tried to book an airline ticket under a false name so he could act revenge on his son's killer, a coming film will reveal A Kickstarter campaign crowdfunding the feature film has so far raised $100,000. If the initial target of $300,000 is not met by Friday August 5 there may be significant delays in production- Bruce and Denise feature in a video on the crowdfunding website to promote the film (pictured) The Morcombe's fought for the truth behind what happened to their son for seven years, helping to trigger an undercover police operation that led to the discovery of his body and the person responsible. On August 21, 2011 two shoes and three human bones were found at a search site at Glass House Mountains in the hinterland in Queensland. Brett Peter Cowan was handed a life sentence in 2014 for Daniel's murder and cannot apply for parole until he has served 20 years. Earlier this year, Mr Cowan lost a last-ditch High Court appeal against his sentence. In never before seen footage obtained by the Courier Mail Bruce confesses to Denise that he had spent a morning trying to book a flight in a false name so he could fly to Perth and confront 'that bastard Cowan.' Despite having an alias Bruce realised that people would recognise him and decided against acting revenge, the chilling film will reveal. When Denise asked her husband what he intended to do when he arrived in Perth he replied: 'I dunno kill him?' Daniel, 13, was abducted from a bus stop on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in 2003, and choked to death in bushland when he tried to escape Brett Peter Cowan (pictured) was handed a life sentence in 2014 for Daniel's murder and cannot apply for parole until he has served 20 years Peter Cousens, the film's director and co-writer, said what went on behind the media spotlight would shock viewers. Mr Cousens said the audience would see a different side to the seemingly stoic Bruce Morcombe. 'He was filled with a lot of Old Testament vengeance. You think he is a rock, but people will be very surprised when they learn more about Bruce,' he told the publication. A Kickstarter campaign crowdfunding the feature film has so far raised $100,000. If the initial target of $300,000 is not met by Friday August 5 there may be significant delays in production. Bruce and Denise feature in a video on the crowdfunding website to promote the film. The boyfriend of The Only Way Is Essex star Cara Kilbey will face trial next year accused of being involved in a gang that posed as taxi drivers in order to deal drugs. Daniel Harris, 33, is alleged to have been involved in a group which dealt drugs across London using mopeds under the pretence that they were learning taxi routes. It is claimed that by posing as cabbies it enabled the gang to avoid being caught by the police. Harris was charged by officers after detectives seized 300,000 and 10kg of cocaine during raids in March this year. Daniel Harris (pictured with Cara Kilbey) is accused of being involved in a gang which acted as taxi drivers to try and deal drugs in London Harris, of Theydon Bois, Essex, is charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs - cocaine - between September 2012 and March 2016. He is also charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs - heroin - in May last year. Harris, who welcomed baby daughter Penelope Blu Harris in February this year with Miss Kilbey, 28, is also charged with one count of possessing criminal property - Scottish bank notes - in March this year. At the Old Bailey today, Judge Nicholas Cooke QC fixed a provisional trial date for Harris of February 6. The pair (pictured) welcomed a baby daughter called Penelope Blu in February earlier this year The trial is expected to last two to three weeks. Eight other people were charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine. Harris, who denies all charges, did not appear in court and remains in custody. Miss Kilbey - who left the hit television show in 2013 - was photographed visiting her boyfriend earlier this month with their daughter at Wandsworth Prison in south west London. You are here: Home China unveiled its first nationwide regulation on on-demand mobility (ODM) services Thursday, granting legal status to the industry. A document released by the State Council, China's cabinet, featured guidelines on the registration and operation of ODM companies. Previously, firms like China's Didi Chuxing and American counterpart Uber had operated in a gray area in China, as it is illegal for private cars to charge passengers for journeys. The latest document specifies that ODM firms do not need to own their fleet, effectively allowing private cars to join the party. Vehicles and drivers providing online-ODM services can apply for a license collectively. ODM companies will be responsible for the qualification of their fleet and drivers, the document said. A provisional rule released by the Ministry of Transport on the same day set out detailed requirements for ODM companies and drivers. Cars are no longer allowed to offer rides after they clock-up 600,000 km or have been in use for eight years, while drivers must have no criminal record for drug, driving, alcohol or violent offenses, according to the rule. It requires ODM companies to pay taxes and buy insurance for passengers, while banning them undercutting market prices, which it said would disrupt market order. Didi Chuxing and Uber's popularity has been a source of ire among taxi drivers who must pay high franchise fees while competing with ODM services. Thursday's document demanded taxi companies reduce high franchise fees and encouraged firms to provide online-booking services or merge with ODM companies. About 96.6 million Chinese, or about one in every 14, hailed a taxi via online ODM services in 2015, while 21.6 million people booked private cars online, according to China Internet Network Information Center. There are 1.39 million taxis across the country, carrying more than 100 million people per day on average. Vice Minister of Transport Liu Xiaoming said China was the first country in the world to roll out national regulations on online ODM services, which are forbidden in most foreign countries including Germany and Japan. He said the policy was made after thorough investigation and research and drew extensively on the views of various groups. "Our principle is putting passengers first and meeting their demands [...] the bottom line is passenger safety and fair competition," Liu told a press conference on Thursday. The latest policy was welcomed by both ODM companies and taxi operators. Didi Chuxing released a statement calling the move "a milestone in promoting steady and healthy development of the ride-hailing industry." The new policy shows the government's recognition and support of online ODM services, according to a statement from Uber. "It's good for fair play between ODM and taxi services," said Jin Kai, spokesperson of a taxi company in east China's Zhejiang Province. "Now our drivers have more confidence in the industry." The new policy has been welcomed by transportation experts and the public. "The policy respects the laws of the market," said Guo Jifu, director of Beijing Transportation Research Center. "Now, ODM companies will have to play according to the rules." Yu Mingyuan, a researcher with the Ministry of Transport, said the policy chimes with the Internet Plus economy, and it will push the taxi industry to improve their service. Fu Weigang, executive director of Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law, called the new policy "a great step forward," but as it is currently only provisional, he said, there is still some uncertainty. Meanwhile, while the regulation has left the pricing of ODM services to the market, it has also given local governments pricing power. "Local governments will have to roll out more detailed policies," said Gu Dasong, a transportation expert with Southeast University, Nanjing. Hacked private emails have revealed how a US Nato chief believed President Obama did not want to engage with Europe or the Alliance over Russia because he thought they were a threat. General Philip Breedlove, former supreme commander of Nato, said he feared the White House viewed the bloc as a worry because their gung-ho attitude to war could drag the US into another conflict. In an email to the former Secretary of State Colin Powell, he asked him to help him persuade the President to take a greater role in the conflict with Russia over the Ukraine. Emails were leaked from General Philip Breedlove's account and posted onto new website DC Leaks. His leaked emails were written in September 2014 after the EU and the US imposed sanctions on Vladimir Putin and he withdrew some troops from eastern Ukraine. They were taken from General Breedloves Gmail account and posted on a new website called DC Leaks. They reveal his campaign to pressure the White House into escalating the conflict, and how a group of secret agitators close to him campaigned to secure weapons for the Ukraine. The efforts intensified the conflict between the West and Russia. In one email to Mr Powell, he said: I may be wrong... but I do not see this WH really engaged by working with Europe/Nato. Frankly I think we are a worry... ie a threat to get the nation drug (sic) into a conflict. I seek your counsel on two fronts... how to frame this opportunity in a time where all eyes are on ISIL all the time... and two... how to work this personally with the POTUS (President Obama). Obama spoke at the recent Democratic National Conference giving his full support to Hilary Clinton. In another he wrote: POTUS sees us a threat that must be minimised ie do not get me into a war. Responding to the leak, General Breedlove said they were being used to shape a narrative, but just show a commander reaching out to learned individuals. A holidaymaker was bitten by a shark while swimming a hundred yards off a packed beach on the Costa Blanca in Spain. People were hurriedly ordered out of the water after the attack around 11.30am today. The 40-year-old victim was rushed to hospital in Elche where he was given stitches to a wound in his hand. First aiders said he had come out of the sea at Arenales del Sol, just south of Alicante, with blood pouring from a large bite mark on his hand. The man is thought to have a house locally but it is not clear if he is Spanish or an expat. The shark attacked a few hundred yards off the beach at Arenales del Sol, a couple of miles south of Alicante (pictured) The attack has been blamed on a blue shark known in Spanish as a tintorera, a species of requiem shark which rarely bite humans. It is only known to have been involved in 13 biting incidents, four of which ended fatally. The red flag was kept in place for around two hours until 1.30pm when bathers were allowed back in the water. Shark attacks are extremely rare in the Mediterranean and the culprit in today's incident is believed to have been a blue shark (pictured), which have only been involved in 13 attacks In August last year British tourists were ordered off a beach in Benidorm when a suspected barracuda bit a 10-year-old on the hip. And in December tourist Cristina Ojeda-Thies was bitten by a shark off the popular winter destination of Gran Canaria. She tweeted afterwards as she showed off the wounds to her arm: 'Today I've had a face to face meeting with a shark. Things that happen when you swim in the Canaries in December.' The shark attack occurred just off the coast of Arenals del Sol and the man was rushed to a hospital (marked) at Elche. Shark attacks are very rare in the Mediterranean Pascual Calabuig, director of the council-run Wild Fauna Recovery Centre in Gran Canaria, described the incident at the time as 'very rare.' Fernando Frias, President of the Canary Islands Shark Alliance which promotes shark conservation, called it a 'one-off'. A family judge's damning verdict on the violent and abusive conditions in the home of murdered Ellie Butler show he also tortured her younger sibling. Ellie's father Ben Butler was found guilty of the six-year-old's murder and jailed for life earlier this year. Shocking new details of the case can be reported for the first time today after a gagging order was lifted to the allow the reporting of a 2014 family court judgement. Ben Butler (left) was jailed for the murder of his daughter Ellie (right). A previously secret judgement made in relation to the case has now been made public The report reveals how during Ellie's lifetime Butler routinely tortured his daughter and even flushed her sibling's head down the toilet as punishment and beat the child with a belt. Mrs Justice King analysed issues in the family home in 2014 following Ellie's death and concluded that Butler, 36, was 'responsible for Ellie's death' - two years before he was found guilty by a jury. Butler was tried for murder in a criminal court, where the standard of proof is higher, and also found guilty of Ellie's murder. Last month Butler, 36, was jailed for 23 years for Ellies murder while her mother, Jennie Gray, 36, was sentenced to 42 months for child cruelty and perverting the course of justice after helping to cover up the crime and turning a blind eye to Butlers reign of terror. The killing came less than a year after a court fatally handed the children back into the custody of their abusive father from their grandparents. Ellie and her sibling suffered appalling abuse at the hands of their father, a family judge found after her death Ellie was found dead in her bedroom in Sutton, South London, October 2013 after her parents made what appeared to be a desperate 999 call for help. Police discovered she had suffered a catastrophic skull fracture similar to that seen in victims of high-speed car crashes. Butler, who had been left caring for her and her sibling while Gray was at work, claimed she must have fallen from a stool. But investigators found that Ellie was dead two hours before the 999 call was made and her parents had concocted an elaborate charade. The judge said she was satisfied ... that Ellie died as a result of being hit over the head with the leg from a childs table or pushed with some force. After a series of appeals and attempts to keep the family court judgement secret, a redacted form of the ruling was finally released today. It sets out the horrific conditions of domestic violence in the Butler home in the run-up to Ellie's shocking murder. Butler and Ellie's mother, Jennie Gray, were jailed earlier this year after an Old Bailey trial Speaking of the parents' relationship, Mrs Justice King stated: 'The picture is one of violence and abuse coupled with a regular excess of drink and or drugs.' The judge's ruling also serves as another indictment of the decision of Mrs Justice Hogg, the family judge who decided to hand Ellie back to Butler and Gray. Mrs Justice King found: 'When they gave evidence to Mrs Justice Hogg, the parents had been unclear about their future as a couple, their relationship was not settled and at the time they had no suitable accommodation in which to live with the children.' She said Mrs Justice Hogg's ruling tore Ellie from her grandparents, who has been her 'psychological parents' since she was removed from Butler's care as a baby. Ellie's grandfather Neal Gray had warned family court judge Mrs Justice Hogg she would have 'blood on your hands' after she handed the child back to her parents in November 2012 but it emerged that the judge did not see text messages exchanged between the parents that revealed a violent relationship. Butler had been convicted of violently shaking Ellie but the conviction was later quashed. A High Court judge had refused to allow publication of the ruling over fears it could prejudice a potential retrial if Butler mounted a successful appeal. But three court of appeal judges today ruled the judgement, which found Butler responsible for Ellie's killing, could be reported. They found the High Court judge 'made the wrong decision' to keep it secret after making 'no assessment of the likelihood of a retrial' and said the risk of prejudice was 'so negligible that it should have been given little or no weight'. Mrs Justice King said she had concluded that Ellie was 'routinely smacked' and was 'subjected to serious emotional abuse and her sibling suffered 'serious emotional harm'. [I am] satisfied...that Ellie died as a result of being hit over the head with the leg from a child's table or pushed with some force Mrs Justice King The judge criticised Gray for her 'wholesale failure to protect the children' describing Ellie's younger sibling, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as 'deeply traumatised'. Heart-breaking notes kept in a diary associated with Ellie's sibling revealed the depth of the damage done. Ellie's sibling said the house was a 'bad house' and told how both children were 'smacked lots of times'. Shockingly, when the child had wet itself or defecated in its pants Butler would put its head down the toilet and flush as punishment. In a damning indictment, the judge found Gray had 'walked away' from her living child. Mrs Justice King said: 'With the benefit of hindsight, however, there were some other more sinister matters of concern such as the mother attending at hospital on occasions with a number of lacerations, made more chilling by a Google search found on her computer 'stabbed in the leg...' and another Google search dated September 2008 refers to 'Treatment of Broken Noses'.' The judgement also detailed how grandfather Neal had last seen Ellie at McDonald's in Sutton the day before her murder. In a statement to police, he said his two grandchildren looked like 'they had been dragged through a hedge' and his daughter looked as if 'she had lost it'. The shirt has 'Pro Life,' 'Pro God,' and 'Pro Gun' written across the front with a heart, cross and gun Bristol has long been vocal about her pro-gun stance, and was able to put her beliefs on a t-shirt she designed Tripp's love of firearms comes not just from his mother, with his father Levi Johnston naming his second daughter Breeze Beretta after a gun for how close the weapon was to his daughter Her husband Dakota Meyer posted a photo this week as he holstered his gun and drew Bristol Palin's summer of Second Amendment love continued on Friday with a photo posted to her Instagram account of her son Tripp holding a gun. The 7-year-old elementary school student and his mom were both properly outfitted in protective eyewear and electronic ear muffs for their morning together, with Bristol, 25, standing behind Tripp and keeping an eye on the boy as he practiced his aim in an Alaskan field. '#trapper #safetyfirst #teachingthemyoung,' wrote Bristol on the post, though it is not clear if Tripp was using an actual firearm such as a small caliber single shooter or a device that does not discharge bullets for practice and safety purposes. Practice: Bristol Palin posted a photo of her son Tripp, 7, aiming what looked to be a small caliber single shooter on her Instagram page on Friday morning (above) Protective: Her husband Dakota Meyer posted a photo this week as he holstered his gun and drew criticism for how close the weapon was to his daughter (above) Tripp's love of firearms comes not just from his mother and her new husband either, with his father Levi Johnston naming his second daughter Breeze Beretta after a gun. Levi also shared a photo of himself and Tripp on Instagram in early 2015 that showed Tripp holding and aiming a gun, writing: 'Teaching him the ways.' Bristol's new husband Dakota Meyer, 28, is also a big fan of guns, and shocked some people on Tuesday when he posted a photo on Facebook as he holstered his weapon in the kitchen of his home, laving the firearm just inches away from his infant daughter Sailor after pulling it out of a drawer. The child was in a car seat at the time on the kitchen counter. 'Carrying has always been important to me for my own safety but now it is imperative because now I have someone relying on me,' wrote Dakota in his post. 'Every day, everywhere I go, every time I carry and am honored to be using the Blood Stripe holster from G-Code Holsters.' There was also an embedded link to the Facebook site of the holster company in the post, as well as an inserted picture that showed the product in closer detail. Bristol has long been vocal about her pro-gun stance, and was able to put her beliefs on a t-shirt she designed and released just two weeks ago for charity. The shirt has 'Pro Life' written under an illustration of a heart, 'Pro God' written under an illustration of a cross, and 'Pro Gun' written under an illustration of a gun. 'I teamed up with this shirt campaign to design a charity tee,' Bristol shared with her social media followers earlier this month. 'Theyre only available for a limited time!! The proceeds go to LifeHouse Maternity Home in Louisville, Kentucky.' She then added: Please do me a favor and support this amazing place and tell America how you feel about life, God, and guns.' Project gunway: Bristol has long been vocal about her pro-gun stance, and was able to put her beliefs on a t-shirt she designed (above) Fan of the firearms: Tripp's love of firearms comes not just from his mother, with his father Levi Johnston naming his second daughter Breeze Beretta after a gun (Levi and Tripp holding a gun in early 2015) Dakota - who is the youngest person ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor - met Bristol in May 2014 during filming of Sarah Palin's Sportsman Channel show Amazing America. The pair got engaged during a Rascal Flatts concert in Las Vegas in early 2015, planning a wedding in his native Kentucky. But less than a week before the ceremony, Bristol announced the wedding would not take place and instead of tying the knot she set off on an RV trip in Alaska with an exotic model. A month later Bristol announced her pregnancy, although she initially refused to say whether Dakota was the father. She admitted that her second out-of-wedlock pregnancy was 'a huge disappointment to my family'. 'I do not want any lectures and I do not want any sympathy,' Bristol said. 'Everyone knows I wanted more kids, to have a bigger family. Believing I was heading that way, I got ahead of myself. Things didn't go as planned, but life keeps going on.' Sailor Grace, was born on December 23, 2015. Donald Trump has beaten Hillary Clinton in the ratings race for their rival convention speeches. Clinton's speech on Thursday night where she accepted her party's nomination and where she got introduced by daughter Chelsea after a performance by Katy Perry inside the Democratic convention hall drew about 28 million viewers on the six biggest channels. Trump's big night, where he was introduced by his daughter and spoke to the nation for 75 minutes, drew 30 million voters, CNN reported. His ratings win was a reversal of the early days of the convention, where the Democrats' all start political lineup, which included former President Bill Clinton, President Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden, beat the Republican convention. Clinton closely trails Donald Trump in the ratings, according to overnight analysis of her Democratic convention speech compared to his at the Republican convention last week. She campaigned in Philadelphia Friday after her convention speech the night before Democrats led Republicans 26 million to 23 million for Monday night, CNN Money reported. Tuesday's Democratic convention in Philadelphia averaged 24 million viewers, compared to 19 million for the Republican convention in Cleveland. For Wednesday, an average of 24.4 million people watched the Democratic convention, 1 more than the 23.4 million who watched the Republican convention. Scroll Down for Video Her convention got good reviews for its precision and its bevy of starts, and beat the GOP convention for the first three nights but maybe not for the main event Clinton's speech was preceded by pop star Katy Perry and an introduction by her daughter Chelsea Clinton The Democratic convention featured speeches by such party luminaries as President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama The preliminary numbers are subject to revision as more information comes in. Trump, who regularly touts his own ratings and credits himself for driving huge interest in the early Republican presidential debates, sent out a fundraising email Thursday urging supporters not to watch his rival's 10 pm speech. Teen arrested on suspicion of murder now identified as Ben Bamford, 18 He was a former HMRC employee who worked advising the Treasury Paul Jefferies, 52, found dead in his East Sussex cottage on 25 February A teenager accused of the murder of a gay 'loner' who was a senior adviser to former Chancellor George Osborne can today be identified after a judge lifted an order. Paul Jefferies, 52, was a reclusive figure who barely set foot outside his door since moving from London to the house in Mayfield, East Sussex, where his body was found in February. A 17-year-old boy was charged with his murder in March but today he can be identified for the first time as Ben Bamford. Police sealed off the house in the village of Mayfield in East Sussex after the body was found on February 25 Bamford, who turned 18 earlier this month, appeared by videolink at the Old Bailey today from Lewes prison, where he is being held pending his trial in the autumn. Mr Jefferies, a top official at HMRC, was found at his home in Coggins Mill Lane on February 25 after colleagues expressed concerns for his welfare. A post-mortem examination showed he died from multiple injuries. Forensics officers spent many hours at the house after the body was found. Ben Bamford, 18, awaits trial for murder Mr Jefferies, who was openly gay, had worked for HMRC for 20 years and had helped shaped Government policy on a range of tax and financial issues since Mr Osborne became Chancellor in 2010. Mr Osborne was removed unceremoniously from the post in Theresa May's Cabinet reshuffle earlier this month. Bamford, wearing a red T-shirt, spoke only to confirm his name before entering a not guilty plea. He is due to stand trial at Lewes Crown Court on 7 November. Police believe Paul Jefferies, 52, knew the alleged murderer, who lived in nearby Crowborough Neighbours said Mr Jefferies used to live in London and had barely set foot outside the door of his home (pictured) since moving to the house in Mayfield, East Sussex An inquest has been adjourned until after the conclusion of the murder trial Terrified Syrians are trapped in their homes in eastern Aleppo as their only means of escape from the city have been branded 'death corridors'. Aid agencies are calling for President Assad's regime to end the 'complete and systematic destruction' of the rebel-held neighbourhoods, where as many as 250,000 people are facing starvation. Russia, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, announced the opening of 'humanitarian passages' offering a way for civilians and surrendering fighters to escape on Thursday. But by Friday, only a handful of people had managed to flee as the alleyways are considered too dangerous. Escape: Russia, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, announced the opening of 'humanitarian passages' offering a way for civilians and surrendering fighters to escape on Thursday. Pictured, the road that civilians would have to use to flee the besieged city of Aleppo 'Death corridor': This is believed to be the road civilians would have to use to access one of the safe exit points opened for civilians wishing to leave rebel-held areas, in Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr Others wishing to escape were prevented by rebels, said the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 'Around 12 people managed to use the Bustan al-Qasr corridor before rebel groups reinforced security measures and prevented families from approaching the corridors,' said Rami Abdel Rahman. But aid agencies insisted civilians shouldn't have to choose between fleeing their homes or starving to death, and demanded the regime call an end to the siege. Ahmad Ramadan, from the opposition Syrian National Coalition, accused Russia and the regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. 'Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about 'death corridors',' he said. What is happening now isn't battles, but the complete and systematic destruction of the city and its residents, whether they are civilians or fighters. Ahmad Ramadan, from the opposition Syrian National Coalition 'What is happening now isn't battles, but the complete and systematic destruction of the city and its residents, whether they are civilians or fighters.' The Observatory said regime aircraft bombed eastern areas of the war-torn city overnight. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura urged Russia on Friday to let the United Nations take charge of the corridors as a reassurance to the beleaguered population. 'Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us,' he said. 'How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing, fighting.' Pro-regime forces have been surrounding Aleppo's eastern districts since July 17, leaving an estimated 250,000 people trapped without reliable access to food or medical aid. Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition's main supply route into the northern city. Aid agencies and analysts said the humanitarian corridors must be exploited to send desperately needed supplies to the besieged areas. Safety: Aid agencies insisted civilians shouldn't have to choose between fleeing their homes or starving to death, and demanded the regime call an end to the siege. The Municipal Palace in Aleppo city, which is controlled by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, is pictured from a rebel-held area of Aleppo Help: The US-based International Rescue Committee warned that those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a pause in fighting. Pictured, regime soldiers in Aleppo 'Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in eastern Aleppo must be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess their well-being and needs,' the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The US-based International Rescue Committee warned that those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a pause in fighting. 'The people of Aleppo should not be forced to choose between fleeing their homes and remaining under attack in a besieged area,' said IRC's acting Middle East director Zoe Daniels. The people of Aleppo should not be forced to choose between fleeing their homes and remaining under attack in a besieged area. IRC's acting Middle East director Zoe Daniels Analyst Karim Bitar added: 'Aleppo residents are facing a terrible existential dilemma, they often have to choose between risking starvation or risking dying while fleeing. 'If the objective is really to ensure the safety of Aleppo residents, why aren't aid workers and ICRC getting sufficient access to the civilians in dire need of protection?' he asked 'Aleppo residents are in distress and mistrustful, which is understandable, as the Syrian tragedy has shown that even humanitarianism is often used as a cynical ploy to advance geopolitical interests,' said Bitar, from the French think-tank IRIS. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said three humanitarian corridors were being opened 'to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms'. Losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the armed opposition and could signal a turning point in the five-year conflict, analysts say. 'In Aleppo, getting civilians to leave would both serve its propaganda and its military objectives,' said Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Fear: Losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the armed opposition and could signal a turning point in the five-year conflict, analysts say. Pictured, regime soldiers near barricades in Aleppo 'The regime uses massive, indiscriminate force to brutalise civilians to force them to kneel or reject the rebel groups,' he added. More than 280,000 have been killed in Syria's devastating war which erupted with the brutal crackdown of anti-government protests before becoming a complex conflict that has seen the spread of jihadist. A US-led coalition is conducting an aerial campaign against ISIS, which despite battlefield losses still controls areas of north and northeastern Syria. The Observatory said coalition strikes on the ISIS-controlled town of Ghandoura on Thursday killed 28 civilians. Thirteen people have been taken to hospital in a remote part of Siberia after an anthrax outbreak linked to a frozen reindeer carcass. The bizarre sequence of events in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region has a chilling echoes of the recent TV drama Fortitude - starring Michael Gambon and Stanley Tucci - in which the defrosting of a woolly mammoth triggered an ancient illness which makes people kill each other. Russian Ministry of Agriculture officials believe the anthrax emanates from the thawing out of the carcass of a frozen reindeer which died 75 years ago. Anthrax is a deadly bacterial disease which has largely died out in Europe since a vaccine was invented in 1954. But it has been used in biological warfare, including in 1916 when the Russian Army was targeted with it by rebels in Finland. The outbreak of anthrax in western Siberia is believed to be linked to the thawing of a frozen reindeer carcass (stock image) Around 1,200 reindeer have died in western Siberia in the last month, which officials blamed on freakishly hot weather - temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius (95F). But laboratory tests have confirmed they were killed not by a heatwave but by anthrax. The Governor of the region, Dmitry Kobylkin, ordered a mass evacuation of reindeer herders and their families in the Yamalsky district in the Ural Mountains. Michael Gambon, who plays alcoholic wildlife photographer Henry Tyson, is pictured in a scene from Fortitude Tests in a Moscow lab have not yet confirmed the 13 patients' illnesses were caused by anthrax. But they are being treated with antibiotics, as if they were suffering from it. If confirmed it would be first anthrax outbreak in Russia since 1941. Dr Peter Eichacker, a senior investigator at the US National Institutes of Health, told CNN: 'It's unclear (what form of anthrax it is), but it's most likely the gastrointestinal tract form.' He said the most likely cause was eating infected meat and added that symptoms included nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. There are echoes of the plot of Fortitude (starring left to right, Sofia Grabl, Christopher Eccleston, Michael Gambon and Stanley Tucci) in this week's events in Siberia Officials have been giving the anthrax vaccine to all reindeer in the region and infected carcasses will be burned, similar to the way animals were disposed of in Britain after the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak. Fortitude was a 'Nordic noir' TV thriller series which aired on Sky Atlantic and starred Christopher Eccleston and Danish actress Sofie Grabl. A Michigan mother is outraged after discovering her son's grave has become infested with moles, digging up the soil around his headstone and burial site. Joyce Petrie purchase a burial plot for her son after he died, age 50. She also one day plans to be buried in the plot. But now that site is overrun with the burrowing creatures and Petrie wants them gone. Joyce Petrie purchase a burial plot for her son after he died, age 50, and where she one day plans to be buried in Saginaw Township, Michigan. The only problem is now the plot has a mole infestation The moles have dug up the land around the headstone and created shallow tunnels leaving dead grass and upturned earth around the grave 'I paid a lot of money for that site there and I want to be buried there, but the area he is in is disgraceful,' Petrie said. 'Had I known that we wouldn't have put them there.' The moles are burrowing around the gravesite and causing shallow tunnels in the area, which have weakened the integrity of the grave's structure. Petrie has contacted the administration at St. Andrews Cemetery in Saginaw Township, Michigan, and sent a letter to the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw but the mole problem has not been resolved, MLive.com reported. Petire has tried to fix the mole problem by digging up the topsoil and using poison and hiring an exterminator. Petire has tried to fix the mole problem by digging up the topsoil and using poison and hiring an exterminator to kill the pests (stock image of mole) Petrie said she was told that when she bought the plot at St. Andrews Cemetery (pictured) in Saginaw Township, Michigan, that she was buying the right to be buried there, not the land itself and therefore feels it is not her responsibility to take care of the moles She forwarded the bill to St. Andrews and the Catholic Diocese yet the moles remain. Petrie said she doesn't care about money - she just wants the moles removed from her son's grave. 'I feel the grass is my responsibility but their responsibility is the moles and the weeds,' she said. 'I'm mortified at the way it is being kept up and I can't get anyone to answer me.' A statement from Chris Pham, communications specialist for the Diocese, said: 'We are aware that one of our families is upset about the caring of a gravesite, and we are working very hard to resolve this situation for her and her loved one. A statement from Chris Pham, communications specialist for the Diocese, said: 'We are aware that one of our families is upset about the caring of a gravesite, and we are working very hard to resolve this situation for her and her loved one' ''There are a number of steps we have already taken to address her concerns because we know how important this is. Unfortunately, dealing with pests takes time, and the area surrounding the site of concern needs to be addressed as well. 'We are committed to resolving this issue and have already reached out to meet with her.' The statement went on to say that special care has to be taken while attempting to remove the moles and that guidelines state power tools and chemicals cannot be used. Petrie said she was told that when she bought the plot she was buying the right to be buried there, not the land itself and therefore feels it is not her responsibility to take care of the moles. French police have filed terrorist charges today against two men suspected of being part of the same ISIS cell behind the massacre of 130 people in Paris in November. A 29-year-old Algerian, Adel Haddadi, and Mohamad Usman, 35, from Pakistan, have been charged with 'criminal conspiracy with terrorists'. Both men are believed to have been extradited to France from Austria. A source close to the investigation said Haddadi 'was meant to take part in the Paris killings with his travelling companions.' Mohamad Usman (left) and Adel Haddadi (right) have today been extradited from Austria to France. A source close to the investigation said Haddadi 'was meant to take part in the Paris killings' Investigators believe Haddadi and Usman travelled to the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on the same refugee boat as two men who took part in the November 13 attacks. The killers, thought to be Iraqis, blew themselves up outside the Stade de France during a France v Germany friendly match, one of a series of brazen assaults by around 10 people around the French capital. Nine terrorists, including the mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud, were killed on November 13 or in a shootout with police in St Denis a few days later. The Bataclan concert venue in Paris, pictured, was one of a number of targets chosen by ISIS terrorists in November Salah Abdeslam (left) and Mohamed Abrini (right) are both alleged to have been involved in the Paris attacks. They were arrested in Belgium in March and April this year Two other men, Salah Abdeslam and Mohamed Abrini, have since been arrested and are awaiting trial for their part in the attacks. Haddadi and Usman had been detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had fake Syrian passports. They were then apparently freed, rather than being deported back to Turkey, and made their way by stealth to Salzburg in Austria a few weeks after the Paris attacks. In December Haddadi and Usman were arrested by Austrian police, acting on a warrant from the French authorities. After his arrest Haddadi apparently told investigators he had planned to go to France to 'carry out a mission'. People pray, place flowers and light candles in tribute for the victims of the 13 November Paris attacks. One of the men charged in France today was allegedly planning to take part in the attacks but was held up by immigration officials in Greece Usman was allegedly a bomb maker in his native Pakistan for extremist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba. India claims Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the attacks in 2008 in Mumbai that killed 166 people. Usman was extradited from Austria despite claiming he would not get a fair trial in France and feared for his safety. Police in Jiangsu province have detained 19 suspects for allegedly dumping a massive volume of garbage on the banks of Taihu Lake in Suzhou. Since mid-June, more than 12,000 metric tons of garbage were shipped from Shanghai to a dumping site near a drug rehabilitation clinic in the Suzhou Taihu National Tourism Vacation Zone. Police said the plan was to dump more than 3 million tons of waste at a cost of 5.4 yuan ($0.80) per ton, over an 18-month period. According to the local government, all the garbage has been removed and processed by authorized departments. Measures have been taken to restore the ecology of the site. To avoid similar cases, the Suzhou government has recently created a regulation that prohibits the transportation of garbage to the city. Also, no companies or individuals are allowed to sign garbage delivery contracts. Suzhou has appointed a deputy mayor to monitor the garbage-control system. Many government departments, such as police, transportation and urban management, will work to stop illegal garbage transportation. Xu Hesheng, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Construction and Development Association, said that garbage can be transported between cities of the same province. For megacities like Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing that are not as big as the provinces, "sometimes they cannot treat garbage produced by others", Xu said. However, Yang Xinhai, chief engineer at the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, said that people can earn a lot by shipping garbage out of Shanghai. "Shanghai has the ability to treat all kinds of garbage it produces," said Yang. "There are mainly two methods to treat garbage in the city - to burn or to bury. It costs about 200 yuan to burn a ton of garbage, while the cost to bury a ton would be around 80 to 100 yuan." "But transporting the garbage to other cities will cost far less than the other two methods." He added that China's environmental protection departments encourage different areas to share garbage treatment facilities, but sharing facilities differs from dumping garbage in other areas. "Private companies and individuals are often involved in dumping the garbage in other cities," Yang said. "The penalties imposed by the governments are not stringent, so they would rather take the risk to make money." In mid-July, garbage shipped from Shanghai was also found in Nantong, Jiangsu province. A jealous wife who triggered a bomb scare at Geneva Airport in a bid to prevent her husband's mistress from going on holiday has been jailed for six months. The Swiss airport undertook a 'massive security operation' at 'colossal cost' which included a full evacuation of the terminal. Some 13,000 passengers had to be re-screened following the false tip on Wednesday and 20 additional guards had to be deployed. Swiss police took the tip off seriously and checked cars at the entrance of the airport on Wednesday Officers launched a huge security operation and passengers were forced to queue to be checked before entering the airport The information was taken seriously by Geneva police, who launched a huge security operation with queues forming outside and within the airport as passengers and vehicles were checked. Several flights were delayed by the chaos after the cheated wife, 41, went to extraordinary lengths to exact revenge on her husband's mistress. Prosecutors said the mother of four, who was not named, triggered the scare in a bid to stop the woman from going on holiday. According to Swiss news site, The Local, the woman said: 'My only aim was to cause problems for this woman. It was out of revenge.' The French woman was sentenced at a court in Annecy, France, to six months prison of which she will have to serve at least three months. Her lawyer, Tiphaine Barone, told Le Dauphine Libere newspaper: 'Here we have a case of a wounded woman, married for 22 years, who only made a bomb threat out of frustration. She added that the woman regretted her actions. Passengers had to have their documents checked before entering the airport following the bomb scare Pierre Bate broke into his victim's home in Californian Pierre Bate, 42, broke into the victim's home in Thornton Heath, south London, in 1996 while her two children were sleeping A rapist who boasted in court of his friendship with Leonardo DiCaprio and Natalie Imbruglia is facing jail for attacking a mother-of-two twenty years ago. Californian Pierre Bate, 42, broke into the victim's home in Thornton Heath, south London, in 1996 while her two children were sleeping. He put on a fake Irish accent as he threatened to kill the woman and harm her children before repeatedly assaulting her over several hours. Bate was linked to the attack in 2011 after improvements in DNA technology found a match to his profile. He was extradited from the US earlier this year to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court in London but insisted he was the victim of a 'perfect storm'. Bate bragged of supposed links to Hollywood and even brought former Jamiroquai drummer Nick Van Gelder to give evidence. Mr Van Gelder appeared to support Bate's claims that they had partied with Oscar-winning star DiCaprio. Bate also told jurors that he had previously dated singer Natalie Imbruglia - though the truth of this has not been confirmed. The jury were not swayed by his claims and convicted him of eight counts of rape and one of burglary. Judge Jeffrey Pegden QC told Bate: 'You have been convicted by unanimous verdicts of this jury on the basis of what appears to me to be plain and compelling evidence that you committed these rapes and this burglary. 'You face the gravest sentence imaginable and a very very long sentence of imprisonment.' Bate shrugged and said 'oh wow thanks' when the judge told him he would adjourn sentencing until next month. The rapist added: 'This is a kangaroo court - this has been an absolute joke.' Following the verdicts the court also heard an impact statement written by the victim in March this year. She spoke of how the rapes had affected her physical and mental health and specifically thanked DS Karen Bradley who had helped her through the case since 2011. In the statement she wrote: 'I was numb, vacant, scared and angry. 'It has been 20 years of insomnia - sleep deprivation is torture. 'It has changed me as a person - I was always happy, outgoing and had plans but since this I have become a recluse. 'This man has ruined my life and the lives of my children for the last 20 years. 'I have never felt safe or relaxed since the day this man chose to rape me and assault me.' The court heard the victim had noticed a number of strange things happening around the house in the days leading up to the attack on 22 July 1996. Bate told jurors that he had previously dated songstress Natalie Imbruglia (left) and had partied with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio (right) She found a kitchen knife lying next to her bed and her patio doors open and noticed that a packet of Rice Krispies was missing. The woman was so scared she stored a knife in her bedroom in case of emergency. Bate was 22 years old and lived about 100 yards away at the time of the attack. James Dawes, prosecuting, said: 'Twenty years ago now on July 22, 1996 a violent and brutal rape was committed by a burglar, a house burglar, on a woman who was asleep in her home. 'It was terrifying - the rapist broke into her house at night and raped her repeatedly in different ways. 'Her children were asleep in the house. 'About 1.15am she rolled over, half asleep, and sensed that something was wrong in the room. 'She opened her eyes and saw a man squatting on her make-up counter, right next to her bed. 'He was a stranger to her and he turned his head and he looked straight at her.' The woman tried to grab the knife but Bate was too quick and her 'pinned her arms down and tried to twist her head away so she couldn't see his face'. Bate told the woman: 'My mate is in the room with the kids so just do what I am telling you to do.' He then repeatedly raped the victim but refused to answer when she asked why it was happening. At one point he told her: 'I would love to have this conversation but I can't, my pet. If it had been in different circumstances.' Bate was finally linked to the attack after a further sample taken from the scene was tested as part of routine procedure for unsolved cases. 'It was compared against the reference sample for Pierre Bate and there was a direct match with Mr Bate,' said Mr Dawes. 'In the opinion of the scientist it is one billion times more likely that the person who put that semen there was Pierre Bate.' Donald Trump has called a former top aide a publicity-seeking, disgruntled ex-employee and claimed he is violating an agreement they signed in the latest installment of the latest round of ongoing court battle. Trump demanded on Thursday that former staffer Sam Nunbergs lawsuit be thrown out immediately. Nunberg was fired from his position as a senior campaign consultant last year after racist posts were discovered on his Facebook account. Trump reportedly believes the former aide was also leaking confidential information to reporters, which he said was a violation of a nondisclosure agreement Nunberg signed. Donald Trump called former top aide Sam Nunberg a publicity seeking, disgruntled ex-employee in court filings on Thursday Nunberg (pictured) allegedly violated a nondiscosure agreement he had signed with Trump before being fired last year, and Trump demanded on Thursday that former staffer Sam Nunbergs lawsuit be thrown out immediately In May, Trump started the process of taking Nunberg to arbitration and demanded $10million in damages for the alleged NDA breach. He was accused of leaking a story about an alleged affair between ex-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and campaign press secretary, Hope Hicks, to the NY Post. Nunberg denied being the source of the leak, and no evidence of an affair has surfaced. On Tuesday, Trump filed court documents blasting Nunbergs battle to fight the case outside arbitration. Trump claims Nunberg has calculated a plan to propel himself back into the spotlight and use the court and his filings as a 'vehicle to disclose confidential information and make wild, outlandish and reckless accusations in flagrant violation of the confidentiality agreement he signed'. The Republican presidential nominee says that the arbitration court has already issued an interim award enjoining him from releasing information about Trumps business affairs, strategies, policies, finances, relationships and business dealings Trump says the agreement they signed is clear and is demanding the judge order the parties to head back to arbitration and dismiss the suit filed by Nunberg in New York Court. The Judge has yet to make a ruling on the matter. Following Trumps May filings, Nunberg said that Trump was attempting to silence him in an effort to cover up the alleged affair between his other staffers. Nunberg claims the presidential nominee is bullying him due to him publicly announcing support for Ted Cruz - prior to him dropping out of the race. The consultant filed docs earlier this month in New York attempting to block the private arbitration proceedings that Trump started back in May. He blasted Trump for demanding $10million in damages for the alleged breach, saying the presidential nominee had called his opponents child molesters and losers. Then on July 19, Nunberg accused Trump of violating federal election law by commingling Trump Organization funds with campaign funds, and claimed to a judge that Trump was silencing him through arbitration. Trump has accused Nunberg of leaking the story about an alleged affair between ex-campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski (right), and campaign press secretary, Hope Hicks (left), to the NY Post. The pair were seen near each other on July 18 at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland A spokesperson for Trump stated last week: 'We cannot comment as we have not yet been served with any amended court filing furnished on behalf of Mr. Numberg. 'That being said, we firmly stand by our position that Mr. Nunberg continues to look for free publicity using categorically false claims.' Alan Garten, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the Trump Organization, dismissed Nunberg's claims, saying: 'There is no merit to the allegations. In fact, there is no merit to just about anything Sam says. 'Sam is a disgruntled former consultant to the campaign who has a history of making false, reckless and outrageous statements in flagrant violation of his contractual obligations in order to try and get his name in the press and stay relevant. 'That is one of a multitude of reasons why he is was let go and the reason the campaign has commenced arbitration proceedings against him.' The campaign is known to require staffers to sign nondisclosure agreements a condition of employment. In Nunbergs most recent court filing, he accused Trump of trying to silence him 'in a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair' between Lewandowski and Hicks. The document, which references 'retaliatory' arbitration by which Nunberg does not want to be bound, referenced an explosive story broken by the New York Post's Page Six about a sidewalk spat between Lewandowski and Hicks. Nunberg's filing made clear that the Trump camp accused him of being the source for the leak. The story was about a 'screaming match' between the two top Trump insiders on 61st street near the presidential candidate's Trump Tower campaign headquarters. The Post reported about the fight in May. It quoted an unnamed eyewitness saying, 'Hope was screaming at Corey, 'I am done with you!' It was ugly, she was doubled over with her fists clenched. He stood there looking shocked with his hands on his head.' In Nunbergs last court filing, he accused Trump of trying to silence him 'in a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair' between Lewandowski and Hicks (pictured above with head of security Keith Schiller) Nunberg's filing made clear that the Trump camp accused him of being the source for the leak about a 'screaming match' between Hicks and Lewandowski (pictured in May) The Trump campaign sent out a statement from Trump general counsel Alan Garten last week accusing Nunberg of seeking 'free publicity. As is standard practice for all major businesses, organizations and other entities dealing with proprietary information, Mr. Trump requires employees to sign and adhere to strict confidentiality agreements, according to the statement. When the agreements are not adhered to he will enforce them to the full extent of the law, and Mr. Trumps litigation track record on such matters is outstanding. With regard to Mr. Nunberg, this agreement specifically calls for arbitration, and Mr. Nunberg is simply looking for free publicity using categorically false claims,' Garten continued. Nunberg's court filing blasted Trump for 'attempting to bring a frivolous and retaliatory arbitration proceeding against me essentially to punish me and shut me up,' the Post reported earlier this month. Nunberg's filing referenced the explosive story, but claimedTrump 'misguidedly' identifies him as the source, and alleges a 'sordid' affair. Nunberg denies being the source for the story. Nunberg has told Daily Mail Online that he 'believes' Lewandowski got him fired last year by digging into his Facebook account and leaking the embarrassing contents to a reporter. He allegedly penned racially charged posts on Facebook, including one calling civil rights leader Rev Al Sharpton's daughter a 'N*****!' and one that called President Obama a 'Socialist Marxist Islamo Fascist Nazi Appeaser. Nunberg denies writing the posts. Lewandowski told CNN in August, after Nunberg was being sacked in reference to the posts: They were offensive and they do not reflect Mr. Trump's position and we take them very seriously. 'If it determined that Mr. Nunberg made these statements then he will no longer be part of the campaign.' As recently as this past March, Nunberg was still publicly praising Trump. 'I learned a lot from him,' Nunberg, told the Daily Caller. 'He's an extremely nice and wonderful guy.' One exhibit in the case is a Politico story where Nunberg states that his former boss 'does not have a coherent political ideology' and explaining his decision to throw his support to Cruz. Nunberg reportedly said he stopped supporting Trump 'Last fall, when he did not have any idea what the nuclear triad is' in a debate ... I do not see a candidate who takes these issues seriously,' he said. US intelligence chiefs have warned purges in Turkey are harming the fight against ISIS, after Turkish President Erdogan jailed some of the country's best officers. It comes after Mr Erdogan's powerful crackdown against those behind the failed coup on July 15. But the president has angrily rejected the criticism, suggesting some in the US were on the side of the plotters. James Clapper, head of US national intelligence, said many of those officers jailed had been working closely with the US. US intelligence chiefs have warned purges in Turkey are harming the fight against ISIS, after Turkish President Erdogan (pictured) jailed some of the country's best officers Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (C) and members of Turkish Supreme Military Council (YAS) pose for a photo during Turkish Supreme Military Council meeting at Cankaya Palace in Ankara. It comes after Mr Erdogan's powerful crackdown against those behind the failed coup on July 15 Turkey's Western allies condemned the coup, in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured, but they have been rattled by the scale of the crackdown. The head of US Central Command, General Joseph Votel, said he believed some of the military figures whom the US had worked with were in jail, drawing condemnation from Mr Erdogan. 'Instead of thanking this country which repelled a coup attempt, you take the side of the coup plotters. The putschist is in your country already,' Mr Erdogan said, referring to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who denies any involvement in the coup attempt. Gen. Votel said any claims that he was involved in a failed coup attempt in Turkey were 'unfortunate and completely inaccurate' in a statement released by the US military on Friday. 'Turkey has been an extraordinary and vital partner in the region for many years. We appreciate Turkey's continuing cooperation and look forward to our future partnership in the counter-ISIL fight.' White House spokesman Eric Schultz has also dismissed claims that Gen. Votel supported the coup plotters and referred to US President Barack Obama's comments from last week saying any reports that Washington had prior knowledge of the attempted overthrow were completely false. Mr Erdogan has blamed US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for masterminding the attempted coup, which killed more than 240 people, and has called on Washington to extradite him. The head of US Central Command, General Joseph Votel, said he believed some of the military figures whom the US had worked with were in jail, drawing condemnation from Mr Erdogan. Pictured, Prime Minister Yildirim (C) and Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar (L) visit the Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Mausoleum, founder of modern Turkey Turkey's Western allies condemned the coup, in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured, but they have been rattled by the scale of the crackdown. Pictured, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (C) and Cheif of Staff General Hulusi Akar (L) during a visit to the Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Mausoleum 'They (the critics) say ... 'we worry for (Turkey's) future'. But what are these gentlemen worried about? Whether the numbers of detained and arrested will increase? If they are guilty, they will increase,' said Mr Erdogan, who narrowly escaped capture and possible death on the night of the coup. Asked about the US comments on losing Turkish interlocutors, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim echoed Mr Erdogan's feisty tone: 'This is a confession. If the Gulenist generals are their friends, they are in the same class.' Mr Yildirim also said Turkey would shut down an air base near Ankara which served as a hub for the coup plotters as well as all military barracks used by them. Turkey announced late on Thursday a major shake-up of its armed forces, NATO's second largest, with the promotion of 99 colonels to the rank of general or admiral and the dishonourable discharge of nearly 1,700 military personnel over their alleged roles in the coup. The purges have also hit government ministries, schools and universities, the police, civil service, media and business About 40 per cent of all generals and admirals have been dismissed since the coup. Defence Minister Fikri Isik told broadcaster NTV on Friday the shake-up in the military was not yet over, adding that military academies would now be a target of 'cleansing'. The purges have also hit government ministries, schools and universities, the police, civil service, media and business. The number of public sector workers removed from their posts since the coup attempt now stands at more than 66,000, including some 43,000 people in education, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday. The computer network used by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign was hacked as part of a broad cyber attack on Democratic political organizations, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The latest attack, which was disclosed to Reuters on Friday, follows reports of two other hacks on the Democratic National Committee and the party's fundraising committee for candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Department of Justice national security division is investigating whether cyber hacking attacks on Democratic political organizations threatened U.S. security, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. Campaign officials were involved in crisis talks after the public disclosure of the Justice Department investigation. Hours after the disclosure, it issued a statement claiming its own cyber security review had found 'no evidence' of a breach. Spokesman Nick Merrill said: 'An analytics data program maintained by the DNC, and used by our campaign and a number of other entities, was accessed as part of the DNC hack. 'Our campaign computer system has been under review by outside cyber security experts. To date, they have found no evidence that our internal systems have been compromised.' But in an astonishing twist, Yahoo News reported that the campaign had been warned by the FBI it was at risk in March - but refused to turn over details to federal investigators to help them catch the perpetrators. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO In the spotlight: Huma Abedin finds herself in a second email crisis - this time because the campaign of which she is vice-chair has been hacked. Security risk? Anthony Weiner (pictured with his sister-in-law Heba Abedin), who accompanied his wife Huma Abedin at the Democratic National Convention. Her emails may have been compromised. Trump has mocked him for his sexting scandal Like! Hillary Clinton gives a thumbs up today after speaking at a campaign rally at Temple University in Philadelphia - but she is likely to be extremely concerned that her campaign's servers were hacked Serious concern: Her campaign held internal crisis talks as the leak was revealed why she campaigned at Temple University, Philadelphia. It was formerly associated with Bill Cosby, now accused of being a serial rapist Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are campaigning together on a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio starting Friday but her campaign is now facing the prospect of its most intimate secrets being leaked Hillary and Bill Clinton and Tim Kaine greet rally attendees before speaking to the crowd on Friday FBI agents met senior Clinton officials in Brooklyn in March to warn them it was the target of cyber attack. It was weeks before the attack on the Democratic National Committee came to light. Buy Yahoo News' Michael Isikoff reported Friday that agents asked the campaign to hand over internal computer logs and senior officials' email addresses. Through lawyers, the campaign refused to give over the information because 'the FBIs request for sensitive personal and campaign information data was too broad and intrusive', Yahoo News said. The involvement of the Justice Department's national security division is a sign that the Obama administration has concluded that the hacking was state sponsored, individuals with knowledge of the investigation said. The Clinton campaign, based in Brooklyn, had no immediate comment and referred Reuters to a comment from earlier this week by campaign senior policy adviser Jake Sullivan criticizing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and calling the hacking 'a national security issue.' The Department of Justice had no comment. It was not immediately clear what information on the Clinton campaign's computer system hackers would have been able to access. Hackers, whom U.S. intelligence officials have concluded were Russian, gained access to the entire network of the fundraising Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, of DCCC, said people familiar with the matter, detailing the extent of the breach to Reuters for the first time. Access to the full DCCC network would have given the hackers access to everything from emails to strategy memos and opposition research prepared to support Democratic candidates in campaigns for the House. The hack of the DCCC, which is based in Washington, was reported first by Reuters on Thursday, ahead of Clinton's speech in Philadelphia accepting the Democratic party's nomination. Russian officials could not be immediately reached for comment. The DCCC said in a statement early on Friday that it has hired cyber security firm CrowdStrike to investigate. 'We have taken and are continuing to take steps to enhance the security of our network,' the DCCC said. 'We are cooperating with federal law enforcement with respect to their ongoing investigation.' The campaign's staff include Huma Abedin, its vice-chair and Clinton's closest aide. Her ability to be trusted with secrets has already been questioned by Donald Trump, because of her marriage to Anthony Weiner, the New York mayoral candidate whose career ended in disgrace over sexting. Drawn into storm: Trump has suggested Huma Abedin cannot be trusted with secrets, but his challenge to the Russian hackers believed to be behind the security breach to produce Hillary Clinton's 30,000 deleted emails led to claims he was inciting foreign espionage She's out: DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz had to depart in disgrace over her bias against Bernie Sanders, revealed in her leaked emails The Clintons and Kaine speak to onloookers outside their campaign bus, which features the phrase 'better together' Wasn't me: Vladimir Putin, who was in Velikiy Novgorod, has denied through the Kremlin that his state was behind the attacks. U.S. security officials say they are almost certain that it was Russian state-sponsored 'Her number one person, Huma Abedin, is married to Anthony Weiner, who's a sleazeball and pervert,' Trump said earlier this week at a press conference in Doral, Miami., 'I'm not saying that, that's recorded history. I don't like Huma going home at night and telling Anthony Weiner all of these secrets.' Other staff include Robby Mook, who this week was the first to suggest that Donald Trump was benefiting from the leaks; and John Podesta, the campaign chairman. It is unknown whether Clinton herself has a campaign email address but any correspondence she had with aides who have one could be vulnerable to release too. The fact of the hacking will also allow Trump to raise her record of deleting 30,000 emails from her 'homebrew' server after its existence was revealed, a scandal which has severely hit her levels of public trust. Her number one person, Huma Abedin, is married to Anthony Weiner, who's a sleazeball and pervert. I don't like Huma going home at night and telling Anthony Weiner all of these secrets Donald Trump, earlier this week The first tranche of emails from the leaks - those from the Democratic National Committee - were released days before the party's Convention in Philadelphia. They led to the committee chairman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, quitting in disgrace after her bias against Bernie Sanders was revealed. Other emails revealed how staff tried to attack Sanders over his religious beliefs, used anti-gay slurs, mocked the name of an African-American assistant and tried to produce a juvenile fake job advert on Craigslist to humiliate Donald Trump. The disclosure that the Clinton campaign refused to help the FBI comes just a day after the Democratic National Convention put law enforcement center stage on its final night. But at the time, Clinton herself was under FBI investigation over her handling of the country's secrets when she was Secretary of State. Clinton was eventually questioned by agents and days later, FBI Director James Comey decided not to recommend that she be prosecuted. Clinton had used a secret 'homebrew' server stored in the basement of her Chappaqua, New York, home while the was Secretary of State. Its existence only came to light during the investigation into the death of four Americans - including the US ambassador - during the attack on the diplomatic compound in Benghazi on September 11 2012, when Clinton was Secretary of State. She handed over roughly 30,000 emails, but deleted the rest, declaring they were 'private' and claiming they included details of 'yoga', and her 'daughter's wedding'. This week Trump waded into the row over the hacking by inviting the hackers to hand over the missing emails if they had them. He said he did not know who the hacking was by but said: 'Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you'll be rewarded mightily by our press!' Democrats seized on the comments, saying that Trump was inviting foreign espionage, with some even accusing him of treason. The next day Trump said he was being 'sarcastic'. Meanwhile the Kremlin, whose hardline leader Vladimir Putin has been linked to the hacking, has laughed off claims that Russian state agents carried it out. NO WONDER CLINTON'S STAFF ARE WORRIED: ANTI-GAY SLURS, MOCKING AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN NAME AND FAKING TRUMP VIDEOS - JUST SOME OF THE HUMILIATING SECRETS REVEALED IN THE FIRST HILLARY LEAKS Thousands of private emails from the Democratic National Committee were made public when they were published on WikiLeaks. Among the most damning of the 20,000 emails, staffers make fun of a black woman's name, create a fake Craigslist ad for women interested in working for Donald Trump, and trade favors with superdelegates. The emails also appear to expose favoritism for presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over her chief rival in the primary contest, Senator Bernie Sanders. In one email, staffers discuss a fake Craigslist advertisement that calls for women who want to work for the Trump Organization. The email begins: 'Digital created a fake craigslist jobs post for women who want to apply to jobs [at] one of Trump's organizations.' The job description reads: 'Multiple Positions (NYC area) Seeking staff members for multiple positions in a large, New York-based corporation known for its real estate investments, fake universities, steaks, and wine. 'The boss has very strict standards for female employees, ranging from the women who take lunch orders (must be hot) to the women who oversee multi-million dollar construction projects (must maintain hotness demonstrated at time of hiring). Administrative assistant at Haddad Brands LaQueenia Gibson (left) is mentioned in one email because of her name, while freelance journalist Fred Lucas (right) is made fun of in another email after requesting an interview 'Title: Honey Bunch (that's what the boss will call you). Job requirements: No gaining weight on the job (we'll take some "before" pictures when you start to use later as evidence). 'Must be open to public humiliation and open-press workouts if you do gain weight on the job. A willingness to evaluate other women's hotness for the boss' satisfaction is a plus. 'Should be proficient in lying about age if the boss thinks you're too old. Working mothers not preferred (the boss finds pumping breast milk disgusting, and worries they're too focused on their children). 'About us: We're proud to maintain a "fun" and "friendly" work environment, where the boss is always available to meet with his employees. 'Like it or not, he may greet you with a kiss on the lips or grope you under the meeting table. Interested applicants should send resume, cover letter, and headshot to jobs@trump.com. DNC National Finance Director Jordan Kaplan can be seen apparently trading favors with a superdelegate in one email Luis Miranda, Communications Director for the DNC, responded to the email after being asked for approval on the fake advertisement. 'As long as all the offensive s**t is verbatim Im fine with it,' he wrote in an email. In another email thread, DNC staffer Scott Comer and a consulting group employee joke about an administrative assistant at Haddad Brands, named LaQueenia Gibson. 'I'm going to have LaQueenia send out some options for next week,' an executive from Haddad wrote to DNC staffers. 'Hopefully we can all get on the phone and reenergize this event.' Comer forwarded the email to an employee at Tipah Consulting with the comment: 'Just kill me now.' The consulting group employee responded: 'LaQueenia is a NAME! I'm sorry, boo. I hope you got a raise with this title.' Some emails focus on Clinton, issues with her campaign and her own personal emails. In one email, a staffer called accusations about Hillary being accused of laundering money a 's**t topic' brought on by a 'Bernie Bro'. 'I turned him down flat (and politely) and inquired into opportunities next week to talk about something else,' Pablo Manriquez, the former media booker for the DNC responded to Miranda. Manriquez, who is no longer on the DNC staff, is told in more than one email to 'f**k off' when responding to messages. In another leaked email, Clinton's own emails are shared and edited, so they can be approved before they're sent out. In the message, titled 'For approval: Hillary Clinton emails', DNC staffers say the Hillary Victory Fund and Clinton herself had signed off on the messages, but they needed a final approval. DNC's research associate Jeremy Brinster openly said in a separate email from April, 'Yes, Super PAC paying young voters to push back online on Sanders supporters', suggesting that the committee was showing favoritism toward Clinton. The committee, too, appeared to try to expose Bernie Sanders as an Atheist in an attempt to attack his religious views. 'It might may no difference, but for KY and WVA can we get someone to ask his belief,' an email from DNC CFO Brad Marshall reads. 'Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. 'I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.' Kaplan can be seen apparently trading favors with Lucy Moog (pictured) to get an acquaintance's daughter a job in politics Luis Miranda, Communications Director for the DNC, approved fake Craigslist ads about Donald Trump in one email Several emails that were leaked discuss the Democratic Party's relationship with various media sites. In one, DNC staffers are seen conspiring to create false Trump information and release it to Reuters. 'I'm not totally opposed to the idea but it would have to be somewhat controlled. We could set up a 'demo' where we pretend that Trump just said a really offensive thing and then the process of clipping video and getting a release out the door' DNC Deputy Communications Director Eric Walker says in an email thread. In another, staffers discuss meeting with MSNBC to discuss how to have the Democratic Party better represented on shows. Deeper into the leaked emails, the threads get stranger as DNC staffers assess personal issues and interactions with reporters. After Fred Lucas, a freelance reporter working for Fox News reached out for an interview, several staffers made fun of him among themselves. One staffer asked his colleagues if there was a 'f**k you' emoji, before another staffer decided the organization was 'not responding at all'. When Lucas reached out to the DNC again, staffers again laughed at his determination. 'The a*****e from fox emailed us again,' DNC Press Assistant Rachel Palermo wrote to several others. 'I did some research and there's still no "f**k you" emoji, unfortunately.' In another email, DNC National Finance Director Jordan Kaplan can be seen apparently trading favors with superdelegate Lucy Moog to get an acquaintance's daughter a job in politics. A superdelegate reached out to Kaplan asking if he or someone from his staff could 'meet with an awesome young person about to graduate from Duke'. 'She is dying to get into the political world. Worked for Ready for Hillary in NYC couple of summers ago. Smart and savvy. Wants to do the DC post college political thing starting in June. Please?' the superdelegate writes. While vetting DNC donor George Lindemann, Jr (left), staffers bring up his father, George Lindemann (right) who at one time killed horses for insurance fraud Kaplan responds by trying to make a deal with the superdelegate. 'Ill make you a deal - now that you are a super delegate and all!' he writes. 'Happy to meet with her, but can I get a pass to the EBC for Thursday morning?' In a later email to the woman he says: 'I will do it and if i cannot have, someone else step in. I'm not that busy. SHHHH.' Kaplan had several questionable emails in leaked in the WikiLeaks drop, including one where he used a homophobic remark toward another staffer. 'Are we back to the point I can say I love you? Because I'd like to,' DNC staffer Zachary Allen writes to Kaplan. Kaplan responds: 'I love you too. No homo.' In another, Kaplan and a DNC staffer discuss a man's sexuality, where Kaplan says the man 'is definitely gay. He swims for the gay and lesbian team in DC.' 'Totes. He gives me daddy vibes,' DNC's Scott Comer responds. Overall, the DNC staffers appear to be comfortable discussing other people's personal histories and saying offensive remarks to one another. In an email titled 'Tiny suggestion', staffer Karina Marquez tells Comer: 'Eat my butt'. In another, staffers discuss buying a gift basket for a former staffer and decide that the smaller it is, the better. 'He didn't work with us that long,' Kaplan says, suggesting a gift basket below $50. Comer responds: 'Maybe even less than that since he's so skinny.' In one email, a group of staffers discuss vetting DNC donor George Lindemann, Jr, when his father, George LIndemann is mentioned because he killed horses for insurance fraud. An unassuming Manhattan dachshund named Winnie Pooh is at the center of a fierce court battle after its very own $100,000 trust fund has failed to materialize. The dog's owner Patricia Bowers, an unmarried economist who died six years ago, appointed friend and neighbor Virginia Hanlon to take care of her beloved pooch in her absence. But Hanlon has filed a lawsuit with Manhattan Surrogate's Court, claiming the money she is supposed to receive for the dog's care has not come through. An unassuming Manhattan dachshund named Winnie Pooh is at the center of a fierce court battle after its very own $100,000 trust fund has failed to materialize. Pictured: stock image The dogs owner Patricia Bowers, an unmarried economist who died six years ago, appointed friend and neighbor Virginia Hanlon to take care of her beloved pooch - named after Winnie the Pooh, pictured) in her absence The will states that Bowers' friend and lawyer, Harriet Harkavy, who is the executor of the estate, should be paying Hanlon a quarterly sum, but the dog's guardian said in a suit that she has only received a few $10 checks, reports DNA Info. Bowers, who wasn't married and had no children, left Winnie Pooh to Hanlon because Hanlon routinely cared for her pets when she traveled, according to the New York Post. Hanlon, who lives near Union Square, claims the dog costs $6,000 a year in routine care costs which include dog walkers, feeding and medical procedures. The angry Gramercy Park resident said she had to fork out $5,775 emergency orthopedic surgery for Winnie Pooh last year and although she eventually got a reimbursement, the check initially bounced due to insufficient funds. But Hanlon has not only accused Harkavy of sloppy financial management, she also claims that Harkavy is using her position to boost her own social standing. Hanlon, who lives near Union Square, claims the dog costs $6,000 a year in routine care costs which include dog walkers, feeding and medical procedures In 2013, Harkavy had reportedly proposed paying Hanlon a $30,000 lump sum and then donating $70,000 to the Animal Medical Center on York Avenue, but Hanlon says the charity should only receive whatever is left in the trust after the dog dies. 'What a coup that would have been for Ms. Harkavy. She would have been feted and lauded amongst her Sutton Place friends for advancing the payment for the sake of charity,' she huffed in court papers. Hanlon is now requesting back payments to cover the dog's care to date. But Harkavy claimed that Hanlon is 'misinformed' in a 2015 letter filed to the court and wrote: 'My dear friend Pat Bowerswould be aghast at your very hostile and certainly unpleasant attitude toward me.' And attached to the letter is a bank statement showing a $94,000 balance in Winnie Pooh's trust. Tesla engineers investigating the first fatal crash while a driver was using its autopilot system say the car could have chosen to ignore a truck trailer blocking the road - before plowing into it at 74mph. Joshua Brown, 40, a former Navy SEAL, died in May after his Tesla Model S traveled underneath the low-hanging trailer, ripping the roof of the car as he allegedly watched Harry Potter inside. Now engineers have told the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee that the car's radar system may have detected the trailer, but the accompanying camera system chose to ignore the warning. Joshua Brown, 40, died in May after his Tesla Model S plowed into the side of a trailer. Now investigators say the car may have seen the obstacle, but chose to ignore it Brown was killed as the car drove underneath the low-hanging trailer at 74mph, ripping the roof off before smashing through a fence and hitting an electrical pole The feature was designed in order to stop unnecessary braking because of overhead signs or bridges, two people familiar with the meeting told the Associated Press. The scenario is one of two being considered by the company - the other one being that neither the radar nor camera system identified the trailer, and so failed to stop the car. Tesla investigators also told the committee that cross-traffic represents a problem for auto-driving features, according to those involved in the meeting. Company spokesmen had previously said that the white color of the trailer could have confused the car's detection systems when set against a bright sky, such as on the day of the crash. Tesla engineers looking into Brown's death say the car either ignored the trailer - thinking it was a bridge or sign - or simply didn't see it Footage Brown recorded from inside his vehicle showed the car having another near-miss with a white vehicle on a bright day before the fatal accident. Brown, 40, a tech company owner from Canton, Ohio, was using the sedan's cruise control and lane-keeping features at the time, the report said. Those features are part of the vehicle's Autopilot self-driving system, but the NTSB report doesn't mention the system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is also investigating the crash, has previously said the Autopilot was engaged. The Tesla's roof struck the underside of the truck's 53-foot semitrailer at a 90-degree angle, shearing off the sedan's roof before it emerged on the other side of the trailer, according to the report. The truck was making a left turn at the time. Tesla does warn its customer to stay alert while using the autopilot feature, a warning that Brown may have been ignoring by watching a film instead. A Florida Highway Patrol investigation is continuing and the police force has no plans to criminally charge the truck driver, Sergeant Kim Montes said Tuesday. She said the police force is still considering whether to issue a traffic citation to the truck driver for failing to yield. A lawyer for the truck driver did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The NTSB report said the force of the initial impact of the crash resulted in the battery disengaging from the electric motors powering the car. After exiting from underneath the truck, the car traveled 297 feet, then collided with a utility pole. The car broke the pole and traveled an additional 50 feet. Brown's death is believed to be the first in a self-driving car and comes as the motor industry prepares to invest heavily in the new technology Tesla faces a separate investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into whether the system poses an unreasonable risk to driver safety. Backers of autonomous driving say that despite the Tesla fatality, the technology is likely to eliminate a large percentage of accidents, which are attributed mainly to human error. Most major automakers are also looking at autonomous cars. BMW has announced that it is joining forces with US computer chip giant Intel and the Israeli technology firm Mobileye to develop self-driving cars, aiming for fully automated driving in production cars by 2021. South Korea's Kia has pledged to produce a self-driving car by 2020 and General Motors plans to test the technology with ridesharing giant Lyft. Google has driven its autonomous cars some 1.5 million miles (2.4 million kilometers) with only some minor dust-ups. The three children moved on, the house has lain abandoned ever since, but it has now been bought by Lisa Bloom Judye screamed and fled, Dr Perelson subsequently killed himself with lethal cocktail of poison and tranquilizers Advertisement One of LA's most infamous murder houses has been bought by civil rights attorney and television legal analyst Lisa Bloom and her husband, Internet entrepreneur Braden Pollock. The so-called Los Feliz murder house sold last week for about $2.3 million in a probate sale after going on the market for the first time in 50 years. This innocuous-looking mansion at Glendower Place, on Los Feliz hill, was once home to Dr. Harold Perelson, a successful cardiologist who snapped and bludgeoned his wife to death with a hammer before downing a glass of bleach to end his life. Bloom, 54, anchored the truTv news series Lisa Bloom: Open Court from 2001-09 and has been a legal analyst for The Today Show since 2013. She is the only daughter of high-profile civil rights attorney Gloria Allred. Eerie: This colonial-style villa has lain abandoned for more than 50 years since Dr Harold Perelson killed himself and his wife there It was inside these walls in 1959 that Dr Harold Perelson (center left), a respected physician and father-of-three, killed his wife Lillian (center right) with one blow of a ball-peen hammer. He then tried but failed to do the same to his 18-year-old daughter Judye (left) before feeding himself a lethal concoction of pills and poison. The younger children Debbie (front center) and Joel (right) looked on, confused Ever since the murder-suicide on December 6, 1959, the house has been left to fall into disrepair, it's only visitors - the odd ghost hunting tour Decades later, and despite its grisly history, the Los Feliz Murder House has finally been sold to the daugther of Gloria Allred, Lisa Bloom The home (pictured is the second floor hallway) was inherited by Rudolph Enriquez after his mother's death last year. His parents Emily and Julian Enriquez bought the property a year after the murder-suicide but could never bring themselves to move in Lisa Bloom, a television legal analyst and the only daughter of high-profile attorney Gloria Allred, paid about $2.3 million for the infamous murder house in Los Feliz. She is seen here with her husband Branden Pollock The house had been left to fall into disrepair since the fateful night of December 6, 1959. with the only visitors being the odd ghost hunting tour. The home was inherited by Rudolph Enriquez after his mother's death last year. His parents Emily and Julian Enriquez bought the property a year after the murder-suicide but could never bring themselves to move in. Newspaper reports from the time next explained why Perelson, 50, decided to murder his family before taking his own life. But a Los Angeles Times reports that the LA doctor had been in some financial difficulty. On the night of the incident, Perelson had been reading Dante's Divine Comedy when he went upstairs into his bedroom where his wife Lilian, 42, was sleeping and bludgeoned her to death with ball-peen hammer. The property was built for Harry Schumacher by architect Harry E Weiner in 1925. It is now on the market, and the listing says it has a 'grand entrance with a step down living room with serene views, formal dining room, library/study, large kitchen, and a ballroom with bar' The exterior showcases the best of classical 1920s architecture in Los Feliz, which is home to a smattering of celebrities and billionaires Many of the home's windows remain bordered up after it was abandoned for decades by its owners the Enriquez family Designed by architect Harry E. Weiner in 1925, the Spanish Colonial Revival features arched doors and windows, elegant fireplaces and spacious rooms At 4.30am, Dr Perelson came up behind Lillian who was asleep in bed when he dealt one fatal blow to the back of her head. She died instantly, suffocated by her own blood which seeped into her eyes and turned her pillow crimson. She didn't scream. Dr Perelson then walked through the house to the bedroom of his eldest daughter, 18-year-old Judye, and did the same: one blow to the back of her head. But somehow he only caught the side of her head - and she screamed. He told her to be quiet; she carried on screaming, waking the neighbors, then ran out the house, hammering on next door's French windows, which were left smeared with her blood. As lights in the street flicked on, and a crowd began to gather, blood-soaked Dr Perelson calmly went into his bathroom. Woken by their sister's screams Perelson's two younger children he passed Debbie, 11, and Joel, 13, in the hall and told them to go back to their rooms shouting at them to 'Go back to bed! This is a nightmare!'. Instead they fled the house into the street. With his children gone, the doctor returned to his Dante, which concerns heaven, hell and purgatory, before feeding himself a lethal concoction of pills and poison - as the younger children looked on, confused. The carpets, once cream, are now gray. In the garden, the water fountain, once a regal-looking sculpture, is snapped in half The house still retains echoes of its once grand past despite its grisly history from its former occupants The home, which was briefly owned by German silent film director-producer Frederic Zelnik, has four-bedrooms, three-bathrooms and a formal dining room He mixed two capsules of Nembutal with water to create a yellow poison, drank it, then downed 31 white pills of tranquilizer for good measure. He then lay on his bed next to his wife's bloody and lifeless body, still clutching the hammer. Police found him barely alive 15 minutes later; he died before medics reached the scene. According to Maysh, they also found a copy of Dante's Divine Comedy open on his desk at this passage: 'Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.' It has since transpired, as Maysh reported, that Dr Perelson had made a number of suicide attempts in the months before that night - all foiled by his wife, who was supposedly trying to get him committed. But this was all hush-hush. Friends were told he'd had a spate of unexpected heart attacks. The suicide attempts came after their family was plunged into financial hardship. Dr Perelson tried to patent and sell a new type of syringe, but his business partner swindled the profits. Despite suing for $100,000, the doctor only received $26,000. Soon after, his three children were in a car accident in Vermont. The judge awarded barely enough in damages to cover their medical bills. 'My parents, so to speak, are in a bind financially,' Judye wrote in her journal, according to Maysh. A library, ballroom with a bar and kitchen (pictured) are also at the 5,050 square feet property, which has three-car and two-car garages on the grounds The four bedroom house, at Glendower Place, offers stunning views over Los Angeles from the second floor balcony Little is known about what happened to the Perelson children after the attack - though it is the subject of fierce debate on murder mystery forums. Some say Joel moved to Israel, some say Judye changed her name countless times but still resides nearby. A Hollywood film is currently being made about Perelson and the spooky house which was abandoned for more than 50 years. Despite its grisly history, the house still retains echoes of its once grand past. While most other historical murder sites have been redeveloped or reoccupied or even torn down, this once-vibrant family abode has lain abandoned ever since as the new owners never moved in. The house was bought by a couple named Emily and Julian Enriquez in a probate auction sale a year after Dr Perelson's murderous breakdown, but they never moved in. A Hollywood film is currently being made about Perelson and the spooky house whcih was abandoned for more than 50 years Looking out from in, photographer Alex Vaughn shows the breathtaking view of Los Angeles the Perelsons once enjoyed Emily died in 1994 and the house was inherited by her son Rudy, who died childless this year. For decades, streams of curious visitors have climbed the hill to peer through the windows at the dust-covered dolls, crusting cans of food, and half-made beds - but none were ever allowed in. Earlier this year, a family friend of the late owner has invited a photographer, Alexis Vaughn, inside the storied walls to capture the space in all its eerie glory. Designed by architect Harry E. Weiner in 1925, the Spanish Colonial Revival features arched doors and windows, elegant fireplaces and spacious rooms. The home, which was briefly owned by German silent film director-producer Frederic Zelnik, has four-bedrooms, three-bathrooms and a formal dining room. Winning numbers were revealed by National Lottery as 1, 21, 26, 40 and 50 A UK ticketholder has scooped the 61.1 million jackpot in the EuroMillions draw. The winner matched five main numbers and two lucky stars to pocket 61,102,442.90 in Friday's competition. The winning numbers were revealed to be 1, 21, 26, 40 and 50, while the lucky star numbers were 2 and 4. Scroll down for video The winning numbers were revealed to be 1, 21, 26, 40 and 50, while the lucky star numbers were 2 and 4 A National Lottery spokesman said: 'The UK's lucky streak is never ending - the 61 million EuroMillions jackpot is the fourth one to be won here this year. 'As well as the huge jackpot, five players won a guaranteed 1 million and a luxury trip to the Gold Coast in the UK Millionaire Maker.' The latest win comes after a British player was the sole winner of a 51.8 million jackpot in April. The UK's biggest Euromillions winners, couple Colin and Chris Weir, scooped 161,653,000 in July 2011. The cameraman and nurse, from Largs in Ayrshire, reportedly lavished a portion of their winnings on cars for friends, a mansion and a donation to the Scottish independence campaign. A year later Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Haverhill, Suffolk, won 148,656,000 and had plans to splurge their new-found fortune on exotic cars and luxury holidays. However Mr Bayford, a record seller, and his nurse wife later divorced citing an irretrievable breakdown in the marriage. Fifty years ago this summer, Britain entered a new age. It was, of course, the summer of 1966 the year Twiggy burst on to the fashion scene and The Beatles released their album Revolver. But despite all the excitement about Carnaby Street and Swinging London, the innovation that really would change millions of peoples lives that summer was surprisingly unprepossessing. It was a little plastic card, just over three inches long and two inches wide, that slipped almost unnoticed into your wallet. The credit card first came to Britain in the summer of 1966. And now, half a century after Barclaycard made its debut, modern life would be almost unthinkable without it. The credit card first came to Britain in the summer of 1966. And now, half a century after Barclaycard made its debut, modern life would be almost unthinkable without it Today, more than 31 million of us have one, spending more than 15 billion a month and, a few weeks later, frowning gloomily at the bill. At the time, this little piece of plastic was seen as an instrument of liberation. Barclaycard ran gigantic newspaper ads consisting of a wide expanse of clean white space and the message: Barclaycard makes shopping simpler for everyone. Yet in an age when millions of us have become slaves to consumerism, when the British are among the biggest borrowers in Europe and when national household debt has ballooned to a staggering 1.5 trillion, those ads look rather less innocent. In the 50 years since the launch of Barclaycard, millions have lost sight of the virtues of thrift, saving and self-discipline. In love with shopping and spending, obsessed with the latest fashions and gadgets, we live in an age of instant gratification. And with many financial experts warning that a post-Brexit economic downturn could plunge millions of families deeper into the red, I fear we will come to look back on that first credit card not as a blessing but as a curse - a little rectangle of plastic that could blight our lives for years to come. Indeed, this week, the UKs financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, said that 9 per cent of cardholders have balances that would take them more than a decade to repay. The idea of credit was not invented in 1966. For decades, many British families had bought goods on tick from door-to-door salesmen and local businesses. Today, more than 31 million of us have one, spending more than 15 billion a month and, a few weeks later, frowning gloomily at the bill. At the time, this little piece of plastic was seen as an instrument of liberation Though many people deeply believed in the importance of thrift and economy, much of the boom after World War II had been driven by hire purchase, or HP where you pay in instalments while having ownership. The whole nation has taken to buying nearly everything on the instalment plan, the chairman of Great Universal Stores gleefully told his shareholders in 1958. S ince HP was typically organised by stores, Britains banks were naturally keen to profit from the post-war boom. By the early Sixties, they were looking for inspiration across the Atlantic, where shoppers had enthusiastically embraced the Diners Club and American Express cards, launched in 1950 and 1958. It was Barclays who moved first, unveiling their scheme to the public in January 1966. Cannily, they presented it not as another form of debt, but simply as a way of making shopping easier. As their first press release disingenuously put it, the scheme would cut down on the amount of cash you needed to carry, and was designed to appeal not only to those who must travel and spend a good deal of money in restaurants, but also to the everyday shopper throughout the country. The Barclaycard scheme was a mixture of Ealing comedy amateurism and ruthless professionalism. It was based in a former shoe factory in Northampton, where 30 employees were given the target of recruiting a million cardholders in just six months. The adverts never used the words debt or borrowing, and made no mention of interest payments As the spring of 1966 gave way to summer, they hired dozens of Barclaycard girls in skimpy mini-dresses, who were sent to local High Streets to help educate and change peoples minds. But despite the appearance of innocent fun, Barclaycards marketing drive was nothing if not cynical. Not only did the firm send 23 million application forms to potential customers across the country, but they also sent out a million cards to existing Barclays clients, whether they had asked for them or not. Today, such a move would be illegal, but in 1966 the weakness of the regulatory regime meant Barclays got away with it. At the time, the Daily Mails City editor, Patrick Sergeant, presciently warned that credit cards would be an easy road to riches for the banks, since the American experience showed that most customers spend more than they ought to when its on tick. Unless people were careful, he warned, they could be sucked in by an ethos of spend now, pay later. But the people behind Barclaycard were clever. The adverts never used the words debt or borrowing, and made no mention of interest payments. Like many innovations of the Sixties, they were very carefully designed to appeal to women. All a girl needs when she goes out shopping, read the slogan in one 1966 advert, which shows a credit card peeping out of a fashionable red handbag. If I had a Barclaycard, added the small print, Id be able to sign the bill in thousands of shops all over the country and pay you at the end of the month. Whats more, they say the service wouldnt cost me anything. By 1985, eight million people had Barclaycards, most famously Alan Whicker, whose TV adverts made a virtue of his unflappable charm Two years later, the firm even made a short cinema film, Travelling Light, showing a nubile young woman strolling down the High Street with a Barclaycard tucked into her bikini bottoms. Every second is worth watching, read the tagline. You will see Barclaycard in action, and we mean action! In effect, Barclays was seducing people into debt. But it worked. The first credit card was an overnight success, and by 1972, with more than two million cardholders, Barclaycard was turning a tidy profit. By then other banks were rushing to follow suit. In October 1972, NatWest, Midland, Lloyds and RBS joined forces to issue the Access card, famously advertised as your flexible friend. As before, the banks marketing strategy took the hard sell to extraordinary lengths. Access sent out almost four million unsolicited cards to ordinary bank customers, hoping to lure them into spending on credit. As a magistrate put it at the time, it was hard to imagine a more dangerous passport to fraud. The Access brand lasted 24 years before it was taken over by the U.S. giant MasterCard. But by then, British shopping habits had undergone a revolution. With the Thatcher government relaxing credit restrictions in the Eighties, live now, pay later became the mantra of a generation. As before, Barclaycard led the way. By 1985, eight million people had Barclaycards, most famously Alan Whicker, whose TV adverts made a virtue of his unflappable charm. T he irony is that Mrs Thatcher was extremely thrifty, deplored debt and did not even have a credit card. In 1989, she bashed the Labour Party in the House of Commons for its role in the Labour Co-op Visa card, which urged people to spread the cost of Christmas, birthdays or summer holidays. We all receive many leaflets advertising credit and usually they go straight into the waste paper bin, she said witheringly. In this respect, however, she was quite wrong. Far from throwing the adverts in the bin, millions of people were eagerly applying for multiple cards. By the time she stepped down as PM in 1990, total credit card debt had risen to 10 billion, a figure that seemed gigantic at the time but was a mere fraction of the 67 billion that British card-owners owe today. But we should not be snobbish about all this. As Professor Frank Trentmann argued in a brilliant history of consumerism published earlier this year, credit has often been a genuinely liberating force particularly for women, who did not always have the same financial resources as men. As Trentmann points out, too, people who deplore credit cards often tend to be well off. It is all very well for the silver-spoon rich to sneer at poorer people for depending on credit, but very few people have the resources to splash out on a new car let alone a house without going into debt. Indeed, most people are better at handling their personal finances than we commonly imagine. A recent study of the British peoples financial affairs found that only 4 per cent were behind with their credit repayments by more than two months. And yet despite all this, I am not convinced that we should celebrate Barclaycards 50th anniversary. The old values of thrift, self-discipline and deferred gratification based on centuries of wisdom and the principles of Christianity had a lot to be said for them. I suspect future generations will be rightly contemptuous of our belief that borrowing and buying is the only route to happiness. As we have learned to our cost, rampant consumerism comes with a heavy environmental price tag. The old values of thrift, self-discipline and deferred gratification based on centuries of wisdom and the principles of Christianity had a lot to be said for them How many of the goods bought on credit in the past half-century, I wonder, have ended up piled high in vast landfill sites, dumped by the side of the road or rusting at the bottom of the oceans? What is really terrifying, though, is that our willingness to accumulate huge levels of personal debt may have left a devastating time bomb at the heart of the British economy. It is striking that, even at a time of sluggish productivity and stagnant wages, British consumers typically borrow around 5 billion a month. Indeed, according to a survey by the insurance giant Aviva, the typical British household owes a staggering 13,520, without taking the mortgage into account (which on average is another 85,000). Indeed, if you are of a thrifty, debt-averse nature, the figures make excruciating reading. The typical credit card holder owes 2,370, while the average British overdraft stands at 1,190. On top of that, one in four families also has a personal loan, with an average outstanding balance of 2,080. What all that means is that the British people owe almost 1.5 trillion, more than any other country in Europe. As a nation, we pay a mind-boggling 143 million a day in interest payments alone. With credit card rates typically at 21.6 per cent APR (Annual Percentage Rate, which is the full amount you will pay for a loan over the course of one year), it is no wonder that many financial experts including the Treasury Select Committee are seriously worried that many families would struggle to survive another economic downturn. Inevitably, we are constantly offered new ways to make it easier to spend with our cards. Britain has lost any sense of how to live within its means The use of contactless purchases and the rise in the amount that can be spent without using chip and PIN, from 20 to 30 pushed spending up by 233 per cent over the year to 7.75 billion last December. Figures from the UK Cards Association showed that contactless spending in 2015 was more than double the previous seven years combined. To put it bluntly, Britain has lost any sense of how to live within its means. W e are among the worst savers in Europe, typically saving barely 9 per cent of what we earn, compared with 16 per cent in Germany, 15 per cent in Spain and almost 20 per cent in France. The Chinese rate, by the way, is 47 per cent a figure that speaks volumes about the wildly different priorities of greedy, complacent Britain and busy, booming China. In place of that traditional moral value of thrift, many have become addicted to spending and are chronically unable to cut our cloth according to our resources. Youngsters have become debt addicts: the typical British graduate leaves university saddled with a 44,000 debt. Little wonder, then, that as the Institute for Fiscal Studies has reported, seven out of ten British graduates will probably never pay off their university loans, and will spend the next 30 years making repayments before the debt is written off. The truth is that while credit may appear to liberate us, it often ends up enslaving us. From those first Barclaycards issued in 1966 to the latest financial enticements, credit preys on very human weaknesses greed, materialism and jealousy and turns them into someone elses profit. Above all, the success of the credit card rests on a gigantic conjuring trick. For all the talk of live now, pay later, later always arrives more quickly than you expect. For half a century, that little plastic rectangle has been our guilty pleasure. But one day, our spending spree will surely come crashing to a halt. You are here: Home In another food scandal, Nangang District authorities in Harbin in Heilongjiang Province, revoked the license of a kindergarten over reports that students were fed moldy rice. Police have detained the legal representative of the Elite Kids Paradise school. The local government acted quickly and fired the director of preschool education department and a deputy chief inspector, while the chiefs of the district education and market supervision bureaus were also suspended. Some of the parents claimed that they found moldy rice, expired food as well as food additives and juice in the piano room of the kindergarten. Pictures posted online showed out-of-date food, including milk, yogurt, rice dumpling and puffed food. There were some additives marked "should not be eaten directly" and juices that the parents claimed were actually concentrated solution. In one of the pictures, the expiry date on the yogurt was June 13. Parents said their children had lunch everyday in the kindergarten, which prided itself as "the best early education institution in China." In its advertisements, the school claimed that it provides green and healthy food to children and charged 7,000 yuan (US$1,051.6) per month as fees from each of the 70 students. Students complained about stomachaches and nosebleeds, parents said. The kindergarten chef reportedly fled from the window when the parents came to question him. The district government said officials had launched an investigation into the food scare. It said officials had seized 215 kilograms of rice in 27 boxes and 16 bags, and did notice mildew stains on the rice through the transparent packages. A report by China News Agency said Li Mengli, the kindergarten head, told officials the rice was purchased in March. He agreed to return the tuition fees from March to July. Educational officials said there were issues with the school management as well. The market supervision authority authorized the Heilongjiang Inspection and Quarantine Technical Center to carry out tests on the rice, while the kindergarten head, the chef and canteen workers were investigated, a statement said. The kitchen was also sealed up, it said. The local police had also frozen the kindergarten's bank accounts. They will also investigate the rice producer, Chufeng Rice Co. The students have been sent for health examination. The government has launched an overall inspection of public and private kindergartens in the district over license and food security. Unqualified schools will be shut down, it said. The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous landmarks in the world but it's at risk of falling into disrepair. At threat from harsh weather conditions, the Great Wall has also been affected by human activities with reports of people stealing bricks and videos showing people kicking at some sections. China's Administration of Cultural Heritage has decided to take drastic action, launching a campaign to crack down on criminal damage to the landmark. Broken: Some sections of the Great Wall of China are in compete disrepair and need attention A more intact section of the wall: A section of the Great Wall of China in Mutianyu, outside of Beijing The State Administration of Cultural Heritage released a notice on the new measures, reports Huanqiu, an affiliation with the People's Daily Online. The notice was posted by the organisation on its website on July 21. According to the notice, the goal of the campaign is to 'clarify the responsibility of the protection of the Great Wall, improve the basic protection of the wall and seriously investigate a number of criminal cases on the damage of the Great Wall.' The new campaign will involve regular inspections and random checks on protection efforts by authorities in 15 provinces. A '12359' hotline will also be set up where members of the public can report violations and damage to the Great Wall. The campaign will last from July until October. On July 20, video footage of a man kicking bricks off a section thought to be the Great Wall of China emerged Anger: The video caused controversy online with many people saying he had no respect for China's heritage Visitor numbers have increased along the 13,000-mile-long wall causing the landmark to decay under the pressure of large numbers of people. According to the administration's statistics from 2012, 30 per cent of a 3,852-mile-long man-made section has disappeared and less than 10 per cent is considered well preserved. While many who visit the Great Wall leave with only footprints, videos have emerged of people kicking off large bricks in a bid to show off to their social media followers. On July 20, video footage of a man kicking at a bricks thought to be belonging to the Great Wall caused controversy online. Disappearing over time: Many sections of the Great Wall have been damaged by harsh weather conditions The Great Wall of China stretches some 21,000 kilomeres The Great Wall of China is the world's largest man-made structure. It was constructed in several sections over a period of 1,000 years. Building work started during the Qin dynasty (259BC to 210BC) as part of a defensive line against enemies to the north. Large sections were built during the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644) to help defend against the Mongolian tribes. The sections built during this period are what most tourists tend to visit today. The Great Wall also provided a border boundary that allowed the Chinese authorities to impose duties on goods carried along the Silk Road trade route. And in northern China's Hebei province, bricks from the Great Wall which have been carved with Chinese characters and are being sold for 30 yuan (3.42) by local villagers. Those who steal bricks from the wall can be fined up to 5,000 yuan (570) under Chinese regulations. Built from the third century B.C. to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall stretches over 21,000 kilometers from the northwestern province of Gansu to north China's Hebei Province. Advertisement Three of China's most famous cuddly stars celebrated their second birthday today feasting on carrots and bamboo. A birthday party was held at the Chimelong safari park in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, reported People's Daily Online. Staff at the park, member of the press and a number of lucky tourists celebrated the occasion for the adorable trio, who are dubbed the world's only surviving panda triplets by Chinese media. Scroll down for video Hello, hello, hello! A set of panda triplets celebrate their second birthday today at a safari park in Guangzhou, south China Cuddly stars: The three adorable bears were born at the Chimelong safari park and were the world's first healthy panda triplet cubs Too cute to bear: The three pandas were seen at a public event when they were nearly five months old in December, 2014 Bear with me please! The triplets attended an event on October 1, 2014, to receive their names suggested by the public The three bears were born on July 29, 2014, at the Chimelong safari park in Guangzhou, and were the world's first healthy panda triplet cubs. They are named Meng Meng, Shuai Shuai and Ku Ku, which mean cute, handsome and cool in English. The animals were born within four hours of each other and weighed between eight ounces and 12 ounces. Ju Xiao, their 11-year-old mother was impregnated with sperm from a panda living at a Guangzhou zoo and was given round the clock care during the final weeks of her pregnancy. When a panda cub is first born it is pink, blind and toothless, weighing only 90 to 130 grams (3.2 to 4.6 ounces) - a mere one eight-hundredth of its mother's weight. A month after birth, the colour pattern of the cub's fur is fully developed. Happy birthday to you: Staff at the park, member of the press and a number of lucky tourists celebrated the occasion for the cute trio Enjoy your cake: Their caretakers made a giant birthday cake for the panda using carrots and bamboo, their favourite food Beauty and bears: Top three Miss Chinese posed with the panda cubs on October 27, 2014, when the animals turned three months old There are roughly 1,600 giant pandas in the wild, where they are endangered due to loss of habitat and low birth rates. More than 300 live in captivity, mostly in China's breeding programs. Just three days ago, a set of panda twins celebrated one month since their birth Two adorable panda cubs have met the world for the first time in Macao, China at the Giant Panda Pavilion in Macao. Named Dabao and Xiaobao in Chinese, or big treasure and small treasure in English, the adorable pair are the cubs of nine-year-old Xinxin who was given to the city as a gift by the Chinese government in 2014. CHINA'S PRECIOUS ANIMAL AMBASSADOR: SIX FACTS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT GIANT PANDAS It's estimated that there are around 1,600 Giant Pandas in the wild. There are 300 in zoos and breeding centres around the world. It's unsure how long Giant Pandas live in the wild. However Chinese scientists reported zoo pandas as old as 35. A wild panda's diet is 99 percent bamboo while the remaining one percent is usually small rodents. Giant Pandas need to consume around 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo each day to get the nutrients they need. On all four legs, Giant Pandas stand at around three to four feet tall. Cubs do not open their eyes until they are six to eight weeks of age and are not mobile until three months. Source: Smithsonian National Zoological Park Advertisement The breed now has a head so out of proportion with its body that almost all births have to be done by C-section Researchers say owners are more interested in the appearance than health British bulldogs have been actively bred for over 500 years It is a symbol of the strength and tenacity that made our nation great. But the British bulldog is riddled with painful diseases and deformities, vets have warned. They say that centuries of inbreeding have made it one of the unhealthiest breeds in the world. It is a symbol of the strength and tenacity that made our nation great. But the British bulldog is riddled with painful diseases and deformities, vets have warned. They say that centuries of inbreeding have made it one of the unhealthiest breeds in the world INBREEDING BULLDOGS Dr Pederson, of the University of California, issued his warning after comparing the DNA of almost 150 British bulldogs. The dogs were from countries as far apart as the US and Czechoslovakia but their genes were highly similar. As a result, the average bulldog is the genetic equivalent of a puppy born when a brother and sister who were highly inbred themselves, mated. Writing in the journal Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, he warned it will be hard to find enough dogs with good genes to improve the breeds health. Advertisement And it is not just breeders who are under fire. The US researchers accused owners of being more interested in the dogs appearance than its health. The fourth most popular breed in the US and the seventh favourite in the UK, the British bulldog has been intensively bred for the past 500 years. This has created a breed with a head so out of proportion with its body that almost all births have to be done by C-section. Natural mating is also difficult, leading to claims that the breed would not exist today if it were not for vets assistance. The catalogue of health problems also includes breathing difficulties, hip abnormalities, cataracts, heart defects and autoimmune diseases. Researcher Niels Pederson said: Although the bond and affection between bulldogs and their owners is strong, the cost of treating health problems is often prohibitive and many of them end up in shelters or euthanized. Dr Niels Pederson, of the University of California, issued his warning after comparing the DNA of almost 150 British bulldogs. The dogs were from countries as far apart as the US and Czechoslovakia but their genes were highly similar. The fourth most popular breed in the US and the seventh favourite in the UK, the British bulldog has been intensively bred for the past 500 years As a result, the average bulldog is the genetic equivalent of a puppy born when a brother and sister who were highly inbred themselves, mated. Writing in the journal Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, he warned it will be hard to find enough dogs with good genes to improve the breeds health. Dr Pedersen, lead author of the study, which is published in Biomed Central, added: The bulldog has reached a point where popularity can no longer excuse the health problems the average dog endures during its often brief lifetime. Most people seem to be more enamoured with its appearance than concerned about its health. We found that little genetic wiggle room still exists in the breed to make additional genetic changes. The Kennel Club said that understanding the genetic diversity of a breed is crucial in protecting its future. However, its own research shows that inbreeding is less of a problem than in the past. Advertisement The fictitious resurrection of dinosaurs captured our imaginations at the cinema, but the quest to bring the extinct woolly mammoth back to life, has begun in real life. An international team of scientists has reached the 'initial stage' in efforts to clone the hairy beast, which last walked the Earth 10,000 years ago. That's according to a cloning expert who has also claimed Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is backing the Russian-South Korean bid to see the hairy monster tromp the Siberian ice once more. An international team of scientists has reached the 'initial stage' in efforts to clone the hairy beast, which last walked the Earth 10,000 years ago. This image shows a remarkably well-preserved mammoth named Yuka A STEP TOWARDS RESURRECTION In 2015, a huge step towards recreating the woolly mammoth was taken by scientists who inserted more than a dozen of its genes into the live DNA of an elephant. Researchers studied the structure of DNA from mammoths preserved in the Arctic to reproduce exact copies of 14 of the extinct animal's genes. These were then integrated by Harvard University in Massachusetts into the elephant genome - and functioned as normal DNA. A new method known as 'Crispr' - helping scientists make accurate changes to DNA - was used by genetics professor George Church, who replaced parts of elephant DNA with the mammoth genes. Their work is seen as an important step towards resurrecting the extinct ice age animals. They claim the study could act as a guide to show how modern elephants could be 're-engineered' to survive in Siberia. Advertisement It is also believed tourists visiting Russia will be able to watch scientists at work at a new World Mammoth Centre in Yakutsk - the world's coldest city. Controversial South Korean cloning guru Professor Hwang Woo-Suk, who is working closely with Russian experts, told The Siberian Times: 'As a result of tireless joint efforts, we have achieved what we call the 'initial stage' on our way to recovering the mammoth.' He did not detail the progress but said 'at this stage, thorough scientific checks are under way. 'Once they are completed, we will publish the results in scientific journals.' He is known to be working on genetic material obtained for the blood and soft tissue of mammoths preserved for tens of thousands of years in the Siberian permafrost, which have been dug up in recent years. He said: 'Further studies' into cloning are already scheduled, adding: 'We continue the search for new materials and samples. We need cells that can share information. 'If we could find a sample that is not only well preserved but also in which biochemical processes can take place, we will be able to impregnate it with the help of the Asian elephant materials.' The professor leads the SOAAM Biotech Research Foundation in Seoul, which has an agreement on joint cooperation with Russian scientists from Yakutsk's North Eastern Federal University. He did not put a timescale on when he hoped to see mammoths once roaming the tundra. Professor Hwang said Putin's interest in his work was 'evident' and that the new World Mammoth Centre, which will include underground laboratories built in the permafrost, will bring the final cloning goal 'closer'. One of his Russian collaborators scientist Semyon Grigoriev, said: 'There are two options for mammoth cloning. Controversial South Korean cloning guru Professor Hwang Woo-Suk, who is working closely with Russian experts, said: 'As a result of tireless joint efforts, we have achieved what we call the 'initial stage' on our way to recovering the mammoth.' The experts are trying to extract DNA from the animal's preserved tissues and blood, (pictured) for example It's believed tourists visiting Russia will be able to watch scientists at work at a new World Mammoth Centre in Yakutsk - the world's coldest city. Here, Professor Hwang Woo-Suk with a team of scientists extract mammoth's DNA There is no timescale for when mammoths could once more roam the tundra. A model is pictured. The hairy beasts died out in the majority of habitats 10,000 years ago, with experts diagreeing about whether climate change or hunting was primarily to blame 'The first is through the search for active cells. The second option is artificial DNA synthesis.' Egor Borisov, head of the Sakha Republic region which is famed for diamonds as well as mammoths, said tourists from around the world will be made welcome at the new complex as scientists work to restore the ancient species. Professor Hwang is a controversial figure and in 2006 was dismissed by Seoul National University for faking groundbreaking work in stem cell research. The university said he had damaged its and his country's reputation. Yet he remains at the forefront of research into cloning and is leading research into seeking the DNA of the woolly mammoth from remains of the creatures recovered eastern Russia. He is also working on other extinct animals such as Siberian cave lions. The mass death of mammoths began about 20,000 to 24,000 years ago but there is continuing debate about that drove the impressive creatures to extinction, with some blaming climate change and others overzealous human hunters. The last major wave of deaths was about 9,000 to 12,000 years ago, although there is evidence mammoths survived in small groups near Alaska and at Wrangel Island, in the Russian Arctic, as recently as 3,700 years ago. Professor Hwang Woo-Suk is known to be working on genetic material obtained for the blood and soft tissue of mammoths (pictured) preserved for tens of thousands of years in the Siberian permafrost, which have been dug up in recent years. Professor Hwang said: 'Further studies' into cloning are already scheduled, adding: 'We continue the search for new materials and samples. We need cells that can share information.' Here, a team of scientists attempt to extract genetic material from flesh A cloning expert has also claimed Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin (pictured) is backing the Russian-South Korean bid to see the hairy monster tromp the Siberian ice once more. MYSTERY OF WHAT KILLED OFF THE MAMMOTHS There are several leading theories for what killed off the ice age giants like the woolly mammoths. Woolly mammoths are thought to have roamed the Earth from about 200,000 years ago before eventually dying out 10,000 years ago - although small populations may have prevailed. At this time the planet was undergoing a major change in climate that is thought to have led to the shrinkage of their habitat. Unable to find the food they needed their populations became smaller and increasingly isolated. A study in 2008 estimated that changes in climate as a result of the end of the last glacial period saw their habitat shrink from 3 million square miles to 310,000 square miles. There are several leading theories for what killed off the ice age giants like the woolly mammoths (illustrated), some 10,000 years ago Some researchers have suggested that the spread of forests, which overtook the extensive areas of frozen grassland and tundra where mammoths thrived, led to their extinction. The changes in climate also opened up large parts of the northern hemisphere to humans, allowing groups to spread more widely around North America, Asia and Europe. Many blame overhunting by humans for finally finishing off the dwindling populations of megafauna like mammoths. More recently some scientists have adopted theories that sudden changes in climate, known as the Younger Dyas period, left many large animal species unable to cope. It is thought this period of cooling may have been caused by the collapse of the North American ice sheets into the Atlantic Ocean, leading to the seas cooling dramatically. Others have suggested this was triggered by a large explosion from an asteroid or comet impact that spread debris around the globe. Advertisement Scientist Semyon Grigoriev, said: 'There are two options for mammoth cloning. The first is through the search for active cells. The second option is artificial DNA synthesis.' The research relies on extracting high quality DNA from preserved mammoths like Yuka (pictured) The first signs of a particle heavier than the Higgs boson was seen at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) back in December Unexplained by current models, its existence might lead to the discovery of a whole new set of particles and possibly even a fifth fundamental force. But the first results were not enough to confirm the particle exists, and now a second run of tests have failed to find this mysterious particle, MailOnline has learned. Two of the detectors, ATLAS and CMS, were counting particle decays that ended up in two photons, and found a potential new particle. If it turns out to be real, and not a blip, this would be a huge discovery. Two high-energy photons whose energy, shown in red, was measured in the CMS is illustrated THE ELUSIVE PARTICLE Two of the detectors at the Large Hadron Collider - ATLAS and CMS - were searching for new kinds of physics by counting particle decays that ended up in two photons. Measuring photons is a way of detecting new and unknown events because photons are easy to detect and physicists know what to expect in terms of results from background events. When particles decay into photons, they release energy equivalent to their mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. The measurements saw photons with a combined energy of 750 GeV, making the potential particle six times heavier than the Higgs boson. If it turns out to be real, and not just a blip in the measurements, this would be a huge discovery. 'It would be something completely beyond the Standard Model, and the tip of an iceberg of a large new set of particles, if it exists!', the researchers said. Advertisement In data produced last December at the LHC in Geneva, two separate measurements found what looked like a particle six time heavier than the Higgs boson. 'We should have enough data by mid-July to either confirm the result or place serious doubt on its existence,' Professor James Olsen, CMS physics coordinator and a physicist at Princeton, told MailOnline in June. Scientists have now gathered the evidence ahead of the International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP) that will begin next week in Chicago. A theoretical physicist working at CERN in Geneva told MailOnline the official results will be revealed at the end of next week. But the source said the signal has not been confirmed by experiments starting from April this year. Two of the detectors, ATLAS and CMS, were searching for new physics by counting particle decays that ended up in two photons. Measuring photons is a good method for detecting new physics because photons are easy to detect and physicists know what to expect in terms of results from background events. They both separately saw photons with a combined energy of 750 GeV. When particles decay into photons, they release energy equivalent to their mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. We're all familiar with Einstein's most famous equation, and this observation is it in action. This means the particle that produced these photons is an as yet unknown with this exact amount of energy in the form of its mass. 'It weighs about 750 GeV, corresponding to about six times heavier than the Higgs boson, and almost 800 times heavier than the proton,' said Ellis. But some scientists were skeptical all along. 'I don't see any statistically significant bump/signal/particle in last year's data,' Patrick Janot from the CERN physics department told MailOnline. When particles decay into photons, they release energy equivalent to their mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. The measurements saw photons with a combined energy of 750 GeV, about six times heavier than the Higgs boson, something that has not been predicted by the current theory describing particle physics The detectors saw photons with a combined energy of 750 GeV. When particles decay into photons they release energy equivalent to their mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. This means the particle that decayed into them would have been about six times heavier than the Higgs boson STANDARD MODEL OF PARTICLE PHYSICS The Standard Model says everything in the universe is made from the most basic building blocks called fundamental particles, that are governed by four forces: gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear and strong nuclear. The forces work over different ranges and have different strengths. This new particle, if it exists, would not fit into the description given by the Standard Model and so would lead to a whole new area of particle physics. Some have suggested it might even lead to the discovery of a fifth fundamental force. This development was exciting because the Standard Model has left some questions unanswered for years, so scientists are keen to break free of it and find new theories. It can't explain gravity, for example, because it is incompatible with our best explanation of how gravity works - general relativity, nor does it explain dark matter particles. The quantum theory used to describe the small particles in the world, and the general theory of relativity used to describe the larger objects world, are also difficult to reconcile. Nobody has managed to make the two mathematically compatible in the context of the Standard Model. According to the Big Bang theory, matter and antimatter were created in equal amounts at the start of the universe and so they should have annihilated each other totally in the first second or so of the universe's existence. This means the cosmos should be full of light and little else. But because it isn't there must have been a subtle difference in the physics of matter and anti-matter that has left the universe with a surplus of matter and that makes up the stars we see, the planet we live on and ourselves. But the observations seen so far are not enough to confirm the existence of a particle. Advertisement 'When you do 1000+ analyses, it would be totally unnatural - and actually suspicious - not to see one with a 3 sigma excess. 'The new data might confirm, or not, my impression. Either way, it'll be announced at CERN shortly before the ICHEP conference.' This new particle, if it existed, was not predicted by the Standard Model, so would open up physicists to a whole new unexplored world and could lead to the discovery of a new set of particles. Finding a particle like this would be exciting because the Standard Model has left some questions unanswered for years, so scientists are keen to break free of it and find new theories. It can't explain gravity, for example, because it is incompatible with our best explanation of how gravity works - general relativity, nor does it explain dark matter particles. A separate study published today offered a different explanation to these 750GeV signals. 'This was a very surprising announcement and a puzzle at the same time, because the lifetime and mass of the particle could reveal something else beyond simply one extra particle, if it turns out to be a real signal,' said Professor Kyoungchul Kong, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas. 'Yet we do not claim this as a discovery, and we need more data.' The group suggested instead of a single particle decaying to produce the 750GeV signal, the researchers suggest there is a series of different particles. 'Every explanation of the 750 GeV excess needs a new particle. Most models assume one around 750 GeV.' Rather than basing his theory on the existence of a 'resonance' particle with a straightforwardly corresponding mass to trigger the 750 GeV signal, Professor Kong's paper proposes a sequence of particlesat different masses, without one at 750 GeV. Other researchers at CERN told MailOnline the idea could be proven or dispelled with further tests. 'This theory is rather speculative, and personally I would not pay it much attention,' one physicist said. 'To the extent that it does not predict a narrow peak, it could be tested.' Professor Janot told MailOnline 'their explanation is as interesting as many others,' but added further tests could tell whether the theory is correct. 'We explore ideas,' Professor Kong said. describing theoretical particle physicists. 'Probably most of ideas are wrongbut we learn from them, and we propose better ideas.' Each year hundreds of antiques are found in Scotland, and those deemed worth preserving for the nation are collected by a body called the Treasure Trove. The 'Treasure Trove' ensures significant objects from Scotland's past are preserved in museums for the benefit of the pubic. A medieval seal matrix, a device for making a seal with wax, which belonged to a key figure in the wars of Scottish independence is among the highlights of this year's annual treasure trove report. The medieval seal matrix of Bishop William de Lamberton, found in Boarhills, one of the highlights of the annual treasure trove report. The object is among the archaeological discoveries reported to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (QLTR) and allocated to museums across Scotland WHAT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED? A medieval seal matrix, a device for making a seal with wax, which belonged to a key figure in the wars of Scottish independence is among the highlights of this year's annual treasure trove report. Further finds include a 17th-century toy rattle, found in Pitlochry, a Roman wine cup handle discovered at Castle Douglas and a medieval brooch, found in Cullen. Other objects include 17th-century button proclaiming political allegiance to William of Orange found at Dalreoch, West Dunbartonshire. Advertisement The object is among the archaeological discoveries reported to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer (QLTR) and allocated to museums across Scotland. The seal matrix belonged to William de Lamberton, Bishop of St Andrews from 1297 to 1328. It was found in Boarhills, Fife, and has been given to the Fife Cultural Trust. The bishop campaigned for Scottish independence alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, and was a close ally of the latter. Robert the Bruce is one of the most famous kings of Scotland, known for his tenacious tendencies and encounters with spiders. Matrices were used on charters and other documents - the one found appears to be a smaller and simpler version of the seal of de Lamberton known from surviving medieval charters. Other objects found include a 17th-century button proclaiming political allegiance to William of Orange found at Dalreoch, West Dunbartonshire, and allocated to Clydebank Museum and Art Gallery. A 17th century toy rattle, found in Pitlochry. Under Scots law, the Crown can claim any archaeological objects found in Scotland The 17th-century button proclaiming political allegiance to William of Orange found at Dalreoch, West Dunbartonshire. The crudely-made pewter button (left) shows the bust of King William II of Scotland, the monarch who overthrew King James. An artist's impression of William de Lamberton is shown right The crudely-made pewter button shows the bust of King William II of Scotland, the monarch who overthrew King James during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Cheaply-made and produced in large numbers, buttons like this were a form of popular politics where the wearer publicly displays their political allegiance and, given the political instability at the time, could be extremely provocative and was likely done from a position of political strength, the report states. Further finds include a 17th-century toy rattle, found in Pitlochry, Perth and Kinross, a Roman wine cup handle discovered at Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, and a medieval brooch, found in Cullen, Moray. The report covers the period from April 1 2015 to March 31 2016 and details finds dealt with by the remembrancer and the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel. The bishop, William de Lamberton, campaigned for Scottish independence alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, and was a close ally of the latter. William Wallace as portrayed in the 1995 film Braveheart. pictured A medieval brooch, found in Cullen, Moray, left. A Roman wine cup handle, found in Castle Douglas, right. The report covers the period from April 1 2015 to March 31 2016 and details finds dealt with by the remembrancer and the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED... Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland in 1306, and went on to try and free his country from the English enemy. After being defeated at a battle, Bruce escaped and found a hideout in a cave. While hiding in at the lowest point of his life, and considered giving up. While waiting, he watched a spider building a web in the cave's entrance. The spider fell down again and again, but finally he succeeded with his web. Bruce decided to retry his fight and with this he told his men: 'If at first you don't succeed, try try and try again'. Advertisement Under Scots law, the Crown can claim any archaeological objects found in Scotland. David Harvie, appointed to the role of Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer in April this year, said: 'This is the first treasure trove annual report which I have overseen in my role as QLTR. 'I am pleased to see that the system changes introduced under the guidance of my predecessor Mrs Catherine Dyer are already producing greater openness and efficiency. 'We are also looking to introduce further improvements later this year, with staff at the treasure trove unit currently working to improve the system interaction with professional archaeological fieldworkers. The search for alien life on distant planets is hotting up, and Nasa now wants to focus closer to home. From next year, one of Nasa's exoplanet surveys will look at the planets orbiting stars just outside our solar system. The search will only look for planets within hundreds of light-years or less, looking out in all directions from our solar system. Scroll down for video Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will launch in 2017 or 2018 (artist's impression pictured). TESS will be able to learn the sizes of the planets it sees and how long it takes them to complete an orbit WHAT WILL TESS DO? Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will launch in 2017 or 2018. TESS will be able to learn the sizes of the planets it sees and how long it takes them to complete an orbit. TESS will survey most of the sky by segmenting it into 26 different segments known as 'tiles'. It will look at at least 200,000 stars during the two years of its spaceflight mission, resulting in the discovery of thousands of new exoplanets. While the search for transiting exoplanets is the primary goal of the mission, TESS will also make observations of other astrophysical objects through the Guest Investigator (GI) Program. Advertisement Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will launch in 2017 or 2018. TESS will be able to learn the sizes of the planets it sees and how long it takes them to complete an orbit. It will find this using the transit method. When a planet passes in front of, or transits, its parent star, it blocks some of the star's light. TESS searches for these tell-tale dips in brightness, which can reveal the planet's presence and provide additional information about it. Astronomers can tell whether a planet is capable of supporting life using just their size and length of orbits. Nearly all other planet classifications will come from follow up observations, by ground telescopes and space-based observations, including Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope that will launch in 2018. TESS will survey most of the sky by segmenting it into 26 different segments known as 'tiles'. It will look at at least 200,000 stars during the two years of its spaceflight mission, resulting in the discovery of thousands of new exoplanets. The search for transiting exoplanets is the primary goal of the mission,but TESS will also make observations of other astrophysical objects through the Guest Investigator (GI) Program. The TESS mission will be based on Orbital's LEOStar-2 platform, a flexible, high-performance spacecraft for space and Earth science, remote sensing and other applications (pictured) Both Kepler and its K2 mission also discover new planets by measuring the subtle dip in a star's brightness caused by a planet passing in front of its star. So far they have reported finding 197 planet candidates, with 104 planets confirmed by scientists. Artist's impression pictured Because TESS is conducting a near all-sky survey, it has the capability to perform interesting studies on many different types of astronomical target. 'The goal of the GI Program is to maximize the amount of science that comes out of TESS,' said Padi Boyd, director of the Guest Investigator Program Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. 'Although TESS was designed to be capable of detecting planets transiting in front of stars, its unique mission characteristics mean that the potential science TESS can do includes far more than just exoplanets.' According to Boyd, the broad range of objects TESS could detect as part of the GI Program include flaring young stars, binary pairs of stars, supernovae in nearby galaxies, and even supermassive black holes in distant active galaxies. 'We hope the broader science community will come up with many unique science ideas for TESS, and we hope to encourage broad participation from the larger community,' she said. He is better known for wrestling with the mysterious forces that shape our universe and the existential threat posed by technology. But physicist Stephen Hawking now fears greed could be the undoing of the human race. The University of Cambridge professor has warned that the unequal divide of wealth between individuals and countries is one of the most divisive issues of our time. He claims envy and isolationism is being bred by the way money is currently shared and this may have contributed to the result of the European Union Brexit referendum result in Britain. Scroll down for video Professor Stephen Hawking (pictured) has warned the sense of inequality that drove the Brexit vote was driven by the way wealth is viewed and shared in many parts of the world. He said that unless this was addressed, it could have dire consequences for our species in the long-term Prior to the vote, Professor Hawking had campaigned against leaving the EU due to the impact he believes it will have on access to funding for British scientists. THE WORLD'S GREATEST THREATS Physicist Stephen Hawking has previously warned that greed is one of the greatest threats to the Earth. In an interview with Larry King Now at the end of June, he said pollution, greed, stupidity and overcrowding were the issues he most worried about. 'We certainly have not become less greedy or less stupid,' Hawking said. 'Six years ago I was worrying about pollution and overcrowding. They have gotten worse since then.' Professor Hawking and King also discussed artificial intelligence. Hawking says governments seem to be engaged in 'an AI arms race.' 'A rogue AI could be difficult to stop,' the physicist said. 'We need to ensure that AI is designed ethically with safeguards in place.' He also asked King whether his eight marriages are 'a triumph of hope over experience.' 'You make a good point, Stephen,' King said. 'I think the answer is yes.' Advertisement But writing for the Guardian, Professor Hawking said the Brexit result was driving by a sense of inequality among those that voted to leave the EU. He added that humanity needs to collaborate and change our assumptions of wealth and possessions if it is to tackle challenges like climate change, disease, food production and overpopulation. Professor Hawking said: 'If we fail then the forces that contributed to Brexit, the envy and isolationism not just in the UK but around the world that spring from not sharing, of cultures driven by a narrow definition of wealth and a failure to divide it more fairly, both within nations and across national borders, will strengthen. 'If that were to happen, I would not be optimistic about the long-term outlook for our species.' Professor Hawking initially found fame after battling motor neuron disease to develop ground-breaking theories about black holes. More recently, however, he has started making predictions that technologies such as artificial intelligence could ultimately doom the human race if not developed with care. He has also strayed into the realms of politics, joining dozens of other scientists to warn against leaving the European Union. Recently he also said he struggled to understand the popularity of US Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Professor Hawking believes the vote to leave the European Union in Britain was driven by 'envy and isolationism' that sprang from the unequal sharing of wealth (vote leave sign pictured) But his piece in the Guardian perhaps goes some way towards examining why voters are being drawn to candidates and campaigns that shake up the Status Quo. STEPHEN HAWKING ON TRUMP He understands the workings of the universe like few others - but Stephen Hawking has admitted he cannot fathom the popularity of Donald Trump. The British astrophysicist told ITV's morning show that the presumptive Republican Party candidate for U.S. president 'is a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator.' Advertisement Professor Hawking said he believed that wealth, and the way we understand and share it, is playing a crucial role in votes like the decision to leave the EU. He echoed the words used by British Prime Minister Theresa May in her first week in office when she said: 'We need to reform the economy to allow more people to share in the country's prosperity.' Professor Hawking said that while he understood that money was important and in his case had allowed him access to medical treatment and care that had allowed him to live for so long with his disease he did not see money as an end in itself. He said questions about the value of possessions and ownership was leading to people to develop new ideas termed 'cathedral projects'. Professor Hawking originally made his name though his ground-breaking theories about black holes but has recently strayed into talking about politics He describes these as being the modern equivalent of building grand churches to 'bridge heaven and Earth', where ideas are started by one generation for future generations to take up. Professor Hawking said: 'I hope and believe that people will brace more of this cathedral thinking for the future, as they have done in the past because we are in perilous times. 'Our planet and the human race face multiple challenges.' 'I'm with her' echoed throughout the Democratic National Convention venue this week and science has shown this slogan is how some voters really feel about the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Lightwave gave 50 viewers across the US a device that measures heart rate, motion and temperature to see their physical and emotional responses to Clinton's nominee acceptance speech. Using these wearables, the firm was able to capture eight heart-racing moments and also determine her words were exceptionally moving to females, Middle Easterners and those over 55 years old. Scroll down for video 'I'm with her' echoed throughout the Democratic National Convention venue this week and science has shown that this slogan is how voters really feel about the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Using these wearables, the firm was able to capture eight heart-racing moments WHAT WERE THE 8 HEART RACING MOMENTS DURING HILLARY CLINTON'S SPEECH? 1. 'But we usually focus on how it turned out and not enough on how close that story came to never being written at all.' (9 minutes 28 seconds) 2. 'I want to thank Bernie Sanders.' (7 minutes 18 seconds) 3. 'Thank you to Chelsea' (3 minutes 43 seconds) 4. 'For those of you that are just getting to know Tim Kaine' (6 minutes 43 seconds) 5. 'You really think Donald Trump has the temperament to be Commander in Chief?' (49 minutes 49 seconds) 6. 'America is great...because America is good' (56 minutes 16 seconds) 7. 'Some of you are frustrated, even furious.' (32 minutes 45 seconds) 8. 'Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition free for the middle class and debt free for all' (40 minutes 2 seconds) Advertisement 'Lightwave's engine analyses data 10 times per second per sensor,' Rana June, CEO of Lightwave, told DailyMail.com. 'We processed eight sensor inputs per person, so in total we processed 14,400,000 analytics events just for a one hour speech.' Lightwave is an emotional tech company that has designed medical-grade devices in a bid to understand the spectrum of human emotion - information that is then used to create better experiences. And gathering information about Clinton's speech is the firm's first project in the political space. To conduct this study, the team deployed technology at viewing parties and individual homes in seven key cities: San Francisco, California, Beverly Hills, California, Irvine, California, Sarasota, Florida, Burlington, Vermont, Dallas, Texas and Boston, Massachusetts. A total of 50 individuals were given one of the devices that captured bioanalytics such as heartrate, blood, volume pulse, skin temperature and electrodermal activity. And they mixed things up by recruiting participants across political affiliation, age range, gender, favored candidate and race. Lightwave gave 50 viewers in US a device that measures heart rate, motion and temperature to see their physical and emotional responses to Clinton's acceptance speech . The audience exhibited peak engagement at the beginning of the speech, dropped in engagement in the middle and rebounded in energy at the end 'Biofeedback from heart rate and other physiological indicators reveal deeper emotional sentiment results then a focus group, survey or dial testing can provide,' Lightwave shared in today's blog. The results showed that 94.4 percent of women, compared to 17.6 percent men, had an emotional response to Clinton's speech. WHAT WERE THE 5 MOST EMOTIONAL MOMENTS OF THE SPEECH? 1.Entering the venue, thanking Chelsea. 2. 'For those of you that are just getting to know Tim Kaine...' 3. 'We'll build a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants...We will not ban a religion.' 4.'Some of you are frustrated, even furious. And you know what? You're right.' 5. 'America is great...because America is good.' Advertisement Democrats (70.8 percent) and Independents (50.7 percent) both surpassed topped the 50 percent mark, while Republican trailed behind with just 4.3 percent. And it seems that those over the age of 55 are really with the female nominee, as 98.1 percent reported a physical and emotional response during the speech. With Trump's threats of barring Muslims from entering the US, it seems he has pushed many people from the Middle East over to the blue team. Lightwave found 94.6 percent of Middle Easterners were moved by Clinton's words, followed by Hispanics with 90.1 percent and African Americans at 70.3 percent. 'This year's election provides an exemplary use case of our technology,' said June. The results showed that 94.4 percent of women, compared to 17.6 percent men, had an emotional response to Clinton's speech. Not only does this technology show who was or was not engaged in the democratic nominee's speech, but these devices were able to pinpoint eight of the most emotionally impactful moments Democrats (70.8 percent) and Independents (50.7 percent) both surpassed topped the 50 percent mark, while Republican trailed behind with just 4.3 percent. This includes when Hillary said, 'But we usually focus on how it turned out and not enough on how close that story came to never being written at all' 'Our bioanalytics technology, coupled with historical events of this nature, provides a rich, unparalleled lens into the human experience.' Not only does this technology show who was or was not engaged in the democratic nominee's speech, but these devices were able to pinpoint eight of the most emotionally impactful moments as well. This includes when Hillary said, 'But we usually focus on how it turned out and not enough on how close that story came to never being written at all,' at 9 minutes and 28 seconds. To conduct this study, the team deployed technology at viewing parties and individual homes in seven key cities: San Francisco, California, Beverly Hills, California, Irvine, California, Sarasota, Florida, Burlington, Vermont, Dallas, Texas and Boston, Massachusetts And it seems that those over the age of 55 are really with the female nominee, as 98.1 percent reported a physical and emotional response during the speech. The audience also exhibited peak engagement at the beginning of the speech, dropped in engagement in the middle and rebounded in energy at the end Also when she thanked Bernie Sanders at 7 minutes and 28 seconds, another was when she took a dig at Republican nominee Donald Trump, 'You really think Donald Trump has the temperament to be Commander in Chief' at 49 minutes and 49 seconds during the speech. Other moments include praising America, thanking her family, her vice president and telling the audience that her and Sanders will be working together to make college tuition free for the middle class and debt free for all said at 40 minutes and 2 seconds. Additional insights showed that the highest engagement took place in the first one third part of the speech, which was reported as 37 percent higher than any other point during the speech. The audience also exhibited peak engagement at the beginning of the speech, dropped in engagement in the middle and rebounded in energy at the end. With Trump's threats of barring Muslims from entering the US, it seems he has pushed many people from the Middle East over to the blue team. Lightwave found 94.6 percent of Middle Easterners were moved by Clinton's words, followed by Hispanics with 90.1 percent and African Americans at 70.3 percent And even though Sanders has stepped out of the race, he didn't stepped out of his supporters' hearts. Advertisement Elon Musk's space firm has received a second contract from Nasa to blast astronauts to the International space Station. The award is seen as another important step in returning U.S. astronaut launches from U.S. soil. Currently, Russian Soyuz craft are Nasa's only option since the end of the Space Shuttle programme. Scroll down for video Elon Musk's space firm received a second contract from Nasa. Currently, Russian Soyuz craft are Nasa's only option since the end of the Shuttle programme. A SOFT LANDING The Dragon 2 capsule is designed to land on any surface in the solar system, SpaceX says. It uses jets to land itself, the same system SpaceX is developing for its booster rockets. Once the rockets bring the craft close to Earth, four extendable legs allow it to land. Advertisement Commercial crew flights from Florida's Space Coast to the International Space Station will restore America's human spaceflight launch capability and increase the time U.S. crews can dedicate to scientific research, which is helping prepare astronauts for deep space missions, including the Journey to Mars, Nasa said. 'The order of a second crew rotation mission from SpaceX, paired with the two ordered from Boeing will help ensure reliable access to the station on American spacecraft and rockets,' said Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. 'These systems will ensure reliable U.S. crew rotation services to the station, and will serve as a lifeboat for the space station for up to seven months.' It is the fourth and final guaranteed order NASA will make under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts. Boeing received its two orders in May and December of 2015, and SpaceX received its first order in November 2015. Both companies have started planning for, building and testing the necessary hardware and assets to carry out their first flight tests, and ultimately missions for the agency. At a later time, NASA will identify which company will fly the first post-certification mission to the space station. Each provider's contract includes a minimum of two and a maximum potential of six missions. Inside the Dragon: Crew Dragon will ultimately be capable of taking up to seven astronauts to and from orbit - such as the ISS - and SpaceX also has plans to use it on their proposed missions to Mars. Shown here is the cockpit, with futuristic digital displays used to monitor the spacecraft during launch The company conducted two tethered tests of a full-size Crew Dragon mock-up attached to a crane so engineers could refine the landing software and systems on the spacecraft. SpaceX met the criteria for this latest award after it successfully completed interim developmental milestones and internal design reviews for its Crew Dragon spacecraft, Falcon 9 rocket and associated ground systems. 'We're making great progress with Crew Dragon, with qualification of our docking adapter and initial acceptance testing of the pressure vessel qualification unit completed' said Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president and chief operating officer. 'We appreciate the trust NASA has placed in SpaceX with the order of another crew mission and look forward to flying astronauts from American soil next year.' Starliners will fly from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard Atlas 5 rockets, which are built and flown by United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing SpaceX is building four Crew Dragon spacecraft at its Hawthorne facility -- two for qualification testing and two for flight tests next year. The company also is in the process of modifying Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from which the company will launch future crewed missions to the space station. A standard commercial crew mission to the station will carry as many as four crew members and about 220 pounds of pressurized cargo, and remain at the station for as long as 210 days, available as an emergency lifeboat during that time. The fourth Falcon 9 rocket carried the Thaicom 8 communications satellite into orbit in May this year before landing safely, marking the company's fourth successfully landing. Now the company has begun testing this rocket as it prepares to meet its goal of relaunching a 'reusable' rocket by October. The fourth Falcon 9 launched the Thaicom 8 communications satellite in May this year and landed safely, marking the company's fourth successfully landing. Now the first stage of testing on this rocket was shown in a video the company posted on YouTube (screenshot pictured) THE FIRST RELAUNCH SpaceX has managed to land four rockets from space back on Earth, one on land and three on sea, with the latest successful sea landing on 28 May. The chief executive of SpaceX revealed on Twitter in June that the company is planning to relaunch one of them in the next few months. This move would take the firm, and the aerospace industry as a whole, another step closer towards reusable rockets becoming commonplace. Advertisement SpaceX posted a video on YouTube showing the rocket undergoing the first stages of testing. 'Falcon 9 first stage from May JCSAT mission was test fired, full duration, at our Texas rocket development facility today,' the video description says. SpaceX chose not to use the first rocket it ever relanded, which was a solid ground landing, because Elon Musk thinks it should be kept as a 'museum piece'. The video shows the rocket burning for 2 minutes and 30 seconds at SpaceX's McGregor test centre in Texas. Although this stage is not expected to fly again, it is involved in critical ground testing, which will pave the way for the first relaunch of a Falcon 9 booster. In June this year Elon Musk announced the same Falcon 9 rocket, which launched the Thaicom 8 communications satellite, was back in the hangar with the three other first stages that had also made it safely back on the ground. The video shows the rocket burning for 2 minutes and 30 seconds at SpaceX's McGregor test centre in Texas. Although this stage isn't expected to fly again, it is involved in critical ground testing, which will pave the way for the first relaunch of a Falcon 9 booster SpaceX has managed to land four rockets from space back on Earth, one on land and three on sea, with the latest successful sea landing on 28 May. Mr Musk plans to relaunch the second rocket it successfully landed within the next few months. If it goes ahead, this would make it the first relaunch of the private space company's rockets. This move would take the firm, and the aerospace industry as a whole, another step closer towards reusable rockets becoming commonplace. This could make deep space travel cheaper, helping pave the way for a viable manned mission to Mars. The company plans to start offering a service to send payloads to Mars as early as 2018, with prices starting at 42 ($62) million for the Falcon 9 rocket. In June this year Elon Musk announced the same Falcon 9 rocket, which launched the Thaicom 8 communications satellite, was back in the hangar with the three other first stages that had also made it safely back on the ground. All four pictured in the hangar Rival company, Jeff Bezo's Blue Origin, successfully completed a third launch and vertical landing of its flagship rocket New Shepard in April this year. Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com and owner of The Washington Post newspaper, said last month Blue Origin expects to begin crewed test flights of the New Shepard next year and begin flying paying passengers as early as 2018. Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency are also developing similar technology and are in testing stages. Cai Zhenqiang, owner and curator of the Shenzhen-based Long Sheng Museum, hailed as China's largest private museum, has gone missing, leaving more than 10 million yuan of rent unpaid, a local newspaper reported. Shenzhen-based Long Sheng Museum.[File photo] The Shenzhen Evening Post reported on Tuesday that the museum, known for its purchase of several precious Chinese antiques from overseas, had been shut down for months. Cai Zhenqiang has been facing a series of lawsuits and debts since last year. His Shenzhen Cang Shi Zhai Culture and Arts Investment Inc. has been shut down and a local court ruled on July 11 that the museum has to be moved from its current location, as it had owed 12 million yuan (US$1.8 million) in rent since it opened. Long Sheng Museum once covered 6,600 square meters and had five exhibition halls of jade, porcelain, bronze wares, calligraphies and oil paintings. There were 300 exhibits in the museum, more than half of which were bought from overseas. The museum got national qualification certification in 2015. Cai also established an online lending platform in 2013 to provide financial services related to artworks, but due to the capital chain break, the company now owes more than 100 million yuan in debt. According to public documents, Cai is facing 25 lawsuits in Shenzhen, most of which are related to debt. China has allocated 199 million yuan ($29.76 million) to spend on its weather modification programme as part of efforts to combat drought and reduce the impact of natural disasters. The finance ministry revealed the project earlier this month, as state media reported flooding this year caused at least 237 deaths. The Ministry of Finance said the additional funding had been made available in order to help China's regions respond to the large number of 'extreme weather events' this year, including heavy flooding in south and central regions as well as drought in the northwest. Scroll down for video The Ministry of Finance said the additional funding had been made available in order to help China's regions respond to the large number of 'extreme weather events' this year, including heavy flooding in south and central regions as well as drought in the northwest. HOW CLOUD-SEEDING WORKS Microscopic particles of silver iodide are shot into existing clouds using land based generators or aircraft. Silver iodide is an ice-forming agent,which causes supercooled water droplets to freeze in the clouds. The 'ice embryos' interact with the surrounding water droplets, and eventually grow to snowflakes. These fall to the ground as snow or raindrops, depending on the surface temperatures. Cloud seeding can also, in some cases, cause the cloud to grow larger and last longer than it would have without the modification. Advertisement China currently uses weather modification technology - including cloud seeding - to induce rain during droughts, to reduce hail, and to clear the skies ahead of prestigious international events, including the Beijing Olympics in 2008. China aims to use weather modification technologies to create more than 60 billion cubic metres of additional rain a year by 2020, it said in a document published at the beginning of last year. Elsewhere similar technology is under development. A team of Nevada scientists have been using a drone to control the weather. Engineers and meteorologists say they have created the first autonomous cloud seeding platform that could increase rainfall by 15 per cent. Cloud seeding involves spraying fine particles of silver iodide into a cloud system in an effort to boost the amount of rain that falls. Drone engineers and scientists from the Desert Research Institute, Drone America, and AviSight have teamed up to build the drone, which carries cloud-seeding equipment. They used a DAx8 eight-rotor drone and successfully completed flare tests in late January 2016. 'This is a major milestone,' said Adam Watts, the project's lead. 'We were able to fly this advanced aircraft right here in Northern Nevada and verify that UAS are fully capable of carrying active cloud seeding payloads.' Richards, president of Drone America said the project would provide 'safe airborne seeding with significant potential of providing relief to people in drought-stricken areas.' While this may be the first drone to perform cloud seeding, it isn't the first time the technique has been used. Last year, Arizona revealed plans to create artificial rain clouds by flying planes over the Rockies and seeding the sky with silver iodide. They hope the technology will allow them to mitigate some of the worst impacts of climate change but not everyone is convinced. A team of Nevada scientists have been using drones to control the weather. Engineers and meteorologists say they have created the first autonomous cloud seeding platform that could increase rainfall by 15 per cent The process of cloud seeding was first proposed in the 1940s at the General Electric labs in Schenectady, New York. Two decades later, the Central Arizona Project and the Salt River Project invested in research to make it a reality. 'It hasn't been taken off the table as a potential tool as we work our way through drought now and in the future,' Nancy Selover, Arizona's state climatologist told Becky Brisley at Cronkite News. Since 2007, CAP has put about $1 million toward research happening in other states to increase the supply of water in the Colorado River system. Water in the air, even in dry areas, can be transformed into ice crystals by using planes to seed the atmosphere with chemicals such as silver iodide or dry ice The system works on the premise that rainfall takes place when supercooled droplets of water form ice crystals. As a result they become too heavy to remain suspended in the air, and fall, often melting on their way down to form rain. Water in the air, even in dry areas, can be transformed into ice crystals by seeding the atmosphere with chemicals such as silver iodide or dry ice. They create rain by inducing nucleation a process in which water is in the air condenses around the particles and crystallises to form ice. SCIENTISTS FEAR HOSTILE NATIONS COULD CONTROL THE WEATHER If it seems like it never stops raining, blame the Russians. Or even the North Koreans. CIA chiefs fear hostile nations are trying to manipulate the world's weather, a conference heard in February. A leading academic last year told how he got a mysterious phone call asking whether foreign countries could be triggering droughts or flooding. Professor Alan Robock, from Rutgers University in New Jersey, said: 'Consultants working for the CIA rang and said we'd like to know if someone is controlling the world's climate would we know about it? 'Of course they were also asking - if we control someone else's climate would they then know about it.' The professor is one of many scientists from around the world are actively looking at manipulating the weather as a way of combating climate change. Professor Robock told the callers that any attempts to meddle with the weather on a large scale would be detectable. Advertisement But some scientists are concerned about silver building up in river basins, as well as legal uncertainties over who should get the additional water. Compared to other alternatives, such as desalinating seawater, cloud seeding is the cheapest option, though it isn't going to be a drought-buster on its own. In a recent Wyoming Weather Modification pilot project, the technology resulted in an increase of seasonal snow water accumulations of 5 to 15 per cent. But Selover, the state climatologist, told Cronkite News that the trickiest part of cloud seeding is measuring whether an area got more rainfall. 'So the effectiveness of it is in doubt,' she said. 'It's not that it's completely ineffective they're pretty sure it has some impact but it's pretty hard to measure.' A South Korean tourist who became violent on a plane after he was told he wasn't allowed to do yoga on board has been ordered to pay United Airlines more than $44,000. Hyongtae Pae, 72, threatened cabin crew and passengers, tried to bite and headbutt two Marines and shoved his wife during an angry altercation on board the flight from Honolulu to Tokyo. Pae was arrested after the incident last March and sentenced on Thursday by a federal judge, who ordered him to compensate the airline for a costly U-turn that disrupted its operations and delayed hundreds of fellow tourists. Tourist Hyongtae Pae stands outside the federal courthouse in Honolulu in this file photo taken last April Pae was also sentenced to time served of around 13 days following his arrest, meaning he won't serve additional jail time. The incident occurred as he and his wife were heading home after celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in Hawaii. Pae didn't want to sit in his assigned seat during the meal service so he went to the back of the plane to do yoga and meditate, according to court records. He refused to return to his seat when flight attendants spoke to him, and threatened crew and fellow passengers before shoving his wife. He made threats to kill passengers and yelled that there is no god, and tried to attack two Marines who helped to restrain him, said prosecutors. A federal judge in Honolulu ordered tourist Hyongtae Pae to pay more than $44,000 to United Airlines The captain made the decision to turn around and fly back to Honolulu so Pae could be removed by police. Pae told investigators he hadn't slept in 11 days, and prosecutors said he went into a rage because he felt the crew was ordering him around, said prosecutors. The retired farmer pleaded guilty in April to interfering with a flight crew and was released from custody so he could return home to South Korea. He returned to Honolulu for Thursday's sentencing, but declined to speak in court. US District Judge Helen Gillmor said she agreed with prosecutors that Pae's actions constituted a violent felony. Because of that, it's possible he may never be allowed to return to the US. Pae doesn't intend to return in the future, said his defense attorney, Jin Tae 'JT' Kim. Gillmor said Pae was 'getting off very easy' with a restitution order of $44,235 given the cost of the flight delay, including jet fuel and assistance for passengers whose travel plans were disrupted. 'I take this very seriously and I have a great deal of concern about this behavior,' she said. It was a traumatic experience for the passengers and the flight crew, said Assistant US Attorney Jill Otake. Gillmor said Pae is allowed to return home following sentencing, but before he leaves Hawaii he must meet with a probation officer to work out restitution payments. He'll be under court supervision for three years, which is the amount of time he has to pay the restitution. A trip to Disney World is a big deal for most children, but a young boy dressed as a Star Wars villain had an experience he'll never forget. Clad in full Kylo Ren costume and toting a plastic lightsaber, the boy received an escort from actors dressed as Stormtroopers when he arrived at the Florida theme park's Star Wars attraction. Footage of his special visit has gone viral on the internet, with more than a million views on YouTube after it became a top trend on Reddit. Disney World employees dressed as Stormtroopers escorted the young boy around part of the theme park The Stormtroopers ordered people out of the way as visitors snapped photos of the miniature Kylo Ren It was an experience that Nicolas Denton will never forget after visiting Disney World with his father Father William Denton laughed with delight and encouraged his son, Nicolas, as he recorded the nine-minute video. Disney World visitors snapped photos as the Stormtroopers ordered them out of the way and led the miniature Kylo Ren around a plaza before entering Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Inside, Nicolas met and posed for photos with a Disney employee dressed as Kylo Ren. The sinister character was portrayed by Girls actor Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the latest film in the franchise. Nicolas was wearing a full Kylo Ren costume and toting a three-pronged lightsaber during his visit Nicolas was escorted inside Star Wars Launch Bay, where he met a Disney worker dressed as Kylo Ren The sinister character was portrayed by actor Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the latest film The Kylo Ren character will appear in a sequel that is due in cinemas in December 2017. Video of the miniature Kylo Ren's escort was a hit with viewers. One wrote: 'That was way too sweet. I was smiling the whole way through!' Getting the perfect family snap while holiday can be surprisingly difficult - everyone has to be looking their best and the lighting has to be just right. But if you're heading to Butlin's this summer then you're in luck as the holiday company has enlisted the help of Royal photographer Samir Hussein, so that their guests can leave with picture perfect memories. The renowned photographer, who's captured portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day and during their recent tour to India, has trained a team of roving photographers, who will be on hand to capture those special moments for free. Royal photographer Samir Hussein (left) has been training the Butlin's photography team so they can capture special moments for families visiting the resorts The Butlin's photographers are trained to follow the principles of 'natural family photography' The renowned photographer has captured portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day and during their recent tour to India Guests at all three Butlin's resorts can get their pictures taken by the photographers, and get a printed copy to take away, from July 30. The photographers have been trained by Samir Hussein to follow the principles of 'natural family photography'. Samir Hussein said: 'I've seen family photos move from stiff, unnatural poses to fluid, in the moment images that really capture a family's time together and I think the "Wills and Kate" effect has had a big impact on this, with over half of families we asked saying they prefer natural photos. 'Almost one in ten also want help to take fewer but better photos to free them up so parents can put down the camera and spend time with their children and I'm delighted that Butlin's is championing this approach; as a new dad myself I couldn't agree more.' Butlin's hopes that its new free service will help families enjoy more moments together instead of wasting time posing for photographs. Guests at all three Butlin's resorts can get their pictures taken by the photographers and get a printed copy to take away, from July 30 Butlin's hopes that their new free service will help families enjoy more moments together instead of wasting time on posing for photographs The initiative follows new research conducted by the resort that shows families are spending almost five hours taking photographs during a typical holiday. It's the equivalent of an average of 24 pictures a day, with 11 per cent of people admitting to taking up to 50 images a day. The average time taken for each image is just over four minutes but one in 25 say they would spend over 15 minutes to get the right composition - and some are taking the same shot four times to get it just right. In fact, taking photographs is so time consuming that one in 13 parents say their family has missed out on doing activities together. Two holidaymakers from Britain have been condemned in Venice after driving a rental car through the car-free canal city. Angry locals stopped the couple as they drove along the city's famous Grand Canal and nearly ran over a pedestrian, Italian media reported. The pair took the Fiat Panda over a pedestrian bridge and told locals they had no idea cars were banned in Venice, blaming Google Maps, which they were using as a sat-nav, for the error. Cars are banned in the Italian city of Venice, which has very few roads and is famous for its canals The couple was using Google Maps to navigate its way to a hotel. But they almost ran over a passer-by in front of a supermarket before they were stopped by locals, according to a report by La Nuova Venezia, which was translated by The Local. 'We're just trying to reach our hotel which should be two kilometres from here,' one of the tourists told the locals after they were stopped. 'Google Maps sent us this way.' On its website, La Nuova Venezia posted video of the car is it drove past bewildered locals and turned down an alley. Venice has few roads but plenty of road signs warning visitors that cars are not permitted inside the city It said the couple was a Slovak national who has a British passport, and his wife. Last month, two UK tourists were stopped and fined by local police after they drove a Mercedes-Benz station wagon through the city centre, The Local reported. Venice - famous for its canals and gondolas - has few roads but plenty of road signs in both Italian and English warning visitors that cars are not permitted. Visitors can drive into the canal city over a bridge but they must park their cars - for a fee of around 25 (20) or more for 24 hours - after crossing. A passenger plane was forced to turn back to its departure point due to a problem with the cabin pressure. The Luxair flight had set out from Luxembourg for Rome, but the journey was interrupted just half-an-hour in and the plane had to be repaired back at Findel Airport. Several news sources in Luxembourg have reported that the problem concerned the seal of the cockpit window. A Luxair plane had to return to Findel Airport when the pilots noticed there was a cabin pressure issue (file photo) However, the Aviation Herald, who publish stories about aviation incidents, says that the diversion was due to 'a leaking door seal'. Airline spokesperson Marc Gerges told Wort.lu that the Boeing 737 could have flown on to Rome, but that turning back to Luxembourg was 'the best solution and simplest'. The problem was rectified back in Luxembourg 50 minutes after departure and the plane flew on to Rome with a delay of two hours 40 minutes. The newspaper also states that there was a problem with 'the material that seals the cockpit window'. MailOnline Travel has contacted Luxair for comment. Press sources in Luxembourg have said that the plane turned back due to a problem with the cockpit window (file photo) Last month MailOnline Travel reported on how a passenger plane was forced to abort take-off at the last minute because the cockpit window opened. The Air Arabia Maroc Airbus A320 - the same model as EgyptAir Flight 804, which crashed in the Mediterranean in May - was about to fly out from Amsterdam to Tangier when the flight crew rejected the take-off. The plane, which was said to be 'travelling at low speeds', stopped about 3,000ft down the runway. Sixteen British holidaymakers who fell seriously ill on board a Fred Olsen cruise ship are entitled to compensation, the Court of Appeal has ruled. The passengers suffered gastric illness symptoms, including diarrhoea, vomiting and severe stomach cramps, while sailing on the Boudicca to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the Iberian Peninsula in March and April 2011. Three judges - Lord Justice Gross, Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson and Lord Justice Christopher Clarke - rejected an appeal by the UK-based cruise line and found it liable for norovirus outbreaks that ruined the passengers' holidays. Three Court of Appeal judges found Fred Olsen Cruise Lines liable for the spread of norovirus on the Boudicca In 2015 Judge Robert Owen, sitting at Birmingham County Court, found Fred Olsen Cruise Lines guilty of neglect for the suffering of the passengers, including some who were so ill they were confined to their cabins. Lord Justice Gross rejected the cruise line's claim that it was not at fault, and agreed with the trial judge there were 'multiple failures' to implement a plan to prevent the spread of the stomach bug. The ruling now paves the way for the passengers to receive a fair settlement of their claims. One of the passengers was 70-year-old Diane West, from Reading, Berkshire, whose cruise was ruined after her husband fell seriously ill on board the ship and had to spend the last few days confined to the cabin. The ruling paves the way for the 16 passengers to receive a fair settlement for their claims She said: 'I am relieved that our legal battle is finally over. Our cruise was a nightmare and I just wanted justice for what happened. 'My husband Raymond was suffered terribly with diarrhoea and vomiting. We had to see the doctor on board who prescribed some medication for him to try and settle his stomach but it ruined our trip. 'I was concerned about the hygiene standards on board the ship, in particular the staffs efficiency of cleaning on board, especially our cabin. 'The staff didnt seem to pay much attention to the bathroom and I did not think they had cleaned it properly.' Simon O'Loughlin, a solicitor from the law firm Irwin Mitchell, which represented the passengers, said: 'This Court of Appeal victory will finally give the passengers who suffered illness during and after cruises on the Boudicca cruise ship in 2011 a sense of justice. 'They booked their trips expecting a relaxing cruise but instead ended up suffering illness often confining them to their cabins for days. 'Its extremely disappointing that Fred Olsen have fought this to trial, and then all the way to the Court of Appeal, but we are delighted that the court has again ruled in our clients favour and they will now finally receive a fair settlement from the cruise company after enduring such terrible times on board the Boudicca ship.' He added: 'There are strict procedures and plans in order to prevent the spread of illness on board cruise ships, which include the need for ships to be subject to an extensive deep cleaning process following reports of problems. 'Sadly in this case the plans were not implemented sufficiently which should have been a priority after the number of passengers who had become ill. 'Whilst nothing can ever fully make up for the suffering they endured during the cruise, this is a great result for our clients and I am very pleased to see that the court has fully recognised the need for cruise lines to take appropriate and sufficient steps to prevent passengers from contracting illness.' A Fred Olsen spokeswoman said: 'Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is extremely disappointed by the courts decision, particularly in light of the permission to appeal the original ruling. 'Fred Olsen believes that it made every reasonable effort, in accordance with its approved norovirus outbreak prevention and control plan, to prevent and contain the virus on board Boudicca. 'In the original ruling, the Judge deemed Fred Olsens norovirus outbreak prevention and control plan to be "an appropriate plan consistent with authoritative advice and with industry standards".' The spokeswoman said outbreak prevention is of utmost important and every crew member is aware of the plan's strict requirements. The spokeswoman said: 'Fred Olsen guests are all made aware of the need to maintain the highest standards of personal hygiene at all times and are educated regularly as to how to prevent the outbreak and spread of the virus on board.' Irwin Mitchell claimed that it has represented more than 200 passengers who say they were affected by similar symptoms on board the Boudicca from 2009 to 2013. They've spent the past few years being separated by almost 5,000 miles. However, sisters Tamara Ecclestone and Petra Stunt looked thrilled to be reunited as they strolled side-by-side with their daughters for a day of shopping in Beverly Hills on Thursday. Soaking up the Californian sun, the Formula 1 heiresses hit the designer boutiques with their little girls Lavinia, three, and Sophia, two, in tow. Scroll down for video Girls day out! Tamara Ecclestone, 32, and Petra Stunt, 27, enjoyed a girls day out with their daughters Lavina, three, and Sophia, two Enjoying some sister bonding, Tamara, 32, displayed her tiny waist in a flirty black and white ruffled mini-dress. Making sure to cinch in her minuscule waist, the brunette beauty paraded her toned and tanned pins in on-trend black-studded flat sandals. Pushing her tot around, the doting mother styled her long locks into a soft wave as her daughter Sophia looked adorable in a pink sun dress and floral sunglasses. Girls just want to have fun! The yummy mummy looked stylish in a monochrome inspired ensemble Meanwhile, LA-based sister Petra, 27, wowed in nude slip dress with lime green accents that flaunted her slim figure. The blonde - who is also mother to twins Andrew and James, one, - layered her silk boudoir inspired piece over a simple white tee that highlighted her ample assets. Edging up her look, Petra wore a pair of silver reflective sunglasses as she strolled up and down the renowned designer destination in a white sliders with silver embellishment. Walking while pushing a stroller, Petra's little one looked every inch the little princess in a bubbly gum pink dress with silver shoes. Fashion forward! Petra channelled her inner nineties child in a silk slip dress layered over a simple white t-shirt Enjoying one of her and her daughter's regular trips to see Petra and her family in the States, Tamara beamed as they shopped together. It's been a typically jet-set summer for the socialite, who only days before had been taking in the sights of Croatia after soaking up the sun in Mykonos. She was joined by her incredibly youthful-looking mother Slavica and daughter, bringing three generations of the family together. Tamara, who is the daughter of billionaire F1 executive Bernie Ecclestone, recently defended her decision to continue breastfeeding her two-year-old after she became victim to vile trolls. The heiress has often shared snaps of herself feeding her child, but was disheartened to see some of her followers had commented saying that the images were 'gross' and that there was 'no need' for her to post pictures of her 't**s hanging out.' They see you strolling! Petra and Tamara beamed as they walked down the LA designer destination together on Thursday with their little ones Sharing her very candid message for the trolls with FEMAIL, Tamara said: 'I would tell them to go eat their dinner in the toilet.' She continued: 'I think all mothers should support each other and stick together instead of picking flaws. 'It's tricky as parenting is one of those things everyone seems to have an opinion on and a lot of the time it's unwanted and can be so cruel. 'I am doing my best as a mum by following my heart and intuition. I feel mums should really listen to their intuition; no one knows their baby better.' Its clear the movie camera adores Eva Noblezada, but the feeling is not mutual. Eva played Kim, the title character, when Cameron Mackintosh revived Miss Saigon, the Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil musical set against the backdrop of the war in Vietnam, in the West End two years ago. Mackintosh and Universal filmed Eva and the shows cast during its run at the Prince Edward Theatre, capturing brilliantly the tale of a young woman who becomes romantically entangled with an American GI, and then has to fight to protect their son. Scroll down for video Back to Saigon: Eva Noblezada (pictured) played Kim, the title character, when Cameron Mackintosh revived Miss Saigon The movie will be shown in UK cinemas for one night only on October 16 (it screens in Australia from October 15). The video will then be available to purchase. Playing Kim in London was American-born Miss Noblezadas first professional performance on stage and film. Id never had any camera experience before, she told me when we met at the Union club in Soho, explaining that cameras were placed in the Prince Edward, and close-ups shot later. Before we started, I was worried a bit. I was thinking: Oh, the camera adds 10lbs! Or: The camera doesnt get me at my best angle. Playing Kim in London was Miss Noblezadas first professional performance on stage and film I think it was difficult for me to get over myself and say: Its not about how I look. I realised I was there to tell a story, and not look like a Hollywood film star. 'So instead of trying to analyse every little detail, I just tried to ignore the camera and do my job, learning how to use my body, my voice and my face in a new way. Whatever she did, it worked. Shes a natural. And her singing, and that of her cast mates (including Jon Jon Briones and Alistair Brammer), soars. Eva was just a teenager when she travelled from her home in North Carolina to the West End. Those early days were tough. I had to skip a few years of my life and become an adult. I had to grow up. In the beginning, I was crying in scenes that werent even sad. I was a young woman by herself for the very first time. It was like Kim. She had to grow up, and so did I. She caught a private, rough-cut screening of Miss Saigon: 25th Anniversary Performance and shed a few more tears as she watched the characters fleeing the war. People are still fleeing wars, she said sadly. Now she is appearing in Les Miserables another Schonberg and Boublil show playing Eponine. But next March shell make her Broadway debut: playing Kim once more in Miss Saigon. Meanwhile, in September, director Danny Boyle and screen writer Simon Beaufoy will meet to start work on a treatment, detailing how theyd make a big-screen of the musical. The film will go ahead...if Working Title and Universal accept their ideas. Eva would certainly be under consideration to play Kim; and then there would be many more cameras for her to ignore. For details about screenings of the 25th anniversary film visit: www.misssaigon25th.com And go to Mailonline to see the first trailer. There are plans to put America under the spell of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child. Once the two-part blockbuster play has its official opening tomorrow, talk will turn to how to apparate (Potter-speak for transport) The Cursed Child to Broadway, though I thought I heard an owl hooting something about it going via Toronto. Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, who had the idea of doing the show in the first place, have overseen an extraordinary three-year process to get the plays on stage at the Palace Theatre. Spellbinding: Anthony Boyle (left) as Scorpius Malfoy and Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter Magical: The cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child take to the stage - now plans are already underway to take the play to Broadway Left, Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter and Jamie Parker as Harry Potter in the two-part blockbuster play Weve got to take a very big breath now and get through the weekend, Callender told me. Then well deal with what the next stage looks like and hopefully Broadway will be part of that. Critics delivered their verdicts on Tuesday and the consensus was. . . its a hit! Importantly, Ben Brantley, chief drama critic for the New York Times, gave it a rave review, declaring that Cursed Child captures J.K. Rowlings sensibility even more persuasively than did the special effects- driven films. Of course, putting together a second production would take time: to find the right New York theatre (the Palace is the perfect London home); the right cast; not to mention to allow director John Tiffany and his team of designers, Christine Jones and Katrina Lindsay, composer Imogen Heap, movement director Steven Hoggett and others to coordinate their schedules. But at least they have a strong piece to start with. Writer Jack Thornes play, based on a story by Rowling, Tiffany and himself, is in place and it works. A new batch of tickets are set to be put up for sale on August 4, covering a booking period through to December 2017 From left: Alex Price as Draco Malfoy, Paul Thornley as Ron Weasley, Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger, Jamie Parker as Harry Potter and Poppy Miller as Ginny Potter Callender said he and Friedman knew something special was happening when, during workshops, we would sit in, and when actors were reading the play, people would be crying. 'We said that if we can make the play work in its rawest state, then everything else is icing on the cake. We knew from the first preview that the piece was on the right track, Callender added, though a lot of fine-tuning has been done since then. I was at that first preview, too, and I felt I was watching a piece of pure theatrical magic a work of art that was still totally commercial, in the way The Godfather Part 2 was. The shows core values of love, family and friendship will never date. So expect Cursed Child to be part of Londons cultural fabric for decades to come... Left, Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy and right, Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter As I revealed last week, a new batch of tickets will be put up for sale on August 4, covering a booking period through to December 2017. My guess is that once that block of seats is sold, another will be made available, going into 2018. The shows core values of love, family and friendship will never date. So expect Cursed Child to be part of Londons cultural fabric for decades to come. A cast recording will be made of the new version of Half A Sixpence, which opened this week at Chichester Festival Theatre, featuring songs from the 1963 original by David Heneker updated by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The album ought to have a video, highlighting the terrific musical numbers by director Rachel Kavanaugh and choreographer Andrew Wright and featuring brand new star Charlie Stemp and leading ladies Devon-Elise Johnson and Emma Williams. Cameron Mackintosh wants to transfer it to the West End in the autumn, but no plans have been made yet. Half a Sixpence with Devon-Elise Johnson as Ann and Charlie Stemp as Arthur Kipps Preliminary auditions for the London production of Lin-Manuel Mirandas musical Hamilton (about American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton), due to open in October 2017 at the Victoria Palace, start next week. Flash Over 1.468 million person-times of Chinese tourists are expected to visit Vietnam in the first seven months of 2016, up 54.5 percent year-on-year, said Vietnam's General Statistics Office (GSO) on Thursday. During seven-month period, the country is likely to welcome over 5.552 million person-times of foreign tourists, up 24 percent year-on-year. Among the figure, some 4.66 million person-times arrive in Vietnam by air, up 28.7 percent year-on-year. Other 806,400 person-times travel to Vietnam by road, up 8.2 percent year-on-year while some 86,300 person-times go to the country by sea, down 22.4 percent, said GSO on its website. From January to July, tourists from Asian countries coming to Vietnam total at some 3.967 million person-times, up 29.5 percent year-on-year. Growth is seen in major markets including China (up 54.5 percent year-on-year), South Korea (up 37 percent), China's Taiwan (up 15.9 percent), Thailand (up 37.2 percent) among others. Meanwhile, the number of visitors from Europe reaches 900,600 person-times, up 14.1 percent year-on-year while those from Americas and Australia are 450,800 person-times and 195,700 person-times, respectively. He's famous for playing the superhero Spider-Man. But in his latest film Hacksaw Ridge, Andrew Garfield will be playing a different kind of hero, one based on a real person. The 32-year-old actor depicts medic Desmond Doss in the movie, who was the first conscientious objector to win the Medal of Honor. Scroll down for video Back to reality: In his latest film Hacksaw Ridge, Andrew Garfield will be playing a hero based on a real person The new trailer starts off dramatically, with an entire unit of soldiers apparently waiting for Desmond to catch his breath during an attack. Voice over then explains how Desmond intended to join the military, despite the fact that he disagreed with the very idea of war. 'While everybody else is taking life, I'm gonna be saving it,' he proclaims proudly to what appears to be his father. During basic training, a sergeant, played by Vince Vaughn introduces him and other recruits to the M1 Garand main infantry rifle provided to American soldiers during the War. Integral part of the group: The new trailer starts off dramatically, with an entire unit of soldiers apparently waiting for Desmond to catch his breath during an attack Killing tool: During basic training, a sergeant, played by Vince Vaughn introduces him and other recruits to the M1 Garand main infantry rifle provided to American soldiers during the War 'This is a personal gift from the United States government,' he announces, adding that it's 'designed to bring death to the enemy.' Desmond of course can't accept the weapon, as he opposes the idea of killing, stating 'I'm sorry sergeant, I can't touch a gun.' Throughout training he's abused by other soldiers, who believe him to be a coward, and he is almost court marshaled, before being assigned to the Medical Corps. Misunderstood: Throughout training he's abused by other soldiers, who believe him to be a coward Dramatic: He is almost court marshaled, before being assigned to the Medical Corps Incoming! As a medic, he accompanied his unit on the front lines, and saved countless lives with his selfless acts of heroism Team player: He always put the wounded before himself As a medic, he accompanied his unit on the front lines, and saved countless lives with his selfless acts of heroism despite being wounded multiple times. He was eventually awarded the United States government's top wartime commendation, the Medal of Honor, which was a first for a conscientious objector, a view he held because of his membership in the Seventh Day Adventist faith. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey and Teresa Palmer, and was directed by controversial figure Mel Gibson. Ouch! Desmond was wounded multiple times, though he never fought back violently True to himself: He was eventually awarded the United States government's top wartime commendation, the Medal of Honor, which was a first for a conscientious objector, a view he held because of his membership in the Seventh Day Adventist faith She says she likes to 'attack with the eyes' to attract the attention of a potential love interest. But The Bachelor contestant Olena Khamula seems to have made a statement with more than just her baby blues in a previous photo shoot for Beauty Luscious & Co's Luscious Collection. The 23-year-old bombshell from Ukraine is seen provocatively posing in some revealing laced lingerie for the bedroom shoot, alongside none other than Kyle Sandilands' girlfriend Imogen Anthony. Scroll down for video Raunchy: The Bachelor contestant Olena Khamula strips down to her lingerie to enjoy a steamy bedroom romp with bad girl Imogen Anthony in a photo shoot from 2013 In the beautiful boudoir shoot from 2013, the makeup artist strips down to a racy white bra and gem encrusted briefs, while striking some sultry poses next to Imogen who is just as scantily clad. The models are seen posing back-to-back at one point, before swinging their hips from side-to-side and letting their incredibly toned figures speak for themselves. As the shoot promotes the launch of a new cosmetic collection, Olena even takes the liberty to get up close to Imogen's face, gently smothering some lip gloss onto Imogen's pout with her own fingers. Revealing: She sported a sleek black bra and matching briefs with cut-out detail for Beauty Luscious & Co 's Luscious Collection photo shoot Strike a pose: In the beautiful boudoir shoot, the makeup artist strips down to a racy white bra and gem encrusted briefs, while striking some sultry poses next to Imogen who is just as scantily clad Up close: As the shoot promotes the launch of a new cosmetic collection, Olena even takes the liberty to get up close to Imogen's face, gently smothering some lip gloss onto Imogen's pout with her own fingers Olena's gorgeous brown locks are styled in voluminous waves, while a light pink lipstick and smokey eye makeup done by Beauty Luscious & Co accentuate her stunning facial features. She later slips into another sexy bra and briefs as the racy shoot continues. Showing off her toned stomach and ample cleavage in a revealing black bra, she is seen writhing on a set of sheets next to an equally busty Imogen. Olena is one of the 22 women who entered The Bachelor mansion in a bid to win Richie Strahan's heart. Intimate: Imogen is seen staring into Olena's gorgeous blue eyes Working it: Both bombshells flaunt their cleavage in gem encrusted bras What would Richie think? No doubt a glimpse of this racy shoot would set The Bachelor Strahan's heart racing Picture perfect: Olena's gorgeous brown locks are styled in voluminous waves, while a light pink lipstick and smokey eye makeup accentuate her stunning facial features Couple: Olena appears in the photo shoot alongside Imogen Anthony (pictured) who is dating Kyle Sandilands And it looks like the stunner is doing very well so far, as she had a single date with the 31-year-old hunk during the second episode on Thursday. After a sweet picnic date, the pair returned to Richie's Bachelor pad for a romantic swim in his pool. Olena sizzled as she stripped down to a teeny tiny black bikini, which flaunted her slender tanned figure. Following their swim, Richie surprised the Sydney makeup artist with a stunning red dress to wear to the cocktail party that evening. Kicking back: During Thursday night's episode of The Bachelor, Olena went on a single date with Richie, and he took the beauty to his Bachelor's pad for a romantic swim in his pool Hot! Olena sizzled as she stripped down to a teeny tiny black bikini which flaunted her slender tanned figure Revealing: She opted for a strapless bikini top on this occasion Time to dry off: She was seen emerging from the water and grabbing a towel Sexy back: It's clear that Richie was impressed When she walked out wearing the figure-hugging gown, the hunk became lost for words before commenting, 'You look absolutely beautiful.' In his piece to camera, he gloated: 'Olena is a really gorgeous girl. She's got these massive beautiful eyes that really draw me in. 'She's confident and super-cool, and I find myself really attracted to her. With Olena I certainly think it is a case of there is more than meets the eye'. Before heading to the party with the other Bachelor contestants, Richie gifted Olena with a red rose to keep her safe in the mansion for another week. Strutting it! Following their swim, Richie surprised the Sydney makeup artist with a stunning red dress which she was to wear to the cocktail party Lost for words: When she walked out wearing the figure-hugging gown, the hunk became lost for words before commenting, 'You look absolutely beautiful' Now the Old Etonian chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was staggered by the size of an Amazon warehouse, in Hughs War On Waste (BBC1). Its vast! he exclaimed, as though baffled that one website could cover so many acres in reality Not for the first time this week, a BBC presenter was getting his brains boggled by the sheer scale of an industrial operation. On Tuesday, ex-greengrocer Gregg Wallace was hyper-active with glee as he roamed a cornflake factory. Now the Old Etonian chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was staggered by the size of an Amazon warehouse, in Hughs War On Waste (BBC1). Its vast! he exclaimed, as though baffled that one website could cover so many acres in reality. You cant blame the poor luvvies. They probably do all their shopping in artisan bakeries and bijou delis, and the reality of mass production must be a rotten shock to them. At least Hugh didnt get all weepy with excitement, the way Gregg did when confronted with a machine that made cereal boxes. Its true that he made a bit of a pillock of himself: first he pressed a button that sprayed rolls of brown paper across the floor, and then he crammed a large item into a small box and claimed, as he bashed the lid down, that he was saving cardboard. All it proved was that you wouldnt want Hugh wrapping your Christmas presents. But he had a good point to make: the online retail giants packers do waste untold tons of card and paper with sloppy packaging. And thats not all they wasted rather than do an interview the 21st-century way, via online video, Amazon flew an executive halfway around the world to meet Hugh face-to-face. We are fully committed, the suit declared. We are on a journey to getting it right all the time. Think of the carbon they burned to deliver that pile of waffle. The fact is, of course, that Amazons packaging wouldnt irritate most of us so much if theyd just pay their fair whack of tax. Multi-national coffee shops are widely despised for the same reason. The show was an update on a campaign Hugh launched last autumn, when he revealed that millions of tons of perfectly edible carrots and parsnips are ploughed back into the soil after every British harvest, because the supermarkets refuse to stock wonky veg. Thanks to his email protest, joined by more than 300,000 people, the big retailers have started selling knobbly, off-colour produce at cut prices. But he had a good point to make: the online retail giants packers do waste untold tons of card and paper with sloppy packaging Thats good news, but it doesnt fill an hour, so Hugh turned his ire on the coffee companies, for tricking us into thinking their cardboard beakers are recycled. It turns out that almost all those cups go into landfill, because they are infused with waterproof polythene that cant easily be reused. Hugh covered a double-decker bus in 10,000 paper cups, equivalent to the number we chuck away every two minutes, and trundled round London bellowing abuse at startled cappuccino drinkers. The coffee execs employed the same business strategy against Hugh that they use on the taxman: they completely ignored him. Starbucks did finally agree to a meeting, and offered to make changes . . . which they quietly dumped a few weeks later. CRIME KING OF THE WEEK Garda officers nabbed the thug who beat up an Elvis impersonator in Irish police drama Red Rocks (BBC1), when they spotted tell-tale traces of blood on his white trainers. He might have got away with it ... if hed been wearing blue suede shoes. Advertisement By the end, Hugh was boiling mad. Jets of steam were blasting out of his ears, like a latte machine. It was a righteous anger, both entertaining and purposeful, and we havent heard the last of it. Its harder to say what the purpose was of The Refugee Camp: Our Desert Home (BBC2), a portrait of the Zaatari settlement for 80,000 people that has sprung up on Jordans border with Syria. Everyone we met was smiling, resolute and peace-loving. It was as if the Beeb was subtly trying to persuade us that everyone who has fled a Middle Eastern warzone is gentle and harmless. Naturally, the vast majority are, but as weve seen over the past year, some are not. In the light of recent appalling events, this documentary left the soapy aftertaste of propaganda. Four years after the tents were pitched at Zaatari, most of the shacks and shelters will soon have plumbing and electricity. Plenty of slums in Brazils favela shanty-towns are far worse and theyve been selling for a fortune in the build-up to the Rio Olympics. Who knows? Michael Klim and his new girlfriend Desiree Deravi recently dined at Curtis Stone's expensive new Hollywood restaurant, Gwen. Desiree, who hails from Bali, even posed for an Instagram photo with the Australian celebrity chef after the couple enjoyed a date night in LA. Meanwhile, the Olympic gold medallist suggested they'd had a satisfying meal, writing in the caption: 'Aussies do it best! Still full.' Scroll down for video Let me take a selfie! Michael Klim's new girlfriend Desiree Deravi (left) posed for an Instagram photo with celebrity chef Curtis Stone (right) after the couple dined at his new Hollywood restaurant Gwen recently This comes just weeks after Michael, 38, and Desiree sparked engagement rumours after she was spotted wearing a diamond ring in Sydney. He previously told The Kyle and Jackie O Show that he was 'definitely not thinking about' marriage, adding: 'Its very early days'. Michael previously married Balinese princess Lindy Klim in 2006, but the couple announced their separation in in February. The couple share three children. After the split, Lindy began dating British builder Adam Ellis and Michael went public with Desiree shortly after. Happiness: Olympian Michael began dating Desiree after announcing his separation from ex-wife Lindy Klim Meanwhile, chef Curtis unveiled his latest American venture last month as a meat-focused restaurant along Sunset Boulevard. The title of the dining spot is a tribute to his grandmother who fed him hand-cut lamb chops from the family livestock during his childhood. The butcher's shop theme contrasts his more vegetable-leaning Maude in Beverley Hills, named after the family member who taught him to cook. Stateside success: Meanwhile, Curtis Stone unveiled his latest American venture last month as a meat-focused restaurant along Sunset Boulevard Stone is Australia's richest and arguably most successful chef, with a net worth of over $12 million. It was recently announced he will co-host an American version of My Kitchen Rules with Iron Chef America's Cat Cora, with eight episodes ordered by Fox. The format will similar to the Australian original, but instead of featuring talent home cooks all the contestants will be celebrities. His most famous role to date is playing the comic book character Batman. And a lady friend of Michael Keaton gave her real life hero a celebratory kiss as he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on Thursday. It certainly seems the lithe blonde agreed with the 64-year-old's self-assessment that he is 'pretty damn good.' Scroll down for video Her star: Michael Keaton got a smooch on the lips from a lady friend as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on Thursday The father-of-one, who was in a relationship with actress Courteney Cox from 1989 to 1995, certainly seemed to be enjoying himself as he locked lips with the beauty. During an hilarious speech, the down-to-earth actor, who started his career in local TV production after failing as a stand-up comic, took the opportunity to pour cold water on claims by stars about the difficulties of fame. After being introduced by his actor son Sean Douglas, he said: 'To say this is a dream is kind of incorrect because I really never thought about being famous. 'It sure is fun, but that's not the thing I really thought of. I always wanted to be good, that's all I really ever wanted to be. Michael Douglas was already taken: He was awarded a star under his stage, rather than his real name Preaching to the converted: The award-winning actor jovially boasted 'I'm pretty damn good' Cold water: Michael scoffed at the often mooted idea that fame is a burden, revealing 'it sure is fun' 'And honestly, to tell you the truth, I think sometimes I am and sometimes I think I'm pretty damn good.' He also delved into the world of fortune cookie philosophy by explaining it is the journey rather than the accolades that are important, in all walks of life. He said: ''You can be a good parent, you can be a good friend, a good husband, a good pal, a good actor - that's what you're supposed to do. You don't get extra credit for being those things, that's the job. 'That's what you're supposed to do and I'm never going to see it any other way than that.' Michael has had an astonishing career renaissance in recent years, winning a Golden Globe and being nominated for an Oscar for his turn in 2014's Birdman. My superhero: His son Sean Douglas waxed lyrical about his old man as he introduced him Birdman takes flight: He seemed as proud as punch as he posed up with his honorary plaque Dwarfed: The 5ft 10ins star was overshdaowed by his tall boy and his The Founder director John Lee Hancock Ironically it told the story of a washed-up former superhero film star battling to resurrect his career. It mirrored his rise and fall, for after winning critical acclaim for his turn in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, he won the prestigious role of Bruce Wayne when the director helmed 1989's Batman. After turning his back on the role after one sequel he he found himself relegated to B-movies, minor TV roles and voiceover work, but his performance in Birdman has seen him become the toast of Hollywood. He also won a string of critics' choice awards for his portrayal of investigative journalist Walter "Robby" Robinson in Spotlight, which chronicles The Boston Globe's investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The star, who adopted the name Keaton as his real moniker Michael Douglas had already been claimed, is of Scottish descent on his father's side, and once claimed to be a descendant of the famed Scots knight the Black Douglas. Hollywood bowled over: The movie hunk looked giddy with delight as they prepared to unveil his prestigious paving slab He recently revealed that he had bulked up his physique in preparation for his role in Suicide Squad. And Australian actor Jai Courtney, 30, looked every inch the muscular film star as he posed for photos at a promotional event for the highly-anticipated flick. Jai - who hails from Sydney- looked sharp in a short sleeve blue collared shirt that showed off his arm tattoos and bulging biceps. Scroll down for vidoe Hunk alert! Australian actor Jai Courtney, 30, looked every inch the muscular film star as he posed for photos at a promotional event for the highly-anticipated flick Suicide Squad He completed his look with a pair of navy chino trousers and some of brown lace-up boots. At one stage, he was seen pulling a strange one-footed pose while maintaining a straight face. He also sat down for a Q&A session, in which he discussed his role in the upcoming film Suicide Squad. Flaunting his physique: Jai - who hails from Sydney- looked sharp in a short sleeve blue collared shirt that showed off his arm tattoos and bulging biceps Stylish: He completed his look with a pair of navy chino trousers and some of brown lace-up boots Practicing your super-villain moves? At one stage, he was seen pulling a strange one-footed pose while maintaining a straight face In the flick, Jai plays the character of Captain Boomerang- marking the first ever big screen adaptation of the famed DC character. Suicide Squad's plot centres on a bunch of supervillians working for the government in a bid for their freedom Jai recently told Haute Living San Francisco about bulking up for the role. New gig: He also sat down for a Q&A session, in which he discussed his role in the upcoming film Suicide Squad Making his mark: In the flick, Jai plays the character of Captain Boomerang- marking the first ever big screen adaptation of the famed DC character Highly-anticipated film: Suicide Squad's plot centres on a bunch of supervillians working for the government in a bid for their freedom He told the publication: 'I did a lot of Olympic lifting and heavy circuit work...a crazy nutritional regimen that included a lot of flesh, a lot of protein.' He added: 'It was one of those things that was exhausting at first, for example, getting up and eating oatmeal, chicken breasts, and six eggs the very first thing in the morning.' Putting on enough mass to bulk up to a total 230 pounds, or 104kgs, the star was happy with the success of the 'experiment'. 'I did a lot of Olympic lifting and heavy circuit work': Jai recently told Haute Living San Francisco about bulking up for the role. Jean-Claude Van Damme stormed off an Australian television interview after shutting down a 'boring' question about his former fling Kylie Minogue. After refusing to answer, the Hollywood star complained about 'sweating' and feeling 'rough' before taking off his microphone and going to the bathroom. The Belgian-born actor, 55, also asked 'What the f*** is going on with Australia?' in the bizarre Sunrise segment promoting his speaking dates in Sydney and Melbourne. At the start of the interview, Jean-Claude seemed upset with people 'talking behind the cameras' about his 'sweating and everything.' But he was particularly angered by a question about Australian pop star Kylie, his Street Fighter co-star who he later confessed to having an 'affair' with. 'Yeah, I like Kylie, I like everybody,' he began. 'Can I please come to Australia and talk to you? Sorry guys, I cannot do this anymore. 'You are talking to a guy whos very rough, you know?' he continued. 'Let me talk, let me talk please. 'I sweat, I dont feel good': Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (pictured) stormed off an Australian television interview after shutting down a 'boring' question about his former fling Kylie Minogue 'You are talking to a guy whos very rough': After refusing to answer, the Hollywood star complained about 'sweating' and feeling 'rough' before taking off his microphone and going to the bathroom 'Those questions, the press have been asking me the same questions for the past 25 years. Im coming to Australia to maybe do something different with the audience. 'Those interview you are giving me on TV right now, they are very boring,' he added. 'The question are very boring. 'Its difficult for me to answer the question so I sweat, I dont feel good, because they are boring. 'Next question? You have something interesting to ask me?' he asked. 'We had an affair': In 2012, Jean-Claude told The Guardian about his fling with Aussie pop star Kylie Minogue (right) after they met filming Street Fighter in 1994, saying: 'She's so beautiful... it would be abnormal not to' 'Sweet kiss, beautiful lovemaking': Jean-Claude gave details about the relationship, which took place between his two marriages to former bodybuilder Gladys Portugues. Pictured with the cast of Street Fighter The follow-up question was apparently not much better as the Timecop star suddenly decided to walk off set. In a video feed from Bangkok, where he is currently filming a movie, Jean-Claude could be seen taking off his cap, standing up and removing his microphone. 'Don't shoot. Cut,' he requested as the cameras kept rolling while he awkwardly shuffled away. 'What the f*** is going on with Australia? What the f*** is going on?' he added. 'I cannot do this, Im too natural, you can blow this stuff away. What is this?' Goran Kurkioski, CEO of Fast Track Events which is promoting Jean-Claude's speaking tour, told Daily Mail Australia on Friday: 'With regards to the satellite media yesterday the studio we used was extremely small, hot and overcrowded with people. 'There was no air-conditioning, JCVD was hot, sweating and uncomfortable so the media schedule was postponed. 'We look forward to welcoming JCVD to Sydney and Melbourne in August and for his fans to have a sensational evening with him,' he concluded. 'What the f*** is going on with Australia?' The 55-year-old Timecop star said he was 'sweating' because the interviewer's questions were 'boring' and 'difficult to answer' A good start? The bizarre Sunrise segment was supposed to promote his upcoming speaking tour Down Under Jean-Claude previously told The Guardian that he had a fling with Kylie in 1994, after his first divorce from former bodybuilder Gladys Portugues. 'Yes. It happened. I was in Thailand, we had an affair,' he said in August 2012. 'I knew Thailand very well, so I showed her my Thailand. She's a great lady.' The unlikely pairing came about when Jean-Claude and Kylie were filming Street Fighter together, and according to him, it was unavoidable. 'Sweet kiss, beautiful lovemaking,' he said. 'It would be abnormal not to have had an affair, she's so beautiful and she was there in front of me every day with a beautiful smile.' And... action! Despite his reputation for high octane roles, Jean-Claude played a fictional version of himself as troubled, down-on-his-luck actor in 2008 Belgian crime drama JCVD He's come a long way as a key member of Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer. And as the pop punk outfit nears its fifth year together, drummer Ashton Irwin has celebrated their success from humble beginnings with a new tattoo laced with symbolism. The 22-year-old got his new ink a month ago, but has only just revealed the meaning behind the black bird with its wings outstretched on the back of his neck. Scroll down for video 'It represents bravery': 5SOS drummer Ashton Irwin reveals the meaning behind his new black condor tattoo on the back of his neck The young musician on Friday told the Kyle and Jackie O show on KIIS 1065 it is a condor, from California where his father is from, and reminds him of his origins. 'With moving away from Australia and trying to make it overseas in this band, it represents bravery and I'm proud of where I am at the moment and excited about where I'm going,' he said. No stranger to tattoos, Ashton took to Instagram last month to share a photo of his latest mark, accompanied by lyrics from the movie High School Musical Making it big: The young musician on Friday told the Kyle and Jackie O show on KIIS 1065 it is a condor, from California where his father is from, and reminds him of his origins 'In the wise words Zac Efron "we're soarin, we're flyin",' he joked. 'I've wanted to get this for so many reasons for a long time... Ignore the high school musical comment, I couldn't help myself (it was calum's idea),' he finished the caption. In the black and white image, Ashton wears a black singlet and the back of his neck can be seen as he sits in a chair while a tattoo artist gets to work. Another one: Ashton also has a tattoo on his wrist left wrist, a love heart design (seen getting it earlier this year) The wings of the bird are outstretched and almost cover the width of his neck. Ashton also has a tattoo on his wrist left wrist, a love heart design. His 5SOS bandmates - including Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood - also have several inkings. Family reunion: During Friday's radio interview, Ashton also revealed he goes home to Sydney every Christmas where his family runs an annual talent quest (pictured back right with family last Christmas) During Friday's radio interview, Ashton also revealed he goes home to Sydney every Christmas where his family runs an annual talent quest. 'They want me to compete but I never do because it would be too awkward,' he admitted on air. The talented performer said his uncle reads an inappropriate poem each time, while his little cousin is a ballerina, and another cousin Daniel plays his saxophone. New song: In addition to their ongoing 101-stop megatour, 5SOS recorded a new song, Girls Talk Boys, for the all-female Ghostbusters reboot film, currently in cinemas Still a fan: Ashton said he watched the original 1984 film when he was 14 and said it was 'a little bit cheddar but I like it' In addition to their ongoing 101-stop megatour, 5SOS recorded a new song, Girls Talk Boys, for the all-female Ghostbusters reboot film, currently in cinemas. Ashton said he watched the original 1984 film when he was 14 and said it was 'a little bit cheddar but I like it'. On the phone from Detriot where the boys were about to play their latest gig, the drummer said Girls Talk Boys was the only new material they had produced. In good company: His 5SOS bandmates - including Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings and Calum Hood - also have several tattoos He said they would need 'a couple of weeks off before they started working on a new album'. While the band members are all close after working together for more than four years, but he and Callum were particularly close and were are going on holiday together after the tour. 'We live together and do most things together. It's out five year anniversary in November... not me and Callum, the band,' he said after Kyle made some obvious innuendo. A miscarriage is one of the most painful experiences a couple can go through. And Jenni Pulos opened up about her own pregnancy woes as she and her husband attempted to expand their brood via artificial insemination on Thursday's episode of Flipping Out. Even before the 43-year-old had her first child in 2013, the reality television personality was left devastated after she miscarried. Breeding woes: Flipping Out star Jenni Pulos opened up about her miscarriages on Thursday's Flipping Out And after first asking producers whether they wanted her to talk about the painful subject, she said: 'I've had several miscarriages. I was pregnant recently again and then lost the baby. 'So many people go through it so I'm grateful there's people out there trying to help and we'll see what happens.' Jenni, who is show star Jeff Lewis' executive assistant, explained she and her husband Dr Jonathan Nassos were going to try a new method to try and ensure a success pregnancy this time round. The Bravo favourite said: 'I really want to have another baby but Jonathan and I have had some problems getting pregnant in the last few years. 'So I'm going in for an IUI, which is an insemination where you transfer the sperm. People call it... the turkey baster method.' 'I was pregnant recently and lost the baby': She explained she had suffered heartbreak again 'If it happens it's supposed to happen': She said she would be happy either way as they have tried their best Jenni, who married married her husband in May 2012, suffered a miscarriage around the time of her wedding but gave birth to daughter Alianna in June the following year. Her birth episode was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2014. And she said she would try and put the disappointment behind her this time if their efforts failed to pay off, and would be satisfied to stop having children if it is successful. Jenni said: 'I mean, here's the thing right. My life has been very unexpected, not the road that I thought so if it happens it's supposed to happen, and we're going to get that double stroller. 'But those legs will be closed after that.' However as she spoke to her man it seemed he was quite happy to have more children in teh futrue. Baby number one: Jenni and her husband welcomed daughter Alianna in June 2013 Confident: Her husband Jonathan gave her a pep talk as she headed to the fertility clinic And she's off: With sperm in hand she headed back to her car following her trip He told her, 'We might have a couple more sweets,' which prompted her to exclaim, 'Oh my god!' She also confessed she was worried that the prescription said 'multiple births' can follow, though her husband insisted they would be able to handle any unexpected arrivals. And when she finally got round to attending the fertility clinic, she was gifted her own husband's sperm. She explained, 'he went and did it at the clinic,' before the attempting the tricky task of taking the delicate package home with her. Take care there: She initially dumped the package onto her passenger seat Can't be too careful: She decided to use her jacket to shield the precious cargo from direct sunlight However she was terrified of having an unfortunate accident as she travelled back to her residence, saying: 'It comes in a little shot. You can't press that shot.' She was even worried about it spoiling due to the sun, explaining, 'It says do not expose to direct sunlight, do I put something over it? I'm afraid I'm going to squeeze it then.' Jenni laid her jacket next to the precious package, then adjusted the seat before driving off. Meanwhile the show's flamboyant star Jeff Lewis was left fuming due to the behaviour of his contractor Frank's other half Angelica, which led to him severing ties despite a 15 year relationship. Making some final adjustments: She angled her seat to prevent the sperm from flying off And off she goes: The conscientious driver checked her mirrors before pulling out She demanded a guaranteed amount of work as he tried to diversify his business by dipping into the San Diego He said: 'When someones wife shows up and says they cant do a job because I havent signed the paperwork guaranteeing the entire job to them, I have to move on.' However the 46-year-old managed to make light of the situation. He told Jenni: 'We should have played a drinking game every time she said "scope of work." Id be wasted.' The property developer also pointed out how the contractor's wife had used sneaky tactics, albeit ones he himself has used in the past. Playing hard ball: Show star Jeff Lewis was humiliated when a contractor's wife demanded guaranteed work during a business meeting Cutting off her nose to spite her face: But Angelica's tough negotiating style saw her husband get the boot Jeff said: It was calculating how she did it right in front of Chaz and she didnt want me to react. 'Its like when you break up with someone or have a serious discussion with someone and you dont want them to get upset, you do it in a restaurant.' The Jeff and Jenni comedy show then reached high gear, with his sidekick saying: 'I knew someone that broke up with their girlfriend and asked to take the food to go.' The snorting interior designer gave her a zinger of a response, saying: 'Yeah, your ex-husband,' leading to much guffawing all-round. Seeing the funny side: Jeff joked they should have took a drink every time she said 'scope of work' 'Your ex-husband': Everyone was laughing when the flamboyant painter and decorator joked his assistant's ex had dumped her and ordered food to go She's hit it big in the modelling world thanks to her long lithe figure and natural beauty. And Kendall Jenner showed just why she's become such a success as she stopped by celebrity haunt Nice Guy in Hollywood on Thursday night. The 20-year-old reality star turned model oozed understated glamour- despite pulling up in a Rolls Royce- showing off her endless legs as she arrived at the Italian restaurant. Scroll down for video Model behaviour: Kendall Jenner showed just why she's become such a success as she stopped by celebrity haunt Nice Guy in Hollywood on Thursday night Wearing a racer-back black maxi dress with a slit cut to the top of her thigh, she showed off her long toned pins. Brightening up her outfit with a silk cropped designer bomber, she accessorised with a black choker and moss-green velvet heeled ankle boots. Leaving her shoulder-length brunette hair loose around her pretty face, she showed off her natural beauty under minimal make-up. Leggy: The 20-year-old reality star turned model oozed understated glamour- despite pulling up in a Rolls Royce- showing off her endless legs as she arrived at the Italian restaurant Effortless: Leaving her shoulder-length brunette hair loose around her pretty face, she showed off her natural beauty under minimal make-up Going for groomed eyebrows, light mascara and a dash of pink lipgloss and blusher, Kendall carried a stylish black leather backpack. Working her natural style, the Keeping Up Kardashians star left her nails bare of polish. And having spent half an hour in the restaurant, Kendall continued on with her busy schedule. Stylish: Brightening up her outfit with a silk cropped designer bomber, she accesorised with a black choker and moss-green velvet heeled ankle boots This comes just as the supermodel updated her subscription based website filling her fans in on some behind the scenes details from Fendi's 90th Anniversary Show earlier in July. Kendall broke down the exclusive information in numbers or 'Ken-Digits.' The model posed with the famed creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, 15 times during the rehearsal for the big event. The busy bee only had three hours between her flight and the rehearsal the day before the show. Kendall said, 'I landed in the morning, slept for a couple of hours, then went straight to the Trevi Fountain for a fitting and rehearsal.' Back to basics: Working her natural style, the Keeping Up Kardashians star left her nails bare of polish She also revealed it only took four times to practice walking over the water. The confident beauty recalled, 'Some of the other girls were nervous and freaking out about the runway, but I felt fine.' Adding that 'They put rubber on the bottom of our shoes.' Kendall, who had two outfit changes during the once in a life time occasion, revealed that one of the dresses she wore weighed two pounds. 'It looked heavy, but actually wasnt,' she exclaimed. The supermodel obviously had plenty of energy saved up to take the dance floor seven times with A-listers like Kate Hudson, Lottie Moss, and Derek Blasberg. Making an entrance: She pulled up in a Rolls Royce Silver fox: British football pundit Gary Lineker also put in a surprise appearance at the Italian spot Chic: Bring It On actress Cassie Scerbo looked stylish in a fedora hat, black leather jacket and ankle boots Casual chic: Hailey teamed her nude silk dress with killer heels and a casual denim jacket Feeling shy? Hailey Baldwin looked tanned in denim as she put on a demure appearance Hitting the gym: On Friday, the pretty brunette was seen hitting the shops in her gymwear Keeping a low profile: She carried shopping but kept her head down in tinted shades Showing her shape: She was unable to resist flashing her legs in sheer leggings Flash The Angkor Wat in Cambodia (Photo by Xu Lin/China Daily) Cambodia's Tourism Ministry has unveiled a policy to encourage the sector to accept renminbi, or the yuan, as part of a drive to attract tourists from China, a local newspaper reported on Wednesday. "This decision was made last month when the 'China Ready' white paper was released," Tith Chantha, a secretary of state at the ministry, was quoted as saying by the Khmer Daily. "There will be no difficulty accepting Chinese yuan, it's the same as accepting the US dollar," he said. "Accepting renminbi could attract more Chinese tourists. It is also helpful for local enterprises, because they don't need to exchange currency anymore," he added. If renminbi can be circulated in Cambodia, it will promote the development of Cambodia's tourism sector, Tith Chantha said. The Ministry of Tourism earlier released a white paper titled "China Ready for Cambodia Tourism" outlining a five-year strategy for attracting Chinese tourists to the country with the aim of getting 2 million of them to visit the country per year by 2020. China is the second-largest source of tourists to the country after Vietnam, according to a Cambodian tourism data. In the first four months of this year, Cambodia recorded about 275,000 Chinese tourist arrivals, up by 13.6 percent compared to the same period last year. Last year, 694,712 tourists from China visited the kingdom and this was a 24 percent increase from 2014. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) earlier predicted that China will become the largest outbound tourism market by 2020, with the number of tourists traveling abroad hitting 200 million. She was recently forced to deny rumours of a romance with close pal David Walliams after the pair were spotted enjoying a birthday dinner on Tuesday. And Kate Beckinsale showed she's intent on celebrating her big day all week, as she enjoyed a much more raucous night out at popular London nightclub G-A-Y on Thursday. The 43-year-old actress looked stunning a pristine white strapless jumpsuit with a flared top and tailored slim legs as she took to the stage to blow out the candles on a chocolate birthday cake. Scroll down for videos Surprise! Kate Beckinsale was continuing her celebrations throughout the week, enjoying a very different kind of birthday night out at London nightclub G-A-Y on Thursday The Pearl Harbour star wore vertiginous floral peep-toe heels with her pale ensemble, adding extra height to her petite frame. With her long brunette locks worn in a high ponytail, Kate kept her makeup simple and luminous with just a touch of pink gloss, peachy blush and bronze eye shadow. A shiny black manicure and simple diamond hoop earrings were all she needed to round off her minimal look. All white on the night: The 43-year-old actress donned a spotless white strapless jumpsuit with a flared top and tailored slim legs as she took to the stage to blow out her candles Make a wish: With her long brunette locks worn in a high ponytail, Kate kept her make-up simple and luminous with just a touch of pink gloss, peachy blush and bronze eye shadow Simple but effective: A shiny black manicure and simple diamond hoop earrings were all she needed to round off her minimal look With plenty of exotically dressed performers surrounding her, the tanned star made sure her simple look stole the show, despite the lack of colour in her outfit. Club owner Jeremy Joseph presented the mother-of-one with a magnificent chocolate cake, decorated with a brown ribbon, icing and strawberries, with the words 'Happy Birthday Kate' piped on top in white chocolate icing. The daughter of late actor Richard Beckinsale, who now lives in Los Angeles, California, sent the rumour-mill into over-drive last week when she dined out with David Walliams alongside her mother. Fun friends: With plenty of exotically dressed performers surrounding her, the tanned star made sure her simple look stole the show, despite the lack of colour in her outfit All smiles: Club owner Jeremy Joseph presented her with a magnificent chocolate cake, decorated with a brown ribbon and strawberries, with the words 'Happy Birthday Kate' piped on top in white chocolate icing The Little Britain star has always admitted to finding the Hollywood actress attractive but his displays of affection were never returned previously. The pair have been pals for more than 20 years. They reignited their friendship after David split from supermodel Lara Stone in 2015 after five years of marriage. Kates 11-year marriage to film director Len Wiseman also ended at around the same time. All woman: The daughter of late actor Richard Beckinsale, who now lives in Los Angeles, California, sent the rumour-mill into over-drive last week when she dined out with David Walliams alongside her mother What a night: Kate is pictured with performers Baga Chipz, Mary Mac, Katya and Katya Zamolodchikova along with G-A-Y owner Jeremy Joseph David once cited naughty and beautiful Kate as his ideal woman but admitted she made him turn to jelly. A source close to the pair said: They are just very close friends, while Davids spokesman declined to comment. Kate poured cold water on the hopes when she denied she was dating the father-of-one. She wrote on Twitter: 'This is my dear friend, @davidwalliams. If I ever see him naked I will immediately tattoo a [eggplant emoji] on my face for clarity.' Ladies man: Kate enjoyed dinner with David on the outdoor table at the same restaurant where Charles Saatchi was notoriously photographed in 2013 with his hands around the throat of his then wife Nigella Lawson She revealed her husband Kieran Hayler isn't a fan of her latest cosmetic procedure. But Katie Price, 38, looked to be pleased with her newly enlarged breasts as she stepped out braless in a little grey vest top, on Friday. The former glamour model sauntered confidently towards Mac Aesthetics in Manchester in a casual ensemble which showed off her ample assets - the result of her eighth boob job. Scroll down for video Feeling nippy! Katie Price, 38, looked to be pleased with her newly enlarged breasts as she stepped out braless in a little grey vest top on Friday The beauty sported a pair of pale pink jogging bottoms, white trainers and, as pink is her favourite colour, it was no surprise to see her carrying a suitably coloured bag. Katie had her hands full with a Louis Vuitton carrier in one and her mobile in the other. The Loose Women panellist covered her eyes with black oversized shades and wore her blonde locks in a ponytail in keeping with her laidback look. Body confident: The former glamour model sauntered confidently towards Mac Aesthetics in Manchester in a casual ensemble which showed off her ample assets As she entered the clinic she flashed a thumbs up at the camera as well as a bright white smile. She's known for being one of the most open and honest ladies in showbusiness and Katie no doubt shocked with her latest comments. Appearing on Loose Women on Thursday, she said her daughter Bunny, 22 months, was born ugly and also said her husband Kieran doesn't like her new boobs. Feeling good: As she entered the clinic she flashed a thumbs up at the camera as well as a bright white smile Causing gasps and giggles, she said: 'She looks like something out of the Grinch. She's like a boy. I've had her ears pierced but she's still not like a girl. She doesn't wear dresses.' But it wasn't just Bunny who she spoke about, the mother-of-five had something to say about the rest of her children - she is mother to Harvey, 14, Junior, 11, Princess, nine, and Jett, two. 'They're so ugly when they are born. I love them. People come up to me and say how gorgeous they are and I'm like, no they're not. 'They grow out of it though. They're so ugly when they are born and now they're not.' Harsh! Katie Price said her daughter Bunny, 22 months, looks like the Grinch, during an appearance on Loose Women on Thursday morning Causing gasps and giggles, she said: 'She looks like something out of the Grinch. She's like a boy. I've had her ears pierced but she's still not like a girl. She doesn't wear dresses' Her pride and joy? Jim Carrey as the Grinch in How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which was released in 2000 The star also insisted she is not pregnant, no matter how many rumours there might be - however, she announced that her children will be appearing on the show during the summer holidays. She said: 'There are no babies yet. But it would petrify me if the doctor said I couldn't have any more. I want two or three more. 'I love it. I love when you see a newborn. Once you've had five kids, what's a couple more? The only time it's hard is when it's dinner time and I am like a dinner lady. It's madness.' Katie said of all her children: 'They're so ugly when they are born. I love them. People come up to me and say how gorgeous they are and I'm like, no they're not' She's NOT pregnant: However she said she is hoping for two or three more children to add to her brood - just not yet Adding: 'I love it. I love when you see a newborn. Once you've had five kids, what's a couple more? The only time it's hard is when it's dinner time and I am like a dinner lady. It's madness' She loves them lots: Doting mother Katie said all her children had to go into their looks Having called in sick the day before on the show, after eating some sushi which 'came out both ends,' Jane Moore asked Katie why she had increased her breast size once again. The beauty recently underwent her eight boob job after returning to her natural bust size in 2015 for the first time in 16 years following medical complications with her last implants. The former glamour model underwent breast augmentation surgery for the first time in 1998. She said: 'I thought you said you were done now and that you didn't want big boobs?' Katie replied: 'I was all healed and ready for the final procedure - the surgeon said to me, "What size do you want? Same implants, a little bit bigger or bigger?" She replied: 'I don't know. Kieran's not into boobs at all. My mum told me off. Even though she wants her face done. Everyone has a go at me for it' 'And me being impulsive, I just went, "Oh go bigger then!" Maybe it's the Gemini in me. Normal size they put in is like a 275(cc) or a 375(cc). Mine are a little bit bigger than that, they're 1050. But my body is used to it, I have been bigger." Jane asked: 'You were trying to get away from all that though?' She replied: 'I don't know. Kieran's not into boobs at all. My mum told me off. Even though she wants her face done. Everyone has a go at me for it. 'I used to wear a size 10 camisole top when I had smaller boobs but now I wear a 16. I don't know what my bra size is. I don't wear a bra as they are so pert.' She's recently been showcasing her curves alongside Baywatch babe Charlotte McKinney. But Hailey Baldwin was determined to cover up her showstopping figure on Thursday, as she donned a Hard Rock Cafe jean jacket during a night out at West Hollywood's The Nice Guy. The 19-year-old model wore an oversized denim jacket over her mink-coloured slip dress, which boasted a plunging lace neckline and asymmetrical hem. Scroll down for video Hiding her curves: Hailey Baldwin was determined to cover up her showstopping figure on Thursday, as she donned a Hard Rock Cafe jean jacket as she left The Nice Guy in West Hollywood The daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin accessorised with and a pair of nude strappy heels and a white leather shoulder bag. With a silver choker and understated silver ankle bracelet, the rumoured former flame of Justin Bieber made a large pair of silver hoop earrings her main jewellery focus. Wearing her long blonde locks in a low ponytail, her nude makeup was equally minimal with neutral lips and a dewy blush. Silk slip: The 19-year-old model wore an oversized denim jacket over her mink coloured slip dress, which sported a plunging lace neckline and asymmetrical hem Heading in: The daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin accessorised with and a pair of nude strappy heels and a white leather shoulder bag Nothing to see here: With a silver choker and understated silver ankle bracelet, the former flame of Justin Bieber made a large pair of silver hoop earrings her main jewellery focus Arriving at the Italian restaurant with friends, Hailey enjoyed a drink at the venue before heading off to party the night away at 1 OAK. The the Tucson, Arizona, native remained low key as she headed off to the club, covering her face as she ducked down in the backseat of her limo. This month, Alec Baldwin's niece became the face of The Daily Edited, a Sydney-based luxury brand for which she's also designed a capsule collection. Elegantly done: Wearing her long blond locks in a low ponytail, her nude make-up was equally minimal with neutral lips and a dewy blush Bit of a squash: Arriving at the Italian restaurant with friends, Hailey enjoyed a drink at the venue before heading off to party the night away at 1 OAK nightclub in Las Vegas She also starred in the new Hilfiger Denim ad campaign alongside modeling colleague Lucky Blue Smith. The popular model has a distinctive look with her long tousled dirty blonde hair. However just last week, the experimental star decided to change her look, plumping for a bolder platinum blonde tone for her hair. Her seemingly solid marriage to Antonio Banderas shockingly came to an end in 2014, 18 years after they exchanged nuptials and quickly became one of Hollywood's enduring power couples. And two years on, Melanie Griffith has admitted that she's 'lonely, bored and confused' as she deals with life not only as a singleton, but also as the mother of adult children who have flown the nest. 'I'm having a very introspective time right now,' the actress, who turns 59 on August 9, told People. It's an interesting time. It's just sort of nice. My kids are all great. They're beautiful people.' Changes: Melanie Griffith has spoken to People about adjusting to life as a singleton with grown children 'I'm single, and lonely, and bored, and confused but then at the same time, totally curious. It's almost like I have to throw myself out of the nest.' Among the adjustments is seeing Stella, her 19-year-old daughter with Spanish screen star Antonio, prepare to live on campus at the prestigious University of Southern California. 'She'll be moving out, out,' the Working Girl star told the magazine. 'She's got a dorm and everything. So that's kind of a different thing. I won't have any kids at home.' Split: Her marriage to Antonio Banderas came to an end in 2014, with their divorce finalised in December Melanie is also mother to 30-year-old Alexander Bauer, from her relationship with Steven Bauer, and Fifty Shades of Gray star Dakota Johnson, 26, whose father is ex-husband Don Johnson. And while she's looking forward to one day becoming a grandmother, she also confessed that she's 'still looking' in the romance department and she won't be signing up for any dating apps. Reacting with a resounding 'f**k no' at the thought of seeking love online, she added of her desired setting: 'Looking across a crowded room, right? Isn't that the thing? I'm not really looking, I'm just being, and I figure if I'm meant to have another relationship, I will, and if I'm not, then I won't.' The way they were: The couple had enjoyed enviable status as one of Hollywood's enduring power couples While Melanie and Antonio's divorce was finalised late last year, the exes appear to maintain a good relationship, as on Thursday she uploaded a shot of them sitting together on a couch. Showing that they have remained united in the raising of their teenage daughter, Melanie added a caption saying that they were 'proud mama and papa' of their offspring. While she continues to live the single life, Melanie has been busy promoting her new Hallmark TV movie J.L. Family Ranch, which is set to air in the US next month. And on Wednesday, she dared to go braless in a sheer dress as she attended the Hallmark Channel Summer Television Critics Association event in Los Angeles. Staying busy: Melanie stepped out to promote her new Hallmark TV movie J.L. Family Ranch on Wednesday Friendly: On Thursday, she shared a shot, taken by their daughter Stella, of herself sitting with her ex-husband She wore tastefully restrained make-up, complementing her head-turning ensemble with a chic designer purse and a diamond necklace. Melanie's rising star daughter Dakota previously blasted the film industry, accusing it of being ageist towards female actresses. She expressed disappointment that her mother and actress grandmother Tippi Hedren, 85, do not get more roles. Dakota told Vogue: 'Why isn't my mother in the movies? She's an extraordinary actress. Why isn't my grandmother in the movies? This industry is f***ing brutal.' Rising star: The veteran actress is the proud mother of Fifty Shades Of Grey star Dakota Johnson Sophie Falkiner knows how to make heads turn. And on Friday, the 42-year-old TV personality ensured all eyes were on her at a Ladies Luncheon to raise funds for The Royal Hospital for Women's Newborn Care Centre. The former Great Outdoors host stole the show in an eye-popping sheer lace gown, which accentuated her slender curves, at the Bistro Moncur, at Woollahra Hotel in Sydney. Head turning: Sophie Falkiner ensured all eyes were on her at a Ladies Luncheon to raise funds for The Royal Hospital for Women's Newborn Care Centre Sophie's toned pins were clearly on display in the fuschia pink dress which boasted a see-through lace design. However, her modesty was protected by a figure-hugging black slip dress, worn underneath. The stylish frock also featured intricate floral embroidery and finished just below her knees. Sophie wore her long blonde locks in sweeping waves, while applying just the right amount of mascara and kohl eye liner to enhance her big blue eyes. 'Such a lovely day': Sophie with Angelique Andrews, Barbara Coombes at the event The mother-of-two also applied a pink lipstick and a dusting of rouge powder onto her cheeks, while boosting her petite frame with cream pumps. Sophie, who recently split from her husband Tony Thomas after 14-years of marriage, appeared to be in happy and content spirits as she posed for the cameraman vying for her attention. She also took to her Instagram to gush about the event, which raised more than $135,000 for the hospital - which provides care for women and babies. Professional posers: Bistro Moncur's Harriet Waugh with Angelique and Barbara Stylish appearance: Karl Stefanovic, 41, looked dapper in his signature blue suit paired with a Louis Vuitton tie Posing alongside Angelique Andrews, Barbara Coombes, Sophie appeared to be lapping up the happy atmosphere at the fundraiser, which boasted a three-course meal, a charity auction and a raffle. 'Such a lovely day raising much needed funds for the#royalhospitalforwomen,' she captioned the snap. Also joining the blonde star at the lavish luncheon was Karl Stefanovic, 41, who looked dapper in his signature blue suit paired with a Louis Vuitton tie. Stunning appearance: (L to R) Louis Vuitton's Martin Berry, Bistro Moncur's Harriet Waugh, Angela Flemming and Harpers Bazaar Kellie Hush The renowned TV journalist paired the crisp ensemble with a pair of brown leather shoes and styled his brunette tresses into a neat do. Funds raised from Friday's event will go to the dedicated women's hospital in New South Wales. The hospital treats over 10,000 women each year, while providing care for 600 premature and critical babies. The Internationally renowned research facility also treats more than 400 women for gynecological cancers and provides surgery and care for more than 80 women with breast cancer. The eighth season of MasterChef wrapped up in an emotional season finale on Tuesday night. And after nearly a decade of filming the hit Channel Ten cooking show, judge Gary Mehigan thinks he knows exactly why the program continues to churn out successful cooks. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia ahead of the Good Food And Wine Show, he said so many of their past contestants continue to thrive in the food industry because of the intense audition process. Scroll down for video Onto something: MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan spoke about the success of the show's contestants ahead of the Good Food And Wine Show on Wednesday 'We're not looking for people who want to be on television,' the celebrity chef said of himself and fellow judges George Calombaris and Matt Preston. 'We're quite hard on them early on because we want to make it very clear to them that if they want to be successful in what we love, they need to know what they want.' The 49-year-old English Australian chef also said the audition process is important because it acts as a filter. Is it real? The restaurateur and chef said they are looking for people whose food dream is real, not for people who simply want to be on television 'Part of the process is finding 24 very genuine, very passionate people that have something we can relate to. 'I want to know if they're telling the truth about their food dream, or if they just want to be on MasterChef. 'I'm wondering, is it just a pipe dream, or is it something you genuinely want to do?' An investment: Gary said he and fellow judges George Calombaris and Matt Preston put in a lot of effort with the contestants and enjoy mentoring and guiding them And it's clear the judges themselves have a huge personal investment in the show and in the contestants' dreams and ambitions. 'There's a lot of effort involved. We invest a lot of ourselves - the three of us particularly - in the success of the contestants and what they can achieve after MasterChef with the dream they've told us about.' 'So we're constantly mentoring them and guiding them,' he said. 'The three musketeers': The 49-year-old, who has been a judge alongside George and Matt since 2009, said he couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else The restaurateur also touched on the his now close friends George and Matt. The three personalities have been the face of the show since its Australian inception in 2009. 'I can't imagine doing it with anyone else,' Gary said without hesitation. 'We're like the three musketeers, no one is breaking us up.' However, British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson appeared on the show this year and Gary said the three of them were nervous at how well she took to the gig, joking that the fantastic dynamics were 'risky'. An addition? British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson appeared on the show this year and Gary said the three of them were nervous at her popularity with Australian audiences and at how well she took to the gig He then praised the home cook as a 'proper foodie superstar' and noted how 'gorgeous' it was having her on the show for Nigella Week. Elena Duggan beat fellow contestant and friend Matt Sinclair to take out the title of MasterChef 2016 on Tuesday night. The talented cook won a $250,000 cash prize and a column in Australia's leading premium food magazine, Delicious. MasterChef Australia will return to television screens in 2017 with Gary, George and Matt at the helm once again. Gary will be showing off his own culinary skills and giving away a few tips and tricks during his Masterclasses at the Good Food and Wine Show. The Sydney leg of the Good Food and Wine Show runs from August fifth to seventh. The A-team: MasterChef Australia will return to television screens in 2017 with Gary, George and Matt at the helm once again She has made more than 52 million from her steamy S&M novel Fifty Shades of Grey. And EL James certainly celebrated in style, visiting celebrity favourite Chiltern Firehouse restaurant in London on Thursday evening. The writer - real name Erika Mitchell, 53, who lives with husband Niall and children in a West London mansion bought for 2.65 million four years ago when the money from her novel first began rolling in, looked proud as punch as she arrived at the eatery. Scroll down for video Family time: EL James celebrated her son's graduation in style, visiting celebrity favourite Chiltern Firehouse restaurant in London on Thursday evening Wearing a slash-neck black shift dress and a sheer gold fringed kaftan, the dark-haired writer accessorised with a necklace and tan peep-toe sandals. Husband Niall looked smart in a navy suit and denim blue shirt as they exited the venue. Earlier in the day EL took to Instagram to reveal her eldest son had graduated. Celebrations: The writer - real name Erika Mitchell, 53, who lives with husband Niall and children in a West London mansion bought for 2.65 million four years ago when the money from her novel first began rolling in, looked proud as punch as she arrived at the eatery Glamming up: Wearing a slash-neck black shift dress and a sheer gold fringed kaftan, the dark-haired writer accessorised with a necklace and tan peep-toe sandals 'Major's graduation today. #sniffle #ProudMama', she wrote alongside a picture of a hall of students at a graduation ceremony. Keen to keep her sons' identities private, EL refers to them as 'Major and Minor' on her blog. The author's company Fifty Shades Limited earned 30 million last year after selling the rights of the book to be made into a Hollywood blockbuster. After paying herself 4.8 million, a tax bill 5 million, and making charity donations of 1 million James was still left with a profit for the year to September 30, 2015 of 19 million. Coupled with money in the company from previous years, the company balance sheet now shows and overall profit of 52 million. Adding money she has taken out including 4.8 million this year and 2.6 million last year in dividends, and El James's fortune is closer to 60 million. Her mancandy? Husband Niall looked smart in a navy suit and denim blue shirt as they exited the venue Proud mum: Keen to keep her sons' identities private, EL refers to them as 'Major and Minor' on her blog As well as her mansion, she still owns the modest 350,000 terraced house nearby where she and her family lived when she wrote the multi million selling book and has also bought a 1 million Cornish getaway. The company's earnings were propelled by the film of the book which was released last year, starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan and Rita Ora. It had mixed reviews but still grossed 125 million worldwide. James and husband Niall both predict the company will continue large sums in the future. Niall Leonard signs off the documents writing: 'The company had a very successful year during which it secured further royalty licensing agreements. 'The company continues to be profitable with income streams contracted to continue for a number of years.' EL James owns all of the companies shares. The late Anthony Perkins' son Oz has has filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 17 years, Sidney. The 42-year-old actor-turned-filmmaker and his estranged wife have two children - daughter Beatrix, 7, and son James, 11. According to TMZ - Perkins curiously asked the court to hold off on spousal support decisions and listed their separation date as TBD, which would mark the cut-off for sharing assets. Scroll down for video It's over: The late Anthony Perkins' son Oz has has filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 17 years, Sidney (pictured in 2001) Sharing custody? The 42-year-old actor-turned-filmmaker and his estranged wife have two children - daughter Beatrix, 7, and son James, 11 (pictured in 2014) Disney family fun in 2010: According to TMZ - Perkins curiously asked the court to hold off on spousal support decisions and listed their separation date as TBD, which would mark the cut-off for sharing assets Oz - born Osgood - is the eldest son of the Oscar winner and two-time Tony nominee, and he even played a young Norman Bates alongside his famous father in Psycho II. The Star Trek actor's mother Berry Berenson died in the 9/11 attacks aboard American Airlines Flight 11 - nine years after Anthony passed away from AIDS-related causes in 1992. Audiences might best know Perkins from his role as 'Dorky' David Kidney, the guy Reese Witherspoon slapped in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde. Beloved star: Oz - born Osgood - is the eldest son of the Oscar winner and two-time Tony nominee, and he even played a young Norman Bates alongside his famous father in Psycho II (pictured 1990) Rest in peace: The Star Trek actor's mother Berry Berenson died in the 9/11 attacks aboard American Airlines Flight 11 - nine years after Anthony passed away from AIDS-related causes in 1992 (pictured 1991) 15 years ago: Audiences might best know Perkins (L) from his role as 'Dorky' David Kidney, the guy Reese Witherspoon (R) slapped in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde The nepotistically-privileged NYU grad made his directorial debut with The Blackcoat's Daughter starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts. The boarding school horror-thriller - formerly known as February - will hit US theaters August 25 before a VOD release on September 30. Oz also wrote and directed his second feature - the haunted house thriller I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House - with Ruth Wilson, Debbie Harry, and Bob Balaban. At the helm: The nepotistically-privileged NYU grad made his directorial debut with The Blackcoat's Daughter starring Kiernan Shipka (L) and Emma Roberts 'Abandoned as a child. Raised by the dark': The boarding school horror-thriller - formerly known as February - will hit US theaters August 25 before a VOD release on September 30 Meryl Streep may be joining the remake of the 1964 Disney classic Mary Poppins. Variety reported on Thursday the 67-year-old Oscar winner has been in talks with producers to take the role of Topsy in 2018's Mary Poppins Returns. Emily Blunt has already been chosen to play Mary, a role that was made popular by Julie Andrews. Taking on a classic: Meryl Streep is in talks to join the Mary Poppins remake, according to a Thursday report from Variety; here she is seen in 2012 Streep and Blunt have worked together before in 2014's Into The Woods as well as 2006's The Devil Wears Prada. The character of Topsy was not in the original film. She is Mary's cousin and the role will call for Meryl to sing. She has already sung before in Into The Woods, Ricki And The Flash as well as the recent Florence Foster Jenkins. Beloved: The 1864 classic starred Dick Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber and Julie Andrews More vets: Also in the Disney classic was Glynis Johns and David Tomlinson Blunt was cast as the magical nanny back in May. The film will be released on Christmas Day in 2018. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the 36-year-old creator and star of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, will play a new character in the film, Jack, a street lamplighter. Mary Poppins Returns will the tell the story of an older Jane and Michael Banks and Michael's three children, who are visited by Poppins in the aftermath of a 'personal loss' in Depression-hit London, the studio said. Hope she's ready to sing: Emily Blunt has already been chosen to play Mary, a role that was made popular by songstress Andrews The nanny will use her unique magical skills and the assistance of Jack to help the family regain its lost joy. The film's director is 55-year-old Rob Marshall, whose previous work includes Chicago and Into The Woods, while the script is being produced by Finding Neverland writer David Magee. Marshall said: 'I am truly humbled and honoured to be asked by Disney to bring PL Travers' further adventures to the screen. The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation.' Lucky break: Lin-Manuel Miranda, the 36-year-old creator and star of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, will play a new character in the film, Jack, a street lamplighter; here he is seen in June PL Travers introduced the world to Mary Poppins in her 1934 book, which Disney adapted for the screen and released in August 1964. The film won five Oscars, including Best Actress for Andrews. It was directed by Robert Stevenson and starred Andrews in the title role and Dick Van Dyke as the chirpy Cockney chimneysweep Bert. PL Travers' wrote seven additional Mary Poppins books that she published between 1935 and 1988. Blunt, whose previous films include Sicario and The Huntsman: Winter's War, had her second child with her 36-year-old actor husband John Krasinski in early July. Montel Williams was detained for less than an hour by German customs for having medical marijuana at Frankfurt Airport on Friday. The 60-year-old Daytime Emmy winner has used the drug daily to treat his multiple sclerosis since being diagnosed with the demyelinating disease in 1999. The former talk show host was 'neither arrested nor cited' and German officials remained 'professional' until verifying the validity of his MS prescription. Brush with the law: Montel Williams was detained for less than an hour by German customs for having medical marijuana at Frankfurt Airport on Friday (pictured June 6) Until the day he dies: The 60-year-old Daytime Emmy winner has used the drug daily to treat his multiple sclerosis since being diagnosed with the demyelinating disease in 1999 (stock photo) Official statement: The former talk show host was 'neither arrested nor cited' and German officials remained 'professional' until verifying the validity of his MS prescription 'Today, Montel reaffirms his commitment to fighting for sensible medical marijuana policies across the world,' Montel's spokesman Jonathan Franks said in a Facebook statement. 'And to fighting the stigma he and so many other seriously ill Americans face every day for simply following the advice of their doctor.' Williams is a well-known cannabis crusader, having successfully helped push for reform/legalization in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio. 'Stop the stupid. Get the patients off the battlefield,' the retired Navy lieutenant said through tears at a Harrisburg rally last year. Weed activist: Williams is a well-known cannabis crusader, having successfully helped push for reform/legalization in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio The retired Navy lieutenant said through tears at a Harrisburg rally last year: 'Stop the stupid. Get the patients off the battlefield' Talking head: Aside from weed, the Baltimore-born presenter keeps busy advocating for veterans and the LGBTQ community on various talk shows Aside from weed, the Baltimore-born presenter keeps busy advocating for veterans and the LGBTQ community on various talk shows. In fact, Montel last made headlines for walking off The OReilly Factor on July 20 at the RNC, because producers refused to let him speak about a speech he'd made on behalf of the gay community. 'I found out that they had changed topics, or at least now changed the entire format,' the twice-divorced father-of-four defended in an outraged Facebook video. 'That was not what I agreed to participate in and I left.' Audiences might best know Williams for his daytime talk show, which was canceled by CBS in 2008 following an impressive 17 years on the air. Called a 'coward': In fact, Montel last made headlines for walking off The OReilly Factor on July 20 at the RNC, because producers refused to let him speak about a speech he'd made on behalf of the gay community The twice-divorced father-of-four defended in an outraged Facebook video: 'I found out that they had changed topics, or at least now changed the entire format. That was not what I agreed to participate in and I left' Flash The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday announced the beginning of the initial phase of voluntary relocations of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Tomping Compound to the Protection of Civilians (PoC) site 3 adjacent to UN House in the capital Juba, a UN spokesman told reporters here. "The decision to relocate people was made due to inadequate humanitarian infrastructure and capacity in Tomping," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here. "It is also intended to provide them with better conditions and humanitarian services that are already in place in the Protection of Civilians site." This is a coordinated effort by UNMISS and humanitarian partners, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is providing logistical support. "The Mission says that it had sought security assurances from the government, National Security Service and Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in order to guarantee the safe passage of the displaced people from Tomping to Protection of Civilians site 3," Haq said. "UNMISS will be providing force protection to the convoy from Tomping to the final destination, while the Joint Verification Monitoring Mechanism, with support from the South Sudan National Police Service, agreed to deploy in strategic areas along the route to ensure the convoy's timely passage," he said. UN officials said that the situation in South Sudan remains fluid and uncertain. The clashes between government and opposition forces took place in Juba early this month, leaving some 272 people dead, including 33 civilians. The country again plunged into conflict in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup, which the latter denied, leading to a cycle of retaliatory killings. Chloe Moretz delivered a passionate speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday. And Victoria Beckham has shown her support for her eldest son Brooklyn's girlfriend Chloe, 19, following her public address at the event, which saw Hillary Clinton accept the Democratic presidential nomination. The former Spice Girl referenced her old band's message of female empowerment in the accompanying caption, pledging her support to her 17-year-old son's partner. Scroll down for video Show of support: Victoria Beckham has praised her eldest son Brooklyn's girlfriend Chloe Moretz following her public address at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday Girl Power: The former Spice Girl referenced her old band's message of female empowerment in the accompanying caption, pledging her support to her 17-year-old son's partner She wrote: 'That's what I'm talking about!!!.....Girl Power!!!! @chloegmoretz @hillaryclinton #ImWithHer X VB'; The Dark Shadows actress can be seen taking to the podium, her fist raised in a passionate stance as she rallied the crowd. Victoria's message was met with a positive response from her fans, who declared it was 'sweet' that she was supporting Chloe. Brooklyn also shared his support for Chloe, posting a cute black and white snap of her alongside the caption: 'So proud of this one. @chloegmoretz @hillaryclinton #imwithher'. Smitten: Brooklyn also shared his support for Chloe, posting a cute black and white snap of her alongside the caption: 'So proud of this one. @chloegmoretz @hillaryclinton #imwithher' Surprise visit: Chloe was thrilled when Brooklyn surprised her at the Democratic National Convention The talented teen had shared an Instagram snap of herself with Brooklyn at the Wells Fargo Center in Pennsylvania before taking center stage. 'Look who surprised me !!! We are Ready to watch @hillaryclinton make history.. (Tune in at 9:18 for my speech xox),' Chloe wrote in the caption for her nearly 10 million followers on Instagram. Chloe was a featured celebrity speaker on the final night of the convention and Katy Perry also performed. Chloe during her speech said she was going to vote in her first general election for Hillary and urged her fellow millenials to register and to vote. 'If we all show up together we can make sure that Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States of America,' Chloe said raising her right arm. Center stage: Chloe delivered remarks on the final day of the Democratic National Convention 'If we all show up together we can make sure that Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States of America,' Chloe said raising her right arm. . Chloe and Brooklyn confirmed in May that they were in a relationship. The cute couple have been steadily documenting their romance on social media. Millennial generation: The actress urged the millennial generation to get out and vote in November Brooklyn shared an adorable post in the early hours of Thursday morning showing Chloe using the dog filter on Snapchat. She made faces into the camera as Brooklyn can be seen running in through the door. The British teen sprinted toward his American girlfriend, before embracing her and planting a kiss on her head. Personal story: Chloe talked about her mother being the single parent and the importance of equal pay for single moms and working families Brooklyn also posted a cute snap of the couple last week riding together in a vehicle after he passed his driving test. 'I think I'll keep her,' Brooklyn wrote in the caption. The Kick-Ass actress has been a staunch supporter of Hillary and shared an Instagram snap in June of them together ahead of the California primary. Dynamic duo: Brooklyn earlier on Thursday shared an Instagram video of him and Chloe playing with Snapchat filters She can next be seen in the films November Criminals and Brain On Fire due out later this year. Brooklyn has brothers Romeo, 13, Cruz, 11, and five-year-old sister Harper. Chloe earlier this month was targeted by Khloe Kardashian following the row between her sister Kim, Kanye West and Taylor Swift. Public romance: The 17-year-old son of David Beckham last week shared a snap of the couple after passing his driving test and wrote in the caption: 'I think I'll keep her' ''Everyone in this industry needs to get their heads out of a hole and look around to realize what's ACTUALLY happening in the REAL world,' Chloe posted presumably referencing deaths and turmoil in France, Turkey and Louisiana. ''Stop wasting your voice on something so petulant and unimportant,' she added. Khloe, 32, took the feud to a new low by posting a screenshot on Twitter of Chloe in a bikini filming Neighbours 2 last October, alongside another image of an unwitting mystery woman with her bare bottom exposed. Staunch supporter: Chloe is shown in June with Hillary Clinton at a campaign event in Southern California ''Is this the a hole you're referring to @ChloeGMoretz ???', Khloe wrote along with the tasteless image. Orange Is The New Black star Ruby Rose then waded into the mess and defended Chloe, as she tweeted: '@ChloeGMoretz @0hbubbl3s @khloekardashian Yo Khloe I thought you were rad when I met you but this is awful and this is a 19-year-old girl. 'Nobody likes being bullied or made to feel worthless.. Yet so many people will go above and beyond to make others feel that way.' After their shock over the murder of Paul Coker a few days earlier, life was less eventful for the locals in EastEnders. Phil Mitchells son Ben asked his dad to get him a shooter. Lee Carter learned he had given his pregnant girlfriend Whitney a sexually transmitted disease while Jay the accidental paedophile started dealing cocaine from The Arches. Scroll down for video Baby drama: Ronnies son Matthew was facing the threat of being abducted - again - on Friday night's installment of EastEnders Ronnies son Matthew was facing the threat of being abducted again which even for Walford was a Personal Best for a baby who was only one year old. This came about when Ronnie made Andy her kids new nanny even though he was a builder and more importantly a psycho. As Talking Heads would have said: Psycho Builder, qu'est-ce que c'est? And Martin Fowler finished Fridays night show walking round the Vic wearing only his boxer shorts serving shots to his family and friends. So all in all, a typical week in Walford basically... It sounds grim but frankly it was light relief, coming after Pauls death and the even more traumatic ordeal that followed (for us): namely, the way Ben Mitchell reacted/over-acted to it. Mostly this consisted of Ben SHOUTING, ranting and raging at Johnny, Phil, and the police, so furiously his glasses steamed up. Whether Ben would have kept doing this when, as he himself said, it was because he had lost his temper that had lead to his beloved Paul being killed in the first place was debatable. Here are the other questions we need answering after this weeks episodes. Bad ideaThis came about when Ronnie made Andy her kids new nanny even though he was a builder and more importantly a psycho Twisted logic: Ronnie decided having a builder as her kids new nanny makes more sense than getting a total stranger in even one who might, say, be qualified and trained in child care Would anyone in their right mind hire Andy the builder to be their kids nanny? Answer: only Ronnie, who is as bonkers as Andy is. Even Roxy couldnt tolerate him. This whole self-pitying thing isnt working for me, she told him, speaking for us all. As for Ronnie she knew about Andys sinister file of newspaper cuttings about Danielles death and Jack catching him squatting, naked, in the show flat. Well not squatting naked When Ronnie told him it was time for him to move out so that her, Jack, and the kids could have more space being a family, the look on his face was one of blank confusion (as usual) as if she was speaking Chinese. Minutes later though, Ronnie told Jack she had decided having a builder as her kids new nanny makes more sense than getting a total stranger in even one who might, say, be qualified and trained in child care. Is Matthew facing the threat of being abducted again already when he is still only one? Answer: Yes. Matthew has already been snatched by his father, the result of an evil scheme dreamt up by his mum (long story). Now Andy is planning to abduct Matthew, Roxys daughter Amy and even Jacks little brat Ricky. Which shows just how messed up Andy really is. Could one visit to Walfords version of the Cubs instantly transform Ricky from being the new Bobby Beale into a cute little saint? Answer: apparently yes. One visit to the local Cubs, the Beavers was enough to wean Ricky off junk food, computer games, and kicking Jack his new dad in the shin. Ricky loves Beavers ! we learnt. Like father, like son eh? Will it ever end? Matthew has already been snatched by his father, the result of an evil scheme dreamt up by his mum (long story). Now Andy is planning to abduct Matthew, Roxys daughter Amy and even Jacks little brat Ricky. Which shows just how messed up Andy really is Who is going to have a heart attack first Phil or Ben? Answer: Ben. 'Yesterday he was about to explode, Shirley said to Phil. So no change there then Ben spent the week going quietly, and then noisily, bananas, testing even the professional patience of the detective investigating Pauls murder to the limit. Forensics?! How long does that TAKE?! he erupted, clearly never having seen CSI. Then he laid into Phil when he baulked at Bens request to get him a gun and advised him to help the police instead of sorting it by killing Pauls killers himself. I have TRIED to do this the right way ! Ben protested as if he had been struggling heroically for decades rather than one episode since he told the filth that the murder had been a hate crime. You know dad all these years I havent asked you for anything. But Im asking you now, Ben begged as if he wanted a lift to the station rather than, um, a gun. Phils newfound parenting skills succeeded in talking Ben down and he gave his sobbing son a cuddle before, unwisely, letting him look in the box and discover that it contained brake parts not a weapon after all. Is this some kind of JOKE to you? I aint a kid! he roared before stomping out, like Kevin the Teenager, or in other words exactly like a kid. Worried about Ben: 'Yesterday he was about to explode, Shirley said to Phil. So no change there then Causing trouble: Phils newfound parenting skills succeeded in talking Ben down and he gave his sobbing son a cuddle Why do the residents of Albert Square always throw incriminating letters, pregnancy tests etc in the nearest bin, to be discovered by their nearest and dearest or enemies? Lees dad Danny Dyer immediately found the leaflet on abortion Lee had been hiding and pretending he could read. Later Lee confirmed how dumb he was by taking advice on parenting - from Martin Fowler. Is Whitney even thicker than Lee? Whitney was adamant that she was to blame when her doctor told her she had Chlamydia. Whitney that is, not her GPThe medical expert made no attempt to correct Whitney either when she bleated on about being responsible rather than cast any suspicion on Lee, who had had a drunken wing-ding with Abi. This was despite Whitney stressing that she had taken the medication when she contracted it years ago from Rob. She stuck to questioning the efficacy of this (proven) cure rather than Lee when the pill to treat this second dose was discovered when Aunt Babe went through Whitneys drawers (as it were). Me and Lee have got Chlamydia ! Whitney revealed in the manner of the happy couple announcing they were expecting the pitter-patter of tiny Cockney feet. Lee got it from me. Please forgive me ! she pleaded as Lee stood there, squirming and crimson with guilt. Awkward moment: Whitney was adamant that she was to blame when her doctor told her she had Chlamydia Is Billy even thicker than Jay? Youve been selling drugs in my arse ! erupted Billy when he caught Jay in the Arches dealing cocaine with the door wide open. Where are you getting them from? Billy demanded, conveniently forgetting he knew Roxy recently had 10, 000 worth of coke stuck up her derriere - because she had made him go and buy the laxatives to get it out. Despite his disgust, it wasnt long before Billy let Jay move back in after Jay promised he would have nothing more to do with the drugs. But when Aunt Babe charitably called Jay a kiddie fiddler inevitably he did, this time taking his own product to forget his problems. Is any man safe from Denise Albert Squares hottest cougar? After Fatboy, Masood, and Lucas the murderer, it was Kushs turn to fall under Denises spell, aided in part by his muvver who was practically pimping him out. Denise has been giving me the low-down on your sessions together, Bonnie Langford trilled to Kush. She cant get over how fit you are. Ew ! Should Johnny Carter have his own spin-off series? Cocktail barman by night, Perry Mason-style crime-buster by dayJohnny had started acting as if he was Bens lawyer and his boyfriend when he wasnt either. Yet Do we have to listen to talk of Belindas beauty parlour idea Elyssium when were eatingSometimes Sonia rubs some peppermint lotion in, Tina told Belinda, talking about the erotic way her partner looks after her feet. At least I think thats what she was talking about. John Mayer documented his Thursday evening in Los Angeles on Snapchat, including a late-night DIY tattoo session. The 38-year-old bluesman was inked with a makeshift gun crafted from condoms by Chris Nunez, a judge on Spike TV's Ink Master. The usually Miami-based 43-year-old happened to be in town for the Tatau Marks of Polynesia opening at the Japanese American National Museum. Scroll down for video Snapchatter: John Mayer documented his Thursday evening in Los Angeles on Snapchat, including a late-night DIY tattoo session In what appeared to be a hotel room, the seven-time Grammy winner had a musical 8th note etched on to his right thigh. 'I did 2/3,' John - who boasts 9.1M followers - announced, revealing his hidden talent with a matching note on a female's ankle. Mayer kicked off his fun-filled evening with a different female friend - Emmy nominee Jillian Bell - over dinner and a Fleetwood Mac concert at the Blue Diamond Gala at Dodger Stadium. The Connecticut-born, Montana-based musician captioned a concert selfie with The Night Before actress: 'Two friends, different angles.' Sanitary? The 38-year-old bluesman was inked with a makeshift gun crafted from condoms by Chris Nunez, a judge on Spike TV's Ink Master Homemade tattoo: In what appeared to be a hotel room, the seven-time Grammy winner had a musical 8th note etched on to his right thigh John revealed a hidden talent with a matching note on a female's ankle, announcing: 'I did 2/3' The Pokemon Go enthusiast - who considers Snapchat 'where classic rock lives' - famously quit Twitter back in 2011 after becoming 'addicted.' 'I couldn't have a complete thought anymore, and I was a tweetaholic,' John lamented to Rolling Stone in 2011. 'I had 4M Twitter followers, and I was always writing on it. And I stopped using Twitter as an outlet and I started using Twitter as the instrument to riff on, and it started to make my mind smaller and smaller and smaller. And I couldn't write a song.' 'Food and drink': Mayer kicked off his fun-filled evening with Emmy nominee Jillian Bell over dinner and a Fleetwood Mac concert at the Blue Diamond Gala at Dodger Stadium The Connecticut-born, Montana-based musician captioned a concert selfie with The Night Before actress: 'Two friends, different angles' 'I forgot how emotionally paralyzing posting on Twitter felt': The Pokemon Go enthusiast - who considers Snapchat 'where classic rock lives' - famously quit Twitter back in 2011 after becoming 'addicted' John lamented to Rolling Stone in 2011: 'I couldn't have a complete thought anymore, and I was a tweetaholic...I started using Twitter as the instrument to riff on, and it started to make my mind smaller and smaller and smaller. And I couldn't write a song' The Get Hard actor noted: 'You can have promotion in 30 seconds if your stuff is good. Good music is its own promotion.' Mayer is currently performing lead guitar and lead/backing vocals on the 24-show Dead & Company Summer Tour, which hits the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland on Friday night. The Who You Love hitmaker put his own career on hold while joining the super-group, which includes the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bob Weir. Born in 1977: Mayer is currently performing lead guitar and lead/backing vocals on the 24-show Dead & Company Summer Tour, which hits the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland on Friday night Two more concerts this summer: The Who You Love hitmaker put his own career on hold while joining the super-group, which includes the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bob Weir John told The Sacramento Bee on Thursday that he'll finish his 'deeply personal' seventh studio album 'by the end of the year.' The Wildfire rocker's next solo gig will be October 1 at The Roots Picnic happening at Bryant Park in Manhattan. Mayer has a womanizing reputation having famously loved (and left) celebs like Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Minka Kelly. Recording: John told The Sacramento Bee on Thursday that he'll finish his 'deeply personal' seventh studio album 'by the end of the year' The famous names on Celebrity First Dates have made all kinds of confessions during their night out but Jess Woodleys was one of the more surprising secrets. Im not a fan of the typical Chelsea boy, she reflected, which you might have thought was a problem for someone on Made In Chelsea who had spent the last two years and three seasons being set up with various planks from the show. Asked what her type was, Jess said: I dont like it if someone takes himself too seriously. I dont like the really cocky ones. Scroll down for video Looking for love: The famous names on Celebrity First Dates have made all kinds of confessions during their night out but Jess Woodleys was one of the more surprising secrets Again, that ruled out all of the men on Made In Chelsea. She was so much more relaxed and likeable on CFD than MiC she was unrecognizable not the miserable, manipulative, semi-stalker who couldnt work out if she wanted to be Jamie Laings boyfriend, friend, or enemy. She was wearing a dress for a start, or trying to wear a dress as she put it rather than the dungarees that made her look like a short, blonde, version of Benny from Crossroads. And for once she had a good time and a good date which was more than she ever did with Laing. I think well hang out was her verdict about her dinner-date at the end. Whether they would hook up in the traditional MiC manner though we will never know. Un-brie-lievale! Meanwhile, the single life probably seemed more desirable for Sian Lloyd after her dinner with Max. A specialist cheese merchant, Max assessed peoples personalities by comparing them to different types of cheese The contrasts between the three women in this episode were stark. Woodley was so used to every intimate or excruciating detail of her private, romantic, life being filmed it was second nature to her not strange at all. She was only a year older than shy 20 year-old student Salina who was not a celebrity but was on her first date literally, in her life. Salina had then boldly (crazily) elected to have her first one on television - with Musharaf Asghar, the pupil who conquered his stammer on Educating Yorkshire. The way Musharaf and Salina treated each other so sensitively and sweetly was an education in itself. Hopefully, Paddy from the previous show was watching. Veteran weather presenter Sian Lloyd admitted she was finding being single a struggle not because she had been single for so long but because she hadnt. This was the first time she had been without that companionship for forty years, she protested. The single life probably seemed more desirable after her dinner with Max. A specialist cheese merchant, Max assessed peoples personalities by comparing them to different types of cheese. Struggle: Veteran weather presenter Sian Lloyd admitted she was finding being single a struggle not because she had been single for so long but because she hadnt Lonely hearts: This was the first time she had been without that companionship for forty years, she protested His verdict on poor Sian after she had declined the chance of meeting again for example was to categorise her as a medium hard cheese who needs to ripen and soften up advice Im sure Sian was grateful for. (What woman doesnt like to be compared to cheese?) Happily Jess avoided the same fate. After her experiences with Jamie Laing she had suffered enough. She was phlegmatic about her role on Made In Chelsea, sounding resigned to having to keep doing it more than enthralled, and became decidedly forlorn as she looked back at footage of Laing breaking up with her. One day we loved each other, the next day we hated each other, she recalled wanly. Thats quite sad isnt it? Well we enjoyed it, but yes. Playing out your love life on TV is hard. But you know what you signed up for, so theres no holding back. I definitely think guys get put off. At the start its cool but then they start thinking: hang on, this is actually quite intense. As a result, these days - in real life - she claimed: I dont really date. So this is new for me. Her date was Luke, a laddish entrepreneur and a dead ringer for Charlie from TOWIE (poor sod). Who's who? The waiting staff at the First Dates restaurant enjoyed a sneaky Google of their celebrity clientele I want someone with a bit of depth and personality. I want to meet someone that grows me as a person, he explained which looked like a tall order given that his date was on Made In Chelsea. Jess was more animated and happier here though, particularly when Luke preened I think everyone likes a bit of confidence and promptly knocked over his drink, scattering glass everywhere. That is too good ! Jess declared having hysterics. Thats the best thing that could have possibly happened. Sitting there humiliated and with his hand bleeding so badly Fred the maitre d had to put a plaster on it, Luke probably disagreed. He had rarely seen MiC but remembered her wearing dungarees. I love my dungarees! sighed Jess, as if she missed them like an absent friend. I was like: whos the boy with the short blonde hair? Luke teased, skillfully retrieving it by adding: a good looking boy though. What a difference: She was so much more relaxed and likeable on CFD than MiC she was unrecognizable not the miserable, manipulative, semi-stalker who couldnt work out if she wanted to be Jamie Laings boyfriend, friend, or enemy New look: I love my dungarees! sighed Jess, as if she missed them like an absent friend Luke was a typical London lad but reckoned he was single because he resented the way women stereotyped him as a Geezer. Im actually a secret geek, he confided. Im into monk conspiracies. Unfortunately he didnt expand on what these were, aadding: I do a lot of protesting. Like anti-fur, saving dolphins, things like that. But I think that side of me is not that attractive to most girls. In fact I save dolphins sounded like one of the great sure-fire chat-up lines. As for his personality, he declared proudly Im not a planner trying to prove what a wild and crazy guy he was by explain: Ill be like: lets go to Stonehenge and see some crazy s**t ! This made Jess laugh - rather than run for the hills. Where dates and even love are concerned this is half the battle of course. Luke couldnt persuade Jess to let him take her up Stonehenge but they did leave in a taxi together, heading for Notting Hill. Not really the same but still... Did it go alright? asked the cabbie. Yeah, she pulled! joked Luke. His verdict in all seriousness was: I think shes stunning. Having been hurt by her first love and burnt by Jamie Laing, Jess was more cautious but definitely saw her evening with Luke as progress. The Chelsea boys are a certain type and hes quite far from that, she concluded. He is a gentleman and I havent met a gentleman in quite a while. He's known for voicing his controversial opinions on all subjects. But James Whale came under fire from Saira Khan during Friday night's episode of Celebrity Big Brother as she asked the presenter why some people had deemed him 'racist'. Explaining that she had researched him before entering the house, the 46-year-old Loose Women panellist asked: 'Why have you got a tag that you could come across as being a "racist" person?' Scroll down for video Quizzed: James Whale came under fire from Saira Khan during Friday night's episode of Celebrity Big Brother as she asked the presenter why some people had deemed him 'racist' But the broadcaster and talk show host, 65, quickly fired back: 'I've never heard so much rubbish in my entire life. He added: 'I don't think I am known for that. Am I known for that? I don't know. I really don't know. I've been one of the judges of the British curry awards for 10 years.' A representative for James told MailOnline: 'She tried to make something out of a non fact. There isn't a racist bone in James' body.' A spokesperson for Channel 5 declined to comment. Candid: Within minutes of entering the house, Saira was quizzing the controversial presenter over why he had been labelled 'racist' in certain online forums Whilst the pair ended their conversation on a light note, the feud was ignited moments later after James quipped to his fellow housemates that Saira believed he was 'racist'. Not impressed with the joke, the presenter - who is of Pakistani descent - fired back: 'No I did not think that. I did not say that. I didn't say that, so don't twist it.' Explaining that he had a 'strange sense of humour', he insisted: 'I'm winding you up.' But Saira reasoned: 'If that's a wind-up, some people could take that seriously. 'You say that and people go, "Oh my goodness why's she said that?" All of a sudden you've created a perception.' No laughing matter: Whilst the pair ended their conversation on a light note, the feud was ignited moments later after James quipped to his fellow housemates that Saira believed he was 'racist' She went on to add that it is 'absolutely fine' if he is racist, as she accepted that she 'couldn't change him', explaining: 'I'd just like to say, "Look, are we going to have a problem? I can stay out of your way, it's not an issue'" James - who was booed when entering the house after claiming 'men and women are not equal', replied: 'If I was I'd be very angry with myself, because first of all... oh it's too complicated. 'Whatever anybody says about me, I'm not racist, not homophobic, I'm kind of anti-religious.' The pair ended the discussion on good terms, but Saira warned: 'Don't wind me up. Because they're quite serious allegations.' US envoy Kerry to meet with Palestinian leader Abbas US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Paris on Saturday to discuss progress toward a two-state solution, the State Department said. "The secretary is not looking at trying to make progress based on a fixed date on the calendar," spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday. Instead, Kerry will speak with "Abbas about prospects for a two-state solution, and trying to make meaningful progress to create the conditions... where that solution can be more successfully pursued," Kirby said. US Secretary of State John Kerry, pictured on July 27, 2016, will speak with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas about "prospects for a two-state solution" with Israel, the State Department said Noel Celis (AFP/File) Kerry will travel to Paris late Friday before returning on Sunday. He may also meet with other leaders for bilateral discussions, although Kirby gave no further details on the matter. "This is something he has been focused on since he has been the secretary of state, and will remain so for, I can assure you, the entire time that he's in office," Kirby said. "You've seen the travel that he has made to the region. This remains an area of prime focus for him." The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been frozen for two years, with hopes that it could be revived before the end of President Barack Obama's administration now mostly dashed. Melania Trump's website deleted after degree questions Just over a week after she blazed into controversy for plagiarizing Michelle Obama, the website of Donald Trump's third wife Melania mysteriously vanished following questions about her university education. "The website in question was created in 2012 and has been removed because it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests," the mother of one tweeted Thursday. The website disappeared after US media questioned whether the wife of the Republican nominee for president had a degree in architecture from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, as the online biography stated. Melania Trump's website disappeared after US media questioned whether the wife of the Republican nominee for president had a degree in architecture from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia Timothy A. Clary (AFP/File) Trump told MSNBC in February only that she "studied" design and architecture. A follow-up interview with GQ Magazine published in April said she dropped out after a year to pursue a modeling career in Milan and later Paris. Those who try to access www.melaniatrump.com are now automatically diverted to her husband's company website. While his three adult children, who hold executive positions at The Trump Organization, have biographies on the site, she does not. Neither is she mentioned in her husband's more than 4,000-word online biography. Thursday's tweet was a rare update from Melania Trump in the 13 months since her husband launched his controversial bid for the White House. While the ex-model used to post regular style, food and scenic photographs, she has tweeted rarely since his foray into politics. Last week, a staffer apologized for cribbing remarks from the current Democratic first lady for a speech Melania Trump delivered at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Melania Trump had "always liked" Michelle Obama and read out passages from one of her speeches as examples of what she wanted to say, said the staffer. Transgender woman makes history at Democratic convention Sarah McBride on Thursday became the first openly transgender person to address a national US political party convention, telling Democrats that White House nominee Hillary Clinton "understands the urgency" of the fight for equality. "My name is Sarah McBride and I am a proud transgender American," the beaming rights activist told cheering delegates on the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention that anointed Clinton as the party's flagbearer. "Hillary Clinton understands the urgency of our fight," she said. "She will work with us to pass the equality act, to combat violence against transgendered women of color, and to end the HIV-AIDS epidemic once and for all." LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride (L) and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney of New York at the Democratic National Convention on July 28, 2016 in Philadelphia Saul Loeb (AFP) Transgender people have seen their cause advance in recent years, notably this April when a US Circuit Court of Appeals recognized that transgender Americans are protected under federal laws banning sex-based discrimination. The issue has become a political flashpoint in several states including North Carolina, prompting lawmakers to take sides on whether communities or institutions can forbid transgender people from using the bathrooms of their gender identity. In June after a lengthy review, the Pentagon said it was ending the ban on transgender people being able to serve openly in the US military. "Despite this progress, so much work remains," said McBride, who noted that she came out as transgender while serving as the student body president at her college. "Today in America, LGBTQ people are still targeted by hate that lives in both laws and in hearts. Many still struggle just to get by, but I believe that tomorrow can be different." McBride was introduced at the convention by Sean Patrick Maloney, an openly gay member of the US House of Representatives. "You know, it's a beautiful thing when your country catches up to you, and when your basic rights, and your very family are on the line," Maloney said. Trump, he added, "doesn't care" about some families. "He's against marriage equality. He wants to go back." The convention has embraced the Democratic message of inclusion, particularly for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. McBride's appearance on center stage comes one week after Caitlyn Jenner, an avowed Republican who is the world's most famous transgender woman, defended gender rights in Cleveland on the sidelines of the Republican convention that picked Donald Trump as their party's nominee. US military confirms 14 new civilian deaths in Iraq, Syria The US military confirmed 14 new deaths resulting from the bombing campaign against the Islamic State group, bringing the total official toll to 55 killed. The announcement from the US Central Command (Centcom) -- which oversees US military operations in the Middle East -- followed an internal investigation into six US airstrikes between July 28, 2015 and April 29, 2016. "In each of the cases released today, the assessment determined that although all precautions were taken and the strikes complied with laws of armed conflict, civilian casualties unfortunately did occur," said Centcom in a statement. The US-led coalition announced a formal investigation to determine whether its July 19 air strikes near Manbij in Syria claimed civilian lives Delil Souleiman (AFP/File) Critics of the US-led air strikes have accused the coalition of underestimating the number of resulting civilian deaths. The updated toll comes after the coalition announced Wednesday a formal investigation to determine whether its July 19 air strikes near Manbij in Syria claimed civilian lives. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 56 civilians, including 11 children, died as they fled from a village near Manbij, a strategic waypoint between Turkey and the jihadist stronghold of Raqa. According to the Observatory, around 600 Syrians, including 136 children, have been killed in coalition air strikes since September 2014. Airwars, another London NGO, estimates that the international airstrikes in Syria and Iraq have killed more than 1,500 civilians. The Centcom investigation found that among those killed were three civilians, who died in an April 5 strike on Mosul, Iraq targeting an IS group financial storage facility. Four more civilians died in Mosul on April 29 during strikes targeting the Australian Neil Prakash -- considered to be an influential IS group recruiter -- who also died in the bombardment. In another strike on April 26 near Qayyarah in Iraq, one civilian died when a motorcycle "unexpectedly appeared in the target area after the US aircraft had already released its weapon," Centcom said. Indonesian executions a 'complete mess': lawyer Indonesia executed four drug convicts Friday but 10 others due to face the firing squad were given an apparent reprieve in a confused process one lawyer condemned as a "complete mess". The executions on a remote prison island went ahead despite strong protests from international rights groups, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union who had urged Indonesia not to proceed. Four inmates -- three Nigerians and one Indonesian -- were put to death just after midnight. One of the Nigerian prisoners was cremated hours later, while the bodies of the three others were being prepared for burial. An anti-execution rally in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta on July 28, 2016 after Indonesia rejected appeals from the UN and EU to halt the execution of 14 drug convicts including foreigners Bay Ismoyo (AFP) Questions swirled about the handling of the process, which saw the other 10 prisoners slated for death -- including from India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe -- spared at the last minute. Authorities did not give a reason for the reprieve, but the prison island where they were expected to be executed in outdoor clearings was hit by a major storm as the other sentences were carried out. Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said Friday the 10 inmates had been returned to their cells, suggesting their executions were not imminent. "The fate of the other 10 we will determine later. We will see when the right time will be," Prasetyo told reporters. "But one thing is for sure -- we will never stop executing people on death row." Local prisons chief Molyanto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said the major security seen in recent days around the island had been reduced and he thought more executions were unlikely in the near future. Ricky Gunawan -- whose client Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke was among those tied to a post and shot in the jungle clearing -- said lawyers awaiting the grim news were kept in the dark as to why the executions didn't proceed as planned. "I would say the execution this morning was a complete mess," Gunawan told AFP from Cilacap, near Nusakambangan, a remote island housing several high-security jails. "No clear information was provided to us about the time of execution, why only four (were executed) and what happens to the 10 others." Family members had already been shocked to learn on Thursday morning that their relatives would be put to death a day ahead of schedule. Distraught relatives rushed to Nusakambangan to say farewell to their loved ones. - Process 'not respected' - President Joko Widodo has defended dramatically ramping up the use of capital punishment, saying that Indonesia is fighting a war on drugs and that traffickers must be heavily punished. Friday's executions were the third under Widodo since he took office in 2014. The last round was in April 2015, when authorities put to death eight drug convicts, including two Australians. The executed Indonesian was named as Freddy Budiman, while the three Nigerians were Seck Osmane, Humphrey Jefferson Ejike Eleweke and Michael Titus Igweh. Another of Eleweke's lawyers, Afif Abdul Qoyim, told AFP the execution should not have gone ahead as his client this week filed a legal appeal. "When this process in not respected, that means that this is no longer a country that upholds the law, nor human rights," he said. Amnesty International has identified what it calls "systematic flaws" in the trials of several of the death row inmates, and urged Indonesia not to proceed while appeals for clemency were pending. Two people whose cases had raised high-profile international concern among rights groups were not executed. The first was Pakistani Zulfiqar Ali, whom rights groups say was beaten into confessing to heroin possession, leading to his 2005 death sentence. The other was Indonesian woman Merri Utami, who was caught with heroin in her bag as she came through Jakarta airport and claims she was duped into becoming a drug mule. The National Commission on Violence Against Women, which has been lobbying for Utami to receive clemency, called for answers over the fate of the 10 remaining prisoners. "We hope the attorney general's office will provide a clear and transparent explanation," the commission's Sri Nurherwati told AFP. Map locating Nusakambangan island in Indonesia where four executions took place on Friday John SAEKI (AFP) Relatives carry photographs of Pakistani national Zulfiqar Ali, who was sentenced to death in 2005 for heroin possession in Indonesia, during a protest in Lahore on July 28, 2016 Arif Ali (AFP) An ambulance carrying the coffin of executed Indonesian drug convict Freddy Budiman leaves Wijayapura pier in Cilacap, Central Java province on July 29, 2016 Rohmat Syarif (AFP) Flash Nigeria marked a symbolic progress of railway service when its first completed standard gauge railway modernization project assisted by China, was open for commercial operation. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday flagged off the commercial operation of the country's first China-assisted standard gauge railway. [Photo/Xinhua] Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday flagged off the commercial operation of the rail service, linking the capital city Abuja and the northwestern state of Kaduna, following the smooth completion of the railway construction by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). The completed project is part of the railway modernization initiative by the West African superpower which aims to replace the existing narrow gauge system with the wider standard gauge system, while allowing high-speed train operations on the railway network. With nine stations and a design speed of 150 km per hour, the Abuja-Kaduna rail line covers a distance of 186.5 km. Buhari said the train service will provide the much-needed alternative transport link between the nation's capital city and Kaduna State, a corridor of growing labor force which has a huge potential for industries and agricultural activities. "We are on the threshold of presenting to Nigerians a standard gauge railway train service that will be safe, fast and reliable," the Nigerian leader said. Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi said the project, partly funded by the Export-Import Bank of China, is a significant milestone in the history of Nigeria. According to him, the completion of this project and the commencement of its commercial operation is a turnaround in the country's transport sector, particularly as it contributes to the development of the economy. In an interview with Xinhua, Yuan Li, the chairman of CCECC, said the completed rail line would ease the traffic congestion between Abuja and Kaduna. The railway will reduce the travel time between the two cities to one hour, he added. Key quotes from Clinton's Democratic convention speech Hillary Clinton vowed to be the president for "all Americans" as she accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination -- the first woman to lead a major party in the race for the White House. Her speech, which capped the party's four-day convention in Philadelphia, also included some savage takedowns of her Republican opponent Donald Trump. Here are some key quotes from her address: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton celebrates on stage with husband former president Bill Clinton on the final night of the Democratic National Convention Saul Loeb (AFP) President for all "I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans and independents. For the struggling, the striving and the successful. For those who vote for me and those who don't. For all Americans." Service "The truth is, through all these years of public service, the 'service' part has always come easier to me than the 'public' part." Devil in the details "It's true... I sweat the details of policy (...) Because it's not just a detail if it's your kid, if it's your family. It's a big deal. And it should be a big deal to your president." -- Clinton defends her reputation as a policy wonk History "Tonight, we've reached a milestone in our nation's march toward a more perfect union: the first time that a major party has nominated a woman for president." More jobs "My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States... From my first day in office to my last!" Sanders shout-out "Bernie, your campaign inspired millions of Americans... And to all of your supporters here and around the country: I want you to know, I've heard you. Your cause is our cause." -- Clinton offers an olive branch to disappointed supporters of her rival Hard truth "Here's the sad truth. There is no other Donald Trump. This is it." Never fear "He wants to divide us -- from the rest of the world, and from each other. (...) He wants us to fear the future and fear each other." -- Clinton on Trump No nukes, please "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." What did he say? "He spoke for 70-odd minutes. And I do mean odd." Australia slaps down ex-PM Rudd's bid for top UN job Australia refused Friday to back former prime minister Kevin Rudd's bid to be the next secretary general of the United Nations, saying he was not suited to the job. Rudd was spectacularly dumped as prime minister by his own Labor Party in 2010, with colleagues subsequently alleging that his office was chaotic and he was difficult to work with. "This is not a partisan issue, this is a considered judgement," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is from the rival Liberal Party, said when announcing the decision in Sydney. Kevin Rudd was spectacularly dumped as prime minister by his own Labor Party in 2010, with colleagues subsequently alleging that his office was chaotic and he was difficult to work with Greg Wood (AFP/File) "This is a judgement about Mr. Rudd's suitability for that particular role." Canberra revealed earlier this month that the Mandarin-speaking Rudd, who is based in New York as head of the Asia Society policy institute, was keen to lead the global body. Candidates must be nominated by their governments and Turnbull said he made the decision not to put Rudd forward after consulting with his cabinet. Turnbull said he explained his decision to Rudd -- who brought Labor out of the political wilderness in a 2007 election landslide -- but would not elaborate on his reasons. "When the Australian government nominates a person for a job, particularly an international job like this, the threshold question is, 'Do we believe the person, the nominee, the would-be nominee, is well suited for that position?'" he asked. "My judgement is that Mr. Rudd is not, and I've explained to him the reasons why." Rudd, who served as prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and again briefly in 2013 as Labor faced an electoral wipeout, said had he been nominated it "would have reflected well on what our nation can offer to the world". "It would have been the first time in the United Nations' 70-year history that Australia offered a candidate for UN secretary general," he said on his Facebook page. Rudd, who flew to Sydney on Friday requesting a meeting with Turnbull but spoke to the prime minister only by telephone, said he wished all candidates in the running for the UN job well. New hope for Taiwan tribes as culture under threat For Tama Talum of Taiwan's aboriginal Bunun mountain people, hunting is a way of life, integral to his tribal customs -- but after his arrest for illegally killing a deer and goat on land near his village, he fears those traditions will soon die out. It is just one of many cases reflecting the wrangle between Taiwan's authorities and its indigenous people, with critics arguing laws discriminate against aboriginal culture and that society as a whole has little understanding of it. New president Tsai Ing-wen -- the first Taiwanese leader with aboriginal blood -- will attempt to ease those tensions when she delivers the first ever apology to the island's indigenous people on August 1 for injustices over the centuries. Tama Talum (C) and fellow aboriginal hunters, carry shotguns in the mountains in Taitung, eastern Taiwan on July 2, 2016 Sam Yeh (AFP) "An apology isn't going to solve all the problems, but symbolically it shows Tsai is willing to face this issue," said Kolas Yotaka, a legislator of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who is from the largest Amis tribe. She added: "It gives us hope." However, for Talum, the damage is done. The 57-year-old is a free man while he awaits the result of an appeal at the Supreme Court after an uproar in the aboriginal community over his three-and-a-half year sentence for possessing an illegal weapon and hunting protected species. Aboriginal hunters are legally only allowed to use homemade guns -- which they say can been dangerous and have led to injuries -- and to hunt on festival days, restrictions to which many tribespeople object. Talum's arrest has already stopped younger tribe members wanting to hunt, he says. "Some of them are scared after seeing me being dragged away. They don't want to learn. I was an optimistic man but it's hard to be upbeat," he told AFP. - Land battle - Anthropologists say Taiwan's aboriginals migrated from Malaysia or Indonesia and now make up about two percent of the island's population. Their sense of injustice revolves mainly around the loss of ancestral land rights, which first came under threat when immigrants from China arrived 400 years ago. Much of that land is now designated national park, leading to clashes over hunting, fishing and foraging in areas where permits are needed. "There are so many restrictions, telling us what we can't do," Talum said at his home, nestled among mountains in Taitung county. Corn and rice fields surround the village of Tastas -- "waterfall" in the Bunun language -- where about 250 people live in simple corrugated-metal roofed houses. "We aren't stealing or robbing anyone, and it's not that we are hunting everyday," he said. Talum moved to the city in search of work, but eventually returned to take care of his mother. Aboriginal unemployment is higher than the rest of the workforce and their wage is about 40 percent less than the national average, according to the government's Council of Indigenous Peoples. A lack of autonomy to manage and live off their land also exacerbates social issues such as alcohol abuse, according to Scott Simon, a professor at the University of Ottawa, who researches Taiwan indigenous rights. "The alcohol problem is a major public health issue that is not being adequately addressed. These issues are related," he said. - Young activists - Despite the challenges, some young aboriginals are trying to reconnect with their roots. "What we want is simple: give us back what was originally ours," said Kelun Katadrepan, who works for an indigenous television station. The 30-year-old from the Puyuma tribe has started a campaign group gathering young professionals to advocate aboriginal involvement in politics. In addition to restoring dispossessed land, Katadrepan wants an overhaul of the education system to prevent further loss of tribal languages -- five are seen as "severely endangered" by UNESCO. His parents did not want to teach him their native language while growing up, believing he needed to master Chinese to secure a better future. "We aren't Chinese, but we are forced to learn Chinese since we are little. That is not our culture," Katadrepan said. But there have been gradual efforts to change that. While teaching is usually in Chinese, some schools offer options to take native language classes. There are also indigenous community colleges where traditional customs and skills are taught. - Return to the mountains - With the DPP now in power, legislator Yotaka hopes government regulations will now be brought in line with the aboriginal basic law, adopted in 2005 to protect indigenous rights. That would correct current contradictions, including the fact that hunting is illegal apart from during major tribal festivals -- even though the basic law protects indigenous rights to kill wild animals for self-consumption. Talum says he has not risked hunting since his conviction, except for a sanctioned foray during a spring festival where young Bunun men demonstrate their hunting skills and pray for a good millet harvest. He still clings on to hope that his son, who was raised in the city and is now in his thirties, will eventually learn the old ways. "After a while, when the time comes, he will think of going to the mountains with his father," he says. A exhibition about traditional aboriginal hunters is on display at a museum in Taitung, eastern Taiwan on July 2, 2016 Sam Yeh (AFP) An aboriginal hunter shows off wild pigs' skulls outside a hunter's home in Taitung, eastern Taiwan Sam Yeh (AFP) The son of aboriginal hunter Tama Talum stands next guns laid out in front of his home in Taitung, eastern Taiwan Sam Yeh (AFP) Mystery of missing Jai, India's most beloved tiger A massive search operation is underway in India for the country's most famous tiger, with millions of adoring fans worried sick about the big cat known as Jai who went missing three months ago. Named after Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan's character in the hit 1975 film "Sholay", the tiger shot to nationwide fame three years ago after embarking on an epic hike through villages, rivers and perilously dangerous highways in successful pursuit of a mate. A firm favourite with tourists and conservationists alike, the seven-year-old, 250-kilogram big cat was last seen at the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, where he usually lives, on April 18. India's most famous tiger 'Jai' went missing from the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary three months ago, sparking a massive search operation Wildlife officials in the western Indian state of Maharashtra launched a massive search operation, hoping to find the beloved animal by Friday -- International Tiger Day -- but admit they are clueless as to his fate. "Whether he has moved to forest interiors or is with a new mate, no information is available as of yet," M.S Reddy, a tiger expert helping the search, told AFP. Forestry rangers said they first become worried about Jai's fate after his electronic collar stopped transmitting his location three months ago, while tourist sightings of the cat have dried up. The state government has offered a reward of 50,000 rupees ($745) for information on Jai's location, a small fortune for the hundreds of local villagers engaged in the hunt. Indian newspapers are carrying daily reports on the latest speculation about where Jai may be or what fate might have befallen him with some claiming reported, but unconfirmed, sightings. In the eastern district of Nagpur this week, home to the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, where Jai lives, worried locals held a pooja, or ceremony, praying that he would be found safe. Some devotees threw religious offerings onto a fire while others held up posters of the missing beast. A small boy was seen stroking a tiger soft toy in local online news clips of the event. - 'Majestic Tiger' - Jai has been credited with both boosting tourism and helping to repopulate India's tiger population. "He's successfully fathered more than 20 cubs and has boosted the local economy by attracting wildlife enthusiasts," said Rohit Karoo, a conservationist helping co-ordinate the hunt. "Losing such a majestic tiger would be a great loss for India." Karoo said no stone was being left unturned in the bid to track Jai down in a search extending over several hundred kilometres. "Around 10 non-governmental organisations, locals from nearly four hundred villages and forest officials are patrolling the forests in Maharashtra to locate Jai," he told AFP on Thursday. India is home to around 2,200 tigers, representing 70 percent of the world's endangered tiger population. Some reports have speculated that Jai may have been wounded in a fight with another tiger, poached by hunters involved in the illegal trade of endangered wildlife or merely fallen sick. However, Karoo was quick to quash such rumours. "I don't think anything bad has befallen him as he is a dominant male tiger with the capacity to travel large distances," he said. Husband of UK woman killed in Pakistan calls for justice The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called "honour" killings. Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid's death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. Kazam has branded her death an "honour killing", a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family "dishonour". Mukhtar Kazam, whose wife Samia Shahid was killed in Pakistan, displays her post-mortem report during a press conference in Rawalpindi Habib Shaikh (AFP) The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star. Baloch's brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister's behaviour had been "intolerable". Kazam sought to keep international attention on "honour" killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. "I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial," he said. Kazam and Shahid, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid's second marriage. Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents. In a complaint to police he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. Shahid's father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes. Police told AFP that Shahid's first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday. Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar. The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. The victims of "honour" killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year. They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting. But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action. Last week the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate "honour" killings would soon be voted on by parliament. Egypt education system under spotlight as exams leaked High school finals are always a terrifying prospect for Egyptian students. After cheat sheets were leaked this year, the exams turned into a nightmare for Mariam Khaled. She had gone home to sleep after finishing an exam. When she woke up, she discovered she would have to resit it. The leaks have put the spotlight on flaws in Egypt's education system, which critics say favours students who can afford private tuition to go on to coveted universities and faculties. Egyptian students shout slogans during a demonstration against the education minister and the education system outside the Ministry of Education in the capital Cairo on June 27 Khaled Desouki (AFP/File) The leaks "put me on the same footing as those who haven't studied at all", said Khaled, an 18-year-old at a private school in Cairo who wants to become an engineer. "I've been preparing my whole life for this exam to be able to plan my future. Now I feel extreme injustice," she told AFP. The fiasco prompted student protests and clashes with police outside the education ministry in late June. One placard at the demonstrations in June read: "2016, the class of injustice." The answers had been leaked anonymously on Facebook by people who said they wanted to spark a debate on education in Egypt. Critics say underpaid teachers at state schools offer poor tuition, making private tuition a must. One Facebook group called on authorities to raise teachers' salaries and update curricula to match the jobs market. - Chaotic and absurd - Education in Egypt is in a "chaotic and absurd state, with corruption a main component", said Kamal Mogheith, an expert at the governmental National Centre for Educational Research and Development. "What is happening is a wide-scale protest movement... against a failed educational system that does not teach a thing, yet it drains families' energy and funds for years," Mogheith told AFP. Khaled's family say they have struggled to support her dream of studying engineering at a state university. "Money was tight for the whole family due to high school expenses. Making funds available for school and private classes in the current economic situation wasn't easy," said Ola Mahfouz, her mother. If Khaled is not accepted at a state faculty, she can still enrol at a private university, but that would place a further burden on family finances. Egyptian students face fierce competition to study subjects such as engineering and medicine, which are considered routes to social advancement. Over 12 percent of Egyptians were unemployed in late 2015, with the rate reaching nearly 28 percent among young people, official figures show. With nearly half a million students enrolled at high schools in the academic year that ended in July, the challenge of reforming the system is huge. The education minister promised this month that the exams' system would change starting next year. Some students admitted they took advantage of the leaks, while others said they used bluetooth headphones and mobile phone applications to cheat. Ahmed Hesham, 18, who attended the protest in June, said he cheated to level the playing field. Hesham, whose father is a craftsman, showed AFP a group chat on WhatsApp through which he had obtained several leaked exam papers. "The children of wealthy parents buy the exams, so why oppose the leaks now?" asked Hesham. "This is equality in an unjust and corrupt society." UN seeks control of Russia escape routes from Syria's Aleppo The UN on Friday urged Russia to give it control of humanitarian passages out of Aleppo in northern Syria where besieged residents cowered indoors afraid to use what some called "death corridors". A monitoring group, meanwhile, reported that at least 18 civilians were killed in air strikes in the city of Aleppo and in the provincial town of Atareb. The Britain-based charity Save the Children said a maternity hospital it supports in northwestern Idlib province was bombed Friday, killing two people and injuring babies in incubators. Syrians walk past heavily damaged buildings in the neighbourhood of Bani Zeid, on Aleppo's northern outskirts on July 29, 2016 George Ourfalian (AFP) Syrian regime ally Russia has said three humanitarian passages would be opened for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit Aleppo's eastern districts. Only a dozen of Aleppo residents trickled out through one passage Friday, while others wanting to flee were turned back by rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. An AFP correspondent in east Aleppo said streets were empty with residents holed up indoors and shops shuttered. Ahmad Ramadan from the opposition Syrian National Coalition accused Russia and the regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. "Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about 'death corridors'," he said. The Britain-based Observatory said at least eight civilians were killed in regime air strikes that hit two eastern areas of Aleppo, warning the death toll could rise as more were trapped under the rubble. It later reported unidentified air strikes on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province that killed 10 people and wounded many other seriously, calling the raids a "new massacre". UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Russia, which has been carrying out air strikes alongside Syrian regime planes, should let the United Nations take charge of the corridors. "Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us," he said. "How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing, fighting?" Russia's deputy defence minister, Anatoly Antonov, said Moscow was prepared "for the closest and most constructive cooperation" with the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations. But he warned that rebels would not be allowed "to enter the city and fuel the terrorists with weapons and ammunition". The UN says around 250,000 people have been trapped in Aleppo's eastern districts since July 17 when pro-regime forces surrounded the area. - 'Existential dilemma' - Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition's main supply route into the northern city. Aid agencies and analysts said the humanitarian corridors must be used to send desperately needed supplies to those areas which have not received any medical aid since July 7. "Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in eastern Aleppo must be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess their well-being and needs," said the International Committee of the Red Cross. The US-based International Rescue Committee warned that those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a pause in the fighting. Analyst Karim Bitar from the French think-tank IRIS said: "Aleppo residents are facing a terrible existential dilemma, they often have to chose between risking starvation or risking to die while fleeing." Humanitarian effort have often been used during the conflict "as cynical ploy to advance geopolitical interests." Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Thursday that three humanitarian corridors were being opened "to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms". - 'Military objectives' - Analysts said losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the rebels and a possible turning point in Syria's five-year-old conflict. "In Aleppo, getting civilians to leave would both serve its propaganda and its military objectives," said Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "The regime uses massive, indiscriminate force to brutalise civilians to force them to kneel or reject the rebel groups," he added. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria's war which erupted in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests before becoming a complex conflict involving many groups, including jihadists. Save the Children voiced "outrage" over the attack of the maternity hospital it supports in Idlib. "Several babies were injured when their incubators crashed to the floor, and a woman who was six months pregnant had her leg severed," it said. The Observatory said a jihadist from Al-Nusra Front, which has changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, was killed in the raid in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim. It also reported that IS had executed 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria. Aleppo's escape corridors Kun Tian (AFP) Syrian men carry injured children amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following air strikes in Aleppo on July 25, 2016 Baraa Al-Halabi (AFP/File) Syrian families fleeing an assault launched by Arab and Kurdish forces against IS group fighters in the town of Manbij, arrive at an encampment on the outskirts in June Delil Souleiman (AFP/File) 'Highly likely' Tanzania piece from MH370 A piece of debris found in Tanzania is "highly likely" to be from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Australia's transport minister said Friday, as he defended the Indian Ocean search efforts. The large wing part was brought to Canberra for analysis after it was found by locals on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania last month. In a statement, Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said "it is highly likely that the latest piece of debris being analysed by the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370". Women walk past a mural depicting the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane in Shah Alam, Malaysia Manan Vatsyayana (AFP/File) "The experts will continue to analyse this piece to assess what information can be determined from it," he added. His comments come a year after a large piece of wing debris was found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean and positively identified by French officials as originating from the flight, which disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people onboard. Australian officials have determined that four other pieces of debris found in Mozambique, South Africa and Mauritius almost certainly came from the plane, which was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished. But as hopes of finding MH370's final resting place fade after two years of searching, and with speculation that the crash zone may be slightly north of the search area, Chester defended the long-running and difficult underwater probe. He said the debris was found in areas consistent with drift modelling done by Australian scientists. This "affirms the focus of search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean," he added. Australia is leading the hunt for the missing plane in the southern Indian Ocean some 2,600 kilometres off its west coast capital of Perth after satellite data indicated the plane went down somewhere in that remote and stormy area. As it stands, the combing of the 120,000 square kilometre (46,000 square mile) search zone is expected to be finished by December, Chester added. Syrian asylum seeker held over French church attack: source close to probe A Syrian refugee staying at a French centre for asylum seekers has been taken in for questioning in connection with a deadly jihadist attack on a church, a source close to the probe said Friday. The arrest, which took place in central France on Thursday, raises to three the number of people currently being held as part of the investigation into Tuesday's murder of a priest at a church in the northwestern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. Eight jailed for up to 15 years over kidnap of Hong Kong heiress Eight men who kidnapped a Hong Kong fashion heiress and held her in a cave as they negotiated a multi-million-dollar ransom were sentenced to up to 15 years in prison Friday, a mainland court said. Queenie Rosita Law, granddaughter of late textiles tycoon Law Ting-pong, who founded the Bossini clothing chain, was abducted from her house in Hong Kong in April last year. The 29-year-old was held in a mountain cave for four days before family members paid a ransom of HK$28 million (USD$3.61 million) for her release. Most of the gang fled to mainland China afterwards, where they were captured. Queenie Rosita Law, granddaughter of late textiles tycoon Law Ting-pong who founded the Bossini clothing chain, was abducted from her house in Hong Kong in April 2015 Philippe Lopez (AFP/File) Six of plaintiffs were found guilty of abduction, while two others were charged with disguising or concealing illegally obtained gains, a Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court spokesman told AFP. Ringleader You Dunkui was sentenced to 15 years for kidnapping, with the others being given terms ranging from 13 years to just under two, he said. Another gang member, Zheng Xingwang, was sentenced to 12 years by a Hong Kong court last month, having admitted to forcibly taking or detaining a person with intent to procure a ransom. Law and her boyfriend were asleep at her house in the quiet coastal area of Clearwater Bay when a gang of six mainland Chinese men raided the house, tied them up and taped over their mouths, Zheng's Hong Kong trial heard. They stole jewellery and cash worth about HK$3 million from two safes, after forcing Law to give them the combinations. She was tied to one of the gang members, who carried her on foot to a hillside cave 90 minutes' walk away while the boyfriend was told to notify her father of the ransom demand. Hong Kong police embarked on a massive operation to hunt down the suspected kidnappers, deploying hundreds of heavily armed officers, helicopters and marine vessels, and setting up roadblocks. Almost all of the money has been recovered, including some buried on hillsides near the cave where she was taken. Nine Indian labourers die in construction accident Nine labourers fell to their deaths from the 13th floor of a residential tower block under construction in western India Friday after a concrete slab collapsed, an official said. Four other construction workers were injured in the accident in the city of Pune, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) from India's financial capital Mumbai. "Nine workers fell to their death from the 13th floor after the slab collapsed at around 11:00 am (0530 GMT)," National Disaster Response Force official Sachidanand Gawde told AFP. Deadly accidents at building sites are relatively common in India and are often blamed on a lack of safety measures Money Sharma (AFP/File) Pune police said they had launched an investigation into the incident. UN humanitarian convoy in Nigeria ambushed by Boko Haram A United Nations humanitarian convoy was ambushed by Boko Haram jihadists Thursday in Nigeria's restive northeast, leaving several people wounded, the UN children's agency and the Nigerian army said. It was the first such attack on aid workers in the volatile region, the epicentre of the seven-year Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north. "The convoy was travelling from Bama to Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria, returning from delivering desperately needed assistance," when it was ambushed, UNICEF said in a statement Friday. Nigerian soldiers on duty in Borno State, in the northeast of the country Stefan Heunis (AFP/File) "Unknown assailants attacked a humanitarian convoy that included staff from UNICEF, UNFPA, and IOM," the statement added. It said a UNICEF employee and an IOM contractor were injured in the attack and were being treated at a local hospital. "All other UNICEF, IOM and UNFPA staff are safe," it added. UNICEF said the team was in a remote area of northeastern Nigeria, where protracted conflict has caused extreme suffering and has triggered a severe malnutrition crisis. "This was not only an attack on humanitarian workers. It is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing," it added. UNICEF said the UN had temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions in the area pending a review of the security situation. The Nigerian army confirmed the incident in a statement by its spokesman Colonel Sani Usman. "Troops returning from Bama on humanitarian escort duty, were ambushed en route (to) Maiduguri by suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in Meleri village, a few kilometres from Kawuri," it said. It said the military repelled the attack, leaving two soldiers and three civilians injured, including UN aid workers. Some cities in the northeast, including Bama, had gone up to 18 months without any humanitarian deliveries before aid agencies and the UN arrived in June. Many areas can only be accessed under escort from the Nigerian army. The UN said in May that 9.2 million people living around Lake Chad, which forms the border of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, were in desperate need of food. Seven million of them are in Nigeria. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders this week also raised the alarm, saying its teams had recently found extremely high levels of malnutrition in northeastern Borno state. The charity known by its French acronym MSF said the there were between 500,000 and 800,000 people trapped in the area that cannot be reached by humanitarian workers. 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. One cop killed, one wounded in San Diego shooting A police officer died and another was wounded in a shooting at a traffic stop in San Diego, police said Friday. A Hispanic man was later taken into custody, San Diego police chief Shelley Zimmerman told a news conference. He was not immediately identified, but Zimmerman said he is now in the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the upper torso. Police in San Diego say it is too early to say whether the two officers were ambushed at the traffic stop where the shooting took place Mandel Ngan (AFP/File) "We are still actively investigating the crime scene, including searching for any possible remaining suspects," Zimmerman said. "To have this happen to our police officers, we have seen this happen way too many times just in these last few weeks across our great country. It is tragic for everyone." The two officers radioed in that they were making a traffic stop late Thursday, then called for emergency backup soon after, she said. Officers who arrived found the pair had been shot. Jonathan DeGuzman, 43, died in the hospital, Zimmerman said. His wounded partner Wade Irwin came out of surgery later in the morning and is expected to survive, the police department tweeted. The shooting took place around 11 pm Thursday (0600 GMT Friday) in the southeastern neighborhood of Southcrest, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. It was too early to say whether the officers had been ambushed, Zimmerman said. Police launched a manhunt after the incident. Zimmerman said an operation was carried out in which forces surrounded a house where a "potential second suspect may be inside." However, the San Diego Union Tribune later reported that no one was found. The United States has been on edge for weeks following shootings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Those attacks followed anger among the black community over the shooting deaths of African-American suspects by white police in Minnesota and Louisiana. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacted on Twitter writing: "Two policeman just shot in San Diego, one dead. It is only getting worse. People want LAW AND ORDER!" Suu Kyi meets leaders of notorious Myanmar rebel group Myanmar's most heavily armed ethnic group held "positive" talks Friday with the country's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a spokesman for her office said, in a major boost for peace prospects. The United Wa State Army (UWSA) stopped fighting the government in 1989 in exchange for control of a remote portion of territory bordering China which is believed to be awash with drugs. But they have a 20-25,000-strong standing army and are yet to commit to a full nationwide ceasefire, undercutting Suu Kyi's aim of swiftly securing a lasting peace. On July 28, 2016, Myanmar armed rebels from the Kachin Independence Army secure the compound around where leaders and representatives gathered for a four-day summit in Mai Ja Yang Str (AFP/File) Several complex ethic conflicts are rumbling across Myanmar's borderlands, hampering efforts to build the country's economy after the end of junta rule. Some groups who fought the army for decades have signed ceasefires but those are fragile, adding urgency to Suu Kyi's task. The Wa are accused of producing and trafficking huge amounts of methamphetamine and heroin from their secretive holdout and buying weapons with the proceeds. Friday's "very positive discussions" between leaders of the Wa, a powerful group called the Mongla army, and Suu Kyi were an "important first step" in building trust, Zaw Htay, spokesman for her office, told reporters. Suu Kyi wants to convene a meeting to thrash out the precepts of greater federal autonomy for ethnic groups in exchange for peace. It is dubbed the 21st Panglong conference in a nod to a historic conference called by her independence hero father -- Aung San -- in 1947 that saw major ethnic groups commit to joining Myanmar. But that deal collapsed under the junta that took control several years after Aung San's assassination and embarked on almost 50 years of devastating rule. Suu Kyi has not set a date for the meeting but is ramping up efforts to ensure all rebel groups are at the table. Both the USWA and Mongla army "support the 21st century Panglong conference and they will try to participate", Zaw Htay added. Experts say Myanmar's myriad conflicts are entwined with the illicit trade in drugs, jade and timber, which makes ending them all the more complicated. Tens of thousands of people have been killed or displaced by the decades of war. Turkey says army to keep up fight against IS after coup Turkey on Friday insisted its military will keep up the fight against Islamic State jihadists and other militants after the failed coup, saying the armed forces would emerge stronger from a purge of its top ranks. A senior US military commander had been quoted by American media as saying that the turmoil in post-coup Turkey could affect its role in the US-led coalition fighting IS jihadists in Syria. But Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara that he found such statements "ridiculous" and "unfortunate". Turkish forces face the challenge of fighting both IS jihadists and guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Ozan Kose (AFP/File) Turkish forces face the challenge of fighting both IS jihadists and guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Cavusoglu said making the military's capacity to fight such groups an issue in the wake of the coup "stemmed from a lack of knowledge and ignorance, if there is no ill intention". Turkey has embarked on a major military reshuffle after the putsch, which Ankara blames on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen and his followers. Authorities accuse the reclusive cleric of building a "parallel structure" inside Turkey. The government has ordered the discharge of 149 generals -- nearly half the armed forces' entire contingent of 358 -- for complicity in the putsch bid. Almost all of these generals are currently under arrest. But Cavusoglu denied the army was weaker as a result of the ongoing purge. "On the contrary. When we weed them (pro-Gulenist elements) out, our army will first of all be more dynamic, cleaner and more effective." The minister ridiculed the idea that it was only pro-Gulen elements in the military that wanted to fight IS militants. "We don't find such assessments right," he said. Turkey, which has itself been hit by deadly attacks blamed on jihadists, regularly targets IS positions in Syria with artillery fire. Its Incirlik air base in the south also hosts US and other coalition warplanes launching deadly raids on jihadists in Syria. Cavusoglu said that Turkey had "never dragged its feet" in its cooperation with the United States in fighting terror. According to US media, Central Command chief General Joseph Votel said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. Crackdown in Turkey John SAEKI, Laurence CHU (AFP) Yemen govt team says leaving UN-backed peace talks Yemen's government delegation to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait said it will leave on Saturday, signalling the collapse of four months of UN-brokered negotiations with Shiite Huthi rebels. "Today (Friday), we are holding some farewell meetings... and the delegation will leave on Saturday," delegation spokesman Mohammad al-Emrani told AFP. "There can be no more talks after the new coup," he said referring to the rebels' formation of a supreme political council to run war-torn Yemen. Yemenis run for cover as smoke rises following a car bomb attack at an army checkpoint at the entrance to the town of Hajr on July 18, 2016 Abdulabbar Bajubair (AFP) The Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the General People's Congress of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday jointly announced setting up the 10-member council. The job of the council would be to "manage state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security", a statement issued by the rebels said. UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the rebels' move "contravenes" their commitment to the peace process and "represents a grave violation" of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 on Yemen's conflict. A UN spokesman in Kuwait, however, said Ould Cheikh Ahmed was scheduled to meet with the rebels later on Friday and with ambassadors of the 18 countries backing the peace process in Yemen. Indirect negotiations held in Kuwait since April have failed to make headway. Most of the discussions focused on the type of the government to run Yemen during a transition period. "It must be made clear here that it is the Huthi-Saleh alliance that foiled the peace talks in Kuwait. They have shown that they were never serious about a peaceful settlement," Emrani said. A top aide to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said on Thursday that the government considered the peace talks had wound up without agreement. "The negotiations have completely ended," said Abdullah al-Olaimi, deputy director of the president's office and a member of the government delegation. More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi's government. Who is setting Kenya's schools on fire? Dozens of secondary schools across Kenya have been deliberately set on fire, but as the authorities struggle to pinpoint why, fractious relations between pupils, teachers and a controversial education minister offer clues. In the last three months, 117 Kenyan schools have been partially burnt by arsonists. Yet the arson attacks, which are countrywide, don't seem to correspond to any of the usual ethnic, geographical or socioeconomic fault lines that often spark tension in Kenya. A burnt-out dormitory building at Itiero boys high school in Kenya's Kisii county, set on fire by students during a night of unrest A confidential report by the police and education ministry seen by AFP identifies a clear pattern of behaviour in the planning of the crimes, as the authorities struggle to contain the phenomenon. The fires "mainly affect dormitories where students sleep, and appear well coordinated because so far students have never been caught by the fire, meaning they escape well in advance with prior knowledge," the report said. In response, education minister Fred Matiang'i has held several meetings with teachers, religious leaders and police, and more than 150 students have been arrested so far. But the problem persists: on Thursday night alone, four schools were set on fire. - Fear and loathing - Identifying those orchestrating the attacks, or merely proving they might be copycat acts, is proving difficult. The media has relayed fears of parents for their children's safety along with strident editorials condemning the incidents as symptomatic of a soft touch approach to parenting and education in Kenya today. "An education system in which students burn hostels and destroy school property every day is an indictment of the collective ethos of a nation. It is a shame and a reflection of a society gone haywire," the Daily Nation newspaper thundered on Thursday. The government has meanwhile seized upon recent reforms designed to stop epidemic levels of cheating to explain the fires. They say the burning schools are retribution from a "cartel" formerly linked to the country's exam-setting body, which used to profit handsomely from selling papers and answers. Questions were exchanged by text messages and on social media, with some sold for around $10. The cheating ring was dismantled in March 2015 and several senior figures from the government agency were arrested. Others blame students themselves, saying they are scared of failing their exams, and still more point to their parents, whom they characterise as angry after losing out financially due to the cheating crackdown. - Ministerial role - The role of education minister Matiang'i is also a suspected factor, following months of complaints from teachers, students and parents against his tough approach. Matiang'i has effectively reduced the length of the school holidays by modifying the scholastic calendar, and has altered the allocation of funds for school supplies, angering the education establishment. He has carried out surprise visits to schools, publicly taking teachers to task in a way that has reportedly left them feeling humiliated. The minister has earned the nickname "Magufuli" as a result, in reference to the tight ship administration run by the Tanzanian President John Magufuli, who has cracked down on ministerial incompetence and wasteful public spending. Without any sign of the government reversing its strict policy on cheating, and Matiang'i still firmly in place, older students are currently refusing to take their mock examinations ahead of the real thing in October. Some told AFP they want the exams delayed to make up for time lost to teachers striking in October 2015. So whether or not the arson mystery is solved, the bad blood between all the actors in this educational saga seems far from over. Kenyan Education Cabinet-Secretary Wilfred Matiang'i (2-R), led by local education officials, inspects buildings destroyed by fire at Itiero boys high school in Kisii county Up to 1 million more Iraqis risk being displaced, says Red Cross Up to one million more Iraqis risk being displaced as government forces battle the Islamic State jihadist group, including in the campaign to retake second city Mosul, the Red Cross said Friday. They would join more than three million Iraqis who have already been driven from their homes by violence over the past two-and-a-half years. "The International Committee of the Red Cross believes that up to a million more people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in the coming weeks and months," the Red Cross said in a statement. Iraqi women and children who fled the towns of al-Shirqat and Qayyarah during fighting between Iraqi forces and IS jihadists, are transferred to a camp for displaced people on July 27, 2016 Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP) "More than 10 million people are already in need of assistance in the country. More than three million people are already internally displaced," it said. "If there is the predicted upsurge in violence, then the figure of internally displaced could dramatically increase." Iraqi forces are conducting operations aimed at setting the stage for an assault on Mosul, a northern city that has been held by IS since June 2014. Mosul was once home to some two million people, but the current population has been estimated at around half that figure. The operation to retake the far smaller city of Fallujah, located much closer to Baghdad, pushed tens of thousands of people to flee, catching the aid community flat-footed and leaving many people in appalling conditions. The scale of displacement as Iraqi forces fight to retake Mosul will be much larger, and people may flee to areas that could be much more difficult for relief agencies to reach. The Red Cross said it is asking for an additional $17.1 million (15.6 million euros) for its Iraq budget to help provide assistance to displaced people in the country. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes. US ties four Zika cases in Florida to local mosquitoes Four cases of Zika virus in Florida are likely the first transmitted locally by mosquitoes in the United States, officials said Friday, marking a new phase in the fast-growing pandemic. Until now, more than 1,600 cases of Zika -- which can cause birth defects -- have been recorded in the mainland United States but most were brought in by people who had become infected while traveling, with a smaller number transmitted by sexual contact. "As we have anticipated, Zika is now here," said Tom Frieden, chief of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), speaking to reporters in a conference call. Officials in Miami-Dade have been testing mosquitoes in the small area of southern Florida where the four cases are located Rhona Wise (AFP) The Florida Department of Health said that over the past two weeks, investigators have determined "a high likelihood exists" that four suspected non-travel cases in Miami-Dade and Broward County "are the result of local transmission." The department "believes that active transmission of the Zika virus is occurring in one small area in Miami-Dade County, just north of downtown," it added. The area is a popular restaurant and arts district known as Wynwood. Frieden said officials had no immediate plans to limit travel to the area. Further confirmation of Zika's arrival in the United States could only come by trapping a mosquito with Zika, a feat he likened to "finding a needle in a haystack." So far no tests on mosquitoes in Florida have come back positive for the virus. "All the evidence we have seen indicates that this is mosquito-borne transmission that occurred several weeks ago in several blocks in Miami," Frieden added. "We continue to recommend that everyone in areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are present -- and especially pregnant women -- take steps to avoid mosquito bites." Florida Governor Rick Scott told a news conference that one of the cases involved a woman, and the other three men. None of them needed hospitalization, he said. - Birth defects - Zika is spread via mosquitoes and by sexual contact. In four out of five cases, the symptoms are mild and may not be noticed at all. But Zika poses a particular danger to pregnant women, who if infected face a higher risk of bearing an infant with microcephaly, a birth defect that causes an abnormally small head. Florida has already seen almost 400 cases of Zika, all involving people who were infected while traveling to parts of the world where the virus is circulating. The United States has documented 1,657 cases of travel-related Zika in the past year, including 433 involving pregnant women, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "This is not unexpected," said Fauci. "I am almost certain that we are going to see more." For Zika to become a homegrown virus in the mainland United States, a mosquito must bite a Zika-infected person and then bite another person, passing on the virus. The virus has spread quickly throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean. The World Health Organization says 64 countries have reported mosquito-borne Zika since 2015. The US territory of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean has now diagnosed a total of 5,582 people, including 672 pregnant women, according to a separate CDC report out Friday. "Puerto Rico is in the midst of a Zika epidemic," said Lyle Peterson, incident manager for the CDC's emergency response to Zika. "This could lead to hundreds of infants being born with microcephaly or other birth defects in the coming year." Brazil has seen the highest number of birth defects linked to Zika, with 1,749 cases of microcephaly or central nervous system malformations, according to the WHO's latest report on July 28. - Funding fight - Zika is not expected to spread widely in the continental United States because window screens, air conditioning and mosquito repellant are both common and effective at reducing the number of mosquitoes. In February, the White House requested $1.9 billion to fund the Zika response but lawmakers adjourned for the summer recess earlier this month without agreeing on legislation. President Barack Obama was briefed on the situation in Florida early Friday, a spokesman said. "The president has directed his team to make sure... that we're providing the resources and support to the governor that we can," said White House principal deputy press secretary Eric Schultz. "Today's news should be a wake-up call to Congress to get back to work." US medical groups also urged Congress to come to an agreement on Obama's request for Zika funding. "This is the news we've been dreading," said Edward McCabe, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the March of Dimes. "It's only a matter of time before babies are born with microcephaly, a severe brain defect, due to local transmission of Zika in the continental US." Doctors for America executive director Alice Chen also called on Congress "to approve this emergency funding necessary to control the impending crisis, which is now a direct threat to the health of the American people." Zika poses a particular danger to pregnant women, who if infected face a higher risk of bearing an infant with microcephaly, a birth defect that causes an abnormally small head Christophe Simon (AFP/File) Bromeliads -- pictured here at a home in Miami, Florida -- are a source of standing water around homes and serve as incubators for the Aedes aegypti mosquitom, or yellow fever mosquito, which is responsible for transmitting diseases such as Zika Rhona Wise (AFP/File) Palestinian 'long shot' legal fight over 1917 British declaration A Palestinian plan to sue Britain over a 1917 declaration backing a Jewish homeland in Palestine could help rally supporters, but has little chance of success, legal analysts say. The Palestinian government on Monday announced it was seeking legal action against Britain for the nearly century-old Balfour Declaration, drawing scorn from Israel. The 1917 declaration by British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour said the British government "view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". The Palestinian government is seeking legal action against Britain over the nearly century-old Balfour Declaration Mohammed Abed (AFP/File) It was a major step towards the eventual establishment of the state of Israel. The British had seized much of the land at the time as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, and Palestinians say the declaration gave away their homeland and provided the impetus for mass Jewish migration. They argue that the document led to the Nakba -- or catastrophe in Arabic -- in which more than 760,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in the war surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948. Foreign minister Riyad al-Malki, in a recent speech on behalf of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, said as a result of a promise "hundreds of thousands of Jews from Europe and elsewhere came to settle in Palestine at the expense of our people." Israel's foreign ministry said the legal campaign amounts to a refusal "to recognise the legitimate and indigenous connection of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland." - 'Moral argument' - Asked by AFP to clarify what the claim would be and to which court it would be submitted, a spokesman for the Palestinian foreign ministry said that would soon be decided. If seeking reparations, such a court case would be rare. Eric Posner, law professor at the University of Chicago and author of a paper on reparations in international law, said he could not think of an example of international courts being used in this manner. In most cases, he said, reparations are given by governments that wish to atone for previous acts. In West Germany, for example, the government set a policy that Holocaust victims could claim damages, as did the US Congress for Japanese Americans interned during the Second World War. But Britain has never apologised for the Balfour Declaration. "People don't generally try to go to an international court. They go to the government and make what they see as a moral argument," Posner said. If the Palestinian government is set on the international courts, the first potential route would be through the United Nations' legal body, the International Court of Justice, analysts say. Palestine is not a full UN member state, though it has observer status. Stuart Casey-Maslen, professor of law at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, said the Palestinians could get a vote in the UN General Assembly calling on the ICJ to investigate. But the ICJ would only be able to judge the case by the laws that existed in 1917, Casey-Maslen explained. This is before many of the basic principles of international law were agreed upon and as such the law is "likely to be very favourable to the UK." The principle of the Balfour Agreement was also ratified in 1922 by the League of Nations, the forerunner to the United Nations. Casey-Maslen explained that in any suit the Palestinians would need to show that the declaration directly led to the Nakba and was not "superseded by subsequent events, including of course the Holocaust and the creation of the UN and its intervention in Palestine." The United Nations in 1947 adopted a plan for dividing the land into two states, one for Arabs and another for Jews. - 'Line in the sand' - Alternatively, individual Palestinians could pursue the case in the British legal system. In 2012, Kenyans who were tortured during the quashing of the 1952-1960 Mau Mau uprising won a case in the British High Court, with payouts totalling 20 million pounds ($26 million, 23.5 million euros). But the length of time since the Balfour Declaration and the lack of survivors makes that route difficult as well. "We succeeded in the Mau Mau case because there were people still living from the era," Martyn Day, senior partner at the Leigh Day law firm that brought the case, said. "We had five test cases and one of the cases died during the action, and the judge decided against that action. "That is a pretty clear line in the sand." Asked to rate the chance of any legal success through the courts, the four experts' opinions ranged from small to "negligible." But Andrew Kent, law professor at Fordham University in New York, pointed out that the Palestinians may see victory more in political than legal terms. "Could they get a statement from the UN General Assembly? Sure," he said. "Could they get a political statement from the (UN) Human Rights Committee? Sure. But those would not be lawsuits and would not be binding." The state of Israel was created in 1948 Ahmad Gharabli (AFP/File) Palestinian extremists burn British, US and Israeli flags during a demonstration to mark the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah on November 2, 2015 Said Khatib (AFP/File) US Navy to name ship after gay rights icon Harvey Milk The US Navy will name a ship after gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, a San Francisco politician who was assassinated in 1978, a naval official said Friday. Nicknamed "the gay Martin Luther King, Jr" for his work to end discrimination against gay people, Milk was killed one year after winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which made him the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in America. "I can confirm that the Navy sent congressional notification on the intention to name a new oiler USNS Harvey Milk," said a congressional notification obtained by USNI News, a website run by the United States Naval Institute. Supporters in San Francisco hold images of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978 Justin Sullivan (Getty/AFP/File) A gay rights icon, Milk's story inspired the Gus Van Sant film starring Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for his performance as Milk. Milk, who came from a naval family, served as a Navy diving officer during the Korean War. The prefix "USNS" signifies that the boat serves as a support ship for the Navy -- not a warship -- often run by a civilian crew. The Secretary of the Navy's office indicated that the ship slated to bear Milk's name would be a John Lewis-class oiler, ships Navy secretary Ray Mabus has said will be named after civil rights leaders. The lead ship of the class is named after John Lewis, a congressman and civil rights movement activist. Zimbabwe veterans' spokesman in court for insulting Mugabe A senior official with Zimbabwe's war veterans association appeared in court on Friday on charges of undermining President Robert Mugabe, after the group accused him of "dictatorial" behaviour. Douglas Mahiya, spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), was remanded in custody until a bail hearing on Saturday. "The accused is facing charges of undermining or insulting the president," prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema told the court. "The state is opposed to the granting of bail." Zimbabwe War Veterans spokesman Douglas Mahiya arrives handcuffed at Harare Magistrate Court on July 29, 2016 in Harare Wilfred Kajese (AFP) Kasema said that as the war veterans spokesman, Mahiya was responsible for distributing a hard-hitting statement last week that was highly critical of the 92-year-old Mugabe. In the statement, veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s independence war, who had previously been loyal Mugabe supporters, bitterly denounced the president, who faces growing signs of opposition. They vowed not to support Mugabe, in power since 1980, if he stands for re-election. After the court hearing a handful of veterans who had attended the session sang songs in support of Mahiya who is in custody at Harare police station. Police arrested Mahiya hours after Mugabe told party supporters that authorities were investigating the origin of the war veterans' statement warning the authors would face "severe" punishment. The prosecutor also claimed that Mahiya also denigrated Mugabe in an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The associations secretary-general, Victor Matemadanda, was also taken from his rural home after being summoned for questioning. Zimbabwe has recently seen demonstrations against Mugabe's government, prompted by anger over an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and a high jobless rate. Some 40,000 join pro-govt rally as DR Congo poll row mounts Tens of thousands of people rallied in Kinshasa on Friday in support of Congolese President Joseph Kabila just two days after his leading opponent returned home to a massive welcome. Political tension is high in the country as the opposition fears that Kabila, whose mandate ends in December, will delay elections in a bid to cling on to power. "We came here to affirm our support for Joseph Kabila," Aubin Minaku, secretary general of the ruling majority and president of the national assembly, told a crowd estimated at over 40,000, an AFP correspondent at the scene reported. A demonstrator waves a party's flag of the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), during a rally in support of Congolese President Joseph Kabila in Kinshasa, on July 29, 2016 Eduardo Soteras (AFP) "Kabila, stay as long as possible," the crowd shouted, alluding to the political controversy raging in Democratic Republic of Congo. In power since his father's assassination in 2001, Kabila is suspected by opponents of eyeing a third term which would involve changing the constitution's two-term limit. Opposition protests erupted after the Constitutional Court ruled in May that Kabila could remain in office in a caretaker capacity beyond the end of his current mandate ending December. But now the DRC's opposition has achieved the rare feat of rallying behind a single figure, the immensely popular Etienne Tshisekedi who returned home Wednesday from Belgium where he had been medevaced in 2014. The 83-year-old first emerged as a leading opposition voice as far back as the 1980s when he became a critic of former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. In the DRC's last presidential election in 2011, he ran second to Kabila but contended he was denied victory by massive fraud. Thousands of supporters flanked his motorcade as it crawled its way into the city of 11 million people on Wednesday. An opposition rally is scheduled for Sunday. At the Kabila rally Friday, Meta, a sociology student at Kinshasa University, said they "were given a free T-shirt," but denied they had received money to show up for the event. - Talks postponed - Seven anti-Kabila activists were released from jail in Bunia, northeastern DR Congo, two days after they were detained, the pro-democracy Citizen Front's spokesman Claude Katende said. The seven had been taken into custody during a protest held in support of a "national dialogue" between the government and the opposition, to which they had brought banners that read: "Yes to dialogue, yes to alternation of power" and "We want elections within the constitutional timeframe". The Congolese authorities had branded their act as "provocation", but the prosecution found no reason to hold the seven for any longer, Katende said. Kabila's government has called for talks and former Togo premier Edem Kodjo has been named by the African Union as the talks' "facilitator." But Tshisekedi, who recently accomplished the rare feat of uniting the Congolese opposition, wants nothing to do with Kodjo. While the talks had been slated to start Saturday, Kodjo said in a statement that "the start of the preparatory committee's work has been postponed". 10 civilians dead in air strike on Syria rebel town: monitor At least 10 civilians were killed, including five children, in air strikes Friday on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province of northern Syria, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three strikes targeted the main road and centre of the town, warning the death toll could rise because of a large number of seriously wounded. It was unclear if Syrian regime warplanes or aircraft of its Russian allies carried out what the Observatory called "a new massacre" that left children dismembered. Six more officials charged in Flint water scandal Authorities in the US state of Michigan filed criminal charges Friday against six current and former state officials over lead water contamination in the city of Flint, signaling that their probe is expanding. "Many things went tragically wrong in Flint. Some failed to act," Michigan State Attorney General Bill Schuette told a news conference as he announced the new charges. "Some intentionally altered figures, and covered up." The damage to the Flint's water pipes may be long-lasting, if not permanent, causing residents to use filters to make their water drinkable Brett Carlsen (Getty/AFP/File) More than 8,000 children are believed to have consumed lead-tainted water in the hardscrabble northern city, which has become a focus of the 2016 White House race. Until now, three state workers had been criminally charged over the health crisis, which occurred in the aftermath of government officials' cost-saving effort in 2014 to switch the city's source of drinking water. One took a plea agreement to cooperate in the probe. Chief investigator Andrew Arena said his team was "starting to work our way up" in the areas of state government they were investigating, and expanding the probe "into other departments." "This at the end will be the largest criminal investigation in the history of the state of Michigan," he said. On Friday authorities charged another six current and former state employees for covering up evidence of water contamination. They face various felony and misdemeanor counts, including conspiracy, misconduct in office and tampering with evidence. Experts say the new source of water proved more corrosive on aging pipes and caused lead contamination that exposed thousands of children to the toxin. "In essence, these individuals concealed the truth. They were criminally wrong to do so," Schuette said. The highest ranked official charged is Liane Shekter Smith, who was fired in February from her post as chief of Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality. "Shekter Smith ignored reports that the (water treatment) plant was out of compliance, lied that the water plant was certified, and deliberately misled her superiors," Schuette said. She faces a felony charge of misconduct in office and a misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty. The others charged are: Nancy Peeler and Robert Scott, who are current employees in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Corrine Miller, a former MDHHS employee; and Patrick Cook and Adam Rosenthal, current employees of the state's Department of Environmental Quality. Todd Flood, special counsel for the Flint probe, said he was in talks with Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's office in connection with the investigation and that talks had been "constructive." The damage to the city's water pipes may be long-lasting, if not permanent. Residents must use filters to make their water drinkable. Last month officials also filed a lawsuit accusing a French company and a Texas firm of negligence and fraud, for their roles in the Flint water crisis. Flint residents Gladyes Williamson (C) holds a bottle full of contaminated water, and a clump of her hair, alongside Jessica Owens (R), holding a baby bottle full of contaminated water Mark Wilson (Getty/AFP/File) Mexico launches drones to protect endangered porpoise Mexico's government has launched drones to back last-ditch efforts to prevent illegal fishing activities that have led to the near extinction of the vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise. The navy and the environment ministry on Thursday unveiled three Arcturus T-20 unmanned aerial vehicles, armed with high-resolution cameras to police the upper Gulf of California day and night. It is the latest step taken by the government to save the vaquita, a species found only in a small area of Mexico's northwest gulf. The Mexican Navy, pictured in March, 2016, is carrying out an operation to arrest illegal fishermen using nets to catch the Totoaba macdonaldi fish, because the illegal gill-nets frequently trap the rare Phocoena sinus or "vaquita marina in Spanish Hector Guerrero (AFP/File) "There is a lot left to be done and time is a decisive factor," Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberon, the navy's chief, said. "We can't allow our seas to see another species disappear." President Enrique Pena Nieto deployed navy ships in April 2015 to enforce a two-year ban on gillnets and increased the vaquita protection area tenfold to 13,000 square kilometers (5,000 square miles). But a census released last May warned that there are only 60 of the sea creatures left, down from fewer than 100 in 2014 and 200 in 2012. Scientists fear the porpoise could vanish by 2022. The vaquita's fate has been linked to a critically endangered fish, the totoaba, which is illegally caught for swim bladders that are dried and sold on the black market in China. The vaquita, a shy 1.5-meter-long (five-foot) cetacean -- a kind of marine mammal -- with dark rings around the eyes, is said to be the victim of bycatch in illegal totoaba gillnets. - Night vision - Oona Isabelle Layolle, captain of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, whose ship has helped to catch illegal fishnets in the area, said drones are an effective tool to find poachers. The international conservation group has used its own small drones with night-vision cameras to spot fishermen using illegal nets after dark. "It's one of the best tools," Layolle told AFP. "We can see if they fish illegally without them seeing us." But she said that the authorities need to ban all types of nets because poachers will "hide behind legal fishing permits" to continue their illegal activities. The Mexican government has pledged $70 million to help fishermen hit by the two-year gillnet ban to make the transition to other methods of fishing. The authorities announced last week that the ban on gillnets for shrimp fishing in the vaquita habitat will be made permanent from September. Corvina and shark nets could be prohibited permanently when the temporary ban expires in April 2017, according to Rigoberto Garcia, a fisheries commission official. Officials say fishermen sell totoaba swim bladders to smugglers who store them in border towns before sending them to the United States or shipping them directly to Asia in suitcases or through parcel services. Each bladder fetches around $1,500-$1,800 in Mexico, rising to $5,000 in the United States and $10,000 to $20,000 apiece in Asian markets, according to US authorities. Pena Nieto and US President Barack Obama agreed during White House talks last week to intensify bilateral cooperation to protect the vaquita by increasing cooperation against totoaba fishing and developing alternative fishing gear. Outside attorney joins US police shooting probe An independent lawyer has been called in to help decide whether to file charges over the fatal police shooting of a black motorist from Minnesota, whose dying moments were broadcast live online. The July 6 death of Philando Castile, which shocked the nation, was one of two fatal police shootings early this month that kicked off a renewed wave of protests against police brutality towards African Americans. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is tasked with deciding whether to file charges against the officer involved in the shooting, Jeronimo Yanez. Video footage broadcast live by Castile's girlfriend showed him bleeding to death in the driver's seat of his car, after being shot from outside the vehicle Stephen Maturen (Getty/AFP/File) Choi told a press conference Friday that he has retained Don Lewis, an outside attorney from the St. Paul, Minnesota area, to aid in the decision making. "Don will be an integral member of our team who will review this case with me," Choi said, and decide whether to charge Yanez, or whether to refer the case to a grand jury for it to decide on an indictment. Video footage broadcast live by Castile's girlfriend showed him bleeding to death in the driver's seat of his car, after being shot from outside the vehicle. Diamond Reynolds said Castile had informed Yanez that he was in possession of a licensed gun, and was reaching for his wallet when he was shot. Lewis, who is black, previously worked in the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and has experience in cases involving civil rights and segregation. But the American Civil Liberties Union, which had called for an independent prosecutor to take over the entire case, expressed disappointment. "Mr. Lewis is not going to have independence from the Ramsey County Attorney's Office," Teresa Nelson of the ACLU of Minnesota told AFP. "Any time that you are investigating, especially a killing by a police officer, we think that it should be done by people who don't have to maintain a relationship with that police department." Lewis told the news conference he understood the need for the public to perceive the prosecutor's eventual decision as "fact-based, even-handed and transparent." "We all understand the anguish and outrage that many of our residents feel about the loss of yet another black man in an encounter with a police officer," he said. UN decides to send police force to Burundi The UN Security Council on Friday agreed to deploy a UN police force to Burundi, its strongest move to date to try to end more than a year of violence in the African country. The council adopted a resolution drafted by France on dispatching up to 228 UN police to the capital Bujumbura and throughout Burundi for an initial period of a year. Burundi has said it would not accept more than 50 UN police, drawing a question mark over whether the proposed force will have the strength in numbers to make a difference on the ground. Burundi police officers guard the scene where the vehicle driven by late Burundi minister Hafsa Mossi was stored for forensic investigation, after the murder of the close ally of President Pierre Nkurunziza on July 13, 2016 Onesphore Nibigira (AFP/File) Four countries on the 15-member council abstained from the vote, which passed with 11 votes in favor. The abstentions came from China, Egypt, Angola and Venezuela, which cited the need to secure Bujumbura's consent for the police force. The council resolution requested UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ensure a "progressive deployment" of the new force to monitor human rights violations and abuses. The Security Council is under pressure to take action in Burundi, where the descent into violence has raised fears of mass atrocities, similar to those that convulsed neighboring Rwanda in 1994. "This is a strong act of preventative diplomacy," French Ambassador Francois Delattre said. The new UN police force gives the council "eyes and ears" on the ground to provide early warning of possible mass atrocities, he said. Burundi has been in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans in April last year to run for a third term, which he went on to win. More than 500 people have died, many of them in extrajudicial killings blamed on Burundian police, security forces and militias linked to the ruling party, according to the United Nations. At least 270,000 people have fled the country. - Still no political talks - The UN police force would be tasked with monitoring security and human rights in coordination with African Union rights observers and military experts. Burundi has agreed to allow 100 AU rights observers and 100 AU military experts into the country to monitor the crisis, but fewer than 50 have begun work on the ground. The resolution urges the government to speed up the deployment of the AU monitors and to enter into dialogue with all opposition groups including "those outside the country" to end the crisis. Political talks scheduled to open this month in Tanzania collapsed when the government refused to sit down with some opponents in exile accused of plotting a failed coup attempt in May last year. The government's refusal to hold serious negotiations is seen as a key stumbling block in diplomatic efforts to end the violence. The council threatened "targeted measures against all actors, inside and outside Burundi, who threaten peace and security" in the country. The resolution said deploying the police force "would help create an environment conducive to political dialogue by averting further deterioration of the security situation as well as human rights and abuses." Council members expressed deep concern for the ongoing violence in Burundi and pointed to a report by the UN human rights office that documented 348 extrajudicial executions and 651 cases of torture committed mostly by Burundian forces between April 2015 and April this year. Baltimore's far from done despite collapse of criminal case BALTIMORE (AP) Many of this city's deepest challenges remain unresolved after the collapse of the criminal case against six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, the young black man whose broken neck in police custody caused so much upheaval. Here's a look at the to-do lists of those involved. STATE'S ATTORNEY MARILYN MOSBY The young Baltimore prosecutor who commanded national attention by swiftly filing murder and manslaughter charges against the officers involved in Gray's arrest was unrepentant as she closed the case without convictions this week. While even some of her allies called the evidence thin, she accused law enforcement colleagues of thwarting the prosecution, and rhetorically indicted the nation's criminal justice system as incapable of holding police accountable. "The prosecution of on-duty police officers in this country is surprisingly rare and blatantly wrought with systemic and inherent complications," she said. The statement thrilled some activists but could complicate her ability to work with police on resolving the city's soaring homicide rate. Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, right, holds a news conference near the site where Freddie Gray was arrested after her office dropped the remaining charges against three Baltimore police officers awaiting trial in Gray's death, in Baltimore, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. The decision by prosecutors comes after a judge had already acquitted three of the six officers charged in the case. At left is Gray's father, Richard Shipley. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark) COMMISSIONER KEVIN DAVIS Stepping in as top cop after Anthony Batts was fired for his handling of the unrest provoked by Gray's death, Commissioner Kevin Davis pledged to implement significant reforms while remaining loyal to the officers he commands. Davis overhauled the department's 2003 policy on use of force to include de-escalation tactics and emphasize "the sanctity of life." Davis also implemented software insuring that officers get quizzed on their responsibilities, such as buckling prisoners into seatbelts. The prosecutions failed in part because they couldn't prove the officers even read their department's rules. In response to Mosby's accusations, Davis said Gray's death stirred many emotions and opinions, but "we are not entitled to our own facts." Still, he said, "we will continue to work together. That's what we do." FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE Equally crucial to policing's future in Baltimore, the union has been steadfast in its support for the officers charged as well as its disdain for Mosby. Union President Gene Ryan has repeatedly accused her of "malicious prosecution." Pushing back against reforms designed to provide citizens with more oversight, the union also has sued to block a civilian review board from having access to police disciplinary records. That would thwart the spirit of legislative reforms to the Law Enforcement Officers Bill Of Rights, which enable chiefs to add citizens to boards that review cases against officers. ADVOCATES FOR POLICE REFORM The Black Lives Matter movement made Gray's death a rallying cry, and Baltimore's activists took to the streets by the thousands last year. Heartbroken by the outcome of the criminal cases, some advocates for police reform say new avenues of protest are necessary. Adam Jackson, a co-founder of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, is part of a coalition that occupied a vacant home, renamed it the Harriet Tubman House and transformed it into a community center across the street from the spot where Gray was put in the back of the police van. "People are fed up with the quick roll-in-the-streets protests," Jackson said. "People want to focus on what they can do. We're less concerned with the spectacle than what we can do to change the structures." MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake abandoned her bid for re-election amid searing criticism following the rioting and unrest, but she was back in the spotlight this week where she got the honor of tallying the votes at the Democratic National Convention. Responding there to the end of the criminal cases, she chided Mosby for claiming the justice system is rigged and said elected officials must work within the system to bring reform. She cited her efforts to make prosecuting police easier by changing the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights. The mayor also has championed body cameras, and all officers who work the streets will soon wear them. FREDDIE GRAY'S FAMILY The city preemptively gave Gray's family a $6.4 million settlement more money than all payouts to victims of police abuse in Baltimore in the previous four years combined. During tense moments since then, the family has urged protesters to remain peaceful, asserting their faith in the prosecution. Gray's stepfather Richard Shipley pledged his continued support for Mosby despite the collapse of the cases, and vowed to advocate for police reforms. "We're disappointed in the outcome of the trials, but we're going to continue to be fighters for Freddie," Shipley said. "We are going to see that new legislation is carried out, new laws that will help this community and other communities. We're grateful that he didn't die in vain." Gene Ryan, center, president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police, flanked by attorneys and accused police officers, speaks during a news conference after prosecutors dropped remaining charges against the three Baltimore police officers who were awaiting trial in Freddie Gray's death, in Baltimore, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. The decision by prosecutors comes after a judge had already acquitted three of the six officers charged in the case. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark) Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake speaks during the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Philadelphia, Tuesday, July 26, 2016, during the second day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Relatives of Freddie Gray, father Richard Shipley, third from left, mother Gloria Darden, second from right, and twin sister Fredericka Gray, right, stand together after a news conference held by Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby after prosecutors dropped remaining charges against the three Baltimore police officers who were awaiting trial in Freddie Gray death, in Baltimore, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. The decision by prosecutors comes after a judge had already acquitted three of the six officers charged in the case. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark) FILE- In this July 10, 2016 file photo, Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson talks to the media after his release from the Baton Rouge jail in Baton Rouge, La. Dozens of protesters gathered outside City Hall during a weekly demonstration against police violence, this time just hours after Baltimore's top prosecutor dismissed the three remaining cases against officers charged in the death of a young, black man whose neck was broken in custody. Mckesson says the dismissal also is a reminder that laws and policies must change to hold police accountable. (AP Photo/Max Becherer, File) FILE- In this April 19, 2016 file photo, neighborhood residents gather at the Tubman House in Sandtown the one-year anniversary of Freddie Gray's death in Baltimore, Md. More than a year after Gray, a black man suffered a broken neck in a police van, the effort to hold six officers criminally responsible for his death collapsed Wednesday, July 27, when the city dropped all charges in the case that tore Baltimore apart and exposed deep fissures between the police, prosecutors and the people. (AP photo/Juliet Linderman, File) FILE- In this Dec. 16, 2016 file photo, Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Kevin Davis speaks at a press conference, in Baltimore. Stepping in as top cop after Anthony Batts was fired for his handling of the unrest provoked by Freddie Gray's death, Davis pledged to implement significant reforms while remaining loyal to the officers he commands. Davis overhauled the department's 2003 police on use of force to include de-escalation tactics and emphasize "the sanctity of life." (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) Testing confirms new, rarely seen whale in Pacific Ocean ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Genetic tests confirm that a mysterious, unnamed species of beaked whale only rarely seen alive by Japanese fishermen roams the northern Pacific Ocean, according to research published this week. The testing shows the black whales, with bulbous heads and beaks like porpoises, are not dwarf varieties of more common Baird's beaked whales, a slate-gray animal. Japanese researchers sampled three black beaked whales that washed up on the north coast of Hokkaido, the country's most northern island, and wrote about them in a 2013 paper. The challenge to confirm the existence of the new animal was finding enough specimens from a wider area for testing and matching genetic samples, said Phillip Morin, a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration research molecular biologist. This undated illustration provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Southwest Fisheries Science Center shows a species of beaked whale. Genetic tests have confirmed that a mysterious, unnamed species of whale roams the northern Pacific Ocean, according to research published this week in a national journal. Beaked whales spend up to 90 minutes underwater hunting for squid in deep water. They may spend only a few minutes at the surface, rarely breach, travel in small numbers and blend into their surroundings. (Uko Gorter/Natural History Illustration/NOAA via AP) He and his team uncovered five other whales, all found in Alaska, that matched the species found in Japan. "Clearly this species is very rare and reminds us how much we have to learn about the ocean and even some of its largest inhabitants," he said in an announcement. The largest beaked whale varieties can reach 40 feet and spend up to 90 minutes underwater hunting for squid in deep water. They are hard to research because they may spend only a few minutes at the surface, Morin said by phone Thursday. They rarely breach, travel in small numbers and blend into their surroundings. Japanese fishermen reported occasionally seeing a smaller, black beaked whale that they called "karasu," the Japanese word for raven, or "kuru tsuchi," black Baird's beaked whale. The Japanese researchers in 2013 were limited in declaring that they had found a new species because their three samples were from one location, said Morin, who works at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Research Center in San Diego. "My first idea was to go to our collection, where we have the largest collection of cetacean samples in the world," he said. In a paper published Tuesday in the journal Marine Mammal Science, Morin and fellow authors describe analyzing 178 beaked whale specimens from around the Pacific Rim. They found five that matched with the Japanese whales. The oldest was a skull in the Smithsonian Institution recovered from the Aleutians in 1948 and formerly thought to be a Baird's beaked whale. Another specimen discovered in Alaska was in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. The Southwest Fisheries Science Center had tissue from a whale found floating in the Bering Sea. It also had tissue from a black beaked whale stranded on Unalaska Island in the Aleutians in 2004. Local teachers and students had photographed and measured the animal, and its skeleton was put on display at Unalaska High School. The most recent was a 24-foot, adult specimen that washed up in 2014 on St. George Island, in the Bering Sea. Residents notified Michelle Ridgeway, a marine ecologist with Oceanus Alaska, who documented the animal. "We knew it was not any whale we knew from our area," Ridgway said in the announcement. Little is known about the range of the new species, although the St. George Island whale give a clue. The whale had scars from cookie-cutter sharks, which live in tropical waters and bite flesh from larger creatures, like a cookie cutter out of dough. Morin said scientists have more questions than answers about the new species, which is about two-thirds the size of a Baird's beaked whale. "They're hard to see, especially if the water is anything but perfectly calm," he said, adding that acoustic research may help find them so they can be studied. Venezuelan opposition seats lawmakers in challenge to Maduro CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Venezuela's congress swore in three opposition lawmakers Thursday in violation of a Supreme Court ruling that could further inflame the country's political divisions. Electoral authorities had certified the victory of the indigenous lawmakers the night of the opposition's landslide victory in December elections. But they were denied their seats after government allies took allegations of electoral fraud in the Amazon region to the high court, which ruled that any legislation passed with the three lawmakers voting would be nullified while it studied the complaint. The decision effectively denied the opposition of the two-thirds supermajority with which it hoped to dramatically challenge President Nicolas Maduro's socialist rule. With no verdict in sight, the three lawmakers were reinstated over the objections of pro-government lawmakers, who shouted "fraud" and turned their backs in protest. Opposition lawmakers applauded and sang the national anthem. Opposition members shout "Recall now" during a protest march against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Venezuela's opposition marched Wednesday to demand electoral officials go forth with the recall referendum process against Maduro. Venezuelas socialist government appears to be digging in its heels to stop the presidential recall vote. The elections board missed its own deadline to certify signatures on the petition demanding the start of a recall process. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) "We're not going to obey any decision of the Supreme Court that violates the constitution," National Assembly President Henry Ramos told lawmakers, upping the ante in a half-year-old fight for power with Maduro's administration. The opposition has been stymied at almost every turn by Maduro and the government-stacked judiciary since it won control of the legislature in December for the first time in 17 years of socialist rule. Almost every piece of legislation it has passed has been gutted or thrown out by the Supreme Court, and government officials have ignored attempts to order them to give testimony to congress. During an energy crisis earlier this year, Maduro even threatened to cut off all electricity to the neo-classical legislative building. The impasse has in some ways energized the opposition, which has been collecting signatures seeking to force a recall referendum this year on cutting short Maduro's term and triggering new elections. But it's an uphill struggle, with authorities dragging their feet in what the opposition says is an attempt to delay a vote until 2017, after which Maduro would simply be replaced by his vice president. On Wednesday, hundreds of opposition supporters marched through the rain to the downtown headquarters of the National Electoral Council to demand it set a date for the next step in the complicated process, in which Maduro's foes would have to collect nearly 4 million signatures in a few days. The move came after the elections board missed its own Tuesday deadline to certify signatures and the ruling socialist party demanded the main opposition alliance be disqualified as a political force. "The United States continues to be concerned by unnecessary delays of the recall referendum process in Venezuela," State Department spokesman John Kirby said Thursday in Washington. "We urge the Venezuelan government to respect its own constitutional mechanisms and promptly allow this process to go forward without delay, in accordance with the will of the Venezuelan people." A supermajority in congress would give the opposition sweeping powers to curtail Maduro's rule, including the right to remove Supreme Court justices and even convoke a special assembly to rewrite the 1999 constitution put in by the late President Hugo Chavez. ___ Associated press writer Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this report. A woman holds a piece of paper with a handwritten message that reads in Spanish; "My signature is valid and I'm going to make them accept it" as she walks along a cordon of National Police women during a protest march in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Venezuela's opposition marched Wednesday to demand electoral officials go forth with the recall referendum process against Maduro. Venezuelas socialist government appears to be digging in its heels to stop the presidential recall vote. The elections board missed its own deadline to certify signatures on the petition demanding the start of a recall process. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Minority Dem delegates frustrated with 'Bernie or Bust' PHILADELPHIA (AP) As most Democrats rally around Hillary Clinton, the lingering "Bernie or Bust" movement is stirring frustration at the party's convention among delegates of color, who say they're upset at the refusal of the Vermont senator's most fervent backers to fall in line. "I am so exhausted by it," said Danielle Adams, a black Clinton delegate from North Carolina. "I think there are undercurrents of privilege that concern me." Adams is among those who say the "Never Hillary" crowd, a group that is largely younger and white, isn't considering the struggles black Americans still face every day. And, they argue, how the nation's ethnic and racial minorities may be affected by a Donald Trump presidency. In this July 25, 2016, photo, a supporter for former Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., holds up a sign during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. As Democrats rally around Hillary Clinton, the lingering Bernie or Bust movement is stirring frustration at the Democratic convention among delegates of color, who say theyre upset at the refusal of the Vermont senators most fervent backers to fall in line behind the partys nominee. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Rep. Cheryl Brown, a California delegate from San Bernardino who is black, condemned what she called the "aggressive" behavior of some Sanders delegates, saying they jumped on tables and shoved people at the state's hotel the night that Sanders moved that the convention nominate Clinton by acclamation. "I think here at the convention, it's been exacerbated by the way they are treating people," she said. "I haven't had that happen with any of the African-American Bernie supporters." Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, an African-American and close ally of Clinton, was telling the story of his late father a share-cropper in South Carolina on the convention's first day when Sanders supporters started chanting "No TPP" and holding up signs opposing the trade pact. "It was downright disrespectful," said Kweisi Mfume, a Clinton delegate and former head of the NAACP, who called it a "a low point" of the four-day summer meeting. "I think it does not necessarily help the relations that Bernie's people may have with the larger African-American community." To be sure, many black delegates at the convention said they don't view the "Bernie or Bust" movement through a racial lens. Count Cummings among them. He said that as a veteran of many civil rights protests, he understands the passions that drove the mostly young delegates to shout over his speech. "The optics were not pretty, but I couldn't be upset with them. Two or three years ago, they would have been outside politics," he said, adding that more than 100 people have since apologized for the outbursts. "I am so glad these people are under our tent." Others, meanwhile, are frustrated by Sanders backers who contend the nomination was stolen from the Vermont senator. They say those delegates are ignoring the fact Sanders lost the nomination to Clinton, in part, because he didn't appeal strongly enough to African-American voters. "They haven't considered the perspective of minorities," said Kenneth Williams, a black Clinton delegate from Texas. "I don't think there was enough there to bridge to that community." Clinton undoubtedly has far more appeal than Sanders among black voters, a critical voting bloc in Democratic primaries. The former secretary of state won more than three out of four black votes in 25 primary states where exit polling was conducted and, by the end of the primary season, she had swept the 15 states with the largest black populations. "At the end of the day, (Sanders') coalition looked too much like a modern day Woodstock, and not enough like the Obama coalition it takes to win the primaries and the general," said Boyd Brown, a Democratic National Committeeman from South Carolina who supported former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. Michelle Bryant, a radio talk host in Milwaukee who is attending the convention, said she's heard similar concerns from some people who call in to her show. She said Clinton has a decades-long history of fighting for racial and economic justice that some Sanders supporters seem willing to dismiss even as they promote Sanders' civil rights advocacy. "You wouldn't have expected this stuff to kind of break out along racial lines," Bryant said. But those complaining about Sanders supporters and expressing fears of Clinton losing to Trump are missing the point, said Natalie Vowell, a white Sanders delegate from Missouri. Clinton, she said, just hasn't been a positive for black Americans. "There have been more young black men imprisoned, more brown bodies piling up across the globe, and I'm not sure at this point that a warmonger like Hillary Clinton is any better than a tyrant like Trump," said Vowell. She said she's not yet sure if she will vote at all in November. Ohio state Rep. Alicia Reece, president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus and a Clinton delegate, said she heard some complaints when a few people booed Michelle Obama when she mentioned Clinton's name Monday night. But she predicted the party would ultimately come together. "Both groups have strong feelings about what's going on," she said. "Even non-African-Americans are afraid of Donald Trump, not just pro-Hillary people. They know we've got to unite and stop Trump." ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Daly in Philadelphia, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report. ___ Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Washington in September WASHINGTON (AP) The White House says Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi will visit Washington in mid-September. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes says he delivered a letter to Myanmar last week from President Barack Obama inviting Suu Kyi to visit. He says she accepted. Suu Kyi is Myanmar's foreign minister but also serves as its putative premier. That's an arrangement designed to get around a military-imposed constitution that bars her from becoming president. El Salvador strikes blow against powerful street gang SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) Authorities announced a series of raids on one of El Salvador's most powerful street gangs Thursday, saying they delivered a strong blow to its leadership and financing. Five leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, previously unknown to authorities, were arrested, including the man in charge of the gang's finances, Attorney General Douglas Melendez said at a news conference. Police seized weapons, cash and vehicles during raids at homes, restaurants, bars, motels, garages and a car lot, National Civil Police Director Howard Cotto said. Officials froze 30 bank accounts allegedly tied to the gang and arrested 77 people. A suspected Mara Salvatrucha, or MS, gang member is taken away by a police officer after he was arrested and shown to the press in San Salvador, El Salvador, Thursday, July 28, 2016. Authorities in El Salvador are claiming a strong blow against the leadership and financing of the MS, one of the country's principal street gangs. A police spokesman says they seized weapons, cash and vehicles during raids at homes, restaurants, bars, motels, mechanic garages and a car lot. They froze 30 bank accounts allegedly tied to the gang and arrested 77 people, including the man in charge of the gang's finances, who is also an evangelical preacher. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez) Among those arrested was Marvin Adaly Ramos Quintanilla, allegedly the gang's treasurer, who is also an evangelical preacher. Ramos, 35, allegedly used his pastoral work as a front that gave him access to gang leaders in the country's prisons, Melendez said. Justice and Security Minister Mauricio Ramirez Landaverde said it was the first time the government had successfully interrupted the gang's financing by figuring out how they were investing their earnings from extortion and drug trafficking. After the government began an offensive against street gangs earlier this year, the Mara Salvatrucha reorganized, Melendez said. While one set of leaders was increasingly isolated in prisons, a parallel leadership structure developed in the streets, he said. The new leaders, dubbed "The Federation," had been unknown to authorities. "These people walk among us, there are a lot of gangsters who don't appear to be that," Melendez said. At some point the gang tried to buy weapons from Mexican cartels, he said. The months-long investigation revealed that the Mara Salvatrucha is made up of 249 groups, known as cliques, authorities said. In all, gangs in El Salvador are estimated to have some 70,000 people and control entire neighborhoods and rural zones. More than 13,000 are currently imprisoned. Suspected Mara Salvatrucha gang members, or MS, sit in the back of a truck after they were arrested and shown to the press in San Salvador, El Salvador, Thursday, July 28, 2016. Authorities in El Salvador are claiming a strong blow against the leadership and financing of the MS, one of the country's principal street gangs. A police spokesman says they seized weapons, cash and vehicles during raids at homes, restaurants, bars, motels, mechanic garages and a car lot. They froze 30 bank accounts allegedly tied to the gang and arrested 77 people, including the man in charge of the gang's finances, who is also an evangelical preacher. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez) AP FACT CHECK: Misfires in Hillary Clinton's speech WASHINGTON (AP) In her speech accepting the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton wrongly implied Donald Trump has proposed banning Islam in America and sketched out a plan for defeating Islamic State militants that merely mirrors what the U.S. is already trying to do. Clinton spoke Thursday night to the largest TV audience she is likely to have until the presidential debates, meaning many Americans were probably hearing of her agenda for the first time. Although she brings plenty of policy detail when stacked against the broad-brush ideas of her Republican rival, in some cases there's less than meets the eye to what she says she will do. A college education, for example, might not end up as debt-free for everyone as she suggested. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves after taking the stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) For his part, Trump spun a story about the Iran nuclear deal that was more fiction than fact at an Iowa rally that preceded Clinton's convention speech. A look at some of the claims from the political maelstrom: CLINTON: "I've laid out my strategy for defeating ISIS. We will strike their sanctuaries from the air, and support local forces taking them out on the ground. We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks before they happen. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country. It won't be easy or quick, but make no mistake - we will prevail." THE FACTS: Clinton might as well have said she laid out President Barack Obama's strategy for defeating Islamic State militants. Everything she mentioned, the Obama administration already is trying to do. ___ CLINTON: "Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all." THE FACTS: Tuition-free for students who go to an in-state public college or university. Debt-free is a harder lift. Clinton has adopted parts of Sanders' plans to defray some of the costs of higher education. Under her proposal, the government would pay for tuition at in-state colleges and universities for students from families earning less than $125,000 a year. That would leave students still bearing the cost of room and board, which makes up more than half of the average $18,943 sticker price at a four-year public university, according to the College Board. Experts worry about other impacts: Will colleges raise tuition once the government starts paying, increasing the cost to taxpayers? Will more students flock to public colleges because of the subsidy, also raising costs? ___ CLINTON: "In my first 100 days, we will work with both parties to pass the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II." THE FACTS: It would be the biggest since World War II only if you don't count Obama's $814 billion 2009 stimulus. Clinton doesn't have price tags on all her proposals, but the bulk of the investment appears to be her plan to spend $275 billion over five years on roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Obama's stimulus included infrastructure as well as tax cuts and aid to state and local governments, all intended to boost the economy and hiring. ___ CLINTON: "We will not ban a religion." THE FACTS: Trump never proposed banning Islam in the U.S., as Clinton seems to suggest. He proposed a freeze on the entry of all foreign Muslims into the U.S., then adapted the idea with several iterations. Recently he said he'd stop immigration from any country compromised by terrorism, or impose "extreme vetting" on people coming from places with a history of terrorism. He's also spoken in support of surveillance on mosques in the U.S. As contentious as his thinking has been on the subject, it hasn't extended it to outlawing a religion. ___ TRUMP, boasting about how he would have conducted talks with Iran over reducing its nuclear weapons capabilities: "I would have said sorry, we can't give you the $150 billion back. We want to give you the money back, but we don't have it. It's not there." THE FACTS: The Iranians immediately would have called Trump's bluff. That's because the U.S. never had $150 billion to give back in the first place. Iran had foreign assets spread across numerous banks and countries before it struck a deal with the U.S. and other countries to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. The sanctions meant Tehran couldn't access these funds abroad. But Iran's government knew very well where its money was. Much of the revenue came from Iran's oil sales to China, India, Japan and South Korea. These countries were able to purchase Iranian petroleum before the July 2015 nuclear agreement, but U.S. financial restrictions made it all but impossible to facilitate payments. So the money mainly sat in escrow in those countries, instead. These were not funds within the grasp of a U.S. president. Trump's comment also doesn't reflect how banks work. Money is fungible. If you have a bank account, it doesn't mean specific bills of currency or bars of gold are sitting in a box waiting for you to pick them up. The can't-find-your-money argument doesn't work. Trump got the sum wrong, too. Iranian and U.S. officials agree that the amount of frozen funds totaled about $100 billion. ___ CLINTON, on taxing the wealthy and corporations: "Because when more than 90 percent of the gains have gone to the top 1 percent, that's where the money is." THE FACTS: While vague, Clinton's claim probably relies on outdated figures and exaggerates inequality. Her assertion echoes similar claims made by Sanders during the primary campaign, though it's not clear if she is referring to income or wealth or over what time frame. According to Emmanuel Saez, the University of California at Berkeley economist whose research on the wealthiest 1 percent helped spark the Occupy Wall Street protests, income gains have been more widely shared in recent years. The top 1 percent captured 52 percent of the growth in incomes from 2009 through 2015, still a hefty amount. But that's down from the 2009 through 2012 period, when the top 1 percent captured 91 percent of the growth. ___ CLINTON: "In Atlantic City, 60 miles from here, you'll find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Donald Trump refused to pay his bills. People who did the work and needed the money, and didn't get it - not because he couldn't pay them, but because he wouldn't pay them." THE FACTS: Indeed, Trump casinos failed on several occasions. During the bankruptcy of the Taj Mahal Casino in the early 1990s, some contractors who'd helped Trump build the property went bust because Trump's company didn't pay what it owed them. Trump himself was short on cash at the time, though his bankers did give him a $450,000-a-month allowance to maintain his lifestyle while his debts were renegotiated. ___ DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION VIDEO, narrated by Morgan Freeman: "She could have joined a big law firm, been a corporate bigwig. Instead she chose the Children's Defense Fund. There, she went door-to-door gathering stories to help children with disabilities over denied schooling." THE FACTS: She had a "bigwig" path in her legal career, too. Although Clinton did devote her early career years to the Children's Defense Fund, she also worked at the Rose Law Firm, a prestigious Little Rock, Arkansas, firm and the third oldest in the United States. Clinton became its first female partner when her husband, Bill, was the state attorney general and then governor. Among the firm's clients were Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart and several brokerage houses. It became well-known during the Whitewater scandal, when investigators probed real estate deals between the Clintons and a Rose client, Jim McDougal. ___ CLINTON: "Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again - well, he could start by actually making things in America again." THE FACTS: Trump has regularly sourced his branded products from overseas, including his menswear line and products for his hotels. Trump has defended himself on the grounds that as a private businessman his priority is to make money. But in stump speeches, Trump has regularly shamed companies like Apple for doing the same and manufacturing products elsewhere. ___ TRUMP: "We pick up 73 percent of the cost of NATO. We're paying to protect them. Wouldn't it be nice if people would pay, and we could do things properly? ... That's got to change." THE FACTS: No, the U.S. picks up just over 22 percent of the cost of NATO operations, based on last year's figures. Trump's figure of 73 percent is based on the U.S. share of overall military spending by NATO member countries, not of the money devoted to the alliance. Because of high spending and unique military resources possessed by the U.S., the alliance acknowledges that it is over-reliant on Washington in areas such as intelligence, surveillance, in-flight refueling, ballistic missile defense and airborne electronic warfare. NATO asks member nations to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. Of the 28 NATO nations, only five the U.S., Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland meet or exceed that percentage. ___ TRUMP: "We're fighting in Yemen." THE FACTS: Only a small number of U.S. special operations troops are in Yemen and they've not been near the fighting. In Yemen, Houthi rebels backed by Iran are fighting government forces backed by Saudi Arabia. The United States has provided logistical and intelligence support to longtime ally Saudi Arabia. Separately, the Pentagon has provided military support, intelligence, ships and a small contingent of special operations forces to help fight al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as part of the ongoing counter-terrorism fight. U.S. officials have acknowledged that U.S. special operations forces have advised the Yemeni and Emirati forces in the region, but they are working at the headquarters level, not near the conflict. ___ TRUMP: "We're right now the highest-taxed nation in the world." He acknowledged his numerous past assertions of this have been questioned, and added, "OK, we're one of the highest taxed." THE FACTS: Closer, but still wrong. The U.S. tax burden is actually one of the lowest among the 34 developed and large emerging-market economies that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Taxes made up 26 percent of the total U.S. economy in 2014, according to the OECD. That's far below Sweden's tax burden of 42.7 percent, Britain's 32.6 percent or Germany's 36.1 percent. Only three OECD members had a lower tax bite than the U.S.: Chile, South Korea and Mexico. ___ TRUMP: "Religion's voice has been taken away. It was taken away by Lyndon Johnson in the 1970s because of a dispute he had, I think, with the church. And this was his way of silencing the church." THE FACTS: Trump was two decades off on the timing, and stretching in saying religion's voice in politics was silenced by LBJ. Churches still have a loud political voice. Before his years as president (1963-1969), Johnson as a senator in the 1950s achieved a law that prohibits religious groups and certain other tax-exempt organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates. The potential penalty for doing so is the loss of tax exemption. As Trump noted, the GOP platform calls for the repeal of that law so that religious groups could engage more directly in partisan politics. Opponents say that would clash with the constitutional separation of church and state. Since the law's enactment the rise of the religious right, the continuing influence of evangelical conservatives, the clout of the Roman Catholic church on social issues of the left and right and advocacy by liberal religious organizations are evidence that religion has not been silenced in politics. ___ TRUMP: "Median household income is down for the middle class since Obama took office." tweet. THE FACTS: True, if using the latest official data. More recent, though unofficial, estimates suggest that household income has gone up marginally on Obama's watch. Either way, it's a weak spot in Obama's economic record. Median household income declined by 3 percent from 2008 through 2014, according to U.S. Census data. According to more current estimates by Sentier Research, a private firm whose founders include former Census officials, median household income increased in 2015 and into 2016. That would mean median household income has risen 2 percent from June 2009, when the recession ended, to $57,206 in June 2016, Sentier says. ___ Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor, Deb Riechmann, Jim Drinkard, Jeff Horwitz and Cal Woodward contributed to this report. The father of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq posed a question to Donald Trump: Have you read the Constitution? To rapturous cheers, Pakistan-born Khizr Khan fiercely attacked the billionaire businessman Thursday at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, saying that if it was up to Trump, his son never would have been American or served in the military. Khan said that Hillary Clinton, by contrast, 'called my son the best of America.' Scroll down for video Pakistan-born Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim-American who died fighting for his country, fiercely attacked Donald Trump at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia while waving a copy of the constitution The parents walked out on stage to rapturous applause with a picture of their son in the background The address was the latest effort by Democrats to highlight their diversity and criticize Trump's most contentious plans. Beyond his proposed wall across Mexico, the billionaire businessman has threatened to ban Muslims from entering the United States if he becomes president. Capt. Humayun Khan died in 2004 when a car loaded with explosives blew up at his compound. He was 27. Honoring his son, Khizr Khan pulled a copy of the Constitution out of his suit pocket and offered to lend it to Trump. 'Look for the words "liberty' and 'equal protection of law,'' he said standing next to his wife, waving the paperback document vigorously. Capt. Humayun Khan died in 2004 when a car loaded with explosives blew up at his compound. He was 27 'Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery?' he then asked. 'Go look at the graves of brave Americans who died defending United States of America. 'You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing.' Khan, who moved to the U.S. in 1980, said he and his wife were 'patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country.' 'Like many immigrants, we came to this country emptyhanded,' he said, believing that with hard work he could raise his three sons 'in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams.' Trump, Khan argued, was imperiling that ideal with his smears of Muslims, women, judges and other groups. He urged Muslims, immigrants and all patriots to 'not take this election lightly.' 'Vote for the healer,' Khan said, 'not the divider.' Khan said that Hillary Clinton, in contrast to Trump, 'called my son the best of America' Takeaways: Clinton's big moment wraps up convention PHILADELPHIA (AP) It was a moment America had never seen: a woman accepting a major party's nomination for president. Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination Thursday, pledging to unite a divided country and casting herself as a tested, steady hand in troubled times. She said she would work to improve the lives of all Americans, not just those at the top. She closed a convention that tested the party's ability to unify after a divisive primary fight. After a rocky opening day featuring protests and jeers, the opposition settled down, but never faded completely. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, July 28, 2016, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/John Locher) Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, introduced her as "my mother, my hero and the next president of the United States." Here are the top takeaways from the final day of the Democratic convention: ___ THE REAL AUDIENCE Clinton was greeted by cheering delegates eager to see her win in November. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching on television who may welcome her experience but question her character. Clinton tried to make the case for why she deserves a second look. "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me," she said. Noting her family's humble roots, Clinton hailed her parents and grandparents, saying they instilled in her a work ethic that allowed her to go to college and law school and begin a career as an advocate for children before becoming a political spouse and a politician herself. Clinton contrasted her decades of experience as first lady, senator, and secretary of state with Trump's inexperience in politics. And she questioned his temperament. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons," she said. ___ INTRODUCING MOM Chelsea Clinton continued the family effort to show the warm side of her mother. Nearly a quarter century after America got to know her as a gangly 12-year-old, Chelsea Clinton described Hillary Clinton as a mother who always made her feel "valued and loved" and a doting grandmother who will drop everything to FaceTime her 2-year-old granddaughter, Charlotte. Chelsea Clinton spoke two days after her father, former President Bill Clinton, addressed delegates in what was as much love story as political speech. Chelsea Clinton followed suit. "I hope that someday my children will be as proud of me as I am proud of my mom," she said. Trump's family offered similar loving tributes at last week's Republican convention. Both candidates have low popularity ratings and their campaigns have been trying to emphasize their personal, human sides. ___ STILL BERN-ING Most Bernie Sanders supporters heeded the Vermont senator's call for unity - or at least his plea not to be disruptive. But there were exceptions. As Clinton spoke, several people in the crowd unfurled a banner that said "Wikileaks." It's a reference to the leaked party emails that some say show the Democratic National Committee favored Clinton over Sanders. Clinton struggled to keep command of the arena. Supporters chanted "Hillary" to drown out hecklers. Some Sanders supporters chose a less disruptive way to express their views. They wore neon-green, glow-in-the-dark shirts emblazoned with the Sanders battle cry "enough is enough." __ REACHING OUT Clinton wasn't only looking to charge up the Democratic base. She was trying to win over Republicans. The convention's last day featured speeches from a former member of President Ronald Reagan's administration and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce official who is heading a Republican group supporting Clinton. "I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan," said Doug Elmets, a Republican now backing Clinton. "Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan!" ___ GLAD IT'S OVER Trump appeared to be relieved that the Democratic convention was finally ending. He's had enough criticism. In fact, he said Thursday that he wanted to hit some speakers "so hard their heads would spin." He didn't identify anyone in particular, but mentioned "a little guy" who particularly bothered him. Could be former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who is listed as 5 feet, 8 inches. Follow Matthew Daly: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC At 90, Fidel Castro is symbol of Cuban resistance to change HAVANA (AP) White-haired, thin and bent at nearly 90, Fidel Castro in person is a faint echo of the man who remade his country, defied the United States and fueled socialist uprisings around the world. But 10 years after he handed control to his brother Raul, Cuba's former leader has taken on a powerful new role in a country suffering an economic crisis and debating its direction in a new era of normalization with Washington. After a decade out of the public eye, Fidel Castro has surged back in the run-up to his Aug. 13 birthday as the inspiration for Cubans who want to maintain strict Communist orthodoxy in Cuba in the face of mounting pressures to loosen political control and allow more private enterprise. In this July 23, 2016 photo, a picture of Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro is placed on the shelves of a state rationing store or "bodega," ahead of his upcoming 90th birthday in Havana, Cuba. During 47 years in power, Fidel was a constant presence for Cubans but prohibited the statues, portraits and other tributes beloved by other total leaders. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) "We reiterate our commitment to stay faithful to the ideas he's fought for throughout his life and to keep the spirit of resistance, struggle and dialectic thought alive," Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, the hard-line second secretary of the Cuban Communist Party told the nation Tuesday at the celebration of Castro's 1953 attack on a government barracks. The peak of Castro's return to public prominence came April 19 at the closing session of the Cuban Communist Party's 7th Congress. The three-day gathering featured a string of speeches denouncing President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba the month before, in which the U.S. leader called on Cubans to look toward a future of reconciliation and greater freedom. Castro opened with a defense of his communist ideology, declaring the Russian Revolution of 1917 to be "a grand social revolution that represented a great step forward in the fight against colonialism and its inseparable companion, imperialism." During 47 years in power, Fidel was a constant presence for Cubans but prohibited the statues, portraits and other tributes beloved by other total leaders. Today, his image is everywhere as the country fills with tributes to him on his 90th birthday. Fidel is now mentioned by hardliners in the same breath as Jose Marti, the 19th century poet and revolutionary fighter whose status is similar to that of the founding fathers in the U.S. "In the ideology of Marti, and the path of Fidel, we've been warned about the need to prepare ourselves for a war of ideas, and to be informed, so we can't be confused," the head of Cuba's official journalists' union wrote Sunday. "We have the historic privilege of having shared our fate with Fidel." The editorial went on to reject a series of recent calls by young journalists for greater freedom to work for the foreign press. "There isn't the slightest doubt that conservatives who don't want to advance look for backup in Fidel," Cuban political scientist and former diplomat Carlos Alzugaray said. "There's been a backlash from all of those who fear change." There are billboards across the country with Castro's portrait and best-known phrases. State television is filled with interviews reminiscing about his time in power. Cultural events are dedicated to him. There's a newly created government email address to send him best wishes on his birthday. A group of students in the central city of Santa Clara even developed a mobile app allowing users to pull up quotations from his written works and speeches. His family home in the eastern city of Biran has been refurbished and planted with trees. "I've lived through everything and I can tell you that there'll never be another like him," said Sara Castillo, a 77-year-old retired nurse. "May he have more years of life and health. He should be the guide for all Cubans." But the celebration comes at a tough time for Castro's dreams of creating a socialist paradise and setting off a leftist wave sweeping Latin America and the rest of the developing world. Cuba has seen allies ousted in Brazil and Argentina and its prime patron, Venezuela, has cut the supply of subsidized oil to Cuba, leading to a cash shortage that's increasing public dissatisfaction, particularly among the young. "I'm not interested in Fidel Castro or politics," said a 21-year-old unemployed former engineering student who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of official retaliation. "They're the past of this country." He said he wants to emigrate as soon as possible to be with his girlfriend in the United States and have a better quality of life. Other young people say they appreciate Castro, but want their country to focus more on its future. "He's the father of a whole generation of Cubans, an important figure, even though there are people against him and people in favor," said Denet Hernandez, a 29-year-old doctor. "But the youth want to take the reins of their own time. It's not denying history, but continuing forward." ___ Associated Press writer Michael Weissenstein contributed to this report. ___ Andrea Rodriguez on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ARrodriguezAP Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mweissenstein In this July 23, 2016 photo, people wait to buy vegetables at a street market beside a picture of Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro and late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ahead of Catro's 90th birthday in Havana, Cuba.After a decade out of the public eye, Fidel Castro has surged back in the run-up to his Aug. 13 birthday as the inspiration for Cubans who want to maintain strict Communist orthodoxy in Cuba in the face of mounting pressures to loosen political control and allow more private enterprise. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) Suspect in cyclist's killing chased boys on bikes in 2014 TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) A man accused of abducting and killing a college student riding her bicycle chased a pair of boys on their bikes two years ago because he thought they looked suspicious, according to sheriff's records released Friday. An incident report shows James Worley called a dispatcher to report the boys outside his rural farmhouse and said he was going to chase them. He later told a deputy that he briefly followed the pair about 300 yards to a neighbor's house because he'd been worried about break-ins. The neighbor said she knew the boys and they got scared when Worley started yelling. No charges came from the incident in June 2014. This undated booking photo provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Department shows James Worley. Worley, who spent three years in prison after the 1990 abduction of a female cyclist, was arrested Friday, July 22, 2016, three days after a college student disappeared. He was charged Tuesday, July 26 with aggravated murder and was due in court Wednesday. (Fulton County Sheriff's Department via The Blade via AP) Worley, who spent three years in prison after abducting a woman riding a bike in 1990, has been charged with aggravated murder and abduction in the death of 20-year-old University of Toledo student Sierah Joughin. Her body was found in a cornfield near Worley's home a week ago. Joughin disappeared while riding her bicycle on a country road in rural Fulton County, about 20 miles west of Toledo. Friends and family gathered for her funeral on Friday followed by a private burial. Since Worley's arrest a week ago, investigators have been looking into the possibility of additional victims. They said in the court documents that he "fits the profile of a serial offender." Investigators found a hidden room outfitted with restraints inside a barn next to his farmhouse, and they were looking into whether it was used to hold other victims, according to search warrants released Thursday. The room also had a carpet-lined freezer with blood inside and had been concealed by hay bales, the documents said. Worley has declined interview requests from the news media. A message was left Friday for his attorney, who has declined other requests for comment this week. Authorities spent several days digging through the property where Worley lived with his mother and operated a small-engine repair shop surrounded by farm fields in northwestern Ohio. Search warrants say cellphone evidence shows Worley was at the spot where Joughin's bike was found for two hours on the day she went missing. Investigators said he had marks on his arms and bruises on his lower legs but told them "he didn't steal anything or kill anyone," according to the documents. Worley first went to prison for the 1990 abduction of a woman who was riding her bike, which happened about 20 miles from where Joughin was riding last week near Metamora. He also spent nearly two years in prison after pleading guilty in 2000 to drug and weapons charges. A review of records on sheriff's runs to his home shows he called the department seven times since the beginning of 2014, reporting suspicious activity and other minor incidents once saying he saw three red lights in a triangle pattern in the sky. He complained in November about damage from a township snowplow and called deputies last July about a dispute with his brother, who was living in a trailer on the property. Famous cue maker charged with helping smuggle elephant ivory LOS ANGELES (AP) A famous custom pool cue maker has been charged in California with helping to smuggle protected elephant ivory by using it on his cues. Seventy-five-year-old Cesar "Ernie" Gutierrez surrendered Thursday. He's accused of aiding and abetting illegal exportation which can carry a 10-year prison term. He was released on bond. A message left at his North Hollywood business, Ginacue, wasn't immediately returned. Gutierrez makes ornate cues with materials that include gold, jewels and exotic woods. His customers over the years have included Frank Sinatra and billiards legend Minnesota Fats. Prosecutors say Gutierrez sold two people 41 sections of cues containing ivory from African elephants. The cues were found in the luggage of two people waiting to board a plane for Taiwan. 5 points from AP interview with N. Korean diplomat PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) Here are five points on tensions between North Korea and the U.S. from Pyongyang's top diplomat for U.S. affairs, interviewed by The Associated Press on Thursday: ___ SANCTIONS AGAINST KIM RANKLED GREATLY Han Song Ryol, director-general of the U.S. affairs department at North Korea's Foreign Ministry, talks during an interview with the Associated Press in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, July 28, 2016. Han said that Washington "crossed the red line" and effectively declared war by putting leader Kim Jung Un on its list of sanctioned individuals and said a vicious showdown could erupt if the U.S. and South Korea hold annual war games as planned next month. (AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon) Han Song Ryol, director-general of the U.S. affairs department at North Korea's Foreign Ministry, emphasized the authoritarian country's anger over Washington's July 6 announcement putting leader Kim Jong Un on a list of sanctioned individuals in connection with alleged human rights abuses documented by the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Pyongyang denies the allegations. "The Obama administration went so far to have the impudence to challenge the supreme dignity of the DPRK in order to get rid of its unfavorable position during the political and military showdown with the DPRK," Han said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown," he said. "We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war." ___ MORE WAR GAMES, MORE ANGER Han said the action against Kim and other recent U.S. moves have put the situation on the Korean Peninsula on a war footing. He warned against planned U.S.-South Korean war games next month. "By doing these kinds of vicious and hostile acts toward the DPRK, the U.S. has already declared war against the DPRK. So it is our self-defensive right and justifiable action to respond in a very hard way," he said. North Korea typically expresses vehement opposition to U.S.-South Korean war games, which it views as preparations for invasion. Katina Adams, State Department spokeswoman for East Asia and the Pacific, said the exercises are defense-oriented and designed to maintain stability. A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said the joint drills have been conducted for decades to prepare against a real and evident military threat posed by North Korea. ___ DIPLOMAT'S FLIGHT SPARKS FURY Han castigated Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, for a July 12 flight on a U.S. Air Force F-16 based in South Korea. He called it an action "unfit for a diplomat." "We regard that as the act of a villain, who is a crazy person," Han said. "All these facts show that the United States is intentionally aggravating the tensions in the Korean Peninsula." ___ NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEFENSE: U.S. STARTED IT North Korea has been hit with several rounds of international sanctions over its continued development of nuclear weapons and missiles, but Han contended the U.S. is to blame. "It is not us, it is the United States that first developed nuclear weapons, who first deployed them and who first used them against humankind," he said. "And on the issue of missiles and rockets, which are to deliver nuclear warheads and conventional weapons warheads, it is none other than the United States who first developed it and who first used it." ___ NORTH KOREA WON'T GIVE UP NUKES As North Korea has many times before, Han dismissed calls for Pyongyang to defuse tensions by agreeing to abandon its nuclear program. "We are all prepared for war, and we are all prepared for peace," he said. Senior S. Korean prosecutor indicted on corruption charges SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korean prosecutors on Friday indicted a fellow senior prosecutor for allegedly pocketing millions of dollars from shady stock transaction deals with an online game maker. Jin Kyung-joon, who holds a rank of vice minister, faces charges including bribery and violating the law on financial transactions, prosecutor Lee Keum-ro announced in a televised news conference. Jin became the most senior prosecutor to be arrested last week. Corruption scandals involving high-profile figures routinely take place in South Korea, one of Asia's leading economies that became a liberal democracy in the late 1980s after decades of dictatorships. Jin allegedly took 420 million won ($374,830) from the founder of Nexon and bought unlisted company shares before selling them back to the company at a much higher price. Prosecutors accused Lee of using the profits to purchase shares of Nexon Japan and sold them again for 12.6 billion won ($11 million) last year. Jin also allegedly received a luxury sedan and 50 million won ($44,620) for personal travel expenses from Nexon founder Kim Jungju. In a brief encounter with reporters three days before his arrest, Jin said he committed "wrong behavior" but didn't' elaborate. There were no fresh comments from him since he was put in a detention facility. Prosecutors on Friday also indicted the Nexon founder saying he expected to get help from Jin in possible legal cases involving his company. Kim issued a statement Friday saying "I lower my head and apologize." Huge, once-hated fish now seen as weapon against Asian carp CHICAGO (AP) It's a toothy giant that can grow longer than a horse and heavier than a refrigerator, a fearsome-looking prehistoric fish that plied U.S. waters from the Gulf of Mexico to Illinois until it disappeared from many states a half-century ago. Persecuted by anglers and deprived of places to spawn, the alligator gar with a head that resembles an alligator and two rows of needlelike teeth survived primarily in southern states in the tributaries of the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico after being declared extinct in several states farther north. To many, it was a freak, a "trash fish" that threatened sportfish, something to be exterminated. But the once-reviled predator is now being seen as a valuable fish in its own right, and as a potential weapon against a more threatening intruder: the invasive Asian carp, which have swum almost unchecked toward the Great Lakes, with little more than an electric barrier to keep them at bay. Efforts are now underway to reintroduce the alligator gar in the northern part of its old range. In this July 6, 2016 photograph, an adult alligator gar awaits placement into a transportation tank at the Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery in Tupelo, Miss. The gar's easily identifiable head resembles an alligator and has two rows of needlelike teeth. This is one of several male and female adult alligator gar that are captured in fresh water lakes and rivers and are brought to the facility so they can lay and fertilize the eggs as biologists and environmentalists are working to reintroduce the once-reviled alligator gar as a weapon against the invasive Asian carp. The gar are later returned to the wild. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) "What else is going to be able to eat those monster carp?" said Allyse Ferrara, an alligator gar expert at Nicholls State University in Louisiana, where the species is relatively common. "We haven't found any other way to control them." Alligator gar, the second-largest U.S. freshwater fish behind the West Coast's white sturgeon, have shown a taste for Asian carp, which have been spreading and out-competing native fish for food. The gar dwarf the invaders, which themselves can grow to 4 feet and 100 pounds. The largest alligator gar caught was 8 feet and 327 pounds, though they can grow larger. Native Americans once used their enamel-like scales as arrow points, and early settlers covered plow blades with their tough skin and scales. But a mistaken belief that they hurt sportfish led to widespread extermination throughout the 1900s, when they were often shot or blown up with dynamite. "Some horrible things have been done to this fish," said Ferrara, adding that sport fisheries are healthier with gar to keep troublesome species like carp under control. "It's similar to how we used to think of wolves; we didn't understand the role they played in the ecosystem." Gar now are being restocked in lakes, rivers and backwaters sometimes in secret locations in several states. In May, Illinois lawmakers passed a resolution urging state natural resources officials to speed up its program and adopt regulations to protect all four gar species native to the state. But the extent to which gar could control carp now is not well understood, and some people are skeptical. "I don't think alligator gar are going to be the silver bullet that is going to control carp, by any stretch of the imagination," said Rob Hilsabeck, an Illinois biologist who says the best hope is that carp will sustain an alligator gar fishery to draw trophy hunters. Others are more optimistic about the impact once the larger fish is established, which might require cutting notches in canals to give them access to spawning sites. Asian carp reproduce more quickly but alligator gar also grow fast: Alligator gar stocked in one Illinois lake six years ago already are more than 4 feet long. Quinton Phelps, a Missouri state fish ecologist, said the only way to effectively control carp is when they're smaller, before they can spawn. Which is where alligator gar come in. "There is potential for them to be a wonderful weapon, but it's just potential right now," he said. One challenge is that huge gar could become a temptation for trophy fishermen, even before they're old enough to spawn. "It will be interesting to see if fishermen have enough integrity to pass up a 7-foot fish that's 200 pounds," said Christopher Kennedy, a Missouri fisheries supervisor who's working on catch regulations. "We'd love to create a self-sustaining population that we can turn into a trophy fishery." Still, the fish has a public relations problem in some circles, including a boating group in Illinois, whose members recently derided it as a "trash fish" and questioned reintroduction efforts. But avid angler Olaf Nelson, who in 2013 was the first to catch an alligator gar in Illinois in 50 years a 2-footer in a stocked lake said they're important whether anyone wants to fish for them or not. "Whether they're loved or hated, they're a natural part of the Illinois ecosystem," he said. "It's pretty rare that we can fix a mistake." ___ Follow Tammy Webber at https://twitter.com/twebber02 __ This story has been corrected to show that the Illinois legislature passed a resolution in May, not June. In this July 6, 2016 photo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel struggle with carrying an adult alligator gar to a transportation tank at the Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery in Tupelo, Miss. Alligator gar can weigh several hundred pounds and be over eight feet long. Several male and female adult alligator gar are captured in fresh water lakes and rivers and are brought to the facility so they can lay and fertilize the eggs as biologists and environmentalists are working to reintroduce the once-reviled alligator gar as a weapon against another huge species: invasive Asian carp. The gar are later returned to the wild. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) FILE - In this June 13, 2012 file photo, Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jump from the Illinois River near Havana, Ill. An effort is under way to reintroduce alligator gar into lakes, rivers and backwaters of several states possibly to help control populations of the invasive carp. (AP Photo/John Flesher, File) In this July 6, 2016 photo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish biologist Daniel Schwarz, left, maintenance mechanic Ronnie Schutkesting, release an alligator gar in a special transportation tank at the Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery in Tupelo, Miss. Several male and female adult alligator gar are captured in fresh water lakes and rivers and are brought to the facility so they can lay and fertilize the eggs as biologists and environmentalists are working to reintroduce the once-reviled alligator gar as a weapon against the invasive Asian carp. The gar are later returned to the wild. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) In this July 6, 2016 photo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel struggle with the nets as adult alligator gar try to escape as their small pond is seined at the Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery in Tupelo, Miss. Several male and female adult alligator gar are captured in fresh water lakes and rivers and are brought to the facility so they can lay and fertilize the eggs as biologists and environmentalists are working to reintroduce the once-reviled alligator gar as a weapon against the invasive Asian carp. The gar are later hand caught and returned to the wild. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) In this July 6, 2016 photo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish biologist Dan Schwarz explains the process by which alligator gar eggs are harvested, fertilized and being grown in special tanks on the grounds of the Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery in Tupelo, Miss., in an effort to reintroduce the once-reviled alligator gar as a weapon against another huge species: invasive Asian carp. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) In this July 6, 2016 photo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish biologist Dan Schwarz pulls up a small alligator gar fish that the agency is growing at the Private John Allen National Fish Hatchery in Tupelo, Miss., in an effort to reintroduce in various waterways and states as a weapon against another huge species: invasive Asian carp. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Police, protesters at DNC praised for restraint, courtesy PHILADELPHIA (AP) They came. They protested. They got their message out. And now that they're headed home, thousands of protesters who came to Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention say they're leaving in peace thanks to a hands-off approach by police that led to fewer than a dozen arrests over four days of demonstrations. "This is what it looks like when you just let people get their message out: lots of expression and very little conflict," said Mary Catherine Roper, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. Demonstrators yell during protest at Franklin Delano Roosevelt park in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The police, instead of hauling demonstrators off to jail as they did 16 years ago when Republicans gathered in the city, issued those who crossed the line $50 tickets for disorderly conduct and released them with complimentary bottles of water. Demonstrators, who largely turned out to support Bernie Sanders, were careful to pick up after themselves and wore hats embroidered with a dove to remind everyone to remain peaceful. The rallies and marches that some feared would result in violence and mass disruptions instead brought a festival-like atmosphere at times to City Hall and Broad Street. Police reported making only 11 arrests, and officers and protesters alike were credited with showing restraint and courtesy. "I'm very happy so far with everyone," Police Commissioner Richard Ross said, adding that his officers "took pride in what they did all week. Very patient, tolerant and courteous is what I was hearing from a lot of people." As of Thursday night, in addition to the 11 people arrested, about 100 protesters had been ticketed and fined. The ticketed demonstrators were briefly detained, their hands zip-tied behind their backs, but were not technically arrested. Less than two months before the convention, the city passed legislation allowing police to write the equivalent of traffic tickets instead of making criminal arrests for many nuisance crimes, such as disorderly conduct, blocking a street and failure to disperse. "I think it's helped," Ross said. "What it does for us is that it gets people in and out of our hands. We're able to get people back on those lines and keep things moving. I'm sure people appreciate being written up for a citation and handed a bottle of water." During the Republican convention in Cleveland last week, a heavy police presence and fewer than expected protesters helped authorities maintain order. Only about two dozen arrests were made. In Philadelphia, the number of protesters also was much lower than expected. About 35,000 protesters each day were anticipated, but the turnout on Monday was put at about 5,500, and dwindled to 1,500 by Wednesday. Stifling humidity and temperatures in the high 90s may have kept the crowds down. Also, a severe thunderstorm that rolled through Monday evening scattered protesters gathered outside the Wells Fargo Center on the convention's opening night, and heavy rain cut short a Sanders rally on Thursday afternoon. Police de-escalated situations by separating groups of opposing protesters but allowing them to continue to express themselves, said Eric Ferrero, an Amnesty International deputy executive director who helped oversee teams of observers in Philadelphia and Cleveland. "What we have seen so far in Philadelphia is largely peaceful protests around the city and police protecting people's right to protest," he said. He also gave credit to demonstrators, who are "protesting peacefully and who have a strong point of view they want to get across, but do it (in a) peaceful and orderly fashion." Andy Billotti, a Sanders supporter from Middletown, Maryland, has been protesting all week and said the police have been excellent. He also said the protesters have been courteous. "Berners are a peaceful group," he said. He attributed that to their general mindset and a desire not to "put a bad light on Bernie Sanders." Weeks before the convention, Philadelphia clergy teamed up with a legal collective to hold a series of workshops for demonstrators on protesting nonviolently. Throughout the protests, some demonstrators have urged others to remain calm. It happened Tuesday night near the Wells Fargo Center when one demonstrator was shaking a temporary crowd control fence and others told him to stop. He did. Police also showed patience with protesters outside the convention hall. Demonstrators climbing the fences Tuesday were helped down safely by police before the officers zip-tied their hands. On Wednesday night, officers smiled and talked with protesters, allowing them to secure their belongings before taking them into custody. Philadelphia wanted to avoid a repeat of 2000, when police arrested more than 400 protesters at the Republican National Convention, only to see most cases end in acquittals. ___ Associated Press writers Megan Trimble, Dake Kang, Josh Cornfield and Errin Haines Whack contributed to this report. Demonstrators chant during protest at Franklin Delano Roosevelt park in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Demonstrators chant during protest at Franklin Delano Roosevelt park in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Police officers line up near Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., walks near a banner at Franklin Delano Roosevelt park in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Gregory "Joey" Johnson, left, lights an American flag on fire during a protest in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Larry Peyton, right, fights over an American flag with a protester after another group had just staged a flag burning during a protest in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Demonstrators clash at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park during a protest in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., holds up a sign during a rally in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., hold up signs during a rally in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., hold up a signs during a rally in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Demonstrators clash at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park during a protest in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Gregory "Joey" Johnson prepares to light an American flag on fire during a protest in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Gregory "Joey" Johnson prepares to light an American flag on fire during a protest in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Demonstrators clash at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park during a protest in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Polices officers get a pizza delivered during a protest at Franklin Delano Roosevelt park in Philadelphia, Thursday, July 28, 2016, during the final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Officer says prosecutors silenced him in Sandra Bland case DALLAS (AP) A police officer in the small Texas town where Sandra Bland, a black woman who later died in a jail cell, was pulled over says the county's top prosecutors threatened to end his career if he came forward with what he says is evidence of wrongdoing, an accusation the prosecutors deny. Among the things Prairie View officer Michael Kelley said this week that he wanted to tell a grand jury: Bland appeared to have marks on her forehead after a confrontation with state trooper Brian Encinia, who pulled her over last July for allegedly failing to signal while changing a lane; Encinia was on the phone with a supervisor after arresting her because he didn't know what charge she should face; and the police report Encinia ultimately submitted left out key details. Kelley said he was never contacted by special prosecutors handling the case, and the Waller County district attorney's top assistant said there would be repercussions if he spoke to a Bland family attorney. Prosecutors have strongly denied Kelley's allegations. FILE - This undated file handout photo provided by the Waller County Sheriff's Office shows Sandra Bland. A police officer in the small Texas town where Bland was pulled over and jailed says the county's top prosecutors threatened to end his career if he came forward with what he says is evidence of wrongdoing. (Waller County Sheriff's Office via AP, File) Bland was found dead three days after the traffic stop in a county jail cell; authorities ruled it a suicide. But her death galvanized the national Black Lives Matter movement and others protesting recent police misconduct, all of whom said she was mistreated and shouldn't have been arrested. Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, appeared on stage at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday with other black women whose children had died in encounters with law enforcement. Many of Bland's supporters have long questioned whether local authorities would fairly investigate the case. No one from the jail or the sheriff's office has been indicted, even though the county acknowledged jailers did not properly monitor Bland or screen her properly after she mentioned she had a history of mental illness. One jailer has given a deposition admitting he falsified a jail log. Encinia was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of perjury, which is pending, and was fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Kelley, meanwhile, is suspended from the police department after being captured on video using a Taser on a black city councilman in Prairie View and being indicted for official oppression related to an unlawful arrest. He claims prosecutors sought that indictment as retaliation. "I didn't become a cop to become shady like a lot of officers," Kelley told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I became a cop to do justice and to try to change the community which I work in." Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis issued a statement implying Kelley is trying to profit from Bland's death. "I unequivocally state that he never approached me, my first assistant, or any member of my staff with any such information," Mathis said, adding: "I can only imagine this is an attempt to divert attention" from Kelley's case. Darrell Jordan, a Houston attorney who was one of five special prosecutors handling the Bland case when it went to a grand jury, also said Kelley never approached him or any other prosecutor. "We walked the campus; we walked the main roads trying to talk to people," Jordan said. On the day of Bland's traffic stop, video from Encinia's squad car and a microphone on his uniform show the two beginning to argue. Encinia then reaches into the car and tries to drag Bland out of her seat before arresting her. "Get out of the car!" Encinia is heard saying. "I will light you up! Get out!" The two struggle outside of the car as Encinia handcuffs her and calls for backup. Kelley said he was one of the first to respond. Encinia is later captured on audio going through possible charges for Bland, from resisting arrest to assault. "I kind of lean toward assault versus resist because I mean, technically, she's under arrest when a traffic stop is initiated, as a lawful stop," Encinia is heard saying. He eventually wrote a report accusing Bland of assault on a public servant. But Kelley said he saw bruises on Bland's forehead and heard Encinia tell his supervisor, "'I don't know what I'm going to charge her with yet.'" Kelley's allegations are the latest to raise the idea that authorities haven't thoroughly investigated Bland's death. Earlier this week, the Houston Chronicle reported a jailer admitted under oath to falsifying a notation in a jail log that he had checked on Bland during the hour before her death. Bland family attorney Cannon Lambert said the jailer made the admission during a deposition in the family's federal lawsuit against the county over Bland's death. ___ 2 dozen Chinese relatives of MH370 passengers stage protest BEIJING (AP) About two dozen Chinese relatives of passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Friday staged a small protest outside China's Foreign Ministry calling on governments to continue searching for the plane. The relatives gathered outside the ministry in Beijing and demanded to see the foreign minister to submit a petition to him saying that last week's decision to suspend the search was irresponsible. China, Australia and Malaysia announced last week that the more than two-year-long hunt for the missing flight would be suspended once the current search area in the Indian Ocean has been completely scoured, something expected by the end of the year. A woman cries while while demonstrating with relatives of passengers aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, China, Friday, July 29, 2016. Several dozen relatives gathered at the ministry on Friday to hand over a letter of protest amid the recent announcement that the meticulous ocean search operations for the missing flight would soon be suspended. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) The protest came the same day Australian officials announced that a wing part found last month on an East African island most likely came from the missing plane. The debris, which was found on Pemba Island off the coast of Tanzania, was analyzed by experts at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is heading up the search for the plane in a remote stretch of ocean far off Australia's west coast. Those officials determined it was "highly likely" to have come from the missing Boeing 777, Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said in a statement. Several pieces of the doomed airliner have washed ashore in various spots around the southern Indian Ocean since it vanished more than two years ago with 239 people on board. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has previously determined that four pieces of debris it examined almost certainly came from the plane, and another wing part found a year ago on La Reunion island, off the African coast, was positively identified by French officials. Though the discovery of the debris has bolstered authorities' beliefs that the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean, none of the parts have yielded any clues into exactly where and why the aircraft crashed. Officials are hoping to find the underwater wreckage and the critical flight data recorders, or black boxes, which could provide some answers. But with the end of the search looming, the black boxes may never be found. In Beijing, several of the relatives held up hand-written signs calling for the search to be continued and asked to meet Chinese officials involved in last week's decision. "Since these people spent the money of Chinese tax payers to represent Chinese relatives to attend the meeting, they are obliged to see us," said Jiang Hui, whose mother was on the plane. He said that their request for a meeting had been rejected. "We will continue to demand the meeting because we want to know the most accurate information of what was going on in that meeting" between Chinese, Australian and Malaysian officials who discussed the fate of the search, he said. The plane vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. It is believed to have turned back west and then south before dropping into the Indian Ocean west of Australia, where the search has been concentrated. Much of what happened to the plane remains a mystery, although many suspect that it was deliberately steered off course. Officials have said the search, hampered by bad weather and damaged equipment, will end by December. ___ Associated Press writer Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report. A plainclothes official, left, escorts a woman holding a sign protesting the handling of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 outside Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, China, Friday, July 29, 2016. Several dozen relatives of passengers gathered at the ministry on Friday to hand over a letter of protest amid the recent announcement that the meticulous ocean search operations for the missing flight would soon be suspended. The sign reads "The three countries' governments [involved in the search] must implement their promises to the world." (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) People hold signs protesting the handling of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 outside China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, China, Friday, July 29, 2016. Several dozen relatives of passengers gathered at the ministry on Friday to hand over a letter of protest amid the recent announcement that the meticulous ocean search operations for the missing flight would soon be suspended. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)' A woman cries while demonstrating with relatives of passengers aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 outside China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, China, Friday, July 29, 2016. Several dozen relatives gathered at the ministry on Friday to hand over a letter of protest amid the recent announcement that the meticulous ocean search operations for the missing flight would soon be suspended. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) People hold signs protesting the handling of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 outside China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, Friday, July 29, 2016. Several dozen relatives of passengers gathered at the ministry on Friday to hand over a letter of protest amid the recent announcement that the meticulous ocean search operations for the missing flight would soon be suspended. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) PICTURED: Shiite tattoos a show of pride amid tensions BEIRUT (AP) Hamada Bayloun is not particularly religious, but across his entire upper back spreads a large tattoo of the most revered saint in Shiite Islam, Imam Ali. He is one of a growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon who have inked themselves with Shiite religious and political symbols as a show of pride in their community since neighboring Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, fanning hatreds between Shiites, Sunnis and other faiths across the region. The 30-year-old Bayloun got his tattoo a few months after the war began, partly as a response to attempts to bomb Shiite shrines in Syria and Iraq. In this Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015 photo, a Lebanese Shiite supporter of Hezbollah with a tattoo on his head that reads in Arabic, "Oh Ali", beats his chest during the holy day of Ashoura, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) "We can't respond with car bombs, but (through tattoos) we can show our strength and love for the prophet and his family," he said, referring to Islam's Prophet Muhammad, who was Ali's cousin and father-in-law. The Syrian conflict, which began with government forces crushing protests against President Bashar Assad, became a fight between predominantly Sunni rebels against Assad's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiism. The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah has sent thousands of its fighters to Syria to support Assad, alongside Iranian, Iraqi and other Shiite militias. That is why one Lebanese man, Tayseer, got the face of the bespectacled Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, tattooed on his chest, right above his heart. He said it's a show of "deep love" for the man he says is protecting Lebanon from the Islamic State group and other Sunni extremists fighting in Syria and Iraq. "Everyone should get Nasrallah tattooed," said the 30-year-old civil servant, who asked not to be identified further so as not to jeopardize his job. Tattoos are forbidden by Sunni clerics but are generally accepted in Shiite circles. Among the most popular tattoos is "313," the number of commanders Shiites believe will accompany their last imam, Mahdi, when he returns to save the world from oppression. Tattoo artist Hussein Mistrah, 24, says tattoos in general have become fashionable in Lebanon. His small tattoo parlor in Beirut's Shiite district of Dahiyeh is always busy. He inks an average of three or four Shiite tattoos per week, and among his clients are Hezbollah supporters fighting in Syria. At least 25 of his clients have been killed. "These are the ones I know about," he said. While an Associated Press photographer visited recently, a 21-year-old fighter name Mohammad Talal came in to get Nasrallah's portrait on his chest. He was told the first appointment would be in two months. "I could be dead in two months!" Talal shot back. Mistrah said he would try to fit him in sooner. Mohammad Mehdi al-Ameli, a Lebanese-Australian Shiite cleric who teaches religion in south Lebanon, said tattoos are a visual expression of faith. "Shiites are under strain ... and have been alienated, and they use this to belong," he said. "The others do it like sheep that follow the flock." Farah Najm has a tattoo of Ali's sword on the back of her neck. The 21-year-old aviation maintenance student said she got it a few years ago when she was "in a religious state, out of love for Ali." Although she's no longer observant, she kept the tattoo. She tries to hide it when she's out partying "out of respect." For some, tattoos have extra benefits. Zulfiqar, 30, said his tattoos are a magnet for women, especially at the beach. On one pec he has Ali's face, and on the other the name "Zeinab," Ali's daughter and the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad. "Sometimes I get women's phone numbers because of the tattoo. Maybe they like it more than they like me," he laughed. ___ Follow AP photographer Hassan Ammar: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hassanammar/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/hassanammar5 ___ Associated Press photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo In this Monday, July 18, 2016 photo, Alodi Issa, 22, poses for a photo showing off his tattoos with Shiite Muslim religious slogans in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. The tattoo in Arabic reads, "Oh, the revenge for Hussein. Ali, Fatima." A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Tuesday, May 24, 2016 photo, Tayseer, 30, civil servant, covers his face as he poses for a photo showing a tattoo of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. He got it five months ago as an expression of deep love for the man he says is protecting Lebanon from Islamic State group and other extremists fighting in neighboring countries. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Wednesday, July 20, 2016 photo, tattoo artist Hussein Al-Hussein inks the chest of client Alodi Issa, 22, with Shiite Muslim religious slogans at his tattoo shop in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. The tattoo in Arabic reads, "Oh, the revenge for Hussein. Ali, Fatima." A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Monday, July 18, 2016 photo, Alodi Issa, 22, poses for a photo showing off his tattoos with Shiite Muslim religious slogans in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. The tattoo in Arabic reads, "Oh, the revenge for Hussein. Ali, Fatima. 313, Oh Abu Fadel al-Abbas." A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Tuesday, May 10, 2016 photo, Ali Hussein Nasreddine, 50, poses for a photo showing off his tattoo of Imam Abbas with blood on his face in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. The tattoo in Arabic reads, "Oh Abbas." A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Tuesday, May 31, 2016 photo, Ali Hussein Nasreddine, 50, poses for a photo showing his tattoo of Shiite Muslims' first Imam Ali, and his son Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammed in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Tuesday, May 31, 2016 photo, Ali, 22, poses for a photo showing off his tattoo of Shiite Muslims' first Imam Ali, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Tuesday, May 10, 2016 photo, Ali Hussein Nasreddine, 50, poses for a photo showing off his tattoos with Shiite Muslim religious slogans in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. The tattoo in Arabic reads, "Oh Mahdi, 313." A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Tuesday, May 10, 2016 photo, Ali Hussein Nasreddine, 50, poses for a photo showing off his tattoos of Shiite Muslim religious slogans and Shiite Muslims' first Imam Ali, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Wednesday, May 25, 2016 photo, Farah Najm, 21, an aviation maintenance student, poses for a photo showing her tattoo of the sword of Shiite Muslims' first Imam Ali, in Beirut, Lebanon. A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Tuesday, May 31, 2016 photo, Abbas, 23, poses for a photo showing off his tattoos of Shiite Muslim religious slogans with Arabic that reads "We are all your Abbas, oh Zeinab," in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this Tuesday, July 19, 2016 photo, Zulfiqar, 30, poses for a photo showing his tattoo of Shiite Muslims' first Imam Ali, left, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. A growing number of Shiite Muslims in Lebanon are getting tattoos with religious and other Shiite symbols since the civil war in neighboring Syria broke out five years ago, fanning sectarian flames across the region. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Reliance on jailhouse informant dooms Chandra Levy case McLEAN, Va. (AP) Armando Morales was a gang leader, drug dealer and a jailhouse snitch. But he was also a commanding, dynamic presence on the witness stand when he told jurors that his cellmate, Ingmar Guandique, confessed to the murder of Washington intern Chandra Levy. Jurors believed Morales, and prosecutors obtained a conviction against Guandique at his 2010 trial despite lacking a confession, witnesses or DNA evidence. They obtained a conviction even though everyone knew that police had initially suspected another man, former California congressman Gary Condit. But for the last five years, while Guandique was imprisoned on what was to have been a 60-year murder sentence, defense lawyers accumulated new information that cast doubt on Morales' truthfulness. They learned that he asked to be put into the witness protection program in exchange for his testimony, even though he testified he hadn't sought any benefit for testifying. FILE -- In this April 22, 2009 file photo, Ingmar Guandique is escorted from the Violent Crimes Unit by police in Washington. Prosecutors have dropped murder charges against Guandique who is awaiting new trial in Chandra Levy case. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) Last year, a judge ordered that Guandique receive a new trial after prosecutors acknowledged a retrial was warranted. Meanwhile, as questions about Morales continued to grow, a woman named Babs Proller who met Morales by happenstance began recording her conversations with him, and turned them over to authorities earlier this month. On Thursday, prosecutors dropped all charges against Guandique, saying they had received evidence recently that would make it impossible for them to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. It's not entirely clear what's in the recordings. Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, declined to say whether the recordings prompted prosecutors to seek dismissal of the case. Edward Brady, an attorney for Proller, said his client became involved in the case by sheer coincidence and contacted prosecutors, defense attorneys and Levy's mother. "She did this because she believed then, and believes now, that it was the right thing to do," Brady said. Susan Levy, Chandra Levy's mother, said in an interview Friday at her Modesto, California, home that she had indeed been in contact with someone, then called the prosecutors to alert them. Levy described feeling despair over her daughter's unsolved murder and, at the same time, relief that she won't have to rehash the case in court in October, when Guandique's retrial had been scheduled. "It's weird, all of a sudden it's no longer there and he's released," Levy said. "I'm not sure what's going to happen next I clean my house, I wash my dishes and, when I feel better, I try to get back to being a halfway human being." David Benowitz, a criminal defense attorney in Washington, said prosecutors have clear obligations to inform defense attorneys of any potential issues when they use jailhouse informants. "Jailhouse snitch testimony is inherently unreliable," he said. The problem is exacerbated, he said, when prosecutors refuse to disclose information that would allow the defense to attack the informant's reliability. Brandon Garrett, a University of Virginia law professor who wrote a book detailing the degree to which false testimony from jailhouse informants contributes to wrongful convictions, suggests that such testimony should be banned altogether. "If they are to be used there should be reliability review by a judge and all statements and interviews they give should be videotaped. All leniency offers should be documented and disclosed," he said in an email interview. In Guandique's case, prosecutors argued to the jury that Morales' story had the ring of truth Guandique's purported confession actually came as he was trying to convince his cellmates he wasn't a rapist. Specifically, Morales testified that Guandique confided to him: "Homeboy, I killed that b----, but I didn't rape her." Defense lawyers sought to undermine his testimony, eliciting testimony from a third cellmate who said he was almost always with Morales and Guandique during the time in question, and that he never heard any confession. During Morales' cross-examination, they suggested Morales was simply trying to take advantage of his cellmate's notoriety. Ultimately, though, the defense failed to persuade the jury there was reasonable doubt. While Guandique no longer faces charges and now faces deportation a lawyer for Condit said it would be wrong for people to think that his client could again become a suspect. Condit's attorney, Lin Wood, issued a statement Friday saying Condit remains in the clear despite the collapse of the case against Guandique. "Mr. Condit was long ago completely exonerated by authorities in connection with the death of Chandra Levy," he said. "Mr. Condit's counsel was informed yesterday by the U.S. Attorney's office in charge of the Levy case that Mr. Condit is neither a subject nor a target of the investigation into the murder of Chandra Levy." ___ Associated Press writer Alison Noon contributed to this story from Modesto, California. FILE - In this May 28, 2002 pool-file photo taken at the Modesto Centre Plaza in Modesto, Calif., photos of Chandra Levy are on display as musicians, right, stand by at the memorial service for Levy. Prosecutors say they will not retry a man convicted of killing Washington intern Chandra Levy. The U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement Thursday, July 28, 2016, that the office has moved to dismiss the case charging Ingmar Guandique with Levy's 2001 murder. According to the statement, prosecutors concluded they could not convict Guandique "based on recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week." The statement does not elaborate. (AP Photo/Debbie Noda, Pool, File) Susan Levy, mother of Chandra Levy, poses for a photo outside her home in Modesto, Calif., Friday, July 29, 2016. Prosecutors in the death of Washington intern Chandra Levy obtained a conviction largely on the strength of a jailhouse informant's testimony. But when evidence emerged casting doubt on the inmate's truthfulness emerged, prosecutors were forced to abandon their case against Ingmar Guandique. The 2001 disappearance of Levy remains unsolved. (AP Photo/Alison Noon) Pope visits Auschwitz, begs God to forgive "so much cruelty" OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) Choosing silence to convey his sorrow, Pope Francis visited the former Nazi death factory at Auschwitz and Birkenau on Friday, meeting with concentration camp survivors as well as aging saviors who helped Jews escape certain doom. In a guest book entry he made an anguished plea: "Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty!" Wearing unadorned white robes, Francis entered Auschwitz on foot, passing through the gate that bears the cynical words "Arbeit Macht Frei" Work Sets you Free. One by one, he greeted 11 survivors, among them 101-year-old Helena Dunicz Niwinska, who played the violin in a death camp orchestra, and two other centenarians. One survivor, Valentina Nikodem, helped deliver babies born to Auschwitz inmates. Pope Francis, background, is framed by a barbed wire as he prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Elzbieta Sobczynska, who was 10 when she was brought to Auschwitz in 1944 from the Warsaw ghetto, said that in his silence, Francis spoke volumes. "You don't need words. Prayer was enough," Sobczynska said, speaking to Poland's TVN24. Francis, she said, "came here with humility, he came here to find the shadows of those who were stripped of the most precious thing life." The pope then traveled to nearby Birkenau, a sprawling complex where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in its gas chambers. There he greeted 25 Holocaust rescuers, including Anna Bando, who as a child helped her mother smuggle bread hidden in their handbags to Jews forced by Nazi occupiers to stay in Warsaw's ghetto. Francis' visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where Adolf Hitler's forces put to death more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, came on the third day of a five-day trip to Poland that included meetings with young Catholic pilgrims gathering in Krakow for World Youth Day, a global celebration of faith. Except for the brief exchange with the survivors and rescuers, Francis spent his nearly two hours at the death camps in quiet prayer and reflection. The pope wanted an "atmosphere of silence, silent compassion, silent prayer," said Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi. His only public words were in a guest-book entry, where he wrote in his native Spanish: "Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty!" He then signed his name in Latin, "Franciscus." Later, however, Francis spoke with passion about his Auschwitz visit to a crowd of young people gathered outside the archbishop's residence where he was staying for the night. "How much pain! How much cruelty! Is it possible that we humans created in God's image are capable of doing these things?" the pontiff said of the atrocities 70 years ago. Then he added: "I don't want to make you bitter, but I have to say the truth. Cruelty did not end in Auschwitz, in Birkenau. Even today ... people are being tortured. Many prisoners are tortured, just to make them talk." "Today in many parts of the world where there is war the same thing is happening." Francis is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live through the brutality of World War II on Europe's soil. Unlike his predecessors, St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who were young men during the Nazi rule and occupation of much of Europe and had a personal or historical connection to the site, Francis was a toddler when World War II broke out far away from his Argentine homeland. John Paul, who visited in 1979, witnessed the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his native Poland during the German occupation. His visit, the first ever by a pontiff, was part of his overall efforts aimed at healing centuries of bitterness between the Vatican and Jews. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. At Auschwitz, Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before speaking individually to the survivors, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners at Auschwitz were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who sacrificed his life to save a fellow prisoner who had a family, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the pontiff. He then traveled two miles (three kilometers) to Birkenau, where Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war and other guests stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving alongside the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths there. At the Birkenau ceremony, Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, recited, in Hebrew Psalm 130, beginning with the words: "From the depths I have cried out to you, Oh Lord." Friday's theme exploring suffering included a Way of the Cross procession that drew 800,000 young Catholics to a Krakow meadow. Calling on the young pilgrims to show mercy to refugees and other persecuted people, the pontiff then asked: "Where is God when innocent persons die as a result of violence, terrorism and war." These are questions, he added, that "humanly speaking, have no answer." ___ Gera reported from Warsaw. Monika Scislowska in Krakow contributed to this report. ___ Frances D'Emilio is on twitter at www.twitter/fdemilio. Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (Filippo Monteforte/Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (Filippo Monteforte/Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis meets with camp survivors in the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz--Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. s. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis meets with camp survivors in the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz--Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. s. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in front of the death wall at the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. s. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis puts a candle in front of the death wall at the former Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. s. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in the underground prison cell of a Catholic saint, Maximilian Kolbe, at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar, sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in the underground prison cell of a Catholic saint, Maximilian Kolbe, at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar, sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis visits the underground prison cell of a Catholic saint, Maximilian Kolbe, at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar, sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. s. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (Filippo Monteforte/Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis writes on the guest book at the end of his visit in the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) A sign reading "stop" in German and Polish is seen in the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Clinton roars against Trump as a hacking distraction arises PHILADELPHIA (AP) Fresh off a spirited convention, Hillary Clinton told prospective voters Friday they face a "stark choice" in November and pressed ahead with the scalding rhetoric against her Republican rival that marked many of the speeches in Philadelphia. Another distraction arose, however, as her aides acknowledged that a hacking attack that exposed Democratic Party emails also reached into a computer system used by her own campaign. Rallying in Colorado, Donald Trump denounced Clinton's convention speech as "full of lies" and said he's starting to agree with those calling for Clinton to be locked up. Not long after, the intrusion into a system used by the Clinton campaign came to light, first reported by Reuters. The FBI said it was working to determine the "accuracy, nature and scope" of the cyberattacks. Campaign spokesman Nick Merrill said the newly disclosed breach affected a Democratic National Committee voter analysis program used by the campaign and other organizations. The hackers had access to the program for about five days. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally at Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, Pa., Friday, July 29, 2016. Clinton and Kaine begin a three day bus tour through the rust belt. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Merrill said outside experts found no evidence that the campaign's "internal systems have been compromised" but gave no detail on the program or nature of the attacks. President Barack Obama and cybersecurity experts have said Russia was almost certainly responsible for the DNC hack, and the House Democratic campaign committee reported Friday that its information had been accessed. The developments followed the leaking of DNC emails earlier in the week that pointed to a pro-Clinton bias by party officials during her primary contest against Bernie Sanders. In the furor, party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz resigned just as Democrats were launching their convention. Clinton is in the midst of a post-convention campaign bus tour through the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. She told supporters in a West Philadelphia arena the coming election is the most important one in her lifetime. "It's not so much that I'm on the ticket, it's because of the stark choice that's posed to Americans in this election," she said. In Colorado Springs, Trump at times seemed to brush off the fierce convention-week Democratic criticism, which went so far as to question his sanity. Sounding more like a pundit than the subject of all the vitriol, he pronounced her speech "so average" and "full of cliches." But he grew harsher as his event went on. "Remember this," he said, "Trump is going to be no more Mr. Nice Guy." And for the first time he encouraged his crowd's anti-Clinton chants of "lock her up." "I've been saying let's just beat her on Nov. 8," he said, "but you know what? I'm starting to agree with you." Polls find that most Americans question Clinton's honesty. But in her convention speech and her first events afterward, her priority was to go after Trump, not ask for trust. Joined on the bus tour by her husband, Bill Clinton, running mate Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, Clinton stopped at a toy and plastics manufacturer in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, where she and Kaine cast Trump as a con artist out for his own gain. "We don't resent success in America but we do resent people who take advantage of others in order to line their own pockets," said Clinton, addressing local officials and employees on the factory floor. Trump is also focusing on Ohio and Pennsylvania, as states where he might make headway with blue-collar white men. That group of voters has eluded Clinton and was perhaps a hard sell after a Democratic convention that heavily celebrated racial and gender diversity. Clinton is playing up economic opportunity, diversity and national security. Democrats hammered home those themes this week with an array of politicians, celebrities, gun-violence victims, law enforcement officers and activists of all races and sexual orientation. Their goal is to turn out the coalition of minority, female and young voters that twice elected Barack Obama while offsetting expected losses among the white men drawn to Trump's message. Democrats contrasted their optimistic message with the more troubled vision of the state of the nation presented by Trump and others at the GOP convention a week earlier. Kaine told CNN he found the Republican gathering "dark and depressing.' The convention provided hours of glowing tributes to Clinton, including deeply personal testimonials from her husband, daughter Chelsea Clinton and Obama. And Clinton offered an open hand to backers of Sanders, saying, "I've heard you. Your cause is our cause." But Trump said Friday that Sanders "sold his soul to the devil" when he unlike some of his loudly protesting supporters threw his support behind Clinton. ___ Lemire reported from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Lisa Lerer at http://twitter.com/llerer Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pumps his fist after speaking during a campaign rally at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Friday, July 29, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Democratic vice presidential candidate, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., as they finish speaking during a rally at McGonigle Hall at Temple University in Philadelphia , Friday, July 29, 2016. Clinton and Kaine will begin a three day bus tour through the rust belt. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump speaks Friday, July 29, 2016, in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Stacie Scott/The Gazette via AP) Former President Bill Clinton, accompanied by his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, finds the parents of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., right, in the audience as he speaks during a rally at McGonigle Hall at Temple University in Philadelphia , Friday, July 29, 2016. Clinton and Kaine will begin a three day bus tour. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) AP EXPLAINS: Conventions depict contrasting views of America WASHINGTON (AP) The Democratic and Republican party conventions have starkly framed the core question facing voters in November: Is America broken? Do they live in the America described by Republicans: a once-mighty nation bowed before adversaries, fearful of crime and terrorism, its military weakened, its economy near collapse? Or is it the America depicted by Democrats: a still-mighty nation that stands tall on the global stage, has rebounded from financial crisis and has made strides caring for its most vulnerable citizens? Chelsea Clinton shares a moment on stage with her mother Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Does America, for all its imperfections, still work as a nation and need a leader like Hillary Clinton who will build on past accomplishments? Or is it rotted and on the brink of collapse, needing a nonpolitician savior like Donald Trump? A look at the sharply contrasting images of the United States depicted at the conventions and how they could shape the presidential race: ___ REPUBLICANS' AMERICA Donald Trump was characteristically blunt. This was a "moment of crisis for our nation," he told Republicans on the convention's final night. America faces a threat to "our very way of life." His words reflected the dystopian theme of the convention: Illegal immigrants were flooding across the border and killing Americans. Anti-police protests were leading to the shooting of officers. Terrorism was on the rise. Political correctness stifled free speech. Trade deals were sending U.S. jobs overseas. America, said Sen. Jeff Sessions, was suffering from "an economic disaster." Drastic change is needed, speakers said. That wouldn't come from Clinton, portrayed as a shifty politician and a crooked, inept secretary of state who had endangered national security by using a personal email server for official communications. Republican delegates repeatedly chanted, "Lock her up!" The only hope was Trump. "There's no more time for us left to revive our great country," said Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York mayor. ___ DEMOCRATS' AMERICA At their convention, Democrats offered their own grim picture of America from 2008. The stock market had plummeted, unemployment had soared and automakers were at risk of shutting down. Now, after nearly eight years of Barack Obama's presidency, the economy is growing. American forces killed Osama bin Laden. Millions more Americans now have medical insurance because of Obama's health care overhaul. Same-sex marriage is a constitutionally protected right. Certainly, Democrats recognized, many problems remain. The gulf between rich and poor is too great, gun violence is out of control and tensions between police and African-Americans have had deadly consequences. But Trump would only make things worse, they argued. He was portrayed as an egomaniacal, deceitful bully who is dangerously ignorant about foreign and domestic affairs. The only hope was Clinton. "Don't let anyone tell you that our country is weak," she told delegates. "We're not." Obama said electing Clinton would "show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation." ___ AMERICA So how do Americans see their country? Polls offer a mixed picture. Americans overwhelmingly say their country is heading in the wrong direction. Yet Obama generally gets favorable ratings. A bigger question: Where are the angry Americans? Presidential elections are determined by state-by-state electoral counts, not nationwide tallies. Clinton starts with an advantage. If she can hold onto the states won by Obama, she can win. Her chances are further boosted by increases in nonwhite voters who tend to favor Democrats. To win, Trump has to capture some states that Obama won. His best hope may be winning northern industrial states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Those states have white, blue-collar workers who have struggled in the changing economy. Many are longtime Democrats. But Trump has to hope they'll identify more with the bleak picture of America portrayed by Republicans rather than with the Democrats' sunnier scenario and that will prompt them to cross party lines and help put Trump in the White House. Clinton uses convention to send message to wary GOP voters PHILADELPHIA (AP) Long a lightning rod on the right, Hillary Clinton is making a targeted appeal to Republicans who challenge Donald Trump's claim to the conservative mantle and fear his possible presidency. Clinton's final day of the Democratic National Convention featured speeches from a former member of President Ronald Reagan's administration and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce official who is heading a GOP group supporting Clinton, part of an expanded outreach to Republican voters and donors. "I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan," said Doug Elmets, a Republican now backing Clinton. "Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan!" Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton reaches for President Barack Obama as she steps on stage after President Obama's speech during the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Clinton pivoted to the left during the primaries, fending off self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. Trump's national security stumbles in questioning U.S. support for NATO allies and urging Russia to meddle in the race provides a general-election opening for Clinton and other Democrats to reach out to Republicans. In his speech Wednesday night, President Barack Obama evoked Reagan, reminding voters that the conservative hero famously called the United States "a shining city on a hill." Trump, he said, calls the United States "a divided crime scene" and hopes to win votes by scaring people over immigration and crime. Shortly before Obama spoke, Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent Michael Bloomberg urged voters to back Clinton, calling her the "sane, competent person." In her first post-convention TV interview, Clinton is slated to appear on "Fox News Sunday" this weekend. She is holding an event in Republican-leaning Nebraska on Monday, giving her the opportunity to reach Republican voters. Obama won an electoral vote in an Omaha area congressional district in 2008. Several prominent Republicans, including the two former presidents Bush and 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, have not endorsed Trump. Clinton has picked up some Republican endorsements in recent weeks, including Brent Scowcroft, a national security adviser to President George H.W. Bush, and Hank Paulson, a Treasury secretary under President George W. Bush. "You have to make them feel that they're not traitors. And the way to do that is to roll out a bunch of well-known Republicans saying, 'Hey I'm for Hillary,'" said former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. The former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state has been the frequent Republican target during her more than three decades in national politics, most recently for her use of a private email server for government business while at the State Department. Republicans said that history and her high negative numbers among rank-and-file Republican voters make it unlikely she'll find many cross-over voters. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday in Philadelphia that Trump's fight against "Washington insiders" was prone to turn off some Republicans. "Donald Trump is the outsider. Hillary Clinton is the corrupt insider. And if that's going to mean that we're going to lose some Republican votes, so be it," Giuliani said. Republicans also argue she should pay more attention to her own base. Sean Spicer, chief strategist for the RNC, noted eruptions of boos inside the Democratic convention hall and omnipresence of Sanders fans, and said, "Clinton should really focus on getting her own party in order before she worries about our party." But Democrats view Trump's provocative statements and the failed "Never Trump" movement as leading indicators in their ability to win over college-educated Republicans who have been wary of the businessman's foreign policy views or incendiary statements about Mexican-Americans, Muslims and women. John Stubbs and Ricardo Reyes, two former officials in President George W. Bush's administration, attended the convention to generate interest in their pro-Clinton grassroots organization called R4C16.org. For likeminded Republicans, they said sitting out the election is not enough. Reyes called Trump "an existential threat, not just to the party but to the entire United States." Clinton hopes to win over not only the hearts of Republican voters but also the wallets of some of the party's donors. Her campaign has assembled a team to field calls from Republicans interested in giving money and helping with fundraising. In Chicago, former U.S. Attorney Daniel Webb told Clinton fundraisers in recent weeks that he supports her and wants to help gather contributions for her campaign. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Webb said Trump's "bias" against Hispanics and Muslims, among other groups, spurred him to action. ___ 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 ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Daly in Philadelphia and Sam Hananel in Washington contributed to this report. FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2007 file photo, Rudy Giuliani answers questions following a fundraiser in Milwaukee. Giuliani is giving Hillary Clinton credit for her work on behalf of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Giuliani was asked at a Republican Party briefing Thursday, July 28, 2016, in Philadelphia whether he took issue with the Democratic convention speakers who'd been praising Clinton. Giuliani said she was "enormously supportive and helpful." Clinton was a U.S. senator from New York at the time. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File) The Latest: Pope Francis: 'cruelty did not end in Auschwitz' OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) The Latest on Pope Francis' visit to Poland (all times local): 10:05 p.m. A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, says an estimated 800,000 people took part with Pope Francis in an artistic Way of the Cross ceremony at Blonia meadow in Krakow. Youths participating in World Youth Days lift up a cross during the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) attended by Pope Francis, in Blonie Fields, Krakow, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Francis has called on young pilgrims attending World Youth Day ceremonies in the southern Polish city to show mercy to refugees and other persecuted people, saying Friday that Christians are called upon to serve Jesus by helping the disadvantaged. Speaking from the archbishop's residence in Krakow, Francis also said human "cruelty did not end in Auschwitz" and that similar atrocities are being inflicted in war zones across the world today. The comments came after Francis visited Auschwitz in silence but left a message in the memorial site's guest book: "Lord, have pity on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty." Francis is in Poland through Sunday. ___ 9:15 p.m. Pope Francis says human "cruelty did not end in Auschwitz" and that similar atrocities are being inflicted in war zones across the world today, citing prisoners who are kept in inhuman conditions and tortured. Francis visited the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, expressing his sorrow there in contemplative silence and prayer. Only hours later did he finally speak out about his feelings as he addressed pilgrims from a window of the archbishop's residence in Krakow. He said: "How much pain! How much cruelty! Is it possible that we humans created in God's image are capable of doing these things? ...Cruelty did not end in Auschwitz, in Birkenau." The pope continued: "Many prisoners are tortured just to make them talk. It's terrible. Today, there are men and women in overcrowded prisons. They live forgive me like animals. Today, there is this cruelty. We say, yes, there we saw the cruelty of 70 years ago, how people died being shot or hanged or with gas. "Today in many parts of the world where there is war, the same thing is happening." ___ 8:40 p.m. Pope Francis has called on young pilgrims to show mercy to refugees and other persecuted people. Francis told the young pilgrims at World Youth Day in the southern Polish city of Krakow that Christians are called upon to serve Jesus by helping the disadvantaged. He said: "We are called to serve the crucified Jesus in all those who are marginalized; to touch his sacred flesh in those who are disadvantaged, in those who hunger and thirst, in the naked and imprisoned, the sick and unemployed, in those who are persecuted, refugees and migrants." He brought the message to a Catholic country and a wider region of Eastern Europe that has strongly opposed accepting refugees, especially Muslim migrants fleeing violence in Syria or Iraq. ___ 8:30 p.m. Pope Francis has taken part in an artistic performance of the Way of the Cross procession that is traditionally performed on Good Friday and depicts Jesus' last hours before crucifixion as he carried his cross. Hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims took part Friday with Francis in the ceremony in the Blonia meadows in Krakow, southern Poland. Modern dances, pantomime, mural painting, acrobatics and music, including a fragment from composer Samuel Barber, created a pensive atmosphere. Members of charity groups from around the world carried a giant cross amongst the crowd as a symbol of suffering. The meeting concluded with Francis's address to the gathering, in which he invoked hope and ended with a brief prayer. ___ 8:15 p.m. On the day that Pope Francis has dedicated to the theme of suffering, weather was a brightening factor. On the third day of his trip to southern Poland, Francis on Friday visited the former German Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than 1 million people were killed during World War II. He then visited patients of a children's hospital. Weather forecasts were uncertain for the day and there was a violent, short rainstorm at the time when the pope was having lunch and resting at the Krakow Bishops' Palace, where he is staying. But when the time came for the outdoor Way of the Cross procession and prayer to be carried out in a vast Krakow meadow, the clouds receded and warm sunshine shone on the participants and performers. ___ 7:35 p.m. After a mostly silent visit to Auschwitz, Pope Francis touched on problem of evil and suffering as he met with young pilgrims a topic that has relevance to modern-day atrocities. At Auschwitz on Friday, the pope made no public comments, only writing in the guest book: "Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty!" Following a visit to a children's hospital in Prokocim, Poland, Francis returned to the topic of evil as he addressed a large group of pilgrims. He said Jesus' words "I was hungry and you gave me food ..." raise the question of God's presence in a world of evil and suffering. Francis said: "Where is God, if evil is present in our world? If there are men and women who are hungry and thirsty, homeless, exiles and refugees? Where is God, when innocent persons die as a result of violence, terrorism and war?" He said there are no human answers, but the answers lie with God. ___ 5:30 p.m. Pope Francis has shaken the hands and stroked the heads some of them bald of about two dozen children in wheelchairs during his visit to a children's hospital in Krakow, in southern Poland. The visit to the University Children's Hospital Friday was part of a day Francis dedicated to the theme of suffering. In the main hall he met doctors, nurses and some of the patients, of various ages. There were babies in parents' arms, connected to medical equipment, small boys and girls, and teenagers. One boy and a baby started crying during the speeches. Then, Francis came up to each child, shook hands, stroked heads and chins in a fatherly gesture. One girl offered him a drawing of a red heart on yellow background. Francis said: "Grazie" ("thank you"). ___ 4:30 p.m. Pope Francis has visited a hospital in the Polish city of Krakow to meet very sick children, some of them in wheelchairs, some attached to machines. The encounter with the children comes on a day when Francis is stressing the theme of suffering. Earlier he made a powerful visit, carried out in silent contemplation, at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Francis was greeted at the hospital by Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, and then by the cheers of the children. ___ 2:30 p.m. A survivor of the German Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau says it was good that Pope Francis has visited the site. Francis visited on Friday and met 11 of the camp's dwindling number of survivors. Lidia Maksymowicz, 75, said on Polish TVN it was a "great event" for her to meet Francis. She says: "It is an extraordinary thing that this pope, who is sensitive to human poverty and humiliation, was able to see this place where people were brought to the lowest levels of degradation." She was 2 years old when brought to the camp and was 5 when the camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army in 1945. ___ 1:50 p.m. A priest from a village where the Nazis killed a Polish family because it was protecting Jews was chosen to read a psalm in Polish during Pope Francis' visit to the site of the German Nazi death camp of Birkenau. A psalm in Hebrew and Polish were the only public addresses during the visit in which Francis kept silence. The psalm was read aloud in Polish by the Rev. Stanislaw Ruszala from the village of Markowa in southern Poland. In 1944, German soldiers killed Jozef Ulma, his pregnant wife Wiktoria and their six children, aged between 1 and 8, as well as eight members of the Goldman, Gruenfeld and Didner families that the Ulmas were sheltering. ___ 11:45 a.m. Pope Francis visited Auschwitz in silence but left a message in the memorial site's guest book: "Lord, have pity on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty." He wrote the words in Spanish on Friday, signing the message "Franciscus." The Vatican said ahead of his visit that his guest book visit was intended to be his only words on the site, because he preferred to commemorate the victims in silence. ___ 11:30 a.m. Silence was a powerful element of Pope Francis' visit to the site of the former German Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Francis had indicated that he would not speak during his visit Friday, to stress that no words can describe the horror of the scenes that took place during World War II. Abraham Skorka, Francis' close friend from Argentina, had said beforehand: "He says more through his attitude than through his words." Despite the pope's intention to keep silence, he did exchange a few words with elderly Christians who had helped save Jews during the war. With most he simply smiled lightly, shook hands and gave each a rosary. ___ 11:10 a.m. Pope Francis has met with Christian Poles who risked their lives to help Jews during World War II. One by one, the elderly Poles shook the pope's hand, some kissing it. He handed a gift in a small red box to each one. The encounter at Birkenau was the first time a pope had met with a group of the so-called "Righteous Among the Nations." Israel's Yad Vashem has recognized 6,620 Poles, more than from any other country, as "Righteous." That reflects the fact that Poland was home to the largest Jewish community in Europe before the Holocaust. Very few of the "Righteous" are still living. The survivors were typically teenagers or young adults who worked with their parents to help Jews. ___ 11:05 a.m. Poland's chief rabbi has prayed a penitential psalm in the presence of Pope Francis at Birkenau, a part of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau complex where Nazis killed more than a million people, mostly Jews. Rabbi Michael Schudrich, originally from the United States, prayed Psalm 130 in Hebrew, which starts: "From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord." The prayer was then read in Polish by a priest. During the prayers, Francis clasped his hands and bent his head before a memorial to the victims. The audience included Auschwitz survivors wearing striped scarves evoking the garb prisoners were forced to wear, and Poles who had helped save Jews. ___ 10:35 a.m. Pope Francis has met a group of survivors during his visit to the former German Nazi death camp of Auschwitz, shaking their hands, kissing them on the cheeks and stroking the heads of some of them. The meeting took place Friday by the Auschwitz Death Wall, where inmates, chiefly Polish resistance fighters, were executed. Some of the survivors made Francis offerings that were linked to their suffering. One offered a copy of a black-and-white picture, indicating he was in it. Earlier, some of the inmates told The Associated Press they were excited about meeting the pope, a great authority to them. "This is a huge thing for me," said 100-year-old Alojzy Fros. 10:30 a.m. Pope Francis has left Auschwitz and has traveled the two miles (3 kilometers) to nearby Birkenau, a part of the deadly death complex where about a million of Europe's Jews were murdered in gas chambers. There he is to meet with 25 Christian Poles who risked their own lives to help Jews during the German occupation of their country during World War II. Israel's Yad Vashem has recognized 6,620 Poles as so-called "Righteous Among the Nations," more than from any other country a reflection of the fact that Poland was hope to the largest Jewish community in Europe before the Holocaust. Francis will also meet with several representatives of the country's Jewish community, which before the war was Europe's largest but is now tiny due to the Holocaust and post-war anti-Semitism that pushed many to leave Poland. ___ 10 a.m. Pope Francis has prayed in the dark underground prison cell at Auschwitz of a Catholic saint, Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar who sacrificed his own life during the war to save the life of another man. A few shafts of light from a tiny window were the only light cast on the white figure of the pope, who knelt for many minutes as he prayed before he crossed himself and rose to his feet. ___ 9:50 a.m. Pope Francis has met with several survivors of the Auschwitz death camp during a historic visit to the memorial site in southern Poland. One by one, he stopped, shook their hands and bent over to kiss the elderly survivors on both cheeks. One woman kissed his hand. He also took time to exchange a few words with them, though what they said was not audible. He then carried a large white candle and placed it at the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed. ___ 9:20 a.m. Pope Francis has walked beneath the notorious "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate at Auschwitz, beginning a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp. He then was driven into a small car along a path lined by barracks, and is to pray at the site of executions and meet with camp survivors. He has become the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. But Francis is the first pope to visit who has no personal connection to the site. John Paul II hailed from Poland, which was under German occupation, while Benedict XVI was a German. ___ 8:55 a.m. Pope Francis is traveling to the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau for a somber visit at the site of suffering. With his visit on Friday he will become the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. Vatican and Polish church officials have said that Francis will express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. Francis had been scheduled to fly from Krakow to Oswiecim, the small town where the former death camp is located, but due to bad weather he traveled the 65 kilometers (40 miles) by car instead. Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis has walked beneath the notorious "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate at Auschwitz, beginning a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis blesses children during his visit to the University Children's Hospital in Prokocim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. The visit to the University Children's Hospital Friday was part of a day Francis dedicated to the theme of suffering. (Daniele Garofano/Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis delivers his message during his visit to the University Children's Hospital in Prokocim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. The visit to the University Children's Hospital Friday was part of a day Francis dedicated to the theme of suffering. (Daniele Garofano/Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (Filippo Monteforte/Pool Photo via AP) This image made available by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum shows the inscription written in the guest book by Pope Francis when he visited the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. The inscription in Spanish reads "Lord, have pity on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty." (Pawel Sawicki/Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum via AP) Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Pope Francis writes on the guest book at the end of his visit in the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis prays in front of the Memorial at the former Nazi Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (L'Osservatore Romano /Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis, right with back to camera, prays as Poland's chief rabbi Michael Schudrich, left, stands next to Rev. Stanislaw Ruszala, a priest from a village where the Nazis killed a Polish family because it was protecting Jews, as he reads a psalm in Polish during the papal visit to the site of the German Nazi death camp of Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. During Pope Francis' visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday there was an encounter with 25 Christian Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, a powerfully symbolic meeting that Poland's chief rabbi played a key role in orchestrating. (Tomasz Pielesz/ Auschwitz Museum via AP) Pope Francis delivers his message during the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) with youths participating in World Youth Days, in Krakow, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Youths participating in World Youth Day lift up a cross during the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) attended by Pope Francis, in Blonie Fields, Krakow, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Youths participating in World Youth Days lift up a cross during the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) attended by Pope Francis, sitting at center, in Blonie Fields, Krakow, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis, figure in white sitting at center left, attends a mass in the chapel of the archdiocese, in Krakow, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP) Pope Francis delivers his message during the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) with youths participating in World Youth Days, in Blonie Park, Krakow, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis delivers his message during the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) with youths participating in World Youth Days, in Blonie Park, Krakow, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Pope Francis blesses a child during his visit to the University Children's Hospital in Prokocim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. The visit to the University Children's Hospital Friday was part of a day Francis dedicated to the theme of suffering. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP) 2 San Diego police officers shot, 1 fatally, during stop SAN DIEGO (AP) Two San Diego police officers were shot one fatally after a late-night stop turned into a gunfight, triggering a manhunt that led to the capture of one wounded suspect in a ravine and an hours-long SWAT standoff Friday that ended after officers detained a second man who may have been involved. The shooting came as departments around the country are on high alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said it was unknown whether the San Diego attack was premeditated. The chain of events unfolded over more than 12 hours in a blue-collar area of southeastern San Diego with modest single-story homes and streets lined with palm trees. San Diego Police heavily armed police officers surround a house about a half-mile away, urging a man inside to surrender in San Diego Friday, July 29, 2016. One San Diego police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shootout following a late-night traffic stop, Friday night. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody a short time later and hours later police surrounded the home as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) It started about 11 p.m. Thursday when two veteran gang unit officers in bulletproof vests stopped a person on a street. Almost immediately a shootout ensued and the officers called for backup. Authorities initially said the officers made a traffic stop involving a motorist, but clarified later that they were still trying to determine whether it was a traffic stop or a stop to check out a pedestrian. "It happened extremely quickly," Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said. "From the information that was put out that a stop was being made to that the officers called for emergency cover to when the other officers arrived on scene, we're talking very, very quickly. Seconds to a minute or so." Jonathan DeGuzman, a 16-year veteran of the force who was married with two children, suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The 43-year-old died at Scripps Mercy Hospital after doctors' efforts to save him failed. Wade Irwin, 32, underwent surgery after being shot and was expected to survive, Zimmerman said. His wife was at his side during surgery. Police swarmed the neighborhood where the shootout happened and quickly captured 52-year-old Jesse Gomez in a nearby ravine, Zimmerman said. He was in critical condition Friday with a gunshot wound but was expected to survive. Police gave no further information about Gomez or his role in the shootout except to say he was a suspect. During the search for a second man described as a "potential" suspect, residents were ordered to stay in their homes throughout the night as San Diego police and officers from other law enforcement agencies scoured yards, streets and alleys. A helicopter hovered over the neighborhood. About nine hours after the shootout, heavily armed officers surrounded a house about a half-mile (about 1 kilometer) away, one of them using a loudspeaker to urge a man to surrender. Authorities also detonated several devices at the scene to draw him out and used tools to break windows and pound on the roof. Then, about a dozen heavily armed SWAT officers raced another house about two blocks away, positioning an armored truck and robots outside. The possible suspect wasn't there either. Zimmerman said late Friday afternoon that officers arrested a man in the area on an unrelated warrant. She said police were investigating to see whether 41-year-old Marcus Antonio Cassani had any role in the police shootings. After visiting Irwin at UC San Diego Medical Center early Friday, Zimmerman told reporters that the officer's prospects for recovery were good. The nine-year veteran of the force had just joined the gang unit in June. "It's a little bit of a long haul until he makes a full recovery, but the good news is that he is going to survive and he is going to recover," she said. Earlier, Zimmerman told reporters she knew DeGuzman well. "I can tell you he is a loving, caring husband, father. Talked about his family all the time," Zimmerman said. "I know him, and this is gut-wrenching. He cared. He came to work every single day wanting to just make a positive difference in the lives of our community and that's why he lost his life." DeGuzman received the purple heart in 2003 after he was stabbed by a man he had stopped for speeding. The man was convicted of attempted murder on a peace officer in 2004. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer denounced the shootings. "I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities," he said. "We need them and they need us." ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that the name of the second man detained is Jesse Gomez. A San Diego Harbor Police officer helps to secure the scene near the corner of 39th Street and Boston Avenue in San Diego near where two San Diego Police officers were shot Thursday night, July 28, 2016. (John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) This undated photo provided by the San Diego Police Department shows San Diego Police officer Wade Irwin, a nine-year veteran who was wounded in a shooting in San Diego's blue-collar Southcrest area on Thursday, July 28, 2016. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody a short time later and hours later police surrounded a home as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. (San Diego Police Department via AP) This undated photo provided by the San Diego Police Department shows San Diego Police officer Jonathan DeGuzman who was killed in a shooting Thursday, July 28, 2016. DeGuzman, a 16-year veteran, is survived by a wife and two young children. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody a short time later and hours later police surrounded a home as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. (San Diego Police Department via AP) San Diego Police Chief Shelly Zimmerman announces at Scripps Mercy Hospital that two San Diego police officers were shot, one fatally, Friday, July 29, 2016. (David Poller/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) User Upload Caption: Police officers gather at the emergency entrance to UCSD Medical Center Hillcrest after two San Diego police officers were shot, one fatally, in the Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego late Friday night. San Diego Police and other law enforcement stage, early Friday, July 29, 2016, near the scene of the shooting late Thursday of two San Diego Police officers near South 38th Street in San Diego. (John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) A San Diego Harbor Police officer helps to secure the scene near the corner of 39th Street and Boston Avenue in San Diego near where two San Diego Police officers were shot Thursday night, July 28, 2016. (John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) Police cars line the scene near the corner of 39th Street and Boston Avenue in San Diego near where two police officers were shot Thursday night, July 28, 2016. (John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) San Diego police and other law enforcement stage near the scene of a shooting of two San Diego police officers near South 38th Street in San Diego Thursday night, July 28, 2016. (John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) San Diego police and other law enforcement stage near the scene of a shooting of two San Diego police officers near South 38th Street in San Diego Thursday night, July 28, 2016. (John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman talks during a news conference in San Diego on Friday, July 29, 2016. Zimmerman has released the names of an officer who was killed in a shooting and a partner who was wounded late Thursday. Zimmerman says the department is seeking "to find answers to the senseless murder and attempted murder of our police officers." (AP Photo/Julie Watson) A San Diego Police officer with a police dog waits outside a house with a possible suspect inside Friday, July 29, 2016, in San Diego. One San Diego police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shootout following a late-night traffic stop, Friday night. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody a short time later and hours later police surrounded the home as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) San Diego Police SWAT officers break out windows as they enter a house with a possible suspect inside Friday, July 29, 2016 in San Diego. One San Diego police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shootout following a late-night traffic stop, Friday night. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody a short time later and hours later police surrounded the home as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) San Diego Police SWAT officers prepare to enter house with a possible suspect inside Friday, July 29, 2016, in San Diego. One San Diego police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shootout following a late-night traffic stop, Friday night. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody a short time later and hours later police surrounded the home as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) San Diego Police SWAT officers surround a house with a possible suspect inside Friday, July 29, 2016, in San Diego. One San Diego police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shootout following a late-night traffic stop, Friday night. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody a short time later and hours later police surrounded the home as they searched for man described as a possible accomplice. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Scenes from a city under siege in Indian-controlled Kashmir SRINAGAR, India (AP) In Indian-controlled Kashmir, where violence has come in grim cycles for more than two decades, people know what to expect when tempers rise. Furious young men hurl rocks and shout for an end to Indian rule. The violent crackdown comes swiftly, as Indian paramilitary soldiers pour into the streets. Then the shooting starts, the hospitals grow crowded and the siege begins. The most recent spate of violence has been the worst in years, killing some 50 people since July 8. It started last month after Indian soldiers killed Burhan Wani, a charismatic 22-year-old rebel who attracted a following in large part by using the tools of his age social media. In this July 25, 2016, photo, Kashmiri fruit vendors wait for customers at a closed market during a strike in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. During general strikes, Kashmiri separatists insist that only shops selling necessities are allowed to open _ other businesses must stay closed as a sign of solidarity. Shops that defy the strike often face retaliation. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In the wake of Wani's death, Srinagar, the largest city in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, has become a ghost town. Separatists have enforced general strikes to shut down the city and called for mass protests in the streets. Indian authorities have responded by imposing curfews and deploying throngs of soldiers. This is what Kashmir looks like when it's under siege. ___ CURFEWS, STRIKES AND BLACKOUTS During general strikes, Kashmiri separatists insist that all businesses, except those selling necessities, stay closed as a sign of solidarity. Shops that defy the strike often face retaliation. In Srinagar, residents rush to buy bread and vegetables early in the morning, before Indian forces deploy for the day-long curfew. Known for its vitality, Srinagar is now empty streets, shuttered stores and barbed wire. Social gatherings wait until evening, unless separatists call for a blackout. In that case, everyone will have to turn off the lights. ___ THE FLAGS In any global conflict, flags are important signals of political support. The green Islamic flags that crown the buildings of Srinagar are a reminder that Islam has been rooted here since the 14th century, when a Sufi missionary known as Bulbul Shah arrived in the valley. Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, is divided between India and Pakistan, but both countries claim it in its entirety. The rivals have fought two wars over control of Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947. Pakistan flags and local militias' flags are hoisted and waved on the streets. Indian flags flutter on government buildings and military camps. ___ SLOGANS, OLD AND NEW "Azadi," a Kashmiri word for freedom, and "India go home!" are longtime slogans. People shout them during street protests and spray paint them on walls, although Indian authorities often paint over them. Now, "Burhan is our hero" is seen scrawled on walls in Srinagar, along with curses against Indian rule. ___ BARRICADES AND BLANKETS Rocks and rusted dumpsters serve as barricades in the middle of streets. If the unrest is prolonged, protesters allow an empty lane on one side so cars and pedestrians can pass. Those who live near the most violent areas use blankets to cover their windows to protect the few unbroken panes and prevent projectiles from flying inside. Maisuma, a neighborhood in Srinagar's business hub, is sometimes referred to as Gaza, after the beleaguered Palestinian city. Its residents men and women, old and young often protest. ___ THE LAKE Srinagar is the summer capital of the region, and Dal Lake is its heart. This is where Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar taught George Harrison of the Beatles. In many ways, the lake offers a barometer for the political situation in Kashmir. If the wooden gondolas known as shikaras are not out on the water, and if music isn't floating from the houseboats that serve as hotels and restaurants, then it probably means yet another cycle of violence has come to Kashmir. These days, most of the boats are docked, and the waters are silent. In this July 24, 2016 photo, a green Islamic flag flutters from a rooftop in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. Islam has been rooted in the region since the 14th century. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 24, 2016 photo, a dog searches for food near rusted dumpsters used as barricades in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 23, 2016 photo, an Indian paramilitary soldier drags barbed wire at the end of a daylong curfew in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 25, 2016, photo, a Kashmiri man looks from a window in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. Those who live near the most violent areas use blankets to cover their windows to protect the few unbroken panes and prevent projectiles from flying inside. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 25, 2016 photo, graffiti is painted on a security shutter of a shop in downtown Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. The most recent spate of violence has been the worst in years. It started on July 8, 2016, after Indian soldiers killed Burhan Wani, a charismatic 22-year-old rebel who attracted a following in large part by using the tools of his age, social media. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 24, 2016 photo, a Kashmiri man walks past closed shops during a strike in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. During general strikes, Kashmiri separatists insist that only shops selling necessities are allowed to open, other businesses must stay closed as a sign of solidarity. Shops that defy the strike often face retaliation. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 24, 2016 photo, Kashmiris drive past stones used during clashes between Kashmir separatists and Indian government forces in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. Separatists have enforced general strikes to shut down the city and called for mass protests in the streets. Indian authorities have responded by imposing curfews along the valley and by deploying throngs of soldiers in the streets. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 23, 2016 photo, barbed wire surrounds an Indian national flag in a paramilitary base in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan flags and local militias' flags are hoisted and waved on streets while Indian flags flutter on government buildings and forces camps. Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in its entirety. The rivals have fought two wars over control of Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 25, 2016 photo, a Pakistani flag is painted on a security shutter of a shop in downtown Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in its entirety. The rivals have fought two wars over control of Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 25, 2016 photo, Kashmiris gather at the docks of the Dal lake in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. In many ways, the lake offers a barometer for the political situation in Kashmir. If the wooden boats, known as Shikharas, are not out on the water and if music isn't floating from the houseboats, then it probably means yet another cycle of violence has come to Kashmir. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 25, 2016 photo, Sikharas are berthed on the Dal lake in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. In many ways, the lake offers a barometer for the political situation in Kashmir. If the wooden boats, known as Shikaras, are not out on the water and if music isn't floating from the houseboats, then it probably means yet another cycle of violence has come to Kashmir. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) FILE - In this July 24, 2016 file photo, Kashmiris march shortly after a day long curfew in central Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. "Azadi," a Kashmiri word for freedom, and "India go home!" are long-time slogans. People shout them during street protests and spray paint them on walls, although Indian authorities often paint over them. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File) In this July 24, 2016 photo, Kashmiri women watch an anti-Indian protest in Maisuma, a neighborhood in Srinagar's business hub. Separatists have enforced general strikes to shut down the city and called for mass protests in the streets. Indian authorities have responded by imposing curfews along the valley and by deploying throngs of soldiers in the streets. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In this July 24, 2016 photo, candles used during a peaceful protest organized by Kashmiri separatist burn in the middle of a street in downtown Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Hong Kong groups want unlikely China exit as election looms HONG KONG (AP) Britain had its Brexit. Now some in Hong Kong are dreaming of their own version. As the Asian financial center prepares for legislative elections in September, a new wave of radical political activists is planning to join the campaign, including some who advocate the once-unthinkable idea of independence from China. Separatist sentiment is largely on the fringe but has gained momentum recently, fueled by public fears that Hong Kong's identity is being eroded by mainland China's growing influence. It has the potential to turn a normally humdrum vote into an embarrassment for Beijing by highlighting the challenges the Chinese Communist Party faces as it seeks to exert control over the freewheeling former British colony. In this Friday, July 1, 2016, photo, protesters hold placards and wave Hong Kong colonial flags during the annual pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong. As the Asian financial center prepares for legislative elections in September, a new wave of radical political activists are planning to join the campaign, including some who advocate the once-unthinkable idea of independence from China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Hong Kong government has tried to counter the activists. Over the past week election officers have warned candidates they must pledge to uphold Hong Kong's mini-constitution, including a section stating the city is an "inalienable" part of China. Some candidates have refused to sign that part of the nomination form because they say it amounts to political screening. Others have launched legal challenges but the High Court declined to rule before Friday's deadline. Hong Kong became part of China in 1997 after more than a century of British rule. As part of the deal paving the way for Beijing to take control under a 50-year transition period, it guaranteed Hong Kong could have considerable autonomy and keep the rule of law and its own legal and financial system. Beijing will never accept Hong Kong independence. During a visit earlier this year, Zhang Deijiang, the Chinese Communist Party official responsible for overseeing the city, warned groups "flying the banner of Hong Kong independence" against trying to "override the law." China's nationalist Global Times newspaper last month blasted independence as "a joke." It's hard to gauge the true extent of support in Hong Kong for independence, which has become a serious political topic only this year, discussed on news sites, Facebook groups and at universities. In a rare poll on the topic released Sunday by Chinese University of Hong Kong , some 17.4 percent of Hong Kongers support independence after 2047, with support strongest among the young. At the same time, less than 4 percent of the 1,010 people surveyed thought independence was even possible. The poll was conducted by phone July 6-15 and has a margin of error of 3.1 percent. "The Hong Kong government and the central government in Beijing appear to be deeply concerned about the possible entry of the radical localists into the legislative chamber," said Sonny Lo, a political analyst at The Education University of Hong Kong. The term localists refers to small, incipient factions that reject mainland China's rising influence, which they fear threatens the city's unique Cantonese-based culture. Recent mysterious detentions of five Hong Kong booksellers by mainland authorities have fed concerns about Chinese law enforcement's overreach. Localists generally want full democracy, including a Western-style election for the city's leader, currently hand-picked by a panel of Beijing loyalists. Some push instead for full autonomy under China. A few even want to go back to Britain. Some espouse taking radical action including violence to achieve their aims, and criticize traditional established mainstream pro-democracy parties who have pursued gentler means. Such views remain far from mainstream and are unpalatable to Hong Kong's substantial middle class, who "crave stability and prosperity ... and who think independence is unrealistic," said Ming Sing, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. That isn't stopping the next generation of young political activists, who emerged after 2014's failed nonviolent street protests over Beijing's decision to restrict elections. One high-profile localist candidate, university student Edward Leung of Hong Kong Indigenous , was one of three people who filed legal challenges this week after an election officer questioned their political stance. Leung, 25, was among dozens charged with rioting after a violent nightlong clash with police over illegal street food hawkers in February. Two weeks later he lost a by-election, coming third out of seven but garnering 15 percent of the votes and shocking Hong Kong's political establishment with an unexpectedly strong level of support. Leung, who has advocated independence , said he decided to sign the nomination pledge after taking legal advice. He told the election officer he renounced some previous statements attributed to him that he called "hearsay," in what appeared to be a calculated effort to get on the ballot. "This is the only thing I could do to in order to get into the election," Leung said. "I won't leave any room for them to declare my nomination is invalid." Another candidate, Andy Chan of the Hong Kong National Party , said he declined to answer similar questions. His small party also demands independence although it hasn't detailed strategies. Election officers have "no right to review our political stance, our political ideas," Chan, a 25-year-old recent university graduate, told reporters. Analysts say that in the short term, Hong Kong's localist movement doesn't pose a big risk to the city's overall prosperity and stability. "However, in the medium to long run, the risks can be multiplied," if authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong don't deal with the underlying factors that have fueled the movement, said Sing, the professor. Those factors include policies giving priority to mainland Chinese, sky-high property prices and poor job prospects for young people. Weakening economic growth could stoke political alienation. Hong Kong's economy shrank on a quarterly basis in the first three months of the year and could slide into recession when the latest quarter's data is released in mid-August. "In economically bad times this kind of radical localism will have the potential of being translated into stronger anti-government sentiment and movement," said Lo, the analyst. "That's the real danger." ___ Follow Kelvin Chan: www.twitter.com/chanman http://bigstory.ap.org/content/kelvin-chan In this Saturday, July 11, 2015 photo, high-profile localist candidate, Edward Leung of Hong Kong Indigenous, right, shouts slogan during a demonstration in Hong Kong. As the Asian financial center prepares for legislative elections in September, a new wave of radical political activists are planning to join the campaign, including some who advocate the once-unthinkable idea of independence from China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) In this Wednesday, July 27, 2016, photo, ] high-profile localist candidate, Edward Leung of Hong Kong Indigenous, walks out from a court in Hong Kong as he was one of three people who filed the legal challenges this week after an election officer questioned him on his political stance. As the Asian financial center prepares for legislative elections in September, a new wave of radical political activists are planning to join the campaign, including some who advocate the once-unthinkable idea of independence from China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) In this Tuesday, July 26, 2016, photo, Andy Chan Ho-tin of the Hong Kong Nationalist Party, speaks to the media in Hong Kong. As the Asian financial center prepares for legislative elections in September, a new wave of radical political activists are planning to join the campaign, including some who advocate the once-unthinkable idea of independence from China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) In this Wednesday, July 27, 2016 photo, three high-profile localist candidates, from left, Edward Leung of Hong Kong Indigenous, Avery Ng and Chan Tak-cheung from League of Social Democrats, hold a oversized mock copy of controversial, proposed anti-subversion legislation outside a court in Hong Kong. As the Asian financial center prepares for legislative elections in September, a new wave of radical political activists are planning to join the campaign, including some who advocate the once-unthinkable idea of independence from China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) In this Tuesday, July 26, 2016 photo, Andy Chan Ho-tin of the Hong Kong Nationalist Party, speaks to the media in Hong Kong. As the Asian financial center prepares for legislative elections in September, a new wave of radical political activists are planning to join the campaign, including some who advocate the once-unthinkable idea of independence from China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) In this Wednesday, July 27, 2016 photo, one high-profile localist candidate, Edward Leung of Hong Kong Indigenous, speaks outside a court in Hong Kong as he was one of three people who filed the legal challenges this week after an election officer questioned him on his political stance. As the Asian financial center prepares for legislative elections in September, a new wave of radical political activists are planning to join the campaign, including some who advocate the once-unthinkable idea of independence from China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) SABMiller to recommend AB InBev's improved offer LONDON (AP) The board of brewer SABMiller on Friday said it intends to recommend that shareholders accept Anheuser-Busch InBev's revised 79 billion pound ($104 billion) takeover offer, clearing the way for a shareholder vote on the mega-deal. The decision comes as some SABMiller shareholders were seeking a better offer after the value of the pound dropped more than 10 percent since Britain voted last month to leave the European Union. The pound's drop means that the majority of SABMiller's shareholders have seen the value of their deal drop when compared with the offer of cash and AB InBev shares that is being offered to SABMiller's top two shareholders. FILE - This combination of Associated Press undated file photos shows Budweiser beer in the aisles of Elite Beverages in Indianapolis, and Constellation Brands Corona beers displayed at a liquor store in Palo Alto, Calif. Anheuser-Busch InBev has cleared the last regulatory hurdle to its mega merger with rival SABMiller in a deal that has hit new snags this week, when some shareholders sought an improved offer due to shifts in currency values. Chinese regulatory authorities gave the go-ahead on Friday, July 29, 2016 for AB InBev to sell SABMiller's stake in China's Snow Breweries. China's Ministry of Commerce agreed to the sale of SABMiller's 49 percent stake in Snow to China Resources Beer Co., which owns the rest of China's largest brewer. (AP Photos/File) Those two shareholders U.S. tobacco company Altria and investment firm BevCo had arranged for that special offer because they wanted to remain invested in the new company. The pound's drop created a gulf between the values of the two kinds of offers that has drawn protests from smaller investors like Aberdeen Asset Management, which owns a stake of over 1 percent. Earlier this week, AB InBev, the maker of Budweiser, increased its cash offer for SABMiller to 45 pounds ($59.3) per share to appease those smaller shareholders. That was not enough for some, who argued that Altria and BevCo should not be allowed to vote on whether that new offer is good enough. The SABMiller board said Friday it intended to propose to a U.K. Court Altria and BevCo be treated as a separate class of shareholders. That means they would not have a right to vote on whether the cash offer is adequate. Aberdeen welcomed the move. "This acknowledges the reality of the situation and will help to ensure that the views of the rest of the investor base have due weight," the company said in a statement. "As we have already indicated, we intend to vote against the deal as we are uncomfortable with the structure and believe it undervalues the company. We would welcome other investors who value good corporate governance and recognize the superior value from continuing to hold SABMiller as a standalone entity voting in a similar fashion." Altria and BevCo, which holds the investments of the Santo Domingo family, together own about 40 percent of SABMiller. The success of the deal will now depend on the outcome of the shareholders' vote. AB Inbev has said that its latest improved offer was "final." Under U.K. takeover rules, a final offer can't be increased. Mercedes building new car plant in Hungary, to employ 2,500 BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) Automaker Daimler's Mercedes-Benz brand says it will build a new manufacturing plant in Hungary by the end of the decade, investing 1 billion euros ($1.11 billion) and creating 2,500 new jobs. Mercedes opened its first plant in the Hungarian city of Kecskemet in 2012, producing 180,000 compact cars in 2015. Markus Schafer, head of production and supply chain management at Mercedes-Benz Cars, said the new factory would use a flexible work flow, allowing the assembly line to be quickly adapted to different manufacturing processes. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the government had offered Mercedes subsidies worth 12.9 billion forints ($46 million) for the plant, which will produce 150,000 vehicles a year. Libya's UN-backed council says oil terminals have reopened BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) Libya's U.N.-brokered presidency council has announced the reopening of the country's vital oil terminals after 18 months of closure despite threats by a rival military commander that his forces could target tankers entering Libya's territorial waters. The announcement came after the U.N. envoy to Libya, Martin Kobler, struck a deal more than a week ago with the terminals' militia commander, Ibrahim Jedran, who was behind the December 2014 closure that caused a sharp decline in state revenue. Libya's crude, known as light, sweet crude, is rare and especially valuable because it's easier for refineries to convert into diesel and gasoline. Revenues have been dealt a major blow and Libyans lost over $100 billion in potential profits over the past three years, according to oil officials. Libya exported a total of 146 million barrels of oil in 2015, compared to 531 million barrels in 2012. Details of the deal with Jedran, who commands the force known as Petroleum Facilities Guards, were not disclosed but critics speculated that it involved billions of dollars, sparking accusations that Kobler and the U.N. are empowering the warlord viewed by many as having held Libya's oil hostage for the past two years. Moussa al-Kouni, deputy head of Libya's U.N.-brokered presidency council, announced the terminals reopening late on Thursday at the Ras Lanuf terminal, expressing "hope and optimism" that the step marks the "beginning for our country's recovery." As he spoke, Jedran stood next to him. Since the ouster of Libya' longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, the oil-rich North African country has sunk into turmoil. The three major oil terminals, Ras Lanuf, al-Sidra and al-Zueitina, operated intermittently under Jedran's control until his troops completely shut them down after an assault on Ras Lanuf by a rival, Tripoli-based militia. But the anticipated announcement of the terminals' reopening did not pass without threats. Libya's chief of staff Brig. Gen. Abdel-Razek al-Nadhouri, who answers to the internationally-recognized parliament based in eastern Libya, threatened on Tuesday to target foreign oil tankers if they entered Libyan territorial waters without parliament's approval. 3 ex-bankers jailed over Ireland's biggest accounting fraud DUBLIN (AP) Three former senior bankers were sent to prison Friday for their roles in concealing the loss of billions in deposits at the defunct Anglo Irish Bank, the biggest accounting fraud in Irish corporate history. Judge Martin Nolan told the trio former Anglo executives Willie McAteer and John Bowe and former Irish Life and Permanent chief executive Denis Casey they were guilty of committing "sham transactions" designed to inflate Anglo's deposit levels by 7.2 billion euros ($8 billion) in the Dublin bank's 2008 earnings report. Lawyers for the men argued that government and regulatory officials had spurred them to collude on transfers to maintain market confidence in Irish banking, but the judge said all three had chosen to employ "dishonest, deceitful and corrupt" tactics. FILE - This is a Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010 file photo of the offices of a branch of the Anglo Irish Bank in central Dublin, Ireland. Three former senior bankers have been imprisoned for their roles in hiding billions in losses at the defunct Anglo Irish Bank, the biggest accounting fraud in Irish corporate history.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison) "I can appreciate the desperation of the moment. I can appreciate that everyone at Anglo wanted to save the bank. But saving the bank isn't everything," Nolan said. Casey received a prison sentence of 2 years, 9 months. McAteer received 3 years, Bowe two years. All were convicted last month of conspiracy to defraud and now have 28 days to lodge an expected appeal. All three stared at the courtroom floor during the verdict. Casey's bank supplied funds that Anglo falsely claimed as new customer deposits in full-year results to shareholders. The move was designed to cloak the funding crisis then enveloping Anglo, which had spent more than a decade aggressively betting on Ireland's property boom a house of cards about to come crashing down amid the global credit crisis that year. Investigators found that the 7.2 billion euros spent barely one day on Anglo's books before being transferred back to Irish Life and Permanent. Anglo used the ruse to help reassure shareholders, set to lose their investment as Anglo shares plunged, that the bank remained solid. Instead, Ireland's government discovered in October 2008 that Anglo was on the verge of bankruptcy and declared, in event of an Irish bank failure, that the taxpayer would step in to repay all depositors and devastatingly all bondholders. That miscalculated confidence-boosting measure put the state on the hook for nightmarish bills as the true scale of Anglo's toxic debt mountain started to emerge. Anglo was nationalized in 2009 and gradually dissolved. Most of its malfunctioning property-loan portfolio was transferred to a new state "bad bank." Ireland absorbed paper losses at Anglo and four other bailed-out banks that drove the 2010 national deficit to a post-war European record of 32 percent of economic output, destroying the country's credit rating and forcing it to seek a three-year international bailout. Anglo's cost to taxpayers long was estimated at close to 30 billion euros, nearly half the size of Ireland's own bailout. But Ireland is clawing back billions as its "bad bank" auctions off sites and developments to a revived property market. Irish Life and Permanent, like Anglo, succumbed to eventual nationalization. The government chopped the bank in two, sold off the profitable Irish Life wing in 2013 and retained its retail banking unit, Permanent TSB, which remains hobbled by a portfolio of loss-making mortgages. Anglo's two most senior figures, former chairman Sean FitzPatrick and chief executive David Drumm, remain free on bail pending their own trials for fraud and other offenses expected to run separately into 2017 at least. They face dozens of charges connected to a string of accounting scandals. These include the concealment of tens of millions' worth of personal loans to Anglo executives that were never repaid and other undisclosed loans exceeding 600 million euros ($700 million) to 16 top clients on condition they used the money to buy Anglo's freefalling shares. That stock became worthless in 2009. Drumm fled to the United States in 2009, failed to win bankruptcy protection there after a judge ruled he used his wife to shelter assets, and spent five months in a U.S. jail while unsuccessfully fighting extradition back to Ireland in March. Migration group: Over 3,000 died trying Med crossing in 2016 GENEVA (AP) A leading migration group says more than 3,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year, nearly a 60-percent increase from this time in 2015. The International Organization for Migration said Friday that the discovery of 39 bodies on Libyan shores this week raises the total, as of Wednesday, to 3,034 migrants and refugees who have died trying the crossing in 2016. The figure marks the third straight year in which more than 3,000 people have died in such attempts. National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden and transparency website WikiLeaks are clashing over how best to handle the publication of sensitive data, in a public spat played out over Twitter. WikiLeaks has come under increasing criticism over what it publishes, particularly following the release of what the website advertised as emails from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party. When a large numbers of emails turned out to be little more than messages from ordinary citizens, critics said WikiLeaks should have exercised better discretion to protect innocent people's privacy. Scroll down for video National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden and transparency website WikiLeaks (pictured, its founder Julian Assange) are clashing over how best to handle the publication of sensitive data, in a public spat played out over Twitter. Snowden praised WikiLeaks on Thursday, tweeting, 'Democratizing information has never been more vital, and @wikileaks has helped' but then added that their 'hostility to even modest curation is a mistake.' WikiLeaks quickly fired back, tweeting: 'Opportunism won't earn you a pardon from Clinton & curation is not censorship of ruling party cash flows'. The group's tweet served as dig at Snowden's self-imposed exile in Russia, as he avoids facing criminal charges in the United States for stealing governmental property and violating classified information laws. Meanwhile a reporter for Mother Jones tweeted the group to ask: 'Why release the VMs that have nothing to do with donor dinners (or maybe even the passionate supporter talking about Sanders)?' But WikiLeaks defended its lack of curation and replied: 'Our accuracy policy. We do not tamper with the evidentiary value of important historical archives.' The release of a series of emails by the activist group last weekend caused discord in the party because they appeared to show favoritism within the DNC for Clinton over Sanders, who ran a close race for the nomination for the Nov. 8 election DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned shortly after the hacking scandal The release of a series of emails by the activist group last weekend caused discord in the party because they appeared to show favoritism within the DNC for Clinton over Sanders, who ran a close race for the nomination for the Nov. 8 election DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned shortly after the hacking scandal. The committee is supposed to be neutral. But the files were released in a raw form, some containing social security and credit card numbers, as well as dates of birth of DNC donors and guests. WikiLeaks also released nearly 300,000 emails from the AK Party dating from 2010 to July 6 this year. Obtained before the attempted coup, the date of their publication was brought forward 'in response to the government's post-coup purges', WikiLeaks said on its website. The source of the emails was not connected to the coup plotters or to a rival political party or state, WikiLeaks said. New mothers, get babies to the breast faster, UNICEF says GENEVA (AP) UNICEF is urging mothers to do more to start breastfeeding their newborns within an hour of birth, saying breast milk is a baby's "first vaccine." The U.N. children's agency says some 77 million newborns or about 1 in 2 don't get breastfed within the first hour after birth, depriving them of key nutrients, antibodies and skin-to-skin contact. UNICEF said Friday that newborns account for nearly half of all deaths of children under 5 years old, and getting more newborns breastfed exclusively in the first six months of life could save over 800,000 lives each year. Drew Peterson gets 40-year sentence in murder-for-hire case CHESTER, Ill. (AP) Former suburban Chicago police officer Drew Peterson was given an additional 40 years in prison Friday for trying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor who put him behind bars for killing his third wife. During his sentencing hearing in Randolph County Circuit Court, Peterson told Judge Richard Brown he never wanted Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow killed and claimed to know all along a fellow inmate was recording their conversations. He added that at the time of the recordings, in November 2014, he was suicidal and didn't believe he would live to see the scam come to fruition. "I never did try to have you killed," Peterson said toward Glasgow. "You can think what you want." FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Illinois Department of Corrections shows former Bolingbrook, Ill., police officer Drew Peterson. Peterson is set to appear in a southwestern Illinois courtroom Friday, July 29, 2016 for sentencing, after he was convicted in a May murder-for-hire trial. Jurors agreed that Peterson attempted to hire an inmate's uncle to kill Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow. (Illinois Department of Corrections via AP, File) After the hearing, Glasgow expressed skepticism about Peterson's statement, calling him "deluded." Peterson's fellow inmate, Antonio "Beast" Smith, wore a wiretap for prosecutors, and during the trial, jurors heard hours of Smith's recorded conversations with Peterson at Menard Correctional Center. Smith also testified Peterson enlisted him to help kill Glasgow. Peterson was convicted in the case in late May. Glasgow said in court Friday that a lengthy sentence was necessary as a deterrent, otherwise convicts will believe they can kill a prosecutor and get the minimum sentence. "It's critical that a message be sent that this will never be (allowed) in Illinois," he said. The 62-year-old Peterson is serving a 38-year sentence for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. He is scheduled for parole in 2047, but Friday's sentence must be served consecutively, making it likely Peterson will die in prison. Savio's death was initially deemed accidental. Glasgow reopened the case after the 2007 disappearance of Stacy Peterson, his 23-year-old fourth wife. Drew Peterson was never charged in her disappearance but told the informant he worried that Glasgow would eventually do so. Tourist numbers to Spain jump 12 pct in first half of 2016 MADRID (AP) The number of tourists visiting Spain jumped by 12 percent in the first six months of 2016, as a mix of economic concerns and fears of extremist attacks continued to drive foreigners away from rival Mediterranean destinations. Spain's National Statistics Institute said Friday that some 33 million tourists arrived between January and June. Britons continued to top the list at eight million, up 17 percent. The figure for Germans, at 5 million, was up 7 percent while French visitors increased 8 percent to 4.6 million. People look at the display window of a Spanish souvenirs shop in downtown Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 29, 2016. Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was to begin calling opposition party leaders Friday in a bid to get badly needed parliamentary support after accepting the king's petition to try to form a government following last month's inconclusive elections. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Spain, Europe's most popular destination after France, hosted a record 68.1 million tourists in 2015, almost 5 percent higher than the previous year. Remains of Korean War POW headed to New York for burial NEW YORK (AP) The remains of a U.S. soldier from Long Island who died while in captivity during the Korean War have been identified and are being returned to New York for burial. The Pentagon's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Thursday the remains of 38-year-old Army Chief Warrant Officer Adolphus Nava of Uniondale will be buried Aug. 4 in Calverton. Nava was a member of a 2nd Infantry Division field artillery battalion that was fighting against Communist Chinese forces in North Korea in late November 1950. Nava's unit destroyed its guns and attempted to escape through mountainous terrain to avoid being encircled and captured. Nava was declared missing in action. Florida bus driver fired, accused of pulling student's hair ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A central Florida bus driver is out of a job after the Orange County school district accused her of pulling a middle school student's hair and pinning her in a seat for four minutes. The board fired Rosa Dalger on Tuesday after reviewing the May school bus incident. The Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2ajcG1b ) reports the district withheld a video and a report from public release, citing state law exemption. On an audio recording played at the meeting, Dalger was heard shouting, "When you stop, I stop." The girl attends a school that serves children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Dalger denied pulling her hair or holding her down. The district has suspended her five times. Judge refuses to let indicted sheriff have gun after threats LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) A south Louisiana sheriff accused of making anti-Semitic threats can't carry a gun while awaiting trial on charges he directed officers to assault prisoners, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna said he can't "turn a blind eye" to statements like those that Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal allegedly made on tape. Prosecutors said an "unsolicited informant" recently provided them with recordings of a conversation in which Ackal claimed he threatened to shoot a Justice Department prosecutor between his "Jewish eyes" after the prosecutor vowed to send him to prison. Prosecutors said their conversation was cordial and Ackal mischaracterized it on the tape, but they were still concerned about it and they had learned of "additional threatening comments" that Ackal allegedly made. They didn't elaborate about those during the hearing, and none of Ackal's taped statements were played in court. Ackal has been prohibited from possessing firearms since his March indictment. His attorney, John McLindon, argued that recent killings of police officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas demonstrate he needs a gun to protect himself. "Recently, there was a threat to ambush a deputy in New Iberia, which thankfully did not come true. However, the atmosphere in this country, especially in south Louisiana, makes this a very real possibility," McLindon wrote in a court filing a day after a lone gunman shot and killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge on July 17. The magistrate said there is a "viable possibility of a threat to (Ackal's) security," but he noted that defendants charged with felonies are barred from possessing guns before trial. "I'm going to treat you just like anybody else," Hanna told the sheriff. McLindon said he suggested to the sheriff that he stay in his office and avoid patrolling the parish while he awaits trial. "He said that would be malfeasance if he didn't go out and do his job," McLindon told reporters. McLindon said in a court filing that his client didn't know he was being taped when he made "some inappropriate remarks" among friends "in the privacy of his home" after the meeting with prosecutors. McLindon called it "disingenuous" for prosecutors to publicly release Ackal's statements while also denying him the right to carry a gun for protection. After Friday's hearing, McLindon said, "99.9 percent of the tapes were innocuous." Prosecutors argued that Ackal's remarks were grounds for tightening the conditions of his pre-trial release. On Friday, the judge ordered Ackal to submit to pre-trial supervision, a new condition. Ackal's trial is scheduled to start Oct. 31. His original indictment claims he directed officers to assault inmates in the parish jail's chapel, where no video surveillance cameras would record the April 2011 beatings. Last month, Ackal was indicted on a new charge that he conspired in 2014 to assault a man who was accused of assaulting one of Ackal's relatives. Exxon reports smallest profit since 1999 DALLAS (AP) Lower oil prices continue to punish Exxon Mobil Corp., which reported its weakest quarterly profit in nearly 17 years. Exxon still earned $1.7 billion in the second quarter. It was, however, down 59 percent from a year ago, and per share income missed Wall Street expectations. The energy giant cited lower prices for oil and gas and weaker margins from its refining operations. FILE - This Jan. 30, 2012, file photo, shows the sign for the Exxon Mobil Torrance Refinery in Torrance, Calif. Exxon Mobile Corp. reports financial results Friday, July 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File) Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson said Friday that the results "reflect a volatile industry environment." The company is cutting exploration spending to manage through the lower prices. Exxon shares had climbed nearly 30 percent since late January as crude prices rallied from a deep slump. But more recently oil prices have fallen back due to high inventories and the continued sluggish global economy this week, U.S. oil hit a three-month low, and Exxon shares lost 4 percent through Thursday's close. Exxon's report followed weak second-quarter results from BP and Shell. While oil companies are seeing profits shrink, consumers are enjoying the benefit of cheaper energy. The average U.S. price for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $2.14 on Friday, the lowest price since April, according to auto club AAA. Gasoline prices are skidding because of high inventories. The decline in pump prices defies the usual pattern of higher prices during summer, when people drive more. Motorists are filling up on the cheapest July gasoline in 12 years, the auto club says. Exxon's net income was lower than the $1.8 billion it earned in the first quarter and the Texas-based company's smallest profit since the third quarter of 1999, when it earned $1.5 billion. The profit equaled 41 cents per share, well below the 64 cents per share forecast from 21 analysts surveyed by FactSet. Exxon did not exclude any one-time costs from the per share calculation. Revenue fell 22 percent, to $57.69 billion. Exxons production of oil and gas was nearly unchanged, but the comnpany's capital and exploration spending tumbled 38 percent from a year earlier, to $5.2 billion. Eventually, analysts say, that kind of lower spending by Exxon and its rivals will translate into lower production, smaller supplies and higher prices for oil. In recent weeks, Exxon announced a major oil discovery off the coast of South America and announced it would pay $2.5 billion for InterOil Corp., a deal designed to grab more of Asias growing demand for natural gas. Exxon shares fell $2.42, or 2.7 percent, to $87.78 in premarket trading about 30 minutes before Friday's opening bell. ___ Flight info screens at Vietnam's 2 major airports hacked HANOI, Vietnam (AP) Screens displaying flight information and the public address system at Vietnam's two major airports were hacked with derogatory messages against Vietnam and the Philippines in their territorial row against China in the South China Sea. After the hacking Friday evening, authorities switched off the screens and the sound systems at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport and the Tan Son Nhat airport in southern Ho Chi Minh City, the online VnExpress said. The website of the national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, was also briefly hacked, it said. The site quoted Vice Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat as saying the incidents did not affect the security or air traffic control at the airports. The messages and screenshots with derogatory remarks suggested they were purportedly left by Chinese hackers. Earlier this month, an international tribunal issued a ruling in favor of the Philippines that invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam also has overlapping claims to parts of the sea, which is rich in natural resources, and together with the Philippines has been a vocal critic of China. The hacking came after China this week condemned an incident in which a border agent at the Ho Chi Minh City airport allegedly defaced a Chinese passport after images showed the words "f--- you" scribbled twice over maps of the contested South China Sea. Vietnam said it was investigating. ___ The Latest: UK judge sends 2 people-smugglers to prison GENEVA (AP) The Latest on Europe's response to mass migration (all times local): 2:00 p.m. A British judge imposed prison sentences on two men who tried to smuggle 18 Albanians into Britain on a boat that broke down in the English Channel. Judge Jeremy Carey, presiding in Maidstone Crown Court south of London, sentenced the men to more than four years each in prison. He said "a tragedy was averted by a whisker" because of the actions of rescuers. Mark Stribling and Robert Stilwell admitted transporting 15 men, a woman and two children from France in a rigid inflatable boat. British coast guards came to the rescue after the boat lost power and began to take on water on May 28. Prosecutors said 35-year-old Stribling and 33-year-old Stilwell a former European judo champion were to be paid 2,000 pounds ($2,600) each. ___ 1:40 p.m. Serbian authorities say that a group of migrants protesting against the closure of EU borders for most people fleeing war and poverty have agreed to end a days-long hunger strike. Ivan Miskovic from Serbia's government refugee agency said Friday the authorities will seek to move the 100 or so migrants from the border zone with Hungary to his country's asylum centers. The migrants set off a week ago on a protest march toward the border from the Serbian capital, Belgrade, , in a bid to draw attention to the plight of several thousand people stuck in various Balkan countries after the official refugee route closed in March. At the border, the migrants also went on hunger strike and several people were hospitalized for exhaustion. ___ 11:40 a.m. The International Organization for Migration says more than 3,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year, nearly a 60-percent increase from this time in 2015. The group said Friday that the discovery of 39 bodies on Libyan shores this week raised to 3,034 the number of migrants and refugees who have died trying the crossing in 2016. It's the third straight year in which more than 3,000 people have died in such attempts. Philippine president gives rebels deadline to declare truce MANILA, Philippines (AP) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gave communist guerrillas until Saturday to match his truce declaration or he would withdraw it following a rebel attack that killed a government militiaman. The new president brought fresh hopes of resuming peace talks with the Maoist insurgents, which stalled under his predecessor. The decadeslong insurgency, one of Asia's longest, has left about 150,000 combatants and civilians dead since the late 1960s. It has stunted economic development, especially in the countryside, where the insurgents raid security forces' outposts and mining and agricultural companies. Duterte said he would scuttle his cease-fire order, which he issued Monday, if the New People's Army guerrillas did not match with their own by 5 p.m. Saturday. FILE - In this Monday, July 25, 2016 file photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his first State of the Nation Address before the joint session of the 17th Congress in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. Duterte on Thursday, July 28, threatened to withdraw a ceasefire order he gave three days ago after suspected communist rebels killed a government militiaman and wounded four others in an attack. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File) He initially threatened to withdraw the cease-fire by Friday but extended his deadline after the rebels said they were investigating the guerrilla attack. "Are you ready to declare a ceasefire or not?" Duterte asked during a news briefing, visibly upset after visiting the militiaman's wake in southern Davao del Norte province. The militiaman was killed in a rebel ambush Wednesday that also wounded four others. "If I don't get the word from you, then I will lift the order of cease-fire," he said, adding that he was rejecting rebel demands for him to withdraw government troops and police from certain rural areas. Rebel leaders have asked Duterte to give them more time to study his truce declaration. Duterte made friendly overtures to the guerrillas, then became more critical after the ambush. "How many Filipinos have died and who killed them? Fellow Filipinos," he said. "The problem with you (is) you carry the element of hate." The Latest: Neighbor stunned 1977 killing suspect lived near GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) The Latest on the arrest of a man charged in the 1977 shooting death of a former immigration official and wounding of a former mayor in Florida (all times local): 4:40 p.m. A neighbor of a man in North Carolina who has eluded authorities for more than 30 years says she was shocked to learn a fugitive in a 1977 killing lived across the street from her. Alberta Morris said Friday that she saw William Taylor work in his tree-shaded front yard occasionally, but never talked to him. The 86-year-old Morris said Taylor's wife once gave her a ride to a doctor's appointment in Greensboro, about 20 miles south of her Reidsville home. She said their conversations didn't make many references to Taylor. No one answered a knock on the door at the beige and green, two-story home Taylor and his wife shared. ___ 3:25 p.m. A fugitive charged in the 1977 killing of a former immigration official and the wounding of a Florida mayor at the time has asked for a court-appointed attorney during a brief first appearance in North Carolina. William Claybourne Taylor attended the hearing Friday as Florida officials started the process of bringing him back to that state to face charges. He was taken into custody Thursday at his home in Reidsville, North Carolina, where he was living under the assumed name of James Emmet Manion. Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Taylor's head was down for much of his brief video appearance before Judge Pete Hunter. When Hunter advised him that he was in court because he was a fugitive from justice, Taylor replied, "That's what the papers say." Taylor is scheduled to appear in court again in North Carolina on Aug. 4. ___ 12:20 p.m. An FBI spokeswoman says a fugitive arrested in the 1977 killing of an immigration official and the wounding of a mayor in Florida is due to appear before a judge. FBI spokeswoman Shelley Lynch said in an email the Friday afternoon hearing could disclose the aliases 67-year-old William Claybourne Taylor used while living in Reidsville, North Carolina. An FBI wanted poster describes Taylor as a man who worked as a dance instructor, trumpet player, convenience store clerk and welder. It says he might have been issued a U.S. passport in the name of Michael Cauley. Authorities say Taylor was indicted on charges in the January 1977 shooting death of a former immigration official and the shooting of the then-mayor of Williston, Florida. ___ 9:10 a.m. An FBI spokeswoman says the location and time of a hearing for a fugitive arrested in the 1977 killing of a former immigration official and the shooting of a former mayor in Florida are still being arranged. FBI spokeswoman Shelley Lynch in Charlotte, North Carolina, said in an email Friday that the man's alias likely will become public record at that hearing. The FBI in Jacksonville, Florida, said in a news release Thursday that agents developed information that 67-year-old William Claybourne Taylor was living in Reidsville, North Carolina, under a false name. He's being held in a detention center in Guilford County. Authorities say Taylor was indicted on charges in connection with the January 1977 shooting death of a former immigration official and the shooting of a former mayor of Williston, Florida. ___ 3:15 a.m. Authorities say a man wanted for the 1977 killing of a former immigration official in Florida has been arrested in North Carolina. The FBI in Jacksonville, Florida, said in a news release Thursday that agents had recently developed information that 67-year-old William Claybourne Taylor was living in Reidsville, North Carolina, under a false name. The release says he was taken into custody Thursday without incident and is being held in a detention center in Guilford County. Russia's Putin to visit Slovenia to improve European ties LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting European Union and NATO-member Slovenia this weekend, signaling a bid to maintain ties amid simmering tensions between the Kremlin and the two Western-led blocs. Slovenia, a small Alpine nation where U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's wife Melania was born and grew up, has kept friendly relations with Russia even as it joined EU sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine. Still, Slovenia has been careful to portray Putin's visit on Saturday as strictly informal officially Putin is coming to attend a World War I memorial and not contrary to the official EU policy of sanctions against Moscow. FILE - In this Tuesday, July 26, 2016 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin listens during a meeting in the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia. Donald Trump just keeps giving Russian President Vladimir Putin more reasons to hope he wins the U.S. election, while raising serious questions about the Republican candidates intentions toward the Kremlin. In his most recent outreach to Putin, Trump not only refused to condemn Russias military takeover of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula but said, if elected, he would consider recognizing it as Russian territory and lifting sanctions against Moscow. We'll be looking at that. Yeah, we'll be looking, Trump told reporters on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) Slovenian President Boris Pahor told Russia's TASS agency the visit is designed to build trust and dialogue. "(It) pays respect to the traditional friendship of Slovenia and Russia, despite some differences in the two countries' relations over their positions on certain pressing issues," Pahor said in comments published Friday by Slovenia's official STA news agency. Slovenia, a country of 2 million people, became independent from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. It joined NATO and the EU in 2004. The United States and the 28-nation EU imposed economic sanctions on Russia for its 2014 military takeover of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for insurgents in eastern Ukraine. The sanctions have cut Russia's access to global financial markets and blocked the transfer of key technologies. Russia has retaliated by banning most Western food imports, badly hurting many EU nations, including Slovenia. Tensions with NATO also have been heightened with Russia's increased military activity in Eastern Europe and NATO's reinforcement of troops in the region. Trump, whose wife Melania was born in the town of Sevnica while Slovenia was still part of Communist-run Yugoslavia, has sided with Putin on a wide range of issues, including saying that, if elected, he would consider recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and would not necessarily back NATO members if Putin decided to invade. Putin has not openly backed Trump and the Kremlin denies reports that it is interfering in the U.S. electoral process. While in Slovenia his only third visit to an EU-member country this year Putin will attend a commemoration of the centenary of a chapel in the Julian Alps, which was erected in the memory of dozens of Russian WWI prisoners of war who died in an avalanche while building a mountain pass for the Austrian army. The annual event, seen as a symbol of friendship between Slovenia and Russia, was attended last year by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Putin will also unveil a memorial to Russian soldiers who died in World War II at the main cemetery in Ljubljana, the capital, and meet Slovenian officials. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the visit will also include talks "on bilateral issues and business ties." Slovenia's economic ties with Moscow date back to the Yugoslav era and Russia is Slovenia's top non-EU trading partner. But the trade between the two has dropped by nearly 30 percent since the Western sanctions were introduced. Putin's visit has angered Ukrainians living in Slovenia, who have announced protests. The Kiev ambassador to Slovenia, Mykhailo Brodovych, said he saw Putin's visit as "negative." "These commemorative events are just a pretext for Putin to demonstrate that he is normally accepted in the country that is a member of the EU and NATO," Brodovych wrote on his web page. ___ Jovana Gec contributed from Belgrade, Serbia. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, walks to have a lunch with farm workers at a field in Dmitrova Gora, Tver region, Russia, Thursday, July 28, 2016. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin eats lunch with farm workers at a field in Dmitrova Gora, Tver region, Russia, Thursday, July 28, 2016. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin, far left, eats with farm workers at a field in Dmitrova Gora, Tver region, Russia, Thursday, July 28, 2016. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Bearded vulture flies to Romania; 1st time seen in decades BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Romania's Ornithological Society says a bearded vulture has flown into Romania, the first time it says the rare bone-eating bird has been spotted here in more than 80 years. The large two-year-old male bird, named Adonis, was born in the Czech Republic as part of a European breeding program. It was then moved to France's Massif Centrale mountains, where a tracking device was attached. Ornithological Society spokesman Ovidiu Bufnila told The Associated Press on Friday the organization was told that Adonis was in Romania, had come to a standstill and could be in trouble. Scientists located the bird on July 19, perched high, waiting for a dog's corpse to be eaten by other birds in far northwest Romania. In this July 19, 2016, image provided by the Romanian Ornithological Society, a rare bearded vulture flies near Baia-Mare, Romania, the first time the rare bone-eating bird has been spotted here in more than 80 years. The bird, called Adonis, was born in captivity in the Czech Republic in 2014, in a European breeding program. (Sebastian Bugariu/Romanian Ornithological Society via AP) Rabbi was behind meeting between pope, Polish rescuers WARSAW, Poland (AP) Pope Francis' visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday included an encounter with 25 Christian Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust a powerfully symbolic meeting that Poland's chief rabbi played a key role in orchestrating. Rabbi Michael Schudrich, a native of New York City whose grandparents all immigrated from Poland, had long hoped to see such a meeting in Poland between a pope and some of the remaining Poles who risked their lives during World War II to help and protect Jews. Yad Vashem in Israel has recognized 6,620 Polish gentiles who sheltered Jews among the so-called "Righteous Among the Nations." Today fewer than 240 in Poland are still alive. Pope Francis, right with back to camera, prays as Poland's chief rabbi Michael Schudrich, left, stands next to Rev. Stanislaw Ruszala, a priest from a village where the Nazis killed a Polish family because it was protecting Jews, as he reads a psalm in Polish during the papal visit to the site of the German Nazi death camp of Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. During Pope Francis' visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday there was an encounter with 25 Christian Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, a powerfully symbolic meeting that Poland's chief rabbi played a key role in orchestrating. (Tomasz Pielesz/ Auschwitz Museum via AP) Remembering their sacrifices is an important part of Schudrich's mission as the spiritual head of Poland's Jewish community, and he has often said that one can never do enough for them. In a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Schudrich said the pope's meeting with survivors was "something I have been thinking about for a while: what kind of non-material present, what kind of thank-you, can we give to the 'Righteous'?" He noted that a U.S. group, the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, offers them some financial help. "But I wanted to come up with a spiritual gift and I thought that a special blessing from the pope would make them feel honored because of their unbelievable morality and humanity," he said. He said he approached members of the church hierarchy several months ago with the idea of including a meeting during the pope's visit to Poland this week. They were receptive and then they all got down to the business of organizing the meeting, which happened Friday during the pope's mostly silent visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Schudrich had tried to arrange a meeting between a group of Righteous and Benedict XVI when that pope visited Poland in 2006, but it did not work out. John Paul II had met with some at the Vatican during his papacy, but it was the first such encounter at one of the former death camps. Francis met with them one by one and presented each one with a gift in a small red box. One, 86-year-old Tadeusz Stankiewicz, valued the fact that the pope made his visit in silent contemplation, saying the site "is no place for pompous speeches which are not always honest." Stankiewicz had hoped to tell the pope that faith in God helped him and his family overcome fear and help Jews, but there was no possibility to speak. Schudrich said he was grateful that the pope met with the Righteous and also valued his silent homage to the victims of Auschwitz-Birkenau, most of whom were Jewish. Afterward, when he met Francis briefly, he said he told him: "Thank you for your prayer of silence." He said the pope responded: "Pray for me." ___ Monika Scislowska in Krakow contributed to this report. Police: McDonald's worker fired for refusing officer service BRENHAM, Texas (AP) Police in suburban Houston say a McDonald's worker has been fired for refusing to serve an officer. Brenham Police Chief Craig Goodman says in a Facebook post that "one of our employees, who was off duty with his family, was refused service at a local restaurant simply for being a Police Officer." Goodman doesn't say when it happened but does say the owners were quickly notified. Goodman tells Houston's KHOU-TV that the owners investigated and the employee in question "no longer works for their business." Goodman says the worker's son is in some legal trouble and that might have sparked her negative feelings toward police. Restrictions on early and weekend voting implemented by Wisconsin Republicans over the last five years are unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge James Peterson found a series of other voting changes signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker to be unconstitutional, but did not overturn the state's photo identification requirement. "Wisconsins strict version of voter ID law is a cure worse than the disease," Peterson wrote, before noting he is bound by earlier cases in Wisconsin and Indiana to reject the challenge to the law in its entirety. The decision will not affect the Aug. 9 primary election. Peterson issued a series of changes to the laws that will be undertaken as the state transitions from having its elections overseen by the now-defunct Government Accountability Board to a new elections commission. Laws that limited in-person absentee voting to one location, limited early voting hours and eliminated weekend voting are unconstitutional, Peterson ruled. The 2013 law limiting hours for in-person absentee voting "intentionally discriminates on the basis of race," Peterson wrote in a 119-page decision. "I reach this conclusion because I am persuaded that this law was specifically targeted to curtail voting in Milwaukee without any other legitimate purpose. The legislatures immediate goal was to achieve a partisan objective, but the means of achieving that objective was to suppress the reliably Democratic vote of Milwaukees African Americans," Peterson wrote. Peterson who was appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama in 2014 also overturned laws that increased the residency requirement for voters from 10 days to 28 days, prohibited distributing absentee ballots by fax or email and required "dorm lists" used as proof of residence to include citizenship information. The judge also overturned a provision of the voter ID law banning the use of expired but otherwise qualifying student IDs at the polls. Also addressed in Peterson's ruling was the state's ID petition process, or IDPP the system qualified voters use to obtain a free ID from the state. The lawsuit argued the IDPP is ineffective and has failed minority groups in particular. Peterson found the system does not require "wholesale invalidation," but that it does not act as an effective safety net for qualified electors who struggle to obtain proper IDs. "The IDPP is pretty much a disaster," Peterson wrote, later referring to it as a "wretched failure." Under Peterson's ruling, once a petitioner submits sufficient materials, the state Division of Motor Vehicles must "promptly issue a credential valid for voting, unless readily available information shows that the petitioner is not a qualified elector entitled to such a credential." The state must also "inform the general public" of that process. "Petitioners and the public must be informed that these credentials have a term equivalent to that of a driver license or Wisconsin ID, and that they will be valid for voting until they expire or are revoked for good cause," Peterson wrote. According to the state, 420,000 free state ID cards have been issued since July 2011, 127,000 of which were new IDs, while 1,389 IDPP petitions were filed. But 70 percent of the would-be voters who have gone through the IDPP process are non-white, plaintiffs' attorney Josh Kaul argued in court. And of 61 denials issued, he said, 81 percent of those who were denied were non-white. Plaintiffs in the case sought to overturn voting policies signed into law by Walker between 2011 and 2015, including restrictions on early voting hours and locations, the elimination of straight-ticket voting and a photo identification requirement. Laws left untouched by Peterson's ruling include provisions eliminating straight-ticket voting, statewide special registration deputies and the use of corroboration for registration. "We argued Gov. Walker made it harder for Democrats to vote and easier for Republicans to cheat, and the judge agreed," said One Wisconsin Institute executive director Scot Ross. Department of Justice spokesman Johnny Koremenos said the agency is reviewing and analyzing the court's "lengthy order," but based on an initial reading, plans to appeal it to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. A spokesman for the governor's office said they are still reviewing the order. "This is a liberal judges attempt to undermine our elections less than four months out," said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester. "Its also an obvious attempt to usurp the power of the legislature. Im confident that the laws will be reinstated upon appeal. The measures did not disenfranchise voters; they protected the integrity of our elections and peoples right to vote." Michael Haas, interim administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said the decision is being reviewed in consultation with DOJ attorneys. "If upheld, this decision would make significant changes to election laws affecting voters, which will require the Elections Commission to work very closely with local election officials to implement the changes and to educate voters. We will be providing further guidance to clerks and the public early next week," Haas said. Attorneys challenging the laws said the state engaged in "targeted, purposeful racial discrimination" by implementing them. "The suite of changes only makes sense if explained by an intent to gain political advantage by disadvantaging racial minorities, disadvantaging young people," argued plaintiffs' attorney Bruce Spiva in his closing arguments last month. Spiva argued Republicans had "motivation and opportunity" to discriminate against likely Democratic voters, that there was no need for "sweeping changes" to the state's elections laws and that the state's articulated interests in implementing the changes were "paper thin." Attorneys for the state argued plaintiffs failed to establish standing for the case. Then-assistant attorney general Clay Kawski who has since been appointed by Walker as a Dane County Circuit Court judge accused plaintiffs' counsel of "cherry-picking" examples of problems with the laws. Kawski said plaintiffs sought the "home run" solution in asking for the laws to be overturned, but said they hadn't made an effective case for it. "Wisconsin has an exemplary elections system," Kawski said. "Wisconsin elections are fair, easy to navigate and open to all." Plaintiffs included One Wisconsin Institute, Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund and individual voters. Also on Friday, a federal appeals court struck down North Carolinas photo ID law and reinstated an additional week of early voting. The court ruled that the laws were enacted with discriminatory intent. Earlier this month, a federal court found Texas' voter ID law to be discriminatory. And earlier this week, a federal judge ruled that Wisconsin voters without proper ID can vote using an affidavit to swear to their identity. Appeals court won't toss charges against US Sen. Menendez PHILADELPHIA (AP) A federal appeals court on Friday refused to toss a corruption case against U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, casting aside his argument that charges he accepted gifts in exchange for political influence should be thrown out because of a constitutional clause protecting sitting lawmakers. A three-judge panel from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said arguments from the indicted Democrat's attorneys that the senator's meetings with government officials were held to discuss policy matters, not to benefit a wealthy friend, should be heard at trial. Prosecutors allege the friend, Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, plied Menendez with gifts and campaign donations in exchange for political influence. Both men have pleaded not guilty to bribery and fraud charges. Menendez attorney Abbe Lowell said he'll appeal to the full circuit court and then to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., speaks to New Jersey's Democratic delegates to the Democratic National Convention during a Thursday, July 28, 2016, breakfast at the Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel in Philadelphia. Menendez said that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's comments about Russia exposing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails are an "act of treason." (Jose F. Moreno/Camden Courier-Post via AP) Appearing before the panel in February, Lowell hammered at a lower-court judge's ruling not to dismiss the charges by claiming the judge erred in looking at Menendez's purported motives for meetings he set up with several government officials. Lowell said the lower court's focus should instead have been on the "content of the contact," or what happened in the meetings, which he said showed Menendez discussed port security and Medicare policy issues that were part of his legislative duties. The appeals court panel disagreed Friday, saying the alleged acts in the case were essentially lobbying and "outside the constitutional safe harbor." "That Senator Menendez framed those meetings using the language of policy does not entitle them unvaryingly to Speech or Debate protection," the appeals court judges wrote. "Rather, for every mention of policy concerns there is substantial record support for the District Court's findings that those concerns were instead attempts to help Dr. Melgen." How a jury places Menendez's actions in the context of the Constitution's "speech or debate" clause will play a significant role in whether he is convicted on any of the dozen counts against him. The clause dates to the 1780s and was written into the Constitution to fortify the separation of powers between the three branches of government and to protect members of Congress from having their legislative acts subjected to scrutiny by the other two branches. Friday's ruling comes a month after the Supreme Court set aside the bribery conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, deciding that the actions he took to benefit a businessman who gave him luxury gifts might have been distasteful but did not cross the line into illegal conduct. The McDonnell opinion could bolster Menendez's argument that the meeting was precisely the type of advocacy that the public expects of its leaders and could help his assertion that as a legislator, he had no direct ability to influence an executive branch decision. Muslim blasts extremists at Friday prayer with Christians SAINT-ETIENNE-DU-ROUVRAY, France (AP) Muslims and Catholics joined in Friday prayers at the mosque in the Normandy town where an elderly priest was slain this week, with one imam chastising the extremists as non-Muslims who are "not part of civilization." Muslims came from other parts of France for the service shared with Christians. The killing Tuesday of 85-year-old Rev. Jacques Hamel as he celebrated morning Mass sent shockwaves around France and deeply touched many among the nation's 5 million Muslims. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as the July 14 truck attack in Nice, where 84 people were killed by a man who plowed his truck down a seaside promenade. Muslim worshippers walk out after the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) The head of the main Muslim umbrella group, Anouar Kbibech, who attended Friday's gathering, reiterated a call for Muslims to visit churches on Sunday to show solidarity with Christians as they pray. But one imam made a rare direct strike at the killers who claimed to act in the name of Allah. "You have the wrong civilization, because you are not a part of civilization. You have the wrong humanity, because you are not a part of humanity," said Abdelatif Hmitou. "You have the wrong idea about us (Muslims), and we won't forgive you for this." "How," he asked, addressing the extremists, "did the idea reach your mind that we might loathe those who helped us ... to pray to Allah in this town? How could you think that, Mr. killer? Mr. criminal?" He was referring to the help by the Sainte Therese church, which is adjacent to the mosque in the northwestern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. The church sold the plot to Muslims for a symbolic sum so they could build a house of worship. The two 19-year-old attackers were killed Tuesday by police as they left St. Etienne church, where they had held two nuns and an elderly couple hostage as they slit the priest's throat. A third nun escaped and gave the alert. That church has now been sealed shut. Another 19-year-old was handed preliminary charges on Friday for "criminal terrorist association" after investigators found a video at his home showing one of the slain teens Abdel Malik Nabil Petitjean warning of a "violent action" to come, a judicial official said. The discovery was made a day before the church attack when the man was arrested. While investigators are seeking information on the July 26 church attack, they were also making arrests in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks that killed 130 victims. An Algerian and a Pakistani transferred recently to France from Austria were also handed preliminary charges Friday of "criminal terrorist association," the official said. Investigators were reaching across France to unravel the church attack plot. A Syrian refugee was detained on Thursday in the Allier region of central France because a photocopy of his passport was found at the home of one of the attackers killed by police, Adel Kermiche, the official said. Also being held was a cousin of Kermiche's accomplice, Petitjean, on suspicion he was aware of the attack plan based on information culled from social networks, the judicial official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. A 16-year-old arrested just after the attack remained in custody. How Kermiche, from northwest Normandy, concocted the attack plot with Petitjean, from Aix-les-Bain in the Alps of eastern France, remained unclear. What is known is that Petitjean arrived in Kermiche's town just three days earlier, apparently staying at his home, according to the judicial official. Kermiche wore a tracking bracelet after arrests with false ID's trying to go to Syria but had four hours a day of freedom. Petitjean had no criminal record. Petitjean's identity was made public Thursday based on DNA tests. Anti-terrorist officials came close twice before the attack to identifying him as a threat. Four days before the attack, an alert with a photo of him went out to French police with a note he may be planning an attack but the photo had no name. He was spotted in Turkey in June, but French authorities were alerted too late and he quickly returned to France. Outside the mosque a sign read: "Mosque in mourning." The Rev. Pierre Belhache, in charge of relations with the Muslim community, affirmed to the Muslim and Christian faithful that "we won't let anyone divide us. It is so rich to have these differences but still be together." ___ Elaine Ganley reported from Paris. Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray's Priest Auguste Moanda, second left, delivers his speech , flancked by Mohammed Karabila, President of the Muslim Regional Council of Normandy, left, Priest Pierre, center and Anouar Kbibech, President of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, right, as muslim worshippers attend the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) Muslim worshippers walk out after the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) Muslim worshipper walks past a poster reading "Mourning Mosque" after the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) Muslim worshippers walk past a poster reading "Mourning Mosque" after the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) Black Lives Matter activists protested the arrest of an anti-violence advocate on Friday who was taken into custody while videotaping officers frisking a handcuffed motorist. Maurice Crawley was standing across the street from a traffic stop in Syracuse, New York, streaming the video live on his Facebook page on Thursday, when one of the officers threatened to throw him in jail if he said 'one word'. 'Hey, say one word, your a** is going to jail, just so you know,' the cop said. 'I didn't hear you. Say it again, officer. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you,' Crawley shouted back across the street. Scroll down for video Footage shows a police officer walking towards a man who was filming a traffic stop in Syracuse, New York The officer then put on a pair of black gloves, strode across the street and placed Crawley under arrest while swearing at him and threatening to beat him if he moves. At one point, the activist was heard telling the officer he had a defibrillator on his chest, to which the cop replied: 'I don't give a f*** what you got'. Crawley, the officer and the motorist are all black. Crawley, a well-known local advocate against gun violence, pleaded not guilty Friday in Syracuse City Court to charges of obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest. He was released on his own recognizance. His attorney wasn't available for comment. Crawley was met with loud cheers from about two dozen Black Lives Matter protesters as he walked out of the Onondaga County Justice Center late Friday morning after spending the night in jail. 'He was within his legal rights, yet he was thrown to the ground. We need this to stop,' said Herve Comeau, the Black Lives Matter organizer. Moments before arresting Maurice Crawley, the cop shouted: 'say one word, your a** is going to jail' The short video started when Crawley began filming a driver being frisked by police during a traffic stop At the start of the nearly four-minute video, Crawley can be heard saying he decided to go live to 'see what's going on with these boys, make sure they're doing everything they're supposed to be doing.' Police said they are investigating the circumstances of the arrest. At the start of the nearly four-minute video showing a white officer and a black officer arresting a motorist, Crawley can be heard saying he decided to go live to 'see what's going on with these boys, make sure they're doing everything they're supposed to be doing'. A few seconds later, Crawley zooms in on the black officer handcuffing and searching the man who had been in a car the officers pulled over. Maine GOP chairman apologizes to gay Democrat, can keep job PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The head of the Republican Party in a Maine county will be permitted to keep his position after apologizing for degrading an openly gay Democratic lawmaker in an email. The Portland Press Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2aPjouz ) the executive committee of York County Republicans voted Wednesday to not take disciplinary action against county GOP chairman Jim Booth. Both Republicans and Democrats called for Booth's resignation after he sent an email to party activists referring to Saco Rep. Justin Chenette as "Little Justine" on several occasions. The email goes on to say "there is a lot of HATE" for Chenette, who is seeking election to the Maine Senate. Chenette says he appreciated Booth's apology but is disappointed by the committee's decision to retain him. ___ Special prosecutor to help in Minnesota police killing case ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A Minnesota prosecutor said Friday that he won't step aside but will add a special prosecutor to his team as he decides whether to charge a police officer in the fatal shooting of a black motorist, whose case gained national attention after the shooting's gruesome aftermath was broadcast live online. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said he was elected to uphold the law and intends to fulfill his duty when investigating the July 6 death of Philando Castile. But he said he will incorporate a special prosecutor into his team to enhance trust in the results. Choi named former U.S. Department of Justice attorney Don Lewis, who is black, to that role. The former law school dean also helped investigate allegations of excessive force in the arrest of a black community activist in 2014 in Minneapolis. In that case, Lewis said the officers were justified. Former U.S. Department of Justice attorney Don Lewis has been added to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi's team as they investigate the July 6 death of Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul, Minn. "This independent perspective can only enhance the integrity and legitimacy of our decision in this case," Choi said Friday, July 29, 2016. "This is ultimately what justice requires." (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP) "This independent perspective can only enhance the integrity and legitimacy of our decision in this case," Choi said. "This is ultimately what justice requires." The Castile family's attorney, Glenda Hatchett, had asked for a special prosecutor but said the family was pleased with Choi's decision, calling it a "good step in the right direction." She said she listened to the prosecutor's reasoning and understood his decision. "At the end of the day, what we're seeking is that justice be done," Hatchett said. Lewis said he was proud to join the case. He said he agreed that those empowered to make prosecuting decisions must be accountable to the public, and he's committed to ensuring the process is fact-based, even-handed and transparent. "My hope, whatever the outcome, is that my work in John's office will earn the trust and confidence ... of those, who today, expect the least and fear the worst from our criminal justice system," he said. Castile, 32, was fatally shot during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul. Video showing Castile slumped over in the driver's seat, his shirt soaked with blood, was streamed live on Facebook by his girlfriend, who said Castile was reaching for his wallet when he was shot by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez. An attorney for Yanez, who is Latino, has said the officer was reacting to the presence of a gun and not Castile's race. The attorney also has said that one reason Yanez pulled Castile over was because he thought Castile looked like a "possible match" for an armed robbery suspect. The shooting is being investigated by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Choi said he hasn't been given the results of the investigation, and he had no details Friday on timing. But he noted that it took 13 weeks for the bureau to investigate another high-profile shooting involving police. Choi also said he hasn't decided whether he'll send the case to the grand jury or if his office will make the charging decision. He said Lewis would play an integral role in making that decision. Activists have urged Choi to avoid a grand jury, arguing that the panels rarely charge officers and the process is hidden from public view. Protesters have demonstrated repeatedly since Castile's death, often outside the official governor's residence in St. Paul. Nearly 70 protesters were arrested this week as police attempted to clear the street in front of the residence. Lewis, a St. Paul native, is a former law school dean at St. Paul's Hamline University. He has spent much of his career in private practice at a law firm he co-founded that focuses on defending corporate clients. He also has worked in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and for the U.S. Attorney's Office. Lewis was hired by the city of Minneapolis last year to investigate allegations of excessive force in an activist's 2014 arrest. Lewis ultimately wrote that officers were justified in the way they handled the arrest. He also recently served as general counsel to an independent task force that was reviewing policies of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis related to clergy sexual abuse of minors. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota had also called for a special prosecutor to take over Castile's case. Teresa Nelson, the group's legal director, said Friday that it appears Lewis won't have any independent authority. She said the ACLU will continue to ask that a truly independent special prosecutor be appointed. ___ Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyforliti . More of her work can be found at: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/amy-forliti Former U.S. Department of Justice attorney Don Lewis, left, speaks after being added to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi's, right, team as they investigate the July 6 death of Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul, Minn. "This independent perspective can only enhance the integrity and legitimacy of our decision in this case," Choi said Friday, July 29, 2016. "This is ultimately what justice requires." (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP) Thousands rush to see Kilauea lava flow reach ocean HILO, Hawaii (AP) The lava flow from Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano vent has attracted thousands of visitors since it began oozing down in May and finally reached the ocean this week. Keaka Hunter, a security guard patrolling the area, said about 2,000 people came to see the flow Monday night, hours before the lava entered the ocean for the first time in nearly three years. Previous days drew an average of about 1,000 people. The U.S. Geological Survey is cautioning visitors about safety risks, which include flying debris and acidic plume containing fine volcanic particles that can irritate the eyes, skin and lungs. The new land may also be unstable because it's built on unconsolidated lava fragments and sand, which can easily be eroded by surf. Visitors hoping to catch the picturesque views have hiked the more than 4-mile route along a gravel road to get a closer look. Signs posted at the Kalapana entrance warn visitors to bring plenty of water and "be ready a long hard hike." Derek Scott, a 16-year-old visitor from Canada, was one of those who made the journey through the county viewing area and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to catch a glimpse of the lava flow from Kilauea's Puu Oo vent. Austrian court: Suggesting right-winger is Nazi is no crime VIENNA (AP) An Austrian court has cleared a left-wing politician of defaming right-wing presidential candidate Norbert Hofer by suggesting he is a Nazi. Hofer took Social Democrat Ingo Mayr to court after Hofer won about a third of the vote in the first round of elections in April. Among other things, Mayr had said that a third of the electorate "chose a Nazi." The court on Friday noted that Hofer's Freedom Party not only "does not distance itself from extreme-right groups" but seeks contact with them. Hofer narrowly lost to left-leaning candidate Alexander Van der Bellen in a May runoff that was annulled after the Freedom Party said the vote was marred by major irregularities during ballot counts. The two face off again Oct. 2. Idaho deputies who shot, killed rancher won't face charges BOISE, Idaho (AP) It's clear that something went tragically wrong when two Idaho sheriff's deputies fatally shot an armed rancher a dozen times in a confrontation about putting down a bull hit by a car, but there was not enough evidence to charge them with a crime, the state attorney general said Friday. Federal officials came to the same conclusion about the death of Jack Yantis, 62. The Nov. 1 shooting divided the tiny western town of Council and put a focus on the interaction between ranchers and police in the state's rural areas, where it is common for vehicles to strike livestock and for the animals' owners to come with guns to euthanize them. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden spent four months reviewing thousands of pages of reports, lab results, witness statements and other materials but could not review video recordings because neither deputy had turned on their body cameras. He said the lack of footage hindered the investigation. Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden describes the motion that witnesses described Jack Yantis made with his rifle toward two Adam County Sheriff's deputies. The conclusion of the office's investigation into Yantis' death were released Friday, July 29, 2016 in Boise, Idaho. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP) Yantis was having dinner with family and a friend when a car hit a 2,500-pound bull along a highway near his property. The people in the car were badly injured, and emergency workers feared the agitated and injured bull would hurt someone. Adams County sheriff's Deputy Cody Roland had dispatchers call Yantis to come euthanize the bull. Meanwhile, Deputy Brian Wood felt the animal was acting aggressively and shot it several times. The bull was still alive but lying down when Yantis, armed with a rifle, his wife Donna, and nephew Rowdy Paradis arrived. What happened next is disputed by witnesses, investigative reports say. Yantis loaded his gun and approached the bull to put it down, but deputies felt he was preparing to shoot from an angle that would put others at risk. Wood approached Yantis, and some witnesses said the two had a physical altercation. Gunfire erupted, with one bullet coming from Yantis' rifle and more than a dozen from the deputies' weapons. But Wasden could not determine who shot first based on the witness statements. Five minutes after dispatchers called Yantis for help, he was dead, shot 12 times. Neither deputy was injured. Yantis' family has said the shooting was not justified and filed a legal notice of their intent to sue the county earlier this year. Attorney Charles Peterson said the family was saddened that no charges would be filed. "Donna Yantis watched as her husband was gunned down, today's decision doesn't change that," Peterson said, though the family will finally be able to look at the evidence. The investigative file is available to the public on the attorney general's website. Wasden said transparency was important in a case that left the community shaken. "I can't think of anything that would be more devastating or tragic," he said. Wasden said Idaho's laws required him to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the shooting was not justified, not that it was justified. That's a higher bar and one impossible to reach with the conflicting witness statements, lack of video footage and limited evidence, he said. His investigation didn't address other civil policy issues, like whether ranchers should be called to assist when an animal is injured. The state's decision came the same day U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson announced that she would not pursue federal charges. Olson said Yantis' death was a tragedy, but the evidence did not show the deputies intended to break the law. "I'm glad to have this part of the process behind us, but we are a long ways from having this over," Sheriff Ryan Zollman said. "This is one step closer to healing our community." Zollman said he had been advised by attorneys not to comment further because of ongoing litigation. ___ This story has been corrected to show the name of Deputy Cody Roland was misspelled Rolland. Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden explains his office's investigation into the death of Jack Yantis after releasing the results Friday, July 29, 2016, in Boise, Idaho. The Council rancher was shot during an incident with Adams County Sheriff's deputies in November 2015. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP) PHILADELPHIA Eight years ago, President Barack Obama energized a young, multicultural coalition that helped elect him to two terms in the White House. Now that Obama has passed the baton to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton this week at the Democratic National Convention, its up to Clinton to court those same voters if she wants to replicate Obamas victories. Clinton accepted her partys nomination in a speech to Democratic delegates here Thursday night. Then, both major parties conventions will be done, shifting the focus to Clintons general election battle with Republican nominee Donald Trump. The 2016 electorate is expected to be the most diverse in U.S. history, creating an opening for Clinton to again tap the so-called Obama coalition of young and minority voters. But its far from clear if Clinton can match Obamas appeal to those groups. Clinton faces at least three challenges: getting Obama coalition voters to support her by the overwhelming margins that they did Obama, making sure they come to the polls, and capturing supporters of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, many of whom are millennials. Wisconsin Democratic delegates who spoke to the Wisconsin State Journal at the convention this week offered several prescriptions for Clinton: Use surrogates with diverse backgrounds, show more compassion and humanity, and acknowledge Sanders influence in shaping her agenda. Some said Clinton and her allies must stress that such voters have little choice but to back her when Trump is the alternative. Marcelia Nicholson, a fourth-grade teacher from Milwaukee, acknowledged Clinton must overcome a perception that shes inauthentic. Nicholson was a delegate to the national convention who supported Sanders. There are lot of young people and people of color who are upset that Bernie was not the nominee, Nicholson said. If (Clinton) can just get through that, and understand that if she opened her arms, remains compassionate ... Im sure in time that she could unite us all and build that trust with us. Hillary needs us Speaking to the convention Wednesday night, Obama urged Americans to reject what he characterized as Trumps authoritarian rhetoric, fear, divisiveness and misplaced nostalgia. Obama called on voters to support Clinton because of what he described as her experience and tenacity. It was the sort of message that helped Obama assemble his coalition eight years ago. In addition to minorities and millennials, that coalition also included secular voters and highly educated whites. Wooing the same pack of voters who backed Obama is not Clintons only path to victory. She could assemble her own coalition. But the surest and most direct path would be to draw on one thats already constructed. One of the challenges for Clinton or any candidate in reanimating Obamas coalition is that two of its key groups, Latinos and young voters, have an uneven history in showing up to vote. Jaime Alvarado, a national convention delegate from Milwaukee supporting Sanders, said he is working to change that. Alvarado, a community organizer with the liberal group Citizen Action of Wisconsin, said Clinton may have missed a chance to help her cause by selecting a running mate who is a person of color. Clinton picked U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. Others who reportedly were considered included Latinos such as U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro. State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, D-Milwaukee, represents Wisconsins largest concentration of Latino voters. Zamarripa, a national convention delegate supporting Clinton, said the campaign should use surrogates with diverse backgrounds to reach voters of color. In her own work as a Clinton surrogate, Zamarripa said she expects to emphasize the candidates colossal divide on immigration policy. Clinton supports a path to citizenship for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, while Trump has vowed to build a wall with Mexico and create a massive deportation force to drive immigrants out. These minority constituencies are very organically going to gravitate toward Hillary Clinton if theyre not already there, Zamarripa said. There is no other major presidential candidate for this coalition. Hillary needs us, and I believe that we absolutely need her too. The Trump alternative Democratic pollster Paul Maslin said the fact that Clinton is facing Trump could be her biggest asset in wooing Obamas coalition. What she may lack in her ability to excite those people, the fear of Trumps policies and Trumps strongman tactics may produce, Maslin said. Sanders, I-Vt., built his surprisingly potent presidential bid on what many voters, including millennials, saw as his authenticity and emphasis on pocketbook issues. His support for raising the minimum wage and making college free appealed to young voters disproportionately affected by those issues. U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, a Clinton supporter, said Sanders supporters need to get their fellow travelers on board with Clinton. For Moore, that admonition is personal as well as political. Her son, Supreme Moore Omokunde of Milwaukee, was a national convention delegate supporting Sanders. My constant refrain to him is: You have a tremendous responsibility as a strident Bernie supporter to make sure that millennials and others who were Bernie supporters come into the fold and really do the work thats necessary to win this election in November, Moore told reporters. Clinton recently has moved on some issues in an apparent effort to court those in Sanders camp. Shortly before the convention, she issued a proposal to eliminate tuition at in-state public colleges and universities for families making $125,000 or less per year. Nicholson, as a young African-American woman, said the issues of police use of force and racial disparities are crucial. She felt Sanders addressed them more directly than Clinton. I think it was something that Hillary Clinton was very political about, Nicholson said. If she admits that it was (Sanders) leadership in that area that opened her eyes and helped her to realize that theres a set of people that have been ignored for a very, very long time then I think we can start to build that trust. Police: Girl, 14, slits teen's throat in hope of first kill MADISON, Wis. (AP) A 14-year-old Wisconsin girl tried to kill her brother's girlfriend, slitting her throat and telling her during the attack that she was a psychopath looking for her first kill, according to investigators. Kali Jade Bookey of New Richmond, a city of 8,400 people about 35 miles east of Minneapolis, was charged as an adult Thursday with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. She could face up to 40 years in prison, if she's convicted. She was being held without bail Friday in juvenile custody pending a preliminary hearing Aug. 8. Her attorney, Barbara Miller, didn't immediately respond to an email or a voicemail seeking comment. According to a criminal complaint, which the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram first reported about, Bookey called the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday morning to report that two men in a green pickup truck had tried to abduct her while she was riding her bike. She told the men that her brother's girlfriend was home alone and they should take her instead. Deputies responded to the girlfriend's trailer and found her in a bedroom bleeding profusely. The 15-year-old girl was taken by ambulance to a hospital. There, she told investigators that Bookey had attacked her. She said she was sleeping in her bedroom when Bookey, dressed in black, appeared in her room and put her hands over her mouth. A struggle ensued and Bookey punched her in the face multiple times and broke two bowls over her head. Bookey used one of the bowl shards to cut her and slit her throat, she said. The victim said Bookey asked her if she wanted to die or bleed out, so she opted to bleed out, the complaint states. Bookey told the victim she had been biking by her house and noting the times when she was alone, and she described herself as a crazy psychopath looking for her first kill, saying she probably would kill again. Bookey then told her to "have a nice afterlife" and left the trailer. According to investigators, Bookey initially stuck to her story about being abducted when investigators questioned her. She later said she hated the girl because the girl made her brother happier than she could. She said she knew the girlfriend's mother left her alone three days in a row, the complaint states. Bookey said she left her house around 4 a.m. on her bike and rode 11 miles to the girlfriend's trailer, investigators stated. She wanted to scare her so she and her mother would move away and her brother would "come back to the family." Bookey confirmed many of the details of the attack that investigators had learned from the girlfriend. Authorities said Bookey told them she didn't want the victim to die, but that she wanted her to pass out from blood loss so she could leave. Bookey said she had been thinking about attacking the girlfriend for about a week and a half and planned out how she would do it during other bike rides. Bookey's mother, Dawn Bookey, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that her family had no idea that her daughter was apparently plotting to attack the girlfriend. "We had no clue," the mother said. "There were no signs. We're all very, very sad." She declined to comment further. ___ Editor in South Sudan is released on bail NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) An editor in South Sudan says that prominent journalist Alfred Taban was released on bail Friday after being held for two weeks ago following the publication of an editorial calling on the country's president and vice president to resign. Ann Nimiriano, co-editor of the Juba Monitor newspaper, told The Associated Press that the elderly Taban remains in hospital where he was transferred while in detention. Amnesty International said Taban had been charged with "publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to Southern Sudan" and "undermining the authority of or insulting the president." The Latest: Ruling against US Sen. Menendez will be appealed PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Latest on an appeals court ruling in the corruption case against Sen. Bob Menendez (all times local): 1:20 p.m. An attorney for U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez says he will ask the full 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review a three-judge panel's ruling allowing the corruption case against him to move forward. Abbe Lowell says he will appeal Friday's decision to the full circuit court and then to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. Lowell argues that charges accusing the New Jersey Democrat of accepting gifts in exchange for political influence should be tossed because of a constitutional clause that protects the actions of sitting lawmakers. Lowell argues that the senator's meetings with government officials were held to discuss policy matters, not to benefit a wealthy friend. Menendez and Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen have pleaded not guilty. ___ 10:15 a.m. A federal appeals court has refused to dismiss corruption charges against U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey. An attorney for the indicted Democrat had argued the charges should be tossed because of a constitutional clause that protects the actions of sitting lawmakers. But the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia on Friday ruled against that. The panel found the dispute is something that needs to be decided at trial. Menendez's lawyer argued in February that the senator's meetings with government officials were held to discuss policy matters, not to benefit a wealthy friend. Prosecutors allege the friend, Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, plied Menendez with gifts and campaign donations in exchange for political influence. Montel Williams detained in Germany over medical marijuana FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) A spokesman for Montel Williams says the television personality was detained by customs officials at an airport in Germany after inadvertently leaving prescription marijuana powder in his luggage. Jonathan Franks tells The Associated Press that Williams was held for about an hour Friday morning at the airport in Frankfurt while traveling on vacation. Franks says Williams was let go after showing a doctor's note verifying the marijuana was for medicinal purposes. Franks says Williams was neither arrested nor cited. Frankfurt airport police and the city's customs office were not immediately reachable late Friday, and there was no immediate response to an emailed query. FILE - In this May 21, 2013 file photo, Montel Williams attends the "Now You See Me" premiere at AMC Lincoln Square, in New York. Williams' spokesman told The Associated Press that Williams was detained for about an hour at an airport in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, July 29, 2016, after inadvertently leaving prescription marijuana powder in his luggage. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) Saudi denies rights groups' claims it is blockading Yemen SANAA, Yemen (AP) The Saudi-led coalition has disputed reports by rights groups that it is imposing a blockade on Yemen, saying it facilitates the passage of humanitarian aid without delay and in "record time." In a Friday statement, the coalition says that the health situation in Yemen is at the top of its priorities. "The coalition forces give permits to all the relief and humanitarian ships, immediately, periodically, in record time, and without inspection, and to all the Yemeni ports." The coalition has been backing the internationally-recognized government in its war against Shiite rebels known as Houthis and their allies. School official indicted on federal child pornography charge TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Authorities say a high-ranking school official in one of Alabama's largest counties has been indicted on federal charges of child enticement and child pornography. The indictment of Jefferson County Schools' personnel director Brett William Kirkham was announced Friday by federal prosecutors. Kirkham already faced state charges of having sex with students in two counties. In June 2006, he was arrested in Tuscaloosa County on charges of being a school employee and having sex with a student younger than 19. In Jefferson County, officials said Kirkham was charged with having sex with a student. The Latest: 4 bodies recovered in wreckage of medical plane ARCATA, Calif. (AP) The Latest on a small medical transport plane that crashed in Northern California (all times local): 3:55 p.m. Authorities say they have recovered all four bodies from the wreckage of a small medical transport plane that crashed in Northern California early Friday. An engine nose cone with a bent propellor blade from a medical transport plane that crashed is shown on a road east of Crannell, Calif., Friday, July 29, 2016. Authorities found the wreckage of a small medical transport plane with four people aboard and confirmed at least two deaths Friday after the pilot reported smoke filling the cockpit and a search started across a densely forested mountain range in Northern California. (Shaun Walker/The Times-Standard via AP) Humboldt County's chief deputy coroner, Ernie Stewart, confirmed to The Associated Press that his office has received four victims. Two people were confirmed dead earlier Friday. Stewart declined to identify the bodies until next of kin has been notified. A pilot was taking a flight nurse, a transport medic and a patient from Crescent City, near the Oregon border, to Oakland. Rescue teams found the crash site Friday on land owned by a private timber company in Humboldt County, about 280 miles north of San Francisco. ___ 11:25 a.m. Authorities say searchers have found the wreckage of a small medical transport plane in remote Northern California and that at least two people are dead. A pilot was taking a flight nurse, a transport medic and a patient from Crescent City, near the Oregon border, to Oakland. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office didn't immediately release information about the fates of the other two people aboard. Rescue teams found the crash site Friday on land owned by a private timber company in Humboldt County, about 280 miles north of San Francisco. Officials say the pilot reported smoke filling the cockpit and declared an emergency around 1 a.m. The National Transportation and Safety Board has been notified. ___ 11 a.m. Authorities in Northern California are narrowing down the search for a missing medical transport plane with four people aboard. Officials say the pilot reported smoke filling the cockpit and declared an emergency early Friday. He was flying a flight nurse, a transport medic and a patient from Crescent City, near the Oregon border, to Oakland. A crew on the ground is combing a remote area owned by a private timber company until thick fog lifts in the early afternoon. That's when a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter will assist in the search. The Federal Aviation Administration says the pilot planned to return to Crescent City before vanishing from radar near an airport on the far northern coast. Don Wharton, spokesman for the plane's parent company, REACH Air Medical Services, says flights at night are common and he's trying to remain hopeful. ___ 9:15 a.m. Authorities say they're searching for a small medical transport plane with four people aboard that has been missing for about eight hours in Northern California. The Federal Aviation Administration says the pilot of the Piper PA31 declared an emergency around 1 a.m. Friday when smoke filled the cockpit. REACH Air Medical Services says in a statement that the plane was carrying the pilot, a flight nurse, a transport medic and a patient. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor says the plane planned to fly about 360 miles from Crescent City, near the Oregon border, to Oakland. Gregor says the pilot reported that he planned to return to Crescent City before losing contact. The plane went missing from radar 5 miles north of the Arcata-Eureka Airport on the far northern coast of California. Change-of-plea hearing set for suspect in US Capitol plot CINCINNATI (AP) A change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for a man accused of plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol in support of the Islamic State group. A hearing for 22-year-old Christopher Lee Cornell has been set for Monday in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. The hearing notice filed in court Friday doesn't say what the change involves, but such hearings often signal a defendant is about to plead guilty. Previously, Cornell pleaded not guilty to four charges, including attempted murder of U.S. officials and employees. He has been held without bond since his January 2015 arrest in Cincinnati. This Friday, July 29, 2016, photo made available by the Boone County Jail in Burlington, Ky., shows Christopher Lee Cornell of Green Township in suburban Cincinnati. Cornell, accused of plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol in support of the Islamic State group, has a change-of-plea hearing scheduled Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, after he previously pleaded not guilty to four charges including attempted murder of U.S. officials and employees. (Boone County Jail via AP) Cornell's attorney, Martin Pinales, didn't immediately return a call Friday seeking comment. Justice Department spokeswoman Jennifer Thornton said the government would reserve comment until after the hearing. U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith ruled April 19 that Cornell was competent to stand trial after his attorneys questioned his mental state. The FBI said agents arrested Cornell in a gun shop parking lot near his home west of Cincinnati. They said he had just bought two M-15 assault weapons and ammunition and planned to attack the Capitol with pipe bombs and guns. Cornell was arrested as concern was increasing over Islamic State group militant efforts to recruit homegrown lone-wolf terrorists. Cornell, of Green Township, wanted to "wage jihad" and sent messages on social media and posted video in support of Islamic State group militants and violent attacks by others, the FBI has said. After his arrest, Cornell told WXIX-TV of Cincinnati that he wanted to shoot President Barack Obama in the head. Cornell's father has said his son was misled and coerced by "a snitch." ___ Trump's Russia reset ideas alarming allies, many in US PHILADELPHIA (AP) Donald Trump's flurry of offhand remarks and abrupt zingers on Russia praising Vladimir Putin, dismissing NATO have jolted the world, not to mention the U.S. presidential campaign. With Russia's behavior rattling nerves in the U.S. and abroad, the Republican presidential nominee is accused of cozying up to a "dictator." Of threatening the very underpinnings of America's relationship with Europe. And of naivete. For all that, some of Trump's goals are consistent with long-held U.S. views, many experts say. The idea of fostering U.S.-Russian cooperation isn't outlandish after all, Hillary Clinton tried to "reset" relations with Russia as secretary of state. And past U.S. administrations of both parties have quietly complained that other NATO members should pay their share to the alliance. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Thursday, July 28, 2016, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) It's what Trump is willing to do to achieve those goals and the way he expresses his views that have shocked many foreign policy experts. The notion of refusing to defend NATO allies who don't pay their bills, for example, or of buddying up to Putin despite his aggressive stances is jarring to Democrats and Republicans alike. On Wednesday, Trump offered this vision for rosier U.S.-Russian relations: "I would treat Vladimir Putin firmly but there's nothing that I can think of that I'd rather do than have Russia friendly as opposed to the way they are right now so that we can go and knock out ISIS together along with other people and with other countries," he said. "Wouldn't it be nice if we actually got along with people?" Trump also praised the Russian president for having "better leadership qualities" than President Barack Obama and indicated he'd consider lifting sanctions against Moscow and recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea. As for NATO, Trump said the basic idea of the alliance was OK but that "it's got to be modernized. And countries that we're protecting have to pay what they're supposed to be paying." Days earlier, he suggested that he would decide whether to protect NATO allies against Russian aggression based on whether they had "fulfilled their obligations" financially. And his offhand invitation for Russia to help unearth the deleted emails from Clinton's State Department years appeared to violate a cardinal rule against foreign meddling in U.S. politics. Foreign policy experts of all stripes "are left slack-jawed" by Trump's pronouncements, said Derek Chollet, a senior adviser at the German Marshall Fund and former Pentagon official in the Obama administration. "He looks at the world solely through the prism of business transactions, talking about allies as if they're Atlantic City contractors that he can bilk," said Chollet, who spoke out in favor of Clinton during her Democratic primary campaign against Sen. Bernie Sanders. But Steven Cohen, professor emeritus of Russian studies at Princeton and New York University, credits Trump for homing in on issues that are ripe for discussion. He said that while Trump talks "elliptically" and "just can't wonk," the GOP nominee "in his own way seems to be advocating detente," which Cohen sees as an admirable goal. Cohen said it's time for critics to stop using "McCarthyite" language to demonize Trump and have a serious discussion about the issues he's raising. "It's called a debate," said Cohen. "You're supposed to have them in a presidential campaign." Yet Democrats are not the only ones to recoil at Trump's remarks. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, among other top Republicans, swiftly expressed disagreement with the nominee and promised that other NATO members can count on the U.S. to defend them. David Kramer, who was a State Department official in the George W. Bush administration, said he and many other foreign policy thinkers see "a Russia that poses a threat. He (Trump) sees a leader in Vladimir Putin who he thinks he can develop a good relationship with." Trump's comment about Crimea and Russian sanctions, says Kramer, sent "terrible signals and will be interpreted not only as a betrayal by the United States of our allies but as rewarding aggressive behavior by Russia." In the 2012 presidential campaign, the dynamic over Russia was switched: Republican nominee Mitt Romney then criticized Obama for being too accommodating toward Russia. And Democrats were the ones faulting Romney for saying that Russia was America's "No. 1 geopolitical foe." Obama's early hope for that reset with Moscow had largely evaporated even before Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and its military intervention in eastern Ukraine, which unnerved countries on NATO's eastern flank that fear they also may be targets of Russian intimidation or aggression. Against that backdrop, Trump's remarks raising doubts about honoring U.S. NATO commitments created an international uproar. Julianne Smith, a former deputy national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, said Trump doesn't seem to grasp the complexities of the U.S. relationship with Russia, reflecting both inexperience and a lack of strong advisers. "It's not a question of whether Putin is good or bad," she said. "It's about handling a very delicate and volatile situation that can go sour very quickly." Chollet said Trump's accommodating attitude toward Putin, his "gut impulse" policymaking, his idea of making a "game-day decision" about whether to honor NATO promises, and the lack of specifics about how he'd achieve his goals are what make him so dangerous. Yet others note that even the current Obama administration depends on Russia and seeks its help with many world crises. In Syria, despite deep mutual frustration, the U.S. and Russia are trying to work together to end a five-year civil war that has led to global terrorism fears. They're even discussing a military alliance against the Islamic State group. Cooperation extends to the Iran nuclear deal, North Korea and more. ___ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Toledo, Ohio, and Bradley Klapper, Robert Burns and Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Tourists urged not to panic about Zika's spread in Florida MIAMI (AP) There's no official warning to stay clear of Florida, but the crowds that usually wander among the bold street murals in Miami's trendy Wynwood arts district may be thinner after reports that mosquitoes in the area have spread the Zika virus on the U.S. mainland for the first time. Officials are trying to reassure tourists they'll be safe when visiting Florida's theme parks and urban arts districts. But some Miami residents said Friday they were stocking up on mosquito repellent and planning to bring lunches to work instead of sitting at outdoor cafe tables under Wynwood's bright murals. "I'm freaking out ... but at the same time I don't want to freak out," said Wynwood resident Zoe Schultze as she cradled her 6-month-old son in her arms while she stopped for coffee with her husband. Vanessa Gomez, 33, left, with her son Ezra, 2, and her friend Cristy Fernandez, 33, with her 9-month-old- son River, of Miami, walk in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Friday, July 29, 2016. Florida health officials said that four patients in Florida infected with the Zika virus were infected in the Wynwood area. These cases are believed to have caught the virus locally through mosquito bites. Gomez said the news is "scary but we cannot stop living our lives." To the left are Olivia Gomez, 5, and Kaly Fernandez. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) No mosquitoes in Miami or elsewhere in Florida have tested positive for Zika, but four Miami-area patients who contracted the disease did not get it by traveling to an outbreak country or from sex with an infected person. Officials say those four are apparently the first of over 1,650 U.S. Zika cases to have gotten the disease from a mosquito in the U.S. Gov. Rick Scott pinpointed the infections to Wynwood, and the state's agriculture commissioner issued a mosquito declaration that triggers aggressive mosquito control efforts within a 200-yard radius of the homes of the patients with locally acquired cases. Leasing agent Crystal Armand said she'd avoid the area's boutiques and art galleries for a while. "I'll probably bring lunch for a couple more weeks until they clear it up," she said. The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday there were no plans to recommend limiting travel to South Florida. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he's confident in local mosquito control because they've successfully fought off outbreaks of West Nile, dengue fever and chikungunya. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said repellent is sold at entrances to the Orlando area's three major theme parks. "If you're coming to Florida as a tourist, if you're coming to the theme parks, then you're coming to some of the safest places in the world because they have mosquito control down like no place else," said Jacobs. The theme parks are known for keeping their properties well-maintained. Officials say the parks also have far bigger mosquito control operations than local governments. "They keep their property very clean, spic and span," said Carl Boohene, director of mosquito control in Polk County, where LEGOLAND Florida is located. Walt Disney World is surrounded by swamps and woodland areas, which aren't habitat for the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus, said Kelly Deutsch, acting manager of Orange County's mosquito control. The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes prefer living among people in urban areas. While Universal Orlando and SeaWorld are in Orlando, nothing around them is cause for concern, Deutsch said. "Most of these areas are pretty well manicured and maintained," she said. Osceola County mosquito control officials have been talking with independent and mom-and-pop hotels near Disney that may not contract pest control like national hotel chains. "What we have been doing is going out to the hotels and talking to the maintenance staff and educating them what to look for, because going out and mowing the grass and just keeping the place clean isn't the same as looking for standing water," said Terry Torrens, the county's mosquito control director. Repellent is available at LEGOLAND Florida, which follows county guidelines for mosquito spraying and removing standing water where insects can breed. "We also offer several air conditioned attractions, including the newly reimagined imagination zone if they'd prefer to spend time indoors," resort spokeswoman Brittany Williams said in an email. A Disney spokeswoman referred questions about its Zika preparedness to the CDC guidelines for preventing mosquito bites. Officials at Universal Orlando and SeaWorld did not respond to emails asking for information. The parks intensified their fight against nuisance mosquitoes over a decade ago when the West Nile virus first surfaced in the U.S., said industry consultant Dennis Speigel. "It's something that goes on daily, multiple times a day. They spend a ton on it," he said. The state activated a Zika information hotline for residents and visitors, and health officials have led public campaigns reminding people to wear repellent. Visitors to South Florida in the last month have been urged to put off donating blood. Anyone bitten by mosquitoes in Florida could help public health experts trying to track the disease through the Mosquito Byte! smartphone app , a project led by North Carolina State University entomologist Michael Reiskind. Women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant should take extra precautions. The health risk will drop further in the fall after the region's mosquito season peak, Reiskind said. "It seems a likely place to see a pathogen emerge because there's lots of travelers," he said. "But if there's good mosquito control, it doesn't matter, you won't get transmission." ___ Associated Press writer Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, contributed to this report. FILE - In this Tuesday, June 28, 2016, file photo, Evaristo Miqueli, a natural resources officer with Broward County Mosquito Control, takes water samples decanted from a watering jug, checking for the presence of mosquito larvae in Pembroke Pines, Fla. The officers make daily inspections and respond to resident's complaints about mosquitoes, as part of their mosquito control procedure. Florida's governor said Friday, July 29, that the state likely has the first cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Florida Gov. Rick Scott speaks at a news conference, Friday, July 29, 2016, in Orlando, Fla., where he announced that the state likely has the first cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland. (Naseem Miller/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Human Coalition Launches Three-year Initiative with Church of God in Christ Contact: Robert E. Coleman, Jr., Public Relations Director, Church Of God In Christ, Inc., 901-235-2160; Meg McCrory, Senior Director of Marketing Communications, Human Coalition, 214-295-7301 PLANO, Texas, July 29, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Human Coalition is honored to announce the inauguration of a three-year initiative with the Church Of God In Christ to advance their common mission of making abortion unthinkable and unavailable in America. Together, Human Coalition and the Church Of God In Christ (COGIC), which is the oldest Pentecostal denomination in the country, will work to promote the culture of life in African-American communities. Bishop Charles Blake, Presiding Bishop of the Church Of God In Christ, praised the initiative as a much-needed response to tragedy in the modern world. "We see an escalation in violence around the world that is troubling," Bishop Blake said. "Terrorism, racial tension in America, and escalating crime. Indeed, this violence worsens daily as hundreds of thousands of children are snatched from their mothers' wombs prematurely and killed through abortion." Bishop Blake drew a poignant parallel between the life-saving ministry of pro-life Christians and Jesus' command to let the little children to come unto me. "What we do for the preborn and the born children in our society is our way of showing the Love and Compassion of Jesus Christ." Reverend Dean Nelson, Human Coalition's National Director of Church Outreach, called the initiative an answer to prayer. "COGIC has churches in every major city in America," said Rev. Nelson. "Over the next three years, we will work together to educate and activate the church as we move towards our goal of making abortion unthinkable in urban America." The joint initiative encompasses several objectives including: Both organizations will cooperatively work on abortion-ending strategic plans, city-by- city Human Coalition will provide training, resources, and education to enhance COGIC pro-life work COGIC members will utilize Human Coalitions prayer app to intercede for hurting women in cities across America Since November 2015, COGIC has engaged in a "Family Life Campaign" challenging church members to take personal action in the fight for life. Bishop Vincent Mathews, Jr., President of the International Missions Department, encouraged members to adopt children from the foster care system and babies in danger of being aborted. "It's about going home, rolling up your sleeves, and taking care of a child..." he told members. Bishop Mathews puts the harm done by abortion in perspective by comparing it to the Civil Rights violations of the last century. "Some 3,446 African-Americans were lynched in the U.S. between 1882 and 1986," he said. "We lose more African-Americans to abortion in this country every three days. Our church does not believe in abortion - we have to do something about it." "Launching a joint initiative with the Church Of God In Christ shows the power of collaboration and coalition as we rescue children and serve families across America," said Human Coalition President and Co-Founder, Brian Fisher. "African-Americans are disproportionally impacted by abortion, and I deeply appreciate the Church Of God In Christ's leadership in stopping this injustice. I hope other major denominations will join us as we work together to make abortion unthinkable and unavailable. Christians can and should end the abortion holocaust in our country." For any questions, please contact Robert E. Coleman, Jr., Public Relations Director at Church Of God In Christ, Inc. at 901-235-2160 or Meg McCrory, Senior Director of Marketing Communications, Human Coalition at 214-295-7301. The Church Of God In Christ is the oldest Pentecostal denominations in the World and the 4th largest Protestant group in the United States with churches in over 82 countries worldwide and a membership of nearly 6.5 million adherents. Human Coalition is one of the largest pro-life organizations in the country, committed to ending abortion in America by rescuing children and serving families in key, abortion-riddled communities nationwide. Canadian judge rules police entrapped in terror case VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) A Canadian couple found guilty of terror charges will walk free after a judge ruled Friday they were entrapped by the country's national police force in a police-manufactured crime. Justice Catherine Bruce of the British Columbia Supreme Court said police instigated and skillfully engineered the acts committed by John Nuttall and Amanda Korody, who believed they were planting pressure-cooker bombs that would blow up at the provincial legislature on Canada Day in 2013. "The world has enough terrorists. We do not need the police to create more out of marginalized people," Bruce said in a landmark ruling. "The defendants were the foot soldiers but the undercover officer was the leader of the group," she said. "Without the police it would have been impossible for the defendants to carry out the pressure-cooker plan." A jury found Nuttall and Korody guilty in June 2015 of three terrorism-related charges, but Bruce delayed registering the convictions at the request of defense lawyers, who wanted to argue the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had entrapped their clients. The case marks the first time in Canada that the legal defense of entrapment has been successfully argued in a terrorism case. Three previous attempts failed. Bruce said officers overstepped their authority during a months-long, undercover sting and their actions were egregious. "The police decided they had to aggressively engineer and plan for Nuttall and Korody and make them think it was their own," she said. "To say they were unsophisticated is generous," she said, adding there was no imminent threat to the public from a pair who demonstrated they were not intelligent but naive. An entrapment finding means Bruce will issue a stay of proceedings, which throws out the jury's guilty verdict. It won't appear on any criminal record and can't be used against the couple in the future. Had they been convicted, Nuttall and Korody would have a maximum sentence of life in prison. 3 popes at Auschwitz, 3 styles: What they said or didn't say OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) Pope Francis and his predecessors St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI each came to the memorial at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps in southern Poland. Each visit reflected the pontiffs' personal history and style. Each visit was closely watched by Catholics, Jews and others, especially because the wartime pontiff, Pius XII, has been criticized by those who feel he didn't act assertively enough to use his moral influence in much of the world to speak out against discrimination and then the systematic murder of Jews by Nazis, while defenders contend he used quiet Vatican diplomacy to save many Jews. Here is what they said and how they said it. Pope Francis walks through the gate of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, Friday, July 29, 2016. Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. (Filippo Monteforte/Pool Photo via AP) POPE JOHN PAUL II on June 7, 1979 The pope also called Karol Wojtyla was born in southern Poland in 1920, when Jewish communities were flourishing there. He said his first Mass in nearby Krakow, where he served as cardinal before being elected pontiff in 1978 in some of the darkest years of his nation's tenure under Communist rule. In his second pilgrimage abroad as pope, in 1979, he visited Auschwitz. Like Pope Francis on Friday, he prayed in the death cell of a Polish priest, but unlike Francis, John Paul celebrated Mass just outside the former death camp. He paused before a plaque in Hebrew and declared "it is not permitted to pass by with indifference." He called Auschwitz a "testimony to war," and said war brings with it "a disproportionate surge in hatred, destruction, cruelty." ___ POPE BENEDICT XVI on May 28, 2006 A few years younger than John Paul, Joseph Ratzinger was born in 1927 and raised in southern Germany. In 2006, a year after John Paul's death, Benedict visited Auschwitz. He denounced the mass murder of Europe's Jews by his native country's World War II rulers, confessing that it was hard for a "pope from Germany" even to speak of the Holocaust. He added it was "particularly troubling for a Christian, for a pope from Germany" to speak in "this place of horror." When he stopped to pray, a light rain stopped and a brilliant rainbow appeared over the camp. Benedict avoided using his native German language, except for a short prayer, speaking instead in Italian. He met 32 camp survivors, most of them Catholics. He made no mention of the controversy over Pius XII's wartime role. Benedict was enrolled in the Hitler Youth as a teenager against his will and drafted into the German army in the last months of World War II. ___ POPE FRANCIS on July 29, 2016 The Argentine-born Jorge Bergoglio, who was a toddler when World War II erupted in Europe, halfway across his world, visited Auschwitz and nearby Birkenau during his first-ever travels in Eastern Europe. Francis, 79, chose to express his feelings through what the Vatican called the "silence of sorrow." He spent long minutes in prayer and meditation Friday at the Nazi death camp. He gave no speech, and met briefly with 11 survivors, and then 25 people who risked their lives to hide or otherwise protect Jews. In the Auschwitz museum guest book, he wrote in his native Spanish his anguished reaction to the site: "Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty!" He signed it with his Latin name, Franciscus, and dated the entry 29.7.2016. ___ Governor signs bill reducing marijuana penalties in Illinois SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) Marijuana possession in small amounts in Illinois will be punishable by fines but not jail time after Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation Friday that makes the state the third largest to decriminalize minor pot offenses. The new law, which takes effect immediately, makes having 10 grams or less of marijuana will be a civil offense, punishable with a fine of up to $200. The Republican governor had been expected to sign the bill because it included language he requested after vetoing similar legislation last year. In his message to lawmakers at the time, Rauner said that existing penalties for petty marijuana offenses were too severe and that "criminal prosecution of cannabis possession is also a drain on public resources." The new law also sets a standard for what's considered too impaired to drive. Currently, any trace of marijuana is enough to be considered impaired, but marijuana advocates have long criticized zero-tolerance states' approach because marijuana can stay in a person's system for several weeks. The new law makes the standard 5 nanograms of THC, marijuana's intoxicating chemical, in a driver's blood within two hours of consumption. The Associated Press was first to report the bill signing. A state official with knowledge of the governor's decision told the AP about the signing but spoke on the condition of anonymity because a formal announcement had not yet been made. With Rauner's signature, Illinois joins 16 other states, including New York and California, that have decriminalized marijuana possession in small amounts. The governor's office said Rauner would not be making a statement on the bill signing. Police chiefs and sheriffs have expressed reservations about changing the law and worked with Rauner for weeks to prepare for its implementation. One police chief said he's concerned more people will have access to marijuana because of the change. "You're giving individuals more opportunities for drug usage," said Laimutis Nargelenas, a former lobbyist for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the current police chief for the Springfield Park District. He said authorities are working on developing paperwork for traffic infractions to track how many people are driving high across the state because of the law change. The sponsors of the bill praised Rauner's action, saying the state should focus on punishing and treating people for more serious drugs. "Fundamentally, this is about how we utilize our limited law enforcement resources," said Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat. About 100 Illinois communities, including Chicago, already give police discretion to issue citations instead of making arrests for having small amounts of the drug. Lawmakers said they were concerned that minorities were being treated differently by police when handled marijuana offenses. "We're treating people really differently across the state, and we should be really getting out of that," said Chicago Democratic Sen. Heather Steans, another bill sponsor. The law would also require municipalities to purge citation records for possession every six months, unless local governments decide against it. Supporters argue people shouldn't be saddled with lifelong criminal records for minor offenses that make it difficult to find employment or housing. The Latest: Judge refuses to let indicted sheriff carry gun LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) The Latest on a hearing for a Louisiana sheriff accused of making anti-Semitic threats against a prosecutor while awaiting trial on federal criminal charges (all times local): 3:00 p.m. A federal judge has refused to allow a south Louisiana sheriff accused of making anti-Semitic threats to carry a gun while awaiting trial on charges he directed officers to assault prisoners. During a hearing Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna said he can't "turn a blind eye" to statements like those that Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal allegedly made on tape. Prosecutors said an "unsolicited informant" recently provided them with recordings of a conversation in which Ackal claims he threatened to shoot a prosecutor between his "Jewish eyes" after the prosecutor vowed to send him to prison. Ackal has been prohibited from possessing firearms since his March indictment, but his attorney argued that recent killings of police officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas demonstrate he needs a gun to protect himself. ___ 7:05 a.m. A federal judge will decide if a south Louisiana sheriff accused of making anti-Semitic threats can carry a gun while awaiting trial on charges he directed officers to assault prisoners. Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal already is prohibited from possessing firearms following his indictment, but his attorney says recent killings of police officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas demonstrate he needs a gun to protect himself. U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna scheduled a hearing Friday for Ackal's bid to reclaim his gun and for prosecutors' request to bar him from possessing any weapons. The Latest: Condit lawyer: Client not a suspect in Levy case McLEAN, Va. (AP) The Latest on charges being dropped against the man once convicted of murder in the death of Washington intern Chandra Levy (all times local): 4 p.m. A lawyer for former Congressman Gary Condit of California says his client is not a suspect in the death of Washington intern Chandra Levy, even though prosecutors have dropped all charges against the man who once stood convicted of the slaying. FILE -- In this April 22, 2009 file photo, Ingmar Guandique is escorted from the Violent Crimes Unit by police in Washington. Prosecutors have dropped murder charges against Guandique who is awaiting new trial in Chandra Levy case. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) In a statement Friday, the lawyer said Condit remains "completely exonerated" in the death of Levy, who disappeared in 2001 and whose body was found in 2002 in Rock Creek Park. Condit, who had a relationship with Levy, was once a suspect in her disappearance, but police eventually cleared him. In 2009, they charged Ingmar Guandique, who had been convicted of attacks on women in Rock Creek Park. But the conviction was overturned amid questions about testimony from a jailhouse informant. On Thursday, prosecutors dropped all charges against Guandique. ___ 2:40 a.m. The 15-year-old mystery of who killed Washington intern Chandra Levy is again an open question after prosecutors dropped charges against the man who once stood convicted of her murder. A judge Thursday dismissed all charges against Ingmar Guandique after prosecutors said new developments left them unable to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutors refused to discuss details of what led them to abandon their case. Levy's 2001 disappearance became a national obsession after she was romantically linked to Gary Condit, then a Democratic congressman from California. Condit was once was a suspect, but authorities eventually charged and convicted Guandique. Last year, though, Guandique was granted a new trial after doubts emerged about a jailhouse informant who was the key witness at Guandique's initial trial. Woman in UN bribery scandal gets 20 months in prison NEW YORK (AP) A tearful U.S. citizen who bribed a top United Nations official to get support for business ventures was sentenced to 20 months in prison Friday by a judge who said bribery schemes do "substantial damage" to the U.N.'s image. Sheri Yan, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick in Manhattan after pleading guilty to a bribery charge in January. The judge said prison was necessary because of the seriousness of the crime. "There is substantial damage done to the U.N. and the image of the U.N. itself," Broderick said. "Whenever members of institutions accept or are given bribes, it diminishes that institution." Yan admitted paying more than $800,000 in bribes to former U.N. General Assembly President John Ashe, who died several weeks ago in an accident at home. He was awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to a tax charge in the case. Before the sentence was announced, Yan apologized, saying: "I will be forever punishing myself." "I am very, very, very sorry," she said, a stack of tissues she had used to wipe away tears resting on the table before her. Broderick rejected a request to keep Yan out of prison by defense attorney Christine Chung, who cited Yan's difficult childhood and "the shame and dishonor and the ripping down of her whole life" that resulted after her arrest last fall. Prosecutors sought a nearly six-year prison term. Chung described Ashe as a predator, seeking money at every turn. "He had his hand out constantly," she said. Chung said Yan, born in the Anhui province in China, was forcibly separated from her brother and their parents for six years in 1966 by the Cultural Revolution when her father, a painter and poet, and mother, an editor and news broadcaster, were forced into labor or "re-education." She came to the United States in 1987 with $400 sewn into her clothes and worked as a nanny and home attendant in Washington D.C., where she met her husband, the lawyer said. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2001. Chung said she was working as a consultant when she met Ashe in early 2012 in Hong Kong, where Ashe offered to make her an adviser when he became president of the General Assembly. By spring 2012, Yan was passing along bribes to Ashe. Prosecutors say funds for the bribes came largely from Ng Lap Seng, the Chinese head of a major real estate development company in Macau. Yan's plea agreement said she gave bribes to Ashe to persuade officials in Antigua to enter into business contracts with foreign companies. At the time, Ashe was an ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda. Poof! 'Ghostbusters' tweet cheering Clinton deleted A tweet from Sony Pictures' "Ghostbusters" account that many interpreted as an endorsement of Hillary Clinton has disappeared as quickly as a phantom. The studio tweeted "Boo-yah, we smashed your glass ceiling," on Thursday after Clinton became the first woman to lead a major U.S. political party. The message also had the hashtag "ImWithHer," a Clinton campaign motto. By Friday, it had been deleted. A spokeswoman for Sony told the Los Angeles Times that the tweet "was never intended to be a political endorsement." Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton arrive for a rally at McGonigle Hall at Temple University in Philadelphia, Friday, July 29, 2016. Clinton and Kaine will begin a three day bus tour through the rust belt. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Arkansas man completes 3,100 mile walk across the US LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) An Arkansas man has completed a 148-day, 3,100 mile walk across the United States. Ben Davis of Little Rock arrived Saturday at Pleasure Bay in Boston to finish the journey that began Feb. 27 in Los Angeles. He was met in Boston by more than two dozen friends, family and Instagram followers. Davis tells the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2ajrauW ) that being finished is exhilarating. Davis says he walked 25 to 30 miles per day while pushing a stroller that held his water and gear. Along the way he crossed the Mojave Desert, the Painted Desert, the Rockies and the Great Plains, adding that the most difficult part of the trip was long stretches of isolation. Human rights commission to continue monitoring Mexico case WASHINGTON (AP) The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has adopted a plan to continue monitoring the investigation into the 2014 disappearance of 43 students in Mexico. The commission laid out the elements of the agreement Friday with the support of the Mexican government and families of the missing. Under the agreement, a representative of the commission will make at least three trips to Mexico to check on advances in the investigation and release a statement at the conclusion of each visit. In particular, the commission will be tracking care for wounded students, the search for the missing, the criminal investigation and attention to the victims. Federal judge strikes down Wisconsin election laws MADISON, Wis. (AP) A federal judge on Friday threw out as unconstitutional a host of Wisconsin election laws passed in recent years, saying they unfairly benefited Republicans who had enacted them and made it more difficult for Democrats to vote. U.S. District Judge James Peterson's ruling keeps in place the state's voter identification law, unlike recent rulings in North Carolina and Texas, but he ordered broad changes. The sweeping ruling was a defeat for Republican Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP-controlled Legislature. It will not affect Wisconsin's upcoming Aug 9 primary, but will take effect for the Nov. 8 presidential election unless overturned on appeal. A spokesman for the state Department of Justice, which defended the laws, said the agency plans to appeal to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, though attorneys were still reviewing the 120-page decision Friday evening. Walker's spokesman Tom Evenson said the ruling issued at 5 p.m. Friday was still being reviewed and the governor would comment later. Peterson ordered the state to quickly issue credentials valid for voting to anyone trying to obtain a free photo ID for voting but lack the underlying documents such as birth certificates to obtain one. He called the state's current process for getting free IDs to people who lack such documents "a wretched failure" because it has left a number of overwhelmingly black and Hispanic citizens unable to obtain IDs. Peterson also struck down restrictions limiting municipalities to one location for in-person absentee voting and limiting in-person early voting to weekdays, allowing municipalities to hold weekend early voting sessions. He said imposing weekday limitations intentionally discriminates against Democratic-leaning blacks in Milwaukee. He also struck down an increase in residency requirements from 10 to 28 days, a prohibition on using expired but otherwise qualifying student IDs to vote and a prohibition on distributing absentee ballots by fax or email. "Wisconsin has the authority to regulate its elections to preserve their integrity, and a voter ID requirement can be part of a well-conceived election system," Peterson wrote. "But ... parts of Wisconsin's election regime fail to comply with the constitutional requirement that its elections remain fair and equally open to all qualified electors." The ruling came just hours after a federal appeals court blocked a North Carolina law that required voters to produce photo identification and included other provisions disproportionately affecting black voters. Judges in the Virginia-based 4th Circuit Court of Appeals said the law was enacted "with discriminatory intent." Earlier this month, a federal appeals court ruled that Texas' strict voter ID law discriminates against minorities and must be weakened before the November elections. And just last week, a federal judge in Milwaukee blew a hole in Wisconsin's voter ID law, saying people having trouble getting the required ID can sign an affidavit to vote in the Nob. 8 election. The two liberal groups who brought the lawsuit decided Friday One Wisconsin Institute and Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund Inc. argued the restrictions were unconstitutional and discriminate against the poor, racial minorities and younger voters who are more inclined to vote Democratic. They presented evidence at trial attempting to show that Republicans were motivated to pass the laws to suppress Democratic turnout. Defense attorneys countered that the laws, all passed since Walker and Republicans took control of the Legislature in 2011, have not suppressed turnout and that the state works hard to ensure everyone who needs a free ID to vote gets one. "This is a liberal judge's attempt to undermine our elections less than four months out," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Rochester Repubican, said in a statement. "It's also an obvious attempt to usurp the power of the legislature. I'm confident that the laws will be reinstated upon appeal. The measures did not disenfranchise voters; they protected the integrity of our elections and people's right to vote." Scot Ross, director of the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, an arm of One Wisconsin Institute, cheered the ruling. "We argued Gov. Walker made it harder for Democrats to vote and easier for Republicans to cheat, and the judge agreed," Ross said. Marc Elias, an attorney representing both liberal groups, said he was thrilled with the decision. His law firm has successfully challenged similar voting restrictions across the country. He said the rulings are steps toward correcting "voting restriction laws put in place by Republican legislators." There's been a concerted effort by Republicans nationwide since President Barack Obama took place to peel back voting rights and laws improving access to the polls that had been in place since 1965, he said. Atheism Destroyed with One Scientific Question Contact: Jen Thompson, Living Waters Publications, 800-437-1893, jthompson@livingwaters.com LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Filmmaker Ray Comfort, whose movies have been seen by millions, claims to destroy atheism with one scientific question, which he reveals in a new movie called "The Atheist Delusion." Comfort, cohost of the award-winning television program "The Way of the Master," said regarding atheists' assertions that there is no God, "Having to point out the existence of the Creator is like having to point out the sun at noon on a clear day. Despite this, a popular skeptic adage is 'Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence,' and thanks to modern science we have that extraordinary evidence. Outspoken atheists such as Bill Maher and Richard Dawkins say that they would believe in God if there was scientific evidence. This movie calls their bluff." After reviewing the film, author and CNN consultant Matt Barber said, "Somehow you managed, in less than an hour, to make the case, beyond any reasonable doubt, for the Creator GodThis is your masterpiece." Filmmaker Alex Kendrick (Fireproof and War Room) called it "Powerful!" and said, "It will confirm that there is a God." Ryan Gatti, State Senator for Louisiana, said, "Wow! No one can deny the Creator after seeing this!" Comfort explained that he made the movie after taking a camera to Southern California universities and asking atheists a scientific question that he'd never asked atheists before. "To my astonishment, those who were open to reason changed their minds about the existence of God in minutes," Comfort claims. "You can see the light come on in their eyes. We also were able to interview outspoken atheist Professor Lawrence Krauss, the well-known theoretical physicist, and show the scientific flaw in his arguments against the existence of God." According to the movie's promotional material, "'The Atheist Delusion' pulls back the curtain and reveals what is going on in the mind of those who deny the obvious. Follow a number of atheists as they go where the evidence leads and display an honesty that is rarely seen on film." Comfort said, "The movie reveals what every atheist prays he will never find." A pre-release digital download of the movie was just released and is available now at AtheistMovie.com Official Trailer: youtu.be/Awpzsi4YUHs For a review screener and interviews with Ray Comfort, contact Jen Thompson: jthompson@livingwaters.com Share Tweet Florida man gets 17 years in $4.8M gold truck heist MIAMI (AP) One of three South Florida-based men accused of stealing $4.8 million in gold from a truck along a North Carolina interstate has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. A federal judge sentenced Roberto Cabrera on Friday. He had faced up to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty in April to robbery, firearms and other charges. The FBI says Cabrera, Adalberto Perez and an unidentified third person used a GPS device in March 2015 to track the gold-laden tractor-trailer heading from Miami to Massachusetts. Investigators say pepper spray was released by remote control to sicken the driver and a passenger before the robbery along Interstate 95 in Wilson County, North Carolina. The thieves made off with 275 pounds of gold bars. 40 years later, fugitive appears before N. Carolina judge GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) When a judge advised a North Carolina man that he was a fugitive wanted in the killing of a retired immigration official nearly 40 years ago, his only response was: "That's what the papers say." William Claybourne Taylor, 67, hung his head during much of a brief video appearance before Judge Pete Hunter and asked for a court-appointed attorney. Authorities say he had been living under an assumed name when they arrested him without incident Thursday in Reidsville, a sleepy town about 20 miles south of the Virginia state line. An FBI "Most Wanted" poster described Taylor as a dance instructor, trumpet player, convenience store clerk and welder. Authorities say he was using the name James Emmet Manion, and that he was the triggerman in an attempt to assassinate the then-mayor of Williston, Florida, in January 1977. The shooting left the mayor, Eugene T. Bailey, wounded and killed Walter H. Scott, a former official with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The home of a man identified as 67-year-old William Claybourne Taylor is shown Friday, July 29, 2016, in Reidsville, N.C. Taylor, living with his wife under an assumed name at the home, was arrested on July 28, in connection with a 1977 shooting in Florida in which a retired immigration official was killed and the attempted assassination of a Florida mayor. (AP Photo/Skip Foreman) The shooting occurred as Scott was driving the mayor and two other men along U.S. 27, about 20 miles west of Ocala, Florida, when another car pulled alongside their vehicle, according to the Ocala Star-Banner. After the driver was shot, the victims' car veered into pine trees. A person approached the back of the car and shot Bailey, the newspaper reported. The two other men escaped unharmed. According to an account in The Gainesville Sun on the 36th anniversary of Taylor's disappearance, three years passed before Taylor, older brother Ray Taylor and another man were accused of scheming to assassinate the mayor and collect legal fees by representing his family. The mayor was a successful businessman with a $2.5 million estate, according to news reports. After the slaying, Ray Taylor moved to Tennessee and become a successful prosecutor, according to the paper, but he was convicted in 1980 as chief planner in the plot. Media reports say the third man, believed to be the driver of the car from which the shots were fired, testified against Ray Taylor in exchange for a manslaughter conviction and was sentenced to 15 years of probation. William Taylor was indicted in 1980 on charges of murder and aggravated battery and arrested five days later in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the FBI said. The agency said he never returned to Ocala after being released in Tennessee on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond. A federal arrest warrant was issued in 1980 after Taylor was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Bailey's daughter, Mary Gene French, still lives in the Ocala area and said she was relieved to hear about Taylor's capture. "Ever since that happened, I've been looking over my shoulder," the 91-year-old great-grandmother said. "So I'm doing just fine now. I hope they hold him. I hope they don't let him get away again." French said her father was never really the same after the shooting. Bailey lived through Ray Taylor's trial and conviction but died a few years later from a stroke, French said. William Taylor is being held in a detention center in Guilford County, North Carolina. In Reidsville, 86-year-old neighbor Alberta Morris said she was shocked to hear the news about Taylor. She occasionally saw him work in his tree-shaded front yard, but never talked to him. She said she once got a ride to a doctor's appointment in Greensboro with Taylor's wife. Morris said Sheryl Manion had family in Reidsville. "I don't know how long they were married or anything. I hope she didn't know about his past," Morris said. No one answered a knock on the door at the beige and green, two-story home Taylor and his wife shared. ___ Associated Press writer David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report. A transgender woman who was recently released from prison in Oregon robbed a bank in Wyoming only to throw the cash up in the air outside the building and sit down to wait for police, authorities said Friday. Investigators say 59-year-old Linda Patricia Thompson told them she wanted to go back to prison. Thompson said she had suffered facial fractures after strangers beat her at a Cheyenne park last weekend. Linda Patricia Thompson, 59, (pictured) robbed a bank in Wyoming because she wanted to go back to prison Thompson entered a US Bank branch in Cheyenne and handed a teller a cardboard note that said, 'I have a gun. Give me all your money.' She then waited for police to arrive and arrest her She said she couldn't get a room at a homeless shelter and decided to rob the bank Wednesday because she could no longer stay on the streets, court records say. She faces a detention hearing Tuesday on a bank robbery charge and doesn't have an attorney yet. FBI Special Agent Tory Smith said in court documents that Thompson entered a US Bank branch in Cheyenne and handed a teller a cardboard note that said, 'I have a gun. Give me all your money.' The teller turned over thousands of dollars. Outside, Thompson threw money into the air and even offered some to people passing by, Smith stated. She had recently been released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, but said she was having a rough time living outside of the prison He added that Cheyenne police Lt. Nathan Busek said he found Thompson with a large sum of money when he arrived at the bank. 'Lt. Busek asked Thompson what was going on, and Thompson replied, 'I just robbed the bank, I want to go back to prison,'' Smith wrote. Thompson had been serving time at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, for a second-degree robbery conviction in Union County until her release in June, Betty Bernt, communications manager with the Oregon Department of Corrections, said Friday. Thompson told investigators then that she didn't want to be released and advised the Oregon state parole office that she would not do well on parole. Prior to being incarcerated, Thompson had been living for many years as a female, according to Arizona Prison Watch. New nuclear plant project thrown into confusion after decision delayed The future of the first new nuclear power plant in a generation has been thrown into confusion after the Government delayed a decision until the autumn. French energy giant EDF gave the final approval to go ahead with the 18 billion project at Hinkley Point in Somerset, despite a split in the board, but the Government said it wanted more time to study the details. The move stunned the industry and prompted warnings that jobs were at risk, though Government sources insisted the delay had been agreed with the French. An artist's impression issued by EDF of plans for the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station Critics believe the Government has been stung by criticism of the amount of money EDF will be paid for generating power from Hinkley - 92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity generated. It is thought there are also security concerns about the role of the Chinese state - which has a one third share in the project - investing in critical infrastructure in the UK. Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff Nick Timothy has previously condemned Chinese involvement in the UK's nuclear sector. The influential aide wrote on the ConservativeHome website in October 2015 that it was "baffling" that the Government would allow Chinese state firms to invest in sensitive infrastructure. Mr Timothy wrote that "rational concerns about national security are being swept to one side because of the desperate desire for Chinese trade and investment". He suggested security experts were worried the Chinese could build weaknesses into computer systems that would allow them to "shut down Britain's energy production at will" and argued against giving a "hostile state" access to the UK's critical infrastructure. In response to the shocked reaction to the delay, a source said T heresa May and Francois Hollande had discussed the deal during the Prime Minister's visit to Paris last week. "The timetable was agreed with the French government," a source said, indicating that a decision was expected to be taken in September. The delay was not announced until after EDF had made its decision because ministers were keen for the energy giant to finally commit to the project, b ut it was always the case that the Government would have the final say over the deal. While under David Cameron that would have effectively been a "rubber stamping" of a project he enthusiastically backed, Mrs May's administration wants to look at the project "in the round as part of its industrial strategy". "It is ironic it happened so soon after the new government came in. Of course it's right for a new government to want to take time to look at something like this and think through its industrial strategy." It is a "prudent and pragmatic thing to do," the source said. But the G overnment has been warned that thousands of jobs are being put at risk by its "bewildering" decision. Around 25,000 jobs will be created by the project, which is already years behind schedule. Justin Bowden, the GMB union's national secretary for energy, told the Press Association: "Theresa May's decision to review the go-ahead is bewildering and bonkers. After years of procrastination, what is required is decisive action not dithering and more delay." The sector was alerted to the delay by a brief statement from Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark, which said: "The UK needs a reliable and secure energy supply and the Government believes that nuclear energy is an important part of the mix. "The Government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn." EDF's chief executive Vincent de Rivaz was expected in Somerset alongside senior company officials to give interviews about the project. But following the Government statement, it emerged that no interviews would take place. Officials from state-owned China General Nuclear (CGN) had also been expected to attend an event. A statement said: "We respect the new Government's need to familiarise itself with a project as important to the UK's future energy security as Hinkley Point C and we stand ready to help the Government in this respect. "CGN remains committed to delivering this much-needed nuclear capacity with our strategic partners, EDF, and providing the UK with safe, reliable and sustainable energy." Industry groups had welcomed the EDF decision but were soon expressing concern about the fresh delay. Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee chairman Angus MacNeil said the Government might have put the brakes on the "very bad" deal as it may cost less in the long run to pull out now. "I think the Government might have expected EDF to blink first," he told BBC Radio 4's World At One. "EDF are not unanimous over this at all but now that EDF have gone ahead they could be collecting quite a bonanza from the UK bill-payer if they finish by 2029, so the Government is perhaps now thinking of blinking itself. "It may have penalties involved with that blinking but it could be an awful lot cheaper in the longer run to blink now instead of paying later. "Whichever way you cut it, I think this is a very bad energy deal." Delay on Halo takes F1 into uncharted territory claims ex-driver Alex Wurz Formula One's surprise vote to delay the introduction of the Halo safety device has taken the sport into "uncharted territory", Grand Prix Drivers' Association chairman Alex Wurz has said. Wurz, the former grand prix racer and head of the drivers' union, is a keen advocate for the cockpit head protection system, and believes the decision "could almost be seen as business first and safety second". Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion, claimed on Thursday it would be "stupid" to veto the Halo from becoming mandatory in 2017. He also said aesthetic concerns should be overlooked because nothing "justifies death", and other drivers were also supportive of bringing in the device. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel claimed it would be "stupid" to vote against the cockpit head protection system becoming mandatory in 2017. But following a lengthy meeting in Geneva of Formula One's strategy group, which consists of the sport's top teams, chief executive Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt, the required majority verdict in favour was not reached. "My personal view is that the strategy group outcome, if ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, represents much more than just a vote against the Halo, or a delay in the introduction of additional head protection," Wurz said. "This decision brings F1 in to uncharted territory in many ways. Let's wait for the reasoning behind this decision, but for now this decision could almost be seen as business first and safety second. "Just one week ago the FIA safety experts presented this solution as the most researched safety device ever, and said that it is ready to go, so maybe we have a communication problem between here and there. "I am surprised by the decision, and I dearly hope it is not one that one day we will all come to bitterly regret." Vettel, a Grand Prix Drivers' Association director, championed the case for the Halo before the verdict from Geneva was announced on Thursday night. Speaking ahead of his home race in Germany, he said: ''We had a vote amongst the drivers, and 95 per cent voted for it. The majority said we don't like the look of it but I don't think there is anything really that justifies death. ''We have always learned from what happened and tried to improve. This would be the first time in human history that we've learnt a lesson and we don't change. ''It is up to us to make sure it does happen otherwise it would be quite stupid.'' Indeed Thursday's vote could now spark a row between the sport's hierarchy and the drivers. Wurz added: "If you start with the question 'do you like the look of the halo' many will say 'no', but some will think a step further and know that the halo is not the last solution. It is a safe start to developing something to protect the driver's head. "We have made this sport already very safe but who tells us that we should stop now? If you make the cars safer it doesn't mean anyone can drive it. Failed immigrants smuggling bid 'was whisker away from tragedy' Two men, whose attempt to smuggle Albanian immigrants into the UK was a "whisker" away from tragedy when their boat started sinking, have been jailed. Robert Stilwell, 33, and Mark Stribling, 35, both admitted breaching immigration law by illegally attempting to help 18 migrants into the country on a boat that had to be rescued in the English Channel. Stilwell, who won Commonwealth gold in judo in 2000, and his school friend Stribling were to be paid 2,000 each to make the journey to the south of Calais and transport the migrants - who had paid 6,000 euro (5,061) each for the crossing, Maidstone Crown Court heard. The broken down boat used by two men who tried to smuggle 18 Albanian immigrants into the UK The migrants - including 15 men, one woman and two children - had waded into the water before climbing aboard the white rigid-hulled inflatable boat (Rhib) on the evening of May 28 this year. They had to be rescued by the Coastguard and the crew of HMC Valiant in the early hours of May 29 after their boat lost power one-and-a-half miles from shore. Stribling, of Hilltop Farm, Farningham, near Swanley in Kent, was jailed for four years and eight months and Stilwell, of Stanley Close, Greenhithe, was sentenced to four years and four months in prison. Stilwell, who the court heard only worked part time since suffering a career-ending injury, appeared stunned by the sentence and mouthed "tell them I love them" as he was sent down, while Stribling smirked. In sentencing, Judge Jeremy Carey said: "This case shows the best and the worst of human characteristics. "On the part of the rescue services ... A real and conspicuous devotion to duty and at considerable risk to themselves. "On your part greed, recklessness and deceit and the desire to get easy money. "In the event there was a rescue and those who were rescued should be very grateful, as you should be to those who came to your aid. "A tragedy was averted by a whisker." The court heard that the two men, who both had criminal records, had been wearing all-weather clothing and life jackets on board. The boat lost power shortly after they set off from France and had been drifting for almost three hours, taking on water. A video from the search and rescue helicopter played to the court showed a migrant using a small container to try to bail out the boat, while Stribling could be seen remonstrating with other migrants. Judge Carey said aggravating factors included the pair's lack of seafaring ability, as well as the risk posed to the rescue services and the exploitation of the migrants. He added: "The fact that they were without any protection against the risk of drowning and the fact that you were clearly doing this for no other reason than for financial gain. "You had something which would save you in the event of a disaster - you had life jackets. They were not provided with any such safety. "I referred to the best and worst of human characteristics - in the middle were the migrants, who were plainly in great fear in their desperate state." He also dismissed the claim that they were to be paid 2,000 as "inconceivable". He said: "Particularly as you are both men well-versed in criminal activity that you would have accepted such low return for what was a risky undertaking." When lifeboat crews arrived, the woman migrant was "showing signs of hypothermia", prosecutor Nina Ellin said. Her husband told police he had been told by another migrant that there had been threats "the boat would be punctured" with scissors if they alerted authorities, while the woman said she had been told of threats they would be "thrown into the sea". The pair feared for their lives, and Ms Ellin said: "They believe if they had been 10 more minutes on that boat they would have died." The Coastguard was only alerted because of phone calls the migrants made to family members. It took four return trips to the HMC Valiant, a Border Force cutter ship, to remove all the migrants and the defendants from the rhib, taking a total of an hour and a half. Ms Ellin said rescuers overheard one of the defendants - the only English speakers on board - claim they had been fishing and had rescued the migrants, while the other was said to have shouted that the boat had run out of fuel as they did so. Once the pair arrived back at Dover, they appeared in "good spirits" and joked about the strength of the tea and coffee. In interview, Ms Ellin said Stilwell told police: "Yes, they were in the water but he did not want to elaborate further on this as the officers would twist everything he said." Both men pleaded guilty on the basis they were the boatmen and not part of the hierarchy of the smuggling operation. Kate Hunter, defending Stilwell, said the father-of-one was "remorseful". She added: "He is a keen judo sportsman, he started at the age of five and carried on into adulthood. Unfortunately at 21, he had a severe injury, which caused him crushed vertebrae and unfortunately he could not keep up with the high standard he had reached. "As a result of that, money difficulties came into Mr Stilwell's life. "He had a part time job. He had not left school with many qualifications and suffered from dyslexia." His mother was ill with thrombosis and his father had retired, meaning the family struggled to pay their bills and so Stilwell took the offer of cash to transport the migrants, Ms Hunter said. Neil Guest, defending Stribling, said his client was unemployed and had one five-year-old child and another child on the way with his girlfriend of 35 years. Mr Guest said: "2,000 to him was some degree of salvation." He added Stribling had no sailing or boating experience. "He was simply, no pun intended, out of his depth," Mr Guest said. "He has not got a maritime background at all - he hails from Swanley. "It does not take a great deal of seamanship to do what has been done." Stribling had previously been jailed for five years for robbery and later for two years in March 2015 for drugs offences. Stilwell had a string of convictions for offences such as theft and criminal damage, none of which carried a custodial sentence. Reacting to the sentence, Assistant Director Dave Fairclough, from the Immigration Enforcement Criminal Investigations team, said the smuggling attempt was "callous". "We often talk about people smugglers treating individuals as commodities," he said. "To my mind, that is exactly how Stilwell and Stribling regarded their passengers. They were not human beings, they were cargo, and as such did not merit life jackets for a dangerous night crossing, in poor conditions of one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. "The sentences handed out today should serve as a warning to anyone tempted to get involved with this kind of criminality. Working closely with Border Force colleagues we will catch you, and you will face imprisonment." Mark Stribling who along with Robert Stilwell has been jailed at Maidstone Crown Court (Home Office/PA) Theresa May might have promised to clamp down on fat cats but there is a new greedy feline at the Treasury. The new Prime Minister has made tackling corporate greed central to her mission but the arrival of Gladstone the cat as Whitehall's third official mouser bucks the trend. Battersea Dogs and Cats home revealed the black cat is "quite greedy", "absolutely loves his food" and was rehomed to the Treasury with an activity feeder to encourage him to eat slowly. The new cat Gladstone (HM Treasury/PA) He joins Larry the Downing Street cat and Palmerston of the Foreign Office in Westminster amid mounting speculation that the pair are engaged in a turf war. Chancellor Philip Hammond, who worked alongside Palmerston as foreign secretary before taking up his new post, tweeted: " Looks like I'm not the only new arrival @hmtreasury - welcome Gladstone!" The new cat wasted no time getting involved in the apparent spat between Larry and Palmerston, with his official Instagram page describing him as an animal with "catitude". A caption to a photo of the domestic short hair in a cat carrier reads: "Me on my first day at my new home. The humans had to keep me in this cage in case I ran down the street and tormented some other mouser called 'Larry'. Personally, I've never heard of him. #movingday." Named after former prime minister and chancellor William Ewart Gladstone, his profile also describes him as "the most popular colleague at Her Majesty's Treasury", where he catches mice and "receives cuddles". After a recent "fracas" with Palmerston, Larry had to be treated by a vet after developing a limp in his front right paw. It was unclear whether Palmerston was responsible but the Foreign Office's "diplomog" has been pictured in recent days being evicted from No 10 and squaring up to Larry. Battersea Dogs and Cats home also revealed that Gladstone, previously known as Timmy, was found wandering the streets of London hungry and with no microchip. Rolls-Royce turnaround starts to take hold By Sarah Young LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - Rolls-Royce said on Thursday its turnaround plan was starting to pay off and stuck to its full-year profit forecast, sending its shares up as much as 18 percent. The aerospace and engineering group's outlook provided more evidence that its performance is starting to stabilise after a string of profit downgrades last year. The company has been hit by cancelled orders from oil industry customers after an oil price plunge and a slowdown in aftermarket servicing for aircraft engines. Chief executive Warren East said that the turnaround plan was beginning to deliver. He said the cost-cutting and simplification plan he started last November to help Rolls-Royce to cope with difficult trading conditions, was working and would help to boost profit in the second-half. Rolls-Royce shares were up more than 15 percent by 1013 GMT, having rising as much as 18 percent in their biggest one-day gain since November 1988, according to Thomson Reuters data. "Sometimes just meeting expectations is good enough, and that has proved the case today with Rolls shares soaring as the company announced it is trading in line with its most recent guidance," Hargreaves Lansdown analyst George Salmon said. The group's underlying first-half profit fell 80 percent to 104 million pounds ($137 million) but there was no further deterioration in performance so that the company remains on track for a pick-up in the second half. The first-half profit compared with a consensus forecast for a 16 million pounds loss. Rolls-Royce had shocked investors last year when it warned 2016 profit would halve. East put the better than expected first-half result down to timing, with some revenues expected in the second half coming before the end of June. He said Rolls-Royce would cut costs by 50 million pounds this year, at the top end of a 30 to 50 million pound range. The company reduced senior management jobs by 200 more in June on top of 200 positions already cut. East also said Rolls-Royce was reducing the time taken to build its engines across different programmes. "On our Trent engines we've been able to make significant reductions in lead time for assembly," East said. "It's really quite significant time that is being pulled out. If the job takes them half the time then they can do twice as much." On a reported basis, Rolls-Royce took an almost 2 billion pound non-cash write-down related to its currency hedging after the value of the pound fell in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the EU. Analysts expect full-year pretax profit of 669 million pounds. ($1 = 0.7578 pounds) Ukraine expects Russian gas transit to rise 7 pct in 2016 KIEV, July 28 (Reuters) - Ukraine, a major route for Russian gas supplies to Europe, expects the transit to increase by around 7 percent to up to 72 billion cubic meters in 2016, its gas transport monopoly Ukrtransgaz said on Thursday. Around 40 percent of Russia's gas exports to the European Union traverse Ukraine but Russian gas giant Gazprom has said it seeks to bypass Ukraine by building new pipelines and this could hit Ukrainian transit business. Russian gas transit through Ukraine fell to 64 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2014 from 116 bcm in 2010 and slightly rose to 67.5 bcm in 2015. Ukrtransgaz CEO Ihor Prokopiv gave no reason for a higher gas transit this year but told a news conference the outlook is for less. "We stand on that a part of the (pumping) facilities will be decommissioned," Prokopiv said. Ukraine operates several transit pipelines and energy official have said the country could be forced to stop using some of them if Russian transit flows decline. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this month Ukraine was unreliable as a transit route for exporting Russian gas to Europe. Gazprom's head Alexei Miller has said Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine would fall steeply after 2020. He said transit would fall to 10-15 billion cubic metres a year, which would be only a tenth of the existing capacity and less than a quarter of transit volumes in recent years. Gas will be instead delivered via the second leg of the Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany, which Gazprom wants to build together with Royal Dutch Shell among others, despite opposition of some European Union countries. With relations between the two nations at a low because of Russia's annexation of Crimea, Ukraine has not bought gas directly from Russia since November 2015, importing instead from Europe. Prokopiv said Kiev planned to intensify pumping gas into its underground storage in August and September, collecting at least 14 bcm of gas as of mid-October. He said around 1.0 bcm of gas would be stored in July, 1.4 bcm in August and 1.9 bcm in September. Ukraine has about 10.4 bcm of gas in stocks as of July 26. Five U.S. military members injured in Afghanistan - commander WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - Five U.S. special operations members were wounded while working with Afghan special forces in an operation to clear areas controlled by Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said on Thursday. Army General John Nicholson said two of the injured service members have returned to duty, while three others were evacuated but are "in good spirits" and are expected to make a full recovery, he said. "None of these are life-threatening injuries," Nicholson said in a briefing with reporters on Thursday. Their wounds were sustained from small arms fire and shrapnel, he added. "We will continue to stay after Daesh until they are defeated here in Afghanistan," Nicholson said, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. A Pentagon spokesman said one service member was injured on Sunday, while the other four were injured on Monday. President Barack Obama in January gave U.S. commanders broader authority to target Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan. Since that time, the territory controlled by the militant group has shrunk from about 10 districts in the southern part of Nangarhar province to parts of three or four districts, Nicholson said. Also since that time, the number of Islamic State fighters has shrunk from 3,000 in January to 1,000 to 1,500 now, he said. Most of Islamic State's fighters in Afghanistan previously fought for the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, Nicholson said, and come from Orakzai Agency in Pakistan near the Afghan border. "They were former members of the TTP, complete with their leadership, who wholesale joined Islamic State ... earlier this year," Nicholson said. "Seventy percent, roughly, of those fighters are from the TTP, and many of them are Pakistani Pashtun from the Orakzai Agency." Other Islamic State members in Afghanistan were originally part of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, another militant group, he said. Last week more than 80 people were killed in a suicide attack in Kabul targeting Afghanistan's Hazara minority. The attack on Saturday, against a demonstration by the mainly Shi'ite Hazara, was among the worst in Afghanistan since the fall of the former Taliban regime in 2001, and was claimed by Islamic State. Nicholson compared the bombing to recent attacks claimed by Islamic State in Europe and the United States, and emphasized that their footprint in Afghanistan was shrinking. Drought-hit Honduras needs new approach to tackle extreme weather - U.N. envoy By Anastasia Moloney BOGOTA, July 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Honduras must develop a long term approach to combat the impact of drought exacerbated by climate change and put the poorest and most vulnerable at the centre of government initiatives and funding, a U.N. special envoy said. Two consecutive years of severe drought linked to El Nino - a warming of the Pacific Ocean's surface that causes hot and drier conditions - have decimated crops and battered subsistence farmers in the "dry corridor" running through Honduras. One in four in the country of 8 million people are affected by drought and are struggling to feed themselves, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). "The impacts are aggravated and exacerbated by climate change," said Mary Robinson, U.N. special envoy for El Nino and climate change, by telephone from Honduras at the start of a visit to the Central American nation. Honduras is highly vulnerable to extreme weather linked to climate change like hurricanes, floods and drought, while unequal access to land, deforestation and soil degradation has exacerbated the impact of El Nino on rural areas, experts say. The prolonged drought in Honduras has slashed bean and maize harvests by up to 90 percent in some areas, triggering higher food prices. This has worsened hunger among poor farming families who have resorted to cutting meals, and caused many Hondurans to leave home in search of better prospects in the United States. "We need to make it clear that people are bereft of their own resources and we are seeing malnutrition and acute malnutrition among children," Robinson, a former Irish president, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "It's absolutely necessary to understand that this is the new normal." RESILIENCE Around a quarter of all young children in Honduras aged between six months to two-and-a-half years suffer from chronic malnutrition, WFP figures show. Robinson said the government should not do more to strengthen the ability of subsistence farmers to withstand the longer dry spells, more frequent floods and hotter temperatures linked to climate change. She said this involves "putting people at the centre" of government policy to help those in poor rural communities, particularly children, hard-hit by the drought. Women-led initiatives to boost agriculture that focus on managing water better, planting trees and diversifying crops is one way to boost resilience, she said. "There is a need for a genuinely integrated approach that is objective and fair," Robinson said. Trust needs to be forged between communities and the government, Robinson said, noting that little support was given to small-scale farmers, while large amounts of government funds were spent on building dams and large-scale palm oil projects. The United Nations says a U.N. appeal for $44 million to provide food aid and water to 250,000 Hondurans in drought-stricken areas is a quarter-funded so far. Drought has also hit hard other parts of Central America, and in Haiti. Ivory Coast drives thousands of cocoa farmers out of national park By Ange Aboa ABIDJAN, July 28 (Reuters) - Ivorian security forces have driven thousands of cocoa farmers out of a national park this week at the start of an operation to preserve the refuge for endangered chimpanzees and forest elephants, a government source and locals said on Thursday. Mont Peko is one of a few dwindling patches of rainforest in Ivory Coast, but some 28,000 illegal farmers are growing cocoa there, many of them destitute migrants from Burkina Faso with few other means of making a living. "Thousands of farmers have been fleeing the forest since the day before yesterday. More are coming to the village every hour," said Alphonse Kapo, who lives in the village of Bagohoua, next to the park. A government source who declined to be named confirmed the operation was under way. Mont Peko was once a pristine forest home to hornbill birds, rare western chimpanzees and some of the world's last remaining dwarf elephants, as well as Iroko and Samba trees. Officials say almost all of it has now been taken over by farmers who exploited the chaos created by a decade-long political crisis to move in. President Alassane Ouattara, who has presided over a strong post-war recovery in Francophone West Africa's biggest economy, is determined to restore the state's authority in the park. Residents said thousands of men, women and children had arrived in villages surrounding Mont Peko carrying suitcases and cooking utensils, and most were sleeping outdoors. Ivory Coast is the world's biggest cocoa producer and analysts say much of its increase in production, to record levels in 2014/15, is due to illegal planters. "We don't know where to go or what to do," Brahima Ouedraogo, a farmer who has been in the park for a decade and had a farm of 15 hectares, told Reuters by telephone. "Our whole life is in Peko. We have nothing left." Another cocoa farmer, Benjamin Kabore, said the authorities had sent in hundreds of police and paramilitaries, who had burned their crops on a massive scale. Taiwan stocks follow overseas markets lower; techs, banks down TAIPEI, July 29 (Reuters) - Taiwan stocks fell on Friday as declines in other Asian markets dented investor sentiment, with technology and banks leading the fall. Japan's Nikkei slipped 0.4 percent and looked set for a 1.3 percent weekly drop, while China's Shanghai Composite Index was trading 0.3 percent lower. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan hit the highest level since Aug. 11 before pulling back to trade down 0.2 percent. As of 0255 GMT, the main TAIEX index fell 0.6 percent, to 9,024.91, after closing at 9,076.64 in the previous session. The electronics subindex fell 0.6 percent, while the financial subindex lost 0.7 percent. Among the most actively traded, contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) was off nearly 1 percent. Cathay Financial Holdings dipped 1 percent. Up to 1 million people could flee battle for Iraq's Mosul -ICRC By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, July 29 (Reuters) - Up to 1 million people could be driven from their homes in northern Iraq soon as fighting intensifies in a government offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday. U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have stepped up their campaign against Islamic State militants in an expected push on Mosul, Iraq's second largest city and the militants' biggest bastion, later this year. "Up to a million more people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in the coming weeks and months, posing a massive humanitarian problem for the country," the Geneva-based ICRC said in an statement. It said 10 million Iraqis already require assistance, including more than 3 million internally displaced (IDPs) - about one-tenth of the population, and that their numbers could swell with fresh uprooting. Robert Mardini, ICRC regional director for the Near and Middle East, said the aid agency had drawn up contingency plans to pre-position food, medicines and other supplies under several possible scenarios. An estimated 3 million people live under Islamic State rule in Iraq, he said. Mosul has 1.2-1.4 million, while another 825,000 live in the Nineveh plain and provinces of Kirkuk and Salahuddin, and 250,000 are in Anbar province, he said. "Be it a massive influx of IDPs out of Mosul city towards the south, or the civilian population being caught up in the fighting inside Mosul, we will try to develop a meaningful humanitarian response that will address needs wherever they are," Mardini told reporters. As Iraqi authorities screen people on the run, they must ensure civilians are well-treated, he said. Those detained and investigated for possible links to Islamic State must still be allowed to contact their families. ICRC officials have visited 33,000 people held in Iraqi detention centres so far this year, but has no contact with Islamic State, Mardini said. "MANAGEMENT OF THE DEAD" Suicide bombings in Baghdad, claimed by Islamic State, and other cities in July have killed hundreds, overwhelming morgues, Mardini said. "The management of the dead is pushing the country's limited forensic capacity to the bring of collapse," he said, speaking on return from a three-day trip to Iraq. "The medical legal institute in Baghdad has a capacity to store 150 dead bodies; today they have within their premises 1,000 dead bodies. So you can imagine under temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) what the challenge looks like." Daimler to invest 1 billion euros in Hungarian plant By Gergely Szakacs and Edward Taylor FRANKFURT/BUDAPEST, July 29 (Reuters) - Daimler AG said on Friday it would build a new factory in Hungary to make Mercedes-Benz cars, giving a major boost to the local economy and raising the competitive pressure on the luxury automaker's established plants in Germany. Daimler will spend 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) by 2020 to expand its site at Kecskemet, central Hungary, where it will add 2,500 jobs, it said in a statement. The new factory will be the first plant capable of producing both compact cars and larger limousines, Mercedes-Benz said, adding flexibility to the carmaker's production network, which has depended mainly on Germany and China to produce limousines. Mercedes-Benz is running its factories at full capacity and struggling to expand its existing production sites in Germany after a strategy shift to give cars a more upmarket appeal gained traction with customers. Hungary, which relies on the auto industry for a third of its industrial output, is likely to see a 3 percent export boost and a 0.4 percent increase in economic output once the factory is at full capacity, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. Szijjarto told a press conference the new plant would almost double the capacity of the current site to 330,000 vehicles compared with the 180,000 manufactured last year. Mercedes-Benz made 1.87 million cars in 2015. Szijjarto put Daimler's decision to expand in Hungary partly down to the country's economic policy, adding the government had also offered incentives worth 12.9 billion forints ($45.9 million). Other carmakers in Hungary include Mercedes-Benz rival Audi , which has invested more than 8 billion euros since 1993, Japan's Suzuki and General Motors. So far, Mercedes-Benz has had production lines making either rear-wheel drive models such as the E-Class or C-Class or front-wheel drive models, like the A-Class, B-Class or CLA. Kecskemet has only built smaller vehicles. A Mercedes-Benz spokesman said it was too early to say which rear-wheel drive models would be built at the new factory. German labour unions have sought guarantees to retain production of higher-margin models in their home plants. "The Mercedes-Benz product portfolio currently consists of 32 models," Daimler said. "In the near future, the company will offer 40 models... (and) gradually electrify all Mercedes-Benz passenger car model series." The company will be able to produce alternative power train systems in Hungary, it added. ($1 = 281.3000 forints) Latham on brink of ton as New Zealand forge ahead BULAWAYO, July 29 (Reuters) - Tom Latham was two runs shy of a century and captain Kane Williamson contributed a quickfire 61 as New Zealand advanced to 214 for one and a 50-run lead over Zimbabwe at tea on the second day of the first test on Friday. Latham, 16 not out overnight, played a chanceless knock as New Zealand sought to build up a formidable first-innings lead ahead of series in South Africa and India in the coming months. He and Williamson shared an unbeaten partnership of 135 runs as the visitors eased past Zimbabwe's total of 164 on a flat pitch. The 24-year-old Latham will be looking for his fourth test century and a chance to emulate the achievement of his father Rod, whose only test century came against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 1992. Williamson scored his 20th test 50 as he picked up the scoring rate after lunch. He reached his half century in 95 balls before the spin bowling of Graeme Creamer and the part- time medium pace of Hamilton Masakadza put the brakes on. Zimbabwe's only wicket was opener Martin Guptill who was out for 40 before lunch, driving away from his body to offer a catch in the gully to Craig Irvine and hand debutant Chamu Chibhabha a first test wicket. New Zealand began the second day on 32 without loss, 132 runs behind after bowling out the hosts, playing their first test for nearly two years, for 164. New York Fed asks Philippines to recover Bangladesh money By Krishna N. Das and Serajul Quadir DHAKA, July 29 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has asked the Philippines' central bank to help Bangladesh Bank recover the $81 million that was stolen by hackers in February from its account held at the Fed, boosting Dhaka's efforts to retrieve the money. In a letter sent on June 23, the New York Fed's General Counsel Thomas Baxter asked Elmore O. Capule, general counsel for the central bank of the Philippines, "to take all appropriate steps in support of Bangladesh Bank's efforts to recover and return its stolen assets." In the letter, which has been seen by Reuters, Baxter also wrote that the payment instructions that led to four money transfers to beneficiary accounts at the Manila-based Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) were authenticated using a "commercially reasonable security procedure", but that they were issued by persons using stolen credentials. Bangladesh Bank has also agreed to share with the Fed a report into the heist that was prepared by U.S. cyber security firm FireEye, said a source close to the Bangladesh central bank with direct knowledge of the decision. Officials in the United States have been asking for that for some weeks. The New York Fed had no immediate comment on the letter nor on the FireEye report. The Fed and the Philippines' central bank have been cooperating with the Bangladesh central bank to help it recover the money, Bangladesh Bank spokesman Subhankar Saha told Reuters on Friday. He declined to elaborate. The Philippines' central bank said it would not comment in a case in which there were ongoing investigations. RCBC said in a statement the bank supported the efforts of Bangladesh Bank in recovering funds from "the parties who ultimately received them". After going to RCBC, the money was mostly laundered through the Philippines' casino industry and now the trail has gone cold. Almost six months have passed since hackers broke into the Bangladesh central bank's computer systems and sought to transfer away as much as $951 million - eventually managing to steal $81 million in one of the biggest-ever cyber heists. Most of that money is still missing and the culprits have not been identified. There has also been friction between Bangladesh Bank, the New York Fed and payments network SWIFT, over which the payment instructions were issued. But relations seem to improving to an extent, at least between the New York Fed and Dhaka. CASINO INDUSTRY LAUNDERING A source close to Bangladesh Bank who has direct knowledge of the recovery process said some Bangladesh Bank officials will fly to Manila next week in an attempt to hasten the recovery. The source said Baxter's letter was an indication that the Fed was now working with Bangladesh Bank after initially holding the South Asian bank responsible for the heist. It was the first such communication, the source said. The source and a Bangladesh Bank official added that the central bank's main goal was to recover the money and litigation against the Fed or RCBC would only be a last resort. Officials in Bangladesh, including Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, had earlier threatened to sue the Fed. Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle Kabir told reporters on Tuesday that his Philippine counterpart had nearly completed an investigation into how the $81 million wound up at RCBC, and that he hoped for the swift return of the stolen funds. Kabir also said he hoped the Philippine authorities would hold RCBC responsible for disbursing the stolen funds that landed in accounts there. RCBC has blamed the manager of the branch where the funds were transferred. "We had these rogue employees or officers that were able to do these things," Cesar Virata, corporate vice chairman of RCBC, told Reuters this week. "It can happen to any bank." He added: "I think the Bangladesh government should find out first who was responsible for remitting their funds." In another sign of improving cooperation between Bangladesh Bank and the New York Fed, a team of officials from Bangladesh will hold meetings with Fed officials in New York between Aug. 15 and Aug. 19, according to two sources in Dhaka. The "technical" meeting will discuss more about the heist and look at processes to be put in place to prevent such events from happening in future, said the source close to Bangladesh Bank. A New York Fed official who requested anonymity said the goal of the meeting "is to understand what happened, what remediation steps have been taken by Bangladesh Bank to meet its contractual obligations, and to begin a path to normalize operations." Florida cases seen as first sign Zika transmitted locally in U.S. By Barbara Liston and Zachary Fagenson ORLANDO, Fla./MIAMI, July 29 (Reuters) - Florida authorities on Friday reported the first sign of local Zika transmission in the continental United States, concluding that mosquitoes likely infected four people with the virus that can cause a rare but serious birth defect. Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami about the size of a square mile (2.6 square kms). Testing showed that one woman and three men had been infected, Scott said. While health officials have yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the virus, the state has ruled out other means of transmission, including travel to another country with a Zika outbreak, and sexual contact. "This means Florida has become the first state in the nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus," Scott said at a press conference. Zika appears to pose the greatest risk when it infects pregnant women, given its ability to cause microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by small head size that can lead to developmental problems. The current outbreak was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. Florida Surgeon General Celeste Philip said that health officials are not advising pregnant women to move out of the suspected transmission area. "We do not believe there will be ongoing transmission," Philip said at a press conference in Orlando, citing daily efforts to control the mosquito population in the area. The local health department is searching for other potential infections, with more than 2,300 people tested so far in the state, is ramping up mosquito control programs and is distributing Zika protection kits to pregnant women at their doctors' offices, Florida officials said. Federal authorities have already begun to treat the Florida cases as a sign of local transmission. On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered blood banks in Florida's densely populated Miami-Dade County and Broward County to stop collecting blood until they can test each unit or incorporate technologies that can kill blood pathogens. Residents in the trendy Miami neighborhood thought to harbor Zika said the local spread of the virus had been inevitable, given the large numbers of tourists from other countries with outbreaks. Damian Jose Delgado, a 35-year-old father of two, said news of Zika's arrival would make him think twice about expanding his family. "I think I might be done having kids," Delgado said. EARLY WARNINGS U.S. health officials have cautioned for months that the summer mosquito season was likely to bring local outbreaks, with Gulf Coast states such as Florida, Texas and Louisiana on the frontlines. They expect Zika's spread will be more limited than in Brazil, given widespread U.S. use of screens on windows, air conditioning and mosquito control programs. "As we anticipated, Zika is now here," Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a conference call on Friday. "There may be occasional clusters" of mosquito-borne transmission in the continental United States, he said, but little likelihood of widespread transmission. Frieden said the agency was not recommending that people, including pregnant women, limit travel to Florida, including the neighborhood where people may have been infected. He said CDC would reassess that advice if there is evidence of Zika spreading rapidly in the area. The agency has told pregnant women to avoid travel to more than 50 other countries and territories where Zika is active. Up to 80 percent of people infected with Zika may experience no signs of illness, while those who do generally have relatively mild symptoms, including fever and rash. There are no specific treatments or vaccines for the virus. The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency in February, reflecting alarm over the discovery that Zika was linked to microcephaly and other severe neurological abnormalities. Brazil has confirmed over 1,700 cases of microcephaly linked to Zika infection in pregnant women. Public health officials say Zika is also a likely cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder in adults that can cause temporary paralysis. Zika's arrival in the United States comes with Congress in recess after failing to reach agreement over how much funding could be used to fight an outbreak. The Obama administration has requested $1.9 billion to finance research, mosquito control and other prevention efforts. Scott said he has authorized $26.2 million to help fight the virus in the state. President Barack Obama has been briefed on the Florida Zika cases and has directed his team to ensure the state has the support it needs to fight the virus, a White House spokesman said. The new findings should be a "wake-up call" to Congress to provide more funding, spokesman Eric Schultz said. Until now, the more than 1,600 Zika cases in the United States have stemmed from travel to another country with active transmission, as well as a small number of cases of apparent sexual transmission by a person infected outside of the country. TABLE-OPEC oil output rises 100,000 bpd in July - Reuters survey July 29 (Reuters) - The following table shows OPEC crude oil output in millions of barrels per day (bpd) in July and June, according to a Reuters survey published on Friday. The survey indicates output from the 14-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries rose by 100,000 bpd in July, led by increases in Iraq and Nigeria. OPEC has no supply target, having in December 2015 scrapped its output ceiling of 30 million bpd, which it had been exceeding for months. Totals are rounded. There are no individual quotas for the OPEC member countries. Gabon is included in the survey for the first time after it rejoined OPEC on July 1. July June Algeria 1.10 1.09 Angola 1.74 1.73 Ecuador 0.55 0.55 Gabon 0.21 0.21 Indonesia 0.74 0.74 Iran 3.62 3.60 Iraq 4.32 4.23 (R) Kuwait 2.86 2.85 Libya 0.28 0.30 Nigeria 1.61 1.55 Qatar 0.65 0.66 Saudi Arabia 10.50 10.55 (R) UAE 2.96 2.95 Venezuela 2.27 2.30 TOTAL OPEC 33.41 33.31 (R) R - Revised The Reuters survey aims to assess crude supply to market, defined to exclude movements to, but not sales from, storage. Saudi and Kuwaiti data includes the Neutral Zone. Venezuelan data includes upgraded synthetic oil. Nigerian output includes the Agbami stream and excludes Oso and Akpo condensates. (Reporting by Alex Lawler; Editing by Dale Hudson) Azerbaijan closes TV station over interview with Turkish cleric Gulen By Nailia Bagirova BAKU, July 29 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan closed an independent television station on Friday that planned to air an interview with Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric whom Turkey accuses of orchestrating a failed coup attempt earlier this month. Azerbaijan has close ties with Turkey and Ankara has consistently supported Baku in a conflict with Armenian-backed separatists over its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Azeri court of appeal revoked the license of ANS television station based on a lawsuit filed by the National Television and Radio Council (NTRC). The law allows authorities to close media deemed to be broadcasting extremist propaganda or discriminating on ethnic grounds, amongst other offences. "ANS took a position that contradicted the strategic partnership between the Azeri and Turkish people by offering support to Fethullah Gulen and his supporters, who organised the bloody events that led to multiple deaths," NTRC said in a statement. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said his former ally Gulen, who has a wide following in Turkey, masterminded the July 15 coup attempt and headed a network within the army, police, judiciary, civil service, media and the education sector to control the state. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, denies the accusations and says the coup may have been orchestrated by Erdogan himself. An ANS correspondent in Washington recorded an interview with Gulen shortly after the events in Turkey, but it has not been broadcast. ANS TV is owned by three Azeri businessmen and is widely seen as independent in the oil-rich country, where President Ilham Aliyev is accused by opponents of muzzling dissent and jailing his critics. Baku says the country - a mainly Muslim former Soviet republic of 9 million people whose language is close to Turkish - enjoys full freedom of speech and a lively opposition media. Representatives for the station said the court's decision was undemocratic and they planned to file an appeal. "ANS was the only TV channel which did not belong to any oligarch in the country," Azer Gasymov, an independent analyst, told Reuters. Libya government, oil guards reach deal to reopen ports By Ayman Al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya, July 29 (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed government has signed a deal with an armed brigade controlling the major Ras Lanuf and Es Sider oil ports to end a blockade and restart exports from the terminals shut down since December 2014. Reopening the ports would be a huge step for the North African state, which since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi has slipped into chaos that has cut its oil output to less than a quarter of pre-2011 levels of 1.6 million barrels per day. No specific date was set for restarting exports, but swift resumption would be hampered by technical damage from militant attacks and by opposition from the state-run National Oil Corporation, which objected to paying cash to reopen the ports. Libyan Presidential Council deputy Mousa Alkouni signed the agreement late on Thursday with Ibrahim al-Jathran, commander of the Petroleum Facilities Guards, one of Libya's many armed brigades that has controlled the terminals. "I think the resumption depends now on technical part ... and I think also it will happen from within a week to two weeks, but not more," Alkouni told Reuters by telephone. He said the agreement included paying an unspecified amount in salaries to Jathran's forces. He said they had not been paid wages for 26 months. Their role is protecting the oil ports, though critics have said they used it to extort money from Tripoli. In a statement issued later on Friday, Alkouni said there was "absolutely no truth to rumours that the resumption of oil exports was the result of extortion or deals". Rival governments and a complex network of armed groups who once fought against Gaddafi and have quasi official status are vying for power and control of the country's oil wealth, closing down pipelines and battling over export terminals. Ali Hassi, a spokesman for Jathran's PFG brigade, said no date had been decided for reopening the ports because that would depend on the National Oil Corporation. But he confirmed an agreement had been signed between the council and Jathran. Jathran's brigades led blockades of the ports starting in 2013, saying he was trying to prevent corruption in oil sales, though others disputed his motives. He has also called for more autonomy for his eastern region. Opening Ras Lanuf and Es Sider would add a potential 600,000 barrels per day of capacity to Libya's crude exports, though experts estimate damage from fighting and the long stoppage must be repaired before shipments are at full capacity again. The NOC has said damage from recent attacks by Islamic State, which expanded in the country's chaos, meant the ports would struggle to get beyond 100,000 bpd in the near term. Beyond technical problems, NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla has also objected to any deal with Jathran, saying it was a mistake to reward the brigade commander by paying to end his blockade of the oil ports. Sanalla said a deal including payments would encourage other groups to disrupt oil operations in the hope of a similar payout. The NOC has also threatened to withdraw its recognition of the Presidential Council. Eurasia Group analyst Riccardo Fabiani said the agreement was likely to stick, unlike previous attempts to reopen the ports, because both sides had an interest in making it work. Facing resistance from hardliners and protests over living conditions, the presidential council needs oil revenues to improve services and economic stability as a way of bolstering its legitimacy. Jathran is also increasingly politically isolated and has decided to side with the council. Oozing dim sum buns delight diners in Hong Kong By Stefanie McIntyre July 29 (Reuters) - At Dim Sum Icon in Hong Kong, diners are encouraged to play with their food. Squeeze the lactating and defecating steamed dim sum bun with coconut cream inside, made to resemble one of the popular Japanese 'Kobitos' characters, and you're in for a "hilarious" experience, customers say. But far from grossing people out, Ray Kuo, assistant manager at the restaurant, said it's one of the most popular items on the menu. "Actually we got a lot of good reviews from them," Kuo said. "That is the main one they post on Facebook and Instagram." Another crowd-pleaser is a pooping 'Gudetama', the lazy yellow egg character from Japan's Sanrio, and a cartoon turd made out of cake. The restaurant uses Japanese animations, such as the 'Kobitos' by Toshitaka Nabata and 'Gudetama,' but switches the main theme up every few months in addition to alternating menu items. "We don't want the old traditional Chinese style of dim sum, so we want make it more fashionable, Kuo said, emphasizing the restaurant's appeal to teenagers and a "younger crowd." Dutch exchange student, Lineke Schrigver, said she knew about the restaurants from social media before even setting foot in the city and happened to walk by it. "I have seen it on Facebook and on Instagram already before I came to Hong Kong, but I didn't know this was like a famous thing or anything," Schrigver said. "I was like I want to go there." Schrigver said the food was "hilarious" but "really tasty." Taiwanese tourist, Miss Su, who had just arrived in Hong Kong said her family had first eaten at a traditional dim sum restaurant but were disappointed. "I think it is a novelty and special so I wanted to have a try," Su said. "And it does taste really good, cute and tasty." Kuo explained that everything has been cleared with the copyrights holder, with a percentage of the profits going to the animation companies. U.S., Cuba hold 'substantive' second round talks on claims WASHINGTON/HAVANA July 29 (Reuters) - The United States and Cuba have concluded a "substantive" second round of talks on multibillion-dollar claims against one another in Washington and agreed to hold more regular meetings on the matter, a State Department Official said on Friday. The former Cold War foes had a first meeting outlining their respective claims in December in Havana as part of a deepening detente. The issue is one of the key and complex obstacles to normalization of relations between the two countries. "The second meeting was more substantive both in exploring more details about claims that need to be resolved but also in reviewing the practices of both countries in solving claims," the State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "Both sides agreed they would have more regular meetings." There is no set date yet for the next meeting, which will place in Havana, in accordance with bilateral protocol, the official said. Cuba wants at least $121 billion in reparations for economic damages caused by the U.S. trade embargo and at least $181 billion for "human damages." The United States has awarded its firms and individuals $1.9 billion worth of claims against Cuba for factories, farms, homes and other assets that were nationalized on the island after Fidel Castro's rebels came to power in 1959. Those claims are now roughly worth $8 billion when including 6 percent annual interest. The Cuban government has reached settlements with other countries for expropriated assets but it cut off negotiations with the United States when bilateral relations soured in the 1960s. Many of the nationalized companies no longer exist and individual claims have been passed to heirs. The State Department official said the United States also is claiming $2.2 billion for court judgments outstanding against Cuba and hundreds of millions for former government mining interests on the island. Rebels say kill nine Angolan soldiers in oil-rich Cabinda enclave LUANDA, July 29 (Reuters) - Nine Angolan soldiers were killed and 14 wounded in a flareup of fighting with rebels in the country's oil-producing Cabinda enclave, the separatist guerrilla group said on Friday. The southern African country's government and military declined comment. The rebel Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) urged foreign workers to leave the region, saying their lives were in danger. "The situation remains uncertain in the Belize area in Cabinda, and remains very tense because of fighting with heavy weapons that took place from July 25-28," an FLEC statement said. The FLEC, which wants independence for a territory that accounts for half of Angola's oil output, has increased its tough talk since the death of its 88-year-old founder Nzita Tiago earlier this year in exile in France. Men claiming to be rebels boarded an offshore Chevron gas platform in late May and threatened foreign petroleum workers in a rare sign of the simmering instability in heavily guarded Cabinda. The incident cast doubt on the Luanda government's assertion that the FLEC has fizzled out since a 2007 peace deal. Densely forested Cabinda is separated from the rest of Angola by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has a distinct ethnic make-up that has fuelled a low-grade guerrilla secessionist campaign since independence from Portugal in 1975. Air Canada's shares slide on capacity, fare concerns July 29 (Reuters) - Air Canada shares fell 5 percent on Friday after the country's largest airline posted second-quarter results that raised concerns about downward pressure on fares. The Montreal-based carrier reported a profit that beat analysts' estimates on lower costs, but some other closely watched revenue metrics fell short of market expectations. Recent events in Europe, such as the Nice terror attack and Britain's decision to leave the European Union, softened demand in those markets, company executives told analysts on a conference call. Benjamin Smith, Air Canada's president of passenger airlines, said demand has been "holding up" in the third quarter. Air Canada recently added 10 new international routes, as part of its plan to lower costs through economies of scale. But BMO analyst Fadi Chamoun said in a note that Air Canada's ambitious growth, while demand was weak, caused an 8.2 percent drop in passenger revenue per available seat mile in the quarter. Macquarie analyst Konark Gupta, in an investor note, also cited concern about weakness in the average per-mile fare paid by passengers. He noted that several carriers have warned that high capacity and low demand would pressure fares for the rest of 2016. Air Canada Chief Executive Calin Rovinescu said on the call that he expected the carrier's additional capacity to be profitable. "We appreciate that we're setting some pretty high hurdles for us to fill the seats," he said. "But demand is continuing to be strong." Air Canada affirmed its estimate for a 4 to 8 percent increase in 2016 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and aircraft rent (EBITDAR). Many analysts closely watch this measure because Air Canada is overhauling its fleet, which lifts higher depreciation, amortization and interest costs. The carrier said 2016 costs would likely fall more than previously expected. It estimated a 2.75 to 3.75 percent drop in adjusted cost per available seat mile, excluding fuel, compared with a previously estimated decline of 1.75 to 2.75 percent. Air Canada posted adjusted earnings of 72 Canadian cents per share, well above analysts' average estimate of 58 Canadian cents according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Net earnings fell to C$186 million ($141.32 million), or 66 Canadian cents per share, from C$296 million, or C$1.00 per share, a year earlier. Air Canada shares fell 50 cents Canadian to C$8.94 late Friday afternoon. Hundreds mourn black man who died after arrest in Canada By Leah Schnurr OTTAWA, July 29 (Reuters) - Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of a mentally ill black man whose death after he was arrested by police in Canada's capital city sparked a debate about race in a country that prides itself on a reputation for being tolerant. At least 600 people including Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and other local politicians turned out on Friday for the Muslim funeral of Abdirahman Abdi, filling Ottawa's largest mosque and spilling onto the street. Watson was criticized earlier in the week for not making a statement until two days after the arrest on Sunday. Witnesses told local media that Abdi, 37, was beaten by police officers who responded to calls of a disturbance. A video taken by a bystander showed Abdi in a bloodied shirt lying face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind him and his pants pulled down before paramedics arrived. In a statement read at the funeral on behalf of the family, Abdi was remembered as a "wonderful son, amazing brother and kindhearted uncle." His family said in the statement that Abdi was "such a kindhearted person, what happened to him that Sunday wasn't fair at all and shouldn't be justified by any means." "We all have many questions but we are trying to be patient." Ontario's Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding Abdi's arrest. Some advocates have called for criminal charges to be filed against two police officers. There have also been calls for a probe into whether race was a factor in the incident as advocacy groups voiced concerns over police violence against minorities. A protest march is planned for Saturday in Ottawa, and more than 250 people have indicated on a Facebook events page that they plan to attend. Russia has motive, capability and form for U.S. email hack By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW, July 29 (Reuters) - The Kremlin says it had zero involvement in the hacking of Democratic Party emails while U.S. officials say the hack originated in Russia. We may never know who is right, but one thing is for sure - Russia had motive, capability and form. Seen through Kremlin eyes, Moscow would only be doing what it feels the United States has been doing to it for years anyway - interfering in a geopolitical rival's domestic politics in an attempt to destabilise and shape events. President Vladimir Putin said in February he had seen specific intelligence suggesting Russia's foreign enemies - code for Washington - were preparing to meddle in Russian parliamentary elections later this year. And in 2011, Putin accused the U.S. State Department and Hillary Clinton, its then head, of stirring up street protests against his rule. "We need to head off any external attempts to interfere in the elections, in our domestic political life," Putin, who is facing re-election in 2018, told officers from Russia's FSB security service in February. "You know that certain kinds of (political) technologies exist and have already been used in many countries." That was shorthand for Ukraine, Libya, Egypt and Syria, which Putin thinks Washington irresponsibly destabilised. People who have studied him for years say he believes the United States is trying to foment the same kind of unrest to oust him. His credo, set out when talking about Islamic State last year, is to strike first "if a fight is inevitable" and, as Russia has shown in its reaction to what it sees as NATO's aggressive build-up near its borders, to respond in kind. "Clearly the Kremlin feels it should and can insert itself into domestic politics in other countries in much the same way it believes the United States and Europe insert themselves into Russian politics," Samuel Greene, the director of the Russia Institute at London's King's College, told Reuters. "In their view it is fair play. They have seen the West involving itself in politics in Ukraine and other former parts of the Soviet space and feel they should be able to pretty much do the same thing." He said such disruptive behaviour was driven by a calculation: to stir up trouble in other countries so they have less bandwidth to focus on Russia. Mark Galeotti, senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague, said he believed another motive for the hack - if Russia was behind it - would be to portray U.S. democracy as venal and chaotic and so take the sting out of Western accusations that Russian elections are corrupt. Kremlin-backed media has tilted its coverage in favour of Trump over Clinton, and Putin has praised the Republican candidate as "very talented". But Greene said he thought what would matter most to Moscow would simply be to destabilise and to ensure that whoever won on Nov. 8 emerged as a weak figure. Navigating a grinding economic crisis caused by low oil prices, and at odds with the United States over both Syria and Ukraine, Putin is under pressure. He needs the West to lift the sanctions it imposed on Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, which have cut off access to Western credit markets and technology imports. Above all, though, he wants to make sure that external forces do not derail his own push for continued dominance in a political landscape where the liberal opposition is almost completely absent from TV screens and parliament. RED WEB Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia's Security Council, said earlier this year there had been a spike in the number of cyber attacks on Russian government bodies and critical infrastructure by foreign intelligence services. And Putin, speaking in February, complained about what he said were more than 24 million attacks in the past year. Andrei Soldatov, an expert on the FSB and co-author of Red Web, a book about the Kremlin's sprawling surveillance machine, told Reuters he thought if Russia had hacked the Democratic Party it would have been to send a signal that it could do the same and wanted U.S. intelligence services to desist. "This could have been an attempt to deter the United States (from hacking and meddling), to try to shake the U.S. establishment, and to try to weaken Clinton," said Soldatov. "It's pure politics, it's not about military secrets." In Moscow, Trump, who has spoken of his desire for better relations with Russia and praised Putin, is seen as far more likely to cut a sanctions deal with Russia, while Clinton is regarded as a hawk on Russia. "Everyone in Moscow believes that with Clinton in the White House it would be absolutely impossible to get the sanctions lifted," said Soldatov. Trump has already raised hackles in Ukraine by saying he would be willing to consider lifting sanctions. CAPABILITY Experts say the Russian state, via the FSB, has a well developed offensive hacking capability. It has previously been accused of deploying that capability in Estonia, Georgia and Ukraine. Russian military intelligence, GRU, is known to have similar capabilities, Soldatov said. There are also other non-state hacker groups which experts say sometimes collaborate with the security services, motivated by patriotism or money. Galeotti said Russia's capacity to mount cyber attacks had increased over the past two years. Previously, Moscow would force amateur hackers into its service, he said, but lately "what we are seeing is much more of a push towards creating professional in-house capacity". In this case, however, Soldatov said he thought it more likely that amateur hackers would have been responsible for the U.S. hack rather than the FSB or GRU who, if involved at all, would have played only a very minor role. There are nearly 400 million Muslims and Dalits in India. According to the 2011 census, Muslims comprise 14.2 per cent of the population, Dalits 16.6 per cent. Every third Indian is therefore Muslim or Dalit. For politicians a Dalit-Muslim combination forms an electoral juggernaut. In Uttar Pradesh, which has 20.5 per cent of India's total Dalit population (over 40 million out of the country's 210 million Dalits) and another 40 million Muslims, the combination could prove decisive. Mayawati has regained lost momentum after a series of atrocities on Dalits in recent weeks and the crude personal remark by BJP Uttar Pradesh vice-president Dayashankar Singh, expelled last week from the party and arrested on July 29. The Samajwadi Party's misgovernance could also nudge a part of its Muslim base to vote strategically for the BSP in order to keep the BJP at bay. With eight months to go for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, much can change on the ground. Polarisation could recur with the BJP and SP playing choreographed but complementary roles. Mayawati's alleged corruption in ticket distribution could blight her bid. And the Congress, with its line-up of entitled dynasts (Sheila Dikshit, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, Sanjay Singh, et al), might play spoiler, splitting the vote in a four-cornered contest. A big problem for the BJP in Gujarat has been CM Anandiben Patel's weak governance. Asaduddin Owaisi's MIM, a small player in Uttar Pradesh, is nevertheless another potential vote-splitter in what is one of the three most important state elections in 2017 before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The most important Assembly election of course is Gujarat, due in December 2017. (Punjab, which goes to the polls early next year, is the third key Assembly election in 2017.) It is Gujarat, however, where the Opposition senses a real opportunity to embarrass Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For the BJP holding on to Gujarat is more important than even winning Uttar Pradesh. A loss in Uttar Pradesh can be absorbed two years before the next Lok Sabha polls. Losing Gujarat just 16 months before the Lok Sabha elections would be devastating. That explains why Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Brinda Karat and others made a beeline for the state. One eye was fixed on the Dalit victims of cow vigilantism. The other was fixed even more firmly on the 2017 Gujarat elections. That too is why the Opposition has ignored similar recent cow vigilantism against Dalits in friendly Bihar. Fortunately for the BJP, the Opposition might be overplaying its hand. The AAP could ironically cut into the Congress vote in Gujarat, helping the BJP eke out a slender majority in the 182-seat Assembly next December. The BJP, however, faces three big red flags in Gujarat. The first is the Dalit backlash. The second is the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel. The third is the ineffective governance by chief minister Anandiben Patel. Patel is set to be replaced as chief minister before the Assembly elections. Prime Minister Modi and party president Amit Shah will need to campaign relentlessly across Gujarat soon after the Uttar Pradesh polls to reverse popular disaffection. The Patidar agitation is more complex. It is being fanned by Opposition leaders and will need dexterous handling by the BJP to contain it. Patidars form over 20 per cent of Gujarat's population. They are a powerful community of landowners who have not adjusted to new economic challenges. Dalits comprise just seven per cent of Gujarat's population. The violent incidents against them may, however, drive them towards the Congress and tip the balance in a close election. Muslims make up less than ten per cent of Gujarat's electorate. The Dalit-Muslim juggernaut thus has less potency in Gujarat than it does in Uttar Pradesh. But it nonetheless poses a threat to the BJP. The picture for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is even grimmer. Around 47 per cent of India's Dalits live in just four states: Uttar Pradesh (20.5 per cent), West Bengal (10.7 per cent), Bihar (8.2 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (7.2 per cent). In 2014, the BJP won 93 of its 282 Lok Sabha seats in just two states: Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Erosion in the national Dalit vote, which swung away from Mayawati in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections giving her a humiliating tally of zero seats in the current Lok Sabha, could cost the BJP dear in Uttar Pradesh in both the 2017 state Assembly polls and the 2019 general elections. Modi may still be re-elected in 2019 but Uttar Pradesh will decide the margin of victory. Gujarat gave the BJP 26 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. With a population of 63 million, Gujarat has five per cent of India's population. According to a recent Right to Information (RTI) reply, the state recorded 1,052 atrocities on Dalits in 2015. It is little consolation that Uttar Pradesh recorded 8,946 and Bihar 7,893 atrocities against Dalits during the same period - several times Gujarat's figures and disproportionately high even when the states' respective population figures are factored in. Worse, the conviction rate for crimes against scheduled castes was just 2.5 per cent (in 2013) against a national conviction rate of 23.8 per cent according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). For the BJP, the national electoral math is stark. In 2014, seven states gave it 204 seats out of its tally of 282 Lok Sabha seats: Uttar Pradesh (71), Bihar (22), Maharashtra (23), Rajasthan (25), Madhya Pradesh (27), Chhattisgarh (10) and Gujarat (26). In his seminal On the Psychology of Military Incompetence Norman Dixon poses the questions: "How, if they are so lacking in intelligence, do people become senior military commanders? And what is it about military organisations that they should attract, promote and ultimately tolerate those whose performance at the highest levels brings opprobrium on the organisations they represent?" Fortunately we have not had a major war in recent times to test the mettle of our commanders. But even in peacetime, many have, unfortunately, managed by their acts of omission and commission to bring opprobrium on our military. The upper echelons of India's military are now visibly dense with incompetent and uninspiring leaders, who simply managed to get good ACR's year after year with bland obsequiousness. They then go about expecting the same from their subordinates, and get it in plenty. Outstanding officers with a strong individuality and intellectual curiosity get culled by the stubborn seniority system, adopted from the bureaucracy. The Indian military, like many others, doesn't appreciate standout talent and personality, and prefers a uniform greyness. The system beats out the commander and dashing leader in an officer long before he becomes a general. We will never study this, as if this opaque system of evaluation is a military heirloom. Younger officers in Western militaries often challenge mediocrity and are willing to run into their swords for this. Have we any serving officer who will write on this? No, I don't think so. Even those who are retired seem to have deep tribal loyalties. Tribal loyalty is very different from institutional loyalty. The nation cannot afford the military to be a bureaucracy where even the undeserving rise. However, it was not always this way. Thomas Ricks has argued in his book The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today that the US military used to expect its generals to fail. In the Second World War, the US Army fired 16 division commanders and at least five corps commanders. The British Army fired generals Wavell, Auchinleck, Cunningham and Ritchie in North Africa alone. Many were given second chances. Somewhere along the way this tradition has lost. Ricks writes: "To a shocking degree, the (US) Army's leadership ranks have become populated by mediocre officers, placed in positions where they are likely to fail. Success goes unrewarded, and everything but the most extreme failure goes unpunished, creating a perverse incentive system that drives leaders toward a risk-averse middle where they are more likely to find stalemate than victory." At least the Americans have started the debate. In 2007, lieutenant colonel Paul Yingling published an absolutely blistering, full-frontal assault on American generals entitled "A failure in generalship". In it he challenged the US Army for producing generals with insufficient education, language skills, creativity and moral courage. He attacked the general officer promotion system as fundamentally flawed. His core argument was clear: "Our generals are not worthy of their soldiers." Amazingly, the article - by a serving officer - was published in the Armed Forces Journal. Less surprisingly, Yingling is now a high school teacher. Can anyone imagine an Indian Army officer writing such an article, or the Army War College Journal publishing it? Ricks further writes: "We often think of the military with a culture of clear accountability. This is only really true for lower ranks. In contrast, there is absolutely no question that if the British Army were a listed company (heaven forbid), a slew of generals would have been kicked out of theatre early. "Boards of directors have very little patience for poor performance, and regularly give CEOs months rather than years to prove themselves. Recent examples include GM (four CEOs in eighteen months) and Hewlett-Packard (five CEOs in six years). In fact as many as a third of CEO departures are due to poor performance." This begs the question; must all officers be promoted to their levels of incompetence? Once at the Farnborough Air Show, I ran into a serving Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot who looked well into his middle years and was still a wing commander. He was flying an aircraft at the show. When he saw the surprise on my face, he explained that he loved flying and to keep doing that he opted out of vying for higher commands. His juniors wear stars but he prefers to see the stars from close up. He made his choice but many more get passed over and serve under course mates or juniors. Heavens don't fall when this happens. But in India a general made a post-retirement career over his supersession, ensuring that the seniority rule is chiselled in stone. Dwight Eisenhower became a brigadier general in September 1941. In December 1943, he was appointed as the supreme allied commander in Europe. In January 1944, he also assumed command of the North Africa theatre and was re-designated as Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) making him the overlord of all allied forces in the West. He was also promoted to general of the army, the US equivalent of field marshal. As SHAEF he was the master and commander of famous generals like Bradley, Patton, Montgomery and Dempsey. Their views about Eisenhower were interesting. Montgomery said: "Nice chap, no general." Patton wrote: "It's too bad Ike had no personal knowledge of war." But Ike organised the greatest amphibious landing in history and oversaw the defeat of Nazi Germany in Africa and Europe. Not even Zhukov or Rokossovsky commanded such huge forces operating simultaneously in many sectors. Eisenhower went on to become POTUS (President of the United States of America) and when laying down office after two terms, warned his fellow countrymen against the growing power of the "military industrial complex". Our problem is that the complexity of military organisation eludes our leaders and the subject has become another sacred cow. Nearer home, William Slim was a brigadier doing a staff job in the Indian Army in Basra in 1941. He was fortuitously appointed GOC of the 10th infantry division in the Middle East and his performance led to him becoming the GOC of the 14th army headquarters in Imphal. There he led it to what is now arguably the Second World War's greatest military victory. Interestingly enough, he still held the official rank of a colonel with the wartime rank of major general and temporary rank of lieutenant general. He later became field marshal and chief of the imperial general staff (CIGS). He was the only Indian Army officer to become CIGS. In 1965, an Indian GOC went to war with his briefcase containing papers pertaining to his passing over for promotion. In the face of a Pakistani counter-attack, he withdrew in haste from his forward position on the Ichogil canal leaving behind his briefcase. The Pakistanis gleefully read the out the contents of his gripe over being passed over on Radio Pakistan. In 1971, an IAF pilot (later an air marshal) landed his Gnat in a Pakistani airfield, but that didn't stall his climb to a higher command. Clearly, we need to separate the wheat from the chaff in time before it becomes expensive. As wars become shorter, we can ill-afford to test our generals in war. We have to do it well ahead and be ready for war. The nation cannot afford the military to be a bureaucracy where even the undeserving rise. The solution to this can come only from within the military. Many times political discourse gets so warped in points and counter-points and counters to counter-points that we ignore a basic aspect which defines us, binds us all together: humanity. In India, people want to debate about the use of pellet guns on Indian teenagers throwing stones on paramilitary forces, forgetting that with every other day that we spend on self-defeating battle of rhetorics, kids in Kashmir are losing their gift of sight. Modiji likes to tour other countries, Amit Shah is busy planning for Uttar Pradesh elections and Rahul Gandhi is busy looking for catchphrases. All the while our kids our shot in the name of god knows what while most of the media keeps hoping for a Hafiz Saeed sighting, as if he were Haley's Comet itself. Sigh. America (Barack Obama's America) on July 28 put forward the greatest example for them as a nation, as a people, together fighting the problems they have. Khizr Khan came took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to talk about his son, Humayun Khan. Humayun wanted to be a lawyer, but didn't refuse his nation's call when he was summoned to fight in Iraq. He died there in 2004 their trying to protect other soldiers. Khizr Khan, shaking at this point on stage, with his wife on his side, said, "If it was Donald Trump, my son wouldn't have ever been in America." Trump has been berating that he'll ban all Muslims and other minorities in the US, trying to position himself as the saviour of scared "Americans". Khizr Khan's son gave up his life for America. Donald Trump owns a University which devastated many American students out of an education. "You have sacrificed nothing and no one," Khizr Khan told Donald Trump. "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America - you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. We can't solve our problems by building walls and sowing division. We are Stronger Together." The Khizr Khan speech is just going to enrage Trumpkins because somewhere inside, it made them ashamed. John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) July 29, 2016 Because I sure am honored to share a country with Khizr Khan.pic.twitter.com/F8wSrdJa10 Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) July 29, 2016 Khan's speech addressed the core values of his nation, of his constitution. Incredibly, America's Times Now, Fox News didn't even telecast his address. Perhaps they were busy addressing Hafiz Saeed's latest video. Perhaps they were asking for a ban on other channels for being unpatriotic. India too is at crossroads. Two muslim "beef transporters" are forced to eat cow dung after being thrashed. Who is more Indian here? What we can learn from the Americans is exactly this lesson in humaneness. Two of the world's biggest democracies mirror each other, but not in a nice away. Khizr Khans and Mohammad Akhlaqs suffer at both places, but why should they? When Mohammad Jibran Nasir used Photoshopped images of Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Virat Kohli and Narendra Modi, among others, with pellet gun injuries in their disfigured and obviously morphed faces, he created a viral campaign to underscore the plight of Kashmiri boys and girls scarred by the recent crackdown. The campaign, though widely lauded, also got its fair share of criticism. Chiefly in DailyO, our columnist highlighted how Nasir's portrayal might not heal Kashmir but may become an excuse for others, perhaps aggrieved persons, to harm the people depicted in his Facebook page. Moreover, Nasir was also called out on his disproportionate complacence on the Hindus, Christians and Ahmadis being killed and brutalised in Pakistan. Looks like he took the criticism seriously and came back with an equally stinging Facebook campaign to protest against the atrocities on religious minorities in his country, and more immediately, the murder of two Hindu boys in Ghotki, Sindh. In his famous and controversial "Never Forget Pakistan" page on Facebook, Nasir has put up a picture of a blindfolded Nawaz Sharif, no less than the incumbent prime minister of the country, and has a text accompanying it which happens to be a hard-hitting letter to the Pakistan PM on his silence and apathy towards the sufferings of religious minorities in Pakistan. In the recent years, Pakistan has witnessed a string of human rights violations - including deadly blasts in churches in Peshawar, lynching and killings of minorities, particularly Hindus, Christians and Ahmadis. Though blasphemy laws are being looked into, it remains one of the chief weapons to unleash horrors on the minorities. The dishonourable murder of Qandeel Baloch, attacking Hindus in Sindh for having food before iftar during Ramzan, and arrest of Hindu men for "desecrating the Quran" and the fatal lynching of Hindu boys for the same allegation have created a massive furore in the liberal sections of Pakistani civil society. But though there are murmurs on social media and some protests on the streets of big cities such as Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, so far the plight of minorities has failed to gather enough momentum in Pakistan. Will Nasir's Facebook campaign with Nawaz Sharif's blindfolded face finally jolt Pakistanis out of their collective complacence? BLACKSBURG John Jelesko said his obsession with poison ivy started with a burning sensation several years ago. And now he burns to find out more about the plant, which can turn summertime into a stretch of itching and discomfort for many. He and a team of four other Virginia Tech faculty members are now using samples from different parts of the Appalachian Trail including a 100-kilometer transect from near Blacksburg to Peaks of Otter as a laboratory to determine why and how the plant grows and spreads. The project is funded by a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences proposal development grant worth $5,000 that Jelesko hopes to use to leverage additional funding in the future. That grant would get the team enough funding to study the entire length. Researchers want to know why poison ivy grows in so many different ways, said David Haak, a Tech associate professor of plant pathology, physiology and weed science. Folks hiking through the forest know the distinct three leaves that signal get away, Haak said, but the plant can grow in so many different ways, from a creeping vine to a bushy shrub, and scientists really dont know why. So, Haak is sequencing the plants DNA from different types of plants gathered from various points on the Appalachian Trail, as well as some plants from other parts of the country such as Texas and Iowa. He said researchers can analyze the DNA to see which traits from poison ivy are genetic and which come from adapting to external factors, such as soil type or the amount of sunlight received, he said. The goal, according to Jelesko, is to figure out how and why poison ivy grows so prevalently in areas disturbed by humans. If we see genes associated with human-created habitats and few in wild populations it begs the question: Is poison ivy domesticating itself? said Jelesko, a Tech associate professor of plant biotechnology. Jeleskos nasty run-in with the plant was in 2012. A tree in Jeleskos back yard was knocked over by that summers infamous derecho. Per his wifes request, he said, he was careful to avoid the plant on the tree. However, he wasnt watching an extension cord connected to his yard trimmers. I had what could only be described as chainsaw-induced testosterone poisoning, he said. The cord was running straight through a pair of poison ivy plants. When he used his arm to tie it up, urushiol the nasty natural chemical that leaves its mark spread all over his arms. The encounter left his forearms swollen and rash-covered, leaving him with a desire to claw my flesh off, he said. During one night of tossing and turning because of the poison ivy-induced agony, he decided he wanted to know more about his torturer. So as any good plant biologist would do, he turned to peer-reviewed scientific journals to learn more about why poison ivy is such a pain. But there was almost nothing to read. There was very, very, very, very, very little known about the plant, Jelesko said. Hes investigated the plant, studying how it reproduces, how it dies when a specific fungus attacks its seedlings and practical applications for urushiol, the biological chemical that can cause so much pain. Its the thing in your back yard that we really know nothing about, Jelesko said. Through a couple of years of investigation, Jelesko has learned a few things about the plant like a unique way to kill it, and how it reproduces. Jelesko has figured out theres a fungus that naturally grows on the plants seeds. He hypothesizes that the fungus appears on the seeds to prevent seedling competition with mother poison ivy plants. The only way the fungus will disappear in the wild is when it passes through the digestive tract of a bird. A bird will eat the seed and fly away, and when it excretes the seed in a new location, the seed wont have the fungus, increasing its chances of growing into a healthy poison ivy plant, Jelesko said. The fungus then can be used to kill poison ivy and doesnt appear to harm other organisms, other than an invasive insect found in New England for which it was first practically applied. Birds and mammals other than humans dont get rashes from poison ivy when they come into contact with urushiol, Jelesko said. Deer will eat the plant like crazy, he said. For an unknown reason, the chemical in poison ivy afflicts only people. The plant seems to thrive in so-called edge environments that are created by humans, like fence lines on agricultural fields or woodlands that abut roadways. Using GIS mapping technology, the Tech team will study genetic markers in poison ivy plants based on a particular plants precise location on the trail. Theyll also be able to look at physical surroundings and habitat to see how genetic makeup influences where different types of poison ivy thrive. The information may provide researchers with the ecological role that poison ivy plays, according to Haak. He said scientists are also unsure how the plant plays into the North American ecosystem. We dont really know why its here, Haak said. That element is like many facets of poison ivy in that scientists know little about it. Jelesko said he hopes to continue pushing the frontier on knowledge about the plant all thanks to an unfortunate encounter during yard work that lasted two weeks. After all, he says now, his wife had warned him to be careful around the plant. Now, whenever he comes close to it, he avoids it at all cost. But if he or someone else does come into contact with the plant, he has a simple suggestion: Visit a doctor and get prednisone, a steroid. Jelesko operates a citizen scientist website where people can log their pictures and observations of poison ivy in the wild. You can visit poisonivyresearch.ppws.vt.edu for more information. Jelesko highly recommends that you dont touch the plant while gathering information and if you do have contact, wash your hands with soap and water. Urushiol is an organic oil found in poison ivy and other rash-causing plants. When poison ivy or a similar plant is disturbed, it can cause an itchy and painful allergic reaction known as a contact dermatitis, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. An allergic reaction will occur in 80 to 90 percent of adults exposed to a tiny amount of the chemical, according to the CDC. But there are some practical applications for the chemical. The chemical is also commonly found in lacquer trees in Asia and is used by artisans to put a dark lacquer on bowls because, as the chemical polymerizes, it becomes almost black, Jelesko said. Jelesko said he is currently researching a way to find a practical purpose for the polymerized chemical in car tires, as well as a way to produce it synthetically. Robby Korth reports for The Roanoke Times. At a preliminary hearing Thursday, the fiancee of slain 31-year-old Floyd Alston Jr. described the November night when two masked men entered her home, threw her to the ground and one of them shot the father of her children. In his first court appearance since he was charged in May with first degree murder, armed burglary and attempted robbery, Jordan Jerome Eaddy was in Charlottesville General District Court on Thursday, when his charges were certified to a grand jury. Police found Alston with a gunshot wound to the chest on Nov. 21 in an apartment on South First Street. His fiancee, Tiffany Powell, said in court that she, Alston and their two children had been out shopping that day for groceries and Christmas presents. When they arrived home, she said, Alston laid on the couch to rest while Powell began to unpack the spoils of the day. That was when two masked men entered through the back of the apartment, she said, one armed with a gun. One man proceeded to grab her by the hair, she said, and pushed her to the ground in the living room. Seeing the weapon, Powell moved to protect her then-3-year-old and 12-year-old daughters while screaming for Alston to wake up. As Alston stirred, he saw the armed men and rose to confront them. As the men said something along the lines of give me your money, she said, Alston made an attempt to grab for the gun. This resulted in a tussle she said, one that ended when the gun went off and Alston fell to the floor. The masked men then became frantic, she said, and ran out the front door of the apartment. Looking out the front door, Powell said she recalled seeing the men hop into a silver sedan that sped off. She brought her daughters to the next-door neighbors, asking them to call the police, before returning to an unresponsive Alston on the living room floor of her apartment. Alston was pronounced dead at the University of Virginia Medical Center later that night. The driver of that silver sedan also testified Thursday. Standing shackled in an orange jumpsuit, Bryan Page said he had picked up Eaddy and an unidentified man earlier that evening, where the three drove around to purchase a synthetic form of marijuana known as spice. Page recalled that, while they were driving around, he saw Eaddy with a revolver that, before they arrived to the South First Street apartment, he handed to the unidentified third man, who prosecutors say has since been arrested. Page testified that he was circling the apartment when Eaddy and the third man went masked into the homes back entrance. He was there for roughly 30 seconds when he heard a boom, he said, and suddenly the two came rushing out the front door. He drove to meet them, allowing them back into his vehicle before speeding off. After police arrived to the scene, a call went out looking for a car matching the description given by Powell a silver sedan with small but shiny rims. An Albemarle County police officer testified Thursday that on that November night, he spotted the vehicle in question on U.S. 29 going toward Fontaine Avenue. At the exit, he watched the car skip a stop sign and speedily continue, prompting him to follow. He managed to pull the car over, but as he approached on foot, it sped off. The officer gave chase, alerting other law enforcement that he had found the sought-after vehicle. Each car was going about 80 mph along Charlottesvilles Jefferson Park Avenue before the silver sedan, after hitting other vehicles, finally crashed. From there, officers detained Eaddy and Page. Page faces a slew of charges, including trespassing, hit and run and eluding police. The third man in the incident, who was heavily implied to be the shooter, has not been publicly named, but he has been apprehended on charges unrelated to the shooting. Prosecutors would not go into detail about his charges. The case will go before a grand jury Aug. 15. RICHMOND Khizr Khan of Charlottesville, whose Muslim son enlisted in the U.S. Army and died in Iraq protecting his troops, brandished a pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution at Donald Trump on Thursday night while speaking at the Democratic National Convention. Donald Trump, youre asking Americans to trust you with their future, Khan said. Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution? Reaching into his pocket, and shaking the booklet at the television cameras, he said: I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law. Khans son, Humayun S.M. Khan, a graduate of the University of Virginia, was one of 14 American Muslims who died serving their country in the 10 years after the 2001 terrorist attacks. In June 2004, while his infantry unit was guarding the gates of their base, a suspicious vehicle appeared. Khan told his men to hit the ground as he went forward. He took 10 steps toward the oncoming terrorist vehicle before it exploded killing him but saving the lives of his soldiers and untold numbers inside the base. Khan was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart posthumously. He was 27 years old. Tonight we are honored to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country, Khizr Khan said, his wife, Ghazala, standing at his side. Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed, he said. We believed in American democracy that with hard work and [the] goodness of this country, we could share in and contribute to its blessings. Khan said he and his wife were blessed to be able to raise their three sons in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams. Our son, Humayun, had dreams too, of being a military lawyer, but he put those dreams aside, the day he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, Khan said. Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son the best of America, he said. If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Addressing his comments to Trump, Khan said: Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots, who died defending the U.S. Youll see all faiths, genders and ethnicities, he said. You have sacrificed nothing. Khan urged every patriot American, including all immigrants, to honor the sacrifice of my son by voting for Clinton, whom he termed the healer. Andrew Cain reports for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A local food program is working to improve the lives of refugees in the Charlottesville area and provide them with access to nutritious foods. Maybe half of the people here are from farming backgrounds and so people were interested in having access to land to continue to get to do something that they knew, said Brooke Ray, senior manager for the International Rescue Committees food and agriculture programs. A civil-liberties lawsuit against the city of Charlottesville was filed in federal court Thursday, setting the stage for a legal battle between the city and an Albemarle County man who says the community needs to be aware that allowing Muslim refugees into Central Virginia invites criminal activity. Last month, Joe Draego was removed from a City Council meeting after he referred to Muslims as monstrous maniacs, alleging that the council and members of the community are willfully ignoring the threat that Muslim refugees might pose. According to the lawsuit, Draegos First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated when the council voted to have him removed per council meeting rules, adopted earlier this year, that prohibit defamatory attacks on individuals and groups. According to the lawsuit, the councils rule is not content neutral since it allows praise of groups but not criticism. Furthermore, the suit says, the rule is vague and overbroad and unconstitutional as applied. In a statement from the city, officials claim Draegos comments were intimidating and disruptive, and that they plainly violated City Councils standards of order and decorum. Jeffrey Fogel, the attorney representing Draego, said he found his comments offensive, but that he would never give the right to government to squelch free speech. Although the suit claims Draego has said many Muslims are real good people, and that he said only certain adherents of Islam are maniacs, video of the meeting shows Draego referring to Muslims broadly during a June 20 council meeting. Alluding to last months mass shooting at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub, Draego, allegedly paraphrasing scripture from the Quran, said the religion advocates violence against homosexuals. So, the Muslims, the monstrous maniacs they are, read the holy book and then perpetrate these horrible crimes Mayor Mike Signer then interrupted him, citing council rules that prohibit defamatory attacks on groups. After the council voted hastily to remove him from the meeting, Draego assumed a prone position and was subsequently dragged out of the meeting by authorities. Regardless of whether Draegos comments referenced a segment of the global Muslim population or all of its followers, John W. Whitehead, attorney and founder of the Rutherford Institute, an Albemarle-based civil liberties advocate, said the First Amendment protects Draego for the comments he made. Because no individual is singled out by Mr. Draegos statements, this is not defamation because it does not impugn the reputation of a particular individual, Whitehead said. Defamation is false statement about a person that damages the reputation of a person, Whitehead said. The First Amendment provides many protections for speech even if it has the effect of criticizing a person. These protections have been recognized by the courts in order to allow breathing room for speech. Fogel said the councils meeting rules and procedures, adopted in February, motivated him to take legal action. He said an opportunity to challenge those rules wasnt available until Draego was ordered removed from the councils chambers. When the council adopted the new rules and procedures, community members and civil liberties advocates decried the measure, which also changed the signup procedure for making public comments at the start of council meetings. The rules adoption also came with a formalized guideline that outlines the rules and expected decorum for councilors, speakers and observers at the meetings. In an interview Thursday, Councilor Kristin Szakos said many of those rules that were delineated in the new procedures had been observed by the council in previous years, and that theres been an effort to prevent hate speech at council meetings. Whitehead wrote the council in March challenging its new rules. On Thursday, Whitehead said the prohibition against attacks on groups was too ambiguous and vague to comply with the First Amendment. The statement from City Hall regarding the lawsuit says officials regret that the suit has been filed, but emphasized that the meeting procedures are an attempt to strike a balance between conducting the citys public business in as efficient a manner as possible and allowing citizens a reasonable opportunity to address city officials on any matter. Courts have long recognized that local elected bodies have a significant interest in maintaining civility and orderliness during the public comment portions of a public meeting, and to that end the City Code requires the mayor to preserve the order and decorum of councils meetings, the statement says. Szakos said shes supportive of allowing dissent and criticism at council meetings, but that its not appropriate to permit generalizations that paint entire ethnic or religious groups as a demonic religion or rapists. When people are telling lies and trying to characterize a whole group of people as evil, Szakos said, I immediately think how I would feel if I were somebody to whom it applied. Harriet Kuhr, of the International Rescue Committee, said there has been no uptick or substantial variation in the number of Muslim refugees being settled in Charlottesville in recent years. While 50 [percent] to 75 percent of the refugees coming to Charlottesville self-identify as Muslim, Kuhr said it has been that way for years. Many of the people being resettled in the area arent even refugees, Kuhr said, but rather are here on Special Immigrant Visas, meaning that they served primarily as interpreters and translators for the U.S. military and, because of their service, were forced to flee their home countries. We have a very old, upright Afghan community in Charlottesville, Kuhr said. In the last couple years, a significant portion of that have been SIVs, who have served our government and our country well. Szakos said the city has a generally healthy population of refugees and immigrants that enrich the community. Weve adopted a Welcoming Community resolution, are active with the [IRC] and do community planning to get people integrated enough and in a positive way, she said. And thats something we really care about. This week marks the 100th anniversary of an interesting but little known event in American history; a devastating catastrophe that was arguably the first major act of foreign terrorism in our nation. On the assumption youre probably sick of 2016 presidential politics already, let me take you back to 1916 and tell you the story of the Black Tom Explosion. Black Tom Island, named either for an early African-American resident or because the islands profile vaguely resembled a black cat with an arched back, was a small mound of earth jutting out of New York Harbor, a stones throw from Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. By 1916, it had been connected to the Jersey City coast by a landfilled causeway, and was used as a pier by the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Most notably, munitions, dynamite and gun powder often passed through Black Tom Island on the way to the warzone in Europe. Though the U.S. was still officially neutral in the Great War, it was no great secret that we supplied the Allies, especially Great Britain, with materiel to carry on the fight. On July 30, 1916 guards at the Black Tom pier discovered several fires burning near the barges and warehouses storing munitions. Some guards prudently hit the road, guessing what a fire there would mean, but others raised the alarm. Jersey City fire crews soon responded, but it was too late. A little after 2 a.m. slumbering residents of New York and New Jersey were jolted from sleep by a cataclysmic explosion. Its been estimated that it would have registered 5.5 on the Richter Scale had such a thing existed then. Windows were broken in Manhattan by the shock wave; the blast was heard in Philadelphia and Maryland. Reports on the number of deaths seem to vary, but usually from five to 10 fatalities. Some $20 million in damage nearly half a billion today was reported. Six piers, 13 warehouses and numerous railcars were simply gone. Ellis Island was evacuated; the Statue of Liberty was riddled with shrapnel. (In fact, have you ever seen early photos of tourists to Lady Liberty standing up at the torch? A hundred years ago you could climb a precarious ladder in her arm to enjoy the view from the torch. That practice was ended because of the Black Tom explosion). The U.S. was still a neutral in WWI at that point, so enemy sabotage was not immediately suspected. Guards using smudge pots to ward off mosquitoes were investigated; officials of the Lehigh Valley Railroad were briefly investigated for manslaughter on the assumption explosives had been mishandled. When the U.S. entered WWI less than a year later, the Black Tom incident faded into the background. Only years later did more of the truth come out: that the likely culprit in the explosion was German sabotage. While to this day there are competing theories and no one knows (or will ever know) the full story, subsequent investigations over ensuing years pieced together strong evidence that German spies were behind the fires. A group called the Mixed Claims Commission, set up after the war to handle damage claims attributable to German sabotage, awarded $50 million to plaintiffs in the Black Tom explosion the largest damage claim of any in the war. Germany, however, soon was mired in Nazism and an even bigger war, paid no damages. Its interesting to note, however, that Hitler could not pull off any sort of similar attack in the U.S. during his brief reign of terror. Little is left of Black Tom Island today. Additional landfill projects over the last century pretty much brought the island to the mainland now Liberty State Park. Only a commemorative plaque today marks the site of the devastating explosion a century ago, a blast that rocked the nation and could have led us into war a year earlier had the facts been fully ascertained. Only pretty diligent history buffs today know the name and significance of Black Tom Island. But with a centurys hindsight, we see a precursor of modern terrorism. Such attacks, and worse, remain a legitimate threat. Threats must be met with eyes wide open, including some historical context. After all, terrorism is not merely a minor annoyance. World War I, the most devastating conflict ever seen up to that point, and the event which shaped so much of what came afterwards, started with an act of terror (a political assassination). I fear it wont be the last such outcome. Long is the education director for the National D-Day Memorial. Were not going to spend a lot of time talking about what happened. Not that Austin police Officer Bryan Richters June 2015 takedown lets not dignify it by calling it an arrest of 26-year-old school teacher Breaion King is not worthy of discussion. As seen in a dashcam video unearthed last week by the Austin American-Statesman, Richter, who is white, hauls King, who is African-American, out of her car, twice slams her to the ground, shackles her hands behind her back and forces her down to the hood of his patrol car, her arms held high to maximize pain and compliance. Kings sin? During a traffic stop, she gave Richter a little lip. Could you please hurry up? she snips. And he proceeds to lose his mind. So what happened is certainly worth talking about. But it is what was said afterward that is ultimately more insidious. King, shackled in the back of a police cruiser, is convinced her mistreatment is related to the color of her skin. She asks another white officer, Patrick Spradlin, if he believes racism still exists. Spradlin answers affirmatively. But let me ask you this, he says. Do you believe it goes both ways? She says yes, but starts explaining about how whites have more power. Spradlin isnt buying it. Why are so many people afraid of black people? he asks. Violent tendencies. Thats why a lot of the white people are afraid and I dont blame them. Spradlin is speaking, mind you, to a slightly built woman his beefy colleague just violently assaulted for no reason other than pique. More to the point, he is speaking to a woman whose heritage includes 400 years of kidnapping, lynching, bombing, burning, rape, riot and, yes, police brutality, at the hands of people who look like him. But it is black people note that no other qualifier is necessary who, he says, have these supposed violent tendencies. And let us not ignore Spradlins talk of how racism goes both ways. Heres what King was trying to explain when he cut her off: The black person who doesnt like white people can call names, maybe even physically assault some individual. But she has virtually no power to express that bigotry with impunity upon multiple victims through public institutions. If she is a cop she cannot, for example, physically assault white motorists for no reason and expect to get away with it. By contrast, do you know how Bryan Richter was punished for his brutality? He had to go for counseling. Oh, and extra training. Spradlin is not alone in embracing false equivalence, though. A 2011 study by professors Michael Norton of Harvard and Samuel Sommers of Tufts University, finds that many white Americans now identify bias against them as a bigger problem than bias against blacks. They can point to no statistic to support this absurd idea there is none. Unfortunately, the new American ethos, as illustrated vividly last week at the GOP convention, holds that the truth you feel is more authoritative than the truth that is actually, well true. Since the video of Richters brutality came to light, the police chief and various city officials have pronounced themselves appalled and there is talk of reform. Thats all well and good, but this is bigger than police. Police reflect the society they serve. So, though most of them would know better than to say it out loud, Spradlins thinking recurs in landlords who wont rent, bankers who wont lend, doctors who wont treat, executives who wont hire. It recurs in an ongoing daily act of battery upon African-American aspiration. And hope. And faith. Bryan Richter assaulted Breaion King. Of that, there can be no doubt. By contrast, Spradlin only talked to her, their conversation calm and composed. But make no mistake. He assaulted her, too. Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald. Angela Engleman, a case worker with the Salvation Army of Waynesboro/East Augusta County, said Waynesboro residents will receive the funds based on need. The need includes illness, job loss or other circumstances that may make it difficult for them to pay rent or a mortgage. A local board composed of the Salvation Army, United Way and Catholic Charities and other organizations will determine the awarding of the FEMA funds. "This is one-time assistance,'' said Engleman, who said the funds would likely be distributed between September and May of next year. Nationally, FEMA announced in May the awarding of $120 million for the emergency food and shelter program. The grants from FEMA are based on thresholds involving population, unemployment and poverty levels both nationally and locally. Engleman said Waynesboro has received the emergency food and shelter funds for a number of years. She said the funds awarded in 2015 were somewhat higher than this year's award. A year ago, the food and shelter funds provided rent and mortgage assistance to 18 Waynesboro families. You may contact Bob Stuart at (540) 932-3562 or bstuart@newsvirginian.com. Something Donald Trump said Monday at the Hotel Roanoke sticks with us, and merits more conversation. No, not his complaint about the ballroom being too hot although thats illustrative in its own way. Its July. In the South. The doors have been open for hours to let in thousands of people. Of course, its hot. Why reflexively blame somebody for that? Instead, we have a more substantive point in mind, one that came up in his critique of Hillary Clintons new running mate, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. Trump ticked off statistics about poor economic growth during Kaines term as governor and contrasted those with more positive numbers from the term of his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Apples and oranges, of course. Kaine had the misfortune to preside during a recession; Pence during a recovery. Democrats would call that the Bush recession and the Obama recovery. Still, selective use of statistics is hardly new in politics. Thats not the point we had in mind. Trump called Kaine a political hack. Hack implies a functionary perhaps one not even qualified who is installed in office to carry out orders from above. That certainly does not describe Kaine, one of the smarter and more independent-minded senators as exhibited by his willingness to challenge his own party to insist that Congress vote on a use of force resolution against the Islamic State. Still, pretty standard political rhetoric. Trump also has called Kaine a career politician. That, of course, is absolutely true and applies just as equally to Trumps own running mate. But again, not a serious political offense. No, the more serious problem with Trumps critique of Kaine is one that should concern even Republicans. Trump complained of Kaine: He likes politics. Why is that a bad thing? We realize the mood of the times is clamoring for outsiders, both on the right and the left. Thats a cycle as old as politics itself. Throw the bums out. The problem is the country is so polarized that we cant agree on which set of bums we want thrown out. The charge, though, that Kaine is defective because he likes politics seems a very different type of charge one that actually undermines democracy itself. Politics is simply the way we carry out the business of governance. Whats wrong with liking that? Shouldnt we want such people in government? Dont we need them? Who would want to go to a doctor who didnt like practicing medicine? As Trump spoke those words, he stood in front of a VIP section that included a whole roster of Republican officeholders most notably, U.S. Reps. Bob Goodlatte and Morgan Griffith. Presumably they all like politics, or they wouldnt keep running. If Trump is elected, wont he need their support their politics to get his agenda enacted? (The answer, of course, is an emphatic yes). Its one thing to say that Kaine is wrong on the issues; its quite another to indict him because he likes politics. That effectively indicts everyone in that Republican VIP section and beyond, as well. It also effectively indicts the whole notion of participation in public affairs because all that is politics, too. Everything from holding the highest office in the land down to volunteering in a local campaign all that is politics. Yes, we realize that by politics, Trump isnt conjuring up a civics lesson from Schoolhouse Rock on how a bill becomes a law. As we recall, that lesson didnt mention lobbyists from special-interest groups or mudslinging campaigns fueled by their money, anyway. Still, his complaint against politics fits a disturbing aspect of Trumps persona, his acceptance speech assertion that nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it. That is the language of thecaudillo the strongman who doesnt need politics, only power. Thats also why his complaint about the ballroom temperature seems telling. Instead of acknowledging there might be some things in the world beyond someones control (the weather, for instance), he seeks out a scapegoat (the hotel staff) and darkly suggests a conspiracy afoot (that the hotel intentionally cut off the AC; not true). That is both a brilliant tactic, and a disturbing insight into how Trump views the world. Youre fired! is entertaining television; but not every global problem can be affixed on a single individual, or solved with a single order. Trump is asking Americans to do something theyve never done before to elect a president who has never served in any government office or high-ranking position in the military (a very particular form of government service). To dismiss politics is to dismiss the office to which he aspires, and the work it entails. It suggests either an unserious intellect, or a fundamental lack of understanding about the presidency. For whatever problem Trump wants to fix assuming that it is, indeed, fixable hes going to need politics. He needs to show how he has a skill-set that will enable him to build coalitions and get things done; instead, he dismisses that entire line of work. That is not how government works; its certainly not how our Founding Fathers wanted government to work. They intentionally set up a divided system of government to force people to engage in politics. The broader problem with Trumps he likes politics line is that it only serves to poison the well of public participation. Even in the early days of the republic, the French traveler Alexis de Tocqueville observed that it was hard to find good people to run for office: I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for superior men if they ran for office, but there can be no doubt that such men do not run. Think of how often we complain that we dont have good choices on Election Day, or any choices at all. Thats often because those superior men (and women) simply choose not to get involved in politics. Is there any wonder why they dont? Instead of criticizing a rival because he likes politics, Trump should instead be calling on more people to like politics and to offer themselves for public service just as he has. Wouldnt that be more, well, presidential? It would certainly be one way to make America great. The Roanoke Times Father-son retreat planned SCHUYLER -- Fathers and Sons Together Forever is a retreat scheduled for July 30-31 for fathers and their sons ages 11-15 at St. Benedict Center. Edward DeSimone, Ph.D., Father Jeff Mollner and a team of fathers and sons will lead this retreat, providing opportunities for open communication and mutual learning between fathers and their adolescent sons along with Mass and a traditional blessing of the sons. The weekend will include dodgeball competition, water balloon toss, and a hayrack ride, weather permitting. The retreat begins at 9 a.m. July 30 and ends at noon July 31. For more information, call 402-352-8819 or visit www.stbenedictcenter.com. Retreat set for St. Benedict SCHUYLER -- "Tongues as of Fire" is a weekend retreat scheduled for Aug. 5-7 at St. Benedict Center, with musician and composer Father Bob Dufford, SJ (St. Louis Jesuits). St. Ignatius of Loyola invites those attending to use their imagination while praying with Holy Scripture, to picture a particular biblical scene as if they were standing there. During this retreat, Fr. Bob will use specially composed instrumental music and texts to help participants enter into moments in the life of Jesus. Those attending are invited to bring an iPod, iPad, MP3 player, or computer. CD players may also be used but only for a few. The retreat begins at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5. For more information or to register, call 402-352-8819 or visit www.stbenedictcenter.com. Plasi dinner planned Aug. 28 PRAGUE -- The Plasi (Sts. Cyril and Methodius) Roast Beef Dinner will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Prague Parish Hall. The self-serve buffet will be $10 for adults, $5 for kids 5-10 years, and free for kids under 5. There will also be a cake walk, bake sale, silent auction, live auction and a raffle for $1,000. Man indicted for making threats BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) A 50-year-old Connecticut man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he made online threats against Jews and synagogues. Prosecutors say Kendall Sullivan used Metalthrone.com, an Internet forum, to post messages in May, June and this month threatening to "slaughter" Jews and "burn their Synagogue to the ground." The U.S. Attorney's Office says police and the FBI, armed with a search warrant, found more than two dozen firearms, gun parts, high-capacity magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in Sullivan's Stamford home. Patricia Ferrick, the agent in charge of the FBI's New Haven division, says she believes authorities may have thwarted "a horrific hate crime." Sullivan is in custody. A message seeking comment was left Thursday with a woman who answered the phone at Sullivan's home. Mormons pull missionaries SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Mormon church has pulled its 15 missionaries out of Turkey, citing concern about unstable conditions there. A news release from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says the missionaries were transferred to Germany and will work with the Turkish-speaking population in Berlin. The church says it plans to send the missionaries back when things return to normal in Turkey. A violent attempted coup on July 15 recently heightened tensions in the country. The Mormon church's website says it has one active mission and 439 members in Turkey. Second blaze at mosque probed TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Investigators are looking for answers after fire broke out at a Florida mosque for the second time in 10 days. Federal and local officials are investigating the blaze Wednesday at the Islamic Education Center in Tampa. Sallah Harake, a mosque board member, said electricity was blamed for the July 17 fire. But he said the power has been cut off then. The Islamic center's caretaker told investigators he heard popping sounds and saw smoke. He doused flames with a hose while a neighbor called 911. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating because it is a house of worship. In a separate case, a fire last week at Madinatul Ilm the other mosque in Hillsborough County was determined to be accidental. Pope Francis falls during Mass CZESTOCHOWA, Poland (AP) Pope Francis missed a step and fell to the ground Thursday as he was coming to an open-air altar to celebrate Mass at Poland's holiest shrine of Jasna Gora. In a dramatic moment, the 79-year-old Francis, walking deep in thought in his long robe, did not notice a step down and fell to the ground before the altar. Priests around him rushed to help him up and straightened his robe. The Mass proceeded as planned and the pope delivered a long sermon before tens of thousands of faithful gathered at the foot of the Jasna Gora monastery in the southern city of Czestochowa. Asked if Francis had suffered any ill effects from the fall, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said "the pope is fine." On a couple of occasions in the past, Francis, wearing long robes at public ceremonies, has missed a step or even fallen down on stairs. Each time he has gotten up on his own or thanks to an aide lending a hand. Every time, as he did Thursday, Francis has carried on without missing a beat for the rest of the long ceremonies. Party: Halt immigration COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) The Danish People's Party, an anti-immigration and nationalist group that supports the center-right government, says Denmark should halt immigration from Muslim countries, citing the threat of violence from Islamic extremists. In an interview published Thursday, deputy party leader Soeren Espersen told the Berlingske newspaper that Muslim migrants should be barred from entering Denmark for four to six years because "we need a respite after recent terrorist attacks in Europe." Martin Henriksen, another senior party member, confirmed to Denmark's TV2 that it was the group's stance. Critics including the opposition Social Democrats lashed out at the proposal, saying it wrongly conflates mainstream Muslims with Islamic extremists and compared it to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's plan to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. Government officials didn't immediately comment on the proposal. Condoms with symbol pulled SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Utah's Planned Parenthood branch won't hand out condom packages printed with a symbol associated with Mormon children's teachings after an image of the wrappers on its Facebook page generated backlash. The organization said Wednesday the condoms bearing a symbol for the phrase "Choose the Right" were a limited run intended to spark an open conversation about sexual health. Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Katrina Barker says they took the image down after hearing feedback from people who disapproved of the use of the shield design similar to popular rings worn by Mormon children and teenagers. The rings often serve as a reminder to make moral decisions. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says it owns the trademark to the phrase and the shield design, and did not give Planned Parenthood permission to use it. COLUMBUS Columbus City Council members were assured this week that fundraising for the proposed library/cultural arts center is proceeding at a comfortable pace. Drew Brookhart, the librarys director, also told the council hes confident the buildings price tag will come in lower than the $15 million included in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2016-17. Its not going to cost that much money, Brookhart said Tuesday while updating the project during a discussion on the capital improvement plan for next fiscal year. The library director told council members the private fundraising effort is still ongoing, and he expects the final total to fall in the $6 million to $8 million range. That includes around $1.6 million in existing library foundation money, another $1 million in private pledges committed to the project and $1.36 million in funding from the Sherwood Foundation and two local donors. The Omaha-based foundation headed by Susan A. Buffet awarded a $1.2 million grant to the community that was matched by the Raimondo Family Foundation and another anonymous donor. The Sherwood grant must be matched 2-to-1 locally, with that money in place by the end of 2017. East Central District Health Department, Columbus Public Schools and Columbus Family YMCA would also receive a portion of the grant funding. I have every confidence that we will be successful in making that match happen, said Brookhart, who told the council the foundation is also looking at other grants. I think were in good shape, he said. The goal is to pay for at least 50 percent of the library/cultural arts centers total cost using private donations, grants and foundation money. In May, Columbus residents voted 2,762 to 1,467 to extend the local half-percent sales tax that would be used to repay bonds issued to cover the remaining costs. However, that amount wont be determined until the projects designer and construction manager develop a final plan for the project. Omaha-based Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture has already been hired as the design firm and a selection committee is recommending Boyd Jones Construction as the construction manager at-risk. A contract with the Omaha construction firm is expected to be considered by the city council at its Aug. 15 meeting. City Administrator Joe Mangiamelli said the two companies will work together to develop a building thats the right size and right cost for Columbus. The most recent design calls for an approximately 45,000-square-foot building with an open-floor concept, multipurpose auditorium and increased space for the library collection and visual arts at the corner of 14th Street and 24th Avenue. Local voters also must approve a bond issue for the project before it can advance to the construction phase. If the project comes to fruition, Mangiamelli is recommending relocating city hall to the current library facility, which was built more than 70 years ago as offices for an electric utility. The proposed budget includes a preliminary estimate of $750,000 to renovate the library space for this purpose, but Mangiamelli noted that is far less than the $2 million estimate to upgrade the existing city hall building, which would be sold or razed if the transition is made. COLUMBUS Twins Abby and Allison Goos were shocked when they discovered they needed to pay to use the public restroom. That wasnt the only cultural change the girls experienced while on a recent trip to London and Paris with 11 other Columbus High School students. I couldnt believe we had to pay to go to the bathroom, said Allison, adding that it cost the equivalent of 30 cents in London and 50 cents in Paris to use the facilities. Her sister Abby called it a different experience. And I guess they dont drink things cold over there, she said. Everything seemed to be room temperature and they were fine with it. The high school seniors spent July 11-20 touring attractions such as Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower. I felt like it would be a good opportunity for our students who may never really feel like theyre able to go to places like this, said CHS English teacher Maggie Downing, who coordinated the trip and served as a chaperon. Downing, who has traveled to Europe before, said the culture shock the students experienced was amusing to witness. It was fun to see them point out those differences to us, she said. It was kinda like, Wow there is more to this world than just Columbus, Abby said. The trip was more than a fun experience for the students. It also exposed them to what they've been learning about in school. A lot of what they were seeing tied back into things they had read about in our English class, Downing said. This is the first time Downing has planned a trip like this for her students. She is hoping to take a trip to Athens, Greece, in 2018. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Company bosses announced plans to invest an additional 580 million euros modernising and expanding that factory in April. Frankfurt: German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz said on Friday it would spend one billion euros ($1.1 billion) on a large new factory in Hungary, creating around 2,500 jobs. The "convertible factory" -- designed to be rapidly reconfigured to produce different models -- will sit alongside an existing plant in the city of Keckskemet, Mercedes board member Markus Schaefer said in a statement. Construction will begin in 2018, with the company hoping to start production in 2020 or 2021, a spokesman for Mercedes parent Daimler told AFP. The new factory will be capable of producing rear-wheel drive models as well as the front-wheel drive cars currently built in Hungary -- and will enter service as Mercedes ramps up a push to eventually electrify all its passenger cars. Stuttgart-based Mercedes, the flagship brand of the Daimler group, has been producing compact cars at its facility in Keckskemet, around 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of Budapest, since 2012. Company bosses announced plans to invest an additional 580 million euros modernising and expanding that factory in April. The site currently employs more than 4,000 workers and produced more than 180,000 cars in 2015. Daimler reported record unit sales of 761,334 vehicles and net profits of 2.45 billion euros in quarterly results released on 21 July. GrabShack will also roll out an app service for the mobile platform in near future. A few years ago, customers used to check out product at physical stores, compare it and then buy it from a store that suited their pocket. Now its common for customers to search items at home and order them online. However, they still struggle to get best deals on products, collaborated from various websites like Snapdeal, Flipkart, Amazon and many more. A website named GrabShack has been launched in India, on July 29, 2016. GrabShack.com is a shopping search engine built to help customers find their goods and compare the best price with all available Indian e-commerce websites. To summarise, it has been created to solve the problems of every customer faces, when ordering online. That is, the problem of How do I find the best price on a product or a deal?" or "I surely cant go through every website out there, said Robin Srivastav, the co-founder of GrabShack GrabShack runs on a semantic engine, which accesses Indian e-commerce websites, uses AI to interpret the users search and then displays them on screen. The website takes a requirement input from the user and searches them on popular e-commerce websites which includes Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon PayTm, and a few others. The best deal is listed first following the closest price in an ascending order, thus helping the user compare the price of the goods with other shopping websites. This helps the customer to take out the best deal after comparing the prices, head to the respective website and buy it. Adding to the existing deals of the popular shopping websites, GrabShack offers additional discounts from their end. It does so by creating more than 500 relevant points about that product based on it's learning from users, Twitter and Facebook trends. It then leverages those points to provide you with the best matching results of what you are looking for along with the cheapest price you can find online, explained Srivastav. This ensures that GrabShack would give you results even for the vaguest terms like eye phone by understanding what the user meant. In a nutshell, GrabShack understands what users are looking for, similar to Google search. In addition, GrabShack will also roll out an app service for the mobile platform in near future. After debuting in India, the founders are planning to expand service in other countries like US, Brazil, Thailand, and Indonesia as well. GrabShack helps its customers shop for various products and categories which include electronics, fashion, food, home decor, mobiles, recharge and travel accessories. The website lists offers and deals from top shopping portals. Additional saving in the form of coupons is given out by GrabShack that the customer can benefit. Users can also subscribe for deals and coupons on a daily/weekly basis on the website. GrabShack is not the only player in the online comparison market. The new entrant locks horns with top players such as Junglee, PriceDekho, CompareRaja, Smartprix and many more. DoCoMo in a statement said Tata Sons was citing Reserve Bank of India not granting an exemption to the foreign exchange act to pay the money as an "excuse". New Delhi: Accusing Tata Group of not willing to pay USD 1.17 billion compensation, Japan's largest mobile phone firm NTT DoCoMo on July 29 said RBI disallowing its "mischaracterised" application does not bar the Indian group from paying out of funds or assets outside the country. Tata Sons last month was ordered to pay DoCoMo USD 1.17 billion in compensation for breaching an agreement on India joint venture. DoCoMo in a statement said Tata Sons was citing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) not granting an exemption to the foreign exchange act to pay the money as an "excuse". "By definition that decision only relates to payment of hard currency out of India. It cannot be used to block payment from funds or assets outside India nor can it prevent enforcement against such assets of Tata outside India," the Japanese firm said. Keen to get the USD 1.17 billion quickly, NTT Docomo got an ex parte order from the Commercial Court in London seeking permission to enforce the award in the UK. It essentially meant seizing Tata's Britain assets to recover the money. Tata Sons yesterday said it has 23 days from July 27 to apply for the order to be set aside. The Japanese firm has also filed a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking enforcement of the arbitration ruling. DoCoMo said it notes yesterday's statement by Tatas committing to honour its contractual obligations and settle the arbitration award. "DoCoMo also wishes that outcome," it said. "The only excuse for non-payment of the award which is alleged by Tata is the decision by the Reserve Bank of India earlier this week which was based on a mischaracterised application unilaterally made by the Tata without first consulting its partner DoCoMo," the statement said. DoCoMo said it "does not think that Tata Sons has in truth shown its willingness to make the payment." Yesterday, Tata Sons had said the arbitral award cannot be forced by seizing its Britain assets till the end of the 23 day period granted by the London Commercial Court or until any application made by it has been finally decided upon. "Further, the British assets of Tata Steel and Jaguar land Rover are not owned by Tata Sons. These are subsidiaries of Indian public listed companies of which Tata Sons is a promoter with a minority shareholding of not more than 30-35 per cent," it had said. Tata Sons also said that these firms were not party to the arbitration proceedings and so no award has been issued against them. The arbitral award is the result of a two-year tussle between the partners in their failed joint venture Tata Teleservices in which NTT Docomo of Japan holds 26 per cent stake which it had picked up in November 2008 for USD 2.7 billion or about Rs 12,770 crore at the then exchange rate. New Delhi: In an ownership split at $5 billion Hero Group, Sunil Munjal will leave the flagship Hero MotoCorp, headed by his elder brother Pawan, and will focus on some other group entities besides pursuing his other interests. The ownership realignment comes within months of Hero Group patriarch Brijmohan Lall Munjals death in November last year. After end of his tenure at Hero on August 16, Sunil Kant Munjal will focus on some of the other group businesses including Hero Corporate Service and its allied companies as the chairman, while he also pursues new business interests. With the blessings of Santosh Munjal, the matriarch of the Munjal family, Sunil Kant Munjal, Joint MD, Hero MotoCorp Ltd and Chairman, Hero Corporate Service, realigns his business or partnership stake in the Hero Group, a statement issued by BML Munjal family said. As part of the realignment, he will focus on some of the other group businesses including Hero Corporate Service and its allied companies as the Chairman, while he also pursues new business interests, it added. Sunil is the youngest of the four siblings. In 2009, DoCoMo bought a 26.5 percent stake in Tata Teleservices Ltd but announced plans in 2014 to exit the venture, which struggled to boost subscribers as quickly as its peers. India's Tata Sons Ltd said it expected to deposit $1.2 billion with the Delhi High Court on Friday, the money it was ordered to pay Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc by an international arbitration court last month. Tata Sons also rejected reports suggesting the possibility of its UK assets being seized as a result of the ruling. In 2009, DoCoMo bought a 26.5 percent stake in Tata Teleservices Ltd but announced plans in 2014 to exit the venture, which struggled to boost subscribers as quickly as its peers. DoCoMo then asked Tata to find a buyer for its stake at a pre-determined price. Tata failed to find a buyer and instead offered to buy the stake itself. India's central bank, however, rejected Tata's offer, saying a rule change in the previous year prevented foreign investors from selling stakes in Indian firms at a pre-determined price. India plans to block Tata's payment of the arbitration award to avoid setting a precedent as at least 10 other companies have sought waivers for similar deals, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Delhi high court has given the companies until August 30 to resolve the issue. Mumbai: Startup entrepreneurs will now be able to access a new avenue of funding through a TV reality show. Called the VAULT it is offering aspiring entrepreneurs a huge opportunity to fund their businesses. It is open to small and medium enterprises, the student community, household and rural ventures, and start-ups at an incubation stage. The Vault is now open, as the creator Jatin Goel says. Given the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country it will provide a major shot in the arm, the one-of-its-kind Indian reality show which will offer aspiring entrepreneurs a huge opportunity to fund their business dreams. As he explains it, entrepreneurs-in-the-making will pitch their innovative business ideas in front of a panel of investors and secure on-the-spot funding. The final say, however, remains with the investors, who are high net individuals(HNIs) and ultra HNIs who have been successful in fields as diverse as finance, real-estate, retail, advertising and technology. The Indian entrepreneurial landscape is currently at its peak, says Mr Goel, but while India has the third-largest and the fastest-growing startup ecosystem in the world, the growth witnessed by SMEs and household and rural businesses also indicates that there are many more milestones yet to be achieved. The difference between Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and their Indian counterparts, as he says, is that while the Valleys entrepreneurs have a learning and sharing ecosystem for startups or any industry, their Indian counterparts lack this sharing of information culture. The VAULT seeks to change this by providing a platform for funding and mentoring startups to be successful in their products. Executive producer of Vault, Ajar Upadhyay, said: Indian entrepreneurs need support, guidance and mentorship, and that is what The Vault aims to bring to each one of them. The objective is to give exposure to business ventures on television, highlighting what goes on behind closed doors during an entrepreneur-investor pitch. Its the first-of-its-kind initiative towards developing an environment that fosters innovation and drives growth for promising business ideas irrespective of the sector they operate in. The right kind of mentoring will ensure that innovative business ideas are able to take root and reach their real potential, said Mr Goel. The televised launch is scheduled for September, and there will be 12 episodes of 30 minutes each with five to six investors and one guest investor and a total of 36 entrepreneurs will be financed and mentored by the end of the 12 episodes. A total of 50 ideas will be shortlisted and the entrepreneurs behind them will be given the chance to make a pitch. Meanwhile, a strike by public sector banks staff to protest proposed merger of SBI associates with the parent is likely to affect transactions worth Rs 12,000 crore. New Delhi: The government on Friday extended the last date for filing income-tax return to August 5 due to bank strike and disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, the last date of filing of return was July 31. As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned that the last date has been extended to August 31. In view of todays bank strike and disturbance in J&K, the due date of IT return filing is being extended. For assessees across India, deadline is extended up to August 5, said revenue secretary Dr Hasmukh Adhia. Meanwhile, a strike by public sector banks staff to protest proposed merger of SBI associates with the parent is likely to affect transactions worth Rs 12,000 crore. Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan attended the World Hepatitis Day 2016 Symposium organised by the World Health Organisation and Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare held in Mumbai. The superstar spoke about the enormity of the issue at length. The star who himself is surviving on a precarious 25 per cent of his liver ever since it got damaged by the Hepatitis B virus, called for a higher budget to be invested on the prevention of the fatal disease. The Piku actor said the awareness needed to be extended on to the Aanganwaadis, the government run women and children centres. "The government of Maharashtra has a wonderful scheme where they help and work along with what is commonly known as aanganwadi... I think it will be a wonderful idea if they (government) can include this process of how to educate these aanganwadis in hepatitis," the actor said. The actor vociferously empathised with victims pledging unconditional support to the cause. "There are various programmes that the government does. We need to have a very consorted programme to put the programme of hepatitis on a more definitive basis. We need to have a designated amount of budget put across towards hepatitis so that we can all work towards its eradication , the 73-year-old actor added. The Paa actor is also the brand ambassador of the awareness campaign. "There are various programmes that the government does. We need to have a very consorted programme to put the programme of hepatitis on a more definitive basis. We need to have a designated amount of budget put across towards hepatitis so that we can all work towards its eradication", he concluded. Ajay Devgn is looking forward to his directorial venture Shivaay that is slated to release on Diwali this year. Ajay Devgns ambitious magnum-opus is being touted to be on the lines of Hollywood historical action thrillers. Actor-director Ajay Devgn took to Twitter and shared the first poster of Sons of Sardar: Battle of Saragarhi. Unveiling @SonsOfSardaar My tribute to Warriors of Saragarhi: A tale of Rage, of Love, of Bravery. #SonsOfSardaar pic.twitter.com/kjI44uCvzI Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) July 29, 2016 The film is based on the revered battle of Saragarhi and will be made on an international scale and will have a breathtaking cast list. The Battle at Saragarhi is one of eight stories of collective bravery published by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). It has been mentioned as one of the five most significant events of its kind in the world which includes the Battle of Thermopylae associated with the heroic stand of a small Greek force against the mighty Persian Army of Xerxes I in 480 B.C. After his much anticipated directorial venture Shivaay that is slated to release on Diwali this year, the actor will start shooting for Sons of Sardar: Battle of Saragarhi. JavaScript is disabled on your browser. CORDIS website requires JavaScript enabled in order to work properly. Please enable JavaScript. Mumbai: Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav is about to be incarcerated for six days more, after a Supreme Court ruling, today. Yadav had been sent to a 10 day-judicial custody by the Delhi High Court for filing a false affidavit. The actor had ended up spending four days in judicial custody, from December 3, 2013 to December 6 2013, succeeding which a division bench of the High Court had suspended the sentence on his appeal. Earlier this week, the Apex court had called out the Welcome Back actor for not paying money to Delhi based businessman, M.G. Agarwal of Murli Projects, who had filed a recovery suit against the actor and his wife over failure at repaying a loan amounting to rupees five crores, despite having given repeated undertakings before the court, citing his conduct as inexplicable. The single judge bench that had been hearing the recovery suit, had taken exception to the allegedly forged affidavit filed by Yadav in December, 2013. The affidavit that apparently contained forged signatures of his wife, Radha Yadav, was dismissed by the panel, which was 'enraged after the comedian adduced the commercial failure of a movie as the reason behind his inability to pay back his dues. The actor, who has been asked to surrender, immediately, will now be serving out his sentence at Tihar Jail. The Shetty sisters and their girl gang snapped outside. (Pic: Viral Bhayani) Mumbai: Shilpa Shetty along with sister Shamita Shetty and their girl gang headed out for a night of fun and evidently had one to remember. The girls looked gorgeous in their respective attires and revelled in each others company. Shamita Shetty seemed glad to be in her sister's company. Shilpa, whos been exploring entrepreneurship with much gusto seemed to be enjoying her much deserved breather. Shilpa seen entering her car. Shilpa also took to her social media account and shared a picture of the night out. She also posted this adorable image of Shamita fiddling with a pepper crush. "This has to be the Longest Pepper crusher in the world... @shamitashetty_official is very amused!#sistertime #funny #laughs". Shilpa also wrote, "Once in a blue moon , a Girls night out:) my sis and bestie love u girls #fun #friendship #sistahood", she captioned. Well, girls sure do know how to have fun! Ajiths upcoming movie, tentatively titled AK57,under Siruthai Sivas direction will have its first shooting schedule in Nu Boyana Film Studios, Bulgaria one of the biggest studios in the whole of Europe. Many Hollywood biggies like The Expendables 3, 300-Rise of an Empire,and The Legend of Hercules were shot there. Reportedly, important portions of Thalas movie will be shot with lead actors including Ajith, Kajal Agarwal, and Akshara Haasan taking part in it. We also hear that the film, which has an international crime thriller backdrop would incorporate extensive use of CG. The technical crew, has planned to accomplish it with each and every shot then and there, to lessen their burden of taking undue time on the post production table. Rating: Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kristin Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Neil Casey Director: Paul Feig Upon being asked the proverbial question Erin Yelbert suddenly turns contemplative. She takes a seconds pause, for while it may have been for the questioner merely an expression of harmless curiosity, it carries for her a lifetime of meaning. She manages at last, a response, Yes, I have. I saw a ghost when I was eight. Having thus impressed upon the others the sheer gravity of this reminiscence, she embarks on a monologue a description of the events that led to, and then those that followed from the apparition. It is a peculiar sequence, an oddity in a film that insists upon consistent diffusion of sentiment, upon irony, upon effect, upon writing that aims to land, but never stay. This is a sort of a trial of principles. For if there is anything she seeks, it is faith. Fortunately for her, the others do believe her, and this leads to the formation of the Ghostbusters a collective of administrators, historians, scientists and engineers. Their work is marked by a sincerity of purpose, but is met, not unexpectedly, with derision. Initial reports declare them cuckoo; cynicism and abuse emerge as instruments of casual misogyny. However, after they capture a ghost in full public view, the popular consensus around them begins to change. The possibilities of a successful freelance business seem to emerge, but they are summoned by the Federal government, which advises them to choose ignorance and not interfere with the work of the authorities. Soon, however, the Ghostbusters stumble upon an even larger conspiracy: a suicidal supervillain has managed to make preparations for a grand invasion of New York City by an army of the dead. They decide to assemble an insurrection, for they not only consider it their heroic responsibility, but also an opportunity for legitimacy and validation. In this, the Ghostbusters franchise is entirely unique for it imagines the paranormal or the supernatural as scientific, fully open to empirical scrutiny and thereby, explainable through a set of rational principles and theories. If a viewer were to accept this central premise, its lead protagonists are some sort of pioneers, individuals in the possession of knowledge the world does not yet accept as conventional wisdom. One character derides another by calling her Doctor Frankenstein. If the film is remarkably interesting for its first hour, it is because it depicts the various aspects of any revolutionary scientific pursuit: its passionate enterprise, the desire for community and acceptance, its inherent sanctimony, the resultant scepticism and humiliation with great honesty. The entire set of events that depict the installation of the popular iconography: costumes, equipment, choice of transport and accidental discovery of logo are very nifty and pleasurable. This is soon allowed to devolve into cliches and Hollywood-enforced tedium. It is a habit of a large majority of mainstream American cinema to enlist the final third of its duration to simulate an emotional payoff a tendency common to family dramas (which feature reunions, homecoming), children films (the child will come of age, acquire an adult quality), romantic comedies and as is the present case, the action film (the odds increase, the setting of the action expands, there is more damage). These are engineered to be opportunities for a collective emotional release for the audience, but are instead, patently, false for they prescribe a complete upheaval, a total epiphany, the absolute destruction of the existing order as solutions. This absolutism is highly reductive as in the case of Rowan, a complex, enigmatic character whose rejection by the world mirrors that of our lead characters but who the film makes, for the sake of its convenience, into a disgruntled nerd-villain. The writer is programmer, Lightcube Film Society Rating: Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall Director: Steven Spielberg Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is a small English girl in an orphanage. One night while she is up very late, she hears strange sounds and looks outside the window and sees a large creature, a 20 feet giant (Mark Rylance) who, upon realising that hes been seen, snatches the young girl and takes her to Giant Country, a hidden land of dream and magic. The Big Friendly Giant or BFG as Sophie calls him turns out to be the smallest and kindest in a group of immortal giants who eat children. The BFG hides Sophie from them always staying a step ahead of their predators. The screenplay for BFG, adapted from Roald Dahls book of the same name, was written by Melissa Mathison who passed away in 2015, but whose credits include ET the Extra Terrestrial, directed by Spielberg. As such The BFG greatly resembles the tone and feel of ET and other films by the director that deal with children including AI: Artificial Intelligence and his underrated War Horse. What makes The BFG a little different is the fact that its a film which goes deep rather than wide. The other movies tended to go for setting and special effects to make its larger point, whereas the focus on this film is entirely the relationship between the child and the giant. Large portions of the film feature only these two characters, and most of the special effects rests on subtle distortions of perspective. The BFG is a giant to the little girl but a runt among his other giants, who dangle him by his feet with one hand and bully him. Getting a correct sense of scale is half the fun in watching this film. A particularly striking moment is when the giant grabs Sophie in the palm, and the next scene is a long shot of the giant stepping down from a hill with a high angle shot, where suddenly the giant becomes tiny. The interactions between girl and giant are funny and moving, and lack the sentimentality that usually comes in other Spielberg films. The BFG himself is an ambiguous character, the nicest of all giants but one reeling with guilt about the death of a small boy that he befriended before Sophie. The movie has many of the classic Spielberg touches, including an astounding chase and hide scene that will remind some audiences of the famous kitchen scene in Jurassic Park, only here its a more elaborate one covered in a single take involving a lot of digital and special effect elements woven into a single frame. What is new is the broad comedy involved, one hilarious scene where the Giant and Sophie visit Buckingham Palace is a hilarious homage to British nonchalance and aristocratic manners that is genuinely hilarious. The special effects are superb as always from Spielbergs film but more interesting is the films visual wit, the ability to conjure a London that is set in the present but is also timeless suggesting an earlier Victorian sensibility (with orphanages and Dickens-reading children). The performances are excellent. The newcomer Ruby Barnhill, a 12-year-old making her film debut, gives another of the natural and empathetic performances that Spielberg can effortlessly elicit from child actors. Mark Rylance won an Oscar for his work in Bridge of Spies, and this marks his second film in a row with Spielberg. Hes incredible in the role, mixing humour and pathos effortlessly, and indeed in his loneliness and his affinity for dream, fantasy and make believe, his tenderness and warmth to kids, one can see that hes a stand-in for Spielberg himself, such is the rapport between star and director. The BFG is probably minor Spielberg but this is still a warm and a happy movie for the whole family with amazing special effects, and a movie that is as light as it is unpretentious. The writer is programmer, Lightcube Film Society Tigers have become extinct in some Tiger Range Countries and the status of prey, as well as the habitat, has declined. (Photo: Pixabay) New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave today expressed hope that India, home to 70 per cent of world's tiger population, would be able to double the number of wild cats by 2022 through "conservation and care". "India has 2,226 tigers spread out in over 17 states and 49 sanctuaries across the country," Dave said. "A healthy tiger is a symbol of healthy environment," he said on the International Tiger Day. In an official statement, Dave expressed hope that India will be able to double the population of tigers by 2022 by "conserving and caring for them." He emphasised that India is contributing significantly towards achieving the St Petersburg target, commonly referred to as the global wildlife conservation goal 'TX2', which aims to double tiger numbers in the next six years. Although India has the maximum number of tigers amongst the 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRC) in the world, the status of the wild cats across the TRCs continues to remain endangered. Though there have been some gains in the population build-up in some TRCs like India, Nepal, Bhutan and Russia, the global scenario is a "major cause for concern", the statement said. Dave exhorted tourists from across the world to come to India to see the wild cats and administered a pledge to students for tiger conservation after which he flagged off the 'Walk for Tiger' campaign. Tigers have become extinct in some TRCs and the status of prey, as well as the habitat, has declined, it said. The heads of governments of TRCs, have resolved to strive to double the number of wild tigers (TX2) by 2022 and adopted the St Petersburg Resolution on Tiger Conservation. Arvind Kejriwal will go to Nagpur to attend a 10-day vipassana session. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will go to Nagpur to attend a 10-day vipassana session in first week of August. An AAP functionary said the CM will not have access to newspapers, television or any other media during the session. The CM's plan to go for vipassana comes nearly one-and-a half years after he had gone for the same session after hectic campaign for Lok Sabha elections in May 2014. Kejriwal's deputy Manish Sisodia will be in charge of the government during his absence. Kejriwal is known to be an ardent practitioner of Vipassana. Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday launched 'Mission Harita Andhra Pradesh', with the theme 'green cover for a happy living', by planting saplings at Sunkollu village under Nuzividu mandal in Krishna district. Interestingly, Harita Andhra Pradesh was a pet project of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy but Chandrababu has now made it a 'mission' with a new slogan Vanam-Manam (forest and we). The objective of the mission is to increase the green cover in the state to 50 per cent by the year 2029. Andhra currently has 23 per cent green cover (forest area) and another 3 per cent non-forest, besides 13 lakh hectares of degraded forest. The Chief Minister gave a call to everybody to plant one crore saplings today alone. "We have to double the green cover by taking up plantation in four lakh acres per annum in the next 10 years. We have to grow 25-30 crore trees every year," the Chief Minister said. "Everyone breathing oxygen should grow a tree otherwise you can't be called a human being," Chandrababu said. Saplings planted would be geo-tagged while a geo-fencing would be provided to guard the plantation. Urban forests would be developed in all municipal corporations in the state, he added. Women self-help groups would be entrusted with the task of dibbling for growth of seedlings and they would be given 100 days of work every year for this under the MGNREGA, the Chief Minister announced. The state government would also establish a tree bank and come out with a white paper and an action plan for implementation of the Mission Harita AP. Ministers, public representatives, officials and others took part in the programme. Srinagar: Protests by slogan-chanting crowds broke out on Friday afternoon in Srinagar and some other towns of Kashmir and fresh clashes were reported at places between stone-pelting youth and police. Fresh unrest brewed in the Valley even as the authorities re-imposed curfew in most parts of the Valley at dawn to hold back a planned rally at Srinagars grand mosque. Separatists had called for Jamia Masjid Chalo and asked people to converge in large numbers at the historic place of worship in the heart of central Srinagar for a memorial service for over 50 people killed in security forces firings and other actions in their attempts to quell ongoing unrest in the Valley. Kashmir Valley is on the boil since July 8 when security forces in a joint operation killed Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a top commander of indigenous militant group Hizb-ul-Mujahedin along with his two associates in Kokernag area of southern Anantnag district. Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, said on Thursday that had the troops who killed the militants known beforehand that Burhan was among them they may have given him a second chance. She termed the killing of Burhan as a coincidence. She also said since the situation on ground had improved considerably giving a second chance to Burhan was an option in order to avoid the situation the Valley has been caught in in the aftermath of his killing. But opposition Congress and National Conference parties have ridiculed her statement terming it a political gimmick. On Friday, Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, had a telephonic conversation with the Chief Minister during which the turbulent situation prevailing in the Valley was discussed. Mr. Singh spent last weekend in the Valley for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. He also held a series of meetings with top officials of the State administration, police, central armed forces, the Army and intelligence agencies and separately closeted with leaders and representatives of various mainstream political parties excluding Congress which declined his invitation. The Valleys key civil society groups and trade unions leaders also refused to meet him. Meanwhile, amid heightened tensions, protests and ding dong stone-pelting battles along the streets of Srinagar only intensified on Friday afternoon even as the security forces in riot gear did not allow Friday congregational prayers at main mosques including Srinagars Jamia Masjid. Also, a strict curfew was being enforced since dawn. However, Friday Namaz was allowed in mohalla mosques and also at Hazratbal shrine but only local residents could attend. Small and big processions are underway in several parts of Srinagar. At places, children and women have also joined. Mosque loudspeakers reverberate with pro-freedom slogans and rebellious songs. Police have raided a few of these venues and confiscated the public addressing system. One protest was held outside the summer headquarters of the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) at Sonwar here but police used force to disperse it, witnesses said. Police officials said they have issued strict instructions to their men to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with the situation. Reports pouring in from various areas, however, said police and central security forces fired teargas canisters and exploded stun grenades to quell protests at many places in and outside Srinagar. Patna: With RJD chief Lalu Prasad demanding 80 per cent reservation for youths of Bihar in state jobs and admission in educational institutions under it, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said it was not "out of context". Step could be taken in this direction, he said, if a consensus emerged among all parties after intense discussions. "The issue of domiciliary is not out of context," Kumar told reporters emerging from state Legislative Assembly. The issue of local reservation is picking momentum in different parts of the country and hence the Centre should intervene to make some "solid arrangement" for protecting the interest of locals, he said. Kumar, who is the national president of JD(U), said during his recent visit to neighbouring Jharkhand, he had extended support to citizens of that state on the issue of reservation for locals. "I and my party are very much in favour that residents of Bihar should get preference in employment in state jobs," he said. "There is a need for intense discussions on the topic and if consensus emerges among all parties, steps could be taken in this direction," Kumar said. RJD president Lalu Prasad, whose party is a major partner in the Grand Secular Alliance government in Bihar, on Thursday expressed concern over Biharis being deprived in jobs in other states due to local reservation and also being in a disadvantaged position in the state itself in certain jobs requiring higher qualification. The Opposition BJP also lent support to the issue of reservation for locals. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had on Thursday doubted the "seriousness" of the demand and dared Lalu Prasad to ask the Grand Secular Alliance government in the state to bring a legislation to this effect, which he said, the BJP would support. Carlisle residents in the LGBTQ community want to be afforded the same rights and assurances as everyone else in the borough. Those who hold closely their religious beliefs want the freedom to practice their faith and express themselves without bias. At least this much was clear during Thursday nights Employee Relations and Citizen Participation Committee meeting at Carlisle Borough Hall. Attendance was evenly stacked between those in favor and those against Carlisles proposed anti-discrimination ordinance, which would create a borough commission to review allegations of discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity. Carlisle Borough Councilman Sean Crampsie who was largely responsible for renewing the push to pass the ordinance, first discussed by a previous council in 2007-2008 began the meeting by reading a letter from Dickinson College Interim President Neil B. Weissman. In the letter, Weissman shared his favorable thoughts on the effect the ordinance would have in improving the community and applauded the perseverance those in favor of the ordinance have shown. Two additional voices were also formally included in the meeting, Miller Hoffman of the YWCA Carlisle, and Randall Wenger of the Independence Law Center in Harrisburg. Hoffman, who described himself as gender queer, stressed to those with reservations over the ordinance that he and other LGBTQ residents pay property taxes, support schools here, patronize many of the local restaurants, the same way everyone else does. Were not looking for approval or kindness, opponents are free to withhold these from us, he said. What were asking for and what we deserve is the opportunity to live and work without discrimination. Wenger praised those on the ERCP Commission for considering the issue, but warned that laudable goals dont always result in the policies we want in the end. Sometimes they bring harm. Express beliefs While supporting the LGBTQ community in general terms, Wenger who is affiliated with the socially conservative Pennsylvania Family Institute cautioned that the policy could reinforce attitudes against the ability of religious persons to express their beliefs. Gays and lesbians and our transgender friends need to know our community loves them just as we love everyone in our community, and its an awful thing to feel that your community hates you, but I think we need to be careful when we look at legislative solutions punishing one group of people at the expense of another, Wenger said. Were all going to disagree, but its about whether were going to give space to people in our community or treat them like bigots if we disagree with them. Following Wengers remarks, citizens queued up for public comment in a line that snaked around the room. While previous meetings on the topic featured a heavy turnout against the proposal, Thursdays crowd measured a slight majority in favor of the ordinance. Brad Wenger, owner of Wenger Meats & Ice Co. on East Louther Street in Carlisle, was one of the first to speak. The North Middleton Township resident cited Henry David Thoreaus critique of government overreach, and accused the commission of imposing enforceable mandates on those of us who are conscious-bound to honor traditional mandates. The problem is, with the same moral code that defines love, respect and fairness and virtuousness, also clearly defines behavior that is acceptable, he said. Homosexual behavior, not homosexuals, homosexual behavior is reprehensible. That comment made the crowd bristle. But it was Wengers following comment: Has the Jerry Sandusky scandal taught us nothing? that caused the nights shouting match to peak, with Crampsie trying to calm the room and restore order. Discrimination Following Wenger was Paul Richards, who called himself one of the least qualified people to talk about discrimination as a white man. Because youre not aware of discrimination doesnt mean it doesnt exist, he said. This is an opportunity for us to take the lead and show others what is right. Carlisle is a great town and we definitely do have discrimination. Richards went on to list instances in which hes heard racist and homophobic slurs at various locations within the borough. Some residents, like Paul Reese, cited the nations founding fathers in their arguments against the ordinance. Reese chose to read from George Washingtons writings and asked the commission Would this ordinance be considered by council 50 years ago? I personally fear that if this ordinance I passed, Carlisle residents are going to witness mass discrimination, Reese said. Those who have spoken out in opposition to this ordinance are all incredibly lucky people, said Christina Kapp, a local community organizer. They dont have to worry about walking down the street with their spouse, with their significant other. They dont have to worry about who might see them holding hands, who might catch them kissing, or sharing a tender moment, We live every day with the fear that we can be denied access to employment, housing, health care, if the wrong person finds out who we really are, Kapp continued. Its always there, bubbling under the surface. For nearly three hours, commissioners listened to residents, business owners, and a significant number of Dickinson College students, thanking them for their input. Many of the elected officials reiterated their positions, with Perry Heath citing impracticality and cost issues as to why hes against the ordinance. Dawn Flower, Sean Shultz and Crampsie spoke on why they continue to be in favor. Robin Guido credited one resident, Jane Rigler, for her desire to support the spirit of the ordinance, but having reservations about the legal language and potential execution of the policy itself. Guido finished her comments by noting its been a long, hot meeting, to which many in attendance, on both sides of the issue, seemed to agree. Activists burnt tyres on the main road in Bagalkot on Thursday in protest against the interim order of the Mahadayi tribunal Bengaluru: Urging CM Siddaramaiah to immediately convene an all- party meeting on the Mahadayi water dispute, BJP leaders, Basavaraj Bommai and C T Ravi on Thursday offered all cooperation from the party in resolving the issue provided the state government persuaded the Congress party, in opposition in Goa and Maharashtra, to fall in line as well. Claiming that it was the Congress party in Goa, which was instrumental in getting its government to pass a resolution in the Assembly to let the tribunal resolve the Mahadayi dispute , they recalled that the then CM Manohar Parikkar was ready to hold bilateral negotiations with Karnataka on the issue. But the opposition Congress protested in the House and forced the government to pass the resolution. Now, for any bilateral talks to take place, the resolution has to be withdrawn. Also, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, had in an election campaign in 2010, declared the party would not allow diversion of water from the Mahadayi to Karnataka. How can BJP be held responsible for that? they demanded, speaking to reporters here. Asked if the BJP would be part of a state delegation to the PM on the dispute when the party was in power in Goa, the two leaders said, We will do our part and the Congress has to do its bit. Suggesting the state government approach the SC on the dispute, they claimed there were enough grounds to do so as the tribunal had ignored two reports on water availability in the Mahadayi river and appointed another water assessment committee, which had not visited the spot for the last three years. Activists burnt tyres on the main road in Bagalkot on Thursday in protest against the interim order of the Mahadayi tribunal Bengaluru: Expressing his apprehension that the interim order by the Tribunal over Mahadayi diversion might be an indication of the shape the final order would take, Speaker Mr K.B. Koliwad urged political parties to fight for the states cause unitedly. Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Mr Koliwad said the request of Karnataka for Mahadayi water was justified as it was for drinking water. There is no point in political parties indulging in mudslinging. The ruling Congress should try and convince Congress leaders in Maharashtra and Goa, while the BJP has to do the same with their counterparts in these states. Intervention of the Prime Minister is essential to ensure justice to the State, he said. On the fact that earlier attempts to get the Prime Minister's intervene had failed, Mr Koliwad said that the state could not sit idle, brooding over past failures. On the previous legislature session being washed out over the suicides of police officers, Mr Koliwad said that he was contemplating a change in the law, so that the legislature could not be stalled. I am also contemplating punishment for those obstructing legislature proceedings. We have to see how it goes, he added. Activists burnt tyres on the main road in Bagalkot on Thursday in protest against the interim order of the Mahadayi tribunal Hubballi/Belagavi: As violence over the Mahadayi tribunal interim verdict escalated during a bandh to protest it on Thursday, two farmers, devastated at being denied water for their crops, tried to commit suicide by consuming poison in Nargund. The condition of the farmers, Nandeesh Mathad and Sangamesh Charantimath, who were rushed to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi, is said to be critical. The police had a hard time controlling the frenzied mobs as farmers in Navalgund and Nargund towns ransacked government offices and set furniture and documents on fire. The offices of the tahasildar, BSNL and public works department were burnt and a police jeep and a bike set on fire in Navagund, forcing the district administration to impose prohibitory orders. The police did a lathicharge to disperse the protesting farmers stoning the office of the postal department and KCC bank in Ron and Nargund. Dharwad deputy commissioner, S.B. Bommanahalli, who rushed to Navalgund, said 54 protesters had been detained for the violence. Infographic We have imposed prohibitory orders and will deploy more police from neighbouring districts to step up security. Central paramilitary forces are also expected, said superintendent of police, Dharmender Kumar Meena. While the protest was largely peaceful in Hubballi-Dharwad, activists of pro-Kannada organisations and farmers hurled atones at the All India Radio station, the court complex and shops in Dharwad. Effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were burnt. Business establishment downed shutters and schools and colleges closed in Dharwad and Gadag for the bandh. In Belagavi, a series of dharnas and protests brought traffic to a grinding halt in various parts of the city. A massive dharna led by former Union minister, Babagouda Patil, held up traffic for several hours on the national highway at Kittur . At a press conference later, farmers' leaders , Sidagouda Modagi and Kalyanrao Muchalambi warned the protests would continue until the Kalsa-Banduri project was approved. Infographic A meeting of farmers' organisations will be held on July 31 in Belagavi to draw up an action plan to bring pressure on the authorities to resolve the water dispute at the earliest. Farmers will stage dharnas before the houses of all MPs in the region every day to wake them up to their duties, Mr Muchalambi added. Meanwhile, despite the heavy security outside MP, Suresh Angadi's house, farmers staged a dharna before it on Thursday, demanding he support their cause. New Delhi: There was no record of stay of Subhash Chandra Bose in Soviet Union in 1945 and thereafter, according to a new set of 25 declassified files on Netaji released in New Delhi on Friday. This revelation challenges a belief that Bose had fled to Russia and was not killed in an air carsh in 1945 in Taipei. In a letter, dated January 8, 1992, to Indian Embassy in Moscow, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Russian Federation has said, "...according to the data in the Central and Republican archives, no information whatsoever is available on the stay of the former President of Indian National Congress Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in the Soviet Union in 1945 and thereafter." The disappearance of Netaji 70 years ago remains a mystery with two Commissions of Inquiry concluding that Netaji had died in a plane crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945 while a third probe panel, headed by Justice M K Mukherjee, had contested it and suggested that Bose was alive. Culture Secretary N K Sinha released online the sixth batch of 25 declassified files related to Netaji. The present batch of 25 files pertains to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) during 1952-2014. The first lot of 100 files relating to Netaji were put in public domain by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 23 on the occasion of the 119th birth anniversary of Netaji. The second lot of 50 files was released in March and 25 files each were put in public domain in the subsequent months. Police said that they are questioning the accused as it was suspected that a network of airport staff were involved in extorting money from low-profile, needy passengers going to foreign countries for job opportunities. (Photo: Representational Image) New Delhi: An employee of Qatar Airways working at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi has been booked on charges of extortion after he was allegedly caught taking Rs. 35,000 cash from a Doha-bound flyer. Officials said the incident took place late night on July 26 after CISF personnel detected the foreign airline employee taking some cash from the passenger on CCTV. The Qatar Airways employee has been identified as Prashant Bhatia and was handed over to the IGI police after he reportedly could not give a satisfactory reply as to why he accepted cash from the flyer when his travel documents were in proper order. "He has been booked under Section 384 (extortion) of IPC and investigation is on. Prima facie it looks like this was a ploy by Bhatia to extort money from low profile and desirous flyers going to Gulf countries and ensuring them a seat on the airline," said a senior police officer. The passenger from whom the accused was taking money has given a complaint to the police. The cash of Rs. 35,000 paid by him was recovered from Prashant, he said. A response from Qatar Airways in this regard was awaited. Police said that they are questioning the accused as it was suspected that a network of airport staff were involved in extorting money from low-profile, needy passengers going to foreign countries for job opportunities. Sources said that security agencies also questioned the supervising staff of Qatar Airways which said that they have no policy to take cash from any passenger. Singh who spoke to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take stock of the situation will make an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Nagaon and Morigaon districts.(Photo: PTI) Guwahati: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Assam on Saturday to assess the flood situation which has affected over 18-lakh people residing in the state. The death toll in current flood has reached 21 on Friday. The strong current of the river has breached embankment of the Manas National Park and water has started inundating the wildlife sanctuary. The worst hit districts include Lakhimpur Golaghat, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Goalpara, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Kokrajhar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Biswanath, Kamrup Metropolitan, Chirang, Nagaon, Kamrup and South Kamrup. More than 1.3 lakh people have taken shelter in relief camps set up by the state administration in 19 flood-hit districts and the Army, National and State Disaster Response Force personnel are going all out to provide relief. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries are in spate and flooded several districts including the Kaziranga National Park. Singh who spoke to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take stock of the situation will make an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Nagaon and Morigaon districts besides Kaziranga National Park. He is also scheduled to visit some relief camps where people uprooted in floods have taken shelter. He will also meet Mr Sonowal and government officers before returning to Delhi in the evening. The state government has maintained that flood relief and rescue measures will be top priority for them, and that disaster-response forces are doing everything that they can do to salvage the situation. Meanwhile, Assam chief minister also had an aerial survey of flood-hit districts on Thursday and directed the authorities to extend all necessary support to the floods-victims. New Delhi: External Affairs Ministry on Friday made it clear that there will be no bilateral meeting between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Pakistani leaders when he travels to Islamabad to attend the SAARC ministerial conference on August 4. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted, "Let me categorically state that @Home Minister of India is going for SAARC event. There will be no bilateral meetings with Pakistan." The remarks by the Spokesperson come in the backdrop of the reports in the media quoting an unnamed Home Ministry official as saying that Singh will have a bilateral meet with his counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in contradiction to MEA's statement. Swarup had on Thursday also clearly said that the Home Minister was going for a multilateral SAARC event and there will not be any bilateral meeting. According to sources in Home Ministry, Singh is expected to bluntly ask Pakistan to stop sponsoring acts of terror in India and also raise the issue of slow pace of probe into the Pathankot airbase terror attack, which was carried out by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad, and the trial into the Mumbai terror attack case in that country. Rajnath's visit comes in the backdrop of growing strain in Indo-Pak ties after Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made provocative statements on the Kashmir situation in the wake of Burhan Wani's killing on July 8. Wani was a wanted terrorist Commander of the banned terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen. Not only did Sharif praise Wani but he also remarked that "Kashmir will one day become Pakistan", a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country "will not be realised even at the end of eternity". Singh will be accompanied by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and several other senior officers of the Home Ministry. Syed Ali Shah Geelani was arrested by police as he tried to defy the house arrest orders. (Photo: Representational Image/PTI) Srinagar: Police on Friday arrested separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as they tried to march from their residences to historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of the city. "Geelani was arrested by police as he tried to defy the house arrest orders," a spokesperson of the hardline Hurriyat Conference said. He said a police team whisked Geelani away to Humhama police station. A spokesman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference said its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was also arrested and taken to Nigeen police station as he tried to march to Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers. The separatist camp had jointly called for a march to Jamia Masjid to protest the recent civilian deaths in security forces action during the clashes in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Authorities have imposed strict curfew in the city to thwart the march of the separatists. Meanwhile, Friday prayers were not offered at the Jamia Masjid for the third consecutive week due to the ongoing unrest. New Delhi: With Gurgaon facing massive traffic jams due to waterlogging, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday asked Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take urgent steps to deal with the situation. Thousands of office goers and other commuters were stranded in Gurgaon as heavy rains led to waterlogging on NH-8 causing huge traffic jams, forcing authorities to shut down schools in Delhi's satellite city while some offices too declared it an off. "I just spoke to Harayana CM and told him that this is an important city and international focus and attention is on it. All steps should be taken to clear the jams and they are on the job. The state administration is attending the problem on an emergency basis," Naidu said outside Parliament. Watch on #Periscope: Hero Honda Chowk Live at 12:43pm https://t.co/tdCTiWcdjm Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 29, 2016 The prolonged jams threw the traffic out of gear as many motorists abandoned their vehicles and waded through knee-deep water on both the carriageways of Delhi-Jaipur road, including Hero Honda Chowk, bringing the traffic to a standstill with the tailback extending up to 15-20 KM. "The situation in Gurgaon is because of water logging and non-functioning of certain drains, some in Gurgram side and some in Delhi side. Governments are attending to clear those drains at the earliest," Naidu said. "The Haryana CM told me that he was taking up the issue at the highest level and has alerted the entire administration to ease out traffic congestion. Certain long term measures have also been planned and being worked out for the future," he said. Union Minister and Faridabad MP Krishnapal Gujjar stated that the Centre was taking all measures to rid Gurgaon of its traffic woes. "It (congestion) is an old problem. But after our government assumed power, we have undertaken many steps to make Gurgram (Gurgaon) free of traffic jams. Work has already started and the tender process is on for it." New Delhi: In a sudden twist to the Dec. 16 gang rape case, counsel for the convicts asserted in the Supreme Court that there was no gang rape on December 16, 2012 as alleged by the prosecution. Making this submission before a three-judge Bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Ms. R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan, counsel M.L. Sharma, appearing for two convicts Mukesh and Pawan Gupta said the prosecution could not answer this. He maintained that there was no rape and no rod rape and police fabricated documents and evidence in the trial court and fed media to provoke general public against accused person. Counsel said that when the victim was admitted in the hospital on 16.12.12. at 11.15 p.m. doctor found her that she was in fit state of mind and recorded her statement. She narrated her story but did not say a single word about unnatural rape of inserting a rod. Quoting medical reports, he said medically it is impossible to damage various internal organs including intestine, through per-vagina route without injuring uterus. Leave it to a fellow Republican to bring up the elephant in the room. Rachel McKinney of Shippensburg asked U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey Thursday when he plans to endorse Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for President. Her question prompted others to push Toomey for an answer during a meet-and-greet event at Market Cross Pub & Brewery in downtown Carlisle. You could have spoken last week, said McKinney referring to the GOP convention in Cleveland. Trump is going to win or lose and he is our nominee and if he wins in Pennsylvania, he will pull you through. Toomey was in Carlisle to rally support for his campaign against Democrat rival Katie McGinty. As Toomey spoke, he drew a stark contrast between himself and his challenger on such issues as taxes, national security and immigration. A binary choice Partway through his talk, Toomey was asked about Trump. While he made no endorsement, Toomey tried to explain his position and mentioned how he felt encouraged by recent developments in the Trump campaign. I get that this is going to have to be a binary choice, Toomey said. Hillary Clinton is completely unacceptable, but I have had concerns about a guy who has advocated such things as universal healthcare. Obamacare is a horrible idea. Universal healthcare would take it further. Toomey added he was also concerned about Trumps support of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Kelo vs. the City of New London. That case involved the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another private owner to further economic development. That works nice if you are a rich developer, but it is not the right thing to do if you are the private landowner, Toomey said. I am not the only Republican who has had some reservations. The reservations some Republicans have had over their support of Trump may have influenced the campaign of the candidate leading to some encouraging developments, Toomey said. Recently the Trump campaign released what the Senator called a very good list of Supreme Court nominees to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Antonin Scalia in February. This was after Trump initially suggested his sister could be a nominee for the high court. Toomey added that he thought Trumps pick for vice-president was a great choice because Mike Pence is a known quantity. While some of us have said we have some concerns and we want to see how this campaign has developed, it just may be that has encouraged some good developments coming from the candidate, Toomey said. Hes coming along One woman in the audience mentioned how a big win for Trump in Pennsylvania could mean that Toomey could win another term in office. We dont know how this is going to turn out, Toomey said in response. We dont know how it is going to affect the senate race. Another person in the audience mentioned how Toomeys rival, Katie McGinty, was scheduled to make a speech Thursday night in support of nominee Hillary Clinton. Theresa Myers of Upper Mifflin Township came to the defense of Toomey. She thought it was unfair for those in the audience to attack the Senator for his stance on Trump. Hes not ready to come out right now in his position as a Senator to endorse the guy, Myers said of Toomey. He deserves a little bit of time. Myers added while she plans to vote for Trump, she is not ready to be a cheerleader for the candidate. After the event, McKinney explained how she was a long-time supporter of Ted Cruz but switched to Trump after Cruz became bitter over losing the nomination by a wide margin. I was wrong from the beginning, McKinney said about her choice of Cruz. Trump will answer whatever is brought up against him. Romney would not answer. McCain would not answer. Thats why they lost. I think hes coming along, McKinney said when asked what she thought of Toomey and his stance on Trump. I think its really important that we finally come together. I believe Trump is going to win and he will pull everyone we need. We especially need to get our Senators on board because that is critical. The reasons some Republicans have for not endorsing Trump as President are beside the point, McKinney said. He is what he is. Stark contrasts In his talk, Toomey mentioned that when Tom Wolf took office Katie McGinty was the governors chief of staff and together they pushed for what the Senator called the largest tax increase in the history of Pennsylvania. The proposal would have cost the average working family an additional $1,500 in taxes each year, Toomey said. It was our state representatives and our state senators who stood up to Katie McGinty and Tom Wolf and said aint going to happen. They blocked it and held firm. In urging support from Cumberland County voters, Toomey said the Democrats have launched a determined effort to unseat him spending a lot of money while going on the attack. He told those gathered what was at stake was control of the White House, Supreme Court, the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is really about the future of the country, Toomey said. God forbid if Hillary Clinton and Katie McGinty get into office. Their whole mission is to make the Obama legacy permanent. To take all the damage that he has done and make it the permanent nature of America for our kids and for our grandkids. We just cant let that happen. He asked his supporters to remember the early years of the Obama administration when Democrats held majorities in the House and Senate which pushed through hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending and huge deficits. Obamacare followed along with other policies that have led to the weakest economic recovery since the Great Depression, according to Toomey. Two-thirds of Americans say we are on the wrong track, he said. We are on the wrong track, but there is nothing inevitable about this. We dont have to put up with this folks. We got to win an election and put America back on the right track. Pakistan's Hafiz Saeed, leader of a Pakistani religious group addresses an Indian rally to condemn the killings of Indian Kashmiris, in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday. (Photo: AP) New Delhi: The interrogation of Pakistani militant Bahadur Ali of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba has given India fresh and credible evidence of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeeds involvement in promoting terror activities in the Kashmir Valley. Bahadur Ali, alias Saifullah, a resident of Jahama village in Raiwind area, near Lahore, was arrested from Handwara in north Kashmir on July 25. He was taken into custody by the NIA and brought to Delhi where he is being interrogated by a joint team of intelligence agencies at an undisclosed safe house. Sources said Bahadur Ali revealed during interrogation that Hafiz Saeed had visited their training camp in Muzaffarabad, PoK, where he had asked militants to carry out major terror strikes in Kashmir. Bahadur Ali also disclosed that he underwent a 21-day training at the LeT camp which Saeed, whom he referred to as Chacha, visited at least twice. A political partys member is taken into custody after police clamped down on the several protests that had broken out against Eamcet-2 leak scandal in Hyderabad. (Photo: DC) Hyderabad: A nexus of educational consultants, private medical college officials and even practicing medical practitioners usually operates to leak question papers of state medical entrance tests, it has been revealed. The 2014 Dr NTR University of Health Sciences PG medical entrance test scam and the 1996 Eamcet scam were pulled off by such gangs. The modus operandi is that educational consultants chalk out an elaborate plan with tip offs from college officials, and practicing doctors prepare the answer key once the papers are leaked from the printing press. The gang then strikes deals with the candidates for both the question paper and the answer key. There are many similarities in the modus operandi of the past two scams and the newest Eamcet-2 scam. In the 1,500-page chargesheet filed by the Andhra Pradesh CID on the 2014 PGMET scam, the probe officials had revealed that the kingpins had started preparing to leak the question paper several months before the exam. They had infiltrated Manipal Printing press by placing one of their aides as a casual labourer. The CID officials had submitted CCTV footages in court showing the gang member stealing printed copies of the question papers. In the ongoing Eamcet-2 question paper leak too, officials suspect a similar modus operandi. The earlier chargesheet had further revealed the kingpins had struck a deal with a practicing doctor named Avinash from Bengaluru to study and prepare answer keys. The doctor had also been arrested by AP CID along with other suspects in 2014. In the present case too, TS CID suspect the hand of a doctor or a student, who prepared the answer key. In the PGMET case, CID officials submitted 1,421 documents, including call records and bank transaction details in court as evidence, which showed how elaborately the brokers had planned the operation. As per the chargesheet, as many as 46 suspects including 20 brokers were part of the scam. Soon after the gang was busted in the PGMET case, the CID had warned about more such gangs active in the state involved in similar scams, which has now turned out to be true. The CID police, who raided the house of the suspect, seized Rs 37.5 lakh from his possession. (Representational image) Hyderabad: The CID on Friday arrested one more suspect in connection with the Eamcet-2 paper leak. Police said Sheik Ramesh alias Raheem, 52, had taken at least 14 students to Pune where he provided them with answer keys. The students and their parents paid him over Rs 1.73 crore. According to CID officials, Raheem was arrested from his house at Boduppal. He contacted students from various parts of AP and Telangana and took them to Pune, said CID chief N Satyanarain. The official said that of the Rs 1.73 crore he collected, he had paid Rs 1.2 crore to another broker. The CID police, who raided the house of the suspect, seized Rs 37.5 lakh from his possession. He had deposited Rs 15 lakh in his friends bank account, said a CID official. The CID questioned more students on Friday after tracking their call details from the arrested suspects. It is now suspected that more than 100 students had benefited from the leak. Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma met Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao to discuss the status of the inquiry. Lucknow: Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh was arrested by the UP STF in a joint operation with Bihar police from Buxar on Friday. Dayashankar Singh originally belongs to Buxar and was staying with a relative at Sugar Mill Colony in Buxar. ADG (law and order) Daljit Chaudhary told reporters that the UP STF had been tracking Dayashankar Singhs movement through a mobile phone being used by one of his close friends. He is likely to be brought to Lucknow on Saturday and produced before the court. Dayashankar Singh was absconding since July 21 when a video clip in which he was seen making derogatory remarks against BSP president Mayawati went viral on the social media. Hyderabad: The government on Friday decided to cancel Eamcet-2 and hold a fresh exam. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao expressed severe anguish over the Eamcet paper leak and directed officials not to leave scope for any such incident in future. He said the government would initiate stringent action against those responsible. Even parents who were involved in purchasing question papers from fraudsters should not be spared. Everyone involved in this scam have to face severe consequences. We should initiate such severe action against them that it will create a sense of fear among those who try to resort to such exam-related malpractices in future," Mr Rao said. The CM asked officials to explore the possibility of conducting exams online on the lines of GMAT, GRE, JEE. He told officials not to collect fee for Eamcet-3, since students had suffered losses by paying exam fees twice. He had initially proposed to make the medical admissions based on Eamcet-2 ranks itself and declare students who had indulged in irregularities as ineligible. But officials suggested that this might invite legal troubles in future if anyone approached the courts as the Eamcet-2 paper leak had been confirmed by the police and CID departments. 80 cases of question paper leak in the country; all those exams had been cancelled and re-exams held. (Representational image) Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Friday decided to cancel Eamcet-2 and hold a fresh exam. Eamcet-3 is expected to be held in mid-August. The decision was taken by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao after a four-hour-long meeting with ministers and officials from higher education, law, police and intelligence departments. Story so far The meeting was convened by Mr Rao at his camp office to decide the fate of Eamcet-2 after CID investigation confirmed that the question papers were leaked days prior to the exam. In all, 138 students were suspected to have benefited from the paper leakage. Deputy CM Kadiam Srihari, ministers C. Laxma Reddy, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, chief secretary Rajiv Sharma, DGP Anurag Sharma and Intelligence IG Shivadhar Reddy, CID chief Satyanarayana, law secretary Santhosh Reddy and other officials were present. Mr Rao inquired with officials about the procedures followed elsewhere in the country when question papers were leaked. Officials replied that till date about 80 paper leak incidents had been reported and the respective governments, agencies had cancelled those exams and had conducted re-exams. They said that various SC and HC judgements were in favour of conducting a re-exam whenever papers were leaked. Trafficking may be for jobs, bonded labour, illegal organ donation or for sex trade. The operation is through Whatsapp groups. (Representational image) Hyderabad: Girls in the age group of 13 to 15 years are prone to be victims of sex trafficking. While girls from Bhutan, Bangladesh and other poor neighbouring countries are trafficked to Hyderabad and other cities, girls from Telangana are trafficked to Maharashtra and northern States. The girls coming from other countries are lured with job offers and made to jump the borders illegally. The operation is through Whatsapp groups. Trafficking may be for jobs, bonded labour, illegal organ donation or for sex trade. Most of the victims in Hyderabad and other cities found in sex trafficking are from countries like Bangladesh, Burma or Bhutan. They cross the border by illegal means to reach their destinations across India. The traffickers here are in nexus with the traffickers in those countries communicating through Whatsapp. They lure them with offers for jobs in shopping malls promising a monthly pay of Rs 5,000 which is high for their situation. They are even shown pictures of some shopping malls on Whatsapp where they will be working, a senior Police official said. They target girls in 13-15 year age group who are in huge demand in Hyderabad and other cities. Traffickers lure them by buying clothes and cosmetics. JD(U) activists stage a protest against the interim verdict by the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal, at SBM Circle in Bengaluru on Thursday (Photo: DC) Bengaluru: Barely few days after normal life was thrown out of gear by the strike called by the workers of KSRTC and BMTC, various organisations are set to observe a state wide dawn-to-dusk bandh on Saturday, in protest against the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal rejecting the interim petition of the state. With the Kannada Okkoota (Kannada Federation) calling for Karnataka Bandh on from 6 am to 6 pm on Saturday, over 850 organisations have extended their support. It is likely that all commercial activities would be hit across the state, with various pro-farmers associations, pro-Kannada outfits, trade unions, auto drivers unions, taxi drivers associations and others joining hands to make the bandh successful. President of Adarsha Auto & Taxi Drivers Union M. Manjunath told this newspaper that auto rickshaws will remain off the streets on Saturday, extending their full support for the cause. However, the KSRTC & BMTC Workers Federation has not yet decided on supporting the bandh. The Federations Secretary V. Manjunath said, We are yet to decide on participating in the bandh. But if there are any protests, we may join as per the situation. Schools and colleges would also decide by Friday evening on declaring holiday on Saturday. The chief of Kannada Okkoota, Vatal Nagaraj, said that around 877 organisations have come in support to observe the state wide bandh. Despite protests for decades, the issue has not been resolved. So, we have decided to observe bandh on Saturday with the support of farmers and Kannada activists. The Okkoota has planned a massive congregation at the Town Hall on Saturday morning, in which thousands of activists are expected to take part. BENGALURU: Another batch of around 350 life convicts (lifers) in Karnataka may be set free on this Independence Day. After the State government released 375 life convicts, including 13 women, on Republic Day this year the Prison Department is in the process of preparing a list of around 350 lifers, who fulfill the State government's 'Guidelines for Premature Release of Certain Categories of Prisoners Sentenced to Life' of 2014 and can be considered for premature release. The guidelines are based on the Supreme Court's order and the Governor's recommendations. The Advisory Boards which were constituted two years ago at all the eight Central Prisons in Karnataka to screen and finalise the names of life convicts, who have spent a prison sentence of or more than 14 years with remission have met, barring Bengaluru Central Prison, and have reportedly approved the names of convicts, who could be considered for premature release. The Advisory Board for the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara, Bengaluru will meet on Friday to clear the names of around 150 to 180 life convicts, who comply with the 2014 guidelines. "The proposal with the names of the convicts, who can be considered for premature release will be sent to the Government and if they approve their candidature then that list will be sent to the Governor for his final approval," said an official source. The guidelines apply to 'eligible' convicts, who have completed 14 years of prison sentence and had a record of good behaviour during their imprisonment and parole. Their premature release should not disturb public order, law and order and there should be no threat to the family of victims as also no threat to the life of the released prisoner. They should not have not been tried and convicted for human trafficking or under Central laws such as Terrorist & Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso), 2012 or investigated by any Central agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Kochi: If you are planning to register a complaint against erring public officials for rude behaviour, make sure you submit evidence along with the complaint before the head of the department concerned and also forward it to the government. The Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department, in a communication, ensured that stringent action would be taken against the government official if he/she misbehaved with the public visiting the respective offices. The circular sent to Mahesh Vijayan dated July 14, by K.R. Pazhani Amma, Deputy Secretary, Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department clarifies that government officials should give receipts to every complaint received from the general public. The letter refers to two previous circulars passed in 2009 and 2015 respectively which had led to the government asking officials to behave. As per the circulars, the government had asked the officials to issue receipts to the complainants within one week. The officials should inform of the progress made in the complaint in one month and the complaint should be resolved within three months. However, many officials are refusing to comply with any of these orders and the government is flooded with complaints. The order asking aggrieved persons to register a complaint with evidence to the concerned department head with a copy to the government was communicated to Mahesh Vijayan, an RTI activist, who registered a complaint before the government alleging misbehaviour by government officials. Mahesh had complained that though there were circulars, the officials were refusing to comply with it. Mahesh is an activist based in Kochi. Mahesh complained that when receipt was sought for registering a complaint often there were disputes.He also argued that there were instances of officials registering cases before the police to avenge the person who had complained. Discussion of bids to relocate Rowe Road all of which were higher than expected will continue at the Tuesday meeting of the Shippensburg Borough Council. Rowe Road joins Route 11 at Weis Plaza and runs past Volvo Construction. A traffic study, completed when Volvo expanded in 2012, recommended a traffic signal at that intersection due to safety concerns, but several property owners had concerns about things like a backup of traffic on Route 11. Another feasibility study, funded by Volvo and Cressler Family Partnership, which owns Weis Plaza, recommended the construction of a connector road that would go around the supermarket and connect to Rowe Road, and that a traffic light be located at the intersection of the connector road and Route 11. Its for traffic issues safety at the existing intersection and better flow of traffic, Borough Manager John Epley said. Funding will be provided through a federal grant, as well as Southampton Township Franklin County, Shippensburg Borough, the Cressler Foundation, Volvo and the Franklin County Development Authority. Last week, Epley said the lowest bid of $1,337,449.32, submitted by Kinsley Construction, of York, was still about $200,000 higher than expected. The council is also expected to vote Tuesday on projects it will complete with its 2016 Community Development Block Grant funding. Shippensburg was awarded $58,500 through the program, which is run by the Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Projects under consideration are handicap ramps at Earl and Orange streets, the inflow and infiltration program, enhanced police patrols in higher crime areas, and code enforcement. Also this week, the council authorized Epley to advertise a revision to its ordinance regarding the use of tobacco products by minors. Epley said the revision would provide an option for first-time juvenile offenders to attend counseling in lieu of a $90 fine. The revision states that the counseling program must be with a counselor who is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors. Epley said the revision was suggested by Police Chief Fred Scott. Epley said the council is expected to vote in August or September. Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to express the concerns of the state over the proposed Colachal port. Mr Vijayan along with Port Minister Kadanappally Ramachandran left for Delhi on Thursday evening. Mr Vijayan will express the states concern over the in- principal nod given to the Colachel port project in Tamil Nadu, which is hardly 30 km from Vizhinjam port through sea. The proposal was to build a major port at Enayam near Colachel with an investment of about Rs 25,000 crore. The state government has already written to the Prime Minister on the state's anxieties over the development of Colachel port. The fact is that both ports have the same advantage of location as they are situated a few kilometres from the international shipping lane. Huge container vessels now do not come to Indian ports but drop the containers for Indian ports at Colombo making it the major transhipment hub of South Asia. Now, small ships take these containers from Colombo to Indian ports. The coming up of two ports in close proximity would be detrimental for both, it is said. Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Thursday issued orders revoking the suspension imposed on 11 Telangana judicial officers in June. The High Court had suspended the officers including Telangana Judicial Officers Association president K. Ravinder Reddy and secretary V. Vara Prasad following their silent rally on June 26 against the provisional allocation of subordinate judicial officers between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state. The suspension had triggered the strike of judicial officers and staff of Telangana state. Around 200 judicial officers working in various capacities in courts across Telangana had gone on a mass leave on June 28 during Telangana Judges Ass-ociations agitation against appointment of the judges from AP to the Telangana courts. Two days earlier, on 26 June, over 100 judges, under TJAs banner, took out a procession and submitted a representation to the Governor against the appointment. The suspension was brought to the notice of the Chief Justice of India by a delegation representing Telangana advocates. The Supreme Court Chief Justice assured them that he would resolve the issue and asked them to withdraw the strike. The judicial officers later called on acting Chief Justice and informed him of their decision to rejoin duties. Sources also revealed Jaitley told the opposition leaders that government wants to bring consensus on the GST and was ready for talks with any leader even during the weekend to hear out and address their concerns on the issue. (Photo: PTI/file) New Delhi: Governments fervent efforts to pass the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill might finally be bearing fruit, with sources close to the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi revealing that 'some progress was made in the negotiations regarding the bill. According to reports, the bill might be tabled in Rajya Sabha early next week, on Monday or Tuesday. The development comes a day after the cabinet cleared key changes in the Constitutional Amendment Bill on the GST Bill, which was one of the three conditions put forward by the Congress to ensure its support for the bill. The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the changes to the Constitutional Amendment Bill that was approved by the Lok Sabha in May last year. Once the Rajya Sabha approves the legislation, the amended Bill will have to go back to the Lok Sabha again for approval. The amendments were taken up by the Cabinet after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's assurance to state finance ministers to include in the Bill the mechanism of compensating states for all the loss of revenue for five years. With states on board and the Cabinet approving the amendments, the government is hopeful of passage of the long-pending GST Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which ends on August 12. The Bill, in its present form, provides that the Centre will give 100 per cent compensation to states for first three years, 75 per cent and 50 per cent for the next two years. However, the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha had in its report recommended 100 per cent compensation for probable loss of revenue for five years. As per the amendments, the Centre will now constitutionally guarantee states any loss of revenue from the GST subsuming all indirect taxes, including VAT, in the first five years of introduction. By doing away with the 1 per cent inter-state tax over and above the GST rate, the government has met one of the three key demands over which Congress has been blocking the Bill in the Upper House. The other demands of including GST rate in the statute and a Supreme Court judge-headed dispute resolution body has not been accepted. It remains to be seen if meeting of its demands halfway will persuade the Congress to support the legislation. There is a talk of mentioning the GST rate in one of the two supporting legislations that need to be passed after the Constitution is amended, a move that may pacify the Congress. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanyam reportedly held two rounds of discussions with Congress leaders, in addition to extensive talks with other parties including Samajwadi Party, JD(U) and CPI(M). "Serious effort is being made to bring a consensus on the GST bill," Congress leader Anand Sharma said without disclosing details on whether the Congress was insisting on its standing about putting a cap on the levy in the Constitution bill. Congress sources said party Rahul Gandhi also expects a positive outcome from these consultations. They said the discussions have entered a "decisive and positive phase". "Talks are on with various parties on GST and so far things are moving forward as expected," a senior government functionary said adding the effort is on to present it in the Rajya Sabha next week. Sources also revealed Jaitley told the opposition leaders that government wants to bring consensus on the GST and was ready for talks with any leader even during the weekend to hear out and address their concerns on the issue. A top congress leader, however, said they were awaiting the draft of the legislation after "extensive talks" with the government and hoped for a "positive outcome". Sources add that the government is also in touch with AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa on the key bill. Hyderabad: The Telangana government is all set to issue the notification for reorganisation of new districts in the second week of August. Barring indecision on Sircilla, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, in consultation with senior officials and others, has reportedly given a go-ahead for the rest of them. He wants 24 districts including 14 new ones in the state. Official sources told this newspaper the notification would be issued in the second week of August and a public hearing and an all-party meet would be completed in a months time so that the new districts are formally announced on Dasara, on October 11. Though Sircilla still figures as a new district in the proposal given by officials to the CM, pressure is mounting in Karimnagar district against it. Sircilla is represented by IT and industries minister K.T. Rama Rao, the CMs son. To my knowledge, Sircilla may not be a district. Pressure is mounting against it and the CM is reconsidering. A final decision will be taken soon, a senior TRS leader said. It is learnt that housing and endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy is pitching for a Nirmal district in place of Sircilla. Congress MLA Ms D.K. Aruna wanted a Gadwal district (Jogulamba district) but the government has ignored her demand. Demand for new districts are also coming from other places including Vikarabad. Officials have submitted a list of 24 proposed districts to the CM. The total population of the state stands at 3.50 crore with an area of 1,11,833.63 sq. km. The wrath, or more accurately, the frustration, of Indias dalits is palpably rising. So far, apart from the incidents in Gujarat, where dalit crowds set fire to buses, protests whether the march in Mumbai against the demolition of Ambedkar Bhavan or the turnout in Uttar Pradesh against the remarks by BJP leader Dayashankar Singh against Mayawati have been peaceful. What will happen if this rage gets out hand? Analysts have been quick to note that the perception among dalits, that the BJP is endemically against the Scheduled Castes, could cost it heavily in the elections. The reverberations of this will not be limited to Uttar Pradesh or Gujarat, where elections are due next year, but also in Punjab, where dalits constitute almost one-third of the population. In Mumbai, where crucial municipal polls are due in January 2017, the BJP may as well say goodbye to the dalit vote. Its not as if the BJP is unaware of this. It has always been seen as a party that represents upper class interests and is inimical to dalits and even OBCs. Some attempts have been made over the years to change this image, but with mixed results. Bangaru Laxman was made BJP president in 2001 but soon fell to a sting when he was caught on camera accepting a bribe. In Maharashtra, Gopinath Munde was a successful leader of OBCs and may have one day made it to the top in the state but for his untimely death in an accident in 2014. It is widely known he was feeling stifled in the BJP and had thought about leaving it, but eventually stayed on. His daughter Pankaja is a minister in the Maharashtra government and is facing all kinds of allegations of misjudgment and misdemeanour; to her followers, it is one more sign of an upper caste conspiracy. Still, dalits were not particularly inimical to the current government and to Narendra Modi. He could not have won handsomely in 2014 in UP and elsewhere without some dalit and OBC support. But that was then. After the suicide of Hyderabad scholar Rohith Vemula in January and recent incidents, like the Gujarat lynching, the BJP can wave goodbye to dalit support. Mr Modi brought in five dalits into his Cabinet in an obvious move to appeal to voters, but his silence in the face of the atrocities has negated any impact that gesture may have had. But even though caste and communal polarisation is a given in Indian politics, it would be excessively cynical to link the brutalities on dalits with upper caste consolidation, as some pundits have tried to do. Elections have nothing to do with what happened in Gujarat or in Madhya Pradesh, where two women were beaten up on the suspicion of carrying beef. These sordid incidents diminish all of us as Indians and are an assault on all the values this country was built on. Many supporters of the current government claim dalits have been beaten up and even killed in the past too. So why blame everything on this government? They may have a point atrocities against dalits are a shameful fact of Indian society. But this shouldnt let off any government, including this one. Nor can we ignore the fact that the current upsurge, not only against dalits but also Muslims, is because of the frenzy around gau raksha, which has grown exponentially in the last two years. Defenders and saviours of the cow were very much around in the past too as far back as 1966, they went on a rampage in Delhi after Indira Gandhi turned down their demand to ban cow slaughter in India. Since then, the cow has been used to mobilise Hindus and after a lull, we are seeing it emerge in an aggressive and virulent form. Among the first decisions of the new governments of Maharashtra and Haryana after being elected in 2014 was to ban cow slaughter and impose heavy fines and jail terms for anyone who tried to sell and consume beef. This has hurt not just butchers or beef-lovers but also farmers, who now cannot sell old cattle stock, as was the practice earlier. It was predicted at the time of the ban that soon cows will be seen wandering around in towns and cities, and that has come to pass. The vigilantes have been going after people on the merest suspicion of consuming it; on the borders of Maharashtra, gau rakshaks wait to pounce upon any truck carrying cattle. Some stories, such as the thrashing of four dalits, make it to the media, but how many more must be happening? The rest of the world may not hear about such incidents, but the dalits know and they are simmering. And they will give vent to their ire in the best way they can by voting against the BJP. The fear is that there will be more such instances in the coming months. The monster in the shape of these vigilantes is out of the bottle. Elections are furthest from their minds they are driven by hatred for lower castes and minorities, even if it is cloaked in the love for the cow. How long will dalits remain silent? The bigger fear is that in any conflict, the state will come down on the side of the perpetrators, as we saw in the case of Akhlaq Khan, whose family is facing prosecution even though it was he who got lynched on a false allegation. This could really set the stage for a conflagration. The Goods and Services Tax Bill has been poised in the Rajya Sabha between the governments determination to see it through and the Congress resolve to block it unless the amendments that it has suggested are accepted and incorporated in the legislation. The party in power and the main Opposition have a minor difference that may block the constitutional amendment but are both agreed on the need for the change, which will have far-reaching consequences. After meeting the state finance ministers the Centre agreed to ensure any shortfall in receipts by states will be compensated by the Centre for five years. There is little need to deny the increase in speed in the transport of goods across the country the proposed law will lead to as trucks will no longer have to wait at octroi nakas or state borders. The main push for the bill comes from the business community, for it would enable it to operate in a one India market, and not many, that the present system supposedly ensures. Government spokesmen say the bill would have revolutionary consequences the nation is on the cusp of executing one of the most ambitious and remarkable tax reforms in its independent history which is perhaps unprecedented in modern global tax history. Its proponents maintain somewhat incredibly that if would boost GDP by one per cent or more, and would generate resources for health and education. Unlike the present tax structure which by fragmenting Indian mar-kets on state lines also undermines the PMs Make in India policy by favouring imports and disfavouring domestic production. Tall, unsubstantiated words, which may be swallowed by the gullible, but a close examination of facts would show expenditure on and delivery of health and education has fallen drastically in the past two years, GDP growth may be greatly inflated. Make in India made little headway, except in defence production. While the new tax proposals have some benefits, they can lead to serious problems in implementation and concentrate power further in the Central government. India is a federal country with financial powers divided between the Centre, states and local bodies such as municipal corporations. The only other comparable country is the US, which is among the few countries that has not experimented with a goods and services tax. The GST is a comprehensive and more extensive value added tax and has had mixed results in countries like Britain, Australia, Singapore and Canada, where it has been tried. Singapore has a GCT of seven per cent and critics consider GST to be a regressive tax, meaning the poor pay more, as a percentage of their income, than the rich. In India, the situation is more complicated as it is a federal state with the power to tax divided between the Centre and states. Already, a turf war has broken out between central and state the indirect tax departments over their assessment and adjudication powers. The states want that they should get sole administrative powers to carry out assessment, scrutiny and passing of orders for entities and traders up to an annual turnover of Rs 1.5 crore, and beyond that both states and the Centre should have these powers; while the Centre says if states get exclusive control over entities up to Rs 1.5 crore, the Centre should get exclusive control over all those above that. Since GST has two parts, Central GST and state GST, such differences are inevitable. Further, it still hasnt been clarified how much of GST will be taken by the Centre and by each state. By collecting more tax than it is entitled to, the Centre would have power over disbursal of funds to states. Besides, there are large cities like Mumbai and New Delhi, each of which have annual budgets of around Rs 30,000 crore each. Would they be willing to give the power to the Central or state government to collect the money and then disburse it to them? This would mean a weakening of democracy and the concentration power in the Centre. Arvind Subramaniam, chief economic adviser to the government, wrote in a recent article: We must also be realistic about the timeframe for assessing GST. The GST is fiendishly, mind-bogglingly complex to administer. While many states have verbally given their assent to the bill, serious differences will arise in its implementation, specially if there is an unfriendly government at the Centre. In the present system, the rate of sales tax imposed on a particular commodity falls within the boun-daries of each state, is decided by the state government concerned and these tax rates vary across states. Making the rate mandatory across states would amount to eroding the autonomy of states in exercising their limited tax powers. What VAT and its extension, GST, do is to increase indirect taxation while reducing direct taxes. India already has one of the lowest tax rates of 33 per cent for the richest in the land. To this must be added concessions or subsidies of no tax on dividend income and on capital gains on shares. Apart from this, there is the Rs 6 lakh crore given as a writeoff to the corporate sector. What GST will do is increase indirect taxes that hit the poor as they are aimed at raising prices of spending on consumption. Together with a reduction in social sector spending on health, education and clean drinking water, this is part of the Modi governments rightward shift in priorities. We can expect as much from the new GST Bill that is due to come up in Parliament next week. The hour arrives when parting from my friends I fall to brooding as my mood descends Into sobriety. What good is wine Without the joys that companionship lends? From Hirsute Pursuit by Bachchoo No, I say to my Zoroastrian friends, Thus Spake Zarathustra has nothing to do with our religion. Its a common misconception as Nietzsches tone-poem is about asserting that God is dead but dont rejoice, remember theres always the police! Neither is Parsifal the narrative of the fall of Parsis, it being the Deutsch for Percival. However, having just read the recent publication of the population survey of Parsi densities pronouncing our decrease in numbers from the 70,000s to the 50,000s I am inspired to add an l to the title and write a tragic film, incorporating elements of Parsi musical theatre, about the threatening decline of the tribe (Copyright fd. Patent pending). Come to think of it, there is certainly room and a possible market for a pamphlet entitled Thus Spake Zarathustra to Idiot Parsi Racists. It would explain that Zarathustra in all his teachings never specified that they were directed and exclusively at a particular race, however one wants to define that word. Unlike the Judaic tradition, there were no 12 tribes of Zoroastrianism. Jesus Christ rid the world of the idea that God had chosen people and welcomed, as did Prophet Muhammad after him, anyone who had faith and professed the belief into the religious fold. The Achaemenids famously converted the people they conquered to Zoroastrianism and the Sassanians did too, with several rival heresies arising within the religion, giving rise to cults and followings which challenged orthodoxy. Parsi racism, if we are generous, was born of self-protection in an alien land which magnanimously offered them refuge from the Muslim conquest of Iran and the consequent persecution of those who wouldnt convert to Islam. If one was not being generous, Parsi racism was born out of a negative and conceited instinct. It is obvious that anyone who wants to be a Zoroastrian can assume the faith. They can even learn the rituals and prayers and recite them. In several places in the world the US comes to mind there are Parsi priests who convert non-Parsis to Zoroastrianism. I dont know for sure whether lets just say for instance, the Parsi Association of South Texan Yazdanis (PASTRY) would accept Pedro Gonzales or Winston Pumpernickle into their community after these have converted to Zoroastrianism. Would they welcome them as new Parsis? Perhaps in America or a limited number of Parsi communities in Canada they would. But that wont solve the big problem the threat of extinction of hang on, what are we talking about here? The extinction of the Parsi Zoroastrian race, or the extinction of the Zoroastrian religion? Or the passage into the interstellar spaces of the eggs-with-everything-dhansakh-eating population? The extinction debate, with Parsis being urged to breed with each other etc. has never clarified what its about. There are clues along the way. Some Parsis, or most, have decided that the children of Parsi fathers can be Parsis, even if they have non-Parsi mothers and whether they go through the thread ceremony or not. So thats clearly blood based. There is now a body of opinion that wants the children of Parsi mothers and non-Parsi fathers to be allowed into the Parsi fold. This may be based on our community catching up with modern genetic science which says in scientific terms that it takes two to tango and mum is as genetically dominant as dad. So blood and genes again, even though this body of opinion has yet to convince the conservatives who deny Parsi status to female chromosomes. Now there is a well-funded organisation called Jiyo Parsi which has been given responsibility for refreshing the numbers of the race. It seems from the reports I have read to take the blood-and-genes argument as basic and encourages Parsi men and women to procreate with each other. Their record of 71 new births a year is not earth-shaking. They may soon have to change their focus and their name to Jiyo Dodo at this rate. Why the obvious solution to the genetic imperative for Parsiness has not struck the race-purist-wallahs, I can only guess. If they want Zoroastrianism as a religion to survive and if they only want to admit those born of the blood of the races which existed under Sassanian Iran there is a clear solution. Start a movement to convert the Muslims of Persia back to Zoroastrianism and if they face persecution as a result of the conversion, invite them to India and give them the material means of survival. After all, waves of Iranis as we primitive Parsis still call them, came to India long after the first migrations of the 8th or 9th century and settled in India and became integrated, prosperous and dynamic additions to the community. I suppose Jiyo Parsi will have to convert itself into a clandestine organisation which infiltrates Iran and spreads the Zoroastrian gospel. If they dont think of that as an attractive prospect, even though it would at a stroke solve the pure-race-Zoroastrian conundrum, bringing millions of disillusioned Iranian Muslims into the fold, they should consider the other options to banishing the fatal shadow of extinction. That would entail abandoning the 48 chromosome requirement and readjusting to the 24-chromosome formula. In a film I wrote called The Path of Zarathustra, a heretical character suggests accepting half-a-million women of all races and religions who will volunteer, in exchange for a comfortable existence in Mumbai or Pune or Gujarat, to be baby-mothers to Parsi fathers of their choice. I am sure the sale of some Parsi real estate would pay for such a scheme. For myself, I would go further than the character in my film and would allow any woman of Parsi blood to produce children with anyone she chose and have them anointed full Zoroastrians. Jai Zardushti! In his seminal work On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, Norman Dixon poses the questions: How, if they are so lacking in intelligence, do people become senior military commanders? And what is it about military organisations that they attract, promote and ultimately tolerate those whose performance at the highest levels bring opprobrium upon the organisations they represent? Fortunately, we havent had a major war in recent times to test the mettle of our commanders. But even in peacetime, many have, unfortunately, managed by acts of omission and commission to bring opprobrium to our military. The upper echelons of Indias military are now visibly dense with obviously incompetent and uninspiring leaders, who simply managed to get good ACRs year after year with bland obsequiousness. They then expect the same from subordinates, and get it too. Outstanding officers with individuality and intellectual curiosity get culled in this process by the stubborn seniority system, adopted from the bureaucracy. The Indian military, like many others, doesnt appreciate standout talent and personality, and prefers a uniform greyness. The system beats out the commander and dashing leader in an officer long before he becomes a general. We will never study this, as if this opaque system of evaluation is a military heirloom. Younger officers in Western militaries often challenge mediocrity and are willing to run into their swords over this. Do we have any serving officer who will write on this? No, I dont think so. Even those who are retired seem to have deep tribal loyalties, that is very different from institutional loyalty. It wasnt always this way. Thomas Ricks argued in his book The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today that the US military used to expect its generals to fail. In World War II the US Army sacked 16 division commanders and five corps commanders. The British Army sacked Wavell, Auchinleck, Cunningham and Ritchie in North Africa alone. Many were given second chances. Somewhere along the way this tradition got lost. Ricks writes: To a shocking degree, the (US) Armys leadership ranks have become populated by mediocre officers, placed in positions where they are likely to fail. Success goes unrewarded, and everything but the most extreme failure goes unpunished, creating a perverse incentive system that drives leaders toward a risk-averse middle where they are more likely to find stalemate than victory. At least the Americans have started the debate. In 2007, Lt. Col. Paul Yingling published an absolutely blistering, full-frontal assault on American generals entitled A failure in generalship. In it he challenged the US Army over producing generals with insufficient education, language skills, creativity and moral courage. He attacked the general officer promotion system as fundamentally flawed. His core argument was clear: Our generals are not worthy of their soldiers. Amazingly, the article by a serving officer was published in the Armed Forces Journal. Less surprisingly, Yingling is now a high school teacher. Can anyone imagine an Indian Army officer writing such an article, or the Army War College Journal publishing it? Thomas Ricks further writes: We often think of the military with a culture of clear accountability. This is only really true for lower ranks. In contrast, there is absolutely no question that if the British Army were a listed company (heaven forbid), a slew of generals would have been kicked out of the theatre early. Boards of directors have very little patience for poor performance, and regularly give CEOs months rather than years to prove themselves. Recent examples include GM (four CEOs in 18 months) and Hewlett-Packard (five CEOs in six years). In fact as many as a third of CEO departures are due to poor performance. This begs the question: must all officers be promoted to their levels of incompetence? Once at the Farnborough Air Show, I ran into a serving RAF pilot who looked well into his middle years and was still a wing commander. He was flying an aircraft at the show. When he saw the surprise on my face, he explained that he loved flying and hence to keep doing that, he opted out of vying for higher command. His juniors wear stars, but he prefers to see the stars from close up. He made his choice but many more get passed over and serve under course mates or juniors. The heavens dont fall when this happens. But in India a general made a post-retirement career over his supersession, ensuring that the seniority rule is chiselled in stone. Dwight Eisenhower became a brigadier-general in September 1941. In December 1943, he was appointed as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. In January 1944, he also assumed command of the North Africa theatre and was redesignated as Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), making him the overlord of all allied forces in the West. He was also promoted to General of the Army, the US equivalent of Field-Marshal. As SHAEF he was master and commander of famous generals like Bradley, Patton, Montgomery and Alanbrooke. Their views about Eisenhower were interesting. Montgomery said: nice chap, no general. Patton wrote: Its too bad, Ike has no personal knowledge of war. But Ike organised the greatest amphibious landing in history and oversaw the defeat of Nazi Germany in Africa and Europe. Not even Zhukov or Rokossovsky commanded such huge forces operating simultaneously in many sectors. Dwight Eisenhower went on to become US President and, when laying down office after two terms, warned his fellow countrymen against the growing power of the military-industrial complex. Our problem is that the complexity of military organisation eludes our leaders, and the subject has become another sacred cow. Nearer home, William Slim was a brigadier in the Indian Army in Basra in 1941. He was fortuitously appointed GOC of 10th Infantry Division in the Middle East and his performance led to him becoming GOC of the 14th Army Headquarters in Imphal, where he led it to what is now arguably World War IIs greatest military victory. Interestingly enough, he still held the official rank of colonel with the wartime rank of major-general and the temporary rank of lieutenant-general. He later became Field-Marshal and Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the only Indian Army officer to become CIGS. In 1965, an Indian GOC went to war with his briefcase containing papers on to being passed over for promotion. In the face of a Pakistani counter-attack he withdrew in haste from his forward position on the Ichogil canal, leaving behind his briefcase. The Pakistanis gleefully read out the details on Radio Pakistan. In 1971, an IAF pilot (who later became an air marshal) landed his Gnat in a Pakistani airfield, but that didnt stall his climb to higher command. Clearly, we need to separate the wheat from the chaff in time before it becomes too expensive. As wars become shorter, we can ill afford to test our generals in war. We must do it well ahead and be ready for war. The nation cant afford the military to become a bureaucracy where even the undeserving rise. The solution can come only from within the military. Politicians are not interested. The bureaucrats will simply bring more of their ideas, which could be fatal. The military must look within and come up with solutions. But who will bell the cat? The team also used a hexacopter drone to photograph the whales and dolphins. Honolulu: Federal researchers returning from a 30-day expedition to study whales and dolphins around the Hawaiian Islands said Thursday they are looking for clues to help sustain healthy populations of the marine mammals. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists told reporters that gathering data on the animals is often difficult, especially around the windward coasts of the Hawaiian Islands. The researchers worked from a large ship, instead of using their normally small survey boats, and explored the coasts of the main Hawaiian Islands where wind conditions and severe weather make it difficult to navigate and remain at sea for extended periods of time. The team also used a hexacopter drone to photograph the whales and dolphins, something they have never done before in this region. Using drones allows researchers to get better images of groups of whales because they are not disturbed by the approaching boat, said NOAA's Erin Oleson, who led the expedition. The vantage point of the drone also allowed them to more accurately count the number of individuals in a pod, including mothers and calves that sometimes stay underwater. The number of calves helps researchers gauge the whale's reproductive health. The perspective also allows the scientists to get more accurate size estimates for individual whales. "This is the first time that we've used (drones) as part of our research here in the Pacific islands, and it's also the first time it's been used to estimate group sizes," Olsen said. "We wanted a way of calibrating the observers." Olsen said there are over 20 species of dolphins and whales around the Hawaiian archipelago. The researchers took tissue samples and attached satellite tags to some whales to monitor their movements. Understanding the animals' movements in conjunction with events like El Nino help inform the researchers' understanding of the impacts of climate change and warmer water temperatures. The team had three separate encounters with killer whales, which are rarely seen around Hawaii. They found one pod of orcas off the coast of Maui and another off the coast of the Big Island. Days after finding the Big Island group, the researchers found the same group again. One whale they did not see but had hoped to was the beaked whale. Using underwater acoustic detection technology, scientists heard the calls of an unidentified species of the elusive beaked whale, but despite tracking them for several hours the researchers never saw the creatures. Beaked whales dive to extremely deep levels and only surface for air about once an hour, making them hard to identify and study. Olsen said whales and dolphins are a critical part of the overall ecosystem around the islands. If populations decrease, as is the case with false killer whales, the oceans food chain becomes unbalanced and could impact the entire ecosystem. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Following Xiaomis paths, another Chinese brand has announced a Macbook Air resembling laptop. Lenovo has launched its Macbook look alike dubbed as the Air 13 Pro to go against the likes of recently launched Xiaomi Notebook Air. Both Lenovo Air 13 Pro and Mi Notebook Air laptops pack a 13.3-inch IPS display and are powered by an Intel Core i5-6200U processor. The RAM of Air 13 Pro is 4GB compared to the 8GB RAM on Mi Notebook Air. The Lenovo Air 13 Pro weighs around 1.29kgs, which is almost the same as the Mi Notebook Air. Both laptops have 256GB of SSD storage. For handling graphics the Air 13 Pro has a 2GB NVIDIA GT940MX graphics card. The Mi Notebook Air also features a discrete graphic card for gaming. Lenovo has added fingerprint recognition, one notable feature missing from the Mi Notebook Air. However, Xiaomi users can unlock their Mi Notebook Air using the Mi Band 2 via Bluetooth. Lenovo Air 13 Pro is available for pre-registration in China for a price of CNY 4,999, same as the Mi Notebook Air. The price of Lenovo laptop may rise up to 5,499 following the pre-sale time. It will be interesting to see which of these devices will receive a better response from the consumers. Currently both devices are only available for the Chinese market. We will have to wait and see when these laptops reach the subcontinent shores. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. With state grant money on the way, Cumberland County officials said they will begin testing local mosquitoes for the Zika virus. John Bitner, head of the countys Vector Control Office, told the county commissioners Thursday that Cumberland County has been apportioned over $20,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to expand the countys mosquito monitoring program. This will give us some extra monies to purchase additional traps, Bitner said. Were looking at nine sites in the county that we will be regularly testing. Zika is known to be carried by two mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The former is more likely to transmit Zika, but its range in Pennsylvania is limited to the extreme southeast corner of the state. Aedes albopictus, while less likely to carry the disease, can be found throughout the state. However, it is still comparatively rare compared to other mosquitos. Of the 43,848 mosquitos taken out of traps in Cumberland County so far this season, only 227 about half a percent were Aedes albopictus, Bitner said, and none were carrying Zika. The bulk of the mosquito program in Pennsylvania is dedicated to the West Nile virus. Of this seasons tests, roughly 800 insects have tested positive for West Nile so far, Bitner said. Whenever we sample for mosquitos and put our traps out there, we get different species, Bitner explained. They have a trap type you can put out that seems to attract more of the species that is linked to Zika. Well be buying some of those traps, and we have some already that can be used for West Nile, too. There are roughly 125 sites throughout the county that are tested on a rotating basis for West Nile, Bitner said. The nine sites that will be routinely tested for Zika were selected based on the likelihood of transmission. Aedes albopictus typically travels only a few yards from where it lives, Bitner said, a much shorter range than more common species of mosquitos. An area we would test for Zika is an area thats densely populated and has neighborhoods with small yards, Bitner said. They call them backyard breeders artificial habitats that occur in peoples yards. The DEP will be testing mosquitos from 25 different counties, including Cumberland County, for Zika, according to the states action plan. The plan also includes outreach and screening efforts for pregnant women. Zika in expecting mothers has been linked with birth defects amongst affected populations in South America. The virus may also induce Guillain-Barre syndrome, a nerve disease, in infected adults. No mosquitos in the U.S. are yet known to have transmitted the disease to humans. Thus far, all 1,647 cases of Zika in the United States have been linked to travel to tropical regions, or blood or sexual transmission by an infected traveler to another person. This includes 48 cases of infection in Pennsylvania residents, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. Selfies are are usually flattering and made to appear casual. Selfies can often be misrepresentative and unflattering. Due to the camera's proximity, selfies render subjects' noses larger, ears smaller and foreheads more sloping. To tackle this issue, researchers at Princeton University in the US have unveiled a new method for transforming selfies. The method can modify a person's face to look as though it were photographed from farther away, and also alter someone's apparent pose, as if the camera were placed higher, lower or at an angle.When superimposed, images adjusted in this manner can further be used to generate 3D head shots. Although it is the age of the selfie, many people are unaware of how much these self-portraits do not really look like the person being photographed because the camera is way too close, said Ohad Fried, a PhD candidate at Princeton University. Now that people can edit so many aspects of a photo right on their phones, we wanted to provide a quick way to edit faces that maintains realism, Fried said. The project is the first of its kind to address the fixing of self-portrait distortions owing to camera distance, the researchers said. As humans, we have evolved to be very sensitive to subtle cues in other people's faces, so any artifacts or glitches in synthesised imagery tend to really jump out, said Adam Finkelstein, a professor at Princeton. With this new method, we therefore had to make sure the photo modifications looked extremely realistic, and we were frankly surprised at the fidelity of the results we were able to obtain starting from just a single photo, he said. Researchers began with a model for generating digital, 3D human heads. The model came from FaceWarehouse, a database of 150 people photographed in 20 different poses, compiled by researchers at Zhejiang University in China. Then, a programme made by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in the US, identified nearly six dozen reference points across someone's face, such as the corners of the eyes and top of the head when presented with a selfie. The photo-editing method then adjusts the 3D head model so that it corresponds to the points detected on the face. Now we had an underlying 3D model of the 2D selfie image, said Fried. Modifying the selfie then proved straightforward. The selfie's coordinates for facial reference points needed to be updated to match those in the 3D image of a face, photographed either in a different pose or by a more distant camera. The 2D image underwent a warp to approximate a desired change in its virtual 3D orientation, and all within just a handful of seconds. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The rapes in the capital of Juba highlighted two persistent problems in the chaotic country engulfed by civil war: targeted ethnic violence and the reluctance by U.N. peacekeepers to protect civilians. (Representational Photo/ AP) Juba, South Sudan: South Sudanese government soldiers raped dozens of ethnic Nuer women and girls last week just outside a United Nations camp where they had sought protection from renewed fighting, and at least two died from their injuries, witnesses and civilian leaders said. The rapes in the capital of Juba highlighted two persistent problems in the chaotic country engulfed by civil war: targeted ethnic violence and the reluctance by UN peacekeepers to protect civilians. At least one assault occurred as peacekeepers watched, witnesses said during a visit to the camp. On July 17, two armed soldiers in uniform dragged away a woman who was less than a few hundred meters (yards) from the UN camp's western gate while armed peacekeepers on foot, in an armored vehicle and in a watchtower looked on. One witness estimated that 30 peacekeepers from Nepalese and Chinese battalions saw the incident. "They were seeing it. Everyone was seeing it," he said. "The woman was seriously screaming, quarreling and crying also, but there was no help. She was crying for help." He and other witnesses interviewed insisted on speaking on condition of anonymity because they feared reprisals by soldiers if identified. A spokeswoman for the UN mission, Shantal Persaud, did not dispute that rapes took place close to the camp. The mission has documented 120 cases of rape and sexual violence against civilians throughout Juba since the latest fighting began, she said Wednesday. "The mission takes very seriously allegations of peacekeepers not rendering aid to civilians in distress and the UNMISS force command is looking into these allegations," Persaud said. The reported assaults occurred about a week after rival government forces clashed in Juba, forcing opposition leader Riek Machar from the city and killing hundreds of people. As a cease-fire took hold, women and girls began venturing outside the U.N. camp for food. The camp houses over 30,000 civilians who are nearly all ethnic Nuer, the same ethnicity as Machar. They fear attacks by government forces who are mostly ethnic Dinka, the same as Machar's rival, President Salva Kiir. As the women and girls walked out of the UN camp, they entered an area called Checkpoint, in the shadow of a mountain on Juba's western outskirts. That stretch of road along one side of the camp saw some of the heaviest fighting and is lined with wrecked shops and burned tanks. It is now inhabited by armed men in and out of uniform. In interviews with the AP, women described soldiers in Checkpoint allowing them to leave to buy food but attacking them as they returned. "When we reached Checkpoint, the soldiers come out and called the women and said, 'Stop, please, and sit down,' so we stopped and sat down, and they took one woman inside a shop," a woman said. "Four men went inside the shop and they raped the woman while we three stayed outside." In another incident, one woman said a group of soldiers pulled two women and two underage girls from their group and gang-raped them in a shop, with more than 10 men to each victim. One girl later died, she said. "I saw the men taking their trousers off and the ladies crying inside," said a middle-aged woman. As she spoke, she began to cry. "They said, 'This one belongs to me, this one belongs to me,'" she added. Multiple Nuer women said soldiers threatened them because of their ethnicity or accused them of being allied with Machar. The women identified the soldiers as ethnic Dinka because of the language they spoke. "One soldier came and he turned the gun to us. He said, 'If I kill you now, you Nuer woman, do you think there is anything that can happen to me?'" one woman said. She said the soldier slapped her before another soldier intervened, allowing her to escape. The number of rapes that took place outside the UN camp was unclear. The AP interviewed more than a dozen witnesses of rapes or people who spoke with victims, both one-on-one and in small groups. The Protection Cluster, a group of aid workers that monitors violence against civilians in South Sudan, noted a "significant spike in reported cases was observed on 18 July when large numbers of women began leaving (the camp) to travel to markets in town in search of food." The Protection Cluster said at least two victims are known to have died as a result of their injuries. Civilian leaders in the UN camp have given estimates ranging from 27 to over 70 rapes from the time that women started venturing out for food. The United Nations says it received reports of dozens of cases. A South Sudanese rights group, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation, said it is investigating 36 reported rapes. Hospitals inside the camp received four rape cases last week, including an underage girl who said she had been gang-raped by five men and a woman who said she had been gang-raped by five men and beaten, according to medical staff who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The number of victims reporting to clinics is believed to be lower than the actual total because of the stigma in Nuer culture attached to rape. The rape of civilians has been a near-constant in South Sudan's civil war which began in 2013, with both sides accused of using sexual assault, based on ethnicity, as a weapon of war. Army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang did not deny that rapes occurred after the latest fighting but said the military has yet to receive any formal complaints from victims. Witnesses and aid workers accuse the armed UN peacekeepers, who are mandated to protect civilians with lethal force if necessary, of failing to act. This is not the first time that UN peacekeepers have faced that accusation. Last year, over 1,300 women and girls were raped by government forces and allied militias during a scorched-earth campaign in Unity state, according to the Protection Cluster. Doctors Without Borders accused the U.N. mission of "complete and utter failure" to protect civilians there. The medical aid organization also blamed the peacekeeping mission over a government attack on the U.N. camp in the town of Malakal in February that killed about two dozen civilians. A U.N. investigation found confusion in command and control by U.N. forces. In the latest clashes in Juba, residents of the U.N. camp accused peacekeepers of running away when the camp was shelled. Two Chinese peacekeepers were killed. Aid workers said they asked the U.N. to increase patrols July 17-18 along the camp where women were most vulnerable, but that patrols in the area did not begin until July 21. The U.N. has said it has increased patrols outside the camp in response to reported rapes. One local woman, Christmas David, who said she was beaten by government soldiers but not raped, said the limited patrols were not enough. "When the U.N. is moving, (the government soldiers) just stop the women and tell them to sit down," she said. "When the peacekeepers leave the road, then they do the things." The priest, who hails from Kerala, had gone missing after the Islamic State militant group attacked the care home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. Three men allegedly involved in the abduction of Keralite priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil and carrying out an attack on a care home for the elderly killing an Indian and 15 others in Yemen's port city of Aden, were arrested in the strife-torn country. "Based on information that we have received from our Embassy in Djibouti, it appears that the information is correct," official sources said when asked about reports that suspected terrorists involved in the two cases were captured. They said there was no information available yet on the whereabouts of Father Uzhunnalil, adding the Indian Mission continues to work with the local authorities to ascertain information on him. The priest, who hails from Kerala, had gone missing after the Islamic State militant group attacked the care home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. One Indian nurse and 15 others were killed in the attack on the care home in Aden city on March 4. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said last week that efforts were on to secure release of the priest. The Indian Embassy in Yemen's capital Sana'a was closed last year following widespread violence. The embassy's functions are being carried out from a camp office in Djibouti. Clinton's final day of the Democratic National Convention featured speeches from a former member of President Ronald Reagan's administration and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce official who is heading a GOP group supporting Clinton, part of an expanded outreach to Republican voters and donors. (Photo: AP) Phialdelphia: Long a lightning rod on the right, Hillary Clinton is making a targeted appeal to Republicans who challenge Donald Trump's claim to the conservative mantle and fear his possible presidency. Clinton's final day of the Democratic National Convention featured speeches from a former member of President Ronald Reagan's administration and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce official who is heading a GOP group supporting Clinton, part of an expanded outreach to Republican voters and donors. "I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan," said Doug Elmets, a Republican now backing Clinton. "Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan!" Clinton pivoted to the left during the primaries, fending off self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. Trump's national security stumbles in questioning U.S. support for NATO allies and urging Russia to meddle in the race provides a general-election opening for Clinton and other Democrats to reach out to Republicans. In his speech Wednesday night, President Barack Obama evoked Reagan, reminding voters that the conservative hero famously called the United States "a shining city on a hill." Trump, he said, calls the United States "a divided crime scene" and hopes to win votes by scaring people over immigration and crime. Shortly before Obama spoke, Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent Michael Bloomberg urged voters to back Clinton, calling her the "sane, competent person." In her first post-convention TV interview, Clinton is slated to appear on "Fox News Sunday" this weekend. She is holding an event in Republican-leaning Nebraska on Monday, giving her the opportunity to reach Republican voters. Obama won an electoral vote in an Omaha area congressional district in 2008. Several prominent Republicans, including the two former presidents Bush and 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, have not endorsed Trump. Clinton has picked up some Republican endorsements in recent weeks, including Brent Scowcroft, a national security adviser to President George H.W. Bush, and Hank Paulson, a Treasury secretary under President George W. Bush. "You have to make them feel that they're not traitors. And the way to do that is to roll out a bunch of well-known Republicans saying, 'Hey I'm for Hillary,'" said former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. The former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state has been the frequent Republican target during her more than three decades in national politics, most recently for her use of a private email server for government business while at the State Department. Republicans said that history and her high negative numbers among rank-and-file Republican voters make it unlikely she'll find many cross-over voters. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday in Philadelphia that Trump's fight against "Washington insiders" was prone to turn off some Republicans. "Donald Trump is the outsider. Hillary Clinton is the corrupt insider. And if that's going to mean that we're going to lose some Republican votes, so be it," Giuliani said. Republicans also argue she should pay more attention to her own base. Sean Spicer, chief strategist for the RNC, noted eruptions of boos inside the Democratic convention hall and omnipresence of Sanders fans, and said, "Clinton should really focus on getting her own party in order before she worries about our party." But Democrats view Trump's provocative statements and the failed "Never Trump" movement as leading indicators in their ability to win over college-educated Republicans who have been wary of the businessman's foreign policy views or incendiary statements about Mexican-Americans, Muslims and women. John Stubbs and Ricardo Reyes, two former officials in President George W. Bush's administration, attended the convention to generate interest in their pro-Clinton grassroots organization called R4C16.org. For likeminded Republicans, they said sitting out the election is not enough. Reyes called Trump "an existential threat, not just to the party but to the entire United States." Clinton hopes to win over not only the hearts of Republican voters but also the wallets of some of the party's donors. Her campaign has assembled a team to field calls from Republicans interested in giving money and helping with fundraising. In Chicago, former U.S. attorney Daniel Webb told Clinton fundraisers in recent weeks that he supports her and wants to help gather contributions for her campaign. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Webb said Trump's "bias" against Hispanics and Muslims, among other groups, spurred him to action. Philadelphia: Promising Americans a steady hand, Hillary Clinton cast herself on Thursday night as a unifier for divided times, an experienced leader steeled for a volatile world. She aggressively challenged Republican Donald Trump's ability to do the same. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," Clinton said as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Read: Hillary Clinton: 10 important dates in her own words Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates on the final night of the Democratic convention, relishing her nomination as the first woman to lead a major U.S. political party. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching at home, many of whom may welcome her experience as secretary of state senator and first lady, but question her character. Read: Key quotes from Clinton's Democratic convention speech She acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying, "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me." But her primary focus was persuading Americans to not be seduced by Trump's vague promises to restore economic security and fend off threats from abroad. Read: Clinton using convention to send message to wary GOP voters Clinton's four-day convention began with efforts to shore up liberals who backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and it ended with an outstretched hand to Republicans and independents unnerved by Trump. A parade of military leaders, law enforcement officials and Republicans took the stage ahead of Clinton to endorse her in the general election contest with Trump. "This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future," said retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan. "We must seize this moment to elect Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America." American flags waved in the stands of the packed convention hall. There were persistent but scattered calls of "No more war," but the crowd drowned them out with chants of "Hill-a-ry" and "U-S-A!" Read: Clinton speech draws mixed reaction on cable news The Democratic nomination now officially hers, Clinton has just over three months to persuade Americans that Trump is unfit for the Oval Office and overcome the visceral connection he has with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. She embraced her reputation as a studious wonk, a politician more comfortable with policy proposals than rhetorical flourishes. "I sweat the details of policy," she said. Clinton's proposals are an extension of President Barack Obama's two terms in office: tackling climate change, overhauling the nation's fractured immigration laws, and restricting access to guns. She disputed Trump's assertion that she wants to repeal the Second Amendment, saying "I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place." Read: Hillary Clinton: burning ambition and resilience to match Campaigning in Iowa Thursday, Trump said there were "a lot of lies being told" at Clinton's convention. In an earlier statement, he accused Democrats of living in a "fantasy world," ignoring economic and security troubles as well as Clinton's controversial email use at the State Department. The FBI's investigation into Clinton's use of a private internet server didn't result in criminal charges, but it did appear to deepen voters' concerns with her honesty and trustworthiness. A separate pre-convention controversy over hacked Democratic Party emails showing favoritism for Clinton in the primary threatens to deepen the perception that Clinton prefers to play by her own rules. Through four nights of polished convention pageantry, Democratic heavyweights told a different story about Clinton. The most powerful validation came Wednesday night from President Barack Obama, her victorious primary rival in 2008. Obama declared Clinton not only can defeat Trump's "deeply pessimistic vision" but also realize the "promise of this great nation." Seeking to offset possible weariness with a politician who has been in the spotlight for decades, he said of Clinton: "She's been there for us, even if we haven't always noticed." Clinton was introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, who spoke warmly of her mother as a woman "driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love." A parade of speakers, gay and straight, young and old, white, black and Hispanic, cast Trump as out-of-touch with a diverse and fast-changing nation. Khizr Khan, an American Muslim whose son was killed in military service, emotionally implored voters to stop Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. "Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future," Khan said. "Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy, says Khizr Khan. The program paid tribute to law enforcement officers killed on duty, including five who died in Dallas earlier this month in retaliation for officer-involved shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana. "Violence is not the answer," Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez said. "Yelling, screaming and calling each other names is not going to do it." On the convention's closing night, Clinton sought to reach beyond the Democratic base, particularly to moderate Republicans unnerved by Trump. Former Reagan administration official Doug Elmets announced he was casting his first vote for a Democrat in November, and urged other Republicans who "believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party" to do the same. Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump said he'd like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. Hours later, Trump told Fox News he was being "sarcastic" although shortly after his remarks on Wednesday, he tweeted that Russia should share the emails with the FBI. "Please explain to me what part of America First leads him to make Trump ties in China, not Colorado. Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan." Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 29, 2016 "Donald Trump says he wants to make America great againwell, he could start by actually making things in America again." Hillary Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 29, 2016 Trump Jr. suggested that Obamas speech in Philadelphia on Wednesday night lifted a line from his Republican National Convention remarks, pointing out that both addresses contained the line Thats not the America I know. (Photo: AP) Washington: Donald Trumps son has claimed that US President Barack Obama in his speech at the Democratic convention plagiarised a line, days after the business tycoons wife Melania Trump was mocked for lifting portions from Michelle Obamas 2008 speech. Trump Jr. suggested that Obamas speech in Philadelphia on Wednesday night lifted a line from his Republican National Convention remarks, pointing out that both addresses contained the line Thats not the America I know. Im honoured that Potus would plagiarise a line from my speech last week. Wheres the outrage? Trump Jr. tweeted. The charge comes after Melania Trump was criticised for lifting significant portions of her address to the convention from Michelles first convention speech in 2008. Trump Jr. is correct that both he and Obama both used the single phrase in their speeches, but it is also a line Obama -- along with past US presidents -- has used frequently in the past, NBC News reported. And other than the brief sentiment about the version of America known to both men, the context of the statements was very different, the report said. Theres so much work to do. We will not accept the current state of our country because its too hard to change. Thats not the America I know. Were going to unleash the creative spirit and energy of all Americans, Trump Jr had said in his convention speech. Obama, addressing the Democratic convention this week, had said, What we heard in Cleveland last week wasnt particularly Republican and it sure wasnt conservative. What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. There were no serious solutions to pressing problems, just the fanning of resentment and blame and anger and hate. And that is not the America I know. The America I know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous, Obama said. Obama has frequently used the construction of the America I know and not the America I know in public addresses. The use of the America I know refrain was also a common phrase for former president George W Bush. Melania had found herself in the midst of a plagiarism controversy earlier this month after a prime-time defence of her husband Donald appeared to be lifted in part from a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic convention. Trump had termed as an innocent mistake the plagiarism surrounding his wifes speech and rejected the speech writers resignation. The shooting comes with law officers around the country on alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. (Representational Image) San Diego: One police officer has died and another remains in surgery after being shot in a San Diego neighborhood, authorities said early Friday. The San Diego Police Department gave an update on the officers on its Twitter account, but offered no additional details. There was no immediate word on what touched off the violence, which occurred around 11 p.m. PDT Thursday in the southeastern part of town. Police searched the area for suspects and urged residents to stay indoors. Video footage showed officers out in force with numerous squad cars with emergency lights flashing lining a street, officers on foot, and a helicopter buzz overhead. Police spokesmen did not immediately return calls for further comment, but the department said in a Twitter posting that one suspect was in custody and other possible suspects were being sought. The shooting comes with law officers around the country on alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. The Indian-origin woman has founded the 'My Body Back Project', which has jointly established the new maternity clinic with the Barts Health NHS Trust in London. (Photo: YouTube Videograb) London: An Indian-origin rape survivor in the UK on Friday opened the country's first maternity clinic for rape and sexual assault victims, providing them with specially-trained midwives and psychologists. The Indian-origin woman has founded the 'My Body Back Project', which has jointly established the new maternity clinic with the Barts Health NHS Trust in London. The clinic will provide extra antenatal support with specially-trained midwives, psychologists and paediatricians. If it proves successful, it could be rolled out across other UK hospitals as well. "They don't have to say what happened, although they can if they want to. Whatever they feel is right for them. We will then book them an appointment and take it from there," the woman said. Though the service will be integrated into a regular maternity ward at the Royal London Hospital, women will follow a different antenatal route from the moment they are referred. As well as being offered extra, longer meetings with specially-trained staff, women will be able to have more of a say as to how their birthing rooms are laid out and legal advice over their medical checks. The clinic will also provide antenatal classes and breastfeeding advice, which has been altered for women who have experienced sexual attacks, and offer specialist gynaecological examinations and mental health support after labour. "There might be some characteristics that come across during the birth and it's a shame because if we had known before we could have worked with them during the birth to help them have a positive pregnancy," Inderjeet Kaur, consultant midwife at the clinic, told BBC. Women can also self-refer to the maternity clinic by emailing the team to make an appointment. The Indian-origin woman's team has already received many international emails from women who cannot use the UK's National Health Service (NHS) but she also plans to offer women in other countries one-off appointments in the form of video calls. She was raped as a teenager and has also set up a sexual health clinic at Royal London Hospital for victims of sexual violence in August 2015. With more than 800 women using the service since it was launched in 2015, talks are under way to open a similar unit in Glasgow, Scotland. Francis lit a candle in front of the death wall, bowing his head in prayer before visiting the cell of Polish priest and saint Maximilian Kolbe who died at Auschwitz after taking the place of a condemned man. (Photo: AP) Oswiecim, Poland: Pope Francis on Friday walked alone through the notorious wrought-iron "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate at Auschwitz-Birkenau, beginning a historic visit to the former Nazi death camp. His head bowed, the pope prayed in silent contemplation before meeting Holocaust survivors -- some of whom he tenderly kissed -- in front of the death wall where the Nazis summarily executed thousands of people by firing squad. Among the survivors he met were Helena Dunicz Niwinska, a 101-year-old woman who played the violin in the Auschwitz orchestra, as well as survivors who worked at the camp hospital or who were there as children. Francis lit a candle in front of the death wall, bowing his head in prayer before visiting the cell of Polish priest and saint Maximilian Kolbe who died at Auschwitz after taking the place of a condemned man. The visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day Kolbe was condemned to death. The Argentine will later lead prayers for the 1.1 million mostly-Jewish victims murdered at the camp. Ahead of his visit Francis said that rather than making a speech, he would stand in silence to reflect on the horrors committed and let his tears flow. After arriving Wednesday in Poland -- the heartland of Nazi Germany's atrocities -- the pontiff said the world had been plunged into a piecemeal third world war. He has repeatedly denounced those committing crimes in the name of religion, after Europe suffered a string of deadly jihadist attacks. The pontiff has forged ever-closer ties between the Catholic Church and Jews since his election in 2013. As the morning rain subsided and the sun began to shine, around 200 people gathered by a big screen in Birkenau to await his arrival, among them a group of elderly Poles known as the "righteous among the nations" who risked their lives to help hide and protects Jews during the Holocaust. Prayers will be said just a stone's throw from the ruins of one of the crematoriums which was blown up by the Nazis as they evacuated the camp. Scream against injustice Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich welcomed the pontiff's intention to remain silent during his visit to the camp, saying, often people go to Auschwitz and they are silent (about the horrors) for the rest of their lives. "Instead, once we leave Birkenau we must spend the rest of our lives screaming, yelling and fighting all kinds of injustices," he said Thursday. The pope will travel the two miles (three kilometres) to Birkenau, the main extermination site, and be driven along tracks laid in 1944 to allow trains of prisoners to be transported directly to the gas chambers and crematoria. There, some 25 Christian Poles who risked their lives during the war to help hide and protect Jews, a group recognised by Israel's Yad Vashem as "Righteous Among the Nations" will tell their stories to the pope. Among them will be Maria Augustyn, whose family hid a Jewish couple behind a wardrobe for years, and Anna Bando, who helped rescue an orphan from the Warsaw ghetto and gave several Jews forged "Aryan" papers. A Hebrew prayer for the dead will be read aloud in Polish by Stanislaw Ruszala, Catholic parish priest of the town of Markowa, where a family was wiped out after they were discovered to be sheltering Jews. Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children were butchered. Wiktoria, who was seven months pregnant at the time, had started giving birth before she was executed, according to the Vatican. More than 100,000 non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, homosexuals and anti-Nazi partisans also died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in occupied Poland. The Soviet Red Army liberated it in 1945. Two of the pope's predecessors also visited the camp: John Paul II, a former archbishop of Krakow in 1979 and Benedict XVI in 2006. Ankara: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wants the armed forces and the national intelligence agency (MIT) to be brought under the control of the presidency, a Turkish official said on Thursday. That change would require a constitutional change and the opposition needs to agree, Erdogan was cited as saying by television news channels. The comments came after a meeting of Turkey's Supreme Military Council (YAS) that was expected to agree a sweeping overhaul of the armed forces following a failed military coup on July 15-16. Turkish authorities were expected to announce details of the changes later on Thursday. A return to Carlisle was the best medicine Dr. W. Baird Stuart could prescribe for himself. I wanted to come back home again where I could lead the kind of life I wanted, the local surgeon told an audience gathered at Allenberry Resort. I wanted to be out of doors, to know everybody in town, and in my time off to be able to go fishing and hunting ... and really live again. It was June 10, 1961, and Stuart was sharing memories of his career as the keynote speaker at a Carlisle Hospital staff dinner given in honor of his recent retirement. A transcript of his speech is in the archives of the Cumberland County Historical Society. The dinner was held almost 40 years after Stuart had moved back to Carlisle from Philadelphia in 1923. His return was a struggle at first despite all the lessons he learned since leaving his hometown in 1908. A marketing ploy I acquired a great deal of experience in many matters, surgery, urology and the facts of life, but had accumulated only a minimum of cash, Stuart recalled. So he converted into an office the parlor of his mothers home at 119 W. Louther St., Carlisle. He purchased some second-hand furniture, along with the desk and chair that once belonged to the recently deceased Dr. E. K. Lefever. I painted the office myself and was really so impressed with the job that I could not understand why the public did not appreciate it as a work of art, Stuart told the hospital staff. He joked about how the paint job was on par with the Mona Lisa. Several weeks spent in solitude convinced Stuart he needed to take the direct approach to draw clients to his shingle. His years away from Carlisle robbed him of past contacts so Stuart had to network the old-fashioned way. I became a joiner, he recalled. I joined the Eagles, The Red Men, The Owls, and a number of other social and scholastic clubs. No introductions were needed and a casual acquaintanceship could be used to good advantage ... All too often, a tipsy barfly would amble up to Stuart and ask if he was the new doctor in town. After Stuart confirmed the news, the man would say he didnt feel well. I would then inform him I did not think he looked well at all; that in fact he might have a really serious ailment, Stuart said. He then recommended a thorough examination ... in his office, of course. Before too long, there were eight barflies in his waiting room all with 8 p.m. appointments. While there were plenty of chairs to accommodate everyone, Stuart exercised a marketing ploy. He had one of the men wait outside to make it appear his office was crowded. Sure enough it worked, and there were six more patients waiting on the steps that night. My modesty when they told me I was very busy for such a young fellow ... was overwhelming, Stuart said. I had a lot of difficulty in keeping from blushing. Lost an eye Born in Carlisle on Dec. 22, 1892, Stuart was the son of a local attorney who had roots in the Cumberland Valley going back to 1730. His mother had ancestors from New Jersey and Massachusetts, including some who came over on the Mayflower. My father died of pneumonia when he was 44 years old, leaving my mother with four children, Stuart recalled. My mother was a wonderful person, and she managed to have all of us educated and go through college. God only knows how she did it. Stuart went to Penn State to study pre-medicine. An accident his freshman year in the chemistry lab changed his life forever. Impurities in a solution of potassium iodine and nitric acid caused an explosion in the test tube sending fragments of glass into his left eye, destroying it. What remained had to be removed to clear his optic nerve of infection and to restore the vision in his right eye. Despite partial blindness, Stuart graduated from Penn State in 1913 and the University of Pennsylvania in 1917. By that time, the United States had entered World War I and sent troops overseas. Stuart had to wait until February 1918 to start his residency at the Pennsylvania Hospital. Rather than sit idle, he volunteered to serve as a medic at the American Ambulance Hospital just outside Paris. In late May 1917, Stuart sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on the French liner Rochambeau. It was a lucky voyage, he told the dinner guests. I won over $800 playing poker on the way over. Overseas The ambulance hospital was a converted high school with about 300 beds. Most of the cases involved traumatic surgery and amputations for gas gangrene foot cases that did not respond to contemporary treatment. All of the wounded were French soldiers and I learned to speak French, Stuart said. It was not entirely grammatical French, but it improved with some evening and night lessons ... from several charming and obliging Parisian mademoiselles. Stuart later applied for duty onboard the American Ambulance Hospital train that transported about 240 wounded from the front-line to hospitals in the interior of France. There he treated men who carried around gruesome trophies. The wounded included about 100 soldiers from the African nation of Senegal, which was then a French colony. They did not want to take their jackets off because they had the pockets full of ears they had cut off the Germans they had killed in action, Stuart said. In early winter 1918, the U.S. Army took charge of the hospital train. Because of his missing left eye, Stuart was refused enlistment into the Army Medical Corps. At that point, he went to visit Dr. Alexander Lambert at the American Red Cross office in Paris. Lambert had an urgent mission for Stuart in the port cities of France. It turns out that Josephus Daniels, the Secretary of the Navy at the time, firmly believed gonorrhea and syphilis was Gods punishment for violating the Commandment Thou shall not commit adultery. Consequently U.S. Navy sailors were not issued condoms. As a result, 25 to 30 percent of the sailors had some form of venereal disease. The situation was so desperate that Stuart was given the rank of captain and access to an unlimited expense account. VD rates fell to less than 3 percent within a few months after the Carlisle native developed a successful treatment protocol using an injection of an antiseptic and the application of a medicated ointment. Stuart eventually opened up treatment stations in Brest, Bordeaux, St. Nazaire, Nantes and Paris. Though offered a job after the war to work in war-torn Serbia, Stuart returned to the United States to complete his residency at Pennsylvania Hospital. He then took over a practice in Columbia, North Carolina, where times were tough. They had no money, he said of his patients. The pay was almost all in corn whiskey, which was not too bad if well diluted with Coca Cola. I soon found out why Cokes are a popular beverage in the South. Soon after he returned to Carlisle in 1923, Stuart began to work at the original Carlisle Hospital where he was physician and former chief of staff until his retirement in 1960. He was a local surgeon and urologist. Stuart died on Dec. 12, 1972 at the age 79 and is buried in the Ashland Cemetery in Carlisle, according to www.findagrave.com. We are honored to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to the country, he said. Philadelphia: The father of a Muslim US soldier killed in Iraq accused Donald Trump of vilifying patriotic American Muslims while sacrificing nothing himself, at the Democratic convention. Khizr Khan whose son Humayun died in a 2004 suicide bombing in Baquba admonished Trump for his plan to ban Muslims from entering US. We are honored to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to the country, he said. =IS has executed at least 24 civilians in the last 24 hours the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (Representational Image/ Twitter) Beirut: The Islamic State jihadist group has executed at least 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria from a Kurdish-Arab alliance, a monitor said Friday. "IS has executed at least 24 civilians in the last 24 hours" after seizing the village of Buyir close to the northern town of Manbij from the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Russia and the United States are also discussing closer coordination to target Nusra Front. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP) Beirut: The head of al-Nusra Front in Syria said his jihadist group was breaking ties with al Qaeda and changing its name, in remarks broadcast Thursday by al-Jazeera. Abu Mohamad al-Jolani said al-Nusra would change its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (Conquest of Syria in Arabic) and expressed his gratitude to the commanders of al Qaeda for having understood the need to break ties. In a rare televised message, Jolani said the new group will have no links whatsoever with foreign parties. The announcement came a week after US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said they had agreed on concrete steps to save a failing Syria truce and tackle jihadist groups like Al-Nusra and the Islamic State group. Jihadist sympathisers and observers have been speculating online about a possible split between Al-Nusra and the network founded by Osama bin Laden to which it pledged allegiance in 2013. Al Qaeda prepared the ground for the announcement earlier Thursday in an online message. We direct the leadership of al-Nusra Front to go ahead with what preserves the good of Islam and the Muslims, and protects the jihad of the Syrian people, Ahmed Hassan Abu al-Khayr said in an audio message released online by al-Nusra. We urge them to take the appropriate steps towards this matter, said Abu al-Khayr, who was identified as a deputy of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Nusra first emerged in January 2012, 10 months after Syrias conflict began with anti-government protests that were brutally repressed by President Bashar al-Assads regime. It is Syrias preeminent jihadist group, along with its key rival, the Islamic State group. Whatever Nusra does, its ultimate objective is to further embed itself into Syrias revolution and secure its long-term future as a legitimate rebel group, analyst Charles Lister tweeted. The accused, identified as Sarbaland, attacked his 21-year-old heavily-pregnant wife and fled from the scene. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab) Takhar, Afghanistan: In a horrifying incident, a man in Afghanistan has been accused of allegedly torturing his six-month pregnant wife and eventually mutilating her genitals leading to an unnatural abortion. According to reports, the accused, identified as Sarbaland, with the help of his mother and sister, attacked his 21-year-old heavily-pregnant wife and fled from the scene. Soon after the attack, the victim was admitted to a nearby hospital in Kunduz province. Medics said that the victim was lucky to be alive after the savage attack. In her statement to the police, the victim's mother said that the accused had called her up to inform her that he had tortured her daughter. "I have killed your daughter... come and take her," the accused was quoted as saying by the victim's mother. Describing the moment of horror, the victim told the police that her husband and in-laws tied her with a rope before beating her senseless with a wooden stick. The accused cut her hair with a pair of scissors and shaved a part of her head. Condemning the brutal incident, the head of Takhar's Woman Affairs department said that the victim had lost her unborn child in the attack. "Gynaecologists are overseeing her treatment; their examinations show that the infant has also been lost due to... violence," one of the doctors said. Police are investigating the matter and are on the lookout for the accused who is on the run. Last week, a 14-year-old pregnant Afghan girl succumbed to her injuries in Kabuls Isteqlal hospital after she was set on fire by her in-laws. Afghanistan faces serious human rights issues, including physical and sexual violence against women and so-called honor killings that often involve immolation. The exercises come at a time of heightened tension in the contested waters after an arbitration court in The Hague ruled this month that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea and criticised its environmental destruction there. (Photo: Representational ImageAP) Beijing: China and Russia will hold "routine" naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, adding that the drills were aimed at strengthening their cooperation and were not aimed at any other country. The exercises come at a time of heightened tension in the contested waters after an arbitration court in The Hague ruled this month that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea and criticised its environmental destruction there. China rejected the ruling and refused to participate in the case. "This is a routine exercise between the two armed forces, aimed at strengthening the developing China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership. The exercise is not directed against third parties," China's defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a regular monthly news conference. China and Russia are veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council, and have held similar views on many major issues such as the crisis in Syria, putting them at odds with the United States and Western Europe. Last year, they held joint military drills in the Sea of Japan and the Mediterranean. White House spokesman Josh Earnest played down the significance of the exercises even though he conceded that the South China Sea was "a sensitive diplomatic topic right now". "I don't know what exercises they are planning, but in the same way the United States and China have a military-to-military relationship, I'm not surprised that Russia and China are seeking to build upon their military-to-military relationship as well," he told a regular briefing. China has recently taken part in US-led multinational naval drills in the Pacific and a US defence official said he did not expect the China-Russia exercises to affect US military activity or behaviour in the South China Sea. "We're not concerned about the safety of US vessels in the region as long as interactions with the Chinese remain safe and professional, which has been the case in most cases," the official said. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims. China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stoking tension in the region through its military patrols, and of taking sides in the dispute. The United States has sought to assert its right to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea with its patrols and denies taking sides in the territorial disputes. Russia has been a strong backer of China's stance on the arbitration case, which was brought by the Philippines. Yang said China and Russia were comprehensive strategic partners and had already held many exercises this year. "These drills deepen mutual trust and expand cooperation, raise the ability to jointly deal with security threats, and benefit the maintenance of regional and global peace and stability," he said. Those executed on Friday by a firing squad include one Indonesian and three Nigerians. (Representational photo: file) Cilacap, Indonesia: Indonesia executed four people convicted of drug crimes on Friday despite international protests and said it would decide later when as many as 10 others, including Indian convict Gurdip Singh, would be put to death. 48-year-old Gurdip Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. Gurdip Singh claims that he was abandoned in Indonesia after being tricked by an agent with promise of a work visa in New Zealand. The Indonesian government had said earlier in the week that 14 people on death row, mostly foreigners, would be executed for drug crimes. Those executed on Friday by a firing squad include one Indonesian and three Nigerians. The authorities did not elaborate on the reason for the delay in the temporary respite. Read: Bid to save Indian from execution on drug charges in Indonesia Earlier on Thursday, India had requested that country to exhaust all legal recourse before carrying out the death penalty, in a last ditch effort to save Gurdip. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj last night had assured Gurdip's family that the government was making last minute efforts to save him. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian foreign office and the senior leadership of the country on the issue. Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh was of the view that he could file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. Amnesty International has identified what it calls "systematic flaws" in the trials of several of the death row inmates, and urged Indonesia not to proceed while appeals for clemency were pending. President Joko Widodo has defended dramatically ramping up the use of capital punishment, saying that Indonesia is fighting a war on drugs and that traffickers must be heavily punished. Friday's executions were the third under Widodo since he took office in 2014. The last round was in April 2015, when authorities put to death eight drug convicts, including two Australians. Deputy Attorney-General Noor Rachmad said the severity of the drug trafficking crimes was a consideration in the execution of the four men. A decision about other executions would be announced at a later time, he said. "It was not a pleasant thing but it was to implement the law," said Rachmad. "The executions are only aimed at halting drug crimes." New Delhi: Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed last night on drug charges in Indonesia, has not been put to death, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday. "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Swaraj said on twitter. However, it was not clear why the Indian was not executed while four other convicts were put to death by the firing squad. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were to be executed but were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had yesterday said that Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian foreign office and the senior leadership of the country on the issue. Swaraj had said government was making last minute efforts to save Singh. "Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. The Embassy sent a Note Verbale to Indonesia's Foreign Ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out," Swarup said. Read: Indian convict Gurdip Singh not among 4 people executed in Indonesia Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The decision has been criticised by human rights organisations. The 14 convicts to be executed included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. An elderly Kashmiri casts his ballot at a polling station in the elections in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Thursday. (Photo: AFP) Neelam Valley: People in Neelum valley in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Friday took to the streets to protest against rigged July 21 elections, which was won by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. The PML-N bagged 31 out of the 41 seats up for grabs, while the Muslim Conference and Pakistan People's Party bagged three seats each. The protesters had to face the police wrath as they burnt Pakistani flag and raised slogans against the government. Besides blackening election posters, the protesters also burnt tyres, blocked traffic and clashed with the police personnel deployed on duty. Widespread protests have been witnessed in the major PoK towns, including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Chinari and Mirpur, after members of the PML (N) killed a supporter of the Muslim Conference (MC) in Muzaffarabad. Locals allege that the elections in PoK are always fixed in favour of the ruling party in Pakistan, in current instance, for the PML-N. The political parties have questioned the authenticity of the elections. They say public money has been wasted as the so-called democratic process was fraught with corrupt practices. The Pakistan Human Rights Group has confirmed the allegations of corrupt practices, involving money and muscle power. Mukhtar Kazam presented a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid's death. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab) Rawalpindi, Pakistan: The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice Thursday, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called honour killings. Mukhtar Kazam presented a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid's death -- seen by AFP -- at an emotional press conference, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. Kazam has branded her death an "honour killing", a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family "dishonour". The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star. Her brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister's behaviour had been "intolerable". Kazam sought to keep international attention on "honour" killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad Thursday. "I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial," he said. Kazam and Shahid, both British-Pakistani dual citizens, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid's second marriage. Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents. In a complaint to police he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. Shahid's father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes. The victims of "honour" killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year. They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting. But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action. Last week the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate "honour" killings would soon be voted on by parliament. Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan. Lahore: Pakistan's Punjab government has asked police to keep a close watch on the fundraising activities of JuD, led by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, through charities at mosques and other places. Punjab Home Department has directed top officials of police to provide details of fundraising by Jamaat-ud-Dawah and other proscribed organisations as the activity is against the law. According to the directive issued on Wednesday, JuD is making efforts to collect funds through fitrana, zakat and sadkaats (money given by Muslims as charity), the Dawn reported. It said that members of these organisations were more active during Ramazan and distributed pamphlets, put up posters at various locations in Matiari Sindh, inviting people to give them their charity money. Saeed has been engaged in fundraising throughout the country via the organisation's "charity wing" Falah-e-Insayat Foundation (FIF), the daily said. FIF is closely connected to banned terrorist group LeT and its "humanitarian front" JUD and the US had designated the group's chief Hafiz Abdur Rauf as a global terrorist in 2010. "Activists of the organisation had asked Matirai locals to make donations to FIF in order to avoid the government ban on proscribed organisations being involved in fundraising," the report said. A senior police official said the action was based on reports from intelligence agencies who watched proscribed organisations. He said the step should have been taken earlier and that the provincial government had been reluctant to take direct action against religious parties without concrete reason. He said the government had realised that the charity organisation was not the real face of the outfit and had decided to look into how it spent the donations it collected from people in the name of charity. The UN declared JuD a terror organisation and also individually designated Saeed as a terrorist in December 2008. The US has already put USD 10 million bounty on Saeed's head. Saeed, who orchestrated the November, 2008, Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed, roams around freely in Pakistan despite being a designated terrorist and has made many anti-India remarks and speeches. : ; - CM ?; - Sources said the Indian Home Minister will raise the issue of cross-border terrorism at the meeting. (Photo: Representational Image) Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said it is unaware if there will be any talks on the table between Islamabad and New Delhi on the sidelines of seventh SAARC meeting on August 4, in wake of Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh visit to the country. Pakistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, pointed that on such occasions, there are expectation of meetings on the sidelines, but, so far no decision has surfaced. Rajnaths visit to Islamabad comes after the Kashmir valley went through protests, following the death of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen. Read: SAARC summit: Rajnath may submit proof against Pak for sponsoring terror Wani was killed by security forces in an encounter on July 8 and buried in his native place Tral on Saturday, while violent mobs attacked installations of police and paramilitary forces at various places in the Valley and set ablaze several buildings including three police installations. The civilian death toll since July 8 unrest stands at 47 with one policeman also dead. Rajnath would attend the SAARC Home/Interior Ministers meeting in Islamabad on August 3 and 4. Sources said the Home Minister will raise the issue of cross-border terrorism at the meeting. Read: Rajnath to visit Pakistan for SAARC Home Ministers' meeting in August Rajnath Singh may also provide documentary proof of the involvement of Pakistan's state and non-state actors in terror acts in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts during separate meetings he is likely to have with his counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Singh will also raise the issue of slow pace of probe into terror attack in the Pathankot airbase, which was carried out by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad, and the the trial into the Mumbai terror attack case in that country, sources said. Key issues like fight against terrorism, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms and how to make coordinated and concerted efforts to combat such menace will figure in the SAARC meet. At 8.48 am, Mithilesh loads his cycle cart with nine cans of the days meal outside an anganwadi kitchen at Siddhartha Basti in Ashram. As he prepares to leave with the cart to deliver food at the nearby anganwadis in Nizamuddin Basti, a kitchen manager calls out to him to be on time the next day to pick up the meals. Mithilesh, who hails from Munger district in Bihar, has been delivering food to anganwadis for almost a year now. He lends a hand to the kitchen workers in packing and sealing the heavy steel cans. Some other rickshaws on the way were seen carrying unsealed vessels which can lead to food contamination. According to senior government officials, the containers should be weighed and sealed before being sent to the centres. Inside the room, the workers have just finished preparing the meals. Angoori, 45, takes a moment off to wipe the sweat off her forehead as the others launch into wrapping up the kitchen work. The small room, with little ventilation, is packed with large utensils leaving hardly any space for workers to move around. The supervisors point out that the kitchen was run from a dilapidated room till two months back. The kitchen is managed by NGO Stree Shakti. NGOs have engaged self-help groups like Annapurna and Ekta, which are responsible for preparing and dispatching meals to the anganwadis. From the mother kitchen at the Ashram, food is dispatched to 48 anganwadis in Sarai Kale Khan, Nizamuddin Basti, Sunlight Colony, Ashram and Bhogal. There are over 600 kitchens in the capital under the Delhi governments Women and Child Development Department. The government in its recent inspections had found several gaps in the functioning of anganwadi kitchens in Delhi. Gadgets like weighing machines were found to be out of order at the centres. The officials found that packets of weaning food had no expiry dates and appeared to have been nibbled by rats. It was found that cooked food was not supplied as per the scheduled menu. In the past, NGOs have been pulled up for not sticking to the guidelines. The only way to improve the system is close monitoring of the kitchens. If the NGO is not strictly implementing the guidelines, then there are gaps at the ground level, says a senior official at the Women and Child Development Department. In all, there are 1,253 beneficiaries under this kitchen. Among them are 293 pregnant and lactating mothers, 143 children in the age group of seven months to one year who get weaning food, 623 kids in the age group of 1-3 years and 337 in the age group of 3-6 years. Two womenVimlesh Devi, 60, and Lalita, 35,step out to take a quick break. For them, the day starts at around 5.45 am. What they take home as honorarium varies from Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800, which is often released after a gap of two or three months. For someone like Vimlesh, irregular payment means getting treatment only in phases at a government hospital. The 60-year-old kitchen worker cannot describe her illness which affects the right side of my upper body but has to go to Safdarjung Hospital every month for her treatment. I alone know how I manage to run the household and at the same time pay for my treatment when the payment does not come for months, she says. Vimlesh cannot rely on her son as he does odd jobs for a living and does not have a stable income either. It takes till three months for the bills to get passed. In that case, we take loan from the NGO to clear the payments, says Rajni Sandhu, a self-help group representative. Kitchen workers used to get paid as little as Rs 250 many years ago. The situation has improved over the years, they say. Workers prefer to work at the kitchen as cooks even for the paltry sum as they look at it as a sarkari service. Lalita, 35, who has two schoolgoing children, says her husband would not allow her to work as a domestic help. However, working at the anganwadi is looked upon as a respectable chore in their locality. Munni, 45, and Mehenderi, 33, have similar tales to share. Work at an anganwadi typically starts at around 5.45 am. Workers come in three batches: 6-8.30 am, 9-11 am and 11-1 am, explains Sandhu. The wages of the kitchen and anganwadi workers should be revised. The amount is paltry and does not motivate them. There has been talk of increasing the honorarium but there has been no revision of the amount, says the senior official. The stories of others associated with anganwadis are no different. Hazra, who has rented out one room in her house as anganwadi number 1, says the payments for the past three months were cleared during Eid this time. The rent is around Rs 1,200 a month. But this also gets stuck for months, says Hazra. While an anganwadi worker gets Rs 5,000 every month, an anganwadi helper gets Rs 2,500 per month. This may be an honorary position and we are allowed to take up jobs. But the work is time-consuming and we cannot take up anything else after this. So, we should be compensated accordingly, says one anganwadi worker. Other workers and helpers feel the same. The wife of Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed over drug charges last night in Indonesia today said that she spoke to him twice this morning and he has been sent back to jail. Appealing the Indonesian government for mercy to Singh, his wife Kulwinder Kaur said he has spent 14 years in jail which was enough penance for his crime if he was guilty and he should be sent back to his country. "I spoke to him twice this morning and he said he is fine. His execution was dropped at the last minute after four others were put to death by the firing squad," Kaur said. External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj said this morning that 48-year-old Singh had not been executed. However, it was not clear under what circumstance the Indian who was to be executed along with 14 other convicts was spared. Four of them were put to death by the firing squad last night. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. "A priest was invited and a van had also arrived to carry his body but the execution was halted at the last minute. He was then sent back to the prison," she said. "Gurdip asked me to appeal to the government to halt the execution and bring him back to the country. He wants to meet his family," Kaur said. Expressing gratitude to the central government for its efforts, she said "Swaraj has been constantly in touch with me and has assured me that the government is trying everything to save Gurdip from execution." Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The 14 convicts included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. A photograph of Dayashankar Singh at a temple in Deogarh in Jharkhand had gone viral on social media and was also published in newspapers, triggering angry reaction from Mayawati against BJP which is in power in Jharkhand. Dayashankar Singh hails from Ballia in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He is a Thakur and even though the caste accounts for only 7.6 per cent of the population, they wield enormous influence. BJP has initiated a fight in the name of daughter's honour giving a slogan "Beti ke samman mein, BJP maidan mein" after BSP leaders targeted Singh's family. The party threw its weight behind Swati Singh, wife of Singh, demanding action against BSP leaders for making derogatory remarks against her daughter and mother-in-law. In a show of strength BSP staged a massive dharna at Hazratganj on July 21 and has been demanding Singh's arrest terming BJP as "anti-Dalit". Expelled BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh Dayashankar Singh, who was on the run after an FIR was filed against him for making alleged derogatory remarks against BSP President Mayawati, was today arrested from Bihar's Buxar district.Dayashankar Singh was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) team with the help of the district police from a house in Chinni Mill locality, Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sharma told PTI.Buxar is about 100 km from Patna on the border of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.Singh had gone underground after an FIR was registered against him on July 20 by UP police on a complaint by BSP leader Mewalal Gautam, alleging that Singh's remarks hurt the feelings of BSP workers and the Dalit community across the country.The arrest comes a day after Singh failed to get a stay from Allahabad High Court which directed the UP government to file its reply by August 5 on his plea challenging the lodging of the FIR against him.The remarks by Singh, former UP Vice President of BJP, had stoked a major controversy with BJP expelling him from the party. In an apparent hate crime, a 60-year-old Indian-origin Muslim man's auto parts shop in the US was vandalised with graffiti like "go home Indian" and "I will kill you" scrawled over the walls. Dr Waqar "Vic" Ahmed's shop in Pahrump, Nevada, was spray painted with graffiti in what is now being investigated as a hate crime. Ahmed said he has heard the taunts before and experienced attacks on his Indian heritage and Muslim faith in the past, but never anything quite like this. The Nye County Sheriff's office said the hateful graffiti was discovered last Sunday in front of the shop. The business was spray painted with derogatory words against the owner's religion. Words like 'go home Indian', 'foreigner go home', 'camel jockey', 'I will kill you' and 'I will get you' were also scrawled on the walls of his shop. "I had a guy tell me once to go back to my third world country. I had to tell him what India was," Ahmed was quoted as saying by KSNV-TV. No suspects have been identified but they could face charges for malicious destruction of property. "I hate to think that kind of thing is going on in Nye County and we're going to do everything we possibly can to stop it, if it does," Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly was quoted as saying by KTNV-TV. "I'm disappointed at humanity in general," said Ahmed, an Indian Muslim who moved to the US more than 30 years ago. "They say stuff like this to me and it makes my blood boil because I am none of those things," Ahmed said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the vandalism and said the Muslim business owner and his family have been targeted for more than a month. Ahmed said he received harassing phone calls about his race and religion about a month ago. He did file a restraining order against that caller, but it has since expired. The Nye County Sheriff's Office has a team of five investigators looking into the potential hate crime. If they find it to be a hate crime, they will turn the investigation over to the FBI. "Be more tolerant. The world's a big place and there's enough room for everybody," said Ahmed. Now, he said the plan is to clean up and continue his work. "I know there's hatred. It's fed by ignorance. Educated people treat me just fine," he said. Austria has handed over to France two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, prosecutors said today. The Algerian and Pakistani men, now aged 29 and 35 and who have not been named, were arrested in Austria in December. Austrian and French authorities believe they travelled to Greece along with two men involved in the November 13 atrocities, posing as refugees. While the eventual assailants continued on to France, the two were detained by Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports. Once let go, they made it to Salzburg at the end of November -- after the Paris atrocities -- and Austrian police arrested them at a migrant centre on December 10. Following a French request, a court in Salzburg in western Austria approved at the beginning of July their transfer to France. "Both suspects have now left the country," prosecutors said in a statement today. They had said in April that they were looking into "leads" suggesting that the Pakistani may have been involved in attacks in 2008 in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. Government today said in Rajya Sabha that the possibility of sabotage in the mysterious disappearance of AN-32 aircraft of IAF was "comparatively very less" and informed that the help of the US has also been sought in locating the plane. All types of techniques are being used to locate the aircraft, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said while replying to clarifications sought by members on his suo motu statement on the disappearance of the aircraft on July 22. As members expressed concern and raised questions over how the plane went missing, he said, "I can't speculate because we are searching for it and I will not like to speculate. But I can say only this much. The possibility, although we are checking all angles, of any sabotage is comparatively very less because they have standard operating procedures." While sharing the concern of the members, he gave details of the operation being carried out for the last one week in trying to locate the plane, carrying 29 people, which went missing during a flight from Tambaram in Tamil Nadu to Port Blair. "I appreciate anxiety of members. I am also disturbed at the sudden disappearance of the plane. I have spoken to several experts and former air chiefs who were also puzzled by the sudden disappearance," Parrikar said. The Minister said that at the time of disappearance, the aircraft was on "secondary/passive radar" and that "There was no SOS or transmission of any frequency. It just disappeared so that is the worrying part". The Government has sought help from the US for detection of images and is seeking help from American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites had picked up any signal before the disappearance of the plane. "It is total blank. There was not even a single signal recorded. That is the reason we are contacting American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites picked up any signal," Parrikar said. "Besides our own satelleite imagery, we have asked the US for their imagery for the detection of emergency frequency to space based assets. Foreign countries we have already asked. I only hope that our efforts succeed," he added while replying to queries whether foreign help has been sought. Queried about the age of the aircraft, the Defence Minister said it was "almost as good as new aircraft". Elaborating he said, "I don't know exact age but it is well within lifetime. It has undergone first overhauling. Lot of replacement has been done.... They are considered as one of the safest aircraft." He said the accident rate of Indian Air Force is 0.23 out of 10,000 hours of flying against the global rate of 0.023 and assured the House that maximum efforts would be made to ensure that the mishaps come down. "If aircraft is not fit for flying we don't fly it. We have decided to check up whether we can improve the signalling system," he added. Accusing Tata Group of not willing to pay USD 1.17 billion compensation, Japan's largest mobile phone firm NTT DoCoMo today said RBI disallowing its "mischaracterised" application does not bar the Indian group from paying out of funds or assets outside the country. Tata Sons last month was ordered to pay DoCoMo USD 1.17 billion in compensation for breaching an agreement on India joint venture. DoCoMo in a statement said Tata Sons was citing Reserve Bank of India (RBI) not granting an exemption to the foreign exchange act to pay the money as an "excuse". "By definition that decision only relates to payment of hard currency out of India. It cannot be used to block payment from funds or assets outside India nor can it prevent enforcement against such assets of Tata outside India," the Japanese firm said. Keen to get the USD 1.17 billion quickly, NTT Docomo got an ex parte order from the Commercial Court in London seeking permission to enforce the award in the UK. It essentially meant seizing Tata's Britain assets to recover the money. Tata Sons yesterday said it has 23 days from July 27 to apply for the order to be set aside. The Japanese firm has also filed a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking enforcement of the arbitration ruling. DoCoMo said it notes yesterday's statement by Tatas committing to honour its contractual obligations and settle the arbitration award. "DoCoMo also wishes that outcome," it said. "The only excuse for non-payment of the award which is alleged by Tata is the decision by the Reserve Bank of India earlier this week which was based on a mischaracterised application unilaterally made by the Tata without first consulting its partner DoCoMo," the statement said. DoCoMo said it "does not think that Tata Sons has in truth shown its willingness to make the payment." Yesterday, Tata Sons had said the arbitral award cannot be forced by seizing its Britain assets till the end of the 23 day period granted by the London Commercial Court or until any application made by it has been finally decided upon. "Further, the British assets of Tata Steel and Jaguar land Rover are not owned by Tata Sons. These are subsidiaries of Indian public listed companies of which Tata Sons is a promoter with a minority shareholding of not more than 30-35 per cent," it had said. Tata Sons also said that these firms were not party to the arbitration proceedings and so no award has been issued against them. The arbitral award is the result of a two-year tussle between the partners in their failed joint venture Tata Teleservices in which NTT Docomo of Japan holds 26 per cent stake which it had picked up in November 2008 for USD 2.7 billion or about Rs 12,770 crore at the then exchange rate. In November 2009, Docomo had acquired 26.5 per cent stake in Tata Teleservices for about Rs 12,740 crore (at Rs 117 per share). Later, in April 2014, the company decided to exit after the joint venture struggled to grow subscribers quickly. DoCoMo says its 2008 investment was with an understanding that it would get at least 50 per cent of its acquisition price if it exits the Indian company in five years. Accordingly, it sought Rs 58 per share or Rs 7,200 crore from Tatas to buy out Japanese telecom major's 26.5 per cent stake in the loss-making Tata Teleservices. Tatas on the other hand offered Rs 23.34 a share in line with RBI guidelines that states that an international firm can only exit its investment at a valuation "not exceeding that arrived at on the basis of return on equity." It had made an offer of Rs 23.34 a share after the finance ministry and the RBI rejected the Group's application to buy back DoCoMo's shares at the pre-agreed valuation of Rs 58 a share. The 60 per cent lower offer was made on the basis of a fair market value determined on June 30, 2014. The Japanese firm filed for arbitration on January 5, 2015 and it on June 23 this year won an award from the London Court of International Arbitration. The award ordered Tata Sons to pay DoCoMo damages of about USD 1.72 billion for the Indian partner's breach of the shareholders agreement, upon DoCoMo's tender of its entire stake in TTSL to Tata Sons or its designee. TTSL witnessed its complete networth erode two years ago and it posted a loss of Rs 3,846 crore on a revenue of Rs 10,944 crore in 2014-15 fiscal. RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi has said that companies should thoroughly verify employees and continuously monitor them as part of their cyber security preparedness. Most of the cyber frauds have some direct or indirect role of an insider, who generally happens to be an employee of the organisation, which has been the target of the cyber security attack. There is an urgent need for an organisation to not only perform the antecedent verification of an employee at the time of recruitment, but also continuously monitor employee behaviour, trends in operational usage of the organisational resources, interaction levels with peers and subordinates and the like, Gandhi said while speaking at the valedictory Session of the 9th Annual Summit Cyber and Network Security, organised by Assocham along with the Council of Europe, Strasbourg and France. Companies should also keep IT systems up-to-date and free of all risky components such as viruses, spams, malware, spoofing software and so on, besides providing maximum IT governance and ensuring continued cyber security awareness amongst all players in the chain, Gandhi added. He hoped that the banking sector will adapt to meet the challenges of cyber security. The banking sector similar to other sectors of the Indian economy has always been very responsive to change and has adapted itself very well to meet the challenges which keep emerging frequently, Gandhi said. Gandhi said the recent RBI guidelines on Cyber Security Framework in banks are aimed at a focused attention to cyber threats and framework for mitigating the threats and to protect the information assets. He said information dissemination is a key in combating the cyber threat incidents and said the banks also share information about cyber attacks along with suggestions on best practices. Employees of public sector banks observed strike on Friday to oppose banking reforms like privatisation, merger and consolidation of Public Sector Banks. About 10 lakh bank employees and officers participated in this all India bank strike under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of five employees and four officers unions. National Organisation of Bank Workers Vice President Ashwini Rana claimed a total success. The Chief Labour Commissioner had called a conciliation meeting last Tuesday but it failed. There was no positive response from Indian Bank Association (IBA), said Ashwini Rana. We are also concerned for the mounting NPAs for which almost all banks balance sheets were in read. We demand that government take action against wilful defaulters, Ashwini Rana said. Tablez Food Company, the F&B division of Kerala-based retail giant Lulu Group International, has announced the launch of two of its casual dining restaurants Galitos and Cold Stone Creamery, in Bengaluru. Galitos is a South African casual dining restaurant, and Cold Stone Creamery is a US-based premium ice-cream brand that has been brought to India through a strategic collaboration with Kahala Brands, the brands parent company. Bengaluru is our second destination in India, after Kochi, which is our home base. We indulge in extensive market research before entering any market and the food scene in Bengaluru is what inspired us to bring the restaurants here. People here appreciate good food and new things, said Shafeena Yusuff Ali, CEO of Tablez Food Company. The company plans to operate a dozen outlets of Cold Stone Creamery and six Galito outlets by 2018. We are definitely looking at tier I cities like Mumbai and New Delhi for expansion. But, we are also evaluating some tier II cities, she said. Galito outlets The company runs six Galito outlets in the UAE, and is in the process of opening four more in Dubai, within the year. With any restaurant run by the company, it is more about an experience. We spend extensive amounts of time on quality, as our approach is led by passion, she added. The company also operates Bloomsburys, which is its own British tearoom concept bistro. Bengaluru will get its first Bloomsburys by the end of August. We plan to open three outlets of the brand by 2018, said CEO of Tablez Food Company. The UAE already hosts four such outlets. Flipkart, Indias largest ecommerce player based in Bengaluru, has decided to sack the non-performers, as part of its annual appraisal policy. According to sources familiar with the development, the move will help Flipkart to cut cost to compete in a highly competitive ecommerce business climate. In a statement issued to DH on Friday, Flipkart made it clear that the company is a performance-oriented organisation and has a transparent evaluation process in place. We use our review process to differentiate performance and maintain a high bar, which is reflected in our total rewards philosophy. The top performers are rewarded highly and promoted to the next growth level, according to a Flipkart statement. The company also stated that the employees who are unable to make the desired progress, encouraged to seek opportunities outside the company where their skills can be better utilised. This is a fairly common practice across various industries especially in high-performing internet organisations, adds the statement. Flipkart, which is facing falling valuation after investment management firm T Rowe Price shed the value of its holding company for the second time this month, is facing challenges on the business front. The last three Flipkart fund-raising rounds, which happened at peak valuations of $7 billion, $11 billion and $15 billion, respectively have given the company enough money. Now that is going to end as investors are reluctant to burn money more, said an analyst. According to a recent assessment, the company has about 30,000 employees. The companys inorganic growth has also increased the number of people in the organisation. Accel Partners, an investor in the company, said the recent trends at Flipkart has cyclical effects. But analysts state that all is not well with the company as it is feeling the pinch from Amazon. In a recent interaction with DH, Flipkart Chairman and co-founder Sachin Bansal said the company is going for a structural change. Also, the company is finding new avenues for revenue generation. Flipkart also faced criticism earlier this year after it deferred the joining dates for campus recruits from Indian Institutes of Management and IITs. In May 2013, the company had made drastic cut, affecting 10% of work force. In February, Flipkarts rival, Snapdeal, had placed about 200 of its employees on a performance improvement notice under which they needed to improve within a month or get terminated. The company was in the limelight recently after Myntra acquired Jabong for $70 million deal. The acquisition has really given ammunition to Flipkart to leap in the ecommerce race in the country and ensure its dominant position in the online fashion space. Performancematters Flipkart said it is a performance-oriented organisation, and has a transparent evaluation process in place It has about 30,000 employees, and its recent inorganic growth has also increased the number of people Flipkart stated that these employees are unable to make progress and are encouraged to seek opportunities outside Western Europe is reeling as fear of terrorism stalks the streets of the continent like never before. Earlier this week, a priest in Normandy had his throat cut in the attack on a church, an attack for which Islamic State (IS) promptly took responsibility. Chaos came back to France, in the form of a terrorist attack in Nice in July that killed 84 people gathered to watch a Bastille Day fireworks display along the citys main promenade. A truck driven by a man French authorities identified as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, a French-Tunisian petty criminal with no known terrorist links, simply ploughed through crowds, shooting at those fleeing as he rampaged along a mile of the beachfront street before being shot dead by police. As in the November 13 attacks in Paris, the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo offices, the travellers killed at the Istanbul and Brussels airports, or the clubgoers in Orlando, the dead were guilty only of being in public. The French government had just announced it was about to end the state of emergency begun after the November 2015 Paris attacks, but after Nice attack, French president extended it for three more months. The Islamic State-linked propaganda outlet, Amaq news agency, released a statement by the group claiming responsibility for the attack and calling Bouhlel a soldier for the group. The jihadist group previously claimed Orlando shooter Omar Mateen as a fighter for the IS in one of its statements despite no evidence of operational support for or foreknowledge of the attack. Truck attacks are not new. Vehicle attacks have been used by Palestinian militants in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, and three such attacks have been conducted by suspected Islamist militants in France over the past two years. The use of a large truck in the attack, alongside the high death toll and deliberate targeting of a large crowd at an ideologically symbolic event, represents an evolution in the use of the tactic and potentially indicates a higher level of operational planning. In October 2010, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released the second issue of its English-language magazine, Inspire. In it, two articles written by Yahya Ibrahim outline potential ways to carry out terrorist operations including running over groups of people with trucks. One article, titled The Ultimate Mowing Machine, talks about using a pickup truck as a mowing machine, not to mow grass but mow down the enemies of Allah. There has also been a recent spate of attacks in Germany which began on a train in Wuerzburg in Bavaria on July 18. Five people were wounded by an axe-wielding teenager from Afghanistan who had pledged allegiance to the IS. Last week, a Syrian immigrant detonated a bomb, killing himself and injuring 15 people. The bomber had been rejected for asylum in 2015. Germany has been the main destination of Syrian asylum seekers entering the EU, most of them arriving irregularly in Greece via Turkey. A new tranche of Islamic State documents on foreign fighters is helping German intelligence identify returning members of the jihadist group. Recent reports have emerged of around 400 IS fighters who left the caliphate. Most of those leaving IS territory listed family and medical reasons for their departure. Around 20 of those identified in the documents are German but prosecutors face numerous legal obstacles in prosecuting them based on the smuggled information alone. Even as the US-led coalition continues to hammer the IS in Iraq and Syria, and Iraqi and Syrian/Kurdish rebel forces push the group out of more and more towns and cities, the groups power to inspire attacks outside of its self-declared caliphate appears to be increasing. The problem that policymakers face today is that the numbers of people who have been radicalised, mostly because of social media, are larger than anything seen before, and the West seems just behind the curve. This is a problem of an order of the magnitude much larger than in the past. Soft targets The jihadist group has been planning to shift to carrying out terrorist attacks against soft targets in the west for some time, not out of desperation or a sign of weakness but adapting to the new environment. The IS has seen its core structure in Iraq and Syria under attack and it seems to have shifted some of its command, media and wealth structure to different countries. This is borne out by a spate of attacks outside of West Asia. The IS is now asking those who want to join the organisation to stay in their countries and wait to do undertake attacks there. This picture has been brought into clearer focus by documents and digital media seized in raids carried out by the Syrian Arab Coalition. The policies of the West so far have failed to stem to influx of foreign fighters flocking to the groups cause, or from new affiliates in Egypt, Afghanistan, Lib-ya, and the Caucasus from springing up, pledging fealty to the groups leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Moreover, differences continue to simmer between the US and its West European allies on the issue. Compared to the US spending more than $650 billion on homeland security since 9/11, European spending on law enforcement, border security and other related agencies remains underwhelming. The efforts are also marred by an inability to reach a consensus on the best way forward. The result of this disarray is that states like the UK have taken a unilateral approach to manage their own security. No wonder, politicians in Europe are getting restless. The governor of Bavaria recently urged the German government to address public concerns about security and immigration after a spate of terror attacks. Whether European governments can do that remains to be seen. (The writer is Professor of International Relations, Kings College London) Complying with the orders of the Supreme Court, the Defence Ministry on Friday formally took over the 31-storeyed Adarsh building at Colaba here. The apartments in the building, originally meant for housing families of Kargil martyrs, were doled out to politicians, bureaucrats and armed forces personnel. The acquisition process is being done by an unit of the Indian Army and is supervised by a registrar of the Bombay High Court. The Supreme Court has ordered the central government to take over possession of the Adarsh building, during the pendency of a Special Leave Petition filed by the Adarsh society in the Supreme Court. On behalf of the Government of India, the Indian Army is taking over the possession of the building from Adarsh society to ensure its security and prevent any encroachment, a Defence Ministry statement said. On Thursday, the society called for a special general body meeting in which the members felt that so far, none of the conditions imposed by the Bombay High Court or the Supreme Court or by government departments were breached. The society records were handed over in the presence of Brigadier T K Sinha, chairman of the society and R C Thakur, secretary, after completion of the inventory. On July 23, the Supreme Court stayed the Bombay High Courts April 29 order, which directed that the building should be demolished and the Centre should take over. This came after the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests passed an order to demolish the scam-tainted structure in 2011, following which its members approached the Bombay High Court challenging it. The ministry had, on January 16, 2011 said that the building must be demolished within three months as it was unauthorised and in violation of coastal regulations. Violence erupted in Kashmir on Friday as authorities reimposed curfew and restrictions across the Valley to prevent people from marching towards the Jamia Masjid in the old city. Reports said dozens of civilian protesters were injured in fresh clashes. A police official said curfew was reimposed in south Kashmir and Srinagar, while restrictions were imposed in north and central Kashmir. He said the curfew and restrictions were imposed to thwart the march announced by separatists to Jamia Masjid. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had asked the people to reach Jamia Masjid in Srinagar to pay tributes to the people killed in the recent violence in the Valley. Geelani and Mirwaiz, who were put under house arrest, defied the restrictions and came out of their homes to march towards the masjid. The police stopped them and took them away. Reports said that violent clashes between protesters and security personnel broke out throughout the Valley after Friday congregation prayers. Youth defied the curfew and fought pitched battles with security personnel in which dozens of protesters were injured. At SMHS hospital in Srinagar, 19 people with pellet injuries were brought within a span of 24 hours from various parts of the city where clashes had erupted between security forces and protesters. Hospital administration said that out of the 19 injured, 11 had received pellets in eyes. In addition to pellet injuries, four people, as per the hospital records, had been injured by rubber bullets but were stated to be stable. The injured hailed from various parts of Srinagar. SMHS Hospital has recorded over 561 injury cases in the past 20 days. When the last reports came in, ambulances ferrying injured persons from various districts were reaching the hospital. On Thursday, authorities lifted curfew and restrictions across the Valley, except Anantnag town, after some improvement in the situation. Normal life remained paralysed in the Valley for the 21st consecutive day on Friday in view of the curfew and strike call given by the separatist camp. The separatists have extended the shutdown call in Kashmir till July 31. In their latest call, the separatists have asked the people to hold sit-ins on roads on Saturday and offer late afternoon and evening prayers on roads. On July 31, they have asked people to visit martyrs graveyard in the old city to offer special prayers and paint slogans and graffiti on walls and roads. More than 50 people, including two policemen, have died since the violence erupted following Hizbul commander Burhan Wanis killing on July 8. Thousands of people, including security personnel have been injured in three-week violence. The continuous curfew and strike has created humanitarian crisis in the Valley with people facing acute shortage of essential commodities, including medicines and baby food. The ongoing unrest in Kashmir is turning uglier as unruly mobs have reportedly started resorting to extortion. From the Srinagar-Jammu national highway to other main and link roads, reports of extortions are pouring in, with people saying stone-pelters are threatening to damage their vehicles if they dont give money. A non-local driver said his truck was stopped on the Teng Pora highway in south Srinagar by members of a mob, who asked him to pay Rs 200 as toll tax. When I asked for an explanation, they threatened to torch my truck, said the driver, who handed over the money. A man driving out of SKIMS Hospital in Soura said he was waylaid by protesters, who asked him to pay Rs 100 towards a relief fund for those injured in the protests. My car was stopped by some 15-20 masked youth in the middle of the road. They asked me to pay up or be prepared to see the cars windscreen being shattered, the driver claimed. He said the protesters told him that people are dying and you are not willing to pay money for relief. On a link road near the Hyderpora highway, children aged 8-10 years were seen stopping vehicles and threatening the passengers of stone pelting. There has been a breakdown of law and order in the Valley since the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8. While 43 people, including two policemen, were killed, over 3,000 were wounded in the street protests. Unlike the 2010 unrest, this time the protesters are unwilling to adhere to the protest calendar issued by the separatist camps. On July 27, the Hurriyat Conference issued a call for relaxation of the strike, but hundreds of people took to the streets, forcing shops to down their shutters. The protesters said they would decide the future course of action and that Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik have no business to lead them. Actor Salman Khans former driver, Harish Dulani, a prime witness in the Chinkara poaching case of 1998 in which High Court of Rajasthan acquitted the actor, on Friday wrote a letter to the state home minister seeking protection. On Thursday, State Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria had told the media that protection will be provided to the driver, who had gone missing and resurfaced on Wednesday, if he asked for it in writing. Promptly, Dulani wrote a letter to the Home minister in which he clearly mentioned that his life is at risk and he has been threatened numerous times. The letter, which was faxed to the Home Minister read, "During all these years I and my family have been receiving threats. Many times I was forced to leave the state. I request the government of Rajasthan to ensure safety to me and my family members. I am worried because the third (poaching) case is yet to be decided and I am a prime witness in that as well." Dulani was reported to be missing since 2002, which weakened the prosecution's case against Khan. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Government constituted a five-member committee on Friday to decide on going on appeal against the HC verdict in the Supreme Court, Rajkumar Rinwa, Minister of Forest and Environment, said. Rajasthan High Court on Monday acquitted Salman Khan in two poaching cases after overturning earlier verdicts that had sentenced him to jail. Salman was accused of killing a blackbuck and a chinkara in two separate incidents in 1998. Justice Nirmaljeet Kaur of Jodhpur principal seat of the High Court pronounced the verdict. With Parliament passing the Compensatory Afforestation Bill, Karnataka is set to receive more than Rs 900 crore from the Union government to create and conserve forests and ecology. Karnataka's share (Rs 917 crore) is more than Tamil Nadus (106 crore) and Keralas (Rs 76 crore), but less than that of Andhra Pradesh (Rs 2,223 crore) and Maharashtra (Rs 2,435 crore) which had diverted large tracts of forest land over the years for infrastructure and industrial projects. The biggest beneficiaries of the new green fund would be Odisha, Chhattishgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, all of whom would receive more than Rs 3,000 crore. Odisha would be the biggest gainer with close to Rs 6,000 crore flowing into its kitty. The bill would pave the way for creating a Compensatory Afforestation Fund and a Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority at the national and state levels. The fund would receive money from project proponents, who would use forest land for their projects. The coffers already have Rs 42,000 crore under the supervision of the Supreme Court and may receive Rs 6,000 crore every year. As the Rajya Sabha cleared the legislation late Friday evening, several members wondered whether the bill would protect the rights of the forest dwellers or trample them while favouring industrialists and big corporates. Non-governmental organisations too raised concerns. For 150 years, forest dwellers fought a criminal and oppressive colonial system for their rights. The (CFA) bill now essentially gives carte blanche to forest officials to spend gigantic amounts of money without any accountability to the people whose forests, lands and lives will be damaged or destroyed by their activities, said Campaign for Survival and Dignity, an NGO. Environment minister Anil Dave, however, assured the House that necessary safeguards would be put in place through the rules to empower the Gram Sabhas. If there are concerns on the rules, we will review them after one year, he said, before the legislation was passed through voice vote. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May, 2016. India has sought the help of the United States to locate the Indian Air Forces AN-32 aircraft that disappeared a week ago, soon after taking-off towards Chennai. The US defence department was contacted to check if any of their satellites picked up any emergency signals from the missing aircraft. The US satellite images were also sought. As there was no emergency signal from the AN-32, we sought the US defence forces assistance to find out if their space-based assets picked up any signal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Rajya Sabha, responding to members queries. The absence of the Mayday distress signal from the experienced pilots of the AN-32 one of the safest IAF aircraft remains the most puzzling factor in the incident. While two Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) satellites, Cartosat 2A and 2B, are imaging the sea surface to find out clues on the debris of the aircraft and the passengers, satellite imageries from the US have also been sought. US satellite systems are more dense, he said, underscoring the need to seek foreign help. Navy submarine INS Sindhudhvaj is also carrying out underwater search. The minister virtually ruled out the possibility of a sabotage. Two special ships with capability of searching below the water and retrieving objects from the depth of ocean were called in to join the search operations in the Bay of Bengal between Chennai and Port Blair. The first special ship is Geological Survey of Indias Samudra Ratnakar, which is sailing from Mangalore port, whereas the second one is National Institute of Ocean Technologys ORV Sagar Nidhi, which was diverted from Mauritius. Both are expected to reach the search area in a day or two. On the AN-32s emergency location transmitter (ELT) beacon, Parrikar said such beacons get activated only when they hit the water with a force of 20g. The ELT was not activated when the Coast Guard plane (Dornier) crashed last year. We are checking how to further improve the (emergency) signalling in the aircraft, he said. The Opposition on Friday lashed out at the BJP in the Lok Sabha over a recent attack on two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh on suspicion of carrying beef. In his response, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the Lower House that justice will be done to the victims and the guilty will not be spared. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accused the ruling BJP in the state of being involved in the incident. Kharge also listed similar incidents that took place recently in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, and said that Dalits and Muslims were increasingly being targeted by cow vigilantes in other states too, demanding a ban on such groups. Such incidents are happening everywhere. Who has given them such authority? Such incidents can happen only when they have the governments support. You (government) will say that it has been happening earlier too. But it has risen after you came to power. It has your support, he charged. BJP MP and former home secretary R K Singh on Friday suggested the government must hit back at Pakistan instead of making more efforts to hold talks with the neighbouring country. While speaking during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Singh said the Pakistan armys involvement in terror activities in India was absolutely clear with the confessions made by some of the terrorists captured alive recently by the security forces. Pakistan is providing training to its people and sending them to India to carry out terror attacks. I have only two points to convey to the government. One is that involvement of the Pakistan army in terror activities in India is clear. Unless we retaliate, there will be no end to these terror strikes, Singh said. The former home secretary noted that when India began efforts to hold talks with Pakistan, it was hit by the Pathankot attack in return. Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed in Indonesia following his conviction in a drug smuggling case, has been spared. The Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh, whose execution was fixed for Thursday night, has not been executed, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Friday morning. However, at the time of going to press, there was no information from the Ministry of External Affairs on what the Indonesian government plans to do with Singh and nine other convicts, all of whom were sentenced to death by the firing squad. Hailing from Jalandhar, Singh (48) was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors request for 20 years imprisonment. Singh is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. On Friday, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the Indian embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian foreign office and the political leadership with their plea on the issue. Afdhal Muhammad, Singhs legal representative, was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the president of Indonesia. The embassy sent a note verbale to Indonesias foreign ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out, Swarup said. Normal life is likely to be affected in Bengaluru on Saturday in view of a bandh called by pro-Kannada and farmer organisations protesting the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunals interim order. The shutdown may be successful as several organisations, including the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, and advocates association, are extending support. However, government educational institutions, offices and state and private transport organisations will function as usual. Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner R Shankar said a holiday has not been declared and all government establishments will remain open. Private institutions are free to take a call on whether or not to declare a holiday, he said. Around 1,800 schools under the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) will remain closed, said KAMS General Secretary D Shashi Kumar. Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education, Bharath Lal Meena, said, The higher education department will remain open on Saturday and so will all government institutions. Karnataka Employers Association has also extended support to the bandh. All the transport unions have extended their moral support to the bandh. However, they are reluctant to stay off the road in the wake of the loss they suffered during the recent statewide strike. Taxi aggregators and autorickshaws will ply as usual. Bengaluru Tourist Taxi Operators Association president Radhakrishna Holla said though no fresh bookings would be accepted, services booked in advance will be provided. A senior BMTC official said buses will start plying from early morning. However, depending on the situation, the corporation will a take a decision on operating its services further. Bannerghatta open One of the favourite weekend spots for Bengalureans, the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP), will remain open on Saturday. BBP Executive Director Santosh Kumar made a statement in this regard. Anand Theertha, a resident of KAS Officers Layout that is located close to Madiwala Lake, was all set to head for his office on Friday around 9.15 am. As he stepped out, he saw the whole road near his place flooded and the compound of his home inundated with five to six inches of water. He was not alone. Thousands of residents were stranded after Madiwala Lake breached its bank after overnight rainfall. Water from the overflowing Madiwala lake waste weir gushed through the surrounding areas in BTM Layout II Stage (from 35th to 42nd main road), Someshwara Colony 1st, 2nd, 3rd cross all the way up to Silk Board submerging the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and leading to hours-long traffic congestion. Anand said: "We were all taken aback on seeing the flood as we have never ever faced such a problem in BTM Layout. This is the first time, water from Madiwala Lake has overflowed onto streets. My children left home before 9.15 am and are staying at my sister's place in Jayanagar." Flooded areas Low lying areas at Someshwara Colony, BTM Layout, Kodichikkanahalli near Bannerghatta Road, Anugraha Layout in Bommanahalli Assembly constituency and other areas in Chikka Begur and Nelamangala were submerged with rain water. Mmany houses and basements of apartments including quarters of the Excise and Revenue department employees were flooded while many roads completely disappeared with no space for vehicles to move. Fire and Emergency Department personnel were deployed to shift many residents, including a pregnant woman, to safe places in boats. Our house was flooded two days ago and we are having sleepless nights since then. Our family members have been forced to take shelter in our friends house, Yashodamma, one of the residents said. Havaldar Anand, another resident of Quarters C-2 block added that as many as 42 houses in the quarters have been affected due to flooding. Many have already shifted to their relatives houses. I had no problem as I stay on the second floor. But, there are school-going children and taking them out has been risky, he noted. Due to encroachment of lakes and rajakaluves, the worst nightmare of Bengaluru came true when rains pounded the city on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials say that three lakes in the city, Madiwala, Kodichikkanahalli and Kasavanahalli lakes, breached their banks, flooding the entire Madiwala, HSR Layout, Sarjapur and parts of Electronics City. Around 500 houses were flooded in Madiwala alone, damaging household articles, especially electronic and electric goods. A similar situation prevailed at Kodichikkanahalli. The swollen tank breached its bank and water gushed towards Madiwala. On the way, it flooded some apartments and layouts, including the one which is alleged to have encroached the rajakaluve between Kodichikkanahalli and Madiwala Lake. Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy, with Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad, visited affected areas in Madiwala and Kodichikkanahalli. Ramalinga Reddy, who is also BTM Layout MLA, said Madiwala lake has two waste weirs of which one is flowing well but the second one is choked due to the dumping of soil. The second waste weir is the major one, which led to floods in Madiwala. The forest department had dumped the soil there. I got the soil removed, the Minister said. There was also a compound wall blocking the flow of water from the first waste weir, which Ramalinga Reddy got demolished. Mayor Manjunath Reddy blamed the BDA for the flooding. BDA reduced the width of rajakaluves in BTM Layout and Bommanahalli to less than half, say from 30 ft to 15 ft or less. Had the width been maintained, we would never had this kind of problem. A few apartments at Kodichikkanahalli came under the scanner for encroaching upon rajakaluves, which led to the flooding. The Mayor said the apartments which have encroached on the rajakaluves have got a stay in the court due to which the Palike's hands are tied. We cannot comment on the courts granting stay. We would have demolished the building to free the rajakaluves if there was no stay, said the Mayor. The situation at Kodichikkanahalli was so grim that water and food were supplied in some layouts as all their belongings had submerged in water. At Kasavanahalli near Sarjapur, the swollen tank breached the bank and flowed towards the next catchment area. However, due to a huge apartment on the rajakaluve, the water spread all over the place, flooding the surrounding places including the basement of the apartment. Joint survey In a joint survey by the revenue department and the BBMP, about 1,900-odd encroachments of rajakaluves were identified but so far more than 800 have been removed. Further, the survey of lakes in the city showed that out of 473 lakes in revenue records, only 100 odd lakes are visible today. Two names appear on the Aug. 2 ballot as Republicans in the St. Francois County Associate Commissioner District 1 race. They are Incumbent Gay Wilkinson and Linda Black. The winner will not face any opposition in November. Gay Wilkinson Incumbent Associate Commissioner District 1 Gay Wilkinson has been married to his wife Nancy for 40-plus years and they have three daughters Amy Wills, Wendy Rust and Penny Brown. They also have seven grandchildren. Wilkinson was elected in August 2012 to serve as Associate Commissioner District 1 and retired September 1, 2012 from Mineral Area Regional Medical Center after 44 years working as director of the Cardio Pulmonary Department. Wilkinson is a member of the County Commissioners Association of Missouri (CCAM), a former Farmington City Councilman (ward 3) serving 5 years, and was mayor of Farmington from 1993 to 1997. He has been a member of Farmington IDA for 16 years, a member of 67 Gun Club and former president, and has been a member of the Farmington Masonic Lodge #132 AF & AM for 44 years. He was also a World Champion Anvil Shooter in 2000 in Laurel, Mississippi and is a member of WASS (World Anvil Shooting Society). Wilkinson said he is thankful to have been allowed to serve as a commissioner and he hopes to have the support of voters to continue on in a second term of office. Linda Black Linda Black, 45, is engaged to Chip Thomure and she looks forward to their future that will include countless hours of driving through their cattle herd. She said for more than seven generations her family has called St. Francois County home. Black added between her grandparents, parents, children and now grandchildren she has a close family who has been supportive of her tenure in public service for many years. Black is a North County graduate and earned an Associate of Arts from Mineral Area College, a Bachelors of Science from Central Methodist University, and a Masters in Education from Southwest Baptist University. Black has worked for St. Francois County Treasurer Kerry Glore as the Chief Deputy Treasurer of St Francois County. While finishing up college, she was a member of UAW Local 110 in Fenton, working at the Chrysler Auto Plant. She taught World and America History for 11 years after completing her degree and she ran for Missouri House District in 2008 and was successful in being an elected representative for the past 8 years. Black says she is the first local representative to reach the 8-year term limit. Black is a lifelong member of the East Bonne Terre First Baptist Church where she held various positions as a Sunday school teacher, treasurer and youth director. She is a member of the Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce and Farmington Chamber of Commerce. Black is an Ex Officio member of the St. Francois County Chapter of Backstoppers, Ex Officio member of the University of Missouri Extension Council and a longtime member of the NRA. Black also currently serves on the executive council for the National Assembly of Sportsman Caucuses. Black was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008 where she has chaired the Pro-Life Caucus, the House Committee on Corrections, and currently chairs the Sportsman Caucus and is vice chair of the Agriculture Policy Committee. She said the reason she is running is because St. Francois County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state. With growth comes decisions by local governing bodies that will impact the direction of the community and will take it well into the future. Black said most citizens will agree they enjoy the conveniences of new businesses that have moved into the community, yet enjoy somewhat of a slower pace than their suburban neighbors to the north. To balance that feat, as a first class county it takes experience and an in-depth understanding of how to navigate federal regulations and state-imposed mandates that are quickly stepping on their heels. Black said her past experience in the state legislature has allowed her the opportunity to stop over-reaching laws that seek to impede local control while working with federal agencies to ensure the county has a voice in the remediation projects that have taken place over the past several years. She added the citizens of this county pay a great deal each year to fund the roadways, law enforcement, schools, ambulance district, and county offices that serve the public. As commissioner she will ensure the county is fiscally responsible with those expenditures and provide new essential services that have been long overdue. Black said the county is in dire need of animal control and a county-funded facility to rehabilitate animals that are being dumped on the county roadways each and every day. Black said the county is statutorily required to fund and preform the responsibilities associated with the office of county coroner. She would like to continue working with the coroner and deputy coroner to see a facility suitable to handling the responsibilities of that service to the county. She said as the facilities and equipment age, its essential that they plan for those future capital improvements through the budgeting process. The citizens have been generous to vote in a law enforcement tax several times now, but maintaining a fleet of safe vehicles is costly and she would like to work with the sheriff to secure funding to put the deputies in the safest most advanced equipment available. Black added the county roadways have several issues mostly dealing with high water volume situations, with a team of elected officials and county employees trained in the area of roadway maintenance she would like to see all roads widened, bridges on low water crossings raised and other reoccurring issues resolved. She said with prior knowledge of federal and state funding opportunities, she would seek to draw down additional dollars and free up tax payer money for additional projects in the county. Black said they have a great group of dedicated county road workers and she would like to enact county ordinances that provide for their safety while they are out working in moving traffic every day. Black said this past session in Jefferson City she co-sponsored HB 1695 that would allow counties of the first classification to enact nuisance abatement ordinances. She added the county has many derelict properties that cause lower home values in certain areas and impose a safety and health hazard for those living in close proximity. With adequate input from citizens she would like to work with the other commissioners to enact ordinances and clean up the county. Black said there are many ways to bring transparency to government and most people start looking online. She said unfortunately the countys website and pages are in dire need of updating. She believes anyone should be able to view commission meeting agendas, read minutes from meetings or have access to much more information than is currently available. That should be a fairly easy fix and one she would undertake right away if elected. Black said there are many reasons she is seeking the office of County Commissioner, but to sum it up, she has enjoyed the opportunity to act quickly on thousands of constituent issues while serving in Jefferson City. She would love to provide the same speedy and courteous service that citizens deserve out of their elected officials and be right here every day, where people can come in to the office have a cup of coffee and share their concerns face to face. Dr T V Ramachandra, co-ordinator, Energy and Wetlands Group, Indian Institute of Science, blamed the inefficient administration for urban flooding and went on to point out that the real estate lobby was killing the city. All the rajakaluves (feeder canals) and lakes have been encroached upon leaving no space for rainwater to flow freely. Though flooding has been a recurring phenomenon, the government has done nothing to tackle the issue. Why are we giving our city to the builders? He asked, noting the recent legislation to curb open spaces in the city. Taking the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to task, Ramachandra said, The councillors are not doing their job and the government should dissolve the BBMP. Debris is dumped into the water body and catchment areas are encroached. The volume of froth at Bellandur Lake only shows the height of corruption, the professor, who had prepared a report titled: Bengaluru will be a Unlivable and Dead City in Five Years, told Deccan Herald. Earlier addressing students at the Idea Conclave for Better Bengaluru, organised jointly by Students for Development and Christ University, Bengaluru, he asked students to participate in governance. About 93% of Bengaluru landscape will be filled with paved surface in the next five years resulting in 1,050% concretisation. There is 88% decline in vegetation and 79% fall in wetlands, Ramachandra said, terming it as senseless urbanisation. Concurring with him, Ramakrishna Y B, chairman, Working Group on Biofuels, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India wanted students to take government to task. City administration has failed in many levels including in handling garbage and traffic. Low lying areas continue to flood. The government is not interested in stopping the mafia, he said. Urbanist Aswhin Mahesh said there was lack of will, resources, money and training among government employees to solve issues that are plaguing the city and suggested a need for private-public partnership. The breaching of Kodichikkanahalli lake and the resultant flooding have given rise to health concerns. The fear of an epidemic looms large over the city, doctors warn. Water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and gastroenteritis are what people should be cautious about. Drinking and bathing in water contaminated with chemicals and microbes may cause a range of diseases. Viral infection Dr Ansar Ahmed, medical superintendent, Epidemic Diseases Hospital, said that with the contamination of water, chances of bacterial and viral infections were high. Among diseases that could affect people immediately are cholera, acute gastroenteritis and typhoid. It is advisable to boil and filter water before consuming it. Boiling would kill the microbes while filtering it helps do away with the chemical precipitates, he told Deccan Herald. As late reactions, one could have severe asthma or skin allergies, he added. Dr Jaikumar from the Public Health Institute said that dysentery could be a common complaint if untreated water got mixed with treated water. Loose stools with blood and mucus and fever are the symptoms, he said, adding that in the long run, there was also the risk of Hepatitis C and typhoid. Dr Sudheendra Udbalker, consultant dermatologist, Fortis Hospitals, said that if the moisture remained in the atmosphere for too long, it could result in fungal and bacterial infections. In acute conditions, it could lead to dermatitis. Chemicals in the water could act as irritants. One must look out for symptoms such as white patches between the toes, swollen or itchy skin and consult a professional if need be. After decades in the Congress, senior Haryana leader and former minister Capt Ajay Yadav on Friday abruptly announced his decision to quit the party. He blamed former Union minister Kamal Nath for undermining his prestige. Nath, who stepped down as Punjab Congress in-charge owing to his controversial role in the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage, was made in-charge of the Haryana Congress by the party high command. In a series of tweets since morning, Yadav wrote, Kamal Nath, you mislead the high command and undermined my prestige. You have 40 years of experience, but I too have 30 years to my credit. My father was a true Congressman and I too had great faith in the Nehru-Gandhi family, but B S Hooda is supreme and others are insignificant, he tweeted. In fact, Yadav has been hurt after he was sidelined post the coronation of Nath as the party in-charge. I gave my youth and life for the Congress party and worked as a true soldier of the party, but as my ego has been hurt, I quit the Congress, he said. The immediate provocation for his decision to quit the Congress was that Nath did not make him a part of the meeting of senior leaders to several resolve issues, including internal dissent. 27 July 2016 (NASA) On 24 July 2016, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASAs Aqua satellite acquired a natural-color image (top) of a phytoplankton bloom in Hood Canala fjord in Washingtons Puget Sound. The second image shows a more detailed view of the bloom on July 27 as observed by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite. According to Jan Newton, an oceanographer at the University of Washington, Hood Canal can be quite a productive area. It has also been very sunny lately, so that begets blooms, she said. On 21 July 2016, Teri King of Washington Sea Grant caught a glimpse of the bloom (below) while driving along Hood Canal; she was on her way to provide training for SoundToxins, a citizen-science monitoring program that documents harmful algal blooms, unusual bloom events, and new species entering the Salish Sea. King pulled over, grabbed a water sample, and confirmed that the color was due to a coccolithophore bloom. Coccolithophores are microscopic plankton that are plated with white calcium carbonate. The plates can impart a milky, turquoise hue to the water that is often visible from space. It is hard to miss a bloom of this color, King wrote on Facebook. We dont see them often, but when we do it is remarkable. A large bloom of coccolithophore was previously observed in Hood Canal in July and August 2007, as documented by the Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Program. The July 2016 bloom is expected to coincide with oyster spawning in Hood Canal, which should begin soon. We dont believe there will be a problem with the spawn and the bloom, King said. We are watching closely. According to Newton, blooms in Hood Canal are a concern because they could lead to hypoxia, the depletion of oxygen in the water. Coccolithophores make their shells out of one part carbon, one part calcium, and three parts oxygen (CaCO3). This carbon will eventually be respired as microbes break it down, typically at depth, she said. And that adds to an oxygen draw-down. The GSMA has announced the launch of the first active infrastructure sharing initiative in East Africa between mobile network operators (MNOs) Airtel, Millicom and Vodacom. The MNOs have committed to launch six 3G pilot sites across the country to test the sustainable provision of mobile broadband services to 13 million underserved people across rural areas of Tanzania. This cooperation between the Tanzanian MNOs demonstrates that the industry is committed to connecting the unconnected particularly the millions living in rural areas and enabling them to gain access to essential internet services, said Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA. Digital inclusion has become a strategic priority for operators and the government alike. Building on the 17 million citizens who currently access the internet, this initiative will focus on the remaining 13 million citizens in Tanzania yet to be connected to the internet. The mobile telephony market in Tanzania has grown significantly and, as of the end of 2015, there were over 17 million individual mobile subscribers, accounting for 34 million connections across the country. While mobile growth in Tanzania has been substantial, large sections of society are still left out of the digital realm. Tanzanias population of 49 million people is widely dispersed, with 69% of the population living in rural regions. As population density in rural wards varies significantly, operators have so far been able to deploy their 2G networks to up to 85% of the population, while 3G network deployment is mostly limited to urban areas, resulting in only 35% of the population being covered and able to access the mobile internet. The agreement is the result of a year-long collaboration between the GSMA Connected Society programme, the three local operators and the government of Tanzania. The pilots are structured around a replicable methodology to roll out mobile broadband networks, providing critical access to the unconnected, and the GSMA expects to launch similar projects in other markets over the next three years. Granryd concluded, To connect the unconnected, governments with large rural communities need to promote the acceleration of national broadband coverage by releasing low-frequency spectrum, incentivising commercial sharing arrangements to facilitate infrastructure roll-out in rural areas, and creating an enabling taxation environment in order to deliver the mobile internet, even in the most challenging of places. After successive days of Apple and Samsung reporting financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, Alphabet has released its performance report for Q2 2016. Googles parent company has reported gross revenue of $21.5 billion, up from $18.5 billion from Q2 2015 and beating analysts expectations of $20.76 billion for the quarter. Alphabets operating profits stand at $5.97 billion for the present quarter, reflecting an overall strong quarter for Alphabet buoyed by Googles successful online advertising business, and effective cost management with artificial intelligence and machine learning. Ruth Porat, CFO of Alphabet, stated as a prelude to further details in the earnings report, Our terrific second quarter results, with 21 percent revenue growth year on year, and 25 percent on a constant currency basis reflect the successful investments weve made over many years in rapidly expanding areas such as mobile and video. We continue to invest responsibly in support of our many compelling opportunities. Quite unsurprisingly, Google has contributed for 99 percent of the money that Alphabet has made. Despite Googles cost-per-click decreasing with simultaneously increasing Traffic Acquisition Costs, Google has returned positive results in terms of overall profitability of business, hence allowing Alphabet to continue its investments in Other Bets, that section of initiatives that are directed entirely towards the future, at a pretty hefty expense. The other bets of Alphabet, Inc. include Nest, Fiber, X, Verily and its driverless cars initiative. Despite the experimental, over-the-top nature of these projects, the net contribution to Alphabets revenues from these ventures have risen to $184 million, while costing the company $709 million. However, Googles overall profitability has allowed it to maintain its experimental projects, which not only give it the cutting edge over prospective competitors in the developmental fields, but allows Google to make the most of its own technology and reduce recurrent expenses. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, stated the importance of artificial intelligence and machine learning behind Googles reduced expenses. While mobile remains the heart of Googles diverse businesses, Pichai elucidated on machine learnings potential to fuel technological innovation behind Googles core businesses for the next 10 years. Googles Deep Mind already contributes to optimising energy consumption at Googles data centres, while the Tensor Flow mechanism allows for better performance from Cloud services by implementing machine learning. Google has also gained a head start in technologies like Voice Recognition services, which the company hopes to reap benefits from as early as later this year. To sum up Alphabets performance between April and June 2016, Googles core strength and performance has amplified its ability to think forward as a technology giant, and its expectation-exceeding financial reports will fuel interest among investors to continue investing in experimental ventures that Google undertakes. Xiaoi replaced a user's Mi 4i, which exploded spontaneously. A video depicting the same was posted on Facebook. Xiaomi takes matters of spontaneously exploding smartphones very seriously, as it should. We take such matters seriously and we have already been investigating the matter. We have been in touch with the customer and will be getting his device this week to do further investigation. In the meantime, we have offered a replacement phone to the customer, the company told XDA Developers, in response to a video posted on Facebook, by Ajay Raj Negi, a Xiaomi Mi 4i user. The video, which is CCTV footage from an office space, shows the device spontaneously catching fire. Negi posted his account, along with the video, on the Mi Mobile page on Facebook. Xiaomi isnt the only company with a smartphone explosion to its name, though. Such incidents have been reported earlier for Samsung phones, and even Apples iPhones. In December, 2013, a Canadian national reported that his Galaxy S4 had caught fire while charging. In fact, in this instance, Samsung told the user to take down a video that they had posted. In August, 2014, an iPhone 5 caught fire on a flight, leading to passenger evacuation. Nobel economist says the tech giant's profit reporting is a fraud Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has blasted the tax practices of tech giant Apple, telling Bloomberg TV that the US law that allows the company to hold cash abroad is "obviously deficient". In an interview, Stiglitz said that the fact that Apple can report its huge earnings to a small overseas unit in Ireland is a "fraud". Our current tax system encourages companies to keep their money abroad, opens up a vast loophole through what is called the transfer-pricing system that allows them not only to keep their money abroad but, effectively, to escape taxation, Stiglitz said. The Nobel prize winning economist is an advisor to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and was responding to a question about the actions of policymakers in correcting the legislation. Apple is making use of existing gaps in the U.S. tax system to shift its U.S. taxable earnings overseas to low-tax Ireland. Ireland charges one of the lowest corporation tax rates in the developed world at 12.5%. Here we have the largest corporation in capitalization not only in America, but in the world, bigger than GM was at its peak, and claiming that most of its profits originate from about a few hundred people working in Ireland -- thats a fraud, according to Stiglitz. He said that the policy should not be allowed to be exploited as it takes jobs away from US citizens. A tax law that encourages American firms to keep jobs abroad is wrong, and I think we can get a consensus in America to get that changed. The European Commission is currently investigating whether Ireland has gone against the bloc's regulations with regards to Apple's taxable income. The government unexpectedly postponed giving the go-ahead to build the UKs first nuclear power plant in 20 years on Thursday. The government will now decide on whether to pursue Hinkley Point C in early autumn. A spokesperson for the newly-formed department for business, energy and industrial strategy said: We do have a new government and they need to review all the details. It is only right we look at the details before making a decision." On Thursday the board of state owned French utility EDF, which is financing most of the 18bn needed for the project, narrowly voted to proceed with the Hinkley Point project in Somerset. It was expected on Friday that EDF and the government would sign contracts to confirm the deal. Chinese officials reportedly returned home, as they were also expecting to sign contracts for their stakes in the project. The government is trying to encourage business investments after the EU referendum result so the delay on the Hinkley Point decision was seen as confusing to some. Confederation of British industry (CBI) deputy director-general, Josh Hardie said: While it is understandable the government wants to get to grips with the details of the Hinkley contract, it must press ahead to finalise the deal as soon as possible. The UK is facing a major investment challenge to ensure a secure, low-carbon and affordable energy supply. Its crucial that we see clear and timely decisions, and send a definite message that the UK is well and truly open for business. EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy, however, remained confident. He said: "I have no doubt about the support of the British government led by Mrs May." Shadow energy secretary, Barry Gardiner told the BBC: "The government has said for two years now that they didn't need a plan B which I was calling for two years ago. "Now at a day's notice they have cancelled the final signing of the agreement that they told the press and everyone they were going to do. I'm hoping what they will do is take two-three months to seriously review it." Shares in EDF were up 8.73% to 11.96 at 1240 CEST. Top diplomat tells associated Press that America has "crossed the red line" A North Korean diplomat has accused the United States of effectively "declaring war" against the country after placing sanctions against leader Kim Jong Un regarding human rights abuses. Han Song Ryol, the director general of the US affiairs department in Pyongyang made the accusation on Thursday, saying that Washnington had "crossed the red line" interms of the relations between the two states. "The Obama administration went so far to have the impudence to challenge the supreme dignity of the DPRK in order to get rid of its unfavorable position during the political and military showdown with the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea." "The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown. We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war," said Han Song Ryol. The announcement from the US on July 6 was the first time Kim Jong Un had been personally sanctioned North Korea's relations with its southern neighbours has long been a fractious one, with the US and South Korea regularly conducting military exercises close to the demilitarised zone on the border. The state had been previously sanctioned on various occasions for failing to comply with international restrictions with its nuclear weapons programme, but the announcement from the US on July 6 was the first time Kim Jong Un had been personally sanctioned. It is not us, it is the United States that first developed nuclear weapons, who first deployed them and who first used them against humankind, he said. Pyongyang has denied claims that were put forward by a United Nations report that human rights abuses were rife in the country, giving the example of the current discontent in the US with regards to police shootings of black citizens as evidence that all is not right in their country. The diplomat warned of the repercussions should a planned exercise in the Korean Peninsula go ahead this August. "We are all prepared for war, and we are all prepared for peace," he said. "If the United States forces those kinds of large-scale exercises in August, then the situation caused by that will be the responsibility of the United States." Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Jobs or no jobs, developers kept city property-tax abatements Columbus routinely offers tax abatements to businesses pledging to create jobs, but when those promises aren't kept there are usually no consequences. Subscriber content preview NEW YORK (AP) Stocks had another day of meager gains on Thursday as investors worked through a new batch of mixed company earnings, including results from Facebook, Ford and Whole Foods. Cautious investors are looking ahead to a meeting of the Bank of Japan on Friday which is expected to result in an announcement of more stimulus for the world's third-largest economy. . . . Subscriber content preview HELSINKI (AP) Norway is considering moving a mountain or at least its peak to neighboring Finland. Anne Nordskog, a spokeswoman for Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, said Wednesday the government is contemplating a proposal to give the Halti peak as a gift to Finland next year as the Finns celebrate 100 years of independence. . . . India generated 33,029.39 mn units of wind power, 7,447.92 mn units of solar power in FY16: minister Generation of electricity from wind and solar sources in the country stood at 33,029.39 million units and 7,447.92 million units, respectively, during 2015-16, minister of state for power, coal, new and renewable energy and mines Piyush Goyal informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Quoting figures received from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the minister said during the last two years, ie, 2014-15 and 2015-16, the country added a total of 5,735 MW of wind power capacity and 4,131 MW of solar power capacity. The minister also told that a capacity addition target of 4,000 MW and 12,000 MW has been proposed for generation of electricity from wind and solar energy, respectively, during 2016-17 and a total of 315 MW have been installed under Solar Roof top Scheme. Power generated from these projects is being used for both domestic and captive use, the minister informed. Goyal stated that tenders for 20,766 MW solar power projects have been issued. He also said that the wind power projects are mainly developed by private sector under various modes, including PPA, REC, captive use, third party sale etc, adding that the centre has not undertaken construction of wind energy project. Goyal said that his ministry is implementing several schemes to promote generation of solar and wind energy. These include: Development of solar parks and ultra mega solar power projects Development of solar PV power plants on canal banks / canal tops Setting up of 300 MW grid connected solar PV power projects by defence establishments under ministry of defence and para military forces with viability gap funding (VGF) under Batch-IV of Phase-II/III of Jawharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Setting up 1,000 MW grid-connected solar PV power projects by CPSUs with VGF under Batch-V of Phase-II of JNNSM Setting up of 15,000 MW grid-connected solar PV power projects under Batch II of Phase II of National Solar Mission (by NTPC/NVVN) Setting up of 2000 MW grid-connected solar power projects with VGF through Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and generation based incentive scheme for promotion of wind power In reply to another question in the Lok Sabha, the minister stated that a master plan for making Chandigarh a model solar city under the 'Development of Solar Cities' programme of the ministry of new and renewable energy has been prepared. Towards this the government has also set up a solar city cell to monitor progress of its implementation. The minister further stated that the union territory of Chandigarh has empanelled 48 solar power aggregators from whom any resident of Chandigarh can install rooftop solar power plants and also avail of the 30 per cent subsidy. Solar rooftop power plants of aggregate 7.70 MW capacity have been installed on 145 government buildings in the city till May 2016. 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. Willie McAteer (65), a native of Rathmullan, has been sentenced to three and a half years for his part in a fraudulent scheme to prop up Anglo Irish Bank's finances. The bank's former finance director who now resides in Tipperary, appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today (Friday), along with former collleague John Bowe (52) and Denis Casey (56), former Group Chief Executive of Irish Life and Permanent plc (ILP) All three pleaded not guilty earlier this year to conspiring together and with others to defraud by setting up a 7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between March 1st and September 30th, 2008 to bolster Anglos balance sheet with the intention of misleading investors. The trial lasted 89 days, making it the longest ever criminal trial in Ireland. Judge Martin Nolan said the scheme was "deceitful, dishonest and corrupt" and it was a serious matter that two blue chip companies conspired to manipulate public accounts. Judge Nolan was also highly critical of Anglo CEO David Drumm, the Financial Regulator and Anglo's auditors Ernst & Young. Mr McAteer was convicted in 2014 for his role in Anglo making illegal loans to ten property developers so they could buy shares to boost Anglo's share price. He completed 240 hours community service in lieu of a 2 year prison sentence for that offence. None of the three men sentenced today profited from their actions, the court heard, and the inter bank loans had cancelled each other out so there had been no loss to the State. David Bowe was sentenced to two years in prison and Denis Casey to two years and nine months. Irish Water is urging Ballyshannon customers to conserve water following a contamination incident but stresses there is no risk to public health The company confirmed that a pollution event had taken place as a result of heavy rains on Thursday and possibly following agricultural activities in the area. A spokesperson said the incident triggered the automated shutdown of borehole sources that feed raw water to the Ballyshannon Water Treatment Plant. Irish Water would like to stress that no contaminated water has entered the treatment plant or the network and water is safe to drink, the spokesperson continued. There is no risk to public health as a result of this incident and Irish Water has initiated its emergency response plan and notified all relevant statutory authorities. Irish Water and Donegal County Council are asking the public to conserve water over the bank holiday weekend period in both Ballyshannon and Bundoran as the quantity of water available to treat has been affected by the incident. The Ballyshannon supply will be supplemented from Bundoran, Donegal Town, County Leitrim and Northern Ireland water supplies. Regional Information Specialist for the region Sean Corrigan, added, As far as we are aware, there are no outages at the moment, but with festivals and bank holidays it is a very busy period and we ask that people conserve water. Irish Water does not expect customers to experience any water outages but there may be a loss in pressure in some areas. Ongoing investigations are taking place to determine the exact cause of the incident. Anyone who experiences a water outage over the weekend should contact the Irish Water helpline on 1850 278 278 immediately. Irish Water would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and would like to thank the public in advance for their co-operation. As many area communities will be observing Trick-or-Treating this weekend and Monday, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections advises you and your family to keep your children safer this Halloween by discussing ahead of time what to do if you are ever separated. A list of safety tips from state agencies is below to help ensure a safer Halloween weekend for everyone. You can also find the hours for trick-or-treating in Door and Kewaunee counties by clicking here. -A parent or trusted adult should always accompany children -Stay on well-lit streets and stick to neighborhoods you know -Only stop at homes where the porch light is on -Never enter a home or car for a treat -Trick-or-treaters should carry a cell phone to allow for quick communication -If the child carries a cell phone, activate location services prior to trick-or-treating -Call 911 if you see any suspicious or illegal activity Children should yell No! and run from any stranger who tries to take them somewhere -Have a responsible adult check treats at the end of the night Similarly, the Wisconsin Department of Health also suggests some tips for families with trick-or-treaters and families who are giving out candy. Costume Tips -Choose costumes that are light-colored and more visible to motorists. -Use reflective tape to decorate costumes and candy bags to increase the visibility of children to drivers. Reflective tape may be purchased at hardware, bicycle, or sporting goods stores. -Use make-up rather than a mask; if your childs costume does include a mask, make sure it fits snugly and that the eyeholes are large enough to allow full vision. -Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. -Costumes should be short enough that a child will not trip and fall. -Choose costume accessories such as swords or knives that are made of soft and flexible material. -Do not use novelty contacts such as cat eyes or snake eyes. Pedestrian Safety -Engage in Halloween activities during the daylight hours, if possible. -Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision. -Remind children to walk, not run, and to only cross streets at crosswalks. -Be sure your children are accompanied by a responsible adult who has a flashlight. ----- -Flashlights or chemical light sticks should be used so that children can see and be seen by motorists. Halloween Home Safety -Remove obstacles from your lawn, porch, or steps if you are expecting trick-or-treaters. -Make sure your front porch is well-lit. -Avoid using candle-lit jack-o-lanterns if possible. If you do use candles, dont place them near curtains, furnishings, or decorations. Move them off porches where childrens costumes may ignite. -Keep your pets in another room when you are expecting trick-or-treaters. -Small children should not carve pumpkins; instead, allow them to draw the designs on the pumpkin and adults may carve. -Turn on an outside light if welcoming trick-or-treaters. The Criminal Investigations Division of the Eufaula Police Department hosted at Safety Awareness and Crime Prevention luncheon on Wednesday, July 27, to help business owners and residents of the area know what can be done to help deter crime. One of the other missions of the luncheon was to also answer questions about safety and crime prevention in neighborhoods and to establish an ongoing commutation with not only businesses but also the residents in the area in regard to crime prevention. Together we can continue to make Eufaula a safe place to live, was the common thread throughout the meeting. EPD Chief Steve Watkins, members of the CID unit -Sgt. Donald Brown, Corporal Jamie Ming, Corporal Robin Wigging, and Investigator Lee Hamm with the Barbour County District Attorneys office were in attendance to offer suggestions and answer questions throughout the presentation. Safety tips for businesses were presented to the audience first, with suggestions such as establishing regular communications with law enforcement on your shift; keeping windows clear and visible; providing bright lighting to deter criminals; and keeping counter clean were made. Other tips were developing signals to alert law enforcement of trouble, reporting any unusual or strange store activities (such as loitering, parked vehicles, etc.) to law enforcement. In the event that your business is robbed, all officers agreed that you shouldnt try to be a hero. If a robbery occurs at the business, you should cooperate with the perpetrator. Try to remember identifying characteristics of the suspect if you can, this will help with a description of the perpetrator. After the perpetrators are gone, lock all the doors and call 911 and most importantly, do not touch anything. Not touching anything will help law enforcement lift finger prints of the suspects if any were left at the scene. Always try to cooperate with the investigators as they conduct their investigationthey are there to help you. Sgt. Brown, offered suggestions during the luncheon on how to deter burglaries at your home, saying, Most of the time its someone who knows you are not home. Never post pictures of your valuables on social media and do not post vacation plans, sleepovers or out of town excursions on social media. Keep your windows and doors lockedmake sure your residence is locked and secure. Talk to your kids about their social media post also, Sgt. Brown commented. Be aware of what they post on their pages. He recommended being aware of your childrens friends when they are inside your home also. Recommendations of developing a safety plan with your children, establishing a safe place in the event of a crime or disaster and making sure your children know pertinent information such as their name, address phone number, parents names, etc. were made. To help deter car break-ins, it was suggested to never leave any valuables in your vehicle where they can be seen, not even for just a minute. Also, make sure your windows are up and the doors are locked before you walk away from your vehicle, Sgt. Brown said. With Eufaula having a nice walking trail available for use 24 hours a day, suggestions for making sure you stay safe were made. They included always wear reflective gear; walk in pairs; always carry a cell phone; be aware of your surroundings; carry a whistle or mace; and avoid dark areas. If you see or hear anything suspicious, dont be afraid to call your local police department, its what we are here for, Sgt. Brown noted. If you dont think its an emergency, call the non emergency line at 3687-1200. Copenhagen By The Glass launches next month, in collaboration with Copenhagen Cooking and Food Festival. The August 19-21 show which is supported by Copenhagens best bars and bartenders - aims to showcase Danish spirits and mixology, whilst having a wider hospitality agenda. Event organiser Geoffrey Canilao of Balderdash bar, said Copenhagen By the Glass will reflect and give a voice to the Copenhagen drinking landscape, its temperament and diversity. The not-for-profit show will be held at Halmtorvet 11, 1700 Copenhagen, Denmark. Along with tastings across cocktails, spirits, wine, tea, coffee and more unusual libations, seminars will be put on by Danish cocktail bars, concentrating on bartending skills, innovation and sustatinability practices. Bars: Balderdash, Ruby, Atze Peng, Holmens Kanal, Gilt, Duck & Cover, Lidkoeb, K Bar, Blume, Curfew and Stork will take part. The show will include a bevy of talks and panel discussinos. International guests such as Alex Kratena and Monica Berg will be in town for their talk on What the Amazonian jungle has in common with modern bartending. While Nick Strangeway will run a session on foraging and Henrik Hammer and Peter Altenburg will tackle Cocktail Pairing with Scandinavian Cuisine - From Science into reality. Copenhagen By The Glass will also be overlapped by Copenhagen Cooking Week, which runs from August 19-28, showcasing the best of Copenhagens cocktail scene. Smart is the new cool. Just as black-rimmed glasses have shifted from nerds to hipsters, and three-piece suits are back in vogue, car companies like Tesla have transformed emerging technologies like electric cars from geek to chic. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class might never have been considered a trendy car, appealing more to conservative fat cats than cool cats, but the German car maker claims the latest mid-sizer is the smartest car in the world, brimming with more world firsts than a science fair, more computing power than a Boeing A380 and more gizmos and gadgets than a nerdy teenager. But is it as hip as it is square? Well, considering it can virtually drive itself, park itself, has more mod cons than you'll ever need, and takes over the mantle as Mercedes-Benz' technology leader from the flagship S-Class, there is a lot to like and a lot to talk about with the tenth-generation E-Class. Firstly, it arrives in Australia this month with the initial entry-level sedan variants the E200, E220d and E350d but will expand to become one of the widest model families in Benz's lineup, with at least three more sedans, wagons, coupes, high-performance AMG models and an all-new high-riding All Terrain crossover set to fill out showrooms. Until then, the range starts at $89,900 (plus on-roads) for the E200 which is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four cylinder that generates 135kW/300Nm and consumes a claimed average of 6.6L/100km. The E220d costs an extra $3000 and introduces an all-new 2.0-litre turbo diesel four cylinder which is the foundation of a new family of engines that will include a re-born in-line six cylinder and features world-first emission-reduction technologies. It produces a healthy 143kW and 400Nm with a claimed average fuel consumption of just 4.1L/100km significant improvements in both peak power and economy over the previous 2.1-litre turbo diesel. The range-topper, for now at least, is the $134,900 (plus on-roads) E350d with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 diesel that produces 190kW and 620Nm and has a claimed average fuel economy of 5.6L/100km. A pair of higher-grade petrol-powered models will arrive before the end of the year in the E300 (with its upgraded 2.0-litre turbo petrol four producing 180kW/370Nm) and the E400 (which is powered by a 3.0-litre twin turbo V6 developing 245kW/480Nm and coming exclusively with Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel drive system), while a plug-in hybrid E350e and the V6-powered AMG E43 will fill out the initial range early in 2017. The E300 will cost from $107,900 and the E400 is $139,900 while pricing and final specification details for the petrol-electric model and entry-level AMG will be confirmed closer to their showroom arrival. But, even in the most basic trim, the E200 and E220d come fitted with an extensive list of features, including Benz' new-generation nine-speed automatic gearbox, automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with semi-autonomous driving and lane-changing, self-parking, artificial leather interior trim, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition, 18-inch alloy wheels and twin 12.3-inch digital displays a customisable instrument cluster and a multimedia system with Bluetooth, sat nav and digital radio as standard - drawn down from the S-Class. Building on the safety front, all E-Class models are fitted with nine airbags, the usual suite of electronic driver aids, an active bonnet to reduce injuries to pedestrians and a 360-degree camera with front and rear parking sensors. Even more gear is introduced - or available as options on the E200 the higher you move up the model line, with the E350d adding 20-inch AMG alloy wheels, air suspension, full leather upholstery with heated front seats, a head-up display, 13-speaker high-grade Burmester audio, a full length panoramic sunroof and Multibeam LED headlamps. Having sampled just the E200 and E220d during our first local drive of the E-Class in Victoria's Yarra Valley this week, it is hard to comprehend if you need any more than the base variants. With the E-Class built on the same rear-drive underpinnings as the latest C-Class, which won the 2014 Drive Car of the Year and remains our best pick for a luxury car under $80,000, but grabbing some of the luxury and convenience technologies of the flagship S-Class in a car that is larger both inside and out yet lighter and stronger than its predecessor, it is an impressive machine that re-sets numerous benchmarks in the executive sedan segment. The 2.0-litre petrol is more than adequate with a linear power delivery and decent mid-range punch when the turbo picks up maximum boost that gives it a sense of being a bigger engine than it is, but it does require more from the broad spread of ratios in the nine-speed auto changing gears invisibly but more often to get the best out of it. The turbo diesel, on the other hand, is a gem and feels both more energetic and relaxed while bringing a new level of refinement to oil burners. It effortlessly cruises at low engine speeds to save fuel, but also spins freely with a strong surge of torque when you need it for quick getaways or overtaking all the while without any of clackety, agricultural engine note that have blighted diesel engines in the past. No matter which model you pick though, the E-Class is a beautiful car to drive with a peerless balance between comfort and handling. It is almost whisper quiet at any speed, the electric power steering is well-weighted and linear across the ratio, the brakes have good modulation through the pedal and the standard, conventional steel-spring suspension on 19-inch wheels is both compliant over bumps and sure footed in the bends. We also sampled an E220d on the optional air suspension with AMG 20-inch alloys with low-profile 35-series front and 30-series rear tyres, which felt just as plush on the open road but even more agile in the corners. Beyond how it drives normally, Mercedes' latest semi-autonomous driving system has taken a huge stride forwards and steps closer towards a full driverless car - with the E-Class. Where its lane-keeping assistance function in other models still feels binary in the way it reacts to road deviations (and only lasts for around 20 seconds before it demands the driver take full control), the E-Class is much smoother, its cameras and sensors can read more information that allows it to function on roads without clear markings and it can operate for up to a minute without the driver touching the steering wheel (even though Australian regulations still require full control of the vehicle at all times). It can also automatically change lanes after the indicator is activated for more than two seconds and it senses there is adequate space in the adjacent lane. While it is more intuitive and smoother than ever before, particularly on clearly marked freeways, it still isn't completely foolproof as, during our drive, there were a few times where it still deviated off a country road. Its self-parking function, on the other hand, is brilliant. While in other markets the system can be operated remotely from outside the car, even from the driver's seat it's amazing to watch it do its own thing. Unlike other systems which operate the steering only and require the driver to manage the accelerator and brake, once you've confirmed which free space you want to enter either forwards or backwards the E-Class does it all for you, even shuffling in and out (therefore changing between reverse and drive). As much as the E-Class is about technology, it remains a luxury car first and foremost. And, from that perspective, its cabin borrows enough from the S-Class to make it feel both modern and classy but without robbing the limousine of its top-tier status and some of its theatre. The twin digital displays dominate the dashboard but somehow don't look as out of place in the E as they do in the S, partly due to new graphics and menus as well as the customisable instrument cluster when displaying its "progressive" theme, which projects a central tacho with integrated adaptive cruise information and supported on each side by a choice of nav, media, trip computer data. Similarly, the new touch pad buttons on the steering wheel bring a sense of modern luxury. While it needs time to understand the functionality of the menus, once your familiar with how to navigate each screen the swipe action is both convenient and cool. As for the more conventional elements, there's plenty of adjustment in the driving position, excellent vision all round, the build quality and materials are top notch and there's a sense of airiness about the cabin, generated both by its sheer space and the curving nature of the dashboard itself. All in all, the tenth-generation E-Class is a smart car, on every front. It fast forwards the future of some technologies into today and improves on the technology of yesterday in others. It might still be too conservative to be cool, but it is automotive geek chic. 2016 Mercedes-Benz E220d On-sale: now Price: $92,900 (plus on-road costs) Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel Power: 143kW at 3800rpm Torque: 400Nm at 1600-2800rpm Transmission: 9-spd automatic, RWD Fuel use: 4.1L/100km When you think of Japanese car makers Suzuki is unlikely to be the first that comes to mind. But as the brand showed with its excellent new Vitara, that beat both the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V to win Drive's Best City SUV prize in 2015, it has rediscovered its mojo for making good quality, affordable cars. Now it is back with a fresh assault on the cut-throat small car segment with the new Baleno. The five-door hatchback is designed to compete with some of the best-selling cars in the country, including the Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. Like the Vitara, the Baleno surprises you, in a good way, from the moment you get behind the wheel. Under the bonnet of the GLX Turbo model we tested is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (dubbed 'Boosterjet by Suzuki) that produces 82kW and 160Nm and is paired with a CVT automatic. Which may not sound like much on paper but because the Baleno weighs just under 1000kg the little engine gets the Baleno moving swiftly for a small car. There is some turbo lag from low down in the rev range but once the turbocharger kicks in the Baleno pulls strongly and has no trouble keeping up with traffic. It also makes a pleasing noise for a three-cylinder. While some of these triples can sound rough, particularly at idle, (including Suzuki's own Celerio) the Baleno's Boosterjet sounds as refined as any three-cylinder. It's not just the engine that impresses, as Suzuki has also done a good job on the chassis and suspension tuning. The Baleno is responsive to driver inputs and its light steering makes it easy to zip in and out of traffic and when parking. That feeling is also helped by the high seating position that gives you an SUV-like view out across the bonnet for excellent visibility. The ride is comfortable too, most of the time, with only sharp edge bumps disturbing the occupants. However, once you start pushing the Baleno through some more challenging bends the handling limits are quickly reached, it's certainly far from the dynamic class benchmark. It doesn't take much for the stability control system to activate, even mildly quick cornering gets it motivated. Which means if you want a small car that you can have fun with on the weekends you're better off looking at a Ford Focus. But the Baleno impresses in other ways. It's interior is well presented and laid out, even if the final layer of quality isn't a match for its rivals like the Focus, Corolla and i30. The materials just look and feel a bit cheap in places which detracts from an otherwise good interior. A particular highlight is the seven-inch colour touchscreen in the centre of the dash that controls the infotainment system. It is split into four intuitive quadrats, similar to Ford's SYNC, that allow you to deal with the key functions including audio, navigation and a paired smartphone. It not only helps make the Baleno easier to use but also helps it to feel more premium inside. The rest of the cabin is a bit plain in terms of design flair but it is thoughtfully done. There is good small item storage, including a lidded glovebox. The seats are comfortable but lack lateral support and space in the rear is excellent for a small hatch. There is enough knee, shoulder and headroom for two adults to sit comfortably in the rear seats. The boot is a decent size too, 335-litres officially, but has a reasonably high load height and a deep floor - so heavy objects may be a bit tricky to get in for some people. The GLX Turbo also wins favour for its value - with Suzuki giving it plenty of equipment at a reasonable price. It starts from $22,990 (plus on-road costs) and for that price the automatic is included, along with navigation, Apple CarPlay, cruise control, keyless entry and ignition, six airbags, a reversing camera and 16-inch alloy wheels. There is a cheaper model available, the GL, which starts at $16,990 and comes with a 68kW/130Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine. But we haven't had a chance to drive that model yet so can't speak to its credentials. But the top-spec GLX Turbo underlines the positive steps Suzuki has taken in recent years. And if the company continues in this vein then it deserves to be thought of with the same frequency as its big-name Japanese competitors. 2016 Suzuki Baleno GLX pricing and specifications On sale: Now Price: $22,990 plus on-road costs Engine: 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol Power: 82kW at 5500rpm Torque: 160Nm at 2000rpm Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive Fuel use: 5.2L/100km Home Four wheelers Nissan Exports 6,807 Micra Hatchback From India To Europe oi-Ajinkya Nissan India makes several vehicles locally and exports them to international markets. During June 2016, Nissan India managed to export 6,807 units of the Micra. The Japanese-based automobile manufacturer was the number one exporter from India. Till date, Nissan India has exported over 6.20 lakh vehicles. Nissan began its operation in the country from 2010. The company is now the major contributor towards the 'Make in India' campaign, which was introduced by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Currently, Nissan India is exporting the Micra to the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. Nissan Micra was the number one selling Asian car brand in Europe in the fiscal year 2015. All vehicles were manufactured at Nissan's facility in Oragadam, near Chennai. In India, Nissan offers the Micra and Micra Active models. The Micra Active is priced attractively at Rs. 4.56 lakh ex-showroom (Delhi). The all-new Nissan Micra is priced competitively at Rs. Rs. 5.99 lakh ex-showroom (Delhi). Last chance: entries for the 2016 Digital Disruptor Awards close on Thursday, 4 August 2016. An initiative of the ACS, the professional association for Australias ICT sector, the awards recognise digital specialists and businesses transforming the digital economy. There are 12 different categories, comprising six individual and six team or project awards. These include the ICT Professional of the Year and the Young ICT Professional of the Year (Male Under 30 and Female Under 30). ACS CEO Andrew Johnson spoke to Dynamic Business about the opportunities and challenges associated with digital disruption, the need to nurture the new wave of talented ICT professionals and the talent shortage in Australia. As we navigate our way through the global digital transition and beyond, we need to build a thriving digital economy and workforce that is capable of adapting to change, he said. Our digital technologists and innovators are our role models and are paving the way for a smoother transition. In order to reap the benefits of a robust digital economy forecast by Deloitte Access Economics in research commissioned by ACS to grow to $139 billion by 2020 we need to boost our nations digital skills and capabilities and fast, especially if we are to become increasingly globally competitive. However, one of the biggest problems we face is the fact that we are suffering from a shortage of skilled ICT specialists, coupled with growing demand for digital skills in both ICT and non-ICT related job roles. For instance, by 2020, Australia will need an additional 100,000 ICT professionals to support Australias growing digital economy, yet our ICT workforce is expected to only grow 2% over the same period. At the same time, 2.5million Australians already in non-ICT jobs require ICT skills as part of their role. Digital skills are fast becoming a currency as traditional businesses models and economies are disrupted. We need to be equipped with the right tools and expertise to handle the change. As a nation, we need to upskill and reskill. The culture of digital disruption in Australias ICT sector is also proving to be exciting and challenging. One trend we are seeing is the increasing number of young Australians, including young women, carving out successful careers as entrepreneurs and ICT specialists. The new breed of digital technologists are marrying their creative genius with tech and are transforming what it means to be in ICT. Many of these technologists are joining and leading the startup generation now. This years winners and Gold Disruptors will be announced on 1 December 2016, at a Gala Dinner at The Star in Sydney, as part of ACS 2016 ReImagination Thought Leaders Summit. To view the full list of awards categories and to enter, visit: http://reimagination16.acs.org.au/digital-disruptors-awards/ Consumer Reports on Thursday urged Tesla to disable the automatic steering function and change the name of its Autopilot driving assist feature. Questions recently have arisen over whether Teslas Model S vehicles can operate safely without regular human intervention. Consumer Reports change request sprang from concerns over a number of recent test crashes, including a fatal accident involving a tractor-trailer in Florida, which is the subject of a federal investigation. The organization questioned whether the Autopilot feature lulls drivers into a false sense of security, and whether Autopilot-equipped cars can function safely without drivers paying close and consistent attention to potential safety hazards and road conditions. In the long run, advanced active safety technologies in vehicles could make our roads safer, said Laura MacCleery, vice president of consumer policy and mobilization for Consumer Reports. But today, were deeply concerned that consumers are being sold a pile of promises about unproven technology. Hands on the Wheel The Autopilot feature cannot drive the car, but it allows drivers to have their hands off the steering wheel for minutes at a time, said MacCleery. Until the company updates the program to verify that hands should be on the wheel, Consumer Reports recommendation is that the feature should be disabled. Consumer Reports tested semi-autonomous features from Audi, BMW and Mercedes, and those systems require the driver to keep their hands on the steering wheel, noted Jake Fisher, CRs director of auto testing. Statistically Safer Tesla is constantly introducing enhancements proven over millions of miles of internal testing to ensure that drivers supported by Autopilot remain safer than those operating without assistance, a Tesla spokesperson said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by company rep Keely Sulprizio. We will continue to develop, validate, and release those enhancements as the technology grows. While we appreciate well-meaning advice from any individual or group, we make our decisions on the basis of real-world data, not speculation by media, the spokesperson added. Model S vehicles have driven 130 million miles on Autopilot with one confirmed fatality. That compares to one fatality per 94 million miles for all vehicles in the U.S. and one fatality for every 60 million miles driven worldwide, Tesla pointed out. Federal Probe The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week sent a letter to Tesla seeking documents regarding the May 7 crash of the 2015 Model S vehicle. Questions have arisen about whether the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems worked properly. NHTSA called the request a standard step in its preliminary investigation of the design and performance of Teslas automated driving systems that were in use at the time of the crash, administration spokesperson Rebecca Grapsy told the E-Commerce Times. The investigation may raise questions about potentially wider safety concerns surrounding the entire autonomous vehicle industry, and autonomous vehicle advocates may have to scramble to counteract growing worries. Our coalition was founded with the express purpose of increasing road safety and dramatically reducing the over 35,000 road fatalities that occur in the U.S. each year, said David Strickland, counsel for the Self Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. We remain dedicated to developing and testing fully autonomous vehicles in order to bring the promise of self-driving vehicles to roads and highways, he told the E-Commerce Times. Accident Reports The company may have a growing problem on its hands due to the rolling nature of the disclosures about its safety record, suggested Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. I think even more telling than the fatality that weve now learned about, or Consumer Reports or the NHTSA stance, is that were starting to hear about more accidents, he told the E-Commerce Times. The level of driver error in those incidents indeed may be quite high, Brauer acknowledged, but he questioned whether drivers actually were given clear and honest disclosure about the Autopilot features capabilities. Having technological limitations is OK as long as consumers know about the technological limitations, he said. Entry Price The Consumer Reports request comes at a critical time for Tesla. The company on Wednesday introduced the Model X 60D SUV, for US$74,000 a more consumer-friendly price than its other models. The announcement of the lower-priced model follows news that Teslas recent sales failed to meet expectations. It also follows a public spat with Fortune over Teslas handling of information concerning the fatal crash. Tesla took vehement exception to a critical report Fortune published, saying it was fundamentally incorrect. The Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly is investigating whether Tesla disclosed the crash to investors with a proper filing in a timely manner. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment. Microsoft on Thursday won its nearly four-year battle against a New York district court judges warrant requiring it to turn over customer emails held on a server in Ireland. Microsoft had complied with demands to turn over account information stored on its servers in the United States, but it had refused to give up the emails themselves, contending a U.S. judge did not have the authority to issue warrants for information stored abroad. Microsoft two years ago lost its bid to vacate the warrant; it subsequently lost an appeal filed with the District Court for the Southern District of New York. It then appealed to the Second Circuit Court, which ruled in its favor. The Second Circuit Court reversed the district courts denial of Microsofts motion to quash the warrant, vacated its order holding the company in civil contempt of the court, and remanded the case with instructions to quash the warrant insofar as it demanded user content stored outside of the U.S. The Courts Rationale In essence, the Second Circuit Court ruled that the Stored Communications Act does not explicitly or implicitly envision the application of its warrant provisions overseas. When Congress passed the SCA in 1986, the intent of its warrant provision was to require that a neutral third party provide predisclosure scrutiny of a search-and-seizure request in order to afford heightened privacy protection in the U.S., Circuit Court Judge Susan L. Carney wrote in the ruling. Congress did not abandon the instruments territorial limitations and other constitutional requirements, she found. The governments interpretation of the term warrant would require us to disregard the presumption against extraterritoriality that the Supreme Court re-stated and emphasized in two earlier cases, which the Second Circuit Court is not at liberty to do. One Giant Leap for Privacy This is a groundbreaking decision that helps protect privacy rights around the world, said Lee Tien, senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The court recognized the vital privacy protections under the SCA, and correctly ruled that the government cant use a U.S. search warrant to force Internet service providers to reach email stored outside the U.S., he told the E-Commerce Times. The ruling is undoubtedly a major win for citizens and companies alike, remarked Yasha Heidari of the Heidari Power Law Group. It reaffirms the notion that no matter how badly certain government agencies want to apply domestic laws abroad, theyre prohibited from doing so, he told the E-Commerce Times. The ruling is laudable, according to Daniel Castro, vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. The U.S. government should have sought access to the information through a mutual legal assistance treaty rather than a warrant, he told the E-Commerce Times. The very fact that the ruling is being proclaimed as such a big victory indicates the sad state of affairs now prevailing, Heidari observed. Implications of the Ruling In a concurring opinion, Judge Gerard Lynch urged Congress to update the SCA, which he described as badly outdated, to better balance current law enforcement needs and users privacy. The law lets Microsoft get around an otherwise justified demand to turn over emails by simply storing them outside the U.S., he noted. The courts ruling could impact decisions for business to host and store information abroad to escape the governments intrusive behavior, noted Heidari. It provides a big incentive to have servers and data centers abroad. Law enforcement agencies long have voiced concerns about their inability to access suspects electronic communications. The International Communications Privacy Act, introduced this spring in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, addresses the issue. It seeks to amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code to reform the MLAT, allowing law enforcement to obtain electronic communications relating to foreign nationals in certain circumstances. 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I believe in science, she said with a laugh to thunderous applause from the audience. I believe that climate change is real and that we can save our planet while creating millions of good-paying clean energy jobs. Clinton promised the biggest investment in new, good paying jobs since World War II, including jobs in clean energy and other sectors such as manufacturing and infrastructure. I believe in science. I believe that #climatechange is real @HillaryClinton The time is now. Vote. Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) July 29, 2016 Clinton has proposed in-depth and thought-out plans to combat the climate crisis, protect our public lands and put an end to racial injustice, Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, said. She not only wants to complete Americas transition to 100 percent clean energy, she recognizes the massive job growth opportunity it presents and wants to make America the global leader in the clean energy market. And Clinton opposes unfair trade deals and wants to overturn Citizens United, putting democracy back in the hands of the voters. Demagogue Donald Trump has sought to divide America in every possible wayincluding climate change. He has called it a hoax, a concept created by the Chinese, and wants to tear up the Paris Climate Agreement, among other outrageous and dangerous claims. In fact, if elected, Trump will be the only world leader who refutes the existence of climate change. For a deeper dive: News: Grist, Climate Home, The Hill, GeekWire Commentary: Baltimore Sun editorial; Gizmodo, Carli Velocci column For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News. What Is Climate Change? Is It Different From Global Warming? Climate change is actually not a new phenomenon. Scientists have been studying the connection between human activity and the effect on the climate since the 1800s, although it took until the 1950s to find evidence suggesting a link. Since then, the amount of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases) in the atmosphere have steadily increased, taking a sharp jump in the late 1980s when the summer of 1988 became the warmest on record. (There have been many records broken since then.) But climate change is not a synonym for global warming. The term global warming entered the lexicon in the 1950s, but didnt become a common buzzword until a few decades later when more people started taking notice of a warming climate. Except climate change encompasses a greater realm than just rising temperatures. Trapped gases also affect sea-level rise, animal habitats, biodiversity and weather patterns. For example, Texas severe winter storms in February 2021 demonstrate how the climate isnt merely warming. Related: What Are The Top States For Solar Incentives? Why Is Climate Change Important? Why Does It Matter? Marc Guitard / Moment / Getty Images Despite efforts from forward thinkers such as SpaceX Founder Elon Musk to colonize Mars, Earth remains our home for the foreseeable future, and the more human activity negatively impacts the climate, the less habitable it will become. Its estimated that Earth has already warmed about one degree Celsius, or two degrees Fahrenheit, since the start of the Industrial Revolution around the 1750s, although climate change tracking didnt start until the late 1800s. That warming number may not sound like much, but this increase has already resulted in more frequent and severe wildfires, hurricanes, floods, droughts and winter storms, to name some examples. Environmental Impacts Then theres biodiversity loss, another fallout of climate change thats threatening rainforests and coral reefs and accelerating species extinction. Take rainforests, which act as natural carbon sinks by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But as rampant deforestation is occurring everywhere from Brazils Amazon to Borneo, fewer trees mean that rainforests are becoming carbon sources, emitting more carbon than theyre absorbing. Meanwhile, coral reefs are dying as warming ocean temperatures trigger bleaching events, which cause corals to reject algae, their main food and life source. Fewer trees, coral reefs and other habitats also equate to fewer species. Known as the sixth mass extinction, a 2019 UN report revealed that up to a million plant and animal species could become extinct within decades. Human Impact It can be easy to overlook climate change in day-to-day life, or even realize that climate change is behind it. Notice theres yet another romaine lettuce recall due to E. Coli? Research suggests that E. Coli bacteria are becoming more common in our food sources as it adapts to climate change. Cant find your favorite brand of coffee beans anymore? Or that the price has doubled? Climate change is affecting that too. Climate change is also worsening air quality and seasonal allergies, along with polluting tap water. Not least, many preliminary studies have also drawn a line between climate change and the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that is still gripping much of the world. Future pandemics are likely to happen more frequently until the root causes, such as deforestation, are addressed. Speaking of larger-scale issues, global water scarcity is already happening more frequently. The Caribbean is facing water shortages due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall; Australias dams may run dry by 2022 as severe wildfires increase and Cape Town, South Africa has already faced running out of water. As touched upon earlier, its one thing to be inconvenienced by a lack of romaine lettuce for a couple of weeks or higher coffee bean prices, but reports warn how climate change will continue to threaten global food security, to the point of triggering a worldwide food crisis if temperatures surpass two degrees Celsius. Many of these factors are already contributing to climate migration, forcing large numbers of people to relocate to other parts of the world in search of better living conditions. Unless more immediate, drastic action is taken to combat climate change, future generations will have to contend with worst-case scenario projections by the end of the 21st century, not limited to coastal cities going underwater, including Miami; lethal heat levels from South Asia to Central Africa; and more frequent extreme weather events involving hurricanes, wildfires, tsunamis, droughts, floods, blizzards and more. Related: What Are The Best Solar Companies? Whats Happening and Why? Fiddlers Ferry power station in Warrington, UK. Chris Conway / Moment / Getty Images The Earths temperature has largely remained stable until industrial times and the introduction of greenhouse gases. These gases have forced the atmosphere to retain heat, as evidenced by rising global temperatures. As the planet grows warmer, glaciers melt faster, sea levels rise, severe flooding increases and droughts and extreme weather events become more deadly. The Greenhouse Effect In the late 1800s, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius studied the connection between the amount of atmospheric carbon and its ability to warm and cool the Earth, and while his initial calculations suggested extreme warming as carbon increased, researchers didnt start to take human-induced climate change seriously until the late 20th century. But proof of human-led climate change can be traced to the 1850s, and satellites are among the ways that scientists have been tracking increased greenhouse gases and their climate impact in more recent years. Climate researchers have also documented warmer oceans, ocean acidification, shrinking ice sheets, decreased snow amounts and extreme weather as among the events resulting from greenhouse gases heating the planet. Numerous factors contribute to the production of greenhouse gases, known as the greenhouse effect. One of the biggest causes involve burning fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, to power everything from cars to daily energy needs (electricity, heat). From 1970-2011, fossil fuels have comprised 78 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Big Ag is another greenhouse contributor, particularly beef production, with the industry adding 10 percent in 2019. This is attributed to clearing land for crops and grazing and growing feed, along with methane produced by cows themselves. In the U.S. alone, Americans consumed 27.3 billion pounds of beef in 2019. Then theres rampant deforestation occurring everywhere from the Amazon to Borneo. A 2021 study from Rainforest Foundation Norway found that two-thirds of the worlds rainforests have already been destroyed or degraded. In Brazil, deforestation reached a 12-year-high in 2020 under right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. As it stands, reports predict that the Amazon rainforest will collapse by 2064. Rainforests are important carbon sinks, meaning the trees capture and remove carbon from the atmosphere. As rainforests collapse, the remaining trees will begin emitting more greenhouse gases than theyre absorbing. Meanwhile, a recent study revealed that abandoned oil and gas wells are leaking more methane than previously believed, with U.S. wells contributing up to 20 percent of annual methane emissions. Not least is the cement industry. Cement is heavily used throughout the global construction industry, and accounts for around eight percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Natural Climate Change Granted, natural climate change exists as well, and can be traced throughout history, from solar radiation triggering the Ice Ages to the asteroid strike that rapidly raised global temperatures and eliminated dinosaurs and many other species in the process. Other sources of natural climate change impacts include volcano eruptions, ocean currents and orbital changes, but these sources generally have smaller and shorter-term environmental impacts. How We Can Combat Climate Change Participant holding a sign at the climate march on Sept. 20, 2020, in Manhattan. A coalition of climate, Indigenous and racial justice groups gathered at Columbus Circle to kick off Climate Week with the Climate Justice Through Racial Justice march. Erik McGregor / LightRocket / Getty Images While the latest studies and numbers can often feel discouraging about societys ability to prevent the worst-case climate scenarios from happening, theres still time to take action. As a Society In 2015 at COP 21 in Paris, 197 countries came together to sign the Paris Agreement, an international climate change treaty agreeing to limit global warming in this century to two degrees Celsius, and ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels; its believed that the planet has warmed one degree Celsius since 1750. Studies show that staying within the two-degree range will prevent the worst-case climate scenarios from happening. Achieving this goal requires participating parties to drastically slash greenhouse gas emissions sooner rather than later. However, there have already been numerous setbacks since then, from former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrawing from the Paris Agreement in 2020 to world leaders, such as China, the worlds biggest polluter, failing to enact aggressive climate action plans. Yet many of the treaty participants have been slow to implement changes, putting the world on track to hit 3.2 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century even if the initial goals are met. However, its worth noting that U.S. President Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement in 2021, and pledged to cut greenhouse gases in half by 2030. Then theres the Montreal Protocol, a 1987 global agreement to phase out ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons, chemicals that were commonly used in air-conditioning, refrigeration and aerosols. Recent studies show that parts of the ozone are recovering, proving that a unified commitment to combatting climate change issues does make a difference. On a smaller scale, carbon offset initiatives allow companies and individuals to invest in environmental programs that offset the amount of carbon thats produced through work or lifestyle. For example, major companies (and carbon emitters) such as United Airlines and Shell have pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in part by participating in carbon offset programs that remove carbon from the atmosphere. The problem is that these companies are still producing high levels of fossil fuel emissions. While individuals can make a small impact through carbon offsets, the greater responsibility lies with carbon-emitting corporations to find and implement greener energy alternatives. This translates to car companies producing electric instead of gas vehicles or airlines exploring alternative fuel sources. It also requires major companies to rely more on solar and wind energy for their energy needs. In Our Own Lives While its up to corporations to do the heavy lifting of carbon reduction, that doesnt mean individuals cant make a difference. Adopting a vegan lifestyle, using public transportation, switching to an electric car and becoming a more conscious consumer are all ways to help combat climate change. Veganism Consuming meat relies on clearing land for crops and animals, while raising and killing livestock contributes to about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UNs Food and Agricultural Organization. By comparison, choosing a plant-based diet could reduce greenhouse gas footprints by as much as 70 percent, especially when choosing local produce and products. Public Transportation Riding public trains, subways, buses, trams, ferries and other types of public transportation is another easy way to lower your carbon footprint, considering that gas-powered vehicles contribute 95 percent of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Electric Vehicles Electric cars and trucks have come down in price as more manufacturers enter the field, and these produce far lower emissions than their gas counterparts. Hybrid vehicles are another good alternative for lowering individual emission contributions. Conscious Consumption Buying locally produced food and items is another way to maintain a lower carbon footprint, as the products arent shipped or driven long distances. Supporting small companies that are committed to sustainability is another option, especially when it comes to clothes. Fast fashion has become a popular option thanks to its price point, but often comes at the expense of the environment and can involve unethical overseas labor practices. Not least, plastic saturates every corner of the consumer market, but its possible to find non-plastic alternatives with a little research, from reusable produce bags to baby bottles. Climate Activism Those interested in becoming even more involved can join local climate action organizations. Popular groups include the Sunrise Movement, Fridays for Future, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club, to name a few. Voting, volunteering, calling local representatives and participating in climate marches are additional ways to raise your voice. Takeaway Its taken centuries to reach a climate tipping point, with just a matter of decades left to prevent the worst-case climate scenarios from happening. But theres still hope of controlling a warming climate as long as individuals, companies and nations make an immediate concerted effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions. As the world already experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, a rapid unified response can make all the difference. Meredith Rosenberg is a senior editor at EcoWatch. She holds a Masters from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in NYC and a B.A. from Temple University in Philadelphia. Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter has taken aim at the erroneous Supreme Court ruling that gives legal bribery a chance to prevail. Carter made the comments, an apparent reference to the 2010 Citizens United ruling, in an interview Wednesday with the BBCs Today program. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaking at TEDWomen 2015. Photo credit: Marla Aufmuth / Flickr Carter told interviewer John Humphrys that the ruling would have prevented a relatively unknown farmer like himself from emerging as a serious candidate. Now, he said, theres a massive infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns for all the candidates. Some candidates like [Donald] Trump can put in his own money but others have to be able to raise, Id say, a hundred to two hundred million dollars just to get the Democratic or Republican nomination. Thats the biggest change in America, he said and one for the worse, adding that the erroneous ruling of the Supreme Court where millionaires, billionaires can put in unlimited amounts of money directly into the campaign. In a way, Carter said, it gives legal bribery a chance to prevail because almost all the candidates, whether they are honest or not and whether they are Democratic or Republican, depend on these massive infusions of money from very rich people in order to have money to campaign. Carter contrasted todays elections from when he was running for office, saying, In those days when I ran against Gerald Ford, who was incumbent president or later Ronald Reagan, who challenged me, we didnt raise a single penny to finance our campaign to run against each other. We just used the $1 per person checkoff that every taxpayer indicates at the end of his or her income tax return. But nowadays, you have to have many hundreds of millions of dollars to prevail. Humphrys said that another change that seems to have occurred over the decades is that many members of the middle class and working class, white people, have been disaffected form the political processsomething that Carter attributed to the fact that they have, in effect, been cheated out of a proper opportunity to improve their lot in life because rich people finance the campaigns and then when candidates get in office they do what the rich people want. Carters comments to BBC are similar to ones he made in September 2015, when he talked to Oprah Winfrey about the influence of money on elections, saying, Weve become, now, an oligarchy instead of a democracy. They also echo ones he made in 2012 when he denounced the financial corruption of elections and referred to that stupid ruling by the Supreme Court. We have one of the worst election processes in the world right in the United States of America and its almost entirely because of the excessive influx of money, he said at the time. Carters interview on BBC also covered the eradication campaign his foundation, the Carter Center, has been waging against guinea worm, a parasitic infection. Carter, whos 91 and has been undergoing treatment for cancer, said his hope is that he can outlive the last guinea worm. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Watch Colbert Explain Why the Broncos Should Draft Hillary Clinton for the Super Bowl Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton Make History in Virtual Tie in Iowa Gov. Kasich Admits Renewables Are the Future, So Why Did He Freeze Ohios Clean Energy Mandate 5 Reasons Ted Cruz Is More Dangerous Than Donald Trump For environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio, it is very clear why you can not stay home this Nov. 8. Following 14 consecutive months of record-high temperatures, the United Nations declared last week that 2016 is officially going to be the hottest year ever. The alarming report prompted the Oscar-winning actor to send out this tweet encouraging his followers to flex their civic duty: Another reminder of why its so important to get out there and vote this year. https://t.co/7YnbbgWqgl Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) July 28, 2016 He further dove into this important political topic on his Instagram page. Its time to vote for leaders in every community who understand the science and urgency of climate change, the post states. Take a stand and vote. The post included a photo of the Riau Rainforest in Indonesia being cleared for a palm oil operations, which is a major driver of deforestation that releases greenhouse gases and leads to biodiversity loss. [instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BIaxQmLD1Z5/ expand=1] While he hasnt explicitly said so, DiCaprio has virtually endorsed Hillary Clinton, whos now officially the Democratic presidential nominee. The Hollywood A-lister has donated at least $2,700 to her campaign and he has also supported past presidential campaigns for John Kerry and Barack Obama. I believe in science. I believe that #climatechange is real @HillaryClinton The time is now. Vote. Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) July 29, 2016 DiCaprio also had glowing words to say about Clintons Democratic presidential rival, Bernie Sanders, especially for his environmental bonafides. Look, not to get political, but listening to Bernie Sanders at that first presidential debate was pretty inspiringto hear what he said about the environment, DiCaprio told Wired in December. Who knows which candidate is going to become our next president, but we need to create a dialogue about it. I mean, when they asked each of the candidates what the most important issue facing our planet is, Bernie Sanders simply said climate change. To me thats inspiring. Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump believes that global warming is a hoax. A vote for Trump would essentially be a vote for dirty energy, continued dismissal of science and, as Stephen Hawking noted, a more dangerous world. If elected president, Trump would be the only world leader who does not acknowledge the dangers and science of climate change. Last night, accepting her nomination for president, Clinton said she is proud of the Paris climate agreement and pledged to hold every country accountable to their commitments to climate action, including the U.S. One of her best lines, which was met with loud cheers and applause, was a clear poke at Trump and other climate deniers: I believe in science. DiCaprio is a longtime environmental champion. His eponymous foundation recently held its third annual fundraising gala in St. Tropez, France, setting a new fundraising record of $45 million that will go towards preserving Earth and its inhabitants. DiCaprio giving a speech at his star-studded gala in St. Tropez, France. Getty While we are the first generation that has the technology, the scientific knowledge and the global will to build a truly sustainable economic future for all of humanitywe are the last generation that has a chance to stop climate change before it is too late, DiCaprio said in a speech at the gala. DiCaprio celebrated Thursday on Instagram a major victory of one of his foundations partners, the Wildlife Direct and Elephant Crisis Fund in Kenya. Last week, Feisal Mohamed Alia notorious illegal ivory kingpinwas sentenced 20 years in jail and fined 20 million shillings ($200,000) by a Kenyan court. [instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BIYeXS1DzpT/ expand=1] Pokemon Gothe app that has hoards of people roaming streets, parks and public spaces looking for imaginary Pokemonturns out to be beneficial for animals. This is what Pokemon Go players see when their eyes are glued to their phones. Photo credit: brar_j, Flickr While playing the app several users have stumbled upon abandoned or injured animals and offered help. Cornell University Animal Hospital in Ithaca, New York, is just one of the organizations receiving these injured and abandoned animals, Inhabitat reported. Since July 6, when the app was released, the hospital has been the recipient of a screech owl, rabbits, opossum and a baby squirrel. https://twitter.com/PokebalIGo/statuses/756123586394554369 People wandering around with their eyes glued to their phones is often seen as a nuisance, but some animal lovers are praising the habit. The whole Gotta Catch Em All, its great! Victoria Campbell, owner of WildThings Sanctuary, said. Campbell was part of a bat rescue. Pokemon Go player Olivia Case rescued a juvenile bat while she was in the pursuit of Pokemon in Ithaca. She called Campbell to tell her about the bat and Campbell directed her to Cornell University Animal Hospital. They showed up at almost midnight with this baby bat, Campbell said. I was like Wow, where did you find it? and they were like, We were out playing Pokemon Go.' Case isnt the only Pokemon Go player/animal rescuer out there. In Rochester, New York, a man found eight ducklings stuck in a storm drain and got them help. In South Houston two players saved 20 hamsters and seven baby mice that were found in a cage abandoned in a park. Also in Texas, in the town of Lufkin, two players found an injured puppy. The puppy was laying by the tree and a trash bag and could not move, Kaitlin Kouts told KTRE 9 News. His mouth was bleeding, he wasnt moving very much. He looked like he was in pain. We found out his back leg was broken. His gums were pale and blue and so were his ears. Kouts and her fellow Pokemon Go player were helped by Skyler Jerke, a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and pizza delivery man. Jerke stabilized the puppy and helped take it to a local veterinary clinic to undergo surgery for its broken bones. Photo credit: Kaitlin Kouts Pokemon Go doesnt only provide rescue services to animals, but exercise opportunities as well. Some animal shelters, such as Muncie Animal Shelter in Indiana, are using Pokemon Go players to walk their dogs. The idea is that they take the dog on kind of an adventure for the day, Phil Peckinpaugh, shelter director, told The Huffington Post. So next time you come in contact with a Pokemon Go player, just think, they could be on their way to rescue an animal in need. Chinese scientists believe they have discovered the deepest blue hole on the planet. Dragon Hole, in the Paracel Islandswhich are disputed islands claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnamis reported to be 987 feet deep, according to Chins state-run news agency Xinhua. The blue holea giant pit in the sea that is known for its distinctive blue colorpreviously thought to be the deepest is Deans Blue Hole in the Bahamas. Dragon Hole is more than 300 feet deeper than Deans Blue Hole. Scientists have already found 20 species of fish in the hole, according to the Sansha Ship Course Research Institute for Coral Protection. The institute enlisted a robot, equipped with a depth sensor, to explore the blue hole. Dragon Hole could also provide scientists detailed records of how the climate or water level changes over tens of thousands of years, Yang Zuosheng, of Ocean University of China, told CCTV. Once we have that data, we can deduct the patten of evolution for climate change in the South China Sea, including its ecosystem, hydrological system and its landform, he said. Local officials said they plan to protect the Dragon Hole, which they formally named Sansha Yongle Blue Hole. We will strive to protect the natural legacy left by the Earth, Xu Zhifei, vice mayor of Sansha City, told Xinhua. (Photo: Albin Hillert / WCC)Archbishop Thabo Makgoba has been outspoken from the pulpit. Makgoba, the Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, preaches during a July 19 interfaith prayer service, held at the Roman Catholic Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban, South Africa, during the 2016 International AIDS Conference. On the cusp of hotly contested local elections in which the supremacy of the African National Congress faces strong challenges in major cities, church leaders in South Africa have appealed for calm. They have asked political leaders of all political parties to help contain dissent. The run-up to the elections on Aug. 3 has been marred by recurrent bouts of violence, intimidation and even political assassinations, some of them in internecine fighting in the major ANC party. "Has our country descended to these low levels and becoming a mafia State? Let it not be so. God forbid!" Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, general secretary of the South African Council of Churches, said in a statement for the elections. "That is not the promise of South Africa; that is not the South Africa we pray for," said the leader of the SACC, a body that was at the forefront of the struggle against apartheid in the 1970s and 1980s. "Too many lives were lost in our struggle for democracy - and yet, even in sovereign freedom, killings continue, especially in the last few weeks," Mpumlwana, who is bishop of the Diocese of Maropeng of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church, said. The SACC is the umbrella body for 27 of the country's larger churches, including the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, Apostolic Faith Mission, Baptist and Lutheran churches. In recent months church leaders have had a strained relationship with the ANC government, which has ruled since the first all-race elections for a national parliament in 1994. The ANC and the SACC were close allies in the struggle against apartheid. After church leaders called on President Jacob Zuma to resign, following a judgement by the Constitutional Court on March 31 that found he had violated the Constitution, they themselves came under attack. "The role of the Church is nothing else but to preach reconciliation, forgiveness and to build the nation, as they have done during the anti-apartheid struggle," Mpho Masemola, deputy national secretary of the pro-ANC Ex-Political Prisoners' Association, told reporters in April. A NEW STRUGGLE? Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, has been outspoken from the pulpit. In his Easter 2016 sermon in St George's Cathedral in Cape Town he preached: "And as your Archbishop, when I see the absence of moral authority in our country, I feel fear. When I see public representatives on gravy trains of sleaze and dishonesty, oblivious to those who are hungry, I feel fear." A few days later Makgoba spoke at a graduation ceremony at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on the day of the Constitutional Court judgment against Zuma. Makgoba has the Anglican leadership once held by the iconic Desmond Tutu and is also chairperson of the National Church Leaders Forum and spoke of a new struggle - this time against endemic corruption, nepotism and greed and the need for courage. Referring to the late Nelson Mandela, he said, "During the last years of Madiba's life, I spent a good deal of time with him. Through him I was constantly reminded that courage is not the absence of fear but the capacity to triumph over it. "The brave woman or man is not the one who does not feel afraid, but the one who conquers their fear." "We live in a society based on fear. Our members of Parliament are too scared to hold the executive properly to account.... "And I hope that today's Constitutional Court judgment finding that both President Zuma in seeking to dodge the Public Protector's findings on Nkandla and Parliament in seeking to protect the President acted unlawfully, will give public servants and others new courage to speak out and generate not just a wave but a tsunami of truth-telling." The metropolitan areas, where Zuma is unpopular, are hotly contested in this election and the ANC faces challenges on its grip in power in cities such as Johannesburg, the biggest urban center, Tshwane (Pretoria) and Nelson Bay (Port Elizabeth), the fourth largest metropolitan area. The SACC's plea to pastors is: "To anchor our democracy in integrity of processes, the SACC requests that local churches intensify prayers and pastoral interventions in communities where peace must be restored, to maintain orderly coexistence across political divisions." HISTORICAL ALLIANCE NOW FRAYED In the late eighties, when anti-apartheid political organizations were banned and most civic organizations restricted, the churches stepped into the vacuum, leading to a heated church-state conflict during the dying years of apartheid. In May 1988, the SACC launched a concerted program of mass Christian action called the Standing for the Truth Campaign, invoking the wrath of the government of P.W. Botha, a hardline apartheid president, who made some minor reforms. "There can be little doubt that the Church played a key role in the ending of apartheid," theologian John de Gruchy wrote in Christianity and Democracy: A Theology for a Just World Order. Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, a political scientist at the University of Pretoria and a former SACC Council member, said at a recent conference there that after the advent of democracy in 1994 the ANC tried to control the organized church. According to him, the ANC's way of keeping the SACC in line was to give former SACC leaders government positions. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was appointed chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Frank Chikane was given a position as director general in the presidency, and Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa the mayorship of Tshwane. "This was a strategy to keep the SACC, the radical left churches, under control," said Maluleke. ONGOING ISSUES AND IMPACT Are the churches doing enough? South African theologians disagree about the level of church engagement in the present situation and its public impact. Professor Madipoane Masenya, Professor of Old Testament Studies at the University of South Africa (UNISA), said, "In a nutshell, I think one would be unrealistic to expect a church and religious leadership that did not grow out of a prophetic tradition, to start prophesying now towards a just society, especially now that 'the enemy is within us.'" But Rev. Mary-Anne Plaatjies Van Huffel, moderator of the General Synod of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa and a president of the World Council of Churches, said that during apartheid the media played a huge role in covering church opposition on "the ills of society in apartheid South Africa." She said therefore the perception was that the churches played a large role. "Currently the media is reluctant to give much attention to the SACC, National Church Leaders Consultation or churches' statements on the ills of society. "The lack of media coverage led to the illusion that the churches, faith communities and the SACC do not attend to socio-political and economic justice issues in post-apartheid South Africa," she said. Plaatjies Van Huffel believes that religious communities are as active as ever in dealing with socio-political and economic ills in society, pointing out, for example, that the SACC has launched a program called The South Africa We Prayed For. Masenya was asked what challenges religious leaders are facing at the moment. She said, "Leaders need to be transformed from the old mode of remaining in our silos and understand that it is our responsibility to impact the lives of our communities holistically, taking our cue from the eighth-century prophets." Masenya noted that many younger black theologians are dealing with "issues such as racism, black affirmations, gender criticism, HIV and AIDS, social injustices, issues that continue to bother South Africa. But the question is, who is listening to us?" (Facebook/TheLastShipTNT)Chandler tries to look into a possible virus mutation. "The Last Ship's" third season has so far been full of shocking twists and turns. But none has been more shocking than the loss of the American president. But how will this affect Chandler and the rest of his crew as they try to make it home? The previous episode of "The Last Ship" saw Chandler (Eric Dane) and the crew of the Nathan James successfully getting their comrades back and capturing Takehaya. The pirate revealed how the alleged cure that the US sent was useless as even those who received it had died. Despite everything that happened, Takehaya was able to redeem himself in a way by helping the Nathan James dodge both the Chinese warships that were after them and the mines that littered the ocean. While all this was going down, President Michener (Mark Moses) addressed the nation and asked for their forgiveness for bringing his infected son into the stadium, thereby infecting thousands of people. The episode ended with Kara (Marissa Neitling) discovering that the president's guilt had pushed him into committing suicide. Episode 8, "Sea Change," will prove even more challenging for Chandler, the crew of the Nathan James, Kara, and the rest of the country as tragedy strikes the US again. But the country will try to move on and learn from recent events. Meanwhile, Chandler looks into the possibility of a virus mutation. A trailer for the upcoming episode starts with people paying their respects. Based on the soldiers and the flag-draped coffin, they're mourning the death of the president. His vice president is later seen saying that the "world has lost a great leader" and implores that he needs help to get up to speed. A new weapon appears to have been discovered on board a ship and it's later detonated in a secure room. It appears to have released a kind of gas. Kara is shown telling the others that it's their job "to hold the country together," but Chandler is obviously frustrated with her answer. The clip ends with Takehaya apparently in danger of being executed. The question now is whether Chandler still has the time to investigate a possible virus mutation and stop it from further infecting and killing people. Episode 8 of "The Last Ship" will be aired on TNT on July 31 at 8 p.m. 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... To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020. 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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 Kelly, Pastore debate inflation, energy policy in congressional race Kelly and Pastore went head-to-head in a debate Tuesday that was organized by WQLN and Erie News Now, which first aired the taped debate Thursday. Ely, Cambridgeshire is best known for its majestic cathedral dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it dominates the flat landscape. The city, which is the second smallest in England, is about 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about 80 miles by road from London. 13:33, 25 OCT 2022 Police firearms capability essential due to 'dangerous and volatile' world Spending extensive amounts of money on firearms capability has to take priority because it would be 'foolish' to think the Isle of Man has 'permanent immunity' from threats seen elsewhere. That's the message from the Chief Constable of the Manx police force who says it has to take precedence because we live in a 'dangerous, volatile and uncertain world'. In the 12 months between April 2015 and March this year the firearms team - which is made up of volunteer police officers - was deployed on four occasions. PC Carl Woods is the lead instructor - he says whilst the threat level is generally low it's a resource the Island must have. Officers undertake extensive training and reaccreditation throughout the year - PC Woods says the training is intense for a reason: Opus return from Junior Achievement awards Students from the Isle of Man's Junior Achievement programme have returned from an award ceremony in Switzerland. Team Opus was competing against teams from across Europe - they were pipped to an award by a team from Denmark. Opus was formed at QEII High School as part of the charity's work in schools which focuses on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Callum Staley says anyone who's considering studying business after school should enter: Media Callum Staley The United States is now at war with North Korea. At least that is what a top North Korean diplomat has stated. In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Han Song Ryol, director-general of the U.S. affairs department at North Korea's Foreign Ministry, expressed how the Asian Communist country is aghast at the recent sanctions the U.S. has initiated against its leader, Kim Jong-un. The United States has recently placed the young and brash North Korean leader on a list of sanctioned individuals. Kim's name was added to the notorious list due to his alleged human rights abuses, most of which were documented by the Human Rights Commission of the United States. It is this rather personal attack against Kim that ultimately pushed the Asian country to declare war against America. Numerous restrictions have already been in place against the country, but Washington's July 6 announcement was the first time that Kim became the direct recipient of the sanctions. "The Obama administration went so far to have the impudence to challenge the supreme dignity of the DPRK in order to get rid of its unfavorable position during the political and military showdown with the DPRK. The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown. We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war," Han said. Despite its strong rhetoric, however, the North Korean diplomat was quick to point out that the U.S. was the one which brought the declaration of war upon itself. Han particularly took issue with the upcoming U.S.-South Korean military exercises that are scheduled for next month. "By doing these kinds of vicious and hostile acts toward the DPRK, the U.S. has already declared war against the DPRK. So it is our self-defensive right and justifiable action to respond in a very hard way," the diplomat said. As for its nuclear weapons, the Asian Communist country asserted that it was the United States which started the deadly military program anyway. Thus, the blame for North Korea's military current nuclear arsenal must fall on the United States. "It is not us, it is the United States that first developed nuclear weapons, who first deployed them and who first used them against humankind," Han said. "And on the issue of missiles and rockets, which are to deliver nuclear warheads and conventional weapons warheads, it is none other than the United States who first developed it and who first used it." The Board of Directors of Emira Property Fund has rejected Arrowheads unsolicited, non-binding, and highly conditional expression of interest to acquire all of Emiras issued share capital on the basis that it has no benefit to Emiras shareholders. The Board has considered Arrowheads conditional expression of interest and we believe its clearly not in the best interests of Emira shareholders, says Ben van der Ross, Chairman of Emira. There are many reasons for this. The proposal is highly opportunistic. The very low share swap ratio proposed represents a discount to Emiras current price and Emira has also traded at a premium to the ratio for the vast majority of the last 12 months. Fundamentally, the ratio is also at a substantial discount to Emiras net asset value. Geoff Jennett, Chief Executive Officer of Emira commented not only is the proposal opportunistic but it would also leave Emira shareholders receiving shares in Arrowhead, an entity with a quality of portfolio that Emira itself would not invest into. We believe there would be limited, if any, synergies between the two companies, their assets or their strategies. We are very different businesses, focussing on different sectors of the property market. As a company, Emira was established in 2003 and offers investors a straight-forward REIT structure. Over more than a dozen years, it has established a track record of good governance, shareholder engagement and transparency. Emira has a diversified portfolio of South African commercial real estate, and a long-term offshore investment in Growthpoint Properties Australia (GOZ), with a total asset value of R14 billion, and benefits from greater diversification in funding sources, thanks to its DMTN programme. In addition, Emira has a much larger average rand value per property, a meaningfully higher quality portfolio and a significantly greater total asset value. Supporting this, Emira has a strong, experienced team of asset managers with the proven ability to create value from its asset base. In contrast, Arrowhead listed in 2012 and has a complex structure with several piecemeal minority stakes in local counters, limiting its diversification. In its own portfolio, Arrowhead has a meaningful exposure to smaller lower-grade office buildings. We understand Arrowhead intends moving a large portion of these smaller assets into a separately listed vehicle with further non-core office assets of other funds. However, Arrowheads investors would still be exposed to the economics of the lower quality office building sector through a significant interest in the new entity. Emira has been strengthening its portfolio composition over the past few years by reducing its exposure to lower-grade offices and it continues to rebalance its portfolio to ease its office exposure. A transaction with Arrowhead would be completely counter to this strategy, and Emira believes that increased exposure to the office market is inappropriate at this time given the forecasted continuing weakness in the office market. Indeed, Emira will augment its existing strategy with additional initiatives planned to further rebalance the sectoral exposures into the other more defensive sectors. Emira has built its portfolio, structures and strategy to provide the best value for its shareholders in a sustainable, long-term investment, says Jennett. With this in mind, we have rejected Arrowheads expression of interest on the basis that it does not benefit Emiras shareholders. Dipesh Chakrabartys latest work, The Calling of History: Sir Jadunath Sarkar and His Empire of Truth (2015), is a significant departure from his earlier worksmost famously, Provincializing Europe (2000). It is difficult to cast this book in a straightforward disciplinary taxonomy. It is definitely an intellectual history of historical tradition told through the personality of Sir Jadunath Sarkar (187019 May 1958) and his peer G S Sardesai. It could also be seen as a work of literary criticism. Given my own disciplinary leaning, I am driven to believe that it is an ethnographic account of intellectual endeavour. Chakrabartys site, in this account is as much Sarkars life, as it is the moving, elusive targetthe archive. Chakrabarty is primarily interested in Jadunath Sarkar, the historian and the intellectualone who wrote masterful historical treatises on the Mughal Empire and the Marathas in the early mid-20th century. Through Jadunath Sarkar, Chakrabarty tells a story of a group of historians between 1900 and 1950, each making the journey of pulling and disciplining history into a domain of academic inquiry. Chakrabarty displays the effect of colonial intellectual encounter on a certain intellectual class of India, the story of which is told through Sarkars intellectual life and also his intellectual relationship with his peers, especially G S Sardesai. Sarkar was a child of the empire..., says Chakrabarty (p 12). The tussle between the two forms of history-writing, the prerogative of academic history and other popular forms which have been long present in India, forms the backdrop of Sarkars intellectual life. Nacogdoches, TX (75965) Today Rain likely. Potential for heavy rainfall. High 62F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low around 55F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. This article examines the structure of Pakistans ruling classes, their relationship to the state, and how the nature of these relationships have shifted significantly in certain regards over the past 40 years, whilst remaining surprisingly constant in others. In contrast to the work of Akbar Zaidi (2014: 51), who has argued that Pakistan is a long way from the classical structuralist or even Marxist formulation of the Pakistani state dominated by landlords, industrialists, and the metropolitan bourgeoisie, I argue that Pakistan is not such a long way from these formulations as may initially be supposed. Rather, these ruling classes have allied themselves with the bureaucratic-military oligarchy to the extent that the families of each of these interest groups now interpenetrate and overlap so that, in many instances, these families and the institutions they represent, are almost indistinguishable from one another. This article begins where much of the national discourse regarding the role of the state in Pakistan begins, by revisiting the foundational work of the influential sociologist, Hamza Alavi, regarding the relationship between the state and the ruling classes within the postcolonial nation. I then examine more recent scholarship that reconfigures Alavis conception of this special relationship. This oeuvre of scholarship poses an interesting challenge, but one that is usually peripheral to scholars of political economy: How do the elite factions of ethnically diverse postcolonial nations create alliances? And, what is it that holds these diverse elites together? Focusing on the theoretical aspects of this challenge, the article then examines the process of strategic family alliances amongst members of the ruling classes, and concludes with my own evaluation of the nature and structure of this relationship in Pakistan today, based on the findings of ethnographic research conducted between 2013 and 2015.1 The Indian armed forces are in a state of shock. The irony is that the nationalist political party considered most sympathetic to their cause is administering the shock therapy. The expectations of the military on pay and pension have been belied. In 2015, the veterans were forced to take to the streets demanding the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP). The government unleashed the police on protesting veterans. After vacillating on the issue, a distorted version of the OROP was announced in November 2015. Contrary to the accepted understanding of the annual revision and equalisation of pensions, the government fixed equalisation to once in five years. Initially, officers who sought premature retirement after completing the 20-year mandatory pensionable service were precluded from the OROP scheme. Later, the government relented and all officers who had taken premature retirement up to the date of issuance of the government notification were included in the OROP scheme. However, the future premature retirees are denied the OROP benefits. A new research replication project, involving 24 labs and over 2100 participants, failed to reproduce findings from a previous study that suggested that self-control is a depletable resource. The findings are published as part of a Registered Replication Report in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Over the last twenty years, numerous studies have provided evidence supporting the idea that our capacity for self-control is finite - using self-control on one task reduces an individual's ability to exert self-control on a subsequent task. But recent analyses have challenged the strength of this so-called ego depletion effect. Gaining a clearer understanding of the ego depletion effect is important given that our ability to override impulses is critical to everyday functioning and has been implicated in long-term outcomes related to health, achievement, and well-being. To investigate the strength of the ego depletion effect, psychological scientists Martin S. Hagger and Nikos L. D. Chatzisarantis of Curtin University in Australia proposed a Registered Replication Report (RRR) in which researchers from multiple labs use the same methods and procedure to conduct independent replications of an experiment. The particular study used for the RRR was from a 2014 article published in Psychological Science by Chandra Sripada, Daniel Kessler, and John Jonides. Computerized tasks were performed in succession to test the ego depletion effect, which meant that the procedure could be standardized and implemented across multiple labs. Hagger and Chatzisarantis developed the protocol for the RRR in close consultation with Sripada and Kessler, using the tasks and procedure from the original study. A total of 24 labs - from countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Indonesia, Sweden, and the United States - completed independent replications with a combined total of 2141 participants. Each lab's implementation plan was vetted by Alex O. Holcombe (University of Sydney), editor of the RRR, to ensure consistency with the protocol. As in the original study, RRR participants completed a computer task that involved pressing a button when the letter "e" appeared in words presented onscreen. Those who were randomly assigned to the depletion condition were asked to refrain from pressing the button if the "e" was near a vowel; this condition was thought to deplete self-control because it required participants to inhibit a tendency to respond. Participants in the control condition did not have to withhold responses. Participants then completed a digit task -- a set of three digits appeared on screen and participants had to press the number key that corresponded to the digit that differed from the other two. On some trials, the value and position of the target digit were congruent (i.e., 121); in other trials, the value and position were incongruent (i.e., 112). The original 2014 study showed an ego depletion effect: Participants in the depletion group on the letter "e" task performed worse than those in the control group on the subsequent digit task. But the combined results of the independent replications failed to reproduce this effect. "Do the current results suggest that the ego-depletion effect does not exist after all? Certainly the current evidence does raise considerable doubts given the close correspondence of the protocol to the standard sequential-task paradigm typically used in the literature, and the tightly-controlled tasks and protocol across multiple laboratories," Hagger and Chatzisarantis write in their report. Sripada, Kessler, and Jonides acknowledge that the RRR does not replicate their earlier findings, but urge caution in interpreting the results too broadly. They note that tasks used to measure ego depletion vary considerably across studies and may depend on somewhat different underlying mechanisms. "Caution is thus required in drawing implications from the results of this RRR for the phenomenon of ego depletion writ large," they write in a commentary accompanying the RRR. In a separate commentary, psychological scientists Roy F. Baumeister (University of Florida) and Kathleen D. Vohs (University of Minnesota), who have conducted several studies investigating self-control as a limited resource, question whether the procedure used in the original study and subsequent RRR effectively target the psychological processes thought to be involved in ego depletion. Hagger and Chatzisarantis agree that further research is needed to draw broader conclusions about the ego depletion effect: "[T]he current replication provides an important source of data with regard to the effect given it is based on a preregistered design with data from multiple labs, but we recognize it is only one source," Hagger and Chatzisarantis write. "We have outlined possible avenues as to how the research community can move the field forward in providing additional data for the depletion effect and exploring the possibility of converging evidence from multiple replication efforts across different depletion domains." ### The complete RRR and accompanying commentaries are available to the public online: Introduction to a Registered Replication Report on Ego Depletion Alex O. Holcombe A Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion Effect Martin S. Hagger and Nikos L. D. Chatzisarantis Misguided Effort With Elusive Implications Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs Sifting Signal From Noise With Replication Science Chandra Sripada, Daniel Kessler, and John Jonides For access to Perspectives on Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org. New research finds pre-term babies fed more breast milk in the first 28 days of life had larger deep nuclear gray matter volume and better IQs, academic achievements, memory, and motor function by age 7 A new study, which followed 180 pre-term infants from birth to age seven, found that babies who were fed more breast milk within the first 28 days of life had had larger volumes of certain regions of the brain at term equivalent and had better IQs, academic achievement, working memory, and motor function. The findings were published online Friday, July 29, in The Journal of Pediatrics. "Our data support current recommendations for using mother's milk to feed preterm babies during their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization. This is not only important for moms, but also for hospitals, employers, and friends and family members, so that they can provide the support that's needed during this time when mothers are under stress and working so hard to produce milk for their babies," says Mandy Brown Belfort, MD, a researcher and physician in the Department of Newborn Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and lead author. Researchers studied infants born before 30 weeks gestation that were enrolled in the Victorian Infant Brain Studies cohort from 2001-2003. They determined the number of days that infants received breast milk as more than 50 percent of of their nutritional intake from birth to 28 days of life. Additionally, researchers examined data related to regional brain volumes measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at each baby's term equivalent age and at seven years old, and also looked at cognitive (IQ, reading, mathematics, attention, working memory, language, visual perception) and motor testing at age seven. The findings show that, accross all babies, infants who received predominantly breast milk on more days during their NICU hospitalization had larger deep nuclear gray matter volume, an area important for processing and transmitting neural signals to other parts of the brain, at term equivalent age, and by age seven, performed better in IQ, mathematics, working memory, and motor function tests. Overall, ingesting more human milk correlated with better outcomes, including larger regional brain volumes at term equivalent and improved cognitive outcomes at age 7. "Many mothers of preterm babies have difficulty providing breast milk for their babies, and we need to work hard to ensure that these mothers have the best possible support systems in place to maximize their ability to meet their own feeding goals. It's also important to note that there are so many factors that influence a baby's development, with breast milk being just one," says Belfort. Researchers note some limitations on the study, including that it was observational. Although they adjusted for factors such as differences in maternal education, some of the effects could possibly be explained by other factors that were not measured, such as greater maternal involvement in other aspects of infant care. Belfort adds that future studies using other MRI techniques could provide more information about the specific ways in which human milk intake may influence the structure and function of the brain. Future work is also needed to untangle the role of breastfeeding from other types of maternal care and nurturing on development of the preterm baby's brain. ### Funding was provided by the Australia's National Health & Medical Research Council, National Institutes of Health (HD058056), United Cerebral Palsy Foundation (USA), Leila Y. Mathers Charitable Foundation (USA), the Brown Foundation (USA), the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program, and The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation. VAN was supported by the Cambridge Commonwealth Travelling Bursary, St. John's College, Cambridge; Mary Euphrasia Mosley and Sir Bartle Frere Fund; Lord Mayor's 800th Anniversary Awards Trust; Nichol Young Foundation; and the Worts Travelling Scholars' Award. Scientists have revealed for the first time the molecular steps that turn on bacteria's pathogenic genes. Using an array of high-powered X-ray imaging techniques, the researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) showed that histone-like proteins that bind to DNA are related to the physical twisting of the genetic strand, and that the supercoiling of the chromosome can trigger the expression of genes that make a microbe invasive. The study, to be published July 29 in the journal Science Advances, could open up new avenues in the development of drugs to prevent or treat bacterial infection, the study authors said. The researchers looked at how the long strands of DNA are wound tight, a necessity if they are to fit into compact spaces. For eukaryotes, the strands wrap around histone proteins to fit inside a nucleus. For single-celled prokaryotes, which include bacteria, HU proteins serve as the histones, and the chromosomes bunch up in the nucleoid, which lacks a membrane. When the normal twists and turns of DNA compaction turn into supercoiling, trouble can begin. "It has been known that DNA supercoiling leads to pathogenicity in bacteria, but exactly how the bacterial chromosome is condensed, organized, and ultimately segregated has been a puzzle for over half a century," said study lead author Michal Hammel, research scientist in Berkeley Lab's Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division. "What we did for the first time was to visualize in E. coli how this packing is done, and we also discovered that the way HU proteins pack the chromosomes can trigger gene expression. That is new." Capturing HU in action Elucidating these molecular mechanisms entailed imaging HU proteins at different resolutions and stages using two beamlines at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility. The SIBYLS (Structurally Integrated Biology for Life Sciences) beamline, directed by senior scientist John Tainer, combines X-ray crystallography and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) capabilities. The crystallography provided atomic-level details of how the HU proteins interacted with the bacterial DNA, while SAXS was able to show how the HU proteins assembled and affected the longer strands of DNA in a solution. To get a clear sense of how that twisting and packing manifests at the cellular level, Hammel teamed up with Berkeley Lab faculty scientist Carolyn Larabell, director of the National Center for X-ray Tomography (NCXT), also based at the Advanced Light Source. "We needed the interaction of these different techniques to get the overall picture of how the HU interactions with DNA were affecting the bacteria," added Larabell, who is also a professor of anatomy at UC San Francisco. "With X-ray tomography, we're able to see the natural contrast in organic material in as close to a living state as possible, and we can provide quantitative comparisons of how compacted the chromosomes were in pathogenic and normal strains of E. coli." Larabell calculated that the genetic material in the pathogenic E. coli is so tightly packed that it consumes less than one-half the volume compared with its non-mutant counterpart. A target to control pathogenesis Before this paper, it had been believed that the enzyme topoisomerase was the primary driver of DNA coiling in bacteria. This new study shows that, independent of topoisomerase, changing the assembly of HU proteins was enough to induce changes in DNA coiling at different stages of bacterial growth. "What is notable about HU proteins as a trigger for gene expression is that it's quick," said Hammel. "This makes sense as a survival mechanism for bacteria, which need to adapt quickly to different environments." The study results also beg the question: If pathogenicity can be switched on, could it also be switched off? "We certainly expect to answer that question in future studies," said Hammel. "These HU interactions could be an attractive target for drugs that control pathogenesis, not only of bacteria, but of other microbes with comparable genetic structures." ### Other study co-authors include researchers from the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research and the University of Texas. The National Institutes of Health and the DOE Office of Science supported this research. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in collaboration with Giant Leap Technologies, received $1.75 million Thursday from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to improve solar power efficiency. The project is part of DOE's SunShot Initiative, which is a collaborative national effort that aggressively drives innovation to make solar energy fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources before the end of the decade. Through SunShot, DOE supports efforts by private companies, universities, and national laboratories to drive down the cost of solar electricity to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour. The Concentrating Solar Power: Concentrating Optics for Lower Levelized Energy Costs (CSP: COLLECTS) funding program aims to further accelerate progress toward the SunShot goals through research and development to produce dramatic improvements and cost reductions in concentrating solar power (CSP) collectors, also known as reflectors. Projects target the design and manufacture of novel solar collectors, which use reflective surfaces to concentrate sunlight on a small area where it is absorbed and ultimately converted into electricity. "This is an excellent example of a partnership between industry and the national laboratories to use cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques to advance innovative energy technology," said Jeff Roberts, LLNL's deputy director for Energy and Climate Security. With support from LLNL's Center for Engineered Materials and Manufacturing, Giant Leap will develop capillary optics to replace expensive and wear-prone mechanical sun trackers with low-cost invisibility-inducing digital-glass for solar thermal and photovoltaic applications - i.e., base-load and peak-load needs. Solar energy collection technology represents one of the biggest opportunities to reduce the cost of solar energy because traditional mechanical solar collectors, like heliostats, require large amounts of steel, concrete and land. However, digital glass has the potential to replace today's sun tracker stations with thin transparent panels using a fraction of today's materials, while also drastically reducing the area needed for solar power plants by a factor of five to 10 for the same annual energy harvest. Redirecting sunlight An observer looking at a Microfluidic Light Steering (MLS) collector would initially see nothing more than a solid transparent slab. However, once an external signal is applied, the transparent block of material's internal mirrors will dynamically form to redirect sunlight. This steering of light is substantially independent of wavelength, polarization, system size and power level. The capability is ultimately based on micron-scale capillaries containing a refractive Index Matching Fluid (IMF) distributed within a transparent solid. The physical distribution of the fluid within the capillaries allows light to be steered to a solar receiver, where it can be captured and turned into energy. "At Giant Leap Technologies we believe that the next major advance in solar energy lies in liberating nature's secrets for the electronic control of sunlight. It will provide amazing and previously unimagined ways to deploy low-cost solar power installations and has the potential to set new directions for both the solar thermal and photovoltaic industries for decades to come," said GLT's CEO Leo DiDomenico. ### Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides solutions to our nation's most important national security challenges through innovative science, engineering and technology. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. In the first comprehensive work of its kind, a Michigan State University criminologist has completed a study on the implementation and outcomes of public safety consolidation - the merging of a city's police and fire departments. In the study, released recently in a report by the U.S. Department of Justice, professor of criminal justice Jeremy Wilson details that while public safety consolidation can work well for some communities, it isn't the best solution for others. "If there is one overarching lesson in our case studies, it is that consolidation of police and fire agencies is not a one-size-fits-all solution," Wilson said. "Communities must very carefully assess for themselves if it is right for them." Across the United States, more than 130 communities provide consolidated police and fire services. The study examined public safety departments in states ranging from Texas to Michigan, and California to South Carolina. Michigan has the most consolidated departments of any state, with 61, which includes the communities of Meridian Township, East Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Wilson hopes that this research will assist communities that are considering consolidation as an option, often as a result of budget constraints in struggling economies. He said that the knowledge gained from the study is a tool to use in exploring solutions to the contentious and sensitive issues surrounding public safety services in communities strained for resources. "We're not advocating for consolidation, we're objectively examining its short- and long-term advantages and disadvantages," Wilson said. "In some communities, consolidation has worked well, leading to increased efficiency and enhanced service provision, but in others it hasn't." The study found that consolidation efforts generally encountered more difficulties in the larger and more diverse communities sampled. Some communities deconsolidated after encountering leadership issues or a lack of full community support, and others discovered that it simply didn't meet their needs. Still other communities achieved success with consolidation, in some cases surpassing firefighting standards and earning better insurance ratings than most U.S. communities. The models and methods of implementing consolidation differed as much as the outcomes these communities experienced. "We've found that there are as many potential ways to consolidate public safety agencies as there are communities attempting to consolidate them," Wilson said. ### The work is one part of a portfolio of consolidation research in the Program on Police Consolidation and Shared Services at MSU's School of Criminal Justice, and was funded through the Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS Office. Wilson's co-researchers are Alexander Weiss and Clifford Grammich. Scientists increasingly rely on computers to gain insights about the world through simulations, data analytics or visualizations. These computational investigations typically rely on scientific software that makes it possible to perform virtual experiments and explore laboratory research data with reliable, reproducible results, whether one is using a desktop computer or the nation's most powerful supercomputers. Today, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced two major awards to establish Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2). The awards, totaling $35 million over 5 years, will support the Molecular Sciences Software Institute and the Science Gateways Community Institute, both of which will serve as long-term hubs for scientific software development, maintenance and education. "The institutes will ultimately impact thousands of researchers, making it possible to perform investigations that would otherwise be impossible, and expanding the community of scientists able to perform research on the nation's cyberinfrastructure," said Rajiv Ramnath, program director in the Division of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure at NSF. Molecular Sciences Software Institute The Molecular Sciences Software Institute, led by Daniel Crawford, professor of chemistry at Virginia Tech, will fund an interdisciplinary team of software scientists who will develop software frameworks, collaborate with code developers and cyberinfrastructure centers, and partner with industry in support of the computational molecular sciences community. "The Molecular Sciences Software Institute will serve as a nexus for science, education and cooperation serving the community of computational molecular scientists -- a broad field that includes biomolecular simulation, quantum chemistry and materials science," Crawford said. "Ultimately, the institute will enable computational scientists to tackle problems that are orders of magnitude larger and more complex than those currently within our grasp, and will accelerate the translation of basic science into new technologies essential to the vitality of the economy and environment." Software developed by the Molecular Sciences Software Institute will expand scientists' understanding of the molecular phenomena that underlie chemical processes, leading to solutions that will improve citizens' health and security and grow the nation's economy. Internationally recognized scientists from Virginia Tech and eight other universities will head up the institute. These include Rice University; Stony Brook University; the University of California, Berkeley; Rutgers University; the University of Southern California; Stanford University; and Iowa State University. The institute will comprise a team of software scientists at Virginia Tech, together with a cohort of software fellows from across the U.S. Science Gateways Community Institute The second award, led by the University of California, San Diego, establishes the Science Gateways Community Institute, a multi-institutional consortium that will increase the capabilities, number and sustainability of science gateways. Gateways are mobile or web-based applications that provide broad access to the nation's shared cyberinfrastructure to scientists and citizens alike. "Gateways foster collaborations and the exchange of ideas among researchers and can democratize access, providing broad access to resources sometimes unavailable to those who are not at leading research institutions," said Nancy Wilkins-Diehr, associate director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center and principal investigator for the project. "Sharing expertise about basic infrastructure allows developers to concentrate on the novel, the challenging, and the cutting-edge development needed by their specific user community." In astronomy, bioinformatics, nanotechnology and many other disciplines, science gateways have greatly expanded the number of investigators who can perform computational research on cutting-edge cyberinfrastructure. The institute will transform the way science gateways are developed by incubating new gateways, improving the usability of existing ones and training young gateway developers. The new institute brings together expertise from a wide range of partner universities and institutions, including Elizabeth City State University; Indiana University; the University of Notre Dame; Purdue University; the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at the University of Texas, Austin; and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Strategic support NSF's Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2) program, launched in 2010 to fund software research at multiple scales, is supporting the two awards. SI2 aims to transform innovation in research and education into sustainable software resources that are integral to cyberinfrastructure. The S2I2 awards are the first large-scale institutes funded by the program. NSF also awarded $500,000 to Princeton University, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to fund the conceptualization of a software institute to accelerate research enabled by the High-Luminosity Upgrade at the Large Hadron Collider. The announcement of the awards coincides with the first anniversary of the National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI), with which the SI2 program is closely aligned. Announced by the Administration in July 2015, NSCI is an effort to create a cohesive, multi-agency strategic vision and federal investment strategy in high-performance computing (HPC). The institutes address NSCI's stated goals of improving HPC application developer productivity and making HPC readily available. Above and beyond these goals, the awards acknowledge that the maintenance, modernization and improvement of scientific software requires sustained investment and a steady flow of developers skilled in computer science, software engineering and domain-specific knowledge. These awards, and the SI2 program broadly, aim to improve the ecosystem in which such software is created and sustained. ### Tropical Depression 06W appeared to be consolidating and coming together in infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite. The storm formed east of the Philippines in the Philippine Sea on July 29, 2016. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration known as PAGASA is issuing advisories on Tropical depression 6W (TD6W). PAGASA gave TD6W the local designation of "Carina." For the latest advisory from PAGASA on the movement of Carina, visit: http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/tropical-cyclones/weather-bulletins. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed TD6W in infrared light on July 29 at 04:47 UTC (12:47 a.m. EDT) gathering temperature data of the system's clouds. Although the storm appeared somewhat fragmented, strong thunderstorms had formed around the center of circulation, and in fragmented bands northeast of the center. The storm also appears somewhat elongated. Cloud top temperatures of the strongest storms exceeded minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius). Storms with temperatures that cold are high in the troposphere and NASA research has shown they have the ability to generate heavy rain. At 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) on July 29, TD6W was located approximately 394 nautical miles east-southeast of Manila, Philippines. Maximum sustained winds were near 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph). TD6W has tracked northwestward at 5 knots (5.7 mph/9.2 kph). AIRS data also showed the sea surface temperatures around TD6W were as warm as 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), warm enough to allow further development. Tropical cyclones need sea surface temperatures of at least 26.6 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) to maintain intensity. Warmer waters can help a storm intensify, if atmospheric conditions allow. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecast calls for TD6W to continue to track northward then northwestward under the influence of a sub-tropical ridge (elongated area) of high pressure, located to the east. JTWC also expects the depression to strengthen into a tropical storm rapidly. JTWC noted that the cyclone will begin to interact with the mountainous terrain in Luzon on July 29 and turn north into the South China Sea. ### CORVALLIS, Ore. - As fewer teens overall take up smoking, those who do smoke daily are reporting more health complaints than in years past, a new study indicates. "Teens who smoke report significantly higher levels of health complaints than nonsmoking teens, and we found that this gap has widened over the years, even as the overall prevalence of teen smoking has dropped," said Marc Braverman a professor, lead author and Extension specialist in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University, who worked with collaborators in Norway. "Some adolescents smoke as an attempt to cope with their health problems, and that subgroup may represent a growing proportion of teen smokers, as fewer teenagers are taking up smoking for social reasons." The researchers believe it is the first time that this shifting relationship between daily smoking and health complaints in adolescence has been reported. The results were published recently in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. Smoking is on the decline among adults and adolescents in most places around the world, which is very welcome news, said Braverman, whose research expertise includes smoking prevention and tobacco control policy. But as smoking rates decline, reducing them further becomes more challenging. Some tobacco researchers believe that the remaining smokers tend to be more "hard-core" smokers, who have been smoking for long periods and either do not wish to quit or believe they would not be successful if they tried, he said. "Many public health officials are asking what kinds of new strategies might be needed to reduce smoking prevalence, to say, the low single digits, and what kinds of resources that might require," Braverman said. "Some smokers are more addicted to or dependent on cigarettes than others." Understanding the links between health and smoking among teens will help public health officials determine better smoking cessation strategies for that age group, particularly those who smoke on a daily basis, Braverman said. For the study, researchers used data from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Study, an international collaborative project sponsored by the World Health Organization that began in the 1980s and currently includes 43 countries. Surveys of 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds are conducted every four years in participating countries. The researchers examined smoking behavior and health problems among 15-year-olds in Norway over five waves of the survey, from 1993-94 to 2009-10. They focused on Norway in part because that country experienced dramatic declines in smoking rates over that time period, which allows for investigation of how smoking populations have changed, Braverman said. As part of the survey, the students were asked about their smoking behavior and how often they experienced subjective physical and psychological health complaints such as headache, stomachache, backache, dizziness, irritability, nervousness, feeling "low" and sleep difficulties. In addition to the changes in health complaints over time, the researchers found important differences in health complaints related to gender. Girls, in general, reported more health complaints than boys, but the difference between the sexes was significantly larger among smoking teens than nonsmoking teens. In particular, girls who smoked daily reported higher levels of health complaints than any other subgroup, Braverman said. The data collected did not allow for an explanation of the reason for the finding, but the study raises concerns that adolescent girls might be at especially high risk for health problems associated with smoking, he said. If teens are smoking as a coping mechanism for physical or psychological problems, they may be at greater risk for dependence and addiction than their peers who are smoking because of peer or social influences, Braverman said. "And for those teens who smoke to cope with health problems, getting them to stop will likely require different strategies and more intensive intervention efforts than those that are commonly used," Braverman said. "A 'stop smoking' media campaign probably won't be enough." ### Co-authors of the study include Robert Stawski of OSU; Oddrun Samdal of the University of Bergen; and Leif Edvard Aar of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Braverman's work on the study was funded in part by a grant from the OSU Division of International Programs. Patient choice and the use of the private sector for hip surgery in Scotland was found to be associated with a decrease in NHS provision and may have contributed to an increase in age-related and socioeconomic treatment inequalities, says QMUL research Patient choice and the use of the private sector for hip surgery in Scotland was found to be associated with a decrease in NHS provision and may have contributed to an increase in age-related and socio-economic treatment inequalities, according to research by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). The study, published in the Journal of Public Health by Oxford University Press, is the first to look at the impact of diverting NHS funds to the private sector on NHS provision. By comparing rates of hip surgery carried out by NHS and private providers, the study suggests that the more contracting undertaken by NHS Boards in Scotland with the private sector, the greater the reduction in NHS provision. Patients aged 85 years and over or living in the more deprived areas of Scotland may have also been disadvantaged since the introduction of the Patient Choice policy in 2002, through lower increases in treatment rates compared to other groups. Lead author Graham Kirkwood from QMUL said: "The claim made by NHS Scotland's 2003 white paper that the additional use of the private sector would provide 'sustainable local solutions to long waits' for elective hip replacement is not supported by the evidence. The involvement of the private sector was supposed to provide extra capacity to tackle long waiting times, so in theory, we should see NHS treatments stay at the same level or increase. Instead our results show the level of NHS treatments going down during a period of high private sector activity." Between 2006/07 and 2008/09, an increase in the number of treatments commissioned from the private sector by NHS Boards was found to be significantly associated with a decrease in the number of treatments commissioned from the NHS. This period represents the peak of private sector activity, and the study authors say the association may have been due to the signing of the first block contract (worth 18.7m) between the NHS and the private healthcare sector in Scotland in November 2006. Those NHS Boards with the greatest use of the private sector for elective surgery experienced the largest reductions in direct NHS provision and of those Fife, Grampian and Lothian NHS Boards had not recovered 2006/07 levels of in-area provision by 2012/13. The study looked at changes in treatment inequality following the introduction of the Patient Choice policy in 2002, a policy whereby patients can choose to obtain their treatment from an out of area NHS provider or a private provider, funded by the NHS. From 2002/03 to 2012/13, patients aged 75-79 years increased their treatment rate by 65.7 per cent, while those aged 85 years and over increased their treatment rate by 31.3 per cent. The researchers also looked at the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), where different SIMD quintiles represent 20 per cent of the Scottish population living at a certain level of socio-economic deprivation. From 2002/03 to 2012/13, the two least deprived quintiles SIMD 4 and 5 increased their treatment rates by 67.3 per cent and 85.4 per cent respectively while the two most deprived quintiles SIMD 1 and 2 increased their treatment rates by 47.7 per cent and 49.5 per cent respectively. Co-author Professor Allyson Pollock from Queen Mary University of London said: "The 2010 UK wide Equality Act legislated for public bodies such as the NHS to tackle inequalities in the delivery of care by a range of factors including age, sex and socio-economic deprivation. Our results are therefore concerning and complement other studies that have shown that the private sector is risk averse and more likely to select out healthier and less poor patients. "It is current Scottish government policy to eliminate the use of the private sector for elective surgical NHS care, although concerns are being raised over increasing use of the private sector in the past few years. In contrast, England is now dismantling its NHS and accelerating privatisation. "It has been estimated that since April 2013, 5.5 billion worth of clinical contracts have been won by private sector companies. This is in addition to the continuing 5 billion Independent Sector Treatment Centre programme. It is likely that the policy of contracting with private providers for NHS care, combined with NHS expenditure cuts, will accelerate the closure of local NHS hospitals and services and negatively impact on equalities." ### For more information, please contact: Public Relations, Queen Mary University of London press@qmul.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 20 7882 3004 Notes to the editor Research paper: 'Patient choice and private provision decreased public provision and increased inequalities in Scotland: a case study of elective hip arthroplasty'. G. Kirkwood, A.M. Pollock. Journal of Public Health 2016. 2016. The research paper will publish here after the embargo lifts: http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/lookup/doi/10.1093/pubmed/fdw060 About Queen Mary University of London Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is one of the UK's leading universities, and one of the largest institutions in the University of London, with 20,260 students from more than 150 countries. A member of the Russell Group, we work across the humanities and social sciences, medicine and dentistry, and science and engineering, with inspirational teaching directly informed by our research - in the most recent national assessment of the quality of research, we were placed ninth in the UK (REF 2014). We also offer something no other university can: a stunning self-contained residential campus in London's East End. As well as our home at Mile End, we have campuses at Whitechapel, Charterhouse Square and West Smithfield dedicated to the study of medicine, and a base for legal studies at Lincoln's Inn Fields. We have a rich history in London with roots in Europe's first public hospital, St Barts; England's first medical school, The London; one of the first colleges to provide higher education to women, Westfield College; and the Victorian philanthropic project, the People's Palace based at Mile End. QMUL has an annual turnover of 350m, a research income worth 100m, and generates employment and output worth 700m to the UK economy each year. Treating people with mental ill health in hospitals with locked wards, as opposed to hospitals without locked wards, does not reduce their risk of suicide attempts or of unauthorised absence from hospital, also known as 'absconding', according to a new 15-year study in Germany of around 145000 patient cases, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. The authors suggest that an open-door policy may foster a better therapeutic atmosphere and thus promote better health outcomes for people on psychiatric wards. Although the authors caution that the findings may not apply to all countries, they say the study raises important questions for mental health services worldwide that may increasingly rely on locked-door policies, restricting patients' personal freedom to supposedly keep them safe from harm. Practice varies widely across Europe and seems to be mainly based on local tradition, as there has been little evidence to date to justify this practice in favour of an open-door policy. In this large observational study, the authors analysed data from 21 German hospitals, gathered between 1998 and 2012, to examine the association between locked- or open-door policies and the rates of suicide, suicide attempts, and absconding in patients. Of 349574 initially eligible patient cases, 72869 cases from each hospital type were included (total of 145738 cases) creating matched pairs to allow direct comparison between hospitals. Main diagnoses included organic disorders (brain disorders such as dementia), substance use disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, affective disorders (mood disorders such as depression), stress related disorders, and personality disorders. The primary measured outcome was completed suicide, and the secondary outcomes were suicide attempts, absconding with return, and absconding without return. Data was divided into hospital type (hospitals with or without an open door policy) and ward type (locked, partly locked, open, or day clinic wards). The research team found that suicide attempts and completed suicide did not differ significantly between hospitals with an open-door policy compared to hospitals without. Absconding rates (with or without return) were not increased in hospitals with an open door policy. Among patients who did leave without authorisation, they were more likely to return when under the care of an open-door hospital, than if they were being treated in a locked hospital or ward. Similarly, patients who were treated on an open ward were less likely to attempt suicide than patients who were treated on a locked ward, but there was no difference in the likelihood of patients completing suicide. Patients treated on open and day clinic wards had a lower likelihood of absconding, either with or without returning, compared with locked and partly locked wards. Hospitals included in the trial were obliged by the state to provide care to all individuals from a specific geographical area. Therefore, the authors say that patients at higher risk of self-harm and absconding were no more likely to be admitted to nearby hospitals with locked wards, reducing the risk of bias. According to Dr Christian Huber of the Universitare Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel, Basel, Switzerland, "These findings suggest that locked-door policies may not help to improve the safety of patients in psychiatric hospitals, and are not generally successful in preventing people from absconding. In fact, a locked-door policy probably imposes a more oppressive atmosphere, which could reduce the effectiveness of treatments, resulting in longer stays in hospital. The practice may even lend motivation for patients to abscond." [1] Although this study only looked at German hospitals, the authors say the findings could challenge current medical practice in many countries, where locked wards are increasingly used. However, they warn that further studies will be needed to see if the findings are applicable for mental health services in different countries, as the number of beds available, the percentage of acutely ill patients and the length of treatment might be different in between countries. For instance, in Germany, there are about 1.1 psychiatric care beds for 1000 inhabitants, whereas in the UK and USA there are less than half this (0.5 beds per 1000 inhabitants in the UK vs 0.3 in the USA) meaning that countries with fewer beds are potentially more likely to only admit severely ill patients at greatest risk of harm to themselves. The authors note that the study only looked at suicide, self-harm and cases of absconding. It did not monitor suicide, self-harm or harm to others among cases of absconding since data is not available for those who did not return. However, as co-author Professor Undine E Lang of the Universitare Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel, Basel, Switzerland, explains: "Most people with mental health disorders are at greater risk of suicide and self-harm than of harming others. Other studies have shown that most cases of absconding result in very few cases self-harm or harm to others. Our study suggests that the safety of locked wards for the prevention of suicide or self-harm might be overestimated, and patients at high-risk of self-harm or suicide may be lost from treatment." [1] Writing in a linked Comment, Professor Tom Burns of the Department of Psychiatry at the Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford UK, says: "Throughout western psychiatry we are witnessing a shift to ever more compulsion and control. National variations seem to reflect local customs and tradition, rather than any demonstrated differences in patient characteristics and needs. At its most basic, this increased compulsion reflects a casualness about patients' rights that calls for urgent attention--virtually every national code of practice is committed to the concept of the least restrictive alternative. This increase in control might also indicate a more worrying trend--a neglect of attention to establishing trusting relationships with troubled and severely mentally ill individuals. If we lose the emphasis on this core skill from our training and practice, it could be very difficult to re-establish. Therapeutic engagement and continuity of care need to move back up our profession's priorities." ### NOTES TO EDITORS: This study has no funding source. For guidelines on reporting on mental health issues, please see the Time to Change guidelines at https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/sites/default/files/imce_uploads/TtC%20Media%20Leaflet%20NEWS%20(2).pdf When covering a suicide-related issue, please consider following Samaritans' media guidelines on the reporting of suicide, due to the potentially damaging consequences of irresponsible reporting: http://www.samaritans.org/sites/default/files/kcfinder/files/press/Samaritans%20Media%20Guidelines%202013%20UK.pdf In particular the guidelines advise including links to sources of support, such as Samaritans, for anyone affected by the themes in the article, and emphasising that suicide is preventable. [1] Quote direct from Author and cannot be found in text of Article. NOTE: THE ABOVE LINKS ARE FOR JOURNALISTS ONLY. IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A LINK TO THIS PAPER FOR YOUR READERS, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING, WHICH WILL GO LIVE WHEN THE EMBARGO LIFTS: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(16)30168-7/abstract UNIST has climbed up world reputation rankings, according to the Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars supplement, published in the July 28 edition of the journal Nature. The Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars supplement identifies the countries and institutions showing the most significant growth in high-quality research publications, using the power of the Nature Index, which tracks the research of more than 8,000 global institutions. This supplement also presents a list of the top 100 most improved institutions in the index between 2012 and 2015, which are ranked by the increase in their contribution to 68 high-quality journals selected. In the index, UNIST has set itself apart from other academic institutions with its significant growth in research performance. With the meteoric rise of its contribution to top notch journals by over 1800% in four years, UNIST placed the 50th place on the list of the top 100 world-leading institutions for high-quality science. Since 2012 UNIST's contribution to the 68 journals included in the index, a metric known as weighted fractional count (WFC), has risen from 23.08 to 41.49, a more than 1800% increase. Among the list of the top 100 most improved institutions across the globe, the top ranking 1 through 3 are from China, including Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Peking University (PKU), and Nanjing University (NJU). Coming in at number 10 was University of Oxford. UNIST President Mooyoung Jung states, "The results show that UNIST has made its mark on the world stage, ranking among the top 100 universities internationally in the the Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars." He continues by saying, "To stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other world-leading research institutions, UNIST will perform at the leading edge of research and innovation." Since its opening in 2009, UNIST has grown to become a world-class university, with a rapidly growing reputation for its research and impact on a wide range of fields. Leading scholars from all around the world have been invited to deliver outstanding scientific results and education. In a short history, UNIST has been designated as one of the world's foremost graphene R&D institutions, hosting three IBS campus-based research centers. These research centers will be receiving $255 million (as of 2015 Dec.) in funding for 10 years from the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), South Korea. With support from the Government of Korea and the city of Ulsan, UNIST hopes to contribute to the development of local industry and economy through transferring the research experience, knowledge, and technology of its scientists. UNIST continues to strive to make an impact with its leading-edge research, promoting scientific collaboration with other countries as a driving force for excellence. ### In psychiatric clinics with an exclusively open-door policy, the risk of patients committing suicide or absconding from treatment is no higher than in clinics with locked wards. This has been demonstrated in a large study by the University of Basel and the University Psychiatric Clinics of Basel (UPK), in which around 350,000 cases were analyzed over a period of 15 years. The results are published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry. Self-endangering behavior by patients, suicidality and absconding from treatment represent great challenges for all medical institutions. In many psychiatric clinics, therefore, high-risk patients are accommodated in locked wards. This is done on the grounds that patients can only receive adequate protection and appropriate therapy if they are prevented from attempting suicide or absconding, but there is no evidence that locked wards actually prevent self-endangering behavior. It is, however, known that such wards create a treatment climate that is not conducive to successful therapy and tends to increase motivation to escape. A study period of 15 years In their naturalistic observational study, PD Dr. Christian Huber and Prof. Dr. Undine Lang of the UPK and the University of Basel, together with colleagues, studied 349,574 cases in 21 German clinics over the period from 1998 to 2012. Some of these clinics practiced an open door policy, making do without any locked wards. Sixteen clinics also maintained intermittently or permanently locked wards in addition to open wards. All of the clinics were legally obliged to admit all individuals from a certain area, regardless of the severity of their illness or of self-endangering behavior on the part of the patient. One of the study's findings is that the rate of suicide attempts and suicides is no lower in clinics with locked departments. Furthermore, institutions with open doors did not record a higher rate of absconding. "The effect of locked doors in clinics is overestimated," says first author Christian Huber. "According to our study, being locked in does not improve patient safety and, in some cases, actually hinders the prevention of suicide and absconding. An atmosphere of control, restricted personal freedoms and sanctions is more likely to be a risk factor impeding successful therapy." Focus on ethical standards "Our results are important for the destigmatization, participation and emancipation of patients, as well as for psychiatric care in general," comments last author Undine Lang, Director of the Adult Psychiatric Clinic at UPK Basel. The results will also have an influence on legal issues that arise when clinics adopt an open door policy. In future, treatment should focus more on ethical standards that ensure patients retain their autonomy as far as possible, says Undine Lang. Efforts should also be made to strengthen the therapeutic relationship and joint decision-making with patients. ### Orignal paper Christian G. Huber, Andres R. Schneeberger, Eva Kowalinski, Daniela Frohlich, Stefanie von Felten, Marc Walter, Martin Zinkler, Karl Beine, Andreas Heinz, Stefan Borgwardt, and Undine E. Lang Suicide Risk and Absconding in Psychiatric Hospitals with and without Open Door Policies: A 15-year Naturalistic Observational Study The Lancet Psychiatry (2016), doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30168-7 Further information PD Dr. Christian Huber, Senior Physician at the Adult Psychiatric Clinic of the University Psychiatric Clinics and the University of Basel, Tel. +41 61 325 53 61, Email: christian.huber@upkbs.ch Prof. Dr. Undine Lang, Director of the Adult Psychiatric Clinic of the University Psychiatric Clinics and the University of Basel, Tel. +41 61 325 52 00, Email: undine.lang@upkbs.ch In a study published in Scientific Reports, scientists discovered impressive abundance and diversity among the creatures living on the seafloor in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ)--an area in the equatorial Pacific Ocean being targeted for deep-sea mining. The study, lead authored by Diva Amon, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), found that more than half of the species they collected were new to science, reiterating how little is known about life on the seafloor in this region. "We found that this exploration claim area harbors one of the most diverse communities of megafauna [animals over 2 cm in size] to be recorded at abyssal depths in the deep sea," said Amon. The deep sea is where the next frontier of mining will take place. A combination of biological, chemical and geological processes has led to the formation of high concentrations of polymetallic "manganese" nodules on the deep seafloor in the CCZ--an area nearly the size of the contiguous United States. These nodules are potentially valuable sources of copper, nickel, cobalt and manganese, among other metals, which has led to an interest in mining this region. All of the potential polymetallic-nodule exploration contracts that have been granted in the Pacific are in this region, according to the International Seabed Authority. This study, part of the ABYSSLINE Project, was the first to characterize the abundance and diversity of seafloor-dwelling animals, a key component of deep-sea ecosystems, in an exploration claim area leased to UK Seabed Resources Ltd (UK-1) in the eastern portion of the CCZ. Using a remotely operated vehicle, the research team surveyed the seafloor at four sites within the UK-1 exploration contract area and at a site east of the UK-1 area to estimate abundance and diversity of the ecosystems. The preliminary data from these surveys showed that more animals live on the seafloor in areas with higher nodule abundance. Further, the majority of the megafaunal diversity also appears to be dependent on the polymetallic nodules themselves, and thus are likely to be negatively affected by mining impacts. "The biggest surprises of this study were the high diversity, the large numbers of new species and the fact that more than half of the species seen rely on the nodules--the very part of the habitat that will be removed during the mining process," said Amon. Exploitation plans are pushing ahead even though knowledge of the seafloor ecosystem in this region is still limited. "In order to more effectively manage the area and mitigate the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining in the CCZ and within the UK-1 contract area, baseline knowledge of the abundance, diversity, and species ranges of megafauna--a key component of this ecosystem--is essential," said Craig Smith, oceanography professor at UHM SOEST and ABYSSLINE lead investigator. The ABYSSLINE team will be publishing many more papers about the seafloor biology of the CCZ, with forthcoming papers from UHM scientists including an atlas of megafauna from the UK-1 exploration contract area, a study documenting extremely high diversity in the community of macrofaunal community (crustaceans, worms, mollusks and other invertebrates between 2 and 0.3 cm in size) in the UK-1 exploration claim area. ### This is part of the ABYSSLINE Project, an international program led by Craig Smith at UHM with investigators from six countries, which is conducting benthic biological baseline surveys for the UK Seabed Resources Ltd. exploration contract area (UK-1) in the CCZ in accordance with the ISA stipulation that prior to exploitation, a benthic biological baseline study must be undertaken for each exploration contract area. This work was funded by UK Seabed Resources Ltd. and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign have developed a new method for making brighter and more efficient green light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Using an industry-standard semiconductor growth technique, they have created gallium nitride (GaN) cubic crystals grown on a silicon substrate that are capable of producing powerful green light for advanced solid-state lighting. "This work is very revolutionary as it paves the way for novel green wavelength emitters that can target advanced solid-state lighting on a scalable CMOS-silicon platform by exploiting the new material, cubic gallium nitride," said Can Bayram, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois who first began investigating this material while at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center several years ago. "The union of solid-state lighting with sensing (e.g. detection) and networking (e.g. communication) to enable smart (i.e. responsive and adaptive) visible lighting, is further poised to revolutionize how we utilize light. And CMOS-compatible LEDs can facilitate fast, efficient, low-power, and multi-functional technology solutions with less of a footprint and at an ever more affordable device price point for these applications." Typically, GaN forms in one of two crystal structures: hexagonal or cubic. Hexagonal GaN is thermodynamically stable and is by far the more conventional form of the semiconductor. However, hexagonal GaN is prone to a phenomenon known as polarization, where an internal electric field separates the negatively charged electrons and positively charged holes, preventing them from combining, which, in turn, diminishes the light output efficiency. Until now, the only way researchers were able to make cubic GaN was to use molecular beam epitaxy, a very expensive and slow crystal growth method when compared to the widely used metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method that Bayram used. Bayram and his graduate student Richard Liu made the cubic GaN by using lithography and isotropic etching to create a U-shaped groove on Si (100). This non-conducting layer essentially served as a boundary that shapes the hexagonal material into cubic form. "Our cubic GaN does not have an internal electric field that separates the charge carriers--the holes and electrons," explained Liu. "So, they can overlap and when that happens, the electrons and holes combine faster to produce light." Ultimately, Bayram and Liu believe their cubic GaN method may lead to LEDs free from the "droop" phenomenon that has plagued the LED industry for years. For green, blue, or ultra-violet LEDs, their light-emission efficiency declines as more current is injected, which is characterized as "droop." "Our work suggests polarization plays an important role in the droop, pushing the electrons and holes away from each other, particularly under low-injection current densities," said Liu, who was the first author of the paper, ""Maximizing Cubic Phase Gallium Nitride Surface Coverage on Nano-patterned Silicon (100)", appearing Applied Physics Letters. Having better performing green LEDs will open up new avenues for LEDs in general solid-state lighting. For example, these LEDs will provide energy savings by generating white light through a color mixing approach. Other advanced applications include ultra-parallel LED connectivity through phosphor-free green LEDs, underwater communications, and biotechnology such as optogenetics and migraine treatment. Enhanced green LEDs aren't the only application for Bayram's cubic GaN, which could someday replace silicon to make power electronic devices found in laptop power adapters and electronic substations, and it could replace mercury lamps to make ultra-violet LEDs that disinfect water. ### The paper is available at Appl. Phys. Lett. 109, 042103 (2016). Bayram and Liu performed their work in the University of Illinois Micro and Nanotechnology Lab (MNTL), one of the world's premier university-based semiconductor and bio-nanotechnology research facilities. MIAMI--A new study by an international team of scientists reveals the exact timing of the onset of the modern monsoon pattern in the Maldives 12.9 million years ago, and its connection to past climate changes and coral reefs in the region. The analysis of sediment cores provides direct physical evidence of the environmental conditions that sparked the monsoon conditions that exist today around the low-lying island nation and the Indian subcontinent. In Nov. 2015, University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science geoscientist Gregor Eberli, along with his co-chief scientist Christian Betzler and an international team of 31 scientists from 15 countries, embarked on an eight-week expedition to the Maldives aboard the research vessel JOIDES Resolution. The scientific team on International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 359, which included UM geochemist Peter Swart and sedimentologist Anna Ling, extracted 3,097 meters of sediment cores that contain the history of the monsoon that is the most intense annually recurring climatic element on Earth. The monsoon system supplies moisture to the Indian subcontinent, which is important for the human population and vegetation in the region, as well as marine ecosystem in the surrounding seas. The Maldives are a string of island atolls built on coral reefs located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The waters around the low-lying archipelago has steadily risen and fallen for millions of years in sync with the changing climate. A new climatic phase heightened by human influence has these waters rising again, endangering the existence of the popular island paradise. "They are at the center of the storm for sea-level rise," said UM Rosenstiel School Professor Gregor Eberli, a senior author on the study published in Scientific Reports. The low-lying island nation offers the scientists a unique opportunity to reconstruct climate conditions during previous periods of varying sea levels to help scientists better understand how future climate change will the effect the 1,000 km-long archipelago and low-lying coastal areas all around the world. Today, the monsoon winds bring moisture to the Indian subcontinent but also drive the ocean currents across the Maldives. These currents carry sediment to the Maldives that is deposited along their shores and between the atolls. These sediments hold historic records of climate change and monsoon activity during the last 15 million years. At the same time, these same sediments also bury ancient reef buildups that flourished before the monsoon started. These reefs hold the key to the sea-level changes that took place before the onset of the monsoon. Most scientists agree that the South Asian Monsoon is linked to the initial uplift, or birth of the Himalayas, but the timing and other environmental drivers at play are still in question. During Expedition 359, Eberli's team drilled seven holes along the Maldives Archipelago to collect sediments that hold records of past sea level and environmental changes during the Neogene, a geological time period that began 23 million years ago. The information can help pinpoint the timing and environmental conditions that supported the development of the modern day ocean currents and monsoon conditions. "We have unraveled the physical evidence of the monsoon and now know the exact timing of when the modern monsoon pattern began, and have shown what consequences the onset of the monsoon had on the coral reefs of the Maldives," says Christian Beztler, Co-Chief Scientist for Expedition 359, from the CEN at University of Hamburg in Germany. "The scientific results of this expedition will give answers to many fundamental questions of the monsoon and the climate in general." In the Maldives, the monsoon and sea level have an intimate history. During what geoscientists called the Miocene Climate Optimum, roughly 15 million years ago when temperatures and CO2 levels were higher than today, the reefs around the Maldives atolls were flourishing. When the climate began to cool and sea levels dropped, the atolls become exposed, only to be flooded again during the subsequent rise. However, with the onset of the monsoon the new ocean circulations patterns began to emerge that were not favorable to the islands' coral reefs. The team found evidence for a period of global cooling that preceded the onset of the monsoon. During this cooling period the atmospheric circulation began producing seasonally wind changes that were ripe for the development of a winter and summer monsoon. These winds also started to generate ocean currents, which in combination with the expansion of an oxygen minimum zone caused several of the atolls to be submerged. This global cooling led to an expansion of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet that caused global sea level to fall exposing many of the Maldives' reefs. The currents also caused local upwelling that was again detrimental to the corals. At three of the eight drill sites, these drowned reefs were found covered by current deposits. "These atolls basically drowned, which opened seaways across the Maldives that increased the monsoon activity," said Eberli. "This partial drowning of the atolls is very interesting as it shows that the combination of rising sea level and ocean current can be detrimental to coral growth." Upwelling of nutrient-rich waters and the strengthening of the currents sweeping over the reef flats were detrimental to the islands' coral reef foundation. Eberli suggests that the abrupt development of the modern-day monsoon conditions were not only due to the uplift of the Himalayas, which is a pre-requisite, but ultimately the result of the cooling after the Miocene Climate Optimum, which initiated the formation of the bipolar ocean circulation that is still in existence today. The study, titled "The abrupt onset of the modern South Asian Monsoon winds" was published in the July 20th issue in the journal Scientific Reports. ### The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is an international research program dedicated to advancing scientific understanding of the Earth through drilling, coring, and monitoring the subseafloor. The JOIDES Resolution is a scientific research vessel managed by the U.S. Implementing Organization of IODP (USIO). Together, Texas A&M University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, and the Consortium for Ocean Leadership comprise the USIO. IODP is supported by two lead agencies: the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. Additional program support comes from the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD), the Australia-New Zealand IODP Consortium (ANZIC), India's Ministry of Earth Sciences, the People's Republic of China (Ministry of Science and Technology), and the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources. About the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School The University of Miami is one of the largest private research institutions in the southeastern United States. The University's mission is to provide quality education, attract and retain outstanding students, support the faculty and their research, and build an endowment for University initiatives. Founded in the 1940's, the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world's premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. For more information, visit: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu and Twitter. Visit the University of Miami's report on climate change http://www.climate.miami.edu. The University of Utah, Vanderbilt and Duke universities are the only 3 schools to receive grants (SALT LAKE CITY)--Investigators at the University of Utah School of Medicine's Data Coordinating Center have been awarded a seven-year, $25 million grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health, to form one of three Trial Innovation Centers (TIC) to improve clinical research. The TICs are part of an initiative to create the Trial Innovation Network as part of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program, which also funds the Center for Clinical & Translational Science (CCTS) at the University of Utah. J. Michael Dean, M.D., MBA, professor and vice chairman for research of the Department of Pediatrics, is the principal investigator for this grant. Jeffrey Botkin, M.D., MPH, associate vice president for research integrity, professor of pediatrics, and adjunct professor of human genetics and Internal medicine, is a co-Investigator with Catherine Sherwin, Ph.D., B.N., MSCI, chief, Division of Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology. Jeri Burr, M.S., RN, will serve as executive director. "It is a great opportunity for us to participate in the Trial Innovation Network initiative at NCATS. Our central Institutional Review Board (IRB) expertise and extensive experience with multicenter trials have prepared us to be active partners in this initiative," Dean said. "We are excited to have the opportunity to help realize the potential of the CTSA program as a national laboratory for studying, understanding, and improving multisite translational research." The Utah TIC is organized into three areas: 1) Support for rapid establishment of single IRB and streamlined contracting for trials initiated in the Trial Innovation Network. Botkin will lead this work, in conjunction with the outstanding leadership from our IRB (John Stillman, Ann Johnson) and Office of Sponsored Projects (Brent Brown), coordinated by Jeri Burr. The goal is to eliminate a common bottleneck in initiating multicenter trials, and to help investigators comply with the recently published NIH policy requiring a single IRB for all multicenter studies. 2) Support for the development and implementation of practical study protocols within feasible budgets. Dean will lead this project, with experienced leadership from numerous Data Coordinating Centers in the Department of Pediatrics (Marianne Gildea, Anna Jolley, Sally Jo Zuspan, Angie Webster and Jeffrey Yearley). The goal is early intervention to assist study investigators with study design, delineation of data requirements, preparation of training materials, and efficient implementation of the protocol. 3) Support for randomized drug trials, including industry-sponsored trials. Sherwin will lead this team, with experienced leaders from the Clinical Trials Office (Pavel Kruchek and Jaci Skidmore). The goals include assistance with FDA IND and IDE applications, clinical pharmacology and pharmacometric modeling. The Utah TIC will collaborate with the TIC at the Duke (University) Clinical Research Institute and Vanderbilt University (Principal Investigators: Danny Benjamin and Gordon Bernard), and the TIC at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Tufts University (Principal Investigators: Daniel Hanley and Harry Selker). The Trial Innovation Network also includes a Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC) awarded to Vanderbilt University (Principal Investigators: Paul Harris and Consuela Wilkins.) The University of Utah CCTS, led by co-directors Carrie Byington, M.D., and Willard Dere, M.D., is also a component of the Vanderbilt RIC program. ### About the Data Coordinating Center The University of Utah investigators and staff have extensive experience with coordinating complex multicenter registries, observational studies, and randomized trials. Over a dozen research networks and 75 studies have been supported over the past decade, including pediatric and adult clinical studies. In conjunction with the Clinical Trials Office (CTO) in the Department of Pediatrics, the Data Coordinating Center provides support for multiple external networks as well as clinical trials initiated by investigators at the University of Utah School of Medicine. About the University of Utah Center for Clinical & Translational Science (CCTS) The Utah CCTS provides the infrastructure for clinical and translational research at the University of Utah. With our partner organizations, Intermountain Healthcare, the Utah Department of Health, and the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, the CCTS supports four Foundations for Discovery including Workforce Development, Precision Medicine, Population Health Sciences, and Clinical Trials Support. The Clinical Trials Support Foundation will work closely with the newly funded TIC to enhance and facilitate the conduct of clinical trials in our region. Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- The Unprecedented, cold-blood Murder of a Christian Priest inside a Church in France, at an Islamic Terrorist Attack during Mass, which took also 5 Hostages, Wounding Seriously one of them, appears to have been Foreseen, or at least partly Foreseable, since New Security Measures had been Anounced, at least for the most Important Religious Buildings, just a Few Days Before that Horrible Killing, as it results, f.ex., from the concrete case of the Cathedral of Strasbourg, Host of the CoE and EU Parliament's Plenaries, as well as of the ECHR, Shengen system's Secretariat, EUROCORPS, EU Ombudsperson, etc. Moreover, ISIL's atrocious BeHeaders, even of Innocent Civilian People, had notoriously Anounced, already since 2015, their Intention to Attack Christian Churches in Europe and elsewhere, i.e. Long Before 2 of its Terrorists commit on 2016 Murder in a French Church, at a very Particular, Politically, Village, (See Infra), where they were Shot Down by Police Warned by a Nun who had Escaped, when they went Out with the Hostages, crying "Allahu Akbar" and Brandishing Knives added to Fake Suicide Bomb belts. Even more Important : The 2nd Islamic Terrorist, which has just been Identified, after being Recently Classified in the "S" Category of Dangerous Suspects who must be followed, since June 29, 2016, had even been Denounced,, by a Friendly State, as Preparing an Imminent Terrorist Attack, and a Special Anti-Terrorist Note had been Issued, on that case, since July 22. By an Astonishing "Coincidence", it's also on that Same Date, July 22, 2016, that Strasbourg's Cathedral issued a Document Announcing New, Exceptional Security Measures, which was subsequently Read in Public, and Distributed to the Faithful, at the Latest, on the occasion of the Mass of Sunday, July 24, as "Eurofora" found on the spot. (I.e. just 2 Days Before the ISIL Attack against another Church in Normandy, Yesterday Morning, Tuesday, July 26). That New Text described a whole Series of Exceptional Security Measures, including, f.ex., Individual Searches on All Persons entering the Cathedral, Suppression of certain Masses, Change of Hours, Systematic Closure of Doors with a precise Timing, Special Entrance and/or Exit Doors, etc., while, in Parallel, already, Security Barriers had been Prepared and Military a.o. Guards were already Present at the Entrance, as we saw Last Sunday. In fact, that Deadly Islamic Terrorist Attack "Could have been Prevented", revealed the French Press, but Police's work had been practicaly Obstructed by the Fact that the Necessary Information about the Name of this Dangerous, 2nd Identified Terrorist, had been too much Delayed by Turkey, from 10 up to 26 June : Ankara's Authorities, indeed, didn't inform France beforehand that this person had been apprehended while attempting to join ISIS, so that when the French Police learned his Name, he had already Crossed the Border Returning Back to France, already from June 11, (i.e. more than 15 Days Before the Turks inform the French !), so that he had Escaped from beingg immediately Apprehended at the moment of his Entrance to the Country. Turkey had already abused of such a method in the Past (2014), also concerrning France, (when it probably believed to still have some non-satisfied yet Political Demands vis a vis Paris), by sending back 3 Suspects, Islamic Extremists, (including Parents of a Murderer, who had Killed even Small Children aged 5 y.o. with their Father : Merah), without Informing the French Authorities, who expected them to arrive soon in Paris, while, in fact, they had already returned back at another, far away side of the Country, at ...Marseilles, some Days Earlier. Fortunately, at least one of them presented himself, then, to the Police, Later-on... Meanwhile, in Addition, even the 1st Identified Islamic Terrorist, (who had been Classified in the Category "S" and submitted to Partial Surveillance, while also Living at the Village where the Attack took place), had reportedly Announced, already more than a Month Earlier, his Intention to "Attack a Church", French Media reported. He had Spoken about that at least with one of his Pals, while going out of a Local Mosque, as the Latter revealed Now to the Press. That Terrorist had reportedly been Radicalized since Early 2015, Shortly after attending a Mosque, where he was seen by several Witnesses also during the Last Week-End, wearing a "Djelaba", (despite a strange Denial by the Local Imam). In Addition, the 2nd Islamic Terrorist too, had been reported to attend frequently another Mosque, at his HomeTown. A "Salafist" Mosque was notoriously Open near the Church that was Attacked, denounced nowadays the Chief of Centrist Party MODEM, Francois Bayrou, after also several Other Critics. Moreover, the Christian Church which fell now Victim of a Horrible Deadly Islamic Terrorist Attack, had reportedly Given a Plot of Land for the 1st Local Mosque to be built on it. In such a Context, an alleged earlier Attempt (persistently Pushed by a Muslim Lobby) to start State Funding and Endorsement of Imams in all Mosques, by adopting for them a Similar Legal Status to the French State - Vatican State "Conoordat" regime, (which exists, since a Long Time, Only in Strasbourg's Region, for its Historic Christian and Jewish Religions of the Majority of People), seems Now quite Shaky, if not entirely Inconceivable. A Fortiori, when Other EU Member Countries, f.ex. even Bulgaria, which Hosts a Small Turkish Minority, have just Started to Prepare Legal Measures Outlawing any such Muslim or other Religious Entities which are Supported by Foreign Interference, (usualy from the Turkish State, whose Government even appoints Imams, Contary to most Other Muslim Communities, f.ex. Arabs or East Asians, etc), Obliging to Use Only the Language of the Host Country in all Ceremonies and Preaching, etc, according to Recent Draft Bills, reportedly Ready to be soon adopted. Even Less when the 1st Mosque which received Local Public Funds by Strasbourg's Socialist Municipality : that which is Directed by a Controversial Turkish NGO Network of Migrants Hosted in several EU Countries, called "Gori Milli", (which has often been Accused in the Past also for Dangerous Extremist Islamic Trends), was found to be often visited by the only ISIL Deadly Terrorist from Strasbourg's area, an Ethnic Turk, who actively Participated in the Massacres of more than a Hundrend of Innocent Civilian People notoriously Killed on November 13, 2015 in Paris... All those Deadly, Extreme Islamic Terrorists, who Killed Civilians in Paris and now in Normandy, were found to have Come and Gone through Turkey to ISIL's Headquarters, in the adjacent Occupied Territories of Syria, or, at least, repeatedly attempted to do so. One of the First Groups to do so, a Team of inter-related former Armed Djihadists from Strasbourg, (including a Brother of that Paris' Killer : Comp. Supra), has just been Judged and Condemned in several Years of Prison' sentences by a competent Paris' Anti-Terrorist Court, just a few Weeks ago. The Latest Horrible Murder of Old Christian Priest Jacques Hamel, by 2 Knifed Islamic Extremists who reportedly Pushed him to Kneel Down, before Cutting his Throat, and Seriously Injuring another Hostage, while Obliging a third to "Film" their Cowardish Crimes against Defenseless Civilian People inside a Church during the Mass, was notoriously Revendicated by ISIL Terrorists, who even Published a Video showing those Bearded and Ancient Islamic Clothes' wearing individuals, at least one of whom had been Raised by his Parents by Depriving him, since he was just a Kid, from a Conscious Cultural Integration in their Host Country, France, as a locacious Photohraph published now mainly by the Brittish Press obviously reveals, showing him with a big Hat arbouring the National Flag of a Foreign Country... Indeed, in a case as that of Saint-Etienne du Rouvray, a Former Industrial City of about 30.000 Inhabitants, whose Traditionaly "Communist" Mayor wants now to Augment the Population up to More than 35.000 during the Next Years, but whose Family Structure has Less than 3.400 Couples with 1 or more Children, out of a Total of 11.000 Households, obviously, the Only way to do that is to Hastily and Massively ... "Import" any Population whatever, from anywhere else, inevitably Provoking well known "Integration" problems. So that the Multi-Culturalism usually pursued by a Municipality where the "Left" got ...100 % of Votes (sic !), in the Latest Local Elections, (with 85% for the Union of the Left, and 15% for the Leftists of NPA, Without Leaving for the Center and the Right Not even O,1% : a Unique Political Phenomenon, Not Seen even at Brezniev's former USSR !..), had, obviously, No Good Results at all, concerning a recently Denounced Radicalisation by Islamic Extremism, as Tragic Facts confirm Nowadays. To the point that even the More Radicalized "Leader" of that Horrible Islamic Terrrorist "Duo", (who had reportedly Escaped from Jail by Hypocriticaly Pretending to be a "Moderate" Muslim), was Living, Free to Move around all Mornings and the Week-Ends, just a few Minutes away from the Church against which he launched a Deadly Attack ! (See relevant City MAP). In fact, the Murdered, 86 Years Old, Christian Catholic Priest Jacques Hamel, was probably the Unique "Surviving", still active Person, from a Period of a Remote Past, when that Village wasn't yet Dominated 100% by a Multi-Culti Left (Comp. Supra), Nor as Islamized as it was Forced to become, later-on, (See Ibid). And that, inside what is, in fact, a Rouen City's Suburb, to the Direction of Paris' North-Western Suburbs, such as Saint-Denis, (another Traditional former "Leftist" Local Stronghold : Comp. Supra), that some have recently Nick-Named "Molenbeek-sur-Seine", in reference to that Brussels' notoriously "Islamized" Suburb, which was often linked to recent Terrorist Attacks, (See relevant Regions' MAP). - Meanwhile, Strasbourg region's ArchiBishop, Mgr Jean-Pierre Grallet, in a Message to Journalists, including "Eurofora", sent from Krakow (Poland), where he was also as a Representative of EU Bishops for the World Youth Days of 2016, endorsed Pope Francis' "Condemnation" of that "Horror" of "Barbaric Murder" of a Priest inside a Church, where a seriously Wounded "Faithful" still struggles to survive, "between Life and Death", while "another 3 had been held Hostages"), stressing that "such an Odious Crime affects all the (Christian) Catholic Community, profoundly Shocked", and "associates itself to the Sorrow felt by all". - However, "it's up to the (French) State and to the Public Authorities", (i.e. including Local and Regional, etc), "to Take the Necessary Measures for the Protection and the Security of the Population", since "this Concerns their Direct Responsibility", as he said, while a "Hot" Debate has just started in France, Germany and all Europe, on the most Adequate and Efficient Public Policy in this regard. - As for the Christian "Catholic Church" itself, "it has no other Weapons than Prayer and Brotherhood between all Humans", Mgr Grallet pointed out, (citting Rouen's ArchiBishisho, Mgr Lebrun's earlier Statement), reportedly Calling Not to Lay its Arms in Front of Violence, but Resolutely Search to Buid Brotherhood in our World, with due Respect for each Person, and Solidarity with those who Suffer. Christians' Responsibility is also to Pray for those who are profoundly Affected after these Barbaric Acts, and Ask God to give us the Force to "Never Yield to Violence, Nor be Demoralized by it". + Nearby Lyon City's Mosque Rector, Kamel Kaptane, reportedly Called Muslims to "Clean our House" ("faire le Menage"), because "it's up to us, Muslims, to Take our Responsibilities. We Must Put our House in Order. What happens is made in the Name of Islam, and in the Name of Muslims. And this, We canNot Accept it", he pointed out, while "Hot" Controversies break out around a Judge's previous Decision to Free from Jail, under Insufficient Control, the Leading Terrorist, who had Pretended to be a "Moderate Muslim", despite Prosecutor's Warning that he was Dissimulating the Fact that he represented a Serious Danger. At the Aftermath of the Normandy Killing, ISIL Terrorists publish, indeed, a Video showing Both Aggressors to have openly Declared their Allegiance to Chief Terrorist El Baghdadi. However, the Fact that Recent ISIL's Terrorist Attacks in France and in Germany have generaly used quite Rudimentary material Means, (including, f.ex., mere Knives, a Truck, Fake Arms and/or Fake "Suicide Bomber" Equipment, even a ...Kitchen Cooker's "Ticking" machine, etc), seem to indicate that the Deadly Islamist Extremists' Violence might be, in fact, Loosing Ground in real practice, (at the Same Time that ISIL - Occuppied Territories in Syria and Iraq have notoriously Started to be progressively Liberated by the respective National Armies and the International Anti-ISIS Coalition. - But, In Wider terms, "Attack a Chuch, and Kill a Priest, is Desecrate the whole Republic", Denounced earlier French President Hollande (Socialist), while the Head of main Opposition "Republican" Party (ChristianDemocrat/EPP), Nicolas Sarkozy, stressed that it also "Affects France's Soul", calling to Urgently Take a Set of Drastic Measures. However, Prime Minister Manuel Valls (Socialist), Warned against "ISIL Terrorists' aim to Provoke a Conflict Between various Religions", at the same time that Rightist Top MP Marion Marechal Le Pen (of the "National Front"), in addition to a Strong Criticism of the current Government's policies, decided to Join herself a New National Guard composed of volunteer Citizens, (earlier proposed by the JHA Minister, former EU affairs Minister Cazeneuve), and Leftist Leader, MEP Melenchon denounced the "InHumanity" of such sly Killers and called to Defend Human Values. Tonight, almost All Top French Officials, including current President Hollande, and Past Presidents Sarkozy and Giscard d'Estaing, etc., were Present, Together with a lot of People, at "Notre Dame de Paris" Historic Cathedral, in order to pay Hommage to the Murdered Priest Jacques Hamel and other Victims of that Latest Islamic Terrorist Attack against a 16th Century Christian Church, dating from the Era of ReNaissance and recognized as an Historic Cultural Heritage, located at the Heart of Europe, while various Similar Collective Events were also Scheduled throughout most Other main Cities during the Next few Days. (../..) *** (NDLR : Partly UpDated) ("DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more Accurate, full Final Version, might be Published asap). *** Charles Darwin gave science a major step forward in intellectual progress, many assume. He replaced what he considered miracles of design by natural processes. His goal seemed noble to many: unifying the disparate organisms of the earth into a unified picture of descent with modification, united by a law of nature he called natural selection. Science was thus rid of miracles. So he thought. Darwins law of nature, however, amounted to little more than historical contingency. Variations appear randomly in his view without direction or purpose at the basis of life which evolutionists today usually locate in the genes. From the bottom up view, to avoid looking miraculous, variations had to be small and gradual, barely making a difference to the organism except for some slight increment in a nebulous quality he called fitness. From the top down view, however (the tree of life), many disparate organisms needed to be united by lines of common descent with huge gaps between them. Bringing the bottom-up and top-down pictures together has not been easy. Two recent articles show how modern evolutionists do it by employing miracles stretching credibility beyond the breaking point to bring the two pictures together. In Current Biology, Thibaut Brunet and Detlev Arendt appear excited about the possibility of solving the hard problem of cartilage origins. Their title, a play on the hard problem of consciousness described by David Chalmers, refers here to the origin of hard parts in animal bodies. Can all the disparate animal body plans be united by a common ancestor? Skeletons are misunderstood. Because of their resistance to decay, bones have become symbols of death; yet, they are intensely alive tissues, undergoing lifelong active remodeling. To the evolutionary biologist, the hard parts of animals are similarly double-faced: their endurance makes them the prime candidates for fossilization and provides paleontologists with a wealth of information on the skeleton of extinct animals. From the paleontologists view, animal evolution is thus mainly the evolution of hard parts (plus what can be deduced from them). But for the same reason, the origin of the first animal skeletons, and the ancestral structures that gave rise to them in soft-bodied animals, remains mysterious; preservation of soft tissue is too rare to provide a clear-cut solution. For more than a century, morphologists have been debating, with precious little evidence, the hard questions of skeleton origins: When did animal skeletons first evolve? Did they appear once or several times independently? Which ancestral soft tissues first became rigid, and by what molecular mechanisms? A recent study by Tarazona and co-authors, comparing skeleton formation between invertebrates and vertebrates at the molecular level, sheds new light on these questions. [Emphasis added.] As is common in evolutionary literature, Brunet and Arendt do not ask whether hard parts evolved, but only how they evolved. According to the rules of science, questioning naturalism is forbidden. By limiting ones explanatory toolkit to unguided natural processes, however, difficulties arise. Theres nothing like an appeal to miracles to get around a difficulty. As Finagle advised, Do not believe in miracles. Rely on them. The authors admit that Historical attempts to compare vertebrate and invertebrate skeletons have not fared well. Thats why Tarazonas solution appeals to them. That paper found similarities in cartilage formation between a cuttlefish and a horseshoe crab very distant creatures in Darwins ancestral tree, belonging to different phyla. In their thinking, therefore, the common ancestor of both these animals must have had the ability to manufacture cartilage. Brunet and Arendt masterfully illustrate possible evolutionary links between those animals and annelids (earthworms), brachiopods, arthropods, and vertebrates by pointing out similarities between the general organization of their collagen expression sites and the developmental genes that regulate the expression of collagen. Like a magic trick, it looks simple until you probe the details. Consider: They give no explanation for the emergence of 3 sets of genes that code for collagen. The ancestral soxD+ soxE+ colA+ ventral mesentery is assumed to have given rise to both the chordate sclerotome and the chelicerate endosternite, they say, assuming that six transcription factor genes and the collagenase gene conspired to create the first hard parts. Either the genes were co-opted from some other function, or emerged on their own. Is that magic? Luck? What else in naturalistic evolution could give rise to the improbable? Collagen is a complex protein, using all 20 amino acids except tryptophan. Wikipedia lists 7 steps in its manufacture inside cells, including the formation of precursors (like pre-pro-peptide to pro-collagen) followed by extensive post-translational modifications. The formation of cartilage involves additional complex steps, including a balance between the signal proteins Hedgehog and Wnt. You cant just assume the innovation of collagen is going to automatically lead to cartilage or bone. As for bone, specialized cells (osteoblasts and osteoclasts) build and dissolve bone in a delicate balance of processes. Hard parts do not appear randomly in cells or on animal body plans, but are specifically arranged for function. Look at the elaborate armor on Cambrian comb jellies (Science Advances), assumed by some evolutionists to be one of the earliest animal phyla. Its not enough to create collagen building blocks. The materials have to be delivered to specific locations during development. One miraculous innovation like collagen would be astonishing, but thats not enough. Collagen makes a scattered appearance on the tree of life. The authors invoke even more miracles to explain this: If so, this would exemplify an often neglected type of independent evolution called parallel evolution, in which the same ancestral structure undergoes a similar sequence of modifications in separate lines of descent. Giving an improbable wonder a name like parallel evolution does not make it any less miraculous. Hard parts appear suddenly in the fossil record. Wave the magic wand for more miracles! Also, the fossil record suggests that most phyla evolved skeletons in a rapid and parallel fashion during the Cambrian explosion, fuelled by an arms race between the first elaborate predators and their prey. Our readers have heard plenty about all the failed explanations for the Cambrian explosion, so we wont belabor the point here. Suffice it to say that the details do not make belief in evolutionary innovations as Darwinians are wont to call them look natural. Good Luck, LUCA An even greater appeal to miracles is found in evolutionary stories about the origin of life, because until reliable self-replication begins, there can be no natural selection. Consequently, evolutionists cannot avail themselves of their favorite hand-waving rescue device and can only appeal only to laws of chemistry and to chance. The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is what scientists call the forerunner of all living things, Live Science observes. LUCA must mark the point, therefore, at which natural selection begins, because if natural selection had acted on anything prior (such as speculative RNA World replicators), it had no bearing on life as we actually observe it. Anything prior left no record; it is outside empirical science. As much as evolutionists would like to simplify LUCA, there comes a point at which the organism would not have been able to carry on the necessary functions of metabolism, motility, and reproduction to be called alive. LUCA had to be a cell of some sort, with a genetic code and protein machines enclosed in a membrane to keep it together. As we learned in March, Craig Venters team could not get their synthetic cell simpler than 463 genes. The new study says, Much about LUCA remains uncertain; while previous research suggested that it was little more than a chemical soup from which evolution gradually built more complex forms, recent work suggested it may have been a sophisticated organism with an intricate structure. How sophisticated? By comparing millions of prokaryotic genes, researchers at Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany estimated the requirements for LUCA: The genes the scientists examined were blueprints for proteins. (Some genes are not thought to direct protein-making.) Of the 286,514 protein groups the researchers looked at, only 355 matched the strict criteria that the researchers set for potentially belonging to LUCA. Previous research had uncovered the functions of many of these genes, so they now shed light on LUCAs habitat and lifestyle. Their paper, published in Nature Microbiology, expects this forerunner of all living things to have been able to metabolize hydrogen, fix nitrogen, use transition metals and coenzymes, and much more. It had genomics and epigenomics: Its genetic code required nucleoside modifications and S-adenosyl methionine-dependent methylations. None of these are simple! Furthermore, the researchers believe that LUCA was a thermophile, living in the harsh conditions of hot springs or hydrothermal vents. The thermophiles we see today have sophisticated mechanisms for repairing and preserving their DNA and proteins from destruction by heat. Did LUCA arise by chance? Jeff Errington, cell biologist at Newcastle University, doesnt even ask the question. At The Conversation, he speculates about what kind of organism LUCA was, assuming it originated in the high temperatures of hot springs, had enzymes and a genetic code, metabolized hydrogen, and was well equipped for survival. He knows, though, that LUCA had minimum requirements: Sadly, without a time machine, there is no way to directly verify these results. Nevertheless, this information will now be of great interest, not least to those scientists wishing to use the information to inform their bottom-up experiments in recreating modern forms of primitive life. But it will not be easy, given the requirement for high temperature, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and explosive hydrogen gas. In Signature in the Cell, building on research by Douglas Axe on protein function, Stephen Meyer calculated the probability of one relatively short protein 150 amino acids in length as being one chance in 10 to the 164th power (10-164, pp. 210-212). In other words, expecting just one protein by chance exceeds the universal probability bound calculated by William Dembski (10-150) by 14 orders of magnitude 100 trillionth the chance! The word miracle doesnt even come close to belief in such an event. Yet these evolutionists want us to believe that somewhere between 355 and 463 genes or protein products, all working in concert, emerged by chance. Its time to stop the caricature of ID by evolutionists that the former believe in miracles and the latter do not. It makes better sense to think that the innovations we observe were planned for a purpose by an intelligent cause necessary and sufficient to explain them, rather than to trust in sheer dumb luck. Arranging parts for function is not a miracle anyway. We do it all the time ourselves against the natural course of things. Image: Trilobites, by Heinrich Harder (1858-1935) (The Wonderful Paleo Art of Heinrich Harder) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Im on Twitter. Follow me @d_klinghoffer. Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the morning. High 68F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Partly cloudy and windy this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Dear Experts, I have Australian PR. Currently I am living outside of Australia. I am searching and applying for jobs. One job Agent has told me to send my Visa proof to him. Which is the best and correct way to send it. 1. Should I send Visa grant letter? 2. Should I send VEVO check result? Which is legally correct to send to employer? Is there any guideline which document I should send to employer? Thank you Aminul neurock15 said: We applied for an unmarried partner visa.... Would be travelling within the next week as we have a meeting with an immigration lawyer to go through our next steps... Surely applying for a visa would be a lengthy process? If more than enough evidence was supplied as to the purpose of the visit and proof of ties to the USA.... would this not be sufficient? Click to expand... You have literally just been refused and you want to travel to the UK next week? That is going to raise all kinds of red flags. At a minimum you will be stopped and questioned which will be noted on your immigration history. At a maximum you'll be returned home as they suspect you are trying to enter the UK to live without a proper visa. Another black mark on your immigration history. If your intention is to meet with an attorney why do you need to be there for 3 weeks? And what is the rush to get their next week? Why can't you wait until you apply for a visit visa? If your intention is to meet with an attorney then you should book your flights to get in and out quickly. That way, they might let you in for a day or 2 for your appointment and then send you home.They are on the lookout for potential overstayers and your recent refusal makes you a good candidate for overstaying and so a good candidate for a refusal of entry. mv5869 said: I have an offer for a new job in the UAE. At the beginning of the year when I started the process I was married (no kids) and the idea was for us to move out at the end of 2016. Unfortunately now we are going through a protracted difficult period, which has really been building up for a while now. I expect we will separate. Given the circumstances, should I still move? On the one hand, it would help create a clean break by getting me away from my current home and friends. But on the other hand I am worried I would find it hard to meet someone else in Dubai or Abu Dhabi? I am a 40 year old guy working in Banking, currently in London. Should I still make the move? Click to expand... This is going to be a difficult question to answer as so much of it is personal, to which we're not privy to and it would be up to you how much is divulged.I get the impression that this expat move could be your first, that makes it one heck of a lurch away from what you would consider 'normal', it can be difficult or it can be made less difficult (note I won't say easy) with good support from the future employer and PRO.A lot of new expats always feel that they are so far away from their own personal network of support (friends/family etc.) that they feel lost and difficult to cope. Others, if they're of an adventurous nature, face the challenge and beat it easily.So, as I said, it's going to depend upon whether you're OK going it alone in the initial stages or whether you're of the type that needs a support group.Personally, I would suggest that for the relationship, if there's no/little chance of saving it, that the break is made which may be best for all parties in the longer term. As mentioned by others the first weeks in a new job, in a new country, in a new culture, is going to take a lot of your effort. That along with finding somewhere to live and getting yourself set up is all achievable but does come with some frustration. Whilst doing all this you're not going to want to have the added distraction of a long distance relationship going though its terminal stages. Yup, like ccm47 I'm not at all the category of person you're looking for to respond - but let me just add a couple considerations. You may have noticed by now that cars (as well as houses) here are lots smaller than in the US. (I'm always gobsmacked to see the "tanks" on the roads when I go back for a visit.) Even the SUVs are smaller than those available in the US. So there isn't the same notion of having to have a vehicle that is at least a big as those around you. But, as has already been said, automatics are still a bit "odd" here (though they are becoming more popular) and if you want to stick to an automatic, it probably will be difficult to find what you want in the used car market. One possibility might be to consider a hybrid - not for ecological reasons (though that's nice, too), but because hybrids generally work on an automatic-like system. (That's definitely true for the Toyota hybrids - and the Prius is a large car by French standards. Not sure about the Citroen or other hybrids, but I believe that is pretty much the case.) It's also the case that you can find lots of used Prius on the market - and according to my garage, they seem to run forever with little or no maintenance. That may be true of other hybrids, as there is something about "fewer parts to break down." One very popular car here for families is a Renault Espace. Don't know the availability of automatic transmission, but it's definitely a big hit with families. Or, what they used to call a "people mover" - actually a van type car (smaller here than a US style van), like a Berlingo (Citroen) or a Kangoo (Renault). What you want to consider, however, is what dealerships are handy to where you live. All the dealerships have used vehicles to sell off (of all makes and models), and apparently they also have to buy a certain number of new vehicles to use as demos and generally unload those after a year or so. If you go talk to your local dealership and tell them what you're looking for, they can notify you when they have an automatic (or whatever else you decide you want) available. The dealership will have to get the car in shape to pass its controle technique (which is much more demanding than car inspections in the US) and obviously will want and expect to have you as a service customer after the deal, so your chances of getting a lemon are much reduced. Full disclosure here: I had to replace my 21 year old Toyota last year and when I had the old car towed into the garage (which used to be a Toyota dealership), the receptionist (part of the family that runs the garage) told me her brother (who handles used cars) just happened to have gotten in a hybrid model I was considering that was 4 years old with extremely low mileage. Followed up on that, and the rest is history. I LOVE that car! And it's all by happenstance (though I've had my car serviced at that garage for the last 15 years or so). Get to know the dealers in your area and let them guide you. The used car market is a bit different here than what you're used to and personal contacts are incredibly important in these things. (It's also lovely to have the dealership handle all the standing in line, etc., to transfer the registration!) Cheers, Bev We ended up with PLDT land line and DSL. Pretty good speeds running Netfllix on two devices at the same time. Cignal satellite for TV. It took what seemed like forever to get it up and running, especially getting a Cignal post paid service. Lots of loops to get through. PLDT didn't want to install unless we ran an underground line in PVC from a junction box about 250 feet away, then under a concrete street. Oh, and we had to go to Manila to get the proper line. PLDT would not supply. Also took some time getting 2 post paid cell service from Smart. But now all is good. European students who have studied at British Universities should be made to repay their loans before leaving the country, a new report suggests.Now that the UK is leaving the European Union, the report urges the UK to adopt the same approach as in New Zealand where graduates who fail to make repayments face arrest at the border. The tough approach, in a report for think tank the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) argues that criminal sanctions should be used on those who refuse to pay and says this has worked in New Zealand where it has been a strong deterrent.Students living in the European Union owe a record 1.3 billion for loans taken out when studying in England alone, up 36% from last year. Of these some 11% or 8,600 are in arrears and clarification of repayment status is needed for a further 13% or 9,900. In addition, 88,300 borrowers are resident overseas and 21,100 are in arrears, with clarification of repayment status needed for a further 38,100.New Zealand also imposes automatic repayments on graduates regardless of their income if they leave the country so they must pay even if they claim to be unemployed yet graduates in the UK dont pay until they earn more than 21,000 a year.The report, written by Sam Cannicott who recently worked at Regents University London and now works for Statistics New Zealand, suggests that the UK approach is not robust enough.New Zealands no-nonsense approach to collecting student loan repayments from graduates overseas highlights the timidity of the steps taken in the UK. Former students who fail to make repayments face arrest at the New Zealand border, which is proving to be a strong deterrent, he said.Breaking the link between income and loan repayments for graduates who head overseas, as New Zealand has done, removes bureaucratic barriers that make it difficult to chase repayments. Brexit presents an opportunity for the UK to learn from New Zealand because there is less need to ensure the repayment terms of EU students are the same as those for domestic students, he pointed out.He also believes that the UK is missing a trick by concentrating international student recruitment at the tertiary level. By following the New Zealand model and opening up the school system to international pupils, the UK could develop a useful pipeline for higher education institutions, said Cannicott.He explained that New Zealands experiment with abolishing student number controls was short lived. It blew the tertiary education budget and serves to highlight the risks of the approach being pursued in England. At the very least, New Zealands experience suggests British policymakers are right to be cautious about relaxing number controls around alternative providers and sub-degree provision, he added.Nick Hillman, HEPI director of HEPI, pointed out that student loans are funded by the taxpayer and defaulting on a student loan could be regarded ripping off the taxpayer yet it is fairly common among both British and EU citizens who study in the UK before working abroad.New Zealands experience suggests strong enforcement action works. Given that the 9,000 fees regime is now maturing and that postgraduate loans are being introduced, a new repayment regime for those living overseas should be a more urgent priority than ever before. Ministers, MPs and peers should consider amending the Higher Education and Research Bill currently before Parliament to ensure higher repayment rates, he said.The New Zealand experience also shows how tough migration rules can be counterbalanced by a genuinely warm welcome for international students in all parts of the education system. We could also learn from New Zealands experience as we diversify the range of higher education providers, he added. 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. Thursday, July 28, 2016 Attract the Right Job or Clientele: Are You Concerned About Being Different and Fitting In? Uncertainty takes hold when we walk into a room of people far more experienced than us. And when we are surrounded by people who have very different experiences and perspectives than ours, many of us tend to say nothing. Instead we listen and take it all in. Our reluctance to speak is partially due to the fact we dont want to reveal our seemingly lower level experience. The other part is we are initially uncertain as to which direction in conversation to take. So not a word is spoken. We listen. In the end, being quiet upfront proves to be the all time best route for career, interviews, client meetings and newly forming groups. Being quiet sets the tone for serious conversation My Story A few months ago, a friend recommended me to participate in the newly formed Sales Enablement Council. Given I had just moved to the area, I readily agreed to attend the meeting in order to make new connections. Oh my The people in the room were nothing short of brilliant. Their work is to consult with top tier corporations around the world and improve their sales effort. The only commonality we have is my knowledge of sales itself. I continued to attend the meetings, with encouragement from the leader, to learn what I could from the best. Accordingly, I sat silently in these meetings. Deep down, I questioned why I continued to go. Perseverance saved the day. The light finally came on as to how my knowledge would complement theirs. Opportunity presented was far greater than anything I could have imagined, and certainly could not be achieved on my own. Being quiet allowed: Understanding the other people in the room Learning a new direction Unique collaborative projects ahead Quitting is never the answer, even when we are feeling most vulnerable. However, waiting the situation out to understand why we are there is the answer. In this case, silence is golden. Today, I finally spoke and noticed that the leader was taking notes all the while. It was the best compliment of all! Your Story Many people have shared their reactions to similar situations. A few people admitted to nervous nonsense talking that turned off the others in the room. Most said they departed quickly and/or declined opportunities that scared them. They instead played it safe. But, in so doing they never advanced their capabilities. So the question is, how do you handle such events and is there room for improvement? In the future, consider implementing the following: Keep telling yourself you can do it. Take careful notes in the meeting, and ask clarifying questions. Repeat the process until you know 100% which direction to turn; continue or depart Intuitively, we usually know the answer. Equally important is to qualify and match the people in the room. Should they appear to hold similar values and principles for doing business, give the opportunity time to reveal itself in full. Being quiet in meetings allows for improved decision-making. Ultimately, you may not be as different as you originally thought. Being of this mindset gives way for building sound relationships and establishment of a strong personal brand. Sales Tips: Give every opportunity an opportunity Listen for what is said and not being said Ask questions regarding what appears to be overlooked Between meetings research some of the topics With newfound knowledge, begin adding to the meetings Determine how your information is being received Ask to meet over coffee with those who appear to have more in common Volunteer to contribute once you see your niche When everyone works as a team, the outcome vastly improves Be seen as an active and valued member of the group Following these guidelines will lead you to the Smooth Sale! For Business Consultation and Conference Speaking Schedule an Appointment to Learn More: elinor@smoothsale.net Visit Elinors Author Page Sponsored By googleplus Thursday, July 28, 2016 Akron, OH (July 28, 2016)Timothy Dimoff, CPP, President of SACS Consulting, Inc. provided security at the recent 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC) for organizations including CBS News, Dr. Ben Carson, MTV, BET, VH1, Nickelodeon and LOGO. He witnessed first-hand an unprecedented approach to security for a large event in the United States of America. Before the start of the RNC, many including media outlets were bracing for violence and discord. What they got instead was human interaction and respect. In fact, less than 30 people were arrested for the entire event! Based on his over 40 years of experience in the field of law enforcement and security, Dimoff has identified four main security tactics that were utilized to great success at the 2016 RNC. Dimoff states "In analyzing what worked in Cleveland during the RNC, I think it is important to note these four aspects of security. The rest of the country, as well as other countries throughout the world, can learn from what worked in Cleveland and utilize these proactive approaches to keeping the peace at future events. One of the main tactics that stood out was instituting a more humanistic approach to security. Opening dialog between law enforcement and protest groups, and treating them as valued citizens who had a right to be there, allowed security officials to do their job without violent repercussions". Dimoff offers up these specific tactics that can be learned and copied from the success at the 2016 RNC: Real Cooperation and Collaboration Among Law Enforcement The Cleveland Police Department worked cohesively with police officers, federal, state and local agencies. There was no posturing or authority abuse. Agencies from various backgrounds and geographical areas worked together to ensure the most peaceful experience for those present at the RNC last week. Law Enforcement Engaged on a Personal Level There was a concerted effort on the part of law enforcement to engage on a personal level that included shaking hands, real conversation, and even the occasional prayer between law enforcement officials and the protesters. By taking the time to engage them as human beings instead of predefined roles in society (i.e. cop vs. protester), the mob mentality was never fueled in Cleveland, OH. Soft vs. Aggressive Barriers Were Utilized The use of soft barriers instead of cars, police vans and riot gear eliminated some of the potential for violence. Putting the bulk of law enforcement on bicycles as "soft" barriers between protest groups helped to eliminate the "large crowd mentality" that can get out of control in these types of situations. Cleveland Police Chief Literally Led the Troops The Cleveland Chief of Police, Calvin Williams, was front and center with law enforcement officers. By personally engaging with the protesters, calmly listening and explaining what they could and could not do, in regard to the law, he led by example. This not only showed respect to the protesters, but also let the protesters see that the Chief of the Cleveland Police Department was a real and rational human being, not an untouchable figure head only concerned with his agenda. From: Jack Marshall -- ProEthics, Ltd. For Immediate Release: Dateline: Alexandria , VA Thursday, July 28, 2016 [embedded content] Darryl Glenn is lawyer who is the Republican Party candidate for a United States Senate seat in Colorado in the 2016 election. He is also getting, too late, a lesson in why public servants who try to lie their way out of embarrassing situations usually make things worse, and forfeit the public trust. Glenn, who was largely unknown when he triumphed in the GOP state caucus, was asked about whether he had ever been arrested, and specifically about a rumored incident in which he attacked his father as a teen but was never charged. In May, Glenn told reporters he had never been interviewed by police for any reason. He said the incident being reported might have involved another man named Darryl Glenn and that he sometimes gets phone calls about that person. Then this month, Glenn told the Colorado Springs Independent that the rumored incident may have involved his half-brother, Cedric, who was 8 years older than Glenn and died in 1992. Cedric, Glenn said, had a criminal past. The candidate pointed that he is an Air Force Academy graduate and that he would not have been accepted as a cadet if he had any kind of police record. Now a recently uncovered police report and other documents obtained by The Denver Post show that in November, 1983, Colorado Springs police answered a call from a father who said he had been struck in the face by his son, an 18-year-old high school senior named Darryl Glenn. The documents include Glenns signature, which matches his signature on other documents. This is Glenns latest explanation, fresh off his Facebook page. Ill comment on it as we go along I have been asked to respond to allegations about a misdemeanor charge from over 32 years ago. The truth about that night is what I have said all along: I do not remember much about it. I told the truth when I said I have never been arrested. I have never been handcuffed or fingerprinted. I have never appeared in court as a defendant. Thats not what he said all along. He said it didnt happen, and that the he must have been confused with his brother or someone with his name, not that he didnt remember much about it. Saying he had never been arrested was deceit. When the police take you into custody, youre under arrest, and as a lawyer, he knows that. This makes it clear, at the very start, that Glenn is carefully concocting a cover-story. We know, immediately, that he cannot be believed. I understand why some people might say, How can he not remember? I want to do my best to explain: My parents marriage was very violent. This was not the first time my father attacked my mother, and sadly, it was far from the worst time. Ill say it: how can he not remember? If this was his only involvement with the police, Glenn would certainly remember it. I would; wouldnt you? Instead of admitting that, he uses the claim of amnesia to slide into a sympathy orgy. When you grow up in a violent home, the fights, the shouting, the pain all blur together. To survive, you block as much of it out of your head as you can in the moment. You try to forget it going forward. What happened that night was just another in a long series of violent incidents between my parents. In that sense, it was not really memorable. Except that out of all those violent incidents, it was the only one that got him arrested! Other than that, nothing special Heres what I do know about the night of November 20,1983: My father hit my mother, and I got between them to try and protect her. The police were called. He claimed to the police that I hit him. I do not believe I ever hit him. My mother swears I did not hit him either, but it wouldnt have been beyond him at the time to claim I did. I do not remember ever talking to a police officer. I do not remember signing anything for the police. This sounds pretty memorable to me. A similar episode in Bill Clintons life has been cited as one that was central to his character. Trying all these years later to piece together what we learned this week, I think its likely that the police showed up and took everyones information. I think my dad initially wanted to press charges that night and a report was filed. I know that a few weeks later my mother and I were called into a meeting in a Judges chambers. He asked us a few questions and then sent us home. Thats the last thing we definitively know. He still remembering an awful lot of the episode for someone who repeatedly told the press that it never occurred. I only have these details now because of what my mother told me this past week. In fact, this was the very first time wed spoken about that evening in the 32 years since it happened. Its probably hard to understand this unless you grew up in the kind of environment that I did. Again, the pity card. This was a very hard period for my dad and I. We barely spoke in the years that followed. With that said, I am deeply grateful that towards the end of his life we were able to reconcile. Waitthe incident was the reason for a long estrangement, but Glenn forgot about it? 32 years later, when a reporter asked me if I had ever been arrested, I said no because I honestly did not remember this eventto this day, I dont even remember ever being questioned by police. When I expressed a belief that I had never been arrested, I was being honest. Suddenly, once he couldnt deny it any more, everything started coming back to him! Who can believe this? I did not plan to talk about the violence I grew up with in this campaign. I did not want to put my mother through reliving the agony of this period in our lives, and honestly, I did not want to have to relive it myself. I do not like thinking about this time in our lives. I do not like talking about it. Brilliant. I do not plan to talk about my tragic and abusive childhood during my campaign so people will see me as someone rose above abuse and was only arrested trying to protect my terrorized mother. Im not going to exploit her or use my personal tragedy to attract sympathy. I just wont do it. Over the last day or so, Mom and I both have shed a lot of tears talking about that night, trying to make sense of what happened. I wish I had done more to protect her. She wishes she had done more to protect me. This is really heartwarming. Tell, me, Darryl, did she tell you about that forgettable incident so you could both weep over it, or did you tell her? I want to use this moment to remind Colorado that our story is not unique. In Colorado, more than 17,000 people are victims of domestic violence every year. We have to do so much better. We have to stop the cycle of violence affecting so many of our communities. We have to love each other. Suddenly, this is an ad about domestic violence. What were we talking about again? These are painful memories for me, but I am blessed. I got free of the violence. My dad and I were able to rebuild our relationship before he passed away. As a kid, there was not much I could do to stop the violence in our home. As an adult, I did everything I could to raise my children with a father that loved them, protected them and made them feel safe. In fact, this whole episode is a triumph! Im proud of it! I rose above it! Funny that I forgot all about the whole thing. In our family, weve stopped the cycle of violence. I pray the same for other Colorado families confronting abuse in the home. They need to know that they are not alone, that they do not need to be ashamed, and that there is help for them. I have to hand it to Darryl. This is right up there with the Checkers speech. Anyone who votes for this guy after this screamingly obvious cover-story is too trusting and gullible to be left alone without a keeper. A couple more points Am I too cynical in not believing Glenn? Its true that seeing too many similar examples of politicians trying to spin their way out of lies creates bias. There are too many elements in this one, though, to give the politician the benefit of the doubt. It never happenedit must have been my brotherI would never have been admitted to the academy if I did anything like thatI wasnt technically arrestedI had forgotten about the whole thingNow that you mention it, it was a terrible personal trauma. When a candidate reveals a tendency to cover up and lie before he has even been elected, it is madness to give him or her a chance to do more lying and engage in more cover ups more in office. Just imagine if someone running for President was proven to have lied for months aboutoh. Right. Although the legal ethics rules prohibit lawyers from engaging in dishonesty, misrepresentation and deceit, no lawyer has ever faced professional discipline for deceptive statements and lies made as part of a political campaign. Nevertheless, this episode convinces me that Glenn is untrustworthy as a lawyer as well as a candidate for the Senate. ______________________ Pointer: Tim Levier Share this: /Port of Vancouver USA OLYMPIA, Wash. The Washington Attorney Generals Office has come out against a crude oil terminal being proposed in Vancouver. Attorney General Bob Ferguson says the potential benefits of the project are dramatically outweighed by the potential risks and costs of a spill. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Quinton Gonzalez was a sophomore last school year at Roosevelt High Schools Design and Technology Academy, where an Advanced Placement Computer Science teacher told his class about a drone-building summer camp. Gonzalez, 16, didnt need further persuasion to sign up. Being able to fly stuff and crash them into things just sounds like fun, Gonzalez said. Its the dream. Gonzalezs dream became reality Thursday, when classrooms at Roosevelt High School filled with flying and crashing drones. He and 19 other students from North East Independent School District middle and high schools finished the two-week drone camp by steering their creations through an obstacle course. Resembling quadrupeds with propeller feet and narrow, glowing eyes, the drones were supposed to hum their way under and over PVC pipes propped on chairs and through two hula hoops before landing on a trash can. Youth Code Jam, an organization that promotes computer programming to students, sponsored the camp. The students built the drones and remote controls themselves, said Debi Pfitzenmaier, the organizations founding executive director. They also used the Java computer language to program the remote controls. The students worked together, but they each got individual drones. This was Youth Code Jams first-ever drone camp, but Pfitzenmaier hopes it will become an annual summer program. The camp was designed to boost students interest and confidence in science, technology, engineering and math and show them related career pathways, Pfitzenmaier said. The San Antonio tech ecosystem begins here, with these kids, she said. Some already had experience coding, but few had used computer code to program something they could touch, Pfitzenmaier said. They begin to see what the code really can accomplish, she said. Many of the students came from Ed White Middle School and Roosevelt Highs DATA program. The full cost of the camp was $550, but Pfitzenmaier said about 60 percent of the students received partial or full scholarships provided by Conceptual MindWorks, Rackspace and Accenture. Jenny Jett, 16, was the only girl in her AP Computer Science class last school year, as a sophomore at Roosevelt High. She said the drone camps director recruited her to join because Youth Code Jam wanted to enroll more girls. Jetts drone made it through the obstacle course. Afterward, she programmed the lights in its eyes to blink purple. Im the girl, she said. I cant mess up. I have to show I can do it. Some drones still needed work Thursday before their operators attempted the final challenge. Why is it doing that? asked an anguished Ramiro Rocha, 13, as his drone drifted to the ground. In an upstairs computer lab, Mahagani Lasciers, 12, was repeatedly trying to upload her code to the drone. She will be a seventh-grader next month at Bush Middle School. She said she wanted to use her newfound skills to program other things, like remote-controlled cars. I really learned how I could put work from a computer into an object and see how it works, Mahagani said. amalik@express-news.net PHILADELPHIA On stage at the Democratic National Convention, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro on Thursday evening told a story of his Mexican heritage and painted GOP nominee Donald Trump as a man who embraces hate. Castro, of San Antonio, who earlier in the day warned that a digital Watergate could emerge from the Democratic National Committee email hack, used his moment in the limelight to contrast Trump with Hillary Clinton on matters vital to Latinos, immigrants and youthful voters. While Donald Trump is talking about building walls, Hillary Clinton is working to build an infrastructure of opportunity, a way for Americans to get where they want to go in life, he said. We can keep America safe and still welcome the next generation of immigrants without a religious litmus test. By appearing at the podium, Castro was trading places with twin brother Julian Castro, secretary of Housing and Urban Development and a former San Antonio mayor, who delivered the Democrats keynote address in 2012. President Barack Obamas Cabinet members did not make speeches at this years gathering. Joaquin Castros speech was earlier and shorter than his brothers, but like Julian Castro four years ago, he told a version of the family story. In 1922, my grandmother came to Texas from Mexico. She wasnt a rapist or a murderer. She was a 6-year-old orphan. As a girl, she walked past storefront signs that read No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed. Her life wasnt easy, he said in his five minutes of allotted time. This room is filled with proud Americans who can tell similar stories; great-grandchildren of Irish immigrants who saw signs that said No Irish Need Apply and just worked harder; grandchildren of Americans who suffered in World War II internment camps, the same camps Donald Trump has defended children of immigrants who have contributed to our country as doctors, police officers and, guess what, impartial judges, he said. In the last reference, Castro was referring to Trumps verbal attacks on federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel and his Mexican heritage. Their story is our story. Its Americas story, Castro continued. And make no mistake: The hero of that story is never the one who sides with hate. The hero of that story will never be Donald Trump. The Castro brothers have been busy at the Democratic gathering, meeting with reporters and working to rev up delegations from around the country. Joaquin Castro, a second-term congressman, confirmed to reporters that he is toying with the idea of challenging Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. He said he will decide on the race within months. Responding to reports that Cruz is mentioning Castro in fundraising efforts, Castro said the Texas senator freaked out at the prospect of his challenge. Thats what I would expect from somebody who hasnt spent any time working for the people of Texas, he said. Im not in a hurry to run for another office just to run, but Ill take a look at it, Castro said. Ted Cruz said that he would go to Washington to change Washington, and he has. Hes made it worse, much worse. In his convention speech, Castro managed a swipe at Cruz. I dont care what Donald Trump or Ted Cruz or anybody else says. The Affordable Care Act is here to stay because it saves millions of Americans lives, he said. Castro, who sits on the House Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees, said in an interview that he intends to pursue reports of Russian involvement in the release of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee. He said his first order of business is confirming the reports. He also wants to learn whether any Americans have worked with the hackers, if any Americans benefited from the crime and whether more of the stolen emails exist. He said Congress needs to conduct an investigation beyond an FBI effort underway. There was obviously an attempt to get information, and they succeeded. And its incredibly troubling, especially if a foreign government is the culprit, he said. bill.lambrecht@hearstdc.com A San Antonio law firms case runner admitted his role in a scheme that swindled personal injury clients out of settlement money, pleading guilty Thursday to federal fraud and tax charges. The series of thefts added up to more than $1.6 million taken from proceeds collected as lawsuit settlements or earmarked for doctors and therapists who treated the plaintiffs involved. Elpidio Pete Gongora Jr., 47, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, tax evasion and bankruptcy fraud. He admitted conspiring with three others who are charged in the alleged scheme: his bookkeeper, Rosa Ramirez, 48; a relative of Ramirez, Juan Rodriguez, 47; and former lawyer Ronald Ray Higgins, 53, who now lives in Sugar Land. Several other charges, including identity theft, will be dismissed at sentencing, tentatively set for Oct. 21 before U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, said Gongoras lawyer, Scott McCrum. McCrum said Gongora had agreements with certain lawyers to find clients for them since about 2003. Business was brisk, he said, but things went downhill in the wake of Texas tort reforms, changes to the law that let insurance companies deny more claims. The fraud occurred between 2009 and early 2015, according to the plea deal. When he was living good, everyone was getting paid, including the clients, McCrum said of Gongora. It started getting bad (with tort reform) and the money stopped coming in. The FBI said that, during the height of his alleged schemes, Gongora lived large, moving from a $550,000 house on the far West Side to an $850,000 home in the exclusive Dominion subdivision. He also bought a $600,000 house on the Texas coast, putting it in his daughters name. Gongora acquired a $118,000 Ferrari, a $185,000 Lamborghini, a $28,000 Mercedes-Benz and an $85,000 boat and trailer and registered them in others names. He even spent $26,000 on his daughters quinceanera at The Club at Sonterra but disguised the expense as an immigration seminar/workshop, according to an FBI affidavit. Even as he went through bankruptcy proceedings in 2013 and 2014, he dropped more than $28,650 on Spurs tickets. Through 2014, Gongora, who is not a lawyer, operated the law offices of Higgins, Charles Ken Harrell and Patrick E. Clarke, his plea deal said. Higgins and Clarke gave up their law licenses after the State Bar went after them for alleged misconduct with clients cases, records show. No public disciplinary history is listed for Harrell. The indictment accuses Higgins of accepting money in return for allowing Gongora and Ramirez, his bookeeper, to utilize his law license with impunity. The indictment says Higgins exercised a complete and total lack of oversight. The indictment said Rodriguez would pay workers of insurance and tow truck companies to relay information about people involved in accidents. Then, Gongora and Ramirez fraudulently endorsed personal injury settlement checks and kept the money, the indictment said. They hid what they were doing from at least two of the attorneys they worked for. Gongora admitted that he and his wife reported substantial amounts of income on their tax returns between 2003 to 2013 but that Gongora failed to pay his full tax obligations. The IRS says Gongora owes more than $1.6 million in taxes. Gongora and his wife filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2013, and as part of his plea deal, he admitted he failed to include a number of things in the required disclosures. The mail fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion are each punishable by up to five years in prison. His co-defendants await trial. SMITHFIELD, Ohio I pledge my hands to larger service. For 4-Hers who recite those words as part of the 4-H pledge, community service is a regular occurrence, but for some club members in rural Jefferson County, dedication to service and fair improvement goes beyond most. With the guidance of advisers Wesley Darling and Tami Millhorn, the 13 members of the Barshoe Wranglers 4-H club are tackling ways to improve their county fairgrounds through yearly projects. The fairgrounds, known as Friendship Park, is perched on a remote hilltop surrounded by back roads and farms that are home to the many 4-H members and agricultural supporters of Jefferson County. Focus on community The projects began as a simple way to brighten the fairgrounds. But, after the first project new flower beds in front of the horse barns club members started to notice more areas of the grounds that could use their touch. Within a year of making the flower beds, the club had constructed a mounting block for younger riders and those with large horses, allowing for easier and safer mounting before exercising and showing. In the years to follow, the Barshoe Wranglers club members continued their commitment to bettering the fair. A hitching post now stands near the horse barns, giving horse exhibitors a place to tie their horses while waiting for classes and helping show day run much smoother. Most people wouldnt think of something as simple as a hitching post, said Morgan Millhorn, Barshoe Wrangler alumni, but its the little things that make big improvements. Theres more Along with flower beds and hitching posts, the 4-Hers are also responsible for a newly cemented and covered manure pit. The manure pit, also jokingly referred to as the storm shelter is a sturdy structure that keeps rain from washing the manure and bedding into walkways. The club has also left its mark on the entrance to the fair. Once rusty and a bit of an eyesore, the welcome trailer received a coat of paint and a new sign welcoming and thanking fairgoers for visiting. All for a reason Though the work is hard and unpaid, the club understands the value of that community service. Everything we do here will be something you can tell your kids about, said adviser Wesley Darling. I tell all the members to take pride in their work, because what they do here today, will always be here. And with the satisfaction of knowing they made a positive change, said Millhorn, the members all love showing off their projects at the fair. They get other kids involved and interested and the service spreads. Following suit There is no doubt that happiness and fun can be infectious, and that is the case with the Barshoe Wranglers service. Each year, as more groups see what the Wranglers are doing, more improvement projects start popping up around the fairgrounds. In recent years, some of the other barns have even started building their own flower beds. Its great to see our members influencing change and working together with other groups, said Darling. Lasting impression Current members may not realize the long-term benefits of their projects, but for Barshoe Wranglers alumni Millhorn and Courtney Darling, those benefits have already been seen in their everyday lives. It might sound cliche, but these projects really have built character and taught me how to work with others, said Courtney Darling. In this club, parents are there if we need help, but the meetings and community service projects are run by the members. Its helped me throughout college and life in general, added Millhorn. I pay attention to the little things and think outside the box. Everything counts While members will come and go, Darling hopes that they all have the opportunity to help with a project; because no matter how big or small, every little thing counts. Barshoe hitching post To make tying and horse handling easier during the fair, Barshoe Wranglers members constructed a hitching post. Members are involved with regular maintenance of the post, including painting and cleaning before the fair. (L R) Teresa Callon, Sarah Roberts, Kirsten Turner, Jacinta Roberts, Jacob Parr, Kacey Kale, Uziah Yetts, Xavier Yetts, Harley Kemp < > < > 1 View Barshoe hitching post To make tying and horse handling easier during the fair, Barshoe Wranglers members constructed a hitching post. Members are involved with regular maintenance of the post, including painting and cleaning before the fair. (L R) Teresa Callon, Sarah Roberts, Kirsten Turner, Jacinta Roberts, Jacob Parr, Kacey Kale, Uziah Yetts, Xavier Yetts, Harley Kemp 2 View Barshoe antique display One of the Barshoe Wranglers first projects was planting flowers at the front of their barn. A few years later, they decided the back of the barn could use some decoration too, so they built an antique display, as seen here. The display, made from old farm equipment and memorabilia, won the club the award for best decorated barn. 3 View Barshoe tractor seat Found in the horse barn antique display is an old tractor seat, modified with a red horse shoe and a carving of the name Barshoe Wranglers. 4 View Barshoe Mount With many of the Barshoe Wranglers 4-H club members involved in horse projects, they thought it was fitting for the group to build a mounting station at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Now, younger riders and riders with large horses can mount easily and safely with less risk of falling or injury. Club members at a recent work night included, (front, L-R): Xavier Yetts, Teresa Callon; second row: Uziah Yetts, Jacinta Roberts, Sarah Roberts, Kirsten Turner, Jacob Parr; and back: Courtney Darling, Kacey Kale, Harley Kemp, Morgan Millhorn. Did you know that there is more than one type of flower bulb? There are four, actually: true bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers. All bulbs serve as energy storage containers that feed plants during dormant periods as well as during the flowering season, according to Penn State University Extension. True bulbs University of Illinois Extension explains that true bulbs are considered to be an entire plant. They consist of five parts: The basal plate, from which roots grow Fleshy scales that are the primary storage Tunic, which protects the fleshy scales Shoot, which includes the developing flower and leaves Lateral buds, which develop into bulblets or offsets Stems form from the base of the bulb. Bulbs survive from year to year, and small bulbs (offsets) form on the original bulb to produce new plants. There are two types of true bulbs: tunicate and imbricate. Tunicate bulbs have the tunic, or paper-like covering that protects the fleshy scales. Examples of true bulbs: alliums, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips Imbricate bulbs do not have the tunic. Imbricate bulbs can dry out easily since they do not have the protective tunic over the scales, so they must be kept moist before theyre planted. Example of imbricate bulb: lily Corms Corms look like short, squat stems, which are filled with food storage tissue. Corms have a basal plate, which is where the roots develop. The other characteristics of corms are a protective tunic and a growing point. Similar to true bulbs, some corms may produce small plants (called cormlets), which can be taken from the parent and planted separately to grow new plants, according to Penn State Extension. University of Illinois Extension explains that you can tell the difference between true bulbs and corms because when sliced open in half, corms do not have the visible storage rings like true bulbs. Examples of corms: crocus, freesia, gladiolus Rhizomes Rhizomes grow along the soils surface. Growth buds form on the original rhizome for the following years foliage and flowers. The original rhizome only produces flowers once. The lily-of-the-valley rhizome produces pips, which turn into new plants that can be dug up once they have developed roots and then replanted, University of Illinois Extension explains. Examples of rhizomes: canna lilies, irises, lily-of-the-valley Tubers Tubers are underground roots. They have fleshy, food storage parts. Tubers are unlike true bulbs and corms because they lack protective tunics and basal plates from which roots grow. The caladium tuber, for instance, has buds all over the tuber. Roots develop from these buds and new plants form, according to University of Illinois Extension. Examples of tubers: caladiums, certain begonias, dahlias, oxalis, anemones, potatoes High tunnel crops to be featured during educational short course Growers, educators and industry personnel can learn more about the aspects of high tunnel crop production during a short course Nov. 9 offered by ISU. The halal meat market could become difficult for egg producers disposing of their spent hens under changes to Freedom Food rules coming into force in October 2018. Freedom Food the assurance standard of the RSPCA is from October 7 this year introducing amended standards, with which anyone selling their eggs under the Freedom Food label must comply. A clause introduced into the amended code requires that from October 2018 producers must use a Freedom Food approved abattoir for hens at the end of their productive lives. It would appear that permissible killing methods used in an RSPCA approved abattoir may not comply with the requirements of Islamic law. Mia Fernyhough, senior scientific officer with the RSPCA, told FarmingUK that RSPCA welfare standards required that birds were gas killed in approved abattoirs, except in a very few specific cases. Freedom Food (RSPCA Assured) is the RSPCAs ethical food label dedicated to farm animal welfare These cases involve emergency situations, for example when culling is required in the event of a notifiable disease outbreak or as a back-up method in case the permitted system of killing fails. Both Islam and Judaism require that animals be slaughtered in a certain way to comply with religious rules. The required method of killing involves cutting the animals throat with a knife, although there are differences of interpretation over whether the animal can be stunned before its throat is cut. Mia said the RSPCA required that the animal be gassed before its throat was cut. A ban on the use of beak trimming was due to come into force in the United Kingdom this year This may not be acceptable under some religious interpretations and this could impact on the spent hen market. Freedom Food approved abattoir "The RSPCA welfare standards havent changed on this," said Mia, "gas killing was required before." The requirement has now changed so that members must comply with Freedom Food standards, and in the future use a Freedom Food approved abattoir that complies with the welfare rules. The passage in the new standards reads: "All hens must be sent to a Freedom Food approved abattoir for slaughter/killing." "Evidence confirming slaughter/killing on a Freedom Food approved abattoir must be kept." Freedom Food also recommends that spent hens should be sent to a Freedom Food approved abattoir even before the new rules some into force in October 2018. Animal Welfare inevitably features extensively in the amended Freedom Food standards, which include wide ranging changes covering different aspects of managing commercial layers. Pecking and beak trimming Some of the key amendments to the rules target injurious pecking and the issue of beak trimming. A ban on the use of beak trimming was due to come into force in the United Kingdom this year, but the Government announced towards the end of last year that the ban would not go ahead. This was due to the implications for injurious pecking if the egg industry was not able to make use of the practice at the moment. Freedom Food makes clear in a document outlining the changes to its standards that it wants to see an end to the use of beak trimming. However, it acknowledges in the document that "at the current time, prohibiting beak trimming could result in a negative impact on welfare in some flocks." But it says: "Beak trimming is against the principles of the RSPCA welfare standards." It says the RSPCA will continue to work towards a phase-out of beak trimming and will work closely with the industry to help achieve this goal. Including "giving due consideration to all relevant research and practical aspects of laying hen and pullet rearing, nutrition and breeding that may impact on the issue." It says the underlying problem of injurious pecking will need to be effectively tackled and, for this reason, producers placing beak-trimmed flocks are "required to implement a range of interventions, in addition to the existing management and enrichment standards, to help prevent injurious pecking behaviour." Freedom Food is now insisting that producers should have a plan to reduce incidence of pecking and that this plan should be agreed in advance with Freedom Food. Dairy Crest is announcing a 1ppl increase to its milk price from 1 September 2016, this has been agreed with Dairy Crest Direct (DCD). This means the Davidstow core milk price will be 22.72ppl from 1 September 2016, ensuring it remains one of the most competitive milk prices in the UK. Ruth Askew, Head of Procurement at Dairy Crest, said: "We are increasing our milk price against a backdrop of falling UK milk production. "Dairy Crest wanted to reflect this in our milk price as soon as possible. "We are proud that the Davidstow contract has remained one of the most competitive milk prices in the UK throughout extreme downward pressure on the supply chain. "We hope that this positive news will provide our farmers with some confidence as we head into the Autumn. "We are confident our business strategy is creating exciting opportunities to add value to milk produced by British farmers, such as our move into production of Infant Formula ingredients. "The strength of our portfolio of market-leading brands, including Cathedral City, in addition to our new product streams, ensures we offer a secure, sustainable and growing partnership model for our supplying farmers." DCD Chairman Steve Bone commented: "As a dairy farmer and chairman of DCD, I am very pleased that Dairy Crest is increasing the milk price by 1ppl from September 2016. "This has further enhanced their position, paying a leading market price for milk for cheese." Farmers and landowners are demanding urgent action from the Chancellor of the Exchequer to unfreeze spending on crucial rural development and environmental stewardship contracts. Rural communities are hoping that Chancellor Phillip Hammond will end the suspension of funding imposed on all projects delivered against money allocated from the European Union. These include economic development projects under the LEADER programme, and the awarding of new contracts to farmers for vital environmental schemes such as Countryside Stewardship. The NFU recently met with Defra Secretary Andrea Leadsom for clarity that agreements for thousands of farmers in Countryside Stewardship schemes will be honoured in full. And the CLA, which represents landowners, farmers and rural businesses, has written to the Treasury seeking urgent and decisive action from Mr Hammond. With the application window for Countryside Stewardship set to close in just two months, the CLA said uncertainty over whether funding will be available is putting at risk the environmental management of more than one million hectares of land. The spending freeze also affects business investment which could lead to a crisis of confidence across the rural economy. 'No justification' CLA President Ross Murray writes: "There is no justification for holding up money that is budgeted for. "Every day the freeze continues; it threatens to do serious long term damage to the rural economy and to the delivery of vital environmental outcomes across the countryside." The letter, which follows weeks of intensive discussions by the CLA with officials and Ministers in Defra and the Treasury, also calls for clarity from the Government to make wider commitments regarding the future of the direct payments distributed through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after the UK exits the EU. Mr Murray writes: "Government needs to confirm that all spending commitments under the current CAP will be honoured, irrespective of the date the UK leaves the EU. "If this commitment is not made soon it will have damaging long term implications as businesses stop making vital investments or make more difficult decisions about the future sustainability of their business." Despite the short term uncertainty over funding the CLA is advising businesses to continue with applications for projects or contracts under EU schemes, especially Countryside Stewardship before the 30 September deadline. Somerdale, British cheese and dairy exporter, has published its report and accounts for the year ended 31st March 2016. The results demonstrate that Somerdale has continued to experience strong growth and development with increased sales being achieved in all of its core export markets. Financial highlights for the year included a turnover of 32.3 million (2015: 28.1 million) an increase of 15%. Profit before tax listed as 615,300 (2015: 472,400) an increase of 30%, with gross margin at 16.0% (2015: 11%). Somerdale's stand at the IDDBA show in Houston Texas held in June this year In recognition of the ongoing growth of Somerdales international sales during the year, in April 2016 the company was awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade, this is the second time that the company has won this prestigious award. Commenting on the performance, Stephen Jones, Director of Somerdale International said: "I am pleased to be able to report that the business performed strongly at both a financial and operational level. "We continue to invest in the business, its capabilities and presence in key international markets for the long term. "As a result, we believe we are making good progress in putting in place the necessary strategic developments to ensure the future growth of Somerdale." Financial and operational performance Somerdales financial performance came against the backdrop of a highly volatile dairy market. Trading conditions during the year saw low commodity prices (created by global over production of milk and relatively weak demand for dairy commodities), and a strong dollar, which created favourable trading margins. At the same time, Somerdale continued to benefit from the substantial investment the business has made over the last five years in developing its UK infrastructure and effective routes to the international market for over 250 great tasting British cheeses made in some of the countrys leading creameries. This included the acquisition in 2014 of a 10,000 sq. ft., ISO 9001 accredited and fully SAP enabled, cold store and offices which provided Somerdale with a state-of-the-art base from which to source, consolidate and undertake shipments every week to customers across the globe. Whilst during the 2015/16 year this was enhanced by Somerdales purchase of additional cold store facilities and office space adjacent to the existing Wellington operations. The new facility will come on line later in 2016 and will provide additional capacity in line with Somerdales strategic growth plan for the business. In addition, Somerdale has also continued to invest in its own dedicated in-market capabilities and resources providing international customers with ongoing support and advice on how to best market and sell what it believes represents the very best of British dairy produce. This includes having a team of three sales people and a product marketing trainer in the United States and dedicated sales representatives in Australia and China. These are complemented by an established network of trusted international shipping partners and in-market distributors with which Somerdale has built long term relationships. Lidl has today announced it will phase out the sale of eggs from caged hens from 2025. The retailer has said this is of its 'continued commitment to responsible and sustainable sourcing.' In the meantime, Lidl has said it will 'work closely' with its egg suppliers to ensure that the pledge will have 'no detrimental effect' on their businesses. Lidl said in a press statement: "This latest initiative is designed to continue to put both improving animal welfare and nurturing strong and secure relationships with its valuable partners at the heart of its supply chain. Currently 40% of shoppers buy eggs from enriched cage systems "Lidl continues to source its products as locally as possible, working closely with the National Farmers Union to engage as sustainably as possible with British farmers, while maintaining strict animal welfare standards." Ryan McDonnell, commercial director at Lidl UK said: "As a responsible retailer, we are committed to ensuring that the highest standards are met and maintained across our supply chain. "Our pledge to work closely with our UK suppliers to phase out the sale of shell eggs from caged hens also underlines our understanding of our customers changing expectations, as shoppers increasingly search for responsibly sourced high quality British produce at the best price." 'Year of caged hen farming ban' This year seen a number of high-profile retailers and supermarkets decide to end the sale of caged eggs. A schoolgirl who petitioned Tesco to stop the sale of caged hen eggs earlier this year, with success, has now won over Morrisons. 14-year-old Lucy Gavaghan, the petition creator said: "2016 will be the year that a total ban on caged hen farming will be closer than it has ever been. "Now, I will concentrate this petition on Asda, the last of the big four supermarkets to take notice of what their customers want. "Please continue to share the petition and I will work as hard as I can to apply the pressure which is proven to work, on Asda." "Cage-free movement in the UK has developed serious traction" Last week, Sodexo, the worlds leading Quality of Life services company with operations in 80 countries, has joined the growing number of companies that have also committed to sourcing only cage-free eggs in their global supply chains, including Unilever, Grupo Bimbo and Nestle. More than 60 food companies - including McDonalds, Aldi, Tesco, Morrisons, Burger King and Walmart - have also announced a complete transition to cage-free eggs. Clear product labeling Clear product labeling will be crucial as more retailers announce that they will stop selling eggs from enriched colony cage systems, the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) says. Barn egg production, which has no cages but sees birds housed permanently, is likely to fill the gap left by reduced demand for caged eggs. Nearly two-thirds of shoppers already choose to buy free range eggs but BFREPA CEO Robert Gooch said that it must be clear to shoppers what they are buying. "Labelling a dozen eggs as cage free is not good enough because many shoppers will assume that means free range," Mr Gooch said. "A great deal of thought needs to go in to how these eggs are marketed to the public in a way that accurately reflects how they have been produced." Mr Gooch added that it was important that eggs remain affordable. "Free range eggs have always attracted a small premium which reflects the additional production costs involved, but not everyone can afford to pay that price. "Eggs should be available to everyone and it is down to shoppers to make a decision on which production system they prefer. "We recognise that the announcement from these major retailers and food service companies reflects the desire from the British public to move away from caged systems and we will be working hard to ensure that the interests of free range producers and consumers are not compromised." Gaining momentum Dr Tracey Jones, Director of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming, says: "Just two weeks ago I congratulated Tesco on their decision to go cage-free and expressed the hope that it would be the catalyst for others to follow. "With Lidl, Morrisons, Iceland, Aldi and Sodexo all pledging to go cage-free this week it would seem that the cage-free movement in the UK has developed serious traction and continues to gain momentum." "Of course, whilst the timelines are longer than we would like we at Compassion very much welcome these pledges. "We have worked to influence and educate food companies on animal welfare for decades, and we will continue to work with these retailers to ensure the production system changes required to go cage-free will offer the hens a good quality of life in rich and stimulating environments." Mia Fernyhough, a hen welfare specialist for the RSPCA, said: "It is fantastic news that Tesco, Iceland and now Morrisons are all committed to going cage-free. "We hope they will not only stop selling packs of eggs from caged hens but they will also stop using them as ingredients in own-brand products like cakes, quiches and fresh pasta. "Sadly around half of the eggs laid in the UK are still from birds kept in cages, provided with little more usable space than an A4 sheet of paper per hen. "Its time cages were consigned to the history books and we hope that the last few supermarkets still selling eggs from caged hens follow suit." BPs Port of Ipswich, the UKs number one grain exporting port, has handled more than one million tonnes of grain in the 2015/16 harvest year, a record total for the port and its customers. In the last harvest year, which ended on 30 June, approximately 1,093,481 tonnes of grain were handled, surpassing the previous best year in 2009/10 where 933,000 tonnes passed through the port. Its also a third increase on last years total of 822,448. ABP Short Sea Ports Director, Andrew Harston said: "The tonnage of grain we have seen handled at the Port of Ipswich in the recent harvest year signifies the importance of the East Anglian farming community. "Britain has always had a strong role in exporting grains such as wheat to the rest of Europe. "But following a steady grain season and the recent decline in the value of sterling, the export of wheat and other grain commodities has never been more competitive. "Our customers Nidera and Clarkson Port Services have seen tremendous results this year and we look forward to working with them to ensure further success in the 2016/17 year." In the first half of 2016 alone, 563,760 tonnes of grain were exported from the Port of Ipswich - an increase from the first half of 2015 which saw 368,795 tonnes exported. In the last 12 months 750 ships have called at the Port of Ipswich, a 17 per cent increase from the previous harvest year. 40 per cent more renewable electricity was produced from biogas from waste and farms in 2015 compared to 2014, new official figures show. The governments annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) reflects growth in biomethane to grid with the generation of heat from anaerobic digestion more than doubling. The publication follows the 2016 Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) Market Report, which showed that the industry has continued to grow in early 2016, but warned that the prospects for future growth are being held back by restrictive and uncertain government policy. Commenting, ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton said: "These figures back up the stellar growth of the UK industry over the past two years. "40% more biogas electricity from waste and farms, more than double the amount of renewable heat, and continuing improvements in efficiency in the water sector. "However, as our Market Report showed earlier this year, opportunities for future growth are at risk. "Using existing technology and feedstocks, the AD industry could be four times bigger than it is today but government decisions to scale back electricity support, and uncertainty over heat and waste policies, mean that we could lose as much as 250MW of potential capacity over the next two years. "Thats enough to increase our tight winter electricity capacity margin by 10%, delivered by 2018. "Overall, we could meet up to 30% of household gas demand, saving infrastructure costs for replacing heating systems and reinforcing the electricity grid. "Its now time for the government to set policies on waste collection and renewable energy support which will deliver those goals." Key figures AD installed electrical capacity in waste and farming increased from 238MW in 2014 to 286MW in 2015 Electricity generated from AD increased from 1,019GWh in 2014 to 1,429GWh in 2015 Electrical capacity for sewage gas increased very slightly, from 215MW to 216MW Electricity generated from sewage gas increased from 846GWh to 888GWh, and heat from 67.7ttoe to 73.1ttoe as the water industry continued to drive more efficiency from AD assets Use of waste and farm AD for heat (on site biogas or biomethane to grid) more than doubled from 42.9ttoe to 95.5ttoe Farming union NFU Scotland has used an evidence session in the Scottish Parliament today to reiterate its priorities as the UK prepares to leave the European Union. Speaking at a meeting of the Scottish Parliaments European and External Affairs Committee, NFU Scotland stressed that Scottish farming must not be used as a bargaining chip as we negotiate our exit from the European Union and establish new trade arrangements. She added that a commitment to maintain CAP support levels in the run up to Brexit, and in the years post-Brexit were vital for stability and confidence. Speaking after the session, Clare Slipper said: "A point made loud and clear to committee members was that agricultural production is the bedrock of Scotlands successful food and drinks industry. NFU Scotland spoke at the Scottish Parliaments European and External Affairs Committe "As the central plank of our biggest manufacturing sector, farming must not be used as a bargaining chip as we negotiate Brexit and the establishment of new trade agreements. "To secure the levels of food being produced from our farms and crofts in the future, ongoing support remains vitally important. "The current CAP package, due to run until 2020, is likely to span the UKs expected exit from the European Union. "We want Government to send out a clear message on its commitment to support levels in the future and we believe the next four rounds of payments, from now until 2020, should be delivered as promised and as budgeted for. That would provide a confident platform going forwards. 'New system of support for Scottish farming' "In the longer term, the real prize will be creating a new system of support in Scotland that fits with our farming and crofting systems. "Our initial thoughts are that we would want that to genuinely reward activity as well as considering other elements such as research, innovation, knowledge transfer and advisory services. "It is important that the views of our members drive our vision for future support arrangements. "This autumn will see us embarking on a consultation process that will put members at the forefront of setting our new policy priorities for the future. "Much as financial support is really important to farmers and crofters, in the future we should take the opportunity to create a Scottish support system which allows farmers to take more back from the market as well as having financial tools available to manage volatility in prices. "These, and other models, will form the basis of consultation well be running with members in the latter part of the year." Campaign to put spotlight on dairy calf strategy progress State Rep. Don Rone plans to introduce a bill in January By Diego Flammini Assistant Editor, North American Content Farms.com The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) is investigating about 115 complaints related to pesticides and at least one State Representative feels changes are needed. State Rep. Done Rone plans to pre-file legislation in December which would increase the penalties for those who misuse or illegally spray pesticides under the Missouri Pesticide Use Act. Judy Grundler, division director for plant industries MDA told St. Louis Public Radio that theres usually about 80 complaints annually. Grundler said seventy investigations are ongoing and encompass an area spanning 40,000 acres and 400 fields. Soybeans, peaches and watermelons are among the damaged crops reported. The current penalty is $1,000 per field. Under Rones bill, that penalty could increase to $10,000 per field. Mssourinet reports that Rone is going to ask House Speaker Todd Richardson to fast-track the bill in January in the hopes it gets passed before next years planting season begins. Because if we dont fast-track this, then the growing season down there (southeast Missouri) starts in March and we need to have this already in place, the Governor signed it and make it law before the next planting season which starts in the end of March, Rone told Missourinet. The department's NBF infrastructure manager, Trina Anderson, said the aim of the report was to determine constraints and opportunities and from this, identify projects that would encourage the development of the beef industry in the region. Planning a trip to Europe is exciting, but can be filled with confusion over currency, language, and transportation. Switzerland is in the middle of Europe, but doesn't use the euro. How many airports does London have, and are any of them near London? Barcelona is in Spain, but they speak Catalan what's up with that? However, there is one way to reduce the complications and stress of traveling to Europe. Dublin Airport, Ireland's main airport in the country's capital city, boasts several great advantages as your point of arrival in Europe. Even if you don't plan to visit Ireland, it may still be worth your while to fly into Dublin before taking a short-haul flight on to your preferred city of choice. Direct Flights to Dublin are the Cheapest in Europe Here at DealNews, we observe trends in pricing patterns for flights. We've noticed that when we list airfare sales, Dublin is consistently the lowest-priced destination. In June we saw an all-time low for flights to Europe, courtesy of United Airlines. The lowest-priced route in this Editors' Choice sale was roundtrip flights from Newark, NJ, (EWR) to Dublin, Ireland, (DUB) for $443.76. Other airlines that had low-priced rates include Aer Lingus (the flag carrier airline of Ireland); Delta Airlines; low-cost airline WOW Air (although they don't fly direct); and Dutch airline KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Ireland Uses the Euro Nineteen countries in Europe use the euro, and Ireland is one of them. Most of the main tourist destinations in Europe (like Italy, Spain, France, and Germany) also use the euro the notable exception being the UK. This means you only need to exchange your US dollars into one currency when traveling, saving you on conversion fees. SEE ALSO: Will the Brexit Vote Affect the Cost of European Travel? 4 Things You Need to Know The Irish Speak English Ireland is the main English-speaking country in the Eurozone (the only other being Malta). Although Ireland is officially a dual-language country, the native language of most Irish people is English. Besides street signs being bilingual (showing English below and Irish above), tourists will have no problem communicating with the average man on the street. Of course, flexing your linguistic muscles and getting directions in a foreign language can be extremely satisfying, but let's face it: No one has the energy after a transatlantic flight. We recommend keeping it simple by starting your trip in Dublin. It's Cheap and Easy to Book an Onward Short Haul Flight Ireland is an island, and as such, short haul flights are the main form of transportation to Europe. Dublin is the tenth busiest airport in Europe and several low-cost airlines offer flights to mainland Europe from as low as $15. Low-cost airlines to keep an eye on are Aer Lingus and RyanAir, which fly to a variety of destinations like London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome, and more. Major airlines like British Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines also fly short haul from Dublin, if you prefer to avoid low-cost airlines. SEE ALSO: The Ultimate Airline Comparison Guide: Reviews, Restrictions, and Fees for 98 International Airlines A word of caution when it comes to booking an onward flight with a low-cost airline: Most have strict baggage-weight and size restrictions, and penalties for being in excess can be severe. Make sure you'll be able to comply with the restrictions before booking your flight. Dublin Airport Recently Added a Shiny New Terminal Dublin Airport opened its gates in 1972 and remained pretty much unchanged until 2010, when the airport added its $700 million expansion, Terminal 2. The sleek new terminal is now responsible for all U.S. flights arriving and departing from Dublin. Terminal 2 includes The Loop shopping area, which allows you to do all your duty-free shopping online and then pick up your purchases at the airport on the way to your homebound flight. Have you been to Dublin Airport? Leave any travel recommendations in the comments section below to help out your fellow readers! "Further work needs to be done, but I am hoping all parties can co-operate to find a long-term solution, but the short-term issue needs to be addressed and quickly. We need to ensure they have a choice, as to whether they continue to milk cows or not - we don't want to see anyone forced out of the industry." Pitts: Fayetteville opens senior center with lake view; tennis complex in future The Bill Crisp Senior Center, located in west Cumberland County, wows people who attend its ribbon-cutting on Tuesday. Jaimie Alexander and Will Forte "really like each other". Jaimie Alexander The 'Blindspot' actress - who split from fiance Peter Facinelli in February - has been on several dates with the 46-year-old actor-and-writer since meeting at a New York premiere, but they don't want to rush into anything serious. A source told Us Weekly magazine: "They really like each other. "They're just having fun. They are not serious yet." Jaimie, 32, split from Peter earlier this year after three years of dating, and almost a year after getting engaged, citing "conflicting family and work commitments on opposite coasts". A statement released on behalf of the pair at the time read: "Due to conflicting family and work commitments on opposite coasts, and after much consideration, Peter and Jaimie have chosen to part ways amicable and remain good friends." The news will come as a surprise to fans as they were only recently discussing having a "stunt-oriented" wedding. She said at the time: "We're just moving slow because both of us are so busy. But we're toying with the idea of doing something kind of stunt-oriented to just mix it up and doing something kind of wild and fun. "But if I could have someone else do it [put on a white dress] for me I'd be, like 'Great'. I just don't have it in me, that, like, girly gene that's, like, 'I need to be in a white dress.' I could be in a pair of jeans and be just as well." Peter got down on one knee to propose to Jaimie on top of the Empire State Building in New York in March 2015. Meanwhile, Will most recently enjoyed a brief romance with his 'Last Man On Earth' co-star January Jones. A Prince tribute concert will take place in October. Prince The 'Purple Rain' hitmaker - who was found dead from an overdose in April at the age of 57 - will be honoured at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on October 13, his siblings have announced. Prince's family said they "have been moved by the tremendous love and support of Prince's friends and fans around the world" and are "excited" at the prospect of the official tribute show. They said in a statement: "We are excited for the opportunity to bring everyone together for the official family celebration of Prince's life, music and legacy, and there is no better place to do it than his hometown of Minneapolis. "We are honoured by the artists who will pay tribute and grateful to those that have worked so hard to make this celebration possible." Tickets for the show will go on sale next month, and performers will be announced on a rolling basis. The news comes just a few weeks after The Revolution announced two reunion shows in Minneapolis. The group - comprised of Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Brown Mark, Dr. Fink, Bobby Z., Dez Dickerson, and Andre Cymone - have booked in two shows at the First Avenue venue in city in the state of Minnesota, where Prince was from and where scenes were shot for the late music legend's 'Purple Rain' video in 1984. They will perform at the iconic music club on September 2 and September 3. Talking about the death of Prince - who was found dead at his Paisley Park estate in April at the age of 57 - the group said: "Only by playing for you, the fans, can we be Prince's Revolution. He gives Us 2 one another now, as we all start to heal and fill forever emptiness with sound. 2gether, we are The Revolution (sic)." The Revolution played on three of Prince's albums, 1985's 'Around the World in a Day', 1986's 'Parade' and 'Purple Rain'. Tara Reid doesn't trust her boyfriend. Tara Reid The 'American Pie' actress is currently starring in 'Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars' alongside Dean May and she admits on the show she doesn't know what his true intentions are. She told the camera: "The moments on the camera are ... lights and, like, trying to be a star. ... I don't trust him - I don't know what he's going to say and do. Obviously, he has some master plan, which I don't have." Tara also told her co-star Toya Wright that the club promoter has been acting differently than she expected him to. She said: "When the show's on, he's trying to cause tension and look cool and make me look stupid. I never knew we were competing for this. I would have never done this." In a previous episode, Dean called his 40-year-old girlfriend "crazy" and said she was "train-wrecking" after she accused him of not listening to her. Last year, Tara admitted she makes "the worst decisions" when it comes to men. Speaking before she began her relationship with Dean, Tara said she had to get new potential boyfriends screened by her 'Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!' co-star Ian Ziering, due to her poor choice of men in the past. When a Reddit user asked if she'd marry Ian during a Q&A, Tara replied: "Umm, I don't know you yet, so we'd have to get to know each other, but I am single so there's still hope. Then I'd have to run it by Ian Ziering first because he says I make the worst decisions (sic)". Scott Derrickson has revealed that he didn't want the character of Mordo to be Doctor Strange's 'arch nemesis' right from the beginning. Scott Derrickson Derrickson is in the director's chair for the already highly anticipated Doctor Strange, which will hit the big screen this autumn. The movie was one of the highlights of last weekend's Comic-Con, where are fantastic new trailer was revealed. And the director reveals that he has developed the relationship between Doctor Strange and Mordo differently to the comics. Speaking to Comic Book, the director said: "There's definitely an evolution in the relationship. I didn't want to do what the comics did and start off with Mordo just being an arch nemesis and a bad guy straight from the beginning. "I think with all so-called villains, with all antagonists in any movie, you are only as invested in them as you are in their point of view and Mordo has a good strong point of view in this movie and the same is true of Mads Mikkelson's character. "They're both men of idea, men of principles, men of beliefs and those are the kind of antagonists I enjoy watching, so we tried to make a movie with those kind of antagonists." The movie will see Benedict Cumberbatch reunite with Chiwetel Ejiofor - who worked together on 12 Years A Slave - as they take on the central roles of Strange and Mordo. They lead an all-star cast with Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, and Benedict Wong. Doctor Strange will be the biggest film of Derrickson's career, as he directs a Marvel film for the first time. This is his first feature since Deliver Us from Evil back in 2014. As well as being in the director's chair, Derrickson has also teamed up with C. Robert Cargill to pen the film's screenplay. Doctor Strange is the second of two Marvel films to be released this year and comes after the success of Captain America: Civil War. Doctor Strange is released 28th October. by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Bruce Springsteen is set to release a compilation album of rare tracks dating back to 1966. Bruce Springsteen in concert The album will be called 'Chapter and Verse' and will serve as a companion to his forthcoming autobiography 'Born to Run,' and will be released on 23 September three days before the book is launched. Some of the songs on the album go back as far as 1966, predating his 1973 debut 'Greetings From Asbury Park' by seven years. The compilation will feature 18 songs and it will include 'Baby I' which Springsteen co-wrote with his band mate, George Theiss, when he recorded with the Castilles, the band Bruce was in as a teenager in 1966. The album also has another recording with the same band, a cover of Willie Dixon's 'You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover' from 1967. The record will contain songs from most of the 'Born in the USA' rocker's albums, spanning his later period with the E Street Band and solo recordings. Springsteen, 66, has reportedly spent six years writing the book and it will tell his journey to super-stardom and reveal some of his personal struggles. A description of the tome reveals: "Springsteen describes growing up in Freehold, New Jersey amid the 'poetry, danger, and darkness' that fuelled his imagination. "He vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band. With disarming candour, he also tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song 'Born To Run' reveals more than we previously realised." In an excerpt from the book Springsteen, who is known as 'The Boss', writes: "Writing about yourself is a funny business, but in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I've tried to do this." Bruce Springsteen's 'Chapter and Verse' tracklisting: 1. 'Baby I' - The Castiles 2. 'You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover' - The Castiles 3. 'He's Guilty (The Judge Song)' - Steel Mill 4. 'Ballad of Jesse James' - The Bruce Springsteen Band 5. 'Henry Boy' 6. 'Growin' Up 7. '4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)' 8. 'Born to Run' 9. 'Badlands' 10. 'The River' 11. 'My Father's House' 12. 'Born in the U.S.A.' 13. 'Brilliant Disguise' 14. 'Living Proof' 15. 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' 16. 'The Rising' 17. 'Long Time Comin'' 18. 'Wrecking Ball' Prince William and Duchess Catherine don't expect people to curtsey for them. Duchess Catherine and Prince William According to Avenue magazine's Daisy Prince, she was told when she met the royal couple at the A Taste of Norfolk event in East Anglia, England last month that women do not have to curtsey the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. She told New York Post's Page Six Column: "When meeting TRH [Their Royal Highnesses], there is no need for ladies to curtsy. "You may simply nod your head slightly (also known as bowing from the neck) or just shake hands." However, when you first speak with either of them you have to refer to them as 'Your Royal Highness' and after that a simple 'Sir' or 'Ma'am' is sufficient. Daisy added: "When you address TRH, you should address them in the first instance as 'Your Royal Highness,' and thereafter as 'Sir' or 'Ma'am', pronounced to rhyme with 'ham'. " And curtseying Queen Elizabeth is also a rarity even for the duchess when in public. The 34-year-old royal was seen greeting the monarch respectfully as they arrived at a service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham earlier this year, but it was unusual to see the gesture as it usually happens in private. Joe Little, the editor of Majesty magazine, said at the time: "It is rare, but it indicates that this was the first time that the Duchess saw the Queen. "It would normally happen in private. Although they came from Sandringham House, they obviously hadn't seen each other before Kate and the Middletons and their friends set out on foot. "It's unusual to see it in public but not unique. That would have been the first communication between them on that day." Sam Fox's late partner told her to do 'Celebrity Big Brother' before she died. Sam Fox The former glamour model was left heartbroken last year when her long-term partner Myra Stratton - who was also her manager for 16 years - sadly lost her battle with cancer but, despite her pain, she felt she had to take part in the reality TV series this summer because her lover wanted her to do it. Speaking to The Sun newspaper, Sam explained: "Myra wanted me to do this. We saw the producers two years ago when Myra got diagnosed. Before she died she told me she wanted me to do it." Sam has snubbed the chance to take part in the Channel 5 show every single year but finally agreed to join the house for four weeks this year after bosses reportedly slapped down an eye-watering amount of cash. A source said recently: "Every year Sam's name is bandied around in ideas meetings and every year they try hard to get her but she turns it down. But they've finally managed to tempt her on board for the new series. "She's never lost her earning power even more than 30 years since her Page 3 debut but anyone would struggle to turn down hundreds of thousands." Meanwhile, although Myra will always be in her heart, Sam has wasted no time finding love again as she's now romancing Linda Birgitte Olsen and is planning to jet to Norway once she leaves the infamous house to see her. Sam said earlier this week: "We are very, very happy, but it is early days yet." The 50-year-old blonde bombshell is hoping to spend eight days in Oslo with Linda - who is the mother of twins - once she leaves the abode next month before returning to London to start work on tracks for her new album. 'Neighbours' actress Vivean Gray has died. Alan Fletcher The legendary star - who played battleaxe Mrs Nell Mangel in the Australian soap from 1986 to 1988 - sadly passed away on Thursday (28.07.16) at the age of 92. Neighbours' executive producer Jason Herbison said in a statement: "It's with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Vivean Gray. "Mrs Mangel was the ultimate busybody, remembered for her conservatism and her caustic wit. She was a true soap legend and we thank her for all the wonderful memories." It's not yet known how, why or where she passed away but her incredible acting talents - including her role as gossip Ida Jessup in 'The Sullivans' - will be remembered forever by those she worked with and those she was watched by. Rick Maier, head of drama at Network Ten, told Australian blog TV Tonight: "Mrs Mangel and Mrs Jessup were two of our most iconic characters from one our very best character actors. Ramsay Street changed forever, and certainly no secret was ever safe, with Mrs Mangel on the lookout. Vivean's contribution to Australian drama will never be forgotten. It is a very sad day for 'Neighbours'." Alan Fletcher - who plays Dr Karl Kennedy in the soap - has taken to his Twitter account following the sad news. He wrote: "Saddened to see that #ViveanGray who played one of @Neighbours greatest characters, #MrsMangel, has passed away. #NeverForgotten I am sure. (sic)" Vivean made her mark when she was cast as Mrs Mangel in 'Neighbours' and, although she only portrayed the role for two years, she joined during a classic period for the soap when characters like Madge, Harold Bishop and Helen Daniels were pounding Ramsay Street. Shortly after she left the iconic show in 1988, Vivean - who was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire - returned to her native England for the quiet life but admitted she was always recognised for playing the busybody on the soap. She said at the time: "I loved 'Neighbours' and the rest of the cast were marvellous, but because it was so successful I could barely set foot outside my own door without someone screaming abuse at horrid old Mrs Mangel." Net profit at luxury and premium fashion goods marketer LVMH climbed 8 per cent from a year ago period to 1,711 million in the first half of 2016.In the six months to June 30, 2016, the world's leading luxury products group posted revenue of 17.2 billion, up 3 per cent, while organic revenue grew 4 per cent. Net profit at luxury and premium fashion goods marketer LVMH climbed 8 per cent from a year ago period to 1,711 million in the first half of 2016. In the six months to June 30, 2016, the world's leading luxury products group posted revenue of 17.2 billion, up 3 per cent, while organic revenue grew 4 per cent. Profit from recurring operations for the...# Profit from recurring operations for the reporting period stood at 2,959 million, unchanged from that achieved in the first half of 2015.The American market is dynamic, while Europe remains on track, with the exception of France, which has been affected by a decrease in tourism, while Asia improved steadily during the period, the company said.For the period under review, LVMH recorded cash from operations before changes in working capital of 3.7 billion, up 8 per cent year on year, while net debt to equity ratio was 20 per cent at end of June 2016.CEO Bernard Arnault too said, The diversity of our businesses, the entrepreneurial style of our brands and the agility of our organisation all contribute to the growth of the Group.We face the second half of the year with confidence and count on the quality of our products and the talent of our teams to further strengthen our leadership, he added. (AR) Fibre2fashion News Desk - India Bangladesh's Minister of State for Textiles & Jute Mirza Azam said he hopes for better trade relations with India and expects the International Textile Machinery Exhibitions Society's upcoming fair in December in Mumbai would be a golden opportunity and catalyst for both the countries.Azam's comments came at a networking programme and presentation by India ITME Society in Dhaka earlier this month. The first ever India ITME Society delegation to Bangladesh was led by its Chairman Sanjiv Lathia. Others in the delegation included Seema Srivastava, Executive Director, Shekhar Shridhankar Jt. Director, the Society said in a press release. Participants of ITME 2016, ITEMA S.p.A, ITALY, Duratech Automation Pvt. Ltd., CHTC Fongs Industries Co. Ltd. and Suvin Advisors Pvt. Ltd. Textile Trend from Kolkata and Screen Tex and Labels talk, two of the Media partners to India ITME 2016 also joined the delegation from India. India's Deputy Hingh Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dr. Adarsh Swaika, who also attended the function highlighted the opportunities for collaboration and cooperation between India and Bangladesh in the textile sector. Faruque Hassan, Sr. Vice President Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters, (BGMEA) and Md. Fazlul Hoque, Vice President, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Mohammad Hatem from Bangladesh knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Prof. Engr. Mashud Ahmed, Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh University of Textiles were the special guests at the function. Members of the industry from BTMA and BGMEA and BKMEA interacted with the Indian delegation. The Dhaka programme also was first of its kind promotional activity organised by India ITME Society creating an unique platform for better customer interaction and direct access to local market at prominent and upcoming textile hubs. Five Companies participated in this promotional programme, displaying catalogues and making presentation to introduce their products to customers. This also increased the interest of business visitors in the 10th India International Textile Machinery Exhibition to be held in Mumbai from December 3 to 8, 2016. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Japanese petrochemicals major Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings has decided to sell off its Chinese and Indian operations that make a polyester feedstock in light of a persistent glut of the acid, the Nikkei Asian Review has reported.The Japanese company once held the world's second-largest market share in purified terephthalic acid, or PTA. But with Chinese manufacturers increasing output since 2012, resulting in an oversupply, and operating loss for four straight years since fiscal 2012. Japanese petrochemicals major Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings has decided to sell off its Chinese and Indian operations that make a polyester feedstock in light of a persistent glut of the acid, the Nikkei Asian Review has reported. The Japanese company once held the world's second-largest market share in purified terephthalic acid, or PTA. But with Chinese...# While Mitsubishi Chemical will unload shares in its Chinese unit to an oil refinery in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, it will offload those in an Indian unit to a U.S. fund that owns a chemical manufacturing plant in West Bengal state.The two transactions are expected to total between 10 billion yen to 20 billion yen ($95.5 million to $191 million). The divestment, to be completed by the end of 2016, will cut annual revenue by 150 billion yen or so, Nikkei Asian Review said.However, the company will keep its PTA business in Indonesia, which supplies chiefly to group operations, as well as one in South Korea where Mitsubishi Chemical holds a stake in a production facility of an affiliate not included in its group results.Mitsubishi Chemical has been restructuring its petrochemical operations since around 2007, when Yoshimitsu Kobayashi -- the current chairman -- became the president. The company already has withdrawn from operations worth more than 300 billion yen in annual sales.While shrinking production of ethylene and general-purpose materials, Mitsubishi Chemical will focus investment on more lucrative growth operations such as carbon fiber, health-care materials and advanced resins, it said. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The Team also hopes to visit annually to perform these services until Fiji convenes its own paediatric cardiac surgery unit. The Sai Prema Foundation (Fiji) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is facilitating a medical team from the Sri Satya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital (SSSSH) in Raipur, India to perform cardiac surgeries for approximately 40 children in Fiji.The team of 10 doctors, nurses and cardiac specialists will be at the CWM Hospital from the 8th to the 18th of August to provide surgeries to children with congenital heart disease absolutely free.This initiative of the Sai Prema Foundation (Fiji) is to help the poor and the needy children of Fiji in addition to performing free medical camps in rural and remote villages.The paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon from Sanjeevani Hospital, Dr Ashish Katewa during an earlier scouting visit to Fiji met with the Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services Hon. Veena Bhatnagar and local health staff and held discussions on a possible visiting medical team to help Fijian children.Such surgeries cost approximately $55,000 per patient but will be provided free and many of the diagnosed children have been on the waiting list for quite some time.The local coordinator for the Sai Prema Foundation (Fiji) Dr Krupali Tappoo, a general practitioner at Mitchells Clinic in Suva, has been working closely with Dr Ashish Katewa and the head of paediatrics at the CWM Hospital Dr Ilisapeci Vereti, to ensure that all preparations are completed before surgeries in August.All expenses for the families of patients, such as travelling costs and meals will be met by the Childrens Heart Foundation headed by Dr Rosemary Mitchell.The Sanjeevani Hospital will provide all the consumables for the surgeries worth thousands of dollars as most of the specialised equipment is not available in Fiji, including coverage of all travel expenses for the visiting team.In addition to the free surgeries, Dr Katewa said that they will also train local doctors and nurses.We will train local counterparts in India and bear all costs with the hope that Fiji can establish its own paediatric cardiac surgical unit in future, Dr Katewa said.Minister for Health and Medical Services, Hon. Jone Usamate expressed his gratitude to the Sanjeevani Hospital for providing such services to the people of Fiji.I thank you for availing such services which will benefit the children of Fiji with this type of medical condition and will give them a new lease of life, Minister Usamate said.Meanwhile, the Centre for Child Heart Services at the Sanjeevani Hospital was established in February 2014, and has performed over 2200 paediatric cardiac surgeries free of charge to a wide cross section of the population irrespective of colour, caste, religion, status or nation. The Prime Minister said it was vital that when the beneficiaries turned 18, their money wasnt squandered. We are relieving many parents of having to worry about their childrens future. But in return, I urge them to educate their children about how to manage their finances responsibly. My Government will make sure they get financial literacy training before they turn 18 and receive their money. We want this investment to set our young people up for life and give them opportunities previous generations of iTaukei never had, he said. More than 30,000 iTaukei landowners who are minors are to have the lease monies owed to them invested, with funds available for access by them at the age of 18.The iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) is depositing $12.5 million in trust for 30,634 young landowners registered in the Vola ni Kawa Bula. The amount currently held in trust differs for each young landowner and ranges up to $99,000. The interest earned on the amount held in trust will boost these savings and provide beneficiaries with a valuable nest egg when they turn 18. When the time comes, the Government will also provide them with proper advice to manage the funds most effectively.The Prime Minister and Chairman of the TLTB, Hon. Voreqe Bainimarama, described the move as an important breakthrough in the Governments continuing effort to ensure that lease money from native land is distributed fairly and equally and empowers individual beneficiaries.Rather than just spending lease monies as they come in, we are encouraging a culture of savings and investment among the iTaukei that is certain to transform their prospects and guarantee a more secure future. When these young people reach voting age, they will be able to access a lump sum that has accumulated on their behalf. And if they use the money wisely, it will be a powerful springboard into adulthood, he said.The Prime Minister said the TLTB investment opened up a range of opportunities for young iTaukei landowners. Not only will they be able to improve their overall standard of living, they will have the option to use this money to start a business. So it is also an important boost for our effort to develop an enterprise culture in Fiji.The Prime Minister said he also hoped the initiative would encourage more iTaukei landowners to lease land that was currently not being used and was lying idle. I urge everyone to appreciate that the more land we lease, the more income we can receive. So opening up more land for productive purposes in Fiji not only benefits our national development, it benefits all Fijians by creating more wealth and laying the foundation for a much more prosperous future, especially for our children in the years to come, the PM said. REMARKS AT ANNOUNCEMENT OF DIGITAL TELEVISION TRIAL AND DRAWING OF CHANNEL LOTTERY The Honourable Attorney-General and Minister for Communications,Honourable Ministers,Representatives of the television and broadcast communications industries,Distinguished Guests,Ladies and Gentlemen,Bula vinaka and a very good afternoon to you all,Today I am proud to announce the latest breakthrough in broadcast communications in Fiji the start of a large-scale public trial of digital television.The vehicle is the Walesi platform named after the original iTaukei word for wireless. In fact when wireless radio first started broadcasting and because it was such an innovation, the producer for Radio Fiji One, which was the ITaukei language station, was known as Ratu Walesi. Although today, of course, is about the implementation of a state of the art television service, another milestone for Fiji.While other countries in the region may have digital TV, it has been set up by private companies. We are the first Pacific Island Government to invest in the infrastructure for digital television at a national level. Not only have we invested in the infrastructure through our State-owned company, Walesi Limited, but we have also invested in the latest compression technology, which I am told has the potential to return a better picture quality than what is seen in Australia. And this enhanced picture quality will be available to all Fijians.On Monday the trial in the Suva-Nasinu corridor will commence, before the full service is officially launched for the rest of the country later in the year.This is a trial period before we take the service national. So while those living in the Suva-Nasinu corridor will be able access the service from Monday, I ask those living in the rest of the country to be patient and we will soon bring digital television to you as well.To access the digital television platform, you will need a set top box, which will be available from retailers for a maximum price of $99.95.To ensure that all Fijians will have access to digital television, the Fijian Government has allocated two million dollars to provide low income households with a set top box for free. We are working with the Water Authority of Fiji, Fiji Electricity Authority and the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation to finalise this initiative, and the details will be revealed in the coming days.Along with the better picture you receive sharp, clear, digital quality and also better sound, the other main benefit of digital TV will be more choice of channels. Two each for FBC and Fiji TV, along with the existing single channel for MaiTV, in better quality than the current analogue service.And the reason why we are here today, is that weve decided in the interests of transparency to allocate the numbers of these channels for the trial service in full public view. So my next task is to pull the names out of the barrel to match the numbers. Two balls for FBC, two balls for Fiji TV and one ball for Mai TV.So lets do it. (The Prime Minister draws the lottery on the allocation of channel for each TV station to view this, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wK4jpt9DSM Ladies and Gentlemen, so there we have it the new channel numbers for the trial period of the Walesi Digital Service ahead of the full rollout across Fiji at the end of the year.If youre in the Suva-Nasinu corridor, its just in time for the Olympics. But for those of you who cant access the service, dont worry, it isnt going to make any difference to the medal count. And whether youre watching in digital or analogue, its still going to be the most exciting Olympics ever for Fiji. And the sweetest of victories if we win gold.Happy viewing. Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you. Musician and actor Nick Jonas, might be considered by Sony Pictures to feature in all new reboot of the 1995 classic Jumanji. The actor is currently in talks with the producers and is excited to feature in the movie, confirmed sources. He would join a pack of stars like Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in the upcoming movie. As per the report, this movie will not be a sequel to the original classic but will be based on the original source adapting Chris Van Allsburg's 1985 adventurous children's tale. Bad Teacher and Sex Tape fame director Jake Kasdan is all set to direct the new reboot version of Jumanji and Matt Tolmach will manage the production line. The movie has been dated for July 28, 2017 release. The original Jumanji movie was directed by Joe Johnston, which hit the big screen in the year 1995. It had stars like the late Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt, Bebe Neuwirth, Bradley Pierce, Patricia Clarkson, Jonathan Hyde and David Alan Grier. Though Sony Pictures hasn't declared the cast officially, it is anticipated that the musician and actor Nick Jonas will be considered for the role as the actor himself wants to get associated with this movie, as per the sources. Hollywood has been targeting the large Asian market for quite some time now. Not only are they picking Indian actors and actresses to feature in big banner Hollywood movies, they are also setting their eyes on the unexplored movie markets in China. In such a recent development, Matt Damon's upcoming big banner movie, The Great Wall serves as the merger between the Hollywood and the Asian Cinema, when the two worlds joined hands in promotion of the movie trailer on Thursday. In the movie, Matt Damon will share screen alongside Chinese superstar Andy Lau, which is directed by the House of Flying Daggers fame Chinese director Zhang Yimou, the film-maker who is renowned to make Asian crossover films. The Great Wall,is all set to release in China in December this year, and it will be released in February next year in the US said the director. The movie will demonstrate Yimou's style martial arts and the story is concentrated around the all the debated mysterious origins of The Great Wall of China, and its original purpose. China's stubborn censorship laws have always restricted many Hollywood movies to be released in Mainland China and therefore to counter this issue, Hollywood studios are now co-producing movies with the Chinese investors. Interpreting a single stand-alone document as representative of Madison by viewing it separately from the whole body of Madisons work diminishes its semantic value. Interpreting a single stand-alone quote from the original document as representative of the document and by viewing it separately from the whole body of the document diminishes its semantic value. Moreover, by removing most of the words from your single sentence quote, its semantic value decreases to nil. Referring to the basal criteria used for historiography, which an undergraduate history major would deem elementary, could hardly be construed as a debate technique or bunch of fancy words. It requires a subterranean level of ignorance to be under the impression that the words and phrases whole-system thinking, hermeneutics, and contextomy are fancy words and are big legal words. What these fancy words convey is an argument regarding how history is understooda single out of context quote by Madison you found on the Internet.The problem with internet historians, especially the ilk who are under the impression that they can substitute a post-graduate history degree, years of study, and studying thousands upon thousands of original source historical documents encompassing decades with a ten minute Google search and a one sentence quote. One of three most common dismal failures of internet historians who search for confirmation of their worldview rather than the truth is their intellectual insolvency to fall prey to the fallacy of defective induction by depending on the use of a single quote, the historians fallacy, and the fallacy ofThe study and meaning of the words of James Madison are dependent on his whole body of work, which encompasses the application of the concept of the hermeneutical circle and ontology. Using single quote by Madison is devoid of sense and meaning and is not representative of Madison as a single quote is dependent on the context of the original document and the original document is ultimately dependent on the whole body of the whole work by Madison.The most foundational concept of understanding Madison or any other historical figure is to find the spirit of Madisons meaning and understanding on any given subject based on the whole body of his work. An out of context quote is dependent on the document it came from, and the document is dependent on Madisons whole body of work over his life.Another basic concept in the study of history is the principle of compositionality, which precludes your obtuse use of a single quote by Madison and the atheists default of contextomy. Your jejune and anti-intellectual attempt of using synecdoche for a single out of context quote demonstrates your lack of knowledge and your lack of education.Your pathetic use of this single quote by Madison is not understood beyond the short string of words and their semantic value to the single quote. Here is the systematic path of one who is devoid of any historical knowledge:The words of Madison and any other founder are subject to and protected by. Until you can produce a body of work by Madison that contradicts the current body of works by Madison, you will always exist in the ether of ignorance. TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/03/16 -- YAMANA GOLD INC. (TSX: YRI)(NYSE: AUY) ("Yamana" or the "Company") announces that it has completed the sale to Premier Gold Inc. ("Premier") of its Mexican subsidiaries through which the Mercedes mine is held. Pursuant to the transaction, the Company received total consideration of $122.5 million in cash plus shares, equity securities and net smelter return royalties having an additional value of approximately $22 million. The marketable securities received include 6 million common shares of Premier and 3 million common share purchase warrants of Premier that are exercisable at C$4.75 per common share for 24 months. The Company also received a 1.0% net smelter return royalty on the Mercedes mine, that becomes payable upon the earlier of six years from the completion of the sale and the date upon which cumulative production of 450,000 ounces of gold equivalent from Mercedes has been achieved, as well as a 2.0% net smelter return royalty on the La Silla property in Sinaloa, Mexico and the La Espera property in Sonora, Mexico. In addition, Yamana has also sold share purchase warrants to purchase 15 million shares of Sandstorm Gold Ltd. ("Sandstorm") for total net proceeds of approximately $33.55 million, or approximately $2.24 per warrant. The warrants have an expiry date of October 27, 2020 and are exercisable at a strike price of $3.50 per share. The closing price of Sandstorm on September 23, 2016 when the sales were priced was $5.06 per share implying an in-the-money value for the warrants of approximately $1.55 per share at that time. The warrants were originally issued as part of the consideration for certain metal purchase arrangements relating to copper and silver entered into with Sandstorm in 2015. In total, these transactions have provided approximately $156 million in cash which will be used to reduce net debt. The Company continues to hold marketable securities and net smelter return royalties from these transactions having an additional value of approximately $22 million. The Company will evaluate over time the merits of monetizing these securities for further debt reductions. One of the Company's announced objectives in early 2016 was to reduce net debt by $300 million in a two year period through 2017. The Company also announced that it intends to achieve a leverage ratio below 1.5 over time. The Company is well ahead of schedule on both objectives and expects that cash balances will continue to increase, and net debt will continue to decrease, organically as a result of increased margins at current gold and silver prices. About Yamana Yamana is a Canadian-based gold producer with significant gold production, gold development stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Canada. Yamana plans to continue to build on this base through existing operating mine expansions, throughput increases, development of new mines, the advancement of its exploration properties and, at times, by targeting other gold consolidation opportunities with a primary focus in the Americas. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains or incorporates by reference "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to information with respect to the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements are characterized by words such as "plan," "expect", "budget", "target", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the Company's expectations in connection with the value of the consideration received on completion of the Transaction, the expected use of proceeds discussed herein, the reduction of the Company's net debt position and delivering value creation over the long term, and the Company's expectations on meeting its financial objectives as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to herein and in the Company's Annual Information Form filed with the securities regulatory authorities in all provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com, and the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates, assumptions or opinions should change, except as required by applicable law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's expected plans and objectives in connection with the Transaction and may not be appropriate for other purposes. (All amounts are expressed in United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.) Contacts: Yamana Gold Inc. Investor Relations 416-815-0220 1-888-809-0925 investor@yamana.com CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/19/16 -- Xtreme Drilling Corp. ("Xtreme", the "Company") (TSX: XDC) is pleased to provide a third quarter operations update along with an announcement of the date for the Q3 2016 earnings release and conference call. Third Quarter Update For the third quarter of 2016 Xtreme had total operating days of 433 from its drilling operations. Total utilization for the 21 rig fleet was 22% for the third quarter, compared with a utilization rate of 19% for the prior quarter. As of the date of this press release, six XDR rigs are earning revenue in the United States and Canada. In July the Company officially changed the corporate name to Xtreme Drilling Corp. and changed the web address to www.xdccorp.com. This was related to the sale of the coil assets of the Company to Schlumberger. Third Quarter Results and Conference Call The Company expects to announce third quarter 2016 financial and operating results after market close on Thursday, November 3, 2016 with a follow-up conference call planned for Friday, November 4, 2016 at 9:00 am MT, 10:00 am CT. Matt Porter, President and Chief Executive Officer will host the conference call and will answer questions from analysts and investors. To participate in the conference call, please dial in as follows approximately ten minutes before the start time in your time zone. +1 844-889-6858 (North America Toll-Free) or +1 661-378-9711 (International) Webcast: http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/j8zmo7wd Conference ID: 92748782 An audio replay of the call will be available until Thursday, November 10, 2016. To access the replay, call +1 (855) 859-2056 or +1 (800) 585-8367 and enter Conference ID 92748782. Reader Advisory This press release contains forward looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning commencement of operations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The forward looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. About Xtreme Xtreme Drilling Corp. ("XDC" on the Toronto Stock Exchange) designs, builds, and operates a fleet of high specification drilling rigs under contracts with oil and natural gas exploration and production companies and integrated oilfield service providers in Canada and the United States. For more information about the Company, please visit www.xdccorp.com. Contacts: Xtreme Drilling Corp. Matt Porter President and Chief Executive Officer +1 281 994 4600 ir@xdccorp.com www.xdccorp.com HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Since its inception in 2004, VIETSTOCK Expo & Forum, organized by UBM Asia (Malaysia) andheld in conjunction with VIETFEED and VIETMEAT, has consistently grown, both in exhibitor number and size, and 2016 is no exception, with an expected 300+ exhibitors, and growth of 40% from the last edition. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160728/393722 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160728/393723LOGO Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121014/HK92339LOGO-d Strategically located in Ho Chi Minh City, VIETSTOCK 2016 reaches across the Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) markets to bring together an expected 9,000+ visitors ready to do business on 19-21 October, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC), Vietnam. "No other feed, livestock and meat show in the CLMV region comes close in size or scope," said UBM Asia Business Director, Rungphech (Rose) Chitanuwat. Noting the rapid growth in exhibitor numbers, Ms. Rose said, "The level of support we are receiving from local, regional and international companies confirms the attractiveness of the livestock and allied sectors market in Vietnam and the surrounding region --and the important role VIETSTOCK plays in the industry." VIETSTOCK 2016 has again attracted many of the industry's best known names, and with exhibitors from more than 30 countries it will bring a strong international perspective to the region's livestock sector. Moreover, it also encourages valuable business partnerships, knowledge transfer and investment by which we can help to increase the region's competitiveness by further improving the quality and safety of feed, livestock and meat products. Exhibitors are optimistic about the growth and evolution of the livestock and allied industries, not just in Vietnam, but in CLMV. The region has become increasingly important to the livestock market as with continued economic growth, consumers are demanding higher quality and safe food products.This is making the region especially attractive to suppliers of inputs, such as animal health, feed, meat processing equipment, food safety solutions and so much more. "As the livestock, aquaculture and allied industries in Vietnam and the surrounding area continue to grow and innovate each year, so does VIETSTOCK.With every show, VIETSTOCK has moved from strength to strength, due in large part to the support of the industry, including our valued partners the Department of Livestock Production, Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development of Vietnam (MARD) and Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam (AHAV)," Ms. Rose said. "VIETSTOCK is much more than the industry's leading tradeshow," noted Ms. Rose. "And this year there's more opportunity than ever to connect with the industry and the people driving it. With the theme, 'Enhancing Food Safety for Domestic & Export Markets,' an extensive program of activities alongside the Expo will include conferences and seminars where you will be able to hear from leading experts who keep you informed about the latest products and solutions and a broad range of issues and trends affecting the industry that are designed to equip delegates with new ideas that will focus on improving the competitiveness of the feed, livestock and meat industries and upgrading food safety. For further information, or to pre-register, please visit www.vietstock.org. Note for Editors About VIETSTOCK Expo and Forum Organized by UBM Asia (Malaysia), VIETSTOCK Expo and Forum has developed an outstanding reputation since its launch in 2004 as Vietnam's premier event for the feed, livestock and meat industries and continues to grow bigger and better with each version. Sadayoshi Yokoyama, Toshiko Watanabe DENSO CORPORATION Phone: 81-566-25-5594 Fax: 81-566-25-4509 sadayoshi_yokoyama@denso.co.jp toshiko_watanabe@denso.co.jp KARIYA, JAPAN, July 29, 2016 - (JCN Newswire) - DENSO Corporation today announced its global financial results for the first quarter ending June 30, 2016 for fiscal year ending March 31, 2017:- Consolidated revenue totaled 1,092.8 billion yen (US$10.6 billion), a 1.2 percent decrease from the previous year.- Consolidated operating profit totaled 67.2 billion yen (US$652.9 million), a 22.5 percent decrease from the previous year.- Consolidated profit attributable to owners of the parent company totaled 46.1 billion yen (US$448.1 million), a 37.6 percent decrease from the previous year."Despite the production volume increase and the growth in sales, DENSO's revenue and operating profit decreased due to the appreciation of the yen," said Yasushi Matsui, executive director of DENSO Corporation.In Japan, impact of the exchange rate of export sales led to a decrease in revenue to 616.6 billion yen (US$6.0 billion), a 1.2 percent decrease from the previous year. The increase in R&D cost for future growth in addition to the impact of the exchange rate of export sales led to an operating profit of 14.2 billion yen (US$137.6 million), a 67.3 percent decrease from the previous year.In North America, despite an increase in car production and sales expansion, boosted by the steady economic growth, impact of exchange rate led to an decrease in revenue to 266.2 billion yen (US$2.6 billion), a 6.2 percent decrease from the previous year. As a result of the increase in production volume, the operating profit totaled 16.6 billion yen (US$161.1 million), a 12.5 percent increase from the previous year.In Europe, car production increase and sales expansion due to the moderate recovery of the market led to an increase in revenue to 154.5 billion yen (US$1.5 billion), an 1.3 percent increase from the previous year. The production volume increase and the growth in sales led to the increase in the operating profit to 6.8 billion yen (US$66.5 million), a 61.3 percent increase from the previous year.In Asia, despite the increase of car production and sales expansion, impact of exchange rate resulted in a revenue decrease of 278.1 billion yen (US$2.7 billion), a 2.5 percent decrease from the previous year. As a result of the increase in production volume, an operating profit totaled 24.5 billion yen (US$237.8 million), a 15.1 percent increase from the previous year.In other areas, mainly the South American region, including Brazil and Argentina, revenue totaled 15.7 billion yen (US$152.5 million), a 1.8 percent decrease from the previous year. The operating profit totaled 648 million yen (US$6.3 million)."Considering the appreciation of the yen, we have decided to revise the original forecasts for the first-half and full-year financial results," said Matsui.(Foreign exchange rates used for the first-half financial result forecast are US$= 107yen Euro=119 yen, and for the full-year are US$=106 yen, Euro=117 yen).About DensoDENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions and employs nearly 140,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, totaled US$39.8 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at www.densomediacenter.com.Source: DensoContact:Copyright 2016 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Facebook Inc.'s (FB) future cash flows and results could suffer a major blow if it loses a battle over new U.S. tax liabilities related to the transfer of its global operations to Ireland in 2010. The company disclosed in a regulatory filing that On July 27, 2016, it received a Statutory Notice of Deficiency from the Internal Revenue Service or IRS relating to transfer pricing with its foreign subsidiaries in conjunction with the examination of the 2010 tax year. While the Notice applies only to the 2010 tax year, the IRS stated that it will also apply its position for tax years subsequent to 2010, which, if the IRS prevails in its position, could result in an additional federal tax liability of an estimated aggregate amount of approximately $3.0 - $5.0 billion, plus interest and any penalties asserted. The company noted that it does not agree with the position of the IRS and will file a petition in the United States Tax Court challenging the Notice. If the IRS prevails in the assessment of additional tax due based on its position, the assessed tax, interest and penalties, if any, could have a material adverse impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. 'We are subject to taxation in the United States and various other state and foreign jurisdictions. The material jurisdictions in which we are subject to potential examination include the United States and Ireland. We are under examination by the Internal Revenue Service for our 2008 through 2013 tax years. Our 2014 and subsequent years remain open to examination by the IRS. Our 2011 and subsequent years remain open to examination in Ireland. We do not anticipate a significant impact to our gross unrecognized tax benefits within the next 12 months related to these years,' Facebook said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de NEW YORK, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest market report published by Persistence Market Research titled"Global Market Study on Liquid Packaging Cartons Market: One Third of Beverage Producers in Europe Procure Liquid Packaging Cartons from Asian Manufacturers, which likely to Increase over the Forecast Period" globally, the revenue generated from sales of liquid packaging carton market has been estimated to be valued over US$ 12.0 Bn by 2016 end, and is projected to increase at a CAGR of 5.5% during 2016-2024. Liquid Packaging Cartons are primarily made up of uncoated paperboard with a barrier coating. There are two types of barrier coating i.e. LDPE Coated - used to ensure a barrier against moisture as well as other external and aluminum, which is used for UV light, odor and gas barrier. These liquid packaging cartons are used for storage and safe transportation of liquid products, moreover, these cartons are available in different size, shapes, and designs according to the need of a liquid product manufacturer. One of the primary drivers for the growth of liquid packaging carton is the eco-friendly and recyclable properties of liquid packaging carton, furthermore, the rising demand for packaged foods & beverages is also expected to increase the consumption of liquid packaging carton. To view sample report:http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3052 Gable top cartons are expected to be the growing product type segment due to the wide consumption of dairy products, particularly milk. Adding to the product type segment, demand for shaped cartons is anticipated to increase due to the differentiating factor that the carton possesses. Moreover, the need for re-closable feature has driven the demand for twist opening segment in liquid packaging cartons market, whereas straw hole opening segment in the liquid packaging carton is expected to be the attractive market due to its availability in small size packs. The demand for aluminium in the liquid packaging carton is also anticipated to increase due to the increasing consumption of processed milk. According to the application type, wine & spirits are expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period of 2016-2024. Europe is likely to dominate the liquid packaging carton market, but demand is anticipated to shrink, which is forecast to lose 220 BPS over next five to six year against Asia Pacific. Asian markets are well positioned to gain the advantage of manufacturing epicentre of the globe, where demand for liquid packaging cartons is forecast to expand by 170 BPS by 2024 end. Annual growth in Asia Pacific market is also slated to remain impressive over 6% during the forecast period, translating into 1.6X growth between 2016 and 2024. Request TOC (desk of content material), Figures and Tables of the report:http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/liquid-packaging-cartons-market/toc Global leaders in liquid packaging carton include Elopak Inc., Evergreen Packaging Inc., IPI s.r.l., Refresco Gerber N.V., SIG Combibloc GmbH, Tetra Pak Inc., Weyerhaeuser Company, NIPPON PAPER INDUSTRIES CO., LTD, TidePak Aseptic Packaging Material Co., Ltd and Adam Pack s.a. About Us: Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes. Journalist Resources: Analysts who have compiled this report are available for interviews and quotes at media@persistencemarketresearch.com Contact Persistence Market Research U.S. Sales Office: 305 Broadway, 7th Floor New York City, NY 10007 United States USA - Canada Toll-Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com On 29th of March 2016 at 9:00 (EET) AB Klaipedos nafta (hereinafter - the Company) holds a conference webinar for its shareholders, investors, mass media representatives and other stakeholders. The presentation is held in English. Webinar is hosted by the Company's General manager Mr. Mantas Bartuska. Representative of the Company informs about AB Klaipedos nafta latest activities and comments the unaudited financial results of 6 months 2016. Webinar presentation is enclosed. Marius Pulkauninkas, Director of Finance and Administration Department, tel.: 8 46 391 763 Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=580226 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. -- Net sales in the period amounted to MSEK 128 (83) and Net sales for the quarter were MSEK 83 (40). -- The Gross margin for the period was 34% (53%) and Gross margin for the quarter was 31% (46%). Gross profit for the period was MSEK 44 (43) and Gross profit for the quarter was MSEK 26 (18). -- Earnings before depreciations and amortizations (EBITDA) for the period were MSEK -90 (-35) and EBITDA for the quarter was MSEK -35 (-23). -- The Result after tax for the period was MSEK -102 (-35) and the Result after tax for the quarter was MSEK -40 (-29). -- Earnings per share before and after dilution for the period were SEK -0,08 (-0,05) and for the quarter SEK -0,03 (-0,04). -- Cash flow during the period was MSEK 30 (3) and Cash flow for the quarter was MSEK 32 (-27). Cash flow from operating activities before changes in working capital during the period was MSEK -83 (-32) and for the quarter MSEK -29 (-28). Cash flow from financing activities during the period was MSEK 199 (36) and for the quarter MSEK 169(16). -- Acquisition of Pen Generation Inc. was completed on May 31. The acquisition was another step in consolidating the Anoto ecosystem to realize synergies in hardware and software development, supply chain and operations, as well as to give Anoto access to additional market channels for online sales and retail distribution. Pen Generation financials and revenues of 3.6 MSEK was included in Q2 from June 1st.Comments from the CEOSUMMARYQ2 revenue was MSEK 83, an 84% increase over Q1 2016 and a 108% growth YOY compared to Q2 2015. Several factors contributed to this sharp increase in revenue. Anoto now has a stable revenue flow from recent acquisitions such as Livescribe and Pen Generation which combined contributed MSEK 23 for the quarter. Also the successful delivery of pens in the Japanese insurance company project account for MSEK 30.Gross profit increased from MSEK 18 in Q1 to MSEK 26 in Q2. Diversification of product portfolio and reduced dependency on higher margin Enterprise Forms business is continuing to put pressure on the Gross Margin. Gross Margin remained at 31%, a 9 percentage point drop over Q1. The decline in gross margin is somewhat expected as a result of the addition of increased revenue base with higher volume and lower margin businesses.In terms of operating losses, Anoto reduced operating losses from MSEK 62 in Q1 to MSEK 42 in Q2. Operating expenses still remain high due to the fact that the restructuring efforts in Q2 does not take full effect until Q3 and Q4 of this year. For example, due to restructuring charges, total compensation and consultant expense remained virtually unchanged at MSEK 52 in Q2 vs MSEK 53 in Q1. However, we expect this number to go down in Q3 and further employee count reduction measures in Q2 and Q3 will take effect in Q4 of this year. To date, we have achieved more than 15 MSEK savings per quarter in labor costs.Another reason for high operating expenses is attributable to the development costs for the HP pen. A significant part of Anoto's resources and headcounts are dedicated to the development of HP pen. In addition, we are incurring costs related to the external consultants in preparation for the mass production which adds to the cost base. We expect a substantial portion of the work and expenses will be done by Q3, thereby allowing us to reduce costs in Q4 of this year.OUTLOOKAnoto is expanding its business lines from hardware centered business (digital pen) to software and pattern technology based businesses. It is also reducing its dependence on the Enterprise Forms business which typically has long sales lead time and long development time in coordination with SI partners.Anoto's dot pattern technology enables multi-surface collaboration work including paper. Anoto currently has interactive walls (We Inspire), Desktop solutions and screens (LFDs) which can be combined with paper based solutions to create a multi-user, multi-surface collaboration software. This is going to be an important line of business in 2017.The addition of Livescribe and Pen Generation provides much needed pen portfolio diversification. More importantly, it opens up the possibility of working with large corporations to a multi-million dollar, high volume businesses. For example, a Pen Generation's customer, a large education company in Korea, buys more than 200,000 pens per year. Anoto is in the final stages of discussions with Tstudy China for a minimum purchase of 100,000 pens in one year in the Chinese education markets. Chinese government, the Ministry of Education, recently passed a decree mandating all primary schools to purchase digital writing instrument in order to teach writing and calligraphy of Chinese characters to its students. The Chinese government is concerned about children not learning how to write as they are becoming more and more dependent on typing on mobile devices.In Japan, we are in the final stages of negotiation for additional order of 4,000 pens and 6,000 cradles which is a follow-on order for our Boxer Jr. pens. We expect to deliver this order in Q4 of 2016.Lastly but most importantly, our recent transaction with Digiwork provides an ability to use mobile phones to read patterns rather than using digital pens. On July 15, 2016 Anoto entered into a Strategic Cooperation and Investment Agreement with Digiwork, a specialist in pattern based image encoding technology using mobile phones and tablets as a device for pattern recognition. In addition, Digiwork has a proprietary technology to print such patterns on all surfaces including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, glass and fabrics.This alliance includes a co-marketing agreement of each other's' products. Digiwork produces a near-invisible pattern which can be read with mobile devices for the authentication and security. Digiwork has extensive clients in Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand and Korea. Through Digiwork's client base, Anoto is expected to increase its exposure in rapidly growing Asian economies. Digiwork also has an ability to encode 16K data into its pattern which enables mobile connectivity and data gathering in its Apps. Anoto's global sales force is already engaged to sell this product worldwide and are working on multiple sales leads.Anoto and Digiwork are collaborating to migrate Anoto's unique pattern generating ability to Digiwork's mobile solutions to create a new business line called the "Product DNA" Anoto's unique pattern becomes a product ID which can be linked to consumer's mobile phones and tablets which could gather information on the digital connectivity, ecommerce activities and use of various mobile apps. This technology enables product registration and bridges physical objects to digital space.Anoto is entering into a new phase of evolution. Anoto is no longer just a pen hardware manufacturer. Our focus on collaboration software and alternate use of patterns will expand our business lines beyond paper and screens. Although we only started this process, Q2 2016 was a critical time where we laid a foundation for this future.Joonhee Won CEO, Anoto Group AB (publ)This information is information that Anoto Group AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 29 July 2016, 08:45 CET.Calendar 2016Q3 report 18th of NovemberQ4 report February 2017For more informationPlease contact:Joonhee Won, CEO Email: ir@anoto.comAnoto Group AB (publ.), Corp. Id. No. 556532-3929 Mobilvagen 10 SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden Phone: +46 46 540 12 00 www.anoto.comAttachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=580215 LONDON, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BAILEYS XC' is new innovation from world's number one liqueur brand* BAILEYS, the brand that brought about an innovation in Irish whiskey with cream, today announced the launch of an exciting, new, premium product available exclusively to shoppers in duty free - BAILEYS XC'. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160727/393430 ) (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160727/393432 ) BAILEYS XC combines cream, Cognac and fine spirit and takes its name from the 'Exceptional Cream' liqueur showcased in this luxury blend. BAILEYS XC heralds an innovation in drinks alchemy from BAILEYS, bringing together cream, Cognac and fine spirit of unquestionable quality for a smooth, indulgent flavour and a new taste experience for liqueur lovers. Inspired by timeless French sophistication and the growing popularity of luxury liqueurs amongst shoppers in duty free, BAILEYS XC gives travellers a new product which cannot be purchased elsewhere. Presented in a stunning gold and blue, intricately designed bottle featuring an eye-catching hologram effect, BAILEYS XC is designed to appeal to those shoppers looking for something unique and indulgent. Peter Fairbrother, Global Marketing Director of Diageo Global Travel, said, "We are thrilled to bring shoppers in duty free this exclusive new product from BAILEYS. BAILEYS XC is a liqueur of the highest quality, showcasing premium ingredients and beautiful packaging - and it tastes as good as it looks." "We know that BAILEYS traditionally performs well with female shoppers and those looking an escape from the ordinary, and we're confident that this luxurious new product will appeal to new and existing BAILEYS customers." Designed to take pride of place in the drinks cabinet, it makes for a gift of unquestionable style, retailing at 15.00/16.00/$22.50 (RRSP) for a 50cl bottle. From today, travellers can pick up BAILEYS XC from selected airports worldwide. ABOUT BAILEYS Baileys is the world's first Irish cream liqueur, a unique blend of smooth Irish cream with quality spirits and whiskey. It has won more medals than any of its competitors in the 'cream liqueur category'at the prestigious San Francisco world spirits awards and is the 2012 Gold Winner. It's the number 1 liqueur brand in the world, with over 70 million bottles sold across 150 countries each year. For more information please visit the Baileys website: http://www.baileys.com ABOUT DIAGEO Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan's and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, CAroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com.Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com , for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere. Please drink responsibly, visit http://www.DRINKiQ.com The BAILEYS word and associated logos are trademarks R&A Bailey & Co 2016 LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Laird PLC (LRD.L, LARD.L) reported statutory profit before tax of 6.2 million pounds for the 6 months ended 30 June 2016 compared to 21.6 million pounds, previous year. Profit to equity shareholders of the parent company decreased to 2.0 million pounds from 14.7 million pounds. Earnings per share was 0.7 pence compared to 5.5 pence. Underlying profit before tax was 16.4 million pounds compared to 26.9 million pounds, a year ago. Underlying earnings per share from continuing operations decreased to 4.6 pence from 7.8 pence. First-half revenue from continuing operations increased to 352.5 million pounds from 305.9 million pounds, last year. Organic constant currency revenue decreased 3.6% mainly due to strong prior year first-half comparative in Performance Materials. David Lockwood, Chief Executive, said: 'The majority of our business continued to perform as expected in the first half. Despite the impact of the smartphone cycle and the sales decline in WACS organic constant currency revenue fell by just 3.6%, demonstrating that our strategy of diversification across markets and customers has provided us with a strong platform to counter such sales headwinds. The reduction in our first half profit and margins is disappointing, however action has already been taken to address this and support delivery of the full year.' The Board of Laird PLC has declared an interim dividend of 4.53 pence, a 3% increase over last year's interim dividend. The interim dividend will be paid on 2 December 2016 to shareholders on the register on 4 November 2016. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. You have clearly misunderstood me. I have never said he was in "collusion" with a foreign nation against the the US. I haven't even said he was directly tied to Putin. Though to be honest, the people that have the kind of money to invest tens of millions if not hundreds of millions in Trumps enterprises almost certainly move in Putin's social circles. People, even billionaires, that cross Putin tend not to fare well. I haven't said or even implied what Trump's done anything illegal. You get your financing from whoever will invest in your business. All I AM saying is I see a conflict of interest. IF the Bloomberg estimates are even close, then Trump owes hundreds of millions to Russian investors, not directly to Putin, not to the Russian state, unless he borrowed from a state owned bank. That puts him in a precarious position when it comes to dealing with Russia. Is he REALLY going to bite the that feeds him ?? Is he really going to take a hard line when doing so could force him into bankruptcy again ? I would add to this discussion the fact, several on this board have made considerable noise about exactly WHO is donating to the Clinton foundation. Questioning exactly where Hillary's loyalties might lie, even though those donations are very small when compared to what Trump may owe his Russian investors. Yet you want to completely discount that Trump could be seriously compromised if Putin starts making aggressive moves in Europe and the former Soviet states. Again I am merely pointing out the hypocrisy. The Clinton foundation take a couple million from some one in Saudi Arabia and ooooohhhhh she's so corrupt and will be weak on fighting terrorists. But Trump may owes HUNDREDS of millions to Russian investors, and you see nothing wrong with that even though Russia potentially poses a far greater threat than the middle east ever will. TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - JAL Group (JAPSY.OB) reported that its profit attributable to owners of the parent for the first quarter was 14.7 billion yen, down 54.9% year on year. Consolidated operating revenue for the quarter decreased by 4.8% year-on-year to 297.2 billion yen. Operating income decreased by 39.1% year on year to 22.0 billion yen and ordinary income decreased by 49.8% to 19.7 billion yen. In overseas economies, a sense of uncertainty pervaded the British and European economies stemming from the LEAVE won a majority in the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. Weakness was also observed in new emerging markets in Asia and resource-rich countries led by China's economic slowdown. Due to effects of a series of earthquakes that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in the Kyushu region in April (the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes), tourism demand in Kyushu declined. Crude oil prices, which affect our fuel purchasing costs, international passenger revenue and international cargo revenue, have been lower than the year before, and the JPY/USD foreign exchange rate showed the Japanese yen getting stronger. Looking ahead for fiscal year ending March 31, 2017, the company still expects Profit attributable to owners of parent of 192.0 billion yen, Ordinary Income of 193.0 billion, Operating Income of 201 billion yen, and Operating Revenues of 1.343 trillion yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. TOKYO, July 29, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today announced that Takashimaya Company, Limited (Takashimaya) and the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) will start issuing JCB credit cards on July 30, 2016.Takashimaya's new Ho Chi Minh City Takashimaya is located in the Saigon Centre shopping center, opening on July 30. Takashimaya has 19 department stores in Japan and one each in Singapore and Shanghai. Vietcombank is the largest bank in terms of card transaction amount in Vietnam. It has had an alliance with JCBI in merchant acquiring business since 1991 and has been issuing JCB cards since 2012.Cardmembers receive points with purchases at shops and restaurants in Saigon Centre and all Takashimaya department stores including Singapore, Shanghai and Japan. Points can be redeemed for gift cards and other rewards.Hideyuki Yamamoto, President of Takashimaya Viet Nam Ltd. stated, "On 30 July, Ho Chi Minh City Takashimaya will open the first Takashimaya department store in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City Takashimaya will provide attractive products and the best services, offering high quality life styles to customers. We are already issuing JCB brand cards in Japan, and we are excited to be able to do the same in Vietnam. Adding the JCB international card to our brand means that our customers can take advantages of JCB's wide acceptance and money saving privileges, enhancing the status of the card. We are confident that this contributes to our goal, providing the best services."Kimihisa Imada, Deputy President of JCBI stated, "I am delighted to tie-up with such leading companies as Takashimaya and Vietcombank, who have long-term relationships with JCB. This new alliance will enable Takashimaya to improve customer services and Vietcombank and JCBI to promote shopping by cardmembers as well as expand the JCB cardmember base in Vietnam. JCB focuses on businesses in the ASEAN market just as Takashimaya does, and I am hoping to further strengthen our partnership to provide local customers with more services for their shopping."- Card type: Credit Card (standard)- Takashimaya point: 1.7% of shopping amount- Saigon Centre shop point: 0.85% of shopping amount- Points at other locations: 0.1% of shopping amount- Annual fee: 100,000 dong- Point Gift Card (reward)Point Gift Card can be used at selected shops in Saigon Centre.When cardmembers earn 200,000 points or more, they can receive a Bonus Point Gift Card worth 200,000 dong.Note: Gift cards provided as rewards are available only in Vietnam.About JCBJCB is a major global payments brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 31 million merchants and over a million cash advance locations in 190 countries and territories. JCB cards are now issued in 21 countries and territories, with more than 95 million card members. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with more than 350 leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and card member base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.jcbcorporate.com/englishAbout Takashimaya Viet NamAddress: 65 Le Loi Blvd., Ben Nghe Word, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamEstablished: September 13, 2013Capital: 32 mil. USDPresident: Hideyuki YamamotoBusiness Areas: Retail, Wholesale, Import/ExportAbout VietcombankEstablished in 1963, Vietcombank is always one of the biggest commercial banks in Vietnam with the strategic partner of Mizuho Bank, prestigiously offering such a wide range of financial services. To be more highlighted, Vietcombank is also the pioneer to the extent of card products and services in Vietnam market. Thanks to the continuously strong efforts of diversifying products, enhancing services quality and applying advanced technologies in the card business as well as expanding the merchants and ATMs network nationwide, Vietcombank has firmly maintained the position as a leading bank in Vietnam card market over the past 20 years. Before the launching of Saigon Centre-Takashimaya-Vietcombank Co-branded Card, Vietcombank has successfully cooperated with partners in several areas, for instance, airlines, retail, travel, etc. For more information, please visit www.vietcombank.com.vn.ContactJCB International Co., Ltd.Ayako TanakaCorporate PlanningTel: 81-3-5778-8390Email: jcbinternational-pr@info.jcb.co.jpSource: JCBCopyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. 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. Three Resources Enhance Payment Security SHENZHEN, China, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today's shopper is more aware of cyber security and the need to keep their personal and payment information private. Unlike other big name ecommerce giants, Zaful has a track record of never losing or sharing any private information, theresult of an engineer team constantly at work. Senior engineers at Zaful recently discussed what to look for when shopping online and how Zaful is already doing them. Registration as a secure website is the number one thing a customer should look for before doing business with a website. Many sites are not acclaimed or hold certification as being secure and there is often good reason for it. A secure website that will not leak customer information should have the following registration banners at the bottom of its page: McAfee Secure, TrustWave and DMCA Verified. Sites with these badges are usually deemed safe from hackers and considered legitimate. A reseller rating score and PayPal verification is also essential to have. This shows that the merchant is honest in their sales. Zaful can say that it has all of these verifications and is always looking to find and patch any bugs that could cause security issues. Consumers do not want their credit card numbers falling in the wrong hands. If a legitimate merchant cannot keep their users safe then no one will want to work with them. At Zaful the company uses a secure PCI standard risk control system. These highly embedded control systems are powerful enough to scan and analyze each purchase to ensure thatit is not fraudulent or leaked to outside sources. Credit card companies will be promptly notified if any fraudulent activity occurs and they will contact the card holder immediately. Sometimes technology cannot be enough to weed out bad transactions. Beyond what other companies do, Zaful has a team to manually check over every transaction. If orders look out of line or fraudulent Zaful will have their team contact the payment company to flag possible fraudulent behavior. The payment company will work with Zaful to ensure orders are legitimate before they are shipped. This reduces fraudsters receiving packages using another person's card. You can also visit other secure websites from Globalegrow such as SammyDress and Rosegal to get more information about payment security. http://www.zaful.com/ BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 5:00 am ET Friday, Eurostat releases euro area GDP data. Economists expect the economic growth to halve to 0.3 percent in the second quarter from 0.6 percent in the prior quarter. Consumer prices are forecast to gain 0.1 percent annually in July as seen in June. Ahead of the data, the euro showed mixed trading against the other major currencies. While the euro held steady against the greenback, pound and the yen, it declined against the Swiss franc. The euro was valued at 1.1095 against the greenback, 115.16 against the yen, 1.0844 against the franc and 0.8416 against the pound as of 4:55 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. PUNE, India, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Fire Resistant Glass Market by Type (Laminated, Ceramic, Tempered, Wired), by Application (Building & Construction, Marine, and Others), and by Region - Global Forecast to 2021", Published by MarketsandMarkets, The global market is projected to reach USD 7.36 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 12.9%. The market size was 9.57 Million square meters in 2015, and is projected to register a CAGR of 10.5% during the forecast period. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 165 market data Tables and 68 Figures spread through 172 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Fire Resistant Glass Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/fire-resistant-glass-market-4756930.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. This growth is fueled by the increasing production capacities, rising development strategies, growing shift toward ceramic and laminated fire resistant glass, and growing application sectors globally. Laminated: The largest fire resistant glass market, by type Laminated is the largest type segment of the Fire Resistant Glass Market, as these glasses have the ability to provide effective glazing solutions with impact resistance, and heat & smoke resistivity. The demand for laminated fire resistant glasses is higher in applications where the fire safety and impact resistance codes are the highest. These glasses are made with various forms of interlayering such as EVA, PVB, and Gel depending on the application requirement. The wide application areas coupled with the growing adoption of development strategies for high-quality and fire resistivity for long duration are expected to increase the demand for laminated fire resistant glasses significantly in the global market during the forecast period. Building & construction: The largest application market for fire resistant glass Building & construction is currently the largest application of fire resistant glass. These glasses are used in fire-rated windows and doors, as they allow safe and unhindered passage access for people, firefighters, and rescue workers during fire mishaps. Their ability to prevent smoke and radiant heat from spreading in other parts of the building has made them a preferred option in various commercial and residential building applications such as schools, hospitals, stairs, and passages. The stringent building safety norms and regulations is another key factor contributing to the growth of the fire resistant glasses in this application segment. Make an Inquiry @http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=4756930 Western Europe: The largest market for fire resistant glass Western Europe is estimated to be the largest market for fire resistant glass globally. This is mainly attributed to the presence of a large number of fire resistant glass manufacturers, increasing government support, rising foreign investments, and growing demand for ceramic, tempered, and laminated fire resistant glasses from the building & construction, marine, transportation, and aerospace industries. Germany dominates the market owing to the stringent building safety codes and fire safety regulations for commercial buildings, and developmental strategies adopted by the manufacturers. The global fire resistant glass market is fragmented owing to the presence of a large number of buyers and suppliers worldwide. Increasing rivalry among the players to obtain majority of the patents for fire resistant glass used in applications such as building & material, transportation, oil refinery, and aerospace has played a major role in intensifying the level of competition. Major players such as SCHOTT AG (Germany), Compagnie De Saint-Gobain (France), and Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. (Japan) have adopted organic and inorganic developmental strategies. Browse Related Reports: Smart Glass Market by Technology (SPD, Electrochromic, PDLC, Thermochromic), Application (Architecture, Transportation, Solar Power Generation, Electronics & Others), & Geography - Global Trend & Forecast to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/smart-glass-market-907.html Automotive Glass Market by Vehicle & Glass Type (Tempered, Laminated, & Other), Smart Glass Market by Technology (Active and Passive), Application (Sunroof, Windshield, Sidelites /Backlites, & Side View/Rearview Mirrors), & by Region - Forecast to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/automotive-glass-market-229009655.html Know More About our Knowledge Store @http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr.Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India Tel: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SHANGHAI, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --The China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) will open the 38th CIFF (Shanghai) on September 7 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao, Shanghai. The four-day CIFF (Shanghai) fall exhibition will cover all fields in the furniture industry, showcasing home furniture, office furniture, home decor & home textiles, outdoor & leisure as well as machinery and raw materials. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160729/394090 The leading furniture fair have successfully concluded the spring exhibition 37th CIFF (Guangzhou) in March, which attracted a total of 3,868 exhibitors along with 168,881 visitors in the fruitful eight-day fair. The CIFF (Shanghai) will be highlighting customized furniture and smart furniture, two of the hottest trends in the global furniture industry. "More large-scale exhibitions are concentrated in big cities, the high quality platform we provide for our exhibitors and buyers helps to connect all chains in the furniture industry, we have full hope and expectation for the upcoming CIFF (Shanghai) that will feature dozens of international brands as well as the trendsetting smart home customization," said staff from CIFF committee. Leading the trends in the furniture industry, CIFF (Shanghai) will showcase more customizable and personalized products that meet the market demand, bringing special focus to smart furniture as many traditional manufacturers are now incorporating modern technology in the new designs while adopting new production model to transform to modern digital production. The Modern Home Furniture Show of CIFF will feature dozens of western and eastern brands including Ashley, Lifestyle, Global Views and Uttermost from the U.S., Chateau d'Ax, Biesse, SCM and Cefla from Italy, Homag from Germany, Beard, Boori and Lounge Innovation from Australia as well as Chinese companies Landbond, Qumei, Kuka Home and more. In September, global buyer groups from Italy, U.S., Germany, Russia, Belgium, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey will gather at CIFF (Shanghai), VIP buyers recommended by brand enterprises will receive free accommodation. Designer, architect, real estate professional and furniture dealer groups will also be present at the CIFF (Shanghai) for business discussions. The CIFF (Shanghai) will be hosted at the NECC in Hongqiao area that's only 1.5 kilometers away from the Hongqiao transportation hub connecting Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station. The complex can be reached by taking metro line 2 to Xujingdong Station. The fair will also operate free and direct shuttle service from airports, railways stations and other transportation hubs to the fair. The NECC is now supported by fully operational commercial centers in Hongqiao, and the InterContinental: Shanghai NECC will open in September to provide the best exhibition experience for exhibitors and buyers. About CIFF As the first and largest furniture fair in China, the 38th CIFF will be organized by China Foreign Trade Center (Group), Guangdong Furniture Association, China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Light Industrial Products and Arts-Crafts and hosted by China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition General Corp. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Euromax Resources Ltd. (TSX: EOX) ("Euromax" or the "Company") is pleased to report that all resolutions proposed, as set out in the Notice of Meeting dated 23 June 2016, were duly passed at its Annual General Meeting held in Skopje, Macedonia on Thursday, 28 July 2016. The Board & Management wishes to express its thanks to all shareholders for their support. Results of the Meeting A summary of the voting results is as follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total shares voted: 42,973,899 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total shares issued: 116,842,737 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total percentage of shares voted: 36.78% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Directors At the Meeting, shareholder approval was sought by way of an ordinary resolution to fix the number of directors of the Corporation at eight (8) in accordance with the Corporation's Articles. Vote For % Vote Against % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42,072,360 97.90 901,538 2.10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Election of Directors Each of the individuals nominated by management for election as a director of the Company was duly elected as Director of the Company. The results are as follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Withheld Name of Nominee Vote For % Vote % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Martyn Konig 29,253,182 94.95 1,571,793 5.05 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Randal Matkaluk 30,497,975 98.08 597,000 1.92 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tim Morgan-Wynne 30,548,182 98.24 546,793 1.76 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Sharpe 30,550,642 98.25 544,333 1.75 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Varshan Gokool 30,534,643 98.20 560,332 1.80 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patrick Forward 30,539,643 98.21 555,332 1.79 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Abel 30,490,310 98.06 604,665 1.94 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raymond Threlkeld 30,494643 98.07 600,332 1.93 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Re-Appointment of Auditors Management recommends that Shareholders re-appoint Deloitte LLP as auditors of the Corporation, to hold office until the next annual general meeting of Shareholders, and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Withheld Name of Auditors Vote For % Vote % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deloitte LLP 42,971,728 99.99 2,171 0.01 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stock Option Plan A continued use of the Corporation's stock option plan, in the form of resolution set forth in the management information circular sent to the shareholders, was passed as a resolution of the shareholders of the Corporation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vote For % Vote Against % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30,470,954 97.99 624,021 2.01 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Euromax Resources Ltd. Euromax has a major development project in Macedonia and an exploration services company in Bulgaria. We are focused on building and operating the Ilovica-Shtuka copper/gold project in Macedonia, as well profitably deploying the wealth of exploration experience within our Bulgarian Exploration Services subsidiary. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains statements that are forward-looking, such as those relating to results of operations and financial condition, capital spending, financing sources, commodity prices, mineral resources and property evaluation plans and programmes. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterised by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the dates the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are as of the date of this document, and are subject to change after this date. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Euromax disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information, please visit www.euromaxresources.com. Contacts: Euromax Resources Ltd. Steve Sharpe President & CEO +44 (0)20 3667 2970 ssharpe@euromaxresources.co.uk www.euromaxresources.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Dril-Quip Inc. (DRQ) released earnings for second quarter that decreased from last year. The company said its bottom line dropped to $36.14 million, or $0.96 per share. This was lower than $39.21 million, or $1.01 per share, in last year's second quarter. Analysts had expected the company to earn $0.67 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. The company said revenue for the quarter fell 33.8% to $142.44 million. This was down from $215.28 million last year. Dril-Quip Inc. earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q2): $36.14 Mln. vs. $39.21 Mln. last year. -Earnings Decline (Y-o-Y): -7.8% -EPS (Q2): $0.96 vs. $1.01 last year. -EPS Decline (Y-o-Y): -5.0% -Analysts Estimate: $0.67 -Revenue (Q2): $142.44 Mln vs. $215.28 Mln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -33.8% -Guidance : Full year EPS guidance: $2.05 - $2.25 Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Newmarket Gold Inc. ("Newmarket Gold" or the "Company") (TSX: NMI)(OTCQX: NMKTF) is pleased to announce financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016. Full Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis documents can be found at www.sedar.com and the Company's website, www.newmarketgoldinc.com. All figures are in United States ("U.S") dollars, unless otherwise stated. Second Quarter 2016 Highlights -- 2016 Corporate Guidance Revision: Increased full year 2016 consolidated production guidance to 225,000 - 235,000 ounces, following record quarterly production from Fosterville, while lowering consolidated All- In Sustaining Costs ("AISC") to $900 - $975 per ounce sold. -- Strong Cash Position: Increased cash balance of $69.9 million, an increase of 91% from $36.5 million at Q4 2015. Working capital of $56.3 million at Q2 2016, up significantly from $22.3 million at Q4 2015. -- Generating Free Cash Flow: Operating cash flow for Q2 2016 of $31.0 million or $0.18 per share based on basic weighted average number of shares outstanding, based on revenue of $78.0 million from 62,223 ounces sold. Free cash flow of $17.4 million based on operating cash flow less capital expenditures of $13.6 million, after investing $3.6 million into growth programs in Q2 2016. -- Record Quarterly Mine Operating Income: Q2 2016 Mine Operating Income of $28.1 million, up 60% from Q1 2016, the result of record quarterly consolidated gold production of 61,191 ounces. -- Record Consolidated Quarter Operating Cash Cost & Low AISC: Q2 2016 Operating cash costs per ounce sold of $673 and AISC per ounce sold of $937. -- Record Quarterly Performance at Flagship Fosterville Gold Mine: Gold production of 37,245 ounces with record average grade of 7.50 g/t Au and record quarterly recovery of 90.8% supported by the successful commissioning of the new gravity gold circuit. -- Fosterville Achieves Record Low Quarter Operating Cost & Low AISC: Q2 2016 Operating cash cost per ounce sold of $440 and AISC per ounce sold of $741. -- Increased Net income: $16.8 million or $0.10 Basic EPS in Q2 2016, including the impact of $2.3 million in share based compensation expense tied to the 76% increase in the share price of the Company on the TSX Exchange in Q2 2016. Douglas Forster, President & CEO, Newmarket Gold commented: "Newmarket Gold is pleased to report another consecutive quarter of improved operational performance and financial results driven by record results from our flagship Fosterville gold mine, where an increasing grade profile and improved metallurgical recoveries have supported record production results. Our continued focus on safety, productivity and quality has enabled Newmarket Gold to build a cash balance of $69.9 million, marking an increase of 91% from the start of the year. For the first half of 2016, the Company has generated free cash flow of $26.2 million from operations after investing $7.5 million in growth exploration programs." "Based on record second quarter production, Newmarket Gold is increasing full year consolidated production guidance to 225,000 - 235,000 ounces of gold and lowering the consolidated AISC to $900 - $975 per ounce sold, mainly attributable to record production, grade and recovery at Fosterville. In addition, exploration success to date on near mine targets and continued strengthening of the gold price support increasing our exploration growth programs to $10-$15 million for the year. This increased growth investment will enable the Company to advance the resource potential of our assets and to accelerate the development of the growth side of our business. Currently, we have increased drilling at all sites and now have 13 drill rigs in operation, with programs designed to increase mineral resources and mineral reserves to extend the mine life of our operations." 2016 Corporate Guidance Revision ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fosterville Cosmo Stawell Consolidated ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- REVISED GUIDANCE 130,000 - approx. approx. 225,000 - Gold Production (ounces) 140,000 60,000 35,000 235,000 Operating Cash Costs per $975 - $1,050 - Ounce(1) $450 - $525 $1,050 $1,125 $650 - $725 AISC per Ounce(1) $900 - $975 Sustaining Capital $42 - $44.5 $5 - $7 $3 - $3.5 $50 - $55 Expenditures million million million million $10 - $15 Growth Expenditures million approx. $8 Corporate G&A million ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRIOR GUIDANCE 110,000 - 60,000 - approx. 205,000 - Gold Production (ounces) 120,000 65,000 35,000 220,000 Operating Cash Costs per Ounce(1) $500 - $575 $720 - $795 $900 - $975 $650 - $725 $950 - AISC per Ounce(1) $1,025 $37.5 - Sustaining Capital $42.5 $10 - $12 $2.5 - $3.0 $50 - $57.5 Expenditures million million million million $5 - $10 Growth Expenditures million $5 - $6 Corporate G&A million ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1)Operating Cash Costs per ounce and AISC per ounce reflect an average Australian to US dollar exchange rate of $0.75. CONSOLIDATED RESULTS SUMMARY - For the period ended June 30, 2016 Financial Results (in thousands, except per share and per ounce amounts) Q2 2016 Q2 2015 YTD 2016 YTD 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue ($) 78,039 66,044 144,094 138,941 Cost of operations, including depletion and depreciation ($) (49,953) (46,526) (98,455) (99,661) Mine operating income ($) 28,086 19,518 45,639 39,280 Net (loss) income ($) 16,760 12,072 23,223 27,775 Net (loss) income per share ($/share) - basic 0.10 0.10 0.14 0.24 Net (loss) income per share ($/share) - diluted 0.09 0.10 0.14 0.23 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash generated from operating activities ($) 30,999 27,073 49,300 54,559 Capital investment in mine development, property, plant and equipment ($) 13,643 17,158 23,078 30,618 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average realized gold price per ounce ($) 1,253 1,196 1,199 1,190 Average quoted gold price per ounce ($) 1,260 1,192 1,221 1,206 Operating cash costs per ounce sold ($) 673 681 686 682 All-in sustaining cash costs per ounce sold ($) 937 1,037 923 985 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operational Results Q2 2016 Q2 2015 YTD 2016 YTD 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ore Milled (t) 564,401 588,381 1,136,852 1,174,101 Grade (g/t Au) 3.75 3.31 3.69 3.44 Recovery (%) 89.8 88.0 88.3 87.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold Oz Produced 61,191 55,998 119,248 115,674 Gold Oz Sold 62,223 55,154 120,019 116,447 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECOND QUARTER 2016 FINANCIAL REVIEW Newmarket Gold achieved record consolidated gold production of 61,191 ounces in Q2 2016, which included record quarterly production from the Fosterville gold mine of 37,245 ounces driven by record mill grade of 7.50 g/t Au and record recovery of 90.8%. Revenue for Q2 2016 was $78.0 million based on 62,223 ounces of gold sold at an average realized gold price of $1,253 per ounce, an increase in revenue of 18% compared to Q2 2015 as a result of 13% more gold sold in a rising gold price environment. On a consolidated basis, operating cash costs per ounce was a quarterly record low of $673 per ounce sold in Q2, the result of an increasing grade and recovery profile, particularly at our flagship Fosterville gold mine which accounted for 61% of consolidated production. As a result of the record quarterly production and operating cash cost per ounce results, mine operating income in Q2 2016 was a quarterly record $28.1 million, a 44% increase over the corresponding period of 2015 and a 60% increase from the first quarter of 2016. Operating expenses in absolute terms for the second quarter of $40.9 million increased 11% compared to Q2 2015, partly due to higher operating costs at Fosterville as a result of a shift to a total extraction mining method to optimize higher grades, the success of which has been demonstrated in the 17% decrease in operating cash costs per ounce to $440 compared to Q2 2015. Operating costs per ounce at Cosmo have increased 12% from Q2 2015 to $974, with comparatively lower tonnes driving 4% fewer ounces sold, and a significantly higher ratio of operating development resulting in a higher allocation of costs to operations expenses. Operating costs at Stawell have also increased in Q2 2016 relative to the prior year due to increased levels of operating development to open up mining fronts in the Federal Albion, and lower comparative grades and recoveries have resulted in increased operating cash costs per ounce of $1,144. Royalty expense increased 42% compared to the second quarter of 2015, reflective of record production at Fosterville and the resulting impact on revenues, and the commencement of a 1% NSR royalty at Stawell as of January 1, 2016. Depletion and depreciation of $8.0 million in Q2 2016 is down 10% compared to the previous year, impacted by a lower Australian dollar but mainly the result of lower book values at Cosmo and a longer mine life at Fosterville. Net income for the second quarter of 2016 was $16.8 million or $0.10 per share (basic), compared to net income of $12.1 million or $0.10 per share in Q2 2015. The unchanged earnings per share over the two periods despite an increase in net income of 39% during Q2 2016 is reflective of the higher weighted average number of shares outstanding (basic) as a result of the conversion and redemption of Debentures and the exercise of warrants during the first quarter of 2016 resulting in the Company being essentially debt free. Second quarter net income includes $3.6 million of exploration and evaluation expenditures, an increase of 36% over Q2 2015 as the Company focuses on growing its resources while continuing to maintain strong cash flow generation. Net income was also impacted by share based compensation of $2.3 million, largely due to the vesting of two tranches of the Company's performance share units, whose share-performance vesting terms were triggered as a result of the 76% increase of the Company's share price on the TSX Exchange in Q2 2016. General and administrative expenses have increased compared to 2015 both on a quarterly and year-to-date basis, reflecting the increased corporate capacity as a result of Newmarket's amalgamation with Crocodile Gold in July of 2015, and increase capital markets activity since that time. Increase general and administration expenses also reflect the increased value of phantom share units due to the significant appreciation in the Company's market value, and the accrual of certain employee awards which are directly related to the financial performance of the Company. During the second quarter of 2016, the Company also recognized a deferred tax expense of $2.8 million, compared to $0.6 million in the corresponding period of 2015. The expense predominantly relates to the estimated use of non-capital losses relating to Fosterville and Stawell, driven by continued record results from Fosterville and an exceptionally strong Australian gold price environment, averaging A$1,689 during the second quarter and surpassing A$1,800 towards the end of the quarter. Cash Flow Newmarket Gold generated operating cash flow of $31.0 million in Q2 2016, compared to $27.1 million in the same period of 2015. The 15% increase in operating cash flows reflects the 18% increase in revenue owing to record production and higher gold prices, while also reflecting the ongoing investment of $3.6 million in exploration and evaluation growth programs. On a year to date basis, the Company has generated $49.3 million in cash flow from operations, which includes $7.5 million in exploration and evaluation spending. Newmarket invested $11.1 million in Q2 2016 on underground development and resource definition, with Fosterville accounting for 85% of this total expenditure. Mine development at Cosmo continued to be comparatively low at $0.6 million, with a focus on operating development in the now-accessed Mining Block 8, and also on the completion of the 640 drill drive growth development which provides a drill platform for the Sliver lode and the Eastern Lode footwall targets, in addition to grade control drilling. Lower mine development compared to 2015 is mainly due to decreased underground development at Cosmo, with a shift to more underground development expected in the second half of 2016. Property, plant and equipment expenditure in the quarter was $2.6 million down compared to 2015, with reduced expenditures at each of the mine operations. The Company achieved consolidated All-In Sustaining cash costs per ounce of $937 in the second quarter of 2016, up slightly from Q1 2016 due to timing of expenditures. Consolidated All-In Sustaining cash costs of $923 per ounce for the first half of 2016 is tracking well below initial 2016 guidance of $950-$1,025 per ounce, resulting in a downward revision to $900-$975 per ounce. Notably, the All-In Sustaining cash costs per ounce for Fosterville decreased by 21% to $741 per ounce in Q2 2016, when compared to Q2 2015, and decreased 18% to $732 per ounce YTD 2016 when compared to YTD 2015. Net cash provided from financing activities in the second quarter of $0.8 million reflected the proceeds from the exercise of stock options and warrants, offset by ongoing capital lease obligation and other loan repayments. Net cash from financing of $5.2 million in the first half of 2016 also reflects $5.1 million on the exercise of 4,250,769 share purchase warrants in the first quarter, and the final payment of $0.7 million in interest on the conversion and redemption of the Debentures. Financial Position At June 30, 2016, the Company had a cash balance of $69.9 million, a significant increase from $36.5 million as at December 31, 2015 representing real cash flow generation of $17.8 million during Q2 2016 and $33.4 million during the first half of 2016. Newmarket Gold's working capital position at the end of Q2 2016 was $56.3 million, a significant increase from $22.3 million at December 31, 2015, reflecting net free cash flow from mine operations, the receipt of proceeds on the exercise of share purchase warrants, and the reduction of current debt relating to the Debentures. With the full conversion and redemption of the Debentures, the Company is essentially debt-free with only $2.8 million in capital lease obligations and other loans. Foreign Exchange Newmarket Gold has generally benefited in the Australian dollar exchange rate relative to the US dollar, which has markedly increased the gold price in Australian dollar terms (the functional currency of its subsidiaries' operations) while having the effect of lowering cash costs in US dollar terms. Over the second quarter, the Australian denominated gold price, has traded at an average of approximately A$1,689 and has exceeded A$1,800 on occasion. The Australian dollar closed at $0.7486 on June 30, 2016, an increase of 3% compared to December 31, 2015. The average Australian dollar exchange rate for the second quarter was $0.7459, down 4% compared to $0.7778 for the same period in 2015. Second Quarter 2016 Financial Earnings Conference Call Details In connection with our second quarter 2016 financial results, Douglas Forster, President and Chief Executive Officer, Darren Hall, Chief Operating Officer and Robert Dufour, Chief Financial Officer, will also host a conference call to discuss the results on Friday, July 29, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). Participants may listen to the call by dialing toll free 1 (877) 291-4570 at approximately 10:50 a.m. (EDT) and ask to join the Newmarket Gold conference call. International or local callers should dial 1 (647) 788-4919 at approximately 10:50 a.m. (EDT) and ask to join the Newmarket Gold conference call. The call will be webcast live at http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/6t6xwz96 and at www.newmarketgoldinc.com in the Events and Webcast section under the Investor Relations tab. The live audio webcast will be archived and made available for replay at www.newmarketgoldinc.com. Presentation slides which accompany the conference call will be made available in the Investors section of the Newmarket Gold website, under Presentations, prior to the conference call. Upcoming Events Diggers & Dealers Conference - August 1-3rd, 2016, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia Rodman & Renshaw Global Investment Conference - September 11-13th, New York, NY Precious Metals Summit - September 14-16th, Beaver Creek, Colorado Denver Gold Show - September 18-21st, Colorado Springs, Colorado Qualified Person Mark Edwards, MAusIMM (CP), MAIG, General Manager, Exploration, Newmarket Gold, is a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information and data included in this press release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Douglas Forster, M.Sc., P.Geo., President & Chief Executive Officer About Newmarket Gold Inc. Newmarket Gold is a Canadian listed gold producer with three 100% owned underground operating mines in Australia. The flagship operation, Fosterville Gold Mine, and the Stawell Gold Mine are located in the state of Victoria, and the Cosmo Gold Mine is located in the Northern Territory. In addition, Newmarket has a pipeline of growth projects within Australia, including The Maud Creek Gold Project in the Northern Territory and the Big Hill Gold Project in the state of Victoria. The Company is based on a strong foundation of quality gold production from its three Australian mines, producing over 220,000 ounces of gold annually. Newmarket Gold is dedicated to the development of its resources, targeted exploration, and prudent cost management practices, while continuing to generate free cash flow and maintaining a large resource base with reserve upside. Newmarket strives to enhance shareholder value through a disciplined approach to growth focused on organic exploration success on near mine targets and accretive acquisition opportunities in stable mining jurisdictions. NON-IFRS MEASURES Newmarket Gold has included in this MD&A certain non-IFRS performance measures as detailed below. In the gold mining industry, these are common performance measures but do not have any standardized meaning. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow. Accordingly, it is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Operating Cash Costs per Ounce of Gold - Newmarket Gold calculates operating cash costs per ounce by deducting silver sales revenue as a by-product from operating expenses per the consolidated statement of operations, then dividing by the gold ounces sold during the applicable period. Operating expenses include mine site operating costs such as mining, processing and administration as well as royalties, however excludes depletion and depreciation, share-based payments and rehabilitation costs. All-In Sustaining Costs per Ounce of Gold - Newmarket Gold has adopted an all-in sustaining cost performance measure that reflects all of the expenditures that are required to produce an ounce of gold from current operations. While there is no standardized meaning of the measure across the industry, the Company's definition conforms to the all-in sustaining cost definition as set out by the World Gold Council in its guidance dated June 27, 2013. The World Gold Council is a non-regulatory, non-profit organization established in 1987 whose members include global senior mining companies. The Company believes that this measure will be useful to external users in assessing operating performance and the ability to generate free cash flow from current operations. The Company defines all-in sustaining costs as the sum of operating cash costs (per above), sustaining capital (capital required to maintain current operations at existing levels), capital lease repayments, corporate general and administrative expenses, mine exploration within the known resource, and rehabilitation accretion and amortization related to current operations. All-in sustaining costs excludes capital expenditures for significant improvements at existing operations deemed to be expansionary in nature, exploration and evaluation related to growth projects, rehabilitation accretion and amortization not related to current operations, financing costs, debt repayments, share-based compensation not related to operations, and taxes. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forward-looking statements", and "forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements, which include the Company's expectations about its business and operations, and are based on the Company's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs, which may prove to be incorrect. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans", and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are included in this press release or incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contacts: Ryan King Vice President, Investor Relations Newmarket Gold, Inc. 778.372.5611 rking@newmarketgoldinc.com www.newmarketgoldinc.com I find it funny that she admits she has to be more trustworthy to the American people... and yet, she has been in politics for how long? She is how old? Seriously, if you ain't very trustworthy at her age, no bother to change it... its too late. TORONTO, ONTARIO and NUCLA, COLORADO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Western Uranium Corporation (CSE: WUC)(OTCQX: WSTRF) ("Western" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of the Company's Annual General and Special Meeting ("Meeting") held on July 25, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario. All resolutions were passed by shareholders. Proxy votes were cast for a total of 11,286,559 common shares, representing 67% of outstanding shares as at the record date for the Meeting, and over 99.99% of shares represented at the Meeting were voted in favour of all the resolutions. At a meeting of the Board of Directors immediately following the Annual General Meeting of the Company the Board of Directors elected Michael Skutezky as Independent Chairman of the Board of Directors. At the same meeting of the Board, the following management appointments were made for the ensuing year: George Glasier, President and CEO; Andrew Wilder, Chief Financial Officer; Rob Klein, Vice President Finance; and Patrick Siglin, Vice President Development. Mr. George Glasier, President and CEO of the Company, commented as follows: "In the past few months the Company has made broad steps forward in its capital markets activities. In April the Company filed its original registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and subsequently in May commenced trading the stock in the United States on the OTCQX market. In June the Company's registration statement became effective and Western became a U.S. reporting issuer. Thereafter, the Company was approved for DTC eligibility through the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), which facilitates electronic book-entry delivery, settlement and depository services for shares in the United States. By having established dual trading markets for the Company's shares in both Canada and the United States, Western now has comprehensive access to the large and sophisticated North American natural resource investor market. "I am pleased to announce that an Advisory Board of the Board of Directors has been established. I am pleased to welcome Mr. Michael Ballanger as Chairman of the Advisory Board effective immediately. Additional members may be added to support the growth of the Company as considered desirable. Mr. Ballanger will be a valuable addition to our team, particularly in assisting with the development of marketing and financing strategies for the Company. I welcome Mike to the Western Uranium team." About Western Uranium Corporation Western Uranium Corporation is a Colorado based uranium and vanadium company focused on near production of uranium and vanadium in the western United States. Contacts: Western Uranium Corporation George Glasier President and CEO Office: 970-864-2125 gglasier@western-uranium.com Western Uranium Corporation Michael Skutezky Chairman of the Board Office: 416.564.2870 mskutezky@western-uranium.com BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Greece's producer prices decline moderated in June, figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority showed Friday. The overall producer price index fell 7.8 percent year-over-year in June, slower than the 9.3 percent decline in May. The measure has been falling since July 2014. Domestic market producer prices dipped 7.3 percent annually in June and prices in the foreign market plunged by 9.3 percent. Month-on-month, producer prices slid 0.9 percent in June, following a 1.8 percent increase in the preceding month. In an another report the statistical office revealed that retail sales declined at a faster pace of 8.0 percent yearly in May, after a 4.4 percent drop a month ago. Sales have been falling since June last year. On a monthly basis, retail sales slid 1.7 percent from April, when it dropped by 0.8 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Notice is hereby given that on the initiative and by the resolution of the Board of AB Klaipedos nafta, legal entity code 110648893, with the registered office at Buriu g. 19, Klaipeda (hereinafter, the Company), from 29 July 2016, an extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company will be held on 22 August 2016 at 1:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Company's office at Buriu st. 19, Klaipeda, in the administrative premises of the Company (in the hall of the meeting on the 2nd Floor).Agenda of the meeting:1. Regarding the approval of the decision of AB Klaipedos nafta Board to implement II stage of AB Klaipedos nafta oil terminal expansion (supplementary railway track and trestle, expansion of light oil product tanks) investment project.The shareholders will be registered from 12.00 a.m. to 12.55 a.m. The persons intending to participate in the meeting shall have a personal ID document (an authorised representative shall have additionally a proxy approved under the established procedure. The natural person's proxy shall be notarised. A proxy issued in a foreign state shall be translated into the Lithuanian language and legalised under the procedure prescribed by laws).A shareholder or his proxy shall have the right to vote in writing in advance by filling in a general ballot paper. At the request of the shareholder, the Company shall send a general ballot paper to the shareholder by registered mail free of charge at least 10 days before the meeting. The filled-in general ballot paper and the document attesting the voting right shall be submitted to the Company no later than until the meeting, sending by registered mail or providing them at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice.The shareholders who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes may propose additions to the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders by submitting with every proposed additional item of the agenda a draft resolution of the general meeting of shareholders or, when no resolution is required, an explanation. Proposals on addition to the agenda shall be submitted in writing or sent by e-mail. Written proposals shall be submitted to the Company on business days or sent by registered mail at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice. Proposals submitted by e-mail shall be sent to the following e-mails: info@oil.lt and a.kasparas@oil.lt. The agenda shall be supplemented if the proposal is received no later than 14 days before the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders. If the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders is supplemented, the Company shall notify on the additions no later than 10 days before the meeting in the same ways as in the case of convocation of the meeting.The shareholders, who hold shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes, at any time before the general meeting of shareholders or during the meeting, may propose new draft resolutions on items which are or will be included in the agenda of the meeting. The proposals may be submitted in writing or sent by e-mail. Written proposals shall be submitted to the Company on business days or sent by registered mail at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice. Proposals submitted by e-mail shall be sent to the following e-mails: info@oil.lt and a.kasparas@oil.lt.The shareholders shall have the right to submit to the Company in advance questions relating to the items on the agenda of the meeting. The shareholders may submit their written questions to the Company on business days or send by registered mail at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice no later than 3 business days before the meeting. The Company will reply to the questions by e-mail or in writing before the meeting, except the questions which are related to the Company's commercial (industrial) secret, confidential information or which have been submitted later than 3 business days before the meeting.The Company does not provide the possibility of participating and voting at the meeting by means of electronic communications means.The Shareholder shall have the right to authorize through electronic communications means another person (natural or legal) to participate and vote in the meeting on behalf of the shareholder. No notarisation of such authorization is required. The shareholder must confirm the proxy issued through electronic communications means by an electronic signature developed by a secure signature-creation device and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The shareholder shall inform the Company on the proxy issued through electronic communications means to the following e-mails: info@oil.lt and a.kasparas@oil.lt no later than until the last business day before the meeting at 1:00 p.m. The proxy and the notice must be issued in writing. The proxy and the notice to the Company shall be signed with the electronic signature but not the letter sent by e-mail. By submitting the notice to the Company, the shareholder shall include the internet address from which it would be possible to download software free of charge to verify the shareholder's electronic signature.The record date of the meeting shall be 12 August 2016 (only those persons who will be shareholders of the Company at the close of the record date of the general meeting of shareholders or their authorised persons, or persons with whom an agreement on assignment of the voting right has been executed, may participate and vote at the general meeting of shareholders).The shareholders of the Company may familiarise with the draft resolution of the meeting and the form of the general ballot paper under the procedure prescribed by laws in the registered office of the Company at Buriu st. 19, Klaipeda (tel.: 8 46 391636), or on the Company's website at http://www.oil.lt/. The following information and documents shall be provided on the abovementioned internet website of the Company:- the notification on convocation of the meeting;- total number of the Company's shares and the number of shares with voting rights on the convening day of the meeting.Enclosed:1. Draft decision of the General Meeting of Shareholders.2. General voting ballot paper of the General Meeting of Shareholders.Marius Pulkauninkas, Director of Finance and Administration Department, +370 46 391 763.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=580344 BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Commerce Department is scheduled to release the advance estimate of second quarter GDP at 8:30 am ET Friday. The consensus estimate calls for a 2.6 percent sequential increase in the GDP. Ahead of the data, the greenback traded mixed against the other major currencies. While the greenback held steady against the pound and the yen, it declined against the euro and the franc. The greenback was worth 103.36 against the yen, 0.9746 against the franc, 1.3161 against the pound and 1.1107 against the euro as of 8:25 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LONDON, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Militarisation of Space for Defence, Security & Information Superiority: Forecasts for Military Satellite Buses, Payloads & Communication Terminals, Launch Services, Anti-Satellite Weapon Systems (ASAT) Military Satellites - our new study reveals trends, opportunities, and predicted revenues Where is the Military Satellites market heading? If you are involved in this sector you must read this brand new report. Visiongain's report shows you the potential revenues streams to 2026, assessing data, trends, opportunities and business prospects there. Global revenue for Military Satellites will reach $14.37bn in 2016. Discover How to Stay Ahead Our 270 page report provides 294 tables, charts, and graphs illustrating the most lucrative areas in the industry and the future market prospects. Our new study lets you assess forecast sales at overall world market, submarket and regional level. You will see financial results, interviews, trends, opportunities, and revenue predictions. Much opportunity remains in this growing Military Satellites market. Forecasts from 2016-2026 and other analyses reveal the commercial prospects In addition to revenue forecasting to 2026, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares. You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments. Discover qualitative analyses (including SWOT analysis), product knowledge and commercial developments. Discover sales predictions for the world market and submarkets Along with revenue prediction for the overall world market, you will find revenue forecasts to 2026 for the following submarkets: - Satellite Buses - Payloads & Communications Terminals - Launch Services - Anti-Satellite Weapon Systems To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com Our investigation discusses what stimulates and restrains business. You will understand the dynamics of the industry and assess its potential future sales, discovering the critical factors likely to achieve success. What are the prospects in the leading regions and countries? You will discover individual revenue forecasts for 12 leading national markets from 2016-2026: - Australia - China - France - Germany - India - Israel - Italy - Russia - Spain - United Kingdom - United States - Rest of World There will be growth in established Military Satellites markets and in developing countries. Our analyses show that the China, in particular, will continue to achieve high revenue growth to 2026. Meanwhile long-planned satellite modernisation programmes in the US and France will see them significantly expand their market share. Developments worldwide in Military Satellites technology development will also influence the market. The report provides detailed profiles of 13 key companies operating within the Military Satellites market: Overall world revenue for Military Satellites will reach $14.37bn in 2016, our work calculates. We predict steady and increasing revenue growth through to 2026. Our work identifies which organisations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead. - Airbus Group SE - The Boeing Company - Inmarsat - Israel Aerospace Industries - ISS Reshetnev - Lockheed-Martin Corporation - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Orbital ATK Inc. - Raytheon Company - SES S.A. - SpaceX - Thales Group - ViaSat Inc. What issues will affect the Military Satellites industry? Our new report discusses the issues and events affecting the Military Satellites market. You will find discussions, including qualitative analyses: Military Satellite constellation launches and upgrade programmes Geo-political rivalry in South-East Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe Emerging markets lack Military Satellite Capabilities Commercial off the shelf (COTS) procurement and rocket launch technological innovation lowering cost of Military Satellites You will see discussions of technological, commercial, and economic matters, with emphasis on the competitive landscape and business outlooks. How the Military Satellites report helps you You will find quantitative and qualitative analyses with independent predictions. You will receive information that only our report contains, staying informed with this invaluable business intelligence. With our survey you are less likely to fall behind in knowledge or miss opportunity. See how you could benefit your research, analyses, and decisions. Also see how you can save time and receive recognition for commercial insight. Visiongain's study is for everybody needing commercial analyses for the military satellites market and leading companies. You find data, trends and predictions. Buy our report todayMilitary Satellites Market Report 2016-2026: Militarisation of Space for Defence, Security & Information Superiority: Forecasts for Military Satellite Buses (Standard, Micro and Nano), Payloads & Communication Terminals (Transponders, SATCOM, C4 Management & Networking Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Missile Early-Warning, Electro Optical Infrared Sensors), Launch Services (Launch Vehicles, Modules, Fuel, Ground-Control, Infrastructure), Anti-Satellite Weapon Systems (ASAT). Avoid missing out - order our report now. To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com To request a report overview of this report please emails Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com or call Tel: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100 Or click on https://www.visiongain.com/Report/1698/Military-Satellites-Market-Report-2016-2026 Companies Mentioned in the Report ACE Management S.A. Airbus Americas Airbus China Airbus Commercial Airbus Corporate Jet Centre Airbus Defense and Space Airbus Group SE Airbus Helicopters Airbus Helicopters Deutschland Airbus Helicopters Espana Airbus Japan Airbus KID-Systeme Airbus Middle East Airbus Military Airbus ProSky Airbus SAS Airbus UK Alestis Aerospace S.L. Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC Applied Signal Technology Inc Argon ST, Inc. Arianespace Arkoon Network Security SA ASL Aircraft Services Lemwerder GmbH Astrium Astro Limited Astrotech Corporation ATK Launch Systems Inc. ATK Space Systems Inc. ATR ATRiCS Aviall Services, Inc. Aviall UK, Inc. Aviall, Inc. Aveos Fleet Performance BCC Cover Corporation Bedek Aviation Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) Blackbird Technologies Boeing Aerospace Operations, Inc. Boeing Airborne Surveillance Enterprises, Inc. Boeing Aircraft Holding Company Boeing Canada Operations Ltd. Boeing Capital Boeing Capital Loan Corporation Boeing CAS Holding GmbH Boeing Commercial Space Company Boeing Defence UK Limited Boeing Intellectual Property Licensing Company Boeing International B.V. & Co. Holding KGaA Boeing International Logistics Spares, Inc. Boeing Logistics Spares, Inc. Boeing North American Space Alliance Company Boeing Military Aircraft Boeing Operations International, Incorporated Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc. Bushnell Group Holdings, Inc. C4 Advanced Solutions Caliber Company Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH Cassidian Cassidian Air Systems Cassidian Cybersecurity SAS Chandler/May Inc CDL Systems Ltd CIMPA Cohort Plc COI Ceramics, Inc. Crane Aerospace & Electronics DAHER-SOCATA Dassault Aviation Dauria Aerospace Deposition Sciences Inc. Diehl Group Dornier Consulting EADS EFW EADS Innovation Works (R&D) Elbe Flugzeugwerke ELTA Systems Eltra Holdings Pte Ltd. Embraer Defense and Security and Avibras Industria Aeroespacial's Divisao Aerea e Naval S.A Enterprise Integration Group (EIG) EOS Optronics GmbH ETI Eurocopter Eurofighter GmbH Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH Eurotech SpA Eutelsat Fakel Force Protection Inc Foundation Telecom GD Advanced Information Systems Spacecraft Gentex Corporation Harris Information Technology Services Inc. Helibras Henggeler Computer Consultants Inc Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc. Inmarsat Inmarsat Australia Pty Ltd Inmarsat Finance plc Inmarsat Global Ltd Inmarsat Investments Ltd Inmarsat Leasing (Two) Ltd Inmarsat Navigation Ventures Ltd Inmarsat Hellas Satellite Services SA Inmarsat Employment Company Ltd Inmarsat Canada Holdings Inc Inmarsat Solutions BV Inmarsat Solutions (US) Inc Inmarsat Solutions Pte Ltd Inmarsat Solutions AS Inmarsat Mobile Networks Inc Inmarsat New Zealand Ltd Inmarsat Solutions (Canada) Inc Inmarsat Solutions Global Ltd Insitu, Inc. IRDI S.A. Israel Aerospace Industries ISS Reshetnev JenaOptronik GmbH Jeppesen GmbH Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc. JetBlue Ktech Corporation La Caisse des Depots Larsen & Toubro LaSalle Capital Leiden Leningrad Optical Mechanical Association Lindsay Goldberg LLC LinQuest Corp. Lockheed Martin Aerospace Systems Integration Corporation (Delaware) Lockheed Martin Australia Lockheed Martin Canada Lockheed Martin Corporation Lockheed Martin Desktop Solutions Inc Lockheed Martin Electronic Systems Lockheed Martin Global Inc Lockheed Martin Gyrocam Systems Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems Inc Lockheed Martin Integrated Technology LLC Lockheed Martin Investments Inc Lockheed Martin Land & C4I Lockheed Martin Logistics Management Inc Lockheed Martin Operations Support Inc Lockheed Martin Services Inc Lockheed Martin Space Alliance Company Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. Lockheed Martin TAS International Services Inc Lockheed Martin UK Insys Limited Lockheed Martin UK Limited Lockheed Martin UK Loral MBDA Metron Aviation Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Nantero Inc Narus, Inc. Netasq Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Northrop Grumman Information Systems ODU OHB-System GmbH OnAir OneWeb Orange Participations Orbital ATK Inc. Orbital International LLC Orbital Sciences Corporation Pacific Architects and Engineers Incorporated (PAE) Pacific Defense Solutions LLC Panavia Aircraft GmbH Parter Capital Group AG Patria Patria Oyj Pikewerks Corporation Poseidon Scientific Instruments Pty Ltd Premium AEROTEC Procerus Technologies, L.C. PSM QTC Holdings Inc Radisys Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd Raiffeisenverband Salzburg Raytheon Raytheon Advanced Programs Raytheon Applied Signal Technology Raytheon Australia Raytheon Combat & Sensing Systems Raytheon Company Raytheon Cybersecurity Solutions Raytheon Environmental Solutions Raytheon Fed IT Raytheon Global Integrated Sensors Raytheon Homeland Security Raytheon Integrated Air & Missile Defense Raytheon Integrated Comms Systems Raytheon Integrated Ground Control Raytheon Intelligence Raytheon Missile Systems Raytheon Operations Raytheon Seapower Capabilities Raytheon Secure Information Systems Raytheon Security & Transport Systems Raytheon UK Raytheon Vision Systems Rheinmetall Rheinmetall Airborne Systems GmbH SafeNet Inc Safran Safran AS Sagem Sandia Corporation (d/b/a Sandia National Laboratories, Co.) Salzburg Munchen Bank AG Satair Satrec Initiative (SATRECI) Savage Sports Corporation Savi Technology Serco SES S.A. SES Government Solutions SES Platform Services SES Techcom Services Sim-Industries B.V. Sofradir Soqerma Solutions Made Simple Inc. Space Engineering SpA Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Spot Image Sputnix Surrey Satellite Technology Sysgo AG Systems Made Simple Tampa Microwave Tarmac Aerosave TASC Aviation Teligy Inc Test & Mesures Groupe SAS TCS Tor Thales Alenia Space Thales Group Thales Optronics Thales Raytheon Systems The Aerospace Corp. The Boeing Company Trusted Computer Solutions Inc TsSKB-Progress United Launch Alliance United Launch Services, LLC United Technologies Corporation Vector Aerospace Corporation Veritas Capital ViaSat Communications Inc ViaSat Inc Visionix Vista Outdoor Visual Analytics Inc ViviSat LLC Wegmann USA Inc. Zeta To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 29, 2016) - Gunpowder Capital Corp., (CSE: GPC), (FSE: YS6N) (the "Corporation" or "Gunpowder") announced today that it has entered into various agreements to assist Franchise Holdings International, Inc. (OTCQB: FNHI). Franchise Holdings International, Inc., ("FHI") has engaged Gunpowder to assist in listing FHI's common shares onto the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") and to provide inventory financing to its wholly owned subsidiary Truxmart Inc. FHI will pay $12,500 to Gunpowder to manage, and to assist with the listing of FHI common shares on the CSE. Upon successful completion of the CSE listing, FHI will issue 3.5 million common shares to Gunpowder. Gunpowder plans to dividend out 1 million of these shares to its common shareholders. It is anticipated that the CSE listing process will take 60 to 90 days to complete. Post CSE listing, and pending approval by the CSE, FHI will also appoint Paul Haber, the current CFO of Gunpowder Capital Corp., as Chairman of the Board of Directors of FHI. Gunpowder has also agreed to provide inventory financing to FHI's wholly owned subsidiary, Truxmart Inc., ("Truxmart"). Truxmart manufactures and sells a full range of after-market pickup truck tonneau covers. Gunpowder has agreed to loan up to $500,000 ($50,000 immediately, $450,000 post CSE listing subject to certain terms and conditions) to fund inventory purchases, and to support growth. The loan will bear interest at 18% ("eighteen percent") per annum with interest payable monthly. Each advance will be due two years from the date it is issued. Mr. Paul Haber stated: "We were pleased to have won this mandate from FHI. This engagement touches all of our core strengths and goals at Gunpowder." Mr. Steven Rossi CEO of FHI stated: "We are extremely happy to have entered into these agreements with Gunpowder Capital Corp., as we see the benefits of being a dual listed entity, and we feel that the CSE is an excellent streamlined platform to use in assisting us in advancing our business by accessing capital in Canada. We also strongly feel that the Management of Gunpowder Capital Corp., will make excellent business partners and we are looking forward to working with them in this endeavor." About Franchise Holdings International, Inc. TruXmart, Franchise Holdings International's first wholly owned subsidiary, was founded in 2011 to take advantage of the limited innovation provided by existing tonneau cover manufacturers. Tonneau covers have remained much the same in price and design since 2005 with one main company controlling a majority of the tonneau cover market. This dynamic market segment is in need of a new innovative manufacturer of high quality, functional, and aggressively priced tonneau covers. TruXmart has developed multiple products for all of the most prominent pickup trucks available in North America. Details of most products can be found at www.truxmartcovers.com. TruXmart sells its products through master warehouse distributors, dealers, and online retailers in Canada and the U.S. For detailed information, please go to www.truxmartcovers.com. For further information please contact: Mr. Frank Kordy Mr. Paul Haber Interim CEO & Director CFO Gunpowder Capital Corp. Gunpowder Capital Corp. T: (647) 466-4037 T: (416) 363-3833 E: frank.kordy@gunpowdercapitalcorp.com E: paul.haber@gunpowdercapitalcorp.com Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although Management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. - 30 - Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 29, 2016) - David H. Brett, President & CEO, EnGold Mines Ltd., (TSXV: EGM) ("EnGold," www.engold.ca, formerly GWR Resources Inc.) reports that EnGold has arranged a non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering") consisting of 7,000,000 flow-through ("FT") units at $0.07 per FT unit and 3,000,000 non flow-through units at $0.05 per non FT unit for expected gross proceeds of $640,000. The FT units will consist of one FT share and one warrant to purchase one non FT common share at $0.10 for a period of two years. The non FT units will consist of one common share and one warrant to purchase one non FT common share at $0.08 for a period of two years. The proceeds of the offering, which is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, will be used to fund exploration at EnGold's 100% owned Lac La Hache Property in the Cariboo region of BC, and for general working capital purposes. The Company plans to rely on the "existing security holder exemption" described in BC Instrument 45-534 for shareholders of record as of July 28th, as well as other exemptions. In the event that the Offering is oversubscribed by existing security holders, the securities shall be allocated on a pro-rata basis among the subscriptions on or before August 31, 2016. Part or all of the financing will be subject to payment of a cash finder's fee of 7% and issuance of 7%, 2-year finder warrants to purchase one non FT warrant at $0.08 related to placement of any non FT units and $0.10 for placement of any of the FT units. Engold Mines Ltd. Per/ David Brett, MBA President & CEO For further info contact David Brett, 604-682-2421 or david@engold.ca This news release may contain "forward-looking statements". Readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual development or results may vary materially from those in these "forward looking statements." Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Press Release Krasnodar July 29, 2016 PJSC "Magnit" Announces the Disposal of Shares by the Entity under the Issuer's Control Krasnodar, July 29, 2016: PJSC "Magnit", Russia's largest food retailer (the "Company", the "Issuer", MOEX and LSE: MGNT), announces the disposal of shares by the entity which is under the Issuer's control. Full company name and address: Joint Stock Company "Tander" 185, Levanevskogo street, Krasnodar, Russia Taxpayer Id Number: 2310031475 Principal State Registration Number: 1022301598549 Object of acquisition/ disposal: Ordinary registered uncertified voting shares with a state registration No. 1-01-60525-P of 04.03.2004, International Stock Identification Number (ISIN) RU000A0JKQU8 Disposal of shares Date of change: July 27, 2016 Amount of disposed shares: 87,654 shares (0.092695% of the total equity) Basis for disposal: Sale and Purchase Agreement executed in the trading of MICEX Stock Exchange Amount of votes before disposal: 103,551 votes (0.109507% of the total number of votes) Amount of votes after disposal: 15,897 votes (0.016811% of the total number of votes) For further information, please contact: Timothy Post Head of Investor Relations Email: post@magnit.ru Office: +7-861-277-4554 x 17600 Mobile: +7-961-511-7678 Direct Line: +7-861-277-4562 Investor Relations Office MagnitIR@magnit.ru Direct Line: +7-861-277-4562 Website: ir.magnit.com/ Media Inquiries Media Relations Department press@magnit.ru Company description: Magnit is Russia's largest food retailer. Founded in 1994, the company is headquartered in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. As of June 30, 2016, Magnit operated 34 distribution centers and 12,888 stores (9,902 convenience, 398 hypermarkets, and 2,588 drogerie stores) in 2,397 cities and towns throughout 7 federal regions of the Russian Federation. In accordance with the unaudited IFRS management accounts for 1H 2016, Magnit had revenues of RUB 522 billion and an EBITDA of RUB 52 billion. Magnit's local shares are traded on the Moscow Stock Exchange (MOEX: MGNT) and its GDRs on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: MGNT) and it has a credit rating from Standard & Poor's of BB+. Measured by market capitalization, Magnit is one of the largest retailers in Europe. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Donald Trump Campaign has slammed Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech Thursday night as an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric. She spent the evening talking down to the American people she's looked down on her whole life, said a statement issued by Stephen Miller, Senior Policy Advisor to Trump. He said Hillary Clinton talks about unity, about E Pluribus Unum, but her globalist agenda denies American citizens the protections to which they are all entitled. The Trump Campaign accused that Clinton's radical amnesty plan will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries. Her refusal to even say the words 'Radical Islam', or to mention her disaster in Libya, or her corrupt email scheme, all show how little she cares about the safety of the American people, the campaign said. Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention was delivered from a fantasy universe, according to the rival camp. The Trump Campaign also alleged that Clinton only stands together with the donors and special interests who've bankrolled her entire life. 'Excluded from Hillary Clinton's America are the suffering people living in our inner cities, or the victims of open borders and drug cartels, or the people who've lost their jobs because of the Clintons' trade deals, or any hardworking person who doesn't have enough money to get a seat at Hillary Clinton's table,' the statement added. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. During first half of 2016, Valmiera Glass Group's consolidated net turnover reached EUR 66.70 million During the first half of 2016, Valmiera Glass Group reached a consolidated net turnover of 66.70 million euro, which is 1.82 million euro or 2.6% less than in the same period last year. The decrease in turnover is related to the short-term functioning problems of one glass melting furnace at parent company JSC "Valmieras stikla skiedra". At the same time a record number of orderswere reached during the first half of this year. Valmiera Glass Group, considering consistently high demand for the company's various glass fibre products and the intensive development of the global glass fibre market,forecasts that at the end of 2016 the company will exceed consolidated net turnover record number achieved in 2015.Andre Schwiontek, the Chairman of the Board of JSC "Valmieras stikla skiedra": "In the first half of the current year one of glass melting furnace went out of order and we was forced to suspend its operation for two weeks, afterwards resuming at 70% production capacity and planning for a complete reconstruction of the furnace in August of the current year. After reconstruction it will operate at an additional 30% capacity.Progress of the companies of the Group in the acquisition of export markets has been successful. Compared to previous years, this year the Group reached a record number of orders, but still the demand for products has been larger than we have been able to deliver to customers. Thereby currently we purposefully focus on increasing production capacity of glass fibre products, both by restoring the damaged glass melting furnace, as well as by building another furnace for a unique and patented type of glass in the world. We are glad that thereby we will manage to increase the total sales volumes already in September of the current year and develop new and unique products for the global glass fibre market, with heat stability 800C. That will strengthen even more the position of Valmiera Glass Group and thus the Group will be the only company in the world that can offer such a wide range of glass fibre products for the heat insulation market."In the first six months of the current year, the Group has been successful in export markets, consolidated net profit of the Group reached 3.16 million euro, while 5.66 million euro were invested into development. The key export markets have remained unchanged: European Union countries (75%), North America (13%), CIS countries (4%) and other countries (8%). A sales increase has been observed in the North America export market.Valmiera Glass Group forecasts the consolidated net turnover of the Group for 2016 in the amount of 134 to 138 million euro, and consolidated net profit in the amount of 6.5 to 7.5 million euro.About the Valmiera Glass Group:JSC "Valmieras stikla skiedra" and its subsidiaries (hereinafter "the Valmiera Glass Group" or "the Group") are among the leading glass fiber manufacturers in Europe. The Valmiera Glass Group companies operate in two continents and in three countries: Latvia, the United Kingdom and the United States. JSC "Valmieras stikla skiedra" production facilities have more than eighty years of experience in textile processing, and their products are aimed at various industrial markets. The Group is composed of four companies: the parent company JSC "Valmieras stikla skiedra" and its three subsidiaries - Valmiera Glass UK Ltd. in the United Kingdom, Valmiera Glass USA Corp. and Valmiera Glass USA Trading Corp. in the United States of America.Contacts: Marika Nimante JSC "Valmieras stikla skiedra" marketing project manager Phone: +371 64202276, +371 26635509 Fax: +371 64281216 E-mail: Marika.Nimante@valmiera-glass.com More information about company: www.valmiera-glass.comAttachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=580360 Camelot said: The President knocked his speech out of the park. Another example of how a president should sound unlike Trump's 5th grade behavior. Click to expand... How could I not beafter all that weve achieved together? After the worst recession in 80 years, we fought our way back. Weve seen deficits come down, 401(k)s recover, an auto industry set new records, unemployment reach eight-year lows, and our businesses create 15 million new jobs. Click to expand... And most of all, I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe that we are stronger togetherblack, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; young, old; gay, straight; men, women, folks with disabilities, all pledging allegiance, under the same proud flag, to this big, bold country that we love. That's what I see. That's the America I know! Click to expand... That is the Hillary I know. Thats the Hillary Ive come to admire. And thats why I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a womannot me, not Bill, nobodymore qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as President of the United States of America. Click to expand... You know, the Donald is not really a plans guy. Hes not really a facts guy, either. He calls himself a business guy, which is true, but I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women whove achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits, and unpaid workers, and people feeling like they got cheated. Click to expand... And, by the way, in case youre wondering about her judgment, take a look at her choice of running mate. Click to expand... It doesnt matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as theyve been in decadesbecause hes not actually offering any real solutions to those issues. Click to expand... If a president should sound like a parrot for left-wing talking points and lying, then he knocked it out of the park.The recession was not the worst in 80 years. The deficit has come down from the high it hit under Obama. There are more people not in the workforce today then when Obama took office in relation to the population and 15 million new jobs has be not been created.No one with a straight face can state that this country is not infinitely more divided than the day Obama took office. Obama has singlehandedly expanded the division in this country regarding race, same-marriage, bathrooms, state's rights, abortion, Title IX, Title VII, Obamacare, guns, immigration, and packing the D.C. Appellate court, which had the lowest case load in the US, to stack the deck for the EPA.This statement is one of the myriad reasons that Obama's intelligence is a left-wing created myth. It takes a very special kind of stupid to state that Clinton is better qualified to be president than Washington, Jefferson, Monroe, Madison, J.Q. Adams, etc., etc.Is Obama talking about Trump or his trail of lawsuits, billions of of taxpayer's dollars lost, and most of the country feeling like they got cheated by his Obamacare.I assume a comedian wrote this line.He fails to mention his Ferguson effect on the marked jump in violent crime across the country, or that illegal immigration has increased under Obama if he uses the same criteria as other presidents have used.The rest is misrepresenting America under Obama and misrepresenting Clinton. At least he only referred to himself 119 times. VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - July 29, 2016) - Aequus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: AQS) (OTCQB: AQSZF) ("Aequus" or the "Company"), a specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on developing, advancing and promoting differentiated products, announced today that it has filed an international patent application with the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) that covers transdermal extended-release formulations of clobazam, relating to the Company's AQS1302 program. This is the conversion of a provisional application which was filed on August 17, 2015. Aequus owns the world-wide rights to the formulations described in the patent application. AQS1302 is being developed as an alternative to currently available oral clobazam. Clobazam is used for the treatment of epilepsy globally, with the exception of the US where it is approved specifically for a severe form of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS). Clobazam is also used for the treatment of anxiety in European and Latin American countries. In 2015, US sales of oral clobazam (Onfi ) reached $370 million USD, based on US IMS data. The currently available oral form of this medication is dosed twice daily and can be challenging for a caregiver to administer, particularly in patients with severe, debilitating epilepsies such as LGS where difficulty swallowing and feeding tubes are common. AQS1302 is expected to relieve this burden on patients and caregivers with its easy-to-administer transdermal patch design. The AQS1302 transdermal clobazam patch is being developed in both once-daily and once-weekly forms, and is expected to reduce the daily pill burden and subsequent risk of breakthrough seizures due to missed doses. Transdermal delivery also allows for steady-state medication delivery and avoidance of first-pass metabolism, which has the potential to reduce certain gastrointestinal side-effects including constipation, vomiting and trouble swallowing. This patent application is part of the Company's growing intellectual property portfolio, which includes a patent for the transdermal formulation of aripiprazole that has been issued / allowed in five major countries or regions, including the US, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Australia, and pending in multiple additional territories. Aequus also expects to convert an additional provisional patent application for the Company's third transdermal development program, a treatment for use in nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, in the near term. "We are delighted to see our clobazam program advance in its development and one step closer to providing those in need of this medication with an easy to use and convenient dosage form," said Doug Janzen, Chairman and CEO of Aequus. "Further, this adds to Aequus' growing patent estate, and combined with the world-wide rights to our internal development programs, will provide us with an opportunity to add significant shareholder value in the near term." About LGS Lennox Gastaut Syndrome is a rare, severe epilepsy syndrome, accounting for 2-5% of all childhood epilepsy. LGS is characterized by frequent and multiple seizure types -- with patients experiencing 7 seizures per day, on average. One of the severe seizure types patients with LGS experience are 'drop attacks': sudden, complete losses of posture involving a fall of either the head only or the whole body. About one- to two-thirds of LGS patients have drop attacks, which typically last less than 15 seconds. The majority of LGS patients (91%) have some mental retardation and ~22% require a feeding tube or have difficulty swallowing (dysphagia). About Aequus Aequus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: AQS) (OTCQB: AQSZF) is a growing specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing high quality, differentiated products. Aequus' development stage pipeline includes several products in neurology and psychiatry with a goal of addressing the need for improved medication adherence through enhanced delivery systems. Aequus intends to commercialize its internal programs in Canada alongside its current portfolio of marketed established medicines and will look to form strategic partnerships that would maximize the reach of its product candidates worldwide. Aequus plans to build on its Canadian commercial platform through the launch of additional products that are either created internally or brought in through an acquisition or license; remaining focused on highly specialized therapeutic areas. For further information, please visit www.aequuspharma.ca. Onfi is a registered trademark of Lundbeck Forward-Looking Statements: This release may contain forward-looking statements or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that may not be based on historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believe", "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "potential" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as the factors we believe are appropriate. Forward-looking statements in this release include but are not limited to statements relating to: the expected benefits of AQS1302 and transdermal delivery, the conversion of an additional provision patent application for the Company's third transdermal development program, the ability of the Company to add significant shareholder value in the near term, and the Company's intention to commercialize its internal programs in Canada, form strategic partnerships and build its Canadian commercial platform. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Aequus, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In making the forward-looking statements included in this release, the Company has made various material assumptions, including, but not limited to general business and economic conditions, the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property, the Company's ability to raise additional funding, existing governmental regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with, governmental regulations, changes in business strategy or development plans, the expected benefits of AQS1302 and transdermal delivery and the ability of the Company to convert an additional provisional patent application for the Company's third transdermal development program. In evaluating forward-looking statements, current and prospective shareholders should specifically consider various factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated April 29, 2016, a copy of which is available on Aequus' profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, and as otherwise disclosed from time to time on Aequus' SEDAR profile. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties, or a risk that is not currently known to us materialize, or should assumptions underlying those forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and we do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are inherently uncertain. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Contact Information: Aequus Investor Relations Email: investors@aequuspharma.ca Phone: 604-336-7906 LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Unitas Global, the leading enterprise cloud solution provider, today announces its acquisition of AOS Cloud. Unitas Global's acquisition of AOS Cloud will provide the company with significant engineering resources and technology to expand and strengthen the delivery of its Enterprise Cloud Solutions globally. In addition to enhancing the engineering and optimization teams, the acquisition expands the Unitas Global client base and creates a go-to-market partnership that strengthens its channel presence and market reach throughout the Midwest U.S., including Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Missouri. Unitas, with an already impressive performance at 118 percent CAGR over the past 24 months, will experience immediate growth and improvement in financial performance from this acquisition and relationship with AOS, a leading technology consultative partner in the Midwest. "Unitas Global is very excited about this strategic acquisition that enriches key technology expertise, expands the services we can offer our enterprise clients, and creates a key go-to-market partnership with AOS," comments Patrick Shutt, CEO of Unitas Global. "The integration of AOS' Cloud Management Center brings a proven and capable platform and a solid team of experts into Unitas, expanding our set of solutions and broadening the reach of our hybrid cloud solutions to the enterprise market. Additionally, due to the complementary nature of each company's client base, AOS becomes a key channel and delivery partner in enterprise-class cloud solutions." "This acquisition enables Unitas to significantly enhance the development and delivery of hybrid cloud solutions within the enterprise IT provider space across broader geographic and vertical markets," adds Grant Kirkwood, Founder and CTO of Unitas Global. "Moreover, the move will immediately elevate the Unitas engineering team and Cloud Management Center (CMC) with an infusion of talent that possesses high level expertise operating multi-tenant virtualization as well as expanded skills in other disciplines." "This opportunity puts AOS in the unique position to be able to leverage the proven Cloud Management Platform and key technology expertise of our existing engineering team, while enabling us to provide customers access to Unitas' Enterprise Grade Cloud Solutions," comments Grant Cynor, CEO at AOS. Along with the growth of its engineering team and general experts, the addition of AOS Cloud enables Unitas Global to expand its provisioning and monitoring tools as well as its global support structure. The strategic acquisition of AOS Cloud will also provide tools to further simplify customer cloud consumption and expand its managed hosting and services portfolio. If you are interested in learning more about Unitas Global and its latest Enterprise Cloud Solution built on OpenStack Liberty, please visit www.unitasglobal.com/solution-openstack. About Unitas Global Unitas Global is a leading provider of enterprise cloud solutions. The Unitas Enterprise Private Cloud (EPC) solution provides clients with custom, highly secure and dedicated cloud-based IT environments that are easy-to-consume, fully managed and backed by an end-to-end SLA, guaranteeing application uptime. By offloading day-to-day infrastructure operations to Unitas Global, our clients are able to refocus and optimize their internal IT resources toward their business-centric initiatives. Unitas is headquartered in Los Angeles, with clients and locations spanning the globe. For more information, please visit www.unitasglobal.com. BANGKOK, THAILAND -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Today Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong launched a special flash sale for guests, available for a limited time. Guests who book directly with the hotel from August 2nd through August 4th, will receive 50% off their stay at the luxury hotel in Bangkok. Located near Siam Square in downtown Bangkok, Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong invites guests to explore the best the city has to offer as part of this exclusive three-day flash sale. Savvy travelers will enjoy 50% off starting from THB 4200++, with no minimum length of stay or advance purchase requirements. This limited-time offer is available on a Deluxe Room, Studio Suite, Executive Club or Club Studio Suite. Available to book from August 2nd through August 4th only, this Bangkok hotel deal is good for stay periods from August 2nd through September 30th, 2016. Centrally located, the hotel places guests in prime position to enjoy some of the region's best sights, from the Chatuchak weekend market to the Siam Square shopping center, or the most sacred temple in the city, the nearby Grand Palace. The historic Jim Thompson House and museum is also located just minutes away. Spread out over 33 floors, the hotel's 322 rooms offer sophisticated elegance in the heart of Bangkok, featuring breathtaking views, spa-like marble bathrooms with bathrobes, plush designer bedding, and modern, flat-screen TVs with premium channels. For more information, or to take advantage of this exclusive special flash sale in the center of all that Bangkok has to offer, please call t. +66 2125 5000 or visit renaissancebangkok.com About the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel Set in the heart of the thrilling city, overlooking top shopping and dining destinations, the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong offers a stylish, modern stay steps from what matters most to visitors. From the Chit Lom BTS station and skywalk to Gaysorn Plaza, Central Word and Central Chidlom, this hotel in Bangkok city center makes it easy to explore top attractions. Upon arrival, a beautifully landscaped driveway with water features greets guests, leading to stylish guest rooms with oversized windows, luxury bedding, 24-hour room service and Wi-Fi. While the rush of the city can be overwhelming, visitors can slow down with a treatment in the world-class Quan Spa or an invigorating workout in the state-of-the-art fitness center. Dining options range from the fine-dining Chinese restaurant Fei Ya to the casual One by Renaissance coffeehouse. Restaurants and bars offer informal settings for gathering with friends and colleagues, while nearly 20,000 square feet of event space allows one to host a more formal affair, assisted by onsite event planning and catering teams. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3039223 CONTACT: Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel 518/8 Ploenchit Road Bangkok 10330 Thailand 66-2-1255000 http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bkkbr-renaissance-bangkok-ratchaprasong-hotel/ MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Canadian Metals Inc. (the "Corporation") (CSE: CME) was informed by the Autorite des marches financiers ("AMF") that the technical report titled NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Langis Silica Deposit and Metallurgical Silicon Processing Plant in the Matapedia Region, Province of Quebec, Canada filed on SEDAR on June 20, 2016 (the "PEA") does not comply with the requirements of Regulation 43-101. The obligation to file a technical report within 45 days was triggered by the Corporation's press release announcing the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment study on April 28, 2016, under Regulation 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects ("Regulation 43-101"). Following the filing of the PEA on June 20, 2016, and the correspondence between the Corporation and the AMF which followed the receipt of the AMF comment letter on July 4, 2016 requesting that the Corporation file an amended technical report (the "Amended Report") on or before July 19, 2016, the Corporation applied for a Management Cease Trade Order ("MCTO") under Policy Statement 12-203 pending the filing of the Amended Report. The AMF also noted that the mineral resource estimates, as set forth in the PEA, did not comply with the form requirements under Regulation 43-101 to the effect that the Qualified Person must provide sufficient technical discussion of the key assumptions, parameters, and methods used to estimate the mineral resources. Following correspondence between the Corporation and the AMF to resolve the issues identified, the Corporation will file the Amended Report on SEDAR on or before September 28, 2016. The Amended Report will be co-authored by newly appointed Qualified Persons. The Corporation is consulting with the AMF to determine a complete plan of action which will address the following issues: -- The presentation of the financial cases will be simplified and the Amended Report will include the dynamic base case and sensitivities. The dynamic base case will include revenue and cost indexation assumptions and is presented after tax, with no terminal value assumptions. Constant dollar, pretax and terminal value cases will be eliminated for improving clarity of analysis. Assumptions pertaining to debt financing will be removed. -- The Langis resources were originally estimated by the authors for the purpose of a ferro-silicon project in Quebec. However, the current base- case for the project is solely based on metallurgical silicon, with the flexibility of producing ferro-silicon. In the case of only ferro- silicon production, the level of confidence in the resources could have met the classification of measured and indicated categories. However, as the current base-case is solely based on metallurgical silicon, even if chemical composition and impurities distribution of the Langis silica deposit weree deemed by the authors as sufficient to be blended with external quartzite, additional metallurgical tests to confirm the behavior of the Langis silica in conjunction with external quartzite are actually pending. -- Certain statements by qualified professionals will be modified for better accuracy and coverage. As proposed by the Corporation, the AMF has issued a temporary MCTO under Policy Statement 12-203 which prohibits trading in securities of the Corporation by certain insiders of the Corporation instead of a cease trade order being imposed against all securities of the Corporation. An MCTO would not generally affect the ability of persons who have not been directors, officers or insiders of the Corporation to trade the securities of the Corporation. The MCTO will remain in force until the release of a compliant revised technical report. The Corporation intends to satisfy the provisions of the Alternative Information Guidelines as set out in the Policy Statement 12-203 for as long as the MCTO is in force. About Canadian Metals Canadian Metals Inc. is focused exclusively on the development of its Langis Project, a high-purity silica deposit located in the province of Quebec. The Corporation is rapidly positioning itself to eventually become a North American silicon metal producer. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Canadian Metals Inc. Stephane Leblanc President and CEO (418) 717-2553 sleblanc@canadianmetalsinc.com www.canadianmetalsinc.com Shell International Finance B.V. and Royal Dutch Shell plc 29 July 2016 Publication of Prospectus Supplement The following documents (the "Documents") are available for viewing: Prospectus Supplement dated 28 July 2016 Royal Dutch Shell plc unaudited interim financial statements for the six month period ended 30 June 2016 The Documents must be read in conjunction with the Information Memorandum dated 11 August 2015, as supplemented by the first supplement dated 24 August 2015, the second supplement dated 29 October 2015, the third supplement dated 15 February 2016, the fourth supplement dated 10 March 2016, the fifth supplement dated 3 May 2016, the sixth supplement dated 4 May 2016 and the seventh supplement dated 28 July 2016, relating to the Programme. The Information Memorandum constitutes a base prospectus for the purposes of Article 5.4 of Directive 2003/71/EC as amended. Full information on Shell International Finance B.V. and Royal Dutch Shell plc is only available on the basis of the Information Memorandum. The Documents are available for viewing at the 'Financial Reporting' section of Shell's website. To view the Documents, please paste the following URLs into the address bar of your browser. Prospectus Supplement dated 28 July 2016 http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/euro-medium-term-note-programme.html Royal Dutch Shell plc unaudited consolidated interim financial statements for the six-month period ended 30 June 2016 http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/quarterly-results/2016.html Other content available on Shell's website and the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on Shell's website is not incorporated into, and does not form part of, this announcement. The Documents have also been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at http://www.Hemscott.com/nsm.do. Enquiries: Shell Media Relations International, UK, European Press: +44 (0)207 934 5550 Shell Investor Relations Europe: + 31 70 377 3996 DISCLAIMER - INTENDED ADDRESSEES Please note that the information contained in the Information Memorandum may be addressed to and/or targeted at persons who are residents of particular countries (specified in the Information Memorandum) only and is not intended for use and should not be relied upon by any person outside these countries and/or to whom the offer contained in the Information Memorandum is not addressed. Prior to relying on the information contained in the Information Memorandum, you must ascertain from the Information Memorandum whether or not you are part of the intended addressees of the information contained therein. This publication does not constitute an offering of the securities described in the Information Memorandum for sale in the United States. This is not for distribution in the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under any relevant securities laws of any state of the United States and are subject to U.S. tax law requirements. Subject to certain exceptions, the securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act. There will be no public offering of the securities in the United States. Your right to access this service is conditional upon complying with the above requirement. NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited (NYSE MKT: CNR) is pleased to announce that the distribution of an Information Statement commenced on July 29, 2016 to shareholders of record as of the close of trading on July 27, 2016 in connection with the Company's previously announced going-private transaction or privatization. Shareholders are encouraged to review this Information Statement in detail as it contains important information about the privatization. The Company intends to effectuate the privatization through a merger with an indirect wholly owned subsidiary. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in a certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, as amended, holders of the Company's ordinary shares -- other than certain specified affiliates, certain other holders and holders who properly perfect applicable dissenters' rights -- will receive an amount equal to US$1.03 per share in cash, without interest, as a result of the merger. Cashed-out shareholders will not have any equity interests in the Company going forward and will not participate in the governance and in the future prospects, growth or risk of loss, and earnings or losses of the Company. No sooner than 20 calendar days from today, the Company expects certain shareholders who hold approximately 52.8% of the total combined voting power of the Company to take action by written consent approving the Agreement and Plan of Merger, the merger and the privatization. Shortly after execution of this written consent and subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Agreement and Plan of Merger, the Company expects to close the merger and effect the privatization. Details concerning the privatization are provided in filings made by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including a Transaction Statement on Schedule 13E-3, and are also included in the Information Statement. ABOUT CHINA METRO-RURAL HOLDINGS LIMITED China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited is a leading agricultural logistics platform development and rural-urban migration redevelopment company in China. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which are, by their nature, subject to risks and uncertainties. This Act provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information about themselves so long as they identify these statements as forward-looking and provide meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ from the projected results. All statements, including statements regarding industry prospects and future results of operations or financial position, made in this press release are forward-looking. Words such as "continue," "consider," "probably," "will," "strive" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to: the Company's future performance, the Company's expansion efforts, the state of economic conditions, the Company's market and the governmental policy. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors the Company believes to be appropriate in particular circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the Company's expectations and predictions depends on a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, any or all of which could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the Company's expectations, whether expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. CONTACT: China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited Investor Relations Department Phone: (852) 2111 3815 E-mail: Email Contact Regulatory News: Gecina (Paris:GFC) acknowledges the opening of its public offering (the "Offer") from today for all the securities of Fonciere de Paris (Euronext Paris: FDPA). The Offer will be open from July 29, 2016 to September 15, 2016 inclusive. The Offer is now no longer dependent on approval from the French competition authorities or from Gecina's extraordinary general shareholders' meeting, but is still subject to the success threshold, i.e. subject to Fonciere de Paris securities representing at least 50.01% of the share capital and voting rights of Fonciere de Paris being tendered for the Offer. Gecina has also formally notified the French financial markets authority (AMF) today that the agreements connected to Eurosic's offer have proven to be irrevocable, depriving Fonciere de Paris' other shareholders of the right to choose, contrary to the principle for the freedom to make offers and counteroffers. As a result, Gecina has asked the AMF to take all necessary measures to ensure compliance with the guidelines for public offerings and particularly the principles of fair treatment, transparency and fair competition. Gecina, a leading real estate group Gecina owns, manages and develops property holdings worth 11.7 billion euros at July 1, 2016, with 97% located in the Paris Region. The Group is building its business around France's leading office portfolio and a diversification division with residential assets and student residences. These data exclude the healthcare portfolio, which was sold for 1.35 billion euros on July 1, 2016. Gecina has put sustainable innovation at the heart of its strategy to create value, anticipate its customers' expectations and invest while respecting the environment, thanks to the dedication and expertise of its staff. Gecina is a French real estate investment trust (SIIC) listed on Euronext Paris, and is part of the SBF 120, Euronext 100, FTSE4Good, DJSI Europe and World, Stoxx Global ESG Leaders and Vigeo indices. In line with its commitments to the community, Gecina has created a company foundation, which is focused on protecting the environment and supporting all forms of disability. www.gecina.fr Disclaimer This press release has been prepared exclusively for information. It does not constitute a purchase or exchange offer, or a request for an offer for the sale or exchange of Fonciere de Paris securities, nor a purchase or exchange offer, or a request for an offer for the sale or exchange of Gecina securities. The release, publication or distribution of this press release may be restricted by the laws applicable in certain jurisdictions and, as a result, any person in possession of it in such jurisdictions must seek advice concerning the legal restrictions in force and ensure compliance with them. It is strongly recommended that investors and shareholders located in France should review the offer document and the information relating to the legal, financial and accounting characteristics in particular published on Gecina's website (www.gecina.fr) and the website of the French financial markets authority (www.amf-france.org), as well as any amendments or supplements to these documents, since they contain important information concerning the proposed transaction and other related topics. Neither Gecina, nor its shareholders and respective representatives or advisors accept any liability concerning any use by any person of this press release or its content, or more generally in connection with this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005703/en/ Contacts: GECINA Financial communications Samuel Henry-Diesbach, Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 52 22 samuelhenry-diesbach@gecina.fr Virginie Sterling, Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 62 48 virginiesterling@gecina.fr or Press relations Brigitte Cachon, Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 62 45 brigittecachon@gecina.fr Armelle Miclo, Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 51 98 armellemiclo@gecina.fr or Brunswick Laurent Perpere, Jerome Biscay, Christophe Menger Tel: +33 (0)1 53 96 83 83 TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Atacama Pacific Gold Corporation (TSX VENTURE: ATM) ("Atacama Pacific" or the "Company"), responding to a request from the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, wishes to confirm that the Company's management is unaware of any material change in the Company's activities that would account for the recent increase in market activity. About Atacama Pacific Gold Corporation Atacama Pacific's business is the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metals resource properties in Chile. Atacama Pacific's principal mineral property is the Cerro Maricunga oxide-associated, breccia-hosted gold project, located in Region III, 140 kilometres by road northeast of the city of Copiapo. Atacama Pacific's goal is to become a producer of gold through the development of the Cerro Maricunga Gold Project. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Atacama Pacific Gold Corporation Carl B. Hansen President and CEO 416 861 8267 info@atacamapacific.com www.atacamapacific.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Handa Copper Corporation ("Handa Copper" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: HEC) announces that it has agreed to settle an obligation of $6,500 owed to an arms- length vendor by issuing 130,000 common shares at a deemed price of $0.05 per share (the "Transaction") in consideration of certain services provided to the Company by the vendor. The Company is satisfying the foregoing indebtedness with common shares in order to preserve its cash for use on its exploration projects and for working capital. The Transaction is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and the Company will issue the common shares once the Transaction contemplated has been approved by the Exchange. The common shares issued in satisfaction of the indebtedness will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of issuance. About Handa Copper Corporation Handa Copper is actively pursuing the exploration and development potential of a highly significant copper discovery in the Republic of Congo. The geological parallels between the West Congolian Belt and the Central African Copperbelt (CACB), the world's richest copper province, have been recognized since the 1930s. However, sustained modern exploration has never been carried out on the former until now. Previously undisclosed archival records acquired by the Company, which included more than 10,000 stream sediment and soil samples, confirm the potential for CACB-style copper deposits on the Company's exploration licenses in the RoC. In addition, new data detailed soil sampling and geological mapping will assist the Company to effectively prioritize exploration targets for drilling. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Handa Copper Corporation Marek Kreczmer CEO (604) 601-6926 marek@handacopper.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Western Pacific Resources Corp. ("Western Pacific" or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE: WRP) is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with Unico Incorporated ("Unico")/Deer Trail Mining Company ("DTM") to settle the debt related to the Deer Trail Mine (the "Mine") acquisition. The Company now has no significant debt and a balance sheet which will allow the company to move forward and pursue new opportunities. Pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement dated February 24, 2013, the Company purchased from DTM certain assets, property, tenures, licenses, permits and other rights relating to the Mine in Piute County, Utah. The balance of the post closing payments on the debt to DTM is $3,425,000. In addition, pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement, DTM acquired a 100% interest in certain assets, mining claims, and other rights relating to the Bombardier Property in Mineral County, Nevada. The parties have agreed to settle the Debt and to terminate all continuing obligations under the Asset Purchase Agreement and the Bombardier Agreement. The Company has agreed to issue and pay as full and final satisfaction of the Debt: -- a cash payment of US$200,000; -- 10,062,546 common shares of Western Pacific; and -- an assignment of a 50% interest in the net smelter return ("NSR") royalty on the Mineral Gulch Property up to a maximum of US$2,300,000. The debt settlement agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. "This settlement is an important step in eliminating the debt on the balance sheet and putting the company in a stronger position to evaluate new opportunities," stated Michael Callahan, Western Pacific's President and CEO. "We now have a clean balance sheet and sufficient cash on hand to evaluate new projects as well as further evaluate the Company's Rock Springs project." About Western Pacific Resources Corp. Western Pacific is a publicly traded resource exploration company whose shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "WRP". Western Pacific's team is led by technical and financial experts whose aim is to succeed in creating shareholder value through the development of its projects as well as pursuing property acquisitions and other strategic opportunities. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Michael Callahan President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, without limitation, statements in respect of the settlement of debt and development of future projects. These statements relate to future events, business prospects or opportunities and product development. All such statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect, "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Actual results and developments may differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions of management and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statement, including but not limited to: (a) the Company not having the financial ability to meet its exploration and development goals; (b) risks associated with the results of exploration and development activities, the interpretation of drilling results and other geological risks, estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; and (c) such other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's quarterly and annual filings with securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the expectations conveyed by the forward-looking statements are reasonable based on the information available to it on the date such statements were made, no assurances can be given as to future results, approvals or achievements. Such forward-looking statements have been made for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business, financial and operational performance and plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The Company disclaims any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this news release to conform such statements to actual results or to changes in the Company's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable law. Contacts: Fiona Grant Leydier Investor Relations (604) 692-2891 info@wrpv.ca www.westernpacificresources.com BROWNSVILLE On Nov. 8, Brownsville residents will be able to vote on whether they want to allow the sale and manufacture of recreational marijuana and the sale of medical marijuana in their community. If residents approve recreational marijuana operations in the community, the council also is placing a separate measure on the ballot that will allow the city to impose a 3 percent tax on sales. The City Council approved resolutions Tuesday evening placing the issue before the voters. The first measure would ban medical marijuana processing, medical marijuana dispensaries, recreational marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers within the city limits. If approved, the measure would not prohibit marijuana grows that are allowed under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act and it would not prohibit personal recreational grows (four plants per household) allowed by state law. It also would not prohibit possession of medical or recreational marijuana within the city limits if the possession is otherwise allowed by state law. Per resolution, a medical marijuana processing site is a place where marijuana is converted into concentrates, extracts or edible products. They are regulated by the Oregon Health Authority. Recreational marijuana producers manufacture, plant, cultivate, grow or harvest recreational marijuana. Recreational marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers and retailers are regulated by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. If voters approve the 3 percent tax on recreational marijuana sales, it would include all marijuana products and extracts. The tax would be imposed in addition to any state marijuana taxes. It would not be imposed on medical marijuana sales. In other business, the council: Heard from resident Marc Nelson, who has concerns about the Linn County Sheriffs Office services in the community. He is concerned there are no resident deputies who live in the city limits, response times are slow and there isnt enough traffic enforcement on a consistent basis. Chamber of Commerce director John Morrison thanked the council for its support of Stand By Me Day, which brought more than 3,000 visitors from around the world to the community. Was updated by City Administrator Scott McDowell on the process of refinancing the citys debt that will take place over the next couple months. Appointed Gwen Landon and Barbara DeRobertis to the library board. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures steadied Friday, taking back a fraction of significant recent losses after slipping into bear market territory. With bargain hunters stepping in, Sept. WTI oil settled at $41.60/bbl on Nymex, up 46 cents, or 1.1%. Oil was down a whopping 14% in July, and has dropped 20% from its June highs. Analysts say global supplies are rising just as demand has dwindled. In July, Canadian oil sands production was back to nearly full strength after the Alberta wildfires, while Nigerian and Saudi output rose sharply. There was little reaction to disappointing economic news. U.S. Gross domestic product climbed by 1.2 percent in the second quarter following a downwardly revised 0.8 percent increase in the first quarter. Economists had expected GDP to jump by 2.6 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 --ChristianMingle, the largest and most trusted online dating community for single Christians, announced today that the Southern Diocese of the Fellowship of International Churches has joined the ChristianMingle For Churches program. This fellowship includes 15 churches located in Mississippi and Georgia, all of which now offer ChristianMingle memberships for their congregants. The rapid growth of its church program demonstrates ChristianMingle's commitment to helping Christians find love along with the community of churches' recognition of this important program. CMforChurches.com is the online resource that offers pastors a host of tailored web tools to help connect singles within their church communities. Statistics show that people who meet and marry in church are more likely to stay married, start a family and attend church regularly. CMforChurches.com gives exclusive resources and personalized tools to help connect these singles Christians through the church programs. ChristianMingle For Churches encourages genuine connections and faith based relationships by offering the following user benefits to church partners and their members: Custom Website - Custom site for church attendees Custom Badges (Coming Soon) - Church badging so members can easily meet Customer Service - Dedicated customer service line and account manager Membership Discount - 50% off lifetime membership for church attendees "We are pleased to incorporate another wonderful community of churches that can utilize the tools we offer to help single Christians find lasting love and fulfilling relationships within their faith spectrum," said Michael Egan, Chief Executive Officer, Spark Networks. "We look forward to collaborating with these pastors and their respective communities of Christian singles." ABOUT CHRISTIANMINGLE With over 16 million registered users worldwide, ChristianMingle has the largest community of eligible Christians on any dating site. ChristianMingle's online community is built on core Christian values and represents the broad diversity of Christianity today. By incorporating a "faith spectrum," ChristianMingle provides the most robust ability for Christians to find others that share their values. ChristianMingle is also known for its dedication to safety and customer service, with each profile and photo going through rigorous review to ensure members are confident in their community. ChristianMingle is available for download in the iTunes and Google play stores. ABOUT SPARK NETWORKS Spark Networks, Inc.'s mission is to create iconic, niche-focused brands that build and strengthen the communities they serve. Spark Networks' portfolio of consumer websites is anchored by ChristianMingle.com and JDate.com, and also includes LDSSingles.com and JSwipe.com, among others. Spark Networks' shares trade on the NYSE MKT under the ticker symbol "LOV" (NYSE MKT: LOV). Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft / Miscellaneous - Urgent Priority Commerzbank: Result of the EBA Stress Test for Commerzbank 29-Jul-2016 / 22:07 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. - *CET 1 ratio with full application of Basel 3 in the baseline scenario 13.1% (2014: 10.6%); **in the adverse scenario 7.4% (2014: 6.9%) * - *Chief Risk Officer Chromik: 'Commerzbank is stress resistant'* Commerzbank has attained a solid result in the Stress Test performed by the European Banking Authority (EBA). In the baseline scenario of the Stress Test Commerzbank has posted a Common Equity Tier 1 ratio (CET 1) of 13.1%. In the so-called adverse scenario of the Stress Test the Common Equity Tier 1 ratio was 7.4%. Both results apply to the end of the period under observation in 2018. These ratios already include significant 'phase-in' effects as a result of regulatory requirements (Basel 3). These 'phase-in' effects which amounted to 1.7% were incurred irrespective of the Stress Test. In the EBA Stress Test in 2014 the Common Equity Tier 1 ratio with full application of Basel 3 for Commerzbank in the baseline scenario was 10.6%, in the adverse scenario 6.9%. In comparison to 2014 the 2016 EBA Stress Test was once again tightened significantly in terms of its methodology and expanded by further risk factors. 'Commerzbank is robust and stress resistant' says Marcus Chromik, the Chief Risk Officer of Commerzbank. 'Even under the adverse conditions of the EBA stress scenario, the stability of the Bank would be granted. The low-risk balance sheet and good capital ratio of Commerzbank are proof to this.' Since the 2014 EBA Stress Test Commerzbank has run down non-strategic portfolios by approx. 54 billion euros while preserving value, created approx. 3.5 billion euros of balance sheet equity capital, and thus increased the Common Equity Tier 1 ratio with full application of Basel 3 by 300 basis points from 9.0% (end of 2013) to 12.0% (end of 2015). Under https://www.commerzbank.de/en/hauptnavigation/aktionaere/aktuelles_2/stresst est2016.html [1] you can find further information on the publication by the EBA from 29 July 2016. ***** *Press contact* Margarita Thiel +49 69 136-46646 Alexander Cordes +49 69 136-42764 ***** About Commerzbank Commerzbank is a leading international commercial bank with branches and offices in more than 50 countries. The core markets of Commerzbank are Germany and Poland. With the business areas Private Customers, Mittelstandsbank, Corporates & Markets and Central & Eastern Europe, its private customers and corporate clients, as well as institutional investors, profit from a comprehensive portfolio of banking and capital market services. Commerzbank finances more than 30 per cent of Germany's foreign trade and is the unchallenged leader in financing for SMEs. With its subsidiaries Comdirect and Poland's M Bank it owns two of the world's most innovative online banks. With approximately 1,050 branches and more than 90 advisory centres for business customers Commerzbank has one of the densest branch networks among German private banks. In total, Commerzbank boasts more than 16 million private customers, as well as 1 million business and corporate clients. The Bank, which was founded in 1870, is represented at all the world's major stock exchanges. In 2015, it generated gross revenues of EUR9.8 billion with 51,300 employees. ***** *Disclaimer* This release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. In this release, these statements concern inter alia the expected future business of Commerzbank, efficiency gains and expected synergies, expected growth prospects and other opportunities for an increase in value of Commerzbank as well as expected future financial results, restructuring costs and other financial developments and information. These forward-looking statements are based on the management's current plans, expectations, estimates and projections. They are subject to a number of assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from any future results and developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include the conditions in the financial markets in Germany, in Europe, in the USA and other regions from which Commerzbank derives a substantial portion of its revenues and in which Commerzbank holds a substantial portion of its assets, the development of asset prices and market volatility, especially due to the ongoing European debt crisis, potential defaults of borrowers or trading counterparties, the implementation of its strategic initiatives to improve its business model, particularly to reduce its ACR portfolio, the reliability of its risk management policies, procedures and methods, risks arising as a result of regulatory change and other risks. Forward-looking statements therefore speak only as of the date they are made. Commerzbank has no obligation to update or release any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de/ukreg Language: English Company: Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft Kaiserstrae 16 60311 Frankfurt am Main Germany Phone: +49 (069) 136 20 Fax: - E-mail: pressestelle@commerzbank.com Internet: www.commerzbank.de ISIN: DE000CBK1001 WKN: CBK100 Indices: DAX, CDAX, HDAX, PRIMEALL Listed: Regulated Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt (Prime Standard), Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart; Regulated Unofficial Market in Tradegate Exchange; London, SIX Category Code: MSCU TIDM: CZB Sequence Number: 3283 Time of Receipt: 29-Jul-2016 / 22:02 CET/CEST End of Announcement EQS News Service 487953 29-Jul-2016 1: http://public-cockpit.eqs.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=redirect&url=609bd00542eddab08f70f78407828303&application_id=487953&site_id=vwd&application_name=news (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 29, 2016 16:07 ET (20:07 GMT) Two separate divisions created: one dedicated to the Natuzzi brand and the other to the private label business Nazzario Pozzi and Gianni Tucci in charge of growth and earnings of the two divisions Natuzzi S.p.A. announced the launch today of a new structure in support of the Group's growth strategy which on the one hand seeks to consolidate and boost the Natuzzi brand positioning globally, and on the other drive the growth of Softaly, the Group's dedicated private label business division. Nazzario Pozzi has been named the new Chief Officer of the Natuzzi business unit. Before joining the Natuzzi Group, Nazzario Pozzi developed extensive general management experience and led brand, growth strategy and retail businesses at international level at brands such as HUGO BOSS, Salvatore Ferragamo, DIESEL Baccarat and DARTY. Gianni Tucci, is assuming the role of new Chief Officer of the Softaly business unit. Previously, Tucci was EMEA Sales Director for the Natuzzi Group, having developed many years of experience in merchandising and sales within the "Key account" channel and with companies such as Renault, Nicoletti and LAM Kitchen. Both directors will report to the Chief Executive Officer of the company. At the Board's meeting, Pasquale Natuzzi Natuzzi Chairman and Chief Executive Officer outlined the reasoning behind the new structure and the creation of the two divisions: "71% of our core business is generated by Natuzzi as an extremely well known brand with an extensive retail presence. The core objectives of the new Natuzzi division are to launch the new retail business model, focused on boosting growth through an extended and re-balanced product offer, a wider consumer target and a new high traffic retail format. The Softaly division will however support the growth of the B2B channel, leveraging on the product and production process knowhow and global industrial platform of the Natuzzi Group, which enjoys strong relations with the major international distribution groups. We trust that Nazzario and Gianni are well prepared to successfully tackle this new challenge which will require the support of the entire management team". The Group further strengthened its managerial team, hiring new senior managers with extensive international brand management, merchandising, retail development and retail management experience to develop Natuzzi internationally: Three in Italy for the management of Operations, the development of the network and for merchandising, three in the USA, a keymarket for growth (one with retail operations responsibilities and two regional managers for the east coast and west coast), and finally a Mediterranean Europe commercial manager to support the development of the Natuzzi brand in the area. Finally, management also informed the Board of Directors that it has started a redundancy procedure for 355 laid-off workers, (including 25 workers who resigned voluntarily), due to the conclusion of the temporary layoff program, scheduled for October 15, 2016 and no longer extendable by law. Natuzzi SpA The Natuzzi Group, founded in 1959 by Pasquale Natuzzi, designs, produces and sells an extensive range of sofas, armchairs, home furniture and home accessories. With revenues of Euro 488.5 million in 2015, the Natuzzi Group is the largest Italian furniture house and the only player with global reach and has eight manufacturing plant, twelve commercial offices and 363 brand stores globally. Ethics and social responsibility, innovation, industrial know-how and integrated management of its value chain are the key strengths which have made the Natuzzi Group the market leader. Natuzzi SpA is included in the list of companies with an outstanding Legality Rating awarded by the Italian Anti-trust Authority. It has been listed since May 13, 1993 on the New York Stock Exchange. The Group is ISO 9001 and 14001 (Quality and Environment) certified and OHSAS 18001 (Workplace Safety) certified. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160729005859/en/ Contacts: NATUZZI INVESTOR RELATIONS Francesca Cocco, +39-080-8820-493 fcocco@natuzzi.com or NATUZZI CORPORATE COMMUNICATION Vito Basile (Press Office), +39-080-8820-676 vbasile@natuzzi.com CALGARY, CANADA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/29/16 -- Leading visual search and image recognition company Slyce Inc. (TSX VENTURE: SLC) (FRANKFURT: 06O1) ("Slyce" or the "Company") today announces it has appointed Mr. Swapan Kakumanu as its new Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"). Mr. Kakumanu will be replacing Mr. Khurram Qureshi who resigned effective July 26, 2016. Mr. Kakumanu has over 20 years of senior finance and operations experience. He has served at executive levels in both public and private companies including senior roles as President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Company Secretary, as well as serving on the Board. Mr. Kakumanu has extensive experience in public company reporting, investor relations, ERP implementations, mergers and acquisitions, internal controls and general overall financial and operations management. He is well versed in commercializing technologies and launching software (including SaaS) solutions, and his experience spans manufacturing, distribution, oilfield services, healthcare technologies and multi-jurisdictional operations. He holds CPA.CGA, ACA (Chartered Accountant, India) and ACMA (Certified Management Accountant, India) designations. Mr. Dale Johnson, Executive Chairman of Slyce Inc., commented "Swapan is a welcome addition to our team. He is a results driven individual with strong business and finance acumen. We look forward to drawing on his expertise and experience as Slyce continues to execute on its plan". Mr. Johnson also extended thanks on behalf of the Board for Mr. Qureshi's service to Slyce and wishes him the best of success in his future endeavors. The Company is also pleased to announce the second and final close of $90,000 of the $1 Million Convertible Debentures ("CD") offering for a total of $840,000. The first close of $750,000 was announced on June 23, 2016. Slyce will use the proceeds to fund its ongoing technology development and for general working capital purposes. The CDs pay 10% annual interest, payable in kind with Common Shares issued at a price per share equal to the volume weighted average trading price for the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") for the 20 consecutive trading days ending five trading days prior to the date on which the Corporation submits an application to the TSXV for issuance of Common Shares as payment of the principal and interest under the CD. The CD matures on December 31, 2017. Interest shall be payable on June 30th and December 31st in each year commencing on December 31, 2016. The outstanding amount of each CD, including all interest accrued thereon will be convertible, for no additional consideration, at a conversion price of $0.10 per security or such other price as approved by the TSX Venture once the conversion terms of the CD are met. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy the securities in the United States, in any province or territory of Canada or in any other jurisdiction. The securities offered have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. There shall be no sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy or sale would be unlawful. About Slyce Inc. Slyce, based in Calgary, Alberta, delivers sophisticated visual search technologies and is currently focused on enabling a powerful sales channel for major retailers and their customers. Consumers, wherever they are, can conveniently engage with retailers by taking pictures of desired products using their mobile devices, thereby initiating the visual search service with near-instant product recognition capability. The Company delivers its technology both as a white-label visual search platform and as a suite of consumer mobile apps. Slyce's technology is used by large retail brands such as Neiman Marcus, Tilly's, Urban Outfitters, JCPenney and Home Depot. Slyce's business model features multiple revenue streams arising from its visual search platform, consumer apps and corresponding data services. The revenue streams include fees for software licensing, integration, purchase transactions, program promotions and data analytics. Slyce is also listed on the Frankfurt exchange trading under (FRANKFURT: 06O1). For image download and further company information, please click for the Slyce Media Kit. READER ADVISORY Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this press release contain forward-looking information. The words "will," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intent," "may," "project," "should," and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are founded on the basis of expectations and assumptions made by Slyce. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Slyce. Slyce does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements except as expressly required by applicable securities laws. None of the information contained on, or connected to, Slyce's website is incorporated by reference herein. Contacts: For further information and interviews, please contact: Slyce Inc. Ted Mann President Ted@slyce.it Slyce Inc. Roy Roman Roy@slyce.it (647) 464-6200 MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 01/06/17 -- Further to its press release of December 28, 2016, Orbite Technologies Inc. (TSX: ORT)(OTCQX: EORBF) ("Orbite" or the "Company") today announced the filing of a final short form base shelf prospectus (the "Prospectus") which was receipted by the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada. The Prospectus is not a commitment to undertake any financing, but provides flexibility over the normal course of business to fund, if needed, the demonstration of the Company's proprietary waste monetization technology. The Prospectus will also be available to support additional commercial activities in regards to the Company's high purity alumina ("HPA") initiative, including the increase in capacity of the Company's HPA plant, and the production to inventory of specialty customized HPA products. "We continue to benefit from growing interest in our waste monetization technology," stated Glenn Kelly, CEO of Orbite. "As we are transitioning from technology development to commercial producer, we will be able to dedicate more resources to the commercialization of this unique technology. The base shelf prospectus, together with our proven ability to raise funds, puts us in a stronger position to engage with the growing number of interested parties, and pursue formal commercial partnerships, an effort we are now accelerating. It also provides us with the ability to pursue additional opportunities in our HPA segment." The Prospectus together with each prospectus supplement will allow the Company to make offerings of common shares, warrants, debt securities, convertible securities, rights or units comprising any combination of the foregoing (all of the foregoing, collectively, the "Securities"), up to an aggregate offering of $60,000,000. Securities may be offered separately or together, in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined based on market conditions at the time of sale and set forth in an eventual accompanying shelf prospectus supplement and, subject to applicable regulations, may include public offerings of debt or equity. The Prospectus will remain effective for a 25 month period. About Orbite Orbite Technologies Inc. is a Canadian cleantech company whose innovative and proprietary processes are expected to produce alumina and other high-value products, such as rare earth and rare metal oxides, at one of the lowest costs in the industry, and in a sustainable fashion, using feedstocks that include aluminous clay, kaolin, nepheline, bauxite, red mud, fly ash as well as serpentine residues from chrysotile processing sites. Orbite is currently in the process of finalizing its first commercial high-purity alumina (HPA) production plant in Cap-Chat, Quebec and has completed the basic engineering for a proposed smelter-grade alumina (SGA) production plant, which would use clay mined from its Grande-Vallee deposit. The Company's portfolio contains 16 intellectual property families, including 45 patents and 71 pending patent applications in 11 different countries and regions. The first intellectual property family is patented in Canada, USA, Australia, China, Japan and Russia. The Company also operates a state of the art technology development center in Laval, Quebec, where its technologies are developed and validated. Forward-looking statements Certain information contained in this document may include "forward-looking information". Without limiting the foregoing, the information and any forward-looking information may include statements regarding projects, costs, objectives and future returns of the Company or hypotheses underlying these items. In this document, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are based on information available at the time and/or the Company management's good-faith beliefs with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. These risks uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described in the section of the Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) entitled "Risk and Uncertainties" as filed on March 30, 2016 on SEDAR, including those under the headings "Recent increase in budgeted capital costs will require additional financing and may adversely impact our prospects", "We will need to raise capital to continue our growth" and "Development Goals and Time Frames". The Company does not intend, nor does it undertake, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements contained in this document to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. Contacts: NATIONAL Equicom Marc Lakmaaker External Investor Relations Consultant 416-848-1397 mlakmaaker@national.ca For Media Inquiries: NATIONAL Equicom Scott Anderson External Media Relations Consultant 416-586-1954 sanderson@national.ca Pivigo, a London, UK-based data science marketplace, secured a funding round of undisclosed amount. Backers included Angel Academe, Craigie Capital, Dunamis Ventures Ltd and London Co-Investment Fund. The company intends to use the funds to launch a new online marketplace for data science. Founded in 2013 by entrepreneurs Kim Nilsson and Jason Muller, Pivigo is a data science marketplace and training provider which runs a large data science training program S2DS which connect people who live and breathe data science to businesses across using data throughout the UK and Europe. The company is now developing a marketplace that will give data scientists access to a hub of network opportunities, jobs and freelance projects. FinSMEs 29/07/2016 Wrebit, an Ulricehamn, Sweden-based mobile accounting software startup, raised $235k in seed funding. Backers included Almi Invest, Stahl Invest and InkInvest. Led by David Wengbrand, CEO and founder, Wrebit has developed an accounting and invoicing app for SMEs. The company intends to use the funds to launch its app in Sweden, build the brand, and continue to develop the service. FinSMEs 29/07/2016 In Maharashtra, the strict diktat issued by the state government on 1st July to police stations across the state to register FIR complaints by harassed home buyers as per the provisions laid out in the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act (MOFA) puts the developers in a cornered situation. Now their cheat game will soon be up as the builder-police nexus is being cracked open. The heat of this decree is being felt most by branded developers who follow ethical practices although it is meant to straighten the louts in realty who brought it upon themselves by their misdeeds. Already, in less than a months time, developers voices of dissent are making the home govt to reassess the plausibility of this order. But, so far, it has not been withdrawn, and hopefully, the govt will stick to its order if it is intent on bringing true change in the realty environment. The order as of now puts tremendous power in the hands of consumers. After the RERA coming into force, consumers are finding strength to raise their voice collectively against violation of all kinds. Now, this directive empowers consumers even further, with the right to book a developer who is a falterer. Now the situation is like this: Almost every homebuyer you come across has been wronged by a developer and is craving to seek remedy. Whether it is relating to building specifications, long possession delays, agreement of sale with the buyer, or possession without completion certificate, stories of statutory obligations not fulfilled by the developers abound. For those developers who were bypassing realty norms and keeping account of their own interests and trampling the genuine voice of buyers, the strict order was deemed necessary. In the eyes of consumers, the developers have been sitting on crores of consumer money and acting in a highly irresponsible manner, this deterrent should act as a stopper, feel hundreds of oppressed home buyers. Besides, for their acts of omission, they believe there is a greater need to crack the whip now. Steps like this could be seen as an extension of RERA that has been implemented to bolster the overall buyers confidence by introducing more transparency & stronger initiatives to safeguard buyers interest, says Rahul Purohit, Principal Partner at Squareyards. As for the developers, they fear that the directive could flare anti-developer sentiments. The consumers might just let out their frustration against them and may hasten to approach the police who will also be bound by law to listen and act upon their complaints as FIRs. Earlier, police were reluctant to lodge a complaint against a builder by a common home consumer often redirecting them to civil courts. From a deterrent act, as the order is meant to be, it could become arbitrary and if that happens, what is the remedy, cry out the developers? They are panicking that without understanding the circumstance a builder could be arbitrarily booked on the basis of FIRs by consumers in police stations. And if that occurs, the image of the developer could get spoiled for ever, and his business could permanently suffer due to that. So, who will look into these aspects, they are complaining? Nishant Agarwal, MD, Avighna India Ltd, a Mumbai-based developer points out, This order needs to be clarified as many a times it is not the developer at fault. One of the biggest hurdles today is fictitious complaints which can further delay the approval process. The directive, no doubt, has left the developers rattled. Perhaps, to get out of this, a new controversy has been raised that the circular does not comply with the provisions of the Act and whether MOFA provisions apply or the new Real Estate Act 2016 should be followed. It is not surprising that not even one real estate consultant body whether JLL or Knight Frank which closely work with developers wanted to comment on this. No wonder, the real estate stakeholders interests are at stake. Their being mum on the implications of the order and whether the same directive should be issued in Delhi, NCR and other states as well where a lot of home buyers are suffering because of builder duping cases, speaks a lot about the strength of the builder lobby and why the circular meets heavy opposition. Parveen Jain, President NAREDCO says, Whatever has been ordered in Maharashtra cannot be applicable for Delhi NCR without analysis and without considering its after effects. One sure shot after effects of this is going to be the rise in the number of litigation cases arising in near future. Consider this scenario in Delhi: Of the 35,000 apartments under 25 societies in Jaypee WishTown being constructed since 2008/9, only 5,000 have got occupancy certificates, and of these, only 50 buyers in Kosmos and 75 in Klassic have moved in according to TOI. According to Liases Foras, around 25 per cent of projects across India are delayed by over 36 months. Within WishTown project, different apartment owners are uniting as groups and Home Buyers Associations are emerging as buyers want to legally fight it out with the builder Jaypee. A member of Krescent Home Buyers Association, Isha remarked fed up of the long delay: This is the only recourse left to get our homes now. Although she will be shelling out extra, around Rs 1,100 as entry fee to enter the registered society and then she will bear further the operational cost that will be around Rs 2,000 and her individual legal fees to the lawyer will be a minimum 15,000 Rs. She says becoming a member of the registered society which will act in the interest of the consumers with a common cause (delayed possession) would at least ensure their case against the builder being admitted in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on which they are pinning hopes. In spite of all this, the biggest hurdle remains the builder. As getting a stay on the NCDRC Kalypso court order in Supreme Court by Jaypee is a little disheartening for home buyers. So, the hapless consumers are welcoming the FIR registration order against builders in Maharashtra and want it to continue that gives vent to their grievance with the developers deceitful ways, to seek redressal. Any strict regulation and enforcement is bound to hit opposition, feel home buyers. This is a big step from the Maharashtra govt to reassure buyers as any complaint lodged with the police under MOFA is actionable. Home buyers in Delhi NCR wish there was some strictness here too as buyers are frustrated with developers not following norms and bullying the consumers to accepting their terms and conditions. Strangely, the govt is caught between safeguarding developers from getting penalised as most of them are bound to be or empowering consumers and rebuilding their confidence. It remains to be seen whether the govt relents to pressure from the strong builders syndicate or continues to protect the large base of small consumers who will realise the govts affordable housing mission. One thing is clear, as service providers, developers will need to be responsible and tread carefully without harming the interests of the consumers if they want to stay put in the home maker game and not be knocked out by the police by a careless move. New Delhi: Think-tank Niti Aayog has batted for inclusion of more experts in the government and placing the long-term vision and strategy documents in the public domain for extensive discussion. The measures are part of the premier policy-making body's presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired a meeting of the Aayog on Thursday to give a concrete shape to the 15-year vision document to quicken all-round development of the country, a senior official said. In the presentation made by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya on this critical aspect of planning in the country, the Aayog said: It is very important to induct more and more experts from different fields in the government. Increased complexity of the economy has meant that as a general rule, it is no longer possible for generalists to learn any subject within a matter of weeks or even months." He suggested that only proper analysis and assessment of proposed policies by experts and specialists can help us anticipate "unintended consequences" of these policies. "This is why preparing the long-term vision and strategy documents and placing them in the public domain for extensive discussion is extremely important," the Aayog recommended. The policy research arm of the government also underscored the importance of giving "adequate hearing" to "internal criticisms" of proposed policies. "Without this, there would be no incentive for critics to offer constructive criticisms, which can play a crucial role in formulating sound and relevant polices," it added. Modi, the Chairman of NITI Aayog, also took stock of the economy and progress of various government programmes that are monitored by the official think-tank. The meeting was attended by Panagariya and other members. The body has been mandated to come up with a 15-year vision document for a period up to 2030, which will be co-terminus with sustainable development goals. The NITI Aayog is also working on a 7-year strategy starting from 2017-18 to 2023-24 to convert a vision document into implementable policy and action as part of the National Development Agenda. It will also prepare a 3-year action plan for 2017-18 to 2019-20 as part of the Agenda, which will be aligned with the 14th Finance Commission award period. The action plan is important because 2016-17 is the terminal year of the 12th Five-Year Plan. Mumbai: Tata Sons denied strongly the speculation that its assets in Britain could be seized following the London arbitration award against the group in the Tata Tele-Docomo case last month. The company also said that though it has time till 2 August, it hopes to deposit the entire amount of $1.17 billion with the registrar of the Delhi High Court by Friday. On June 23 this year, the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) had asked the Tatas to pay up $1.17 billion to Japanese partner Docomo. Following this, Docomo has obtained an exparte order from the commercial court in London to enforce the award in Britain. Because the order was obtained exparte, Tatas arguments have not yet been heard, Tata Sons said in a statement on Thursday evening. "We would like to clarify that the London commercial court has granted Tata Sons a period of 23 days, starting July 27, 2016, to apply to set aside the exparte order. The arbitral award cannot be enforced until the end of that period, or until any application made by Tata Sons has been finally decided upon. Further, the British assets of Tata Steel and Jaguar Land Rover are not owned by Tata Sons. These are subsidiaries of Indian public listed companies of which Tata Sons is a promoter with a minority shareholding of not more than 30-35 per cent," the statement said. The statement pointed out that these companies are not party to the arbitration proceedings, and therefore no award has been issued against them. Therefore, it follows that the award cannot be enforced against those companies. The company further said it has made its position clear in statement on July 26 to the Delhi High Court. "Tata Sons has from the outset underlined its commitment to honouring its contractual obligations to Docomo, and has taken every possible step keeping in mind the interests of all stakeholders and in accordance with the laws of the land," it said. The world should be grateful to Manohar Lal Khattar for the name Gurugram. When his government renamed the city, ostensibly to honour the only Indian guru to have sought a poor tribal's 'thumb' as dakshina to protect his disciple from competition, many laughed at the decision, calling it regressive. Turns out Khattar was absolutely right and prescient. What else do you call a place that resembles a Gram (village) that is a throwback to the age of Guru Dronacharya? A city that is almost pre-historic in terms of infrastructure? A place where the imaginary rivulets still flow, not full of milk and curd, I agree, but of filth and turd? Ergo, the name Gurugram. It is a shame we doubted Khattar's intentions, thinking they were inspired by the Sanghi-esque fetish for mythology and Sanskrit. Turns out, he was telling us that this city resembles a place from the Mahabharata. So, come here only if you wish to travel back in time. On Friday, the message was echoed by the Gurugram police. In a tweet it asked people to avoid coming to Gurgaon to avoid getting stuck in traffic due to flooding of roads. Schools were also shut down for two days. The warning came a day after the 'Millennium City' went under after a few millimetres of rain, leading to traffic jams, waterlogged roads and overflowing drains that turned it into a melting pot of human and animal waste. Several areas were submerged in dark as power supply collapsed. It was Dwapar Yuga (mythological age of the Droncharaya) all over again, where walking became the safest form of commuting and spending time under the open skies the only viable option. Some tales from the dark age: - A friend, who works at Gurugram, left at 5 pm, hoping to beat the peak hour traffic. She completed her 20 km journey to Greater Kailash in exactly six hours, at a leisurely speed of 3.66/km per hour. - Two friends, who were going from Delhi to Jaipur, got stuck on the highway for 12 hours, completing the five-hour journey in 17. While they were stranded on what is rumoured to be India's best highway (it has four toll booths that charge around Rs 200 for the journey), there was complete anarchy and loot, with water selling for the price of amrut (Rs 100 per litre) and food being worth gold coins. Only somaa (beer and other beverages) was cheap. - Another friend, director of a reputed civil rights organisation, had to stand outside the entrance of his National Media Centre (near Iffco Chowk), for 45 minutes because water had risen higher than his knee. He could have swum his way to home but for fear of ingesting the filth floating around. He reached home, merely 100 metres away, only after seeking lift in an SUV with high ground clearance. So, that's Gurugram for you. It is a shame that the city came to a standstill because of just a few hours of rainfall. Mind you, this wasn't an Uttarakhand-type cloudburst or an Assam-type flood that can throw life out of gear in any city. Gurugram caved in because of the human trait that has been the hallmark of Indians since the days of the Mahabharata: Greed. Successive governments--Congress and INLD included-- allowed builders to encroach upon the city's natural water bodies, drains and other outlets and turn them into concrete jungles. Now, when it pours an inch, the city gets drowned under several feet on standing water. Water, as a friend remarked, has not gone down the drain in Gurugram. Money has. Writer and public policy expert Mohan Guruswamy pointed out in a Facebook post: "The Haryana government has misspent the money - over Rs.4000 crores - collected from the property owners and has not even provided basic drainage. We are now afloat on a heady cocktail of rainwater infused with sewage and garbage. I think CM Khattar should be handed over to some gau rakshaks." It is evident from agitations in UP and Gujarat that the BJP will pay a big price for pursuing the Dronacharya school of thought, where Dalits are put under the thumb of an unjust system for the benefit of the elites. Gurugram too stands out as a sore thumb, a pointer to its failures. In almost every city that claims to represent the new millennium, planning for rains begins with a basic step: Clear all drains, ensure that water flows freely, remove garbage dumped on roads, plan smooth flow of traffic. All this needs just a few weeks, not even months. The Khattar administration, obviously, failed to do that. Or, perhaps it was all part of a larger Hindutva project. Somebody may have been really keen to justify the city's new name: Guru Dronacharya's Village, circa 2000-1500 BC. Amritsar: A court in Amritsar on Friday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal and two other party leaders in a defamation case filed by Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. Kejriwal, along with AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khetan, who were co-accused in the defamation case, were present in the jam-packed court room. The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on 18 July issued summons to Kejriwal and the others to appear before it following the defamation case filed by Majithia. The AAP leaders had accused him of patronising drug trade in Punjab and even called him a "drug lord". Scores of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal activists also came out in support of Majithia. Majithia said he wanted speedy trial in the defamation case so that the AAP leaders go behind bars for defaming him. The allegations pertain to three incidents, first being the derogatory remarks made by Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh at the Maghi Rally held at Muktsar Sahib on 14 January, allegations levelled against Majithia by Kejriwal during his visit to Amritsar on 27 February and statements of Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khetan in Chandigarh. New Delhi: Notwithstanding demands by various parties, including ruling NDA ally TDP, the government on Friday remained non-committal on granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh but promised in Rajya Sabha to "hand-hold" the revenue-deficit state to enable it to progress on its own. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured the House that the government is committed to keeping all its promises and will fulfill all its responsibilities as far as hand holding Andhra Pradesh was concerned. Jaitley was responding to a discussion on the 'Status of implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 and government assurances' during which TDP and several other parties pressed for grant of special category status to the state in the wake of carving out of Telangana state two years back. He said the special status promise was not in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 but was made by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of the House and the government is now seeing what has to be done. However, he added, "For some period, Andhra Pradesh needs hand holding. The Centre will fulfill all the responsibilities it has towards hand holding Andhra to (help it) reach a level where it can be on its own." Much to the surprise of the House, TDP leader and Minister YS Chowdary chipped in during Jaitley's reply to seek a resolution by the House for time-bound implementation of the promises made by the previous central government. This prompted Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien to quip that it is "very unusual" to see intervention of a Minister when another Minister is replying to a discussion. Interestingly, Chowdary held both BJP and Congress "equally responsible" for the "half baked, unscientific and undemocratic bill" which led to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The TDP member reminded the House that both Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu had demanded special status for Andhra Pradesh to be extended to 10 years as against the five years promised by Manmohan Singh. He also praised the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for opposing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in the 1970s, saying that it would not be good. The Finance Minister appeared to be explaining the difficulty in granting the special status while noting that special status means that 90 percent of the expenditure of schemes will be borne by the Centre as against 60 percent for normal states. The Union of India should not be left financially vulnerable, he said while contending that the country's economy has been "adversely" affected by global prices, two years of drought, the 7th Pay Commission and OROP among other factors. Explaining the division of federal revenues, Jaitley pointed out that 42 percent of central revenues go to the states and the Centre is left with only 58 percent to take care of defence of the country, payment of salaries, running the government, running central schemes in states among others. "The size of the cake is limited, the size of the pie is limited," Jaitley said. He said that under the new Finance Commission architecture, the divided state of Andhra Pradesh will get over Rs 2.06 lakh crore for the period 2015-20 as against Rs 64,575.30 crore that it wuld have otherwise got. Talking about the promises made in the 2014 Act, the Finance Minister said a number of them have already been fulfilled. He named these as setting up of IIT, NIT, IIM and IISc. He also cited in-principle approval of Vizag metro, coal blocks and Vijaywada airport as the fulfillment of the 13th schedule commitments. Jaitley repeatedly said Andhra Pradesh's case is a developmental issue and one should not try and take political mileage out of it. He said the Centre has already given Rs 2,803 crore to Andhra Pradesh and both it and the state are working out the rest of the payment after studying the demand. "I have no hesitation in telling my colleagues in the House that this is not the last day nor the last payment," he said. Jaitley said the Finance Commission has granted special status to hilly states and border districts but states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal would get more than what has been recommended under the new system. "What will happen to federalism if we reject the Finance Commission report? India is a shared sovereignty. Should we reject part of the Finance Commission report," he asked while replying to questions raised by members. Meanwhile, Thota Seetharama Lakshmi of the TDP said Andhra Pradesh was asking for justice and not begging. "We are asking for what we rightly deserve," she said. Naresh Gujral of SAD said the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was a "cynical step" taken by a desperate Congress wanting to reap immediate political dividends. D Raja of CPI said people in Andhra are agitated but the central government is running away from the assurances given by the previous government. Responding to this, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, "nobody is running away. Some solution has to be found." CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, while cautioning that the issue could "inflame" and "ignite" passions, said a "conflict has arisen because of the assurance given here. How do we settle that? A way has to be found out. I urge the government to work out a mechanism to resolve this issue." Soon after landing in Lucknow on Friday for an interaction with party workers to kick off the campaign for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi sent out a series of tweets calling for unity among his party workers and mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the same breath. "Modiji focuses on the richest man, while the Congress Party focuses on the poorest man," the Congress second-in-command tweeted. Announcing that Congress will not be satisfied just by increasing its seat tally, Rahul made it clear that his party aims much higher. "Congress is fighting to change the lives of the ppl of UP. We are fighting to form the Govt in UP. We are not here to merely increase seats!" he tweeted. https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/758968308657889280 https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/758970963731939328 The Friday meeting, which will take place at the Ramabai Ambedkar Rally Sthal in the Uttar Pradesh capital, follows a three-day bus yatra "27 saal UP behaal" from the party headquarters in New Delhi on 23 July that was flagged off by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul. The bus yatra had aimed at reaching out to the public and highlighting the alleged failure of successive governments in Uttar Pradesh in the past 27 years ever since the Congress got out of power there. The bus yatra was to cover a total distance of 600 km. Top Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is the general secretary in-charge of party affairs in the state, Sheila Dikshit, the party's chief ministerial face in the state, and state unit chief Raj Babbar, along with others travelled in the bus that halted at various places en route Kanpur. They also addressed a number of public meetings and interacted with party workers on the way. The yatra covered four districts each day and halted at Moradabad on the first day, covering important districts in western Uttar Pradesh. "This is a key outreach programme. The idea is to not do a conventional rally but instead hold a show of strength of party volunteers. We feel if the ground volunteers are strong, partys message goes out in a very effective manner," the Mint quoted a senior party leader from Uttar Pradesh. Around 12 pm, it was said that 40,000 registrations were done for the meeting. Chief ministerial candidate Dikshit had tweeted on Friday morning, "There is a sense of enthusiasm in Lucknow. Look forward to meeting Congress workers who are the backbone of the party." Congress faces an uphill task ahead as it won only 28 seats out of the 403 seats in the country's largest Assembly, in the last state poll of 2012. Moreover, in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, only Sonia and Rahul could win their respective seats of Rae Bareli and Amethi. Whats power without the power to harass? Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal must be wondering aloud between tweets on Prime Minister Narendra Modis sinister design to get him fixed. With 10 of his MLAs arrested, and the Aam Aadmi Party already into the prediction game on who would be next, he would be ruing having no police force or enforcement agency to let loose on rivals. The high decibel attention-grabbing noises for media consumption serve only a limited purpose. The real power lies in the good old lathi, in whatever shape or connotation it comes. This realisation seems to be making him desperate to win at least one state, a full-fledged one unlike Delhi. Actually, his options are running out. At the rate his MLAs are getting arrested, a majority of them might end up behind bars by the end of his tenure. It is a hugely unequal battle between the unseen forces and his government or, as Modi and him as he would like to call it. One has all the resources and not averse to using them; the other has none, barring the vocal chords. One takes almost sadistic pleasure in needling the other on a persistent basis the other can hardly do anything about it other than howling louder than necessary at each pin-prick. One has the energy to drag the other into enumerable legal battles while other is too small to keep engaging. To make matters worse, his party is losing sympathy among the talking classes. The desperation showed the other day when Kejriwal in a video address to his supporters asked them to be prepared for many attacks or part company if they are afraid. After cutting the party off its intellectual and idealistic dimensions, the only way he can fight back is through raw power that high offices bring. He might have underestimated the sundry policeman earlier remember his use of the word thulla? but now with so many of his colleagues embroiled criminal cases, he must be realising what he means in the power equations among political players. If he had the powers to arrest and control over policemen then perhaps then the playing field would be more level. The BJP or whoever is orchestrating the arrests would be more careful. Thats the big reason, he must be thinking, he must win a state, Punjab, Goa whatever. In the present scenario even the gau rakshaks in the country are more powerful than him. The latter can form groups and deliver vigilante justice without a care in the world. If they thrash Dalits or Muslims on the suspicion of possessing beef they dont need a reason to thrash anybody actually they have nothing to fear since the police wont touch them. The same cannot be said about AAP members though. Their ability to strike back comes to nil with no power with their government to protect them. So he has to win a state. Readers might detect a hint of sarcasm in the piece thus far, but the purpose here is to narrate the reality of power equations involving conflicting political forces. It is possible all of Kejriwals MLAs are no saints and are guilty of whatever they are accused of, however, the situation would be much different if their government wielded real power. People in other parties with similar charges are hardly meted the same treatment Philadelphia After days of endorsements from celebrities, elected leaders and passionate supporters, Hillary Clinton was introduced on Friday by the woman who knows her simply as mom. Chelsea Clinton continued the family effort to show the warm side of her mother. Nearly a quarter century after America got to know her as a gangly 12-year-old, Chelsea Clinton described Hillary Clinton as a mother who always made her feel "valued and loved" and a doting grandmother who will drop everything to FaceTime her 2-year-old granddaughter, Charlotte. Chelsea Clinton spoke two days after her father, former President Bill Clinton, addressed delegates in what was as much love story as political speech. Chelsea Clinton followed suit. "I hope that someday my children will be as proud of me as I am proud of my mom," she said. Trump's family offered similar loving tributes at last week's Republican convention. Both candidates have low popularity ratings and their campaigns have been trying to emphasize their personal, human sides. Chelsea Clinton opened for her mother at the Democratic National Convention as Clinton accepted a place in history as the first female presidential nominee for a major party. Chelsea Clinton's appearance comes after her father, ex-President Bill Clinton, gave a deeply personal address about his wife on Tuesday. It's part of a campaign effort to show the softer side of the former first lady, senator and secretary of state. And it's hardly a new role for 36-year-old Chelsea, who works for the Clinton Foundation and recently gave birth to her second child. She has been active in the campaign, as with her mother's past campaigns. She was at the convention on Tuesday, as her father called her birth "the greatest moment of my life." Hillary Clinton talks about her too, often telling a story about toddler Chelsea asking her to stop singing lullabies. Of course, Chelsea Clinton is not the only prominent daughter during this presidential campaign. Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, is a leading surrogate for her father and gave an emotional speech for him last week, pledging that the two will work on issues like pay equity and affordable childcare. The two women, New Yorkers of similar ages with high-profile parents, have been friendly in the past. Chelsea Clinton praised Ivanka Trump in a Vogue magazine story last year, saying "There's nothing skin-deep about Ivanka." While the contest between their parents has become acrimonious, Ivanka Trump said in an interview with People Magazine this week that the two were "friendly." Still, she added, "There's certainly tremendous intensity around both of our lives right now." Chelsea Clinton commented on Ivanka Trump's convention speech during an interview on Facebook Live hosted by Glamour this week. Asked what she would say to Ivanka Trump, Chelsea Clinton said: "How would your father do that? It's not something he has spoken about. There are no policies on any of those fronts that you mentioned." Politics is the family business, so Chelsea Clinton has spent most of her life in the public eye, moving to the White House at the age of 12 after her father was elected in 1992 and heading to Stanford University with a security detail in tow. Perhaps her most high-profile moment came in 1998, when, at age 18 and during the height of her parents' marital troubles, the three were photographed walking together, with Chelsea Clinton holding both parents' hands. Because she's lived so long in public, many voters feel they already know her, like Cynthia Doty, 65, a Clinton supporter from New York City, who said, "I think she's grown up into a really remarkable woman." After spending time as a management consultant and as a correspondent for NBC, Chelsea Clinton now works for the Clinton Foundation and recently wrote a book for middle-school aged kids. With husband Mark Mezvinsky, a hedge-fund manager whose parents both served in Congress, she has two children under the age of 2: Charlotte and Aidan. Katie White, of San Antonio, Texas, said she was looking forward to the speech: "I think Ivanka did a lot to help Donald Trump. It will be interesting to see what Chelsea can do." But some Democrats are less interested. "There's nothing relatable about her," said Quinn Symonds, of Mason City, Iowa. "She's not one of us, the 99 percent." Emma Schmit of Rockwell City, Iowa, agreed, "She's part of the one percent." On Thursday, 28 July, 2016, Hillary Clinton delivered what can be considered as one of the most important speeches of her career. Not only did she touch upon issues such as gun control, immigration, student debt and Wall Street, there were beautiful references to her family especially her mother Dorothy. And, of course, fired shots at her Republican rival Donald Trump. In fact, Donald Trump found more than 20 mentions in her speech. Consider this: Ask yourself: Does Donald Trump have the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief? Donald Trump can't even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign. He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protester at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Or this: In Atlantic City, 60 miles from here, you'll find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Donald Trump refused to pay his bills. People who did the work and needed the money, and didn't get it - not because he couldn't pay them, but because he wouldn't pay them." What were the veracity of Clinton's claims? A New York Times piece says that Trump casinos failed on several occasions and were not nearly as successful as the businessman claims them to be. However, Trump who reportedly bankrupted his casinos, still earned in millions. Trump was himself short on cash at the time, but his bankers did give him a $450,000-a-month allowance to maintain his lifestyle, while his debts were renegotiated. Clinton, for her part, is not all clean either. In the speech given by Donald trump on 21 July, he accused Clinton of raking in "millions of dollars". When that same secretary of state rakes in millions and millions of dollars trading access and favors to special interests and foreign powers, I know the time for action has come. That is somewhat troubling for the former secretary of state. Although financial disclosures show that Clinton earned only her government salary, she made more than $21 million over three years, for speeches and appearances for private companies. None of those speeches was paid for by foreign governments, but some groups she addressed that can be counted as special interests. Donald Trump, in his speech, was characteristically blunt. This was a "moment of crisis for our nation," he told Republicans on the convention's final night. America faces a threat to "our very way of life." His words reflected the dystopian theme of the convention: Illegal immigrants were flooding across the border and killing Americans. Anti-police protests were leading to the shooting of officers. Terrorism was on the rise. Political correctness stifled free speech. Trade deals were sending U.S. jobs overseas. At their convention, Democrats offered their own grim picture of America from 2008. The stock market had plummeted, unemployment soared and automakers were at risk of shutting down. Now, after nearly eight years of Barack Obama's presidency, the economy is growing. American forces killed Osama bin Laden. Millions more Americans now have medical insurance because of Obama's health care overhaul. Same-sex marriage is a constitutionally protected right. Both the hopefuls have spoken about their plans to eradicate terrorism and by extension, the Islamic State. Clinton, for her part, spoke about a lot of work to do in defeating IS, saying that it won't be easy or quick but that it will be effective. We will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans and our allies to fight terrorism. There's a lot of work to do... I've laid out my strategy for defeating IS. We will strike their sanctuaries from the air, and support local forces taking them out on the ground. We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks before they happen. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalise young people in our country. It won't be easy or quick, but make no mistake we will prevail. Trump, meanwhile, called for stamping out "Islamic terror" and terrorism in general. To protect us from terrorism, we need to focus on three things. We must have the best intelligence-gathering operation in the world. We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change that Hillary Clinton pushed in Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria. Instead, we must work with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying IS and stamping out Islamic terror. This includes working with our greatest ally in the region, the State of Israel. It is interesting to note that the two candidates, who are poles apart on a lot of issues, agree on one thing: the importance of Israel. Clinton projected herself as a leader who while understanding America's allies also cares for the veterans back home. She also spoke about supporting Israel's security. You want a leader who understands we are stronger when we work with our allies around the world and care for our veterans here at home. Keeping our nation safe and honoring the people who do it will be my highest priority. I'm proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear program without firing a single shot now we have to enforce it, and keep supporting Israel's security. I'm proud that we shaped a global climate now we have to hold every country accountable to their commitments, including ourselves. Trump called for shunning the policy of regime change that his rival Clinton pushed in countries such as Iraq and Egypt and for working with America's "greatest ally", Israel. We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change that Hillary Clinton pushed in Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria. Instead, we must work with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying IS and stamping out Islamic terror. This includes working with our greatest ally in the region, the State of Israel. With inputs from AP PHILADELPHIA U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will tell the Democratic National Convention on Thursday that Americans must work together to conquer domestic and foreign challenges that threaten to tear the country apart. In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton will sound the themes that will propel her campaign against Republican Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. "America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying," Clinton will say in accepting the Democratic nomination, according to excerpts of her speech. "And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. It truly is up to us. We have to decide whether were going to work together so we can all rise together," she will say. As she prepared to deliver her speech, sources familiar with the matter said the FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) that may be related to an earlier hack at the Democratic National Committee. The breach and its potential ties to Russian hackers are likely to sharpen concern, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the election. The issue has clouded this week's convention in Philadelphia. 'THREATS AND TURBULENCE' In her speech Clinton will say she will work to create more opportunities and more good jobs with rising wages, and confront stark choices in battling "threats and turbulence" around the world and at home. "No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance - looking for steady leadership," she will say. It is Clinton's turn in the spotlight after days of electrifying speeches by party heavyweights such as President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama praising Clinton and cautioning that Trump would be dangerous and divisive. It will be a difficult and high-stakes task for the guarded Clinton, 68, known to be a more effective politician in small gatherings than on big stages. Clinton, vying to be the first woman elected president in U.S. history, needs to make a convincing argument she can bring about change while representing the legacy of Obama, who is nearing the end of his second four-year term with high approval ratings. She must make inroads with voters who find her untrustworthy or unlikable, as her favorability ratings in polls have hit all-time lows. In his speech, Obama offered an optimistic view of the United States that he contrasted with Trump's vision of a country in crisis. UPBEAT MESSAGE Clinton was likely to offer a similarly upbeat message, drawing on an idea that has driven her throughout her career, that all Americans should be given the chance to fulfil their potential, a campaign aide said. Trump, a 70-year-old New York businessman who has never held political office, is running just ahead of Clinton in a RealClearPolitics average of recent national opinion polls. They both garner high "unpopularity" ratings. The Republican nominee has hammered Clinton as untrustworthy, and Republicans depict her as a Washington insider who would continue what they see as the failed policies of Obama's presidency. Trump rejected the optimism voiced at the Democratic convention, saying Democrats were talking about "a world that doesn't exist" and papering over Clinton's problems and mistakes. "I propose a different vision for America, one where we can break up Washington's rigged system, and empower all Americans to achieve their dreams. In our vision, we will put America First," he said in a statement. Chelsea Clinton, who spent eight years of her childhood in the White House when Bill Clinton was president, will introduce her mother on Thursday evening. Rosa Patlan Harris , 70, a retired postal worker and delegate from Texas, said she thinks Clinton can measure up to the high expectations for her speech. "I think she can handle it," said Patlan Harris, a long-time supporter of the former secretary of state. "You know she's tough." MILESTONE FOR WOMEN The Democratic gathering began on a note of discord on Monday, with backers of Bernie Sanders, the U.S. senator from Vermont who lost the nomination to Clinton, noisily booing the very mention of her name. But protests inside the arena calmed after the tumultuous first day. After two nights of speeches meant to unify the party and show a more personal and warmer side of Clinton, the third night featured a sharp turn to attacking Trump. Taking aim at Trump's campaign promise to "Make America Great Again," Obama said: "America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump." Trump, a former reality TV star, has portrayed the country as being under siege from illegal immigrants, crime and terrorism and as losing influence in the world. He has proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country and a wall along the border with Mexico to keep illegal immigrants out. Biden called Trump an opportunist with no clue about how to make America great. Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine, a U.S. senator from Virginia, said Trump was a "a one-man wrecking crew" who could not be trusted in the Oval Office. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent media mogul, attacked Trump's history of bankruptcies and lawsuits and called his presidential bid a "con." Joyce Lalonde, a retired elementary school teacher and delegate from Michigan at the Democratic convention, was eagerly anticipating Clinton's address as a milestone for women. Lalonde, 68, recalled how she and her fellow female teachers once protested her school district's requirement that women wear dresses or skirts and how times had changed for women. "It was a man's world!" Lalonde said. "Men didn't have to go through what women had to." (Additional reporting by Emily Stephenson, Luciana Lopez, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Amanda Becker and Susan Heavey; Writing by Frances Kerry and John Whitesides; Editing by Peter Cooney and Howard Goller) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Hilary Clinton made history on 27 July 2016 when she became the first woman to be nominated as a major party presidential candidate in USA. Rishi Kapoor, one of the funniest Indian celebrities on Twitter decided to commemorate this moment by this tweet: History being checked! Tx for it ABjr. If it wasn't RIGHT,it would have LEFT a bad taste pic.twitter.com/p6MmEnC5uh Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) July 27, 2016 The extremely misguided joke made waves in the twitter-verse because of its misogynist content. Sadly, he was not far behind is his extremely sexualised commentary on the first female presidential nominee in the US Presidential race. There was another gentler, step-motherly treatment being meted out to Clinton by the newspapers covering her presidential run. A look at how stalwart media houses, populated by Pulitzer prize-winning journalists covered her Democratic party nomination, provides shocking insight about how a few papers choose to highlight headlines and pictures of ex-president Bill Clinton rather than have his wife, the current presidential hopeful, on the cover. Here are a few newspapers that covered the democratic party nomination, starting with Chicago Tribune: The Houston Chronicle, like Chicago Tribune, fails to mention which Clinton got nominated in the headline. The accompanying photo of Bill Clinton makes it seem like the ex-president is running for president again. Not only is that factually incorrect and shoddy journalism, it's just plain sad. All the papers seem to hold the construct that a woman cannot be important enough to be on the front page of a newspaper unless they are showcasing their cleavage (Times of India, we are looking at you). This might not be new to us in India, but it is surprising and sad to see how carelessly Hilary Clinton's nomination bid, for which she has struggled in the last two elections, doesn't seem to warrant her photo being displayed on the front page of the newspaper. The New York Times approached the issue with a different strategy; they used photos of arbitrary girls to highlight Hilary Clinton's nomination bid. It is interesting to note that the sub head of the main headline includes Bill Clinton's name and another article includes Bill Clinton and his photograph: One of the reasons of the newspapers carrying Hilary Clinton's husband's photo instead of hers might be that Bill Clinton spoke late last night and Hilary Clintons appearance on a video screen might have happened too late for early editions. Hilarys later appearance on a video screen might have happened to late for early editions. The Wall Street Journals early front page featured Bill; a later front shows Hilary. The reason why The Washington Post featured Bill and Bernie was again Hilary's extremely late night appearance and also because Bernie Sanders exclusion was Hilary's nomination ticket. On the plus side, Express,Chicago Sun-Times and The Orange County Register featured Hilary's face on the cover. The Orange County Register had Bill Clinton's image in a small blurb, right where the spouse's image of the US Presidential Election nominee should be. Sadly, the spouse of the Republican nominee, Melinda Trump, doesn't get as much coverage as her husband. No prizes for guessing why. Poland: Pope Francis on Friday walked alone through the notorious wrought-iron "Arbeit Macht Frei" gates at Auschwitz-Birkenau, beginning a historic visit to the former Nazi death camp. His head bowed, the pope prayed in silent contemplation before meeting Holocaust survivors in front of the death wall where the Nazis summarily shot thousands of people. The Argentine pontiff will lead prayers for the 1.1 million mostly-Jewish victims murdered at the camp and has said that rather than making a speech he will stand in silence to reflect on the horrors committed and let his tears flow. After arriving on Wednesday in Poland the heartland of Nazi Germany's atrocities the pontiff said the world had been plunged into a piecemeal third world war. He has repeatedly denounced those committing crimes in the name of religion, after Europe suffered a string of deadly jihadist attacks. The pontiff, who has forged ever-closer ties between the Catholic Church and Jews since his election in 2013, will meet 12 former inmates at the site which is now a memorial and museum. As the morning rain subsided and the sun began to shine, around 200 people gathered by a big screen in Birkenau to await his arrival, among them a group of elderly Poles known as the "righteous among the nations" who risked their lives to help hide and protects Jews. Among those who will meet the pope are a 101-year-old woman violinist called Helena Dunicz Niwinska who played in the Auschwitz orchestra as a prisoner, alongside others who worked at the camp hospital or who were there as children. During the visit, prayers will be said just a stone's throw from the ruins of one of the crematoriums which was blown up by the Nazis as they evacuated the camp. Francis will also pray in the cell where Polish priest and saint Maximilian Kolbe died after taking the place of a condemned man. The visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day Kolbe was sentenced to death. 'Scream against injustice' Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich welcomed the pontiff's intention to remain silent during his visit to the camp, saying "often people go to Auschwitz... and they are silent (about the horrors) for the rest of their lives". "Instead, once we leave Birkenau we must spend the rest of our lives screaming, yelling and fighting all kinds of injustices," he said Thursday. The pope will travel the two miles (three kilometres) to Birkenau, the main extermination site, and be driven along tracks laid in 1944 to allow trains of prisoners to be transported right to the gas chambers and crematoria. There, some 25 Christian Poles who risked their lives during the war to help hide and protects Jews a group recognised by Israel's Yad Vashem as "Righteous Among the Nations" will recount their stories to the pope. Among them will be Maria Augustyn, whose family hid a Jewish couple behind a wardrobe for years, and Anna Bando, who helped rescue an orphan from the Warsaw ghetto and gave several Jews forged "Aryan" papers. The Holocaust is an extremely delicate subject in Poland, where locals fuelled by anti-Semitism were accused of butchering Jews or delivering them to the Nazis. Those who did help sometimes paid the ultimate price. A Hebrew prayer for the dead will be read aloud in Polish by Stanislaw Ruszala, Catholic parish priest of the town of Markowa, where a family was wiped out after they were discovered to be sheltering Jews. Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children were butchered. Wiktoria, who was seven months pregnant at the time, had started giving birth before she was executed, according to the Vatican. More than 100,000 non-Jewish Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, homosexuals and anti-Nazi partisans also died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in occupied Poland. The Soviet Red Army liberated it in 1945. Two of the pope's predecessors also visited the camp: John Paul II a former archbishop of Krakow in 1979 and Benedict XVI in 2006 ANKARA/ISTANBUL President Tayyip Erdogan angrily rejected Western criticism of purges under way in Turkey's military and other state institutions after a failed coup, suggesting some in the United States were on the side of the plotters. The purges target supporters of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of masterminding the July 15-16 coup. Turkey's Western allies condemned the coup, in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured, but they have been rattled by the scale of the crackdown. The director of U.S. national intelligence, James Clapper, said on Thursday the purges were harming the fight against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq by sweeping away Turkish officers who had worked closely with the United States. The head of U.S. Central Command, General Joseph Votel, said he believed some of the military figures whom the United States had worked with were in jail, drawing condemnation from Erdogan, who was speaking on Friday at a special forces headquarters in Ankara badly damaged by violence on the night of the coup. "Instead of thanking this country which repelled a coup attempt, you take the side of the coup plotters. The putschist is in your country already," Erdogan said, referring to Gulen, who denies any involvement in the coup attempt. In a statement released by the U.S. military on Friday, Votel said any claims that he was involved in a failed coup attempt in Turkey were "unfortunate and completely inaccurate". "Turkey has been an extraordinary and vital partner in the region for many years. We appreciate Turkey's continuing cooperation and look forward to our future partnership in the counter-ISIL fight," he said. White House spokesman Eric Schultz has also dismissed claims that Votel supported the coup plotters and referred to U.S. President Barack Obama's comments from last week saying any reports that Washington had prior knowledge of the attempted overthrow were completely false. Erdogan has blamed U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for masterminding the attempted coup, which killed more than 240 people, and has called on Washington to extradite him. "They (the critics) say ... 'we worry for (Turkey's) future'. But what are these gentlemen worried about? Whether the numbers of detained and arrested will increase? If they are guilty, they will increase," said Erdogan, who narrowly escaped capture and possible death on the night of the coup. Asked about the U.S. comments on losing Turkish interlocutors, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim echoed Erdogan's feisty tone: "This is a confession. If the Gulenist generals are their friends, they are in the same class." Yildirim also said Turkey would shut down an air base near Ankara which served as a hub for the coup plotters as well as all military barracks used by them. MILITARY SHAKE-UP Turkey announced late on Thursday a major shake-up of its armed forces, NATO's second largest, with the promotion of 99 colonels to the rank of general or admiral and the dishonourable discharge of nearly 1,700 military personnel over their alleged roles in the coup. About 40 percent of all generals and admirals have been dismissed since the coup. Defence Minister Fikri Isik told broadcaster NTV on Friday the shake-up in the military was not yet over, adding that military academies would now be a target of "cleansing". The purges have also hit government ministries, schools and universities, the police, civil service, media and business. The number of public sector workers removed from their posts since the coup attempt now stands at more than 66,000, including some 43,000 people in education, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday. Interior Minister Efkan Ala said more than 18,000 people had been detained over the failed coup, and that 50,000 passports had been cancelled. The labour ministry said it was investigating 1,300 staff over their possible involvement. Erdogan says Gulen harnessed his extensive network of schools, charities and businesses, built up in Turkey and abroad over decades, to create a secretive "parallel state" that aimed to take over the country. Erdogan's critics say he is using the purges to crack down indiscriminately on dissent and to tighten his grip on power. With long land borders with Syria and Iraq, Turkey is a central part of the U.S.-led military operation against Islamic State. As home to millions of Syrian refugees, it is also the European Union's partner in a deal reached last year to halt the biggest flow of migrants into Europe since World War Two. Turkey hosts U.S. troops and warplanes at Incirlik Air Base, from which the United States flies sorties against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Those air operations were temporarily halted following the coup attempt. Attempting to reassure the United States, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that Turkey's armed forces, "cleansed" of their Gulenist elements, would prove more "trustworthy ... and effective" allies against Islamic State. Nevertheless, there is a growing anti-U.S. mood in Turkey which is likely to harden further if Washington refuses to extradite Gulen. Several hundred flag-waving protesters staged a peaceful protest march near the Incirlik base on Thursday, chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) and "Damn the U.S.A", the pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper reported. The protesters burned a U.S. flag. "POWER POISONING" The crackdown on Gulenists pressed on unabated on Friday. In the central city of Kayseri, a stronghold of Erdogan's ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party, police detained the chairman of furniture-to-cables conglomerate Boydak Holding and two company executives as part of the investigation into the "Gulenist Terror Group", Anadolu reported. Prosecutors in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir issued orders to detain 200 police on Friday as part of the investigation targeting Gulenists, the Dogan news agency said. In the Netherlands, a spokeswoman for the Gulenist community said supporters feared for their safety after dozens of death threats and acts of arson and vandalism in Dutch towns and cities in the past two weeks. Saniye Calkin said supporters in neighbouring Germany were reporting similar incidents. Germany is home to Europe's largest Turkish diaspora, while the Netherlands also has around half a million ethnic Turks. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, again maintained his innocence during an interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper, saying he had himself suffered from previous coups in Turkey. Asked why his once-warm ties with Erdogan and the AK Party had turned sour, Gulen said: "It appears that after staying in power for too long, (they) are suffering from power poisoning." Gulen, whose Hizmet (Service) movement stresses the need to embrace scientific progress and inter-faith dialogue, said he still strongly backed Ankara's bid to join the EU, saying this would buttress democracy and human rights in Turkey. (Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Daren Butler and Nick Tattersall in Istanbul, Orhan Coskun in Ankara, Steve Scherer in Rome, Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam, Idrees Ali and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Gareth Jones; Editing by Nick Tattersall) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. digital and print publisher. digital and print publisher. We are Americas largest We are Americas largest The brands you love. The experiences you want. Scope: This project includes construction of proposed regional lift station rated at approx 3,100 gallons per minute with associated manholes, 24" and 15" gravity sewer and 18" force main to connect with existing City infrastructure. The proposed lift station consists of a cast-in-place concrete wetwell with three submersible pumps, motor control center, generator, fuel storage tank, electrical, piping, valves, services, flushing, testing, sitework and all other necessary appurtenances. Demolition required for proposed construction includes demolition of two existing pumping stations, with associated force main, gravity sewer and neighboring features. The Contractor shall provide all materials, equipment and labor to complete the project. Scope: The project consists of: (1) the construction and installation of a rotary, mechanical cloth media disk filter (AquaDisk, as specified), interconnecting influent and effluent piping, chemical disinfection piping, including valves, fittings, and connections to existing lines. Additionally, the work includes installation of field instrumentation and controls components, and electrical all necessary to provide a complete and properly functioning system. 2000 - 2022 24 .- . focus-news.net, () . 24 . 24 . . 24 . Xiaomi introduced Redmi Pro and Mi Notebook Air at an event in China earlier this week. Today the company has sent invites for another event in China on August 1st where it will unveil a VR headset, as it had promised last month. The teaser reveals that Xiaomi will launch video resources that will give users an enjoyable VR experience. Xiaomis VR headset is expected to work similar to Samsung Gear VR that would require a smartphone. Xiaomi general manager Tang Mu already confirmed that the VR headset will support Googles Daydream platform with an integrated support for MIUI. The Xiaomi VR headset event begins 10AM on August 1st, Monday. We should know all the details in a couple of days. Source Chevron's (CVX 0.46%) second quarter probably didn't go as some investors might have hoped. Although oil prices were a little higher this past quarter than in the first quarter of 2016, other factors like refining margins and lower natural gas prices took a toll on profits. Plus, there were some pretty big non-cash impairment charges to boot that wiped out any chance at turning a profit. Here's a quick snapshot of the company's earnings, a few highlights for the quarter, and where management thinks it will go from here. Chevron's results: The raw numbers Results (in millions, except per share data) Q2 2016 Q1 2016 Q2 2015 Revenue $29,282 $23,553 $40,357 Net Income ($1,470) ($588) $571 EPS ($0.78) (0.31) $0.30 Chevron's results aren't as bad as those numbers look. In the second quarter, the company realized $2.8 billion in non-cash charges. The company didn't break out those charges, so we can't really tell exactly what they mean, but without them, we can assume that the company would have at least of generated some modest profits in the quarter. A reoccurring theme for Chevron's recent earnings has been extremely weak upstream production earnings. Those could be a lot better, but without knowing how those non-cash charges break out, we can't get a more clear picture of the company's operational performance. The company did benefit from higher oil prices in those segments, but those were also partially offset by lower gas prices and lower production levels. One thing to keep in mind when comparing this quarter to the same quarter last year is that the company did net a $1.6 billion gain in the second quarter of 2015 from the sale of its Caltex Australia assets. If we strip out that gain from last year, then its international downstream earnings were just $625 million. On the cash side of the business, things didn't look much better. The company generated $3.7 billion from operational cash flow and asset sales, and after working capital adjustments. That's well below the $6.5 billion it spent on capital expenditures and dividends in the quarter. Based on these results, it's getting harder and harder to see the company achieve its goal of cash flow neutrality by the end of next year. What happened with Chevron this quarter? Net oil equivalent production for the quarter was down 138,000 barrels per day to 2.53 million boe per day. A decent chunk of those declines were from planned turnaround work, but there were also some outages related to the Canadian wildfires, security issues in Nigeria, and some production sharing issues related to the Partitioned Zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Gorgon LNG's Train 1 was back up and running at 70% capacity for the quarter. Chevron expects Train 1 to reach full capacity by the fourth quarter, and Train 2 will start production at the same time. Wheatstone LNG remains on track for its first cargoes in the middle of 2017. There were no major start-ups this quarter, but Chevron's Chuandongbei gas project did bring its third processing train online. Three major start-ups are slated in the second half of the year, with Angola LNG back up and running in the third quarter after repairs and maintenance work. Chevron and partner ExxonMobil XOM 0.38% ) Chevron has set a target for asset sales of $5 billion to $10 billion this year. So far, the company has completed $1.4 billion in asset sales. What management had to say Aside from the typical statements of cutting costs and operational efficiency, CEO John Watson went out of his way to mention the Tengiz project: We continue to make progress toward our goal of getting cash balanced. Our operating expenses and capital spending were reduced over $6 billion from the first six months of 2015. In addition, we're bringing our major capital projects to completion. We have restarted LNG production and cargo shipments at Gorgon and Angola LNG, and started up the third train at the Chuandongbei Project in China. Construction at our other key projects is progressing, and we expect additional start-ups later this year. As these projects continue to ramp up, they are expected to increase net cash generation in future quarters. We recently announced the final investment decision on the Future Growth and Wellhead Pressure Management Project at Tengiz in Kazakhstan. The project represents an excellent opportunity for the company. It builds on our strong track record at Tengiz and is expected to create future value for our shareholders. The Tengiz project was also featured heavily in the investor presentation for the quarter. Part of the reason management highlighted this piece is that $38 billion price tag, but it's also something that is different than what the company had said it was planning to do. In most of its recent conference calls and investor presentations, Chevron's management has said it was moving away from very large capital projects and focusing on smaller, faster-to-develop resources like shale. Chevron claims it can implement this project at a per barrel production cost of $18. If that's the case, then perhaps it's worth it. 10-second takeaway Chevron's earnings don't look good, but they are skewed by some pretty large charges that hampered any chance at a profit. Management has stressed cost management and getting to cash flow neutral by 2017, but it's going to take a lot more work -- or a big assist from oil and gas prices -- to get there. A blaze at a sofa factory threatened to spread to a nearby school. A kindergarten in the southern province of Binh Duong was evacuated on Friday morning after a fire broke out at a nearby sofa manufacturing factory. Teachers at the privately-owned Rang Dong (Early Dawn) nursery school in Thuan An District acted quickly after seeing thick smoke going billowing up from the adjacent factory, and escorted around 300 children to safety. Kindergarten children were escorted to safety by their teachers. Photo by Nguyet Trieu When we saw the smoke, we raised the alarm," said Mai Duc Thinh, one of the kindergarten's owners. "We have run fire drills before, so we were able to get the children out of the school safely. Luckily not a single child suffered from smoke inhalation. No causalities or injuries were reported to either children and staff. The fire destroyed the 1,000 square-meter factory. Photo by Nguyet Trieu The fire quickly swept through the 1,000 square-meter factory, as workers tried to douse the flames in vain. Fire crews arrived on the scene in minutes, but due to the flammable contents of the factory, it took some 100 firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze and stop it from spreading to nearby buildings. The cause of the fire is being investigated. Binh Duong is home to numerous of industrial parks that have drawn migrant workers from every corner of the country. The majority bring their families with them. The number of private day-care centers in the province has increased rapidly to catch up with the rising demand. Related news: > Fire engulfs Chinese candle plant in northern Vietnam > Massive fire engulfs petrol station in Hanoi Chinese tourists are flooding into the country, but not all of them are welcome. Vietnam's foreign arrivals in July have hit around 846,300, an increase of 21 percent from June and a 41 percent jump from the same period last year. 5.5 million visitors arrived in the country in the first seven months of the year, according to the General Statistics Office, earning the tourism sector nearly VND235 trillion ($10.5 billion), a 23 percent jump on-year. Chinese tourists accounted for one third of foreign arrivals in July, up 36.6 percent from June and nearly double the same period last year. Over the first seven months of this year, Chinese visitors reached 1.5 million people, jumping 54 percent on-year. They also made up a third of Asian visitors to Vietnam, which also surged by 29.5 percent to some four million. Chinese tourists spent around $215 billion on overseas vacations last year despite difficulties in Chinas economy. However, the upsurge in Chinese visitors has caused Vietnam problems, with some trying to work illegally, some spreading lies about the countrys history and others refusing to use the Vietnamese dong. Ranking second after China, South Korean tourists accounted for 10.8 percent of the total, equivalent to 858,000 people. Japan ranked third with 413,000, up 12.6 percent on-year. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, whose citizens all enjoy 15-day visa exemptions, also saw an on-year increase of more than 10 percent, with the most significant growth coming from Italy with a 30.4 percent jump. Cambodia was the only country to record a fall in visitor numbers to Vietnam, dropping 17.6 percent to 106,000. Related news: > Vietnam extends visa exemptions for tourists from Western Europe Those who save for retirement have several options for investing their money with the ultimate goal of growing their balances over time. One such option is a commingled trust fund. Also known as a collective investment trust, a commingled trust fund is a pool of assets from several sources, such as trusts and retirement plans, managed jointly by the same entity. There are a number of benefits to be gained when you invest in this type of fund. Image source: Getty Images. How commingled trust funds work In a commingled trust fund, assets from different accounts or sources are pooled together and managed under a common investment strategy. These funds are typically run by trust companies or banks and are generally overseen by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) or the state banking authority, depending on which type of institution is in charge of the fund. In recent years, commingled trust funds have become more popular among defined benefit plans (also known as pensions), as well as defined contribution plans, such as 401(k)s. Benefits of commingled trust funds One key advantage of commingled trust funds is that they're typically less expensive than other investment options -- namely, mutual funds. Combining different assets under a single fund allows those assets to be managed in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, commingled trust funds don't tend to come with hefty marketing expenses, because they target a narrower range of investors. Commingled trust funds versus mutual funds Mutual funds have long been a popular investment option for 401(k)s, and they work in a similar fashion to commingled trust funds. With both types of funds, the money that's invested is managed by professionals and invested in stocks, bonds, and other assets. Where they differ, however, is that commingled trust funds are not open to all investors as mutual funds are. Rather, commingled trust funds are limited to investors in certain 401(k)s and other qualified retirement plans. Furthermore, whereas mutual funds are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, commingled trust funds are not. As a result, commingled trust funds have less stringent reporting requirements, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. On the bright side, this means that commingled trust funds spend less money on meeting regulatory requirements -- and those savings are passed on to investors. On the flip side, it can be more difficult to evaluate a fund's risks and past performance when it only has to disclose certain information to investors. Another major difference between mutual funds and commingled trust funds is that mutual funds tend to come with much higher fees. Furthermore, because anyone can invest in mutual funds, their marketing costs tend to be higher. If you're choosing between a mutual fund and a commingled trust fund for your retirement plan, then your best bet is to compare both funds' performance, as well as their costs. The fees you pay to invest your retirement dollars can greatly erode your overall return, so although you clearly want a high-performing fund, it's important to balance that performance against the costs of investing. The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after.Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies. This article is part of The Motley Fool's Knowledge Center, which was created based on the collected wisdom of a fantastic community of investors. We'd love to hear your questions, thoughts, and opinions on the Knowledge Center in general or this page in particular. Your input will help us help the world invest, better! Email us atknowledgecenter@fool.com. Thanks -- and Fool on! 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. Image source: Chevron investor presentation. Chevron's (NYSE: CVX) second quarter probably didn't go as some investors might have hoped. Although oil prices were a little higher this past quarter than in the first quarter of 2016, other factors like refining margins and lower natural gas prices took a toll on profits. Plus, there were some pretty big non-cash impairment charges to boot that wiped out any chance at turning a profit. Here's a quick snapshot of the company's earnings, a few highlights for the quarter, and where management thinks it will go from here. Chevron's results: The raw numbers Results (in millions, except per share data) Q2 2016 Q1 2016 Q2 2015 Revenue $29,282 $23,553 $40,357 Net Income ($1,470) ($588) $571 EPS ($0.78) (0.31) $0.30 Data source: Chevron earnings release. Chevron's results aren't as bad as those numbers look. In the second quarter, the company realized $2.8 billion in non-cash charges. The company didn't break out those charges, so we can't really tell exactly what they mean, but without them, we can assume that the company would have at least of generated some modest profits in the quarter. A reoccurring theme for Chevron's recent earnings has been extremely weak upstream production earnings. Those could be a lot better, but without knowing how those non-cash charges break out, we can't get a more clear picture of the company's operational performance. The company did benefit from higher oil prices in those segments, but those were also partially offset by lower gas prices and lower production levels. One thing to keep in mind when comparing this quarter to the same quarter last year is that the company did net a $1.6 billion gain in the second quarter of 2015 from the sale of its Caltex Australia assets. If we strip out that gain from last year, then its international downstream earnings were just $625 million. Data source: Chevron earnings release, author's chart. On the cash side of the business, things didn't look much better. The company generated $3.7 billion from operational cash flow and asset sales, and after working capital adjustments. That's well below the $6.5 billion it spent on capital expenditures and dividends in the quarter. Based on these results, it's getting harder and harder to see the company achieve its goal of cash flow neutrality by the end of next year. Image source: Chevron investor presentation. What happened with Chevron this quarter? Net oil equivalent production for the quarter was down 138,000 barrels per day to 2.53 million boe per day. A decent chunk of those declines were from planned turnaround work, but there were also some outages related to the Canadian wildfires, security issues in Nigeria, and some production sharing issues related to the Partitioned Zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Gorgon LNG's Train 1 was back up and running at 70% capacity for the quarter. Chevron expects Train 1 to reach full capacity by the fourth quarter, and Train 2 will start production at the same time. Wheatstone LNG remains on track for its first cargoes in the middle of 2017. There were no major start-ups this quarter, but Chevron's Chuandongbei gas project did bring its third processing train online. Three major start-ups are slated in the second half of the year, with Angola LNG back up and running in the third quarter after repairs and maintenance work. Chevron and partner ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) made a final investment decision on a $36.8 billion expansion of theTengiz project in Kazakhstan. The project will boost production by 260,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and will increase total recovery from the facility by 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent. (NYSE: XOM) made a final investment decision on a $36.8 billion expansion of theTengiz project in Kazakhstan. The project will boost production by 260,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and will increase total recovery from the facility by 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Chevron has set a target for asset sales of $5 billion to $10 billion this year. So far, the company has completed $1.4 billion in asset sales. What management had to say Aside from the typical statements of cutting costs and operational efficiency, CEO John Watson went out of his way to mention the Tengiz project: The Tengiz project was also featured heavily in the investor presentation for the quarter. Part of the reason management highlighted this piece is that $38 billion price tag, but it's also something that is different than what the company had said it was planning to do. In most of its recent conference calls and investor presentations, Chevron's management has said it was moving away from very large capital projects and focusing on smaller, faster-to-develop resources like shale. Chevron claims it can implement this project at a per barrel production cost of $18. If that's the case, then perhaps it's worth it. 10-second takeaway Chevron's earnings don't look good, but they are skewed by some pretty large charges that hampered any chance at a profit. Management has stressed cost management and getting to cash flow neutral by 2017, but it's going to take a lot more work -- or a big assist from oil and gas prices -- to get there. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early, in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Tyler Crowe has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow him at Fool.comor on Twitter@TylerCroweFool. The Motley Fool recommends Chevron. 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. image source: ExxonMobil corporate website. Hopefully, investors weren't expecting some sort of miraculous turnaround in ExxonMobil's (NYSE: XOM)results in the second quarter. If they were, they would be very disappointed. There were some promising signs, like higher oil prices, but they weren't enough to offset the other issues plaguing the oil and gas industry right now. Here's a quick recap of ExxonMobil's second-quarter earnings and what investors should probably take away from it. By the numbers Results Q2 2016 Q1 2016 Q2 2015 Revenue (in millions) $57,694 $48,707 $74,113 Net income (in millions) $1,700 $1,810 $4,190 Earnings per share $0.41 $0.43 $1.00 Data source: ExxonMobil earnings release. After ExxonMobil's upstream earnings fell into the loss column in the first quarter, the company saw a modest pickup to a result that was just barely profitable by ExxonMobil's standards. The reason for the gain was mostly the uptick in oil prices, because natural gas prices and overall production actually slipped a bit compared to the first quarter. The big difference maker this quarter compared to the prior one was the company's downstream results. The company itself didn't have a bad operational quarter when it comes to refining: Its total refinery throughput and product sales were down only very slightly. The big difference was refining margins. There isn't much ExxonMobil can do on this end of things, so it's hard to fault it for posting weaker results in this segment. Data source: ExxonMobil earnings release. Chart by author. On the cash side of things, the second quarter didn't look that much better. Total cash from operations and asset sales was $5.5 billion, which was enough to cover the company's $5.1 billion in capital spending for the quarter. But in times like these, a company will take any small victory. Still, ExxonMobil has taken out more than $5 billion in debt to fund other aspects of its business, such as its dividend. At the end of the quarter, the company's debt to capital stands at around 17%. We're starting to breach ExxonMobil's target debt-to-capital range of 10%-20%, but the company still boasts a way healthier balance sheet than its integrated oil peers. The operational highlights Oil and gas production remained flat compared to the same time last year. Recent start-up additions were offset from issues related to the wildfires in Canada and security concerns in Nigeria. The company announced that it had acquired InterOil , a Papua New Guinean natural gas exploration and production company with over 6 trillion cubic feet of potential natural gas in just one of its exploration fields, and more exploration blocks to be appraised. These assets will fit well with ExxonMoil's Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas facility and will help justify the addition of a third train to the project. , a Papua New Guinean natural gas exploration and production company with over 6 trillion cubic feet of potential natural gas in just one of its exploration fields, and more exploration blocks to be appraised. These assets will fit well with ExxonMoil's Papua New Guinea liquefied natural gas facility and will help justify the addition of a third train to the project. ExxonMobil announced the results of its Liza-2 exploration well off the coast of Guyana. The company expects the field has between 800 million and 1.4 billion barrels of oil reserves. The expansion of its lubricant plant inTaicang, China, was completed in April and doubled the capacity of the facility. The board approved a 2.7% increase in the quarterly dividend payment, to $0.75 per share. From the mouth of management ExxonMobil is well-known for having a very tight-lipped management team. Considering the less-than-stellar results the past two quarters, though, you might think that management would open up a little and give more details about how it plans to address some of the bigger concerns that the company's recent results have raised. Instead, CEO Rex Tillerson's statement for the quarter might as well have been a copy-paste from the last dozen earnings releases. So, not much help on that end... What a Fool believes There was some hope that higher oil prices would have a much greater impact on ExxonMobil's earnings for the quarter, but lower natural gas prices kept upstream earnings low while downstream earnings took a turn for the worse. ExxonMobil is probably in the best shape among its peers, but some competitors are showing that decent profits can still be had today. There wasn't anything in this earnings report that should make investors worry about the future prospects of the company, but it didn't exactly instill confidence, either. It will be worth watching what happens in the coming quarters to see if ExxonMobil can make some improvements. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Tyler Crowe owns shares of ExxonMobil. You can follow him at Fool.comor on Twitter@TylerCroweFool. The Motley Fool owns shares of ExxonMobil. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Customers are yet to start returning to Lumber Liquidators en masse. Image source: Lumber Liquidators. Is it possible the worst is in the past forLumber Liquidators Holdings Inc.(NYSE: LL)? After reporting its second-quarter financial results on July 27, there's a very real chance that's the case. Yes, sales fell versus the year-ago quarter, and the company reported a net loss, but sales were higher sequentially, comps declines slowed, and operating costs fell. Don't get me wrong: This wasn't a good quarter. As long as comps continue to decline, the company won't have turned things around. But that doesn't mean there wasn't progress. Let's take a closer look. The numbers Revenue and net income in millions. Data source: Lumber Liquidators. A deeper look at the numbers There's some good news in the results, but even the good must be taken with a grain of salt. To start, the results were down from last year, but they were a little better sequentially. In the first quarter, revenue was $233 million, the net loss came in at $32.4 million, and comp sales -- that is, sales at stores open at least one year -- fell 13.9%. In other words, the company looks to have gained at least a little traction, though it may be better to describe the result as slipping behind a little less. The company also reported sales, general, and administrative expenses of $89.9 million, down from last year and substantially lower than the $117.2 million in the first quarter. Lumber Liquidators also broke out some items that impacted SG&A in the quarter, such as $8.3 million in legal and professional fees, that should begin to decline once the company moves past ongoing litigation. But let's be frank about the comp result. 2015's second quarter was the first full quarter following the60 Minutesspecial that made the allegations against the company widely known. Sales fell 6% and comps were down 10% last year, so the declines reported on July 27 were the first against a quarter already affected by the negative coverage of the company, and they were still well down. We're talking about a two-year comps decline of 17.2%. This isn't a recovery yet. At the same time, the balance sheet is in better shape than it seems. Aquick look at working capital -- i.e. current assets minus current liabilities -- showed a working capital increase of $3 million in the second quarter. Debt increased by $7 million, so the company's liquidity situation really only worsened by $4 million in the quarter. This is significantly better than if we only look at the $9 million decrease in cash, and the $7 million increase in debt, and ignore the $15 million increase in inventory. And there's more good news. The company received a $22 million tax refund in July after quarter end, so that's an extra $22 million in capital not accounted for in the Q2 earnings filing. Add up the smaller than expected change in working capital, the cash infusion from the tax return, and the $53.7 million available on its revolving credit facility, and the company has a substantial amount of liquidity to work with. Major headway on its legal troubles Lumber Liquidators also made significant progress with the numerous legal issues it has been facing since the start of the year, including: California Air Resources Board investigation over allegations it was selling illegal laminate flooring resolved in Q1; found no wrongdoing. over allegations it was selling illegal laminate flooring resolved in Q1; found no wrongdoing. California Prop 65 lawsuit: Court entered judgement in favor of Lumber Liquidators. Court entered judgement in favor of Lumber Liquidators. Consumer Products Safety Commission investigation: In mid-June, the company reached a favorable agreement with the CPSC, following completion of a study into the potential risks from Lumber Liquidators' Chinese-made laminate flooring. In short, CPSC found that the company's products weren't likely to cause any substantial risk for consumers. The CPSC will oversee the company's air quality testing program, but there were no punitive damages since CPSC didn't find any significant risk to consumers. In mid-June, the company reached a favorable agreement with the CPSC, following completion of a study into the potential risks from Lumber Liquidators' Chinese-made laminate flooring. In short, CPSC found that the company's products weren't likely to cause any substantial risk for consumers. The CPSC will oversee the company's air quality testing program, but there were no punitive damages since CPSC didn't find any significant risk to consumers. Securities litigation matter: Parties have reached a settlement to be paid in Lumber Liquidators stock. While there will be dilution, this non-cash settlement is good for the company. Final settlement is scheduled for November. Parties have reached a settlement to be paid in Lumber Liquidators stock. While there will be dilution, this non-cash settlement is good for the company. Final settlement is scheduled for November. Derivative litigations: There are several ongoing cases, one which has reached a settlement that will cost the company $2.5 million, another that was settled at no cost to the company, and another that has no resolution yet. There are several ongoing cases, one which has reached a settlement that will cost the company $2.5 million, another that was settled at no cost to the company, and another that has no resolution yet. Chinese-made laminate class action suits: So far at least 10 class action cases have been consolidated into a single case. Lumber Liquidators continues to seek to have any additional federal cases filed consolidated together. There are also a number of state cases the company is facing. So far at least 10 class action cases have been consolidated into a single case. Lumber Liquidators continues to seek to have any additional federal cases filed consolidated together. There are also a number of state cases the company is facing. The company's suit with nine of its insurers has been settled, with the company and its insurers basically walking away. The good news is the company faces no damages, but the bad news is it will have no insurance coverage for the federal class action. has been settled, with the company and its insurers basically walking away. The good news is the company faces no damages, but the bad news is it will have no insurance coverage for the federal class action. Various other product suits: There are at least three other lawsuits at various ongoing stages dealing with other products the company sells. To date, the company is moving forward with these cases, which with one exception, cropped up following the60 Minutesbroadcast. Here's the good news: The positive CARB, Prop 65 lawsuit, and CPSC investigations should go a long way toward helping the company with the ongoing class action suits over laminate flooring. After all, two major government agencies have cleared the company and its products, while a California court found in the company's favor that it wasn't breaking any laws by selling the Chinese-made laminate. However, even if the company avoids significant damages from lawsuits, it's going to cost many millions of dollars simply to fight the cases. At some point the company must make a decision whether it will be best to settle and move on, or to continue fighting. Not only is there the legal cost, but there's also the public perception issue of this playing out in the headlines. So far, we've seen how well that's worked for the company. Looking ahead Lumber Liquidators has started to make some progress, but there's still a tremendous amount of work to be done, both in dealing with the ongoing legal challenges and winning back customers. The company has made efforts to become more efficient, including getting back to basics with the products in its stores, as well as better, more consistent training for store employees in order to win more business, and also increase retention of the best employees. Given time, the company can recover from this. It's not the only retailer to face a major scandal. It's just far from clear how long it's going to take for that to happen. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Jason Hall owns shares of Lumber Liquidators. The Motley Fool recommends Lumber Liquidators. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy Despite having no formal role at the Democratic National Convention, Rahm Emanuel stealthily worked the convention floor on Thursday ahead of Hillary Clinton's historic acceptance speech as the first female Presidential nominee. FOXBusiness.com asked the former Obama White House Chief of Staff what he wants to hear from Hillary. Rahm Emanuel at the DNC Talks Hillary Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Hits the DNC "Her ideas about the future and her determination to make that future accessible to everyone," he said. Even with his White House ties, he was still the target of critics. Emanuel was called out in a video ahead of the President's speech on Wednesday for his opposition to ObamaCare. The NYPost described it as 'a throwing under the bus'. He is also known to be tight with the Clintons. He was a key player and fundraiser during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. Emanuel, now the Mayor of Chicago, has come under fire for the escalating violence in and around the city. So far this year, 2,319 people have been shot in and around Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune which is keeping a running tally. There was a public call for his resignation following the police shooting of Laquan McDonald in 2014. Still, he was re-elected in 2015. Emanuel's brother, Ari, is co-CEO of Hollywood talent agency William Morris Endeaver. The firm, along with other private equity investors including KKR (NYSE:KKR) and Silver Lake Partners, recently purchased Dana White's UFC for $4 billion. Republican Millennials also ponied up to get out to Cleveland. Jace Laquerre, the 17-year old Colchester High School student from Vermont, was a delegate at the 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC) in July. Of the 2,400 delegates who flocked to the RNC earlier this month, Laquerre was one of the youngest. Between paying for hotels, food and transportation, Laquerre said he spent nearly $2,000 to participate in the RNC, funds he raised through the crowd-sourcing platform, GoFundMe, to help front the cost. I think it was very worth it, he said. It was successful. I did well in getting my message out there and the overall experience was amazing. Laquerre and Yeung are among the many Millennials who are frustrated with Washington gridlock and say they are ready for compromise. I wanted to help give a voice to Millennials and young people who are underrepresented in the Republican Party, Laquerre said. I've sacrificed about two weeks of my summer vacation along with hours of work I put in to win. At the DNC, many Millennials said they made the trek after being inspired by Senator Bernie Sanders. By just being here we are impacting the election - we are creating a voice for our generation and letting the candidates know that our vote matters so they need to cater to us, Yeung said. It shows that we care about our future. While Yeung and Laquerre lean in opposite directions, theyve found common ground with a passion for politics. We make up a large portion of the voting population, Laquerre said of those born between 1982 and 1994. We are the future of the Party and if the older generation does not listen to us then [the GOP] will cease to exist, Laquerre said. Despite that passion, he said the RNC was not all glitz and glamor. You sometimes don't get respect from the older delegates who don't value your opinion as much and are not interested in listening to you, he said. Yeung disagreed, saying he doesnt feel different from his older counterparts. At the DNC, we are all equal. Melanie Griffith says she is single and lonely and bored and confused. But the Working Girl actress, 58, is more excited about the prospect of becoming a grandmother than finding love again. I'm not really looking [for someone], she told FOX411 at a Hallmark channel gathering in Los Angeles Wednesday. I'm just being. I figure, if I'm meant to have another relationship, I will. And if I'm not, then I wont." Griffith who was married to actors Steven Bauer and Don Johnson (twice) split from her third husband, Antonio Banderas, in 2015. I'm having a very introspective time right now, she told us. It's an interesting time. Last spring, the Golden Globe winner appeared to be dipping at least one toe into the dating pool again. Its a whole new world out there, she told People magazine, adding that she was seeking somebody who likes to enjoy life -- somebody who's not just involved with himself and enjoys lots of different things. Griffith said she refuses to look for love online. But she will have a lot more time to figure things out when the youngest of her three children moves into a dorm at the University of Southern California next month. Life is moving on, she said. I wont have any more kids at homeIt's almost like I have to throw myself out of the nest. But there is one silver lining: [My children] are old enough to have kids now. So, I should have grandchildren soon! In the meantime, Griffith joins James Caan, Jon Voight and Teri Polo in the new Hallmark original movie JL Family Ranch, which premieres August 21 on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel. A Dallas police officer whose quick thinking made headlines last summer recently had tea with the little girl whom he saved from choking on a coin. The party commemorated the one-year anniversary of the life-saving maneuver and the pairs meeting, Fox4News.com reported. In July 2015, 22-month-old Bexley Norvell accidentally swallowed a penny. Her mother, Tammy Norvell, called 911 when she saw her daughters lips turning blue. Rowlett police officer Patrick Ray had logged off his patrol cars computer when a call went out to tend to an unresponsive toddler nearby. Ray clocked back in and raced to the scene, the news station reported. It was the scariest thing to hand her over to somebody I didnt know, but I put all my faith and all my trust in him that he knew what to do, Norvell told Fox4News.com. Ray, who has two young sons of his own, began checking for airway blockages until Bexley started breathing again. A body camera reveals him revitalizing her until paramedics arrived. Open your mouth. Open your mouth, he can be heard saying in the recording. Thatta girl! Thatta girl! An X-ray later revealed she had swallowed a penny. Norvell still does not know where Bexley found it. Later, Ray visited Bexley in the hospital, and Norvell thanked him in a Facebook post. I cant repay him, Norvell told Fox4News.com in 2015. Theres no way. Theres no way. To mark the one-year anniversary of the rescue, Norvell contacted local photographer Chelle Cates to photograph the two having a tea party. Federal disease detectives are investigating what they believe to be the first Zika infections transmitted by local mosquitoes in the continental United States. We consider this and are proceeding as though these cases are confirmed, local mosquito-borne transmissions, Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in a news conference Friday. Todays announcement represents a significant, but unsurprising, development in the spread of the virus. Public health officials have long warned that the U.S. mainland would likely see individual cases, or small clusters, of Zika transmission in areas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito species is prevalent. South Florida is among those places. At a Friday news conference, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) told reporters that one man and three women living in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties are believed to have contracted the virus through mosquito bites. He said state health officials believe the transmissions occurred in a one square mile area just north of downtown Miami. However, tests of mosquitoes trapped in that area have yet to find any insects infected with the virus. Confirming mosquito-borne transmission is not as easy as confirming an infection in a person, Frieden explained. Its like finding a needle in a haystack. So, if infected mosquitoes are not found, that doesnt imply that its not spreading by mosquitoes. Epidemiologists rely on interviews with patients for much of their information on how they may have become infected. Prior to todays announcement, Zika cases on the U.S. mainland and Hawaii had involved travelers returning from countries and territories with active Zika transmission, a handful of people who had sex with these travelers and one case involving the accidental exposure of a laboratory worker. Public health officials believe the four current cases under investigation in South Florida are unrelated to travel and that the people became infected by mosquitoes in a relatively small section of Miami back in early July. Frieden said state officials followed up with aggressive mosquito control efforts in that area. He added that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes generally travel less than 150 meters (164 yards) over their entire lifespan. At this point, the CDC is not recommending any travel restrictions to the area. If, however, we were to see cases in this area and people infected after the mosquito control efforts were undertaken, this would be a concern and warrant further advice and action, Frieden said. As a precaution, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked blood banks in the two affected counties to stop collecting donations until they implement ways to properly screen for the virus. Gov. Scott said none of the South Florida cases under investigation required hospitalization. According to public health officials, four in five people infected with Zika develop no symptoms at all. And symptoms are usually mild for those who do become ill. However, public health officials are concerned about protecting pregnant women because of the viruss link to microcephaly and other serious birth defects. We at CDC continue to recommend that everyone in areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are present, especially pregnant women, take steps to avoid mosquito bites, Frieden said. He recommended the daily use of DEET repellant on exposed skin, wearing long sleeves and pants and staying indoors or in screened areas whenever possible. In a statement, The March of Dimes expressed their concern about local transmission of Zika. This is the news weve been dreading, Dr. Edward R.B. McCabe, PhD, senior vice president and chief medical officer of The March of Dimes, said in a news release. Its only a matter of time before babies are born with microcephaly, a severe brain defect, due to local transmission of Zika in the continental U.S. Our nation must accelerate education and prevention efforts to save babies from this terrible virus. NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - More than half of newborn babies are not breastfed within the first hour of life, putting them at heightened risk of disease and death, the United Nations' children's agency said on Friday, highlighting sub-Saharan Africa as an area of concern. Feeding babies within an hour of birth passes on critical nutrients, antibodies and skin contact with their mothers that can protect them, UNICEF said. Delaying breastfeeding by two to 23 hours after birth increases the risk of a baby dying in its first month by 40 percent and delaying by 24 hours or more increases the risk of death to 80 percent, UNICEF said. Studies shows newborns account for nearly half of all deaths of children under age 5. UNICEF, which has been campaigning to promote early breastfeeding, estimates 77 million babies around the world each year are not breastfed within the first hour of their life. It estimates about 130 million babies are born each year. "Breast milk is a baby's first vaccine, the first and best protection they have against illness and disease," France B'gin, UNICEF senior nutrition adviser, said in a statement. "Making babies wait too long for the first critical contact with their mother outside the womb decreases the newborn's chances of survival, limits milk supply and reduces the chances of exclusive breastfeeding." Efforts to promote early breastfeeding have been slow, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where mortality rates for children under age 5 are high, UNICEF said. Early breastfeeding rates nudged up to 60 percent in 2015 from 51 percent in 2000 in East and Southern Africa and were unchanged in West and Central Africa, it said. In South Asia, rates of early breastfeeding tripled from 2000 but 21 million newborns a year are not breastfed in the first hour, UNICEF said. Among the obstacles, UNICEF said, doctors, nurses and midwives assisting births in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia are less likely to promote early breastfeeding than are unskilled attendants or relatives assisting. In some countries UNICEF said it is customary to feed a baby infant formula, cow's milk or sugar water in its first three days. If all babies were fed nothing but breast milk from birth to six months, more than 800,000 lives could be saved each year, UNICEF said. Around the world, 43 percent of infants less than 6 months old are fed breast milk exclusively, according to UNICEF. Those who are not breastfed at all are 14 times more likely to die than those fed only breast milk, it said. The figures were released ahead of World Breastfeeding Week running from August 1 to August 7 in more than 170 nations. On Tuesday night, the mother of Trayvon Martin praised Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia for having the courage to lead the fight for common-sense gun legislation. Numerous other speakers also raised the gun control issue at the DNC, too. But Wednesday night was clearly gun night. From Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) to former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey to former Representative Gabby Giffords and her husband, NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly to others, a string of speakers pushed for more gun control. When President Obama addressed the crowd he also pushed the notion of changing background checks on guns. Hillary Clinton spoke about how We should be working with responsible gun owners to pass common-sense reforms and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and all others who would do us harm, on Thursday night. Democrats are angry about what they claim to be mass, systematic racism by the police. But they overlook the discriminatory effects of background checks. These regulations disproportionately prevent law-abiding black and Hispanic males from getting guns. It is President Obamas theme in each of his speeches after mass public shootings. Hillary Clinton has regularly made the same claim during her presidential campaign. In June, ABCs Jon Karl asked Murphy a simple question about his legislative proposal for background checks on private transfers of guns: So why -- why are we focusing on things that have nothing to do with the massacres we're responding to? Murphy couldnt point to a single mass public shooting that would have been stopped by his bill. Indeed, I checked back to 2000 and also could not find a single such shooting. But it is worse than that. In my new book, The War on Guns, I show that the European Unions 28 member nations already have these background checks on private transfers. Yet, they suffered a 50 percent higher casualty from mass public shootings than did the U.S. From 2000 to 2015, the U.S. states with these background checks also experienced higher frequencies of mass public shootings. They also had more injuries and deaths from these attacks. Instead of additional background checks and creating problems for more law-abiding citizens, let's acknowledge and fix the broken system that we already have. Virtually everyone who fails a background check is someone who is legally eligible to buy a gun. Law-abiding minorities, particularly blacks, are the ones most likely to be stopped from buying guns. Hillary Clinton claims that background checks have stopped 2.4 million dangerous or prohibited people from buying a gun. But what she ought to say is that there were 2.4 million initial denials. These initial denials are akin to being stopped from flying because your name is similar that of someone on the No Fly list. This happened five times to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. By Hillary Clintons method of counting, five terrorists were stopped from flying. About 96 percent of initial denials are dropped after the first two stages of review. Many more are dropped during the three remaining stages. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and President Obama have all been criticized for not prosecuting prohibited purchasers. In 2010 (the year of the last full, annual report on the Brady Act), 76,152 denials resulted in only forty-nine federal prosecutions. State prosecutions were also few in number. But there wasnt really any failure to prosecute. The vast majority of these denials were not real cases. Sharing a name and birthdate with a felon isnt the same thing as actually being a felon. Certain racial groups will encounter this problem more often than others. With some 40 percent of Vietnamese people bearing the name Nguyen, the problem of duplicate names is very likely to exist among people with this national heritage. Hispanics are more likely to share names with other Hispanics, and the same is true of blacks. Also, because 30% of black males are forbidden from buying guns because of their criminal records, law-abiding black males are especially likely to have their names confused with those of prohibited people. For many of these 2.4 million people, a mistaken denial might be a mere inconvenience. But some people really do have an urgent need to protect themselves from stalkers or enemies. The solution? Hold the government to its own standards the same standards that private companies are held to. Private companies would be sued out of existence for making even a tiny fraction of the governments mistakes. Moreover, the current government system is clearly unfair to certain races. The Obama administration hasn't done anything to fix this system. Indeed, it has pulled everyone off of checking for mistakes. It is difficult to appeal denials without the help of a lawyer, and few poor minorities can afford to pay thousands of dollars in legal fees. Gun buyers and sellers are stuck with all of the fees for universal background checks. In New York City and D.C., these fees are at least $125. In Washington state and Oregon, the costs of transferring a gun are about $60 and $55, respectively. But background checks are supposed to benefit everyone, so why not pay for them out of general revenue? It isnt as if gang members are the ones paying the fees. These are law-abiding citizens who may really need a gun for protection. Some of them are poor people living in high-crime urban areas. Often, the most likely victims of violent crime can least afford these costs. Paying for these background checks out of general government revenue would not only be fair, it would go a long way toward putting opponents minds at ease. This should be an easy fix, but gun control advocates seem to be hell-bent on increasing the costs of owning a gun. They're the ones who are unwilling to compromise on this issue. Its almost as if some Democrats want to use these fees to disarm poor minorities the very people who are the most likely victims of violent crime. In 2013, Republican legislators in Colorado proposed to exempt people below the poverty line from paying the new state tax on background checks. In the Colorado House of Representatives, all but two Democrats voted against the amendment. Democrats not only keep pushing a dangerously flawed background check system, they have also consistently opposed fixes that would make the system less discriminatory against minorities. They ignore academic studies which show the ineffectiveness of background checks on private transfers. These rules are clearly designed to reduce gun ownership. This time, bleeding-heart liberal Democrats dont seem to care if the poor are disproportionately affected. When there are no ceilings, the skys the limit, Hillary Clinton told the roaring crowd at Wells Fargo Arena late Thursday night in Philadelphia as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president. Indeed, it was a truly successful convention for the Democrats. The theme of the night, which can be best summed up as focusing on faith, family and the flag, tried to push back on criticism that the Democrats havent focused enough on national security and continue to humanize Hillary Clinton. And it was largely successful in these endeavors. We heard a rousing speech from General John Allen, a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general, who declared "I have no doubt that she is the leader we need at this time to keep our country safe, and I trust her with that most sacred responsibility of commander in chief. He continued, "We believe in her vision of an America as a just and strong leader against the forces of hatred, the forces of chaos and darkness. We know that she, as no other, knows how to use all instruments of American power, not just the military, to keep us all safe and free." As he walked off the stage flanked by other members of the military to cheers of U-S-A, it became clear that the Democrats had put on the most patriotic show of either convention. For her part, Chelsea showed early promise as a politician. She spoke lovingly of her mother, the role Hillary plays in her grandchildrens lives and all the former secretary of state has done for working families and, especially, women and children in her long career. Chelsea painted a picture of a family that we can all relate to something that not many have been able to accomplish when it comes to the Clintons. Indeed, this was a compelling event and a raucous enthusiastic crowd. But that doesnt mean that it will be smooth sailing for Clinton and the Democrats going forward. It remains an open question as to whether chants of U-S-A, General Allens words and the moving advocacy of Mr. Khan, the father of a Muslim Army officer who was killed in Iraq, will fundamentally alter perceptions of the Democrats and Secretary Clinton as weak on national security and undermine Donald Trumps assertive and sometimes jingoistic calls for eliminating ISIS. Today, over 80 percent of Americans arent confident that we would be able to stop a terrorist attack on American soil. Its also not clear that Clinton can win by running on Barack Obama's record, notwithstanding the compelling personal advocacy by Bill Clinton and Joe Biden earlier this week. Close to 60 percent of Americans feel that were still in a recession and 70 percent think the country is on the wrong track. Without proposing radically different policies especially in a year where voters want radical change its a steep task for Clinton to win this November. Furthermore, Clinton is a polarizing politician although she has tried to make the issue of unity a central theme of her campaign with calls for the Americans to be stronger together, to work together and to thrive together. To do this, she doubled down Thursday night on attacks on Donald Trump. She accused the Republican nominee of inciting fear and failing at every aspect of his life and career in the private sector. And while many of her claims are true, theres no doubt that her rhetoric can be polarizing. Will it work? Possibly. But with the polls turning against the former secretary of state before the convention, it remains an open question as to whether the convention and particularly her speech on Thursday night will fundamentally alter the dynamic of the presidential campaign. Clintons betting a lot on being able to persuade people that America remains strong and powerful with an optimistic electorate. Well know soon if its a smart bet. Lawyers for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seeking to avoid her deposition testimony, repeatedly informed U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan that her use of the clintonemail.com system was nothing more than a continuation of her standard practice. Judicial Watch attorneys only seek to question Mrs. Clinton for no more than three hours as part of a discovery process that already saw the testimony of several witnesses, including her top State aides, Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin. But her legal team claimed in a court hearing before Judge Sullivan last week that questioning Secretary Clinton about her motivation for the use of the system would not yield any additional information other than that it was simply for her own convenience. But it seems that Mrs. Clintons email claims change every time shes asked about the issue. On 60 Minutes this past Sunday evening, Mrs. Clinton again raised her claim of convenience. Only this time, she did so with an added twist that had Judicial Watch going back to Judge Sullivan to further press our case that there is far more to her email claims than she has thus far divulged. The tell-tale exchange with interviewer Scott Pelley went thusly: PELLEY: Why did you do that, have the private email servers? CLINTON: You know, Scott, other people did have other secretaries of state, other high-ranking members of administrations, plural. And it was recommended that it would be convenient, and I thought it would be. It's turned out to be anything but. And there, for the first time ever, Mrs. Clinton openly admitted that her use of a non-state.gov email system that compromised national security and that subverted Freedom of Information Act requirements was recommended by someone else to her. Someone else, we now learn, told her to use this system for convenience. So, in our filing of a notice of New, Relevant Information Tuesday evening, Judicial Watch cited this latest Clinton email revelation as more good reason for her testimony: If a State Department official, such as the executive secretary or the legal advisor, recommended that Secretary Clinton use a non-state.gov system for State Department business, such evidence could demonstrate the State Departments role in the decision. Similarly, if someone who understood the secretarys FOIA obligations recommended Secretary Clintons use of the system, such evidence could suggest that the motivation was more than just convenience. Again, Hillary Clinton has never previously suggested that her decision to use the clintonemail.com system for official government business was based on someone elses recommendation. We dont know exactly what she told the FBI, but nothing in FBI Director Comeys public statement and congressional testimony about the Clinton email issue suggests that Clinton blamed someone else for her email woes. And now, because of the new issue that she just raised in response to a softball question, Hillary Clinton bolstered our argument that her testimony under oath is essential to help the courts and the public get complete answers about Clintons illicit email practices during her time on the public dime at the State Department. The owners of a Christian bookstore in Knoxville, Tennessee were dumbfounded after the News Sentinel rejected their ad because it included an offensive word Christian. Lois McGinnis and her family own Cedar Springs Christian Store. They recently decided to close a second location of the store so they decided to place an ad in the classified section of the newspaper, which is owned by Gannett. Click here to join Todds American Dispatch: a must-read for conservatives! The advertisement read: Store closing sale Cedar Springs Christian Store Clinton Highway location All merchandise, fixtures, slat walls must go. Sale through August 13, phone 865.947.XXX. Mrs. McGinnis placed the ad on July 26. It was supposed to run on July 28. But when she opened up the newspaper the ad was nowhere to be found. So Mrs. McGinnis phoned the newspaper and spoke with a classified ad employee. She said our ad did not run because it contained an offensive word, she told me. I asked what that offensive word was and she said the offensive word was Christian. She said the News Sentinel did not notify her in advance the ad had been rejected nor did they call to say they were refunding her money. We had no way of knowing they considered the word Christian offensive until we tried to place this ad, she told me. As Christians, this was a slap in the face to us, she added. So the bookstore decided to tell their customers what happened in a very clever Facebook posting. It was simply titled, Do you find the word Christian offensive? Check out Todds new YouTube Channel for unfiltered Conservative Commentary! Lets just say the good, church-going folks of East Tennessee lit up the telephones and it wasnt too much long afterwards that the Knoxville News Sentinel addressed the issue. They offered up one heaping helping of an apology for any misunderstanding about the News Sentinel stance on Christianity. We had a system failure, which resulted in a classified ad for Cedar Springs getting hung up in our front end system, they wrote in a statement posted online. A front end problem, eh? We corrected the technology issue in our system and the ad is now running for an extended period at no extra charge, they added. And for the record the newspaper does not have a problem with Jesus. The News Sentinel does not have a bias against Christianity or any other religion, publisher Patrick Birmingham wrote in response to online critics. However, the newspapers explanation doesnt seem to be placating its readers. Considering how liberal this paper is...I take the apology with a grain of salt, one reader wrote on Facebook. Another wrote, Don't be offended Cedar Springs Christian Stores... Nobody has read the Knoxville News Sentinel in over a decade anyway. Spend your advertising dollars elsewhere. I cannot believe they are doing this now. I am so glad I do not subscribe to them or give them my business. To not sell an ad because the store's name has the word Christian in it is absolutely wrong. I guess if the store was called Cedar Springs Muslim store it would be published. I hate to tell them, but the majority of the people who live here proclaim to be Christian, another irate reader added. Well, lets hope the News Sentinel has fixed their front end problem lest their readers give them a back end problem. Hillary Clinton, declaring that the country faces a moment of reckoning, sealed her status in American history Thursday night as the first woman to top a major-party ticket, officially taking the torch from President Obama as the Democratic nominee for president. The former first lady, senator and Secretary of State delivered a blistering attack against Republican nominee Donald Trump, challenging his fitness to occupy the Oval Office and setting the tone for what promises to be a bruising three-month campaign. The choice is clear, Clinton told delegates in Philadelphia in a 56-minute, optimistic speech that stood in contrast to Trump's convention speech in which the mogul pounded away at headwinds facing the nation and drove home the urgent need for change. "He's taken the Republican Party a long way, from 'Morning in America' to 'Midnight in America,'" Clinton said, following a warm introduction in which her daughter, Chelsea, painted a personal picture of Hillary the mother and grandmother. "He wants to divide us - from the rest of the world, and from each other. Hes betting that the perils of todays world will blind us to its unlimited promise, Clinton said. He wants us to fear the future and fear each other. Well, a great Democratic President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than 80 years ago, during a much more perilous time: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. The speech was interrupted many times by noisy protests from supporters of former rival Bernie Sanders, which were soon drowned out by Clinton loyalists chanting, Hillary! Clinton, 68, sought to win over the Sanders backers, as well as disaffected Republicans and independents, vowing to fight for working people. I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, independents, for the struggling, the striving, the successful for all Americans together, she said. Clinton laid out a largely liberal agenda that at times echoed themes from Sanders campaign that have weaved their way into the party platform, on issues ranging from taxes to the minimum wage to immigration to health care. Trump struck back before the night was over, releasing a statement that accused Democrats of creating a fantasy world at their convention and spreading a false message that everything is wonderful. At Hillary Clintons convention this week, Democrats have been speaking about a world that doesnt exist," the statement read. "A world where America has full employment, where theres no such thing as radical Islamic terrorism, where the border is totally secured, and where thousands of innocent Americans have not suffered from rising crime in cities like Baltimore and Chicago. Trump, who surged ahead of Clinton in most polls following his own party's convention last week, spoke at a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and panned the DNC convention before it wrapped up. "I think we'll stay here all night because I don't really want to go home and watch that crap," he said. And he bashed Clinton's address on Twitter: The deeply personal attacks capped by last night's back-and-forth portend a potentially bitter run-up to the November election. Trump has taken to calling Clinton "Crooked Hillary," while Clinton and other Democrats have maligned Trump as a loose cannon who lacks the temperament to be president. He loses his cool at the slightest provocation, Clinton said in her speech. Imagine, if you dare, imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. The Democrats closing convention night included a sharper security focus than earlier in the week. Retired Marine Gen. John Allen, who led troops in Afghanistan, vouched Thursday for Clinton as the candidate who can keep the country safe and free. America will defeat ISIS, he vowed, naming the terror enemy that seemingly was glossed over by earlier convention speakers. As he spoke, competing chants of USA and No More War broke out in the audience. The final night capped a dramatic week in Philadelphia that started with the abrupt resignation of party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz amid yet another email scandal and ended with an all-hands-on-deck push for unity meant to ease unrest among Sanders supporters and others who spent the convention railing against the Democratic establishment. Even on the final day, protesters organized events to encourage voters to de-register from the party. And as delegates streamed past the perimeter for the speeches, a contingent of anti-Clinton protesters shouted at the gates, Hell no, DNC, we wont vote for Hillary! Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus ripped Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech Thursday as "merely a litany of platitudes" that glossed over critical issues facing the country. "Time and again, Hillary Clintons dishonesty and cronyism have proved she is the wrong person to lead our country as president," Priebus said in a statement. "The American people have had enough of the corruption, the deceit, and the stonewalling which have been the hallmarks of her entire career." GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump denied Thursday that his speech at last week's Republican National Convention painted an overly bleak picture of America, instead claiming that he was merely stating the facts. "It wasn't dark, it was optimistic" Trump told Fox News' "On The Record with Greta van Susteren." "I talk about the problems which President Obama didn't want to talk about [in his Democratic convention speech Wednesday]. I view it as, I state the facts, and then I say we're going to fix it." The real estate mogul added that he was "being sarcastic" when he called on Russian hackers to search for 33,000 emails deleted from Clinton's private server. "When you look at what she has done and how she has abused the system with her server, with the deletion of all of this information and these emails," Trump said. "I mean, you have to be sarcastic when you see something like that happen." Trump also pushed back against pressure to release his tax returns, saying "most people don't care about it," and claiming that the content of Clinton's missing emails was a far more pressing matter. "I think she's the wrong woman," Trump said of his general election opponent. "You look at her track record, it's dismal ... I just don't know, frankly how a person like this will be electable." A battle of the brass has broken out in the wake of the Republican and Democratic party conventions, as one of the top generals supporting Donald Trump lashes out at retired Marine Gen. John Allen who delivered a tough-as-nails endorsement of Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia Thursday night. I honestly dont know how John Allen can look at himself in the mirror and say why he supports Hillary Clinton, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn told "The Kelly File". Both Flynn and Allen served in the Obama administration. But Flynn, who used to lead the Defense Intelligence Agency, has since become an outspoken critic of the presidents anti-ISIS approach while Allen helped shape that strategy as the presidents special envoy for the anti-ISIS coalition. Flynn, who spoke at the Cleveland Republican convention last week on behalf of Trump, zeroed in on that portion of Allens resume in challenging his credibility. General Allen as a retired officer was in charge of our current strategy for well over a year and during that period of time the rise of radical Islamism and ISIS, you know, it exponentially grew, he said. The strategy that John Allen was in charge of its a failed strategy. He said he was a bit stunned by his endorsement of Clinton, noting he and Allen both worked with the former secretary of state. I cannot see how John Allen can support somebody who perpetually cannot tell the truth, he said. The stinging criticism between senior retired military officers is unusual, even in a presidential campaign. But the tensions could build as each presidential candidate suggests the other would put national security at risk. In Philadelphia, Allen, who previously led forces in Afghanistan, vouched for Clinton as the leader the country needs. We trust in her judgment. We believe in her vision for a united America, we believe in her vision of an America as a just and strong leader against the forces of hatred, the forces of chaos, and darkness, he said. I tell you without hesitation or reservation that Hillary Clinton will be exactly, exactly the kind of commander-in-chief America needs. Allen walked on the Philadelphia stage as Democrats tried to put a sharper focus on security issues, after being accused of glossing over ISIS and other terror threats the first two nights of their convention. Trump commented on the close of the convention by saying Democrats were living in a fantasy world. A computer system used by Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was hacked, a spokesman for the Democratic nominee said Friday. Nick Merrill said in a statement that the cyber breach was part of a larger hack attack on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that was made public earlier this week. The violation concerned a DNC analytics data program used by the Clinton campaign and "a number of other entities," Merrill said. He added that security experts hired by the campaign had found "no evidence" that the campaign's own internal systems were compromised. However, such third-party, connected systems represent appealing options for hackers searching for less-protected routes to attack an organization. Soruces familiar with the incident confirmed to Fox News that the FBI is investigating the breach as well as another cyberattack on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The investigation was first reported by Reuters, which said that the Justice Department's national security division was investigating whether the cyberattacks threatened the U.S. An FBI statement did not mention the Clinton campaign specifically, but said it was aware of reporting "on cyber intrusions involving multiple political entities, and is working to determine the accuracy, nature and scope of these matters." It is not clear what types of data the DNC service was analyzing, but partnerships with modern e-commerce companies can allow sophisticated tracking, categorization and identification of website visitors. This can help organizations tailor their online content, advertising and solicitations to be more effective. The report that Clinton's campaign was hacked comes the same day that the cyberattack on the DCCC, which raises money for Democratic congressional candidates, was made public. Sources told Fox News Friday that the DCCC hack bears similarities to the breach of DNC files. President Barack Obama has said Russia was almost certainly responsible for the DNC hack, an assertion with which cybersecurity experts have agreed. Two private cybersecurity firms have said they found evidence pointing to Russian government involvement in the DNC hack when they analyzed the hackers' methods and efforts to distribute the stolen emails and other files. The hacker groups, identified as Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear, used different but sophisticated techniques to break into the DNC and try to avoid detection. Most of the DNC emails appeared to have been stolen May 25. The DNC breach led to the leak of 19,000 internal emails by WikiLeaks that appeared to show a pro-Clinton bias in the organization -- and, in turn, led to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz stepping down ahead of this week's Democratic National Convention. The hack of the DCCCs web server allowed the hackers to create and redirect traffic to a fake donations page, made to look and feel authentic, sources said. From there, hackers were able to capture all data entered on the page. Sources said the objective behind the hack is not clear, though it could be to harvest data on Democratic donors and supporters. Additionally, Fox News has obtained analysis of the DCCC hack from private sector cybersecurity firm FireEye that suggests the intrusion was carried out by a Russian-government aligned hacking group dubbed "Tsar Team (APT28)." In its research, FireEye notes it previously confirmed that malware analyzed from the DNC hack was also consistent with "Tsar Team", which has been implicated by FireEye in numerous cyberattacks aimed at foreign targets on behalf of the Russian government in the past. Computer hacking, emails and indications of Russian involvement have evolved into a political issue in the presidential campaign between Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump. This week, Trump encouraged Russia to seek and release more than 30,000 other missing emails deleted by Clinton, the former secretary of state. Democrats accused him of trying to get a foreign adversary to conduct espionage that could affect this November's elections, but Trump later said he was merely being sarcastic. Clinton deleted the emails from her private server, saying they were private, before handing other messages over to the State Department. The Justice Department declined to prosecute Clinton over her email practices, though FBI Director James Comey called her "extremely careless" in handling classified information. Fox News' Matt Dean, Serafin Gomez and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Tax authorities have told Central Group it faces fines if it doesn't pay up. Central Group sealed a deal to acquire Big C Vietnam three months ago, but the retailer has yet to submit a tax return, according to Vietnamese authorities. Central, controlled by the Chirathivat family, beat TCC Group to take a majority stake in Big C in late April this year. The General Department of Taxation has repeatedly sent written requests to Big C Thang Long International Trade and Supermarket Service Company Ltd.- the legal entity of the hypermarket operations in Vietnam - to remind the retailer to fulfill its tax obligations. Frances Casino Group sold its stake in Big C Vietnam to Central for 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion) on April 29, said the French retailer. Local tax authorities said Big C Vietnam will face a fine of 0.07 percent of its total tax obligations per day for any payment delay over 90 days. Vietnam's tax authorities collected VND1.9 trillion ($85.6 million) from the $700-million acquisition of Metro Vietnam last year. German-retailer Metro Cash & Carry, before being sold to Thailands TCC International Land, was accused of falsely reporting losses for 12 years in Vietnam and failing to pay tax bills worth $23 million, according to the General Department of Taxation. The Vietnamese government, in attempt to shore up economic momentum through foreign direct investment, has offered foreign investors low corporate tax rates and income tax deferrals or exemptions for a certain period of time. However, tax authorities are constantly faced with foreign companies trying to avoid tax. Vietnam is fixing loopholes in the corporate tax system so that foreign-invested companies, no matter how big they are, cannot escape the tax net. Related news: > Tax incentives cause Vietnams public services to suffer: ActionAid > Tax authorities set eyes on Flappy Bird creators bank account A federal appeals court Friday struck down a North Carolina law requiring photo identification to cast in-person ballots, ruling that it was enacted "with discriminatory intent." The opinion from a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., reverses a lower court's ruling that had upheld the law. "In holding that the legislature did not enact the challenged provisions with discriminatory intent, the court seems to have missed the forest in carefully surveying the many trees," the panel wrote in its opinion. The opinion later states: "We cannot ignore the record evidence that, because of race, the legislature enacted one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history." There was no immediate comment from state officials, who were expected to ask either the full appeals court or the U.S. Supreme Court for a temporary stay, blocking enforcement of the ruling until further appeals can be filed. North Carolina is also expected to appeal the case on its merits to either the full appeals court or to the Supreme Court. North Carolina's voting laws were rewritten in 2013 by the General Assembly to include the ID requirement and other changes. The changes were enacted after Republicans took control of state government in 2011 for the first time in a century. The U.S. Justice Department, state NAACP, League of Women Voters and others sued the state, saying the restrictions violated the federal Voting Rights Act and the Constitution. "This is a strong rebuke to what the North Carolina General Assembly did in 2013. It's a powerful precedent that ... federal courts will protect voting rights of voters of color," said Allison Riggs, who served as the League of Women Voters' lead lawyer on the case. The Rev. William Barber, president of the state chapter of the NAACP, said in an interview that the ruling was a powerful victory for civil rights and for democracy. "It is a vindication of our constitutional and moral critique and challenge to the constitutional extremism of our government," he said. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court ruled that Texas' strict voter ID law discriminates against minorities and must be weakened before the November elections. That followed a ruling by a federal judge in Wisconsin that residents without a photo ID in that state will still be allowed to vote in November. An attorney representing the state had argued before the appeals court last month that the law's authors were aiming to prevent voter fraud and increase public confidence in elections. The voter ID mandate, which took effect with this year's March primary, required voters to show one of six qualifying IDs, although those with "reasonable impediments" can fill out a form and cast a provisional ballot. The laws approved by the General Assembly and signed by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory also reduced early voting from 17 to 10 days, eliminated same-day registration during early voting and barred the counting of Election Day ballots cast in the wrong precinct. Plaintiffs had argued the changes discourage voting by black and Hispanic residents, who use early voting or same-day registration more than white voters and are more likely to lack photo ID. The appeals court reverses a ruling by U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder, who determined in April that the plaintiffs failed to prove that the laws made it harder for minority voters to cast ballots. The federal appeals panel disagreed with Schroeder in a sharply worded opinion. "We recognize that elections have consequences, but winning an election does not empower anyone in any party to engage in purposeful racial discrimination," the panel said. "When a legislature dominated by one party has dismantled barriers to African American access to the franchise, even if done to gain votes, 'politics as usual' does not allow a legislature dominated by the other party to re-erect those barriers." A hard-won moment of silence for fallen police officers Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention was marred by chants from the crowd of black lives matter! in an ugly moment that angered law enforcement representatives and underscored the anti-cop climate that has gripped the nation. After the mothers of black men who had been killed in racially charged incidents were welcomed onto the stage earlier in the week, Philadelphias Fraternal Order of Police chapter pressed the DNC to honor fallen cops. Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez was invited to speak about the five cops killed in her city July 7, and said she and her fellow officers took the job to "serve and protect, not to hate and discriminate." When Valdez asked the crowd to join her in a moment of silence for cops killed in the line of duty, jeers erupted from the crowd. Please help me to honor ALL of America's fallen officers with a moment of silence, as the anti-police groups namesake slogan echoed through the Wells Fargo Center. Valdez ignored the jeers and introduced family members of fallen police officers, including the mother of Moses Walker, a 19-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department who was gunned down in 2012 hold a moment of silence. "Moses didn't live long enough to give all of the gifts he had to give," Wayne Walker told the thousands of delegates. "While we're here, we must do the good we can. Absolutely we have to believe that we're stronger together." Jennifer Loudon, widow of fallen Chicago police officer Thor Soderberg, also addressed the throng and drew cheers when she said police risk their lives to protect citizens. "I know that in light of recent events, some of us have lost faith," she said. While many in the crowd appeared moved by the presentation, the jeers did not sit well with law enforcement advocates. The comments that were made at the convention last night speak for themselves and I think any intelligent person is going to recognize them for what they are, said Rich Roberts, spokesman for the International Union of Police Associations. The Philadelphia chapter of Fraternal Order of Police had earlier blasted the DNC for hosting onstage the mothers of black men killed in racially charged incidents, including Michael Brown, who was killed in 2014 in a confrontation with a Ferguson, Mo., police officer who was later cleared by a Department of Justice investigation, and Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teen who was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer. The mothers of Eric Garner, who died while being arrested on Staten Island for selling cigarettes, and Sandra Bland, who hanged herself in a Waller County, Texas, jail after being pulled over for a traffic violation also addressed the convention Tuesday as a group called "Mothers of the Movement. The group aims to raise awareness about police brutality and gun violence. Prior to Thursday nights events, FOP Chapter President John McNesby praised the decision by the Clinton campaign and convention organizers to add family members of fallen officers to the speaking lineup. "We want fairness to both sides," McNesby told the Philadelphia Daily News. "It seemed like we got the door slammed in our faces. I guess they listened, had a change of thought, change of heart." McNesby did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the marred moment of silence. However, one retired Philadelphia police officer, who told FoxNews.com he has resumed carrying his gun in light of the growing anti-police climate, said he was disgusted. I dont know what is wrong with people, he said. I just dont understand it. They say they want unity, and then you get this. Even as the convention wound down, one San Diego police officer was killed and another wounded by a gunman stopped for a traffic violation. In addition to the five Dallas police officers killed July 7 by a sniper as they guarded Black Lives Matter protesters, three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers were targeted and killed by a gunman on July 16. Statistics show the number of police officers killed in the line of duty had been on a downward trajectory since 1970. But this year, cop deaths are up more than 50 percent, and the victims in Dallas, Baton Rouge and other cases were targeted for assassination rather than killed in the process of confronting dangerous criminals. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the number of officers fatally shot is already up 56 percent compared with last year. A new species of beaked whale has been discovered, according to a new study in the journal Marine Mammal Science. The black whale, which has yet to be named, ranges across the northern Pacific Ocean, from Alaskas Aleutian Islands to northern Japan. The species is so rare that one has yet to be seen alive. Of the 178 beaked whales sampled for DNA analysis, five were revealed to be from the new species. One of the five DNA samples all of which were taken from dead specimens came from a skeleton hanging in an Aleutian Island high school gym, and another from a dead carcass that washed onshore in June 2014. The latter was found halfburied in sand on the tiny island of St. George off the coast of Alaska by a young biology teacher. According to lead study author Dr. Phillip Morin, a research molecular biologist at NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center, a new species of whale washing up dead on the beach is unusual, though not unheard of. It is fairly rare, but its not unexpected given that there is a lot of ocean between the shores that we inhabit, and a lot of beach that is not frequently surveyed by humans (who have the interest in trying to identify a dead animal on the beach), he told Foxnews.com. Several other beaked whale species have also only been identified by a small number of animals that have been found only after washing ashore dead. Not much is known about beaked whales due to the fact that theyre often at 3,000 footdepths, feeding on squid and bottom fish. This is a specialized niche that probably cant support large populations or high densities of predators, so beaked whales are naturally rare and widely dispersed in deep waters, Morin explained. Because they are typically found far offshore in deep water, it is even more unusual for a dead beaked whale to drift all the way to shore before it sinks, so we have few specimens of stranded animals. The largest is the Bairds beaked whale, which measures about 35 feet long. According to the DNA analysis, the new species is less related to the Bairds beaked whale than it is to Arnouxs beaked whale, which are found in the southern hemisphere. As for other attributes, according to Morin, We have less information to go on physically, but the adult specimens we have been able to measure were about 2/3 the size of Bairds beaked whale, had darker skin, and a different shape to the head and beak. These differences from other beaked whales will undergo a review to see if theyre distinctive enough to be officially recognized and named as a new species. In addition to the five examples identified in Morins DNA analysis, evidence will include three specimens that were discovered stranded in Northern Japan and used in a 2013 Japanese study. [The Japanese researchers] used genetic methods to show that these 3 whales were different from the known Bairds beaked whales that are found near Japan and still hunted by Japanese whalers, Morin said. They suggested that these 3 animals might be from a new species, but the evidence was limited because they only had specimens (of both species) from around Japan. Morin hopes that his research on population structure, taxonomy and evolutionary history of whales will help scientists understand what species are found in our nations waters, how they are distributed, and whether the populations are healthy or in need of conservation management. There are many threats to marine mammals, including pollution, fisheries bycatch, fishing gear entanglement, ocean noise, seismic exploration, military sonar, and climate change, so we are trying to both discover species and their natural distributions and protect them at the same time, he said. A person who threatened to rape and murder a woman's 5-year-old daughter has caused that woman to flee social media. Guardian columnist and feminist writer Jessica Valenti says the vile threat she woke up to on Wednesday has forced her online exit, at least temporarily, the New York Daily News reports. "That this is part of my work life is unacceptable," she tweeted in a series of eight tweets explaining her exit, adding that she "should not have to wade through horror to get through the day," nor "fear for my kid's safety because I write about feminism." "I am sick of this s--t. Sick of saying over and over how scary this is, sick of being told to suck it up," Valenti tweeted. "Law enforcement needs to get their s--t together on online threats," as do social media companies, she added. The Daily News notes that early last year, Valenti told the Washington Post that if she were starting over as a feminist writer, she would probably remain anonymous. It's "not just the physical safety concerns but the emotional ramifications" of constant online abuse, she said. While Valenti's tweets received hundreds of sympathetic replies, there were also several tweets in this vein: "What makes you so special? One 'death threat'that's it?" (Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones returned to Twitter last week after the site promised to do more to protect users from harassment.) This article originally appeared on Newser: Threat to Rape 5-Year-Old Forces Columnist Off Social Media More From Newser The trove of leaked Democratic National Committee emails posted to Wikileaks on July 22 has sparked concerns about malware as users access the vast trove of documents. WikiLeaks posted close to 20,000 emails and 8,000 attachments that were sent or received from top Democratic officials, appearing to suggest that the committees chairwoman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and others favored Hillary Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders during the partys primary. The release forced the resignation of Wasserman Schultz. On the day of the leak, Googles Transparency Report warned users of dangerous downloads from Wikileaks.org. Google has not revealed specifically what was detected, although the search giants Safe Browsing technology examines billions of URLS each day looking for unsafe websites, and protects over two billion internet-connected devices. Wikileaks.orgs status was rated as not dangerous by Googles Transparency Report Friday. Nonetheless, security experts are weighing the significance of last weeks malware warning. Josh Wieder, a systems administrator and security researcher who says he identified malware in Wikileaks dump of Global Intelligence Files last year, told FoxNews.com that the warning underscores the ongoing security risk posed by the website. It is also worth considering how exactly Wikileaks gets their hands on files like the DNC emails and Global Intelligence Files, he explained, via email, noting the rumors that a foreign intelligence service was responsible for the DNC email dump. The point is that even if Wikileaks does not know who is providing them with the DNC emails, it is within reason to suspect that the server hosting those files was compromised. Everything that I know about how Wikileaks distributes files to users indicates that they do a very poor job at operational security, and they have made no attempts to be transparent with users about what steps - if any - are taken by Wikileaks to protect them, he added. Other security experts also struck a note of caution around the DNC email dump. If the WikiLeaks dump included all email attachments, then malware is very likely being made available, explained Chris Petersen, CTO of security intelligence company LogRhythm, via email. However, to execute that malware, someone visiting WikiLeaks would need to open the attachments. Given this, nobody should be in danger of malware infection simply by visiting the WikiLeaks site, although they could get themselves into trouble if they dug too far. Googles Transparency Report, despite currently rating Wikileaks.org as not dangerous, warns that some pages on the site send visitors to dangerous websites and some pages install malware on visitors computers. Ray Rothrock, CEO of cybersecurity analytics company RedSeal, described the potential implications of Wikileaks malware as alarming. The motivation would be to release a slew of juicy emails allegedly with amazing scary stuff get curious people from around the world to read them, and bingo, youve executed the perfect phish attack. Neither Wikileaks nor the DNC has yet responded to a request for comment on this story. The reported Wikileaks malware also raises questions about the best ways for users to protect themselves against compromised websites. It depends on the attackers strategy. Most browsers have protection software that is adept at detecting malware signatures, said Rothrock. However, when bad actors update their malware and spread it broadly, they can circumvent browsers protection schemes for a short time. This underscores the importance of basic housekeeping, such as ensuring browser protections are up-to-date. Gary Miliefsky, CEO of breach protection specialist SnoopWall, told FoxNews.com that the number one method for deploying ransomware and remote access Trojans has been through email attachments. Miliefsky has also noticed a recent increase in drive-by malware hosted on infected web pages and even through Facebook advertisement plug-ins that can install ransomware. Ransomware, which is malicious software used to extort money, represents a growing threat to users. The software can encrypt files until a ransom is paid in a difficult-to-trace digital currency, such as bitcoins. Steve Malone, director of technology solutions at email security company Mimecast, says that users also need to exercise good caution in their web browsing. Users are the weak link and are easy to dupe, so getting them to click a link in an email, enter personal information onto a fake website, or download malware from an email or a website is easy for an attacker, he told FoxNews.com, via email. Ransomware, which is malicious software used to extort money, represents a growing threat to users. The software can encrypt files until a ransom is paid in a difficult-to-trace digital currency, such as bitcoins. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But thats no excuse for endangering the lives of thousands of travelers. A French woman, whose name has not been released, now faces up to six months in prison for calling in a fake airport bomb threat to keep her husband from flying to see his mistress. On Tuesday, French and Swiss police initiated a major scale up of security at Genevas Cointrin airport, that included extra security checkpoints, ID checks and the blockage of several entrance points after receiving an anonymous bomb threat. Hours of tightened security caused massive traffic delays around the airport, according to Reuters. But by late Tuesday, authorities were able to trace the number that placed the bomb threat to Annecy, France, a town about 28 miles from Geneva. Police raided the address and, upon discovering the woman at home, determined the bomb threat to be a false alarm. But the woman, who has been married for 22 years, admitted in a French court on Thursday that she called in the threat to keep her husband from flying to see his alleged mistress. She said she did not think about the consequences when she phoned in a false bomb threat," according to news agency Swiss Info. Her husband, who showed up at the trial with two of the couples children, denied he was having an affair. Prosecutor Eric Maillaud recommended a six-month prison sentence, alleging the womans false bomb threat had cost the airport and local authorities hundreds of thousands of euros, as well as inconvenienced some 13,000 travelers that day. The court ruled the wife must serve at least three months in prison for the hoax gone awry. European law enforcement agencies have been ramping up security in the wake of recent terrorist attacks throughout the continent. Switzerlands security agency Federal Intelligence Service said the recent terrorist attacks in France and Germany show the growing risk of violent incidents in Europe." On Thursday, JetBlue announced it will begin operating flights to Cuba on Aug. 31 with fares starting at just $99 one-way. The move makes the low cost carrier the first U.S. airline to begin flying regularly scheduled trips to the Caribbean nation since the Department of Transportation gave eight major airlines the okay to begin service to Havana earlier this month, according to USA Today. JetBlue says it will initially operate three flights a weeka nonstop between Fort Lauderdale and the city of Santa Clara in central Cuba-- before going into daily service on Oct. 1. In November, the airline will offer flights from Fort Lauderdale to two other Cuban cities-- Camaguey on Nov. 3 and Holguin in eastern Cuba on Nov. 10. American Airlines and Silver Airways have also announced their schedules for regular Cuba flights, slated to begin early September. President Barack Obama has worked over the past several years to thaw relations and travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba. But even with fewer administrative hurdles to climb, American travelers who were authorized to visit Cuba for educational or cultural proposes still had to travel to the country via charactered aircraft. JetBlue says its service to Havana-- the Cuban capital and also the largest city-- will be announced at a later time. The airline expects its initial routes will be popular among Cuban-Americans visiting relatives, as well as business travelers looking to expand trade and other commercial deals in Cuba. A civil rights group says the transgender soldier imprisoned in Kansas for sending classified information to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks now faces possible punishment for offenses stemming from a suicide attempt. The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement that Chelsea Manning, a 28-year-old transgender soldier, received a document from Army officials Thursday saying she's being investigated for "administrative offenses," including "conduct which threatens," related to her July 5 suicide attempt. The ACLU says if Manning's convicted of the offenses she could be placed in indefinite solitary confinement. An Army spokesman didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Manning, arrested as Bradley Manning, was convicted in 2013 in military court for leaking more than 700,000 secret military and federal documents when she was an intelligence analyst in Iraq. A man sought in the killing of a couple in rural Washington state and burying their remains will be returned to Washington from Tucson, Arizona. John Blaine Reed, 53, appeared before a judge Thursday afternoon and waived extradition, KING-TV reported (http://goo.gl/DPb8DO). He was arrested earlier this month by Mexican authorities in Sonora, Mexico, and handed over to U.S. Marshals. Reed had been on the run since the April slayings near Oso, a tiny rural community northeast of Seattle that was devastated in 2014 by the nation's worst landslide disaster. Investigators believe Reed fatally shot Monique Patenaude, 46, and her husband Patrick Shunn, 45, on April 11, reportedly over a property dispute. He was charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated murder by Snohomish County prosecutors. Reed and his brother Tony Reed fled to Mexico after the killings. Tony Reed turned himself in last month and led detectives to the couple's gravesite. Tony Reed pleaded guilty last month to two counts of rendering criminal assistance. Reed's parents, Clyde and Faye Reed, of Ellensburg, Washington, have also been charged with helping John Reed. Snohomish County prosecutors say the couple gave their sons money and a vehicle and helped them escape the country. Snohomish County Prosecutor Craig Matheson says a date hasn't been set for extradition, but they are looking at early next week. ___ Information from: KING-TV, http://www.king5.com/ Two detainees at the Cook County Jail in Chicago briefly took over a maximum security floor of the facility and held another detainee hostage, authorities say Thursday. The Cook County Sheriff's Office said the situation was resolved at approximately 8 p.m. local time. No further details were immediately available and there was no word about any injuries. Authorities said the two detainees had covered the floor of a housing tier with soapy water and torn down security cameras. They then seized another detainee with "what appears to be a sharp object," according to a police statement. Authorities said 16 other detainees were being housed in the facility. An earlier statement from authorities said the sheriff's Emergency Response Team had gone to the jail in the hope of resolving the situation peacefully. One suspect in a shooting that killed a San Diego police officer and injured another was in custody Friday following a massive manhunt that included an hours-long SWAT standoff. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman told reporters that 52-year-old Jesse Gomez was arrested and is in critical condition from a gunshot wound. A second possible suspect, 41-year-old Marcus Antonio Cassani, was arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant and police were investigating whether he was involved in the shooting. It is with a very sad heart that we announce the death of one of our Officers tonight. Pray for his family pic.twitter.com/3l9PXa1vuW San Diego Police (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 The Thursday night shooting in a blue-collar section of southeasten San Diego claimed the life of Officer Johnathan "J.D." DeGuzman, 43, and injured Officer Wade Irwin, 32. The officers, veteran members of San Diego Police's gang unit, had stopped a person on a street. Almost immediately, a shootout ensued and the officers called for backup. The shooting came as departments around the country are on high alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La., this month. However, Zimmerman said it was unknown whether Thursday's shooting was premeditated. "It happened extremely quickly," Zimmerman said. "From the information that was put out that a stop was being made to that the officers called for emergency cover to when the other officers arrived on scene, we're talking very, very quickly. Seconds to a minute or so." A male suspect was captured in a nearby ravine and was being treated Friday at a hospital. Police did not identify him but Zimmerman said he was in critical condition with a gunshot wound. Residents were ordered to stay in their homes throughout the night as San Diego police and officers from other law enforcement agencies scoured yards, streets and alleys for other possible suspects. A helicopter hovered over the neighborhood. About nine hours after the shootout, heavily armed police officers surrounded a house about a half-mile away, one of them using a bullhorn to urge a man to surrender. Authorities also detonated several devices at the scene to draw him out. They broke windows and pounded on the roof before entering the house but did not find the possible suspect inside. Then, about a dozen heavily armed SWAT officers raced two blocks to another house, with an armored truck and robots positioned outside. Greg Acosta, a 39-year-old electrician who lives at the second home targeted by SWAT officers, found his gates smashed after rushing home from work. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Cassani was arrested while he was standing in the middle of the street near the second house. Zimmerman said she worked with DeGuzman before she was promoted to chief in 2014. "I can tell you he is a loving, caring husband, father. Talked about his family all the time," Zimmerman said. "I know him, and this is gut-wrenching. He cared. He came to work every single day wanting to just make a positive difference in the lives of our community and that's why he lost his life." After visiting Irwin at UC San Diego Medical Center early Friday, Zimmerman told reporters that the officer's prospects for recovery were good. The nine-year veteran of the force had just joined the gang unit in June. "It's a little bit of a long haul until he makes a full recovery, but the good news is that he is going to survive and he is going to recover," she said. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer denounced the shootings. "I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities," he added. "We need them and they need us." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Three Walmart workers in Florida have been charged with manslaughter in the February death of a shoplifter, police said Friday. They are accused of suffocating Kenneth Wisham, 64, after he tried to steal $380 worth of DVDs in a shopping cart from the Walmart on North Road 98 in Lakeland Feb. 7, Fox 13 Tampa reported. The station reported that the employees chased Wisham, who fell. They then held him on the ground. As he was being restained, Wisham stopped breathing. The employees called 911 and an ambulance took him to the hospital, where he died, the station reported. Lakeland police said Friday that criminal charges were warranted after the coroner ruled that Wisham died of mechanical asphyxia and that he had suffered 15 broken ribs. Charged were Nathan Higgins, 35, a support manager, Crucelis Nunez, 23, a customer service manager, and Ruandall Tooko, 58, who works in loss prevention. They were taken into custody Thursday. A police affidavit quotes a witness as saying she saw Nunez knock Wisham to the ground and then pummel him with her fists. Her accound differed from Nunez's. She told cops that she nudged Wisham as it appeared he was about to fall. According to the affidavit, Nunez also said she heard Wisham say, Let me go, I didnt do anything and later say, I cant breathe. Walmart suspended the three employees in February as police investigated Wisham's death. California state and local law enforcement agencies may have to choose between more than $100 million in federal aid and the sanctuary city immigration policies that supporters say are humane, but critics say fuel crime. The policies, whether in writing or just in practice, preclude local law enforcement from working with federal authorities when they catch an illegal immigrant who by law faces deportation. The laws have sparked a national controversy in the wake of dozens of murders and other violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants who local law enforcement did not report to the Department of Homeland Security. Republicans in Congress, saying such non-cooperation is illegal, forced the Department of Justice to condition grants on compliance. For California, which enacted the California Trust Act, that could mean as much as $135 million in grants will be withheld. This irresponsible legislation has already caused the release of thousands of criminals that U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement was trying to deport, said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Washington DC-based Center for Immigration Studies. Now it may also cost California police and sheriffs critical funding from the federal government. Last year, these grants were worth more than $130 million. Vaughan said that she suspects, at least in California where this has been a contentious issue, many sheriffs and police departments are going to have to notify the state government that the Trust Act puts them in an extremely difficult position. If I were a sheriff, Id be thinking about starting to comply with federal law and cooperating with ICE, and the heck with the Trust Act its been declared illegal, Vaughan said. Although the Obama administration and Attorney General Loretta Lynch have not objected to sanctuary city policies, Congress instructed the Department of Justices Inspector General to monitor compliance. The departments independent watchdog said in a report released Thursday that the number of sanctuary cities has increased dramatically over the last decade, with local law enforcement cooperation with the federal authorities decreasing. In some situations, federal agencies pay for illegal immigrants to be held in local jails, only to be turned away when they come to deport the prisoners, the report said. The findings are pretty clear these are sanctuaries and they are violating federal law, Vaughan said. They should change their policies before more people get killed, and if they dont, they should be debarred from DOJ grants. Defenders of sanctuary policies say they protect immigrants from deportation and reduce illegal immigrants fear of cops. But critics, including Homeland Security Department officials say releasing illegal immigrant criminals inside the U.S. is dangerous. Claude Arnold, a retired U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, said sanctuary advocates claim immigration enforcement is the exclusive responsibility of the federal government, however enacting laws like the California Trust Act, which dictates how the federal government can enforce the law, contradicts those claims and can be devastating consequences. The murder of 32-year-old Kathlene Steinles in June 2015 by Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, is a prime example, Arnold said. Steinle was shot dead while strolling on San Franciscos Embarcadero with her father. The alleged shooter, a felon and five-time deportee, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges, claiming the shooting was an accident. Those responsible for releasing him not long before the shooting despite a federal request to detain him for deportation should also have consequences, Arnold said. "When sanctuary jurisdictions like San Francisco County release criminals that officials know are in the U.S. illegally, and those criminals commit heinous crimes, those responsible should be federally prosecuted, Arnold told FoxNews.com and also wrote in a WSJ oped. At the very least, sanctuary jurisdictions that defy federal law should not receive federal funding." Rep. John Abney Culberson, R-Texas, said cities and states that embrace sanctuary policies can be stripped of federal grants, including the entire states of Connecticut and California, as well as Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Miami, Chicago, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia, which were audited in the Inspector General report. If these ten jurisdictions do not repeal their sanctuary policies to comply with this federal immigration law, they will not be eligible for Byrne-JAG and State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) law enforcement grants and could be subject to civil and criminal penalties, Culberson said in a statement. Under the new Department of Justice grant guidelines, these ten jurisdictions will now have to choose between receiving law enforcement grant money or protecting criminal illegal aliens. They can no longer do both. If these jurisdictions refuse to comply they could also be forced to repay every dollar they have received from these grant programs. Inspector General Michael Horowitz said in his report that based on his agencys discussions with ICE officials about the impact these laws and policies were having on their ability to interact with local officials, as well as the information reviewed, these policies and others like them may be causing local officials to believe and apply the policies in a manner that prohibits or restricts cooperation with ICE in all respects That, of course, would be inconsistent with and prohibited by Section 1373. Jurisdictions in violation varied in their policies. While some of the areas examined would honor detainers under specific circumstances, such as prior felony convictions, gang membership, or presence on a terror watch list, others will not honor a civil immigration detainer request, standing alone under any circumstances, Horowitz wrote. The mayor of Chicago, the IG report noted, has been defiant, stating publicly, we are not going to turn people over to ICE, and we are not going to check their immigration status. We will check for criminal background, but not for immigration status. This is a big deal, said Vaughan. This OIG report is the clearest statement yet from the federal government that sanctuary policies like Californias and Chicagos obstruct immigration enforcement and violate federal law. These 10 cities and states are not alone. According to a January 2016 Center for Immigration Studies report cited by Congress, there are over 300 sanctuary cities that refuse to comply with ICE detainers or are otherwise impeding information sharing with federal immigration officials. Congress has identified at least 140, and ICE reported there are at least 155. The DOJ is going to have to let them know that they need to either change their sanctuary policy or lose their funding, and if they try to have it both ways, they could face prosecution based on their false claim to the government, Vaughan said. A former suburban Chicago police officer jailed for killing his wife received a 40-year prison sentence Friday for plotting to kill the prosecutor who helped convict him of murder in 2012. Drew Peterson was found guilty in May of attempting to hire a hitman to kill Will County States Attorney James Glasgow. Peterson was sentenced to 38 years in prison for killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Prosecutors say that while serving his sentence, Peterson approached a fellow inmate about the possibility of hiring someone to kill Glasgow. The inmate, Antonio Smith, agreed to wear a wire for investigators and recorded Peterson offering $10,000 to hire Smith's uncle to kill Glasgow. In court Friday, Peterson claimed that he knew he was being recorded and had never meant to kill Glasgow, but was pretending to order the hit so Smith could turn him in and receive a reduced sentece. He added that at the time of the recordings, in November 2014, he was suicidal and didn't believe he would live to see the scam come to fruition. "Jim Glasgow, there was never any intent to have you killed," Peterson said. Glasgow responded outside the courtroom by calling Peterson "deluded" and "a patronizing con man." In court, Glasgow said that a lengthy sentence was necessary as a deterrent, otherwise convicts will believe they can kill a prosecutor and get the minimum sentence. "It's critical that a message be sent that this will never be (allowed) in Illinois," he said. The Chicago Tribune reported that Friday's sentence, which must be served after Peterson's sentence for killing Savio, essentially guarantees the 62-year-old Peterson will die in prison. He had been scheduled for parole in 2047. Peterson first came to national attention in 2007 after his fourth wife, Stacy, vanished from their home in Bolingbrook, Ill. She has never been found and no one has been charged in connection with the case. However, Peterson was recorded telling Smith he was worried that Glasgow would eventually charge him in the case. Kathleen Savio was found dead in her bathtub in 2004. Her death was initially ruled an accident, but Glasgow ordered the case re-opened following Stacy Peterson's disappearance. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from the Chicago Sun-Times. Black Lives Matter has taken offense at police saying Blue Lives Matter and others who say All Lives Matter, but now a Wisconsin school is risking ire by branding a class on environmentalism Green Lives Matter. The course at University of Wisconsin at Green Bay will encourage students to support the environmental justice movement by the merging of civil rights and environmental concerns. But even Scott Furlong, the dean of social sciences at the school, acknowledged that the class name plays on what has become a loaded term. Timing is everything, he told FoxNews.com in an email. When developedpoliticizing the name of the class was not front and center for us. Furlong said the universitys diversity director and course professor, Elizabeth Wheat, chose the title earlier this year, as the Black Lives Matter movement built strength and members began to take umbrage at variations on the phrase. Although Furlong admitted the world landscape since that time has changed, the university will stand by the title, but remain open to an adjustment if pressed by offended students. The name doesnt come across as very sensitive to me due to the BLM movement and the controversy, said recent UWGB graduate Nathan Fiene, who organized an anti-Donald Trump rally last semester that was heavily attended by Black Lives Matter protesters. However, Chrissy Bartelme, former environmental affairs chair of the UWGB Student Government Association, said the school should politicize what it calls the green lives movement. The name Green Lives Matter should not push away students, but rather encourage them to learn about those impacted by environmental hazards, she told FoxNews.com in an email. The class name should have no effect on what the students will learn. Taught mostly by instructors of color, women, and blue collar sectors of society, the course fulfills a general education requirement for incoming freshmen, who will learn about topics like migrant farm worker pesticide exposure and urban environmental harms. Although he disagrees with the highly questionable title, Fiene applauded the content of the course material for shedding light on perceived racism within environmental policies. Environmental consultant Tracy Thomas agreed, adding that green causes support the very goals of the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter and Green Lives Matter share one common thread-contiguity, she told FoxNews.com, pointing to a historical tendency for blacks to live in worn and neglected environments. Green Lives Matter isnt the only eccentrically named course offered at the school-university administrators encourage faculty to develop creative titles for mandatory freshmen seminars, according to Furlong. Freshmen can also choose to enroll in Food Politics, The Science and History of Monsters and From Disneys Pocahontas to the NFL: Stereotypes and the Realities of the First Nations People. The suspect in a homicide at Fort Bragg in North Carolina was found dead after a standoff with police in Phoenix, the FBI said Thursday. Jason Earl Armstrong, 27, was wanted in the July 1 killing of his wife, a Fort Bragg soldier. The FBI said he was pronounced dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday night. Armstrong was trying to elude cops when he barricaded himself in an apartment and refused to surrender, according to the Fayetteville Observer. After hours of negotiations, Phoenix police entered the apartment and found Armstrongs body, the paper reported Thursday. The FBI began looking for Armstrong after his wifes body was found July 6 in their Fort Bragg home in Fayetteville. Iris Armstrong had been stabbed and beaten, the paper reported. The FBI said Armstrong was captured on a surveillance video using his wifes debit card shortly after the murder. Iris Armstrong was a human resources specialist assigned to the 189th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade. A memorial for slain Navy Seal and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle has been unveiled in the West Texas city where he was born in 1974. Ceremonies were held Thursday in Odessa to unveil the granite-and-limestone Chris Kyle Memorial Plaza, which also includes a bronze statue of Kyle. It is a privately funded memorial. Several trees from ex-President George W. Bush's ranch near Crawford were purchased by memorial organizers and moved to the site earlier this year. Kyle and friend Chad Littlefield were killed in 2013 at a Texas shooting range. A former Marine was convicted in their deaths and sentenced to life in prison. Kyle's autobiography was the basis for the 2014 film "American Sniper," starring Bradley Cooper. A judge ruled Wednesday that a Kansas womans children, who performed for armed militia members in Oregon, will remain in the custody of the states Department for Children and Families. Odalis Sharps children told the Shawnee County District Court how their mother had beaten them, yelled at them and berated them with name calling and how each one of them would scream in pain when their mother tried to beat the fire out of them. Sharp, 46, of Auburn, contested that she wasnt a bad mother and that she loved her children. However, Judge Steven Ebberts said Sharp crossed the line between punishment and abuse. Sharp has 10 children, but several of them are over 18. The younger kids will remain in state custody, according to the Kansas City Star. I think the real abuse is to take these children from their home, Sharp said. The details of Sharps alleged abuse that were detailed in court were quite gruesome. Three of Sharps children said that their mother had two rods they would get beaten with. She would swat them with the rods and spank them or hit their thighs, the children said. The weapons also came out when Sharp was disappointed by them, according to testimony. I love you all, Sharp said. But it seems you have made your choice. At one point, some of the children even ran away from home because of how unsafe they felt. The Sharp Family spent the start of the year performing for the armed militia members in Oregon who were occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The kids sang patriotic and gospel songs for Ammon and Ryan Bundy and their supporters. However, by April, five children had ran away from home. The Kansas City Star reported that the children took guns from their mothers room and hid them at the end of their driveway before going to the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office. Seven of the 10 children were held in temporary state custody in May. One child worried that if the state came to take the children away, there could be a shootout. Sharp defended her actions, saying that there were too many outside interferences in their lives and that her kids were acting out and she had to take action. I properly discipline them, Sharp said. Thats why they are excellent children. Sharp has 30 days to appeal the judges ruling. Click for more from the Kansas City Star. Off to the races, but no gambling allowed. Dai Nam Joint Stock Company plans to invest $100 million on a racecourse complex in the Dai Nam Tourism Park in the southern province of Binh Duong. The racecourse will occupy an area of 60 hectares (148 acres) in the recreation park, about 40km from Ho Chi Minh City, and is expected to open in October this year, the Tai Nguyen & Moi Truong Newspaper (Natural Resources and Environment) newspaper reported on July 27, citing Huynh Uy Dung, chairman and general manager of Dai Nam. Racing will take place on both weekdays and weekends. Apart from horse racing, the racecourse will also host dog racing, car racing, motorbike racing, water motorsports and all-terrain vehicle racing. Dung said no gambling will be allowed at the racecourse, but he hopes the racetrack will help boost the number of tourists to Dai Nam to 5 million per year from the current 2 million. A traditional horse race in the central province of Phu Yen. Photo by VnExpress The Phu Tho horse racecourse, which opened in 1932 in Ho Chi Minh City as the country's first and only horse racetrack, was closed in 2011. Robert Taylor insists hes a good guy, but says the state of Virginia has treated him like a bad one ever since he got buried under a pile of unpaid traffic tickets, fees and fines. The 28-year-old Richmond man spends weekends in jail, can't hold a job and does not know how he will ever pay off the nearly $5,000 he owes the state. Im not a criminal in any sense of the word, Robert Taylor told FoxNews.com. Without the availability of a payment plan, Taylor had his license suspended, leaving him unable to work. And being unable to work left him unable to make a dent in what he owes the state, he said. Now, Taylor is part of a class action suit which alleges that drivers have been treated unfairly under the states License-for-Payment system. Virginia is one of nine states that automatically suspends a license if they have not received fines of fee payments within 30 days. The state does so without any inquiry into non-payment or consideration for a drivers financial circumstance. Im not a criminal in any sense of the word and Ive been sent to jail twice. Robert Taylor According to the Legal Aid Justice Center, which filed the suit against Virginias Department of Motor Vehicles, hundreds of thousands of low-income residents are trapped in a cycle of debt and poverty. Nearly one in six drivers in Virginia has a suspended license for failure to pay court costs and fines. Its a problem for low-income individuals because of the volume and the high amount associated with the fines, Angela Ciolfi, LAJC lead attorney, told FoxNews.com. Its fundamentally unfair to punish people for not being able to pay in addition to being punished for their infractions. Its easy for someone who makes $100 an hour to pay a $100 fine than for someone who makes $7.25 an hour," she added. "Low-income people are continuously punished under this system, while the wealthier people can atone by simply signing a check. Ciolfi and the Legal Aid Justice Center say most license suspensions in the state are for failure to pay and not for being a danger to fellow motorists. Roughly 65 percent of all suspension and revocation orders are over unpaid court costs and fines. Taylor was pulled over in April of 2014 for running a red light. It was discovered during that traffic stop that he had been driving on a suspended license for having improper license plates. Taylor, who blamed the license plate snafu on an auction house from which he bought the car, got his license reinstated a month later. But the fine and ensuing fees, together with a lack of opportunity to make payments, quickly buried Taylor. I wanted to give them every cent I owe," Taylor said. But they offered no way to make payments over time. The Centers complaint filed in the states Western district seeks a reversal of the charges against their plaintiffs because they claim the policy is among other things, a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. They cite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that punishing a person solely for poverty, rather than willful refusal to pay or to make bona fide efforts to, violates the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments. When reached for comment, officials for the Office of Virginia Attorney General declined to comment due to the Commonwealth having not yet filing a response to the suit. We are closely reviewing the complaint with our client and will file a timely answer, the official said in a written statement to FoxNews.com. The Legal Aid Justice Center has said that their research has found that a drivers license is absolutely vital for a persons ability to maintain a job, pursue educational opportunities and provide for family. They also say that nearly 75 percent of these suspended drivers are left with no choice but to continue driving. Taylor has 11 more weekends to serve in jail, but he'll still owe the state. I dont believe anyone deserves to go through this, Taylor said. Five U.S. special operations troops were wounded in combat with Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan, the senior U.S. commander in the country said Thursday. It appeared to be the first reported instance of U.S. troops being wounded in fighting against the Islamic State in Afghanistan. U.S. military spokesmen in Kabul said they were researching the question of whether there have been previous casualties in combat with IS, which is present mainly in the country's eastern regions. IS bases in the eastern province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan, are currently being targeted by an Afghan military offensive, backed by U.S. troops. The Afghan offensive began on Saturday, hours after the IS group claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in the capital Kabul that killed around 80 people. Gen. John Nicholson, the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said the five wounded Americans were hit by small arms fire or shrapnel during a combat operation conducted with Afghan special operations forces to clear areas once controlled by the Islamic State in Nangarhar. He did not say exactly when the injuries happened. The Pentagon later issued what it called a clarification, saying one of the five was wounded on Sunday and the other four on Monday. "There was not one incident or specific firefight, but these service members were wounded over the course of the clearing operations General Nicholson described," a Pentagon spokesman, Adam Stump, said in a statement. "As General Nicholson indicated, we're not able to discuss further specifics at this point of the counterterrorism operation." Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon from his headquarters in Kabul, Nicholson said none of the wounds are life-threatening. Three of the soldiers have been evacuated to a U.S. military hospital in Germany, he said. "They're in good spirits," Nicholson said. "They've talked to their families. We expect a full recovery." The other two wounded have been returned to duty in Afghanistan, he said. Nicholson said the casualties happened during a counterterrorism operation in which Afghan forces have recaptured ground previously held by the Islamic State, following U.S. airstrikes. Thus far, operations have been successful, Nicholson said. "We have helped the Afghan security forces to reclaim significant portions of the territory that was previously controlled by Daesh," he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic militant group. "We have killed many Daesh commanders and soldiers, destroyed key infrastructure capabilities, logistical nodes, and Daesh fighters are retreating south into the mountains of southern Nangarhar as we speak." He said the number of IS fighters in Afghanistan has declined from an estimated 3,000 at the start of this year to between 1,000 and 1,500. The majority of those in Nangarhar are former members of a Pakistan Taliban group known as TTP, he said, adding that they were largely forced out of Pakistan by a government offensive and joined IS earlier this year. Pope Francis paid a somber visit in silence to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, with his only public comment a guest book entry begging God "forgiveness for so much cruelty." The Argentine-born pontiff made an early morning pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, during World War II. Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly in his white robes beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz that bears the cynical words "Arbeit Macht Frei (Work sets you free)." After meeting briefly with 11 death camp survivors, he moved on to nearby Birkenau, a sprawling complex where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in its gas chambers. There he greeted 25 Holocaust rescuers. Altogether, it was a deeply contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that Francis passed in total silence, except for a few words he exchanged with the survivors and rescuers. Vatican and Polish church officials explained that Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. However, he did express his feelings, writing in the Auschwitz memorial's guest book in Spanish: "Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty!" He then signed with his name in Latin, "Franciscus" and added the date "29.7.2016." Francis is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live himself through the brutality of World War II on Europe's soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal or historical connection to the site. St. John Paul II, born in Poland, witnessed the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation during the war. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before greeting survivors, one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners at Auschwitz were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who sacrificed his life to save that of a fellow prisoner who had a family, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the pontiff. He then traveled 2 miles to Birkenau, the vast satellite camp where the Nazis murdered Jews, Roma and others from across Europe. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths there. At one point the deep silence was broken by the wailing of an infant. When Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests applauded. Francis slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited, in Hebrew, Psalm 130, which starts: "From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord." Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read, first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish. John Paul's visit to the site in 1979 made history because it was the first ever by a pontiff, part of the Vatican's historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. As a pope hailing from another continent, Francis's presence highlights visit the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. The millions who now visit have put increasing stress on the site's aging barracks, prompting urgent conservation efforts that are being funded by governments worldwide. Francis' visit is also different in that it had a private character with no speeches. Benedict, for instance, spoke there in 2006 in Italian pointedly avoiding his native German language in a speech questioning why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. The pope's visit to Auschwitz came on the third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global celebration of faith. Friday is devoted to the theme of suffering. Later in the day Francis will visit a children's hospital in Krakow and take part in a Way of the Cross with the young people. A U.S. Air Force surveillance plane making a routine flight over Russia to fulfill a treaty obligation was forced to make an emergency landing in eastern Russia earlier this week after experiencing a problem with its landing gear, a Pentagon spokesperson told Fox News. The unarmed American military plane had Russian officials on board as part of the 1992 Open Skies Treaty, which bounds 34 nations, including Russia and the United States, to allow military inspection flights to ensure compliance to long standing arms-control treaties and to offer greater transparency into each nation's military capabilities. "On July 27, a U.S. Open Skies Treaty observation aircraft took off from Russian airfield Ulan Ude to begin a Treaty observation flight but the aircraft landing gear did not fully retract," Lt. Col. Michelle L. Baldanza, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in an emailed statement to Fox News. Baldanza said the American surveillance plane landed safely in the city of Khabarovsk on Russia's eastern seaboard to drop off the Russian officials before continuing on to a U.S. air base in Japan. The U.S. plane was not able to fulfill its mission of photographing Russian military sites, according to the Pentagon. Russia has not always been as open as the United States in allowing access to its military sites, which include airfields and nuclear silos, according to senior U.S. military leaders. Russia has placed restrictions on U.S. military flights over Kaliningrad for the last two years where a recent Russian military buildup threatens neighboring NATO-aligned Baltic nations, whom America is bound to defend. Russian jets from Kaliningrad buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer repeatedly in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Poland in April, coming as close as 30 feet to the American warship, Navy officials said at the time. This week, President Obama accused Russia of potentially leading the hack of Democratic National Committee emails that forced the resignation of its Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz at the start of the party's convention in Philadelphia earlier this week. What we do know is that the Russians hack our systems, not just government systems but private systems, Obama told NBC. It was the first time the president publicly accused Russia of conducting cyber warfare against the United States. In February, the Russians asked their American counterparts if they could install new advanced optical sensors to its cameras for future surveillance flights over the United States, which began in 2002. Defense officials and Capital Hill lawmakers have expressed their unease with the request which they say will boost Russia's ability to spy on the United States. The United States relies primarily on satellites to gather intelligence on Russia. Recent Russian flights in the United States have photographed critical infrastructure such as power plants and internet communication hubs in addition to military sites, all allowed under the Open Skies Treaty according to American defense officials. The treaty has become a critical component of Russias intelligence collection capability directed at the United States, Adm. Cecil D. Haney, commander of the United States Strategic Command, wrote in a letter last year to Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), who heads the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces, according to the New York Times. Russia conducted five flights over the United States in 2014 as part of the Open Skies Treaty and four more in 2015. This year, Russia is expected to conduct six flights, starting from either Dulles International Airport outside Washington, or Travis Air Force Base in California according to the Pentagon. In June, three powerful House GOP committee chairmen wrote President Obama voicing concern that Russia has violated the intent of the Open Skies Treaty and are using the flights to "expand its espionage capabilities" against the United States. Allowing Russia to upgrade the sensors used in these flights to digital technology would only make this worse We urge you to heed the advice of senior military personnel and other officials and reject this Russian request while examining modern alternatives to these flights," capabilities, Chairmen Ed Royce, Devin Nunes and Mac Thornberry said in their letter to Obama last month. The website of Vietnam Airlines too was hacked with client information leaked. Many passengers at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports panicked when flight information changed on screens and false information was seen at most check-in counters on Friday afternoon. Screens displaying flight information at the two airports were seen containing distorted information about the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea. The sound systems were also taken over. Authorities also realized that a strange message had been airing for about four minutes, and turned off the entire loudspeaker system. Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat said that the hackers had only gained access to the interface of the screens showing Vietnam Airlines flight information at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat, not the search or booking system. Flight control and security had not been affected. The website of Vietnam Airlines was also breached at 4 p.m. Friday by hackers who posted an announcement saying that the site had been hacked and the content changed. An insulting recording about Vietnam and the Philippines was posted, along with a message regarding China's claims to the South China Sea. Hacking group 1937cn claimed responsibility for the attack. At the bottom of the site there was a link to pastebin.com which contained options to download an Excel file. The file was 100MB and contained confidential data including names, dates of birth and addresses of 400,000 members of Vietnam Airlines' frequent fliers club, Golden Lotus. Some of the details also included position, workplace and phone number. VnExpress has run a random check on 10 accounts and confirmed that they are real. The screens at Noi Bai Airport were off this afternoon, and passengers were delayed at check-in counters. Photo by H.S. At 5:30 p.m, the user interface on the Vietnam Airlines site returned to normal, but changes on the companys subdomain at http://glp.vietnamairlines.com/ remained until some time later. According to security expert Nguyen Hong Phuc, the confidential data leaked by the group came from a successful breach of Vietnam Airlines' client database. To minimize risks, Phuc urged Golden Lotus members to change their passwords immediately. More security officers have been deployed at Noi Bai Airport. Photo by Hai Linh. The Ministry of Transport has asked the Ministry of Public Security to investigate. Cyber-terrorists attack flight info screens at Vietnam's 2 major airports He thong thong tin san bay bi ngung tre As of May 2015, over 200 Vietnams websites had been attacked by groups from China, mostly 1937cn. According to security experts, website 1937cn.net was established to provoke and attack Vietnamese websites. 1937cn is known as the most notorious hacker group in China with over 40,000 attacks launched recently, according to Chinese hacker ranking site hack-cn.com. On July 12, an international arbitration tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines, rejecting China's sweeping claim to large swaths of the South China Sea. China has dismissed the ruling as a "farce". In June of last year, amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, 1937cn attacked the website of the University of Santo Tomas' Museum of Arts and Sciences in the Philippines, leaving similar provocative messages. Traffickers are conspiring with officials to get their shipments across. Vietnam's northern border has become a hub for synthetic drug trafficking, with 983 kg of drugs seized in 2015, an increase of 631kg compared to the previous year. Drugs have been found in petrol tankers and concealed in wooden planks to avoid detection, but traffickers are also conspiring with authorities to get them through the border gate, according to the sixth bilateral meeting on drug control between Vietnam and China in Vietnams central province of Khanh Hoa on July 28. At the meeting held by the ministries of Public Security from both Vietnam and China, China's National Narcotics Control Commission admitted that drugs entering the country come primarily from the "Golden Triangle": Myanmar Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam is an interchange for drugs originating from the infamous area, with 78 drug crimes relating to Vietnam reported from 2015 to the first half of 2016. Dong Dai Loc, deputy director of Vietnam's General Police Department, underlines the complicated situation of drug crime on the border between Vietnam and China. Photo from VnExpress/X.N Dong Dai Loc, deputy director of Vietnams General Police Department, said that the fight against drug crime is complicated because the two countries are facing multinational gangs. Vietnam's drug crime investigation police department said that traffickers have become more sophisticated and dangerous by conspiring with authorities and using different means to get the drugs across Vietnam's borders. Synthetic drugs cost less than VND300 million (over $13,000)/kg and are widely available. They will have a negative impact on society in the future, the Police Department said in a statement. Chinese officials underlined that the Golden Triangle, which is a harsh mountainous area, is the main drug source in the region, producing an estimated 60 tons each year. In 2015, police in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan and Guizhou siezed 7.3 tons of heroin and 11.2 tons of methamphetamine pills. An Guojun, deputy secretary-general of China's National Narcotics Control Commission, said: The two nations need to strengthen and improve anti-drug cooperation to detect and stamp out multi-national gangs, gangs especially in the border areas. Related news > 73-year-old woman faces death penalty for drug smuggling > Drug users stage breakout from rehab centeragain > Local councilor candidates accused of drug trafficking Around 41,000 fishermen to receive compensation in August. The toxic pollution caused by the Vietnam unit of Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group in Ha Tinh Province has hit at least 200,000 people, including 41,000 fishermen, where it hurt most: their pockets. In a report sent Thursday to deputies attending the ongoing session of the National Assembly, Vietnam's legislature, the Vietnamese government said that around 18,000 fishing boats with some 41,000 fishermen and over 176,000 people dependent on them have been affected by the incident. Authorities estimate that seafood catches have fallen 1,600 tons per month, according to the report. 140 tons of fish, 67 tons of oysters and 16 tons of shrimp died as a result of the disaster, it said. The disaster has also exacted a heavy toll on tourism in the four central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Binh, and Thua Thien Hue. About half of the tourists who had booked trips to those provinces canceled, and the occupancy rate at hotels in the provinces fell by 40-50 percent from the same period in 2015. In Ha Tinh where the Formosa steel plant is located, the occupancy rate dropped to 10-20 percent. Locals in four of Vietnams central provinces who have been affected by the pollution caused by Taiwan's Formosa steel plant in Ha Tinh are expected to be compensated next month, the report said. But it stopped short of how the compensation will be allocated. In late June, Formosa Ha Tinh Steel admitted its $10.6 billion steel plant was responsible for the mass fish deaths that plagued the central coast. The company apologized to Vietnam and pledged to pay $500 million in compensation for the environmental disaster that it caused. The Taiwanese firm promised to compensate local people for economic losses, help them find new jobs and subsidize clean-up activities. It also pledged to rehabilitate the marine environment in the four central provinces, fix its sub-standard wastewater treatment system and work with Vietnamese authorities to protect the environment in central Vietnam. In early April, large quantities of fish washed up dead near the Vung Ang Economic Zone in Ha Tinh Province. The disaster stretched 200 kilometers along the central Vietnamese coast as far south as Thua Thien-Hue, resulting in the death of more than 70 tons of sea fish and 35 tons of farm-raised fish. Especially hard hit were the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Thua Thien Hue where thousands of fishermen lost customers or were forced to sell at a loss. The government is set to release an environmental damage report next month. Initial estimates, however, have shown that about 450 hectares (1,112 acres) of coral reefs have been directly affected. The country has also had to deal with social, political and security issues generated by the incident. Related news: > Formosa catastrophe takes toll on tourism in Vietnam province > Where Formosa buried its waste > Formosa in trouble again for dumping industrial waste Speak up to someone Doctors are no better at talking about sex and sexuality than we are, said Heron. Theyre also usually completely focused on saving your life. So if you have concerns about the sexual impact of surgery and treatment and your doctor doesnt address them, bite the bullet and bring them up yourself with someone. If not your oncologist or surgeon or primary care physician, then a nurse or nurse practitioner or physicians assistant. Let them know its something thats important to you, said Heron. And you can do that before treatment or early on in treatment. Ask, Will this affect my sexuality? Will this affect my ability to function sexually? Will this affect my sensation that I feel with intercourse? You will get a straight answer. Same goes for after treatment. If youre unable to get an erection or have an orgasm or even think about getting naked with somebody again, mention it. Dont wait for your doctor to start the conversation, advised patient advocate Michele Longabaugh. They may never bring it up. Find someone youre comfortable with and talk to them. If you dont tell them, they wont know its a problem. The more people speak out about it, the more its going to be part of regular care. Map your body Survivors often have to figure out what they can and cant do after treatment, mobility-wise, fertility-wise, and yes, intimacy-wise. Surgery and treatment can leave skin deadened in some spots and super-sensitive in others. You might not be able to twist or turn a certain way anymore; you might not want to take your shirt off because of scarred or missing breasts. Until you know yourself what works or doesnt work, you cant communicate that to your partner. And communication is key (although talking about these sexual health challenges can be complicated). Heron encourages both men and women to spend time figuring out what feels good and what doesnt. Stroke your forearm lightly, she suggested, then a little more firmly, then deeply. Be able to describe what a light, medium or deep touch feels like to you and what parts like what. Touch yourself on your arm, your rib, your belly, your inner thigh, your breast, your penis and so on using a light, medium and deep touch, she said. Then youll be able to tell your partner, The deep touch feels really good here, but only light touch feels good here. If a certain section of your sexual territory is gone or changed, perhaps another can pinch hit. Breast cancer patients may not want a partner to touch their reconstructed (or unreconstructed) breasts, but a nuzzle on the neck might serve nicely in its stead. Find a common language Once youve figured out what still packs a sexual punch for you (or not), communicate that to your partner. That doesnt mean you have to suddenly start talking like a phone sex operator, Heron said, but it does mean you have to understand each other. Decide what lingo youre comfortable using, she said. If you want to use hoo-ha instead of vagina, then go for it. Just as long as everybody understands the language. So if you say, I want a light touch on my hoo-ha, theyre not going to rub your feet. Heron said sometimes when sex doesnt work the way it once did theres pain or tenderness or lack of response it becomes awkward and a dead end for couples. If thats the case for you and your partner, temporarily focus on intimacy rather than sex. Sometimes Ill tell patients to just leave the genitals out of [it] and start with hand holding, she said. There are other activities that might feel good even just holding each other, rubbing each other, being physically sexual without having intercourse. Co-director of Fred Hutchs Survivorship Program Dr. Karen Syrjala also stressed the importance of nonsexual intimacy. Even if intercourse isnt the same as it used to be, the idea of sexual closeness is still an extremely important human need, she said. What if you dont currently have a partner? This is just as important when someone is going out into the dating world and meeting a new person, said Heron. If theyve mapped their own body sensations and know what feels good and safe and energizing and sexy, then they can start off using that common language and requesting what they want. Then no one is going to be disappointed. Traders Revenge Review Announced The New Software Launch For Users Traders Revenge Review recently came up with the announcement of the launching of the new software for all users in binary options trading industry. The software is said to be aimed at being able to assist users in getting far better results than ever before. -- Traders Revenge review was released recently and with it, the announcement of the launch of Traders Revenge, new automatic software for all users, was also made. This new software is being marketed as an asset for all users which could help them in yielding far better results in terms of profits and assist them in throwing all non-performing softwares out of the business. There have been heaps of people who lost big time with such softwares before and Traders Revenge is being told to be their chance at taking a shot back. Reportedly, this software comes with an accuracy rate that wanders between seventy to eighty percent, depending on various factors. This rate can be termed decent as compared to the industry standards set by all other automated softwares. The company representatives informed about the reason why this software works well and said, "The Working of Traders Revenge is not different but authentic. It teams up with the regulated and authorized trading systems to provide the most reliable results for users. Now since it is associated with the proven experts of the industry, the information that it gets and processes to come up with the best results is not made up. It comes directly from the people having years of experience and expertise in this field." There have been a number of automated softwares in this industry lately and all credits could go to the rapid increase in their demand. This industry being one of the most liquid ones, it attracts many people to try their luck out here and automated softwares assist them by making their task easier. The results have been vastly varying depending on the quality of all such softwares. Now with traders' revenge launched, people have got one more option to choose from and if the experts are to be believed, this could be the end of their search for a well performing software that could make non-performers quit this industry. For more information, please visit http://tradersrevenge.net Contact Info: Name: Ryan Jackson Organization: Traders Revenge Release ID: 125568 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) Wedding Gift Glass & Crystal Unique Specialty Cards Site launched Exclusive glass wedding invitation producer, Elite Glass Cards, has now introduced an additional product line for a range of special, memorable events for which a unique gift is required, with a new website to cover the services. -- Elite Glass Cards, originally an exclusive glass wedding invitation producer, now has an additional product line for any special, memorable events for which a unique gift is required, and has launched a website for the service. For more information about Elite Glass Cards and to view the product options, visit the website: http://eliteglasscards.com. Still manufacturing glass wedding invitations, Elite Glass Cards has now extended its product offer to become the only company completely dedicated to designing, developing and providing high quality glass and crystal specialty cards to customers around the world that have an appreciation for the finer things. Elite Glass Cards offer a truly unique gift idea, in that the gift selector and giver designs the glass card, including the pattern, border, font selection and composes their own text, as a lifetime memory to mark a special occasion. Designs can be completely customized according to the customer's wish, or there is a range of designs to choose from, as can be seen on the website. The company has a team of designers and craftsmen with a growing design portfolio, that render each project individually, tailored to each customer's requirements. Glass adds an element of interest as its an old medium, endures times and fashion, and is beautiful and elegant. Elite Glass Cards says that it attracts customers looking for a card or paper alternative that prefer glass or crystal over acrylics and plastics. The new website provides information about the materials used; 100 percent lead-free optic crystal and fine quality starfire glass. The optic crystal is a hard substance, clear and flawless, rendering its surface ideal for brilliant cuts and bevels and an ultra high polished finish. Each piece is hand polished and beveled. Starfire clear glass is also lead free, and low iron alternative offering the best quality in non crystal glasswork, cut to high precision. The Elite Glass Cards evolved as wedding invitations to include other special occasions, as the company noticed that women particularly appreciated the gift idea and sentiment. The company now receives orders to create these unique cards with memorable messages for the following occasions: wedding day, anniversary, engagement, birthday, graduation, congratulations, get well, holidays, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, promotions and awards. Recipients have extended from brides and wives to daughters, mothers, grandmothers, other relatives and now there is a growing popularity amongst women to provide a unique message carved in glass to the men in their lives. The company now ships to: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the UK and others. Full details can be found on the new site. For more information, please visit http://www.eliteglasscards.com Contact Info: Name: Herschel Clark Organization: Elite Release ID: 125674 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) Grand Rapids Dentist Peter Zwier Awarded Endless Dentistry Learning & Service Grand Rapids Dentist Peter J. Zwier, DDS, MAGD, awarded the 2016 Michigan Academy of General Dentistry Lifelong Learning and Service Award (LLSR). This award is the second recognition within the year to show Dr. Zwier's commitment to dentistry education and premier service to his patients. -- Cosmetic Dentist Peter J. Zwier, DDS, MAGD, of Zwier Family Dentistry was awarded the 2016 Michigan Academy of General Dentistry Lifelong Learning and Service Award (LLSR). This award is the second recognition within the year to show Dr. Zwier's commitment to dentistry education and premier service to his patients. In 2015, The Council of Dental Education at the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) identified Dr. Zwier for the LLSR award, which recognizes professionals that "see the need for continuous learning and staying active both in organized dentistry and their communities." "I am honored to have been given the opportunity to provide valuable dental services to over 10,000 fellow human beings in my career, and have to be able to do for 1000's more to come for many more years; the Good Lord willing," Dr. Peter Zwier said. Dr. Zwier is a current AGD member, received the AGD Mastership Award, and completed a course study of 17 dental disciplines, totaling more than 1,600 hours of continuous education. He also has completed at least 100 approved dental-related volunteer or community service. These characteristics all qualified him to be eligible for the LLSR award, which fewer than 300 members have been recognized for this honor. The precise and focused crowd of dentists for this award makes Dr. Zwier stand out as a Michigan-based professional dentist. About Dr. Zwier and Zwier Family Dentistry For over 30 years, Dr. Zwier and his highly-trained staff have provided cosmetic and family dentistry in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a Grand Rapids native, Dr. Zwier is greatly involved in organizations throughout the community, working with individuals and families for optimal dental health. Some volunteer examples, include performing child dental exams with the Convoy of Hope Days in Grand Rapids, and volunteering at Baxter Clinic. Dr. Zwier has taken dental mission trips to Honduras and the Dominican Republic. He has also served as a volunteer of the Board of Health Intervention Services for six years. With his commitment to continuing education in the dentistry field, Dr. Zwier is proud to represent his active involvement in nationwide dental associations. Patients looking for a premier dentist in Grand Rapids can contact Dr. Zwier who continues to accept new patients, and restores and improves patients' smiles across the state. For more information, please visit https://drpeterzwier.com Contact Info: Name: Dr. Peter Zwier Organization: Dr. Peter J. Zwier, DDS Address: 2100 Raybrook, SE, Suite 106, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 Phone: (616) 942-2870 Release ID: 125722 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) July 29, 2016 | 05:00 am PT Obama said it's possible Russia will try to sway U.S. elections. When WikiLeaks dumped tens of thousands of often embarrassing internal Democratic Party emails, it didn't take long for the finger to be pointed at Moscow. In many ways, that should hardly be surprising. The distinctly idiosyncratic dynamic between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has long been a topic of fascination for pundits. Some of the Republican presidential candidate's approaches and statements - particularly questioning the U.S. commitment to NATO - are almost certainly appealing to Moscow. The Russian intelligence services have a largely deserved reputation for excellence when it comes to cyber-spying, not to mention dirty political tricks. And, perhaps most importantly of all, a growing number of Western officials and security experts are increasingly convinced that Russia is doing everything it can to politically destabilize the West. Getting through the smoke and mirrors to work out to what extent that is actually happening, however, is another matter entirely. That's always true when it comes to Putin, of course, but even more so when it also involves Trump. It's an argument with a compelling internal logic. There is certainly no doubt that Russia - and Putin in particular - has been pursuing a single-minded strategy to reassert its influence in global affairs, particularly in its immediate neighborhood. As part of that, there is no doubt whatsoever that Moscow has pursued an aggressive campaign of "information warfare", using convenient truths and disinformation alike to achieve a host of political effects.For some, the pattern is all too clear. They see the hand of Russia - specifically, the hand of Putin's Machiavellian genius - in everything from the Syrian civil war to the Brexit referendum. Moscow, they believe, has been deliberately exacerbating conflict in the Middle East - most particularly Syria - to send refugees pouring into Europe with the specific aim of fracturing European unity. They see Russian funding behind the growing plethora of anti-establishment groups undermining the traditional political consensus. Intervening in the U.S. presidential race to force the election of Trump fits perfectly within that strategy, shattering Western cohesion and giving Moscow a freedom of action unseen in recent history. Just how far that strategy goes, however, is something Western officials, experts and others do not honestly know. That scares them - and even at the top of government, there are very real differences of opinion.In Germany last year, Russian-linked media outlets were widely deemed responsible for a host of stories about the alleged rape of an ethnic Russian girl by ethnic minority migrants. The story was untrue, but appeared to be an attempt to further exacerbate local political differences and complicate matters for Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Russia is better at this kind of operation than anyone else, but it's a mistake to believe they are responsible for everything," one former European security official told me. What is clearly true is that there is an overlap of interest, messaging and tactics between Putin and many of the more idiosyncratic political actors in the West. In many respects, the new generation of eccentric often right-of-center politicians exemplified by Trump are playing entirely from the Putin-era Kremlin rulebook. As with the output of Russian government-backed propaganda outlets like the "Russia Today" news channel or "Sputnik" news agency, they push a dark, nihilistic view of the world of conspiracy theories and ever-growing crisis, with Putin-style strongmen the only real options for stability. Facts and reality do not always seem that important, or at the very least can be readily bent to support the required argument. In some cases, the links almost certainly go even deeper. The U.S. Congress has tasked U.S. intelligence agencies with investigating reports of direct Russian support, including funding, of political parties in a host of mainland European countries. Unable to borrow from French banks, France's far right Front Nationale has openly sought out funders in Moscow, although it denies that funding directly affects its policy. In other cases, however, it's much less clear-cut. For all the assumptions from U.S. analysts in particular that Russia must somehow have been involved in Brexit, there is remarkably little evidence. UKIP denies having received Russian support, although it has done what it can to obscure the source of much of its funding. The Scottish National Party has gone to even greater lengths to avoid that assumption. Its senior membership now effectively boycotts Russian platforms such as "Russia Today," where other Western politicians on both the left and right grant interviews. Where does that leave Trump? There's little doubt his real estate ventures have, on occasion, been dependent on Russian investors that in some cases may have been close to the Kremlin - but given the sheer range, breadth and sometimes dubious nature of his business partnerships, that's hardly surprising. Trump chief political operative, Paul Manafort, has worked with Putin allies before, most notably twice-ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich. But that in itself does not prove a direct relationship. When it comes to the leaking of the internal Democratic Party documents, there does seem to be evidence that more than one Russian entity had penetrated the systems of the Democratic National Committee. Computer security firm Crowdstrike reported as much in June. Its researchers found telltale fingerprints of unauthorized access by what they said appeared to be two separate Russian state-linked hackers, each apparently unaware of the other's activities. That doesn't necessarily prove that Moscow was the source of the WikiLeaks revelations - it's not hard to imagine that there also dissatisfied elements within the DNC who could have leaked it. U.S. officials, however, seem increasingly confident Russia was involved. Moscow has long been implicated in these kinds of leaks, with some officials believing the 2013 revelations from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden - now resident in Russia - may have been coordinated by Russian intelligence all along. Again, however, not everyone believes that was necessarily the case. Russian officials believed that U.S. counterparts were going too far in embracing local dissident groups opposed to Putin, something they clearly regarded as unacceptable interference in Russian domestic politics. It wouldn't be particularly surprising if they had decided to return the favor. Would Putin prefer Trump to Clinton in the White House? Probably - although in recent months he has tried to distance himself from comments verging on outright endorsements. Perhaps even more importantly, there is little love lost between the Kremlin and the Obama administration, particularly during the era in which Hillary Clinton was at the State Department. If that is the case, however, the Russian president might need to be careful what he wishes for. A more destabilized West might serve Moscow's short-term interests. But in the long run, Russia might suffer as much as everybody else. Peter Apps is Reuters global affairs columnist, writing on international affairs, globalization, conflict and other issues. He is founder and executive director of the Project for Study of the 21st Century; PS21, a non-national, non-partisan, non-ideological think tank in London, New York and Washington. Since 2016, he has been a member of the British Army Reserve and the UK Labour Party. The opinions expressed are his own. Average British retirees receive the equivalent of 17,500 a year in state pension payments, other monetary benefits, and benefits in kind, research by Prudential has revealed. Using data from the Office of National Statistics, Prudential found retired households received a total of 11,227 a year from the state in cash benefits, including 8,954 from the state pension and 2,273 in additional benefits. The report also found in-kind benefits such as healthcare and travel subsidies were worth 6,274 a year. Without the state benefits, 51 per cent of pensioners would have to make significant alterations to their lifestyles, the report found. More than a third of pensioners said they would not be able to afford dental treatment or have eye tests without state subsidies; 30 per cent said public transport would be unaffordable without pensioner concessions; and 23 per cent said that days out were only possible with pensioner discounts. Nine per cent of pensioners said they would not be able to afford a TV licence. Currently the TV licence is free for the over-75s. With the average retirement now lasting 20 years, the debate on the affordability of universal support for the retired will continue. Vince Smith-Hughes Under the new flat rate state pension, in place from 6 April 2016, retirees need 10 qualifying years of national insurance contributions to receive the full amount of 155.65 per week. Pensioners retiring before that date needed 30 qualifying years of national insurance contributions or credits - for example for unemployment, sickness or as a parent or carer, or were paying voluntary national insurance contributions - to get the full basic state pension of 119.30. Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement income expert at Prudential, said it was understandable that so many pensioners relied on concessions and discounts to maintain their quality of life. However, he said this reliance put pensioners in a vulnerable position, as these benefits were at the discretion of the state. He said: With the average retirement now lasting 20 years, the debate on the affordability of universal support for the retired will continue, and pensioners may find the supplements to their income being cut in the future. For most people looking to be able to maintain their quality of life in retirement, the best approach is to save as much as possible as early as possible during their working life. And when the time comes to make big decisions about retirement saving and taking an income from a pension, most should benefit from a consultation with a professional financial adviser or seeking free guidance from the Pension Advisory Service or Age UK. Alan Solomons, a director of Alpha Investments and Financial Planning, said he doubted whether the state pension would even be there in decades to come, because the government would simply not be able to afford it. He said the best solution to this problem would be to make auto-enrolment compulsory. james.fernyhough@ft.com In another sign of the United States determination to help the nations of Africa combat terrorism, millions of dollars in rewards are being offered for information on several top leaders of the al Qaeda-linked, Somalia-based terrorist organization, Harakat Shabaab al-Mujahidin or al-Shabaab. The group, listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 2008, is battling that nations government for control of Somalia and has also carried out a string of attacks in Kenya. It is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Somali civilians, peace activists, international aid workers, journalists, and civilians, as well as African Union peacekeepers who are helping to restore stability and prosperity to the region. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes amid the fighting. Under the terrorist designation, the United States imposed financial and other restrictions on the group, blocking property and prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with its members. Now the U.S. is offering rewards for information leading to the location of five of its leaders. Rewards of up to $5 million each are offered for information on the location Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, a dual Somali and Swedish national also known as Fuad Songale; and Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud, an al-Shabaab military commander believed to have been born between 1979 and 1982. A reward of up to $3 million is offered for information on the location of Abdullahi Yare, the head of media for al-Shabaab. The U.S. guarantees that all credible reports will be investigated and the identity of all informants will be kept confidential. If appropriate, the U.S. is prepared to protect informants by relocating them. If you have information on any of these men, contact the Regional Security Office at the nearest U.S. Embassy, and the tip line at www.rewardsforjustice.net or e-mail information to info@rewardsforjustice.net. In North America, call 1-800-877-3927. Anncr: That was an international public service announcement by the United States Government. The Farmers Weekly Awards celebrate the very best of British farming by recognising and rewarding innovation, hard work and passion for agriculture. Our three finalists are all running family enterprises which recognise that having healthy soils is the secret to a healthy arable business. See also: Keep up to date with all the latest Farmers Weekly Awards news Andrew Howard Brockhanger Farms, Kent Andrew Howard has a clear vision he aims to halve his fertiliser and pesticide inputs within five years while increasing crop productivity. He believes this can be achieved by learning from pioneering farmers from around the world, such as Gabe Brown in North Dakota, who is leading the soil health movement. And like Gabe, he is not afraid to try new things. The one thing he told me is that if he does not have at least one failure a year, he is not trying hard enough, Andrew says. At the heart of his system is the focus on soil health and this affects every decision made on the family farm. With everything I do, the first question is how will this affect our soil? If we are going to damage soil, how can we mitigate the effects? He explains: Soil is our main asset and improving soil health is how I believe we will improve productivity and profitability. Farm facts Arable area 345ha Cropping Milling wheat, winter barley, spring oats, triticale, winter and spring beans and spring linseed Staff Three (Andrew and his parents) Drills 3m John Deere 750a + 3m Simtech (for beans) The changes started when he returned to the farm in 2003 after graduating at Cirencester. The suckler beef herd and sheep flock were sold off so he could concentrate on arable cropping and he now manages 345ha with help from his mother and father. Cultivations were reduced and this culminated in Andrew switching to pure no-till farming five years ago and introducing more spring cropping, as the rotation was mainly winter varieties. We wanted to grow cover crops and manage grassweeds. He is starting to see the benefits, with improvements in soil health. Soils appear more black and structure is looking better. Yields average 9.5t/ha for wheat, and more than 5t/ha for winter beans, while spring oats achieve 6.5-7t/ha. The next phase is to cut inputs. It feels as if we are trying to carry the costs of two systems the chemical and the biological. One way he is looking to make savings is through the use of a foliar microbial mix, which he brews himself and applies every time he sprays a fungicide. Costing just 3.45/ha, he explains that adding beneficial bugs helps to exclude pathogens. Andrew is also looking at refining crop nutrition to boost plant health and hopes to improve N use efficiency. This year he is using black urea (urea coated with carbon), to cut losses into the atmosphere and into drains. Wheats do look cleaner, but I dont know if this is down to better nutrition or biology, or a combination of both, he says. This season fertiliser has been cut by 10% and fungicide by 20% and over the next four years, the aim is to halve inputs by achieving more resilient crops. He is also trialling different cropping mixes in the quest to find a low-cost break crop. Nine different mixes are being grown with no fertiliser inputs, such as linseed and oats. Growing mixes can reduce the risk of disease and pests, something he discovered on his travels as part of his Nuffield scholarship. Its not just reducing inputs he also looks to add value where possible, with wheat for milling, oats for breakfast cereals and beans for seed as well as export to north African markets for human consumption. He even created his own market opening with triticale. Adas trials show it can deliver very high yields of 9-10t/ha, while needing less inputs than wheat. But there was no market for it. So he approached a local merchant and got together with several other growers and he supplies 500-600t to Fridays, a local poultry company. The judges liked Passionate about cover crops and soil health Willing to trial new ideas and not afraid of failure Extensive technical knowledge of soil Crop choice also helps in the fight against blackgrass, with double spring cropping breaks (beans and linseed) in difficult areas. He is passionate about the environment and sees this as another benefit of his no-till farming system, with cover crops and voluntary margins providing habitats. The family is also generating renewable energy with a solar PV park and the local community is benefiting from investment in local broadband. His passion for learning and trying new things is helping other farmers through his extensive involvement in farmer groups, such as Biodiversity, Agriculture, Soil and Environment (Base), plus he is a member of a local group that benchmarks costs. In conclusion, Andrew believes farming still has a positive future despite the challenge of having fewer pesticides and herbicides due to resistance and legislation. We are going to have to change from a system reliant on artificial inputs to being more self-reliant. Guy Shelby Skirlaugh, East Yorkshire Farming difficult soils at sea level and with blackgrass may sound like your worst nightmare, but Guy Shelby is not only getting on top of this grassweed his system is delivering high yields. He is a member of the 5t/ha oilseed rape club, wheat yields are into double digits and last year his beans averaged 7.5t/ha. Guy puts part of this success down to his switch to strip-tillage three years ago combined with a greater focus on promoting soil health. The 380ha family farm north of Hull consists of Holderness clay as well as areas known locally as carr land with high organic-matter soil lying over clay. Farm facts Arable area 380ha Cropping Feed and milling wheat, winter and spring barley, oilseed rape, vining and blue peas Staff Guy plus his father and brother Drill 3m Mazuri strip-till Each soil type has its challenges. The clay is difficult to work and the high organic content means pre-emergence residual chemistry has limited efficacy. The changes started when Guy returned home from Harper Adams University. He had also spent time working in New Zealand and questioned the cultivation system being used back at home. He first moved to a subsoiler-based system for establishing oilseed rape and rapidly saw benefits, including a jump in yield. I was doing the spraying and could see a difference. We were getting on fields sooner in the spring compared with the conventional tilled areas. This prompted him to look at reduced tillage and in 2013, he bought a 3m Mazuri strip-till drill. We are in an area where power harrowing is still king and many thought we were crazy after the wet year we just had. We liked the way it worked. One big benefit has been the cost saving, effectively halving establishment costs. For example, the second wheat crop costs 90/ha to establish. At times we had four tractors in the same field. Now it is a one-man job, he says. Slugs can be a problem when growing oilseed rape, but Guy has found a way of managing them by making the most of cultural control. We tend to leave longer stubble in the rape to act as a slug habitat, which we then flail off with a topper. Then we run a [Vaderstad] Carrier to chit blackgrass and this disturbs the slug eggs. We try to do these 10 days apart on hot days to kill them. Pellets are then applied at drilling. This approach seems to be controlling slugs. Guy is an adopter of technology, using yield mapping to variably adjust seed rates to achieve more even plant populations. He is also variably applying P and K. Marketing wise, he sells one-third through pools, one-third forward and the rest is flexible to spread risk. Another part of his risk management is to grow four wheat varieties. With cereals, Guy is looking to add value. We traditionally grew a big heap of feed wheat, as the Vivergo biofuel plant is on our doorstep, which offers a 2-3/t premium. He is now moving to milling wheat and growing Skyfall this year for full milling spec. Guy is also trialling a 10ha area of malting barley. Like many growers, he has a resistant blackgrass issue and has seen some success in managing it. A key part of his strategy is growing vining peas for Birds Eye in a one-in-six-year rotation. The judges liked Enthusiatic and open to new ideas Excellent-looking crops Appears to be managing blackgrass This acts as a reset button, as it has to be established after ploughing. In-between, there are two wheats, spring or winter barley, oilseed rape and then back into peas. He highlights one field, where his blackgrass problem first started, which had more than 300 plants/sq m. A combination of chemistry, cover cropping and growing spring crops has brought that down to 21/sq m, which is rougable. The real challenge is on the carr land, where residuals dont really do anything. He is currently growing a forage crop of turnips and rye for sheep grazing. Environmentally, his higher level stewardship agreement has just ended and he will soon join the higher tier stewardship scheme. He is passionate about shooting and believes this goes hand in hand with wildlife providing habitats. He takes pride in seeing buzzards, kestrels and barn owls and is keen to provide different habitats. Looking ahead, he believes the system is more sustainable and even in the three years since he started strip-tilling, soils have improved. His vision is to take on more land and he has raised his yield targets. We achieved yields of 12t/ha last year and now hope to set that as our benchmark average. Josh Stratton East Farm, Wiltshire Josh Stratton loves spreadsheets. He has a crop margin calculator, a machinery cost spreadsheet and even one recording what butterfly species have been surveyed on one of the farms sites of special scientific interest (SSSI). Having information at his fingertips means he knows exactly what his costs are and where he is in relation to budget. Importantly, it helps him get the most from every hectare on the family farm on the edge of Salisbury Plain. This is especially important as arable cropping has to compete with the other enterprises, including the 400-cow dairy and the 3.7MW anaerobic digester. Farm facts Arable area 1,100ha Cropping Feed wheat, winter malting barley, spring malting barley, oilseed rape and spring oats Staff Three + harvest help Drill 6m Amazone Cayena 6001 Every part of the farm has to fight for survival as there are competing uses for our land from the anaerobic digester, dairy, youngstock rearing and cropping. Crops are grown where it makes the best use of land. To drive the arable business forward, Josh has switched to direct drilling this season, the next stage in the process of reducing cultivations. It started with the plough being ditched 15 years ago in favour of shallow cultivations. Soil health was the reason we moved to direct drilling and we dont want to be doing recreational tillage, he says. Ultimately, we want to benefit soil flora and fauna by doing less. Another reason was the loss of grazing from the rotation following the reorganisation of the dairy enterprise. It was harder work to get a good crop and we started to see weed problems coming in. Another measure to help soil health was the adoption of permanent tramlines with controlled traffic farming, operating on a 12m combine with 24m sprayer tramlines and the same width digestate dribble bar. We got rid of the straw merchant and contractors and started to chop and incorporate all straw. Cover crops are now being trialled as a possible means of helping soil health. One resource at hand is a plentiful supply of anaerobic digestate, applied to grazing and arable land. This season, it replaced 60% of total bagged nitrogen and will rise to 80% next year. Josh is still learning how to get the most from it and in this second season, he has found he needs to top up with some bagged sulphur. Tissue testing did show a sulphur deficiency and it was related to areas that received digestate. Timings have also been tweaked, as digestate is slower to release the nitrogen than bagged fertiliser. The light chalkland is ideal barley country and he is adding value by growing both winter and spring malting barley for Molson Coors and 180ha of Null-lox barley for Carlsberg and Heineken. Null-lox varieties have been bred not to have a certain enzyme, to produce fresher-tasting beer. Josh is also adding value to oats by supplying Morning Foods, but it is not milling wheat land and instead he grows barn-busting feed wheat for local poultry company Faccenda. Wheat averages 10.1t/ha, winter barley 8t/ha, spring barley 7.6t/ha, oats 7.7t/ha and oilseed rape 4t/ha. Oilseed rape is still a profitable crop, with no real problems with flea beetle. Marketing is carried out through Salisbury Cereals, a local co-op with 20 farmer members that trades 35,000t of crop. Josh is a passionate believer in co-ops and sits on the board. The judges liked Detailed knowledge of costs and budgets Crops looking good in a challenging season Zero tolerance of blackgrass All crops go into a pool and the co-op has hired a dedicated trader to sell it on behalf of members. The trader has also been instrumental in finding premium market opportunities with brewers. Josh has a keen interest in the environment and is in a higher level stewardship scheme as part of a cluster of farms. The farm also has three SSSIs, with an abundance of pollinators, butterflies and, on one site, orchids. The river Wylye runs through the farm and Josh is about to embark on a project to rewild it by flattening banks and introducing bends to help promote wildlife and fish. He interacts with the wider public and hosts visits by schools and other community groups, although the renewable energy plant is the main focus. In the not too distant future, East Farm could be augmenting the cropping mix with more exotic additions. We are looking to build glasshouses to use the waste heat and carbon dioxide from the digester and grow higher value crops such as cut flowers and vegetables. The Farmers Weekly Arable Farmer of the Year 2016 award is sponsored by Frontier. The finalists are thinking strategically, looking at fixed costs and changing systems to find new solutions to challenges. Soil improvement is key, with reduced cultivations and new drilling technology used alongside rotations and cover or catch crops. Their optimism was clear. Charlie Whitmarsh, crop production director A sheriff has issued a safety warning to farmers after a woman was crushed to death by a cow. Patricia Wishart, 62, was pinned down and struck several times after she entered a pen to check on the welfare of a heavily pregnant cow. The cow became startled and lost its footing, pinning Mrs Wishart to a scaffolding pole that made up part of the pen. See also: Safe cattle handling plea issued during Farm Safety Week Her husband Robert Wishart beat the cow away and pulled his wife out of the pen and tried to resuscitate her. But she died at the scene from chest and abdominal injuries on 6 March last year at the farm in East Houlland, Bixter, Shetland. In his written judgement after a fatal accident inquiry, Sheriff Philip Mann said Mrs Wisharts death could have been avoided if she had entered the doorway from the side of the pen. The tethering arrangement allowed the cow too much forward and sideways movement. He said farmers should employ a rake and crush arrangement, recommended by the Health and Safety Executive. Farming inherently dangerous But Sheriff Mann said farming is an inherently dangerous industry and stressed it is very easy to counsel perfection after the event. He added: It is testament to the care taken by Mrs Wishart and her husband in the running of their crofting business that they were engaged in it together for many years without major accident. It is tragic that their long and harmonious personal and working life together has been brought to an end in such a sudden and unforeseen way by an accident, the likes of which could but for the grace of god, strike anyone at any time in this particular industry. Story Highlights About half believe men and women have equal job opportunities Percentage who feel opportunities are equal down from 2008 Majority favor affirmative action programs for women WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Approximately half of U.S. adults believe women have equal job opportunities as men, although women themselves (43%) are significantly less likely than men (61%) to agree. The 52% of U.S. adults saying men and women have equal job opportunities is down slightly from 57% in 2008, mostly related to a decline in the percentage of men who hold this view. When Gallup first asked this question in 1987, 48% of U.S. adults believed women and men had equal job opportunities. The public grew more skeptical about gender equality in job opportunities, and by 1995, only 34% said they believed women and men had equal opportunities. That figure has increased steadily to a high of 57% in 2007 and 2008. These results are based on Gallup's 2016 Minority Rights and Relations poll, conducted June 7-July 1 with more than 3,200 U.S. adults, including approximately 1,500 women and 1,700 men. Majority Favor Affirmative Action for Women A separate question from the poll shows six in 10 U.S. adults favor affirmative action programs for women, on par with the 59% who supported these programs in 2005, when Gallup last asked this question. Women (64%) are more likely than men (55%) to favor these programs, but the percentages of men and women favoring these programs are essentially unchanged from 2005. Members of underrepresented minority groups are more likely than whites to report favoring affirmative action for women. Eighty-one percent of blacks and 69% of Hispanics say they support these programs, compared with 55% of whites. The percentages of these minority groups reporting they favor these programs for women remain similar to those found in 2005. Do you generally favor or oppose affirmative action programs for women? % Favor 2001 2003 2005 2016 % % % % National adults 53 59 59 60 Women 57 62 65 64 Men 49 56 53 55 Whites 50 55 52 55 Blacks 77 77 80 81 Hispanics 72 69 76 69 Gallup Implications With 52% of Americans reporting that women in the U.S. have equal job opportunities as men, it is clear that concerns about gender equality in the workplace still exist, despite progress on many fronts over the past three decades. Perceptions of gender equality increased slightly in 2007, but Gallup data suggest this progress lacked staying power. Similarly, previous Gallup research found that women were more likely than men to report that they were denied a raise because of their gender, suggesting a gender gap still exists both in the opportunities available to members of each gender and in the experiences they have upon employment, including pay and promotion. The outcome of the 2016 presidential election could affect Americans' perceptions of whether men and women have equal job opportunities. Hillary Clinton is now the first woman to be a major party's presidential nominee and could potentially be the first female president. This could signal to the public that women have equal job opportunities as men. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted June 7-July 1, 2016, with a random sample of 3,270 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For results based on the total sample of 1,513 women, the margin of sampling error is 5 percentage points. For results based on the total sample of 1,755 men, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points. For results based on the total sample of 1,320 whites, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points. For results based on the total sample of 912 blacks, the margin of sampling error is 5 percentage points. For results based on the total sample of 906 Hispanics, the margin of sampling error is 6 percentage points. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. View complete question responses and trends. Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Story Highlights 44% say prescription painkillers a crisis/very serious problem in their area 42% say the same for heroin Both seen as more serious than tobacco, cocaine, alcohol and marijuana WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than four in 10 Americans see prescription painkillers and heroin as a "crisis" or "very serious problem" in their local areas. Smaller percentages of Americans -- one in three or fewer -- view cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine and marijuana as a crisis or very serious problem where they live. Americans' Perceptions of Drugs as a Problem in Their Area For each of the following drugs, please say how much of a problem you think it is in your area -- is it a crisis, a very serious problem but not a crisis, a somewhat serious problem or not much of a problem? Crisis Very serious problem Somewhat of a problem Not much of a problem Total: Crisis/Very serious % % % % Prescription painkillers 14 30 28 24 44 Heroin 17 25 22 29 42 Cigarettes 10 23 33 33 33 Alcohol 8 24 35 32 32 Cocaine 8 20 29 37 28 Marijuana 6 17 25 50 23 Gallup, June 14-23, 2016 These data are based on a Gallup poll conducted June 14-23, before national and state leaders took steps this month to address the growing issue of prescription painkiller and heroin abuse. In a rare display of bipartisanship, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which contains numerous prevention and treatment measures intended to reduce prescription opioid and heroin abuse. Additionally, 46 state and U.S. territorial governors signed a pact through the National Governors Association committing themselves to reduce inappropriate prescribing of prescription painkillers, educate the public about opioid abuse and improve access to treatment. Across key U.S. subgroups, there are notable differences in perceptions of opioids as a crisis or very serious problem: Women are slightly more likely than men to say prescription painkillers are a crisis or very serious problem in their area, 48% vs. 38%, respectively. The two groups are about equally likely to say heroin is a crisis or very serious problem. Those living in the East (59%) are much more likely than those in other regions to say heroin is a very serious problem or crisis, with those in the South having the least concern (33%). The regional differences are much smaller on views of prescription painkillers. Whites are more likely than nonwhites to see heroin as a problem in their area, 46% vs. 34%, respectively, but these groups' views of prescription painkillers are similar. Lower-income Americans are much less likely than those living in middle- and upper-income households to see prescription painkillers as a crisis or very serious problem where they live. Republicans are a bit more likely than Democrats to see prescription painkillers and heroin as a crisis or very serious, but these party differences are minor in comparison to those seen on many issues Gallup measures. Americans' Perceptions of Drugs as a Problem in Their Area % Crisis/Very serious problem Prescription painkillers Heroin % % Men 38 41 Women 48 43 East 48 59 Midwest 41 43 South 40 33 West 45 41 Whites 45 46 Nonwhites 40 34 Less than $36,000 30 41 $36,000 to $89,999 47 44 $90,000+ 47 41 Democrats 43 38 Independents 39 43 Republicans 48 46 Gallup, June 14-23, 2016 Americans See Multiple Causes of Prescription Painkiller Problem Presidential candidates from both parties have focused on opioid addiction on the campaign trail, particularly ahead of the Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire, a state ravaged by opioid overdose deaths. Eight in 10 Americans say they have heard or read about problems with prescription opioids, including 46% who have heard or read a lot, 19% some, and 15% only a little. Americans who have heard or read about the prescription opioid problem do not rate any of four possible causes of prescription opioid addiction higher than any others, suggesting the public believes the problem needs to be attacked on multiple fronts. Slightly more than half place "a lot" of blame on "the pharmaceutical industry encouraging doctors to use opioids" and on "doctors overprescribing painkillers to their patients." Meanwhile, slightly less than half attribute a lot of the blame to a "lack of public knowledge about the dangers of opioids" and to "patients demanding that they be given a prescription to ease their pain." Americans' Views on Causes of Opioid Problem How much do you blame each of the following for the opioid problem -- a lot, some, only a little or not at all? A lot Some Only a little Not at all % % % % The pharmaceutical industry encouraging doctors to use opioids 55 22 13 7 Doctors overprescribing painkillers to their patients 53 27 14 5 Lack of public knowledge about the dangers of opioids 49 28 14 8 Patients demanding that they be given a prescription to ease their pain 47 29 16 5 Among those who have heard at least a little about opioid problem Gallup, June 14-23, 2016 Among those who have heard or read about the prescription opioid problem, Republicans are less likely than Democrats to blame pharmaceutical companies and lack of public knowledge about opioids for addiction problems. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to blame patients demanding that they be given prescription painkillers. Both are just as likely to blame doctors for overprescribing painkillers. "A Lot" of Blame for Opioid Problem, by Party Identification Among those who have heard about opioid problem Democrats Republicans Independents % % % The pharmaceutical industry encouraging doctors to use opioids 57 47 60 Doctors overprescribing painkillers to their patients 47 49 60 Lack of public knowledge about the dangers of opioids 53 41 52 Patients demanding that they be given a prescription to ease their pain 40 52 49 Gallup, June 14-23, 2016 Bottom Line More Americans see prescription painkillers and heroin as a crisis or very serious problem in their area than do so for any of the other four items Gallup asked about. Americans are also significantly more worried about drugs as a problem facing the country more broadly now than in recent years. In March, Gallup found 44% of Americans worry about drug use "a great deal," up 10 percentage points from two years ago. The new federal opioid law and the pact that nearly all state governors signed address some of the factors Americans say are to blame for the opioid problem. The federal law encourages states to establish programs to monitor drug prescriptions, and the pact includes measures to reduce inappropriate prescribing of painkillers. Both feature public education components to increase awareness of the dangers of opioids. The federal law also establishes a task force for studying how to better address pain and offers incentives for pharmaceutical companies to develop non-opioid painkillers. However, Obama and congressional Democrats argue that the law does not provide enough funding to prevent and treat opioid abuse and addiction. The outcome of the presidential election also could shape how opioid addiction will be addressed in the coming years. Hillary Clinton released a $10 billion plan last year that expands access to treatment programs. Donald Trump has said building a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico will keep drugs out of the country but hasn't offered other specifics on how to prevent or treat abuse and addiction. Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted June 14-23, 2016, with a random sample of 1,025 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. View survey methodology, complete question responses and trends. Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Story Highlights 42% job approval ties low from June 2005 Approval has been below majority level since 2010 Record party gap in approval from last summer has narrowed PRINCETON, N.J. -- The U.S. Supreme Court's 42% job approval rating is down slightly from September and matches the low point in Gallup's 16-year trend, recorded in June 2005. The Supreme Court's approval ratings have not been above 50% since September 2010. The latest results are from a July 13-17 Gallup poll. Although the current approval rating ties the historical low, it is not a major departure from updates over the last five years, when approval has ranged between 43% and 49% -- including 45% when Gallup last measured it, in September 2015. The Supreme Court recently concluded its 2015-2016 term, with eight justices serving since the death of Antonin Scalia in February and no progress made toward confirming Barack Obama's choice of Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy. As a result, the shorthanded court deadlocked on several potentially important decisions, upholding previous lower court rulings. One of the more significant decisions of the term was the court's ruling allowing colleges to continue to consider an applicant's racial or ethnic background as a factor in admissions decisions. Americans widely disapproved of that decision. The prior low Supreme Court job approval rating came in June 2005, just after a court decision to permit governments to use the power of eminent domain to seize private property for economic development purposes. Approval of the Supreme Court fell to 42% immediately after that decision was announced, from 51% in the prior measurement. That proved to be a short-term decline, however, with approval back to 56% in Gallup's next update in September 2005. Although the current approval rating ties the previous low, the 52% of Americans now disapproving of the Supreme Court is the highest in the trend. The prior high disapproval rating was 50% last September. Democrats Still More Likely Than Republicans to Approve; Party Gap Narrows Just after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide and rejected a second major legal challenge to the 2010 Affordable Care Act last summer, Democrats' (76%) and Republicans' (18%) approval ratings of the court were the most polarized Gallup had ever measured. Today, Democrats remain significantly more likely to approve, 60% to 32%, but the party gap in approval ratings has narrowed, from 58 percentage points to 28 points. The record party polarization last summer was clearly a response to those two politically charged rulings, both of which were aligned with Democratic rather than Republican policy preferences on same-sex marriage and the Affordable Care Act. However, over time, the impact of those decisions on partisans' views of the Supreme Court has likely diminished. Republicans' approval has returned to its fall 2014 level, while Democrats' approval remains above where it was at that time. Independents' approval of the court today is 38%, still down significantly from 46% in the fall of 2014, and the lowest approval rating among this group in Gallup's trend. This helps account for the all-time low Supreme Court approval rating among all Americans. Implications During the decade of the 2000s, a majority of Americans typically approved of the job the Supreme Court was doing, with the most notable exception occurring in 2005. That dip was short-lived, and Americans' positivity toward the Supreme Court was quickly restored. However, in the past six years, Supreme Court job approval has yet to return to the majority level and is now tied for the low point in Gallup's trend. While Americans' views of the Supreme Court are often influenced by the decisions it issues, the current depressed ratings are likely also caused by Americans' long-standing dissatisfaction with the way things are going in the country, their frustrations with the government and diminished confidence in U.S. institutions more generally. Gallup has documented that Americans' more basic trust in government institutions has eroded in recent years, and the Supreme Court, often the most popular and trusted of the three branches of the federal government, has not been immune. Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted July 13-17, 2016, with a random sample of 1,023 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. View survey methodology, complete question responses and trends. Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Rights monitors report that an ailing Christian woman held in Irans Evin prison for three years has been denied medical leave. Maryam Zargaran was arrested in 2012 and sentenced because of her Christian faith to four years in prison for supposed security-related crimes. She has been on a hunger strike for weeks, protesting the refusal of authorities to grant her medical treatment or leave. According to Irans New Islamic Penal Code, prisoners can apply for conditional release after serving a third of their sentence. Ms. Zargaran is reportedly suffering from heart and hearing problems and other serious ailments, and has complained of poor treatment from the prisons clinic. Both Amnesty International and the U.S. State Department have noted and condemned the practice by Iranian authorities of denying proper medical care to prisoners of conscience and other political prisoners. Both have also noted that the persecution of religious minorities in Iran continues unabated. Iran remains a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act in the U.S. Christians, Muslims who do not adhere to the governments official interpretation of Islam, Yarsanis, Jews, and, most particularly, Bahais face discrimination, arbitrary arrest, imprisonment and worse, because of their faith, despite President Hassan Rouhanis promise in 2013 that All ethnicities, all religions, even religious minorities, must feel justice. Iran has ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which guarantee freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Secretary of State John Kerry has said that the basis of this critical freedom is respect: And respect, in turn, demands legal equality. It demands that the practitioners of one faith understand that they have no right to coerce others into submission, conversion, or silence, or to literally take their lives because of their beliefs." The United States, as President Barack Obama has said, remain[s] committed to promoting religious freedom, both at home and across the globeand urge[s] every country to recognize religious freedom as both a universal right and as a key to a stable, prosperous and peaceful future. 'The Leftovers' Seson 3 Air Date, Spoiler, News & Update: Which Cast Members are Returning for the Shows Finale? "The Leftovers" Season 3 has been revealed to be the last of the series. Since it will be the finale, the cast and crew feel more pressured to give their best and prove that their show is indeed one of the best programs on television. When "The Leftovers" premiere in 2014, it can be recalled that the show was heavily criticized for being too depressing. But during season 2, viewers started to praise the show as its quality dramatically improved. Critics have also changed their stance and called the show as "the best." Following the confirmation of season 3 telecast, the producers also shared who among the cast members are staying, who will make a comeback and who will never return. According to TV Line, lead stars Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon will surely be in the finale. Supporting role players including Christopher Eccleston, Amy Brenneman, Margaret Qualley, Liv Tyler, Janel Moloney and Chris Zylka are staying as well. It was added that the whole Murphy family that was part of "The Leftovers" Season 2 is joining the final season too. The clan is composed of Kevin Caroll, Jasmin Savoy-Brown, Jovan Adepo and Regina King. Also, Scott Glenn, who was in seasons 1 and 2 is returning as Kevin Garvey's dad. There was only one person who will not be in the show anymore and she is Ann Dowd. However, it was said that it is possible that she will make a brief guest appearance through flashbacks since she already died in season 1. Meanwhile, Eccleston who has been playing as Rev. Matt Jamison in the drama was interviewed by Yahoo TV last week and he divulged that they have already started filming season 3. "We started in May in Austin, Texas. We did two full episodes, and we did some interiors for Episodes 3 and 4," he said. The actor also shared that they filmed in Melbourne, Australia, first and that was about a month ago. He also hinted that the final season will only have eight episodes in total and six episodes will feature Australia. "The Leftovers" final season has been set to premiere in 2017, but no specific date was given. Fans can watch the show for the last time on HBO. See "The Leftovers" Season 2 trailer below: 'Iron Man 4' Release Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Comic-Con 2016 Revealed Fourth Installment in Jeopardy? As expected, Marvel Studios gave exciting updates at the annual San Diego Comic-Con 2016 panel last weekend as to what fans will be expecting from the motion picture studio. Shockingly, there was no mention about the highly-anticipated "Iron Man 4." So what does this mean? READ: 'Iron Man 4' Release Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Marvel Confirms Robert Downey Jr.'s Exit? Ever since the existence of "Iron Man 4" was mentioned, there were a lot of controversies surrounding the beloved franchise. With no "Iron Man 4" news and updates revealed at the Comic-Con 2016 Marvel Studios panel, it seems like the fans should start getting worried about the fate of "Iron Man 4." READ: 'Iron Man 4' Release Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Robert Downey Jr. Will Not Reprise Role? Vine Report points out the absence of the lead star of "Iron Man 4" in the Marvel Studios panel at Comic-Con 2016, Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. Although it is not the first time that Robert Downey Jr. skipped the Comic-Con event, his no-show in the recent Comic-Con 2016 added fuel to rumors like him not reprising his role, or passing his baton to a 15-year-old girl. READ: 'Iron Man 4' Release Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Robert Downey Jr. Not Interested To Be Part of Next Installment? It has long been rumored that after a couple of featured appearances of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in a series of blockbuster films, the actor is ready to hang his famous suit up. But then again, Robert Downey Jr. himself confirmed that "Iron Man 4" is definitely happening during his guest appearance at the Ellen DeGeneres show back in 2014. READ: 'Iron Man 4' Release Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Another Avenger Will Wear The Red Metal Suit? Find Out Who! After all the whispers and speculations of him not wanting to be Iron Man anymore, Robert Downey Jr. shared he is still willing to return as Tony Stark in "Iron Man 4" while he was promoting "Captain America: Civil War" in April. "I feel like I can do one more," Robert Downey Jr. said as he stared straight at the camera, making it even more intense on how willing and dedicated he is to his "Iron Man 4" role. If Robert Downey Jr. will not reprise his role in "Iron Man 4," who do you think is the best actor to replace RDJ? Write down your choice in the comment section below! Kate Middleton Pregnancy Update: Is She Really Pregnant? Royal Familys Summer Vacation, The So-Called Kate Middleton Effect Reports are coming out that Catherine, "The Duchess of Cambridge" or known by many simply as Kate Middleton is pregnant again with not just her third child but also her fourth. According to Life and Style Magazine, a source told that the couple want at least four children for their family. "They don't mind whether No. 3 is a boy or a girl. They already have one of each, so they just want their next child to be healthy," But not everybody is convinced. Kate was seen on a white-fitted dress at the National History Museum last July 6th and showed no proof of pregnancy. Kelly Lynch of Hollywood Gossip said that she should already be showing some baby bump for being four months pregnant. Will there really be an addition to the family by Christmas? Royal Family's Summer Vacation The royal couple and their children George, 2 and Charlotte, 14 months are now in France for a summer holiday. They've used an 8million Cessna private plane owned by the Duke of Westminster who is a family friend and landed at the small south-western airport of Pau-Pyrenees on Tuesday afternoon as reported by Hello Magazine. In addition, the royals rode in the two blacked-out Range Rover cars owned by Prince William and travelled in the direction of north Bearn and Gers. "Kate Middleton Effect" This is the effect the Duchess gave to the maternity dress designer Cecile Reinaud when one of her masterpiece was worn by Kate in their first family photo. "When it was confirmed that the dress was Seraphine, things went crazy." The designer said in an interview by OK Magazine according to Daily Mail. "'The 'Kate effect' nearly crashed our website, we got hundreds of calls and the dress instantly sold out.' She added. CSULB alum wins gold at the 38th Long Beach Marathon which was his first The U.S. military, in partnership with the Malawi Defense Force and partner nations, will conduct Southern Accord 2016, a command post exercise in Salima, Malawi August 1-12 and a disaster relief table top exercise in Lilongwe, Malawi, August 8-10. Southern Accord is an annual joint military exercise that brings together Southern African Development Community partner nations and U.S. Army Africa to conduct operational planning for the United Nations/African Union mandated operation in The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nearly 250 military personnel from ten nations are expected to participate in this years exercise. Southern Accord brings together partner nations to practice and demonstrate proficiency in conducting peacekeeping and disaster relief operations. The exercise will include headquarters staff training and peace keeping and disaster operations scenarios. This exercise will consist of one week of classroom-based academics, one week of a command post training exercise, and a table top exercise simultaneously. The goal of Southern Accord 2016 is to increase interoperability and build capacity between U.S and African militaries, while cementing partnerships built from previous Southern Accord exercises. Once the exercise is complete, all exercise participants will return to their home countries and stations. The Southern Accord exercise is a very important capacity building exercise for the SADC states because it articulates the objectives of leadership, strategic goals, enhances physical security and promotes common values, said Col. C.W. Kachala, the deputy chief of training of the Malawi Defense Force, or MDF. Southern Accord 2016 is another chapter in the course of continued security cooperation between U.S. Army Africa and the MDF. Malawi hosted Southern Accord 2014. U.S. Army Africa also collaborated with the Malawi Defense Force to establish the first senior noncommissioned officers course at the Malawi Armed Forces College. More than 100 non-commissioned officers have graduated from the academy since it began in January 2014. In February, Malawi and the United States signed a military cooperation agreement setting the framework for continued military cooperation, assistance and training collaboration. This planning event is an example of how military ties between the U.S. and Malawi continue to gain momentum. As U.S. Ambassador to Malawi, Virginia Palmer noted: Malawi has a strong record of military discipline, peaceful coexistence, defense of the constitution, and leadership in supporting regional peace and stability. Is your basement overflowing with boxes of old stuff? Do you park both of your cars in your driveway because your antique toy collection takes up all of the space in your two-car garage? Are the walls of your farms 100-year-old barn about to fall down from the weight of all of the old rusty tools hanging on them? If so, the scouting team for the "American Pickers" television show would like to hear from you. The show's stars, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, will be coming to Oregon in September looking for honey holes, hidden treasures from the past, as the cable show prepares for its ninth season on History. According to Natasha Moore, casting associate, the stars from LeClaire, Iowa, (population 3,900) will spend three to four weeks in Oregon. Right now, were doing research, looking for people with collections, Moore said. We love stories about the people, the stories behind their items. Moore said the shows will air about two months after they are shot. Episodes of the show, which debuted in 2010, have drawn as many as 5 million viewers. The process starts with people sending 30 to 50 photos of their old stuff to the casting company, based in New York City. Also needed is your name, town, phone number, where the collection is located and a description of items available. Items they love to pick: old motor scooters, furniture, electronics, fishing tackle, pinball machines, bicycles, toys, automobilia, folk art, military items, and more. Once we get through with the initial vetting, we have three teams of scouts two to three people each that will visit the sites, Moore said. Of course, Mike and Frank are involved and have the final say. Once a collection of sites is developed, Wolfe and Fritz will drive out to Oregon and begin visiting the sites. They will do an initial short visit and then come back and spend up to 12 hours at each site, Moore said. We can only show a portion of each visit. Moore said the potential locations are not revealed beforehand because we want it to be as homey of a visit as possible and not attract a crowd. The show focuses on individuals or families and shies away from commercial shops, such as antique stores. As Wolfe and Fritz say often on the show, the grimier and dustier the stuff, the better what they call rusty gold. Moore said a film crew may come from New York, or be sourced in Oregon. Persons with collections they would like to share are asked to call 855-OLD-RUST (855-653-7878) or visit americanpickers@cineflix.com. "American Pickers" is produced by Cineflix Productions for History. Developers planning to build a student housing complex on a Witham Hill property have applied for federal and state wetlands permits. The wetlands issues must be resolved before the development group, Core Investments, can submit building permits to the city. Core Investments is planning a 296-unit complex that would house 900 residents on a 95-acre parcel north of Northwest Harrison Boulevard and west of 35th Street. The controversial project was rejected by the Planning Commission in 2013, but that decision was overridden by the City Council in 2014. Residents appealed the approval to the state Land Use Board of Appeals, which remanded one transportation issue to the city and rejected the other appeals. The state Court of Appeals affirmed the rejection and city action in August 2015 cleared the way for the project to go forward. In the meantime the original development company, Campus Crest Communities of Charlotte, North Carolina, sold the project to Core Investments of Chicago. No new public process was required when Core Investments took over. Core Investments proposes to fill in 1.67 acres of the 22.87 acres of wetlands on the site to allow for the extension of Northwest Circle Boulevard and the construction of stormwater facilities. The rest of the wetlands would remain untouched amid the 70 percent of the acreage that would be preserved as open space. The developers plan to purchase 1.67 acres of credit from the Long Tom Mitigation Bank to offset those acres that will be filled in. In addition to the wetlands permits, Core Investments also must receive a water quality certification from the state Department of Environmental Quality. Residents have until Aug. 19 to offer public comment on both applications (see information box for details). Core Investments also has applied for wetlands permits with the Oregon Department of State Lands, but the public comment period is not yet open for that application. It is difficult to predict how long the permit process might take, officials said, and Core Investments has not released timelines for either breaking ground or opening the facility. Core Investments officials did not respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment. The land has had a long and complicated history. Seven annexation votes were held and defeated between 1978 and 2002 before Corvallis voters approved bringing the property into the city in 2004. In 2007 the Corvallis City Council approved a plan to build 211 single-family houses on the site, but the project collapsed when the housing market crashed. The land was zoned for single-family (low-density) use, but the zoning was changed to medium-density during the lengthy public process that began with a September 2013 public hearing before the Planning Commission. Opponents of the plan expressed concerns about traffic, bicycle safety and neighborhood compatibility. Campus Crest officials said the proposal would provide needed housing for Oregon State University students and that its location more than a mile from campus would ease pressure to convert single-family homes in the near-campus neighborhoods to student use. When Campus Crest owned the property, the complex was set to be dubbed The Grove at Corvallis. Core Investments has not revealed its plans for naming the project. ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation. RASPBERRY (razbere) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer. We hereby deliver: ROSES to Portland State University President Marinus "Wim" Wiewel, who this week announced plans to retire at the end of the next academic year after a decade on the job. The announcement came as a surprise, seeing how Wiewel had signed a three-year contract just over a year ago. But he told The Oregonian this week that he came to believe it was time to go: "It's just been an amazing experience. But it's an exhausting position." His decision gives Portland State's board of trustees adequate time to search for his replacement. We'd encourage the board to keep that search as open as possible, and not to follow the example set by its sister public institution, the University of Oregon, which ran a very secretive search to find its new president, Michael Schill. As for Wiewel, he played a critical role in pounding out the details of how Portland State (and other public universities) would become independent from the state of Oregon. As we noted recently in another editorial, the jury's still out on this experiment in Oregon higher education, but we're further along now than we would have been, thanks to Wiewel's work. ROSES to those of you who will take heed of the increased risk of wildfire as temperatures heat up and RASPBERRIES to those of you who will carelessly put our forests, our public lands, at risk of burning. With temperatures expected to be in the 90s today before they dip just a little for the weekend, and forests rapidly drying statewide, the Oregon Department of Forestry this week urged people to take special precautions when in the woods over the weekend. Your actions could make the difference between an enjoyable outing and a wildfire disaster, so act accordingly. ROSES to everyone in the mid-valley who's organizing an event next Tuesday night, Aug. 2., for National Night Out. Not familiar with National Night Out? It's the event, held every year on the first Tuesday in August, in which neighbors gather to discuss crime-prevention efforts, strengthen the relationships between the community and its law-enforcement agencies and basically check in with each other. We sometimes underestimate the role that strong neighborhoods can play in preventing crime, but there's little doubt that engaged neighbors can help to keep criminals at bay; a watchful neighbor will know when something isn't right and, in fact, can also offer a measure of protection against scam artists trying to work a nefarious scheme door-to-door. But too many of us are hard-pressed to even remember the names of our neighbors. Tuesday night offers a chance to rectify that. Speaking of scam artists, RASPBERRIES to those crooks who are posing as Pacific Power representatives. We've received reports that this particular scam, yet another variation on a well-worn con, is back in the mid-valley. Here's how this odious scheme works: You get a call from someone saying they're with Pacific Power and they're about to turn off your electricity unless you run out and get a cash card. (This particular variant of the scam tends to target businesses.) If you get the call, don't offer any personal information or account numbers. Don't run out and get a cash card. Just hang up and report the call to your local law-enforcement agency. ROSES to a fresh season of Oregon State University's Bard in the Quad, which opens next Thursday in the Memorial Quad with a production of "Love's Labour's Lost." You can read more about the production next week in our E section, but for now, here's all you need to know: These productions are a terrific way to spend a summer evening, although you'll want to be sure that you come prepared to bundle up because temperatures on the Quad can drop dramatically (and quickly) after the sun goes down. Director Elizabeth Helman says she's trimmed the play down to a brisk two-and-a-half hours (oh, stop whining, you purists; even the Oregon Shakespeare Festival makes cuts in the plays). This marks the 11th season for these Bard in the Quad productions, which have become one of the essential summertime arts events in the mid-valley. RASPBERRIES to a dreadful new drink trend sweeping the nation: According to a horrifying story in Thursday's edition of The New York Times, the trendy drink in happening locales is Champagne on the rocks. We can already see you recoiling from the page, but you read that right. Just to make sure that you understand this horror, let us spell it out for you (you may want to be certain that people who are easily frightened are not in the room): This involves people actually pouring Champagne into glasses that have been filled with ice cubes. This is not people cooling bottles of champagne in ice buckets; this practice, of course, is encouraged. Alas, a primary culprit here actually is Moet, the French Champagne producer, which has created a Champagne that is meant to be served over ice. (The company created the drink after noticing that champagne sales slumped during the summer.) Well. We suppose we can look the other way just this once. But if this leads to people slipping an ice cube or two into a glass of pinot noir, things could really get ugly. Google has been adding new imagery to Google Earth, but has not updated historical imagery for over a month, so we are unable to do maps of the new imagery or see any of the added imagery that is not in the default layer. We had a look at different ways to use AI image recognition with Google Earth imagery. There are a lot of interesting potential applications using the satellite and aerial imagery as well as Street View imagery. We had a look at rainbow planes and explained how the effect is a result of a combination of the satellites movement as well as the planes movement. We noted that it was possible to use rainbow planes to estimate the altitude of the satellite and use this, combined with the imagery date and imagery supplier, to guess which satellite captured the image. This lead us to create a list of imaging satellites. We also had a look at what sun-synchronous orbits look like and then created a Google Earth Tour animating the Landsat 7 orbit. We had a go at watching sand dunes move with the aid of historical imagery. The biggest difficulty we had was finding suitable locations, as most deserts have very little historical imagery. We were, however, able to find some examples of sand dunes moving. We had a look at the last ten years of imagery updates for the continental US and for Europe and used this to estimate how frequent imagery updates can be expected in those regions. (Every three years for the Continental US and five to seven years for Europe.) We had a look at a Street View tour maker created by Steven Ho. It is a clever idea that allows you to create Google Earth Tours that include Street View sequences. Tired of waiting for Google to get to the Faroe Islands, some enterprising locals decided to capture their own Street View with the help of sheep. They have named it Sheep View. We showed you how to process Sentinel Imagery with the help of GIMP. If you decide to try it out be sure to also read this post, which has some more details and a tool to help create the final image overlay. We also had a look at a massive landslide in Alaska with the help of Sentinel imagery. We had a look at Chinas south-north water transfer project, one of the most expensive engineering projects ever undertaken. We discovered by accident that the backspace key allows you to go back to the previous view in Google Earth. In fact, it remembers everything you looked at for the whole session. We found some multi-coloured patches of snow in various places that have been introduced as part of Google Earths new global moasaic. We believe it has to do with a bug in the way the imagery is processed for the transition between the global mosaic and the higher resolution imagery displayed when zoomed in. We noticed some extended Street View coverage in Bangladesh and Mongolia, but at the time the Mongolian Street View was not working. That has since been rectified. With the arrival of NASAs Juno probe at Jupiter we discussed why a Google Jupiter would not work the same way as Google Earth or Google Mars. Jupiter simply doesnt have a mapable surface. Google Jupiter would be closer to a weather map than a ground map. We created a tool that makes use of the Google Earth API to check whether placemarks have imagery after a given date. This is useful if you have a large number of placemarks and you want to check for recent imagery in their locations. A number of readers reported that the Weather layer in Google Earth is broken. It only affects the Conditions and Forecasts layer. It is still broken, with the exact same data showing for the places we looked at when we wrote the post. While trying to determine how recent the imagery in Google Earths new global moasaic is, we created an animation of the shrinking Aral Sea. Refugee homes : Modular housing to be finished end of September New accommodations for refugees are expected to be completed in mid-October with room for 180 persons. Foto: Roland Kohls Buschdorf New accommodations for refugees are expected to be completed in mid-October. The mobile containers have room for 180 persons. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken New temporary housing for refugees is being erected in Buschdorf. The housing is in the form of container modules and located at the corner of Schlesienstrae and Otto-Hahn-Strae. Currently, workers are connecting and sealing the containers, and installing electrical systems as well as fire alarms. There will be space for 180 persons and the first refugees are expected to move in around mid-October. The occupants will be families and single persons who are already living in Bonn. At the moment, they are living in hotels or in apartments which have already been scheduled for demolition. As of now, the city is responsible for housing 3,286 refugees. The city invested 3.3 million euro in the housing. If needed, the mobile containers can be moved elsewhere and used for other purposes. Annette Boemer from City Facilities Management (SGB) said, We only have a permit to stay in this commercial zone for three years. Demand for the mobile containers is high because of their flexibility. They can also be used for the expansion of kindergartens and schools, and one can easily combine two rooms to make one large room. Rooms will be shared by two people and there are kitchens, common rooms, shared restroom facilities and showers. There will also be rooms for childcare and for volunteers who work with the refugees. Mirroring the operations of other city refugee shelters, security services, social workers and building maintenance staff will support the residents of the facility 24 hours a day. ELKO In its continuous efforts to revitalize the downtown, a City advisory council has recommended a storefront program stemming from a local level instead of a collaboration with the state government. This is what development is supposed to be, said Catherine Wines. There was a unanimous vote for the Redevelopment Advisory Council to recommend the establishment of a storefront improvement reimbursement program to the Redevelopment Agency, save Jon Karr and Chris Johnson, who were not present. However, the motion made by Lina Blohm came with caveats. There will be a 50-50 match up and no more than $10,000 will be allotted per business. Additionally, there will be a maximum annual expenditure of $50,000 for the first five years. After the completion of that period, the total amount will be reevaluated. This five-year period was agreed upon as City Planner Cathy Laughlin told the advisory council other cities have seen the most growth during this initial time frame. The proposed amount accounts for a quarter of a million dollars from projected RDA revenues, said Assistant City Manager Scott Wilkinson. He said this must be monitored to understand the cumulative monetary impact of decisions, otherwise well get to the endgame and not have enough to do the corridor. Laughlin told the board members this program also gives the City an opportunity to learn from other communities, many of which reported increased growth in the first five years. During the session, the pitfalls of the previous program were discussed including the types of renovations being sought, such as window repairs. Blohm said there needs to be clearly defined rules to determine eligibility. This move is so the program helps the businesses in aiding the economy. It is hoped the program brings investment to and incentivizes other businesses, said Blohm. David Roberts, at-large member, said this improvement program would directly affect the look and attractiveness of the downtown. When presented at Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority meetings, the return investment was incredible, he said, explaining the revamped areas created an explosion in business. The RAC voted to table the agenda item related to the first phase of the downtown corridor redevelopment project and schedule a special meeting in late August. The enterprise is based on the approved 30 percent plan, which the board would relate to the existing RDA Plan in terms of prioritization and phasing. Article Protecting the worlds oceans an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs. ELKO A fire on private land in the Adobe Range has burned about 15 acres since Friday morning, and traffic restrictions are in effect on Mountain City Highway. Travel was briefly closed during the morning but is now open to one lane. There was no wind early Friday but temperatures climbed to 100 degrees by mid-afternoon. Water drops by helicopter and retardant drops by single-engine aircraft have been effective at keeping the fire from spreading, according to Elko Interagency Dispatch. National Weather Service radar indicated thunderstorms were starting to form northeast of Elko on Friday afternoon. All of northeastern Nevada is under a red flag warning Saturday for fire danger. bayonel3 at 29-07-2016 10:33 AM (6 years ago) (m) The Turkish government has appealed to the Federal government to close down the 17 Nigerian-Turkish International Colleges (NTIC) in Nigeria, saying they all belong to Fetullah Gulen accused of sponsoring the July 15th failed military coup in Turkey. The Turkish High Commissioner to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, disclosed this while hosting the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Shehu Sani yesterday July 28th. The Turkish government has appealed to the Federal government to close down the 17 Nigerian-Turkish International Colleges (NTIC) in Nigeria, saying they all belong to Fetullah Gulen accused of sponsoring the July 15th failed military coup in Turkey. The Turkish High Commissioner to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, disclosed this while hosting the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Shehu Sani yesterday July 28th. Quote We have formally and verbally made our demand to the Nigerian government through the Foreign Affairs Minister. My countrys Minister of Foreign Affairs has spoken to Mr. Geoffrey Onyema on this. We are requesting for the close down of all the 17 schools. All the schools in Nigeria belong to the Gulen movement and not the Turkish government. They are using the schools to recruit followers for terrorism. This is threatening the peace in our country as they are using funds they are generating in Nigeria for terrorism. Gulen is a terrorist organization using rhetoric of dialogue, peace and partnership to deceive people. It is being presented as a kind of Muslim missionary but they are abusing the religion. They misled the public by putting Turkey in the name of their school. We dont have schools in Nigeria, we have in other countries but not in Nigeria. Gulen movement staged a coup and they failed. Investigations prior to the coup attempt had revealed that the followers of the Gulen group infiltrated into various state structures including the police, army and judiciary.he said Reacting to the allegations, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges, Cemal Yigit in a telephone chat with DailyTrust, denied the claims made by the ambassador and said it was a deliberate attempt by the Turkish government to smear the image of the colleges I am not aware of the information but it is possible since that is how they do the defamation campaign. It is so unfortunate that the smear attack is even reaching Nigeria. Nigeria is a sovereign country and it is as if the Turkish Ambassador has the luxury of giving Nigerian authorities instructions on the place which employed about 2,000 Nigerians. Let me say that the NTIC, Nizamiye Hospital, Nigeria Turkish Nile University under the First Surat Group of Companies are privately invested here by private investors. These groups of companies have nothing to do with the Turkish government and they are non-governmental and non-political companies. Their responsibility is to the Nigerian authorities. The schools and hospitals are open; there is no way they could be closed. This is just misinformation disseminated by the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria. Post Reply I scour the world wide web to bring you interesting stories from around the globe. +2348055557203 Posted: at 29-07-2016 10:33 AM (6 years ago) | Hero ELKO Chairman of the Elko County Republican Party Lee Hoffman said he enjoyed his time attending the GOP national convention and thinks the party is coming together to support Donald Trump for president. Hoffman attended the convention as a delegate for Nevada. He also serves as the GOP national committeeman for Nevada. I thought the convention went really well. It was all very interesting, he said. There was a little dissent or whatever you want to call it from the Cruz contingent, but my thoughts about that are we just dont all walk in lock-step and its really OK that theres a little disagreement. At the end of the day, at a convention the idea really should be that the minority has a voice, but you dont let the minority control the outcome over the wishes of the majority. Hoffman said there were a number of good speeches and it was clear that Donald Trump was going to be the nominee for president. He said the objectives Trump put out were pretty good. They were fairly inspiring to the people there. On the other hand, like politicians everywhere in a speech like that, its hard to understand really the substance of how you get there. I am still in the mode of I would like to hear just a little bit more policy substance of how you get some of those things done. When asked if he has seen more people supporting Trump since the convention, Hoffman said he hasnt been back in Elko long enough to know local opinion. In a general sense, from a broader perspective, not just the Elko perspective, the party is really coming together I think in support of Trump, he said. I think there was a lot more unity within the convention, which represents kind of a broad variety of people from all across the country. I think there were lots of signs of people coming together and saying OK this is our candidate and he wasnt necessarily my first choice but hes our choice and we want to elect him because we dont want Hillary elected. When asked what he thought of Sen. Ted Cruz not endorsing Trump when he spoke at the convention, Hoffman didnt have an opinion of the Texan politician. I think it shows something that Donald Trump invited Cruz to speak without making it a requirement that he endorse him. He gave him a chance to get up there and speak and speak his mind. I think that says something about Donald Trump, Hoffman said. From there we just go forward. From there its just a distraction that he didnt, so lets go forward. This was the first national Republican convention that Hoffman has attended. Im not even really sure what I expected. There was nothing that struck me as a real surprise, but I just didnt really know what it would be like. It was very interesting to be on the floor and see all the people. You know some of them are dancing and waving signs and clapping and some of them were very serious. Of course Im a serious type myself, he said while laughing. Hoffman went as a delegate and his wife, Lynne, went as a guest. At one point they both ended up on television, which they discovered because one of their friends took it off their DVR, Lynne Hoffman said. For a short time the alternate delegates and some of the guest got to be on the floor, instead of in the nose-bleed section. She said one of her favorites, Dr. Ben Carson, was speaking when she was able to be on the floor with her husband. There was a huge teleprompter to our left and behind us, so we could see the teleprompter really well, and in the middle of his talking the teleprompter went, she said. So Lee and I are looking at the teleprompter trying to figure out, you know, when its going to start and what its going to say, and Ben Carson is just talking and talking and talking like theres not any problem, but there are three pictures of us and were both either laughing or looking at the teleprompter, and everybody else around us is looking forward. Both of them were surprised at the amount of security at the convention. There were police everywhere, Lee Hoffman said. Lynne Hoffman said there were areas to walk through the protestors, but most of them were peaceful. It was pretty cool, Lynne said. They both said people in Cleveland were very friendly. Military Sealift Command Delivers on Ocean Glory Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160727-14 Release Date: 7/27/2016 2:45:00 PM By Grady T. Fontana, Military Sealift Command Far East Public Affairs SINGAPORE (NNS) -- Military Sealift Command (MSC) voyage-charter MV Ocean Glory is currently traveling through the Pacific Ocean as part of mobility operation Pacific Pathways 16-2 (PP16-2). Ocean Glory is a commercial ship from Intermarine under contract by MSC to support PP16-2, a U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) mobility operation that supports three USARPAC exercises and links them into a single operation, by using a single MSC commercial vessel to carry a designated task force and their force package equipment for the entire duration. This iteration of PP16-2 is supporting exercises' Hanuman Guardian in Thailand, Keris Strike in Malaysia, and Garuda Shield in Indonesia. "This is a general purpose, heavy lift ship," said Christopher Cassano, plans and exercises officer, MSC Far East. "It has heavy capacity cranes, which when used in tandem can be used to lift pretty heavy stuff." The ship is a multi-purpose dry cargo ship that's equipped for carriage containers and strengthened for heavy cargo. She is equipped with three shipboard cranes -- crane one, which is near the bow, can lift approximately 120 metric tons (265,000 pounds); and cranes two and three can each lift approximately 450 metric tons (about one million pounds). When two and three are used as a single unit, the cranes combine for 900 metric tons of lift. Ocean Glory is a member of the Maritime Security Program (MSP), a series of American-flag ships that are assets the U.S. military can draw upon during contingencies. According to http://www.globalsecurity.org/, MSP was established by the Maritime Security Act of 1996 "to assure the continued viability of a U.S.-flag merchant marine capable of maintaining a role in international commercial shipping and supporting the national sealift policy of maintaining assured access to U.S-flag shipping to deploy unilaterally if necessary during national emergencies," and contingencies. "The U.S. government, through maritime administration, pays a small stipend to these companies," said Cassano. "The Ocean Glory belongs to the MSP, and because of that, she is eligible for missions such as this." Due to the number of vessels enrolled in the MSP, missions like these will see a mix between traditional commercial ships and U.S. naval ships (USNS). "It won't just be USNS and it won't just be commercial," said Cassano. Some missions need the USNS platform. "For instance, if the Army has a requirement to have a helicopter flight deck, (Ocean Glory) won't work, or if the Army says they need to house [100] Soldiers on board, this ship can't do it," said Cassano. However, for the PP16-2 mission, the ship meets the requirement -- to lift big bulky gear and move it across, in and around the Pacific. Ocean Glory departed Tacoma, Washington, mid-May with equipment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) and a detachment of ship riders and made a stop in Hawaii to embark more gear, before arriving in June to Thailand in support of exercise Hanuman Guardian to offload equipment for U.S. Army Task Force Lancer -- made up of elements of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from JBLM and 2nd Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade from Hawaii. After Hanuman Guardian, the equipment voyaged to Malaysia where some equipment was discharged to support Keris Strike. Immediately after the offload, Ocean Glory transited to Indonesia to discharge gear for exercise Garuda Shield. At the conclusion of the exercise, the ship will backload all gear from Indonesia, then Malaysia before returning to Hawaii and JBLM. As much as the PP16-2 was an operation to increase U.S. Army readiness and to promote partnership and interoperability in the Pacific, the evolution was an opportunity for MSC to learn about port operations in the various countries. "A regular movement, especially a commercial movement is relatively simple," said Cassano. "The biggest challenge is all the coordination with the various host nation partners, the various exercise participants, and the different logistics teams." According to Capt. Christopher Hill, merchant marine and master of Ocean Glory, working with the U.S. military was a unique opportunity for him and his crew. He was impressed by the level of professionalism displayed. "These (service members) have a certain sense of 'we can do this' instead of 'how are we going to do this?' attitude," said Hill. "It's a culture ... it's something that everybody shares." Despite the large number of parties involved, Hill noted the sense of teamwork. "The people that we work here with, we count as our friends in all cases and even our shipmates in other cases," said Hill. "Sometimes, the ship's agent will have one set of goals in mind and the owners have another set of goals, while the ship has whatever goals are set for it ... sometimes they mesh and sometimes they don't. But there's only one agenda here and everyone is on the same page." MSC operates approximately 115 non-combatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ANG, Romanian AF partnership soars over Campia Turzii By Staff Sgt. Joe W. McFadden, 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published July 28, 2016 CAMPIA TURZII, Romania (AFNS) -- Thousands of Romanian and European spectators marveled at aerial acrobatics in the skies and combat capability displays on the ground during an air show and open house at Campia Turzii, July 23. For the women and men of the Romanian Air Force's 71st Air Base and the U.S. Air Force's 194th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, the event marked a milestone in their ongoing mission to foster interoperability and strengthen the partnership between the two countries. The aviation demonstration took place during the middle of the 194th EFS's six-monthslong theater security package deployment to Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which aims to bolster the U.S.'s continued commitment to the collective security of NATO and its dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region. The unit was comprised of more than 200 California Air National Guard Airmen from the 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno ANG Base, California, as well as active-duty Airmen from the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Airmen piloted, maintained and supported the deployment of 12 F-15C Eagles throughout nations including Romania, Iceland, U.K., Netherlands and Estonia. "It's important that our two great air forces fly and train together face to face," said Maj. Gen. Jon Kelk, the ANG mobilization assistant to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander and the commander, chief of staff of the California ANG. "We can develop plans and strategies, but if the Romanian pilots are here and the U.S. pilots are here and we're not flying and training together, we're missing something. This exercise is a bilateral example for the U.S. and Romanian air forces that we are able to fly and train together face to face, and we all bring something unique and valuable to this training event." The F-15Cs took to the skies alongside the 71st AB's MiG-21 fighter aircraft and Puma helicopters for the air show, the second engagement of its kind at Campia Turzii under OAR, and the bilateral flight training, also known as Dacian Eagle 2016. "Dacian Eagle 2016 continued the tradition of the bilateral Romanian-American exercises conducted at the 71st AB," said Romanian Air Force Col. Marius Ouatu, the 71st AB commander. "The purpose of this exercise is increasing the level of preparedness and interoperability of the participants. The exercise is an opportunity for practicing the techniques, tactics and procedures associated with standard air operations in accordance with NATO standards through the execution of joint flights with our American partner." Kelk added that the participation in Dacian Eagle as well as the air show happened within a broader context of transatlantic operations, and that the emphasis on training was paramount. "We learn from each other and how to operate together and in this day and age; interoperability is key to the larger goals of the NATO alliance," the general said. "These training deployments enable us to learn the capabilities of our aircraft and their aircraft, but more importantly, how we can take those aircraft and use them together to meet our objectives." USAFE-AFAFRICA maintains its global presence based upon the total force cooperation among the active-duty, National Guard and Air Force Reserve components. Additionally, the National Guard State Partnership Program, which includes theater security package deployments, provides support for combatant commanders' security cooperation objectives. The current 32 SPP relationships among the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command equal a fifth of all military-to-military activities within both theaters. USAFE-AFAFRICA leverages this interaction to promote airpower and increase interoperability with allies and partners in Europe and Africa. Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, the deputy adjutant general of the California Military Department, also attended the event. "I think what we've learned today is that American fighters and Romanian fighters can fly and train together in this environment," Beevers said. "We're here today to reassure everyone across Europe that NATO, the American Air Force and the Romanian Air Force can work together cooperatively to deliver high value and demonstrate we have a good deterrent effect across Europe to deter aggression and reassure our partners." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, July 28, 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. Strikes in Syria Attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 14 strikes in Syria: -- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle. -- Near Manbij, nine strikes struck seven separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL tactical vehicle. -- Near Mar'a, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions. Strikes in Iraq Bomber, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 11 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government: -- Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed two ISIL mortar systems. -- Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed an ISIL safe house. -- Near Fallujah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position. -- Near Hit, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL antenna, an ISIL unmanned aerial vehicle, 25 ISIL rocket rails, two ISIL mortar systems, an ISIL rocket, two ISIL rocket systems and an ISIL fighting position. -- Near Kisik, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area and three ISIL vehicles. -- Near Mosul, a strike destroyed an ISIL excavator. -- Near Qayyarah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle. -- Near Ramadi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position. -- Near Rawah, a strike struck an ISIL bomb-making factory. -- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle and an ISIL assembly area. 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, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghanistan Counterterrorism Authority Has Significant Results, Nicholson Says By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 28, 2016 Since President Barack Obama gave counterterrorism authority to U.S. forces in Afghanistan in January to strike the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant there, the U.S. and Afghan forces partnered mission has significantly cut enemy-held territory and has reduced the number of enemy fighters by nearly half, the commander of the Resolute Support mission and U.S. Forces Afghanistan told reporters today. In a news conference via Skype with Pentagon reporters his first since taking command in March -- Army Gen. John W. Nicholson said from the Afghan capital of Kabul that ISIL-Khorasan, the terrorist organization's regional affiliate in Afghanistan has seen a territory reduction from 10 districts in southern Nangarhar to parts of three or four since the start of the authority. Operation Shafaq and Sustained Security Operation Shafaq, the larger Afghan campaign plan for 2016 and a part of the Afghans' sustainable security strategy against terrorist organizations, is meeting with success, the general said. "Overall, our mission in Afghanistan is on a positive trajectory," he added. "Thus far, in keeping with the campaign plan, we have seen the Afghans successfully defend each of these areas, largely by taking offensive operations against the enemy." Kabul Attack No Show of Strength Although last weekend's suicide bombing in Kabul, which killed about 80 Afghans participating in a peaceful demonstration, is yet another indication of ISIL-Khorasan's brutality, Nicholson said, it doesn't mean the group is getting stronger. "The fact that they could conduct a high-profile attack should not be perceived as a sign of growing strength. Indeed, their area is shrinking," he emphasized. And with U.S. forces in Afghanistan conducting two missions -- counterterrorism operations and training, advising and assisting Afghan forces -- they are using the counterterrorism authorities to attack ISIL-Khorasan in southern Nangahar. Partnering With Afghan Forces "We are also partnered with some of the Afghan special forces as we conduct these operations," he said, speaking highly of their special operations capabilities. "We have helped the Afghan security forces to reclaim significant portions of the territory that was previously controlled by [ISIL-Khorasan]," Nicholson said. "We have killed many [of its] commanders and soldiers, destroyed key infrastructure capabilities, logistical nodes, and [its] fighters are retreating south into the mountains of southern Nangahar." When operations began in January, Nicholson said, ISIL-Khorasan fighters were estimated to be around 3,000. Now, he said, that number is roughly 1,000 to 1,500. A dynamic battlefield and mountainous terrain makes it tough to develop exact figures, he added. 12 Identified Terror Groups Many ISIL-Khorasan fighters are members of other groups that changed allegiances, the general noted, and the number of U.S.-designated terrorist organizations in Afghanistan is up to nine, with "three other violent extremist organizations," he added. "We will continue to stay after [ISIL-Khorasan] until they are defeated here in Afghanistan," Nicholson said. "At the same time, we'll continue with our train-advise-assist mission with our Afghan partners, so ultimately in the future they will be able to do these missions entirely on their own." The fight against ISIL-Khorasan is critical, Nicholson said. "It's nested within a larger global strategy against the Islamic State, [and] in fact, coincides with ongoing operations in Iraq and Syria," he told reporters. "By fighting groups like [ISIL-Khorasan] and al-Qaida here in Afghanistan, we deny them sanctuary and we inhibit their ability to conduct transnational attacks from here." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NAVSUP GLS ELRT Supports RIMPAC 2016 Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160728-09 Release Date: 7/28/2016 10:37:00 AM By Cmdr. Alex Maitre, Naval Supply Systems Command Global Logistics Support Public Affairs SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Supply Systems Command Global Logistics Support (NAVSUP GLS) completed the deployment of a five-person Enterprise Logistics Response Team (ELRT) July 22 during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016, the world's largest international maritime exercise. The five-person team, comprising Sailors from NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Norfolk and FLC Jacksonville, Florida, deployed downrange to augment FLC Pearl Harbor. Coordination of the Sailors' participation was facilitated from NAVSUP GLS headquarters in San Diego. At the January request of both U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleets, the deployment acted as a test bed for a larger, more comprehensive deployment scheduled for next year in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility. "This successful mobilization and execution of the first NAVSUP GLS ELRT is the culmination of nearly a year's worth of effort in the operationalization of the NAVSUP GLS Enterprise," said Mr. Bonifacio Cabling, NAVSUP GLS Code 43 logistics operations department head. "FLC Pearl Harbor, FLC Norfolk and FLC Jacksonville's participation in exercising the ELRT was our first attempt at a good response to [NAVSUP GLS commander] Rear Adm. McNeal, the chief, and the fleets." Eight FLCs around the world are aligned as the face of the NAVSUP GLS Enterprise to support one or more "supported Navy commanders" in accomplishing their missions by providing logistics products and services in both established and expeditionary locations. Besides Norfolk, Jacksonville and Pearl Harbor, the remaining FLCs are based in San Diego; Yokosuka, Japan; Bremerton (Puget Sound), Washington; Sigonella, Sicily; and Manama, Bahrain. When the supported commander's logistics requirements exceed the normal capabilities of an individual FLC, the ELRT is the enterprise tool NAVSUP GLS and the FLCs use to respond to and sustain operations. Hence, the NAVSUP GLS ELRT enables the surge of supply and logistics personnel and capabilities from one or more FLCs, to the others. A contingency -- such as a foreign humanitarian assistance event, a defense support of civil authorities event, or a combat operation -- stresses operational commanders and those that support them as no exercise or "normal" operation can. Therefore, the NAVSUP Contingency Response Plan was written in 2009 and updated in 2015 to govern NAVSUP's response to these scenarios, which includes deployment of the ELRT. "The NAVSUP GLS Code 43 team has been working directly with the fleets and the FLCs, refining the processes and procedures to meet Rear Adm. McNeal's requirement and [NAVSUP Commander] Rear Adm. Yuen's intent in answering the question, 'Can we fight?'" said Bonifacio. The ELRT is one of the key capabilities that operationalize the Contingency Response Plan. Elements of an ELRT are tailorable, but may include provisions ordering, mail handling and routing, cargo handling and routing, logistics support representative (LSR) capability, contracting, purchasing, and hazardous material handling and ordering. The supported NAVSUP command determines what the composition of the ELRT should be and requests support from NAVSUP GLS, which then sources the ELRT from as many FLCs that are required to support the requirement. The RIMPAC 2016 deployment was particularly focused on the operation of Automated Manifest System-Tactical (AMS TAC), the supply shipping manifest and database management system. In a crisis, commanders need to know where all their "stuff" is located, without a great deal of manual labor or intensive searching for specific items. Items of crucial interest will expand beyond repair parts, to such things as bottled water, MREs (meals, ready-to-eat), pumps, tents, cots, water purification tablets, or water bladders, to name a few. With a successful ELRT deployment supporting RIMPAC 2016 under its belt, NAVSUP GLS is well postured to support future deployments from around the world. NAVSUP GLS provides global logistics for a global Navy. The organization is made up of approximately 6,300 military and civilian logistics professionals operating from 105 locations worldwide, providing an extensive array of integrated global logistics and contracting services to Navy, Marine Corps, joint operational units, and allied forces across all warfare enterprises. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address From the start, the Utah compromise on religious liberty and key gay-rights issues had that special sex appeal that made news. Journalists knew it was impossible to produce this 2015 Utah bill without the cooperation of leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as Mormons in the Republican-dominated state legislature. Powerful LGBT leaders were also in these negotiations, and endorsed the final product. The key for politicians using Utah as a template was that both sides made important compromises, while defending their core beliefs and goals, said the churchs top lawyer, at a recent Brigham Young University conference on Religious Freedom in an Era of Social Change. Some may be shocked to hear this, but not all religious freedoms are equally important, said Elder Lance B. Wickman, general counsel for the LDS church. Defenders of religious freedom have to decide what is closer to the essential core of religious freedom and what is more peripheral. To do otherwise risks weakening our defense of what is essential. If everything that could even loosely be considered religious is treated as equally important, then effectively nothing religious is important. Thus, the Utah compromise banned LGBT discrimination in housing and employment, while including explicit protections for religious organizations and their institutions, along with carve-out clauses protecting the beliefs of many individuals. County clerks, for example, are not required to approve gay marriages, but officials had to make other options easily available. Wickman stressed that religious institutions must be able to defend and practice their own doctrines and traditions, selecting leaders and retaining members loyal to their faith. Believers must retain their First Amendment rights to politely share their beliefs with others, while fully participating in public life. Recent flash points involving religious liberty and sexuality have centered on businesses operated by believers and religious institutions such as schools and social ministries, which often interact with the public, he said. Religious leaders must face reality and increase local, state and national efforts to defend the rights of believers who are doctors, lawyers, educators and small-business owners. Clashes over parental rights loom ahead, especially for those who choose to homeschool their children. Powerful cultural forces are seeking to characterize those with traditional beliefs as bigots, said Wickman. The risk is that traditional believers and their religious institutions may eventually be relegated to pariah status officially recognized as equal citizens, while in practical reality marginalized and penalized for their faith. Its hard to believe that, as recently as 2013, coalitions of Democrats and Republicans passed religious-liberty bills in states such as Kansas and Hawaii, said law professor Brett G. Scharffs, director of the BYU International Center for Law and Religion Studies. Then, in 2014, major corporations began backing those who argued that bills defending religious liberty were merely shields protecting anti-LGBT forces. Political wars erupted in Indiana, Arizona and elsewhere. Faith and sexuality are both powerful forces close to the heart of personal identity, stressed Scharffs. However, traditional believers cannot win a zero-sum game conflict with the sexual revolution in todays America. Thus, face-to-face efforts seeking compromise are crucial even as that work gets harder. We need strategies that will lower, rather than raise, the temperature and volume surrounding these controversies, he said. We cannot expect the fire to be put out by people whose tools are matches and gasoline. We cannot allow the debate to be dominated by those whose primary tools are the bullhorn or math that requires us to express our ideas in 140 characters or less. Obviously, added Wickman, pluralism is supposed to be the new American norm. The question is whether that pluralism will apply equally to all, requiring people whose lives center on radically different beliefs to find ways to live in tolerance. The wisdom contained in the U.S. Constitution will not provide easy, automatic answers for all of these issues. As citizens of this nation, we have a duty to work with our fellow countrymen to find workable solutions to vexing problems including clashes of rights and fundamentally competing interests, said Wickman. Making peace sometimes requires that we make compromises not compromises on our doctrines, beliefs or moral standards, of course, but compromises in the application of religious freedom to the practical realities of life in this diverse nation. 22nd Iteration of CARAT Singapore Holds Closing Ceremony Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160728-01 Release Date: 7/28/2016 6:59:00 AM From Destroyer Squadron 7 Public Affairs SINGAPORE (NNS) -- The 22nd annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise between the U.S. Navy and Republic of Singapore Armed Forces came to a close at Changi Naval Base July 28. CARAT Singapore 2016 focused on addressing shared maritime security concerns, building relationships and enhancing interoperability among participating forces for the two nations. The nearly two-week-long exercise consisted of shore-based and at-sea training engagements in multiple warfare areas and marked the first time a ship anti-submarine warfare readiness effectiveness measuring (SHAREM) event had been incorporated into CARAT. SHAREM measures how well surface ships and aircraft can detect and track submarines, and provides the two navies the opportunity to share tactics and develop procedures for future joint operations. Capt. H.B. Le, commodore, Destroyer Squadron 7, discussed the importance of adding complexity into the CARAT series during his closing remarks. "In order to ensure we operate effectively when our countries call upon us, we've continued to add complexity and diversity into CARAT exercises," said Le. "In 2016 our navies trained together in events that encompass a wide range of warfare areas, and I think this displays our mutual commitment to ensuring we are prepared to work together during times of crisis, at a moment's notice." During the six-day sea phase, the U.S. and Republic of Singapore navy (RSN) trained together in air defense exercises, gunnery exercises, cross-deck helicopter operations, anti-submarine warfare exercises, and complex surface warfare tactics. New to the exercise in 2016, the two navies engaged in an extended tactical free-play scenario where training in multiple warfare areas occurred simultaneously. "The sea phase of CARAT Singapore provided us the opportunity to work side-by-side with our RSN counterparts in a realistic training environment at sea," said Cmdr. Doug Pegher, commanding officer, USS Stethem (DDG 63). "The training scenarios we worked through together will go a long way in increasing the interoperability of our navies." Ashore, sailors from the two navies participated in two community service events and held professional exchanges and training in anti-submarine warfare, military law, aviation, damage control and medical operations. After more than two decades of annual CARAT training engagements between U.S. and Republic of Singapore Armed Forces, the exercise remains a model for cooperation which has evolved in complexity and enables both nations to refine maritime operations and tactics. CARAT is a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste. CARAT 2016 is the most complex series to date. Its continuing relevance for more than two decades speaks to the high quality of exercise events and the enduring value of regional cooperation among allies and partners in South and Southeast Asia. More than 1,000 sailors participated in CARAT Singapore. U.S. assets involved included Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance (DDG 111) and Stethem with embarked MH-60R helicopters, Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Buffalo (SSN 715), a P-8A Poseidon, USNS Millinocket (T-EPF 3) and USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9), as well as staff from Task Force 73 and Destroyer Squadron 7. Commander, Destroyer Squadron 7 and Commander, 185 Squadron (RSN) served as co-commander, Task Group for the exercise. Commander, Task Force 73 and Destroyer Squadron 7 staff conduct advanced planning, organize resources and directly support the execution of maritime exercises such as the bilateral CARAT series, the Naval Engagement Activity (NEA) with Vietnam, and the multilateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pacific Partnership 2016 Completes First Live SAR Field Training Exercise in Vietnam Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160728-21 Release Date: 7/28/2016 2:51:00 PM From Pacific Partnership 2016 Public Affairs DA NANG, Vietnam (NNS) -- Pacific Partnership service members from New Zealand, the U.S. and Australia supported a Da Nang border guard-led Search and Rescue Field Training Exercise (SAR FTX) July 26 that began on the Han River and concluded aboard Vietnam people's navy hospital ship Khanh Hoa and USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). The FTX was the result of several months of planning between the Da Nang People's Committee, the Da Nang border guard, the Da Nang 115 Emergency Center and the Pacific Partnership Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) team. The exercise aimed to enhance the command, leadership and incident management capacity of local government agencies involved in disaster management and SAR operations, and allow partner nations the opportunity to integrate their skill sets as required. In all, more than 120 civilian and military personnel participated in the exercise. "The FTX was considered a capstone event across the HADR focus area and incorporated a joint interagency exercise led by the Da Nang border guard command," said Maj. Andrew Brooks, New Zealand defense force and Pacific Partnership 2016 HADR lead for Vietnam events. "Pacific Partnership provided direct support to Da Nang border guard to ensure the SAR FTX was a successful event and achieved the border guard's aims and objectives safely and effectively." The exercise consisted of two scenarios, which simulated the after effects of a devastating typhoon in Da Nang. Exercise participants responded to a ship with a simulated inoperable engine that was drifting with survivors aboard, and local fisherman in the water requiring rescue and medical care. The second scenario required participants to respond to a burning vessel with injured crew members aboard and in the water. In both instances the responses were facilitated by the combined efforts of Da Nang border guard SAR boats working alongside Mercy rescue boats -- a first for Pacific Partnership -- and delivered Vietnamese personnel ashore to joint U.S. and Vietnamese casualty stations to receive and treat the injured. In some cases the injured were transported by land or water to Khanh Hoa or Mercy to receive additional medical care. Aboard Mercy, Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron 21 operated an SH-60S helicopter to emulate rotary wing medical evacuations of patients from shore to ship. "The border guard's aim of this exercise was to safely rescue and provide medical treatment for victims of a natural disaster within the maritime environment," said Brooks. "This was successfully achieved by a collaborative effort to coordinate the safe rescue of affected mariners and to ensure that they received timely and appropriate medical treatment." Pacific Partnership departed Da Nang July 28 for another mission stop in Malaysia, and tank landing ship JS Shimokita (LST 4002) will head to Palau to carry out medical, engineering and HADR subject matter expert exchanges and cooperative health engagements alongside military and civilian counterparts in each nation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Navy Breaks Ground on New Red Hill Groundwater Monitoring Site Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160728-18 Release Date: 7/28/2016 2:20:00 PM By Kathy Isobe, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The Navy resumed work, July 27, on a new groundwater monitoring well -- its 11th monitoring site -- near the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Facility, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to protect drinking water on Oahu. The monitoring well is one of four new wells to be installed in coming months. It will help scientists and Navy engineers sample and check water quality and evaluate how groundwater moves in the vicinity of Red Hill. The installation of the newest monitoring well is in accordance with the Administrative Order on Consent agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH). In EPA's latest Red Hill website update, the agency stated the Navy has been testing groundwater at the Red Hill facility since 2005 and added, "These new wells will supply additional data to identify the presence of contamination, better characterize groundwater flow, and guide future investigations." Understanding Red Hill geology and groundwater flow is a high priority. The Navy broke ground for the well earlier this month, but digging was temporarily put on hold due to Tropical Storm Darby. "Last week we began installing an additional groundwater monitoring site to better understand exactly how groundwater moves in the area," said Rear Adm. John Fuller, commander, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific. "Public records confirm that all drinking water remains safe, and this well is more tangible evidence that we are committed to keeping the drinking water safe." EPA also reported, "Public water systems that supply drinking water to Oahu residents are required to routinely test drinking water for contaminants. All drinking water supplies in the vicinity of Red Hill continue to meet all federal drinking water standards." The installation of the new well coincides with visits by groups of senior civilian leaders and delegates this month. Navy subject matter experts provide tours of the facility and status update briefings to community and national leaders. "In the past 2 1/2 years, we hosted several hundred legislators, community leaders and other stakeholders for visits to the Red Hill facility," said Fuller. "At the same time, we continue to work closely with regulators to protect the aquifer." Since 2006, the Navy has invested nearly $200 million to continue modernizing Red Hill. At a cost of $500,000, construction of this latest monitoring well is expected to take about one month and be completed by the end of August. The Navy will continue to routinely take water samples and send them to an independent accredited commercial laboratory for analysis, using industry-standard EPA test methods. And the Navy will continue to submit test results to DOH and EPA for evaluation, assessment and public dissemination. Data from groundwater samples are designed to identify whether additional action is warranted. Red Hill is a key part of the 2016 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. It is a national strategic asset that provides fuel essential to our nation's defenders. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China urges Japan, U.S.,Australia to do right things for peace in Asia-Pacific People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:21, July 28, 2016 BEIJING, July 27 -- China on Wednesday urged Japan, the United States and Australia to view and deal with the South China Sea issue in a right attitude. None of the three nations are directly-concerned parties to the issue, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang in response to question on a trilateral statement issued by the three countries on Monday evening, which touched upon the South China Sea situation. Lu said China urges relevant countries to respect the efforts of the directly-concerned parties to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, and do right things to serve peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) have already set rules in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), he said. During the foreign ministers' meeting between China and ASEAN nations (10+1), China and the ASEAN nations issued a joint statement on full and effective implementation of the DOC, which reiterates that disputes should be resolved peacefully through negotiation between the parties directly concerned, said Lu. Japan, the U.S. and Australia have been citing international laws for some time, but in fact they have been adopting a double standard towards international laws, which they adopt only when the international laws fit their needs, said the spokesperson. Lu reaffirmed China's non-acceptance of the illegal and void award issued by the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration established at the unilateral request of the Philippines. The award given by the Arbitral Tribuna is beyond the scope of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and has gravely violated the international law and the general practice of international arbitration, and it does not stand for the international law, he said. China firmly opposes any proposition and action based on the award, Lu stressed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fresh talks fail to form coalition govt. in Spain Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:7PM Negotiations among Spain's major parties have failed again to end the seven-month political stalemate in the country. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez said his party was still opposed to a conservative government led by caretaker Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. "We want to change Rajoy's government and this is why we will vote 'no' in a confidence vote," Sanchez told reporters in Madrid on Thursday, after a meeting with Spain's monarch King Felipe VI. King Felipe has been in talks since Tuesday with major parties holding power in Spain's parliament, in hope of finding a short-cut solution to the political deadlock. The meeting between the parties was the fourth such set of talks this year to seek a consensus candidate to lead the next government. National elections in December 2015 and June both resulted in hung parliaments, forcing the major parties to try to form a viable coalition. All four major parties are said to be under pressure to compromise and end the political paralysis in the country. So far, however, all efforts to form a coalition government have been to no avail. The two left-leaning parties, the Socialists and Unidos Podemos ("Together We Can"), are strongly opposed to Rajoy leading the government Without backing or at least an abstention from the Socialists, it would be impossible for Rajoy to secure a majority for a second term in office. However, the Liberal Ciudadanos ("Citizens") party, which came fourth in the June 26 election, has announced that it would abstain in a confidence vote for Rajoy. In the June election, Rajoy's Conservative People's Party gained 137 seats in the 350-member parliament, the Socialists party gained 85, the Unidos Podemos coalition led by anti-austerity party Podemos won 71 seats, and the Liberal Ciudadanos came in fourth with 32 seats. Analysts say due to huge differences in the sides' core values, prospects for resolving the political stalemate remain slim. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemenis kill 4 Saudi officers in retaliatory attacks Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 3:5PM At least four Saudi military officers have reportedly been killed in a series of retaliatory attacks by Yemeni forces. The Saudi soldiers were stationed in military watch towers in Rabuah region in the southern Saudi province of Asir when they were targeted by rounds of Yemeni sniper fire, the al-Masirah news channel reported. The attacks are part of a drive by Houthis and allies to avenge more than 15 months of military aggression by Saudi Arabia against Yemen, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives. Houthi fighters routinely clash with Saudi border guards both along the frontier and inside the Saudi territory. They mostly use rockets to attack military camps along the Saudi-Yemeni border. Dozens of Saudi soldiers and officers have been killed in the clashes, according to the tolls confirmed by the Saudi Interior Ministry. The airstrikes have inflicted huge losses on the country's infrastructure. Yemenis say the Saudis should compensate the Yemenis for the attacks as part of any potential settlement of the conflict. In another development on Thursday, thousands of Yemenis held a demonstration in the capital, Sana'a, protesting against deadly Saudi air strikes. The rally, called by the Houthi-led Supreme Revolutionary Committee, saw people chanting slogans against the Saudis and urging an end to the relentless killing of Yemenis, especially women and children. Saudi Arabia started the attacks in March 2015 in a bid to bring the former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, back to power and undermine the Houthi movement. The Houthis and their allies have attended peace talks with representatives of Hadi in Kuwait over the past three months. The initiative, led by the United Nations, has repeatedly come close to collapse as the two sides accuse each other of using the talks to advance their advantages on the ground. A truce meant to facilitate the talks came into force on April 10, but Saudi air strikes have continued almost on a daily basis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Civilian targets hit in fresh Saudi airstrikes in Yemen Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:28AM Saudi warplanes have carried out a series of fresh airstrikes against residential neighborhoods across Yemen, but there is no immediate report on possible casualties and extent of damage. They fired several missiles at various areas in Razih district of the northwestern Sa'adah province on Thursday morning, the al-Ahed news website reported. Saudi warplanes also launched several attacks against al-Dhaher district in the same province and two airstrikes against Kuhlan district of the northwestern Hajjah province. The attacks came a day after five Saudi troops were killed when Yemeni army forces backed by fighters from Popular Committees mounted two separate attacks in retaliation against airstrikes. Yemeni snipers targeted them on the border regions of al-Rabuah and al-Khuba in Saudi Arabia's southwestern province of Jizan, reports said. Yemen has been under military strikes by Saudi Arabia since March 26, 2015. The Saudi war was launched in a bid to crush the Houthi Ansarullah movement and restore power to Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi who has resigned as Yemen's president. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 500 UN observers to monitor Colombia-FARC deal: Official Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:9AM Some 500 observers with the United Nations (UN) will monitor a demobilization and disarmament deal between Colombia's government and FARC rebels, a Colombian official says. The deal was reached between the Colombian government and FARC the largest guerrilla group in Colombia in peace talks in the Cuban capital of Havana on June 23. Under the deal, the rebels would disarm and declare independence as a political party. A comprehensive peace accord is expected within weeks. "Five hundred international monitors from 15 countries will ensure" the ceasefire and disarmament deal once the comprehensive agreement is signed, Columbian Senate President Mauricio Lizcano said after meeting with Jean Arnault, the UN representative to the peace talks, on Wednesday. Fifteen percent of the observers will be European and 85 percent Latin American, Lizcano added. Reports say some further issues of disagreement are yet to be settled between the two sides, including the reintegration of FARC members into civil and political life and also the venue where the final deal is to be concluded. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos had threatened earlier this month that the FARC rebels who refuse to demobilize will either be killed or captured by the Colombian military forces. "I assure you, they will end up in the grave or in jail," Santos said. The FARC, also known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, has an estimated 7,000 fighters. It has been at war with the government in Bogota since 1964. So far, at least 260,000 people have been killed in clashes between the two sides and 6.6 million others have been displaced. Moreover, a further 45,000 people are said to be missing as a result of the conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Obama Hails Clinton As 'Clear' Choice For White House July 28, 2016 by RFE/RL U.S. President Barack Obama has praised Hillary Clinton as an exceptionally qualified candidate for the presidency, saying the "choice isn't even close" in her race for the White House against Republican nominee Donald Trump. "There has never been a man or woman, not me, not Bill [Clinton] -- nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States," Obama told the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia as the crowd cheered. In a speech brimming with optimism, Obama laid out a bright vision of the country's future that Clinton will deliver if she wins the November 8 election. He called Clinton, who formally accepted the Democratic nomination a day earlier, "fit and...ready to be the next commander in chief" of the United States, saying her long record of public service -- including as secretary of state and a U.S. senator -- made her uniquely qualified for the White House. "Nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office," Obama said. "You can read about it. You can study it. But until you've sat at that desk, you don't know what it's like to manage a global crisis or send young people to war. But Hillary's been in the room; she's been part of those decisions." Clinton electrified the crowd when she walked on stage as Obama concluded his speech, embracing the president on a night that included speeches by Vice President Joe Biden, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. "This year, in this election, I'm asking you to join me -- to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what's best in us, to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States," Obama said as he wrapped up his remarks. The president and other speakers sharply criticized Trump, a wealthy businessman and former reality-TV star who has never held public office, as a fear-monger who makes empty promises and has a dark vision of the country. Biden called Trump "a man who seeks to sow division in America for his own gain, and disorder around the world" and "a man who confuses bluster with strength." Trump scorned the optimistic tone of the convention's third night, writing on Twitter that the country does not feel "great to the millions of wonderful people living in poverty, violence, and despair." Taking 'Russia's Side' Several speakers during the evening accused Trump as being overly friendly toward Russia, whose relations with Washington have plunged to Cold War-level lows since Russia's forcible annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and its backing of separatists fighting Kyiv's forces in eastern Ukraine. The criticism follows last week's massive leak of e-mail correspondence among Democratic officials that the party has suggested was orchestrated by the Russian government. The leak triggered outrage from supporters of Clinton's rival for the nomination, Senator Bernie Sanders, after the e-mails showed that ostensibly neutral party officials favored Clinton. Trump drew scorn from Democrats for saying earlier on July 27 that he hopes Russia would be able to find "the 30,000 e-mails that are missing," a reference to correspondence that Clinton said she deleted from the private server because she considered them personal. The FBI has investigated whether Clinton violated laws in her handling of classified materials, calling her "extremely careless" but saying last month that she would not face charges. Former U.S. Defense Secretary and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief Leon Panetta told the convention that Trump was "once again" taking "Russia's side" by suggesting that Moscow should track down Clinton's e-mails. "Donald Trump, who wants to be president of the United States, is asking one of our adversaries to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts against the United States of America to affect an election," Panetta said. "As someone who was responsible for protection our nation from cyberattacks, it is inconceivable to me that any presidential candidate would be that irresponsible," he added. Trump has said he would seek to improve ties with Moscow if elected. He also suggested on July 27 that if elected, he would consider recognizing Crimea as part of Russia and lifting sactions that the United States imposed on Russia in reponse to its seizure of the peninsula from Ukraine. "We'll be looking at that. Yeah, we'll be looking," he said when asked whether he would recognize Crimea as Russian territory and lift the sanctions if elected president. Biden, meanwhile, portrayed Trump as sympathetic to "dictators," citing positive statements the Republican nominee has made about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Adding that Trump would make the United States "less safe," Biden said, "We cannot elect a man who belittles our closest allies, while embracing dictators like Vladimir Putin." Clinton made history at this week's convention, becoming the first woman to be chosen to lead a major U.S. political party's bid for the White House. She is set to formally accept the nomination at the convention on July 28. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/barack-obama- hails-clinton-clear-choice-white-house-biden- trump-democratic-convention/27885541.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 Tunisian soldiers kill two militants near border with Algeria Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 2:27PM Tunisian troops have killed at least two Takfiri militants in the troubled northwest of the country, after a series of terrorist attacks by Daesh militants left dozens dead in the North African country. The Tunisian Ministry of Defense said that the militants were killed on Wednesday during a search operation near the town of Jendouba, which is close to Algeria border. "Military units, reinforced by elements of the National Guard... killed two terrorists during search operations" near the town of Jendouba, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. It added that security personnel seized two rifles along with ammunition, backpacks, clothes, mobile phones and cash. The ministry also noted that a soldier was wounded during the fierce fighting. Tunisian security sources say the National Guard would continue to search for militants across the violence-hit region. Tunisia has witnessed an upsurge in militant attacks over the past few months. In June 2015, an assailant armed with a rifle killed 38 people, mostly foreign tourists, on a beach in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse. The attack came more than a month after two militants stormed the Bardo Museum in the capital, Tunis, and shot dead 21 people, mainly foreign tourists. On November 24, 2015, a bomb attack by Daesh Takfiri terrorists on a bus carrying presidential guards killed 12 people in the capital. Following the attack, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi said his country was at "war against terrorism." Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid has recently urged vigilance against the "persistent terrorist threat" across the country. Tunisia has been plagued by violence since the 2011 uprising that ousted the country's dictator, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, who was in power for over two decades. The relative calm in Tunisia has been punctured by growing instability in neighboring Libya, which has been in chaos since former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, was toppled and later killed in 2011. Tunisian law enforcement agencies fear further terror attacks in the country as an estimated 3,000 Tunisian terrorists are believed to be within the ranks of Daesh in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, and they could pose troubles when they return home. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A small number of rural Elko County students will switch to a four-day week this fall, but others shouldnt hold their breath waiting for the trend to reach larger schools. Three one-room schoolhouses in the district are making the switch to a Tuesday-through-Friday schedule, with longer days of about nine hours. The unanimous decision was opposite of what the board ruled four years ago when Wells Combined Schools request was denied in a tightly split vote. Now, Ruby Valley, Mound Valley and Independence Valley will join more than a hundred districts across the country for this experiment, which has shown some positive early results. According to an article posted on the National Education Association website, researchers in Montana found the percent of students scoring either proficient or with advanced proficiency in reading went up at schools on a four-day schedule and were higher than their peers in school districts who remained on the five-day schedule. We didnt find a negative correlation between the performance of elementary school students and the four day-schedule, said Mark Anderson, assistant professor in the Montana State University Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics. Shana Myers, a teacher in Apache Junction, Arizona, spoke of other positive impacts: Absences are down, and gone is the Friday slump, when students would drag through the day, tired and disengaged. Now, even though all four days are tightly packed, she says her students seem to know that their continued attention is vital to getting through the lessons. They are on at all times, she says, and are more engaged and reactive to the lessons. One of the main downsides listed in the article is the cost to parents for child care on the weekday their kids have no classes. That is not a big issue in Elko, however, because most of the students belong to ranch families. Instead of needing child care, they will be busy working with other family members. Having an extra day to be at home helps the families out, parent Ira Wines of Independence Valley told the school board this week. Elko also differs from many of the other schools that have already switched to four-day weeks in that students will have Mondays off, instead of Fridays. Most federal holidays are observed on a Monday, which would turn many four-day weeks into three-day weeks. Most of the school districts that have made the switch have not seen big savings in terms of dollar amounts. One fewer day does mean lower transportation and food-service costs. Those staff could see a 20 percent reduction in their paychecks, unless they are put to use in other ways. Elko is looking at having them serve as teacher aides. Board members are confident that the rural-school program will be a success. We agree, and compliment the trustees for thinking outside the box. Adapting the school calendar to lifestyles at our tiny rural schools makes more sense than squeezing them into a one-size-fits-all education program. If the new schedule shows positive results, board members could see a revived request from Wells or other small schools. Such cases should be handled individually, while converting to four-day weeks at larger schools like Elko and Spring Creek would not even be worth considering because of the impact on parents. Hollande says France will form National Guard Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 1:40PM French President Francois Hollande has announced the creation of a National Guard, in the wake of a series of terrorist attacks, including the murder of a Normandy priest, in the European country. Hollande said on Thursday that the security structure would be formed to better protect citizens against terror attacks. He added that the parliament will meet in September for talks on the formation of the force. Meanwhile, the Elysee Palace said, in a statement, on Thursday that the decision was taken after Hollande's meeting with the lawmakers. "President of the Republic [Hollande] decided to establish the National Guard from the existing operating reserves," read the statement. The president also expressed the intention to "as soon as possible begin the establishment of this structure, which would serve to protect the French people," the statement added. This comes as the French government is under criticism over what is seen as security failures, following a series of terror attacks over the past months. In the most recent attack, two knife-wielding men took a number of people hostage at a church in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in France's northern Normandy region on July 26, and slit the throat of an elderly priest. The two assailants were later shot dead by police officers. After the incident, Amaq news agency, which is affiliated to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, announced that two of its members had carried out the attack. A state of emergency has been in place in France since last November, when assailants struck at least six different venues in and around the capital, Paris, leaving 130 people dead and over 350 others injured. The city of Nice also saw a deadly assault on July 14, when 84 people were killed as a Tunisian drove his truck into a crowd of revelers on Bastille Day, the French national day. Daesh claimed responsibility for both terror acts. The French parliament has already extended the state of emergency for another six months. On Tuesday, Hollande said the threat of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group to Europe has never been so severe, pledging to use "all means" to defeat terrorists. "In the face of this threat that has never been greater in France and Europe, the government is absolutely determined [to defeat] terrorism." France has been among the sponsors of militant groups fighting the Syrian government. French policies have been among factors blamed for the rise of terror groups in Syria and Iraq. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address French Government to Create National Guard to Protect Citizens From Terrorism Sputnik News 13:22 28.07.2016 French President Francois Hollande decided to establish the National Guard from the existing operating reserves, according to the statement of the Elysee Palace. MOSCOW (Sputnik) French President Francois Hollande announced plans to create the National Guard to protect the country's citizens, amid the increased terrorist threat on French soil, the Elysee Palace said in a statement Thursday. According to the statement, the decision was taken after Hollande's meeting with the lawmakers. "President of the Republic [Hollande] decided to establish the National Guard from the existing operating reserves," the statement reads. He also expressed the intention to "as soon as possible begin the establishment of this structure, which would serve to protect the French people." The president will inform the French Defense and Security Council of the plan to establish the National Guard at the beginning of August and the conditions of its creation will be discussed in parliamentary committees in September, according to the statement. France has been recently hit by a series of terrorist attacks. On July 14, a truck rammed into a large crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing at least 84 people, including children, and injuring hundreds of others. The most recent attack took place on July 26, when two armed men took five people hostage at the Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray church in Normandy, killing a priest. Islamic State terrorist group, outlawed in Russia and numerous countries, claimed responsibility for both attacks. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Xi calls for further armed forces reform People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:19, July 28, 2016 BEIJING, July 27 -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for the building of strong armed forces through military reform. Xi presided over a group study seminar of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which focused on national defense and military reform. He called the reform drive "a comprehensive and revolutionary change," and said obstacles and policy issues that may hold back reform measures must be addressed so as to build a strong armed forces commensurate with China's international status. Cai Hongshuo, deputy head of the advisory team of the leading group for deepened national defense and military reform under the Central Military Commission (CMC), delivered a lecture on the issue and offered some suggestions. Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee then discussed relevant issues during the study. Xi said under the CPC's leadership, the armed forces have been constantly reformed and improved, adding that further military reform is needed to cope with the changing international situation and to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics. After the 18th National Congress of the CPC in late 2012, Xi said, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to defense and military reform. After the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the CMC established the leading group, and later drafted a reform plan. Based on the reform plan, the general command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army, the PLA Rocket Force, and the PLA Strategic Support Force were established. The previous seven military area commands were regrouped into five theater commands, and the four military departments -- staff, politics, logistics and armaments -- were reorganized into 15 agencies. With those reforms, the PLA has a system in which the CMC is tasked with the overall administration of the armed forces, while theater commands focus on combat preparedness, and various armed services pursue development, Xi added. These measures solved some deep-seated problems that many considered unsolvable, according to Xi. The reform drive marks a historic change in the organization and structure of the PLA, he said. By 2020, advances should be made in reforming the leadership and management system, as well as the joint battle command system, Xi said, citing the timetable outlined in the reform plan. Significant progress should be achieved in optimizing scale and structure, improving policies and systems, and promoting the integration of military and civilian development, he said. Xi underscored that the aim is to build a modern military with Chinese characteristics, which is able to win an informationized war and fulfill missions and tasks efficiently, while improving the socialist military institution with Chinese characteristics. Military Party committees at various levels should fulfill their respective reform tasks to the highest standard, and military leaders, especially senior ones, should take the lead in implementing reform tasks, Xi noted. Calling deepened national defense and military reform "a common cause for the whole Party and country," Xi called on all levels of governments and Party committees, as well as relevant parties, to support national defense and military development, to cooperate actively to fulfill reform tasks that involve multiple regions, and to integrate the adjustment of the economic layout with the improvement of national defense layout. Moreover, Xi ordered that any military officers demobilized during the reform should be offered help and guidance to secure new jobs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US crossed red line by putting N Korean leader on sanctions list: Top diplomat Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:39PM A top North Korean diplomat says Washington has "crossed the line" and effectively declared war against Pyongyang by putting the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, on its list of sanctions. Han Song Ryol, the director general of the US affairs department at North Korea's Foreign Ministry, said in an interview published on Thursday that the US's recent actions constitute "a declaration of war." "The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown," he said, adding, "We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war." On July 6, the US imposed unilateral sanctions on the North Korean leader for the first time over claims that he is responsible for a long list of rights violations. According to a statement by the US Treasury Department, 10 other individuals and five government ministries and departments were also sanctioned. Washington has imposed an array of embargoes on North Korea but this was the first time that the North Korean leader was personally placed under sanctions. In March, North Korea was hit by the most crippling sanctions by the United Nations and the West over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The country describes its nuclear capabilities as a deterrent against hostile US policies, accusing Washington of plotting with its regional allies to topple the government in Pyongyang. US, South Korea warned against joint drills Elsewhere in his remarks, the top North Korean diplomat warned against planned joint drills by Washington and Seoul, saying a vicious showdown could erupt if the two allies hold annual war games next month. The United States and South Korea regularly conduct joint military exercises south of the Korean Demilitarized Zone separating the North from South Korea. "We are all prepared for war, and we are all prepared for peace," Han said. "If the United States forces those kinds of large-scale exercises in August, then the situation caused by that will be the responsibility of the United States." The senior diplomat also dismissed calls for Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea Accuses South of Sending Snakes Across the Border Sputnik News 04:15 28.07.2016 Documenting an unusually high number of snakes coming out of Yalu river, North Korean authorities have accused the South of a "cunning plot" to destabilize their northern neighbor by releasing hordes of the legless reptiles. According to sources in the Ryanggang province bordering China, patrol units have been ordered to capture snakes as they crawl over the northern banks of the Yalu River. The source also stated that Pyongyang accused South Korea's intelligence service of a "cunning scheme to challenge our unity." Multiple sources in Ryanggang province are said to have corroborated these claims. There is also a degree of skepticism, the source says, as even among North Korean soldiers propaganda leaflets and CDs are considered a bigger threat. While Pyongyang's accusations are questionable, considering the geographical location of Yalu river, the North Korean Ministry of People's Security and other public agencies are nonetheless reportedly urging residents to stay alert to the danger of snakes at all times, citing cases of people dying from bites. Some argue that accusing South Korea of such a plot could be an attempt to "psychologically arm the people during the 200-day battle," an example of Kim Jong-un's so-called speed campaigns to boost the economy. Meanwhile, rumors that a single snake bite could be fatal have led smugglers, who spend much of their time in or around the Yalu River, to buy high-quality rubber trousers. Demand briefly surged, reportedly driving up the cost of one pair of trousers by some 60,000 won ($7). Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Boeing Steers Clear of Compliance With $4.1 Bln Indian Air Force Deal Sputnik News 19:01 28.07.2016 India alleges that Boeing has categorically failed to provide the training and infrastructural services that it had agreed to deliver as part of a deal for the purchase of ten C-17 heavy-lifting transport aircraft. US manufacturing giant Boeing has failed to fully comply with the terms of a defense deal to provide Very Heavy Lift Transport Aircraft, worth billions of dollars. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), India's top auditing body, published a report slamming Boeing for not providing contractually-specified flight and maintenance training facilities, despite three whole years passing since the 2013 deadline. As a result, the Indian air force is unable to fly or maintain the aircraft, undermining the very purpose of the deal. The CAG report says, "As per the offset contract signed in June 2011, the simulator services were to be made available within two years i.e. by July 2013; however Boeing has yet to setup simulator services in India, which is affecting operation of the aircraft." As part of the offset deal, Boeing was to set up a unique C-17 platform training facility for maintenance training at cost of USD 38.21 million and a C-17 simulator center for flying training at cost of USD 96.87 million by July 2013. The training requirement for initial qualification, quarterly skill reviews, additional instruction and special operations tests was estimated to entail 1,700 hours per year for the aircrew of the C-17 Squadron. Apart from this, Boeing has broken another contract. Boeing had agreed to set up special support infrastructure by June 2013 at an estimated cost of USD 152.75 million, but has not done so thus far. However, CAG also noted that there were no conditions stipulated for the imposition of penalties for a delay in supplies or the delivery of infrastructure services. CAG also observed that the C-17 aircraft had been purchased for their high load-carrying capacity, with less loading/offloading time, but due to the lack of availability of ground equipment, the performance of the aircraft has been adversely affected to a large extent. The Indian Air Force procured ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and associated equipment at a total cost of USD 4.1 billion from the US under the aegis of foreign military sales. The long-range heavy transport aircraft has in-flight refueling capabilities and a range of 4,200 km with a maximum payload of 70 metric tons and 9,000 km with a reduced payload of 40 tons. According to the CAG report, "the annual average load airlifted by C-17 (in India) ranged between 13 tons and 18 tons per sortie, against the aircraft's payload capacity of 70 tons. The operating squadron of the Indian Air Force stated that C-17 aircraft could carry only 35 tons of load (40 tons in winter) and on a few occasions, the C-17 was tasked for only 26 tons." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indian Defense Military Buyers to Go Back to Negotiating School Sputnik News 18:20 28.07.2016 India finds itself in a tight spot as many agreements pertaining to defense procurement are yet to be translated into actual deals, resulting in negotiators losing their confidence. India's failure to resolve the deadlock with France on the proposed procurement of Rafale fighter jets has translated into a realization by the Defense Ministry that it needs to hone the negotiating skills of its officials. The Ministry is devising a special course for its negotiators. "We need to build upon our negotiation skills and we are working on that as we are trying to work out courses for enhancing negotiation skills of all those who are dealing with procurement," Air Vice-Marshal M. Baladitya said. After officials appointed as negotiators failed to push the Indian bargain in the deal over purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets, Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar himself has taken over the case and is directly in talks with the French Embassy in New Delhi to find a way out of the deadlock, said a source. It's not only the Rafale procurement which is showing problems, there are a number of other defense deals, the future of which hang in balance in want of fruitful negotiations. Earlier this year, India's Ministry of Defense had set up a nine-member expert committee to suggest ways to overcome the hiccups plaguing various deals and to restructure the acquisition wing of the ministry. According to officials, in last two years, 110 contracts worth $18 billion have been signed while 101 Acceptance of Necessities have been accorded worth $36 billion. But this figure is not reflected in actual deals signed by the government with most currently hanging in the balance. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Votel Impressed by Iraqi Leaders' Rising Confidence in Counter-ISIL Fight By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 28, 2016 The commander of U.S. Central Command is impressed by the increasing level of confidence among Iraqi leaders in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel said the Iraqi government and its military are confident in the approach they are taking and their ability to accomplish the mission. Votel spoke about his command with NBC's Richard Engel at the Aspen Security Summit in Colorado today. "There is a growing level of confidence that the military operations that they are doing are having the effects that we desire against ISIL," Votel said. Recent Successes He pointed to the successes in Fallujah and Qayyarah, noting the offensives there have pushed back ISIL. "You are seeing the strategy in both Iraq and Syria where we are trying to present ISIL with many dilemmas," Votel said. The terror group, he said, has to deal with coalition attacks in both Iraq and Syria, as well as the taking out of key leaders. And, he added, ISIL must be concerned about attacks on oil-processing plants and its other revenue-generating streams. "When we have the ability to do that, it gives us the ability to overwhelm them and makes it more difficult for them to respond," Votel said. "Part of our strategy has been simultaneity, and it is working on the ground." In Iraq, he said, the next big target is Mosul -- the second-largest city in the country. "We will go to Mosul when it is time to go to Mosul," Votel said. Mosul The offensive against ISIL in Mosul is not simply about the military -- that plan is already in place, Votel said. "The more important part of going to Mosul is the political-governance plan; it is the stabilization plan and it is the humanitarian plan," he said. "Those three things have to be put in place before we can execute the military operation." Votel emphasized that the U.S.-coalition approach in Iraq and Syria depends upon partnership. "We are working through our partners," he said. "It is about them doing it this time." Abaidi The coalition assists its partners with training and advice, but ultimately local forces decide how to fight, Votel said. The general praised Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abaidi, saying he had a good grasp of the tactical and operational environment in his country. He also said the Iraqi leader has so far been able to handle the political demands of the job. Exploiting intelligence has been extraordinarily important in the fight against ISIL in Iraq and Syria, Votel said. Experts are sifting through a trove of intelligence gathered during fighting in Manbij, Syria, he said. The intel, he added, gives coalition and local forces information on ISIL's tactics and how the group handles foreign fighters. He said it also provides information on command and control and how ISIL manages its resources. Connected Enemy Votel called ISIL "a connected enemy." What the group does in Iraq and Syria has influences outside the region, he explained. "They are able to influence or perhaps direct things outside of there," he said. "The things we are attacking in Manbij will have an effect." ISIL also is adaptive and Votel said he expects ISIL will continue to adapt. The coalition must be prepared for this, he said. Engel asked Votel about Turkey in the wake of the recent coup attempt there. While Turkey is not in the U.S. Central Command area -- it's part of U.S. European Command -- the country has a long border with Syria and Iraq, and host forces fighting ISIL. Concerns About Turkey Votel described Turkey as an important and vital partner of the United States. "It's beyond just being a place where we can park our assets and launch them into Syria or Iraq," Votel said of Turkey. Turkey, he said, has "been integrated into the things we are doing they are the beneficiary of the information that we are deriving from the Islamic State and removing foreign fighters." Votel said Turkey also has "responded to information that we have provided to them to do things along their border." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi to be granted official status: PM Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:54AM The Iraqi government says Hashd al-Shaabi forces, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs), are to be placed on par with Iraq's army units and subject to military law. The statement from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, released on the English-language PMUs Twitter feed, touched on the important role played by the group in seizing back territory from Daesh. The statement stipulates that "politics" would be banned within PMUs, which comprises various Iraqi sects, assisting army soldiers in battles against Takfiri terrorists. "Members of the Hashd who are part of this body are to have no links to any political, party political or social framework," the statement said. A spokesperson for the Popular Mobilization Units said the change would put the forces on par with the elite Counter-Terrorism Forces. "We are now under command of the prime minister's office currently held by Haider al-Abadi," the spokesperson pointed out. The Popular Mobilization Units has played an important role in seizing back territory from Daesh terrorists, and together with Iraqi army troops and tribal fighters managed to recapture the strategic western city of Fallujah late last month. The report comes as the Iraqi military and its allies are preparing to launch a large-scale operation and liberate the northern city of Mosul, which Daesh has proclaimed its headquarters in Iraq. Mosul fell to Daesh Takfiris early in the summer of 2014. An offensive launched in 2015 to retake Mosul came to a halt after Daesh militants overran the city of Ramadi, which is the capital of the western province of Anbar and about 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Baghdad. Ramadi was liberated in December 2015. On June 18 this year, Iraqi forces launched an offensive against Daesh terrorists to retake the southern part of Mosul, one day after they retook Fallujah. The forces aim to ultimately recapture the entire Mosul. The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh terrorists mounted an offensive in the country in June 2014. Iraqi government forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units, have been pushing the militants out of the country's territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deadline Looms for Displaced Pakistanis Living in Afghanistan by Ayaz Gul, Noor Zahid July 28, 2016 Authorities in Pakistan say tens of thousands of families who took refuge in Afghanistan two years ago after fleeing a Pakistani counter-militancy offensive have until Monday to register to return home. Pakistani authorities have been pushing for the families from the North Waziristan tribal region to return home for months, but on Wednesday officials issued a formal notice that they have until August 1st to submit "pre-registration and verification" forms, which authorities say they have already distributed to displaced families through their community leaders.Those who do not could face as yet unspecified hurdles in returning home. According to UNHCR estimates, as of December 2014, more than 291,800 individuals crossed into Afghanistan. Most of them settled in Gulan Camp in Gurboz district of Khost. By May 2015, Khost and Paktika hosted 32,576 families with over 205,000 individuals. "After receiving and completing the pre-registration process by August 1, a jirga (traditional assembly of tribal elders) will be convened in which relevant families through their tribal elders will be informed about conditions, rules and regulations under which they will be resettled," the statement said, adding the date for convening the jirga will be announced after August 5. The statement reiterated that the Pakistani government has already decided to bring the refugees from Afghanistan through the officially designated Ghulam Khan border crossing and they can hand over pre-registration forms to any government officials stationed there. Rumors of stripping citizenship Pakistani officials admit they have faced difficulties in persuading the displaced families to come back from Afghanistan. This has prompted rumors the displaced people could lose their citizenship unless they move back. Despite repeated extensions in the deadline for their repatriation and intensive messaging through their tribal elders, only ten percent of families submitted their registration forms by last week, Kamran Afridi, the top government administrator in Waziristan, told VOA. But speaking on Thursday, Afridi reported the process has since accelerated, praising VOA for spreading the message to many Afghan areas hosting Pakistani refugees. "As of this day (Thursday) we have seen a lot of progress since we announced the July 25 deadline for submitting the forms. This information that we had also communicated and announced through your radio has effectively reached many (Afghan) areas and those who had missed the initial message have now sent us their forms." Afraid said that around 6,000 families have so far submitted their forms and estimated 2,000 to 3,000 have not yet returned the documents. That's still just a fraction of those who fled abroad. However, contrary to earlier rumors that claimed those who did not return could lose their Pakistani citizenship, Afridi said that any Pakistani national living as refugee in Afghanistan is free to return home when he or she wishes. But the process to return home could change after this initial registration and repatriation stage. In the past, officials have said that those who fail to register and return their villages without proper documentation will not be entitled to a promised assistance package of about $350 (35,000 Pakistani rupees), a six-month food ration as well as other essential commodities. Pakistani authorities have declared the North Waziristan region safe, and the army estimates that nearly 70 percent of the internally displaced families who had fled to camps inside Pakistan have since returned to their native villages. Authorities say they plan to resettle all families, including those in Afghanistan by December 2016. Reluctance to leave Afghanistan However some refugees contacted by VOA in Afghanistan say they are reluctant to come back fearing the lack of lasting peace. "We will go back only if the government can rebuild North Waziristan like it was before the operation. We are happy in Afghanistan, they are treating us well and we feel safer in this country," Ikramullah Wazir, a refugee in Khost said. "If the government allows us to live our free tribal life, then we are ready to return," Noor Ali Khan, a refugee in Gulan camp said. Many complain the government's compensation package is not enough to make up for what they lost. "We used to have farmlands, houses and shops. It would take us at least ten years to rebuild what we have lost," a refugee, Jalalabad Khan said. "If all refugees decided to return, we would also go to our areas, but the amount of money they have offered will not help us build even a single room," Khan said. A refugee elder told VOA that a refugee tribal council has asked the Pakistani government to increase the amount of assistance. "We asked them to increase the assistance amount, and build markets," the tribal elder, Haji Omaruddin Wazir, said, adding that the council also sought assurances that they would be treated fairly by the army. Others say the resettlement plan is going smoothly. Tribal elder Malik Habib, who comes from Miransha the main town in North Waziristan told VOA he has relatives among IDPs on the Afghan side. Habib, himself an IDP, says that there are more than 7,000 families sheltering on the Afghan side of the border and because they have permission to move freely across the frontier, they also have collected documentation forms and some of them have returned to their villages on the Pakistani side. According to Habib, the families are asked to fill up the form and wait until they are officially informed that repatriation process to their particular villages is starting on a certain date. Once that announcement is made, the families are required to submit the forms at Bannu center to be able to receive promised assistance. Pakistani authorities also insist the documentation step is key to ensuring the future security of the remote region as it will discourage militants from returning and again taking shelter in the population. The Waziristan region is among the seven federally administered tribal districts on the Afghan border and until recently U.S. officials condemned it as the "epicenter" of international terrorism. Pakistan military commanders say the counter-militancy offensive has destroyed the terrorism infrastructure, including hundreds of bomb-making factories and killed thousands of local and foreign militants. A group of influential U.S. Congressmen led by Senator John McCain who visited Pakistan earlier this month were flown to North Waziristan's administrative headquarters, Miranshah, in a military helicopter to see the progress. "They have cleared out that part of Pakistan, they are going to relocate people hopefully with a better hope for life, they are looking at securing the Pakistan border in a more substantial way," Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters after the Waziristan trip. "So I want to help Pakistan and they are doing the right thing and there is a lot of improvement to be made. But I would acknowledge it a step in the right direction." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Pushing Russia's Foreign Policy Boundaries, DoD Official Says By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 28, 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing the boundaries for what his country's foreign policy is going to be about for the next decade, the acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs said today at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. Elissa Slotkin said she believes Putin is pushing where he thinks there is weakness. "He is pushing to see how far he can get," she said during a panel discussion with Time magazine's Massimo Calabresi. Putin is cashing in through his foreign policy on a sense of inferiority that the Russian people feel since the Cold War ended, Slotkin said. Playing With the Public "I think Putin is playing on that with the public and his public," she said, "and I think he is looking for ways to be a global peer competitor with the United States. He wants the image of Russia to be that of a competitor and an equal." The Russian leader is doing that in countries bordering Russia the Baltics, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, and farther afield in Syria and the South China Sea, she said. The strategy to counter Russia "is not just a bumper sticker," Slatkin said, adding that in shorthand, it's called "strong and balanced." "The strong means the U.S. and NATO have to have the capabilities that they need in the right places to deter Russia, and we have to support partners in building their resilience in response to Russia Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia," she said. Balance Means Cooperation The balanced portion of the strategy relies on the idea that there are still areas where the United States and Russia can cooperate in issues of mutual interest that include the Iran nuclear deal, North Korea and possibly Syria, Slotkin said. "We don't want to be adversarial with the Russians," she said. "That said, we can't stand aside while they illegally annex places and sow dissent in places and destabilize places. We have to have the twin deter and dialogue message." Russian activities in Ukraine, Crimea and Georgia should not be surprising, Slotkin said. "The Russians have had for years a doctrine of what they call active measures of these steps to sow dissent generally either on a specific issue or just to cause political chaos in the political system of a neighbor in order to create and opening for themselves," she explained. The Russians certainly are attempting to divide Europe, Slotkin said, because they think it provides an opening for them. "Part of dividing Europe is dividing the views of America and our democracy and whether that is a model to pursue," she added. Military Modernization Russia is pushing boundaries, Slotkin said, and Putin has pushed a significant modernization of the Russian military. The country has been more aggressive in the Arctic, in the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and in the region generally, and is developing capabilities in cyber and space and improving its maritime and air capabilities, she said. "All this leads you down a road to an assessment that Putin has decided to take on a decidedly more aggressive foreign policy," she added, "and that deeply concerns us." This is not a position derived from strength, but from weakness, Slotkin said, and in some ways, that is more worrisome. The combination of sanctions against Russia for its actions in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, plus the drop in the price of oil, has hurt the nation, she said. "I therefore think there is heightened interest [among] the political leadership in Russia in talking about conflicts abroad, in championing conflicts abroad," she said. "That is a tactic we know well from our Cold War history. But the other lesson I hope we've learned from our Cold War history is not to overestimate the competitor." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Reshuffles Regional Leaders Ahead Of Vote; Russian Customs Chief Out July 28, 2016 by Tom Balmforth MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has abruptly reshuffled several regional leaders and dismissed the ambassador to Ukraine in a substantial shake-up that also included the removal of the country's longtime customs chief. Putin replaced four governors and appointed new presidential envoys to three of Russia's sprawling "federal districts," drawing heavily on former top security-services personnel in what analysts saw as a continuation of a push to tighten his grip on power since he returned to the Kremlin in 2012. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev accepted the resignation of Federal Customs Service chief Andrei Belyaninov, a former KGB officer who served alongside Putin in 1980s East Germany and fell under the spotlight when his home was searched as part of a corruption probe on July 26. Belyaninov was named as a witness in an investigation into the smuggling of high-end alcohol, but photographs of his opulent residence featuring bundles of cash laid out in piles had been leaked to local media, prompting speculation of his imminent dismissal or arrest. The official is seen by analysts as a casualty of intensifying rivalry between government agencies -- particularly those that oversee lucrative business -- as they battle for control of shrinking resources amid Russia's longest recession in decades. Putin replaced the governors of Kirov Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Yaroslavl Oblast, and Sevastopol, a naval port city in Russian-annexed Crimea, and appointed new presidential envoys in the Northwestern, North Caucasus, and Siberian federal districts. Putin formally dismissed Nikita Belykh, the jailed governor of Kirov Oblast, citing a "loss of trust." Belykh, once a liberal opposition leader of the Union of Rightist Forces party, was arrested in June for allegedly taking a bribe -- allegations he vehemently denies and has protested by going on a hunger strike. Putin also abolished the Crimean federal district and folded the peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, into the Southern Federal District under the helm of powerful presidential envoy and former Justice Minister Vladimir Ustinov. And he fired Mikhail Zurabov, Russia's ambassador to Kyiv since January 2010 -- a ruinous period for mutual relations in which a Moscow-backed Ukrainian president was pushed out by pro-Western protesters. Russia responded by taking over Crimea and backing separatists in eastern Ukraine. Several Russian media outlets called the shake-up the "largest in years," while Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, described it as a "normal rotation." Election Planning As the stream of appointments and dismissals emerged one-by-one in terse statements on the Kremlin website, photographs began to circulate of a casual, outdoor breakfast meeting Putin held with workers in a field in Tver Oblast on July 28 -- images that appeared aimed to show that Putin was in control, conducting business as usual and taking care of ordinary Russians. The reshuffle came ahead of September parliamentary elections that will set the stage for a 2018 presidential vote in which Putin -- in power as president or prime minister since 2000 -- could seek a new six-year term. Speaking to RFE/RL's Russian Service, Vladimir Milov, an opposition politician and former deputy energy minister, linked the reshuffle directly to the upcoming vote, saying Putin replaced governors in regions where the ruling United Russia party is polling particularly badly. Sergei Toropov was appointed interim ambassador in Ukraine. Peskov told journalists that Zurabov's successor would be chosen soon and said the reason for his dismissal was that Zurabov had served an unusually long term as ambassador -- seven years. Moscow-based analyst Nikolai Petrov, however, said the move could indicate an intention to change policy toward Ukraine. "If there is to be a shift in relations with Ukraine, it is pretty logical to start by replacing the guy who was responsible for [implementing] the politics of the previous stage," he said. Writing on Twitter, Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny criticized the series of appointments, noting the prevalence of high-ranking former members of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Interior Ministry. Medvedev appointed Vladimir Bulavin, who holds a colonel general's rank in the FSB and until now was Putin's representative in the Northwestern Federal District, to head the Federal Customs Service. Putin appointed Yevgeny Zinichev, the head of the FSB branch in the western exclave of Kaliningrad, to be its governor. And Dmitry Mironov, a lieutenant general in the Interior Ministry, was named governor of Yaroslavl Oblast. Peskov defended this trend, saying: "This was specifically a personal decision of the head of state. In this way, he has shown his faith, and, in the opinion of the head of state, it is precisely these people who have the required potential to continue to develop these regions." Petrov had a different explanation, suggesting that Putin must pick from a shrinking circle of candidates for top posts because his top-down rule has not produced a vibrant field of talented politicians and administrators. "When you don't have public politics, you are very limited looking for possible candidates to appoint," he said. Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-putin- reshuffle-balyaninov-zurabov/27886343.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 Russian Next-Generation 'Doomsday Plane' Finally Ready for Action Sputnik News 20:25 28.07.2016(updated 20:26 28.07.2016) On July 27 Voronezh Aircraft Factory finally presented Russia's Ministry of Defense the new specialized airborne command system also known as the 'doomsday plane'. The new third-generation airborne command post is based on a modified Ilyushin Il-96-400 wide-body aircraft. It should be noted that late in 2015 the Russian military has already received a second-generation 'doomsday plane' based on an Ilyushin Il-80 aircraft. Igor Korotchenko, military analyst and editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, told Sputnik that the 'doomsday plane' is designed to provide command and control of Russian military and strategic nuclear forces in case of a major conflict or even a full-scale invasion of Russia. He further explained that the aircraft essentially balances out the command and control system as the Russian General Staff and National Defense Control Center also have a number of mobile underground and airborne command centers. "It ensures the inevitability of a nuclear retaliatory strike in case any country uses its nuclear weapons against Russia. Basically, this airborne command post ensures that no attack against our country goes unpunished. Any state that may threaten the safety or territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, that may launch a war or a sudden attack, would face retaliation," Korotchenko said. Flying aboard the 'doomsday plane' at the altitude of about 10-12 kilometers, Russia's Defense Minister, for example, has the capabilities to command all branches of the Russian military, including the strategic nuclear forces, assuming that he has the appropriate presidential sanction, the analyst added. "This (aircraft) is a full-fledged command post that allows coordinating the actions of ground forces and navy during both conventional and nuclear war," Korotchenko concluded. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Merges Russia's Crimean, Southern Federal Districts Sputnik News 15:23 28.07.2016(updated 15:38 28.07.2016) Russia's Southern and Crimean federal districts are united into an enlarged Southern Federal District, according to the newly issued presidential decree. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree merging Russia's Southern and Crimean federal districts into an enlarged Southern Federal District led by the former justice minister and former prosecutor general, Vladimir Ustinov, the Kremlin announced on Thursday. "Reorganize the Southern Federal District and the Crimean Federal District into the Southern Federal DistrictAppoint Vladimir Vasilyavich Ustinov as the presidential commissioner to the Southern Federal District," the decree reads, as quoted on the Kremlin's website. The president instructed the Russian government to implement the decree while submitting corresponding legislation amendments to the State Duma. Ustinov has been serving as the presidential commissioner in the Southern Federal District since 2008. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's New Lider-Class Destroyer to Be Laid Down in 2019 Sputnik News 10:30 28.07.2016(updated 10:48 28.07.2016) Russia's cutting-edge project 23560 Lider-class nuclear-powered destroyer will be set up in 2019. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia's new advanced project 23560 Lider-class nuclear-powered destroyer is expected to be laid down in 2019, the Russian Navy's former First Deputy Commander-in-Chief Adm. Igor Kasatonov said. "The preliminary design of the ship has been prepared, a decision was taken to fit the vessel with a nuclear power unit. The type of reactor is currently being chosen. A submarine nuclear reactor has its own specifics, as does an icebreaker reactor. But we have extensive experience, this will be sorted out. Project planners will report on this. Regarding the laying down date, we are looking at 2019," Kasatonov said in an interview with RIA Novosti. The admiral, who also served as the head of Russia's Black Sea Fleet between 1991 and 1992, added that the project 23560 ship was likely to be built at the Severnaya Verf Shipyard in Saint Petersburg. Previously, the ship's construction was expected to commence in 2018. Lider-class destroyers are planned to have a displacement of 17,500 tonnes, length of 200 meters (over 650 feet) and a width of 20 meters. The preliminary project was approved in 2013 and work on technical plans is expected to start by 2017. The universal destroyer is set to replace three classes of ships, including project 1155 anti-submarine destroyers. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia to Finish Construction of Novorossiysk Naval Base by 2020 Sputnik News 10:00 28.07.2016(updated 11:00 28.07.2016) Novorossiysk navak base will have been constructed by the end of 2020, Adm. Igor Kasatonov, the former head of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, said in an interview. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia will finish the construction of the naval base in country's port of Novorossiysk located at the country's Black Sea coast by 2020, Adm. Igor Kasatonov, the former head of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, said in an interview. "It is difficult to announce the final terms of the base construction yet, but we will certainly finish it by 2020," Kasatonov, who also was the first deputy commander of Russia's Navy, told RIA Novosti. He added that the construction of the base's western breakwater, which was important to protect ships from stormy weather, was expected to be finished in 2016. According to Kasatonov, Russia's Black Sea Fleet should have several stationing sites, including in Novorossiysk and in Sevastopol. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, main naval bases of the Black Sea Fleet were left outside the Russian Federation. Within the framework of the agreements with Kiev, Russia's Black Sea Fleet was mostly located in then-Ukrainian Crimea. In 2005, in order to create necessary infrastructure for the fleet in the country's Black Sea coast, Russian authorities initiated construction of the Novorossiysk naval base. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia to Send Aircraft Carrier to Mediterranean Before 2017 for Up to 4 Months Sputnik News 09:40 28.07.2016(updated 10:15 28.07.2016) Russia will deploy its aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea before the end of 2016 for a period of up to four months. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia will deploy Admiral Kuznetsov, the country's only aircraft carrier, in the Mediterranean Sea before the end of 2016 for a period of up to four months, Adm. Igor Kasatonov, the former head of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, said in an interview. Earlier in July, a source familiar with the matter told RIA Novosti that the aircraft carrier would be deployed in the Mediterranean no sooner than October. "The ship will set off [for the Mediterranean] at the end of the year. The carrier battle group, which will include several screening ships, will be formed. Allegedly, a nuclear multi-role submarine will be [in the group]. The ship's deployment is designed to last for 3-4 months," Kasatonov, who also was the first deputy commander of Russia's Navy, told RIA Novosti. He added that up to a certain point, the group would be escorted by IL-38 anti-submarine aircraft and Tu-142 long range aircraft and possibly the carrier battle group could work with Tu-160 strategic bombers. The Admiral Kuznetsov was constructed at the Mykolaiv South Shipyard, the sole manufacturer of Soviet aircraft carriers, and launched in 1985. It became fully operational in 1995. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nusra Front in Syria breaks ties with parent organization al-Qaeda Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 6:16PM The al-Qaeda branch in Syria, al-Nusra Front, has announced its break from the parent terror organization in an apparent bid to gain more support from foreign powers. In a rare televised message on Thursday, Nusra chief in Syria Abu Mohamad al-Jolani said his group will be rebranded and will end connections with entities outside Syria. Jolani said Nusra would change its name to Jabhat Fath al-Sham (The Conquest of Syria Front), saying the new group "will have no links whatsoever with foreign parties." He said Nusra took the step "to remove the excuse used by the international community, spearheaded by America and Russia, that they are targeting the Nusra Front, which is associated with al-Qaeda." The statement was preceded by an audio message from al-Qaeda leaders, in which they endorsed the break in organizational ties. Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri said Thursday that Nusra leaders "can sacrifice without hesitation" the organizational and party ties if those links conflict with their unity and working. "Your unity and unification is more important to us than any organizational link," said Zawahri. Many had expected the announcement as there were speculations that by distancing itself from al-Qaeda, Nusra would seek to secure more financial and arms support from rich Arab states of the Persian Gulf region. The break in ties could also facilitate relations between Nusra and other armed groups in Syria. Nusra and Daesh, another Takfiri group which is mainly operating in eastern Syria, have been excluded from a cessation of hostilities agreement engineered by the United States and Russia since the end of February. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that they had agreed on "concrete steps" to save a failing Syria truce and tackle extremist groups like Nusra and Daesh. Kerry said Washington has proposed closer cooperation with Russia in sharing intelligence to coordinate air strikes against Nusra militants. Nusra was created months after the start of the conflict in Syria in 2011. The group first enjoyed support from Daesh, but split from the group in 2013 and joined al-Qaeda. Intelligence officials from some Persian Gulf states have reportedly met Nusra leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani several times in the past few months to encourage him to abandon al-Qaeda and to promise funding for his terror outfit once it distances from al-Qaeda. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Al-Qaeda militant group allows Syrian branch to disintegrate Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 2:44PM Al-Qaeda has permitted its branch in Syria, al-Nusra Front, to break relations with the terror group, in a move that could pave the way for greater foreign support for the Takfiri Nusra terrorists who are wreaking havoc in the country. Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri issued the permission in a Thursday audio statement directed to Nusra Front. "You can sacrifice without hesitation these organizational and party ties if they conflict with your unity and working as one body," Zawahiri said, adding, "Your unity and unification is more important to us than any organizational link." Nusra Front was set up shortly after foreign-sponsored militancy erupted in Syria in 2011. Originally supported by Daesh, Nusra Front split from the Takfir terrorist group in 2013. Nusra Front was excluded from Syria's February cessation of hostilities. This is while Russia and the US are discussing closer coordination to target the terrorist group, which has been committing heinous crimes in the Arab country. Last year, informed sources told Reuters that Nusra leaders considered cutting links with al-Qaeda to form a new entity backed by some Persian Gulf Arab countries such as Qatar seeking to oust the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Distancing Nusra Front from al-Qaeda removes legal obstacles to supporting the former. Intelligence officials from some Persian Gulf states have reportedly met Nusra leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani several times in the past few months to encourage him to abandon al-Qaeda and to promise funding for his terror outfit once it distances from al-Qaeda. "A new entity will see the light soon, which will include Nusra and Jaysh al Muhajereen wel Ansar and other small brigades," said Muzamjer al-Sham, an extremist figure close to Nusra and other militants groups active in Syria. Sources within Nusra said recently that the terrorist group would change its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. The Takfiri elements operating in Syria have suffered major setbacks over the past few months as the army has managed to liberate a number of areas from the grip of the extremists. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in the Middle Eastern state, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Syria Forces Accused Of Extensive Use Of Cluster Bombs July 28, 2016 Russian and Syrian forces have renewed their use of widely banned cluster bombs against civilians and rebels in northern Syria, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on July 28. The rights watchdog said in a report that it documented 47 instances in which cluster munitions were extensively used in attacks by pro-government forces across northern Syria in the past two months. The attacks have killed and wounded dozens of civilians, the report said. "Since Russia and Syria have renewed their joint air operations, we have seen a relentless use of cluster munitions," Ole Solvang, HRW's deputy emergencies director, said. Cluster bombs, which explode in the air, release hundreds of tiny bomblets, posing a long-lasting danger to civilians. Cluster munitions are fired in rockets or dropped from the air. Some 100 countries have signed a 2008 UN treaty prohibiting the use of cluster munitions. The report said that, although Russia and Syria are not signatories to the treaty, "they are still bound by international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, which prohibits indiscriminate attacks." Russia has in the past denied using cluster munitions in Syria. 'Humanitarian Corridors' In Aleppo Meanwhile, Moscow says the Russian and Syrian governments are opening humanitarian corridors for civilians to leave the battered city of Aleppo in northern Syria. It also offered a passage for fighters, who wanted to lay down their arms. The announcement by Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came as Syrian government forces tightened their control around the rebel-held areas of Aleppo, where some 250,000 civilians are believed to be trapped. Shoigu said on July 28 that President Vladimir Putin has a "large-scale humanitarian operation" that will be launched outside Aleppo to "help civilians who were taken hostage by terrorists as well as fighters who wanted to lay down arms." Shoigu mentioned three humanitarian corridors as well as food and first aid points outside the city. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that helicopters have dropped leaflets with maps showing the routes. In Damascus, President Bashar Assad offered an amnesty to rebels who lay down their weapons and surrender to authorities over the next three months, Syrian state media reported. The amnesty offer, issued on July 28, also urged rebel groups to free their detainees. Based on reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, and dpa Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-syria- hrw-cluster-bombs/27886171.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 BLANDING, Utah (AP) Hundreds of people who oppose the proposed Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah showed up at a Senate field hearing to voice their displeasure for the plan that Gov. Gary Herbert called a "political tomahawk." San Juan County residents shouted "doodah" and wore shirts and stickers with the Navajo word that means no, the Deseret News reports. Navajos said they're worried they'll lose their ability to do sacred ceremonies and gather medicinal herbs. Ranchers expressed concerns about losing grazing rights. Farmers say they would lose their lands. Gov. Gary Herbert and the rest of Utah's Republican lawmakers instead support legislation from U.S. Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz that would have Congress designate 1.4 million acres around Bears Ears as a conservation area. "If you really care about the land, this is not some kind of political tomahawk that you use, no pun intended," Herbert said. "If this really is about the Bear Ears region, protecting and preserving the land, the (Public Lands Initiative) is by far the superior way to go about it. A monument proponent took exception to Herbert's comment. "When Gov. Herbert refers to a thoughtful tribal proposal for a national monument as 'a political tomahawk,' he continues that sad tradition of dismissing Native voices," said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities. Other monument backers called the hearing a "sham" since there were no speakers who support the plan to add protections for a 1.9 million-acre area that includes sacred Native American sites. Willie Grayeyes, chairman of a tribal coalition pushing the proposal called Utah Dine Bikeyah, said in a statement the hearing was a "thinly veiled effort to make it appear that there is more opposition than truly exists. U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said monument proponents and federal officials declined his invitation to participate in the hearing, which he said proves he didn't purposely set up a one-sided hearing. The meeting came just weeks after U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visited the area and hosted a public town hall to hear from people from both sides. Her visit was the latest indication that President Barack Obama's administration is giving serious consideration to the "Bears Ears" monument proposal. Lee brought up President Bill Clinton's designation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996 a decision that rural Utah residents say harmed the economy in the southern Utah area. "What they did to us 20 years ago ought to be enough," Lee said. "No more Antiquities Act in Utah." Bishop warned the crowd that President Obama can't grant proponents the proposed co-management plan that would allow tribal leaders to work with the federal government to oversee the monument. "A presidential proclamation cannot guarantee squat," Bishop said. English teacher Cassy Moon didn't mince words in forecast dire consequences. "This will kill our community. We will lose our jobs," Moon said. "If this happens to us, we will be shut down." Paris, London Stress Need to Boost Efforts to Combat Terrorist Groups in Syria Sputnik News 16:48 28.07.2016(updated 17:11 28.07.2016) French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and his UK counterpart pointed out in a joint communique on Thursday the need to increase counterterrorism efforts in Syria. MOSCOW (Sputnik) French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson pointed out in a joint communique on Thursday the need to increase efforts to combat terrorism in Syria. "The ministers emphasized the need to increase efforts to combat terrorist groups in Syria, be they Daesh [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State] or Jebhat al-Nusra. They stressed that there can be no lasting political solution or return to stability in Syria so long as Syrian civilians continue to be massacred," the communique read. According to the communique, the ministers also welcomed US and Russian efforts to reach an agreement on Syrian conflict settlement in coordination with the United Nations. Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting a number of opposition factions and extremist groups. On February 27, a US-Russia brokered ceasefire came into force in Syria. Terrorist groups such as Daesh, as well as Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front), both outlawed in Russia and a range of other states, are not part of the deal. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Syria Launch Mass Humanitarian Operation in Aleppo Sputnik News 10:55 28.07.2016(updated 14:23 28.07.2016) Russia and the Syrian government have launched a joint humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Russia and the Syrian government have launched a joint large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians and one for militants with weapons and equipment, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Thursday. "We have repeatedly called on the warring parties to reconcile, but every time the militants violated the cessation of hostilities, shelled villages, attacked the positions of government troops. As a result, a complex humanitarian situation has been created in Aleppo and its suburbs," Shoigu told reporters. He said the joint operation, with facilities distributing food and medical aid at the humanitarian corridors, was launched in accordance with Russian President Vladimir Putin's instructions "solely in order to ensure the safety of the residents of Aleppo." Shoigu pointed out that a fourth corridor for militants wishing to surrender was established in northern Aleppo because the United States failed to provide data on the separation between the Nusra Front and the Syrian Free Army. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Proposed humanitarian corridors in Aleppo must be guaranteed by all sides, says UN relief chief 28 July 2016 Amid reports that Aleppo is 'de facto besieged,' as the war-battered city is now almost completely encircled by Syrian troops, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator today reiterated his demand for safe, regular and sustained access to the quarter of a million people trapped behind the front lines, and stressed that "all options must be considered." "The situation for people trapped in eastern Aleppo remains of the gravest concern," said Stephen O'Brien, noting that he is aware of the measures proposed today by the Russian Federation to set up humanitarian corridors. Media reports suggest that Russia has proposed establishing several so-called "exit corridors" that would allow for the distribution of food, as well as provide an opportunity for civilians to flee the city. While underscoring that the situation is so dire that all options must be considered, Mr. O'Brien stressed that it is critical that the security of any such corridors is guaranteed by all parties and that people are able to use them voluntarily. "No one can be forced to flee, by any specific route or to any particular location. Protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of neutrality and impartiality," he stated. Mr. O'Brien said that his proposal for 48-hour humanitarian pauses to enable cross-line and cross-border operations is what humanitarian actors require. This would ensure that relief workers are able to see for themselves the dire situation of the people, assess their needs, adjust to logistical constraints and assist people where they are now with their life-saving and protection needs. "In any event, all parties are required and obliged, under long-established and accepted international humanitarian law, to allow safe, unimpeded, impartial and immediate humanitarian access for civilians to leave and for aid to come in," he said. Earlier in the week, Mr. O'Brien, who is also the UN Under- Secretary-General for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, warned the Security Council that the clock is ticking and the parties, and those with influence, "must act now" to establish a weekly, 48-hour humanitarian pause so much-needed assistance could be provided to the people trapped in Aleppo. "This must be a full United Nations call not just from me as the UN's humanitarian chief this has to come from you, the Security Council," he said. Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, spoke to reporters in Geneva today and told them that fighting on the ground is impeding humanitarian aid in the country. Noting "serious concern" about the situation in Aleppo, saying that the city is "de facto besieged," because it is almost completely encircled militarily. "The clock is therefore ticking; there is no doubt about that. If Aleppo becomes a [] major besieged area and we are very close to that we would have a huge number of additional besieged humanitarian wise- people in the country, when we were actually having a reduction," he said. On the humanitarian side, the Special Envoy is urging the two co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the Russian Federation and the United States, to expedite discussions on how to reduce the violence, along the lines of the meetings in Moscow and then in Laos, particularly between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and United States Secretary of State John Kerry. Along with Russia and the US, the ISSG comprises the UN, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 other countries that have been working on a way forward since late last year. Mr. de Mistura said that his Deputy Special Envoy, Ramzy Ezeldine Ramzy, will head to Damascus in the next few days to discuss with the Syrian authorities some ideas that the Office of the Special Envoy has developed in order to facilitate the launch in August of the intra-Syrian talks. The Special Envoy in the meantime is proceeding to Tehran to talk to the Iranian authorities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Rebel Realignment Likely as al-Qaida Leader Blesses Split by Jamie Dettmer July 28, 2016 Showing his face for the first time since his jihadist group was formed in 2012, the head of Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra, Abu Mohamad al-Jolani, announced that he was breaking ties with al-Qaida in remarks broadcast Thursday by Al-Jazeera news channel. Just hours after al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri gave his blessing for the severing of formal ties, al-Jolani said Jabhat al-Nusra would change its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. He expressed gratitude to the "commanders of al-Qaida for having understood the need to break ties." The intervention by Osama bin Laden's successor in an internal strategic debate among al-Nusra leaders that has waxed and waned for more than two years comes as the Assad regime offered unarmed rebels in besieged parts of Aleppo an escape route. Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, also offered an amnesty to rebels who lay down their arms and surrender within three months. Both developments have the potential to alter the dynamics of the complex six-year Syrian civil war by triggering a realignment of rebel groups, according to analysts. The regime offer of safe passage from Aleppo for insurgents is likely to spark a vigorous wrangling among rebel factions, some of whom have long felt that the armed rebellion had become too bogged down defending rebel-held districts in Syria's onetime commercial capital. Hope for aid propels move The consequences of al-Nusra renouncing its ties to al-Qaida, something the affiliate's leaders have debated since August 2014, offers the group hope of receiving substantial aid from Gulf states. But analysts warn the split would be cosmetic only and is part of a longer-term game. In May 2015, al-Nusra came close to severing formal ties with al-Qaida after the 7,000 member group dominated by Syrian fighters came under strong behind-the-scenes pressure from Gulf states to do so, with the promise that arms and supplies would be forthcoming, according to rebel commanders at the time. Islamist militias such as Aurar al-Sham, which has been in alliance with al-Nusra, also urged the rebranding. In an audio message released Thursday, al-Zawahiri indicated he would not oppose the split. "The brotherhood of Islam that bonds us is stronger than any obsolete links between organizations," he said, "These organizational links must be sacrificed without hesitation, if they threaten your unity." This is the second time al-Qaida's al-Zawahiri has indicated he wouldn't oppose a split. But this announcement is much clearer, and made more so by support from al-Zawahiri deputy, Abu al-Khayr al-Masri, who also released a message Thursday. He says al-Qaida would have no problem with "any possible action" al-Nusra's leaders take to boost unity among anti-Assad rebel factions and form a "new generation" of fighters. Al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria has managed to build a large base of support among insurgents in the war-torn country, and has had some success in persuading regional governments it should be seen as a useful partner in the conflict raging in Syria, by marketing itself as the moderate alternative to Islamic State extremists. By restraining its fighters from enforcing as strict a Sharia law code as Islamic State and by developing ties with Islamist rebel militias, Jabhat al-Nusra had increasingly embedded itself in insurgent-held areas. Distancing itself from al-Qaida is an al-Nusra bid to try to "detoxify" itself in the eyes of the West. Split seen as deceptive ploy But Charles Lister, author of the book "The Syrian Jihad," believes any split with al-Qaida would be cosmetic only, part of a deceptive "long game" jihadist strategists are playing to ensure the survivability of al-Nusra in Syria and to spread its influence. In a paper written for the Brookings Institution, Lister argues al-Qaida has adopted a strategy of gradualism. "By establishing a durable presence in Syria and potentially considering separating itself from al-Qaida internationally, Jabhat al-Nusra seeks to realize its long-term vision of establishing Islamic Emirates inside Syria, as components of a future caliphate," Lister argues in the study, "Profiling Jabhat al-Nusra." An analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, says "al-Qaida is stealthier than the Islamic State." "Far from demonstrating al-Qaida's declining influence, this heralds its return to the organization's pre-2014 strategy. Prior to IS's rise, al-Qaida made heavy use of front groups and non-AQ brands to confuse its enemies, better appeal to local populations, and reduce its exposure to counterinsurgent forces," he told VOA. "The fact that al-Qaida is making such a move shows that it is much less concerned about IS gobbling up its affiliate organizations than is generally believed," he added. A formal split risks adding to strains between Gulf states and the United States over strategy in Syria. U.S. officials tell VOA they will remain highly skeptical of al-Nusra's intentions and motives, following the announcement of the severing of ties with al-Qaida. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish seeks control over army, spy agency: Turkish official Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:28PM Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants the country's armed forces and spy agency to be brought under the presidency's control in the wake of the failed coup of July 15. An unnamed Turkish official said on Thursday that Erdogan wanted to bring the armed forces and National Intelligence Organization, known by its Turkish acronym MIT, under his control, Reuters reported. The remarks came after Erdogan was cited as saying by television news channels that the move would require a constitutional change and support by major opposition parties. The developments come as a meeting of Turkey's Supreme Military Council (YAS), the highest body responsible for appointments in the armed forces, was expected to agree on a sweeping overhaul of the armed forces. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was set to attend this year's YAS meeting in Ankara, which will also see the participation of land, sea and air force commanders, along with other top figures untarnished by the attempted power grab. The council will decide on the personnel changes deemed necessary after the coup. Turkish authorities were expected to announce details of the changes later on Thursday. On Wednesday, Yildirim warned that the government crackdown in connection with the coup attempt is "not completed yet" and there could be more arrests. Reports say more than 60,000 people have been sacked, suspended or detained as part of the government's massive clampdown on those branded as coup plotters or sympathizers. About 250 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured on the night of July 15, when a faction within the army, using fighter jets, helicopters and tanks, tried to seize airports and bridges, and attacked buildings, including parliament and the intelligence headquarters, in an attempt to seize power. Shortly after the coup bid was declared over on July 16, Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen, a US-based opposition cleric, of being behind the botched military coup. He has denied the allegation. The Turkish government has vowed to severely punish coup plotters, sparking concerns about human rights breaches. Amnesty International has said it has "credible evidence" that around 10,000 Turkish soldiers face severe punishments for their part of the failed military coup against Erdogan. The European Union has warned that Turkey would be barred from joining the EU if it reintroduces the death penalty to punish alleged coup plotters Turkey has urged the EU to stay away from its internal affairs as the bloc continues to criticize Ankara over the post-coup crackdown. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey sacks 88 Foreign Ministry staff in post-coup crackdown Iran Press TV Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:54PM The Turkish Foreign Ministry staffers have become the latest target of Ankara's coup-related crackdown, with officials saying dozens of employees have been fired over suspected links to the recent foiled putsch. Speaking to Turkish broadcaster NTV on Thursday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said 88 employees of the ministry were sacked on suspicion of having links to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based opposition cleric accused of being the mastermind of the botched military coup. The dismissals were the latest in a series of purges related to the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey. Reports say more than 60,000 people have been sacked, suspended or detained as part of the government's massive clampdown on those branded as coup plotters or sympathizers. At least 246 people were killed and more than 2,100 others sustained injuries when an army faction, using hijacked helicopters and tanks, clashed with government troops and people on the streets of the capital, Ankara, and the city of Istanbul. Shortly after the coup bid was declared over on July 16, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Gulen of being behind the coup attempt. However, Gulen denied any involvement and warned that the blame game could be a ploy by Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party to cement its grip on power. The Turkish government has asked the US government to extradite Gulen. Washington has said it is considering Ankara's request. Many of those purged have been from the military, although the government said Wednesday that the number of dismissed soldiers and officers accounted only for 1.5 percent of the armed forces. The developments come as top military commanders were to meet later in the day to decide on one of the most radical shake-ups in the history of the country's armed forces. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is to attend the meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS) in Ankara, which will also see the participation of land, sea and air force commanders, along with other top figures untarnished by the attempted power grab. The council will decide on the personnel changes deemed necessary after the coup. Many say this will be an opportunity to promote lower-ranking officers to fill gaps created in top positions after the massive crackdown. A Turkish official said, confirming a government decree, that 87 land army generals, 30 air force generals and 32 admirals have been dishonorably discharged over their complicity in the coup. The source said 1,099 officers and 436 junior officers have also received a dishonorable discharge. The Turkish government has vowed to severely punish coup plotters, sparking concerns about human rights breaches. Amnesty International said earlier that it has "credible evidence" that around 10,000 Turkish soldiers face severe punishments for their part of the failed military coup against Erdogan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Speculation Grows That Peace Process With Kurds Could Resume by Dorian Jones July 28, 2016 Speculation is growing that the stalled peace process between the Turkish government and the Kurdish rebels could resume after its breakdown last year. Two main factors fuel that belief. For one, nearly half of Turkey's top generals have been removed from office in connection with the failed coup attempt earlier this month, yet despite the Turkish military's disarray, the PKK Kurdish rebel group has not launched any major attacks. In addition, Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party joined other opposition parties in opposing the putsch. General Adem Huduti, the commander of Turkey's Second Army, is the most senior among the military officers detained in the ongoing crackdown on coup plotters. Huduti has led counter-insurgency operations against the PKK since fighting resumed following last year's collapse of the government-backed peace process with the rebels. Many of Turkey's elite special forces and commandos who have been at the forefront of the fight against the PKK have also been detained. Yet the rebels have not moved to take advantage of the chaos within the Turkish military. "I liken what happened to a massive stroke, so the body is extremely weak, it is unable to truly protect itself," said Soli Ozel, an international relations expert at Istanbul's Kadir Has University. "So I am happy that the PKK is not doing anything, but I don't know whether there has been [any] kind of communication." Possibility of peace Turkey's air force, which regularly bombs the PKK, has only launched one strike against rebel bases in neighboring northern Iraq since the failed coup. While PKK skirmishes are still continuing five police officers and soldiers were killed in separate attacks Thursday in the predominantly Kurdish southeast. Ayse Sozen Usluer, the Turkish president's international relations chief, insists there has been no change in policy toward the PKK, but does not rule out that the conflict can be resolved politically. "There is always [the] possibility to go back to [the] peace process," he said. The peace process with the PKK collapsed in July amid mutual recriminations. Its failure led to a resumption of fighting that caused massive destruction in towns and cities across Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast, along with claims by human rights groups of widespread abuses. But Selahattin Demirtas, co-leader of the HDP, Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party, was quick to condemn the coup attempt, and many Kurds heeded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call to go to the streets to oppose it. Wait-and-see approach Semih Idiz, a political columnist with Turkey's Cumhuriyet newspaper, says the PKK is taking a wait-and-see approach. "It's obvious it [the PKK] is holding back to see how all this plays out," he said. "Now, it would not be too pleased at the fact the president is not willing to meet the HDP leader while he is prepared to meet other opposition leaders, even though the HDP came out against the coup. But I think there is a possibility that the government under these conditions will try and go back to some kind of negotiation process with the Kurds or PKK. And perhaps that is why [the] PKK is laying low at the moment." HDP co-leader Demirtas strongly condemned his exclusion from Erdogan's meeting Monday with parliamentary opposition leaders. However, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim suggested the HDP could be brought into what the government calls a consensus-building process. "If there is a kind of undeclared cease-fire for some time, it may be easier to actually include them [Kurds] in the process, as well," Ozel said. In what analysts say is an important gesture to the Kurdish minority, the government says it is considering reopening an investigation into the deaths of 34 young Kurdish smugglers four years ago in a Turkish airstrike near Uludere, on Turkey's border with Iraq. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Downplays Trump's Rethinking Of Russian Claim To Crimea July 29, 2016 by RFE/RL Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations downplayed a comment by U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that he would consider recognizing Russia's widely condemned annexation of Crimea. "Mr. Trump is not the president of the United States, at least not yet, " Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko said in New York on July 28 as he urged the UN Security Council to declare a recent Russian move to incorporate Crimea into southern Russia "null and void" and once again reaffirm that the peninsula belongs to Ukraine. "There are the well-known decisions of the United Nations" condemning the annexation as illegal in 2014, he said. "I'm pretty sure that any U.S. government will pay full respect to those decisions." Yelchenko was responding to comments by Trump on July 27 that appeared to create an opening for Russia by leaving open the question of whether he would recognize Crimea as Russian territory and lift sanctions on Moscow. "We'll be looking at that," Trump said at a news conference. "Yeah, we'll be looking." Yelchenko said: "If this is his opinion as a candidate for the president of the United States, well, this is his opinion. I hope and I'm almost sure that this opinion will change." The Obama White House said on July 28 that there was no change in its stance on Crimea's annexation, which led to several rounds of sanctions on Russia. "The United States has been very direct about our view that the attempted annexation of Crimea by Russia is a flagrant violation, an egregious violation of international norms," spokesman Josh Earnest said. "And it's not a violation that the United States is prepared to tolerate." With reporting by dpa, AFP, Reuters, and AP Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-un- ambassador-downplays-trump-rethinking- russian-claim-to-crimea/27887489.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 Last year, summer was the time when about 40 percent of the reported car thefts took place in Virginia. This year, the Danville Police Department and Virginia State Police are reminding motorists to keep their vehicles secured. Danville, Roanoke and Lynchburg have a car theft rate of 152.2 per 100,000 citizens; the average rate for Virginia is 96.5, according to the Virginia State Polices H.E.A.T. (Help Eliminate Auto Theft) program. The consensus among law enforcement is that a significant number of vehicles reported stolen have the keys inside, the news release continued. People will tend to get gas and leave the car at the gas pump with the keys in it, said Lt. Mike Wallace with the Danville Police Department. Youd be amazed at the number of people who walk away from their vehicles, engines running, windows down, First Sgt. Steve Hall, H.E.A.T. program coordinator said in the news release. You want to make it more difficult for thieves, not easier, he said. Wallace also discouraged people from renting or loaning their vehicle to a friend, or leaving a child in the car unattended. Car theft is a problem in Virginia and the nation: Around 40 percent of the 8,103 motor vehicle thefts last year occurred between June and September, according to a 2015 Crime in Virginia report; A 2015 Virginia State Police H.E.A.T. motor vehicle theft annual statistics report stated the commonwealth has the fifth lowest auto theft rate in the country; There was a 7 percent increase vehicles stolen in Virginia from 2014 to 2015; and Also, there were 823 arrests of auto theft suspects reported last year, a 1.6 percent increase from 2014. A kayaking excursion on the Dan River turned into an animal rescue mission for five local veterinary workers Wednesday afternoon near Milton, North Carolina. The five women employees at Animal Medical Center of Danville saved a calf from sliding down an embankment into the river. We were out there kayaking and having a good time and me and one of my friends heard the mother crying, said Desiree Robertson, a veterinary technician. We glanced back and saw the calf stuck in the mud. Jenny Gauldin, an assistant groomer at the center, said the calf was down a 20-foot drop. The group had started their kayaking trip at Anglers Park before encountering the calf near Milton at the Virginia/North Carolina border. Robertson along with Gauldin, Megan Barnes and Lauren Spivey climbed the mudslide, tied a rope around calfs chest and hoisted him up the bank, Robertson said. Three of them pulled the calf up the bank while Gauldin pushed him from beneath, Gauldin said. We just went over there and took action, Robertson said. They delivered the animal back to his mother at the top of the embankment. We made sure he had suckled and then we left, Gauldin said, adding that the rescue took about 10-20 minutes. Gauldin said they all were sunburned by the time the rescue was over. One of the calfs owners, Josh Burnett, said he was very grateful the women who also included veterinary technician Tonya Wyatt saved the animal. Burnett has known Barnes for 15 years and takes his three dogs to Animal Medical Center. Barnes called Burnett after the rescue and told him what happened, he said. The calf was from Cavalier Farm near Milton, which Burnett operates with his father, an uncle and a cousin. The calf is doing fine, he said Thursday evening. Burnett and his family have repaired the area to prevent another similar incident. We did patch work to keep that from happening again, he said. For Robertson and her four friends, saving the calf was exhilarating. It was very exciting, Robertson said. It was a highlight for me; it was the best part of our kayaking trip. CHATHAM More than a year ago, three Pittsylvania County residents accused the countys Agricultural Development Board of violating Virginias Freedom of Information Act. On Thursday, their concerns were heard again in Pittsylvania Countys Circuit Court. Deborah Dix, Phillip Lovelace and Karen Maute claimed that Dix and Lovelace were locked out of a meeting at the Olde Dominion Agriculture Complex on April 8, 2015, during a thunderstorm. They requested the court find the boards treatment of Dix and Lovelace willful. Their original petition accused the ag board of failing to maintain minutes of all open meetings, going into closed meeting to discuss a personnel matter in violation of state law, going into closed meeting in violation of state law and resuming open meeting in violation of state law, and failing to ensure free entry to the open meeting upon resumption of closed meeting in violation of state law as well as not maintaining written minutes of its open meetings since it formed in 2007. They also claimed that the board held an illegal closed meeting and did not provide access and notice of their open meetings. General District Court Judge Larry J. Palmer dismissed their petition against the ag board on June 23, 2015, because the board had implemented a corrective action plan. Judge James Reynolds heard an appeal of Palmers decision in October, and scheduled a secondary hearing for six months later and placed the case under advisement for six months waiting to see if there were further FOIA violations by the ag board. After the October hearing, the board chose to implement a corrective action plan, and its bylaw amendment was approved by the board of supervisors on March 15. It now states that the director of agribusiness shall take minutes of all PCAAC meetings in which he/she is in attendance. In the event of his/her absence, the chair shall temporarily assign another PCAAC member in attendance to take meeting minutes. Maute had asked for the April 8, 2015, meeting minutes in a FOIA request. County Attorney J. Vaden Hunt responded that the ag board had no meeting minutes because the board is not required to keep minutes, according to the plaintiffs affidavit and petition. According to Virginias FOIA laws, the board was exempt from needing to take minutes, but if minutes were taken, they would become public record and must be published. However, those records and many other meeting minutes were sent to Maute in November by USPS as the result of another FOIA request. On Thursday, Reynolds did not find FOIA violations in the examples given by the plaintiffs, but he was deeply concerned by the production of minutes that Hunt had said did not exist and that he was responsible for producing. For whatever reason, Mr. Hunt didnt know what was going on, said Reynolds near the end of the hearing. Theyve [the board] been neglectful as all get out over the years, because they hadnt been trained on FOIA. The court is very concerned about that. He issued a writ of mandamus for the Agricultural Development Board to keep and produce minutes to the public regularly for the next 18 months. The order may be rescinded then. Attorney Jim Guynn, representing the ag board, was confused by this because it was a past violation, not one that occurred after the October hearing, and he didnt know that it would be on the table. This issue should have been on the countys radar. The court feels hoodooed by the county. If they take minutes, they are a public record and subject to FOIA, said Reynolds. Whatever the agenda may be, [the plaintiffs are] entitled to that information. Guynn requested another hearing in order to speak to Hunt about the issue, and allow him to testify to what happened. Reynolds agreed, though noting that it meant the county would be paying for more of plaintiff attorney Barbara Hudsons fees. Reynolds scheduled a 30-minute hearing for Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. His order of a writ of mandamus will be final after that hearing. Hunt declined to comment on the case when reached by phone Thursday, and referred questions to Guynn, who had no comment after the hearing. Judge Reynolds also authorized payment of $5,000 in attorneys fees to Hudson, who said that she plans to donate the fees to the SPCA of Pittsylvania County, since she took the case on a pro bono basis with her clients. I think we agree with the judge that we and the court were hoodooed, said Maute after conferring with the other plaintiffs. The minutes are now being published. If nothing else, thats a good thing. REIDSVILLE A man wanted in connection with the 1977 killing of a Florida man was hiding in plain sight in Reidsville, according to an FBI news release. The agency learned William Claybourne Taylor, now 67, was living in Reidsville under an assumed name, according to the release. Agents from Charlotte took him into custody today without incident. He confirmed his true identity, according to the release. Taylor shot and killed a former Immigration and Naturalization Service official on Jan. 8, 1977, and shot a former Williston, Fla., mayor, according to the release. The FBI says Taylor fired into a car intending to kill Eugene Bailey, the former mayor, who was wounded and survived, but killed former INS official Walter Scott. A grand jury indicted Taylor on murder and aggravated battery charges, and he was arrested in Chattanooga, Tenn., on May 20, 1980. He was released on $20,000 bail and never returned. Federal arrest warrants were issued in August that year. Florida FBI spokeswoman Amanda Warford Videll said the agency is not ready to release the name Taylor has been using. She said the agency is not certain what hes been doing for the past 36 years. He is being held in the Guilford County jail without bail. Tel Aviv 1948. Crowds gathered along the Tel Aviv beachfront. Robert Capa (Magnum) The Mediterranean has been a principal meeting point for the three Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and interaction between members of these three faiths has been regular and at times intense sometimes hostile, but often creative. Although it is tempting to think about the Crusades, or about the great Spanish-Turkish wars of the 16th century, as proof of the lack of peaceful integration in the Mediterranean, we can also find plenty of evidence for long calm interludes during which Christian and Jewish merchants established themselves in trading colonies along the coast of North Africa and the Levant, and consumers in western Europe eagerly bought eastern goods obtained from or through the Mediterranean silks and sugar from the Mediterranean, spices brought up the Red Sea into the Mediterranean. Trading communities from Venice, Genoa, Florence and Barcelona built the commercial institutions we know today banks, insurance, maritime law to serve the interests of their trade networks that encompassed the Mediterranean. Religious barriers did not have to be commercial barriers. We can all see, indeed we see virtually every day, that the disparities in wealth between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean have stimulated an intensive, illicit and perilous human traffic across the sea that seems impossible to control There are also stories of expulsion, notably the forced departure of the Spanish Jews in 1492 and of the Spanish Muslims in 1609. All this created a series of diasporas around the shores of the Mediterranean; cosmopolitan port cities emerged that acted as hosts to mixed communities of people of many religions, ethnic origins and cultural outlooks. Thessaloniki was home to a diverse population, including the descendants of Jews expelled from Spain, who were living alongside Greeks, Turks, Slavs and others; these Jews continued to speak Spanish into modern times. The extreme case of a cosmopolitan Mediterranean city is Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC. Early in the 20th century, Europeans accounted for 15% of its population, even if it was they who exercised most of the economic power; in 1927 there were about 49,000 Greeks in the city and 24,000 Italians. Overlapping with various nationalities there were 25,000 Jews. Influential Muslim families, including the royal family, hailed from Turkey, Albania, Syria or Lebanon. They, as much as the settlers of European descent, wished to identify strongly with European, particularly French, culture. Indeed, a 19th-century ruler of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, expressed the view that Egypt must become part of Europe (one wonders how well that view would go down in Brussels today!) Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click Nationalist movements within the multi-ethnic Ottoman Empire, beginning in 19th-century Greece, challenged this pluralistic outlook. In an age of rising nationalism, one city after another was transformed by expulsion, flight from danger, forced assimilation, and even mass extermination (in the case of the Sephardim of Thessaloniki, over 40,000 were victims of Nazi murder), and by the 1950s the port cities of the eastern Mediterranean had largely ceased to be places of coexistence. The one exception was Beirut, but there too tensions kept erupting. The Turks had exercised nominal sovereignty in North Africa for centuries, but by the 19th century this was being replaced by direct colonial rule on the part of competing powers based in western Europe: a small corner in the far west for Spain, large tracts for France and Italy, with Britain exercising overwhelming influence in Egypt. In the era of colonialism, starting with the French conquest of Algeria in 1830, a new rapport was created across the Mediterranean, a hegemonic one that insisted on the more civilized character of the northerners as opposed to the inhabitants of its southern shores. By 1881, when a French protectorate was created in Tunisia, the region already contained 70,000 Italian settlers, many from Sicily, and 12,000 settlers from the tiny island of Malta. By the time of decolonization, following World War II, the European colonies in North Africa were home to one and a half million settlers from France, Spain, Italy and elsewhere, with well over a million in Algeria alone. Yet the colonists descendants were to depart back to Europe in the second half of the 20th century, along with large numbers of indigenous inhabitants, many of whom then settled on the northern shores of the Mediterranean, above all in southern France. Deadly tensions generated in North Africa during the era of decolonization were then transferred to cities such as Nice and Marseilles. A 19th-century ruler of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, expressed the view that Egypt must become part of Europe (one wonders how well that view would go down in Brussels today!) The emancipation of the colonized from the colonizers in the second half of the 20th century has had several important effects, most notably the fracturing of the Mediterranean into northern and southern zones that to a large extent operate apart from one another. Places such as Algiers and Alexandria, once celebrated for their meeting of cultures, religions and peoples, have become monochrome cities inhabited solely by the majority population of the interior. To say this is not to defend the actions of the colonizers which were, notably in Algeria, often brutal and counter-productive. The Jews, in particular, disappeared from all those lands in the Mediterranean where they had formed an integral and highly productive part of a larger society, migrating to one embattled corner (Israel), or sometimes to France, bringing to an end a 2,000-year history of diaspora around the shores of the Mediterranean. Seen from this perspective, the creation of Israel was another episode in the fragmentation of the Mediterranean into national entities, as different ethnic and religious groups carved out their own territories, and peoples were shunted around, beginning with the Greeks and the Turks in the population exchanges of the 1920s. As we are now discovering, the process still continues, following the disintegration of a Syrian state in which a variety of religious groups had some degree of official protection. The disappearance of the Christian communities in Syria marks the end of another 2,000-year history, not of diaspora but of stability, and the beginning of yet another diaspora extending far beyond the Mediterranean. Sub-Saharan migrants make the journey to Europe in precarious conditions. Atlas We can all see, indeed we see virtually every day, that the disparities in wealth between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean have stimulated an intensive, illicit and perilous human traffic across the sea that seems impossible to control. This traffic, we need to remind ourselves, was already flowing strongly before the collapse of Syria and the persecutions in Iraq and further east. The Mediterranean has become the theatre in which many migrants from Black Africa have tried, often at the risk of their life, to enter the wealthy lands of the European Union. Massive improvements in healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa have led to a population explosion; tremendous leaps forward in education have raised aspirations among those who find that their home country cannot satisfy these ambitions. Therefore Black African migration northwards is certain to grow, even more so as climate change threatens livelihoods in the savannah regions. The lesson of all this is that the countries on the northern shores of the Mediterranean need to connect once again with their neighbours to the south, no longer as colonial masters but as partners. This will not resolve the problem of migration, but it would mark the first stage in making it manageable. David Abulafia teaches history at Cambridge University and has written The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean Sen. Tim Kaines more aggressive tone in his speech Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia overshadowed the warmth he projected Saturday in Miami, when Hillary Clinton introduced him as her running mate, according to some longtime analysts of Virginia politics. Kaines speech to a TV audience of millions was a little more of an evening message, which was to strip the bark off (Donald) Trump, said Bob Holsworth, a longtime Virginia political analyst, formerly at Virginia Commonwealth University. In his speech Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center, Kaine thanked his family, recited his biography and praised Clinton. He also ripped Trump, mocking the Republican presidential nominees trademark phrase, Believe me. Holsworth said he never had seen Kaine, a former Richmond mayor, lieutenant governor and governor, go to such lengths to impersonate his opponent in a mainly sarcastic way. Holsworth said he thought Kaine did a good job overall in introducing himself to the country and telling his back story. When Kaine returns to the campaign trail, the tie is not going to be on, Holsworth said. The senator will ad lib a bit more, and audiences will get a sense of the inviting, welcoming nature of Tim Kaine. Robert E. Denton, head of the Department of Communication at Virginia Tech, said he was surprised by the mocking tone of Kaines speech. In my mind, it diminished him a bit, Denton said. He went from a statesperson to a political operative. On Wednesday, it was hard to see a difference in his comments and some of the things said by Trump and his supporters, Denton said. I was disappointed. Kaine doesnt need a manuscript, Denton added. He praised the heartfelt remarks that Kaine, as governor, gave without notes in 2007 at the Virginia Tech memorial service after a gunman killed 32 students and faculty members. Last Saturday, when Kaine spoke at Florida International University in Miami, there was a genuineness about him, a conversational style, Denton said. Quentin Kidd, a political analyst at Christopher Newport University, gives Kaine good reviews on his speeches in Miami and in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, Kaine was tasked with introducing himself and laying out a Clinton-Trump contrasting case, Kidd said. Hes not really trying to be anyone he isnt, Kidd said. He is who he is. Larry Sabato, head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, was in Philadelphia for the convention. Tim Kaine is a natural at extemporaneous speaking, he said. Hes less effective with a prepared text. Sabato thought Kaine seemed very tense Wednesday night, perhaps because there were rumors in the hall that some Bernie Sanders supporters would boo when Kaine took the stage. Kaines voice was hoarse because of his series of speaking engagements in recent days, Sabato added. Overall, I thought he did fine, Sabato said, noting that Kaine spoke on a night that featured speeches by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Nobody is going to come close to President Obama, Sabato said. Kaine had so many things to do in his speech, Sabato added. He had to reintroduce himself to the national audience, mindful that comparatively few people would have seen the speech he gave in Miami. He also had to defend Hillary Clinton and attack Donald Trump, Sabato said. Thats a lot to do in one speech. Kaine will have the opportunity to find his voice again, when hes back on the stump, Sabato said. Clinton and Trump will dominate coverage for the rest of the campaign, Sabato said. He noted that the next time the klieg lights hit Kaine, he will be on home turf Oct. 4 for the vice presidential debate at Longwood University in Farmville. That speech at the Democratic National Convention was the most pressure hell be under for the rest of the campaign, Sabato said. GREENSBORO, N.C. When a judge advised a North Carolina man that he was a fugitive wanted in the killing of a retired immigration official nearly 40 years ago, his only response was: "That's what the papers say." William Claybourne Taylor, 67, hung his head during much of a brief video appearance before Judge Pete Hunter and asked for a court-appointed attorney. Authorities say he had been living under an assumed name when they arrested him without incident Thursday in Reidsville, a sleepy town about 20 miles south of the Virginia state line. An FBI "Most Wanted" poster described Taylor as a dance instructor, trumpet player, convenience store clerk and welder. Authorities say he was using the name James Emmet Manion, and that he was the triggerman in an attempt to assassinate the then-mayor of Williston, Florida, in January 1977. The shooting left the mayor, Eugene T. Bailey, wounded and killed Walter H. Scott, a former official with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The shooting occurred as Scott was driving the mayor and two other men along U.S. 27, about 20 miles west of Ocala, Florida, when another car pulled alongside their vehicle, according to the Ocala Star-Banner. After the driver was shot, the victims' car veered into pine trees. A person approached the back of the car and shot Bailey, the newspaper reported. The two other men escaped unharmed. According to an account in The Gainesville Sun on the 36th anniversary of Taylor's disappearance, three years passed before Taylor, older brother Ray Taylor and another man were accused of scheming to assassinate the mayor and collect legal fees by representing his family. The mayor was a successful businessman with a $2.5 million estate, according to news reports. After the slaying, Ray Taylor moved to Tennessee and become a successful prosecutor, according to the paper, but he was convicted in 1980 as chief planner in the plot. Media reports say the third man, believed to be the driver of the car from which the shots were fired, testified against Ray Taylor in exchange for a manslaughter conviction and was sentenced to 15 years of probation. William Taylor was indicted in 1980 on charges of murder and aggravated battery and arrested five days later in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the FBI said. The agency said he never returned to Ocala after being released in Tennessee on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond. A federal arrest warrant was issued in 1980 after Taylor was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Bailey's daughter, Mary Gene French, still lives in the Ocala area and said she was relieved to hear about Taylor's capture. "Ever since that happened, I've been looking over my shoulder," the 91-year-old great-grandmother said. "So I'm doing just fine now. I hope they hold him. I hope they don't let him get away again." French said her father was never really the same after the shooting. Bailey lived through Ray Taylor's trial and conviction but died a few years later from a stroke, French said. William Taylor is being held in a detention center in Guilford County, North Carolina. In Reidsville, 86-year-old neighbor Alberta Morris said she was shocked to hear the news about Taylor. She occasionally saw him work in his tree-shaded front yard, but never talked to him. She said she once got a ride to a doctor's appointment in Greensboro with Taylor's wife. Morris said Sheryl Manion had family in Reidsville. "I don't know how long they were married or anything. I hope she didn't know about his past," Morris said. No one answered a knock on the door at the beige and green, two-story home Taylor and his wife shared. Establishes a diversified gold producer with attractive exploration assets Shares Issued: 183,131,604 THUNDER BAY, ON, July 28, 2016 /CNW/ - Premier Gold Mines Ltd. ("Premier") (TSX:PG) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement (the "Share Purchase Agreement") with Yamana Gold Inc. ("Yamana") pursuant to which Premier has agreed to acquire (the "Acquisition") Yamana's Mercedes mine and exploration properties located in the state of Sonora, northwest Mexico, within the Cucurpe municipality (collectively, the "Mercedes Mine"). Pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, Premier has agreed to acquire all of the shares of Yamana's indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, which indirectly owns all interests in the Mercedes Mine, for a total purchase price of US$140.0 million (based on closing price of Premier's shares on July 5th, 2016, the date of signing the non-binding letter of intent to acquire Mercedes with Yamana) consisting of: a) US$122.5 million in cash; b) the issuance of 6.0 million common shares to Yamana in the capital of Premier (each a "Common Share"); and c) the issuance of 3.0 million warrants to Yamana (each a "Warrant") to acquire up to 3.0 million Common Shares. Each Warrant will entitle Yamana to purchase one Common Share upon the exercise thereof at the price of C$4.75 per Common Share until 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the date that is 24 months after the closing date of the Acquisition, subject to approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. In addition, Premier will grant to Yamana a 1.0% net smelter return royalty on production from the current land package relating to the Mercedes Mine on the earlier of a date: (a) on which 450,000 ounces of gold equivalent ?has been produced by the Mercedes Mine following closing of the Acquisition; and (b) six years after closing of the Acquisition. The Acquisition is expected to close on or about September 30, 2016. Located in Sonora State in Mexico, the Mercedes Mine has been in production since 2011 and is currently mining 3 underground gold-silver deposits. From 2012 to 2015, the mine produced an average of ~109koz of gold annually. The Mercedes Mine currently has mineral reserves of 333koz gold grading 4.33 g/t and 3,750koz silver grading 48.8 g/t, measured and indicated mineral resources (exclusive of mineral reserves) of 537koz gold grading 3.36 g/t and 5,817koz silver grading 36.5 g/t, and inferred mineral resources of 239koz gold grading 3.45 g/t and 2,001koz silver grading 28.9 g/ti. The company intends to fund the cash component of the purchase price from sources of capital available to it and expects in due course to confirm the details of such financing. Highlights of the Transaction Transformational Acquisition Creating a Diversified Gold Producer: with pro-forma 2016E production of greater than 100koz ii and 2017E production of ~138koz iii , the Acquisition results in a more diversified asset portfolio while providing for more growth opportunities on a go-forward basis. and 2017E production of ~138koz , the Acquisition results in a more diversified asset portfolio while providing for more growth opportunities on a go-forward basis. High Quality, Low Cost Operating Mine in Prolific Mining District: the Mercedes Mine operates in a politically favorable jurisdiction of Mexico with average annual production of ~109koz (2012-2015 average) iv and 2016E AISC of ~$935/oz v and 2016E AISC of ~$935/oz Unique Opportunity to Surface Additional Value: the Mercedes Mine is a small component of Yamana's portfolio and has been under-explored creating significant potential to extend the mine life beyond known reserves. Significant Exploration Potential: the Mercedes Mine is a large land package located in the highly-prospective Sonora state and Premier has identified multiple opportunities to increase the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates. Increased Financial Flexibility: the anticipated cash flow from the Mercedes Mine combined with that of South Arturo will help fund the Hardrock development. Accretive Transaction: the Acquisition is accretive on a number of key operating and financial metrics. "The acquisition of the Mercedes Mine is a compelling and transformative transaction", stated Ewan Downie, President and CEO of Premier on the Company's C-Suite Blog (http://www.premiergoldmines.com/news/c-suite-blog). "It establishes Premier as a diversified gold producer with an attractive production growth profile and significant exploration prospects within world-class and mine-friendly jurisdictions." The Acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions including receipt of the required Mexican anti-trust approval and the approval of Toronto Stock Exchange. RBC Capital Markets is acting as the financial advisor to Premier with respect to this acquisition. Premier's legal advisor is Bennett Jones LLP. Yamana's legal advisor is Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. Stephen McGibbon, P. Geo., Vice President of Corporate & Project Development, P. Geo., is the Qualified Person for the scientific and technical information contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Premier Gold Mines Limited is one of North America's leading exploration and development companies with a high-quality pipeline of projects focused in proven, safe and accessible mining jurisdictions in Canada and the United States that includes world class gold mining districts such as Red Lake and Geraldton in Ontario and the Carlin and Eureka-Battle Mountain Trends in Nevada. This news release contains certain information that may constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation ("forward-looking information"), including but not limited to information about the structure, terms and timing of the Acquisition and the acquisition financing; whether the Acquisition and the acquisition financing will be completed; the terms of the Warrants; and information relating to the properties and relating to the Mercedes Mine. This forward-looking information entails various risks and uncertainties that are based on current expectations, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such information. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the global economy; the price of gold; operational, funding and liquidity risks; the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources; the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present; and the ability of Premier to fund its substantial capital requirements and operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada available at www.sedar.com. Readers are urged to read these materials. Premier assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by law. ______________________________ i Yamana 2015 Annual Information Form ii Combination of 25% of Yamana 2016 guidance for Mercedes as per the January 13, 2016 press release, and Premier guidance for South Arturo iii Combination of Yamana 2017 guidance for Mercedes as per the January 13, 2016 press release, and Premier guidance for South Arturo iv Yamana public filings v Yamana press release dated January 13, 2016 SOURCE Premier Gold Mines Ltd. A summary of the voting results is as follows: Total shares voted: 42,973,899 Total shares issued: 116,842,737 Total percentage of shares voted: 36.78 % VANCOUVER, Jul 29, 2016 - Euromax Resources Ltd. (TSX:EOX) ("Euromax" or the "Company") is pleased to report that all resolutions proposed, as set out in the Notice of Meeting dated 23 June 2016, were duly passed at its Annual General Meeting held in Skopje, Macedonia on Thursday, 28 July 2016.The Board & Management wishes to express its thanks to all shareholders for their support. Number of Directors At the Meeting, shareholder approval was sought by way of an ordinary resolution to fix the number of directors of the Corporation at eight (8) in accordance with the Corporation's Articles. Vote For % Vote Against % 42,072,360 97.90 901,538 2.10 Election of Directors Each of the individuals nominated by management for election as a director of the Company was duly elected as Director of the Company. The results are as follows: Name of Nominee Vote For % Withheld Vote % Martyn Konig 29,253,182 94.95 1,571,793 5.05 Randal Matkaluk 30,497,975 98.08 597,000 1.92 Tim Morgan-Wynne 30,548,182 98.24 546,793 1.76 Steve Sharpe 30,550,642 98.25 544,333 1.75 Varshan Gokool 30,534,643 98.20 560,332 1.80 Patrick Forward 30,539,643 98.21 555,332 1.79 Bill Abel 30,490,310 98.06 604,665 1.94 Raymond Threlkeld 30,494643 98.07 600,332 1.93 Name of Auditors Vote For % Withheld Vote % Deloitte LLP 42,971,728 99.99 2,171 0.01 Management recommends that Shareholders re-appoint Deloitte LLP as auditors of the Corporation, to hold office until the next annual general meeting of Shareholders, and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration. Stock Option Plan A continued use of the Corporation's stock option plan, in the form of resolution set forth in the management information circular sent to the shareholders, was passed as a resolution of the shareholders of the Corporation. Vote For % Vote Against % 30,470,954 97.99 624,021 2.01 Euromax has a major development project in Macedonia and an exploration services company in Bulgaria. We are focused on building and operating the Ilovica-Shtuka copper/gold project in Macedonia, as well profitably deploying the wealth of exploration experience within our Bulgarian Exploration Services subsidiary.This news release contains statements that are forward-looking, such as those relating to results of operations and financial condition, capital spending, financing sources, commodity prices, mineral resources and property evaluation plans and programmes. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterised by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the dates the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are as of the date of this document, and are subject to change after this date. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Euromax disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.For more information, please visit www.euromaxresources.com.Steve Sharpe, President & CEO+44 (0)20 3667 2970ssharpe@euromaxresources.co.ukwww.euromaxresources.com Toronto, Ontario (FSCwire) - Murchison Minerals Ltd. (Murchison or the Company) (CSE: MUR) announces that it intends to consolidate its current issued and outstanding share capital on a 10 old for 1 new basis (the Consolidation) as previously announced. The record date for the Consolidation is August 12, 2016. At an annual and special meeting of the shareholders of the Company held on April 6, 2016, shareholders of the Company approved a consolidation of the outstanding common shares on the basis of one post-Consolidation common share for up to twenty (20) outstanding pre-Consolidation common shares. The Company will not issue any fractional post-Consolidation common shares as a result of the Consolidation. Instead, all fractional shares will be rounded up to the next whole common share. A further announcement will be made advising of the completion of the Consolidation. The post-Consolidation common shares will commence trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under same name and ticker symbol (MUR) on August 10, 2016, at which time the CUSIP and ISIN numbers of the Company will change to 626426209 and CA6264262099, respectively. The Company currently has 158,536,884 issued and outstanding common shares. Following the Consolidation, it is anticipated that the Company will have approximately 15,853,688 issued and outstanding common shares. The exercise or conversion price and the number of common shares issuable under any of the Company's outstanding warrants and options will be proportionately adjusted to reflect the Consolidation in accordance with the respective terms thereof. Letters of transmittal with respect to the Consolidation will be mailed to all registered shareholders of the Company to use to exchange their pre-Consolidation common shares into post-Consolidation common shares on or around August 10, 2016. A copy of the letter of transmittal will be filed on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on its issuer profile at www.thecse.com. Each registered shareholder that submits a duly completed letter of transmittal along with such registered shareholders share certificate(s) representing pre-Consolidation common shares to the Company's transfer agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc., (the Transfer Agent), will receive share certificates representing the number of post-Consolidation common shares to which the registered shareholder is entitled. Until so surrendered, each share certificate representing pre-Consolidation common shares of the Company will represent the number of whole post-Consolidation Common Shares to which the holder is entitled as a result of the Consolidation. Shareholders of the Company that hold common shares through a bank, broker or other nominee should note that banks, brokers or other nominees may have different procedures for processing the Consolidation than those put in place by the Company and the Transfer Agent. Such shareholders may not be required to complete a letter of transmittal. The Company believes that the Consolidation will be beneficial to the Company in that it is expected to, among other things, provide the Company with greater flexibility in attracting financing. About Murchison Murchison is a Canadian based exploration company with a diversified portfolio of properties, including the high-grade Brabant-McKenzie zinc-copper-silver deposit in north-central Saskatchewan, the HPM Nickel/Copper/Cobalt project in Quebec and holds gold claims in the Pickle Lake area of northwestern Ontario. Murchison also owns the Cloridorme high alumina shale formation, which is contiguous and essentially an extension of the Marin deposit of Orbite Technologies Inc. located on the Gaspe Peninsula in eastern Quebec. Additional information about Murchison and its exploration projects can be found at www.murchisonminerals.com. Erik Martin, Chief Financial Officer Or Kent Pearson, President and Chief Executive Officer At info@murchisonminerals.com (416) 350 - 3776 Forward-Looking Information Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information. The parties undertake no obligation to update forward-looking information except as otherwise may be required by applicable securities law. NEITHER THE CSE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE CSE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/Murchison07292016_0.pdfSource: Murchison Minerals Ltd. (CSE:MUR) To follow Murchison Minerals Ltd. on your favorite social media platform or financial websites, please click on the icons below. Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2016 Filing Services Canada Inc. VANCOUVER, BC / TheNewswire / July 29, 2016 - Novo Resources Corp. ("Novo" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NVO; OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to announce it has commenced its 30,000 tonne bulk sampling program at its 100%-controlled Beatons Creek gold project in Western Australia. This bulk sampling exercise will provide refined data concerning mining techniques, costs, methods of grade control, mining dilution and grade reconciliation, information critical to help the Company complete its preliminary economic assessment. While sampling was initially expected to take approximately 5-6 weeks, stripping of overburden is occurring faster than anticipated. Novo believes it can complete sampling in significantly less time and at a reduced cost. Processing will commence following the receipt of necessary approval. In the Company's news release dated June 23, 2016, Novo discussed plans for exploration drilling at its Blue Spec project. Permits for exploration drilling were lodged in late June, 2016 and have since been approved, clearing the way for this program to move forward. Certain staff currently allocated to bulk sampling will be free to commence preparations for drilling once bulk sampling is complete. Novo plans to issue a news release outlining the Blue Spec drill program within the next month. Quinton Hennigh (Ph.D., P.Geo.) is the Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Dr. Hennigh is President, CEO and Director of Novo Resources Corp. About Novo Resources Corp. Novo's focus is to evaluate, acquire and explore gold properties. Indirect subsidiaries of Novo hold a 100% interest in the core of the Beatons Creek gold project, a 70% interest in surrounding Beatons Creek and at nearby Marble Bar, and a 100% interest in the Blue Spec gold-antimony project, and options covering approximately 400 square km over the Mosquito Creek Basin, all in the Pilbara region, Western Australia. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail leo@novoresources.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Novo Resources Corp. "Quinton Hennigh" Quinton Hennigh CEO and President Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-looking information Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, statements as to the expected receipt of results from various exploration and testing activities and the success of the Company's bulk sampling program. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the mineral resource exploration industry. Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. London - Gabriel Resources Ltd. (Gabriel or the Company) announces the publication of its Second Quarter Financial Statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis Report for the period ended June 30, 2016. Summary Q2 2016 brought no change in Romanias continued prevention of the implementation of the RoAYia MontanA gold and silver project (Project). Accordingly, the Company is progressing with its arbitration case against Romania before the World Banks International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) under applicable treaties for the promotion and protection of foreign investment to which Romania is a party (ICSID Arbitration). The ICSID Arbitration is the core focus of the Company and the arbitral tribunal (Tribunal) that will adjudicate the case was constituted on June 21. The first session of the Tribunal with all parties is scheduled to be held on August 12, 2016. As at June 30, 2016, the Company held $28.0 million of cash and cash equivalents. On July 14, 2016, the Company completed the previously announced non-brokered private placement financing to raise $40.625 million (Private Placement). The proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for the ICSID Arbitration and for general working capital requirements. Mr. David Kay has been appointed to the Board of the Company with effect from July 29, 2016 as a nominee of Tenor International & Commercial Arbitration Fund (Tenor), associated with the principal investor in the Private Placement. On July 14, 2016 the Company reported that the fiscal authorities in Romania had levied a value added tax assessment (VAT Assessment) on its subsidiary RoEia MontanA Gold Corporation S.A. (RMGC) amounting to approximately RON 27 million (approximately $8.6 million) and that RMGC has been subjected to a number of investigations by various Romanian government agencies which Gabriel considers are abusive in scope and execution and were initiated by the Romanian State in reaction to the ICSID Arbitration and recent successful funding initiatives of the Company. Jonathan Henry, Gabriels President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: The failure of Romania to allow the development of a world class mining project at RoEia MontanA, where the largest beneficiary would be the Romanian State and its people, has left the Company with no alternative but to focus on the ICSID Arbitration. We welcome the recent establishment of the Tribunal and Gabriel, in conjunction with its expert legal team, is preparing the relevant submissions to present its case to the Tribunal. Gabriel has already filed certain applications with the Tribunal to procure access to material documentation and to address the demonstrable acts of bad faith committed since the commencement of the ICSID Arbitration through the intrusive and arbitrary investigations initiated by Romanias fiscal authorities. RMGC intends to challenge the VAT Assessment. Following the completion of the Private Placement, the Company is well-positioned to finance the ICSID Arbitration and to safeguard its rights and investments in Romania. We welcome David Kay to the Board and anticipate that his experience will be invaluable to the future progression of the ICSID Arbitration. Further information and commentary on the operations and results in the second quarter of 2016, together with events anticipated in the short term, is given below. The Company has filed its Unaudited Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements and Managements Discussion & Analysis on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and each is available for review on the Companys website at www.gabrielresources.com. For information on this press release, please contact: Jonathan Henry President & Chief Executive Officer Mobile: +44 7798 801783 jh@gabrielresources.com Max Vaughan Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +44 7823 885503 max.vaughan@gabrielresources.com Richard Brown Chief Commercial Officer Mobile: +44 7748 760276 richard.brown@gabrielresources.com Further Information Status of the ICSID Arbitration The ICSID Arbitration seeks compensation for all of the loss and damage suffered by the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Gabriel Resources (Jersey) Ltd. (together Claimants), resulting from the Romanian States wrongful conduct and its breaches of certain bilateral investment treaties which the Romanian Government has entered into. The Tribunal, which was constituted on June 21, 2016, consists of the following arbitrators: Ms. Teresa Cheng as President of the Tribunal (a Chinese national appointed by the Secretary-General of ICSID), Dr. Horacio Grigera Naon (an Argentinian national appointed by the Claimants); and Mr. Zachary Douglas (an Australian national appointed by Romania). The Tribunal has scheduled the first session with the parties for August 12, 2016 at which time the Tribunal will likely address, among other things, the procedural calendar for the ICSID Arbitration. The Tribunal will consider, in due course, requests for provisional measures recently submitted to the Tribunal by the Claimants relating to (i) the use by Claimants, their counsel and the Tribunal, among others, of certain categories of documents and information considered classified and/or confidential by Romania and (ii) various aspects of the VAT Assessment and a purported anti-fraud investigation of RMGC undertaken by Romanian authorities. Despite the initiation of the ICSID Arbitration, the Company continues to remain open to engagement with the Romanian authorities in order to achieve an amicable resolution of the dispute. Notwithstanding, Gabriel will continue to protect its rights and investments in Romania, including support to RMGC in respect of any abusive, illegal, or retaliatory conduct by Romanian authorities and, so far as reasonably practical and desirable, ensuring that existing licenses and permits remain in good standing. RMGC Investigations Recently, RMGC has been subjected to audits and investigations by Romanian authorities operating under the Ministry of Public Finance, which is also charged with organizing and overseeing the defense of Romania in the ICSID Arbitration. The main investigations have taken the form of a value added (purchase sales) tax (VAT) audit and a purported anti-fraud investigation. Gabriel considers that such audits and investigations are biased, are abusive in scope, and/or execution, and particularly with respect to the anti-fraud investigation, have been initiated by the Romanian State in reaction to the ICSID Arbitration. These investigations are in addition to the impact on RMGC of the previously disclosed investigation into the Kadok Group. On October 12, 2015, the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) initiated an unannounced, ad hoc investigation of transactions RMGC has had with various suppliers. RMGC has not received any formal notification of the purpose or scope of the investigation. Such investigation has required RMGC to provide voluminous amounts of information in respect of RMGC suppliers and respective transactions, particularly over the period 2007 to 2014, but has also included substantial amounts of documents and information dating back to 1997. Following ANAFs initial requests in October 2015, a period of approximately 6 months elapsed before, on April 21, 2016, ANAF again requested significant volumes of further supplier information. RMGC has been co-operating fully with ANAF. As of the date of this press release, there has been no report from ANAF regarding the purpose or findings of this investigation. On March 14, 2016, RMGC received a tax inspection notice from ANAF advising of the initiation of an audit primarily covering tax declarations in respect of VAT that RMGC has reclaimed over the period July 1, 2011 through January 31, 2016. Following RMGCs compliance with extensive information requests from ANAF, on July 7, 2016, RMGC received a final report from ANAF (the Report) challenging the legitimacy of the reclaim of VAT by RMGC in respect of multiple suppliers of services related to public relations, advertising, promotion and consultancy advice. This challenge directly conflicts with 18 previous VAT audits into RMGC conducted by ANAF from January 2007 to June 2011, where the reclaim by RMGC of such VAT for the same types of activity, in many cases with the identical suppliers, had not been challenged. The Report establishes the VAT Assessment on RMGC amounting to approximately RON 27 million (approximately $8.6 million) to which may be added associated penalties and interest. Prior to finalization of the Report, RMGC responded in writing to preliminary conclusions received from ANAF, noting among other things the lack of basis in Romanian tax law, inconsistency with prior audits conducted by the same body and, overall, its fundamental disagreement with the preliminary conclusions. The Report notes RMGCs disagreement, but does not change ANAFs conclusions. RMGC intends to challenge vigorously the VAT Assessment in Romania through appropriate administrative and legal means. Gabriel understands that the Romanian authorities have expressed their intention to take measures to enforce the VAT Assessment against RMGCs assets in Romania and already are taking steps to do so. Gabriel and RMGC intend to pursue options to seek a stay of such enforcement pending RMGCs challenge to the underlying VAT Assessment, including through the above-mentioned provisional measures. Board Appointment With effect from July 29, 2016 and in accordance with the terms of the Private Placement, Mr. David Kay was appointed to the Board of the Company. Mr. Kay is a partner and the portfolio manager of Tenor which he joined in 2009. Previously, Mr. Kay was an investment banker at Jefferies & Company and an attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Mr. Kay currently serves on multiple boards for companies in the mineral, mining and energy industries. Financial Performance As previously reported, since January 1, 2016 the Company has determined that, absent any positive, material permitting developments, none of the Companys continuing expenditures meet the criteria for capitalization in the statement of financial position and all will be expensed to the income statement. The net loss for the second quarter of 2016 was $8.9 million, including a one-off debt extinguishment charge of $4.7 million relating to the restructuring element of the May 2016 Transactions (as defined below). Liquidity and Capital Resources Liquidity The Companys average monthly cash usage during Q2 2016 was $2.0 million, including legal services in respect of the ICSID Arbitration (Q1 2016 monthly average $1.5 million, Q4 2015: monthly average $2.1 million). Excluding legal and other advisory services in respect of the ICSID Arbitration, the average monthly cash usage during Q2 2016 was $1.4 million (Q1 2016 monthly average: $1.3 million, Q4 2015 monthly average: $1.3 million). Capital Resources Cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2016 amounted to $28.0 million, including the funds raised from the May 2016 Transactions, as defined below. In order to strengthen and improve the financial position of the Company and to provide funding to pursue the ICSID Arbitration, and for general working capital purposes, the Company closed the following transactions during the course of 2016 raising aggregate gross proceeds of $60.625 million: On May 11, 2016, the Company (i) closed a $20 million non-brokered private placement with a number of existing investors and (ii) completed an amendment to the terms of securities issued by the Company in June 2014 and held by certain existing security holders (together the May 2016 Transactions). On July 14, 2016, the Company closed a non-brokered private placement with Enescu Investments, LLC, an entity managed by Tenor International & Commercial Arbitration Fund, L.P., and Kopernik Global Investors, LLC, on behalf of certain of its managed funds, to raise C$40.625 million. Additional details are provided in the respective announcements available on the Companys website at www.gabrielresources.com and filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Project Development (including Permitting and Litigation) In the context of the above disclosures concerning the ICSID Arbitration and its continuance as the core focus of the Company, readers are advised to refer to the Annual Information Form of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2015 (AIF) published on March 29, 2016, for information relating to the status of the Project, the exploitation license relating thereto, the Companys exploration and development activities in Romania, the Project approval and permitting process, legal proceedings concerning the Project and reported gold and silver resources and reserves. Other than as updated in the Companys First and Second Quarter Managements Discussion & Analysis, there has been no material change in that information from the date of publication of the AIF to the date of this press release. The Company has filed its AIF and First and Second Quarter 2016 Managements Discussion & Analysis on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and each is available for review on the Companys website at www.gabrielresources.com. About Gabriel Gabriel is a Toronto Stock Exchange listed Canadian resource company. The Companys principal focus has been the exploration and development of the RoEia MontanA gold and silver project in Romania. The Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license (License) for the Project is held by RoEia MontanA Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest RoEia MontanA S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company. It is anticipated that the Project would bring over US$24 billion (at US$1,200/oz gold) to Romania as potential direct and indirect contribution to GDP and generate thousands of employment opportunities. Since the grant of the License in June 1999, the Company has focused substantially all of its management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Project. Despite the Companys fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has blocked and prevented implementation of the Project without due process and without compensation. For more information please visit the Companys website at www.gabrielresources.com. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information (also referred to as forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Companys operating environment. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. In this press release, forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Companys actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the uncertainties associated with: completion of the Transactions, the ICSID Arbitration, actions by the Romanian Government, conditions or events impacting the Companys ability to fund its operations or service its debt, exploration, development and operation of mining properties and the overall impact of misjudgments made in good faith in the course of preparing forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors including those set out below, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause the Companys results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as expects, is expected, anticipates, believes, plans, projects, estimates, assumes, intends, strategy, goals, objectives, potential, possible or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results may, could, would, should, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of fact and may be forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation: the duration, required disclosure, costs, process and outcome of the ICSID Arbitration against Romania; changes in the liquidity and capital resources of Gabriel, and the group of companies of which it is parent (Gabriel Group); access to funding to support the Gabriel Groups continued ICSID Arbitration and/or operating activities in the future; equity dilution resulting from the conversion or exercise of existing securities in part or in whole to Common Shares; the ability of the Company to maintain a continued listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange or any regulated public market for trading securities; the impact on business strategy and its implementation in Romania of: unforeseen historic acts of corruption, uncertain fiscal investigations; uncertain legal enforcement both for and against the Gabriel Group and political and social instability; regulatory, political and economic risks associated with operating in a foreign jurisdiction including changes in laws, governments and legal regimes and interpretation of existing and future fiscal and other legislation ; volatility of currency exchange rates, metal prices and metal production; the availability and continued participation in operational or other matters pertaining to the Gabriel Group of certain key employees and consultants; and risks normally incident to the exploration, development and operation of mining properties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Companys forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and investors should not infer that there has been no change in the Companys affairs since the date of this report that would warrant any modification of any forward-looking statement made in this document, other documents periodically filed with or furnished to the relevant securities regulators or documents presented on the Companys website. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to the Companys disclosure obligations under applicable Canadian securities regulations. Investors are urged to read the Companys filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies including Gabriels Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015, which can be viewed online at www.sedar.com. Source: Gabriel Resources Ltd. (TSX:GBU) Contributed photo The Rockin' Mambo Zombies will perform Saturday in The Big Sky Room at BackBeat Music Company. SHARE The Rockin' Mambo Zombies just want to "make music that's good for the soul" and that's just what they'll do when they take the stage and perform their high-energy, classic rock 'n' roll. The San Angelo band will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday in The Big Sky Room at BackBeat Music Company, 102 N. Chadbourne St. Tickets are $10. "The Rockin' Mambo Zombies are a project I've been working on since 2012," said group founder Rick Lara, who also plays lead and rhythm guitar in the band. "The goal is to put together an entertaining, theatrical band. I like to call it 'horror rock.' "We're the boogie rockers from beyond." In addition to Lara, the band includes Bob Ward on lead guitar, Ron Spears on bass and Pauly Pearson on drums. The band performs a mix of original songs and classic covers from the likes of Santana, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, The Who and the Rolling Stones. Lara, Ward and Spears who are in their late 50s and 60s and share lead vocal duties are veteran musicians who have performed various music genres, including rock, blues, Tejano, country, tropical and R&B. Pearson is four decades young than the other members but no less accomplished. He already has performed with several notable Tejano artists, Lara said. "Don't be fooled by his baby face," Spears said before bursting into laughter. "He's very talented and brings youth, enthusiasm, high energy and a thirst for musical knowledge." Spears, who at 63 is the senior member of the group, "started out in music as a kid" after hearing Elvis Presley on the radio. A graduate of Central High School, Spears began playing guitar when he was 18. Although his musical aspirations took a back seat for 21 years while he served in the Army, Spears has performed in various groups all over the world, including tours of Japan and Germany. Ward, who is also an accomplished musician, was the first to join Lara when he began to put the initial incarnation of the band together. Music has been part of Lara's life since he was born. His father, Sammy Lara, a lifelong San Angelo resident, was a national recording artist who recorded several minor hits including "(Please Tell Her) Mister Moon" and "Silly Sally." He died in 1998. Rick Lara, 58, has played in various Texas-area bands, including his own groups the Concho Bandits and Los Cucarachas. He patterned The Rockin' Mambo Zombies after some of his favorite childhood musicians who mixed rock 'n' roll with theatrics artists such as Alice Cooper and Kiss. The band travels to gigs in a gray hearse, custom-made by Lara. There's even a coffin and full-sized zombie figure in the back of the vehicle. The musicians' amplifiers resemble cemetery headstones. "It's a little on the dark side," said Lara, whose grin makes it obvious that he enjoys the creative outlet. "I'm 58," Lara said. "Some people ask why do I keep doing this? Music is my life, why would I not be doing it? "It's good for the soul. It's not just a hobby. It's entertaining; it keeps your mind busy." Standard-Times multimedia journalist Federico Martinez is a longtime music writer and Texas music fan. Follow Tejas Jukebox on Twitter @Tejasjukebox and Facebook every day for breaking news, concert updates, videos and more. IF YOU GO What: The Rockin Mambo Zombies perform When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Big Sky Room, BackBeat Music Company, 102 N. Chadbourne St. Cost: $10 Contact: 325-703-1850 This July 27, 2016 photo shows patrons at the entrance to a private beach where the Funtown Pier once stood in Seaside Park, N.J. The pier's owner says new height restrictions imposed this week by the town will prevent him from rebuilding the historic pier, and prompt him to seek other uses for the land, possibly including a beach club. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) SHARE FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, file photograph, firefighters battle a blaze in a building along the Seaside Park boardwalk in Seaside Park, N.J. The historic Jersey shore pier that was pummelled by Superstorm Sandy, then destroyed in a spectacular fire may finally be done in by building regulations. The owner of the former Funtown Pier in Seaside Park, said he won't rebuild it if the town sticks to height restrictions it wants to impose on rides on a rebuilt pier. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) This Jan. 25, 2013 photo shows the former Funtown Pier in Seaside Park, N.J., three months after it was heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy, and eight months before it was destroyed by a fire. Seaside Park officials this week imposed height restrictions for rides on a rebuilt pier that prompted its owner to scrap plans for rebuilding the historic pier, saying it would not be financially viable without thrill rides of as tall as 300 feet, Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013, file photograph, the sign for Funtown Pier stands above charred rubble in Seaside Park, N.J., after a fire that started near a frozen custard stand on the boardwalk. The historic Jersey shore pier that was pummelled by Superstorm Sandy, then destroyed in a spectacular fire may finally be done in by building regulations. The owner of the former Funtown Pier said he won't rebuild it if the town sticks to height restrictions it wants to impose on rides on a rebuilt pier. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File) FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013, file photograph, a Seaside Park police officer sits in his cruiser near charred rubble along the boardwalk in Seaside Park, N.J., after a fire started near a frozen custard stand in Seaside Park and quickly spread north into neighboring Seaside Heights. The historic Jersey shore pier that was pummelled by Superstorm Sandy, then destroyed in a spectacular fire may finally be done in by building regulations. The owner of the former Funtown Pier in Seaside Park said he won't rebuild it if the town sticks to height restrictions it wants to impose on rides on a rebuilt pier. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File) By WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press SEASIDE PARK, N.J. (AP) A historic Jersey shore pier that was pummeled by Superstorm Sandy, then destroyed in a spectacular fire might finally be done in by building regulations. The owner of the former Funtown Pier says he won't rebuild it if the town sticks to height restrictions it imposed this week on amusement rides on a rebuilt pier. The pier was heavily damaged by Sandy in October 2012, then destroyed by a raging boardwalk fire in September 2013. Owner William Major says he needs thrill rides up to 300 feet tall for a rebuilt pier to work financially. But the town this week set a 100-foot limit on rides. Barring an unexpected override of those limits by the Borough Council, Major's lawyer says, the pier will not be rebuilt, and some other use for it will be sought. "Mr. Major is realistic but needs to have some relief so he can afford to rebuild the pier," said his attorney, Stephan Leone. "We need that height." Rides that would exceed the 100-foot limit set Tuesday by the borough's planning board include a swing ride with a pole approaching 200 feet tall and a ride called the Tower of Fear, Leone said. But neighbors accustomed to the former pier's lower-intensity rides have lined up to oppose the proposed thrill rides. Many said they don't want Seaside Park to become more like its neighbor to the north, Seaside Heights, which also has an amusement pier but with larger rides and, many say, a much rowdier clientele. "Many people love to have a place where they can get that amusement feeling and flavor of the Jersey shore," Mayor Robert Matthies said. "But 300-foot thrill rides is a whole different ballgame. You come to the Jersey shore, but that doesn't mean you want to hear screams all night long." Matthies researched amusement rides along the Jersey shore and found that most are 100 feet tall or less and have been thriving for decades. Linda Talbot, a longtime visitor from Toms River, wants the pier rebuilt the way it was. "It was cool for the little kids, more than over there," she said, gesturing toward Casino Pier in nearby Seaside Heights. That was where the Jet Star roller coaster plunged into the ocean during Sandy, providing one of the most enduring images of the storm's destruction. "I like it the way it was before," added Tom Kuchinos, of Allentown, Pennsylvania. "We used to come down here every year until the hurricane and the fire hit." The borough council will consider the height rules approved by the planning board, but it shows little enthusiasm for overriding them, Seaside Park officials said. Major operates a private beach on the sand where the pier once stood and would consider other uses for the land, such as a beach club or water recreation that would provide less revenue to the borough, Leone said. "Do you want an economic engine at the south end of the boardwalk that brings people into town, fills the restaurants and the motels and gives amusement to the entire boardwalk area?" Leone asked. ___ Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC One of the Siete Picos (Seven Peaks), in the Sierra de Guadarrama in Madrid. Antolin Carrasco/getty Believe it or not, there are some places in Spain where you can spend the summer with a jacket on places where the days are hot but the nights are cool, coastal towns with pleasant temperatures that hang around even when the sun comes up, and mountain hideaways just out of reach of the suffocating heat. After consulting data from the Aemet, the state meteorological agency, and speaking with meteorologist Mar Gomez from eltiempo.es, here are our 10 suggestions for spots where you can escape the 40C in the shade during your vacations this August. Puebla de Lillo Panoramic view of Lake Ausente by Leon's Puebla de Lillo Luisangel (Flickr) LEON Here in the Puerto de San Isidro, the mountain pass that connects the provinces of Leon and Asturias, the median summer temperature doesnt exceed 12.5C. In the surrounding area youll find Medieval-era Puebla de Lillo, which was recently added to the Picos de Europa National Park. The towns tower, which used to be a watch-tower, prison, and city hall, is now the center of the Casa del Parque where visitors can get information on the surrounding landscape and better understand the relationship between man and nature. Between this town and Puerto de las Senales, near the edge of Parque Natural de Redes, youll encounter Pinar de Lillo one of the very few indigenous pinewood forests on the peninsula, home of the wood grouse and stomping ground of the brown bear. Zumaia Swimmers near the "Flysch" of Zumaia Jordi Roy (Getty) PAIS VASCO The crew of the movie Ocho apellidos vascos shot the film in the tiny chapel of San Telmo on Itzurun beach, overlooking the cliff formed by the Zumaia Flysch (a sequence of hard rock strata of alternating color, differentiated by age and level of erosion). This town is found on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Guipuzcoana coastline, on the bay where the Urola and Narrondo rivers meet, surrounded by green mountains. The historic district retains its medieval layout, with pleasant summer temperatures averaging between 16.8C and 24C. Cercedilla MADRID On the southern slope of Puerto de Navacerrada (Sierra de Guadarrama), eight kilometers from the ski station and 1,214 meters altitude, Cercedilla is the coolest part of the region of Madrid, with average summer temperatures from. Its surrounded by both peaks and ports, with Alto de Siete Picos (2,136 meters), Cerro Minguete (2,033 meters), Pena Cercial (1,999 meters) or the Pena del Agiula (2,012 meters) all close by. The area features two picturesque valleys (Fuenfria and Rio de Las Puentes), mountain slopes criss-crossed with ravines and gorges, bubbling streams, and waterfalls such as the famous Ducha de los Alemanes. Sallent de Gallego Town of Sallent de Gallego in Huesca Jean-Paul Azam (Getty) HUESCA An example of the typical town tucked into the Aragon Pyrenees, Sallent de Gallego is home to an early 16th century gothic church, home to an ornate silver altarpiece and an image of Our Lady of the Snow. North of Huesca, this town couldnt have chosen a more appropriate patron saint, sitting 1,350 meters above sea level and boasting an average summer temperature of 14.3C. Located on the banks of the Lanuza reservoir, most of the municipality of Sallent de Gallego is taken up by the Natural Monument of the Pyrenees Glaciers, eight mountains running for 90 kilometers along the Pyrenees. They snake between the valleys of the Gallego River to the west and the Noguera Tibagorzana River to the east, border Lledia, and are home to the most southern glaciers in all of Europe. Cangas del Narcea Muniellos Forest, within the Fountains of Narcea Natural Park. David Santiago Garcia (Getty) ASTURIAS A large expanse of the Asturias, with mansions and rural palaces built between the 16th and 18th centuries, is occupied by the Natural Park of Narcea, Degana, and Ibiasia (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). Within the park you can stroll the Muniellos Forest, the largest oak forest of Spain and one of the best conserved in all of Europe. These lands provide refuge for the Cantabrian brown bear, as well as for those seeking reprieve from the heat the temperature tends to range from 19.3C to 25C, with averaged lows around 13C. Molina de Aragon View of the castle Molina de Aragon in Guadalajara Eve Livesey (Getty) HUESCA Historic Molina de Aragon in Guadalajara province is home to a grand castle (known as the Fortaleza de Molina de los Caballeros), medieval streets, and Jewish and Moorish quarters. It forms one of the three points of whats known as the Cold Triangle, the other two being Albarracin and Calamocha, both in the Teruel region. The Sierra de Albarracin has the town of Griegos, famous for being one of the coldest towns in Spain. Summer days in the area are hot, but as the afternoon winds down, winter clothing could be necessary. From June to August low temperatures can range from 12C to 14C, although there are warmer nights as well. Ezcaray Top part of Oja Valley in La Rioja Ignacio Lizarraga (Getty) LA RIOJA Ezcaray is the closest town to the ski station of Valdezcarey, located along the high part of Oja valley, southeast of La Rioja and in the far west of the Sierra de la Damanda. The town sees average summer highs of 27.5C and lows of 12.3C, as well as a famous jazz festival that warms the brisk night air. The modern part of the city is recognized for its well-conserved architecture as well as the porches in front of the houses that facilitate the calm pace of life even during the severity of winter. Ezcarays breathtaking setting invites visitors to explore nature by hiking its many pathways. Bellver de Cerdanya View of Bellver de Cerdanya in Lleida. Alexandre Arocas (iStock) LLEIDA Nestled among the cluster of towns, farmhouses, and villages of La Cerdanya, close to the ski stations La Masella and La Molina in the Catalonian Pyrenees, an impressive cultural center in Romanico has been conserved close to the Bellver population. This is where Gustavo Adolfo Becquer spent a few days in summer of 1860, even inspiring him to write The cross of the devil, which features certain spots in Barrio Antiguo (or Barrio de la Plaza). The warmest month, July, averages a temperature of 18.8C. In this municipality you could find what many consider to be the coldest town in Spain: Talltendre, resting 1,600 meters above sea level, with three inhabitants as of 2009. Isaba Old rock bridge in Isaba, Navarra. Pedro Rufo Martin (iStock) NAVARRA Isaba, the most populous municipality of the seven that compose Roncal Valley in the Navarran Pyrenees, is bathed in the waters of Esca river and surrounded by mountains. Its average summer temperatures hang around 17.5C, with fairly warm days but refreshing nights. The cobblestone streets of Isaba are narrow and dotted with stately homes made of stone and wood, all arranged around the 16th century church-fortress of San Cipriano that sits at the heart of the town. A coat of arms carved into the stone of the Uturrotx fountain depicts important moments in the valleys history, and in the cultural museum Casa de la Memoria travelers can learn about the regions traditional ways of life. Islas Cies Rodas Beach on the Cies Islands (Galicia). Teresa Perez (Getty) GALICIA In this case, the cool breeze comes not from the high altitude, but from the ocean. While the area around the Baixas Rivers is has an oceanic climate, with high precipitation and moderate seasonality, both archipelagos of the National Park of the Galician Atlantic Islands (Salvora, Isla de Ons, and the Cies islands), are situated within a climate classified as sub-humid Mediterranean with Atlantic tendencies meaning minimal rain, average temperatures between 13C and 15C, and little seasonal variability. Temperatures climb during the day, but visitors can always cool down by sticking their feet in the shore of Rodas beach on the Cies Islands, which has some of the coldest waters in Spain, reaching 15C even in the middle of August. English version by Allison Light. SHARE Joshua Felix By Staff Report A San Angelo man was arrested on multiple charges after he was caught shoplifting more than $250 in property from Walmart Supercenter on West 29th Street on Thursday, police said. Joshua J. Felix, 32, was taken to Tom Green County Jail and charged with Class B misdemeanor theft of property, Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana, Felony 3 possession of a controlled substance-Penalty Group 1 and outstanding arrest warrants. He was also issued a criminal trespass warning from the property, according to a San Angelo Police Department news release. Officers were called about 5 p.m. and learned Felix attempted to push a basket containing miscellaneous items, including a book, food, personal hygiene products and a Reese's Fast Break candy bar past registers and out the door without paying, the release stated. Felix was somewhat uncooperative with officers at the scene, but was ultimately taken into custody without incident. During a search, officers found marijuana and suspected narcotics, which field-tested positive for about 2.8 grams of methamphetamine, the release stated. Class B misdemeanors are punishable by up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000. Possession of a controlled substance-Penalty Group 1, which is more than 1 gram and less than 4 grams, is a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Wednesday's debate in the Catalan parliament. MASSIMILIANO MINOCRI Catalonia's pro-independence parties, which control the region's parliament, have upped the stakes in their ongoing conflict with the central government and the countrys Constitutional Court by pushing through a vote to help begin a process of separation from Spain. At a rowdy debate in the regional parliament, the pro-independence Together for Yes coalition and the far-left Popular United Candidacy (CUP) garnered support for the creation of a unilateral mechanism to activate a Constituent Assembly" that would draft a Catalan Constitution after the region "disconnects with the laws of the Spanish state by passing disconnection laws." This initiative made it through the regional house by 72 votes to 11 after Popular Party and Ciudadanos representatives walked out in protest, calling the vote "illegal", while the Socialists (PSOE) abstained. The vote builds on a landmark motion passed by the Catalan parliament on November 9 to start breaking away from Spain. Since then, separatists have been developing regional legislation and legal mechanisms to make that happen regardless of what the Spanish courts may rule regarding their constitutionality. Responding to the vote, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria reiterated the government's position that it woud not allow the Catalan parliament to go through with its independence plans: Today another very serious and obstinate decision has been taken, one that infringes the right of all Spaniards to decide their constitutional framework. The government has said it will act, has been acting and will act. The government of Mariano Rajoy dismissed November's referendum in which more than two million people took part as a propaganda exercise Socialist Party leader Pedro Sanchez, described the Catalan parliaments decision asextremely serious noting that it had once again disregarded the rulings of the Constitutional Court. No one has the right to put institutions beyond the law. These decisions violate the constitution and Catalonias statutes, he said. The regional parliament of Catalonia, effectively controlled by Together for Yes and CUP, which emerged victorious after Septembers elections, has steadily been working to create the legal apparatus required for independence, including a tax agency, social security system and a foreign affairs department. Together for Yes wants to call a second independence referendum toward the end of next year. Regional premier Carles Puigdemont, who supports independence, will be putting himself to a confidence vote on September 28 on the issue of sovereignty. Puigdemont rose to the premiership in an eleventh-hour assembly vote in January of this year, three months after Catalans had gone to the polls. His predecessor, Artur Mas, initially cautious over independence, fell out with Rajoy during his own term in office, which was marked by an informal independence referendum held on November 9, 2014. Rajoy held his last meeting with Mas in late July 2014. All contact was severed after that, and the Catalan premier fully embraced the independence movement from that point onward. Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here By the time Mas was replaced at the helm of the Catalan government by Puigdemont (after failing to secure enough parliamentary support to get himself reinstated, a position that Rajoy now finds himself in at the national level) relations were so strained that even a telephone conversation was out of the question. In April, Rajoy and Puigdmont chatted for more than two hours at the Moncloa palace official residence. At the press conference afterwards, Rajoy gave a press conference dotted with expressions such as dialogue, working together and together, we are all winners. But since then, there has been no further contact, with the Together for Yes coalition and the Popular United Candidacy pushing ahead with the independence process. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said on Wednesday that the government would appeal to the Constitutional Court. Within Catalonia itself support seems to be growing for independence. A poll earlier this month for the first time directly asked Catalans if they supported independence, with 47.7% of respondents saying they wanted to separate from Spain, while 42.4% were against it, with 8.3% undecided. In November 2014, the regional government of Catalonia organized a non-binding referendum that posed two questions: whether Catalonia should be a state, and if so, if that state be independent. More than 80% of people voted yes to both. The government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed the referendum as a propaganda exercise. Around two million people took part in the vote, which was open to residents aged 16 and over. Some 5.4 million people are eligible to vote in Catalonia. English version by Nick Lyne. Former head of the Catalan regional government, Artur Mas. Joan Sanchez Spains 17 regional governments between them spent a total of 1.6 billion on foreign policy between 2011 and 2014, according to a new report by the countrys Audit Office. While the two most pro-independence regions, Catalonia and the Basque Country, spent 202 million and 247.7 million respectively on overseas trade delegations and international cooperation, Andalusia topped the list, spending almost a third of the total, with 449.7 million. In 2012, Spains economy was nearly put under IMF and EU management, and its banking system had to be bailed out by the European Central Bank to the tune of 100 billion, Valencia, Murcia and Catalonia required central government financial assistance to prevent them going under. Catalonia is also one of just three regions, along with Andalusia and the Basque Country, which have refused to shut down their foreign offices Yet this same year, the countrys regions spent between them 1 billion of taxpayers money on their international branding. The Audit Offices report is particularly critical of Spains regional governments for their spending on international cooperation, spending 648.6 million in total between 2011 and 2014. Some 87% of this went to NGOs without any kind of check or breakdown on how the money was spent on each project, it says. It also points out that in many cases, regional governments were doubling up on activities already carried out by the central government. Between 2011 and 2014, Catalonia maintained 29 overseas delegations, while the Basque Country had 13. Without naming names, the Audit Office says that eight regional governments had no strategic plan for the subsidies for companies looking to enter overseas markets. In conclusion, the Audit Office says that regional administrations should respect the principles of joint action abroad, institutional loyalty, and coordination. It also warns that Spains regions should not obstruct the central governments foreign policy. Reining in the deficit In April, as part of its efforts to meet the EUs deficit targets, the Spanish government announced a 2 billion budget adjustment, reduced its own growth forecast in view of the upcoming global slowdown, and is now seeking ways to rein in spending by its regional governments without sparking a row. Spanish acting Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro has blamed regional spending for Spains significant deviation from its 2015 target of 4.2%. Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here In 2014, the Popular Party (PP) government of Mariano Rajoy announced approved legislation with the overarching goal of ensuring "unity of action," "institutional loyalty" and "coordination." Keeping a tight rein on foreign policy has been a key issue for the government over recent years, at a time when Catalonia has sought international support for its independence drive. Catalonia is also one of just three regions, along with Andalusia and the Basque Country, which have refused to shut down their foreign offices and transfer employees to the nearest Spanish embassy in order to save money. The government of Catalonia keeps delegations in cities such as New York. But this foreign offensive could soon be scaled back. While the Foreign Ministry cannot prevent regional leaders from traveling abroad on an official visit, it will demand to be informed and "recommendations" will be issued regarding the convenience of the trip. Should the recommendation be disregarded, the government could withhold assistance from the relevant Spanish embassy. Any treaties or agreements between Spanish regions and foreign bodies will have to be first approved by Madrid to ensure they do not overstep regional powers of self-rule. English version by Nick Lyne. To OUR Gourmet Retailer Readers While Gourmet Retailer no longer exists as a separate print publication and website, Progressive Grocer will continue to feature new content about boutique retailing in our ongoing coverage of Independent Grocers. Please update your Gourmet Retailer bookmark and check our Independent Grocers topic page regularly for updates and fresh content. -- The Progressive Grocer Team As the nation prepares for the possibility of an economic recession, one survey found that 60 percent of managers said remote workers would likely be the first to be laid off as compared to in-office positions. Just a day after beleaguered City Manager David Chiverton stunned elected leaders by resigning his office in the course of a federal criminal investigation, Opa-locka officials announced they were close to broke and would not be able to pay their workers -- including police officers -- come September.With just $350,000 left in the general fund, Opa-locka may have to consider bankruptcy, officials said."We are at ground zero," Florida Inspector General Melinda Miguel told city leaders during an emergency oversight board meeting on Thursday. "We are at the doorsteps of one of the lowest points in the history of Opa-locka."The developments came in a stunning sequence for the impoverished city, which has been under the oversight of a state financial emergency board since June but has been unable to halt a mushrooming deficit. The governor's inspector general said she was riled by the city's failure to meet critical deadlines in filing a budget and recovery plan by Aug. 1 in what was once a firm deadline.During the meeting at Sherbondy Village community center, Miguel blasted the city's elected leaders, saying they were not doing enough to keep costs down or tackling the critical problems that threaten the entire operation of the city."One of the biggest tests to resolving a problem is realizing you have one," she said by phone from Tallahassee, as Opa-locka Mayor Myra Taylor and commissioners sat in the front row staring at the local members of the state board.The revelations about the city's grim finances -- far worse than Opa-locka's own projections a month ago -- provided even more drama to a meeting that began with news that Chiverton had stepped down from a job he once coveted.A target of an ongoing FBI probe into corruption in Opa-locka, Chiverton took a leave of absence this spring after the Miami Herald revealed he paid himself tens of thousands in unused sick and vacation pay to which he was not entitled."I just want to move on," he said on Thursday in a brief interview, adding he had hired a lawyer for what appears to be a mounting legal defense.The Herald reported in May that local business owners now working as informants for the FBI paid Chiverton and other city officials thousands of dollars in bribes -- many of the payments recorded on video in secret meetings -- to get operating licenses and water connections. Asked about the FBI probe, Chiverton declined to comment.Other targets of the probe: Mayor Taylor and Commissioner Luis Santiago.Though the resignation came as a surprise to dozens of people in the audience on Thursday, the focus of the meeting centered on the impending insolvency of a city that pledged just weeks ago that it was going to balance its budget.From the start, Miguel criticized the city for failing to stem spending at a time it is losing hundreds of thousands every month in revenue. She said the city had been raiding restricted funds to fill budget gaps and was in danger of defaulting on major payments."Our message has been and continues to be: Not business as usual. And it still appears to be a leadership deficit in the city. ... While the city teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, we've had people ask: 'What's in it for me?' From predators to commissioners to employees to crooks."Because Chiverton is resigning on Aug. 1, he would qualify for healthcare benefits through the end of the month. But the oversight board chair put an end to any other perks, mainly because Miguel said she was troubled by his decision to cash in his unused vacation and sick time -- totaling nearly $40,000 -- before he went on temporary leave in May.Miguel said she did not want Chiverton to receive any final salary-related payment from the city until the board reviews it. She also demanded that Chiverton turn in his city-leased Ford Expedition along with his cellphone and laptop. She insisted that city officials cut off his access to all Opa-locka government computers and to City Hall immediately."Before we cut that final check, everything gets turned in," board member Frank Rollason, city manager of North Bay Village, said before the oversight panel adopted Miguel's recommendation.Taylor, the mayor, tried to talk about the terms set by the board, but Miguel stopped her from speaking.Miguel urged city commissioners and administrators to continue to make "drastic cuts," saying the city needed to be far more judicious about how much it was spending on items such as cellphones for employees.The most serious issue now confronting the city: the cash flow.Acting City Manager Yvette Harrell, who had replaced Chiverton in May, told the board the city currently has just $354,121 in the general fund -- far below the millions that once filled the coffers. The city also has $1.7 million in the water and sewer fund and $1.2 million in a restricted reserve account that's not supposed to be spent.With all of the city's obligations, including payroll for Opa-locka's 160-plus employees, it will run out of money by September, said Harrell."Optimistically, by the end of September," she said. "Realistically, it will be closer to the beginning of September."For a tense moment, board members debated whether the city could dip into the water and sewer fund -- money set aside to fund Opa-locka's badly deteriorating water system.Harrell said that if the city didn't tap into the fund, Opa-locka would be broke within a couple of weeks. "Then, it's lights out," she said.As it stands, the city will not be able to pay scores of vendors -- including contractors and health insurers --in order to make its next payroll in early August.In addition to the budget breakdowns, Miguel turned the board's attention to the other looming threat: the FBI's corruption probe, which was launched three years ago.Vincent Brown, the city's attorney, said several Opa-locka employees have been interviewed by FBI agents and have testified before the grand jury in Miami. "It's ongoing," he said.Miguel urged members of the community to contact the FBI in case they witness suspicious activities among elected leaders or city administrators. "If you have any questions," she said, "call the office of inspector general's hotline. 800-543-5353. Be the eyes and ears of the board." A prosecutor in Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane's looming criminal trial told a judge Tuesday that Kane's request to tell a jury about her unearthing of offensive emails would mire jurors in "a distraction, a red herring."But Kane's lawyers said she needed the option of telling the jury about pornographic emails swapped by members of her agency before she took office.Kane is to go on trial Aug. 8 on charges of perjury, official oppression, and other offenses. Prosecutors say she lied about leaking confidential documents to the Daily News to plant a June 2014 story to embarrass a political foe, former state prosecutor Frank Fina.Prosecutor Michelle Henry said Kane was angry at Fina and blamed him for an earlier Inquirer article reporting that she had shut down a promising bribery investigation without bringing criminal charges.In a hearing Tuesday in Norristown -- the last pretrial session held before Montgomery County Court Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy -- Henry said Kane, in a "tit-for-tat" leak, then shopped an anti-Fina story to the Daily News. The article suggested that Fina, too, had once curtailed an investigation.Kane has said her goal was not to target Fina, but to get important information before the public.Her lawyer, Seth C. Farber, said Tuesday that prosecutors were wrong about Kane's motivation for the leak, and cited the emails to make his point.Had Kane really wanted to harm Fina, Farber said, she could have named him in early 2014 as among those who swapped pornographic and otherwise offensive emails -- something "much more devastating to him and his reputation."Thus, Farber said, Kane might need to argue to jurors that she refrained from using the emails to target Fina.Henry said Kane should be barred from citing the email traffic, as the attorney general has a history of exploiting the messages at critical moments.Fina has said Kane explored exposing his exchange of the emails in 2014, saying her operatives urged reporters to file official requests for them. A special prosecutor and judge who examined Kane's role in the Daily News article have also questioned the flurry of requests in 2014 for Fina's emails.That year, Kane named eight of Fina's associates as having received troubling emails, while complaining that a protective order barring retaliation against witnesses in her criminal case prevented her from identifying him.However, she termed him a porn "peddler" in a sealed filing later made public by the state Supreme Court. A drug used to sedate elephants and other large animals, 100 times as potent as the fentanyl already escalating the country's heroin troubles, is suspected in spates of overdoses in several states, where authorities say they've found it mixed with or passed off as heroin.The appearance of carfentanil, one of the most potent opioids known to investigators, adds another twist to the fight against painkillers in a country already awash in heroin and fentanyl cases.Each time authorities start to get a handle on one type of drug, another seems to pop up, said Joseph Pinjuh, chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and narcotics unit for the U.S. attorney in Cleveland."You feel like a kid with his finger in the dike, you know?" he said. "We're running out of fingers."A man suspected of selling carfentanil as heroin was indicted this week in central Ohio on 20 counts, including murder, in connection with a July 10 death and nine other overdoses that happened within hours of one another. Some of the surviving users told investigators they thought they were buying heroin, but testing found none, Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien said. The suspect, Rayshon Alexander, pleaded not guilty.Investigators are trying to track down the source of the carfentanil. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said he was unaware of any thefts of the drug, which, he noted, could be shipped from abroad or produced here.Chinese companies sell carfentanil online, but it hasn't shown up much in the U.S. drug supply, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. There hasn't been much evidence of carfentanil on the streets or in testing related to criminal cases, said agent Rich Isaacson, a spokesman for the DEA's Detroit Division, which covers Ohio. an enthusiastic response from crowds when he rails against U.S. cities that are perceived as safe havens for undocumented immigrants. "My opponent wants sanctuary cities," the GOP presidential nominee told the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, drawing boos.Trump's assertion is accurate: Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has long supported sanctuary city policies. A 2015 statement from her campaign noted that she "believes that sanctuary cities can help further public safety, and she has defended those policies going back years." In her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last night, she pledged to build a path to citizenship for working immigrants and said it would be "self-defeating and inhumane to try to kick them out."But just whata sanctuary city? Despite being part of the national immigration debate for decades, it's actually a disputed term with no single official definition.In recent years, Congress has made several attempts to defund sanctuary cities. Every one of them failed, but Republican-led states have had more success. Georgia and North Carolina have both passed laws banning -- and in the former, defunding -- sanctuary cities. Last year, San Francisco voted to remain a sanctuary city, and New Orleans became one this year. Philadelphia established, rescinded and restored its sanctuary status in less than a two-year period.In all of these places, the definitions of sanctuary cities are slightly different. At the baseline, sanctuary jurisdictions are any city or county with a policy or practice that limits local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. But how exactly they do that -- and to what extent -- varies to a large degree.One of the most commonly used definitions involves whether local police cooperate with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When an undocumented immigrant is arrested anywhere, ICE is automatically notified. Under the now-defunct federal Secure Communities program, which launched in 2008, ICE requested local law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants in jail for longer, to give ICE officers time to arrive and possibly deport them.Most jurisdictions willingly complied with this, but upwards of 300 refused and were labeled as sanctuary cities. According to, the most resistance to detainment came from places in California, New York, Colorado and Florida.To critics of the federal program, Secure Communities resulted in the unnecessary deportation of otherwise law-abiding residents, eroded the trust between police officers and immigrants, created legal trouble for local agencies and strained their financial resources. From 2008 to 2014, over 1.6 million detainer requests were issued, according to data obtained by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. (How many of those requests were granted is unclear.)But in 2014, a federal court ruled that ICEs detainer requests dont provide legal basis for holding people and might violate the Fourth Amendment. Since then, the Obama administration replaced Secure Communities with the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP). Under this new approach, ICE will only ask local police to detain undocumented immigrants under specific, limited circumstances, and in most cases, it will merely request to be notified when an individual who falls within the PEP priorities is about to be released from jail.Sound vague? That's because it is. The federal government hasn't given guidelines on what "limited circumstances" might cause it to take action.also have their own laws and definitions for sanctuary cities.North Carolina, home to some of the strictest such laws, considers jurisdictions to be sanctuaries if they direct law enforcement officials to refrain from gathering information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual. State lawmakers adopted that language in response to new policies in Chapel Hill, Charlotte and Durham that sought to do just that. None of the cities, however, consider themselves to be sanctuary cities.In Georgia, any jurisdiction that violates the states ban on sanctuary cities risks losing state funding or state-administered federal dollars. Similar to North Carolina, the Peach State defines sanctuary policy as any regulation that restricts local officials reporting of immigration statuses to federal law enforcement. So far, though, no Georgia city has been stripped of funding because of this law.But whether places comply with federal immigration officers isnt the only measure that politicians and policymakers use to classify a place as a sanctuary city. There are other controversial policies that local governments have adopted to protect undocumented immigrants.Take municipal identification cards. Places like Oakland, Calif. , and New York City issue city IDs to people who dont otherwise have legitimate forms of identification. These IDs connect people to public services, programs and benefits regardless of immigration status and are usually recognized by local police officers.That's problematic for law enforcement, according to Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports limiting the number of immigrants allowed into the country.It creates opportunities for people to create new identities for themselves, and by definition they are not reliable as a form of ID, she said.But Wendy Feliz, a spokesperson for the pro-immigrants rights American Immigration Council, said attacks on municipal IDs are overblown.[Critics say] municipal IDs are creating sanctuary cities, or municipal IDs are amnesty, she said. I would say law enforcement generally likes municipal IDs because they actually want people to have identification and to know who people are.of whether a place is a sanctuary city is their cooperation -- or lack thereof -- with PEP. Had the most recent Congressional bill not died , it would have punished a large number of jurisdictions as well as the entire state of California, according to Melissa Keaney of the pro-immigrants' rights National Immigration Law Center.It would have blocked federal funding from jurisdictions that prohibit their officials from sharing information regarding an individuals immigration status with federal agents, as well as those who refuse to comply with PEP detainer or notification requests. The first clause of the bill was ambiguous and, if enacted, could have led to confusion over which places to defund.One year into PEPs implementation, its longer term effects are yet to be seen. But ICE reportedly issued more than 7,100 detainer requests in October 2015, which is roughly 4,000 less than they did under Secure Communities the previous October.We don't know whether [PEP] is an improvement or not, said Muzaffar Chishti, a director of the Migration Policy Institute, a pro-immigration think tank. What it is intended to do is to make it easier for the local governments to take part in it than in the past.According to ICE, thats already happening: 17 of the top 25 jurisdictions that most strongly refused to cooperate with Secure Communities are now PEP participants.While the switch from Secure Communities to PEP was intended to alleviate critics concerns, some are still worried about the negative connotation of local law enforcement even notifying the feds of undocumented immigrants.That actually creates a perception in the community that police are involved in enforcing immigration laws, said Keaney.Pro-enforcement advocates, however, worry that PEP is overly lax and will result in the release of more criminals back to the streets. ICE, under attacks from both sides, maintains that the new program allows them to focus on the most serious public safety and national security threats.But some cities remain defiant.Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney issued an executive order in January stating that the city will not comply with PEP until the federal agencies listen to individuals concerned with this new program, and ensure that community members are both informed and invested in the programs success.San Francisco is also upholding its sanctuary policies, which ban city officials from complying with detainer or notification requests unless required by a court order.are police officers. In many cities, they must tread a fine line between helping enforce federal laws and building trusting relationships with the community they serve. The Major Cities Chiefs Police Association, which supports PEPs notification system but remains wary of detaining immigrants, has concerns about local involvement in federal immigration enforcement.To do our job we must have the trust and respect of the communities we serve, wrote president Tom Manger in a Senate testimony. When immigrants come to view their local police and sheriffs with distrust because they fear deportation, it creates conditions that encourage criminals to prey upon victims and witnesses alike. On Thursday, in the morning, at the Executive Building, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC presided at a meeting of the Executive Council. In the evening, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Governor attended the 2016 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Induction Dinner where His Excellency addressed guests and presented awards to inductees. Description GIS 29 July 2016 : Human Resource Development (HRD) is a society-wide issue that requires everyone's collaborative support, said the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, yesterday at the HRDC Lecture Theatre, NG Tower, in Ebene Cybercity. The Minister who was speaking at the launching of the AHRIM Graduate Innovative Learning (AGILE) training programme pointed out that we can only speak of developing potential when those possessing it are in employment. The aim of the training programme is to equip young graduates with the necessary attitudes, knowledge and skills to take up employment in the hotel industry at middle-management level. High investment and high employment are at the top of Governments agenda and will continue to invest more in human capital through better education and skills-sharpening training. Nowadays, the upgrading, adapting and widening of the skills portfolio of individuals to create and fill the jobs of tomorrow is one of the greatest challenges facing countries around the world. It is crucial, therefore, to put in place systems and programmes to facilitate and promote the development of our manpower capabilities and equip our people, especially unemployed youth, with industry-relevant knowledge and up-to-date technical skills so as to help enterprises leverage on these talents for business growth and profitability, the Minister added. For his part, the president of AHRIM (Association des Hoteliers et Restaurateurs de l'ile Maurice), Mr Jean Louis Pismont, expressed confidence that graduates will be able to secure a full time job once the training is completed. He called on graduates to have faith in their potential, to be passionate, and stressed that it is their attitude that will determine their aptitude in the Tourism and Hospitality sector. In his speech, the Director of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), Mr Raj Auckloo, stated that this is a crucial learning opportunity for AGILE participants to develop relevant skills, and that as they consider every opportunity, they have to remember that the goal is to manage their career in ways that will provide them with the set of skills specific to their success - a success that they will have to define. AGILE training programme The AGILE project is an industry-driven training and placement programme developed for the Tourism and Hospitality sector. It is focused towards specific skills development which have been identified by the 12 hotels participating in the project. Vatel Mauritius and the Ecole Hoteliere Sir Gaetan Duval are the training partners for the delivery of the AGILE course. A group of 15 graduates have embarked on this project and they will benefit from a one-year training course initiated by the HRDC jointly with AHRIM. It forms part of the Graduate Training for Employment Scheme (GTES), which is a joint public-private sector partnership implemented since last year by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, the Human Resource Development Council and the private sector. (TNS) -- San Francisco supervisors have slowly whittled down the number of measures on the November ballot.The number of city measures will still likely total more than in any recent election the final tally wont be known until next week, as supervisors have until Tuesday to remove them but at least voters can expect on the order of 25 measures instead of 40.John Avalos tabled his proposed tax on gas and nonrenewable energy. Scott Wiener abandoned his proposed parcel tax to pay for maintenance of its street trees. Avalos and Wiener also tabled a proposed half-cent sales tax for transportation, after a majority of the supervisors threw their support behind a three-quarters cent sales tax to fund both transportation and homeless services.Another measure that is likely to disappear is a proposed tax on tech companies designed to help alleviate the citys housing and homeless woes. The initiative, championed by Eric Mar, would have imposed a 1.5 percent payroll tax on technology companies. With time running out to place it on the ballot, the measure appears to lack the needed support of six supervisors.It seems that a majority of my colleagues want to limit the number of revenue measures, Mar said. At this point, there doesnt appear to be enough support at the board to move this forward now on the ballot. But I and our coalition of community groups want this to move forward in the future.While all tax initiatives must go before voters, there are still several measures on the ballot that could be enacted legislatively. The supervisors put them on the ballot as a way to elevate their own name recognition, or because they dont think the measure will pass at the board or some mix of the two.A handful of such measures are still lingering on the ballot, including competing proposals by moderate Mark Farrell and progressive Aaron Peskin about how to address homeless camps.Wiener is also standing by his measure that would require the Police Department to operate a neighborhood crime unit of at least 60 officers a staffing choice usually left to the police chief. And Jane Kim, Wieners opponent in the race for state Senate, is pushing forward with her ballot measure requiring a conditional use permit in Districts Six and Nine for the conversion of property now designated for production, distribution or repair. Leverage existing physical infrastructure Engage the local data ecosystem (i.e., partner with local researchers or non-profits) Employ a clear data management strategy Address security and privacy concerns with transparency Turn collected data into action Why Engagement Matters For Everyone Learning from Engaging Engage or Inform This summer, the Smart Chicago Collaborative is working with the City of Chicago and the operators of the Array of Things urban sensing project to engage with residents broadly and gather feedback on the projects Governance and Privacy Policy . This project was recently mentioned in an article by Stephen Goldsmith about implementing Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives . In it, he recommended that cities consider five key themes:These five points are important technical aspects of a successful IoT initiative, but its also important to consider non-technical themes of IoT work. One less often highlighted theme vital to IoT reaching its full potential in a city is engaging residents early and often.Engaging with residents to see what they need and designing projects that reflect that feedback is necessary and useful. Effective engagement can provide valuable information to improve the implementation of an IoT project, in addition to easing resident objections or concerns.Engaging with residents is traditionally thought of as a way to gather and maintain local support for a project, but it can also enable implementers to take advantage of untapped neighborhood (institutional) knowledge to make a project more effective. We often see transparency and engagement as a chore a political requirement instead of something which has more direct and functional value.Governmental or academic implementers sometimes underestimate residents and their genuine interest in innovative projects. There is a tendency to assume residents dont want to engage in the complexities of a problem, and that it is therefore better for the project heads to go ahead and do what theyve determined is right, but this undersells the commitment and sophistication of many citizens. Because IoT applications almost always touch on data and sensors, the accompanying privacy issues are more personal for citizens and can seem particularly scary. There are a few predictable reactions to open discussion of these issues which can put anyone off having that talk, but its a mistake to assume you know how the majority of residents will react.A good example of this is the discussion that was reported around an IoT transportation project in Aberdeen. Researchers were concerned about data anonymity because of the low population of the project area, but when residents were brought into the discussion they felt the utility they gained from the project (improved tracking of bus arrival times) made that cost worthwhile.With that underestimation comes an undervaluing of the feedback residents can provide. There are vast reservoirs of relatively untapped institutional knowledge about neighborhoods or cities in residents minds. The more feedback you open yourself up to and the more time you spend answering questions and listening, the more useful information you can gather. Sometimes youll learn things you didnt know you didnt know.The importance of engaging residents around civic technology more generally is something the Smart Chicago Collaborative has been grappling with for several years. The Civic User Testing Group (CUTGroup) , a community of residents in Chicago and all of Cook County who get paid to test civic websites and apps, is one example of direct resident engagement with technology tools. Smart Chicagos Array of Things Civic Engagement work could be considered an extension of that purpose directly engaging Chicago residents in shaping technology projects and policies, rather than just a tool. By acknowledging that there are some things best learned from residents and users, these initiatives use civic engagement to improve technology and service delivery in Chicago.Engagement around the Array of Things project recognizes the potential value of that input. In addition to gathering feedback about privacy concerns, events were a chance for residents to raise concerns and ask clarifying questions about data, privacy, and governance. They also became a forum for researchers to learn what new information residents could provide about their environment, and increase their involvement. Researchers would do well to follow up and continue to learn.The engagement meeting also referenced the historical and contextual knowledge of the area residents could provide, which researchers may want to draw on when choosing sensor locations. For example, Charlie Catlett told attendees at the Lozano Library Public Meeting that they could influence the exact placement of sensors if there were reasons the Array of Things team didnt know about or hadnt thought of. Residents of every neighborhood are likely to have superior information about precisely where various aspects of their ecosystem can best be evaluated.When we talk about civic engagement, its very important not to confuse informing with engaging. Helping residents understand the project is different from, but a necessary precursor to, collecting targeted feedback about the project and what aspects are useful or not to residents. If a project isnt willing to be responsive to that feedback, they are informing not engaging.Interaction with citizens in the data and open government sector can be split into three levels. The first level is. This is creating an open data portal or putting the text of some policy up online. Technical transparency allows an organization to say they are being open without actively reaching out to citizens. The second level is explaining to citizens what youre doing while youre doing it. This goes further than technical transparency and requires at least some attempt to curate open information for citizens, but it doesnt require an explicit feedback loop. The third level is, taking the time not only to inform residents, but to listen to and react to their questions, concerns, and desires. Engagement is the hardest to do well and the most time consuming, but it can also provide the most value added for everyone involved.A city should decide which of the three levels of interaction is appropriate and manageable. This may depend on the magnitude of privacy concerns, the likely impacts on residents, the potential malleability of the project, or whether the design of the project makes local knowledge potentially valuable. For some IoT implementations, especially ones testing specific hypotheses, some aspects of the project may not be open to change. To measure the lake effect, for instance, Array of Things may need sensors set up in a certain formation. Sometimes simple informing is okay, and sometimes its not.To capture the full value of the IoT, cities must not only integrate it into existing data strategies as Goldsmith points out, but integrate it into the existing social and cultural structures as well. Hillary Clinton has accepted the Democratic Party nomination to stand for president in Novembers presidential election, a decisive moment in the history of the United States as the country faces the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency. The former secretary of state and first lady promised to create more jobs with rising wages and presented herself as the presidential candidate who will provide steady leadership in a troubled world as opposed to rash men, like her Republican rival, who are moved by fear and pride. Clinton reminded the crowd of the founding fathers mission and their motto, pluribus unum or out of the many, we are one. She accused Trump of dividing Americans from each other and from the rest of the world. She compared this time in history to the beginning of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, when the future of the states was uncertain. And, like President Barack Obama did the night before, she launched a patriotic and optimistic message as an alternative to the catastrophic vision presented by Trump, a man she claimed brought the Republican Party from "Morning in America the 1984 Ronald Reagan slogan to "Midnight in America." She delivered her speech against the competing hum of a group of vocal protestors, concluding the Democratic National Convention and launching the next phase of the campaign. An unprecedented campaign: the former first lady will compete with a politician who has far less experience than her in politics and the inner workings of the government of the most powerful country in the world. The former first lady will compete with a politician who has far less experience than her in politics and the inner workings of the government. Clintons acceptance speech was an opportunity to speak to millions of Americans who were watching on TV at home. She had to reintroduce herself to a country that already knows her well and prove the old adage you never get a second chance to make a good first impression wrong. It was not easy. Clinton has been in politics or close to political figures like her husband, former President Bill Clinton, for four decades. Her popularity ratings are low; only Donald Trump rates lower than her. And, over the last few weeks, Republicans have lashed out against her in hysterics that inspired an unofficial slogan at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland: Lock her up. Clinton, like the main speakers who took the stage over the last four days, described the November 8 election as an existential trial for the nation. Trump promotes confrontation at home a position that is at odds with both Republican and Democratic ideals and isolation in foreign policy. Clinton, on the other hand, wants the United States to maintain its global influence and promises to work to build unity among Americans at home. Clinton supporters have framed the presidential campaign as a referendum: Trump or no Trump. The Democratic nominee gave a few hints about the strategy she will use against the unusual politician whom Republican rivals in the primaries could not beat. She, on the other hand, will not back away from a head-to-head confrontation. She will work to destroy him. The stage of the Democratic National Convention SAUL LOEB (AFP) Does Donald Trump have the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief? Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis, she said. Then she reminded Americans of what Jackie Kennedy said her husband told her before the Cuban Missile Crisis: he was worried that a war might be started-- not big men with self-control and restraint, but by little men the ones moved by fear and pride. In response to Trumps gloom and doom vision of the country, Clinton quoted Franklin D. Roosevelt: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. She added, We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have." Lack of confidence It was important for Clinton, a politician who rarely uses flowery language and lacks the charisma of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, to contrast Trumps vague remarks with her own clear proposals. Her command of politics and economic issues are undermined by a seeming lack of empathy and confidence that several speakers, including Bill on Tuesday and their daughter Chelsea who introduced her on Thursday night, tried to make up for in order to humanize her. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States, she said. Especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind. From our inner cities to our small towns, from Indian Country to Coal Country. From communities ravaged by addiction to regions hollowed out by plant closures. It was a speech written for those who voted for Bernie Sanders, her rival in the Democratic primaries. And it spoke to the quintessential Trump voter, too: the white working class man who has been beaten down by the winds of globalization. Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here Several Democrats who took the stage before her spoke about foreign policy. Retired United States Marine Corps General John Allen struck a patriotic and warrior-like tone as he praised her character and compared the level of experience and knowledge she would bring to her leadership of the armed forces with Trumps ignorance and unpredictable temperament. From Baghdad and Kabul, to Nice and Paris and Brussels, to San Bernardino and Orlando, we're dealing with determined enemies that must be defeated. No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance. Looking for steady leadership, Clinton said. Progressive on domestic policy and tough on foreign policy; Clinton is bringing back the Democratic Party of Roosevelt and Truman. English version by Dyane Jean Francois. (TNS) -- Consumers like the driver-assist technologies that are being added to new vehicles, according to a J.D. Power APEAL study released today.The study found that new vehicles equipped with safety features such as blind-spot monitoring and low-speed collision-avoidance have overall APEAL scores higher than vehicles without it.The features are considered "gateway technologies" to autonomous, self-driving vehicles. If consumers continue to accept these technologies, manufacturers will keep moving toward developing autonomous vehicles."Technology-enabled safety features help drivers feel more comfortable and confident while driving their vehicles," said Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power.However, the recent fatal accident in Florida involving a Tesla Model S with an Autopilot system is likely to prompt a lengthy debate on the degree of autonomy that manufacturers should put into future vehicles.The Tesla's semi-autonomous Autopilot system was apparently functioning at the time of the accident and may have failed to react when a truck pulled in front of the Tesla.Meanwhile, some automakers like Toyota doubt that full autonomy will ever be achieved simply because driving involves too many variables for a computer to anticipate.Nonetheless, driver-assist features are likely to continue to be popular with consumers.The top five brands in the APEAL study -- which stands for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout -- were all high-end vehicles that offer a variety of driver-assist technologies.They were Porsche (with a score of 877 on a scale of 1,000); BMW (859); Jaguar (852); Mercedes-Benz (also 852) and Lexus (843).The study measures owners' emotional attachment to their vehicles and how they feel about 77 of their attributes. (TNS) -- Texas rice farmer Scott Savage is a gadget guy in a family thats never shied away from the state-of-the-art, but his decision to order a $2,000 camera-equipped drone two Christmases ago was made largely with visions of neat stuff photography of harvests and birds-eye field shots.It wasnt until a few months ago that he realized the roughly 5-pound droid might have been one of the most useful purchases in his family farms five-generation history.Unlike Savage, whos a licensed pilot, most farmers or ranchers using drones to scout for damage or track wayward cattle are technically breaking the law, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Several South Texas agricultural drone users declined to go on the record about it because they werent sure of the rules.Thats about to change. Under relaxed FAA regulations released in June and set to go in effect Aug. 29, farmers from across the nation will be able to legally take their field scouting to the sky, opening wide a multibillion-dollar agricultural market that, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems, could account for 80 percent of all drone use.Rice is a thirsty crop, and Savages 2,500-acre Matagorda County farm is flood irrigated with water controlled by the Lower Colorado River Authority, which for several years was so drought-stricken it couldnt allot rice farmers any water at all.The rains returned this year, but with a vengeance. Strong downpours have been known to wash out sections of the levees that hold the water in. Thats on top of pesky problems such as wild hogs that rip holes in the earthen walls while foraging for grub worms.Within minutes, Savages drone can spot those breaches, something that used to take hours or even days of scouting on foot or by four-wheeler.Its a crucial function. Now in their first full year of production since 2012, the Savages and other regional rice farmers know that if the LCRA detects major water waste, it can cut their water off.Where weve been using it more lately is actually ag use versus pleasure, Savage said.Under the new rules, drone operators will be able to obtain certification for commercial use via a written test and vetting by the Transportation Security Administration. Use will be limited to drones that are under 55 pounds and flying below speeds of 100 mph. They also must be kept within line of sight and cant be flown over people, two restrictions that dont work well for growers wanting to scout large stretches of acreage where there may be farm laborers at work.But agriculture industry representatives said the new regulations put valuable technology in reach for farmers or ranchers who dont have a pilots license, which is needed to get a Section 333 waiver to fly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems (UASs).There was only one game in town and that was that Section 333 waiver. So any farmers who were interested in utilizing this technology, using UAVs, drones, UAS, all the names we like to call them ... they had to go through this burdensome bureaucratic waiver process, said R. J. Karney, director of congressional relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation. Its a great initial step. Its really going to allow farmers to utilize an emerging technology thats going to give farmers that new tool in the tool box that they can use for their precision agriculture techniques. Thats an exciting opportunity.Still, the Farm Bureau is hoping the rule will be tweaked to make it legal to fly the drones farther than they can be seen by the operator and to go over people working in the fields.This has gotten the technology in the farmers hands, Karney said. Now that theyre using it, they can use it in a safe manner, build a track record. Well be able to work with the FAA whenever the opportunity allows itself to tweak the rules to better allow farmers to maximize its potential.Over the long term, Karney said, the industry hopes the FAA will also revisit the 55-pound weight issue, which could open the industry to drones that can carry and spray pesticides and fertilizers.This technology has the potential to allow farmers to be more efficient, more effective, and a lot more environmentally friendly, he said.So many farmers have been asking Savage for pointers that he has started doing tutorials.Im 29, so Im definitely more in sync with todays technology, he said. My dad and my uncle and grandfather, we all work together. Of course Im trying to teach them and get them all updated to the 21st century. All new farmers and ranchers, they have to be technologically savvy.According to an April study by Lexington, Massachussets-based WinterGreen Research, the market for agricultural drones is expected to grow to as much as $3.7 billion by 2022, part of a wave of investment in agricultural technology that shows no sign of ebbing. Venture capital investment in agricultural technology startups reached $4.25 billion in 2015, double the capital invested in 2014.I tell people agriculture is the new Silicon Valley, said Timothy Gertson, who grows rice and organic corn on his family farm in Lissie. Its the forefront of technology and information. Its really the worlds biggest industry, and thats where we can grow. Nobodys making any more land, so we just have to be more efficient with what we do have, and at this point technology seems to be how were able to achieve these goals.Gertson, 31, plunked down about $1,200 for a drone last year and now thinks he can develop a side business of using his drone to help other farmers survey for flood damage or locate cattle, services hes so far done for free.His drones gotten a lot of attention, even among older farmers who arent as comfortable with new technology.In fact, I have a farmer whos over 70 years old who just bought one now. Because theyve all been coming to me asking, What do you got? How do you use it? Gerston said.With the older guys theres a little more of a learning curve. Theyre a little more apprehensive about it, he said.That wasnt the case for Gerston. I just took it out of the box and went with it, he said.Hes looking to upgrade to a newer version that can use infrared imagery to assess crop health, but that would take the purchase well beyond the novelty range.Twelve hundred, thats fine, Gerston said. I dont have to make money with that. You know, if all I do is enjoy it, thats great. But if Im going to spend 10 to 12 grand on a thing, I better make some money with it. Thats not a toy anymore.He said there was still a gap between acquiring the data and putting it to use.Say I had an infrared camera. I go out and fly autonomously, map fields, get all that done for people and give it to them, but what are they going to pay me? he said.There isnt yet a viable pricing model for the data, he said. Theres still I guess some analytics to be done there.Jason Ott, Nueces County extension agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, said growers in his Coastal Bend region werent sold.Theres a lot of applications that people are looking at where they can sense, see stress and that might help them identify some insect damage, things like that, but you know right now the technology isnt there, he said.But Mani Skaria, a retired Rio Grande Valley plant pathologist who has been studying use of aerial imagery for agricultural use for decades, said he was amazed at how far things have come.Information that 15 years ago took a couple of hundred thousand dollars and required airplanes and pilots to get can now be collected by laymen using a $2,000 or less drone. Hes found some of the drone data to be better than what he gets contracting with a satellite service.I can get that information this afternoon on my laptop for a fraction of the cost. Thats the amazing part of it, he said.Hes so far been able to quickly spot and take care of emerging weeds and repair rabbit damage to the expensive drip irrigation system for his commercial micro-budded citrus groves.We were able to take care of it within a day, he said.Like other older farmers, he was introduced to drones by a younger farmer, who used his drone to solve a mysterious disappearance of grapefruits from his trees.He was able to spot unwanted pickup trucks, trucks moving in his orchard, Skaria said. He followed them, and they were actually stealing fruit from his orchard. So he used the drone to follow these guys and in the meantime he called the cops and they caught them. Hes a young tech guy so he used his talent to explore what was going on. Other Research (TNS) -- The potential for using unmanned aircraft systems in the insurance industry has some companies looking to North Dakota for help with researching applications.The technology can be used for aerial inspection purposes that could help those companies evaluate damage to homes following severe weather, among other uses. The Northern Plains UAS Test Site, which researches the safe integration of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace, has seen interest from the industry."The test site is getting a lot of inquires on how to use UAS for roof inspections, property assessment, damage assessment," said Chris Theisen, director of research and development for the test site.The test site has flown more than 500 flights for an undisclosed insurance client since last year, which Theisen said have gone well.The flights are conducted over properties that the insurance provider has received permission to include in the research.At least one other insurance company is looking to conduct similar research with the test site.The test site gets approval to conduct such research projects from UND's UAS Research and Privacy Committee, which vets all research proposals involving drones connected to UND or the test site.On Wednesday, the test site sought approval of an insurance mission set, which will create a set of standards that cover any future research project involving insurance clients. The proposal received unanimous approval from the committee.The committee also approved two other proposals at its meeting.One seeks to use unmanned aircraft to collect imagery of wildlife in North Dakota. The initiative is headed by the UND Biology Department but includes collaboration with nonprofits, consulting firms, government agencies and UAS businesses, according to a research application filed with the committee.The research would take place over a one-year period starting Aug. 1. The first proposed flight seeks to survey duckling broods at the Coteau Ranch in Denoff, N.D., and develop protocols for such work.The other approved proposal added the ability for researchers collaborating with Xcel Energy to fly a small drone for a previously approved project. Researchers received approval last month for a large unmanned aircraft to take images of simulated storm damage in Mayville, N.D. This latest approval would add a small drone as an option for collecting imagery. Treason? The attack Russian connection? Email scandal (TNS) -- As delegates were arriving in Philadelphia last weekend, the Democratic National Convention descended into chaos before it began, amid the WikiLeaks release of 20,000 hacked internal party emails, fueling Bernie Sanders supporters opposition to Hillary Clinton and causing the partys chairwoman to resign.But by Wednesday night, the email hack had become a rallying cry for many Democrats in Philadelphia, with prime-time speakers like Leon Panetta, former defense secretary and CIA director, slamming Donald Trumps apparent fondness for Russia, which U.S. spy agencies and cybersecurity firms suspect was behind the hack.The turning point came at a Wednesday afternoon news conference by Trump, in which he encouraged Russian hackers to go after emails Clinton kept on a private server when she was secretary of state, saying, Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.Trump walked back the comment Thursday, calling it sarcasm.But it set off a torrent of condemnation from defense experts and politicians on both sides of the aisle and has given hope to Democrats that Clinton can use national security, an issue usually claimed by Republicans, to her advantage.Donald Trump today once again took Russias side. He asked the Russians to interfere in American politics, Panetta said in his speech. It is inconceivable to me that any presidential candidate could be that irresponsible.Retired Navy Rear Adm. John Hutson, who left the Republican Party during the George W. Bush administration, said at the Democratic convention that it was embarrassing that Trump leads a major U.S. political party.He personally invited Russia to hack us. Thats not law and order. Thats criminal intent, Hutson said.Trumps Wednesday comment was tantamount to treason, said William Inboden, a University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs associate professor who served on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush.He is inviting and encouraging an adversary of the U.S. to engage in cyberattacks and espionage on us, Inboden told the American-Statesman. Inboden, who called himself a conservative Republican, said he wont vote for Trump or Clinton.He added he isnt a lawyer and doesnt know the threshold for prosecuting someone for treason but that he used very strong language deliberately because I believe we need to draw attention to this.He wasnt alone. Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe, a liberal legal scholar who has been an adviser for President Barack Obama, also suggested Trumps comments could be treasonous.Trumps jokes inviting an adversary to wage cyberwar against the U.S. appear to violate the Logan Act and might even constitute treason, Tribe said on Twitter. The Logan Act is a 1799 law banning Americans from negotiating with foreign powers if they arent authorized by the U.S. government.Trump on Thursday said that his remarks werent meant as an invitation for Russia to spy on U.S. leaders and that the leaked emails, in which Democratic National Committee officials were critical of Sanders, were disgraceful.Of course Im being sarcastic, and they dont even know, frankly, if its Russia, Trump said in an interview on Fox News.News of the cyberattack first broke in June, when Democratic National Committee officials said hackers acting on behalf of Russias government had infiltrated their network and stolen documents, including opposition research on Trump.The release of the hacked emails by WikiLeaks is the first known attempt by a foreign actor to sway a U.S. election through a cyberattack.WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said he timed the release before the convention to hamper Clintons election efforts and has promised to release additional documents throughout the campaign. Assange has criticized Clinton for pushing to have him indicted after his release of thousands of hacked U.S. diplomatic cables when she was secretary of state.Assange has so far declined to say where the documents came from, but the hacker or hackers known as Guccifer 2.0 have taken credit.Guccifer 2.0 claims to be Romanian, but experts who have analyzed documents released by Guccifer 2.0 said they contain metadata indicating they were created by a Russian language user.Questions about Trumps relationship to the Kremlin didnt begin with the WikiLeaks episode. Several Trump advisers have ties to the Russian government and Trump has done real estate projects with investors connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin.His comments werent a slip of the tongue but theyre of a piece with his obsequiousness to Putin and Russia, Inboden said. Hes made repeated statements of praise and gushing admiration of Putin. This guy seems entirely too friendly and sympathetic to the Kremlin.Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has worked for a Kremlin-backed Ukrainian president unseated in 2014. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a Trump adviser who was floated as a potential running mate, is an analyst for the U.S. arm of the Kremlin-funded cable news channel Russia Today. Carter Page, a Trump foreign policy adviser, has worked as a consultant for Gazprom, state-owned Russian energy giant.Recently, Trump said he wouldnt defend NATO members that were invaded by Russia if they didnt contribute their share of military spending to the alliance, a major break from Republican orthodoxy.The Trump campaign has sought to turn attention away from speculation about Russias involvement in the cyberattack and back toward the Clinton email server scandal, even though that issue has no connection to the Democratic National Committee hack.Only reason were talking about this is b/c HC deleted e-mails on home server & its hurting her campaign. Ds trying to change subject, Trump spokesman Jason Miller posted on Twitter. Keep in mind: Crooked Hillary still hasnt said what was on those emails. She said they were about yoga.FBI Director James Comey last month declined to recommend Clinton be prosecuted for the email server arrangement, but he harshly criticized her handling of sensitive communications while she was secretary of state.Comey might again play a role in the 2016 presidential election. The FBI has said it is investigating the Democratic National Committee cyberattack.Additional material from Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Aaron Gould Sheinin. Ferrari on Thursday faced suggestions it "lied" about the impending departure of James Allison. In Hungary mere days ago, boss Maurizio Arrivabene angrily batted away speculation about the team's technical director. "Ferrari behaved as though there were nothing in the rumours and three days later confirmed them," former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger told Germany's Auto Bild. "We can now consider what is worse: that they did not know about it, or that they lied," the great Austrian added. Current Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen on Thursday would not comment on Allison's departure beyond saying he has "respect" for the Briton. Vettel, meanwhile, insisted: "Obviously there will be a difference but in the short term it doesn't change that much." So as Ross Brawn denied he is returning to Ferrari, Allison having been replaced by engine chief Mattia Binotto and questions swirling about Arrivabene and team president Sergio Marchionne, Vettel was asked if Ferrari is indeed in crisis. "No, I think we have the right people on board," the German driver insisted at Hockenheim. Vettel said Binotto is "very experienced", and welcomed the fact that president Marchionne is pushing Ferrari "very hard". "Obviously it (Allison's departure) is a big change now, which doesn't impact on tomorrow's work but obviously for the future. No doubt about it, but I think things are heading in the right direction. "In Maurizio's case as well, he's been in formula one and involved for a long time, so I think he knows the business very well and I think he's doing a very, very good job," said Vettel. "That's how we all feel in the team. He's our leader, he's the team principal and we're happy he's with us." (GMM) Williams' current F1 drivers have admitted they are still facing an uncertain future on the grid. Felipe Massa, the Brazilian veteran, says he is in talks regarding 2017 not only with the British team. "Talks began some time ago, and not only with my current team," he said at Hockenheim. "If it doesn't work and I can't find a team that can have good results, I can finish my formula one career," Massa admitted. Massa, 35, said that only if it is clear that he is leaving F1 will he begin to look at alternatives for 2017 beyond the pinnacle of motor sport. Also in doubt is the place at Williams occupied alongside Massa by Finn Valtteri Bottas. "First of all, I'm very confident that I will be in formula one next year. I have not thought of any other option," he told the Finnish broadcaster MTV. "Decisions affecting me have always happened after the summer break around September, so there's no rush and I'm not worried," Bottas added. Although supported by Toto Wolff, Didier Coton and Mika Hakkinen, the 26-year-old said he is more involved in his contract negotiations than ever before. "For me, it's very easy to speak directly with the team and it's great to be more involved in my own career," he said. "The negotiations don't interfere with my driving in any way." (GMM) Night was calm in Khorenatsi street (video) The situation was calm on the section of Khorenatsi street leading to the patrol police station that remains occupied by the Sasna Dzrer armed group affiliated with the Founding Parliament radical opposition movement. There were no demonstrators in the street in the early hours of Friday. Only a small group of police officers were keeping control in the area near the barricaded police compound. We remind that the march planned from Liberty Square to Khorenatsi Street on Thursday evening was cancelled because of heavy rain. On July 17, the police patrol building in Yerevans Erebuni district was attacked and seized by an armed group calling itself Sasna Dzrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) which is affiliated with the Founding Parliament, a radical opposition group seeking to oust Armenias government. Colonel Artur Vanoyan and his friends were on duty inside the Erebuni base when it was stormed by the gunmen. Vanoyan was shot dead and several other police officers were seriously wounded in the attack. The attackers took several police officers hostage, including deputy chiefs of the national police and Yerevans police department. The last four hostages were set free on July 23 after negotiations held with the Armenian government through Vitaly Balasanyan, a participant of the Artsakh war. This was followed by numerous events in the Armenian capital. The leader of the armed group, Pavel Manukyan and his son, Aram, were wounded in a shootout with the police on Tuesday, July 26, and were immediately hospitalized. Also, on Tuesday the police warned the protest organizers to choose another venue for their rallies, saying that there is a real danger for public safety in Khorenatsi street. Armen Mikaelyan, a member of the Founding Parliament movement, and Levon Barseghyan, Chairman of the Asparez Journalists Club, were arrested on Tuesday. Following these events, the gunmen took four paramedics hostage after they went into the compound to help some of the gunmen that were wounded by security forces besieging them. One of the doctors was released on Wednesday evening. Throughout Wednesday, the police detained some 100 persons in an attempt to prevent another anti-government rally in the street. Arsinee Khanjian, a renowned Canadian-Armenian actress, was among the detainees. Most of them were released later on Wednesday. The mass detentions forced Founding Parliament to rally hundreds of supporters at Liberty Square the same evening. After the rally, they marched through the city center to Khorenatsi street. F1 voted to delay the introduction of 'Halo' and also wind back the controversial radio clampdown in a key strategy group meeting on Thursday. While the rest of the sport set up shop at Hockenheim, team bosses, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone were actually in Geneva in the form of the strategy group. But in Germany, the 'Halo' debate was raging on, with British rookie Jolyon Palmer saying most of the drivers were opposed but "don't really voice it in the press". "He's incorrect," GPDA director Jenson Button hit back, "and it's very unfair for him to speak for other drivers. It (halo) is a great solution." But the strategy group voted to delay it until 2018, while F1 supremo Ecclestone suggested Halo could be scrapped altogether. "The halo maybe is not the right way to go," he told the Telegraph. "We're going to come up with something better than that." The strategy group on Thursday also agreed to scrap the radio communications clampdown completely, with the exception of the formation lap. (GMM) Right and Freedom Center NGO demands that authorities release Levon Barseghyan The Right and Freedom Center NGO has issued a statement blaming the authorities for all illegalities and arbitrariness in the country and demanding the release of Levon Barseghyan and all other detainees. "Authorities in Armenia have always proffered the use of force, criminal prosecution and harassment in their relations with opposition movements and their critics. In this way, they have tried to silence criticism against them and undesirable political developments. But things have changes since July 17, 2016, after the Sasna Dzrer armed group seized a police station in Yerevan. We have been witnessing these days a veritable terror unleashed by the police and intelligence services. Hundreds of people have been detained without any reason and without explanation. Many of them were subjected to beating and humiliating treatment. Many have been arrested on trumped-up charges. Levon Barseghyan, a prominent civic campaigner and Chairman of Gyumri-based Asparez Journalsits Club, was among those detained by the police on July 27. The folding pocket knife found on him was merely a pretext for levying charges against him. The Right and Freedom Center NGO condemns the ongoing arbitrariness unleashed by the authorities and demands that they -release Levon Barseghyan -release all other detainees participating in peaceful demonstrations since July 17 -transfer relations between the authorities and opposition, authorities and citizens to the legal framework The Right and Freedom Center NGO blames the authorities for all illegalities and arbitrariness in the country, reads the statement. 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 Petros Makeyan: Crisis cannot be resolved by neutralizing Sasna Dzrer or sending its members to prison (video) Leader of the Democratic Homeland party, Petros Makeyan, condemns the inhuman, Pinochet-style actions of the security forces. Police officers with machine guns intimidate people nowadays. It is useless to keep police troops today, they should be sent to the army, Mr Makeyan told journalists on July 29. He says besides Azerbaijan the Armenian leadership also has another enemy in the person of Armenian society. The arrests of Alek Yenigomshyan and Armen Mikaelyan, both members of the Founding Parliament movement, as well as Levon Barseghyan, Chairman of Gyumri-based Journalists Asparez Club, remind Petros Makeyan of 193 when Stalin said it is important to find people to press charges against them. He says the authorities are not responding to the demands of the Sasna Dzrer because Serzh Sargsyan wants to benefit somehow from the present situation and delay the surrender of lands. The crisis should be resolved in a political way, rather than by force. When people go to war, they realize that they will either die or come back home. But when the members of the Sasna Dzrer group stormed the police HQ, they knew that they will either die or be sent to prison, he said adding that the problem cannot be solved by neutralizing the armed group or sending its members to prisons; new groups will emerge who will also raise their voices in protest against the authorities. Speaking about the medics who are reportedly held hostage by the anti-government gunmen, Mr Makeyan said the guys simply need round the clock care. If they [gunmen] released Valeri Osipyan, then we cannot consider medics hostage in the given circumstances. In reply to A1+s question why he was not seen on the platform, the Leader of the Democratic Homeland party said, I prefer to fight in the field where the people are standing. The strategy provides a prioritized list of R&D goals and objectives addressing specific scientific, technical, analytical, and logistics challenges that hinder the development, production, and wide-scale economic deployment of AJFs. In releasing the FAJFS, the federal government hopes to accelerate the development of the AJF industry by minimizing technical uncertainty to encourage further private sector interest, facilitate the development and approval of new AJF pathways, and reduce the cost of AJF production in the United States. The Obama Administration has released the Federal Alternative Jet Fuels Research and Development (R&D) Strategy (FAJFS), which maps out a unified federal plan to advance R&D as well as science and technology solutions to support deployment of alternative jet fuels (AJFs) in both civil and military aviation. In late 2013, an Alternative Jet Fuel Interagency Working Group (AJF-IWG) was established under the White House Office of Science and Technology Policys National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Aeronautics Science and Technology. The AJF-IWG, comprising representatives from nine federal agencies, consulted with key stakeholders and developed the strategy. Going forward it will lead implementation of the strategy, analyze ongoing federal efforts, and collaborate with federal and non-federal stakeholders, including the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), in advancing four thematic areas of the strategy: feedstock development, production, and logistics; fuel conversion and scale-up; fuel testing and evaluation; and integrated challenges such as sustainability. Overview of R&D goals and objectives alignment to the generalized AJF development path. Click to enlarge. Feedstock Development, Production, and Logistics. R&D goals and objectives in this category represent what individual regional supply chains could do to optimize their systems to reduce cost, reduce technology uncertainty and risk, increase yield, and optimize AJF precursors. Increase crop yields (tons/acre), water and nutrient use efficiency, as well as pes tand disease resistance, and improve feedstock conversion characteristics. Develop sustainable feedstock production systems that require minimal inputs, have a high tolerance for environmental stress, and minimize the risk of adverse environmental impacts (e.g., invasiveness, erosion). Improve harvesting, collection, storage, densification, pretreatment, and transportation of physical biomass to the conversion facility. Improve collection, storage, densification, pretreatment, and transportation of municipal solid waste to the conversion facility. Fuel Conversion and Scale-Up. Fuel conversion and scale-up R&D efforts focus on reducing the cost of production for biochemical, thermochemical, and hybrid conversion processes while increasing the conversion efficiency and volume of fuels produced. Enable discovery, development, enhancement, and scale-up of conversion processes with improved yield, efficiency, and energy requirements that lead to cost-competitive AJF. Develop conversion technologies that can produce jet fuel from multiple feedstocks in a distributed manner. Fuel Testing and Evaluation. Federal R&D efforts in fuel testing and evaluation focus on facilitating the approval of additional AJF pathways by enabling the efficient evaluation of fuel-engine performance and safety through advancement of certification and qualification processes and collection and analysis of data, including those for combustion emissions. Facilitate civil and military approval of additional AJF pathways by enabling efficient evaluation for performance and safety through advancement of certification and qualification processes and collection and analysis of data. Improve scientific understanding of how AJF composition impacts gas turbine combustion emissions and operability. Integrated Challenges. Several key scientific and technical challenges require R&D efforts that either bisect the above components of the AJF development path (i.e., R&D related to feedstock and fuel) or take place outside that path (e.g., during production, deployment, and use). Research in this area requires an interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary, and multi-faceted approach. Advance understanding of and improve environmental sustainability of AJF production and use. Develop and validate a comprehensive systems model to support viable AJF deployment. Promote communication as well as scientific and technical R&D best practices for the national enterprise. AJFs can help enhance energy security; expand domestic energy sources; facilitate a diverse, secure, and reliable fuel supply; contribute to price and supply stability; reduce emissions that affect air quality and global climate; generate economic and rural development; and promote social welfare. Federal R&D plays an important role in facilitating the development of AJFs. This Strategy focuses Federal R&D efforts to address key scientific and technical challenges while reducing duplication of effort, enhancing efficiency, and encouraging a coordinated R&D approach among Federal and non-Federal stakeholders. Continued progress requires focused investments and coordination among Federal departments and agencies, academia, industry, and international partners toward the R&D goals and objectives set out in this Strategy. FAJFS CAAFI. CAAFI participated in the survey and review process and provided input to the strategy during the initial stakeholder discussions held in January 2014. CAAFI will host several sessions on the FAJFS at the CAAFI Biennial General Meeting (CBGM) including discussions of execution strategy led by the federal agencies, the integration of ongoing and planned activities across the public-private-partnership spectrum to meet the strategys objectives, and the providing of feedback on adjacent objectives and activities that could be undertaken to fulfill the vision of the Strategy. Achievers The National Association of Secretaries of State has elected N.C. Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall as a national officer of the association. Marshall will serve on the executive board as secretary until July 2017. *** Eight people have joined the Canterbury School Board of Trustees: Bolagi Bakare, Marjorie Donnelly, Robb Hutchison, Todd Jorgenson, Joanna Kirkland, Hank Lovvorn and Brantley White. Phil Spears, the new head of school, is also an official member of the board. Continuing trustees are Adair Armfield, Laura Burton, Felicia Cooper, Beverly Grier, Brad Hayes, the Rev. Ginny Bain Inman, Allison Medley, Mindy Oakley, Cissy Parham, Sam Simpson, Martha Stukes and Marti Tyler. Board officers are Brad McCormick, president; Tam Milton, vice president; and Dan Barker, secretary. *** Brooks Pierce partner Jennifer Van Zant has been recognized in the 2016 Benchmark Litigations Top 250 Women in Litigation. This is the second consecutive year she has been named to the list. *** L. Wayne Johns, associate professor of English at Greensboro College, has published a poem in an international literary journal. Johnss poem, Duet, was published in the spring/summer 2016 edition of Nimrod International Journal. *** The UNC-Greensboro School of Nursing has been named a Center of Excellence for the fourth consecutive time by the National League of Nursing. The designation recognizes the schools sustained efforts for creating environments that promote the teaching expertise of faculty. UNCG will formally get the designation at the National League of Nursing Summit in Orlando on Sept. 21. The school will keep the designation through 2021. Only 10 schools in the United States have been designated as Centers of Excellence more than twice. UNCGs nursing school first got this designation in 2005. Only two other North Carolina schools have the NLN designation. They are Duke University and East Carolina University. Awards Contractor Connection awarded a Crawford Connection Golden Hammer Excellence in Achievement Award to Cary Reconstruction, a Greensboro-based Response Team 1 business, at the recent 2016 Contractor Connection Conference and Expo in Las Vegas. The award recognized Cary Reconstruction for ranking in the top 200 of the more than 4,000 contractors in the U.S. and Canada. *** The North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics recently presented the Community Clinic of High Point with a Top Performing Clinic award at the associations annual meeting. The clinic was one of four free and charitable clinics from throughout N.C. that was honored with this award. *** The Rev. Preston Davis, minister to High Point University, was honored with the Francis Asbury Award during the annual Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church at Lake Junaluska. The national award is presented annually by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church to a person who fosters the churchs ministries in higher education at the local, district or annual conference level. The award recognizes Davis for growing partnerships between local United Methodist churches and High Point University students in several ways. This includes placing students in ministry internships, completing international mission opportunities together in Haiti, building an inclusive and interactive weekly program with campus ministries and Greek life, and working with United Methodist chaplains to support Flamebuilders, a young adult leadership and spiritual formation program. *** The American Immigration Lawyers Association presented Elon University School of Laws Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic with a Pro Bono Champion award in Las Vegas at the associations 2016 annual conference. This award is given annually to an individual or organization that has made notable pro bono contributions. The AILAs Carolinas Chapter nominated the clinic for the award after a 2015 spring break advocacy trip by students to a civil immigration detention center in Texas where noncitizen women and children are confined during federal immigration proceedings. *** The following Greensboro-area entrepreneurs were recognized for outstanding revenue performance during an awards ceremony at the 47th annual Servpro Convention, held June 26-30 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas: Britt and Stacy Holcomb, owners of Servpro of Greensboro North, received the Chairmans Gold award and Carlos Olvera, owner of Servpro of High Point, received the Directors Platinum award. *** The Randolph Community College Board of Trustees awarded Alan Luria, a retired trustee and former member of the RCC Foundation Board, with the 2016 Distinguished Service Award. Luria served on the RCC Board of Trustees from July 1999 until June 2014. *** Pace won 18 awards at the 37th annual Telly Awards competition. The Telly Awards is the premier award competition honoring creative film and video productions, innovative web commercials, videos and films, and outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs. On average, more than 13,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents are submitted for consideration. Entries are evaluated by members of the Silver Telly Council and are rated on a performance scale. Winners are awarded either Silver or Bronze awards based on combined scores. Entries in the Peoples Telly Awards are posted to a custom voting page for public viewing. Pace won 13 awards in the online video category, two of which were Silver awards, and five Peoples Telly awards. The winning videos were produced for AAA, Verizon and Wells Fargo. We dont like New York running TV ads in North Carolina trying to lure businesses. And we doubt its recruitment pitch will be very successful. Yet the campaign by the Empire State Development Corp., aimed at North Carolina, Texas and Mississippi, only seeks to play on a touted strength: New Yorks welcoming attitude. It uses headlines of recent news to paint a contrast to the target states. One, from The New York Times of March 23, says: North Carolina bans local anti-discrimination policies, a reference to House Bill 2. Its true. Former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr filed complaints in New York charging that Gov. Andrew Cuomos administration used public funds to pay for ads that seek to influence North Carolinas elections. That would be hard to prove from the ads themselves. They tout New Yorks history as a port of entry for immigrants, a safe place for slaves escaping from the South, and the birthplace of the womens suffrage and gay rights movements. They proclaim its diversity today. Those are positive attributes that might appeal to some businesses, especially in North Carolina, where scores of corporate leaders have expressed opposition to HB 2. But corporate leaders can decide for themselves whether these New York qualities are attractive enough to relocate their businesses. There are many other factors to consider, including cost of living, workforce quality and availability, infrastructure, weather, higher education and more. For at least a century, business migration has tended to flow from North to South and East to West. HB 2 may have a marginal effect, as weve seen already with decisions by PayPal, Deutsche Bank and the National Basketball Association. But, who knows, some other businesses might prefer to discriminate against gays and lesbians and to operate in a state where people are told to use the restrooms that correspond to the gender listed on their birth certificate. Maybe North Carolina can run ads in New York inviting those kinds of businesses. When it comes to business recruitment, no tactics are considered unfair. Texas is complaining about New Yorks ads now, but it ran a TV ad in New York in 2013 trying to entice firms there to move to Texas. The same year, Texas then-governor, Rick Perry, kicked up hard feelings in Maryland when he made a business recruiting trip to that state. North Carolina may not be that aggressive, but it does offer substantial publicly funded incentives to land out-of-state companies willing to relocate here. Outside New York City, New York has many declining smaller cities and rural areas where the population is shrinking. Its trying, perhaps desperately, to turn that around at the expense of North Carolina, Texas and Mississippi. It is using what its leaders, starting with Cuomo, think is a weakness in states with conservative social policies. If North Carolina leaders think Cuomo is on to something, they might want to take a more moderate position on those policies, as our neighboring states have done. After all, New York is not targeting South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia or Tennessee. GREENWICH - Greenwich Audubon will host Honey Harvest this weekend, an event teaching participants about how to raise hives and harvest honey. The event, sponsored by the Back Yard Beekeepers Association Connecticut branch, and hosted by Board Member Ellen Zampino, will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the red barn at Greenwich Audubon. Its a good place to come and ask any questions about beekeeping if you are interested. Well have a demonstration hive there, and well answer all sorts of questions, Zampino said. Participants will see how honey is extracted from the hive and bottled and get a chance to help. Honey will be available for purchase at the end of the event while supplies last. Zampino said Back Yard Beekeepers have been doing this event with Audubon Greenwich for close to 10 years. They usually have between 30 or 40 members from their organization show up with honey that needs to be extracted. Each member will bring multiple frames on which the bees store their honey as they produce it. Each frame holds anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds, and participants will get to help extract it. The frames take bees anywhere from two days to several weeks to fill, depending on a variety of factors. There has to be flowers in bloom and enough moisture in the ground, Zampino said. There are a lot of different components that go into it. Its not a precise science. It all depends on the bees and the climate. Zampino said the number of people from the public that come to participate can vary widely, but is usually higher on Sunday. Its really weird, sometimes we have hundreds and sometimes we have 10. Usually we have a good sized crowd on Sundays, Zampino said. It just depends on who is in the area. Zampino said most participants favorite part is tasting the honey at the end. There will be some honey for sale, there will be some foot balm and hand cream that will be for sale too, Zampino said. No RSVP is required. The event is free for Audubon Greenwich members and for non-member,s the cost is $6 per adult and $3 for children and seniors. pfrissell@hearstmediact.com; @PeregrineFriss This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH An Old Greenwich woman was taken to Stamford Hospital Friday after her car apparently backed over her while she was standing in her driveway. The woman, identified by her son as 76-year-old Catherine Codato, is the vehicle owner. Her condition was unavailable. Carlo Codato said he was not at the scene at the time of the accident but said he believed she might have been trying to get the mail at the end of the driveway after arriving at her home on Old Wagon Road. He said the vehicle either was not put properly in park or the emergency break might have failed. Greenwich first responders were at the scene within minutes Friday. Greenwich Fire Department members were able to remove Catherine Codato from under the car. She was transported to Stamford Hospital by Greenwich Emergency Medical Services. GFD Deputy Chief Thomas Nixon said at the scene she was conscious when she was rescued. The matter is under investigation by the Greenwich Police Department. No official cause of the accident has been determined. Codatos son said she was able to speak to him once he got to the scene. According to Nixon, the call came into the GFD at approximately 3 p.m. Friday. Engine 5 was at the scene within five minutes. Through the use of a high lift airbag, the car was lifted so Catherine Codato could be successfully extricated and taken to the hospital. Michael Taubl of the GFD said a high pressure bottle pumps air into the bag and that it could be used to lift three tons about 34 or 36 inches high. Once the airbag is inflated, pieces of wood are placed under what needed to be lifted to stabilize it and keep it in the air in case the airbag fails. We dont want something to happen and have it come down on us, Taubl said. kborsuk@scni.com Vardan Oskanian condemns recent arrests in Armenia Vardan Oskanian, a former Foreign Minister of Armenia, has condemned on his Facebook page the arrest of Alek Yenigomshyan and others. When law-enforcement authorities in Armenia detained Alek Yenigomshyan, a leading member of the Founding Parliament radical opposition movement, I thought he would be set free immediately after the interrogation. But Yenigomshyan has been in custody for three days now. I think we need to express our anger and protest, demanding his immediate release not because of his being one of the true devotees of our nation, who in the 1970s and 80s fought for justice calling the attention of the entire world to the crime committed against Armenian people and losing his sight and arm as a result, but simply for keeping him in custody without grounds. During the daily demonstrations of the past ten days held in support of the Sasna Dzrer group Alek was the voice of moderation, who, with his cool, sober reasoning and calm behaviour tried to avert violence and reach a peaceful solution. Aleks guilt is perhaps that, like the overwhelming majority in Armenia, he wants to see radical changes in the country and thinks that this can be achieved only through newly formed legitimate government. Like Alek, I equally want to express my protest against the harassment against our citizens, including Armen Martirosyan, Levon Barseghyan and Arsinee Khanjian and all those who have received unfair treatment in the past several days and who are kept in custody, Mr Oskanyan said in the post. A lightweight. Barilla, the company last in trouble for suggesting gay people eat pasta from another manufacturer, now faces a claim that its screwing customers out of as much as a quarter of their noodles. Four sufficiently Italian-sounding plaintiffs (Alessandro Berni, Domenico Salvata, Mossimo Simioli, and Giuseppe Santochirico) have filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that Barilla deceptively packages certain pastas in order to fool consumers. They claim extra-protein, whole-grain, and gluten-free pastas are placed in the standard-size boxes used for plain old penne or farfalle only these specialty boxes are substantially under-filled. According to their math, a box of Protein Plus contains 9.4 percent less pasta, the whole-grain variety is underfilled by 17.4 percent, and gluten-free shorts buyers a full 25 percent. Slack-fill, as this empty space is known, frequently spawns angry consumer lawsuits who likes opening a bag of chips and finding that its two-thirds air? but the plaintiffs argue Barilla is also rel[ying] on consumers familiarity with the box size and appearance, known due to decades of marketing, to mislead consumers into thinking they are purchasing the same quantity of pasta. Technically, the boxes have a throwaway line about a new reduced net weight, the suit notes, but customers would have to study the box pretty hard to notice it. Theyre otherwise uninformed that any change has been made to the boxs quantity. Ironically, the pasta-maker also recently got busted for funding a health study that found people didnt get fat eating pasta, which maybe would have been true if the participants were using boxes of Barilla. Aram Hakobyan: I did not surrender, seven policemen attacked me when I was transporting my wounded comrades (video) During a discussion held at the Media Centre NGO, Hasmik Sahakyan, Head of the Public Monitoring Group for Police Detention Centres, spoke about Aram Hakobyan, one of the members of the Sasna Dzrer group that attacked and seized a police compound in Yerevan on July 17. According to the police, Hakobyan surrendered to law enforcers on the night of July 27. Today, Hasmik Sahakyan had a private conversation with Aram Hakobyan who is kept at a police detention centre in Yerevan. He has injuries and cannot move freely, she said. Hakobyan told me that according to press reports he had surrendered voluntarily. But during the private conversation, he said that after Pavel Manukyan and his son were wounded by the police, he went with a stretcher and helped transport the wounded outside of the police building so that they would be taken to hospital. Hakobyan was not armed at that time. Just at that moment he was attacked by seven policemen in the area of the police station who began beating him. Then he was forced into a police car and taken to Nalbandyan street where the building of the National Security Service is located. Hakobyan was beaten all the way through the third floor of the NSS. He refused medical aid despite his numerous injuries. Hakobyan officially announces that they are not criminals but he says they have done it for our nation and our security. He wanted people to know that he did not surrender himself, that he was attacked by seven police officers and beaten up severely. He says they hit him on his head and back. He may have broken ribs and it will be better to invite a doctor to examine him, I think, Hasmik Sahakyan said. These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. If you have ever poked around online for Xiaomi tech, then you surely know that the Chinese OEM always had a "take a jab at everything and see what sticks" attitude to the market. Routers, TVs, smart home gear, even a drone and most-recently the Mi Notebook Air laptop, you name it and Xiaomi likely has it in its portfolio. And when you boast ambitions to play in the big leagues, you really can't afford to lack behind on a tech craze, which VR has been emerging as for a few years now. New teaser images spotted on the company's official Weibo page now hint that Xiaomi might try its hand at a VR headset. Apparently it has been in the works for some time as well, since industry sources have also suggested a release date of August 1, which is only a short weekend away and this is practically the first time we have heard about the gadget. As for the images in question, they mostly feature writing in Chinese, that we can't exactly make out in full. However, there are clear mentions of both VR and the August 1 date present as well. Going by the small lifestyle picture of the alleged device, it appears to be quite similar to Samsung's Gear VR in terms of design. This, along with the apparent lack of cables coming out of the unit likely means that Xiaomi has gone with a smartphone-powered approach as well. Overall, it is slightly odd that we are hearing about this VR headset only now, but Xiaomi is no stranger to surprise announcements. Plus, a dedicated Xiaomi VR account (@XiaomiVR) was found on Weibo as well, which offers some extra proof. Also, this fits nicely with rumors of an ongoing effort on the company's part to launch a rich suite of VR software and experiences, alongside the hardware, probably under the XiaomiVR title as an extra incentive for prospective buyers. Thanks for the tip Vijay Source 1 | Source 2 Haiti - Economy : For the State Department, Haiti made no significant progress The U.S. State Department released the 2016 Fiscal Transparency Report (January 1 to December 31, 2015). The report found that 76 of 140 governments reviewed by the Department met minimum requirements of fiscal transparency. Eight governments found not to meet minimum requirements made significant progress toward meeting minimum requirements. The Department evaluated the public availability, substantial completeness, and reliability of budget documents, as well as the transparency of processes for awarding government contracts and licenses for natural resource extraction. Fiscal transparency is a critical element of effective public financial management, helps in building market confidence, and underpins economic sustainability. It fosters greater government accountability by providing a window into government budgets for citizens, helping citizens to hold their leadership accountable and facilitating better-informed public debates. Annual fiscal transparency reviews provide opportunities to dialogue with governments on the importance of fiscal transparency. For the US State Department Haiti made "no significant progress" : "During the review period, Haiti published its enacted budget, but not its executive budget proposal. The government did not publish end-of-year reports. Budget documents were neither substantially complete nor reliable. Natural resource revenues were not identified by source or type. Allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises were not clearly included in the budget. Significant state-owned enterprises did not have audited accounts that were either provided to an oversight body or made publicly available. The supreme audit institution did not make audit reports publicly available. The criteria and process for allocating licenses and contracts for natural resource extraction were outlined in law but have apparently been inconsistently applied. Basic information on natural resource extraction contracts and licenses was rarely publicly available. Haitis fiscal transparency would be improved by making its executive budget proposal and end-of-year reports widely and easily accessible to the general public within a reasonable period of time; clearly identifying natural resource revenues and allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises in the budget; making audited financial statements publicly available for significant state-owned enterprises; making supreme audit institution audit reports publicly available; consistently adhering to the legal criteria and procedures for natural resource contracting and licensing in practice; and making basic information on natural resource contracts and licenses publicly available." HL/ HaitiLibre iciHaiti - Economy : ADIH discusses smuggling with Privert This week at the National Palace, the de facto President Jocelerme Privert, accompanied by Yves Romain Bastien, Minister of Economy and Finance, met with members of the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) on smuggling issue. The opportunity for members of ADIH to recall the damage caused by smuggling in the Haitian economy and express their dissatisfaction with the inefficiency of border surveillance. To remedy ADIH proposes to increase the number of police and customs officers at the border; to revitalize the control of goods warehouses; reactivate the notice of prohibition on the import of plates in "Foam" and regularly operate customs staff rotations operating in the different border posts. The smuggling Task Force should meet soon in view of the possible implementation of these proposals and the taking of other measures to combat smuggling in Haiti... IH/ iciHaiti Haiti - Politic : Visit to Haiti of a delegation of U.S. Congress Michele Thoren Bond, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs will be in Haiti from July 28 to August 3, to review consular operations at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. She will accompany a congressional delegation led by Representative Trent Franks (Republican of Arizona), co-president of Congressional Coalition on Adoption, which will focus on child protection issues. In Port-au-Prince, the Assistant Secretary Bond will meet with representatives from numerous civil society organizations working on child welfare and family assistance programs. She will host a series of meetings with representatives from the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), lInstitut du Bien-Etre Social et de Recherches (IBESR), and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), to discuss U.S. and Haitian intercountry adoption policies and practices, as well as Haitis activities related to adoption, family assistance, and child welfare. HL/ HaitiLibre 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 Haiti - News : Zapping politics... Borgne and Grand Goave again before the BCEN Richardson Dumel, Communication Director of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has informed that the Office of National Electoral Litigation (BCEN), will sit by 2 August 2016, on cases relating to the legislative of 2015 to reproduce for the constituencies of Borgne and Grand-Goave. CEP deploys 13 Commissions of inquiry The CEP has decided to deploy of Commissions in the 13 constituencies in which an administrative investigation is required, compared to the conditions in which the elections were held... https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18041-haiti-flash-the-cep-opens-investigations-of-elected-candidates.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18075-haiti-elections-the-cep-can-not-change-a-judgment-of-bcen.html Elections, Natcom denies After Digicel https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18117-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html it is the turn of the NATCOM phone company to formally deny the allegations pretending it was ready to finance the electoral process to the tune of USD $10 million, according to information circulating on social networks and some media. Maryse Narcisse motivates her Senate candidates Wednesday at the Dr. Aristide Foundation for Democracy, at a special meeting, the Executive Board of the Organization Fanmi Lavalas Political met with candidates for the renewal of the third of the Senate "We are more numerous and stronger throughout the country . In each of the 10 departments, Fanmi Lavalas must win elections at all levels [...], the people can no longer bear the yoke of poverty, unemployment, insecurity and blackout..." declared Maryse Narcisse presidential candidate and coordinator of the party. Justice and security of elections This Friday, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security invited the representatives of parties and alliances of political parties to a working meeting on issues related to justice and security during the election period and during the course of the election day on October 9. This week... The holder of MCFDF Marie Denise Claude, announced new measures aimed at reviving the work of the institution. She also said that her Ministry will support women candidates in the next elections; Fruitful meeting between the Chief of Postof Chief Mrs. Natalie Fourcand and Glen Glizean CEP of Central Florida Urban League, Rudy Francois of the Fifth Third Bank around different funding programs and access to employment for the benefit of the Haitian community; Wednesday, July 27, 2016 a working meeting was held at the Consulate Haiti to Orlando, on the project of a flight between Orlando and Port-au-Prince; On the occasion of the celebration of St. Anne, patron saint of the town of Anse-a-Veau (Nippes), the First Lady de facto Ginette Michaud Privert, in collaboration with the Office of Industrial Accidents Insurance, Sickness and Maternity (OFATMA) organized a mobile clinic to the hospital Jules Fleury of the town. She also completed the distribution of medicines to patients according to their needs. HL/ HaitiLibre The Rescue Paw Foundation will have an adoption event at Herrick Park on Sunday, October 23rd. The event is sponsored by London Jewelers and will be an all out dog lover's dream, but it is also going to be fun... 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. 08:46, 28 OCT 2022 Educator James O. Freedman 57, L 60, who died in March of last year, was president emeritus of Dartmouth College and of the University of Iowa. In his retirement in Cambridge, he was president of Harvard Magazine Inc. One learns in the just-published memoir of his early years, Finding the Words: The Education of James O. Freedman (Princeton University Press, $29.95), that when a student he competed to be this magazines Undergraduate columnist, but the editors passed him over. In a book-jacket blurb, Stanley N. Katz 55, Ph.D. 61, of Princetons Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, characterizes the Freedman of those days as a bright and ambitious young Jew trying self-consciously to break out of small-town New England to achieve greatness. Of this memoir, Katz writes: This is really a book about bookshow beautiful they are, and how the examined life cannot be lived without them, since they have been the mirror in which Freedman learned to see himself. From the Book And so, driven by ambition and a compulsive intensity, frightened by conflict, tormented by self-doubt, hindered by a sense of inferiority, afflicted by depression, imprisoned by inhibitions, shadowed by shame, longing for praise and approval, I entered Harvard hoping to find my place in the world, with each of these characteristics forever shifting as it bumped against another, at once hurtling me forward and holding me back, in confusing, contradictory states of satisfaction and pain. I was, however, sustained by my sense of destiny. To have a sense of destiny is to have a conviction about the purpose of life. Confronting that sense, forming that conviction is a part of what a liberal education is about. When in later life I told V.S. Naipaul that I wished I had known at 20 what I knew at 60, he replied, But then life would not be a quest. That is the very meaning of life. Naipauls statement is similar to an observation made by my friend James Alan McPherson, who, in a seriously intended play on words, once wrote, The purpose of life is to search for the purpose of life. For Naipaul and McPherson, life is a question answering a question. Does that imply, I wondered as a freshman, that although life may have a purpose, we may not be able to discover it? In his novel Let Me Count the Ways (1965), Peter De Vries has a character say, The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination. But the combination is locked up in the safe. Others believe, however, that life has the purpose with which we endow it by our actionsby the work we do and the love we express, by the values we follow and the dignity we confer upon others. For these people, life flowers into purpose when we achieve the fullest realization of what Milton called that one talent which is death to hide. I believed from the start that Harvard was about searching for the purpose of life. To become aware of the possibility of the search is to be on to something, I later read in The Moviegoer (1960) by Walker Percy. Not to be on to something is to be in despair. I did not appreciate, however, just how long that search would take and how consuming it would be. EaP Civil Society Forum urges Armenian authorities to release Levon Barseghyan Statement by the Steering Committee of the Civil Society Forum on the Detention of Levon Barseghyan Serzh Sargsyan, President, Republic of Armenia Galust Sahakyan, President of the National Assembly, Republic of Armenia Donald Tusk, President, European Council Jean-Claude Juncker, President, European Commission Martin Schulz, President, European Parliament Federica Mogherini, Vice-President of the European Commission, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Ministers of Foreign Affairs, EU Member States Thorbjrn Jagland, Secretary General, Council of Europe Pedro Agramunt, President, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Nils Muiznieks, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ilkka Kanerva, President, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Michael Georg Link, Director, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) The Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum condemns the detention of Levon Barseghyan, Chairman of the Board of the Gyumri Journalists Club Asbarez, by the Armenian authorities after making a public speech in Yerevan, in which he criticised the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. The apparent reason for his detention is ludicrous. The authorities claim that a penknife was found on his person. We also condemn his treatment while in detention (lack of food and water, as well as access to bathroom facilities) which led to the deterioration of his state of health and the need to call an ambulance. Mr Barseghyan is a respected member of the Civil Society Forum and the way he is treated is a test case of Armenias commitment to European values and to good relations with the European Union. We have reason to believe that many other Armenian citizens have been detained in Yerevan in recent days in the wake of the attack on the Erebuni police station. The grounds for these arrests may be as preposterous as that of our colleague. We urge the Armenian authorities to release Levon Barseghyan and all other people unlawfully detained only because they exercised the constitutional freedoms of assembly, expression and speech. All officials who abused their power should be held accountable. We call on the European Union to take all possible steps to ensure that the Armenian authorities release Levon Barseghyan and all the people detained on political grounds, and that an impartial investigation of the actions by the police is conducted. Members of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. Members of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Coles has criticised the actions of the National Union of Workers (NUW) in response to picketing at three distribution centres in Victoria on Wednesday (27 July). Around 650 staff walked off the job at a facility in Truganina which was owned and run by Polar Fresh. Coles uses this centre to distribute their products throughout Victoria and Tasmania. In industrial action organised by the NUW, employees demanded a pay rise of $3 more an hour and greater job stability through a less casual-dependent workforce. The Supreme Court delivered a temporary injunction yesterday (28 July) forcing workers to cease picketing at the three sites including the Truganina distribution centre. The injunction also forbade workers from protesting at facilities in Derrimut and Laverton North where trucks connected to Coles were being prevented from entering or leaving. The NUW is engaging in unlawful conduct by blocking access at contingency sites set up by Coles to distribute food to our stores across Victoria, a Coles spokesperson told HC. This is placing millions of dollars of fresh food grown and produced by Victorian farmers at risk of rotting and spoilage. The industrial action occurred as part of an ongoing negotiation between the NUW and Polar Fresh over a new enterprise agreement, he said. The injunction was issued by Justice Michael McDonald after emergency legal action by Coles. The court heard that the industrial action at the Truganina centre had been approved by the Fair Work Commission. Coles however accused the protesters of unlawful conduct at the two other sites. Barrister Paul O'Grady who was representing Coles told ABC News that protesters were deliberately stopping truck drivers details being checked as to whether they are Coles related. One can infer that it is to apply pressure to Polar Fresh through Coles, he said. The case will return to court on Monday while the Fair Work hearing will resume next week. The NUW will abide by orders issued by the court, union spokesperson Emma Kerin told HC. These orders dont however go toward the resolution of the industrial dispute at hand. A meeting with Polar Fresh management occurred yesterday afternoon, she added, where members would be briefed and decide the next course of action. HC was unable to get comment from Polar Fresh in time for publication. Authorities have the right to use any means to release hostages - Garnik Isagulyan (video) Artsakh war participant Vitaly Balasanyan is ready to resume negotiations between the authorities and the gunmen cordoned off in a police station in Yerevans Erebuni district. He is waiting for such a request by the gunmen, but the negotiations will not be conducted on the terms proposed by the armed group, Chairman of the National Security Party, Garnik Isagulyan, said on July 29. He reminds that from 2004 to 2009 he was Advisor to the Armenian President on security affairs during the presidency of Robet Kocharyan. Talking to reporters in Yerevan, Mr Isagulyan stressed that from the very first day of the attack on the police building, he had done everything to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. The authorities agreed to our proposal to replace the hostages inside the seized police building but the members of the Sasna Dzrer group refused it. We proposed that four of us enter the premises but the gunmen again refused the offer, they agreed to see only Balasanyan. The negotiations were progressing the result was evident. As a result of the talks, about 65 journalists with 30 cameramen were allowed to enter the area of the seized compound. We had a preliminary agreement that the gunmen must not appear before journalists with guns, but they broke the agreement. When they began to fire into the air, Vitaly Balasanyan asked the group to leave the area. The gunmen have violated all terms. Mr Isagulyan says he has never labeled those guys but now that the authorities have made numerous proposals and appeals that the wounded need medical assistance, the gunmen refuse to transfer their comrade to hospital. Serzh Sargsyan has announced that if they group demonstrates goodwill, they will ony be punished within the framework of laws and constitutional norms. I think a mild punishment would have been applied in their case. After the gunmen took an ambulance crew hostage, I announced that they are terrorists and security forces have the right to taken any means to release the hostages. Those insisting the Sasna Dzrer members do not different from them and are also terrorists, who seek bloodshed. If I were to decide, I would take tougher actions, he said. Garnik Isagulyan also spoke about Alek Yenigomshyan, a member of the Founding Parliament movement arrested this week for his assistance to the gunmen. Isagulyan said in Geneva Yenigomshyan was going to blow up an Armenian benefactor and not the Turkish Embassy as many say. as a result, he lost his hand and eyesight, isagulyan said. lcomm Technologies, the US chip-making giant, has agreed to pay US$19.5m (AU$27m) to settle claims that they discriminated against female employees by paying them less and denying them the same promotion opportunities as men.The deal, which is still subject to approval from a federal judge, was struck before legal papers were filed at a San Diego court on Tuesday, according to media reports.The agreement stipulates that Qualcomm, which has around 15,000 employees in the US, must implement policies to ensure that women in science and engineering positions get more promotion opportunities.The lawsuit claims that women face systemic gender discrimination at the company, and that women working in research and engineering positions are paid less than men for the same roles.Females also make up only 15% of senior leadership and are promoted less often, possibly due to the fact that managers are mostly male, Associated Press reported.The complaint also alleges that workers who stay late are rewarded over those who work their stipulated hours, and that the company discourages employees from taking leave, meaning working mothers are at a disadvantage when it comes to career development.Lawyers for the group described the settlement as a "giant leap forward toward levelling the playing field and can serve as a model of best practices for other technology companies, Associated Press reported.Qualcomm said it will try to level the playing field for women going forward, including hiring independent consultants and an internal compliance officer, increasing training, and conducting regular pay-equity and promotion analysis.Qualcomm is committed to treating its employees fairly and equitably, Christine Trimble, vice president of public affairs at Qualcomm, said in a statement Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reports. Liz Vice will be supporting Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Schaefer Center for a show brought to you by An Appalachian Summer Festival. New Orleans native Trombone Shorty is the bandleader and frontman of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, a hard-edged funk band that employs hip-hop beats, rock dynamics and improvisation in a jazz tradition. Together, Trombone Shorty and his band have toured the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Australia, Russia, Japan and Brazil. Trombone Shorty appeared in several episodes of HBOs Treme, and has recently appeared onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Conan. In 2012, he performed at the White House in honor of Black History Month with music royalty B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck and Booker T. Jones. At this years Grammy Awards, he performed alongside Madonna, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Mary Lambert. In 2012, he received the Presidents Medal from Tulane University in recognition of his charitable work with the Trombone Shorty Foundation, which donates quality instruments to schools across New Orleans. Tickets for the show are $28 for adults and $20 for students and children. For more information about Liz Vice, visit www.lizvice.com/ New Orleans brightest new star in a generation. NPR Dizzying talent. The Washington Post Trombone Shorty is one of the best entertainers out there, period. Hes an incredible horn player. Zac Brown, Billboard (July 2012) Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket High Country Writers program for the Aug. 11 meeting will focus on the history of Independent publishing during the past 25 years. This revolutionary time has seen the transition from print runs of thousands to print on demand and the dominance of a few New York publishing houses to free access to any author. Panel members are; Rao Aluri, founder of Parkway Publishers; Julia Ebel, an author whose publishing history spans this revolution, and Judith Geary, former senior editor for Ingalls Publishing Group. The meeting will be held 10 a.m. to noon at the Watauga County Public Library. The public is invited. Rao Aluri settled in Boone in 1992 when his wife Mary Reichel was hired by the ASU Library. As a second job for a PhD in Library Science seemed unlikely, they decided it was time for Rao to fulfill a long-time dream and open a publishing company. Since his background was in scienceAluri immigrated to Canada to do graduate work in physics before shifting to Library ScienceParkway Publishers early books were academic publications and scientific monographs. His first popular publication was Juanita Tobins Ransom Street Quartet. In 20 years of publishing, Aluris company published over 60 books, most nonfiction and fiction focusing on the Appalachian region. Julia Taylor Ebels books and poems draw from North Carolinas people, cultural heritage, and places. Through her writing, presentations, and workshops, she offers a quiet voice of affirmation and inspires both young students and adults to let their voices share the stories that only they can tell. Julias nine books include biography, historical fiction, folklore, poetry, and picture books. Her home is in Jamestown, North Carolina; but she often spends time in the hills near Boone, where the mountains and their people have inspired much of her writing. Among her regional books are Jack Tales and Mountain Yarns as Told by Orville Hicks, Mamas Wreaths, and Addie Clawson, Appalachian Mail Carrier. Judith Geary joined Bob and Barbara Ingalls in establishing High Country Publishers in 2001 and continued to edit and design for its successor Ingalls Publishing Group. The over 60 books of fiction and memoir published before the business closed after Bob Ingalls death in 2015 represented the evolution of the publishing process. The novels of Gearys Getorix series and the accompanying curriculum are recommended for use in over 15 states. Geary continues to freelance in editing and design and teaches an Intro to Media Publishing course at Appalachian State. High Country Writers has been energizing writers since 1995! Regular meetings are at the Watauga County Public Library on the second and fourth Thursdays of most months from ten until noon and speakers presentations are co-sponsored with the Library. HCW members present writing skills workshops the first Thursday of the month, and have recently partnered with the Watauga County Arts Council in hosting these workshops. For more information and a current calendar, visit the website: http://highcountrywriters.tripod.com/. Guests are welcome. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket (Bloomberg)Investor appetite for hedge funds has waned after too many managers started such vehicles in the past decade, Oaktree Capital Group LLCs Howard Marks said. People have grown appropriately skeptical, the billionaire investor, whose firm doesnt manage hedge funds, said Thursday when asked about the $2.9 trillion industry on an earnings conference call. The performance of the greatest hedge funds, run by geniuses, created a huge umbrella over this industry, which permitted the other 9,990 hedge fund managers to start hedge funds and command hedge fund fees. TO read this article: County Commission opposes refugee resettlement program Opponents of resettlement of refugees from Syria pose for a photo by a television reporter after the Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution urging Gov. Pat McCrory to block funding for any resettlement in North Carolina. The Henderson County Board of Commissioners last week adopted a resolution urging a ban on refugee resettlement in the county after speakers condemned the resettlement program as a threat to security. Related Stories A fledgling effort by St. James Episcopal set off a negative response from the elected leaders and a strong condemnation from county residents who said the refugees pose a threat to safety and a drain on local and state resources. A number of areas would be affected, Commissioner Grady Hawkins said as he explained why he drafted a resolution urging Gov. Pat McCrory to withhold state money for resettlement efforts in North Carolina. The first one that comes to my mind is the schools. We already have information that over half the children in elementary school are on the free or reduced lunch program. To add more to that number certainly would be a burden. St. James Episcopal Church was considering participating in the refugee resettlement program, WLOS-TV reported, and Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk told the station she supported the effort. Councilman Ron Stephens raised concerns about it, saying it wasn't clear that the refugees would be adequately vetted Refugees would compete for the extremely limited supply of affordable housing and for jobs, Hawkins said. I think its imperative we take care of our own citizens here before we look at the needs of other countries, he said. Its annoying to me that this whole process begins with the United Nations and the United Nations I dont think in my mind has any authority at all dictating who comes into Henderson County as refugees. Seventy percent of them stay on welfare. The agencies that relocate these folks provide them funding for only three months and after that theyre on the taxpayer rolls for education, medical assistance and other needs, he said. Secretary of State John Kerry has said nowhere is there a greater hotbed of incubators for these terrorists than Syria and we want to import 10,000 of them, he added. Speaking during the open comment period at the start of the regular meeting, residents implored the commissioners to stop the resettlement program. The real underlying truth is were at war with this seventh century religion and its aim is to take us over, Robert Heltman said. Our own president is part of the problem working like mad to bring more and more people who are trying to destroy us. Commissioners unanimously approved the resolution and agreed with an amendment by Commissioner Charlie Messer to disseminate the document to all 100 North Carolina counties ahead of the annual meeting of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners next month. This will be a good way for other counties to sign on to this, Messer said. Because the federal government pretty much does what they want to do unless they hear from the people. City, contractor patch up differences over permitting snafu for Fairfield Inn Approval for a new Fairfield Inn goes before the Hendersonville City Council on Aug. 4. A project that both the city and the developer want a new 84-room hotel on Upward Road looks to be on the way to approval. But its been a bumpy road so far. Related Stories Thanks to a communications breakdown, the property owner and the construction contractor say they didnt know until they were far along in the permitting process that they would have to become part of the city of Hendersonville. The contractor, Chris Cormier of Carolina Specialties, and the property owner who sold the land, Bob Quattlebaum, criticized the city for the breakdown. They say they should not be forced to become part of the city in the first place because the city sewer line runs past the property. We already had water and sewer taken care of, Cormier told the city Planning Board last week. We already went to a meeting with the county. It just kind of came up last minute. We had the feeling we were going to be in the county and then we hear, No, youve got to be in the city. The last thing we thought wed be doing is coming in here to be annexed. Council members who have followed the development dispute acknowledge that city personnel fumbled the communication early on. But three council members said in interviews that they support the longstanding city policy that requires landowners who connect to the sewer system to be annexed. There was a little bit of a conflict at this site because some of the pre-engineered buildings had connected to the sewer line without being annexed, said mayor pro tem Steve Caraker, a plumbing contractor who mediated the dispute between Cormier and the city. He made the assumption it didnt have to be annexed and he told the owner it didnt have to be annexed. There was a lag in communication at 100 North King between the permitting and zoning, Caraker added. Thats when the stuff hit the fan. He wanted some concessions with regard to the rules between county zoning and city zoning. His biggest complaint was the timeline. The process to be annexed and to get a special use permit with the variances delayed construction and cost Patel money, Cormier said. They hope to get the final OK at the City Councils Aug. 4 meeting. I personally asked the city staff and Mr. Cormier to find a way to keep it moving, Caraker said. There was a little bit of a dustup in the beginning, and frankly he took us to task. But we stood our ground and came up with a good compromise. Councilman Ron Stephens, who attended the Planning Board meeting, acknowledged the confusion but said it appears the approval process has been salvaged. Early on there was some mixups there but he (Cormier) should have known that, he said. I think he got himself behind the 8-ball and tried to dig out. Id like to see the hotel go up. We need those. Theres demand there. But you must be annexed and I think itll be a unanimous decision. The Planning Board recommended approval of variance requests that would: Reduce the common space by 31 percent, from 8,712 square feet to 6,005 square feet. Eliminate a requirement for tree planting in the common area. The code would have required nine trees. Allow flush windows instead of the recessed windows the land ordinance requires. Outside the meeting last week, Bob Quattlebaum, who sold the two-acre parcel to Patel for $800,000, said he had given right-of-way and paid $20,000 for the sewer line back in 1994. The city wants their damn $30,000 a year in taxes, he said. Its going to hamper development out there. Upward Road is the last opportunity to look good and to draw traffic off I-26. The bushes arent going to draw traffic off I-26. Councilman Jeff Miller said he while supports the annexation requirement the Fairfield Inn situation and future development could trigger a second look. I do think in all honesty on the very front of it when they went in to get their tap and all that the city failed to point that out, probably because they assumed everybody knew it, which is not a good thing to assume, he said. Since then we have put on every application that to get a sewer tap you have to be annexed into the city. I know its standard operating procedure, theres no other way to get sewer other than that coming into the city, he said. Its pretty much impossible to extend your city limits anymore. Youre pushed for more services within the city and that makes it tough to operate the city even as lean as were trying to do it. This one just fell through at some point on the very front end. I would like to revisit it, he said. Its worthy of maybe a fresh set of eyes on it. The wife of Hollywood star George Clooney is to appear before an Oireachtas committee to discuss the plight of jailed Dublin student Ibrahim Halawa. Amal Clooney's law firm, Doughty Street Chambers, represents Mr Halawa, who has been held in an Egyptian jail for three years. Members of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday agreed to invite the firm to speak later this year. The lawyers are expected to criticise the Government's response to the detention of Mr Halawa, who once again saw his trial postponed this month. In a letter to the committee this week, his former cellmate, Australian journalist Peter Greste, said the Tallaght man is in "no way a violent terrorist" or a "threat to any society". Cell Mr Greste was one of three Al Jazeera journalists imprisoned in Egypt in 2014 on terrorism charges. During his incarceration, he shared a cell with 20-year-old Mr Halawa. Mr Greste said the Irish Government needs to do much more to ensure his release. "I know there has been much public debate in Ireland around Ibrahim's motives and his family's background," he wrote. "Although I was not in Rabaa Square when Ibrahim was arrested, everything I learned about him in prison suggests that while he might be an idealistic young man with strong political ideals, he is in no way a violent 'terrorist', much less a threat to any society. "I saw nothing to substantiate any of the allegations against him. "Secondly, his ethnic origins have obscured the far more important need to address the way Ibrahim's most basic rights as an Irish and European citizen have been denied." Mr Halawa's case has been raised repeatedly by members of the Oireachtas, including Fianna Fail senator Mark Daly, Sinn Fein MEP Lynn Boylan and Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy. Committee member and Fianna Fail senator Mark Daly criticised Egyptian ambassador Soha Gendi, who has declined to appear before the committee. "It is an outrageous affront to the Irish people and the plight of Ibrahim," he said. The families of six students who died in the Berkeley balcony tragedy want Californian legislators to study building safety laws from New Zealand and Japan. In a submission to the state's assembly budget committee, the families lay out three distinctive changes they want made to the laws in the hope of preventing similar accidents. Lawsuits In particular, they point out that one of the firms respon- sible for work on the apartment where the balcony collapsed had settled a number of lawsuits for construction defects at other properties. Eoghan Culligan, Lorcan Miller, Nick Schuster, Eimear Walsh, Olivia Burke and Olivia's Irish-American cousin Ashley Donohoe died when they falling to the ground when the fourth-floor balcony gave way in June last year. Aoife Beary, Clodagh Cogley, Sean Fahey, Conor Flynn, Jack Halpin, Niall Murray and Hannah Waters were seriously injured. Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald, who is in the United States attending the Democratic National Convention, personally delivered the families' submission to Lorena Gonzalez, the chairwoman of the committee. The Herald understands they want a new bill that would require the Contractors State Licence Board and the California Building Standards Commission to report convictions for any crime that is related to their qualifications or work. Their submission also questions whether the board would be in a better position to protect residents if companies were required to report judgments, arbitration awards and claims settlements for construction defects. They also want a working group to look into existing building standards and make recommendations for improvements. The submission notes that the Berkeley tragedy could have been avoided if better standards had been in place and says the families want to prevent others having to live with similar trauma. They say the authorities in California should set up a committee to learn from what happened in Japan after the 1995 Kobe earthquake disaster and in Christchurch, New Zealand, after its two earthquakes in recent years. Several companies are being sued as a result of the Berkeley balcony collapse but have sought to shift blame for the tragedy on to the victims. At least four firms implicated in the case have claimed the students involved may bear some responsibility. Allegations have been made that their "carelessness and negligence" may have been a contributory factor. A former school caretaker who stole fruit meant for disadvantaged pupils has avoided jail. Thomas Byrne (56) had contested eight counts of theft of bags of bananas, apples and oranges worth about 66 from Scoil Fhursa in Kilmore, Dublin 5, between February 24 and March 7, 2014 when he was employed as a caretaker. However, he was found guilty at Dublin District Court by Judge Ann Ryan who yesterday fined him 300. Father-of-two Byrne is now doing a history and archaeology course in Trinity College. During an earlier hearing, school principal Martin Stynes told Judge Ryan that the HSE and Dublin City Council ran a healthy-eating programme for schools. He said Scoil Fhursa was in an area designated as socially disadvantaged and the aim of the scheme was for the pupils to try different foods. Mr Stynes said there were irregularities and the school noticed inconsistencies in the supply of fruits and the availability of it to the children. He asked the secretary to keep an eye on the records of what was supplied to the school, he said, adding that the caretaker had responsibility for some of the fruit. On February 24 it was expected there would be 10 bags of oranges but only four were counted. Counted On February 26 there were supposed to be six bags of bananas but four were counted; on the following day, six bags of apples were expected but there were none. On March 5 there were three bags of bananas when there should have been six and on March 7 two bags of apples were expected but only one was counted. Mr Stynes said the defendant told him that "some days we get more, some days we get less". "Given that this person was trusted in his area of work I took him at his word," he added. John Mooney, the owner of Glanmore Foods, said the free fruit was delivered to schools four days a week. Byrne's counsel had told the court his client - of Howth Road, Raheny - thought some of the fruit left in a basket outside his office was freely available and he did not see a problem taking it. A former child film star has received a five-month jail term for punching a 13-year-old and telling the boy's mother that he would burn her house down. Shane Curry - now 21 - was a star at the age of 13, starring alongside Stephen Rea in the award-winning movie, Kisses, with the Los Angeles Times describing young Curry's performance as "first rate". He also appeared as a guest on The Late Late Show eight years ago. The critically-acclaimed 2008 movie won Best New Irish Feature at the Galway Film Fleadh. The film told the story of two troubled children living in a disadvantaged Dublin estate running away from home to spend a night on the streets. Curry subsequently starred in Dollhouse (2012) and Hideaways (2011). However, Curry's time in the acting world has been short-lived and his life has gone off the rails since, clocking up 14 convictions - his first at the age of 15 - including one for assault causing serious harm, three for assault causing harm and three common assaults. Curry's latest convictions at Ennis District Court concern assault causing harm at Willow Green, John Paul Estate, Kilrush on June 11 to a 13-year-old boy and possession of a knife and making a threat to damage property. Curry, now of Croi na Mbaile, Kilmhil, also pleaded guilty to a separate assault charge at Kilmihil in April. Solicitor for Curry, Gearoid Williams said that the defendant lost his grandmother and mother within months of each other in 2006. Mr Williams said that Curry's aunt took him in and relocated to the west Clare village of Kilmihil a few of years ago in order to protect Curry and his siblings. However, before the cases at Ennis, Curry had clocked up 11 previous convictions. Curry fell into trouble within a couple of years of promoting Kisses when he received probation at Smithfield Children's Court in April 2011 for handling stolen property in April 2010. Curry received a five-year suspended jail term in 2012 for assault causing serious harm on September 12, 2010. Drugs In the case before Ennis District Court, Mr Williams said that Curry was high on drugs on June 11 in Kilrush and has no recollection of what had occurred. Judge Patrick Durcan said that Curry struck the boy on the face without any provocation. Judge Durcan said: "He had a knife and called the child a cheeky brat. He then went to the driveway of where the boy's mother lived and called her 'a scumbag and a whore'. He told her that he would burn down a house." On behalf of his client, Mr Williams said: "For a while Mr Curry was doing okay, he was involved in acting but there was no work in that after a while and he then he got very much involved in the drugs scene." Mr Williams said that Curry "acknowledges his guilt, apologises to everyone concerned and says that the woman in the case need not be in fear at all". Judge Durcan said that he would likely impose a four-month jail term for the assault consecutive on the five-month prison term and adjourned that assault case to Kilrush District Court to September. Curry has been in custody since June 11 and Judge Durcan backdated the five-month prison term to that date. The scene of a triple fatal crash on the outskirts of Letterkenny on Thursday morning Picture: Margaret McLaughlin As the death toll on Irish roads climbed by 12 this week it has emerged that four people who died in crashes in Donegal were not wearing seatbelts. Yesterday, three young friends were killed when the cars they were travelling in collided on a back road in Co Donegal at 1am. The three friends, named locally as Steven McGrath (19) Theresa Robinson (20) and Kaylem O Murachaidh, were killed instantly. The accident - on a back road between Letterkenny and Drumkeen at Trentaboy at 1am yesterday morning - came just 20 hours after Dermot Boyle (19) and Barney McGinley (28) lost their lives in the same county. A garda source confirmed that in relation to the Donegal crashes, at least four of the five people who died were not wearing seatbelts. Meanwhile, a well-known drummer died following a car crash in Co Galway. Tony Rice (26) was a drummer with popular band Big Generator. A statement from the band yesterday evening said it was "officially the saddest day in Big G history". "We are devastated to have to announce that we lost our musical brother and friend Tony Rice today in a tragic car accident. Tony passed away in intensive care at UCHG surrounded by all of the band, family and friends. "Tony was pure raw talent and truly lived for his drums, we are upset beyond words and all our thoughts are with his family at this time ... Tony our hearts are broken "we miss ya brother. RIP," it added. The accident occurred at 2.45am yesterday at Coolagh, Gurtymadden on the N65 Loughrea to Killimor road. In the Donegal crash in which the three young people died so severe was the impact of the two vehicles, a Toyota Carina and a Peugeot 306, that two of the victims were thrown from the cars. The horrific scene was discovered by a passing motorist. The Garda Ombudsman has confirmed it is investigating garda involvement in the first crash in which Mr Boyle and Mr McGinley were killed. They died when the car in which they were travelling struck a van on the dual carriageway outside Letterkenny. Garda are still trying to determine why the men were on the wrong side of the road when they struck the van at 4.45am. Robbery An investigation is also trying to determine if a robbery at Rosie's Bar in Drumkeen a short time earlier was connected. The Garda Ombudsman has confirmed they are investigating Garda "interaction" with the car in which the two men died. However it is not believed that gardai were involved in a pursuit with the men's Mitsubishi Charisma car but merely did a U-turn after passing them to respond to another call. Thinking they were being followed the men sped up and ended up on the wrong side of the dual carriageway before colliding head-on with the driver of the Renault van. There have been 102 roads deaths in Ireland in 2016. Jockeys, including Ruby Walsh, observed a minutes silence for JT McNamara at the Galway Races Picture: Steve Humphreys Trainer Joseph O'Brien and champion jockey Nina Carberry were among those who attended the removal of jockey JT McNamara. Mourners filled the small church in Manister, Co Limerick, which is surrounded by fields owned by the powerful Qatar Racing. The removal was delayed because of the number of people from the horse racing community who came to express their sympathies to the renowned jockey's wife Caroline and their young children, Dylan, Olivia and Harry. Passion Several mourners had travelled from the Galway Races, while others had come over from England. JT (41) was paralysed in a fall at Cheltenham three years ago and had suffered ill-health since, with frequent admissions to hospital. President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be represented by their aides-de-camp at the funeral today, while Mr Kenny personally rang Mrs McNamara to express his sympathies. Racehorse owner JP McManus and former jockey AP McCoy visited the family home earlier. Celebrant Canon Gary Bluett described JT as a man who had been a beacon for his sport and said racing had been the passion of his life. "He was a hero to many, many people," he said. "JT was a strong character and outspoken." He added that he had suffered greatly since the horrific accident, spending much time in hospital. "But he never gave up," he said. JT died at his home in Croom, Co Limerick, on Tuesday, surrounded by his family. He had battled bravely after suffering the devastating injury in 2013 that left him paralysed from the neck down. After intensive treatment in Ireland and the UK, he eventually returned home in June 2014, determined to carry on working as a trainer from his wheelchair. As the world of horse racing mourned a much-loved son, tributes to the record-breaking amateur jockey have been flowing from some of the greats in the sport. Gent Among them was renowned trainer and pundit Ted Walsh, who said JT was "admired, liked and respected by everybody in the racing industry". Trainer Michael 'Mouse' Morris described him as "a pure gent, a brilliant horseman, a smashing gentleman and a lovely family man". AP McCoy said: "He was a little bit like myself at times, he could be grumpy enough, but was very good-humoured, a fantastic, brilliant rider." Ice queen killer Martha Herda taunted investigating gardai by sending a bizarre postcard from Poland with a penny coin attached to it while on bail. "Keep up the good work, wish you were here, hope you catch the killer," read the card sent to Arklow Garda Station. The sick card was not addressed to any individual garda at the station. Concerned about such a strange postcard from Poland, gardai decided to investigate the matter and found that the killer's DNA was on the stamp that had been sent. Callous Gardai have no idea what the killer's motivation for sending the coin was, but they are sure it was a strange way of saying "who is boss" or something', a source said. "She is a callous killer, who thought she would get away with this from the start. No one knows why a penny was attached to that postcard, but it was," a source said. "This woman always played the victim but she really had zero respect for gardai or her victim as that postcard shows," the source added. "Some people were thinking that the idea behind it was that she was saying she gives a penny for a life but who knows what that is about. It seems she went bananas that morning of the murder but nothing about her behaviour since then added up. She was 'Mrs Smiley face' when she signed on at the garda station." Herda was sentenced to life in prison for murdering the man who loved her, Csaba Orsos (31), by driving him into a deep harbour, where he drowned. The jury returned to court at 11.36 yesterday morning, having spent eight hours and 11 minutes deliberating. They had found her guilty of murder by a majority of 11 to one. Herda showed no emotion as the registrar read out the verdict, but became emotional when the court rose for a number of minutes before sentencing. She was comforted by her legal team and a number of friends. Herda wept uncontrollably as Mr Justice McCarthy signalled for her to stand while he imposed the mandatory life sentence. She was then led away from her friends by prison officers. The Polish waitress of Pairc Na Saile, Emoclew Road, Arklow, Co Wicklow had been charged with murdering the Hungarian. She pleaded not guilty and went on trial at the Central Criminal Court earlier this month. The court had heard how Herda was a good swimmer and knew that her passenger could not swim, when she drove her Volkswagen Passat through the crash barriers at South Quay, Arklow shortly before 6am on March 26, 2013. She escaped through the driver's window at the harbour but her colleague's body was found on a nearby beach later that day. A post-mortem exam found that Mr Orsos died from drowning and not from injuries related to the crash. The trial heard that the handbrake had been applied before the car entered the water and that the only open window was the driver's. The jury heard that Mr Orsos was in love with her. Herda told gardai that she didn't feel the same way, and that he had spent two years following her, phoning her and sending her messages. On the day of his drowning, she showed them a love letter he had sent her the previous year. She told detectives they were constantly arguing about their relationship and that they had been arguing in the car when she drove into the water. A security guard had heard the car coming at speed from the town. He said that it had seemed to stop momentarily before picking up again. He heard nothing else for three or four minutes. He then saw and heard a woman screaming as she ran towards the town. Love This was Herda and the gardai found her soaking wet and frothing at the mouth a short time later. She told them that there was someone in the water and that they had to help. The search for her passenger began as she was taken to hospital. She told a paramedic: "He shouldn't have been there. I drove the car into the water". She later told a garda that he was dead because of his love for her. She said it was 24 hours a day and that she couldn't take it anymore. On the morning of the murder, CCTV footage showed her driving to where Mr Orsos lived at around 5.30am, and a witness heard the driver having a heated argument on the phone. Call records showed that she rang the deceased three times around that time and a postman found his front door wide open later that morning. Guido Nasi was left paralysed when he was hit in the head with a bottle Former student Guido Nasi, left a paraplegic after being viciously attacked in Dublin, has "a dream to live in Ireland". Italian Guido (34) is confined to a wheelchair permanently and is almost blind because of the assault in a Dublin park 17 years ago. "Beautiful green land, full of happy and kind people," is how Guido describes Ireland despite the horrific attack in Fairview Park on July 29, 1999. He has sent a letter from Italy to the Irish nation through Bernadette Kelly of the Irish Tourist Assistance Service, declaring his wish to come to Ireland. He would like to spend one year living in Ireland before settling into a community for disabled people in Italy, he said. Guido said he would "always be grateful" to the victim support organisation and to the Irish people for the goodwill and generosity shown to him and his mother after the attack. Catastrophic Guido had travelled to Ireland as a 17-year-old to study English in Dublin. He was visiting Fairview Park when a Dublin man hit him on the head with a bottle. He was left with catastrophic injuries and has been a paraplegic for the past 17 years. His eyesight was also seriously damaged. He is the only son of his mother Simonetta, who is now in her 70s. Guido lives with her in a third-floor apartment in Turin in Italy. Donations, cards and letters of support were sent by Irish people to Guido and his mother in the years after the attack. The pair were received warmly by Irish people and officials on trips to Ireland in the years after the devastating attack. Ms Kelly, who is fluent in Italian, worked with the victim support organisation in Dublin and befriended Guido and his mother and acted as a translator for Simonetta, who does not speak English. A new letter sent by Guido to Bernadette declares his warm feelings for Ireland. His letter opens with "Hello Ireland" and praises the country's beautiful countryside and its kind people. He said he had received a final award from the Irish Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal. The money, he said, "will allow me to move to an apartment within a community for disabled people and pay for therapies. "Without that money, I wouldn't be able to afford such cost," he said. "I do have a dream: to live in Ireland for one year." He said he would prefer not to use the money from his compensation award for his travel and accommodation costs. "I really need to keep those funds primarily for my therapies, for my 24-hour medical assistance and for the costs of accommodation," he said. Guido recently needed emergency surgery for an intestinal problem. He signed off his letter with the words "A big hug, Guido". James Osborne, of Forth Road, East Wall, pleaded guilty at the Circuit Criminal Court in 2001 to causing serious harm. Aged 29 with a serious alcohol problem at the time of the attack, Osborne was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison. He served his sentence. Bang Ms Kelly, speaking on RTE's Ray D'Arcy Show last May, described what happened to Guido in Fairview Park. She said: "A group of young boys started to play with him [Guido] and his friends when they were in the park and one guy stole Guido's wallet. "Guido chased him when the group ran away and he caught one but when he was holding him waiting for someone to call the police, a man came. "He wanted to get the child away from Guido so he hit Guido in the head with a bottle and that's all it took. "One bang with a bottle and the consequences are what they are now." Ms Kelly said that Guido feels as though he died that day. "On his 18th birthday I asked people through the Herald to send him birthday cards and he got thousands. "They had to send the van a couple of times to bring all the presents and cards that people had sent him and now they still write to him," she said. Live: Police start 'clearing' Khorenatsi street and Sari Tagh district: Numerous people detained (video) 23.30 Plainclothes police officers have attacked citizens in Sari Tagh street, beating everyone on their way, including journalists. Three journalists of Azatutyun.am - Karlen Aslanyan, Hovannes Movsisyan and Garik Harutyunyan -were attacked and beaten up by a large group of plainclothes men. A1+s journalist, Robert Ananyan, was also injured. Police used what appeared to be tear gas and flash grenades to disperse the crowds on both venues. Police chased citizens as they retreated towards downtown Yerevan, arresting everyone in sight. 22.49 After several warnings that the rally on Khorenatsi street was not authorized, police began detaining citizens gathered there. Part of the citizens ran away in fear while others were detained by police officers. At present, the policemen are returning to their initial positions. In the meantime, three explosions were heard from the area of the seized police station. Also, Armen Ashotyan was detained from Sari Tagh. 22.13 The situation is very tense in Sari Tagh district where the police forces have reached demonstrators. There is smoke everywhere. The police are advancing. Explosions are heard everywhere. Part of demonstrators are now on Khorenatsi street, while others stay in Sari Tagh street. Armen Martirosyan urges people to stay in Sari Tagh and avoid provocations. Chief of the Yerevan Police, Ashot Karapetyan, has given demonstrators in Sari Tagh five minutes to descend to Khorenatsi street and join demonstrators there. Karapetyan said that Sari Tagh is dangerous for citizens because gunshots were fired around the police compound which is located below. Armen Martirosyan has asked women to go back from the front lines. 21.53 Explosions are heard on Khorenatsi steet from the area leading to the seized patrol police station. 21.44 From time to time, the police tried to prevent the marchers from reaching Khorenatsi street but the demonstrators were able to break through the police cordon. On the way, they changed the previously announced route and headed to Sari Tagh The demonstrators had to march through Pushkin street as the police had blocked Abovyan street. One of the citizens offered Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police, Valeri Osipyan to join people. In reply to the woman, Osipyan said the police are always with people.The short rally at Liberty Square was followed by a march to Khorenatsi street. Yeghishe Perosyan, a member of the Anti-crisis group, conveyed the appeal of the Sasna Dzrer group members, who urge residents to hold actions in their yards, communities and towns. Yeghishe Perosyan urged the ralliers to start the march observing public order and without blasphemy against anyone. At present, the ralliers are marching through Yerevan streets chanting, Pavik and Sasna Dzrer. County cross country: Hubs sweep titles, boys score a perfect 15 North Hagerstown claimed both team championships and had both individual champions, with the boys achieving the first perfect score in meet history. At around 1 p.m. on a cloudy day in April 2014, Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., 74, pulled into the rear parking lot of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and opened fire. Shouting anti-Semitic slurs, he shot dead Dr. William Lewis Corporon, 69, and his grandson, Reat Griffin Underwood, 14, before fleeing for the nearby Jewish geriatric center, Village Shalom. There, he murdered 53-year-old Terri LaManno. Miller told the Kansas City Star in an interview after his arrest that he conducted reconnaissance missions of the JCC and Village Shalom in the days before the shootings. But what might have happened if the security protocols at those sites were more advanced? A new technology endorsed by the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America (JCCA) could play a key role in preventing future attacks. Earlier this year, JCCA announced FST Biometrics, an Israeli developer of In Motion Identification (IMID) technology for biometric identification, as its preferred identity management vendor. Brian Soileau, JCCA's manager of corporate partnerships, told JNS.org that JCCA did not investigate dozens of vendors before choosing FST, and as such he cannot say if it is the only or best solution. But he immediately found favor in the IMID solution, which uses biometric identification technology-including facial recognition and body behavior analytics-to allow JCC staffers and members to move freely into and through facilities, while restricting access to unauthorized visitors. "JCC managers are challenged with finding the right balance to create safe spaces for fun, sport, and education, while also ensuring that their facilities are functioning optimally and creating a welcoming environment," said Arie Melamed, chief marketing officer of FST Biometrics. FST was founded in 2007 by Israel Defense Forces Maj.-Gen. Aharon Ze'evi Farkash, the former head of Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate. "Farkash would visit the Erez checkpoint [from Gaza into Israel] and he saw that Palestinians were standing in the cue to enter Israel for four, five, or even six hours," explained Melamed. "The reason was security. The military was trying to make sure that no one passing through the checkpoint was a terrorist or on a watch list." The more Farkash watched the process, the more he realized that there must be a technology available that would ensure security and improve efficiency. "He thought, 'If someone is not a terrorist, he will not like us very much,'" said Melamed. When Farkash searched for such a technology, he realized there was no solution that could solve the challenge. Any single technology on its own was either invasive, uncomfortable, or inaccurate, but Farkash realized that "a fusion of technologies can bring us the results we need," according to Melamed. IMID utilizes a combination of facial recognition and body behavior, ties it to a database of information, and has the ability to simultaneously incorporate voice recognition by request. "It works like our brains," said Melamed, describing that when you see someone you know from a distance, you recognize them by their gait or body behavior. As they get closer, you see their face and verify if it is the person you believed it was. If there isn't enough light, you listen to the person's voice. The results: 99.9997 percent accuracy, or the possibility that only three out of 10,000 people trying to gain false entry into a facility will succeed. Enrollment in the system takes 10 seconds. FST has already put on multiple security webinars for JCCs across the U.S. and is in active talks with a handful of institutions. The technology is being leveraged at Bais Yaakov School for Girls in West Hollywood, Calif., and at several locations in New York, Israel, Australia, the Netherlands, and elsewhere in Europe, among other places. Though he said he could not name the specific institutions using FST (beyond the aforementioned Bais Yaakov school), Melamed said the technology is making life easier for these companies and organizations by eliminating key fobs and access cards. Secure entry at these sites is now faster because information on incoming visitors is processed while they are in motion. The process is also less intrusive and more hygienic than fingerprinting technology. Kyle Shideler, director of the Threat Information Office at the Center for Security Policy, a Washington, DC-based national security think tank, said facial recognition technologies such as the one provided by FST are an attractive option for security services in Western nations, where the prevention of terrorism is becoming a higher priority. This is especially true in Western Europe and Eastern Europe, he noted, where there has been a rise in anti-Semitism, hate crimes, and terror-most recently the truck attack that killed 84 people in Nice, France. According to Shideler, a German intelligence report in July 2015 indicated that there were a minimum of 950 Hezbollah and 300 Hamas activists operating in Germany, and that "these individuals have participated in inciting anti-Semitic protests and other incidents." Shideler said that Jewish institutions want to become "as hard a target as possible" by installing a visible security presence, and that new technologies could play a key role in achieving that objective. He said that terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah-much like Frazier Glenn Miller, the lone-wolf shooter-engage in a high degree of reconnaissance before they conduct an attack. "The best opportunity to prevent a terror attack is finding that threat during the reconnaissance phase," Shideler said. "If you can determine who is observing you, who is coming by that shouldn't be there, and turn the police on them, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This is the philosophy of Adam Cohen, a volunteer facility manager for Bais Yaakov in West Hollywood. A few years after Buford O'Neal Furrow, Jr. walked into the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills-20 miles from Bais Yaakov-opened fire and wounded a receptionist, camp counselor, and three boys in 1999, Cohen decided to help Bais Yaakov improve security. All four of his daughters have attended the school, and one is still a student there. Cohen started with traditional technologies-a video camera and a keypad. Then, in 2009, he helped enlist Bais Yaakov, which at the time already used fingerprint entry software, to be a test site for FST Biometrics. He helped secure a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help fund the installment. Today, Bais Yaakov is considered one of the most secure schools in the nation. "It's not an inexpensive technology," said Cohen. "But you want to make your facility as secure as possible, so that if someone is looking for a target, they aren't going to come after you." Oh no! Who broke in?... (Remember, I write way in advance.) In the early morning yesterday, maybe 2 a.m. or so, I heard a loud boom which sounded like someone kicked in my front door. Not only did I hear it clearly, my dog started to bark and growl. She was also alarmed. What to do? I called 911 and was told that they were getting hundreds of calls reporting the same thing. They also said I should calm down as it probably was the sound of a sonic boom! Calm down? She didn't know me! Sheriff's deputies came out and checked the entire area. Yup! Sonic boom! Back to the JCC 39ers... First there was the usual Monday afternoon meeting. Co-President RUTH (BILLY) GOLDHAR made announcements of upcoming 39er events. (Her co-president is LILLIAN BERKOWITZ) That was followed by an entertaining game of Trivia run by SHELDON BROOK. The questions he asked were hard but my team (the pink) came in second in spite of it. Here is a sample: Who was the first president of the United States to graduate from West Point? (Answer: Grant) What state is directly south of Alaska? (Answer: Hawaii). What state's southern boundary has the Mason-Dixon line? (Answer: Pennsylvania). You asked what we won? DON'T ASK! Concerning memory loss... My favorite periodontal surgeon, Dr. SCOTT COHEN (who practices as part of Chace, Horvath and Cohen PLC, Morse Blvd and Capon, in Winter Park) has a fabulous staff working with him, especially his assistant JENNIFER. You might recall that recently in this column I wrote about Alzheimer's and dementia. Jennifer's dad has dementia but she found a wonderful way to help him remember family. She made a photo album of all his loved ones, even dogs, and she also made him greeting cards that she sends him about twice each week to keep his memory intact. (He lives up north.) She also phones often. Jennifer is keeping his precious memories alive! I recently heard this story about Alzheimer's Disease and want to pass it along to you: A man goes to his doctor for his weekly 8 a.m. appointment and because he always seems to be in a hurry to leave, his doctor questions him. The man claims he always has to be at the hospital for a 9 a.m. breakfast with his wife who has Alzheimer's in spite of the fact that she doesn't even remember who he is. "So," asked the doctor, "why do you go?" The man's response? "Because I remember who she is." My favorite performers... On Thursday evening, Aug. 18th KENNY LEE and his Dazzling Divas will appear at Otters on the River, 4380 Carraway River Place, Sanford, beginning at 8:30 p.m. "A Night of Cabaret" will be performed at no additional charge with your dinner order. Reservations are requested and may be made by phoning 407-636-6300. (Hope to see you there). I plan to attend in spite of the fact that those guys dress up to be better looking gals than me! A reminder... Kenny Lee On Sunday, July 31st, the talented JOHN ORSINI will bring his tenor sax to the Altamonte Chapel, 825 East SR 436 in Altamonte Springs. The phone number is 407-339-5208. Joining John will be GREG PARNELL on drums, RICH WALKER on guitar, BOB THORNTON on piano and CHARLIE SILVA on bass. The music begins at 12:30 p.m. What a line-up of talent! One for the road... Solly took his King Charles spaniel dog to the vet. "Doctor Cohen," he said sadly, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to cut off my dog's tail." Dr Cohen stepped back in shock, "Solly, why should I do such a terrible thing?" "Oy vey, my mother-in-law's arriving tomorrow, and I don't want anything to make her think she's welcome." Danette Devlin holding photos of the gravestones of her great-grandparents Herman and Cyril Schiff, attesting to her Jewish roots. The "Seeking Kin" column aims to help reunite long-lost relatives and friends. (JTA) Discovering a Jewish past of which she was wholly unaware, Danette Devlin of Little Rock, Arkansas, has also found family. Devlin was raised without any religious affiliation. As an adult she attended Catholic and Episcopalian churches seeking a spiritual home. "There were lots of nice people, they were very welcoming, but it just wasn't right. It wasn't me," she said. In 2013, Devlin went online in an effort to find her father, Edward Couch, with whom she'd been out of touch for more than three decades. Devlin found an obituary for Couch's brother, Robert, that mentioned her late paternal grandmother, Lillian Schiff. Devlin obtained Schiff's application for a Social Security number listing the names of Schiff's father and mother, Herman and Cyril. Searching cemetery websites, Devlin last year acquired photographs of her great-grandparents' graves near Chicago. The tombstones had Hebrew lettering, confirming the couple's Jewisness and revealing Herman as a Kohen, a member of the priestly class. Discovering her Jewish ancestry has powerfully affected Devlin, 56. "I jumped up and down with joy!" she said by telephone from her home. "I am Jewish, and I finally felt whole." Last summer she visited a synagogue for the first time. She attended prayer services, including for Yom Kippur, and enrolled in classes at Congregation B'nai Israel in Little Rock. She has bought books on such topics as Jewish holidays and Jewish prayers. "I cried. I felt so much a part of the whole thing. It just melted into me. I was home," Devlin said of the first time she worshipped at the Reform synagogue. Devlin plans to take her three local grandchildren there-to get them "back on track [to] where we belong, who we are, being Jewish, following the Torah," she said. In fact, Devlin intends to convert to Judaism. That's fine with her husband, Nick, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, who practices Zen Buddhism. It's OK, too, with the couple's daughter Danyel Gabel, the mother of the three grandchildren. "I think it's wonderful that they can learn about their roots and the things lost with time," Gabel said. "I'm all for it. For them to be able to broaden their horizons and know where they come from is important." Said Devlin: "There's a feeling of contentment, peace, joy and fulfillment-and of being home. The blood calls-the blood of my people, my Jewish roots." She added: "I get goosebumps saying it because it just completes me. I didn't know who I was, aside from not knowing my family." Now she has more family: Devlin located some Jewish cousins, Harvey and Helen Schiff, living near Los Angeles. They confirmed her discoveries and told Devlin that Lillian Schiff, whom she had met only once and who was known as Dolly, was disowned by her parents for marrying Earl Couch, a non-Jew. Devlin, Helen Schiff said, was even more helpful as a source of researched information about Lillian's parents, who had reached America in 1901. The initial phone call from Devlin "was such a complete surprise because we didn't even know she existed," Helen Schiff told "Seeking Kin." The two now speak at least once each month. Gabel had a childhood friend who made a religious impact-a Jewish girl named Simi Truzman whose father was the rabbi of Little Rock's Orthodox synagogue. "I enjoyed seeing how their family operated: praying, eating certain foods on holidays, she and her mother wearing only skirts," Gabel said. As to her shared Jewish ancestry with Simi, Gabel said, "I never would have guessed." Harvey Schiff has filled in much missing information about Devlin's father, his first counsin, with whom he grew up in Chicago. Devlin's parents and their four children settled there after stays in Canada and New York following their immigration from Poland by way of England. Now that the extended family is back in touch, and she is exploring her own roots, Devlin said, "It's not going to happen again that we'll lose our Jewishness." She's made the connection overt. Devlin wears a Star of David necklace and a matching ring. "I want everyone to know," she said. "I'm proud and I'm content. God and I have gotten a lot closer." Devlin has yet to find her father. Edward Couch would be about 87 now. "I will find him," she said. "I'm not going to give up until I do." CLEVELAND (JTA)- On the day Donald Trump wrapped up the Republican primaries, Marc Zell was ready to resign his position as vice president of Republicans Overseas, the party's expatriate group. Zell, who lives in Israel, was put off by Trump's inconsistent statements regarding the country. In particular, he felt insulted when Trump, at a Republican Jewish Coalition forum last December, said, "You're not going to support me because I don't want your money." He felt that the Republican front-runner at the time preferred boasting about his own prowess over concrete discussion of policy. It felt too risky. Now, sitting in a downtown hotel here, Zell wears a Trump pin on his suit jacket lapel and defends the presumptive nominee's positions on Israel with passion, his eyes focused and his voice intensifying. On Thursday, Zell will support Trump as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. "The Obama administration has allowed daylight to appear between the two allies," said Zell, who is also co-chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, a branch of the larger organization. "Trump is against that and he's said it more than once. He's shown a sensitivity to the Israeli position that we never saw before a month ago." Zell isn't alone in his transformation from Trump doubter to ardent supporter. Interviews with some 20 Republican delegates and convention participants-Jewish and not-showed party loyalty and optimism about Trump. Even more common was the distaste for his opponent, presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, which overshadowed any ambivalence about Trump's more inflammatory statements. These supporters see Trump as a refreshingly honest voice and a successful businessman. Echoing Trump backers nationwide, the delegates said they appreciated his departure from the kind of cautious speech they called "political correctness." A few said he understands the anger of his voters like few other politicians have. Kenneth, a delegate from Texas who declined to give his last name, said Trump "speaks for the Americans fed up with government." Several said they see him as more trustworthy than experienced politicians, someone who won't be hesitant to fight corruption. Delegates called him "fresh," "independent" and someone who "tells it like it is." "I am all in," said Judy Jackman, an alternate delegate from Texas who is a member of Christians United for Israel. She wore a pin Monday that compared Clinton to a fried chicken. "What is wrong with giving a businessman a chance to deal with the corruption in D.C.?" she asked. "I like that he knows how to say 'you're fired.' There are too many people who are bought and paid for." And Trump is good for Israel, delegates said-or at least better than Clinton, who they see as a threat to the Jewish state. Even as they defended Trump's Israel policy, delegates spent more energy lambasting his rival and the Democratic Party for what they see as betraying Israel. (Pro-Israel supporters cite as an example the deal meant to curb Iran's nuclear program, which was approved largely along party lines.) Republicans, in their view, would do no such thing. "I think the Jewish community should look at the big picture," said Gary Howell, a delegate from Michigan. "The Democrats, the last eight years, have not been friends of Israel. Republicans are much more prone to support Israel." Trump, who at the outset of his campaign alarmed the pro-Israel community by speaking about being "neutral" in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, chose as his running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who is more typical of the hawkish pro-Israel supporters in Congress. The Republican Platform Committee also approved last week a plank removing the party's commitment to a two-state outcome-to the delight of right-wing pro-Israel delegates. Still, Trump's critics have charged that he's been dog-whistled to white supremacists throughout the campaign and has not done enough to disavow the support of anti-Semites like David Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Trump brewed controversy earlier this month when he tweeted an image of a Star of David and piles of money that many viewed as anti-Semitic and originated among white power web users. But Trump's Jewish supporters look past the controversies to see him as someone with a record of working with a range of people, regardless of religion or race. A New York businessman, a few said, will be able to work with anyone. A few noted that he has senior employees-and a daughter-who observe Shabbat. "He's always promoting people whether they be African-American, gay, Jewish," said Jeff Sakwa, the co-chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, who is Jewish. "He has minorities that represent him. He's been so successful in New York, which is one of the most liberal states around." Ben Sales Peter Goldberg, who lives in Alaska, says Trump's brash speaking style appeals to him as a former New Yorker from Brooklyn. Not all delegates have reconciled themselves to Trump. Mike Goldman, an adviser to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott who serves on the state's Republican Executive Committee, supported Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the primary and said he wasn't sure who would get his vote in November. "Most of the invective has been against Hispanics and Muslims, but when you start singling groups out, it's only a matter of time before someone goes after us," he said, referring to Jews. "We're less than 2 percent of the population." But Peter Goldberg, an Alaska delegate who was raised Jewish in Brooklyn, New York, said he identifies with Trump's provocative way of speaking. Trump, he said, just reminds him of his childhood neighbors in the Flatbush neighborhood. "He's a New Yorker," Goldberg said. "Doesn't he talk like a New Yorker typically talks? He comes across brash. That's just New York. That's good by itself. I can relate to it, but I can understand why people outside of New York might not." British Prime Minister Theresa May (l) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaking to the media following talks at the Chancellery in Berlin, July 20, 2016. (JTA)-When the late Austro-Hungarian aristocrat Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi attended church on Good Friday, his father would famously cause a scene, storming out when the liturgy came to the anti-Semitic exhortation "Let us also pray for the faithless Jews." Such protest was unusual in 19th-century Austria-Hungary, where anti-Semitism and other forms of racism were de rigueur. But the old count-a personal friend of Zionist legend Theodor Herzl-abhorred such biases in part because his wife, Richard's mother, was Japanese. Brought up in a multiculturalist home, Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi made the fight against anti-Semitism a cornerstone of the Pan-Europa movement he founded in 1926. It was a major precursor of the European Union, which has evolved into a quasi-federal entity of 28 states with its own executive arm-the European Commission-parliament and judiciary. Little wonder, then, that prominent Jews such as Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud endorsed the nobleman's pan-European vision from its inception. They saw it as an antidote to the nationalism and racist hate that culminated in World War II and the Holocaust. Determined to prevent the recurrence of such traumatic events, postwar European societies became open to adopting the revolutionary pan-European model of government. Traditionally, Jews have been very supportive of the incarnation of von Coudenhove-Kalergi's vision: the European Union, with its strong anti-racist rhetoric and agendas. But the growing influence of homegrown xenophobes, integration failures and Brussels' perceived singling out of Israel for criticism have disillusioned many Jewish opinion shapers. These conflicting Jewish attitudes were on display during the polarizing debate that took place in the United Kingdom over last month's referendum on a British exit, or Brexit, from the European Union, according to Geoffrey Alderman, a historian and former member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. "There's a belief that Jews are a very cosmopolitan, pan-European people whom one would've expected to show a large measure of support to the idea of the EU," he said. But in Britain, "prominent Jews were in favor of exiting," said Alderman, who himself was among the 52 percent of British voters in the June 23 referendum who supported leaving the bloc. The British Jewish community's institutions stayed neutral on the Brexit issue, whereas many Jewish intellectuals argued that the desire to leave was born of xenophobia and ignorance and risked unleashing a wave of nationalism and economic instability in the UK and beyond. The British-Jewish sociologist David Hirsh, in an op-ed for the Jewish News of London, highlighted the "freedom of movement, freedom to work where you choose and freedom of trade" afforded by the EU. Strong statements about the need to fight anti-Semitism from some of the EU's top officials have also shored up Jewish support. "If there's no future for Jews in Europe, there's no future for Europe," Frans Timmermans, first vice president of the European Commission, said last year. Robert-Jan Smits, a director within the European Commission, said in 2011 that "present-day Europe arose from the ash of Auschwitz crematoria." And European Parliament President Martin Schulz said this year: "Jewish friends, we stand with you against those who spread hatred. Europe is your home today, every day and forever.'' But the European Union's Jewish critics say it is unable to back up the rhetoric with action-one reason, according to Alderman, why many Jewish Brexiters were open to leaving. In the first few traumatized decades after World War II, anti-Semitism was "present but not spoken of" in the EU's founding states in the continent's west, Alderman said. "But anti-Semitism is a light sleeper and the EU has failed to create the political-social conditions" to keep it dormant, he said. The awakening unleashed a resurgence of anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence in Western Europe. It was spearheaded by Muslims, who were invited to immigrate there as cheap laborers on the promise that the countries would integrate and embrace them, and under the assumption that the immigrants would integrate and embrace postwar European values. Millions of Muslims have done just that, but jihadists who grew within these communities have killed more than 300 people in terrorist attacks since 2012 alone-including 12 in three attacks on Jewish targets in France and Belgium. Meanwhile, Eastern European EU member states such as Latvia, Lithuania and Hungary are celebrating the legacies of Nazi collaborators who participated in the Holocaust. Xenophobic parties from both east and west are riding a crest of popularity into the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the body set up to prevent such tendencies from reaching power. Jewish Euroskeptics argue it would be easier to be deal with such challenges on a national level. EU supporters, including Hirsh, say these challenges require European societies to double down on federal ideals. Far from ignoring the problem of anti-Semitism, say the EU's defenders, EU senior officials have vowed to fight them head on. "It is unacceptable that Jews are reluctant to wear their traditional clothes and display religious symbols in public because of fear," Schulz said in January. "Jews are again killed because they are Jews. We will fight the demons of anti-Semitism, of ultranationalism, of intolerance." The European Union has taken some concrete steps to achieve this, including the unveiling in May of a code of conduct on online hate speech together with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft. But in 2013, the EU eroded its own credibility with many on this issue by abandoning the only definition it had for anti-Semitism after pro-Palestinian critics objected to the inclusion of a clause about the demonization of Israel. Currently, the EU agency for fighting racism is on record as saying it is unable to define anti-Semitism and that the concept is not in need of a definition. Critics, including Alderman, disagree. The decision to drop the working definition on anti-Semitism "damages the European Union's credibility on its desire to fight anti-Semitic racism," said Shimon Samuels, a British national based in Paris who heads the European office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Back in Britain, a staunch advocate of the European Union-Rabbi David Rose of the Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation-drew parallels between Europeans' ambivalence toward the EU to the Hebrews' reluctance to trust God after he led them out of Egypt and through the Sinai Desert. Eventually, Rose said, God gave up on the people he rescued and decided to build his Chosen People from their children born during 40 years in the wilderness. "Perhaps in this analogy we are in the wilderness and our job is to raise a generation worthy of the Promised Land," he said. CLEVELAND (JTA)-Wednesday night's gripping tale of a dramatic, sudden repudiation of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz by Sheldon Adelson, the major pro-Israel philanthropist and Republican donor, seems a little less consequential in the light of Thursday morning, according to folks who are close with Adelson and his wife, Miriam. There is no rift, they say, only a cooling off until after Nov. 8, Election Day. Until then, the Adelsons are invested in Donald Trump, while Cruz remains a darling of the pro-Israel right. Reports Wednesday night said Cruz had been banned from Adelson's suite at the Quicken Loans Arena here after Cruz declined to endorse Trump during his convention speech Wednesday night and exited the stage to boos from the delegates. Describing what occurred as a snub or a ban would be to "utterly misrepresent" it, said Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who was present and issued a statement at the Adelsons' behest. "After the speech, given its newsworthy content, it appears that a large contingent of reporters followed the Senator as he made his rounds, including to the Adelsons' suite," Boteach said. "The decision was taken by advisers to the Adelsons not to make a spectacle in the small private suite given the intense media scrutiny engulfing the Senator at that moment and to instead meet him in private the following day." Boteach, whose advocacy group The World Values Network is funded in large part by the Adelsons, said the couple planned to meet privately with Cruz on Thursday. "Whatever issues they would have had with Senator Cruz's speech, they would never have chosen to disrespect a friend who is a United States Senator, a patriot, and a staunch friend of Israel," he said. Cruz still stands out as perhaps the best political friend to the wing of pro-Israel activists who embrace settlements and would like to put the two-state solution into deep freeze, according to Morton Klein, the president of the Zionist Organization of America. "There is no one better than Cruz," said Klein, whose group is also a major beneficiary of Adelson's largesse but who emphasized that he was not speaking on behalf of the casino magnate. "I mean, others are just as good," he said, naming former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee among once and possibly future presidential contenders. "But there is no one better." The Adelsons kept out of this presidential race for months, in part because their generous backing for Gingrich in the 2012 cycle is believed to have set back eventual nominee Mitt Romney's bid to unseat President Barack Obama (who, like this year's Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, they consider a greater threat than Trump). Still, Adelson did reveal last year that he favored Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, while his wife was impressed with Cruz. Both candidates had what the pro-Israel right regards as unassailable records on Israel and on opposing the Iran nuclear deal. Adelson did not pronounce his preference for Trump until May, after Rubio's campaign imploded-he lost his home state, Florida, to Trump-and after Trump had emerged as the presumptive nominee, despite a formidable late-in-the-game challenge by Cruz. Adelson reportedly told Trump that he would back his campaign to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. There was not much love lost between the two. When Trump was boasting last year that he did not need Adelson's money, sources in the Adelson camp were quoted as saying that he had assiduously courted the casino magnate. Trump's refusal to say he would completely kill the Iran deal-he says he hates it, but appears open to tweaking it as opposed to scrapping it outright-and his back-and-forth on whether he would be "neutral" on Israel were also of concern to Adelson and other Republicans. So when it emerged late Wednesday that Adelson ordered Cruz turned away from his suite, there was speculation of a rift. Those reports appeared to be confirmed when Adelson's adviser, Andy Abboud, posted a photo on Twitter of Trump posing with the Adelsons captioned, "The Adelsons and their choice for president!" However, a source close to the Adelsons immediately told CNN that they shut out Cruz because they did not want him to use the couple "as a prop against Trump"-suggesting that the distancing was about electoral strategies (which will be irrelevant post-Nov. 8) and not about a permanent falling out. Cruz was a headliner at the annual ZOA dinner in 2014. The 2016 headliner is Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., the chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, but Cruz would get a hero's welcome were he to turn up, Klein said. (The dinner takes place in December, after the election turns primaries tensions into mist.) "Jews who are staunch supporters of Cruz, almost entirely because of his pro-Israel stance, I believe this will have little impact," he said. "Because support for Cruz is all about his strong positions on Israel." Donald Trump Jr. gesturing to the crowd after delivering a speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, July 19, 2016. CLEVELAND (JTA)-An issue of historical concern to American Jews drew waves of applause when Donald Trump Jr. preached about it Tuesday night from the stage of the Republican National Convention. It wasn't Israel, Iran or the fight against anti-Semitism. It was a call for the government to assist with private school costs, referred to as "school choice." Echoing Republican orthodoxy, the son of the party's nominee said it would promote competition and raise educational standards. American public schools, Trump Jr. said, are "like Soviet-era department stores that are run for the benefit of the clerks and not the customers, for the teachers and the administrators and not the students. You know why other countries do better in K through 12? They let parents choose where to send their own children to school. That's called competition. It's called the free market." For more than 50 years, school choice has been a contentious issue for American Jews. Decades ago, mainstream Jewish organizations were vociferous in defending the separation of church and state, worried that if the government became involved in funding religious schools in any way, it could lead to infringement on Jewish religious freedom. Those fears, according to the American Jewish Committee's general counsel, Marc Stern, remain today. "The Jewish community has long been concerned that government not be in the business of supporting private education," Stern said. "Communities that want to maintain religious schools should pay for them on their own without government support. People shouldn't be taxed to support things they don't agree with." But with worries of Christian encroachment allayed and Jewish day school tuitions ballooning, some Jews see school choice legislation as a way to make Jewish education more affordable. The Orthodox Union and the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of America have both successfully lobbied for New York City and New York state to fund programs like security and special education for private schools. According to Maury Litwack, the O.U. Advocacy Center's director of state political affairs, more than 100,000 students attend Jewish day school in New York City. "For parents who send their kids to Jewish day school, tuition is prohibitively high," Litwack said. "They pay property taxes and a variety of other taxes. In American education there's too often a one-size-fits-all approach to education. There should be more options." Republicans agree. A section of the party's 2015 platform titled "Choice in Education" says, "Empowering families to access the learning environments that will best help their children to realize their full potential is one of the greatest civil rights challenges of our time. A young person's ability to succeed in school must be based on his or her God-given talent and motivation, not an address, ZIP code, or economic status." "Empowerment" equates to vouchers, state-funded services for private education like those in New York or tax credits for corporations or people who donate to the scholarship funds of private schools. Democrats have been less vocal about school choice, but the Obama administration has supported the formation of charter schools-schools with specialized curricula that meet state requirements, are publicly funded and don't charge tuition. Some Jewish parents see charter schools that teach Hebrew as a cheaper alternative to Jewish day school. At least 20 states have some form of school choice program, according to Chad Aldis, vice president for Ohio policy and advocacy at the Fordham Institute, an education think tank that supports school choice. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential nominee, has encouraged school choice in his state. In his speech introducing Pence, Trump said "School choice is where it's at." "The idea that competition can help things improve has been historically a very Republican idea," Aldis said. "It's worked in a lot of facets of American life. The idea of putting it over in education is intuitive to a lot of folks." The AJC's Stern worries, though, that government funding of schools could come with unwanted government regulation. States, for example, could mandate that Orthodox schools enforce gender equality, or that Jewish schools admit Jews and non-Jews without preference. Still, he said, the fears that drove opposition to private school vouchers in the 1950s are less relevant today. "The Catholic schools are very different than they once were," Stern said. "They're not teaching the doctrine [that] Jews killed Christ." The Jewish Academy of Orlando (JAO) is proceeding with plans, first announced in February, to consolidate its operations in the main building on the Maitland Jewish Community Campus, enabling the 38-year-old Jewish day school to sharpen its focus on its curriculum. When the 2016-17 academic year begins next month, JAO will have relocated the schools operation entirely into the main campus building, which JAO has called home for most of its existence. JAO worked closely with the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando (JFGO), which owns and manages the Maitland campus, to develop a strategic plan that addresses the schools academic needs and goals while freeing up unused or underutilized space on campus. During the 2005-06 expansion of the Maitland campus, a 45,000-square-foot building was constructed for JAO, in part to accommodate anticipated growth, and the school has operated out of that structure as well as the main campus building since 2006. The newer facility has 22,500 square feet of space that the JAO never utilized. JAO is changing the way we do business, said Jordan Steinberg, immediate past president of JAOs board of directors, who spearheaded the recent strategic changes at JAO. This bold step forward is the result of a positive new culture of communication and transparency between JAO and the Federation. Alan Rusonik, head of the Jewish Academy, praised the JFGOs incredible spirit of collaboration over the past several months as the two organizations developed a plan for the schools relocation that they mutually agreed would enhance its reputation as an award-winning institution of learning. Rusonik also commended Federation for its financial commitment to the school. Federations generous support this past year has been invaluable, he said. It allowed us to direct our energy and attention to our mission. A school, at its heart, is about its students, not a physical structure, Rusonik said. By consolidating our operations into a more suitable space, we will be able to focus more of our time and resources on our students. Were ushering in a new era, and our students will enjoy an enhanced academic experience as a result. Once the JAO relocation is complete, the Federation will explore options to lease the vacant space to a tenant whose mission is consistent with that of the agencies on the Maitland Jewish Community Campus. Rhonda Forest, chair of the JFGO board of directors, said that with the new JAO strategic plan in place, Federation is reaffirming its commitment to the school. For nearly 40 years, the Jewish Academy has been an integral part of the Greater Orlando Jewish community and has contributed immeasurably to Jewish life in Orlando, Forest said. We are committed to serving as a partner for JAO as it continues to thrive and shape the lives of Jewish students for generations to come. Olga Yorish, JFGOs executive director, said the Federations commitment to JAO is financial as well as strategic. This year the Jewish Federation has assisted the Jewish Academy by financially backing some of its operations, Yorish said. The Jewish Academy is an important member of our family, and we always look out for our family. There is a new excitement at the Jewish Academy of Orlando. The Head of School, Alan Rusonik, shares, "It's a new year. A new beginning. A new excitement!" "The staff is gearing up for the new year," says Rusonik. The school is consolidating its operations back to its original space in the main building at the Maitland Jewish Community Campus. Rusonik adds, "all of our quality programming will remain the same, including TWO new programs we added last year. We have maintained an exceptional educational experience for our students for years." The school reports that none of the programming will be impacted by the move. On average, the students rank two grade levels above their peers nationally. The students experience an intense academic curriculum, in addition to one and a half hours of Jewish education and Hebrew per day. The school is continuing its participation in Mind UP, a research-based training program for educators and children. Developed by the Hawn Foundation, students learn to self-regulate behavior and mindfully engage in focused concentration required for academic success. Mind UP supports improved academic performance, while enhancing perspective-taking, empathy and kindness, as well as fostering complex problem solving skills. "When we look at educating the whole student, self-esteem and social development are very important," explains Shari Wladis, principal. The school will also continue to offer the Innovation Lab-a place for students to create and dream. The Innovation Lab is a 21st century "Shop Class," which provides the students a place to "do it yourself." The Innovation Lab offers experiences in problem-solving, coding and electronics, graphic and fashion design, video and music editing and architecture. The Lab is part of the Jewish Academy's "STEAM" focused curriculum, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. To further support Jewish education and your local Jewish day school, to get involved or for any questions, please contact Alan Rusonik, Head of School, at 407-647-0713. See page 3 for more information about the changes being implemented for the Jewish Academy of Orlando. After a selection process that more closely resembled a reality television show than the usual political appointments, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday tweeted that his choice for vice president is Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who beat out flashier contenders such as former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. For the pro-Israel community, Pence is viewed as a strong advocate for the Jewish state who can bolster Trump's sometimes shaky relationship with Jewish leaders. Although he has taken on a strongly pro-Israel tone in recent months, Trump had previously raised concern in pro-Israel circles by saying he would take a "neutral" approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pence, an evangelical Christian, has noted that his strong support for Israel is rooted in his faith. "Let me say emphatically, like the overwhelming majority of my constituents, my Christian faith compels me to cherish the state of Israel," Pence said in an address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in 2009, while he was serving in Congress. Many analysts believe Pence can boost Trump's standing among social conservatives and strengthen his campaign in other areas such as executive experience, foreign policy, and navigating the political scene of Washington, DC. Pence served in the House of Representatives from 2001-13, including on the influential House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he advocated for robust military defense aid for Israel. As governor of Indiana, Pence has continued his steady record of support for Israel. He visited Israel in late 2014 and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Hoosiers have cherished our relationship with the people of Israel for generations. As we look ahead, deepening our ties with the people, businesses, and state of Israel remains a commitment that will empower us as partners. Grounded in our shared values and our hope for the future, today our friendship is highlighted by a remarkable entrepreneurial spirit shared between our two nations," Pence said in a statement ahead of that 2014 trip. David Brog, a member of the board of directors at Christians United for Israel, which helped sponsor Pence's visit to Israel, praised the Indiana governor as one of the Jewish state's "most steadfast supporters." "We have known and worked with Mike Pence for years. His faith and worldview have made him one of Israel's most steadfast supporters, both in Congress and as governor," Brog told JNS.org. "He would be yet another powerful pro-Israel voice on Donald Trump's team." In addition to his support for Israel, Pence, like Trump, favors an American foreign policy that is centered on robust military strength. He has repeatedly called for large increases in military spending and has criticized Democrats for not using the term "Islamic extremism" when describing jihadists. Pence had also been a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal. In 2015, he joined 14 other Republican governors in signing a letter to President Barack Obama expressing their opposition to the deal. Pence's stance on the nuclear deal contrasts with his potential vice presidential opponent, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who is rumored to be among presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's finalists for the job. In 2015, Kaine was among a number of Democratic senators who boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress about the nuclear deal. Nevertheless, Kaine defined himself as a "strong pro-Israel Democrat" in an interview with The Forward, and also told the Washington Jewish Week following a visit to Israel in January 2016 that Netanyahu "is a key partner" that the U.S. must work with. In Indiana, Pence signed into a law a bill that formally opposed the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer called the Indiana measure the "toughest anti-BDS legislation in the nation." Elliot Bartky, president of the Jewish American Affairs Committee of Indiana, who worked closely with the Indiana State Assembly and Pence in crafting the anti-BDS legislation, said he feels the governor is an excellent choice by Trump. "Governor Pence has had a long and distinguished track record advocating for Israel and the Jewish people as a congressman and then governor of Indiana," Bartky told JNS.org. "We fully expect that if elected vice president, Governor Pence will continue to lead the nation with the type of sorely needed moral clarity and courage on this issue that has typified his career to this point." Despite his state's relatively small Jewish community, Pence has promoted economic ties between Israel and Indiana. "Israel and Indiana share many concerns that Hoosiers cherish," Pence said last month at the second annual Indiana-Israel Business Exchange. "As our nation's strongest and most important ally in the Middle East, Israel is also a key partner in our state's economic growth." Jill Stein announcing that she will seek the Green Party's presidential nomination, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., June 23, 2015. NEW YORK (JTA)-Voters who have their hearts set on supporting a left-wing secular Jew running an insurgent campaign still have a candidate. Jill Stein, the 2012 Green Party candidate, is making another run. And this year, with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both earning historically low popularity ratings, she hopes she can attract at least some of Bernie Sanders' 13 million Democratic primary voters. With a far-left platform, Stein advocates government-guaranteed full employment, a national mobilization on the order of World War II to fight climate change and an initiative to cut military spending by at least 50 percent. Stein isn't gaining much traction now. According to RealClearPolitics' average, she's polling at 3.1 percent nationally, about half of where Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson is at, and far behind Clinton and Trump. But she's hoping to capitalize on Sanders' endorsement of Clinton, drawing voters unwilling to support Hillary's campaign. "If you don't want to vote for a war monger or racist billionaire, there are more options," she tweeted Tuesday. "The political revolution will keep going." Here are six things you need to know about the one Jewish candidate left in the race. She grew up in a Reform synagogue in a Chicago suburb. Stein was born in Chicago in 1950 and grew up in the northern suburb of Highland Park. Her family was Reform, and she attended North Shore Congregation Israel in the nearby town of Glencoe. She attended Sunday school there for 10 years, according to a 2012 interview with Forbes, and was confirmed rather than bat-mitzvahed. She said Reform Judaism's emphasis on social justice had a "huge" influence on her policies. Growing up, Stein said, she "really had the values of the Old Testament, the golden rule, really very much drummed into my upbringing." "My parents were of the Holocaust generation," she told Forbes. "I heard from my mother in particular about the importance of taking social responsibility, the importance of speaking up when you see things going on in your community that aren't right." Now Stein is in what she described as a "mixed" family. She said her "relationship with organized Judaism" ended when her mother died in 2010. "We're a little bit ecumenical," Stein said of her family. "I have a lot of respect for many religions and spiritual traditions. I feel I am very much culturally Jewish, I was raised Jewish, though I am not actively a practicing Jew." She wants to end foreign aid to Israel and supports BDS. One of the biggest differences Stein notes between herself and Sanders involves their respective positions on Israel. Sanders described himself as "100 percent pro-Israel" while advocating Palestinian rights, but Stein has had some harsh words for the Jewish state. Her campaign calls for ending all aid to Israel, and she has accused it of committing war crimes. Like the Green Party as a whole, Stein supports the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel, or BDS. She places Israel in the company of non-democratic American allies Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In tweets, she has accused Israel of "the pillage of Palestine" and written that Israel's "war crimes & human rights violations are off the charts." "With regard to Israel, the United States has encouraged the worst tendencies of the Israeli government as it pursues policies of occupation, apartheid, assassination, illegal settlements, demolitions, blockades, building of nuclear bombs, indefinite detention, collective punishment, and defiance of international law," a position paper on her foreign policy reads. She has asked Bernie Sanders to take her place. In a 2015 interview with Democracy Now announcing her candidacy, Stein said there were "many similarities" between her and Sanders' candidacy. Now that he's lost the Democratic nomination, Stein has a Plan B for him: Take over the Green Party ticket. "I've invited Bernie to sit down and explore collaboration everything is on the table," she told The Guardian on July 8. "If he saw that you can't have a revolutionary campaign in a counterrevolutionary party, he'd be welcomed to the Green Party. He could lead the ticket and build a political movement." She's a doctor and was in a band. Before entering politics, Stein was a practicing physician for 25 years. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Stein transitioned into activism in the mid-1990s. She has fought for cleaner energy, campaign finance reform and more environmental protections in Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband, Richard Rohrer, also a doctor. In 2003 she founded the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities, a public health and environmental protection nonprofit. Stein ran as a Green candidate for Massachusetts governor in 2002 against Mitt Romney, who won the election. She has also run for state representative and Massachusetts secretary of state. She was elected to two terms on the Lexington Town Meeting, her local government body. While Stein wasn't fighting for the environment in Massachusetts, she was making music. In the 1990s and 2000s, she was half of Somebody's Sister, a folk-rock band that produced four albums. Her partner, guitarist Kenny Selcer, is still active. Her top campaign promise is a "Green New Deal." Stein's platform covers a range of issues, from criminal justice reform to education and foreign policy. But her top pledge is a "Green New Deal," which would "create 20 million jobs by transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030." She wants to end all subsidies for fossil fuel companies and phase out fossil fuel and nuclear plants. Stein also wants to create a universal basic income that all citizens would receive from the government, and to guarantee paid work to every American with a $15 per hour minimum wage. Like Sanders, she opposes free trade agreements. She also supports a "Medicare for all" plan that would enact single-payer universal health care. And like Sanders, she calls for universal free college education. In 2012, she won a record number of votes for a female candidate and got arrested. Stein's 2012 Green Party presidential campaign garnered fewer than 500,000 votes, good enough for 0.36 percent of the total. But that number was good enough for Stein to break the record for most votes for a female presidential candidate -- a number Clinton will almost certainly shatter in November. One of Stein's most notable moments of the last campaign was when she and running mate Cheri Honkala were arrested for disorderly conduct while trying to enter the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in October 2012. Stein is hoping that this time around, her poll numbers will shoot up to 15 percent, allowing her to participate in the debates. The names of former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher are familiar as prominent symbols of strong female leadership in times when women heads of state were rare. By 2015, however, the number of female leaders of nations reached 19, according to the United Nations. On July 13, British Home Secretary Theresa May joined the club by replacing outgoing U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, becoming the U.K.'s second female prime minister after Thatcher. As America waits to see if Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton becomes the country's first female president in the November 2016 election, JNS.org provides eight examples of current and former non-Jewish female heads of state, their relations with Israel and the Jewish community, and how they embody tikkun olam-the Jewish value of repairing the world. Angela Merkel The daughter of a Lutheran pastor, Merkel has been the chancellor of Germany since 2005. She has spoken out many times about her commitment to fighting anti-Semitism in a country carrying the notoriety of Holocaust history, calling Germany's current community of 100,000 Jews a "national treasure" at a 2014 rally and saying that it is "every German's duty" to take a stand against anti-Jewish threats. The same year, she received Israel's Presidential Medal of Distinction. Back in Germany, using the German slogan "wir schaffen das" ("we can do this"), Merkel has steadfastly expressed her commitment to the acceptance and integration of Syrian and other Middle Eastern refugees in Germany. Her political rivals have criticized her for this refugee policy due to the growth of Islamic extremism in Germany, a trend many have blamed on the refugees. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Sirleaf, the president of Liberia since 2006, is Africa's first democratically elected female president. She was imprisoned in the 1980s and also lived in exile to avoid persecution for criticizing the government. She shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her promotion of women's rights and women's safety. In June 2016, Sirleaf visited Israel for the second time and thanked the Jewish state for its help during the Ebola crisis of 2015. "We want to share in the tremendous progress that Israel has made especially in the field of agriculture, where your achievements continue to amaze us," she said. Theresa May Before becoming prime minister last week, in her capacity as home secretary-a position responsible for the internal affairs of England and Wales-May had promised to defend the country's Jewish community and wipe out anti-Semitism. "No one wants the school where they send their child to need security guards, or have their place of worship be fitted with security alarms and blast-resistant glass. But until that changes, the government is clear-we will stand by the Jewish community," May said. May has also been known for supporting religious freedom, particularly the Jewish practices of shechita (kosher slaughter) and brit milah (ritual circumcision), and has advocated for greater British-Israeli ties in homeland security. Tsai Ing-wen Ing-wen became the first female president of Taiwan in January 2016. During the election campaign, she focused strongly on a platform advocating for more women leaders and workplace equality, and expressed support for same-sex marriage. "When it comes to love, everyone is equal. I am Tsai Ing-wen, and I support marriage equality. Every person should be able to look for love freely, and freely seek their own happiness," she said. In 2013, Ing-wen praised Israel and its citizens' ability to lead normal lives amid a reality of ongoing terrorism, in addition to lauding the Jewish state's high-tech industry. Benazir Bhutto Bhutto, as Pakistan's prime minister, was the first democratically elected female president of a Muslim country. She served as prime minister for two terms in the 1990s before being accused and tried on charges of corruption. After several years in exile, she returned to Pakistan but was assassinated in 2007. In 2008, Bhutto was posthumously awarded the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights. "My mother always said, democracy is the best revenge," said Bhutto's son, Bilawal, after her death. As prime minister of Pakistan, a Muslim country in a region typically hostile to Israel and Jews, Bhutto developed surprisingly positive relations with both Jews and Israel. The Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv reported that she had asked Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, along with the U.K.'s Scotland Yard and America's CIA, for protection. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had called the assassination of Bhutto a "great tragedy." Mark Siegel, a Democratic Party consultant and Jewish community liaison who knew Bhutto, said the Pakistani leader "was the most tolerant person I know...She was at my daughter's bat mitzvah. Her husband came to my daughter's wedding." Michelle Bachelet Bachelet has been the president of Chile since 2014. She was also president from 2006-10, when she was the first female president in her country's history. A socialist politician, Bachelet began her second presidency by promising to tackle economic and social inequality, education reform, and human rights abuses by police. "We need to ensure that everyone has the same rights and opportunities," Bachelet said in 2014. During her first term as president, Bachelet garnered praise from the Jewish community for appointing three Jews as government ministers. At the time, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Achronoth referred to her cabinet as "the most Jewish government in the world." Yet Bachelet's government has had a strained relationship with Israel. During Israel's 2014 war with Hamas in Gaza, Chile recalled its ambassador to the Jewish state and referred to Operation Protection Edge as "collective punishment" for the Palestinians. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi Grabar-Kitarovi, the president of Croatia since 2015, is the first woman elected to that post in her country. At age 46, she was also the youngest president-elect in Croatian history. "I would like to see more effort on preventing organized crime, co-operation on matters of security, but also a more vigorous fight against corruption, media freedoms, democratic systems, control of the intelligence sector, and the proper usage of the intelligence sector in accordance with the law," she said in 2015. In 2015, Grabar-Kitarovi visited Israel, participating in a ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in which Croatian-American film producer Branko Lustig donated the Oscar he received for "Schindler's List" to Yad Vashem. Grabar-Kitarovi told Israel's i24news that Croatia's collaboration with the Nazis is "a dark period in our history that casts a shadow on Croatia's past." Dalia Grybauskaite Grybauskaite, in her second term, is Lithuania's first woman president. In 2015, she spoke out several times against Russia's annexation of Russia and the conflict in Ukraine. "It is our duty to uphold the international, humanitarian, and human rights law, and to seek accountability when these laws are violated," she said. Shealah Craighead Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Grybauskaite visited Israel in 2015. In a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, she said, "Lithuania and Israel are facing difficult challenges. Lithuania is well aware of what unrest and military threats in the region mean and how much effort it takes to ensure peaceful national development. Therefore, we must do everything we can to prevent provocations and protect peaceful populations. Aggression, coercion, and violence cannot be justified." Grybauskaite and Rivlin discussed Israeli-Lithuanian economic, financial, and high-tech cooperation. The Lithuanian leader also visited Yad Vashem and planted an olive tree in the Grove of Nations, where more than 700 commemorative trees are planted in honor of Lithuanian citizens who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Tim Kaine, accepting VP slot, cites Holocaust survivor who died in shooting massacre PHILADELPHIA (JTA)Sen. Tim Kaine, accepting Hillary Clintons invitation to join her as running mate, cited as an inspiration a Holocaust survivor who died protecting others during a shooting massacre. Kaine, D-Va., appeared Saturday with Clinton at Florida International University in Miami a day after she announced her pick. Kaine pledged he would continue to press for gun control and recalled the trauma his state underwent during the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, when a rampaging student killed 32 people. Without naming him, Kaine said he was especially moved by the story of Liviu Librescu, an engineering professor who died blocking the door as the killer attempted to enter his classroom. Librescu, who could survive the Holocaust, who could survive the Soviet takeover of his country, but who fell victim to gun violence and told his students to climb out the window as his body was being riddled with bullets, Kaine said, stopping to gather his emotions. Kaine, helping to lead a Democratic filibuster last month that led to a vote on gun control measures, invoked the memory of Librescu in a floor speech. Appearing with Clinton two days before the launch of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Kaine focused much of his speech on distinguishing Clinton, who was present and appeared more at ease than she has during much of her campaign to become the Democratic nominee, and her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump. He called Trump the candidate of Youre fired, the catchphrase of his reality show, The Apprentice, and Clinton, the candidate of Youre hired! He also spoke extensively in fluent Spanish. Kaine as Virginia governor from 2006 to 2010 forged close ties with the states Jewish community, which has grown rapidly in its Washington suburbs. As a senator, he has taken an interest in the Middle Eastin part to build up his national security credentialsand has visited Israel frequently. Michael Bloomberg set to endorse Clinton PHILADELPHIA (JTA)Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will endorse Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention. Spokesmen for Clintons campaign and for Bloomberg told The New York Times in a story posted Sunday that Bloomberg would have a prime-time spot on Wednesday, when President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden also are speaking. Bloomberg, a three-term mayor who earlier this year briefly considered an independent run for the presidency, has expressed alarm at Republican nominee Donald Trumps broadsides against Latinos as well as his plans to deport undocumented immigrants and severely restrict Muslim entry into the United States. Bloomberg, who is Jewish, had been a Democrat for decades, but won election as mayor in 2001 as a Republican. He later became an Independent. Bloomberg, who returned to directing his news empire after finishing his third term, advocates for a range of policies favored by Democrats, including gun control and addressing climate change, but is more Wall Street friendly. Amid tensions with Sanders, DNC chair Wasserman Schultz reportedly cut from convention PHILADELPHIA (JTA)Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, will not speak at the convention this week, reportedly because of the revelation of emails revealing tensions between the party and the Bernie Sanders campaign. In a related issue, a top DNC official apologized for an email in which he suggests depicting Sanders, who is Jewish, as an atheist as a means of undercutting him during the primary season. Sanders, an Independent senator from Vermont, turned in a surprisingly strong primary campaign, and only this month conceded to the front-runner Hillary Clinton, who will this week accept the nomination at the Philadelphia convention. CNN reported Sunday, a day before the convention launch, that Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congresswoman who is also a standard-bearer for Jewish Democrats, would be quarantined during the convention, gaveling it in on Monday but not delivering a speech. Citing an anonymous Democrat, CNN said Wasserman Schultzs planned speech was removed in order not to stoke anger in the Sanders camp, especially now that he is working with Clinton to defeat Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will make it clear that Hillary Clinton is by far superior to Donald Trump on every major issue from economics and health care to education and the environment, Sanders campaign spokesman, Michael Briggs, said in a statement. The emails, leaked Friday by Wikileaks and apparently from a batch hacked earlier this year by hackers widely reported to be in Russia, show frustration at the DNC with repeated claims by the Sanders campaign that the DNC is not neutral. The DNC addressed some of the complaints, including adding debates, which Sanders campaigners had complained were few and scheduled for times of poor viewership. In some instances, staffers contemplated spurring media to negative coverage of Sanders, but its not clear if they acted. Brad Marshall, the DNCs chief financial officer, in one email to communications director Luis Miranda and deputy community director Mark Paustenbach suggested getting someone to press Sanders on his beliefs during the campaign. Does he believe in a God? Marshall asks in the May 5 email. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist. Theres no evidence that the DNC arranged for such an action. Marshall apologized in a Facebook post over the weekend, Politico reported. I deeply regret that my insensitive, emotional emails would cause embarrassment to the DNC, the Chairwoman, and all of the staffers who worked hard to make the primary a fair and open process, he said. The comments expressed do not reflect my beliefs, nor do they reflect the beliefs of the DNC and its employees. I apologize to those I offended. The DNC did not reply to requests for comment. Sanders has said he believes in God and has been shaped by his Jewish upbringing. He has identified Pope Francis social action as a model for religious practice. A chief surrogate for Trump, Pastor Mark Burns, came under fire for calling Sanders an atheist and for suggesting the candidate convert to Christianity. Trump, who has said he hopes to attract disaffected Sanders voters, decried the leaks on Twitter. Leaked e-mails of DNC show plans to destroy Bernie Sanders, he said. Mock his heritage and much more. Portugal town opens Jewish heritage center (JTA)Portugals culture minister inaugurated a Jewish heritage center in the countrys east in memory of 80 former residents who were persecuted during the Portuguese Inquisition nearly 500 years ago. Minister Luis Filipe de Castro Mendes and Israels ambassador to Portugal, Tzipora Rimon, attended the July 15 inauguration ceremony in Monsaraz of the Interactive Center of Jewish Culture, which is also known as the House of Inquisition, the Tribuna Alentejo reported Saturday. It aims to provide an in-depth view, with more content about a part of Monsarazs history and its Jewish community that previously had never been presented to the public in such a format, Monsaraz Mayor Jose Calixto told the SAPO broadcaster about the new center, which contains an exhibition on the citys former Jewish residents and Sephardic culture. The already substantial Jewish community grew in Portugal considerably after 1492, when tens of thousands of Jews immigrated there from neighboring Spain as a result of the Spanish Inquisitiona campaign led by the Catholic Church and the Spanish royal house against the countrys Jews. In 1536, Portugal followed suit with its own inquisition. In both countries, Jews were stripped of their possessions, forcibly converted to Christianity or forced to leave. Thousands were killed in pogroms and executions. Over the past 20 years, Spain and Portugal have invested millions in preserving the heritage their 16th-century Jewish communities left behind. Since 2013, both countries have passed laws allowing Sephardic Jews to become citizens, in what was described by both governments as an act of atonement for the inquisition. In Portugal, the government recently allocated approximately $6 million to the Portuguese Jewish Network-Sefarad Routesa state-funded project for preservation and commemoration works at sites connected to the countrys Jewish past. So far, it encompasses approximately 30 municipalities in the countrys center and north. In Monsaraz, the new center was inaugurated on the opening night of the biannual Open Museum cultural festival. Separately, the municipality of Elvas near Monsaraz has allocated approximately $350,000 toward renovating its ancient synagogue, Mayor Nuno Mocinha last week told Radio Porto Alegre. It is scheduled to open in April. WikiLeaks removes anti-Semitic tweets (JTA)WikiLeaks removed tweets that described some of its Jewish critics as establishment climbers. The account, believed to be run by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, was responding to Tweets linking its massive release of Democratic Party leaks with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin is believed to back Republican Party nominee Donald Trump, and there is evidence that the hacking into the Democratic National Committee was carried out by Russians. Tribalist symbol for establishment climbers? said a Wikileaks tweet on Saturday. Most of our critics have 3 (((brackets around their names))) & have black-rimmed glasses. Bizarre. The triple parentheses, originally used by anti-Semitic social media users to designate Jews, has been appropriated by Jewish social media users. In another tweet, Wikileaks wondered whether the symbol has been re-re-purposed to now be a tribalist designator for establishment climbers. Wikileaks came under fire on social media for the tweets and the account removed them while continuing to defend them. A subsequent tweet by the account suggested that whoever is running it sought to single out neo-liberals who were appropriating an anti-racist symbol. Neo-liberals is used as a pejorative on the far left for liberals who embrace foreign interventionism. Clinton VP choice Tim Kaine a Democratic leader on Mideast issues (JTA)Hillary Clinton named Tim Kaine, the Virginia senator who has made the Middle East one of his fortes, her running mate. Kaine has been a vocal supporter of U.S. security assistance to Israel but found himself at odds with the pro-Israel lobby and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Iran nuclear deal. During the fight over the deal, Kaine criticized Netanyahu on several fronts, but subsequently worked to improve ties between the prime minister and Senate Democrats. Im thrilled to announce my running mate, @TimKaine, a man whos devoted his life to fighting for others, Clinton tweeted last Friday afternoon. The announcement comes after the conclusion of the Republican convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump accepted the presidential nod with his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, and just three days ahead of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia. Kaine, 58, traveled to Israel to promote trade ties during his 2006-2010 stint as Virginia governor. He was an early backer of Barack Obama, who rewarded him when he was elected president with the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee, a position he held until 2011. He ran for the Senate in 2012, and since then has focused on the Middle East as a member of the Middle East subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has traveled frequently to Israel, most recently in January. Kaine was skeptical of aspects of the Iran nuclear deal during the 2013-2015 talks leading to the nuclear rollback for sanctions relief agreement, citing Irans past abrogation of agreements and its backing for terrorism in the Middle East. He also supported the push to secure a Senate role in reviewing the deal Once the deal was done, however, he came to be one of its most ardent advocates, helping to stop a bid by Republicans in Congress to kill the deal. He skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus March 2015 speech to Congress against the emerging deal, saying Netanyahu had not acted in good faith in coordinating the speech with Republicans. That same month, in an interview with the Forward, Kaine criticized Netanyahu and Israels ambassador to Washington, Ron Dermer, for what he described as going along with an effort by some in the Republican Party to push Democrats out of the relationship with Israel. Im sad that the Israeli ambassador and the prime minister went along with this. They went along with the notion of weve got to keep this quiet and not tell Democrats. We feel like were being pushed away, Kaine said. Our party has a long tradition of being pro-Israel, and being pro-Israel doesnt mean we agree on everything, but were friends, were allies, were partners and to the extent we have disagreements we try to work them out productively. Kaine also expressed deep concerns about the leaders, frankly, on the Israeli and the Palestinian side regarding whether they were doing enough to reach a two-state agreement. That doesnt make me any less pro-Israel, he said. I want Israel to be safe and secure in the future and I worry that some of the activities vis-a-vis Palestine have weakened Israels future security, not strengthened it. Last November, after the deal was completed, Kaine joined Democratic colleagues in calling for the Obama administration to write a new and strengthened Memorandum of Understanding on security assistance to Israel. Then in January Kaine joined seven of his Democratic colleagues in a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel to discuss oversight of the agreement. The delegation also traveled to Vienna to meet with officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. body monitoring Iranian compliance with the deal. In a statement, Kaine said in the Vienna meeting he emphasized that the IAEAs credibility is on the line with the nuclear deals implementation and monitoring and that it would be a destructive blow to the organization if it does not quickly catch any attempts by Iran to undermine or cheat on the deal and immediately report those findings. Kaine, a practicing Catholic, has a close relationship with the states growing Jewish community. He was deeply affected by the death in the 2007 Virginia Tech mass shooting of Holocaust survivor Liviu Librescu, who was killed protecting his students. He has cited the heroism of Liviu Librescu in arguing for gun control. Among other assets he would bring to the Clinton campaign, Kaine is a fluent Spanish speaker, coming from his stint volunteering with Jesuits in Honduras in the 1980s. Some supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clintons main challenger for the Democratic nomination, have voiced objections to Kaine. But in one sign of support among Jewish liberals, Kaine has previously been endorsed by J Street. Kaine has also worked with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on many issues, despite his disagreement with AIPAC over the Iran deal. In 2013, Kaine helped initiate a letter to the president backed by AIPAC urging intensified sanctions to force Iran to suspend its suspected nuclear weapons program. At the same time, J Street was pushing a competing letter urging Obama to engage with an offer to talk by Hassan Rohani, then Irans president-elect. Paris Grand Synagogue slammed for hosting far-right historian (JTA)A leader of French Jewry criticized a major Paris synagogues hosting of a debate featuring a controversial Jewish historian popular in far-right circles who said Frances pro-Nazi puppet government saved French Jews during the Holocaust. Francis Kalifat, the president of the CRIF umbrella group of French Jewish communities, last Friday told JTA that Eric Zemmour should not have been invited to the Grand Synagogue of Paris last month to a debate about the historical record of the Vichy regime. At the June 1 debate with former Chief Rabbi of France Gilles Bernheim, Zemmour reiterated the gist of his thesis on Vichy, that there was, effectively, a pact with the devil in which Vichy gave up foreign Jews, or at any rate allowed them to be taken, in order to save French Jews. He cited criticism by hard-core pro-fascists on the Vichy government over the presence of some Jews in France. Before Germany invaded France in 1940, tens of thousands of German and central European Jews fled to France. Zemmour claims they were sacrificed by the collaborationist government of Philippe Petain to save French-born Jews. But Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, makes no such distinction. It states that Pierre Laval, the prime minister of the Vichy regime, was the initiator of the shipment of Jewish children as part of the July 1942 Val DHiv deportation to death camps of 23,000 Jewsmany of whom were French citizens. When Jews went into hiding in France, German and French authorities responded by organizing raids in rural areas, Yad Vashem writes. Approximately 22 percent of 350,000 French Jews perished in the Holocaustfewer percentage-wise than in the Netherlands and Belgium, but more than in Italy or Bulgaria. Zemmour cited data showing that 90 percent of French Jews survived the Holocaust in hidinga proportion he said indicated that the Vichy government had protected them. However, historians argued that the higher survival rate of French-born Jews in Nazi-controlled France was because their language skills and connections enabled them to hide more easily than could foreign Jews living in the territory. Bernheim noted this argument in attempted to deconstruct the polemicists arguments. He also said anti-Jewish laws passed by Vichy made no distinction between foreign and locals Jews, and that hatred of both stemmed from xenophobia. Zemmour is free to express his opinion, but a synagogue is not a suitable place because his perceived defense of the Vichy government in an insult to victims it murdered, Kalifat said. I think the synagogues administrators made an error, a mistake, that I cannot understand. Jacques Canet, the president of the synagogue, wrote in a statement it was an appropriate venue, because it is a symbol of French Jewry and that Zemmours claims were confronted strongly and clearly by Bernheim. Zemmour in 2010 said most drug dealers in France were of African or Arab descent and that employers therefore had a right to reject job seekers from those ethnicities. He was convicted of hate speech for these assertions, which, along with his defense of French fascists, have made him a popular figure in some far-right circles. Sammy Ghozlan, the founder of Frances National Bureau of Vigilance against Anti-Semitism watchdog, joined Kalifats criticism, calling Zemmours debate last month at the synagogue before a crowd of 1,300 people unacceptable. Ghozlan said Zemmour basically justified the Vichy regimes anti-Semitism. During the debate, Zemmour said that it was believed at the time that Jews had too much clout, that they excessively dominated the economy, media, French culture and that this was partly true. Some Frenchmen, he added, found that the Jews behaved with the arrogance of a colonist. The recent op-ed by Yair Sheleg, Israels battle for peace between religion and state, is troublesome in several ways. While he portrays himself as a dispassionate analyst, it is clear that Shelegs essay intends, on the contrary, to inflame passions. The editors note added by JNS.org is revealing. In lieu of haredi, the writer used the pejorative term ultra-Orthodox, prompting this editorial disclaimer. In an era when we express sensitivity and consideration toward minority populations, we allow them to choose the terms of their own identity and avoid negative bias. The writer affords the haredi community no such consideration, using a modifier, ultra-, that is universally negative when used to describe a movement or community. The Israel Democracy Institute claims to be nonpartisan; the director of its Religion and State program belies that, at least with regards to Jewish religious affairs. Second, his opinion piece claims that the ultra-Orthodox have launched a new offensive; speaking to the New York Jewish Week, however, he noted that the ultra-Orthodox are in a defensive position merely wishing to preserve the status quo that has governed Israeli practice since its founding. In this case, the pejorative term ultra- is both offensive and inaccurate. Consider our own example. Both of us live in the United States, where we frequently interact with Reform and Conservative leaders and members both personally and professionally. Neither of us exemplifies the stereotypical image evoked by the term ultra-Orthodox. Groups like Women For the Wall, the womens group acting to preserve traditional practice at the Western Wall, are certainly not led by ultra-Orthodox. The vast majority of religious nationalist leaders and members all strongly oppose the changes advocated by Sheleg. Thus the ultra- label is not merely pejorative, but a facile attempt to reframe the conversation to avoid the real issues. Why are the American liberal movements pushing for major changes at the Western Wall at this time? More than a decade ago, these movements were allocated space at the Robinsons Arch section of the Kotel; three years ago, then-Religious Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett unveiled a new, greatly expanded Ezrat Yisrael platform in response to demands from these same movements. Since that time, this space has never been filled. Not once. Most of the time it sits completely empty; only when the Sephardic chief rabbi of Jerusalem, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Shlomo Amar, conducted a private service there did the leaders of these movements respond with possessive outrage. To anyone with even minimal knowledge of the differences in belief and practice of traditional and non-traditional Jews, the reasons for the disuse of Ezrat Yisrael are not difficult to discern. Neither movement prays for the restoration of the Holy Temple upon the Temple Mount, and the overwhelming majority of liberal Jews do not pray daily at all. They are not coming on aliyah, neither are Israelis interested in their revisions of Judaismthere are less than 100 liberal congregations in all of Israel, serving less than 0.4 percent of the Jewish population. Liberal leaders themselves acknowledge that they are demanding the government spend millions of dollars and irrevocably compromise archaeological sites simply for recognition. If so, one must ask why they are willing to disrupt the attitude of American Jews towards Israel in order to make these demands at this time. The American liberal movements claim to represent the dominant voice of American Jewry; certainly, they must accept primary responsibility for the 70-percent intermarriage rate among non-Orthodox Jews, and the failure of the plurality of Jews under age 50 to identify with any Jewish denomination. Only 25 percent of American Jews are members of a Reform or Conservative congregation, and their median age is 55. They have lost the next American-Jewish generation. Why are these movements spending an inordinate amount of time and money to change Judaism in Israel, rather than educating and influencing their youth, working to guarantee that their grandchildren care about Judaism? If they truly care about the Jewish future, they will not besmirch Israel with unfounded accusations of limitation on Jewish practice, but encourage their own to visit or even live there, and learn for themselvesboth about Israel, and about Judaism. This is all the more true when it comes to Shelegs second topic, the issue of Jewish conversion. The State of Israel adopted traditional standards to determine Jewish identity in order to preserve Jewish unity: so that the grandchildren of Orthodox and liberal Jews might marry without serious investigation of each individuals Jewish heritage. The liberal movements have already necessitated this in America, with sometimes tragic consequences. Importing this to Israel will permanently divide the Jews of the Jewish state. In the end, it is clear that there is no ultra-Orthodox offensive, but rather an effort by liberal movements to enact drastic changes in Israel to draw attention away from their self-inflicted decimation at home in America. It is incumbent upon them not to try to change Israeli Jews in a way that draws them away from Jewish tradition, but to change American Jews in a way that draws them towards it. That should be, after all, the goal of any Jewish movement. Rabbi Yaakov Menken is the director of Project GenesisTorah.org, and the co-editor of Cross-Currents.com, an Orthodox online journal. Rabbi Pesach Lerner is the executive vice president emeritus of the National Council of Young Israel. A decade after fighting the Second Lebanon War against the Islamist terror militia Hezbollah, Israel is once again facing a build-up on its northern border, with the prospect of fresh hostilities looming The 2006 conflict, waged over a month during the hot summer, was the culmination of six years of rocket attacks by Hezbollah on cities and towns in northern Israel. By the time that war broke out, Hezbollah had taken advantage of Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 to assemble 15,000 fighters and thousands of missiles aimed in the direction of the Jewish state. On July 12, 2006, Hezbollah terrorists infiltrated Israel off the back of a deadly mortar shell and rocket assault on the northern town of Shlomi. An IDF patrol on the Israeli side of the border was ambushed by the infiltrators, who killed three soldiers and abducted two. For almost two weeks after that outrage, Israel restricted its response to air attacks and artillery fire against Hezbollah positions. But Hezbollahs refusal to return the kidnapped soldiers and adhere to a cease-fire resulted in an Israeli ground invasion. The war officially ended on Aug. 14, though the two kidnapped soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, were not returned until two years later, in coffins, following their murder by Hezbollah. The cessation of hostilities was rooted in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for the complete disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and for full authority to be restored to the state. It also called for the removal of foreign forces from Lebanon; the bodies of several Iranian Revolutionary Guards were reported to be among the hundreds of Hezbollah fighters killed by the IDF. Ten years on from the trauma and devastation visited upon Israeli and Lebanese civilians alike, Hezbollah is stronger than ever in southern Lebanon, and still faithful to its tactic of embedding itself within the civilian populationa war crime that Hamas in Gaza is also guilty of. Far from disbanding, as mandated by the U.N. Security Council, Hezbollah fighters have been refining their battlefield skills in the defense of Bashar al-Assads dictatorship in neighboring Syria. This last point is worth dwelling on, because it illustrates the comprehensive transformation of the Middle Easts security environment since the 2006 war. The hope of democratic change ushered in by the mass protests against the Islamist regime in Iran in 2009 was quickly expunged by Tehrans brutal response. Similar civil society uprisings across the region resulted in extraordinary scenes of brutality. But nothing has come close to Syria, which collapsed into civil war in 2011, with more than half of its population losing their homes and up to 400,000 killed. The cost of the Syrian war upon Lebanon has been merciless. The Lebanese population of 4.5 million has now been joined by a staggering 1.5 million Syrians. Alongside this humanitarian crisis is a political one. Lebanon has not had a president since the stalemate election of 2014, a dire situation fully exploited by Hezbollah, which has never respected Lebanons sovereignty and which regards the republic as little more than a staging post for its attacks on Israel. The stakes of another war involving Israel, then, are frighteningly higher this time around. A war in Lebanon at the same time as the slaughter continues in Syriawhere the presence of the Iranians, the Russians, and the barbarians of Islamic State all represent distinct and deadly threatsrisks evolving into a wider conflict. Of immediate concern to the Israelis is Hezbollahs military build-up in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has moved most of its military hardware into the Shia villages of southern Lebanon, deliberately transforming thousands of innocent civilians into human shields. Indeed, some sense of the scale of a future Lebanese conflict can be gleaned from the fact that Hezbollah now possesses 130,000 missiles10 times what it had in 2006, and more than every NATO country with the exception of the United States. As unmistakeable a signal of intent as Hezbollahs arsenal is, another war is not inevitable. The international leader with the most leverage in this situation is not U.S. President Barack Obama, who has effectively abandoned Syria and Lebanon, but Russian dictator President Vladimir Putin, who together with the Iranians has propped up Assad, and dispatched air and ground forces to assist his bloody regime. Putin has met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu four times in the last year, and the Hezbollah threat was a key topic of their conversations. The Russians clearly do not object to occasional Israeli bombing raids on Hezbollah convoys traveling towards the Golan Heights, but their response to a full-scale war might not be so indulgent. Still, rather than risk a conflict with Netanyahu, who has made Israels objection to Hezbollah weapons transfers through Syria abundantly clear in their meetings, Putin has an opportunity to show himself as a peacemaker of sorts. The price of securing the survival of Assad, he can tell the Iranian and Hezbollah allies of the Syrian dictator, is that Israels borders cannot be breached. The question is whether, and for how long, such a Pax Russiana could be sustained. Israel is rightly preparing for the worst case option, with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot warning that Israel will use all of our power to destroy Hezbollah militarily. Ten years after the pronouncements of Resolution 1701 came to naught, that, regrettably, may be the only way of disarming them for good. Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org & The Tower Magazine, writes a weekly column for JNS.org on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics. His writings have been published in Commentary, the New York Post, Haaretz, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is the author of Some of My Best Friends: A Journey Through Twenty-First Century Antisemitism (Edition Critic, 2014). The omission of Palestinian statehood from this years Republican Party platform is neither a radical change nor a departure from immutable U.S. policy, as some critics are claiming. In fact, both parties platforms have repeatedly changed positions on Israel-related issues over the years, in keeping with the preference of the presidential nominee or the changing mood among their rank and file. The first time the Republican platform mentioned a Palestinian state was in 1980. In that years race, GOP nominee Ronald Reagan positioned himself as the pro-Israel candidate, after four years of clashes between President Jimmy Carter, Israel, and the American Jewish community. The Republican platform followed accordingly: We believe the establishment of a Palestinian State on the West Bank would be destabilizing and harmful to the peace process. The next three Republican platforms echoed these sentiments, characterizing a Palestinian state as inimical to the security interests of Israel, Jordan and the U.S., and rejecting the notion that Israel should even negotiate with the Palestine Liberation Organization and its homicidal subsidiaries, much less give them a state. But in 1996, after 16 years of explicit opposition to Palestinian statehood, the Republicans shifted. During the preceding three years, Yasser Arafat had recognized Israel, the Israeli army had withdrawn from significant portions of the territories, and the creation of a Palestinian state seemed increasingly likely. As a result, the 1996 GOP platform dropped the partys longstanding opposition to Palestinian statehood and said only that it support[s] Israels right to make its own decisions regarding security and boundaries. But four years later, the party shifted again. Four years of suicide bombings, jihad speeches by Arafat, and frequent Palestinian violations of the Oslo Accords fueled skepticism among Republicans about Palestinian statehood. The Palestinian Authoritys threats to unilaterally declare a state seemed likely to ignite new turmoil. The 2000 Republican platform asserted: A unilateral declaration of independence by the Palestinians would be a violation of [the two sides] commitment [to resolving disputes through negotiations]. A new Republican administration would oppose any such declaration. Soon the platform was shifting again, to accommodate a Republican president. In 2002, George W. Bush became the first president to endorse creation of a Palestinian state, and the 2004 GOP platform echoed his positionbut with conditions. While embracing President Bushs vision of two states, the platform added that for such a vision to become a reality, the Palestinians need a new leadership, not compromised by terror... If Palestinians embrace democracy and the rule of law, confront corruption, and firmly reject terror, they can count on American support for the creation of a Palestinian state. In 2008 and 2012, the Republican platform again attached conditions to its endorsement of Palestinian statehood. For a Palestinian state to become a reality, it said, the Palestinian people must support leaders who reject terror, embrace the institutions and ethos of democracy, and respect the rule of law. Those conditions are the key to understanding this years decision to omit the two states formula from the GOP platform. For 12 years, Republicans have been waiting for a new Palestinian leadership, one that is not compromised by terror and embraces democracy. Instead, they see a continuation of Arafats leadership through his loyal deputy, Mahmoud Abbas. They see the Palestinian Authority inciting terrorism instead of suppressing it. They see a Palestinian dictatorship instead of a Palestinian democracy. It would have been more remarkable, perhaps, if the Republicans had chosen to ignore their own declared conditions and continued supporting a Palestinian state. The Democrats platform, too, has shifted on Israel many times over the years. It went from calling for the internationalization of Jerusalem in 1948, to supporting Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and urging that the U.S. Embassy should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in 1972 (long before the GOP took a similar stand). In their 1968 platform, the Democrats called for the establishment of a non-provocative military balance between Israel and the Arabs; four years later, talk of balance was dropped and the platform called for provid[ing] Israel with aircraft and other military equipment in the quantity and sophistication she needs to preserve her deterrent strength. From 1956 through 1964, the Democrats platform called for the resettlement of Arab refugees in lands where there is room and opportunity for them. Then that language was dropped. Party platforms are not set in stone. They change to suit the policies of the nominee or the incumbent president, or to reflect shifts in opinion among the partys membership. The Republican Party opposed Palestinian statehood for 16 years, and then, in response to the Oslo Accords, reversed itself. Now, after supporting Palestinian statehood for 12 years, the GOP has, in response to Palestinian terror and incitement, reversed itself again. Whether or not one agrees with the Republicans position, theres nothing radical about it; its their assessment of the facts on the ground in the Middle East. Dr. Rafael Medoff is the author of 16 books about Jewish history and Zionism, including Herbert Hoover and the Jews: The Origins of the Jewish Vote and Bipartisan Support for Israel (with Sonja Wentling). The relationship between religion and state in Israel is stormy. Lately, it seems the ultra-Orthodox have launched a new offensive on several fronts. First, representatives of the ultra-Orthodox community went back on their Western Wall compromise agreement, a compromise that would give anyone interested in alternative prayer the option of holding services at the Walls southern section. Now, they are demanding that the Reform and Conservative movements be denied any official recognition in the new plaza at all. Further, judges from the Petach Tikva rabbinical court recently took a bold step when they attempted to revoke conversions conducted by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, a prominent Orthodox American rabbi. Lookstein converted, among others, Ivanka Trump, daughter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The judges who made this decision were unaware of who Lookstein is. Rather, they based their decision on the fact that he does not appear on the list of Diaspora rabbis whose conversions are approved by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. And earlier this summer, ultra-Orthodox legislators presented the Mikveh Bill, which has passed in its preliminary Knesset readings and is still being debated by the parliament. The bill stipulates that any immersion in a public mikveh (ritual bath) must be handled according to the Chief Rabbinates rules. This new ultra-Orthodox offensive must be fought. For starters, we must be unyielding in our opposition to reneging on the Kotel compromise. The agreement in its essence gave equally as much to the ultra-Orthodox (recognition of their monopoly over the majority of the Western Wall) as to those in search of a more egalitarian environment (the ability to pray freely in the separate and almost-equal southern section of the Wall). The fear of the ultra-Orthodox is that creating this southern section recognizes and legitimizes pluralistic streams of Judaism. The reality is that these streams received such legitimacy more than 20 years ago when a decision was made to establish official conversion institutes whose leadership would include representatives of the Conservative and Reform movements. The State of Israel is the nation-state of the whole Jewish people. As such, our government must ensure all Jews can prayer at this most holy Jewish landmark. Regarding the Rabbi Lookstein affairit will work itself out. Chief Rabbi David Lau announced that he did not agree with the Petach Tikva courts decision, so the particular situation will be rectified. Nonetheless, the Lookstein affair is indicative of a greater problem. While the State of Israel needs a reliable list of Diaspora rabbis who perform conversions, that list cannot be comprised of solely Orthodox rabbis. Israels High Court of Justice long ago recognized non-Orthodox conversions that were carried out in the Diaspora when it comes to the Law of Return. What the rabbinical court did in the Lookstein affair was to use its monopoly over marriage to take back its de facto monopoly over conversions, as well. This is not OK. Lastly, mikvehs are taxpayer-funded public buildings. The Rabbinate has no right to dictate how those who wish to immerse do so. Further, the law not only affects those who wish to use the mikveh to complete their non-Orthodox conversions, but also thousands of women who use the mikveh monthly and do not want to be subject to the supervision of an ultra-Orthodox mikveh attendant who is employed by the Chief Rabbinate. Ultra-Orthodox political representatives have promised the Mikveh Bill will have no impact on women, but it is difficult to see how those promises can be anything more than mere words. What would prevent a mikveh attendant, even one who is acting independently, from imposing her view on the womens immersion process? But even as we are pained by recent events, we must take a positive perspective. The current battles are a result of the fact that more open-minded Israelis and Jews in the Diaspora are demanding change. The Rabbinate feels its control slipping away. Recent moves by the ultra-Orthodox are an attempt to maintain its stature. We must sustain our fight. We must also recognize that we are in this together. The secular Israeli population is unwilling to accept the Rabbinates monopoly. Over the years, a growing number of younger members of the National Religious community have begun to oppose it, too. And we are likewise seeing a new generation of ultra-Orthodox who are beginning to at least feel uncomfortable with this monopoly. Real change takes time. But this is a battle that, if won, could ultimately turn Israels stormy relationship between religion and state into a more docile one that benefits all Jewish people. Yair Sheleg is the director of the Religion and State program at the Israel Democracy Institute. JNS Editors note: In its news coverage, JNS.orgs policy is to use haredi rather than ultra-Orthodox to describe that sector of the Jewish community. For this op-ed, however, JNS.org has chosen not to alter the writers word choice. (JNS.org) Exactly six years ago, when I was just 18 years old, I wrote as my Facebook status, Doesnt want to go home tomorrow :( I live in America but my heart is in Israel. It was only my second time in Israel and I just knew. I knew that the minute I stepped off the plane back in the U.S., my heart would be split in two, and nothing would ever be the same again. I remember how when I got home from my first trip to Israel, I got into my onesie, a down jacket, and a blanket. It wasnt actually that cold in Seattle, in fact, it was the summer. But I think that I was seeking some way to preserve everything I felt and experienced during that first trip. Perhaps if I bound myself so tightly in heaps of clothes, the life-changing experiences wouldnt be able to escape from within me. Later, I found out that these feelings and experiences would never escape me, even if I had wanted them to. I wanted to return to Israel so badly after just a day back at home. I begged my parents to make a family trip to Israel the next summer, and they did. It seems that both everything and nothing has changed since then. My feelings of absolute love for Israel have remained. I still feel it is my country, I am a part of Israel, and Israel is a part of me. My heart is indeed still in Israel, and now I live here too! Exactly four years after the 2010 Facebook post, I was back in Israel. This time, it was my sixth time in Israel. And, yes, for those who did the math, this was my sixth time in just five years. Thats how obsessed I was. But this time, I had much more knowledge, wisdom, and experience about life in Israel, both good and bad. It was the first time that I ever had to run for my life. This trip brought me to Israel during the 2014 summer war between Israel and Hamas. I cant exactly remember how many times I had to run to a bomb shelterperhaps it was five or six, but I lost count after the first few times. Again, not much has changed. Israel is still threatened externally. Thankfully, we do not have red alerts in Jerusalem right now, but we are still constantly threatened. Of course, its not only Hamas, but Iran, and by extension, Hezbollah. With the buildup of hundreds of thousands of rockets pointed toward Israel from Lebanon, its safe to say that our most serious threat is no longer Hamas. While the type of terrorist threat changes every now and again, the fact that there is still an existential threat has remained. Nevertheless, terrorists never scared me away from the land with which I fell in love. Just a year after continuously running to the bomb shelter, I made the most important move of my life. I made aliyah. Making aliyah was a culmination of all of my deepest beliefs, emotions, and yearnings of the previous six years. Nothing could stop me. I became an Israeli citizen that day. And that changed everything and nothing at the same time. I finally received validation that legally recognized my connection to Israel. I became Israeli. But then again, nothing had changed. I had always felt a little Israeli; I was even called Israel Girl six years prior! Having a legal body recognize my Israeliness was great, but didnt change how I felt: completely and helplessly in love with my country, Israel. Today, I celebrate exactly one year since I made aliyah. I am having a big party at my new apartment in Rehavia with many new friends that I have made in the last year. It has been such an amazing journey so far; one that Im so grateful to share with you. Sometimes I cant believe its already been a year, and other times, I cant believe its only been one year. Everything has changed in my life, but nothing really has. Heres to the next incredible year in Jerusalem, more beginnings, and journeys that give meaning to our lives. Eliana Rudee is a fellow with the Haym Salomon Center and the author of the Israel Girl column (formerly Aliyah Annotated) for JNS.org. She is a graduate of Scripps College, where she studied international relations and Jewish studies. Her bylines have been featured in USA Today, Forbes, and The Hill. Follow her column on JNS.org. 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/ Three days before Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal set out for Amritsar to appear in a defamation case slapped on him by Punjab minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia, the partys social media team got cracking. The team that comprises a few hundred full-timers and a vast network of activists, volunteers and AAP sympathisers made Majithias name trend on social media. Enthusiastic AAP workers in Punjab tweeted and retweeted the charges against the minister that had invited the defamation complaint, building a crescendo against Majithia. By Friday morning, workers from different parts of Punjab were headed for Amritsar turning a court appearance into a political opportunity ahead of the state elections. When Kejriwals lawyers told him he could seek exemption from personal appearance, the Delhi chief minister said he has better plans. Experts say using a combination of social media management, extreme aggression and the element of surprise and unorthodox politics, Kejriwals AAP have created a space in the public discourse since the partys inception. When Parliament is in session, debates and discussions in the Rajya Sabha become the nucleus of opposition politics that often deciding the fate of crucial bills. But the AAP, with no representation in the Upper House yet, manages to assert its opposition by staying outside and using the social media to raise issues. After the Lok Sabha Speaker suspended its most vocal lawmaker in the Lower House Bhagwant Mann, the party decided to go on the offensive in the media. There is a political discourse within the walls of Parliament but there is a larger discourse that is not confined to Parliament. That, AAP is able to dominate because they know how to attract attention, says political scientist Prof Badri Narayan. The buzz that the party creates on the social media ensures that mainstream media, especially TV cannot ignore it. Dilip Pandey, in-charge of the partys communication department, is a special invitee to the AAPs top body, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), and that underlines the importance of communication for a party whose brass is dominated by former journalists. Kejriwals deputy Manish Sisodia, a former TV journalist, still sits at the editing table when the party is posting an important video on its official YouTube channel. The PAC reviews the long term and short term communication strategy as often as needed, says Pandey. We admit we are aggressive but on issues that are dear to us and that has helped us capture the positive political space on social media. On the other hand, the prime minister follows abusers. In the last few days, as other parties in Parliament have taken on the government, AAP leaders ranging from Mann to Ashutosh to Kejriwal have chosen to directly attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Wednesday evening, Kejriwal posted a video on the social media accusing Modi of masterminding a witch-hunt against AAP lawmakers. Modi was so angry at AAP that he could even get Kejriwal killed, he declared in the video. Within 30 minutes after being posted, the video had been shared a few thousand times. It hit prime time headlines on TV that evening and made page one news in the dailies the next morning. Read| Kejriwal in Amritsar for Majithia defamation case, Akalis in a huddle At an event held in the Stanford University in June, President Barack Obama took the stage with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He interviewed fledgling entrepreneurs from Egypt, Rwanda, and Peru and caught the audience off guard by removing his jacket and joking about his inability to wear a T-shirt like Mark for at least another six months. It is rare to go to a government event, especially where political leaders are speaking, in which you can stay awake or be inspired. This was a refreshing change. I was impressed with the dynamism and energy the event generated. This was the seventh annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES). The first, which was held at the White House in 2010, was announced by Obama in Cairo in 2009 to deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world. Its scope has since been expanded to include entrepreneurs from all communities. Government efforts to promote entrepreneurship usually fail because they focus on building science parks and clusters. Policy makers often believe fancy buildings, subsidies and venture capital can spur innovation hubs. This is the wrong approach; what needs to be done instead is to remove the obstacles to entrepreneurship and change the culture so that failure is accepted and experimentation is encouraged. And then entrepreneurs need to provided with mentoring, inspiration, and seed funding. This is exactly what the GES is doing by design or by accident. At the Stanford event, Obama talked about the importance of building networks, changing cultures, and having governments remove road-blocks. He even lectured entrepreneurs on how to pitch their startups to investors. In his conversation with Zuckerberg and entrepreneurs from Egypt, Rwanda, and Peru. he asked each of them about their journeys, their challenges, their needs, and their advice for others like themselves. He treated the three budding entrepreneurs with the same respect he showed to an icon like Zuckerberg. In the US, we have the American Dream; we often put entrepreneurs on a pedestal. To the rest of the world, this is unimaginable almost a culture shock. UAE-based investor Prashant Gulati told me about how rapidly policies changed after the 2012 GES held in Dubai. There were many legal obstacles to e-commerce and Internet startups which were not getting resolved. Things have come far. One startup, souq.com , has even achieved the status of a unicorn, with a billion-dollar valuation. The 2013 summit in Kuala Lumpur led to the creation of the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre. Deregulation and support schemes that ensued have so far taught 15,000 entrepreneurs and incubated 150 companies. Prime Minister Narendra Modis Startup India initiative can be seen as a key milestone in the quest to remove obstacles and provide education, funding and infrastructure to aid startups. During his recent trip to the US, Modi persuaded Obama to hold the next GES in India next year. The GES will be a huge opportunity for the Indian government to examine how to make regulations more conducive to innovation and new businesses, but also to bring some of the worlds brightest to see the dynamism of Indias economy and its entrepreneurs. Vivek Wadhwa is a Fellow at the Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance, Stanford University. The views expressed are personal. Noted author and social activist Mahasweta Devi is no more, and Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan recently condemned her death, stating that he would have liked to make a film on her life. Sahitya Akademi and Jnanpith awardee, Devis writings focused on the marginalized communities in the country and served as the voice of the oppressed. She died yesterday following multi-organ failure at the age of 91. Read: Irrfan Khan is not scared of anybody The Piku star, who is disheartened over the death of the author, hopes that the country achieves the kind of atmosphere she aspired for. She was a very important writer, she has written amazing literature. I respect her a lot. I wanted to do a film on her life, the 49-year-old actor told reporters. Read: Irrfan Khans Madaari earns Rs 5.75 crore in two days Wherever she is, may her soul rest in peace. I hope what she aspired, that atmosphere is created in the country, he added. Devi had helped tribal and the rural dispossessed in organizing themselves in groups so that they could take up development activities in their own areas. She founded several grassroot level societies for the welfare of tribal. Watch: The trailer of Irrfan Khans film Madaari Follow us @htshowbiz for more Actor Taapsee Pannu, who is in London shooting for her upcoming project Makhna, has undergone a makeover for the film. The actor had a particular look in mind and according to sources close to her, Taapsee wanted someone based in London to do her hair. However the team wasnt able to find anyone good enough and Taapsee decided to get her regular hair dresser on board for the film. However, the latter was also unable to come to London. Read: Wont uproot myself from southern film industry, says Taapsee Pannu The character is someone who has lived in London for a while which is why I had a particular look in mind. My regular hair stylist wasnt available. But it was so kind of her to arrange for her friend to come to London and help me out, says Taapsee. Taapsee is careful about her looks in films and made sure to take extra care while finalising the hair stylist. She flew down her hair stylists friend just for a day and says that she was very happy with the result. This French hair dresser styled my hair. I am very careful about who does my hair as long tresses are very difficult to manage, but it was worth taking the risk. I am more than happy with the result, adds Taapsee, who is also working on Shoojit Sircars Pink alongside actor Amitabh Bachchan. There must be many mourners like me today, each of whom thinks they alone knew Mahasweta Devi, the inimitable writer, social activist and doughty fighter for the downtrodden anywhere. Come to think of it, the term writer seems too small and distant to describe what she really was. Through works like Hazar Chaurasir Maa or Aranyer Adhikar, and Choti Munda, Mahasweta Devi rescues us from passivity and sultry resentment, and propels us towards healthy activism. Read | Mahasweta Devi: Devi of the downtrodden I know who you are, you are my Gaura dis daughter. And let me tell you I have known your mother since our days in Shantiniketan, much before she became the great writer Shivani, she said to me when I first visited her in Kolkata many decades ago. My late mother always spoke of Mahasweta with warmth and affection. They were two years apart in age and when Mahasweta, the daughter of the well-known Manik Ghatak , leader of the Kallol movement, entered Shantiniketan, mother and she developed a deep bond. You must go see my dost Mahasweta in Kolkata when you go there, provided she is not camping among some Adivasi group. And ask her to write for your periodical, get it translated in Hindi. Mother told me again and again. Yet, I was hesitant to approach her. What if she turns my request down? Or worse, laughs it off? Read | Mahasweta Devi lived like she wrote: Fearlessly and without restraint But Mahasweta di happily agreed to write for me, provided I sent her a sensitive representative who would translate her writings and get the Hindi version approved by her before he or she sent it on. This I did , and thereafter any young staffer, no matter how headstrong and cynical when they first met her, came back raving about not just the writer but the great human being that she was. The readers were ecstatic and read each piece with great joy and sent her mails she said she cherished greatly. Your paper Hindustan has provided me with a whole new audience in the Hindi belt, she would say. Then one day she proposed to write a whole series on Hindi writers that she had known and liked. It was an unforgettable exercise that not just brought a new focus upon the writings of well known writers of Hindi, but also helped wipe out the misgivings many Hindi writers harboured about fellow Bengali writers not being interested in languages other than their own. Read | Mahasweta Devi found extraordinariness among ordinary people: Amit Chaudhuri Women specially feel close to her because they feel she is a writer who knows what it is to be a woman with her physical vulnerability, her unspoken feelings about motherhood , sensuality and violence. What matters eventually, Mahasweta dis life and works teach us, is that even if you have faced a nasty, unfair and brutish life, that you do not turn cruel or wasteful, and do not keep the truth from those who need it. The morality this frail old and ailing lady stood for, all along the volatile Singur agitation, was organic, autonomous, nurturing and balanced like her writings. As we bow to her memory, perhaps we now need to mount a campaign to make all her works available in all Indian vernaculars, just as we campaign to keep a good leader in power, no matter what the odds. The writer is an author, journalist and former chief editor of Hindi daily Hindustan. Read | She was great fun, unassuming as a person: Upmanyu Chaterjee on Mahasweta Devi Troubles are mounting for regional airline Air Pegasus with lessors approaching the aviation regulator to deregister its planes so that they can take them away. Bangalore-based Air Pegasus, which did not operate a single flight for the second day running on Thursday, has defaulted on payments to leasing companies due to a severe cash crunch. The airline has cancelled flight operations indefinitely, HT reported on Thursday. We have received a request from the lessors. We are examining the matter, said an aviation ministry official, who did not wish to be named. Aircraft lessors, who had leased planes to Kingfisher, had also approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take their planes back after the Vijay Mallya-led airline defaulted on payments before shutting down operations. According to sources, Shyson Thomas, MD, Air Pegasus, is negotiating with the lessors to reach a settlement. We had suspended operations for two days. We will start operations from Saturday, Thomas told HT. Sources, however, said it looked very unlikely that the airline would be able to start operations this week. Decor Aviation-promoted Air Pegasus operates to 16 sectors with Bangalore as its hub, and has a fleet of three ATR 72 aircraft. It launched operations in April last year. The airline is in talks to raise fresh funds. It needs an infusion of at least 100 crore immediately, said an official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hero MotoCorps joint managing director Sunil Kant Munjal has decided to step down from the companys board as Hero Group, run by the Munjal family, seeks to enter high growth businesses, including defence and power. Sunil Munjals tenure as joint MD ends on August 16. A statement from the BML Munjal family said the step down is to diversify the $5-billion Hero Group into high-growth businesses, which will be headed by Sunil Munjal. A company source confirmed that the group will expand into the areas of defence and power. Sunil Munjal is the younger brother of Pawan Munjal, chairman, MD and chief executive officer of Hero MotoCorp, the worlds single-largest two-wheeler manufacturer. This is also an exciting time for me to consolidate and to explore new opportunities that are close to my heart, said the younger Munjal. The Hero group had tried to enter the defence business last year through an acquisition of Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Co, but the deal was snapped up by Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure. Hero had also raised around 2,000 crore to go ahead with the deal. The money, sources said, will be put into the new ventures. The move is timely, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to transform India from an importer of military equipment to a manufacturer, with the countrys defence spending expected to cross $620 billion by 2022. Add that to the government opening up the sector to 49% foreign direct investment (FDI), many more joint ventures to be formed. Around $130 billion of defence contracts are expected to come up in the next few years. For example, Anil Ambanis Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Co has been in talks with Germanys Atlas Elektronik GmbH to make advanced torpedos in India. The Hero group is already present in the renewable energy space through Hero Future Energies, run by Rahul Munjal. The new power business that Sunil Munjal plans, will complement the existing portfolio. Sunil Munjal already runs some non-automotive businesses, such as Hero Corporate Service (consulting and insurance), BPO, reality, Mindmine (traning), Hero Steel (cold steel pressing), which has little contribution to Hero Groups overall revenue. Both power and defence are businesses of scale, which Munjal is not used to running all by himself. He has not been involved in Hero MotoCorps day-to-day operations, run by Pawan and a team of professionals. Throw in the growing competition from large corporate houses Reliance Industries, Reliance Group, Mahindra Group, Bharat Forge, Tata Group and Hinduja the transition may not be an easy one. Terrorist sympathiser that was Twitters abuse of choice for me this past week. Why? Because I stated entirely matter of factly that Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen militant whose killing has pushed the Kashmir Valley to a precipice of uncertainty, was the son of a school headmaster. In what now seems to be a doomsday prophecy, just a few weeks ago I was deep in the interiors of South Kashmir, the epicentre of the insurgency, reporting on the dangerous new trend that Delhi was ignoring-school toppers, from economically well-to-do households embracing the gun. Our reports had warned that if denialism continued to be the defining response to this new challenge, India would soon be staring down an abyss in Kashmir. We did not know these words would be proven true so soon. I return from Srinagar a second time with an even greater sense of foreboding. The fortnight of violent unrest in the Valley after the elimination of Wani is finally under some sort of control. But its more like a lid slapped tight on a pressure cooker still simmering with smoke and fire. In a wounded Valley, it is the hospitals that wear the scars of the grievous injury to the body politic. Strapped to one bed was a 14 year old. Insha Manzoors face was pock-marked by pellets, little black dots perforated her face where the iron balls of a single cartridge hit; her head was wrapped in swathes of white the pellet gun had caused a critical brain injury; she lost vision in one eye and the chances of recovery in the other one are extremely slim. On the Internet there is a gory, much-too-close picture of her blood-torn eyes, shared and re-shared, now a lightning rod for rage. Insha was not at a protest march for Wani; she was inside her house apparently looking down at the unrest outside when the pellet smashed through her head. Read | Pellet gun victims as young as four On bed after bed, in ward after ward I met young men and women often no older than 18 who may never be able to see again. The so-called non-lethal pellet gun has had lethal consequences, blinding scores of young Kashmiris partially or permanently. At last count the number of eye surgeries performed for pellet injuries were close to 100. It is the nature of the gun itself and the distance from which it is fired that is the problem. A pump action gun, it splatters hundreds of metal bits into the air all at once, like the full-throated gush of a fountain enabling a single shot to cause multiple injuries. Read | Despite Rajnaths plea, pellet firing continues in J-K That the home minister has finally set up a panel to review the use of these guns is welcome. The truth is no matter how aggressive, violent or radicalised the crowds of protesters may have been this cannot work as our security protocol. The large scale blinding of young Kashmiris has eaten into the authority of the State. On the other side of the trenches, at the citys Army Hospital, I met wounded policemen and paramilitary soldiers who spoke of often being outflanked by protesting crowds, sometimes in the hundreds that rampaged their posts and camps. They spoke of stations and courthouses that were set on fire, as even women lined up to snatch away weapons. I met Nisar Ahmed Bhat, Kashmiri himself, whose broken, fractured face was framed by a long bandage hed been hit by stones and was unable to even speak. Another CRPF officer B Shivaiya spoke haltingly of their limited options in taking on the rage of the street and then said with more wisdom that any Twitter patriot possesses How can we how shoot at them; they are our own people. Read | Its yesterday again: Kashmirs old wounds need political healing A fake binary has been created by a section of the media that to explore the fault-lines of Kashmir is to be anti-national or opposed to the military. I would argue that if Indians really care about our men in uniform, we should be pushing even harder for a dialogue process instead of sending more young boys to stand in the line of fire because of the failure of politics. Why should the police, CRPF and Army pay the price for the absence of political engagement? Especially when every Kashmiri can contrast it with how the government responded to the quota agitation by Jats in Haryana, where railway tracks were uprooted, milk plants and shops set ablaze and policemen pelted with stones. Not just that; its now confirmed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court that women were dragged out of their cars, taken to the fields off the highway and gang-raped. Yet these men were not sprayed with pellet guns that blinded; they were not labelled seditious or anti-national, they were not even crushed with the full force of law. Instead, police officers acquired gulails or slingshots to counter the stones being hurled at them to put on a more people-friendly image. And because of cynical electoral caste calculations, a relatively prosperous community with a questionable right over the benefits of reservation was rewarded for its anarchy. So what are we telling the people of the Valley that the law applies differently to them and differently to the people from Haryana? Or is that the price they must pay for being the much vaunted atoot ang of Bharat Mata, except that the State is playing real estate agent, instead of compassionate parent focused on the land, not its people? Read | Kashmir unrest: More autonomy for states is the only answer Yes, Haryana does not have a secessionist dimension; it does not have terrorists like Hafiz Saeed stoking the fire. But what about Nagaland? Prime Minister Modi stood shoulder to shoulder with NSCN (IM)s T Muivah to underscore his own investment in finding a political solution to the insurgency. Why has no one used this paradigm for Kashmir? Why is it nationalist to push a political dialogue in Nagaland but treacherous to ask for the same in the Valley? The last few weeks have made it evident that instead of investing political capital in Pakistan as Narendra Modi has done he could have directed some of that energy toward our own people. Talking to Srinagar is way more important than talking with Islamabad. Barkha Dutt is consulting editor, NDTV, and founding member, Ideas Collective. The views expressed are personal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray confuses and confounds many by his constant raging against the BJP and targeting of Narendra Modi in particular. But both Modi and Uddhav know very well why there is no love lost between them and much of it has to do with how Gujaratis treated Maharashtrians during the struggle for a Samyukta Maharashtra (United Maharashtra) in the 1950s and Modis own current attempt to reduce Bombay in significance and accord more importance to his neighbouring Gujarat. Morarji Desai, Indias first Gujarati Prime Minister, was the chief minister of the bilingual Bombay state in the 1950s when the Samyukta Maharashtra movement was at its peak. In the 19th century, the British had reclaimed land from the sea and joined seven islands into one whole, headquartering a province in Bombay and making a strategic port city both naval and commercial of the new city. That reduced Surat, which had been Indias major port city from the times of the Moghals, drastically in importance. But enterprising Gujaratis, Jains, Parsis, Khojas and Bohra Muslims quickly realigned themselves to the changing georgraphy and moved to Bombay. After a major failure of the cotton crop in the United States in the 1860s, which was the major supply of raw material to the textile mills of Manchester, the British decided to settle large tracts of their territory in India with cotton-growers. Some of it was in Gujarat but a major portion of raw cotton came from their Central Provinces and Berar which is the Vidarbha region in modern day Maharashtra. To cater to the surplus stock, they encouraged the setting up of textile mills in Bombay and this was done by the migrating communities from Gujarat. The labour force in these textile mills, however, were migrants from the interiors of Maharashtra who came looking for jobs as the traditional balutedar system in the villages collapsed. Balutedars were village servants like potters, carpenters, weavers, scavengers etc, who were paid for in barter food or land by the upper castes whom they served. So in addition to jobs, working with Gujaratis in a British province also helped them to escape caste discriminations in their villages. Read | Stop maligning Indias image abroad: Shiv Sena slams PM Modi in Saamna At Independence, thus, Bombay ended up as a city built largely by Gujarati enterprise with local Maharashtrians even then just about 50% of the population mostly in the lower middle class bracket. By then there were also a large number of South Indians in the bureaucracy and in white collar jobs in private enterprises, with Maharashtrians being edged further to the fringes of society. The Shiv Sena was formed to protect their interests. But before that, there was a bitter struggle between Gujaratis and Mahrashtrians for the possession of Bombay. Desai, as chief minister, was reluctant to cede Bombay to Maharashtra but Desais cabinet was heavily loaded in favour of Gujaratis and much of the find allocations went to Kutch and Saurashtra than to the Konkan and Western Maharashtra which were also part of the bilingual Bombay state. When bifurcation became inevitable, Desai fought hard for the Gujaratis possession of Bombay and Maharashtrians put up a bitter fight for the same During the agitation, Samyukta Maharashtra leaders led a morcha with the slogan Mumbai aahe aamchi, naahi konachya baapachi (Mumbai belongs to us, not to anybodys father). That angered Desai no end and he shot back with, Bara. Mumbai tumchi, aata bhandi ghaasaa aamchi. (Ok. Mumbai is yours but now get back to scrubbing our utensils.) The implication was that Maharashtrians were capable of being only servants in the richer Gujarati homes. The same taunt was returned decades later by Sena leader Sanjay Raut to Gujaratis during the 2014 assembly campaign -- We will get them to scrub utensils in our homes once we form a government in Maharashtra, he said. But back in the 1950s, a morcha in protest against those remarks was fired upon on Desais orders killing 107 people at the Flora Fountain. The Martyrs Memorial there is a permanent reminder to this bad blood between Gujaratis and Maharashtrians and though ultimately Bombay was ceded to Maharashtra, the bitterness between the two communities continue to this day. Read: As Shiv Sena turns 50, is it the beginning of the end for the saffron alliance? When BJPs Pramod Mahajan first forged an alliance with the Shiv Sena, he took care to keep this paranoia under wraps but since the BJP now has two Gujaratis at the top of its affairs, old wounds tend to open up and bleed again. Last July, some Shiv Sainiks and a group of Gujaratis and Jains almost came to blows at a suburban housing society because of Gujarati food facism. Maharashtrians, even some Brahmins among them, are non-vegetarians. While they may not be beef-eaters, Gujaratis in the society objected to even the fish-eating habits of a particular Maharashtrian family. The matter reached the police, though eventually the issue was sorted out. But apart from such social and demographic dimension to this conflict, there has been a concerted attempt by the Modi government at the Centre to shift significant institutions out of Mumbai and to neighbouring Gujarat like the Bombay Port Trust to Porbandar, the Reserve Bank of India to Ahmedabad, the diamond bourse to Surat, etc. Many of these institutions have workers unions belonging to the Kamgar Sena, an affiliate of the Shiv Sena, and their shifting would have a direct bearing on the Senas capacity to garner votes by providing employment to its supporters. In fact, some months ago, Maharashtra industries minister Subhash Desai, the senior most in the Shiv Sena, wrote a bitter letter to the Centre protesting these covert moves, which were put on hold only after the political realisation in the BJP that it was beginning to lose several local self-government elections in Maharashtra and might need the Shiv Sena more than the other way round, after all. Read | Shiv Sena @50: Where does the party go from here? In view of the upcoming major election of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in February 2017 which will cause a tectonic shift in the polity were the Sena to lose the corporation after 25 years the BJP has been somewhat conciliatory. But the Sena has been more combative than before, even describing their alliance with the BJP a waste of a quarter of a century. While Modi ignores Uddhavs barbs, the Sena president carries past insults and present attempts to decimate his party as a chip on his shoulder. Local BJP leaders recently described him as a rakshas who needed to be confined to a bottle. Not very endearing to his supporters. His assertiveness, however, goes down well with local Maharashtrians. And Gujarati voters might ultimately end up making peace with the Shiv Sena. That is what both the BJP and the Congress, both trying hard to oust the Sena from the BMC, are afraid of. Also read | In Maharashtra, the fight is between the Congress and the Shiv Sena The views expressed are personal. The author tweets as @sujataanandan SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: The airport security force has caught an international airline employee taking bribe from a passenger flying abroad, who wanted to board an international flight without a return ticket. Airline staff check international passengers on a tourist visa before boarding. They can board the plane only if they show the hotel details and return tickets. Investigation revealed the passenger was guided by someone from Singapore, hinting at a bigger racket. The passenger was to travel to Doha, and then to Athens on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday night, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that handles security at the airport caught a Qatar Airways employee taking Rs 35,000 from a flyer. He had the authority to deny flyers permission to board the plane if they didnt have the required documents. We have seized the airline staff members phone. He was deployed at check-in counter to check the flyers details. Whatsapp chats show he was in touch with several other airline employees and agents, said a Delhi Police official. The Delhi Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter. The CISF has raised security concerns as more airline employees could be involved in the racket. Experts said flyers often travelled to Gulf countries on a tourist visa, and end up staying there. To check that flyers dont provide incorrect details, airlines have deployed staff at the check-in counter. Our staff members saw the incident while monitoring the CCTV. The passenger was intercepted and his documents were cross-checked, said a CISF official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: A suspected Pakistani national arrested from Kashmir and described by the government as a big terror catch had crossed over to India to attack security forces and fuel more unrest in the valley, counter-terror officials said on Thursday. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been asked to take up the case against the terror suspect, Bahadur Ali, who was arrested on Tuesday following an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district. Four other terrorists were gunned down. The NIA registered a case on Wednesday and Ali was brought to Delhi late last night. A multi-agency interrogation of Ali is on at a safe house in the national capital, said an NIA official who spoke on the condition of anonymity given. The terror suspect was on a fidayeen or suicide mission in Kashmir which has witnessed a wave of violence after security forces gunned down Burhan Wani, a poster boy of the militant Hizbul Mujahideen in the valley. Minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju termed Ali a big terror catch and hinted at using his confession to nail Pakistan. A counter-terror official said the suspect was trained by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) at its Baitul camp. Ali was drawn to jehadi ideology at a young age. He stopped studying after class four, the official added. The official said Alis journey to terror was not very different from Mohammad Naveed Yakub, a 22-year-old from Pakistans Faisalabad city who joined LeT at a young age after getting indoctrinated at a local mosque. Naveed was arrested on August 5 last year after he, along with another suicide attacker, tried to attack a BSF bus in Udhampur area of Jammu and Kashmir. Since Naveed, Bahadur Ali is the fourth Pakistan terror suspect to be captured alive in Kashmir. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON KANPUR: An upper-caste shopkeeper hacked a Dalit couple to death on Thursday after they failed to clear a debt of Rs 15 in Uttar Pradeshs Mainpuri, considered the political fiefdom of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. The incident comes against the backdrop of a series of attacks on lower caste people across the country and could spark a political backlash against the ruling SP in the election-bound state where Dalits form a sizeable portion of the electorate. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, who champions the cause of lower castes, has been vitriolic in her attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre over the rising incidents of atrocities on Dalits. Fearing law and order trouble after the killing of the couple, the administration deployed personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary( PAC) in Lakhimpur village. Police quickly arrested the accused, identified as Ashok Mishra, from his house and slapped charges under the stringent SC/ST Act. The five children of the couple Bharat Nat, 45, and Mamta, 40 were placed under the custody of one of their neighbours for the time being, officials said. Eyewitnesses said Mishra, said to be in his sixties, picked up an axe and attacked the couple who owed him Rs 15. The couple worked as daily wagers and used to buy groceries from the shop of the accused. The heads of both of them were severed; the mans body had nine wounds and womans seven, said a police officer who visited the incident spot. Mainpuri is represented in the Lok Sabha by Tej Pratap Yadav, the grand-nephew of Mulayam Singh. Assembly elections are due in the state early next year and the SP faces a tough challenge from the BSP and BJP, both of which are making serious efforts to grab power in the countrys most populous state. Mayawati, a four-time chief minister, is citing alleged atrocities on Dalit and other lower caste people to rally her voters ahead of polls. NEW DELHI: AAP legislator from Matia Mahal Asim Ahmed Khan on Thursday alleged that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his aides are conspiring to get him killed. Khan also appealed to lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and Union home minister Rajnath Singh to provide police protection to him and his family. Aam Aadmi Party spokespersons, however, refused to offer any comment over Khans allegations. Me and my family are receiving death threats from Kejriwal and his aides. If anything happens to me and my family members, he (Kejriwal) and his aides will be responsible, Khan told reporters at a press conference on Thursday evening. Asim was a minister in the Delhi government. Kejriwal sacked him in October last year for allegedly demanding bribe from a builder. The AAP government had also recommended a CBI inquiry against the former Delhi food and supplies minister. The CBI is probing the case. Khan said he had written to the union home minister and the L-G, seeking protection on May 2. However, a copy of the letter shared with the media did not have any direct reference to the chief minister. In the letter, Khan has levelled charges of life threat from Ballimaran legislator Imran Hussain, who replaced Asim in the Kejriwal cabinet. Asim defended the sudden outburst against the party leadership, saying that he and his family have been facing threats for past few months. He said he decided to come out in the open after seeing the drama that played out on news channels on Wednesday. Khan was referring to the allegations of life threat by Kejriwal against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Asked why he was being threatened, Khan said: I worked as a minister in Delhi government for nine months. I know many things which would create problems for them. I have all the proof and will expose the real face of Kejriwal and the AAP very soon. He will benefit from my death. Asim added that the threats have intensified after he demanded Kejriwal to investigate AAP legislator Naresh Yadavs role in Malerkotla Quran desecration case. I received a death threat call around 15-20 days ago. I also filed an FIR at Jama Masjid police station, Khan said. He said he was still with the AAP. NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police crime branch have arrested a 54-year-old human trafficker, wanted in three cases. The accused, Jaswinder Singh, allegedly cheated jobseekers on the pretext of sending them abroad on fake passports and visas, the police said on Thursday. A Delhi court had declared Singh of Hoshiarpur in Punjab a proclaimed offender as he was evading the law in all three cases. Two of the cases were registered in 2009, and the third in 2015. All three cases were registered at the IGI Airport police station. Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (west), said Singh was arrested last week from Sagarpur in west Delhi on a tip-off. The crime branch team, led by inspector PC Yadav, knew that Singh would meet someone near Barat Ghar on Sagarpur Road. Our team laid a trap near Barat Ghar and caught Singh, said Yadav. Singh, son of a mason, told interrogators that he studied up to Class 8, before working as a carpenter. Later, he went to Libya and worked as a welder for a few years. He then returned to India. In Libya, he came in contact with Balbir Singh. Singh went to Saudi Arabia in 1987, and returned four years later. In India, Singh met Balbir, who allegedly sent jobseekers abroad on forged passports and visas. He joined Balbirs illegal business, Yadav said. SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Thursday that Hizbul commander Burhan Wani may have been given a chance to survive if forces knew he was among the group of militants they were pursuing when they raided a house in a South Kashmir village on July 8. Mufti seemed to suggest that forces may have backed off from killing Wani a social media savvy rebel commander revered by a section of Kashmiris who rose in outrage following his death for the sake of peace in the Valley. Considering that situation was improving in the state, I think security agencies would have given him (Burhan) a chance had they known about his presence, she said while meeting mediapersons after the party held its foundation day celebrations. Wanis killing prompted weeks of violent protests that left nearly 50 people dead and scores more injured. Only this week were blanket curfews relaxed from most parts of Valley. Omar Abdullah knew about Afzal Gurus hanging that is why he imposed curfew everywhere. Had we known (about any plan to kill Wani in particular), measures would have been in place, she said. Mehbooba also blamed some professional elements for flaring up passions in the Valley. We have come to know that there are some elements who are driving the boys towards security camps and instigating attacks and getting the innocents killed, she said. She added that the elements leave the mobs before the situation gets out of control. Assuring compensation, the CM said the families of the victims will be taken care of .The boys are young, we hope their sacrifices yield some results and there is some headway on Kashmir, she said. Mehbooba also said the use of pellet guns, which have caused serious injuries to many protesters, needs a review. Minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir informed parliament recently that there have been 1,029 incidents of severe protests and stone pelting in Jammu and Kashmir so far this year in which 48 civilians and two security personnel were killed. Separatists have asked people to ostracise and boycott the MLAs of ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for facilitating oppression of their own people. In a joint statement, hardliner Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and moderate leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLFs Yasin Mallik asked for social boycott of PDP leaders. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: Maharashtras dance bar owners have moved the Supreme Court against a new law that says obscenity in dance performances will invite a five-year jail term, but does not clearly define obscenity. The law defines obscene dance as a dance designed only to arouse the prurient interest of the audience. The petitioner also questioned a bar on tipping dancers, calling it irrational. The Dance Bar Regulation Bill was passed by the Maharashtra assembly on April 13 and notified on April 20. It includes 26 conditions that bar owners must comply with to get licences. Days later, an SC bench headed by justice Dipak Misra said, It is better for women to perform in dance bars than to beg on the streets or indulge in unacceptable activities. The Maharashtra government banned dance bars in the state in 2005, rendering an estimated 150,000 people half of them dancers jobless. The Bombay high court struck down the government order in 2006 but the state challenged it in the Supreme Court, which allowed a stay on grant of licence. The top court upheld the high court ruling in 2013 before finally lifting the ban in October last year. The dance bar owners said they find the repeated attempts at banning them frustrating. In its petition to the Supreme Court filed last week, the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association said the new law was another attempt by the state to override the SC verdict lifting the ban on dance bars. It said that despite court orders, the government was yet to renew or issue licences. The association maintained the law violates the right to life/ livelihood and the right to take up a profession of ones choice. The top court had during a hearing in May disallowed a provision of the law that made it mandatory for bars to record dance performances and provide the live feed to the police. Have a regulatory mechanism in place, do surprise checks, send your police team. But no recording, it had told the state. On another provision that said dance bars cannot operate within a kilometre of an educational institution, the court had pointed out that there was no such condition for granting liquor licences. The law also stops bars from serving liquor in the performance area and from operating in residential buildings. They can function out of semi-residential buildings if they have the approval of three-fourths of the residents. It restricts bar timings between 6pm and 11.30pm, and says violations can invite fines of up to Rs 25,000. Quoting from the state governments response to its letter, the petitioner said the number of police complaints against dance bars was negligible 18, 31 and 14 complaints in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively. It also said, It appears no effort was made to verify the veracity of the complaints. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Friday rejected defence counsel ML Sharmas claim that the December 16 gang-rape victim was not violated with an iron rod, saying it cant be raised at the stage of appeal. Why didnt you raise it during the trial? Its nowhere on the record. You cant argue about something which is not there on record, a three-judge bench headed by justice Dipak Misra told Sharma, who is representing convicts Mukesh and Pawan Gupta. The defence counsel contended it wasnt medically possible that the victims intestine was pulled out without damaging her uterus, if an iron rod was repeatedly inserted. Post-mortem report prepared by the Singapore hospital where she died during treatment stated her uterus and ovaries were intact, Sharma contended. He sought to debunk the rod insertion theory of the prosecution, saying the DNA report of the victims blood sample taken from the bus cant match with that taken on the morning of December 17, 2012, as she had been given three units of blood. Citing a US case, he said the DNA of a patient changes after being administered someone elses blood. But the bench rejected his argument, saying we are not experts on DNA. Its not part of the record. You should have raised it during the trial. Objecting to Sharmas claims, senior counsel, Siddharth Luthra, representing the prosecution, asked why the prosecution witnesses were not recalled. Sharma said he had raised it before the Delhi high court. The bench asked Sharma to finish his arguments on Monday when the hearing would resume. The new academic session in municipal schools of the city started in April this year. Four months later, nearly two lakh children studying in 388 schools under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation continue to attend classes without notebooks, courtesy a stuck-up tendering process. The municipal corporations are required to provide children with notebooks and writing material. Article 8 (1) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, mandates requisite authority to provide children with books, stationery and uniforms. Textbooks are printed by the government and given to us. What will our children learn if they do not have notebooks to write in? Why cant the corporation provide notebooks for five subjects taught in the school? asked a parent, whose son studies at a municipal school in Laxmi Nagar. Officials at East Delhi Municipal Corporation, which has been grappling with a severe financial crisis for months now, said the delay was due to problems in the tendering process. There were some issues with the tender due to which the entire process had to be started again. We wanted to ensure that due process was followed. The notebooks will be made available to the students within 15 days, said Jitender Choudhary, chairman of east Delhis standing committee. Two parents have moved the Delhi High Court against the east Delhi corporation. They are supposed to provide writing material, but they do not even provide notebooks. This has become a regular problem. So the parents had to move the court, said Khagesh Jha,member of Social Jurists, an NGO working in the field of education. Interestingly, students enrolled in schools under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had to face a similar situation earlier this year till some parents approached the Delhi High Court. The members of the All India Parents Association (AIPA) have also written to the East Delhi municipal commissioner and Delhi chief secretary about the matter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kashmir has now been shut down for three weeks. Curfew was re-imposed in the Valley on Friday after a brief respite. The situation remains volatile with the youth still understandably angry because of high casualties and injuries to thousands following the use of excessive force. Both the Centre and the state government appear unsure about the next steps. They are clearly failing to find words adequate to the situation. Read | Stay the course to heal Kashmir Chief minister Mehbooba Muftis remarks on Thursday underline the difficulties of Kashmiri politicians who need to toe the Centres line while appealing to aggrieved constituencies in the Valley. Speaking at her partys foundation day, Ms Mufti said the security forces did not know the identity of the militants they were targeting on July 8 and indicated that had they known Burhan Wani, the popular slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant, was involved they would have given him a chance. Ms Mufti said her government was caught unaware this time because it didnt know that Wani was involved and pointedly drew a contrast to her predecessor Omar Abdullah who she says had advance notice of Afzal Gurus hanging in February 2013. Ms Mufti is in effect reiterating to audiences in Kashmir that as a PDP politician, known previously for soft separatist sensibilities, she will still do what she can to mediate between the resistance and the Indian State. That narrative line is, however, unlikely to have few takers at the moment. Those in the Valley blame her government for the situation and are liable to ask the chief minister if she is so well disposed to other local militants and if she is willing to scrutinise encounters with militants more closely hereon. Meanwhile the establishment in New Delhi will also question why she is expressing sympathy with Wani who had set himself up against the Indian State. Read | If forces knew it was Burhan, they would have given him a chance: Mehbooba Ms Mufti has accused Opposition leaders of stoking unrest while keeping their own children away from the streets and said Pakistan needs to be told that guns cannot solve problems in Kashmir just as they failed to in Pakistan. These are all valid arguments but the thrust of the messaging now has to be towards addressing the anguish in Kashmir. The chief minister has said the sacrifice of children will not go waste and that an atmosphere has to be created where Kashmir can move forward. Those in the Valley will legitimately argue that the issue at hand is about Kashmir moving past the experience of July 2016. Both the Centre and State government must realise that this is unlikely to happen without a measure of accountability for events in recent weeks. Failing that official rhetoric is bound to have little purchase in Kashmir. Read | As Kashmir boils, CM Mehbooba caught between politics and people For 1,200 dental students in Madhya Pradesh, studies have become akin to a worsening toothache. Such is the lag in the five-year graduation course at a chunk of the colleges that it may take almost 6-8 years to complete. Random data will suffice to throw light at the gravity of the situation: the final results of the 2009-10 BDS batch were out only last month, while students who joined in 2010-11 are doing internship. Those of the 2011-12 batch are yet to give their fourth-year examination. Madhya Pradesh has 6,000 students doing bachelors (BDS) and masters (MDS) in dental surgery in the states 12 institutestwo of them functioning under Jiwaji university. No less than 1,200 students are currently affected by a sustained lag in the course, which is regulated country-wide by the Dental Council of India (DCI). The BDS (bachelor of dental surgery) course comprises four years of study followed by a years internship. The three-year post-graduate training, MDS, offers specialisiation in a range of advanced subjects. Track records show Madhya Pradeshs dental colleges that hold annual BDS exams in a span of two years, much to the exasperation of students. Such waste of time is also perturbing authorities, some of who cited difficult rules as a reason. Delay due to tough regulations set by the MCI and DCI When HT contacted Jiwaji varsity, its exam controller AK Shrivastava spoke of the tough regulations set by the Medical Council of India and DCI. If a (dentistry) college fails to complete 240 teaching days in a year, it will lead to delay in the examination, he pointed out. Experts, though, say conducting examinations time-bound is possible if the university or college is strict on academic matters. Agrees Dr Saji Thomas, the dean of a private dental university: We have fixed timing for examinations; so we complete the course and number of classes on time. Such promptness can help organize timely conducting of exams and declaration of results. He adds. The student community is worried. A third-year student of a college affiliated with 1964-founded Jiwaji University said it took him two years to complete the second year of course. Now, I am waiting for months to give my third-year exams. It is really a major problem, he said, requesting anonymity. Students from Kashmir have an added problem: they are doing dentistry courses with the benefits of the Prime Ministers Scholarship Scheme. Once the course spills beyond stipulated time, they have to themselves bear the accommodation expenses. A female student from Srinagar said her family back home was worried, adding the case was no different with her state-mates. Some of us are being compelled to discontinue the course, he revealed. We have requested the college administration to ensure completion of the course in time, but they say it is in the universitys hand.Adds another student: A friend of mine is doing MDS; its facing a lag too. Most of the city schools declared a holiday on Friday morning while others tweaked dispersal timings after reports of water logging and traffic jams were received from major parts of Gurgaon after Thursdays downpour. The state government had already declared two days off - July 29 and 30 - for the city schools as an advisory issued on Friday morning. Further, district education officer (DEO) is directed to request all schools to close for 29 and 30 July due to pot holes and open manholes wherever situated in perspective of public safety, stated the order. Schools including The HDFC School, DAV Public School Sector 48, Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, GD Goenka sector 48, The Ardee World School and primary wing of Delhi Public School in Sector 47 informed parents through text messages, emails and also on social media about the holiday on Friday. Read more: Haryana govt calls emergency meeting as cops say dont come to Gurgaon The schools said that since all the roads were flooded with water, it was safe for the students to stay indoors. The school had sent messages to the parents informing them about the sudden holiday. The messages were conveyed to them by 6.45 am today. We do not want to take a risk with the childrens security, said Anita Makkar, principal, The HDFC School, sector 57. However, parents said that the schools did not inform them on-time. A few complained of waiting at bus stops flooded with knee-deep water waiting for the school buses. A parent whose child studies at GD Goenka, sector 48, said, GD Goenka Sector 48 informed us that the school is closed due to unprecedented rainfall. However, a few parents were frazzled as not all of the messages were received on time and the students were already on the bus stops waiting. Read more: Recipe for trouble: What worsened the rain mess in Gurgaon A student who studies in Delhi Public School, Sushant Lok said, The school did not inform us before declaring a holiday. My father battled the traffic jams and water to drop me to the school but the gates were closed. Other schools like Delhi Public School, sector 45, Ryan International School, Lotus Valley International School, Scottish High International School, Shiv Nadar School and Ajanta Public School are working. The officials from the institutes claimed that the attendance was up to the mark. Friday is a normal working day for the school. Most of our students have come and regular classes are in order, said Anita Malhotra, principal, Lotus Valley International School, Sector 50. Read more: Gurugram to Venice in one day: Twitters reaction to Gurgaon waterlogging However, the principals stated that the school would have declared a holiday if the governments notification was received earlier. But the school heads are now announcing early dispersal and even checking routes with comparatively low traffic volume. Peeya Sharma, principal of Ryan International School, sector 40, said, Most of our students are attending the school but the buses reached at least two hours late. The local administration should have informed us earlier about declaring a holiday. We received a message at around 7.30 am, it was too late. Read more: Here is how Gurgaon civic system crippled We cancelled the monthly test which was scheduled for today (Friday) seeing the condition of the city. An early dispersal, by 12 pm, has also been announced by the school so that the students are able to reach home on time, said Vaibhav Kapoor, Managing Director, Ajanta Public School, Gurgaon.. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jith Kumar Saji, 21, cant stop smiling and swinging his arms about since hes got a new pair of hands to replace the ones he lost from the elbows down from electrical burn injury when he fell on live high-tension wire in 2013. On May 24, Saji became Indias third double-hand transplant recipient and the first one to get a forearm transplant. All three transplants have been done at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) in Kochi, which is the only centre doing hand transplants in India. All the three transplants have been bilateral, which means both hands have been transplanted in a single surgery.Forearm transplants for patients with hands missing from the elbow are very challenging and attempted only a few times in the world Give them a hand A team of 25 surgeons and 12 anaesthetists led by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Subramania Iyer worked together to preserve as much tissue as they could and transplanted the new hand over them. The entire surgery on Saji, including the retrieval and transplantation, took 14 hours and was done free. Indias first hand transplant recipient was Manu TR, then 29, who got new hands on January 12, 2015. The second recipient was Captain Abdul Rahim from Afghanistans BSF, who had lost both his arms while defusing a bomb near Kabul. Jith Kumar Saji tries out a video game after surgery restored his hands. (Photo by special arrangement) The three surgeries have put India among a handful of countries -- including the France, US, Germany, UK, Canada, Iran and China -- that have successfully done hand transplants worldwide. The forearm transplant is surgically more challenging than the wrist and hand transplants because the muscles that move the hand, fingers and thumb are located in the forearm, which was badly damaged by the electrical burns in Sajis arms. In trans[plants done above the wrist, the tendons are still connected, but in a forearm transplant, these connections have to be made to the muscle mass. Identification, tagging and connecting the nerves, tendons and arteries is very challenging, says Dr Iyer. Saving lives in death Donors are accident and trauma victims with certified brain death, a term used to describe irreversible loss of all brain function that stops the heart and lungs from working. Sajis donor was Raison Sunny, 24, who was declared brain dead after a scooter accident in Angamaly, 30 km away from Kochi. Unlike internal organs retrieval, retrieving donor arms leads to visible amputation, which is traumatic for the family with even when the retrieved arms are replaced by prosthetics. Sunny was part of a volunteer group that took accident victims to hospitals and his family readily agreed, says Dr Jimmy Mathew, who was part of the team that did the surgery. Saji was discharged on Friday but will continue physiotherapy for two years to regain complete hand function and take immunosuppressant medicines for life to stop his body from rejecting his transplanted hands. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor turned radio talk show host Jerry Doyle, who found fame on sci-fi series Babylon 5, has died at the age of 60, his family announced on Thursday. The New York native, who was found in his Las Vegas home on Wednesday, appeared in all five seasons of the 1990s show as Chief Warrant Officer Michael Garibaldi. The family of Jerry Doyle is sad to announce Jerrys passing. The cause of death is unknown at this time, they said in a statement circulated on social media. After more than 100 Babylon episodes between 1994 and 1998, Doyle turned to radio as the host of nationally syndicated current affairs program The Jerry Doyle Show and founder of the Epic Times website. Babylon 5 creator J Michael Straczynski paid tribute to Doyle in a piece for the site, joking that politically, Jerry was just to the right of Attila the Hun. Read: Latest updates from Hollywood Straczynski revealed that he helped fund Doyles unsuccessful run for Congress as a Republican in 2000, despite their political differences, because he respected the actors professionalism. In this Feb. 5, 1997, file photo, director Tony Dow, left, talks with Babylon 5 actors, Jerry Doyle, middle, and Patricia Tallman, during a rehearsal at the syndicated television show's studio in Los Angeles. (AP) It is another loss in a string of losses that I cannot understand. Of the main cast, we have lost Richard Biggs, Michael OHare, Andreas Katsulas, Jeff Conaway, and now Jerry Doyle, and Im goddamned tired of it, he wrote. Babylon 5 producer John Copeland described Doyle as a consummate professional who was always ready with a joke or playful remark to the crew. He was a great person to have on set and work with. I am glad to have been able to call Jerry one of my friends, he added. Doyle was raised in New York by his adoptive parents, a police officer and a housewife, went to school in New Jersey and became a commercial pilot after graduating in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle University. Read: All you need to know about showbiz This file photo taken on January 20, 2004 shows actor Jerry Doyle posing for portraits during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. (AFP) He switched careers to stockbroking on Wall Street, but felt he still hadnt found his niche and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. Doyle landed his most famous role after securing parts as Bruce Williss on-screen brother in Moonlighting and as a lawyer in the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. I never realized that growing up in Brooklyn, flying jets, working on Wall Street and starring in a sci-fi series was the prerequisite for the fast-paced demands of talk radio, he said on his online profile for the Las Vegas-based KDWN radio station. Follow @htshowbiz for more Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar announced in Indore on Friday that she was launching an indefinite agitation against the Gujarat governments proposed plan to fill Sardar Sarovar Dam to its Full Reservoir Level (FRL). She claimed that as many as 45,000 families will be affected if the dam across Narmada in Gujarat is filled to FRL as planned by the Gujarat government. According to our estimate, Sardar Sarovar Dam is filled up to more than 122 metres now. But the government wants to close the dams sluice gates to fill it up to 139 metres, Patkar said during a press conference here. If the (Gujarat) government has its way, 45,000 families in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra will face the problem of submergence (of houses and lands), she claimed. NBA would launch an indefinite agitation from Saturday at Rajghat area in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh against the governments plan, she said. A Kolkata-based paranormal research body is set to include more haunted places in its itinerary for curious travellers looking for spirits across the country after hosting the first ghost tour of Begunkodar, a haunted railway station in West Bengals Purulia district. At least 11 people took part in Systematic Paranormal Investigation, Research and Intelligence Teams tour of the ghost-infested station on July 23. It remained closed for about 40 years after locals allegedly sighted spirits and ghosts until it was reopened in 2009. Our first tour of Bengunkodar haunted railway station was a grand success. Now, we plan to add others to the ghost tourism map including Dow Hills in Kurseong, where the area including Victoria Boys High School is said to be haunted... Talks are on with tour operators, SPIRITs Soumen Roy said. Roy said Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan and Dulari Bhawan in Jharkhands Simultala, two most haunted places in the country, will also be added in the route. In Bhangarh Fort, visitors are not allowed after sundown. We are planning a day trip there. The response of our first tour has given us the impetus to take forward the ghost tours pan India, Roy added. (HT Photo) The tourists went to Durgapur in an air-conditioned bus and continued their journey in cars. On their way to Jhalda, ghost stories were part of the journey. Organisers also briefed them about Begunkodar where the station masters daughter committed suicide on the tracks following which locals reported seeing ghosts. After a night stop at Jhalda, the tourists made their way to the railway station only to reach it a few minutes before midnight. They spent almost three hours at the station looking for ghosts and spirits. I got the news through the internet and then joined in. If I had been alone I would not have ventured towards such a station. It was an unforgettable adventure for us. This was much different than the usual weekend tours to sea resorts or river or hills, 38-year-old Avishek Chakraborty said. For Rahul Nath, who works in a television channel, it was an experience of a lifetime. I was always fascinated with ghosts and spirits. Though we actually did not see any spirits but the atmosphere was spooky and we enjoyed a lot. I will definitely be a part of the next tour, the 34-year-old said. They even handled sophisticated equipment such as electronic voice phenomena (EVP - a recorder to monitor very low sounds), K-2 metre (to detect electromagnetic fields), infrared cameras use to trace spirits and record voices. Rules of a ghost tour * No whispering but talking loudly as whispers get recorded on EVP * No smoking because it interferes with equipment * No tapping on shoulders or sudden moves as they spook out already edgy tourists * No alcohol as it blurs judgement and numbs senses * No cell phones as their electromagnetic field disturbs equipment SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The government listed the much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill on Friday for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabhas agenda for the next week. Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, while making a statement regarding government business for the week starting August 1 in the Upper House, said the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 will be taken up for consideration and passage. The government has been making efforts to pull together a consensus on the bill, reaching out to the Opposition parties. On July 27, the Cabinet cleared changes in the legislation, dropping the controversial 1% manufacturing tax and guaranteeing compensation for states for any revenue loss in the first five years of the ambitious indirect tax regimes rollout. A resolution of the prolonged political stalemate appeared in sight on Thursday with the government and the opposition Congress reaching a broad understanding on contentious issues. This came after two rounds of meetings between senior Congress leaders and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley. The nitty-gritty will be sorted out in the next few days, sources involved in the process told HT. The Congress described this exercise as constructive and positive. Sources close to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also confirmed that there was progress in talks over the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill. The government is keen to get the GST bill approved during the monsoon session of Parliament ending August 12. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May 2015, and vetted by the Rajya Sabha Select Committee. However, the measure got stuck in the Upper House, where the government does not have majority, as the opposition Congress sought changes in it. Once the Rajya Sabha clears the legislation, the amended bill will be returned to the Lok Sabha for its approval. The GST legislation, which intends to convert 29 states into a single market through a new indirect tax regime, was earlier planned to be introduced from April 1 this year, but the deadline was missed as the legislation remained in limbo in the Opposition-dominated Rajya Sabha. With inputs from PTI Curfew was re-imposed in four districts of south Kashmir and Srinagar city on Friday, in addition to a clampdown in parts of the Valley to thwart a planned march to Jamia Masjid by separatists here. There is curfew in entire south Kashmir and Srinagar, while restrictions have been imposed in north and central Kashmir, a police official said. He said all four districts of south Kashmir Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian were under curfew to maintain law and order. The separatists had asked the people to reach Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar to pay tributes to the people killed in the recent violence in the Valley. Protests broke out across Kashmir on July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter by security forces. In the ensuing clashes between protesters and security forces, 47 people, including two policemen, were killed and 5,500 others were injured. On Thursday, the authorities lifted curfew and restrictions from across the Valley, except Anantnag town, after some improvement in the situation. Mobile internet services remain snapped, but the postpaid services were restored across all networks. Call incoming facility on prepaid connections too has been restored, but not outgoing. Normal life remained paralysed in the Valley for the 21st consecutive day on Friday in view of the strike call given by the separatist camp. Schools, colleges and business establishments remained closed due to the strike while public transport remained off roads. Attendance in government offices was very short, the official said. The separatist camp has extended the shutdown call in Kashmir till July 31. The shutdown will continue as usual with daily relaxation after 7 pm till late hours, according to a joint statement by the separatists, including both factions of the Hurriyat, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, and Yasin Malik-led JKLF. The separatists asked the people to hold sit-in on roads on Saturday and offer the late afternoon and evening prayers together. They also asked people to observe an hour-long blackout from 8 pm. The separatists have also urged people to visit martyrs graveyards to offer special prayers and paint slogans and graffiti on walls and roads on July 31. Read | Despite Rajnaths plea, pellet firing continues in J&K Read | Kashmir unrest: Curfew lifted from Valley except Anantnag town A team of three doctors from an eye hospital in Mumbai conducted 46 eye surgeries in three days on those injured due to the use of pellet guns by security forces during clashes in Kashmir over the past three weeks. In all, 58 such surgeries have been conducted in the last few days, including 46 by the team led by Dr S Natarajan in the last three days, said an official spokesperson after chief minister Mehbooba Muftis interaction with the team of ophthalmologists from Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital, Mumbai. Head of the ophthalmology department in GMC, Srinagar Dr Tariq Qureshi said five operation theatres were only dealing with eye surgeries. The team from Mumbai, which also comprised Dr Syed Asgar Hussain and Dr Marwah, appreciated the treatment protocol undertaken by the faculty of ophthalmology at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar. The chief minister was informed that over the last two weeks, 210 patients with eye-related injuries were admitted to SMHS Hospital. As many as 173 preliminary procedures or surgeries were carried out satisfactorily by the team of eye surgeons at the hospital. Advanced surgeries, as per the treatment protocol and requirement, were subsequently initiated, the spokesperson said. Mehbooba enquired about the status of patients admitted to and operated upon at the hospital. She appreciated the efforts of the doctors, expressed gratitude to Dr Natarajan and his team and Borderless World Foundation (BWF) for their role. She said her government was committed to provide all the assistance to the patients and specialised treatment, if required, would be made available to them, including taking a patient outside the state. Dr Natrajan observed that the facilities at SMHS match the best anywhere in the country for eye care and expressed confidence that no patient of eye surgery would be required to be taken outside the state for treatment since the best was already available here, the spokesperson said. Dr Natarajan though noted that experts from outside the state can keep visiting for regular follow-up of the patients and to assist. The chief minister expressed her desire that the eye care facility at SMHS Hospital should be developed as a centre of excellence in ophthalmology by making further additions to the existing facilities, said the spokesperson. Mufti agreed to add high-value equipment to the centre and advised the principal, GMC, Srinagar to have a plan of action prepared and submit a proposal for funding to the state government. Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh, who had been on the run for about a week after making derogatory remarks against BSP chief Mayawati, was arrested in Bihars Buxar on Friday. Lucknow zone inspector general (IG) A Satish Ganesh confirmed the arrest of the former Uttar Pradesh BJP vice-president in an operation that was conducted with the help of Bihar Police. Singh had been missing since July 21, a day after his Bharatiya Janata Party expelled him for comparing Dalit leader Mayawati to a prostitute. An FIR was filed in Lucknow under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and a court issued an arrest warrant against him on Monday. Bihar Police said Singh was arrested from a sugar factory in Buxar. He had recently visited Baba Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar in neighbouring Jharkhand. Read: BJP expels Daya Shankar from party for comparing Mayawati to prostitute Singh, who was expelled from his party for six years ahead of the assembly elections in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh next year, drew flak from the BSP, which staged a massive protest in state capital Lucknow last week and demanded his arrest. The remarks by Singh, an upper caste leader, came at a time protests were growing in Gujarat over an attack by cattle vigilantes on four Dalit men. Singhs family alleged harassment by BSP workers, and the BJP launched a counter-campaign to condemn the alleged problems faced by the leaders wife and daughter. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will address party workers at a four-hour-long interactive session in Lucknow on Friday afternoon to energise the cadre for the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. This is the first major interactive session by Rahul after he, along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, launched the partys election campaign by flagging off the 27 Saal- UP behaal yatra in New Delhi early this month. The Congress had set up a new team headed by state party president Raj Babbar and declared Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial face. A 10-feet high open podium has been erected to give a wider visibility to Rahul and other senior leaders at the Ramabai Ambedkar grounds where about 50,000 party workers are expected to assemble from different districts. Rahul is expected to walk along a nearly 40-feet long ramp (with extension to left and right sides) to answer the questions from partymen at nearly a four-hour long session titled UP Declaration. Questions would be selected on random basis. Rahuls march to Raj Bhawan after the programme, however, has been cancelled for denial of permission for security reasons. Our main objective is to hold unhindered interaction of Rahul Gandhi with the partymen and take a pledge to free the state from 27-year misrule and bring the Congress back to power in Uttar Pradesh, said Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) communications department chairman Satyadev Tripathi. Babbar, along with partys campaign committee chairman Sanjay Singh, visited the venue and reviewed the arrangements being made there. As per programme, registration would start at about 9am. In all, 30 control rooms and 90 registration desks have been set up to enable smooth registration process. Rahul is expected to reach the venue at about 3pm. Former Haryana minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav announced his decision to quit the Congress on Friday, citing continued neglect and humiliation. Yadav, who was power minister in the previous Congress government in Haryana, blamed All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Haryana, Kamal Nath, and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for his decision. Before sending his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi late in the evening, he announced his decision on Twitter in the morning: I gave my youth and life for the congress and worked as true soldier of the party but my ego has been hurt I quit congress (sic). He followed it up with a series of tweets lambasting Nath and Hooda. However, his son Chiranjeev Rao, general secretary in the Haryana Congress unit, said he will urge his father to reconsider his decision. I am in the Congress. This is his decision. We want him to reconsider it. He is out of town. I will talk to him on his return from Ajmer. In my view, there is no party better than the Congress, he said. NATH MISLEADING SONIA A six-time former MLA from Rewari, Yadav accused the two leaders of being hand in glove and hurting his prestige. He did not give fair feedback to the party leadership, the former minister, who was in Ajmer, told HT over the phone. He accused Nath of misleading Sonia Gandhi about him and undermining his position. If he has put in 40 years in the Congress, I have served the party for 30 years. I will not let anyone hurt my dignity, he said. While Yadav has been feeling neglected for some time, the immediate provocation is the meeting of prominent party leaders convened by Nath in Delhi on Wednesday to bring truce among factions of the state unit. Yadav was first invited to the meeting and then told not to attend it. He felt slighted. HOODA ARM-TWISTING PARTY LEADERSHIP Hitting out at Hooda, Yadav accused him of arm-twisting the central leadership and having his way. Pehle Hooda government thi aur ab Hooda Congress hai (It was Hooda government earlier. Now its Hooda Congress). He has 12 MLAs and is forcing the party to toe his line. Hooda was under fire after the Jat quota stir and the Rajya Sabha fiasco, but we defended him, he said. Also read | Recommending Hoodas name for CM my big mistake: Capt Yadav Yadav said he could have stayed in the Congress, but not in Hooda Congress. When there is no respect, this was inevitable. I was elected to the state assembly when the Congress had just 5 or 9 MLAs. I have been winning in adverse conditions. Unfortunately, I lost this time, he said. Yadav had backed Hooda for the CMs post in 2005, but then developed differences with him. He had resigned from the council of ministers in 2014, criticising Hooda for focusing on Rohtak and ignoring other areas, but later withdrew the resignation a decision that he repents till date. SETBACK FOR CONGRESS IN AHIRWAL Yadavs move is being seen as a blow for the Congress in southern Haryana. Another strong leader from the Ahirwal region, Rao Inderjit had quit the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Rao is now a minister in the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. Though Yadav has been accused by his detractors of hobnobbing with the BJP leaders, he denies it. Yadavs three generations have been in the Congress. His father Rao Abhey Singh was elected to the state assembly in 1952, 1957 and 1972. His son Chiranjeev Rao was the first elected president of Youth Congress in Haryana. Chiranjeev, married to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadavs daughter Anushka, is presently general secretary of the Haryana Congress unit. Also read | Regional buzz: When Capt Yadav was deputed to defend Robert Vadra! Jith Kumar Saji hasnt stopped smiling and swinging his arms about since he got a new pair of hands. The 21-year-old lost both his arms from the elbow down due to an electrical burn injury when he fell on a live high-tension wire three years ago. But he was handed his arms back on May 24, when he underwent Indias first forearm transplant at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) in Kochi. He went home on Friday. Three successful hand transplants have been done in India, Sajis case included, all at AIMS. The recipient of the first transplant, 31-year-old Manu TR, now works at the institute as a counselor to encourage people to donate organs and help other recipients get their lives back on track. All the three transplants have been bilateral or double, which means both hands were transplanted in a single surgery. Forearm transplants for patients with hands missing from the elbow are very challenging and attempted only a few times in the world. A team of 25 surgeons and 12 anaesthetists -- led by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Subramania Iyer -- worked together to preserve as much tissue as they could and transplanted the new hand over them. The entire surgery on Saji, including the retrieval and transplantation, took 14 hours and was done for free. Indias first hand transplant recipient was Manu, then 29, who got new hands on January 12, 2015. The second recipient was Captain Abdul Rahim, who worked with Afghanistans Border Security Force and had lost both arms while defusing a bomb near Kabul. The three surgeries have put India among a handful of countries -- including the France, United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Iran and China -- that have successfully done hand transplants. The forearm transplant is surgically more challenging than the wrist and hand transplants because the muscles that move the hand, fingers and thumb are located in the forearm, which was badly damaged by the electrical burns in Sajis case. In transplants done above the wrist, the tendons are still connected, but in a forearm transplant, these connections have to be made to the muscle mass. Identification, tagging and connecting the nerves, tendons and arteries is very challenging, said Dr Iyer. Sajis donor was Raison Sunny, 24, who was declared brain dead after a scooter accident in Angamaly, 30 kilometres away from Kochi. Saji was discharged on Friday but will continue physiotherapy for two years to regain complete hand function and take immunosuppressant medicines for life to stop his body from rejecting his transplanted hands. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The government has said in the Rajya Sabha that it is not in favour of abolishing capital punishment. The prevailing circumstances in which we are living does not warrant abolition of death penalty, junior home minister Kiren Rijiju told the Upper House on Friday. He was replying to a private members resolution moved by D Raja of the CPI for the abolition of capital punishment. The minister and deputy chairman PJ Kurien suggested to Raja to withdraw his resolution. But Raja did not agree, saying he has taken up the issue as a mission and with a missionary zeal. The resolution was negated by the House by a voice vote. On awarding of the death sentence, Rijiju said several factors such as the accuseds socio-economic condition, health, age and sex were considered before awarding such a sentence. Referring to recommendations made by the Law Commission, Rijiju said it suggested abolishing death sentence except for terrorism and for waging war. Courts have awarded death penalty to 2,052 individuals between 1998 and 2013, a report released last year said. However, only four people have been executed since 2000; the last being the hanging of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon in July 2015. Rijiju explained that there are several provisions, such as Articles 71, 134 and 161, in the Constitution for commuting death sentence, and the Supreme Court has made it clear that capital punishment should be used in exceptional circumstances and as an unavoidable alternative. Read: At deaths door He said there are several remedies available with regard to the death sentence. Even if capital punishment has been awarded by a lower court and has been upheld by a high court, the person can approach the Supreme Court. Even if that fails, one can approach the governor and the President of India, the minister said. India has its own basis of formulating laws and it has to respect the sentiments of the people, Rijiju said. But Raja said: It is not a question of technicality or legality, but we should look at it philosophically and morally. Now the time has come when India should emphatically say no to capital punishment. (with agency inputs) For the family of 48-year-old Gurdip Singh, the last 24 hours have been a roller-coaster ride of grief and joy. The family got a call from an embassy official around midnight on Thursday, saying Singh had been executed, 11 years after he was sentenced to death following a conviction on drug-related charges in Indonesia. But a second phone call changed everything as the official explained Singh had escaped the firing squad. Hours later, Singh called up wife Kulwinder Kaur, who had spent the night mourning in her house in Nakodar, 28 km from Jalandhar. I am content and relieved now, Kulwinder said after hearing her husbands voice again. Singh, a truck driver, was found guilty of smuggling 300 grams of heroin into Indonesia in 2004 and was sentenced to death in 2005. He was sentenced along with a Brazilian though prosecutors recommended a 20-year jail term for him. His appeals against the death penalty were turned down by Banten high court and the Supreme Court. Kaur said she had requested foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to do everything possible. Singhs family belongs to Uttar Pradesh but Kaur and her two children have been staying in Nakodar with a steady stream of visitors expressing solidarity. Singh had wanted to go to New Zealand in 2002 to seek employment as a driver but got stuck in Indonesia as his agent cheated him, Kaur said. According to Kaur, Singh was arrested in 2004 as the agent, who belonged to Uttar Pradesh, did not give him back his passport and then made him do the crime. She also blamed an unnamed Pakistani agent for his imprisonment. Kaur now works in the packing section of a local candy-manufacturing unit to support her family. In the last 12 years, he used to call every two or three months with the embassys help, the 41-year-old said. She said his younger brother Gurpreet Singh, who lives in Dehradun, had met him in jail in Indonesia through the embassy two years ago. We married in 1995 and he (Gurdip) went back to Libya for a drivers job after a few months of marriage. He returned after three years before leaving again in 2002 with the aim to reach New Zealand. Their daughter Manjot, a student of Class 11 in a local private school, said she was four years old when her father left them to earn better. She said she wants to go to college and dreamt that her father would come to support her education. His son Sukhbir Singh (14) never met his father as he was born after Singh left a pregnant Kaur behind to explore his chances of going to New Zealand via the Southeast Asia route. Read| Indian national Gurdip Singh not executed in Indonesia last night: Sushma SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Increasing cow vigilantism in India has a few common threads: rise in crimes against Dalits, fall in conviction rate, assaulters belong mostly to politically-linked influential Hindu upper castes and the victims are mostly Dalits or poor Muslims with no political voice. Dalits and Muslims in the past year have faced the ire of emboldened cow vigilante groups under the aegis of right-wing Hindu groups: Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. Attack have been reported from Daltonganj in Jharkhand to Una in Gujarat to Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh to Sonepat on Delhi-Haryana border to Chittorgarh in Rajasthan. There may not be a direct link but these Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states also account for more than half of the crimes committed against Dalits in the country, the latest report from the National Commission for Scheduled Caste has shown. According to the report based on data from the National Crime Records Bureau till 2015, crime against the weakest section of the society is on the rise. Rajasthan with just 6% of countrys Dalit population accounts for 17% of total crimes against them. In about 60% of all the crimes in the western Indian state, Dalits were among the victims. Madhya Pradesh that hogged headlined for the assault on women meat traders in Mandsaur and Ratlam districts on suspicion of carrying beef has seen about 50% increase in crime against Dalits between 2013 and 2015. Engineers, realtors: Gau rakshaks in Gujarat just a WhatsApp message away The data also shows a spurt in crime against Dalits in two other BJP-ruled states--Haryana and Jharkhand--in addition to the non-BJP ruled states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. While officials attribute the increasing numbers to easier registration of cases, they dont have a convincing answer on the falling conviction rate. As per social justice ministrys data to Parliament, the conviction rate in crimes committed against Dalits has been steadily falling since 2012. It fell to 23.5% in 2015 from 24.1% in 2012. Rights activists say the rise in crime and fall in conviction rate are a double whammy and are an indication of how the system is weighted against Dalits. Volunteers of the vigilante group of Gau Raksha Dal (Cow Protection Squad) gather to inspect a truck on a highway in Taranagar in Rajasthan in November 2015. (AFP) If we look at the trend in the past two years, most atrocities committed against Dalits are by upper castes having some political protection, Paul Divakar, general secretary of the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights, said. A similar trend of poor conviction is also visible in cases of unidentified members of cow vigilante groups booked for assaulting those in the cattle business mostly Muslims or Dalit Hindus. In Madhya Pradesh, over 100 cases of assault by the so-called vigilante groups against cattle traders were registered in the last one year. In Mandsaur, the police registered a case of assault against unidentified persons 24 hours after a video of the incident went viral. As an inspector general level officer of the MP police said mostly the cases were registered against unidentified people and the police failed to identify them. As the cases dont progress, we have no option but to close them, the officer said on condition of anonymity. The profiles of the victims of these assaults make one thing clear that most of them are from poor Muslim families. In the case of the two Jharkhand cattle herders Mazlum Ansari and Imteyaz Khan who were hanged, one of the accused was identified as Mithilesh Prasad Sahu, linked to the local Gou Kranti Manch, considered close to a local BJP leader. Two men, who were forced to consume cow dung in Kundli on Delhi-Haryana border by Haryana Gau Rakshak Samiti earlier this month, were Muslim cattle traders from Mewat region. Similarly, the teenager stripped in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan in May was a local Muslim and the accused were upper caste Hindus from a local cow vigilante group. A local BJP legislator came out in support of the gau rakshaks when the video of the assault became viral. The growth of cow vigilante groups activism in India has been somehow aided by financial incentives to cow shelters that house the rescued bovines. The Madhya Pradesh government allocated Rs 59 crore for cow shelters between 2004 and 2012. The Rajasthan government provided about Rs 15 crore to them between 2012 and 2014. States like Haryana and Jharkhand have started new schemes to fund cow shelters at least one in every district. All this clearly indicates that the rise of cow vigilantism in India in the last two years has been aided by the state (read BJP) governments with little protection of the weaker sections engaged in the cattle business. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday informed the Parliament that India has sought help from the US to check if their satellites captured any signals from the missing AN-32 aircraft, noting there was very little possibility of sabotage in the incident. Giving clarifications on the missing aircraft in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said he was disturbed by the aircrafts sudden disappearance. I am also disturbed at such a sudden disappearance. I spoke with many air chiefs, other senior air force personnel, [and] they also are puzzled by the sudden disappearance, he said. Assuring the House that the aircraft had adequate lifetime, Parrikar said maximum efforts were being made to reduce accidents, making sure that aircrafts not fit for flying was not used. He said the missing aircraft was almost at the end of the range of passive radar. In effect, in another 10 minutes it would have crossed the limit of the passive radar and there is an area around 150-200 nautical miles where there is no radar coverage either from Chennai or Port Blair. He said the aircraft had undergone its first overhaul, and already flown for 179 hours after that. The pilot had flown for over 500 hours on the route. So it is not that something new was happening, he said. Only thing that was recorded was because of a cumulonimbus cloud, which normally no aviator will like to enter into because it is a very charged and heavy cloud... they (pilots) said we are deviating to right, Parrikar said, adding that this happened 7-8 minutes before the plane went off the radar. At the time of coming down, it actually tilted to the left and descended very fast from 23,000 feet in few seconds. Then it disappeared from the radar. Two things happened, it was at the edge of radar signal where you dont get very active radar signal, you just keep track of it. There is no SOS, no transmission at any frequency, it just disappeared... That is the worrying part, he said. He also said that no signal from the emergency beacon locator has been tracked, but added it was difficult that it will be actually activated if the aircraft dives inside water. In the earlier Coast Guard case (Dornier crash) also, it had not activated, he said. Parrikar also said there was very little chance of sabotage. I cant speculate... we are searching for it but I can say only this much, though we are checking all angles, the possibility of a sabotage is comparatively very less. They have standard operating procedure; all passengers were from defence forces. About the search operations, he said the US has been contacted for any information from their satellites. We did not get even a single signal. We are now contacting the US, if their satellites have picked signals, he said, but added that a satellite may not have picked signals because of a thick cloud cover, and it also depends on whether a satellite was crossing the area at the time. He added that so far, 505 hours of air sorties have been undertaken and 23 different items noticed. Of the 23 inputs, there were 17 visual sightings and six transmissions. Indian survey ships are searching the seabed, and submarine Sindhudhwaj, which had finally located the crashed Dornier, is carrying out an underwater search. Round-the-clock air surveillance is being maintained. There are 10 Navy ships in the area. The depth of water is 3,300 to 4,000 metres. Special vessels have also been summoned, he said. The minister added that he was personally monitoring the entire operation, and getting updates every few hours. An Indian national found guilty of heroin smuggling in Indonesia and sentenced to death escaped the firing squad after last-minute diplomatic efforts by India, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Friday. Gurdip Singh was one of 14 people scheduled to be executed but was given a reprieve of uncertain duration, along with nine others on the death row. All four people executed -- an Indonesian and three Nigerians -- were convicted on drugs-related charges. Indian ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed, Swaraj tweeted. Hours before the executions, rights groups from across the world had called on the Asian nations government which has exceptionally stringent laws in drugs-related cases -- to spare the lives of the convicted. This was the third set of executions under President Joko Jokowi Widodo who was elected in 2014 on a campaign to improve human rights. We think he has been spared as of now. Further details are awaited. We hope our diplomatic efforts, which is now focussed on getting him seek presidential clemency works out, an external affairs ministry official said. India had taken up the matter with both the Indonesian foreign ministry and the presidents office, sources said. Singh, 48, was handed the capital punishment by a state district court in Banten province in February 2005. His appeals were turned down by Banten high court and the Indonesian supreme court. Along with him, three Nigerians, two Indonesians, a Pakistani, a Zimbabwean national and a South African escaped the firing squad, sources said. We are grateful to the Indian government. He called from jail a short while ago to say he is fine. All he wants now is to return home. We appeal to the government to help him come back, Singhs wife Kulwinder Kaur told HT over the phone. Afdhal Muhammad, Singhs legal representative, was of the view that he could file for Presidential clemency. The Indian embassy sent a note to the ministry of foreign affairs of Indonesia, requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out. HTs conversation with Gurdips wife Family heaves sigh of relief It was a roller-coaster between grief and joy for the family that lives in Nakodar town, 28 km from Jalandhar. Kulwinder spent the night mourning after an Indian embassy official reportedly called the family with the news of Singhs execution. Singhs sister Bhinder Kaur told HT that she got the call from the embassy confirming that he was executed by a firing squad. The embassy official also said that his body will reach his house at Nakodar near Jalandhar in 23 hours. The official misinformed us. We have still not got a call from the embassy, Kulwinder said. Kaur said Singh wanted to go to New Zealand in 2002 to seek employment as a driver but got stuck in Indonesia as his agent cheated him. Singh was arrested in 2004 as the agent, who belongs to Uttar Pradesh, did not give him his passport and then made him do the crime. She also blamed an unnamed Pakistani agent for his imprisonment. Singh had called his family on Thursday morning saying that was his last call to them. Take criticism constructively and fight back when necessary, UPSC topper Tina Dabi told students of Delhis Lady Shri Ram College on Thursday/ It is a mans world and to fight back we have to develop a very thick skin. Take criticism very constructively, but at the same time fight back and retain your position, she said during her visit to the alma mater for the first time after topping the prestigious examination, Dabi was given a starry welcome by the college. Dabi said she has developed a thick skin within a very short time after she became the topper. In the beginning when the television and newspaper wrote and said several things about me it affected me a lot. About my marks in the examination and my caste I was upset. But I learnt from all this and now it doesnt affect me at all, said Dabi. Read| UPSC topper scored less than 59 others in personality test Though Dabi did not get the cadre of her choice, she said she was happy about getting her second choice Rajasthan. Wherever I go, I will work against gender discrimination and women empowerment. To whichever district I am posted I want to set an example for my subordinates by working with integrity and empathy, she said. She spoke in detail about the Beti Padao Beti Bachao scheme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Calling the attack on the Dalits an unfortunate incident she said the only way to fight against it was by keeping faith in the system. In the packed auditorium at the college where Dabi completed her graduation, she had inspired many young women. One of the students from Hyderabad said seeing Dabis picture in the college magazine was one important reason for her to join LSR. Some even sought tips from the 22-year-old IAS on preparing for the toughest civil service exam. It is important to study smart. What I mean by studying smart is that it is important to focus on strong points and identify the strength and weakness. My mathematics was not strong but I knew my polity was strong. So I worked on it, said Dabi. Calling the attack on the Dalits an unfortunate incident she said the only way to fight against it was by keeping faith in the system. In the packed auditorium at the college where Dabi completed her graduation, she had inspired many young women. One of the students from Hyderabad said seeing Dabis picture in the college magazine was one important reason for her to join LSR. Some even sought tips from the 22-year-old IAS on preparing for the toughest civil service exam. It is important to study smart. What I mean by studying smart is that it is important to focus on strong points and identify the strength and weakness. My mathematics was not strong but I knew my polity was strong. So I worked on it, said Dabi. Read| IAS topper doesnt get her first choice; wanted Haryana, gets Rajasthan cadre Three men allegedly involved in the abduction of Keralite priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil and carrying out an attack on a care home for the elderly, killing an Indian and 15 others in Yemens port city of Aden, were arrested in the strife-torn country. Based on information that we have received from our Embassy in Djibouti, it appears that the information is correct, official sources said when asked about reports that suspected terrorists involved in the two cases were captured. They said there was no information available yet on the whereabouts of Father Uzhunnalil, adding the Indian Mission continues to work with the local authorities to ascertain information on him. The priest, who hails from Kerala, had gone missing after the Islamic State militant group attacked the old age home run by Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity. One Indian nurse and 15 others were killed in the attack on the care home in Aden city on March 4. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had said last week that efforts were on to secure release of the priest. The Indian Embassy in Yemens capital Sanaa was closed last year following widespread violence. The embassys functions are being carried out from a camp office in Djibouti. Family members of Aabesh Dasgupta, a teenager who allegedly died during the birthday party of writer Amit Chaudhuris daughter, met chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday. Aabeshs mother, grandmother and three other members of his family met Banerjee at her residence a day after Kolkata Police claimed that the death of the 17-year-old was an accident according to the preliminary investigation. Aabesh died during the birthday bash of Chaudhuris daughter at the basement car parking of their apartment at Sunny Park, Kolkata on July 23. A blood-soaked broken liquor bottle was found from the spot. Sources said that the family members, including Rimjhim Dasgupta Aabesh mother, spoke with Banerjee for nearly an hour and expressed their concern over the ongoing probe. They told the chief minister that they strongly believe that Aabesh was murdered and that the probe is being influenced to protect the accused. They appealed to Banerjee for justice. On Thursday, officers claimed that initial investigations indicated that the death was accidental. They suspect that Aabesh suffered fatal injuries during a fall while trying to scale a fence to enter the playground inside the apartment complex. Vishal Garg, joint commissioner of police (crime), said that initial investigations indicated that there was no foul play and that the death was accidental. Going through the CCTV footage and examining the circumstantial evidence, there appears no foul play or conspiracy involved. The visceral examination reports are still awaited, but investigations so far reveal the death to be accidental, he said, adding that these findings werent conclusive. Aabeshs family has been alleging it was a case of murder and that the probe was being influenced to protect the accused. The entire country is not ready to accept that it was an accident. We strongly believe it was a murder. The accused are influential, Soma Thakur, Aabeshs maternal aunt, told reporters on Thursday evening. Police have already recorded statements of Chaudhuri and others who were present with Aabesh the day he died. US President Barack Obama will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit at Hangzhou, China, on September 4-5 for bilateral discussions on several issues, including terrorism and expansion of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). South Block sources said the two leaders are also likely to discuss economic and defence relations besides the agenda before the multilateral forum. The bilateral meeting was finalised after the two-day visit of the US deputy national security adviser Adewale Wally Adeyemo to New Delhi, where he met finance minister Arun Jaitley, power minister Piyush Goyal besides senior officials at the Prime Ministers Office and external affairs ministry. Adeyemo, who reports to the US national security adviser Susan Rice, handles economic relations at the National Security Council. Adeyemo visit comes ahead of the India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue in New Delhi on August 30-31. US secretary of state John Kerry and commerce secretary Penny Pritzker will lead the American delegation to the dialogue. Sources also said that defence minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to visit the US next month for a meeting with his counterpart Ashton Carter. The dates are being worked out at the official level. During Parrikars visit, India and US are likely to sign the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) at the ambassador level as well as carry forward discussions on India acquiring long-distance, high-altitude armed drones from American defence majors. The agreement will allow both countries to share each others military facilities for replenishment of supplies. While the Indian PM and US President have met on the sidelines of G-20 dialogue in the past, the Hangzhou bilateral meeting indicates a strong multilateral agenda as well the need for the two countries to keep up the momentum set in the June meeting, officials said. The meeting is expected to be significant as it comes after an international tribunals ruling against China on the South China Sea as well as Beijings continued opposition to Indias entry into the NSG. The Modi-Obama meeting will be with officials of both sides. The two leaders will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping separately, said a senior South Block official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Indias shoddy urban infrastructure lay exposed on Friday as monsoon rains triggered miles-long traffic snarls in three of its biggest cities, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours without water or food while politicians traded blame for the mess. The worst-hit was Delhis satellite town of Gurgaon. The jam was so bad that cars and trucks, ambulances and school buses backed up for up to 24 hours in a hair-pulling drive home. Many were seen abandoning their cars and wading through knee-deep water. Unruly drivers, raucous caravans of kanwarias, or devoees of Lord Shiva, and submerged cars clogged Gurgaons arterial roads. Authorities ordered all officials to come out and help clear the jam. Municipal workers distributed food packets and water to motorists stranded on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. Schools were ordered shut for the week. The crisis forced police to ask Delhi residents to skip office and avoid Gurgaon. At many places, paved median strips were hacked off to divert traffic. Video: Bengaluru residents catch fish on waterlogged roads Read | From traffic mess to blame game: All about Gurgaons waterlogging woes The traffic nightmare began on Thursday afternoon after a heavy downpour choked storm drains and flooded roads, triggering the monster jam that was, finally, cleared around 4pm on Friday. The chaos left many residents fuming. It took me four hours to drive 6 km, said Randeep Dev, a consultant at a private bank in New Delhi. Our cities are a living hell in the monsoon. Water logging at MG Road near transit camp in Mumbai, India, on Friday, July 29, 2016. (Vijayanand Gupta/ HT Photo ) Some of Gurgaons frenzied scenes were mirrored in Mumbai and in Bengaluru, where rainfall over the past three days inundated most of Indias IT capital as lakes breached their banks and people were seen fishing in the swirling waters. Within hours, authorities had deployed boats to rescue people from low-lying areas and rushed personnel to treat those injured by falling trees. In Mumbai, heavy showers on Friday morning killed a 45-year-old man after a tree collapsed on his car as many parts of the city witnessed waterlogging and huge puddles, slowing down traffic to a trickle. Experts blamed a combination of poor urban planning, clogged storm-water drains and administrative apathy for the pain. Members of the fire forces and volunteers participate in relief operations in a low lying flooded area of Bangalore on July 29, 2016. (AFP) In Gurgaon, a rush to build more apartments, malls and office complexes in what is now known as the Millennium City ensured ponds, embankments and water channels that drained monsoon run-off vanished in the last three decades. Read | Gurgaon: The crisis isnt over yet, another spell of rain could mean disaster The mess also caused a heated political row, especially over Gurgaon, with rival political parties blaming each other for the flooded roads and traffic jams. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party blamed the BJP government in Haryana and chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for not being prepared to deal with the rain. Quicker to reach New York from Delhi then Delhi-Gurgaon. BJP & @mlkhattar govt destroying Gurgaon as Indias global hub, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said. Khattar rejected the charges, blaming Delhis AAP administration and calling for an emergency meeting in Chandigarh. But he cancelled a scheduled aerial survey due to bad weather. Read | Recipe for trouble: What worsened the rain mess in Gurgaon In Gurgaon, as water levels rose, the Centre stepped in to oversee relief work. Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari rushed a team of senior officials of the National Highway Authority of India to Gurgaon and asked NHAI chief to coordinate with state authorities to unclog NH-8. I just spoke to Haryana CM and told him this is an important city and international focus and attention is on it. All steps should be taken to clear the jams, Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters on Friday afternoon. The state administration is attending the problem on an emergency basis. A Tweet from Manish Sisodia, Delhi deputy chief minister read: Development doesnt mean just changing names. Glib talk wont clear jams. (With inputs from Mumbai and Bengaluru bureaux) Read | The Good Gaon days: When Gurgaon wasnt a concrete monster US President Barack Obama is hopeful that his successor will continue to take forward Americas engagement with India, the White House has said. President Obamas Asia rebalance has included prioritizing the United States relationship with the worlds largest democracy, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Thursday at his daily news conference. So I think its an indication of the long-standing warm relationship between United States and India. Some of that is a result of the investment of diplomatic capital that President Obama has made in that relationship, he said. The President is hopeful that his successor will do the same thing, because it benefits the American people, and our economy, and certainly our national security, he said. And President Obama has travelled multiple times Indian and the president has been warmly received by the Indian people in each visit. I know that he has enjoyed each visit, he said in response to a question. Earnest said Obama has appreciated the effective working relationship that hes had with the leaders of both countries. Of course, the President and Mrs Obama hosted by Mr (Manmohan) Singh and his wife here at the White House for the very first White House State Dinner. And President Obama was able to work effectively with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach an agreement about the commitments that India would make in the context of the Paris Climate Talks, he said. That was viewed by many as the linchpin of completing the agreement in Paris, Earnest said. Obama, he said, has indicated is that he is committed to ensuring a smooth transition from the Obama administration to his successor. Im confident that will include conversations between President Obama and the President-elect when the time comes. I dont know how wide-ranging that discussion will be. It certainly could include India. But whoever it is, President Obama is committed to ensuring a smooth transition, he said. A day after he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament for failing to control rising prices, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said Modi should set a definite date by when prices of pulses would be reduced or the Congress will launch an agitation against his government. Modi has been making false promises. But this time, he should set a date for bringing down prices of pulses. We will fight for the cause of farmers. We will fight to tell Modi that the poor people do not believe in false promises, Gandhi said at an interactive session with partymen. About 50,000 Congress workers braved heavy rain to interact with Gandhi. The Congress vice-president added, Earlier, they tried to take away your land (referring to amendments to the Land Acquisition Act) and now they want to take away the dal from your plate. Targeting rival parties, Gandhi said no development took place in Uttar Pradesh in 27 years. You voted with your heart for a youth (in 2012 assembly election). Akhilesh is a good (theek) boy but he failed to deliver, he said. UP has goondagardi and the law and order situation is poor. Why will any businessman come here? While goondas dominate during the tenure of one (Samajwadi Party) government, they (businessmen) have to feed the elephant (BSP) during the regime of the other, he said. This was Gandhis first major programme after he and Congress president Sonia Gandhi flagged off the 27 saal, UP behaal yatra from Delhi to Kanpur to sound the poll bugle in Uttar Pradesh. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Friday asserted that home minister Rajnath Singh was visiting Islamabad next month solely for the purpose of attending the SAARC ministerial conference and ruled out any possibilities of bilateral talks with leaders of Pakistan. The home minister is not travelling for a bilateral engagement with Pakistan, he is going for a SAARC related event. You know the importance that we attach to SAARC, to regional cooperation, to regional prosperity. So please take this in the right context. He is visiting Pakistan for a SAARC related event as home ministers of India have been attending all previous home minister related events in the SAARC context, MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a press conference. Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has articulated his vision on innumerable occasions that SAARC should be revitalized and that its is an important vehicle for bringing the region closer to each other, Swarup added that it would not send a very healthy signal if importance is not given to SAARC and to SAARC related cooperation in important areas, such as drug-trafficking, narco-trafficking, border management, anti-terrorism. Read: Rajnath to meet Pak counterpart on sidelines of Saarc summit: Sources Maintaining the stand that India wants a peaceful, cooperative relationship with Pakistan, Swarup said that India is prepared to discuss all outstanding issues with Pakistan, but in an atmosphere free of terror and violence. It is incumbent upon Pakistan to create the right conditions for that political dialogue to take place. Humanitarian issues will always be important to us, in fact they are important to both countries and any mechanism or institution which promotes cooperation on humanitarian issues, must be pursued, he added. When asked if the home minister could possibly hand over any information, any dossier or any follow-up bilaterally on Indias terror concerns to his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, the MEA spokesperson stated that there is no such proposal and re-iterated that Rajnath is only going for a multi-lateral SAARC event. Rajnath will be accompanied by Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and several other senior officers of the home ministry. Sources told ANI that Rajnath will raise the issue of cross-border terrorism at the meeting. The meeting in Pakistan is significant as Singh last week slammed the neighbour state for interfering in Indias internal affairs - the current unrest in Kashmir. Blaming Pakistan directly for the tense situation in Kashmir, Rajnath had said that Islamabad must understand that instigating youth to pick up weapons is not correct. I want to tell my neighbour that instigating our youth to pick up weapons is not correct. We dont need third partys involvement to address the situation that prevails in Jammu & Kashmir, he said, adding that Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism and it must not encourage violence in Kashmir. At the 13th SAARC Summit held in Dhaka in November 2005, the heads of state decided that the SAARC Interior/home ministers would meet annually preceded by a meeting of the interior/home secretaries to strengthen cooperation in the area of counterterrorism, which they agreed was a challenge to all states and a threat to humanity, and could not be justified on any grounds. The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Centre on a petition by eight army doctors seeking enhancement of their superannuation age of 58 to 65 in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modis public announcement. A bench headed by justice Dipak Misra asked the government and army to respond to the plea of the doctors who are retiring this month. The petitioner doctors, all of Colonel rank, have sought a direction to Ministries of Defence, Health, Chief of Army Staff and Director General Armed Forces Medical Services that the governments May 13 notification in this regard be followed to enhance their age of superannuation to 65 years. The petitioners pointed out that the notification issued after the announcement made by the Prime Minister was being followed in paramilitary forces like CRPF, BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, NSG and Assam Rifles. Executive instructions have been issued by the railway ministry and other ministries/departments of the central government thereby enhancing the age of superannuation of all medical doctors serving under the respective ministries/departments to 65 years. However, no such executive instructions have so far been issued in respect of the medical officers serving under the ministry of defence, including the medical officers belonging to the Army Medical Corps/Army Dental Corps (AMC/ADC) of the Indian Army, the petitioners said. The Petitioners herein are being discriminated against in the matter of equality of opportunity of public employment which is violation of Article 16 read with Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The in-action/refusal on part of the respondents (Centre and others) to extend to the petitioners herein the benefit of enhancement of age of superannuation to 65 years is also violative of the petitioners fundamental rights enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, petitioners contended. The Supreme Court on Friday rejected defence counsel ML Sharmas claim that the December 16 gang rape victim was not violated with an iron rod, saying it cant be raised at the stage of appeal. Why didnt you raise it during the trial? Its nowhere on the record. You cant argue about something which is not there on record, a three-judge bench headed by justice Dipak Misra told Sharma who is representing convicts Mukesh and Pawan Gupta. The defence counsel contended that it wasnt medically possible that the victims intestine was pulled out without damaging her uterus, if an iron rod was repeatedly inserted. Post-mortem report prepared by the Singapore hospital where she died during treatment stated that her uterus and ovaries were intact, Sharma contended. He also sought to debunk the rod insertion theory of the prosecution, saying the DNA report of the victims blood sample taken from the bus cant match from that taken on the morning of December 17, 2012 as she had been given three units of blood. Citing a US case, he said DNA of a patient changes after being administered someone elses blood. Read: Exclusive: In Delhi, a rape accused has 83% chance of acquittal But the bench rejected his argument, saying, We are not experts on DNA. Its not part of the record. You should have raised it during the trial. Objecting to Sharmas claims, senior counsel Siddharth Luthra, representing the prosecution, asked why the prosecution witnesses were not recalled. Sharma said he had raised it before the Delhi high court. The bench asked Sharma to finish his arguments on Monday when the hearing would resume. Read: Family, police pressure: Why most rape victims turn hostile during trial Besides Mukesh and Pawan, two other convicts are Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur. They were been given death penalty by the trial court in September 2013 for raping a 23-year-old paramedic in Delhi on December 16, 2012, leading to her death few days later in Singapore. Six months later, the Delhi high court upheld their conviction and sentence. All the convicts moved the SC in 2014, which stayed their execution. Six persons, including a juvenile had assaulted the woman in a moving bus in south Delhi. Later, the accused threw out the victim and her male friend at an isolated spot. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012, triggering nationwide protests. The SC had on April 4 began final hearing the convicts appeal almost two years after staying their execution. Read: Only 12% of those charged with raping children convicted in Delhi Police on Friday arrested separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as they tried to march from their residences to Jamia Masjid in Srinagars Nowhatta area. Geelani was arrested by police as he tried to defy the house arrest orders, a spokesperson of the hardline Hurriyat Conference said. He said a police team whisked Geelani away to Humhama police station. A spokesperson of the moderate Hurriyat Conference said its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was also arrested and taken to Nigeen police station as he tried to march to Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers. The separatist camp had jointly called for a protest march against the recent civilian deaths in security forces action during the clashes in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Authorities have imposed strict curfew in the city to thwart any such attempts. Friday prayers were not offered at the Jamia Masjid for the third consecutive week due to the ongoing unrest. The Supreme Court will on Friday resume final hearing on appeals filed by four convicts awarded death for raping a 23-year-old paramedic in Delhi on December 16, 2012, leading to her death few days later. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra which had decided to sit beyond its working hours -- will take up the appeals at 2 pm and go on to hear arguments till 6 pm, though the courts working hours end at 4 pm. The SC had on April 4 began final hearing the convicts appeal almost two years after staying their execution. The decision to devote extra hours on each Monday and Friday was taken on July 11 after senior advocate Sanjay Hedge, who was asked by the court to defend two accused, had requested the bench for having non-stop day-long hearings so that verdict was delivered in time. Hegde had said it was not prudent to have piecemeal hearing. Justice Misra had in an unprecedented move held an overnight hearing of Mumbai blasts case death convict Yakub Memon in July last year. Earlier, Justice Misras bench had told Hedge and senior advocate Raju Ramachandran to assist the court because the lawyer the accused hired were unable to argue well. Ramachandran will argue for Mukesh (29) and Pawan Gupta (22) while Hegde will represent Vinay Sharma (23) and Akshay Thakur (31). Ramachandran had defended Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The top court had held Kasab guilty and sentenced him to death. It had appreciated Ramachandrans assistance in the case for which the senior counsel did not charge money. Even in the gang rape case the two lawyers will not be paid by their clients. The SCs legal aid will remunerate them, if they accept it. But two of the four death-row convicts had written to Chief Justice of India TS Thakur and Justice Misra, stating that they do not approve of the defence counsel appointed by the court to argue their case in the top court as they had given statements against them to the media in the past. The trial court had in September 2013 awarded death sentence to the convicts. Six months later, the Delhi high court upheld their conviction and sentence. All the convicts moved the SC in 2014, which stayed their execution. Six people, including a juvenile, had assaulted the woman in a moving bus in South Delhi. Later, the accused threw out the victim and her male friend at an isolated spot. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012, triggering nationwide protests. In an effort to find a permanent solution to the fishermen issue with Sri Lanka, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj held a high-level meeting with various stakeholders on Friday. The meeting was attended by representatives of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and 13 representatives from the Fishermen Association of Tamil Nadu. It was also attended by officials of Prime Ministers Office, Coast Guard, ministries of Agriculture, Home, Defence, External Affairs and the Indian Navy. The 9th India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission Meeting on February 5 had agreed on the need to work out a permanent solution to the fishermen issue. External affairs minister chaired a meeting of internal stakeholders earlier today afternoon to discuss the way forward towards a permanent solution to the fishermen issue between India and Sri Lanka, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. He said release of 77 Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka on July 25-26 and their repatriation to India set the immediate backdrop to the meeting. The discussions between stakeholders on the Indian side focussed on different aspects requiring attention, including the livelihood concerns of Indian fishermen and introduction of sustainable fishing practices, said Swarup. He said all stakeholders agreed with Swaraj that it was important to resolve the issues quickly. It was agreed that Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare/ Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries would take action on specific measures suggested to meet livelihood concerns of Indian fishermen. There was agreement among all stakeholders that practical and pragmatic solutions needed to be pursued so that fishermen on both sides can pursue their livelihood in a safe, secure and sustainable manner, said the MEA spokesperson. Almost a quarter of Indias 370,000 beggars are Muslims, newly released data from the 2011 Census show, reinforcing that the community still lags behind on most counts despite the countrys rapid economic growth. Muslims, the largest minority who make up 14.2% of Indias 1.25-billion population, come out pretty much at the bottom of most socio-economic indices, even a decade after a high-level government probe into their historical disadvantages led to policy actions. India has the second-largest Muslim population globally, after Indonesia. There is a high level of destitution and disparity. But (it is) not surprising, said Amitabh Kundu, a development economist who led a committee to evaluate the policy impact on the community. Talk of Muslim development is often polarising and evokes sharp views in the political sphere. But the landmark 2006 report by the Sachar Committee, which was commissioned in 2005, showed the community faced disadvantages. The report found high poverty and low literacy levels among Muslims. Despite the community being highly self-employed, their access to credit facilities was very limited. At that time, less than 5% of Muslims held government jobs. Their living conditions were comparable, and on some parameters, worse than other backward categories such as Scheduled Castes, the report showed. All these point to discrimination, Kundu said. Read | State has to correct discrimination against Muslims: VP Ansari A raft of development programmes unveiled to reverse these indices hasnt plugged the gap, although there has been some progress. Government employment is up from 5% a decade ago to 8.50% in 2014-15, but thats way below their share in the population. Higher education indices for 2014-15 put the gross enrolment rate at 13.8% for Muslims, compared to an all-India figure of 23.6%. Within their community, the literacy rate of Muslim adult males is 81%, compared to 91% among Hindus, 94% among Christians and 84% among Sikhs, according to a 2013 report of the National Sample Survey Organisation. Muslim population inside jails is going up too. Of the people lodged in Maharashtra jails in 2013, 31.09% were Muslims. The state average was 19.06%. Policymakers say it is time to revitalise programmes flowing from the Sachar Committee recommendations. We submitted our findings on this. The government hasnt rejected it, but hasnt taken any step to implement it either, said Kundu, who was tasked by the previous UPA government with evaluating the progress of minorities. The Kundu-led committee had said reservation for all Muslims looked difficult given constitutional hurdles. It had recommended reservation for the most backward Muslims counted as Scheduled Castes because if the Constitution doesnt allow reservation on the basis of religion, it also doesnt allow discrimination on the basis of religion either. Inequity at the level of the district skews the picture even more. There are many versions to it linked to occupations, education levels and also social identities expressed in terms of religious and caste affiliation, said Abusaleh Shariff, the former chief economist on the Sachar Committee who now leads the US India Policy Institute. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Even as the Congress sharpened its attack against two young ministers in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet facing allegations, the BJP is planning to brazen its way through the Opposition strikes in the state legislature. On Friday, Leader of Opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil moved a breach of privilege motion notice against the chief minister for his reply last week in the debate on corruption against his ministers. Vikhe Patils notice states that Fadnavis reply pertaining to charges against labour minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar and tourism minister Jaykumar Rawal were not factual with an intention to mislead the Assembly. Fadnavis in his reply had given a clean chit to both the ministers but documents from the Opposition now show that his defence is unlikely to stand scrutiny. Thats one of the reasons the CM agreed to review the stance on Thursday, saying if new evidence proved the ministers guilty they will not be shielded. Despite this, sources in the BJP told HT that in the aftermath of former senior minister Eknath Khadses ouster, the party was in no mood to give in to media trials. And, the CM at the risk of losing his moral high ground is expected to point at the ongoing trials in both the cases to decide the fate of his ministers. The chief minister feels that unless a minister has been proven guilty of misusing his office or indulging in corruption after induction in the government, there is no need to sacrifice him. In the case of both Patil-Nilangekar and Rawal, the cases are old and have been dug up by their political rivals. We will let the law take its own course in these cases, said a senior BJP minister. While Nilangekar is named in a CBI charge sheet, Rawal faces proceedings in a CID investigation but has been given a door open for quiet exit from the case. The CID has charge sheeted 26 directors but not Rawal. The BJP is also likely to use a 2014 Supreme Court judgment, given by a five judge bench that said disqualification of those who are charge sheeted or have criminal proceedings pending against them as ministers is outside the ambit of law and remains prerogative of the chief minister or the Prime Minister to take the call. There are no guidelines, precedents or existing laws in such a case. The judgment makes it clear that it is the right of the CM to take the decision. However, the judgment, had advised the PM and CM to not induct charge sheeted people in their cabinets,said a senior law official. Fadnavis is largely expected to leave it to the criminal justice system to decide his ministers fate at the risk of losing moral high ground. However, the Congress has alleged that since BJP came to power in October 2014, the probe is slower. Rawal got a respite in the CID probe in the Rawal co-operative bank scam even though a former SIT and audit report had nailed the directors role in the scam. And, the CBI, despite a charge sheet has made no progress in the Nilangekar case for a nearly a year. Nilangekars discharge plea is pending before the court and could offer the minister an escape route. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A set of conjoined twins born with a common heart will not be rushed into surgery, said doctors at the civic-run LTMG Hospital in Sion. The babies were born to a 26-year-old woman, a Sion resident, on Wednesday morning through a caesarian section. The babies are doing fine. A surgery is not required urgently. We are doing tests such as CT scan and MRI to check the feasibility of operating on them, said Dr Paras Kothari, head of department, paediatric surgery, LTMG Hospital. Read: Rare conjoined twins share heart, lungs and kidneys We need permission from their parents and the hospitals ethics committee before we can operate on them. We will definitely not perform a surgery for the next 3 to 4 days, he said. The babies, who weigh around 4kgs, have separate heads and partially common lungs. However, they are completely fused below the abdomen. They have two legs and three hands. One of the hands is fused together, said Dr Kothari. Doctors said conjoined twins are extremely rare, with one in two lakh cases across the world; their survival rate ranges between 5% and 25%. In such a case, separating them is not an option. One of the babies may die, said YS Nandanwar, head of gynaecology department, LTMG Hospital. Only in cases where the twins share common organs like liver or kidney, there is a possibility of both surviving, he said. The mother of the conjoined twins, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, may undergo a psychological evaluation. We will discharge the mother in a day or two. Until now the babies were being fed from the milk bank. But the mother will soon be allowed to do so, said Dr Nandanwar. Past incidences of conjoined twins June 2016: A set of conjoined twins with a common heart and a liver, were born to a 26-year old woman from Marathwada. They were on their way to Mumbais Sion Hospital for surgery. However, they did not survive A set of conjoined twins with a common heart and a liver, were born to a 26-year old woman from Marathwada. They were on their way to Mumbais Sion Hospital for surgery. However, they did not survive January 2014: Conjoined twins Riddhi and Siddhi, who were are now three-years-old, were surgically separated in 2014 at BJ Wadia Hospital, Parel. They shared a common pelvis The Ambedkar brothers have planned to push forward their agitation shramdaan -- planned on July 30 to restore the demolished Ambedkar Bhavan at Dadar, as the Bombay high court asked them to maintain status quo on Friday . The Peoples Improvement Trust demolished the Ambedkar Bhavan and Buddha Bhushan Printing Press -- once the epicentre of Dr Ambedkars fight against untouchability, which hold great significance for Dalits -- on June 26. They said a grand 17-storey structure would be built on the plot at a cost of Rs60 crore. Ambedkars grandson Prakash announced the plan to restore the bhavan through voluntary work or shramdaan at a massive rally on July 19. Lakhs of supporters were expected to reach Dadar for the restoration programme on Saturday. We respect the judiciary and have decided to abide by the order, said Anandraj Ambedkar, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkars grandson. We have already waited long and two more days [the next hearing is scheduled on Monday] will not make much difference. Rattled by the show of strength, CM Devendra Fadnavis offered to rebuild the structure according to the plan of the Ambedkar brothers. But they turned down the offer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the convention of the Republican Party of India in October to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. According to Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, Modi has agreed to be part of the function to be held at Pune. During his meeting with Modi, Athawale discussed various issues, including handing over of Indu Mills land, where a grand memorial of Dr Ambedkar is being planned, along with the appointment of a caretaker for the house in London where Dr Ambedkar lived. Maintain status quo, says HC The Bombay high court restrained on Friday entry into the demolished Ambedkar Bhavan premises at Dadar, staying the proposed and much-advertised shramdaan or rebuilding of the structure scheduled for July 30. Justice Kathawalla was hearing an application filed by the Peoples Improvement Trust (PIT), which manages the bhavan in Dadar, seeking a stay on the proposed rebuilding. The trust told the court the demolition was only as per the BMCs directions. In the notice, the BMC had said that the building was dilapidated and posed a danger to the public. Three of the occupants Prakash, Anandraj, and Bhim Rao, all grandsons of Dr Ambedkar however, refused to vacate, even after we told them they will be allowed to live in the building once it was rebuilt, the trust told the court. The HC directed all stakeholders to maintain status quo till further orders and directed the police chief to take action against anyone who defies its orders. The matter may come up for hearing on Monday. HTC Delhis deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that for the first time in Indias history, journalists were being questioned over their patriotism, and in the same breath, took a swipe at them, saying they wanted to resolve national issues in their studios. Speaking at the orientation ceremony at Amity University in Noida on Friday, the senior Aam Aadmi Party leader took a critical view of how journalism was being targeted but didnt go easy on journalists themselves. I, myself, have been a journalist for years and this is for the first time that journalists are being questioned on whether they are patriotic or not. They are being divided into binaries. Female journalists are facing sexual harassment and abuse on Twitter, said Sisodia, while addressing the new students at Amity University in Sector 125. Sisodia was referring to the recent spat between two prominent journalists over reporting on the Kashmir agitation. Taking a jibe at the controversy, he said television channels today wanted to resolve the India-Pakistan issue in their studios. Patriotism is being run in studios. The ones who beat their chest for our armys soldiers in their studio are not concerned about them; they are just concerned that a news channel in competition has different views from them. They wish to resolve Indo-Pak diplomatic issues in their studios, Sisodia said. Critical of the pseudo patriotism of some, he said love for ones country should not be limited to its map, but should extend to its people too. Loving India is not just restricted to loving Indias map. That love should be for Indias people too. There are people who respect the national flag but suppress others. That is farzi rashtrawad (false patriotism). In my opinion, an infiltrator bringing drugs or weapons in our country is as dangerous as a sweet shop owner mixing adulterated materials in his product, Sisodia said. Addressing media students, he said journalists needed to take a stand, whether right or wrong, and should not be neutral in their approach to issues. To report facts is journalism. Journalists should not be neutral in these times and must take a stand, whether on the right side or wrong. Today, journalism has been restricted as the act of balancing. Reporters get a byte from BJP, Congress and AAP and then they run the story. Journalism is about finding the truth and reporting it, said Sisodia. The deputy chief minister parried questions from the students, one of which was about how social media was changing the relevance of news organisations. Today, an adivasi boy in Chhattisgarh can connect to people on his own through social media. He doesnt need TV channels and newspapers to tell the world about how an adivasi lives. That is the power of social media. It has broken the pretentious illusions and arrogance of media houses that they and only they control the news. Sisodia however refused to be drawn into a discussion over his tweets. On being asked about a recent tweet he posted on the Gurgaon traffic jam where he said merely changing names will not bring development and jumlas will not remove jams, he simply said, I said whatever I had to in my tweet. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) on Friday signed an agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) under which the latter will handle the maintenance and operations of the 30-km Noida-Greater Noida Metro link. The under-construction route is to be ready by November 2017. The NMRC signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of Mangu Singh, managing director, DMRC; Santosh Yadav, managing director, NMRC; Vikas Kumar, executive director, DMRC; and PD Upadhyay, general manager (finance), NMRC. The DMRC will continue providing its expertise and services to the Noida-Greater Noida Metro link project until NMRC develops the capacity to maintain such big projects on its own, said Yadav. We have signed the agreement for three years to begin with, but it may be extended for two more years if required. We hope that in the next three years, we will develop the capacities and take up operations and maintenance in our own hands, said Yadav. On November 7, 2014, the Noida authority had formed its own metro rail corporation to build the 30-km link as its first project. The NMRC owns this 30-km metro project. It will deal with departments like legal, administration, land, accounts, finance, and strategy. The DMRC will only maintain and run it. Later, the NMRC will take over once it gets some experience, said a DMRC official. DMRC and NMRC officials have already discussed issues like ticketing, security and technology. The Noida-Greater Noida metro link will have the same ticketing system as the Delhi metro has in its existing lines. The DMRC has assured that metro rides on this route will be seamless and hassle-free, said another NMRC official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The sealing of marriage palaces here has left booking parties high and dry in the monsoon wedding season. About 10 days ago, the Punjab and Haryana high court issued orders to close these illegal banquet halls by August 31. With 40 of 71 venues shut in just one day since the action began on July 27, the owners and the guests have no time to recover. Also read: Sealing in wedding season! 80% marriage palaces in Amritsar illegal The places were booked a month in advance. My brothers wedding reception is two days from now. How do we find a new place so fast? said Pritpal Singh, whose family lost the Taran Wala Brigde venue for July 31. The manager declined to book Harjinder Palace, said Amritsars Jagsirat Singh. My sisters wedding is due and theres no venue available. Harpreet Singh, owner of Vicky Palace on the Tarn Taran road said he had returned the booking amount for two functions in the coming week. Like me, he said, many palace owners stare at losses. Also, thousands of workers are about to lose their jobs. I brought my family from Khemkaran (Tarn Taran district), 70 kilometres from Amritsar. Where do I take them now? said sweeper Nirmal Singh. The owners who gathered at Ravindra Palace on the Chamrang road said the civic body and the administration should have given them a six-month notice, so that they could fulfil the requirements of legal business. Owners association president Jagdeep Singh Narula said all palaces were licensed and paying nine taxes and other fees for 25 years. Still we remain illegal. We dont know what more the government expects from us. The sealing notice states that the palaces were neither opened without the governments permission nor fulfilling its criteria. The court has asked the deputy commissioner, municipal commissioner, and the principal secretary of the local bodies ministry to appear before it after sealing the palaces or go to jail. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The uncertainty over commencement of international flights from Chandigarh International Airport continues, as neither the government of India nor the airlines could give a specific time schedule to the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday. IndiGo Airlines, one of the carrier interested in starting an international flight from the city told the HC that it was yet to get central government nod for time slot. Air India also failed to give any schedule and stated that it would be able to give any definite schedule of proposed combo after mid-August. It came to light that IndiGo had submitted a proposal to the air force authorities for clearance of time slot, but central government counsels were unaware of the development. Within 48 hours of the receipt of application. The permission would be granted, assistant solicitor general, Chetan Mittal told the HC. Appearing for IndiGo, senior advocate ML Sarin told the court that the airline would announce the flight schedule within ten days of receiving the nod about time slot. HC wants advanced landing system within 3 months The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has proposed to put in place Instrument Landing System, (CAT-IIIB), which helps aircraft in landing during dense fog conditions by April 2018. However, a miffed high court bench of justice SS Saron and justice Lisa Gill wanted it within next three months, before the onset of this winter season. Mittal told the court that he would seek fresh instructions on this deadline. He added that the ILS system as well as resurfacing was to be done by Air Force, but funds would be given by the AAI. He added that it would not be possible to get it done within three months. Otherwise, we will have to close the operation at airport till the time ILS system, runway upgrade is not completed. It is a defence airport, he said. Later, the HC posted the matter for next week, asking the central government to reconsider the deadline so that the airport could have the ILS facility at the earliest. The HC also directed the government to consider the IndiGos proposal of time slot for international flights. Poll strategist Prashant Kishors scheme of things at the state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singhs events is persistently not going well with the party leaders. On Thursday, Kishors Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) volunteers created embarrassing situation for the party again during the Halke Vich Captain show here when they directed local leaders to leave the venue of a press conference to be addressed by Captain Amarinder. For the media briefing, the IPAC volunteers had put chair only for Captain and they didnt want any other person around. However, the idea was vehemently opposed by the local leaders who questioned the rationale behind this. PPCC spokesperson Dr Navjot Dahiya, former minister Brij Bhupinder Lalli and Laddi Sherrowalia did not relent and argued with the IPAC volunteers. The volunteers complained to programme coordinator who got furious and pulled out his team saying Jo karte hain karne do (Let them do what they want). Captain Amarinder Singh in Shakot for the Halke vich Captain programme. (Pardeep Pandit/HT Photo) On July 24, in Kartarpur, MP Santokh Chaudhary left the venue in protest, alleging misbehaviour by the IPAC team that did not allow him to sit beside Captain during a similar programme. Chaudhary returned only after Amarinder intervened. On Wednesdat at Nangal, an ex-MLA who organised the programme was asked to leave Amarinder alone during a press conference. The matter reportedly has already reached the party high command. The role of local leaders has been restricted only to bring crowds. The leaders face humiliation in front of supporters when they are not allowed to even stand behind Capt. I fail to understand what is the rationale behind this? said a senior party leaders. A few leaders have already complained to the Congress high command about the high-headedness of Kishors men. When this correspondent asked the PCC chief on the issue, he defended the Kishors team, saying Halke Vich Captain was entirely an IPAC show and not that of the party. Payal Kamat, a senior IPAC functionary, said the event had been planned in consultation of the PCC chief and there was nothing like ignoring the party. This event is aimed at projecting brand Amarinder.There is another programme where Captain freely meets party workers, she said. SYL row: Capt shows Haryana records to target Badal Shahkot (Jalandhar): Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, on Thursday, released March 1, 1978, proceedings of the Haryana assembly, charging Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal with having acquired land for the construction of the SYL canal in Punjab. Dont miss | Cong MLAs mass-resignation promise on SYL political gimmick: Badal Amarinder said Badal as the CM had acquired the land for the purpose in 1978 and also taken money from Haryana. Badal wrote to the Haryana government, demanding Rs 3 crore more as he had taken Rs 2 crore for the purpose. This was in follow-up to an agreement between him and then chief minister of Haryana Devi Lal that it (Haryana) would pay Rs 5 crore to Punjab, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It took Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal just 15 minutes to get bail in the defamation case filed by Punjab revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia but the city was prisoner to their invading supporters for hours on Friday. Commandeered by senior leaders and a couple of ministers, the Akali crowd packed the main entrance to the court so tightly that even Majithia struggled to get in and Kejriwal had to be ushered through the backdoor. Police couldnt hold the rampaging Akalis even a few metres, when they had no trouble holding the AAP workers a kilometre from the judicial complex, at Circuit House, where Kejriwal had made the night halt. AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and other party leaders with the crowd outside Circuit House before appearing in court in Amritsar on Friday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photo) Both Akalis and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers occupied streets outside the court complex. As soon as Kejriwal secured bail, slogans rang out there against Majithia and drug menace. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) camp, pitched there since 8.30am, responded with slogans accusing Kejriwal of defaming Punjabis. It was a placard war. Punjab di Jawani nu badnam karoge taan rokange, bani da niradar karoge te thokange (If you defame Punjabs youth, well stop you, if you disrespect Sikh scripture, well batter you, threatened Akali signs. The AAP banners played up Kejriwals statement: Mein ik vaar nahi hazaar vaar kahanga, Majithia chitte da taskar hai (Ill say it not once but a thousand times, Majithia is a drug smuggler). Police let the crowd build up outside the court, not expecting it to get so big. With an Akali-AAP clash first thing to avoid, police commissioner Amar Singh Chahal led Kejriwal into the court under his protection. After 15 minutes, the AAP leader came out and was whisked away amid tight security. The court has granted bail to Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh and set the next hearing for October 15, said senior lawyer and AAP leader HS Phoolka. (Co-accused) Ashish Khetan did not appear today but he will be here at next hearing. Majithia has sued the three AAP leaders for accusing him of running Punjabs drug trade. State elections are due next year, and the AAP is a major challenger to the ruling Akali-BJP combine. (with inputs by Surjit Singh) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With Arvind Kejriwal attacking Punjabs ruling Akali Dal on the drug issue, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal hit back saying the Delhi chief minister was a frustrated man unaware of the dignity of his chair. On Friday, Badal said it doesnt behove of a chief minister to issue statements like the one made by Kejriwal against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and even against the Akali leadership. Dont miss | Arrest me within 6 months or get arrested: Kejriwal dares Majithia Interacting with the mediapersons on the sidelines of his sangat darshan programme in Bhadaur assembly segment here, Badal said the irrational and baseless allegations levelled by Kejriwal - without any proof - reflect his hollow personality. Throughout my life I have been a votary of morality and I firmly believe that Kejriwal must desist from issuing such statements just for sake of scoring brownie points, he said. Kejriwal, AAPs national convenor, earlier on Friday had attacked the Punjab government after getting bail in a defamation case filed by Punjab revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia. Renewing his allegations against Majithia, brother-in-law of SAD chief and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Kejriwal said Punjab was in a bad state due to the drug issue. Badal claimed that due to its pro-people policies the SAD-BJP alliance would return to power in the state. Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and Kejriwal must stop dreaming about coming to power in the state as people will repose their faith in growth and welfare oriented policies of alliance, Badal asserted. Also read | Defamation case: Kejriwal court appearance set to become a solidarity show On a query regarding possibility of former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the chief minister said it would hardly have any effect. He reiterated that people of the state have a strong dislike for political opportunists and turncoats and the people would teach a lesson to Sidhu for deceiving the BJP. Earlier addressing the public gatherings during Sangat Darshan programme in Shehna, Jangiana and Bhaduar, the chief minister, while assailing the state Congress Chief Captain Amarinder Singh for misleading the people on Sutlej Yamuna Link canal issue, said that distortion of facts by Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar could not absolve him or his party from the sin of hatching the conspiracy to rob the waters of state. A day after Delhi chief minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal asked his party-men to gear up for an ugly battle with the powers that be through a video message, his maiden appearance in a defamation case in Amritsar court on Friday has been turned into a major political event. The party has given an open call to all its workers and supporters to reach the Amritsar Circuit House (where he is staying) by 9am to show solidarity with their beleaguered leader. Kejriwal landed in Amritsar on Thursday evening and will be appearing in the district courts in a defamation case filed by revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia. Majithia has dragged Kejriwal and other AAP leaders to court for tarnishing his familys reputation on the issue of drugs. Also read: Delhi CM lands in Amritsar for Majithia defamation case, Akalis in a huddle Kejriwals visit comes at a time when he is hitting back at the Modi-led BJP government at the Centre for indulging in oppressive vendetta politics, targeting his MLAs and putting them behind bars on various accounts. And in Amritsar, Kejriwal is looking at the perfect setting to send a strong message to his opponents. He intends to play the ideal victim of vendetta politics, who is paying a price for standing up against repression of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance in the state, but with the multitude on his side. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at the Amritsar airport on Thursday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT Photo) The district police are gearing up for the hearing which is likely to take the shape of an impromptu rally and the AAP is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that all roads lead to Amritsar. The partys social media channels are constantly calling supporters to reach Amritsar and leaders across the state have been asked to muster crowds for the event. The masses that gather in Amritsar tomorrow could prove to be a turning point in the rookie partys eventful journey towards the assembly polls early next year. The show in Amritsar also becomes significant in terms of it being touted as an anti-Majithia outpouring of public sentiment. The AAP has used the defamation case against its leaders as an opportunity to launch a scathing attack on Majithia. In the past week, AAP supporters and some who seem like election ticket hopefuls have put up posters at several places in the state vouching that the allegations levelled against Majithia are true. In these posters, the AAP supporter/leader is openly challenging the police to nab him for saying so, adding that Majithia should file a defamation suit against him as well. Dont miss | Kejriwals remarks of murder fear from PM Modi cheap tantrum: Badal The party has also widely circulated a telephone number asking people who believed that allegations against Majithia are true to give a missed call to register their response. The efforts of the party are also visible on the social media where anti-Majithia sentiment was trending this morning. Besides Kejriwal, the partys in-charge in Punjab Sanjay Singh and its Delhi dialogue commission vice-chairman Ashish Khetan will be appearing. The suit was filed on May 20 under Sections 499, 500, 34, 120-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure and court summons were handed over to Kejriwal two days ago. In the evening, Kejriwal will be visiting the Dalit family allegedly beaten up by cops at Sukhera Bodla village in Jalalabad, the deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badals constituency. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A court in Amritsar on Friday granted bail to Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal and two other party leaders in a defamation case filed by Punjab revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia. Kejriwal, along with AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khetan, who were co-accused in the defamation case, were present in the jam-packed court room. The court of additional chief judicial magistrate on July 18 issued summonses to Kejriwal and the others to appear before it following the defamation case. The AAP leaders had accused him of patronising drug trade in Punjab and even called him a drug lord. Many Kejriwal supporters came out in solidarity with the AAP supremo in Amritsar on Friday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photo) Scores of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal activists also came out in support of Majithia. Majithia said he wanted speedy trial in the defamation case so that the AAP leaders go behind bars for defaming him. The allegations pertain to three incidents: first being the alleged derogatory remarks made by Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh at the Maghi Rally held at Muktsar Sahib on January 14, allegations levelled against Majithia by Kejriwal during his visit to Amritsar on February 27 and statements of Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khetan in Chandigarh. Also read | Defamation case: Kejriwal court appearance set to become a solidarity show At a time when deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is talking of providing online services in all departments, the Patiala municipal corporation (MC), it seems, still lives in a Stone Age as it till date does have a dedicated website. This is because of the lethargic approach of bureaucracy and local politicians, who dont want to go online to cover their misdeeds. Meanwhile, however strange it might seem, despite not having a website, the Patiala MC has been seriously planning to go online with its data pertaining to birth and death records. Though the MC authorities for the past several years have been claiming that the website would be made available very soon, it seems a distant dream as of now. In cities like Jalandhar and Ludhiana, the MC has started public interface through the website and even started receiving payments through the online mode. Even mayor Amarinder Singh Bajaj had made tall claims that the website would be launched soon, which would enable the functioning of all the branches of the MC through online, besides facilitating the residents to deposit their taxes online. But nothing concrete has been done so far. Its sad that Patiala is one of most educated class city, but for every service one has to approach the MC office. Sukhbir Badal is promising big things, but in reality, the MC has done nothing to fulfill the deputy CMs dream. Its sad that the MC dont have a basic website in an age when even small shops have their own websites, said Harkirat Singh, a resident of Model Town. Meanwhile, the MC authorities had registered the domain, but are yet to make the website functional. The domain, it is learnt, expired on July 9, but authorities are unaware of it. Like previous promises, mayor Amarinder Bajaj said he would make sure that the website becomes operational within the next few days. The process of activating the corporations website is going on. We have outsourced the work of putting the data online and after converting the data into soft format, proper indexes will be made before uploading it on the website, he said. The civic bodys authorities have started the process of putting the whole date online for the convenience of people so that the residents can generate the date easily from its website. Yadavindra Public School (YPS), run by the family of Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh, has changed its hierarchy after the Council of Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) rejected the appointment of a new headmaster in May. The school has created directors post for major general Sanjiv Verma (retd), whom the education board found inexperienced for headmasters job. To comply with the council rules, the school will fill the post during its board meeting on August 7, said board chairman Malvinder Singh, Amarinders younger brother. The post of the director will also be ratified officially. Last headmaster, Stanley Vinod Kumar, retired in April after 10-year service. Malwinder justified the changes by saying that the headmaster will look after academics and the director after overall administration of the school. However, insiders say its the director who will call the shots, which will undermine the headmasters post. That will not be, said Malwinder, as both will be members of the board to have say in policy decisions. Major general Verma denied that the arrangement was a knee-jerk reaction to the turning down of his candidature as headmaster. The school was thinking of this model for some time and it exists many other premier schools. The school is big and the past headmasters were unable to focus much on administration. Being a director, my focus will be to look after the schools expansion and smooth running, he said. The school has 1,700 students. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Smart thinking is enabling small companies to get office addresses as swank as Connaught Place, the seventh most expensive office destination in the world. All thanks to co-working spaces, where one company subleases office space to smaller entities. Companies seeking a foothold in the premium business district of Connaught Place at budget prices or requiring space for teams working on special projects, surplus staff or for business meetings, are sharing subleased offices with others. At their disposal are fully loaded, beautifully designed workspaces with uninterrupted Wi-Fi; basic technology platforms; tax, legal and HR consulting facilities; food and beverages; coffee vending machines and recreational zones. They dont own the space but have access to premise maintenance; housekeeping; security; receptionist; office boys; secretarial support; common area maintenance; electricity; water and more. More than half of the users at InstaOffice sign deeds for more than six months. This co-working space has users across the board, ranging from freelancers, professional consultants, early stage and mature startups, SMEs to large corporations and MNCs. (Abhinav Saha/Hindustan Times) Many start-ups are now creating co-shared workspaces. We sign long-term contracts with commercial spaces and convert them into thoughtfully carved out motivational and productive work environments, which are subleased to our members, says Dr Ritesh Malik, cofounder CEO, Innov8, a startup with co-working spaces in Chandigarh and Delhis Connaught Place, which, according to property consultant CBRE has an annual occupancy cost of $147.71 (Rs10,000) per sq ft. Innov8s co-working space also has a beautifully designed terrace that members can use for meetings. (Mohd Zakir/ Hindustan Times) Employees in organisations which have booked space with Innov8 can come in at any time and work alongside people from other companies in the office which remains open for 24 hours. The maximum demand is during 12 pm to 7 pm. But this varies, SMEs and freelancers prefer starting their work early whereas startup entrepreneurs start their work around 12 pm to 1 pm and stay late until around 2 am. No employees work at night, mostly the founders and the shareholders of companies burn the midnight oil. At night the number of members working is very less, maybe around 15 to 20, so there is undivided focus and productivity, says Innov8s Malik that has 228 members working out of their coworking spaces in Delhi and Chandigarh campuses. The co-working spaces also have common meeting areas that members can use depending on the availability of these spaces. (Mohd Zakir/ Hindustan Times (Venue: Innov8)) At these co-working spaces, companies can get dedicated desks (no one else can use them) and also private offices or business centres (where members have their dedicated soundproof cabins and office spaces). These co-working spaces are also equipped with meeting rooms, conference rooms, cafeteria, auditorium, interview cabins, and so on, that can be used by all the companies sharing the space, depending on availability of these spaces. InstaOffice also offers fully services business centres that can be used for private business meetings. (Abhinav Saha/Hindustan Times) There are no legal hassles, no headaches of maintenance, landlords and facility management of the offices. You have an office as and when you require with no strings attached, says Malik. Innov8 is one of the three startups from India to be picked up by American seed accelerator Y Combinator in June 2016. Co-working spaces have become the word of the day for small and medium sized businesses, freelancers (like photographers, IT Consultants and others), consultants, early stage and mature startups and remote teams for large corporations and MNCs. Getting the math right: Estimated savings companies can make on office expenses for a team of 10 employees. (HT Photo) One can get a desk for an employee at Rs 5,000 per month onwards at most of these co-working spaces in Delhi-NCR. The charges of meeting rooms start from Rs 199 per hour onwards, inclusive of all other services (like space, internet, basic, TV sets, projectors and beverages etc). Business centres are available from Rs 7,000 onwards depending on the location. A typical booking tenure ranges from six to nine months. However, many users, particularly startups do not like to lock in and renew their stay on a monthly basis. At InstaOffice, more than half of our users prefer to stay for more than six months, says Vikas Lakhani, co-founder, InstaOffice, a co-working space provider that launched its first centre in February 2016 and already has over 75 clients on board. At Innov8, a 24X7 co-working space, employees can also enjoy a power nap in between working hours in the nap room. (Mohd Zakir/ Hindustan Times) Co-working spaces are much more economically viable for organisations than buying or renting an office for three reasons - use of shared resources, optimal utilisation of office ability to pay only for what one uses (scalability and flexibility) and the higher ability of these co-working space providers to negotiate favourable lease terms with the landlords due to the scale. There is a clear benefit of nearly 40% in leasing co-working space (depending on the scale and facilities offered) compared to taking a conventional lease for 10 people. If you were to also consider one-time setup costs, this benefit goes up to nearly 70%, says Lakhani. The co-working spaces are fully-serviced spaces and creatively designed workspaces. (Abhinav Saha/Hindustan Times (Venue: InstaOffice)) Landlords and service providers benefit too. Demand pattern for landlords earlier used to the traditional model of leasing their large properties to single clients for a number of years for a regular rental yield has become more dynamic with a very high churn rate. This can be seen in ever increasing vacancy rates in-spite of a strong underlying demand for offices. I have a commercial space of 3,300 square feet in Gurgaon which had been vacant for nearly 18 months. I partnered with InstaOffice to set up a business centre in my property and within four months only, InstaOffice has started to generate expected rents from the space. Additionally, just six months ago, when I had tried to sell my property, I had been offered a rate of Rs 6,000 per square feet. But now, given its occupied by InstaOffice and its generating market rent, I am being offered a rate of Rs 8,500 per square feet, says K Govindarajan, a property owner. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Director Pa Ranjith has made three films in his career of which two, the recently released Rajinikanth film and Madras, have distinct Dalit rights overtones. But he doesnt want to be viewed as a Dalit filmmaker. He made the films because he was affected by it, he adds. I dont want to be known as a Dalit filmmaker. I touch upon caste inequalities in my films because Ive been affected by it. Even if I dont belong to the oppressed community, I would have continued to speak about inequalities in the society, Ranjith said, speaking on the sidelines of the films success meet. Read: Kabali review | Its a clash between signature styles of Rajinikanth, Ranjith Watch the trailer of Kabali here: In Kabali, Rajinikanth fights for the pay rights of Tamils in Malaysia, and there are subtle nods to BR Ambedkar and professor-author YB Satyanarayana. In the film, Rajinikanth is seen reading Satyanarayanas book My Father Balaiah that talks about Telangana Dalit madiga experience. Read: Madras review | Karthi, so good in Paruthi Veeran is completed wasted in Madras Ranjith said that every filmmaker should talk about the structural inequalities in the society. Speaking on the occasion, producer Kalaipuli S Thanu said Kabali is a success all over. The film has done exceptionally well all over including the US, he said. Watch the trailer of Madras here: ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Actress Radhika Apte, one of the three lead heroines in Rajinikanths Kabali, was conspicuous by her absence throughout the promotions of the film. The actor has apologised, saying it was unfortunate as she was shooting for another film. Present at the Vogue Beauty Awards, Radhika was asked about her absence during the promotions of Kabali. She responded, I know, I am really sorry. Actually I am shooting for a film called Ghoul and Kabali release was decided suddenly and my shooting is so tight that every day I was trying to make phone calls and shoot (for promotions), but its so unfortunate. Read: Radhika Apte, Dhansika and Riythvika | Women match Rajinis stature in Kabali Kabali reportedly grossed almost Rs 250 crore in five days only in India and is also doing well abroad, with the satellite and other rights also going for big amounts. About the success of the film, she said, I think its breaking all records; it is really amazing. I had a great time working with him (Rajinikanth); I think it was one of the best experiences I have had. I did have a feeling that the film will do well because of the subject, so very happy, very ecstatic. Read: Kabali review | Its a clash between signature styles of Rajinikanth, Ranjith Even before Kabali, Radhika has acted in numerous films down South. Will her next also be a South Indian film? Till now I have not decided anything, after the shoot of my current film, I will take a break and then I will decide what I will do next, she said. Radhika was also seen in Phobia and the short film Kriti this year. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Rainbows are a rare sight in the city. But head to the outskirts in the monsoon and you can chase them at the numerous waterfalls that grace the Sahyadris in this season. As the white, foaming waters crash against jagged rocks and form deep pools surrounded by banks of green, sit aroung with friends and family, take selfies for Instagram or just forget the cameras and jump in (read carefully to see which ones are safe). If youre an action junkie, try ziplining across or rappelling down them the falls, or join a group of trekkers and walk right into their midst. Read: The best waterfalls in India Kune falls, Lonavla Go rappelling or zip-lining at Kune. We have two waterfalls here in Kune. One falls from a height of 150 feet and the other from 300 feet, says Abhijeet Mhatre, the founder of Letscampout, an experience company. Letscampout has a permanent campsite near Kune waterfalls where they conduct rappelling and zip lining. The shorter one is best for beginners and the longer one for experienced rappeller, adds Mhatre. Priya Lathia, 33, a finance consultant from Vashi visited Letscampouts campsite with seven friends. The camp is neat and clean, a rare thing to find at a waterfall, says Lathia. The waterfall is neither daunting nor deep. Its perfect for adventure activities. HOW TO GET THERE: Kune is 83 kilometres away from Mumbai. Drive to Lonavla and from there it is about 30 minutes to Kune village. Contact: Letscampout Dodhani waterfall, Panvel The 120-ft-high falls in Panvel are an ideal place for fun with friends and family or an easy rappelling experience. The 120-ft-high falls at Dodhani in Panvel make for an easy and fun rappelling experience for beginners and experts, says Pratik Waghela, head of the adventure department at experience company Insider.in. My wife and I had a lot of fun rappelling at these falls, says Manjuesh Gupta, 27, a chartered accountant from Panvel who visited the falls in July. It is the perfect place to experience the activity if you are a beginner as the incline isnt too steep. Insider conducts a guided one-and-a-half hour trek and rappelling at Dodhani every monsoon. HOW TO GET THERE: Drive or take the train to Panvel; from there it is a short rickshaw ride to the falls Contact: Insider Dabhosa waterfall, Jawhar The Palghar waterfall makes for a gorgeous landscape but is in very tricky terrain, so its best admired from afar. The waterfall near Palghar flows straight down from a height of 300-feet. Arun Sawant, founder of experience company Campfire India, has been trekking to villages, forts and quaint temples in Maharashtra since 1974. I am in awe with this waterfall as it forms a pond beneath that looks magnificent, says Tikekar. It is why this waterfall can be dangerous. Waterfalls that form a pond fall with great force. The force could hurt damage the brain. Its best to admire these beauties from far. Also, the fungi-prone basalt rocks of Sahyadris are slippery, cautions Tikekar. HOW TO GET THERE: Dabhosa is 140 kilometres away from Mumbai. Take the Mumbai-Amdavad highway and drive for about two hours till Jawhar in Palghar to get here. CBD Belapur The 150-ft waterfall is a rare, green sight within the city and is in a good area for trekking. The 150-ft-high cascade over a straight, steep wall makes this a perfect spot for rappelling. Rappelling down this steep wall is challenging and not meant for amateurs, says Amey Manjure, founder of the Navi Mumbai Adventure Club. He and his friends trek and rappel here every weekend in the monsoon. The place is lush green and tranquil, which is rare to find right inside a city suburb so close to the railway station and the Mumbai-Pune highway, says Manjure. It is perfect for those who want to go for a short trek not too far away from the city. HOW TO GET THERE: Take a train or a bus to Belapur and take an auto to Sector 8. The falls are a 15-minute ride away. Bekare falls, Bhivpuri The Bekare falls are in a lovely, secluded spot, but they are known for the whirlpools at their base, so admire from a distance. The Bekare waterfall is in a secluded location and doesnt attract too many people so it makes for a good trip, says Aditya Rathi, 37, an import businessman from Nepean Sea Road. Rathi visited Bhivpuri last year with 15 friends as part of a trek organised by travel company Some Place Else. This year, they have the same trek to Bekare waterfalls on August 7. Its an easy, fun trek, to through streams of cool water, says founder Ritika Saraf. HOW TO GET THERE: 80 kilometres away. You can take a train to Bhivpuri station and an auto after that. Contact: Someplaceelse Read: The Fall: Documenting Indias first frozen waterfall trek The author tweets @riddhi09 Promising Americans a steady hand, Hillary Clinton cast herself Thursday night as a unifier for divided times, an experienced leader steeled for a volatile world. She aggressively challenged Republican Donald Trumps ability to do the same. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis, Clinton said as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates on the final night of the Democratic convention, relishing her nomination as the first woman to lead a major U.S. political party. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching at home, many of whom may welcome her experience as secretary of state senator and first lady, but question her character. She acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying I get it that some people just dont know what to make of me. But her primary focus was persuading Americans to not be seduced by Trumps vague promises to restore economic security and fend off threats from abroad. Clintons four-day convention began with efforts to shore up liberals who backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and it ended with an outstretched hand to Republicans and independents unnerved by Trump. A parade of military leaders, law enforcement officials and Republicans took the stage ahead of Clinton to endorse her in the general election contest with Trump. This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future, said retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan. We must seize this moment to elect Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America. As it happened: Hillary Clinton accepts US presidential nomination American flags waved in the stands of the packed convention hall. There were persistent but scattered calls of No more war, but the crowd drowned them out with chants of Hill-a-ry and U-S-A! The Democratic nomination now officially hers, Clinton has just over three months to persuade Americans that Trump is unfit for the Oval Office and overcome the visceral connection he has with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. She embraced her reputation as a studious wonk, a politician more comfortable with policy proposals than rhetorical flourishes. I sweat the details of policy, she said. Clintons proposals are an extension of President Barack Obamas two terms in office: tackling climate change, overhauling the nations fractured immigration laws, and restricting access to guns. She disputed Trumps assertion that she wants to repeal the Second Amendment, saying Im not here to take away your guns. I just dont want you to be shot by someone who shouldnt have a gun in the first place. Campaigning in Iowa Thursday, Trump said there were a lot of lies being told at Clintons convention. In an earlier statement, he accused Democrats of living in a fantasy world, ignoring economic and security troubles as well as Clintons controversial email use at the State Department. The FBIs investigation into Clintons use of a private internet server didnt result in criminal charges, but it did appear to deepen voters concerns with her honesty and trustworthiness. A separate pre-convention controversy over hacked Democratic Party emails showing favoritism for Clinton in the primary threatens to deepen the perception that Clinton prefers to play by her own rules. Through four nights of polished convention pageantry, Democratic heavyweights told a different story about Clinton. The most powerful validation came Wednesday night from President Barack Obama, her victorious primary rival in 2008. Obama declared Clinton not only can defeat Trumps deeply pessimistic vision but also realize the promise of this great nation. Seeking to offset possible weariness with a politician who has been in the spotlight for decades, he said of Clinton: Shes been there for us, even if we havent always noticed. Clinton was introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, who spoke warmly of her mother as a woman driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love. A parade of speakers gay and straight, young and old, white, black and Hispanic cast Trump as out-of-touch with a diverse and fast-changing nation. Khizr Khan, an American Muslim whose son was killed in military service, emotionally implored voters to stop Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future, Khan said. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. The program paid tribute to law enforcement officers killed on duty, including five who died in Dallas earlier this month in retaliation for officer-involved shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana. Violence is not the answer, Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez said. Yelling, screaming and calling each other names is not going to do it. On the conventions closing night, Clinton sought to reach beyond the Democratic base, particularly to moderate Republicans unnerved by Trump. Former Reagan administration official Doug Elmets announced he was casting his first vote for a Democrat in November, and urged other Republicans who believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party to do the same. Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump said hed like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. Hours later, Trump told Fox News he was being sarcastic although shortly after his remarks on Wednesday, he tweeted that Russia should share the emails with the FBI. Donald Trumps son has claimed that US President Barack Obama in his speech at the Democratic convention plagiarised a line, days after the business tycoons wife Melania Trump was mocked for lifting portions from Michelle Obamas 2008 speech. Trump Jr. suggested that Obamas speech in Philadelphia on Wednesday night lifted a line from his Republican National Convention remarks, pointing out that both addresses contained the line Thats not the America I know. Im honoured that Potus would plagiarise a line from my speech last week. Wheres the outrage? Trump Jr. tweeted. The charge comes after Melania Trump was criticised for lifting significant portions of her address to the convention from Michelles first convention speech in 2008. Trump Jr. is correct that both he and Obama both used the single phrase in their speeches, but it is also a line Obama -- along with past US presidents -- has used frequently in the past, NBC News reported. And other than the brief sentiment about the version of America known to both men, the context of the statements was very different, the report said. Theres so much work to do. We will not accept the current state of our country because its too hard to change. Thats not the America I know. Were going to unleash the creative spirit and energy of all Americans, Trump Jr had said in his convention speech. Obama, addressing the Democratic convention this week, had said, What we heard in Cleveland last week wasnt particularly Republican and it sure wasnt conservative. What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. There were no serious solutions to pressing problems, just the fanning of resentment and blame and anger and hate. And that is not the America I know. The America I know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous, Obama said. Obama has frequently used the construction of the America I know and not the America I know in public addresses. The use of the America I know refrain was also a common phrase for former president George W Bush. Melania had found herself in the midst of a plagiarism controversy earlier this month after a prime-time defence of her husband Donald appeared to be lifted in part from a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic convention. Trump had termed as an innocent mistake the plagiarism surrounding his wifes speech and rejected the speech writers resignation. Australia refused on Friday to back former prime minister Kevin Rudds bid to be the next secretary general of the United Nations, saying he was not suited to the job. Rudd was spectacularly dumped as prime minister by his own Labor Party in 2010, with colleagues subsequently alleging his office was chaotic and he was difficult to work with. This is not a partisan issue, this is a considered judgement, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is from the rival Liberal Party, said when announcing the decision in Sydney. This is a judgement about Mr Rudds suitability for that particular role. Canberra revealed earlier this month the Mandarin-speaking Rudd, who is based in New York as head of the Asia Society Policy Institute, was keen to lead the world body. Candidates must be nominated by their governments and Turnbull said he made the decision not to put Rudd forward after consulting with his cabinet. Turnbull said he explained his decision to Rudd who brought Labor out of the political wilderness in a 2007 election landslide but would not elaborate on his reasons. When the Australian government nominates a person for a job, particularly an international job like this, the threshold question is, Do we believe the person, the nominee, the would-be nominee, is well suited for that position? he asked. My judgement is that Mr Rudd is not, and Ive explained to him the reasons why. Rudd, who served as prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and again briefly in 2013 as Labor faced an electoral wipeout, said had he been nominated it would have reflected well on what our nation can offer to the world. It would have been the first time in the United Nations 70-year history that Australia offered a candidate for UN secretary general, he said on his Facebook page. Rudd, who flew to Sydney on Friday requesting a meeting with Turnbull but spoke to the prime minister only by telephone, said he wished all candidates in the running for the UN job well. Among the top contenders to succeed Ban Ki-moon are Argentinas foreign minister Susana Malcorra, Slovenias ex-president Danilo Turk, New Zealands ex-prime minister Helen Clark and Antonio Guterres, who served as Portugals prime minister and headed the UN refugee agency. Bangladeshi police have identified Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, suspected of being the head of the local chapter of Islamic State, as the alleged mastermind of an attack on a cafe that killed 22 people, according to a media report on Friday. Chowdhury, who is of Bangladeshi origin and uses the nom de guerre Sheikh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, is believed to have left Canada in 2013. He has been identified by several terrorism experts as the head of IS in Bangladesh. Police officially identified Chowdhury as the alleged mastermind of the July 1 attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in the elite Gulshan area of Dhaka, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Indian national Tarishi Jain was among the 20 hostages butchered in the cafe by the attackers. Read | Dhaka cafe attack tied to Bangladeshs broken politics In an official report, inspector (operation) Shajalal Alam also said Chowdhury used to visit a building in Kalyanpur area of Dhaka where police gunned down nine militants during a raid on Tuesday. Chowdhury met the militants living in the multi-storey building in Kalyanpur to inspire them and provide financial support for their terrorist activities, according to the police report filed on Thursday. Though Dhaka Metropolitan Police found IS flags at the Kalyanpur building and the terror group claimed the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery through its Amaq news agency, Bangladeshi authorities have continued to insist that IS has no presence in the country. Authorities have described the five militants killed at Holey Artisan Bakery and the building in Kalyanpur as members of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The Dhaka Tribune quoted sources close to the ongoing investigation as saying that Chowdhury has been working as a link between foreign and domestic militant groups. Since leaving Canada in 2013, he has been hiding in Bangladesh, the sources said. Police counter-terrorism chief Monirul Islam described Chowdhury as the leader of a new faction of the JMB. Police believe he is still in Bangladesh and efforts are on to detain him, he said. According to investigators, JMB now has two factions one led by the groups jailed spiritual leader Mawlana Saidur Rahman and another headed by Chowdhury. The IS recently released a video featuring three Bangladeshi jihadis, including the son of a retired senior official, that warned of more attacks in the country. In an interview with the most recent issue of the IS magazine Dabiq, Chowdhury said he saw Bangladesh as a staging ground for a two-pronged assault on India by militants based in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Read | Snipers, blasts, hostages: How the ops unfolded to end Dhaka cafe siege China on Friday assured full support to Nepals new government led by Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, in the wake of speculation in political circles that his regime has the backing of New Delhi. Chinese ambassador Wu Chuntai held talks with Prachanda, the prime minister-in-waiting, and assured him of Beijings full cooperation. Wu said China will fully stand with Nepals development efforts and extend cooperation for steps to build a prosperous and stable nation, a statement from Prachandas office said. The Beijing tilt of former premier KP Sharma Olis government had angered New Delhi. Experts here believe India played a role in bringing together the Maoists and the opposition Nepali Congress to oust Olis regime, but Indian officials have said the country had no role in the developments in Nepal. Despite this, some in Kathmandu see Prachandas comeback as a political coup engineered by India and claim the head of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre will toe New Delhis line on key issues such as implementing Nepals new Constitution and addressing the grievances of Madhesis, the people from the southern plains bordering India. China wants to engage with Prachanda as it wants to ensure the continuation of deals inked by Oli in March, including a path-breaking transit and transportation agreement aimed at ending Nepals dependence on India for third country trade and essential supplies. The meeting between Prachanda and the Chinese envoy, which came ahead of the formation of the next government, was seen as a move by Beijing to safeguard its interests. During the meeting, Prachanda informed the envoy about the political situation and the reasons why Olis government needed to be removed. Prachanda also told the envoy that agreements signed by Oli were a result of his initial push. When I became the first prime minister of the republic of Nepal in 2008, I had pushed all those agreements and deals with China. The Oli government, which the Maoists were also part of, had reached a deal with China because of the results of my continued effort, Prachanda said. According to the statement, Prachanda said the new government will carry on the deals, agreements and pacts signed with China by the outgoing government. The new government, under my leadership, will focus on implementation of the new Constitution, restoring political stability and peace, reconstruction work (in areas affected by the 2015) earthquake and development, he said. Prachanda also told The Kathmandu Post during an interview that his government will certainly take up a proposed visit to Nepal by Chinese President Xi Jinping with the urgency that it requires. Asked if the visit had suffered a setback because of recent political developments, he replied: The visit was on the cards but was never finalised. It is believed Xi may visit Nepal in October while on his way to a BRICS summit in India. Uncertainty surrounds the fate of 10 death row prisoners in Indonesia, including Indian national Gurdip Singh, after they were granted a last minute reprieve early on Friday. Indonesias attorney general M Prasetyo said on Friday their executions will be carried out at an appropriate time, while Molyanto, an official of the legal and human rights ministry, said it was unlikely the condemned people will face a firing squad in the near future. Despite widespread criticism by rights advocates and appeals from distraught families and foreign governments, Indonesia executed four drug convicts early on Friday. Ten other condemned people who were to face a firing squad were spared. For Singhs family in Jalandhar district of Punjab, it has been a rollercoaster ride an Indian official mistakenly informed them shortly after midnight on Thursday that he had been executed. Hours later, 48-year-old Singh called his wife Kulwinder Kaur and confirmed he was still alive. Prasetyo said the postponement of the execution of 10 drug convicts on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap city was a last minute decision. The executions were put off after a comprehensive review involving police and foreign ministry officials to avoid errors both judicial and non-judicial, he told reporters in Jakarta. It was decided to carry on with executions of four drug convicts, while executions for the other 10 will be decided later and carried out at an appropriate time, Prasetyo was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post. Molyanto, the official from the legal and human rights ministry, told the Post it was unlikely the next wave of executions will be carried out in the near future. He added, There is no notification yet of another round of executions for the convicts whose executions were cancelled. Read: Gurdip Singh innocent, his agent cheated him in Indonesia, says family The 10 death row convicts three Indonesians and six foreigners will be transferred from the prison island, where Indonesia carries out executions, to their former jails until a final decision is made, Prasetyo said. Prasetyo rejected suggestions that Indonesia had halted the executions because of international pressure. He said though officials had heard many opinions, all parties should respect Indonesian law. Kulwinder Kaur and her children celebrate in Nakodar, Jalandhar, after Kulwinders husband Gurdeep Singh was saved from execution in Indonesia. (PTI) Indonesias Freddy Budiman, Seck Osmane from Senegal, and Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson from Nigeria were the convicts who were executed. Rights groups such as Amnesty International have said some of the death row prisoners had not been given a fair trial and that they were tortured in custody to obtain confessions. Contrary to Indonesian law, the families of the condemned prisoners were informed about their impending execution only on Thursday morning. Indonesian law requires that relatives be informed at 72 hours in advance. The Indonesian authorities are proceeding with indecent haste. There are four clemency appeals that are still to be heard, and there are serious fair trial concerns about many prisoners cases, said Rafendi Djamin, Amnestys director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Amnesty has also documented what it said were systemic flaws in Indonesias criminal justice system and its implementation of the death penalty. These include violations of the right to a fair trial, the right not to be subjected to torture or to other cruel, inhuman treatment or punishment, the right to apply for clemency or pardon of a death sentence, and foreign nationals or others who do not understand or speak the language used by authorities are entitled to the assistance of an interpreter following arrest and at all other stages of the proceedings. The imposition of the death penalty for drug-related offences also violates international law, which only permits the use of the punishment for the most serious crimes, Amnesty said. Khizr Khan, the father of a fallen American Muslim solider, on Thursday delivered the most powerful rebuke yet to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his intemperate remarks about the community. Let me ask you, Khan said from the stage at the Democratic National Convention, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. Holding it up, Khan urged Trump to look for the words liberty and equal protection of law. The floor erupted with applause as Khan continued with his stinging denunciation of Trump. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery (where Americans killed in battlefield are buried)? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. He added, You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. Khan, accompanied on the stage by his wife, is of Pakistani descent. The couple came to the US from the United Arab Emirates, where they had been living. Khizr Khan, father of Capt Humayun Khan who was killed while serving in Iraq with the US Army, waves as his wife looks on during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. (AFP) Capt Humayun Khan, their son, was killed in Iraq in 2004 in a suicide car bombing after he ordered his men to step back and let him inspect a vehicle carrying the explosives himself. Speaking about his son, Khizr Khan said he wanted to become a military lawyer but but he put those dreams aside the day he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. If it was up to Donald Trump, Khan said, he (Humayun) never would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. There was no response from Trump, whose attacks on the Muslim community form a major pillar of his campaign, or his aides to Khans remarks. In his acceptance speech at the Republican convention, Trump had doubled down on the issue, saying we must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place. He did not use the word Muslims, but did mention Islamic six times for terrorists, terrorism and radical elements. A terrorist is not a just a terrorist to him, he or she is a Islamic terrorist. Frances Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Friday he would consider a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques, urging a new model for relations with Islam after a spate of jihadist attacks. Valls, under fire for perceived security lapses around the attacks, also admitted a failure in the fact that one of the jihadists who stormed a church and killed a priest on Tuesday had been released with an electronic tag pending trial. In an interview with French daily Le Monde, Valls said he was open to the idea that for a period yet to be determined there should be no financing from abroad for the construction of mosques. The Socialist prime minister also called for imams to be trained in France, not elsewhere. He said interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, whose portfolio also includes religious affairs, was working on building a new model for Frances relations with Islam. And Salafism the deeply fundamentalist branch of Islam espoused by many jihadists has no place in France, Valls said. France has just over 2,000 mosques, for one of Europes largest Muslim populations which numbers around five million. Some large mosques have been financed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf or Northern African countries, according to local media reports. Both Valls and Cazeneuve have faced calls to resign after the second jihadist attack in less than a fortnight raised questions over Frances vigilance and preparedness. The government has faced tough questions since it emerged that both church attackers had been on the radar of intelligence services and had tried to go to Syria. Sparking particular ire was the revelation that one of the assailants, 19-year-old Adel Kermiche, had been released from prison while awaiting trial on terror charges after his second attempt to travel to Syria. The electronically tagged Kermiche was allowed out of his home on weekday mornings, enabling him and his accomplice to storm a church in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and slit the throat of 86-year-old priest Jacques Hamel at the altar. Kermiches accomplice Abdel Malik Petitjean, also 19, had been on the security watchlist since June after trying to reach Syria from Turkey. You take a knife On Friday, the French weekly LExpress revealed that Kermiche had described the modus operandi of the attack on the encrypted messaging application Telegram. You take a knife, you go into a church. Bam! says a chilling message recorded just a few days before the attack whose authenticity was confirmed by a source close to the investigation, according to LExpress. Other messages speak of the influence of a sheikh Kermiche met in prison, his wish to set up a terrorist cell and details of his failed attempts to reach Syria. Some 200 people were in the Telegram group receiving the messages, LExpress said. The church attack came as the government was already facing a firestorm of criticism over alleged security failings after the Bastille Day truck massacre in Nice that left 84 people dead two weeks ago. In the governments first admission of a lapse since the two attacks, Valls acknowledged Kermiches liberty was a failure, it has to be recognised, adding judges needed to take a different, case-by-case, approach, given the jihadists very advanced concealment methods. But he said it was too easy to hold judges responsible for this act of terrorism. Syrian refugee held Meanwhile, a source close to the investigation said a Syrian asylum seeker had been taken in for questioning after being arrested at a refugee centre in Alliers, central France. A photocopy of a Syrian passport was found at Kermiches home that may be that of the asylum seeker, the source said. Two jihadist attacks this month in Germanys south were carried out by asylum seekers, reviving a backlash against Chancellor Angela Merkels decision last year to open the borders to those fleeing war and persecution. A 30-year-old member of Petitjeans family and a 16-year-old whose brother travelled with Kermiche are also in custody. In a newly released video, Petitjean pledged to attack France, directly addressing President Francois Hollande and Valls. Wearing a striped T-shirt, Petitjean speaks in French laced with Arabic in the footage released by Amaq news agency, linked to the Islamic State group. He and Kermiche pledged allegiance to IS in a video made before they murdered Hamel that emerged afterwards. Hamels funeral will be held in the Gothic cathedral of nearby Rouen next Tuesday. On Friday, France will observe a day of fasting and prayer called by the French Catholic Church for our country and for peace in the world. Frances Prime Minister said Friday that he would consider a temporary ban on foreign financing of mosques, urging a new model for relations with Islam after a spate of jihadist attacks. Manuel Valls, under fire for perceived security lapses around the attacks, also admitted a failure in the fact that one of the jihadists who stormed a church and killed a priest on Tuesday had been released with an electronic tag pending trial. In an interview with Le Monde newspaper, Valls said he was open to the idea that -- for a period yet to be determined -- there should be no financing from abroad for the construction of mosques. The Socialist Prime Minister also called for imams to be trained in France, not elsewhere. He said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, whose portfolio also includes religious affairs, was working on building a new model for Frances relations with Islam. And Salafism -- the deeply fundamentalist branch of Islam espoused by many jihadists -- has no place in France, Valls said. France has just over 2,000 mosques, for one of Europes largest Muslim populations which numbers around five million. Some large mosques have been financed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf or Northern African countries, according to local media reports. After meeting with President Francois Hollande earlier this week, the rector of the Paris Mosque Dalil Boubakeur himself suggested certain reforms of the institutions of Islam. In northern Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray where 85-year-old priest Jacques Hamel was killed, Muslims and Christians gathered together in mourning after the attack that hit their town. You share our pain. This pain is also yours, priest Auguste Moanda said, in a rare speech given during Friday prayers at the local mosque. As balloons fell around Hillary Clinton and the smell of cordite wafted across the hall from a briefest of fireworks display, Debra Saunders teared up with joy and pride. Eight years ago, Saunders, a white woman, said, I cried when we elected our first African American president and today we have a woman nominee who could be president. Declaring the US was at a moment of reckoning, Clinton accepted the Democratic party nomination on Thursday, presenting herself as a unifier, a healer of divides and as someone who will get the job done no matter how tough it gets. She presented a vision for the US that was in stark contrast to her Republican rival Donald Tump, who unveiled last week a dark vision of a divided nation at war within and abroad. Clinton said Trump was moving the Republican party from its icon Ronald Reagans vision of a sunny and optimistic Morning in America to a dark Midnight in America. And she portrayed Trump as a thin-skinned, easily riled man least prepared for the Oval Office: A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Introduced by daughter Chelsea Clinton as a fighter who never gives up and who always believes we can do better, it we come together and work together, she spoke for little under an hour. Supporters of Bernie Sanders who remain unmoved by their leaders appeal for party unity, continued protesting on the floor, but they were few and were drowned out by her supporters. Clinton reached out to Sanders and his supporters in her speech saying to all of your supporters here and around the country: I want you to know, Ive heard you. Your cause is our cause. Party leaders expect many of them to come around over the next weeks, given the choice before them are they going to vote for Trump? asked a delegate from California. They may stay home, or, some of them have said, vote for Jill Stein, the presidential candidate of the Green Party, one of many alternatives to the Republican and Democratic parties. But the larger mass of the party has moved on. And there is a sense of history being made here, as Saunders said, echoing a general sentiment felt around the convention arena. Mary C Curtis, a North Carolina columnist who writes on politics and race, said, With all the partisan sniping, people have lost sight of the fact that there is real history being made here. You come from a country that has had a woman as the head of government, she said, referring to Indira Gandhi, Indian prime minister from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1984. Its time now for the US. But Clintons real challenge, Curtis said, would be the turnout. Will she be able to turnout the Obama coalition that helped him win? she asked. The Obama coalition is a demographically diverse voting block African Americans, Latinos, unmarried women and young people that gave the president two terms. Democrats havent won a majority of white votes in years, and Clinton trails Trump among white voters by an average of 17 points, and will have to bank on the Obama coalition. That work got underway in earnest at the convention with powerful speeches from President Obama and the first lady, Michelle Obama, and Vice-President Joe Biden. They hold Clintons key to the White House, experts have said. Firefighters struggled on Thursday to get the upper hand on a massive wildfire burning along Californias picturesque Big Sur coastline, where anxious residents driven from their homes awaited word on their properties and popular parks and trails closed at the height of tourist season. The blaze spanning 109 sq km has destroyed at least 34 homes and put at least 2,000 buildings at risk. A 35-year-old father of two girls was killed this week when the bulldozer he was operating rolled over on the fire lines. A mailbox sits on a hillside charred by a fire at Palo Colorado Canyon in Big Sur, California on Thursday. (AP) The fire has burned for a week and is only 10% contained. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection estimated it will take until the end of August to extinguish it. Every day the fire is gaining ground on us, California fire battalion chief Robert Fish said. The weather and steep and rugged terrain is taking its toll. So well make progress, but then the fire is making progress faster than we can keep pace with. US forest service fire personnel look over debris at a home burned by a fire at Palo Colorado Canyon in Big Sur on Thursday (AP) Firefighters worked in rugged terrain near State Highway 1 in an area that draws tourists from around the world for the dramatic vistas of ocean and mountains. The famous roadway remained open, but smoke and the threat of flames forced the closure of state parks near Big Sur, a big economic driver for the region. Tom and Donna Huntington, both 65, have lived for 29 years in the community of Palo Colorado, which was hard-hit by the fire. They fled their home last Friday and have been staying with friends and a Red Cross shelter at a school. Smoke from a wildfire spreads over woods, as seen from White Rock in Carmel Valley, southeast of Monterey of California. (AP) Its a heartbreaker. I could cry right now, Tom Huntington said. Im so lucky I didnt lose my house. And I know some people that have. All they had was what they wore that day. ... All their stuff just poof. Eric Beninger, a former firefighter who also lives in Palo Colorado, isnt sure his home is still standing. When I did leave yesterday I ended up seeing flames coming up my road, he said. Just hope for the best, thats about all I can do. Rancho Adobe fire captain James Devrloo keeps an eye on a fire line on Garza Trail in the Rancho San Carlos Community as a wildfire burns in Carmel Valley, California on Wednesday. (AP) The bulldozer operator who died on the fire lines this week was identified Thursday as Robert Reagan. The Fresno County mans sister, Hannah Cunnings, told The Associated Press that her brother was the kind of person who would offer to put snow chains on a neighbours car or fix an engine that needed repair. Even since he was a boy, he just really wanted to help people, she said, crying. Besides two daughters, Cunnings said her brother and his wife cared for a young niece. Another man was killed last week in a wildfire still burning on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Crews have stopped the spread of that nearly 155 sq km blaze, which destroyed 18 homes in mountains and canyons around Santa Clarita. Authorities have not determined a cause for either fire. A helicopter fills up with water from a pond at Rancho San Carlos before heading off to fight a wildfire in Carmel Valley of California on Wednesday. (AP) Four people who escaped the Big Sur fire early in the week acknowledged growing marijuana in the area for the last three months, Monterey County sheriffs Sgt. Kathy Palazzolo said. Its illegal to cultivate marijuana in California except for medicinal purposes, but pot grows are common throughout coastal Monterey County, south of San Francisco. A haze forms from a wildfire in the Rancho San Carlos area of Carmel Valley in California on Wednesday (AP) We have them all over, all throughout the county, in the national forest, on private property, in riverbeds, we find them all over, Palazzolo said. Separately, seven people were rescued Tuesday after calling 911, Palazzolo said. They said they were backcountry hikers, but police are skeptical. Wildlife Waystation staff members return "Tyson," a tiger, who was evacuated from the sanctuary in the Angeles National Forest in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles on Wednesday. (AP) There was no evidence to suggest the fire was sparked by marijuana cultivation, Cal Fire spokesperson Robert Fish said. A wary India has restricted the release of a trade advisory for Indian companies doing business in China apparently to avoid another confrontation with Beijing following a series of recent run-ins including the expulsion of three Chinese journalists this month. Trade advisories for Indian companies are usually prominently displayed on the Indian embassy website to ensure maximum publicity the way it should be done. But, as it turned out, not in the case of the latest advisory, which warns Indian traders to be careful of fraud Chinese companies that could supply them with sand, stones and bricks instead of goods promised when the deals were struck. The advisory follows after several complaints from Indians doing business in China. Despite several complaints, however, the Indian embassy decided to share the advisory only with an Indian community association in Shanghai; it wasnt even shared with the Indian association in Beijing. In what seems as an afterthought, the lengthy warning was put up on the Shanghai consulate website only on Friday morning. However, the advisory was not put on the website of the Indian missions in China to avoid misunderstanding considering the strain in ties due to differences on issues relating to listing of Pakistan-based militants and groups as terrorists by UN and Beijing's reluctance to support India's application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, news agency, PTI, said in a report quoting informed sources. It wasnt immediately clear whether the business interests of the hundreds of Indian companies trading in China were being harmed because the important advisory with very specific warnings was not adequately publicised. It is possible that many Indian companies working elsewhere in China like Guangzhou will not be aware of the advisory. Theres a prominently displayed section Trade Complaints on the homepage of the Indian embassy. At least three advisories issued to Indian traders and businessmen in 2013, 2011 and 2010 are displayed in the section with details of dos and donts. It details the procedure to register a trade complaint with the Indian embassy. It also has the names and details of all Chinese companies involved in trade disputes with Indian companies between 2009 and 2015. Indians in China are always advised to keep track of the embassy website to follow important announcements and notifications. The new advisory, it seems, did not fall in that category. When asked about the advisory, an embassy official responded: This was sent to business bodies in India for their member companies. It is a routine advisory which we issue from time to time. The items to dupe Indian importers included supply of sand, stones, salt, bricks, mud in place of chemicals, Silicon Carbide, Aluminium and Zinc ingots, shellac, plastics, polymers, it said. Other complaints included refusal to send consignments on receipt of payment, quantity dispute, stopping of communications on receipt of advance payment, dispatch of defective machinery, diversion of payment into unassociated bank accounts by third fraudulent parties by hacking into emails. Other methods included taking money for sample dispatch and then stopping all correspondences. Indian companies are also advised to take due precaution while engaging in business transactions, particularly when dealing with new or unfamiliar companies, it said. It asked the Indian businessmen to follow the recommendations which included, checking of credentials of the Chinese company, including through the Embassy or the Consulates in China which may respond with basic information. "In case of large transactions, consult a business service company which can provide a report on the business transparency, financial health, reputation, reliability and credential of the company," it said. The advisory added: If any Pre-Shipment Inspection is required to be carried out by any Chinese government-authorised agency and the relevant certificate needs to be submitted for clearance of the cargo at any Chinese port that must be obtained before the vessel leaves Indian port. Otherwise the ship may be stuck at the Chinese port and the Indian exporter may accumulate demurrage, it said. An 18-year-old Indian-American girl has become the youngest delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia which has nominated Hillary Clinton as the partys presidential candidate. Sruthi Palaniappan from Cedar Rapids and a student of the Harvard University is a big supporter of Clinton, the first woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major political party. Sruthis father Palaniappan Andiappan is also attending the convention as a member of credentials committee. She has been the centre of attraction among the media here and the delegates along with a 102-year-old delegate from Arizona, Jerry Emmett, who is the oldest delegate at the convention. In addition to being the youngest delegate, Sruthi made history on Tuesday when she was given an opportunity to represent Iowa during roll call votes. I am extremely thankful for the surreal opportunity to have represented the Iowa delegation as a roll call speaker and to have been a part of the historic nomination process of our next president, she said. Together, we have made history by electing the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party- Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sruthi wrote on her Facebook post. Sruthi said being elected as the partys delegate was a long process. But Im extremely glad that I have been able to immerse myself at every step along the way and witness the political process first-hand, she said. Highly impressed by the electrifying speech given by President Barack Obama, Sruthi said, the American dream is something no wall will ever contain. President Barack Obama, thank you for gracing us with your beautifully moving words. It was simply an honour to be in your presence and witness the pure emotion that emanated from your voice. Obamas legacy and efforts will live on when Clinton and her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine become the new President and Vice President of the United States, she said. We really do need to unite together in order to defeat the Republican nominee (Donald Trump). If we let Donald Trump take over the presidency, really terrible things will take our county several steps back, Sruthi was quoted as saying by the local KCRG TV. Pavan Amara, an Indian-origin rape survivor who gave up her anonymity and set up a charity to help others, on Friday launched Britains first maternity clinic for victims of sexual assault and rape. Amara, whose family has roots in Punjab, launched the NGO My Body Back in August 2014. It has been running a cervical screening clinic in St Bartholomews Hospital in London since then. The maternity clinic that opened in collaboration with Barts Health NHS Trust in Whitechapel is expected to be replicated in other parts of Britain. The clinic is run by Amara, consultant midwife Inderjeet Kaur, and obstetrician and gynaecologist Rehan Khan. My Body Back said: Women have often told us how isolated they felt throughout pregnancy and labour, and how it had triggered memories and flashbacks of being raped in the past. It said it had been approached by email by women from several countries. Britains latest crime figures show there was an increase of 21% in sexual offences recorded by police in the latest year compared with the previous year (106,378 offences). This includes a 22% increase in rape and a 20% increase in other sexual offences. Both clinics run by the NGO seek to work sensitively with women, so they feel safe and relaxed, and their individual needs are met, including extra care for antenatal support with specially trained midwives, psychologists and paediatricians. Women can refer themselves to the maternity clinic by emailing the team to make an appointment, and do not have to explain details of their experience unless they want to. My body Back said the service for rape survivors is integrated in the maternity ward of the London hospital, but had created a different birthing pathway to ensure patients receive tailored and sensitive care. The maternity clinic offers the following services: ante-natal classes, pregnancy care and examinations, care during labour and birth, breastfeeding advice, specialist advice on ensuring mental well-being during labour, post-natal gynaecological exams, post-natal mental health support and pre-pregnancy support for women who want to conceive. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Islamic State jihadist group has executed at least 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria from a US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance, a monitor said Friday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS executed 24 civilians in the last 24 hours after taking Buyir from the Syrian Democratic Forces. The village is located some 10 kilometres (6 miles) northwest of Manbij, a key waypoint between the Turkish border and the IS de facto capital of Raqa city. IS seized control of several villages in the countryside northwest of Manbij since launching a fierce assault on Thursday, according to the Observatory, which relies on sources inside Syria for its information. The SDF, backed by air strikes from a US-led coalition, launched an offensive to retake Manbij from IS on May 31. The alliance managed to enter the town but have since faced fierce opposition from the jihadists who have fought back with suicide bombers and car bombs. More than 280,000 have been killed and millions displaced in Syrias five-year conflict. Hillary Clinton is addressing the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, accepting her nomination as the official Democratic Presidential candidate for the US elections 2016. The first woman to lead a major US political party toward the White House, Clinton will be greeted by a crowd of cheering delegates eager to see history made in the November election. But her real audience will be millions of voters who may welcome her experience but question her character. For Clinton, the stakes are enormous. Here are the highlights of her speech: - Hillary Clinton begins her speech thanking all her supporters - America is great because of President Obamas leadership and Im better because of his friendship - I want to thank Bernie Sanders. His campaign inspired millions of Americans - For those of you out there who are just getting to know Tim Kaine, hell make the whole country proud as our vice president - Donald Trump wants to divide us from rest of the world and from each other - We have the most dynamic, diverse people in world. We have most tolerant and generous young people weve ever had - Donald Trump has taken the Republican Party a long way. From morning in America to midnight in America - We will not build a wallinstead, we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good job can get one - We will not ban a religion.We will work with all Americans and our allies to defeat terrorism - Dont let anyone tell you our country is weak; Dont let anyone tell you we dont have what it takeswe do - None of us can raise a family, build a business, heal a community or lift a country totally alone - Stronger Together is not just a slogan for our campaign. Its a principle for the country weve always been "I accept your nomination for president of the United States!" Hillary https://t.co/3Ffpf7W4Vz Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 29, 2016 - No one gets through life alone. Weve to look after each other and lift each other up - Simply caring is not enough. To drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws - I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, Independents & for all Americans together "Weve reached a milestone...the first time that a major party has nominated a woman for president." Hillary pic.twitter.com/WizdsD8vgk Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 29, 2016 - When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone...when there are no ceilings, the skys the limit - Every kid with disability has right to go to school. Make it possible step-by-step, sometimes door-to-door - My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States - I believe climate change is real and that we can save our planet while creating millions of good-paying clean energy jobs - If you believe minimum wage should be a living wage, join us - If fighting for affordable child care and paid family leave is playing the woman card, then deal me in - In Atlantic Cityyou will find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Donald Trump refused to pay his bills - Donald Trump says he wants to make America Great again. He could start by actually making things in America, again - Keeping our nation safe and honoring the people who do that work will be my highest priority - A president should respect the men & women who risk their lives to serve our country - A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons - How can we stand by and do nothing in the face of gun violence? - I dont want to take away your guns. I just dont want you to be shot by someone who shouldnt have a gun in the first place - We will reform our criminal justice system from end-to-end - Lets put ourselves in the shoes of young black & Latino people who face the effects of systemic racism and feel their lives are disposable. - You have to stand up to bullies, you have to work in the face of all odds - Yes, the world is watching what we do, Americas destiny is ours to choose Great speech. She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too) President Obama (@POTUS) July 29, 2016 Economists at the University of Oxford have developed a new and largely accurate method to measure global poverty using satellite data that shows places in the world where people have no night-time access to lights. Researchers analysed two separate data sets from satellites: the first showed images of all areas of the world that light up at night, and the second estimated population using images of roads, buildings and other signs of human habitation. Both satellites covered every square kilometre around the world, accounting for 100 million data points every year. By combining the two data sets into one, the researchers identified places in the world where populations have no night-time lights. They find this largely accurately identifies people in poverty after comparing it with more than 600,000 household surveys. The satellite-based study is faster, cheaper and has better coverage than the surveys typically used for measuring poverty, the university said on Friday. Our measure is one of rural poverty. In poor, highly populated, dense countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the poor tend to be urban, rather than rural, Samuel Wills of the department of economics told HT. For example, when we compared our lights measure to household surveys in Bangladesh, we found that we could only accurately identify 39% of people as above or below the World Bank poverty line. Sixty-one percent of households surveyed were classified as poor, but lived in lit areas. I think a similar trend holds for India. The study also showed that oil booms increase inequality and do not benefit the rural poor. The benefits of oil discoveries and high oil prices appear to be limited to towns and cities, which become more illuminated, a factor that the researchers use as a proxy for greater economic activity. There is no evidence of a trickle-down effect of wealth, as the areas where the rural poor live remained unlit through a decade of high oil prices (2003-2013). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Its a barren plot on the outskirts of Istanbul, its stony ground baking under the merciless summer sun. A single sign gives a macabre clue as to the intended use of the arid patch. Traitors graveyard, say the white capital letters on the black sign, planted on two stakes into the ground. The cemetery was created to bury Turkish rebel soldiers whose failed July 15 putsch claimed a total of 270 lives but did not manage to unseat the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The location has been chosen with the apparent intention to offer the minimum glory in burial -- just near a construction site where a project to build a shelter for street animals is under way. The Turkish authorities say 24 plotters were killed in the coup. Only one soldier has been buried in the graveyard so far. Captain Mehmet Karabekir reportedly killed a local headman during the power grab attempt and his body was rejected by his family and relatives. There is no gravestone on his tomb but just a pile of soil. Next to his, three more empty graves have been dug. Turkey's top military commanders met on Thursday to replace almost half of their generals in a radical shake-up after the failed coup, as authorities shut down dozens of media outlets in a widening crackdown. (AFP) Cant rest in peace The dead body was carried in an ambulance, with no sirens. He was laid to rest by a handful of people and then it was over, one witness told AFP. Civilians are banned from visiting the cemetery and media are accompanied by a security official for taking any video or pictures. Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas, in remarks carried by Turkish media, said the idea to create a traitors graveyard had been floated during a municipal meeting. Those who betray this nation cannot rest in peace even in their tombs, he said. Turkeys religious affairs directorate, Diyanet, said after the putsch there would not be any funeral services or prayers for the rebel soldiers involved in the coup. Funeral prayers are made for the deceased by his Muslim brothers for redemption. But those people, by resorting to that action, trampled on the law not only of individuals but an entire nation. They did not deserve redemption or prayers of their Muslim brothers. But Diyanet excluded soldiers or security personnel who were forced or threatened to take part in the July 15 action aimed at bringing down the government. This is a disrespect to the homeland, nation and the flag. This is a betrayal, a middle-aged taxi driver, Yasar, said about the graveyard. They deserved the label (traitor), he said. A man stays next to unmarked graves at "Traitors' Cemetery" built specially by Istanbul municipality for the dead failed coup soldiers at Pendik district in Istanbul on Thursday. (AFP) Hasty decision Not everyone agrees it is a good idea. Campaigners and some theologists say a proper burial is a human right, whatever the deceased has done. This is a decision made hastily at the heat of the moment, said Necip Taylan, former lawmaker from the ruling AKP party and retired professor from faculty of theology at Marmara University. We know the society is hurt by what happened, he told AFP. But there have always been traitors. It is nothing new, you can bury in a separate spot... I dont think it is a good idea to create such a cemetery. Turkeys once powerful military, the second largest army in NATO, has staged three coups since 1960, forced a prime minister out of power in 1997, and threatened to intervene in the 2007 presidential elections. The cemetery also sparked storms on the social media, with one Twitter handle @ParcaInsan asking: Kenan Evren and his team will also be buried to the Traitors Graveyard? General Evren, who died in disgrace last year after being sentenced to life in prison, led the 1980 coup after ousting the government of the time. Two San Diego police officers were shot on Thursday and the suspect or suspects were at large, the department said on social media. The condition of the officers was unknown, the Police Department in San Diego, which is in the state of California, said on Twitter. Police were searching for a suspect or suspects in Southcrest, a southeastern neighbourhood of San Diego, where they told residents to shelter in place, according to the departments Twitter handle. BEIRUT: The head of Al-Nusra Front in Syria said his militant group was breaking ties with al Qaeda and changing its name, in remarks broadcast on Thursday by Al-Jazeera. Abu Mohamad al-Jolani said Al-Nusra would change its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (Conquest of Syria in Arabic) and expressed his gratitude to the commanders of al Qaeda for having understood the need to break ties. The announcement came a week after US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said they had agreed on concrete steps to save a failing Syria truce and tackle militant groups like Al-Nusra and the Islamic State group. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON DHAKA: A Bangladesh court on Thursday upheld the death sentence for six Islamist militants convicted over a 2005 suicide bombing of a lawyers office that killed eight people, a top prosecutor said. A bench of two high court judges rejected appeals from the six convicted over the 2005 bombing, claimed by local extremist group Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). JMB has also been blamed for a siege this month by five gunmen on an upscale cafe in Dhaka that killed 20 mostly foreign hostages. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PARIS: The second militant involved in a French church attack had tried to travel to Syria, prosecutors said on Thursday as calls mounted for the prime minister and interior minister to resign after the terror attack. The prosecutors office said that the second killer was 19-year-old Abdel Malik Petitjean, who was listed on Frances Fiche S of people posing a potential threat to national security in June after trying to reach Syria from Turkey. Petitjean, whose face was disfigured after being gunned down by police, had been harder to identify than his accomplice Adel Kermiche, 19, and investigators confirmed his identity after a DNA match with his mother. The two young militants were shown pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group in a video sometime before they stormed a church in the northern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray Tuesday and slit the 86-year-old priests throat at the altar. A brief show of political unity at a mass attended by different faiths in Paris Wednesday quickly dissolved as Prime Minister Manuel Valls and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve faced fresh calls to resign. If the government is not responsible for the wave of terrorism, it is guilty of not having done everything to stop it, said Laurent Wauqiez, the deputy leader of the right-wing Republicans party . DARRA ADAMKHEL: Gunfire echoes through a dusty northwest tribal town, the soundtrack to Pakistans biggest arms black market, where Kalashnikovs welded from scrap metal are cheaper than smartphones and sold on an industrial scale. Darra Adamkhel, a town surrounded by hills some 35km south of the city of Peshawar, was a hub of criminal activity for decades. People smugglers and drug runners were common and everything from stolen cars to fake university degrees could be procured. This generations-old trade in the illicit boomed in the 1980s: The Mujahideen began buying weapons there for Afghanistans battle against the Soviets, over the porous border. Later, the town became a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, who enforced their strict rules and parallel system of justice infamously beheading Polish engineer Piotr Stanczak in 2009. Now Darra is clean of all but the arms, yet the gunsmiths in the bazaar say the regions improved security and authorities growing intolerance for illegal weaponry are withering an industry that sustained them for decades. (The) Nawaz Sharif government has established checkpoints everywhere, business is stopped, said Khitab Gul, 45. Gul is known in Darra for his replicas of Turkish and Bulgarian-made MP5 submachine guns, one of the most popular weapons in the world, widely used by organisations such as Americas FBI SWAT teams. The MP5 can retail for thousands of dollars. Guls version, which comes with a one-year guarantee, costs roughly 7,000 rupees, or $67 -and, he claims, it works perfectly. Gul then puts on a demonstration, test-firing his MP5 in the small outer yard of his workshop -- first the single shot mode, then firing in a burst. A Darra-made Kalashnikov, Gul says, can sell for as little as $125, cheaper than most smartphones. The workers here are so skilled that they can copy any weapon they are shown, he explains. PHILADELPHIA: Neera Tanden, the diminutive president of a major Washington DC think tank, on Wednesday led a small but noticeable charge by Indian Americans at the Democratic National Convention. I would not be here without the policies of the Democratic party, Tanden said in a speech, using her life story to highlight the partys values and seek support for its nominee in the presidential election. After her father left, she said, My mother had to be on welfare. She worked hard to support me and my brother. We also had help; a lot of help. We used lunch vouchers at school and food stamps at the supermarket. She added, It wasnt easy, but we eventually got back on our feet because of the investment Democrats have made in struggling families. Tanden, a former Obama administration official and CEO of Centre f or American Progress, a think tank, is likely to land a senior position in a Hillary Clinton administration. For Hillary, politics is about fighting for people, not when the cameras are on, but when they are off. Not when the decisions are easy, but when they are hard. She is a leader we can have faith in. She will be a president we can count on always, she said. Ami Bera, the only Indian American in US Congress who took the stage later with a group of Asian-descent Democratic lawmakers, said, As the only South Asian member of Congress, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I support Hillary Clinton because she is the only candidate that understands the complexity of the world and is prepared from day one to lead America. Raja Krishnamurthi, an Indian American running for the House of Representatives from Illinois, got a shout-out from a lawmaker from the same group as an emerging leader. KATHMANDU: A coalition of Madhesis and Janajatis, who are opposed to Nepal s new constitution, on Thursday set conditions for supporting or joining the new government to be led by Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. A meeting of the Samuktya Loktantrik Madeshi Morcha (SLMM), an alliance of Madhes-based parties and Janajati leaders, decided not to support the new government until the Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre makes a clear commitment about addressing their demands and grievances. Without concrete proposal from the would-be ruling coalition, we will not participate in the prime ministers election process, the alliance said. It is also looking for a political commitment to resolve the ongoing row over the boundaries of proposed states. The popular perception in Kathmandu was that the alliance would join the new government even though it achieved little during 36 rounds of talks with the outgoing K PO li government. A total of 59 people died in the Terai during protests against the new Constitution since last September. The alliances latest decision could lead to hard bargaining in the power-sharing game, observers said. The alliance said the row over demarcation of boundaries should be resolved before holding local elections. It urged the Nepali Congress and the CPN-Maoist Centre to find a solution to the Terai crisis before preparing for the polls. The leaders also warned of strong protests if polls are conducted without taking the agitating parties on board. One way of giving an assurance would be to register a joint amendment proposal in Parliament that incorporates the demands which the first amendment of the new Constitution failed to address, the leaders said. The Sanghiya Gathabandhan, the larger alliance with Janajati groups of which the SLMM is a constituent, has demanded two provinces in the Terai plains. The CPN-UML leadership has stood firm against any changes to the existing federal structures, arguing it would spark unrest in other places. Despite insisting on the early resolution of the matter, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-Maoist Centre are yet to make specific proposals on the issue. Thirty-one-year-old Timothy O. Webster, overseer at the Detroit House of Correction, enlisted in the Union Army in July 1862. Private Webster was assigned to Company F of the 24th Michigan Infantry, which was dispatched from Detroit to Washington, D.C., in August. His regiment was later assigned to the famed Iron Brigade. Websters letters to his family and friends, housed in Navarro Colleges Pearce Civil War Collection, vary in tone from bitter criticism of Federal officers behavior to cautious optimism for the Union war effort. In December 1862, Webster wrote his wife Harriet (Hattie) about the buildup of Union and Confederate troops near Fredericksburg, Va.: We are about 15 miles from where a great battle is expected to come off soon. It is at Fredericksburg. There are mountains on each side of the creek and there are cannon of all size and it seems that they are without number on both sides. They are planted on these mountains base to base. It is plain to see each ones movements with the artillery. We have got 5 pontoon bridges swung across the stream. Our army is to cross under all their fire. Union engineers began laying pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock on December 11. The next day, wave after wave of Union troops crossed the river and moved against entrenched Confederate positions in and around Fredericksburg. On December 16, Webster described to Hattie the Battle of Fredericksburg, his green regiments baptism of fire: Ill take this present opportunity to write a few lines to you to let you know that I am yet to be numbered among the living. Last Friday we crossed the Rappahannock into the field of battle and I tell you it has been a field of battle with great slaughter. There have been 7 killed out of our regiment and quite a number wounded. It was primarily cannonading and it is said to be the heaviest ever known and it lasted until last night when we fell back across the river. The rebs are strong and saucy. We laid out in the drenching rain last night and this morning we marched back 3 miles[and] are to be ready to march at a moments notice.When I commenced this I expected I could finish it and send it right off but we were ordered right off on picket duty and we have just got relieved, and now we have got orders to march from here in the morning but I cant tell where we are a going but it is supposed we are going to put up for the winter. We have faced the enemy and with their position they are too much for us. They can kill our men as fast as they have a mind to march up to them. From the way we made the attack on them, if we had not slid out in the night they would have completely annihilated our army before we could have gotten across the river. It is now the 19th. This war is the greatest curse that ever existed in the world. It seems that it will never be settled until the Almighty crushes it by sinking it in to the bowels of the earth or by some other wise plan of bringing it to a close. Overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the battle, Webster described the action in another letter to Hattie on December 21: I cannot forget the terrifying scenes and the horrible sounds of the battle field I must tell you a little more of it. The morning of the 11 we were about 4 miles off when the cannonading commenced. That day we marched to the brink of the river but had to fall back 2 miles where we stayed that night. The firing kept up all day. The next morning we started double quick time to cross the river but when we got there I suppose there were over one hundred thousand people to cross the pontoons before we could get a chance. There were 2 bridges placed side by side. There was a solid column a crossing all day. This is only the left of the army that crossed here. They were a great deal stronger in the center and on the right. Each of these divisions had their own bridges. The whole was a crossing at the same time. Well after we crossed the rebs began to introduce themselves to us in a manner that I was not much accustomed to. The first near call to us was a large cannon-ball struck right about the center of our regiment when we were all a laying down to rest but it did no harm, only tore up a big hole in the ground. After this the shells commenced bursting over our heads. Our Colonel [Henry A. Morrow] said it would do them good to stand the storm for a while. It didnt matter if a few did get killed but the general [possibly brigade commander Brig. Gen. Solomon Meredith] ordered him to march his men out of the enemys range so were led on more to the left and there we stayed that night. The next morning the fire of the enemy commenced right sharp all along the lines of the left and we were led right in front of all only the skirmishers. I will not try to tell you the horrible scenes that I experienced but I tell you the different kind of balls and shells that were flying around us made noises that could never be imagined by those that were never placed in their midst. Well we were kept in front till the arrangement was to retreat. It was done in the night. It was the night of the 15. I see the papers call this a grand reconnaissance in this advance across the river. It is just such things that are sinking our country so fast it will want twice as many men in the spring as we have got now. If this war is to be settled by fighting, then they must pass a law to not pay officers more than a private and let them go and fight for to gain honor and save their country and not all for money and party. If this is not adopted this war will last till our country is bankrupt. Casualties at Fredericksburg were severe; Union forces lost 12,000 men. It was an utter disaster for the Union cause. On December 28, Webster continued his diatribe against officers: This war will never [be] settled by fighting for the reason that our officers will not work together. They want it to last for the sake of big pay. If we had one million of active soldiers in the field we would not whip the south for the reason that the officers would not have a will to bring it to a close. If this was not so, the south would have been whipped a long time ago and time and time again so we might have whipped every reb in the south with our army that we had as we advanced this last time but were defeated on account of the officers not all working together. In late January 1863, Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, commander of the Army of the Potomac, moved his forces up the Rappahannock hoping to cross the river again and take General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia by surprise. Disagreements with his subordinates, demoralized troops and severe weather doomed Burnsides plan, which was quickly dubbed the Mud March. On January 27, Webster wrote Hattie: Since I wrote you the last letter we have had quite a story here in the army. When we marched was a week ago to day. We had orders to make another attack on the rebs. The roads was tolerable good in the morning when we started but it commenced to rain and it kept up, and the army kept marching until we got to the place where they were to cross the river. One side is held by us and the other side is held by the rebs.I will mention a little of this march.we had orders to strike tents Tuesday last. It was a fine morning and the soldiers of the Potomac were to abandon their huts that they had built for their comforts and they, feeling rather demoralized, commenced to pack their things, and many of them destroyed their huts after taking great pains to build them. We were soon drawn up in a line of march and the army once more expecting to front the enemy, but the rain came on in on the first days march and the whole thing proved a total failure but they kept us going on till everything was in great danger of getting stuck so fast in the mud that it would have to stay till spring. They used 20 horses to one wagon to get them over the worst roads. Well they got us all along on the banks of the Rappahannock where they intended to cross. The rain kept up and we got orders to return to our old quarters. We were all very willing to do that, for fighting is a playing out very fast with the Potomac army, [and the army] is becoming very demoralized and there are many desertions. There has got to be a change soon in the affairs in general. Lincoln had removed the luckless Burnside from command of the Army of the Potomac on January 26, replacing him with Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker. In April, Websters regiment participated in the Chancellorsville campaign. On May 9, Webster wrote a friend: I improve the present opportunity to write a few lines to you to let you know that I have gone through some of the hardest battles that have been fought since the war and still liveI was one of those that first crossed the [Rappahannock] River in the boats at the extreme left. We crossed under a very heavy fire but we came at them like so many wild men. They were scared and left their holes in a hurry as soon as we struck the shore. We all rallied after the rebs without waiting for commands. We did well. We captured about two hundredRebs. I hollered to one and told him to halt, and I suppose he thought I could not catch him and he continued to run so I sent a miney ball through his head in a hurry. He never knew what hurt him. I saw him fill a soldiers grave. The Union losses at Chancellorsville were higher than at Fredericksburg, and morale in the Army of the Potomac dropped even lower. On July 1, the 24th Michigan marched into Gettysburg and was among the first regiments engaged in the battle there. Webster wrote Hattie on July 17: The two armies came in contact with each other and there was 4 days fight. At the first they drove our forces back through the city. Our losses were very heavy the first day, but theirs was much greater before they got through. We turned their whole force on their backward track and followed them back to Williamsport where they crossed the Potomac.I will not mention any horrors of this fight. It could not interest you. I wish it could all be blotted out of my mind what I witnessed. Despite his regiments 80 percent casualty rate at Gettysburg (the highest of any unit in the battle), Websters subsequent letters reveal renewed hope for the Union cause. In September Webster wrote a discouraged Hattie: You know it is darkest just before day. But for myself I have never felt better since I have been out hereWe have gained victory after victory. We have gained all points and the rebels have lost until the soldiers in their ranks have become disheartened and dont expect victories. I have talked with many of them and they say that is a general feeling among them. I can see a great change in things this summer. All things are working.if Uncle Abe cant settle this little difficulty that man is not made yet that can.You may think it is a small thing, and the whole thing be settled without subduing the rebels. That cannot be done. They must be worn out and demoralized in their whole armies and all we want is to have a sufficient army to keep them in check and time will do more than constant fighting. If Abe called out every man that is in the north this war might last just as long as it will.You must be content a little longer and believe me you will be a thousand times glad. I have much to feel thankful for. I have been in many places of great danger and endured many hardships and it seems that God has been with me and protected me in danger and brought me through all my troubles in perfect safety. I wish I was there to talk to you about this war. I could show you that the general thing is working well. We must not think we are getting punished. Oh how we suffer, but in a just and holy cause. I am not discouraged in it. Right, will, must, and shall prevail in our land. On May 1, 1864, Webster penned: There have been many changes heresince [Lt. Gen. Ulysses S.] Grant commenced to reorganize the army.You may be assured that there will be some big fighting here in this state very soon, and it will be the means of turning the heaviest tide of any campaign during this war. I now think it will crush the rebellion if we are victorious, and if we get whipped our government will be lost. Well my dear ones I think if I ever see one of you again I shall think I am wonderfully blessed. It will all be through the goodness of God for the exposures of death will be numerous this summer. Oh remember if I am not permitted to ever meet you again it shall be my last prayer in your behalf may god bless you for ever. The 24th Michigan fought at the Wilderness, then marched to Spotsylvania and finally on to Cold Harbor before participating in the siege of Petersburg. On May 31, Webster wrote a short letter home: I am still alive but dreadfully fatigued. The battles are still a raging. Private Timothy O. Webster died in battle near Petersburg on June 18, 1864. This article was written by Julie Holcomb and originally appeared in the January 2004 issue of Americas Civil War. For more great articles be sure to pick up your copy of Americas Civil War. The Tabbs of Amelia County were one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Virginia, owning vast acreage and many slaves. When the Civil War came, 16-year-old Johnny Tabb wanted to join his brothers in the Confederate Army, but he was a frail lad with a serious eye problem, and this was not possible. However, his chance to serve the Confederacy would come. In 1862, Major B.F. Ficklin of the Confederate War Department, visiting the Tabb family estate, The Forest, revealed that he had been commissioned by the Southern government to go to England, buy a ship, and convert it into a blockade runner for the Confederacy. He invited young Tabb to accompany him, an invitation the boy eagerly accepted. Tabb left the next day for Wilmington, N.C., where he joined the Confederate Navy as clerk to Captain John Wilkinson, who had been selected to command the new blockade runner. In September 1862, Wilkinson, Ficklin, Tabb and two government officials boarded the Southern steamer Kate in Wilmington with funds converted into pounds sterling for the purchase. The trip would be long, arduous and dangerous. Kate proceeded down the Cape Fear River and laid to under the guns of Fort Fisher, in sight of the Federal blockading fleet, waiting for nightfall. Under cover of darkness she ran the blockade and headed for San Salvador in the Bahamas. In transit, one of the passengers died of yellow fever; Major Ficklin also contracted the disease, but survived. At San Salvador, Ficklin hired a schooner to take the party to Cuba. With contrary winds, the going was slow; they ran out of ice and provisions. On the latter part of their week-long voyage, a 14-foot shark, which had been following them from San Salvador, was their only food. The schooner finally arrived at Cardenas, Cuba, where Tabb set foot on foreign soil for the first time. He was fascinated by the enormous crabs that frequented the streets and houses. The party went by train to Havana, where they took a Spanish steamer bound for the Virgin Islands, stopping at numerous ports along the way. In St. Thomas, they transferred to an English mail steamer and proceeded to Southampton without further incident. The trip had taken almost two months. The party then proceeded to Glasgow, Scotland, to negotiate the purchase of a passenger steamer, Giraffe, which ran between Glasgow and Belfast, and to oversee her conversion into a blockade runner. She was 260 feet long and weighed 900 tons, with a draft of 10 feet and a top speed of 13 knots, and carried no armament. She was one of the fastest of the blockade runners, about as fast as the famous Confederate raider Alabama. During the period of negotiations and renovation, Tabbs duties were nominal, and he enjoyed the sights of England, as well as a side trip to Paris. Giraffe sailed under the British flag with a British captain, although Captain Wilkinson was actually in charge. The first cargo consisted of medical supplies and fine paper for printing money consigned to the Confederate Treasury Department, along with 26 Scottish lithographers who had contracted to work for the treasury. The crossing, via the Portuguese Madeira Islands and Puerto Rico to Nassau, was routine. In Nassau they picked up pilots and set sail on the final leg of their journey, the running of the Federal blockade of Wilmington. On December 26, 1862, Giraffe approached the North Carolina coast. As she neared the blockading fleet, the fire room hatch was covered, all lights were extinguished, and even the compass was hooded except for a small hole for the helmsman to see through. Anyone showing an open light was subject to instant death. Heading for the mouth of the Cape Fear River, the ship came to a sudden haltGiraffe was stuck on a sandbar. If capture appeared imminent, the ship was to be destroyed rather than surrendered. Tabb was ordered to bring explosives on deck for that purpose. A boat was launched to set out an anchor. The sailors rowed with muffled oars, so close to a blockader that the crews voices could be heard. With the anchor dropped, the ships winch was tightened, and Giraffe was pulled off the bar. The anchor was then cut loose, and the ship entered the port of Wilmington at midnight on December 29. The next morning, Tabb counted 17 blockaders in line offshore. He later memorialized the incident in a poem called The Anchor. Giraffe, one of only three or four blockade runners owned by the Confederate government, was renamed R.E. Lee. All other blockade runners were privately owned and were so profitable that often one successful trip would more than pay for the loss of a ship. A blockade-runner, Tabb once wrote, was almost as invisible at night as Harlequin in the pantomime. Nothing showed above the deck but two short masts, and the smokestack; and the lead-colored hull could scarcely be seen at the distance of one hundred yards. Even on a clear day they were not easily discovered. Sailors on the privately owned ships were paid $100 a month in gold and a $50 bonus at the end of a good trip, which usually took about seven days. The crews of the government-owned blockade runners were paid the same. Captains and pilots earned as much as $5,000 a year. Navy captains, subordinate officers and pilots received only the pay of their rank in gold. R.E. Lee became one of the most famous of all the blockade runners. She ran the blockade 21 times, with 6,000 to 7,000 cotton bales worth $2 million in gold, and she brought back cargos of equal value. Tabb served aboard until almost the end of her Confederate service. The voyages were between Bermuda or Nassau and such Carolina coastal cities as Wilmington, Beaufort and Charleston. Tabb said that on each trip they had to pass through 20 to 30 Federal warships, and that the task was not made easier when the cargo was ammunition. During one trip, bad weather forced R.E. Lee to stray off course, and she met a Federal blockader too suddenly for evasive action. The quick-witted Captain Wilkinson ordered the ship quickly rigged to impersonate a Federal transport (many captured blockade runners were converted to that use). He ran up the United States flag, saluted the blockader, who returned the salute, and proceeded on his way. On another occasion, more aggressive action was necessary. Outbound for Nassau, R.E. Lee was chased by USS Iroquois, a sailing vessel. She had government gold in her cargo and was using inferior coal, which was costing her speed. Cotton bales were quickly soaked in turpentine and used as fuel, and the boilers were fired so high that the deck was almost scorching hot. R.E. Lee stayed ahead of her pursuer and, at dusk, put up a smoke screen, made a sharp 90-degree turn and escaped. In September 1863, Wilkinson was put in charge of an expedition to free Confederate prisoners of war at Johnsons Island, near Sandusky, Ohio. A party of handpicked men was formed, with Lieutenant Robert Minor as second-in-command. The inclusion in the party of young Johnny Tabb was evidence of the high esteem in which his commander held him. The expedition was a true cloak-and-dagger affair. The party, including a replacement captain for R.E. Lee, sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia, on October 10, 1863, with a cargo of cotton. She was attacked and struck by enemy fire while running the blockade, but got through with only minor damage. The proceeds from the sale of the cotton were to be used to buy blankets and shoes for the army and for the needs of the released prisoners. The men arrived in Halifax on October 16, and because such a large party of Confederates would attract attention, they split into small groups. Wilkinson had been given letters to certain individuals in Canada who were ready to help, and an advance man was sent to Montreal, via Portland, Maine, to advise them of the partys coming. The party got as far as Toronto, but the plot was discovered and the Canadian governor general issued a proclamation threatening to imprison anyone violating his countrys neutrality laws. He also notified United States authorities, and the prison garrison was reinforced and placed on full alert. The expedition was therefore called off, and the entire party returned to Halifax, making part of the trip by sleigh, and booked passage on Alpha, the first steamer available bound for Bermuda, in December 1863. R.E. Lee, under her replacement captain, sailed from Halifax after landing the expedition party. She was captured off the North Carolina coast on her way to Texas with army payrolls. Renamed Fort Donelson, she was assigned to Union blockade duty and subsequently participated in the capture of Fort Fisher and the closing of Wilmington, the last port open to the Confederacyan ironic ending to the career of a famous blockade runner. After the arrival of the expedition party in Bermuda, Wilkinson took command of a privately owned blockade runner, Whisper, which had come over from England in the early part of 1864. Tabb accompanied him back to the Confederacy, where they parted ways. In May 1864, Tabb ran the blockade for the 20th time from Wilmington to Bermuda. It was a particularly difficult crossing, in rough weather, on a poor steamer burning bad coal. Tabb remembered that it was a Sunday when they landed because the bell of the English church was ringing, and he got ashore just in time to attend the evening service. Tabb had come bearing government dispatches, and was under orders to return on Siren, a small British steamer used by the governor of Bermuda as a yacht, which had been purchased by the Confederate government. Siren, which was commanded by a British captain, was in poor condition, and the captain had trouble getting a crew. She was very noisy, roaring like a buzz saw, Tabb said, and someone remarked that the blockading fleet would hear her coming before they saw her. On the third day at sea there was a report, which proved false, that she had sprung a leak and was going to sink. But something had definitely gone wrong with the engine, and the ship was almost dead in the water. On the morning of June 5, 1864, off Beaufort, N.C., Siren was approached by the Federal steamer Keystone State, which fired two shots over her bow. The British flag was lowered, and Siren was towed into port by Keystone State as a prize of war. Tabb, the British captain and others were sent to Point Lookout, the infamous Federal prison camp located on a low, sandy peninsula in southern Maryland where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The prison was about 20 acres in size, surrounded by a palisade and heavily guarded. The prisoners were housed in tents, although there was an extensive hospital for the illof whom there were many. There, Tabb spent the most miserable seven months of his life. He corresponded with the British representative in Washington and secured his cooperation in getting the captain and his associates released from Point Lookout. They were prepared to declare him English also, to secure his release, but Tabb would have none of this. When the Englishmen reached New York, they sent, by prearrangement, a box of supplies to Tabb, which included a $5 gold piece concealed in a sausage. Being sick in the hospital at the time, Tabb somehow forgot the money and gave the supplies away. The honest recipient of the sausage later returned the $5 gold piece to him. The only bright spot in Tabbs imprisonment was his meeting with Sidney Lanier, a young Confederate signal officer who also had been captured aboard a blockade runner. Lanier, who would become one of the Souths best-known postwar literary figures, was an accomplished flutist. While in the hospital, Tabb heard the sound of a flute, which Lanier had smuggled into prison concealed up his sleeve, and vowed that he must find the player when he was able. The two kindred spirits became inseparable until their release from prison. They were together as much as possible, frequently being joined by a Polish physician with a fine voice who loved to sing operatic arias. Often, when singing a love song, the good doctor would work himself up to an emotional peak, much to the amusement of the young Americans. In February 1865, Tabb was finally exchanged and went home to The Forest in Amelia County, where he remained until April, recuperating from his prison ordeal. He then joined his brothers regiment, the 59th Virginia Infantry stationed near Richmond, at about the time that the capital city was evacuated. The 59th, commanded by his older brother, Colonel William Barksdale Tabb, was part of Brig. Gen. Henry A. Wises brigade. As the Army of Northern Virginia withdrew southwestward, closely pursued by Federal forces, it passed through Tabbs home county. A portion of the army was surrounded at the Battle of Saylers Creek on April 6, 1865. Most of the encircled Confederates were obliged to surrender, but Wises brigade fought its way out of the trap and became part of Maj. Gen. John B. Gordons command on the march to High Bridge, Farmville, and Appomattox Court House. There, on April 9, 1865, just past his 20th birthday, Private John B. Tabb was paroled along with his brothers and the remaining members of the 59th Virginia Infantry. After the war, Major Ficklin offered to send Tabb to Baltimore to study music. The Tabb family had been impoverished by the war, and the majors offer was readily accepted. A year later, however, Ficklin had financial reverses of his own and could no longer sponsor Tabbs musical education. Tabb then taught school for a time and, although from an Episcopalian family, converted to Roman Catholicism while in Baltimore. He entered Saint Marys Seminary there and was ordained a priest in 1874 at the age of 29. He became a teacher at Saint Charles College and Seminary in Ellicott City, Md., where he remained for the rest of his life. While at Saint Charles, Tabb renewed his friendship with Sidney Lanier, then a resident of Baltimore, principal flutist of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra and member of the faculty of Johns Hopkins University. The former prison mates maintained a lively correspondence until Laniers death. In the postwar years, Father Tabb gained a widespread reputation in American literary circles. Several volumes of his poems were published, and many appeared in well-known periodicals of the day such as Harpers, The Atlantic and Lippincotts, and also received critical acclaim in the British press. Ever the unreconstructed Rebel, Father Tabb would never cross the Mason-Dixon Line, and always refused invitations to speak in the North. Father Tabb was remembered by his students for his accomplished piano playing, his incisive cartoons and his ready wit. The archives of the Suplician order contain many clever cartoons of Tabbs fellow priests, often accompanied by topical and pun-filled verses that reveal his keen insight into human nature. Father Tabbs eyesight continued to deteriorate from the malady that had plagued him since childhood. He had to be relieved of his teaching duties at Saint Charles, and eventually became completely blind. His general health also began to fail with increasing rapidity. The opening lines of a poem published in his first book of verse begin, To die in sleepto drift from dream to dream. At 11 p.m. on November 19, 1909, Father Tabbs wish was granted. This article was written by Charles A. Earp and originally appeared in Americas Civil War magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Americas Civil War magazine today! The ceremonial pipe is central to the religious practices and cultural traditions of many Indian tribes in the United States. It comprises two basic partsa wooden stem, representing the male, and a stone bowl, representing the female. When joined together, the complementary parts represent the people as a whole. Among many tribes the origin of the most sacred pipe bowls are the quarries at Pipestone, Minn., in the southwest corner of the state. According to Sioux tradition the Great Spirit sent a flood to cleanse the Earth. The blood of those killed in the flood seeped into the ground and congealed into the present-day pipestone formation. For centuries various tribes have gathered at the site to quarry the soft red stone and fashion it into ceremonial pipe bowls. When passing around the pipe, people send up prayers with the smoke. All the things of the universe are joined to you who smoke the pipeall send their voices to Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit. When you pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything The Sacred Pipe, by Black Elk, Oglala Lakota holy man The pipestone quarries are a wellspring, says Dave Rambow, former office manager of the Pipestone Indian Shrine Association. The elements of the pipe cover sky, earth, water and wind. The stone bowl is of the earth, the wood stem is of the earth, the smoke is of the earth but ascends into the sky, carrying the prayers to the Great Spirit. Geologists believe the pipestone rock formation originated more than 1.6 billion years ago as ancient rivers and streams deposited layers of red clay atop sandstone. Over the millennia the watercourses deposited additional layers of sand atop the clay. The overlying sand ultimately metamorphosed into 10- to 15-foot thick layers of hard Sioux quartzite, and the resulting heat and pressure compressed the clay into a layer of soft pipestone up to 18 inches thick. Archaeological digs in the region have turned up signs of human activity dating back some 9,000 years, while evidence suggests people have used the southwest Minnesota pipestone quarries for perhaps 3,000 years. Soft enough to carve yet durable enough to permit extended use, pipestone became a prized trade commodity throughout North America. Members of such tribes as the Iowa, Oto, Dakota, Lakota, Mandan, Chippewa, Omaha, Ponca, Sauk and Fox traveled long distances to quarry the stone. Tradition held that pilgrims to the sacred quarries were to refrain from violence while on-site, even when encountering members of warring tribesthough some have challenged the veracity of that claim. Early French-Canadian fur traders, known as coureurs des bois (runners of the woods), heard of the quarries, and one of them, Pierre-Charles Le Sueur, is thought to have been the first European to visit the site, sometime in the late 1600s. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark knew of the quarries but did not see them firsthand during their 180406 expedition. The country watered by this last river [Pipestone Creek] is remarkable for furnishing a red stone, of which the savages make their most esteemed pipes, Lewis wrote. The Indians of many nations travel vast distances to obtain this stone, and it is assertedthat all nations are at peace with each other while in this district. While wintering in the region in 183132, New Yorkborn explorer and fur trader Philander Prescott and party visited the quarries. They tried blasting through the quartzite with gunpowder, to little effect, and after a full days digging collected only enough pipestone to make 20 pipes. In 1832 artist George Catlin traveled up the Missouri River to record life among the various tribes and render portraits of individual Indians. Two of his subjectsa Mandan chief and a Ponca chieftold the artist of the fountain of the red pipe, gifted him with pipes and insisted the Sioux Indians had since claimed the quarries as their own. Obsessed with seeing the site firsthand, Catlin set out to visit it in 1836 with English travel companion the Rev. Robert Wood. At the Traverse des Sioux river crossing, some 150 miles from the quarries, the travelers encountered a group of hostile Santee Dakotas who claimed to be the protectors of the pipestone. The Santees detained the pair, warning them no white man has been to the red pipe, and none shall go. After convincing the Sioux they werent government agents, Catlin and Wood pressed on, hiring French-Canadian trader Joseph La Framboise of the American Fur Co. to guide them the last 50 miles. On August 17 the trio reached the pipestone quarries. Catlin not only wrote about and painted the quarries but also took samples of the sacred pipestone. These he sent to Boston-based geologist Charles Thomas Jackson, who analyzed them and deemed them a new rock form that he named catlinite. Though Catlin had assured the Sioux he was not a federal agent, his popular paintings and writings brought the pipestone quarries to the governments attention. In 1838, two years after guiding the artist to the quarries, La Framboise led a 15-member Corps of Topographical Engineers survey team to the site. Funded by the War Department, the party was led by French geographer and Renaissance man Joseph Nicollet and included young Lieutenant John Fremont, the future Pathfinder of expeditions still farther west. The purpose of the Nicollet expedition was to map the region between the upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The party reached the pipestone quarries in late June and stayed nearly a week. Nicollet asked La Framboise to carve expedition members initials and the month and year into one of the rock ledges. While alone and busily doing so, the guide was startled by a hand on his shoulder and a voice asking what he was doing. Fortunately for La Framboise his interrogator was an old friend from the Wahpekute Dakota tribe. The friend and his party had been tailing the expedition for several days. Nicollet invited the Wahpekutes to camp alongside his men, and the Indians were delighted when the soldiers used gunpowder to blast through the upper layer of quartzite to get to the pipestone. On the Fourth of July a high-spirited Fremont clambered atop a rocky bluff with an American flag and then jumped a 5-foot gap to what is known today as Leaping Rock, where he unfurled and planted the banner. The expeditions visit was peaceful, and it soon moved on to map the rest of the region. Awareness of the extraordinary pipestone site dramatically increased with the 1855 publication of Henry Wadsworth Longfellows Song of Hiawatha. His popular epic poem directly references the great Pipestone Quarry and deifies Gitche Manito, the mighty, He the Master of Life, who stood atop the quarries and instructed the Indian nations to cease their warring, fashion the red stone into pipes and smoke to peace. Legend aside, various exploratory and scientific surveys to the quarries continued into the late 1800s. Under the increasing public scrutiny, the Indians of the region struggled to retain control of the site. In 1858 the Yanktons signed a treaty with the U.S. government that sent them westward 150 miles to a reservation in present-day South Dakota. Thanks to a provision insisted on by Chief Struck-by-the-Ree, however, the Yanktons retained rights to 648-acre tract of land encompassing the quarries, with a federal guarantee they would have free and unfettered use of the quarries. In the fall of 1866 Massachusetts-born geologist Ferdinand Hayden, who would soon launch his extensive surveys of the Rocky Mountain West, visited the site for a day. Remarking on the quantity of rude iron tools scattered about, he questioned the antiquity of the site, though he was impressed by the amount of labor the Indians had expended in throwing off the quartzite to obtain the pipestone. Another notable visitor was photographer William Illingworth (see sidebar, right), best known for later accompanying Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custers 1874 Black Hills Expedition. In 1870 he was a partner in the Sioux City, Iowa, photographic firm Gurnsey & Illingworth when he learned of the pipestone quarries and became fascinated. So on May 28 he packed his gear and supplies into a wagon, headed north more than 100 miles along the Big Sioux River to the falls of the Big Sioux and then on to the pipestone quarries and adjacent waterfalls. He took more than 20 stereoscopic images of the quarries and falls, which looked even more dramatic in the heavy rains that drenched him every day but one during his trip. When Illingworth returned home on June 8, The Sioux City Journal reported he was so much of a sight that he was immediately photographed by Mr. Gurnsey. Gurnseys photo of his intrepid partner has yet to surface. Nine days later the newspaper ran the following seemingly inconsequential notice: Charles Bennett of Le Mars [Iowa] is in the city. Bennett, perhaps inspired by Illingworths photographs, also became obsessed with visiting the quarries, which he did three years later with wife and friends. Soon thereafter he hatched a plan to start a town near the site, convinced the waterfalls would draw tourists. In 1874 he and two friends registered homestead claims in the area, and within a couple years he platted the townsite of Pipestone and was its primary booster. As Bennett anticipated, the town soon thrived as tourists flocked to the quarries and waterfalls. In 1881 German artist Rudolf Cronau visited the pipestone quarries, befriended such tribal leaders such as Struck-by-the-Ree, Crow King, Gall and Sitting Bull and rendered heroic portraits of Indians at the quarries. Through Cronaus paintings and writings the German people came to share Americans fascination with the quarry and its Indian overseers. As the century wore on, it became more and more difficult for Indians to travel from their reservations to the quarries. In their absence white settlers encroached on the protected parcel to farm and graze animals and to quarry pipestone as souvenirs for the tourists. In 1887 Captain J.W. Bean and 10 soldiers peaceably evicted the squatters and replaced the boundary markers. Regardless, through the turn of the century the Yanktons fought a continual battle to retain control of the site, a number of them relocating there to quarry the stone and craft their pipes. In 1893, against their wishes and over their protests, the federal government built an Indian school and allowed a railroad right-of-way through the parcel. Government officials repeatedly tried to strip the Yanktons rights to the quarries, and the tribe responded by going to court. Finally, in 1929 the government bought the land from the Yanktons for $328,558.90, though it granted them the right to continue quarrying their sacred stone. In 1937 Congress established Pipestone National Monument (see sidebar, left), tasking the National Park Service with protecting and managing its natural resources, while authorizing members of all tribes to quarry pipestone for traditional purposes. Several families have carried on the pipe-making tradition, passing the skills from generation to generation. In 1946 the NPS began issuing permits to Indians interested in using the stone, though the number of permits remained low until interest in pipe-making rekindled in the 1960s. Today, on obtaining a permit, enrolled members of federally recognized tribes can remove the stone at no cost. The waiting list is long, however, as digging is limited to 56 active quarries. A stalwart individual or a few close family members typically work a quarry. Before starting work, depending on their traditions, the quarriers may purify themselves through a sweat lodge ceremony or by burning sage, or they may leave an offering or pray at the site. Regulations permit the use only of hand toolssledgehammers, picks, chisels, wedges, shovels, pry bars, etc. Power tools, heavy equipment and explosives are forbidden. Quarriers first have to remove any plant cover and soil. Then comes the intense labor of breaking through the thick layer of hard Sioux quartzite. Experienced quarriers exploit natural cracks and fissures in the rock, driving wedges into them to bust out chunks of quartzite. Still, it may take crews months if not years to break through. On finally reaching the pipestone layer, quarriers must use caution to remove intact sheets of the soft stone, thus providing carvers as much workable material as possible. The pipestone is relatively easy to work using saws, knives, files, rasps and sandpaper. Traditional pipe makers used buffalo fat to draw out the rich red luster of the pipestone; today many use beeswax. The finished product is truly a labor of love. Wahpeton Sioux Travis Erickson, a fourth-generation quarrier and pipe artisan, has put 35 years of blood, sweat and tears into creating his exquisite pipestone bowls, some of which are on display at the Smithsonian Institution. I can say there is a connection between me and the pipestone, between me and quarries, Travis says of his lifes work. Its a spiritual connection. MH Bill Markley of Pierre, S.D., works for the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources and is a staff writer for Roundup, the membership journal of Western Writers of America. News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits. Tuesday, October 25, 4:30 7 p.m. Orr Area EMS Open House Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798. Orr Fire Hall 4540 Lake St., Orr Tuesday, October 25, 12 6 p.m. Essentia Health Job Fair Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org. 901 9th St. N., Virginia Years ago, and well before my hotelier days, I traveled to Bentonville, Arkansas selling ergonomic furniture, mouse pads and the like. The Walmart offices were huge then and I can only imagine how much they have grown since. Today, Walmart is the world's largest company by revenue ($288 billion) and employees (2.2 million), rivaling the GDP of many nations, including some that are traditionally defined as first-world. What's most interesting to me is that hoteliers, by and large, have never really looked to this retail titan to see what they can glean. Perhaps it's a stigma whereby Walmart is perceived as 'beneath us' or that a discount retailer is totally unrelated to our heads-in-beds raison d'etre. In any event, here are a few initiatives that Walmart does exceptionally well that should be on our radar. They advertise. Walmart did not grow on its own. They are among the world's heaviest TV ad buyers. Their recognition had been bought through countless GRPs (gross rating points) of continual media buying. Many hoteliers these days, I'm afraid, do not consider advertising broadcast or digital as a major component of their brand support program. They have not diluted the brand. Just two names Walmart and Sam's Club seem to work for 11,500+ outlets. They do not create 'lifestyle' property categories or other sub-brands on a marketing whim. A chain with 18-20 brands is going to have a challenge with any sort of clear recognition or differentiation. A strong environmental commitment. Walmart has universally adapted LED lighting as just one of the green conscious approaches they have taken. Apart from the lucrative financial ROIs, they are leading the way for other companies. One, unswerving consumer strategy. "The lowest price is the law." Remember this statement? It is hammered in through their advertising and followed up in-store. By having a single-minded focus, both the company and the consumer are on the same wavelength. Most hotel plans that I've read have trouble distilling the strategy down to a half-dozen unique or semi-unique approaches. The masters of data. Walmart knows their POS data in real-time. They manage inventory down to the store level and can refill stores to meet on-shelf requirements effectively. Do you know who exactly is staying with you tonight? Last night? Tomorrow night? How about 365 days from now? They have greeters. Comedians like to make fun of the Walmart greeter program. But, they serve a valuable purpose in reassuring the customer and helping out at the store entry. It's part of the brand guarantee to service the consumer as best possible. Ever consider having a greeter standing out in the open in the hotel lobby instead of sequestered behind the physical barrier that is the front desk? They test and they plan. New items just don't appear across all stores; they are tested in store panels to ensure their success. Shelves are planned with perfect store-to-store consistency. With hotels, there is much more variation across each chain, and while the parallel might be considered a bit of a stretch, standards must nevertheless be adhered to, or at least suitably adapted to meet regional quirks and demands. These are just a few that I have come up with. Can you add any more relevant practices that have hospitality applicability? (Article by Larry Mogelonsky, published by Hotel Interactive on May 3, 2016). View source MACAO Sands China Ltd. (HKSE: 1928), the majority-held subsidiary of global integrated resort developer Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), announced today that its elegant French-themed property, The Parisian Macao, will open its doors on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016. The launch of the newest addition to the Sands China Ltd portfolio of properties on the Cotai Strip marks yet another major milestone in the company's efforts to support Macao's development as a world centre of tourism and leisure. The Parisian Macao brings Sands China's total Macao investment to more than US $13 billion (MOP 104 billion) to date. Inspired by the magic and wonder of the famed City of Light, The Parisian Macao prominently features a half-scale authentic recreation of the Eiffel Tower. The property's full array of integrated resort facilities includes 3,000 guestrooms and suites, convention and meeting space, international restaurants, spa, kids' club, health club, pool deck with themed water park, 1,200-seat theatre, among other amenities. Its retail mall, Shoppes at Parisian, will offer the latest in fashion and couture in a setting reminiscent of the streets of Paris, with an eclectic mix of street artists and entertainers heightening the authentic experience. Set to become a skyline-redefining landmark on the Cotai Strip, The Parisian Macao fulfils the original vision ofSheldon G. Adelson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands and Sands China Ltd. "Our goal to create a large-scale leisure and business destination in Macao, which started with the opening of The Venetian Macao nearly 10 years ago, will be fully realized when The Parisian opens its doors in a matter of weeks," Adelson said. "It's unlikely another tourism development with the size and scope of the Cotai Strip will ever be achieved again. I am grateful for the hard work and determination of the countless people involved in this amazing development and the unwavering support of the people and government of Macao. Together, we have truly made history." Sands China President Dr. Wilfred Wong said: "The Parisian Macao is a property that will help cement Macao'sposition as one of the region's must-see business and leisure destinations. With the launch of The Parisian Macao, Sands China remains committed to providing unforgettable experiences for our many guests and visitors from around the world and from right here in Macao. We thank the Macao government for their continued support of our company, and our team members for their dedication and professionalism which bring our properties to life, day in and day out." For more information on The Parisian Macao, visit www.parisianmacao.com. About Sands China Ltd. Sands China Ltd. (HKSE: 1928, Sands China or Company) is a subsidiary of global resort developer Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), and a listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Sands China is the largest operator of integrated resorts in Macao. The Company owns and operates The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, The Plaza Macao and Sands Cotai Central at the Cotai Strip and Sands Macao on the Macao peninsula. The Company's integrated resorts contain a diversified mix of leisure and business attractions and transportation operations, including large meeting and convention facilities, a wide range of restaurants, shopping malls, world-class entertainment at the CotaiArena and the Venetian Theatre, and high-speed CotaiJet ferry service between Hong Kong and Macao. The Company's property development projects on Cotai have the goal of transforming Cotai into Asia's premier entertainment and business destination. For more information, please visit www.sandschinaltd.com. Mabel Wu Sands China +853 8118 2268 Sands China Ltd. It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore). Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net. Go back to home The Lamp of Knowledge is given to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to advancing the quality of professionalism and education in the hospitality industry. The Outstanding Distance Learning Student is selected from among those who completed AHLEIs 12-course Hospitality Management Diploma in the previous year. The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has named Christine Saldanha, executive housekeeper at the Crowne Plaza Hotel & Resorts, Dubai, UAE, as winner of the 2016 Lamp of Knowledge Award for Outstanding Distance Learning Student. The Lamp of Knowledge is given to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to advancing the quality of professionalism and education in the hospitality industry. The Outstanding Distance Learning Student is selected from among those who completed AHLEIs 12-course Hospitality Management Diploma in the previous year. Saldanha decided to take AHLEIs hospitality management courses through Distance Learning to enhance her knowledge and achieve career growth, while boosting her professional confidence. In-depth knowledge of all operational departments has enabled me to effectively participate in hotel strategy and goal setting meetings for 2016, she said. It has helped improve my leadership competencies and effectively communicate my ideas for the hotel. Some of those ideas have included a reward and recognition program for team members that raised employee satisfaction scores; revised departmental disciplinary action procedures; and encouraging the propertys participation in a number of green and sustainability programs locally. Saldanha also encourages employees at her property and other area hotels to enroll in AHLEIs Distance Learning courses and mentors them through the e-learning process. Receiving the Lamp of Knowledge Award from AHLEI is indeed very satisfying, said Saldanha. Education is the key to the future and the process of learning never ends. Today, I feel empowered and energized to fulfill my personal and professional goals and progress towards a brighter future. AHLEI gives us all the necessary tools we need for a better future, or simply to pursue a new beginning as we embark on our unique career paths. Dublin is in for the mother of all metal double bills Heads will be unmercifully banged on January 7 when Avenged Sevenfold and Disturbed join metal forces in Dublins 3Arena. Tickets go on sale on Thursday August 4 priced 66.45 for seating and 55.65 for standing. Hailing respectively but never respectably from Huntington Beach, California and Chicago, the two outfits have been around since the 90s and have massive followings. Disturbed have remarkably scored five consecutive number ones on the US Billboard chart and hit the pop charts with their ironic cover of Simon & Garfunkels The Sound Of Silence. It will be hot and it will be heavy This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Art Guys are having an existential crisis. Actually, let's restate that. The Art Guys are no more, because, as you can read on the home page of their website, "The Art Guys are not artists." Click on that line, and you'll land on a page with a black hole surrounded by the words, "The Art Guys Logo," and what looks like text for a tombstone: "e pluribus duo / 1983-2016." Is Houston's famous conceptual art duo retiring after 33 years of confounding, provoking and entertaining folks? Alarmed by a press release announcing the online-only "Final Sale" of their works, which started Monday, we scurried to their near northside studio recently for an explanation. Through August 15, they are trying to unload dozens of objects, including drawings, sculpture, prints, collage and photographic works, and less tangible special projects and services. Michael Galbreth, the tall one, was at the studio alone, ready to talk and reminisce, like a folksy professor with a full-on Southern drawl (he grew up in Nashville). Galbreth said he and Jack Massing never wanted to make "art" in the conventional sense. They met at Lawndale Art Center in the early 1980s, invited separately into the University of Houston art fold by James Surls. "There was just nothing like it: Super serious playtime. Everyone there was very good and very smart and very dedicated," Galbreth said, thoughtfully. "You get rare blooms like that every so often." Galbreth and Massing admired the conceptual work of Marcel Duchamp and experimental artists of the later 20th century such as Gordon Matta Clark, Robert Smithson and John Cage. And they loved the ideas of Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian intellectual who coined the phrase, "the medium is the message." They didn't give a flip about painting, which was the art world's biggest obsession then. "We were very serious about it, in a fun way. The very first piece we did, 'The Art Guys Agree on Painting,' where we shook hands that's a direct comment on all that: Here's a way to make a painting," Galbreth said. "That literally was the first utterance of the moment, where Jack said, 'Well, I guess we're the Art Guys.' Which was a joke." The name stuck, although sometimes they called themselves the Art Guise. Because they were funny, some people didn't take them seriously. "Which is ironic, given that what I consider the major intellectual thrust of the early 20th century had everything to do with humor," Galbreth said. "So, we thought, the more they hate us, the more we'll do it." Eschewing "art world" environments, they employed commercial tactics, promoted themselves through the media and hit the streets. They made the Art Guys a "brand" well before most people started talking about branding as a marketing tactic. "The Art Guys as a life thing, especially in the old studio, was a total thing. It manifested itself in activities, objects, events, super events, meta-conceptual things... to challenge ourselves," Galbreth said. They went, as he said, "where the fun is." They once ate at Denny's for 24 hours and invited people to watch. They wore suits plastered with corporate logos. They married a tree. They even tried to sell their future cremated remains and the rights to the Art Guys name. They also made some tangible objects, including public sculptures such as "The Statue of Four Lies," a pair of bronze statues of themselves at the University of Houston, and "Video Ring," an installation on monitors at Terminal E of Bush Intercontinental Airport. And they've made many smaller sculptures and drawings that are stored, quite neatly, in a large room behind their studio. "What we've always done is question the thing: What IS this? And who are we, and why is this?" Galbreth said. "There is a surprising density to our work. Each piece has a reason, a story, however meaningless and paradoxical. Which accounts for a relative lack of visual style." The Art Guys became famous, nationally. "We are fortunate to have lived a good, highly recognized life in some ways. Not so much recently, but absurdly, overwhelmingly, in the past," Galbreth said. They still have plenty of ambitious ideas, including an undertaking called "The Center of the City" that would involve making a virtual drawing of Houston as participants traveled to a specific location using a smart-phone app that traced their journeys on a map. "It's so poetic," Galbreth said. But he knows of only one U.S.-based company that makes the app, and it isn't interested in sponsoring the project. They also have a concept for making a sculpture of a randomly-chosen Houstonian that hasn't found a patron. "Our culture is just at low tide right now," Galbreth said. He and Massing still sit side-by-side, pretty much every day, in the office above their big studio, between a guest room full of Jesus-themed folk art and a party room inspired by their first studio in the Heights, which was a popular gathering place. They continue to "chew through" ideas. Galbreth characterizes Massing as the "tinkerer" who makes inventive objects, and himself as the "thinkerer" who pushes projects forward. So, back to that big question. "The art guys are not artists" is "a statement of where we are now in our heads," Galbreth said, explaining the philosophical argument called the liar paradox that thinkers have batted around since Aristotle's time. "We selected that just to be funny. That's the work. So we can and can't be artists if we choose to. And to make it more complicated, we put it out on April Fool's." But they have painted themselves into a tough nook. The chalkboard in their office was nearly clean. In the upper left-hand corner one of them had written "Forever Yours" and "What's in a name?" Above the board hung a sign Massing found near an old beauty parlor, with the word, "Conceptuals." "Maybe that's what we are," Galbreth said. The late Walter Hopps once described the Art Guys as "inventors." "I always thought, that's it, you got it. We're inventors," Galbreth said. "We're inventing new ways of thinking. I don't know that it's art, and I don't know care anymore. And that is so liberating so joyful. It makes me happy beyond words. Strangely, I'm also confused about it. That's where I want to be. It makes me happy to not know. It's the strangest f-ing place to be." Massing checked in a few days later. He and Galbreth dissolved the Art Guys in April, he said, but that doesn't mean they're splitting up. It's just that whatever they do next has to be called something else. "The definitions of what people are and what people do are boxes that limit outward perceptions," Massing said. "Our ideas have changed. For lack of a better category or title, we are trying to grapple with the idea of what we are." The sale was moving along, he said. Among the objects that sold early was a sculpture from their "Appropriations" series, made during a time when discussions about borrowing from other artists was controversial. The good news: Even if they sell everything they're offering in the Final Sale, the duo formerly known as the Art Guys has more where that came from. "It's just the tip of the iceberg," Massing said. Brett Coomer/Staff It's been nearly six months since the Houston Chronicle shipped out of its downtown office, heading for our new location amid the snarled traffic of the Southwest Freeway at Loop 610. It's meant many changes for the employees here: New computers; new workstations; learning to get along in a loud, open newsroom; and new commutes. But what of the change in the environment? The Chronicle's old home, at 801 Texas Ave., was in downtown's 77002 ZIP code, a place that bustled between 9 and 5, with thousands of workers funneling into glassy towers, and sort of snored through the evening, without a huge base of residents. Now, in our new digs in the 77027 area, we've got plenty more residential neighbors. PHILADELPHIA - On stage at the Democratic National Convention, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro on Thursday evening told a story of his Mexican heritage and painted GOP nominee Donald Trump as a man who embraces hate. Castro, of San Antonio, who earlier in the day warned that a digital Watergate could emerge from the DNC email hack, used his moment in the limelight to contrast Trump with Hillary Clinton on matters vital to Latinos, immigrants and youthful voters. While Donald Trump is talking about building walls, Hillary Clinton is working to build an infrastructure of opportunity, a way for Americans to get where they want to go in life, he said. We can keep America safe and still welcome the next generation of immigrants without a religious litmus test." By appearing at the podium, Castro was trading places with twin brother Julian, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who delivered the Democrats keynote address in 2012. Obama cabinet members did not make speeches at this years gathering. Joaquin Castros speech was earlier and shorter than his brothers, but like Julian four years ago, he told a version of the family story. In 1922, my grandmother came to Texas from Mexico. She wasn't a rapist or a murderer. She was a 6-year-old orphan. As a girl, she walked past storefront signs that read No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed. Her life wasn't easy, he said in his five minutes of allotted time. This room is filled with proud Americans who can tell similar stories; great-grandchildren of Irish immigrants who saw signs that said No Irish Need Apply and just worked harder; grandchildren of Americans who suffered in World War II internment camps, the same camps Donald Trump has defended...; children of immigrants who have contributed to our country as doctors, police officers, and, guess what, impartial judges, he said. In the latter reference Castro was referring to Trumps verbal attacks on federal judge Gonzalo Curiel and his Mexican heritage. Their story is our story. It's America's story, Castro continued. And make no mistake: The hero of that story is never the one who sides with hate. The hero of that story will never be Donald Trump. The Castro brothers have been busy at the Democratic gathering, meeting with reporters and working to rev up delegations from around the country. Joaquin, a second-term congressman, confirmed to reporters that he is toying with the idea of challenging Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. He will decide on the race within months, he said. Responding to reports that Cruz is mentioning Castro in fundraising efforts, Castro said the Texas senator freaked out at the prospect of his challenge. Thats what I would expect from somebody who hasnt spent any time working for the people of Texas, he said. Im not in a hurry to run for another office just to run, but Ill take a look at it, Castro said. Ted Cruz said that he would go to Washington to change Washington and he has. Hes made it worse, much worse. In his convention speech, Castro managed a swipe at Cruz. I dont care what Donald Trump or Ted Cruz or anybody else says, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay because it saves millions of Americans lives, he said. Castro, who sits on the House Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees, said in an interview that he intends to pursue reports of Russian involvement in the release of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee. His first order of business, he said, is confirming the reports. He also wants to learn whether any Americans have worked with the hackers, if any Americans benefited from the crime and whether more of the stolen emails exist. He said Congress needs to conduct an investigation beyond the FBI effort under way. There was obviously an attempt to get information and they succeeded. And its incredibly troubling, especially if a foreign government is the culprit, he said. Presidential candidates dont show much love to Texas beyond short swings through the states metro areas to collect big-dollar checks. The last time Republicans held their national convention in Texas was in 1992, when former President George H. W. Bush sought reelection. While some famous Texas Democrats have chaired their partys national conventions before, from Ann Richards to Sam Rayburn, the Lone Star State has never hosted one. Its all but impossible to see that changing any time soon. So, for now, Texans will have to make do with the Green Party, which will meet next week at the University of Houston to formally nominate a presidential candidate. According to the partys website, here is why Houston is a perfect city for its convention: Houston is a microcosm of the issues that face our society; a rich history paved over by gentrification, stark inequality on display next to environmentally ruined superfund sites evidencing our area's devotion to petrochemical and other polluting industry. Jill Stein, the partys presumptive presidential nominee, has made her presence known in Philadelphia this week, where Hillary Clintons campaign has had to fend off diehard Bernie Sanders supporters not ready to fall in line behind the Democratic nominee. I almost feel like a social worker, being out there talking to the Bernie supporters, she told The Atlantic. They are broken-hearted. They feel really abused, and misled, largely by the Democratic Party. The last time a third party candidate ran for the White House and made a splash, Independent Ross Perot didnt win any electoral votes, but more than 19 million Americans, or 18.9 percent, voted for him in 1992. Four years later, this time running on his own Reform Party ticket, his vote total was cut by more than half to about 8 million. (Im going to skip over Ralph Nader here, since at his height in 2000, he won a mere 2.8 million votes and never matched Perots money.) Of course, Stein wont win, but beyond all the 2016 hype, the party is trying to make an argument that Texas is fertile ground for a budding Green movement. Its website points to Harris County in particular as an enormous opportunity for growth and mentions local races in Laredo that drew six Green candidates who got more than 10 percent of the vote. One contest for a commissioners seat in Webb County which, by the way, is not part of the Rio Grande Valley, as their website says saw a Green candidate get 42 percent. This year, the Green Party of Texas is running 43 candidates for various local and state offices, including one for the Railroad Commission, five for the state Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals, and one for the State Board of Educations District 1. Much has been written about an election in which the Democratic and Republican candidates for president are among the most controversial, untrustworthy individuals the two major parties have ever put forward. A review of a four-way White House matchup that includes Stein and Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson shows that, together, the third party candidates could amass anywhere between 6 and 15 points. Depending on how the fall campaign goes for Trump and Clinton, that range may rise as both major party candidates work to unify their party after grueling primaries. But this year, the Green Party has chosen Houston and Texas to make the case that they may be able to pick up some local government seats in areas where voters have seen a Green Party candidate on their ballots more regularly than for a long-shot White House bid every four years. Secretary of State Jason Kander today encouraged Missouri voters to prepare for the August 2nd primary election by answering common elections questions. Voters can find answers to many questions online at www.GoVoteMissouri.com or by contacting their local election authority. How do I know where to vote? You may have voted at the same location for years, but be sure to check your polling place hasnt changed this time. To find the address of your polling place, go to www.GoVoteMissouri.com and click on Where do I vote? What should I bring to the polls? Missouri voters need to present one form of personal identification as required by state law. Identification requirements have not changed from previous elections. You need to take ONE of several options for acceptable ID, including: a voter ID card, drivers license, a Missouri student ID, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document with your name and address on it. For a complete list of acceptable voter identification and examples, visit www.GoVoteMissouri.com and click What do I bring to the polls? When does my polling place open? Polling places statewide open at 6 a.m. and remain open until 7 p.m. Voters in line by 7 p.m. are entitled to cast a ballot, but individuals arriving after polling places close will not be allowed to vote. What will be on the ballot on Election Day? You may view federal and state-level candidates here: http://sos.mo.gov/candidatesonweb/. You can view a sample ballot at the polling place or office of your local election authority. Sample ballots are also printed twice prior to each election in newspapers of general circulation. Some election jurisdictions may also mail sample ballots to registered voters in that jurisdiction. I need help when I vote, what are my options? There are several options available to voters who need assistance. Each polling place must have accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities including audiovisual accessibility. Additionally, voters with a permanent physical disability may request to be placed on a designated list so the local election authority automatically mails an absentee ballot application to the voter prior to each election. If a voter cannot read or write, or has a physical disability and cannot vote a ballot, the voter may bring a person to help them. A bipartisan team of poll workers can also assist upon request. Contact your local election authority for more information. Where can I find election results? To view current election results after the polls close on Election Day, visit http://enr.sos.mo.gov. Local and county results will be posted at www.houstonherald.com Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. One of the best ways an employer can demonstrate its concern for its employees well-being is by guiding them on important financial protections. While a company clearly cannot always be the provider of insurance, it can host programs that educate employees about vital insurance products that can help them achieve financial security and peace of mind. In doing so, employers also benefit from improved employee satisfaction, productivity and retention. Among the products in highest demand by employees are worksite/voluntary benefits, ranging from life insurance, disability, critical illness and accident to dental, vision and legal services. For human resource (HR) executives, its important to know the best strategies for marketing worksite/voluntary benefits. Know What Matters Most to Your Employees A recent Gallup poll found that 82% of American workers now place a higher premium on worksite/voluntary benefits. This finding is supported by recently reported figures showing the increase in voluntary benefit sales. According to Eastbridge Consulting Groups U.S. Worksite/Voluntary Sales Report, estimated annual sales of these benefits in 2014 increased to $6.89 billion, up from 2013 sales of $6.644 billion. The Eastbridge report also revealed those worksite/voluntary benefits with the highest sales in 2014. They were: Life insurance ($1.877 billion), disability ($1.363 billion), dental ($930 million), accident ($848 million) and hospita... ajor production company owned by Disney has pleaded guilty to a number of health and safety breaches that saw Hollywood star Harrison Ford suffer a broken leg.The 71-year-old Star Wars actor was partially crushed during shooting when he was pinned to the floor by a hydraulic door on the set of the Millennium Falcon spaceship.Director JJ Abrams was also injured in the incident, breaking a bone in his back while attempting to lift the heavy door.Now, Foodles Production (UK) has admitted two breaches under health and safety law over the incident a further two charges were dropped by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).Prosecutor Andrew Marshall claimed there has been a risk of death to the actor.It could have killed somebody, he stressed. The fact that it didn't was because an emergency stop was activated.While Foodles accepted the charges, the company rejected claims that the incident fell into the most series of risk categories.We don't accept the category that the Health and Safety Executive has placed it in but accept that by the virtue of the size of the company that the matter should be heard by a crown court judge, said lawyer Angus Withington.The charges say Foodles erred in the design and manufacture of the hydraulic equipment and failed to carry out a risk assessment for actors using the equipment.By law, employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers this is as true on a film set as a factory floor, said a representative for the HSE.The company will be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on August 22. 9-to-5 grind has created a cult of workaholics.Unfortunately, the 8-hour workday hasnt budged in 100 years. Never mind that the Information Age represents the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution and that family structures have changed dramatically since the early 1900s.Workers still get in their cars every morning and clog up the freeways and do it again at night. Mondays are dreaded. Wednesdays are hump days. Friday mornings bring relief because theyre the final push before the weekend.The idea that workers are expected to endure 70 percent of their week so they can enjoy the other 30 percent is collective insanity.My company decided to do things differently. I run a business that sells stand-up paddleboards, so a shorter workday that freed our employees afternoons for extraordinary living was a natural fit for our beach lifestyle brand.We decided to move to a 5-hour workday where everyone works from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. By eliminating an hour-long lunch, we only reduced our work time by two hours. Our employees dont get paid less, and I still expect them to be twice as productive as the average worker.The results have been astounding. Last year, we were named the fastest-growing private company in San Diego. This year, our 9-person team will generate $9 million in revenue.When I tell people my team only works five hours a day, their response is always, Thats nice, but it wont work for me. The 9-to-5 is so engrained in their minds that they cant imagine anything else.But you can reduce your hours by 30 percent and maintain the same level of productivity. Heres why:Humans are not machines. Just because youre at your desk for eight hours doesnt mean youre being productive. Even the best employees probably only accomplish two to three hours of actual work. The 5-hour day is about managing human energy more efficiently by working in bursts over a shorter period.Happiness boosts productivity. Studies show that happier workers are more productive, and it makes sense: Having time to pursue your passions, nurture your relationships, and stay active gives you more energy emotionally and physically.Fewer hours create scarcity. In their book Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much, Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir write that having less time creates periods of heightened productivity called focus dividends. A 5-hour workday offers baked-in time management by forcing you to prioritize high-value activities.The question I hear most often from people is: Can a 5-hour day work for everyone?Unfortunately, if your job looks the same as it did during the Industrial Revolution, the answer is probably not. Professions that require a 24-hour presence, such as law enforcement, emergency response, and nursing are not good candidates for the 5-hour workday. Nor are jobs that require working in unison with a large number of people (such as film production).But for the vast majority of knowledge workers, clocking fewer hours that generate higher productivity is very manageable. Heres how to get started:The 4-Hour Workweek is required reading for anyone looking to adopt a shorter workday. One of the most important ideas discussed is the Pareto Principle: 80 percent of production comes from 20 percent of efforts. Evaluate your workday to identify those 20 percent activities, and eliminate the rest.People who dismiss the 5-hour workday outright usually think its impossible because they measure work in hours rather than output. However, most knowledge workers arent paid by the hour. Theyre paid a flat salary.To help my team shift to a production mindset, I rolled out a profit-sharing plan where 5 percent of the profits are doled out to employees who demonstrate exemplary productivity.One of my biggest objections to moving to a 5-hour workday was reducing our customer service departments hours. I worried that if we cut our open hours in half, wed lose half our business.But I realized that we didnt run a convenience store. Our customers bought new paddleboards maybe once every five years. It didnt matter when we were open as long as our customers knew our hours.So we made the switch, and nothing fell apart. We still get roughly the same number of calls each day, and emails are usually answered within hours.Understand that even in our instant-gratification society, being available all day isnt necessary. You just need to communicate when you are available.One of the unexpected benefits of the 5-hour workday is that it exposed weaknesses in our company that had been hidden by man-hours. To allow our warehouse and customer service employees to work 30 percent less (without growing our staff), we had to figure out how to serve the same number of customers in less time.The obvious solution was leveraging automation. In the warehouse, we reduced our packing and shipping time using software. In customer service, we overhauled our frequently asked questions page and created video tutorials to help customers help themselves.Once you put a time constraint on work, it forces you to consider how you can get technology to do the heavy lifting to increase your output. Make use of email auto responders, set up automatic trigger-based tasks, and learn to use keyboard macros.My employees know they can always walk out of the office guilt-free, but top performers still put in the occasional 12-hour day.Just as with a 9-to-5 job, recognize that there will be times when you want or need to work an extra-long day. But when you can leave the office at 1 p.m. to go surfing or pick your kids up from school, work isnt separate from life; its all just living.Moving my staff to a 5-hour workday was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, but today my employees are happier, more productive, and invested in the business.You can make the leap to a 5-hour workday, too. You just have to shift to a production mindset and let go of the fear. Youll be amazed by the productivity and freedom you can achieve when you stop mindlessly punching the clock.Stephan Aarstol is the author of The Five-Hour Workday: Live Differently, Unlock Productivity, and Find Happiness. He is CEO and founder of Tower, a holistic beach-lifestyle company, which includes Tower Paddle Boards, Tower Magazine, SunglassesByTower.com, and a direct-to-consumer surf-and beach-lifestyle company at TowerMade.com. For more information, please visit www.fivehourworkday.com and www.towerpaddleboards.com and connect with Stephan on Twitter , @stephanaarstol. When Canadians were asked to name their favourite bank, they didn't choose one of the Big Five. No, their choice was a bank that operates mostly online, with few fees and no minimum account balances. Advertisement Tangerine scored the highest of all choices in the J.D. Power 2016 Canadian Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, which was released Thursday. The scores were based on a survey of over "13,000 customers who use a primary financial institution for personal banking," said a news release. It separated banks into two categories: the Big Five, and midsize institutions. Tangerine led the midsize bank category with a score of 840, the highest that any institution attained in either group. It was followed in the midsize category by President's Choice Financial (789), National Bank of Canada (767) and ATB Financial (766). Advertisement All of them scored better than any institution in the Big Five. The top bank in this category was Royal Bank of Canada, with 765. It was followed by TD Canada Trust with 761, Bank of Montreal (BMO) with 760, CIBC with 754, and Scotiabank with 753. Customers were asked to rate their satisfaction with the banks according to seven factors: product; self-service; personal service; facilities; communication; financial advisor; and problem resolution. J.D. Power said the results show that satisfaction has improved despite increasing bank fees. It noted that 25 per cent of customers with the Big Five banks noticed a change in their fees, while 16 per cent noticed that whole new fees had been applied to their accounts. The study came just over a month after media reported that major banks were raking in billions of dollars in profits as they raised fees on their customers. Advertisement Institutions raising their fees included TD Canada Trust, which instituted a $75 fee for customers who wanted to transfer their tax-free savings accounts (TFSA) to other banks, even as it took in $2.052 billion in the second quarter up from $1.850 billion in the same period a year prior. Toronto Star finance editor Adam Mayers said in March that banks were "looking under every rock" to keep their profits up. Also on HuffPost: The average Canadian home costs half a million dollars. Actually, that's $503,301 as of June, while the average Alberta home cost $397,269, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. Alberta's price is down just 1.4 per cent from last year, despite having 11.5 per cent more listings come up for sale. Advertisement The Canadian average price is up by 11.2 per cent since last year. Here's a look at what the average price of a Canadian home can buy you around Alberta: 339 Chaparral Dr. S.E., Calgary, Alta. (Photo: Point2 Homes) Cost: $499,000 Size: 2,287 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 What you get: This home swaps location for size. Located in a suburb on Calgary's southern edge, the two-storey house has nine-foot-high ceilings and hardwood floors. 102 235 9A St. N.W., Calgary, Alta. (Photo: Realtor.ca) Cost: $499,900 Size: 989 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 2 What you get: This brand-new modern townhouse is steps away from the Bow River and a five-minute C-Train ride from downtown. Advertisement 7135 158 Ave., Edmonton, Alta. (Photo: Point2 Homes) Cost: $499,900 Size: 2,374 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 What you get: A fully-furnished basement with standout stonework. This entire home has been renovated recently. 1403 11710 100 Ave., Edmonton, Alta. (Photo: Realtor.ca) Cost: $499,800 Size: 1,462 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 What you get: Just west of downtown, this condo has floor-to-ceiling views of the river valley. The building also features a salt-water pool. Advertisement 401 Marten St., Banff, Alta. (Photo: Century 21) Cost: $410,000 Size: 903 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1 What you get: This home was the only one listed in the area that even came close to $500,000 most were well-above $1,000,000. The location is gorgeous, which is a boon because you likely won't want to spend much time in the slightly cramped kitchen and living room. At least the wood-burning fireplace makes it cozy. 1 200 Elk Run Boulevard, Canmore, Alta. (Photo: Sotheby's) Cost: $485,000 Size: 1,760 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2.5 What you get: This adorable townhouse backs right onto a trail system and is just a short walk from Cougar Creek. Plus, the basement can be rented out as a separate walk-out suite. 5334 42A Ave. Red Deer, Alta. (Photo: Point2 Homes) Cost: $495,000 Size: 1,950 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 What you get: From the massive master bath and walk-through closet to the basement theatre room, it has plenty of appealing details that you won't find for this price in a bigger city. Advertisement 523 Dieppe Boulevard, Lethbridge, Alta. (Photo: Point2 Homes) Cost: $500,000 Size: 2,870 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 What you get: Some seriously spacious luxury. Granite countertops, hardwood floors and an office that looks bigger than some Calgary apartments. 26 Dufferin St., St. Albert, Alta. (Photo: Edmonton Real Estate) Cost: $499,900 Size: 2,217 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 What you get: Not only is this place roomy, but it has an enormous backyard and deck. Perfect for summer patio parties. Medicine Hat Advertisement 22 Palisades Lane N.E., Medicine Hat, Alta. (Photo: Point2 Homes) Cost: $499,000 Size: 1,260 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 What you get: This condo is seriously luxurious. Giant picture windows provide a view of the river valley, while in-floor heating keeps things cozy. The master bathroom also offers a therapeutic air tub. 31 Poplar Crescent, Fort McMurray, Alta. (Photo: RE/MAX) Cost: $500,000 Size: 662 sq.-ft. Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1 What you get: Fort McMurray's once-expensive housing market saw a drop with the oil crash, but has since seen a slight resurgence, despite the wildfires. This home might be a bit snug and dated, but the massive, almost-commercial garage and huge yard make up for it. Also on HuffPost Names have power. Knowing this, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling bestowed characters in her sprawling universe with names as uniquely meaningful as their wands. Loaded with significance, Rowling often hinted what a character's true intentions were just by name alone. Muggles who grew up with the boy who lived are now making little witches and wizards of their own. So naming your kid after the characters who enchanted your childhood is as close as you'll get to enrolling your offspring into Hogwarts. Advertisement Many parents are already on the magical trend. The names Harry, Hermione, Luna, Draco, and Lucius are on the rise, reports Moose Roots. This baby is rocking the Harry Potter Costume! pic.twitter.com/hQuJDYGyvV Hogwarts Logic (@HogwartsLogics) September 1, 2015 So long as you aren't living in northwest Mexico, where it's illegal to name someone after Harry Potter, these Harry Potter inspired names will ensure your kid's Hogwarts acceptance letter is an owl away. Luna The dreamy Ravenclaw herself, Luna Lovegood embodied a very different kind of Hogwarts student. Like a magical Jaden Smith, she would truthbomb the golden trio with obscure references and sage advice before departing to chill with nargles. Advertisement Latin for moon, her name suggests an affinity for mysterious wisdom, female intuition, and of course, magic. A child named after Luna could be no trouble at all if she inherited her laidback nature and love for possibly imaginary creatures. Hopefully, she would also get Luna's unwavering loyalty. She seemed spacey to most, but the oddball witch was a kind-hearted friend to Harry and bravely fought alongside him against Death Eaters. Following the Wizarding War, Lovegood happily married the grandson of Newt Scamander, who will be the protagonist in upcoming spinoff "Fantastics Beasts and Where to Find Them." Her actress is equally tenacious. Evanna Lynch was a voracious reader of the Harry Potter books. As she struggled with anorexia at a young age, she found comfort in magic. She stood in line for autographed books long before she battled thousands of girls for the role of Lovegood. Hermione One-third of the golden trio, Hermione Granger was repeatedly described as the brightest witch of her generation. It's no wonder, considering her name's origin. Hermione comes from the Greek god Hermes, a quick-witted deity who was organized enough to relay messages and lead people into the Underworld. Advertisement As a name that's a very clear Harry Potter reference, a child named Hermione would get instant kudos from fellow diehard fans. But for those not in the magical know, the name can be as tongue-twisting as Wingardium Leviosa. Before Emma Watson portrayed her in the big screen, the old-fashioned name puzzled readers and one-time amour Viktor Krum, who learned that it's pronounced "her-my-own-knee." Parents naming their kids after Hermione are getting major props from Rowling, who's known to retweet fans' baby tributes. @jk_rowling This is my new daughter, Hermione, born yesterday. Keeping the franchise going for the next generation! pic.twitter.com/S55yp2DJko Sam Wills (@Chickpeas3ways) February 23, 2016 Seamus Seamus Finnegan was a Gryffindor with a penchant for explosives and hanging out with bestie Dean Thomas. You might better remember him for this "half-and-half" gem from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Advertisement As a fairly common Irish name, naming your kid Seamus would be a very indirect nod. Still, keep a watchful eye when your Seamus uses a microwave... Remus Much ado was made about Remus Lupin's werewolf secret in Harry Potter's third year, but for readers versed in Latin and French, it was pretty easy to figure out. Remeus was the name of one of Rome's mythical cofounders, who was raised by wolves. Lupin means wolf in French. Rowling had practically named him Wolf McWolfson. Since Remeus Lupin was always referred to as Lupin, naming a child Remeus would be far more subtler than it was in the series. Bellatrix Advertisement We know she was basically the Harley Quinn of the Wizarding World and killed her cousin the beloved Sirius Black, but hear us out. As with all of the Black family, she's named after a star or constellation. The star Bellatrix is the third brightest in the constellation Orion. Bellatrix stems from the Latin words "bellum" and "trix." Bellum means war, with trix associated with women. Literally meaning "warrior woman," a child named after Bellatrix would sure as hell know how to stand up for herself. Raise baby Bellatrix away from any no-good noseless overlords, and you should be good. Neville Once a cowardly first year who everyone hexed, Neville Longbottom became one of the best characters in the series. He showed his Gryffindor colours in the Battle of Hogwarts by beheading Voldemort's pet serpent Nagini with a thousand-year-old sword. The name Neville was originally a French surname that meant "new town." Longbottom, while immediately pretty hilarious, might reference something far more impressive: bottom used to be synonymous with "gravitas," which would suggest Neville has staying power. Anyone named after him would be a gentle giant who shouldn't be underestimated. Kingsley Advertisement Even if you know nothing about him, the name Kingsley Shacklebolt oozes boss vibes. Someone named Kingsley Shacklebolt is not to be messed with. A member of the Order of the Phoenix, Shacklebolt took over as Minister of Magic after the Battle of Hogwarts. His leadership led to pureblood discrimination against muggleborns to diminish. Taking on the name Kingsley would be a gentle nudge to your child that greatness amidst adversity is doable. Kingsley comes from Old English for a king's meadow or woods. The top wiz shares his name with popular vlogger King Russell. Cedric As Robert Pattinson swayed teenage girls in the "Twilight" saga, he was inducing sobbing fits in Potterheads with his portrayal of Hufflepuff prefect Cedric Diggory. He was well-liked across all four houses, somehow being both the most popular guy in Hogwarts and someone who strove for fairness. A child named after Cedric wouldn't have a staggering reputation to live up to, considering Diggory's short-lived tenure at Hogwarts. People might also think you're really into Cedric the Entertainer, so there's that, too. Fred And George Advertisement Having twins? These mischief makers spelled double trouble for anyone gullible enough to fall for their pranks and probably gave their mom countless headaches with their "Gred and Forge" act. If you can put up with Weasley antics, Fred and George are your best bet for twin names that'll endear them to everybody. Harry This one's a no-brainer. As the boy who lived, Harry was already legendary from his infancy. Your kid's got big robes to fill. (Dis)honourable mentions Draco Draco is Latin for "dragon" and is a constellation that influenced how the Egyptian pyramids were built. Although it sounds wickedly cool, naming a kid after Draco Malfoy would carry negative connotations. When the Slytherin fan favourite was not catching golden snitches and bullying others, he was snitching to his dad Lucius about Hogwarts shenanigans. So be wary of raising a spoiled git. Not all of his namesakes were good guys either. The term "draconian" stems from an Ancient Greek scribe who handed out severe punishments for minor offences. Albus Severus Cute (and cursed) kid, but everyone hates the name Harry Potter gave his middle son. Harry: albus severus, named after the 2 bravest men I ever knew Ron: I literally sacrificed myself to a giant chess game when I was 11 for u Harry Potter (@TheDailyHPotter) December 28, 2015 Advertisement Albus Severus being named after "the bravest man" Harry ever knew...... *Rubeus Hagrid looks into the camera like in The Office* Nami (@bodyorphanage) December 9, 2015 @pottermore Albus Severus Potter, you were named after a dead old guy and that one guy that wanted to marry me fookin mum egg (@hibicorn) July 17, 2016 all I wanted was one of harrys kids to be named after hagrid but instead I got stuck with albus severus nadia (@uhmarauders) June 11, 2016 "Albus Severus Potter you were named after two of the bravest wizards ever and I gave you THE SHITTIEST name to remember them." Alexa (@almost_alexa) April 17, 2016 Also on HuffPost Harry Potter Wedding Photos See Gallery One of the greatest joys of parenthood is smooching your kids as much as they will let you, isn't it? Some parents believe there's a right and wrong way to do that, though. Recently, a photo of Victoria Beckham's kiss on her daughter's lips caused yet another battle of parenting styles, this time pitting non-lip parental kissing against lip smoochers. I was a little surprised by the vitriol, despite the shocked stares of strangers I've noticed when I kiss my own eight-year-old daughter on the lips. I had mistakenly assumed all parents kiss their children on the lips until the kids start pushing us away, but I was wrong. Advertisement Happy Birthday baby girl We all love you so much X @davidbeckham @brooklynbeckham kisses from mummy X A photo posted by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Jul 10, 2016 at 1:27am PDT Many parents, and even some psychology professionals, feel that lip-kissing is sexual and sends inappropriate messages to their kids. They worry it could create an assumption in children that it's okay to kiss anyone on the mouth. It's ironic that in a world where children, especially girls, are sexualized by our culture and mass media in so many ways, kids being kissed on their mouths by a parent is causing such controversy. Mom-of-two Andrea Traynor agrees. She has always kissed her son, 7, and daughter, 5, on the lips. "I liken kissing my kids on the lips to breastfeeding them as babies. It's an act of parental, not sexual, love from parent to child, and one that is nobody's business but ours," she asserts. "As long as my kids and I are both fine with it, it's really that simple. Frankly, I find it strange that anyone could find it remotely sexual." Advertisement "I liken kissing my kids on the lips to breastfeeding them as babies. It's an act of parental, not sexual, love from parent to child." Nicole MacPherson, mother of two boys -- aged 12 and 11 -- has a different viewpoint. She has never kissed her boys on the lips and never will. "I don't care what others are doing," she explains. "I don't kiss my sons or anyone else except my husband on the lips because that's not in my comfort zone; I think it's only for sexual partners. Plus, if I'm being honest, it's mostly the germs that gross me out." She makes a valid point. Let's face it, sometimes between food smears, goober and a failure to brush their teeth thoroughly, kissing our kids on their lips can cause the occasional inward gag. I do it anyway because the moments my daughter even wants a kiss aren't frequent and will become less so as she gets older. As for the sexual aspect, even my husband has kissed me on the lips many times without sexual intention, so the two aren't always connected in my mind. Our daughter doesn't kiss others on the lips because we've simply explained to her that lip kisses are with her parents only and she gets it. Advertisement Yes, as a toddler, she tried to open her mouth and stick out her tongue a few times when we kissed her lips, but at that age, kids put everything in their mouths and sex has nothing to do with it. She stopped once we explained families kiss with mouths closed, and as a kid who was kissed on the lips by my own parents, I can personally attest to never having urges to make lip contact with everyone I meet. As with most physical gestures, some framework around these familial kisses bears consideration. "We can't discount the child's preferences, and some kids just don't like being kissed on the lips even if the parents are cool with it." "The way we choose to express affection, and the meaning of those actions can vary widely based on the people involved, their individual boundaries and even the context in which that expression takes place," shares Toronto sexuality educator Dr. Nadine Thornhill. "This is true of most loving gestures. Depending on whos involved and what the circumstances are, holding someones hand can be a bold romantic overture, or an act of parental care. Sitting in someones lap can mean, 'read me a story' or 'lets get frisky!' Kissing on the lips is similar." It's personal preference if parents kiss their children on the lips or not. In a world where consent is so important, the kids might just have final say in the matter. We can't discount the child's preferences, and some kids just don't like being kissed on the lips even if the parents are cool with it. "As long as its consensual and non-sexual, theres no problem with kissing on the lips," Dr. Thornhill confirms. "For many parents or caregivers and their children, lip-kissing is simply a gesture of love, care and closeness." Advertisement Caring affection with our children seems like just the right tonic for our world, whether it's kisses on the lips or not. Also on HuffPost Funny Or Die/YouTube Another month, another haul of goodies to watch on Netflix. Curious what Christian Bale looks like as a con man with an unholy beer belly? Check out "American Hustle," which starts streaming August 23. Wondering what Michael Moore is up to these days? Waiting for you to watch his latest documentary, of course. "Where to Invade Next" goes live on August 10. Advertisement You can find more of Netflix Canada's August 2016 offerings in the slideshow below. Check out our picks under the gallery: Movies: "American Hustle" Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is a successful con artist who suddenly has to work with an FBI agent. Things get just a little bit wild and messy. "Funny or Die Presents: Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie" Johnny Depp transforms into Donald Trump in this, uh, exploration of the businessman's book, "The Art of the Deal." "This Is Where I Leave You" Tina Fey and Jason Bateman star in this story of how four siblings somehow find a way to bicker and fight while mourning their dead father. Advertisement TV: "How to Get Away with Murder" - Season 2 A brilliant criminal defence professor and her keen students find themselves in the middle of a mysterious murder plot. "Caught on Camera" - Seasons 1-3 Criminal activity gets recorded on all kinds of cameras. Nick Wallis looks into how investigators use that footage to crack cases. Very British Problems - Seasons 1-2 Thomas Barwick via Getty Images Smiling doctor holding digital tablet in discussion with two colleagues in hospital corridor As a member of the Ontario Medical Association's negotiating committee, I find it disappointing to read the misinformation circulating about the tentative Physician Services Agreement (PSA) now before Ontario's doctors. To say misinformation is to be kind. Some of the information being put out there is just, quite frankly, untrue. Advertisement As someone who worked hard to achieve the best possible PSA we could at this point in time (in the context of the limited system resources for health care), I feel it is important to comment. Doctors told us their top priorities were re-establishing a relationship with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and preventing further unilateral cuts. This agreement achieves both goals. It provides for sustainability, predictability and stability of our physician funding. And it accomplishes much more. It guarantees there will be no unilateral action for the next four years; It provides an increase of 2.5 per cent in funding for physician services when combined with the one-time funding this increase is enough to meet the demands of our system from an aging and growing population; It reverses restrictions around new family medicine graduates joining FHO models of practice; It removes sections of Bill 210 with which physicians disagreed; It allows us to continue with our Charter Challenge pushing for binding arbitration; It mandates the co-management of our health-care system; And it sets up real action toward relativity. The ability for doctors to co-manage the health-care system they are on the front lines of every day is an important achievement. Doctors know where improvements need to be made and where efficiencies can be found. Advertisement System sustainability is not a Liberal problem or an Ontario problem, it is a Canadian problem. Enshrining co-management in the tentative agreement is a significant step and one that I believe is positive for both doctors and patients. Important details such as access to physicians and after-hours care are written into the document. So too, is patient accountability. The tentative PSA commits to working with the MOH to educate patients on how to steward our system and keep it sustainable. System sustainability is not a Liberal problem or an Ontario problem, it is a Canadian problem. It is in the best interests of physicians, government and patients that our system is sustainable and this tentative agreement is a step towards that. It is true this tentative agreement is very high-level, which means there are implementation details to be worked out. This was done purposely, so that physicians could work with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to decide, over time, how best to achieve the goals set out in the PSA, without unilateral action by the MOH. It was also done so that physicians who are experts in their particular area of practice can have a say on changes that will directly affect them. You may have read the 2.5 per cent increase on the Physician Services Budget (the global budget that funds all the necessary care provided by physicians) is not enough to meet the needs of our growing and aging population. When combined with the one-time funding in each of the years that increase rises to 3.1 per cent, which is well above the necessary 1.9 per cent calculation provided by ICES. It is important to note under the government's unilateral action that doctors have been working under for the past 18 months, less than half of growth is being funded. We moved the government and got them to accept their responsibility to fund the growth in demand on our system. They have also committed to working with us on patient accountability. Advertisement If the tentative agreement is rejected, we don't know how deep the cuts will be but there are bound to be more cuts. Could be to the tune of $1 billion (calculated on the MOH 1.25 per cent growth allowance) -- without physicians at the table having a say in where changes will be made. I have heard colleagues say that we can ask to go back to the table; however, the MOH have given us no indication that it is an option. This agreement provides doctors with the ability to plan for the next four years. It also provides stability while our Charter Challenge, pushing for binding arbitration, works its way through the courts. We believe we have a strong case and that doctors will be granted the right they should have to ensure negotiations are fair. The MOH will not grant this without a Charter Challenge. Lastly, as a member of the process, but not the OMA governance, I feel the process had integrity. I urge all physicians to get the facts before they vote on the tentative PSA. This is an opportunity for cultural change in our health-care system. Ontario physicians have the courage to provide leadership at a time when the system needs many fixes. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: nevarpp via Getty Images gmo concept The GMO agritech sector and food companies have spent tens of millions of dollars in the U.S. to prevent the labelling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The public have genuine concerns about GM but are being denied the right to know if GMOs are in the food they eat. There is sufficient evidence that indicates the adverse health impacts of genetically engineered food itself as well as its associated input, glyphosate, which a major World Health Organization report states is "probably carcinogenic to humans." The majority of GM crops are modified to withstand unlimited doses of glyphosate. Advertisement Over the past few years, the Canada-based Kids Right To Know (KRTK) group has been campaigning for the mandatory labelling of GMOs in food products. Consumers have a right to know what is in their food and the processes or substances involved in producing it that could have health-damaging consequences. On June 30, teen activist Rachel Parent (founder of KRTK) met with Canada's new Minister of Health Dr. Jane Philpott to discuss GMOs and labelling. She was joined by Steven Druker, author of Altered Genes. Twisted Truth, as well as Aube Giroux, a documentary film maker. Parent explained to the minister that the vast majority of Canadians want mandatory GMO labelling and presented her with an extensive list of international organizations that support GMO labelling, including the Ontario Public Health Association, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and the British Medical Association. The minister was given a document containing 10 published peer-reviewed studies that raise serious concerns about the health risks of GMOs. Another document signed by 300 independent scientific researchers who advise that there is no scientific consensus on GMO safety was presented, along with a further document of 126 international health and public interest organizations that believe that GMOs have not been proven safe. Advertisement In addition to evidence about the health risks of GMOs themselves, she also received a copy of the 2015 WHO report that declared glyphosate to be a probable carcinogen to humans, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, which in sprayed on about 85 per cent of genetically modified crops. Regulatory delinquency Steven Druker and Aube Giroux then presented the minister with a copy of the Royal Society of Canada report that was commissioned by Health Canada in 2001. Some 15 years on, 51 of the 53 recommendations in the report have not been implemented, including recommendations about independent testing and transparency. It might seem reasonable to require any testing of GMOs for health safety to be done exclusively by the public sector and government institutions -- free from outside pressures -- and to ensure a fool-proof regulatory regime predicated on sound independent research and verification of claims open to public scrutiny. Despite this, in a 2015 meeting with two senior officials from Health Canada, Parent was informed that the agency does not carry out its own safety studies on GMOs: it merely reviews the data given to it by the industry and approves GM foods based on non-peer-reviewed industry-submitted information. One of the officials stated, "It's up to them [the industry] to demonstrate the safety." If, for some, that implies regulatory delinquency, consider that even when Health Canada reviews internationally published studies, something is clearly amiss. For example, a study by the University of Sherbrooke found Bt (insecticide used with GMO crops) in the blood of human fetuses and their mothers (the study explicitly contradicted the risk assessments that Cry toxins don't survive digestion). However, Parent was told during the 2015 meeting, "It didn't say the foods were not safe." Advertisement Parent says: "Personally, if there was a study that said there was even a possibility of a widely used insecticide found in the blood of unborn fetuses, I'd be extremely concerned! I'd have lots of questions and want more tests!" During the recent meeting, in addition to the evidence presented by Parent, Steven Druker went on to explain to the minister that there is solid evidence to prove that GMOs in fact do have many health risks associated with them. Keeping the public in the dark After the meeting, Parent met with MP Pierre-Luc Dusseault who is introducing Bill C-291 for mandatory GMO labelling in Canada. The next day, she was in Montpelier, Vermont, to celebrate their GMO labelling law that had just come into effect. While Vermont's Governor Shumlin spoke about the importance of the new labelling law, Bernie Sanders warned of the revised DARK Act that would overturn Vermont's democratically achieved state labelling law. The Dark (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act is a piece of anti-consumer, pro-industry GMO 'labelling' legislation that carries no penalties if not complied with and uses a code to denote genetically modified ingredients that requires a smart phone to decipher. It is intended to obscure the fact that a product has undergone genetic modification and is designed to preempt state and local authority attempts to label and regulate GM foods. During an interview with Global News last year, the then Canadian Health Minister Rona Ambrose stated, "If we had the evidence that this [GM food] was unhealthy, Health Canada would act and impose mandatory labels." Advertisement Surely public officials should be looking for conclusive proof that GMOs are safe. Instead, they appear to want conclusive proof that GMOs are not safe. Perhaps such officials may also wish to consider that GM ingredients should not even be on the commercial market in the first place, since, according to the evidence presented in Steven Druker's book, the industry subverted science, corrupted government and deceived the public in order to put them there. Over 60 countries around the world have a mandatory labelling law in force and polls show that about 90 per cent of Canadians want this to happen. At the very least, mandatory labelling should be a no-brainer. Why flood the market with GMOs and just hope for the best -- when the evidence indicates we should expect the worst? Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: Dimitri Sherman via Getty Images Young woman By Julie Delahanty To mark its 20th anniversary, artists from India to Nigeria revamped the Spice Girls' world-famous Wannabe video. What they "really really want" this time around is an end to violence against women. Advertisement I really really want that too. Because I know that our world continues to be an unequal, dangerous and even deadly place for women. Women like Qandeel Baloch, a social media sensation in Pakistan who was killed by her brother last weekend out of a sick sense of honour. Women like Berta Caceres, who was gunned down in her own home a few months back for leading her Indigenous community in peaceful protests to defend their land. Women like Claudette Osborne, whose name didn't even make the headlines when she went missing back in 2008, with news reports attributing her disappearance to her "lifestyle" - not to the pandemic of violence against Aboriginal women and girls in our country. It is estimated that globally 1 out of 3 women will be physically or sexually assaulted in her lifetime. In some countries, rates of violence against women are so high that we have a term for it: femicide. Women around the world continue to be afraid to say no to sex, for fear of being shamed, beaten, or even killed. Access to birth control is often limited, yet seeking an abortion is difficult, stigmatized, and expensive. And in some countries, like El Salvador, it is flat out illegal - even to save a woman's life. The world over, unsafe abortions kill as many 68,000 women a year. And if they survive back alley abortions, women can end up criminalized, with up to a life sentence for exercising control over their own bodies. Like twenty-one-year-old Isabel Hernandez, jailed for 30 years under El Salvador's draconian anti-abortion law. Advertisement I know from my work that this violence is not only a major cause of death, ill health and disability, it also blocks opportunities for women and girls to escape poverty. It limits their control over their own bodies and the choices they can make. It impedes their access to education - making it harder to earn a living, become independent, and participate in public life. But I also know Canada, led by a feminist Prime Minister, has an opportunity to become a global leader on women's rights and gender equality, including by helping put an end to violence against women. Canada is in the midst of reviewing its international assistance framework, with a view to putting women's rights at the heart of our aid agenda. With decisive action and investment, Canada can become a frontrunner in pioneering a feminist approach to development, joining only a small handful of other countries who have pledged to take this on. A feminist approach is fundamentally new. It's about being bold in our ambition to finally see real progress on women's rights. It's about rethinking how we work and who we work with. It's about walking the talk and ensuring that our financial commitments match our level of ambition. Global Affairs should seize this game-changing moment to scale up its commitment to women's rights and gender equality. It can do so by ensuring that 20% of Canadian aid dollars is dedicated to tackling the structural causes of inequality and discrimination against women. Advertisement Looking beyond aid, Canada can use diplomacy to advance its feminist agenda and stop the rise of violence against women. As an example, it can call on the UN Security Council to put in place an immediate embargo on the sale of arms to South Sudan, a country where women are already facing terrifyingly high levels of violence and rape. The government's recent decision to reinstate funding for women's rights organizations doing advocacy work here at home was a welcome relief, after years of defunding and intimidation. The logical next step would be to ensure that more of our aid dollars go to women's rights organizations doing frontline work in the Global South. Just like the feminist organizations in El Salvador who are mobilizing to defeat a motion that would increase jail sentences for women like Isabel Hernandez. An end to violence against women -- isn't that what we all really really want? This blog was first published on July 27 in The Hill Times. Julie Delahanty is the Executive Director of Oxfam Canada. Join the #WhatIReallyReallyWant campaign here, and follow @GlobalGoalsUN. The views expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of CCIC or its members. Hero Images via Getty Images Businesswoman writing on whiteboard in boardroom. The way we work today is fundamentally different than how we worked a decade ago. Gone are the days when employees worked nine to five, Monday to Friday, within the four walls of an office. Thanks to technology, businesses now operate 24/7 from anywhere and everywhere. Flexible workplaces are becoming the norm. While conditions can vary, we define flexible workplaces as organizations that allow employees a measure of control over when, where and how they work, including working part-time, working from home, setting their own hours and taking leaves of absence. Employees are increasingly seeking flexibility. For women, workplace flexibility is especially important. Advertisement At Bain & Company, the global management consultancy, increasing the number of women in the workplace is not just a "nice to have," but a strategic priority. Numerous research studies suggest that diverse groups are more innovative, creative and often drive to better outcomes -- something that is critical in our business. We also realize the role that gender diversity plays in our ability to grow while maintaining our high bar for talent: women are a significant portion of the talent pool at top schools, and we simply cannot grow unless we are an attractive career option for this group. Bain also has conducted extensive research on gender parity in the workplace. Our China Gender Parity Report showed with 73 per cent of women working, China boasts one of the highest female employment rates in the world, ahead of many developed countries. This is due, in part, to the fact that the cost of childcare is very affordable, relative to household incomes, and that members of the extended family, such as grandparents, often help care for children. Surprisingly, despite this fact, the 850 Chinese professionals Bain surveyed indicated that balancing work and family responsibilities affects women in China more than those in other countries. When asked why there were fewer women than men in senior roles, respondents ranked the fact that "Women's careers are slowed or disrupted by managing both work and family commitments" as the most important factor, whereas globally, it is ranked as only the second-most important factor. Advertisement Flexibility offers a solution to this dilemma -- it would help women manage their work-life balance and promote even greater female participation in the labour force. Companies and organizations must revisit their support of their female employees to make sure they are getting the maximum benefit for their efforts. In order to improve employees' experiences with flexible working models -- of women employees especially -- organizations need to take the following steps: - Actively encourage work flexibility and make it the standard for every position; - Ensure that flexible arrangements are working successfully for both women and men; - Ensure that a workplace-flexibility culture is in place, with a strong commitment and active support from the CEO and leadership team; - Provide clear policies, set up enabling technology and create an agile work environment. When organizations get it right, flexible work arrangements can boost productivity and advocacy, increase employee retention, provide the conditions for increased representation of women in senior leadership positions, and enable men and women to participate equally as caregivers while striking a better work-life balance. Genuine gender parity efforts tend to increase employee engagement, which often correlates with better business performance. All parts of the equation -- employer, family and individual -- are critical to success. The good news is that many organizations are already helping women achieve equality and already have one or more gender parity programs in place. However, the current solutions are not sufficient, which is why organizations are increasingly seeking to implement more flexible working arrangements to help women progress to senior leadership positions. Advertisement By Dorothy Cai, Partner, Bain & Company, Inc. Bain & Company is committed to finding ways to create job opportunities for more talented young women around the world, while combating poverty and increasing the diversity of the global workforce. For the last several years, Bain has worked with the G(irls) 20 Summit towards this shared goal. The Summit, which brings together delegates from each of the G20 countries to focus on the role women can play in building stronger communities through entrepreneurship, education and global experiences, embodies much of what Bain stands for: (1) Economic empowerment and equality of women and girls; (2) Working within global communities to build local capabilities that enable lasting change; and (3) A focus on delivering results and impact through project design and delivery. As a firm, we are delighted to once again work with G(irls)20 and this year's Summit delegates in Beijing to help them create global change. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook shironosov via Getty Images Male psychologist making notes during psychological therapy In May, I wrote about the problems for people with mental illnesses not being able to access the Disability Tax Credit easily. In June, the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary issued a report pointing out that very few Canadians receive any help whatsoever from the program. And the main reason, they suggest, is that it only helps those who have sufficient income to benefit from a tax credit. They state that "Far from being a successful policy, the results of the disability tax credit can only be described as disappointing." The solution, they say, is to make the credit refundable. People who qualify but do not earn enough should be able to get a refund of the portion they cannot use. The result would be to increase the benefit for the poorest Canadians from an average of $29 today to an average of $511. That would increase their income by 4.1%. Advertisement The Ministry of Revenue is reviewing this program and, according to spokesperson Annie Donolo, "As part of that review, we will study tax credits like this one to ensure they are efficient, affordable and that they provide the right level of help to those who need it most." Unfortunately, when it comes to those with mental illnesses, there is another serious problem that I learned of as the result of my previous blog. Numerous Canadian psychiatrists are refusing to fill out the Disability Tax Form application on behalf of their patients. Even patients who already have that tax status but need to reapply are being turned down by their doctors. When I approached the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) to ask if they had any policies on filling out the forms, the Chair Dr. Pamela Forsythe, said that "Psychiatrists should attend to disability forms for their patients in a timely manner as directed by their province's regulatory authority." And while she stipulates province, on follow up it was confirmed by the CPA that the same principle applies to Federal Tax Forms. I was also told that the CPA follows the guidelines established by the Canadian Medical Association which states that "Physicians have a professional responsibility to complete third-party medical forms requested by their patients". Advertisement A number of people from various parts of the country have told me that they have psychiatrists who refuse to fill out the form. They prefer not to have their names used. One is a man from Hamilton whose son had the disability credit but then his psychiatrist refused to fill it out when it came up for renewal claiming it did not apply to him. A woman in the Greater Toronto Area had a similar problem with her son's psychiatrist (one of many) and has filed a complaint against the psychiatrist mentioning the refusal to fill out the form. Her son's new psychiatrist did fill it out and she is waiting. A woman in Vancouver with schizoaffective disorder told me that her psychiatrist refused to fill out the form when her disability status came up for renewal. She was granted the tax credit in 2009 as she has had her condition for 35 years. She told her doctor that she has a danger of relapse and "I have false thoughts, extreme mood swings, breaks with reality every week." His reply was that "those episodes are short and do not qualify as markedly restricted affecting me 90% of the time." She added that "the form doesn't ask about mood imbalance or rage or paranoia or suspicion. It is more about can you handle your bank account, drive a car, make decisions, eat, bath, etc." Ryan Tonkin of Victoria is the founder of the Federal Disability Advocacy Project (FDAP) at Together Against Poverty Society. FDAP was established specifically to address issues with the DTC. He holds a degree in law from Harvard and told me via e-mail that he has experienced psychiatrists refusing to fill out the tax form for his clients on numerous occasions. The problem for psychiatrists which they seem to want to avoid by saying their patients won't qualify is the ambiguity of mental illness disability. The form focuses on the physical and is poorly set out to take into account mental disabilities. In the case of Peggy Doe and Her Majesty the Queen heard in 2003, the psychiatrist said that she "can see, walk, speak, perceive, think and remember, hear, feed and dress herself and can personally manage bowel and bladder functions." But he added that her epilepsy was poorly managed which results in serious impairment. Ms. Doe also has a number of psychiatric problems. Advertisement Because of that, her tax credit was disallowed but, in this appeal, her psychiatrist stated that "the DTC certificate does not take into account certain psychiatric illnesses, in particular, the illness suffered by Ms. Doe. In particular, when he completed the DTC certificate, he found the DTC certificate obscure and not appropriate for mental illness; it contains no established criteria for mental impairment." Ms. Doe won her case but the problem for psychiatrists is the difficulty and/or misunderstanding of the form and of the rules. In an appeal in 2002 in the case of The Attorney General of Canada v Buchanan where the government appealed their loss in Tax Court, the arguments centred around the misinterpretation by the psychiatrist who filled out the form. The psychiatrist testified that: "it is not very clearly defined in the Act, but normally in medicine, the term "basic activities in daily living" refers to very simple things, like getting dressed, brushing your teeth, looking after your personal hygiene, climbing stairs, walking around the block, or holding simple conversation, and I felt that Mr. Buchanan is not impaired in those [...] although he is fairly impaired with his illness, I thought he was not impaired in those very basic activities in daily living." Justice Rothstein agreed with the Tax Court Judge who found that the psychiatrist had failed to properly fill out the form and granted the tax credit. The Attorney General lost their appeal. And because of the potential for legal involvement in court, I suspect that many psychiatrists would prefer to avoid the trouble and therefore tell their patients they do not qualify. They take the easy way out rather than advocating for them as they should. Advertisement Thomas Barwick via Getty Images Female nurse listening during medical team meeting with colleagues in hospital On July 11, 2016, the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) made an unexpected announcement to its members -- it had reached a tentative four-year agreement with the Ontario government. The press release posted on the OMA website listed key components of the Patient Services Agreement (PSA) such as annual increases, funding to allow for the addition of new physicians annually, and so forth. The list, however, did not include a clause for binding arbitration -- a major point of contention for Ontario's doctors and the OMA, which had previously said was an absolute must. A note found at the bottom of the press release stated that the Charter challenge for binding arbitration against the Ontario government will continue. Advertisement Ontario's 33,000 doctors were then invited to participate in a non-binding vote on the tentative agreement, starting on July 27. But in a dramatic turn-of-events just days before the scheduled vote, a group of doctors who oppose the PSA submitted a petition that effectively triggered a general meeting where "the vote that will occur as part of the general meeting will provide a binding decision by OMA members on the tentative PSA." In a scathing article against the opposing doctors, Andre Picard states: "Concerned Ontario Doctors' Trump-like approach to labour negotiations solves nothing. This is not how a negotiation works." He goes on to say that it is unclear as to what the opposing doctors are proposing instead. I would have to agree with Mr. Picard that this is not how negotiations work -- legally, politically, and ethically. However, I do not agree that the opposing doctors are a) responsible for the failed negotiation process and b) that they have not offered up any alternatives. The answer to who is responsible for the failed process and what the doctors are seeking lies in the one element that continues to be excluded from any contract ever struck between the OMA and the province -- binding arbitration. Advertisement From a legal perspective, good faith negotiations always require a provision for dispute resolution should the parties find that after exhausting all avenues, they fail to come to an agreement. Every such contract has a binding arbitration clause as a standard draughtsmanship provision. Binding arbitration, the backbone of a bargaining unit's power, puts the final outcome in the hands of arm's length, third parties with the appropriate education, training, and expertise to reach a fair and balanced binding decision. Such a clause is even more crucial in this case when you consider how the OMA came to be the bargaining unit for Ontario's doctors back in 1991 when the NDP was in power: in lieu of a fee increase for physicians, the OMA agreed to support legislation that would officially appoint the association as the bargaining unit for all physicians in Ontario. The government then enacted a law that, in essence, did what existing labour law could not do -- mandated that physicians be part of a union of the government's choosing, and that the dues, whether they wished to belong or not, would be mandatorily deducted from their pay cheques. All of this begs the question: why does the government continue to refuse to "consent" to binding arbitration for doctors when it is part and parcel to the negotiation process for all other sectors, both public and private? Their refusal has led to the lengthy delay that has left doctors without an agreement for more than two years and has forced them to challenge the government under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Advertisement Affording our physicians the courtesy of binding arbitration will undoubtedly bring the transparency and fairness that all doctors are seeking in a process that was created without their consent or input and continues to operate without their knowledge and behind closed doors. The expertise and guidance of a qualified arbitrator would give credibility to the end result, and would be more cost-effective for the government, better for the public, and respectful of our hard-working physicians. A Charter challenge will take years to make its way through the courts, if it is even pursued in light of the fact that a "deal" has now been reached by the OMA on behalf of its members. It will cost both sides millions of dollars. The taxpayers' money that will be invested to litigate this Charter challenge over the next four to five years could be better spent on the delivery of healthcare, lifting morale, and indicating some appreciation for the medical profession that our lives depend on. The world is your oyster, albeit a big oyster, but it's yours to discover. Thinking about making your next trip one to remember? The world has an abundance of natural beauty and so many amazing off-the-beaten-path possibilities, you might find it difficult to decide where to begin. We've put together a few of the hottest destinations of 2016 and what to see first. Happy exploring, see you around the world: CONTINENT OF AFRICA Starting with the largest, but most diverse continent, it's easy to see why so many Canadians are flocking to Africa. But, Africa is a huge place, so making a list of must-sees will help you get around this massive continent worry-free. Here are a few places that should be high up on your Africa wish list and why: Advertisement Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - although not the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls' height results in the world's largest sheet of falling water, making it one of the most stunning photos you will ever take: Cape Town, South Africa - a place where sweeping sea vistas meet un-paralleled hiking trails and the most exotic wildlife encounters. Marrakech, Morocco - home to the mosques, palaces and the most sensory-rich souks (marketplaces).You'll want to get lost here: Advertisement Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - a mountain climber's dream come true. Some of the most picturesque scenery in the world resides here! ECUADOR Thanks to its compact size, making your way around Ecuador will be a breeze. A great destination that offers flexible route-planning, Ecuador has continuously been on Canadians' bucket lists for years. Although the Galapagos Islands are the spark to most visitor's initial lure to Ecuador (and rightfully so), something should also be said for the country's capital Quito, and all the splendor within a short distance away from it. If you are making your way here, most likely you'll be travelling into Quito. Plan to spend the first few days of your trip exploring before heading off to the equator. Advertisement The city centre is a maze of narrow streets and exquisite monasteries and churches. Head north for green valleys and glistening lakes crowned by volcanic peaks. Only a short bus ride from the capital, you'll find Otavalo, whose Saturday market has become undoubtedly one of the biggest attractions in the country. South of Quito you'll find some of the most spectacular volcanoes and small towns that beg to be explored. Now you are ready to make your way to the thirteen scarred archipelago of volcanic islands that is the Galapagos. ICELAND Everyone has Iceland on their brains these days. From the northern lights to geysers and whale watching, this country bleeds natural wow factor. Seriously, do it all! But, if you can't, which is the case for most, these three country highlights will definitely satisfy your Iceland travel itch (at least for a bit). The multicolored rhyolite mountains, lava fields and volcano of Landmannalaugar Blue Lagoon, Grindavik - a geothermal spa located 40 minutes away from Reykjavik, with underground hot springs that can reach 37-39 C Advertisement Gullfoss Waterfall - it is simply stunning, but be careful as there are no manmade railings. GERMANY Best known for its world-renowned Oktoberfest and of course history, Germany is a country with an abundance of beautiful scenery, fairytale castles and a lively party scene. So, if Germany is in your immediate travel plans, may I suggest a visit to Neuschwanstein. Home to the most photographed building in Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle is a fairy tale come alive (actually said to be the inspiration behind Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle). Other German must-sees include: Dresden - known for its architecture, impeccably restored after being severely damaged from World War II bombings, and Cologne - with its vibrant nightlife and a stellar arts and culture scene. Keep in mind, though, Europe can be an expensive place. If you are looking to save a bit of money, look into bed and breakfasts and hostels vs hotels and avoid touristy restaurants. Look for handwritten signs and go with the daily specials. Also, grab a rail pass and use public transit. Europe has a very efficient and inexpensive public transit system that may allow you to add a few more European must-sees to your travel plans. PHUKET From unforgettable sunsets to stunning beaches, mouthwatering street food and a non-stop party scene, you can truly party like a rock star in Phuket, Thailand. But, if you want to walk away from a Phuket adventure with unbelievable memories, here is what you need to see: Advertisement Phang Nga Bay will be one of the most unique experiences you will ever have. This unforgettable bay is best-known for its steep limestone cliffs that somehow seem to jump vertically out of emerald-green waters. A movie maker's fantasy come alive, Phi Phi Island is a literal paradise. Sharp cliffs tower overhead and give way to lush jungle. Here, don't expect any hustle or bustle. This island offers the most laid back atmosphere ever, taking a page from surrounding islands, some of which are completely free of human inhabitants. And, no trip to Thailand would be complete without immersing yourself into the local nightlife. A must-visit is Patong's Bangla Road. Thronged by thousands of people looking to have a great time out, the road is closed to vehicle traffic and turns into a 400 metre party strip of neon lights, loud music and cheap beer. Advertisement The clip https://www.facebook.com/CanadaInVietnam/videos/1194917773884203/ has been made in order to show appreciation for Vietnamese traditions, culture, and music. Filmed at a gorgeous, ancient temple in Hanoi with dozens of shots to show Vietnamese customs - from calligraphy to Vietnamese monochord, paper fans, traditional Vietnamese dress, folk paintings to traditional toys for children, the clip will surely bring the audience back to an incredible Vietnam. The beautiful melodies from the folk song performed by Canadian and Vietnamese friends make the clip unique. Captured image from clip David Devine, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, said We are glad to sing this song to our Vietnamese friends, especially since some Embassy colleagues and I will soon be leaving Vietnam as our postings come to an end. The song is a part of our farewell to the country, and to the people. The song is also to show how much we love and respect Vietnams tradition. No matter where we go, a part of Vietnam will always remain with us. When we leave Vietnam, we will leave with a greater understanding of this incredible country, and a greater appreciation of the importance of diversity, both at home and abroad. It is our sincere hope that this video has given you a better understanding of those values Canadians hold dear, to keep in your hearts as well. Diversity has always been the core value of Canada, with the Canadian Multiculturalism Act which promotes the acknowledgment of and respect for diverse ethnicities, cultures, races and religions, and supports the freedom of all groups of people to preserve their heritage. Canada has become a multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-faith society, and is expected to become more diverse in the upcoming decades./. Yana Bukharova via Getty Images An image taken from below of skyscrapers of Toronto. Financial center of Toronto. Business center of Toronto, Canada. Office high-rise buildings in Toronto. Business and money of Toronto. Wide-angle view of tall office buildings from below. Written by Wayne Karl Now that B.C. has introduced a 15-per-cent foreign buyers' tax intended to calm real estate purchases by non-Canadian residents, speculation is rampant that similar legislation is on its way to Ontario -- or more specifically, Toronto. Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa, part of the committee announced by Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau in June to look for ways to improve housing affordability in Canada's hottest markets, has said he will be looking at the effectiveness of B.C.'s tax as a possible measure to address eroding affordability in Toronto. Advertisement And Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeated that tackling affordable housing is on his agenda. But like their counterparts in Vancouver, realtors in Toronto want nothing to do with such action. "I don't know there was a need for it in Vancouver, as their market was already softening for the past three months," Richard Silver, senior vice president, sales, Sotheby's International Realty Canada, told YPNextHome. "If you were to do this in Toronto, people would move to the suburbs even more. We need to keep an eye on what will happen in Vancouver as it may not solve the problem but create others. What happens to the ancillary industries if the building market shuts down? My concern is that this was a knee-jerk reaction for a political agenda with not enough research." "Very little good ever comes from knee-jerk political involvement in any marketplace. This 'solution' could cause a large number of unforeseen issues." The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) cautions that the Ontario government should review the issue of foreign purchasers in depth before making any policy decisions. "Government policy and tax decisions should be made in an informed manner," Jason Mercer, TREB's director, market analysis. "Currently, there is a lack of data on the rate of foreign ownership of real estate in Ontario," he says. Advertisement "Realtors are one of the best sources of information on real estate market conditions, and TREB is working to contribute to the discussion on this issue." TREB will be surveying its members in the fall with regard to foreign buyers, and releasing the results of this publicly, Mercer says. "This data could be extremely valuable to the Ontario government and the federal working group before they make any policy decisions with regard to foreign buyers of real estate." "Knee-jerk" is also how the realty industry in Vancouver feels about the B.C. government's action. "Housing affordability concerns all of us who live in the region," says the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. "Implementing a new real estate tax, however, with just eight days' notice and no consultation with the professionals who serve home buyers and sellers every day needlessly injects uncertainty into the market." Silver foresees similar challenges in Toronto, should a foreign buyers' tax be implemented there. "There could be major repercussion to builders who have sold units in buildings to offshore buyers, who will now have to pay 15 per cent more than they agreed upon. You could have floors of buildings walking from their deposits rather than closing," says Silver. Advertisement "Very little good ever comes from knee-jerk political involvement in any marketplace. This 'solution' could cause a large number of unforeseen issues, and I don't think enough research was done before implementing." Moreover, "targeting certain groups as unwelcome homebuyers is neither good for our communities nor the home building industry," Katherine Perrott, urban planner and PhD candidate, Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto told YPNextHome. More creative, all-encompassing solutions should be considered, she says. "It has become commonplace to regard housing as a wealth-generating investment in the GTA, where homeowners have been able to downsize or cash out of the market at great profit. Real estate speculation, by both domestic and international purchasers, compounds price growth where housing is an investment vehicle. Increasing housing prices in the GTA, Vancouver and other cities are presenting a challenge to the Canadian ideal of homeownership and the housing and mortgage systems as we know them," adds Perrott. "Instead of a 'foreign' buyer tax, a better alternative would be directing public funding, and the creativity of planners and housing industry professionals to develop innovative and affordable housing types and ownership models that meet the needs for housing-as-shelter, over and above housing-as-investment." TREB also says that while foreign buyers may be contributing to the overall pool of buyers in the GTA and Ontario on a broad basis, the demand side of the price growth equation should not be considered in a vacuum. In particular, provincial and municipal land-use and tax policies that may be suppressing the supply of housing for sale could be having a very significant impact on the GTA market. Advertisement Toronto builders contacted by YPNextHome declined to comment. Post originally published on YPNextHome.ca Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook MORE ON HUFFPOST: MarianVejcik via Getty Images On his last day in Downing Street, David Cameron said one of his proudest achievements was to honour the commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on international aid. It was partly an attempt to stake out his legacy and partly a pitch to his successor, Theresa May, to stick to, what remains, a Conservative manifesto pledge. Advertisement Unfortunately for Cameron, even though he has an honourable record on aid, his legacy will be dominated by Brexit. The former Prime Minister is destined to be remembered as the man who called the referendum on the UK remaining a member of the European Union and lost it, causing a political and economic shock that continues to reverberate well beyond the Britain. As Mr Cameron was leaving his job, I was starting a new one as Director of News for Sightsavers, the NGO that works around the world to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality for people with visual impairments and other disabilities. The sense of shock the vote to leave the EU, and the uncertain mood that has surrounded it among people working in international development in the UK, was one of the first things that struck me. Advertisement Despite David Cameron's emphasis on international aid in his parting words, the leave vote has generated a lot of pessimism among development NGOs about the post-Brexit future. Michael O'Donnell of the sector's umbrella organisation, Bond, argued in a recent blog, that future aid funding was threatened by the end of EU development money and the fall in the value of the pound, as well as the slow squeeze on unrestricted funding - the money NGOs receive that they can spend on such things as research and policy-making, rather than specific projects approved by their donors. While it's certainly true that many of the same political and media voices that backed leaving the EU are also ones that have been vocal in their criticism of protecting the aid budget at a time of austerity, the initial signs are the new Prime Minister was listening to her predecessor and not these siren voices. In May's reshaping of the government machine, several ministries have disappeared, but the Department for International Development has survived - a positive sign. And although the new Secretary of State, Priti Patel, has expressed scepticism about the value of DfID in the past, when her predecessor, Justine Greening, was first appointed, there were reports she was less than keen on the idea of aid, yet she proved an effective minister. Advertisement The public mood that led to a majority voting to turn their backs on the EU doesn't necessarily mean the majority of people in the UK want to turn their backs on the world. After all, aid is not just the right thing to do for straightforward moral reasons. When all is said and done, there is a hard-headed case for continuing David Cameron's approach to aid and international development - and, irrespective of whether Britain is a member of the EU or not, this has not changed. As Cameron argued when unveiling last year's National Security and Defence Review, supporting development and good governance in the world's poorest and most fragile countries also helps to ensure their stability and make it less likely they become havens and breeding grounds for terrorism or other threats to international peace. In the long run moreover, well-managed international aid underpins efforts to lift people around the world out of poverty which means more potential customers for British exports. It may sound paradoxical, but this hard-headed case for aid also encompasses the boost it gives to the UK's soft power. Advertisement There is a growing consensus among British politicians that the country's global influence derives from more than having the world's fifth largest economy and one of its more capable militaries - it also derives from the admiration many people around the world have for the UK, its culture and the values it espouses . Brits are generally seen as good global citizens. The UK has been in the top two over recent years when global soft power is assessed - and Britain's generosity as an international aid donor is widely seen as one of the keystones of that power. 2014's House of Lords' Soft Power Committee report recognised this and urged the government to build on DfID's role in boosting the UK's influence around the world. Many prominent Brexiteers, including Ms Patel and the new Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, argued ahead of the EU referendum that leaving the EU would allow the UK to become more outward looking and to forge a new global role for itself. Humility is required, but Britain's generous approach to international aid can be a pillar underpinning whatever new course the UK ends up taking in the world. Advertisement It wasn't pressure from the EU that led the UK to achieve the 0.7% target - that was home-grown. How appealing is a society where bullying, abuse, and violence decrease, maybe even disappear? Do you feel technology can protect us by knowing if someone has a violent past is important? Will you feel more secure if the police knew where violent people live, using that information to track a criminal, and make our communities safer? In order to make us safe and to protect us we must be willing to take a risk. Brexit offers the UK to control of its destiny and to make us safer. So, how can we become safer while reducing abuse and violence? The answer is simple an animal abuse register. The term register creates a lot of questions, such as: what is an animal? How will it operate? Will fox hunting be included? How come the Police National Computer is not sufficient? Why do we need to change the Animal Welfare Act 2006? I will address each of these questions but for anything to work, proper funding must be provided to enforce the law. I believe, this is a major failure and why on a daily basis we read tragic stories of animal abuse like Chunky. Our starting point for the register is based on the state of Tennessee animal abuse register and under Tennessee's law an animal is defined as a companion that is not livestock and not wild. Since foxes are wild animals fox hunting will not fall under this definition and anyone illegally fox hunting will not be put on the register. Only those who abuse companion animals will be subject to the register. Advertisement This raises the next question; how will the register operate? A more detailed explanation can be in vision, the link is at the top of the page. The register will only include those who have either been convicted of qualifying charge or pleads guilty to a qualifying charge. As a part of sentencing the individual will be placed on the register, by the courts, for a qualifying period based on the severity of the charge and if they have been previously charged for another qualifying offence. Once placed on the register, it will then become the responsibility of the convicted to provide up to date and accurate information. Failure to comply can result in serving further jail time. As for who can access the information a basic access will be available online for the public and the public will need to pay a fee to access more detailed information. Whereas law enforcement will be able access full information without paying a fee. Anyone who works in certain professions, those who work with the vulnerable, animals, or children will be subject to a check on the database before they can be employed. Likewise, anyone buying an animal will be subject to a check by the seller and if the seller reasonably believes the individual is on the list or reasonably believes selling an animal will put the animal at risk then will be protected from legal and / or civil action. At this stage I hope you are still with me and not sleeping. I realise the above is not the most interesting or exciting; however, it provides important information on the framework and how the register will operate. For those of you who are familiar with the Police National Computer (PNC), maybe asking why the register if we already have this? There are two fundamental reasons. First the PNC is not accessible to the public. Second the PNC is about holding crime information such as vehicle information and it is meant to solve crimes. Whereas the registry is about providing an additional tool that contains information about the individual, the crime, and sentence. The registry will provide an additional tool and provide accessible information to the public. After discussing the structure of the registry, I am sure the big looming question is why change the Animal Welfare Act 2006? First reason, from what I understand, there is a lack of funding for enforcement. The registry provides information about those convicted of animal abuse that anyone can access. It also provides a funding mechanism when more information is needed from employers and the general public. Whilst I do not expect requests for detailed information will make the registry self-sufficient, it will help fund it. I expect any legislation will include enough funding for enforcement. Another reason for updating the Animal Welfare Act, regards how animals are treated in the Act. In America, for example, there is a growing trend to change the reference from pet owners to pet guardians. This semantic change may seem minor but it is very powerful. A failure of the Animal Welfare Act is animals are treated like property (e.g. X-Box, home computer, stove, etc.) and the shift to guardian means unable to manage own affairs. Changing from owner to guardian allows a necessary change in the law. It allows for tougher sentencing because harm to animal means harm to something that cannot care for itself and not simple property damage. Advertisement Next reason for changing Animal Welfare Act 2006 is sentencing is too lax. The diminishes the serious nature of animal cruelty. The Tennessee model provides a great model and in our vision, I discuss in more detail how I see the Tennessee model working. Last point about the Act, I believe the Act tries to be all encompassing without the funding or structure to support it. I believe the registry fills an important gap that is missing. Currently DEFRA has been asked to review our vision. Stories like Chunky happen on a daily basis and highlights how the Animal Welfare Act 2006 fails our most vulnerable. The registry provides a way forward and offers a route to bring UK in line with other countries that value animals. The immediate focus is getting the registry along with the appropriate funding for enforcement, changes to sentencing, and change to Animal Welfare Act 2006 to bring about effective change. This is a long and at a point where public support is crucial. I ask our supporters to attend the MPs surgery, write their MP, email their MP, Facebook message them, tweet them, and to do the same for DEFRA. Advertisement I am convinced the registry can make a positive and long-lasting change in the UK. The change will mean better lives for everyone. For us to have a better life, with less violence and abuse, comes a very little cost and with minimal disruption. All we need now is continued support from the public and support of our government. Mike Segar / Reuters Diane Abbott's Daily Reports from the floor of the DNC: Day One Supporters of Hilary Clinton often lament that, the possibility of her becoming the first female President of the United States has never been seen as momentous an achievement as it should be. There are reasons for this, and they are not all to do with misogyny. Partly it is about optics. Families who look like Hilary Clinton's family have occupied the White House ever since it was built. Hilary herself lived in it for eight years when her husband was president. But a black family in the White House is still extra-ordinary and special. I have seen Hilary step on and off Air Force One for years. But I still remember the thrill I felt when I saw a black man come down those steps as President of the United States. Advertisement The special nature of the Obama presidency was illustrated once again, by the rapturous welcome he received from the Democratic Party faithful at last nights Democratic National Convention. There were thousands of people in the arena; black and white, old and young. But everyone's face glowed with pride. Even the Bernie Sanders supporters were quiet and respectful. In return Obama took the opportunity, in his speech, to recommend the Bernie people's passion and hard work to the rest of the party. Some argue that there are things to criticise about the Obama presidency. The use of drones and an alleged obeisance to Wall Street are amongst them. But ordinary Democrats know that they and they alone, with their hard work and faith, did that extra-ordinary thing and put a black man in the White House. And for one brief shining moment, before the inevitable white backlash kicked in, the American Democratic party showed to the world what American democracy is capable of. So, whatever criticisms there are, Democrats will always be incredibly invested in and incredibly proud of the Obama presidency. This National Convention is all about Hilary. But last night Barack Obama gave his last speech as President of the United States of America to a Democratic National Convention and, as he put it, "passed the baton on" to Hilary Clinton. It was a great speech. But, above all, Obama was urging his supporters to strain every nerve and sinew to elect America's first woman president. Just as they had thrown everything into putting a black man into the White House. A house built by slaves. In May 2015, Labour leader Ed Miliband lost the General election. His party diminished, he resigned. But, the political press wildly exclaimed he had 'won twitter'. For much of the punditry, this signified once and for all that "A tweet does not a vote make". Fast-forward a year and the campaign to leave the European Union won the UK-EU referendum. The campaign also 'won twitter'. Now, the same pundits who downplayed the role of social media in the General Election became excited again that social media could and would one day be a tool for electoral predictions. The unreliability of these results demonstrates one central problem with Twitter analysis that greatly reduces its credibility in predictive science: It's selective bias. Advertisement In the U.K., about 33 million people are on Facebook, but the number actively posting political opinions and views on Twitter is much, much lower. So low in fact that many have accused the platform of being an "unrepresentative urban liberal dreamland". However, the problem with this conclusion is its simplicity. Despite its obvious bias towards the intelligentsia, Twitter remains the largest experiment in public opinion ever; the largest 'coffee house' of conversation ever. Every second, on average, around 6,000 tweets are tweeted on Twitter. Some of these, if not most, are trivial, but amongst the medley of noise are countless valuable and deeply personal insights into people's opinions. Ignoring such a large data set would be ridiculous in any science. The trick is to make this data useful and relevant. There is absolutely no reason why people should not analyse twitter users in exactly the same way they analyse opinion givers in the polls; by building representative samples. To be representative the characteristics (demographic, attitudinal and behavioural) of people analysed should, as far as is possible, match those of the entire voting population. This is simple logic, yet completely ignored in academic and consultancy research into social media use during elections. Advertisement Once we have this sample, which could in theory far exceed poll samples, we can start testing sentiment. Sentiment analysis is the crucial advantage using Twitter has over opinion polls. Polls suffer, and have always suffered, because people often respond with the answers the pollsters want to hear, suppressing extreme or marginalised opinions. This happens less online. Yet sentiment analysis is also in its infancy, choosing to measure the number of hashtag reposts or likes in support of, or against a campaign. That's where artificial intelligence comes in, allowing computers to intelligently recognise genuine sentiment through Natural Language Processing (the way humans think and speak). It is an exciting area, but costly, research intensive and complex. In September this year, a team of British researchers and data scientists will come together to see whether the use of this technology can correctly predict a major UK political event; the election of a new Labour leader. The project called Deep Listen will involve building complex data sets of Labour party members (who elect their leader) and analysing the sentiment of their posts using artificial intelligence, over time and on a massive scale. Finally, the research will use regressional analysis to extrapolate and predict the eventual result. Everything will be published live and online ahead of time. Advertisement This is important and timely work. The failure of pollsters and bookmakers to accurately predict the outcome of Brexit cost the global economy over $1 trillion dollars. It has pushed the financial sector and other industries that rely on accurate information, to alternatives. Copyright: Flickr via thierry ehrmann The European Left is in a parlous state. France's Socialist president, Francois Hollande made history in 2014 when he received the lowest approval rating for a president in modern-day polling: just 12%. This year, his government was rocked by widespread protests against its labour reforms, seen by many on the Left as a pro-business assault on workers, and a betrayal of socialist values. Similar accusations of betrayal dog Syriza in Greece after its humiliating climb-down against its creditors and subsequent implementation of the very austerity measures it was elected to oppose. It shouldn't be this way; on paper, all the conditions are ripe for the success of a Left wing alternative. Take a recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute for example, which reveals the steep rise in the percentage of households in developed economies whose income has flatlined or fallen over the past decade. In the 1990s that figure was 2%, now it stands at 25%. The working class has seen its jobs shipped abroad to low wage countries causing a backlash against globalisation and raising a clamour for the return of well-paid blue-collar jobs to the West. All the while, the top percentile of earners continues to take home more and more of the national income. The groundswell of discontent has erupted in a plethora of protest movements, continent-wide usually coalescing around perceived instances of corporate power run amok: be it home evictions in Spain, or the redevelopment of a square in Istanbul. Advertisement And yet, even with all the ingredients present for the making of a perfect socialist cocktail, it is the Right in places like Britain, Germany and beyond who have won big at the ballot boxes and succeeded in bending the tenor of political discourse to their favour. Where did it all go wrong? It started off so promisingly for the French socialists, campaigning on a ticket to raise taxes for the wealthy and keep the age of retirement at 60. The easy part was pinning the blame for the recession and rising unemployment on the incumbent administration of Nicolas Sarkozy. The hard part was solving these problems once they got into power. After two years of lacklustre results, Hollande changed tack and embraced the policies it had so breathlessly demonized: tax breaks for business, and fewer regulations in the labour market to make it easier to hire and fire workers. These measures have utterly failed to boost the economy significantly but succeeded in unleashing waves of sometimes violent protests and strike action against a government and party whose claim to the name socialist is sounding increasingly ironic. Advertisement The sight of a centre-left politician backtracking on his election promises barely raises an eyebrow, but even the most jaded political observers were taken aback by the sudden and total capitulation of Greece's Syriza-led government to the dictates of its international creditors. And while many in his own party were appalled by this, the majority of voters granted Tsipras a mandate to carry out the reforms demanded of Greece in return for an $86 billion bailout. Once the Greek people finally accepted that they had to bite the bullet, the decent thing for Syriza to do would have been to act as quickly and efficiently as possible. Instead they have involved themselves in unsightly spats with investors, rolling back promised privatisations, or threatening to reverse privatisations - as attempted with the Skaramangas shipyard, offered to the Chinese despite being owned by private capital. What was supposed to be the long-awaited revival of the European Left ended up replacing ideology with bravado, bluster and braggadocio. This has only served to drag the pain out for even longer, leaving the Greek people feeling like the victims of a double betrayal. Alas the bind in which the Left finds itself is nothing new. Indeed, ever since acquiescing to financial deregulation and bringing the unions to heel, the state, the primary leverage of power for the Left, has become so enfeebled and international capital so empowered that it is difficult to see how a truly Leftist agenda can be implemented without being shot down by the implacable forces of the market. The new great white hope to take a run and jump at this hurdle, which has felled so many before him, is of course Jeremy Corbyn: a man who has managed to turn what should have been a crisis for the Conservatives - Brexit - into a crisis for the Labour party. As much as they may deny that there is a split, the numbers suggest a definite parting of ways between the party's MPs, more than 20 of whom have quit, and the party membership which has grown by more than 60,000 since the referendum alone. While Corbyn should, as the party leader, be standing as a bridge over that divide, he is instead rallying the support of one faction, the hard core party membership, to help him defeat the other, his own MPs. At present, Corbyn looks likely to win the leadership challenge but at the cost of losing his parliamentary party, meaning that should Teresa May call an election, the conservatives will likely be squaring off against a cast of freshman ideologues rather than election-hardened vote winners. In summer 2014, a social media campaign successfully encouraged millions of people to dump buckets of ice-cold water over their heads to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Millions of people participated in the "ice bucket challenge" and millions of dollars were donated as a result. While the campaign attracted popularity around the globe, critics were largely dismissed as grumpy, small-minded and heartless party poopers. And rightly so, if one is to believe this week's reporting on the discovery of a gene responsible for the disease. "It is often easy to dismiss viral charity campaigns as slacktivism" writes Nicky Woolf in the Guardian, echoing various other comments. "A breakthrough discovery bankrolled by 2014's ALS ice bucket challenge may give the lie to that cynicism." But does the ALS breakthrough really invalidate all criticism brought forward two years ago? After all nobody claimed that more than 100 millions donated to ALS charities would remain entirely without any impact (although examples of similar viral charity campaigns that had little to no impact are not unheard of). Advertisement It is undoubtedly a good thing to raise money and public awareness for diseases that are rare and therefore do not attract sufficient research funding. Nonetheless, the concerns that were phrased in 2014 remain valid. A key problem is what Cambridge researcher William MacAskill referred to as "funding cannibalism". Rather than stimulating additional donations, much of the money that went to ALS charities would have been donated anyway. It might have benefited equally or even more urgent causes. And it might have been given to equally or even more efficient charities. This is not to suggest that ALS is not an important cause or that ALS charities are wasting the donations entrusted to them. However, the problem with the campaign (and with hashtag activism quite generally) was that few participants bothered to think about such questions as they devoted all their attention to what was essentially a wet T-Shirt contest carried out on social media. Similarly, most news organizations chose to mainly focus on the admittedly very entertaining videos that emerged. However, there were a range of issues worth looking into a bit further, both regarding the urgency of the cause as well as the efficiency of the organisations benefitting from the campaign. In summer 2014, the biggest challenge to global public health was an Ebola epidemic in Western Africa. Three entire countries were affected by what the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) labelled the largest outbreak in history. Much like ALS, there are no vaccines or specific treatments for Ebola. But unlike ALS, Ebola has the potential to devastate entire countries. In summer 2014, thousands of West-Africans contracted the virus and died within months. The disease wiped out entire villages. It wrecked the economies of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea - states that were struggling even without Ebola. And with prices for basic foods skyrocketing as a result, even survivors of the epidemic were threatened by its secondary effects. Advertisement Containing Ebola outbreaks of such magnitude requires a major and cost-intensive short-term effort. Every person that might have contracted the virus has to be tracked and quarantined. Entire neighborhoods might have to be sealed off. The affected countries' flailing health systems were overwhelmed. However, in spite of the major loss of life and the risk of the virus spreading even further, international actors like the World Health Organisation (WHO) got involved rather late. Not least, because they were massively underfunded. African social media campaigns devoted to the fight against Ebola such as the "soap bucket challenge" failed to gain relevant global attention. As Abdul El-Sayed, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, quite aptly put it, the term "gone viral" continued to have a very different, much less modern connotation for Ebola sufferers. Meanwhile the ALS Association that evolved as main beneficiary of ice bucket challenge donations deserved a bit more scrutiny as well. By and large a sound and trustworthy organisation, the remuneration of its senior staff did seem a bit disproportional. In 2013, it had a total budget of $29 million. According to its tax record, the charity's boss Jane Gilbert earned $339,475 in that year. Seven other employees earned between $100,000 and $200,000. One might argue that such salaries need to be paid in order to attract qualified candidates. However, to put the salaries into perspective: The CEO of Oxfam, who leads an 360 million organization whose operations include a 700-branch national shop network as well as major emergency responses, only earned 119,560. GETTY Ok I didn't have a party (I just have a lot of puns for you), but on 23 June 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU by a margin of only 3.8%. For many students, both here in the UK and across Europe, this result has not been positively received. A survey by YouthSight found 94% of all eligible students in the UK registered to vote with 87% of those turning up to vote and 85% of those voted to remain in the EU. It wasn't just students who were unhappy with the results. Young people aged 16 and 17 were denied the opportunity to participate and engage with their democratic structures, despite young people showing an appetite for involvement. Advertisement Politicians try to tell us 16 and 17-year-olds are too young to vote. Sure, they can join the army, drive a car and in some cases get married but voting appears to be a step too far. In December last year, the government blocked plans to let 16 and 17-year-olds vote in the EU referendum by using a financial technicality to hide their fear of the young vote and voice. NUS research into why young people are disengaged from our democratic processes showed that, rather than being apathetic, young people lacked appropriate information about many aspects of our democratic and political structures. The current state of citizenship education in schools can be improved. Citizenship education is not a statutory subject and as such, young people do not have the opportunity to understand and better engage with their civic and democratic rights. Even when citizenship education is taught in our schools, the scope of the subject is narrow and often fails to fully engage and inform young people. The importance of citizenship education has been reinforced by a recent recommendation by the United Nations to the UK to enhance citizenship education in schools and lower the voting age to 16. Despite the shortfalls in our education system, plenty of evidence exists to prove that young people, including 16 and 17-year-olds, are very much interested in exercising their democratic and civic rights. In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, an astounding 75 per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds turned out to vote. Reports from the Electoral Commission showed 97 per cent of those young people said they would vote again in the future. It is clear young people want to participate but something seems to be going wrong. We have one key question. Why wouldn't the government want young people to engage with our democratic structures? Many young people voted to stay in the EU and NUS' conference, the largest student democratic event in the world, passed policy to affirm this position both this year and last year. As young people, we cannot take the threats to our democratic rights lightly, we need to organise and campaign for our rights as citizens. We need to be able to participate in the processes that affect not only our education, but our future. Advertisement Our work should not stop with the EU referendum. Instead we should work to ensure all young people are provided with both the information and opportunity to participate in our democracy. Over the next year, I will be campaigning and lobbying the government to lower the voting age to 16. I will also be working with student unions, the government and other stakeholders to improve voter registration and mitigate the risks associated with individual electoral enrolment. A tree fell down on a flooded road after heavy rains in Thai Binh province (Photo: VNA) As of 6 am of July 28th, a sailor residing in Sam Son town of the northern central province of Thanh Hoa went missing after his boat broke down and sank in the sea area about 3.5km off Hon Me Island. Five other crewmembers were saved, according to the permanent board of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. About 74,100ha of rice in Nam Dinh and another 36,000ha in nearby Ninh Binh province were flooded. In Hanoi, one person was killed and five others sustained injuries during the storm in Dai Thang commune, outlying Phu Xuyen district. Ten places were deluged by heavy rainfalls while strong winds uprooted 667 trees, hampering traffic flow. Up to 130 electricity poles fell down and 7ha of crops were flooded in My Duc district alone. As of the morning of July 28th, two people in Thai Binh province were wounded. Torrential rains inundated 39,300ha of rice and destroyed 1,900ha of other crops. Storm Mirinae also damaged nearly 30 classrooms in Vu Thu district and two brick factories in Thai Thuy district, and flattened 9,000 trees in Thai Binh province. Power blackouts were reported across Thai Binh since the midnight and the problem has yet to be fixed, said the provinces steering board for natural disaster prevention, search and rescue. Hundreds of trees fell down in Hung Yen province, where widespread power outages last for 12 hours from 10 pm of July 27th. Around 800 ha of rice in Tien Lu district were deep under water, and nearly 800 ha of longan trees in Hung Yen city were damaged. Strong winds also blew away roofs and advertising banners there. In Ha Nam province, by 9 am of July 28th, the tropical storm flooded almost 28,500 ha of rice and 3,000 ha of other crops, knocked down over 9,100 trees and unroofed some 1,000 houses, the local disaster prevention agency said. Three residents in Thai Nguyen province and one other in Hoa Binh province were injured during the storm, which triggered blackouts in Hoa Binh and Hai Duong provinces. It also wreaked havoc on crops, livestock and houses in these localities. In the face of the heavy toll, the Prime Minister on July 28th requested the Peoples Committees of the northern localities and Thanh Hoa province, ministries, and the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control to summon resources to address the storms consequences./. When I first tried performing topless at an open mic night, a female audience member sneered, "Why would she get her tits out for free? She could get 20 quid for that in a strip club." I don't blame her for thinking like that, female sexuality is used to sell everything news papers, cars, even cosmetics. It's like part of our soul has been stolen, and we're trying to buy it back. In secondary school I was often judged for my body, I was called sparrow legs, fake tan bitch, when I returned from a holiday and chants of 'get your tits out for the lads' were not uncommon. They were just never directed at me. I was a late developer, I used to think there was something wrong with me. So when I finally grew boobs I soaked my school shirt under a broken drainpipe and paraded into class like it was a bikini contest. That livened up biology. Advertisement My body wasn't for me, it was for other people to look at and judge. Men and Women. I entered beauty pageants and bikini contests in a bid to win the approval I craved. I joined the Free the Nipple movement when a male friend, claiming to be in support of 'No more page 3' was slut shaming glamour models on Facebook. Telling them they were a disgrace to real women. Shaming sex positive women is not feminism. What constitutes as real women? I used to be a glamour model, does that mean I am less human, a soulless doll? I understand why people don't want to see boobs in a "news paper", but there are still boobs on page 3. Just no nipples. Women are objectified across the media, as are men in some cases. We shouldn't be attacking each other. This is about perception, it's much more difficult to challenge the way we see the world than a solid enemy like The Sun. Page 3 was a symptom, not the cause. Patriarchy is ingrained in our collective subconscious. We can all fall victim to it, men and women. Rigid gender roles damage our psychology. It's not considered masculine to cry. Is it any wonder suicide is the leading cause of death in the UK in men under 45? Advertisement We are dehumanising men as much as women. Shame is used a weapon of control. "Man up" "Is that a skirt or a belt" "You're crazy". We should be focusing on what unites us, not what divides us. No-one is perfect, not even Katy Price. God bless her, she's tried. I don't want to be judged anymore, things are not so black and white, good or bad. We are all unique and can all find our place in the sun, just not on Page 3. It's emotionally exhausting trying to fit yourself in a box, someone else's idea of what beauty or now comedy should be. Also, I was not content winning Miss Darlaston, I wanted to be Miss Black Country, then Miss World! Satisfaction in winning was only a quick fix, there was always another battle. I came to realise I was at war with myself. I drank too much after not placing in a bikini contest in Liverpool. I pretended I didn't care as the winner chided, "Haha, that girl traveled all the way from London for nothing" as she left the building with armfuls of the free flip flops, meant for all of the contestants. The winner takes it all. I marinated my humiliation with red bull & vodka. The owner of the venue seemed kind, he was worried about me catching a train so late. He had kids but they were away. I was welcome to sleep in their room. The last thing I remember before waking up in terror as he penetrated me from behind, was violently throwing up in his bathroom. The next day he dropped me off at the train Advertisement station as if nothing had happened. On CCTV he was carrying my suitcase, he looked like a gentleman, not a rapist. As soon as he was out of site I burst into tears, there were transport police in the station, I told them what had happened. I was taken to a sexual assault unit in The Wirral where swabs were taken and I made a statement. I was then driven around in a police car for hours as I tried to remember where he lived. I couldn't. The perpetrator was arrested at work, he told the police we had been kissing and cuddling and that I had consented. This wasn't true and I asked why didn't they take a swab from my mouth? Would his DNA not still be in there if we had kissed? They told me it was my word against his, it wouldn't stand up in court and its not that the judge didn't believe me, but there would be no further action. I was crushed. I'm not doing a topless show because I want to win approval for my body. I'm doing a topless show because it is my body, and it's my choice. My point is, that flesh alone should not been seen as an invitation for sexual assault. How a woman dresses, or behaves does not substitute for conscious consent. I feel safe and liberated standing in front of a crowd topless. Its a way of reclaiming my body and sexuality. Free the Nipple is not about telling other women (or men) what to do, its about choice, body equality and perception. If it's safe for a man, it should be safe for a woman to walk down the street topless. So I do that on a regular basis, and I'm inviting you to join me, dressed however you like on the 28th August which is International Go Topless Day. We're meeting in Edinburgh on The Royal Mile next to St Giles Cathedral at 2.30pm. Advertisement Our needs for love, sex and belonging are being manipulated by capitalism. We are encouraged to consume more and more, feeling like we have never have enough. Maybe because we have forgotten than we are are enough. You are enough. World Peace! References Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): In 2014, male suicide accounts for 76% of all suicides and is the single biggest cause of death in men under 45 in the UK. Rape Crisis: 1 in 5 women aged 16 - 59 has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16 Samantha Pressdee - Sextremist. Will be at Just The Tonic, The Mash House at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the month of August for tickets go to www.edfringe.com Despite warnings since before the EU Referendum that, if the UK falls on the side of Brexit, there could be several years of negotiations before the we leave the EU, there are a shocking number of people who still believe that it is as simple as pressing a button. There are also a frightening number of people who not only believe that leaving the complex economic, legal and political body we are part of would be simple, but imagine that by pushing this fictitious button immigrants would be catapulted across the sea. Who they think can rapidly fill the jobs currently being done by the couple of million EU immigrants isn't clear. They also don't seem to spend much time thinking about the impact on UK businesses if millions of people were to vanish and stopped buying goods and services. Advertisement The reality is, of course, much more complex than the hostile anti-immigration element of Brexiters would have us believe. For a start, no politician with any sense has been talking about expelling EU immigrants who are already here. It would be akin to shooting yourself in the face because a butterfly landed on your nose. Even stopping EU immigrants from coming to work in the UK in the years it will take to negotiate with the rest of the Union is not viable. There have been murmurs, including from the secretary of state for exiting the EU, about a cut-off date to prevent having to give leave to remain to those who come prior to the UK exiting the EU. But David Davis has not suggested EU citizens cannot come and work here in the interim, just that those coming after some imaginary date would not automatically have the right to stay after (and if) Brexit actually happens. So there are some vague 'ifs' but, while we are in the EU, other EU citizens are welcome here. As are UK citizens in other EU countries. Even Davis, an ardent Eurosceptic, has said such a cut-off date would only be set if there was "a surge" of people arriving. Given how much ignorant hostility has reared its ugly head in the past month or so, if there were a 'surge' it might be that these people are resilient, ambitious and courageous. Exactly the sort of people we should value and who would be an asset to the UK. Advertisement The period since the Referendum has revealed some extremely disturbing attitudes and flawed thinking processes up and down the county. More is now known about the hate crimes that EU citizens and other minorities have been subjected to. Hundreds of racist incidents have been recorded since the June Referendum. Recorded incidents have included violent assaults, arson attacks and excrement being put through letterboxes. There have also been reports of gangs demanding that passers-by prove they can speak English, and diners in plush restaurants refusing to be served by foreign staff. Although prime minister Theresa May was a Remainer in the Referendum campaign, her approach when home secretary has been linked, by some, to the culture of hostility towards immigrants we are seeing. The Home Office, under May's direction in 2013, sent vans around London with the words "Go home or face arrest" on them. Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham is one person who has linked May's approach towards immigrants to the anti-immigration hostility minorities have been subjected to since the Referendum. Mr Burnham told The Independent: "It is clear that the Government has contributed to the unwelcoming climate and that our new Prime Minister in particular is responsible...After the referendum she added to the problem by refusing to guarantee EU nationals legal status to stay in the UK. Her failure to do that has left children being told to go home in their school playgrounds and in the streets where they live." Advertisement The contrast between the clever negotiations the UK must undertake with our EU partners and the intellectual brutality of those who wish they could catapult EU immigrants across the sea couldn't be greater. Despite the mushrooming of Twitter profiles and petitions calling for Article 50 to by invoked immediately, any reasonable person understands that, if the UK is to actually change its relationship with the EU for the better, it is going to take considerable intelligence, diplomacy and legal insight. By Rob Curran, Head of Customer Experience, Wunderman UK In 2005, Steve Jobs stood in front of a captive audience of students at Stanford University and told them to Stay hungry. Stay foolish. I like this quote. Ive heard it again and again. Ive heard it cited in meetings, and pitches. Ive seen it held up as an ambition for businesses and start-ups. But when push comes to shove, I seldom see foolishness truly celebrated, or embraced as an ingredient for creating great products, services or experiences. Creating great experiences is so often about embracing a multitude of radically diverse inputs. Hunger and foolishness are vital to this process, which is why at Wunderman we try to create unusual creative environments, ones where these qualities emanate naturally. Its a principle inherent to our Collision methodology. Weve found that the best customer experiences are necessarily borne from diverse and divergent environments. Theyre exposed to everything that can be thrown at them - idealism, bravery, deep subject matter knowledge, pragmatism, healthy scepticism, and disparate modes of thinking. We want differing inputs to be contested, wrangled and debated. Consensus and similarity are almost useless to us when designing something truly powerful. Difference is the aim. Advertisement In our experience, to create this you need people who are both naturally idealistic and embrace non-traditional creative environments. Through trial and error weve found that when it comes to experience design, young graduate product designers have been particularly effective when it comes to finding compelling, unusual, and strikingly different answers to even the most traditional of client briefs. And its not just about giving these graduates a chance to help its about handing over complete control from creative conception to experience production. They havent worked in the industry for twenty years so they dont have any of our bad habits, they dont know our methods (and they invariably come up with new, better ones) and more importantly their ideas dont have any limits. We regularly run ad hoc experience design sessions, where the entire agency is invited to tackle a customer experience challenge. We call them 404 sessions - Fixing the broken links in customer experiences. We pick a customer experience challenge, do on-the-spot guerrilla user research, then collectively create solutions and prototype them. Of course, some of the most innovative experience ideas to come out of these sessions have been conceived by our HR department and finance teams. We've long known that good ideas can originate from anywhere and anyone but we've found this to ring particularly true in experience design. Advertisement But its not just about solutions; its down to process. Companies wanting to progress and stand out should constantly be looking to create new methods and push existing ones to breaking point. They need to look at new ways of getting under the skin of their audience; find alternative methods of conducting ethnography; of visualising the services, products and experiences they offers customers. We try to never a let a single project go by without tangibly evolving our methods, making them more sophisticated, more experimental, and more scientific. By Jonathan Crowl Today's consumer is self-aware and expects some level of personalization in all their online endeavors, and as Marketing Dive reports, 71 percent of consumers like to see personalized ads that speak to their interests and online behavior. Between website cookies, social media activity, search queries, and analytics, brands now have a much easier time contextualizing their website traffic, and these insights lend themselves to behavioral observations that can predict consumers' actions. This information, known as intent data, can be used to flag and target those consumers who seem most likely to make a purchase or conversion. Although intent data isn't a new concept, its availability has exploded in recent years, and marketers have ever-increasing opportunities to leverage it to create more personalized, productive ad campaigns. Here are some tips to build a better personalization strategy. Create User-Intent Profiles As Search Engine Land points out, intent data is helping marketers build more relevant, specific user-intent models. One thing that is really spearheading this trend is the growth of voice search and its conversational nature. Regular desktop search might help you learn that "customer A wants to buy dress shoes." With mobile voice search you can get more detailed intent data, like "customer A is seeking sales on black dress shoes, preferably at a location near her Brooklyn neighborhood." Ad personalization can kick in from there, adjusting the type of ad the user sees to account for shoe type, style, color, budget constraints, and nearby store locations. Advertisement Use the data that voice search yields to your advantage to build out user-intent profiles, and then let these profiles be a basis to serve more targeted, personalized ads. Develop Personalized Landing Pages Once user-intent profiles are in place, you can begin building entire mini-campaigns designed for each profile type. Your landing pages should speak directly to the presumed intent from the particular profile the consumer falls into. So when an online consumer uses the phrase "budget dress shoes at Target," for example, it's clear that they're looking for options to buythey aren't just browsing or casually mulling over new shoes: The inclusion of "budget" shows that they're trying to find options they can afford, because price is a constraint they can't ignore, and if you're Targetor a Target competitoryou want to show this consumer your great prices on dress shoes. In this case, your landing page content can speak directly to this type of intent, featuring content that's both price-aware and guides consumers toward budget-friendly shoe options. Through this consistency of tone and focal point, personalized ads can present a seamless frontand analytics can tell you how effectively those consumers are sticking with the funnel. Test New Data Internally, you can gather first-person data through your mobile apps, retail websites, consumer shopping profiles, Google Analytics, and myriad other sources. Meanwhile, you can supplement this first-person data with third-party data, adding greater value to your first-person information by placing it within a macro context. Through a combination of data analysis and trial-and-error, you'll be able to identify data types that accurately indicate intent, which your marketing strategies can use to become more proactive. Advertisement If, for example, new data reveals that a high percentage of people who visit a given product page multiple times end up making a purchase, you can use a personalized ad strategy to more effectively drive those conversions in less visits. Or if you learn that customers tend to frequent your business after work on their commute home, you can start offering deals during those hours to entice more people in. Study the Insights Intent data can help any company better understand consumer behavior. The trick is execution. Last year, eMarketer reported on a Forrester study that found that 67 percent of marketers were confident that intent data could improve strategy and performance, but many marketers struggle to effectively apply that information. Fifty-six percent of respondents said the data was inaccurate, and 48 percent said the attribution models were too complex to implement. Marketers need better application strategies to get the greatest value from their data. Verifying the data's accuracy is paramount: You should eliminate data channels that have proven unreliable, as these can corrupt your knowledge of the consumer. As a good place to start, consider implemeting campaigns on platforms which offer first-party data insights. While more difficult to integrate into the larger picture of your customer, you will get a more accurate sense of how your campaign messaging is resonating with a particular user base. Perfect intent-based personalization won't come overnight, but as you get acclimated to new ways of using consumer data, you can begin to build mobile campaigns that are smarter and more productive. Need a Shortcut? Mobile devices have enabled a range of channels to gather intent data. Marketers should build personalized ad campaigns based on intent data. User-intent models, website content aligned with intent, and intent segmentation can simplify targeting and optimize campaigns. By Stuart Hazlewood, Chief Strategy Officer, DDB New York Nobodys perfect. Whats true of people is equally true of brands. Despite this, it is natural for brands and brand managers to try to whitewash their reputations; to brush any negativity under the carpet; to perpetuate the idea that their brand always acts with impunity and their products are as close to perfect for whatever task they fulfill. In other words, nobodys perfect and hype is natural. While telling the truth has been a moral imperative for millennia, it took a visionary like Bill Bernbach to recognize it as a commercial imperative too when he famously observed that nothing will kill a bad product faster than good advertising. It was a short leap from this to his declaration that the most powerful element in advertising is the truth. This sounds like common sense today, but back then it was such a radical idea that in 1990 Dudley Moores comedy classic Crazy People mocked it mercilessly. The premise was that anyone telling the truth in advertising could be declared insane and the kicker was that telling the truth ended up as just one more advertising gimmick. Advertisement That was then. This is now. In the digital and social universe advertising has found an enormous echo chamber where brand messages are either amplified or ignored, reproduced in hi-fi or distorted, celebrated or rejected. Theres lots of advice out there on how to respond effectively to complaints on owned social channels: respond quickly and with sincerity, apologize when appropriate, take the conversation off-line, etc. But brands that try to sweep any negativity under a digital rug need to confront the reality that their owned social platforms only account for a small corner of the echo chamber. Most of the commentary on their products, their services or even their corporate behavior is happening on platforms over which they exert little or no control. The conversations and comments on Amazon, CNET, Slate or Huffington Post will happen despite a brand managers best efforts to control the dialogue. So whats a brand to do? Well, its useful to bear in mind that truth has never been a more ambivalent concept than it is today. One of my left-leaning friends blogged after the Republican Convention that we live in a post-truth era; Im sure there are many Republicans who will feel the same way once proceedings wrap up in Philadelphia this week. And thats precisely the point; the absolute concept of truth has devolved into truthiness, just one narrative frame competing with other narratives for adherence in its beholders mind. Advertisement If it feels right, its true. Or at least, true enough. So our vast digital echo chamber reverberates with emotion. It is a place where people go to find justification for the way they feel about things; about candidates; about politics; about celebrities; about the news; about products, about brands and about companies. And the fact that I will very likely never read a Republican complaining about Democrats practicing post-truth politics wont invalidate the observation; it will simply prove the point that we humans seek out the truths we want to be true. Neuro-economists call it confirmation bias. Its a pre-cognitive force that our conscious minds are often powerless to resist. Ultimately it is a question of trust; consumers will inherently feel they can trust your messaging or they cannot. Or in social media, they will instinctively trust some comments and safely ignore or vehemently counter-argue the others. And heres where brand managers can finally exert some influence on matters. Its important they ask themselves whether people have any sense of their brands motivations, of the ideals it espouses and stands for -- and against -- in this world. At DDB we work with our clients to articulate a brands fight, the idea that we go to battle for every day. Why? Because if your audience trusts your motives, they will forgive the occasional transgression. Consider Donald Trumps shocking claim that he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and [he] wouldn't lose any voters". For voters, what a man (or woman) stands for, trumps what that man actually does. Advertisement As a positive example, consider Dominos Pizza, a brand that has long delighted consumers with engaging and useful innovations. But the Michigan-based company had an Achilles heel inconsistent taste and quality product experiences that it addressed with its Pizza Turnaround initiative. Many brands have undergone similar quality improvement programs and been disappointed by the marketplace impact; for Dominos, however, it resulted in a huge improvement in customer satisfaction, company revenue and business growth since 2009. The brands customer satisfaction index score increased 12 percentage points and Dominos now leads among top restaurant franchisesincluding Starbucks, Dunkin Brands, Yum! Brands and McDonaldsin international store growth, growing 43% since the end of 2008. (Source: FreshMr.com, MotleyFool.com). In effect, Dominos became the brand that people had always wanted it to be. Consumers can be thought of as voters who cast their ballots with their credit cards. If we swing them to our side by impressing them with our ideals, if we demonstrate that our values and theirs coincide, we stand a good chance that they will not be swayed by the slings and arrows of an often-hostile social universe. About the Author With less than two months to go before the first presidential debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are hurtling toward the biggest, most anticipated events of their careers. Ratings for the fall 2016 debates could reach historic proportions, in a way that hasn't happened since Sarah Palin debated Joe Biden back in 2008. For their convention speeches, Trump and Clinton each drew somewhere in the range of 30 million viewers. Debate audiences will undoubtedly be double that number, perhaps even triple--and that's counting only viewers within the United States. So where do things stand as July turns to August, and what can we expect in the weeks to come? A schedule of three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate has been announced by the Commission on Presidential Debates, along with proposed formats. These matchups are set to take place between late September and mid-October on college campuses in New York, Virginia, Missouri, and Nevada. Moderators will be announced in August. All of this is standard operating procedure. Also standard is for presidential nominees to officially accept the debate commission's invitation, usually by Labor Day. We can expect Clinton to follow this pattern in the near future, with a minimum of drama. As for Trump--who knows? During the primary season, Trump boycotted an important Fox News debate in Iowa because he did not like the choice of Megyn Kelly as moderator. But would he dare to shirk a general election debate, one carried on every major network before an audience of 100 million people? Advertisement Historical precedent does exist for fewer than the three traditional debates. As incumbent presidents with comfortable leads in the polls, Ronald Reagan (1984) and Bill Clinton (1996) each managed to whittle the schedule down to two joint appearances. However, no non-incumbent has ever sought a reduced line-up of debates--usually it's just the opposite. If Gary Johnson and Bill Weld get into this fall's presidential debates by hitting 15 per cent in national polls, that could provide Trump with a different pretext for shirking a debate or two--or at least trying to dictate terms in exchange for his participation. Trump considers himself a show business impresario, so undoubtedly he will have opinions regarding format, timing, moderators, and other production details. The question is, will he be in a position to make demands? Trump has plenty of reason to fear these debates. Never before has he been tested at this level or in such an intense way. Presidential debates are not games for amateurs--even gifted amateurs, like Ross Perot. Yes, Trump did cycle through about a dozen Republican primary debates, clinching the nomination in the process, but the face-off with Hillary is an altogether different beast of an altogether different size and ferocity. In the primary debates Trump always shared the stage with a gaggle of competitors, which inevitably took the pressure off. Like a character in a sitcom, he didn't have to do much more than pop up every few minutes, look into the camera, and detonate a zinger. Clinton, by contrast, notched plenty of one-on-one sparring with Bernie Sanders during the primaries, as she did in 2008 with Barack Obama and in 2000 with Rick Lazio. Lacking any such experience, how will Donald Trump hold up over the course of a ninety-minute debate, jousting against so formidable an opponent? Jokes and insults can only take a guy so far. And Clinton boasts another a critical credential: this isn't her first time at the rodeo. As a veteran of the genre, she particularly understands the value of homework; like the law student she once was, she will master every aspect of Trump's record. Furthermore, she will do everything within her power to needle him during their time together onstage, hoping to provoke as many negative YouTube moments as possible for her opponent. Advertisement And how will Trump prepare for his moment of glory? There is little-to-no evidence that he engaged in anything resembling standard debate prep during the primaries, and it's difficult to conceive of him submitting to sixteen full-scale, real-time mock debates under cameras and lights, the way Mitt Romney did. History is replete with candidates who resisted debate prep--most of them losers. http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3286528/images/s-INNOVATION-small.jpg Too many employees coasting through their work days? Doing the minimum to skate by? Spending more time thumbing through their phones than focusing on core responsibilities? You might have a bigger problem on your hands than you realize. Sure, most organizations experience occasional ruts (especially during the summer) during which employees become bored and complacent. But if that boredom takes root, it can quickly lead to stagnancy - and snowball into disaster: Great employees want to be challenged. They leave boring jobs in favor of more exciting opportunities with forward-thinking companies. Employers with bored employees quickly fall behind. Outpaced and outmaneuvered by their competitors, these organizations may soon find themselves out of business. Banish boredom - before it snowballs out of control! Innovation is at the heart of the entrepreneurial mindset - and it's the perfect antidote to boredom. If you're seeing signs of complacency or disengagement, use these hot ideas to melt that snowball: Advertisement 1. Foster a culture of innovation. Walk the walk. Most entrepreneurial organizations talk about innovation; far fewer make it an actual job requirement. To build the right culture in your company, weave innovation into your mission. Feature it in job descriptions and discuss it in performance evaluations. Look for ways to achieve both incremental and revolutionary improvements in everyday procedures and tasks. Build teams that collaborate well. Not surprisingly, people who work well together accomplish amazing things. Foster internal relationships based on respect, trust, teamwork and shared confidence. Ask for - and act on - your employees' ideas. Make it clear to your team, through your words and actions, that you value their ideas. Discuss them as a group and then implement the best! Encourage risks and embrace failure. To innovate, you often need to take a leap of faith or make decisions based on incomplete information. Outline acceptable parameters for the calculated risk-taking that's part of innovation, and then give your employees permission to test their ideas. If they fail, never humiliate or punish them; help your whole team learn from the experience. 2. Show employees what innovation in action looks like. Get employees' brains engaged in new ways by share amazing examples of innovation. Here are a few of my personal favorites: Surgical robots . In recent years, microroboticists have designed fully autonomous, miniature robots to conduct biopsies, deliver drugs and even perform surgery inside the human body. . In recent years, microroboticists have designed fully autonomous, miniature robots to conduct biopsies, deliver drugs and even perform surgery inside the human body. The 16 million color pen. Scribble is a revolutionary pen that scans the color of any object and converts it into an RGB value. It then custom-mixes ink so you can immediately draw with that color (they also make a stylus, so you can draw on iPads, Android tablets and Microsoft Surface). Scribble is a revolutionary pen that scans the color of any object and converts it into an RGB value. It then custom-mixes ink so you can immediately draw with that color (they also make a stylus, so you can draw on iPads, Android tablets and Microsoft Surface). Warehouse robot armies. Amazon has revolutionized the fulfillment game by deploying an entire army of ottoman-shaped robots. Capable of lifting 750 lbs., their Kiva bots quickly pick and deliver items right to associates for packing and shipping. Do some research online and find innovation stories that inspire you - and then show them to your team! Present the examples you share as case studies, discussing potential applications in your own organization or parallels in your industry. Advertisement 3. Hold regular "Innovation Days" An innovation day is typically a 24-hour event, during which employees work in small groups to tackle tough business problems or identify new business opportunities. It's a great way to banish boredom, because it: breaks employees out of their daily routine; encourages individuals to think creatively; facilitates collaboration to develop, propose and then begin to execute creative solutions. It's also great for your business. By taking a disciplined, systematic approach to innovation, you ensure a steady stream of great solutions to implement, and fresh ideas upon which to capitalize. Getty Images In the wake of the WikiLeaks revelations about the collusion between the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the press, a diversion was urgently needed -- and promptly delivered. The real story - the DNC's repeatedly tipping the scales for Clinton during crucial primaries -- simply could not become the focus of discussion. Thus was born the meme that Donald Trump somehow put Vladimir Putin up to it. Or that Putin dumped the hacked information to help Trump because, well, because he and the Donald are best buds. So, first came the knowing whispers -- swiftly telegraphed by an pliable press corps and pundit class -- about the likely source of the leak and the motives. Then came the faux outrage. At his press conference in Florida, with his customary sportiveness, Donald Trump played along, accepting that Russia had perpetrated the hack and dump. Tongue-in-cheek, Trump even speculated that the Russians no doubt had Hillary Clinton's now-deleted emails as well. Perhaps they would share these, too -- so Americans could know what was in them. This bit of light devilry sent the media turbines into overdrive. How did that happen? Well, the WikiLeaks revelations were clearly dangerous to the Clintons so a "dust up" had to be concocted to conceal and confuse the truth. Deep in some Clinton campaign war room - no doubt in sweat and panic -- A-team staffers and Washington insiders pasted together the bizarre "Trump is soft on Russia" narrative. That was to be the story. Once it was vetted and locked down, it was fed via the usual channels out to the B-teamers on regional editorial boards and at journals and blogs. This, for an audience of true believers convinced that they have more to worry about from Donald Trump's "language" than from ISIS abroad or the recent wave of mass violence at home. Trump's playfulness was quickly - and disingenuously, I believe -- recast by the ever creative media into an invitation to a foreign power to hack into US emails. This despite the rather obvious fact that Donald said nothing of the sort. The "hacking" - if it happened - occurred long before the press conference. Does the pundit class have no shame? Having just assured us, hand on heart, that Secretary Clinton's deleted emails are staggeringly dull, they now are alarmed that her supposedly "non-incriminating" messages might be released. What's more, all this email voodoo "gotcha" conveniently emerges to conceal the machinations of a presidential candidate who, with her husband, runs a global, back-door pay-to-play scheme that would make a hardened ward boss blush. Advertisement There is considerable irony, too, that the current narrative about Donald Trump and Russia is being written by folks who have for years been telling us that a combination of smart diplomacy and soft power is the answer. Soft power - of course - doesn't need or want a strong military. Oddly, the soft power elites have now been joined by a mix of never-Trump conservatives, intellectuals who -- with their particular brand of sophistication - have so far mired us in endless wars. Eight years ago, the new Obama-Clinton team in Washington was telling us it knew how to work with Russia. How's that working? Now that same group is the establishment, and it is selling a story that Donald Trump isn't belligerent enough. To these "wise guys" Trump is also "unpresidential" (doesn't support us) and an unpredictable and impetuous loose cannon (doesn't support us) in matters of foreign policy. They overlook the plain fact that Donald Trump is cautious about applying military power - as any sane person should be. He is also wary, like George Washington, of entangling alliances, while recognizing the need to maintain military strength as a deterrent. These are not new policies. They are a well-tested formula. And what, for their part, have our erudite foreign policy elites produced? Look out the window -- endless wars, open borders, and incoherence in response to an imminent threat -- Islamic jihad. Advertisement Donald Trump may come off to the political class as sometimes brash -- an unruly "outsider." But in the present instance, I believe, Trump is actually having fun discomforting the crowd who deep-down know that more WikiLeaks could derail Hillary Clinton and her campaign. TOPSHOT - People walk past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016.Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. / AFP / Petras Malukas (Photo credit should read PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP/Getty Images) MOSCOW -- It has felt impossible recently to find an American media outlet that is not writing about Russians trying to infiltrate the U.S. presidential elections. The scandal, in which Russians are believed to have hacked the Democratic National Committee, is big news in the United States. But in Russia itself, news about these mysterious and powerful hackers aided by the Russian government have received much less attention. Why? Because there is very little information about the hack being spread within the country. Russian officials have already commented on the allegations. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, declared after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that he doesn't want to use four-letter words when discussing this situation -- meaning that he believes there is no serious event to comment on. "We are again seeing these maniacal attempts to exploit the Russian theme in the U.S. election campaign," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the leaked emails. The U.S. media has also reported Russian involvement in the election through the alleged funding and support of Donald Trump, who essentially called on Russia to hack Hillary Clinton on July 27. Advertisement Peskov's statement is a common way for Russian civil servants to answer questions they do not want to be asked. What is interesting in this case, however, is that the comments made by the Russian media were not more generous. There were very few experts who made any statements on the radio or in the newspapers in Russia discussing the attack and whether Russians were behind it. There were a few online media outlets where the situation got some analysis, but on TV channels -- the main source of information for most Russians and mostly government-owned -- there was very little. Very few things enter the public domain of debate in this country because of the pro-governmental position of most media outlets. This lack of interest seemed to spill into the streets of Russia, and my office as well. As I attempted to discuss it with my friends and colleagues, most of them were not interested in talking about Russia's alleged role. Some even mentioned that the idea of Russian hackers performing such an attack sounded too far-fetched. Others said that there was not nearly enough proof for them to believe such an elaborate tale. In their opinion, the U.S. will need years to gather more convincing evidence, so there is no point in talking about it now. One place they pointed to was a lack of consensus on the origins of the attack. This lack of discussion in Russia once again suggests that very few things enter the public domain of debate in this country because of the pro-governmental position of most media outlets. The story of the hackers, even if Russian involvement is not proven, does not paint a favorable image of the state. Advertisement Even with insufficient direct evidence of Russian secret police connections to the hackers who got into the DNC, it is not implausible to say that such government-backed hackers do exist. It is also unlikely that in a country where more or less all of the sophisticated technology belongs to the government, there could exist a group of hackers of such high skill who are not in some way connected to the state. Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Moscow with the Russian national Olympic team on July 27. (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images) In recent times, there have been two public scandals that were related to the Russian government in some way -- one concerning Moscow trying to influence the Brexit referendum and another relating to Russian officials helping national sportsmen hide the effects of doping during the Sochi Winter Olympics. The Brexit case showed that Russia can be interested in trying to influence the voting process of another country, not unlike the case of the DNC. And the case of the Olympic scandal demonstrated that Russian officials possessed sufficiently sophisticated methods to deceive a Western institution -- the anti-doping authority for the Olympic Games -- for quite a long time. It is not implausible to say that such government-backed hackers do exist. Aside from a history of political and international meddling, Russia also seems to have a vested interest in the outcome of the U.S. election. One could list a series of interests, beginning with Putin's direct political aim of favoring Trump as the next president of the United States and continuing with his alleged animosity towards Clinton. Advertisement On the other hand, as the founder of Wikileaks Julian Assange said, the publication of the DNC emails is likely just the first major leak of information about the American election. The situation we see now may turn out to be far more complex than just a new round in a revived Cold War, which is the implication in much of the U.S. coverage. So until it becomes clear what the bigger picture is, it may be wise for the U.S. public to pay more attention to what is in the DNC letters rather than who stole them. Earlier on WorldPost: Image: This poster is circulating virally on Armenian social media. Journalist and human rights defender Levon Barseghian was recently arrested after criticizing the authorities during the ongoing Erebuni protests in Armenia. YEREVAN, Armenia -- When I learned that armed men had occupied a police station in Armenia on July 17 to demand the release of a fringe opposition figure, I thought it would blow over quickly. Like most observers, I thought the dozen occupiers of the station in Armenia's capital of Yerevan had no chance to prevail against the police and security forces of President Serzh Sargsyan's government. Advertisement The occupiers were basically hoping for a miracle: parlaying their takeover into a general uprising against the government. They have failed to achieve that goal as yet. But there are signs they have tapped a vein of discontent against the current political leadership that runs very deep, and -- if the regime isn't careful -- could lead to a change of government. As many as 2,000 protesters at a time have taken to the streets to support the occupiers, and journalists and columnists have seized on the discontent to write excoriating pieces about the Sargsyan regime's shortcomings. The station occupiers have had two demands. One is that the government free Jirair Sefilian, head of the small Founding Parliament Party. The government jailed him in June on an accusation of planning a coup attempt -- charges the station occupiers and his other followers say are trumped up. Advertisement Sefilian has never commanded a large political following in Armenia, although he's admired on two counts: one for being a hero of the Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenian separatists and Azerbaijan, and, second, for publicly demanding Sargsyan's resignation. In fact, the police-station occupiers' second demand has been that Sargsyan resign. The wily former military general is not about to do that. The deck in this game of bridge is stacked in his favor, and he knows he has a powerful bridge partner -- the Russians -- although that partner could turn on him. Russian President Vladimir Putin hates regime change. He has gnashed his teeth about the color revolutions that overthrew governments in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. He has propped up Bashar al-Assad to make sure regime change doesn't occur in Syria, a longtime Russian ally. And his Kremlin minions have portrayed previous domestic unrest in Armenia as a Western plot to foment a color revolution in Russia's most pliant ally. Advertisement Many Armenians would like to get rid of Sargsyan. The resentment they feel about the regime's corruption and its perceived indifference to the country's widespread poverty has been building for years. It was heightened when Sargsyan pushed through a new constitution in December of 2015 that allows him to govern for many more years. As political analyst Grigor Atanesian noted in a recent perceptive piece in the Moscow Times, this is the fourth summer in a row that Armenians have held protests against the Sargsyan regime. In the summer of 2013 they demonstrated against increases in public-transportation prices. In 2014 it was government plans for pension reforms that would leave pensioners worse off. And in 2015 it was an increase in electricity rates. "But this summer's protest is different," Atanesian said. "No longer are the demands social and economic; now the ultimatum is regime change." There have been many twists in the station-occupation drama since it started almost two weeks ago. In terms of violence, occupiers killed one police officer and wounded two others, and police wounded two who made the mistake of going outside the station to patrol. The raiders took several hostages, released them in dribs and drabs until there were none, then took hostages again -- medical staff who entered the station to treat the men whom police wounded. Advertisement In terms of efforts to resolve the situation, the government has offered amnesty to the raiders if they surrender, and Sargsyan has offered to meet with Sefilian -- also if the occupiers lay down their arms. With the exception of wounding the two occupiers patrolling outside the station, the government has tried to defuse the stand-off peacefully -- although police have been roughing up some of the pro-occupation demonstrators. The last thing Sargsyan wants is to create martyrs the opposition could use as a rallying cry for regime change. As savvy a politician as he is, he has to be aware that although Russia has his back, the Kremlin's support is a two-edged sword. Given the Russians' military intervention against pro-European Union and pro-NATO regimes in Georgia and Ukraine, Armenians know that Russia, which has two military bases on their soil, wouldn't hesitate to use its troops to put down a color revolution. Advertisement If Moscow did have to intervene, it would likely hold Sargsyan accountable, for allowing the situation to get out of hand. And, as it did during Soviet times with leaders it considered weak, it might then arrange for a hard-liner to replace him. I cannot not do this work and frankly in times of great fatigue, I have thought about that and wanted to step away and yet I feel quite strongly that this is the work that I need to be doing. I spent quite a number of years of my life in the lesbian community prior to my transition. I had the blessing and good fortune to meet a lot of amazing change agents within that community and especially so in a number of people that were older than me by 15 or 20 years so in a sense mentored me and provided me in what I felt was more like a second upbringing. There's no way that between them and my own mom who raised me to be who I was meant and to fight against the injustices that present themselves, there's no way I could let those people down and not do exactly what I'm doing. I find a huge amount of...satisfaction doesn't even seem like the right word. It's what I need and have and want to do to fill my soul. Howdy again - and thanks - to those of you who remembered to return to my tour of the Cyclades. To those of you who read Part I - and to the newcomers - welcome to Part II. Just a brief recap; my first destination was the island of Serifos. From visiting the main town, Chora, to paying a visit to a few of the numerous beaches, it certainly left an impression. I was also pleased with the research I did prior to leaving Athens, where I live, on choosing great accommodation in Aria Hotels ariahotels.gr/en/. They have various Boutique Hotels, Guest Houses and Villas. While they're presence is mostly around various islands, they also have two Boutique Hotels in Northern Greece as well. My next destination was Milos, an island that has to be on the list. A few facts before we get started; Milos has one of the largest natural harbours in Mediterranean Sea. From the countless beaches, a spectacular one in particular, to Sulphur Mines, Ancient Sites, Museums, and picturesque sea front villages, the to-do list should no doubt be lengthy. For me though, this visit is just a short one, so I had my work cut out. Arriving in Milos was easy enough. The convenient aspect of island hopping is the regular ferry services on offer, flying dolphins or catamarans zig-zagging their way around the Cyclades. I rented a car quickly from the main port, Adamas, and made my way to Tripiti, a small village about 15/20 minutes away. This time I was looking forward to my first experience of staying in a windmill. It was situated on a hill and was clearly visible from afar. Quite a few windmills dot the landscape here, but most look abandoned. This one was anything but. As with Serifos, it was comfortable and well located. This stop was just for 24hrs, so I got going quickly. My first stop was a no-brainer - the Sarakiniko beach with its famous white stones, which resemble more of a lunar landing site rather than a beach. Advertisement As luck would have it, a couple of friends happened to be in Milos at the same time, so we met up for dinner in another village called Apollonia, the northernmost port, and coincidentally where I'd be getting the ferry the next day to my next destination. We ate at a restaurant called Gialos, which was great. The owner, Christos, was friendly and made sure we were happy. The next morning was a quick drive to the Catacombs - the site is actually on the edge of Tripiti. Just a short walk from the Catacombs, where you can see the well-known village of Klima on the seafront below, is the Ancient Roman Theatre. The theatre was actually constructed by the inhabitants of Klima. This month, nineteen United States Senators called attention to the Web of Denial, a network of front groups that oppose any productive action to combat climate change. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) led the charge, building upon his weekly "Time To Wake Up" speech series on global warming, flagging the front groups that peddle climate doubt for their clients in the oil, gas and coal industries. One of the top groups obstructing any form of progress is the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. ALEC convened its annual meeting in Indianapolis this week, where it hooks state politicians up with lobbyists from Koch Industries (and its many nonprofit tentacles), Peabody Energy, tobacco companies, pharmaceutical companies and other industries looking to put pro-business policies in the hands of state politicians. Conference Cash from ExxonMobil and the #WebOfDenial The Center for Media and Democracy revealed that ExxonMobil is a top sponsor of the conference. Several front groups in the Web of Denial have joined ExxonMobil in sponsoring ALEC's 2016 annual meeting: Advertisement "Chair's Level" Sponsors: The State Policy Network (SPN) Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) "Director's Level" sponsors: Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Exhibitors: The Charles Koch Institute The Heritage Foundation The Heartland Institute The Mercatus Center at George Mason University (GMU) All of these groups are members of the State Policy Network, the coordinating body for "Stink Tanks" that exist in all 50 states, largely following the strategies of national affiliates like the Heritage Foundation and Americans for Prosperity. Each of the SPN groups present at ALEC's meeting this week have received support from the industrial billionaire Charles Koch, and his brother David Koch, who together own and run Koch Industries. Nonprofit foundations controlled by the Kochs have distributed $23,445,693 to ALEC and the six other groups listed above, from 1997-2014, according to IRS 990 data compiled by Greenpeace USA. Koch Industries lobbyist Mike Morgan is on ALEC's corporate board of directors. Koch Industries has given over $14 million to politicians, PACs and initiatives at the state level over the last 21 years, according disclosures compiled by FollowTheMoney.org. Believe it or not, $23.4 million in traceable Koch money is chump change compared to grants from the double-headed "Dark Money ATM," DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund. Since 2002, the DonorsTrust franchise dispersed $77,361,091 in anonymous funds to ALEC, AFP, Heritage, Heartland, Mercatus, SPN and TPPF. The Koch family is among the donors known to anonymize millions of dollars through DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund. ExxonMobil gave these same seven organizations a total $3,696,700 since 1998. ExxonMobil lobbyist Cynthia Bergman White is on ALEC's corporate board of directors, as were other Exxon executives before her. Exxon has poured $71.6 million into state-level candidates and ballot initiatives over the last 27 years. Advertisement Peabody Energy's recent bankruptcy filings list several of these groups on the company's payroll: ALEC, AFP Oklahoma, SPN and TPPF. Peabody lobbyist Michael Blank is on ALEC's corporate board, as were other Peabody executives before him. Peabody pushed $1.1 million into state-level elections in the last 19 years, before it went bankrupt. And finally, another front group with Peabody roots is among ALEC's 2016 annual meeting sponsors: the Energy Policy Network, formed by the late Kelly Mader. Mr. Mader was a lobbyist for Peabody Energy, and he served on ALEC's corporate board of directors for many years. Peabody continued to give money to Mr. Mader after he left the company. It is unclear if those funds were for the Energy Policy Network, and what will become of it after Mr. Mader's unexpected passing. #ExxonKnew the Science on Climate Change. Then it Lied. Then ALEC Helped. Exxon is being investigated by several state attorneys general for covering up its own internal research on climate change, and then financing groups to run public relation campaigns aimed at discrediting such science. By hiding their own accurate assessment of the science and instead promoting doubt, these state AGs are asking if Exxon has committed fraud against its shareholders, the U.S. government, and the public. ALEC politicians are treated to industry-sponsored education seminars (ALEC charges extra for that), and closed-door policy meetings, where ALEC's model bills are discussed and finalized. Legislators have received their climate science "education" at ALEC meetings, not by climate scientists, but by front groups in the coal- and oil-funded Web of Denial. The other primary service ALEC provides to sponsors is getting model bills into the hands of willing legislators. Advertisement Aliya Haq at the Natural Resources Defense Council has observed ALEC politicians following Peabody's lead in attacking a wide variety regulations designed to limit pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Citizens of Kansas, Ohio, and North Carolina watched as ALEC politicians lined up behind Koch Industries' attacks on state laws boosting clean energy development. And numerous states were duped by ALEC legislators helping ExxonMobil hide the chemicals used in fracking from the public (which ALEC spun as a "disclosure" bill). Not at the table to discuss these cut-and-paste state policies: the American voter. As I've pointed out to various lobbyists attending ALEC's meeting, even if a citizen finds out about ALEC, it doesn't mean they can afford ALEC's registration fees, travel expenses, and time off of work to attend. Easy for a paid lobbyists to say, when it's their job to attend such conferences. a common delusion: lobbyist at @ALEC_States forgets that most people don't have 6-7 figure income. #alecexposed #alecindy Connor Gibson (@ClimateConnor) July 27, 2016 Advertisement Having activism reframed as lobbying (by lobbyists) is one form of pushback groups like Greenpeace USA are accustomed to. Another is attempts to re-define the First Amendment, something that every American holds dear as a fundamental right. Just as the tobacco industry did during its last stand against prosecutors in the 1990s, Exxon and its many #WebOfDenial mouthpieces have asserted this is a violation of their first amendment rights, even though fraud isn't protected by the first amendment. Many of these people and groups were actually involved in defending the tobacco industry, before climate science denial became the latest trend in corporate deceit. Yesterday, ALEC hosted a discussion on this revisionist approach to the First Amendment. The conversation appears to be intended to coordinate defensive strategies for companies like Exxon--subject to government investigations--and groups like ALEC--which has been the subject of repeated complaints to the IRS over improper use of its nonprofit tax-exempt status. And yesterday's lunch, sponsored by Americans For Prosperity, featured Texas Gov Greg Abbott, who attended remotely via video. Governor Abbott, who himself sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency many times as Texas' former Attorney General, is part of a coalition of states working with fossil fuel companies--and their front groups like ALEC and AFP--to oppose the EPA's new regulations on climate pollution. Crossposted from . To be fair, there are plenty of horrible things that Donald Trump hasn't done during his campaign. For instance, as far as I know, he hasn't bludgeoned a baby seal on live television. I don't think he's uttered a magical incantation that brought Satan into our earthly realm. And I have never seen anything that indicates he is an alien lizard creature underneath his orange skin. That being said, Trump has gone and done something that is beyond any of those transgressions. Something unforgiveable. He has completely destroyed the glory of parenthood. The man is precisely the sort of person we parents spend all our life trying to make sure our children don't grow up to be. Greedy. Racist. Rude. Sexist. Arrogant. Hair that makes even televangelists go, "Yeah, that's a bit extreme." It's like there are only seven things on his to-do list: the Deadly Sins. Advertisement And yet he keeps leading in the polls, a phenomenon that is as baffling to me as all those years Two And A Half Men kept getting more popular every time Charlie Sheen went on an embarrassing bender. This disturbing trend makes no sense. It's kind of like Star Wars only everyone on Alderaan decides, "You know what? We're good with this Vader fellow after all." At the end of the day, our president becomes kind of like our surrogate daddy (or mommy). This is the person we want our kids to aspire to be, the ultimate American role model who represents us all over the world. So, before you settle on your candidate of choice, please take a minute to ask yourself what kind of daddy Donald Trump would make. And pay attention to the way he's changed some of our most enduring parental homilies: If you can't say anything nice about a person, by all means...have at it! Give me a minute to think of even one time Donald Trump has conducted a TV interview or given a speech where he didn't attack at least one fellow living, breathing human. Actually, never mind. You could give me a week and I still couldn't come up with anything. Whether it's griping that a federal judge of Mexican heritage can't fairly judge him or criticizing John McCain for being captured or consistently mocking Elizabeth Warren or imitating a disabled reporter, this is a guy who seems to succeed not by raising himself up but by dragging everyone else down. If your kid tried even half the stuff he does, chances are he or she would probably spend an entire junior year in detention. Treat others the way you want to, no matter how they treat you. I grew up in a church every Sunday sort of family and outside of the crushes I had on some of the teachers, I don't remember much from the experience. However, one thing I have retained is the Golden Rule. You know, that whole thing about reaping what you show. This may be the only golden thing that Donald Trump doesn't want to own. Instead, he looks at his opponents with the same sort of disdain that a devout vegan looks at a Big Mac. Children who behave like that probably won't have a lot of friends when they grow up. And yet, he's won over the Religious Right. Go figure. Advertisement Sticks and stones may break my bones (if you come to one of my rallies anyway) but names will always harm you. It's not exactly a secret that kids can be pretty cruel to each other. Every single element of your appearance is up for commentary. For instance, I enjoyed a childhood filled with nicknames about my large nose (Beak), my Coke bottle glasses (Four Eyes) and my fondness for counter-culture (Freak). I justified the insults by assuming it came from the social insecurity my detractors secretly felt. Which might explain Trump's interest in creating ridiculous nicknames for opponents. "Crooked" Hillary. "Pocahontas" Elizabeth Warren. "Lyin'" Ted Cruz. Personally, I think the Clinton campaign slogan should now be, "I'm rubber. You're glue. What you say bounces off me and sticks on you." Actions speak louder than words. Unless those words are really depressing. Much like me, my kids are largely introverts. We don't feel the need to keep all eyes on us at all times. As opposed to the Trump Doctrine. Instead, I've always taught my children to lead by example because that demonstrates an actual interest in the topic at hand. And now we have a Republican presidential candidate who spent 75 minutes in his convention speech explaining to Americans that a vote against him is a vote for a godless, dystopian future not unlike, say, Back To the Future 2. Which is ironic considering that Trump is essentially the Biff Tannen of our generation. The truth will always come out. Just not from me. Sure, we all tend to exaggerate from time to time. It's the best way to feel better about yourself even if you really shouldn't. For instance, I assured my editors this piece would be brilliant and thought provoking. Still, these lies only work if they are within the realm of possibility and you use them with the same frequency you pee in a swimming pool. Don't do it unless there is no other alternative. And yet, most of what Donald Trump says and does is, at best, truth adjacent. Listening to one of his speeches does get me feeling nostalgic, though. Whenever I hear him refusing to take any responsibility for pretty much anything, I am taken back to the times my son swore he was getting As in biology class when in fact he hadn't turned in homework in weeks. Ignorance is bliss. Okay. I stand corrected. Please accept my apology, Mr. Trump. Turns out there is one piece of parental advice that you actually seem to believe in. I was recently reading a July issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) when a special communication written by Barack Obama, J.D., caught my eye (JAMA; Published online July 11, 2016). It was the first article I had ever read in a medical journal that was written by a president of the United States. JAMA is a much respected medical journal which usually presents peer-reviewed articles relating to medical research. However, the journal will publish special commentaries written by experts relating to timely medical issues. At first, I was taken aback by the President writing in a medical journal whose readership was pretty much limited to physicians. It seemed like he was using his "bully pulpit" to try and convince us that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was well on the way to meeting its goal of increasing the number of people with health insurance, decreasing the costs of health care, and increasing the quality of the care provided. Seeing as there are about 850 thousand practicing physicians in the United States (based on a 2010 analysis of the Federation of State Medical Boards data base), I wondered why he was limiting his audience to such a select few. I then saw several related articles in newspapers and magazines commenting on the President writing an article in a medical journal. It is clear that the claims of the article did reach the general public which was probably the plan to begin with. Advertisement The conclusions of the President's article are that the ACA has lowered the number of people who do not have health insurance, access to health care has improved, financial security for those on Medicaid has improved, and health itself, based on a survey of nonelderly adults, has also improved. There is no argument that the ACA has lowered the number of people who do not have health insurance. Allowing young adults to stay on their parents insurance policy until they are 26, increasing the number of people eligible for Medicaid, and the individual mandate requiring health insurance or paying a tax (penalty), have all contributed to lowering the number of uninsured from 49 million people in 2010 to 29 million in 2015. Some argue that the improving economy has also had a role in allowing more to afford health insurance, but, clearly, the ACA is helping in this regard. The claims that access to care and the financial security for those on Medicaid has improved are based on another article in JAMA which presents data on self-reporting telephone surveys in adults aged 18-64 years (JAMA 2015; 314(4):366-74). There is a subjective bias in these types of surveys whereby those in favor of the ACA are more likely to respond. Objective measures such as claims data and health care outcomes would have been more convincing but were not done in this article. All of the authors in the cited article were employees of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS reviewed and approved the article before submission. Bias seemed obvious. Despite the claimed progress that has occurred under the ACA, the President would like to see policy makers (Congress?) take steps to improve the Health Insurance marketplace, increase financial assistance for Marketplace enrollees, reduce prescription drug costs, and institute a public plan option for areas devoid of individual market competition for health insurance plans. Advertisement The article reads like a political speech. The President claimed that shortcomings of the law were due to lack of funding, excessive oversight, and relentless litigation by the Republicans. He also took special interests to the woodshed especially the pharmaceutical industry which opposes any change to drug pricing "no matter how justifiable and modest, because they believe it threatens their profits." Talk about a "straw man". In the article, the President asks Congress to give the federal government the authority to negotiate prices for certain high-priced drugs. There is no law that I am aware of that would prevent this negotiation from happening right now. I think what the President really wants is to regulate what pharmaceutical companies can charge. He also wants the Congress to keep the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) from any type of legislative review. The role of the IPAB is to determine what and how much Medicare and Medicaid will pay for. The last I checked, we have a free market economy where suppliers of a product are allowed to charge what the market will bear. Competition in the market place, not the government, is the best way control costs. As an academic surgeon, I was also bothered by the fact that this opinion piece failed to properly acknowledge those who were involved in the research upon which the article relied. Usually, these people are named as co-authors. Instead, they are named in a small paragraph just before the reference section. All were employees of the Executive Office of the President and there were no physicians in the group. Again, bias was obvious. The Affordable Care Act is failing. Some insurance companies are bailing out as they are experiencing financial losses. Some larger companies are trying to merge but are being blocked by the government who are afraid of monopolistic practices. Healthy people are not participating in the numbers expected since the tax penalties of abiding by the individual mandate are less than the insurance premiums and copays and there is no penalty for waiting until the need for insurance arises (community rating). Two thirds of the Obamacare Co-ops have withdrawn and two more are threatening to leave. They could not continue to sustain financial losses while still meeting their obligations to their policy holders. The Public Plan option raised in the President's article is really just a single payer system. The plan was mentioned deep in the article and stated that Congress should consider it for those facing limited insurance market competition. As insurance companies bail out of this market, more people could become eligible for this option. Maybe that's what the President wanted all along. Socialized medicine has been tried in other countries; it usually results in a two tiered system. Those who can afford to pay will be able to get timely and high quality care. Those who cannot afford to pay will be put on a waiting list and the care provided will be regulated by the government. I cannot be convinced that the government will be better at taking care of my patients than I am. Advertisement As with most medical journals, the authors and contributors have to disclose any conflicts of interest so the readers will have this information as they read the article. For this article, the conflict of interest disclosure sends the reader to a website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/documents/oge_278_cy_2015_obama_051616.pdf. This brings you to President Obama's financial disclosure report; nothing is said about the other contributors. Lawyers are trained to present the evidence that is most favorable for their client's position. President Obama is a graduate of Harvard Law School. The jury is still out. Greece did manage to secure 7.5 billion in additional funds from the EU. Greece took a sigh of relief, but only because everyone can now proceed with their vacation plans. Of course, come September, the "you know what" hits the fan ... again. Everyone is going to return to their new tax bills and the prospect of an imminent default. Greece needs another 10.0 billion before year-end 2016. Greece claims they will be able to close the gap as the result of a stiff increase in taxes, but we will see. It is hard to predict the ultimate outcome of all of this. I do not think Greece is going to become another Venezuela, at least not now, but you wonder how much more of this the populace can take. An odd statistic is the drop in sales at grocery stores. In the first quarter grocery store revenues were down 7.8%. Are people not eating? I am not sure what else the Greek government can offer the EU to appease them. Whether you believe in the trickle-down theory of economics, or not, more cuts to benefits and raising taxes is not working. Advertisement At this point Greece is so starved for capital, that without a significant injection of new capital, Grexit is the only alternative. Speaking of Grexit, the number one question I receive is what impact the Brexit will have on Greece. The answer is none. England wants to leave the EU; the EU wants Greece out. As an aside, the following episode reminds me of how little is known about Greece in the US. I attended an event several weeks ago. We were addressed by a member of Congress who said that Great Britain had voted to leave the Euro, but that the Greeks had voted to remain. I had to ask myself, "Did I miss that vote?" Of course not, in fact on July 5, 2015, Greece voted 61/39 to reject the EU bailout proposal (and presumably leave the Euro). Of course, the Syriza government somehow managed to ignore the referendum and accept the bailout. The point is, do not necessarily believe what you read (or hear). And speaking of not believing what you read, according to www.capital.gr, "Greece's international role is upgraded. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' meeting with the U.S. President Barack Obama in Warsaw on Saturday on the sidelines of the NATO Summit meeting concludes a series of high-lever meetings with world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, government sources said on Sunday. These meetings show Greece's upgraded international role as well as its emergence as a pillar of stability in the wider region, the sources said, adding that the prime minister's visits to Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Iran are part of the same policy. The relations of friendship and cooperation built by Greece with a series of countries contribute to the creation of a pillar of peace and stability, particularly necessary at a time of intensification of regional tensions and conflicts. The prime minister likens Greece with 'a tree that has its roots in the West, but spreads its branches towards the East, South and North'." Advertisement Now for the facts ... Obama did meet Tsipras at the NATO conference, although Tsipras did not make the cut of The New York Times picture with various world leaders. Yes, Putin did come to Greece, but it was to tell Tsipras that the Russians wanted the Greek national railroad (which they lost to the Italians) and the Port of Thessaloniki, so the Russians can have direct access to the Mediterranean without having to go through the Bosporus. And finally, Tsipras did go to Beijing to meet the Chinese PM Li, but what the story forgot to mention was that Tsipras was summoned to Beijing after the Syriza government tried to pull a bait and switch with the Chinese concerning the Port of Piraeus. It seems the Chinese won the tender to buy the half of the port it does not already own. The documents were prepared for signing, but it seems the Greeks changed the contracts and attempted to have the Chinese sign a different version. That was not well received in Beijing. A skeptic would say that this new found international diplomacy is simply to distract the Greek people from problems at home. On the other hand, Tsipras is going to be forced into real international diplomacy following the attempted coup in Turkey. Eight military officers from Turkey landed in Greece following the coup attempt. Turkey has demanded their extradition so they can be tried and potentially face the death penalty. Under EU directives, Greece is not obliged to return these individuals. It will be interesting how Tsipras performs now that he really is on the world stage. Since summer vacation is upon us, I am not going to rail on about the 160 billion of non-performing loans or the need for additional capital at the banks, although NPLs and top-management changes remain hot topics. Rather, I thought I might focus on the current political scene. First, every political party is wildly overestimating its popularity with the Greek people. Syriza, New Democracy, Independent Greeks, the Communists, etc. all believe they are going to score large gains in the parliament when Greece has its next elections. There is some speculation that Tsipras wants to call for elections this October in order to reshuffle the government and insure the votes necessary for the next round of cuts to employee benefits and work rules. This worked out well for Tsipras a year ago, although I am not sure I would bet on history repeating itself. Advertisement Tsipras seems to be taking a page out of the "autocratic handbook"; he is (not so subtlety) attempting to solidify his control over Greece. Tsipras's first move was to eliminate the provision in Greece's voting law that provided the winning party in an election a bonus of 50 seats in order to form a government. Therefore, if you are the winning party with 33% of Parliament (corresponding to 35% to 40% of the popular vote), plus one (101 seats), you then magically get another 50 seats and you are deemed to have a majority. Syriza scrapped this provision because Tsipras is afraid that Syriza will be the second party in new elections, and the 50 seat bonus could give New Democracy a real chance to form a new government. Tsipras is betting that without the bonus seats, Syriza has the best chance of forming a coalition with Independent Greeks and Pasok. This new provision will not go into effect for the next election, but for the following one, meaning that for New Democracy, it could be now or never. The next push by Syriza to take greater control of the Greek state is the auction of the television licenses. Greece has seven national licenses, but they want to limit the number to four. Those four licenses are being re-auctioned. This would be like the U.S. government announcing that NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox no longer owned their broadcasting rights and reselling those rights to the highest bidder. There is ample speculation that this relicensing is being conducted to insure more pro-Syriza reporting. The European Commission has weighed in with its displeasure. EC Spokesperson Nathalie Vandystadt had said: "The Commission fears that these changes are not in line with requirements of EU law which guarantee the independence of the national telecoms regulator, more specifically its independence from the government." Normally, one might be concerned about these recent political developments, except for the fact that Greece is still part of the EU and therefore has to play by EU rules. Advertisement And speaking of EU rules, the next item on the agenda (mandated by the EU) is for Parliament to amend work rules. The biggest issue is how many people can be fired at one time; the old rule was 5%, the new rule is 10%. Additionally, the EU has finally had enough with the lack of movement on NPLs by bank management and the European Central Bank has mandated that the boards and senior management of the four systemic banks be made up of individuals with banking careers, who have not been tied to the Greek banks for several years. The result of this mandate is that there will be wholesale change of leadership with the banks. Presumably, these changes will take effect between now and the end of summer vacations. Skipping to another topic ... the category of strange statistics, my favorite last week was that tax revenues from the Greek islands are down 45%+ from a year ago, despite the fact that the number of tourists is up 13.5%. Anecdotally, I was told by a friend that all of the credit card machines on Paros are "not working" and that everything must be paid for in cash. Here is another ... there were 800 new mortgages issued in Greece during the first six months of 2016. During the same period in 2006, the number was 80,000. Oh well, enjoy August. P.S. Despite all of my negativity about the current state of affairs in Greece, I am going "out on a limb" to say that we will begin to see a turnaround in Greece in 2017. The much maligned Taiped announced the sale of Trainose (the Greek national railroad) to Trenitalia. While this has received a lot of criticism in the Greek press for the low nominal price of 45 million, in reality the sale comes with the forgiveness by the EU of 800 million of advances made to Greece. The sale of Trainose could fundamentally change the logistics business in Greece for the good. Taiped should be congratulated. Advertisement The change in the banks' management will lead to NPLs being sold. It may not happen immediately, but we will finally see some real movement. The issue of debt relief for Greece is no longer a matter of "if," it is a matter of "when." When Greece completes the required EU mandates the relief will come. A positive sign (which could come as early as the fall) is when Greek government bonds are include in Europe's quantitative easing program. The fall is not going to be pretty, but it could be the last major storm in Greece. Everything you thought about Queen Victoria is probably wrong. And that's really good news for television viewers, because the 19th century British queen we meet in PBS's upcoming drama Victoria is far more interesting than the staid, uptight and humorless caricature her reputation would suggest. In The Victorian Era, it has been widely assumed for years, the citizenry politely refrained from anything that might produce even the tiniest bit of fun. Daisy Goodwin, who wrote the eight-episode series that premieres on Sunday nights in January in PBS's old Downton Abbey slot, says that's nonsense Advertisement "It's completely not true that Victoria was repressed," Goodwin says. "There was nothing prudish about her. She and her husband Prince Albert had nine children for a reason - they loved to have sex. "They had a real love match. There was none of this 'lie on your back and think of England.' She was just 42 when he died, and even though she was devastated, because she really loved him, it's quite clear that there were other men as time passed. She still had love to give." The first season of Victoria, which Goodwin says she hopes will continue in future years, unveils an impulsive teenager with boundless spirit, eager to leave her mother's sheltered nest and spread her new wings. Jenna Coleman (above), whom viewers might remember from shows like Dancing on the Edge and Doctor Who, plays Victoria with wide eyes, a coltish elan and a will that's steelier than those around her expect from a woman who just turned 18. Advertisement The show begins with the death of her uncle, King William IV, amid widespread concern that this largely sheltered young woman couldn't possibly be ready to become one of the most powerful rulers in the world. And that's not the only problem. "The monarchy itself was very unpopular at this point," says Goodwin. "There had been a succession of bad kings, and now there was the traumatic change of getting this young pretty girl as the new queen." Further compounding the situation was that pesky, infernal media. "The press at the time was brutal," Goodwin says. "The gossip and innuendo could be savage. The way most people handled it was to develop a public face apart from your public face, but Victoria never really did that. What you saw was what you got." That may have been a problem for her. But once again, Goodwin says it's a bonus for TV viewers. "One of the reasons she was so interesting to write is that you saw all of her sides," says Goodwin. "She was impulsive, she made mistakes, but I think she also had a good heart and wanted to do the right things." The first season of Victoria covers the first three years of her reign, during which time she learns on the job and meets Prince Albert. And yes, that leaves a lot of room for future seasons since Victoria remained queen for 63 years. Advertisement Goodwin says she'd love to keep the story going, and it's a tale she knows well. "I studied history at university, and Victoria was one of my special subjects," says Goodwin. "I've been reading about her since I was 19, so this is a woman I've lived with for 30 years." While Goodwin has previously published novels and poetry books, Victoria is her first screenplay. "Because she was already in my head, writing a series wasn't that much of a stretch," says Goodwin. "She kept a journal almost every day of her life, so I had a good sense of her voice. I felt I know who she is." One fascinating thing about those diaries, Goodwin adds, is that "you keep running across pages that are full of underlining and capital letters. You see the ways in which she was still a teenage girl. "But when I'd read passages like the ones where she talks about her feelings for Albert, they really spoke to me." Many of us disagree with Hillary Clinton on a number of issues, in some cases intensely. But there is one overarching reason we should be vigorously supporting her election: The future of the Supreme Court is at stake. At the risk of opening old wounds, not voting for Al Gore contributed, in part, to the emergence of a right wing Court. In his 8 years Obama has been able to prevent the one vote conservative majority widening to 5. And if the Republican Senate had not, in an unprecedented move, refused to vote on Obama's current nominee for Scalia's seat, next January the new Court would have a slim one vote liberal majority. Ginsburg is 83, Kennedy is 80, and Breyer will be 78 in mid August. Since 1971, the average age of retirement for a Supreme Court justice has been just under 79 years. Advertisement This means that aside from filling Scalia's seat the new President likely will make 3 additional nominations in his or her first term, 4 in all. That is the largest number since FDR's second term, when 5 New Deal Justices set a new course for a Court that for a generation had repeatedly thwarted progressive legislation at the state and national level. We have social security, a federal minimum wage, the right for workers to organize, school integration and many more such policies because of those new Justices (plus FDR's threat in early 1937 to pack the Court, a threat that led one conservative Justice to change his vote). We know the numbers, but many seem to think the future of the Supreme Court is simply one more issue to be evaluated, no weightier than others. Indeed, only at 11:15 PM on the first day of the Democratic Convention was the status of the Supreme Court briefly discussed by Bernie Sanders. Hillary mentioned it even more briefly the last day of the convention. The Supreme Court can enable or disable our work. In the last decade the Justices have made it much harder to challenge wealth and power, to nurture the weak and assist the poor, to extend social justice to minorities, to reduce violence, stop discrimination, and defend the right to vote. One could write a book about the recent work of the Supreme Court and its impact on a progressive future, but to make the conversation concrete let me offer a small sample of what the Court has wrought. Advertisement Democracy: The Supreme Court's most infamous and widely discussed intervention occurred in 2010 when it overturned a corporate campaign spending ban first advanced by Teddy Roosevelt. The infamous Citizens United decision allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money, much of it "dark money", hidden from public scrutiny. Citizens United changed the nature of American democracy. In the first five years after the decision one billion dollars poured into super PACs, $600 million of which came from just 195 donors and their spouses. Between 2006, before the Court decision, and 2014, after the decision, independent expenditures increased 25 fold. In 2014 the Court allowed unlimited individual contributions. Both decisions were by a 5-4 vote. Dissenting Justice Breyer predicted, "If the court in Citizens United opened a door today's decision may well open a floodgate." And so it has. In 2012 the Republican National Committee and its two Congressional campaign committees spent a total of $657 million. In early 2015 the Koch brothers announced that they and their friends would spend $889 million on the 2016 election. That is buying an awful lot of dirty tricks, non-profit front organizations, lawsuits and, dare I say, candidates. There is much talk about the need to reverse Citizens United, but that can't be done through Congress. Only a Constitutional Amendment or a Supreme Court reversal can. The chances of the former are infinitesimal. If Hillary Clinton wins the chances of the latter are quite good. Advertisement In 2008, the Supreme Court ended 150 years of laws and policies that steadily expanded the electorate when it upheld an Indiana law requiring a photo ID. The vote was 6-3 when Justice Breyer voted with the conservative majority. The Justices conceded that those least likely to have state-issued identification are disproportionally poor and nonwhite. The state had offered no examples of voter fraud that would have been prevented with voter ID. Since the Supreme Court decision, at least 23 states have either introduced more restrictive voter procedures or tightened those in operation. In 2013 the Supreme Court upped the ante by allowing states to require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. Earlier this year Kansas and Georgia and Arizona became the first to adopt that requirement. In 2013, by a 5-4 vote the Supreme Court effectively struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) freeing the nine covered states and dozens of counties in New York, California and South Dakota to change their election laws without advance federal approval. Even when we are able to defend our democracy, our victories have been fragile. In 2015 the Court upheld the right of citizens to take authority over redistricting out of the legislature and invest it in an impartial commission. That same year the Court overturned an Alabama law that racially gerrymandered election districts. Both decisions were by a 5-4 vote, easily reversible by a new Court. Advertisement Corporate power. Several decisions by the Supreme Court have increased the power of corporations over workers and consumers. In 2001 the Court interpreted a 1925 federal law allowing arbitration among businesses as a preemption of state laws protecting the right of workers to access the traditional judicial system. They did this despite the clear language of the original law: "nothing herein contained shall apply to contracts of employment of seamen, railroad employees or any other class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce." In 2011 the Court overturned a California law prohibiting arbitration clauses that ban class action suits. Class action suits offer one of the few ways to truly penalize corporations for misbehavior yet today it is all but impossible to successfully litigate a class action suit. On the third anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Public Citizen identified 140 cases decided between 2011 and 2014 in which the judges cited the Supreme Court rulings as justification for dismissing a class action In 2013 the Court overturned a California law making arbitration contracts that contained "unconscionable" provisions unenforceable. Astonishingly, the Court concluded that even if the arbitration procedure is designed in such a way as to make it impossible for a worker or consumer to win, the results of arbitration are still legally enforceable. The 2001, 2011 and 2013 decisions were all decided by a 5-4 vote. Today employment and consumer contracts routinely contain forced arbitration clauses that prohibit access to the traditional justice system. Unlike that system, arbitration is governed by corporate-friendly rules. As Catholic University of America law professor Peter B. Rutledge notes, "Arbitrators do not have to follow precedent. Arbitrators also are not bound by the same rules of evidence and procedure as courts. Often there is no transcript, and arbitrators are not obligated to provide detailed findings of fact and conclusion of law in their awards." Complainants can be forced to travel thousands of miles and put up thousands of dollars up front to attend an arbitration proceeding. Advertisement Another way the Supreme Court can expand corporate power is by weakening the ability of workers to wield collective power. Scalia's death earlier this year resulted in a series of 4-4 votes. One tie vote resulted in a victory for workers when it left intact the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upholding a California law requiring non-union workers to pay their "fair share" of the collective bargaining costs. The decision affects 8 northwestern and western states. If Scalia, or another likeminded Justice were on the bench the resulting 5-4 decision overturning California's law could have meant the demise of a nearly 40-year-old Supreme Court precedent that applies to more than 5 million public employees in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Gun control. In 2007 and more broadly in 2010, the Court overturned 70 years of precedent when it declared that the Second Amendment applied to individuals, not militias. It was a watershed moment and made gun control infinitely more difficult. Since then, rather than gun control initiatives we have largely witnessed a race between states to see which can make guns most ubiquitous and conspicuous. The only remaining sacrosanct areas at this writing appear to be churches, courts and legislatures. The two Court decisions were by a vote of 5-4. Immigration. In 2016 a 4-4 tie left in place a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5 Circuit overturning a 2014 executive order that allowed as many as five million unauthorized immigrants who were the parents of citizens or of lawful permanent residents to apply for a program that would spare them from deportation and provide them with work permits. A Woman's Right to Choose. In 2014 the Court made it more difficult for poor women to prevent pregnancy when it held that privately held businesses could be exempt from the Obamacare requirement that insurance cover contraception based of the company's religious beliefs. The vote was 5-4. Justice Ginsburg warned in her dissent of the potentially broad impact of the Court's decision, given the attitude of religions toward women and gay people, "The Court's expansive notion of corporate personhood invites for-profit entities to seek religious-base exemptions from regulations they deem offensive to their faiths." Advertisement One of the Court's final rulings this year overturned a Texas law that would have effectively ended access to legal abortion for millions of women. The vote in this case was 5-3 because Kennedy voted with the Court's four liberal Justices. Two new Justices could reverse that decision. Donald Trump has promised to nominate Justices who would rule against the right choose. Discrimination. In 2011 the Supreme Court dismissed a gender discrimination suit by thousands of women across the nation against Walmart. The Court threw out more than 40 years of class action jurisprudence by ruling that class members must prove they have suffered the same injury, not just a violation under the same law. The vote was 5-4. In 2015, in a case involving discrimination against minorities in housing, the Supreme Court did uphold the traditional standard for deciding whether discrimination has occurred: Complainants must identify a business practice that has a disproportionate effect on certain groups of individuals while not being defensible by sound business considerations. The Court had been asked to substitute a much higher standard proof of "intentional discrimination." The vote was 5-4. Justice. In 2009 the supreme court ruled that prisoners have no constitutional right to DNA testing even though at the time such testing had already played a role in 240 exonerations, according to the Innocence Project at Cardozo Law School. In 103 of those cases, the testing also identified the actual perpetrator. Health Care. A new liberal Justice could make even our victories much sweeter. The American Care Act was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012 by a 5-4 vote when Justice Roberts, surprisingly, voted in favor. But the Court rejected the Act's Medicaid expansion mandate. Almost 8 million people lack health insurance as a result. Advertisement The Supreme Court meets only 6 months a year. The media dutifully reports the decisions, debates the meaning for a day or two and then moves on. We're not exposed to the cumulative impact nor the long term consequences. Supreme Court decisions reach into every aspect of our lives, both political and personal. The very structure of how we govern, our ability to elect progressive candidates and enact progressive policies is determined by their interpretation of the constitution and legal precedents. There have been activists Courts of all stripes but none, at least since the early1930s has been as determining of our ability to make a progressive future as this one. First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about how she has lived the past 8 years in the White House, a house built by slaves, where her two daughters play with the dog on the White House lawn. As a U.S. history major, I know most, if not all, of Washington was built by slaves. But the essence of her speech for me was an acknowledgment of how far this country has come in 151 years since slavery ended. For a black woman to be able to address the Democratic National convention and reference the history of slavery before millions watching is phenomenal. And she did it in a matter of fact, non-preaching way. But her point was not missed on me. In recognizing the labor of slaves in building the White House, Michelle Obama acknowledged one of the many gifts that my ancestors gave to this country. Despite all of our country's many transgressions, there can be no denial that change has come to America with the Obamas in the White House.Michelle Obama spoke loving of raising her two daughters, only ages 7 and 10 when they first arrived at the White House in January, 2008. And since that time, they have both grown into "beautiful and intelligent women." She raised them in a political climate where many persons targeted, lied, ridiculed and bashed their entire family with racist rhetoric. But Mrs. Obama, as an exceptionally strong and intelligent black woman, taught her daughters their motto is, "when they go low, we go high." It is a lesson that has been taught by many black mothers down through the ages in this country. Throughout history, when many whites refused to treat blacks with dignity and equal rights, the response often by blacks was never to stoop to the levels of racism and ignorance but to rise above it. It is a lesson that my own mother taught me. As Maya Angelou so eloquently stated in her poem, "You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies. You may trod me in the very dirt. But still like dust, I'll rise." Solar technology and battery storage are important. But what has been missing is a technology on which to organize, co-ordinate and secure a true peer-to-peer power grid. While breakthroughs in solar-cell technology have led to greater variety in locally generated renewable energy, the underlying model is still broken: the local utility captures excess power in its supply for redistribution at wholesale rates, often with considerable leakage. (SHUTTERSTOCK) This post was co-written with Alex Tapscott. In the near future, the Internet of Things (IoT) will enable billions of smart devices to sense, respond, communicate and share data. Those things will also have the ability to generate, buy and sell their own electricity. Advertisement Now imagine if each household that has the ability -- and a lot of these things -- to generate and store electricity can enter into automated, peer-to-peer transactions with neighbours or sell power back into the grid at the market rate, rather than through a third-party utility. But first, consider the aging energy grid of today, which is from the industrial age -- large central sources broadcasting power to "dumb" appliances. This will have to change. We need a power grid that is decentralized, full of smart devices and where everyone can contribute power. Furthermore, all these devices and the people who use them will need a way of buying and selling power, doing transactions and working together in a collaborative manner. Increasingly, power strategists are turning to a surprising new technology for this: the blockchain -- the underlying, peer-to-peer technology that enables, tracks, verifies and records digital transactions and currencies like Bitcoin. Advertisement Here's why. Today, most homeowners, businesses, governments and other organizations in urban North America get their power from regulated utilities at regulated prices. This approach is deeply flawed. For one, it is inefficient. Large amounts of energy are lost as heat at the plant or in transmission cross long distances, driving up prices and creating an outsized carbon footprint. Second, it is overly centralized, making it prone to failure, an uncomfortable reality familiar to anyone who lived through the Northeast Blackout of 2003 or Hurricane Sandy in New York. Finally, consumers are powerless (no pun intended) because they have no choice, accepting ever-higher rates for power. While breakthroughs in solar-cell technology and battery storage have led to greater variety in locally generated renewable energy, the underlying model is still broken: the local utility captures excess power in its supply for redistribution at wholesale rates, often with considerable leakage. The consumer, who might have a neighbour with a local power source, must still go through the utility and pay full retail for that renewable energy. It's ridiculous. Solar technology and battery storage are important. But what has been missing is a technology on which to organize, co-ordinate and secure a true peer-to-peer power grid. Blockchain holds the key. Millions of homes could become autonomous agents, contracting power automatically with the highest bidder. With potentially millions of distributed power sources, the system needs to continuously track everything, including the ability to authenticate each node in the network -- to ensure its reliability, which is why blockchian is critical to all of this. Advertisement This is not science fiction. Indeed it's already happening today. "Instead of the command-and-control system the utilities have now, where a handful of people are actually running a utility grid, you could design the grid so that it runs itself," says Lawrence Orsini, cofounder and principal at LO3 Energy, a pioneer in the space. "The network becomes far more resilient because all of the assets in the grid are helping maintain and run it." It's a distributed, peer-to-peer, IoT model with smart contracts (which execute and self-enforce using software rather than people) and other controls designed into the assets themselves. This time, when a hurricane destroys transmission towers or fire cripples a transformer substation, the grid can quickly and automatically reroute power to prevent a massive blackout. Resilience isn't the only benefit. Locally generated power, used locally, is significantly more efficient than the utility-scale model, which relies on transmitting energy across vast distances, where energy is lost. LO3 Energy recently partnered with Consensus Systems to launch the first ever micro-grid project using blockchain technology, in Park Slope New York. The so-called TransActive Grid matches households who generate electricity with those who need it, executing sales automatically using smart contracts with little-to-no human involvement. April 11, 2016, could very well go down as one of the seminal moments in the history of electrical innovation, akin to Thomas Edison's first light-bulb tests. It was on that day the Brooklyn Microgrid hosted the first ever peer-to-peer transaction of renewably generated energy on a blockchain in the world. Since that day, LO3 has had more than 130 buildings sign up for participation and that is growing by the day. The support from the city and its key stakeholders has been overwhelming. Advertisement "So, instead of paying an energy services company that's buying renewable energy credits, you get to pay the people who are actually generating the electricity that is serving your house," says Orsinin. "That is local and green and that actually has an environmental impact in your neighbourhood. It seems fairer, right?" Alongside increasing the generation of renewable power at the local level, the Internet of Things is challenging the regulated utility model and not a moment too soon. We need our utility grids and our engines not to leak energy and carbon into our atmosphere. While utilities are looking at IoT benefits to their existing infrastructure (so-called "smart grids"), connecting blockchain-enabled microgrids could lead to entirely new energy models. Utility companies, their unions, regulators and policy-makers, should explore these new models for generating, distributing and using electricity. "The potential to shift from nationwide-controlled energy companies to locally managed transactive grids offers a major opportunity to change the entire concept of energy consumption. It will be good for our pockets, but most importantly it will be good for our planet," Says Orsini. Toronto is often described as a city of neighbourhoods. Indeed, Toronto's neighbourhoods, with their strong communities, identities and local advocates and organizers, could be the pioneers we need to create the energy grid of tomorrow for a more sustainable, secure and prosperous future. But this will take leadership. Says Orsini, "Last week, we took the meter off the wall and put it in peoples hands. Where we go from here is up to you." Don Tapscott and his son Alex Tapscott are authors of the Globe and Mail bestselling book Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business and the World. This piece originally appeared in The Toronto Star. Advertisement BERLIN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 04: A supporter of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan unrolls a poster at a rally at Tempodrom hall on February 4, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Turkey will soon face parliamentary elections and Erdogan is vying for the votes of expatriate Turks. Berlin has the highest Turkish population of any city outside of Turkey. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images) There's a new tradition on online platforms in Turkey. On the online community Eksi Sozluk, people add "PS: I'm not an AKPer" at the bottom of their posts. It's an attempt to clarify that they're objective and that they do not support Erdogan's Justice and Development Party. I'm going to do the same here: No, I'm not an AKPer and I'm not a follower of Erdogan's. Just because I'm a religious Turkish woman, just because I find the comedian Jan Bohmermann's remarks about Erdogan pathetic, just because I call for a more refined perspective on the topic of Erdogan, and, finally, just because I opposed the military coup on the July 15, doesn't automatically mean that I'm an Erdogan supporter. Advertisement And even if I were a devoted follower of Erdogan's, that shouldn't be a problem. But it is. "Erdogan" has become a swear word in Germany. Erdogan followers are immediately called out whenever people are protesting in front of one of the Gulen movement's education centers -- it's as if they have a picture of Erdogan pinned to their lapels. The imams who came from Turkey, or "Erdogan's imams," are considered to be paid directly out of Erdogan's pocket. The general sentiment is that the Turkish community in Germany, which still hasn't managed to integrate in the way the right-wing leader Frauke Petry would have liked, is waiting for Erdogan to snap his fingers before they move to occupy Germany's streets. Erdogan's ideology, Erdogan's vice-regents, Erdogan's mouthpiece, Erdogan's Turkey, Erdogan's regime, Erdogan's dictatorship, Erdogan's long arm... Erdogan is there, Erdogan is here. Erdogan is everywhere. Even my friend's neighbor shouted: "Shitty Erdogans, go back to Istanbul!" as she was being detained by the police after threatening and insulting my friend's family. Erdogan has become a kind of insult. A projection for old prejudices. An undying enemy. He's everything for which there's no place in Europe. Sometimes, he symbolizes the Turk who is resisting integration and lives in a "parallel society." Advertisement It seems to be completely legitimate to stigmatize someone as an "Erdogan follower" and rob them of their rights. Sometimes, he's the chauvinist who abuses his wife, forces his daughter to cover her head, and takes her out of co-ed swim classes. Sometimes, he's the North African who harasses German women on New Year's Eve. Sometimes, he's the sultan who's trying to conquer Europe. Social and political nuances are wiped out. Often it feels like the only explanation for all the world's evil is Erdogan. Even worse: After the creation of this monstrous image, it seems to be completely legitimate to stigmatize someone as an "Erdogan follower" and rob them of their rights. The word "Erdogan" has a magical effect on German society. If you say "Erdogan," everything becomes clear. Foreign imams? It is a fact that other religious communities also import their spiritual leaders from other countries -- but when it comes to Erdogan, it seems that you have to intervene. Freedom of opinion? If someone expresses their opinion of Turkish politics and praises Erdogan, it stops being free expression and becomes Erdogan propaganda that should immediately be banned. Freedom of assembly? Protesters who support Erdogan are simply Erdogan's long arm, and should have their German citizenship revoked, many people believe. Advertisement Erdogan serves as a litmus test for the German public. German politicians are suddenly concerned about the civilians killed during the attempted coup. German politicians, who don't have anything to say when it comes to the violation of human rights in Egypt, African-American victims of police violence in the U.S., or unjust water distribution between Israel and Palestine, are suddenly staunch defenders of the much-touted "European values." When I insist that the opinions of Erdogan supporters from Turkey are not being fairly presented by the German media, I'm not talking about the Lugenpresse or "lying press." No, that's not how the media works. Behind media outlets are perfectly normal people, who look at political events from their personal perspective and try where possible to put aside their own prejudices. Journalists can cling to their own beliefs. It's even possible that they're simply not interested in presenting another perspective. Some German journalists seem convinced that this evil man just isn't worth the effort of calling their own perspectives into question. But the conversations in the Turkish community are different from those presented in the German media. Anyone of Turkish origin who looks at both the German and the Turkish press immediately notices that some topics are reflected totally differently in the German and in the Turkish media. In this way, a mental chasm opens between "there" and "here." In German media, nobody showed the CCTV footage from the streets of Istanbul and Ankara, or the bombardment of the Turkish parliament. Many Germans didn't circulate videos in which you could see bombs and tanks coming face to face with the civilian population. Advertisement Many Germans have tried to discredit the opponents of the coup and belittle the coup itself. But Turks expected respect for people who were killed by tanks, bombs, and bullets. In addition, most Germans don't have any relatives in Turkey and have not had the experience of getting a Whatsapp message from a relative that reads: "There was an explosion just now," before losing the connection to that relative, and having thousands of people die by the time the connection is reestablished. Germans of Turkish ethnicity watched the massacre on the night of the 15th of July unfold second by second. What's more, because it was vacation season, many Turks from Germany were there on the streets of Istanbul and Ankara and joined the resistance to the coup, and in many cases, stood at the vanguard. For Germans of Turkish origins, the position taken by some Germans -- after reading a few wire stories -- that this was all just theater, was borderline offensive. Many Germans have tried to discredit the opponents of the coup and belittle the coup itself. But Turks expected respect for people who were killed by tanks, bombs, and bullets. They expected unconditional solidarity, before the German politicians started expressing their thoughts on the human rights situation in Turkey. Advertisement When German Turks go out on the streets to protest, they do so not because they're acting for Turkish interests, and not because they're conducting "Erdogan's propaganda" -- they're thoroughly convinced that Turkey is the only other option for them should they one day experience attacks in Germany. Turkey is a safe haven for Germans of Turkish origin who are discriminated against in schools and at work on a daily basis, and who are represented as "Islamists" and as "refusing to integrate" by certain outlets in media. This is why people find it outrageous that some of their schoolmates and work colleagues seemed almost disappointed that the attempted coup failed. An unarmed civilian who waves the Turkish flag and stands in the way of a tank isn't an "Erdogan supporter," but rather someone who is risking their lives to protect their country from the dangers of an anti-democratic coup. How can Germans overcome their obsession with Erdogan? The answer is simple: Take off your ideological goggles and try to understand things not by way of imagined nightmare scenarios, but by common sense. People who are waving Turkish flags on the streets of Germany aren't doing it because Erdogan instructed them to do so. Foreign imams aren't in Germany because Erdogan sent them. Other factors play significantly larger roles here. At the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week several prominent speakers highlighted the need for universal health care, which they said could be achieved by expanding the reach of the landmark Affordable Care Act (ACA). But why should our country make such an investment? Simply put, the pursuit of liberty and happiness requires health - and not just for the wealthy. Right now great health disparities fester in our country, affecting people who have systematically been denied quality health care because of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, age, mental health, physical disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been reporting and updating information about these disparities for many years. HHS's studies show that health outcomes vary according to geography, such as in southern states that have not expanded Medicaid, but that different zip codes in the same metropolitan area may have significantly different access to health. The low income neighborhoods fare much worse than other neighborhoods on access to health care and the opportunity to be healthy. Advertisement If health disparities cannot be overcome and health injustice persists, our society suffers, and communities are rightly angry. Health disparities and injustice keep those communities mired in poverty and unable to achieve their potential to help make this a stronger country - one where genuine equality and liberty for all thrive. Just this week, Lannis Hall, Arnold D. Bullock, Angela L. Brown and Graham Colditz, in a piece for The New York Times highlighted the fact that African American men die of prostate cancer at much higher rates than white men. The authors noted that many physicians do not screen black men for prostate cancer because, four years ago, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that physicians should halt routine prostate screenings for all men. The problem with that recommendation, as the authors noted, is that the Task Force's guidance was based on clinical studies that did not include enough black men. The result is fatal health care for black men, cutting short their valuable lives. In June, a Georgetown University report found that African Americans in Washington, D.C. are "six times more likely than whites to die from diabetes-related complications." The report, by Professors Maurice Jackson and Christopher King, also found that black men in D.C. live "15 fewer years than their white counterparts and are three times more likely to die of prostate cancer." Socioeconomic forces are fueling those troubling disparities, such as the fact that black families in the District are "3.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line." Poverty contributes to health disparities in ways that we cannot totally eradicate with clinical health care, but the Medicaid program gives us important tools for the battle. Advertisement Fifty-one years ago on July 30, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicaid, a federal and state program, into law as an amendment to the Social Security Act. Today, Medicaid is the primary public health insurance program for people with low incomes, covering nearly 70 million people, including more than a quarter of the children in the United States. Children eligible for Medicaid are entitled to comprehensive, periodic physical, developmental, and mental health assessments and services. Medicaid's coverage for children also includes case management services to assist young children and their families with gaining access to medical, social, educational and other services. And finally, Medicaid must coordinate with other state and federal public health, educational, food and nutrition and related programs to help ensure child health. Medicaid is our nation's strongest tool to combat health disparities, moving us, albeit slowly, toward a day when all people have the ability to attain the highest level of health. As executive director of the National Health Law Program, founded in 1969 to fight for access to quality health care for low income people, I can tell you firsthand that securing the rights that Medicaid guarantees is an ongoing battle, but one well worth the fight. At NHeLP we see lawmakers and conservative advocacy groups who strive to limit access to Medicaid, for myriad reasons, though politics is often a major driver. For example, the ACA provides states the ability to expand Medicaid to low-income individuals, who are not elderly or disabled. Thirty one states and D.C. have expanded Medicaid pursuant to the ACA, but nineteen states have rejected health care for their low income residents and some have attempted to expand Medicaid by changing it in troubling ways. Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin is seeking a waiver from the federal government to tie work requirements to Medicaid coverage, a qualification that we know accomplishes nothing good and leaves health care out of reach for the people who need it most. All states have great leeway in administering Medicaid, but they must do so within federal guidelines; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have rejected such proposals, and they should continue doing so. Medicaid is a unique program aimed at providing the most vulnerable among us quality health care - again, it's one of our few tools to combat health disparities. Indeed a study released this spring by HHS shows that Medicaid expansion is helping low-income individuals to finally access treatment for mental illnesses or substance use disorders. According to the HHS report, nearly 30 percent of individuals in the states that expanded Medicaid were using their coverage to obtain treatment for behavioral health needs. There are many factors that produce and perpetuate health disparities, including lack of access to adequate housing. In the words of U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department Secretary Julian Castro, "housing is health care." Secretary Castro in early July announced $2.4 million in grants to assist more than 1,200 low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS to help ensure they can remain in their homes. The secretary noted that research "shows that a stable home is critical to health of persons living with HIV/AIDS, and results in better health and reduced transmission of the disease. The combination of housing assistance and supportive services are critical to sustaining housing stability, promoting better health outcomes, and increasing quality of life, which promotes self-sufficiency efforts for those able to transition to the private housing market." Advertisement The movement of the World Health Organization (WHO) to declassify transgender identity as a mental disorder is simultaneously a step forward in affirming the personhood of gender minority individuals, and a step backward in diagnoses that adequately reflect their health needs. The solutions posited by the WHO reveal the systemic influence of health insurance policies in defining not only medical disorders, but also social categories. Currently, in the United States and abroad, in order to qualify for health insurance coverage for gender affirming surgery or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), mentally healthy transgender individuals must receive a diagnosis indicating a gender-related mental disorder based on either the WHO classification or the "gender dysphoria" diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). In the hopes of fostering greater acceptance while still satisfying insurers, after 25 years, the WHO is considering a new diagnostic category: "Conditions related to sexual health." According to Dr. Celia B. Fisher, Director of the Center for Ethics Education and Professor of Psychology at Fordham University, the new terminology, while well-intentioned, "runs the risk of perpetuating stereotypes that conflate gender identity and sexual orientation and lead to continued misclassification of transgender personhood as a sexual problem." Advertisement Fisher's research, sponsored by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), has demonstrated that regardless of whether transgender youth and young adults are receiving or desire to receive HRT in the future, "they do not necessarily see their bodies as creating sexual problems." "Our data demonstrate that these young persons exhibit a wide range of sexual attractions and orientations, and in some cases are resistant to identifying with traditional sexual orientation categories. As a result, assigning transgender persons' health care needs to a sexual health condition may erroneously communicate to young people that they have some sort of sexual impairment," Fisher explained. The WHO re-classification of transgender individuals is of particular importance to transgender persons in the U.S. as the Affordable Care Act has ushered in a gradual shift away from the DSM classifications in favor of using the WHO codebook, called the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for health insurance diagnostic categories. According to Fisher, the WHO's proposal to substitute the term "gender incongruence" for the current misnomer of "transsexualism," poses similar problems of pathologizing the health care needs of transgender persons. For example, Fisher's research indicates that many transgender youth and young adults on HRT who are able to express themselves through change of name or dress no longer feel their gender identity is incongruent with their bodies, but may need HRT to be able to continue their gender expression. Advertisement "The DSM 4 tried to reach a compromise," Fisher said. "Although the implication is that being transgender is not a condition in and of itself, in order to get medical treatment, there needs to be diagnostic label, so they settled for the term 'gender dysphoria.'" The problem with this, Fisher argued, is that many people who successfully go on HRT or those who have selected to have gender affirming surgery are no longer unhappy or distressed--yet they require continuing medical care. According to Fisher, who was also a member of the White House-commissioned expert panel on conversion therapy, "the only thing that would be distressful to them is taking away the continued medical care they need and the perpetuated bias among medical personnel and society at large." "This move toward new sexual health classifications and gender incongruence labeling to satisfy insurance companies will not resolve, but in fact exacerbate that kind of problem," Fisher stated. "Even in the strides our country is making towards transgender civil rights, at this point, adopting the new WHO classifications could create another quarter century of further stigmatization that will perpetuate gender injustice and affect our social progress." The Fordham University Center for Ethics Education operates a resource for LGBT youth -- please visit http://www.facebook.com/lgbtrelay for more information, or to "like" the page for updates. Please also visit our resource page for creating an LGBTQ-inclusive classroom. Advertisement Now comes Professor Greg Weiner, who in a provocative article over at the Library of Law and Liberty argues that the very notion of "rational" legislation is a "myth" and that judges have no business seeking to determine whether assertions of government power over individuals are rationally justified. Weiner contends that "libertarian constitutionalists" who "demand" that the "government be required to justify any restrictions on liberty as reasoned rather than arbitrary" are demanding something that is not only constitutionally unwarranted but actually absurd. He charges that libertarian constitutionalists rely upon "presumptions" that are "rhetorically appealing, intellectually attractive, and politically pernicious." In Weiner's view, complaints about, say, occupational licensing regulations that prevent would-be tour guides, florists, hair braiders, and interior designers from earning a living in entirely harmless occupations should be addressed to the same officials who issued those regulations, not to judges. Advertisement In what follows, I will explore the three "presumptions" that Weiner finds objectionable, each in their turn. I will then argue that constitutionalists--libertarian and otherwise--should not call for judges to abandon all inquiry into whether legislation is rational rather than arbitrary. Instead, constitutionalists should insist that judges are duty-bound to consistently engage in genuinely impartial, evidence-based rationality review, rather reflexively deferring to the government, as judges routinely at present when applying the so-called "rational-basis test"--the standard of review that is used to evaluate most assertions of government power over Americans' lives and livelihoods. "Presumption" 1: "[A] dual maneuver whereby the buffering mechanism of the political community--whose 'deliberate sense' acts through the government rather than the government's acting, as a foreign agent, on it--vanishes, leaving only the regime and the individual member of the community standing in opposition to one another." What Weiner describes as a "maneuver" is an accurate description of the reality confronting any person who is burdened by a governmental enactment that they believe to be unconstitutional and to whose interests the broader "political community" is unresponsive. The history of constitutional law is in substantial part the history of individuals "standing in opposition" to regimes that are indifferent or even hostile to them. Myra Bradwell stood in opposition to the Illinois State Supreme Court when it denied her application for a law license because of her sex. Carrie Buck stood in opposition to the Virginia legislature when the superintendent of the State Colony for Epileptics and Feeble Minded, acting pursuant to the state's Racial Integrity Act, sought to forcibly sterilize her for eugenics purposes. Susette Kelo stood in opposition to the New London city council when it authorized a private corporation to bulldoze the working-class neighborhood in which she lived for "economic development." In each case, individual members of the community denied that those had wielded legal power on behalf of the political community had the legal authority to act as they did--and where the will of government officials "stands in opposition to that of the people, declared in the Constitution, the judges ought to be governed by the latter rather than the former." Advertisement There is no contradiction between affirming that members of a political community act through their agents in government, on the one hand, and recognizing that those agents sometimes act in ways that leave individual members of the political community "standing in opposition" to them, on the other. A lone individual may find that the "deliberate sense" of the political community is dead-set against him. Such circumstances are not ideal, and they can be terrifying, even tragic--but they do transpire. In such circumstances, courts offer individuals their last, best hope of legal recourse against unconstitutional government power. "Presumption" 2: "[T]he courts are the appropriate forum for the individual and the government to present their claims." Weiner states that this presumption is "always contained, in question-begging fashion, in the premise of" arguments that the government be required to justify any restrictions on liberty as reasoned rather than arbitrary. For my part, I have pointed to Article III's provision for an independent judiciary that is empowered to decide cases "arising under the Constitution." I have argued that Article III's reference to "The judicial Power" incorporates a duty of independent judgment--a duty to impartially interpret and give effect to the law of the land without influence from either internal or external will. If indeed the Constitution requires that restrictions on liberty be reasoned rather than arbitrary, it seems obvious that those who are subjected to restrictions that they believe to be arbitrary ought to be able to present their claims in an Article III court. Does the Constitution require restrictions on liberty to be reasoned rather than arbitrary? Absolutely. The structure of the government established by the Constitution is carefully designed to prevent government officials from exercising power that is not authorized by a prior principle of reason set forth in our written law. Our federal government has no inherent powers, only delegated (and therefore limited) powers--it cannot bind private citizens without pointing to an affirmative power grant in the Constitution. Reasons for action must be given, and not just any reasons will do. Judges are thus bound to evaluate assertions of federal power over individuals to determine whether they are justified by a constitutionally proper reason or rest only on the mere will of officials. As Chief Justice John Marshall put it in McCulloch v. Maryland, judges must determine whether the government's actions are "really calculated to effect any of the objects intrusted [sic] to the government" (emphasis added). Advertisement What of state governments? The Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process of Law Clause, which limits "State" power, indicates that individuals have rights that precede both state and federal power. No one can be "deprived" of "life, liberty, or property" that they do not possess in the first instance. Thus, any time state officials seek to effectuate such deprivations, they seek to take something from people that belongs to them--an unlawful act, unless it is consistent with "due process of law." The term "due process of law" in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments can be traced to the "law of the land clause" in Magna Carta, which Revolutionary-era lawyers and the authors of the Fourteenth Amendment understood to refer to a normative concept of law. According to this concept, not every government action is binding law--to qualify as law, an act of coercive power has to rest on more than the will of the powerful. It must be justified with reference to the purpose for which legitimate governments are "instituted among men" in the first place, namely, the security of the natural rights of all members of the public. Once again, reasons for action must be given, and not just any reasons will do. Judges are obliged to determine in appropriate cases whether they are dealing with law or "mere act[s] of power"--and to declare the latter void. The alternative would be to allow the politically powerful to put individuals in a condition similar to that absent government--to reestablish (as James Madison put it in Federalist 51) "under another name and a more specious form, force as the measure of right." "Presumption" 3: "Legislation--which in a regime devoted structurally to liberty is the product of a decentralized process of percolating compromises, not a top-down imposition of discrete reason-giving--ought to be, even can be, rational in any sense cognizable by a court." Weiner's description of the legislative process conflates what Friedrich Hayek referred to as a spontaneous order--the paradigmatic example of which is a free market economy--with a constructed order. Government is, as Hayek put it, "a deliberate contrivance," and deliberate interventions in the spontaneous order of the market are indeed top-down impositions. It is thus correct to speak of legislation as being calculated to achieve particular ends. Statutes and regulations, unlike prices in a free market, do not emerge from uncoordinated human action--they are the product of human design. Advertisement Weiner's claim that judges cannot identify the ends of legislation is demonstrably false. Numerous areas of our jurisprudence rest upon, and make plain the truth of, the proposition that judges, no less than dogs, can tell the difference between being stumbled over and being kicked. So, too, can Weiner, who points to the patently protectionist legislation upheld by the Supreme Court in Williamson v. Lee Optical as an example of "what could rightly be called favoritism" rather than a genuine exercise of the state's police powers to protect the public from force and fraud. As documents (like contracts) can reflect a single purpose even though those who draft them have a variety of motives, judges can discern the ends of legislation through an objective inquiry into the terms of a statute or regulation, its operation, and its context (including the sequence of events leading to its passage) without reading minds. What is remarkable--indeed, scandalous--is that effective rationality review often does not take place under the "rational-basis test," the default standard of review in constitutional cases. Weiner's discussion is limited to cases involving economic liberty, in which reflexive judicial deference to the government under the rational-basis test is perhaps most pronounced. But consider a case that the Supreme Court recently (and lamentably) declined to review (over a vigorous and persuasive dissent from cert denial by Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Clarence Thomas): Storman's, Inc. v. Wiesman, involving Washington regulations that require pharmacists and pharmacies to dispense lawfully prescribed emergency contraceptives even if they have a sincerely held religious belief that doing so terminates a human life. The regulations allowed pharmacies not to stock or to deliver drugs and to refer customers to other nearby pharmacies for a host of business, economic, and convenience reasons--but not for reasons of conscience. Brushing aside evidence that the state deliberately singled out religious conduct, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel treated the regulations as "neutral" (concerning religion) and "generally applicable" and thus applied rational-basis review rather than heightened scrutiny. The panel upheld the regulations on the ground that the government had a legitimate interest in "ensuring that its citizens have safe and timely access to their lawful and lawfully prescribed medications" and that the challengers had failed to "negat[e] every conceivable basis which might support [the rules]." This despite the fact that the government stipulated that "facilitated referrals do not pose a threat to timely access to lawfully prescribed medications." It is routine for judges applying the rational-basis test to require litigants to negate "every conceivable basis" that might support the government's actions--that requirement comes from a leading rational-basis decision by the highest court in the nation. It is also profoundly irrational--and unconstitutional. It is irrational because it is logically impossible to negate a potentially infinite set of "conceivable" claims for which there is no evidentiary support. It is unconstitutional, insofar as it sees judges abdicating their duty to exercise independent judgment and denying litigants due process of law (which entails, among other things, a decision-making process that is impartial, grounded in credible evidence, and governed by rational principles of law.) Advertisement This story has been adapted from Ecosystem Marketplace By Kelli Barrett When Peru's new president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, took office yesterday, he inherited a powerful set of tools that outgoing President Ollanta Humala approved for funneling money into conservation and sustainable agriculture. Nearly all were approved in the last two weeks of the month. First, the Ministry of Environment released formal regulations for the country's groundbreaking Mecanismos de Retribucion por Servicios Ecosistemicos (MRSEs), or "Mechanisms of Compensation for Ecosystem Services" law, which legislators approved in 2014. The law created a legal framework for conservation activities that harness public and private capital, and the new regulations offer clear guidance on how to implement them. In a related move, the government approved its National Forestry and Climate Change Strategy and issued guidance on biodiversity offsets, primarily for Andean ecosystems. More on the Forest Trends Blog Ecosystem Marketplace publisher Forest Trends has been participating in the development of Peru's green infrastructure through a number of programs, including the Peru Ecosystem Services Project Incubator, a collaboration of Forest Trends with regional NGOs and the Peruvian Ministry of Environment. For an insider perspective on the new developments, check out the latest entry in the Forest Trends Blog. The Ecosystem Services Regime This new regulation highlights that Peru has been working on this issue of recognizing ecosystems services as an important tool for environmental management, social inclusion and wealth distribution, Gabriel Quijandria, Peru's Deputy Minister of Strategic Development of Natural Resources said in a statement. The National Congress passed its MRSE law in 2014 after six years of negotiation. Essentially, the law provides the regulatory certainty MRSE project developers need to operate and create more projects, according to an earlier Ecosystem Marketplace article. According to Peru's Environment Ministry, environmental services under the MRSE umbrella include water regulation, biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, pollination and recreation among others. The city of Lima made headlines last year when it began tapping its water fees to fund projects like the restoration of ancient, pre-Incan water management systems high in the Andes - a very visible manifestation of a nation-wide move to develop "green" (as opposed to gray) infrastructure that can better withstand the realities of climate change. The True Value of an Ecosystem Services Law Gena Gammie, Associate Director of the Forest Trends' Water Initiative, points out that Peru, like many Latin American countries, follows civil law, which requires more prescriptive statutes and ordinances than does the common law practiced in the United States, especially when it comes to the use of public funds. Advertisement If the terms of the projects aren't specifically allowed and promoted by the law, government officials run the risk of consequences for misuse of public funds, Gammie explains. The MRSE law and the new regulations eliminate many grey areas, creating more clarity for financial flows. Connecting Conservation and Forests Carbon sequestration is a common link between the MRSE regulation and the National Forestry and Climate Change Strategy. The MRSE law and regulation provide guidance and the overall structure regarding Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) projects. Meanwhile, the National Forestry and Climate Change Strategy functions as Peru's national REDD strategy. The two share a REDD component and influence one another, Gammie explains. According to the Forest Trends blog post that summarizes the recent policymaking, the National Forestry and Climate Change Strategy represents an inclusive approach to land-use that brings together national and regional governments, indigenous groups and civil society to identify the major drivers of deforestation and then offer solutions. Gustavo Suarez de Freitas, the Head of Peru's National Forest Conservation Program, agrees that this strategy can have a significant impact on curbing forest loss. He highlights the "production-protection" part, which aims to increase productivity on the landscape while maintaining and recognizing the benefits of conserved forests. "I am convinced that the production-protection will make the difference, and that with this as our foundation we will be able to begin to reverse deforestation in Peru," Suarez de Freitas told Forest Trends. A Budding Biodiversity Offset Program The newly released biodiversity offset guidance is separate from the MRSE regulation, though its impact will likely be large. Its focus is on protecting the biodiversity of Andean ecosystems where the biggest development projects are required to compensate for their adverse impacts on biodiversity, while offsetting remains voluntary for medium and small size development activities. Advertisement Protecting biodiversity in Peru is critical as the nation is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. And much of that is rare, endangered or both. Peru's Manu National Park is considered to be the richest biodiversity hotspot in the world. However, as all of these policy announcements appear to have come in the nick of time, before a potential political wind-shift, Gammie says it will be interesting to see how the incoming government will move forward with them. "Will the new administration implement these policies and continue to strengthen capacity around them or will they just let these go," she asks. Be sure to follow us on the Bionic Planet podcast, which is available on iTunes, TuneIn, Stitcher, and wherever you access your podcasts. Oedipus famously brought about the fate he feared in his attempts to avoid it. The Oracle had presaged that he would kill his father and marry his mother. So he ran away from his adoptive parents and proceeded to kill his real father Laius at a crossroads and then marry his mother Jocasta when he arrived in Thebes. In our age of candor, you learn all the terrible things that have happened to people. In fact the sins of the children and parents are often the subject of bestselling books like Kathryn Harrison's memoir of incest, The Kiss and they're certainly the subject of fiction as is the case with Louis Malle's Murmur of the Heart. A few people may have actually murdered a parent in flagrante, but an even greater number have ended up sleeping with them. Much of the soul searching that accompanies the searing honesty of these revelations is accompanied with the hope that the painful exhumation of the past will result in a kind of exorcism. But can you escape the past? Can a deeply wounded person who has experienced all kinds of abuse go on to lead a so-called healthy life, freed from the demons his or her upbringing? Or is the tragedy of life that fate, which is the subject of Sophocles drama, is impossible to avoid? The jury is definitely out and the verdict is not a shoe-in. The road to hell is lined with good intentions. Many victims of childhood attend rehabs to recover from the same illnesses their parents suffered from only to relapse despite all the knowledge they have gained. The past is like a black hole which relentlessly sucks one back to familiar ground. On his way out of Hades Orpheus is warned not to look back at Eurydice or he will lose her, but he can't stop himself. Those who think they have escaped from the darkness might howl in protest but it's the dubious privilege of artists and writers to prove that the legacy of mythology is always ripe for reinterpretation. Russian President Vladimir Putin (C), Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (L) and Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov watch events to mark Victory Day in Sevastopol May 9, 2014. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo SPLIT, Croatia -- When the news broke last week that it was all but certain that the U.S. Democratic National Committee's email had been hacked by Russia, it was surprising to me that anyone was remotely skeptical that Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime would do such a thing. Putin has been heavily investing in and aggressively using propaganda and intelligence forces for years. Then came the response from the Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump, who was already coming under fire for his affinity for Putin and for having a staff sprinkled with people with Kremlin connections. Trump gleefully boasted that his "friends" were helping him with the DNC hack and then called on the hackers to carry on by turning their attention to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails. Advertisement As outrage mounted, Trump tried to pass off his treasonous appeal as a joke, convincing only his most devoted fans. What is no joke at all is how Trump doubled down on his admiration for Putin and continues to entertain policies that come straight off the Kremlin's wish list, like lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia and recognizing Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. The question is how much Putin and his oligarchs have invested in Trump and what sort of returns they hope to gain on this investment. The media is also hot on the trail of Trump's financial connections to Russia. He attempted damage control by proclaiming he had no investments in Russia, but of course this isn't the point at all. The question is how much Putin and his oligarchs have invested in Trump -- and what sort of returns they hope to gain on this investment. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014 was an exception to Putin's usual modus operandi. Putin is a KGB guy -- famous for saying "once KGB, always KGB" -- not a military man. He prefers to operate in the gray areas of covert action, intimidation, extortion and influence peddling. From energy and economic blackmail to political meddling and a huge global propaganda network, the Kremlin is waging a shadow war. Advertisement Trump at a press conference in Florida on July 27. (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images) It's clear to any observer that a considerable amount of resources have gone into backing Trump's candidacy, starting with the GOP primary and continuing now in the contest against Clinton. Russia's international media outlets, led by Russia Today, have a dystopian vision of America and promoting Trump comes naturally. Russia's armies of online trolls praise Trump and slander his critics on the web with a fervor that is usually reserved for Putin. But Putin's support for Trump isn't ideological -- it's practical. This is where the pundits go wrong -- when they look to attach sophisticated motives to Moscow's meddling. Putin wants to stoke chaos and discord in the West and in the free world alliances he has chosen as his enemies -- NATO, the European Union, the World Trade Organization and above all the U.S. A "Manchurian candidate" Trump may or may not be, but there is no doubt he is extraordinarily disruptive and unpredictable. He already has American allies around the world nervously making plans in case he's elected. A 'Manchurian candidate' Trump may or may not be, but there is no doubt he is extraordinarily disruptive and unpredictable. I should point out that I'm no fan of Clinton and her own weak record on Russia as secretary of state. Trump, however, is in an entirely different category of danger. His embrace of Putin is emblematic of his authoritarian character and terrible judgment. The DNC hack should be considered a serious threat to national security with grave implications for what Putin may do next. His meddling in Europe -- pushing Brexit through his propaganda machine and supporting far-right parties -- is one thing, but if he can help put Trump in the White House, it would be his greatest coup yet. Why stop at a trivial hacking operation, especially since he seems unlikely to face any consequences for it? Advertisement A boy plays with snow near ruins in Grozny on Jan. 8, 2006. Grozny was almost entirely destroyed by Russian bombing in 1999. (REUTERS/Said Tsarnayev) Putin has already demonstrated what he is willing to do in order to sway an election -- his own in 2000. Back then, the average Russian couldn't understand why so many lives and so much money were being thrown away in a gruesome civil war in Chechnya. But a series of apartment bombings in September 1999 killed nearly 300 people and turned Putin, who was then prime minister, into a popular public figure for the first time. He gave rousing speeches and swore revenge on the Chechens in profane tirades that would've done Trump proud. Evidence since then has led many -- including me -- to suspect that Russia's federal security forces may have been involved. For most, the idea of doing such a thing for political gain is too horrific to contemplate -- even for a regime bombing much of Chechnya, reducing its capital to rubble and killing thousands of Russian civilians in the process. Dirty tricks in modern American politics peaked with Watergate. What I am attempting to describe is very different. The focus should be on sending a message to the perpetrators of the DNC hack that there will be serious consequences for any further interference. In Putin's Russia, there are no politics, and people are routinely jailed, tortured or killed for criticizing the regime. My friend and opposition colleague Boris Nemtsov, a former first deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin, was murdered last year within sight of the Kremlin. Internationally, Putin's war in eastern Ukraine simmers on, and Russian forces backing Bashar Assad's murderous regime in Syria have bombed U.S.-backed forces and airfields where American and British forces train. Advertisement President Obama may be a lame duck eager to hit the campaign trail to support Clinton, but the rest of this election season will take place on his watch. His policies of retreat and retrenchment have reduced American influence, authority and intelligence-gathering abilities to the lowest point in my memory. Dictators and thugs eager to flex their muscles at the expense of an increasingly passive America have filled the power vacuum. Obama must be on guard now more than ever. While it may be politically expedient to bash Trump by portraying Putin as his running mate -- even though he deserves it and more -- the focus should be on sending a message to the perpetrators of the DNC hack that there will be serious consequences for any further interference. Rest assured, Putin will continue his efforts to elect Trump. The good news is that in America, unlike in Russia, Putins vote isnt the only one that matters. Earlier on WorldPost: I just got out of the hospital after over 2 weeks. I was admitted after the 4th of July with complete heart block. Turns out I have something called Cardiac Sarcoidosis (fortunately, most cases are knocked into permanent remission with treatment). By the time I left the hospital my physical heart was beating normally, but my emotional heart felt far from it. Like most Americans, I had watched the events unfolding in Baton Rouge, Minneapolis, Dallas and North Miami (not to mention all the incidents of the past several years fresh in my mind) with horror: more senseless death and injury for black citizens, and then cycles of misguided retaliation against the police. Once again America's raw racial nerve was exposed, once again people were dead. Sitting in the hospital for several weeks was the first time in my adult life I was not constantly occupied by some kind of work (doctor's orders). This, coupled with a potentially life threatening illness and being hooked to a constantly beeping heart monitor, pushed me take stock of what is important in life: family and loved ones, their health and safety. The acute nature of these human needs was compounded as I watched the heartbreaking events on TV for many hours straight. Advertisement Everyone reading this who isn't a police officer, the family of a police officer, a black man or the family of a black man in America, try to imagine how young black men in this country must feel with their elevated risk, how their parents and others who love them must feel. And then try to imagine how police officers must feel going to their jobs, how their families must feel as they walk out the door every day risking death. I have seen the devastation first hand with people I know - the Henry family here in Boston whose honor roll, star athlete, community minded, trouble-free son, Danroy Henry, was shot and killed by police in New York while away at college. Despite a valiant effort by politicians in Massachusetts and supporters of all races, DJ has yet to find justice. Though these deep-seated, entrenched and seemingly intractable problems have plagued our country for generations, inaction is not an option. Yet how do we provide any additional layer of comfort and protection? There is a lot of talk about changing hearts and minds and soothing divisions. And we need to keep working to change our culture, tackle racism that goes deep, and address the continuing plague of gun violence, but sadly, these are longer term undertakings that will not stop people from dying today, in one week, in one month. Whatever the underlying root cause of this epidemic, many lives can be saved right now using technology - technology to add transparency and remove the layers of misunderstanding and miscommunication during a police stop. Technology to diffuse a potentially lethal situation before it ever gets to that point. Advertisement No police officer wants to shoot and kill an innocent person in the line of duty. The impact and devastation (regardless whether the legal system prosecutes) is permanent and psychologically altering. And it goes without saying that no person on the other side of the equation should ever have to expect that they might be shot for no reason. While I was in the hospital I was visited by my good friend Mark Slater, a successful Boston entrepreneur (Pingup) whom I have known since we were in college. We got to talking about how disgusted and saddened we were by the events taking place. Mark is neighbors with Boston's Police Commissioner, William Evans, and we discussed how Boston has largely avoided these issues. Boston is a national model for community policing - the cops and the community work together through things like the 10 Point Coalition, a group of community leaders, ministers and activists who work alongside the police. Many cities are learning from our success, but as Mark pointed out there are ways to hack these lines of intent and communication through technology in order to move toward a mutual cooperation model. Mark explained that he and Ben Sack (a good friend of his) were working on a possible solution and the conversation took on a life of its own. My good friend Divine (The 4th Letter), a rapper and Silicon Valley based black, tech entrepreneur, also came by the hospital to cheer me up. I told him about the solution the three of us had discussed building. His reaction was immediate: it is vitally important that this app exists right away! Mark, Ben and I got to work and in 2 weeks of late nights we built Safecaster, an app we are very proud of. Safecaster is a purely non-commercial application: it is for the greater good and is free. Advertisement Safecaster, which s now live on the iOS App Store (and which was approved 24 hours after it was submitted), is a simple tool that allows the user to record what's happening around them at the time of a police stop (or other critical situation) and have this streamed or "cast" to two previously selected emergency contacts. We have developed Safecaster specifically to help defuse the current atmosphere of many law enforcement based exchanges. The app serves as a bridge for both sides to demonstrate their desire to cooperate and act constructively to save lives. Safecaster could also be used in other, non law enforcement situations where an individual feels threatened (for example, someone walking home alone late at night). Here's how it works: If you are stopped, you tap the Safecaster icon on your phone. Safecaster automatically starts recording and also streams a live feed to two trusted friends or loved ones that you've previously added. There is no recording on your device. Soon, Safecaster driver's side window stickers will apprise the officer involved that the driver is someone who wants to ensure their interactions with the police are safe for all involved. Many police officers have dash and body cams filming all stops, but these do not provide the buy-in, real-time nature and participation from the person being stopped. When a person being stopped affirmatively says (by activating Safecaster), "I have nothing to hide and, in fact, I am willing to record and share my response to the police officer with law enforcement directly," they signal intent to participate in a violence-free exchange with the police officer and to move on. I wish Safecasting weren't necessary, but while we change hearts and minds, let's still save lives ... if it can save even one life, we believe it is worth it! Advertisement Please download the app: http://www.safecaster.com The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down provisions of Gov. Pat McCrory's "omnibus" election law requiring photo identification in form blacks are less likely to have and requiring changes to early voting, same-day registration, out-of-precinct voting, and preregistration all in ways carefully calculated to adversely affect black voters. The full text of the opinion merits careful reading and can be found here. (The broader context of North Carolina voter restriction laws also merits review and Michael Kent Curtis's excellent brief overview can be found here.) The bill's "almost surgical precision" (the Court's words) in disenfranchising black voters should shock everyone's conscience regardless of party affiliation. There is also more here that should shock the conscience. Eerily like McCrory's HB2, the legislation was rushed through the legislature and the stricken provisions involve much more than the touted purpose of the law (voter i.d. here and transgender bathroom use in HB2). Also eerily like HB2, the problem purporting to be solved isn't really solved at all. As the Court discusses, the voter i.d. provisions leave holes in absentee voting (which is used more by whites) and also accept yet reject the very same forms of identification. Though highlights of the opinion are no substitute for reading the entire opinion, I realize not everyone will have time to read the entire opinion. I also realize that politicians like Pat McCrory are again betting everything that voters won't take the time to read what has really happened here. I therefore have excerpted below some of the important language from the opinion and have done so in the order the language appears in the opinion. I have omitted or shortened internal citations and have bolded certain provisions that seemed particularly important to me. Although this is no substitute for reading the opinion in full, here goes: Advertisement In holding that the legislature did not enact the challenged provisions with discriminatory intent, the [district court below] seems to have missed the forest in carefully surveying the many trees. This failure of perspective led the court to ignore critical facts bearing on legislative intent, including the inextricable link between race and politics in North Carolina. After years of preclearance and expansion of voting access, by 2013 African American registration and turnout rates had finally reached near-parity with white registration and turnout rates. African Americans were poised to act as a major electoral force. But, on the day after the Supreme Court issued Shelby County v. Holder, 133 S. Ct. 2612 (2013), eliminating preclearance obligations, a leader of the party that newly dominated the legislature (and the party that rarely enjoyed African American support) announced an intention to enact what he characterized as an "omnibus" election law. Before enacting that law, the legislature requested data on the use, by race, of a number of voting practices. Upon receipt of the race data, the General Assembly enacted legislation that restricted voting and registration in five different ways, all of which disproportionately affected African Americans. Although the new provisions target African Americans with almost surgical precision, they constitute inapt remedies for the problems assertedly justifying them and, in fact, impose cures for problems that did not exist. Thus the asserted justifications cannot and do not conceal the State's true motivation. Advertisement Faced with this record, we can only conclude that the North Carolina General Assembly enacted the challenged provisions of the law with discriminatory intent. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the district court to the contrary and remand with instructions to enjoin the challenged provisions of the law. In particular, between 2000 and 2012, when the law provided for the voting mechanisms at issue here and did not require photo ID, African American voter registration swelled by 51.1%. (compared to an increase of 15.8% for white voters). African American turnout similarly surged, from 41.9% in 2000 to 71.5% in 2008 and 68.5% in 2012. Not coincidentally, during this period North Carolina emerged as a swing state in national elections. In this one statute, the North Carolina legislature imposed a number of voting restrictions. The law required in-person voters to show certain photo IDs, beginning in 2016, which African Americans disproportionately lacked, and eliminated or reduced registration and voting access tools that African Americans disproportionately used. Moreover, as the district court found, prior to enactment of SL 2013-381, the legislature requested and received racial data as to usage of the practices changed by the proposed law. This data showed that African Americans disproportionately lacked the most common kind of photo ID, those issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The pre-Shelby County version of SL 2013-381 provided that all government-issued IDs, even many that had been expired, would satisfy the requirement as an alternative to DMV-issued photo IDs. After Shelby County, with race data in hand, the legislature amended the bill to exclude many of the alternative photo IDs used by African Americans. As amended, the bill retained only the kinds of IDs that white North Carolinians were more likely to possess. The racial data provided to the legislators revealed that African Americans disproportionately used early voting in both 2008 and 2012. (trial evidence showing that 60.36% and 64.01% of African Americans voted early in 2008 and 2012, respectively, compared to 44.47% and 49.39% of whites). In particular, African Americans disproportionately used the first seven days of early voting. After receipt of this racial data, the General Assembly amended the bill to eliminate the first week of early voting, shortening the total early voting period from seventeen to ten days. As a result, SL 2013-381 also eliminated one of two "souls-to-the-polls" Sundays in which African American churches provided transportation to voters. Advertisement The legislature's racial data demonstrated that, as the district court found, "it is indisputable that African American voters disproportionately used [same-day registration] when it was available." The district court further found that African American registration applications constituted a disproportionate percentage of the incomplete registration queue. And the court found that African Americans "are more likely to move between counties," and thus "are more likely to need to re-register." As evidenced by the types of errors that placed many African American applications in the incomplete queue, in-person assistance likely would disproportionately benefit African Americans. SL 2013-381 eliminated same-day registration. The district court found that the racial data revealed that African Americans disproportionately voted provisionally. In fact, the General Assembly that had originally enacted the out-of-precinct voting legislation had specifically found that "of those registered voters who happened to vote provisional ballots outside their resident precincts" in 2004, "a disproportionately high percentage were African American." With SL 2013-381, the General Assembly altogether eliminated out-of-precinct voting. African Americans also disproportionately used preregistration. Preregistration permitted 16- and 17-year-olds, when obtaining driver's licenses or attending mandatory high school registration drives, to identify themselves and indicate their intent to vote. This allowed County Boards of Elections to verify eligibility and automatically register eligible citizens once they reached eighteen. Although preregistration increased turnout among young adult voters, SL 2013-381 eliminated it. We hold that the challenged provisions of SL 2013-381 were enacted with racially discriminatory intent in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Using race as a proxy for party may be an effective way to win an election. But intentionally targeting a particular race's access to the franchise because its members vote for a particular party, in a predictable manner, constitutes discriminatory purpose. This is so even absent any evidence of race-based hatred and despite the obvious political dynamics. A state legislature acting on such a motivation engages in intentional racial discrimination in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act. Advertisement The record is replete with evidence of instances since the 1980s in which the North Carolina legislature has attempted to suppress and dilute the voting rights of African Americans. And only a few months ago (just weeks before the district court issued its opinion in the case at hand), a three-judge court addressed a redistricting plan adopted by the same General Assembly that enacted SL 2013-381. Harris v. McCrory (M.D.N.C. Feb. 5, 2016). The court held that race was the predominant motive in drawing two congressional districts, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause. As one of the State's experts conceded, "in North Carolina, African-American race is a better predictor for voting Democratic than party registration." As "evidence of justifications" for the changes to early voting, the State offered purported inconsistencies in voting hours across counties, including the fact that only some counties had decided to offer Sunday voting. The State then elaborated on its justification, explaining that "[c]ounties with Sunday voting in 2014 were disproportionately black" and "disproportionately Democratic." In response, SL 2013-381 did away with one of the two days of Sunday voting. Thus, in what comes as close to a smoking gun as we are likely to see in modern times, the State's very justification for a challenged statute hinges explicitly on race -- specifically its concern that African Americans, who had overwhelmingly voted for Democrats, had too much access to the franchise. The record shows that, immediately after Shelby County, the General Assembly vastly expanded an earlier photo ID bill and rushed through the legislative process the most restrictive voting legislation seen in North Carolina since enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The district court erred in refusing to draw the obvious inference that this sequence of events signals discriminatory intent. Advertisement This hurried pace, of course, strongly suggests an attempt to avoid in-depth scrutiny. Indeed, neither this legislature -- nor, as far as we can tell, any other legislature in the Country -- has ever done so much, so fast, to restrict access to the franchise. Instead, this sequence of events -- the General Assembly's eagerness to, at the historic moment of Shelby County's issuance, rush through the legislative process the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow -- bespeaks a certain purpose. Although this factor, as with the other Arlington Heights factors, is not dispositive on its own, it provides another compelling piece of the puzzle of the General Assembly's motivation. In sum, relying on this racial data, the General Assembly enacted legislation restricting all -- and only -- practices disproportionately used by African Americans. Moreover, although aggregate African American turnout increased by 1.8% in 2014, many African American votes went uncounted. As the district court found, African Americans disproportionately cast provisional out-of-precinct ballots, which would have been counted absent SL 2013-381. And thousands of African Americans were disenfranchised because they registered during what would have been the same-day registration period but because of SL 2013-381 could not then vote. Furthermore, the district court failed to acknowledge that a 1.8% increase in voting actually represents a significant decrease in the rate of change. For example, in the prior four-year period, African American midterm voting had increased by 12.2%. Registration and voting tools may be a simple "preference" for many white North Carolinians, but for many African Americans, they are a necessity. Advertisement Any individual piece of evidence can seem innocuous when viewed alone, but gains an entirely different meaning when considered in context. Our conclusion does not mean, and we do not suggest, that any member of the General Assembly harbored racial hatred or animosity toward any minority group. But the totality of the circumstances -- North Carolina's history of voting discrimination; the surge in African American voting; the legislature's knowledge that African Americans voting translated into support for one party; and the swift elimination of the tools African Americans had used to vote and imposition of a new barrier at the first opportunity to do so -- cumulatively and unmistakably reveal that the General Assembly used SL 2013-381 to entrench itself. It did so by targeting voters who, based on race, were unlikely to vote for the majority party. Even if done for partisan ends, that constituted racial discrimination. The photo ID requirement here is both too restrictive and not restrictive enough to effectively prevent voter fraud. First, the photo ID requirement, which applies only to in-person voting and not to absentee voting, is too narrow to combat fraud. On the one hand, the State has failed to identify even a single individual who has ever been charged with committing in-person voter fraud in North Carolina. On the other, the General Assembly did have evidence of alleged cases of mail-in absentee voter fraud. Notably, the legislature also had evidence that absentee voting was not disproportionately used by African Americans; indeed, whites disproportionately used absentee voting. The General Assembly then exempted absentee voting from the photo ID requirement. This was so even though members of the General Assembly had proposed amendments to require photo ID for absentee voting, and the bipartisan State Board of Elections specifically requested that the General Assembly remedy the potential for mail-in absentee voter fraud and expressed no concern about in-person voter fraud. The photo ID requirement is also too broad, enacting seemingly irrational restrictions unrelated to the goal of combating fraud. This overbreadth is most stark in the General Assembly's decision to exclude as acceptable identification all forms of state-issued ID disproportionately held by African Americans. The State has offered little evidence justifying these exclusions. Review of the record further undermines the contention that the exclusions are tied to concerns of voter fraud. This is so because voters who lack qualifying ID under SL 2013-381 may apply for a free voter card using two of the very same forms of ID excluded by the law. Thus, forms of state-issued IDs the General Assembly deemed insufficient to prove a voter's identity on Election Day are sufficient if shown during a separate process to a separate state official. In this way, SL 2013-381 elevates form over function, creating hoops through which certain citizens must jump with little discernable gain in deterrence of voter fraud. Advertisement But, in the broader context of SL 2013-381's multiple restrictions on voting mechanisms disproportionately used by African Americans, we conclude that the General Assembly would not have eliminated same-day registration entirely but-for its disproportionate impact on African Americans. In sum, the array of electoral "reforms" the General Assembly pursued in SL 2013-381 were not tailored to achieve its purported justifications, a number of which were in all events insubstantial. In many ways, the challenged provisions in SL 2013-381 constitute solutions in search of a problem. The only clear factor linking these various "reforms" is their impact on African American voters. The record thus makes obvious that the "problem" the majority in the General Assembly sought to remedy was emerging support for the minority party. Identifying and restricting the ways African Americans vote was an easy and effective way to do so. We therefore must conclude that race constituted a but-for cause of SL 2013-381, in violation of the Constitutional and statutory prohibitions on intentional discrimination. We therefore reverse the judgment of the district court. We remand the case for entry of an order implementation of SL 2013-381's photo ID requirement and changes to early voting, same-day registration, out-of-precinct voting, and preregistration. We balanced clumsily on the small pathway in the middle of the fields. In front of us was the modest structure of a mosque we were headed towards. A group of women with water-pots on their heads walked confidently near us on the same path. "Have you come here to see Sahiban's mosque," asked one of them as the rest giggled. I nodded my head. Talking and laughing amongst themselves they crossed us. The historical village of Kheiwa, famous because of its association with the story of the legendary folk lovers Mirza-Sahiban, flanked the main road at a little distance from here. The village is situated in the Jang district of Punjab in Pakistan. There was a small courtyard facing the single storey building of the mosque, constructed in bricks. Some of the mosque's wooden doors were broken while others were missing. The courtyard of the mosque was clean, even though it appeared as if the villagers had abandoned the mosque. We took off our shoes and walked in. Advertisement According to the folk legend, Mirza moved to this village as a young boy where he enrolled in a madrassa being run at this particular mosque. It is here that he first laid his eyes upon Sahiban, as they both studied the Quran. The story of Mirza-Sahiban is one of the most prominent folk stories of Punjab. Standing at that mosque, I could not help myself wonder how cut off is the context of that particular legend from our contemporary Punjab. That was a time when boys and girls studied together at village madrassa. Without the massive funding that comes from the Gulf states today to preach a particular brand of Islam, these village madrassas were run with the help of the minute contributions of all the village folks. Therefore perhaps it was not possible to run separate classes for boys and girls. The love between Mirza and Sahiban bloomed for several years following their initial years at this madrassa, however Sahiban's family had already betrothed her to someone else as a child. Advertisement Heroically, on her wedding day Mirza, riding his legendary horse, reached Sahiban's village and spirited her away before the wedding could take place. When Sahiban's brothers found out, they chased the couple down and killed them. Whereas the setting of the madrassa comes across as an anomaly today, the fate of the lovers is a part of a long tradition that unfortunately continues to haunt present-day Punjab - honour killing. It is narrated that for several years Sahiban's Siyal family started practicing female infanticide to prevent the birth of another Sahiban in their family. This tradition was finally abolished by the British. The story of Mirza-Sahiban lays bare the contradictions that wrought our society today. On the one hand their story is celebrated in Punjabi folk culture -- folk artists sing songs about their love. Theatre artists have immortalised their love story in folk plays, while movie-makers have recreated their stories several times, on both sides of the border. The folk legend is presented as the hallmark of Punjabi culture. On the other hand it is the same culture that is used as a justification to put to death hundreds of young couples in Punjab, who like Mirza and Sahiban choose each other on their own. Advertisement The same people, who in their songs and movies celebrate the love of Mirza and Sahiban, condemn such couples in their own contexts, therefore allowing an environment in which these killings are not just condemned but even celebrated. In today's Punjab then how are we to read the story of Mirza-Sahiban? Are they to be shunned or celebrated? Are they our role-models or Sahiban's brothers, who killed them for what they called the honor of their family? About 30 km from here is the historical city of Jhang where lies the shrine of Mai Heer, interred with her lover Ranjha. Every day hundreds of pilgrims from all over Punjab arrive at her shrine with their supplications. On the external wall of the shrine lovers have scribbled their names. The shrine of Heer symbolizes this uneasy relationship that the people of Punjab have with their folk legends. Heer, perhaps even more so than Sahiban, is worshipped in the folk tradition. Her devotion for her lover Ranjha, even after her marriage to someone else, is seen as a metaphor for a devotee's love for God. While on the other hand her pre- and post-marital relationship with Ranjha is interpreted as a blot on the honour of the Siyal family, to which Heer belonged. Advertisement Forty-six years ago when the movie Heer-Ranjha was released and being run successfully all over Pakistan the Siyal family forbade the screening of the movie in Jhang. When one unfortunate cinema dared defy their informal orders, it was burned down. In many villages of Punjab, while males bask in the poetic recitation of Heer by the poet Waris Shah, females are strictly forbidden from listening to these so-called blasphemous words. To the Punjabi male fantasy Heer is the epitome of female sexuality. Rickshaws, trucks and buses all over the province have her imaginary pictures, in which she looks through a lock of her hair. The name Heer has become synonymous with beauty, fidelity and love on the one hand, while on the other hand she cannot be tolerated as a role model for their daughters, sisters and wives. It is these same paradoxes that became blatant after the assassination of Qandeel Baloch, the celebrated Pakistani social media celebrity. Her sexually explicit videos and messages were circulated virally across different mediums, prominently by men of all ages. She became a Punjabi incarnation of their sexual fantasy, which earlier featured white women. She was much more real and in a way accessible than, say, Kim Kardashian. Advertisement However, it was this same masculinity that was threatened by Qandeel Baloch's influence over their daughters and sisters. It is for this reason that her thousands of fans over social media condoned her death at the hands of her brother in the name of honour. Co-written with Andrew Klumpp. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ I met my first Democrat when I was 18, on my first day of summer camp. She was a fiery redheaded co-counselor. There she was. There it was. A Democrat. In the flesh. I knew Democrats existed. I'd just never met one. And I knew they weren't like us hearty rural Iowa farm folk. They were anti-family. I knew that much. Advertisement I had reason to believe this. The 1980 Republican Party Platform devoted three straightforward statements to the "traditional family" and offered specific strategies for ways to protect the American ideal. The Democratic Party Platform that same year included a single ambiguous (okay call it what it was: measly) line: "The Democratic Party supports efforts to make federal programs more sensitive to the needs of the family, in all its diverse forms." Federal programs and diverse forms! One lousy line, and the Democrats couldn't even get it right! Well, I think they may have gotten it right now, at least if Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention is any indication. Michelle Obama cast a vision of the Democratic Party that challenges caricatures about Democrats and family values. Her infectious vision of a nation defined by deep family values proved gripping to many of us who found ourselves mesmerized by her presence. She spoke clearly. Directly. With skill, ease, and precision, she made the case that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party offer not only the best hope for our nation's children but also the best example for them to follow. As the First Lady continued, she talked about how she and the President cherished their children. She reminisced about the faces of their daughters being pressed against car windows as she watched them leave for their first day at a new school in Washington, D.C. To many of us, this sounded a lot like our childhoods in the corn fields of rural Iowa or the suburbs of Levittown, New York, or the sweltering streets of Dallas. We boarded bright yellow buses and pressed our faces against their windows rather than a presidential motorcade, but most of us--or at least our parents or grandparents or aunts and uncles--remember that first ride, those first large steps, that first attempt to find the right green or gray vinyl seat--and wave goodbye. Advertisement Michelle Obama continued by sharing her family's motto: "When they go low, we go high." Choose the high road. Don't stoop to the level of bullies. Again and again, the stories she told and the lessons she offered resonated with the family values many of us learned in a dark red corner of Iowa that we call home or the bright blue crevices of Brooklyn. Family values, some of us have learned, don't have colors or political stripes. We learned that lesson again on the opening night of the DNC, as the First Lady delivered a pro-children and pro-family speech using examples from her own family and appealing to the importance of setting an example for our nation's children. Sure, she didn't make claims about the positions typically opposed by proponents of family values (abortion, same-sex marriage, etc.). And, no, she didn't tie family values to government programs, like presidential nominee John Kerry did in his acceptance speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention: "And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families. You don't value families by kicking kids out of after school programs and taking cops off our streets, so that Enron can get another tax break. We believe in the family value of caring for our children and protecting the neighborhoods where they walk and play." Advertisement She didn't even dip into her husband's playbook by globalizing family values. Republicans may wince (though I don't think they should) at how, in 2014, president Barack Obama used family values to justify an executive order loosening immigration policies: "America's not a nation that should be tolerating the cruelty of ripping children from their parents' arms. We're a nation that values families, and we should work together to keep them together." No. No big programs or policy shifts for Michelle Obama. She didn't even suggest that the Republican Party couldn't celebrate family values. She simply insisted that they couldn't monopolize them. Michelle Obama suggested that family values are first and foremost about setting an example for our nation's children. To the jubilant crowd, she proclaimed, "With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us." Red or blue, black or white, rural or urban, rich or poor, straight or gay, US or foreign-born--all of us can agree that, "with every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us." Can't we? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Andrew Klumpp, a doctoral student at SMU, and Jack Levison have written "The Bible and Family Values," which will appear on September 22nd in The Bible and Political Debate: What Does It Really Say? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Photo from: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/12152011-family-portrait-high-res.jpg In his business memoir "Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul," Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz describes the role of merchants in unlocking a product's "magic." As he writes: "We take something ordinary and infuse it with emotion and meaning, and then we tell its story over and over and over again, often without saying a word." Schultz is also, in many ways, describing the process of creating the logos and iconography behind a brand: you take elements (colors, shapes, lettering) and arrange them in a way that instantly conveys, without much (if any) explanation, the core of what you do and how you want your customer to feel. Our first reaction to most things is visual; it is said that 80 percent of our brain is dedicated to recognizing visual stimulus. While a brand's visual identity is not the brand in its entirety, it is nonetheless a vitally important building block in the brand's identification and communication. Branding is a Creative Process It's more than a logo. You have to dig deep to find the meaningful differentiators for your brand. Doing this correctly takes an investment of time, effort and money. It is an iterative process that gets fine-tuned until it takes on a life of its own. Through usage, it begins to transform and develop. What is the Substance Behind the Brand? Given the increasing sophistication of consumers, you can't dazzle your audience with empty promises. Effectively conveying the brand without words hinges on one thing: authenticity, or finding the expression of the real you. But coming up with the "soul" of the product is much easier said than done. The logo offers emotion and meaning and a promise of what to expect. When designing a logo system, we endeavor to unlock your brand's magic, and its most fundamental value. Brand is an Experience A distinctive brand is a visual and behavioral style; it delivers a better way to see your world. It embraces the authentic expression of the culture, and creates a lasting impression in the minds of its viewers. The brand system is a complete personality with a voice and an attitude, along with a value proposition and the ability to deliver what the consumer expects. It presents a relationship that your audience can depend on and look forward to. It is consistent in all the right ways while also offering surprises and rewards, which makes it all the more fun and satisfying. A supermarket displays stickers indicating they accept food stamps in West New York, N.J., Monday, Jan. 12, 2015. New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill that would require the state to expedite the handling of applications for food stamps. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Five states still impose a lifetime ban on food stamps for people who have been convicted of a felony drug crime. Not only do these bans threaten individual and public health, but they incubate the very types of criminal behavior that law enforcement claims they want to eliminate. The lifetime food stamp ban for people convicted of drug felonies is a shameful legacy of President Clinton's 1996 welfare reform law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Since Congress passed the law, individual states have had the option to opt out entirely, which eighteen states have done, or soften the ban while keeping some restrictions in place, which twenty seven have chosen to do. Earlier this summer, Georgia became the most recent state to abandon the policy of deprivation, when they modified their ban to allow people with drug convictions to access food stamps with the catch that they must be compliant with parole and drug treatment conditions. At this time, however, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming continue to punish people with drug offenses for life. Advertisement Emily Wang, a physician and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine, came face to face with the cruel consequences of food stamp bans in her clinical practice when a woman admitted to her that she had turned to sex work, and gambled with HIV infection, because she was desperate for money for food. Wang, who has devoted her career to the care of people who are formerly incarcerated, knew that this wasn't an isolated case. In January 2006, Wang helped open Transitions Clinic in San Francisco, which provides primary care services to people who have been released from prison. Since its opening, the Transitions Clinic Network has expanded to 14 sites, which are community health centers that have treated thousands of people recently released from prison and given many jobs as community health care workers. With other public health researchers and All of Us or None, an Oakland-based project of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Wang decided to study the impact of food stamp bans on food insecurity and HIV risk. They reached out to 110 people who had recently been released from prison for drug felonies in three states with either full or partial bans. Advertisement Their research question was simple. "In this study, we asked if you've gone twenty four hours without having food," Wang explained to me. The answers were deeply unsettling. "91% met the USDA definition of food insecurity and 37% were hungry," she said. When people had gone a full day without food, they were much more likely to exchange sex for money. People who have been recently released from prison are especially vulnerable to the effects of food stamp bans. "How are they going to purchase food, if they do not have cash or family to turn to or can't work because they face incredible barriers to getting a job?" Wang asked. Already, we know that the first two weeks after release from prison are especially deadly. In their landmark study, Ingrid A. Binswanger and colleagues reported on 30,237 people who had recently been released from prison. In the first two weeks after release from prison, people were 12.7 times more likely to die. "The risk persists throughout a year, but six months is where everyone would say, this is the highest risk for dying, the highest risk for going back in, the highest risk for being hospitalized," Wang said. "Holding out on something pretty fundamental for those first six months isn't very logical from a public health standpoint." Nevertheless, holding out on food for those dangerous first six months is exactly what some modified state bans do. North Carolina, for example, bans people from accessing food stamps for six months after their release. "It doesn't make public health sense," Wang said. "That transition home is really precarious from the public health standpoint and for their individual health. These are basic needs." Advertisement Some, such as Nebraska Senator Bill Kintner, have argued that food stamps only encourage criminal behavior. "By giving food stamps to drug dealers, we're just enabling them," he told the Lincoln Journal Star in defense of his state's ban, which has since been modified. "If you're dealing drugs and I'm paying for your food, we're subsidizing your operation." But this defense doesn't make sense for two reasons. First, the singling out of drug felonies is completely arbitrary. "This policy just pertains to those who committed felonies related to illicit drug use," Wang explained. "If you committed murder, you still qualify." Not only are drug felonies unreasonably singled out for endless punishment, but defenders of food stamp bans have it backwards if they believe that food stamps encourage criminal behavior. In reality, food stamp bans encourage people to engage in criminal activity, such as sex work, or else face starvation. "When folks are not allowed to sustain themselves, they go back to what they know," explained Manuel La Fontaine, an organizer for All of Us or None. "If I'm being released from prison and I don't have a way to survive, a way to eat, I've got several options. I could go out with a sign and beg for food. Or go back to the informal economy." In late June, I reached out to Steve Pickett, the chairman of the Mississippi Parole Board in order to ask him about Mississippi's food stamp ban for people with felony drug convictions. (The Mississippi Department of Corrections had no comment.) Soon after, Judge Keith Starrett of the Southern District of Mississippi wrote to me by email that he and Chairman Pickett intend to discuss the ban as part of their statewide Reentry Council, as they plan their proposed legislation for the upcoming January session. Advertisement Lifetime food stamp bans deprive some of the most vulnerable people of a fundamental need when they need it the most. They trap people into cycles of poverty and desperation, long after they have served their sentences. "You've got to change this narrative that punishment goes beyond prison," said Erik Robert Fleming, the Director of Advocacy and Policy for the ACLU of Mississippi. Too often, though, that is the reality that people who have been incarcerated face when they try to seek employment, housing, student loans, or welfare. "We put people back into a situation where they can't escape." This blog originally appeared at PLOS Public Health Perspectives. Ever wonder what it's like to be a pawn in the oil and gas industry's political ambitions? This pencil, hired by oil and gas front group Protect Colorado, summed it up: "It feels like shit to fucking wear this thing, but it's 25 bucks an hour." And there are a lot of people taking the oil and gas industry's money in Colorado these days. Anadarko Petroleum and a group of fracking companies, most from outside Colorado, have pumped well over $75 million into PR firms and front groups in the state since 2014. These millions are primarily aimed at preventing Coloradans from voting for two ballot measures that would regulate the oil and gas industry. $75 million is a serious amount of money, even in a state that, according the Brennan Center, has one of the highest levels of secret political spending in the nation. The largest single recipient of the fracking industry's war chest is a PR firm called Pac/West Communications. Pac/West, known for creating independent sounding groups on behalf of large corporate clients, netted nearly $30 million from oil and gas companies in 2014 alone. In return for the fracking cash, Pac/West built perhaps the best funded and most formidable political advocacy operations in any state. Advertisement Strategy of Fracking Industry Revealed , a vice president of , revealed the depth and breadth of the oil and gas industry's political strategy in a transcript released by Greenpeace and printed in full by the . Mr. Truax's presentation outlines a sophisticated plan to counter the popular cry for fracking regulations with a gusher of oil cash. Here are some of the strategies Mark Truax outlines: Take over city councils Spend tens of millions of dollars to gather information on Colorado voters so it can manipulate election outcomes and keep setback and community rights initiatives off the ballot The transcript, which can be found in full here, also details Pac/West's plans to change the constitution so citizens will no longer be able to put forward ballot measures in the future. To accomplish these political goals, Pac/West Communications, with funding from Anadarko Petroleum, created two tax exempt "charitable" groups, Protect Colorado and . It was Protect Colorado that hired the pencil. As the following video shows, these industry front groups are focused on scare tactics and spreading misinformation about fracking regulations, not "education," as front group spokesperson Karen Crummy often claims. Advertisement On July 28, the Denver Business Post reported that Protect Colorado has a budget of $25 million for its 2016 effort. Industry Funded Harassment The oil and gas strategy to control the ballot process in Colorado does not stop with the plan Truax outlined in his 2015 talk. In recent weeks, Coloradans have experienced an truly unprecedented attempt to stop a ballot measure from coming to a vote at all. Unlike normal ballot campaigns, where voters must decide whether to support or oppose a measure on election day, in Colorado the fracking industry is trying to strip voters of the right to decide altogether. The effort is called "decline to sign," and the aim is to prevent regulations from appearing on the ballot, by preventing organizers from gathering enough preliminary signatures. The effort includes more than just TV ads and pencils trying to scare people about regulations. The oil and gas industry has also unleashed an army of paid harassers, who have targeted volunteers trying to gather signatures for the ballot. As one signature gatherer describes, men surrounded an elderly signature gatherer and scared off people trying to sign their name. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves with her vice presidential running mate Senator Tim Kaine after accepting the nomination on the fourth and final night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Rick Wilking. Last night, Hillary Clinton made history as the first woman to accept the presidential nomination of a major party. She also answered the important question of why she has committed her life to public service. In her acceptance speech, Clinton spoke of the values her mother passed on to her, values that she has passed on to her daughter, Chelsea, who in turn said they are the values she seeks to pass on to her young daughter and 5-week-old son. They are the values of the young Methodist woman outside of Chicago, whose youth leader took her into the city to hear a young minister named Martin Luther King Jr. That was the moment that changed the direction of her life and led her to learn and steadily embrace perhaps the best-known motto of her Methodist faith, a quote often attributed to its founder John Wesley: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." Significantly, she quoted that in her speech last night, possibly the first time the words have been quoted in a Democratic convention. That message is what the nation needs to hear and see now if it is enough to overcome the political cynicism that now obscures our best values. Advertisement Our shared values -- it was also the best part of President Barack Obama's remarkable speech Wednesday night. When he said what it means and doesn't mean to be an American, my 17-year-old son said, "That was awesome." From Obama's speech: ... my grandparents ... didn't respect mean-spiritedness, or folks who were always looking for shortcuts in life. Instead, what they valued were traits like honesty and hard work. Kindness. Courtesy. Humility. Responsibility. Helping each other out. That's what they believed in. True things. Things that last. The things we try to teach our kids. And he said these were the exact same values that his wife Michelle's parents taught and raised her with on the south side of Chicago, values she talked about in her own magnificent address she gave to the nation the night before. Advertisement Political commentators from both the Democratic and Republican sides responded that these are indeed the values that make America its best -- and they are the values must always overcome our worst impulses. Despite substantial policy differences about the size of government, the strategies for economic growth, or the best paths to national security, many of the pundits in a rare moment of agreement affirmed these American values. Many on all political sides agreed when Obama said that the previous week's Republican convention " wasn't particularly Republican - and it sure wasn't conservative. What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other, and turn away from the rest of the world." He continued: "... anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end ... That is America. Those bonds of affection; that common creed. We don't fear the future; we shape it, we embrace it, as one people, stronger together than we are on our own. This election will be all about values: which values are best for America, and which values most threaten it. Most Americans believe in the separation of church and state, but that doesn't mean the segregation of moral values from public life. Last night at the convention, Rev. William Barber called for moral values to prevail over partisan politics. He expressed concern for the "heart" of America and called us to become the "moral defibrillators" that must "shock" the nation's sick heart to its best moral values of love, mercy, and justice. Advertisement That's what faith and faith communities do best in our public life -- bring their societies back to moral values for the sake of the common good. That's a mission that both conservatives and liberals who care about moral values can embrace. It's the values Sen. Tim Kaine, a Catholic, expressed as he accepted the nomination for Clinton's vice president. Kaine has always been unafraid to put his faith forward publicly (something Democrats are sometimes hesitant to do) and consistently commit himself to social justice as a consequence of his faith. When Kaine said (in Spanish) that the priorities he learned as a missionary with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Honduras were "Faith, Family, and Work," he resonated with many people. How faith is used and abused and what values are chosen will determine the outcome of this election, and it will shape the future of America and the world in decisive ways that we have not seen for many years. Last week, Donald Trump said "Make America great again," without saying what time he would like to go back to -- without admitting how "great" America was for diverse people and women then. And last night, Hillary Clinton said "America is great because America is good," without honestly reminding us that America is not always so great. So I would revise the two and say, America is great, when America is good. What it means to be good will be the moral values debate in this election. My prayer for this election season is the same as Rev. Gabriel Salguero, who used these words to close the convention Wednesday night: Advertisement Lord, help us transcend the nefarious traps of cynicism, despair, and division with the courageous work of hope and love. Teach us to continuously cherish and fervently defend the dignity of all our sisters and brothers. Help us never to tire in the work of compassion and justice. Instruct us to be ever-mindful of the most vulnerable among us: the child, the widow, the orphan, and the immigrant. Dios, danos la valentia de confrontar nuestros desafios con amor. Help us to hew the future of our Republic from the bedrock of love. PHILADELPHIA, USA - JULY 29: The nominee of the Democratic Party for President of the United States Hillary Clinton delivers a speech during a congress ahead of 58th Presidential election on November 08, in Philadelphia, USA on July 29, 2016. Hillary Clinton is the first female Presidential nominee in U.S. history. (Photo by Volkan Furuncu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic Party's nomination as their candidate for president, a historic moment in American history. "When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit," she promised convention delegates. Her speech reflected the party's progressive platform in an effort to rally her base, but it offered little for Republicans uneasy about Donald Trump. This was arguably the most important speech of Clinton's political career. She has been plagued by concerns about her trustworthiness, and had overcome a difficult primary challenge from Senator Bernie Sanders, whose loyal delegates still had to be convinced about her candidacy. Advertisement Speaking directly to Sanders' supporters, Clinton said, "Our country needs your ideas, your energy, and passion. That's the only way we can turn our progressive platform into real change for America," she said. "We wrote it together -- now let's go out there and make it happen together." Referencing the courage of the Founding Fathers in standing up to a king, she said, "America is once again at a moment of reckoning." She then asked for unity, "We have to decide whether we all will work together so we all can rise together." The theme of her campaign is "Stronger Together" and much of her speech carried that message, which she described as a guiding principle for the country. Clinton's speech was filled with attacks on Donald Trump. "He's taken the Republican Party a long way from "Morning in America" to "Midnight in America," she said. "He wants us to fear the future and fear each other." She asserted that, "We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against...but we are not afraid." She continued, "We will not build a wall. Instead, we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good paying job can get one." She called for a clear path to citizenship for immigrants, and said she would not ban a religion. "Don't let anyone tell you our country is weak. We're not," she proclaimed. "And most of all, don't believe anyone who says, 'I alone can fix it," she said referring to Trump's claim in his acceptance speech a week earlier. "Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again-- well, he could start by actually making things in America again," she said of Trump's offshore manufacturers. Advertisement Clinton attacked Trump's lack of temperament and experience. "Imagine, if you dare imagine--imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Clinton, who was affectionately introduced by her daughter Chelsea, talked about her upbringing, her family and her career. It was part of an effort to re-introduce herself as genuine, authentic and a person committed to service. President Bill Clinton, who was at times emotional, watched his wife from the seats below the stage. Hillary Clinton covered many of the issues important to progressives. She called for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizen's United, expansion of voting rights, comprehensive immigration reform, Wall Street reform, equal pay, expanded social security and health care, and she declared climate change is real. Charging that Donald Trump is in the pocket of the gun lobby, she said she would not repeal the Second Amendment, but would enact common-sense gun reforms. Clinton's speech came on the final night of a convention that had heard from many impressive speakers over the course of the week. Perhaps the most powerful moment in Thursday night's program was provided by the father of Captain Humayun Khan, a Muslim American soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2004. "Have you read the Constitution?" Khizr Khan asked Trump while pulling a copy out of his suit pocket. "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave Americans who died defending the United States of America." he said. "You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing." In contrast, Hillary Clinton's speech was not powerful, it was not soaring, it was not inspirational. It certainly did nothing to excite Republicans, and it failed to convert Hillary haters to her campaign. While she is the first woman to be nominated by a major party as their candidate for president, her speech will not stand out in history. Advertisement The Bronx Zoo's Tiger Mountain exhibit is a family favorite, with kids and adults alike flocking to see the magnificent big cats. Two Malayan tiger cubs were recently born and our colleagues here at the Zoo are committed to ensuring their healthy growth, but far too many of their cousins in the wild struggle to survive. A mere 4,000 tigers prowl a range that has collapsed by more than 90 percent in the past two centuries. As few as 250 Malayan tigers persist in their forested habitat of Southeast Asia. Malayan tiger cub at the Bronx Zoo's Tiger Mountain. Photo: Julie Larsen Maher/WCS. International Tiger Day provides an opportunity to draw attention to the endangered status of the world's largest cat and ensure that these incredible animals do not disappear. When the conservation community initiated this commemorative day in 2010, it hoped to cast a light on a species moving toward extinction at a frightening pace. A focus on protecting and expanding tiger populations has helped tigers to make modest gains but much more work needs to be done. The biggest threat tigers face remains the oldest: people. Tigers are endangered by loss of habitat stemming from human expansion, the hunting of their prey species, and from poaching for pelts and body parts believed by some to have medicinal properties despite the lack of any scientific evidence. Every single organ of a tiger is being sold on the black market today, often at sky-high prices. Tiger skins are sold most often as a decor item to display wealth. Advertisement Climate change has also become a threat to tigers, with rising sea levels completely wiping out coastal forests in parts of Bangladesh. With the loss of habitat and prey, there are growing attacks on domestic livestock. All too frequently, such attacks are met with retaliatory tiger killings. While humans carry much blame for the decline of tigers, it is not too late for us to play a larger role in bringing the species back from the brink. WildSeve, a new mobile technology initiative developed with the help of WCS to address human-wildlife conflicts, has been implemented in 284 villages in India. Photo: Krithi Karanth/WCS. Recently the WCS India program helped to launch a toll free service for local farmers to call to report an attack on livestock. Within minutes responders arrive to take down details of the incident and file for compensation for their losses. In just one year, the program has helped file claims in 148 cases of livestock predation by big cats and wild dogs. . Today, WCS invests in tiger research and conservation, conducting 75 percent of peer-reviewed published tiger research and managing conservation sites in 8 of the 11 remaining tiger range countries in Asia. To complement this on-the-ground work, we need to mobilize the public to ensure that U.S. conservation policy and funding can best protect these majestic cats. Advertisement First, Congress must direct ample funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Biodiversity program, the Global Environment Facility, and the combatting wildlife trafficking directive funded through the US State Department and USAID. All of those agencies support many conservation projects that benefit tigers and their habitat while reducing poaching. The Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2015 includes the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, which supports on-the-ground tiger research and conservation. Congress should also pass the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Act, which will strengthen U.S. laws to target wildlife traffickers and help wildlife rangers who protect tigers. Two Amur (Siberian) tigers at the Bronx Zoo's Tiger Mountain. Roughly 450 Amur tigers survive in the wild today in the Russian Far East and Northeast China. Photo: Julie Larsen Maher/WCS. Finally, Congress should reauthorize the Save Vanishing Species stamp, also known as the Tiger Stamp. Proceeds from the sale of this postage stamp go directly to conserve tigers and other endangered species through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These are easy but important steps that Congress could take that would have immediate impacts on tiger conservation efforts. On International Tiger Day, let us refocus our attention and energy towards protecting this amazing species. While zoos play an important role educating millions of people about these majestic animals, in the end all of us need to get involved to make sure they do not disappear forever in the wild. Take today to remind your senators and representatives that the world cares for tigers, and that it is our duty to protect them. Today is the day to ensure tigers can thrive in the wild for generations to come. Advertisement If you're an entrepreneur it's hard not have fallen in love with HBO's Silicon Valley. It's arguably the most authentic look at the trials and tribulations that we startup founders have to face on a daily basis - despite being satire. While I could go on and on about how this series speaks the truth, one of the most interesting topics discussed on the show is how the fictional company, Pied Piper, receives funding and the effects that it has on the team. As the series demonstrates, funding is both a blessing and a curse. While it's vital that your startup raise money to help it scale, it also comes with cons like losing control over your company to potential investors. While there are plenty of reasons why self-funding is popular, founders have realized that by going in this direction they're able to retain control of their company and be more careful with spending. Self-funding also allows them to be more creative since they have to think outside of the box and it gives them more time to work on their business, instead of preparing and meeting with investors. Advertisement Sweat Equity: Bootstrapping 101 With bootstrapping it's important that you start generating revenue as soon as possible. Guy Kawasaki suggests that you must focus on cash flow, not profitability though. "The theory is that profits are the key to survival. If you could pay the bills with theories, this would be fine," Kawasaki writes. "The reality is that you pay bills with cash, so focus on cash flow." "If you know you are going to bootstrap, you should start a business with a small up-front capital requirement, short sales cycles, short payment terms, and recurring revenue. It means passing up the big sale that takes twelve months to close, deliver, and collect. Cash is not only king, it's queen and prince too for a bootstrapper." Another popular train of thought to follow is that of The Lean Startup written by Eric Ries. The basic idea is to spend the least amount of time and money developing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Once you have a product built release it to the market. The market will decide whether or not your product or service holds real value to your customers. If it does, you can look to fully develop the rest of your product or service. If the market reacts negatively, you can make the decision to either make the necessary tweaks or scrap the idea all together. While it's never easy for a founder to let go of their "baby", it is most definitely worth doing considering the amount of time and money saved. Most importantly, keep your costs as low as possible. For example, you don't need to purchase or rent an office for the time being. You can hire a remote team of freelancers, which also reduces employee expenses so you don't have to hire them full-time, and work from home until. Advertisement You should also take advantage of free tools like; Google Drive for sharing and collaborating on files. Skype and Slack for communicating with team members. Insightly for project management. Zenefits handles all of your HR needs. Revcontent to increase your website traffic. Due for financial tools and payments. (personal company) That is by no means an extensive list. These are just a handful of free tools to help you get started. Finally, if you do need to secure more funding, there are other ways to raise money without dazzling investors. You can turn to your friends and family, obtain grants, enter a contest, or work a side gig until the startup takes off. Bootstrapping isn't anything new either. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak bootstrapped Apple in its early days. I'm sure no one would argue with how successful that turned out for them. The Importance of Traction At some point, you will have to do some sort of funding for your startup if you want to scale properly. And, that's when traction becomes your best ally. Danny Wong of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) in Forbes argues, "the most important thing is traction (how far you've come on your own), whether it's six weeks, six months or six years." Advertisement Crowdfunding is also a great way to raise funds. It allows you to raise non-binding capital while acquiring your first wave of early evangelists for your product or service. Matthew Charles Cardinale, activist, law student, and affordable housing advocate, refused to respond to ALEC's demand to cease using the name "SMART ALEC" for the State and Municipal Action for Results Today / Agenda for Legislative Empowerment and Collaboration, an organization that he founded. The right-wing/libertarian organization named ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) funded, in part, by the billionaire Koch brothers Charles and David, fear that upstart SMART ALEC may ruin their brand. "Our name is a double entendre," said Cardinale. "On the one hand, the colloquialism has existed much longer than they [ALEC] have, and if it comes down to it, I'm going to have my dad do a notarized affidavit that I've been a smart aleck since childhood. The other half of it, is we're a smart alternative to ALEC and that is protected under the parody/free speech doctrine. I don't think there's an issue of consumer confusion. It's a clear parody. I don't think anyone would hear my voice and hear me talking about solar panels and transparency and low income people involved in democracy and really think that I'm the American Legislative Exchange Council CEO (laughing)." Cardinale wants people to know the similarities and differences between his organization and ALEC. Both Alecs craft model legislation and help state and local governments change policy. Both want to make sweeping changes, city by city, county by county. But the similarities end there. Advertisement "We don't want to be exactly like ALEC, in fact there's problems with ALEC and the way they operate. For one, they're not transparent and they're not grassroots and participatory. It's more about big corporations and Republican legislators having retreats on secluded islands where the public isn't invited and the media better not show up or they're thrown out." Cardinale gave one example of an off-limits ALEC meeting that Atlanta's Channel 11 tried, unsuccessfully, to access. In contrast, SMART ALEC built unique character into their charter. "We have in our bylaws a mandate for diverse representation as well as 1/3 low income participation, which means that both our advisory board and our board of directors has to have at least 1/3 low income people on it." Advertisement SMART ALEC's goal is to help ten U.S. cities and counties adopt affordable housing impact statements by 2018, using model legislation that Cardinale spearheaded in Atlanta. Their Go Fund Me page seeks to raise $100,000 toward this end. Currently four cities: New Orleans, Los Angeles, Albany NY, and Pittsburgh, PA have pending legislation similar to Cardinale's Affordable Housing Impact Statements (AHIS) used in Atlanta. As each city becomes successful in adopting SMART ALEC's model legislation, it can be replicated around the country. "State, county, and local election officials and their staff are completely overwhelmed with the gravity of the many problems we're facing today, of which affordable housing and the environment are two of our biggest crises. They don't necessarily have the resources to research what is the best practice on every issue and do all the work to implement each solution in their jurisdiction." Cardinale has the templates for change and is already finding success. "It's certainly a benefit when you have an organization like ALEC or SMART ALEC that says this is something that has worked in another jurisdiction and we put it into a form that is actionable and adaptable," said Cardinale. June 2016, Cardinale and SMART ALEC's Board Secretary Dr. Dwanda Lee Farmer, one of the country's few PhD's in Community Development, met with the City Planning Commission and Mayor's Office in New Orleans to discuss the AHIS study. But the meeting in New Orleans wasn't all beignets and powdered sugar. "Developers have come out in opposition to the ordinance. When you're trying to do something meaningful around affordable housing, there are naysayers and challenges," said Cardinale. "What we hope to do is provide the various cities with everything they need to address whatever concerns come up, because we have heard them all before. We're not only producing model bills for replication, we are part of the process of putting them in place. Each jurisdiction has unique needs, unique political climates, and we're always trying to make it work for each situation." New Orleans is now in the midst of a series of public hearings and a study being done by the planning commission. Advertisement "What we're seeing in cities across the nation is the urgent need to come up with really great solutions that should be replicated." Cardinale said, citing environmental and weather crises as current and imminent threats to livability. SMART ALEC provides a national advisory board for model legislation so that cities can respond quickly. Other organizations serve as solution-sharing leaders for model legislation. For example: Represent.us: tackles government corruption, conflict of interest, and campaign finance bribery. Community Rights PDX: A Portland-based Community Rights advocacy program that can be replicated by communities who want to stand up against giant corporations that are negatively impacting their lives. (PDX stands for Portland.) State Innovation Exchange: promotes a progressive agenda to protect workers rights with labor-related legislation Represent.us provides a template called the American Anti-Corruption Act. Their bill puts a cap on campaign donations, deals with the revolving door between government and private interests, and makes bribery of elected officials illegal. They offer citizens an almost turn-key program for implementing it. Paul Cienfuegos, founder of Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County and national leader in the rapidly growing community rights movement, has prepared several videos and podcasts to educate communities about how they can pass locally enforceable laws that ban harmful but legal corporate activities, enshrine their right of self-government, and strip corporations of their so-called constitutional "rights." 200 communities in nine states have already done so, with very few legal challenges to date. He urges people to address catastrophic climate destabilization by using "the most ambitious expansion of community self-governance since the American revolution." For example, Coos County, Oregon implemented an ordinance called Right to Sustainable Energy Future banning the transportation, manufacture or drilling of non-sustainable energy sources. The State Innovation Exchange offers legislation that promotes justice for working families and community members. Their most recent campaigns are for equal pay, earned leave for working families, voter registration modernization, and criminal justice reform. "When people are homeless on the street and we're facing environmental challenges such as change to our global temperature, endangered species, nuclear power, very urgent issues, we don't have the flexibility to experiment forever," Cardinale said. SMART ALEC's next move is to offer communities a suite of model bills to address these critical issues. "We will create an affordable housing and renewable energy package, because these things work together," said Cardinale. "We definitely want to look at solutions around solar energy. Most cities have city halls, schools, hospitals, they might have an airport, they probably have surplus property all over the place, all of these buildings should have solar panels on them. In a very short period of time, you make that money back, and then you're not paying money on energy bills. Every city should be doing that." "These model bills are being drafted, discussed and debated among the community members and advisory board. I want that to be a real collaborative, transparent process," said Cardinale. In contrast, ALEC does not include the general public in crafting their legislation. "If ALEC's legislations appears on an agenda because it's about to get voted on, the public is only commenting on what they're seeing at the very end. They weren't part of shaping the idea. We want meaningful participation," explains Cardinale. "I go down to the Multnomah County commission, [Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County], because I've been trying to get them to adopt an AHIS, right? And I make my three minute public comment. But in the shadows of this building, only blocks away, are tent cities, homeless people. So here we are, the citizens, stakeholders and elected officials, having this conversation about what to do about the homeless problem, and not a single homeless person is there." Advertisement "SMART ALEC wants to do the tough work around empowering all citizens and especially low income citizens in the policy making process. That's going involve having interviews and focus groups to understand the barriers to participation so that we can remove them." In the meantime, will ALEC be a barrier to SMART ALEC keeping their name? Photo by Carolyn Boyce State laws resulted from citizen action; national bill ignored citizens' wishes in favor of corporate interests In 2014, Vermont passed the first legislation in the U.S. to require labeling of foods containing genetically engineered ingredients. A year earlier, Connecticut and Maine also passed GMO labeling bills though these were dependent on several other states passing similar laws. Best of democracy: lawmakers respond to people These three bills were textbook examples of democracy in action. The states' citizens lobbied their legislatures to introduce the bills, public hearings were held, experts spoke for and against the bills, and lawmakers debated the measures. The bills ultimately passed because the lawmakers recognized that the People wanted them approved. Vermont's bill passed overwhelmingly in both the state's House of Representatives and Senate, and Governor Pete Shumlin signed the bill shortly thereafter. Advertisement This is how democracy is supposed to work, right? Citizens see an issue of concern that needs to be addressed, and they contact their elected representatives who respond by passing a law. This is what happened in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. As Tara Cook-Littman, who spearheaded Connecticut's labeling initiative, said: "We proved in Connecticut that we do have power and can make democracy work." Worst of democracy: lawmakers pander to corporations Contrast those initiatives with U.S. federal government action on GMO labeling in the past year. Heavy lobbying by large food and agriculture corporations and groups such as the Grocery Manufacturers Association led the U.S. House of Representatives to introduce the Orwellian-named "Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act." The bill, dubbed the "DARK Act" (Deny Americans the Right to Know), aimed to stop Vermont and other state GMO labeling laws and establish a meaningless system of voluntary GMO labeling. The DARK Act passed the House but a similar bill failed to pass the U.S. Senate this past March mainly because the people told their senators to vote against it. Following the Senate defeat, and with Vermont's GMO labeling law set to take effect on July 1, Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) drafted a compromise of the DARK Act, making GMO disclosure mandatory and not voluntary as in the House bill. But there was no requirement for an on-package statement as the Vermont law mandated. Advertisement Stabenow's compromise essentially snatched defeat from the jaws of victory for labeling supporters because many major food companies were already putting GMO labels on their products sold nationwide to comply with Vermont's law. The Roberts-Stabenow bill has been described as a "non-labeling GMO labeling bill" since, among its many flaws, it allows food companies to continue their stonewalling of GMO information by putting QR codes on products that can only be read by smartphones. Imagine a busy mother at a supermarket with several children in tow pulling out her smartphone to read QR codes on 20 or 30 food products. Or imagine the many mothers that don't even have smartphones trying to get GMO information. According to marketing communications expert Peter Quinn, the use of QR codes has virtually been abandoned because they have proven to be so ineffective and a "technology wild goose chase." "Needs of the people have been ignored" Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said: "The Stabenow-Roberts GMO bill is confusing, misleading and unenforceable. It does nothing to make sure consumers know what they're eating." In contrast to Vermont's GMO labeling bill--the Roberts-Stabenow bill had no hearings, no public input, no committee debate, and was rushed to be introduced--and passed in both the Senate and House. Behind the push were Big Food and Ag and their millions of dollars in lobbying. So while the GMO labeling efforts in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine demonstrated the best of democracy--working for the people as America's founders intended--the Roberts-Stabenow bill showed us the worst of democracy--with its pandering to the narrow interests of big business at the expense of the wishes of the people. And the bill eviscerates the successful democratic efforts in those states. As Sanders said: "The needs of people have been ignored in this bill." Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) agreed, saying the bill was "not what's in the interests of the American consumer, but what a few special interests want." Advertisement "I became an educator because I was pretty sure I could change the world." It's not every day that you meet someone with both the conviction to dream big and the courage to make those dreams a reality. But when Aimee Cribbs, Ed.D., submitted her entry to PeopleAdmin's Inspired2Educate program, I knew instantly that we had uncovered a special educator who deserved to be honored. Inspired2Educate honors and celebrates our nation's educators, while at the same time inspiring young people considering a career in education. The program calls for current educators to share stories of a K-20 teacher, administrator, or school staff member who inspired them to pursue education as their life's work. Dr. Cribbs works as both a graduate studies adjunct professor at Piedmont College and as an art and health teacher at Ellijay Elementary School in Georgia. While the age range of her students varies widely, the lessons she teaches are truly timeless. Interviews with former students and current colleagues highlight Dr. Cribbs as an outstanding role model for her students and peers who works hard to instill confidence, critical thinking, and work ethic into every young mind that steps into her classroom. Advertisement This has been the case since day one, almost 20 years ago, when Dr. Cribbs began her first year of teaching. "We were her very first class out of college, and I remember we gave her such a hard time," said Paisley Brown, one of Dr. Cribbs' first students in that inaugural fifth-grade class. "But the thing that stands out to me most is that I remember she really cared, and at that time in my life, I didn't really have good home support. She looked out for me the best way she could as a teacher and always made me feel safe. Even after I left elementary school, she would still check in on me -- she even came to my high school graduation, a two-hour drive from where she lived, which was an awesome moment." That kind of dedication and compassion made a life-long impact on Paisley, who credits Dr. Cribbs with inspiring her decision to pursue a career in education. "I reached out to her and asked if she could imagine me being a teacher one day. She was the first person I thought of when I began the decision-making process, and I told her that she would know better than anyone if I could do it," she said. Dr. Cribbs, who has remained a close mentor to Paisley for nearly two decades, told Paisley with confidence, "You can do it, and you should do it." Another former fifth-grade student of Dr. Cribbs' remembers not only her compassion, but also her courage to bring complex issues into the classroom as lessons for her young students. "I remember once she made us jog around the school during recess, and when we got back to her classroom, some of our seats were missing and many of the students didn't have a place to sit," said Aikeem Cooper. "She then proceeded to teach us about Rosa Parks and discrimination. She wasn't afraid to bring that difficult lesson to life, and I credit her to this day for being, in many ways, my introduction to the real world." Aikeem, who now works as a criminal defense lawyer, said that Dr. Cribbs provided him with the foundational critical thinking skills necessary to flourish in that role. "She taught us to stand out and question things and learn as much as we could about the world," he said. "She allowed us to express ourselves creatively, and gave me the confidence I needed to study law." Advertisement When asked what ultimately inspired her to become a teacher, Dr. Cribbs points to her father and aunt, both life-long educators. But she said that, without a doubt, her fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Scholz, had the most profound influence on her career choice. "I can't remember the topics we studied over three decades ago, but I can remember how Mrs. Scholz made me feel. She made me feel intelligent, important, and capable of anything I set my mind to doing," she said. Dr. Cribbs has proven time and again that she is indeed capable of anything she sets her mind to doing. Even in pursuit of her ultimate goal: changing the world. "I believe in myself and my ability to leave the world a better place," she said. "Twenty years and thousands of students after my first day in the classroom, I still trust that nothing has the power to shape the future like education." When asked what advice she would give to those thinking of becoming an educator, she said, "What we do can often seem really small; in many ways, it's just one student at a time. But if you make one person change the course of their life, I mean, that's huge." Congratulations, Dr. Cribbs, on your selection as an Inspired2Educate honoree. We are delighted to share your story, and cheer you on as you continue to change the world, one student at a time. Advertisement We often talk about the benefits of business intelligence, but we rarely explain what business intelligence is and why you should even consider it. More often than not, we are faced with this dilemma as we find ourselves excited at the "prospect" of what our business intelligence (BI) tools should offer, without knowing what it really can do. In a recent blog post published by Panorama, they tackled an important yet simple business question, "What is Business Intelligence?" BI is a tool that helps organizations improve decision making by tracking, processing, storing and analyzing data and transforming it into insights. Business users can in turn use these insights to make the right decisions in the right time, cutting costs, identifying new business opportunities and improving their organization's performance. Advertisement Do we need business intelligence? Yes! Today we live in a world where organizations collect and store huge amounts of data. If that data is not put to good use to serve the company for a specific purpose, it becomes a heavy and expensive burden for the organization. It is very easy to get lost in all the data as the analysis process can be long and tedious; but with BI, the process becomes optimized plus with solutions like panorama NECTO 16 , it has become almost automatic! Users can get knowledge that will improve their decision making in just two clicks! Not only large corporations need BI. Small businesses do too! When most of us started our businesses, business intelligence (BI) was a special treat only the big-chip companies could enjoy, because well, employing analytics software required building data centers and hiring IT specialists and consultants. If it helps big organizations make better business decisions, then it should be able to help small business make sound and effective decisions for their businesses too! Times have changed, and today, small business BI is a booming industry. The same technological explosion that made the whole world fit into our pockets; in the shape of a smartphone or a tablet, also drastically reduced the size and cost of analytical solutions. For the first time, it is possible for small businesses to deploy BI to fulfill different needs, analyze their performance, predict their future, and make better decisions. Advertisement For small businesses where one person is a jack of all trades, it means that your employees can pull out the particular piece of information they need even if it exceeds their immediate area of expertise. Through this, members of your team are empowered to view the same data from multiple locations and make data-driven decisions together. Business intelligence for small business doesn't require any programming knowledge; neither need you to invest in trainings. All you need to do is to create a dashboard that will make everybody, from the top of the ladder to the bottom, understand that regular data analysis pays off. Gathering high-quality data is not a one-time effort and you must re-evaluate your goals periodically to determine whether your BI setup is helping you achieve them. The more you empower individuals to use and share data, the better their access to vital customer and financial information, then the more effective they will be in contributing to the achievement of your goal. Also, getting visual is one of the best ways to explore and understand data, particularly when presenting it to customers, investors or other stakeholders. To present data in a digestible and persuasive way and not to lose your audience's attention, it's advisable to use infographics - best choice of BI for small businesses. With this smart solution you can display business data on compelling charts without spending too much time on chart formatting and design. Furthermore, it helps you to grow your business. How is it possible? BI tools are smart and will help you reveal some trends in your past performance that could otherwise go unnoticed. You can identify crucial trends in your data with the potential to unlock new growth opportunities. By analyzing your past performance in context and trying to understand the factors that influenced the best or worst results, you can discover the key to the future growth. However, please note. When small businesses go shopping for BI and analytics solutions, the tendency can be to take a giant leap. The prospect of having all your data integrated and available to end users sounds exciting. Also, management may think the system they buy should accommodate any future needs that may arise as the business grows. This may make many of them to lose sight of the fact that the solution must be simple and easy to manage in order to be successful in the long term. Advertisement Of course, the sweet talking salesmen from different solution providers also play a role in confusing the decision makers and making them sway from their immediate needs, and they sell a complicated system that's far too expansive for a small business that basically only needs to analyze little data. Even though summer is a great time to take advantage of the outdoors, sometimes the heat is a little too much to bear. Here are 4 perfect places to escape the heat this weekend, air conditioning and art included: Sophia Al-Maria, still from Black Friday, 2016, Digital video projected vertically, color, sound (1) Sophia Al-Maria: Black Friday Whitney Museum of Art 99 Gansevoort Street, New York, NY 10:30am - 6pm Check out the newly opened solo exhibition of work by Sophia Al-Maria, an American-Qatari artist who uses video and installation media to discuss urban development and consumerism in the Gulf. Her 2 featured works, Black Friday and Litany, focus on how shopping malls in the region have created a neutral 'zone' where different exchanges of information and products are as accepted as individuals of different cultures. Her installation is located on the Museum's first floor and accessible to the public free-of-charge. Advertisement Robert Irwin, Excursus: Homage to the Square, Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries (2) Robert Irwin, Excursus: Homage to the Square Dia: Beacon 3 Beekman St, Beacon, NY 11am - 6pm If you're looking for a quick getaway out of the city, venture out to Beacon, NY to see Robert Irwin's light installation. Immersive as it is interactive, his work includes vivid, color-covered windows and fluorescent light that engage with the space's architectural plan (and movement of the viewer). There is no specific point of entry, so enter anywhere and enjoy what Robert Irwin describes as the 'site-conditioned' installation. Ydessa Hendeles, Partners (The Teddy Bear Project), 2002 (3) The Keeper New Museum 235 Bowery, New York, NY 11am - 6pm The New Museum's current exhibition The Keeper sheds light on collecting culture and the passion behind preserving artwork, images and objects. This array of private 'collections' encourage spectators to reflect on their own motivations and impulses for keeping certain objects. View of Midtown Manhattan in the Panorama of the City of New York (4) Panorama of the City of New York Queens Museum, New York City Building in Flushing Meadows Corona Park 11am - 5pm The Panorama of the City of New York celebrates the infrastructure and urban planning of the city through a larger-than-life model. The piece was built by a team of over 100 people at Raymond Lester & Associates for the 1964 World's Fair. Revel in the breathtaking bird's-eye view of the city (and try to spot a favorite restaurant or two!). Advertisement All In With Chris Hayes (MSNBC) hosted a series looking at how climate change is impacting Americans from Alaska to Florida. Hayes has consistently been on the cutting-edge of bringing environmental stories to his audience. When I tuned in on Friday to catch the interview with Secretary of State John Kerry, terrorism in Bangladesh had bumped the spot. Hayes noted apologetically, "It [climate change] is not happening in real time although it is one of the most important stories of our time." Coverage of climate disruption is getting short shrift on network news, according to a recent study conducted by Media Matters for America. Advertisement Specifically examined were the nightly evening network news and the Sunday broadcasts. Climate coverage on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX "collectively" fell 5 percent from 2014 to 2015. PBS, examined separately, not only led the group in air time coverage, they featured the most stories on Pope Francis's environmental encyclical, the Paris Climate Summit, the Keystone Pipeline, and the Clean Power Plan. They were the only newsroom to look at the reduction of methane emissions and the question of what ExxonMobil knew and when they knew it. ABC had the greatest dip, featuring a mere thirteen minutes of reporting for all of 2015. Although "coverage" for FOX expanded, the analysis showed the reporting slanted to a negative assessment of efforts to respond to climate change. Media Matters outlined the top subjects that need attention concerning climate change on the national front: Health Economy Security Underscored was the concern that President Obama's Clean Power Plan, the first federal statute limiting carbon pollution from power plants, had been virtually ignored. Advertisement It appears that the most palatable way for the major networks to offer stories on climate change is through the softer approach of how animals, birds, and plants are affected. America is science-phobic. In international science and math rankings, the United States is twenty-eighth (behind Poland and Latvia) in a list of seventy-six. The electorate needs more science stories, not less. The crucial fallout of the climate crisis is not being adequately parsed. The dots aren't being drawn. Scientists are infrequently featured in news stories. (Exception: Twenty-six scientists showed up on PBS.) Too many anchors do not challenge against erroneous statements with follow-up questions. This was particularly evident during the Republican primary, when most of the candidates expressed strong doubts about the reality of climate change. In an election year, this just isn't acceptable. I spoke with Andrew Seifter, the Media Matters Director of the Climate and Energy program, for back story. "Why a focus on nightly network news and the Sunday shows?" I asked him. While discussing the Media Matters "ethos" of holding media to the utmost standards of behavior, Seifter explained the importance of the Sunday shows in the news cycle. Advertisement "Sunday shows have added impact. They are driven by high profile events, and quotes get picked up." Seifter believes the media is partially to blame for not showing how the real ramifications of climate change is changing lives. "It's the responsibility of journalists," he said. Denise Robbins, Seifter's colleague, wrote a piece noting that people of color, who disproportionately suffer from toxic sitings and asthma in frontline communities, have minimal visibility discussing their environmental concerns during the Sunday lineups. Television news is not alone in being called out by Media Matters. They have delved into print, "branded or sponsored content" that is not clearly distinguished from reporting, as well as a prevalent dearth of disclosure. Seifter penned a blog about The Washington Post running a letter to the editor in which the author maintained, "human-induced global warming is unproven, not an undisputed fact." Back in 2013, a group of ten newspapers said they would no longer print "climate-denying letters." Yet, there seems to be a lot of wiggle room. The Los Angeles Times was the innovator on that initiative. They are now in a "partnership" with California Resources Corporation, a California oil and natural gas company, producing content for the website Powering California. Advertisement Transparency is elusive, especially in editorial letters and on-air comments by pundits from "think tanks" funded by Koch dollars, dark money groups, or those surreptitiously representing fossil fuel companies. "Who is an independent player and who is part of the fossil fuel apparatus?" Seifter questioned. This past April, in reaction to the overwhelming number of American Petroleum Institute (API) ads run on CNN compared to the news stories about abnormally high temperatures (five to one), Media Matters released their own ad taking CNN to task: Let's hope that by the Presidential debates, the bar is raised. The American public deserves climate news...now. Images: Courtesy of Media Matters of America We deal with issues that affect people's daily lives but are cross border so no single member state can solve them on its own. And what we do is about people - no matter if you see yourself as a consumer, a worker, a business owner or a citizen. It's about coming together to find answers to the problems we have in common. This also concerns competition. In general, competition drives companies to cut prices, improve their products and invent new ones - to innovate. That's good for the people who buy those products. And it also brings along the investment that makes our economy grow and creates jobs. It may even minimize the use of resources such as water, energy and raw materials. Do you remember what it was like to search the Internet before Google invented their search machine? I myself have a vague memory of it being very difficult. Today it is easy. But these fabulous innovations don't give the company the right to stop others from competing. Because consumers need competition and innovation, so they can choose the product that's best for them. And the economy needs competition, to drive companies to invest. That's why we're concerned that Google seems to have favoured its own comparison shopping service in its search results. It means consumers see the results that Google wants them to see, which might not be the most relevant ones. And if Google's rivals believe that their services will never be as visible as Google's, no matter how good they are, that could discourage them from investing and invent new services all together. We want to ensure that consumers have a choice, and to make sure Internet businesses keep investing in better products. Markets need to stay competitive because in a competitive market companies will invest. And have a fair chance to make it in the market. But it's not only consumers and businesses that depend on us enforcing the competition rules. It matters to workers as well. All over Europa workers in general benefit if competition is fair - but not if the competition is flawed or unfair. Let me give you a very painful example: The European steel industry has much more capacity than it can use. Our state aid rules don't allow pumping taxpayers' money to keep failing producers to keep overcapacity on the market. Earlier this year, we launched an investigation into whether Italy did just that for Ilva, which runs the biggest steel plant in Europe. Because the effects of such a support go far beyond Italy. Other steel makers all over Europe also have to deal with excess capacity and large imports from low-cost countries. Many have already gone through extensive restructuring to make them competitive. So keeping Ilva going with Italian taxpayer money would put other steelworkers' jobs at risk across Europe. Of course: If Ilva can restructure with a new buyer and no taxpayer money it is another story. We need state aid rules, to keep competition fair and to make our economies strong. To reward the companies that produces the best products at the lowest possible costs and with efficient use of resources. Not just the ones that get the best hand-outs from governments. And at the same time we can protect the steel makers form unfair competition from outside of Europa trough anti-dumping measures. That's only fair. Europe has become wealthy, thanks to free trade and open markets. And yet many people don't feel the benefit. They see the executives and shareholders of big companies getting richer. And they ask - where is my share? Competition enforcement isn't the answer to everything. But it can help to stop inequality getting out of hand, by preventing powerful companies from misusing their power to deny anyone else a chance to also succeed. By opening markets for competition, European politicians - ministers from member states and members of the European Parliament - have helped millions of people. Opening up the right to provide phone connections, supply energy or run trains has helped cut prices and raise quality and choice. But it only works if new rivals can enter the market. So competition enforcement also needs to make sure that former monopolies improve their services and don't just try to keep others out of the market. Otherwise, it's the least well off citizens who will suffer most by high prices and low quality. For example, affordable rail transport is important and nearly a fifth of freight within the EU is carried by rail. And that proportion will have to increase, if we're serious about cutting our carbon emissions. So the whole society suffers, if the old rail monopolies can stop competition. Three years ago, the Commission was concerned that Deutsche Bahn was using its monopoly on supplying power to trains to keep competitors out of the market. It was charging prices that seemed to be so high that rivals just couldn't compete. The commitments that the Commission agreed with Deutsche Bahn have worked so well in removing its monopoly over power supply to trains that we've been able to end the commitments two years early. We've also looked into taxation. In the cases we're dealing with, tax authorities have approved arrangements that allowed very profitable multinationals, like Fiat and Starbucks, to avoid paying the tax they should have paid. Meanwhile, SMEs and other standalone companies couldn't get those benefits even if they wanted to. As well as in the cases in Luxembourg and in Netherlands, we have taken a decision on the Belgian excess profits arrangement, which gave tax benefits to at least 35 multinationals. We've opened in-depth investigations into possible illegal state aid/tax benefits in Ireland to Apple, and in Luxembourg to Amazon and McDonald's. And we've looked at more than a thousand tax rulings, as part of an investigation that has been going on since 2013. Of course, competition enforcement alone can't close all the tax loopholes that help multinationals avoid tax. So the Commission has also put forward a whole series of proposals for new legislation. That should help make sure companies pay tax where they make profits. It's vital for the health of our society, not just our economy, that we fix these problems. It is not fair that taxes go up for citizens or that there's no money to provide services to the most vulnerable, when only some companies pay their taxes. All companies should contribute. In this regard, the public country by country reporting on what taxes a multinational company pays is important. The reporting will ensure that large multinationals that operate in the EU have to publish information showing where they made their profits, and where in the EU they paid tax. This sort of transparency is essential to rebuild our confidence in a fair society. Three years of parliamentary inquiries, journalists' investigations and state aid cases have shown that we need to enable citizens, journalists and tax authorities to follow closely the facts of tax. We now need to show people that the system is truly fair. Competition saves both consumers and businesses money. It can save precious resources as water, energy and raw materials. It also makes sure that our system works fairly in finding answers to problems we have in common. The Republican Party, as many observers have noted, is facing the prospect of a long-term decline as a national political party. Since 1992, they have lost four out of the last six presidential elections. And of the other two, in 2000 they lost the popular vote (and quite possibly the electoral vote too if Florida had been accurately tallied); in 2004 they won with just 50.7 percent of the vote. My own view is that Trump will very likely continue this losing streak. But leaving that aside for now, there is no doubt that the Republicans face serious structural problems at the national level. These include changing demographics (their base is overwhelmingly white); the increasing unpopularity of their core ideas; the long-term failure of their economic policies (including some that continued to be advanced and implemented during the Bill Clinton era); the extremism of their electoral base, which makes it more difficult for the party to choose a presidential candidate that can possibly win the general election; and increasing divisions, including along class lines, within the party (which we can see in the Trump insurgency). What, then, appears to be the strategy for a declining political party in the Republicans' situation? It is clear that there are two major elements that have come to the fore in recent years. One is voter suppression, i.e., to reduce the number of voters with a bias toward keeping likely Democratic voters away from the polls. The array of "voter identification" laws passed in recent years is an attempt to reduce turnout: for example, the 2011 law in Wisconsin that requires voters to present government-issued identification in order to vote. It is pretty well established that these laws have nothing to do with preventing fraud. Indeed, the Wisconsin law was originally thrown out by the courts for this reason, only to be reinstated on appeal. (Friday's decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, invalidating a voter identification requirement in North Carolina, could be a significant blow to the national voter suppression effort.) Advertisement The second element is gerrymandering of districts for the House of Representatives. The Republicans have been able to do this by winning control of many state legislatures, which redraw the congressional district boundaries every 10 years, in accordance with the census (most recently in 2010). Since Obama took office in 2009, Republicans won 30 state legislative chambers (913 legislators), 11 governors, and 69 members of the House of Representatives. Although the party opposing the president typically makes some gains in these arenas, these are very large by historical comparisons. The Republicans have had some advantages at the state and local level: local media tends to be more conservative than the national media, and some big Republican donors (e.g., the billionaire Koch brothers) have funded this strategy, since Obama became president, of using state governments to hang onto power by shifting the rules for national elections in their favor. The two strategies are related, since they are both implemented at the state and local level. But I would like to focus on voter suppression, because it raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the Republican Party. If a political party can only be competitive under a system in which a large majority of the adult population (e.g., in US congressional elections) does not vote, how legitimate is that party? Prior to the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960s, millions of African-Americans in the South were excluded from voting. It was this system of disenfranchisement that allowed racist, segregationist politicians to be elected and re-elected, to have powerful positions as committee chairs in Congress, and to block voting and civil rights reforms for many years. Advertisement We do not have the same impediments to voting today that Black people faced in the South in the pre-Civil Rights era. Nonetheless, they are sufficient to make the United States an exceptional country in terms of low voter turnout. Most democracies hold their elections on a non-workday, e.g., a Sunday. They also do not have so many laws and restrictions that keep people from voting, such as requirements for advance registration, and for reregistration after moving. As a result of this "American exceptionalism," the US recently ranked 31 out of 34 countries in the OECD (a group of mostly high-income countries), in voter turnout. And that was based on the 2012 presidential elections in the US, with a 58.3 percent turnout. Non-presidential election years are vastly worse; in 2014 only 35.9 percent of eligible voters participated. That leads to the question of how different our government would be if we had normal levels of voter participation. It seems very likely that it would be quite different, and that Republican chances of winning a majority in Congress would fall drastically, and their already low chances of winning the presidency would also plummet. A study by the Pew Research Center in November 2012 found that nonvoters favored Barack Obama over Mitt Romney by a margin of 59 to 24 percent, while likely voters were evenly divided. Only 27 percent of nonvoters identified as "Republican or lean Republican," as compared to 52 percent "Democrat or lean Democrat," whereas likely voters were again evenly split. Advertisement These differences between nonvoters and votes are enormous, and they help explain why voter suppression has become so important to Republicans in recent years. More survey data is needed, especially for non-presidential election years, where the Republican strategy has given them a grip on the House that is tough to break. But it is pretty clear that voter disenfranchisement is the bedrock of Republican power. As such, the legitimacy of the Republican Party is questionable. Interview with Professor Wayne Baker When it comes to getting what you need to be truly successful in your work, do you struggle to ask for help? Perhaps as you think about asking people to test a new approach you're developing you fear they'll say no and you'll feel rejected. Or when you imagine asking someone to give you a hand managing a difficult customer, you worry that they'll think you're weak. Maybe when you consider seeking out people who might be able to offer new opportunities to develop your strengths, you feel anxious that they'll think you're not good enough. Researchers have found that whilst these are common fears in workplaces, the truth is we are wired to help each other. And that in fact the toughest barrier we face in having our personal and professional needs met in workplaces, is our inability to ask for help. "In many Western cultures we have a strong value of self-reliance and individualism that gets in the way of asking for what we need," explained sociologist Professor Wayne Baker from the University of Michigan when I interviewed him recently. "But studies are finding that smart people and progressive workplaces have discovered that asking for help is the key to success because we need to be able to draw upon the wisdom and resources of crowds." Advertisement Giving cultures - where people don't simply engage in two-party reciprocity but instead create a chain of reciprocity where help is paid forward - have been found to improve productivity, promote learning, and build a climate of trust. In fact, a wealth of research demonstrates the vital role of generalized reciprocity for the health of communities and organizations, as well as for individual health and wellbeing. "By increasing the flow of resources through networks, enabling the combination and recombination of resources, and by increasing the probability that the right resource will get to the appropriate need, reciprocity expands the capacity of an organization," said Wayne. "It enables groups to discover new resources, solve problems faster, and save time and money." So how can we create more giving cultures in even the most traditional workplaces? Wayne recommends three steps: Willingly help others - by building a reputation as someone who genuinely helps others, others will then want to help you - even those you haven't directly helped. This is because the desire to repay help appears to be hard-wired in the human species. For example Xerox instituted a practice of 15 minute huddles, so when someone needed help they could round up the people needed and request a 15-minute huddle. Those asked to help dropped what they were doing and participated, knowing that when they needed help in the future, they too could call huddles. Advertisement However, be aware that the effects of reputation appear to be short lived. An old reputation for helpfulness gets you nothing. You have to continually renew your reputation by helping others on a regular basis. Learn to ask for help - This sound obvious but most of us struggle to be clear about the help we need from others. Try to make your requests for help SMART: Specific; Meaningful (why you need it); Action-oriented (ask for something to be done); Real (authentic, not made up); and Time-bound (when you need it). For example, Professor Adam Grant at Wharton Business School allows a few students in his class to present requests and invites the whole class to contribute. He encourages them to ask for anything meaningful in their professional or personal lives, ranging from job leads to travel tips. Drawn in by the empathy ignited by a meaningful request, students often report being surprised by how much they want to help others. Run a reciprocity ring - a guided, structured process of asking for and giving help, this approach has been used in Bristol-Myers Squibb, IBM, Boeing, Citigroup, Estee Lauder, UPS, and many other organizations. Typically a group works together for about two-and-a-half hours to make requests of each other, and find ways to share connections, knowledge, ideas and resources. It is estimated the monetary value of benefits achieved for groups typically exceeds150,000 and the time saved by participants typically exceeds 1,600 hours. In a reciprocity ring because everyone is making a request, people's fears about asking for help are easily overcome. Not only that, but because everyone is publicly being encouraged to behave like givers, people willingly step forward to help others - even the takers in groups have been found to give three times more than they get. You can learn more about running a reciprocity ring by clicking here or get the Give&Get app for a virtual team. Advertisement What can you do to create a more giving culture in your workplace? I am back from the Democratic convention, and beyond all the socializing and speeches, it made me reflective about these weird, wild, but truly historic times. Those of us who are part of the progressive movement should understand that we are living in a moment of unique opportunity, if only we choose to seize it. One of the on-going dynamics this year at the convention was the presence of so many passionate Bernie people. Some of them were involved in various kinds of protests, fueled in part by their understandable anger over the wikileaks email release that forced Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign. But most of them were doing the regular delegate thing of participating in the life of the convention, and it was so good to see them there. As a long time progressive movement organizer, I was truly delighted to see people at a Democratic convention who looked and talked like the kinds of grassroots lefties I have seen at a hundred rallies and Netroots Nation kind of events. The angst that a lot of movement people have over Hillary Clinton, though, reminded me that I need to write something I haven't yet written in this election cycle: why I am genuinely excited about a Hillary Clinton presidency. A lot of progressive folks think of Hillary as the establishment, and associate her with Bill Clinton initiatives such as NAFTA and the repeal of Glass-Steagall, even though she had little involvement in those issues. That association led many people to support Bernie, and- especially as the primary's intensity racheted up- to be suspicious of Hillary in every way. Most Bernie people will, sooner or later, follow his lead in supporting Hillary, mainly because Trump is so awful. But I want to make a strong argument that this election is important not just because Donald Trump is such a terrible man. We progressives have a lot of reasons to get genuinely excited, first of all because the bigger prospects in this election: if we get fired up and show genuine enthusiasm, if we build the movement and engage with progressive voters, we can turn this into a wave election. A big turnout of people of color, young people, unmarried women, and other progressive segments of the electorate could mean that we sweep this nasty Republican Congress out of power, and that we start to take back from the far right conservatives local officials up and down the ballot. Beyond building such a wave, though, I also want my progressive friends to understand that Hillary Clinton is not the caricature that either the right wing attack machine or some progressive critics think she is. There is more you need to know about the Hillary Clinton I got to know in the 1990s. A little background on me. I came out of progressive movement organizing starting when I was in high school. I was involved in student organizing, cut my teeth with an Alinsky style coalition of community organizations, and did environmental and labor organizing. In the last couple of decades I have worked or consulted for, helped start, or otherwise been involved with a wide variety of progressive organizations and issue coalitions. I have been a proud died in the wool lefty organizer for almost 40 years. But because I moved to Iowa in the 1980s, I also got to know a lot of the people who do presidential politics, and after Bill Clinton won the primary fight in 1992, I was convinced to join his campaign to help out in organizing progressives. After Clinton won that election, I was the Constituencies Director in the transition, and then became a Special Assistant to the President, where again my main focus was engaging with the progressive world, mostly on budget and economic issues and the health care fight. I got to know Hillary Clinton very well in those years, and I think a lot of my progressive allies would be surprised by the stories I am about to tell you. Hillary Clinton gets a lot of blame for the Clinton era policies progressives don't like, but what people don't understand is that she was the leading advocate for progressive policies in Bill Clinton's administration. As the main person working with progressive groups to push things in a more progressive direction, Hillary was the one I would go to help me fight those battles, and she consistently went to bat for me. One of the earliest examples: in an early budget meeting in 1993, Bob Rubin was pushing hard for lowering the deficit, and at one point he suggested we cut back on the increase we had laid out in the campaign for the Earned Income Tax Credit for the working poor. I spoke up at the meeting in opposition to Rubin, but I knew that in a battle of me vs. Rubin, I had no chance, so I went to Hillary, and she immediately got fully engaged. We quickly won that fight. That pattern played out again and again over the time I was in the Clinton White House: whenever I was in a pitched battle with more conservative people in the administration, Hillary was my ally in making our proposed legislation better. Even on issues she wasn't working on much at all because she was so focused on health care reform and other budget issues, she had my back. For example on NAFTA, she supported me when I tried to get the US Trade Rep's office to at least listen to progressives who had concerns about NAFTA. On health care reform, she was a fierce advocate for a more progressive bill than a lot of the DLC types wanted to pass. Very early in the process, our chief lobbyist told her we should dramatically scale back the bill because it would be too tough to pass, and- her voice rising- she said "there are children in America dying every day because they don't have health care, and you want me to back down because we think this will be hard? It is our job to fight for those dying kids, don't tell me to give up before we even make the fight." At another point, we were in a meeting talking through some policy ideas being pushed by business lobbyists and some inside the administration, and she just said flatly "these guys want the HMOs to have the power to run everything. That is ridiculous, they are not getting their way." She fought off efforts by the health care industry to get us to strip out the provision of our bill that gave the states full freedom to pursue the single payer option, and she insisted that our bill make businesses carry more of the load for health care than individuals. Hillary fought for that bill until the very end. I remember organizing a big meeting for progressive leaders close to the end, and I have never seen her fighting spirit better, as she rallied advocates to keep fighting the good fight. When the bill finally died, she immediately started talking to Teddy Kennedy and other congressional leaders about what we could do to at least get children covered, and the eventual result was the CHIP program, which today covers 8 million kids. Another thing I loved about Hillary was the way she mentored and empowered progressive women and women of color. Her Chief of Staff, Maggie Williams, is an African-American woman who had come out of the Children's Defense Fund. Her Deputy COS, Melanne Verveer, had come out of People For the American Way. Her scheduler (and later 2008 campaign manager), Patti Solis, was a feisty young Latina. Her eventual COS at the State Dept, Cheryl Mills, is African-American. Two great young women of color, Huma Abedin (still on her staff) and Neera Tanden (now President of the Center for American Progress, a leading progressive think tank) started out as very young women in her office, and she saw their potential and mentored them into the powerhouses they now become. Hillary's office was a dynamic place in the Clinton administration, where many of the most progressive people and ideas found their champion. Hillary is also a really good human being. Chelsea's amazing speech last night reminded of one time when I was with Hillary in the residence when Chelsea, who was at that awkward middle school age when most kids and parents can barely stand each other, came into the room. They both looked so happy to see each other, such genuine love and affection. When her staffers would have babies and bring them to work, she would sweep them into her arms with joy. She would always take time out of her totally crazy schedule to spend a few minutes with a staff person's parents or other family or friends who came to town, and when people she knew would get sick, Hillary would always call to check in on them. I have so many other stories I could tell about the Hillary Clinton that I know would surprise my progressive allies, but I just want to say this: I know that us progressive movement folks won't agree with Hillary Clinton on every issue when she becomes president. There will be plenty of powerful big business interests, as well as those in Congress that she has to work every day with, pushing her to support the usual pro-corporate policies. There will be plenty of conservative defense industry types and generals wanting her to be more aggressive militarily. We will have to work our hearts out after she is elected to influence her, her appointees, and the House and Senate to do the right thing. But this election is in no way the lesser of two evils. Yes, it is important to beat Trump, and we should never lose sight of that imperative. But progressives should also understand that it is equally important to elect Hillary president because we will have a genuine chance to get a lot of good things done in a Hilary Clinton presidency. The Hillary I know has deep progressive values and a big heart. She will work with us on a lot of issues, and will move our direction if we organize effectively even when she starts out in a place we don't like initially. This election is a choice between the most openly bigoted man to run for president since the early 1900s and a woman who has genuinely fought on behalf of progressive values her entire life. With our enthusiastic support, we could help her create a wave election that will decimate Trumpism for a long time to come, and give our ideas a genuine chance to become policy. We need to get to work. This post was co-authored by:Dr. NAKE M. KAMRANY, University of Southern CaliforniaCole Kosydar, University of Pennsylvania At the NATO summit in Warsaw, German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered her support for a continued NATO presence in Afghanistan, citing a need to stem the persistently high levels of Afghan immigration to Germany and Europe. In 2015, Afghans were second only to Syrians as Germany's largest migrant group, a stark reminder that war and social strife have continued unabated in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion more than a decade ago. Before the summit, President Obama announced that 8,400 U.S. soldiers would also remain in Afghanistan through the end of the year, reneging on an earlier promise to withdraw all American forces from the country by the end of his tenure in office. In addressing what has become American's longest war, the President pointed to circumstances on the ground - a resurgent Taliban, the ongoing Syrian war, and a diminished but still lethal threat from Isis in the region- as reasons for a continued U.S. military presence. After 14 years, however, it is circumspect to justly ask what, if anything, has the U.S. invasion and occupation achieved? And how can we address the current social crisis? Since President Bush gave his imprimatur that Afghanistan would never again be a base for terrorists to attack the West, America has suffered 2,215 casualties, while it is estimated that over 92,000 people have been killed in Afghanistan with around 26,000 Afghan civilians dying violent deaths. The war has cost American taxpayers well over 1 trillion dollars and flooded Afghanistan with financial aid grants and loans that have left the country essentially dependent on a wartime economy. This confluence of violent warfare and economic strife has created an exodus of over 1.2 million people leaving for safer shores. Advertisement We argue that there is a better way forward in Afghanistan other than just the military option. More troops alone will not defeat the Taliban or solve Afghanistan's emigration problem. The solution needs to be based on political engagement and economic development, both at a micro level. This would encourage state building and economic reconstruction. Politically, coalition forces should forget the hopeless task of creating a federal central government and seek to empower local tribes to govern themselves as they historically have. The Taliban should also be included as part of the rebuilding process. It would be easier to nullify the Taliban's influence diplomatically on a local level rather than through force; after all, the Taliban's only influence is force. Coalition forces shouldn't continue to engage with the Taliban on their own terms. Economically, the U.S. and IMF should increase micro loans not to the Afghan government, but to local tribal councils, bypassing the avenues of corruption inherent in the government structure. Instead of eradicating poppy plantations, which only drives angry farmers into the hands of the Taliban, coalitions forces should focus on building rural infrastructure that would allow for the development of alternative crops. These capacity building projects take longer, but would be more sustainable and would give Afghans a greater opportunity to become more economically enfranchised at home, thus preventing the lure of the Taliban and the need for mass migration. The task ahead is tiresome but we believe economic development and political engagement at a micro-level is the best way forward, least we be haunted by Oscar Wilde's words from the first Anglo-Afghan War. Advertisement Tallulah is a gem - a midsummer gem, an indie gem, a Juno gem-again, a why we love small movies gem. Perfect and glittery and compact in large part because of the pristinely talented women who joined forces to crush this film that premieres Friday July 29 on Netflix and in selected theaters. Sian Heder, a writer for Orange Is the New Black wrote and directed this movie that brings Juno's Ellen Page and Allison Janney together again along with a breath-taking performance by Tammy Blanchard as the World's Worst Mother. The story comes from a real-life experience Heder once had while working as a hotel babysitter in Los Angeles and was asked to look after a toddler whose train wreck of a parent had checked in to pursue an affair. Tempted at the time to rescue the child, she turned the experience in a short film called Mother and then expanded it into Tallulah. Ellen Page plays the title role as the homeless young drifter who has come to New York looking for the boyfriend who abandoned her and is mistaken for a hotel worker by the already wasted and spanx-clad Carolyn who throws cash at her to watch her one-year-old Madison while she steps out for the night. Only this time the babysitter takes the baby and runs - right to the missing boyfriend's mom Margo - played to nuanced perfection by Alison Janney. Mercurial and always mad at somebody since her husband left her for a man and her son left her for Tallulah, but so funny and great you just want to stay with her anyway. Advertisement So the trio begins - Tallulah, stolen baby Madison and professionally angry Margo - but alas and of course, this misguided but magical center can't hold. The baby has to be found by police and returned to her mother and that's when this film takes off and becomes not just good but excellent. Tammy Blanchard as blowsy, drunk, wounded Carolyn shows us what it looks like to realize you have really done the worst thing in the world and experience true shame. You honestly have to see this to believe it - we both understand and almost forgive. All of this delivered with a light touch, an easy mix of tension, sadness and humor and some crystalline supporting performances including Uzo Aduba as the pregnant police officer helping lead the search for baby Madison and John Benjamin Hickey as the soon to be ex-husband of Margo. Oh, there is also some weightlessness. I interviewed Sian Heder this week about her film: Nancy Doyle Palmer: So much of this film is about abandonment - Tallulah was abandoned by her mother as a child and later by her boyfriend. Baby Madison's mother Carolyn is the epitome of neglect and rejection; Margo's husband has left her for a man. Yet lots of others are there to pick up the pieces - Lu(Tallulah) rescues Madison, Margo rescues Lu, the police eventually rescue Madison. Can you share how you used these themes to maximum effect? Sian Heder: A lot people have picked up on that and been moved by it in the audience, particularly women who approach me after the film and say it resonated with feelings of abandonment in their own lives. I'm interested in lost characters, in people whose own families have failed or disappointed them and are forced to go out in the world and make their own way, make their own connections. This really is a film about both looking for a mother and becoming a mother and all three characters, Tallulah, Carolyn and Margo are all doing that in their own way. Advertisement NDP: Another theme is gravity - without giving anything a way, two characters deal with a loss of it at the start and end of the film - what compelled you to include this visual element? SH: I think particularly with everything going crazy in the world right now I'm struck by the fact that we are all stuck together here on the planet, for better or worse and we're forced to bump up together as human beings and figure it out short of the decision to exit the planet or die. We're in this life and confronted by our own humanity and each other, so gravity became the theme to me of what it is to be alive and forced to deal. NDP: The 800 lb. gorilla is Tallulah is motherhood - lots of, uh, challenged parenting here -and I understand you directed this film while pregnant with your second child. You present the spectrum of good and bad maternal instincts here while seeming to withhold judgement, how did you do that? SH: I became a mother while I was trying to get the film made and if you looked at drafts I wrote before that event it was a less complicated story and my villain was a much clearer villain, but later I found that I related more to Carolyn once I had a child, and I related to Margo more as well. It's hard to pass judgement when you have to deal with your own personal failings or the guilt that you're not doing it right. My own experience with these conflicted feelings gave me a lot more compassion for my characters. Recently a friend came over with her 2 month old and just asked me if she was ever going to get it back, get herself back, and I told her you will, but it's different. There is this huge sense of grief for your sense of self that no one warns you about - it forever changes and transforms you. Advertisement NDP: The other astonishing portrayal in Tallulah is Tammy Blanchard's Carolyn who behaves so despicably and then experiences shame in a way I've never seen done more movingly. Were you surprised by her performance? SH: From the moment Tammy walked into the room for her audition and started to say Carolyn's words, there was no judgement coming from her towards that character. I think she deeply loved her and had been through some things in her own life, and came to embody Carolyn as sexy and somehow dangerous, intensely vulnerable and childlike and lost. You don't know whether to hug her or run away or push her out of the room. You are having simultaneous conflicting emotions because she's a completely lost soul and not a joke, or a villain. NDP: While many people hold baby Madison only Tallulah ever looks at her directly and really sees her. Was this intentional? SH: We actually did have a scene with just Margo and the baby but decided we didn't need it because this was not the primary relationship. You know Margo is going to love that child because he's a connection to her son, but the relationship that is driving the biggest transformation is between Tallulah and the baby as she discovers the nurturer inside her. In a way she kidnaps herself, taking on the responsibility of being loved and needed. It gave her a sense of discovery, an awakening within her of the innocence of the child. And in real life that connection also happened between baby Evie and Ellen - Ellen had warned us at the start that she wasn't a baby person but by the last shot Ellen was in real hysterical tears when she gave the baby up - I think she took a journey as well in terms of bonding, after holding this little baby for 22 days straight. Advertisement NDP: Has your work on OITNB helped inform this films similar message that there are often good reasons for even the worst kind of behavior - the backstory as redemption? The last time I was with the highly-respected international journalist Christiane Amanpour was on a rooftop in Calcutta for a CNN interview during the days of Mother Teresa's funeral. On that memorable day September 12, 1997, the popular reporter was in military fatigues, like a war correspondent. In Cleveland, we encountered each other again on the "front-lines of history." This time at the GOP Convention, both wearing navy blue pantsuits with the star-spangled banner back-drop of red, white and blue stars and stripes. At first it felt like re-connecting was mutually uplifting. But by the time we parted it seemed as though the iconic global news person may have actually been more comfortable had she been once again in protective attire. The "shock and awe" on her face when she interviewed me live asking what seemed to be a gotcha question, but in fact there was only one possible true response. Holding the mike-recorder close to my face passionately grilling me in her well-known authoritative style and commanding tone, she demanded to know who would Mother Teresa vote for? Without missing a heart-beat I smiled and exclaimed "Trump of course!" Stunned Christiane blurted out, "But why?" I joyfully responded, "Because Trump is Pro-Life." This high-powered professional gasped a deep breath and instantly re-loaded her journalistic persona as the sparks ignited in her eyes, then she came at me aggressively glaring with the argument, "What about Trump being pro-choice in the past?" Firmly I responded, "Donald Trump is Pro-Life." I know categorically by first-hand experience with Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity around the world, that being "pro-life" is the single most important political and spiritual position that matters most to this beloved saint and to all people of faith. Those who profess to follow Judeo-Christian teachings must vote for "pro-life" candidates or they choose humanism over the Sacred and Divine. Advertisement "Culture of Hardness of Heart" The politically convenient, cowardice position that Tim Kaine holds of being "personally against abortion" but then supporting abortion on demand legislation, proudly acclaiming his 100% voting record with Planned Parenthood is anti-Catholic. Because it is totally contrary to the Divine Teachings of Jesus Christ. And Hillary Clinton brazenly touting her photo-op with Mother Teresa as some sort of endorsement from the "Saint of Unborn Children" is a travesty. Nuns in her order candidly share that Hillary Clinton, when she ran for the U.S. Senate, was told by Sister Nirmala first successor of Mother Teresa to stop promoting the photo of her with Mother Teresa because Mother would never support Hillary's political position on abortion and life. Tim Kaine, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and other "Catholic" politicians that succumb to being "wolves in sheep's clothing" are on a slippery-slope for their future since they have great influence over many souls. Every-time a politician stands up for Planned Parenthood being able to kill a child in the womb, they stand against God. Even renowned feminist Naomi Wolf spoke out and said we must call abortion what it really is- "a mother killing her child" and "a culture of hardness of heart." Where is the "heart" when someone lies so easily to mothers who lost their sons in Benghazi or to girls aspiring to be leaders with the lie that it's okay for a woman to kill her baby, as it is only her body and her life that matters. That is the biggest lie, because it leads to depression and untold consequences. An "Illumination of Conscience" for politicians who allow and promote abortion as a "human right" validating the national disgrace of killing babies in the womb, is a national emergency. It is recorded that more than 60 million innocent American lives have been slaughtered by abortion since the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court legalized this atrocity and infanticide. Abortion has now reached the magnitude of more loss of life than the fatal devastation of World War II. The fact is there is only one truly Supreme Court and it is not in Washington D.C. So for politicians walking the tight-rope of "faith or politics," be careful. It is not any man nor woman whom ultimately decides your future. "For what shall it profit a man [or woman], if he [or she] shall gain the whole world, and lose his [or her) own soul? (Matthew 8:6)." Those who sell their souls to the devil for fleeting fame and fortune, lose the only election that matters-eternal life. The Democrat Party has good, caring people but sadly the leadership has allowed dark, self-centered and greed-driven influences to transform it into the "party of hardened hearts"- it has a platform now which is undeniably anti-motherhood, anti-children, anti-adoption, anti-life, anti-love and anti-peace. Christiane Amanpour, whom I admire immensely for her courage and outspoken opinions of global issues asked the pertinent question for this election: Who would Mother Teresa vote for to be President of the United States? The only answer is Donald Trump with the Republican Party Platform, because Democrats have abandoned children in favor of supporting the grossly profitable industry of abortion, from forced taxpayer funding to the creepy sale of fetal parts for profit. The GOP is the only "party pro-life with open hearts" promoting adoption. Mother Teresa prayed to God that He continue to use her to help people find love in this world and attain eternal life. America-Please Listen to Mother Teresa Seriously consider her direct words to Hillary Clinton in 1994 at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C.: Advertisement We are talking of love of the child, which is where love and peace must begin. But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - a direct killing of the innocent child - murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. And for this... I appeal everywhere: "Let us bring the child back." The child is God's gift to the family. Each child is created in the special image and likeness of God for greater things - to love and to be loved. This is the only way that our children are the only hope for the future. As other people are called to God, only their children can take their places. From our children's home in Calcutta alone, we have saved over 3000 children from abortion. These children have brought such love and joy to their adopting and have grown up so full of love and joy. "Let Us Bring The Child Back" The John Paul II Life Center in Austin, Texas is a model of what is possible for saving lives of children and helping families. During my visit there I learned that the most loving ways to help a mother and child is to provide ultrasounds, counseling and adoption assistance. Advertisement Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, is the leading organization providing abortions on demand permanently harming mothers and children. The 2016 GOP Platform specifically calls them out regarding abortion and supports withholding taxpayer funding for any organization which aborts children and sells fetal parts. As a member of the 2016 GOP Platform Committee it was gratifying to be part of the work that by God's grace strengthened our position on life to include supporting funding for ultrasounds and adoption assistance to help mothers, their babies and families find love and experience joy. In closing, I invited Christiane Amanpour to please join me at the canonization of Mother Teresa as a saint this September with the Holy Father, Pope Francis. I hope she is present for this joyful historic event and I have the privilege of meeting her again. Co-authored by Amanda Garza, an Art History and Archaeology student at Boston University and also a closet political junkie and sci-fi nerd. Beaming with pride and flanked by his family, Donald Trump swaggered to the stage of the Republican National Convention to accept the party's nomination for president. "I'm rich. I'm a player. I have successful children. I'm here to protect America from the progressives and immigrants who are ruining it. Did I mention that I'm rich?" That night, Trump aimed to portray himself as an unflappable American success. The American Dream was the green light that blinked on the horizon in The Great Gatsby, the suburbs that would become a model for how to live, and now, Republicans are letting Trump as a hatred-fueled amalgam of submissive women, racial homogeneity and material excess. At the core of the American Dream is the notion of family values. Without a family, how could the family-friendly suburbs designed by William Levitt in the 1950s exist? Suburbs were more than a construction project; they defined a culture. Republicans have always stressed "family values." A nice (white) nuclear family of four comprised of income-earning father, doting mother and their "modern" children. This toxic ideal is what Republicans strive for and what Trump wanted to display at the RNC - an article in The New York Times made the distinction between Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump's roles at the RNC. An old-fashioned wife stripped of her ambitions and a modern daughter with professional aspirations. This ideal is romanticized by misty-eyed Republicans, who look to this ideal the same way they look at a whiter, less LGBTQ-friendly America. Advertisement This is nothing new for the Republicans who have touted themselves as the Party of Family Values for decades. Family activists Mia Birdsong and Nicole Rodgers noted the declining popularity of this type of family. "At its peak in the late 1950s, 65 percent of children were living in this type of "traditional" nuclear family unit (with a father employed and mother out of the labor force). Today, it's just 22 percent. In other words, the "traditional" nuclear family unit is diminishing. And yet, antiquated workplaces, like many outdated institutions, have survived, against all logic, because of a nostalgia for a version of family that we have outgrown." While family values are a key component of the American Dream, it is only one component. The American Dream is a lofty checklist designed to be exclusive, contrary to its widely-marketed messages of inclusivity. It is formally defined as "The belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone." What we are witnessing is how much definitions stray from reality. The notion of "work for what you want" is not unique to America. And while it is true that the United States is more conducive for upward mobility than some other countries, upward mobility is designed so that it benefits those who are already relatively well off. Hardly a day can pass without police shooting civilians for being black, cutting their lives short and depriving them of the opportunity to have a future. Advertisement Amidst four-day of pinning for the by-gone golden days" of yore and raucous bluster, as Republican politicians like Chris Christie attempted to "Trump-Up" their rhetoric to fit the new party mold, it is surprising to see Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz's speeches stand out. As chair of the RNC, Ryan took to the stage to deliver his own address to the Republican Party on Tuesday, his immediate exclamation of his pride at "addressing the 41st convention of 'the Party of Lincoln'" took on a new tone of irony as he stood engulfed in the Party of Trump. Ryan then recalled his loss in 2012 as Republican candidate Mitt Romney's running mate, reminding all American's who thought it couldn't get any worse than the looped videos of Romney laughing that plagued cable news four years ago. In reaction to his defeat Ryan describe himself as "a positive guy"; an attitude reflected in his speech. Ryan's speech on Tuesday's Make American Work Again followed Monday's Make American Safe Again. Monday's theme was soundly mocked by web, TV and radio pundits alike as Make America Fear Again after a day and night of often harried and at times outright hysterical warnings against illegal immigration and terror. In contrast, Ryan's speech hearkened back to the toned-down "compassionate conservatism" that until recently was seen as an effective selling point. In light of this it is unsurprising that his support of Trump appeared less than clear cut. Ryan falls into a gray area regarding his support of Trump. While he has formally endorsed Trump, he has consistently refused to offer any substantive praise of him. Trump's name was only mentioned twice in Ryan's 12 and half minute speech. In addition, the opposing party's nominee-- and the one candidate the GOP proved at the RNC it is most passionate about-- Hillary Clinton, was only mentioned by name three times. Conversely, the sum total of the Democratic Party was mentioned six times and a unified Republican Party was referenced twelve times. Such speech craftsmanship suggests that Ryan's aim in his speech, and in his position as Speaker, is not necessarily to unify the GOP behind Trump but behind the unflagging conservative principles that he believes will win his oft praised "contest of the ideas" against the Democrats. This subtle approach to subverting the vicelike grip that Trump currently has over the party may go down in history as the best speech of the convention. Key to this tenor was his quantifiably verifiable optimistic tone. Ryan's speech was composed of roughly 36% negative rhetoric employed largely against the Democrats and buoyed by 64% positive rhetoric in support of the Republican Party platform-- a curiosity during a convention that fielded cries to lock up Clinton His measured point-by-point take down of the Democratic Party platform, and what he believes the Republicans offer as "the great enduring alternative party," was respectful, pragmatic and designed to spark, not quell, debate. Despite the headlines Ryan has garnered for carefully distancing himself from Trump, Ted Cruz's speech will likely be remembered as one of the boldest political moves in Republican convention history. Cruz's speech was predictably fierier than Ryan's. He immediately aimed a gut at the bleeding hearts of the GOP with an emotional opening monologue about a slain Dallas police officer. Throughout his speech he stirred the liberty loving spirits of the congregated party faithful, and those watching at home, with repeated appeals to the GOP stated commitment to assuring the "freedoms" of Americans-- in fact, he used the word freedom a whopping 26 times. But amidst the overwhelming appeals to America's historic obsession with the term "liberty," what was not being said quickly reached the loudest tenor. As his speech neared its end chants of "Endorse!" and "Trump!" began to fill the air but left Cruz largely unfazed. As the rabble reached a fever pitch, Cruz who appears to have been registering the temperature in the room, squared his shoulders firmly towards to the camera and spoke through the growing din, "stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution," before returning his gaze to the raucous crowd. Minutes later Cruz exited the stage to a deafening chorus of "boos" but this moment may reveal his true motivation. While pundits and politicians alike were quick to decry this moment as "political suicide," Cruz in likelihood did not view it as such, or even as a real embarrassment. As perhaps the most reviled member of Congress, who former Speaker of the House John Boehner called "Lucifer in the Flesh," Ted Cruz appears to thrive on the hatred of others. He views his most valuable quality as his own integrity and in that moment, he looked past the rabble who loath him to his most valuable commodity, the voters. In the run up to the Republican primary, Cruz appeared reassured by the anti-establishment climate in the GOP but was out maneuvered in his race to rally to the party's passionate fringe by Trump. Far from being purely a sore loser, it is critical to remember that Cruz's opposition to Trump stems from the insults Trump hurled at Cruz's father and wife. His own ego and stalwart stance behind his personal integrity may compel him towards "political suicide" instead of becoming Trump's "servile puppy" but a more complex political calculus may be at play. Ted Cruz's brand has been to act as the far-right conscience of the establishment, which Donald Trump is now a part of.. At long last, Cruz has the opportunity to reposition himself to the right of Trump's new establishment. While the establishment may revile Cruz, he shaped his campaign bid around what he believes is the trust, and perhaps even the respect, he believes the GOP base has for him. He is in all likelihood playing the long game, maintaining his own credentials as the ultimate outsider to position himself for 2020 or perhaps even 2024. Trump's continued attacks on him show that Cruz just may be right. Scrolling through my Facebook feed a few weeks ago, I noticed that the young woman whose bat mitzvah I officiated just weeks after being ordained as a rabbi a dozen years ago had walked down the aisle as a bride. That, combined with the realization that my oldest child will become a bar mitzvah early next year, caused me to feel nostalgic and also to consider how the bar and bat mitzvah training process has changed over the years. While the bar mitzvah ceremony is a relatively new institution in Judaism, it hasn't changed much in terms of what the bar mitzvah boy or bat mitzvah girl actually does in the synagogue service. Of course, the ceremony differs from synagogue to synagogue, and what a girl is allowed to do for her bat mitzvah ceremony varies in Orthodox congregations and in some Conservative congregations. What has certainly changed in recent years is how these Jewish teens are trained for their coming of age ceremony and how the synagogues handle the process. During my final year of rabbinical school I was serving a fledgling synagogue community in Northern Virginia while attending classes in New York City and living in News Jersey. The few b'nai mitzvah students I had to train that year met with me mostly over a speaker phone. I remember that when I had the opportunity to meet with these teens in person during one of my weekend visits to the congregation I realized how much of the important interaction I was missing because I couldn't see their faces during our tutoring sessions. The technology to tutor them virtually through video conferencing was not yet available. Today, many bar and bat mitvah tutors are training Jewish teens who live hundreds or even thousands of miles away thanks to the advent of such video conferencing apps as Skype, Google Hangouts, Zoom and Apple FaceTime. Even beyond these communication apps, there are other technological tools being used to allow for a more interactive bar mitzvah training experience. Many online tutors use the Trope Trainer application, a computer software that has lessons, blessings and full readings for students. There is no shortage of online options for the parents looking for virtual training for their child's bar mitzvah preparations. In many cases, it is the family that is unaffiliated with a congregation that is looking to use technology for training. However, with busy extracurricular schedules for the teens and hectic work responsibilities for their parents, it is oftentimes easier for teens to be trained at home in front of a screen. All of these new options for bar mitzvah training mean that congregations need to keep track of where and how their teens are being trained. They also have to manage the entire process of training and meeting the several benchmarks in place for the b'nai mitzvah program. One rabbi in Canada is bringing the bar mitzvah management process into the Digital Age. Vancouver Rabbi Dan Moskovitz has created a groundbreaking b'nai mitzvah management platform to make the process much easier for congregations utilizing distance tutoring in a more personable way. He is the rabbi of a large congregation, but as a hobby he develops software programs to help manage synagogue operations and education programs. He recently released Mitzvah Tools 2.0. Many congregations in the various Jewish denominations across North America already hold subscriptions to the original version of Mitzvah Tools, which is the first cloud-based management system for b'nai mitzvah. Over the years, congregations of all sizes have relied on this desktop app to maintain recordings of Torah readings, schedule appointments with students, track tutoring notes, participation honors and handle assignments. Thirteen years later, Moskovitz has teamed up with a cantor to augment the original software. The new version of Mitzvah Tools is completely cloud-based and mobile friendly. It promises to transform the bar and bat mitzvah educational process for congregations making critical information and valuable resources easily accessible to participants like tutors, clergy, students and parents. Rabbis, cantors and bar mitzvah tutors will be able to use the Mitzvah Tools app to make multi-media rich assignments and tasks for students, maintain service notes, schedule appointments, initiate video chats for remote learning and maintain their congregation's own limitless online resource bank of audio, video and text files accessible to each student at any time. "The expectations placed upon the b'nai mitzvah in the training process has not changed much in several generations, but the students, educators and parents have changed dramatically," Moskovitz explains. "Students now have more demands on their time, with extracurricular activities and hours of homework making huge demands on them. Mitzvah Tools allows students to study wherever and whenever they can with all of their materials right on their phone, including initiating a Skype/FaceTime session with a tutor with just a click of a button." For parents, who are managing multiple calendars and projects, Mitzvah Tools creates organization. The app syncs appointment calendars, online scheduling, instant threaded messaging with the education team and an online resource bank that has every kernel of information about the b'nai mitzah process. Moskovitz correctly points out that with today's prevalence of intermarriage in the Jewish community, many parents of Jewish teens did not experience the bar or bat mitzvah training process in their youth so an application like Mitzvah Tools is helpful in that regard as well. For educators, Mitzvah Tools provides one place for notes, files, assignments, calendar, honors during the service and important contact information. In a previous generation, many tutors kept a binder, which was never seen by rabbis or cantors. Now, however, everyone can be on the same page. In multi-clergy/multi-tutor environments this is an extremely helpful program. "Until Mitzvah Tools came along, in order to keep track of the more than 100 students under my supervision or tutoring, I had to carry around a 4 inch ring binder, in which each child had their own pages," said Cantor Mark Britowich of Temple Judea in California. "With Mitzvah Tools, I can now manage these students easily. Everything I need to know is visible on whatever device I use and I maintain each child's file so that everyone on our staff can see exactly what the student is working on." Mitzvah Tools is the perfect solution for distance learning with an online project management system, remote video chat and threaded discussions between students and educator the tutoring room in now in the cloud. In small, rural communities in which it is challenging to find bar mitzvah tutors, an online tutor can be engaged and with the use of Mitzvah Tools, the rabbi or other congregational designate can monitor the student's progress from the online dashboard and join in the process every step of the way. "It is not like the Internet was just invented, but if you're still getting CDs and photocopies from your congregation, having to call to schedule appointments you'd never know it," Moskovitz said. "Mitzvah Tools changes all that for the better." "Mitzvah Tools has been such a huge help for our son and his bar mitzvah studies," said Sharon Goldberg of Florida. "Having all of his recordings online and being able to schedule or reschedule his tutoring sessions from my phone makes it so much easier to stay on top of this whole process." Twelve year old Jewish teens will continue to celebrate their bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies as their grandparents did before them, but the preparation process has been changed thanks to new technology. Online training websites and virtual tutors will become the norm for how these teens prepare for their milestone event on the Jewish lifecycle and new applications like Mitzvah Tools will help ensure the process is organized and managed appropriately. World's tallest peak Mt. Everest is famous across the world. Thousands of people from across the world come to Nepal to climb Mt.Everest. It is the tallest peak in the world. For the courageous people, climbing Everest is their identity. Ang Gyaljen Sherpa. Who was born in Solukhumbu District of Nepal is a person who has worked as a guide of Everest expedition team and helped save lives of many people. When he reaches the peak, he feels that his life has become successful. Sherpa feels proud of being a Nepali and reiterates his experience of having scaled Mt. Everest to be like reaching heaven and remembers his tears of joy when he reached the peak. Sherpa who has already scaled Mt.Everest for 3 times plans to scale the Denali mountain of America this time. He has a strong tie with Himalayas. Sherpa who has spent majority of his time among the snow is no different than a snow leopard. Ang Gyaljen Sherpa is a snow leopard himself. He is a highly educated Sherpa. He has great knowledge of different languages like French, Japanese, Hindi, English, Tibetan etc. When somebody is looking for a Sherpa who can speak many tongues, his name comes in the front. He is rich in many talents. Sherpa has scaled many other mountains in Asia and Europe. On May 29 2013, Sherpa scaled Sagarmatha with the message of world peace taking pictures of Gautam Buddha, American President Barack Obama and religious leader Dalai Lama to the summit of the Everest. Sherpa has now reached America. Sherpa saving lives of many people among snow storms have been covered by media many times. He has many fans in Nepal. He is not just limited in Nepal. He has scaled many summits in Europe and scaled Sagarmatha three different times. When asked how he feels about coming to America Sherpa says," I feel proud that I am able to convey the message of Buddha in a nation of dreams." America is a home to all because it is a nation of immigrants. Advertisement The photos were shocking. People, weak with hunger, ravaged after years of war. Forced to leave their homes -- they had very little. To see their predicament in the modern age was almost incomprehensible. This new world was supposed to usher in an era of peace but two wars and many years of uncertainty and conflict had left more questions than answers. In the middle of it all were people who no longer had a home, and were desperately in need of assistance. The year was 1951 and everyone was trying to pick up the pieces after two world wars. This is how the United Nations Refugee Convention was born. Syrian refugees arrive on the small Greek island of Lesbos Image: Pablo Tosco / Oxfam Today, despite the views of some national figures in the US, it is widely accepted - in principle if not in practice - that no person should be returned to a country where there is a serious threat to their life or freedom. Refugees' rights to freedom and survival are largely taken for granted today because our grandparents had the compassion to welcome the stranger in their midst and the foresight to enshrine that practice into international law. The Refugee Convention was a promise that one day , people would once again be on the move, leaving everything they know and loved because they simply have no other choice. Six decades later, the world is once again in the midst of upheaval. War is still waged by the powerful at the expense of the powerless. We're fearful for our family and friends in the wake of so much violence and the seemingly unending headlines of attacks, abuse, and conflict. It seems like every day the loss of life becomes greater, the violence more pronounced. Today, with more people displaced by violence and conflict since World War II, we are facing the same test. Advertisement In the United States, volunteer groups in cities and towns across the country are helping refugees find homes, get jobs, and build community. Contrary to the misinformation communicated on the national stage, the administration of the refugee resettlement program, through which some of the world's most vulnerable people are brought to safety, includes extremely thorough vetting. The program is far too small in comparison to the need and our ability to help, but despite its size it puts America's best instincts on show. As a global organization working across the globe in countries torn apart by the worst human instincts of hate and fear, Oxfam understands the threat they present to even the most basic rights. Protecting the common good, fighting for human rights, and pressing back on the leaders that stoke anger instead of compassion, is the work we do. Leaders who know full well the arduous vetting process all refugees go through here in America, yet promote the detention and removal tens of thousands of refugee children and families who have arrived at our borders seeking protection, are destructive. The rhetoric around refugees, specifically Muslims, including the possibility of a religious test to bar Muslims from entering this country, runs counter to all of America's fundamental values. Americans have a long, proud history of providing safe harbor for refugees from around the world. Founded by people looking for religious freedom and through the years enriched by those seeking safety, the very fabric of this country was woven by refugees. We disown that history when we demonize them. We forget where we came from and who we are. Advertisement The US is not the only place where the memory of the world wars and their aftermath has faded. Refugees are seeing doors closed in their faces all over the world. Many are living in squalid refugee camps in Greece, Kenya, Pakistan, or elsewhere, awaiting the verdict on whether or not they will be able to start over, whether or not their basic human rights will be acknowledged or if they'll be turned away. No one chooses to be a refugee. It is the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of survival. So many of us were moved by the photo of the young Syrian boy washed up on the beach in Turkey, and yet that sympathy has not translated into policies that preserve and observe the legal obligations that come with the Refugee Convention. If there is any shock at the level of corruption within the Democratic National Committee (DNC) as revealed in recently released emails attributed to Wikileaks and the DNC's automatic response to blame Russia, the fact that Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and her staff effectively sabotaged the Bernie Sanders campaign may seem secondary compared with how the Obama Administration has been constructing a false narrative to justify NATO preparations for war with Russia. While the accusation that Russia is at the root of its email scandal adds titillating fodder for how Clinton defrauded Sanders out of the Democratic nomination, the US continues to pursue every opportunity to identify Russia as the culprit in a myriad of complaints, the US is now using the DNC hacks as part of its geopolitical agenda to discredit Putin. The potential threat of nuclear conflict in the Baltics may be linked to the DNC's inappropriate behavior as inconsistent with their mission of neutrality since the end result of that partisan political campaign process is the nomination of Hillary Clinton. Advertisement To read that Democrats are placing the hacked emails at the door of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a vehicle to aide Donald Trump's candidacy might be laughable if the Dems were not so transparent in attempting to deflect attention away from their own malfeasance. It is indisputable that members of the DNC staff wrote and sent the offensive emails without any thought of consequence, overstepping their authority or accountability. The depth of information contained in the 20,000 email pages are yet to be thoroughly vetted by independent investigators. Those investigations may provide interesting details regarding the DNC relationships with big money and corporate donors and its quid pro quo with 'liberal' mainstream media functionaries. As the controversy continues to unfold, the DNC may have reason to be concerned. Indeed, the DNC and Clinton campaign are spending much valuable time spinning a narrative that the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming rather than focusing on the upcoming race against Donald Trump which promises to be a very tight election. At what point, do the Democrats with egg on their face end up looking foolish, inept and desperate. In what may be an early sign of a sinking ship as the latest polls show Donald Trump leading Clinton in the Presidential race, Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton Campaign Manager told the Washington Post on Sunday that "There's evidence Russian state actors broke into the DNC, stole those emails and there are experts saying they are releasing these emails for the purpose of helping Donald Trump." Advertisement Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has told CNN of the possibility that 'a lot more material' will be released relevant to the US presidential campaign but refused to confirm the source of the emails citing necessary 'maximum ambiguity' to protect all sources. Assange went on to say that the DNC reaction "raises questions about the natural instincts of Clinton that when confronted with a serious domestic political scandal, she tries to blame the Russians, blame the Chinese, et cetera." Assange explained that "so called experts the Clinton campaign quote are not analyzing our materials, they are analyzing previous materials published," and further "what we have right now is the Hillary Clinton campaign using speculative allegations about hacks that occurred in the past to try to divert attention from our (current) emails because they are having so much political impact in the United States." In an NBC interview with Richard Engle, Assange added that "it has not been proven that Wikileaks published the emails" and that "there is no proof whatsoever" that Russian intel services provided the emails. Assange claimed that "DNC servers have been riddled with security holes for years and that many sets of documents from multiple sources are now in public hands." On Tuesday evening, President Obama commented that "anything's possible" and "I think that Trump's gotten pretty favorable coverage back in Russia." The President is hopefully aware that 'favorable coverage' in Russia does not translate into votes in the US. In an NBC interview, Obama said, "what we do know ..is that the Russians hack our systems." The President might have forgotten that the US and Israel were responsible for a joint Stuxnet project, a malicious computer worm hack against Iran in 2013 that, according to cyber security expert Ralph Langer "was far more dangerous than the cyber weapon that is now lodged in the public's imagination" and 'changed global military strategy in the 21st century." In other words, Stuxnet opened a wholly new can of (cyber) worms. Advertisement Whether the source of the emails may have learned their hacking skills from the US government or not, the fact is that DNC sleaze that Sanders has been alluding to for months has been confirmed. While former US secretary of State Madeline Albright, a Clinton supporter who has, in the past, exhibited a disoriented sense of proportion when she told Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes that "the price was worth it" regarding the deaths of half a million Iraqi children due to US sanctions and more recently suggested that women who do not support Mrs. Clinton would 'find a place in hell' suggested on Tuesday "the truth is that a Trump victory in November would be a gift to Vladimir Putin." Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort has labeled Albright's assertions 'crazy'. Presumably Albright was referring to, among other issues, Trump's questions regarding the future of NATO while Clinton has vowed a tough approach to territorial disputes involving Russia indicating how the candidates might differ on issues of world peace. For all the fuss and convoluted speculation that Russia was the source of the email link, the DNC appears to be increasingly anxious to deflect attention away from the actual contents of the emails and rather spend considerable effort into creating an enormous spin machine that pins the leak on Putin's government. CNN continued to report that US officials indicated 'there is strong evidence" that the leaked emails were the result of hackers familiar to US counterintelligence who are working on behalf of Russian intelligence. But 'strong evidence' is no evidence and not admissible in the international court of law; at best, 'strong evidence' is only supposition and circumstantial. Famed NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has tweeted that "Evidence that could publicly attribute responsibility for the DNC hack certainly exist at NSA. Even if attackers try to obfuscate origin, #XKEYSCORE makes following exfiltrated data easy. I did this personally against Chinese ops." Another famed whistleblower William Binney, the 36-year NSA veteran widely regarded as a "legend" within the agency who created the agency's mass surveillance program, responded "Snowden is right and the MSM is clueless." For the US mainstream media, to use every insignificant, irrelevant piece of trivia to destroy Putin's reputation so as to make it easier for the American public to accept future military action against Russia, proves that no amount of obfuscation, no distortion of the facts, nothing is beyond the pale. Pointing the finger and alleging that Putin is in cahoots with Wikileaks (who never reveal their sources - for obvious reasons), Guccifer 2.0 (who denies any Russian involvement) or some other intel snoop misses the point entirely - the emails are legitimate and factual. And they are confirmation that staff members of the DNC worked overtime In undermining the Sanders campaign. Watching the Presidential nominating roll call vote on Tuesday afternoon raised the question of how many Democratic delegates had any awareness that the votes they cast for Hillary Clinton were tainted; the product of a flawed and discredited political process. And so on Tuesday evening, Bernie, being the good soldier, sucked it up and took the DNC's betrayal on the chin and delivered his votes to Clinton. Suppressing whatever was left of his self esteem, he reiterated his support for the very objectionable woman he opposed in the Democratic primaries and who had to have some level of knowledge, some awareness of what the DNC was doing on her behalf. Never answering the question of why he entered the primary in the first place if Hillary Clinton "must become President of the United States," Bernie's performances on Monday and Tuesday evenings, in effect, sanctioned DNC efforts to discredit his candidacy. So much for the 'revolution'. From the Cavalcade of Crazy to the Russia connection. On July 23, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) tweeted a response to Hillary Clinton's choice for Vice President: "Trying to count the ways I hate @timkaine. Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend." Alas, Flake's graciousness is not representative of his party. He was rebuked by fellow Republicans on July 20 for responding to the "Lock her up!" chant at the Republican National Convention, ".@HillaryClinton now belongs in prison? C'mon. We can make the case that she shouldn't be elected without jumping the shark." Moderation is unwelcome in Flake's caucus. Lyndon Johnson (D-TX) and Everett Dirksen (R-IL), who could cross party lines to work together in the 1960s, are long gone. Republicans have obstructed President Obama from day one even when he embraced their ideas. The madness to which they will stoop to gain power was on jaw-dropping display in Cleveland. Advertisement The right-wing gathering was as entertaining as a car wreck. Trump could make a new fortune selling tours of the dystopian American hellscape described by speaker after speaker, resembling the post-apocalyptic world of the movie Blade Runner. (Ivanka Trump did use Twitter to hawk replicas of the dress she wore to introduce her dad.) PayPal founder Peter Thiel's speech added to the incongruity. His statement that he was proud to be gay contrasted with the party platform, which not only urges repeal of marriage equality but continues the transphobic bathroom trolling and endorses conversion therapy quackery. Openly gay D.C. delegate Rachel Hoff tried in vain to soften the document's bigotry. Putting icing on the cake was a New York Post headline, "Male escorts are making crazy money at the RNC." The day after Trump shouted an acceptance speech that evoked a fascist rally, Clinton announced her running mate was Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), a former governor, mayor, and DNC chair. Kaine has perfect scores from Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America, a 90 percent score from the Human Rights Campaign, a 91 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters, and has demanded greater presidential consultation of Congress on major military deployments. He earned zero percent scores from the American Conservative Union and Heritage Action, and an F grade from the NRA. As a young attorney he fought racial redlining. He wowed a Miami rally audience on July 23 with a tough and engaging speech. Advertisement Progressives know they will face a friendlier climate with a Democratic White House and Senate. Anti-war activists have their work cut out with the hawkish Clinton, but they will be far better off with an experienced diplomat than with an intellectually lazy man who admires dictators, promises indiscriminate bombing in the Mideast, and thinks our defense alliances are charity unrelated to American interests. Trump only knows self-interest. Reports by Talking Points Memo and Slate paint a disturbing picture of Trump's business dealings with Russia, his dependence on Russian capital, and his embrace of foreign policy positions friendly to Vladimir Putin. Defense One reports on the DNC emails, "Considerable evidence shows that the Wikileaks dump was an orchestrated act by the Russian government, working through proxies, to undermine Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign." The DNC server hack aside, Trump and campaign chair Paul Manafort are caught in what is at best a reckless association with an American adversary. The choice in this election is illustrated by the stark contrast between running mates: the religious bullying of Mike Pence, who signed a law requiring funerals for aborted fetuses (I am not making that up), versus the humble faith that drove the young Tim Kaine to teach carpentry and welding as a missionary in Honduras. Elections can be clarifying. A hint of what Republicans have done with their descent into ignorance, intolerance, and fanaticism may be found in the book Trump waves at rallies but shows no sign of reading: "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind." (Proverbs 11:29) Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivers her acceptance speech on the fourth and final night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Young Who is Hillary Clinton? For 25 years now, an infinity of ink and airtime has been expended on that very question, reverberating in cyberspace until it overwhelms us. But the Democratic convention asked us to consider a remarkable proposition: that a woman we thought we knew well -- for some, too well -- would turn out to be, as president, the best blind date we ever had. Getting there was no small thing. The convention opened in the sour spirit of imminent divorce, with the email crisis serving as a last bitter quarrel before someone called a lawyer. Indeed, Sarah Silverman was forced to remind the combatants to remember the kids. Even then, it took the gracious neighbor, Michelle Obama, to invoke what the kids could be, and gruff uncle Bernie to spell out the horrors awaiting them in the custody of Donald Trump. Advertisement But though Monday ended far better than it began, the sour spirit of schism lingered. Then, on Tuesday, this was overcome by hope, humanity and even, at times, joy. The airing of differences -- a roll call vote much dreaded in the hall -- became a celebration rather than a protest, honoring all that Bernie Sanders and his supporters had achieved. And so when Sanders rose to confirm Hillary Clinton as the nominee, the mood of the convention was more festive than schismatic. What followed was a political masterstroke: a sequence of testimonials to Clinton's qualities, delivered by witnesses that only a churl would shout down. The mothers of young black men wrongfully killed plead for the lives of other young men -- and for the lives of police. Of Clinton, one said: "She isn't afraid to bear the full force of our anguish. She doesn't build walls around her heart." A young woman enslaved by three years of human trafficking said: "Before there were laws to identify and protect victims... Hillary Clinton was fighting to end modern slavery." A young man afflicted by dwarfism recalled how a First Lady had held him while promising the care he needed and, when she held him again two years later, noticed that his back brace was gone. Advertisement A cop who had choked down toxic air from 9/11 reprised how Clinton had worked to get health care benefits for afflicted police and firefighters. A woman horribly burned in those attacks described Clinton's calls and visits. A Congressman who lost a firefighter cousin spoke of how Clinton had helped the city recover -- noting, in a lethal aside, that Donald Trump had claimed $150,000 from a fund Clinton had established to help small businesses rebuild. In all the political debris surrounding Hillary Clinton, such stories get lost. Which made them new and, for that, more telling. So it was time for Bill Clinton. This testimonial was, by far, more complicated, inevitably invoking the public trials of their marriage. But only he could recall for us the young woman he met well before the country did. One doubts that most people knew that the young Hillary Clinton had worked to get handicapped kids access to school; or helped register migrant workers in Texas; or investigated segregated academies in the South; or started a legal aid clinic in Arkansas; or worked for the Children's Defense Fund instead of going to Wall Street. It's a rare American who knew all these things -- perhaps only Bill Clinton. Yet this was what Hillary Clinton had decided to do before anyone else was watching, or judging. Suddenly Clinton was a three-dimensional woman, fleshed out by anecdote -- a person wholly unlike the Donald Trump we were treated to in Cleveland, a hologram from an Ayn Rand novel. Advertisement Now the former president could confront the bloodless and calculating Hillary Clinton of GOP lore. In truth, like most of us, she is many things, and one could regret that years of political warfare have made her the cautious public figure we have come to know. But her husband reminded us not to judge her by the malign shorthand of politics, or even by her own mistakes. The Republican version is, indeed, a "cartoon"; the "real" woman Bill Clinton introduced is real too. That woman, he reminded us, had a gritty lifetime of working for change -- often against the odds and in the face of determined opposition. "Life in the real world is complicated and real change is hard... She is the best change maker i've ever known." The evening ended with a reminder of one way that is true beyond doubt -- a montage of the 44 presidents who came before her, followed by Clinton herself. Lest we forget, the images said, history had just materialized before our eyes. No one there would object to that. And so, on Wednesday, the Democrats offered what the GOP could not: a compelling sequence of expert witnesses who could tell us, from their own experience, what kind of president this historic figure would be -- and why electing Donald Trump would be a mistake of historic proportions. Former defense secretary and CIA director Leon Panetta -- Obama and Clinton's partner in taking out Bin Laden -- began the ongoing theme of compare and contrast. Clinton was knowledgeable and able: Trump an irresponsible amateur who, just that day, had asked the Russians to hack us in order to help him become our president. Advertisement Then came Joe Biden. Everyone knew Joe's story. For 45 years, he had connected the party to the struggles of ordinary men and women. And he had suffered setbacks of his own, some quite terrible. He had lost part of one family to a tragic accident; helped meld the survivors into another close-knit clan. He had twice run for president and lost, suffering embarrassment along the way. Yet he had persevered, becoming an esteemed and able vice president. And just when he imagined reaching for the prize one last time, the death of his beloved son stole his heart for the chase. So he stood where he had imagined speaking for himself, and spoke for Clinton in the way only he can do: "If you live in the neighborhoods like the ones Jill and I grew up in, if you worry about your job and getting decent pay, if you worry about your children's education, if you're taking care of an elderly parent, then there's only one -- only one -- person in this election will help you... That's Hillary Clinton's life story." But"[t]hat's not Donald Trump's story... He is trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. Give me a break... He has no clue what makes America great. Actually, he has no clue, period." Including about our safety: "No major party nominee has ever known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security." When Biden left the stage, he was bathed in warm and poignant applause. For everyone knew this about Joe, too -- it was his final star turn in elected office, and he had given Hillary Clinton his all. The counterpoint to "middle-class Joe" was a billionaire who is all Trump is not -- Michael Bloomberg. Advertisement As an independent, Bloomberg affirmed, he does not adhere to either party. But he knows Hillary Clinton to be capable, caring and collegial -- even when they disagree, she always listens. He does not doubt her fitness to be president. Then he tore into Trump's only claim to leadership. "New Yorkers know a con when they see one. Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy." "I built a business, and I didn't start it with a million dollar check from my father." "Trump says he wants to run America like he's run his business. God help us." And then he raised the perhaps the most crucial issue of the campaign: Trump's glaring personality disorder. "Let's elect a sane, competent person", he implored us -- a stinging contrast between Clinton and Trump. Then Everyman appeared again in the person of Tim Kaine -- but with a resume which suggests that he can spot a leader. He got right to it. Evoking his son, a Marine newly deployed overseas, he said, simply, "I trust Hiilary Clinton with our son's life." As for Clinton's life, he argued that we should judge a political leader by a simple but telling criteria: whether they had a passion for lifting others well before seeking office. Then he drove home the message of Tuesday night -- Hillary Clinton has a lifelong passion for helping families and kids. In contrast, Kaine told us, "Donald Trump has a passion for himself." As one pointed example he asked, "Does anyone here... believe that Donald Trump paid his fair share of taxes?" Then he catalogued all the ordinary people Trump has victimized in business -- an impressive list, to be sure. Advertisement Thus far every speaker had added to the cumulative force of endorsement and indictment. But it was left to Barack Obama -- once Hillary Clinton's rival -- to close the evening on her behalf. He did so in a way which evoked the best of convention speakers, Ted Kennedy and Mario Cuomo. And, perhaps, surpassed them. The best such speeches speak to the best of us. Obama did that. His Scotch-Irish grandparents, he recalled, "didn't admire braggarts or bullies. They didn't respect mean-spiritedness, or folks who were always looking for shortcuts in life. Instead they valued traits like honesty and hard work. Kindness and courtesy. Humility; responsibility; helping each other out... True things. Things that last. The things we try to teach our kids. "They knew these values weren't reserved for one race... They knew these values were exactly what drew immigrants here, and they believed that the children of those immigrants were just as American as their own.... America has changed over the years. But these values my grandparents taught me -- they haven't gone anywhere. They are as strong as ever; still cherished by people of every party, every race, and every faith. They live on in each of us." The best such speeches link these qualities to the party's nominee. Obama did that: "That's the America I know. And there is only one candidate in this race who believes in that future, and has devoted her life to it; a mother and grandmother who'd do anything to help our children thrive; a leader with real plans to break down barriers, blast through glass ceilings, and widen the circle opportunity to every single American... And no matter how daunting the odds; no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits. Advertisement "That's the Hillary I know. That's the Hillary I've come to admire. And that's why I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America -- not me, not Bill, no one." The best such speeches contrast the nominee with her opponent. Obama did that, too -- with devastating irony. "And then there's Donald Trump. He's not really a plans guy. Not really a facts guy, either. He calls himself a business guy, which is true, but I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women who achieve success without leaving a trail of lawsuits, and unpaid workers, and people feeling like they got cheated." He took on not just Trump, but Trumpism: "He's just offering slogans, and he's offering fear. He's betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes win this election... [H]e's selling the American people short. We are not a fragile or frightful people. Our power doesn't come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order. We don't look to be ruled... "America has never been about what one person says he'll do for us. It's always been about what can be achieved by us, together, through the hard, slow, sometimes frustrating, ultimately enduring work of self-government.'' And then came an arrow to the heart of Trumpism -- "anyone who threatens our values, whether Fascist or Communist or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end." Advertisement But there was yet more, for he ended by placing his hopes for America in Clinton's hands: "Time and again, you've picked me up. I hope, sometimes, I've picked you up, too. Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me... This year, in this election, I'm asking you to join me -- reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what's best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of United States , and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation." Once again, we had seen the very best of Barack Obama on center stage -- the easy command, the interplay of wit and a deep seriousness, the incandescent smile, the soaring appeal to hope over fear. And then a classic moment of political theater -- suddenly Hillary Clinton appeared beside him. The place erupted. All that was left -- all that now mattered -- was Clinton's acceptance speech on Thursday evening. Or so one thought. And then on Thursday Khizr Khan -- a Muslim immigrant whose army officer son had been killed in Iraq -- provided one of the most stunning moments of any convention in recent memory. With his wife beside him dressed in traditional Muslim garb, Khan spoke movingly of their grief and loss. Then he rebuked Donald Trump for betraying all his son had died for: Advertisement "Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?" Pulling out his own pocket edition, he said, "I will gladly lend you my copy." Asking Trump if he had ever visited Arlington National Cemetery, he instructed: "Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. "You have sacrificed nothing and no one." The quiet power of that statement still lingered in the air when it was time for Clinton to speak. Even by the harrowing standards of her public career, this was a daunting challenge. In coming to her aid so powerfully, Obama had set the bar sky-high -- while a serviceable public speaker, by her own reckoning she lacks the rhetorical gifts of the last two Democratic presidents. More difficult, perhaps, was to embody the human and caring Hillary Clinton summoned by the last three nights, and yet capture the historic moment with a resolve which reassured her fretful and suspicious countrymen in a fractious time. All that, and still more: the delegates had passed through conflict to a communal sense of promise it was now her purpose to sustain. It was of much benefit, then, that she was introduced by a final witness to her life, her own daughter. Advertisement Since childhood, Chelsea Clinton had lived in her parents' harsh spotlight. At times, this must have felt unendurable. But she had endured it, and more, and now this served her mother well. With ease and warmth, Chelsea spoke of "my wonderful, thoughtful, hilarious mother," telling anecdotes of Clinton's deep pleasure and engagement in being a mother and grandmother. A political commonplace, perhaps. But it was obvious that, unlike Trump's kids, Chelsea actually knew her mother, because her mother had actually been one. And done it well. At last it was Clinton's turn. She met the moment with an air of confidence. And, more than usual, she spoke of what lies beneath her sometimes opaque surface: "The truth is, through all these years of public service, the 'service' part has always come easier to me then the 'public' part. I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me." But she, too, had a story -- a modest family, a mother who was abandoned by her parents as a young girl, whose first grade teacher saw that she had nothing to eat, and brought extra food share. "The lesson she passed on to me years later stuck with me: No one gets through life alone." She remembered that, Clinton told the delegates, when she met a young girl in a wheelchair on the back porch of her house, prevented by her disability from attending school. "I couldn't stop thinking of my mother and what she went through as a child. It became clear to me that simply caring is not enough." Advertisement Thus her work with the Children's Defense Fund to ensure that kids with disabilities have the right to go to school. "But how do you make an idea like that real?" she asked rhetorically. "You do it step by step, year by year." That experience, she asserted, underlies her reputation as a bit of a grind: "I sweat the details of policy. Because it is not just a detail if it's your kid, if it's your family. It's a big deal. And it should be a big deal to your president." She did not need to mention Donald Trump. Instead she spoke of her plans to make the lives of Americans better. Unlike Trump, she has a lot of them. Appointing justices who will get money out of politics and expand voting rights. Fighting climate change, and creating clean energy jobs. Comprehensive immigration reform to grow the economy and keep families together. Profit-sharing for workers. Raising the minimum wage to a living wage. Equal pay for women. Investing in infrastructure. Making college affordable for all. Education and job retraining to help those displaced by the global economy. Easing credit for small businesses. And what of ISIS? As president, she promised, she would strike their sanctuaries from the air, support local forces on the ground, and strengthen our intelligence to prevent attacks at home. "It won't be easy or quick," she allowed, "but make no mistake -- we will prevail." Advertisement Here, at last, she got to Trump. Quoting him to lethal effect -- "I know more about ISIS than the generals do" -- she told him, "No, Donald, you don't." Then she went to work disqualifying him as commander-in-chief: "Donald Trump can't even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign. He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protester at a rally. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Nor did she neglect Trump's hypocrisy. "Please explain to me what part of America First leads him to make Trump ties in China, not Colorado. Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan. Trump furniture in Turkey, not Ohio. Trump picture frames in India, not Wisconsin. "Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again -- well, he can start by actually making things in America all again." Advertisement But then Trump, she argued forcefully, is antithetical to the spirit of America itself: "Americans don't say 'I alone can fix it.'... He wants us to fear the future and fear each other." As for Clinton herself, she quoted her mother's Methodist credo: "Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can." By the testament of others, spelled out in the four nights of the convention, her public career was built on such an effort. Then the speech was over, and history made. Smiling, for long minutes Clinton basked in the celebration -- the cheers and tears and balloons falling -- and also, it seemed, the relief and satisfaction of a job well done. By most observers' reckonings, it was. The speech lacked Obama's eloquence -- that is not her gift. But it did its work, and so did the convention. The idealistic young woman Americans had met at last now lived within the battle-tested candidate who, perhaps, they finally knew a little better. Last Friday, the day after Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination, I wrote "America is Throwing a Temper Tantrum," and the Huffington Post published it on the political page. The response was astonishing. On Facebook the piece reached thousands of people and started an avalanche of comments that still hasn't stopped a week later. Hours and hours of watching the most gripping Democratic National Convention in memory was punctuated by dozens of FB visits a day so that I could answer every single comment that came in, including ones from "friends of friends" who had shared my post with others. It was one of these responses that came in yesterday from a woman I did not know, the only one out of hundreds that, strangely, I chose not to answer. I can only paraphrase, but this was the gist of it: "I'm so excited - my husband went out and I get to watch the DNC speeches in real time!" I didn't think too much about it before I went to bed after Hillary Clinton's nomination acceptance speech, all aglow with the sentimental (but spot-on) slogan, "Love trumps hate." I've always been what some call a "bleeding heart liberal" and others a "commie, pinko socialist." My husband and I both cast our ballot for Bernie Sanders in the primaries. We knew it would be the only time we could vote our principles because, realistically, we knew that Hillary Clinton - with the Democratic machine behind her - was the one that would ultimately be chosen to oppose Donald Fucking Trump. Advertisement But at 3am this morning I was woken from a deep sleep by the words of that faceless Facebook woman. It was such a naked cry of freedom from a fellow American that I was momentarily paralyzed with emotion. It was like - I don't know - watching a movie about the Old South. The slave woman waiting for the armed plantation foreman to walk to the far corner of the cotton field so she can give her child a furtive hug. The Facebook woman's comment made me unutterably sad, yet it gave me hope. I wondered: How many women today are in relationships in which the simple idea of watching someone give a speech on television is an act of rebellion? How many women are horrified by the words and deeds of Donald Trump but are so oppressed by their mates that they are forbidden to express their thoughts? What is their punishment if they do? And how many will obediently march into the voting booth and cast a ballot counter to their true feelings? Is it thousands? Millions? I wonder if, on November 8th, the Facebook woman, in the privacy of the voting booth, will defy her husband and vote her conscience. By everything holy I hope she does. I wonder, too, how to get the word out to all conflicted women that there is no one on earth to stop you, or who can hurt you, if you perform this one private act of civil disobedience. He will never know you voted for Hillary Clinton. It will be your secret till you die. Or, at a later date, you might find your voice and the courage to speak your mind and say, "Hell yes, I voted for a brilliantly qualified candidate who has spent her life as a public servant and not the A-hole you wanted me to vote for, somebody that would have ripped this country to shreds and destroyed everything most sane people hold dear." Those words might prove uncomfortable. They might cause a fight or a rift between the two of you that will never quite heal. But I can guarantee that acting on your conscience and speaking the truth of your convictions will make you feel better at a gut level. It will make you stronger. And it will show you who you really are. Advertisement I hope you'll spread the word to anyone you know that needs to hear that what they do in the voting booth is their own business. "To thine own self be true." I am not exaggerating when I say that every vote cast in this election will count in changing the course of human history. Please be a part of it! Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The 2016 Presidential campaign has revived some major disagreements about Dodd-Frank, the legislation that was designed to prevent Wall Street from engaging in the type of reckless behavior that crashed our economy. Donald Trump wants to repeal this legislation, and remove the tough new rules and regulations on Wall Street that it put in place. Advertisement That makes no sense! Giving Wall Street a green light to engage in the same bad behavior that nearly collapsed our economy would only put our entire economy at risk again. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, supports the Dodd-Frank legislation and has outlined additional tough, no-nonsense proposals prohibiting the biggest financial institutions the opportunity to resume the type of gambling that almost drove our economy off a cliff. The contrast between her position to protect our economy from this behavior, and Donald Trump's position to repeal these protections couldn't be more clear! Getting this right is one of the single most critical issues our country faces. The financial crisis in 2008 caused over five million people to lose their homes, nearly nine million to lose their jobs, and tens of millions to lose money in their retirement savings. So the American people have a lot at stake. Much of my career in the U.S. Senate was spent fighting to stop the big banks' unbridled speculation in new, exotic financial products that put our country at risk. I wrote the cover story titled "Very Risky Business" in the Washington Monthly Magazine way back in 1995 that warning about the practice of big banks trading in unregulated, risky derivatives on their own proprietary accounts. Essentially, they were putting the taxpayers at risk to cover their gambling losses. Advertisement We have to make sure that never happens again. And the person I trust to make sure we never see another economic crisis like that is Hillary Clinton. I served with Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate for eight years and I saw first-hand her work to protect our country from the recklessness of Wall Street. Hillary was relentless in her support for working families who were victimized by the financial crisis. Amid the turmoil, she called for new action to help millions of at-risk homeowners restructure their mortgages, and advocated for a new housing stimulus package to fight concentrated foreclosures. She also worked to end the carried interest loophole, so hedge fund managers could no longer pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries. Hillary is the presidential candidate with a real plan to address the so-called shadow banking sector. Her plan would clamp down on the risks posed by certain activities of hedge funds, investment banks, and other non-bank institutions. She'd also impose a tax on high frequency trading practices, which can pose systemic threats to our markets. Hillary will defend Dodd-Frank against attacks. She understands that we must not only ensure that these reforms stay put, but also strengthen key components of the legislation. If institutions become too big to manage and pose a risk to our economy, we must make sure they break apart or reorganize. Hillary's plan would strengthen regulators authority to break up major institutions when necessary, and impose a "risk fee" to charge the biggest institutions for the dangers they continue to impose on our economy. And she would strengthen the Volcker Rule by closing loopholes that allow banks to gamble with taxpayer-backed deposits. Hillary's plan would also create real accountability on Wall Street. If institutions are ultimately found to be at fault, the individuals within those institutions would be held accountable as well. Her plan would increase the statute of limitations for financial fraud, enhance rewards for whistleblowers, and hold executives accountable. Advertisement And finally, as President, Hillary would appoint tough, independent regulators and ensure the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are adequately and independently funded. Hillary and I know that banking is an essential part of our economy. But we need to get back to prudent banking practices with real underwriting and old fashioned values and move away from the wild speculation and "fast buck" practices that put our economy at risk. We need a President who will tackle the kind of abusive behavior that led to the last financial crisis. And as a legislator who has fought to reign in Wall Street his entire career, I am confident Hillary Clinton is that President. My earlier column, Future of Work: Utopia or Dystopia? expresses concern about a jobless world. A recent The Atlantic article asks: Would a Work-free World Be So Bad? People have speculated for centuries about a future without work, and today is no different, with academics, writers, and activists once again warning that technology is replacing human workers. Some imagine that the coming work-free world will be defined by inequality: A few wealthy people will own all the capital, and the masses will struggle in an impoverished wasteland. A different, less paranoid, and not mutually exclusive prediction holds that the future will be a wasteland of a different sort, one characterized by purposelessness: Without jobs to give their lives meaning, people will simply become lazy and depressed. Indeed, today's unemployed don't seem to be having a great time. One Gallup poll found that 20 percent of Americans who have been unemployed for at least a year report having depression, double the rate for working Americans. "Sometimes people retire from their work, and they don't know what to do," Gray says. "They've lost the ability to create their own activities." It's a problem that never seems to plague young children. "There are no three-year-olds that are going to be lazy and depressed because they don't have a structured activity," he says. But need it be this way? Work-free societies are more than just a thought experiment--they've existed throughout human history. Consider hunter-gatherers, who have no bosses, paychecks, or eight-hour workdays. Ten thousand years ago, all humans were hunter-gatherers, and some still are. Well, good or bad, we're headed in the direction of a largely work-free society, so it is important that we start figuring out how civilization ought to evolve to adjust to this tectonic shift that is inevitable in the next 50 years. Downton Abbey offers some answers: According to Randolph Trumbach, a professor of history at Baruch College, 18th-century English aristocrats spent their days visiting friends, eating elaborate meals, hosting salons, hunting, writing letters, fishing, and going to church. They also spent a good deal of time participating in politics, without pay. Their children would learn to dance, play instruments, speak foreign languages, and read Latin. Russian nobles frequently became intellectuals, writers, and artists. "As a 17th-century aristocrat said, 'We sit down to eat and rise up to play, for what is a gentleman but his pleasure?'" Trumbach says. This is a best-case scenario where financial resources are abundant. The trouble is, the bulk of the population will not have a lot of money. For them, life will be highly constrained, predictably structured, and terribly boring. One of my favorite philosophers is Bertrand Russell whose 1930 treatise, The Conquest of Happiness, highlights the importance of meaningful work as a key component in such pursuit. Anthropologists and philosophers arguing in favor of a work-free society may want to check this book out. A young woman looking thoughtfully out the window of a stationary car "Are we still of any use?" Bonhoeffer asks this question as he considers the Holocaust--looking back at both human depravity and the complicity that keeps "good humans" from acting. What turns all of us into bystanders and benefactors, safe in our homes, content not to rock the boat? In the face of such staggering human loss, what can we say? Why do we humans harm each other, again and again? And is it possible to prevent atrocity and complicity? Advertisement For the week of July 27 through August 1, I participated in the 2016 Annual Seminar on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, "Good, Evil, and the Grey Zone: Religion's Role in Genocide from the Holocaust to ISIS." Alexander Hinton, author of Why Did They Kill? Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide and the forthcoming Man or Monster? The Trial of a Khmer Rouge Torturer in Cambodia, and Timothy Longman, author of Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda, and the forthcoming Memory and Justice in Post-Genocide Rwanda, co-taught the course, which included examination of intersections of religion and genocide and the profound moral implications of the Holocaust. One surprising thing I learned? Uncritical thinking makes us complicit. One way we begin to participate in the kind of othering that leads to our ability to imprison, maim, rape, kill and disenfranchise is to reduce fully human individuals and complex groups to simple, straightforward tropes or stereotypes. In one of his lectures, Hinton encouraged us to question the tropes that often come along when we "read" accounts of mass atrocities and genocide. (And the examples in this reflection borrow heavily from Hinton's examples to us during the course.) For example, when we look at potential warning signs of genocide in an African country and say, "This is typical tribal conflict," illustrating the report with an image of a machete, we are reducing the complex political, cultural, and individual experiences to something that is both easier for us to consume, and easier for us to dismiss. Advertisement If we hear reports that religious minorities in northeastern Iraq are being persecuted, and a superficial analysis of the situation concludes, "These tribal conflicts have been going on for centuries," we are both absolved from seeking more information and discouraged from acting. When we learn that a regime is systematically displacing, imprisoning, and curtailing the rights of some members of a population, and refrain from acting because "this is part of an internal civil war," then we both miss the opportunity to work for universal human rights, and become complicit as international bystanders. Vigilant, critical thinking should become a practice as we read international news and participate in local civic engagement. If something seems easy to understand, we must question: What more can we find? Who else can we hear? Is there another perspective we can surface? Even the act of trying to build frameworks for forgiveness, reconciliation, and transitional justice has the potential to diminish complexity and the reality of human experience. Think of the last time you've seen a flyer or website encouraging awareness or help for people affected by a disaster or human rights violation. How was it illustrated? Who was depicted in the photographs? Advertisement Often, we see photographs of a woman or child, and they are suffering poverty or obvious emotional pain. In this way, the photographic lens--and our "reading" of the image--reduces the actual humans depicted into a flat, easily consumed definition: victim. Part of genocide prevention work includes a flexibility of thinking, the ability to toggle back and forth from multiple perspectives including: What is the first story, who are participants in this local struggle, which religious institutions are benefiting from regime changes, what is the second story emerging? Which women are choosing to leave and which are choosing to remain, whose definition of "rape" or "sexual assault" is dominating policy making, and which ethnic groups are remaining silent--and why? Advertisement All of these questions have answers that complicate decision making and can slow down action. And yet, problems with multiple sources of conflict and with multiple affected parties require mindfulness and agility in addressing them. Read carefully. Re-read. Question metaphors, images, tropes, and "received wisdom" about policies and the international community. Have the patience for longer, complicated answers, and be willing to learn new phrases, ideas, and norms. Resist applying a Western, Judeo-Christian framework of justice, forgiveness, or community to other settings. Resist easy answers. The future is here it's just distributed unevenly - Silicon Valley view of tech adoption The threat is here it's just distributed unevenly - A2/AD and the aircraft carrier This is the second of a two-part post following my stay on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. Part 1 talked about what I saw and learned - the layout of a carrier, how the air crew operates and how the carrier functions in context of the other ships around it (the strike group.) But the biggest learning was the realization that disruption is not just happening to companies, it's also happening to the Navy. And that the Lean Innovation tools we've built to deal with disruption and create continuous innovation for large commercial organizations were equally relevant here. This post offers a few days' worth of thinking about what I saw. (If you haven't, read part 1 first.) --- The threat is here; it's just distributed unevenly - A2/AD and the aircraft carrier Both of the following statements are true: The aircraft carrier is viable for another 30 years. The aircraft carrier is obsolete. Well-defended targets Think of an aircraft carrier as a $11 billion dollar portable air force base manned by 5,000 people delivering 44 F/A-18 strike fighters anywhere in the world. Advertisement The primary roles of the 44 F/A-18 strike fighters that form the core of the carrier's air wing is to control the air and drop bombs on enemy targets. For targets over uncontested airspace (Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, etc.) that's pretty easy. The problem is that First World countries have developed formidable surface-to-air missiles - the Russian S-300 and S-400 and the Chinese HQ-9 - which have become extremely effective at shooting down aircraft. And they have been selling these systems to other countries (Iran, Syria, Egypt, etc.). While the role of an aircraft carrier's EA-18G Growlers is to jam/confuse the radar of these missiles, the sophistication and range of these surface-to-air missiles have been evolving faster than the jamming countermeasures on the EA-18G Growlers (and the cyber hacks to shut the radars down). This means that the odds of a carrier-based F/A-18 strike fighter successfully reaching a target defended by these modern surface-to-air missiles is diminishing yearly. Unless the U.S. military can take these air defense systems out with drones, cruise missiles or cyber attack, brave and skilled pilots may not be enough. Given the F/A-18's are manned aircraft (versus drones), high losses of pilots may be (politically) unacceptable. Vulnerable carriers If you want to kill a carrier, first you must find it and then you have to track it. In WWII knowing where the enemy fleet located was a big - and critical - question. Today, photo imaging satellites, satellites that track electronic emissions (radio, radar, etc.) and satellites with synthetic aperture radar that can see through clouds and at night are able to pinpoint the strike group and carrier 24/7. In the 20th century only the Soviet Union had this capability. Today, China can do this in the Pacific and to a limited extent, Iran has this capability in the Persian Gulf. Soon there will be enough commercial satellite coverage of the Earth using the same sensors, that virtually anyone able to pay for the data will be able to track the ships. Advertisement During the Cold War the primary threat to carriers was from the air - from strike/fighters dropping bombs/torpedoes or from cruise missiles (launched from ships and planes). While the Soviets had attack submarines, our anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities (along with very noisy Soviet subs pre-Walker spy ring) made subs a secondary threat to carriers. In the 20th century the war plan for a carrier strike group used its fighter and attack aircraft and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from the cruisers to destroy enemy radar, surface-to-air missiles, aircraft and communications (including satellite downlinks). As those threats are eliminated, the carrier strike can move closer to land without fear of attack. This allowed the attack aircraft to loiter longer over targets or extend their reach over enemy territory. Carriers were designed to be most effective launching a high number of sorties (number of flights) from ~225 miles from the target. For example, we can cruise offshore of potential adversaries (Iraq and Syria) who can't get to our carriers. (Carriers can standoff farther or can reach further inland, but they have to launch F-18's as refueling tankers to extend the mission range. For example, missions into Afghanistan are 6-8 hours versus normal mission times of 2-3 hours.) In the 21st century carrier strike groups are confronting better equipped adversaries, and today carriers face multiple threats before they can launch an initial strike. These threats include much quieter submarines, long-range, sea-skimming cruise missiles, and in the Pacific, a potential disruptive game changer - ballistic missiles armed with non-nuclear maneuverable warheads that can hit a carrier deck as it maneuvers at speed (DF-21d and the longer range DF-26). In the Persian Gulf the carriers face another threat - Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) and speedboats with anti-ship cruise missiles that can be launched from shore. Advertisement The sum of all these threats - to the carrier-based aircraft and the carriers themselves - are called anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities. Eventually the cost and probability of defending the carrier as a manned aircraft platform becomes untenable in highly defended A2/AD environments like the western Pacific or the Persian Gulf. (This seems to be exactly the problem the manned bomber folks are facing in multiple regions.) But if not a carrier, what will they use to project power? While the carrier might become obsolete, the mission certainly has not. So how does/should the Navy solve these problems? Three Horizons of Innovation One useful way to think about in innovation in the face of increasing disruption / competition is called the " ." It suggests that an organization should think about innovation across three categories called "Horizons." Horizon 1 activities support executing the existing mission with ever increasing efficiency Horizon 2 is focused on extending the core mission Horizon 3 is focused on searching for and creating brand new missions (see here for background on the Three Horizons.) Horizon 1 is the Navy's core mission. Here the Navy executes against a set of known mission requirements (known beneficiaries, known ships and planes, known adversaries, deployment, supply chain, etc.) It uses existing capabilities and has comparatively low risk to get the next improvement out the door. In a well-run organization like the Navy, innovation and improvement occurs continuously in Horizon 1. Branches of the Navy innovate on new equipment, new tactics, new procurement processes, more sorties on newer carriers, etc. As fighter pilots want more capable manned aircraft and carrier captains want better carriers, it's not a surprise that Horizon 1 innovations are upgrades - the next generation of carriers - Ford Class; and next generation of navy aircraft - the F-35C. As a failure here can impact the Navy's current mission, Horizon 1 uses traditional product management tools to minimize risk and assure execution. (And yes, like any complex project they still manage to be over budget and miss their delivery schedule.) Advertisement Because failure here is unacceptable, Navy Horizon 1 programs and people are managed by building repeatable and scalable processes, procedures, incentives and promotions to execute and the mission. In Horizon 2, the Navy extends its core mission. Here it looks for new opportunities within its existing mission (trying new technology on the same platform, using the same technology with new missions, etc.) Horizon 2 uses mostly existing capabilities (the carrier as an aircraft platform, aircraft to deliver munitions) and has moderate risk in building or securing new capabilities to get the product out the door. An example of potential Naval Horizon 2 innovations is unmanned drones flying off carriers to do the jobs fighter pilots hate such as serving as airborne tankers (who wants to fly a gas tank around for 6 hours?) and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), another tedious mission flying around for hours that could be better solved with a drone downlinking ISR data for processing on board a ship. However, getting the tanker and ISR functions onto drones only delays the inevitable shift to drones for strike, and then for fighters. The problem of strike fighters' increasing difficulty in penetrating heavily defended targets isn't going to get better with the new F-35C (the replacement for the F/A-18). In fact, it will get worse. Regardless of the bravery and skill of the pilots, they will face air defense systems evolving at a faster rate than the defensive systems on the aircraft. It's not at all clear in a low-intensity conflict (think Bosnia or Syria) that civilian leadership will want to risk captured or killed pilots and losing planes like the F-35C that cost several hundred million dollars each. Advertisement Management in Horizon 2 works by pattern recognition and experimentation inside the current mission model. Ironically, institutional inertia keeps the Navy from deploying unmanned assets on carriers. In a perfect world, drones in carrier tanker and ISR roles should have been deployed by the beginning of this decade. And by now experience with them on a carrier deck could have led to first, autonomous wingmen and eventually autonomous missions. Instead the system appears to have fallen into the "real men fly planes and command Air Wings and get promoted by others who do" mindset. The Navy does not lack drone demos and prototypes, but it has failed to deploy Horizon 2 innovations with speed and urgency. Failure to act aggressively here will impact the Navy's ability to carry out its mission of sea control and power projection. (The Hudson Institute report on the future of the carrier is worth a read, and a RAND report on the same topic comes out in October.) If you think Horizon 2 innovation is hard in the Navy, wait until you get to Horizon 3. This is where disruption happens. It's how the aircraft carrier disrupted the battleship. How nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines changed the nature of strategic deterrence, and how the DF-21/26 and artificial islands in the South China sea changed decades of assumptions. And it's why, in most organizations, innovation dies. For the Navy, a Horizon 3 conversation would not be about better carriers and aircraft. Instead it would focus on the core reasons the Navy deploys a carrier strike group: to show the flag for deterrence, or to control part of the sea to protect shipping, or to protect a Marine amphibious force, or to project offensive power against any adversary in well-defended areas. Advertisement A Horizon 3 solution for the Navy would start with basic need of these missions (sea control, offensive power projection - sortie generation) the logistic requirements that come with them, and the barriers to their success like A2/AD threats. Lots of people have been talking and writing about this and lots of Horizon 3 concepts have been proposed such as Distributed Lethality, Arsenal Ships, underwater drone platforms, etc. Focusing on these goals - not building or commanding carriers, or building and flying planes - is really, really hard. It's hard to get existing operational organizations to think about disruption because it means they have to be thinking about obsoleting a job, function or skill they've spent their lives perfecting. It's hard because any large organization is led by people who succeeded as Horizon 1 and 2 managers and operators (not researchers). Their whole focus, career, incentives, etc. has been about building and make the current platforms work. And the Navy has excelled in doing so. The problem is that Horizon 3 solutions take different people, different portfolio, different process and different politics. People: In Horizon 1 and 2 programs people who fail don't get promoted because in a known process failure to execute is a failure of individual performance. However, applying the same rules to Horizon 3 programs - no failures tolerated - means we'll have no learning and no disruptive innovations. What spooks leadership is that in Horizon 3 most of the projects will fail. But using Lean Innovation they'll fail quickly and cheaply. Advertisement In Horizon 3 the initial program is run by mavericks - the crazy innovators. In the Navy, these are the people you want to court martial or pass over for promotion for not getting with current program. (In a startup they'd be the founding CEO.) These are the fearless innovators you want to create new and potentially disruptive mission models. Failure to support their potential disruptive talent means it will go elsewhere. Portfolio: In Horizon 3, the Navy is essentially incubating a startup. And not just one. The Navy needs a portfolio of Horizon 3 bets, for the same reason venture capital and large companies have a portfolio of Horizon 3 bets - most of these bets will fail - but the ones that succeed are game changers. Process: A critical difference between a Horizon 3 bet and a Horizon 1 or 2 bet is that you don't build large, expensive, multi-year programs to test radically new concepts (think of the Zumwalt class destroyers). You use "Lean" techniques to build Minimal Viable Products (MVPs). MVPs are whatever it takes to get you the most learning in the shortest period of time. Horizon 3 groups operate with speed and urgency - the goal is rapid learning. They need to be physically separate from operating divisions in an incubator, or their own facility. And they need their own plans, procedures, policies, incentives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) different from those in Horizon 1. The watchwords in Horizon 3 are "If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough." Advertisement Politics: In Silicon Valley most startups fail. That's why we invest in a portfolio of new ideas, not just one. We embrace failure as an integral part of learning. We do so by realizing that in Horizon 3 we are testing hypotheses - a series of unknowns - not executing knowns. Yet failure/learning is a dirty word in the world of promotions and the "gotcha game" of politics. To survive in this environment Horizon 3 leaders must learn how to communicate up/down and sideways that they are not running Horizon 1 and 2 projects. Meanwhile, Navy and DOD leadership has to invest in, and clearly communicate their innovation strategy across all three Horizons. Failure to manage innovation across all three Horizons and failure to make a portfolio of Horizon 3 bets means that the Navy is exposed to disruption by new entrants. Entrants unencumbered by decades of success, fueled by their own version of manifest destiny. Lessons Learned -- Our carriers are a work of art run and manned by professionals Threats that can degrade or negate a carrier strike group exist in multiple areas However, carriers are still a significant asset in almost all other combat scenarios -- Speed and urgency rather than institutional inertia should be the watchwords for Horizon 2 innovation Advertisement -- Horizon 3 innovation is about a clean sheet of paper thinking It's what Silicon Valley calls disruption It requires different people, portfolio, process and politics -- The Navy (and DOD) must manage innovation across all three Horizons Allocating dollars and resources for each -- Remembering that todays Horizon 3 crazy idea is tomorrow Horizon 1 platform Thanks to the crew of the U.S.S. Vinson, and Commander Todd Cimicata and Stanford for a real education about the Navy. I'm with her!!!! Hillary Clinton becomes the first woman nominated on a major party ticket!!! Today, we are still feeling the power. The place is pumped. The DNC has a new woman at the helm, Donna Brazile, and the Democratic Party is on "fiya". Hillary Clinton has become the first woman nominated by a major party, to be President of the United States of America. Hugs, high fives, kisses, tears of joy, all of the above, were exchanged . Yes, we are living to see it in Our lifetime. And I have to give it to Bernie Sanders. He conceded with class, and now the Democratic Party can move forward with unity. Day 1 I had the privilege and honor of attending and participating in the opening day of this historic Democratic National Convention. This was my fifth time attending, from doing the opening prayer for President Bill Clinton in l992, to speaking on the "One America Initiative" on the stage for Al Gore, in 2000, to being in Denver, in 2008, standing next to and WITH Hillary Clinton, as a candidate, to NOW, being a commentator with CNN at the convention where the first female in American history will be nominated for President of the United States. And it will be Hillary Clinton. I've had the pleasure and privilege to work with her, and know her, from her time as First Lady of the USA, when I served with President Clinton as a Domestic Policy Advisor, to helping her become US Senator, and being at my church where I was then pastor, the last Sunday before the election, to walking and praying her through the Denver DNC, to serving with and being nominated by her as a US Ambassador, and traveling with her, at the U.S. Dept of State. Advertisement My day began at 5 a.m. as I went to the set of CNN, for the "live" conversation on the Carol Costello show. How ironic is life, that I sat next to Stephanie Schrock, head of Emily's List, who'd help me begin my own campaign for Congress. Although I did not win that race, just three weeks ago, I now know more than ever the importance of supporting women who have the courage to run for public office. Prior to and after the show, there was breakfast and a reception for contributors/pundits and others, and in walked Donna Brazile, who is now assuming the leadership of the DNC. I saw the strength, coupled with humility and "Fight" power, of this activist sister leader who is ready, willing and ABLE to lead. So many were trying to focus on Debbie Wasserman Schultz's exit, as a distraction, but none of us let that be the news, nor dominate the conversation. We focused on Moving forward, and helping a Woman Win!!! The day was filled and sprinkled with events, from the Eleanor Roosevelt's Legacy Committee's reception, where they honored women leaders in politics in New York State, to the Faith Caucus for the DNC, to sitting in the Wells Fargo Center, and being present at the convention with the thousands of supporters., and hearing speaker after speaker who endorsed Hillary Clinton. Advertisement The highlights of the evening for me, were Senator Corey Booker's "America, we will rise!" and Michelle Obama's I'M WITH HER" speech. Black, white, Asian, Latino, Caribbeans, Evangelicals, - Americans from all walks of life- packed the room. It was electrified! It was CHARGED!! We are ready! We are going to help elect Hillary Rodham Clinton as the first WOMAN president of the United States of America!!! We're not only making History; we're telling HERSTORY!!! And tonight will be Bill Clinton's moment to share about the woman he knows, his spouse, who just might get the first female President. I can't WAIT to be in the room when she accepts the nomination on Thursday evening! I'm WITH HER!!!! Thank you Hillary Clinton!! BPACS strengthens U.S. and Latin American relations The United States Special Operations schoolhouse, here, graduated 34 attendees July 22, from the Building Partnership Aviation Capacity Seminar. The BPACS is a two week course, held four times a year, which brings aviation-minded partner national military personnel together with U.S. civilians and military members. The intent of the seminar is to build understanding through collaborative learning about mutual Aviation Enterprise Development and capacities and partnership opportunities related to participating nations national security priorities. The purpose of the seminar is for individuals to have interaction in the classroom, said Capt. Kandi Allred, BPACS director from the USAFSOS. The most benefit we get is having our international partners and our U.S. counterparts sitting side by side. This provides everyone with the opportunity to build a relationship or open a dialog [about] different challenges they face within their own country, and use the U.S. as a model to fix some of [these] challenges. For representatives of the Guatemalan Air Force, who participated in the BPACS seminar, the course allowed them to share their own experiences with other partner nations. I think BPACS is important if the U.S. wants to work side by side with [Latin] American partner nations because the language and cultures could be a big issue, said Col. Jorge Roberto Ruiz Serovic, commander of the Guatemala Coronel Northern Air Command. During the program, 40 guest speakers and tour guides from across the Department of Defense, other government agencies and the civilian sector shared their personal experiences in aviation enterprise and security with BPACS attendees. This particular BPACS included the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Weve found using peoples personal experiences really resonates with our partner nations because they can take knowledge and apply it to something that has actually happened, Allred said. That resonates with our partner nations because it shows that you can take theory and put it into practice. One third of the students time was spent participating in various classroom exercises and field trips providing them opportunities to learn about each others aviation capabilities and security challenges. Additionally, BPACS allowed them to address U.S. perspectives on enhancing capabilities and addressing challenges and how to apply both to the partner nation's future aviation resource development. One of the places the seminar visited was the Okaloosa county courthouse where Judge Patt Maney, who has been involved with the program since 1995, hosted and coordinated the visit to familiarize students with the U.S. system of justice. While at the courthouse students received briefings from other members of the local judicial system such as Okaloosa County Sherriff Larry Ashley, attorneys and probation officers. Next, the attendees were given the opportunity to visit the courtroom to watch live pleas in criminal traffic cases. Lastly, students observed a drug dog demo, special response team equipment and the sheriffs marine equipment demonstrations. The [seminar] creates an opportunity for the court system to support the educational mission of USAFSOS for both foreign and U.S. military personnel by increasing their understanding of the U.S. system of justice and law enforcement, Maney said. It also creates an opportunity for civilian members of the court system and law enforcement community to learn from the foreign visitors. Allred hopes students are able to return to their countries with a better understanding of how the U.S. aviation security cooperation system works and will utilize contacts they met in the seminar as a resource in the future. Building relationships is probably one of the most important things, she said. We can sit and teach in the classroom all day long, but its the relationships that are built outside of the classroom hours that will leave the most lasting impression. Hutchinson Zoo confirms avian flu in geese in its bird rehab center The virus was in geese being treated at the center. One animal was euthanized. The zoo's exhibit birds are being isolated indoors to protect them. In 2015, University of Toronto-based research hub Citizen Lab reported that Netsweeper was providing Yemeni rebels with censorship technology . In response, Citizen Lab director Ron Deibert revealed in a blog post on Tuesday, Netsweeper sued the university and Deibert for defamation. Netsweeper discontinued its lawsuit in its entirety in April. Netsweeper is a small Canadian company with a disarmingly boring name and an office nestled among the squat buildings of Waterloo, Ontario. But its servicesnamely, online censorshipare offered in countries as far-flung as Bahrain and Yemen. If the suit was successful, Deibert wrote, damages would have amounted to more than $3 million. It should be pointed out that this is not the first time a company has contemplated legal action regarding the work of the Citizen Lab, Deibert wrote. However, it is the first time that a company has gone so far as to begin litigation proceedings. I suspect it will not be the last. "It is clearly in the public interest for them to be able to share those results" When reached over email, Deibert said Citizen Lab is not offering comments to the press on the lawsuit. Netsweeper did not respond to Motherboards request for comment. If the lawsuit had gone to court, Deibert wrote that Citizen Lab intended to lean on the 2015 Protection of Public Participation Act, which was designed to thwart litigation against organizations acting in the public interest. Citizen Lab does rigorous research into censorship, surveillance, and digital attacks and it is clearly in the public interest for them to be able to share those results, Brenda McPhail, director of the surveillance project at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, wrote Motherboard in an email. We support their right to freely disseminate and discuss their important work. Netsweeper has come under scrutiny numerous times in the past several years, most recently because it was paid $1,175,000 by the Bahraini government for providing a national website filtering solution, according to a tender filed by the government in January of this year. Previously, the media has criticized Netsweeper for providing similar services to censorious countries like Pakistan, Quatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Even though Netsweeper decided to discontinue their lawsuit, they may very well embolden other companies, upset about having their misdeeds aired in public, to sue the researchers who expose them. When Barry Casper first met Donald Trump, he wasnt necessarily a supporter. The Telford, Pennsylvania insurance agency owner had voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past, and was undecided on which candidate he would support in the 2016 election.But Trump impressed him.I was at a rally of his and he paused to ask me a couple of questions how I thought the race was going, which way I thought Pennsylvania would vote. And he listened to my answer. I was stunned that he was listening to me, said Casper. That was my first, personal interaction with him, and it wasnt fake. I know fakes.Casper, owner of Barry Casper Insurance, has an Air Force background and a lifelong interest in the political process, as well as in community involvement in general. His agency, which he has run since 2008, provides insurance solutions specifically for churches and ministries in the region.Through those connections, Casper came to hear of Donald Trumps involvement in the nonprofit world donating a home here, paying off college debt there, and sending his private plane to bring home members of the US Military at Christmas.With that foundation, Casper came to support Trump as both a successful businessman and as a politician. His role as an insurance agency owner also played into his decision to support Trump, he said.I like his ideas of paring down bureaucracy. There is more and more regulation creeping into the insurance business every minute, and we just dont need anymore, said Casper. Its hard enough the way it is now.He feels strongly about a number of other issues in the election, but for insurance professionals, he believes there is one that dominates all others the economy.When theres less business, it means fewer policies we get to write, he said simply.So, when Casper received an email seeking delegates to represent Pennsylvanias 8th Congressional District at the Republican National Convention, he replied.I was one of three delegates chosen out of an original 178 applicants after a series of interviews, so I really lucked out, he said.And so Casper, along with his daughter another delegate from Pennsylvania headed to Cleveland to vote for their chosen candidate. Both had a wonderful experience, he said.Listening to the passion, the energy in the room was just incredible, he said. We met delegates from across the nation, including some from Guam, and everyone was very positive. It felt like we were there, carrying on the dream of the initial Congress.And he cheered particularly hard when Trump took the stage.I hope he heard my voice over the others, Casper said. I was right there at the front. Driver Killed in Howland Avenue Collision A small sedan collided with the rear of a flatbed wrecker on Thursday morning, severely injuring one person. PreviousNext Update at 5:37 p.m.: Ethan Piaggi-Cornell of Pittsfield, 23, was killed in Thursday morning's accident in Adams. Piaggi-Cornell was driving a 2001 Hyundai Sonata north when he collided with a stopped flatbed tow truck on Howland Avenue in Adams at around 11:15 a.m. Initial reports were that he was taken elsewhere by Life Flight but district attorney's office states he was pronounced dead at Berkshire Medical Center. The body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Holyoke, where an autopsy will be conducted. Piaggi-Cornell was a 2012 graduate of Hoosac Valley High School. He was most recently employed as a line cook by Arizona Pizza in Pittsfield, according to his Facebook page. The investigation is being conducted by members of the Adams Police Department, the Berkshire Detective Unit of the State Police assigned to the district attorney's office, the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis Reconstruction and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement sections. ADAMS, Mass. A motorist sustained serious injuries after his car collided with a flatbed wrecker on Howland Avenue late Thursday morning. The northbound Sayers wrecker, with a car on the flatbed, was in the left lane to turn into Gene's Sales and Service when the small Sonata sedan collided with its rear bumper. "It appears that the wrecker was stopped to make a lefthand turn when it was struck from the rear by the white Sonata, which was operated by a single person," said Police Richard Tarsa shortly before 1 p.m.. "Upon impact, the operator sustained severe injuries including massive head trauma." Tarsa said the driver was taken to Berkshire Medical Center's North Adams campus and Life-Flighted from there. He was not sure at that point where the individual was taken. The driver of the wrecker was not injured. The car suffered severe damage to its front driver's side, where it collided with the flatbed. The area was taped off and traffic was detoured over East Road between Lime Street and Hodges Cross Road for more than two hours. The investigation is in the early stages, Tarsa said. "There are witnesses and we are gathering that information." The state police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and members of the Berkshire County Law Enforcement Task Force were assisting Adams Police. West to Speak at National Realtors Conference ADAMS, Mass. Peter West, broker and partner at Bishop West Real Estate, will be a featured speaker at the 2016 Realtors Conference & Expo, an annual conference produced by the National Association of Realtors. The Realtors Conference & Expo will be held Nov. 4-7 at the Orange County Convention Center West in Orlando, Fla. The event includes 100 education sessions, the largest real estate industry trade show with 400 exhibitors and the opportunity to network with 19,000 real estate professionals and guests. West will present a session at the conference titled "Basic Principles to Equity Marketing." The session focuses on the players, methods of acquisition and disposition, building and presenting a marketing package, counseling and the use of real estate formulas to close transactions. We are pleased that Peter will be joining us at the Realtors Conference & Expo, said Roz Kriener, program director of the Conventions Division at NAR. We choose dynamic speakers that include the latest real estate experts, as well as trusted industry veterans, who provide best practices and tips on how to take business to a higher level. MCLA Names New Vice President for Institutional Advancement NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Mary Hastings, a development executive with roots in the Northern Berkshires, joins Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts this month as vice president for Institutional Advancement. I am extraordinarily excited to join MCLA, as I have seen the college praised and recognized for its excellence, which is a credit to the vision and energy of the board, faculty, administration and entire MCLA community, Hastings said. According to MCLA President James F. Birge, Hastings brings substantial experience in fundraising and development strategy to MCLA. Marys experience in development and expertise in fundraising make her ideally suited for this position, Birge said. Im excited to work with her in her new role as she leads and enriches the work of the Office for Institutional Advancement. Berkshire Reps Return Enthusiastic About Democratic Party PITTSFIELD, Mass. State Rep. Paul Mark went into the Democratic National Convention with reservations about the political process. But, four days later after hours of speeches and networking with fellow Democrats from all over the country he's been reinvigorated. "I saw core values of the party and core values of what America stands for," Mark said on Friday as he embarked on the long drive back from Philadelphia to the Berkshires. "I feel good at the end of the week about what my party believes in." The Democratic Party coalesced during the week behind Hillary Clinton as its nominee for president. The convention signaled the end of an exhausting primary season with a heated race between the former secretary of state and Vermont's U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. A roll-call vote put Clinton as the candidate for president a vote that was historic because she is the first woman any major party has put up for the office. "When she was introduced, that's when it truly hit me. It was really emotional," said State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, who served as the Massachusetts whip for the Clinton campaign. "It is unbelievable to realize how long it has been. It's been really hard to get to this point. ... it's been generations of women working on this." Clinton ended the convention with an acceptance speech outlining her and her party's values. The party has one of the most progressive platforms it's ever had and some of that is thanks to Sanders. Mark was there as a Sanders delegate and said debt-free college education, environmental protection, the economics of building a middle class, and overturning Citizens United were all big issues for he and Sanders. All of those made it into Clinton's speech. "I think a lot of what Sanders stood for was reflected in Hillary Clinton's speech," Mark said. "She rolled out the welcome mat last night." Mark said the Sanders campaign urged supporters not to feel disenfranchised because the senator lost or to feel that what happened during the campaign didn't matter. The senator didn't try to play a spoiler but rather joined in the efforts to support Clinton to help progressive causes into the future. "I have a lot of respect for what he's always stood for and what he's done this election," Mark said. Farley-Bouvier said when the convention first started, there were Sanders supporters still thinking the senator had a chance at the nomination, despite his endorsing Clinton prior to the event. After the vote was taken on Tuesday, she said there was some disappointment among Sanders supporters. But as Wednesday and Thursday rolled on, the two camps had begun to come together because while Sanders and Clinton may have differed slightly, both are far from the viewpoints of Republican nominee Donald Trump. "There is such a clear contrast between the Democratic Party and the National Republican Party," Mark said. Farley-Bouvier said the Republican Convention was "all about hate and fear" while the Democratic convention sent a message of love and inclusion. "[Clinton] just did a beautiful job of laying out the ideas of the Democratic Party. The alternative is just unfathomable. I think she hit it right out of the park," the Pittsfield representative said. The two representatives will be back in the Berkshires before heading out to Boston for the final two days of the state legislative session. the campaigning season will begin in the fall and both said the connections gained at the convention will help drive efforts across the nation. "There has also been some grassroots organizing," Farley-Bouvier said. "It is hard to get to the convention as a delegate. These are true political activists ... part of what we do is build a network." That network is partially built during the off-camera time when legislators are able to mingle and talk with officials from both their home state and others. Farley-Bouvier said she was able to spend a lot of time talking about issues with Attorney General Maura Healey and state Party Chairman Tom McGee, who chairs the transportation committee that has one bill hoping to be passed in the next few days that includes a pilot program Farley-Bouvier had filed. "We were able to have conversations and move things forward," she said. Mark said the convention offered him a chance to discussion issues and political strategy with fellow Democrats as well, many with different perspectives because of a different home state. The Peru Democrat said the "political part of the job" can't be ignored because it is important to build allegiances and help get people with similar ideals into office in order to get bills and laws passed. "Politics shouldn't be a dirty word," Mark said. And Democrats in others states were able to take advice from Massachusetts. Farley-Bouvier said in many states where Democrats in the minority, "they look to Massachusetts as leaders for progressive issues." "You get a perspective of how Massachusetts is a special place," she said. Both representatives were active on Facebook and social media as well as sharing their thoughts with iBerkshires and with other media sources. The two wanted to not only experience it for themselves but also let Berkshire residents in on the experience. "The whole time I was here, I always had it in my mind that I was a representative of Pittsfield," Farley-Bouvier said. We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector Imperial Valley News Center U.S.-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group Washington, DC - On July 28, U.S. and Indian officials will meet in Washington, D.C., for the 14th U.S.-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group. Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Justin Siberell will lead the U.S. delegation, which includes officials from the Departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security. The Indian delegation will be led by Ministry of External Affairs Additional Secretary Ravi Thapar. The U.S.-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group is a regularly planned policy consultation designed to advance our common agenda and opportunities for cooperation across the full range of counterterrorism issues. Topics include regional terrorist threats, information sharing, border security, and efforts to counter violent extremism. The United States looks forward to continued counterterrorism exchanges with India to broaden and deepen the partnership between the two countries. Imperial Valley News Center United States and Cuba Hold Claims Discussion Washington, DC - The United States and Cuba held a government-to-government claims discussion in Washington, D.C., today, 2016. The U.S. delegation was led by Brian Egan, the Legal Adviser for the U.S. Department of State. The meeting allowed the countries to exchange further details on outstanding claims and build upon the previous claims discussion in Havana, Cuba. It also allowed for an exchange of views on historical claims settlement practices and processes going forward. Outstanding U.S. claims include claims of U.S. nationals that were certified by the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, claims related to unsatisfied U.S. court judgments against Cuba, and claims of the United States Government. The United States continues to view the resolution of these claims as a top priority for normalization. CDFA Board to discuss framework for medical cannabis and GMO Labeling Sacramento, California - The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will hold a discussion on the states regulatory and licensing framework for medical cannabis on August 2 in Sacramento. The board will also be discussing GMO labeling following the recent passage of federal legislation. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the California Department of Food and Agriculture Main Auditorium, 1220 N Sacramento. Californias agricultural diversity continues to grow as medical cannabis production enters the regulatory arena, said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. In state government, we are working in collaboration with other agencies to develop a robust framework that protects consumers, growers and the environment. Last year, California passed the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act that allows the commercial cultivation and sale of medical cannabis. Several state agencies, including the Department of Food and Agriculture, Department of Public Health, Department of Pesticide Residue and the California Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation have an integral role in developing the regulatory framework that will be in place by January 1, 2018. This meeting provides an opportunity for each department to give an update on current progress. Invited speakers include: Steve DeAngelo, Arcview Group; Dan Grace, Dark Heart; Hezekiah Allen, California Growers Association; Nate Bradley, California Cannabis Industry; Amber Morris, California Department of Food and Agriculture; George Farnsworth, California Department of Pesticide Regulation; Asif Maan, California Department of Public Health; and Lori Ajax, California Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation. The board will also be hearing about the labeling of genetically engineered foods (GMOs) with representatives from Just Label It! and the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food. The California State Board of Food and Agriculture advises the governor and the CDFA secretary on agricultural issues and consumer needs. The state board conducts forums that bring together local, state and federal government officials, agricultural representatives and citizens to discuss current issues of concern to California agriculture. All meetings are open to the public and attendance is welcome. This meeting will be streamed online at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/LiveMediaStream.html Six-month-old Critically Endangered Sumatran Tiger Cubs Explore New Habitat at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Escondido, California - Under the watchful eye of their mom, Joanne, three critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubsCathy, Debbie and Nelsonexplored an area new to them inside the Tull Family Tiger Trail at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park this morning (July 28, 2016). Until today, the cubs had been spending their days in the habitats maternity yard, an area specially designed for young, growing tiger cubs. In this yard, they could safely practice building their natural behaviors: running, jumping, climbing trees and, through their sense of smell, gaining awareness of their surroundingsall things that tigers need to survive in the wild. Now that the cubs are 6 months old, keepers determined it was time to introduce them to the larger area, providing them with new forms of enrichment and bigger challenges to tackle. Here, they will find larger rocks and trees to climb, and they will become familiar with the smells of other Sumatran tigers that inhabit Tiger Trail. This area also houses a pool, which is very important to the cubs development in learning how to swim. Tigers are adept swimmers, and in the wild, they often have to swim long distances and cross rivers to get to their prey, or to find a mate. At six months old its time for these cubs to graduate to a much larger exhibit, said Lori Hieber, senior mammal keeper. Exhibit B is roughly double the size of the maternity yard the cubs are used to, it offers new fun obstacles and challenges to explore and it has a pretty deep pond that actually has live fish in it. Global Tiger Day is Friday, July 29, and the Safari Park is celebrating the day with special activities at the Tiger Trail exhibit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Planned activities will include tiger keeper talks, tiger enrichment and a tiger training session. Guests visiting Tiger Trail on this date will be able to see tigers in the habitats three yards: the cubs and their mom, Joanne; Joannes first cub, 1-year-old Suka; and the newest member of the Safari Parks tiger family, a male tiger named Langka. Tiger keepers and volunteers will be available to provide guests with information about what San Diego Zoo Global is doing to help conserve these critically endangered animals. Tigers face many challenges in the wild, from loss of habitat to conflicts with humans, but the biggest threat continues to be poaching. Tigers are killed by poachers who illegally sell tiger body parts, mostly for folk remedies. People can help protect wild tigers by avoiding products made with non-sustainable palm oil, an industry that harms tiger habitats; and by refusing to purchase items made from endangered wildlife. There are fewer than 350 Sumatran tigers remaining in the wild, and that number continues to drop. Scientists estimate that this species could be extinct in its native Sumatra by 2020, unless measures are taken to protect and preserve it. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park participates in a collaborative breeding program to create assurance populations of Sumatran Tigers, and provides funding for anti-poaching patrols. To learn more about San Diego Zoo Global and endangered species, visit endextinction.org. Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is inspiring children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the internet and in childrens hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global. Ruling reminds marketers of the risks of discounting FTC legal tenets Washington, DC - The FTCs lawsuit against Gary Kieper and Partners in Health Care Association (PIHC) alleged that the defendants deceptively peddled medical discount cards in the guise of health insurance. Medical discount cards? Not my line, you might say. But dont discount the foundational legal principles articulated in the Courts Order granting the FTCs Motion for Summary Judgment. The Wisconsin-based defendants targeted people including Spanish-speaking consumers who had pre-existing conditions, had lost their jobs, or were otherwise struggling to afford health insurance. Consumers paid an enrollment fee and monthly premiums for what they were told was health insurance. In fact, all they got was a card for discounts with certain providers and pharmacies hardly, the comprehensive coverage many of them had been promised. The FTC settled with some defendants, while others elected to proceed. In addition to granting summary judgment, the Court banned those defendants from telemarketing, prohibited them from selling healthcare-related products, and imposed a financial remedy of $8.7 million. Here are some quotes and takeaways illustrating why the Order is recommended reading for marketers. In determining whether a representation is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably, courts consider the net impression created. Sometimes the defendants or marketers acting on their behalf flat-out said the product was insurance. In other cases, they used words like copay, premium, and deductible. In ruling that the defendants had misrepresented their card as insurance, the Court looked at the gestalt: the wording of the pitches, consumer declarations, transcripts of sales calls, and other evidence. Proof of intent to deceive is not required to establish liability. Companies often claim they didnt mean to mislead consumers, but proof of intent isnt an essential element under Section 5. The Court cited with favor the 1980 holding in Sears Roebuck & Co.: A company that deceives consumers through reckless or even simply negligent disregard of the truth may do just as much harm as one that deceives consumers knowingly. Furthermore, as the Court noted, numerous consumer complaints, internal emails, and a Better Business Bureau investigation show that, at the very least, PIHC acted with reckless disregard of the truth. That is sufficient to establish liability. Companies should monitor what others do on their behalf. The defendants argued they shouldnt be liable for misrepresentations made by third-party marketers they hired to promote the product. In rejecting that contention, the Court cited a long line of precedent dating back to Goodman v. FTC in 1957: [T]he principal is bound by the acts of the salesperson he chooses to employ, if within the actual or apparent scope of his authority, even when unauthorized. Its unwise to rely on after-the-fact disclosures. Kieper claimed that buyers got a Welcome Call to verify that they understood what they were getting, but the Court wasnt persuaded by conclusory assertions about remedial measures. Even so, the Order cited FTC v. IAB, in which the Eleventh Circuit held that IAB offers no authority for the proposition that disclosures sent to consumers after their purchases somehow cure the misrepresentations occurring during the initial sales. A key to compliance may be in your mailbox. The Court looked carefully at the defendants response or lack thereof to consumer complaints received directly and through the BBB. Whats the lesson for other marketers? Addressed early on and with the right frame of mind, consumer complaints can actually help companies clear up questionable claims or practices. The FTC doesnt have to prove worthlessness to prevail. Kieper attempted to counter the FTCs charges with testimonials from supposedly satisfied customers and documents indicating that some people got discounts. But as the Court held, Worthlessness . . . is not an element of a claim for deceptive practices. The opinion also cited caselaw rejecting the argument that the existence of satisfied customers is a defense. The Telemarketing Sales Rule is broad in scope. The FTC alleged that Kieper violated the TSR through his own misrepresentations and by providing substantial assistance or support to others while knowing or consciously avoiding knowing that the other party was violating the Rule. Youll want to read the Courts interesting evaluation of facts relevant to the substantial assistance portion of the TSR. Individuals may be liable under Section 5. Looking for a refresher on the law of individual liability under the FTC Act? The opinion offers an analysis of factors courts will consider. For example, the Court cited FTC v. Transnet Wireless for the proposition that An individuals status as a corporate officer gives rise to a presumption of ability to control a small, closely-held corporation. Furthermore, as FTC v. Atlantex Associates held, [D]irect participation in the fraudulent practices is not a requirement for liability. Awareness of fraudulent practices and failure to act within ones authority to control such practices is sufficient to establish liability. Injunctive relief is at the core of the FTC Act. The FTC Act authorizes courts to do more than simply admonish a defendant to go and sin no more. As the Order states, [C]ourts have discretion to include fencing-in provisions which extend beyond the specific violations at issue in the case to prevent Defendants from engaging in similar deceptive practices in the future. Section 13(b) authorizes courts to order ancillary relief, including restitution and disgorgement. Its an established principle, but always bears repeating: Deceiving your customers can be costly. Among other cases, the Court cited FTC v. Stefanchik for the proposition that requiring full refunds for consumers and not just turning over profits is an appropriate remedy. Presidential Summit of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders Washington, DC - President Barack Obama and U.S. government, private sector, and civil society leaders will meet with nearly 1,000 of sub-Saharan Africas most promising young leaders from August 1-3 at the Presidential Summit of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The summit, held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., will feature a town hall with President Obama, a Congressional Forum, and an Expo with more than 100 organizations engaged with Africa. USAID Administrator Gayle Smith, Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel, Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan, and Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield will also meet with the participants. The young African leaders are convening in Washington after six weeks of academic study and leadership training at 36 higher education institutions across the United States as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Alumni of the fellowship are playing a role in strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative, President Obamas signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. State Department Releases Annual Fiscal Transparency Report Washington, DC - Today, the State Department released the 2016 Fiscal Transparency Report pursuant to section 7031(b) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2016 (Div. K, P.L.114-113) (the Act). The report found that 76 of 140 governments reviewed by the Department met minimum requirements of fiscal transparency. Eight governments found not to meet minimum requirements made significant progress toward meeting minimum requirements. The Department continued to update and strengthen the minimum requirements, as required by law. The Department evaluated the public availability, substantial completeness, and reliability of budget documents, as well as the transparency of processes for awarding government contracts and licenses for natural resource extraction. Fiscal transparency is a critical element of effective public financial management, helps in building market confidence, and underpins economic sustainability. It fosters greater government accountability by providing a window into government budgets for citizens, helping citizens to hold their leadership accountable and facilitating better-informed public debates. Annual fiscal transparency reviews provide opportunities to dialogue with governments on the importance of fiscal transparency. The report describes the minimum requirements of fiscal transparency developed, updated, and strengthened by the Department, reviews 140 governments that were originally identified as recipients of assistance in the 2014 Fiscal Transparency Report, assesses those that did not meet the minimum fiscal transparency requirements, and indicates whether governments that did not meet those requirements made significant progress toward meeting the requirements during the review period of January 1 December 31, 2015. The Departments fiscal transparency determinations may change from year to year due to updating and strengthening minimum requirements of fiscal transparency as required by law, changes in governments performance on public financial management, or new information coming to the Departments attention. As a result, some governments may fall short of these requirements, despite in some cases maintaining or even improving their overall level of fiscal transparency. Peruvian Independence Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Peru as you celebrate the 195th anniversary of your nations independence on July 28. "Peru and the United States have enjoyed a long friendship rooted in our mutual respect for freedom, good governance, and the rule of law. This years presidential election reaffirmed the strength and vibrancy of your democracy, and I look forward to continued close cooperation between our nations under President Kuczynski. "On this day, we are also reminded of two milestones we achieved together this year: the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the 60th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Peru. Our economic and people-to-people ties strengthen our historic bonds, and make our countries more open and prosperous. "I wish all Peruvians peace and happiness in the year ahead." On the Occasion of Switzerland's National Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the people of Switzerland on your National Day on August 1. "The United States is proud to count Switzerland among its closest friends and partners. Our countries share a deep bond rooted in our common ideals democracy, support for peace, and a commitment to the rule of law as well as our robust and expanding trade and investment ties. "Switzerland has long been an important contributor to global stability, and we appreciate your efforts to promote political dialogue, provide humanitarian assistance, and support economic development around the world. We are particularly grateful for your willingness in recent years to host negotiations that advanced the cause of peace and security through agreements to rid Syria of chemical weapons and block every one of Irans pathways to developing a nuclear capability. And we look forward to working shoulder-to-shoulder with you to enhance the best interests of both our countries and to encourage widespread diplomatic and social progress in the coming year. "On this special day, I send my best wishes to all the people of Switzerland for continued prosperity and happiness." 'It's a Miracle': Anand Mahindra Impressed By Young Girl Who Made 15 Portraits at Once Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter 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 IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Queen Elizabeth I; utterly triumphant against those who doubted her powers as a monarch, and as a woman. Bejewelled, one hand rested on a globe. This is the queen who has gone down in history, her image preserved in the midst of the Spanish Armada's defeat in August 1588; captured by an unknown artist in circa 1590, in a work known only as the Armada portrait. It's a portrait now finally in the hands of Britain (via The Guardian), purchased on its behalf from the descendants of Sir Francis Drake after a grant of 7.4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) helped fulfil a campaign to raise the 10.3 million needed. The fundraising campaign for the portrait's acquisition was launched in May by the Art Fund, which itself contributed 1 million; as well as the Royal Museums of Greenwich, which donated last year's entire acquisitions budget of 400,000. The campaign further saw 8,000 donations from the public within ten weeks. It will now hang in the national collection of Royal Museums Greenwich; in the Queen's house of Greenwich Palace, where Elizabeth I was born, set to reopen in October after major restoration works. "The Armada portrait is a compelling historic icon, illustrating as it does a decisive conflict, inspiring female leadership, maritime power and the emergence of the Elizabethan golden age," stated Sir Peter Luff, chair of the HLF. "This image has shaped our understanding of Gloriana, the Virgin Queen, for over 400 years and I am delighted that it will now have such an appropriate permanent home in Greenwich." "The painting captured the national imagination in 2016 as surely as the defeat of the Armada itself had done in 1588," stated Art Fund director Stephen Deuchar. "Record numbers of donors, large and small, stepped forward with determination and generosity, creating an irresistible momentum that has brought this great work into public ownership at last." The specific work is one of three known versions of the Armada portrait, yet it is considered the most significant due to the fact it was owned by Sir Francis Drake; who was second in command of the English fleet during the Armada's defeat. It has remained in the possession of his descendants since at least 1775, spending much of its life hanging over a mantelpiece in Shardeloes, a Buckinghamshire estate built for William Drake in the 18th century. The Armada portrait will be on display in the Queen's House when it reopens on 11 October, before undergoing conservation in 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 }} Venice Film Festival opener La La Land will go head to head with new films from Tom Ford, Denis Villeneuve and Derek Cianfrance as part of a 2016 line-up that also features two key performances from five-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams. Fifty-six movies have been selected to premiere at the festival, including 20 in competition for the Golden Lion. Many of these, particularly those screening at the start of the prestigious event before heading to the Toronto and Telluride festivals happening at the same time, will go on to enjoy awards season success. The last two Best Picture Oscar winners, Spotlight and Birdman, both held their world premieres at Venice, as did special effects extravaganza Gravity in 2013 and last years Lili Elbe biopic The Danish Girl. La La Land, the original musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling from Whiplashs Damien Chazelle kickstarts proceedings while the much-hyped remake of John Sturges classic The Magnificent Seven, starring Chris Pratt and Denzel Washington, will bring the festival to a close. Mel Gibson makes his Venice debut out of competition with World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge. Bond director Sam Mendes is president of this years jury, with the festival dedicated to late directors Michael Cimino and Abbas Kiarostami. The Light Between Oceans Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz lead this big screen adaptation of ML Stedmans romantic novel, helmed by The Place Beyond the Pines director Derek Cianfrance. La La Land La La Land - Teaser Trailer Whiplash director Damien Chapelle opens this years festival with this original musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as a couple of dreamers trying to make it big in Hollywood: she, a lonely aspiring actress; he, a cocky jazz pianist. Jackie Pablo Larrain directs Oscar winner Natalie Portman as late first lady and fashion icon Jacqueline Kennedy in what he has promised will not be a classic biopic. Set in the days immediately after John F Kennedys 1963 assassination, the film sparked great excitement among distributers after a seven-minute promo screened at Cannes. Arrival Oscars voters ears will have pricked up after hearing that Academy favourite Amy Adams takes the lead in this sci-fi flick from Sicario director Denis Villeneuve about mysterious aliens that arrive on Earth. Nocturnal Animals Designer Tom Ford has cinematic strings to his bow, as proved with 2009s Venice premiere The Single Man. Hes back in the chair for this drama-thriller also starring Adams, this time as a divorcee whose troubled past returns to haunt her in the form of her exs unpublished book. Voyage of Time This mind-frazzling documentary about the universe, time and our existence has taken director Terrence Malick 30 years to make. It comes in two versions: one lasting 40-minutes and narrated by Brad Pitt on Imax, and the other a full-length film voiced by Cate Blanchett on 35mm. Venice Film Festival runs from 31 August to 10 September 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 }} Several Republicans and fans of the film American Sniper (essentially one and the same) have expressed their anger over lead actor Bradley Coopers attendance at the Democratic National Convention. I have a list of celebrities that support Socialism I refuse to spend another $ on. Add this one. Boycott them all, one Twitter use wrote (sic). Astonishment at Cooper being in the crowd seems to stem from his major part in the film, which, while director Clint Eastwood has insisted it is anti-war, comes across pretty in favour of shooting Iraqis. It saw Cooper play Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL with more than 150 confirmed kills. The outraged, some of whom said they would be boycotting Coopers films after he turned out for Hillary Clintons speech, clearly had some trouble separating fiction from reality. News flash: Arnold Schwarzenegger is not a robot and Julia Roberts is not a prostitute #BradleyCooper #gop one Twitter user wrote, referencing Terminator and Pretty Woman. (via Digital Spy) Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This 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 Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Artist M.I.A. has accused the VMAs - the MTV Music Video Awards - of "racism, sexism, classicism, elitism", following the exclusion of her video for 'Borders' from this year's nominations. The announced shortlist is largely dominated by the likes of Adele and Beyonce, the latter being targeted in controversial comments by M.I.A. which criticised her for not being vocal about issues other than Black Lives Matter. Speaking to the Evening Standard in April, she had stated; "Is Beyonce or Kendrick Lamar going to say Muslim Lives Matter? Or Syrian Lives Matter? Or this kid in Pakistan matters? Thats a more interesting question." Backlash to her comments led the artist to drop out of London's Afropunk festival; with organisers stating, "After discussing the situation with the artist and the community, a decision was agreed upon by all involved that M.I.A. will no longer headline Afropunk London." She later clarified that her criticisms weren't intended to directly target Beyonce; stating, "My question was, on American platforms what do they allow you to stand up for in 2016? This has been the number 1 question for me." The video, directed by M.I.A. herself, makes clear reference to the refugee crisis in a series of stunning, powerful images; including a boat made up entirely of people, and synchronised flotillas packed with young men crossing the waters. Following the nominations, the artist took to Twitter to criticise her exclusion as indicative of the lack of platform for those other than major US artists. M.I.A., whose real name is Mathangi Arulpragasam, has first-hand experience of being a refugee; having fled a war-torn Sri Lanka to settle in West London with her family when she was nine-years-old. M.I.A. will release her new album A.I.M. on 9 September. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter 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 Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The creeping privatisation of healthcare under the guise of "patient choice" could be damaging a central concept of the NHS, leading to worse treatment for the old, the poor and the sick, a new study suggests. Researchers warned that the Governments sudden shift to the widespread use of private healthcare firms in England was a radical experiment that could go catastrophically wrong. They investigated what happened in Scotland after the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition passed a law in 2003 enabling people to have their treatment in a private hospital but paid for by the NHS. Similar legislation was introduced elsewhere in the UK. The move was designed to cut waiting lists, but the study, which looked at hip surgery, found the level of NHS provision declined as the number of private operations increased. And there was also a rise in inequality, with the poorest and oldest sections of society less likely to get an artificial hip than the rest. According to the founding principles of the NHS, it is supposed to meet the needs of everyone, regardless of their circumstances. The researchers speculated that private firms were cherry-picking the easiest cases to treat, partly because they are cheaper, and therefore more profitable, but also because private clinics do not have the intensive care facilities of a large NHS hospital if things go wrong. This left patients with more complex cases trying to access the reduced service offered by NHS hospitals. In a paper published in the Journal of Public Health, academics from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) wrote: This is the first research to examine how the policy of patient choice and commercial contracting, where NHS funds are given to private providers to tackle waiting times, impacted on direct NHS provision and treatment inequalities. An increased use of private sector provision by NHS boards was associated with a significant decrease in direct NHS provision and with widening inequalities by age and socio-economic deprivation. The national treatment rate for NHS-funded elective primary hip arthroplasties in Scotland fell from 143.8 per 100,000 in 2006/07 to 137.8 per 100,000. And the paper added: By 2012/13, territorial NHS boards had not recovered 2006/07 levels of provision. This was most marked for NHS boards with the greatest use of private sector, namely Fife, Grampian and Lothian. Patients aged 85 years and over, or living in the more deprived areas of Scotland, appear to have been disadvantaged since the onset of patient choice in 2002. Since 2013, NHS contracts worth 16bn have been put out to tender, with private companies winning about 5.5bn of business. This means money that would have gone to NHS trusts, many of which have substantial budget deficits, is diverted to the private sector. Researcher Graham Kirkwood of QMUL said previous research had found evidence that private healthcare firms given NHS contracts were allowed to discriminate against patients who are probably going to spend too long in hospital. They dont want patients who are going to be hanging around in hospital because they are expensive, he said. They are basically cherry-picking; they want the easier patients. Mr Kirkwood said there was evidence that poorer patients were more likely to have other health complaints that might make their treatment more complicated. Owen Smith doesn't support privatising the NHS Scotland has since moved away from using private firms for NHS operations. But Professor Allyson Pollock, co-author of the study, said England was now dismantling its NHS and accelerating privatisation. She said their study of events in Scotland showed the need for the Government to monitor the effects. This is far too radical an experiment. It can go catastrophically wrong, she said. Governments must do equalities impact assessments to make sure it is not penalising the old, the poor and the sick. Scotland's Health Secretary, Shona Robison, said the SNP Government was investing 200m in new treatment centres across the country to help the NHS "meet increasing demand from a growing elderly population, and taking pressure off unplanned and emergency treatment. And she added: The Scottish Government is clear that health boards should use the independent sector as little as possible only to deal with short-term capacity issues to reduce NHS waiting times. Rather than directing funding towards private companies, we are investing to improve capacity within the NHS. 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 oldest surviving bank in the world would rapidly go bust in a severe European economic downturn, the latest stress tests from the European Banking Authority have found, underlining the still fragile state of the continents banks. Monte dei Paschi di Sienas capital buffer would be entirely wiped out by 2018, the EBAs exercise, published this evening shows. The troubled bank, which was founded in 1472, is currently reporting a capital buffer of 12.1 per cent, but this would be reduced to minus 2.2 per cent by 2018 under the EBAs adverse scenario. This scenario models the European Union's GDP contracting by 1.2 per cent this year and 1.3 per cent in 2017 before rising by 0.7 per cent in 2018. It includes deep falls in real estate prices and exchange rates. Monte dei Paschis vulnerablilities are no secret and earlier tonight the bank, in anticipation of these results, said it had secured underwriters to back a 5 billion euro capital increase and a turnaround plan involving the sale of 9.2bn euros of bad loans. The stress tests of 51 of the continent's largest lenders will be closely watched by financial markets, where fears have been growing that the vulnerabilities of the continents lenders have the potential to set off another dangerous phase of the 6 year long eurozone crisis. The EBAs results show another major Italian bank, Unicredit, seeing its capital buffer fall from 10.38 per cent to 7.1 per cent in the stress scenario. The government of Matteo Renzi in Rome is locked in a struggle with the European Commission over its plans to recapitalise Italys ailing lenders, which have an estimated 360bn euros of bad loans, with state funds. European regulations require banks private bondholders to take losses before state money can be deployed by Rome is refusing to do that since many of these bondholders are thought to be elderly retail investors. But the damage in the stress test goes beyond Italy, which has been the focal point for investor anxieties about Europes banking system. In Germany, the giant Deutsche Bank which has been identified by the International Monetary Fund as one of the major risk to global financial stability sees its capital ratio fall from 11.1 per cent to just 7.8 per cent. Commerzbanks buffer declines from 12.13 per cent to 7.42 per cent. After Monte dei Paschi, the second biggest casualty in the EBA stress scenario is Allied Irish banks, with the Irish lenders capital hammered down from 13.11 per cent to 4.31 per cent. UK banks also suffer in the stress test, with Barclays 11.42 per cent cushion reduced to 7.3 per cent. HSBCs capital falls from 11.87 per cent to 8.76 per cent and the Royal Bank of Scotland goes from 15.53 per cent to only 8 per cent. Unlike in the two previous rounds of stress tests from the EBA this exercise did not contain a pass/fail threshold whereby weak banks are compelled to increase their capital buffers. After the 2014 exercise the sector was instructed by the EBA to raise an aggregate 25bn euros of capital. This time the question of whether banks need to raise more capital is being left to national regulators. Whilst we recognise the extensive capital raising done do far, this is not a clean bill of health said Andrea Enria, the EBAs chair. There remains work to do, which supervisors will undertake. The legal minimum capital ratio for all banks, known as "CET1", is 4.5 percent. But regulators also tell banks to hold another 3.5 per cent in subordinated debt, as well as a series of buffers, which are made up of common equity. On top of that, national supervisors add additional requirements for each lender. Banks deemed systemically important must have a further cushion of capital. There is a danger that financial markets will not regard the test as sufficiently rigorous, prompting further falls in their equity prices when markets open again on Monday. The 34 listed banks in todays stress tests have lost an average of 33 per cent of their value since the 2014 exercise, suggesting that investors were very far from assured the institutions had properly shored up their balance sheets. The European Central Bank, which supervises 37 of the lenders in the test, has said it will use a 5.5 per cent ratio in the stressed scenario as an informal benchmark for lenders resilience. Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter 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 Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A free school "Superhead" who was hailed as a shining example by education ministers is forcing children to sit in detention if their parents cannot afford to pay for school lunches. Katharine Birbalsingh, head of Michaela community school in Wembley, London, issued parents with a letter threatening to punish pupils with lunch isolation if they lunch payments were not made on time. Parents were told their children would be given a sandwich and a piece of fruit in place of their hot meal and separated from their friends at lunch time until the debts were paid off. Fred Fox - Fuel for School Ms Birbalsingh attracted national attention after speaking at a 2010 Tory party conference in which she was applauded for her criticisms of the school system. She lost her job in the backlash that followed, but became a poster figure for former education secretary Michael Goves education reforms and set up her own free school. A letter to one parent, posted on Twitter, said: You are currently 75 overdue. If this full amount is not received within this week your child will be placed into Lunch Isolation. They will receive a Sandwich and piece of fruit only. They will spend the entire sixty minutes period in lunch isolation. Only when the entire outstanding sum is paid in full will they be allowed into family lunch with their classmates. Family lunch is the term referred to by Michaela School for the timetabled lunch break. The free school charges 2.50 a day for school meals, with payment required upfront. Dionne Kelly, a parent who received the letter, told The Daily Mail: I found the letter quite threatening. Isolating children for their parents not paying upfront is degrading. It's embarrassing for poor families. Ms Kelly, an unemployed care worker, said she had already paid the money by the time she received the letter, but her 12-year-old son was punished regardless. The single mother said she was in the process of registering for the free meals scheme when she received the written warning, and hoped to reclaim the money paid. Michaela Deputy Head, Barry Smith, who is said to have devised the "lunch isolation" scheme, has described the school as having strict academic principles and a "zero tolerance discipline" system. In a recent blog post, Mr Smith said: "You send your daughter to Michaela she wont be sexually harassed by male pupils. Corridors and lesson change overs are silent. Pupils walk in single file." "You send your son or daughter to Michaela and you dont have to worry that theyll dread lunchtime because theyre friendless. Every child sits according to the seating plan teachers have designed." "At the end of the school day, there are lots of detentions," he added, "at lunch, there are lots of detentions". Michaela Community School opened in Wembley Park in September 2014 and has an 840 pupil capacity. The Independent has contacted the school for comment. 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 }} During a forum at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Chelsea Clinton tossed a question to Ivanka Trump: How will your father promote equal pay for equal work? "Given it's not something he's spoken about," she told Glamour editor Cindi Leive. "There are no policies, on any of those fronts that you just mentioned, on his website. Not last week; not this week." The inquiry came after Ivanka, Trump's eldest daughter, talked about the gender wage gap during her speech at the Republican National Convention, breaking from the party platform. "Single women without children earn 94 cents for each dollar earned by a man, whereas married mothers made only 77 cents," she said in a prime-time speech." Gender is no longer the factor creating the greatest wage discrepancy in this country. Motherhood is." Her words sparked both praise and skepticism. Never had an advocate for a Republican presidential nominee raised America's pay disparities to such a wide audience. (She was mostly correct, too: Female college graduates without children still receive lower starting pay than their male counterparts, but motherhood tends to carry a stiffer wage penalty.) Many conservatives call the wage gap a myth, arguing paycheck differences arise from worker choices, not discrimination. Government interference in the matter, they believe, could slap the face of personal liberty. Liberals, meanwhile, think the issue deserves more federal attention. Ivanka leapt beyond merely acknowledging the gap. She declared that her father would offer a government solution. "My father will change the labor laws that were put into place at a time when women were not a significant portion of the workforce," she said. "And he will focus on making quality child care affordable and accessible for all. Policies that allow women with children to thrive should not be novelties; they should be the norm." Wondered my colleague Philip Bump: "Who, exactly, was Ivanka endorsing?" Chelsea Clinton and husband Marc Mezvinsky (Reuters) Chelsea was right. November is just four months away, and Donald Trump hasn't talked about the gender pay gap. He hasn't mentioned ways to boost working mums. He hasn't laid out policy plans on child-care or maternity leave. (The Boston Globe called him out for paying male campaign staffers more.) Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, speaks regularly on the campaign trail about lifting working families. She has also pledged to close the wage gap, perhaps the loftiest promise of her run so far. She declares her positions on these issues on her website: "Women earn less than men across our economy -- and women of color often lose out the most. We should promote pay transparency across the economy and work to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act -- a bill Hillary introduced as senator -- to give women the tools they need to fight discrimination in the workforce." Conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro expressed disgust over Ivanka's remarks on Twitter. "Ivanka is now preaching crap about the wage gap and mirroring Hillary's agenda on child care. Wait, is she a Dem?!?!" Sally Kohn, the prominent liberal pundit, also tweeted disbelief. "Nice to hear Ivanka talk about wage gap and supporting affordable child care. Now can we hear Donald say it -- and how he will do it?!?" Economists can't prove why the wage gap exists, but they know it does exist: The Census Bureau calculates the median woman in the United States makes 79 cents for every dollar paid to the median man. The gap varies by race, with black women earning 60 cents and Hispanic earning 55 cents to every white man's dollar. Parenthood also delivers a financial impact: Working mums typically make only 73 cents for every dollar paid to working dads. Earlier this year, Cornell University economists Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn took a swing at explaining what the numbers actually mean. They found career decisions -- occupation, industry, taking time off or scaling back after children -- accounted for roughly half the gap. Thirty-eight percent, however, remained "unexplained." Some argue that portion comes from discrimination, conscious or otherwise, the kind that looks like a boss assuming his female employee with small children doesn't have time for a tougher role with a higher salary. Addressing the wage gap, wherever it comes from, doesn't have to be liberal-only issue, conservative thinkers say. "I hope Ivanka holds her father's feet to the fire on pay equity issues," said Sarah Lenti, a Republican strategist and former aide to Condoleezza Rice. "The answer is not to simply just throw them to the federal government to fix or mandate." Lenti, a mother of two, said a conservative approach would be to reward employers who stamp out their own wage gaps. Perhaps a business that annually looks at its pay data and fixes any glaring disparities could qualify for a new tax cut. Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the right-leaning Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies, said he doesn't dispute Ivanka's thoughts on pay and motherhood -- but cautions against tweaking laws to close the pay gap. "All legislation attempting to prescribe the terms and conditions of employment has unintended side effects as employers adjust," he wrote in an email, "and these are likely to be especially salient if the pay gap is largely or entirely the result of families' own decisions." One such unintended side effect: After Chile required companies to provide child care to working mothers, women's wages dropped. Olsen said a Republican politician might instead encourage fathers to take leave time and seek flexible hours, which could even the playing field for working mums, who still tend to shoulder the bulk of the burden. Also, clear the way for businesses to allow remote work. Managers could also build a work culture where telecommuting is acceptable, helping parents better juggle work and home. 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 US Navy is to name one of its ships after acclaimed gay rights leader Harvey Milk, according to Congressional documents. News of the ships naming has not been officially announced by Naval officials and may prove controversial among serving officers. Recommended Read more Stonewall Inn named first national monument for LGBTQ rights However, if confirmed, it marks rapid progress in gay rights only five years after the Pentagon repealed Dont ask, dont tell policy in Americas armed forces. He will be the first openly gay figure to be honoured in such a way. The US Naval Institute obtained a Congressional notification signed by the Secretary of the Navy indicating the name of the oil tanker, USNS Harvey Milk. The ship will be the latest in a line of Navy oilers named for US social justice icons. In January, Navy officials announced the Military Sealift Command ship USNS John Lewis, named for the Georgia congressman and notable leader during the Civil Rights Movement. USNS John Lewis (Deutsche Marine Blog/Facebook) Other figures to be named in the John Lewis-class include Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, Robert F Kennedy, pioneering womens rights activist Lucy Stone, and abolitionist Sojourner Truth. As the first of its class, the future USNS John Lewis will play a vital role in the mission of our Navy and Marine Corps while also forging a new path in fleet replenishment, Navy Sec Ray Mabus said when announcing the fleet earlier this year. Before he became the first openly gay California politician, Milk served in the Navy from 1951 to 1955. He was a diving officer in San Diego, stationed on a submarine rescue ship until his honourable discharge. Harvey Milk in San Francisco (House of Dandridge/Facebook) The story of his life was the focus of a 2008 biopic, Milk, starring Sean Penn. Penn won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the San Francisco politician. Milk was elected to San Franciscos Board of Supervisors in 1976 before he was shot dead in 1978. California politicians have made a significant push for a Naval ship to be named for Milk ever since the Department of Defence repealed Dont Ask, Dont Tell a policy that barred open LGBTQ people from serving in 2011. This action by the US Secretary of the Navy will further send a green light to all the brave men and women who serve our nation that honesty, acceptance, and authenticity are held up among the highest ideals of our military, Milks nephew, Stuart Milk, told the San Diego LGBT Weekly in 2012. 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 }} Police are appealing for information after the actress Honeysuckle Weeks was reported missing. Ms Weeks is best known for her role as Samantha Stewart in the ITV wartime drama Foyle's War. A spokesperson for Sussex Police said Ms Weeks, 36, was last seen in Chichester at 9pm on Thursday evening. In a statement, Detective Kate Witt said she was reported missing at 10pm. Ms Weeks is described as around 5ft 4in, with cropped red-blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a blue anorak and faded blue jeans. 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. We are concerned about Honeysuckle as her recent behaviour has concerned family and friends and she has expressed to them she is feeling anxious," Detective Witts said. Although she travels around a lot and has links in London and has family in Wiltshire, it is unlike her not to be in touch with family. If you read this Honeysuckle, please get in touch to let us know you are OK. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sussex police by calling101 or tweeting @sussex.pnn.police.uk. 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 }} Editors note: This story was originally published March 22, 2005. Khizr Khan is a lawyer by training and demeanor, an articulate man, a careful and methodical thinker who is trying at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday to make sense of the fact that his 27-year-old son is gone forever. It's a workday, so he finds someplace quiet, an empty conference room on the 13th floor of the office building where he works near the White House. He shuts the door, sits at a big empty table, picks up a pen. He and his wife would talk often to their three boys about why they decided to come to the United States, he began. It was the 1970s, and Pakistan was under military rule. They came to Silver Spring to have more freedom and opportunity. "It sounds cliche," said Khan, 54, "but that is the story." His son was always reading books about Thomas Jefferson; that part of his passion was certainly his father's doing. When the boys were small, Khan would take them to the Jefferson Memorial. He'd have them stand there and read the chiseled, curving words about swearing hostility against tyrannies over the minds of men. But Humayun had a serious-minded disposition all his own, even as a little boy. He was the middle one, the comforter, the one the cousins would run to when they were being picked on. He gave swimming lessons to disabled children in high school. He had a sense of responsibility that his father cannot quite account for, other than to say that's just the way he was. "We always depended on his balanced approach to things," Khan said, fidgeting with the pen. It was not exactly surprising, he continued, that Humayun quoted Jefferson in his admissions essay for the University of Virginia, a line about freedom requiring vigilance. It was a bit surprising, though, when he signed up for ROTC and told his dad that after graduation in 2000, he wanted to join the Army. They had dinner conversations about it, Khan said, looking down at the wooden conference table. He told Humayun that he wouldn't have control over his life, but his son insisted, and that was that. "He said that it seems only fair and logical to join the Army," Khan said. "Because he wanted to complete the journey -- he felt that ROTC had completed him as a person, and he wanted to give back. That's what he wanted to do." It was logical, Khan said, and how was a lawyer going to argue with logic? Humayun finished his four years of service and was preparing for law school when the Army called him back to duty. As he was moving into Iraq last year, Khan called him and they spoke briefly, a conversation he has turned over in his mind a million times since. His son said, "Remember I wrote that article for admission to U-Va.?" Khan said, pausing, taking the pen cap off and putting it on again, his voice steady. "He said, 'I meant it.' He said that. He wasn't going there through some thoughtless process, or thoughtlessly following orders. He thought he was serving a purpose." On June 9, four months after his arrival in Iraq, Humayun was killed by a car bomber. Over time, his colonel and his fellow soldiers told Khan how his son died, and that, too, had some sort of horrible logic to it. Humayun's job at the base in Baqubah was to inspect the soldiers at the gates, where crowds of Iraqis would sometimes gather. Humayun went early that morning, which was just like him. He saw a taxi speeding toward the gates, too fast, he thought. He yelled for everyone to hit the dirt. Then, as was his nature, he went running toward it, they said. "Ten or 15 steps with his hand outstretched," his father said, stretching his own arm out in front of him almost a year later, telling some ghost taxi to stop in a downtown conference room. The explosives detonated before the car could ram the gates or the mess hall nearby, where several hundred soldiers were eating breakfast. Since his death, Khizr Khan said, he has learned so much more about his son -- how he mentored a young man while he was at U-Va.; how he was an unofficial counselor for mentally troubled soldiers; how he started a program to hire local Iraqis for jobs on the base as a way of trying to improve relations between the soldiers and the town. "They did not call him Captain Khan," his father said. "They called him 'our captain.' " All of it has in a way made his son more mysterious to him, not less. Humayun was so much more like his mother, so generous and kind, the father said. He's not sure what his son got from him. "We wonder how we got so lucky," Khizr Khan said. The Khans moved to Charlottesville on the advice of a therapist, who thought being closer to their other two sons at U-Va. would help them. They have started a foundation in Humayun's name to continue the work he wanted to do counseling soldiers. When they can, they go to funerals of other soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. "Somehow it reminds us that that's what he would do, perhaps," Khan said. On long drives back home, between phone calls and meetings at work, he tries to remember how purposeful Humayun was, how deliberately he chose his path. Khan is certain that his son did not die for nothing, and having that certainty helps. There is just one thing, Khizr Khan said at the end of a long afternoon, one thing that all the logic and purpose in the world can't help him with. "I just can't seem to get my arms around the loss," he said, lifting his arms and embracing the air, as people out in the hallway talked about lunch. Copyright: Washington Post 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 }} For those not paying attention to the minutiae of the campaign, this tweet from Melania Trump was probably a bit baffling. "The website in question was created in 2012 and has been removed because it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests," it reads -- though as an image and not an actual tweet, since it's 11 characters too long. ("The website in question is from 2012 and has been removed bc it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests" works, FYI.) So, that's fine, but: What website? MelaniaTrump.com, a site which once hosted information about Trump's beauty products, jewelry line and life story. It was up earlier this week, but now simply flips over to the more generic Trump.com because, Trump says, it didn't reflect her current business and professional interests. Or, it seems, her accurate biographical information. The Huffington Post, which broke the story of the website's removal on Wednesday night includes a snippet of text from Trump's bio as it appeared on the site. "Born on April 26, 1970 in Slovenia," it reads, "Melania Knauss began her modeling career at the age of sixteen. At the age of eighteen, she signed with a modeling agency in Milan. After obtaining a degree in design and architecture at University in Slovenia, Melania was jetting between photo shoots in Paris and Milan, finally settling in New York in 1996." That language has been consistent since at least 2006, according to archives of the site captured by the Internet Archive. The problem is in the last sentence. Trump attended college in her home country, at the University of Ljubljana. According to a biography of Trump written by journalists in her home country obtained by the Huffington Post, Trump only attended one year of school. The description of Trump as having nonetheless graduated, the authors write, was a function of Donald Trump's public relations efforts, since Trump was eager to "give off the impression that the Slovenian model was not just beautiful, but also smart and well-educated." That last claim is hard to verify. The Post's fact-checkers looked at this last week. They cite an interview with GQ, in which it is reported that "Melania decamped to Milan after her first year of college, effectively dropping out." The timing of the removal of Trump's website makes it hard to believe that there's no connection between it and the questions about her background. It caps off a rough month for Trump, following the revelation that her speech endorsing her husband's candidacy were lifted from Michelle Obama's similar speech in 2008. More broadly, it is another example of a disconnect between stated claims from a Trump and reality. There are any number of examples, ranging from estimates of Trump's net worth to his policy arguments. On that scale, this is minor. As of writing, Melania Trump's website has not been updated to reflect her current professional interests. Copyright: Washington Post 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 }} Paris Hilton is concerned about becoming the target of a terrorist group such as Isis after a spate of attacks across the globe. Hilton, who is currently mid-way through a DJ residency in Ibiza, described her concerns in an interview with Diario de Ibiza. When asked if she felt safe travelling so frequently after a number of terror attacks, Hilton claimed she could be more at risk because of her profile. 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. According to a translation obtained by the Independent, she replied: It's horrible with everything that is going on now... The attacks in Nice and Germany are horrible, it's something disgusting and scary. These are things that cross my mind since I travel a lot and when I think about it, I feel scared." I'm moving around and travelling from country to country, I'm a famous person who can clearly be the target of a terrorist attack and this is sometimes terrifying. In the same interview, Hilton appeared to defend longtime family friend and extraordinary businessman, Donald Trump. 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 man has been jailed for nearly five years for attempting to smuggle 17 illegal immigrants into the UK. Stephen Jackson pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court on Friday to attempting to smuggling the migrants at Chicester Marina. The 51-year-old sailor was sentenced to four year and nine months for assisting unlawful immigration after he was caught "red-handed" sailing a boat-load of Albanian men aged 20-44 into the marina on 23 May. During the hearing it also emerged a European Arrest Warrant has been issued for Jackson in connection with the disappearance of a Scottish woman in Spain. Lisa Brown, 32, originally from Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire was last seen in November last year. He is due to make an initial court appearance in regards to his possible extradition at Westminster Magistrates Court on 11 August. Sentencing Jackson, Judge Guy Anthony said Jackson had been caught "red-handed" and "there are not many cases where somebody is involved in bringing that many people in one go". He said the Albanian men were traveling in cramped conditions: "Quite apart from the illegality, they are plainly at risk of their health and safety". UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA 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 Prosecutor Martha Walsh said the 10-metre long boat he used to smuggle the men in was only suitable for between six and eight passengers. She said: "On May 23 this year, a boat called Fortunella, which was a catamaran, was seen off the Isle of Wight and it was making its way to Chichester harbour. "It was initially stopped, however the marine patrol communicated with the vessel and asked the captain to identify himself, and he gave the name Stephen Jackson. "They ran a check through the police national computer and it said he was wanted on a European Arrest Warrant. Recommended Read more How a charity is rescuing the forgotten victims of human trafficking "He was allowed to carry on into Chichester harbour where there are no border controls." Sussex Police were waiting for Jackson's catamaran when it arrive in the marina and found the 17 men after searching the boat. Ms Walsh also said there were insufficient life jackets on board despite the operation involving a "significant degree of planning" by Jackson. "This was a voyage in which those 17 men had their lives in some degree of jeopardy," she added. None of the men had the right to be in the country and eight were immediately deported. Jackson was sentenced to 4 years and nine months in prison for the offence at Lewes Crown Court (Google Maps) The other nine, who had previously attempted to enter the UK illegally, all received jail terms after pleading guilty at Crawley Magistrates' Court to unlawful entry. One of them had a previous conviction for a sexual offence. The court heard Jackson, of West Wittering in West Sussex, had originally claimed to have been forced into sailing to the UK by the Albanians after he found them onboard. He later admitted he had been given the boat in exchange for getting them to the country. This was a voyage in which those 17 men had their lives in some degree of jeopardy

Prosecutor Martha Walsh

In mitigation, Jackson's defence counsel Gregory Fishwick said his client made an immediate confession and described him as a man of "positive good character". He said: "Mr Jackson appears to be a hard-working, conscientious, honest, trustworthy man who is held in high regard by those who have known him." The lawyer said Jackson acknowledged he had made a "terrible mistake" and had embarrassed those who knew him. Mr Fishwick said the details of the European Arrest Warrant were "somewhat sketchy". Additional reporting by PA 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 }} The sudden decision to put on hold the 18bn contract for a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point is bewildering and bonkers, a furious union official has said. There are fears for the 25,000 jobs that depend on the vast project, which was to be financed jointly by the French energy firm EDF and the Chinese though environmentalists and others hoped the delay will lead to it being scrapped outright. The Governments decision to put the contract on hold until the autumn came as a complete surprise to EDFs board, who agreed only on Thursday evening, by 18 votes to seven, to go ahead with it. They will put the money for two thirds of the construction costs, with the other third coming form China. EDF's directors learnt of the Governments decision when they read it on the internet on Friday morning. Senior EDF executives were due to be Somerset to launch the project, but cancelled the visit at short notice. Justin Bowden, national secretary for energy of the GMB union, said: Theresa May's decision to review the go-ahead is bewildering and bonkers. After years of procrastination, what is required is decisive action not dithering and more delay. This unnecessary hesitation is putting finance for the project in doubt and 25,000 new jobs at risk immediately after Brexit. It is a gross error of judgment and must be reversed. 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 Labour also denounced the chaos that threatened to have diplomatic repercussions just as the UK was beginning the delicate task of negotiating an exit from the EU. Shadow Energy Secretary Barry Gardiner said: The Tories are in chaos. Ministers have claimed Britain is open for business after the referendum, but this delay could deter the investors we need to build a strong economy. This is an appalling signal to send and a humiliating diplomatic move. The Government has not publicly given a reason for the delay, but it is thought that Theresa May was reluctant to commit to such a major construction project so early in her premiership, and wants to take more advice. Jean-Bernard Levy, chief executive of EDF, seemed confident that she would eventually agree to go ahead. I have no doubt about the support of the British government led by Ms May, he said. Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Tory MP whose constituency included the proposed site of Hinkley Point, said: Theresa May is doing the right thing. She wants to read herself into it. Its a 90,000-page submission; its taken years to get to this stage, and she hasnt been part of it. Shes doing due diligence, but the project will go ahead, Im absolutely confident of that. A previous Conservative government in effect gave up building new nuclear plants when their true cost was exposed during the privatisation of the electricity industry at the end of the 1980s, but the more recent need to reduce reliance on gas and coal, to slow down climate change, convinced David Camerons government that the nuclear industry should be revived. Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: The Governments decision to take longer to look at the contract do not change the fundamentals that by 2030, two-thirds of our electricity generation capacity will have retired, and we need to replace it with low carbon and reliable power for the future. He urged the government to come to a quick decision to go ahead. But the delay was welcomed by environmental campaigners and others, who hoped that it was a sign that the project might be scrapped outright. Mike Childs, from Friends of the Earth, described the Governments decision as an opportunity to do the right and popular thing and end support for Hinkley. He added: Margaret Thatcher cancelled the nuclear build programmes in the early 1990s because the economics were dreadful. Hopefully Theresa May is about to do the same. Renewables and energy storage are a much better deal. Kate Hudson, general secretary of CND, which has long opposed civil nuclear power as well as nuclear weapons, added: Even supporters of nuclear power now recognise how bad this deal is. The cost of nuclear power has continued to rise as the cost of renewable energy has fallen sharply. Renewable energy is now the future this is where investment is needed not billions on outdated, dangerous and expensive nuclear energy. 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 }} As Chinas President Xi Jinping arrived on a state visit to the UK last October, the head of an educational charity warned that the British Government should be wary of hugging a dictator so closely. Writing on the ConservativeHome website, Nick Timothy, head of the New Schools Network, accused the Government of David Cameron and George Osborne of being so keen to open up the Chinese market for British business, and draw Chinese investment to the UK, that they were not only overlooking Chinas dismal record on human rights but were also potentially putting national security at risk. Of particular concern was the proposed deal that would give Chinese state-owned companies a 33.5 per cent stake in the proposed power station at Hinkley Point, and possibly in two other new nuclear plants. Mr Timothy found it baffling that the Government should welcome this when security experts ... are worried that the Chinese could use their role to build weaknesses into computer systems that will allow them to shut down Britains energy production at will. Mr Timothy is no longer working in the charitable sector. He is in Downing Street, doing the equivalent job to the one he used to do in the Home Office, as Theresa Mays chief of staff. One Westminster insider once told The Spectator that this man, known as Theresas brain, influences her thinking to an almost scary extent. Therein could lie a large part of the explanation for the sudden and unexpected decision to put the entire Hinkley Point project on hold, on the very day when the contracts were to be ceremonially signed after the board the French energy firm, EDF, who were to pay two-thirds of the construction costs, had committed themselves to going ahead. Even if China were not ruled by a secretive dictatorship and were not home of some of the worlds most prolific and skilful computer hackers, there would still be a host of reasons for worrying about whether the Hinkley Point project was worth the risk. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA 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 It is a huge undertaking. The scheduled cost is 18bn, and the completion date 2025, but given that so much of the technology is new and complex, no one would be surprised if it ran over budget and late. The risk for EDF, who have to find 12bn of the construction costs, would be immense, which is why the companys former finance director, Thomas Piquemal, vehemently opposed to the companys involvement. He resigned in March. But if it is successfully built, it will be a very nice earner for EDF and its Chinese partners, at the expense of the British public. For 35 years, they would be able to sell electricity to British consumers at a guaranteed price of 92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity, more than twice its present cost. One estimate is that the project could add 230 a year to the average electricity bill. Some experts in this field, such as Anurag Gupta, nuclear director at KPMG UK, believe that the way forward is to give up on vast investments and build small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) such as are already in use in India and Pakistan. He argues: SMRs are not just seen as a way to provide a reliable, secure, affordable and clean source of energy. Its hoped that the UK could eventually establish itself as a global centre of manufacturing for this technology, forging a burgeoning national industry that serves the rest of the world and creates thousands of new jobs. One political factor that Hinkley Point had going for it was the former Chancellor George Osborne and his penchant for grand projects such as HS2 or the Northern Powerhouse. Ed Davey, the Lib Dem who was Energy Secretary in the coalition government was also a convert. Neither Theresa May, nor the newly appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark, was involved until now. There are big political risks in delaying or cancelling this project. It threatens relations with China, that vast expanding market, and with France, at the onset of Brexit negotiations that will be difficult enough without getting into a dispute with EDF. But the new Prime Minister and her new Business Secretary evidently decided that being pushed into a decision of this magnitude in their first month in office was the greater risk. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has terminated the agreement between USSR and Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) on mutual trips of citizens. The corresponding decision was taken at a government meeting on Wednesday. Ukraines Deputy Foreign Minister, Head of the Government Office Olena Zerkal said that the reason for such a decision is the lack of support from the DPRK side of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and countering the penetration of unwelcome persons into the countrys territory. 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 }} Every one of the countrys Police and Crime Commissioners have been instructed to prioritise tackling a surge in post-referendum hate crimes, following damning new revelations about their scale and nature. The worrying extent and specifics of the new wave of anti-immigrant racism was detailed in full on Friday after The Independent was given exclusive access to a database of incidents compiled in the weeks since the vote. The call to the regional police chiefs to crack down on the outpouring of anti-immigrant sentiment follows a push by ministers for tougher sentences for the crimes and new guidance on their reporting. Now, in a letter sent to the commissioners, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron warns that Britains future as a tolerant country could be at risk if the new hostile climate for immigrants becomes permanent. This type of vile abuse needs to stop and we need to work together to try and get rid of it, Mr Farron told The Independent. The Britain I know is a open, decent, liberal and tolerant place. We have always been a beacon of hope for those in need. I am writing to every Police Commissioner to ask them to prioritise this issue and make sure they reach out to community leaders. The report has also prompted further cross-party condemnation, with Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party, describing the findings as an explosion and laying the blame squarely at the door of anti-immigrant politicians. Politicians have been blamed for creating a climate in which anti-immigrant racism has thrived (Home Office/ PA) (PA) Yesterday Andy Burnham, Labours shadow Home Secretary, said the Government bored some responsibility for the rise in crimes having contributed to the unwelcoming climate following the vote. Ms Bennett today said: The explosion of hate crimes in Britain after the referendum has been deeply shocking. The poisonous drip feed of xenophobia from certain politicians is now being mirrored in our towns and cities. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell Our country is world renowned as an open society, where people from across the world can make a home, but that reputation now hangs in the balance. Sadly there will always be some racism and intolerance, but rather than confront such hate politicians in Britain have capitulated to prejudice for far too long. We are now in an emergency situation: children are being verbally abused and people fear walking down the street. Those politicians who peddled anti-immigrant rhetoric, and those who failed to stand up to it, must take some responsibility for whats happening. The Government could take a lead to settle the divides in our society by guaranteeing EU nationals living here that theyll be able to stay. Britain is better than this: we all need to play a part in healing our country after a bruising few months. A database of accounts collected by social media monitoring services PostRefRacism, Worrying Signs, and iStreetWatch recorded a litany of crimes in the wake of the referendum, with virtually no corner of Britain left untouched. In a report written with the support of the Institute of Race Relations the three services warned that politicians were creating a hostile environment through their pandering to anti-immigrant voices. If a hostile environment is embedded politically, it cant be a surprise that it takes root culturally, they warned. Tim Farron has written to all England and Wales's police commissioners (Getty) Hate crime figures reported by the National Police Chiefs Council in the immediate aftermath of the referendum found a 57 per cent increase in reports of such relevant crimes. Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, said this week that the Government will not stand for racist hate crimes. Hatred does not get a seat at the table, and we will do everything we can to stamp it out, she said. 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 full extent and true nature of the blatant hate that has beset post-Brexit Britain is today detailed for the first time after The Independent was given exclusive access to a database of more than 500 racist incidents compiled in the weeks since the EU referendum. The hatred that has divided British society in the past month features F*** off to Poland letters in Tunbridge Wells, wealthy London diners refusing to be served by foreign waiters, dog excrement shoved through letter boxes in Rugby, and racist abuse from children as young as ten. A picture of nationwide hatred emerged after The Independent was allowed exclusive access to a database of accounts collected by the social media sites PostRefRacism, Worrying Signs and iStreetWatch. Race hate incidents that have occurred since the June 23 EU referendum What the social media sites in their own report describe as an explosion of blatant hate has included: * Gangs prowling the streets demanding passers-by prove they can speak English * Swastikas in Armagh, Sheffield, Plymouth, Leicester, London and Glasgow. * Assaults, arson attacks and dog excrement being thrown at doors or shoved through letter boxes. * Toddlers being racially abused alongside their mothers, with children involved as either victims or perpetrators in 14 per cent of incidents. * A man in Glasgow ripping off a girls headscarf and telling her Trash like you better start obeying the white man." * Comparisons with 1930s Nazi Germany and a crowd striding through a London street chanting: First well get the Poles out, then the gays! And in their own report written with the support of the Institute of Race Relations the three social media groups accuse the Prime Minister Theresa May of helping create the hostile environment that paved the way for post-referendum racism. Criticising Ms Mays record as Home Secretary, and in particular her endorsement of advertising vans telling illegal immigrants Go Home or face arrest, the authors of Post-referendum racism and xenophobia say: If a hostile environment is embedded politically, it cant be a surprise that it takes root culturally. Singling Ms May out as one of those who helped create such a hostile environment, the report recalls that in 2012, Ms May, the then Home Secretary, used a newspaper interview to declare: The aim is to create here in Britain a really hostile environment for illegal migration. Fear and Loathing in Great Britain The report says: This was brought to fruition in July 2013 when the Home Office deployed mobile advans in six London boroughs telling people to GO HOME or face arrest in its 'Operation Vaken'. It adds, pointedly: Around a quarter of the incidents recorded in our database, specifically use the words Go Home or Leave. It is not unreasonable to see the Vote Leave campaign, with its central focus on immigration, as a continuation of this politically mainstream, hostile stance towards immigration and xeno-racist narratives. The reports criticism of Ms May was echoed by the shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham, who told The Independent: It is clear that the Government has contributed to the unwelcoming climate and that our new Prime Minister in particular is responsible . Prime Minister Theresa May (EPA) This has been building for some time and Theresa May was blowing a dog whistle when she commissioned those ad vans. After the referendum she added to the problem by refusing to guarantee EU nationals legal status to stay in the UK. Her failure to do that has left children being told to go home in their school playgrounds and in the streets where they live. This Prime Minister promised to pull the country together, but her actions have done the opposite. He added: This is not the Britain we have known. This is not taking our country back. It is making Britain a completely different place to the one we have known and loved. Already police have said that reported hate crime rose by 57 per cent in the four days following the referendum, and that 42 per cent more hate crime was reported to them in the last two weeks of June than there had been in the corresponding period of 2015. The database shows that since the 23 June referendum, virtually no corner of the UK has been left untouched by racism - even areas that voted strongly to stay in the EU. The database includes incidents such as a Polish doctor treating patients in a hospital in Oxford, a city where more than 70 per cent voted remain, being told to f***ing go back to where you belong. While 76 per cent of incidents were restricted to verbal abuse, 14 per cent of cases involved threatened or actual physical violence. In Yeovil, Somerset, a Polish man was asked to prove he could speak English and then beaten to the point of suffering a potentially life-changing eye injury. The involvement of children as victims and perpetrators was described by the authors of Post-referendum racism and xenophobia as one of the most alarming and least expected trends. A two and a half-year-old Polish girl walking with her mother through a park in Croydon, south London, was told by a 60-something grandfather: We voted to leave so why the f*** don't you go home? None of us want you here. In Taunton Deane, Somerset, a 10-year-old told their German teacher: Im not doing what a bloody foreigner tells me to. Nor was the racism restricted to people who could be categorised as frustrated and socially excluded. German woman didn't leave her house for 3 days after Brexit in fear of being abused In an expensive restaurant in Mayfair, London, on the day the referendum result was announced, a party of celebrating Brexiteers refused to be served by an Italian and demanded an English waiter. An online booking for another top London restaurant included the demand: I want British waiter please (sic). Dont send any Europeans to my table. One of the most disturbing aspect of the incidents examined by The Independent involved signs that some racists saw themselves as preparing to extend their attacks to other minority groups. The database records a crowd walking down Drury Lane, London, chanting: First well get the Poles out, then the gays! Reporting an attack on a Romanian lesbian in Oxford, the actress Juliet Stevenson suggested the incident showed Strains of 1930s Nazi Germany. Priska Komaromi, the lead author of social media sites report, said the referendum debate and result had given some people the impression that there was no longer any shame in expressing the race hate they had long felt. Manchester tram abuse Ms Komaromi, an academic researcher who helps run the PostRefRacism twitter page, told The Independent: The referendum result emboldened some people because it made them think that everyone agrees with them now. Her report also claims that elements of mainstream politics and media has for years been creating an environment that encourages racist feelings. It states: The rapid rise and the nature of hate crime following the referendum is an expression of the hostile environment [that] the insiders vs outsiders rhetoric, increasingly prevalent in mainstream politics and the media, has fostered. As Liz Fekete, director of the Institute of Race Relations puts it: 'One of the things that has become clear is that the hostile environment that has been an official aim of policy for the last few years is coming home. If a hostile environment is embedded politically, it cant be a surprise that it takes root culturally.' Nigel Farage unveils the Leave campaigns infamous Breaking Point poster (Rex) The report adds: While Islamophobic scaremongering was central to the Leave Campaign, it has been increasingly normalised in the mainstream media and politics in the UK since 9/11 Zac Goldsmiths recent controversial mayoral campaign and his attempt to paint Sadiq Khan as a closet extremist are indicative of the patent islamophobia in mainstream politics. The report also accuses the Brexit campaign - which placed heavy emphasis on taking back control of immigration - of demonising migrants and fostering an idea of Englishness that is exclusively white and Christian, targeting anyone who is different. While criticising leading Brexiteers Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, it reserves its harshest comments for the Breaking Point poster unveiled by the then Ukip leader Nigel Farage. It calls it the most obvious example of the de-humanisation of migrants, and particularly refugees. The result seems to have been that while 51 per cent of abusers specifically mentioned the EU referendum, the most commonly targeted ethnic group was in fact people of South Asian, rather than European origin. And around one fifth of the abuse aimed at people of South Asian origin was Islamophobic. We are clear that it is completely unacceptable for people to suffer abuse or attacks because of their nationality, ethnic background or colour of their skin. We will not stand for it

Home Office spokesperson

The post-referendum racism report comes days after the Government launched a new hate crime action plan in response to public anxiety at the hostility seen since 23 June. Launching the plan, which will include fresh guidance to the CPS and a 2.4 million fund for security at synagogues, mosques and churches, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: Hatred against any community, race or religion has no place whatsoever in our diverse society. We are Great Britain because we are united by values like democracy, free speech, mutual respect and opportunity for all. Stressing that Ms Mays measures as Home Secretary had been directed at illegal not legal migrants, a Home Office spokesperson said: It is categorically untrue to say the Home Office has called for a hostile environment for immigrants. However, the British public expect us to take decisive action to prevent immigration abuse and make it harder for people to enter or live here illegally. That is why we have introduced new legislation through the Immigration Acts in 2014 and 2016. We are also clear that it is completely unacceptable for people to suffer abuse or attacks because of their nationality, ethnic background or colour of their skin. We will not stand for it. That is why we have launched our new Hate Crime Action Plan, setting out the robust and comprehensive steps we will take to eradicate hate crime. 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 top brass from the UK Independence Party will meet on Sunday to grapple with the question of: when is a party member not a member? It matters because on it hangs the chances of the front-runner, Steven Woolfe, being the next Ukip leader. The possibility that Mr Woolfe might be eliminated from the race has created panic among allies of the outgoing leader, Nigel Farage. Ukips Deputy Treasurer, Peter Jewell, has sent an email to friends desperately seeking last minute nominations so that he can enter the leadership race if Mr Woolfe is barred. In an email sent out on Wednesday night, leaked to The Huffington Post, Mr Jewell pleaded: Steven Woolfe it seems cannot stand for leader and we are in a panic. Nigel and others have asked me to stand and hold the fort for a while. I need 50 signatures tomorrow. His use of that phrase "hold the fort" invites speculation that Nigel Farages resignation, announced earlier this month, is only temporary. He resigned the leadership in 2009 and 2015, on neither occasion for very long. Mr Jewell could not be contacted for clarification. 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 Under party rules, any candidate in the contest to succeed Nigel Farage must have been a party member for at least two years. Mr Woolfe was a Ukip MEP and party spokesman on immigration during all that period, but documents also leaked show that he allowed his individual party membership to lapse in December 2014, and renewed it only in March. A panel that is due to meet on Sunday, when nominations close, will have to decide whether that disqualifies him. Despite its relatively small size, Ukip is deeply split between friends and foes of Mr Farage. The outgoing leader has had a public falling out with Ukips only MP, Douglas Carswell, who announced: "I'm totally neutral in Ukip leadership contest and indeed rows. Disinterested and possibly uninterested." Suzanne Evans, who led Ukip very briefly after Mr Farage resigned last year, has also fallen out with him, and is prevented from running because her party membership has been suspended. She is backing Lisa Duffy, leader of the Ukip group on Huntingdonshire District Council. Mr Farage has not said publicly who he is backing, but his ally Aaron Banks, Ukip's main financial backer, has endorsed Mr Woolfe. Two other Ukip MEPs, Jonathan Arnott and Bill Etheridge, are also in the running. 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 }} Straight women in Tanzania are marrying each other and even sharing beds in order to keep their houses in the absence of husbands, according to reports. A centuries-old local tradition, called nyumba ntobhu or house of women, has been given a modern revival by members of the Kurya tribe in remote villages in the north of the country. Under the tradition, a woman is permitted to marry a younger woman if she is widowed or her husband chooses to leave her. This means she can keep the family home which is jointly owned with the younger woman, despite a tribal law which dictates that only males can normally inherit property. The younger woman is then able to take a male partner and potentially give birth to male heirs on the older woman's behalf. Increasing numbers of younger Kurya women are choosing to take the house of women option in spite of their tribes traditionally patriarchal society, according to a report by Marie Claire magazine. All 200 members of the local Kurya Tribal Council are male. It is believed marriage between women is helping to reduce the risks of domestic abuse, child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) within the tribe which has more than 700,000 members. In 2013, a survey by the countrys Ministry of Health and Social Welfare found that 45 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 had experienced sexual or physical violence in the home. Mugosi Maningo and Anastasia Juma got married in June 2015, and say their union has given them more autonomy over their lives. Ms Juma told the magazine her previous husband treated her like a slave when she was married at the age of 13. I didnt trust men after that, she said. I certainly didnt want another husband. Marrying a woman seemed the best solution. Mugosi and I would like at least three more children to expand our family. The more children you have the richer you are. Another woman, Mugosi Isombe, said: Nobody can touch us. If any men tried to take our property or hurt us, they would be punished by tribal elders because they have no rights over our household. All the power belongs to us. Disputes over paternal rights are said to be rare when 'nyumba ntobhu' is enforced. The countries with anti-women laws Show all 5 1 /5 The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws Human rights campaigners remain concerned about Tanzanias attitudes to women, and it is estimated as many as 1,000 older women in the country are accused of witchcraft and killed every year in accordance with tradition. Women and girls in the country continue to find it difficult to access formal education, as traditional attitudes force many to drop out of school and university to pursue domestic responsibilities. 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 father of an American-Muslim soldier killed in action has contrasted his family's "undivided loyalty" to America with Donald Trump, who has "sacrified nothing and no one", in a moving speech delivered at the Democratic National Convention. Here is the full transcript of the speech by Khizr Khan, father of Humayun Khan, who died in Iraq in 2004 after instructing his troops to seek cover before a car bomb exploded: Tonight we are honoured to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims - with undivided loyalty to our country. Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed. We believed in American democracy; that with hard work and goodness of this country, we could share in and contribute to its blessings. We are blessed to raise our three sons in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams. Our son, Humayun, had dreams too, of being a military lawyer, but he put those dreams aside the day he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son 'the best of America'. If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities; women; judges; even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls, and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you: have you even read the United States constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. [he pulls it out] In this document, look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law'. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. We cannot solve our problems by building walls, sowing division. We are stronger together. And we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our President. In conclusion, I ask every patriot American, all Muslim immigrants, and all immigrants to not take this election lightly. This is a historic election, and I request to honour the sacrifice of my son - and on election day, take the time to get out and vote. And vote for the healer. vote for the strongest, most qualified candidate, Hillary Clinton, not the divider. God bless you, thank you. 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 }} Donald Trump has reacted angrily to speeches critical of him at this weeks Democratic National Convention (DNC), saying he wanted to hit a couple of those speakers so hard. Speaking at a rally in Davenport in the midwestern state of Iowa, the Republican presidential candidate said he was all set to hit the speakers so hard their heads would spin, theyd never recover. Mr Trumps comments came as Hillary Clinton said he was not a suitable choice for president because he loses his cool at the slightest provcation. At the DNC, which took place in Philadelphia, the Democrat nominee said Americas strength doesnt come from lashing out when faced with hostility. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons, said Ms Clinton. Mr Trump said he was particularly riled up by the words of one guy in particular, a very little guy, who he had worked with in the past. This man came out of nowhere to ask for his help with a business deal, he said. I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin, he wouldnt know what the hell happened. In this context, Mr Trumps use of the word hit most likely means a vicious verbal attack, rather than a physical assault. While it remains unclear who exactly Mr Trump was referring to, a number of high-profile Democrat supporters have been critical of the Republican nominee in the run-up to the Presidential Election in November. Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, described Mr Trump as a dangerous demagogue in his speech at the DNC. Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY And Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, mocked Mr Trumps repeated use of the phrase believe me when making promises to the electorate, according to CNN. You know who I don't trust? Donald Trump, said Mr Kaine. It's gonna be great believe me! We're gonna build a wall and make Mexico pay for it believe me! We're gonna destroy ISIS so fast believe me! he said. 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 Brazilian judge has accepted charges against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for allegedly obstructing the corruption probe at state-run oil giant Petrobras. The date of the trial has not yet been set. The decision published on Friday named Silva and five others as co-conspirators in an alleged attempt to buy the silence of a former Petrobras director implicated in the scandal. The obstruction-of-justice accusation against Silva comes from a plea bargain testimony by Sen. Delcidio do Amaral. On Thursday, Silva's lawyers filed a petition at the UN Human Rights Committee alleging a lack of impartiality and abuse of power by another judge investigating the Petrobras scandal. Silva leads the polls for the 2018 presidential elections. 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 }} The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned that beating the Islamic State on the battlefield will send hundreds of terrorists out of Syria and Iraq to conduct attacks in the West. Speaking at a cybersecurity conference at Fordham University, James Comey urged the audience not lose focus on what is largely a future threat. And that is at some point there is going to be a terrorist diaspora out of Syria, like weve never seen before, he said Not all of Islamic States killers are going to die on the battlefield, he added. His comments come while US airstrikes are battling to take out Isis strongholds in Aleppo and Raqqa, and while about 40,000 displaced Syrian citizens are starting to return to the embattled city of Fallujah. Isis has carried out an increasing number of attacks both in the West and in countries nearer its home territories, from France, Germany and Turkey to Lebanon, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Hundreds and hundreds of them [killers], when the coalition succeeds - and Im confident it will, in crushing Islamic State - through the fingers of that crush are going to come hundreds of really dangerous people, said Mr Comey. And theyre going to flow out primarily towards Western Europe, but we might as well be right next door to Western Europe, given the ease with which people can travel." In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Smoke rises after airstrikes by US-led coalition planes as Iraqi security forces advance against Islamic State extremists in Fallujah, June 15, 2016 AP In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Iraqi security forces advance during heavy fighting against Isis militants in Fallujah, Iraq, on 14 June AP In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Shia militia say that moving resources from Fallujah towards the area near Mosul was a 'betrayal' of the battle for the city GETTY In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Hospital sources said 18 bodies were recovered from the river over the weekend AP In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Up to 60,000 civilians were feared trapped in Fallujah at the start of the Iraqi operation AP In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Shia fighters hold an Isis flag in an operation east of Fallujah the terror group has lost ground in both Syria and Iraq AFP/Getty In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Shia fighters hold their weapons as they gather near Falluja, Iraq, June 4, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Pro-government forces bid to take back ground from Isis in Fallujah MOADH AL-DULAIMI/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Smoke billows on the horizon as Iraqi military forces prepare for an offensive to retake the city AP In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah A member of the Iraqi security forces fires artillery during clashes with Isis militants near Fallujah, Iraq, 29 May, 2016 Reuters In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Iraqi government forces fire a rocket near al-Sejar village, north-east of Fallujah, on May 26, 2016, as they take part in a major assault to retake the city from the Islamic State group AFP/Getty In pictures: Iraq battles to drive Isis out of Fallujah Shia fighters and Iraqi security forces advance towards Fallujah Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters This is an order of magnitude greater than any diaspora we have seen before. Global leaders met in Washington DC last week for a three-day conference to discuss how to defeat Isis, the fist such summit in history. John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said at the summit that US airstrikes have driven Isis fighters out of nearly half the territory it once occupied in Iraq and out of 20 per cent of its territory in Syria. In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Isis fighters parade through in Sirte in 2015 In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Islamic State (IS) group jihadists on the outskirts of Libya's western city of Sirte AFP/Getty In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte A photo of a billboard in Sirte, Libya, listing seven rules for women's clothing, saying they must be loose-fitting and undecorated HRW/social media In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Isis militants process down a street in the coastal city of Sirte in Libya this week; the group has heralded Libya as its strategic gateway to attack Europe AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte An Isis lecture on Sharia at the Ouagadougou complex in Sirte, Libya, in 2016. HRW/social media In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte A sign reading "The city of Sirte, under the shadow of Sharia" as smoke rises in the background while forces aligned with Libya's new unity government advance on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Islamic State stronghold of Sirte on 9 June. Reuters In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Fighters loyal to Libya's GNA prepare to launch attacks against Isis as they continue their resistance on the outskirts of the western city of Sirte Getty In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government are seen during clashes with jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) on the western outskirts of Sirte on June 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Sirte Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government fire during clashes with Isis around 14 miles west of Sirte on June 2, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Isis' Libyan stronghold of Sirte Isis in Libya US defence secretary Ash Carter added the goal was to eradicate Isis from Afghanistan and Libya next. Mr Comey compared the Isis network to al-Qaeda, which recruited members from those who had fought the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. A lot of terrorists fled out of Afghanistan in the late 80s and early 90s, he said. This is 10 times that or more. The war in Syria, which started in 2011 as Middle Eastern uprising began, has displaced millions of Syrians and has triggered the largest refugee crisis since the Second World War. 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 federal appeals court has sided with campaigners who accused conservative legislators of hampering the ability of black people to vote. Civil rights activists challenged a voter identification law drafted in 2013, which they said have the potential to disenfranchise countless people. Opponents of such laws said the required documentation disproportionately affected voters of colour who were unable to obtain such identification. Recommended Read more US Supreme Court rejected appeal of controversial Texas voter ID law In a damning landmark decision, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with opponents of the law and found that it targeted black voters with almost surgical precision and imposed cures for problems that did not exist. In doing so, North Carolina legislators violated the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, the three-judge panel said. The decision comes after a Federal District Court had upheld the law in late April, in the midst of an election year and inflamed racial tensions in the US. In holding that the legislature did not enact the challenged provisions with discriminatory intent, the opinion said, the court seems to have missed the forest in carefully surveying the many trees. The judges also found evidence of discrimination in the instance of early voting, a process in which a large percentage of black voters participated. Cleveland Protesters Decry Racism Ahead of GOP Convention African Americans disproportionately used the first seven days of early voting, it said. After receipt of this racial data, the General Assembly amended the bill to eliminate the first week of early voting, shortening the total early voting period from seventeen to ten days. Allison Riggs, lead lawyer for the League of Women Voters who sued the state alongside the Department of Justice and NAACP called the decision a strong rebuke to the 2013 changes. Its a powerful precedent that federal courts will protect voting rights of voters of colour, she said. President of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, Rev William Barber, said that the courts decision was a vindication of our constitutional and moral critique and challenge to the constitutional extremism of our government. Republicans who supported the voter ID laws maintained that they were trying to prevent voter fraud with the revisions a claim the court dismissed. We can only wonder if the intent is to reopen the door to voter fraud, potentially allowing fellow Democrat politicians to steal the election, North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore said in a joint statement. Both Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Hillary Clinton lauded the decision by the three judges all of whom were appointed by a Democratic president. The revisions by North Carolina legislators required photo ID, restricted early voting, prohibited same-day registration, as well as the ability of voters to cast out-of-precinct provisional ballots within their counties. However the court determined that these restrictions affected black voters significantly. Similar laws in Texas and Wisconsin were struck down in federal courts over the last month. We recognize that elections have consequences, the court said, but winning an election does not empower anyone in any party to engage in purposeful racial discrimination. Ukraine's State Border Service is spotting vessels under the flag of Russia near drilling rigs on the Odesa and Holitsynske gas fields in the territorial sea of Ukraine. The press service of the Border Service reported on Wednesday that when monitoring the sea surface from air the Diamond border aircraft monitored almost 2,600 square kilometers of the Ukrainian sea surface and ships and boats patrolled the northern part of the zone. "Measures to monitor the situation on the Odesa and Holitsynske gas fields are being taken where platforms, drilling rigs and vessels under flag of Russia were seen," the authority said. As reported, on July 25 employees of the State Border Service of Ukraine when monitoring the sea surface from air registered Russian self-elevating drilling offshore platforms, fixed platforms and supply vessels in Odesa and Holitsynske gas fields. 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 in San Diego have arrested two suspects in a shooting that left one officer dead and his partner seriously wounded. The first suspected gunman was taken into custody about an hour after the shooting, which took place late on Thursday evening. Described as a Hispanic male adult, he was suffering from a gunshot wound and put under guard while receiving treatment in hospital. Shortly before 6am on Friday, dozens of armed officers descended on a home in the California citys Shelltown neighbourhood, where the believed they had pinned down a second suspect and called on him to come out. Nearby residents told news station Fox 5 that they had heard a succession of bangs and smelled what seemed to be tear gas until police finally entered the house at around 1pm and decided no one was inside. The male suspect was later taken into custody several streets away, possibly after slipping through the law enforcement perimeter during the siege, police said. Police chief Shelley Zimmerman said the two officers had stopped a car shortly before 11pm local time (7am BST, Friday) when they called for emergency assistance. Back-up arrived minutes later to find both officers shot. One was driven to hospital by a colleague but doctors were unable to save his life and he later died of his injuries. The second officer underwent emergency surgery. On Friday morning police named the dead officer as Jonathan DeGuzman, who was married with two young children. He was the first police victim of a shooting in San Diego since 2011. His partner, Wade Irwin, was expected to survive. Both men were part of the San Diego department's elite gang unit, which was also tasked with investigating the shooting. Ms Zimmerman said she could not speculate on whether the shooting was a deliberate ambush or attack, saying the investigation was in its early stages. 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 Eight police officers were murdered in two separate attacks in Dallas and Baton Rouge earlier this month, although the majority of police shootings in the US occur during gun battles with armed suspects. Tensions remain high in some communities following police killings of several unarmed men. In a statement, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said: Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all. I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities. We need them and they need us. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One day after making history becoming the first woman to accept the presidential nomination of a major political party, Hillary Clinton held one last rally in Philadelphia on Friday before starting a weekend bus tour of two states critical to her chances of winning, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Standing alongside running mate Senator Tim Kaine, who boarded the bus with her, Ms Clinton managed to get one last dig at her rival, Republican nominee, Donald Trump, saying the point of the journey was to visit places that make things". He, she then asserted, doesn't make anything in America except bankruptcies. The Clinton campaign said that at every stop of the tour, both Democrats would emphasise bringing back jobs to America, including in technology and advanced manufacturing. Talking to the crowd in Philadelphia, she said that in the first 100 days of her presidency she would move to make the biggest investment in new jobs in America since World War II. Ms Clinton is reprising a bus tour her husband, Bill Clinton and his running mate Al Gore, undertook straight after accepting the Democratic nominations at the 1992 party convention. Like them, she and Mr Kaine will ride through parts of the American heartland hit hardest by the decline in manufacturing and traditional industry. The most recent polls suggest that while Ms Clinton has a slight lead in Pennsylvania, she and Mr Trump are essentially tied in Ohio. No Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio on election day. Mr Trump is expected to visit the state on Monday. While Mr Trump got a small but handy boost in the polls from his partys convention in Cleveland a week ago, the Clinton camp hope that she will get at least as big a leg-up in the wake of her partys warmly reviewed bash in Philadelphia. This has been such an invigorating, exciting week, Ms Clinton said on Friday.. I don't know about you but I stayed up really late last night, it was just hard to go to sleep. It was so exciting, she said to loud cheers from an estimated 5,000 people who had gathered at Temple University in downtown Philadelphia under a hot sun. Elsewhere, Governor Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential nominee, hinted that he was attempting to persuade the Trump campaign to drop a ban it has placed on certain news outlets reporters from covering its events, including the Washington Post. Saying the campaign was evaluating its position, he suggested future events would be available to the media, whether they're fair or unfair. Both campaigns were meanwhile expected on Monday to move into neighbouring offices in the same building in Washington DC to begin assembling transition teams to begin preparing to govern in case they are the victors on election day, now just 100 days away. The two parallel operations are expecting to involve staffs of several hundred and there were questions whether Mr Trump, who already has a bare-boned campaign infrastructure by usual standards, would be able to build his up fast enough. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington 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 Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Khizr Khan, the father of a slain Muslim-American soldier, had powerful words for the Republican nominee at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night. Khans son, Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed by a suicide bomber in Baghdad in 2004. He said that if Donald Trump were able to implement his ban on Muslims from entering the states, his son would have never been able to serve in the US military. During the convention, he took the stage with his wife by his side and delivered one of the most damning speeches of the four-day convention. Our son Humayun had dreams of being a military lawyer, but he put those dreams aside the day he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, Khan told the packed convention. Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son the best of America. If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. The Khans came to America from the United Arab Emirates. Humayun was 27-years-old when he was inspecting his camp in Baquba, Iraq when he noticed a speeding vehicle packed with explosives approaching his location. He informed his fellow soldiers and ran 10 steps toward the vehicle to stop it, when it exploded, killing him immediately. Kahn told The Washington Post in 2005 that his sons fellow soldiers did not call him Captain Khan. They called him our captain. "Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?" he continued on Thursday. "I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words, look for the words, liberty and equal protection (under) law. Khan also asked if Trump has ever visited Arlington Cemeteries. "Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America, he said, you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. "You have sacrificed nothing. And no one." Here is the full transcript: Tonight we are honoured to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims - with undivided loyalty to our country. Like many immigrants, we came to this country empty-handed. We believed in American democracy; that with hard work and goodness of this country, we could share in and contribute to its blessings. We are blessed to raise our three sons in a nation where they were free to be themselves and follow their dreams. Our son, Humayun, had dreams too, of being a military lawyer, but he put those dreams aside the day he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son 'the best of America'. If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities; women; judges; even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls, and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you: have you even read the United States constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. [he pulls it out] In this document, look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law'. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. We cannot solve our problems by building walls, sowing division. We are stronger together. And we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our President. In conclusion, I ask every patriot American, all Muslim immigrants, and all immigrants to not take this election lightly. This is a historic election, and I request to honour the sacrifice of my son - and on election day, take the time to get out and vote. And vote for the healer. vote for the strongest, most qualified candidate, Hillary Clinton, not the divider. God bless you, thank you. 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 Korean tourist, who tried to head-butt an off-duty Marine and threatened to kill fellow passengers after being told he couldnt do yoga stretches on a plane, has been ordered to pay more than $44,000 to the airline. Recommended Read more Passenger jet accidentally lands at US air force base Hyongtae Pae and his wife had just spent their 40th wedding anniversary in Hawaii and were heading home on a United Airlines flight from Honolulu to Tokyo when the incident occurred. As the crew served in-flight meals, Mr Pae, who is in his 70s, had retreated to the rear of the plane to do yoga and meditate. When asked to return to his seat, he refused, becoming angry with crew members, threatening to kill other passengers, shoving his wife and yelling that there is no god. When two US Marines on the flight stepped into help restrain him, prosecutors said he tried to bite and head-butt them. The pilot turned the plane back to Honolulu, where Mr Pae was arrested. According to the Associated Press, he later told authorities that he hadnt slept for 11 days leading up to the incident. In April he pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight crew, and on Thursday a federal judge in Honolulu ordered him to pay $44,235 to the airline in restitution, added to the 13 days he had already served in jail. Mr Pae had been allowed to go home to Korea after being charged, and returned to Hawaii for the trial. (Those flights apparently went off without any yoga or head-butting.) Given the violent nature of the offence, however, US District Judge Helen Gillmor said he may not be allowed to return to the US in future. His defence lawyer, JT Kim, insisted that the incident was isolated and that Mr Pae does apologise for what happened." 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 prominent Tibetan Buddhist monk who died in controversial circumstances in a Chinese prison may have been tortured to death by the countrys authorities, according to his niece. Nyima Lhamo claimed her uncle Tenzin Delek did not die of a heart attack as police at the jail in Chengdu in the south west of the country reported in July but suffered sustained torture from prison staff. The 65-year-old died in custody while serving a life sentence for crimes of terror and incitement of separatism, Chinese state media reported a week after his death. His body was cremated without a post mortem into the cause of death being carried out. Ms Lhamo claimed relatives were repeatedly denied access to her uncle, and said he had told her mother that he had been beaten and starved by prison officials. His niece also said Tenzin Delek had boiling and freezing water thrown over him during lengthy sessions and that officers were constantly torturing and taunting him. The 26-year-old woman travelled to India in order to make a public appeal for justice over his death, saying: We dont trust what China is telling us and demand a thorough investigation into his death. Ms Lhamo and her mother were only allowed to see his body for a few minutes after Ms Lhamo threatened to hang herself with her scarf on the prison gates in protest, according to Reuters. 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 They said they saw that his lips and nails were blackened and there was a soft hollow at the back under his head. The family was not given a medical report after his death, and Ms Lhamo and her mother were then put under house arrest for two weeks to prevent them from spreading the news of the monks death. He was given a life sentence by a Chinese court for alleged involvement in an explosion in Chengdu in April 2002, and he always denied he played any role in the attack. Chinas foreign ministry has yet to respond to Ms Lhamos claims, although the country has consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses including torture. On July 17, activists held a protest outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, India, insisting the truth be told about the circumstances surrounding his death. 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 man who was jailed for sexually abusing his daughter and selling her to paedophiles is reportedly appealing his sentence. According to Perth Now, lawyers for the man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter, filed appeal papers in the WA Court of Appeal this week which claimed his sentence is "too harsh". The 42-year-old Australian, who was the leader of the so-called Evil 8 paedophile ring, was sentenced in June to 22 and-a-half years in jail for offences against his daughter over a two-year period, when she was aged between 11 and 13-years-old. When sentenced, the District Court judge described the case as one of the most serious examples of child sexual abuse to ever come before a WA court. The father sentenced on 61 charges which included sexual penetration of a child, watching as other men did the same, joining in as strangers abused his daughter in front of him, drugging his daughter, and indecent dealing and recording of a child. In one video the girl is reportedly heard pleading with her father to stop. During his trial, the court heard that the man told police in an interview that while he had regrets about what he had done, "it was fun while it lasted", abc.net reported. The judge said his crimes involved depravity and exploitation "of the highest order". The father admitted to allowing six other men to sexually abuse his daughter between 2013 and 2015. An eighth man was charged as part of the operation but his offences did nor not involve the daughter. 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 }} A leading Danish politician has called for a ban on all Muslim refugees entering the country for up to six years. The deputy leader of the anti-immigration Danish Peoples Party, Soeren Espersen, said Muslim asylum seekers should be barred from Europe because it needed a respite after recent terrorist attacks. He was accused of attempting to create a system of "religious apartheid" by the main opposition party, while another politician pointed out the existence of Islamist terrorists does not mean all Muslims are "guilty". In an opinion piece for Danish newspaper, Berlingske, Mr Espersen claimed Westerners needed to stop being naive and telling themselves that Islam was a religion of peace. He suggested the existing 270,000 Muslims in Denmark already posed a serious risk as they could be harbouring Isis sympathisers. His partys immigration spokesman, Martin Henriksen, said it would not pass a law explicitly banning Muslims if they were in government but would aim to reduce the number coming into the country to zero He said they wanted a religion neutral crackdown on immigration, but added: "Islam is a belligerent religion. 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 One should not be blind that many who commit terror find inspiration in Islam. That is why there is a connection between the number of Muslims in a country and the general security risk. The party is Denmarks second largest and supports the ruling Liberal Party in the Danish parliament but does not have an actual role in government. The countrys main opposition party, the Social Democrats, condemned the comments, comparing them to the controversial rhetoric of Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump. Social Democrat MP Lars Aslan Rasmussen, whose father is Muslim, said the position amounted to religious discrimination or religious apartheid. Anders Samuelsen, the president of the Liberal Alliance, a centre-right minority party, told the Politiko website: "It makes no sense and is very un-Danish. Just because there are problems with some Muslims, does not mean they are all guilty." The director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Jonas Chrstoffersen, called the proposal "discriminatory" and pointed out the UN Convention on Human Rights said every person had the right to "enjoy asylum from persecution". Soren Espersen believes Europe 'needs a respite' from terror (AFP/Getty Images) A spokesman for the Radical party, Rasmus Nordqvist, said: "The Danish People's Party's latest proposal undermines not only human rights and conventions, but will destroy Denmark as a free, open and tolerant society." It came as a poll for the state broadcaster, TV2, found that a third of respondents believed the country was at war with Islam. Denmark, which has a population of 5.5 million, received 21,000 asylum applications during 2015, up from 14,815 in 2014 and 7,557 in 2013 as refugees escaping Syria and Iraq flee across the Mediterranean. It has suffered comparatively little Islamist extremist violence with its most recent attack in February 2015 when a Danish gunman of Palestinian descent killed a filmmaker and a guard at a synagogue and wounded five police officers before killing himself. 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 }} The French government is considering banning the foreign financing of mosques as it reshapes its counter-extremism strategy following a fresh wave of terror attacks. Manuel Valls, the Prime Minister, told Le Monde the prohibition would be for an indefinite period but gave no further detail on the policy. There needs to be a thorough review to form a new relationship with French Islam, he added. France boosts regional security after ISIL-claimed church attack We live in a changed era and we must change our behaviour. This is a revolution in our security culturethe fight against radicalisation will be the task of a generation. Following the murder of a priest by teenage Isis supporters at a church in Normandy and the Nice attack, Mr Valls said France was at war and predicted further atrocities. This war, which does not only concern France, will be long and we will see more attacks, he added. But we will win, because France has a strategy to win this war. First we must crush the external enemy. The French government has come under increasing criticism for failing to prevent atrocities, including the latest attack in Normandy. Security services were tipped off that Abdel Malik Petitjean, 19, was planning an attack but police were reportedly unable to identify him from photos and a video showing him declaring allegiance to the so-called Islamic State. He was already on countrys fiche S terror watchlist for attempting to travel to Syria in June but slipped through the net to re-enter France after being stopped by Turkish authorities. Normandy church attack in pictures Show all 16 1 /16 Normandy church attack in pictures Normandy church attack in pictures The victim was the 84-year-old priest at the church, Jacques Hamel. AFP/Getty Normandy church attack in pictures French police at the scene of the attack on a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, northern France, on July 26 AFP/Getty Images Normandy church attack in pictures More police at the scene BFM TV Normandy church attack in pictures French President Francois Hollande shaking hands with security personnel at the scene AP Normandy church attack in pictures French soldiers standing guard outside the scene of the attack AP Normandy church attack in pictures A policeman secures a position in front of the city hall after two assailants had taken five people hostage in the church at Saint-Etienne-du -Rouvray near Rouen in Normandy Pascal Rossignol/Reuters Normandy church attack in pictures A policeman holds a HKG36 assault rifle as he secures the position in front of the local town hall following the attack REUTERS Normandy church attack in pictures French judicial inverstigating police apprehends a man during a raid after a hostage-taking in the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen in Normandy, France REUTERS Normandy church attack in pictures AFP/Getty Images Normandy church attack in pictures REUTERS Normandy church attack in pictures REUTERS Normandy church attack in pictures AFP/Getty Images Normandy church attack in pictures AP Normandy church attack in pictures AP Normandy church attack in pictures French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve visits the church REUTERS Normandy church attack in pictures AFP/Getty Images Petitjean and 19-year-old Adel Kermiche took six people hostage at a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and slit the throat of its priest, Father Jacques Hamel, before being shot dead by police. Kermiche was also known to security services and was wearing an electronic surveillance tag while on bail as he awaited trial for membership of a terror organisation at the time. It came less than a fortnight after the Nice attack, when a Tunisian man killed 84 people and injured 300 more when he ploughed a lorry into crowds celebrating Bastille Day. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was not among the 10,000 names on the fiche S but the inclusion of terrorists including several of the Paris attackers, the two Charlie Hebdo gunmen and their accomplice Amedy Coulibaly, as well as a lorry driver who beheaded his manager and attempted to blow up a chemical plant has shown the system to be ineffective. Intelligence officials have admitted that they are under-resourced to deal with the potential threat from each individual, who would need up to 20 people monitoring them every day. Frances continuing state of emergency has drastically expanded detention powers, sparking a wave of controversial house arrests since November. Responding to criticism, Mr Valls said his government would not create a French Guantanamo or be swayed by populism. 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 }} Pope Francis paid a sombre visit in silence to the death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, praying silently in tribute to 1.5 million people, most of them Jews, gassed there by Nazi occupiers during the Second World War. The Argentine-born pontiff entered the camp on foot, walking slowly in his white robes beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz that bears the cynical words Arbeit Macht Frei (Work sets you free). After meeting briefly with around a dozen death camp survivors, he moved on to nearby Birkenau, a sprawling complex where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in its gas chambers. There he greeted 25 Holocaust rescuers. Altogether, it was a deeply contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that Francis passed in total silence, except for a few words he exchanged with the survivors and rescuers. Pope Francis spent a few minutes speaking quietly and exchanging gifts with the Auschwitz survivors, including a 101-year-old woman. One of the male survivors gave the pope a picture of himself surrounded by other inmates in a bunk, and asked Pope Francis to sign it. The sombre-looking pope kissed each survivor. Survivor of the German Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau says it was good that Pope Francis has visited the site. Francis visited on Friday and met 11 of the camp's dwindling number of survivors. Survivor Lidia Maksymowicz, 75, said on Polish TVN it was a great event for her to meet the pontiff. She said: It is an extraordinary thing that this pope, who is sensitive to human poverty and humiliation, was able to see this place where people were brought to the lowest levels of degradation. Ms Maksymowicz was two years old when brought to the camp and was five when the camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army in 1945. Vatican and Polish church officials explained that Pope Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. However, he did express his feelings, writing in the Auschwitz memorial's guest book in Spanish: Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty! He then signed with his name in Latin, Franciscus and added the date 29.7.2016. Pope Francis is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live himself through the brutality of teh Second World War. Both of his predecessors had a personal or historical connection to the site. St. John Paul II, born in Poland, witnessed the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation during the war. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Pope Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before greeting the survivors. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners at Auschwitz were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who sacrificed his life to save that of a fellow prisoner who had a family, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the pontiff. He then travelled two miles to Birkenau, the vast satellite camp where the Nazis murdered Jews, Roma and others from across Europe. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths there. At one point the deep silence was broken by the wailing of an infant. When Pope Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests applauded. Pope Francis slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited, in Hebrew, Psalm 130, which starts: From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord. Pope Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read, first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish. John Paul's visit to the site in 1979 made history because it was the first ever by a pontiff, part of the Vatican's historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. As a pope hailing from another continent, Pope Francis's presence highlights visit the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. The millions who now visit have put increasing stress on the site's aging barracks, prompting urgent conservation efforts that are being funded by governments worldwide. Pope Francis' visit is also different in that it had a private character with no speeches. Benedict, for instance, spoke there in 2006 in Italian pointedly avoiding his native German language in a speech questioning why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. The pope's visit to Auschwitz came on the third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global celebration of faith. Friday is devoted to the theme of suffering. Associated Press A Ukrainian representative of NATO was among the three people who died in an explosion during the offloading of munitions at a trial station belonging to the state-run concern Ukroboronprom on Thursday, an employee of the Prosecutor's Office of Sumy, Tetiana Myronenko, has said. "There are three dead, including a representative of NATO, who oversaw the disposal of missile warheads," Myronenko wrote on her page on Facebook. According to her, the NATO representative was a citizen of Ukraine. He helped in the implementation of a joint program with NATO aimed at assisting Ukraine in ammunition disposal. As reported, three people were killed and another two injured in an explosion on the grounds of a trial station No. 2 of the state corporation Ukroboronprom's State Scientific Research Institute of Chemical Products in Krolevets district, Sumy region, Ukraine. The explosion occurred at around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, reportedly during offloading of the ammunition intended for disposal, a spokesperson for the military prosecutor's office in Ukraine's central region said. "It has been tentatively established that the ammunition brought in for disposal exploded during the offloading. As a result, three people have been killed and another two sustained injuries," the spokesperson said. 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 Turkish president has said he will drop all lawsuits against those charged with insulting him following a failed coup. Speaking at an event in Turkeys capital commemorating those killed and wounded during the unsuccessful military coup on 15 July, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was withdrawing all lawsuits for insults against his person as a one-off gesture. Hundreds of people have been charged with insulting the president, including on social media. For one time only, I will be forgiving and withdrawing all cases against the many disrespects and insults that have been levelled against me, he said in Ankara on Friday. I feel that if we do not make use of this opportunity correctly, then it will give people the right to hold us by the throat. So I feel that all fractions of society, politicians first and foremost, will behave accordingly with this new reality, this new sensitive situation before us. In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Show all 17 1 /17 In pictures: Turkey coup attempt In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish President Erdogan attends the funeral service for victims of the thwarted coup in Istanbul at Fatih mosque on July 17, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey Burak Kara/Getty Images In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Soldiers involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus bridge with their hands raised in Istanbul on 16 July, 2016 Gokhan Tan/Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt A civilian beats a soldier after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 July, 2016 REUTERS/Murad Sezer In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Surrendered Turkish soldiers who were involved in the coup are beaten by a civilian Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Soliders involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus bridge Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wave flags as they capture a Turkish Army vehicle Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt People pose near a tank after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 July, 2016 Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers block Istanbul's Bosphorus Brigde Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt A Turkish military stands guard near the Taksim Square in Istanbul Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Pierre Crom/Twitter In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul's Taksim square AP In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Murad Sezer/Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers detain police officers during a security shutdown of the Bosphorus Bridge Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish Army armoured personnel carriers in the main streets of Istanbul Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Chaos reigned in Istanbul as tanks drove through the streets EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to media in the resort town of Marmaris Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Supporters of President Erdogan celebrate in Ankara following the suppression of the attempted coup Reuters Despite this, Mr Erdogan also condemned Western countries for failing to show solidarity with Turkey over the failed coup and rejected criticism of purges currently taking place in Turkeys military and state institutions. More than 60,000 people have been detained, removed or suspended over links with the attempted coup. "The attitude of many countries and their officials over the coup attempt in Turkey is shameful in the name of democracy," said Mr Erdogan. "Any country and any leader who does not worry about the life of Turkish people and our democracy as much as they worry about the fate of coupists are not our friends. Turkeys Western allies have condemned the coup in which Erdogan said 237 people were killed and more than 2,100 wounded, however the President has faced criticism over the scale of the crackdown in the aftermath. Images of detained soldiers with apparent injuries have worried civil rights groups. The purges have targeted those believed to be linked to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Ankara of masterminding the failed coup. However critics have said Mr Erdogan is using the measures to crack down on any dissent. On Thursday, Turkey announced changes in its armed forces with the promotion of 99 colonels to the rank of general or admiral as well as the dismissal of nearly 1,700 military personnel over their alleged links to the coup. Turkey shakes up security forces after coup attempt Purges have also hit government ministries, schools and universities, the police, civil service, media and business. Seventeen journalists were formally arrested on Friday over their alleged links with the coup plot while four others were released. Arrest warrants for dozens of others were issued earlier this week. The number of public sector workers removed from their posts since the coup attempt now stands at more than 66,000, including some 43,000 people in education, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday. Additional reporting by agencies 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 }} Two men believed to be connected to the 13 November Paris attacks have been charged with terror offences in France, according to a judicial source. A 29-year-old Algerian man and a 35-year-old Pakistani man were both charged with criminal conspiracy with terrorists, the source told AFP. The two men were arrested at a shelter for refugees in Austria last year on suspicion of being linked to the attacks in the French capital, in which 130 people were killed. They were both extradited to France on Friday. "The two accused have left federal territory," the Salzburg prosecutors' office said in a statement earlier on Friday. The French newspaper Le Monde reported that two men travelled together from Syria to the Greek island Leros with two Iraqi brothers who blew themselves up near the Stade de France stadium outside Paris on 13 November 2015. The two men were first arrested on Leros during a passport check on 3 October, due to one man's poorly spoken Arabic and inability to describe Aleppo, which was cited as his birthplace on his passport, French newspaper Le Parisien reported. Both men were released three weeks later and travelled to Austria where they were arrested again. Victims of the Paris attacks Show all 33 1 /33 Victims of the Paris attacks Victims of the Paris attacks Nick Alexander Victims of the Paris attacks Mathias Dymarski and Maria Lausch Victims of the Paris attacks Anne Cornet Guyomard and Pierre Yves Guyomard Victims of the Paris attacks Guillaume Decherf Victims of the Paris attacks Ciprian Calciu Victims of the Paris attacks Nohemi Gonzalez Victims of the Paris attacks Elodie Breuil Victims of the Paris attacks Asta Diakite Victims of the Paris attacks Romain Didier Victims of the Paris attacks Victims of the Paris attacks Victims of the Paris attacks Halima Saadi Victims of the Paris attacks Ludovic Boumbas Victims of the Paris attacks Thomas Duperron Victims of the Paris attacks Germain Ferey Victims of the Paris attacks Marie Mosser Victims of the Paris attacks Fabrice Dubois Victims of the Paris attacks Thomas Ayad Victims of the Paris attacks Victims of the Paris attacks Djamila-Houd Victims of the Paris attacks Mathieu Hoche Victims of the Paris attacks Justine Moulin Victims of the Paris attacks Anne Guyomard Victims of the Paris attacks Anna Lieffrig-Petard Victims of the Paris attacks Victims of the Paris attacks Lacramioara Pop Victims of the Paris attacks Alberto Gonzalez Garrido Victims of the Paris attacks Mohamed Amine Ibnolmobarak Victims of the Paris attacks Cedric Mauduit Victims of the Paris attacks Matthieu Giroud Victims of the Paris attacks Michelli Gil Jaimez Victims of the Paris attacks Pierro Innocenti and Stephane Albertini Victims of the Paris attacks Nicolas Classeau The mens transfer to France was carried out under a European arrest warrant issued by France, the Austrian prosecutors office said. It added: Considering the investigations being carried out by the French authorities the Salzburg prosecutors office cannot provide further information on the content [of the investigation]. Additional reporting by Reuters 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 Afghan government lost five per cent of its territory to the Taliban in the first five months of this year, according to a US government watchdog, leaving it with a claim to less than than two thirds of the countrys districts. Taliban fighters are estimated to hold more ground than at any time since 2001, when American forces forced them from power and emptied al-Qaeda training bases. The report, published by the Special Inspector General for Reconstruction (Sigar), paints a bleak picture since the US ended combat operations in 2014 and passed responsibility for security to a faltering government in Kabul. At the same time, it points out that American spending in support of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces is now more than $68 billion (51bn). Yet the result is that the country seems as far from peace as ever. This week the United Nations reported that 1,601 people had been killed in violence - a third of them children - and 3,565 were injured in the first six months of the year, making a four per cent increase over the same period in 2015. At the same time, local forces and remaining American troops must contend with insurgents flying the Isis flag. Five US special operations troops were wounded in combat with Isis fighters this week in eastern Afghanistan, according to the US military. Recommended Read more Isis is now waging a sectarian war in Afghanistan The latest assessment, reported by Sigar, suggests insurgents have made inroads into 10 more districts so far this year. The report said the area under Afghan government control or influence had decreased to 65.6 percent by the end of May from 70.5 percent near the end of January, based on data provided by US forces in Afghanistan. The commander of US Forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, said most of the areas the Taliban control were rural. They believed they were going to be able to seize and hold terrain, and they failed to do so, Gen Nicholson told a Pentagon briefing via video link, according to Reuters. The insecurity has prompted Barack Obama to freeze plans to withdraw the remaining American troops from the country. For now, 8400 will stay in Afghanistan until the end of his presidency as part of a counter-terrorism programme and as part of a Nato-led mission to train and assist local forces. The report also spells out the challenges in other sectors. Afghanistan has one of the lowest electrification rates in the world with only one in three Afghans connected to a power grid, despite the US setting aside $3 billion for power projects since 2002. 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 children of foreign fighters living in Isis territory in Syria and Iraq are being trained to become the next generation of terrorists, Europes law enforcement agency has warned. The terror group advertises its use of children as fighters and suicide bombers, as well as featuring children, including a four-year-old British boy, as executioners in its gory propaganda videos. There are concerns the number of young boys forced into Isis ranks will increase as young children taken to live in its territories or born to jihadi brides grow up. Boys have been shown shooting prisoners dead at close range and beheading them In its annual report on terrorism in the European Union, Europol said children raised under the groups rule are of particular concern. In their propaganda, Isis has often shown that they train these minors to become the next generation of foreign terrorist fighters, which may pose a future security threat to member states, the Europol report said. Some returnees will perpetuate the terrorist threat to the EU via facilitation, fundraising, recruitment and radicalisation activities. They may also serve as role models for future would-be violent jihadists. More than 50 children from the UK are living in the caliphate, where there are also an estimated 31,000 pregnant women, an investigation by the Quilliam Foundation found earlier this year. Among them is Isa Dare, the son of a London woman known as Khadijah Dare, who was shown appearing to blow up a car containing three prisoners in a propaganda video in February. We will kill the kuffars (infidels) over there, he was shown saying, while wearing military fatigues and an Isis headband, almost four years after being taken to Syria as a baby. Isa Dare, four, appearing in an Isis propaganda video He was accompanied by a teenage boy who spoke with a British accent, threatening the UK and members of the US-led coalition bombing Isis territories. Another British jihadist known as Abu Rumaysah real name Siddhartha Dhar taunted intelligence agencies by posing with his newborn son under one arm and a gun in the other after escaping surveillance and a travel ban to reach Syria in 2014. Boasting of his ambitions for his son, he wrote on Twitter: Alhamdulillah (all praise be to Allah) Allah (God) blessed me with a healthy baby boy in the Islamic State. He is another great addition to the Islamic State. And he's definitely not British. Several other fighters have also posted images of their children on social media, including a sleeping infant surrounded by an Isis ID card, hand grenade and pistol. Analysts say Isis leaders see the children as crucial to secure the groups long-term success and consider them better and more lethal fighters because of their indoctrination and desensitisation since birth. The deadly impact of foreign training has been seen in recent terror attacks, with several of the Paris and Brussels gunmen having combat experience in Syria. Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, an activist group that documents Isis atrocities, raised concern that even if Isis is defeated, its young recruits could continue bloody attempts to establish a brutal caliphate, calling them a lost generation. The Yazidi children of Isis' training camps Nikita Malik, a senior researcher from the Quilliam Foundation, told The Independent children are being used as part of the terrorist groups state-building exercise in Iraq and Syria. They are an immediate threat and will become a much longer-term one, she added. Their educational indoctrination breeds hatred against the West and calls all other states illegitimate these children will have no access to or memory of any other ideas. Ms Malik warned that the Government has no comprehensive strategy in place for rehabilitating and re-educating the children of foreign fighters, especially if they return in large numbers in the event of Isis being eradicated. Many of these children will know nothing about Britain but the current legislation means the UK has a responsibility towards them as citizens. Its a very complex situation, she said. Isis propaganda agencies have published numerous videos and images showing children being trained and indoctrinated with the groups brutal ideology. Footage of a camp for Cubs of the Caliphate near its de-facto capital of Raqqa in Syria showed boys as young as five wearing combat gear and Isis headbands as they are ordered to carry out military exercises. A still of an Isis video called Al-Farouq Institute for Cubs claiming to show a children's terror training camp Other propaganda has shown boys fighting each other and practising martial arts, as well as receiving jihadist instruction from older militants. Parents who have fled Isis territory have described their children being brainwashed in Isis schools, with some being taught how to make bombs or being sent home with Caucasian dolls dressed in orange jumpsuits to behead as homework. While the indoctrination for boys ultimately prepares them for combat, girls are taught separately how to cook, clean and support their future husbands jihad according to Isiss interpretation of sharia. Europols report said girls are not yet permitted to fight but are trained to raise their children in line with Isis ideology, with the promise of respect and affection from male relatives. They are encouraged to accept the death of future husbands and sons, who are prepared to take part in battles and terror attacks from a young age. The number of children born to foreign fighters is believed to be increasing as a growing proportion of jihadi brides travel to join Isis. Europol said 40 per cent of Dutch arrivals in the caliphate are women, who find themselves less likely to be able to flee, should they change their minds, than their male counterparts, and are remarried if their husbands die to enable them to continue to bear children. Timeline: The emergence of Isis Show all 40 1 /40 Timeline: The emergence of Isis Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2000 Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (pictured here) forms an al-Qaeda splinter group in Iraq, al-Qaeda in Iraq. Its brutality from the beginning alienates Iraqis and many al-Qaeda leaders. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2006 Al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. strike. Al-Zarqawis successor, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, announces the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2009 Still al-Qaeda-linked ISI claims responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 155 in Baghdad, as well as attacks in August and October killing 240, as President Obama announces troop withdrawal from Iraq in March. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2010 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi becomes head of ISI, at lowest ebb of Islamist militancy in Iraq, which sees last U.S. combat brigade depart. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2012 In Syria, protests (pictured here starting in Daree) have morphed into what president Assad labelled a real war with emergence of a coalition of forces opposed to Assads regime. Syria group Jabhat al-Nusra are among rebel groups who refuse to join, denouncing it as a conspiracy. Bombings targeting Shia areas, killing more than 500 people, spark fears of new sectarian conflict. Sunni Muslims stage protests across country against what they see as increasingly marginalisation by Shia-led government. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2013 Al-Baghdadi renames ISI as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Isis, as the group absorbs Syrian al-Nusra, gaining a foothold in Syria. In response, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri (Bin Ladens successor) concerned about Isis expansion orders that Isis be dissolved and ISI operations should be confined to Iraq. This order is rejected by al-Baghdadi. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - January Isis fighters capture the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, giving them base to launch slew of attacks further south. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis declares itself the Caliphate, calling itself Islamic State (IS). The group captures Mosul, Iraqs second largest city; Tal Afar, just 93 miles from Syrian border; and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. These advances sent shockwaves around the world. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Around the same time Isis releases a video calling for western Muslims to join the Caliphate and fight, prompting new evaluations of extremists groups social media understanding. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - June Isis take Baiji oil fields in Iraq - giving them access to huge amounts of possible revenue. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August James Foley is executed by the group as concerns grow for second American prisoner, fellow reporter Steven Sotloff. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - August Obama authorises U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, helping to stall Isis along with action by Kurdish forces following the deaths of hundreds of Yazidi people on Mount Sinjar. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release video showing Steven Sotloffs murder prompting Western speculation his executioner is same man who killed Mr Foley. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Obama tells us that America will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Isis release a video appearing to show David Haines, who was captured by militants in Syria in 2013, wearing an orange jumpsuit and kneeling in the desert while he reads a pre-prepared script. It later shows what appears to be the aid worker's body. Rex Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - September Peshmerga fighters scrabble to hold positions in the Diyala province (a gateway to Baghdad) as Isis fighters continue to advance on Iraqi capital. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Aid worker Alan Henning is killed. Self-imposed media blackout refuses to show images of him in final moments, instead focuses upon humanitarian care. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - October Isis raise their flag in Kobani, which had been strongly defended by Kurdish troops. The victory goes against hopeful western analysis Isis had overextended itself, while alienating much of the Muslim population through the murder of Henning. Victory causes fresh waves of Kurdish refugees arriving in Turkey. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2014 - November American hostage, who embarced values of Islam, Peter Kassig and 14 Syrian soldiers are shown meeting the same fate as other captives. But intelligence agencies will be poring over the apparently significant discrepancies between this and previous films. Seramedig.org.uk Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis has released a video revealing the murder by burning to death of a Jordanian pilot held by the group since the end of December 2014. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have released videos which appear to show the beheading of Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February American aid worker, Kayla Mueller was the last American hostage known to be held by Isis. She died, according to her captors, in an airstrike by the Jordanian air force on the city of Raqqa in Syria, though US authorities disputed this. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February Isis militants have posted a gruesome video online in which they force 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian hostages to kneel on a beach in Libya before beheading them. Egypt vowed to avenge the beheading and launched air strikes on Isis positions. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - February The British Isis militant suspected of appearing in videos showing the beheading of Western hostages has been named in reports as Mohammed Emwazi from London. Rex Features Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - March Isis triple suicide attack has killed more than 100 worshippers and hundreds of others were injured after the group members targeted two mosques in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Iraqi forces have claimed victory over Isis in battle for Tikrit and raised the flag in the city. EPA/STR Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 35 people queuing to collect their wages and injured 100 more. EPA Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - April Isis media arm released a 29-minute video purporting to show militants executing Ethiopian Christians captives. The footage bore the extremist groups al-Furqan media logo and showed the destruction of churches and desecration of religious symbols. A masked fighter made a statement threatening Christians who did not convert to Islam or pay a special tax. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis has been "incapacitated" by a spinal injuries sustained in a US air strike in Iraq. He is being treated in a hideout by two doctors from Isis stronghold of Mosul who are said to be "strong ideological supporters of the group". Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis has also claimed responsibility for killing 300 of Yazidi captives, including women, children and elderly people in Iraq AP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis attack on Prophet Mohamed cartoon contest in Texas was its first action on US soil. Two gunmen were shot and killed after launching the attack at the exhibition. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi have been named as the attackers at the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isiss deputy leader, Abu Alaa Afri, a former physics teacher who was thought to have taken charge of the deadly terrorist group, has been killed in a US-led coalition airstrike. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May US special forces have killed a senior Isis leader named as Abu Sayyaf in an operation aiming to capture him and his wife in Syria. Getty Images Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Iran-backed militias are sent to Ramadi by the Iraqi government to fight Isis militants who completed their capture of the city. Government soldiers and civilians were reportedly massacred by extremists as they took control and the army fled. Charred bodies were left littering the city streets as troops clung on to trucks speeding away from the city. Ramadi is the latest government stronghold to fall to the so-called Islamic State, despite air strikes by a US-led international coalition aiming to stop its advance in Iraq and Syria. AFP Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May Isis rounded up civilians trapped in Palmyra and forced them to watch 20 people being executed in the historic citys ancient amphitheatre. The Unesco World Heritage site was overrun by militants, threatening the future of 2,000 year-old monuments and ruins. Thousands of Palmyras residents fled but many are still living within the city walls, while the UN human rights office in Geneva said it had received reports of Syrian government forces preventing people from leaving until they retreated from the city. Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - May A group of Isis-affiliated fighters have captured a key airport in central Libya. The militants took control of the al-Qardabiya airbase in Sirte after a local militia tasked with defending the facility withdrew from their positions. Affiliates of Isis, already control large parts of Sirte, the birthplace of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a former stronghold of his supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June The US Air Force has destroyed an Isis stronghold after an extremist let slip their location on social media. According the Air Force Times, General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said that Airmen at Hulburt Field, Florida, used images shared by jihadists to track the location of their headquarters before destroying it in an airstrike. Reuters Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Kurdish forces captured a key military base in a significant victory in Raqqa as well as town of Tell Abyad. YPG fighters, backed by US-led airstrikes and other rebels, consolidated their gains, when they seized the key town on the Syria-Turkey border. They are now just 30 miles to the north of Raqqa and have cut off a major supply route deep inside Isis-held territory. Ahmet Silk/Getty Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has released gruesome footage claiming to show the murder of more than a dozen men by drowning, decapitation and using a rocket-propelled grenade as it seeks to boost morale among its fanatical supporters. Timeline: The emergence of Isis 2015 - June Isis has begun carrying out its threat to destroy structures in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, blowing up at least two monuments at the Unesco-protected site as Syrian government troops made advances on the Islamists positions. AFP A report for the Combating Terrorism Centre found that at least 89 child soldiers have died fighting for Isis in a year, mainly in Iraq and Syria. Most were used to drive car and truck bombs into military positions and other security targets, while others were killed in battle or in suicide attacks against civilians. Europol estimates that more than 5,000 European citizens have travelled to conflict zone in Syria and Iraq mainly to join Isis but said the flow has slowed since an increase in counter-terror measures and intensifying air strikes and military defeats. The agency warned that although refugee routes into Europe were not being systematically used by Isis, terrorists have hidden themselves among migrants using fraudulent documents, and said there was a real and imminent danger of Sunni Muslim Syrian asylum seekers becoming vulnerable to radicalisation once in Europe. A spokesperson for the Home Office said she could not say how many British children were living under Isis control, or had been born in the groups territories. According to Government figures at least 850 individuals of national security concern have travelled from the UK to join the Syrian conflict, of whom around 15 per cent have been killed while half have returned. 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 21-year-old woman was genitally mutilated by her husband in a barbaric attack that nearly left her dead and caused her to lose her unborn child. The woman, who was six months pregnant, is in hospital after the violent incident, which took place in the Takhar province in north Afghanistan. Her husband hit her with a large wooden stick, shaved parts of her head and used scissors to cut her hair, the victim told the BBC. She said she did not know the reason for the attack, in which her husbands mother and sister helped him to tie her up with rope and beat her. Her family members confirmed the nature of her injuries to the broadcaster and said her husband had cut part of her genitals. The victims husband tortured her first and then called us to tell us: I have killed your daughter, come and take her, said the victims mother, reported Tolo News. Documented cases of violence against women in Afghanistan are increasing, according to a 2015 UK Foreign Office report into human rights and democracy in the country. The report said 5,132 cases of violence had been reported to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission last year, including 241 murders. Afghanistan passed a law to eliminate violence against women in 2009, but its implementation has been poor, according to Human Rights Watch. War artists in Afghanistan Show all 6 1 /6 War artists in Afghanistan War artists in Afghanistan Work by Matthew Cook Matthew Cook War artists in Afghanistan War artists in Afghanistan Work by Jules George Jules George War artists in Afghanistan Embedded: Jules George War artists in Afghanistan Work by Jules George Jules George War artists in Afghanistan Trooping the colours: Jules George was inspired by his father and grandfather to witness and document war, if not to wage it Jules George Local police in Takhar said her husband was on the run, and told Tolo News the police were searching for three people in connection to the attack, including the husband. Two of the suspects could now be in Kabul, a police spokesperson said. In March 2015, thousands of Afghan people marched in protest of a brutal mob killing of a woman named Farkhunda. 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 UKs higher education sector faces a period of uncertainty as almost a third of international students say they are less likely to study in Britain in the wake of the Brexit result because the country feels less welcoming. According to a survey from a student recruitment consultancy, Hobsons, 30 per cent said they were not likely to come to the UK, while six per cent said they would definitely not choose Britain as a study destination as a result of the EU referendum. Recommended Read more Graduates who fail to make student loan repayments should face arrest Asked for alternative study destinations, 32 per cent of the 1,014 respondents said they would choose Canada, 21 per cent chose Germany, while 20 per cent showed an interest in heading to either an American or Australian university. The respondents - of which 83 per cent were from outside the EU - were asked what UK universities could do to allay students concerns. The need for reassurance was reflected in a number of their comments. One said: If UK universities could consider the volatility of the exchange rate for international students when determining the cost of attendance, adding extra funds as a kind of safety net, or introducing a programme that allows for an increase at a later disbursement - or some similar idea - that would put my mind at ease. Another added: Assure students the fact they no longer belong to the EU doesnt mean progress will not continue. Try to make admission easy for students coming in and assuring them their stay throughout would be non-stressful. Recommended Read more Top European university warns UK students to apply before Brexit Total income from non-EU international students in 2014/15 represented around 26 per cent of all income reported by English institutions. By 2017/18, the Higher Education Funding Council for England said the sector expects this to grow to 4.6 billion, a two per cent increase. Despite their somewhat negative perception of British universities, though, 43 per cent did say they felt the pound becoming weaker against their home currency would make a UK degree less expensive. Jeremy Cooper, managing director of Hobsons, said universities in the UK are facing a period of uncertainty post-Brexit, adding: However, international students still represent a significant strategic opportunity for UK universities. Recommended Read more Staggering number of students who voted against Brexit revealed Market conditions for international student recruitment look set to toughen, and universities need to send a clear message that the UK welcomes international students, as well as providing practical guidance and support. Political consultancy Inline Policy, which has launched a Brexit Advisory Unit to work together with universities to advise them on how best to engage with the Government on the policy and regulatory issues that will affect them in a post-Brexit environment, responded to the survey. Head of the unit, William Bain, said: With 125,000 non-UK EU nationals studying here, and 43,000 non-UK EU nationals working in higher education institutions, the issue of being able to attract and retain talent to work and study in universities is absolutely paramount. Theresa May admits future of EU citizens living in the UK is uncertain The future direction and scale of involvement in policies on the free movement of workers and other EU nationals, like students, will have a real impact on funding, strategic positioning, economic performance, and the global reputation of UK higher education in the coming years. More restrictive UK immigration policy towards international students, co-operation on research and development projects, and whether the UK could continue to be involved in areas such as Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020, are all key areas which need to be addressed. Hobsons survey has come as around 100 EU students have reportedly cancelled their places at Aberystwyth University in Wales amid concerns of the impact of Brexit. Although the acting vice-chancellor of the institution told BBC News about half of those pulled out the day after the Brexit vote, a university spokesperson told the Independent it was too early to come to any final conclusions on what the potential impact of Brexit will be. The spokesperson added: We are pleased we have been able to reassure prospective EU students in our communications with them that we are looking forward to welcoming them. Recommended Read more Staff and students subjected to verbal abuse at Exeter Some of the UKs top universities have also reportedly faced issues working with their European partners, including being asked to leave EU-funded projects, according to a confidential survey of the elite Russell Group universities carried out by the Guardian. University leaders from across Europe, however, have come together in a turbulent time to stress the importance of continued higher education collaboration following the UKs vote to leave. Signing a joint statement, the leaders from over 20 countries - including Germany and France - highlighted the importance of international cooperation and exchange, and insisted universities are strongest when they tackle issues collaboratively. Dame Julia Goodfellow, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Kent, said: It is important we get long-term guarantees that the UK will continue to benefit from opportunities to collaborate with partners on ground-breaking research. We are determined the UK university sector will remain a welcoming destination, open and internationally engaged, and a high-quality partner of choice. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check 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 Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The pressures of studying architecture are taking a shocking toll on the mental health of students, a new survey has revealed. More than half of students studying the course have expressed concerns about their mental health, with a quarter of respondents admitting to either receiving or having received medical help as a direct result of studying the subject. Recommended Read more Student suicides are at their highest level since 2007 The survey of 450 UK-based students carried out by The Architects Journal asked, for the first time, about the emotional impact of completing the gruelling seven-year long course, revealing an increasing debt problem, a widely-accepted culture of excessive working hours, and concerns that courses are not preparing students for the world of work. Other concerns to have emerged included respondents questioning the value of their courses, being asked to work for free by practices, and sexual - even racial - discrimination. One respondent said: There is an obvious division between the indigenous British students and the international students, especially when it comes to group work. Broken down, the results found female students were more susceptible to getting help; one in three women, or 29 per cent, said theyd gotten treatment, compared with just 23 per cent of men. Luciana Berger, Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree and former shadow minister for mental health, told the Journal the results were worrying, adding how it is vital universities have support in place. The rise in mental health issues among students is a growing problem in the UK and has been widely-reported in recent months. According to a report put together for the vice-chancellor of York University in May, comparing 2014 to 2015, 80 per cent of UK universities highlighted a noticeable increase in complex mental health crises among their student population. According to ambulance call-out figures - from 1 January to 8 February 2016 alone - from the 24 emergency call-outs the university received, half were for self-harm or suicide attempts. Last year, 43 out of 134 emergency call-outs were for self-harm or suicide attempts. A staggering 63 per cent of students also told specialist student loan lender, Future Finance, that they are worrying about their finances all the time or very often, something which is set to rise with the news tuition fees are to be raised beyond the current 9,000 a year. Shortly after this survey, figures from the ONS revealed the number of student suicides across England and Wales to have soared to their highest level since 2007; there were 130 suicides among both nations full-time students aged 18 and over in 2014, with the number considerably higher among men (97). In In 2007, there were 75 suicides. A Northern Irish academic described to a wellbeing conference just last month that student life today is fraught with loneliness and anxiety. Ulster Universitys Professor Siobhan ONeill addressed the issues of self-harm, alcohol, and suicide, presenting, for the first time, findings from a study of 355 suicides in young people aged under 25 years in Northern Ireland. She told the conference young people who die by suicide are somewhat different from the older age groups, and explained: Over half will have had a prior attempt; around 64 per cent of the males will have used alcohol at the time of death, and a third of females who die by suicide in this group are students. Recommended Read more Graduates who fail to make student loan repayments should face arrest A spokesperson for the Samaritans told the Independent how the charity is talking to universities to find out the best way to provide support to students affected by mental health and suicide, and emphasised the importance of starting conversation at secondary level. The spokesperson said: We need to start early in secondary schools getting the message across to young people that asking for help is okay, and supporting others is too. Samaritans DEAL [developing emotional awareness and listening] teaches this in schools already and we want to extend it more widely. If youre a student and feel you need help or support while at university, contact your universitys student services or students union advice service. You can also find out more about mental health support at Samaritans or Student Minds 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 }} The Boeing jet fleet from the first prototype to the last one last delivered. 707 (1958-79) The first American jet airliner, this four-engined, 189-passenger plane stole the market from its predecessor, the tragedy-hit de Havilland Comet. In the 1960s, it was the mainstay of all the big airlines, including Pan Am, Qantas and BOAC the long-haul predecessor of British Airways. Recommended Read more The plane with a hump heads for the dump British Caledonian kept them flying well into the 1970s, with earlier models passed to charter carriers such as Dan-Air (which, it is said, acquired the first 707 ever to fly the Atlantic and refused an offer to sell it to a museum, preferring to keep it flying). 717 (1998-2006) The unwanted offspring of the union between Boeing and its rival, McDonnell Douglas, the 717 was really an attempt to extend the natural lifespan of the DC-9/MD80 series of aircraft. (AFP/Getty Images) 720 (1958-67) The short- and medium-haul version of the 707, the 720 was a little shorter and could operate from shorter runways. It was soon extinguished by the more economical 727 and 737, but for a time it was big with Aer Lingus and Air Malta. 727 (1962-84) Three rear-mounted engines made this short- and medium-haul pleasingly quiet up front, and deafeningly noisy in the back row. An unusual tail-mounted exit could make the passenger feel uneasily like part of a digestive system. 737 (1966-present) The most successful plane ever built: Boeing has sold more than 9,000 of them, and many more are on order for the worlds two giant budget carriers, Ryanair of Ireland and Southwest of the US. A 42-year-old version is still active in Canada, and is believed to be the oldest jet still flying in passenger service anywhere in the world, at 42 years. (Plane years are rather like cat years, so anything over 25 years is almost unknown.) More modern versions are now flying the Atlantic regularly between Gatwick, Glasgow and Canada with WestJet. 747 (1968-present) As originally conceived, the biggest Boeing of all was primarily for cargo. But its iconic shape, including the exclusive upper-deck bubble, made it a favourite with passengers and airlines. British Airways is currently the worlds biggest operator of the jumbo; Virgin Atlantic, which began life with a single 747 in 1984, recently offloaded its last. 757 (1981-2004) A bit bigger than the 737, and with longer legs, the 757 never met with the success of its smaller, older sibling. Today it is largely a long-haul plane, with dozens flying the Atlantic every day for Icelandair, United and BAs offshoot, Open Skies. Many former 757 passenger jets are now used for parcels. 767 (1981-present) Boeings hurried response to the original Airbus A300 has actually proved much longer-lasting than its rival. It is deployed by British Airways on longer European routes such as Athens and Istanbul, as well as less-profitable long-haul links that dont warrant a more celebrated plane. 777 (1993-present) Its two big engines give the triple seven far superior economics to the 747, and the stretched (-300 version) can handle about as many passengers up to 467 in some configurations, commonly known among pilots as slave ships. There are more 777s in the air at any one time than any other long-haul plane. 787 (2007-present) The first Boeing plane for the 21st century had a troubled birth and infancy, with battery fires leading to the dreamliner being grounded for three months soon after its launch. Preferred by many passengers for its higher-than-average cabin pressure and civilised lighting; preferred by many airlines for its fuel economy. 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 }} The final weekend of July should be the happiest of times for the traveller. Millions of people are already on holiday, and millions more are on the eve of an adventure, great or small. Yet this summer, anticipation is giving way to trepidation. The most popular nation on earth for tourism is France, and its President has declared that his nation is at war. I wish, in this month of all months, politicians such as Francois Hollande would be careful about the language of conflict. A century ago, a generation of young men was being slaughtered on an industrial scale in northern France. During the Battle of the Somme, which began on 1 July 1916, British soldiers were dying at a rate of nearly 3,000 per day. For both the French and the German armies, the death toll was around 1,700 per day. In the past two weeks, since Bastille Day, dozens of families across Europe have been enduring a living nightmare while they grieve for their murdered loved ones. Eighty-four people died in Nice when a truck mowed through a crowd; nine were shot by an 18-year-old in Munich, one of three attacks in a week in Bavaria; and at a church in Normandy the throat of an 85-year-old priest was cut. Every one of these needless deaths is a profound tragedy. Yet the victims are not casualties of war. Indeed, to ascribe military status to attacks by pathetic, deluded individuals is a big mistake. The perpetrators are thugs who profess allegiance to a vile organisation in an attempt to justify their murderous acts. But we are not at war. Compared with the darker days of the 20th century, from the Somme to the brutal civil war that tore apart Yugoslavia, Europe is basking in the warm glow of peace. Rather than cowering at home and inadvertently chalking up a victory for hate, we should celebrate the freedom to travel. Thankfully, at the same time as President Hollande was being warlike, Eurostar was doing something much more positive: unveiling an unprecedented offer for day trips to Paris and Brussels. The train operator, which runs from London to the French and Belgian capitals, was expecting business on peak-hour services to dip in August, when the normal hostilities of commercial and political life are suspended. After the tragic events in both Belgium and France, and the post-referendum plunge in the pound, I imagine forward bookings to London and Paris looked even worse than anticipated. So Eurostar has come up with a 58 day return for midweek travel in August. The 58 tickets are only available from St Pancras, departing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, and you can only book from Monday of the week you want to travel. The trains you must use are also restricted. You must travel to Paris at 7.01am or 7.55am, and return on the 8.13pm or 9.13pm. To Brussels, the only trains are 6.50am outbound, 6.56pm return. So you can get nearly 10 hours in Paris, and close to seven in Brussels. In return for jumping these hurdles, you get a hitherto unknown opportunity. You can check the weather forecast for either city the day before, and if it appeals book a bargain. I have just made a test booking to Paris for Tuesday and a day trip on the specified days costs 214 much better, then, to hold off booking until Monday. You need not have the forensic skills of Inspector Clouseau to work out that this deal offers another opportunity: a longer stay in either city for 116 return, much less than you would usually pay for a short-notice booking. Just buy a day return for Tuesday and Thursday, and use only the outward half of the first and the return portion of the second (Ive checked with Eurostar the company doesnt mind). Then you can help a hotel in either city offload its distressed inventory. The lovely Hotel Crayon in Paris will sell you a double for 93 a night, while the equally colourful Hotel Pantone in Brussels is a steal at just 58. Actually, there is a war going on. But its only a price war, and the victor is the traveller. Bon voyage. 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 Im waiting at Dallas-Fort Worth airport for a delayed American Airlines flight to Heathrow. How long must the delay be before compensation can be claimed? Jack Walton A You could wait until the twelfth of never and, under current legislation, you would still have no entitlement to compensation for a severe delay from Dallas-Fort Worth to Heathrow. Thats because, as a non-EU airline flying from outside Europe, American Airlines has no obligation to offer compensation under the passengers rights rules known as EC261. Im assuming you chose to book on real American Airlines rather than British Airways. The two carriers are partners, and all four services between DFW and LHR carry both airlines codes. But only the 6.10pm departure, BA192, is operated by BA. The remaining three are all American Airlines services. If you were booked on the BA flight, and were delayed by three hours or more arriving at Heathrow, you could be in line for compensation of up to 600. But since you are on American, no payment is due. Most transatlantic travellers between the UK and US are travelling with one of two airline pairs: BA/AA and Virgin Atlantic/Delta. When you are booking, check carefully which airline is actually doing the flying: only passengers on BA and Virgin Atlantic qualify for delay compensation when flying from the US. Against that, though: Dallas-Fort Worth is the home of American Airlines, which means that it has maximum flexibility to shuffle its fleet if disruption occurs. But that doesnt appear to have happened in your case. Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a readers question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet@simoncalder President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree "On the territory and areas in the national nature reserve fund." As reported on the presidential website, the president signed the corresponding decree No.312/2016 on Wednesday. The decree declares a number of territories and areas included natural reserve fund to be sanctuaries and natural sanctuaries of national importance. It also sets the borders of certain territories and areas in the fund, as well as creating a dendrological park of national importance Kryvorudsky - within the boundaries of Kryva Ruda village of Semenivsky district in Poltava region. "Implementation of the decree will enable preservation of the biological and landscape diversity, unique and highly valuable natural complexes, and will contribute to the improvement of the natural environment ecological state in Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Luhansk, Poltava, Ternopil, Kherson and Cherkasy regions of Ukraine," the press service says. 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 }} When Vladimir Putin ordered air strikes on Syria in November last year, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was asked who had been designated as terrorists to be hit among the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad. He responded: If it looks like a terrorist, acts like a terrorist, walks like a terrorist, fights like a terrorist, its a terrorist. Changing its name will not save Jabhat al-Nusra from being bombed, it will continue to be regarded as a terrorist organisation. It is not just Russia that considers al-Nusra, al-Qaedas franchised arm in Syria, as deserving elimination. When the Americans started air strikes against in Syria, two months before the Russians, the target was Isis. But on one of the first days of the campaign, the Khorasan group, affiliated to al-Nusra and al-Qaeda, was at the receiving end of a sustained missile attack. Abu Mohamed al-Jolani, the leader of al-Nusra, made his first public appearance in a well-trailed announcement saying that the group was breaking with al-Qaeda as well as changing its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. Much of al-Nusras activities had been directed by al-Qaedas headquarters in Pakistan: The new formation has no ties with any foreign parties, al-Jolani was keen to stress. Al-Jolani, whose real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, made the broadcast wearing a camouflage jacket of the same shade as Osama bin Laden, along with identical white turban and scarf. Many in the social media were swift to point out the similarity in attire amid general scepticism about the split. Al-Joliani stated that the changes to its allegiance and name were to remove the excuse used by the international community, spearheaded by America and Russia, to bombard and displace Muslims in the Levant, that they are targeting Jabhat al-Nusra, which is associated with al-Qaeda. Fighting continues in Syria as al-Nusra breaks from al-Qaeda Al-Nusra had sought permission to leave al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda was quick to grant it. Ahmed Hassan al-Khayr, the deputy to Bin Ladens successor Ayman al-Zawahiri, sent an audio message saying we direct the leadership of Jabhat al-Nusra to go ahead with what preserves the good of Islam and the Muslims and protects the jihad of the Syrian people. Some of the Syrian rebel groups supported by the West had decried the US bombing of al-Nusra pointing out that it had been effective in fighting the forces of both Basher al-Assad and Isis. But this did not change Washingtons policy and the continuing bombing, especially after the Russians joined in, has increasingly damaged al-Nusra. That is the reason it is attempting to get out of the firing line of the international powers which have intervened in Syria. If al-Nusra, which has benefited in the past from support by Qatar (and continues to do so, say Qatars critics) had hoped to be taken off the US list of prescribed terrorist organisations by its moves, initial reactions were not encouraging. We certainly see no reasons to believe that their actions or their objectives are any different, said US State Department spokesman John Kirby. They are still considered a foreign terrorist organisation. We judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves. There has been no official reaction, as yet, from the Kremlin about al-Nusras rebranding. But Russian aircraft bombed what were supposedly the groups bases in Idlib province on Friday. Aid groups said a maternity hospital had been hit, but it was unclear which countrys warplanes were responsible. 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 }} Coup attempt and purge are tearing Turkey apart. The Turkish armed forces, for long the backbone of the state, are in a state of turmoil. Some 40 per cent of its generals and admirals have been detained or dismissed, including senior army commanders. They are suspected of launching the abortive military takeover on 15-16 July, which left at least 246 people dead, saw parliament and various security headquarters bombed and a near successful bid to kill or capture President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In response, Erdogan and his government are carrying out a purge of everybody from soldiers to teachers connected in any way to the movement of the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen accused of organising the coup attempt. Among media outlets closed in the past few days are 45 newspapers, 16 TV channels including a childrens channel and 23 radio stations. People fearful of being implicated in the plot have been hurriedly disposing of Gulenist books and papers by burning them, throwing it into rivers or stuffing them into rubbish bins. Five years ago, Turkey looked like the most stable and successful country in the Middle East an example that its neighbours might like to follow. But, instead of Iraq and Syria becoming more like Turkey, it has become more like them in terms of political, ethnic and sectarian division. Erdogans personal authority is being enhanced by his bravery and vigour in defeating the coup attempt and by the removal of remaining obstacles to his rule. But the failed putsch was also a sign that Turkey a nation of 80 million people with an army 600,000-strong is becoming weaker and more unstable. Its leaders will be absorbed in the immediate future in conducting an internal purge and deciding who is loyal and who is not. While this is going on, the country faces pressures on many fronts, notably the war with Kurdish guerrillas in the south east, terror attacks by the Islamic State and diplomatic isolation stemming from disastrous Turkish involvement in the war in Syria. In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Show all 17 1 /17 In pictures: Turkey coup attempt In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish President Erdogan attends the funeral service for victims of the thwarted coup in Istanbul at Fatih mosque on July 17, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey Burak Kara/Getty Images In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Soldiers involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus bridge with their hands raised in Istanbul on 16 July, 2016 Gokhan Tan/Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt A civilian beats a soldier after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 July, 2016 REUTERS/Murad Sezer In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Surrendered Turkish soldiers who were involved in the coup are beaten by a civilian Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Soliders involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus bridge Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wave flags as they capture a Turkish Army vehicle Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt People pose near a tank after troops involved in the coup surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, 16 July, 2016 Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers block Istanbul's Bosphorus Brigde Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt A Turkish military stands guard near the Taksim Square in Istanbul Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Pierre Crom/Twitter In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul's Taksim square AP In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Murad Sezer/Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish soldiers detain police officers during a security shutdown of the Bosphorus Bridge Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish Army armoured personnel carriers in the main streets of Istanbul Getty In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Chaos reigned in Istanbul as tanks drove through the streets EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to media in the resort town of Marmaris Reuters In pictures: Turkey coup attempt Supporters of President Erdogan celebrate in Ankara following the suppression of the attempted coup Reuters The destabilisation of Turkey is good news for Isis because Turkish security organisations, never very assiduous in pursuing salafi-jihadi rebels, will be devoting most of their efforts to hunting down Gulenists. Both Isis and other al-Qaeda-type movements like al-Nusra Front will benefit from the anti-American atmosphere in Turkey, where most believe that the US supported the coup attempt. The Turkish armed forces used to be seen as a guarantee of Turkeys stability, inside and outside the country. But the failed coup saw it break apart in a manner that will be very difficult to reverse. No less than 149 out of a total of 358 generals and admirals have been detained or dishonourably discharged. Those arrested include the army commander who was fighting the Kurdish insurrection in south east Turkey and the former chief of staff of the air force. Many Turks have taken time to wake up to the seriousness of what has happened. But it is becoming clear that the attempted putsch was not just the work of a small clique of dissatisfied officers inside the armed forces; it was rather the product of a vast conspiracy to take over the Turkish state that was decades in the making and might well have succeeded. At the height of the uprising, the plotters had captured the army chief of staff and the commanders of land, sea and air forces.They were able to do so through the connivance of guards, private secretaries and aides who occupied crucial posts. The interior minister complains that he knew nothing about the coup bid until a very late stage because the intelligence arm reporting to him was manned by coup supporters. Erdogan gave a near comical account of how the first inkling he had that anything was amiss came between 4pm and 4.30pm on the day of the coup attempt from his brother-in-law, who had seen soldiers blocking off streets in Istanbul. He then spent four hours vainly trying to contact the head of the national intelligence agency, the chief of staff and the prime minister, none of whom could be found. Erdogan apparently escaped from his holiday hotel on the Aegean with 45 minutes to spare before the arrival of an elite squad of soldiers with orders to seize or kill him. There is little question left that the followers of Fethullah Gulen were behind the coup attempt, despite his repeated denials. I dont have any doubt that the brain and backbone of the coup were the Gulenists, says Kadri Gursel, usually a critic of the government. He adds that he is astonished by the degree to which the Gulenists were able to infiltrate and subvert the armed forces, judiciary and civil service. The closest analogy to recent events, he says, is in the famous 1950s film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, in which aliens take over an American town without anybody noticing until it is almost too late. Turkey shakes up security forces after coup attempt The coup attempt was so unexpected and unprecedented that Turkey today is full of people asking questions about their future, and that of their country questions to which there are no clear answers. Will Erdogan exploit the opportunity offered by the failed coup to demonise all opponents and not just Gulenists as terrorists? Some 15,000 people have been detained of whom 10,000 are soldiers. The presidential guard has been stood down. One third of the judiciary has been sacked. So far most of the journalists and media outlets targeted have some connection with the Gulenists, but few believe that the clamp down on dissent will end there. Erdogans lust for power is too great for him show restraint in stifling opposition in general, predicts one intellectual in Istanbul who, like many interviewed for this article, did not want his name published. When one small circulation satirical magazine published a cartoon mildly critical of the government last week, police went from shop-to-shop confiscating copies. For the moment, Erdogan is benefiting from a degree of national solidarity against the conspirators. Many Turks (and not just his supporters) criticise foreign governments and media for making only a token condemnations of the coup attempt before demanding restraint in conduct of the purge. They point out that, if the coup had more successful, Turkey would have faced a full-blown military dictatorship or a civil war, or both. Erdogan said in an interview that foreign leaders who now counsel moderation would have danced for joy if he had been killed by the conspirators. Sabiha Senyucel, the research director of the Public Policy and Democracy Studies think tank in Istanbul, says that the evening of the coup attempt was the worst evening of my life. She complains that foreign commentators did not take on board that this was a battle between a democratically elected government and a military coup. She has co-authored a report citing biased foreign reporting hostile to Erdogan and only mildly critical of the coup-makers. She quotes a tweet from an MSNBC reporter at the height of the coup attempt, saying that a US military source tells NBC News that Erdogan, refused landing rights in Istanbul, is reported to be seeking asylum in Germany. Turkey is deeply divided between those who adore and those who hate Erdogan. Senyucel says that there are two parts of society that live side by side but have no contact with each other. But, even so, it is difficult to find anybody on the left or right who does not suspect that at some level the US was complicit in the coup attempt. Erdogan is probably convinced of this himself, despite US denials, and this will shape his foreign policy in future. The lip-service support Erdogan got from Western states during and immediately after the coup attempt shows his international isolation, said one observer. The Turkish leader is off to see Vladimir Putin on 9 August, though it is doubtful if an alliance with Russia and Iran is really an alternative to Turkeys long-standing membership of Nato. Erdogan can claim that the alternative to him is a bloody-minded collection of brigadier generals who showed no restraint in killing civilians and bombing parliament. But the strength and reputation of the Turkish state is being damaged by revelations about the degree to which it has been systematically colonised since the 1980s by members of a secret society. Gulenist candidates for jobs in the Foreign Ministry were supplied with the answers to questions before they took exams, regardless of their abilities. The diplomatic service once highly regarded internationally received an influx of monoglot Turkish-speaking diplomats, according to the Foreign Minister. The state is collapsing, says one commentator but adds that much will depend on what Erdogan will do next. In the past he has shown a pragmatic as well as a Messianic strain, accompanied by an unceasing appetite for political combat and more power. His meeting last week with other party leaders, with the notable exception of the Kurds, may be a sign that he will be forced to ally himself with the secularists. He will need to replace the ousted Gulenist officers in the armed forces and many of these will secularist victims of past purges by the Gulenists. Turkey is paying a heavy price for Erdogans past alliances and misalliances. Many chickens are coming home to roost. The Gulenists were able to penetrate the armed forces and state institution so easily because between 2002 and 2013 they were closely allied him and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in opposition to the secularists. Isis has been able to set up a network of cells in Turkey because, until recently, the Turkish security forces turned a blind eye to salafi-jihadis using Turkey as a rear base for the war in Syria. Erdogan arguably resumed confrontation and war with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as an electoral ploy to garner nationalist support after his failure to win the general election on 7 June last year. Erdogan thrives on crisis and confrontation, of which the failed coup is the latest example. But a state of permanent crisis is weakening and destabilising Turkey at a moment when the rest of the region is gripped by war. Voters in Dublin were less likely to vote in favour of a united Ireland Two out of three people in the Irish Republic would vote for a united Ireland, a major opinion poll has found. Pollster Red C said its latest national survey - weeks after the Brexit result - shows a sharp rise in support for reunification since a similar opinion poll six years ago. Asked how they would vote if a referendum was held tomorrow, 65% of the sample electorate said they would vote in favour of a united Ireland. Some 30% said they would vote against it, while 5% said they were undecided. The findings show an 8% jump in support for a united Ireland since Red C posed the same question in a poll carried out for the Sunday Times in 2010. The shock Brexit result last month has sparked a renewed debate about a potential referendum on the Irish border. A majority of voters in Northern Ireland want to remain as part of the European Union. Remain campaigners, including Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, have insisted their wishes must be respected. But Leave backers, among them Democratic Unionist First Minister Arlene Foster, have insisted the EU referendum result is a UK-wide decision. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he hoped the Brexit result would lead to a united Ireland. However, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has in recent days retreated from his earlier talk of a border referendum. The latest Red C poll also shows Mr Martin's Fianna Fail is the most popular party in the Republic. Arch-rivals Fine Gael rely on his support for their minority government, formed after weeks of negotiations following a huge split in the vote earlier this year. In a cross border survey last year by broadcasters RTE and BBC Northern Ireland, 66% of people in the Irish Republic said they would like to see a united Ireland in their lifetime. But only 30% in Northern Ireland held the same view, with 43% saying they would not like to see reunification. For the latest poll, carried out for bookmaker Paddy Power, Red C interviewed a sample of 1,000 voters in the Irish Republic between July 25 and 27. Support for a united Ireland was equal at 65% among both men and women. More (69%) in less well-off social groups than better-off groups (59%) said they would vote for reunification. Voters living in Dublin (56%) were less likely to vote in favour of a united Ireland than those living outside the capital (68% to 69%). Sinn Fein (79%) and Fianna Fail (71%) supporters were most likely to back reunification, while Fine Gael (58%) voters were least likely. There was a clear majority in favour among all age groups, particularly among those aged 55 to 64 (70%). Irish businesses want a strategy to ensure the maintenance of access to EU and UK markets in the wake of Brexit. They also believe plans need to be put in place in the event of a medium term economic slowdown, the results of a new survey from the British Irish Chamber of Commerce showed. Every week over 1.1bn of trade is conducted between the two islands, sustaining over 400,000 jobs directly and many more indirectly. The survey, which questioned over 450 firms, mainly Irish SMEs, showed that 46pc wanted a strategy on access to markets while a further 32pc believed that plans mitigating an economic retrenchment were necessary. Brexit-proofing strategies suggested by the firms included a review of currency strategy and the sourcing of new suppliers and sales markets. The survey included both importers and exporters and they appear to be reacting differently to Britain's decision to exit the EU. "Exporters are challenged but, encouragingly, they are already diversifying to export to markets other than the UK," said John McGrane, director general of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, which represents a range of Irish businesses from banks to SMEs. "Importers are benefitting from weaker sterling although this is causing some substitution away from local suppliers," he added. However, he added that both are concerned about the lengthy uncertainty of the UK negotiations with the EU while some firms believe that Brexit represents 'crisis two' for businesses following on from the recent economic meltdown. The Chamber also enables engagement between Government, policy makers and business and the survey results come on the heels of a Central Bank decision to cut its growth forecasts for this year and next on the back of the Brexit referendum impact. The International Monetary Fund has also cut its Irish economic forecasts on the back of Brexit and warned that banks here could take a hit on their UK operations as well as growth prospects. The Washington-based IMF is now forecasting Irish Gross Domestic Product growth of 3.2pc for the year, down from 3.6pc. Undertaking a stock market flotation "isn't a goal in itself" for Irish engineering solutions firm Actavo, as its revenues approach 500m this year, according to chief executive and chairman Sean Corkery. Actavo, formerly Siteserv, is majority-owned by businessman Denis O'Brien. Yesterday it reported that its 2015 revenue jumped by a third to 431m and profits rose 25pc to 17.9m. Its activities stretch from support services for cable companies such as Sky and Virgin Media, as well as utilities such as Electric Ireland and Bord Gais, to the provision of industrial services for clients in sectors such as oil, pharmaceuticals and nuclear power. Its 2015 performance was strong across all units, Mr Corkey told the Irish Independent. The company employs over 5,000 people and also works closely with Mr O'Brien's Digicel telecoms firm. The 2015 revenue figure was ahead of the 400m or so that the company predicted in 2014 that it would generate last year. Actavo is aiming to be a 1bn revenue business by 2020. "To get to the billion and to be of that scale, you might need that level of financing which would lead to an IPO (initial public offering)," said Mr Corkery. He conceded that while there's an attraction to doing a flotation, it also has downsides. "You've got the 13-week treadmill, everything is out there, you've got to hit your numbers and it's hard to be strategic," he said. "The attraction of it is that the cost of money from a financing point of view is the lowest you can get. It would have to be for absolute need for a quantum of money, probably by a sizeable acquisition, that would trigger something like that." Mr Corkery - a former Dell executive who also has a minority shareholding in Actavo - also said that the group could pursue other funding avenues, given the cheapness of debt. Chief financial officer Alan Doherty said that Actavo's debt to EBITDA ratio is currently just 1.5 times, giving it significant headroom to pursue acquisitions. In 2015, Actavo bought UK firm PDC Utility Services, an industrial painting contractor, for up to 10.2m. Earlier this year, Actavo also acquired US-based Atlantic Engineering Services (AES), a company that designs the deployment of fibre to the home for clients. It was the Irish company's first foray into the US. "There's huge growth there and we want to participate in it, so we are ambitious about it," said Mr Corkery. "We don't sit on the assets that we acquire. We're transformative." Mr Cokery said an on-going probe into the sale of Siteserv by IBRC hasn't deflected management and that Actavo will correspond with the investigator if it's contacted. Aer Lingus put 42m towards IAG's operating profit of 710m in the first half of the year. IAG boss Willie Walsh told RTE's Morning Ireland that the formerly State-owned airline was doing "very well". The operating profit figure - before exceptional items were included - was a 27pc rise. But IAG said it expected low double digit percentage growth for the year as a whole - a good deal lower than previous forecasts. "We have continued to experience a weaker trading environment in our UK point-of-sale business, which represents around one third of total revenue. On top of this, continued pound sterling weakness would reduce pound sterling profits when translated into euros in what is traditionally the most profitable part of the year," Mr Walsh said. "In addition, like other European airlines, our operations around Europe have recently suffered from significant weather and Air Traffic Control strike disruption, resulting in over a thousand flights having to be cancelled. We expect at least 80m disruption costs to be booked in the second half of the year as a result, with the additional risk of revenue dilution," he added. Other airlines in the IAG stable include Aer Lingus. Ireland's top heritage attractions have hailed a bumper tourist season with visitor numbers increasing by up to 10pc. The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Zoo, the Cliffs of Moher, Fota Wildlife Park, Newgrange/Bru na Boinne, Blarney Castle, the Rock of Cashel and Loop Head Lighthouse have all variously indicated strong 2016 visitor numbers. The number of US tourists visiting Ireland is up - though it has fallen back from the remarkable 19pc increase recorded between November and January. Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports are predicting increased passenger numbers, ranging between 6pc and 10pc, with Cork confirming it will handle 100,000 passengers more than last year. For the first time ever, Ireland recorded one million visitors over the first two months of the year - and it is expected that overall visitor numbers will increase by about 8pc over the summer. The boom is being attributed to Ireland's safety as a holiday destination, the legacy of the 2013 'The Gathering' promotion and the incredible success of the Wild Atlantic Way project. The failure by US authorities to issue a permit to Dublin-based Norwegian Air International to enable it to operate flights to America could damage the proposed EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the EU Transport Commissioner has warned her counterpart in Washington. In a hard-hitting letter to US Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, Commissioner Violeta Bulc said the delay in issuing the permit Norwegian Air International requires could have wider implications for economic relations between America and Europe. "I am also concerned, as (are) some of my colleagues, about the consequences that this matter could have, not only in our aviation relations, but in the overall economic and trade transatlantic agenda," Ms Bulc said in her letter, which has been seen by the Irish Independent. "At a time when closer bilateral ties are being put into question by many sectors of our societies, we should carefully consider the implications that this long and protracted dispute could have, for example, in the TTIP negotiations after both sides' legal teams share the assessment of the case." Ms Bulc also copied the letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry, the White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, and the US Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs, Adewale Adeyemo. Norwegian Air International (NAI) is a unit of Norwegian Air Shuttle. It established a base in Ireland in order to benefit from rights under the EU-US Open Skies agreement. That agreement allows any European Union carrier to fly from anywhere in the union to any location in the US. Likewise, US airlines can fly from anywhere in the US to anywhere in the EU. Among the routes NAI wants to launch are services from Cork to Boston and New York. But there's been fierce opposition to NAI's plans from US aviation unions. They claim that NAI is being used by Norwegian Air Shuttle to circumvent more stringent labour laws in Norway, and that grant it a permit to fly to the US would result in the eventual loss of tens of thousands of US aviation jobs. They claim that NAI would use cheap Asian staff to cut costs on its services. Norwegian Air Shuttle has repeatedly denied all those claims, and pledged to only use US and European crew on its transatlantic flights. The US Department of Transportation indicated in April that it intended to grant NAI its permit. But since then, the approval process has stalled. It's likely that it will be left to the next US administration to deal with, despite assurances that the matter would be concluded by now. "I find it regrettable that this is the outcome after more than two years to deliberation and despite the patience and the goodwill that the EU has shown," Ms Bulc has told Mr Foxx. Ms Bulc has requested that the matter be brought to arbitration. Last month, Norwegian's UK unit was denied a new interim flying permit from US authorities, a move Ms Bulc said has caused "serious concerns" in Brussels. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been severely criticised by its own internal watchdog for being too close to the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Commission during the bailouts for Ireland, Greece and Portugal. In a hard-hitting assessment the IMF's own staff said it needs to shield itself from political influence that could compromise its independence when assessing nations in crisis. The IMF has been criticised since the start of the financial crisis over perceptions that EU member states were treated less robustly than was the norm for third world countries that have needed rescue deals. That includes complaints that the IMF has continued to lend to Greece without its normal insistence that all other lenders suffer haircuts first, to bring the country's borrowings to sustainable levels - something vehemently opposed by the ECB. The IMF's Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) has found that its partnership with the European Central Bank and the European Commission to form the so-called troika led to officials coming under pressure to put up a common front, even where the views within the troika were at odds. That "potentially exposed IMF staff to political decisions at an earlier stage" than expected, the IEO said. In Ireland, it is now well known that the IMF held widely different views on some issues to the ECB in particular. Last year Ajai Chopra, the IMF's former Ireland mission chief, told this newspaper that, in his view, ECB had acted in an "outrageous" manner and went beyond its remit when it pressured Ireland to commit to years of austerity, for example. Speaking after he left the agency, he was bitterly critical of letters between the former ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet and the late Brian Lenihan in 2010 in which Mr Trichet threatened to cut off funds for the Irish banks if the Government did not apply for a bailout. And Mr Chopra also claimed that the possible effects of burning the bondholders that were put forward by Europe were "exaggerated". During the bailout, however, the IMF was largely silent on those issues. In their new report, the IMF's internal watchdogs suggested that the fund's staff "often felt pressured to accept a less-than-ideal outcome" from creditor countries. However, in response to the criticism, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde contested the watchdog's recommendation that the IMF establish procedures that minimise chances for political intervention in its technical analysis. "I support the principle that the IMF's technical analysis should remain independent," Ms Lagarde said in a statement accompanying the report. "However, I do not accept the premise of the recommendation, which the IEO failed to establish in its report, and thus do not see the need to develop new procedures." The criticisms look set to give fuel to congressional Republicans in the US, which is the fund's biggest financial backer, who are growing weary of the IMF's bailouts to Greece. The fund said in May that it's likely to provide some new financial assistance to the country later in the year, in conjunction with the latest European programme. "This deal raises doubts as to the IMF's independence from Eurozone politics and institutions," Michigan Representative Bill Huizenga said. (Additional reporting Bloomberg) Donbas militants conducted 56 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in the past 24 hours, mostly in the Donetsk sector, the anti-terrorist operation press center said on Facebook on Friday. It said 33 shelling incidents occurred in the Donetsk sector, 21 in the Mariupol sector, and two in the Luhansk sector. Militants used 82mm mortars, various types of grenade launchers, anti-aircraft guns, large-caliber machineguns and small arms to fire on Avdiyivka in the Donetsk sector, the report said. In addition, militants fired 82mm mortars on Troyitske and Mayorsk. Ukrainian army fortifications in Maryinka, Vodiane and Krasnohorivka and positions near Pavlopil, Shyrokyne and Hnutove came under militant attacks. Militants fired grenade launchers on Lopaskyne in the Luhansk sector, the report said. Ireland's income tax system hurts middle-income earners, creates welfare traps and puts high-skilled foreign workers off coming here, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. Hitting middle-income families hardest in the tax system also undermines female participation in the workforce, the Washington-based fund added, in a strongly worded criticism. In its latest post-programme report, the IMF said that while previous budgets had reduced the high rate of marginal tax to below 50pc, the tax base had been narrowed as the threshold for the Universal Social Charge had been increased. "This places a large tax burden on middle-income households, undermines female labor force participation, creates welfare traps for low-skilled worker, and discourages high-skilled worker migration to Ireland," the report said. The IMF said the Irish tax system relied more on direct taxes and less on charges such as property tax and wealth taxes, than other European countries. Indirect taxes are around average, it found. The Government has promised to do more to ease the tax burden on middle-income earners, which is out of kilter with the UK. Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said he favoured scrapping the USC over time, especially for lower income earners. Read more: State considers 'menu' of taxes if they want to scrap USC by 2020 Read more: Michael Noonan moves to hike income tax for 270,000 workers However, the IMF, which is headed by Christine Lagarde has warned against the trend of taking lower income workers out of the tax net altogether, because it leaves those left in the net carrying too much of the total tax burden. "Personal income taxation (PIT and Universal Social Charge-USC) has a relatively narrow base (about 30pc of households are exempted) and a relatively rapid progressivity (the top marginal rates are among the highest in the OECD)," the IMF said. Its report said the Government should consider merging the USC into a more comprehensive personal income taxation system, with lower rates below the median wage but retaining a broad base. The IMF report also said that Ireland's growth had been "exceptional", but that the recovery was incomplete. It said the impact on Ireland from the vote in the UK to leave the EU was a "cause for concern", and it warned that the vote could affect Ireland's banks. "More than many other EU economies, Ireland's medium-to-long term outlook will be affected by the nature of the future relationship between the UK and EU, especially regarding trade, financial flows, and labour movement," the report said. Economic growth this year was expected to be just below 5pc on the back of less vigorous domestic demand, mainly due to investment, the report said. Growth forecasts were revised down for this year and next year. To protect State finances, Ireland should go further in cutting spending than EU fiscal rules demand, the IMF said. But it admitted the public wants budget relief. "Reform fatigue combined with strong growth are fuelling expectations of a recovery dividend among the Irish public, which together with political fragmentation could lead to some policy reversals." AstraZeneca's chief executive believes a rival could spot the growing value of its drug pipeline but declined to say yesterday if the group was likely to be a takeover target once more, two years after seeing off a bid from Pfizer. This time speculation has moved to the idea of a possible offer from Swiss-based Novartis, which would increase its cancer drug operations significantly by acquiring its smaller British rival. It could also lead to cost savings. The comments by AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot encouraged talk of another mega-deal in the pharmaceuticals sector, after a run of deal-making by companies seeking promising new medicines. This helped to send AstraZeneca shares to a record high yesterday, breaching the 50 mark for the first time. Citi analyst Andrew Baum suggested in a note this week that AstraZeneca's biotech expertise and advanced immunotherapy cancer pipeline made it an attractive target for Basel-based Novartis. AstraZeneca has a current market value of just over $80 billion, while Novartis is worth around $215bn. Reporting quarterly results yesterday, Soriot said development of new drugs for cancer was now reaching a critical point, with important clinical data due in the next 12 months, which would be an inflection point for the company. "As to whether we would be exposed (to a bid), we certainly have been very aware over the last few years that as we create value then at some point our pipeline becomes attractive," he told analysts. "Hopefully, it becomes attractive to our shareholders but, of course, it may be attractive to anybody." AstraZeneca spurned a 55 a share offer from Pfizer in 2014. (Reuters) Police considering taking legal action against the app's maker, because it has no age restrictions That's one way to describe it. If youve been hunting for Pokemon in Ballyfermot, you might have noticed this rather hilarious (and shady) description at a Pokestop. The Welcome to Ballyfermot sign is a Pokestop in the area, leading many people to it to collect items for their Pokemon. Its description is what has people taking notice, however, saying: Known as one of Dublins more grittier suburbs. Wow. Pokemon Go tells you Ballyfermot is one of Dublin's 'grittiest' suburbs. it's not that bad! pic.twitter.com/9G0xaebvhx WhatYou'reGoingToSee (@WhatUrGoinToSee) 18 July 2016 "It's not that bad!" wrote one Twitter user alongside a photo of the description. We think Where Mary Byrne is from would have been a better description, but whatever. The cast of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, as a further 250,000 tickets for the new stage play, are set to go on sale next week. Photo: Manuel Harlan/PA Wire The Palace Theatre in central London, with signage for the new Harry Potter and the Cursed Child production, which will officially debut tonight. Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire Nearly eight weeks of previews and months more of fans' excitement are over. As the clock turns midnight on Sunday morning, the script of the two-part play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be released in Ireland. The majority of Irish Harry Potter fans will have to wait until Sunday morning to purchase their copies, with many bookshops opting out of a midnight opening. But Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street in Dubin, Bridge Street Books in Wicklow, and Waterstones in Drogheda will sell the book as soon as the clock strikes midnight. We are almost there people. Only 39 hours before we can snuggle up and read #harrypotterandthecursedchild. pic.twitter.com/tqER0tzmr5 Hodges Figgis (@Hodges_Figgis) July 29, 2016 Mysterious parcels started arriving in Hodges Figgis today. Owl post must be very busy. #CursedChild pic.twitter.com/Ec6G9fer6q Hodges Figgis (@Hodges_Figgis) July 28, 2016 Hodges Figgis will open from 10pm for a Harry Potter party, which will include Quidditch practice, "Owl racing", fortune telling, a Harry Potter quiz and readings. Fans can pre-order their book now for half price. Waterstones in Drogheda will also open from 10pm. The bookshop has warned that while all are welcome, fans must contact the shop in advance to book a place. The shop's phone number is 041 983 8527 and the email address is drogheda@waterstones.com. Bridge Street Books on Bridge Street in Wicklow town will also open at midnight. Fun, games, and quizes are promised for queueing fans. Those eager to find out what happens in the time-twisting instalment can read the review of 10-year-old Toby L'Estrange, a speed-reading prodigy who has been challenged by Amazon to write the first review of the new Harry Potter story. Despite the script's release, stage play audiences will still be urged to "Keep the secret" as they leave. Keeping the play spoiler-free is all the more important as producers announce another 250,000 tickets are set to go on sale next week, keeping it running until December 2017. More tickets will be made available from 11am on August 4. Video of the Day Taking place on the eve of the joint birthday of Harry and his creator Rowling, the doors to London's Palace Theatre will - like Platform 9 3/4 of Kings Cross Station before them - provide the gateway for fans to return to the magical world of Harry, Ron, Hermione and their beloved Hogwarts on Saturday. The two-part play, which stretches over five hours, is set 19 years after the events of the seventh and final book, with Ministry of Magic employee Harry and his wife Ginny waving off their youngest son Albus Severus to school. But at Hogwarts, Albus struggles with the weight of his family legacy and goes to extreme and dangerous lengths to right the wrongs of the past. Co-devised by Rowling, written by Jack Thorne and directed by John Tiffany, it appears an Obliviate charm worthy of Gilderoy Lockhart would be required for critics to forget the "spellbinding" and "out of this world" experience of the Cursed Child. Daily Telegraph critic Dominic Cavendish said that "British theatre hasn't known anything like it for decades". He raved: "It's a triumph. Not an unqualified one - there are some quibbles - but in all key respects, it grips, it stirs, it delights." The Independent's Jack Shepherd similarly awarded the play five stars, writing: "It's quite apparent this isn't written to be either a book or a tie-in film; it's a spectacle for the theatre, one that is filled to the brim with fan service and magical imagery that will amaze." Special praise has gone to Sam Clemmett, who plays Albus, and Anthony Boyle as Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius, while Jamie Parker, Paul Thornley and Noma Dumezweni play the adult stars of the wizarding saga: Harry, Ron and Hermione. The scene of the attack on the Ninth Lock road, Clondalkin. Photo: Gerry Mooney Men, as well as women, need to be vigilant at all times, the Rape Crisis Centre has warned in the wake of the horrific Clondalkin rape. While women should not be forced to "constrain" their activities to avoid being attacked, both men and women "should take precautions to protect themselves," said the centre's chief executive Noeline Blackwell. Ms Blackwell described yesterday's attack as "a nightmare" but added that such attacks by strangers were the exception, rather than the rule. However, the Clondalkin attack fits in with the stereotype of the rapist lurking in the bushes. "This fits the worst nightmare of everybody. "But only about one in four rapes are carried out by strangers," she told the Irish Independent. In the vast majority of cases, a woman is sexually assaulted or raped by someone she knows, Ms Blackwell said. Although date rape and other forms of rape by an acquaintance or family member are "horrific incidents", attacks by random strangers - while rare - can be particularly traumatic, she said. Random However, Ms Blackwell said that women or men who are sexually assaulted should never feel that their actions are to blame. "No matter how vulnerable they are, it is never their fault," she said. Aidan Carroll, founder of the Hard Target School of Self Defence in Donabate, Co Dublin, agrees. Many of his clients are victims of random sexual assaults, including a young man who was gang-raped by three men while walking alone in a popular Dublin park. But Mr Carroll said people always need to be aware of potentially dangerous scenarios and then act accordingly. He said the best defence against potential sexual assaults is a strong offence. "We can't sugar-coat this. This is the reality," he said. While the Clondalkin attack bears all the hallmarks of an "opportunistic" crime, Mr Carroll said anyone walking alone needs to take precautions, be aware of their surroundings and avoid making themselves vulnerable. Being under the influence of alcohol or distracted by mobile phones and ear phones makes people vulnerable if they are caught off guard, he said. Convicted murderer Martha Herda taunted investigating gardai as they pieced together the sequence of events that occurred in the early hours of March 26, 2013. Herda sent Arklow Garda Station an anonymous postcard with a penny coin attached to it while she was on bail and holidaying in her native Poland. Expand Close Victim Csaba Orsos / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Victim Csaba Orsos "Keep up the good work, wish you were here, hope you catch the killer," the card read. The postcard was not addressed to any individual garda in the station. Concerned, the gardai at the station decided to investigate the matter and found her DNA was on the stamp. Gardai are unsure what the motivation was for sending the coin. According to a source, Herda "thought she would get away with this from the start. This woman always played the victim, but she really had zero respect for gardai or her victim - as that postcard shows." Herda's conviction is the second time in the history of the State a person has been convicted of using a car as a murder weapon. Read More The only other person convicted of using a car to murder is Dublin man Anthony O'Reilly, who killed Daniel McDonald (21) on February 2, 2007. That brutal murder also took place in Arklow, Co Wicklow. The pair had been fighting in Rascals Disco. Despite being thrown out of the establishment, the two men continued to argue while outside. Witnesses said O'Reilly threatened bouncers outside the club before warning Mr McDonald that he was dead. O'Reilly jumped into the passenger seat of a car being driven by a female. Mr McDonald gave chase and kicked O'Reilly through the passenger window. Expand Close Brother of Csaba Orsos, Zoltan Sandro, speaks to the media at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after the verdict. Pic Collins Courts. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brother of Csaba Orsos, Zoltan Sandro, speaks to the media at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after the verdict. Pic Collins Courts. However, his attack was thwarted when his foot became stuck and O'Reilly told the driver to drive on. Mr McDonald fell free as O'Reilly banged on the dashboard and shouted abuse. As the driver drove back into the main street O'Reilly grabbed the steering wheel and forced the car in the direction of Mr McDonald, narrowly missing him. O'Reilly got out of the car and moved into his own vehicle. He drove up the street as Mr McDonald walked towards him. When his car struck Mr McDonald O'Reilly was in the wrong lane doing at least 50mph down Arklow's main street. Mr McDonald was thrown into the air on impact and shattered his skull in the collision. A former child movie star has received a five-month jail term for punching a 13-year-old and telling the boy's mother that he would burn her house down. Shane Curry, now 21, was a breakthrough star at the age of 13, appearing alongside Stephen Rea in the award-winning movie 'Kisses'. A reviewer at the Los Angeles Times described young Curry's performance as "first-rate". Curry subsequently starred in Hideaways (2011) and Dollhouse (2012), directed by Kirsten Sheridan. However, Curry's life has been chaotic since, and he has clocked up 14 convictions. Curry's latest convictions at Ennis District Court concern assault causing harm at Willow Green, John Paul Estate, Kilrush, Co Clare, on June 11 last to a 13-year-old, the possession of a knife and making a threat to damage property on the same date. Curry, now of Croi na Mbaile, Kilmihil, also pleaded guilty to a separate assault charge at Kilmihil in April of this year. Solicitor for Curry, Gearoid Williams, told Ennis District Court that life for his client "has been no bed of roses". Incident In the case before Ennis District Court, Mr Williams said that Curry was high on drugs on June 11 last and had no recollection of the incident. Judge Patrick Durcan said that Curry struck the 13-year-old boy in the face without any provocation. Judge Durcan said: "He had a knife and called the child a cheeky brat. He then went to the driveway of where the boy's mother lived and called her 'a scumbag and a whore'. He told her that he would burn down a house." The woman stated that she has had panic attacks since and is living in fear. In sentencing, Judge Durcan said that he would likely impose a four-month jail term for the assault consecutive on the five-month prison term, and adjourned that assault case to Kilrush District Court in September for the victim to submit a victim impact statement. A working group to discuss problems linked to growth of housing and utilities tariffs consisting of lawmakers of all five factions of the city council and representatives of the economy, housing and utilities policy departments of Kyiv City Administration has started working in Kyiv, the press service of Kyiv City State Administration Head Vitali Klitschko has reported. "The main task [of the commission] is to find real mechanisms for protecting the interests of Kyiv residents in the conditions of tariff hikes within powers of city authorities. Today local authorities do not form heat tariffs and do not approve the utilities cost for monopolists. Today legislation bans from subsiding the difference in the tariffs. Would Kyiv residents like to send their taxes for subsidies to Kyivenergo or Kyivvodokanal? I think that the answer is obvious," Klitschko said at the beginning of the meeting of Kyiv City Council on Thursday. He said that the effective use of heat pipelines in Kyiv is being discussed by the working group. "Kyiv is preparing for the new agreement on heat pipelines and combined head and power plants management. City authorities have attracted international specialists to drafting the document. The interests of Kyiv city and Kyiv residents must be number one issue," he said. He said that Kyiv authorities insist on letting know Kyiv residents how the price of gas is formed, as 80% of the heat tariff is the cost of natural gas. "An address to the government has been drawn up to receive a clear answer: how the price of gas is formed today, what is the share of Ukrainian-made gas, and what price we pay for imported gas. Only having this information one can really influence the tariffs," Klitschko said. The Kyiv mayor also called on the government to react to the decisions of the city councils and revise the tariff policy. "The government should not call local authorities populists, but react to the decision of several city council, in particular, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regional councils regarding imposing a moratorium on the tariff hikes and revise the tariff policy. Otherwise, there is a threat of catastrophe of non-payments," he said. Mr Redmond pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the two charges at the Central Criminal Court A man who shot dead a mother of six and injured her daughter in the kitchen of their home has been found not guilty of murder and attempted murder by reason of insanity. James Redmond (60), with an address at Killinarden Estate, Tallaght, Dublin 24, was charged with murdering Mary Dargan and attempting to murder Karina Dargan at their home in Killinarden Estate on March 15, 2014. Mr Redmond pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the two charges at the Central Criminal Court. Prosecution counsel Pauline Walley SC told the jury that both families were neighbours and had lived "peacefully and amicably side by side" in the Killinarden Estate for many years. Two consultant forensic psychiatrists gave evidence that Mr Redmond was suffering from "severe depressive episodes with psychotic symptoms" and would have been unable to refrain from his actions. Yesterday, a jury of seven men and five women returned majority verdicts of not guilty on both counts. After they had delivered their verdict, Mr Justice Robert Eagar thanked the jury for their attention to the case. Cold-blooded Marta Herda has been convicted of murdering the man who was in love with her by driving a car at high speed into a deep harbour. The 29-year-old woman - who was a good swimmer and aware her passenger could not swim - has been sentenced to life in prison. Expand Close Victim Csaba Orsos / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Victim Csaba Orsos She was convicted of killing Csaba Orsos (31) by driving her Volkswagen Passat through the crash barrier at South Quay, Arklow on March 26, 2013. The jury heard that Mr Orsos was in love with her. Herda told gardai that she didn't feel the same way, and that he had spent two years following her, phoning and messaging her. A post-mortem found that Mr Orsos died from drowning and not from injuries related to the crash. The court heard that only the driver's window was open. The Polish waitress of Pairc Na Saile, Emoclew Road, Arklow, Co Wicklow was charged with murdering the Hungarian man, who she worked with at BrookLodge Hotel. She pleaded not guilty and went on trial at the Central Criminal Court earlier this month. But the eight men and four women of the jury found her guilty of murder by a majority of 11 to one. Expand Close The scene at the South Quay, Arklow, Wicklow, after the crash. Picture: Garry O'Neill / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The scene at the South Quay, Arklow, Wicklow, after the crash. Picture: Garry O'Neill Emotion Herda showed no emotion as the registrar read out the verdict, but became emotional when the court rose for a number of minutes before sentencing. She wept uncontrollably as Mr Justice McCarthy signalled for her to stand while he imposed the mandatory life sentence. Throughout the trial, the court heard evidence that a security guard had heard the car coming at speed from the town shortly before 6am on the morning of March 26. He then saw and heard a woman screaming as she ran towards the town. This was Marta Herda and the gardai found her soaking wet and frothing at the mouth a short time later. She told them that there was someone in the water and that they had to help. She later told a garda that Mr Orsos was dead because of his love for her. She said it was 24 hours a day and that she couldn't take it anymore. Expand Close Brother of Csaba Orsos, Zoltan Sandro, speaks to the media at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after the verdict. Pic Collins Courts. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brother of Csaba Orsos, Zoltan Sandro, speaks to the media at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after the verdict. Pic Collins Courts. "People think this funny but not for me," she said on the day of the drowning. She said that he had got into her car and wanted her to drive to the beach, but that he began screaming at her. She said she remembered hitting the accelerator. "I feel I have enough of this," she said. "I drive to water. I cannot take this anymore." She said she recalled being under the water and then managed to get out. In his closing speech, the prosecutor said her car was used 'as an instrument of murder'. The brother of Csaba Orsos said that his heart was "ripped apart" when his brother was murdered. Zoltan Sandor said he received a call from Marta's ex-boyfriend who broke the news about the horrific crash on March 26. Mr Sandor said that he will always remember when he had to identify his brother. "It will stay with me forever. He was so cold. I would have never thought that this way I have to say goodbye to him. Sometimes because of the pain in my chest I want to scream," he said. Mr Sandor tried to explain how Csaba had loved Herda. "He asked me many times, 'What I do, fight for the love or not?' and the first time I said to him yes, why not," said Zoltan. But then Mr Sandor saw how Herda behaved around other men, and even though she had shunned Csaba, she would still give him affection. "It was her who would touch him and rub his shoulder and say 'Hi Csaba, how are you' and I think she wanted to show for him that maybe they have a small chance, and maybe my brother believed that as well. "I told my brother to leave it alone, to stop believing it, but he was in love with her," he said. Despite the trial, and the guilty verdict, Zoltan still has many unanswered questions. "We never thought it come to this. She had other ways to stop him loving her, why kill him? "Why did she do it? Why did she not stop the car? This was a killing, what else can it be? Many people have problems with their boyfriends or girlfriends and there is shouting or something, but nothing like this. To say 'I drove into the river and I can't remember anything'. It is not natural." Mr Sandor said that his brother had wanted to move to Ireland from Hungary to build a better life. "But he met her and we don't know what happened. We will never forget him," he said. Mr Sandor said that his son Milan repeatedly asks him why he cried. He said that he couldn't return to his job at Brooklodge as everything reminded him of his brother. He returned to his native Hungary where he collected rubbish in a train station for money for food for his family. He thanked God that he got a stable job after a couple of months. He said that he and his siblings rarely talked about their brother. "Everybody is suffering in silence," he said. Mr Sandor said that he was afraid of water and that he felt sick to think that his brother had drowned. He said he had gone for a walk along the river in Dublin, but had to cross the road because he was afraid. "I can't swim and I regret it for all my life because while the emergency services were looking for Csaba I couldn't do anything," he said. Three former banking executives have received sentences ranging from two years to three-and-a-half years for their role in a conspiracy to artificially inflate the books of Anglo Irish Bank by 7.2bn. The sentences were handed down by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this morning. Former Ango chief risk officer Willie McAteer has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years, former Ango treasury official John Bowe has been sentenced to two years, while former Irish Life & Permanent chief executive Denis Casey has been sentenced to two years and nine months. None of the defendants showed any emotion as the sentences were handed down. All three men had behaved in a reprehensible manner and knew what they were doing was wrong, the judge said.. Judge Nolan said it was a case where honesty and integrity was sorely lacking. The judge had earlier said the starting point for sentencing on the conspiracy charges was eight years. However, he took several mitigating factors into account in imposing lower sentences. Last June a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted Mr Bowe (52), Mr McAteer (66) and Mr Casey (56) of conspiring to make Anglos books look 7.2bn healthier than they actual were. The verdicts followed an 89-day trial, the longest criminal trial in the history of the State. The jury spent a total of 65 hours deliberating on the charges. The three men were involved in setting up a circular scheme of multi-billion euro transactions where Anglo moved money to IL&P and IL&P sent the money back, via their assurance firm Irish Life Assurance, to Anglo between September 26 and 30, 2008. The scheme was designed so that the deposits came from the assurance company and would be treated as customer deposits, giving the impression the bank was in a healthier state than it actually was. All three had pleaded not guilty to the charges. Barristers for the three men had argued none of them had gained from the scheme and that there had been no loss to the State or the banks. Sentencing Mr McAteer three and a half years, Judge Nolan said he had held a senior position in the bank. Although it appeared then Anglo chief executive David Drumm was the driving force behind the scheme, nevertheless Mr McAteer was seen as a leader within the bank and he could have objected. It is grossly reprehensible what he did and a great shame on him, said Judge Nolan. Mr McAteer authorised these transfers when he knew what he was doing was deceitful, underhand and corrupt. Sentencing Mr Bowe to two years, the judge said he did not have the same seniority as Mr McAteer, but was the de facto treasurer of the bank and had liaised with Mr Drumm and Mr McAteer. He was man of considerable experience and should have known what he was doing was wrong. In law, following orders is not a defence, the judge said. Judge Nolan said Mr Bowe had failed to act with integrity and honesty in these matters and had behaved reprehensibly by going along with it. Sentencing Mr Casey to two years and nine months, the judge acknowledged that he had become involved in the scheme as part of the so-called Green Jersey agenda, where Irish banks were encouraged to assist others in a time of economic crisis. Judge Nolan said Mr Casey authorised Irish Life & Permanents involvement in the scheme. This was a grave error of judgment, the judge said. He should have known and did know that this was a sham transaction.. Earlier, Judge Nolan said the crime had arisen during a period when people in the banking sector were operating under great stress. The judge said he had taken into account submissions on behalf of the defendants that they had made no direct profit or reward from their crimes. He said all had acted in what they believed was the best interest of the companies they worked for. Judge Nolan said he had taken into account their background, what each man had achieved in life, their contribution to the community, and that they had been good family men. Each of them had been the subject of odium and ridicule, had endured a lot of stress, and had lost their jobs, the judge said. However, Judge Nolan said they were involved in a conspiracy where two blue chip publicly-quoted companies conspired to manipulate the balance sheet of Anglo Irish Bank. It was decided in Anglo that it needed to hit a certain corporate number for banking deposits. The judge said that when this could not be achieved legitimately a dishonest, deceitful and corrupt scheme was entered into. Judge Nolan said the defendants helped manufacture 7.2bn in deposits in an obvious sham transaction for the purposes of improving Anglos end of year accounts . He said people were entitled to rely on public accounts. Shareholders, depositors and other stakeholders made decisions based on these accounts It seemed Mr Drumm and the top management at Anglo decided this corporate number was important, said Judge Nolan. As a result of the scheme, they arrived with a corporate number that was 16pc higher than it should have been. Although the judge said he was very much aware that certain authorities had turned a blind eye to what was happening, he said it was a serious offence and a conspiracy on the public. The scheme had involved nine rotational transactions and had been considerably difficult to arrange. The public, he said, was entitled to probity from blue chip companies. If we cannot rely on probity, then we lose all trust in such institutions, he said. People are entitled to rely on the integrity and honesty of top firms. In this case honesty and integrity was sorely lacking. Judge Nolan questioned how Anglos auditors Ernst & Young had not known what was going on. It beggars belief that Ernst & Young signed off on the accounts, he said. How they signed off on the accounts as true and fair is a mystery to me. The judge added: They should have known what was occurring if they were if they were doing their job properly. Judge Nolan said the court hadnt had the benefit of evidence from Ernst & Young, but to him the signing off of the accounts seems incomprehensible. Gardai seal off the scene of the attack on the Ninth Lock Road in Clondalkin. Photo: Gerry Mooney The scene on the Ninth Lock road, Clondalkin, where an alleged sex attack on a woman took place. Picture: Gerry Mooney. The scene on the Ninth Lock road, Clondalkin, where an alleged sex attack on a woman took place. Picture; Gerry Mooney. 28/7/16 The scene on the Ninth Lock road, Clondalkin, where an alleged sex attack on a woman took place. Picture; Gerry Mooney. 28/7/16 A young woman who was attacked by three men and raped by at least one was threatened at knifepoint. A manhunt has been launched for three men believed to be involved in the rape. The victim - who is aged in her 30s - was attacked on the Ninth Lock Road in Clondalkin near the junction with the Neilstown Road at approximately 3.20am yesterday morning. Though the woman was threatened at knifepoint during her ordeal, there is no indication that the weapon was used on her. The woman had purchased items at a garage nearby and was pushing her bicycle along the footpath when she was grabbed by three men. She was then raped by at least one of the individuals, before the group fled the scene. Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The scene on the Ninth Lock road, Clondalkin, where an alleged sex attack on a woman took place. Picture; Gerry Mooney. 28/7/16 The scene on the Ninth Lock road, Clondalkin, where an alleged sex attack on a woman took place. Picture; Gerry Mooney. 28/7/16 Credit: Conor Feehan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The scene on the Ninth Lock road, Clondalkin, where an alleged sex attack on a woman took place. Picture; Gerry Mooney. 28/7/16 The victim alerted gardai and officers from Ronanstown Garda Station - which is just 400m from where the attack took place - rushed to the scene. Read more: Garda hunt for gang of three men after female cyclist 'raped after being pulled into park' in early hours The woman was taken to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in the Rotunda Hospital. Specialist gardai from the Clondalkin district are now waiting to interview her. Members of the Garda Technical Bureau carried out a forensic examination of the scene shortly before 9am yesterday. Officers removed plastic sheeting which had covered the victim's bike, and it was placed in a Garda van for further technical examination. Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to the incident, or anyone who was in the area at the time of the attack, to contact them at Ronanstown Garda Station. Investigating detectives are also appealing for any motorists who may have passed the area in the time before or after the attack to come forward. In particular, they are asking the drivers of any vehicles equipped with dash-cameras to contact them to further assist their inquiries. No one has yet been arrested in relation to the incident. Nightmare Noeleen Blackwell, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said the attack was "the kind of classic nightmare, it is not the norm for a sexual assault". "For the most part, the offenders and people who commit sexual assault and rapes are known to the victim," she told the Irish Independent. "But this kind of case is awful because it is so violent," Ms Blackwell added. She urged people who have been affected by rape to get in touch with the Rape Crisis Centre, which provides support services for the survivors of rape and sexual assault. Yesterday's attack is the third violent rape and sexual assault to occur in the Clondalkin area in the last number of months. Local Sinn Fein TD Eoin O'Broin said there is a lot of shock as well as anger in the community over the attack. St Vincents Hospital in Dublin, which is relocating its liver unit following the Health Information and Quality Authority report. Photo: Damien Eagers A superbug, which inspectors found lurking in a ward at the national liver transplant unit in St Vincent's Hospital left vulnerable patients at risk of a potentially life-threatening infection. The hospital was criticised by inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) during an unannounced visit in March for failing to properly control the bug, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Ireland has been shown to have the highest instance of the bug in Europe. If the bacteria gets into the urinary tract or seeps into a wound, it can become life threatening. The report said the hospital had not fully learned from an outbreak of VRE in 2014. The poor infrastructure in the St Brigid's ward also added to the risk as there were not enough isolation ensuite showers and toilets. Patients who had the bacteria on their skin - which is not dangerous - were sharing shower facilities with people who were clear of it. Access to a hand wash sink in one room with several patients was blocked whenever curtains were drawn around a nearby bed. Read more: Liver transplant unit ill-equipped to fight superbug,watchdog warns The transplant unit in the hospital reported the first outbreak in Ireland in 2014 of VRE infection which proved resistant to the antibiotic Linezolid. In response to the report, a spokesman for the hospital said yesterday that "it is our policy to maintain the highest possible standards of hygiene in all our clinical activities at all times, and in that spirit we accept all the findings of the report which we will use to further improve the delivery of our services for our patients". He said it was gratifying that the Hiqa inspectors had found that "overall the patient environment and patient equipment was generally clean". He added: "We share the inspectors concerns regarding an increased incidence of hospital-acquired VRE. St Vincent's had identified an increase in the incidence of hospital-acquired VRE colonisation in the period 2014-2015, but it is important to emphasise the majority of these newly colonise patients do not go on to develop an actual infection. "Infection and prevention control measures taken in response to the 2014-2015 finding resulted in a 43pc reduction in the overall rate in 2015 compared to 2014. "Nonetheless, St Vincent's fully recognises that additional work needs to be done as we wish to continually reduce any residual risk to our patients." Solution He said a detailed quality improvement plan has been completed and will be overseen by a dedicated steering group, the details of which will be made available in the coming weeks on the hospital's website. "St Brigid's Ward has been home to the liver transplant programme since its inception in 1993 and has served the programme well over the years. It is no longer of an appropriate standard for the national liver unit. The solution is the relocation of the unit to another part of the hospital campus. This needs to be done in a manner that will not disrupt existing services, or inadvertently create other risks to patients. "A detailed business case has been prepared for this," he said. The coffin of jockey JT McNamara is carried by family and friends from his home in Limerick en route to the removal. Photo: Brian Gavin Trainer Joseph O'Brien and jockey Nina Carberry were among those who attended the removal of JT McNamara amid much grief. Mourners last night filled the small church in Manister, Co Limerick, surrounded by fields owned by Qatar racing. Expand Close JT McNamara Photo: Patrick McCann / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp JT McNamara Photo: Patrick McCann The removal was delayed because of the large number of mourners from the horse racing community who came to express sympathy with the renowned jockey's wife, Caroline, and their young children Dylan, Olivia and Harry. Among them were several who had travelled from the Galway Races, with others coming from England. JT (41) was left paralysed following a fall at Cheltenham three years ago and had suffered ill health since, with frequent admissions to hospital. President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be represented by their ADCs at the funeral today, while the Taoiseach personally rang Caroline to express his sympathies. JP McManus and AP McCoy attended the house earlier. Celebrant Canon Gary Bluett described JT as a man who had been a beacon of his sport and said racing had been the passion of his life, adding: "He was a hero to many, many people." IRISH Rail passengers may face train cancellations as unions plan a work-to-rule after accusing the company of a disgraceful two-fingered approach to staff. The NBRU and SIPTU will today outline a campaign of non-cooperation with management to staff, which they will ballot on in the coming days. It comes after talks broke down with management yesterday on a range of issues, including a shorter working week and productivity. The Irish Independent has learned that drivers will refuse to work on rest days to cover for staff on holiday. They will also refuse to act up by taking on the work of higher grades, including inspectors and depot controllers, or step in to provide cover in depots other than their own. In a notice issued to shop stewards today, the NBRU and SIPTU say it is now abundantly clear to them that Irish Rail is determined to block and frustrate drivers as they seek long overdue improvements to their terms and conditions. As a result of this disgraceful two fingered approach to its own staff both unions are left with no choice but to ballot you (loco/Dart drivers) for a mandate for industrial action, said the message from the General Secretary of the NBRU, Dermot OLeary, and SIPTU Assistant Organiser, Paul Cullen. The notice accused the company of blankly refusing to engage in talks, despite committing to do so on July 15. It says the reason offered by the company for this appalling u-turn is mentoring drivers. Irish Rail has accused the unions of blocking the training of nine Dart drivers. The letter said as recently as June 25, the company had accepted this training was voluntarist in nature. The trade unions have long accepted that surety with regards to driver training would form part of an overall agreement, along with a reduction in the working week, material recognition for past productivity and significant improvements to drivers terms and conditions, it says. However, this can only be achieved as part of a process which includes all agenda items. It says the company has effectively changed the goalposts. The ballot will begin next Tuesday and will end on August 16. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt considers the Russian leadership's decision on Crimea's inclusion into Russia's Southern Federal District to be illegal. The United States views this decision of Russian leadership as illegal and does not recognize the annexation of Crimea, the ambassador said during a conference call on Friday when asked to comment on the Russian president's decree to include Crimea in the Southern Federal District of Russia. According to him, the U.S. does not recognize redrawing of the established international borders. "Crimea is part of Ukraine," Pyatt stressed. As reported, on July 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin abolished the Crimean Federal District by making Crimea and Sevastopol part of the Southern Federal District. Under the president's decree, the District now consists of Adygea, Kalmykia, Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, Astrakhan region, Volgograd region, Rostov region and Sevastopol. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed its protest over such a decision, and stated that Crimea remains a Ukrainian territory. Killer Marta Herda taunted investigating gardai by sending an anonymous postcard when she went on a holiday to her native Poland while out on bail. The murderer attached a penny coin to the postcard sent to Arklow Garda Station and inscribed the message, "Keep up the good work, wish you were here, hope you catch the killer." Officers decided to investigate the matter and found that the killer's DNA was on the postcard's stamp. Herda (29), pictured, was convicted yesterday of the murder of 31-year-old Csaba Orsos, who she drove into Arklow Harbour and drowned on March 26, 2013. The trial heard that Orsos had been in love with his work colleague but Herda maintained that his death was an accident. Herda will now face a mandatory life term in prison. Mr Orsos's brother Zoltan Sandro said in a victim impact statement that his heart has been ripped apart by the horrific murder. He said that Mr Orsos had moved to Ireland from Hungary to start a new life. "But he met her and we don't know what happened. We will never forget him," he said. "We never thought it would come to this. She had other ways to stop him loving her, why kill him?" Fishery officers were held at gunpoint after they confronted masked thugs using illegal nets to catch salmon. One of the officers received six stitches in a head wound after he was struck with a rock. Investigating gardai suspect the men may be former members of the Provisional republican movement. Inland fishery officers set up a surveillance operation after they spotted the illegal nets in the river Eany in Mountcharles, Co Donegal on Wednesday evening. They were lying in wait in a clump of bushes around dawn on Thursday when at least two men, wearing balaclavas and paramilitary style clothing, arrived on the bank of the river. They tried to run off when the fishery officers came out of hiding. During a chase one of the masked men threw a rock at the officers, striking one on the head. The officers resumed the chase and cornered one of the men, who then produced a handgun and threatened the fishery inspectors. They forced the officers to hand over their radio sets and surveillance equipment, including night vision goggles, before making their getaway on foot. The men were forced to abandon a large haul of salmon, caught up in the illegal nets. A senior garda officer told the Irish Independent last night that the officers were badly traumatised. Gardai are hoping to interview the officers again over the weekend. But investigators suspect the men are former Provisional IRA sympathisers. The Provisionals were heavily involved in illegal fishing in the past. Gardai said last night that extensive inquiries were under way in the Mountcharles area to identify the masked men. Natural Resources Minister Denis Naughten described the attack as outrageous. Joanne Meadows of Leonard Collins with their dog Hank, who has been saved from destruction after authorities ruled he was a pit bull, but not a dangerous one The owners of a dog saved from destruction after authorities ruled he was a pit bull, but not a dangerous one, have said they are over the moon with delight. Leonard Collins and Joanne Meadows spearheaded a high-profile campaign to secure the release of their beloved Hank after Belfast City Council removed him from his home. Expand Close Undated handout file photo taken by Leonard Collins and Joanne Meadows of their dog Hank, who has been saved from destruction after authorities ruled he was a pit bull, but not a dangerous one / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Undated handout file photo taken by Leonard Collins and Joanne Meadows of their dog Hank, who has been saved from destruction after authorities ruled he was a pit bull, but not a dangerous one Two weeks on, the council has announced that while an expert has assessed the pet to be a "pit bull terrier type" he does not pose a risk to the public. It has recommended that Hank is exempted from the dangerous dogs legislation that requires the destruction of specific breed types. The recommendation has to go before a judge for approval next Tuesday. If the expected approval is granted, Hank will be returned home. "We are delighted, we are over the moon," said Mr Collins. "We would dispute the findings that Hank is a pit bull but obviously that will come another day, we are just very happy that the council have agreed with us that he is not a dangerous dog and that he's a family pet - a much-loved pet - and that he can come home." Mr Collins said while he was overjoyed at Hank's reprieve, he still was determined to challenge the legislation under which he was originally seized. An on-line "Save Hank" petition had secured almost 285,000 signatures before Thursday's announcement by the council, while a Just Giving legal fighting fund had raised around 19,000. Celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell and boxer Carl Frampton were among those who backed Hank's campaign. Mr Collins and Ms Meadows, who insisted Hank was a Staffie/Lab cross, also appeared on nationwide media, including ITV's This Morning show, to highlight their case. Mr Collins, a 33-year-old student, said he wanted to explore the possibility of using the money raised to launch a challenge against Stormont's breed-specific dangerous dog legislation. "Now it becomes about using the momentum and the clear support that there is and clear belief that the public has that BSL (breed specific legislation) is flawed and using that to force change, that's what we are determined to do," he said. "We can't in all good conscience accept the help we have received and then decide this fight isn't for us. We are determined." He said he had concerns about conceding in court next week that Hank was a pit bull. "In order to get Hank home we feel we have no choice, but we are now looking at the legalities of agreeing to it, but then challenging it later on," he said. A rally organised by Hank's owners against dangerous dogs legislation is set to go ahead next Sunday. "Now it looks like Hank will be able to attend himself," said Mr Collins. Announcing the decision on Hank's fate, a Belfast City Council spokesman said: "It is anticipated that this matter will be brought through the courts as quickly as possible, following agreement from all parties on the recommended conditions, enabling Hank to be returned to his owners. "He will remain within the council's care until then and we again reassure all those who expressed an interest in Hank's welfare that his needs are being met, and will continue to be met, during this time." In response, the Save Hank Facebook page simply stated: a#hanksbeensaved. The council spokesman said the dog expert had identified "some behavioural issues" with Hank but he said the council believed those could be addressed through "additional training". He added: "The council has a statutory responsibility to protect the health and safety of the public by carrying out its duties under the current breed specific legislation, which is set by the Northern Ireland Assembly and not Belfast City Council. This involves following the legally accepted assessment process to determine whether a dog is a banned breed and, if so, whether they pose a danger to the public." The spokesman said 12 of 13 dogs assessed by the council to be pit bulls since 2011 had been exempted and returned to their owners. In 2012, a family pet called Lennox was put down after the council determined it was a pit bull. The destruction came after a high-profile, two-year legal fight by the dog's owners. Indicating the extent to which the story has penetrated the local news agenda, the council decision was met by almost immediate statements from senior politicians. Democratic Unionist MP Gavin Robinson, who represents the east Belfast constituency where Hank was seized, said: "I am pleased that a positive outcome has been reached in this case. I know how stressful it has been for the family over the last number of weeks, but it appears the council have been working through the necessary systems as quickly as possible." Alliance Party deputy leader Naomi Long said the case demonstrated the need to change laws surrounding dangerous dogs. "As a dog owner, I know only too well the suffering Hank's owners Leonard and Joanne must have gone through since he was taken from them," she said. "I have been in contact with them and know they will be absolutely delighted by this news. "I have long argued for the need to change breed-specific legislation and indeed remove it entirely if possible. The focus should be on the deed, not the breed. It is not acceptable that a dog who has now been found to be no threat to the public could have potentially been put to sleep because of an outdated law." Some 433 people were rescued by the Irish Naval Service on Friday during operations in the Mediterranean. In three operations throughout the day the LE James Joyce rescued migrants from the water north west of Tripoli. The first 25 people were rescued from a wooden vessel north west of Tripoli beginning at 6:20am in an operation that took over half an hour to complete on Friday morning. A further 130 people were later rescued from a rubber vessel in the same area in which the first operation was carried out and took almost two hours to complete. The rescued migrants received food, water and medical treatment after being taken on board. A third recue in the same area, which ran from almost 10am to 1:25pm, saw the LE James Joyce successfully recover 278 more people from a rubber craft. The ship later took on a further 163 people from an NGO vessel named Luventa. The LE James Joyce will transfer all 596 migrants to a designated port of safety where Italian authorities will take over. TAOISEACH Enda Kenny has held a meeting with Garda and army chiefs about the ongoing security and terrorist threats across Europe. Mr Kenny and minister of State for Defence Paul Kehoe met Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan and the Chief of Staff of the Defence forces in Government Buildings. The Taoiseach was told that the threat assessment to Ireland remains moderate ie.. a terrorist attack is considered possible but not likely. The meeting took place on a back of series of terrorist attacks in France and Germany. The ongoing cooperation between the security forces here and with their international counterparts was noted, a Government spokesperson said. Health Minister Simon Harris has moved to bolster his leadership credentials after pledging to embark on a nationwide tour to listen to TDs' concerns about the health service. In an email to Fine Gael politicians last night, Mr Harris insisted that the party was sent a "very clear message from the electorate" and that the Government must start delivering in the area of healthcare. And in a similar move taken by Leo Varadkar, the Wicklow/East Carlow TD has vowed to hold weekly meetings with his colleagues to discuss their concerns. "I will also be visiting many of your constituencies during the recess period and I will let you know when I will be in your area. In addition to visiting health facilities and seeing the health service in action, I am, of course, happy to meet with Fine Gael members and attend other events with you," Mr Harris wrote. "In the last election we heard a very clear message from the electorate - a message about alongside a growing economy, wanting to see vital services such as the health service deliver for them, their family and their community. "I am determined to work as hard as I can to make a positive impact in this area. We face major challenges after a number of extraordinarily difficult few years but I won't be found lacking in terms of effort and look forward to working with you," he added. Read more: Martin books Fianna Fail a relaxing summer break as Kenny feels the heat Read more: Leo steals another step on Simon - but danger lies ahead In his email, seen by the Irish Independent, Mr Harris said the health service could not be run with an eye on the next general election, saying a long-term vision was required. "We cannot run the health service from election cycle to election cycle nor can we have a situation where with each new Minister for Health comes with a range of new reforms. We need a roadmap and a plan as to where we want our health service to be in the next decade." He also detailed a list of 13 areas which he will deliver on: The provision of a medical card to every child in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; The provision of extra home help hours; The full restoration of the mental health budget; The provision of additional resources to school leavers with disabilities. Mr Harris also said he would shortly publish a national obesity plan for Ireland as well as a winter initiative for hospitals. "This involves looking at what we can do to deal with the fact that we know our health service comes under more pressure each winter," he said. The minister also referred to the current row involving the new maternity hospital. "The current situation at Holles Street is entirely inadequate for women and their babies. Women deserve better. This maternity hospital project is funded and plans have been drawn up. A solution must be found so this landmark project can be delivered. I will not be found wanting in pursuing this." While Mr Harris is rarely mentioned as a candidate in the race to succeed Enda Kenny, his email will be seen as a bid to position himself as a candidate in the future. He to ruled himself "in or out" of any future contest during a recent interview with his local radio station East Coast FM. Supporters of his have pointed to his ability to get to grips with the problems in health far more successfully than his predecessors. But he will come under pressure in the winter when the overcrowding crisis typically worsens. Against the backdrop of horrific Islamic terror attacks on the continent, there has been much focus on measures that the authorities here are taking to safeguard the security of our citizens. One tool being used is information provided by foreign intelligence agencies. How this is used has been the subject of much debate following the deportation earlier this month of a Jordanian national who had lived here for 16 years. Intelligence reports suggested that he was an Isil operative, providing supports to fighters travelling to Iraq and Syria. However, he vehemently denied this and said he feared being tortured if returned to Jordan. Prior to his deportation, his legal team questioned why, if the Department of Justice was making such allegations, he had not been charged with any offence. Speaking generally and not about that specific case, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said there was a difference between intelligence and evidence. She also made no apology for deporting individuals involved in extremism - even if the evidence would be deemed insufficient for a criminal prosecution. Amnesty International believes this is a "sticking plaster" solution and that the State has an obligation to investigate, gather proper evidence and prosecute, rather than deport. Now we have another case where intelligence, most likely provided by foreign agencies, has proved pivotal. An Iranian man, living in Ireland for 25 years, has been denied access to Irish citizenship through the naturalisation process. But unlike the Jordanian, he was not given any detailed reasons for the State's antipathy towards him. We know a secret report was compiled, based on "confidential information" passed to the minister, but for a variety of legal reasons it cannot be disclosed. This latest case highlights just how reliant we have become on external intelligence services. A Department of Justice official told the High Court that Ms Fitzgerald was "dependent on the goodwill of the external agencies currently providing such information". Giving the Iranian the answers he sought would threaten the supply of such information. The official argued that in the absence of foreign assistance, the State would be left with two stark choices - either rejecting large numbers of naturalisation applicants whose bona fides could not be verified or taking a risk and granting certificates to people who could turn out to be harmful to the security of the State. Policemen stand guard in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as people wait in line to pay tribute to murdered priest Fr Jacques Hamel. Photo: Getty The murder on Tuesday of Fr Jacques Hamel was an attempt to "set the French people against each other, (to) attack religion in order to start a war of religions". So said the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls in the immediate aftermath of this terrorist atrocity. But how likely is it is to start "a war of religions"? The answer is highly unlikely. A clash of civilisations is more probable, but not a war of religions. Hundreds of years ago, it might have been a different matter, but today Christianity is an almost entirely pacifist religion. This is quite unlike Islam. "Islam is a religion of peace," we are repeatedly told, but it is more accurate to say that Islam is a religion with a peaceful side and a violent side. No one can simply say "Islam is a religion of peace" and add no qualifier, when the two leading Islamic nations, Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, promote very militant and often violent forms of Islam. Neither of these theocratic states is remotely pacifist in its outlook. Then there are the 'unofficial' versions of Islam, such as those promoted by Isil, al-Qa'ida or Boko Haram. These are the ultra-violent forms, and even if they are to be condemned as aberrations, they are still drawing on Islam in the same way that some of the millenarian, end-of-times violent sects of various other religions have drawn on versions of their own belief systems down the ages. (An aside: Marxism was a secular millenarian movement. It sought to bring about the end of history by creating a classless, utopian society, through extreme violence, if need be.) No one can rule out an isolated, mentally disturbed individual carrying out an act of violence in the name of Christianity. But this would be a very far cry from that act being endorsed by a Christian leader, a mainstream church, or a breakaway Christian sect with a large following. There are no Christian theocracies today equivalent to Iran or Saudi Arabia, let alone one promoting a militant and violent version of Christianity. There are no churches promoting a militant and violent version of Christianity. No leading clergy are doing so. There is no Christian equivalent of Isil. Imagine for the sake of the argument that there was today, not centuries ago, a Christian or a Catholic version of Isil, that breakaway priests and clergy were leading members of it and that they were providing theological justifications for acts of terrorism. Imagine that this group was creating bloody mayhem, not alone in the West, but also in the Muslim world, finding willing recruits among some of the Christian populations of the Muslim world, and furthermore, among newly arrived Christians in those countries, Christians who had just been accepted as refugees. The pressure on the Pope and other Christian leaders to put a stop to it would be enormous. Christianity would not be called a 'religion of peace'. Furthermore, Christianity would be critically analysed by leading academics, leading politicians and others in order to find out exactly what it was about Christianity that was fuelling this kind of violence and extremism. Was it an intrinsic, ineradicable problem with its theology or 'merely' an historically conditioned aberration? Plenty of people would be found to advance both views. And how would Muslims in say, Syria, react if, in some alternative universe, Syria was accepting refugees from the war-torn West and even a very small minority of those refugees were murdering Muslims, including their clerics, in their places of worship, on days of national celebration, in restaurants, in concert halls, in trains and so on? They would be rightly horrified beyond belief and we would hope that their leaders, like our leaders, political and religious, would call for forbearance. Twenty years ago in Algeria, seven French monks were kidnapped and beheaded by Islamist fanatics. The monks were Trappist monks. That is, they lived a particularly strict life of prayer, contemplation and silence. The kind of fanaticism that killed those monks has now turned up on the streets of France itself. Fr Jacques Hamel was as inoffensive as they were. He was killed entirely and completely because he was a priest. They were killed out of a hatred for their faith - 'Odium Fidei' as it is called. There is no doubt that Fr Hamel is a martyr. He joins the several million Christian martyrs, lay and religious alike, who have been killed for their faith in the last hundred years. In the 20 centuries of Christianity, the last century has seen the biggest number of martyrs. What Isil has been doing to Christians and other religious minorities in the territories it controls has been labelled 'genocide' in unanimous, or almost unanimous votes in the British House of Commons, the US House of Representatives and the European Parliament. US Secretary of State John Kerry has also called it genocide. Our own Government has found a technical reason why it won't call it genocide. So far, there has been no move on the part of the Dail to call it genocide and so emulate their US, British and European counterparts. Perhaps the murder of Fr Jacques Hamel will bring home to them what is happening. It certainly ought to bring home to the rest of us what is happening. Christians are being killed for their faith, and it is not only happening thousands of miles away, it is now happening close to home. A distressing feature of being chairperson of the Road Safety Authority is that each day I receive an email updating me on fatal crashes. Our role as the lead agency in road safety is to monitor deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads. So the figures matter. It is the only way we can measure how successful or otherwise we are in reducing the number and severity of crashes. We have come a long way in road safety. I can remember clearly even 10 years ago, when we had 365 deaths - one a day - on our roads. Through concerted efforts, we have brought those figures down by more than 50pc. Last year was the second-safest year for road safety, with 166 deaths. But a worrying trend is developing. This year, there have been 105 fatalities so far - an 18pc increase on the figures for the same period last year. Already in July alone, 18 people have died, seven in a 48-hour period. The figures are clearly going in the wrong direction. The RSA has made a chilling prediction in our half-year figures: that up to 80 more people will die on our roads before the year's end if the current trend continues. It's a terrifying prospect that any one of us could be among the 80. And with a bank holiday this weekend, it is probable that tragedy will be visited on several families in the next two days. Each road death is a devastation, for the individual and for those left behind to grieve a sudden and violent death. Or to sit by the bedside of a seriously injured loved one, knowing that life is forever changed. By now, most of us realise that we are the only ones with control over how we use the roads. We take every precaution we can to ensure our own and our family's safety. We consciously make smart choices when we sit behind the wheel, go out on the bike or for a walk. Yet the inconvenient truth is that in Ireland our research is clear. There are still people who are reckless to the safety of others, who ignore the rules and who behave in a criminal way. And this cohort is among the most terrifying and dangerous of people on our roads. Take drink-driving, for example, which has been found to be a factor in 38pc of fatal crashes between 2008 and 2012; 246 people died in alcohol-related crashes. Most of them were men and almost half of the drivers killed who had consumed alcohol were aged between 16 and 24. Earlier this week, An Garda Siochana revealed that it had arrested 543 people on suspicion of drink-driving since the beginning of July. Drink-driving has not gone away; in fact it is on the increase. And the age profile of drunk drivers is also a matter of extreme concern. Young males, biologically, are high-risk drivers. Their emotional immaturity and inexperience of driving makes them more likely to engage in what can only be called delinquent criminal behaviour. They feature statistically in all of our research into fatal crashes when it comes to driving impaired by drink and drugs and the use of excessive speed. Alcohol and speed are the two of the biggest factors in road deaths. The fact is that some young males are killing themselves and others by drinking and driving and speeding. The second of the RSA landmark reports into the causes of collisions showed that 322 people were killed in speed-related collisions between 2008 and 2012. That is a wanton loss of life and is ongoing. We witness people speeding every day. It is far more common and more culturally acceptable than drink-driving. More than half of the drivers killed in speed-related crashes were aged between 16 and 24. Young people, some still in school, some attending college - their lives over in a split second. Excessive speed was found to be a factor in 32pc of fatal crashes. More than half of the crashes involving excessive speed involved a single vehicle only. Forty-six per cent of the speeding-related fatalities happened in the early hours of Saturday or Sunday. Driving is, of course, a mix of accredited competence and taking personal responsibility. But looking at that age profile of drivers, there are clear parental-control issues at play. In my view, too many parents are ambivalent and negligent about their young adult children's driving and drinking habits. In many of the cases our researcher looked at, the young drivers were uninsured, were involved in other petty criminality and were engaging in reckless, rallying-type boy racing. In some parts of the country, there is a culture of reckless car racing at high speeds on rural roads. The pattern for high road deaths is consistent. Donegal, Cork, Galway and Cavan are consistently high for road crashes. Already this year, there have been 17 deaths on Cork roads, double that of other counties. The RSA carries out in-depth analysis of Garda forensic investigations into the causes of crashes. We don't do this in the interests of science. We do it to feed into enforcement and operational measures to address risk. Drink is looming large again in our findings, despite all the advocacy and education. This suggests we have to go back to basics with the message, particularly to young drivers. It is a heinous crime to drink and drive. Each of us as individuals must embrace this credo and the law must be better at detecting and punishing drunk drivers. Yet despite this proven link between alcohol and death, in Ireland the topic is bathed in ambivalence. I was informed this week that the so-called advice on the ticket of those attending a forthcoming music festival for young people states that there is an allowance of up to 48 cans of beer per person. And that is just the camp site, not the concert venue, where more and stronger drink can be bought. Are we as a society OK with that level of alcohol abuse? Pub owners too must take more responsibility for selling alcohol to the point of customers being a danger to themselves and others. With better roads, fewer defective cars, better enforcement and tougher penalties for offences, we have reduced the carnage. But each life is precious. The prediction of 80 more deaths before the year is out need not come to pass if each of us has a conversation this weekend with our families. We need to talk about alcohol. Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Turkey Serhiy Korsunsky will cease performing his duties as a foreign officer in August 2016. "In August 2016 the period of my cadence at the post of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Turkey, given by the president of Ukraine, is coming to an end. I have had the honor to represent Ukraine in Turkey for quite a long period of time - eight years. I want to gladly and proudly note as the ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, that I always felt friendly attitude and support from political leaders, government leaders, the business community, representatives of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar diasporas in Turkey," Korsunskys statement says, published on the official website of the Ukrainian Embassy to the Republic of Turkey. He also noted that during the period of his service, the relationships between Ukraine and Turkey have become a kind of strategic partnership. "The countries have introduced the highest possible level of visa regime liberalization. There are large-scale projects on the agenda in the field of military-industrial complex, military cooperation, power industry, aerospace technologies, education and culture," Korsunsky said. The cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey is exemplary, he said, in the framework of international organizations. The conclusion of a free trade agreement, creation of new transport corridors and realization of joint initiatives of regional and global character are onward. As reported, Korsunsky was appointed Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey by President Viktor Yuschenkos decree on July 2008. Earlier Korsunsky headed the department for economic cooperation of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine. Poroshenko assigned Korsunsky the rank of extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador in August 2014. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko released Korsunsky from his position of Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Turkey, the corresponding decree was signed by the president on June 18. Faced with the murder and beheading of seven of his monks by Islamists 20 years ago, the Archbishop of Algiers went one better than the Archbishop of Rouen this week. He didn't talk about the slaughter of an elderly priest as the "unnameable". He saw the road to Calvary. In fear of his own life amid a ferocious conflict, Monseigneur Henri Teissier, 67 years old and a French professor of Arabic, responded all those years ago by celebrating Mass for six nuns and monks, reading from St Matthew, Chapter 25, verse 13: "Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." The tiny congregation had originally gathered that day in 1996 to remember one of France's first religious martyrs in Algiers, Vicomte Charles de Foucauld, the soldier-turned-priest who was assassinated by an Islamist in Tamanrasset in 1916; his murder set an awful precedent for the killing of all French priests by those who claimed they were motivated by Islam. Surely Father Jacques Hamel would have known of him. The Vicomte was killed only 14 years before he was born. But when Teissier talked to me of the seven monks taken from their monastery in the beautiful hills above Tibhirine, his words might have been uttered about the killers of 86-year-old Father Hamel. "They will kill a boy of two or an old man of 85 [sic]. I think they are out of their consciences. They work under their understanding of Islamic law - 'We have to kill the enemies of the Lord' - and it is finished. We think not only of our life but of the lives of all the people in Algeria . . . " A generous man, Teissier. The Algerian civil war - between a brutal Islamist army and the equally savage Algerian army, which had fatally cancelled elections that Islamists would have won in 1992 - had by 1996 already reached Syrian proportions: babies with their throats cut, women massacred in front of their husbands, men routinely decapitated. The police tortured their prisoners by pumping water into their stomachs until their victims exploded. It was inevitable that the killers from the GIA, the Islamic Armed Group, would turn on all foreigners - and that also meant priests and bishops. The monks of Tibhirine, whose own Golgotha would be made into a poignant and superb film, 'Of Gods and Men', were taken from their monastery where they had looked after and given medical aid not only to the local Algerian Muslim villagers, but to the Islamist fighters themselves. That may have been their undoing. More on that later. But first, back to Teissier and his appalling, magnificent reflections on their deaths. "It is true that we found only their heads," he said quietly on that hot Algiers afternoon, the sound of police sirens echoing over the city. "Three of their heads were hanging from a tree near a petrol station. The other four heads were lying on the grass beneath. But it is marvellous that the families of those monks maintained their friendship for us and for all Algerians. They had visited the monastery. They had been able to accept the loss of their sons. They knew it was not all Algerians who did this thing." Could such words be repeated today, I wonder, to the racists and right-wingers who demand the punishment of all Muslims for the crimes of a few? At 87, Teissier, who took Algerian citizenship in 1962 after the country's ghastly independence war against the French, is still alive; indeed, he pleaded for good Christians and good Muslims to remain together and "build bridges", as he put it, after the Charlie Hebdo massacre in January last year. He is, after all, an expert at the grotesquerie as well as the magnificence of faith. So here is what he also said to me on that broiling Algiers day two decades ago: "The most difficult thing is to know that every day some people die, mothers cry for their sons and daughters. We ourselves are not in the same situation as we were before this [Algerian] crisis. When you begin celebrating the Eucharist, you cannot help remembering that Jesus was murdered by human violence - in the name of religion. Now we have to understand the risk in this society, that we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus. We cannot look at the cross of Jesus as we have done before. Before it was an abstract thing. Now it is a daily reality." How wonderfully spoken. How appropriate are these words amid the horror of Father Hamel's sacrifice. But is that what it was? A "sacrifice"? Or does that obscure the act of murder most foul? It was Teissier who took the phone call that told him that all seven monks had been decapitated. The Algerian authorities blamed the GIA, led by a man called Sayah Attia, who one of the Tibhirine monks had supposedly recognised when he answered the door, the same man whose face had appeared in a photograph that identified him as the murderer of Yugoslav civilians whose throats had been slashed close to the monastery. But there is, alas, another deeply disturbing story about the monks. Enquiries by the French security services - and by journalists on 'Le Monde' newspaper - suggested that after the GIA had kidnapped the seven men, the Algerian army, which maintained close liaisons with the French military, attempted a rescue mission. But they blundered. Not only did they kill the GIA men but they shot dead the monks as well. Unwilling to reveal their disastrous operation, they then cut off the heads of the monks - as if they were the result of Islamist murders - and buried the bullet-riddled torsos of the seven. Hence only the heads were found. Another theory - and we shall never know the truth - is that the Algerian security police wanted the monks kidnapped and dead as a punishment for all those who assisted the GIA, even when their only sin was to give them medical aid. There is still doubt as to who, in the very same year, murdered the Bishop of Oran. Mgr Pierre Claverie died in a bomb explosion on the very same day he had met the French Foreign Minister, Herve de Charrette. "The bomb went off in the street," Teissier told me then. "He was crushed by the door of the chapel and his brains were found on the chapel floor. It was absurd, idiotic, unconscionable." But there is no doubt about who killed Father Hamel. Adel Kermiche was one of two men who murdered the old priest. He was born only a few months after the Tibhirine monks were murdered. No connection, of course. But according to neighbours, Kermiche was born in Algeria. Now there's a historical clue if anyone has the courage to search for it. ( Independent News Service) MM O'Brien (Irish Independent Letters, July 27) correctly states that the policy of divide and conquer is foremost in the minds of the Islamist movement, which is attempting to destroy democracy throughout Europe, if not the world. The letter writer adds: "We need to return to reasoned and respectful argument based on mutual interest as opposed to retreating into bunkers." In my opinion, the problems European nations are facing today have more to do with the lack of responsibility from elected politicians, who in recent times have removed parliamentary responsibility by appointing a specialist or a committee to make any decision. Christine Lagarde made this very clear after the Brexit referendum, when she said, "The people of the UK should have left it to the experts." Brexit has opened yet another Pandora's box, as Bush, Blair and their puppet Howard in Australia did when they invaded Iraq. We should always bear in mind that Pandora did manage to prevent hope from escaping. That we must keep foremost in our minds - along with faith and charity - in these tempestuous times. Declan Foley Berwick, Australia Getting one's look right for Galway Glamorous Irish summer events like the Galway Races are under way. So starch and iron the shirt, check for the latest fashion look. Book the hairdresser. A hair colour change from chocolate to champagne? Maybe not. Highlights or extensions? Fascinators for a night-time as well as a day-time look? Practise your balance on uber-high heels. Book the babysitter. Make travel arrangements. And don't forget to make arrangements for the dog - and the cat. So much to consider. And that's just for starters - that's just for the men. Times were simpler when men were men. Joseph Mackey Athlone, Co Westmeath Religion in primary schools The mantra that Irish primary schools spend up to two-and-a-half hours on faith formation each week has developed in the media. This is misleading. In the Irish primary school system, because of the "integrated curriculum", faith formation can and often does permeate the entire school day. This doctrinal "integrated curriculum" renders an opt-out from faith formation virtually impossible, in effect nullifying the conscience provisions contained in the Constitution and the Education Act 1998. It has been well documented that the lack of objectivity and neutrality in the teaching of the integrated curriculum has resulted in the involuntary indoctrination of children. The virtual impossibility of exercising a right to opt out from faith formation is compounded by the fact that around 96pc of primary schools are under the patronage of religious institutions, resulting in a situation where the right of children and parents to opt out of faith formation is null and void in much of the country. In its 1996 report, the Constitutional Review Group noted the "unsatisfactory nature of the constitutional situation created by the near monopoly provision of denominational education and the rights of minority believers". It stated: "If a school under the control of a religious denomination accepts State funding, it must be prepared to accept that this aid is not given unconditionally. Requirements that the school must be prepared . . . to have a separate secular and religious instruction are not unreasonable or unfair." Successive Irish governments have ignored the group's recommendations. Religious education is, in the context of the Irish primary school system, an oxymoron. It is not provided in an objective, critical or pluralistic manner that avoids indoctrination (imagine, for example, if children learned about economics through the prism of socialism "as if it were true", or biology through the prism of creationism "as if it were true"). It crosses the line from objective information and places undue emphasis on the patron's religion and therefore crosses the line from education to indoctrination. The oft-made distinction between 'religious instruction' and 'religious education' is (in the context of the Irish primary school system) a false one. This game of linguistic smoke and mirrors has to stop. They are both forms of faith formation, AKA indoctrination. Rob Sadlier Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 A poor choice of presidents The 2016 US presidential election has offered the world a choice between a demagogue or someone mired in controversy and unable to send secure emails. Trump wants to make himself 'great', and Clinton wants to make herself 'great' again. What a rotten choice. God help the rest of us for the next four years. Dominic Shelmerdine London SW3 Questions about questions With regard to Colette Browne's article regarding parliamentary questions (Irish Independent, July 26) I had occasion to ask our local TD to put two parliamentary questions to the Minister for Health on July 2, 2015, because the HSE could not or would not explain why my father's Medical Card was withdrawn. (My father is in his mid-nineties.) The text of the first question (26847/15) sought the general views of the minister on how a public body (the HSE) in receipt of public funds and which operates under his aegis should interact with citizens with whom it is charged to serve, and the second question (26890/15) sought general statistical information on how the HSE was getting on with what the Taoiseach led the Dail and the public at large to believe it was going to do. Both questions were answered by the Minister of State, who said: "The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy." Can such a response really be compatible with Article 28.4.1 of the Constitution, which provides that, "the Government shall be responsible to Dail Eireann." As citizens we have put in place a Constitution that provides, inter alia, that we elect fellow citizens to represent us in Parliament (Article 16.1.1 and Article 16.1.2), those whom we elect are charged with electing a government or executive from its ranks (Article 13.1. 1 and Article 13.1. 2), and the government is responsible/answerable to us, the citizens, via our representative (Article 28.4.1). While the answers from the HSE when they were eventually received (July 28 and November 9, 2015) were unsatisfactory, one has to wonder why it was necessary - and indeed, was it appropriate for the HSE to "examine" the minister's views on how it should interact with citizens and "reply to the Deputy"? While I can fully see the logic in the minister consulting with the HSE about his response, the HSE itself "examining" and responding directly to an elected member of parliament would appear to be incompatible with the meaning and intended purpose of Article 28.4.1, quite apart from being beyond logic in my view. Patrick Houlihan Douglas, Co Cork Three young people from the parish headed off on Monday to attend the World Youth Catholic Festival. The trio of Dearbhla Moran, Paul Conlon and Katie Brady is part of a 100 strong group from the Armagh Diocese to make the week long pilgrimage to Krakow in Poland. The home of the late Pope John Paul is to host World Youth Day (WYD), an event for young people organised every 2-3 years by the Catholic Church which attracts millions of young people. It offers them a trip of a lifetime and the opportunity to celebrate their faith with Pope Francis who will formally welcome them and celebrate Mass on the closing day and climax of the Festival on the Sunday. It runs from the Monday to the Sunday, and the Pope will announce the next venue for the next World Youth Day after the Mass. World Youth Day was initiated by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1985. For the first celebration of WYD in 1986, bishops all over the world were asked to schedule an annual youth event to be held every Palm Sunday in their dioceses. It is celebrated at the diocesan level annually, and at the international level every two to three years at different locations. The 1995 World Youth Day closing Mass in the Philippines set a world record for the largest number of people gathered for a single religious event with five million in attendance - a record surpassed when 6 million attended a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in the Philippines 20 years later in 2015. The first international Youth World Day took place in Bueno Aires, Argentina. The last two were held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 2013 and before that in Madrid in 2011. Members of the O'Hanrahan family who attended the O'Hanrahan Chronicies exhibition in The County Museum, Dundalk. Included are, Pearse, Martin, Harry, Micheal, Liam, Briege, Richard and Margaret The O'Hanrahan Chronicles' exhibition, which documents the contribution of 1916 leader Micheal O'Hanrahan to the quest for Irish freedom and the Easter 1916 Rising, was officially opened last week at County Museum Dundalk, by Head of Special Projects at the National Archives of Ireland, Catriona Crowe. Curated by his grand-nephews, former Fianna Fail councillor Pearse, and Harry, O'Hanrahan, the exhibition includes a variety of family possessions, most notably a music manuscript of songs written by fellow 1916 leader Eamonn Ceannt. This features an alternative national anthem, set to the tune of Haydn's German national anthem; and a photograph of Eamonn Ceannt carrying a tricolour while marching in uniform - Micheal O'Hanrahan is seen in the background saluting the flag. Speaking at the opening, Ms Crowe, said: 'This is a fascinating exhibition about one of the forgotten executed leaders of the 1916 Rising, Micheal O'Hanrahan, and his extraordinary family, most of whom were involved in the Rising. 'While this was extremely personal for the O'Hanrahan family, it is also of national significance, providing names for faces seen in photos and documents from a number of cultural institutions, such as those taken at Cathal Brugha's funeral, and providing an insight into the networks that existed between the leaders, volunteers at Dublin Castle and other like-minded people'. Pearse O'Hanrahan, grandnephew of Micheal O'Hanrahan said: 'The compilation of this exhibition was a voyage of discovery for us and we spent many a day in the National Archives of Ireland. 'Of course our grand-uncle's story has been passed down through generations of our family but our research has shed so much more light on his role in the 1916 Rising. 'We are immensely proud of his contribution and that of all of his family, who were heavily involved in the Rising. 'We are delighted that the exhibition is on show in Dundalk, where the O'Hanrahan family now live. We would like to thank Catriona Crowe for her assistance in this project, and for opening the exhibition. 'We would also like to thank Carlow Institute of Technology for putting the friezes together for the exhibition, and the staff of the County Museum Dundalk for their help and advice throughout this project and, of course, for hosting this exhibition'. Museum curator, Brian Walsh said: 'We are delighted to host this fascinating insight into the family life and connections of 1916 leader, Micheal O'Hanrahan. 'While this may seem like a personal history, it also highlights the national significance of his contribution to the Rising, and his relationship with other 1916 leaders. 'The O'Hanrahan Chronicles exhibition also complements our own exhibition on the Rising and we would strongly encourage anyone with an interest in Irish history to pay a visit to the museum for these fantastic portrayals of Irish life during this time of revolution'. The exhibition, which is believed to be the first of this kind put together by descendants of a 1916 leader, will run until the end of August. Micheal was 39 years old when he was executed on 4th May 1916. His three sisters and his mother were all involved with Cumann na mBan, the Irish republican women's paramilitary organisation. Micheal's brother, Harry, was also involved in the 1916 Rising. His death sentence was commuted to life in prison but he was later released. He died in 1923. The future of the border area post Brexit was high on the agenda during a visit by British Prime Minister Theresa May to the north this week. Concerns about the return of a 'hard border' have dominated debate across the country since the British vote to leave the EU last month. The new British PM acknowledged those fears during the visit to Stormont on Monday. Speaking as she met with politicians, she said: 'If you look ahead, what is going to happen when the UK leaves the European Union is that of course Northern Ireland will have a border with the Republic of Ireland, which will remain a member of the European Union.' 'But we've had a common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland many years before either country was a member of the European Union,' said Mrs. May. 'Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past. What we do want to do is to find a way through this that is going to work and deliver a practical solution for everybody.' Meanwhile, Taoiseach Enda Kenny last week said a future border poll was now possible in light of the decision by Britain to leave the EU. 'The discussion and negotiations that take place over the next period should take into account the possibility, however far out it might be, that the clause in the Good Friday Agreement might be triggered, in that if there is a clear evidence of a majority of people wishing to leave the United Kingdom and join the Republic, that should be catered for in the discussions.' Because if that possibility were to happen, you would have Northern Ireland wishing to leave the United Kingdom, not being a member of the European Union, and joining the Republic, which will be a member of the EU.' But the newly appointed Secretary of State to Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, has also ruled out a border poll. Louth TD and SInn Fein President Gerry Adams has embarked on a campaign to have such a vote. But Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said a vote was unlikely in the near future Minister for the Environment, Community & Local Government, Simon Coveney TD during a launch of the Governments new Housing Action Plan The government last week outlined its vision for ending the homeless crisis and providing a target of 25,000 new homes built every year. 'Rebuilding Ireland' sets out its main target as 'ramping up' the delivery of housing, to a point where 25,000 new homes are being built every year. Minister Simon Coveney has promised to end the practice of homeless families staying in hotels next year. The plan is divided up into 'five pillars' dealing with homelessness, social housing, construction, the rental sector and vacant properties. First-time buyers will have to wait until the budget in October to hear the exact details of what government is proposing to help them buy a home. The minister said 47,000 social housing units will be built over the next five years - although this factors in 35,000 units promised by former minister Alan Kelly in 2014 under the Social Housing Strategy. Just 75 of those have been built to date. 'The biggest new idea in this whole plan, apart from money and house delivery, is an ambition to create mix-tenure development,' Mr Coveney said. 'You're not going to be able to spot the difference between what is social housing and private. That is how we create diverse, vibrant communities with different incomes levels and different needs.' The minister added that for a period, construction rates will have to rise to between 30,000 to 35,000 new houses a year in order to make up for the deficit of recent years. Nama will be charged with providing at least 20,000 new homes. Developers would be able to go direct to An Bord Pleanala with plans for estates of over 100 houses and government would put pressure on the Bord to approve suitable projects in a timely manner, the minister added. Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe confirmed that his department has sanctioned a 200m infrastructure fund to fast-track roads, bridges and other amenities. Under this fund, Louth County Council and other local authorities have the opportunity to provide much needed housing which the availability of this fund. Local authorities could deliver local projects needed to unblock land in high demand areas. They can avail of the new fund to provide access infrastructure such as distributor roads, bridges, surface water management, amenities and utility diversion to facilitate the opening up of private development on major housing sites and to significantly increase the supply of housing. A total of 5.3bn has been set aside for capital expenditure over five years for the national housing project. Michael Bishop, Conor Hackett, Johnny McGailey and Anthony Kinahan at the launch of the Town 2 Town fundraiser in aid of the charities Make a Wish, Friends of A and IMNDA. Photo: Ken Finegan Dundalk man Jonny McGailey is once again leading the 'Town to Town' charity cycle which sets of for the Rose of Tralee International Festival in August. A former 'Escort of the Year' at the festival, Jonny has maintained strong links with the event, last year organising the first ever charity cycle which made its way from Dundalk to Tralee. 'It was such a fantastic trip last year that a few of us got together to plan the 2016 cycle, and agreed that we would set ourselves a challenge to complete the cycle in just two days,' with a 10 kilometre run on the third day,' Jonny told the Argus. Around twenty cyclists are set to join him on the 440 kilometre trek across the country, making a special stop off on route. 'We are due to set off on Friday August 19th and will arrive on Saturday 20th in Tralee, in time for the festival. But on the way we will stop off for the night with Henry Healy, who is Barack Obama's Irish cousin. He is organising a fundraising night in Ollie's bar for us, so it is set to be a great night.' Jonny explained that the cycle is set to raise funds for three different charities; the Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association,the Make a Wish Foundation and the 'Friends of A', a charity linked with the Rose of Tralee festival. Last year, they raised an incredible 10,000 for a number of charities, and with so many people taking part this year, they are hoping to exceed that. 'We are thrilled with the response to the cycle so far, and have assembled a team of almost twenty cyclists, almost three times last years number, who will be accompanied by four support team members. The main sponsor for the event is the Park Cafe at Dundalk Retail Park, who are donating much needed supplies to the cyclists for their 440 kilometre trek. Work on the Templeshannon Urban Renewal Development Plan is moving forward as Ove Arup Consultants will soon be appointed to oversee the project. The consultants will be appointed this week and will then look towards the development of the area. They will meet with members of the Enniscorthy Municipal District Council and property owners in August to discuss the plan and flesh out projects. A final report on is due to be submitted by the end of the year. Ove Arup is an international independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists. Their previous projects include work in the Sydney Opera House, the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing and 30 St Mary's Axe in London, known as the Gherkin. Their Irish firm has worked on buildings such as the dlr LexIcon library and Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport. District Manager for Enniscorthy Padraig O'Gorman, pictured right, welcomed the news of the upcoming appointment on behalf of all of the council members. He said: 'We look forward to working with the consultants and property owners in developing key projects. 'The report will be finalised and submitted by the end of this year and then it is a matter of seeing how we can secure funding to implement the various elements and recommendations.' The redevelopment plan will look at several key areas, including improving public realm space, enhancing business opportunities, helping traffic to move better, providing links to train stations among others. 'It's not just the public realm areas we will be looking at. A key area is in relation to property in private ownership and we will be working with these owners during this redevelopment,' added Mr O'Gorman. According to Mr O'Gorman, the development of the Enniscorthy bypass and the flood relief scheme will go hand-in-hand with the redevelopment of the Templeshannon area. At the recent Enniscorthy Municipal District Council meeting, Mr O'Gorman gave an update on the plan to the members, who welcomed the recent news. Victoria Wood died of cancer at the age of 62 in April Victoria Wood's brother has launched a crowdfunding appeal to pay for a statue of the late comedian in Bury. Chris Foote Wood, who is also an entertainer, is hoping to raise 20,000 towards the cost. Writing on his JustGiving online appeal page, entitled Let's Do It - Victoria Wood Memorial Appeal, the 75-year-old said the idea has the support of Bury council. He wrote: "I've set up this Crowdfunding site to raise money for a permanent memorial to Victoria to be put up in Bury. "This would be a fitting tribute to a hugely talented writer and performer, and would be a magnet for you Victoria Wood fans to visit and have your selfies taken." Ms Wood, a multi Bafta award-winning writer, director, actor and comedian, died of cancer at the age of 62 in April. Although she was born in Prestwich, Lancashire, the family home was in Bury where she lived until leaving for university at the age of 18. Journalist and writer Mr Foote Wood said the statue could perhaps be in the form of the television moments for which his sibling became best known and loved. In his appeal message, he cited comic song The Ballad Of Barry And Freda (Let's Do It). Written by Ms Wood, it details the attempts of a frustrated housewife to convince her husband to get in the mood for romance. Video of the Day He also mentioned Kimberley's Friend. The fondly-remembered character, who wore a yellow beret and overcoat, would ask: "I'm looking for me friend. 'Ave you seen 'er?" Talking about the memorial, Mr Foote Wood said: "My idea is to have a lifelike statue of Victoria, either seated at the piano (Let's Do It!) or as Kimberley's friend in mac and beret (Ave you seen 'er? sketch), but the final form will be decided by a public vote from a short-list of ideas." He also said he is open to other suggestions for the statue from fans. Mr Foote Wood added: "In due course, we hope to have fund-raising packs and ideas to help you raise cash. "And if you do hold any fund-raising events, invite me along - I will come if I can." :: Visit wwww.crowdfunding.justgiving.com for Chris Foote Wood's appeal. No Ukrainian servicemen were killed but three suffered injuries in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Presidential Administration spokesman Andriy Lysenko said. "None of our soldiers died in the hostilities over the past day but three suffered injuries. That happened in shelling incidents: two were injured near Krasnohorivka and one near Pavlopil," Lysenko said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Friday. "Two armed provocations were staged" near Lopaskyne in Luhansk region, he said. "The hostilities resumed in the Troitske - Luhanske - Zaitseve - Mayorsk area in the Donetsk sector. The enemy sporadically used infantry combat vehicles and mortars. The Avdiyivka industrial zone remained an epicenter of the hostilities. Thirty-three provocations were staged in that area over the past day, including seven by use of heavy armaments," Lysenko said. Fighting continues along the entire frontline in the Mariupol sector, he said. Ukrainian army positions in Maryinka were shelled by mortars, and an engagement in that area lasted for three hours, he said. The hostiles fired mortars in Krasnohorivka and Vodyane. A total of 20 provocations were observed in that area in the past 24 hours, including four by use of heavy weapons, Lysenko said. Twenty-one journalists are appearing in court in Istanbul after being detained as part of a sweeping crackdown following Turkey's failed military coup. Television footage showed police leading the journalists to the courthouse. They are among 42 for whom detention orders were issued on Monday, while authorities are searching for those still at large, the state-run Anadolu agency said. Turkey declared a state of emergency after the failed coup on July 15 that caused 290 deaths. The clampdown is targeting those suspected of ties to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the government accuses of masterminding the plot. He has denied any involvement. Nearly 16,000 people have been detained so far over alleged links to the uprising. Tens of thousands of civil servants have been dismissed for alleged ties to Mr Gulen, according to Anadolu, from sectors including the judiciary, education, health care, local municipalities and ministries. "If we hadn't removed the people this coup attempt would have been successful," foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara. "Every state has to take its own measures to ensure that it does not come face to face with such a threat again. No state would allow such a threat to remain in its midst." Authorities have issued warrants for the detention of 89 journalists, and dozens of media organisations, mostly linked to Mr Gulen, were ordered to close on Wednesday night. "These journalists worked in media organisations that belonged to this terror organisation," Mr Cavusoglu said. "They were not only engaged in journalistic activity, they were engaged in activities that included the fabrication of evidence that served (the Gulen movement)," he said. "We need to make a distinction between those who co-operate with those who carried out the coup, those who supported it and the real journalists." He added: "If they are engaged in a crime, they cannot be untouchable or exempt from prosecution. That's what we believe, but we will continue to defend freedom of press and freedom of expression till the end." Investigations into people's involvement with the Gulen movement, "the financial support they provided and their participation in other activities are continuing", the minister said. "All politicians, including the president, were on a death list. We are forced to take these measures," he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of European Union Affairs suspended 16 staff and dismissed six others as part of the investigation into the Gulen movement, while the public prosecutor's office in the Aegean coastal town of Izmir issued orders for 203 police personnel to be apprehended, Anadolu said. Teams from the Izmir Police Department Counterterrorism Bureau conducted simultaneous operations around the city and apprehended several suspects, the agency reported. AP Meanwhile, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hit out at the US for its reaction to the failed coup, accusing Washington of harbouring Mr Gulen. Ankara has demanded the US extradite Mr Gulen, who is living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. He has denied any knowledge of the attempted putsch, while Washington has asked for evidence of his involvement. Mr Erdogan lashed out at an American military official who he said commented on the detention of thousands of military personnel. "It's not up to you to make that decision. Who are you? Know your place," Mr Erdogan said. "Instead of thanking this nation that quashed the coup in the name of democracy, on the contrary you are taking sides with the coup-plotters," he added. "Besides, the coup plotter is in your country anyway. You can never convince my people otherwise." AP At least eight dead as building collapses in India. Photo: Indian Express At least eight workers were killed when part of a 13-storey building under construction collapsed in western India. Fire officials said the top section of the building in the city of Pune came crashing down to the ground. Expand Close Building collapse in India. Photo: My Republica / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Building collapse in India. Photo: My Republica Rescuers were looking for workers possibly trapped in the rubble, said the official. Pune is 100 miles (160km) south-east of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state. Building collapses are common in India, where high demand for housing and lax regulations have encouraged some builders to cut corners, use substandard materials or add unauthorised extra floors. In April 2013, 74 people were killed when an eight-storey building being constructed illegally in a Mumbai suburb caved in. It was the worst building collapse in the country in decades. Cardinal George Pell, one of the most powerful figures in the Vatican and Australia's most senior Catholic cleric, is facing a police investigation over an alleged series of child sexual assaults, including claims he inappropriately "grabbed" boys at a swimming pool in the state of Victoria. In a statement issued by his office in Rome, Cardinal Pell, the Vatican's finance chief, emphatically denied the allegations, accusing police and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) of "conspiring" to destroy his reputation. He accused police of illegally leaking "inaccurate and unfounded" allegations. "I have done nothing wrong," he said. "I bear no ill will and have no desire to cause them [the alleged victims] harm, but what they say about me is not true." Two former students at St Alipius, a school in the town of Ballarat, have publicly accused the cardinal of abuse dating back to the 1970s during sessions at a local swimming pool. Cardinal Pell (pictured inset) was responsible for education in the area and regularly visited the students. "He would play games like throw the kids out of the water," Lyndon Monument, a former student, told ABC. "You know, his hand touching your genitals and stuff on the outside of your bathers or shorts. And then that became hand down the front of the pants or your bathers or whatever you call them." Damian Dignan, another student, said Cardinal Pell would "grab you around the testes". "It got to a stage where every time he picked you up, it was there," he said. Darren Mooney, another student, said Cardinal Pell would regularly appear naked in the dressing rooms. "A man in his position should know better than to be undressing in front of kids," he said. Police in Victoria confirmed that they have been investigating allegations against Cardinal Pell for a year but have not yet decided whether to press charges. Graham Ashton, the police chief commissioner for Victoria, said they "still are investigating". Cardinal Pell (75), who holds a doctorate from Oxford, has long been an imposing figure in Australia and has been heavily criticised for his handling of child sex abuse by Catholic priests. He is known for his staunchly conservative views on issues such as homosexuality and abortion, which he once said was a "worse moral scandal" than child sex abuse by priests. Cardinal Pell has also denied accusations of covering up abuse within the Church, particularly in Ballarat, the site of some of Australia's worst child sex abuse offences. The offences involved a group of five paedophile priests who were shuffled around the diocese, where they preyed on hundreds of children. Police in Victoria said they were awaiting advice from prosecutors on whether to continue inquiries into Cardinal Pell's alleged abuse and will consider sending detectives to Rome. "It's been a long investigation... there are a lot of leads that have to be followed up," said Mr Ashton. "Normally we would interview someone towards the end of an inquiry." Mr Ashton rejected claims by Cardinal Pell that police leaked information to the media. Cardinal Pell, who was hand-picked by Pope Francis to clean up the Vatican's finances, offered his resignation, as required, when he turned 75 last month. But the Pope reportedly requested he serve another three years. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Hillary Clinton takes the applause after her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia (AP) Donald Trump claimed Bernie Sanders "sold his soul to the devil" in deciding to support Hillary Clinton for president. Mr Trump, speaking Friday at a rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said Mr Sanders "folded" when he abandoned his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination. "He wanted to go home, he wanted to go to sleep," Mr Trump said. He then noted that Mr Sanders' "people are angry" and praised their efforts to disrupt the Democratic National Convention. Mr Trump declared Mrs Clinton's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention was "so average". Mr Trump, the Republican nominee, said he watched Mrs Clinton's speech the night before in Philadelphia. He criticised her speech as being "full of cliches" and full of false claims against him. Mr Trump also bragged about TV ratings that indicated that more people watched his acceptance speech that Mrs Clinton's speech. The Democratic convention, however, had more overall viewers during the four nights. He said that he thought Chelsea Clinton did very well and noted that she is friends with his daughter Ivanka. He joked that he wished they were not friends "because it would be a lot easier!" Mr Trump also complained that the fire marshal in Colorado Springs would not let more people into his event. Mrs Clinton had cast herself as a unifier for divided times, an experienced leader steeled for a volatile world - and aggressively Mr Trump's ability to do the same. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," the former US secretary of state and first lady said, as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president early on Friday. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Mrs Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates on the final night of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, relishing her nomination as the first woman to lead a major US political party. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching at home, many of whom may welcome her experience, but question her character. She acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying: "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me." But her primary focus was persuading Americans to not be seduced by Republican presidential candidate Mr Trump's vague promises to restore economic security and fend off threats from abroad. Mrs Clinton said the US needed a leader who would work with allies to keep America safe. The presidential election presented a stark choice on national security, she said, with the US facing "determined enemies that must be defeated". She said people wanted "steady leadership", vowing to stand by Nato allies against any Russian threats. And she pledged to defeat the Islamic State group with air strikes and support for local ground forces, while authorising a "surge" in intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks. "We will prevail," she said . t of touch with a diverse and fast-changing nation. But Mrs Clinton sought to reach beyond the Democratic base, particularly to moderate Republicans unnerved by Mr Trump. Former Reagan administration official Doug Elmets announced he was casting his first vote for a Democrat in November and urged other Republicans who "believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party" to do the same. Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Mr Trump said he would like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Mrs Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. Hours later, he told Fox News he was being "sarcastic", although shortly after his remarks on Wednesday, he tweeted that Russia should share the emails with the FBI. Mr Trump attacked Mrs Clinton for not saying the words "radical Islam" in her speech. "Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words," he said in a series of tweets. Neither Mrs Clinton nor US president Barack Obama uses the phrase "radical Islam" because they say it is misleading, pointing out that the ideology motivating terrorists does not reflect true Islam. But Republicans argue that the failure to use the label has hampered the fight against terror. In her speech, Mrs Clinton said she would work to fight the radicalisation of young people in the US and abroad. AP The official said the top section of the building in the city of Pune came crashing to the ground At least eight workers were killed when part of a 13-storey building under construction in western India collapsed, a fire official said. The official said the top section of the building in the city of Pune came crashing down to the ground. Rescuers were looking for workers possibly trapped in the rubble, said the official. Pune is 100 miles (160km) south-east of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state. Building collapses are common in India, where high demand for housing and lax regulations have encouraged some builders to cut corners, use substandard materials or add unauthorised extra floors. In April 2013, 74 people were killed when an eight-storey building being constructed illegally in a Mumbai suburb caved in. It was the worst building collapse in the country in decades. AP Swedish police officer Mikaela Kellner is pinning a man to the ground who is suspected to have stolen a friend's mobile phone (Jenny Kitsune Adolfsson via AP) She was off duty and wearing a bikini, but that did not stop Swedish police officer Mikaela Kellner from catching a suspected thief. A photo of Ms Kellner pinning the suspect to the ground has been trending on social media in Sweden, and is now proving a hit across the world. She wrote on Instagram: "My first intervention while wearing a bikini during my 11 years as a police officer." Ms Kellner and three friends were sunbathing on Wednesday in a Stockholm park when a homeless man selling newspapers approached. She told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that after he left, one friend noticed her phone was missing, so Ms Kellner and a fellow police officer gave chase. Ms Kellner said she did not hesitate to make the arrest while wearing a bikini, and added: "If I had been naked I would have intervened as well." Five men from Carlisle have been treated in hospital following suspected drug use of a tablet called Blue Valium. Cumbria Police said that the men, aged between 19 and 36, were admitted to Cumberland Infirmary with respiratory problems on Thursday. Two 31-year-old men remain in hospital while the other three, who are aged 36, 21 and 19, have been discharged. Police said that a 36-year-old woman from Carlisle has been arrested on suspicion of the supply of controlled drugs in connection with the incidents. She is currently being questioned by police. Temporary Detective Inspector Colin Ritchie said: "We are continuing to remind people of the risks involved in taking any illegal substances or so-called legal highs - these can be life threatening. "It is believed that all five of these men admitted to hospital have taken a drug called Blue Valium. "If you are offered this drug or have it in your possession please do not consume as it is very dangerous. You can take these to a chemist or hand them to a police officer if you come across them. "Anyone who has taken such a drug or is feeling unwell is urged to seek medical assistance." Anyone with information on the supply of drugs is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. BRITISH Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has won his High Court battle to remain in the Labour leadership race, after a judge ruled he did not need the backing of his MPs to run. The judge, Mr Justice Foskett, said Labour's ruling body had correctly interpreted the rules when deciding that Mr Corbyn did not need the support of 51 MPs or MEPs in order to stand. The decision defeats a challenge from Michael Foster, a Labour donor, who had insisted that Mr Corbyn should have to get the backing of MPs like any other challenger despite being the incumbent. It means Mr Corbyn is allowed to continue his campaign against Owen Smith for the leadership and appears to close the door on a dispute that has run for months in the party. Speaking after the ruling, Mr Corbyn hit out at the decision to bring the legal case and said there should be "no question" of his right to stand. Mr Foster argued that if Mr Corbyn had not been automatically allowed to stand, he may have struggled to obtain the 51 nominations from Labour MPs or MEPs. Mr Foster told BBC Radio 4 two weeks ago: "It's about the rule of law. "There were three bits of legal advice from different QCs, all of which were contrarian and none of the people in the room were unbiased in the view of that advice," Mr Foster added. "The advice that was taken was certainly not given the expert consideration that it would receive from a High Court judge and everyone in the room had a different political agenda." Mr Corbyn said: "I welcome the decision by the High Court to respect the democracy of the Labour Party. This has been a waste of time and resources when our party should be focused on holding the government to account. "There should have been no question of the right of half a million Labour Party members to choose their own leader being overturned. If anything, the aim should be to expand the number of voters in this election. "I hope all candidates and supporters will reject any attempt to prolong this process, and that we can now proceed with the election in a comradely and respectful manner." Iain McNicol, general secretary of the Labour Party, said: "We are delighted that the court has upheld the authority and decision of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party. We will continue with the leadership election as agreed by the NEC." Earlier this week, it emerged that Mr Corbyn's supporters have accused Mr McNicol of "subverting" internal rules and keeping legal advice "hidden" to effectively block him running for the leadership. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Pope Francis has paid a sombre visit to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. He became the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than one million people, most of them Jews. Wearing a white robe and skull cap, Francis walked slowly beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the words "Arbeit Macht Frei". He was then taken in a small car past barracks and brought to a spot in front of them, where he sat on a bench, his head bent in contemplation and prayer. As an Argentine he is the first pope to visit who did not live through the brutality of World War Two on Europe's soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal historical connection to the site, with the first, John Paul II, coming from Poland and himself a witness to the suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation. His visit in 1979 made history and was part of the Vatican's historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. As a pope from overseas, Francis's visit helps to underline the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. Vatican and Polish church officials said he would express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. Francis had been scheduled to fly from Krakow to Oswiecim, the small town where the former death camp is located, but due to bad weather travelled the 40 miles by car instead. It is his third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global youth celebration. Friday is devoted to the theme of suffering and later in the day Francis will visit a children's hospital in Krakow. Pope Francis met several survivors of the death camp during his visit. One by one, he stopped, shook their hands and bent over to kiss the elderly survivors on both cheeks. One woman kissed his hand and he exchanged a few words with them. He then carried a large white candle and placed it at the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed. U.S. Permanent Representative to the OSCE Daniel B. Baer has said that stable ceasefire in Donbas is a prerequisite for consideration of the possibility of deploying an international police mission there. Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Baer said that after the ceasefire is achieved they need to assess how they can ensure continued security in order to hold free and fair elections there. He noted that the elections in Donbas envisaged in the Minsk agreements should be carried out only if there are proper security conditions. Baer added that the current mandate of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the OSCE says that it is a civil mission with unarmed observers and so it should remain. One option, which is discussed, is a police mission, the deployment of the security forces of a certain kind, while the SMM will continue to be an unarmed mission, the U.S. permanent representative to the OSCE said. According to Baer, they currently needed to focus primarily on the achievement of a sustainable ceasefire in Donbas, which is a prerequisite for any other steps to resolve the conflict. More than 80 Turkish foreign ministry staff have been sacked as a purge of thousands of soldiers, police and state employees continues following a failed coup. Two senior generals reportedly resigned from their posts yesterday morning after almost 1,700 military personnel were dishonourably discharged for their alleged role in the attempt to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The cull included 149 generals and admirals, which would represent roughly 40pc of all top-level Turkish military staff. Binali Yildirim, the prime minister, was set to chair a meeting of the Supreme Military Council yesterday, where he was expected to signal more dismissals as part of a major shake-up within the country's armed forces. Authorities claim the failed coup on July 15 was staged by a military faction loyal to exiled Muslim cleric Fetullah Gulen, who lives in the US. But the Gulen or 'Hismet' movement denied involvement and the leaders of the coup said only that they wanted "to ensure and restore constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms" as battles raged in Ankara. Hundreds of soldiers armed with fighter jets, helicopters and tanks took control of key areas of the capital while Mr Erdogan was on holiday, but were defeated after the president flew into Istanbul to make a defiant speech against an "act of treason and rebellion". Around 16,000 people have since been detained over suspected links to the failed uprising and tens of thousands of state employees - including police, teachers and judges - have been dismissed from their posts. Arrest warrants were issued for 89 journalists and 131 media outlets have been shut down using powers under Turkey's state of emergency - including news agencies, television channels, newspapers, magazines, radio stations and publishers. Amnesty International said human rights were "in peril" in Turkey and condemned the "swift and brutal" response enabled by the three-month state of emergency. Le Carillon restaurant, one of the scenes of the Paris Attacks in November last year Getty Two men believed to be connected to the 13 November Paris attacks have been charged with terror offences in France, according to a judicial source. A 29-year-old Algerian man and a 35-year-old Pakistani man were both charged with criminal conspiracy with terrorists, the source told AFP. The two men were arrested at a shelter for refugees in Austria last year on suspicion of being linked to the attacks in the French capital, in which 130 people were killed. They were both extradited to France on Friday. "The two accused have left federal territory," the Salzburg prosecutors' office said in a statement earlier on Friday. The French newspaper Le Monde reported that two men travelled together from Syria to the Greek island Leros with two Iraqi brothers who blew themselves up near the Stade de France stadium outside Paris on 13 November 2015. The two men were first arrested on Leros during a passport check on 3 October, due to one man's poorly spoken Arabic and inability to describe Aleppo, which was cited as his birthplace on his passport, French newspaper Le Parisien reported. Both men were released three weeks later and travelled to Austria where they were arrested again. The mens transfer to France was carried out under a European arrest warrant issued by France, the Austrian prosecutors office said. It added: Considering the investigations being carried out by the French authorities the Salzburg prosecutors office cannot provide further information on the content [of the investigation]. A British tourist in Spain was arrested this week after abandoning her children at a Benidorm resort. The woman (40) was arrested after it was discovered she had left her twin sons by themselves in an area of the resort. It is reported one of the boys was brought to a police station when he was found walking the streets alone. The second boy is believed to have walked back to the familys holiday apartment, where he was later found lying against the entrance to the building. The unidentified woman is reported to have been found sleeping in the apartment later after police began searching for her. The two young boys are believed to have been put in to a child protection facility after being located by the authorities. Local police said in a statement they believed the woman abandoned her two sons in an area with a large number of bars and alcohol-consumption. A statement from the police said: At 10pm on July 27 a couple came into a police station with a nine-year-old boy they'd found walking around the streets looking for his mum. The youngster was with his twin brother and his mother in an area of bars and she gave them money to go to get something to eat. However, when they returned she was not in the same spot and the boys decided to separate to look for her. The police confirmed the two young boys had been taken to a child protection centre to guarantee their safety. The search for their mother continued throughout the night until she was found at 8am the following morning sleeping peacefully inside her holiday flat, the statement added. Police said the mother had claimed she lost her children the previous evening while she was out drinking. They also said she admitted she did not search for the two boys afterwards and failed to alert police to their absence as she believed they knew how to get back to the apartment themselves. Chancellor Angela Merkel passes photographers as she arrives for a press conference in Berlin. Photo: Getty Angela Merkel has refused to back down on her open-door refugee policy after a week of violence in Germany that included three attacks by asylum seekers. Ms Merkel said yesterday that Germany was "at war" with Isil after the terror group had claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing and an axe attack on a train in Bavaria. But she insisted that Germany would not fail in its "historic task" of integrating the more than a million asylum seekers who arrived last year. "The terrorists want us to lose sight of what is important to us," she said. "They want to undermine our sense of community, our openness and our willingness to help people in need. We firmly reject this." Mrs Merkel broke off her summer holiday to return to Berlin and address concerns after four violent attacks in Bavaria over seven days. A German-born teenager of Iranian descent shot dead nine people in Munich and a Syrian asylum seeker murdered a Polish woman in an apparent crime of passion. However, public concern has focused on two terror attacks by asylum seekers. An Afghan injured five people in an axe attack on a train, while a Syrian killed himself and injured 15 others in a suicide bombing. Murdered "The fact that two men who came to us as refugees are responsible mocked the country that took them in," said the German chancellor, "and it mocks the many other refugees who truly seek protection from war and violence with us, who want to live peacefully." Mrs Merkel has come under pressure over her refugee policy in the wake of the attacks, but she returned to her defiant slogan of last summer's migrant crisis, "We can do it." In reality, however, Mrs Merkel has quietly reversed her 'open-door' policy. The EU's migrant deal with Turkey, which she negotiated, and the closure of the Balkan route have slowed to a trickle the number of asylum seekers arriving in Germany. Ms Merkel unveiled a nine-point plan to combat terrorism, including better monitoring of potential suspects and more intelligence co-operation with the US and European partners. It also included a commitment to speed up deportation of rejected asylum seekers. But this is unlikely to silence critics. "Islamist terrorism has unfortunately arrived in Bavaria," said Joachim Herrmann, the Bavarian interior minister. He added: "We are awaiting urgent action from the federal government and Europe - now is the time to act." ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] A 21-year-old Welsh woman who claims that she has been imprisoned by her father in Saudi Arabia because she "kissed a guy" has asked a British High Court judge for help. Amina Al-Jeffery, who grew up in Swansea and has dual British and Saudi Arabian nationality, claims that she is banned from using the internet, phone and even the bathroom. She has also said her father hit her and that she has "metal bars" on her bedroom door. Ms Al-Jeffery described herself as a "locked-up girl with a shaved head", the judge was told. "Her treatment has extended to depriving her of food and water, depriving her of toilet facilities, physical assault and control of her ability to marry who she wishes," her barrister, Henry Setright QC, told the court. She had spoken of being "prevented from going to the bathroom" and being "forced to urinate in a cup". Her father, Mohammed Al-Jeffery, an academic in his 60s, moved to Saudi Arabia from south Wales about four years ago and disputes his daughter's allegations. Mr Setright said Mr Al-Jeffery had outlined his thinking in a letter written earlier this year. "Regarding returning Amina back to the UK," Mr Al-Jeffery had written, "I am unwilling to do this as I fear she will go back to her old destructive lifestyle. "As her father, I fear for her health and safety and only want what is best for Amina, so she may focus on her education." Lawyers representing Miss Al-Jeffery have asked the judge to look at ways of helping Miss Al-Jeffery. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Hillary Clinton has cast herself as a unifier for divided times, an experienced leader steeled for a volatile world - and aggressively challenged Donald Trump's ability to do the same. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," the former US secretary of state and first lady said, as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president early on Friday. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Mrs Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates on the final night of the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, relishing her nomination as the first woman to lead a major US political party. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching at home, many of whom may welcome her experience, but question her character. She acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying: "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me." But her primary focus was persuading Americans to not be seduced by Republican presidential candadate Mr Trump's vague promises to restore economic security and fend off threats from abroad. Mrs Clinton said the US needed a leader who would work with allies to keep America safe. The presidential election presented a stark choice on national security, she said, with the US facing "determined enemies that must be defeated". She said people wanted "steady leadership", vowing to stand by Nato allies against any Russian threats. And she pledged to defeat the Islamic State group with air strikes and support for local ground forces, while authorising a "surge" in intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks. Read More "We will prevail," she said. She also said she was proud of the Iran nuclear and global climate agreements and both must be enforced now. Neither deal happened while she was in government. Mrs Clinton's four-day convention began with efforts to shore up liberals who backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and it ended with an outstretched hand to Republicans and independents unnerved by brash billionaire Mr Trump. A parade of military leaders, law enforcement officials and Republicans took the stage ahead of Mrs Clinton to endorse her in the general election contest. "This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future," said retired Marine general John Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan. "We must seize this moment to elect Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America." American flags waved in the stands of the packed convention hall. There were persistent, but scattered calls of "No more war", but the crowd drowned them out with chants of "Hill-a-ry" and "U-S-A!" Mrs Clinton now has just over three months to persuade Americans that Mr Trump is unfit for the Oval Office and overcome the visceral connection he has with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. She embraced her reputation as a studious wonk, a politician more comfortable with policy proposals than rhetorical flourishes. "I sweat the details of policy," she admitted. Mrs Clinton's proposals are an extension of President Barack Obama's two terms in office: tackling climate change, overhauling the nation's fractured immigration laws and restricting access to guns. She disputed Mr Trump's assertion that she wanted to repeal the Second Amendment, saying: "I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place." Campaigning in Iowa Thursday, Mr Trump said there were "a lot of lies being told" at Mrs Clinton's convention. In an earlier statement, he accused Democrats of living in a "fantasy world", ignoring economic and security troubles as well as Mrs Clinton's controversial email use at the US State Department. Read More The FBI's investigation into her use of a private internet server did not result in criminal charges, but it did appear to deepen voters' concerns with her honesty and trustworthiness. A separate pre-convention controversy over hacked Democratic Party emails showing favouritism for Mrs Clinton in the primary threatens to deepen the perception that she prefers to play by her own rules. Mrs Clinton was introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, who spoke warmly of her mother as a woman "driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love". A parade of speakers - gay and straight, young and old, white, black and Hispanic - cast Mr Trump as out of touch with a diverse and fast-changing nation. But Mrs Clinton sought to reach beyond the Democratic base, particularly to moderate Republicans unnerved by Mr Trump. Former Reagan administration official Doug Elmets announced he was casting his first vote for a Democrat in November and urged other Republicans who "believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party" to do the same. Following reports Russia hacked Democratic Party emails, Mr Trump said he would like to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Mrs Clinton deleted from the account she used as secretary of state. Read More Hours later, he told Fox News he was being "sarcastic", although shortly after his remarks on Wednesday, he tweeted that Russia should share the emails with the FBI. Mr Trump attacked Mrs Clinton for not saying the words "radical Islam" in her speech. "Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words," he said in a series of tweets. Neither Mrs Clinton nor US president Barack Obama uses the phrase "radical Islam" because they say it is misleading, pointing out that the ideology motivating terrorists does not reflect true Islam. But Republicans argue that the failure to use the label has hampered the fight against terror. In her speech, Mrs Clinton said she would work to fight the radicalisation of young people in the US and abroad. A delegate wears a hat that reads "Dump Trump" during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center US President Barack Obama is joined by US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton after his address to the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo: AFP/Getty Images Hillary Clinton launches into the US general election campaign today with a tour promoting jobs in America's industrial heartland, in a bid to undercut support for Republican candidate Donald Trump. Appearing for first time since winning the Democratic presidential ticket, Mrs Clinton and Tim Kaine, her running mate, are due to hold a victory rally in Philadelphia before boarding the bus for the three-day trip through Pennsylvania and Ohio. Visiting towns affected by job losses as factories move abroad, Mrs Clinton will vow, as president, to "make the largest investment in jobs since the Second World War". It is a direct attack against Mr Trump, who won his party's nomination in large part due to the support of blue-collar Americans. While Mr Trump promises to "Make America Great Again", Mrs Clinton is rolling out a $10bn (9bn) plan to strengthen the country's manufacturing industry to help citizens "Make It America". Barack Obama championed Mrs Clinton as his political heir in a speech at the Democratic convention, asking voters to do for her "what you did for me". Mr Obama stressed her experience and skills. "There has never been a man or woman, not me, not Bill - nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States," he said. Expand Close Wisconsin delegate Michael Childers attends the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wisconsin delegate Michael Childers attends the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center The president, who broke with tradition earlier in the primary race to come out in opposition to Mr Trump, said that with Mrs Clinton's help America would prevail over it's "home-grown demagogues". US Vice-President Joe Biden, described Mr Trump as a selfish reality television entertainer who is crawling his way to the Oval Office on false pretences. He derided Mr Trump's attempts to woo middle-class Americans, dismissing his promises to them as "malarkey". "He's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class?" he said. "Give me a break." He reminded the convention that while Mr Trump promised to create jobs, he is most famous for saying "you're fired!" - a reference to his television show, 'The Apprentice'. The intervention by Mr Obama and Mr Biden was seen as a critical step in Mrs Clinton's efforts to convince America she should become their leader. Expand Close Democratic vice presidential candidate Time Kaine and his wife Anne Holton / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Democratic vice presidential candidate Time Kaine and his wife Anne Holton The former first lady has lacked the soaring rhetoric of Mr Obama or the intimate style of Mr Biden, whom supporters affectionately call "Uncle Joe". A new poll showed that, despite Mrs Clinton's unifying message, she is now as disliked by the American public as Mr Trump. According to a Gallup poll they are both viewed favourably by just 37pc of voters, and unfavourably by 58pc. Mrs Clinton has particularly low ratings among the white working class, the demographic that analysts say could well decide the election. To capture this demographic she may need the support of Bernie Sanders, her socialist rival, who fought hard in the primary race but finally endorsed Mrs Clinton in the name of party unity at the convention. However, Mr Sanders announced yesterday he was leaving the Democratic Party to become an Independent as a US senator from Vermont. Expand Close Vice President Joe Biden kisses his wife Jill / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vice President Joe Biden kisses his wife Jill Mr Sanders said he would still support Mrs Clinton, but it is unclear how involved he will be on the campaign trail from now on. At the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last night, Mrs Clinton laid out her stall for the White House last night. Capping a Democratic Party convention that has sought to heal divisions from a protracted primary battle, former secretary of state Clinton (68) accepted the nomination to run against Mr Trump. In her speech in Philadelphia, Ms Clinton's focus was to construct a convincing argument that she can bring about change, while still representing the legacy of Mr Obama. She was also striving to make inroads with voters who find her untrustworthy or unlikeable. Ms Clinton sought to draw on an idea that has driven her throughout her career, that every American should be given the chance to fulfil their potential, a campaign aide said. Known as a more effective politician in small gatherings than as a big-event speaker, she had a hard act to follow after well-received speeches this week by Obama, his wife Michelle Obama and Mr Biden. She was introduced on the stage by her daughter, Chelsea, who was still working on her speech yesterday afternoon, the aide said. Clinton, who lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Obama in 2008, promises to tackle income inequality, tighten gun control and rein in Wall Street. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Delegate Chris Davis of Centennial, CO and supporter of Bernie Sanders speaks with Sen. Wesley Bishop of New Orleans and Hillary Clinton supporter Even as speaker after speaker has been reaching out to supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders in Philadelphia this week, something else has been going on. And it is becoming ever more unsubtle. The party is also dressing itself in blatant Republican garb. It wasn't just Barack Obama evoking Ronald Reagan's description of America as "a shining city on a hill" on Wednesday. That was usual form for him. When Mr Obama was running against Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primaries, he lauded Mr Reagan for changing "the trajectory of America" and said Republicans "were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time". Mrs Clinton gave him hell for those comments, countering that the Republican Party was the home of bad ideas that were bad for the country. You won't see her repeating that line now. True, the Democrats risk doing the splits. Salving the hurt felt by Mr Sanders's supporters is urgent. The convention has been at pains to emphasise issues vital to them, like climate change. One after another, speakers on stage have paid tribute to the senator from Vermont Cheers They notably included vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine, a centrist who is part of the siren call to conservatives. After labelling Mr Sanders a key ally in the push for more resources for healthcare and education, Senator Kaine heard cheers from the floor and went off script. "We all should feel the Bern and we all should not want to get burned by the other guy," he said. But the party is right to sense another opportunity. With Donald Trump as their standard-bearer, the Republicans have forgotten to turn on the house alarm and left the door wide open. How many Republicans will be queasy voting for a man who has walked away from so many basic tenets of their party and then trampled all over them? His flirting with Russia and invitation to its intelligence services to ransack Ms Clinton's email archives is only the latest example. The come-hither to those Republicans recoiling from Mr Trump was put plainly enough by Mr Obama. "What we heard in Cleveland last week wasn't particularly Republican - and it sure wasn't conservative," he declared, lamenting the "deeply pessimistic vision" of America offered by their convention. "There were no serious solutions to pressing problems," he went on, "just the fanning of resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate". Nor was it happenstance that Michael Bloomberg was given a coveted speaking slot just before Mr Obama on Wednesday evening, someone, you may recall, who was elected Mayor of New York as a Republican before he declared himself an independent. His job was to debunk Mr Trump's pitch that his alleged success as a billionaire business mogul makes him fit to be president. That message was always going to be best delivered by another billionaire business mogul. "Trump says he wants to run the nation like he's run his business. God help us," Bloomberg said to rapturous applause. "I'm a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one." And they had a surprise speaker for the last night of their convention. He is Doug Elmets, not a household name, perhaps, but one whom alumni of Mr Reagan's administration will instantly recognise. He served in the Reagan White House as a press officer in the energy department. He is a life-long Republican. Or was, until Mr Trump barged into the room. His speech was the Democrats' most undisguised attempt of the week to ask disaffected members of the Republican Party to switch allegiances, like he has, to Mrs Clinton. That will notably include those Republicans who hold the party's traditional foreign policy teachings close to their hearts - something Mr Trump apparently has no affinity with whatsoever. The ones, you know, who think Nato might be precious and a nuclear-free Japan is a good idea. "It's a bitter pill, but supporting Hillary Clinton is a much better alternative to the xenophobic Donald Trump," Mr Elmets told the 'Sacramento Bee', his local newspaper, recently. Regan Mr Obama's overtures to the Reagan constituency meanwhile hardly went unnoticed on Wednesday. "Take about five paragraphs out of that Obama speech and it could have been a Reagan speech," tweeted former Reagan speechwriter John Podhoretz. "Trust me. I know." Rich Lowry, editor of 'National Review', was on the same scent. "American exceptionalism and greatness, shining city on hill, founding documents, etc, they're trying to take all our stuff," he declared. Some wondered if the Democrats might have persuaded one of the many Republican grandees who conspicuously absented themselves from Cleveland to appear on their stage instead. Anyone seen John McCain, Mitt Romney or Jeb Bush lurking in a Philadelphia Starbucks? That, though, probably would have given Mr Sanders and his camp apoplexy. People's deputies from the Samopomich faction Olena Sotnyk and Roman Semenukha together with the deputies from other factions have sent an appeal to the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ministry of Defense with the request to conduct checks on building the Wall fortification on the border with the Russian Federation. According to a posting on the official website of Samopomich, on September 5, 2014, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers presented a draft arrangement of the state border of Ukraine with Russia under the Wall name, which was supposed to have a kind of fortification made of concrete barriers, control strips, ditches and alarms that can prevent the penetration of the enemy's military equipment to Ukraine. The project was presented as strategic and should have demonstrated the reliability of Ukrainian borders to the Ukrainian and European community. However, as a result of inspections of the Wall construction in Kharkiv region it was found out that the object is actually a metal grid covered with barbed wire. At the same time, almost UAH 164 million has been spent on its construction. Emergency services near the scene of the shooting in San Diego (San Diego Union-Tribune/AP) A San Diego police officer has been killed and another wounded in a shoot-out following a late-night traffic stop. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody shortly afterwards, and hours later police surrounded a home as they searched for a man described as a possible accomplice. Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman identified the dead officer as Jonathan DeGuzman, a 16-year veteran of the force who was married with two children. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Officer Wade Irwin, 32, underwent surgery after being shot and was expected to survive, Ms Zimmerman said. His wife was at the hospital during surgery. Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests and body cameras, and quickly called for assistance from other officers, Ms Zimmerman said. "It happened extremely quickly, very quickly," she added. "From the information that was put out that a stop was being made to that the officers called for emergency cover to when the other officers arrived on scene, we're talking very, very quickly, Seconds to a minute or so. Very quickly." The male suspect was captured in a nearby ravine and was being treated at a hospital on Friday. Police did not identify him but Ms Zimmerman said he was in a critical condition with a gunshot wound. Residents were ordered to stay in their homes throughout the night as San Diego police and officers from other law enforcement agencies scoured ravines and streets for other possible suspects. A helicopter hovered over the neighbourhood. Around nine hours after the shoot-out, heavily armed police officers surrounded a house about half a mile away, one of them using a megaphone to urge a man to surrender. Authorities also detonated several devices at the scene that made deafening booms. Ms Zimmerman said a potential second suspect was holed up in the house and that information she did not describe led officers to the home. She told reporters she had worked with Mr DeGuzman before she was promoted to the police chief post in 2014. "I can tell you he is a loving, caring husband, father. Talked about his family all the time," Ms Zimmerman said. "I know him, and this is gut-wrenching. He cared. He came to work every day wanting to just make a positive difference in the lives of our community." After visiting Mr Irwin later at UC San Diego Medical Centre, Ms Zimmerman told reporters that the officer's prospects for recovery were good. "It's a little bit of a long haul until he makes a full recovery, but the good news is that he is going to survive and he is going to recover," she said outside the hospital. The shooting came as law officers around the country are on high alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. "Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all," San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said after the shootings in his city. "I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities. We need them and they need us." US Attorney General Loretta Lynch mentioned the San Diego shooting during a meeting with police officers and other first responders in Baton Rouge on Friday, where a gunman killed three on-duty law enforcement officers earlier this month. "I know this community, more than most, knows exactly what these families are feeling at this moment," she said. AP A still image taken yesterday from an undated video posted on social media by Isil, which it claims shows the two men who attacked the church in France. Photo: Reuters One of the Isil killers of a priest coldly boasted of his plan to cause "carnage" at a church on a messaging service popular with jihadists in the weeks before the attack. "You take a knife, you go to a church, you make carnage, bam!" Adel Kermiche said in an audio recording shared with about 200 people on the encrypted Telegram app. Expand Close A floral tribute to Father Jaques Hamel. Photo: AP Photo/Francois Mori / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A floral tribute to Father Jaques Hamel. Photo: AP Photo/Francois Mori "You cut off two or three heads and it's good, it's over," he said in a grim warning of the brutal murder of 85-year-old Father Jacques Hamel at a church in a quiet Normandy town. Just over an hour before Kermiche and Abdel Malik Nabil Petitjean slit the priest's throat, before being shot dead by police in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, he sent a final message: "Download what's going to come, and share it en masse." Kermiche, who was under house arrest and tagged, had been exchanging messages for months on the service, used by terrorists because it allows them to hide their communications from the security services. He recounted being mentored by a "Sheikh" he met in prison and said it was too complicated to travel to Syria or Iraq so he "might as well attack here". The authenticity of the messages, obtained by the French magazine 'L'Express', was confirmed by a security source. The government faced more questions over security yesterday after it emerged that four days before the attack, French anti-terrorism officers sent a photograph of Petitjean to all police stations in France. It was accompanied by a note saying a foreign intelligence service had warned he was planning an attack. But it did not give his name as the photograph had not been matched with his security file. The person in the photo also appears to be one of a pair seen in a video posted yesterday by Isil's news agency, police sources said. The video claimed the two men were the church attackers and showed them pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Isil's leader. Petitjean had been spotted at a Turkish airport on June 10, with another French national, apparently en route to Syria. Turkish security services reportedly delayed flagging him up to their French counterparts, who only placed him on their terror watch list on June 29. Read more: France priest killer boasted of plans to cause "carnage" at a church Read more: Murder of priest in church marks new tactic for Islamic State group They believed he was in Syria, when in fact he had turned back for France on June 11. His companion, who was also turned back by Turkish authorities, was arrested in France and was being questioned by counter-terrorism officers last night. Three of Petitjean's family were also being questioned to build a more detailed profile of the teenager. Petitjean, who was shot in the face, was identified when police traced his mother, Yasmina Boukkezoula, at their home in Aix-les-Bains, in south-eastern France, and matched DNA. Distraught and disbelieving, she said it was "impossible that I gave birth to the devil". Petitjean's mother said her son had never spoken about Isil. Amid a row over the release of Kermiche from prison while awaiting trial for membership of a terror group, a spokesman for the ministry of justice said seven other terrorist suspects in France are under the same type of surveillance, as are six people convicted of terrorist offences. The decision to place him under house arrest at his parents' home was opposed by prosecutors who warned he was dangerous. Nevertheless, judges gave him permission to go out for four hours a day, which allowed him to carry out the attack. Meanwhile, France is to create a National Guard of 40,000 as part of efforts to step up security in the wake of a series of terrorist attacks, President Francois Hollande announced yesterday. The force will initially be formed by transferring reservists from other units. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] MICHAEL EADS/Independent Mail A supporter hugs Karry Walker (center) after her remarks to a Clemson city employee grievance board Wednesday. Walker, the former No. 2 commander on the city's police department, was fired in October over allegations of bullying and harassment of employees. SHARE By Michael Eads CLEMSON A former Clemson police major has filed a federal complaint against the city over her dismissal last fall. Greenville attorney Brian Arnold said Friday that Maj. Karry Walker, a 24-year veteran of the Clemson city police department, has appealed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to investigate her October 2013 firing. He said the EEOC could take up to a year to issue a report, then Walker would have 90 days to decide whether to sue the city for damages. Were assessing the situation, Arnold said. We have filed on her behalf an EEOC charge against the city of Clemson ... if they cant get the parties to agree, it will be turned over to an investigative team. Once they give their opinion, the claimant (Walker) has 90 days to file a lawsuit. Walker was fired by Police Chief Jimmy Dixon after an internal inquiry by city attorney Kay Barrett. A city grievance panel rejected her bid for reinstatement in early November, after Barrett said that 19 department employees complained confidentially of bullying, harassment and unprofessional behavior by Walker. Walker denied Barretts allegations and told the panel, I should have received a verbal warning, at least two or three to be followed by a written warning before any firing took place. The states Department of Employment and Workforce rejected Walkers initial claim for weekly unemployment benefits, but she and Arnold got that decision overturned at a Feb. 20 appeal tribunal. The tribunal ran much like a trial, with hearing officer Timothy J. Plunkett acting as judge and jury and presiding over witness testimony and cross-examinations. He (Plunkett) found in her favor that she didnt do anything wrong to cause her termination, said Arnold. Arnold said the city failed to provide any witnesses with direct knowledge of the incidents that led to Walkers firing. Once it all came out and their (the citys) witnesses were cross-examined by me, it became very clear the folks they were using as witnesses had no firsthand knowledge of everything she was accused of, Arnold said. It was all, I was told this, I was told this, with no firsthand knowledge that this woman did anything wrong. Clemson Police Chief Jimmy Dixon and city manager Rick Cotton have not responded to requests for comment on the case. Follow Michael Eads on Twitter at MikeEads_AIM. SHARE By Tim Smith, tcsmith@greenvillenews.com COLUMBIA Three former South Carolina Department of Transportation officials received bribes, kickbacks or otherwise financially benefited from their jobs, state indictments unsealed Thursday alleged. State Attorney General Alan Wilson announced five indictments against four men as part of a corruption probe at DOT. Three of those indicted held positions at the agency, while the fourth, according to the indictments, was a neighbor of one who agreed to set up a private company that then did business with DOT. The acts alleged in the indictments stretched back for years. The state grand jury indicted the men on June 22, but the indictments were kept under seal until Thursday. "SCDOT has zero tolerance for wrongdoing of any kind and wishes to express its appreciation for the hard work of both the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the SC Attorney General's Office," Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall said in a statement. Those indicted include: - Charles W. Shirley, a former field operations manager of DOT's Intelligent Transportation Systems division, charged with one count criminal conspiracy, one count official misconduct in office, three counts of receiving anything of value to influence the action of a public employee and one count of acceptance of rebates or extra compensation. Shirley, who supervised DOT's signal shop that covered five Midlands counties, maintained a secret ownership in a company doing contract work with his division, according to the indictment. Shirley reviewed the invoices and improperly received $360,000 over the years through the arrangement. - Allen Kent Ray, a neighbor of Shirley's who according to the indictment formed a company with Shirley, charged with one count criminal conspiracy and one count of offering anything of value to influence the actions of a public employee. The indictment alleges that Ray conspired with Shirley to create the company in 2009 in an arrangement in which Shirley's division awarded the company work and Ray paid Shirley a total of $360,000 between 2009 and 2015. - Curtis C. Singleton, a former head of DOT's signal shop headquartered in Columbia, charged with one count of using his official position or office for financial gain, one count of receiving anything of value to influence the actions of a public employee, one count of misconduct in office and one count of acceptance of rebates or extra compensation. The indictments allege that Singleton asked a contractor in 2011 if he wanted a job to build an intersection in Lexington County. "Singleton told the contractor words to the effect 'if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours,'" the indictment alleges. The contractor then paid Singleton $1,200, the indictment alleges. On another occasion, an indictment alleges, Singleton "demanded" that a contractor sell him a truck, which the contractor did at about $10,000 less than market value, according to the indictment. The indictment alleges the contractor did this to continue receiving work from Singleton. The indictment also alleges that Singleton told a contractor in 2012 to markup the price of some supplies for DOT, which he did by $3,400. Singleton then demanded $2,500 of that amount from the contractor, which he paid, the indictment alleges. - Joe Edward Butler, a former DOT inspector, charged with four counts of receiving anything of value to influence the action of a public employee, three counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent and one count of acceptance of rebates or extra compensation. The indictment alleges that Butler made an arrangement with a contractor in which he stole supplies and equipment from DOT and sold it to the contractor. The payments between 2013 and 2014 totaled $14,500 and included a new traffic signal controller for $4,000, according to the indictment. "Butler assured the contractor that the controllers were untraceable because they had not been put in DOT's system," the indictment alleges. According to DOT, Shirley left the agency in January, while Singleton left in August of 2015 and Butler left in November 2014. None of those charged could be reached for comment. According to Haley Thrift, a spokeswoman for Wilson's office, the men face maximum sentences of years in prison if convicted. Criminal conspiracy is a felony punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years, she said, while official misconduct in office is a common law misdemeanor punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Offering or receiving anything of value is a violation of the South Carolina Ethics Act and a felony that carries up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, as well as a permanent disqualification from being a public official or public member, Thrift said. Acceptance of rebates or extra compensation is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500 or imprisonment from three months to five years, she said, while use of office for financial gain is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5000 and/or imprisonment up to one year. Breach of trust with fraudulent intent is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison if the value of the property is $10,000 or more, according to Thrift. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Attorney General S. Creighton Waters, Assistant Attorney General Brian Petrano and Assistant Attorney General Joel Kozak. Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law. This week marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, a Category 3 storm which formed on October 22, 2012 and caused $70 billion in damage in roughly two weeks as it moved from the Caribbean to Canada, $11 million of which came from its impact in Rhode Island. Do you believe Rhode Island is more or less prepared to handle a large storm in the decade since Hurricane Sandy? Let us know in this week's poll question below. You voted: Nihar Info Global applies for trademark registration for 'ONVO' Nihar Info Global Limited informed to the exchanges that it has successfully applied for Trademark registration of its private label "ONVO" under the 'Trademark Classes 18 and 21. ... October 28, 2022 | 2:37 pm Rupee rises 4 paisa to 82.29/$ Early on Friday, the rupee strengthened against the US dollar by 4 paise to 82.29, helped by a weak US dollar in the international market and strong local equities. The influx of new fore... October 28, 2022 | 2:30 pm PNB Housing Finance's net profit increases by 12% PNB Housing Finance announced on Thursday that its September 20222023 quarter net profit increased by 11.7% to Rs 262.63 crore, thanks to a little increase in core income. In the same period... October 28, 2022 | 2:25 pm Dhanuka Agritech soars ~8% as board to consider buyback Dhanuka Agritechs stock surged as much as 8% in Fridays intraday session and touched a high of Rs742. The company stated in its filing with the exchanges that at its ensuing ge... October 28, 2022 | 2:18 pm Markets trade flat amid volatility; Nifty below 17,800 dragged by metals Domestic benchmark indices in a volatile session and trading flat after a gap-up opening on Friday. Both the Sensex and Nifty benchmarks are in the green during the afternoon market session ami... October 28, 2022 | 2:00 pm One cannot talk about the appointment of a new ambassador to Kyiv in a situation when there are no normal relations with Russia, Volodymyr Aryev, a member of the Verkhovna Rada committee on foreign affairs and of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction, said. "Bearing in mind the current situation, my opinion as a member of the committee is that no agreement should be given to any Russian representatives. Because the level and presence of an ambassador should indicate good-neighborly, just normal relations between countries. There can be no such relations with Russia for as long as part of our territory remains occupied," Aryev told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday. "In this case, one can talk about a charge d'affaires ad interim, not an ambassador," Aryev said. At the same time, he said the issue of authorization of the appointment of a new Russian ambassador in Kyiv lies in the terms of reference of the Ukrainian foreign minister and president. A source in the Russian State Duma committee on international affairs earlier told Interfax that the candidacy of Mikhail Babich, Russian presidential envoy in the Volga Federal District, had been submitted for the post of Russian ambassador to Ukraine. TIME magazine is reporting a new addition to the Marvel landscape. In the Iron Man universe, Marvel writer Brian Michael Bendis talks about creating Riri Williams, a Black female character who will take over for Tony Stark in the storyline. Riri is a science genius who enrolls in MIT at the age of 15. She comes to the attention of Tony when she builds her own Iron Man suit in her dorm. Creator and Iron Man writer Brian Michael Bendis spoke exclusively to TIME about the creation of Riri Williams with book artist Stefano Caselli and Marvels increasingly diverse cast of characters. For the full interview, visit the TIME story below. http://time.com/4394478/iron-man-riri-williams-tony-stark/ 12:00 01.08.2016 Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference 'Major Corrupt Officials in Sumy Region are Exposed' 1 min read On Monday, August 1, at 12.00, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference entitled "Major Corrupt Officials in Sumy Region are Exposed." Chairman of the Sumy Regional Council Semen Salatenko will speak about all corruption schemes and will announce the names of Sumy regional officials who amid the war are shamelessly carving up land and other natural resources. The participants will include Chairman of the Sumy Regional Council, Representative of the Batkivschyna All-Ukrainian Union Semen Salatenko, p activists Serhiy Suprun and Vitaly Koplyk (8/5a Reitarska Street). Accreditation is required by phone: (066) 611 3236. Weddings. That one event where two beautiful people announce their union by calling a number of random people as witnesses. Well, I might be trivialising it a little but that's the gist of it, isn't it? What one cannot deny is that they are an absolute visual treat and in India, being home to thousands of wonderful traditions, it's never a dull affair. But beyond the common chapel weddings and the amazingly loud Punjabi weddings that we encounter more often than usual, there are many other kinds that we might not have experienced yet. Here are some of the most beautiful wedding attires from around the world that show what a visual treat weddings are. 1. The Avar bride, a Caucasus native ethnic group living in the Russian republic of Dagestan thelovelyplanet 2. The Bedouin wedding veil in Israel corporatefineart.com 3. Traditional Chinese wedding attire 1.bp.blogspot.com 4. A wonderfully colourful couple from a wedding in Ghana akiboatimpressions 5. A bride from the Gora region between Kosovo and Macedonia. Just look how intricate that artwork is! halboor.com 6. A Hamar woman from Ethiopia, although she doesn't seem too pleased imgur 7. The Hutsuls from the Carpathian mountains in Ukraine molbuk.ua 8. You recognise this one quite well, don't you? A traditional Indian wedding Instagram/ rani_in_silk 9. Indonesians have a number of different cultures and a number of ways to celebrate, just like India. This one from Jakarta is one of our favourites. paultenyom 10. A traditional Japanese wedding with the bride in white, symbolising purity rings.bunsh.co 11. A Javanese wedding that reminds you a bit of Sindhi weddings. Their love for the colour gold is common, isn't it? fotoblur 12. A traditional Korean royal wedding costume known as Hanbok nextshark.com 13. A Maasai wedding in Kenya where the bride is required to decorate her face and body with colourful shells and beads. It is during the wedding party where she lifts her veil and shows her beautiful self to the world africageographic.com 14. A Malay wedding held as per the Muslim tradition Instagram/ Photo plays 15. A gorgeous Mexican bride pinterest/NOVICA/Alex Aguirre 16. A Nigerian wedding ceremony would often have the women wearing a massive "head tie" known as Gele cecistyle.com 17. A Romanian bride from the Oas region imgur 18. A Palembang wedding from Indonesia is an extravagant affair pinterest/ thebridedept.com 19. A traditional Peruvian bride in a valley near Cuzco, Peru Flickr/Jacek Kadaj 20. A Polish wedding with lots of ponchos and many more flowers 3.bp.blogspot.com 21. A Rashaida bride from Eritrea and northeast Sudan national geographic/ carol beckwith/ angela fisher 22. A traditional couple from the Ribnovo region in Southwest Bulgaria techinsider.io 23. A fruit cake. Err, I mean a traditional bridal costume from Schaumburg-lippe, Germany beatrijs sterk/ Flickr 24. A lovely Scottish wedding where the groom is expected to show as much skin as the bride Instagram/im_jessica_oh 25. This is what a newly married Sri-Lankan couple look like pinterest/U & Me Weddings 26. A traditional Tibetan bride, almost impossible to spot cultural-china.com 27. Beautiful wedding attire from Turkmenistan mircorp.com 28. A traditional Yemenite bride wears some rather elaborate headgear to ward off evil yemenite-art.com Wonderful, aren't they? The political grappling with BJP and PM Modi in particular seems to have taken a toll on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal as he plans to spend 10 days in Nagpur for Vipassana course. The move came after Kejriwal grabbed headlines for rhetorically accusing PM Modi to conspire for his elimination. BCCL Also read: In The Name Of Sewa, Kejriwal Caught Allegedly Cleaning 'Clean' Utensils At Golden Temple "This is a critical time. All of you introspect and also discuss it with your families. The face-off is set to get dirtier in the time to come. They can go to any extent. They may kill us. They may even kill me. They could do anything. Talk to your families," said Delhi CM a couple of days ago. Though Delhi CM has been practicing vipassana, an ancient meditation technique and had gone to Bangalore for the course not so long ago. But it seems that the alleged threat from the Centre, especially the PMO, seems to have worked wonders as Kejriwal heads for another vipassana course to recover his lost confidence. BCCL Also read: Modi Ignores Kejriwal At Meeting, But The Internet Will Never Let Them Forget Their Namosecond Handshake! CM Kejriwal had gone to Bangalore for vipassana course after intense campaigning for the 2013 Delhi election and the 2014 general election. But unlike previous times, this time he will not have access to television or newspapers. AAP has been at loggerheads with Centre over various issues for quite a while now. The regular arrests of AAP MLAs is seen a politics of vendetta by AAP and CM Kejriwal in particular. BCCL Also read: What Does Thulla Mean, High Court Judge Asks Kejriwal, Because It's Not In The Dictionary Kejriwal in a YouTube video earlier this week had said that the Delhi government's "accomplishments have infuriated the PM" which is why he has unleashed central agencies to frame false cases against AAP law-makers, 12 of whom have so far been arrested and released on bail. The Chief Minister said that courts regularly find that AAP has been unfairly targeted. Yesterday, a judge hearing a case against AAP legislator Amaanatullah Khan and reportedly rebuked the police for arresting him without sufficient evidence. BCCL On earlier occasions, Kejriwal had unleashed personal attack at PM. Last year, he had labelled PM as "a coward and psychopath," after CBI raided his office. But before he leaves for Nagpur, somebody from his ranks should remind him that Nagpur is RSS headquarters. More than 40 people have been killed and lakhs others have been displaced areas in Assam and Bihar where the flood situation continues to deteriorate. As the rains show no signs of slowing down and more and more places get inundated, the Indian Army has been deployed in the regions for rescue missions. ADGPI The Army's Eastern Command has deployed several units for flood relief operations in the two states. Teams, each with approximately 50 personnel, along with engineer assets and speed boats were dispatched to Golaghat, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Goalpara and Chirang districts in Assam. So far nearly 250 people have been rescued. Relief operations are still continuing," said Wg Cdr SS Birdi, CPRO, defence, Kolkata. Two columns each having a strength of nearly 80 personnel, along with eight speed boats, were also been rushed to Karwa and Balrampur sub-divisions of Katihar on Wednesday evening. The NDRF have also been involved in rescue efforts in Assam. NDRF Home Minister Rajnath Singh is also set to visit Assam on Saturday to assess the situation. In the state alone an estimated 18 lakh people have been affected by the devastating flood. In Bihar, around 3.88 lakh people have been displaced while 1.36 lakh people have taken shelter in the 357 relief camps run by the government. It is an unusual threat that passengers and staff in Chennai international airport face. While in other airports if the biggest concern is terror threats, in Chennai it is falling glass panels! YouTube The international airport has a dubious track record of glass panels falling down. In fact in the past four years there have been a whooping 66 incidents of glass sheets coming down, the latest being on Friday morning. But the worst part is-no one seems to have any idea why this is happening again and again. Twitter Airports Authority of India (AAI) has said in its reply to a notice from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that glass panels were falling not because of structural issues but due to impurities in the glass and the issue was merely media hype. The reply said that passengers were not injured in any of the incidents. TOI The response came following a notice issued by NHRC after a Supreme Court lawyer filed a complaint against frequent crash of glass panels at the airport. The menace started four years ago after the airport was renovated at a cost of Rs 2200 crore. It was aimed at increasing the airport's annual handling capacity to 16 million domestic passengers and 7 million international passengers. In April Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju had told the parliament that action taken against the firm which was involved in the project, though he did not disclose its name. Monsoon in India brings heavy showers but also massive traffic jams. And with that the elation over low temperatures is quickly overtaken by frustration about knee-deep water. Last evening, Delhi NCR received plentiful rain and left people stranded in never-ending jams till past midnight on NH-8. Click here to read more 1. People In PoK Are Protesting Against Poll Rigging By The Govt In the international scene Pakistan claims itself to be the champion of the Kashmir cause and has been demanding a plebiscite in Kashmir for decades. But the picture Islamabad wants the world to see is far different from the reality on the ground in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The elections there have always been under allegations of massive vote rigging. This largely because the ruling party in Islamabad seem to get a "walkover" in the polls ever single time. The situation was no different this time - Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) swept the elections held on July 21. Many including Pakistani political parties have come out in the open claiming that the vote was far from being fair. Click here to read more 2. Uttarakhand Government Allocates Rs 25 Crore To Search For Sanjeevani Booti The Harish Rawat government is so confident that they can find the magical plant in the Himalayas, it has all allotted Rs 25 crore for it. "We have set an initial budget of Rs. 25 crore for the project," said Surendra Singh Negi, Uttarakhand Health minister. A team of scientists are set to begin their search in the Dronagiri range of Himalayas near the Chinese border as early as August. "We have to try and it will never go to waste. If we are determined we will certainly find it," the minister added. Click here to read more 3. Your Old Passport Will Be Replaced With Smart E-passport New generation e-passport featuring enhanced security features such as bio-metric details may soon be rolled out by the government. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said in the Lok Sabha that the government was in the process of procuring devices for e-passport. India is the third largest passport issuing country after China and US. A total of 2,54,708 passports were issued by India in 2015. Click here to read more 4. Flipkart To Lay Off 700-1000 Employees In A Bid To Increase Its Profits Flipkart is laying off employees who have failed to meet professional expectations, according to ET. The report said that the e-commerce company is offering people a choice between resigning or leave by accepting severance pay. The company will lay off about 700-1000 people, ET reported according to anonymous sources, who work with Flipkart in Bengaluru. Click here to read more 5. Chennai Airport's Biggest Problem Isn't A Terrorist Threat, It's Falling Glass Panels It is an unusual threat that passengers and staff in Chennai international airport face. While in other airports if the biggest concern is terror threats, in Chennai it is falling glass panels!The international airport has a dubious track record of glass panels falling down. In fact in the past four years there have been a whooping 66 incidents of glass sheets coming down, the latest being on Friday morning. Click here to read more The IT capital is set to host India's first 'smart factory' where machines speak to each other. Armed with the Internet of Things and data exchange in manufacturing, the factory is the future. Experts are calling it Industry 4.0. Reports peg the smart factory market to touch $215 billion by 2025, and there is no major economy in the world that is not embracing it. BCCL/representative image India's first factory is making progress at the Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing (CPDM) of the Indian Institute of Science, with seed funding from Boeing. "Yes, the factory will manufacture things here. But it will be a scaled-down version. We won't have the numbers of an actual factory." said Amaresh Chakrabarti, CPMD Chairman BCCL/representative image "The aerospace company is giving us enough (funds) to implement this revolutionary project. Indian factories now have automation, and we've made progress there. We're talking about a facility that is autonomous thinking and working on its own." said Amaresh Chakrabart, CPMD Chairman. Chakrabarti explained what differentiates the smart factory from the rest. A factory has five key elements: machines, tools, people who operate them, parts that are manufactured and the environment where these activities take place. "In a smart factory, all these five elements exist. What's more is the continuous activity of collecting data, analysing it and using it to attain the most optimal result from the factory." te/representative image Data is collected from a variety of sensors on a variety of activities: The posture of a welder, the kind of energy used, the damage caused to the machine and its replacement cycle. The factory is self-aware, in a sense. "It knows when a worker needs rest, when a machine needs repair or replacement, the humidity, temperature, everything. The data collected is analyzed before course correction is initiated," Chakrabarti added. The network-enabled framework employed for manufacturing provides huge scope for autonomy. "The Internet of Things has enabled this. In another big leap, we've made headway in natural language processing." BCCL/representative image "It's fantastic that the project is happening. The smart factory concept in India has been a little slow because we don't have labour shortage or expensive labour. Here, we do it to maintain competitive edge and provide customer satisfaction." according to Dr Rishi Bhatnagar, Chairman of the Institute of Engineering and Technology India IoT panel. Smart factory - Salient features - Data collection & collation from instrumented manufacturing facility: Collect real-time data and legacy data (something that already exists) - Marry both kinds of data to plan, monitor, diagnose & improve manufacturing situations; all through intelligent systems - Employ Natural Language processing to acquire knowledge that can solve issues - Autonomous tool serving as an integrated software for all required data acquisition, processing, analytics et al, to implement complete network-enabled framework Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference Mass Drug Addiction of Children and Youth through Drugs Sale via the Internet and other Information and Telecommunication Resources On Monday, August 1, at 13.30 the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference entitled Mass Drug Addiction of Children and Youth through Drugs Sale via the Internet and other Information and Telecommunication Resources. The participants will include chairman of the NGO Dzherelo, psychologist Pavlo Kazarian, a journalist of the Prestupnosti Net (No to Crime) Internet edition Andriy Lokhmatov (8/5a Reitarska Street). Admission requires press accreditation. More information by phone: (095) 896 8584. After getting assurance from Union minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj for extension of visa, the 'foreign bahu,' married to a young villager from Fatehabad district, left for her native Kazakhstan on Thursday. Zhanna Chaladayeva took a flight from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport to return to her homeland at 11am on Thursday. TOI "She wanted to meet her family members, so she decided to go to her parental home," Zhanna's husband Teenu Jangra of Samain village told TOI. Although not the first foreign bride in Haryana, Zhanna came in to limelight when Swaraj tweeted to offer help to the couple after she came to know about the couple's struggle in getting her visa extended. She had married her Facebook friend Jangra on May 2. Her tourist visa was valid until August 1. "Thaari bahu ne kaho visa badhaan khaatir arji dakhil kar de. Hum uski madad kar diyaange" (Tell your daughter-in-law to file an application for extension of visa. We will help her)," tweeted Swaraj on July 9. I spoke to Jahana and her husband. She told me that at this moment she wants to go back to her country. Her husband reiterated this. Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 27, 2016 After Sushma's prod, Jangra said Zhanna's visa was extended for one more year. But on Wednesday, Sushma again tweeted: "I spoke to Jahana (Zhanna) and her husband. She told me she wanted to go back to her country. Her husband reiterated this." Jangra said she had a wonderful time in the village. "She may be back here from her home in 15-20 days again. I will also consider going to her country," he said. BCCL According to Jangra, his wife knows six languages, while he had done a welding course from a local Industrial Training Institute (ITI) after completing his schooling. "At home, only I was able to interact with her because she talks in English," he said. Jangra's father is an employee of the state transport department. About a month ago, the couple had some misunderstanding, and she had reached the police station at Tohana, though no complaint was filed. Tohana station house officer (SHO) Pradeep Kumar told TOI that she just took the contact number of the police station from him. Jangra said the misunderstanding was resolved. Dreaded Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed has become the latest Anti-India element from across the border to take advantage of the Indian forces killing of 22-year-old terrorist Burhan Wani, this month According to Jamaat ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, an 'aamir' from his Lashkar-e-Taiba, Abu Dujana was leading the funeral procession of Wani. "Burhan Wani was martyred. Lakhs of Kashmiris came to the streets to attend his funeral. Did you see a man who was being carried on shoulders by the crowd? Do you know this youth who was leading the procession? Do you know who he is? He is 'ameer' of LeT," said Hazif Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). BCCL However no one including Hizbul Mujahideen, which Wani was a commander of, has not responded to Saeed's claim. Saeed, designated a terrorist by the United States with a USD 10 million bounty on his head, heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which is seen as a front group for the outlawed LeT. BCCL He also claimed that Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi called him over phone and sought help. "Asiya Andrabi called me over phone and asked, 'where are my Pakistani brothers? We are in trouble... I told my Pakistani brothers to respond to her call. It was immediately decided to send a group to Kashmir and within three days all preparations were done. Several people from Faisalabad went to Kashmir," he said. BCCL Wani's death unleashed the worst violence in the Kashmir Valley in six years. Nearly 50 people have died; 5,000 of which 3,000 are security force personnel, have been injured in clashes that, till recently, placed the region under curfew and without mobile and internet services. Also Read: After Burhan Wani's Killing Violence Will Increase In Kashmir, Warns Terrorist Hafiz Saeed Saeed, who travels freely and gives speeches inciting people to attack Western and Indian interests, had warned more violence in Kashmir in a recent interview. The LeT was behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was banned in Pakistan in 2015. When Lord Hanuman couldn't identify Sanjeevani Booti for the mortally injured Laxman during the war with Ravana, he carried an entire mountain on his shoulder. This is how the Hindu epic Ramayana mentions the story of the magical herb. hanumanwallpapers/ Representational Illustration But it may not be just a myth - at least that is what the Uttarakhand government believes. The Harish Rawat government is so confident that they can find the magical plant in the Himalayas, it has all allotted Rs 25 crore for it. "We have set an initial budget of Rs. 25 crore for the project," said Surendra Singh Negi, Uttarakhand Health minister. A team of scientists are set to begin their search in the Dronagiri range of Himalayas near the Chinese border as early as August. "We have to try and it will never go to waste. If we are determined we will certainly find it," the minister added. Even though the herb is mentioned in a number of ancient Ayurvedic texts, modern science is yet to find trace of its actual existence. But there are a number of plants the locals claim is Sanjeevani Booti. coorgblog/ Representational Image According to ancient texts, the plant has life-restoring properties, grows in the high mountains of the Himalayas and glows in the dark. This is the first time the government has initiated a search for the mythical plant - in 2008 Acharya Balkrishna from Yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali had claimed that their team had successfully identified Mrit Sanjeevani in Uttarakhand, and has filed for its patent. dreammountain/ Representative Image Uttarakhand boasts of a rich flora and fauna is home to some rare medicinal plants that is found nowhere else on the planet. Last year the state had also proposed to legalise marijuana cultivation, becoming the first state in India to do so. medicalmarijuana/ Representative Image The government however made it clear that the farmers can only sell their produce to the government and not to private buyers. The ongoing crisis in Syria is the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. While more than 250,000 people have lost their lives in the past five years of armed conflict, that began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war, over 11 million others have been forced from their homes while forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule, as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State, battle each other. Reuters Whereas families are struggling to survive inside Syria, or make a new home in neighboring countries, this country has become one of the most dangerous places for children and those students who are struggling to go to school. This is the story of 16-year-old Maya, one among thousands of struggling students, who did not let any bomb or bullet get in her way. UNICEF Speaking to UNICEF, Maya said, "While I was at school one day, a bomb exploded next to my school and everyone went home. We were so scared and so many people died in that explosion." In fact, this year more that 10,000 students have risked their lives by crossing deadly conflict lines just to get to their examination centres. "I did well in the exams I have done so far. My dream is to be a journalist when I grow up so I can talk to people and ask about their suffering. Hopefully, by the time I grow up, suffering will have ended and everything will be back to normal," she added. But, UNICEF, in support of these students who come from severely affected areas, created a school-turned shelter so that they can take their exam peacefully. The news of Arianna Quan recently crowned as 2016 Miss Michigan has gone viral in Chinese social media. Quan arrived in the United States from China when she was just six. She has become an American at the age of 14, and now, at 23, Quan can speak both Chinese and English fluently. The fact that this news has turned popular in China is partially because that this Beijing-born lady is the first Asian contestant who won this award. However, the majority of discussions are focused on her look. Many Chinese netizens apparently do not find this years Miss Michigan pretty at all. Some commented saying Quan "looks more like 43 than 23". Others directly criticize how "ugly she is". What do you think? Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com. A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets. Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials. If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details. Greecesemployers group , the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), this week unveiled a detailed set of positions ahead of whats expected to be tough negotiations between institutional creditors and the Greek government over the formers demands for labor market reforms. According to recent information from his motherland that club was finally Asteras Tripolis, but the 24-year-old Argentine, who also holds croatian citizenship and is therefore not considered a foreign player in the European Union, rejected their transfer bid because On this auspicious occasion, OMICS International inviting the participants from all over the globe to take part in the 9th International Conference on Nano Congress for Next Generation at Manchester,United Kingdom during August 1-2, 2016. The theme of the conference Exploring Advancements in Nanotechnology highlights the interdisciplinary nature of Nanotechnology. Scientific Tracks designed for this conference will enable the attendees and participants to learn extremes. Importance& Scope: The field of nanotechnology have not only helped the development in different fields in science and technology but also contributed towards the improvement of the quality of human life to a great extent. All this has become possible with the different discoveries and inventions leading to the development of various applications. The core aim of Nano Congress 2016 conference is to provide an opportunity for the delegates to meet, interact and exchange new ideas in the various areas of Nanotechnology. Why to attend? Nano Congress for Future Generation tiles a platform to globalize the research by installing a dialogue between industries and academic organizations and knowledge transfer from research to industry. Nanocongress-2016 aims in proclaim knowledge and share new ideas among the professionals, industrialists and students from research areas of Nanotechnology and Materials Science to share their research experiences and indulge in interactive discussions and special sessions at the event. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), visits a memorial to leave flowers and pay his respect to all those who died in the devastating earthquake and heroes sacrificed in the earthquake relief work at Tangshan Earthquake Memorial Park in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, July 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang) On the 40th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake, President Xi Jinping said the country's disaster prevention, reduction and relief capabilities should be improved. Xi made the remarks on Thursday during an inspection tour of Tangshan in north China, where he visited a memorial, leaving flowers and paying his respects to all who died in the devastating earthquake. The 7.8-magnitude quake struck the city of Tangshan in Hebei Province on July 28, 1976, killing more than 240,000 people and destroying virtually all buildings. China has suffered some of the world's worst natural disasters, which are diverse, frequent, hit many parts of the country and cause severe damage, Xi said during a meeting with provincial and city officials. Despite notable improvements to China's disaster relief system, there is still room for improvement, Xi said. The government is shifting priority from relief to prevention, from divided efforts to comprehensive preparation, and from reducing damages to addressing risks, he said. Legislation and leadership will be improved, and attention will be given to streamlining mechanisms, improving monitoring and prevention of natural disasters, enhancement of disaster resistant urban and rural infrastructure, and better training and organization of the public. Warning that the country is entering a critical stage in flood control and relief, Xi underscored that the lives and safety of the public were the government's top priorities. The military and civilian sectors will work closely to respond to emergencies, try their best to ensure the safety of people and reinforce large reservoirs, he said. Xi promised that the government will spare no effort in searching for the missing, treating the injured and taking care of the deceased. Residents in flood-hit regions will be relocated to safe and sanitized locations with the supplies they will need, he added. LEGACY OF TANGSHAN "An earthquake destroyed this city 40 years ago, but it didn't destroy the will of the people of Tangshan or the soldiers and civilians across the country," Xi said in the Tangshan Earthquake Memorial Park. Xi hailed the people of Tangshan for their selflessness, unity, resilience and hard work following the earthquake, stressing that these qualities are exactly what the country needs to build a "moderately prosperous society in all respects and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation". While visiting the city's paraplegic rehabilitation center, Xi voiced his admiration for a couple who were both patients and now actively participate in community work and write poems and novels. Xi encouraged patients at the center to value life and health and strive to make their lives splendid, while lauding the medical workers' thorough and meticulous services. The city has recovered and prospered after the devastating earthquake because of the unity of its people under the leadership of the Party, he said. Tangshan is an example of the excellence of the Party leadership and socialist system, Xi said. Xi urged the city to carry on upholding the spirit and to take the lead in the ongoing economic restructuring and reform drive. At an exhibition on the city's recovery and development over the past four decades, he noted that Tangshan had a lot to gain from the Belt and Road Initiative and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development. The president also instructed Hebei Province to take the full advantage of its proximity to the two municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin and advance its environmental protection and poverty alleviation work. He also visited a local community and toured the World Horticultural Exposition in Tangshan. Recently, a young young Nigerian lady, Ahmed Mayowa was in the media, soliciting for help from Nigerians. This young lady was diagnosed with Type IV ovarian cancer, and she also has sickle cell anaemia. A go-fund-me page was opened for her as she needed a sum of 32 million Naira for surgery abroad. In the statement released online, My name is Mayowa Ahmed, Nigerian, a graduate of University of Lagos and an HB SS patient incidentally diagnosed with bilateral Ovarian Mass Carcinoma. I need assistance to raise 100,000 USDollars for treatment at Emory International Hospital Atlanta USA. Kindly help me live again. I dont want to die #SaveMe please. Well-meaning Nigerians came to her rescue and donated the money required. A picture also surfaced online where the actress Toyin Aimhaku was spotted with Mayowa. Reports show that she was at LUTH, Lagos to provide moral support to Mayowa. This encouraged Nigerians to even help the girl to realise the money needed for her surgery. I give her a kudos for this campaign to save a life and advise other celebrities to do their best to support those in needs. The story took a slight twist when news hit the media that the campaign was allegedly a scam. Unfortunately, before facts were made available, the news had spread like wildfire. It was was on the lips of many Nigerians that her family members were only using the situation to raise money and that they Had no intention to fly her abroad for surgery as the doctors had told them there was no hope for her to survive. The family released a statement to that effect; Mayowa is presently in LUTH receiving treatments that will prepare her for 7hr trip to Abu Dhabi. We have also engaged the services of the Flying Doctors to accompany her on the trip based on recommendation by the Doctors in LUTH (Form attached). Mayowa is receiving treatment in LUTH to allow her be able to travel as advised by the Doctors in LUTH and she has been transfused to help improve her PCV. The funds are solely for Mayowa s treatment and for no other reason. We await her Visa for travel documents to commence the journey as we are in touch with the doctors abroad and they are awaiting her arrival. We appreciate the contributions made by Nigerians on this journey. Mayowa will live to tell this story and you shall be one of the audiences by His grace. Please support us with prayers as you will surely be told the success story as we have not given up on Mayowa living her life and we will never give up until the work God has started is finished. However,amidst these controversies, its too quick to come to a conclusion as the family as put out a statement concerning details of her flight and the hospital. Now, a few curious Nigerians have refused to accept the information Social media has thrown at them, but have decided to arrive at their own conclusion. INFORMATION NIGERIA hereby compile and ask the following questions: 1. What proof does Toyin Aimhaku has that Mayowas case was a scam? 2. What did she intend to achieve by storming the hospital ward policemen? 3. Did she put into consideration the effect of her actions to Mayowa? Did she intend to cause more havoc to the girl, clear her name out of the saga, or give herself more publicity? 4. If this whole thing turns out not to be a scam, would she in like manner turn herself into the police? 5. Why was she crying on Instagram? 6. Should the family of the girl not try their every means to find solution to the problem? The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai has paid a visit to wounded soldiers and the three staff of the United Nations agency and other international humanitarian organizations who were injured during yesterdays ambush. He visited them at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. The Chief of Army Staff, who was accompanied by the Theatre Commander, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, some Principal Staff Officers from the Army Headquarters and the Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division, interacted with the wounded soldiers and civilians, encouraged them and wished them speedy recovery. He equally commended the doctors and the hospital staff for their wonderful efforts in giving necessary care and treatment to the injured persons. Boko Haram insurgents attacked troops attached to the United Nations team on their way to Bama on humanitarian escort duty, the escort convoy were ambushed by terrorists hiding in Meleri village, a few kilometres from Kawuri. The delegation was said to be moving food items and drugs to the IDPs in Bama. The troops however, successfully cleared the ambush and exploited up to Afunori. According to Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, said two soldiers and three civilians were wounded in the ambush, among whom were staff of United Nations agencies and other international humanitarian organizations. The wounded have been evacuated to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and they are in stable condition. The Nigerian Army wishes to sympathize with our wounded colleagues, the United Nations and other Non-governmental organizations whose personnel were also injured in this sad incident. We wish to reiterate our determination and commitment to ensuring safety and security in the North East and safeguarding the lives of all persons, Colonel Usman said. The Gombe State Caucus in the House of Representatives yesterday accused some external forces of creating an atmosphere of chaos in the lower legislative chamber. The caucus, which addressed a press conference in Abuja on the budget padding allegation leveled against Speaker Yakubu Dogara, his deputy, Lassun Yussuf and other principal officers by the former House Appropriation Committee Chairman, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said it would not be part of any group that would cause instability in the House. The lawmakers that signed the press statement were Reps Ali Isa, Aishatu Jibrin Dukku, Ustaz Yunusa Ahmad Abubakar, Binta Bello, Ismaila Muazu Hassan and Yaya Bauchi Tongo. Bello was, however, absent at the briefing. Most definitely, the House has enjoyed considerable peace and stability under the able leadership of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, but it seems some persons, both within and outside the House, are bent on scuttling this atmosphere of peace engendered by our amiable Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara. We of the Gombe State caucus of the House of Representatives wish to categorically and publicly declare that we are not part of any evil group trying to cause disaffection and instability in the House of Representatives, and we in like manner, dissociate ourselves from any conspiracy and attack against Speaker Yakubu Dogara and the entire leadership of the House. While describing Jibrins allegations as wild goose chase, the lawmakers said they were appalled and shocked that Hon Jibrin only came out with this accusation just after the House has duly sacked him as appropriation Committee Chairman over the offence of unlawfully inflating the budget in his own favour! According to the caucus, soon after President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2016 budget estimates to the National Assembly last December, the former appropriation committee chair wrote all members, requesting them to send details of projects they wanted captured in their constituencies, which all lawmakers complied with. But we are now shocked and surprised that Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin is now using these same letters to blackmail the House as guilty of padding the Federal Budget! What a shame, they added. The world, particularly Nigerians, must be told that the figures being reeled out by Hon. Jibrin as his basis of blackmail against the leadership of the House were actually suggested by him. As a matter of fact, the Appropriation Committee under the leadership of Hon. Jibrin initiated the allocation formula with which the constituency projects of Honourable Members were inserted into the 2016 budget. By reason of their leadership position, the Appropriation Committee conceded significant provisions to the principal officers of the House, but we are even shocked that Hon. Jibrin who is not a principal officer, allocated provisions to his Constituency far beyond what the principal officers he is accusing got. So what is Hon. Jibrins point in this shameless dance of absurdity? the Gombe caucus queried. But Jibrin, in his reaction, described the Gombe lawmakers action as a show of shame, and that they only succeeded in only rehashing the accusation of lies leveled against me by Speaker Dogara. President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday urged religious leaders in the country to keep calming Nigerians and assure them that his government was aware of the challenges confronting the average citizen. The president appealed to Islamic leaders who visited him yesterday, to convey the message of hope to the citizens that things would improve soon. Receiving the Council of Abuja Imams at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Buhari said the leadership at various levels was trying to solve problems of poverty, unemployment and insecurity bedeviling the country. He noted that his administration decided to give priority to agriculture in order to create jobs and ensure food security, assuring that there was a bigger plan for the provision of fertiliser, insecticides and land preparations beginning from next year. Mr. Buhari, therefore, urged state governments and community leaders across the country, to key into this by organising the citizens into cooperative societies. Extension services, not money, will be provided, he said. The president disclosed that efforts were being made to bring investors from China and other friendly countries interested in developing the proposed Mambila and other hydro-electric power projects in Nigeria. He also assured that the steps the government was carefully taking on the Niger Delta crisis would bring about long-term peace and stability in the region. Buhari told the clerics that his administration would remain resolute and relentless in the ongoing war against corruption and the Boko Haram insurgency. We have no plan to humiliate or embarrass anyone through these actions. We are merely interested in instituting justice and fairness for all, he maintained. He, however, vowed that whoever is found to have stolen public funds would be forced to return the funds because The nation needs the money. In his remarks, the chairman of Abuja Council of Imams, Dr. Tajudeen Mohammed Bello Adigun, commended the administrations efforts towards fighting corruption and terrorism but drew Buharis attention to the current economic challenges, especially unemployment as well as problems in the health and education sectors. President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday rejoiced with Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, on the 21st anniversary of his ordination to priesthood in the Catholic Church, which comes up today (Friday). The President extends his best wishes to Fr. Mbakas family, congregation and well-wishers as they celebrate this special occasion with him in his continued devotion to the well-being of others as a father, wise counselor, teacher and guardian, a statement by presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said on Thursday. The president commends Fr. Mbakas steadfast devotion to his vocation and ministry amply demonstrated in his love and service for his people, nation and God. President Buhari prays that God Almighty, who has given the cleric the strength to devote his entire life to service in the Vineyard, will continually bless and prosper his ministry. President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed new chief executives for five health agencies, with two coming from the US and another from the UK. From the US are Echezona Ezeanolue, a professor of paediatrics and public health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who will head the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and Usman Yusuf, a professor of paediatrics at St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, who becomes the executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme. Aliyu Hussein, a consultant in microbiology and infectious diseases at Cambridge University, UK, will head the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA). Below are their bios in full. USMAN YUSUF Currently a professor of paediatrics at St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He is a graduate of medicine at ABU Zaria where he also worked at the Teaching Hospital from 1984 to 1989. He moved to the UK in 1990 where he worked in the Paediatric field at various hospitals until 1995 when he moved to South Carolina, in the USA where he rose to become a fellow in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology in 1998. In 2000, he moved to Seattle, Washington to work in Cancer Research rising to become an assistant Professor. In 2002, he relocated to Tennessee to take on the post of professor of paediatrics where he remains till today. Over his career, he has published many journals and made many presentations at global institutions. He has won many awards including the Physician of the year award for excellence in 2006 and 2007. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the West African College of Physicians and the American Academy of Physicians. ECHEZONA EZEANOLUE Currently a professor of paediatrics and public health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA. He got his medical degree at the University of Nigeria in 1995 where he also did his internship.In 1999, he moved to Howard University, Washington DC where he did his paediatric internship and residency. In 2002, he proceeded to the New Jersey Medical School and got his fellowship in Paediatric Infectious Disease. In 2005, he moved to Nevada where he remains to date practicing paediatric medicine. He is a recipient of many awards including being ranked the top doctor in Las Vegas, 2015 and one of the top paediatric doctors in the US 2012. He has written many journal articles and has received grants worth millions of dollars over the years to fund his research.He is a member of the American Board of Paediatrics, a director, Global Health and Implementation Science and Director, Maternal-Child HIV Program. BABATUNDE LAWAL SALAKO Currently the provost, College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan. He is also a professor and honourary consultant of Nephrology at the University College Ibadan. He had his first medical degree from the University of Ibadan in 1986 where he still works to date. He has attended courses at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburg and London and was elected a fellow in both institutes. Although most of his career has been in Ibadan, his work is globally respected including at highly acclaimed institutions like the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta where he has been a member of an international panel of experts. His research and various publications were funded from local and international grants. He is a well know public commentator on health matters and a pillar of his community. ALIYU SANI HUSSEIN Currently a consultant in microbiology and infectious diseases at Cambridge University, UK. He got his medical degree from ABU Zaria in 1993 after which he proceeded to become a medical officer at the State House Medical Centre in Abuja. In 1998, he moved to Cambridges Addenbrooke Hospital as a senior house officer in Microbiology where he rose through the ranks becoming a consultant in Microbiology today. He has participated and supervised various research and publications in his career funded from numerous grants. He is a member of the Trust Healthcare Associated Infections Task Force and also chairs the Information and Governance Steering Group of the Caldicott Guardian Trust, an authority that focuses on policy and strategic planning in medicine in the UK. He is the chairman of the exam board for Infectious Diseases Speciality Certificate Examinations (SCE) of the Royal College of Physicians and also the clinical audit lead for the infectious diseases department. CHIKWE ANDREAS IHEKWEAZU Currently the managing partner at EpiAfric, a public health consultancy firm that focuses on Africa. He obtained his first medical degree at the University of Nigeria in 1996 after where he also did his housemanship. In 2001, he moved the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin where he worked as a medical epidemiologist investigating outbreaks of hospital associated infections. In 2003, he moved to the UK and rose to become the consultant medical epidemiologist at the Health Protection Agency, England by 2011. He then relocated to South Africa in 2011 as the co-director, Centre for Tuberculosis at the South African Institute of Communicable Diseases. In 2014, he established his consulting firm, EpiAricand in 2015, was appointed the consultant and coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Ebola Response team in Monrovia, Liberia. In addition to consultancy, he is also the curator of the Nigeria Health Watch, an NGO that uses advocacy to seek better health care access in Nigeria. He has many publications and received numerous awards including the honourary lecturer on Infectious Diseases at the University College London. The family of Mayowa Ahmed, a Nigerian woman who raised over N60 million to fight cancer, has decried claims by a blog that they set up the fraud to scam people. The blog on Thursday published that the family had been told by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) that at Stage 4 of her cancer, there was no longer hope for her but to wait to die yet went ahead to raise millions of naira locally and up to 100,000 dollars through gofundme. It was also reported that Nollywood actress, Toyin Aimakhu, who helped with the fundraising, visited LUTH with police men to arrest the alleged scammers. A source said the effort raised about N64million for the 29-year old woman who suffers from ovarian cancer. However, the family in a statement, noted that despite LUTHs verdict, they would not give up on Mayowa. They noted that efforts are being made to fly her to Abu Dhabi by next week. The statement reads: We have been called by friends, family that our raising funds for Mayo is a scam. We were also informed that some persons had made statements concerning her state and her ability to pull through this ordeal. As a family we wish to make these affirmative statements: Mayowa is presently in LUTH receiving treatments that will prepare her for seven-hour trip to Abu Dhabi. We have also engaged the services of the Flying Doctors to accompany her on the trip based on recommendation by the Doctors in LUTH. Mayowa is receiving treatment in LUTH to allow her be able to travel as advised by the Doctors in LUTH and she has been transfused to help improve her PCV. The funds are solely for Mayowa s treatment and for no other reason. We await her Visa for travel documents to commence the journey as we are in touch with the doctors abroad and they are awaiting her arrival. We appreciate the contributions made by Nigerians on this journey. Mayowa will live to tell this story and you shall be one of the audiences by His grace. When The Nation put a call through to Mayowas sister, Tope, it was answered by a family friend, Saheed Badmus, who described Linda Ikejis claim as false. He said the family only got to know Mayowas ailment was cancer about a month ago after about a year of regular tests at LUTH and the Reddington Hospital and are continuing with medical treatment because Mayowas wish to fight for her life. The true story is that the girl is very sick. She was in my house in March and up till that time LUTH and Reddington could not give us the cause of her sickness. It is not as if the family knew she had cancer like three or four months ago. We just learnt about the cancer last month because LUTH and Reddington could not give us a diagnosis from the results of the tests they had been conducting since last year. They are the major cause why we are in this situation. We had to send the test results abroad before we were told she had ovarian cancer. The girl said she doesnt want to die like this. She is not giving up on herself. It is not like the hospital she is going to in (Abu Dhabi) is promising a miracle. But they can take care of her. Linda Ikeji is not being open-minded. Watch her (Mayowas) videos. She says she just wants a chance to live, he said. Badmus also told this reporter that he was the one that urged the family to seek help from the public in their struggle to save their daughters life. The family does not want thi publicity. I was the one that said they should seek support. They are not hungry people without jobs. But I advised them that with the enormity of the problem, they should seek help, he said. Another source close to Mayowas sister (names withheld), defended the family, saying she demonstrated integrity when they were in school together. She added that one dose of injection for Mayowas treatment costs up to N4million. She said Linda likely published the post because people normally give up when cancer gets to advanced stage. Linda Ikeji is going based on the stage of her ailment and the theory that once its stage IV there is no remedy and that is not true. It all depends on how much money you have to treat yourself; and most especially Gods grace, she said. Source:TheNation The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, yesterday condemned the misappropriation of cash meant for the purchase of arms and munition for the military by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), as ungodly. This is just as he endorsed the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari and sought more international support for the campaign. Sultan Abubakar III spoke with some top officials at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington DC, according to a statement by Kogunan Sokoto, Malam Danladi Bako. Bako, a former Commissioner for Information in Sokoto State, was on the Sultans delegation to the United States. The former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, who allegedly supervised the sharing of over $2.1billion among politicians, prominent Nigerians and religious leaders, standing trial on charges bordering on money laundering, corruption and criminal breach of trust. Although Mr. Dasuki, a prince of the Caliphate, denies the allegations against him, saying the disbursement of the funds was based on presidential directives, many top politicians and others, who were found to have received some of the cash, are either on trial or awaiting trial for their role in the matter. Some have also offered to refund the money to avoid trial. The statement said: The Sultan not only endorsed the war against corruption, but decried the conversion of funds meant for the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram to personal use by past government official. This was done with the connivance of some unscrupulous politicians. Such funds would have enhanced the capacity of the military to fast track the curtailment of insurgency in the north east of Nigeria. It added: The Sultan implored the international community to be patient with the Buhari administration in its agenda of improving on the economy, as well as the security situation in the country. Speaking on other security challenges like communal clashes, farmers and herdsmen clashes, the Sultan said the government was on top of the situation with the support of traditional and religious leaders. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asserted that all political actors and leaders are prone to scandals. He made the assertion yesterday while responding to a question by a participant at the Murtala Mohammed Foundation Summit in Lagos that scandals in politics was widespread. The former Nigerian leader was among a panel of discussants with former Malawian President, Dr. Joyce Banda and Aisha Mohammed-Oyebode, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation and widow of the late Military Head of State, Gen. Murtala Mohammed. Scandal is not just for women in politics; all leaders are scandalized, he said. If you dont want to be scandalized, dont go into politics. Mr. Obasanjo noted that anyone who has been following the news for political events in the United States of America, which prides itself as the worlds most advanced democracy, would have noticed the mudslinging between the camps of the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton respectively all in a bid to outdo each other in the race for the White House. But the former Nigerian leader, who himself, is not new to scandals in and out of public office, had this word of encouragement: What I believe is important is your conscience. Ensure that whatever you do is what you can defend with your conscience. Earlier in her address titled Women in Solidarity: a new paradigm for inclusion, Banda called for partnership among African women even as she reiterated the need for them to have the support of their male counterparts to lead the continent. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (R) meets with Sudanese Presidential Assistant Awad Ahmed al-Jaz, in Beijing, capital of China, July 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Thursday met with Sudanese Presidential Assistant Awad Ahmed al-Jaz, pledging to promote pragmatic cooperation. Sudan is a reliable friend and partner of China in Africa and Arab states, Zhang said, adding that China and Sudan had established a strategic partnership last September, which has elevated ties. Zhang called on two sides to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of two countries to explore new pragmatic ideas and upgrade cooperation to realize common development, mutual benefit and win-win results. Zhang called for the full use of the bilateral energy cooperation committee to consolidate cooperation in oil and gas, and expand cooperation in agriculture, industrial capacity, mining and renewable energy. Al-Jaz said Sudan-China ties have seen sound development and Sudan is willing to participate in the Belt and Road initiative and deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields. The Federal Government has said it is aiming to attain 6,000megawatts (mw) generation capacity by the end of 2016. The Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Mustapha Baba Shehuri, made this known yesterday when he met with a delegation from International Monetary Fund (IMF). We are expecting that at end of the year, our generating capacity will be over 6,000mw by end of 2016, 10,000mw in 2019 and 30,000mw in 2030, Shehuri said. The peak power generation as at yesterday was 2,751mw, about 378mw less than the 3,129mw attained on Wednesday, daily power statistics from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said. While the highest peak generation ever attained was 5,074mw in February 2016, the minister of state said with the recent Road Map to Power, timelines and plans have been set for deliverables. Mr. Shehuri also acknowledged the contributions of donor agencies in the power sector. One of such is the loan pact of $273million earmarked for the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) as a Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG) for investors in power plants; the African Development Bank (ADB) provided another $200million for grid upgrade plan for the TCN, he said. The Permanent Secretary (Power), Louis Edozien, said the challenges from the incessant vandalism of gas infrastructures, has led to a development plan, which identified stages of growth from 2017 to 2030. According to Mr. Edozien, a lot of new renewable energy sources would soon come upstream including the 40mw Gurara dam (Kaduna), 40mw Kashimbilla dam (Taraba), 10mw wind farm (Katsina) and 30mw phase one of Kudenda thermal plant (Kaduna). The leader of the delegation and Chief of Mission, IMF, Mr. Gene Leone, said: we are interested in on-going project initiative, that would positively impact on the lives of Nigerians, this will enable the Fund to have better understanding of areas of assistance or help in the quest of filling those gaps. The democratic party Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took a swipe at her republican counterpart Donald Trump during her address to the crowd after accepting her nomination. 68 year-old Hillary was introduced to the crowd by her daughter Chelsea, who used superlatives to praise her mum, acknowledging her role as a good mother, grandmother, and politician. Hillary then took the stage to a round of applause from the crowd. She thanked the crowd, Chelsea, her husband Bill Clinton noting that the conversation they started in the library at law school still goes strong 45 years later. She also thanked president Barack Obama, stating that America is better for Obamas leadership, and that she is better because of her friendship with him. She spoke on the American Revolution. Notifying all present on the strength in unity. She then took a swipe on Trump saying, Well, we heard Trumps answer in Cleveland last week. He wants to divide us from the world and from each other. He has taken the Republican Party from morning in America to midnight in America, she added. She referenced Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd US president who said, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Clinton went on to provide a stark contrast with Donald Trump. She warned to never believe anyone who says he can fix anything alone. Really? She questioned, adding Americans say well fix it together. Clinton took another jab at Trump by speaking on the American constitution drafted by the Founders where no one person can control all the power, saying, power was dispersed and for 240 years we still put our faith in each other. She then tore into Trump for calling the armed forces a disaster, which she says is a sign of disrespect to the men and women who wear the uniform. She then said that a man who you can bait with a tweet should be nowhere near the nuclear codes. The former Secretary of State also addressed the issue of gun law saying, im not here to repeal the Second Amendment. Im not here to take away your guns. She added that she doesnt want people to get shot from someone who shouldnt have a gun in the first place. She promised to work tirelessly with responsible gun owners to pass common sense reforms and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists. Piling more on Trump, Clinton said that America is great because America is good. Saying to the crowd, lets cut out the bigotry and bombast. And as she closed her remarks, she said, the choice is clear, my friend. Lets be stronger together, and lets look to the future with courage and confidence. Lets build a better tomorrow. And when we do, America will be greater than ever. The head of former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoros security, Lieutenant Commander A.O Adewale, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) how his principal moved funds to Ekiti State for the June 21, 2014 governorship election. The commission grilled the Navy Officer over two weeks ago about the movement of N1.299billion cash in chartered flight before the Ekiti guber polls. The cash was part of the N4.745 billion paid into Obanikoros company, Sylva Mcnamara by the Office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA) under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.). Governor Ayodele Fayoses associate, Abiodun Agbele, who received the cash from Obanikoro on behalf of the governor, is in EFCC custody awaiting arraignment in court. An Abuja High Court last week declared Agbeles detention illegal and ordered the anti-graft agency to pay him N5million as damages. Some of those already quizzed by the EFCC over the cash movement are the General Manager of Gyro Air Limited, Jide West; a pilot, Captain Ahmed Bashir Borodo; a bullion van driver, Omotoso Olaoluwa and some bank officials, among others. While Captain Borodo acknowledged transporting the cash wrapped in green military tarpaulin bags that were so heavy, it took three people to lift one bag at a time in to a chartered aircraft belonging to Gyro Air with tail number HS125-800 5N-BMT, Mr. Olaoluwa, who said he could not tell how much was contained in the bags, also confirmed that he conveyed part of the cash in a bullion van to a bank in Alagbaka, Akure on the instructions of Mr. Agbele while the remaining was transported to Spotless Hotel in Ado-Ekiti, owned by Mr. Fayose and his wife, Feyisetan. Giving a detailed account of the cash movement in a statement he made to investigators at the EFCC, Adewale narrated how they started the Ekiti trip from Obanikoros Park View, Ikoyi, Lagos home on June 16, 2014. He said: I was posted as the Flag Lieutenant to the Hon. Minister of State for Defence from March 2014 to September 2014. Thereafter I proceeded to Defence Intelligence School for my basic French Language course from December 14 to June 2015. As at when I was the Flag Lieutenant to the Minister of State for Defence, my schedule of duties was being in charge of Very Important Personalities (VIP) protection, organisation and administration of the escorts and also coordination of convoys for movement, organisation and administration of the escorts means. I am responsible to all the security aides attached to the minister. Security aides include the personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force. I detail them on VIP protection. During my tour of duty as the Flag. Lieutenant to the Minister of State for Defence, I was reporting to the Principal Staff Office, (PSO), Navy Capt. O.O. Fadeyi. During my period as the Flag Lieutenant to the Hon. Minister of State Defence, the then minister was Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. On assumption of duty as the Flag Lieutenant, I embarked on several trips with the Minister to several military and civil parastatals, some of which included several visits to Lagos, the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Military Pension Board, Air Force Base in Enugu, also visits to Ekiti State, Port Harcourt, Bayelsa and the commissioning of the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Okpabana in the United States. During my tour of duty, I visited Ekiti twice with the minister. The first was the presidential rally held in Ekiti and the second trip was sometimes in June 2014. The movement to Ekiti was by air through a chartered aircraft. It is not part of my duties to initiate movement for the minister. Every time, the minister informed me verbally of our intended movement, I complied. The ex-ADC to Mr. Obanikoro, who gave insights into how the trip was arranged, said he prepared the manifest of passengers on board the chartered flight. He added: A Gyro Air Limited passenger manifest dated June 16, 2014 with the departure DN MM with route DN AKR and the following passenger details, (1) the Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (2) Dr. Tunde Oshinowo and Lt. Commander A.O. Adewale was shown to me. I recognised the manifest via my handwriting and my name is also on the manifest. The flight was organised by the minister and I was given the contact of Mr. Jide West (the General Manager of Gyro Air) to liaise with. On June 16, 2014, we left the house of the former minister at Park View, Lagos to the airport. It is pertinent to state that I did not arrange or pay for the chartered flight to Ekiti. I was given the number of Mr. Jide West by the minister for liaison of timing of takeoff. We got to the airport in the morning of June 16, 2014. On arrival via road from Park View at the airport, the ministers son, Mr. Gbolahan was at the airport. A private discussion held between father and son. The minister then informed me of the delay in the movement to Akure. About an hour later, a bullion van pulled into the hangar where the chartered aircraft was parked. Shortly after, Mr. Gbolahan ensured that some bags were offloaded into the plane. As at when the bullion van pulled into the airport, I was at the waiting lounge close to where the plane was parked. Shortly after, I boarded the plane with the minister and his civilian friend in person of Mr. Oshinowo as indicated on the manifest. On arrival at the airport, the minister had private discussions with some of his political friends who received him at the airport in Akure. I was not privy to the discussions. However, a bullion van was driven down to the tarmac where the plane was parked. The bags were offloaded into the bullion van and the minister directed that we should escort the van to a particular Zenith Bank branch in Akure. I can recall the exact branch. On arrival at the bank, the bags were offloaded by the bank staff under the supervision of a particular civilian who was in company of the minister at the Akure airport. I dont know the man personally but with facial recognition, I can identify the man. After offloading the bags and the civilian took custody, the escorts thereafter proceeded to meet the minister. Indonesia has executed Michael Titus Igweh and two Nigerian drug convicts by firing squad, an official said. The Nigerians were put to death along with one Indonesian on Thursday (after midnight Indonesian time), Noor Rachmad, deputy attorney general for general crimes, told reporters. The sister-in-law of Michael Titus Igweh,(pictured in veil holding up a family statement condemning the execution) who alleged police had applied electricity to his genitals to force him to confess to heroin possession, said his final request had been to see his wife and family for the last time. However she said Mr Igwehs wife was in Nigeria and would not arrive in Indonesia until Friday hours after her husband was killed. Yesterday I met Titus and he was angry and upset, Nila said. He said: What kind of justice is this? What kind of country is Indonesia? Nila said she had chosen to sacrifice her last-ever visit to Mr Igweh in order to tell his story to the media: At this time I believe there are two things that can help Titus, one is God and one is the media. If that was the last time to see Titus, than so be it. On Thursday morning 17 ambulances 14 containing coffins were ferried to Nusakambangan, known as Indonesias Alcatraz, where the prisoners will be strapped to wooden posts and shot dead by a firing squad. Source: 042 Express Nigeria is set to export its first crude oil lifting from the Aje field, offshore Lagos, by the end of August following the commissioning of a production and storage vessel for the product. The news of first crude oil lifting and exportation from the Aje field will come as good news to Nigerians in the wake of repeated threats by the Niger Delta Avengers that no single drop of oil will be exported from Niger Delta oil fields. As oil production in the Niger Delta continue to decline following the activities of militants, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State in May, 2016 announced to the world that the state had officially joined the League of Oil Producing States in Nigeria with the discovery of crude oil by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited (YFP) in the state. The Aje oil field has the capacity to produce at least 12,000 barrels per day, with a possibility to increase to 25,000 to 50,000 barrels per day in the nearest future. The announcement of the first crude oil lifting from the Aje field was made by yesterday by Panoro Energy, the London based independent E&P Company in partnership with YFP in an operational update on its website. The company, however, stated that the targeted stabilised production rates have not yet been achieved, due to mechanical issues and Nigerian regulatory approvals. Until the outstanding issues are resolved, which could take until the end of Q4 2016, production shall be maintained at a restricted daily rate of approximately 7,000-8,000 barrels of oil, the company stated. We expect the first crude oil lifting from the Front Puffin FPSO to take place at the end of August, it said adding In the meantime we continue to be encouraged by the performance of the reservoir to date. The company said several international oil companies and trading houses have expressed interest in purchasing Aje crude. Laboratory assays have been delivered on Aje crude oil which show it to be as expected a high quality grade of approximately 42 degree API, the companys update noted. John Hamilton, CEO of Panoro said, We are very pleased with the reservoir performance at Aje and are planning the next steps to realize its full potential. As the economic downturn and recession continue to bite harder with prices of goods, especially food items rising daily, Nigerians have called on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to lift the ban on importation of rice through the land borders to ease the current hardship. A market survey indicated a sharp increase in the price of rice as a bag now sells between N17,000.00 and N18,000.00 from N9,000.00 and N10,000.00 last year. In separate interviews, some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, appealed to NCS re-consider the ban because rice remains one of the stable foods Nigerians eat and that the high cost of purchasing it has further affected their well-being negatively. Rice has become gold, one mudu now sells at N500, you have not talk of the ingredients to cook it. This is too much suffer, let Customs lift the ban on rice importation through the lands borders, we are suffering, most families cannot afford this increase, Mrs. Betty Okoro, a primary school teacher lamented. Another resident, Mr. Bisi Adegboyega, who works in a private firm, urged NCS to think of the plight of the average Nigerians and lift the ban. There is no food, nothing is working, yet the prices of food and goods are sky-rocketing, only the rich now afford rice, Customs should not just think of revenue for government alone, but what people go through daily to eat rice. I want the policy to be re-visited because it has made living more difficult, he posited. Also speaking, another respondent, who gave his name as Abubakar and works as a civil servant spoke in the same vein. He argued the need for Customs to revise the policy since it has further impoverished Nigerians. In an era when salaries are being owed workers, Customs placed a ban on rice through land borders, everyday, we hear of seizures and Nigerians are groaning buying a mudu of rice at N500. How do they want us to survive? He queried. It would be recalled that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, had urged Customs to consider lifting the ban on rice importation through the land borders when the Comptroller-General of the Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), visited him in his palace in Sokoto. The policy should be revisited with a view to make amends and ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians. There is no food in the country hence the need for the borders to be reopened for rice importation, he was quoted as saying. The sultan had said that he had been receiving cries from the masses on their plight over hardship in the land, and appealed to the service to address the issue urgently NCS had re-introduced the restriction order across the country in March, 2016. Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Retd) gave the approval for the reversal of an earlier policy in October 2015 which allowed rice imports through the land borders, once appropriate duty and charges were paid. NCS spokesperson, Wale Adeniyi, had said that at a review session with comptrollers of border commands and FOUs held in Abuja, the service noted that dwindling revenue from rice imports through the land borders do not match the volume rice landed in neighboring ports. Rather, reports from border commands indicated an upsurge in the tempo of rice smuggling. He had noted that implementation of the restriction order got off to a smooth start, with a high level of compliance in October 2015, but revenue started dwindling from January 2016, with importers blaming access to forex as major impediments. Source: BreakingTimes Palpable fear enveloped Arepo and other coastal communities in Ogun State yesterday as heavy sounds of artillery boomed in the creeks, fueling suspicions that the Nigerian military may have taken the fight to the base of militants. But the military head of operation reportedly assured that there was no cause for alarm and that lives and properties would be protected in the ensuing battle. It was learnt that military fighter Jets were deployed against the militants at their base in the creeks yesterday evening, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty among residents of the communities where the military operation is taking place. But the head of the military operation assured that The operation wont extend to the upland. Troops have been deployed to man the waterways in Arepo, a community notorious for pipeline vandalism and killing of security operatives on guard duty of oil facilities in the area. The police have also sent their men to strengthen security within the community following repeated attacks by hoodlums. The Multi-National Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) has finally reclaimed and occupied Damasak town on the border between Nigeria and Niger republic. It was seized by the insurgents on November 24, 2014. A statement yesterday by spokesman of the MNJTF, Mohammed Dole, said the trading town, located about 200kilometers Northwest of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, was one of the last frontiers of Boko Haram militants. Mr. Dole, a colonel, added that troops have also cleared the remnants of Boko Haram militants from the surrounding villages. He said: In continuation with clearance operation of the towns and villages by MNJTF, the troops of the Sector 4 in Diffa Niger Republic have successfully cleared Sure village, captured and occupied Damasak town. He added that: The forces are coordinating to stabilize the immediate environs. The gallant troops fought their way into the town with Close Air support by combined Air Operation from MNJTF member states. While Operation Lafiya Dole is conducting operation to link up with Sector 4 at the location, the troops morale remains very high, the MNJTF spokesman asserted. It would be recalled that Human Rights Watch, had in a report published on its website in March of 2016, claimed that at least 400 women and children, including 300 primary school pupils, were abducted by Boko Haram from Damask a year ago. The report, which noted that the Damask mass abduction did not draw attention the same way the Chibok girls abduction did, called on the authorities to wake up and find out where the Damask children and other captives are and take urgent steps to free them. The Federal Government on Friday moved a step closer towards recovering funds stolen by former public office holders and stashed abroad as it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Switzerland on the repatriation of $321 million late Gen. Sani Abacha loot. The pact also seeks to block accounts linked to stolen funds and stashed in the European nations banks. This is the second batch of the stolen money linked to the late dictator after Switzerland repatriated $722m to Nigeria in 2005. The Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Eric Mayoraz, hinted that both countries are now in the process of repatriating the looted $321 million. The MoU, Mr. Mayoraz argued, will help remove all the legal bottlenecks in the fund repatriation. The envoy spoke during the signing of MoU on Mutual Legal Assistance on criminal matters, between the Swiss government and its Nigerian counterpart in Abuja. According to the envoy, Fridays event is significant in the sense that it would eradicate every bottlenecks associated with the repatriation of stolen funds kept in his country. The ambassador, who stated that the pact is aimed at fostering understanding between the two countries as it relates to their different legal systems, said, We are now in the process of repatriating $321m from the second batch of the Abacha loot. Our countries enjoy excellent relations and we cooperate as partners in many fields, particularly on the return of looted assets, migration, human rights, humanitarian assistance and many others. Today, we decide to take this cooperation forward to deepen it in the field of judicial cooperation. By signing a Memorandum of Understanding in this important area, our two states further strengthen their ties of friendship and cooperation. Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou (R) shakes hands with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov during the fourth meeting on Northeast Asia security held in Moscow, Russia, July 28, 2016. China and Russia on Thursday voiced serious concern over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn) China and Russia on Thursday voiced serious concern over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea. At a fourth meeting on Northeast Asia security held in Moscow, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov noted that such a unilateral and non-constructive action taken by the U.S. brings negative effects to the strategic balance, security and stability of the region and the world. The deployment of the advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea is just a part of Washington's global anti-missile scheme, which clearly contradicts with the aims claimed by the U.S. and South Korean governments, the two officials noted. Expressing the firm opposition to issues relevant to the THAAD deployment, both sides agreed to enhance coordination in order to better cope with the negative developments, also to protect the strategic security of China, Russia and other regional countries. Under the comprehensive strategic partnership, China and Russia would further strengthen communications and coordinations based on the joint statement on strengthening global strategic stability, signed in June by leaders of the two countries, with a view to protect each other's interests, especially the interest in strategic stability, through the most reliable and effective ways. Kong and Morgulov also said the two countries would continue pushing forward the settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula through dialogues and negotiations, in particular the irreplaceable platform of Six Party Talks. To realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to reduce military and political tensions on the peninsula, to downscale the military drills held in the region and thus to build mutual trust, the two officials added. They also urged both South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to resume dialogues to achieve inter-Korean reconciliation and create a sound environment for development on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington announced the agreement to install one THAAD battery in Seongju, a county some 250 km southeast of the South Korean capital city, by the end of next year, as one way to counter the nuclear and missile threats posed by the DPRK. China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to the THAAD deployment in South Korean territory as it damaged China's security interests and broke a strategic balance in the region, while Russia indicated a military response by deploying a missile unit in the Far Eastern region. Vanguard The Nigerian Army said last night that its training exercise for the Niger Delta code named EXERCISE CROCODILE SMILE in 82 Division and part of 2 Division areas of responsibility traversing the South-South geo-political region will commence this weekend. Punch The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said on Thursday that he did not receive over N3tn allocation as governor of Rivers State. Thisday Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) leader and 2015 governorship candidate, Olorogun Otega Emerhor, chieftains of the party, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, and Barr. Justine Rewane have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for nominating two Deltans for appointments into the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The Sun There was palpable fear around the David Mark by-pass area of Makurdi, the Benue State capital yesterday after some suspected cultists invaded the area and killed a father and his son. Daily Times Some elder statesmen in the northern part of the country under the auspices of the Consultative Assembly of the Concerned Northern Patriots (CACNP) have commended President Buhari on his anti-corruption fight and his quest to combat the spate of insecurity in the countr Guardian The Kaduna State Government (KDSG) generated about N1.65 billion as internally generated revenue (IGR) last month (June). Daily Trust A group, Concerned North-east Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Forum, has declared its support for Chief Raymond Dokpesi to become the partys next national chairman. Leadership The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammed Bello, has called on the Federal Government to increase the tax of fast food industries by 2 to 3 per cent. The Nation The appointments, according to a statement issued on Friday by Director (Press) in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Bolaji Adebiyi, disclosed that Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako is now Head of Nigerian Institute for Medical Research. Daily Independent President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka, Director of Adoration Ministry, on the 21st anniversary of his ordination to priesthood in the Catholic Church, slated for Friday. A 21-year-old graduate hit back at a r*cist lecturer who told her that there was no space for black theater makers on the curriculum. Few days ago, Eno posted her graduation photo with a victory message after the said lecturer paid to watch her perform. See what Eno Mfon wrote below. Human right lawyer Obono Obla and APC chieftain has blasted Senator Florence Ita Giwa who recently criticized President Muhammadu Buhari of bias in handling problems concerning the North-eastern region and Bakassi. The statement made available to journalists yesterday read in part: I was pleasantly surprised as well as amazed when I read a statement credited to Senator Florence Ita Giwa alleging and accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of bias in his handling of the problems concerning the North-eastern region and Bakassi! In the first place there cannot be any comparison between the travails of the peoples of North-east and Bakassi. The two issues are different and therefore any objective commentator must separate them and put or situate them in the proper perspective. Obono-Obla said contrary to the allegation raised by Ita-Giwa against Buhari on the Bakassi issue, the president had taken some measures concerning the well-being of the people. Contrary to the position of Senator Giwa, the federal government under President Buhari has undertaken diplomatic measures to resolve the issue of Bakassi peninsula? Why is Senator Giwa hypocritical crying wolf?, Obono-Obla stated. Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has said he is considering reducing the number of work days in the state from five to three days in a week, to enable the government cut salaries. He dropped the bombshell while briefing journalists on the state of affairs in Imo, at his residence in Owerri, the state capital on Friday. According to Mr. Okorocha, the reduction of work days would enable workers to attend to other activities that would generate money to supplement their monthly salaries to take care of their families. I encourage Imo workers to find additional things to do to support their families because of the economic situation we are facing in Nigeria. We are considering to reduce the working days from five to three in Imo, so that workers will use the rest of the days to work and support their families, he said. Mr. Okorocha, who was not specific on when it may commence, added that Imo government was equally planning to review workers salaries downward. He said that in spite of the current payment of 70 percent of salaries to workers, the state still paid the highest salary scale among South-Eastern states of Abia, Anabmbra, Ebonyi and Enugu. Directors in these other South-Eastern states receive something a little above N90, 000 while in Imo they receive more than N100, 000. We intend to clear salary arrears up to July by next week. After that, we will consider downward review of salary to workers to be at par with other states of South-East, he said. On the just-concluded rerun election, Mr. Okorocha commended Imo people for electing the candidates of APC in Imo North Senatorial District, Isiala Mbano and Oru East State Constituencies. He said with the victory, APC had shown that it was strong in the South-East and should be given its due right. With these victories, it shows that APC candidates won most of the national and state assembly seats during the 2015 general elections. I call on the leadership of the National Assembly (Senate), to correct the abnormality in its leadership which resulted in an opposition member occupying the Deputy Senate President seat, he said. On his urban renewal programme, Mr. Okorocha said the relocation of Ekeukwu-Owerri market, Orji and Nekede Mechanic villages to Avu was irreversible. From Monday, Aug. 1, a taskforce to enforce the relocation order for the mechanics will commence work, and I am advising vehicle owners not to take their vehicles to any of these places from Monday, he ordered. (NAN) The Ondo State chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have traded accusations over an allegation that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the release of N15 billion accruable to the state from excess crude oil, to fund Governor Olusegun Mimikos re-election in 2012. According to the Ondo APC, the money, which purely belonged to the government, was allegedly received by Mr. Mimiko through the bank accounts of his cronies, from the Ministry of Finance via the Central Bank of Nigeria. But the PDP accused the opposition party in the state of prosecuting a disinformation agenda that is calculated to cause disaffection and commotion. The APC insisted that Mimikos alleged action was wicked, unlawful and unacceptable to the people. A statement by the partys spokesman, Omoba Abayomi Adesanya, yesterday in Akure, the state capital, said: We have it on good authority that Mimiko collected N15 billion from the Federation Account on November 15, 2012, which he personally signed for. It said the action was against due process and deliberately orchestrated to siphon public funds, which has gone into private pockets with no records of it in the state. The party, therefore, gave the governor seven days ultimatum to address the people on the alleged N15 billion and refund the money to the state treasury. The statement warned that failure to meet the deadline, will force the opposition party to write petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to help the suffering people of Ondo State to recover the loots. But the PDPs Publicity Secretary, Ayo Fadaka, described the APCs allegations as mostly outlandish and pedestrian, even to the extent of being difficult for people to react to because of its ludicrous nature. Fadaka said: To set the records straight, however, there is no iota of truth in the allegation. Dr. Jonathan did not give out any money to pursue the re-election of Governor Mimiko as alleged. It is a blatant lie from the pool of APCs fallacies. There was pandemonium on Thursday in the Arepo area of Ogun State and some part of Lagos State after the military bombarded the base of suspected militants in the states. The PUNCH learnt that scores of militants were reportedly killed in the joint military operation which lasted for more than one hour. A source said the military attacked Fatola, the base of the militants, adding that houses around the area were shaken by the impact of bomb explosions on the Ijaw militants. He said, There has been a lot of commotion. The Nigerian Air Force bombarded Fatola, in Arepo, which is the base of the militants. They are shelling the place with fighter jets. Some soldiers also surrounded the area to make sure that if any of the militants should run out, they would be gunned down. A resident said people in the area had started fleeing their homes due to the bombardment. Another resident in the Imushin area of Ogun State told our correspondent that two aircrafts were involved in the operation, adding that only one base of the militants was attacked. He said, An aircraft had actually been surveying the creek for the past three days. But a second one joined this evening around 6pm. All we heard was a sudden bomb blast released from the second aircraft. But it appeared that some of the militants had fled into the bush. There are four major bases of the militants in the creek and they are led by two men- OC and Agbala. If the military can get these two people, then they would have succeeded in clipping the wings of the militants. A community leader, who claimed to have spoken with one of the officers, said, The military officer said residents should not panic because it was a military exercise. I also gathered that the casualty figure was high and that a lot of the militants had been killed. The Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed the operation, saying it involved the army and the navy. He said, The military only conducts its routine operation for the purpose of denying the vandals and other criminal elements from causing terror in the area. The operation, codenamed, Operation Awatse, was initiated by the defence headquarters to dominate the area with a view to flushing out all manners of criminals including militants and saboteurs. The operation involved the joint forces of the navy and army and it has been successful. The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the police were part of the operation. She said, The Nigerian military and policemen from the Lagos and Ogun commands are part of the operation. We are sweeping through the waterways where we share boundaries to end the activities of the militants. It is a continuous exercise and we cannot tell the number of casualties. The acting Police spokesperson, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, promised to call back our correspondent, but he had yet to do so as of press time. Source: Punch Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, yesterday said they have arrested a vulcaniser along with three other suspected robbers dispossessing people of their belongings around Otedola Estate in Ojodu Berger area of the state . The vulcaniser, identified as Oluwatimileyin Okunnade, 21, from Ogbomosho, Oyo State was arrested yesterday in traffic by the police after snatching an Infinnix Hot Note phone from a lady driving a white Sienna space bus. Confessing to the crime, he said that he ventured into robbery to raise money for food and graduation ceremony. He said, I went to Ojodu Berger Bus Stop early in the morning to look for work. I was there till evening, yet there was no work. I decided to trek home. I got to Otedola Bridge, there was traffic and I realised that I had not eaten anything since morning. The thought of going to bed without food was scary to me, so I saw a lady holding an Infinnix Hot Note and I snatched it from her. She was so scared, she drove off but I was surprised later when RRS men chased and apprehended me few minutes later. Okunnade, who insisted that he was not a robber but a vulcaniser, said what I was looking for was money to do my freedom ceremony. I have spent eight years with my boss. And, he has told me openly to go and source for money for my graduation. That was why I was looking for daily job to engage myself. I ran away from Ogbomosho to Lagos to eke out a better life for myself. I realised that bus conducting and joining bad gang wont yield me anything to give my family a befitting life, so I enrolled myself as an apprentice vulcaniser, and I was doing well until my boss sent me away because of my freedom money. I had earlier got a daily job beside my boss with a fellow vulcanizer, my boss grew apprehensive that I was going to steal his customers, so he told them to send me away, he added. The police said the arrest of Okunnade yesterday brought to four the number of robbery suspects apprehended only over robbery offence in Otedola Bridge area. The operatives said they had around mid day arrested a three man gang comprising: Bola Adenuga, 39; Kehinde Oladipupo, 32 and Afiz Sulaiman, 27, for forcefully stealing an hydraulic jack and vehicle part from a lorry driver for failing to give them money. Adenuga, the leader of the gang disclosed to investigators that they assisted the truck driver by assisting him to repair his broken down vehicle but when his truck started working, he declined to give us money, so we took his hydraulic jack and lorry bumper. When he has money he can come and collect it. We have told him where he can find us. We are bricklayers. Speaking on the robbery incidents the Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos superintendent of police stated if you think you can come to Lagos to perpetuate crime and get away with it, you better wake up. The Command is alive to its responsibilities. No criminal would go scot free in Lagos. We would track and get you. Source: Leadership Residents of Gbagyi community in Kaduna State, including women and children took to the streets in their hundreds yesterday to protest the proposed demolition of 3,500 houses, 40 churches and 16 schools by the state government. The aggrieved residents who were seen brandishing placards with inscriptions like: We are not criminals, el-Rufai came to power through rule-of-law; respect it, el-Rufai cannot be the accuser and judge, appealed to the governor to reason with them saying they havent broken any law. Governor Nasir el-Rufai is insisting on demolishing the community situated in the suburb of Kaduna despite a restraining court order, claiming the place was illegally occupied by criminals on a land allegedly belonging to Federal Polytechnic, Kaduna. El-Rufai had, a week ago, visited the community with his officials and refused to meet with leaders of the community, saying every structure standing that does not have a certificate-of-occupancy and a building permit would be demolished. Meanwhile, Chris Abba, the Chairman, Gbagyi Villa Property Owners Association, stated that less than two percent of the millions of homes and property in Kaduna State had C-of-O, but that almost every property in their community possesses valid building permits from Kaduna State Urban Planning Development Authority. If it is not this week the governor may have issued a C-of-O for his fathers house in Zaria, we challenge him to produce one. There are ulterior motives behind his insistence to effect this demolition, he said. Kaduna State governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is currently trending on social media. Nigerians seem to have quickly become disillusioned with the Buhari government and are already looking toward 2019. The first place some Nigerians seem to be looking is the way of The 56 year-old El Rufai. He is being discussed as a potential candidate for the 2019 presidency. Before you weigh in, check out some of the best responses to El Rufais possible candidacy come 2019. We are funny. We are worried about Trump but we think an irresponsible, divisive and devious @elrufai is the chosen one. Nnayelugo (@Eloka51) 29 July 2016 Mallam Nasir Ahmad El Rufai the Governor of Kaduna State, our visionary leader, our mentor, our future president. pic.twitter.com/7bI1xMu3wO Abdul J Saeed (@abdul4saeed) 29 July 2016 If Elrufai is the only Candidate you people have for 2019 , we have candidates from Southern Nigeria Don B (@bishopmarn) 29 July 2016 Why calling El Rufai name when we already have akinwunmi adesina and Peter Obi for 2019. Dont tell me it must northerners Biko Ezra okoro (@ezra_okoro) 29 July 2016 so 2019 will be our visionary leader in el rufai vs Dino Melaye the reliable and vicious elephant of kogiwow lit! nwxnnx (@DiKachii) 29 July 2016 It wasnt by my doing Buffoon became President,not yours Buhari became President. If God so wishes Elrufai will be President. So, chill. Mallam Adamu Hayatu (@AHayatu) 29 July 2016 If Elrufai is Buharis opponent in 2019, I might as well falsify my age and contest cos nigerians are inviting desecration to our ppl Afam bu Rozay (@israelzaxs) 29 July 2016 Does putting out falsehood make one divisive? Everyone lies. Someone said this, just to support the El Rufai movement. Nubari Saatah (@Saatah) 29 July 2016 On this day in 1966: Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, Second Nigerian Head of State and Adekunle Fajuyi, First Military Governor of the former Western Region, were assassinated by a group of mutinous Northern army soldiers who revolted against Aguiyi-Ironsi government in what was popularly called the July Counter Coup. Also 0n this day in 2014; The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, issued a fresh 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to appoint a substantive Director-General, DG for the Nigerian Civil Aviation, NCAA. Equally on this day in 2014; The Federal Government disclosed that it is considering a bill to curb energy theft and also make it possible for staffers of electricity distribution companies to collect their bills from customers without harassment. And on this day in 2013; NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, said it is planning a massive assault on Diamond Bank Plc, over alleged sack of workers including officials of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, NUBIFIE, without due process as well as without paying their entitlements. The management of Diamond and leaders of NUBIFIE have been engaged in a running battle over the sack of about 100 workers including all the union officers in the bank since June that year. Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao (5th L back) meets with heads of delegations from Africa attending a Sino-African coordinators' meeting on the implementation of actions resulting from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Johannesburg of South Africa in Beijing, capital of China, July 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) Companies from China and Africa signed 39 deals worth around 17 billion U.S. dollars on Thursday. The deals, involving financial institutions and enterprises, were signed on the eve of a meeting on delivering the outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). More than 400 participants from government agencies, financial institutions, business associations and enterprises attended the Seminar on China-Africa Business Cooperation and Signing Ceremony in Beijing on Thursday. The seminar was hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), which is a supporting event for the Coordinators' Meeting of the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Johannesburg Summit of the FOCAC. During the seminar, participants exchanged views on industrial capacity cooperation, trade and investment facilitation and financial cooperation. Chinese and African companies spanning the sectors of infrastructure, processing and manufacturing, finance, investment, energy, chemicals, agriculture, pharmaceutical and ICT, reached consensus for future cooperation. Jiang Weixin, chairman of the CCPIT, said the development strategies of Africa and China were highly compatible, and the two sides have many advantages. In the future, the CCPIT will work with its African counterparts to enhance communication, strengthen policy coordination, and organize more trade and investment events to boost China-Africa trade ties, said Jiang. Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao had a group meeting with the African delegates. Hailing the success of the Johannesburg summit, Li called on China and the African countries to enhance mutual trust, promote pragmatic cooperation, expand people-to-people exchanges and improve coordination on global affairs. State Councilor Yang Jiechi held separate meetings with the foreign minister of Chad, Moussa Faki Mahamat; Sudanese Presidential Assistant Al-Jaz; and Gambian Foreign Minister Neneh MacDouall-Gaye, exchanging views on China's ties with their respective countries as well as Africa as a whole. At the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last December in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced ten major China-Africa cooperation plans for the next three years, backed by 60 billion U.S. dollars, including interest free loans and preferential policies. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his counterparts from Mali,Madagascar, Comoros and Democratic Republic of Congo The Commandant, National Defence College, Rear Admiral Samuel Alade, says the Nigerian military has begun taking steps towards the manufacture of military hardware. Mr. Alade made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday while addressing journalists after he led the Course 24 of the college on a visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) at the State House. According to him, the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in Kaduna was being strengthened to produce arms while the military industrial complex will produce heavy military equipment. We have an institution that was established basically to help develop production of hardware. That is the Defence Industry Corporation, which is located at Kaduna. That institution is being strengthened; I believe that in the new dispensation a lot of things will start happening. As we speak, they produce rifles and some other hardware. But I can assure you that we have started. Just recently we had a defence cooperation workshop with South Africa and that workshop was held at the Defence College and that is the beginning. We want to develop our military industrial complex and within that framework we will be able to manufacture hardware and even the software as well. In August 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Ministry of Defence to design a plan for the establishment of a military industrial complex for local production of weapons. He gave the directive at the graduation of Course 23 of the National Defence College in Abuja. Mr. Buhari had said that such weapons, when produced, would meet some of the requirements of the countrys armed forces. He had described as unacceptable, Nigerias over-dependence on other countries for critical military equipment and logistics. Mr. Alade said the group visited the vice president to submit some policy proposals to the Federal Government on how to effectively administer the country. He said the proposal emanated from the recent workshop at the college with the topic Youth Bulge in Nigeria and its implication for National Security. Mr. Alade said the presentation was a way of contributing to national development and national security. According to him, the students made some useful suggestions on how to move the country forward especially on youth development. He said the presentation would continue based on the directive of the presidency adding that the college was ready to conduct various researches to engender development. On the battle against insurgency and militancy in the country, Mr. Alade expressed gratitude with the military for defeating Boko Haram. Obviously, we are winning the war on insurgency; you are aware of what the military is doing in the North East. Of course we can conveniently say that there is no more Boko Haram; we have defeated them. When you talk of issue of insecurity in the Niger Delta, you are aware that discussions are on and the military, if called upon, will usually give their assistance to civil authority, the commandant added. (NAN) Back in 1999, when VMware first released its type-2 hypervisor, VMware Workstation, a new world opened up: Suddenly, you could run multiple operating systems on the same PC. But the real tipping point for virtualization was 2001, with the release of VMware ESX Server, a type-1 hypervisor that installed on bare metal, vastly improving hardware utilization. That kicked off what I call the decade of virtualization. VMware wasn't alone for long, although as first mover it always seemed to stay a step ahead. Citrix Xen and later Microsoft Hyper-V arrived, the latter gradually closing the gap on features and performance. VM management, migration/failover options, and so forth kept the war going. For those running Windows Server, there was an added attraction: Hyper-V was bundled at no extra cost. Now we're in the decade of the cloud, when we're seeing a dimensional shift from a 2D on-prem world to a 3D cloud world. Servers going up to the public cloud transcend the virtualization decision. In the same way nobody cares about which servers are running in the cloud ("Are they Dell servers? Because I only use Dell," said nobody ever), no one cares about the hypervisor, either. What they care about are the features and pricing of the cloud vendor they are working with. Of the three virtualization players, Microsoft is the only one to take a leadership position in the cloud. According to nearly everyone, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Compute Cloud are the three top cloud providers, in that order. Of those, Microsoft has argued most strenuously that to ease the transition to the cloud, a hybrid architecture is necessary, with parallel on-prem and public cloud infrastructure. Microsofts goal is to remove the cloud location as a consideration in what you develop and how you manage it, thanks to hybrid management and parallel development environments. And Microsoft is continuously releasing features that improve upon these pieces in a way that other vendors simply cannot because they dont have the trifecta of solutions: server software, hybrid management tools, and a public cloud. Microsoft has the control over all three and is making sure they play well together. Redmond initially released Windows Azure Pack -- which plugs into Azure, Windows Server, and System Center -- so that you can blend private and public cloud with third-party services to keep that consistent Azure experience. But Azure Pack was Azure-like, not Azure-same. The same APIs must persist for both the on-premises and Azure public cloud so that the applications developers create can be truly portable between on-prem and the Azure cloud. Microsoft understood the need to make the hybrid connection more real -- and released Azure Stack. It raises the level of consistency to allow developers to work on solutions that wont require code changes between on-prem and the cloud. Another key component to Microsofts hybrid management hook is the recently updated Operations Management Suite, which offers control over any hybrid cloud, Azure or AWS, Windows Server or Linux, VMware or OpenStack, and so on. The key takeaway is that Microsoft knows that most organizations arent yet going all-in with the cloud. Many are still looking at it for disaster recovery, dev/test servers, and such, rather than as the main platform of their infrastructure. By having more hybrid management tools for IT admins and giving developers the ability to code once and work on-prem or in Azure, Microsoft is offering a choice to its customers that none of its competitors can compete with. Airbus 3rd-quarter earnings grow despite supply chain woes AP - 16 minutes ago Airbus has reported that earnings grew in the third quarter and revenue is up through the first nine months of 2022 as it benefited from a strong U.S. dollar despite supply chain issues BA : 139.76 (+4.46%) $SPX : 3,807.30 (-0.61%) $DOWI : 32,033.28 (+0.61%) $IUXX : 11,191.63 (-1.88%) Cocoa (CC) Tries Forming Higher Oct Low VS Sep Low Tradable Patterns - Thu Oct 27, 11:57PM CDT Cocoa (CCZ22) bounced more than 1.5% yesterday, closing back above the psychologically key 2300 whole figure level. With the near complete weekly Doji, odds are now elevated for a higher Oct low versus... CCZ22 : 2,317 (+0.13%) NIB : 24.43 (+1.67%) Its Five OClock Somewhere Stock Market (and Sentiment Results) HedgeFundTips.com - Thu Oct 27, 7:53PM CDT While the Hang Seng plummeted, U.S. equities rallied and we wound up +1.5% on the day. How the hell that happened, Ill never understand, but its far different from the outcome I expected coming... An international LGBT group has submitted a petition asking a Guangdong-based university to apologize to a Guangzhou lesbian student couple for not issuing them diplomas as punishment for their highly publicized marriage proposal. The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) group All Out sent signatures collected from more than 75,000 people in more than 30 countries to Guangdong University of Foreign Studies on Thursday, requesting that the university apologize to the two students. "I call on you [the university] to apologize publicly to the two students and their families and to take comprehensive measures to prevent discrimination and homophobic harassment on campus," All Out said on its official website. "The university received the signatures and said they will look at it," a student who participated in organizing the petition and asked for anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday, adding that he hopes the university can foster more communication with LGBT students instead of discriminating against them. The university refused to give the lesbian couple diplomas because their public proposal in June had "violated certain regulations," one of the women, surnamed Ouyang, confirmed with the Global Times. Ouyang said that although the two have now received their diplomas, the mental and emotional harm caused by the university's actions cannot be erased, and the university has not given any apology as requested. According to comments written by Ouyang's partner Wang Xiaoyu on All Out's website, officials with the Communist Party of China's on-campus organization told Wang she would face punishment after photos of their proposal went viral online. Wang said Party officials told her and Ouyang to "keep our homosexuality to ourselves" and even had police "break into" her apartment to "collect personal notes as 'evidence.'" The university could not be reached for comment as of press time. Peng Yanhui, a member of a Guangzhou-based NGO that helped organize the petition, told the Global Times on Thursday that his group suggested that the university offer lessons to educate its faculty about the harm caused by homophobia. According to a survey conducted by Pan Suiming, a well-known sexologist from Renmin University of China, 11.4 percent of college students in the country display homosexual tendencies. Yet according to a 2012 Aibai Center poll of 421 students, most of whom identified themselves as gay, 77 percent said they had been subjected to bullying on campus because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. If you believe that philanthropy is one of the most powerful forces shaping U.S. societyand increasingly, public policythe near indifference to this subject among academics is nothing short of bizarre. The top associations of political scientists and sociologists have nearly 30,000 combined members. And yet, you can almost count on two hands the number of these scholars whove made philanthropy their principle focus of research. Meanwhile, theres an almost comical glut of research in certain areas, like the behavior of legislators and voters, or the lives of people on public assistance. Those subjects are important, of course, but wheres all the scholarship digging into the billions of philanthropic dollars spent to (indirectly) influence legislatures and voters or to provide social services? Political scientists have studied the role of campaign contributions in elections nearly to death, but have largely missed that the flow of tax-deductible charitable donations to influence public policy is actually greater than electoral giving. Related: Theres a vast body of scholarship that focuses on the poor, and yet very few academics study rich people. Thats no minor blind spot, given who actually runs America and the world. The skewed allocation of intellectual firepower has become glaring as power has shifted away from government and into the hands of private donors. In an era when the public sector has fewer resources to do new things and less wherewithal, thanks to polarizationphilanthropy is edging into the drivers seat of American life. This shift is only going to intensify as the fiscal screws tighten on government and more activist mega-donors arrive in the public sphere. For these reasons, I cheered when I saw that the latest issue of PS: Political Science & Politics is devoted to a symposium on philanthropy. The eminent scholar Theda Skocpol kicks things off with a rousing call to keyboards titled Why Political Scientists Should Study Organized Philanthropy. She writes: Many public efforts undertaken by governments elsewhere occur in the United States, if at all, only at the behest of wealthy people who make donations amplified by taxpayer dollars. Subsidized philanthropy is literally at the heart of American public policy. The outstanding articles in this collection serve to reinforce Skocpols point, and theyre written by contributors who rank among the tiny sliver of academics who actually care about philanthropy. Authors include Kristin Goss, Steven Teles, Sarah Reckhow (who I profiled here), and, of course, Rob Reich of Stanford, who has lately emerged as an especially strong advocate of more scholarly inquiry into philanthropy and, in his own work, tackles some of the critical big questions around philanthropy and democracy. You should definitely read this collection of essays, especially Kristin Gosss piece, Policy Plutocrats: How Americas Wealthy Seek to Influence Government, which nicely frames the key issues at stake, here. She also offers up original new data showing that more than half of Americas most prominent philanthropists (56%) have serious policy interests: they are seeking to inform, advocate for or against, or reform the implementation of public policy through charitable, advocacy, and/or issue-specific electoral donations. Goss points out that just half of the 194 individuals in her donor set had an estimated combined net worth of $968 billionwhich, I should note, is a sum greater than the current assets of over 90,000 U.S. foundations built up over the past century of philanthropy. Were not just talking about a tidal wave of new money coming into the sector. Its in the hands of some of the most aggressive, activist living donors ever seen in this country. While John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie stood largely alone in this kind of role a century ago, were moving into an era when dozens or scores of donors are active at that levelall against the backdrop, as I said, of growing public sector paralysis. So, yeah, you bet that academia needs to pay more attention. The Political Science & Politics symposium is just the latest hopeful sign that more smart academics are waking up to this challenge. Earlier this year, Erica Kohl-Arenas, an assistant professor at the New School, published a new book, The Self-Help Myth: How Philanthropy Fails to Alleviate Poverty. This volume is both notable and important, as Kohl-Arenas engaged in years of field research to really understand how anti-poverty philanthropy efforts play out at the ground level, focusing on farm workers in California. That kind of research is standard fare for academics, but you almost never see it applied to philanthropy. Now, if we just had more scholars like Kohl-Arenas. Another bright spot is the recent explosion of scholarship on philanthropy and K-12 education, by far the most heavily studied corner of the sector. Sarah Reckhow, an assistant professor of political science at Michigan State University, led the way here in 2013, with her groundbreaking book, Follow the Money: How Foundation Dollars Change Public School Politics. Then, last year, Rick Hess and Jeff Henig published an enormously illuminating collection of essays, The New Education Philanthropy: Politics, Policy, and Reform. This year, Megan Thompkins-Strange wrote Policy Patrons: Philanthropy, Education Reform, and the Politics of Influence, published by the Harvard Education Presswhich will soon publish a book by Michael Feuer, TheRising Price of Objectivity: Philanthropy, Government, and the Future of Education Research. So all this is good news, and more research is in the pipeline. That said, dont count on academics to push forward the boundaries of knowledge significantly when it comes to philanthropy. For one thing, as Daniel Drezner recently pointed out in the Washington Post, theres an awkward elephant standing in this room: The trouble with social scientists studying philanthropic foundations is that social scientists are also funded and will continue to seek funding by such philanthropies. Drezner makes a good point. Are foundations interested in funding scholars like Kohl-Arenas who point out the way funders disempower their grantees? Are they interested in bankrolling the likes of Linsey McGoey, who last year published a stinging critique of the Gates Foundation? Probably not. But the bigger problem, here, is that most academics just arent interested in philanthropy. Think about your typical political graduate student. That person, like most Americans, probably enters grad school knowing next to nothing about philanthropy. In contrast to electoral politics, which is in the news all the time, philanthropy flies below the radar of U.S. life and is not a subject that people are naturally familiar with and drawn to. Even most New York Times reading college grads probably cant name more than five foundations. Grad students arent interested in philanthropy for the same reason that most journalists and bloggers couldnt care less: It can seem like an obscure and sleepy niche sector compared to the bigger, glitzier precincts of American power and influence. And if you are a grad student interested in philanthropy, chances are that your adviser and peers will try to steer you toward a more marketable field. You see, the study of philanthropy tends to fall between the cracks of established disciplines and subfields, and, for that reason, is likely not a ticket to academic stardom, much less tenure. Theda Skocpol writes in her intro essay to the Political Science & Politics symposium that What all of us in political science can surely agree to, however, is that the time has come for much more robust research on the political roots and results of organized private philanthropy. I wish she were right. In fact, most people in political science are totally checked out in this regard. Academia is probably never going to plug the vast knowledge gaps around philanthropy. All of which is why the philanthropy sector itself is going to have to find ways to underwrite far more research on the fieldtruly independent researchthan is currently being done. I have an idea on that challenge, which Ill share in a later post. David Callahan is founder and editor of Inside Philanthropy. (davidc@insidephilanthropy.com) His new book, The Givers: Money, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age will be published by Knopf in April 2017. See more articles by David here. Ten self-storage facilities are currently under development across Colorado that will add approximately 750,000 square feet of storage space in the state. The properties will feature a range of amenities, such as climate control, business-incubator space and RV storage, as well as stone and timber exteriors, according to a press release from McCauley Constructors, a local contractor involved in the projects. The developments are: Four A Storage Place facilities in Evergreen, Loveland, Sheridan and Westminster An expansion to Bennett Storage in Bennett Chatfield Reservoir Storage in Littleton Colorado Mini Storage in Thornton A three-story Northglenn Storage facility in Northglenn A two-story Wadsworth Storage facility in Denver An unnamed facility in Lakewood Our team is honored to have been chosen as the design-build team to deliver these state-of-the-art facilities for our esteemed clients, said Leon J. McCauley, president of McCauley Constructors. Founded in 2005, McCauley Constructors offers pre-engineered metal buildings for several uses including education, health care, manufacturing, office, retail and self-storage. The company assists with construction, design and jurisdictional entitlement. Update 1/16/17 PRA has nixed plans for the eight-story self-storage facility it intended to build on Eighth Ave. S. in SoBro. We decided not to move forward with the transaction, Van Lare told the source, declining to elaborate on the companys reasoning. Eighth Avenue South Ventures LLC, which acquired the property in 2015, has listed it for sale for an undisclosed price, according to the source. The report didnt mention the two other Nashville sites PRA has under contract on which it intends to build a pair of six-story self-storage facilities. 8/9/16 Provident Realty Advisors (PRA) received site-plan approval last week for its eight-story self-storage project on Eighth Ave. S. Developers Byrd and Van Lare have two other Nashville sites under contract for a pair of six-story self-storage facilities approved in the SoBro and Vanderbilt-West End areas of the city, the source reported. Those two projects will bring another 300,000 rentable square feet of space to the market. PRA expects to begin construction on all three projects within a year, according to the source. 7/29/16 Provident Realty Advisors Inc. (PRA), a Dallas-based developer and real estate investment firm with interests in self-storage, has proposed an eight-story self-storage facility for the SoBro neighborhood of Nashville, Tenn. The asset would comprise 150,000 square feet on a 0.6-acre parcel at 514 Eighth Ave. S. The property is under contract between PRA developers Richard Byrd and Case Van Lare and a local investment partnership that includes restaurateur Miranda W. Pontes, according to the source. The property includes the former home of the Nashville Center Stage bar and music venue, which Pontes acquired for $2.6 million last March with investment partners Doug Martin and Justin Prince. The acquisition included the adjacent parking lot at 522 Eighth Ave. S., the source reported. Houston-based architecture firm Edgecomb & Associates Inc. is scheduled to discuss design modifications on Aug. 4 with the Downtown Code Design Review Committee. Revisions include moving vehicle access to Drexel Street instead of Eighth Avenue South. The review committee earlier rejected some requests from the developer, including modifications to the active-use requirement along Eighth Avenue S. The project is the second eight-story self-storage facility proposed in SoBro in recent weeks. In May, The Natchez Group submitted plans for a 1,000-unit facility at 825 Third Ave. S. Founded in 1991, PRA has developed or invested in more than $3 billion worth of real estate projects. In addition to self-storage, the companys development and investment projects include master-planned residential communities, mixed-used development, multi-family housing and retail centers, according to its website. Wasatch Storage Partners (WSP), a Utah-based real estate investment firm specializing in self-storage acquisitions, development and property management, has acquired Albany SuperStorage in Albany, N.Y., for $5.9 million. The company purchased the property at 44 Broadway through its affiliate, WSP Albany LLC. It secured $3.72 million in financing from TCF National Bank in Minnesota. Real estate developers Gerry L. Gauer and Marc Paquin, operating as 44 Broadway Realty LLC, bought the 90,000-square-foot building from a home-cleaning product company for $150,000 in 2004. They invested more than $2 million to convert it to approximately 650 storage units in 2012, the source reported. Based in American Fork, Utah, WSP has been involved in more than 250 self-storage assets and about $1 billion in storage acquisitions and development projects, according to its website. The company also offers self-storage consulting services. Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda disappointed some observers today with a monetary policy statement that left little changed. Kuroda offered only to boost purchases of exchange-traded funds rather than hoped-for helicopter money, which he had rejected in earlier statements, or deeper negative rates, sending the yen up sharply against major currencies and yields higher on Japanese government bonds. After todays nearly 2 percent swing, the yen is up by more than 15 percent year-to-date versus the U.S. dollar, adding political pressure to Kuroda and his team to act to aid export industries. The announcement offers little to investors. In a note to clients this morning, Jefferies Global Equity Strategist Sean Darby wrote, While the news on the ETF purchases should boost sentiment on stocks, overall monetary policy will only be marginally changed given that the BOJs balance-sheet expansion has already decelerated. He added that the absence of any change on deposit rates will have disappointed those investors seeking a bolder move by the BOJ. Darby noted that Japanese policymakers have less room to expand the purchase facility for government bonds after after years of unprecedented expansion of the monetary base. The real question facing the Japanese central bank is whether the limits of monetary policy have been reached. Massive utilities merger. On Friday, Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy announced an agreement to acquire Dallas, Texas transmission and distributing company, Oncor Electric Delivery Co., in a stock and cash transaction valued at $18.4 billion. The deal comes as part of the bankruptcy restructuring of Oncors parent company, Energy Future Holdings Corp., which is currently struggling with more than $50 billion in debt, much of it from a buyout of then-TXU Corp. led by KKR, TPG and a Goldman Sachs Capital Partners in 2007. In July, NextEras planned purchase of Hawaiian Electric Industries for more than $2.5 billion fell apart after Texas regulators rejected the merger. Statoil to buy Petrobras assets. Only days after posting a sharp decline in revenues for the second quarter, Statoil, which is majority owned by the Norwegian government, on Friday announced the acquisition of offshore oil fields from a Petrobras subsidiary for $2.5 billion. The move by one cash-rich state-owned oil giant to snap up relatively cheap assets from another state-owned company awash in losses, underscores the challenges facing many developing economies. The fields in question are part of the Carcara oil discovery, which is just below the salt layer of the oceans floor at less than 6,000 meters deep. Merck tops analyst estimates. Second-quarter financial results issued on Friday by Merck & Co. beat consensus analyst estimates in large part due to increased sales of the firms diabetes drug Januvia. Earnings per share were $0.93 versus expectations for $0.91, with an increase of 0.6 percent year-over-year in revenues. In addition to strong returns from Januvia, the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant also saw increased volumes for cancer therapeutic Keytruda and hepatitis C drug Zepatier. UBS beats estimates but outlook remains grim. Earnings for the second quarter released today by UBS Group topped analyst estimates at more than $1 billion for the period, a significant decline from the same period in 2015. In the accompanying analyst call, management stressed ongoing cost-cutting efforts and said the firm will no longer provide guidance for future returns on tangible equity. During the call, CEO Sergio Ermotti refused to discuss in depth a possible deal to assist troubled Italian lender Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Oracle to acquire cloud company. On Thursday, Redwood City, Californias Oracle Corp. announced a deal to purchase cloud computing firm NetSuite, based in San Mateo, California, in an all-cash $9.3-billion-dollar transaction that marks a nearly 20 percent premium to NetSuites prior closing price. The deal may raise conflict of interest charges for Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who owns or controlled roughly 40 percent of NetSuite as of the most recent regulatory filings. Visit the Daily Agenda every morning to get the latest market updates. Car insurance broker Autosaint certainly lived up to its name when it came to the rescue of a poor student who couldnt afford to pay his car insurance premium.Alex Williams, 17, challenged the company to give him a discount on his premium if he could get a specific number of likes on a Facebook post, and even let them set the target.Williams, who is from Wales, had been hit with a big spend on his 1.2 Vauxhall Corsa after a series of unfortunate events.Im also in full-time education so that cleared me out of all my money, so I went and found Autosaint on Facebook and I just thought Id try my luck, he told WalesOnline.The worst thing they could do was say no.Autosaint, which is the trading name for Fresh Insurance Services Group Ltd, describes its core belief as innovative broking with traditional values.It is a privately owned company which specifically gears itself towards helping younger drivers in the UK save money on their insurance policies.Autosaint teamed up with auto parts chain Halfords who install the telematics box technology into the cars and works with established insurance companies such as Aviva, Covea, Markerstudy and Sabre to find the best deals for its customers.Staff at Autosaint were tickled when they received Alexs request, and because they liked his cheekiness said theyd agree to the deal if he could get 5,000 likes in a week.Williams hit the target within 24 hours and managed to get 9,300 likes by the actual deadline.An Autosaint spokesman said: Alex mailed us, the message made us laugh, we found it quite cheeky.We asked the management team what they thought of it and it made them laugh too so we thought we would run with it.We know how expensive insurance can be for young people, so we do anything we can to help them.The spokesman added: Weve given the 300 pounds ($530) deposit to Alex fair play to him, he hit the target! He smashed it!We didnt actually expect him to be able to do it, we thought wed set a high target but no, he completely smashed it!Williams was over the moon at the companys response and from the response from his social media network.It really means the world to me, he said. It shows people do want to help each other out. For the last few years you got a common response from catastrophe modelers who advise the property/casualty industry when asked about including the effects of climate change in modeling. It went something like: The industry isnt interested in what the weather will look like in 30, 50 or 100 years, its focused on what extreme weather will look like next year. But lately it seems that more cat modelers are being asked if they can include the effects of climate change in their models, and at least one modeling firm is now gearing up to offer just that. Boston-based AIR Worldwide is developing better tools to help its clients understand the risks of climate change. The firm announced this on its website: Insurers, reinsurers, financial institutions, and policymakers are being asked increasingly tough questions about their resilience to the possible effects of a changing climate. AIR takes an active role in climate research and is committed to helping clients understand, measure, and manage the associated uncertainties. The firm says its scientists are collaborating with organizations like The Met Office, Geosciences Australia and the Association of British Insurers to quantify the financial impacts of climate change. Findings have indicated correlations between environmental factors such as sea levels and sea surface temperatures, and the intensity and frequency of natural disasters, including windstorms, floods, and coastal storm surge, the site states. No, the P/C industry hasnt suddenly switched its focus to whats going to happen 30-plus years from now, said Peter Sousounis, assistant vice president and director of meteorology in AIRs research and modeling division. Climate change continues to occur on a relatively slow time scale slow relative to one-year renewal periods on property but this doesnt mean a warming world isnt having affects in the here-and-now. Though that is still up for debate. Sousounis and other modelers say the industry, and particularly the public sector, is coming to them for more information on impacts from climate change Are rising sea levels putting more properties at risk? Are droughts being made worse? Can we expect more tornadoes? An aspect of climate change that we dont understand is how its impacting the year-to year variability, he said. In other words, variability over the last five to 10 years may be much different than 50 to 60 years ago, and this is among the important questions firms like AIR and their clients want answered. One of the questions Sousounis believes should be tackled sooner than later is how climate change will affect the variability of hurricanes and their forward wind speed. If a hurricanes forward speed slows, it could increase its time spent over, say, a city on the Eastern Seaboard, thereby increasing precipitation and exposure to high winds for the citys inhabitants and all of its structures. Just what does climate change have to do with the forward wind speed of hurricanes? The poles are warming at a rate that is faster than equatorial regions, Sousounis explained. This means the pole-to-equatorial temperature gradient is changing, and that in turn can alter the worlds atmospheric circulation. Thats the brief version of his much longer tutorial he gave, which held that the frequency of the wave-shaped currents that circle the globe could change, slowing hurricanes down as well as creating other issues. More severe damages from hurricanes could result, and particular regions may be more consistently exposed to the same weather more heavy precipitation day after day in some areas, while other areas are plagued by prolonged heatwaves. Including climate change in modeling may be easier said than done. Multiple conditions are already factored into modeling, and the potential impacts of climate change add yet another dimension to the mix, according to Tom Larsen, a product architect for Irvine, Calif.-based CoreLogic. Larsen kicked it into mathematical mode, as modelers are often do, explaining this in terms of X and Y dimensions, plus the depth of the atmosphere, and the time element. He thankfully didnt assign lettering to the last two dimensions, effectively dumbing things down for me. Youve got four dimensions that your dealing with, he said. Attempting to factor in the impacts of climate change effectively doubles all of that. Its a 16-fold increase in analytics, he added or rather multiplied. This isnt to say the task is impossible. The academic world is increasingly developing their own models and adding to a growing set of research on climate, which AIR and other modelers can seize upon in their efforts to make better products. If nothing else, the availability of more data is always attractive to P/C insurers, Larsen said. The market is becoming more accepting of these models, he said. We are getting more requests at different levels. Its certainly not on the top five list for many of our clients, but it is on the important list. Most in this field say the biggest interest in modeling for the impacts of climate change is coming from the public sector, which much must think about planning on a far longer scale. Planning for buildings often requires at least a decade of forethought, and planning for infrastructure even longer. A report out in July from Rand Corp. shows climate change has the potential to severely impact U.S. infrastructure, and it finds that natural hazard exposure that may be caused by climate change is concentrated in regions like the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the Mississippi River valley. The public sector definitely has a long time-horizon, Sousounis said. Thats a whole other group of stakeholders that were targeting in terms of our research interests. Silicon Valley-based Risk Management Solutions has already begun offering its services to the public sector. RMS recently performed a future climate modeling scenario for San Francisco, which found in May that $77 billion worth of property could be at risk of storm surge/flooding as a result of sea level rise. The analysis was used to inform the citys recently released Sea Level Rise Action Plan. Following that the citys mayor announced an $8 million investment over the next two years to begin strengthening the citys seawall, which provides flood protection to the downtown district. RMS last year partnered on the Risky Business initiative, a year-long effort co-chaired by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, and Farallon Capital founder Tom Steyer, to quantify and publicize the economic risks the U.S. faces from the impacts of a changing climate. RMS provided an analysis of the impacts that climate change will likely have on coastal infrastructure and related assets for the initiative. Robert Muir-Wood, chief research officer for RMS, said the recent projects, which look as far out as 2100, werent without challenges. Its greater uncertainty as you look further and further out, Muir-Wood said. As were looking at climate change, youve got to model more and more of the uncertainty. Muir-Wood sees this sort of municipal modeling and consultation is a whole new part of their business with great potential for growth. I think its a new kind of client, he said, adding, Its very early days I would say. I think there is going to be increasing interest in the public sector to explore risk into the future. Most of the climate change-related questions Steve Bowen hears from his clients relates to just how this is going to be done. I will say that I think in general theres been a lot of feedback from clients and the industry as a whole in trying to figure out how the cat modeler is going to take the whole topic of climate change and model it into their climate solutions, said Bowen, who is a director and meteorologist at Londonbased Aon Benfield analytics and impact forecasting. This may be more than mere curiosity about the future. It could be that some people in the industry think the climate change is already affecting the weather. That includes Bowen. The fact of the matter is were already seeing this impact today, he said. Bowen, like the others interviewed, cautioned that modeling is not an exact science. But he is confident that warmer seas are yielding more intense storms. They tend to be causing more damage when they occur, he said. Youre tending to see higher losses. There are some of these climate change discussions taking place currently and that is being put into these contracts, and I would expect youre going to see more and more of that as we move forward. He wasnt short on examples of higher losses when asked. China is experiencing its worst flooding in decades from an intense monsoon season, Bowen said. Theyre looking at a $25 billion economic loss from floods on the Yangtze river basin, he added. He also pointed to drought in other parts of Asia, Australia and Brazil, as well as several consecutive drought-fueled wildfire seasons that have started early for California. The U.S. loses have been way up in terms of hail loss, especially in Texas this year, Bowen said. CoreLogic earlier this month estimated losses from hail events this year in Fort Worth, Plano, Wylie and San Antonio totaled $689.6 million. Then you have 2014 being the hottest year on record, then 2015, and 2016 doesnt look too cool either, he said. Somethings certainly happening, Bowen said. Past columns: Topics Catastrophe USA Flood Hurricane Property Casualty Climate Change South Korean cosmetics products recently failed quality tests by Chinese regulatory authorities because of prohibited ingredients and inappropriate labels, experts said Thursday, noting that there was no connection with South Korea's decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system. China's imports of South Korean cosmetics products through East China's Shandong Province's customs surged 224.8 percent to 3,924.4 tons in the first six months of 2016, reaching $36.4 million by value, but seven batches of these products failed spot checks at the border, according to a statement on the Shandong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau website on July 21. These products failed tests because they contained ingredients that are banned in China and their labels didn't meet China's standards, the Xinhua News Agency reported on July 22, citing a source of the Shandong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. South Korean news site chosun.com, however, said on Wednesday that China is questioning the quality of South Korean cosmetics because of "signs of growing peevishness." An official of the South Korean Embassy to China, who declined to be identified, told the Global Times Thursday that the embassy has no opinion on the matter at present. Liu Jianying, an assistant research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times Thursday that it's probably not hard to find disqualified South Korean cosmetics products in Shandong, as this province is a large-scale importer of South Korean products due to geographic proximity. Also, there are differences between South Korea's approved cosmetics ingredient list and that of China, said Xinhua. For example, some traditional Chinese herbal medicines are forbidden to be used in cosmetics in China while South Korea has no such rules. Liu said that the cases in question are individual ones and have nothing to do with South Korea's decision to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system. An official of the Chongqing Entry Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, who asked for anonymity, told the Global Times Thursday that four firms in Southwest China's Chongqing imported less than 10 batches of South Korean cosmetics products this year and none failed spot checks. China should strengthen supervision on products, as its import volume from South Korea will increase rapidly, Liu warned. Regulatory representatives from the U.S. and China met this week to discuss issues facing their respective insurance markets. The meeting was held at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) New York office. According to the NAIC, they discussed retirement security, Chinas Risk Oriented Solvency System (C-ROSS), the NAICs group capital calculation, natural catastrophes, reinsurance and cybersecurity. This open dialogue and regulatory cooperation between our two markets are crucial for the future success of insurance in both countries, said John M. Huff, NAIC president and Missouri insurance director. With increased investment by both U.S. and Chinese insurers in our respective markets, NAIC members are committed to continuing and strengthening this important relationship. In addition to Huff, the U.S. delegation included Superintendent Maria Vullo and Executive Deputy Superintendent Scott Fischer from the New York State Department of Financial Services and NAIC staff. Participants from China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) included Chairman Xiang Junbo, Director General Jiang Bo, Director Zhu Yanhui, and Section Chief Huo Hongqiang. The CIRC and NAIC have had a longstanding relationship for over a decade, said Junbo. As two of the largest insurance markets in the world we remain committed to working together in the spirit of consumer protection. Junbo said the ongoing work at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) to develop an insurance capital standard must proceed at a measured pace and should be a standard which jurisdictions can implement to ensure it is truly global in nature. The IAIS represents insurance regulators from about 100 different jurisdictions. The U.S. is the largest global insurance market; China is fourth, but is expected to be second largest market within 10 years, according to the NAIC. The meeting in New York this week followed a number of discussions last week during the 10th China-U.S. Insurance Dialogue where representatives from the U.S. met with members of the CIRC. The U.S. delegation included individuals from the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Department of Commerce, the NAIC and U.S. insurers. The group discussed cybersecurity, consumer protection and industry innovations. Source: NAIC Related: Topics USA Legislation New York China Federal safety officials have cited a specialty food producer with 21 serious violations after receiving a complaint about unsafe working conditions at the companys San Antonio facility. The U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Bluebonnet Foods LP, which does business as GoodHeart Specialty Foods Co., and proposed $104,000 in penalties. OSHA identified electrical, amputation, struck-by and chemical hazards. The agency said the employer also failed to establish procedures for the control of hazardous energy sources, to install emergency eyewash stations and provide personal protective equipment, safety data sheets and effective training on chemicals used in the facility. Bluebonnet Foods L.P. produces slow-roasted, fried and grilled meats, sauces and other products for the retail, food service and food manufacturing industries under the Good Heart Specialty Foods brand. It employs approximately 300 employees at the San Antonio location. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Source: OSHA Topics Workers' Compensation Owner of a Fort Myers, Fla., staffing and payroll services firm was arrested in mid-July over the alleged theft of more than $1 million, according to a statement from Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) Division of Investigative and Forensic Services (DIFS). The arrest of Ivan Hernandez, owner of Global Staffing / Professional Staffing and Payroll Services in was announced July 22. Hernandez is accused of running a criminal enterprise by claiming to provide workers compensation insurance and payroll services to his clients but instead of providing those services, Hernandez allegedly provided fictitious policies and pocketed his clients payments. As a result, Hernandez is being held responsible for the theft of more than $1 million. An investigation by DIFS Bureau of Insurance Fraud and the Departments Division of Workers Compensation Bureau of Compliance revealed that in August 2013 Hernandez obtained a workers compensation insurance policy for his company, Global Staffing Services, LLC. The policy accounted for two employees, an estimated $51,000.00 payroll and listed Hernandezs company as a staffing company that provided employee recruiting services. When obtaining the policy, Hernandez stated Global Staffing Services was a staffing company that provided employee recruiting services for various companies but would not directly hire or offer any long-term or short-term staffing services. The investigation went on to reveal Hernandez changed Global Staffing Services name to Professional Staffing and Payroll Services in March 2015 but continued to carry the companys previous workers compensation policy. Professional Staffing and Payroll Services was found to have entered into numerous contracts with various companies and directly provided staffing services, payroll services, and workers compensation coverage for those clients. Hernandezs company would then allegedly charge a premium amounting to a percent of the client companys weekly payroll. By doing so, Hernandezs company was in violation of the underwriting requirements established in his original workers compensation policy. In addition, Hernandez was found to have been pocketing his clients payments and using the money for his own personal use. Hernandez provided fraudulent Certificate of Insurance documents to approximately 58 companies with over 300 employees all in an effort to further conceal his actions. As a result of his alleged fraudulent conduct, Hernandez stole approximately $1,035,662.00 from his clients. Hernandez was arrested July 13, 2016 and transported to Lee County Jail. His charges include various counts of a scheme to defraud, aggravated white collar crime, RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), and money laundering over $100,000. Additional charges may be brought forth. This case will be prosecuted by the Office of State Attorney Stephen B. Russell, 20th Judicial Circuit. If convicted, Hernandez could face more than 25 years in prison. Source: Florida Department of Financial Services Topics Florida Workers' Compensation Fraud A Los Angeles jury has awarded $16.3 million to the family of a construction worker who fell to his death at a wastewater treatment plant. City News Service says the Superior Court panel this week found for Rosa Gonzalez and her two children in a lawsuit against Atlas Construction Supply. Her husband, 30-year-old Edgar Gonzalez, fell 30 feet while building a wall at the Hyperion treatment plant near Playa del Rey in 2011. The suit said he was connected to an improperly secured framework that weighed several thousand pounds and partially fell on him. Douglas Purdy, an attorney for Atlas, said he disagreed with the verdict. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Construction Nearly 400 miles from its German headquarters, in the computer-science hotbed of Potsdam, SAP SEs engineers are trying to head off the latest challenge to its software empire: the blockchain. The World Economic Forum has identified blockchain technology, which underpins the virtual currency bitcoin, as one of six computing mega-trends shaping society in the coming decade. In a paper issued last year, the WEF estimated 10 percent of global GDP could be stored in blockchains by 2027. Companies including Deloitte LLP, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. are looking into using, or experimenting with the de-centralized blockchain system, which threatens to supplant some enterprise planning software created by market-leader SAP and others. The potential for disruption is huge, said Juergen Mueller, SAPs chief innovation officer, who joined the Walldorf-based company three years ago. If we would not move, this would be a huge threat. About 50,000 businesses run SAPs financial and operations planning software, so ingrained that companies design manufacturing, delivery and accounting processes around it. The softwares organizing principle is a central ledger of transactions, and SAPs 44 years experience processing that data means customers in banking, auto making, agriculture and energy are willing to pay millions of dollars to keep it running. SAP is writing specialized software for customers in banking, farming, energy, health care and media so they can connect blockchains to its Hana Cloud Platform, which provides a database and applications as online services so customers can add new functions to their SAP systems. Its working with a variety of blockchain technologies, including the system that supports bitcoin, and with Ethereum, an alternative blockchain technology. In one example, SAP is using blockchain software to let patients share electronic medical records with doctors or drug makers for a specific time period, during medical care or a study. Its designing a system for farmers weather insurance that would pull rainfall data from sensors in the field, then automatically inform insurers if theres a drought that would trigger a payout. In banking, SAP, Canadian bank ATB Financial and fintech startup Ripple Labs transferred 1,000 Canadian dollars ($760) to a German bank in 20 seconds instead of the usual several days. Such fast cross-border money transfers have emerged as one of the key applications for the blockchain in banking. What Is Blockchain? Blockchains, which can be used under open-source agreements or licensed from an independent vendor, are de-centralized software ledgers that make transactions visible to multiple parties at once. They can help speed up business and improve security, but also obviate the need for big, centralized systems kept by each company separately. Banks, insurers, shippers and other types of companies can use them to set up so-called smart contracts that automatically respond to events, saving time and e-mail. The ledgers can also shore up security by preventing hackers from taking over individual computers to gain access to a network. For technology vendors like Microsoft, SAP and IBM, blockchain represents a big opportunity to help their enterprise customers implement the next generation of database technology, said Gil Luria, a stock analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc. Jumping in now is by no means late. Hyperledger Project SAP isnt the only tech heavyweight developing on blockchain. Microsoft Corp. has teamed up with the banking consortium R3 to test money transfers and other financial capabilities using the technology. IBM is working on the Hyperledger project to create blockchain standards across industries such as finance, manufacturing and IT. Oracle Corp. declined to comment on its blockchain plans and support. A recent article in its customer magazine, Profit, discussed the technologys advantages in several industries. Established IT suppliers often manage emerging technologies by recognizing their customers want to use them, then make it easier and safer to do so from within their tools. Thats what Microsoft has done with Linux, and what Oracle did several years ago with the open-source database Hadoop. This is similar to the connected car initiative, said Josh Greenbaum, a software industry analyst at Enterprise Applications Consulting. SAP wont build the car or the internal electronics, but it will enable the interconnections between autos, drivers and services. SAPs Mueller estimates its at least two to five years before businesses make widespread use of blockchain. But he wants his teams to get a handle on the e-ledgers quickly. SAPs innovation center network is responsible for developing new technology like blockchain applications, personalized medicine and machine learning in SAPs tools, then delivering it to paying customers. If, as a large company, you just harvest existing customers and dont look ahead, youre on the wrong track, Mueller said. Just look at the Nokias or BlackBerrys of the world. If you dont watch out, this new technology might hit you. South African resident taxpayers with undisclosed assets abroad will undoubtedly recall the 2016 Budget announcement on February 24 2016 to introduce a special voluntary disclosure programme (SVDP). The measure intends to provide further relief to taxpayers, encouraging them to regularise their tax and exchange control affairs before the commencement of the new global standard for the automatic exchange of information, which will start in September 2017. The revised draft bills, published on July 20 2016, may come as a relief to many resident taxpayers who are anxiously waiting for some certainty regarding how their tax and exchange control transgressions will be treated in terms of the SVDP. A few significant changes have been made to the draft bills since they were first published to simplify the scheme. The following changes and additions are notable: The definition of a trust has been widened to include a foreign trust; The additional tax relief offered will apply in respect of years of assessment ending on or before February 28 2015; All undeclared amounts, such as interest income, dividends and rental income derived from an offshore asset held during the period between March 1 2010 and February 28 2015 will be exempt from tax if disclosed under the scheme; Taxpayers will be subject to tax on 50% of the highest value of the aggregate of all offshore assets between March 1 2010 and February 28 2015. This is the market value of the assets determined in the foreign currency and converted to South African Rand at the spot rate at the end of each year of assessment; and Taxpayers who previously held undisclosed assets that were disposed of before March 1 2010 may also apply for the relief, subject to special deeming provisions. The application of the above changes can be illustrated by the following example: In 2008, Mr X opened a bank account in the US into which he transferred $1 million. Mr X has earned a total of $250,000 in interest on that bank account since inception and during the period between March 1 2010 and February 28 2015. In terms of the revised draft bills, the interest earned during the period from March 1 2010 to February 28 2015 will be exempt from tax. Further, 50% of the highest amount of his bank balance between the period of March 1 2010 and February 28 2015 will be subject to tax. Assuming that this amount is ZAR 15 million ($1.1 million), then in terms of the revised bill only ZAR 7.5 million will be included in his taxable income and taxed at the marginal rate. The revised bills may still seem punitive for taxpayers who hold offshore assets that are worth a considerable amount of money. However, the benefit of submitting a SVDP application far outweighs the risk of being caught by the South African Revenue Service (SARS). A successful application to the scheme guarantees that SARS will not levy understatement penalties or pursue criminal prosecution against the taxpayer. According to SARS and the National Treasury, taxpayers who do not make use of the programme will face the full force of the law. SARS will be entitled to levy tax for the entire period that the taxpayer under-declared their taxable income (as opposed to levying tax for the period from March 1 2010 to February 28 2015 only). The taxpayer will also incur understatement and non-compliance penalties and may face criminal prosecution for any statutory offence arising from the non-disclosure. South Africa Revenue Service, Krugersdorp Branch The revised draft bills come a week after the Financial Surveillance Department (FinSurv) released a circular outlining the details applicable to the exchange control aspect of the SVDP. The draft bills have not yet been finalised and the public has been invited to submit additional comments on the proposals. The deadline for submissions is August 8 2016. The first parliamentary hearing on the bills is expected to be held in mid-August 2016. Although the draft bills are still at the public consultation stage, the effective date for the SVDP remains unchanged. Thus, taxpayers still have the very limited period between October 1 2016 and March 31 2017 to file their applications to make use of the special voluntary disclosure programme. This compliance window is unlikely to be extended. SARS and the National Treasury are therefore working on a tight schedule and resident taxpayers will have to wait and see if the bills will be finalised by the schemes effective date of October 1 2016. Until then, taxpayers can only hope that they are not selected by SARS or FinSurv for an audit or investigation into their contraventions of the tax legislation and exchange control regulations. Should this occur, it is unclear whether taxpayers will be excluded from the SVDP. This article was written exclusively for International Tax Review by Lebo Motsumi, associate at Norton Rose Fulbright in Johannesburg. Si parla della sua presenza alla 76 mostra del cinema di Venezia, in programma dal 28 agosto al 7 settembre. L'attesissimo film The Pope di Fernando Meirelles con Jonathan Pryce nel ruolo di Bergoglio e Anthony Hopkins in quello di Ratzinger scandaglia una delle pagine piu sorprendenti e inedite di duemila anni di storia della Chiesa: la coabitazione in Vaticano di due pontefici. Storia e cronaca si incrociano, nella memoria di vaticanista. Per far luce su quanto accaduto nel crepuscolo del proprio pontificato, Benedetto XVI ha affidato la relazione sullo scandalo Vatileaks a tre cardinali ultra-ottantenni, quindi non piu elettori in conclave e fuori dalle logiche di unelezione pontificia. Cio significava consentire di indagare al massimo livello sulle responsabilita interne al Vaticano senza che le verita scoperte potessero entrare nella Cappella Sistina camminando sulle gambe di porporati inquisitori. A Julian Herranz, Jozef Tomko e Salvatore De Giorgi, Benedetto XVI assegno lincarico di venire a capo della fuga di documenti riservati e il compito venne svolto in profondita. Subito dopo la rinuncia al pontificato, Joseph Ratzinger crollo fisicamente e si temette addirittura per la vita: era molto fragile, pur conservando una strepitosa lucidita mentale. Ma poi, dopo un paio di settimane, si riprese e torno a essere il formidabile maestro di dottrina, lo stesso che aiuto Karol Wojtyla in un quarto di secolo di pontificato. E che, abdicando, desacralizzo e demitizzo la figura del Papa, distinguendo in modo radicale e rivoluzionario la funzione dalla persona. Un gesto che probabilmente avrebbe potuto compiere solo un rigoroso teologo proveniente dalla terra di Lutero, grande accusatore dei mali del papato e della corte vaticana. Armonia e ammirazione Un gesto modernissimo che lascio in quel momento la Chiesa, e il mondo, spiazzati e senza parole - osserva il vescovo Giancarlo Vecerrica -. La motivazione fu certamente l'impossibilita di procedere nella guida della Chiesa per il venir meno delle forze con l'eta che avanzava. Decise cosi che, in futuro, avrebbe vissuto una vita da monaco, in contemplazione, e che avrebbe servito la Chiesa in altro modo, cioe pregando. Da qui la scelta di vivere nel monastero Mater Ecclesiae all'interno del Vaticano, immerso nei giardini dove spesso va a pregare. Riceve visite e continua a informarsi, a leggere. Prega e ascolta musica. Fortissimo il legame con il suo successore Francesco. Si sentono telefonicamente e si incontrano. In alcune occasioni pubbliche Bergoglio lo ha voluto accanto a se. Come all'apertura del Giubileo della Misericordia l'8 dicembre 2015, dove Ratzinger ha varcato la soglia, dopo Francesco, come primo pellegrino dell'Anno Santo. Francesco, sente molto vicino a se Benedetto e spesso si confronta con lui per alcune scelte importanti. Afferma padre Federico Lombardi, ex portavoce della Santa Sede e presidente della Fondazione Ratzinger: Il modo in cui il Papa emerito vive gli anni successivi alla rinuncia al pontificato corrisponde a quello che ci aveva detto, cioe vivere nella preghiera, nel ritiro spirituale e con estrema discrezione, fornendo il suo servizio di accompagnamento nella preghiera della vita della Chiesa e di solidarieta anche con il suo successore, proprio nella sua responsabilita e, tutto cio, in piena serenita. Francesco ha sempre detto di sentire molto il sostegno di questa presenza e di questa preghiera e, racconta padre Lombardi, di aver coltivato questo rapporto, a volte con delle visite, a volte con delle chiamate telefoniche, certamente con molti segni di familiarita, di rispetto e di attesa del sostegno spirituale. Realta bella e inedita La coabitazione di due papi, aggiunge Lombardi, e una realta inedita ma bella e consolante: tutte le volte che vediamo delle immagini di Francesco e il suo predecessore insieme e una grande gioia per tutti e un bell'esempio di unione nella Chiesa, nella varieta delle condizioni. Unarmonia e un'ammirazione testimoniate dal pensiero rivolto da Francesco al suo predecessore in occasione del suo 65 anniversario di sacerdozio. Santita, oggi festeggiamo la storia di una chiamata iniziata 65 anni fa con la sua Ordinazione sacerdotale, avvenuta nella Cattedrale di Freising il 29 giugno 1951 disse Jorge Mario Bergoglio -. Ma qual e la nota di fondo che percorre questa lunga storia e che da quel primo inizio sino a oggi la domina sempre piu? In una delle tante belle pagine che Lei dedica al sacerdozio sottolinea come, nellora della chiamata definitiva di Simone, Gesu, guardandolo, in fondo gli chiede una cosa sola: Mi ami?. Quanto e bello e vero questo! Perche e qui, Lei ci dice, in quel mi ami? che il Signore fonda il pascere, perche solo se ce lamore per il Signore Lui puo pascere attraverso di noi: Signore, tu sai tutto, tu sai che ti amo. E laugurio con il quale desidero concludere e percio un augurio che rivolgo a Lei e insieme a tutti noi e alla Chiesa intera: che Lei, Santita, possa continuare a sentire la mano del Dio misericordioso che La sorregge, che possa sperimentare e testimoniarci l'amore di Dio; che, con Pietro e Paolo, possa continuare a esultare di grande gioia mentre cammina verso la meta della fede!. Altrettanto suggestiva la risposta di Benedetto XVI: Santo Padre, cari fratelli, 65 anni fa, un fratello ordinato con me ha deciso di scrivere sulla immaginetta di ricordo della prima Messa soltanto, eccetto il nome e le date, una parola, in greco: 'Eucharistomen', convinto che, con questa parola, nelle sue tante dimensioni, e gia detto tutto quanto si possa dire in questo momento. 'Eucharistomen': un grazie umano, grazie a tutti. Grazie soprattutto a Lei, Santo Padre! La Sua bonta, dal primo momento dellelezione, in ogni momento della mia vita qui, mi colpisce, mi porta realmente, interiormente. Piu che nei Giardini Vaticani, con la loro bellezza, la Sua bonta e il luogo dove abito: mi sento protetto. Grazie anche della parola di ringraziamento, di tutto. E speriamo che Lei potra andare avanti con noi tutti su questa via della Misericordia Divina, mostrando la strada di Gesu, verso Gesu, verso Dio. 'Eucharistomen' ci rimanda a quella realta di ringraziamento, a quella nuova dimensione che Cristo ha dato. Lui ha trasformato in ringraziamento, e cosi in benedizione, la croce, la sofferenza, tutto il male del mondo. E cosi, fondamentalmente, ha traslato la vita e il mondo e ci ha dato e ci da ogni giorno il Pane della vera vita, che supera il mondo grazie alla forza del Suo amore. Alla fine, vogliamo inserirci in questo 'grazie' del Signore, e cosi ricevere realmente la novita della vita e aiutare per la transustanziazione del mondo: che sia un mondo non di morte, ma di vita; un mondo nel quale lamore ha vinto la morte. Grazie a tutti voi. Il Signore ci benedica tutti. Grazie, Santo Padre. Despite living in her school's dormitory, 16-year-old Chen Chunlin takes care of father every day before and after school. Chen's mother passed away when she was 9 years old. At the age of 15, her father became paralyzed. Faced with such misfortune, Chen took a leave of absence from school to care for her father. To make money, Chen's younger brother left home to work, while Chen got a job in a nearby factory. As Chen's father slowly began to regain his health, Chen decided to see if her school could accomodate both of them. Fortunately, No.1 Middle School of Zhongshan County accepted the proposal and provided a small room for the father and daughter. Every morning Chen got up early and helped her father to wash his face, brush his teeth and eat breakfast, all while most of her peers are still in bed. She then went to class after making sure her father had everything he needed. After school, Chen cooked dinner for her father, helped him to bathe and even gave him therapeutic massages. After finishing all these chores, she returned to school to study until the classrooms closed. The margins of Chen's textbooks and workbooks were all crowded with her studious notes. In 2014, thanks to excellent test scores Chen was accepted to Hezhou High School. The school provides Chen with a free education and even gives her a small living stipend. Additionally, the school offers a dormitory for Chen and her father so that she can continue to take care of him. Under his daughter's care, Chen's father has continued to become healthier. Meanwhile, the Hezhou Education Bureau also helped Chen's brother to return school, waiving his tuition fee. Chen says she hopes to one day become a teacher and give back to society by imparting knowledge to the next generation of students. Key Takeaways Alphabet's EPS was $10.21 vs. the $7.92 analysts expected. Quarterly revenue beat expectations but declined year-over-year for the first time in the company's history. Traffic acquisition costs exceeded estimates. Alphabet reported unadjusted EPS this quarter, while it reported adjusted earnings last quarter. What Happened Alphabet reported its first ever quarterly year-over-year decline. Despite this company first, both revenue and EPS declined by less than expected as advertisers tightened their belts due to the pandemic's disruption of the economy. Traffic acquisition costs came in higher than analysts expected. Alphabet instituted a hiring freeze and cut marketing spending in half for the second half of the year. Shares of GOOGL were up slightly in after-hours trading. (Below is Investopedia's original earnings preview, published July 23, 2020) What to Look For Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), parent of search giant Google, enjoyed robust gains in revenue, profits, advertising and online traffic earlier this year amid spreading government lockdowns and the global recession brought about by COVID-19. Investors will want to know whether Alphabet can capitalize on those gains, especially the spike in Internet traffic, when the company reports Q2 FY 2020 earnings after market close on July 30. Q2 will be the first quarter to fully encompass Alphabet's performance during the pandemic, and analysts indicate that most of the news won't be good. They forecast a dip in revenue and plunging adjusted EPS compared to the same period a year ago. Investors will pay particular attention to a key metric: traffic acquisition costs (TAC), a measure of how much the company pays to pull people into their sites. Rising or high traffic acquisition costs indicates lower margins and profits. That may mean good news for Alphabet in Q2 FY 2020 because analysts estimate that TAC will fall (YOY). Investopedia is focusing on TAC because Alphabet no longer includes the YOY percent change in paid clicks in its earnings press release. Alphabet has outperformed in the past 12 months, posting a total return of 37.4% compared to the S&P 500's total return of 9.8%. Source: TradingView. In Q1 FY 2020, adjusted EPS came in below analysts' expectations, but strong EPS and revenue growth still sent Alphabet stock surging in the following months. Adjusted EPS rose 21.7% on a 12.8% increase in revenue. Alphabet's adjusted EPS generally has been volatile, showing wide swings in performance and declining in two of the past five quarters since Q1 FY 2019. Now, for Q2 FY 2020, investors predict EPS will fall by 34.9% YOY. By contrast, Alphabet's revenue has seen steady YOY increases in each quarter for nearly four years. In recent Q2 periods, this increase has ranged from 19.3% year-over-year in Q2 FY 2019 to 25.6% in Q2 FY 2018. Even with the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company saw YOY quarterly revenue increase by 12.8% in Q1 FY 2020. For Q2 FY 2020, analyst expect that revenue to fall by 4.2% to $37.3 billion. Financial statement manipulation is a type of accounting fraud that remains an ongoing problem in corporate America. Although the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken many steps to mitigate this type of corporate malfeasance, the structure of management incentives, the enormous latitude afforded by the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and the ever-present conflict of interest between the independent auditor and the corporate client continues to provide the perfect environment for such activity. Due to these factors, investors who purchase individual stocks or bonds must be aware of the issues, warning signs, and the tools that are at their disposal in order to mitigate the adverse implications of these problems. Key Takeaways The manipulation of financial statements to commit fraud against investors or skirt regulation is a real and ongoing problem, costing billions of dollars each year. Managers may also "cook the books" in order to qualify for certain executive compensation that relies on certain financial performance metrics being met. Because generally accepted accounting standards can be flexible and open for interpretation by a company's management, fudging numbers can be difficult to detect. 2:26 How Financial Statements Are Manipulated Reasons Behind Financial Statement Manipulation There are three primary reasons why management manipulates financial statements. First, in many cases, the compensation of corporate executives is directly tied to the financial performance of the company. As a result, they have a direct incentive to paint a rosy picture of the company's financial condition in order to meet established performance expectations and bolster their personal compensation. Second, it is a relatively easy thing to do. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which sets the GAAP standards, provides a significant amount of latitude and interpretation in accounting provisions and methods. For better or worse, these GAAP standards afford a significant amount of flexibility, making it feasible for corporate management to paint a particular picture of the financial condition of the company. Third, it is unlikely that financial manipulation will be detected by investors due to the relationship between the independent auditor and the corporate client. In the U.S., the Big Four accounting firms and a host of smaller regional accounting firms dominate the corporate auditing environment. While these entities are touted as independent auditors, the firms have a direct conflict of interest because they are compensated, often quite significantly, by the very companies that they audit. As a result, the auditors could be tempted to bend the accounting rules to portray the financial condition of the company in a manner that will keep the client happyand keep its business. How Financial Statements Are Manipulated There are two general approaches to manipulating financial statements. The first is to exaggerate current period earnings on the income statement by artificially inflating revenue and gains, or by deflating current period expenses. This approach makes the financial condition of the company look better than it actually is in order to meet established expectations. The second approach requires the exact opposite tactic, which is to minimize current period earnings on the income statement by deflating revenue or by inflating current period expenses. It may seem counterintuitive to make the financial condition of a company look worse than it actually is, but there are many reasons to do so: to dissuade potential acquirers; getting all of the bad news "out of the way" so that the company will look stronger going forward; dumping the grim numbers into a period when the poor performance can be attributed to the current macroeconomic environment; or to postpone good financial information to a future period when it is more likely to be recognized. Specific Ways to Manipulate Financial Statements When it comes to manipulation, there are a host of accounting techniques that are at a company's disposal. Financial Shenanigans (2018) by Howard Schilit outlines seven primary ways in which corporate management manipulates the financial statements of a company. Recording Revenue Prematurely or of Questionable Quality Recording revenue prior to completing all services Recording revenue prior to product shipment Recording revenue for products that are not required to be purchased Recording Fictitious Revenue Recording revenue for sales that did not take place Recording investment income as revenue Recording proceeds received through a loan as revenue Increasing Income with One-Time Gains Increasing profits by selling assets and recording the proceeds as revenue Increasing profits by classifying investment income or gains as revenue Shifting Current Expenses to an Earlier or Later Period Amortizing costs too slowly Changing accounting standards to foster manipulation Capitalizing normal operating costs in order to reduce expenses by moving them from the income statement to the balance sheet Failing to write down or write off impaired assets Failing to Record or Improperly Reducing Liabilities Failing to record expenses and liabilities when future services remain Changing accounting assumptions to foster manipulation Shifting Current Revenue to a Later Period Creating a rainy day reserve as a revenue source to bolster future performance Holding back revenue Shifting Future Expenses to the Current Period as a Special Charge Accelerating expenses into the current period Changing accounting standards to foster manipulation, particularly through provisions for depreciation, amortization, and depletion While most of these techniques pertain to the manipulation of the income statement, there are also many techniques available to manipulate the balance sheet, as well as the statement of cash flows. Moreover, even the semantics of the management discussion and analysis section of the financials can be manipulated by softening the action language used by corporate executives from "will" to "might," "probably" to "possibly," and "therefore" to "maybe." Taken collectively, investors should understand these issues and nuances and remain on guard when assessing a company's financial condition. Financial Manipulation via Corporate Merger or Acquisition Another form of financial manipulation may happen during the merger or acquisition process. One classic approach occurs when management tries to whip up support for a merger or acquisition based primarily on the improvement in the estimated earnings per share of the combined companies. Let's look at the table below in order to understand how this type of manipulation takes place. Top News - Investor Idea REE Stock News - Defense Metals (TSX-V: DEFN.V) (OTCQB: DFMTF) Drills 113 metres of 2.50% Total Rare Earth Oxide at Wicheeda Vancouver, British Columbia - October 26, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mining / Metals / Green Energy Stock News - Defense Metals Corp. (TSX-V: DEFN / OTCQB: DFMTF/ FSE:35D) is pleased to announce high-grade Rare Earth Element ("REE") assay results from one additional core hole, totalling 383 metres (m), collared within the northern area of Defense Metals' 100% owned Wicheeda REE Deposit. Top Health and Wellness News - Investor Idea Health and Wellness Stock News - Endexx (OTCBB: EDXC) Secures Third Order for Non-Nicotine Vape Product HYLA Worth Approximately $1.5M in Revenue for First two Fiscal Quarters of 2023 CAVE CREEK, Ariz. - October 27, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Endexx Corporation (OTCBB:EDXC), a provider of innovative, plant-derived, and sustainable health and skincare products, today announces it has secured three key significant orders for its newly acquired, non-nicotine plant-based vape product, HYLA. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) FIVE 'Strikingly Different' EV Crossover Tour Starts Tomorrow, Oct. 27, in Pasadena, California; New Los Angeles Area Stop Added BREA, Calif. - October 26, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) ("Mullen" or the "Company"), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today the beginning of the Mullen FIVE Strikingly Different EV Crossover Tour, which will commence on Oct. 27 in Pasadena, California. Due to overwhelming interest, new dates have been added for Nov. 1 and 2 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: FatBrain (OTCQB: LZGI) Acquires Confidential Computing Platform ZeroTrust to Protect Data Privacy and Accelerate Innovation for Millions of Growth Businesses NEW YORK, NY - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, has acquired the confidential computing and privacy intellectual property (IP) plus software assets of Zero2A PTE LTD ("ZeroTrust Platform"), a software company based in Singapore. Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire The recent death of a 2-year-old boy from central China's Hubei province has drawn the publics attention to the problem of "left-behind children" once again. The little boy died on Wednesday while he was looking for his grandmother. So far, sunstroke appears to be the cause of his death, local media reported. The boy, named Shanshan, whose parents work away from their hometown, lived with his grandparents. On the morning of July 27, Shanshan's grandmother discovered that the boy was missing when she arrived home from her farm. After searching for Shanshan unsuccessfully, the grandmother eventually called the police. According to the grandmother, Shanshan was left alone at home watching TV on the morning. At around 7 p.m., Shanshan's body was spotted approximately 700 meters from his home. The forensic test indicated that Shanshan died from organ failure caused by sunstroke. From all appearances, Shanshan left the house in search of his grandmother, but was unable to find her before succumbing to the heat. This tragedy is another reminder for guardians to pay close attention to the whereabouts and safety of children at all times. On last Monday, Iraqs Ministry of Oil has announced that the country has exported around 95 million barrels of oil during June from the central and southern oil fields. Essam Jihad, spokesperson of oil ministry of Iraq, stated, According to the official statics obtained from the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), the total exports during June 2016 from the central and southern oil fields reached 95 million and 300 thousand barrels. The returns witnessed a slight increase in June compared to May 2016 and it reached 3.829 billion US dollars, while the barrel price reached $40.178 US dollars. He also informed that no oil has been exported from southern oilfield Basra. No quantity of oil too has been exported via Ceyhan Port as the region has shown least commitment to oil agreement with the federal government. | Soruce: Hellenic Shipping News | By S.Seal Dropping anchor for the night in Kerry having aquaplaned my way through a deluge transforming roads to rivers, I had few positive expectations of the coming day. However, Irelands unmatched ability to tantalize with the unexpected revealed itself next morning. A blue sky July day greets me as I head west through the wind-sculpted, Irish-speaking lands beyond Dingle to the tiny settlement of Ventry. Here, I seek a place used by medieval pilgrims to disembark before dutifully walking the ancient Cosan na Naomh (Saints Road) to Mount Brandon. Eventually, I find it in the most unlikely of places: a hedonistically insouciant beach, complete with surfers, kayakers, and even a couple of bikini clad sunbathers. There is a strong temptation to literally throw in the towel and just hang out on these magnificent sands, but recalling the fortitude of pilgrims past, I resist and pursue instead the signs for the Cosan. The ancient pathway dallies along pleasant back roads and fuchsia rich lanes with many echoes from the past in the form of ringforts, monastic sites and a ruined medieval castle. After mutating into a typical Irish boreen, the route offers the immediate reward of stunning views north over the Three Sisters peninsula. A serene path through wildflower-rich fields then has me in a contemplative mood, which means I lose the route. Chancing upon a local with the parched skin of one who has seen many a winter storm, he inquires Where are you off to?" When I respond, Along the Cosan, he replied Thats a quare way youre going alright. Then he tells me to go back to the end of a lane. Its a lot aesier that way. His directions prove correct and soon I reach the greatest archaeological jewel of the Dingle Peninsula. Read more: Is this the most beautiful walk in Ireland? Bereft of its original purpose as a place for worship, Gallarus Oratory has mutated into a visitor attraction. Startlingly uniform and puritanically unadorned, while not having admitted even one drop of water in its thousand year plus existence, it is in the interior twilight that it truly comes alive. I gaze upwards in awe at the sublimely corbelled roof and wonder how early Christian masons constructed such a symmetrical arch without it collapsing on their unhelmeted heads. Onwards and upwards now to the ruins of Kilmalkedar Abbey, which resonates with intangible mystery and a stay-awhile charm that immediately marks this serene backwater as a place apart. The atmosphere of surreal spirituality has an American couple informing me they felt moved, on arrival, to renew their commitment, by clasping fingers through an opening in an ancient standing stone. Next, its on to the summit of Reenconnell Hill. For pilgrims past this would have been their first close-up of the Promised Land with the great rampart of Brandon filling the horizon and the green and welcoming lands of Feohanach laid out below. Here, a rocky outcrop displays a, recently discovered, piece of rock art. Created as a perfect spiral motif, this artifact long pre-dates Christian pilgrimage, but I still cant help wondering as, I sit in the sunshine, who was the artist who long ago chanced this way. Why did he, or perhaps she, feel the urge to linger and create an eye-catching object of simple beauty that still speaks to us today? I have no answer, so instead its downhill to join a country lane and then on for about 3km to complete my pilgrim journey beneath Mount Brandons great head at Ballybrack shrine. Read more: The great walking tours of Ireland Later as my pilgrim passport is stamped in Ventry post office, one fact seems indisputable Cosan na Naomh is for a clear day when the extravagant vistas will remain forever stamped in the imaginings of all who complete this magical route. The Emerald Isle Camino Pilgrimage has been defined as a meaningful journey to a place of spiritual significance with the practice being almost as old as history. It was in the medieval period that Christian pilgrimage had its greatest flourishing. Penitents journeyed to many shrines in Europe and the Holy Land. Less well known is the fact that they also traveled in considerable numbers to sacred destinations in Ireland. The good news for those wishing to recreate these Irish penitential journeys is that this year a new Emerald Isle Camino has been created by a coming together of five of Irelands pilgrim paths, with the Cosan na Naomh included. Completing 120km of these ancient trails entitles walkers to a Teastas Oilithreachta (Pilgrim Walk Certificate) from Ballintubber Abbey, Co Mayo. To provide evidence of walking the required paths in accordance with local custom, an Irish pilgrim passport has been introduced with stamps available locally for those showing evidence of completing each walk. Full details of the Emerald Isle Camino passport are available at www.pilgrimpath.ie. * John G O'Dwyer is author of "Pilgrim Paths in Ireland a guide," which is published by the Collins Press; www.collinspress.ie. The idea that Brexit could lead to a united Ireland some time in the near future is a fantasy, despite what the Taoiseach Enda Kenny was saying last week when he raised the possibility. For traditional nationalists it's an appealing daydream of course, the idea that partition might end quickly and all of the island of Ireland become, as the song says, "a nation once again." But the reality is it's not going to happen any time soon, if ever. The reasoning of those who were airing the notion last week (Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail were at it as well as Kenny) has a superficial logic. Britain voted to leave the EU. The majority of people in Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU. The only realistic way that can be achieved after Brexit is for the North to leave the U.K. and join with the Republic which, as you know, is an EU member state. (The only other scenario is that the North becomes an independent mini-state within the EU, but that is not a financially viable option.) Does a return to the borders of the past await post-Brexit Northern Ireland? https://t.co/AH0xKBYRHB pic.twitter.com/ikJP8BkThJ The Economist (@TheEconomist) July 29, 2016 So is it a possibility? Kenny last week insisted that it is, even if it might be some years away from happening. For that reason he thinks the upcoming negotiations at European level about Britain's exit should include discussions about the future position of Northern Ireland and the fact that a majority of people there wish to remain in the EU. Read more: A federal United Kingdom is what Theresa May wants This is necessary, he said, because as the reality of Brexit becomes clearer there could be a demand in the North for a border poll, with the possibility of that producing a majority in favor of joining with the Republic to remain in the EU. It is sensible that the EU discusses that possibility now rather than later, the taoiseach suggested, pointing to the way East Germany became part of the EU after German reunification. Under the Good Friday Agreement, a referendum on joining with the south (a so-called border poll) will be held in the North if there is enough evidence of a popular demand for such a vote. The decision is taken by the secretary of state for Northern Ireland and the new incumbent in the job, James Brokenshire, has already ruled it out for the time being. And he was right to do so. First out of the gate to call for an immediate border poll after the Brexit vote was Sinn Fein. They can hardly believe their luck at the situation and that the two main parties here have given oxygen to the idea by discussing the possibility of a vote, however remote. Fianna Fail followed, although their position is considerably more nuanced, pointing out the complexities involved. The general view among politicians here is that such a knee jerk poll in the North would be unhelpful and almost certainly would end up in favor of the status quo. Even among the republicans who want Irish unity as quickly as possible, there is concern that a poll now would be premature and, since the Agreement specifies that a poll can be held only once every seven years, could be counter-productive. Somehow, Sinn Fein doesnt seem to see this. There is also the fact that the vote by the majority in the North in favor of remaining in the EU cannot be interpreted as a vote in favor of leaving the U.K., much less getting rid of the border and joining up with the south. One does not follow the other. In fact all the evidence is that what a majority of voters in the North want is somehow to remain in both the EU and the U.K. One of the most recent surveys on attitudes in the North to a united Ireland was carried out at the end of last year in a joint poll by RTE and the BBC. This showed that overall only 30 percent of people in the North were in favor of unity in their lifetime. That obviously means a lot of Catholics/nationalists are not in favor because they believe their standard of living is better in the U.K. and would fall if they became part of a united Ireland. In fact the poll showed that only just over half (57 percent) of Catholics/nationalists in the North were in favor of unity. The same survey found that in the south, 66 percent of people wanted to see a united Ireland in their lifetime -- but this fell to just 31 percent if it meant paying any extra tax to facilitate that happening! So the notion that there is a general wish for a united Ireland on either side of the Border is nonsense. Brexit has added a new dimension to the old debate, but it is unlikely to have changed that fundamental reality. Added to that is the uncomfortable fact that a united Ireland involves a separate vote on both sides of the border. Even if a border poll in the North after Brexit produced a majority in favor of joining the south, it does not mean that a referendum on unity would be passed down here. Not that you often hear people saying that out loud. Read more: Could a union between Northern Ireland and Scotland be the best Brexit solution? In his remarks last week on the future of the North, Kenny strongly made the case that no one wants to see a return of the so-called "hard border" between North and South. We are all accustomed now to being able to move freely between north and south and no one, including the unionists in the North, wants to see that change, with the re-introduction of border posts, customs, security, identity checks and so on. Apart from the inconvenience, the economic costs would be substantial. Theresa May and Enda Kenny 'want to keep close links' between UK and Ireland after #Brexit https://t.co/NVI6P4qGcL pic.twitter.com/m8J1RSLt3d BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) July 26, 2016 But although everyone on the island agrees with that, our border is a major problem, one which the new British Prime Minister Theresa May highlighted starkly some weeks ago. With Britain restricting access through its borders after Brexit, it seems likely that many East Europeans who want to get into the U.K. will use the south of Ireland as a back door. And that back door will be wide open if there is no visible, active border between the south and the north here. There are dozens of flights every week between cities in Eastern Europe and Dublin, and at present there is nothing to stop those people hopping on a bus or a train and heading to Belfast -- and then on to mainland Britain. Controlling this would mean either a hard border between north and south or between the north and mainland Britain. It would also mean that the decades old free travel area agreement between the Republic and the U.K. would have to be curtailed. On a flying visit to the North on Monday, May softened her stance slightly and said she was in favor of a "practical solution" to the problem in view of the long history of free travel between Ireland and the U.K. But she also mentioned that there would have to be a border between north and south, so no one knows yet what is going to happen. Much of the talk here about Brexit pushing a majority in the North into voting to join the south so that they can remain in the EU is not just idle speculation: it is also financially illiterate. There are a few hard facts that need to be kept in mind in this debate. The first is that Northern Ireland is still an economic basket case which requires massive subvention to support the people who live there. The big economic dividend that was supposed to flow from the peace has not emerged, and the area remains depressed with little to replace the traditional large employers of the past, like ship building and textiles. Unemployment is still very high and of those who do have a job, well over 30 percent are on the state payroll, even after security has been wound down. What this means is that it costs a fortune to run the North, money which is transferred over from the U.K. mainland to cover the local budget deficit. At the moment it's around 10 billion a year, which equates to around 25 percent of the North's GDP. A deficit on that scale is, for example, far worse than was the case in Greece at its lowest point. Because Britain is a big country with around 65 million people, it can afford to carry the North, although there was growing pressure from Westminster recently for cuts in spending on welfare and so on in the North to reduce the burden, something strongly resisted not just by Sinn Fein but by politicians of all hues there. You may remember this was so serious it led to a virtual shutdown of government in the North for a while. Now place that scenario in the context of a united Ireland. Instead of the burden being carried by 65 million people in the U.K., it would have to be borne by the less than five million people in the Republic. For that to happen it would require massive tax increases and spending cutbacks in the south which would make the recent austerity years here look like a picnic. Depending on the assumptions you make, it would require high double digit tax increases here. And even at that it would require people in the North to accept a much lower level of state spending on things like health and education than they have been used to up to now. Numerous surveys of attitudes in the south, including the recent RTE/BBC one noted above, have shown that although people here retain a romantic attachment to putting the four green fields back together again (a united Ireland), that cozy feeling dissipates as soon as paying for it is mentioned. A lot of wishful thinking is used to obscure this basic fact. We are told that the U.K. would be willing to chip in for a number of years to get rid of the North and that the EU would step in with massive funding. But none of this is certain. The U.K. is facing its own deficit problems and the EU is constrained in what it can do by state competition rules. Even if it were to happen, the Republic would still be left with a massive annual bill that would require a massive increase in taxation. And remember that the RTE/BBC survey last year found that people in the South are not prepared to pay ANY extra tax to achieve a united Ireland. That's the reality. The rest of it is just talk. Read more Northern Ireland news here Pope Francis says the world is at war. His blunt statement came one day after a Catholic priest was murdered on the altar of his church in France by so-called Islamic State terrorists. The Pope was beginning his official visit to Poland to celebrate World Youth Day. Clearly shaken by the attack on 86-year-old Rev. Jacques Hamel and his congregation, Francis called on the governments of central and eastern Europe to soften their resistance to migrants seeking refuge. Rev. Hamel had been celebrating morning mass in the Catholic Chruch in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, south of Rouen in Normandy, when two men with knives entered the church. They forced the 86-year-old to his knees and slit his throat. The men also took several people hostage one who remains in serious condition. The two attackers were shot by police. "Be considerate of others, whoever they are;" The words of Father Jacques Hamel in last month's parish newsletter. pic.twitter.com/d0WvzqcjFi Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) July 26, 2016 Francis began his remarks by saying A word thatis often repeated is 'insecurity.' But the real word is war. For some time we have been saying: 'the world is fighting a war piecemeal.' This is war. There was the war of 14, with its methods; then that of 39-45, another great war in the world; and now there is this one." Despite the growing anti-Muslim sentiment following the recent brutal so-called Islamic State attacks in France and Germany, the Pope emphasized that he did not see the recent events as a religious conflict. He said, When I speak of war, I speak of real war, not of a war of religion, no. There is war for interests, there is war for money, there is war for the resources of nature, there is war for the domination of peoples: this is war. Someone may think: 'He is talking about a war of religion.' No. All the religions, we want peace. Others want war. Do you understand? Francis told the press that the complex phenomenon of migrationcalls for great wisdom and compassion, in order to overcome fear and to achieve the greater good. Also needed, Francis said, is a spirit of readiness to welcome those fleeing from wars and hunger, and solidarity with those deprived of their fundamental rights, including the right to profess ones faith in freedom and safety. In Ireland, Dublins Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said that he fears the murder of Rev. Hamel will spur copycat killings. He said he had been stunned by the brutality of the elderly priests murder in front of his congregation. There is always a danger of copycat attempts and those copycat attempts will only be heightened the more you attract attention, he told RTE. However, Martin said he had been pleased by the messages he had received from leading Islamic figures in Ireland and said the attack was something that horrifies all religions. Martin said, We can thank God the relations between Muslims and Christians in Ireland are good. There is an understanding and that is actually improving day by day. I was pleased by some of the [contact] I got from some of the Islamic sources in Dublin, already some messages of sympathy. This is something no religion would stand over. It horrifies everyone. He said the only way of combating this evil is by bringing a similar force of goodness into our society. He told the Irish Examiner, I think everyone is stunned by the absolute brutality of this. Its very frightening to see the number of cases which go way outside the normal picture of terrorism, of individuals, in some cases known, in other cases not known, who carry out random, but very brutal, terrorist attempts. Martin also described the comments made by US Cardinal Raymond Burke as not helpful. Burke, who is based in Rome, had said that Islam wanted to rule the world and the United States should reassert its Christian roots. The Archbishop responded saying, Does Islam want to rule the world? There may be some people of the Islamic faith who do, but Islam itself has another side within it, a caring and tolerant side. He added, Longer-term solutions will come from education. Education is the basis for real tolerance, and knowledge and respect for other religions, which is an extremely important thing. Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri of the Islamic Centre Ireland called on all the faithful to unite against terror. Previously, he had spoken about the persecution of Christians by pseudo-Muslims. Al-Qadri said Radical Islam is an enemy to not just non-Muslims, but also to the Islam which was propagated by Prophet Muhammad. H/T: Vatican.va. Philadelphia: If Ronald Reagan came back to earth for the last two weeks, The Gipper would surely have ended up shaking his head in amazement. The party that was channeling his slogan Morning in America and showing a vision of a confident and free America, marching boldly into the next century was not his beloved Republicans but rather the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, the party that reveres him was painting a desperate picture of a world gone mad, terrorists everywhere, race war and violence and the need for a heavy hand, including torture, to stop the carnage. Hillary Clinton said it best in her polished acceptance speech (see full speech below). America is great because America is good and she referred to Donald Trumps midnight in America vision. She also reached back to the inaugural speech of Franklin D. Roosevelt who said the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself. Roosevelt was speaking in 1933 at a time of far greater crisis in America with the Depression and ominous war drums beating in Europe. That fear was nameless and unjustified Roosevelt went on to say. It is just as true now as it was back then. Donald Trumps vision in his address in Cleveland was indeed remarkably different in tone: Americans watch this address tonight have seen the recent images of violence in our streets and the chaos in our communities. Many have witnessed this violence personally; some have even been its victims. I have a message for all of you: the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end. Beginning on January 20th, 2017, safety will be restored. Trump is saying this as the Clinton campaign points out that violent crime is down dramatically and murder rates have slumped. Sure, there are terrible shootings, but this is nowhere near the 1960s level of violence. The so called Islamic State is being tackled and its strongholds in Iraq and Syria are under constant bombardment. Get a grip people, stop panicking, the Clinton experts say. Hillary Clinton had one task in mind when she began her speech. I was seated high above the speakers platform and the buzz and excitement was crackling as the historic moment moved closer, the first woman nominated for the presidency by a major party about to accept that nomination. Most of those I spoke with thought Clinton would stress her mother's more likable side, and certainly the soft focus introduction by daughter Chelsea helped that. But Clintons speech was not an attempt to explain herself and her likability problem, much of it a cartoon-like image as you get with 'the wicked witch' etc. Misogyny lurks in much of that type of attack. Clinton, instead, seems to have pivoted to the argument that no matter what failings she has the idea of a Trump presidency is truly frightful. She even questioned his psychological well-being to do the job. It's obvious that national security and the economy will be the focus of the Democrat's attacks. She set out to confront Donald Trump on his lack of specific policies and his unpreparedness for the presidency. Does a man who often erupts in red-faced anger when questioned sharply, when interrupted by a heckler, or tweeted against negatively have the right temper and insight to understand the deadly forces unleashed if he presses a button to launch a nuclear missile? No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 The answer from the crowd was a resounding no, and so it went on. Clinton tore into Trump over his comments that the US Military was a disaster, suggesting he was once again deluding himself. "Now Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, 'I know more about ISIS than the generals do.' No, Donald, you don't," Clinton said. "He thinks that he knows more than our military because he claimed our armed forces are 'a disaster.'" "Well, I've had the privilege to work closely with our troops and our veterans for many years, including as a senator on the Armed Services Committee and I know how wrong he is," she continued. "Our military is a national treasure." Again one can imagine Reagan shaking his head at such absurd slurs coming from a Republican candidate. The moving speech by the father of a dead Muslim marine, who gave his life for his fellow soldiers, was a brilliant rebuttal to Trumps war on American Muslims. To huge applause, Pakistan-born Khizr Khan fiercely attacked Trump, saying that if it were up to Trump, his son never would never have been American or served in the military. Khan said that Hillary Clinton, by contrast, called my son the best of America. As soon as Khizr Khan finished his speech, "register to vote" spiked as a Google search. pic.twitter.com/0HZbBuCWwR Nate Goldman (@ NateGoldman ) July 29, 2016 Clinton went on to dismantle Trumps alleged business expertise, referring to the six bankruptcies and the small firms left holding the debt while Trump escaped scot-free. By the end of the speech Clinton had taken a sledgehammer to the Trump campaign and the candidates personality. Will it work? The pundits all agree that the Democrats had the better convention, but in this strangest of years there appear to be millions of voters who are reacting with their gut and their own fearful instincts to hard times rather than logic. Can it get any worse under Trump, they say? Indeed, it can. Look what happened to the United Kingdom when Tory leader David Cameron called a vote on Brexit, certain it would pass. The decision to leave the European Union has very likely dismantled the UK as an entity with Scotland set to leave. The same Brexit voters, older and white, are the base of the Trump coalition too. How far can similar resentment and a dark outlook go in America when it comes to election day? We are about to find out. Read more: Bill Clinton would like to be known as the First Laddie A man from Seongju county holds a banner to protest against the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), during a rally in Seoul, capital of South Korea, on July 21, 2016. More than 2,000 people from Seongju county, where one THAAD battery will be deployed, gathered at a square in Seoul for a rally on Thursday, to protest against the deployment of THAAD. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin) SEOUL, July 29 -- South Korean citizens, politicians and news organizations are raising a dissenting voice over the decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in their homeland. Villagers living in the site where one THAAD battery is scheduled to be installed by the end of next year continue their protest against the U.S. missile defense system, while civic group activists and student groups who advocate peace and stability rally against the U.S. weapons program. Opposition lawmakers call for the retraction of the THAAD deployment decision, and in several TV programs, panelists are divided over pros and cons of the installation, which reflects the nationwide split between people over the untested, environmentally hazardous U.S. anti-missile system. Park Wan-joo, first vice floor leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party, told a party meeting on Thursday that the THAAD deployment raised risks of easing isolation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), asking to form a special parliamentary committee to discuss countermeasures against possible negative effects. Following the DPRK's fourth nuclear test in January and its launch in February of a long-range rocket, which was condemned as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology, the international community adopted tougher-than-ever UN Security Council resolutions. The agreed-upon THAAD installation raised concerns here about difficulties that South Korea could face in winning cooperation from China and Russiato achieve the goal of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula. China and Russia have expressed strong oppositions to the deployment as it breaks regional strategic balance and damages security interests of the neighbors. THAAD's X-band radar can spot Chinese and Russian territories as the forward-based mode radar has a detectable range of at least 2,000 km. Seoul has claimed that it would introduce a terminal mode radar with a coverage of 600-800 km, but it can converted at any time into the forward-based mode as the two use the same hardware. The modified version even doesn't need any conversion, according to a local media report. Local newspaper Hankyoreh reported that the AN/TPY-2 radar can range 3,000-4,000 km, citing Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) emeritus professor Theodore Postol. It confirmed Chinese and Russian worries about the damaging of security interests. Moon Jae-in, former Minjoo Party leader and presidential candidate during the 2012 presidential election, said in his Facebookaccount that the THAAD deployment would cause more losses than gains and that the Park Geun-hye government's adherence to the U.S. anti-missile system endangered international coordination in resolving the peninsula's nuclear issue. Minority political parties more strongly express their objections to THAAD, while liberal activists and peace advocates voiced dissents almost every day from different places nationwide. Panelists appear in TV discussion programs, raising awareness among ordinary people over why THAAD is useless for the protection of South Korean people. Public opinion is changing into more objections to the THAAD deployment. According to a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by local newspaper Media Today between July 21 and 22, 53.1 percent demanded re-negotiation of the deployment decision. Calls for the installation as planned took up 42.6 percent of the respondents. Younger generations overwhelmingly objected to the THAAD deployment, with 78.3 percent of those in their 30s expressing opposition. The dissenting figures for those in their 20s and 40s were 66.7 percent and 63.1 percent respectively. It was in contrast to the Realmeter's February poll that showed 49.4 percent in favor of and 42.3 percent against the THAAD deployment. The growing awareness about what THAAD is helped more people change positions, but older generations, especially those aged over 60, remain in favor of it as the government hypes up public fears. The government has claimed that without the THAAD battery, South Korea will fall victim to growing nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang. Dissenters express worry about the belief that THAAD could be a cure-all to protect from DPRK missiles. THAAD is designed to shoot down missiles at a relatively high altitude of 40-150 km using a hit-to-kill technology, while DPRK missiles can travel at a lower altitude of 20-30 km. There is no reason for Pyongyang to propel its short- and medium-range missiles high in the sky in times of emergency with Seoul and Washington. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korean soil. "Without THAAD, there are enough military assets of (South) Korea-U.S. alliance to defend against North Korea (DPRK)'s missile threats," said Cheong Wook-sik, director of Peace Network and co-chair of steering committee of Civil Peace Forum during a press conference with foreign correspondents. Cheong called for Seoul's dialogue with Pyongyang and its retraction of the THAAD deployment decision, saying fears for the DPRK's nuclear weapons would disappear with improved inter-Korean relations like South Korean people having no fear for the U.S. nuclear weapons thanks to the bilateral alliance. College student activists took to the street to hold rallies against THAAD. One of the student dissenters told Xinhua earlier this week that relevant parties should return to dialogue to ease tensions and reduce war risks in the Northeast Asian region. "If denuclearization (on the Korean peninsula) is an ultimate goal, (South Korea) should select dialogue rather than THAAD deployment, which will make dialogue much harder. Blocking the THAAD deployment can be a first step toward dialogue," said Lee Jowoon, 24, who declined to be identified further. Residents living in Seongju county, where the THAAD battery will be deployed, continue their protests against it. Two weeks earlier, Seongju villagers threw water bottles and eggs at Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and Defense Minister Han Min-koo who visited the country, some 250 km southeast of Seoul, to appease angry people. The residents, mostly farmers, were infuriated at the deployment of hazardous radar without any prior notice and discussion. The THAAD radar is known to emit super-strong microwave detrimental to human body. It can also cause an environment hazard, boosting worries among villagers about the oriental melon farming, the economic mainstay of the county. According to local news agency Newsis, Seongju residents plan to show a performance of plowing up a melon field on Saturday to protest against the THAAD deployment. Tonsure and candlelight rallies have been held, and will be done, continuously in the county in protest against the deployment. A 60-year-old man who was found not guilty by reason of insanity of murdering a mother of six and attempting to murder her daughter has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital. James Redmond (60) with an address at Killinarden Estate, Tallaght, Dublin 24 was charged with murdering Mary Dargan and attempting to murder Karina Dargan at their home in Killinarden Estate on March 15, 2014. Mr Redmond pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the two charges at the Central Criminal Court. Yesterday, after a period of four hours and five minutes deliberating, a jury of seven men and five women returned majority verdicts of not guilty on both counts. Mr Justice Eagar then made an order committing Mr Redmond to go to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) and to be brought back before the court today. Today defence counsel Mr Brendan Grehan SC called Dr Damian Mohan, a consultant forensic psychiatrist at the CMH, to give evidence. Dr Mohan told the court he had prepared a report in relation to the accused Mr Redmond. Dr Mohan said he was Mr Redmonds treating doctor at the CMH and the accused was currently an inpatient there. The court heard that Mr Redmond was transferred to the CMH on March 26, 2014 and he came under his care in late July of that year. On his admission Mr Redmond presented as extremely unwell with delusional and false fixed beliefs. He wrongly believed he was being persecuted by his neighbours and this was accompanied by auditory delusions. There was no basis in reality for these beliefs, he said, Dr Mohan said it was most unusual for somebody in their mid to late 50s to develop first episode psychosis. He said the accused was admitted to the CMH in a very disturbed and agitated state and he required treatment with anti-psychotic medication and antidepressants. Over the first few months his condition gradually improved. The delusional beliefs had responded to treatment but it was very obvious he experienced significant problems with recall and concentration, he said. In 2015 Mr Redmond was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease which has become very progressive in the last year. Dr Mohan told the court that Mr Redmond moved from the acute phase of his illness to the rehabilitative phase in July 2014. Mr Redmond is working hard at getting himself better and he continues to take various medications to deal with his depression and psychosis, he said. The doctor said that there was still evidence of despondency and despair in relation to Mr Redmonds condition. He no longer harbours any delusions in regards to his neighbours and is extremely remorseful for what he did. He now accepts he was very ill at the time. He acknowledges he needs ongoing treatment and medication, said Dr Mohan. Dr Mohan said that Mr Redmond continues to suffer from a medical disorder which is psychotic depression and so requires care and medical treatment. There would be a serious deterioration in his condition if he was not admitted to an approved centre. He is in need of ongoing treatment and needs to be in a secure hospital such that exists at the CMH, said Dr Mohan. Dr Mohan then recommended to the court that his patient be committed to the CMH and he confirmed that there was a bed available for him there today. He also said Mr Redmond will be a patient at the CMH for a considerable amount of time to come. Mr Justice Robert Eagar told the court he had heard the evidence from Dr Damian Mohan and was satisfied that he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Mr Justice Eagar then made an order committing Mr Redmond to the CMH for inpatient care. During the trial prosecution counsel, Ms Pauline Walley SC, told the jury that both families were neighbours and had lived peacefully and amicably side by side in the Killinarden Estate for many years. Mr Redmond had become depressed some months earlier and he wrongly believed Karina Dargan was chanting that he was a paedophile and it was being said about him in the community. It was established during the trial that there was no substance or truth to these allegations nor any basis in reality for them. On March 15 Mr Redmond left his home, jumped over the back wall with a shotgun and then shot Mary Dargan dead. Her daughter Karina was also shot in the head but survived. Two consultant forensic psychiatrists gave evidence that Mr Redmond was suffering from severe depressive episodes with psychotic symptoms and would have been unable to refrain from his actions. They both said that he met the requirements for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has criticised the 20% increase in the Public Service Obligation Levy (PSO) on electricity bills announced today by the Energy Regulator (CER). According to the charity, the 400.9m levy for 2016/17 will mean that the levy on electricity bills will have increased more than fourfold since October 2011, when it stood at 92.12m. The PSO will now add 82.04 (including VAT at 13.5%) to domestic bills for the 12 months from October 2016. The current levy is 68.20 (including VAT) for domestic bills. John-Mark McCafferty, head of SVP Social Justice and Policy, said that the operation of the PSO levy must now be reviewed for the sake of fairness. The PSO is a longstanding instrument of Government energy policy and the Regulators role is only to calculate the levy in accordance with Government policy, he said. It is imposed on all domestic customers at a flat rate, creating an increased burden on low income customers and those with a history of arrears and indeed multiple debts. With VAT added domestic customers are effectively paying a tax on a tax. In the interest of social justice and fairness, we urge the Government to review of the PSO application for low income and struggling energy customers. The PSO levy was designed by the Irish Government to support its national policy objectives related to renewable energy, indigenous fuels (peat) and security of energy supply. At this stage the security of supply and indigenous fuels recede in importance and some 75% of the proposed levy is funding renewables, said Mr McCafferty. While we are in favour of supporting renewable and sustainable energy, in the light of such an increase the social impact of the PSO levy must now be assessed. Air strikes by the US-led coalition have killed 28 civilians, including seven children, in a village in northern Syria held by the so-called 'Islamic State' group, according to activists. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said coalition aircraft struck the village of Al-Ghandour last night. The Observatory's chief Rami Adurrahman said another 13 people were killed in the strikes but he could not say if they were 'IS' fighters or civilians. It was unclear if the Al-Ghandour attacks involved an air strike reported yesterday by US Central Command, which is responsible for US forces in the Middle East. CentCom said the coalition had conducted air strikes around the nearby town of Manbij in the past 24 hours and was looking into reports of civilian casualties. Al-Ghandour is 15 miles north west of Manbij, a key hub in IS's Syria network and a supply route to its de facto capital of Raqqa. The bombings came a week after air strikes, also blamed by Syrian activists on US aircraft, killed at least 56 civilians in IS-held territory in northern Syria. The Manbij area has seen extensive battles between 'IS' extremists and US-backed Kurdish-led fighters, who have been advancing under the cover of air strikes by the coalition. The town is encircled by Kurdish forces. The Kurdish-led forces pulled another 1,000 civilians out of Manbij yesterday, according to Mustafa Bali, a local media activist in the town of Kobani. "There has been a lot of pressure on the militants in Manbij," he said. Meanwhile, the UN envoy for Syria has offered a "suggestion" to Russia over its proposal to set up humanitarian corridors around the northern city of Aleppo, advising Moscow leave the job to the United Nations. Staffan de Mistura spoke to reporters in Geneva, a day after Russia said its forces and those of the Syrian government would open humanitarian corridors outside Aleppo and offer a way out for fighters wanting to surrender. Mr de Mistura said he is awaiting clarification from Russian authorities about that plan amid an "urgent situation" in the northern city, hit by devastating violence in recent months. The envoy also warned that "the clock is ticking for the Aleppo population". However, if IBRC fails to take reasonable steps which both protect the Indian property and ensure Mecon FZE is not exposed to any greater risk than necessary, due to having to deal with proceedings brought by IBRC against it in Ireland and India, Mecon can renew its bid to stay the proceedings against it here, the court said. IBRC alleges Mecon FZE is part of an alleged conspiracy by various Quinn family members and companies to place valuable assets beyond the banks reach. The mortgage rules have been widely criticised by mortgage brokers and others in the property industry as overly restricting lending to young borrowers. According to the industry, the loan-to-value (LTV) and loan-to-income (LTI) limits are too severe. However, in its so-called Financial System Stability Assessment of Irelands banking system, the IMF insists that the mortgage rules are here to stay. Moreover, the fund recommends the Central Bank extend the reach of the loan-to-income rule to encompass all of a households debt when the delayed Central Credit Register is up and running. Given the importance of mortgage lending to financial stability, the Central Bank should maintain the LTV and LTI limits, the IMF bluntly said. The fund also highlighted some concerns about both residential and commercial property prices. On residential prices, it said the trend in price increases is strongly upward and could pose new problems for an economy still dealing with the legacy of the property crash. It also said that early signs of potential overvalued commercial property prices should not be overlooked and the Irish commercial property market could be vulnerable should foreign investors pull back investments. And pockets of weakness in the banking system remain because of high levels of household and SME debts, it said. Non-performing loans still weigh on the banks balance sheets and more action is required to resolve the issue. However, the IMF report does not put forward new proposals and does not say whether it favours write-downs of mortgage debt as advocated by many debt advisers here. With the EU and the ECB, the IMF was part of the troika of lenders which funded the Irish state during the crisis and gave its approval to the reshaping of the Irish banking system. Further efforts are needed to advance the cleanup of bank balance sheets with a focus on long-overdue mortgages, including streamlining the legal process; continued supervisory intervention for the resolution of commercial loans; and a faster pace of asset disposal in the SME segment, the fund said. It repeated the warning sounded by the Central Bank earlier this week of the effects on Ireland from the Brexit vote, though it concludes that the effect on the banking system should be manageable. In a separate analysis, the IMF gave a broad support to government policies, including its rainy day fund. It said it backed moves to shift away from direct taxes on work and reducing the burden on middle-income households. In the so-called Article IV report, the fund said that the rebound of the economy was exceptional. It forecasts GDP will grow 4.9% this year and slow to an expansion of 3.2% in 2017. The positive economic performance is expected to continue, but the UK vote to leave the EU amplifies downward risks. "Over the medium term, Irelands economy is likely to be affected by spillovers. The severity of the impact is, however, difficult to gauge at this stage, and will crucially depend on the future relationship between the UK and the EU, the IMF said. It was reported earlier in the week that the Texas-based company could be about to make an announcement regarding the future of Irelands sole refinery when it publishes its second quarter financial results but sources close to the company have indicated that no update will be forthcoming. A spokesperson for Phillips 66 (P66) said that the marketing process is ongoing with significant interest from potential buyers. John Comer, president, said the full negative impacts of such deals will be passed back to farmers, while any benefits will be gobbled up by the links further up the supply chain. A trade deal for the EU with 65m less consumers should be very different than one including the UK. A soldier removes slush from streets in Jingxing County, north China's Hebei Province, July 29, 2016. A total of 2,400 soldiers have been dispatched to Jingxing on Friday to provide disaster relief work after torrential rain and flood hit Hebei from July 18 to 20, causing over 9 million residents affected. (Xinhua/Wang Xiao) This is because the event in Cesena, Italy gathers 1,000 musicians from all over the world to perform in the Orogel Stadium as one gigantic band. Last year the group came together to play Learn To Fly by the Foo Fighters - it was all in order to encourage Dave Grohl and his band to play a gig in the city. His stance on immigration, gun control and more have caused worried voters to look for other options for their futures in the event he gets elected in November. One of those options is a small island in the middle of the Atlantic. The boys had been hunting for the virtual creatures at the unsafe Old Pier on Birnbeck Island, Weston super Mare, Somerset. Pokemon Go has attracted millions of users worldwide and involves finding the characters in real locations across the world. Westons volunteer lifeboat crew were alerted by Milford Haven Coastguard shortly before 9pm on Thursday to rescue the group. * If you cant see the Facebook embed, you can view it here. Meanwhile police, the fire brigade and local coastguard teams gathered at the landward end of the pier in case the teenagers became trapped. As the volunteer lifeboat crew launched, they spotted two boys wading back across the shingle bank to the shore with the tide rising rapidly to chest height. Before the lifeboat could enter the water the teenagers scrambled their way back to the shore to the waiting coastguard team. The lifeboat crew then noticed four more boys walking along the piers unsafe walkway back to the shore. They were forced to leave the old boathouse on the island three years ago because the same walkway had been deemed too dangerous for volunteers to use. The crew waited to see all the group made it back to the shore to be met by the police and coastguard. The RNLI said no one was injured in the incident. Crew member Chris Lyons said: "It is great to see people getting out and about enjoying themselves, however, putting your life in danger trying to catch Pokemon is extremely irresponsible. "In Weston the tide comes in so quickly, in seconds you can be in life-threatening danger. "I would like to say please if you do see a Pokemon either on the rocks or in the muddy areas of Weston bay, dont put yourself into a position where you could become stuck. "The water is unforgiving, it doesnt give you a second chance whereas a game will." This is the latest incident involving Pokemon Go. H/T: BreakingNews.ie The companies are Lismore Food Company; Wexford Home Preserves; Crossogue Preserves Ltd (Thurles); James Whelan Butchers (two awards) Clonmel; Kepak (Watergrasshill, Cork); Aldi (Naas); Green Pastures Donegal (Lifford); Durrus Cheese (Bantry); the Tipperary Kitchen (Thurles); Dunnes Stores (South Gt Georges St, Dublin 2); Doodle & Do Ltd (Blackpool, Cork); the Foods of Athenry (Oldcastle); and Nobo Ltd (Rathmines). The contest attracted more than 10,000 entries globally for what is deemed the Oscars of the food world. A three-star rating is described as Exquisite. Wow! Scientists trialling a new treatment, called LMTX, slowed the progression of the disease over 15 months. When the drug was the only treatment that patients took, it had a beneficial effect on key measures of Alzheimers such as memory for those with mild or moderate forms of the disease. In the small trial, the 136 patients took the drug, leuco-methylthioninium-bis (hydromethanesulfonate), as a pill twice a day. However, in a bigger trial, patients taking other drugs, alongside LMTX, did not have the same benefit. The Alzheimers Society of Ireland (ASI) has described the progress as heartening. Despite the lack of benefit in the larger trial, the ASI claimed it was still a positive step forward. Emer Begley, policy manager with the ASI, said that while, in this instance, the larger clinical trial didnt meet its goal, the drug did show some benefits to a small subset of the studys sample. Ms Begley said the results should give us hope that the development of drug therapies to treat dementia are possible. The results of the study were announced at the Alzheimers Association International Conference in Toronto. Serge Gauthier, from McGill University, in Canada, claimed the developments were incredibly encouraging for the future. Where there has been no practical therapeutic advance for over a decade, I am excited about the promise of LMTX as a potential new treatment option for patients, he said. It is unclear why the LMTX treatment only worked when it was the sole drug that patients took, or why its results failed to apply to the larger sample. Future research into questions raised by the trial need to be explored further, according to David Reynolds, of Alzheimers Research UK. But the results of the small sample were still the silver lining of the study, said Mr Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimers Research UK. Mr Reynolds said the discovery marks an important step in the evolution of Alzheimers clinical trials. He said the positive findings will need to be confirmed in a second, ongoing trial, before they can assess if the LMTX treatment will be better for dementia patients than existing drugs. Ms Begley said the initial finding is an example of the benefits of increasing funding. She said that recent, large-scale investment into dementia research is starting to bear fruit, which is creating a greater potential for positive outcomes to emerge, for people with dementia, into the future. In Ireland, 48,000 people have dementia. The majority of patients are older, but 4,000 of these are under 65 and have what is called early onset dementia. The ASI estimate that the number of people with dementia is set to rise substantially in Ireland. They state that by 2046 more than 150,000 people will have the disease, due to an ageing population. Mr Gauthier said that, as a practising clinician, I see Alzheimers patients, their families and care-givers, every day, and continually share their desperate need for a truly therapeutic product. This is the first time it has happened, in our field, that a drug reduced the rate of brain atrophy. Alzheimers Society of Ireland national helpline is 1800 341 341, or www.alzheimer.ie The new case has come from another European country the infected person travelled on a flight to Dublin on July 18. The person was infectious when flying but did not know it and, after arriving in Ireland, used private transport to travel to Galway. The person was diagnosed in Galway and laboratory testing confirmed measles, which is a notifiable disease. Lena Gourley, from the citys northside, was distressed about the decision of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind to take lab retriever Elsa to its Ballincollig headquarters as part of its dog welfare programme three weeks ago. The charity sometimes brings guide dogs into its Cork headquarters to undergo a health and fitness programme. However, it is hoped that Elsa could be back with visually impaired Lena in another few weeks as she progresses well towards the 8kg weight-loss target. Ms Gourley disputes the amount of weight Irish Guide Dogs say she needed to lose. She says Elsa has always been big-boned compared to her previous guide dogs, but she had got her weight down when the issue was flagged to her in the past. Shes my eyes and my companion, shes usually here all the time with me and Im depending now on my neighbours to get around, said 70-year-old Ms Gourley. The long cane doesnt get the obstacles as quickly as she would, and the footpaths and the roads are terrible. If I get a fall and break my hip shell be no good to me for the next two and a half years. That is the length of time that Irish Guide Dogs expect a dog like Elsa could expect to continue working and it is hoped that Elsa can be returned to Lena once she gets through the weight-loss programme. Head of client services David McCarthy said there was never any suggestion about a dog not being returned. The whole purpose is to get a dog to a fit and healthy state so it can continue to work, Mr McCarthy told the Irish Examiner. The quandary was that if we didnt do it, the dog would have to retire in a few months. While its a difficult situation for a certain number of weeks, the consequence of not doing it could have been a much more significant wait for a replacement. Ms Gourleys case got mixed reaction when she highlighted her difficulty on RTE Radio Ones Liveline yesterday. Some comments sent to the show and on Twitter said Ms Gourley should be allowed to have her neighbours walk Elsa, but others stressed the need to ensure the dog remains fit enough to continue working with her. Ms Gourley has been a fundraiser for Irish Guide Dogs for many years and regularly attends its functions. She has been getting assistance with mobility and independence issues during Elsas absence. The dog welfare programme initiated earlier this year has seen more than 20 dogs receive special attention to get them on track to their proper health and weight. In most cases, they have been able to remain with their owners throughout the process. Vincent Collopy, aged 36, St Marys Park, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to intimidating, threatening or putting in fear Willie Moran on June 9, 2010, with the intention of perverting the course of justice. A nolle prosequi was entered on a charge against Mr Collopy of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Mr Moran, on the same date. In total 11.02m tonnes was handled by the Port of Cork company which runs both ports, representing a rise of 8.6% or 871,713m tonnes. Container traffic at the Tivoli terminal increased by a further 8% following a 13% increase in 2014. Oil traffic was up by 21% over the year; car imports increased by 48%; and 56 cruise liners brought a record 144,000 passengers and crew to the region. Turnover for 2015 was 29.8m up from 26.4m in 2014. Consolidated profit on ordinary activities before taxation amounted to 5.3m compared to 2.7m in 2014, an increase of 2.6 m. Our annual results for 2015 are very encouraging and reflective of the capabilities of the Port to support growth in the Irish economy. We are hopeful that the upward trend will continue over the next three to four years, said Port of Cork chief executive, Brendan Keating. Last year the companys plans for the further development of Ringaskiddy port as a major container terminal were approved by An Bord Pleanala. The first phase of the Ringaskiddy development includes a 360m-long quay. Port of Cork chairman, John Mullins, said that for Ireland to achieve economic growth, it is critically important that the investment is made by the Port of Cork in port infrastructure: This investment will help consolidate the Port of Corks position as a key trade node in global supply chains, generating increased volumes of trade and increased levels of employment. Last year the company invested 1.5m in expanding and improving the cruise liner berthing facilities at the Cobh Deepwater Cruise Terminal to accommodate the maximum sized quantum class cruise vessels. The Port of Cork unveiled phase-one plans for the upgrading of Bantrys inner harbour. This will cost around 8.5m to complete. Both the Ports of Cork and Bantry play key roles in the promotion of marine tourism. Bantry Bay Port Company is beginning to position itself as a unique destination for smaller boutique cruises, with cruise calls set to rise in the coming years. Visiting cruise passengers make a huge contribution to the regional economy, Mr Mullins said. The Port of Cork announced yesterday that it was leading a consortium buy-out of the former IFI plant at Marino Point, near Cobh. The company plans to use it for oil, fertiliser, and animal feed handling. It is to spend approximately 10m upgrading facilities at the plant which closed in 2002 with the loss of 230 jobs. Separately, the foreign affairs committee heard calls yesterday for Taoiseach Enda Kenny to attend an UN summit on the migration crisis in September. TDs and senators yesterday heard from NGOs that more than 3,000 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean so far this year and that the sea is in danger of becoming a massive grave. During a private session before the debate on the migration crisis, members were also informed that a request by the Oireachtas for Egyptian ambassador Soha Gendi to appear was declined. Disappointed members had wanted to speak to the ambassador regarding the ongoing imprisonment of Ibrahim Halawa, a Dubliner who has been in jail in Egypt for more than 1,000 days. It is understood the refusal was communicated via a letter by Mr Gendi to Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail and that this was then made known to the committee. Members warned that the case of Mr Halawa, whose trial has been postponed 14 times, needs to be handled sensitively. Fianna Fail TD Darragh OBrien said: There needs to be diplomatic sensitivity around this. If things are said, it could make it more difficult to repatriate him. This is another jurisdiction, where there is a separation of powers between the judiciary and the Government. The committee also heard from charity leaders working with migrants who have fled war-torn regions and are seeking refuge in Europe. Oxfam Ireland chief Jim Clerkin said UN figures showed there were more than 65m displaced people in the world. Those who had fled across the Mediterranean had fled for the most drastic reasons. More than 3,000 people have died this year trying to cross the sea, said Mr Clerkin. There is a real danger of it becoming a massive grave in the future. Mr Clerkin and Suzanne Keating, of Dochas, an umbrella group for charities, both called for roundtable talks between NGOs and the Government ahead of a UN migration summit in September. Charity chiefs also called for Mr Kenny to consider attending the summit, amid concern that there was a slow processing of refugees here and that more can be done for migrants. Committee chair Brendan Smith said the considerations would be taken on board and a letter would be sent to the Government. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during a welcome banquet for the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg, South Africa, Dec. 3, 2015. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, July 29 -- President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the Coordinators' Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). December's Johannesburg Summit marked the beginning of a new era of win-win cooperation and common development between China and Africa, and was a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations, Xi said in the letter. Over the past six months, China and Africa have worked together to overcome the negative impact of the sluggish world economy, reached consensus on how to implement the outcomes of the summit and achieved tangible results, showing the dynamic development of China-Africa cooperation, Xi said. The coordinators' meeting in Beijing is an important step by China and Africa to implement the consensus of Chinese and African leaders and the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit, Xi said. The meeting demonstrates to the world, once again, that no matter how the international landscape may change, China and Africa are committed to pursuing unity and cooperation, and that China's support for African peace and development will never change, Xi said. The current weak performance of the world economy brings opportunities and challenges for the economic development of China and Africa, Xi said, adding that China and Africa must "stand shoulder to shoulder and march forward hand in hand." Citing a Chinese saying, "the unity of two brothers gives them the strength to cut through metal," Xi expressed his hope that at the meeting the two sides will exchange views, compare notes, build consensus and promote cooperation. By pooling wisdom and strength and advancing their friendship and cooperation, China and Africa will make sure that the results of the summit will benefit their 2.4 billion people, Xi said. Xi noted that China values relations with Africa and will continue to act on the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith. China will uphold the values of friendship, justice and shared interests, take solid steps to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit, and enrich and foster the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. State Councilor Yang Jiechi made a keynote speech at Friday's opening ceremony of the meeting. Stressing that both sides want the Johannesburg Summit's outcomes to be implemented as soon as possible, Yang said China was delighted to see that over 30 African countries have established internal coordination mechanisms and designated ministerial-level coordinators to implement the outcomes. China and Africa signed a number of cooperation agreements Thursday. "Combined with those signed since last December, there have been 243 agreements worth 50.725 billion U.S. dollars, including 46 billion dollars of Chinese direct investment in and commercial loans to Africa, accounting for 91 percent of the total value of the agreements," Yang added. In his speech, Yang said China and Africa must strengthen security cooperation. "China will help African countries and the African Union build capacity for peacekeeping, maintaining stability and countering terrorism, and support African countries in enhancing law-enforcement capacity from border control, army and police to customs and taxation," he said. Yang also called for more cooperation in international affairs, including UN reform, climate change, food security, poverty reduction, development and other global issues. Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a work report at the plenary session of the coordinators' meeting the same day. Wang thanked all African countries for their open endorsement of China's position on the South China Sea issue, saying China "deeply appreciates such valuable political support." Regarding the mutually beneficial cooperation, Wang said China is now deeply involved in Africa's industrialization and agricultural modernization with a focus on financing and investment cooperation. The China-Africa Fund for Production Capacity Cooperation runs with an initial contribution of 10 billion dollars and the Special Loan for the Development of African SMEs has been bolstered with 5 billion dollars of additional funding, according to Wang. "China also encourages provincial governments, including Guangdong and Jiangsu, to visit South Africa, Ethiopia and other key countries to explore investment opportunities for production capacity cooperation," said Wang. Wang listed projects including the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, Africa's first electrified railway and the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway as those are either operational soon or expected to be turned over next year. In his report, Wang also highlighted people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Africa. John Allen was sexually abused as a child in the 1970s in North Monastery Primary School in Cork City. However, despite a 2014 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights against the Government, the State continues to deny any liability in relation to Mr Allens case. How long do you have to keep fighting? Im tired of it. Id like somebody to acknowledge 1971 and say, Yeah John, we understand what happened you there, he told the Irish Examiner yesterday. Mr Allen, 53, has been fighting for 17 years for his right to sue the Department of Education for failing to protect him while at school. In May the High Court found that he could not sue the State. Yesterday the State decided it was not going to pursue him for costs associated with the trial, even though this action was previously threatened. Look, youve one life, Ill be 54 next month so thats a third of my life so far thats fighting this issue, he said outside the High Court yesterday. In 2004, his abuser, Garry Creevey, a former Christian Brother, was found guilty of indecently assaulting him in 1971. Since then he has been found guilty of similar offences. This is the first interview Mr Allen, from Fairhill, Cork City, has given in relation to his abuse, after he allowed his name to be used publicly earlier this month. For the last 17 years Ive been looking to vindicate myself and look for justice and so far its unsuccessful. All I ask for is justice, he said after the High Court had decided not to award costs against him. As of present under article 3 and 13 [of the European Convention on Human Rights] my human rights are actually in violation, so I want those human rights addressed. In many senses they [survivors] dont realise their way of thinking and how it affects issues in relation to trust and many, many others like intimacy and figures of authority. For many, many years, I was, lets say under the cosh of something. I didnt realise what was going on. Mr Allen said: Theres a picture here of myself when I was nine years of age, in essence it looks like me as an adult fighting for that child, because I remember the hurt as a nine-year-old child to this day. Former Christian Brother Garry Creevey was found guilty of indecently assaulting Mr Allen Mr Allen said that, above all else, counselling is what survivors need and that anyone in his position should speak out and seek help. I find it quite unbelievable that the State continues to fight his case, he said. Its hurtful. I know other survivors. They suffered deeply. There are a lot of people who deal with it in different ways but nobody is immune to hurt, said Mr Allen said. He said his life has been impacted greatly by what happened to him as a child. There was a report a number of years ago by Professor Alan Barrett, director of the ESRI [Economic and Social Research Institute]. He quantified the economic effects on survivors and the effects that it has upon them, he said. Mr Allen said Irish politicians need to look at human rights violations closer to home, as well as addressing them abroad. Our representatives go abroad and they raise issues in China and in Turkey just recently and yes, its correct, its correct for our political people to raise these issues, but we need to look at these issues here at home. Ireland needs to put a mirror up to itself. They will represent a group of 75 survivors who were abused as children in Irish primary schools. This action comes on foot of a High Court ruling in May, when five victims were refused the right to sue the Department of Education and the State for failing to protect them as children. We are going to appeal this and we are also in discussion with many lawyers throughout the country, with a view for all people affected by this judgement, to appeal it. We are not criticising the judge but its the vindication of our clients rights that we have in mind, David Coleman of Coleman Legal Partners told the Irish Examiner yesterday. This case could see a repeat of the landmark European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling in 2014 in favour of Cork woman Louise OKeeffe. Ms OKeeffe was abused by school principal Leo Hickey while she was an eight-year-old pupil at Dunderrow NS in Kinsale in 1973. Ms OKeeffe went as far as the ECHR to seek justice, arguing that the State was liable, as the Department of Education had failed to put in place appropriate protection measures. The ECHR found that the State was in breach of its obligation to protect schoolchildren from sexual abuse and to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. If necessary we will find ourselves in Europe, so be it, but it is wrong to put these people through this ringer when theres a simple solution that can be had, said Mr Coleman. One of his clients, Cork man John Allen, 53, was in the High Court yesterday to hear whether the State was going to pursue him for costs in relation to the May ruling. Lawyers for the State said they were not seeking costs. European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) When Ms OKeeffe lost her case in the Irish Supreme Court in 2008, the State Claims Agency wrote to all similar victims asking them to cease litigation or else face being pursued for hundreds of thousands of euro in legal fees. Mr Allen was one of these victims who signed a notice of discontinuance to cease litigation. However, when Ms OKeeffe won in Europe, Mr Allen and four other victims tried to have their notices of discontinuance set aside. They failed in this attempt in May. There are other areas that people can deal with this in a satisfactory manner and I would ask that the State engage with the finite number of people, who are old in years, said Mr Coleman. Theyve been at this case for years, seeking to vindicate their rights. Speaking to the Irish Examiner yesterday, Ms OKeeffe praised the survivors and solicitors for their joint action. I commend them, she said. I believe they shouldnt have to do it because the judgment from Europe is there. The State did not have a system in place [to protect children in primary schools] and thats why we were abused. In the Ryan Report [The Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, published in May 2009], it says the State were aware that abuse was happening in our primary schools from the 1940s. With tonights EuroMillions jackpot heading for an estimated 70m, and tomorrows Lotto jackpot expected to top 7m, the National Lottery has published details of the countrys top winner hotspots, the luckiest streets and the luckiest numbers ahead of the bumper Bank Holiday draws. Based on data from the first six months of the year, the figures show the luckiest street in Ireland is Barrack St in Carlow, thanks to the whopping 66m EuroMillions jackpot ticket sold at Easons in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre on January 29. Thats almost twice as much prize money compared to the next luckiest street, Station Rd in Laois, where OHanlons Spar winning ticket yielded the lucky winners just over 23m. But while Carlow is home to the luckiest street, Dublin is home to the most winners, with 25 hitting the jackpot across Lotto, EuroMillions, and DailyMillions games since the start of the year. A total of 11 winners were sold in Cork, with Wexford notching up seven winners, with the number 14 emerging as the luckiest number for those playing Lotto, and the number 10 being the luckiest in the EuroMillions draws. However, one lucky ticket holder has just missed out on a EuroMillions prize of over 190,000. The 90-day deadline to claim the prize expired at 5.30pm last night, and the money goes back into National Lottery coffers. The winning Quick Pick was a Match 5 + Lucky Star sold on Wednesday, April 27 at Tesco in the Galway Shopping Centre, Headford Rd, for the EuroMillions draw two days later. But the owner of a 381,863 EuroMillions ticket has a few more days to come forward and claim the prize before next Thursdays deadline. The QuickPick was bought on May 6 at Tesco, Market Green Shopping Centre, in Midleton, Co Cork. The numbers were 32, 34, 40, 45, 48 and the Lucky Stars are 1 and 10. The ticket holder has been advised to sign the back of it and contact the prize claims team on 01 836 4444. Some 258m has been won from the National Lottery so far this year, with 128m won on Irelands top 10 luckiest streets alone. Five tickets sold in various draws across last years August Bank Holiday weekend earned the lucky owners a cool 6.8m. Playing National Lottery helps fund good causes, with over 4.7bn raised over the years for youth, sports, recreation, amenities, health, welfare, arts, culture, heritage and the Irish language. But be warned: since the company increased the number of balls in the draw from 45 to 47 last September, experts have calculated that the odds of hitting the jackpot are stacked against you by about 11,000,000 to 1. Still. It could be you... Gavin Sheehan, aged 29, of 7 Laurel Ridge, Shanakiel, Cork, appeared in Cork District Court by video link from prison yesterday. Inspector Fergal Foley said the accused was facing three charges and that the DPP had directed trial on indictment on those charges. Judge Leo Malone remanded Sheehan in custody to appear in court again on August 10, when it is anticipated he will be further remanded. Insp Foley said three further charges would be brought against Mr Sheehan in the case on August 10. Mr Sheehan was represented in court yesterday by counsel Sian Langley. Marta Herda was a good swimmer and knew her passenger could not swim, when she drove her Volkswagen Passat through the crash barriers at South Quay, Arklow shortly before 6am on March 26, 2013. She escaped through the drivers window but her colleagues body was found on a nearby beach later that day. A postmortem found that 31-year-old Csaba Orsos died from drowning and not from injuries related to the crash. The trial heard that the handbrake had been applied before the car entered the water and that the only open window was the drivers. The Polish waitress, of Pairc Na Saile, Emoclew Rd, Arklow, Co Wicklow, had pleaded not guilty of murdering the Hungarian at a trial at the Central Criminal Court. The jury heard that Mr Orsos was in love with her. Herda told gardai she didnt feel the same way, and that he had spent two years following her, phoning her, and sending her messages. The jury returned to court at 11.36am yesterday, having spent a total of eight hours and 11 minutes deliberating. They found her guilty of murder by a majority of 11-1. Herda wept as Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy signalled for her to stand while he imposed the mandatory life sentence. She was then led away from her friends by prison officers. Garda Catherine ORourke read a victim impact statement from Zoltan Sandro, Mr Orsoss brother. When I had to identify my dead brother, my heart teared apart [broke] because of the pain, he said. I remember every moment of it, it will stay with me forever. He was so cold. I would have never thought that this way I have to say goodbye to him. Sometimes because of the pain in my chest I want to scream. He said he and his siblings rarely talked about their brother. Everybody is suffering in silence, he said. He said he sometimes couldnt look in the mirror. He just wanted to be happy, he said. Family, kids, things that everybody wants, but he will never have a chance for all this because he died. The claim was made by SAGE, the support and advocacy service for older people in Ireland. A resident in a nursing home was given medication when he became upset on hearing of the death of his wife, said SAGE manager Mervyn Taylor yesterday. SAGE is currently holding its summer team meeting in Athlone and one issue raised was the prescribing of medication for the convenience of nursing home and hospital staff rather than for therapeutic reasons. In another case an older patient in a hospital was medicated to encourage her to adapt to continence pads when she was still continent but needing assistance of two staff to go to the toilet, said Mr Taylor. We have identified many cases of sedatives being given to prevent wandering during the day or night primarily for the convenience of staff. Dr Shaun OKeeffe, consultant geriatrician at University College Hospital, Galway, also raised the issue at yesterdays meeting. Unfortunately, we continue to see inappropriate use of medications for just these reasons, said Dr OKeeffe. He explained that the dangers of using medication in this manner have been well documented. For example, treating people with dementia by using antipsychotic medications for just three months will result in the death of one person in 100 and a stroke in one in 60, he warned. Dr OKeeffe said these findings have resulted in new recommendations about how these drugs are used. The recommendations include that such medication should be used as a last resort, for short periods of time, and to treat specific problems. The distinction between medication for therapeutic reasons versus medicine to restrain a certain behaviour is not understood among the general public, said Dr OKeeffe. He said the lack of clarity between the two forms of use is not understood by some staff in care facilities either. Chemical restraint and misuse of psychoactive drugs is a violation of personal and bodily integrity and a breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, said Dr OKeeffe. It is, unfortunately, being used as a first rather than a last resort in too many cases. He referred to the Department of Healths strict stance on the matter, as well as that of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa). Mr OKeeffe said: The Department of Health policy document, Towards a Restraint Free Environment in Nursing Homes, unequivocally states, chemical restraint is always unacceptable. Hiqas Guidance for Designated Centres Restraint Procedures (October 2014) also warns of the use of medication... to sedate the person for convenience or disciplinary purposes. Dr OKeeffe called for any future legislation in relation to care to deal with the issue of chemical restraint. James Redmond, with an address at Killinarden Estate, Tallaght, Dublin 24, was charged with murdering Mary Dargan and attempting to murder Karina Dargan at their home in Killinarden Estate on March 15, 2014. Mr Redmond pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the two charges at the Central Criminal Court. Pauline Walley, prosecuting, told the jury that both families were neighbours and had lived peacefully and amicably side by side in the Killinarden Estate for many years. Mr Redmond had become depressed some months earlier and he wrongly believed Karina Dargan was chanting that he was a paedophile and it was being said about him in the community. It was established during the trial that there was no substance or truth to these allegations nor any basis in reality for them. On March 15, Mr Redmond left his home, jumped over the back wall with a shotgun and shot Mary Dargan dead. Her daughter Karina was also shot in the head but survived. Two consultant forensic psychiatrists gave evidence that Mr Redmond was suffering from severe depressive episodes with psychotic symptoms and would have been unable to refrain from his actions. They both said that he met the requirements for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Yesterday a jury returned majority verdicts of not guilty on both counts. Mr Justice Eagar then made an order committing Mr Redmond to the Central Mental Hospital and to be brought back before the court at 9am today. Brendan Grehan, defending, told the court he had been asked by his client to say he was as sorry as any person can ever be for his terrible actions and the devastating consequences for the entire Dargan family. Ms Walley then read two victim impact statements. The first was on behalf of the six Dargan children. It is hard to communicate in words how the brutal destruction of our familys way of living would be torn apart in the most senseless of ways, they said. The loss of our guiding light and the struggle for justice has brought us to our knees in heartbroken disbelief. We are crushed and empty, they said. The second victim impact statement was on behalf of Karina Dargan. She said that on March 15, 2014, her life was ruined and destroyed forever after witnessing her mother being killed. Judge Tom ODonnell said the girl told her parents, but after they confronted Patrick Boddy, the matter was, in an Irish way, swept under the carpet. Boddy was later arrested and admitted four offences of indecently assaulting her, after she made another complaint against him when she was an adult. Boddy, aged 67, of Ard na Culla, Ennistymon, was jailed in 2013 for four years with the final two years suspended, for sexually abusing two sisters, one of whom was just four at the time. Lisa wore a hat by Marie Claire Millinery, an asymmetric dress she designed herself, a handbag from Glitz, jewellery from Dessert Diamonds Ireland, and shoes from Dunnes Stores. For her troubles, Lisa took away the not-too-shabby prize worth 10,000 which includes a 500 voucher in BT Galway, 500 Yourells Hair salon voucher, and a top-end three-night stay in the Linda Evangelista penthouse suite in the G Hotel in Galway. The Tullamore insurance broker has now made it two in a row after winning the same competition at Ballinrobe Races recently. Im shocked, she said. I never expected to win. I won in Ballinrobe a few weeks ago and it spurred me on to enter here. Its just been amazing. The ladies pull out all the stops here and its the best Best Dressed Ladies in the country. Im here with my husband and its really emotional winning. Lisa recently set up a fashion blog and said the win and general style in Galway would provide her with plenty of inspiration for the future. It was also a good day for Meath as Garda Ciara Murphy from Dunboyne was the winner of the Best Hat competition. Ciaras hat was by Fiona Rafter Millinery in Dunshaughlin and she described it as a bronze feathered piece with arrows and rosebuds. The 30-year-old garda out of Store Street Garda Station said she was back to work tomorrow but was shocked to win on her first visit to Galway. Garda Ciara Murphy, Dunboyne, Co Meath, was chosen as winner of the prestigious best hat competition while Lisa McGowan, from Tullamore, Co Offaly, won the best dressed lady competition at Ladies Day at the Galway Races. Pictures: Ray Ryan I am over the moon, she said. I am so excited, its so unexpected. Its my first time at the Galway Races. I wasnt going to come to the races but I got last-minute accommodation from a friend of mine putting us up. We just said it would be a bit of craic. It was funny how it worked out because the milliner contacted me to see if I wanted to wear the hat because she made it with me in mind because she thought I was going anyway. As for Best Dressed Man? There is a competition but lets face it, no one was here to look at the men. News: 7 Friday Sport The two sides had been in talks over the last two days about an independent report which reviewed productivity and made comparisons between the work of drivers here and in Britain. Ahead of the talks the two driver unions, the National Bus and Rail Union and Siptu, had warned that if the discussions did not result in improved terms and conditions and shorter working weeks for their members, they would ballot for industrial action. The talks broke down over the training of new drivers by the existing staff. The unions said they were willing to discuss the issue of driver training to the point whereby we could hopefully reach agreement whilst simultaneously discussing all of the issues contained in the report. The company said it was committed to discussing and addressing all issues raised in the independent report but it wanted that to be in a sphere where normal business continued. This normal business includes removing the non-cooperation with the completion of the current driver training class of nine trainees, who are just three months from the end of training, said an Irish Rail spokesman. Regrettably, Siptu and NBRU refused to commit to this, resulting in the talks breaking down. He said trade unions had already withdrawn co-operation with 10-minute Dart frequency and claimed non-co-operation with training had emerged on multiple occasions as we seek to increase the number of drivers to meet future service requirements. In a joint statement, NBRU general secretary Dermot OLeary and Siptu assistant organiser Paul Cullen said it was appalling that a semi-state company could flagrantly flout the recognised industrial relations procedures of the State. That a taxpayer-funded transport service would treat its own workforce in such a disgraceful manner and expose the travelling public to a potential scenario whereby train services will come under threat is contemptible, they said. The unions said they were prepared to refer any outstanding non-agreed issuesback to the Labour Court. We will now immediately move to ballot our members for industrial action in response to the Companys point blank refusal to engage around the agenda previously agreed by both parties, they concluded. At the Mother Jones Festival in Cork, Mr OConnor said the concept needs to be debunked that it is in some way our role to provide an antagonistic voice against management in those businesses and institutions which recognise their employees right to organise and be represented by trade unions. Mr OConnor said that such thinking is fundamentally flawed, as unions task is optimise the quality and the security of members employment in those businesses. He added that unions should seek to enhance productivity and innovation rather than getting in the way of it. It should include a survey by engineers with conservation experience, and an archaeological investigation of the debris inside to recover whatever items of the 18th-century propertys noted internal features may have survived Sundays huge blaze. IGS executive director Donough Cahill said the council should safeguard and consolidate the building to ensure it will continue to play a role as a unique Cork landmark. He also said: An enormous amount of time and money has been spent in seeking to safeguard Corks finest neo-classical villa, and this would all be to waste if an immediate push is not taken to save what remains and to plan for the future. The time to act is now. The society, which first flagged its concerns about the future of the protected but privately-owned Georgian villa in the 1950s, urged Cork County Council to step in soon. Mr Cahill said he had examined drone footage of the gutted structure which shows that significant elements, including its distinctive bowed front and convex side bows, as well as its chimney stacks and side walls, survived the blaze. Though clearly much has been lost internally, key structural sections that give the building its identity remain standing and must be stabilised, he said. Once the site is made safe, the next priority should be an archaeological sifting of the interiors with the aim of salvaging artefacts that may have survived. He cited the example of Clandon Park in Surrey one of the UKs finest Palladian mansions which burnt down last year and which the National Trust plans to restore. Experts recovered plasterwork fragments, an early 18th century state bed, and other items from the debris. One wonders what might be found in Vernon Mount, he said. The society said there is precedence for the rebuilding of fire-damaged historic buildings, including Slane Castle in Meath, Powerscourt in Wicklow, and most recently, St Mels Cathedral in Longford. The council considered a compulsory purchase order of Vernon Mount House, but ruled it out on cost grounds. She went as far as the Supreme Court to seek justice for the sexual abuse she endured in the primary school. Ms OKeeffe argued that the State was liable, as the Department of Education had failed to put in place appropriate protection measures. In 2008, the Supreme Court threw out her case and two things happened after this. The State Claims Agency wrote to other victims, who experienced sexual abuse in Irish primary schools, to tell them that if they continued with their cases, the State would pursue them for costs. Dozens of people signed a notice of discontinuance in order to avoid the State pursuing them for hundred of thousands of euro in legal fees. Signing this notice means you cease your litigation against the State forever more. However, Ms OKeeffe took her case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and, in 2014, that court made a landmark ruling against the Irish State. The ECHR found the Irish State to be in breach of its obligation to protect schoolchildren from sexual abuse and to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. It was after this ECHR finding that 75 victims sought to have the notices of discontinuance that they had signed in 2008, set aside so that they could sue the State and Department of Education for failing to protect them against the sexual abuse they suffered. Five of these victims took a case against the State asking that their notices be set aside. In May, the High Court ruled against them. The State was expected to pursue these people for legal costs but this did not happen. These victims will appeal the High Court decision in the Court of Appeal. The legendary jockey, who rode 600 winners in a sterling career, was left paralysed from a horrific fall at Cheltenham in 2013. The 41-year-old father of three, who continued training horses after sustaining the life-changing injuries, passed away on Tuesday, surrounded by his wife Caroline and his family at his home in Toureen, Croom. Tributes poured in from the elite of the worlds racing community, since news broke of his sad passing. Very Rev Canon Gary Bluett, a retired parish priest of Manister, who spoke with his ailing friend shortly before his untimely death, will concelebrate the funeral Mass at 11am. He was a genius with horses, Fr Bluett said, paying a personal tribute last night. He was always very honest and straightforward, and what you saw was what you got. Fr Bluett described McNamara as a great family man who had racing in his blood. Its a terrible tragedy. He fought all the time during his illness, said Fr Bluett. He got a special wheelchair and he could go from his home to his yard he was training horses. He was only out there last Saturday night, giving orders. Ill remember him as a young man who always cared for his family, who had a passion about his racing. He was a shining light, and a very good friend. JT McNamara was a genius with horses, said the former jockeys friend, Fr Gary Bluett Fr Bluett received his friends remains in an oak coffin at St Michaels Church, Manister, on the beginning of his final furlong. Regarded as one of the very best riders of his generation, the Co Limerick jockey will be laid to rest in his local cemetery in Manister. The McNamara family has requested family flowers only at his funeral, with any donations to go to the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund. Ben Warrilow, who owns a chain of Factory Carpet Superstores across Cork City, issued the rip-off van-scam warning yesterday after getting several reports that men in vans with Limerick registrations were calling door to door and using his company name to sell fake memory-foam mattresses. He said the men, reported to use aggressive sales techniques on the doorsteps, were telling people they were selling mattresses at bargain prices because the firm was closing down. FOR Eoin Colfer, whose play about a man with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) will be performed as part of the West Cork Fit-Up Theatre Festival, the challenge was to find a balance between pathos and humour. Colfer, one of the worlds favourite childrens authors, was inspired to write My Real Life after his oldest friend was diagnosed with the disease. Before the diagnosis, Colfer says his friend was always going on about his back giving him trouble and not being able to go to work. Id be slagging him saying he was a bit of a malingerer. I came home for two days from my teaching job in Saudi Arabia and rang him up saying we had to go out. Dont tell me your back and legs are at you, I said to him. And then he hit me with the line that he had just been diagnosed with MS. I was pretty shook up. "We discussed a lot of things and he affected me deeply. I didnt know how deeply until years later, I was asked to write a short piece for a fund-raiser for the Wexford Arts Centre along with John Banville, Colm Toibin and Billy Roche. "I basically wrote down the conversation Id had with my friend after he told me (about his diagnosis). He was diagnosed 20 years ago and is doing really well on a drug that has stabilised him, says Colfer. For Colfer, the most important lesson he learned from writing about a man with MS was not to label people by the state of their mind or their physical affliction. Ben Barnes, artistic director of the Theatre Royal in Waterford, asked Colfer to extend the 15-minute piece into a play as it had been so well received. Although Colfer had written a number of plays in the past before focusing on his eight part series of the best-selling Artemis Fowl novels, he was nervous about writing for the stage. But with Ben on board to direct Don Wycherley, I had to step up to the plate. The plays lone character, Noel, delivers a rambling suicide note for his best friend, which he records onto a 90-minute cassette tape. The idea is that the friend will compose a speech from it which will be delivered at Noels wake. While that sounds depressing, Colfer has injected the play with plenty of levity and references to 1980s pop song lyrics. Colfers career continues to flourish. He was commissioned by Disney and Marvel to write an Iron Man book. Thats coming out in October so its quite exciting. The adventures of Artemis Fowl are being made into a movie with Hollywood heavy-hitters, Harvey Weinstein and Robert De Niro, as executive producers. Kenneth Branagh is directing. I spoke to Conor McPherson last week and he has submitted the screenplay which has been approved. So now, its down to scheduling and the search for two young leads. I try not to get too excited about it or it could take over my life. But I am a little jubilant inside. Colfer doesnt miss his former career as a teacher. But I miss being part of the staff. Its great to be in a bunch of people doing the same job. I miss having a good old chin wag so I sometimes go to book festivals and go for a drink with fellow writers. I still hang out with my teacher friends. When theyre talking about the department of education, I cant help realising that I dont feel their pain as much as I used to. My Real Life by Eoin Colfer will be performed at Bank House, Whiddy Island, on August 9 followed by Kilcrohane Community Hall on August 10, Timoleague Community Hall on August 11, and Baltimore Community Hall on August 12. www.fit-uptheatrefestival.com. IF history repeats itself first tragedy, then farce what comes next is Boris Johnson, a shape-shifting politician who embodies the contradictions of our age. Johnson is a tribune of the people who grew up with the privileges of the 1%; a child of immigrants who campaigned for closed borders; a Conservative who wants to upend the political order; an erudite man who mocks expertise; and a cosmopolitan who calls black people piccaninnies. Johnson did more than anyone to bury Britains European future; but his ultra-flexibility may yet be its salvation. In his first public appearance as foreign secretary, Johnson compared the Brexit vote to the French revolution. Provoking boos at the French embassys Bastille Day celebration, he hailed the referendum as a great popular uprising against a stifling bureaucratic ancient regime (sic), whose democratic credentials had become very far from obvious. But the Brexit vote with its promise to recreate the Britain of yesterday is less revolution than counter-revolution. Boris and his band of Brexiteers have more in common with Louis Napoleon Bonaparte who overturned the French republic to create a new monarchy than with Danton or Robespierre. If anyone or anything has a claim to embody the progressive ideals of 1789, it is the EU. Its politicians and officials have translated the vague trinity of liberty, equality, and fraternity into concrete form: 80,000 pages of laws that cover rights and regulations from the bedroom to the factory floor. The application of these rules enabled waves of countries from Greece and Spain to Estonia and Poland to move from autocracy to democracy. The EU has revolutionised how countries live together advancing individual rights, international law, and the pooling of sovereignty. Its transformative power springs from the promise of potential membership, a neighbourhood policy that exports European values, and its facilitation of global institution-building and copycat regional integration. Now, as a result of the counter-revolution, the EU club is shrinking. Rather than remaking the world in its image, it is afraid of neighbours that are exporting chaos rather than importing EU values. Interdependence is causing, not ending, intra-European conflict. And the European idea has become a focus of political opposition across the continent. The most troubling thing about Europe today is not the United Kingdoms departure, but the fragility and disunity of the remaining 27 states, in which the domestic consensus for Europe has all but evaporated. The UKs Leave campaign channelled a widely felt desire to restore past certainties, not to establish new rights. And all member states are subject to the economic insecurity, cultural anxiety, and political alienation that new political forces are exploiting by using referenda to recast politics as a fight between the people and self-serving elites. Britains post-referendum, economic and political travails will make other EU member states think twice before holding their own popular votes on membership. But make no mistake: the EU is into an era of disintegration. A slow slide into ungovernability can be as devastating as a break-up. Some EU decisions are being challenged by national referenda, such as Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbans planned plebiscite on refugee quotas. In France, the so-called Posted Workers Directive (which allows employers to pay seconded workers no more than the minimum rate in the host country) may not be implemented. And the European Commission is backtracking on favoured projects, such as a free-trade deal with Canada. Rather than banding together, each new challenge has divided the EU into ever-smaller groups. The euro has divided north and south; Ukraine and the refugee crisis have divided east and west. Pro-Europeans need to engage with the sources of discontent and rethink the forms used to express the European ideal. The EU was based on an idea that interdependence would reduce conflict. By linking European means of production first through the European coal-and-steel community, and later through the common market and the euro the EU hoped to bind Europes states together so closely that war between them would no longer be an option. True, war in Europe is now mostly unthinkable, with much wealth created. But the backlash against interdependence whether through the euro, free movement, or terrorism is undeniable. To save the EU, European leaders should make people feel safe with interdependence. That means redistributing the economic benefits of free movement to communities bearing the burden of that movement; strengthening external borders and cooperation against terrorism; ensuring greater flexibility for eurozone integration and migration; and returning to the idea that EU institutions highest calling is to defend Europes nation-states, not to develop their own power. The Brexit crisis gives the remaining EU members a chance to reconceive the European project. If they succeed, the UK may want to rejoin. That is not what the Brexiteers, or their allies elsewhere, are seeking. They may unravel the EU, but they are unlikely to deliver on their promise of recreating the world of yesterday, much less a better future. In fact, they could inadvertently destroy the benefits of European integration that people most value. Voters who supported Brexit may yet echo what Karl Marx said of Louis Napoleons counter-revolution: A whole people, that imagines it has imparted to itself accelerated powers of motion through a revolution, suddenly finds itself transferred back to a dead epoch. They discover that what they overthrew was not the tyranny of the ancien regime, but the concessions that were wrung from it by centuries of struggle. That is where Johnsons political cross-dressing may come into its own. If the UK enters a deep recession and struggles to deliver on the Leave campaigns promises, many voters may yet want to remain in the single market, or even the EU itself. That sort of volte-face would be impossible for most of the Brexit camp, for whom the dream of sovereignty trumps the threat of economic collapse. But Johnson is culturally at ease with Europe and seemed ambivalent about the campaign that he led. His ability to escape the shackles of his previous statements would inspire Houdini. If the EU reforms and the UKs economic problems deepen, all that seems solid particularly Johnsons euroscepticism could melt into air. Mark Leonard is director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2016. AN EXTRAORDINARY moment in Americas racial history played out in the hours before Hillary Clinton officially became the Democratic nominee in the White House race. It was the moment when a black president stepped onto the convention stage to help a white woman realise her political ambitions and stake her place in history. On one level, of course, President Barack Obama in his speech on Wednesday night touting Clintons skills and experience for the White House was just returning the favour she did for him eight years ago when she backed his nomination. But on another level the moment encapsulated the progress in race relations in America, even as they remain riven by tensions. Anyone who has lived and worked in America, as I did for two decades, knows that race relations there are fragile at best and explosive at worst. The deaths of black men and women at the hands of police have rocked the country in recent years, while police officers themselves have also been targeted. The night before Obama spoke, seven mothers of some of those killed, known as Mothers of the Movement, told in graphic terms about their loved ones deaths and urged reform of a criminal justice system some see as broken and racist. One mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said: One year ago yesterday, I lived the worst nightmare anyone could imagine. I watched as my daughter, Sandra Bland, was lowered into the ground in a coffin. Sandy, my fourth of five daughters, was found hanging in a jail cell after an unlawful traffic stop and an unlawful arrest. Six other women died in custody that same month. One after the other, the mothers spoke about their anguish. They spoke about the talk, the conversation African-American families have about how to behave if stopped by police. That is a conversation no parent should ever have to have, said Lucia McBath, the mother of Jordan Davies. I am still Jordan Daviss mother. His life ended the day he was shot and killed for playing loud music. But my job as his mother didnt. Better race relations were about a future where police officers and communities of colour work together in mutual respect, she said. The majority of police officers are good people doing a good job. The Washington Post put the number of black people who were shot dead last year at 258. This year 136 black people have been killed by police. Police killings of white people are similar but blacks were killed at rates disproportionate to their percentage of the US population. Of all of the unarmed people shot and killed by police in 2015, an estimated 40% were black men, even though black people make up roughly 13% of the nations population. Race relations have become so tense that more than half of black people say they were not surprised by the attack that killed five police officers in Dallas this month. Nearly half of white Americans say that they, too, were unsurprised by the episode, according to a New York Times/CBS survey. Entertainers sing What the World Needs Now during the third day session of the convention The lack of gun control in America is also a factor, insists Obama, saying that progress is being made in race relations. While its true that centuries of racial injustice cannot be righted simply by twice electing a black man as president, the symbolism of his election has undoubtedly helped the healing process. Some might suggest its all just about politics. But that misses the bigger point when the most powerful black man in America passes the torch of leadership to a white woman it is also the beginning of a new chapter in the nations painful racial history. THIS week was a truly historic one in terms of the political advancement of one half of the human race with the nomination of Hillary Clinton, as the Democratic candidate for the US Presidential race. This comes hot on the heels of Theresa May becoming the Prime Minister of Britain. If Hillary is successful and I certainly hope she is we will be surrounded geographically on almost all sides by female leaders. As already mentioned we have Theresa May in Downing Street. In the North there is First Minister Arlene Foster, in Scotland the office is held by Nicola Sturgeon. We may well have a new Taoiseach here before too long, and there is a possibility it could be Frances Fitzgerald. Maybe it is because we have been waiting so long for general female advancement in the political world but as these things are happening we almost have to remind ourselves of their historic nature. I should note that we did previously have Margaret Thatcher as UK Prime Minister but, while female, she may as well as have been a bloke, given her apparent disdain for the advancement of other women. As Hillary Clinton told the Democratic Convention they had put the biggest crack yet in the glass ceiling for women. It may not be quite in the same league but we made our own bit of history in this years general election with the election of 35 female TDs, the highest number ever. Just as their male counterparts did the first time, TDs faced an odd introduction to Leinster House with the tortuous Government negotiations, and everyone getting to grips with new politics. It was hardly a typical first term. Theresa May Although there has been much made of the lack of legislative progress in the first term, there have been some notable debates, not least on abortion and fatal foetal abnormalities. It was then we saw the value of the extra female TDs with the Dail Chamber at least feeling in some way representative of the gender balance in the wider population. New Independent TD, Catherine Connolly, put it well at the time when the UN ruled that Ireland subjected a woman to carrying a foetus with a fatal abnormality to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment which violated her human rights: It is important the voices of women are heard in this chamber, said the Galway West TD. Irish women can rely on being represented by the likes of Clare Daly; AAA/PbPs Ruth Coppinger and Brid Smith; Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald and Louise OReilly; Fine Gaels Kate OConnell. New Fianna Fail TD Margaret Murphy OMahony stands on the other side of this particular argument and has described herself as very, very pro life. She believes our abortion laws should be maintained. I wondered what some of these first time female TDs thought of their new workplace and how it measured up to expectations. I spoke to Fine Gael TD Kate OConnell, Fianna Fails Margaret Murphy OMahony and Sinn Feins Louise OReilly. Fine Gael TD Kate OConnell Kate OConnell laughed as she remembered what she described as a wonderful Fr Ted moment after she arrived in Leinster House. She was walking through the corridors of power with another female deputy when a few older male TDs walked towards them and clearly got confused as to how they should address them: They said to us Howre ye girls and then changed it to Howre ye deputies and then girls and then deputies. It was funny. The Dublin Bay South TD had never worked in such a male dominated environment, especially given that her previous profession, pharmacy, is so female dominated. She doesnt find it bothers her. Prior to becoming a TD Margaret Murphy OMahony worked in the post office; as a special needs assistant; and a full-time county councillor. The County Council was all politics but it was like playing Junior B hurling compared to being a TD which is senior hurling. TD Margaret Murphy OMahony The first woman to get elected in Cork South West, she doesnt find Leinster House too male dominated. But thats maybe got to do with my own outlook. I was personally against gender quotas. I never see a difference or look for one. Im there by my own merits. But I do think that a mixture is important. I think the six new female deputies in the Fianna Fail party are all very different and I do think they have added to the party because of the varied experiences. As well as getting elected last February and getting used to life as a TD, Sinn Feins Louise OReilly has moved house. She now lives in her constituency of Dublin Fingal, having moved from Crumlin to Skerries. Previously she was a full time trade union organiser and feels that her new career isnt all that different. Its already clear that she has no problem representing herself in the Dail chamber, having had an altercation with Fianna Fails Niall Collins where she told him: I did not come in here to do what your mother should have done and put manners on you. Will you please allow me to speak? Sinn Feins Louise OReilly The partys health spokeswoman does notice that Leinster house is quite male dominated, particularly when you walk into the Dail Chamber. I cant imagine what it was like before, given that there is more women now than ever before. Unions are male dominated but Leinster House sure gives them a run for their money. There is a big change in going from being a private citizen to a public representative at national level. Kate OConnell really notices it if she is out socialising. It is difficult going for a drink anywhere, especially in the constituency not that I go for a drink much anyway. A constituent will always approach you, but they do say nice things and congratulate you on getting elected. When Louise OReilly is out walking in the evening with her husband lots of people say Hello and tell her they saw her on television or You Tube, or heard her on radio. It takes getting used to, but people are very nice. Traditionally it was seen that Dublin TDs have it easier than their rural counterparts when it comes to constituency work, not least that they dont have far to travel, and that the job is less intrusive on their family life. Kate OConnell does a constituency clinic on a Monday morning, but since the Dail is in her constituency she will often get someone who wishes to speak to her to come in there for a cup of coffee and a chat. In contrast Margaret Murphy OConnor describes how she has 100 miles of a constituency, a lot of it rural based. She holds three clinics a week outside her Bandon- based office, and sees constituents in the office on a Monday and a Friday. On the day we spoke there had been a queue of people wanting to see her. Louise OReilly had problems sorting a constituency office but now has that sorted intends holding three clinics a week. She also sits in on local clinics held by Sinn Fein councillors. Its all just normal politics really. Imagine how it could be if having a female President of the US was just normal politics. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: Armenian armed forces have 24 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry July 29. Armenian armed forces, stationed on the nameless heights of Armenias Ijevan district, in the villages of Voskevan and Shavarshavan of the Noyemberyan district opened fire at positions of Azerbaijani armed forces on the nameless heights and in the villages of Gushchu Ayrim and Kemerli of the Gazakh district. Azerbaijani positions located in the Munjuglu and Alibayli villages of the Tovuz district also took fire from the positions located on nameless heights and in the Aygepar village of Armenias Berd district. Azerbaijani positions were shelled from the positions near the Kuropatkino village of Khojavand district and Mehdili village of Jabrayil district. Moreover, Azerbaijani positions took fire from the positions located on nameless heights of Goygol, Goranboy and Jabrayil districts. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. America is already great. America is already strong, he told cheering delegates at the Democratic convention on Wednesday night. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump. For Democrats, the night was steeped in symbolism, the passing of the baton from a barrier-breaking president to a candidate trying to make history herself. It culminated with Ms Clinton making a surprise appearance on stage to embrace Mr Obama, an image almost unimaginable eight years ago when they battled for the Democratic nomination. Mr Obama urged Americans to summon the hopefulness of that White House campaign, before recession deepened and new terror threats shook voters sense of security. He robustly vouched for Ms Clintons readiness to finish the job he started, saying no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits. Earlier Wednesday, Ms Clintons running mate, Virginia senator Tim Kaine, introduced himself to the nation as a formidable foil to Mr Trump in his own right. With folksy charm, he ridiculed Mr Trumps list of promises and one of the GOP candidates favorite phrases. Believe me! he said mockingly, as the audience boomed back, No! Liberals, particularly those who supported Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, have grumbled about Mr Kaine being on the ticket, particularly because of his support for fast-track approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. Several delegates held up anti-TPP signs as he spoke. Mr Obamas support for Ms Clinton is driven in part by concern that Mr Trump might win in November and unravel his two terms in office. He warned repeatedly that the billionaire businessman is unprepared for the challenges of the Oval Office. Wednesday nights Democratic lineup was aimed at emphasising Ms Clintons national security credentials. It was a significant shift in tone after two nights spent reintroducing Ms Clinton to voters as a champion for children and families, and relishing in her historic nomination as the first woman to lead a major political party into the general election. The core of Ms Clintons strategy is putting back together Mr Obamas winning White House coalition. In both his campaigns, Obama carried more than 90% of black voters, the overwhelming majority of Hispanics, and more than half of young people and women. New York magazine reported last week that an FBI analysis showed Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah had conducted a simulated flight to the southern Indian Ocean less than a month before the plane vanished along a similar route. Malaysia rejected the report as false, but Australias Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre confirmed yesterday that the captains simulator did indeed show that someone had plotted a course to the southern Indian Ocean. The allegation, made to police on May 23 this year, related to an incident that was said to have occurred in Tower Hamlets, east London. Police said that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the claim. The 79-year-old Francis, walking in his long robe with an incense holder in his hand, did not notice a step down from the platform and fell to the ground before the altar. He braced his fall with his left hand and priests around him rushed to help, with Monsignor Guido Marini, an aide, helping him back to his feet. The Mass proceeded as planned and the Pope delivered a long homily before tens of thousands of faithful gathered at the foot of the Jasna Gora monastery in the city of Czestochowa. Asked if Francis had suffered any ill effects from the fall, a Vatican spokesman, Greg Burke, said the Pope is fine. Czestochowa Archbishop Waclaw Depo said Francis fell because he had closed his eyes and appeared to miss a step. He is in good condition. He did not even complain at all. He never said a word. Also the homily showed that the Pope has strength and this strength he gets from the people, he said. Francis enjoys relatively good health, despite putting in long days of ceremonies, audiences, and meetings. In his youth, he had a section of one lung removed, and on occasion has sounded somewhat winded. A few times in the past, Francis has missed a step or even fallen on stairs. Each time he has gotten up on his own or thanks to an aide lending a hand. The Popes visit to Poland has been accompanied by several messages. Several days before he left the Vatican, his office admonished countries in Eastern Europe that have artificially created fear of Muslims, urging them to be more open to refugees and asylum seekers from places torn apart by conflict. On his way to Krakow on Wednesday, the pope warned the world was at war, but he emphasised that he was referring to conflicts over resources: I am not speaking of a war of religions. Religions dont want war. In his homily on Thursday morning, he spoke again of the trappings of power and lack of modesty. He was scheduled to address the World Youth Day gathering later yesterday, and, today, to visit the Second World War-era death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Data from the giant physics experiment, buried beneath the Swiss-French border, has been sonified by converting the peaks and troughs of particle research into musical notes. Through a process called sonification, we are able to make music from scientific data and experience that data in new and beautiful ways, said Genevieve Williams of Anglia Ruskin University. Pasta packaging Britain: Waitrose is to sell pasta in packaging made from food waste in a move it claims is a first among UK supermarkets. The grocer will shortly launch two new fusilli pastas, one made from green peas and the other from red lentils, in packaging made from 15% food waste. The food waste is made up of the peas and pulses that do not make the grade during the production of the pasta. They are used towards the pasta box instead of being thrown out. Archaeology from above England: Archaeological remains from a Bronze Age cemetery and a Roman military camp to medieval farms have been revealed from the air, experts said. A series of aerial photographs, released by government heritage agency Historic England to mark the Festival of Archaeology, show some of the top finds made in recent years. Photographs taken in 2015 above Fittleworth in West Sussex show five or six circular buried ditches which would have surrounded Bronze Age barrows, and last years dry summer revealed crop marks in the Cambridgeshire clay which helped experts to see the extent of an Iron Age/Roman settlement in Comberton. Vote Cat in the Hat USA: Voters who think presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton fall flat can now choose the Cat from The Cat In The Hat, whose platform includes working with Sam I Am to address hunger. The Cat announced his candidacy in Springfield, Massachusetts, outside the childhood home of writer Dr Seuss, as well as his running mates, Thing 1 and Thing 2. The event served as the official launch for the new Random House book One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote. Pokemon stop USA: A driver who crashed his vehicle into a police patrol car in the Delaware resort of Rehoboth Beach was trying to help his wife as she played the Pokemon Go game. Rehoboth Beach police said 28-year-old Mark A Oldenburg, of Dover, was cited for inattentive driving and an improper turn following the crash, although nobody was hurt. Police said Mr Oldenburgs wife directed him to pull into a parking space in an attempt to locate a Pokemon gym but he failed to check his surroundings and crashed into the officers vehicle. Couple aim high USA: A couple got married 9m off the ground during a Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey show at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Groom Mustafa Danguir, wearing a white tuxedo coat, arrived on a camel and climbed a side ladder to reach the tightrope. The veiled bride, Anna Lebedeva, rode a horse, shedding her high heels and adjusting her flowing gown to also climb a ladder to the wire, with the ringmaster presiding as the pair met in the middle of the wire to exchange vows and rings. The French prosecutors office said he was Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean, 19, from eastern France. He was spotted last month in Turkey as he supposedly headed to Syria but returned to France instead. The prosecutors office identified him following DNA tests on his corpse. A security official confirmed that he was the unidentified man pictured on a photo distributed to French police on July 22 with a warning that he could be planning an attack. Four days later, Petitjean and another 19-year-old local man, Adel Kermiche, stormed the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during Mass on Tuesday. They held five people hostage the priest, two nuns and an elderly couple before fatally slashing the priests throat and seriously wounding the other man. Another nun at the Mass slipped away, raised the alarm, and the attackers were killed by police as they left the church. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, which released a video allegedly showing Kermiche and his accomplice clasping hands and pledging allegiance to the group. Petitjean was born in eastern France, in Saint-Die-des-Vosges, but recently lived in the Alpine town of Aix-les-Bains where his mother lives, the prosecutors office said. Kermiche was from Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, where the attack took place in north-west France. A youth believed to be 16 was detained after the church attack and is still being held for questioning. Turkey spotted Petitjean at a Turkish airport going to Syria on June 10, said a security official. On June 29 he was flagged to French authorities and immediately put on a special watch list. Petitjean did not go to Syria but turned around and returned to France on June 11, said the official. It is not clear what caused Petitjean to turn around. However in recent months IS propaganda has encouraged Western recruits in particular not to join extremists in the war zones in Syria or Iraq but to remain home and carry out attacks. The French anti-terrorism co-ordinating agency Uclat issued the photo of a man on July 22. It warned police that the person without a name but who turned out to be Petitjean could be ready to participate in an attack on national territory. Uclat said the person in the photo could already be present in France and act alone or with other individuals. Ms May was in Slovakia for talks with counterpart Robert Fico before heading to Poland for further discussions on preparing for Brexit. She said: It is important to underline that while the UK is leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe or withdrawing from the world. Britain will remain an outward-looking nation, a strong voice for liberal, free market principles and democratic values. Once we have left the EU, we will continue to work with our partners across Europe, indeed Brexit is an opportunity to intensify those relationships. And just as we want Britain to succeed outside the EU, we want the EU to be strong and successful after we depart. The thorny issue of migration was raised by Mr Fico in his opening statement alongside Ms May at the press conference in Bratislava. Slovakia and Poland have voiced concern about the rights of their nationals currently in the UK, but Ms May has refused to guarantee the rights of EU citizens after Brexit unless similar guarantees are offered to Britons living and working abroad. Britain is not expected to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty before the end of the year. Meanwhile, the British foreign minister, Boris Johnson, has assured his French counterpart that the UK wants to remain as close as possible to France even after leaving the European Union. Mr Johnson was speaking after talks in Paris with foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who previously accused him of having lied a lot to voters during the referendum campaign, when he was a standard-bearer for Brexit. Mr Johnson made no reference to their earlier differences, insisting that he is developing a close and co-operative relationship with Mr Ayrault. Even if the UK has voted to leave the EU, it doesnt mean we will be leaving Europe, said Mr Johnson. We wish to be as close as possible to our allies, most particularly France, throughout the forthcoming years. We have already started to develop a close and co-operative relationship and I hope it may continue while we face many challenges ahead together as friends and allies. Burma China Envoy Expects All Armed Groups to Attend Union Peace Conference Chinas envoy observing the Mai Ja Yang ethnic armed group summit said China backs all the forces that support internal peace in Burma. MAI JA YANG, Kachin State Chinas Special Envoy on Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang, who has attended the Mai Ja Yang summit of ethnic armed groups in Kachin State as an observer, said that China backed all the forces that support internal peace in Burma. We expect that all ethnic armed groups will join the 21st Century Panglong Conference, he told The Irrawaddy on Friday, when asked about Chinas stance on inclusion at the Union Peace Conference scheduled for late August, where a deal on federalism is hoped for to resolve half a century of civil conflict in Burma. There may be different views about internal peace, but this is quite natural, he said. It is crucial for Burma to achieve internal peace, he said, citing the payoff the country would receive. We hope all the stakeholders will continue to strive for peace. He did not address The Irrawaddys question on what Beijing would do to persuade armed groups to attend the Union Peace Conferenceparticularly those groups based along the China-Burma border. These groups include the United Wa State Army (UWSA), acknowledged as the largest non-state armed group in Burma; the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), generally reckoned as the second largest; the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N); the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA); the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA); and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), better known as the Mongla Group. None of these groups were party to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement reached between the previous government and eight ethnic armed groups in October last year, and the Burma Army has been in active conflict over the past 18 months with all but the UWSA and the NDAA. The special envoy left the five-day Mai Ja Yang summit on Friday for China, having attended the first four days, starting on Monday. Burma Govt Releases Economic Policy Outlines, Deferring Detail The launch of the governments five-year economic policy contains only broad outlines, leaving some industry leaders frustrated at the lack of detail. NAYPYIDAW The launch of the National League for Democracy (NLD) governments five-year, 12-part economic policy in Naypyidaw on Friday contained only broad outlines, leaving some industry leaders frustrated at the lack of detail. Speaking at the launch event, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi said that, although the information released was general, detailed policy would be unveiled later, including for local and international investors. Several of Burmas well-known tycoons were present alongside foreign diplomats, government officials, and members of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Suu Kyi acknowledged that many foreign investors and diplomats had asked the NLD government about their economic policy, which has yet to be spelled out in any detail in the four months since they assumed office. Minister of National Planning and Finance Kyaw Win said that the 12-part policy would be people-centered and would involve a fair distribution of natural resources between the states and divisions of Burma, in support of national reconciliation and the building of a federal democratic country. The latter points suggest a tentative link to the peace process with ethnic armed groups. A Union Peace Conference scheduled for late August is hoped to achieve a deal on a federal restructuring of the state, in order to resolve half a century of civil conflict. Other outlines delivered at the launch included better opportunities for youth, support for small and medium businesses, jobs for Burmese returning from residence abroad, support for both agricultural and industrial exports, environmental protection, a stronger tax system, and expanding economic relations with countries both within and beyond Asean. Suu Kyi also stressed infrastructural investment as a means of increasing investment in Burma and speeding up development. Zaw Zaw, a prominent tycoon and chairman of the Max Group of Companies, spoke at the event about the need for better statistics in Burma, including for job, unemployment, birth and morality rates, as an aid to engineering economic growth. Chit Khine, chairman of Eden Group, one of Burmas largest conglomerates, told The Irrawaddy after attending the ceremony of the importance of devising a detailed investment policy. He said that policy so far had been very general but expressed faith that greater detail would be forthcoming, and that better economic policies would be implemented under the new governmentalthough this would take time, given the need for reform in so many sectors. There should be no rush, he said, but they should tell us what sorts of businesses would be prioritized. Other industry leaders present stressed a more urgent need for policy detail, given the high expectations held by many towards the NLD government. Tun Foundation Bank Chairman Thein Tunbest known for bringing Pepsi to Burma in 1991 through his Myanmar Golden Star companytold the Irrawaddy that the government should develop a detailed master plan for economic development, one that included annual implementation plans. Taking a more overtly critical line, he said, This is not like the time before the election. We [business leaders] should know exactly what needs to done. These economic policies are too general, he said. If ministers cannot help the countrys economic development, they should resign. Fifty journalists from both Burmese and international news agencies had turned up to cover the event at the Myanmar International Convention Center 2 in Naypyidaw, but were held up at the security gate. Security guards said they had been told that members of the media were not to be allowed in without access cards provided by the Ministry of Information. Only two journalists, bearing these cards, were allowed in, and later shared their coverage with others. The Irrawaddy reporter was not among those permitted inside. Several of the barred journalists expressed their frustration at what they felt was poor event management on behalf of the Ministry of National Planning and Finance. BBC correspondent Nay Myo Lin said he had woken up early to report on the economic policy launch but had wasted his time. Burma KIA, Burma Army Clash Amid Ongoing Ethnic Summit As ethnic armed groups gather in Kachin State to search for common ground toward federalism, clashes break out between government forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). MAI JA YANG, Kachin State As ethnic armed groups gathered in Kachin States Mai Ja Yang to search for common ground toward federalism in Burma, clashes broke out twice on Thursday between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)the armed wing of Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). Battalion No. 2 under KIA Brigade No. 6 and battalions under the Burma Armys 10th Military Operations Commands (MOC-10) clashed twice at Hopong Mountain in northern Shan States Kutkai Township, said Lt Col Naw Bu, a KIO information officer. [Our troops] said three military columns from the Burma Army surrounded them. At first, they attacked with small arms, but later there was artillery support, Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy. The casualties incurred on both sides were not immediately clear. The KIA also claimed that the Burma Army was conducting military activities near Battalion No. 14 under KIA Brigade No. 2 in Tanai Township. The Burma Army could not be reached for confirmation of the clashes or military activity, nor did they release a statement. The ethnic summit in KIA-controlled Mai Ja Yang began on Tuesday and ends Saturday. When asked about the recent clashes, Lt Col Naw Bu said, We are not sure if the military really supports peace. Drawing a conclusion from their actions, it seems they want to cause a disturbance. The KIA is a part of the nine-member ethnic alliance, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), which opted out of signing a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the previous government in 2015. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: Grigory Karasin, Russian deputy foreign minister, state secretary, and John Tefft, US ambassador to Russia, discussed the prospects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, said a message posted on the Russian Foreign Ministrys website July 29. "During the meeting the sides discussed the situation in Syria and the Caucasus, the message said. "The problems related to the conflict in the south-east of Ukraine, the prospects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, as well as other topical issues of the international agenda were also discussed." 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. Burma National Human Rights Commission Strongly Criticized by Lawmakers Union parliamentarians directed heavy criticism at the rights commission, including over its poor record on securing compliance from government ministries. RANGOON Lawmakers in a joint-session of the Union Parliament directed heavy criticism at the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) for its poor record on securing and monitoring the compliance of government ministries with their recommendations. Lawmakers also highlighted what they considered to be weak collaboration from the commission with civil society, weak promotion of prisoners rightsincluding access to adequate healthcareand a reluctance to investigate alleged human abuses on their own initiative. During the session on Thursday, 16 lawmakers from the Upper and Lower houses of Parliament were debating the human rights commissions annual report for 2015, which had been presented by the commissions chairman to the Union Parliament on Monday. The commission was formed under the orders of former President Thein Sein in September 2011, and was reformed in 2014 with tougher requirements for ministries to report on their implementation of the commissions recommendations within 30 days. The commission currently has 11 members (reduced from 15), comprised of retired civil servants, military officers, professors and ambassadors. The commission has delivered human rights workshops to government and military officers, conducted community outreach, monitored standards in prisons, and undertaken investigations on receipt of reports of rights abusesalthough critics in civil society have claimed that the majority of submitted cases have gone unaddressed. We know the [commission] received 1,287 complaints in 2015. But we know from reports across the country, including in ethnic minority areas, that there were more human rights abuses than that, said Lower House lawmaker Ma Thandar, an award-winning human rights defender and the widow of a journalist who died in military custody in Mon State in October 2014. Two soldiers said to be implicated in the death of her husband, known as Par Gyi, were brought before a military tribunal but were acquitted in May 2015. Former President Thein Sein ordered an investigation from the national human rights commission, which released its findings in a report that Ma Thandar slammed as fabricated. Ma Thandar told the Thursday session of parliament that the commission was weak in following up with ministries regarding their recommendations. She mentioned that 19 recommendations from separate investigations by the commission in 2014 had been directed at ministries including Defense and Home Affairs, but the commission had failed to publish which ministries had failed to transparently respond to them. She said she had not seen the commission applying the necessary pressure on government ministries, calling into serious doubt their claims to be independent and transparent. Upper House lawmaker Ye Htut from Sagaing Division mentioned several high-profile cases where justice had not been delivered: including the killing of the journalist Par Gyi; the shooting dead by police of Khin Win, a woman protesting land grabs linked to the Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Division, in 2014; and the rape and murder of two ethnic Kachin schoolteachers in northern Shan State in early 2015, blamed on Burma Army soldiers. He called for an end to such impunity: we need to make sure that no one is above the law. Lawmakers also recommended that the commission include more people who understand human rights and stand with the peoplean expression of distrust with the current membership, comprised largely of former government servants. During the parliamentary session, commission chairman Win Mra vowed to take the lawmakers suggestions seriously and present a more comprehensive report next year at the Union Parliament. The chairman also stressed the limitations of their current mandate, to account for the spotty compliance of government ministries with their recommendations. The government prescribes laws related to human rights protection and implements them, he said, saying the commissions role was only consultative. When we receive complaints, we investigate and present [our findings] to relevant government departments. We pressure them if they dont respond within 30 days, although we didnt mention this in the report, the chairman said. He admitted that cooperation from ministries had been weak, citing that only 23 percent of their recommendations had received responses within 30 days. Of the remainder, 32 percent had received responses within 90 days. More than 100 letters had received no response at all. The chairman expressed his gladness at the discussion in parliament, despite the strong criticism, stating that it would help strengthen our commission for the future. Upper House lawmaker Khin Maung Myint from Kachin State urged the commission to investigate recent cases in Kachin State and hold the perpetrators accountable. This included the gunning down by three men of Nandar Hlaing, a village tract administrator in Hpakant Townships Sai Taung Village, in May; the fatal shooting by a Burma Army soldier of ethnic Kachin student Gum Seng Awng in the state capital Myitkyina in June; and the killing of dozens of small-scale minors and local residents in landslides in the jade mines of Hpakant. Burma Stakeholders Discuss Refugee Repatriation on Thai-Burma Border Stakeholders including the International Organization for Migration and the UNHCR discuss preparations for refugee repatriation from the Thai-Burma border. CHIANG MAI, Thailand Stakeholders including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and community-based organizations (CBOs) discussed preparations for refugee repatriation in the Mae La camp on the Thai-Burma border. Concerned parties deliberated how best to provide assistance and ensure the safety of refugees who wanted to return to Burma. Iain Hall, UNHCR senior field coordinator, told The Irrawaddy that the meeting was one of a series in which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provided updates on health, education, livelihood, food and nutrition activities held to prepare refugees for their return. During Wednesdays meeting, the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC) and the Karenni Refugee Committee (KnRC) outlined their current operational guidelines for voluntary repatriation. The UNHCR also briefed groups about its meetings, workshops and consultations with the Burmese and Thai governments, NGOs and CBOs. Iain Hall said that the UNHCR was not promoting return but was prepared to support and facilitate any individual return once it was assured of its voluntary nature, safety and dignity. We discussed the type of support we could providelike cash and transportation. There is no start date to any return plan or movement. That is decided by individual refugees, Hall told The Irrawaddy. NGOs also reiterated a recent statement made in Thailand by Burmas State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in which she said the government would welcome refugees who chose to return. We are not knocking on doors and asking people to go home. But refugees can come to the UNHCR and and can assist them. We have been approached by refugees in several camps expressing their desire to return, said Hall. He added that both governments want the voluntary returns to be sustainable and have strongly advocated compliance with international standards. There are over 120,000 registered Burmese refugees living in nine refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border. The majority are ethnic Karen who fled during conflicts between the Burma Army and ethnic armed organizations. The Thai government raised the issue of repatriation under the previous administration, after ethnic armed groups, including the Karen National Union (KNU), signed a ceasefire agreement in 2012. Preparations have been ongoing since then. However, many refugees still do not feel safe returning to their homes. The Burma Army still occupies territory near Karen villages and there is no concrete plan for demining areas littered with landmines placed by both sides in the conflict. Burma Suu Kyi Discusses Language, Education With Wa and Mongla Representatives Briefly meeting with members of the Wa and Mongla public, the State Counselor discusses national languages, education and broader political participation. NAYPYIDAW State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi briefly met over 100 members of the Wa and Mongla public on Friday afternoon in Naypidaw. Suu Kyi delivered a speech and hosted a question and answer session with community members, in which she emphasized the importance of developing the education and healthcare sectors across the nation, including in the remote regions of ethnic states. The 20-minute event, which followed an earlier meeting with leaders of the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Armyalso known as the Mongla Group, had to be conducted through an interpreter, from Burmese into Wa. Chinese, rather than Burmese, serves as a lingua franca in the Wa self-administered zone in Shan State, which also borders China. Addressing the language barrier at the event in the context of educational development, Suu Kyi told the audience that the country still lacked the capacity to provide textbooks for schools in the countrys many ethnic languages. We need more teachers for our ethnic regions; having enough teachers is more important than having more school buildings, she said. To this end, the State Counselor suggested training more teachers who are able to speak the languages of Burmas ethnic minorities, so that they can better communicate with students and thereby give them a more effective education. She also cautioned the Wa and Mongla community to keep in mind the practicality in using the Bamar [Burmese] language for official use. If we have many official languagesmore than two or threeit is difficult to work in the administrative sector, she added. I recognize that the education level is far worse [in remote ethnic areas] than the central part of the country, but the central region also does not have such a good situation, Suu Kyi said. Stressing a need to work beyond the curriculum, Suu Kyi told the participants, We have to try many ways to have equalityto achieve unity, equality and respect among us, I invite all of you to give input and suggestions. In response to a question from a participant from the Mongla region, she urged parents to consider the importance of encouraging knowledge acquisition in their children, and investing in vocational skills training to support their livelihoods. Suu Kyi also highlighted the importance of youth and womens participation in building peace. As I see many youth and women here, whatever we do, it is crucial to use the power of these people who make up more than half of the population, Suu Kyi said. She encouraged youth to build a network, describing young people as key in creating a strong Union; her comment comes as organizers from across Burma hosted an ethnic youth conference this week in Panglong, Shan State, with the aim of forming a collective youth voice. Burma Wa Pledge Not to Split From Union In a meeting with State Counselor Suu Kyi, an ethnic Wa delegation says they will remain in the Union of Burma, rather than opting to split from the country. NAYPYIDAW During their first meeting with State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, an ethnic Wa delegation pledged to remain within the Union of Burma, rather than opting to split from the country. Suu Kyi held a closed door meeting with top leaders from the United Wa State Army (UWSA), led by Pao Yu Yi, and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA)better known as the Mongla Groupled by Sai Leun, for two hours in Burmas capital. As chair of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), Suu Kyi has been holding a series of meetings with Burmas many ethnic armed groups since June. Todays meeting furthered relations and mutual understanding between the stakeholders. Both sidesthe Wa and the State Counseloropenly discussed policies, said Zaw Htay, the Presidents Office spokesperson and member of the sub-committee tasked with reaching out to NCA non-signatories regarding the upcoming Union Peace Conference slated to be held in late August. The Wa pledged to stay in the Myanmar Union, and they said they wont split from the country, Zaw Htay told the press, adding that there had been no discussion about a separate Wa State, which has been a pressing issue in recent years. The Wa currently have a self-administered zone in Shan State, but have also pushed for an autonomous state of their own. Wa and Mongla leaders also met the Burma Army chief, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, in the afternoon. Government peace negotiator Dr. Tin Myo Win will hold further meetings with the groups on Saturday, in which they will discuss technical issues, added Zaw Htay. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva Trend: Solving protracted conflicts, including the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in the OSCE area will be in the spotlight of Italys agenda during its chairmanship at the OSCE, said Italys Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni. A solution to the crisis in and around Ukraine and the protracted conflicts in the OSCE area (Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia and Transdniestria); the flows of migrants and refugees; and a strengthened partnership with countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, will be at the core of our agenda during our Chairmanship, said Gentiloni. Italy is to chair the OSCE in 2018. 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. Friday, July 29th, 2016 (3:32 pm) - Score 505 The incumbent telecoms and broadband operator for Hull and parts of East Yorkshire in England, KCOM, has hailed a new report that claims they have a substantial impact upon the local area by generating 1,600 Full-Time Equivalent jobs and delivering a 187m economic boost. The figures arguably help to highlight why Ofcom has found it so difficult to weaken KCOMs dominance of the local broadband and phone market in the same way as its done with BT (Openreach) across the UK, since to do so might jeopardise the local economy; particularly with 944 (871 FTE jobs) of their staff also living in Hull or East Yorkshire. The study, which comes from research and consulting firm Cushman & Wakefield, notes how KCOM spends 14.3m with suppliers to support its activities in Hull and East Yorkshire, well over 50% of which is with companies based in the region (this supports a further 170 FTE jobs). Research Highlights: KCOMs work-based employment impact equates to 1.3% of overall employment in Hull, equivalent to the citys legal and accounting sector. More than 9 out of 10 people either directly employed or supported in KCOMs local supply chain are Hull or East Yorkshire residents, meaning most of their income is spent locally. 80% of KCOM employees in Hull are in full-time posts significantly higher than the local average across all sectors of 66%. The total contribution of 187m that KCOM generates for the local economy includes around 90m of local annual Gross Added Value (GVA) contribution, which represents around 2% of the local GVA for Hull. Furthermore this is an improvement over the last study in 2010, which found that KCOM generated 150m for the local economy and underpinned more than 1,400 FTE jobs. Gary Young, KCOMs Consumer Director, said: This report confirms the positive impact we have on the local economy and the lives of people across Hull and East Yorkshire. As a business founded in Hull and a mainstay of the local economy for many decades, we are proud that we make such a significant and growing contribution to local employment and economic wellbeing. The report also claims that the enhanced broadband connectivity being rolled out through KCOMs Lightstream fibre optic network (ultrafast FTTP with some FTTC) promotes economic and business growth, although they dont provide a download link or any estimated figures to support that claim. How to Find Business Value in Your Data Through Modernization Data visualization has gone from being an esoteric concept to a mainstream element of the business intelligence experience in a few short years. But theres always room for improvement. In the next few weeks, Tableau Software will make available Tableau 10, an update to its data visualization software that features a revamped user interface and dedicated support for Android phones. Ashley Bass, senior manager for product management at Tableau Software, says the company is making a concerted effort to leverage the unique capabilities of the devices it supports in order to provide a user experience that natively takes advantage of the features and functions of that device. In the case of data visualization, Bass notes, users are reading reports on mobile computing devices. As part of this release, Tableau is making it simple to join data and then publish data extracted from Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Also on tap are collaboration tools that make it simpler to share reports across a specific team of people or simply publish a particular visualization on the Web. Overall, Bass says, the data preparation and ability to interrogate data is now much more sophisticated within Tableau 10. Of course, the most interesting thing about the rise of data visualization tools such as Tableau from an IT perspective is the increased business value these tools enable. For years, IT organizations have been creating static reports that not many people actually read. Now suddenly everybody wants to visualize that same data, which just goes to show that inside and out of IT, a picture is still worth a thousand words. Save Save The Google Nexus phones have earned quite a following since Google first debuted them in 2010. Over the years, the devices have just gotten better and more exciting, particularly because Google partners up with different smartphone manufacturers to built the units. This year, Google is partnering up with HTC in order to release the HTC Marlin. According to TechDroider, one particular render for the HTC Marlin was confirmed to be very close to the actual device. What this means is that the 2016 Nexus device will likely have a 5.5 inch screen, with thin bezels and a back fingerprint sensor. All these things make the device look a lot like last year's Nexus 6P. In addition, the unit will have an aluminum body. BGR adds that it is, at this point, unclear whether or not the logo will change. It is possible that the "Nexus" branding will be dropped in preference of a simple "G." Of course, a "Nexus x HTC" branding is also a possibility. In fact, this aspect of the design is so up in the air that two renders were made to accommodate this. Meanwhile, the HTC Marlin is expected to come with 4GB of RAM, which should be more than enough for the unit to run smoothly. Further, a quad-core processor will power the device and will be capable of holding 128GB of memory.The 2016 Nexus device will also carry a 3450 mAh battery under the hood. It is unexpected for Google to improve on the camera from the Nexus 6P, which means that the HTC Marlin will also have a 12 megapixel rear camera and an 8 megapixel front camera. Another exciting aspect of the upcoming Nexus device is that it will run on the new Android Nougat 7.0, which will be arriving in the coming months. Moreover, the official announcement for the HTC Marlin should follow the launch shortly after. Earlier this year, Sony changed things up by unveiling a new line of smartphones, the Xperia X series. As such, rumors started to circulate that a device, then codenamed the Xperia F8331, would be arriving to the market within the year. This plan will be put into full motion this coming September, at the upcoming IFA, as Sony is expected to launch the new Xperia XR. As Neowin suggests, the previously leaked photos show off a new design for Sony. This is because it no longer shows off the Omni-Balance design that Sony has taken as its signature look. Instead, it has a full metal body, front speakers and a curved front glass. Slash Gear adds that it even has a LED flash for taking photos and a second one below it. At this point, it is unclear whether or not there will be a dual flash feature. One thing that is sure, however, is that the Xperia XR will pack a punch. The device is expected to have a 5.1 inch display with 1080p resolution. As such, the unit will be capable of recording 4K videos. It will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, which will run on 2.1 GHz and will run on 3GB of RAM. Further, it will have 32GB of internal storage, which is expected to be expandable via a microSD card. The Xperia XR will sport a 21 megapixel rear camera. Meanwhile, the front camera will be 13 megapixels. The new Sony device will have a USB Type-C port for charging and will also have a 3.5mm headphone jack. On its sides, the Xperia XR will have the power button. In addition, this power button is expected to act as the fingerprint scanner as well - much like how swiping the home button of a Samsung sideline as scanning a fingerprint. Of course, it will run on the latest Android operating system. The release of the eighth installment of the "Harry Potter" series has led the bookstores to be creative on the day. Parties will be held in different places in New Orleans, just to celebrate the release of the "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," which happens to land on the same day of Harry Potter's birthday, July 31. Midnight of July 30, Saturday night, is said to be one of the magical nights in the Harry Potter world and for the avid fans out there. On July 31, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" part one and two will be released to the public. According to reports, the pre-order of the book has broken records as the most pre-ordered book since the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" back in 2007. With the obvious excitement of the books' release, parties will be held in its honor on midnight of July 30. Maple Street Book Shop 7523 Maple St., New Orleans will be holding a party on Sunday, July 31. The ad for the party had a slogan that said "Join us on the birthday of The Boy Who Lived to celebrate the release of the eighth Harry Potter story!" as reported by NOLA. Tubby and Coo's 613 N. Carrolton Ave., New Orleans, will be hosting a birthday for Harry potter on Sunday as well, from 2pm to 5pm. It will be filled with games and fun in the spirit of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Octavia Books 513 Octavia St., New Orleans will have the party on Saturday, from 10pm to midnight. It is advisable to come I costumes during the event as well and participate in its activities. Award-winning interactive storyteller, Frank Levy will also grace the party with his presence. There is a lot to look forward to on July 31 for the release of the "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." According to Time, each of the prior books to the "Harry Potter" series began on July 31, which is Harry's birthday. Thus, this explains Rowling's decision to release it on the said date. In a move aimed at continuing its closure of phone hardware business, Microsoft has announced on Thursday, July 28, 2,850 more job cuts expected by the middle of 2017. PCWorld reports that Microsoft revealed that, on top of the 1,850 cuts announced earlier this year, the company will cut an additional 2,850 jobs. Microsoft employees impacted by the layoffs will primarily be those working in the company's phone hardware business. Microsoft phone business has already been hit hard by plunging global sales and as a consequence, the company announced layoffs earlier this year. The job cuts are a coming after the high-tech company has decided to downsize its smartphone business acquired from Nokia. Microsoft has officially disclosed the job cuts in the 10-K filing. The company's most recent quarterly financial report unveiled a year-over-year decline in revenue. It is still unclear what the layoffs will mean for the Microsoft's business overall. In particular, Microsoft's smartphone hardware business has been an underperforming spot on company's financials. For the past several quarters, the phone business niche in has been seeing massive revenue declines. Nokia's acquisition by Microsoft has been one of the last business decisions of former Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer before he announced his departure from the company's top job. His successor, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has not taken the same interest in the phone hardware business. According to Recode, at this point, the high-tech giant has essentially closed nearly all of the Nokia mobile phone business acquired $7.2 billion back in April 2014. The strategy of Nadella has been to develop more of Microsoft's software apps on Android and iOS instead of trying to push marketing of the Windows phones. Nadella also led the acquisitions of several iOS apps, among them being included calendar app Sunrise and email program Acompli. Now both of these software apps are part of the mobile version of Outlook. Apple is reportedly shelving its own plan for an electric car in favor of developing self-driving software instead. It recently hired Dan Dodge who worked once worked with Blackberry. An Apple spokesperson could not confirm if the company will eventually restart the electric car project on its own or with a partner. But it is now clear that Apple is now focusing on software when it recruited Dodge to its latest project, according to Bloomberg. Dodge founded and once headed QNX, a company that develops operating systems. It was eventually sold to Blackberry six year. Dodge worked with them until late last year. Incidentally, Apple has set up an R&D facility in Ottawa, Canada. The new place is a short distance away from the QNX head office. Project Titan was Apple's electric car plan, according to The Verge. The company plans to launch a working model four years from now. Unfortunately, the project has been bogged down by a series of delays in terms of personnel and technical problems. The Titan project is currently headed by Bob Mansfield. His division is divided into three teams namely, software, hardware and sensors. The shift to developing self-driving software possibly indicates that the electric car project is going nowhere. Lackluster sales of Apple products particularly, the iPhones may have convinced company executives to focus on projects that could bring in revenue. The R&D cost of Apple blew up by more than $2.5 billion in the second quarter of 2016 compared to the same period last year. Company CEO Tim Cook said that said that the research and development cost are investments for future products. Reports indicate that Apple may not be entirely dropping the electric car project. The iPhone maker is still recruiting auto manufacturing engineers from the auto industry. There are speculations that Apple is planning to combine the electric car with the self-driving software. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: India is interested in increasing trade turnover with Azerbaijan, Secretary in Indias Ministry of External Affairs Sujata Mehta told reporters in Baku. Mehta has arrived in Baku for several days to hold political consultations. Mehta said the two countries trade turnover has decreased recently, in particular, due to the decline in oil prices and imports from India also reduced. She noted that there is potential to increase the trade turnover between the two countries. India and Azerbaijan enjoy close and friendly relations with growing cooperation in many areas like education, IT, science and technology, and culture, added the Indian official. Trade turnover between India and Azerbaijan amounted to $142.36 million in January-June 2016 (compared to $180.89 million in the same periof of 2015), according to Azerbaijans State Statistics Committee. In terms of bilateral ties in political dimension, I think we have good bases, said Mehta. We agree on a lot of issues. Azerbaijans geographical location is a very important feature, which will lead to greater development of bilateral cooperation, she noted adding that Azerbaijan could be a bridge connecting Asia with Europe, so this is the area where Azerbaijan and India can work together on various issues. The launching of International North-South Transport Corridor, which will connect Indian ports with Azerbaijan and Russia through Iran, is the project with highest potential for enhancement of business and trade in the region, added Mehta. It is expected that this route will give great impetus to the development of trade and economic relations between Azerbaijan and India, said the Indian official. Agriculture is another area where we plan to cooperate, she noted. Azerbaijan is keen to revive the cotton cultivation in the country. We can work together in this area. Mehta also said that India is also keenly interested in developing cooperation in energy sphere with Azerbaijan. Indian company ONGC-Videsh Ltd holds share in Azerbaijans Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. But we should not be limited only to oil and gas, noted Mehta adding that there is the potential to cooperate in the sphere of renewable energy. Speaking about possibility of launching direct flight between the two countries, the Indian official said that it would be of a great interest for the growth of tourism. She noted that for now, the launch of direct flights is not planned. With easy visa procedures and direct flights, tourism between India and Azerbaijan will develop perfectly well, added Mehta. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova Sunshine Coast-based Atmail has been providing email software to ISPs and hosting providers since 1998. It subsequently offered the option of white labelled email as a service for providers that don't want the burden of running their own email systems but do want to preserve their branding. That service was run from Atmail's own data centre, but the company realised it would be better to use an infrastructure as a service provider for improved scalability and more predictable operating costs. So it embarked on a year-long R&D project to get its software working well on OpenStack. "I like where the [OpenStack] project is going," chief technology officer Ben Duncan told iTWire. It makes it easy to spin virtual servers up or down, and simplifies large deployments, he explained, adding that he has a preference for open software rather than proprietary approaches. Atmail then chose DreamHost's DreamCompute cloud platform to host its email as a service. That was largely because they are well versed in OpenStack, and some DreamHost employees were involved with the Ceph open source object storage software. "These guys really know their stuff," said Duncan. (Atmail recently received a $100,000 grant from the Queensland government to develop a native object storage layer to take advantage of Ceph and lower-cost storage hardware. Although email servers require a lot of storage space, most of the data is rarely accessed and therefore does not need to be kept on high-performance devices.) Duncan was pleased by how smoothly the migration had gone, although there were a couple of wrinkles, in particular the sheer volume of mailbox data that had to be transferred to DreamCompute (eventually achieved by simply trickle-feeding to the virtual servers) and the need to tune the load balancer to work with the increased number of instances. Now, somewhere between 30% and 40% of the company's revenue comes from its cloud service. While customers are open to migrating to the cloud, one stumbling block is that DreamCompute is currently only available from a data centre in Los Angeles, with a second site planned for the East Coast. Duncan expects it will be about a year before DreamHost offers service from outside the US, and there is demand for an onshore service from current and potential customers in Europe and Australia. Atmail is happy to stay with DreamHost in the short to medium term, but one of the benefits of OpenStack is that it makes it easy to use another provider if that's what is necessary to deliver onshore service to particular customers. Product director Dan Viney said the data sovereignty issue depends on the nature of a customer's business, and may be necessary for compliance or policy reasons. iTWire asked Duncan whether he would have done anything differently with the benefit of hindsight: "If anything, we would have done it sooner," he replied. Windows users in Florida and Haifa, Israel, have filed two separate lawsuits against Microsoft in connection with the company's push to make users upgrade to Windows 10. A report in the Seattle Times said in both cases the respondents were trying to obtain class-action status. Today, 29 July, is the last day that one can upgrade to Windows 10 without paying. In the run-up, Microsoft has attempted various ploys to try and push users of earlier Windows versions to upgrade. Three men filed the case in Florida last Friday, claiming the update prompts broke US laws on unsolicited digital advertisements, and Federal Trade Commission bans on deceptive and unfair practices. The case in Israel was filed last month. The respondents say that Windows 10 was installed on their computers without their consent. Microsoft told the newspaper that it was of the view that the claims had no merit and was confident it would prevail in court. In May, Microsoft paid out US$10,000 to the owner of a travel agency in California over a forced Windows 10 upgrade. Teri Goldstein took the company to court after trying in vain to sort out things with Microsoft's customer support staff. Microsoft has tried various methods to get users of older Windows versions to upgrade over the last six months or thereabouts. Some of the tactics it has used have come in for criticism and the company has had to backtrack. NVIDIA has to pay GTX 970 users US$30 each after a successful class action suit in the US. it will cost the company many millions in rebates and legal fees. The class action was over the amount of usable memory on a 4GB, GDDR5, GTX 970 manufactured by many OEMs to NVIDIAs reference specifications. It also mentioned the number of usable render output processors had been advertised as 64 when it was 56 and that the L2 cache was stated as 2048KB when it was 1792KB. The cards, made by companies including ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, EVGA, Zotac, PNY, and more, are current and still sell in Australia for $300+. The ruling may also apply to embedded GTX 970 processors in notebooks. According to NVIDIAs legal counsel The settlement is fair and reasonable and falls within the range of possible approval. Frankly NVIDIA were telling both some little white lies and some big porkies too. True, the card has 4GB of RAM, but it splits this into 3.5GB for video processing and .5GB for its own use. According to the class action, this hampers performance and is a breach of truth in advertising. What motivated it to misstate the render output processors and cache size is perplexing perhaps it was to beat a comparable AMD Radeon processor? The problem is that the GTX 970 has been one of the highest selling cards in NVIDIAs history. It has pretty much been the entry level for VR, and the additional US$1.5 million in class action legal fees will leave a dent in its balance sheet. At this stage there is no word on how this affects Australian or other non-US users. iTWire asked NVIDIA for comment but it subsequently declined. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: Russia and Iran have agreed to sign a road map on cooperation in the industrial field in the near future that will include nearly 70 projects, said Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Sputnik reported July 29. This road map is currently being finalized and it consists of more than 70 specific projects to be implemented between Iran and Russia, said Novak on Russia 24 TV channel. Earlier in the day, Novak met with Irans Communication Minister and co-chair of the Russia-Iran joint economic commission Mahmoud Vaezi. Samsungs Q2 results are on track and reflect better cost controls and increased sales across most divisions. The star performer was its Galaxy S7 series which beat the iPhone in the US. Samsung report in South Korean Won to get USD divide by .9 or multiply by .1 for AUD. Either way, the figures in rrillions are impressive. Its CE (Consumer Electronics) division sold KRW11.55 trillion and made a 1.03 trillion profit, its IM (IT and Mobile) sold 26.56 trillion and made 4.3 trillion, its display panel, and semiconductor business sold 18.43 trillion and made 2.79 trillion. Total operating profit for Q2 was 8.14 trillion well up on last years Q2 and the highest since Q1, 2014. It has put the recovery down to providing a wide range of products from value to premium and investing in leading edge technology and research and development. It would be hard to find a sector in which it does not lead. Semiconductor The memory business enjoyed solid growth in demand in the second quarter. Orders for high-density NAND and DRAM products, coupled with a reduction in cost from continuous process migration, meant higher profit. SSD shipments remained strong as companies increasingly made the transition from HDD to SSD. Orders for high-density mobile storage products over 32GB also helped drive sales, mainly due to the expanded adoption by Chinese companies. Samsung actively responded to orders for high-density mobile products over 64GB and enterprise SSD over 4TB and increased the supply of the industrys first 48-layer V-NAND. Display Sales were driven by increased shipments of small form factor OLED panels and enhanced yields for new large form factor LCD TV panel production technology. OLED experienced healthy sales for use in Samsung and other flagship smartphones and increased demand for flexible panels. High fab utilisation rates, with the help of an expanded mid to low-end product portfolio, also contributed to improved earnings. LCD saw a gradual recovery in the supply-demand balance. It achieved growth via improved yields for new TV panel production technology as well as expanded TV sales, particularly for large-sized UHD panels. Samsung expects demand for OLED panels to increase despite a likely slowdown in the smartphone market. It plans to actively address customer demand and reinforce profitability by expanding the proportion of high value-added products such as flexible and high-resolution displays. Mobile Samsung had strong sales of its flagship Galaxy S7, Edge, Active and Olympic smartphones the last accounted for more than 50% of sales. It also did well in mid- to low-end models, such as the Galaxy A and J series. While it is traditionally one of the first to market with a new model each year, it is not overly concerned about the impact of Apples iPhone (September) or the plethora of other brands as it has established a solid eco-system with high brand retention and satisfaction. It also has a later release of the S7 Active, the Note 7 and a range of low-mid market handsets. Consumer electronics Global TV demand remained flat due to sluggish economic conditions in major emerging markets that offset the growth experienced in developed markets. It achieved solid year-on-year earnings by successfully launching new products, including SUHD TVs, and increasing sales of premium products on the back of global sporting events. The appliances business has growth in North America, but global demand declined due to slower growth in China and the impact of the economic slowdown in emerging markets. Earnings improved due to increased sales of premium products such as the Chef Collection refrigerator, and the AddWash and activ dualwash washing machines. Samsung is banking on market acceptance of its Quantum Dot LCD TVs (costs less to make and sell than OLED) and the move to UHD and HRDR. Comment I said earlier that it would be hard to find a sector it did not lead in smartphones, semiconductor, memory, SSD, appliances, and more. But hark back five years and it may have been difficult to find a segment in which it was a leader. Samsung has undergone an amazing turnaround from a South Korean mega-manufacturer to a desirable brand with considerable design credibility. Its S7 series is the class-leading Android smartphone with almost every possible feature included. Others, like its South Korean sibling LG also make excellent smartphones, but at the moment the Samsung brand leads. To quote It has had staggering sales success. Its Quantum Dot TVs are impressive. Not as good as LGs amazing OLED but also not as pricey. In the consumer space, according to my retail sources, Samsung is outselling other brands two to one based on perceived quality for the price (over its entire range). In the domestic appliance space, Samsung is neck and neck with LG but rather than compete on price both apparently are competing on premium features and leaving no-name Chinese brands to paddle in the cut-throat commodity market. Electronics is the stand-out area. Samsung makes processors, memory, components and more for its devices and that gives it a huge step up from say, Apple, that has to buy all components and has their iPhones, etc., assembled by third parties like FoxConn, often on Samsung-made robotic assembly lines. That is not a tilt at Apples design but more a comment that is it not in charge of its supply chain as Samsung is. And as such, Samsung has greater control over costs and volumes when times get tough. Samsungs ecosystem is beginning to pay off too. Samsung pay is being globally expanded, and frankly, it will be a cash cow. Its interoperability with smartphones and smart devices make it a no-brainer for users to purchase its TVs. Smart watches, IconX buds, VR headsets, SSD internal and external drives, etc. It has challengers the Chinese smartphone makers have it firmly in their sights. The Chinese TV and appliance makers, ditto. You will see Samsung invest more in its ecosystem and importantly service to stay ahead. And it has deep pockets and can meet the competition head on. Network visualisation and interconnectivity provider Megaport, the Brisbane-based company started by serial entrepreneur Bevan Slattery, has laid the foundations for a major expansion in the European market with the acquisition of companies in Germany and Bulgaria. The deals, announced on Friday, see Megaport acquiring Germanys second largest Internet exchange operator, PEERING GmbH, which operates under the brand ECIX, and Bulgarian carrier-grade pan-European networks services provider, OM-NICX. Megaport has signed agreements with both companies and expects the transactions to close by early August. Combined, the acquisitions represent 48 European sites and the deal for the two companies is costing the ASX-listed Megaport (ASX:MP1) a total of $3.1 million. The companies have estimated combined annual revenues of $4.5 million. Megaport is funding the acquisitions from cash reserves and says the combined acquisitions will add 180-plus customers to its roster. Announcement of the acquisitions follows Megaports completion of a capital raising of $17.85 million through a private placement of 10,500,000 fully paid ordinary shares, also announced prior to a trading halt yesterday. The acquisitions coincided with Megaport officially launching its elastic interconnection platform in Europe on Friday. Megaport will use the funds from the capital raising to ramp up the expansion of its network interconnectivity platform in Europe, North America and the APAC region, and for staffing, marketing and general working capital requirements. Megaport chief executive Denver Maddux said Europe represents a tremendous opportunity for Megaport and our acquisition of PEERING GmbH gives us depth within Germany, one of the largest economies in Europe where cloud services are forecast to grow significantly". "I'm really pumped that we are formally launching services in Europe as well as announcing the acquisition of these two great companies that are accretive to our business and align with our values and culture, he said. When you consider the market coverage each acquisition brings to our build they dovetail perfectly and leapfrog our initial plans for Europe. On completion of the transactions Europe will become Megaport's largest market in terms of coverage and revenue. That's pretty incredible." Stefan Wahl , chief executive of PEERING, GmbH said: "In terms of culture, capabilities, and neutrality, Megaport was the obvious choice to extend ECIX's industry-changing services outside Germany . We are nimble which gives us the ability to deploy quickly and align our services to our customers' needs. "Megaport is the same and understands the importance of maintaining those values and capabilities while growing their business. The ECIX team are absolutely thrilled to join such a phenomenal company and team and are committed to supporting Megaport's success in Europe." On the acquisition of OM-NIX, based in Sofia in Bulgaria, Maddux says OM-NIX has extensive reach into Eastern Europe and the Balkans region and, combining these acquisitions with the original Megaport build footprint, we now have extraordinary opportunity to extend our Elastic Interconnection across Europe". Yuliy Nushev, founder of OM-NIX, says it was immediately clear OM-NIX could play a big part in Megaport's vision to bring Elastic Interconnection to Europe". Our unique footprint is an excellent complement to the core Megaport footprint and offers a great number of locations and ecosystem partners with which to connect," he said. "This service footprint will provide all our existing customers and partners cloud connection and Internet exchange capabilities via Megaport Virtual Cross. Samsung has skipped number six for its Galaxy Note series and headed straight to seven. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be the bigger sibling to its hugely successful Galaxy S7, Edge, and Active range. The phone will be released in the U.S. on 2 August and already there are several million clue articles on the Internet, many based on EVLeaks. It is expected to sell very well, especially as its heritage is the GS7 hardware with an S Pen as well. Samsung has already admitted that the S Pen will be upgraded as will the very good S Pen app. But that is not all. It is likely to have an IRIS scanner as well as a fingerprint scanner (for login) and IP68 certification. Add this to a 5.7, Quad HD, 2560 x 1440, 518ppi, curved Edge OLED panel with Gorilla Glass 5; a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (or its own Exynos in some markets); 4 or 6GB DDR4 RAM, 64/128GB storage, micro-SD; 12MP big pixel, rear camera, 5MP front camera; USB-C and quick charge, 3,500mAh battery; NFC; Wi-Fi AC Dual-band MU-MIMO; and being in the fast lane to have Android N (perhaps not at release). Samsung has allegedly put a lot of effort into the Android N version of its TouchWiz interface and may even call it Grace an extremely pared-down UX that users are asking for. It is also moving most of its customisations to apps so that Android updates are easier. It will have a Samsung Cloud for storing settings and backup. It is unlikely that Samsung will implement a version of Apples force touch a pressure sensitive press if only for patent issues, and it is not seen as a market driver. The teaser video hints at front selfie fill flash, updated glamour mode, lock screen writing, and a record-breaking screen to body ratio that will make it smaller than the iPhone 6S Plus. The S Pen app will apparently have added functionality like highlighting text and doing a translation, magnifying glass, and a range of new icons. If it moves to USB-C, it is unlikely the current Gear VR headset will accommodate it. Comment I really liked the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 until a light-fingered US customs baggage checker palmed it. I was just learning to use its S Pen as a pen on glass. While innovation drives glass slabs the Note series is all about a premium phablet with a stylus. It makes sense to rename the device a Note 7 as it will share so many of the GS7 features. It's more like an S7 Edge+Pen. The innovation here is not via more features or better screens hell, it has the highest specifications of any on the market but what you can do with it. And that comes down to apps and interface. It is welcome news that it will be first to have Android N, that it has a much lighter UX (although the old UX is fine) and that it may be able to receive over the air (or Wi-Fi) updates free from carrier interference. Expect to see new Samsung Galaxy Apps like speech to text and vice versa that work, new writing and business tools, Samsung Pay (with more credit cards, etc.) and more. It is a winner it occupies a unique market niche that has seen all Samsung Notes punching well above their weight. At least eight popular brands of non-Bluetooth wireless keyboards can expose everything you type as they use unencrypted communication between keyboard and computer dongle. Airborne threat detection company Bastille Networks looks for RF (radio frequency) leaks from devices and helps to secure them. It found that many popular keyboards transmitted every keystroke in plain text. It has put up a site Keysniffer.net to provide further details but in essence, says that an eavesdropper can easily record all the keystrokes typed by the victim. An attacker, using a device costing less than $100, can see personal and private data such as credit card numbers, usernames, passwords, security question answers and other sensitive or private information all in clear text. The keyboard manufacturers affected by the KeySniffer vulnerability include Anker, EagleTec, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Insignia, Kensington, Radio Shack, and Toshiba, but there may be many more. All the keyboards use a USB dongle that transmits on the 2.4GHz ISM wireless band. Bastille did the right thing and notified all vendors most of whom are working on firmware updates to use AES encryption. But the issue is that none of the existing keyboards/dongles can be upgraded. Bastille says it is safer to use a wired or Bluetooth keyboard. When we purchase a wireless keyboard we reasonably expect that the manufacturer has designed and built security into the core of the product. Unfortunately, we tested keyboards from 12 manufacturers and were disappointed to find that eight manufacturers were susceptible to the KeySniffer hack, said Marc Newlin, the Bastille Research Team member responsible for the KeySniffer discovery. There are millions of vulnerable keyboards out there and their owners, corporate, government, and consumer, should be aware of this vulnerability and its potential impact, he concluded. But the issue does not stop with keystroke sniffing. A cyber attacker can inject their malicious keystroke commands into the victims computer. This can be used to install malware, exfiltrate data, or any other malicious act that a hacker could perform with physical access to the victims computer. And many other devices use a similar dongle technology things like mice, USB radio, TV tuners, toy controllers, etc. These may all be vulnerable. The device used to intercept the wireless stream is a low-cost Crazyradio PA Dongle a USB dongle with an attached aerial capable of working up to 100 metres away from the victims device. And remember, wireless keyboards and mice are just IoT (Internet of Things) devices and Bastille says most of the popular IoT protocols have already been hacked, including Bluetooth, EnOcean, ZigBee, and Z-Wave. Bastilles thesis that the IoT is already being rolled out to individuals and enterprises with wireless protocols that have not been through sufficient security vetting. As a result, Bastille expects millions of devices to be vulnerable to currently undiscovered attacks. It seems Apple is not the only one who can make money from its iTunes site. Scammers are phishing users with a hoax email asking for payment for downloaded music. It is not the first time Apples iTunes has been targeted there have been various campaigns offering free music, refunds, fake receipts, account suspension notices, re-validate user details, change of URL, unauthorised access notices, forgotten passwords, change password warnings, failed app updates, in-app purchases, invalid iTunes cards, and many more, limited only by the creativity of the cyber-criminal preying on a users fear or ignorance. The scams have increased in complexity until they are virtually indistinguishable from a real communique from Apple, according to Hoax-Slayer.com. This limits Apples ability to communicate with its users via email, and it has published two advisories the first on identifying legitimate emails from Apple and the second on phishing and other suspicious emails. If you are an Apple user, it is worth reading both. The latest scam involves a hoax email that very closely resembles an official Apple communique, stating that the customer has purchased a song from iTunes for 23.34, (or a similar amount in local currency), usually downloaded from a source not linked to the customer. Several iTunes users on social media have flagged emails that include a link to "cancel and manage subscriptions". The link leads to a fraudulent website that asks users to enter their personal details. This type of online scam is known as "phishing" and traps people by luring them into handing over details in response to what they believe are genuine correspondence from companies. Facebook has warned that it could face a tax bill of between US$3 billion and US$5 billion over the transfer of assets to Ireland. It made the statement in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday. The Internal Revenue Service issued the company a notice of tax deficiency on Wednesday, US time. On Monday, the IRS requested a federal magistrate judge in California to force Facebook to provide detailed records on the value of assets it has moved to Ireland. The social media giant and its accountant Ernst & Young were hit with a case by the IRS earlier this month, claiming it had undervalued the assets it had transferred to its Ireland subsidiary by billions of dollars. In 2010, Facebook designated its Ireland subsidiary as the holder of rights for all its business outside the US and Canada. The intention to move assets relating to its IP like its platform and "marketing intangibles" was also stated at the time. The dispute with the IRS has been going on for some time. Facebook said in its filing on Thursday: "On 27 July 2016, we received a Statutory Notice of Deficiency (Notice) from the IRS relating to transfer pricing with our foreign subsidiaries in conjunction with the examination of the 2010 tax year. "While the Notice applies only to the 2010 tax year, the IRS states that it will also apply its position for tax years subsequent to 2010, which, if the IRS prevails in its position, could result in an additional federal tax liability of an estimated aggregate amount of approximately US$3.0 US$5.0 billion, plus interest and any penalties asserted. "We do not agree with the position of the IRS and will file a petition in the United States Tax Court challenging the Notice. If the IRS prevails in the assessment of additional tax due based on its position, the assessed tax, interest and penalties, if any, could have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows." Satya Nadella isn't stopping the job cuts train at Microsoft any time soon. The company revealed Thursday that 2,850 people will lose their jobs by the middle of 2017, on top of the 1,850 cuts announced earlier this year. According to a regulatory filing, those impacted will primarily be in its phone hardware business, which has already been hit hard by layoffs, and in global sales. The cuts are more fallout from Microsoft's decision to downsize its smartphone business, which it acquired from Nokia in 2015. Putting that acquisition in motion was one of the last things that former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer did before announcing that he would be leaving the company's top job. His successor hasn't taken the same shine to the phone hardware business that Microsoft bought. Microsoft declined to comment about the job cuts beyond what was disclosed in the 10-K filing. Nadella has cut thousands of jobs since taking the top spot, many of them in the phone business. It remains to be seen what this will mean for the company's business overall. While Microsoft's most recent quarterly financial report showed a year-over-year revenue decline, the company's cloud businesses continued to grow. The phone hardware business has been a sore spot on Microsoft's financials, seeing massive revenue declines for the past several quarters. The FBI is said to be investigating yet another suspected hack of a Democratic Party organization, this time of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that raises funds for Democrats running for the House of Representatives. The previously unreported hack of the DCCC is likely to have been aimed at gathering information on donors rather than steal funds, four sources told Reuters. The intrusion is likely to raise fresh concerns about Russia trying to meddle in the U.S. elections. Another hack of the Democratic National Committee, suspected by security investigators to have been perpetrated by Russians, led to an embarrassing dump on Friday of leaked emails that showed that the Democratic Party's national strategy and fund-raising committee had favored Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders, her rival in the presidential nomination campaign. The release of the emails by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, which did not disclose its source, led to the resignation of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The FBI said earlier this week it was investigating the attack on the DNC. A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously," it said. The DCCC hack could have begun as recently as June and involved the setting up of a spoof website with a name similar to that of the main donation site of the organization. That tricked campaign donors for some time to visit the spurious site rather than the company that processes the donations, according to the Reuters news report on Thursday. A possible tell-tale sign of Russian intervention again is that the IP address of the spurious site was similar to one used by a hacking group linked to the Russian government, according to the report. This group is one of two such groups suspected in the DNC hack. The DNC is having a convention this week at Philadelphia at which Clinton is expected to accept on Thursday her nomination as candidate for president. The FBI could not be immediately reached for comment. It wasn't what Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday night on the stage of the Democratic National Convention that was important to Silicon Valley. His speech was mostly generalities and attacks on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. It was Bloomberg's presence that was the message. Bloomberg is a strong and well-known champion for reducing barriers to highly skilled immigrants and for raising visa caps. He co-chairs the high-skilled immigration advocacy group, Partnership for a New American Economy with Disney CEO Bob Iger and other prominent business leaders. Disney laid off about 250 IT employees last year after hiring H-1B-using IT contractors. Bloomberg, a former mayor of New York City, often describes U.S. immigration policy as "national suicide" for its employment restrictions. That's in contrast to Trump, who wants H-1B restrictions to protect U.S. workers. In an open letter from some 150 Silicon Valley tech leaders, Trump was described as a "disaster for innovation." At the Democratic convention, Bloomberg didn't speak of policy specifics, but said "America is the greatest country on Earth and when people vote with their feet, they come here." Another recent signal to Silicon Valley on immigration was Hillary Clinton's running mate pick, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Kaine supported legislation in 2013 to increase the H-1B base cap from 65,000 to 115,000, and then potentially up to 300,000 under the I-Squared Act. Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, also supported an H-1B cap increase while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. Trump, meanwhile, took part on Wednesday in an "Ask Me Anything" thread on Reddit . Responding to a question about the H-1B visa, Trump referred the questioner to his immigration plan, which includes a hire-an-American-worker-first provision and calls for an increase in prevailing wages. Where Trump seems to draw controversy is whether he supports a green card plan similar to Clinton's "Staple a Green Card" plan, which would make permanent residency nearly automatic for STEM advanced-degree graduates. In his immigration plan, Trump calls for a "pause" in issuing employment-based green cards. However, commenter "Kyle Lyles" on a recent Computerworld analysis of the two candidates immigration positions, pointed out that Trump has also tweeted the opposite. Last August, Trump tweeted back to back: "When foreigners attend our great colleges & want to stay in the U.S., they should not be thrown out of our country," and "I want talented people to come into this countryto work hard and to become citizens. Silicon Valley needs engineers, etc." Norm Matloff, a computer science professor at the University of California at Davis, wrote this week on his blog that Trump and Clinton "actually agree" on the staple green card plan. The prospect of unrestricted employment-based green cards is worrisome to critics. They believe it will prompt fast-track graduate programs aimed at foreign workers, flood the market with young workers, discourage U.S. students from entering these programs, squeeze out older workers and drive down wages generally. Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) and Schlumberger continue their partnership relations at the highest level. This was expressed by Andrey Gerdyush, Schlumberger Russia and Caspian Countries University Relations Manager during the meeting with BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov. Emphasizing that the partnership established in 2014 was developing very effectively Mr. Gerdyush extended the managements satisfaction of the level of the relations between the two institutions. Asset Iskakov, Schlumberger Caspian Countries Recruiting Manager was also participating in the meeting. Mr. Iskakov said the BHOS students were considered as potential employees of the company where favorable career development opportunities are available for future graduates. Extending his pleasure of hosting the guests Rector Gasimov expressed his gratitude for the companys contributions in supporting the training of specialists in engineering sector at the Higher School. Briefing on the construction process of the new campus Mr. Gasimov proposed the company representatives to consider the possibility of establishing a laboratory with the support of Schlumberger at the campus. It should be noted that according to the collaboration agreement signed between BHOS and Schlumberger in 2014, annually the company experts make presentations on various topics for BHOS students who also have an opportunity to participate in internship programmes organized by Schlumberger in summer. Moreover, Schlumberger has held trainings for the BHOS faculty on a number of specific software widely applied in oil-gas and automation sectors. Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden, has censured WikiLeaks release of information without proper curation. On Thursday, Snowden, who has embarrassed the U.S. government with revelations of widespread NSA surveillance, said that WikiLeaks was mistaken in not at least modestly curating the information it releases. Democratizing information has never been more vital, and @Wikileaks has helped. But their hostility to even modest curation is a mistake, Snowden said in a tweet. WikiLeaks shot back at Snowden that opportunism won't earn you a pardon from Clinton & curation is not censorship of ruling party cash flows. The whistleblowing site appeared to defend itself earlier on Thursday while referring to its accuracy policy. In a Twitter message it said that it does not tamper with the evidentiary value of important historical archives. Hillary Clinton accepted on Thursday her nomination as the candidate of the Democratic Party for president of the U.S. Snowden was granted asylum by Russia so that he could avoid prosecution in the U.S. for his revelations of confidential government information. WikiLeaks recently released emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee, which suggested that committee officials had favored Clinton over rival Senator Bernie Sanders. There is speculation that the DNC was hacked by Russians aiming to influence the elections. WikiLeaks has refused to disclose its source. On Thursday, Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, said his agency was not quite ready yet to make a public call on the attribution of the hack. WikiLeaks' release of the emails, which contained sometimes information such as email ids, phone numbers and passport numbers of DNC donors has been criticized. WikiLeaks was also criticized after its release of emails said to belong to Turkeys ruling party, the AKP or Justice and Development Party. WikiLeaks also posted links on social media to databases that were said to contain sensitive and private information of millions of ordinary people, including a special database of almost all adult women in Turkey. It later turned out WikiLeaks had linked to a database uploaded by another person, which was disabled after the controversy. Alphabet's recent partnership with Fiat Chrysler to build self-driving car technology into a Chrysler mini van will be the first of many such deals, the Google parent company said Thursday. The Fiat Chrysler deal, announced in May, will see around 100 of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans outfitted with self-driving technology for use in tests by Alphabet. The first cars are expected to hit public streets later this year and will more than double Alphabet's current fleet of self-driving test vehicles. Alphabet's current fleet consists of 24 Lexus SUVs outfitted with sensors, scanners and cameras, and 34 prototype vehicles that were custom built for Alphabet with the technology integrated inside. Fiat Chrysler Google and Fiat Chrysler will integrate Google's self-driving car technology into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. The Fiat Chrysler deal is the first that sees Alphabet working directly with an auto maker, but won't be the last, said Ruth Porat, chief financial officer of Google and parent company Alphabet, in a conference call with investors on Thursday. "We're pleased to be working with FCA, more than doubling the number of cars were having," she said. "We do expect well work with many partners in this area." Porat stopped short of disclosing when additional deals are expected. Self-driving cars are one of Alphabet's biggest "moonshot" bets -- investments in promising new areas of technology that might be years away from commercialization but could fundamentally transform industries if successful. "We're solving a really big need," said Portat of the self-driving research. In the last quarter, Alphabet recorded losses of $859 million in pursing such gambles, much of it on investment in the Google Fiber high-speed internet project. The losses were easily covered by operating profits of $7 billion at Alphabet's Google division. Martyn Williams A Google self-driving car navigates streets near the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, on June 29, 2015. Alphabet is now testing self-driving cars in four U.S. cities: around its headquarters in Mountain View, California; in Phoenix, Arizona; in Kirkland, Washington; and in Austin, Texas. The cars have covered more than 1.7 million miles (2.8 million kilometers) in autonomous mode since the project began in 2009. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Close Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: Baku Court of Appeal adopted a decision on July 29 to cancel the license of Azerbaijans ANS Independent Broadcasting Media Company. Baku Court of Appeal considered the lawsuit of Azerbaijans National Television and Radio Council on suspending the operation (cancelling the license) of ANS Independent Broadcasting Media Company. During the court session, it was decided to cancel the license #99 issued to ANS Independent Broadcasting Media Company by the National Television and Radio Council. The Council adopted a decision to suspend the broadcasting of ANS from 18:30 (UTC/GMT +4 hours) July 18 for a period of one month and to file a lawsuit to the court for withdrawing its license dated Oct. 25, 2013. The decision was made given the appeal of the Prosecutor Generals Office, dated July 18, 2016, as well as the requirements of the articles 11, 23 and 32 of the law On the Television and Radio Broadcasting, in order to prevent the provocation aimed at undermining the strategic cooperation relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan and not to allow the open propaganda of terrorism. A WHEELCHAIR-bound pensioner had a fatal heart attack when an axeman broke into his flat and terrified him. Petrified Albert Adelagun, 80, was subjected to a humiliating search by John Pitkin, who pulled down his trousers looking for money, the Old Bailey was told. Mr Adelagun, who lived alone in Granville Road, Stroud Green, managed to hit the panic button and told the operator that he had an intruder wielding an axe and robbing his flat. The court was told that some of the victim's last words were: 'He'll kill me. I'm on the floor now. Tell the police to come quick. I'm dying.' Emergency services arrived at the flat in the early hours of June 18 last year and rushed Mr Adelagun to the Whittington Hospital, where he died just an hour later. The jury was told on Monday that Mr Adelagun had lived alone since his son moved out after a row just recently. Mr Adelagun ? who moved to England from Nigeria at the end of the war ? was in constant fear of intruders, said Stephen Kramer, prosecuting. He asserted that the pensioner's death was the direct result of Pitkin's actions. 'His death was a direct consequence of the unlawful act of burglary,' Mr Kramer said. A search by police of Pitkin's flat found a leather jacket with shards of glass matching that of Mr Adelagun's smashed front door and an axe. There were also documents in the name of the victim, said Mr Kramer, and a batch of letters to Mr Adelagun were found in the hallway. Pitkin was aware of Mr Adelagun through his girlfriend who had worked as a home help for the pensioner at various times. But when arrested by police Pitkin refused to answer any questions. Pitkin denies manslaughter and aggravated burglary on June 18. The trial continues. ARTIM Project Space YARAT Contemporary Art Space 30, Boyuk Gala str., (Icherisheher) Baku, Azerbaijan, AZ1003 www.yarat.az Application deadline: 30th September, 2016, 00:00 YARAT Contemporary Art Space invites local artists to apply for the ARTIM project - 2017. ARTIM invites all creative individuals to participate in the project, and the project is open to any artistic practice. Applications to this project are free and open to all. ARTIM is directed at young Azerbaijani artists with an intention to support and encourage emergent talent to grow. The programme has a designated exhibition space in Icheri Sheher that was conceived as a platform for experimenting and professionally showcasing art. The artists are selected through an open call which YARAT announces in the middle of October, 2016. Artworks resulting from the programme are exhibited at the ARTIM Project Space, Baku. ARTIM Project offers: - 3.000 AZN budget to produce work | project - 3 weeks show in the ARTIM Project Space. - Weekly meetings with YARAT curators - Promotion of successful project in media ARTIM Project Space Rules and Regulations - To participate in the ARTIM project applicants must be at least 18 years of age. - An applicant cannot fundamentally change a proposed project or idea after submission without getting relevant consent from YARAT. - Applications must contain both exhibition and educational components. - Each successful participant should have TAX identification number and bank account. - YARAT staff can provide managerial and administrative support for each of the selected projects. - Successful applicants must produce work on site where possible, gaining active knowledge of the YARAT organization as a whole. - Upon completion of the project successful applicants must produce a report on the project, highlighting what has been achieved and detailing the overall budget. - Images of created artwork can be used by YARAT in all forms of reproduction (including catalogues, presentations and booklets) and can be used for advertising and informational materials (such as flyers and posters). - YARAT Curatorial team has the right to disqualify applicants should the project be deemed not to meet the project requirements or be unacceptable in anyway - By the completion of ARTIM programme all created art pieces belong to the artist. YARAT has responsibility to use art pieces for relevant projects. Application Process Please send your CV, portfolio and filled in application form to [email protected] For additional questions please do not hesitate to contact Azer Abdullayev, Programs Coordinator at YARAT Contemporary Art Space, at [email protected] About YARAT Contemporary Art Space YARAT Contemporary Art Space is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting contemporary arts scene in Azerbaijan and creating a platform for Azerbaijani art, both nationally and internationally. Based in Baku, YARAT (create in Azerbaijani) was founded by Aida Mahmudova in 2011. The organization realises its mission through a vibrant program of cutting edge exhibitions and stimulating educational and other arts-related events. YARAT is comprised of the YARAT Contemporary Art Centre, Artim Project Space and YARAT studios. About YARAT Contemporary Art Centre YARAT Contemporary Art Centre opened in March 2015 and is the organisations first permanent space. It is housed in a converted Soviet-era naval building overlooking the Caspian Sea. The Centre showcases temporary exhibitions by leading international artists, as well as the growing YARAT Collection composed of contemporary art from the Caucasus and Central Asian region And intends to become a regional hub for contemporary art and creative exchange. About YARAT Studios YARAT Studios was conceived with a mission to create a platform for creative exchange and provide artists with working environment. The building comprises of eleven working studios which are used by Azerbaijani and visiting international artists. The studios also houses YARAT residency programme that invites international artists to stay and work in Baku for up to three months. Resulting shows are hosted by the Artim Project Space. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order providing additional funding for the construction of Garikend-Miskinli-Chalburun and Giziltorpag-Agbashlar highways in Gadabay district July 29. Under the order, 1.8 million manat was allocated from the 2016 State Budget for the completion of the construction of the highways, which link 11 residential areas with the total population of 27,000 people. Email Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday. Details added (first version posted on 12:29) Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Anvar Mammadov - Trend: Twelve more entrepreneurs have received an investment promotion document worth a total of around 106 million manats in Azerbaijan for their projects. The documents were handed to the entrepreneurs during the event organized by Azerbaijans Economy Ministry July 29. Addressing the event, Azerbaijans Deputy Economy Minister Niyazi Safarov said that despite the difficult economic situation in the world, Azerbaijan takes systematic measures to develop entrepreneurship in the country. In total, to date, 30 entrepreneurs have received an investment promotion document and the total volume of investments under those documents neared 300 million manats, he said. It is planned to create around 2,700 jobs by using these investments. Investment projects cover seven economic regions of Azerbaijan. The new mechanism exempts entrepreneurs from land taxes and provides them with 50 percent benefit when paying the income tax. The import of equipment and technologies by entrepreneurs for the implementation of these projects is fully exempt from the value-added tax and customs duties. Safarov also emphasized the growing interest in industrial parks and districts, the development of which is one of the priorities for Azerbaijan. To date, 33 projects with the total cost of over 31 million manats have been proposed for Masalli industrial district. This is while residents have been selected for Neftchala industrial district under four out of eight proposed projects, added the deputy minister. Moreover, Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park, Balakhani and Gardagh industrial parks have already started to operate, said Safarov, adding that work is underway for organizing the Mingachevir industrial district. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anvar_Mammadov Land and Space Journal Sentinel business reporter Tom Daykin talks about commercial real estate and development. SHARE By of the The Milwaukee Common Council's rejection this week of a $55 million apartment high-rise was largely the result of opposition from people living in a neighboring east side condo building. But the neighboring condo owners were joined in their campaign by a unexpected figure: the president of the local firefighters union, who lives 13 miles from the proposed project site. David Seager spoke with some council members about his opposition to the high-rise proposal, according to sources who heard about those conversations. Those sources asked not to be identified. Seager's low-key involvement is a surprise. It's not a union issue, and most of those involved in the zoning debate were either neighborhood residents, or the project's developers and their supporters in the business community. Seager didn't respond to requests for information about why he spoke with council members about the high-rise. Madison developer Chris Houden wanted to build the 27-story, 192-unit building behind the Goll House, 1550 N. Prospect Ave. Patrick Dunphy, an attorney and resident of the condo building at 1522 N. Prospect Ave., also didn't respond to requests for information. Dunphy helped lead opposition to the project. Seager is a well-known figure at City Hall. He's been president of the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Association since 2010, and played a key role in lobbying the state Legislature to overturn Milwaukee's residency requirement for city employees. Sources said Seager got involved on behalf of a friend who lives at the condo building. According to assessment records, Seager and his wife own a house on Milwaukee's far northwest side, 13 miles from the proposed development site. The neighboring condo residents said Houden's tower would be too large for the lot. Condo owners raised concerns about the apartment tower's effects on traffic and parking. A city study said the apartment tower wouldn't have a significant negative effect on traffic, and the proposed 212 parking spaces were higher than the minimum required by zoning regulations. The council on Tuesday voted 10-5 to support the project. But that fell two votes short of the supermajority needed for approval. According to city ordinance, the zoning change needed 12 votes because a protest petition was signed by condo owners making up at least 20% of adjacent property owners. The council members voting "no" were Ald. Robert Bauman, whose district includes the site, along with aldermen Cavalier Johnson, Mark Borkowski, Jose Perez and Tony Zielinski. Only Bauman spoke about his opposition during the discussion before the vote occurred. He reflected concerns from the condo owners about the project's size, and its effects on traffic and parking. Reached after the council meeting, Johnson, Perez and Zielinski made similar comments. Johnson, Perez and Bauman have since told me they didn't speak with Seager about the high-rise. Zielinski didn't respond Thursday when asked if Seager spoke with him about the high-rise. Zielinski, however, made a point of saying he's disagreed with Seager on the residency issue. "There were numerous top lobbyists that lobbied me to vote for (the high-rise) but I stuck with the merits," Zielinkski wrote, in an email. Borkowski on Thursday said he voted "no" because the building would be too large for the site. But Borkowski wouldn't say if Seager spoke to him, and whether that was a factor in his vote. "I'm just saying that's an interesting question," Borkowski said. "That's my answer." Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: The Russian Tekhnopromexport company and Iran's holding company for electricity generation in the steam thermal power plants signed a contract for the construction of four power units of the Hormozgan thermal power plant with a capacity of 350 MW each upon turnkey, TASS agency reported July 29. Russia and Iran also agreed to continue cooperation in the banking sphere, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said following the talks with Mahmoud Vaezi, Irans minister of communication and information technology, co-chairman of the intergovernmental Russian-Iranian commission. The decision on establishing a free trade zone with Iran may be made till late 2016, Novak told reporters. "We discussed the issue of establishing a free trade zone and stressed the progress, Novak said. We expect a joint research group to finish work and present an action plan for the preparation of the agreement by the end of the year." Russia and Iran have agreed to establish a five-year strategic program, Vaezi told reporters. "We agreed to establish a strategic program for five years as part of the intergovernmental commission," he said. SHARE By of the A coalition of aviation and aerospace companies, industry associations and Wisconsin colleges, have formed a partnership to explore the establishment of an aviation and aerospace center in Milwaukee. The proposed Center of Excellence for Integrated Aerospace and Defense Technologies would bring together industry and academic researchers, engineers and programmers to develop and test new aerospace and cybersecurity systems in one location. It would be the first independent facility of its kind in the nation, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC), which made the announcement Thursday at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. Wisconsin has more than 200 companies with ties to the aerospace sector, including more than 140 suppliers to Boeing Corp. More than 24,000 people are employed in Wisconsin by companies that support the aerospace sector, according to the WEDC. "Many of Wisconsin's aerospace companies are on the cutting edge of the industry and are developing technologies already in use worldwide," Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch said in a statement. "The establishment of this center will enable the inventors and innovators in the private sector to work closely with our universities to ensure the state maintains and advances its position in this key industry." Plans call for the center to be located on the Milwaukee campus of Astronautics Corporation of America, which has played a leadership role in the effort. The coalition includes DRS Technologies Inc., B/E Aerospace Inc., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University and other industry partners. A timetable for construction is still to be determined, as is the cost and funding. The bulk of the money would come from the participating companies, according to the WEDC, and the agency could provide a grant of up to $1 million. "We generally have grants available for facilities of this nature," said Gail MacAskill, WEDC director of sector development. The center, which would be used by partner companies and universities, would have advanced open-source cockpit and navigational systems simulators and security penetration testing for the development of aircraft controls. Milwaukee-based Astronautics, involved in the design, development and manufacture of avionics equipment and systems, would provide flight displays, airborne systems and other equipment for the center. As aircraft systems become more digitally connected, there's a lot of concern in the industry about security. "The unique competitive advantage of this center will be the blending of aerospace and cybersecurity solutions that will benefit both industry and higher education," said Astronautics President Chad Cundiff. This would be a place where university professors and companies could pursue research dollars, knowing they have a world-class facility to do the work. "We can attract and develop talent and really allow companies in Wisconsin to do more," Cundiff said. The coalition will work with the newly formed Wisconsin Aerospace Partners to reach out to regional and national industry partners and secure their participation as plans move forward for the center. The goal is to have the facility up and running within a year, MacAskill said. Tochi Ramens eponymous bowl has pork belly, green onion and a deviled egg. Credit: Sam Caravana It's been almost a year since the ramen shop Tochi closed in Shorewood to head to West Bend, chef Gregg Des Rosier's hometown. It reopened a few months later in a storefront below condos and near the Eisenbahn State Trail. Des Rosier crafted the space he wanted: rising-sun rays on one wall to punctuate the deep-red room; "Godzilla" and the like on TV; live-edge wooden tables, all cut from a single 119-year-old ash tree, that warm up the concrete and other industrial elements; and a steady stream of punk anthems and power pop from the speakers. The new location gives Tochi a bigger kitchen, so it can serve the long-simmering tonkotsu-style pork ramen ($13.95) daily now instead of once a week, and offer more daily specials. The food various types of Japanese ramen imprinted with Des Rosier's style was even better than when I reviewed Tochi in 2014. The specials might be something like a fun hot dog with kimchi, chile sauce and melted mozzarella on a bun ($5.95) on Thursdays, a daily chef's bowl and dishes made with area produce in summer. To very good appetizers like shishito peppers ($6.95) little browned umami bombs seasoned with fish sauce, pork fat and sesame seeds Tochi has added some new ones in West Bend, like a play on pot stickers: brat stickers ($6.95), bratwurst and sauerkraut rolled in wonton wrappers. On, Wisconsin! Ramen is still the main event, and Tochi's broths remain full-flavored and stocked with golden, springy noodles. Soy sauce and a bit of citrusy yuzu season the shoyu ramen that holds shrimp, slices of rolled chicken ($12.95) and a creamy soft-boiled egg marinated in soy sauce. New menu items appear occasionally. A chilled udon dish for summer popped on a week ago after my final visit, for instance, and shrimp, white cheddar and bacon congee replaced chicken congee (a personal favorite). Tochi feels like a restaurant where the chef is having fun, and that translates to a good time for guests, too. Contact Carol Deptolla at (414) 224-2841, cdeptolla@journalsentinel.com or on Twitter, @mkediner. Carol Deptolla dines anonymously with food and drink paid for by the Journal Sentinel. Sign up for the Journal Sentinel's weekly food and dining newsletter. TOCHI RAMEN 705 Village Green Way, West Bend (262) 429-1515 tochiramen.com (very good) Food: Service:1/2 Ambience: Fare: Ramen, other noodle and rice dishes, appetizers, specials Atmosphere: Casual spot with industrial and organic elements Hours: 4-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday Prices: Noodle bowls and rice dishes, $8.95-$13.95 Parking: On street and nearby public lot Wheelchair access: Yes, entry and restrooms Payment: MasterCard, Visa, Discover Of special note: Vegan option; nonsmoking warm-weather patio; takeout; children's options, high chairs, booster seats; Wi-Fi Reservations: Not taken; suggested that groups of 8 or more call ahead Noise level: Mildly loud at peak times Salmon mi-cuit Credit: Sam Caravana Carol Deptolla Dining Critic SHARE Seared wagyu coulotte with creamed corn. Sam Caravana Pappardelle noodles with shiitake mushrooms Sam Caravana Chef Grace Pok (left) and chef-owner Tony Koebel tweak the menu at the Norbert in West Bend on a daily basis, with a focus on medium-sized plates that are artful, well-constructed and easy to share. Sam Caravana Customers can pick from a selection of 20 craft beers on tap at the Norberts bar. Sam Caravana I love a (pleasant) surprise. And there it was in late spring on the menu at the Norbert, a shareable-plates restaurant in downtown West Bend: morel mushrooms with asparagus in rich porcini cream sauce, tumbled with egg noodles made at the restaurant and crowned with a poached egg. As if it wasn't surprising enough to find morels, as elusive in restaurants as they are in the wild, there was the price: a mere $13. My thoughts alternated between "delicious!" and "This would cost $10 more at some restaurants!" The Norbert calls its menu small plates, but the portions really aren't small, even by Wisconsin standards. Picture the typical fine-dining entree like that. It seems more restaurants are offering those medium plates: easily shareable for two, sometimes more, who want to taste around the menu. Owner Tony Koebel and Grace Pok, who share chef duties, change the lineup by at least a dish from day to day, grouping plates as vegetable, seafood, meat and dessert on the menu. Some of those plates are seasonal, like the long-gone morel-pasta dish and, these days, watermelon and tomato salad ($8), with basil shoots, goat cheese and pumpkin seeds, a refreshing plate. Other dishes are on the menu just because they're delicious. Roasted brussels sprouts ($8) are matched with an incredibly compatible tahini yogurt sauce and showered with grated Parmesan and toasted panko crumbs. It's the kind of dish that makes you dip back into the bowl for a little more, and a little more. So was a chilled soup of pureed celery root and fennel, dotted with creme fraiche and herbed olive oil and, in late spring, arugula blossoms ($5). On the same night, the kitchen produced another remarkable dish: two sweet, large seared scallops ($17) over peas, radish slices and cubes of rhubarb tempered lightly with honey. The Norbert's menu dips into world flavors, plunging plump mussels in red curry ($12) or flank steak in Korean-style barbecue sauce for tacos ($10) served with pear-blackberry slaw. But it also offers up Wisconsin comfort foods, like a thick butter burger with sauteed onion, cheddar and aioli with fries ($11), and a classic fish fry on Fridays of lightly breaded bluegill, crisp potato pancakes, coleslaw and an herbed tartar sauce ($10). That fish fry was prepared the way a fish fry should be and so often isn't, but the flavor of farmed bluegill can't match wild-caught. Sweets were far simpler than the savory dishes: a wedge of creamy chocolate cheesecake ($7), bread pudding ($6). I'd be intrigued to see desserts reach the star power of the dinner plates. At the bar, the 20 craft-beer taps are where it's at. I spied at least a couple of sought-after beers in the rotation on my visits, such as Central Waters' barrel-aged stout Cassian Sunset. Service was sure and the staff thoroughly familiar with the menu, no small feat when it changes frequently. I'd make a plea, though, for serving spoons and forks for sharing. Koebel, who owns the steakhouse the Poplar Inn in West Bend with his father, is a carpenter, too; the bar, the tables and the pillars are his handiwork at the Norbert, named for one of his grandfathers. Pok, who began cooking at the Poplar Inn while she was in high school, left to study design at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, earning her bachelor of fine arts degree. She returned to West Bend after college and soon was helping Koebel with the design of the Norbert, which opened two years ago. They hung chandeliers and artwork, restored the original pressed-tin ceiling and painted the walls a deep blue. Considering the chefs' backgrounds, then, it should be no surprise the plates are artful and well-constructed. The Norbert, even while going easier on the wallet, makes food that's delicious and easy on the eyes, too. THE NORBERT 115 S. Main St., West Bend (262) 429-1231 thenorbert.com (very good) Food: Service: Ambience: Fare: Contemporary American shareable plates Atmosphere: Stylish and relaxed Hours: 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday Prices: Shareable plates, $8-$16 Parking: On street and public lot nearby Wheelchair access: Yes, entry and restrooms Payment: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover Of special note: Vegetarian options, vegan by request; nonsmoking warm-weather sidewalk seating; takeout; high chairs, booster seats; restaurant rentable for parties; live music Friday-Saturday; Friday fish fry; Wi-Fi Reservations: Recommended Noise level: Moderately loud at peak times Deptolla's star ratings Extraordinary. Consistently outstanding in all areas, including food, service, atmosphere and value. A first-class dining experience. Very good. Most menu items are excellent, though a few might miss the mark. Service generally is very good. A memorable meal is guaranteed. Good. A worthy restaurant; food is generally appealing. Fair. A few entrees may be very good; most are average. Work is needed. Poor restaurants would receive no stars. Carol Deptolla strives to dine anonymously, with food and drink paid for by the Journal Sentinel. To sign up for the Journal Sentinel's weekly food and dining newsletter, visit www.jsonline.com/newsletters Shawn Mendes performs Thursday at the Wisconsin State Fair. Credit: Ron Elkman/USA Today By of the At the Wisconsin State Fair, the only thing more diverse than the foodstuffs from beersicles to bacon popcorn balls may be the music lineup. It has several audiences covered including many you probably never considered. Want to extend your '90s nostalgia beyond Pokemon Go and "Fuller House" binge watching? There's the "I Love the '90s" tour with Salt-N-Pepa, Coolio, Color Me Badd and Rob Base. Have a love for a cappella groups with jokey names? Seek out Six Appeal at A Cappellooza. Wish those "Mummy" movies with Brendan Fraser had some funky dance scenes? You're in luck, because the fair even has funk-playing mummies. Here are five top headliners, listed in order of appearance. For daily recommendations for local musicians playing the fair, go to jsonline.com/music. 1.Shawn Mendes: Forget the fact that rising-star Mendes specializes in easy-listening organic pop songs in the vein of Ed Sheeran. With young female fans guaranteed to scream their lungs out for the teen idol, this just might be the loudest show at the fair this year. (7:30 p.m. Thursday, State Fair Main Stage. $29 to $39 at the gate; the fair ticket office, 7722 W. Greenfield Ave. in West Allis; and wistatefair.com. Tickets include fair general admission Thursday.) 2.Here Come the Mummies: The word is this lively "undead" funk band really consists of Nashville session musicians who disguise themselves because record label contracts prevented side projects. But it really is more fun to believe this is an actual band of 5,000-year-old mummies with names like Eddie Mummy and Mummy Cass(anova). (8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Bank Mutual Amphitheater. Concert free with fair admission.) 3.Rascal Flatts: The fair's main stage is a smaller setting than usual for Flatts; with more than 22 million albums sold and 40 awards in its trophy case, the country pop trio has headlined arenas and large amphitheaters for years. Continuing its track record of having future country stars as its opening acts, the Flatts fair show features up-and-comer Kelsea Ballerini. (8 p.m. Saturday, State Fair Main Stage. $39 to $49, includes fair general admission Saturday.) 4.Pat Benatar & Neil GiraldoandMelissa Etheridge: Two of rock's most influential women come together to co-headline the fair and play their enduring hits, from Etheridge's Grammy-winning "Come to My Window," to Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," still packing a punch after 36 years. (7:30 p.m. Aug. 11, State Fair Main Stage. $29 to $39, includes fair general admission Aug. 11.) 5.The Beach Boys: While Brian Wilson, widely considered the seminal group's creative genius, is touring behind the Beach Boys' masterpiece pop album "Pet Sounds" for its 50th anniversary, his cousin and old Beach Boys bandmate Mike Love will lead the band through forever influential sunshiny hits like "Good Vibrations" and "Fun, Fun, Fun." (6 p.m. Aug. 14, State Fair Main Stage. $29 to $39, includes fair general admission Aug. 14.) More on Music Find out about the week's must-see shows, concert tickets and more in the newsletter "Piet Levy's Music Picks." Subscribe at jsonline.com/newsletters. Piet talks about concerts, local music and more on "TAP'd In" with Jordan Lee, 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9). Former U.S. Attorney James Santelle admitted that his sudden retirement last year was sparked by an investigation into misuse of his government credit card. Credit: M. Spencer Green SHARE By of the Former U.S. Attorney James Santelle's sudden retirement last year was sparked by an investigation into misuse of his government credit card, according to a statement released hours after the Journal Sentinel obtained documents pertaining to the probe. "When it became clear to me that I had erred and had acted in ways that were inconsistent with the rigorous and appropriate Justice Department rules, I resigned my position," Santelle said in a two-page statement released late Thursday by his Washington, D.C., lawyer. The newly released documents, however, disclose that Santelle was repeatedly warned that he was misusing his card as early as September 2011. In July 2015, the then-57-year-old Santelle surprised his staff by saying he would be retiring by the end of that month. His announcement came about three months after the Journal Sentinel reported that Santelle was under investigation by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General. Santelle had been with the Justice Department for 30 years and was appointed U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in 2010 by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. Documents released in response to a 2015 Freedom of Information Act request by the Journal Sentinel state Santelle had charged $4,532 on his government credit card for 37 "questionable" transactions including six for "purchases (that) were personal in nature." More than two dozen other transactions were not properly authorized, totaling $4,532. The documents disclosed that a person whose name was redacted from the report warned Santelle that he was misusing his credit card. From September 2011 to October 2013, the person "communicated in person and through email with Santelle 15 times regarding Santelle's improper and unauthorized use of his (federal credit card) and its overdue ... balance," investigators wrote. Eight times the unidentified person told Santelle "that it was against policy to use the (government credit card) for personal use. On each occasion, Santelle verbally acknowledged to (the person) the improper use ... and promised to rectify the situation." Some details of the investigation were disclosed by the OIG in December. That report, however, did not name Santelle as the target, although it was obvious he was the subject of the investigation. That report and the new documents chastised Santelle for not being forthcoming and providing "inconsistent and inaccurate explanations that unduly lengthened and complicated the investigation." In his statement, Santelle denied that charge saying he "did my very best to provide accurate explanations." Inappropriate actions by Santelle that were cited by investigators in the newly released documents include: An attempt to charge $234 at Spa Space, a health spa in downtown Chicago. The government credit was rejected three times, the report said. Santelle told investigators he was trying to buy a gift for a friend and accidentally used his government card, but investigators discovered the purchase was actually "related to a personal spa service Santelle received and a related product he purchased." Charges of $820 for Frontier Airlines plane tickets in 2012. Santelle told investigators he did not recall using his government credit card to buy tickets to attend his nephew's college graduation in Nashville, Tenn. But OIG investigators wrote that when Santelle bought the tickets online he had to enter credit information from the government card to complete the purchase. A $500 charge to rent a car from Enterprise in 2011 while his own vehicle was being repaired. Santelle, however, speculated that he may have rented the car to travel to Hayward for a meeting of the Native American Drug and Gang Initiative. Investigators, however, determined Santelle used his access code to enter his Milwaukee office 30 times during the time he initially claimed to be in northern Wisconsin. A June 2011 purchase of $332 worth of food from Grasch Foods. Santelle provided investigators with various possible reasons for why the food was purchased and said he mistakenly gave a clerk his government credit card to pay for the groceries. After telling investigators the food could have been purchased for two different charitable causes, Santelle said, "I've acknowledged to you that ... the purchase should not have been made," the investigators wrote. Santelle's credit card had a picture of the American flag and the U.S. Seal and was marked "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY." Santelle and the investigators agreed the government lost no money as a result of personal transactions. Justice Department employees are required to pay the bills rung up on their cards and then seek reimbursement. Santelle did not seek reimbursement for the personal charges, investigators wrote. "Never once did I enrich myself at government expense, nor did I seek to do so in any manner," Santelle said in the statement. "The Inspector General made no findings to the contrary and, in fact, criticized me for those occasions when I should have sought reimbursement from the government but failed to do so." The Centro del Nino Head Start building on Center St. in Milwaukee could become the new home for Right Step, a military-style voucher school. Credit: City of Milwaukee SHARE By of the Opponents of a plan by a military-style voucher school to buy a vacant building in the Riverwest neighborhood won an influential ally this week: the Department of City Development, which said the school does not meet the criteria for the special use permit it needs to open. DCD voiced its opposition to the permit during a public hearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday. The zoning board suspended the hearing after about 30 minutes and will reschedule it for Sept. 8, after an unusually large number of critics turned out insisting they be heard. The next meeting will allot more time for testimony. Sixth District Ald. Milele Coggs weighed in before the hearing was called, saying a military school in what was originally built as a bank would not fit with the city's comprehensive plan for the area. "It's just not the right use for this building," she said. Department of City Development officials declined Friday to elaborate on their opposition. Right Step Inc., operates a private, military-style school at 8684 N. 76th Place that last year served about 154 students in grades 5 through 12. All but a few were enrolled through the taxpayer-funded Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Right Step needs a special use permit to occupy the building, which was built as a bank and is zoned for business. The school is proposing to open a boys-only campus for up to 140 students in the former Centro del Nino Head Start building at 500 E. Center St., on the border of the Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods. The Common Council approved the $223,000 sale this week, saying it had no choice under a new law passed last year that requires the city to sell vacant and underused Milwaukee Public School buildings to competing educational operators. The Board of Zoning Appeals can consider several issues the council could not, such as public health and safety, traffic and pedestrian safety, and consistency with the city's comprehensive plan for the area. Supporters also turned out Thursday, including Roslinda Lloyd, who was among 11 people who signed a petition endorsing the school. "I think it would be great idea for the community on Center Street," she said. Another woman said she would likely adopt her 14-year-old foster son because of the behavioral improvements he's made while at Right Step. But the school also has drawn opposition from nearby residents who see it as a poor fit for the neighborhood and public school advocates who view the new law as part of a broader Republican agenda to gut Milwaukee Public Schools. Some raised concerns about a 2015 lawsuit by former students and parents that alleges abusive practices at the school. "I'm not concerned about the students. I'm concerned about the staff," said Brian Rothgery, a 10-year resident who said he may reconsider plans to buy a home in the neighborhood if the school is approved. A Vietnam veteran, Mark Foreman, objected to the military style of Right Step. "I learned from the military how to humiliate and intimidate and create fear. That does not belong with our children," Foreman said. "The way you get through to children is love and compassion. This kind of discipline makes them meaner." Right Step attorney Patrick C. Brennan rejected the assertion that the school does not fit with the city's vision for the neighborhood. And Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Fitch said she was willing to work with residents to better integrate the school into the neighborhood. They said the school would be an asset to the community. "The idea that these students are going to be running amok through the neighborhood couldn't be further from the truth," Brennan said. Journal Sentinel reporter Patrick Thomas contributed to this report. SHARE Climate disaster already here Regarding the climate change denier writing for the Heartland Institute (a nonpartisan conservative free market group) in the July 25 paper, H. Sterling Burnett writes that there is "mounting evidence" that there is no human-caused climate disaster in the making ("Energy: All of the above," Opinions, July 25). Really? Try telling that to the people of Micronesia and Bangladesh and northern Alaska and Canada who are finding their land shrinking by rising seas. Try telling that to northern Californians who are now irrigating their crops with fracking wastewater because there is no other. Try telling that to the citizens of Miami, where rising ocean waters are flooding the area through the porous rock beneath the city, causing some residents to find salt water coming from their faucets. Try telling that to Maine fisherman whose livelihood is being threatened by a warming Atlantic Ocean. Try telling that to the citizens in the Southwest who are being robocalled when they need to evacuate their homes due to wildfires. And try telling that to nearly all this country which just suffered under a "heat dome" of epic proportions. This is already on the way to being the warmest year on record. People are dying, and it is only going to get worse if we continue to keep our heads in the broiling sand. As the Heartland Institute, it long supported the tobacco lobby in denying there is any link between cancer and smoking. Now, the institute is at it again with a new cause. Make a statement, don't present facts to prove it and maybe some people will believe it. I think that is changing, as we are all affected by the deliberate ignorance of a privileged few. Elaine Bergstrom Milwaukee Islam and 'terrorists' Recently, a number of prominent politicians berated President Barack Obama for not using the term "Islamic terrorists" when he spoke of the horrific murders committed around the world. I think that there are good reasons to not use that term. First, we are not now nor should we be in a war against Islam. The vast majority of Muslims are appalled by what the "terrorists" are doing and feel that it is against the most basic tenets of their religion. They do not want a fight with us and do not want Islam to be identified with this sort of action. How would one feel if all Christians were judged by the actions of the small group that believes God wants them to disrupt the funerals of our veterans in order to make some sort of point about homosexuality? Second, we are playing right into the hands of the "terrorists." They want to be thought of as "Islamists," in order to claim some legitimacy for their actions. This provides a great recruiting tool for them. We also are playing right into their hands each night when the TV news shows the scenes of horror over and over again. As Curtis Stotlar pointed out in his recent letter to the editor, "These programs glorify the monsters that committed these horrors...ironically giving them their spot in the sun" ("Glorifying the monsters," Letters, July 17). "Terrorists" want to spread terror, and our newscasts are helping to do just that. Third, even using the word "terrorists" is troublesome, since it allows the individual murderers to justify their actions as being for the good of their group. We need to hold each individual responsible for what he does. We might report, "The murderer killed 39 innocent men, women and children and he blew himself to hell." Or "The gunman murdered 14 mothers, fathers and beloved children before police were finally able to move him along to his chosen path to hell." For those who lead this madness, we might say, "He set his fate by telling others to follow the murderous plans he thought up." What's in a name? Sometimes more than we think. John Goebel Milwaukee How Alaska deals with DUI cases While dining out in Alaska on vacation this summer, my wife and I were asked for identification when we ordered wine. While flattered being checked at age 71, we inquired why. One of the tools the Alaska courts have in dealing with DUI cases is to have the Department of Motor Vehicles put a red banner on your license with the words "ALCOHOL RESTRICTED." Bars, restaurants and liquor stores are required to ask for identification before selling alcohol. What a great idea! Why not use it in Wisconsin? Bob Anderson Mequon Kids dressed up in the audience in 2011 at German Fest, which returns this weekend. In a guest commentary, Rebecca S. Fahrlander argues that its suddenly cool to be German. Credit: German Fest SHARE By A remarkable rehabilitation of Germany's image is taking place. As a million migrants fled to Germany last year, it became known for its "welcome culture." Chancellor Angela Merkel was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and named the "Person of the Year" by Time magazine. The country's humanitarian outreach across the globe, as well as its popularity as a holiday destination has been touted in the media. Germany has actually been ranked the best country in the world in a recent poll. Suddenly, it's cool to be German. I first noticed this a couple of years ago, while in a concert crowd in Iowa. There, I met a young man who was making his way across country to find a job in North Dakota. As we exchanged names and became sort of "situational friends" as sometimes happens at rock concerts, we got into a conversation about his love of all things German. He was very proud to be part German. As with many people, his family history was mythical rather than researched, and seemed to have a tentative quality about it. The family story was that his father had been partly of German heritage. He asked me about his last name, the part of him he thought was German. With some hesitation (I did not wish to spoil his dream), I told him the name was actually Dutch in origin, although that did not necessarily preclude his being part German. He wanted to believe he was German. I remember being so struck by that. I had never run into anyone who really thought it so important to be German. As an American whose ancestors had resided in Germany for centuries and whose grandparents had immigrated to the United States around the turn of the 20th century, I was all too aware that there was a time when being German was not cool at all. That time was the postwar baby boom era in which I grew up. In that era, being German or German-American was more complicated. My childhood and youth played out in front of the Nuremberg trials on TV, histories of World War II, the Milgram research on obedience to authority and media commentary on the collective guilt of Germans. I often heard the comment, "I was in the war. I don't like Germans." Unfortunately, many people felt free to voice their prejudice. I grew accustomed to being asked about my name. "What nationality is that?" would be followed by the predictable query, "When did your family leave Germany?" I came to understand that this latter question was code for what they really wanted to know: was my family there then, during the Nazi era. Knowing glances were exchanged between others; I could only guess what stereotypes of Germans filled their minds. I found myself pre-empting these inquiries by volunteering the answer before the question was even asked. Now it seems we have this new world in which Germany is associated with primarily positive images of humanity, compassion and the "welcome culture." For Germans and German-Americans, it may take some getting used to. But all in all, it's rather nice that it is suddenly cool to be German. Rebecca S. Fahrlander is an adjunct professor of psychology and sociology at The University of Nebraska -Omaha. All of her grandparents were German immigrants. SHARE Cole Schuler. family photo By of the One month before a U.S. Army veteran died of a heroin overdose last fall at the inpatient drug rehabilitation unit of the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, an investigative team found alarming safety and security issues inside the facility. Investigators were able to enter the domiciliary on Oct. 7 without being stopped, noted that it was unlikely staff was making rounds every 30 minutes as required and the security camera was out of order, according to an Administrative Investigation Board memo. While the investigation was being held, there was a report that two veterans in the facility had alcohol in their rooms and another veteran had tried to commit suicide. In their report, investigators concluded the domiciliary "environment is not secure and safe." Cole Schuler, a 26-year-old former U.S. Army Ranger from the Fox River Valley, died of a heroin overdose Nov. 9. He was found slumped under his desk in his bedroom at the facility. The Administrative Investigation Board issued its report in a memo dated Nov. 10. The investigation was initiated because of complaints received by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) as well as top VA officials. Baldwin's office requested the report in December. After reviewing the report, Baldwin wrote in a Jan. 21 letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald that she was "alarmed" by the conclusions. Baldwin said the findings highlighted "concerns that have been brought to me by my constituents over the past year." Baldwin's Republican counterpart, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, also recently raised questions about security problems at the facility. The board was investigating allegations that a "culture of fear and intimidation" existed at the facility. The most significant portion of the report concerned security. Board members described walking into the domiciliary around 5 p.m. on Oct. 7. They were able to "enter the building without anyone stopping them," they reported. Two staff members were located near the door and neither of them looked up. "One was reading a book and one was utilizing their personal cellphone at the time of entrance," the report said. The board members walked through two wings of the domiciliary before they were stopped by an assistant who asked what they were doing. Investigators said they "walked through common areas but could have gone into resident rooms without being stopped." When they asked to see the security cameras, investigators were informed that they weren't working and a work order had been submitted, the report said. "It is unlikely that staff is abiding by their procedure of making rounds every 30 minutes," the report said. Investigators also received testimony "that raises concerns regarding non-inspection of veteran belongings." They reported three incidents that occurred Oct. 6. Those included a veteran "in possession of a half pint of vodka, two inappropriate magazines, and an open bottle of Listerine containing alcohol," another veteran "found to have an orange box cutter and a can of beer in his room," and a third veteran who tried to commit suicide. When staff went into the third veteran's room, the veteran was found "sitting in a chair with a pool of blood on the floor. A contraband check of the room revealed a straight razor and a box of single-edge blades." The chief of Milwaukee VA police told investigators that police were called to the unit at least four to five times "per week due to issues with residents." The frequency of calls was far greater in Milwaukee than in other facilities contacted by the board members. When asked about his greatest concern with the unit, the chief of police "testified that he wished that they were a little stricter on the clientele or the veterans that they allow access to that building." Among its 16 recommendations, investigators concluded that "safety and security" issues at the facility needed "to be addressed immediately." "Having regular police presence, doing rounds, etc., should be considered," the report said, with investigators calling for an "expedited purchase of any equipment to enhance safety and security," such as card readers for the entrance. Other recommendations were made to improve management, communications and training at the facility. Zablocki spokesman Gary Kunich said the facility has improved security and is "on target" with an action plan to address all 16 recommendations. In addition, Kunich said numerous other changes have been introduced beyond the recommendations. "I deeply care about our veterans and the care they receive," said Daniel Zomchek, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center director who started his job June 27. "Nothing is more important to me and our employees than providing for the safety and the welfare of the veterans who have entrusted us with their care," Zomchek said in a statement. "I will settle for nothing less." Zomchek has been having weekly meetings with the head of the domiciliary, Ronald Braasch, and has also visited the domiciliary frequently, Kunich said. "We want to make people understand that we do have a safe environment to help all of our veterans heal," Kunich said. "We are very proud of the evidence-based care we provide at our domiciliary which provides a wide array of treatment for substance abuse, post-traumatic stress, sexual trauma and other issues." Kunich said it was important to note that the facility provides an "open residential treatment program" and veterans "are allowed and encouraged to leave the grounds to go to their appointments and interact within the community. This is to help them readjust and reintegrate into society because we know when they leave here they have to live in society." He said the purpose of the domiciliary unit "is not to put people under lock and key. It is a voluntary program. They're not locked down there. There is security in place. But we have to walk that fine line. We look out for their safety." Three Republicans are running in the Aug. 9 primary in the 8th Congressional District: (From left) Mike Gallagher, Terry McNulty and state Sen. Frank Lasee. SHARE By , Green Bay Three Republicans seeking to represent northeastern Wisconsin in Congress are jockeying for the title of being most outside the Washington, D.C., establishment. Two of the candidates have held elected offices for years and one worked in Washington before returning to the Badger State, but all are trying to tap into a strong anti-incumbent sentiment that has given rise to their party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump. Facing off in the Aug. 9 primary are: Mike Gallagher, a former foreign policy aide to Gov. Scott Walker's presidential campaign; Wisconsin Sen. Frank Lasee; and Forestville Village President Terry McNulty. Incumbent Republican Reid Ribble of Sherwood is not seeking re-election. The primary winner will face Democrat and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive congressional races in the nation. Nelson has already amassed more than $530,000 in campaign cash. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has committed another $750,000 in television ad spending to Nelson. Among the Republicans, Gallagher, 32, has a strong lead in fundraising that could help him in a general election, and he carries several endorsements, including ones from Ribble and former Defense Intelligence Agency Director Michael Flynn. "The truth is, I never planned on running, but I've seen in the last 10 years ... how far we've fallen. Our strength worldwide and at home is deteriorating," Gallagher said. "It's a symptom of the same disease a lack of leadership and moral courage from career politicians and unelected bureaucrats who care more about their careers than their country." Gallagher launched his campaign in March after dozens of prominent Green Bay business leaders publicly urged him to run. Gallagher is the senior global market strategist at Green Bay supply chain fuel management company Breakthrough Fuel. He previously served seven years on active duty as a human intelligence and counterintelligence officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also was a staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and led foreign policy briefings for Walker's presidential campaign. He was born and raised in Green Bay, moving back to the city shortly after Walker dropped out of the presidential race. Gallagher has since raised more than $922,000. That's about triple the $310,000 raised by Lasee. McNulty raised $7,000. Lasee said the money proves he is more of an outsider than Gallagher, who received more than half his money from groups and individuals outside Wisconsin. Lasee received just 9% of his money from outside the state. "In 2016, I'm not the establishment candidate. Mike Gallagher is along with all the $200,000-plus that he's gotten from the D.C. area," Lasee said. "What people really want is a change in the way D.C. does business. I'd suggest that someone who lived five years in D.C. and was a D.C. staffer isn't that person." Lasee, 54, has been in state politics for more than two decades. He was elected to the state Senate in 2010, and served in the Assembly from 1994 to 2006. Before that, he was chairman of the town of Ledgeview. He has been endorsed by the Wisconsin Family Action Federal PAC, a group promoting Judeo-Christian views of marriage and family. Despite his tenure in Madison, Lasee is casting himself as an independent voice in the Legislature who isn't afraid to break ranks with Republican leadership. He said he pushed to repeal the prevailing wage for local government projects when other Republicans weren't interested, and he prevented health care policies tied to the Affordable Care Act from passing out of committee. "I'm a fresh face to Congress. People would get the best of both worlds: Someone who is new and someone who knows the (political) process and is a proven conservative," Lasee said. McNulty, 47, said he makes a point of not asking people whether they're Republican or Democrat. He doesn't campaign using Republican voter lists or party maps, and he would have registered as a conservative independent candidate if having a party label weren't so important to gaining clout in an election. He said he's a "true family man" and "ordinary guy," and that's what sets him most apart from his competitors in the race. McNulty served in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years before retiring from the military and starting his own surveying and mapping company in Door County. He is the Forestville village president and a member of the Southern Door School Board. "I'm the working man in this race, there's no doubt about that," McNulty said. "Washington, D.C., people are out of touch. I think even some of our politicians here in our state are out of touch and aren't listening to people." All three candidates said reducing the nation's $19 trillion debt and improving national security are among their top priorities. Gallagher said "radical Islamic terrorism has been spreading like a cancer" under President Barack Obama and must be stopped. He said stabilizing the Middle East would improve national security, restore confidence in the U.S. as an international power. Lasee said the country should deal with terrorists by disrupting their funding sources. On the economy, he said he'll push for cutting back regulations on businesses and limiting the creation of new rules. McNulty said the U.S. needs to improve relationships with its allies to improve national security, and he would support legislation requiring Congress to adopt a balanced biannual budget similar to Wisconsin's. All three candidates said they will vote for Donald Trump in November. Details added (first version posted on 12:36) Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Anvar Mammadov Trend: Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) will attract a two-year loan in the amount of 100 million manats from the countrys Central Bank (CBA) to pay compensations to depositors of closed four banks Zaminbank, Dekabank, Kredobank, Parabank, said ADIF Executive Director Azad Javadov July 29. We have already appealed to Azerbaijans Central Bank in this regard and the credit line will be opened during the day, said Javadov. We have attracted a two-year loan, but I think we will finish its payment earlier. We, as liquidators, are returning loans issued by these banks for the population, noted ADIF executive director. These funds, as well as calendar payments of the banks will enable us to complete earlier payments on credit debts. Javadov also noted that currently, ADIF has 26 million manats and about 20 million manats accounted for correspondent accounts of four closed banks. We think that we will receive nearly 15 million manats on closed banks every month and these funds will be directed for repayment of the CBA loan, he added. Therefore, we plan to attract additional funds from ADIF member banks. ADIF receives about 30 million manats per year thanks to calendar payments. Thus, ADIFs funds are replenished every year. According to legislation, ADIF member banks are required to pay quarterly calendar payments in the amount of 0.125 percent (0.5 percent per year) of the total amount of insured bank deposits. Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund began to operate on August 13, 2007. 'This is the right time to exhale': David Stearns ends seven-year run The 37-year-old cited a desire to spend more time with family in stepping back to an advisory role, but the New York Mets are sure to be interested. Adam Barnett/ Thomas Frank | ( OpenDemocracy ) | The Democrats ditched the working class in favour of a professional elite leaving Trump a master of resentment politics to hoover up their votes. An interview with Listen Liberal! author Thomas Frank. Now that the Republican Party has chosen a coiffured gargoyle as its nominee for president, the panicked eyes of the world turn to the Democrats, who have just selected Hillary Clinton at their national convention in Philadelphia. Author and historian Thomas Frank has seen his fair share of party conventions, having covered US politics for over 25 years. I spoke to him recently about his new book Listen, Liberal and the state of the union ahead of Novembers election. The Democrats are not a Left party, he tells me. In fact there really isnt one in the US. Franks book is no broadside against liberals by a weary defector, but a Left critique of the Democratic Party. He charts its mutation over recent decades from being a workers party into the party of the professional class the experts, bankers, academics and tech-masters, who imagine themselves the natural winners of the great American lottery. Frank names Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as typical specimens and since we spoke, the president has expressed an interest in working with Silicon Valley and venture capital after leaving office How is this reflected in the countrys two-party system? They represent two different hierarchies of power, Frank explains. One, the Republicans, who represent business and the hierarchy of money the Koch brothers and the 1% and the Democrats, who represent the hierarchy of status, the professional class. One is the Wall Street Journal, the other is the New York Times. Does this mean theres little to choose between the two parties? They tend to have similar views on economic matters, but they come from different places. And theyre very different on the cultural issues the abortion issue for example, the guns, for gods sake. Some of these things are enormously important. He adds: I would also say the Democrats are of course marginally better on things like the welfare state. But then again, as soon as I say that, as soon as those words passed my lips, Bill Clinton and welfare reform a Republican could probably have never got that done, because the Democrats would have fought him to the death to stop something like that. But with Clinton doing it, it suddenly becomes okay. Franks book demolishes Bill Clintons presidency, the legacy of which is key to understanding the anger of this years campaign, from Donald Trump to Black Lives Matter, to Bernie Sanders supporters booing at the Democrats convention. Clintons dismantling of welfare, draconian criminal justice laws, job-exporting trade deals, and deregulation of Wall Street, have resurfaced as major issues in this years campaign and not just because his wife is running for president. People look back on those years with such fondness now, Frank says. The things that he actually got done were awful things. I thought it was really important to go back and correct the record. Is Frank apprehensive about the prospect of Bill Clinton being back in the White House? Well, unlike nearly everybody I know, I think I like Hillary more than I like Bill. I think shell be better than he was. But yes, of course Im apprehensive about it. People like me are going to be voting for Hillary because Donald Trump is so frightening This is the sort of quintessentially American situation that were in here, where its a two party system, and given that, you have to constantly choose someone whos not optimal for the situation, in order to avoid something thats really dreadful. People like me are going to be voting for Hillary because Donald Trump is so frightening. Trump seems to have walked out of the pages of Franks earlier books, Pity the Billionaire and Whats the Matter with Kansas? a silver-spoon demagogue railing against the rigged system he has profited from and the elite of which he is a member. His ability to hoover up votes from the Democrats natural constituency is partly explained in those books Trump has mastered the resentment politics of the culture wars but as Listen, Liberal makes clear, the door was left open to him by the Democrats themselves. This is even reflected in the way liberals have responded to the book. Theres deep suspicion of working class people among the kind of liberals Im describing, he says. They dont like working class people. They just dont like them. Surely thats a bit harsh? Thats the sense that I get from these people. Thats not the kind of party they want to be in. Trump has brought everything to a head, he adds, the fact that hes got these working-class supporters. Theres a lot of contempt for these people. The Trump supporters are generally thought to be figures of idiocy. Given this, I asked Frank about the subject of those earlier books, the conservative backlash critique of liberalism, which portrayed liberals as snobbish, well-educated, rich, and uncaring about working-class people. Was there more truth in that critique than he might have previously allowed? Conservatives have been saying this about Democrats for years, he said, but its never rigorous, they dont really follow through, they dont do their research. And their intention is always to show that liberals are in fact socialists, and thats just completely wrong. So yes, theres some validity to the conservative critique, but its so scattershot and wild, and it really misses the sociological reality of who these people are. Things are getting worse and worse for working people, and have been for quite a while in this country One thing conservatives paper over or did pre-Tea Party-and-successor-Donald Trump is how economic forces, rather than a liberal elite, are kicking people in the rump every day. Things are getting worse and worse for working people, and have been for quite a while in this country, says Frank. We call it inequality, but its a much bigger problem than that implies. Its the middle class coming apart, its working class people being unable to afford a middle class standard of living any longer. A big part of the American population is in a state of decline, he adds. And they know it. People know that the standard of living they had in 2007 is never coming back, and they are upset about it theyre very angry. But the impulse among liberals is to deny it. To say, look, everything is fine, the sky is blue, its a wonderful world out there. On paper, America is doing great. So turn that frown upside down. Frank is merciless about the Let them eat cake brigade, and takes a scalpel to the self-serving idea of America as a meritocracy. What you discover when you write about the professional class is that it is profoundly unaware of itself as a class, he says. They act like a class, and they do all these things that social classes do, but they dont think of themselves as a class. They think of themselves as the best. We are who we are because were the smartest. A punk rocker at heart, (he wrote this book listening to Joy Division and Iggy Pop), Frank delights in blasting those living high on the hog an instinct that gives him, as a Kansan who went on to get a History PhD at the University of Chicago, an edge over his liberal fraternity. I feel much more at home mocking professional class liberals than writing about people in Kansas, he says. Im describing highly educated and prosperous people, people with every advantage, and people who are very familiar with ideas, and who nevertheless go through this pantomime with themselves. I had no trouble switching on the inner HL Mencken when I went to Marthas Vineyard. I was completely at home mocking those people. As the gala of self-congratulation among Democrats continues, and will likely continue up to November and beyond, its worth recalling that their conceit they who, having ditched working people, now use the threat of a President Trump to discipline those same people into voting correctly is not just about place and position, but about moral superiority too. One of the rewards of being a liberal is you think youre very virtuous, Frank says. Once you start digging though, this is a movement that is profoundly self-interested. They love to look in that mirror and think about how fine and noble they are. My objective is to put a crack in that mirror. Via OpenDemocracy ==== Related video added by Juan Cole: Truthdig: Robert Scheer and Thomas Frank Discuss DNC Reddit Email 0 Shares TeleSur | Erdogans political purge following the failed coup keeps on going, with the net ever widening. Turkey is shutting down over 100 media outlets and is purging over 1,000 military personnel, it was announced Wednesday as President Tayyip Erdogans government continues to tighten its grip on power after a failed military coup on July 15. In all, 131 media outlets have been shut down including television stations, newspapers and magazines. Earlier this week, the government began detaining journalists, with around 90 reporters ordered to be detained. Nearly 50 journalists from the opposition Zaman newspaper have been issued detention orders. Zaman was shut down in March for its alleged links to the Gulenist movement, which the Erdogan administration is blaming for the attempted coup. The military has so far dishonorably discharged 1,684 of its personnel for their alleged role in the failed coup, a government official said, according to CNN Turk. Of those discharged, 149 were either generals or admirals. Al Jazeera Turk reported that Erdogan also aims to shut down all of Turkeys military schools. Erdogan last week ordered the shutdown of thousands of institutions, including schools, universities and trade unions. A presidential decree ordered a state of emergency following the failed coup. Under the state of emergency, people can be detained for up to one month without charge, which has raised concerns among human rights groups. Many are saying that Erdogan is going too far in his quest to purge the country of anti-government elements. The wholesale and arbitrary nature of the attacks on the Turkish media in the past week seems to reflect a desire to exact revenge and bring them into line. It is time the authorities put a stop to this, said Reporters Without Borders. The Turkish Interior Minister Efkana Ala has said that more than 15,000 people have been detained since the failed coup, with 8,113 people formally arrested and awaiting trial. The attempted coup left at least 265 dead and around 2,000 injured. Via TeleSur Related video added by Juan Cole: Euronews: Turkey closes 130 media outlets, sacks scores of generals as post-coup purge deepens Reddit Email 0 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | The leftist Beirut newspaper al-Safir comments scathingly on the name-change of the Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate, the Nusra Front led by Abu Muhammad al-Julani, to the Syria Conquest Front. Here are some reasons that the name change isnt going to work: 1. Al-Julani got permission from 9/11 mastermind Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of old al-Qaeda, to sever public ties with him because, you know, being in a command line to al-Qaeda was a PR problem for the Syrian guerrilla opposition to the Syrian regime. But if you have to get permission from al-Qaeda to change your name, then guess what? Youre still al-Qaeda. 2. In the announcement of the name change, as al-Safir points out, there was no explicit renunciation of the ties between al-Julani and al-Qaeda or of the pledge of fealty al-Julani gave al-Zawahiri. (Or I might add, any apology for having hooked up with al-Qaeda, ). He just said that a new organization has been formed that has no relations with any foreign quarter. 3. The new name is Front for the Conquest of Greater Syria. Conquest has a bad ring to it. I dont think Syria needs to be conquered by these seedy-looking guys (and the name implies he wants Lebanon and Jordan and Israel/Palestine, too). The Huns conquered Rome. The Mongols conquered Iran. Tojo conquered the Philippines. Maybe if they had been a liberation front or a member of one it might have a less unsavory ring. As it is, it is still obvious that they want to impose their hyper-fundamentalist ideology at the point of a gun on Syrian women, Alawis, Kurds, Druze, secular Sunnis, etc. etc. 4. Al-Safir says that the attempted image change comes way too late. The Nusra Front was asked by former CIA head David Petraeus to ditch al-Qaeda and join the coalition against Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), but it didnt. As a result, it lost most international support and contributed to a loss of support for its allies. Now, the strategic and tactical situation in Syria has completely changed, since Russia began bombing last fall. Al-Qaeda and its allies have lost enormous ground in the meantime, and now even East Aleppo has been surrounded. 5. Nobody will believe you if you look like this: h/t Wikipedia. You might be thinking the switch from a black to a white turban would do the trick. But you forgot this one: h/t Wikipedia TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 28, 2016) - Argonaut Gold Inc. (TSX:AR) (the "Company", "Argonaut Gold" or "Argonaut") announces that the federal court of appeals has issued a favourable ruling regarding its Federal lawsuit arising from the denial of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Manifiesto de Impacto or MIA) for its San Antonio project in Baja California Sur, Mexico. On August 2, 2012, the Company was denied its Environmental Impact Assessment for its San Antonio project due in part to a local zoning issue. The Company filed a Federal lawsuit stating that the local zoning plan was not validly constituted and therefore should not have been an obstacle to the permitting of the project. The Company has received a copy of the federal appeals court ruling in its finding that the current Urban Development Plan for the Municipality of La Paz ("zoning plan") was not properly established and therefore should not have been used as a criteria in the review of the MIA for the San Antonio project. Furthermore, the ruling instructed the Mexican Environmental Authority (SEMARNAT) to annul the denial of the MIA and issue a new decision without taking into consideration the zoning plan within three business days of notification of the ruling. The Company continues to review the full text of this ruling with its advisors and consider the next steps that will be undertaken by both the Company and SEMARNAT. The Company cautions that there is no assurance that permits will be issued imminently and that permitting continues to be subject to regulatory processes of uncertain duration. Pete Dougherty, President & CEO stated: "We are pleased with the outcome of the ruling, which confirms our belief that the local zoning plan should not have impeded the permitting of the San Antonio project. This ruling does not mean that our permits are granted but does provide the basis of understanding for all involved in the permitting process. We will continue to engage and work closely with all stakeholders to advance the San Antonio project. We believe that San Antonio provides an opportunity for a model mine with the use of clean technologies that also provides near and long-term benefits to the region." About Argonaut Gold Argonaut Gold is a Canadian gold company engaged in exploration, mine development and production activities. Its primary assets are the production stage El Castillo mine in Durango, Mexico, and La Colorada mine in Sonora, Mexico. Advanced exploration stage projects include the San Antonio project in Baja California Sur, Mexico, the Magino project in Ontario, Canada and the San Agustin project in Durango, Mexico. The Company also has several exploration stage projects, all of which are located in North America. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Argonaut Gold Inc. ("Argonaut" or "Argonaut Gold"). Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to estimation of mineral resources at mineral projects of Argonaut; the realization of mineral reserve and resource estimates; the receipt of necessary permits; the timing and amount of estimated future production; economics of production; estimated production and mine life of the various mineral projects of Argonaut; the future price of gold and silver; synergies and financial impact of completed acquisitions; the benefits of the development potential of the properties of Argonaut; success of exploration activities and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Argonaut, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Argonaut and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include variations in metal grades, permitting delays, changes in market conditions, variations in recovery rates, risks relating to international operations, fluctuating metal prices and currency exchange rates, changes in project parameters, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated. These factors are discussed in greater detail in Argonaut's most recent Annual Information Form and in the most recent Management Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Argonaut cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Argonaut believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this press release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Argonaut undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. Although Argonaut has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. VANCOUVER, July 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Wealth Minerals Ltd. (the "Company" or "Wealth") - (TSXV: WML; OTCQB: WMLLF; SSE: WMLCL; Frankfurt: EJZ), announces that it has executed a Letter of Intent (the "LOI") to enter into an option agreement giving it the right to acquire a 100% royalty-free interest in the Quisco 1 to 9 exploration concessions (the "Property") located in the Quisquiro Salar in Region II of Antofagasta, northern Chile. The Company also announces that it has entered into a formal option agreement giving it the right to acquire the Salar 1 and Salar 2 mining concessions within the Aguas Calientes Norte Salar upon the previously announced terms (see NR16-15, June 22, 2016). Quisquiro Salar Details The concessions comprising the Property cover an area of approximately 2,400 hectares located in the southern portion of the Salar de Quisquiro in Region II of Antofagasta, northern Chile (Figure 1). The northern portion of the Salar de Quisquiro is held by Sociedad Quimica y Minera ("SQM"), one of two lithium-producing companies in Chile. Independent analysis published by signum BOX (2014) differentiates the top 15 lithium salars in Chile as Tier 1, 2 or 3. Quisquiro is listed as Tier 1, together with Atacama, Maricunga, Pedernales, and La Isla. Salars in this top-tier category have an expected lithium concentration ranging from 423 mg/l to 1,080 mg/l. Wealth has not yet completed sampling at the Property to validate these expected levels of lithium concentration and, accordingly, they should not be relied upon in relation to the Property. Access to the Property is via Route 27, a paved highway located to the north of the Property. Acquisition Terms - Quisquiro Under the LOI, subject to the completion of certain conditions precedent, including TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, Wealth would be granted the exclusive option to acquire a 100% royalty-free interest in the Project from the arm's length vendor (a private Chilean company) ("Vendor") by making the following payments to the Vendor: Date Payment Upon Signing Formal Option Agreement USD 300,000 March 12, 2017 USD 100,000 September 12, 2017 USD 500,000 September 12, 2018 USD 700,000 September 12, 2019 USD 1,000,000 Subject to satisfactory due diligence by Wealth, which is to be completed within 45 days, Wealth's Chilean subsidiary and the Vendor will execute a formal Option Agreement. There will be no work commitments under the Option Agreement, but Wealth Chile is responsible for maintaining the concessions in good standing during the term of the option. Trinity Lithium Project The Property, together with the Puritama 1 to 8 and Salar 1 and 2 concessions located in the Salar de Aguas Calientes and the Pujsa 1 to 7 concessions located in the Salar de Pujsa, defines the Company's Trinity Lithium Project; a consolidation of three high-priority Chilean salars. "The consolidation of three high-potential, highway accessible lithium projects has been in the works for some time and its completion helps to position Wealth as a notable lithium company in Chile" stated Henk van Alphen, Wealth's CEO. "We have essentially secured 100% of the Aguas Calientes Norte and Pujsa Salara, while our ownership at Quisquiro Salar, together with our neighbours SQM, completes the planned project consolidation in this region of Chile. Our relentless work to acquire and consolidate high-potential lithium interests in Chile is generating concrete results. Marcelo Awad A, the Executive Director of Wealth Chile and ex-President and CEO of Antofagasta Minerals S.A, will continue to lead Wealth's ongoing Chilean Lithium Salar acquisition drive." The non-producing salars in Chile have had limited exploration work completed and most of them are yet to be systematically explored. Exploration will be required so that any potential resources can be identified and fully evaluated and quantified. Accordingly, the initial program to be carried out by the Company at the Property will consist of a program of prospecting and sampling to determine the existence, nature, extent and distribution of lithium at the Property. Qualified Person Keith J. Henderson, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Henderson is a consultant to Wealth, but does hold common shares and incentive stock options in the Company. Issuance of Shares to Balmoral Resources Ltd. On July 13, 2016, the Company issued an aggregate of 148,477 common shares to Balmoral Resources Ltd. in settlement of a payment of $133,333 due to Balmoral in connection with the termination of the N1/N2 project. The shares have a hold period in Canada expiring on November 13, 2016. About Wealth Minerals Ltd. Wealth is a mineral resource company with interests in Canada, Mexico, Peru and Chile. The Company's main focus is the acquisition of lithium projects in South America. To date the company has positioned itself to develop the Aguas Caliente Norte, Pujsa and Quisquiro Salars in Chile and continues to aggressively pursue new acquisitions in the region. Lithium market dynamics and a rapidly increasing metal price are the result of profound structural issues with the industry meeting anticipated future demand. Wealth is positioning itself to be a major beneficiary of this future mismatch of supply and demand. The Company also maintains and continues to evaluate a portfolio of precious and base metal exploration-stage projects. For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's web site (www.wealthminerals.com) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of WEALTH MINERALS LTD. "Tim McCutcheon" Tim McCutcheon President Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the Company's expectation that it will be able to enter into agreements to acquire interests in additional mineral projects, including lithium properties, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, the proposed execution of a formal agreement for the option to acquire an interest in the Property and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis and filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. SOURCE Wealth Minerals Limited Figure 1: Quisquiro Salar, showing Property (red outline) and SQM Ownership (green outline) Figure 2: Wealth's most recent lithium project acquisitions totaling 6,400 ha., collectively referred to as the "Trinity Lithium Project" [JURIST] Three former Irish bankers were sentenced to prison on Friday for conspiring to defraud customers and investors during the 2008 banking crisis. In what was Irelands longest criminal trial ever (74 days), former CEO of Irish Life and Permanent plc, Denis Casey, and two former executives of Anglo Irish Bank Corp., John Bowe and Willie McAteer, were convicted [Bloomberg report] for their role in collapsing a bank during the financial crisis. According to the court, the three had created a false impression of Anglo Irish Banks financial security through creating a 7.2-billion-euro circular payment [Reuters report]. Anglo Irish was liquidated in 2013, the last year of a sovereign bailout starting in 2010. Casey was sentenced to two years and nine months, Bowe was sentenced to two years, and McAteer was sentenced to three years and six months. Anglo Irish has been the center of controversy, its collapse thought to have been the main driving force behind the Irish banking crisis. In March two former Anglo Irish executives, Tiarnan OMahoney and Bernard Daly,had their convictions for furnishing false information and conspiring to defraud quashed [BN report] by the Court of Appeal [official website]. In October Anglo Irishs former CEO David Drumm was arrested [Guardian report] in Massachusetts on an extradition warrant alleging forgery, conspiracy to defraud, and false accounting. Drumm had moved to Boston two years after the economic crash in Ireland and attempted to declare bankruptcy, owing more than $11 million in loans he had borrowed from the bank. His application for bankruptcy was denied and was accused of lying and acting fraudulently in declaring bankruptcy. [JURIST] The Detroit News [news report] reported Friday that six state employees have been criminally indicted in relation to the Flint water crisis. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette [official website] filed the criminal charges against three employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) [official website] and three Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) [official website] employees. The DHSS employees indicted were Nancy Peeler, Robert Scott and Corrine MIller, and the charges include misconduct in office, conspiring to commit misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty relating to allegedly concealing or disregarding test results showing high levels of lead in the bloodstreams of Flint residents. The DEQ employees indicted were former chief of Michigans Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance, Shekter Smith, and water regulators Patrick Cook and Adam Rosenthal. All three face various charges, including misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty, for their various roles in misleading environmental officials and denying and refusing to address the heightened levels of lead in Flints drinking water. Numerous lawsuits have been filed in response to the Flint water contamination crisis. In May the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) [advocacy website] brought a lawsuit [JURIST report] against against Michigan officials for their action and inaction in Flint. A month prior a group of Flint residents filed an administrative complaint [JURIST report] against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [official website] for negligence in handling the Flint water crisis. David Leyton, a prosecutor in Genesee County, Michigan, announced in April that a Michigan judge would allow criminal charges [JURIST report] against three people involved in the water crisis in Flint, including the man who supervised the treatment plant as well as two state environmental officials. Earlier in April the city of Flint filed [JURIST report] an intent to sue letter with the state, claiming that the city lacks funds to defend itself against lawsuit filed during the water crisis. Hertz Schram PC, a southeastern Michigan firm, filed [JURIST report] a class action lawsuit in March on behalf of the children in Flint who were injured by exposure to the high levels of lead in the citys drinking water. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Maksim Tsurkov Trend: The closed Azerbaijani banks (Parabank, Zaminbank, Kredobank and Dekabank) will be able to return uninsured deposits to population themselves, Azad Javadov, executive director of Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF), told reporters July 29 in Baku. Currently, the volume of uninsured deposits at these four closed banks amounts to about 40 million manats, said Javadov. According to preliminary estimates, these banks funds are enough to start returning uninsured deposits upon the completion of payments for insured deposits. He also added that these payments will be carried out once in a month. We will receive funds daily, but we want to return uninsured deposits in accordance with funds accumulation, added Javadov. The licenses of DekaBank, KredoBank, Parabank and Zaminbank were cancelled in Azerbaijan, in accordance with the decision of the Financial Market Supervisory Body dated July 21, 2016. The licenses of those banks were revoked, as their assets were not classified in line with the law, they didnt create adequate reserves and the aggregate capital of these banks doesnt meet the minimum requirements [50 million manats]. In general, they havent fulfilled the regulators instructions. Temporary administrators were appointed to these banks July 22. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov [JURIST] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] said Thursday that Chelsea Manning is being investigated [press release] for charges in relation to her recent attempt at suicide. Manning, the Army solider convicted of releasing classified and sensitive military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks [advocacy website], is currently facing a 35-year sentence and, if convicted of the administrative offenses, could face the rest of those 35 years in solitary confinement. These administrative offenses [charge sheet, PDF] consist of resisting the force cell move team, prohibited property, and conduct which threatens. ACLU Staff Attorney Chase Strangio issued a statement in which he was deeply critical of the Armys handling of Manning, in particular the denial of medical care related to her gender transition despite the treatment [being] recognized as necessary. Strangio went on to say that while Chelsea is suffering the darkest depression she has experienced since her arrest, the government is taking actions to punish her for that pain. The report goes on to say that the Army continues to deny necessary medical care to Chelsea, including medical treatment following her suicide attempt. Mannings trial [JURIST op-ed] has garnered much debate. This May Manning appealed [JURIST report] her 35-year prison sentence. In 2013 Manning filed for a presidential pardon of the 35-year sentence [JURIST reports]. The sentence came a month after she was found guilty [JURIST report] of violating the Espionage Act, but was acquitted of the more serious charge of aiding the enemy. The judge had raised the burden of proof [JURIST report] in order to require the government to prove that Manning knowingly aided al Qaeda. Manning pleaded guilty [JURIST report] to 10 of the 22 charges against her for providing classified materials to Wikileaks. The European Commission (EC) [official website] called upon Poland [press release] Wednesday to guarantee political freedom to its top court, saying the rule of law in the country is under systematic threat. Polands highest court, the Constitutional Tribunal, has faced rapid changes and international criticism over the past year as the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) [party website, in Polish] has come into power and fired judges and suppressed judgments. PiS is a conservative party, and EU officials have issued warnings concerning their handling of the Constitutional Tribunal. Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission, stated that the Commission considers the main issues which threaten the rule of law in Poland that have not been resolved. He went on to explain that though Poland passed legislation unblocking the court [JURIST report], such measures are not sufficient, and EC has made concrete recommendations to Poland on how to address and rectify the issues with the Constitutional Court so that the body may resume its proper judicial functions. The international Venice Commission, a branch of the Council of Europe [official websites], began an investigation [press release] into Polands recent changes to its Constitutional Court this past February. The EU is examining the decision regarding the Constitutional Court as well as new media laws passed in January [JURIST reports]. Earlier this year the Polish government passed a controversial surveillance law [JURIST report] that grants the government[press release, Polish] greater access to digital data and broader use of surveillance for law enforcement. The PiS, a conservative party elected in October, holds an overwhelming majority [BBC report] of positions in the Polish government including the lead in both parliamentary houses and the presidency. Last December the leader of the European Parliament [official website] compared PiS rise to power in Poland to a coup [BBC report], leading to Parliament calling for an apology. PiS has rejected [DW report] criticisms that its policies are undermining democracy in Poland. However, there is a larger concern in the EU that new Polish law will erode checks and balances on government powers. [JURIST] The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit [official website] on Friday refused to dismiss [opinion, PDF] bribery and fraud charges levied against US Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey. Menendez, who is believed to have accepted gifts in exchange for political influence, claims his meetings with government officials were to discuss policy and not for the purpose of garnering gifts and monetary contributions. In denying Menendezs motion for dismissal, the court stated the acts alleged in this case were essentially lobbying on behalf of a particular party and thus, under specific circumstances here, are outside of constitutional harbor, granted by the Speech or Debate clause, which protects legislators from legal redress for legitimate legislative activities. Menendez was charged [ABC report] with 14 counts of bribery in April, after a three-year investigation by the Justice Department. The senators indictment alleges that he accepted approximately $1 million in gifts and campaign contributions from his friend, Dr. Salomon Melgen, in exchange for using his political power to benefit the doctor. Among the various favors Menendez performed are pulling strings in a lawsuit against Melgen for $8.9 million of Medicare overbilling and helping Melgens girlfriends obtain their visas. [JURIST] A three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit [official website] on Friday struck down [opinion, PDF] several provisions of North Carolinas House Bill 589 (HB 589) [text, PDF], most notably its voter identification requirements. In its decision to annul the voter ID provision of the statute, as well as provisions eliminating early voting, pre-registration same-day registration, and out-of-precinct voting, the court stated that the legislation was passed with racially discriminatory intent. The panel further explained that it, unlike the lower district court, was unconvinced by the argument that the statutes enactment was the innocuous back-and-forth of routine partisan struggle. Instead the panel suggested that the Republic-controlled state-legislature was motivated to enact HB 589 after an unprecedented African American voter participation in a state with troubled racial history and racially polarized voting. While the decision was unanimous, one justice disagreed with the decision to permanently enjoin the voter identification provision, expressing belief that the reasonable impediment exception provided ample protection against any potential discrimination. The decision overturns a district court decision [JURIST report] upholding HB 589 in April. Voting rights have been the subject of numerous legal challenges across the US, particularly in a presidential election year. Last month a federal judge ruled that Ohios elimination of the states early in-person voting [JURIST report] was unconstitutional and in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Earlier in May a federal judge ruled that Virginias voter identification law, which requires that voters have a valid form of ID either before voting or within three days after voting, is constitutional [JURIST report]. Also in May a federal judge ruled that Kansas cannot require voters to provide proof of citizenship [JURIST report] when registering to vote. In February the Maryland Senate overrode a veto by Governor Larry Hogan to pass a bill that will allow felons to vote [JURIST report] before they complete parole or probation. [JURIST] Former president of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva [BBC profile] filed a petition with the UN Human Rights Committee [official website] Thursday, claiming his corruption investigation has been riddled with impartiality and abuse of power by the judge. The petition [WSJ report], signed by da Silvas lawyers and British human rights lawyer Georffrey Robertson, alleges that Judge Sergio Moro has violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [materials], denying da Silva the right to a fair trial, freedom from arbitrary detention, and right to privacy. The former president alleges two instances of violation of his rights. First, he claims Moro allowed federal police to compel him to give deposition despite his having cooperated previously, and with no indication he would not further cooperate. This eventually led to da Slivas detention for security reasons. Second, following his appointment as chief of staff for his successor, Dilma Rousseff, Moro released a recording of da Silva speaking with his family, lawyers and other politicians, including Rousseff. Following the release of this recording, da Silvas nomination was suspended and soon after Rousseff was suspended and put on trial [JURIST report] for impeachment. The former president was indicted on corruption charges stemming from his involvement with state-owned oil company Petrobas. He was subpoenaed [JURIST report] in January. More than 100 individuals and 50 politicians have been arrested in connection to the Petrobras scandal, including the chief of staff under Brazils former President Jose Dirceu and the former president Fernando Collor de Mellon [Britannica profile]. In November Brazils highest court ordered [JURIST report] the arrest of Andre Esteves, the chief executive of the countrys largest investment bank, and that of Delcidio do Amaral, a powerful senator of the countrys ruling party, both accused of bribery and corruption affiliated with Petrobras. Russian and Syrian forces are using cluster bombs to target civilians and rebels in the northern portions of Syria, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] reported [press release] Thursday. More than 46 attacks related to cluster munition have been documented since May, and it is estimated that dozens were injured or killed by their usage. HRW has long decried the use of cluster munitions and has helped form the Cluster Munition Coalition [official website] in attempts to ban their use. Cluster Munitions in warfare are particularly dangerous to civilians due to their unpredictable nature and the manner in which undetonated portions of the cluster may remain hidden in the ground as de facto land mines. The conflict in Syria [JURIST backgrounder] has continued for five years in a civil war based around the legitimacy of President Bashar al-Assad [BBC reports]. Last month UN human rights experts called for the immediate protection [JURIST report] of thousands of Syrian civilians. In May Amnesty International [advocacy website] reported that armed opposition groups in Syria are committing war crimes around the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo city. Earlier that month top UN official Stephen OBrien called for the immediate investigation of recent airstrikes in Syria, which may amount to war crimes for intentionally targeting civilians [JURIST report]. Indonesia implemented a firing squad to execute four individuals convicted of drug charges Friday, despite international outcry for the nation to cease the use of the death penalty in drug crimes. The four individuals [NYT report] comprised two Nigerians, one Senegalese and one Indonesian. As many as 10 other people may await the same fate, many of whom are foreign to the nation. It is still unclear how many prisoners have been transferred to Nusa Kambangan, the island on which Indonesia carries out executions. Indonesian President Joko Widodo [BBC profile] has remained firm in his stance that drug smugglers must face harsh penalties despite international criticism. Earlier this week UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein [official profile] urged [JURIST report] Indonesia to halt the imminent executions of 14 individuals, convicted mainly for drug-related offenses. Last year a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] urged [JURIST report] the Indonesian government to halt all executions of people convicted of drug-related offenses. Also last year Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors from Indonesia after an Indonesian firing squad executed six convicted drug traffickers [JURIST report], sparking international condemnation from human rights groups and foreign leaders. Jin Kyung-joon, a senior prosecutor in South Korea, was indicted on charges of bribery Friday. Jin has been accused [WSJ report] of accepting more than USD $11 million from an executive at the online-game company Nexon [corporate website] during collusive stock transactions over a nine-year period. Jin is the highest ranking official in recent history to face a corruption scandal. He is a vice-ministerial level official. Jins arrest [JURIST report] follows recent news of corruption investigations taking place worldwide. Earlier this month a federal judge in Buenos Aires froze [JURIST report] the assets of former Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner who was charged with conspiring to sell USD $17 billion in futures contracts using an inflated dollar value for the countrys own currency. Also this month a Chinese court sentenced [JURIST report] a former presidents top aide to life in prison after finding him guilty of taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power. Last month the Supreme Court of the Maldives upheld [JURIST report] the 13-year prison sentence of former president Mohamed Nasheed on terrorism-related charges. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Maksim Tsurkov Trend: Turkey imported 10.14 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia in January-May 2016, as compared to 11.22 billion cubic meters in the same period of 2015, said the report issued by Turkeys Energy Market Regulatory Authority. Russia supplied 26.78 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Turkey in 2015, as compared to almost 27 billion cubic meters in 2014. The report also says Turkey imported 19.94 billion cubic meters of gas in January-May 2016, of which 16.22 billion cubic meters were delivered via pipelines, while 3.72 billion cubic meters accounted for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Russia accounted for 50.84 percent of the total volume of Turkeys gas import in January-May 2016. Russia supplies gas to Turkey via the Blue Stream and the Trans-Balkan pipelines. Blue Stream is a major trans-Black Sea gas pipeline with the capacity of 16 billion cubic meters per year that carries natural gas from Russia into Turkey. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Maksim Tsurkov Trend: Iran exported 3.35 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey in January-May 2016, as compared to 3.13 billion cubic meters in the same period in 2015, said the report published on the website of Turkeys Energy Market Regulatory Authority. Iran exported 7.83 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Turkey in 2015, as compared to 8.93 billion cubic meters in 2014. Turkey imported 19.94 billion cubic meters of gas in January-May 2016 and 16.22 billion cubic meters of this volume was imported via pipelines, while 3.72 billion cubic meters accounted for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to the report. Iran accounted for 16.79 percent of Turkeys total gas import in January-May 2016. Iranian gas is delivered to Turkey via the Tabriz-Ankara pipeline with the capacity of 14 billion cubic meters per year. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey and Russia will discuss the details of construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline during the meeting of the two countries energy ministers in Moscow Aug.9, Turkeys Economy minister Nihat Zeybekci told CNN Turk July 29. Currently, there are no obstacles to construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey in accordance with the Russian project, he added. The minister noted that Ankara and Moscow have nearly agreed to completely lift the sanctions on import of Turkish goods to Russia. Earlier, Turkish presidential administration told Trend that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will discuss a number of important economic and political issues during the meeting in St. Petersburg Aug.9. Fighting the terrorist organizations in Syria is among the issues planned to be discussed during that meeting, said the presidential administration. Moreover, the presidents are expected to discuss the joint energy projects of Russia and Turkey, such as the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and the construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant. The parties will also discuss the ways of further developing the relations between Ankara and Moscow, said Turkeys presidential administration. The relations between Russia and Turkey deteriorated after the Su-24 bomber incident in 2015. On June 27, Erdogan sent a letter of condolences to Putin over the death of Russian Su-24 pilot and expressed regret over the incident. Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, commenting on the improvement of relations between Turkey and Russia, thanked Azerbaijan for its contribution to normalization of the relations. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Elena Kosolapova - Trend: The prospects of implementation of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project are quite good, but they unlikely are immediate, Professor Jonathan Stern, Chairman and Senior Research Fellow for Natural Gas Research Programme in the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies believes. My guess it that it will take several more years before we see the first line built, Stern told Trend by email on July 29. The expert believes that both Turkey and Russia are really interested in the Turkish Stream project. They do not need the project now, but by the early 2020s Turkey may need it, he said. The Turkish Stream project was frozen in late 2015 due to sharp deterioration of relations between Moscow and Ankara when Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber with two pilots on board. On June 27, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter of condolences to Putin over the death of Russian Su-24 pilot and expressed regret over the incident. After that, the two countries relations began to improve. Russia and Turkey have announced the resumption of negotiations on the Turkish Stream this week and the intention to create a working group on this project. Initially Russia planned to build four lines of the Turkish Stream with 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas capacity each. The first line was planned for gas supplies to Turkish market. Three other lines had to bring Russian gas to the Turkish-Greek border for subsequent supplies to the EU. Edited by SI Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: Iran and Guinea have signed 10 documents on economic cooperation during Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarifs recent tour to West Africa. Iran's Ambassador to Guinea Hamidreza Vahid-Kiani said that the sides have also agreed to set up a joint economic commission to expand bilateral ties, IRNA news agency reported. The documents between the two countries were signed for cooperation in the fields of mining including diamond and gold, oil extraction, construction of terminals and highways as well as inexpensive settlements, health and education. Zarif wrapped up his six-day tour to West Africa July 28. A large economic delegation including the representatives of Iranian private sector accompanied the foreign minister during his six-day visit to Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea and Mali aimed at promoting trade ties. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: Iran and Indonesia have discussed ways for expansion of banking ties in the post-sanctions era. At a meeting between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour and Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia Ronald Waas in Jakarta, the sides called for expansion of cooperation in banking ties, IRNA news agency reported. In the meantime, Rahimpour had a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Desra Percaya to discuss expansion of ties. The volume of trade turnover between Iran and Indonesia in 2011 stood at $2 billion which later slipped to one tenth due to the western imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Now, with the removal of international sanctions the sides plan to increase the figure to the level of pre-sanctions period. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the nuclear deal, was reached between Tehran and the worlds major powers on July 14, 2015. As a result of the implementation of the JCPOA, some parts of international sanctions on the Islamic Republic were lifted. However, the countrys banking system is still facing considerable difficulties in re-establishing ties with major international banks. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: Freight trains have resumed commuting between Iran and Turkey after almost one week of suspension due to a bomb blast. A bomb took place 23 July on board a Turkish freight train that was en route from eastern Turkey to Iran. The incident occurred in Turkey within 30 kilometers of the Iranian border. According to Iranian media reports the train was carrying iron, tobacco, and MDF (Medium-density fibreboard) to Iran. The Turkish officials have blamed militants with the outlawed Kurdishtan Workers Party (PKK) for the attack. Majid Aghababaei, Iranian deputy interior minister for border affairs, has said that trains had to stop commuting between Iran and Turkey as the railway was damaged due to the bomb blast, Fars news agency reported. However, the railway has already been repaired and freight trains are now working, he added. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: One of gunmen, who seized a police station in Yerevan, Varuzhan Avetisyan, said that the gunmen are ready to release the doctors taken hostage earlier if other doctors agree to come, RIA Novosti agency reported July 29. The Armenian Ministry of Health said on July 27 that the gunmen took four ambulance employees hostage, including a woman who arrived to render aid to the injured. According to the message, the gunmen urged Armen Muradyan, Armenian minister of health, to come and remain a hostage instead of doctors. Then one of the doctors was released. Avetisyan added that doctors feel good and perform their professional duties. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. KEARNEY Kearney native and NASA Senior Scientist Bill Meyer can now add another line to his resume recipient of the Exceptional Public Service Medal, NASAs highest honor. It means that were doing the right kind of stuff. Its nice to get that kind of feedback, Meyer said in a telephone interview from Ohio where he works at NASAs Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Meyer was awarded the medal in late September. Meyer a graduate of Kearney High School and Kearney State College joined NASA in 1987. Meyers work focuses on colloids, tiny particles that can be made to behave like slow atoms in the zero gravity of space. These colloids allow scientists to study atomic behavior. According to Meyer, this allows scientists to see how order arises out of disorder. I really enjoy working with these scientists that are pushing new frontiers because theyre very excited about what they are doing, and they really want to make a positive impact, Meyer said. Meyers path to NASA began as a student at KSC studying physics. Initially, I was studying philosophy, said Meyer who graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1978 with a philosophy degree. Following graduation, Meyer moved back to Kearney and soon began taking classes at KSC, now the University of Nebraska at Kearney, working toward a degree in math and physics. While attending classes, Meyer worked at the family business Village Cleaners repairing and maintaining machinery. I was very interested in how it is that the world works and how we interact with it, Meyer said. Physics seemed to be a natural way to extend what I had picked up in philosophy. Meyer graduated from KSC with a degree in math and physics in 1983 and remembers the teaching staff and his time there fondly. One professor gave Meyer the keys to the universitys observatory to use in his studies during off hours. Its a great place where theres lot of opportunity, Meyer said. There are some brilliant teachers there. Some of those people really inspired me to go on and ask these kinds of questions and that it is possible to get answers. Meyer then attended the University of Missouri-Rolla where he earned a masters degree in physics and engineering management. From there, Meyer joined NASA and began work on his doctorate in physics, graduating from the University of Amsterdam in 2002. Meyer, who still has family in Kearney, tries to make it back to town every summer to visit his father William Meyer and brothers Bob, Mike, and Scott. His mother, Marilyn Meyer, died in 2004. I like to go back and visit Kearney, Meyer said. Its a great town. email to: In response to Sally Roepkes July 24 letter to the editor complaining about difficulties finding rentals for families in Kearney, to refuse to sell or rent housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap is prohibited under the Fair Housing Act. Anyone who wishes to file a complaint of discrimination may call the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission at 800-642-6112, or the office of Fair Housing at 800-743-5323 (for Nebraska). You may also file a complaint online at http://ow.ly/kpMPt, or download the Housing Discrimination app at the AppStore. Assistance in completing your discrimination complaint form is also available at the Kearney Housing Agency, 2715 Ave. I, 234-3000. Carrie Hardage, Kearney This 1905 photo provided by The Field Museum shows staff preparatory Richard Raddatz posing next to an alligator gar at the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago. Biologists are restocking alligator gar to waterways throughout the middle of the country, hoping the alligator gar - a giant fish once driven to extinction in much of its historic range - can help control invasive Asian carp. (Charles Carpenter/The Field Museum via AP) Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: The gunmen who seized a police station in Yerevan, will be charged only upon the article on illegal possession of weapons if they voluntarily surrender, Gevorg Kostanyan, Armenian prosecutor general, said, RIA Novosti agency reported July 29. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. "The issue is about three different elements of the crime, namely, illegal possession of weapons, the seizure of buildings, taking hostages, Kostanyan said in an interview with local Shant TV channel. If the gunmen voluntarily release the hostages or empty buildings, they are not subject to criminal liability if their actions do not contain another crime," he added. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: One of the gunmen who seized a police station in Yerevan was injured in the shootout, Ashot Aharonian, spokesman for the Armenian police, said July 29, RIA Novosti agency reported. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. "While violating the requirements of law enforcement agencies, the gunmen opened fire, Aharonian wrote on his Facebook page. Police officers returned fire. One of the gunmen Arayik Khandoyan was injured. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: The gunmen, who seized a police station in Yerevan, are periodically exchanging fire with law enforcement officers, Ashot Aharonian, spokesman for the Armenian police, said, RIA Novosti agency reported July 29. "While violating the requirements of law enforcement agencies, the gunmen opened fire, Aharonian wrote on his Facebook page. Police officers returned fire. Aharonian also stressed that two more gunmen were injured. 926 Shares Share A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com. A couple of months ago I received a Facebook invitation to like a page. That was not unusual, and usually the pages are on silly or obscure topics, but this page was different. The name of the page was New Kidney for Stu. Stuart Himmelstein, MD, FACP, is one of my Facebook friends. Stu is a solo internist in private practice in Delray Beach, Florida. He is also a past Governor of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP), which is how I met and got to know him. His ACP service is just one of his many contributions to organized medicine and the profession, as hes also been active with his county and state medical societies, serving in many leadership roles. What I learned from the Facebook page was that Stu Himmelstein also has chronic kidney disease from tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). He first learned that something was wrong in 2010, when on testing for a life insurance policy he had a creatinine of 2.0. His workup in Florida and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN concluded that he had a rare form of TSC that causes severe scarring of the kidneys. Stus renal function declined rapidly over the following years, and he is now on peritoneal dialysis while he awaits a donor kidney. He was put on the deceased donor list in December, 2012, and this spring he expanded his search to include living donors after he met a man who found a living donor using Facebook. I thought that using Facebook to find an organ donor was an unusual approach, but it turns out that its not that uncommon. A 2013 study in the journal Clinical Transplantation described the use of social networking websites to identify potential donors. It concluded that Social networking sites may be a powerful tool in expanding live kidney donation. A discussion with the authors of the study in Scientific American further explored the potential implications of using social media to find organ donors. According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administrations Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), there are 99,562 persons on the waiting list for a kidney as I am writing this column. For those on the waiting list, it can be a long wait: Waiting time / # of patients < 30 days / 2,423 30 to < 90 days / 5,516 90 days to < 6 months / 7,421 6 months to < 1 year / 13,024 1 year to < 2 years / 21,947 2 years to < 3 years / 17,621 3 years to < 5 years / 21,171 5 or more years / 15,533 The OPTN database shows that over the last few years, approximately 40 percent of the kidneys come from living donors. Stu was told it could take 4 or 5 years for him to receive a deceased donor kidney matching his O blood type. A living donor could shorten that wait, plus data from the OPTN, while limited, suggests better survival. Stus use of social media is an innovative way to get the word out to his Facebook community, but he is getting old fashioned support from his professional community, notably his colleagues in the Florida Chapter of ACP. According to Michelle Rossi, MD, FACP, the Chapters Immediate Past Governor, In addition to extensive individual outreach, the Chapter has decided to use its social networking and web presence to further disseminate Stus story. Subsequently, so that members can learn more in person, information about organ donation and the benefits of live transplantation will be featured at the upcoming annual Scientific Session. While Stu waits, hes not idle. He continues to practice full-time, though as he puts it I have let my practice drift down to be less than Grand-Central-Station-at-rush-hour busy. He graciously agreed to let me write about his quest because he wants to increase awareness, not just for himself but for the over 120,000 people who need organ transplants. You can learn more, including how you can be an organ donor, by visiting the United Network for Organ Sharing website. ACPs Ethics Manual addresses the topic of solid organ transplantation and links to a 2000 ACP-ASIM Observer ethics case study that provides excellent guidance on how to discuss organ procurement with patients. Yul Ejnes is an internal medicine physician and a past chair, board of regents, American College of Physicians. His statements do not necessarily reflect official policies of ACP. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 780 Shares Share When I started medical school, I was most excited to start learning again. Having spent the last couple years as a teacher in a classroom, I sorely missed the experience of being the student. Reflecting on my college days, I missed the intellectual conversations generated in our seminars, hours poring over literature under dimly lit alcoves of the library; even the far-too-frequent all-nighters spent hashing through complex biochemical pathways with my study group. Despite the stress, and the at times esoteric nature of our material, I loved learning. I loved to think deeply, to challenge myself. I loved when organized study groups would unravel into theoretical debates. I missed this the learning tremendously in the years leading up to medical school. But what I found perhaps a rude awakening for most medical students is that medical school learning is not at all like undergraduate learning. During the first two years, most of the material is disseminated in lecture and textbook form, with significantly less curricular time devoted to seminars or discussions. Tests are multiple choice, with always one right answer (despite the fact that we are told, over and over again, about the grayness often encountered in clinical practice). Studying means cramming as much information as you possibly can and hoping to remember at least half of it come test day. The proverb that medical school is like drinking from a firehose couldnt be more spot-on. The information is so incredibly vast; you can never possibly know everything. The human body is a miraculous and infinitely complex thing, and the opportunity to study its intricacies has been an enormous privilege. Yet, I found getting lost in its mysterious labyrinths, asking too many questions, meant I wasnt asking the right ones. In the strictly regimented curriculum of a medical student, there is little time for exploring, and those who wander tend to get lost. Throughout the preclinical years, I found myself missing the creativity, the deeper Socratic nature of my undergraduate education. But, as most medical students do, I endured through the two years of rote memorization with the promise to myself that it would get better. Once they let us into the hospital during clinical years, I thought, then the real learning would begin. Then wed have time to discuss and think and talk to patients and really begin to understand the human condition, beyond the confines of biochemical pathways and anatomical structures. Then third year came along, and I was so excited to finally be done with the books and lectures and actually get to do the real doctoring stuff. But as it turned out, third year of medical school was a lot more memorization, algorithms, and multiple choice tests. Pimping the act by which an attending will fire off a series of questions at medical students encourages rote memorization at the expense of curiosity, creativity, or, as a recent New York Times columnist argues, uncertainty. Whats even more disheartening is that the vast reservoir of medical information we spent the last two years amassing doesnt seem very useful in practice. Residents spend much of their days making phone calls and completing administrative work. And all of those facts that they spent years memorizing in medical school? They can (and do) look them up in the click of a button. So why do we continue along on such an inefficient pathway? Why, in the past century, has there been little change in the way that our doctors are trained? Perhaps we, the students, are to blame for a health care system that is falling behind. As medical students, we are good at following rules. We are given hoops to jump through, and obediently, we jump. Four years of premed courses, the MCAT, Step 1, Step 2, Step 3. We never stop to question whether all the preparation will be useful one day. As a total clutz in the operating room with no future in surgery, its hard for me to rationalize the hours I spend in the OR, given that I have no formal courses on health care economics, on navigating insurance policy, on palliative care, or even empathy. But I dutifully put on my scrubs at 4 a.m., retract and suction and retract, and hope I wont get yelled at for breaking sterile field (again). I do these things because thats what Im supposed to do. And while Im a terrible surgeon, at least Im good at following rules. Looking around at my peers, Ive been so impressed with the potential brain power among other medical students. There is so much opportunity for innovation and progress. But rather than brainstorming solutions to health cares most challenging problems, we spend most of our training buried in textbooks and algorithms and scantrons. And then as residents, we are buried in phone calls and paperwork. We accept the idea that we cant change an entire system, we cant move mountains. We settle. The questioning, the philosophizing, the healthy dose of skepticism that I assume most of us arrived here with, all of these things were left along the wayside somewhere during first year. Let me be clear about one thing: Im a fourth-year medical student. The only thing I really know at this point is that I know next to nothing. But I can still see the glaring inefficiencies in how doctors are trained. I dont have a solution, but I do think our curriculum must evolve in order to keep pace with the lightning speed pace at which healthcare technology progresses. I think its time we put less emphasis on micro-issues (i.e., memorizing the cut-offs for abnormal labs), and have more structured curricular time devoted to the macro-issues: health care policy, preventative care, burden of disease on a global scale. Its time we ask: Is there a faster or more efficient way to do things? And one more thing: Its 2016, can we finally do away with the beepers? Hannah Simon is a medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 7K Shares Share Illustration by Jorge Muniz, PA-C. We enter medicine with our hearts and souls on fire ready to serve humanity. By the time we complete medical training many of us have anxiety, PTSD, depression even suicidal thoughts. Why? Medicine is stressful. Many of us work 100-hour weeks surrounded by suffering and death. We may deliver a stillborn, try to save a teenager with a gunshot wound, and then rush into the next room to help a lady having a heart attack all within an hour. With no debriefing or emotional support. Medical training glorifies physical and emotional self-neglect and endorses teaching by intimidation and public humiliation. Bullying, hazing, and sleep deprivation is the norm in many of our finest hospitals and clinics. And if we seek psychological support, were mandated to report it on all job applications. Doctors who complain about inhumane working conditions are often labeled with burnout, a resilience deficiency or even disruptive. Theyre mandated to resiliency classes so they can learn mindfulness, deep breathing, or yoga. Victims get instructed in work-life balance, boundaries, and other ways to conform to their workplace abuse. Anger, grief, and depression are normal responses to a sick medical system that forces us to submit to inhumane working conditions. Burnout blames the individual. Physicians may then feel unfit for the profession they once loved. The most vulnerable among us may leave medicine. Some may consider suicide. Burnout and similar labels are dangerous to the individual and also distract from the real diagnosis: human rights abuse. (FYI: Meditation, yoga, and taking deep breaths are not treatments for human rights violations.) The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 24: Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay. Doctors, if you on a 36-hour shift in the ICU and have not eaten or pooped all day, you are experiencing multiple human rights violations. Patients, if youre in the hospital, and your doctor is bullied, abused, hypoglycemic, and sleep deprived, you should be very, very concerned. Human rights violations will adversely impact your care. So docs, how do you know if youre experiencing human rights violations at work? 1) You dont get lunch or bathroom breaks. 2) You are forced to work multiple-day shifts. 3) You are not allowed to sleep. 4) You are forced to see unsafe numbers of patients. 5) You can never seem to find work-life balance. 6) You are threatened verbally, financially even physically. 7) You are bullied. 8) And if you ask for help, youre called a slacker or worse. If any of this seems familiar, its not your fault. You are a victim of abuse. So what should you do? Your goal should not be to cope with abuse. Your goal should be to stop it. Taking deep breaths will not end your abuse. If youre being abused, speak up. If youre complicit with abuse, you perpetuate the cycle on the next generation. Other countries get in big trouble for human rights abuse. Why should U.S. health care get a pass? Heres what happens when we are complicit with medicines human rights violations: Pamela Wible pioneered the community-designed ideal medical clinic and blogs at Ideal Medical Care. She is the author of Physician Suicide Letters Answered and Pet Goats and Pap Smears. Watch her TEDx talk, How to Get Naked with Your Doctor. She hosts the physician retreat, Live Your Dream, to help her colleagues heal from grief and reclaim their lives and careers. Jorge Muniz is an internal medicine physician assistant, illustrator, and author of Medcomic: The Most Entertaining Way to Study Medicine. Image credit: Medcomic.com Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: "If the police continue shooting, this will have serious consequences", Varuzhan Avetisyan, one of gunmen, who seized a police station in Yerevan, said July 29, RIA Novosti reported. He noted that if the police continue shooting, the gunmen wil shoot back in self-defense. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. The victims and families involved in the fatal bus wreck off US-83 this past May will have to wait to receive any funds. According to our ABC affiliate in the Rio Grande Valley, a federal judge extended the freeze on funds expected for RGV victims involved in a bus wreck. Nine people were killed, and more than 40 others were injured when their bus rolled over during a trip to a casino in Eagle Pass. The bus insurance company was expected to settle the $3 million in liability insurance to just a few of the victims. Attorneys representing the remaining victims took the company to bankruptcy court. The freeze in funds will give attorneys and the insurance company a chance to reach a fair deal. Attorneys hope to be able to split the money so all victims get some sort of compensation. FfThe Bishop of Ossory, Seamus Freeman, has resigned. His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation on health grounds of Bishop Freeman SAC, Bishop of Ossory and the announcement was made this morning in Rome. Bishop Freeman was annointed as Bishop of Ossory in St Mary's Cathedral in 2007. Speaking on behalf of all the priests in the diocese, Fr Paschal Moore wished Bishop Freeman well and paid tribute to him this morning. Bishop Freeman was born on 23 February 1944, the eldest of eight children, in the parish of Mullinahone, Co Tipperary, his family later moved to Callan, Co Kilkenny, where he attended school. He entered the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallotines) in Thurles, Co Tipperary, and made his first Pallotine consecration in 1965. He studied philosophy at University College Dublin, and theology at Saint Patricks College, Thurles. He was ordained a priest on 12 June 1971. Subsequent to his ordination, Father Freeman was sent to the Catholic University of Washington to pursue studies in psychology but was called to Rome not long afterwards to act as personal secretary to the Rector General of his society. Two years later he returned to Washington to complete his studies and was awarded a degree in psychology. In 1975 he was appointed Director of Formation and Rector of the Church of Saint Sylvester in Rome. During his rectorship, in May 1975, he was also elected a member of the Provincial Council of the Irish Province of the Society. In 1981 he returned to Ireland to take up the post of Rector and Director of Formation at the Pallotine College in Thurles, Co Tipperary. While participating as delegate in the General Assembly of his Society in 1983, Father Freeman was elected to the General Council of the Pallottines in Rome for a term of six years. In 1989 he was appointed Vicar General of the Society. Barely three years later, in 1992, Father Martin Juritsch, the then Rector General of the Society fell gravely ill and Father Freeman was elected to succeed him at an Extraordinary General Assembly. He was re-elected for a second-six year term in 1998. In 1994 Father Freeman took part as an auditor in the 1994 Synod of Bishops, dedicated to the theme of the religious life. During his term as Rector General, on 28 October 2003, the Pallottine Family, known as Union of the Catholic Apostolate, was declared a Public and International Association of the Faithful by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. At an international Assembly of the Union held in Rome in December 2005, Father Freeman was unanimously re-elected President of their General Co-ordination Council for a term of three years. At the conclusion of his second term as Rector General of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, Father Freeman spent a year with the Irish Pallottine community at Saint Sylvesters in Rome after which, on 7 October 2004, he was appointed Parish Priest of the Church of Saint Vincent Pallotti at Pietralata in Rome. Bishop Freeman was appointed Bishop of Ossory by Pope Benedict XVI on 14 September 2007. He was ordained Bishop of Ossory on 2 December 2007 in Saint Marys Cathedral, Kilkenny. Bishop Freemans episcopal ministry saw him serve as a Member of the Standing Committee of the Irish Episcopal Conference, Member of the Episcopal Commission for Worship, Chair of the Pastoral Renewal and Faith Development, Member of the Council for Religious, Joint Council for Religious of the IEC and CORI. Bishop Freeman facilitated the realisation of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan, as the Peoples Plan for Ossory, and recently employed the first lay pastoral worker in Ossory to ensure its continued implementation. As Bishop of Ossory he worked tirelessly for the restoration of Saint Marys Cathedral, its Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Chapter House and surrounding campus. A bit of inspired forward thinking by my grandfather sparked my interest in the financial services field and stayed with me into adulthood, even leading to a career. He gave me my first subscription to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine when I was a boy. He also bought mutual funds for my brother and me, figuring that these investment vehicles would give us a good hands-on lesson in how the market works. Sadly, those mutual funds performed incredibly poorly, and fees pretty well ate up the account. Bummer, I know. But here's the thing. Despite that less-than-stirring initiation into finances, I was intrigued by what I learned reading the newspaper each day to see how my investment was doing. 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 I think a lot of children today would be just as fascinated as I was. I also believe that, if you want your children or grandchildren to handle their money wisely when they reach adulthood, now is the time to instill the right money-management lessons in them. If you wait until they're ready to leave for college, then you may be too late. This doesn't have to mean lengthy, complex lectures that will leave fidgety 7-year-olds wondering when they can get back to the Cartoon Network. You can even make it fun and somewhat informal. Here are a few suggestions on how to get started: 1. Tell your story. It seems simple, but one of the best things you can do is make it personal. Sit down and talk with your children or grandchildren about your investments and how you make investment decisions. People think kids don't understand this sort of thing, but, if you put in the time to explain it in simple terms, you'd be surprised at what they can understand. 2. Introduce them to online resources. Show them how to use platforms such as Yahoo Finance (opens in new tab) or Fidelity.com (opens in new tab). They can get a wealth of information from such sites. 3. Encourage them to buy stock in a favorite company. I've done this with my 10-year-old son, who chose to invest in Disney (symbol DIS (opens in new tab)) right before the last Star Wars movie came out. He's shown great interest in what's happening with the stock and already understands yield. My 8-year-old daughter, who's a fan of My Little Pony, wants to buy stock in Hasbro (HAS (opens in new tab)). If the stock matches something children already are excited about, it's much easier to keep their interest in what could be, in their view, a dull subject. 4. Read with them. Recently, I read a book titled The Richest Man in Babylon, by George Clason, and now I am sharing the audio version with my four children. The book is a series of parables about money, and though the book is set in ancient Babylon, the lessons in those parables apply just as well today as they did thousands of years ago. Think about that. We have a better chance of avoiding a lot of money mistakes if we take heed of the financial lessons our ancestors learned long before we arrived on the Earth. Better yet, we can pass those lessons on to the next generation so they don't make the same mistakes we did. Eric Mattinson is an Investment Adviser Representative with Semmax Financial Group Inc. in North Carolina. He is a licensed insurance agent, holds his Series 65 securities license and has earned the Registered Financial Consultant (RFC) industry designation. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: Protesters have clashed with police in Yerevan, TASS reported. According to the information, law enforcement officers used stun grenades. Rally has started on Freedom Square in Armenian capital in support of the armed group that seized the police building in Yerevan, News Armenia web site reported. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. Newmarket Gold Inc. (TSX: NMI; OTCQX: NMKTF) increased full-year production guidance after record output in the second quarter. The company reports record gold production of 61,191 ounces in the April-June period, including record quarterly production from the Fosterville gold mine of 37,245 ounces driven by record mill grade of 7.50 grams per tonne and record recovery of 90.8%. The company-wide output is up from 55,998 in the same period a year ago. All-in sustaining costs fell to $937 an ounce from $1,037. Net income for the second quarter was $16.8 million, or 10 cents per share, compared to net income of $12.1 million, also 10 cents, in the year-ago period. Newmarket says the unchanged earnings per shares despite a 39% increase in net income reflects a higher average number of shares outstanding as a result of the conversion and redemption of debentures and the exercise of warrants during the first quarter, resulting in the company being essentially debt free. Based on record second-quarter production, Newmarket Gold is increasing full-year consolidated production guidance to 225,000 (to) 235,000 ounces of gold and lowering the consolidated AISC to $900 (to) $975 per ounce sold, mainly attributable to record production, grade and recovery at Fosterville, says Douglas Forster, president and chief executive officer. Prior guidance was 205,000 to 220,000 ounces with AISC of $950 to $1,025. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Stillwater Mining Posts 2Q Profit On Higher Output, Lower Costs Platinum Group Metals producer Stillwater Mining Co. (NYSE: SWC) was profitable in the second quarter despite lower metals prices as the company cut costs and upped output. Stillwater reports second-quarter net income of $0.8 million, or a penny per share, compared to a loss of $27.5 million, or 23 cents, in the year-ago period. The second quarter was impacted by lower realized metal prices, partially offset by a reduction in unit costs, Stillwater says. The second quarter of 2015 included a before-tax impairment charge of $46.8 million. We delivered quarterly costs of metals sold of $501 per PGM mined ounce and AISC (all-in sustaining costs) within our new medium-term mid-to-high $500s target range, says Mick McMullen, president and chief executive officer. Our momentum continued throughout the quarter, with June delivering the highest monthly ounces since April 2015, a significant decrease in costs of metals sold and the lowest AISC since 2010. We exit the first half of the year on track to exceed several of the original targets set for 2016, and thus today are announcing new guidance for the full-year. The company now looks for sales this year of 545,000 to 555,000 mined ounces of platinum and palladium. The combined average realized price for the sales of mined palladium and platinum decreased to $665 per ounce in the second quarter from $842 a year ago. The amount of mined palladium and platinum sold in the second quarter rose to 150,900 ounces from 133,000 a year ago. Costs of metals sold per PGM mined ounce totaled $501, down from $606 recorded a year ago. The company cites cost-improvement initiatives at both mines and reduced labor costs. AISC per PGM mined ounce totaled $594, down from $785. Total recycled PGM ounces fed to the smelter were up 12.1% from the second quarter of 2015 to 169,900 ounces. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Eldorado Gold Posts Adjusted Profit In Second Quarter Eldorado Gold Corp. reports a net loss for the second quarter due to an impairment charge but had an adjusted profit when excluding special items. Adjusted net earnings were $11.7 million, or a penny per share, compared with $17 million, or 2 cents, in the second quarter of 2015. The net loss was $329.9 million, or 46 cents per share, as Eldorado recorded a post-tax impairment loss of $339 million for discontinued operations related to Chinese assets. During the quarter, Eldorado announced agreements to sell the Chinese portfolio for $900 million cash, subject to regulatory and other approvals and closing adjustments. April-June production was 124,110 ounces, compared to 181,160 a year ago. Sales volumes from continuing operations fell from a year ago due to an anticipated decrease production from Kisladag, impacted by longer leach cycles as a result of solution being applied to higher lifts, the company explains. Additionally, production during 2015 benefitted from a significant leach pad inventory drawdown due to an increase in the solution pumping and treatment capacity installed at the end of 2014. Meanwhile, the company was helped by an average realized gold price of $1,270 an ounce, compared to $1,201 in the year-ago period. Quarterly production was in line with internal plans and we are expecting to produce a total of 570,000 ounces of gold at all in sustaining cash costs of $930 per ounce and cash costs of $595 per ounce for the full year 2016, says Paul Wright, president and chief executive officer. Previous guidance was production of 565,000 to 630,000 ounces at average cash costs of $585 to $620 per ounce and AISC of $960 to $995 per ounce. In Turkey, where a recent coup attempt failed, the companys two operating mines continue with no disruptions, Eldorado says. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com OceanaGold Reports Fatality At Waihi Gold Mine OceanaGold Corp. (TSX, ASX, NZX: OGC) reports that an underground mining operator was killed in an accident at the Waihi Gold Mine in New Zealand Thursday, with the operation suspended during an investigation. The company says it is fully cooperating on the investigation with authorities and WorkSafe New Zealand. We are all deeply saddened by this tragic event," says Mick Wilkes, president and chief executive officer. "It is a sobering reminder that the health and safety of our workforce is paramount each and every day. On behalf of all employees at OceanaGold, I offer our deepest prayers and condolences to the family of the worker and employees of the mine." By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Endeavour Mining Reports Rise In 2Q Gold Production Endeavour Mining (TSX: EDV; OTCQX: EDVMF) reports higher gold production in the second quarter compared to a year ago and upped guidance to account for the Karma mine in Burkina Faso acquired this year. Gold production rose to 138,487 ounces from 112,924 in the same period a year ago. The average realized gold price came in at $1,257, up from $1,192 a year ago, while all-in sustaining costs were steady at $901 an ounce versus $902 last year. The company says the addition of Karma is expected to increase 2016 guidance to $575,000 to 610,000 ounces, compared to initial guidance of 535,000 to 560,000. AISC is maintained at $870 to $920 an ounce. Endeavour says net debt was reduced to $82 million as of June 30, compared to $242 million at the same date last year. Our results for the first half of the year demonstrate the benefits of a diverse portfolio of mines, where impressive out-performance at the Agbaou and Ity mines compensated for lower production at Nzema and Tabakoto, says Sebastien de Montessus, president and chief executive officer, adding that Nzema and Tabakoto performance are expected to improve in the second half of the year. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Argonaut Gold Gets Favorable Ruling In Lawsuit Over San Antonio Permit Argonaut Gold Inc. (TSX: AR) reports that afederal court of appeals has ruled in its favor over a lawsuit arising from the denial of the environmental impact assessment for its San Antonio project in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The company says that in 2012, it was denied an EIS due in part to a local zoning issue, so the company filed a lawsuit arguing that the local zoning plan was not validly constituted and therefore should not have been an obstacle to the permitting of the project. This ruling does not mean that our permits are granted but does provide the basis of understanding for all involved in the permitting process, says Pete Dougherty, president and chief executive officer. We will continue to engage and work closely with all stakeholders to advance the San Antonio project. We believe that San Antonio provides an opportunity for a model mine with the use of clean technologies that also provides near- and long-term benefits to the region." By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com (Kitco News) - Wall Street and Main Street are both bullish on gold next week, particularly after a softer-than-forecast report on growth in U.S. gross domestic product that was released on Friday. Wall Street Bullish Bearish Neutral VS Main Street Bullish Bearish Neutral Nineteen analysts and traders took part in the Wall Street survey. Sixteen, or 84%, look for gold to rise next week. Two, or 11%, are bearish, while only one vote, or 5%, was neutral. Meanwhile, 1,008 Main Street participants submitted votes in an online survey. A total of 691 respondents, or 69%, said they were bullish for the week ahead, while 200, or 20%, were bearish. The neutral votes totaled 117, or 12%. For the trading week now winding down, the largest bloc in both the Wall Street and Main Street surveys called for gold to rise. They were right. As of 11:14 a.m. EDT, Comex December gold was up by $24.70, or 1.9%, for the week to $1,356.20 an ounce. The Wall Street crowd, in particular, is on a roll, calling golds weekly direction correctly in nine out of the last 11 weeks since this reporter took over the survey. Main Street is 7-4 during this time. Wall Streets bullish vote for next week is by a larger margin than normal. Gold bulls have gained some near-term technical momentum, said Jim Wyckoff, senior technical analyst with Kitco News. Kevin Grady, president of Phoenix Futures and Options LLC, also looks for more strength. The GDP numbers (1.2% growth in the second quarter) came out and didnt look too good, he said. The chances for raising interest ratesthe rest of the year are actually very low. I think thats going to be giving a floor to the price of gold. Bob Haberkorn, senior commodities broker with RJO Futures, looks for much higher after the most recent U.S. economic data. The disappointing GDP readingand the fact that you had weaker durable-goods and weaker housing numbers this week (means) any talk that there was this past week of a rate increase in September or even in December is out the window at this point. Ira Epstein, director of the Ira Epstein division of Linn & Associates, also looks for more gains, pointing out that gold often rallies seasonally from early August into early September. The Bank of Japan and the Japanese government are at odds over how to handle stimulus, he continued. With Mr. (Prime Minister Shinzo) Abe winning the Japanese peoples confidence and his promise to stimulate the economy, I see the Bank of Japan having to come around to his way of thinking regardless of what Bank Governor (Haruhiko) Kuroda personally thinks. I look for fireworks when Mr. Abe speaks to the country next week and believe gold will benefit. If oil prices crack (below) the $40 level that is also likely to awaken some gold traders looking for a safe haven. Ralph Preston, principal with Heritage West Financial, is among those who anticipate a pullback in gold. The markets inability to close above (the) $1,362 daily closing high for July hints that prices will search out support, he said. Henry To, analyst at CB Capital Partners, was the lone vote for a sideways market, citing the steep rises that have already occurred in the precious metal. On the one hand, he sees potential for U.S. dollar strength as markets assess Bank of Japan monetary policy and stress tests for European banks. At the same time, both Japanese and European investors should flock to gold for capital preservation and safe-have purposes as well, he continued. Upward pressure on gold, however, should be minimal given the huge rally its had in 2016 already. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com (Kitco News) - Yamana Gold Inc. (TSX: YRI; NYSE: AUY) reported late Thursday that the company returned to second-quarter profitability as production and prices rose. Officials also said Yamana has agreed to sell the Mercedes mine in Mexico to Premier Gold Mines and has decided to recommission the C1 Santa Luz project in Brazil. Net earnings in the second quarter were $32.9 million, or 3 cents per share, a turnaround from a net loss of $7 million, or a penny, for the same three months in 2015. Adjusted earnings from continuing operations were $5.4 million, or a penny per share. By contrast, the company posted an adjusted loss of $8.3 million, or penny per share, for the same period of 2015. Second-quarter gold production was 313,086 ounces, up 7% from 293,707 ounces in the second quarter of 2015. Year-on-year increases at mines included 36% at Jacobina, 19% at Mercedes, 7% at Gualcamayo, 6% at Canadian Malartic, 7% at Pilar and 21% at Fazenda Brasileiro, plus 13,058 ounces from recently acquired Riacho dos Machados. These were partly offset by decreases at Chapada of 43% and Minera Florida of 8%. Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY) - Delayed Quote Silver output fell to 1.8 million ounces in the April-June period from 2.4 million a year ago, although this was in line with expectations. Mine sequencing at certain locations continues to extract from areas with lower silver grades, the company said. Copper production in the second quarter fell to 23.2 million pounds from 33.6 million a year ago, which the company blamed on poor weather conditions and the unplanned shutdown of the primary gyratory crusher at Chapada. All-in sustaining costs rose to $964 per ounce of gold from $860 in the year-ago period. On a co-product basis, AISC were $949 per ounce of gold for the second quarter, compared to $941 a year ago. Cash costs were impacted by the troubles at Chapada and foreign-exchange rates, particularly strengthening of the Brazilian real, Canadian dollar and Chilean peso, Yamana said. The company revised its consolidated co-product AISC for 2016 to $880 to $920 an ounce, compared to $868 for 2015. Meanwhile, the average realized price of gold for the quarter was $1,267 per ounce, up 6% from $1,195 a year ago. The average realized silver price was $16.82 per ounce, up 3% from $16.28. The average copper price fell 23% to $2.12 a pound from $2.75. Yamana declared a third-quarter dividend of $0.005 per share, with shareholders of record at the close of business on Sept. 30, 2016 entitled to payment on Oct. 14. The company continues to focus on operational execution, namely tracking or exceeding operational guidance, as it advances efforts to create further value within its portfolio including the ramp-up of RDM towards expected steady-state production in early 2017, and development of C1 Santa Luz towards production in 2018 and Cerro Moro earlier that year, Yamana said in its earnings statement. The company is targeting continuous production growth, and will continue to evaluate opportunities for optimizations and other operational improvements across its portfolio to further increase its production profile. The company said it is on track to meet gold and silver production guidance for the year and expects second-half output to be higher than in the first half. Yamana also said it aims to reduce net debt by at least $300 million by the end of 2017. The company said it expects to do this through organic generation of cash flow from the growing production profile in the second half of the year, underpinned by higher prevailing gold prices. Net free cash flow increased 68% year-on-year in the second quarter, Yamana said. Yamana Gold Announces Sale Of Mercedes Mine Yamana said it has agreed to sell its interest in the Mercedes mine in Mexico to Premier Gold Mines (TSX: PG) for consideration, in the form of cash and equity securities, valued at $140 million at the time of negotiations. The deal includes cash of of $122.5 million, approximately 6 million Premier shares, and approximately 3 million Premier share purchase warrants exercisable at C$4.75 per for two years from closing of the transaction. The company expects to use the proceeds from the transaction to to reduce the company's net debt position, Yamana said. The deal also calls for Yamana to receive a 1% net smelter return, payable either after six years or once cumulative production from the mine hits 450,000 gold-equivalent ounces, officials said. Recommissioning of the C1 Santa Luz project in Brazil will help the company replace production from Mercedes beginning in 2018, Yamana said. C1 Santa Luz has proven and probable mineral reserves of 1.2 million ounces of gold. The mine life is forecast at 10 years with average annual production of 114,000 ounces of gold over the first seven years, including over 130,000 ounces in the first full year, Yamana said. By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com Follow @KitcoNewsNOW JASIN BOLAND, UNIVERSAL PICTURES | ASSOCIATED PRESS Matt Damon returns for his fourth go-'round as "Jason Bourne." SHARE JASIN BOLAND, UNIVERSAL PICTURES | ASSOCIATED PRESS Julia Stiles' hacker Nicky continues to be a kick in the "Bourne" franchise. By Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer Jason Bourne, as played by Matt Damon across four movies, is forever disappearing off the grid only to reluctantly resurface years later and again menace the CIA. He's the spy who came in from the cold only to return to the cold, come in again, and, yet again, head back to the cold. In the chilly and bleak "Jason Bourne," the amnesia-ed assassin has been resurrected again, along with director Paul Greengrass, with whom Damon returns to the franchise after a nine-year break. Bourne is still brooding. Greengrass' hand-held camera is still frenetic. And the saga's lethal precision is still sharp. The spy game, already far from a martini-sipping affair in previous installments, is resolutely grim in "Jason Bourne." The superspy, now a hulking mass of bullet-scarred muscle, is spending his days torturing himself in bare-knuckle brawls, haunted by his past. In shattering set-pieces and terse emotion-less dialogue, any remaining sunlight has been drained away. The amount of people brazenly killed by Vincent Casell, the "asset" in Bourne's pursuit, may well outnumber the words spoken by Bourne in the entire film. Though first conceived in 1980 by Robert Ludlum, Bourne is perhaps the ultimate post-9/11 hero. Especially in the hands of Greengrass (who also employed his gritty realism in the Sept. 11 drama "Flight 93"), Bourne is a wrecking ball of accountability for America's clandestine past. He's part fantasy (his preternatural control of out-of-control events is reassuring) and part reality (American disillusionment made visceral). In "Jason Bourne," the digital dragnet is tightening around Bourne. The film is self-consciously set in a post-Snowden world; the CIA is hacked by Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles, whose smarts have given all of these films a kick), who's threatening to reveal the covert Treadstone operation. The film, penned by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse (editor of previous "Bourne" films, and also this one), introduces a tech magnate (Riz Ahmed) whose celebrated social networking platform is secretly feeding information to CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones, whose wonderful sad face at this point has everything good and bad about America written all over it). In a way, Bourne is himself a leak. He's a rogue weapon who can't remember his own encryption code. Here, the mystery he's trying to solve revolves around his father's role in his initial recruitment. But aside from updating to today's surveillance state, "Jason Bourne" largely sticks to the franchise's familiar moves, and they often don't have the same kinetic finesse they used to. Here again are scenes of digging through old CIA documents, breathless stretches of crowded escapes and public rendezvous where Bourne fools lurking agents. The film is essentially sandwiched between two mammoth, extended set pieces: First, a fiery riot in Athens where Bourne comes out of hiding to meet Parsons; and later, a showdown in Las Vegas that brings him back to U.S. soil. Both outstay their welcome (a vehicle plowing through traffic in Vegas has unfortunate shades of the tragedy in Nice) and the franchise's propulsion gives way to a pummeling blunt force. The exception is Alicia Vikander, who enters the franchise as the CIA's cyber ops head and has her own motives of tossing aside the agency's old guard. Whenever she's on screen, her steely but agile presence brightens the film's dour gaze. Yet even when "Jason Bourne" doesn't click with the same rhythm as its predecessors, it has a weight that outclasses nearly every other big action movie around. National identity is investigated and violence has repercussions: both astonishing things in a summer blockbuster. But if Bourne re-emerges again, hopefully Greengrass and company can at least give him someone to talk to. Wyndi Westhoff talks with Steve Peck, facilities manager of Our Lady Star of the Sea, outside what used to be Westhoff's grandparent's home. The house, located at Veneta Avenue and Fifth Street in Bremerton, is scheduled for demolition. SHARE Steve Peck, facilities manager of Our Lady Star of the Sea, removes a few boards from the porch for Wyndi Westhoff, whose grandparents lived in the home, so she could take mementos of the house Tuesday. This home and the one in the background are located on Veneta Avenue and are scheduled for demolition. Two homes on Veneta Avenue in Bremerton are scheduled for demolition as Our Lady Star of the Sea looks to build a rectory. Our Lady Star of the Sea Church has released this rendering of the planned new home of its priest, to be located at Fifth Street and Veneta Avenue. Related Coverage Neighbors oppose Bremerton church's plaza plan By Josh Farley of the Kitsap Sun BREMERTON A church's plan to demolish two nearly century-old homes on Veneta Avenue has angered neighbors, who fear a coming end to one of the city's most "iconic pockets" of homes, in the words of one resident. Our Lady Star of the Sea, a Catholic congregation that itself dates back into Bremerton's early history, has plans to establish a nunnery to teach at its 150-student school and build a new rectory as a home for its priest, Father Derek Lappe. In doing so, the church felt that two homes nearby that it owns at 418 and 414 Veneta had to come down to make room for the rectory. The two craftsman-style homes are a part of a total of six that face each other across the street and were designed by the same architect, neighbors say. "It's not just about our homes," said neighbor Angela Patraw Flesher, who owns one across the street. "It's our history." Wyndi Westhoff, a member of the family that long lived at 418, made the journey from Olympia Wednesday to say goodbye to a home of her childhood memories. "I don't know what else to do other than accept it," she said. "But it's heartbreaking. We would have never sold it had we known what the church would do." Westhoff was able to take some siding, a mailbox, the numbers "418" and some doors from the home. She hoped to give a piece to each of her surviving family members. Lappe said he was sorry to find out Westhoff and her family were upset by its impending demolition, more than a year after the church had purchased it from them. "I didn't know how much the house meant to them," Lappe said. "And that's my mistake." Lappe said that the church considered retrofitting the existing structures but couldn't make it pencil out. He said the church's designs would endeavor to "make it fit in" with the existing neighborhood. "With age those buildings, we just realized it would cost too much," he said. Neighbors, who said they learned about the designs from an online article to church members, disagree that it will look anything like their homes. For one, they say the new rectory will face Fifth Street, rather than Veneta as the two currently do. They also are concerned whether root structures of some street trees including the massive and iconic Sequoias in the middle of Veneta will be impeded during construction, notably, digging out the rectory's new basement. Some city staff have concerns about that as well. Jeannie Vaughn, the city's building official, said she'll be reaching out to the developer on the project. The city's interest is in protecting trees in its right of way, including the Sequoias, she said, but ultimately, it is the church's property. "We want to do what we can to protect those trees," she said. "At the same time we cannot impede private ownership and their rights as well." The church this week took down a small carport on the property and plans to take down a tree behind the home at 418 Veneta. Kristen Moerler, a city senior planner, said the church does not yet have a demolition permit for the home. The church's plan is to establish the nunnery at the existing rectory at Fourth Street and Veneta. That residence, built by a banker in 1910, later fell into church ownership, which has housed its priest there since. Three to four nuns, who will journey from the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, an organization long-based in Nashville, Tennessee, hope to move in by August 2017, Lappe said. That means he'll have to move, he added. The Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle maintained that the new rectory would need room for two priests, guest lodging and had to be accessible for disabled people, Lappe said. Greg Magnoni, spokesman for the archdiocese, agreed and said local leaders in Bremerton can choose how to proceed down that path. Lappe said local church leaders see demolition as the only option. This isn't the first time neighbors have been at odds with church plans. Last year, the church moved forward with a closure of Veneta between Fifth and Sixth streets, to make a pick-up and drop-off area for school students and a community plaza. But a number of residents protested the move at a community meeting and the church ultimately held off pursuing the plan. Jon Flesher said he worried that the relationship between the church and neighbors was becoming more strained due to conflicting priorities. "It's slowly becoming more of a campus than a neighborhood here," he said. SHARE Chris Christensen Chris Christenson, who lived in a campsite he formed in the woods, was a "totally environmentally friendly guy," said Poulsbo Police Sgt. Bob Wright, referring to the 54-year-old's recycling habits. (JOSH FARLEY | KITSAP SUN) A shed in the woods was built with lumber Chris Christenson purchased from the nearby Home Depot. (JOSH FARLEY | KITSAP SUN) Chris Christenson kept his belongings meticulously organized in a tent by a ramp near highways 3 and 305 in Poulsbo. (JOSH FARLEY | KITSAP SUN) By Josh Farley Jfarley@Kitsapsun.Com POULSBO The sounds of car engines never stop swirling past the grove of mostly western red cedars in the place Chris T. Christensen called home. Hidden from the world that whizzed by, the 54-year-old kept what he called "the Shiloh," a wooded island encircled by the on-ramp from Highway 305 onto Highway 3 south. State Department of Transportation workers on a lunch break hiked in and discovered his body Wednesday morning. But they also came upon his meticulously organized world: a campsite with finely raked dirt, a sturdy green shed and a tent filled with bins of scrupulously folded clean laundry and cases of Steel Reserve beer. Though he spent much of his time in those woods, Christensen, who said he was a Vietnam veteran, was no stranger to the town he came to not more than a decade ago. He hauled every last piece of lumber for the shed he built from nearby Home Depot. He talked often with volunteers and employees of North Kitsap Fishline. His veteran's benefits allowed a monthly stay at the Poulsbo Inn, where he befriended the staff. "He was the kindest man," said Pam Ackley, who knew Christensen through her work at Fishline. "But he was a quiet man." The Kitsap County Coroner's Office hasn't been able to find any of his relatives. But in his time in Poulsbo, members of the community became his family. Terri Douglas, general manager at the Poulsbo Inn, said getting to know Christensen did require patience. "He was kind of quirky and very opinionated," she said. "At first you were afraid of him, because he had this big temper. But once you realized it was all talk, you saw how kind-hearted he was." He seemed deeply affected by his experiences in the military, Douglas said. He had a problem with others touching him. Christensen once told her that he was so afraid of the nightmares, he drank himself to sleep each night. The only time he had problems at Fishline was when he'd been drinking, employees there said. Poulsbo police officers added that they'd gone to local grocers on a couple of occasions for reports of his outbursts. "It's just sad very sad," Rae Rodriguez, Fishline's client services advocate, said of his death. "He suffered from being a veteran, and from his alcoholism." But he was proud of his home inside the highway, Douglas said, one he'd built after being evicted by police from a similar campsite he'd created nearby. Though he'd come back and officers had suspected he was somewhere in the area, "he didn't cause any trouble," said Poulsbo Police Sgt. Bob Wright. Nor did he leave a trail every beer can and piece of trash he recycled, keeping them in hanging bags behind his green shed. Upon surveying his home following his death, Wright called him a "totally environmentally friendly guy." He would embellish stories, telling Wright once that he had "permission from the governor" to mind the city's land there. Poulsbo Inn staff also heard tales of his work as a secret agent. Over a decade, the stories never changed, leading them to think he believed them, too. To Douglas' amazement, he'd juxtapose tall tales with intellectual discussions of politics. "He knew everything that was going on in the world," she said. In February, Christensen's drinking appeared to have caught up to him. He'd developed cirrhosis and was hospitalized. Douglas had gone to visit him at Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton. His eyes lit up when she and others came. And in that one instance, Christensen gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, she said. She'd given him an emergency contacts card in his wallet in case his condition worsened. But upon his discharge from the hospital, he vowed never to go back. "'I'm 54,'" she recalled him as saying. "'If I die, I die.'" Christensen's dream, Douglas said, was that if he won the lottery, he was going to buy a La-Z-Boy recliner and check into the hotel until his winnings ran out. The Poulsbo Inn staff plans to plant a tree at Christensen's highway home, Douglas said. "He died so misunderstood," Douglas said. "He was so kind-hearted. But I know other people realized it, too." The Kitsap County Coroner's Office has not been able to contact Christensen's family and urges anyone with information about his family's whereabouts to call (360) 337-7077. SHARE By Kitsap Sun Staff PORT ORCHARD Two Port Orchard women were charged with first-degree robbery Thursday in Kitsap County Superior Court after allegedly robbing two stores in four days. Kim Christopher, 32, and Danielle Castillo, 48, are suspected in the Sunday robbery of Sally's Beauty Supply in the 3400 block of Bethel Avenue. At about 1:45 p.m., police say Christopher threatened employees with scissors, told them to open the cash register and took the money. She allegedly ordered them to a backroom and demanded their purses. They refused, slammed the door and held it shut until Christopher left. She got away with more than $200 in cash and some beauty supplies. On Wednesday morning at Taco Time, across the street from Sally's, they are believed to have struck again. An restaurant employee told police that a woman came to the counter, displayed a black handgun, waved it at him and another worker and demanded money. She was given two register drawers from which she took the money. She jumped in the passenger side of a brown pickup that took off south on Bethel Avenue. She got away with about $280. On worker followed her out of the store and snapped cellphone pictures of her and the truck. An anonymous source tipped off a Kitsap County sheriff's detective that the women were at a home on Sidney Avenue, just south of the Albertsons store. Police were there when Castillo arrived in a brown truck. She said she had no idea what Christopher was doing in the stores. She was arrested. At about 6:30 p.m., an anonymous caller said Christopher had shown up at the property. Police returned and arrested her. She had a small baggie of what appeared to be meth in her pocket. Clothes in a converted box van where she lives matched descriptions of the suspect. When she was questioned about Sally's, she said she had run out of money for drugs. She stopped talking and requested a lawyer. Both women are in Kitsap County Jail on $250,000 bail. Andrew Geddis takes the rare but justified step of criticising another academic: When academics venture into the media to inform the public about their discipline, they have a basic obligation to be accurate in what they say. Im afraid that Prof. Chris Gallavin has fallen short of this standard. In an opinion piece published in Mondays NZ Herald, ProfessorChris Gallavin made a number of suggestions as to how the Court of Appeal should respond to appeals by the killers of three-year-old Baby Moko against their 17-year jail sentences. He did so while labelled as Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, at Massey University, so its fair to say that his commentary was intended to carry the mana and credibility implied by his academic position. Those of us with the privilege of commenting from such vantages have attendant duties. Given that, as reluctant as I am to publicly diss a fellow academic who has ventured into the media commentary game, Prof Gallavins article so misrepresents both the criminal appeals process and reasons for the original manslaughter verdict that a response is necessary. In fact, I think it operates as an object lesson in the risks of academic commentators writing on contemporary topics without stopping and carefully asking themselves is what Im saying about this correct? So this is not about disagreement of opinion, but accuracy. Although it hardly needs saying, lets begin by acknowledging that the actions of those responsible for Baby Mokos death, David Haerewa and Tania Shailer, were quite reprehensible. They have met with perfectly justified, widespread public condemnation. And while they have a legal right to appeal their sentences, it is understandable that many regard both their decision to do so and the arguments they are using in support as adding insult to their earlier injurious behaviour. Nevertheless, our feelings of moral repugnance at their actions ought not to replace important matters of legal principle and process. And those with academic knowledge of those matters of legal principle and process have a responsibility to explain why they matter; or, at least, not misrepresent how they work. Unfortunately, however, in his Herald article Prof. Gallavin appears to have allowed the emotion of this case to overcome this responsibility. His first suggestion is that the Court of Appeal ought to take the unprecedented move of quashing the convictions, and substituting them with murder. This move would indeed be unprecedented, because it is legally impossible. Under the Criminal Procedure Act 2011, where a sentence (and not a verdict) is appealed a court can only alter that sentence. It has no power to quash a conviction, much less impose a conviction for a completely different offence. So first inaccuracy. In his article, Prof Gallavin refers obliquely to the Court of Appeals alleged inherent ability to oversee plea bargains as permitting such a move. With respect, he appears to have just made this power up out of thin air. It has no basis whatsoever in the governing statute. No 2. Furthermore, consider what Prof Gallavins call really amounts to. He is, in essence, saying that the judges on the Court of Appeal ought to simply declare Haerewa and Shailer guilty of murder without their ever having been tried on that charge and so having had no opportunity to mount a defence. Such a proposal is entirely antithetical to the very rule of law. No 3. Conviction without trial. This same problem infects Prof Gallavins later suggestion that the Court of Appeal could alternatively quash the conviction for manslaughter based upon the plea bargain and leave it then for the Crown to come back with charging them with something else i.e. murder. Once again, the Court simply has no legal power to do so on an appeal against sentence brought by the convicted party. No 4. To reiterate, Haerewa and Shailers horrible actions in killing Baby Moko stir real outrage and anger. But when academics venture into the public realm to comment on such matters, especially when they are explaining to the lay reader how legal processes operate, there is an obligation on them to make sure their contributions are as accurate as they can be (always given the reality of human frailty and the fact that the occasional slip-up will occur). Prof Gallavins errors go beyond such understandable slips made in the heat of the moment. It is regrettable that his discussion of the appeal process is so misleading and gives such a false impression of what the Baby Moko case was about. Given his background as a former Associate Professor and Dean of a law faculty, he really ought to know and do better. This is what shocked me, that such basic errors were being made by a former law school dean. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr The Herald reports: Independent economist Shamubeel Eaqub was concerned about New Zealands ranking. Weve got a tax system with a very light touch when it comes to property, whether its capital gains tax or stamp duty, Eaqub said. It would be a very good thing for New Zealand to tax property purchases because we can ring-fence that tax income. It wouldnt be just a revenue grab but would be used to make houses more affordable and increase the supply of housing. It would be a very bad thing. A tax on purchases would make houses more expensive just as GST makes goods and services more expensive. And using the extra revenue to increase government spending just reduces economic growth. Im all for introducing a comprehensive Capital Gains Tax, but it should be revenue neutral so income and company taxes should reduce to compensate. New taxes to increase the size of Government are the wrong answer. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: 03:54 (GMT+4) More than 100 people were detained in Yerevan after clashes between demonstrators and police, Interfax reported. 23:10 (GMT+4) Armenian police have begun to detain protesters in Yerevan, Interfax reported. According to the information, law enforcement officers used stun grenades. Rally has started on Freedom Square in Armenian capital in support of the armed group that seized the police building in Yerevan, News Armenia web site reported. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: Armenian police dispersed the opposition demonstration in Yerevan July 29, Interfax reported. According to the information, about 50 people were detained. Rally had started on Freedom Square in Armenian capital in support of the armed group that seized the police building in Yerevan, News Armenia web site reported. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. SHARE Scott Schimmel and Lisa Sorensen, owners of Bliss Home at 29 Market Square, pose for a photo in their store, on Thursday, July 28, 2016. They will convert the current home goods store into a shoe store, called Tori Mason Shoes, later this summer. (CAITIE MCMEKIN / NEWS SENTINEL) These shows are already on display at the Bliss Home store at 29 Market Square, which will close Saturday, July 30, and reopen under the same management in late August as Tory Mason Shoes. PHOTO BY ALI JAMES/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL Scott Schimmel and Lisa Sorensen, owners of Bliss Home at 29 Market Square, pose for a photo in their store, on Thursday, July 28, 2016. They will convert the current home goods store into a shoe store, called Tori Mason Shoes, later this summer. (CAITIE MCMEKIN / NEWS SENTINEL) This Bliss Home store at 29 Market Square will close Saturday, and reopen as Tori Mason Shoes in late August, offering a line of women's shoes. "We are going to do a bit of work on the exterior, redo the tile and woodwork and put a new sign on the front," said co-owner Scott Schimmel, who also owns the Bliss store. ALI JAMES/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL By Ali James of the Knoxville News Sentinel Instead of just reworking the Bliss Home store at 29 Market Square, retailers Lisa Sorensen and husband Scott Schimmel have decided to reinvent their downtown location, and rebrand it as Tori Mason Shoes. The new, dedicated shoe store, with a primary focus on teens and young women, will open in late August. "Reinventing 29 Market Square gives us the space to offer more shoes, all while providing fun experiences for customers, like a selfie area," Schimmel said. "We like to travel and see all of these unique items for sale in other cities and countries and want to bring those interesting things to Knoxville. "My wife lived in Italy for 10 years," he said. "We love to travel to New York City, San Francisco and Chicago where you have shoe store after shoe store. We don't recall having a women's shoe store [here] since as far back as the 1980s." At the moment, 20 to 30 different shoe styles compete for space in their original Bliss Home store. The new store layout will provide couches, ample space to move around, a fully-stocked storage room for inventory and even a fun space for customers to snap selfies in the shoes before making their final purchases. Some of the featured brands will be Bed Stu, Freebird, Jack Rogers, Miz Mooz and Dolce Vita. They plan to carry select handbags, such as the Hobo brand, with 70 percent to 80 percent of the store dedicated solely to women's shoes. "Bliss has carried shoes for several years, but embarking on this new adventure will give us the space to focus on offering a thoughtfully curated collection of shoes," Sorensen said. "Hopefully we will have five to six times the selection that we currently have," Schimmel added. "They will be on nice shelving and be easier to shop." The carefully chosen collection will mirror the styles found in their apparel store. They will try to appeal to upper teens and women into their mid-20s, as well as to women up to several decades older. "Fun and interesting styles that are very comfortable [is the goal]," Schimmel said. "They won't be super inexpensive; they have to have the quality and the comfort. But they will not be super expensive either. We are not going to have $600- to $1,000-priced shoes." The couple held a meeting and discussed several names that had "Bliss" in it, but nothing really stuck. "Then one of our friend's suggested our children's names, so we took "Tori" from Victoria, and Mason is from my wife's side of the family, and our son's middle name," Schimmel said of the store's name. They hope that having a new name will avoid any confusion, and that being its own identity will be beneficial. "It won't have 'Bliss' in the name to prop it up," he said. "It will stand on its own." In 2003, Bliss opened its doors with a mix of home decor, gifts and apparel at 24 Market Square. Then in 2005 and 2008, two separate Bliss Home stores were opened, one in downtown Knoxville and one in The Gallery on Kingston Pike in West Knoxville. Two years ago, Bliss Home expanded into the Nashville market. Until now, all three Bliss Home stores offered casual contemporary furnishings, rugs, art and accessories. Schimmel and Sorensen briefly considered rebranding the home decor store, then decided to push their bestselling home decor and gift items to the original store across the square at 24 Market Square. They realized they lacked the space downtown to offer the 20 to 30 different sofa or bed options that their customers look for. They have 17,000 and 27,000 square-foot retail spaces in West Knoxville and Nashville respectively, but they just could not represent the brand the way they wanted in the downtown home store, they said. "It didn't really represent the home name, so we foresaw some changes," Schimmel said. The two are still passionate about their original 24 Market Square store, they said. "It's a great store and works really well; the location is perfect for women's apparel," Schimmel said. "We have been bringing new things to Market Square from the get-go. Our original store was a little bit of everything, and that has morphed into a women's apparel store with some gifts and shoes." The couple is keen to put to rest any rumors of store closings. "Very little is going to change in the original Bliss store, other than adding a few of the categories from the downtown home store," Schimmel said. And the West Knoxville location will continue to operate as a home store, he added. The store at 29 Market Street will have its last day as Bliss Home on Saturday, and reopen as Tori Mason Shoes in late August. "We are going to do a bit of work on the exterior, redo the tile and woodwork, and put a new sign on the front," Schimmel said. "We are building a stockroom on the back while we wait for our vendors to ship the new season to us." A grand opening is slated for September. Couples looking for a wedding venue in Albuquerque, New Mexico, used to be able to consider the modern, high-tech facilities at Desert Springs Church. That was then, before the word "marriage" became a legal landmine. This is now. This nondenominational flock's leaders recently decided that they needed to update their foundation documents for the age after the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision legalizing same-sex marriage. Thus, their written policies now specify that the only weddings held there will be rites requested by church members, as in believers who have vowed to honor its doctrinal statement. On marriage, that doctrinal statement now states: "We believe that God created human beings in his image in two embodied sexual kinds male and female (Genesis 1:26-27). We believe that God designed men and women to unite in marriage, which is complementary, involving one of each sexual gender, exclusive, and permanent." A detailed support document adds: "Gender is a part of God's good creation and is bound to its roots as a biological reality. It is identifiable at birth. ..." In other words, the church's leadership realized that, in this litigious day and age, they would have to define, in highly specific terms rooted in doctrine, who could get married in their church. That would be safer than trying to define in a legal crunch who could not hold a wedding rite there. "In some ways, all of this is a bummer," explained the Rev. Trent Hunter, the church's pastor for administration and teaching. "You don't go into ministry to be restrictive. You don't want to do things that limit the scope of your ministry. But we're learning that you can't take any of this for granted, because the government is forcing us to be very open and specific about what we believe and why. ... "So we're wearing our beliefs on our sleeves. We have to serve our members with great clarity, and we're trying to serve the public by being as honest as we can be." There's more to this than weddings. Desert Springs Church also changed its printed policies on what civic or faith groups can meet in its buildings. Once again, church leaders created a direct link between the policy and their doctrinal statement, stating, "Our facility is only available for ministries of our church or for ministries we formally partner with" after evaluating the doctrinal commitments of these groups. All of these changes were based on advice in "Protecting Your Ministry from Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Lawsuits," a short legal guide prepared for churches, schools and parachurch ministries by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Alliance Defending Freedom think tank. Another key issue, especially for religious schools, is clarity in job descriptions. The Supreme Court has clearly stated that religious organizations have every right to take doctrinal issues into account when hiring and firing staff members. However, Desert Springs heeded the legal guide's advice to anticipate future changes, should the government attempt to "distinguish between explicitly religious roles in a church and roles that are not spiritual in nature," wrote Hunter at the Canon and Culture website. Thus, the church now specifies in writing that staff must sign the church doctrinal statement and that "all employees are expected to provide spiritual counsel from the Scriptures over the phone or in person as needed. ... In other words, every employee of our church represents Christ in their role and does so in concrete ways." In the past, the leaders of many religious organizations may have feared clarity on these kinds of issues, in part because they associated ink-on-paper doctrinal statements with ancient creeds and ecclesiastical hierarchies. Now, Hunter said, some clergy and laypeople may fear negative publicity and even protestors at their front doors. "We've been running on autopilot for a long time and things were going pretty well, or so we thought," he said. "But things have changed. ... It's not just legal stuff. We have to change how we explain what we believe to people inside our churches and to the public, as well. We must become more aware as pastors when we are dealing with people who are involved in all of these issues." Terry Mattingly is the editor of GetReligion.org and Senior Fellow for Media and Religion at The King's College in New York City. He lives in Oak Ridge. Ali James/Special to the Knoxville News Sentinel Chris Wilson and his wife Teresa have their cashmere blue 1955 Chevy Nomad and matching 1963 Shasta Trailer at the "Jingle in July" open house on Saturday, July 30, at the Pigeon Forge KOA. SHARE By Ali James of the Knoxville News Sentinel Despite the hot summer temperatures it is Christmas in July at the Pigeon Forge KOA. One by one, "Southern Vintage Trailer Friends" have arrived at the campground with their homes on wheels for the weekend. "We like to get together and camp," said event host, Chris Wilson. "We are not a structured group, we are just a bunch of vintage trailer freaks." The general public is invited to tour the trailers between 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 30. Admission is $5 per person and will be donated to the KOA Care Camp Trust. It funds specialized summer camps, including a local camp in Walland, for children with cancer. Around 24 camper van and trailer owners from Tennessee, Georgia, the Carolinas, Florida and Alabama have been humming holiday tunes, stringing lights and hanging decorations for the open house. "The campground was really excited to get on board with it, so it's campground-wide," said Wilson. "They went above and beyond. A lot of people are already doing a double take." The Wilsons brought their Silver Streak Trailer for Santa and Mrs. Claus to visit, and tickets will be on sale for a kid's train ride. In addition there will be a DJ pool-side and food for purchase at the campground's Sweet Mama's Cafe. Leslie Kelch, marketing director for the Pigeon Forge KOA, said the event has been months in the planning. "There will be cookie decorating, snowball fights, caroling, an ugly sweater contest and Christmas-themed crafts. We've also decorated for Christmas, putting up trees and lights." "There will be plenty of parking on site, so we would love to have as many people come out to see the trailers as possible," said Kelch. "We want to raise as much money as possible for the kids." Wilson and his wife Teresa will have their cashmere blue 1955 Chevy Nomad and matching 1963 Shasta Trailer at the event. They are accustomed to the attention they get with their matching vintage car and trailer. "More people are wanting to do the car to match their trailer, but if you don't like attention, don't do it," said Wilson. "We didn't mean for it to get as much attention as it has, but matching the car and trailer goes together like peaches and cream." Wilson has lost track of the number of times his car and trailer have been photographed. Wilson grew up camping in the Smokies in a 1963 Shasta Airflight. After his father passed away in 2002 he found the original trailer hitch that he and his uncle built. He kept it for some reason, then found an Airflight trailer on eBay, just like the one he camped in as a kid. The paint on the vintage trailer was faded, but otherwise the exterior was in good shape. Inside was a different story; water damage meant the frame and boards needed to be replaced. With the help of friends the interior was restored. "We decorated it like a diner; everything inside is still original with the exception of the fridge," said Wilson. New curtains, cushions and an awning were custom-made in contrasting red and yellow, and a checkerboard floor was added. The restoration took eight months. "I have newer and smaller 15- to 18-foot campers, but we never use them. We take the old one," laughed Wilson. JINGLE IN JULY VINTAGE TRAILER SHOW When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 30 Where: Pigeon Forge KOA, 3122 Veterans Blvd, Pigeon Forge Cost: $5 per person, cash only More: 865-453-7903, http://koa.com/campgrounds/pigeon-forge/events/ Dr. Philip Kronk is a semiretired Knoxville psychologist. SHARE What if many research findings about our brains were wrong? Can we really trust the research information about our brains that we have received from MRI studies? A 2009 research paper was able to find active brain activity in the brainof a dead salmon. Probably, just to prove a point. The dead salmon was shown pictures of humans in different emotional states, as its, uh, brain 'activity' was measured. Well, so much for the Friday specials at Captain D's for me. Recently, I came across some scientific research on the use of "functional" MRIs by Anders Eklund, Ph.D. of Linkoping University in Sweden. A functional magnetic resonance imaging technique (fMRI) measures brain activity. When we think or use our brain for any purpose, there is an increase of blood flow for certain areas. Functional MRIs are able to measure what specific area is being used because blood flow and brain activation are related. Dr. Eklund realized that the results from such fMRIs were more complicated to measure than previously realized. Scientists who use fMRI's do not actually look directly at a brain when they interpret a finding. Instead, they show us tiny images, called voxels, that are then scanned. But even that data is not directly used and analyzed. The reason for this is because researchers don't actually just analyze the data directly from the MRI. Instead, a series of statistical algorithms are used to analyze the research MRI results. An algorithm is a step-by-step set of instructions or operations used in operating or performing calculations and data processing. Yes, the MRI researchers were using packaged software programs to analyze their research dataand then, make scientific statements about brains and how they function. This is a normal strategy for evaluating large amounts of data. Dr. Eklund's own research found that these software MRI programs made false positive errors 70 percent of the time. Basically, 14 out of every 20 findings were wrong. A "false positive" result is one that tells us that something is truewhen it is not. Think of taking a home pregnancy test that says you are pregnantbut you really are not pregnant. Why is a false positive important in scientific research? First, there will always be false positives. However, good, valid, reliable scientific research should have a false positive error rate of about only one out of twenty results. So, 5 percent is acceptable and expected, but Dr. Eklund found 70 percent! The sources of this greater than acceptable error rate were found by Eklund to be mistakes in the software coding. How important is this finding for understanding past brain research using fMRIs? Dr. Eklund's article casts doubts on some 40,000 previously published findings about our brains, and he believes some 3,000 studies are plain wrong. In a moment of self-punishment, I took the opportunity to read Dr. Eklund's original research paper and its findings. Let me start by saying how much I realized how many people are so much smarter than I am. Reading about the many drawbacks of "non-parametric statistical approaches in their computational complexity" and how they impact on fMRIs helped me sleep well that night. Looking at the pages of mathematical formulas in his article only made me respect more those in search of Pokemon in our streets. It also made me realize how exciting and interesting a profession I choose. Dr. Eklund's research findings, and their initial implications, are important, however. In the last six months, we have seen many unsuccessful attempts to replicate the findings in many specific psychology research papers. I hope to soon share in a future column some ideas on how science works, grows and changes. It may not be exactly how you think it does. --- Philip Kronk, M.S., Ph.D., is a semi-retired child and adult child and adult Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist in private practice. He has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a post-doctorate degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology (the treatment of mental disorders with drugs.) Dr. Kronk's yearlong internship in Clinical Psychology was served at the University of Colorado Medical School. He writes a weekly, Friday online column for the Knoxville News Sentinel's website, knoxnews.com. Dr. Kronk can be reached at (865) 330-3633. CR Laine/TNS Tobi Fairley's Ellison cocktail table for Woodbridge features a blush top with gold leaf border on a frame and legs finished in a shade of charcoal. She teams it with a matching linen sofa, navy pillows with citron yellow borders and citron stools. By Elaine Markoutsas, Chicago Tribune (TNS) No other color gets dissed and dismissed as often as pink when it comes to home design unless we're talking baby girls' rooms. Yet in home decor, pink has circled through a number of decades, often in tandem with other colors gray, chocolate, navy and preppy jade green. For the past three years or so, pink has been re-emerging in Europe. More precisely, beige-y blush kept cropping up in upholstery and even cabinetry at the Maison & Objet shows in Paris. Not uncommon in Scandinavian countries, pink streamed into housewares as well, with whisks, salad utensil sets and peelers. Variant shades of carnation and rose started inserting themselves into fabrics and cabinetry. Attractive mixable metals like rosy copper or pink-toned glass or quartz began showing up in lighting, tabletop and accessories. "To most consumers, pink is associated with a child's room," says Ann Haagenson, divisional merchandise manager for Anthropologie. "So it has taken a while to progress into the living room and master bedroom. But blush or 'biche' (fawn in French) is the most flattering color for the home. It makes everyone and everything look pretty." Add some gilt, and pink can take on a luxe edge. Thibaut's Marlow damask pattern, from its Serenade collection, dials up elegance with a wallcovering that honors tradition but feels so fresh especially with pretty blooms to match and on-trend raw quartz or coral decor accessories. Designers at Koket, a furniture company based in New York, chose a shade of rose quartz for the sensual Besame chair. They call the hue "calming" and say it is welcoming because "it creates a relaxing and lighthearted ambience." Designer Tobi Fairley, whose Ellison table for Woodbridge uses pink with a gold leaf border, loves blush for furniture and fabric design. "It's a fabulous barely-there pastel that combines pink with an almost taupe tone," says Fairley. "I like to mix it with navy or citron to balance the sweetness." Fairley and the Kate Spade brand are fond of teaming pink with bright, almost Kelly green. Depending on the shade, Anthropologie's Haagenson says a taupe-y pink teams well with warmer neutrals such as camel, nubuck, even orange. "If it's cooler, it's best paired with magenta, gray and navy." Matt Damon returns to the world of Bourne with "Jason Bourne," in theaters this week. SHARE By Steven Zeitchik, Los Angeles Times On a trip to Los Angeles about 18 months ago, the London-based filmmaker Paul Greengrass sat down to lunch with Matt Damon and editor Christopher Rouse. The latter two had come with a stealth mission. Greengrass had long been unwilling to make his third Jason Bourne movie and for a time was even burned up about a spinoff done without him. But with the director wandering in a kind of decade-long exile making globalization cautionary tales, they thought it was time for him, in Bourne-ian terms, "to come in" and direct a new movie about Robert Ludlum's amnesiac assassin. "I was skeptical there was one to be done, I was skeptical I wanted to do it and I was skeptical it would hold up with the others," recalled Greengrass, 60. "But Matt said, 'We're really lucky to have an audience that loves this character.' Chris said, 'The world has really changed since ('The Bourne Ultimatum' in) 2007. I thought, 'Maybe I've been too negative to an old friend.'" Greengrass told this story in Las Vegas, where his new movie "Jason Bourne" starring and produced by Damon; edited by and co-written with Rouse would later that day make its debut, in a city the film lights up in a blaze of destruction. The figurative distance covered by the director is even greater. When the new "Bourne" arrives in theaters Friday, it will land the one-time documentarian back in a tentpole fishbowl he'd long swam away from while excitingly but potentially troublingly upping the political-realism ante above most Hollywood blockbusters. "Jason Bourne" expands the possibilities of and tests the appetite for serious issues in escapist cinema. And it wasn't even supposed to exist not after Universal chagrined Greengrass by making 2012's "The Bourne Legacy" with his foil Tony Gilroy. "I had," Damon said, "given up hope that we would get here." Dark Film, Glitzy Vegas Amid a sea of tattoos and flip-flops and selfie sticks, over the din of piped-in Kesha and slot-machine beeps, the crowd gathered in Caesars Palace to herald the return of Jason Bourne. As one of the few auteurs at the helm of a summer franchise, Greengrass had built his latest work and even his career as a kind of paradox. With its trademark handheld cameras and edits faster than a croupier's fingers, "Jason Bourne" vibrates with the momentum fans know well. From its early set piece at an austerity riot in Athens to its fiery third-act car chase shot practically on the Vegas Strip, "Bourne" keeps the plot turns coming. There's the ex-agent's new discoveries about his past, a fresh chapter with his comrade-in-roguery Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), slippery dealings with a murkily motivated cyber-analyst (Alicia Vikander), and a fraught relationship between new CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) and Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed), a Silicon Valley mogul whose user database holds the key to Dewey's intelligence ambitions. And yes, Bourne is again on the run from shadowy bosses as he tries to learn what brought him here. But you assumed all that. More novel are the social issues: The film's Athens-to-Vegas arc, for instance, which by going from a flailing economy to capitalist excess puts a spotlight on economic disenfranchisement. Or the privacy debate when Kalloor and Dewey tensely hash out whether a tech company should give the government a backdoor, it so closely echoes the recent Apple-FBI controversy over a terrorist's iPhone you'd think Greengrass shot it last month. (He didn't.) "We looked at the differences from 'Bourne Ultimatum' and it was shocking," Damon said. "We thought, 'If Jason Bourne was on the run, why not run him through today's landscape?'" Also, because Bourne now remembers what he's done, moral questions enter. Does he want to use his lethal skills to serve his country or does he refrain out of guilt patriotism or conscience? Crucially, every enemy and good guy is firmly within the U.S. government. This is a far cry from nearly all other 21st-century thrillers and even from past Bourne movies (though "Ultimatum" gets close). No longer is the story about the U.S. versus its enemies. It's about the U.S. versus itself. "In a sense all these films are anchored in identity, because Jason Bourne is trying to find out who he is. But with this one I think we're also asking how we want to define ourselves as a country," Rouse said. Put another way, the earlier films are post-9/11 movies. This is a post-Edward Snowden movie. And fittingly, it grapples with Snowden-worthy technology hacks, facial recognition and social media, the last of which create issues. In a world in which tech companies offer a kind of ipso facto surveillance, what are their responsibilities to their users? Or their government? "The conflict between social-media giants and the security demands of a nation state seemed really interesting to me," said Greengrass. "It's not right versus wrong it's two rights that are in tension." Roots In Documentaries These interests stem from his background. Beginning as a TV documentary director in England, Greengrass improbably ended up in Hollywood when his 2002 Irish-massacre piece "Bloody Sunday" caught the eye of a CAA agent, then "Bourne" producer Frank Marshall and Universal Studios. The Cambridge alum dedicated much of the next four years to "The Bourne Supremacy," sequel to Doug Liman's "The Bourne Identity," and then "Ultimatum." He imported his style of current-events research (he is known for being moved to direct films by seemingly unrelated writings; Paul Mason's global-uprising study "Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere" and a Wired article about hacker recruitment in Vegas were the impetus for this one) and on-the-move shooting choices. "You can never relax in a Paul movie," Stiles related. "Even when you turn the corner, a camera always pops up." But his first two Bourne movies were, Greengrass admits, "painful in their processes." Because his spontaneity often led to key moments being omitted, he and a crew would be forced to return to various cities for reshoots, sometimes more than once. Deciding in 2008 after "Bourne" scored three Oscars and global success that he didn't want more agita, Greengrass walked away. He went off to make smaller-scale films in the vein of his earlier eye-popper "United 93," the 2010 Iraq war tale "Green Zone" and 2013 Somali pirate story "Captain Phillips." Damon, close with Greengrass, also stayed away. But Universal, short on franchises and not wanting the rights to revert to the Ludlum estate, needed a movie. Soon Gilroy who had written all three Bourne films but whose "Ultimatum" script Greengrass had almost entirely rewritten was on board for a spinoff with Jeremy Renner, "The Bourne Legacy." That sat poorly with Greengrass, who didn't have a warm relationship with Gilroy to begin with. "Tony is all planning, and Paul is all spontaneity. And they're each strong personalities," Marshall said of the pair. "Legacy" performed modestly. Echoes Of Current Events Unfortunately, more realism also means more reality. "Bourne" features the pandemonium of a public shooting and a fortified vehicle crashing through a crowd of innocents. While the similarities to Orlando, Fla., and Nice, France, are incidental, the film's bid for authenticity could strengthen the connection for some viewers. Greengrass downplayed the issue. "It's a bit of a stretch to link what happened in Nice, which is an ISIS (Islamic State) attack on an unarmed crowd, to an exuberant popcorn car chase. You wouldn't look at a demolition derby and say, 'Oh, my God.' That's what this is a cinematic demolition derby." Just the same, after the Nice attack, Universal pulled some TV spots spotlighting the Vegas chase. Back at the premiere, the feeling was more celebratory. After the cast made its way inside the theater, Greengrass took the stage, seeming like a man happy to be home as he called out cast introductions. Earlier in the day he described why. "In my little imperfect way what I'm trying to do is understand the world," he said. "As a filmmaker, you realize as you get older that each film is part of a dialogue you're having with yourself. That started when I was working in documentaries. And in a way I've never deviated from it." Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: The camera operator of Russian "Life" TV channel was injured in the dispersal of protesters in Yerevan, RIA Novosti reported. Armenian police dispersed the opposition demonstration in Yerevan July 29. According to the information, about 50 people were detained. Rally has started on Freedom Square in Armenian capital in support of the armed group that seized the police building in Yerevan, News Armenia web site reported. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. SHARE Anthony Edwards (FACEBOOK) Blount County Sheriff's Office By Hayes Hickman of the Knoxville News Sentinel A Sevierville man has died from injuries suffered in a struggle with a Blount County Sheriff's Office deputy earlier this week, an attorney said Thursday. Anthony Michael Edwards, 25, was declared dead Wednesday afternoon, said attorney Troy Bowlin II, who is representing Edwards' family. "The family is deeply saddened by the loss of their son, father, friend and brother, and we are confident that our investigation will conclude what truly transpired between Mr. Edwards and the Blount County Sheriff's Office on this unforgettable summer night," Bowlin said. Edwards' internal organs were harvested for donation, Bowling said. An autopsy was expected Thursday. Edwards suffered a head injury when a deputy attempted to take him into custody during an encounter with BCSO Deputy Jerry Burns about 1 a.m. Monday in the area of Doc Norton Road, according to the Sheriff's Office. Burns was responding to a report of "suspicious persons" and stopped two men for questioning. The deputy said Edwards who had an outstanding warrant for violation of probation on charges of domestic assault and vandalism in Sevier County gave a false name and date of birth when asked for identification. Edwards then ran as Burns attempted to pat him down. "Multiple struggles" ensued, and Burns unsuccessfully attempted to subdue Edwards with a stun gun, a BCSO news release states. Once in custody, Edwards continued to fight and kicked a second deputy in the groin, according to the release. "Deputy Burns took Edwards to the ground, and as they came down, Edwards hit his head on the pavement," the release reads. "The deputies noticed labored breathing coming from Edwards, and they called for Rural/Metro ambulance service to respond." The deputies provided medical assistance to Edwards until an ambulance arrived, according to the release. He ultimately was taken by LifeStar helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, where he died. The second man stopped by Burns complied with the deputy's commands and was not injured. BCSO spokeswoman Marian O'Briant said Thursday at least a portion of the struggle was recorded by camera. She would not release the video, saying the case remains under investigation. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has not been asked to review Edwards' death, an agency spokeswoman said. Shawn Smoot, right, talks with his court-appointed attorney, Bob Jolley, during a break in Thursday's testimony in Smoot's first-degree murder trial. (BOB FOWLER/NEWS SENTINEL) By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel KINGSTON A single bullet. One solitary, 7.65-mm bullet found on a closet floor in Shawn Smoot's Knoxville townhouse is a key piece of evidence in his murder trial, officials said Thursday. Markings of that unfired bullet when it had been ejected from a handgun match markings on a shell casing found near the body of Smoot's former lover, Brooke N. Morris, 23, prosecutors said. The Powell woman had been shot three times, and her body was found just after dark Oct. 15, 2011, on rural Blair Road in Roane County. After three days of jury selection, an eight-woman, four-man panel began hearing testimony in the first-degree murder trial of the former Allstate Insurance executive. Smoot had an office in Knoxville, and Morris had been an employee of his during their tumultuous affair, which the state contends included death threats from him and physical attacks on her. Jurors on Thursday heard opening arguments from Tiffany Starr Smith, the state's lead counsel, and Bob Jolley, the court-appointed attorney representing the 44-year-old Smoot. "Mr. Smoot was not the one that committed that act," Jolley asserted. "There's no evidence that links Mr. Smoot to Roane County that day." Smoot, married at the time, was "obsessed" with Morris, with whom he had been having an affair, Smith said. She quoted an apologetic note Smoot sent to Morris's landlady, who had heard Morris screaming as Smoot forced open a window in Morris's rental residence: "Women tend to make us do crazy things, and unfortunately that night was one of them." Some of the circumstantial evidence the state plans to introduce, Smith said, includes an order of protection Morris swore out against Smoot, phone records and text messages between the two, testimony from Morris's friends, and a statement Smoot made when told of Morris's death. Smith said Morris was shot three times while standing on rural Blair Road near its intersection with Old Blair Road. The first bullet went through her neck, severing the jugular vein. The second passed through both lungs and the pulmonary artery. The final gunshot was "execution style" in the back of her head, the prosecutor said. The state is building its case in chronological order, starting with the Oliver Springs couple who found Morris's body sprawled in the road, her right arm resting in a pool of her blood. Jolley on Thursday sought to discredit the initial investigation spearheaded by Detective Lt. Art Wolfe, with the Roane County Sheriff's Office, contending the crime scene wasn't preserved and items within it had been moved. Smoot didn't show up for his arraignment in Roane County Criminal Court after his indictment was returned in June 2012. He was captured the next day in Pearl River County, Miss., in a pickup filled with camping gear and a loaded shotgun next to him. Presiding Judge Jeff Wicks said the trial will be conducted on weekdays as well as Saturdays, and the case could take more than two weeks to complete. Jurors and four alternates are being sequestered in a hotel. Should Smoot be convicted, a separate hearing will be conducted to determine whether Smoot serves life without parole or becomes eligible for release after 51 years behind bars. SHARE Terry Frank By Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel CLINTON Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank has repeatedly asked for digital records of who has been entering the county Election Commission and Finance Department offices, and when they've been doing so. Neither of those offices is now under Frank's control, and access to those records is deemed confidential by law, according to an opinion issued by Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager. "In sum, the mayor should not be allowed to access this system or the information obtained and recorded within the system," Yeager wrote in a memo to county Human Resources Director Russell Bearden. That memo has been copied to Anderson County commissioners. The issue is the latest uproar in Anderson County government, where Frank and Yeager have been at odds for years over a variety of issues. Frank said Friday she's asked for a list of "authorized entrants" to the Election Commission, and she's "acting on belief that there has been unauthorized access to the Election Commission office and the office that is supposed to securely hold the voting machines." She said it's a valid request because the integrity of elections is paramount. According to Yeager's memo, Frank has asked "multiple times" in recent weeks that Bearden "retrieve the (electronic card key) logs and provide them to her" for the two offices. Bearden, in turn, has asked Judge Donald Elledge to opine about Frank's repeated requests for the electronic records. Elledge, chairman of the courthouse security committee, "has denied this request, restating his previous position that courthouse security equipment recordings will not be provided for political reasons and only upon a valid request related to legitimate security concerns," the memo states. Frank said she's not satisfied with that answer. "Judge Elledge and courthouse security has nothing to do with badge access," Frank said in an email Friday. She said courthouse security "governs the camera system" in the building. She said the electronic badge system "is a function of the Human Resource office an office under my day-to-day purview." Every courthouse employee has an ID badge with a chip "coded to doors you can access," Yeager said Thursday. If Frank provides a "legitimate security-related request" for the information, Yeager said he'll ask Elledge for an opinion. SHARE PAUL EFIRD/NEWS SENTINEL A goat from Whistlepig Farms eats an invasive kudzu vine at Fort Dickerson Thursday, July, 28, 2016, in South Knoxville. Goats make for an effective and environmentally friendly way to clear the kudzu vines that plague various city-owned properties according to Chad Weth, Knoxville's director of public services. The city is paying $12,200 to rent the goats for the project which includes additional kudzu munching along the banks of Williams Creek in East Knoxville. Kudzu-munching goats from Whistlepig Farms take time out for some head-butting at Fort Dickerson Thursday, July, 28, 2016, in South Knoxville. The goats make for an effective and environmentally friendly way to clear the kudzu vines that plague various city-owned properties according to Chad Weth, Knoxville's director of public services. The city is paying $12,200 to rent the goats for the project which includes additional kudzu munching along the banks of Williams Creek in East Knoxville. (PAUL EFIRD/NEWS SENTINEL) A goat from Whistlepig Farms takes time out from its invasive species control duties at Fort Dickerson Thursday, July, 28, 2016, in South Knoxville. The goat is one of 25 providing an effective and environmentally friendly way to clear kudzu vines this summer on city-owned properties according to Chad Weth, Knoxville's director of public services. The city is paying $12,200 to rent the goats for the project which includes additional kudzu munching along the banks of Williams Creek in East Knoxville. (PAUL EFIRD/NEWS SENTINEL) By Travis Dorman of the Knoxville News Sentinel For the third year in a row, the city of Knoxville is employing a herd of goats to eat the invasive kudzu vines that plague various city-owned properties. Twenty-five goats are chewing through several acres of Fort Dickerson Park in South Knoxville, and they will later dine along the banks of Williams Creek near Brooks Avenue to the east. "It's a symbiotic project," said Mark Wagner, Knoxville's horticulture manager. "The goats enjoy a nice meal as they would on any other day, while at the same time, they make headway against a problematic plant." Kudzu, a plant species originating in Japan, can grow up to a foot a day and has been called "the vine that ate the South" due to its tendency to grow over and smother native plant species. Kudzu vines often grow up trees and siphon from water supplies, leading to the trees' eventual demise. Goats make for an effective and environmentally friendly way to clear large areas of the plant, according to Chad Weth, Knoxville's director of public services. After the goats chew through large amounts of kudzu, city crews supplement their work with more traditional methods such as weed-eating, mowing and spraying the root crowns with chemicals. But the kudzu tends to be persistent. "If you really want to kill it, it's not just a one-time effort," Weth said. The city is paying $12,200 to rent the goats from Whistlepig Farms for the project. Richard Gibbs, the owner of Whistlepig Farms, said it takes about a month for 10 goats to chew through an acre of kudzu, which offers a great source of protein for the animals. During the project, the goats are kept in park boundaries by electric fences. Herding dogs, also supplied by Whistlepig Farms, watch over the goats and protect them from predators and intruders. Locals are welcome to view the animals as they eat but are encouraged to keep a distance. SHARE The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Three Rivers Longbeards chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will holding an event next Saturday designed to get children to discover the excitement of the outdoors. The Allen Ricks Memorial JAKES Day will take place at the TWRA offices in Morristown on Aug. 6 from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The event is targeted towards children ages 5-17, but parents and guardians may also accompany children who are signed up. Organizers hope children will be able to connect with their parents through outdoor activities that they both love doing. Registration will cost $10 per participant, which includes lunch for the participant and guardian, with an extra $5 needed for each additional adult. Activities that will be available at the event include trap shooting, archery, rim fire and air rifle shooting, hunting safety and turkey-calling demonstrations. All activities will be supervised. The Three Rivers Longbeards also want to get families interested in turkey hunting. "Hunting also is important for the health of our nation's wildlife and habitat because hunters fund conservation," according to a TWRA release. "Wild turkeys and the management and hunting that go with them contribute $2 billion to the American economy each spring." The event memorializes Allen Ricks, who was the TWRA's Region IV spokesman and died in 2011 after a short battle with a rare form of cancer. Local and state National Wild Turkey Federation chapters hold JAKES events each year. The name stands for "Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship." More information may be found by going to www.nwtf.org and searching for local events. By Georgiana Vines of the Knoxville News Sentinel State Rep. Martin Daniel, in his first public appearance since being charged with simple assault by a challenger, would not answer questions about the charge during a political forum Thursday night. Daniel is set to appear for booking on the misdemeanor citation Aug. 10. Daniel and two opponents for the GOP nomination for West Knox County's 18th District House seat former Knoxville City Councilman Steve Hall, who previously held Daniel's seat, and attorney James Corcoran appeared before the Center City Conservative Republican Club meeting at Shoney's on Western Avenue and took questions on whether current legislators facing legal or moral issues should be removed and under what conditions they would vacate office if they didn't uphold their oaths of office. A fourth candidate, Bryan Dodson, was unable to attend. Martin was met at the front door of the restaurant with questions from the media about his campaign in the wake of the citation. Hall filed an incident report last week with the Knoxville Police Department following a radio forum on July 21 where Hall said Daniel stood over him to "intimidate him" and shoved him after Hall called Daniel a "liar." Hall signed a warrant Wednesday charging Daniel with assault. He said he moved forward with the criminal charge out of concern for his safety and that of his family and fellow candidates. Daniel wouldn't discuss the confrontation. One reporter asked him if the case wasn't affecting other issues in the campaign. "That's a little bit of a stretch," Daniel said. When the program began, club President Brian Hornback said questions involving the case would not be addressed by Daniel upon advice of his attorney. Hornback also asked the candidates' staff members to refrain from asking questions. State Rep. Eddie Smith, a Republican seeking re-election to the 13th District and who is chairman of the Knox County legislative delegation, was in the crowd of more than 50 people. When Smith got a chance to introduce himself before the program, he alluded to the controversy by saying he wanted "to take care of the elephant in the room." Legislators have responsibilities that should concern them, and that's what needs to be addressed, he said. "We're serving something bigger than ourselves," Smith said. In most instances, that's about 67,000 people in a district. Randy Pace, a former New Jersey city mayor who now lives in Knox County, asked about the conditions under which personal behavior would be so egregious that a public official should vacate office. All the candidates agreed the question was difficult to answer. Corcoran said there are "a lot of things out there," particularly criminal activity. "I don't intend to engage in illegal activity," he said. Another questioner asked about removing state Rep. Joe Armstrong, D-Knoxville, who faces trial next week on federal tax evasion charges, and Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, who has suspended his re-election campaign after public release of a state attorney general's report detailing sexual harassment of 22 women. Some legislators have called for a special session to expel Durham so he won't get a state pension. Some want to include Armstrong if he is convicted. Hall said Durham hasn't been convicted of anything and doesn't even know his accusers. Armstrong is going to trial, but if convicted, Hall said he would say yes to Armstrong's removal. Corcoran said he is concerned about the behavior of both lawmakers and that hearings might be conducted to find out the truth. "I don't know whether they've done what they're accused of," he said. Daniel said he had been appointed by House Speaker Beth Harwell to a task force to require higher education codes of conduct to be based on due process, which is what he supports. He said he would support removal of Durham if Durham has improperly used his position and would support removal of Armstrong if Armstrong used the office to benefit himself. Early voting in the primary ends Saturday. The outcome will be decided next Thursday. Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean Friends, family and supporters watch as Rep. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, speaks Thursday at the Democratic National Convention on television. The watch party was held at the Waller Law Firm in Nashville. Rep. Akbari is the first Tennessean to speak at the convention since Al Gore in 2008. SHARE By Joel Ebert And Joey Garrison, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee PHILADELPHIA State Rep. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, called for members of her generation to join her and vote for Hillary Clinton, arguing the "bad sister" will fight on behalf of young people when she becomes president. In a three-minute speech delivered Thursday at the Democratic National Convention, Akbari said there's a simple decision to make when considering voting for Clinton or Republican nominee Donald Trump. "My fellow young people we have a choice, and it's crystal clear! What side of history do we want to be on? Which political leader will we allow to define our generation?" she asked. Akbari, the only Tennessean speaking on stage at the convention and the first since 2008, suggested Clinton would help fight for debt-free college and free community college for everyone and would work to advance new "strategies" to combat the problems unique to those in the 32-year-old's generation. "Will you join me and support a leader who understands that the deep racial wounds of our country have not yet healed, but together we can work to be the change we wish to see in the world?" Akbari asked, before plugging Clinton's credentials, which date back to Clinton's law school days and work with the Children's Defense Fund to her time as first lady. "Come on y'all, she's a bad sister!" Akbari said, going off script. Turning to Clinton's opponent, Akbari said Republicans have nominated a man whose campaign and party are centered on divisions and intolerance. "The stakes are too high, the consequences too severe," Akbari declared. She even gave a plug to her hometown in the brief but energetic speech that had some in the Wells Fargo Center cheering, especially those in Tennessee's Democratic delegation. "Whether you're black, white, Latino or Asian whether you are gay, straight or transgendered whether you run a ranch, a farm, a church or a beauty shop down in Memphis, Tenn. Secretary Clinton is a fighter for us all." The line drew cheers from Tennessee's delegation, many of whom held and proudly waved Akbari campaign signs during her speech. Akbari ended her remarks by reminding Democrats the months leading up to the November election will be no simple task. "But when has fighting for what's right ever been easy? We are more powerful than we dare think, if we're willing to work together. We are stronger together. So stand up, y'all! Go back to your cities, go back to your states and work as hard as you can to make sure Secretary Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States of America," she said to applause from throughout the arena. Akbari's speech was well-received at watch parties back home in Tennessee and by members of the state's delegation. Akbari's mother, Lisa, said she was incredibly proud of her daughter's conviction. "This meant a lot to me personally, but it also meant a lot to me for her," the mother said. "She's given me hope regarding young people because I have been so concerned about people taking the reins of civil rights. I often have said I wonder if Dr. (Martin Luther) King would be disappointed. But when I see Raumesh Akbari and other young people like her, I have great hope that there will be people continuing to fight for the rights of all people. I am very, very proud of her." Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini said she especially liked the portion of Akbari's speech calling upon Democrats, Republicans and Independents to support Clinton. The state party organized watch parties in Nashville and Memphis. Cheers and applause rang out as friends and family members recorded Akbari's speech with cellphones at a watch party at the East Memphis Broadway Pizza that was hastily organized by the Democratic Women of Shelby County. "I mean, it's surreal. I've got chills coming down my spine. It's amazing," said Raumina Akbari, the lawmaker's twin sister, as she watched her sister ascend for a few minutes onto the national stage. The sister said she always knew Akbari would go into politics. Even while in law school in St. Louis, there was no question she would come home to Memphis. "She was like, 'I have to help my city.' So to see her doing it now, it's crazy to me," the sister said. In Nashville, about 25 people, including Akbari's family and friends, gathered at the Waller Law Firm, which was decked out with red, white and blue balloons hung throughout the room, to watch the speech. Those in attendance wore Akbari T-shirts that read "Millennials for Hillary." Only three members of Akbari's family were present her uncle, aunt and cousin. Akbari's aunt, Jacky, 55, said her niece's speech was "on the mark." "She represented the demographic that will turn the tide in the election for Hillary Clinton, and she represented them well. We're so proud to have her represent us on a national stage," she said. Akbari's 28-year-old cousin, Alex, said the moment was especially empowering for millennials. Mahesh Yarlagadda, 27, a friend of the lawmaker, said she represented Tennessee well. "She spoke about the importance of having big dreams. Even if you come from humble beginnings. She stayed positive and on par with Hillary and Tim Kaine's message," Yarlagadda said. Literary Digest in 1936 trumpeted the results of its large-scale straw poll showing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was going to lose the forthcoming election to Alf Landon. Oops, FDR won overwhelmingly. That poll embarrassment likely contributed to the magazine's demise. The survey technique involved questioning the magazine's subscribers and using two other lists, telephone users and registered automobile owners, all skewed upscale during the Depression. Of course, public opinion polling has improved greatly since the Literary Digest fiasco, and since the polls that nudged the self-described World's Greatest Newspaper, The Chicago Tribune, in 1948 to offer its erroneous "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline. As the November 2016 election draws near, we should take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of public opinion polling. Polls now are ubiquitous, even as the data in many are "fragile" if not suspect. Part of the problem is technological change. Roughly 40 percent of us now live in a home without a landline phone. It's possible to incorporate cell phones in surveys, but much more costly because of a law requiring such calls to be hand dialed. Some pollsters get a small number of cell respondents, but then weigh them more heavily in final calculations. Other pollsters lean increasingly on online-recruited respondents, some randomly selected but others targeted to achieve a demographic reflection of the overall population. Response rates are another potential problem. We have grown both wary and weary of polls. Now just 10 percent is a typical poll response rate. We also get bombarded with calls that aren't really polls sales pitches disguised as public opinion surveys or unethical "push polls" designed to disseminate negative claims about an opponent rather than to gather information. Locally we saw such fake polls in 2014 when a group supporting Republican Eddie Smith did push polls in a tight state legislative race. Smith could not bring himself to denounce unconditionally this repugnant tactic. Poll questions also can suffer from design flaws. Let's say you asked, "Do you support President Barack Obama's plan to close the Guantanamo Bay prison?" Your replies likely will include something about the issue itself, but also a heavy overlay of gut reaction to Obama. Election-related questions present additional challenges. The adult population is different from registered voters. They, in turn, are not the same as likely voters. Further, pollsters can calculate likely voters in different manners everything from a simple question like "Do you plan to vote?" to working from lists of people with an established pattern of voting. Overall national numbers in U. S. presidential elections have limited value. The Electoral College assures that state-by-state tallies, especially the battleground states, are key. Poll readers like you and me also need to be alert for "confirmation bias," giving greatest weight to polls that support our preferred outcomes. Fortunately, several poll aggregating and averaging sites have emerged. The best of these, by far, is Nate Silver's fivethirtyeight.com. Silver has achieved a solid record of electoral accuracy by compiling large numbers of polls, accounting for sample size and margin of error, weighing methods, and adjusting for the pollster's track record. It may not make for the splashiest headline from the latest hot poll, but it likely will be the best spot for a clear view of the forthcoming election. SHARE "All lives matter: should be the credo, but where is the outrage of the black populace, the black leaders and President Barack Obama when black people are murdering each other in Chicago (my hometown), St. Louis and Detroit? Chicago has already had more murders this year than New York City and Los Angeles combined. "Red or yellow, black or white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world." No matter their color, no one should be wantonly killed by police or anyone else. Murder is an outrage no matter the victim, and no matter the perpetrator. All lives matter. Ken Arnold, Knoxville SHARE It is a welcome sight to see Foothills Parkway receive some much needed funding to improve access to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. The Smokies are vital to our heritage and our economy in East Tennessee. It is fitting that in this centennial year of the National Park Service, the most visited park in America would receive some much needed help. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has long been a champion of our national parks, and his support to attract over $10 million in federal grants for the Foothills Parkway project should be commended. However, there is much more work to be done. Our national parks are at a crisis point. According to the National Park Service, the system is facing over $12 billion in needed repairs. Outdated infrastructure in our parks includes roads, bridges, trails, crumbling monuments and more. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is facing $232.3 million in needed repairs. We cannot afford to allow these special places to crumble. National parks are major economic drivers throughout the United States and in Tennessee. A 2015 National Park Service report shows that tourism to Great Smoky Mountains National Park creates $840 million in economic output to the Tennessee economy. From the Statue of Liberty to the Grand Canyon to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, our national parks help to define this great nation. But we must ensure that we are able to protect these places for another 100 years. I would like to thank Alexander for his support and ask that he continue to forge ahead and champion congressional funding for our parks here in Tennessee, as well as for the National Park System as a whole. Michael Shepperd, Pigeon Forge Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30 Trend: 02:55 (GMT+4) The number of people hospitalized after the dispersion of protesters near a captured police building in the countrys capital has gone up to 60, press secretary of Armenias Ministry of Health, Anahit Aytayan, said. "Sixty people were hospitalized as a result of the police dispersion of demonstrations held around the territory of the patrol police building captured by an armed group in Yerevan," Aytayan said, News.am reported. 02:04 (GMT+4) Preliminary reports show that 38 people got injuries in clashes in Yerevan, spokesperson for Health Ministry Anahit Harutyunyan said, News.am reported. Police used tear gas and stun grenades on Friday evening while dispersing demonstrators near seized police headquarters in Yerevan. Journalists are among the injured. 00:57 (GMT+4) At least 30 people were injured as a result of clashes between protesters and police in Yerevan, Interfax reported. 00:43 (GMT+4) At least 15 people were injured during dispersal of the demonstration in Yerevan, Interfax reported. According to the information, about 50 people were detained. Rally started on Freedom Square in Armenian capital in support of the armed group that seized the police building in Yerevan July 29. The armed group seized the headquarters of the police and interior troops in Erebuni, Yerevan, July 17, demanding the release of the participant of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, coordinator of the opposition Armenian civil initiative Founding Parliament Zhirayr Sefilyan. Sixteen generals and admirals were promoted and 99 colonels were promoted to generals and admirals, the Turkish military said late Thursday, Anadolu reported. In a statement released following a five-hour Supreme Military Council meeting in capital Ankara, the General Staff said that 20 generals' terms were extended for one year. Meanwhile, 47 generals and admirals will be retired as of Thursday and one general will retire Sept. 1, 2016. Held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, the meetings venue was changed for the first time from General Staff headquarters to the prime minister's residence at the Cankaya Palace. The change of venue came after the July 15 coup attempt. Kim Dong-jin, translator of the book and president of The Hulbert Memorial Society, speaks at a media meeting, Tuesday. / Yonhap "The Selected Works of Homer B. Hulbert" By Yun Suh-young Many Koreans know about Appenzeller or Underwood, who were missionaries to Korea who focused on educating Koreans as well as evangelizing them. However, not many know about or have rarely heard of Homer B. Hulbert, who was also a missionary and a teacher who was a great advocate of Korea. Commemorating the 130th anniversary of Hulbert's arrival in Korea on July 5, "The Selected Works of Homer B. Hulbert," was released on the day. The book is a compilation of 57 pieces of Hulbert's writings from 1886 through 1897. Born in New Haven and a graduate of Dartmouth College, Hulbert came to Korea at the age of 23 in 1886, during the late Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), as a teacher. He was sent to Korea to teach at Yookyoung Gongwon, Korea's first modern educational institutes run by the government. What is astounding is that on July 29, three weeks after he arrived, Hulbert wrote a commentary in a foreign newspaper on how he felt about Korea. "There has been no one who has systematically analyzed Korean culture, arts and customs as Hulbert has. He pointed out that the Korean literature genre was prevented from developing due to the Chinese characters. He noted it would have been great if Korean people could use Korean characters regularly since the creation of the Korean alphabet, Hangul, by King Sejong in 1446," said Kim Dong-jin, translator of the book and President of the Hulbert Memorial Society. Kim was a former chairman of the JP Morgan Chase Bank's Korea branch until he retired in 2009. Ever since, Kim has dedicated his time to spotlighting the great works of Hulbert, whom he has admired since reading his book, "The Passing of Korea," during his college years. He founded the Hulbert Memorial Society to honor the works of Hulbert. "Hulbert also noted that pansori was much like a novel of music, voice and physical movements. He deeply appreciated Korean culture and tried to promote it overseas through various publications," he said. Among the 57 pieces featured in the new book, 30 were published in The Korean Repository and The Korea Review, which were English journals published in Korea. The rest are articles extracted from foreign newspapers and magazines. "It took us 20 years to collect his works. We went to old book stores in New York and London to collect any remnants of his works and went through hundreds of news articles to find his works," said Kim. "Hulbert loved Korea in a way different from Appenzeller or Underwood. He was particularly fond of Korean culture and portrayed it in his writings." Hulbert left 15 published books, and 200 pieces of writing, including 12 articles he sent to a U.S. newspaper. His works were the first on Korea to be published in foreign media. He also published a Korean textbook, "Saminpilji," in 1890, which is the first Hangul text book. It contains information on world geography, politics, economy, culture and religions. "He was an advocate of Hangul, which is why he wrote the textbook in Hangul. He pitied the fact that the elites focused on studying Chinese characters and scorned Hangul when it was actually more useful and necessary for the public," said Kim. "An old news article recounts how Hulbert suggested a plan to simplify the Chinese alphabet in a writing to the Chinese government, which was met positively by the Chinese government. He actually wanted to export the Korean language overseas." Hulbert is known to have studied Korean and English in depth and wrote a dissertation on "hunminjeongeum," the book on Hangul manuscript. South Korea on Friday released SK Group vice chairman who was convicted of embezzlement and 573 other prisoners who exhibited exemplary behavior while serving their sentences, the justice ministry said. The inmates, who have a low possibility of becoming repeat offenders, were released at 10 a.m., the Ministry of Justice said. It said those released had already served more than a third of their sentences. Among those set free are Chey Jae-won, the SK Group vice chairman and younger brother of the conglomerate's chief Chey Tae-won. Chey Jae-won, 53, was serving a 3 1/2-year jail term for embezzling funds with the older brother. The ministry said the younger Chey has fulfilled 94 percent of his prison term, with three months left in his sentence. Group chairman Chey Tae-won was also released from jail in August 2015, following the government's grant of a special pardon ahead of Liberation Day. The business tycoon, who received a four-year sentence, was released after 30 months in jail. Including Friday's parole, the ministry has released a total of 4,052 inmates this year, a ministry official said, asking not to be named. The ministry, meanwhile, said it will soon open a committee to review the list to be included in next month's planned special pardon by President Park Geun-hye. (Yonhap) Jin Kyung-joon, left, and Kim Jung-ju State investigators on Friday indicted a high ranking prosecutor and the founder of South Korea's leading online game maker Nexon Co. for their suspicious stock transactions and bribery allegations. Jin Kyung-joon is suspected of receiving over 900 million won (US$800,600) worth of bribes from Kim Jung-ju, the chairman of Nexon's holding firm NXC Corp., from 2005 to 2014, said an ad hoc probe team, wrapping up its three-week investigation. The case involving Jin came to light early this year as the superintendent-level prosecutor reported a whopping increase in his personal wealth in 2015. All ranking government officials and lawmakers are required to disclose changes in their personal wealth annually. Nexon allegedly gave 425 million won to Jin in 2005 for him to buy 10,000 shares of the company, which ultimately helped the senior prosecutor amass some billions of won in profit through stock transactions by 2015. Jin is also suspected of receiving over 50 million won from Kim between 2005 and 2014 for his family's travel expenses and pocketing another 30 million won to take over a car leased by Kim's company. A former vice president of Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's largest carrier, was also indicted on charges of making contracts with the company of Jin's brother-in-law, in return for business favors. The inspection department under the Supreme Prosecutors' Office said its committee has unanimously decided to dismiss the 49-year-old prosecutor. The Ministry of Justice is expected to make a final decision after holding a disciplinary committee. Earlier this month, the country's top prosecutor Kim Soo-nam designated Lee Keum-ro, chief of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, to head the independent team and thoroughly investigate the case. The special team can investigate without supervision, having only to report its results to the prosecutor general. Prosecutors said the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office will continue investigating other corruption allegations raised against Kim. (Yonhap) The Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency awards the Air Force NCOs for catching the hit-run driver. /Courtesy of the Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency By Park Jae-hyuk Three Air Force non-commissioned officers (NCO) caught five foreigners who hit a woman with a car and fled on July 21. The Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency said an Ugandan, 29, was booked without detention Thursday for the hit-and-run. According to police, the right mirror of the car hit the woman, surnamed Park, 21, as she crossed the road in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, at 6:18 p.m. The woman fell to the ground and the driver fled without providing help. The Air Force NCOs witnessed the incident and chased the driver with their car for about a kilometer. They caught five Ugandans in the car and reported them to police. The driver was allegedly unlicensed and uninsured. The police have awarded prizes to the NCOs. The woman was taken to hospital after bystanders called for emergency help. She is likely to have three weeks of treatment. Gaurav Jain, former CEO of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser. By Park Jae-hyuk Former and incumbent executives of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser (RB) have allegedly answered "insincerely" during the prosecutors' probe of the company's toxic humidifier disinfectants. The disinfectants have been blamed for the deaths of more than 140 people. According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Thursday, five former and present executives of the British company gave written answers to prosecutors' questions. One executive who worked in the company's marketing department from 2003 to 2005 allegedly answered: "I could not check the phrase, safe for children', because I cannot read Korean." A prosecutor who reviewed the answer said: "It is as ridiculous as it is impossible to be heard from someone from Oxy's system." The former CEO, Gaurav Jain, denied that he had concealed a research report by Korea Conformity Laboratories on the company's disinfectants, which concluded that "Humidifier disinfectants are the primary cause of lung damage." Other executives were also reluctant to answer, saying "I didn't know," or "I don't remember." The prosecutors will send a second questionnaire to the executives after they review the first batch of answers. By Choi Sung-jin South Korea should use TV propaganda broadcasts of foreign information and other means to induce fundamental changes in North Korea, an expert said Thursday. Pointing out that it was the free circulation of information through social network service and other media that toppled a dictatorial regime in Egypt and brought about the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, he said only when external information can flow into North Korea can there be massive popular protests like the "Arab Spring." "To make North Koreans live like human beings, the international community needs to provide not only food and medicines but information as well," said Kim Yon-ho, senior researcher at the School of Advanced International Studies in Johns Hopkins University, during a symposium titled "Is Arab Spring possible in North Korea?" "As a picture plays a larger role than a thousand words, TV broadcasts to North Korea will deliver much more powerful messages than radio," Kim said. Although North Koreans are severely punished if they contact foreign culture, there has been a sharp increase in the number of them wanting access to foreign media over the past decade, Kim said. "Considering that 3 million North Koreans, more than 10 percent of its population, are using mobile phones now, making the most of cell phones will have great potential," he said. A Korean expert expressed his consent. "Since Kim Jong-un took power, North Koreans' use of media equipment has diversified," said Han Ki-hong, head of the Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights (NK Net). "We should pay greater attention to enhance freedom of information in North Korea by, for instance, speeding up the flow of information into the isolationist regime." Foreign activists shared their experiences. "In Egypt, not only public newspapers but independent and even anti-governmental papers had been under the government's surveillance," said Wael Abbas, an Egyptian human rights activist. "It was the courageous activities of ordinary bloggers that toppled the dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak." Noting that these bloggers lit the fire of public opinion by exposing police torture and election rigging, he said: "I hope South Koreans will be able to make the most of the examples of thousands of Egyptian bloggers who sacrificed themselves to oust Mubarak, to expand freedom of information in North Korea." A Tunisian social activist also said that at the heart of popular protests that toppled an authoritarian government through the Jasmine Revolution in 2011 were the deaths of about 300 Tunisians who sacrificed themselves for freedom of expression. "Thanks to their courage, citizens' access to information has been sharply enhanced," she said. The organizer of the symposium, International Solidarity for North Korean Freedom of Information, is composed of three South Korean groups, including the NK Net, JSR Shiozake, a Japanese broadcaster to North Korea, and SARAM, a North Korean human rights organization in Germany. The head of US Central Command said Thursday that some officers with whom the US had relationships are imprisoned for their role in a recent coup attempt in Turkey, Anadolu reported. We have certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders -- military leaders in particular. I am concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue, Gen. Joseph Votel said while speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, a think tank, in Colorado. Responding to a question about whether some of those leaders are now in jail he said yes, I think some of them are in jail. The general leading the Pentagons operations in the Middle East said Turkey is beyond being just a place where the US park our assets and launch them. They have been integrated into many things that we are doing, he said, noting Turkeys contribution to the anti-Daesh fight and significant intelligence sharing between the two countries with respect to the terrorism. He expressed his concerns that in the long run the coup and Ankaras efforts to clear the military of coup supporters would have an effect on US operations in the region. I am concerned that it will impact the level of cooperation and collaboration that we have with Turkey which has been excellent frankly. Noting some limitations on US operations in Incirlik, Votel said the electricity problem at the base in southern city of Adana has been resolved. After it was discovered that Turkish forces at Incirlik were involved in the coup, authorities cut electricity to the base. The US launched aircraft from the base using an internal power system until commercial electricity was restored earlier this week. South Korea has confirmed a woman who returned from a trip to Vietnam has been infected with the Zika virus, the country's ninth such case, health authorities here said Friday. The 40-year-old woman, whose identity has been withheld, tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus after traveling to Ho Chi Minh City from July 11-15, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The KCDC said she had been infected with the virus after being bitten by a mosquito during her trip to the Southeast Asian country. She has shown symptoms of rash, muscular pain, joint pain and conjunctivitis since July 19 and went to a hospital on Monday to receive an examination, health authorities said. The latest case raises the number of confirmed infections in South Korea to nine, since the country reported its first Zika patient in March. The virus, first discovered in Africa, has been linked to thousands of birth defects in newborn babies like abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains in Brazil. (Yonhap) /Courtesy of Pixabay By Park Jae-hyuk Police have arrested the managers of alleged illegal gambling websites who owned supercars and bought drugs with the money earned from the sites. According to the Seoul Geumcheon Police Station on Thursday, they arrested 10 managers, including the chief manager identified by the surname Lee, 29, and booked nine without detention for allegedly operating illegal gambling websites. The managers allegedly earned at least 200 billion won ($178 million) from the websites whose servers are in China and Thailand. Police allege Lee and seven other managers took philopon, ecstasy and marijuana. Police said they confiscated the drugs from Lee's house in Incheon. Lee recruited the managers at clubs and bars in the popular night spot of Gangnam district in southern Seoul, police said. He organized the group and assigned roles to each member. While each manager got 3 million won ($2,600) to 10 million won salary a month, Lee took most of the profit, police said. He owned three supercars, including a Porsche and a Ferrari, and a seven-floor motel in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. Police are searching for Lee's other properties in Macau, China. Nexon chairman indicted without detention By Chung Hyun-chae Jin Kyung-joon, a senior prosecutor who was indicted Friday on charges of taking bribes from the chairman of game company, Nexon, enters the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for questioning, July 14. / Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han A special prosecutor's team indicted senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon and Nexon Chairman Kim Jung-ju on charges of taking and offering bribes, respectively, Friday. The prosecution has also decided to dismiss the prosecutor who has been accused of reaping illegal gains from trading Nexon shares. Jin is also charged with having received some 900 million won ($803,000) in bribes "We are charging Jin with bribery, obstruction of justice and violation of the real-name financial transaction law," Lee Geum-ro, chief of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office and head of the team, said at a press briefing. Jin is the first vice minister-level official to be arrested while in office as well as to be fired by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in the 68-year history of the nation's prosecution service. Nexon Chairman Kim, 48, was also indicted without detention on the charge of giving bribes. Right after the announcement of the outcome of the investigation, a disciplinary committee under the Supreme Prosecutors' Office said it unanimously decided to dismiss Jin. The Ministry of Justice will make a final decision on the dismissal. In March, allegations against Jin were made public when he reported a drastic increase in his personal wealth in 2015. Earlier this month, Jin was arrested over allegations that he had pocketed some 12 billion won in illicit gains from stock deals involving Nexon, the nation's leading online game maker. In 2005, Jin bought 10,000 unlisted Nexon shares for 425 million won, which he sold back to the company the next year for around 1 billion won. With the money, he then bought Nexon Japan's stocks. Nexon Japan's stock price skyrocketed after the company was listed on the Japanese bourse in 2011, and Jin sold those for 12.6 billion won last year, making nearly a 12 billion won profit. The investigation team found that Jin got the Nexon shares worth 425 million won for free from the company. Jin is also alleged to have pressured Hanjin Group to award contracts worth 13 billion won to a cleaning company run by his brother-in-law in return for halting investigations into the group for alleged tax evasion in 2010. He is suspected of receiving about 50 million won from Kim for his family's travel expenses between 2005 and 2014 on 11 occasions. Further, prosecutors found that Jin used "borrowed name" accounts for the stock dealings. He allegedly used accounts under his brother-in-law's name since 2014. The prosecution has frozen Jin's assets worth 13 billion won. Although Jin submitted a document to the investigation team to admit some of his allegations a day before he was summoned, law experts expected that Jin is likely to receive a sentence of more than 10 years in prison. "Another team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office will continue investigations of the allegations of embezzlement and breach of trust against Nexon Chairman Kim," Lee said. By Rachel Lee After the Constitutional Court upheld the controversial anti-graft law, Thursday, calls are growing that the law should be revised so that it can also be applied to lawmakers and civic groups. Lawmakers are facing criticism that they excluded themselves from the scope of the law when they enacted it in March last year. The act, proposed by former Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission Chief Kim Young-ran, will make 4 million public servants, journalists and private school teachers and their spouses subject to regulations that ban them from being given meals and gifts exceeding designated price limits. According to the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission and the National Assembly Secretariat, gifts and meals for lawmakers and public officials as long as they are related to legislative activities are among exceptions to the law. "The intent of the new law is that the government and other related organizations should not be restrained from their role of conveying the problems of people in this country," a National Assembly Secretariat official said. Several lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties have called for amendments following the ruling. By Kim Se-jeong Hyun Gak A well-known monk from the United States said Friday that he will cut ties with Korean Buddhism which he said is dominated by "bad monks" who pursue money and discriminate against foreign monks. On his Facebook account, Monk Hyun Gak wrote, "I am deeply disappointed with Korean Buddhism. August will be my last visit to Korea." Hyun Gak currently serves as chief monk at Hyeongjeong Temple in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. He is now staying in Germany. Born in New Jersey, the monk became a member of the Jogye Order in 1992. He became a Korean citizen in 2008. He was inspired by Seungsahn, the master of the Jogye Order and a founder of the International Kwan Um School of Zen. The two met at a lecture in the U.S. Seongsahn died in 2004, and Hyun Gak took over the Zen school as director. The monk cited the authoritarian culture, hierarchical system, discrimination against nationality and gender, and the pursuit of money within the Jogye Order as reasons for his departure. "Foreign monks like me were only a decoration for the Jogye Order. This is a summary of my experience as a monk in Korea. This is very sad," he wrote. "Korean Buddhism under Seungsahn was different. They were open to diversity and more tolerable. But the Jogye Order changed things." He harshly criticized Korean Buddhism for its love for money. "The essence of Korean Buddhism has been replaced with the pursuit of money as part of its blessings. This is utterly sad." Hyun Gak studied at Yale University and Harvard Divinity School. By Choi Ha-young The Ministry of Unification is facing calls to strengthen monitoring of North Korea-related civic groups receiving state subsidies. While some organizations are being investigated for embezzling funds, the ministry is seeking to establish a foundation dedicated to support activities to improve human rights in North Korea. Analysts say the ministry needs to set up a monitoring system first before expanding financial support for those groups. In line with the North Korean Human Rights Act, which was passed in March after 11 years of discussions, the ministry will set up the North Korean Human Rights Foundation, which will investigate rights abuses in North Korea and fund relevant non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in September. Park Jeong-eun from the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said it was a dangerous idea to support civic groups without checking their integrity. She also raised suspicions that the foundation may fund only hard-line anti-North Korea organizations. "We need to monitor the internal rules of the foundation and how the supported groups spend money," Park said. In January, Kim Yong-hwa, a former defector, was indicted on charges of embezzling 135.5 million won ($118,000) in state subsidies while working at the Korea Hana Foundation, which is run by the ministry to help defectors settle in South Korea. Two other defectors were caught diverting funds through accounting fraud. Some defectors are also being investigated for participating in rallies organized by the Korea Parents Federation, a conservative group, after receiving 20,000 won a day per person. The ministry said it has requested a 25 billion won budget for the establishment of the human rights foundation. The foundation will select organizations that are eligible for state subsidies based on the evaluations of proposals from them by its board of directors. The board of directors will be composed of 12 people; two appointed by the Minister of Unification, and five each appointed by the ruling and the main opposition parties. "The requested budget is big money for a state-run foundation," said Kim Jong-su, an advisor on unification issues to the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea. "We should closely monitor spending." Chung Ok-nim, former president of the Korea Hana Foundation, called for the need to expand support for organizations helping North Korean defectors, saying many are working to save North Korean defectors in China and Southeast Asian countries in dire situations. However, the government needs to check the integrity of activists first before providing money, Chung said. "There should be some principles in supporting their activities transparency, legitimacy and close monitoring to prevent the diversion of funds," Chung said. "For this, there is a need to check how related foreign NGOs are operated." South Korea and Japan will hold a meeting next month to discuss follow-up measures related to a foundation launched to help Korean women sexually abused by Japan during its colonial rule of the peninsula in the first half of the 20th century, government sources said Friday. The meeting is likely to be held in the second week of August, and it will mark the first time for both sides to get together after the foundation kicked off work on Thursday in Seoul. The Reconciliation and Healing Foundation came into being under the deal reached in December to resolve the comfort women issue once and for all. Tokyo promised to contribute 1 billion yen ($9.5 million) to the foundation. Chung Byung-won, director-general of the South Korean foreign ministry's Northeast Asian affairs bureau, will meet with his Japanese counterpart Kenji Kanasugi in Seoul, according to the sources. They will likely discuss when and how to use the promised money for the foundation, observers said. Earlier, a South Korean diplomat told reporters that the money will be delivered immediately after the launch of the foundation but it has yet to be transferred, reportedly due to some lingering differences between the two countries. The Dec. 28 was hailed by the international community as a step in the right direction given that the comfort women issue has been a long-standing obstacle to ties between the two neighboring countries. But it has been drawing flak from some victims and civic groups who have accused the government of striking a deal lacking Japan's acknowledgment of its legal responsibility. They also said the agreement was reached without prior consultation with the victims. Historians estimate that up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, were forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese troops during World War II. Forty South Korean victims, mostly in their late 80s, are currently known to be alive. The launch of the foundation, meanwhile, was marred by protest from vocal support groups for comfort women. Dozens of members from the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and other groups staged a rally in front of the foundation's office building while the opening event was under way. Kim Tae-hyun, chairwoman of the foundation, was also attacked by an unidentified man who sprayed pepper spray in her face when she was leaving the building after a press conference. (Yonhap) North Korea publicly executed six officials in charge of supervision of its workers overseas in May following the defection of 13 workers at a North Korean-run restaurant in China a month earlier, a local Pyongyang watcher said Friday. "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered six officials, including intelligence officials, to be executed publicly on May 5 due to their lack of control over overseas (North Korean) workers," Choi Seong-yong, chairman of the Abductees' Family Union, claimed, citing people familiar with the matter. Eighty public officials and 100 people who have their family members working overseas were forced to watch the execution, he said. In early April, a group of 12 women and one man fled from a North Korea-run restaurant in China's eastern port city of Ningbo and defected to South Korea. In the following month, three female workers at a North Korean restaurant in the midwest city of Shanxi reportedly defected to the South. "North Korea locked the families of the defectors up and forced them to take ideological education at a training facility in Myohyang Mountain, in the northern part of the communist country," Choi said. The North Korean authorities have argued the workers didn't defect to the South but were kidnapped by the South Korean government. (Yonhap) South Korea will beef up its system to counter North Korea's attempts in recent years to jam GPS signals in the South, the science ministry said Friday. Under a set of comprehensive measures approved at a Cabinet meeting, the Seoul government will redouble efforts to develop technology that can deal with the North's attempts and upgrade the system, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said. Following the North's attempts to disrupt South Korea's GPS signals across the border between 2010 and 2012, the Seoul government has set up the system to monitor the disruptions. GPS disruptions could cause mobile phones to malfunction and affect planes and ships that rely on the satellite signal for navigation. No major damage has been reported so far. "Details of the countermeasures cannot be disclosed. North Korea should not be aware of the level of our readiness," said a ministry official on the condition of anonymity. The ministry said it will conduct drills regularly and actively develop the technology that can detect the jamming source. Also, the Seoul government will closely work with international organizations, such as the United Nations, officials said. (Yonhap) /Courtesy of Twitter By Lee Han-soo North Korean diplomats are threatening media outlets in Africa that exposed the country's illegal activities, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA), a broadcasting agency operated by the U.S. government, Friday. "We will never tolerate such dirty articles criticizing our supreme leader who is our nation's destiny and future," wrote Kim Chang Ryop, the North Korean ambassador to South Africa, to the Daily Maverick, a South African newspaper. The Daily Maverick had published an article on July 12 that said North Korean diplomats have been implicated in the smuggling of rhino horns. On June 7, four North Korean doctors barged into the office of The Citizen, a Tanzanian daily newspaper, which had reported on illegal clinics operating inside Tanzania. The doctors made violent protests against the daily for describing their clinic as a "rouge clinic," RFA said. On May 2, two North Korean embassy employees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) made a ruckus in the office of Le Potential, a DRC daily newspaper, for publishing an article about a North Korean prison camp inside Equatorial Guinea. The two employees wanted the newspaper to give up its source. North Korea has been putting effort into advertising the hermit state and its supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, using media outlets across the world. But their efforts seem fruitless as a press request by a North Korean ambassador to Angola was denied by ANGOP, a news agency in Angola. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Assistant General Manager for Procurement at Turkeys Petkim petrochemical holding Natig Damirov has resigned, said the message from Petkim. The dismissals at Petkim wont affect its operation, according to the message. Earlier, Vagif Aliyev, head of the board of directors of Petkim said that 27 people have been dismissed from various departments at Petkim petrochemical holding (SOCARs Turkish asset) since July 27. Moreover, former director general of Petkim petrochemical holding Sadeddin Korkut was detained over the complaint of the companys high-ranking official who was dismissed earlier. Sadeddin Korkut was dismissed from his post and Anar Mammadov, who is also head of SOCAR Greece (SOCARs Greek subsidiary), replaced him. Earlier, some officials of SOCAR Turkey Energy (Turkish subsidiary of SOCAR) resigned. Among those resigned are Omer Adsiz, director of public relations department at SOCAR Turkey, Ilgar Mehmetoglu, director of the companys human resources department, Cetin Korkut, director of the companys IT department, as well as Fuat Ulagay, director of human resources department at Star refinery. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu /Courtesy of Twitter By Lee Han-soo Five North Korean soldiers who deserted their posts with weapons engaged in a shootout with Chinese authorities on Thursday after armed robberies in Jilin Province, according to diplomatic sources. The soldiers entered China through Hyesan city in North Korea on July 23 and committed an armed robbery in Changbai Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province. As the robbery spree intensified, the Chinese army and police formed a task force to catch the soldiers and a major shoot out ensued in a town inside the prefecture on Thursday. Two of the soldiers were arrested but many of the Chinese were injured. Two Chinese police officers were rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical condition. Chinese authorities have launched a manhunt for the three remaining soldiers. "Authorities have issued a curfew to local residents until they arrest all the culprits," a diplomatic source said. This is not the first time North Korean soldiers have looted nearby Chinese villages in times when there is a shortage of food in North Korea. In 2014, a North Korean soldier killed four Chinese citizens in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province. North Korea has tried in vain to revise a statement issued at the end of a regional security forum that voiced concerns over its defiant pursuit of nuclear and missile development, a government source said Friday. On Wednesday, top diplomats and representatives of nearly 30 countries and organizations, including members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), wrapped up this year's ASEAN Regional Forum, the region's largest security gathering, held in Vientiane, Laos. It is a rare international event attended by the reclusive North. Laos, chair country for this year's ARF, issued a chair's statement on Thursday that summarized what was discussed and agreed upon among participants. It expressed "concern" over threats from the North's nuclear and missile development. "We know that the North expressed strong discontent with the ARF statement to Laos," the source said on condition of anonymity. "But Laos did not accept the complaint." He said that Laos, which has close ties with the North, tried at first to convene a meeting for a possible revision to the statement and actually contacted several major countries, including South Korea, on Thursday afternoon. "But after listening to opinions from those countries via phone and other various channels, it appears that Laos notified the North that it would be difficult to hold such a meeting," he said. "In the end, Laos held a meeting with officials from the North alone, where it made clear that there will be no revision since the statement was what was agreed upon by all participants and issued by the chair country," he added. The North appears to have tried to include Pyongyang's long-held claim that its pursuit of nuclear weapons is in response to the U.S.' hostile policy toward Pyongyang and that it is part of efforts to defend itself from the outside world, the source said. A high-ranking diplomatic official said on condition of anonymity that this year's statement was the "strongest one ever issued by the security forum. It is also regarded as tougher than last year's in that it elaborated even on the dates when the North conducted its fourth nuclear test and missile provocations this year. "This is very meaningful given that such a tough-worded statement was issued after the North's fourth nuclear test and at an international debut stage for North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho," he noted. Ri, who was tapped as the North's top diplomat in May, stayed for two more days in Vientiane after the ARF was concluded for unconfirmed reasons. Observers speculate that he might have used the extra time to negotiate a revision to the statement. (Yonahp) By Yi Whan-woo More and more North Koreans from various social backgrounds are fleeing their country in pursuit of better lives in South Korea, the United States and other countries. A teenage math prodigy refused to return home and has sought asylum at the South Korean consulate in Hong Kong after participating in the International Mathematics Olympiad there in early July, media outlets there reported Thursday. Diplomatic sources said Friday that a top military officer and three diplomats fled from North Korea this month and are on their way to third countries via China. Some other sources claimed a construction worker and two employees at a North Korean restaurant in Malta presumably defected to South Korea after deserting their respective workplaces between 2015 and early this year. Noting that those defectors are from the middle- and upper-classes, analysts speculated that a growing number of North Koreans regardless of their backgrounds are unhappy with their country's young leader Kim Jong-un in the wake of sanctions and the country's accelerated isolation. "Defectors in the past generally came from poor and socially-deprived families and fleeing their homeland was a matter of survival and an escape from poverty," said An Chan-il, a defector-turned researcher at the World Institute for North Korea Studies in Seoul. "In contrast, the latest cases show even the North Korean elite find their government untrustworthy and hopeless, and the only hope is to leave the country." The sources said the South Korean government is still working to find out what led the math prodigy to turn his back on his country. They pointed out that North Korea has recognized the role of math, science and engineering talent in its development of nuclear and ballistic missile technologies and therefore treated them well. By Yi Whan-woo North Korea has resumed broadcasting coded numbers, Friday, in an apparent bid to give directions to its spies abroad. It broadcast coded numbers - an old-fashioned way of giving orders to agents - following the previous ones on June 24 and July 15. In the latest broadcast, an announcer at state-controlled Pyongyang Radio read what she described as "a mathematics review assignment for investigative agent No. 27" engaged in a "distance learning" program, following its regular broadcasts after midnight. "Turn to Page 459, No. 35; Page 913, No. 55; Page 135, No. 86," she said, continuing to cite numbers for 12 minutes. The series of seemingly random numbers were the same as the ones broadcast July 15, according to the South Korean government. North Korea resumed such broadcasts after it suspended using shortwave radio in June 2000 to send ciphered messages to its secret agents in South Korea and other countries. The encrypted message, Friday, comes after North Korea dispatched 10 groups of secret agents in China and Southeast Asian countries, Tuesday. Their mission is to launch terrorist attacks against South Koreans there in line with leader Kim Jong-un's order. Kim made the order in a retaliatory measure against Seoul for refusing to accept Pyongyang's demand to return 13 North Koreans who defected to South Korea in April while working at a restaurant in China owned by the repressive state. The Ministry of Unification, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, renewed its protest against the encrypted broadcast. "We hope North Korea refrain from repeating old and outdated behavior," it said. Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the ruling Saenuri Party speculated that the North Korean spies overseas may have requested their regime to repeat the same numbers, Friday. "I don't think it's psychological warfare because there is no point of repeating the same message twice if it were psychological propaganda," he wrote on Facebook. "Our intelligence authorities should get ready in case North Korea bolsters its espionage." By Vladislav Son A while ago Daniel Russel, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, criticized South Korea for staying out of regional affairs in the South China Sea, particularly for its silence towards Chinese illegal territorial expansion and military deployment . So far being between its two important partners, China and the U.S., South Korea has not firmly expressed which side it takes in this regard giving vague statements about the issue to avoid major disturbances with them. And it does right because its vagueness has its own strategic virtue. Many think that South Korea is exactly the one who can shift the situation towards peaceful settlement of the conflict had they joined the blaming squad of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, the U.S and etc. Moreover South Korea has its own economic interests at stake of freedom of navigation since the region serves as a route for more than billion tons of South Korean trade and about 86 percent of its oil imports . These may turn out to be at threat if any significant escalations in the dispute happen. And also a given importance of the U.S. military presence in Korean peninsula makes an obligation for the ROK to turn against Chinese misbehavior in the South China Sea. However many also miss one point that is hugely beneficial to South Korea. Its silence towards Beijing is underpinned by an increasing Chinese alienation from North Korea. According to Robert E Kelly, an associate professor of international relations at Pusan National University, currently relations between China and North Korea are the coldest ever due to vigorous diplomatic efforts of Park Geun-hye administration . China was the last one, who supported the regime. Now the DPRK, in the absence of the permanent aid assistance, is economically squeezed and sooner or later, if China does not change its mind, the regime will go to collapse. Any little hint made by South Korea in regards to the South China Sea will endanger the desired outcome. Perhaps, considering this, the reason why American officials push South Korea is not obscure. Eventual collapse of the North Korean regime will decrease the importance of the U.S. military assistance to the ROK and its presence in the region will be reasonless, which is not a desirable strategic outcome. Protecting South Korea is what allows the U.S. to navigate in the Eastern Asia giving significant strategic advantages. And American government will not want to lose them. There are at least four other reasons why South Korea should stay neutral in the South China Sea. First, joining the U.S. will not make any difference in the dispute because in fact South Korea cannot pose significant physical threat to China. Nor they can pose any economic sanctions since China is the largest trade partner and takes significant part of South Korean exports. Nor the diplomatic barking will make China cancel its expansion activities. Second, although the U.S. verbally pushes South Korean government to choose one's side, it will not affect the core of their relationships. Mutual strategic interests cannot be undermined due to mere neutrality of one country in relation to one regional issue. Thirdly, the emergence of war does not directly depend on South Korean position. There are many more important factors than the involvement of one more country that does not have specific interests in the region. And lastly, if eventually the war happens, by being neutral South Korea will avoid huge physical casualties. Their logistic interests may be damaged but it is better to change trade routes rather than bearing more damaging costs of the direct involvement in the conflict. In the current context it is wise to stay neutral in the dispute in short- and long-term perspective. And significant diplomatic effort is needed to preserve this neutrality. Vladislav Son is a Kazakhstani student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies majoring in international studies. Write to vladison93@gmail.com. A foundation for Korean women who were forced to serve as sex slaves by the Japanese military before and during World War II opened in Seoul Thursday. The foundation, funded by the Japanese government, is the main outcome of a Korea-Japan deal in December 2015. Under the verbal agreement, Japan will provide 1 billion yen ($9 million) in funding to the foundation aimed at improving the lives of the victims and healing their emotional wounds. The huge backlash against the deal from activists and the victims of wartime sexual slavery has not subsided because they believe that it is an impediment to achieving their objectives, including a sincere apology from Japan and legal compensation at the government level. They have strongly protested the foundation's establishment and the victims refused to attend the opening ceremony. Protesters attacked Kim Tae-hyeon, professor emeritus at Sungshin Women's University, who chairs the committee, after a press conference on the opening day. It is wrong for the government to hastily open the foundation when there is still such strong resistance from the so-called comfort women toward the deal. Also it was a rash move for Seoul to open the foundation when there is much uncertainty about when the funds from Japan will arrive and how it will be spent. The 1 billion-yen fund pledged by Tokyo has not been transferred yet due to differences over some other matters between the two countries. One of the few ways for the government to gain the trust of the victims is to ensure that the money is spent in a manner that will help lift their dignity and peace in their remaining years. This should be the center of discussions between directors-general of both countries' foreign ministries when they meet regarding the operation of the foundation next month. Our foreign ministry should make its position clear on some of the controversies, such as the issue of removing a statue in honor of the comfort women from in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. The removal goes completely against public sentiment and it is certainly unacceptable to the victims. Seoul needs to be firm about its stance that such demands should not be linked to the delivery of the money. So far the government has angered the victims with its disregard for them and lack of communication. In a recent interview, Kim Bok-dong, a victim and activist, expressed a wish for a chance to explain their position to President Park Geun-hye. President Park should respond to such desperate calls because many of the remaining victims are in their last years and do not have much time. Out of 238 victims registered with the government, there are only 40 who are still alive. Six victims have died since the Korea-Japan deal last year. The government should continue to talk with the victims to operate the foundation in a way that is beneficial to them and commemorates those who are deceased. Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, on Friday said it plans to release its new hydrogen-powered cars in 2018. The second-generation hydrogen fuel cell cars are set to debut in February 2018, when South Korea's alpine city of PyeongChang hosts the Winter Olympics, the carmaker said. The move is aimed at, among other things, promoting Hyundai's technological prowess to foreign reporters, who will visit South Korea to cover the Winter Olympics. Still, the carmaker declined to elaborate on technological advancements to be installed in the second-generation hydrogen fuel cell cars. Hyundai become the first carmaker in the world to mass produce a hydrogen-powered car in 2013. Currently, Hyundai's hydrogen-powered car can travel more than 400 kilometers on a single charge. South Korea has been racing to develop hydrogen fuel cell cars as they do not produce greenhouse gases that scientists say are to blame for global warming. A fuel cell car emits only water vapor as it converts stored hydrogen into electricity, which turns the vehicle's motor. Hyundai Motor said it has sold a total of 503 units of the Tuscon fuel cell vehicles, including 26 units in Norway. (Yonhap) By Lee Min-hyung The government is in an all-out war to stop multinational corporations from artificially shifting profits to low or no-tax locations, mandating them to submit country-by-country tax reports. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance on Thursday announced its proposed tax revision, outlining that international companies here should notify the nation's tax regulator of their income taxes for each country they operate in. The aggressive and wider range of tax revision is aimed particularly at global IT giants such as Google and Microsoft which have been at the center of a series of controversies here over their suspected tax evasion. The ministry plans to receive the reports which include details of the companies' income taxes and sales by country no later than the end of next year and share the relevant tax information with other countries, as part of its cross-border bid to prevent the companies from using tax havens. The move reflects the government's bid to be in line with the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. Google Korea said it will maintain its previous position in its tax-related dispute here. "Google Korea has always complied with tax rules in all the countries where we operate, and will follow new rules to be implemented," a Google Korea spokeswoman said. Reverse discrimination on overseas firms? Google's local counterparts such as Naver have expressed frustration over the government's failure to determine the issue in a more transparent and active way. "Nothing is unveiled over how much Google or Apple reaps profits here from their app stores," Naver founder and chairman Lee Hae-jin, said at a recent press conference. Naver is the nation's top portal operator. His remarks reflect that Google should also be under the same regulations as Naver. "Things are no different for YouTube or Facebook. If Google can establish its own data center here, all the tax-related issues may be put to an end," he said. Google Korea, however, said the company has to consider various factors including local infrastructure and experienced manpower to manage the facility before establishing a data center here. But the nation has yet to meet its standard over the plan, according to the company. Kwon Beom-joon, software engineer at Google Korea, said: "Google is fully complying with not just the Korean tax system, but that of other countries where it operates its business. "We take a very comprehensive approach over the establishment of data centers before making our final decision. They include how stable the local technology infrastructure is and whether the nation has a reasonable regulatory system." Melania Trump took down her personal website after a controversy over her college degree. / Korea Times file By Yeo Ye-rim Melania Knauss Trump, wife of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, deleted her personal website on Wednesday after doubts were raised about the validity of her college degree. The website had claimed she received an undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Ljubljana before going into modeling. But the statement was at odds with what her biography, "Melania Trump: The Inside Story," claimed. According to the biography, Trump gave up college after a year to focus on her modeling career. Trump's older website years ago claimed Trump had obtained a degree in design and architecture at the University of Slovenia. After the website was taken down, Trump said through Twitter: "The website in question was created in 2012 and has been removed because it does not accurately reflect my current business and professional interests." On July 19, Melania Trump's speech at the Republican national convention triggered controversy over allegations of plagiarizing Michelle Obama's speech of 2008. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Head of the Executive Board of Boydak Holding Mustafa Boydak has been detained in Turkeys Kayseri province, the Sabah newspaper reported July 29. Moreover, vice chairman of the Board of Directors Sukru Boydak has also been detained. Currently, searches are underway in the apartments of the detained. Mustafa Boydak and Sukru Boydak have been detained for rendering financial assistance to the terrorist organization of Fethullah Gulen who was involved in the military coup attempt in Turkey. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkish Air Force has announced admission of military pilots, due to the shortage of such, the Milliyet newspaper reported July 29. Earlier, 214 military pilots were dismissed in Turkey as part of the fight against the movement of Fethullah Gulen who was involved in the military coup attempt in the country, said the report. Five hundred pilots were dismissed from the countrys Air Force in 2008-2014, according to the General Staff of Turkish Armed Forces. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The U.S. Air Forces B-1B Lancers are scheduled to deploy to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Aug.6 for the first time since April 2006 in support of U.S. Pacific Commands Continuous Bomber Presence mission. The B-1s will replace the B-52s currently deployed from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota While this is not the first basing of B-1s in the PACOM area of responsibility, it is the first time in 10 years. With a large weapon capacity and exceptional standoff strike capability, the B-1 will provide U.S. Pacific Command and its regional allies and partners with a credible, strategic power projection platform. This forward deployed presence demonstrates continuing U.S. commitment to stability and security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The bombers will be accompanied by approximately 300 Airmen from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. Air Force Global Strike Command continues to routinely deploy bombers to Andersen AFB, which provide opportunities for our Airmen to advance and strengthen regional alliances and our long-standing military-to-military partnerships throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific. The B-1 units bring a unique perspective and years of repeated combat and operational experience from the Central Command theater to the Pacific. They will provide a significant rapid global strike capability that enables our readiness and commitment to deterrence, offers assurance to our allies, and strengthens regional security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Most importantly, these bomber rotations provide Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Pacific Command commanders a global strike and extended deterrence capability against any potential adversary. For more information or for media interested in covering the CBP airframe changeover during a media day with opportunities to interview B-1 and B-52 aircrew and obtain aircraft imagery Aug. 16 should contact the 36th Wing Public Affairs Office at 671-366-4202 or via email at 36WG.PA2@us.af.mil well in advance of the media day. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey has launched searches in houses and apartments of supporters of Fethullah Gulens movement, the Haber7 newspaper reported July 29. Fethullah Gulen was involved in the military coup attempt in Turkey. Over 150 people were detained as a result of the searches in 250 apartments of Gulen supporters on July 29 in Izmir province alone. Such searches will be carried out in other Turkish provinces as well. Reportedly, a number of employees of Turkish Akdeniz University were also detained July 29 as part of the fight against Gulen movement. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Secretary to Turkeys Defense Minister, Colonel Tevfik Gok has fled from the country, said Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik in his interview with NTV channel. Isik said that his secretary has fled from Turkey after being examined as part of the fight against the movement of Fethullah Gulen, which is involved in the military coup attempt in Turkey. It is expected that the cleansing in Turkish Armed Forces will continue as part of the fight against Gulen movement, added the minister. It was previously reported that in total, 110 generals have been fired from the Turkish Armed Forces after the attempted military coup in the country. Eighty-seven out of 202 generals of the Turkish Land Forces, 32 out of 56 admirals of Turkish Naval Forces and 30 out of 67 generals of Turkish Air Force have been dismissed. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 Trend: Russia and Turkey are discussing the construction of two branches of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with Russia 24 TV channel, RIA Novosti agency reported July 29. "Turkey is interested in the gas to be supplied directly, bypassing other transit countries, he said. In general, the issue is the construction of two branches, he said. The second branch is intended for European consumers, south-western European consumers. It can also be laid through the Black Sea and the territory of Turkey." Russia abandoned the South Stream project in favor of Turkish Stream in December 2014, which involves the construction of the gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey through the Black Sea, however, an intergovernmental agreement was not signed. However, the project was frozen after the relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated in November 2015. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Sixteen employees of Turkeys Ministry for EU Affairs have been dismissed as part of the fight against the supporters of the movement of Fethullah Gulen who was involved in the military coup attempt in the country, the HaberTurk TV channel reported July 29. It is not ruled out that the dismissals will continue at the ministry, said the TV channel. Additionally, over 1,300 employees of Turkeys Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have also been dismissed. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Opportunities of Convergence Keynote Address at the South Asian Diaspora Convention by Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on Monday 18th July 2016, in Singapore Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, Singapore, Ambassador Gopinath Pillai, Chairman, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Distinguished delegates and Friends. *********** Let me thank you at the outset for inviting me to this, the third South Asia Diaspora Convention, hosted by the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore. This event underscores the strategic position to which Singapore has evolved in the last 51 years as a key intersection between the East and the West. That we South Asians are congregating for this event in a South-East Asian nation is testimony to Singapores vision and skill in hosting these events. South Asian relations with this region go a long way back. The ancient historical chronicle, records that our people first came to Swarnabhumi 25 centuries ago. They were adventurers, sailors, traders, emissaries of Emperor Ashoka, astrologers, priests, and the like. The best known is Kaundinya, an Indian Brahmin, who founded the kingdom of Funan. This kingdom was connected to the ancient Pallava Kingdom of South India. For centuries, the alliance between the Pallavas and the Sri Lankan Kingdoms dominated shipping in the Bay of Bengal. South Asia was the pinnacle of progress in the ancient world. Today, with a population of 1.7 Billion and an impressive growth rate that the World Bank calls the highest in the world, South Asia is very much the place to be in. Supported by low oil prices and high domestic demand, growth rates are currently high in South Asia. However there are limitations to domestic-based growth, especially for smaller South Asian economies. South Asian Businesses need to respond to the new de-regulation sweeping global trade, taxation, financial management and business. In order to sustain medium and long-term growth, South Asia Governments must focus on further opening the national economies and promoting foreign trade and investments. This requires a structured and consistent reform agenda, macro-economic stability, free trade, decreasing deficits, improving the ease of doing business and an increase in public infrastructure investment across the region from 3.5 % of GDP to 7.5 %. ******** My country Sri Lanka which has been ranked the highest in economic freedom in the region by the Heritage Foundation, which has been pioneering economic liberalization in South Asia. Yet today, in Sri Lanka we are also forging a fresh political initiative a politics of convergence to consolidate democracy. In 2015, the people of Sri Lanka voted twice for a national unity government that assured the country prosperity and stability, eschewing myopic political and economic policies that lacked long term focus. On January 8th last year, the voters elected Maithripala Sirisena as President to execute this mandate. This was further strengthened in August after the Parliamentary elections when we formed a National Government consisting of the two main political parties. The national government, has resulted in political stability and a bi-partisan agreement to formulate consistent and stable economic policies. This, in turn, has set in motion long overdue smart, and sustainable economic reforms to harness the countrys tremendous potential. These include: Reducing the budget deficits from 5.4% of the GDP this year to 3.5% by 2020. Introducing a new Foreign Exchange Act to remove restrictions on current accounts. Reforming the tax law to favour simplicity and cut red tape for business enterprises thereby offering a better environment for business. A new set of incentives for investments is being formulated in consultation with the IMF and the World Bank. The sale of non-strategic ventures such as The Colombo Hilton, Lanka Hospitals, the Hyatt Regency Hotel - amongst others - will herald investment opportunities. SriLankan Airlines with its diverse network of routes is a mature airline and is up for investment collaboration. With 13 years of compulsory education, Sri Lanka has scored high in the Human Development Index in the region for two decades. The regional average for youth literacy was 83% but Sri Lankas is over 98% as confirmed by World Bank. We recognize that poor infrastructure, obsolete policies and unfavorable business environments constrain the ability to do business across borders and act as a drag on competitiveness in South Asia. In response, Sri Lanka has launched an ambitious program of physical infrastructure development to overhaul the sea, air, road transportations, the energy sector and telecommunications so as to form the backbone of the country. These efforts are intended to support government initiatives to develop Sri Lanka as a regional hub in finance, logistics and business. Allow me to highlight our key sectors of interest. Manufacturing and Service The policies for the manufacturing and the service sectors will be based on Sri Lanka becoming a platform for comprehensive value addition and joining the Global Value Chain. We will focus on the industrial internet of things amongst new business models, innovations, skills development for the job market, the provision of industrial infrastructure and the promotion of private investments. Digital Economy Sri Lanka is ranked among the Top 50 Global Outsourcing destinations by AT Kearney, while Colombo is ranked among the Top 20 Emerging Cities by Global Services Magazine. Our new policies seek to improve the network infrastructure the skills shortage and the digital divide across ICT services in terms of computer literacy so as to ensure that ICT4ALL is available in all parts of the country. Tourism Sri Lankas potential for Tourism has not been fully utilized. A new programme will include infrastructure for high value tourism and the further development of the hill country, the opening of the Eastern beaches and offshore projects such as yachting and cruises - stretching from the uninhabited small islands in the North to the historic Galle City in the South. Infrastructure The government has launched a large scale economic and infrastructure project the Kandy Colombo Hambantota Corridor that will reshape the countrys urban landscape with two airports and two sea ports. This corridor will amalgamate five separate projects. 1) The Kandy Mega Development Project, 2) the Wayamba (North-Western) Industrial and Tourist Development Project, 3) the Western Megapolis, 4) the Southern Tourist and Industrial Project and 5) the Hambantota Economic Development Project - to be implemented over 15 years. The US $ 40 Billion Western Megapolis project aims to develop the Western Province as a Megapolis with metropolitan areas on a global scale. The Western Megapolis which will have an estimated population of 8.5 million by 2025 will establish Colombo as a business and financial hub to attract foreign investors to set up operations in Sri Lanka. The Colombo Port will be modernized with up-to-date infrastructure to accommodate Triple E-Class mega ships. The Katunayake International Airport will be further expanded. It will include a Logistics corridor, Industrial clusters, a Science and a Technology City and the Financial City Project involving the reclamation of 269 hectares of land from the sea, will also be in this area. The proposed Financial City is ideal to fill the vacuum for a financial city along the trading route between the cities of Singapore and Dubai. The financial city will function as a special jurisdiction area with its own economic and commercial laws to facilitate operations of global multinational corporations and grow as a business and financial hub. The US $ 10 Billion Hambantota Economic Project, located in southern Sri Lanka, will invite investments to build oil refineries, power generation plant and industrial zones. We have already started discussions with a number of Chinese Investors. Other initiatives are focusing on providing logistics support through better road connectivity. Indeed, expressways connecting the Western and Southern Provinces of the country will play a pivotal role in cross-border connectivity linking Sri Lankas two principal seaports. A third Port Development is planned for Trincomalee in the East Coast. The Sri Lanka Government has entered into agreements with Surbana Jurong Private Limited to prepare the master plan for Trincomalee based on shipping, manufacturing and tourism. The area of 175 km to the South of Trincomalee will also be developed as high-end tourist resorts. Trade We recognize that small domestic markets are insufficient to sustain growth therefore a shift to greater export orientation is required to achieve a growth of 8%. Hence, our trade policies will focus on gaining access markets for Sri Lankan exports. We have already made the application to the European Union to regain the GSP+ facility for tariff relief. This facility will give Sri Lanka competitive edge in accessing the single European Market. We are hopeful of negotiating this agreement by 2017, which will be a tremendous boost for Sri Lankan manufacturing, services and agricultural products. We are also negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with China under the One Belt-One Road initiative. This is necessary in order to make a success of the Chinese investment in the Hambantota Economic Project and the proposed Financial City. In addition, Sri Lankas long standing economic cooperation with Japan will help us to further modernize our economy. These include planning the Kandy Mega Development Project as well as the Science and Technology cooperation. We are cognizant that the economic asymmetry between Sri Lanka and India is going to increase in the future as the latter emerges as a major global player in an increasingly multi-polar world. The India-Sri Lanka FTA between the two countries will be further expanded and deepened to go beyond trading goods to cover trade in services, investments and technology cooperation. The proposed ETCA will also remove all barriers to trade. We expect the ETCA to be signed by the end of this year. The complementary economic developments in South India and Sri Lanka will be enhanced by ETCA, which will provide an impetus to the existing synergies. As you are aware, South India is home to six key ports in India the Chennai port and Tuticorin Port in Tamil Nadu, the Visakhapatnam Port in Andra, the New Mangalore Port in Karnataka, the Cochin Port in Kerala. A significant share of Sri Lankan exports enter into India through ports such as Chennai located in Southern India and a significant share of the cargo are transshipped to ports located in the Southern India. The ETCA will provide the opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the two-port system - paving the way for an inter-related and integrated port system between the two countries. With the proximate location of industrial zones and logistic and financial services along this strategic maritime corridor, Sri Lanka and South India provides attractive investment opportunities for a range of activities in industry, information technology and tourism. Indias five southern states Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telegana have a population of 250 million people and a combined GDP of nearly US$ 450 billion. With the addition of Sri Lanka US$ 80 billion GDP this sub-region will have a US$ 500 billion economy. The ETCA has the potential to promote a rapid growth of the US$ 500 Billion sub regional economy. Finally we are also negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore. As you know Singapore has a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India. *********** On the one hand, Sri Lankas close proximity to the fast-growing South Indian states offers a strategic economic advantage to the country. On the other, the sub-region (especially India) also stands to benefit immensely from Sri Lankas uniquely positioned geo-strategic advantage its location at the crossroads of major shipping routes connecting South Asia, the Far East and the Pacific with Europe and the Americas. Maximizing on these factors will transform Sri Lanka into a geo-economic center of South Asia, dynamically and synergically engaged with the rest of region. By next year the Singapore-India (CEPA), the Indo-Lanka ETCA and the Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA will enable the southern sub region of South Asia and Singapore to establish a tripartite arrangement for trade and investments. Such a bold agreement posses the potential to enhance economic cooperation between our three countries that will also have a positive impact on the Bay of Bengal trade. At the other end, Singapore too will expand its importance and capacity for business networking in the region. It is a vision of convergence that is inextricably interwoven with the future of South Asia as a whole. It is up to us then to be imaginative and bold in providing the political leadership to maximize on the potentials and opportunities of such a convergence. Read more The price of LITRO gas cylinders would be further reduced in the first week of November in accordance with the Read more The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The improvement of Turkish-Russian relations doesnt mean that Ankara is seeking an alternative to NATO and the EU, the Milliyet newspaper quoted Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying July 29. He pointed out that Turkey and Russia need to normalize the relations. Earlier, some media outlets reported that by normalizing the relations with Russia, Turkey will suspend its relations with NATO and the EU as the time goes on. Turkish presidential administration earlier told Trend that Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will discuss a number of important economic and political issues during the meeting in St. Petersburg Aug.9. Fighting the terrorist organizations in Syria is among the issues planned to be discussed during that meeting, said the presidential administration. Moreover, the presidents are expected to discuss the joint energy projects of Russia and Turkey, such as the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and the construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant. The parties will also discuss the ways of further developing the relations between Ankara and Moscow, said Turkeys presidential administration. The relations between Russia and Turkey deteriorated after the Su-24 bomber incident in 2015. On June 27, Erdogan sent a letter of condolences to Putin over the death of Russian Su-24 pilot and expressed regret over the incident. Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, commenting on the improvement of relations between Turkey and Russia, thanked Azerbaijan for its contribution to normalization of the relations. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu CBS LA's chief meteorologist, Josh Rubenstein, is exchanging the green screen for the thin blue line. He starts in September as the new public information director for the Los Angeles Police Department. "I have always had a passion for public service," Rubenstein told LA Observed when I asked him to confirm the news I was hearing. "I am excited to make a career transition where I can make an impact by working with thousands of LAPD men and women who make Los Angeles a safer place to live." Rubenstein has been with the CBS duopoly in Los Angeles (the network operates both CBS Channel 2 and KCAL Channel 9) since 1997. In addition to the weather reports, Rubenstein has reported news and human interest stories here and came from television stations in Illinois. His CBS LA bio says that Rubenstein serves on the Los Angeles Police Departments Community Police Advisory Board and participates in other community organizations. He is a pilot and a senior member of the Civil Air Patrol. Going from the media to the LAPD is not the most common career route, but it happens. Mary Grady, the LAPD's public information director from 2001-2011, had been a reporter at CBS 2 and KCAL, as well as for KCOP Channel 13. Feature writer Brent Hopkins left the Daily News staff about ten years ago to enter the police academy, and after serving as a patrol officer he is now an LAPD detective. It has even worked the other way. Rod Bernsen was a sworn LAPD public information officer before he left the department to cover news and traffic for Fox 11 in Los Angeles. But as far as I know, he is the first LA weatherman to move over to the LAPD. His time on the air has been shrinking as the time in front of the CBS green screens has increased for Evelyn Taft, who recently moved back to primetime, and Jackie Johnson. CBS LA also recently lost Rich Fields from the evening news on KCAL 9 and added longtime LA weather guy Garth Kemp in Taft's former early morning slot on Channel 2. Coming in as an outsider and trying to function as an LAPD spokesman has to be a challenge. I suspect Rubenstein will be under scrutiny inside and outside the department, at least for a while. Andy Smith, the department's chief spokesman in recent years, left to become the police chief in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Rubenstein must be on a little pre-job change summer vacation. He tweeted yesterday from Boston: This article appears in the July 29, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. After Terrorist Attacks, Cooperation with Russia Is Even More Urgent by Helga Zepp-LaRouche [PDF version of this article] The author is chairwoman of the German political party Civil Rights Movement Solidarity (BuSo). July 23While France has been hit by five horrendous terror attacks since the beginning of 2015, and brutal attacks have occurred in the same time frame in more than 30 countries (often more than once) in Europe, Asia, the United States, and Africathe reality of the terrorist threat has now been experienced firsthand in Germany, with the attacks in Wurzburg and Munich, whatever the biography or description of the perpetrators turns out to be (whether political Islamists or self-radicalized lone assassins). Without a doubt, the problem of international terrorism is one of the major threats to humanity as a whole. In a situation in which a whole array of crises is coming on thick and fastthe growing war danger in Europe, Southwest Asia, and the Pacific; an attempted coup and subsequent consolidation of state power in Turkey, a NATO state; Brexit and the erosion of the European Union; and a new imminent financial crisis, to name only a fewit should be obvious that we can only solve these crises if we discard the old ways of thinking and geopolitical rancors, and if the most important states work together on an international level. CSU parliamentarian Hans-Peter Uhl was right, in the wake of the night of horror in Munich, to call for improved, preventive measures and heightened cooperation among the relevant authorities, both domestically and abroad. But given the history and international operating mode of radical Islam, that obviously implies cooperation with Russia, the victim that has the most expertise on the networks in Chechnya and their links to the Right Sector in Ukraine and to ISIS, and which has proven, through its military intervention in Syria, to be the only country that has successfully pushed back the power of ISIS. UN photo/Cia Pak It is therefore urgent to take up the offer extended by President Vladimir Putin in his speech to the UN General Assembly in 2015. After pointing to the fatal consequences of the Wests policy of training allegedly moderate rebels to combat secular governments in the Middle East, who then defected in droves to ISIS, Putin stressed: In these circumstances, it is hypocritical and irresponsible to make declarations about the threat of terrorism, and at the same time turn a blind eye to the channels used to finance and support terrorists, including revenues from drug trafficking, the illegal oil trade, and the arms trade. It is equally irresponsible to manipulate extremist groups and use them to achieve your political goals, hoping that later youll find a way to get rid of them or somehow eliminate them. . . . What we actually propose is to be guided by common values and common interests rather than by ambitions. Relying on international law, we must join efforts to address the problem that all of us are facing, and create a genuinely broad international coalition against terrorism. Similar to the anti-Hitler coalition, it could unite a broad range of parties willing to stand firm against those who, just like the Nazis, sow evil and hatred of humankind. And of course, Muslim nations should play a key role in such a coalition, since Islamic State not only poses a direct threat to them, but also tarnishes one of the greatest world religions with its atrocities. The ideologues of these extremists make a mockery of Islam and subvert its true humanist values. [Kremlin translation] Especially since the newly released Chilcot Inquiry report in Great Britain spotlights how Tony Blair orchestrated the war of aggression against Iraq on the basis of conscious lies, and the disclosure of the suppressed 28 pages of the official Joint Congressional Inquiry into 9/11 has left no doubt as to the role of Saudi Arabia in financing terrorism, a more of the same policy is tantamount to complicity in any new terrorist attacks. NATO photo The German authorities can no longer hide behind the usual sociological sophisms. The credibility of Mr. Uhl and Interior Minister Thomas de Maziere, of the members of the Bundestags domestic affairs committee, and of course of Chancellor Merkel, will depend on whether they initiate an official investigation to elucidate as quickly as possible the implications of these two documentsthe Chilcot Report and the 28 pagesand draw the conclusions from them. It is unacceptable, under any circumstances, to use the attacks in Wurzburg and Munich as the excuse to build up a police state as Turkish President Erdogan is doing, and to cooperate with precisely those governments that are exposed and implicated by the Chilcot Report and the 28 pages. The Next Financial Crisis: Italy A dramatic change in policy is also urgently necessary with respect to another existential crisis, the financial one. The word is out everywhere that Italy is the new Greece. But unlike Greece, it doesnt represent just two percent of the European Unions GDP, but is the fourth largest industrial nation in Europe. Yet the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), and the German Finance Ministry are pursuing the same brutal and incompetent policy which has already ruined Greece and eroded the European Union (EU). Italys GDP has shrunk by about 25 percent as a result of the EUs murderous austerity policy since the 2008 financial crisis, leading to horrible consequences for the healthcare system and pensions, an increase in unemployment, the shutdown of many small and medium-sized businesses, and a dramatic rise in suicides. One result of this shrinking of the real economy by about one quarter is that the Italian banks are now sitting on 360 billion euros of non-performing loans. EC Audiovisual Service/Etienne Ansotte The medicine that ECB head Mario Draghi, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the Bundesbank, and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble intend to administer to the sick man of Europe, is poisonous. They all agree, with minimal differences, that Italian savers and investors should pay for the rescue of the sick banks, as the EUs bail-in law prescribes, thus accepting the Cyprus modelin the event that the stress test results for the Italian banks, to be made public at the end of July, showas expectedthat these banks are undercapitalized. In that case, Italian savers and investors would have their money expropriated, and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, as a result, would be threatened with a revolt. He would most likely lose the upcoming referendum for constitutional reform in October and he would lose the subsequent elections. The Five Star Movement would then set in motion Italys exit from the euro and the European Union. Press TV news video as seen on youtube While various media, among them Die Welt, describe Italy as a failed state, putting it for all intents and purposes in the same category as Somalia or Iraq, the so-called EU political leadership is doing nothingabsolutely nothingto remedy the crisis. What these soulless EU bureaucrats such as Juncker, ECB head Draghi, and other politicians and bankers who have made their careers by passing through the revolving door between politics and the major banking houses several times, have not for one moment taken into account, is that their policies in support of the casino economy are ruining entire nations, the lives and fortunes of many millions of people. The Solution There is a solution: The Buso is working with many collaborators in Europe and the United States in a campaign to avert the threatened insolvency of Deutsche Bank through a return to the banking philosophy which underlay the policy of the assassinated chairman of the bank, Alfred Herrhausen. This campaign has generated a good deal of attention from the financial sector, since everyone knows that the trans-Atlantic financial system is hopelessly bankrupt. In this context, the report that Deutsche Bank is preparing for an in-house separation of its business and investment sections, is of interest. The fact that the demand for a return to the Glass-Steagall banking separation law has been incorporated into the party platforms of both the Democratic and Republican partiesthe result of many years of campaigning by the LaRouche Political Action Committeehas so far had two interesting results: It has produced screams from Wall Street, which fears Glass-Steagall more than the devil fears holy water, and it has discredited all those who constantly claimed that it couldnt be done. In these turbulent days there is a simple measure at hand, which will allow anyone to see whether leading politicians are championing the general welfare of the people they are supposed to represent, or whether they are lobbyists for other interests. This measure is their readiness to seize the existing solutionsthat is, to accept Putins offer, and to return to an economic policy based on serving the general welfare. Politicians who fail to measure up should be hounded out of office for just that reason. This article appears in the July 29, 2016 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. Undo the Paradigm Shift Resulting fro m th e Assassinatio n o f Herrhausen [PDF version of this article] During a discussion period at the July 23 Northwest Strategic Seminar in Seattle, Washington, entitled: Humanity at the BrinkThe United States Must Join the Eurasian Project, Helga Zepp-LaRouche responded to a question concerning the necessity of saving Deutsche Bank, as follows: Zepp-LaRouche: Let me just add this, because people may not be familiar with the significance of Alfred Herrhausen. Alfred Herrhausen was the chairman of Deutsche Bank at the time when the Berlin Wall came down, and he was assassinated at the end of November, actually three weeks after the Berlin Wall had come down. And that particular murder had as much significance for the paradigm shift to the worst in Germany, as the assassination of John F. Kennedy did for the United States. If you remember, Kennedy was very, very optimistic. He had the idea of space travel, of unlimited self-perfection of human beings, of overcoming poverty in the developing countriesjust an absolute optimistic world outlook and image of man. And when he was killed and his murder was covered up, the people of the United States became pessimistic, so much so that recently I have been saying that Americans are almost as pessimistic as the Germans. But for Germany, this was absolutely crucial, becausemaybe the older ones among you remember the unbelievable circumstances when the Wall came down and people from East Germany came, adancing on the Berlin Wall, hugging each other, crying; it was an unbelievable moment in history. And if Herrhausen would have continued to be the advisor of Helmut Kohl, the whole question of unification would have taken a completely different turn, because he was the last moral banker, in Europe, at least that I know of. He wanted to forgive the debt of the Third World because, he said, this debt is not payable anyway. He wanted to put the European, German-Russian relationship on an even level. He wanted to develop Poland with the means of the Kreditanstalt used in the reconstruction of postwar Germany. So he had many, many sound policies, and all the people who knew him, said that he was a great human being, more important even than being a great banker. His car was blown up as a message to Helmut Kohl: Do not dare to use the moment of German unification to develop an independent, sovereign policy. And then, as we now know, Margaret Thatcher launched a campaign against Germany. Mitterrand, according to Jacques Attali who was one of his closest advisors and who wrote a biography of Mitterrand, wrote that Mitterrand threatened Germany with war at that moment, if Germany would not be ready to give up [its sovereign currency] the D-mark and replace it with the European common currency, the euro. Kohl knew at the time that the European common currency would not work without political union, and that the euro was against German interests; but he was basically surrounded by France, Britain, and the United States who all told him, you better capitulate and give up the D-mark as the price for unification. So it was really this murder of Alfred Herrhausen which is the reason that the great historical chance of 1989 did not lead to a new peace order of the 21st Century, which at that time would have been possible. We then proposedespecially Lyn, the development of the Productive Triangle Paris-Berlin-Vienna. This is an area the size of Japan, and still has the most productive concentration of especially the very productive, very innovative, very creative Mittelstand, the middle-level industry. The idea was to take that and develop what we called development corridors to Poland, to Ukraine, to the Balkans, and transform the Comecon countries with Western technology. And when the Soviet Union disintegrated in 91, we expanded that Productive Triangle to become the Eurasian Land-Bridge, to provide development corridors combining the industrial and population centers of Europe with those of Asia, through transport and development corridors: And that is what we called, already then, the New Silk Road. So we campaigned for this, for 25, 26 years, and now it is very good that the New Silk Road is on the agenda. But all the destruction of Russia from 91 to 94, whereby the industrial potential of Russia was destroyed, and collapsed to only one-third, was the result of the same geopolitical policies which had led to the murder of Herrhausen. And if you want to cure this policy, including the war danger, which right now is very, very acute, we have to go back and change the policies, do a reset. And Deutsche Bank is about to blowas a matter of fact, just yesterday, reports were leaked that theyre considering giving up universal banking and instead have an internal separation of their banking branches between the commercial branch which gives credit to industry, and separating that completely from their investment branch, which is quite an admission, because Deutsche Bank was always considered the universal banking model and now they basically admit that this is not working. Obviously, such reform alone is not sufficient, but it is an interesting reflection of our campaign. So I would like to encourage you to study this period of history, because the connection between the murder of Kennedy and the murder of Herrhausen, gives you the clue of where things went wrong in the history of both the United States and Germany. And if you want to remedy it, we have to get the United States back on the track of Roosevelt and Kennedy and we have to get Germany back on the track of Alfred Herrhausen, if we want to get out of this crisis. So please do not block on this campaign. Sharks were swimming in the New York Stock Exchange. On the night of Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, as Hurricane Sandy brought chaos and destruction to New York, Twitter had the news. First, a tweet headed BREAKING (all caps) went out saying that the exchange had been flooded with more than three feet of water. It hardly mattered that the origin of this report had the anonymous handle @comfortablysmug; it went viral, and within hours it had been retweeted hundreds of times. Before the night was over, others were claiming that the water had brought with it unexpected guests: sharks. There were now sharks swimming on the floor of the exchange. None of this was true, of course, and news organizations and government officials spent the night and the following morning trying to dispel the rumor. Pervasive misinformation has been with the Internet since its inception, and is a core constituent of our online lives. In the early days of email we forwarded anything, no matter how incredible, breathing life into untold urban legends, from the HIV-tipped syringes hiding everywhere to Bill Gates never-ending Beta-testing email forwards. At some point we got wise, realizing that any joker could edit a Wikipedia page, and learned to distrust anything that didnt come from something that at least appeared to be a reputable source. Like those stock exchange sharks, were still swimming in a morass of misinformation the latest nuisance being the plague of faux-satire news sites, such as the Daily Currant and the National Report. These outfits offer fake news stories that seem plausible enough, playing to confirmation bias for the purpose of generating outrage clicks. Unlike the Onion, there is little attempt to appear satirical; sites often mimic legitimate news sources, such as abc.com.co (beware that last .co), or iflscience.org (which is nearly indistinguishable from the already dubious iflscience.com). Our credulity has become a moving target, with scammers, fear mongers and clickbaiters always trying to stay one step ahead of our skepticism, making sifting through social media endlessly exhausting: Either you outright assume half the things you click on will be false, or you buy into a landscape into which your fear and anxieties are constantly being catered to. Advertisement This is not the first time a revolution in information technology has resulted in a crisis of veracity. Colin Dickey on the contemporary American essay This is not the first time a revolution in information technology has resulted in a crisis of veracity. In his book The Origins of the English Novel, scholar Michael McKeon described how the birth of the printing press led to an initial burst of what he calls naive empiricism a belief that anything printed must be true, followed rapidly by a period of extreme skepticism, when it became clear that this was very much not the case. In 1625, Ben Jonsons play The Staple of Newes set out to provide a mirror wherein the age may see her owne folly, or hunger and thirst after publishd pamphlets of Newes, set out every Saturday, but made all at home, & no syllable of truth in them. What we now know of as the novel arises out of this complex moment: The realist novel, which McKeon argues arises from the ruins of the claim to historicity, replaces a need for truth with probability. The story of Robinson Crusoe shipwrecked on an island, or Clarissa Harlowes thwarted romantic life represents, not true stories per se, but stories true enough that they accommodate a reasonable suspension of disbelief. As an elegant truce to an intractable problem, the realist novel offered a way out, and unsurprisingly caught on like wildfire. The novel has lost some of its novelty in the 300 years since Robinson Crusoe, and doesnt offer as much perspective on this blurring of fact and fiction on the Internet. But maybe, John DAgata suggests, the essay can help instead. DAgata, director of the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa, has spent the last 15 years trying to use the essay as Defoe used the novel: to get out of the impasse over whats real and whats not, and to solve the anxiety over the veracity of the media we consume, this time by foregrounding that anxiety itself, and asking us to confront it head on. Beginning with 2003s The Next American Essay, and then with 2009s The Lost Origins of the Essay and now with the third and final volume, The Making of the American Essay, DAgata has sought to provide a thoughtful alternative road map to how we might think of the essay and its role in the current moment. In a series of prefatory essays that eventually merge into one continuous discussion, he presents the nonfiction essay not as its own separate genre alongside poetry or fiction, but a means of navigating a world where its increasingly difficult to sort fact and fiction. DAgatas conception of the essay responds directly to a post-Google age. With so much raw data now available to us, he writes, we no longer need writers to hunt down our information. What we need is someone to help select what matters from what we have. Not to accumulate but to shape; not to report but to make. What makes the essay hum, for DAgata, is its ability to go beyond mere reportage, to exist between chance and contrivance, between the given and the made. It does this by foregrounding questioning rather than certainty, experiment and mistake rather than polish and self-satisfaction. There ought to be a genre, he suggests, thats reserved for our unknowing that gorgeous messy practice of perpetual pursuit, the attempts that are as much about apprenticeships with knowing, as they are with failure too. If the novels answer in the 18th century was to sidestep the question of veracity with plausibility, the essay responds to that same question by plunging us head-on into unknowing, foregrounding our confusion and engaging directly with how we know a thing to be true, and why it matters. Certainly interest in the essay form has exploded in recent years: The popularity of Eula Biss On Immunity and Leslie Jamisons The Empathy Exams shows a renewed focus on the essay, a form that used to be all but unsellable. What many of these essay writers focus explicitly on are questions of truth and facticity. Jamison writes about sufferers of Morgellons disease, which the medical community has unilaterally dismissed as a delusion, despite the conviction with which its sufferers maintain it to be a physical ailment. Biss works through the anxieties surrounding vaccines; she is concerned not with doubting their impact but with trying to understand anti-vaccine activists fears). Maggie Nelsons recently reissued The Red Parts retells the trial of her aunts murderer, focusing on questions of doubt and certainty in the criminal justice system, particularly decades after the crime. These essayists all return to a fundamental problem again and again: How do you know a thing is true? How do you judge a fact, how do you sift through evidence, and how do you pronounce someone else wrong? The essay (or the essay-affect) at its best interrogates these questions of truth and verification, bringing the reader directly into the process of evaluating fact and fiction, and providing the reader with some kind of navigation for our current state in which truthfulness is such a fraught concept. In a contemporary landscape in which fact is so regularly and systematically disregarded, the essay responds not just by demanding its own truth, but by turning our attention to the means by which we evaluate the information around us. Biss, Nelson, Jamison and other modern essayists all work, as DAgata says of Joe Brainards essay, I Remember, to engineer significance out of doubt. DAgata is perhaps best known for his 2010 book Lifespan of a Fact, a somewhat botched attempt to deal with the problem of doubt in which he seemed to be saying that exact details dont really matter. This was definitely not the right answer to the question, and readers have since tended to view his approach with deep skepticism. But his larger project, the one he inaugurated with The Next American Essay (along with the first collection of his own essays, 2001s Halls of Fame), is far more thoughtful. At a time when writers are profitably testing the boundaries between literary fiction and genre science fiction, fantasy, etc. DAgata wants to similarly test the boundaries between nonfiction and other forms of writing. The first quarter of The Making of the American Essay is a solid greatest hits of American literature, from the Puritans to the American Renaissance, with Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Poe and Dickinson coming in rapid succession. Their names are unsurprising for an anthology about America, perhaps, and for an anthology thats designed in part for classrooms. But by folding in a novelist, short story writer, and two poets alongside recognized essayists, DAgata enlarges the scope and purpose of the essay as a genre. Herman Melvilles Moby-Dick, he reminds us, is at its core a book that wanders, that muses, that uses facts and information to help expand its curiosity rather than to dictate the limits of ours, and thus offers a model for (or at least perspective on) the kind of essay DAgata is searching for. The selections in The Making of the American Essay arent always successful (I could do with never again seeing Kenneth Goldsmith or Norman Mailer anthologized in anything), but the book is upfront about its aim: less to be a canonical record of a form and more a series of experiments, with each piece testing the boundaries in a different direction. And the book is upfront about its refusal to remain just another treasury of beloved chestnuts: Conventional essays tend to privilege expositional clarity that arrowy delineation of thought that promises the logical development of ideas toward uncluttered and easily digestible meanings. What we dont tend to value in essays, in other words, is what the essay actually is: an attempt, a trial, an experiment that does not guarantee a result. After all, to genuinely attempt something, doesnt there need to be the genuine risk that we might fail? This question of failure, I submit patriotically, is where the anthology is most American. Of the three volumes of essays DAgata has edited, this is the second to incorporate the word American, and it is by far the most focused on this countrys history and literature: The Making of the American Essay focuses not just on the form of the essay, but explicitly its relationship to the American tradition of literature, and this countrys influence on the development of the genre. If theres one thing American history can teach us about the essay, he writes early on, its that sometimes the best intentions are undermined by better experiments. The true project of America, after all, is never in perfectly tailored monuments to success and certainty, but rather the endlessly roiling and turmoiling quest for reinvention. So its fitting that The Making of the American Essay is less a perfectly formed collection of masterpieces, than a messy laboratory, one that fails as often as it succeeds, composed of far more questions than answers. Therein, after all, lies the magic. As Emily Dickinson put it: Wonder is not precisely Knowing and not precisely Knowing not Dickey is the author of three books of nonfiction, including the forthcoming Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places. He teaches creative writing at National University. :: The Making of the American Essay (2016) Edited by John DAgata Graywolf Press: 656 pp., $25 paper The Lost Origins of the Essay (2009) Edited by John DAgata Graywolf Press: 656 pp., $23 paper The Next American Essay (2003) Edited by John DAgata Graywolf Press: 475 pp., $20 paper Bill Tuchscher had been riding dirt bikes in the desert for more than two decades when he and a group of friends set out for a weekend ride near Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Late in the afternoon, far from their camp, the riders became tired. It was well over 100 degrees, and their water bottles were drained dry. Tuchscher, seeming disoriented, fell. Then he fell again. He pushed his bike into a bit of shade, took the groups only map out of his pocket and gave it to one of the other riders. He told them to head back to the camp while he rested up. Advertisement He never followed. Hours later, a search party came upon his body not far from a running stream filled with fresh water. It looked like he had just slowed down and fallen over, remembered Paul Ralph, then 15, who was with the group that found Tuchscher. They told us later he had some kind of heat stroke. That was May 1977. Tuchscher, who ran a motorcycle shop in San Diego, was buried at Glen Abbey Memorial Park in the nearby community of Bonita. Hundreds attended the service. The procession from church to cemetery was escorted by 100 motorcycle cops. 1 / 14 Family and friends of the late Bill Tuchscher gather late last year to honor their fallen rider at a remote Mojave Desert location known as the Husky Memorial. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 14 Fernando Garcia, left, and Stephen Marks install a motorcycle memorial for the late William Cory Tuchscher at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 14 Stephen Marks checks the cement as he installs a motorcycle memorial for the late William Cory Tuchscher at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 14 From left, Rene Tuchscher, Billy Tuchscher Jr., Michelle Tuchscher Marks and Olga Krasnoff speak about the late William Cory Tuchscher before the family heads out to the Husky Monument to memorialize Tuchscher with a monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 14 Stephen Marks, left, Fernando Garcia, center, and Jon Kessler get ready before they head out to the Husky Monument to memorialize the late William Cory Tuchscher near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 14 The Tuchscher family rides out on motorcycles to memorialize their father, William Cory Tuchscher, at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 14 The Tuchscher family rides out on motorcycles to memorialize their father, William Cory Tuchscher, at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 14 Rene Tuchscher, far right, talks about her father, the late William Cory Tuchscher, as they memorialize him at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 14 Olga Krasnoff, center, talks to her family at the motorcycle memorial for her late husband, William Cory Tuchscher, at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 14 Michelle Tuchscher Marks, checks out a memorial for her late father, William Cory Tuchscher, at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 14 Michelle Tuchscher Marks hugs Stephen Marks after their family memorialized her late father, William Cory Tuchscher, at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 14 Olga Krasnoff with the motorcycle memorial for her late husband, William Cory Tuchscher, at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 14 From left, Pat Verfuerth, Karlee Tuchscher, Billy Tuchscher Jr. and Mikila Tuchscher embrace at the motorcycle memorial for the late William Cory Tuchscher at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 14 Pat Verfuerth, left, and Billy Tuchscher embrace after unveiling a motorcycle memorial for the late William Cory Tuchscher at the Husky Monument near Randsburg, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Late last year, his family traveled to a remote location in the Mojave Desert to add Tuchschers name to a little-known shrine dedicated to fallen motorcyclists to honor him, and his love of motorcycles. The shrine is known as the Husky Memorial or Husky Monument. It cradles testamentary stones and statues honoring dozens of riders men and women. Circular and 60 feet across at its widest point, with a tattered American flag snapping in the wind, its sacred to Southern California motorcyclists, especially those who ride in the desert. Its not marked on any map, and its 15 miles from the nearest paved road and 30 from the nearest town, but serious riders always find a way to make a pilgrimage there. The original monument dates from 1987, when the Desert Zebras Motorcycle Club decided to memorialize a friend, Jim Erickson. The 46-year-old veteran desert racer had killed himself. His friends, grief-stricken, chose to honor him by taking his motorcycle to the desert and burying it up to the hubs in concrete. The bike was a race model made by the Swedish company Husqvarna, familiarly known as a Husky. Every weekend for several years Ericksons friends would ride out to the monument and pay their respects. Over time, additional memorials began appearing -- a pair of boots fixed in concrete, a helmet and goggles set on a post, a headstone or a plaque planted in the sand. Within 10 years, there were at least a dozen other riders memorialized there. In a secret location in the Mojave Desert is the Husky Memorial -- a monument to fallen dirt bike riders. It was created nearly 30-years-ago by a group of friends who had planted a buddys Husqvarna dirt bike in the middle of a desert trail that the Douglas Anthony Clark -- Son, brother, friend -- was commemorated in 1999 at age 18. Little Jimmy Bitchin Lewis, a fellow Desert Zebra, got his plaque in 2002. Other Zebras were nearby, like father and son Bob Lamar (died 1999) and Jim Lamar (died 1996). In 2005, Ron Ogre Griewe, a Zebra who rode with Erickson and whose son Donnie welded Ericksons original Husky memorial, joined them. Today, there are close to 100 plaques, stones and markers, each honoring a fallen rider. Some died riding in the desert, some of accidents they had riding elsewhere, and still others from illness or old age. Many had visited the monument and expressed a wish to be similarly memorialized The first few honorees were all friends. Those who came later might never have known the owner of the original Husky. But they all shared his love of riding in remote places. :: On a cool, blustery winter morning last November, Stephen Marks and Fernando Garcia chopped at the dry desert soil with shovels and picks. Television literary manager Marks, who married Tuchschers daughter, Michelle, many years after her fathers death, was helping motorcycle shop owner Garcia pick a spot for the memorial theyd made metal angel wings welded to the front end of a vintage bike. Garcia used a plastic tub to mix cement, which Marks shoveled into the ground. Standing back to check their work, Marks remembered that when he first visited, a decade earlier, there had been about 20 markers. Now look, he said. Every year, the circle gets a little wider. Husky Memorial sits in the middle of a massive swath of land controlled by the federal Bureau of Land Management. For years, rumors have swirled that the BLM wanted to tear down the monument, fearful that leaving it alone would create a legal precedent for unsanctioned building in the desert. Stephen Razo, external affairs officer for the BLMs California Desert District, said the agency has no plans to disturb it, so long as it involves no danger to people or the environment. Across the circle from Marks and Garcia, a family had come to honor Trevor Neiman, who had grown up in nearby Phelan and spent his childhood riding in the desert. After three tours of duty with the Marines, he returned to California and worked with his father as a cable technician, got married and bought a home. In 2009, six months after leaving the Marines, he was attacked and beaten to death with a hammer while installing cable at a private home. He was 25. A friend put up a marker for him at the Husky site. When his family found out about it, they began making twice-a-year pilgrimages, planting Neimans motorcycle forks in a bed of cement, and adding a red tool box full of family photos. Neimans father Neal, mother Lorale and sister Casie placed six coins on the tool box, to mark the years since his death, and put new photos in the box. Marks and Garcia, tidying up, tied a tarp over their monument. The following morning they would return, with Tuchschers widow and three children, for the official unveiling. :: Sunday morning, the convoy drove in from Randsburg, a former mining community 27 miles away, the closest town to the Husky memorial. Marks, Garcia and several friends led the way on off-road motorcycles specially designed for desert riding. Behind, in four-wheel-drive Jeeps and trucks, came the large and extended Tuchscher family. His widow Olga Krasnoff, 76, rode with her son Billy, 53, and his two adult daughters. Tuchschers daughter Rene chased Marks and Garcia on a dirt bike. Her sister Michelle rode behind with friends from San Diego. It took an hour and a half to reach the memorial. The family gathered in a wide semi-circle around the monument, several of them stunned at the number of other riders honored there. Marks remembered learning about Tuchscher, the father-in-law he never met. I always felt like Bill was with me, when I was riding, Marks said. Then, when I found this place, I told Michelle, I want to do something for your dad here. He asked Tuchschers granddaughters to pull away the tarp. Olga gasped and put her hand over her mouth, then said to Garcia, Te lucistes! You did it! The angel-winged motorcycle bore a metal number plate, inscribed with part of a poem often attributed to the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson but actually written by American essayist Bessie Anderson Stanley. Lived well, laughed often and loved much, the words read. William Cory Tuchscher, June 26, 1936 May 22, 1977. Thats the truth, Olga said. He lived well, he laughed often and he loved everybody. The children spoke. Billy, who was 14 when his father died, said, The biggest thing he left me with was to value experiences like this one. Michelle, who had handed out T-shirts bearing the logo of her late fathers motorcycle shop, stepped up next. While crying, she said, I was only 10, but I remember so much of him. He used to ride me to school on his motorcycle. Hed zip my books into his jacket and put me behind him. I loved it. Her older sister Rene, passing around cans of Coors, her fathers preferred brew, said, My dad was about bringing people together. This cast of characters is something he would be proud of. In pairs, or alone, Tuchschers family members stood in front of the monument and had their pictures taken. Olga hugged Garcia, and thanked him again for his elegant work, and for spelling her husbands last name correctly. A few stray bikers, who had ridden in on their own Husky pilgrimage, asked about the fallen man, and told stories about riding friends whod passed away. Billy gave them beers, and together they toasted Tuchschers angel wings. ALSO 100 years later, motorcycle sisters ride again How Roland Sands raced into a motorcycle design empire Carmel winery owner turns his personal collection into the West Coasts biggest motorcycle museum Carol Highsmith is a distinguished photographer who has traveled all over America, aiming to chronicle for posterity the life of the nation in the early 21st century. Shes donating her work to the public via the Library of Congress, which has called her act one of the greatest acts of generosity in the history of the Library. The Carol M. Highsmith Archive, which is expected ultimately to encompass more than 100,000 images, is accessible royalty-free via the librarys website. So one can imagine Highsmiths reaction last December when she got a threatening letter from a firm associated with the photo licensing agency Getty Images, accusing her of license infringement by posting one of her own images online. The firm demanded a settlement payment of $120 from her nonprofit This Is America! Foundation, backed up by the implicit threat to take her to court. Getty misrepresents the terms and conditions of using the Highsmith Photos by falsely claiming a user must buy a copyright license from Getty. Highsmith vs. Getty, New York federal court Advertisement Actually, one doesnt have to imagine Highsmiths reaction. One can read all about it in the lawsuit she filed this week against Getty in New York federal court, accusing the agency of illicitly claiming rights to 18,755 of her photographs and seeking more than $1 billion in damages. The lawsuit also names Alamy, a British-based licensing agency that was purportedly the license holder whose rights were infringed. Neither Getty nor Alamy had the right to claim a license or copyright on her photos, she says. The letter came from License Compliance Services, an arm of Getty Images. Getty claimed to Cyrus Farivar of Ars Technica that LCS and Getty have no operational relationship, but Highsmiths lawyers say thats dubious. The two companies share corporate quarters in Seattle, as well as three top executives, they observe in the lawsuit. Highsmith, 70, found several aspects of Gettys behavior especially irksome, beyond the fact that the agency misrepresents the terms and conditions of using the Highsmith Photos by falsely claiming a user must buy a copyright license from Getty in order to use them. (Indeed, numerous publications, including The Times, have used Highsmith images with credits to Getty.) Getty nowhere identified Highsmith as the sole creator or copyright owner of the photographs it was hawking to the public. Nor did it volunteer to its clients that the photographs were available for free, in high-quality digital format, from the Library of Congress. That could damage her own reputation, Highsmith says, since it could look as if shes been trying to profit from images she had ostensibly donated to the public: Anyone who sees the Highsmith Photos and knows or learns of her gift to the Library could easily believe her to be a hypocrite. Neither Getty nor Alamy has filed a formal answer to the lawsuit. In a public statement, however, Getty responded with bluster. The agency says the lawsuit is based on a number of misconceptions and plans to defend [itself] vigorously. It acknowledges that the images are in the public domain, but still maintains that it has the right to charge a fee for distributing the material. Distributing and providing access to public domain content is different to asserting copyright ownership of it, Getty says. Thats true as far as it goes, but skates over the question of who gave it permission to distribute the content on any terms. See the most-read stories this hour Alamy has said even less. An employee at its Brooklyn office said, Were looking into it and havent got any further comment. Both agencies appear to have taken Highsmiths photos off their websites. What Getty and Alamy were thinking is unclear for the moment. But the case certainly underscores the confusion rampant in the world of digital rights. When images and content can be snarfed off the Web with a keystroke or the click of a mouse and reproduced in any format one wishes, who really can know who owns what? The path is wide open not only for stealing material with abandon, but for asserting rights illegitimately, as Highsmith says happened here. Getty Images should be especially sensitive to the pitfalls of charging for rights it doesnt own. Not only is it a professional agency that makes its living in the digital field, but it has been caught infringing digital rights before in fact, its position as an alleged recidivist infringer is what allowed Highsmith to claim damages of more than $1 billion. In 2013, a federal court jury found that Getty and Agence France-Press had willfully infringed a photographers copyright on eight photos from the 2010 Haiti earthquake that the photographer posted on Twitter, but had been reposted without permission by another photographer. Getty conceded liability and, along with AFP, was slapped with $1.5 million in damages. The shame of the Highsmith case is that she has shown herself to be a most public-spirited artist. Her photographs, often awe-inspiring in their drama and color palette, amount to a rich snapshot of the people, structures and landscapes of America. She began donating her work in 1992, focused on an ambition to visit every state in the union. Her donations serve a tradition established by Dorothea Lange, the Depression-era photographer whose travels for the New Deal Farm Security Administration yielded an indelible portrait of America in its time. Langes 1936 photograph of migrant mother Florence Owens Thompson of Nipomo, Cal., for instance, is a historical icon that belongs to the nation. If you wish to reproduce it, you can download it from Getty Images, for a fee that might exceed $5,000. Or, like Highsmiths photos, you can download it for free from the Library of Congress, with no restrictions. The choice is yours. ALSO Watch as four giant oil companies try to interfere with a California election Court says Obamacare birth control option may violate Catholics rights, even if they dont use it Korean investors sue Wilshire Bank over fraud that cost them millions Phone companies could stop robocalls. Theyre just not doing it UPDATES: 3:28 p.m., July 30: This post has been updated to explain that all Library of Congress websites are down for weekend maintenance, and links to the Highsmith archive will be working again on August 1. 11:23 a.m., July 31: This post has been updated to reflect the restoration of access to Library of Congress websites. The head of the Federal Communications Commission says robocalls and telemarketing produce more consumer complaints than any other telecom issue, and he wants phone companies to do something about it. But dont hold your breath. Experts say its technically feasible for phone companies to crack down on robocalls, but its unlikely the carriers will take on the necessary effort and expense. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a recent blog post that hes written to the heads of all the major landline and wireless companies instructing them to step up their game and offer customers free call-blocking services. Hes also demanding that they come up with concrete, actionable solutions within 30 days. Advertisement And what do phone companies say? Not much. I reached out to every leading phone-service provider this week asking what technologies or initiatives they have in the works that would provide customers with meaningful protection from robocalls. In response, most said only that theyre studying Wheelers remarks or steered me toward industry groups such as CTIA-the Wireless Assn., which represents mobile-communications firms. CTIA emailed me a statement from a senior vice president, Tom Power, saying that unwanted calls and texts are a consumer issue the wireless industry works hard to address and we look forward to working with the FCC to help address this challenge together. Hows that for a call to arms? The carriers are always big on promises and self-regulation, but it doesnt normally work that way, said Christine Mailloux, staff attorney with the Utility Reform Network, a San Francisco advocacy group. Even if they have the ability to put their foot down and eliminate robocalls, theyll probably have to be pushed harder to do it. Only one leading phone company promptly rose to the FCCs challenge sort of. AT&T said this week that the companys chief executive, Randall Stephenson, will lead a newly formed Robocalling Strike Force whose goal will be to accelerate the development and adoption of new tools and solutions to abate the proliferation of robocalls and to make recommendations to the FCC on the role government can play in this battle. AT&T said it joins the FCC in the commitment to bring the industry together to protect consumers from unwanted communications and to rid our communications networks of these unwanted and pernicious calls. A company spokeswoman declined to elaborate. Its unclear how hard the FCC is willing to push on this matter. A blog post from the agencys chairman, who has spoken out against robocalls in the past, isnt exactly a regulatory mandate and the phone companies know this. A Robocalling Strike Force conjures up nifty images of phone-company commandos dropping out of helicopters and doing battle with evil telemarketers. But AT&Ts announcement was short on specifics and failed to address the key issue: Why arent phone companies already doing more? At the moment, consumers best bet is filtering services such as Nomorobo, which aim to intercept robocalls near the finish line, prior to reaching peoples homes. However, such systems are imperfect and are easily defeated by robocallers switching lines. If theres to be real progress in stopping robocalls, most experts agree, it will have to come in the form of phone companies halting the offending calls where they originate, before they even get across the network. Internet service providers routinely collaborate on fighting spam, recognizing a shared responsibility to protect customers from a tsunami of unwanted marketing pitches. Its estimated that 86% of the worlds email traffic is spam, but only a small fraction of that total makes it into peoples inboxes. Two telecom-industry consultants, asking that their names be withheld because they didnt want to anger clients, told me a robocall crackdown likely would have similar results. Phone companies probably could stop the vast majority of robocalls, they said, but not all of them. Im guessing most consumers would settle for that. Ben Ferguson, senior network architect at Shamrock Consulting in Hermosa Beach, said carriers would need to develop algorithms capable of scanning their network and spotting flurries of short-duration calls a telltale sign of a robocallers automated dialing system at work. Most phone companies already say they wont tolerate automated dialing systems on their networks. Trouble is, robocallers frequently hire third-party telecom firms to mix their calls with legitimate phone traffic, making it harder to spot them. Carriers thus would have to develop the means to see past this ruse and quickly block all short-duration calls emanating from a specific line. If the robocaller responds by switching lines, the carrier would need to keep pace. Ferguson said such capabilities would require an investment of millions of dollars by each phone company, but theres no technical barrier to getting the job done. The problem, he said, is that for the carriers, its a conflict of interest. All of these robocallers represent billable minutes. From a revenue standpoint, anything they do to crack down represents a reduction of billable traffic on their networks. For those reasons a hefty investment, lost revenue Ferguson concluded that all this talk of ending unwanted and pernicious robocalls is just that talk. If I had to guess, he said, Id say they wont really do anything without a government mandate. And thats unlikely. While the FCC has proposed modest regulatory tweaks, such as limits on robocalls involving federal debt, a sweeping requirement that phone companies crush the practice seems doubtful. You can be sure the carriers would unleash their Lobbying and Litigating Strike Force at the first hint of a tightening of official screws. So props to the FCC for keeping robocalls in the public eye. But when phone companies announce in coming weeks that theyre working hard to fight robocalls and they will the answer to that should be: Not hard enough. David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback todavid.lazarus@latimes.com. The board of directors of Pasadenas Huntington Hospital, rejecting the recommendation of the facilitys doctors, has voted to participate in Californias controversial End of Life Option Act, which permits physicians to assist terminally ill patients in ending their lives. The hospitals doctors were notified of the decision by email Friday. Huntington plans to notify the broader community with an announcement in Sundays Los Angeles Times. Eileen Neuwirth, a hospital spokeswoman, confirmed the boards decision but declined to go beyond Sundays planned statement. Advertisement Earlier this year, our hospital began ongoing, thoughtful deliberations about whether and how to participate in this new law, a draft of the statement shared with doctors says. Now, after careful evaluation of the law, its consequences, what is right for our community and most important what is consistent with our vision to serve our community with kindness and dignity, our board of directors determined that Huntington Hospital will continue to participate in the End of Life Option Act. It adds that individual doctors will have the final say on how they want to proceed with their patients. Huntington said last month that it would participate in the End of Life Option Act on a provisional basis until a final decision was made by the board. The state law is modeled on Oregons Death with Dignity Act. It allows physicians to prescribe medication to hasten the death of adults who have been diagnosed with terminal illness and have six months or less to live. The patient must be able to self-administer the medication. The law permits hospitals and doctors to opt out of participating. While most religious hospitals have rejected the law on moral grounds, secular facilities such as Huntington have wrestled with the question of whether helping a patient end his or her life is ethically consistent with a commitment to protecting peoples well-being. In conversations with our physicians, palliative care experts, nurses, bioethicists, patients and community, the most critical factor in the end-of-life discussion is individual choice, Huntingtons statement says. The hospitals medical leadership approved an amendment to the hospitals rules in late April saying that Huntington Hospital has chosen not to participate in the act. If adopted by the board, it would have applied to all Huntington Hospital employees, independent contractors, or other persons or entities that work at or with Huntington Hospital. The hospital says it has more than 800 affiliated physicians. Neuwirth declined to comment on why the board adopted a sweeping acceptance of the End of Life Option Act thats inconsistent with the doctors recommendation. A hospital insider told me that pressure on the board to accept the law grew after I wrote in May about the doctors behind-closed-doors decision. We fully respect those who disagree with the law and we expect it will be quite rare that patients choose to end their lives in our hospital, Huntington says in its statement. David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com. Civil rights attorney and television legal analyst Lisa Bloom and her husband, Internet entrepreneur Braden Pollock, were the buyers of the infamous so-called Los Feliz murder house that sold last week for about $2.3 million in a probate sale. Sitting on a hillside overlooking downtown L.A., the stately Spanish Colonial Revival gained notoriety in 1959, when then-owner Dr. Harold Perelson killed his wife in the master bedroom before taking his own life, according Los Angeles Times archives. Advertisement Subsequent owners, a Lincoln Heights couple and their son who later inherited the house, never moved into the home. It eventually fell into disrepair as it sat dormant for more than half a century becoming a local landmark and an attraction for thrill-seekers in the process. Despite a grisly past and a definite need for some TLC, the property is not without pedigree, nor a Hollywood connection. The three-story home was designed by architect Harry E. Weiner and built in 1925 for prominent businessman Harry Schumacher of the Schumacher Distributing Co. Other owners included German filmmaker Frederic Zelnik and his wife, silent film star Lya Mara. Within the 5,050 square feet of interior space is a formal entry, living and dining rooms, a library/study, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. On the top floor, a ballroom has a rolled ceiling and wrap-around bar. A three-car garage sits off the street, while another two-car garage is reached by a long drive. The house originally listed for sale in March for $2.75 million. The exact sale price was $2,289,500. Nancy Sanborn of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties was the listing agent. Scott Pinkerton of Wish Sothebys International repped the buyers. Bloom, 54, anchored the truTv news series Lisa Bloom: Open Court from 2001-09 and has been a legal analyst for The Today Show since 2013. She is the only daughter of high-profile civil rights attorney Gloria Allred. MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY Music mogul L.A. Reid buys a modern showplace on the Westside for $18 million My Chemical Romance vocalist Gerard Way lists his Highland Park home for sale Paris and Nicky Hiltons childhood home in Bel-Air is for sale at $7.25 million Is the School of London real? A new exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum features six prominent painters working in London in the decades following World War II, and it assumes as much although without making a vigorous case for their coherence as an artistic school one way or the other. London Calling: Bacon, Freud, Kossoff, Andrews, Auerbach, and Kitaj is a pretty loose-limbed show. It hinges on what the artists didnt do rather than what they did. What they didnt do is make abstract paintings. Postwar art saw abstraction definitively push figurative painting to the margins, where it mostly languished for a generation. Pushback came from several quarters in the 1950s and into the early 1960s. It rumbled through Willem de Koonings Woman paintings, as well as the black paintings of Jackson Pollock. Most notably as a group, it fueled the great Bay Area figurative paintings of David Park, Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer Bischoff and Joan Brown. It came from London too. Elena Crippa the Tate Britain curator who co-organized the show with Getty director Timothy Potts and drawings curator Julian Brooks notes the central role granted to the human figure in the British painters work. All but 12 of the shows 51 paintings come from the Tate, which has considerable depth in these artists work. Each gets his own room in London Calling. Two-thirds of the way through, a seventh room mixes 27 small studies and works on paper by all six. The artists were friends, colleagues and carousing pals, and eventually they all showed their work with the same London gallery (Marlborough Fine Art). Yet the artistic differences among them is most often dramatic. Its a very long way from the strangled heads and twisted torsos of Francis Bacon to the lurching London streets of Leon Kossoff or the gooey painted flesh of a Lucian Freud nude. Art, like life, is its own prison. Christopher Knight The shows title, London Calling, is somewhat incongruously drawn from the postpunk 1979 album of that name by the band the Clash. Its incongruous because the painters were at least a generation older than the twentysomething British bandmates. But the clash slyly being intimated by the show is between these painters as committed figurative artists in an era dominated by abstraction. I think that misses the mark. That sort of clash is more fittingly applied to an art movement like the one known in Britain as Stuckism, which elevates often untutored figurative expression above the dominance of academic Conceptual art. Stuckism is reactionary. The highly refined paintings at the Getty are anything but. Rather than oppose dominant abstraction, these artists probe the tension between the figurative and the abstract. The friction yields the paintings energy. Techniques of radical abstraction are used as a powerful tool in constructing a compelling image. The shows first great painting to navigate those shoals is Frank Auerbachs riveting Oxford Street Building Site I (1959-60), which piles on thick slathers of oil paint. London was being rebuilt after the urban ruin of wartime blitzkriegs, and Auerbach positioned his painting to be as much of a physical, material construction site as the scene it depicts. The palette is a wide array of browns raw umber, chestnut, russet, burnt sienna and more. Red, green, black, white and other submerged colors enter the mix, but the dominant browns that Auerbach troweled on attach the gravity associated with Old Master painting to his own work. Engorged layers of firm, deliberate strokes of clotted paint are themselves objectified, even as they describe objects like machinery, a fence or a steel I-beam. As war-ravaged London was being rebuilt, Frank Auerbach used images such as the 1966 Mornington Crescent with the Statue of Sickerts Father-in-Law to physically rebuild painting (Getty Museum) (Test) As surely as Britain was rebuilding London, Auerbach was engaged in rebuilding British painting, which had mostly languished in the Modern era. And he used abstraction as one forceful implement in his toolbox. The conjoined construction of image and canvas manufactures a painting as edifice. The show opens with six paintings by Michael Andrews (1928-1995), the least-known, least captivating of the group. His work ranges from precisionist realism, which recalls the measured tedium in paintings by his teacher, Sir William Coldstream, to optically distorted realism, which also follows Coldstreams dull commitment to painting only what the eye sees. Andrews best work is an eccentric view of himself teaching his young daughter to swim. The childs kicking, flailing feet dissolve into flecked splashes of light, while refraction through the dark water turns the adults foot into an oversize, stable anchor. A familial narrative merges with a salute to conformist tradition. Next comes Auerbach, whose inventive fusion of abstraction and figuration packs a sudden wallop. (On first view, several landscapes could be mistaken for being completely abstract.) Kossoff, whose thickly gestural canvases are stylistically most like Auerbachs, chronicles the grinding anxieties of modern city life. And American expatriate R.B. Kitaj (1932-2007), who first proposed (and then withdrew) the School of London moniker, painted literary themes in overlapping, abruptly clipped planes that recall torn collages. The two most well-known artists, Freud (1922-2011) and Bacon (1909-1992), occupy the final two rooms. Mostly they share artistic celebrity. Its a very long way from the strangled heads and twisted torsos of Francis Bacon...to the gooey painted flesh of a Lucian Freud nude. Christopher Knight Freud (psychoanalyst Sigmunds grandson) is among the most overrated painters of our time. Nine of the 14 canvases are in the repetitive post-1970 style that linked him to international developments in Neo-Expressionism. Impasto paint becomes sensuous skin in nudes whose eccentric poses are sometimes claimed to expose underlying states of psychological strain in the confrontational dialog between artist and model. Lucian Freud, born in Berlin, embraced powerful motifs from German New Objectivity painting in his early work (Getty museum) (Test) Yet it is the confrontational dialog between painting and viewer in his earlier work that is infinitely more captivating. The thinly painted, finely wrought 1947 picture of a staring young woman who wraps her white-knuckled hand around a kittens neck is as weirdly mesmerizing as anything in German New Objectivity painting from before the war. Made in its immediate aftermath, the womans gesture is somewhere between caressing and strangling innocence and autonomy. A chill goes up your spine. Bacons seven paintings are capped by a big triptych of disquieting figures trapped within flat, blank, geometric voids and caged in a wide, golden frame a Bacon signature. Art, like life, is its own prison, yet also a place for transgression. A seated self-portrait on the right is loosely mirrored in a seated portrait at the left showing his lover, George Dyer, who had committed suicide barely 10 months before. In the triptychs center, the spot where a traditional religious painting would put the Virgin Mary or a crucified Christ, a blob of two entwined figures grapples in a macabre dance of sex and death. Before 1969, homosexual coupling was criminal under British law. The center panle of Bacons triptych derives from Eadweard Muybridges 19th-century photographic studies of wrestlers (Test) The slick, carefully contrived elegance of Bacons paint handling is regularly interrupted by oozing discharges of color. There is no narrative here, only direct visual sensation connected to visceral experience. London Calling is unusual even unprecedented for the Getty. Its the museums first-ever historical survey in the field of 20th century painting. The Gettys own European painting collection ends circa 1900, and the conceit is that contemporary British figurative painting is being connected to a collection of pre-Modern European painting. Thats pretty wobbly. Im not so sure we really need yet another art museum to present overviews of contemporary art, especially one with the Gettys distinctive capacity to explore just about anything else. But if it is to be, perhaps connections of more depth can be drawn. Bacons paintings, for instance, were profoundly influenced by camera images photojournalism, film stills from Sergei Eisensteins Battleship Potemkin, medical albums, Eadweard Muybridges animal locomotion studies (the center panel in the shows triptych comes from the British-born California photographers studies of wrestlers) and more. The Getty, given its unparalleled photography collections, is uniquely positioned to examine such an angle. ----------------------------------------------------- London Calling: Bacon, Freud, Kossoff, Andrews, Auerback and Kitaj Where: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood. When: Tuesdays through Sundays, through Nov. 13. Closed Mondays. Admission: Free. (Parking $10-$15.) Info: (310) 440-7360, www.getty.edu Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has strongly criticized the US position on Fethullah Gulen who was involved in the military coup attempt in Turkey, the Milliyet newspaper reported July 29. Commenting on the remarks made by the army general Joseph Votel, commander of the US Central Command that Turkish plotter generals are friends of the US, Cavusoglu said that this is an incompetent statement, said the newspaper. The US is mistaken if it thinks that only the recently arrested Turkish generals were fighting the Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group, added the foreign minister. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu In ancient Rome, important military victories were often commemorated with a triumphal arch often a standalone structure that was wide enough and grand enough to allow a procession of soldiers to march through. One of the most famous of these is Romes Arch of Constantine, built in AD 315 to honor the victory of Constantine over his rival and brother-in-law, Maxentius a battle that eventually led to his domination over the entire Roman Empire (and reportedly inspired his conversion to Christianity). Since then, triumphal arches have made appearances throughout the history of Western architecture. Paris iconic Arc de Triomphe, inaugurated in 1836, was built in honor of the French Revolution and victories in the Napoleonic Wars. In New York City, the Washington Square Arch, designed by architect Stanford White in the late 19th century, marked the centennial of George Washingtons first inauguration. Advertisement The side view of Michael Parkers Ides, a sculpture made of cardboard installed in San Pedro. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times ) And here in Southern California, we have the Alhambra arch (more formally known as the Gateway Plaza Monument), a Moorish-inspired stucco-and-drywall gateway constructed in 2010 near the San Gabriel Valleys western border. It memorializes neither a victorious battle nor a historical happening, nor any actual triumphal arches you might find in Alhambras namesake in Spain but it does serve as an important marker of our regions long-running love affair with faux history. It is this venerable architectural form, with its rich and colorful history, that L.A. artist Michael Parker has taken on in his installation at Point Fermin Park in San Pedro as part of the ongoing public art biennial, Current: LA Water. The Ides (arch du triumph) mapped by Vi Ha, as the piece is called, is almost an anti-monument. Crafted entirely out of humble cardboard, it has the aspect of a very larger cruller one that frames views of Angels Gate, the entry to the Port of Los Angeles, the point at which a vast amount of global trade takes place. (The Port of L.A. is the busiest container port in the Western hemisphere.) Parkers arch frames the entrance to the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times ) The artist chose cardboard specifically because of what it represents economically. Cardboard, although conjuring up images of trash and homeless shelters on Skid Row is, ironically, also the material that power structures use to cheaply and efficiently move capital, Parker tells me via email. It is an everyday material: efficient, cheap, strong, and indispensable to our global infrastructure of trade. Think of it as a triumphal arch for the age of Amazon an era in which ideas and goods all come neatly delivered in a branded box. Interestingly, Parker devised the initial shape of his sculpture not in cardboard but in clay. Using that more pliable material the artist is also a ceramist he conducted a series of quick gesture studies in which he attempted to produce arch-like forms in 10 seconds. (His studies are now on view at the Point Fermin Lighthouse.) He then scaled up one of those clay pieces into the large cardboard sculpture that now clings to the cliff edge in San Pedro. As far as triumphal arches go, Parkers sculpture is modest its roughly 12 feet tall, versus Constantines Arch that is almost 70 feet tall. But its bizarre, tumescent forms serve as a good reminder of the materials on which todays empires are built: Boxes and boxes and boxes of stuff. Obligatory photo with dog: Bonnie the American Staffordshire Terrier, research assistant and sculpture sniffer, poses before Michael Parkers The Ides. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times ) ------- Current: LA Water When: Through Aug. 14 Where: Sites across Los Angeles; Michael Parker, The Ides (arch du triumph) mapped by Vi Ha, Point Fermin Park, 739 West Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro Info: currentla.org Find me on Twitter @cmonstah. ALSO An artists imposing new monument at Echo Park Lake honors Angelenos killed in violent crimes Why Mel Chin is giving away the land art design of his subversively charming Current: LA native garden The Hammer biennials breakout star? A 78-year-old retired gardener from Compton who once worked for Marlon Brando Getty Foundation announces 2016 Keeping It Modern grantees A Delaware judge has cleared the way for a legal challenge of Sumner Redstones attempt to remake Viacoms board of directors. The ruling Friday by Judge Andre Bouchard also said an examination into Redstones mental capacity can help to determine whether the June 16 replacement of five board members was the result of manipulation by the moguls daughter, Shari Redstone. Viacoms independent board member Fred Salerno claimed in the suit that Shari Redstone has pulled the strings behind the scenes to improperly seize control of Viacom. Salerno said the attempt to replace the directors is inconsistent with the moguls past statements about the governance plan, which called for control independent of his family. Advertisement Redstones lawyers have denied Shari Redstone exerted undue influence, saying Redstone was capable of making the decision to replace the board members that included embattled Viacom Chairman Philippe Dauman. The decision is the second legal setback in a week for the Redstone family, which controls 80% of the voting shares of Viacom. It also gives a boost to Dauman, who has fought dearly to hold on to to his position amid the turmoil over the future leadership of the company that owns Paramount Pictures and the Comedy Central and Nickelodeon cable channels. The ongoing conflict over control of Redstones media empire has also impeded strategic moves such as the possible sale of a stake in Paramount. A Massachusetts judge ruled Thursday to uphold a suit by Dauman and longtime Redstone associate George Abrams that said Shari Redstone was behind the decision to force them out of their positions on the trust that will govern National Amusements Inc., the entity that holds Redstones controlling stakes in Viacom and CBS. The suit will now go to trial in October, as will the Delaware case. Both cases revolve around the basic question of whether Redstone was in charge of his faculties when he moved to oust the men from their positions. We are pleased the court has recognized the need to swiftly proceed to determine the serious issues of undue influence and Mr. Redstones capacity, a Viacom spokesman said after the Delaware decision. This is the second court in two days that has refused to dismiss the matter and ruled that discovery will go forward. We look forward to revealing the truth as we prepare for trial in both Massachusetts and Delaware in October. A spokeswoman for National Amusements said in a statement the Delaware decision is not a judgment in the case and maintained that the company acted properly. National Amusements exercised its indisputable rights as Viacoms majority shareholder to make changes to Viacoms board, the spokeswoman said. We look forward to demonstrating the integrity of these changes, which were ratified unanimously by National Amusements board and would be approved again by a majority regardless of the outcome of this case. The Childhood of a Leader is a chilly and chilling political thriller by way of a provocative domestic chamber piece. Strikingly mounted, lighted, shot and scored, this tense, decidedly arty film marks a bravura feature directing debut for young American actor Brady Corbet (Melancholia, Martha Marcy May Marlene). But will most viewers have the patience for its deliberate pace, elliptical telling and dark, emotional remove? Set toward the end of World War I, the movie spirals around Prescott (Tom Sweet), an eerily defiant, mop-haired 7-year-old living in a gloomy chateau outside Paris with his icy mother (Berenice Bejo of The Artist) and stern father (Liam Cunningham), an American diplomat working for President Woodrow Wilson. Suffice to say, its hardly a nurturing, kid-friendly atmosphere. Corbet, who co-wrote with Mona Fastvold, posits that this fraught period in Prescotts life along with a confluence of world events set the stage for his adult future as a fascist dictator. It proves an intriguing and haunting if somewhat tenuously drawn scenario. Advertisement Strong, tightly-wound lead performances, as well as a brief, nicely modulated supporting turn by Robert Pattinson as a politician and family friend, help hold interest. Still, this is a directors showcase and Corbet, with the support of a superb tech team (especially composer Scott Walker) impresses and fascinates. ------------- The Childhood of a Leader In English and French with English subtitles. Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 56 minutes Playing: Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica Its no Rosemarys Baby or even Its Alive but the Danish supernatural thriller Shelley is a fair addition to the natal horror genre. Writer-director Ali Abbasis debut feature takes too long to intensify, but down the stretch its as disturbing as the scariest chapters of What to Expect When Youre Expecting. Ellen Dorrit Petersen stars as Louise, a frail woman who lives off the grid with her husband Kasper (Peter Christoffersen) and her Romanian maid/nurse Elena (Cosmina Stratan). Louise and Elenas relationship evolves from employee/employer to something friendlier, once the immigrant agrees to be a surrogate mother for her childless bosses. Thats where the trouble begins. Disturbed by the familys over-reliance on a creepy spiritualist and physically tormented by unnaturally rapid changes in her pregnant body Elena goes mad. Then the baby arrives, and the situation gets worse. Advertisement Abbasi never fully explains whats happening; and because Louise and Kasper live in a home without electricity, sometimes its literally impossible to see. After a strong start, Shelley becomes frustratingly vague in the middle, before rebounding with a finale that makes the implicit menace more explicit. Like a lot of its pregnancy is terrifying predecessors though, Shelley is best when it feeds off new parents fear of the unknown. Add to that a layer of social critique about how the privileged exploit their servants and the movie offers a strong take on how evil can enter the world with alarmingly little gestation. ------------- Shelley Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes. Playing: Arena Cinema, Hollywood Considering all thats been going on in the world lately, its probably not the most opportune moment for the arrival of a documentary about stand-up comedians struggling against the constraints of political correctness. Taking aim against that seemingly growing faction of society it calls the outrage mob, Ted Balakers Can We Take a Joke? nevertheless poses a valid question at a juncture when freedom of speech is a hot topic, especially where the Internet is concerned. While rightfully giving Lenny Bruce props as the granddaddy of provocation, too much of the film is weighted toward the late comics well-documented trials and tribulations, while inadequately acknowledging the contributions of those who took up the torch, such as the late, great George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor and Joan Rivers. Advertisement In their absence, Balaker depends on commentary from Jim Norton, Penn Jillette, Karith Foster, Adam Carolla and, extensively, Lisa Lampanelli, for whom rape and AIDS jokes are considered fair game. Still, the film, narrated by comedian Christina Pazsitzky, raises some interesting observations about the climate on many of todays college campuses, where the former havens for free speech (its noted that Bruce lectured at UCLA in 1966) have become especially vulnerable in regard to violated comfort zones. Then theres Gilbert Gottfried, who learned the meaning of the words too soon when he lost a lucrative gig as the voice of the Aflac duck after tweeting a bit immediately after the 2011 Japanese tsunami. In joke-telling, as in film release scheduling, timing is everything. ------------- Can We Take a Joke? Not rated Running time: 1 hour, 75 minutes Playing: Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts, Beverly Hills Themes of motherhood, abandonment, loss, family and female identity are plumbed to their depths in Sian Heders feature directorial debut, Tallulah. Heder, a writer for Orange Is the New Black, reached into her own life experiences to write and direct the film, starring Ellen Page in the titular role as a nomadic young woman who has no attachments to any place or thing. She does, however, have a knack for attaching herself to people her boyfriend Nico (Evan Jonigkeit), Nicos mother, Margo (Allison Janney), and a baby she accidentally babysits, then accidentally kidnaps, in a good faith effort to keep her safe. Tallulah the film and Tallulah the person are both difficult to love at times. Lu takes too long to get off the bad-decision train, and the film indulges her. While the premise often feels overly hysterical and contrived, Heder has a lot to say about motherhood and personhood and the ways in which women have to reconcile those identities throughout life. Page manages to make feral youth Lu irresistible, and Janney is regal, warm and vulnerable as Margo, struggling with loneliness after her divorce. Her characters evolution is beautifully expressed. Tammy Blanchard plays Carolyn, the negligent mother whose child Lu snatches, and shes lovely when given the opportunity to slow down, but mostly her breathy bimbo performance hinders the character. Advertisement Despite the melodrama, the connections these women forge are heartfelt and earned. Even if the tale is a bit much to be believed at times, its unlikely youll see a film more refreshingly honest and incisive about motherhood than Tallulah. ------------- Tallulah Not rated Running time: 1 hour 51 minutes Playing: Arclight Hollywood; also streaming on Netflix A half-century after the Beatles called it quits as a touring band, 2016 is rapidly becoming the year of the Beatles Live-Revisited. Theres the forthcoming Ron Howard-directed documentary Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years, which premieres in theaters nationwide in mid-September. And now a newly restored film with remastered sound of the Fab Fours performance Aug. 15, 1965, at New Yorks Shea Stadium will be screened in conjunction with the Howard picture. The film has never been released for home video, but it was shown in 1967 as an ABC-TV special The Beatles at Shea Stadium. It encompasses 11 songs and, typical of the Beatles performances during that time, lasts just 30 minutes. Advertisement It has been given a 4K restoration, and the sound has been upgraded by Giles Martin, son of Beatles original producer George Martin. The concert was captured by 14 35-mm cameras for the film, first shown in the U.K. in 1966 before airing in color in the U.S. the following year. Shea Stadium, other than the sound issues, of everything that was ever shot in the 60s of any group, I think Shea Stadium is the highest-quality film, Ron Furmanek, who has worked on the films restoration, told Billboard. It looks better than Woodstock, Gimme Shelter, Monterey Pop. It really does. Its stunning. The Shea set list consisted of Twist and Shout, Shes a Woman, I Feel Fine, Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Ticket to Ride, Everybodys Trying To Be My Baby, Babys in Black, Act Naturally, A Hard Days Night, Help! and Im Down. The Beatles gave up touring and decided to focus their energies on their recordings following their Aug. 29, 1966, concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. As Ringo Starr told The Times in a recent interview, We were playing great and the audiences were getting bigger, and the noise of the audience was overpowering the sounds that we could make. And we started, in my book, to go down as musicians because we were just going on to do the job. And we did it very well, but there was no real excitement for me. Im not putting it down in any way, Starr said. They screamed that was part of this experience and the experience for us got less, because were musicians. We liked to play great. And in the end, we couldnt do that live. Howards documentary combines existing footage of the Beatles performing live with fan-submitted films and photos to give neophyte and longtime fans a fresh look at the Beatles as a touring unit. Additionally, Capitol Records recently announced that the long out-of-print The Beatles: Live at the Hollywood Bowl album, first released in 1977, also is being sonically upgraded for rerelease in conjunction with the new documentary. The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles recently opened Ladies and Gentlemen: The Beatles! The exhibit documents many aspects of the groups live performances as well as their growth as recording artists. Just two days after his emotional speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden is taking on a very different speaking role, this time on NBCs Law & Order: SVU. According to a press release from the White House issued Thursday night, the vice president planned to travel with wife Dr. Jill Biden to New York on Friday in order to film the appearance. The episode itself looks to address the countrys ongoing issue in criminal justice with rape kits being backlogged and going untested. Bidens role will include him speaking at a press conference on the matter and commending Det. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) for her efforts. Advertisement The subject matter is particularly close to Hargitay and Bidens hearts, as both parties have been involved with increased efforts to help victims of sexual assault find justice. Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 to provide support for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Joyful Heart also maintains a program called ENDTHEBACKLOG dedicated to researching the extent of untested rape kits in America and raising awareness on the issue. In September 2015, Hargitay and Biden, along with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, attended a press conference announcing nearly $80 million in federal funding and grants to assist law enforcement agencies in their efforts to test backlogged kits and to investigate and prosecute resulting cases. His time spent on the set of Law & Order: SVU wont be the vice presidents first time talking on television. Besides making the typical television rounds on talk shows, both morning and late-night, the vice presidents most memorable TV appearance is likely his time spent on NBCs Parks and Recreation playing himself and being generally charming in the face of the adoration of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). Law & Order: Special Victims Unit returns to NBC for its 18th season on Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. libby.hill@latimes.com Twitter: @midwestspitfire ALSO Watch: Biden calls Trumps professed commitment to the middle class a bunch of malarkey The Talk: Parents of color address the tensions between police and their kids Democrats continue to top Republicans in convention ratings As a curator of American history, the National Park Service can be the bearer of bad news. Sand Creek is not the only site that considers the dark side of our past. Series: Celebrating our national parks Andersonville, or Camp Sumter, a National Historic Site in Georgia, was the site of Confederate Civil War prison and cemetery for Yankee Union prisoners. (Visions of America / UIG via Getty Images ) Advertisement Andersonville National Historic Site During its peak, 45,000 Union soldiers were confined at the military prison maintained by the Confederacy at Andersonville in Georgia. Almost 13,000 died here. www.nps.gov/ande Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Horseshoe Bend, in eastern Alabama, commemorates an 1814 battle waged between 3,300 soldiers under Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson and 1,000 Red Stick Creek warriors on the Tallapoosa River. More than 800 Red Sticks died that day, and the resulting treaty led to the cession of 23 million acres to the United States. www.nps.gov/hobe Kalaupapa National Historic Park Kalaupapa, on the north shore of the Hawaiian island of Molokai, was the site of exile for Hawaiians who had contracted leprosy (Hansens disease) in the aftermath of colonization. Since 1866 more than 8,000 people have died there. www.nps.gov/kala READ: Confronting our history and unspeakable acts at the site of the Sand Creek massacre Imani Washington, 13, of Atlanta, takes a selfie with a bronze statue of civil rights marcher Timothy Mays at the Lowndes County Interpretive Center on the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times ) Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail To protest the shooting of voting rights activists by an Alabama state trooper, thousands of nonviolent demonstrators marched from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. Days before, nearly 600 had been attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. www.nps.gov/semo Trail of Tears National Historic Trail The Trail of Tears, passing through nine states from Kentucky to Oklahoma, is a series of sites that commemorate the ordeal of the Cherokee who in 1838 were forcibly removed from their homelands in the southeastern United States and made to travel to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. www.nps.gov/trte/index.htm The Tule Lake Segregation Camp, located in Newell, California, was a Japanese internment camp used to house JapaneseAmerican internees who would not pledge their loyalty to the United States. Today, there is mostly only open fields where hundreds of buildings once stood. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times ) Tule Lake Unit, Manzanar and Minidoka National Historic Sites In 1942, 120,000 Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were incarcerated in 10 relocation camps throughout the western United States and Arkansas. The National Park Service has preserved three of these camps, Tule Lake Unit in Northern California, Manzanar, in Eastern California; and Minidoka in Idaho and Washington. The National Park Service will open a fourth on Oahu. www.nps.gov/tule, www.nps.gov/manz, www.nps.gov/miin Washita Battlefield National Historic Site Eight years before the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry on a surprise dawn attack on a village of Cheyenne camped along the Washita River in Oklahoma. Chief Black Kettle, a survivor of Sand Creek, was killed during the battle. www.nps.gov/waba ALSO Confronting our history and unspeakable acts at the site of the Sand Creek massacre So it wont happen again: How the descendants remember the Sand Creek massacre Sand Creek is the story of individuals, soldiers, warriors, victims, heroes and criminals When talking about the massacre at Sand Creek, rangers with the National Park Service frequently turn to stories of the soldiers and warriors, the victims, the heroes and criminals caught up in the momentum of that terrible day. They speak of Black Kettle. This Cheyenne leader, born in the early 1800s in the Dakotas, saw the world of the Great Plains turned upside down in just decades. Even after Sand Creek, he sought peace with the United States government. He was killed by the 7th Cavalry in 1868. Advertisement READ: Confronting our history and unspeakable acts at the site of the Sand Creek massacre Sand Creek is the story of individuals. Shawn Gillette Shawn Gillette, chief of interpretation at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, kneels in the grass where the massacre happened. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) They speak of Edward Wynkoop, a good soldier committed to following orders until he met Black Kettle. The two men respected each other, and after the massacre, Wynkoop was among the first to condemn Chivington. And they speak of Making Medicine, who survived Sand Creek and later imprisonment at Ft. Marion in Florida. Baptized an Episcopalian, he became a church deacon, and in 1985 he was canonized. Sand Creek speaks to me in a way that Gettysburg doesnt, says Shawn Gillette, a ranger at Sand Creek. Gettysburg is big. They talk about the 6th Wisconsin volunteers or the 8th Louisiana infantry, but Sand Creek is the story of individuals. Heightening the drama are the moral questions the massacre evokes, and for that, ranger Craig Moore turns to two soldiers who made two distinct decisions on that day. If Sand Creek has a hero, it might be Silas Soule. Soule, along with Joseph Cramer, refused to engage in the fighting. They were not entirely alone in their disobedience. Accounts of the assault tell of others who chose to fire their rifles above the Cheyenne and Arapaho. Their malicious obedience, as it is called, could have resulted in discipline and court-martial. But it was Soule and Cramer, who wrote letters just weeks afterward, that brought to light details of the massacre. Their plain-spoken account didnt spare details and informed the commissions that would condemn the attack just a year later. Moore contrasts their experience with that of Oliver Baxter, who in the aftermath claimed to have killed as many as 50 Cheyenne and Arapaho in one skirmish during that long day. When the massacre was over, he too wrote a letter describing how Colorado had been cured of its Indian problem. Afterward, he prospered as a rancher, banker and in real estate. In his obituary, he was described as a friend of the friendless and his deeds of charity, unheralded by the public, were legion. So who was the real Oliver Baxter? asks Moore. Or are we all Oliver Baxters? I ask myself this every day. thomas.curwen@latimes.com Confronting our history and unspeakable acts at the site of the Sand Creek massacre So it wont happen again: How the descendants remember the Sand Creek massacre Memorials to a tragic past: National Park Service sites that consider the dark side of our history Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkeys former interior minister Idris Naim Sahin can be arrested for being involved in the military coup attempt in the country, as well as for having ties to Fethullah Gulens organization, the Sabah newspaper reported July 29. Reportedly, the former interior minister is also accused of being involved in murdering 34 residents of Sirnak province in December 2011. They were smugglers, but were killed for allegedly having ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Naim Sahin resigned in 2013 after the corruption scandal in Turkey. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Authorities have excavated a large pad of cement from the backyard of a Santa Ana home as a team of Orange County anthropologists searched Friday for a body that may have been buried there decades ago. Santa Ana police detectives on Thursday began searching a property in the 600 block of South Center Street after receiving an anonymous tip that a body was buried there some 30 years ago, said Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. For the record: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Capt. William Lackey as a member of the Orange County Sheriffs Department. Lackey is a member of the Orange County Fire Authority. When detectives arrived, a man living at the home offered a startling revelation: Ten years ago workers had found bones from the knee down and a knife in the backyard. Advertisement The man did not inform police about the discovery and discarded the items, Bertagna said. He said, I knew someday I would see you guys, Bertagna said. The tenants of the home told police that they believe the house is haunted. The male resident told police that Ive woken up with ghosts sitting on my chest and I couldnt breathe, Bertagna said. A cadaver dog was brought in to search the yard and showed some interest in the same area the bones and knife were discovered, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. William Lackey said. Fire crews drilled holes through the concrete patio in a couple areas and the dog continued to hone in on the same area, he said. Crews then worked through the night to remove the 6-inch slab of concrete, which was about 20 feet by 20 feet in size, Bertagna said. Anthropologists from the Orange County Coroner Division were on site Friday morning combing through soil underneath the patio and looking for bones or bone fragments, he said. If there are remains in that yard, hopefully we find them and we give somebody some closure, Bertagna said. ben.poston@latimes.com ALSO One of our officers was murdered last night: San Diego police shaken by fatal attack Coroners officials identify man fatally shot by LAPD in Boyle Heights chase An ex-Marine and a cracker-bread heiress will stand trial in mans choking death The mayor of South El Monte has agreed to plead guilty to a federal corruption charge, admitting that he accepted at least $45,000 in bribes from a city contractor in a scheme so entrenched that he would call if his payments were late. Luis Aguinaga, 48, admitted that starting in 2005, he regularly accepted bribes of at least $500, with cash payments left in a bathroom in City Hall or in the passenger pocket of a car, according to the U.S. attorneys office. The contractor handed over the bundles of cash about twice a month until 2012, when the FBI caught Aguinaga accepting money at a South El Monte hotel bathroom. Advertisement The prosecution of Aguinaga, who was elected to the City Council in 2003 and also serves on the board of a local water agency, suggested deeper graft in the San Gabriel Valley city, with the mayor acknowledging he forwarded payments to another public official. Neither the contractor nor the other official were identified. Mr. Aguinaga abdicated his civic duty when he made decisions for the city based on bribes he demanded, instead of for the good of the people he was elected to serve, said Deirdre Fike, the assistant director in charge of the FBIs field office in Los Angeles. The FBI will not tolerate corruption by city officials, nor should the residents of South El Monte. Reached by telephone Thursday evening, Aguinaga said he had no comment on the plea agreement, which he signed Monday. Aguinaga referred questions to his attorney, who did not respond to a request for comment. The bribery scheme involved an unidentified vendor who provided construction and engineering services to the city, prosecutors said. If the contractor did not quickly hand over the cash after being paid by the city, Aguinaga would follow up, federal prosecutors said. The payments later increased to $1,000. At times, the mayor accepted larger sums, but he would split the payoff with another public official, according to court papers. On July 12, 2012, Aguinaga received an envelope with $2,000; he pocketed about half for himself and gave the rest of the cash to the unidentified public official, prosecutors said. Federal agents monitored at least one rendezvous: a September 2012 meeting at the Ramada Inn in South El Monte, according to the plea agreement. At the meeting, Aguinaga was nervous because of a federal crackdown on graft in nearby Cudahy. Officials in Cudahy had been charged earlier that year with accepting bribes from a man who wanted to open a medical marijuana dispensary, one of many corruption probes that had ensnared officials in the small blue-collar cities in southeast Los Angeles County. At the Ramada next to the Pomona Freeway, Aguinaga typed out a message of caution on his phone: Dont talk or Dont say anything, according to the plea agreement. Once inside a bathroom at the hotel, the contractor put an envelope with $2,000 cash near the sink. Aguinaga helped himself to at least $1,000, according to court papers. The rest of the money went to the other city official, according to the plea agreement. This long-running corruption scheme compromised the effective governance of South El Monte, U.S. Atty. Eileen M. Decker said. Aguinaga, who is scheduled to appear in federal court on Aug. 10 for an arraignment, remains free. The count to which he agreed to enter a guilty plea carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. In the city of 20,000 people, the news of the mayors misconduct stunned residents, Mayor Pro Tem Gloria Olmos said. She called on Aguinaga to step down, saying, Any party that is guilty should resign. Theres a lot of angry people, Olmos said. Theyre hurt, betrayed. An outside auditor recently criticized South El Monte for its ineffective oversight of two contractors that have worked with the city for more than a decade. None of the two vendors contracts were subjected to a competitive bidding process, and three contracts were signed off on by the city manager without approval by the City Council, according to the report by Los Angeles-based Singer Lewak LLP. Some contracts were tweaked without approval of the council, increasing the revenue for a vendor by tens of thousands of dollars. One contractor admitted to submitting fraudulent billing reports in order to maximize the money allowed by its agreement, according to the report. Olmos, who has served on the council for less than a year, said the city is adopting policies to prevent future accounting issues. Our city is getting cleaned up, and well move forward, she said. The leadership will not all fall. matt.hamilton@latimes.com For more breaking Southern California news, follow me on Twitter: @MattHjourno ALSO Family of mentally disabled man killed by Long Beach police files federal lawsuit Runyon Canyon Park set to reopen after 4-month closure Parole agent exchanged bus passes and gift cards for pills from parolee, prosecutors say UPDATES: 9:33 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details and comments from the Mayor Pro Tem of South El Monte. 6:30 p.m.: This article was updated with Aguinaga declining to comment on his case. This article was originally published at 5:30 p.m. A brief car chase on Thursday ended with a Los Angeles police officer opening fire, killing a man who was armed with a gun, authorities said. The incident in Boyle Heights marked the 11th fatal shooting by on-duty LAPD officers this year. Officers began chasing a stolen car about 7:20 p.m. The pursuit lasted just a few minutes before coming to an end in the 1200 block of Atwood Place, a cul-de-sac, LAPD Sgt. Frank Preciado said. A man who was a passenger in the car got out of the vehicle and ran up a driveway, Preciado said. Advertisement At least one neighbor told the two police officers that the man was armed with a handgun. One of the officers shot the man about 7:45 p.m. He was taken to the hospital and later died of his injuries, Preciado said. His identity was not released pending notification of his family, but he was described as being in his 30s. Its unclear what precipitated the shooting. Police did not specify how many times the officer fired his gun, and its unknown whether the suspect also opened fire. The officers, both men, were equipped with body cameras and a dash camera inside their police cruiser. The woman who was driving the stolen vehicle was arrested on suspicion of felony evasion of police, Preciado said. Her identity was not released, and its unclear how she was connected to the man who was shot by police. None of the officers or area residents were injured during the shooting. The shooting is under investigation by the LAPD, the inspector general and the Los Angeles County district attorneys office, which is standard practice in all LAPD uses of deadly force. For more news in California, follow @MattHjourno. ALSO Transcript: Clintons Democratic National Convention speech, annotated Reporter who added some swagger to the D.B. Cooper legacy comes clean Bill OReilly courts controversy with comments on slavery; Hollywood hits back Los Angeles Department of Water and Power General Manager Marcie Edwards is in discussions with Mayor Eric Garcettis office over the timetable for her departure from the agency, a mayoral aide said Friday. Edwards, who has been in her post nearly 2 years, is interested in retiring but has not set a specific date, said Vicki Curry, a Garcetti spokeswoman. Curry said Edwards, who earns $350,000 annually, will remain in her post at least until the end of August. She would not confirm whether Edwards will remain general manager through the end of the year. Advertisement The ideal arrangement would have a transition, Curry said. So thats whats being worked out. DWP spokesman Joseph Ramallo said Friday that Edwards was unavailable for comment. An exit by Edwards could complicate the mayors promise to reform the utility, which serves 1.4 million customers. Garcetti had deputized Edwards to bring a steady hand to an agency long known for a lack of stability in its upper management. Garcetti, appearing Friday at an event on energy conservation, would not say whether Edwards is interested in retiring. But he praised her work at the DWP so far, calling Edwards a change agent who has focused on customer needs and stabilized the department. Reform at the DWP is bigger than any one of us, Garcetti said. It goes on no matter what. I think there will be many chapters. The DWP has had seven general managers since 2006, three of them serving in an acting or interim basis. When Garcetti offered Edwards the job in January 2014, he said she would help him make the agency more efficient and more closely managed. During the mayors race, L.A. voters gave me a mandate to reform the DWP, and thats exactly why I nominated Marcie Edwards, he said in 2014, not long after offering her the job. Talk of Edwards departure comes at a time of uncertainty at the DWP. The agency is in the middle of a major legal dispute with a contractor over the disastrous rollout of its new billing system, which resulted in customers receiving inaccurate and inflated bills. The City Council recently put a measure on the Nov. 8 ballot to rework the way the DWP is governed, doing so with strong backing from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, the union that represents most DWP employees. And separately, city leaders are expected to hold negotiations next year with that union on a new multi-year contract. Edwards, 59, spent 24 years at the DWP before leaving to run Anaheims municipal utility. At the end of her first DWP stint, she complained about the utilitys seeming inability to get things done. In recent months, Edwards had asked city lawmakers to give her more latitude to do her job. At one hearing, she requested measures that would make it easier for both her and the DWPs five-member board to award contracts. The council responded by backing proposals that would allow the DWP general manager to approve contracts of up to $5 million without board oversight. The current maximum is $150,000. david.zahniser@latimes.com Twitter: @DavidZahniser ALSO L.A. jury awards $27 million to family of construction worker who died at Hyperion Treatment Plant in 2011 Santa Ana yard excavated in search of possible human remains One of our officers was murdered last night: San Diego police shaken by fatal attack A small medical transport plane crashed into a mountain range in Northern California on Friday, killing all four people on board, authorities said. The Piper PA-31 was on its way from Crescent City airport near the Oregon border to Oakland International Airport with three crew members and a patient on board when the pilot declared an emergency about 1 a.m., according to the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office. The pilot planned to return to Crescent City after the transport, but radar contact with the aircraft was lost about five miles northeast of Arcata-Eureka Airport. Advertisement Sheriffs search and rescue teams found the crash site several hours later, on private land owned by timber company about 290 miles north of San Francisco. The plane was part of Cal-Ore Life Flight, which transports patients in Northern California and Oregon. This is one of the saddest moments in our history. We have been told there were no survivors, parent company REACH Air Medical Services said in a statement. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the patient and our crew members. The company said it is withholding the victims names pending confirmation from authorities. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. sarah.parvini@latimes.com For more local and breaking news follow me on Twitter:@sarahparvini ALSO One of our officers was murdered last night: San Diego police shaken by fatal attack Coroners officials identify man fatally shot by LAPD in Boyle Heights chase Deadly Soberanes fire north of Big Sur grows; Southlands Sand fire closer to being contained UPDATES: July 30, 11:50 a.m.: This article has been updated throughout with staff reporting. July 29, 11:35 a.m.: This article has been updated with news that the planes wreckage was found. This article was originally published at 11 a.m. July 29. A parole agent was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of handing over gift cards and bus passes in return for narcotics prescribed to a parolee. Scott Patric Keblis, 49, of Chino, was charged with one felony count of embezzlement by a public employee and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance,the Orange County district attorneys office said. Keblis was released from custody Thursday after posting $20,000 bond. Advertisement Prosecutors said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation received an anonymous report in November that Keblis was providing bus passes in exchange for prescription narcotics from a parolee. Keblis obtained two bus passes and two $40 Target gift cards from the corrections department later that month, after claiming he needed to give them to a parolee under his supervision, prosecutors said. He then drove to Huntington Beach to meet with a different parolee, who was not under his supervision. He exchanged the bus passes, gift cards, and $30 for 26 of the parolees prescription hydrocodone pills, according to the district attorneys office. Corrections officials said they could not comment because of the ongoing investigation, but confirmed Keblis was a parole agent when he was arrested. If convicted, Keblis faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison and one year in county jail. In addition, he would be ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit in California, the district attorneys office said. sarah.parvini@latimes.com For more local and breaking news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini ALSO 14 are charged in illicit gambling ring after casino raid in San Diego Chinatown rec center basketball coach charged with molesting teen player Man shot and killed by sheriffs SWAT team in Compton The two officers were on a gang-suppression patrol in southeast San Diego on Thursday night when one put out a call for help. Moments later, officers arrived to find one colleague fatally shot and the other critically wounded. A trail of blood led police to a suspect who had been shot in the chest. Police detained another man Friday during a search for a second possible suspect. Advertisement In San Diego, it was the third fatal shooting of a police officer since 2010, but the first during the 28-month tenure of police Chief Shelley Zimmerman. Tragically, one of our officers was murdered last night, Zimmerman told reporters late Friday morning. The chief said she personally visited the wife of slain officer Jonathan DeGuzman, 43, a 16-year veteran and father of two, to inform her of the tragic encounter. She had also gone to the hospital to check on Officer Wade Irwin, 32, who was expected to survive. It is extremely difficult but something you have to do, Zimmerman said. Theres nothing that prepares you to do that. DeGuzman became the 10th police officer fatally shot in the line of duty in the U.S. this month, causing Zimmerman to lament the increase in violence against law enforcement. Thats just a tragic statistic of police officers that go out every single day that wear a badge with pride that we all took an oath to protect and serve all of our communities, she said. And to have this happen to our police officers -- we have seen this happen way too many times just in these last few weeks across our great country. It is tragic for everyone. It was unclear Friday exactly what prompted the shooting. Police said the incident, at least in part, had been captured on one officers body camera. They did not disclose what was recorded. DeGuzman and Irwin were patrolling in uniform and in a marked car as part of the citys 10-team Street Gang Unit. According to the departments website, the teams work seven days a week citywide patrolling areas where gang crime is prevalent. They focus on felony gang crimes. Police arrested Jesse Michael Gomez, 52, shortly after the incident about 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the Chollas Creek ravine just south of the site of the shooting, Zimmerman said. Officers followed a trail of blood to him. He was critically injured by a gunshot wound to his upper chest. Police, including officers from many other agencies, swarmed the area searching for another suspect with the aid of police dogs, helicopters and heavily armed SWAT team members. They focused for hours on the ravine just south of Acacia Grove Way. Shortly before sunrise Friday, no other suspects had been found and many officers from the other police agencies were released from their posts by 4 a.m. and some streets reopened after that. Last night we lost one of San Diegos finest. We grieve for our fallen officer and stand with his family during this very difficult time. Kevin Faulconer, San Diego mayor Then later Friday morning, officers surrounded a house on Epsilon Street near 41st Street in Shelltown, about a half-mile from the initial shooting at Acacia Grove Way near 37th Street. They remained there for hours, trying to persuade the man, who they believed to be inside, to surrender. Other family members were reported to have gotten out of the residence before the standoff. A negotiator using a bullhorn repeatedly appealed to Marcus to come out. Were not going anywhere, the officer called out. It has been a really long night. Im worried about you. I havent heard from you for a while. I need to hear from you. You need to talk to me. Your sister ... is really scared. What should I tell her? Its not fair to have your sister so worried about you. Officers fired about 50 gas bombs into the home, which had an armored SWAT vehicle in the driveway. A remotely controlled robot searched the house and no one was seen through its camera, but it couldnt open a closet. A few moments later, the officer could be heard on the bullhorn saying, Hey, Marcus. We hear you coughing in there. Come on out. But hours later, SWAT officers entered the home and apparently found no one there. Officers later arrested Marcus Antonio Cassani, 41, about three blocks away, standing in the middle of the street waiting for them to arrest him. His sister had called police to tell them where to find him. Investigators have not determined whether he was involved in the shooting, but he had a warrant out for his arrest from Anaheim. Deadly attacks in Dallas and Baton Rouge echo a more dangerous time for police San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer expressed sadness over the shooting of the officers and asked the community to support law enforcement. Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all, he said in a statement. We need them and they need us. Times staff reporter Doug Smith and San Diego Union-Tribune staff reporter Pauline Repard contributed to this report. Hernandez and Winkley write for the Union-Tribune. ALSO Santa Ana yard excavated in search of possible human remains Coroners officials identify man fatally shot by LAPD in Boyle Heights chase An ex-Marine and a cracker-bread heiress will stand trial in mans choking death UPDATES: 5:30 p.m.: This article was updated with the names of two men who have been arrested. 4:45 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional material. 3:25 p.m.: This article was updated throughout. 2:10 p.m.: This article was updated with details on the SWAT standoff. 11:30 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Zimmerman. 9:35 a.m.: This article was updated with details of police surrounding a house and speaking to a possible suspect. 9:15 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from San Diegos mayor and Donald Trump. 8:35 a.m.: This article was updated with details throughout. 7:10 a.m.: This article was updated with details on the suspect search. 4:55 a.m.: This article was updated with details throughout. 3:40 a.m.: This article was updated with the death of one officer. July 29, 12:55 a.m.: This article was updated with one suspect in custody. This article was originally published at 11:35 p.m. July 28. The upcoming release of John Hinckley Jr., the man who shot President Reagan, will create a first in American history: There will soon be three would-be presidential assassins free. Timothy P. McCarthy, a historian of American politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, said the coincidence of Hinckley, Sara Jane Moore and Lynette Squeaky Fromme all being free from custody comes at a tense time in American politics. Their presence is a reminder of an earlier, turbulent era. The political rhetoric in this historic presidential election is reaching a heated, at times violent, fever pitch, he said. But McCarthy also noted, Sometimes the impulse to punish is mediated by the impulse to forgive or to heal. Secret Service agents lead Lynette Squeaky Fromme away after she pointed a gun at President Gerald Ford in Sacramento in 1975. (Associated Press) (Test) Lynette Squeaky Fromme Background: Fromme was born in Santa Monica on Oct. 22, 1948. After graduating from Redondo Union High School, she met Charles Manson and became a member of the Manson Family. She was never charged in the Tate-LaBianca murders, but became a fixture during Mansons trial in Los Angeles, frequently commenting to the media and expressing her devotion to Manson. Assassination attempt: Fromme pointed a loaded gun on President Ford in Sacramento on Sept. 5, 1975, while Ford was en route to a meeting with Gov. Jerry Brown at the Capitol. Ford was walking through a crowd when he saw Fromme move her hand toward him. Secret Service agents pounced on Fromme and hauled Ford away to safety. Trial: Ford became the first president to testify in a criminal trial, saying he saw the gun but had no recollection of hearing the woman say anything or of hearing the handgun click. Fromme was convicted of attempted assassination of a president and sentenced to life in prison. Release: Fromme became eligible for parole in 1985, as it was allowed under the law at the time, according to Felicia Ponce, spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, who spoke to CNN. Fromme had the option of waiving her rights to a hearing, which she did that year. She briefly escaped in 1987. She came up for parole again in 2008 and was released a year later. Now: Fromme, 68, has kept a low profile. After her release she moved to Marcy, N.Y., to live with her boyfriend, according to Inside Edition. Quote: At her sentencing, the judge said he believed she would have killed Ford if she could have. Fromme shouted, You fool! Im trying to save your life! Ford family: In a 2004 interview on Larry King Live, Betty Ford recounted how the assassination attempt affected her: After the first attempt on his life by Squeaky Fromme, every time he left the White House, I used to go on the balcony and pray that somehow he would come back and avoid anything like that again. But, of course, there was another one which made me even more apprehensive. Sara Jane Moore on her way to federal court in 1975 in San Francisco, where a judge accepted her guilty plea for trying to kill President Gerald Ford. (Associated Press) (Test) Sara Jane Moore Background: Born Feb. 15, 1930, in Charleston, W.Va., Moore was an aspiring actress and nurse who married five times, became estranged from her family and abandoned three of her children. She had been treated for mental illness. Assassination attempt: Just 17 days after Frommes attempt on Fords life, Moore waited with a loaded revolver outside the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, where Ford was staying. When Ford appeared, she raised her arm, ready to fire. Oliver Sipple, a former Marine standing next to her, saw the weapon and deflected her arm just as the gun went off. The bullet sailed over the presidents head. He was uninjured. Trial: Moores lawyers were preparing a defense related to her mental illness, but she pleaded guilty against their advice. She was given a life sentence with a possibility of parole. Release: Moore was paroled in 2007 after 32 years in a low-security federal prison for women in Dublin, Calif. Her parole was grandfathered by federal laws that have since been tightened. Now: In 2015, Moore was interviewed by CNN remotely, her location listed only as North Carolina. She is now 86 years old. Quote: Am I sorry I tried? Moore said at her sentencing. Yes and no. Yes, because it accomplished little except to throw away the rest of my life, although I realize there are those who think thats the one good thing resulting from this. And no, Im not sorry I tried, because at the time it seemed a correct expression of my anger Ford family: In a 2004 interview, Ford described his two would-be assassins: But I guess these people who do attempt assassinations are unusual. Squeaky Fromme certainly was off her mind. Sara Jane Moore, the same way. This image of John Hinckley Jr. was used as evidence during his trial. (Associated Press) (Test) John Hinckley Jr. Background: Hinckley, born May 29, 1955, in Ardmore, Okla., suffered from depression and obsessive tendencies his entire life. He dropped out of college in 1976 and moved to California, where he developed an obsession with Jodie Foster. He later said that he thought killing a president would gain her attention and impress her. Assassination attempt: Hinckley stalked President Carter before focusing on Reagan after he took office in January 1981. Hinckley shot Reagan, along with three other people, two months later, March 30, as the president left the Washington Hilton Hotel after delivering a speech. All those wounded survived, though White House Press Secretary Jim Brady suffered permanent brain damage and went on to become a fervent gun control advocate. Trial: In 1982, a jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity. The verdict caused Congress to tighten laws on using insanity as a defense. Release: Hinckley was never imprisoned but has spent the last 34 years in a mental institution. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman signed an order for Hinckleys release from St. Elizabeths Hospital on Aug. 5. He will live with his 89-year-old mother, Jo Ann Hinckley, in Williamsburg, Va. Now: Hinckley, 61, must notify the Secret Service and therapists of his whereabouts at all times, receive psychotherapy and refrain from contacting Reagans descendants or Foster, among others. He is barred from giving interviews. Quote: In a 1989 court hearing concerning his request to have access to speak to the news media, Hinckley said, I dont believe I am this seriously ill person. Reagan family: Patti Davis, Reagans daughter, spoke out against Hinckleys release on her website. In a blog post after news of his impending release, she wrote, Im not surprised by this latest development, but my heart is sickened. If John Hinckley is haunted by anything, I think its that he didnt succeed in his mission to assassinate the president. alexia.fernandez@latimes.com Twitter: @alexiafedz ALSO John Hinckley Jr., the man who tried to assassinate President Reagan, to be released from mental hospital Who is Reagan shooter John Hinckley Jr.? Where are they now? Charles Mansons family, four decades after the horrific murder spree The face is familiar, as is the baritone voice. Then he starts speaking. Cuando era nino pequeno, los politicos When I was a little boy, politicians used fear and racism against people of Japanese descent in this country. With these words, the actor and sometime activist George Takei compares the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II to las palabras y los planes the word and plans of Donald Trump. Takei posted the four-minute video on his Facebook page July 20 and its already been viewed nearly 12 million times. Hes certainly not first celebrity to use some star power to advance a cause. But in an interview, the actor best known as Mr. Sulu from Star Trek, explained how he drew upon his familys experiences in East Los Angeles and in an internment camp to make the video. Takei dedicated the video to his Latino fans and their families and friends and compares Trumps campaign speeches to a darker period in American politics. When I heard Donald Trump talk about immigrants from south of the border and Muslims, it was chilling to me, he said in the interview. Its precisely the kind of language my parents heard. I was 5 years old when American soldiers with bayonets on their rifles came to our driveway and ordered us out of our home. When I heard Donald Trump talk about immigrants from south of the border and Muslims, it was chilling to me. George Takei But why record the video in Spanish? Takei grew up in a Mexican American neighborhood in Boyle Heights, where he learned to speak the language fluently. He said his mothers best friend in the neighborhood was of Mexican descent and in the video recalls his mothers tears as we took with us only what we could carry, and lost all we had worked so hard for. Takeis family was interned for four years. Takei also draws parallels between wartime and today. They said we were all spies and saboteurs, that none of us could be trusted, he says in the video. When Trump says today that Mexicans are rapists and drug dealers, it is his way of similarly dehumanizing whole groups, so that he can set his plans in motion. The video intersperses images of Takei with black-and-white photographs of Japanese Americans headed off to the camps, carrying possessions or luggage, or behind barbed wire. There also are images of politicians of the era, such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who ordered the internment in 1942, not long after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Takei has spoken out frequently for liberal causes. Im a Hillary supporter. I wanted to say to those who arent registered, to register to vote, he said. Polls show Latinos have overwhelmingly negative opinions about Trump, and Takei notes their potential role in key states in the November election. Latinos have the power to stop Trump, especially by voting in large numbers in swing states like Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico, he says in the video. Your numbers can even put states like Arizona and Texas into contention. Adrian Pantoja, a senior analyst for Latino Decisions, a firm that provides data on Latino political opinions, said a video like Takeis, made in Spanish and directed at Latinos, can cause what he called a fusion effect. The video carries English subtitles, widening its audience. As of Thursday it had been shared on Facebook 323,744 times. If you reach out to one individual of a multi-generational household, then that one member is going to reach out to others in the house and talk about the message they heard, Pantoja said. Forty percent of Latino voters are millennials, according to Pantoja, while 60% of Latinos are bilingual. English proficiency among Latinos has grown largely in the last 14 years, fueled by the rising number of Latino youths born in the United States. Among Latino millennials, 88% speak only English at home or speak English very well, according to 2014 data from the Census Bureau. Thats up from 73% in 2000. Pantoja said Takeis message would resonate with many minority groups. Its not solely an experience of Japanese or Asians, Pantoja said. There are large numbers of communities and religious minorities that feel, at a particular moment in time, like a target. Theyre not alone. Gabriel Sanchez, a partner at Latino Decisions, said 12 million views is significant viewership for a Spanish-language video. Id say it has had high saturation, especially if its been online for a week, he said. The message of a video itself is probably the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to reaching out to Latinos. See the most-read stories this hour The video has received 14,000 comments on Takeis Facebook page. A few writers take him to task. Your story is sad, but you overcame it, wrote Anthony Ekenstam. But I think your missing the point about people being here illegally. But then Ekenstam added that Takei is a great actor. More common are comments like this one left by Joshua Perkins: George, your story is one we need to keep hearing. We need reminders of the atrocities committed out of racism and fear to keep us from ever repeating those horrendous mistakes. alexia.fernandez@latimes.com Twitter: @alexiafedz ALSO Watch Muslim kids read letters from Japanese internment camp survivors Could anger over Donald Trumps rhetoric reinvigorate the push for immigration reform? Advocates hope so Tim Kaine: For Donald Trump, Latinos are second-class citizens Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the head of the General Staff and the commanders in chief of the armed forces, the Turkish Haber 7 newspaper wrote July 29. According to the newspaper, the personnel reform in the armed forces was discussed at the meeting. A decision on resignation of 48 generals has been recently made at a meeting of the Turkish Supreme Military Council, the newspaper wrote. According to the newspaper, General Yasar Guler has been appointed commander of the Turkish Gendarmerie. General Umit Dundar became the second chief of General Staff. Following the meeting, Commanders of the countrys Land Forces, Air Forces and Navy retained their posts. Fresh off her history-making presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton set off for a Rust Belt bus tour Friday while Donald Trump made his pitch in Colorado, a swing-state-centric kickoff to what promises to be a bruising 100-day general election fight. Clinton is touring the battlegrounds of Pennsylvania and Ohio to try to sway white working-class voters attracted to the New York businessmans anti-immigrant appeals and his promises to rip up trade deals blamed for the loss of manufacturing jobs. Opening the tour with a rally here in the city where she became the first woman to accept a major partys presidential nomination, she accused Trump of issuing empty promises and blasted him for manufacturing his own products, like ties and shirts, in other countries. Advertisement He doesnt make a thing in America except bankruptcies, she said to a crowd of more than 5,000 in a gymnasium at Temple University. Clinton is promising new investments in clean energy and transportation infrastructure that would create jobs in areas where high unemployment has lingered after the Great Recession. Weve made progress, but we have work to do to make sure everybody is included, she said. Trump was in Colorado Springs, a conservative area of a state where he faces an uphill climb with growing numbers of young professionals and Latinos. While Clinton has pushed an optimistic message, Trump has repeatedly described the country as being dragged down by establishment politicians. Same old stuff, our country needs change! Trump tweeted after Clintons rally in Philadelphia. Before the crowd of several thousand at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, he dismissed Clintons convention speech as so average, and crowed about topping Democrats in television ratings for their respective gatherings final nights. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Sign up for the newsletter Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Friday. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press ) Don Reeg, a 64-year-old bricklayer, said Trump needed to stick with his plan to fight crime and boost border security. A lot of people dont like it, but thats OK, he said. He just needs to stick with the theme hes been doing and hell be fine. Polls have shown a close race, although how the public gauged Clintons performance at the Democratic convention wont be known for several days. Both candidates have proven to be deeply unpopular with voters in general. This will be a battle of how much each candidate can make you hate the other candidate, said Laura Carno, a Republican strategist in the state. Clintons convention marked the official end of a divisive primary battle with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose most passionate supporters she has struggled to win over. But there were signs of hard-fought unity within the Democratic Party this week, and even some die-hard Sanders supporters felt more comfortable voting for Clinton. For Tim Weaver, a 34-year-old delegate from Texas, it was the parade of party luminaries President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sanders himself that won him over. A lot of people that I trust have spoken for her, he said. The convention was also a chance to emphasize parts of Clintons biography, such as her work for the Childrens Defense Fund after graduating from law school, that remain less well-known than her more controversial tenure as a politically active first lady. In the 1990s, I would have told you I am never voting for Hillary. I didnt like her, said Jane Storsten, 62, of New Jersey, who has come around to backing Clinton. I got a chance to look at her record. Her actual record, what shes done. I didnt know about a lot of these things. Clinton seemed ready to seize her historic moment. The loudspeakers blared the Sheryl Crowe country anthem Woman in the White House, and supporters wore buttons saying Madam President. One woman from South Jersey attended the rally with her two young daughters wearing homemade shirts saying I can be president. Red, white and blue bunting ringed the gymnasium where Clinton spoke, and supporters were handed American flags that they waved as they chanted U.S.A. While Trump has pledged to put America first, Clinton has tried to portray him as a bully out for himself. His convention seemed more about insulting me than helping the American people, Clinton said. Trump supporters had mixed feelings about the Democratic convention. Ernie Albertsen, a retired general contractor, dismissed all of the speakers as liars. Theyre just up there barking like a rabid dog, he said. But his wife, Jeanne Noel, an engineering technician, was worried. Theres so much support for Hillary, Noel said. I was scared for the first time for Trump. After leaving Philadelphia, Clinton stopped in Hatfield, a town of 3,300 about 30 miles north of Philadelphia, to visit KNEX, a company that makes construction toys. She and her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, were to hold another rally later Friday in a downtown market at Harrisburg, the state capital, another 100 miles west. Other stops on the three-day tour are expected to include Pittsburgh and the Ohio cities of Youngstown and Columbus. The trip echoed a similar one taken by her husband, Bill, when he ran for president in 1992. After his convention in New York, he launched an eight-state bus tour ending in St. Louis. Megerian reported from Philadelphia and Mason from Colorado Springs, Colo. Times staff writer Evan Halper in Philadelphia contributed to this report. Twitter: @chrismegerian, @melmason ALSO Many GOP foreign policy experts see Donald Trump as unfit to be president Two conventions, one vast gulf: Republicans and Democrats appear to be speaking to different countries Now that shes made history, Hillary Clinton must build trust To the list of breakthroughs in an ever-changing world where cars drive themselves, faces are surgically transplanted and Russian hackers are accused of manipulating the U.S. presidential campaign, add this development: marijuana growers can now compete for blue ribbons in the state fair. Thats what Oregon officials say will happen at their fair in Salem next month. Besides tastiest apple pie and plumpest pig, pot will be judged for its finer attributes, including color, aroma, leaf structure and lack of pests. The top growers will become the nations first-ever winners of a state fair ribbon honoring a farm crop outlawed by the federal government. For some, the contest effectively adds another H to the 4-H Club: Herb. Advertisement We regularly reach out to the community with some form of education, to de-stigmatize the industry and the plant, Don Morse, chair of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council, told leafly.com this week. For the people at the state fair to let this happen is really groundbreaking. Marijuana plants weeks away from harvesting. (Seth Perlman / Associated Press ) The inclusion of marijuana in a state fair speaks to its suddenly booming reputation as a cash crop and its growers as the future farmers of America, at least in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., where, since 2012, voters have approved legal recreational use of marijuana. It remains illegal in the eyes of the federal government. California and Nevada are among eight states set to vote on legalization this fall. Marijuana Business Daily predicts legal pot could become an $8-billion industry in two years. Overseeing the Oregon fairs panel of judges and helping sample entries - will be Ed Rosenthal, the 71-year-old Guru of Ganja, as he calls himself. The Oakland publisher, activist and author will help the panel pick nine winners at a pre-fair elimination contest to be held at the fairgrounds Aug. 13-14. More than 60 growers are expected to showcase their live cannabis plants at that event, called the Oregon Cannabis Fair. Three winners in each of three categories based on plant types - sativa, indica and hybrids will be awarded ribbons and their prize-winning plants put on display at the state fair starting Aug. 26. Morse, the council chair, says the weed winners and runners-up will receive traditional fair ribbons - blue, purple or yellow. All plants have to be in vegetative (nonflowering) form, according to an entry form. The state fair exhibit will be displayed in a greenhouse and monitored by a security guard. Visitors must be 21 or older. We are not promoting the use of cannabis, Morse told the Oregonian. We are there to show plants to people over 21 what award-winning cannabis plants look like. And no, marijuana smoking will not be allowed, he added. ALSO Transcript: Clintons Democratic National Convention speech, annotated Reporter who added some swagger to the D.B. Cooper legacy comes clean Bill OReilly courts controversy with comments on slavery; Hollywood hits back The Clinton campaign sees multiple paths to victory and other take-aways from Hillary Clintons acceptance speech (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 1. The Clinton campaign sees multiple paths to victory If its possible to both run to the left and to the center at the same time, the Clinton campaign is doing it. In a speech in which Hillary Clinton appealed directly to the supporters of her erstwhile primary rival, she also drew applause in the hall with praise of Republicans on a night of flag-waving, military-saluting, Constitution-embracing appeals to patriotism. Whatever party you belong to, or if you belong to no party at all, if you share these beliefs, this is your campaign, Clinton said. President Obama just a day before made a point of saying that Donald Trumps views were neither Republican nor conservative. And preceding Clinton Thursday were speeches from former and current Republicans who said it was Clinton who would be the better one to advance the nations interests. She praised John McCain and noted that both her running mate and Donald Trumps have sons serving in the Marines. At the same time, and even with the occasional distraction of Bernie Sanders supporters still registering their dissent, Clinton did not back off the platform they had called for, stating that the minimum wage should be a living wage, that people shouldnt be trapped by college debt, and most of all that she would follow the money, asking more of Wall Street and the super-rich while addressing a political system that gives them outsized influence. What could have been a classic base-turnout maximization presidential campaign against another Republican is instead a campaign in which Clintons team at least sees an opportunity to try to expand her appeal beyond reliable Democrats. She knows many Republicans are uncomfortable with Trump. She tried to make it easier for some of them to vote for her, rather than not vote at all. One possible added incentive: it may not just be the best path for victory, but for governing with a clear mandate that could come with it. 2. Clinton recognizes, and in some cases embraces, her flaws. At least some of them Clinton knew she would never give as eloquent a speech as Obama, as passionate a speech as Joe Biden, or as emotional an appeal as Michelle Obama. Certainly she wouldnt outdo her husband, the folksy explainer in chief. And so Clinton decided she wouldnt reach for poetry when she could go heavy on prose. Its true. I sweat the details, she said in a policy-laden speech. But that wasnt the only example. Early on, she spoke of a relationship with her husband that has offered both joy, and hard times that tested us. She noted that she was not a figure new to the national stage, but that many still dont have a sense of why she has made public service her calling. What she did not do was explicitly acknowledge the issues that have contributed most recently to negative impressions of her, especially her decision to conduct business on a personal email account instead of the State Departments. There would not be an effort to counter the crooked charge that Trump has branded her with. She will do so in other settings, but not before the biggest audience shell address until the debates. 3. She acknowledged the historic moment in hopes the nation would stand with her As Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother, the Clinton campaign tweeted a photo of the beaming candidate watching backstage. After a biographical video played and Clinton joined her daughter, her expression revealed the emotion of the moment. Standing here as my mothers daughter, and my daughters mother, Im so happy this day has come, Clinton said as she acknowledged the milestone. But as she formally accepted the nomination, and became the first woman to do so for a major party ticket, she sought to articulate that it was not just a personal victory. When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone, she said. When there are no ceilings, the skys the limit. When Clinton ran for president the first time, her campaign seemed intent at first to downplay the potential historic nature of her candidacy. It became more overt once it was clear the party would have its first African American nominee instead. We are everywhere: This California delegate drove to Philadelphia to talk about drug addiction and recovery Ryan Hampton, 35, stood before his fellow California delegates at their morning breakfast Thursday to introduce himself. I have not used drugs or alcohol in 18 months, and I have to tell you, a year and a half ago I didnt know if I was going to live or die, Hampton said. Here I am today, not only a person recovering from heroin, but a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, and I think that shows that we are everywhere. Opioid addiction and recovery is being highlighted more frequently in the presidential campaign: On Monday, the Democratic Party dedicated about an hour to the topic. And on Tuesday, Hampton spoke on a panel with House and Senate members working to get more funding for a massive bill to expand addiction treatment programs that President Obama recently signed into law. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids primarily prescription pain relievers and heroin were involved in 28,647 deaths in 2014, or about 78 people a day. Hampton said he decided to become a delegate because the recovery community in Pasadena wanted to focus more attention on the scope of the problem. Hamptons fellow recovering addicts campaigned for him and scraped together the money to get him to Philadelphia. Hampton left his home at Angels Way Sober Living in Pasadena two weeks ago and drove the 2,500 miles to Philadelphia in an RV. Along the way, Hampton stopped at recovery centers and prisons to interview other addicts and their families about life with addiction and how access to treatment is different depending on where you live. His documentary is available in parts online at the Huffington Post. People in recovery are everywhere. We are your brothers, and we are your fathers and mothers and sons. We are your CEOs of major corporations, we your employees, your neighbors. We are in your living rooms and we are in your backyards, Hampton said. It became apparent to me that how can we ever affect change if America doesnt know us? While he was on his way to Philadelphia, Hampton got a call from the White House asking if he could stop in to the West Wing to talk with the presidents domestic policy advisors, so of course he did. They told him they think more people who are recovering from addiction should speak out. Once people identify what the issue is and that it is in their backyard, then they will be able to understand and treat this epidemic with compassion and we can get to a solution, he said. Hampton said in an interview that hes grateful Clinton has made opioid addiction treatment programs part of her platform, but he plans to hold her to it. Im a Hillary delegate, I love her to death, but when she is president, I am going to hold her accountable on behalf of my community for this issue. I expect action from the party when they win in November. Hampton said he has added an extra weeks worth of stops on the drive back home. People are listening, I think the DNC is listening, I think the White House is listening, I think Donald Trump is listening. I just hope that change is made, he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The security measures have been strengthened at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, the Turkish Hurriyet newspaper wrote July 29. According to the newspaper, the airlines urge passengers to arrive at the airport for registration three hours before departure time indicated in the ticket. The Ataturk Airport management also urges citizens to come to the airport by public transport to avoid traffic jams that can occur at the entrance to the airport due to the strengthened security measures, the newspaper wrote. A terrorist attack occurred at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport June 28 as a result of which 45 people were killed and 239 injured. Moreover, the Ataturk Airport was seized by the rebels during the military coup attempt in Turkey. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Good morning. It is Friday, July 29. A bear in Arcadia found the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day -- go for a dip in the pool. Heres what else is happening in the Golden State: TOP STORIES Corruption case Advertisement South El Monte Mayor Luis Aguinaga agreed to plead guilty Thursday to a corruption charge that he took $45,000 in bribes from a city contractor. Aguinaga admitted to taking cash bribes left in City Hall bathrooms or the pockets of car doors beginning in 2005. During a 2012 meeting monitored by FBI agents at a local Ramada Inn, Aguinaga said he was nervous because officials in Cudahy had just been busted for corruption. Los Angeles Times Readers, we always love hearing from you. You can keep up with Alice and Shelby during the day on Twitter. Follow @TheCityMaven and @ShelbyGrad. L.A. AT LARGE Leader passes: Sherman Mellinkoff was the dean of the UCLA School of Medicine for 25 years, and during that time he helped create a world-class medical school. What made him so great as a dean was his humanity, said Charles Young, who became chancellor in 1969. Mellinkoff died July 17 at the age of 96. Los Angeles Times Trail reopens: Break out your yoga pants -- Runyon Canyon will reopen next week. The popular hiking spot closed four months ago so crews could replace a water main. An estimated 35,000 people visit Runyon every week. Los Angeles Times Dirty waters: The recreational areas of the Los Angeles River are showing high levels of bacteria, the group Heal the Bay says. People are advised not to swim in the river. Kayaking is still allowed, though youll want to avoid hand-to-mouth water contact. Los Angeles Times Stop and go: The Hollywood (101) Freeway is Americas Highway to Hell, according to a new report from the Auto Insurance Center. Getting from Woodland Hills to downtown can take 90 minutes at an average speed of 17 mph. Curbed LA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Party faithful: Roz Wyman, who joined the Los Angeles City Council in 1953, has been to every Democratic convention since 1952 (minus the one in 68). This one is particularly meaningful, she says, given the nomination of Hillary Clinton. You mean to tell me America, the greatest country in the world, couldnt produce a great woman to be our president? But weve got a chance this time, she said. KQED Military honor: The United States Navy reportedly will name a ship after Harvey Milk, the late San Francisco politician and gay icon. Milk joined the Navy during the Korean War and served on a submarine rescue ship as a diving officer. He was assassinated in San Franciscos City Hall in 1978. NBC Bay Area CRIME AND COURTS Juvenile detention: A supervisor at Central Juvenile Hall choked a youth back in May, prompting an employee with the L.A. County Office of Education to contact police, according to a probation commissioner. At a meeting Thursday, commissioners complained that no one from the Probation Department notified them of the incident. Los Angeles Times One year ago: The 16-year-old Santa Cruz boy accused of killing 8-year-old Madyson Middleton last year will go on trial in February. On this sad anniversary, Madysons father wants to keep the focus on the child he lost. I think Madyson would want it this way, would want for me to not have hatred and anger. You just dont want this to happen again, said Mike Middleton. Mercury News Man charged: A 45-year-old man who works in Downtown Disney, and who was previously employed at Disneyland, is accused of molesting a 9-year-old boy in a City of Industry movie theater restroom. Richard Camarena pleaded not guilty to charges of lewd acts upon a child. Los Angeles Times EDUCATION New venture: Former LAUSD Supt. John Deasys new challenge is keeping juvenile offenders from returning to jail. His new nonprofit is New Day, New Year and will include the opening of alternative juvenile prisons. Deasy wants to reduce the recidivism rate by 50%. Los Angeles Times DROUGHT AND CLIMATE Out of control: The Soberanes fire north of Big Sur has grown to more than 27,000 acres. So far, 34 homes and 10 buildings have been destroyed. Intensified by high temperatures and low humidity, scorching flames have severely affected soil along the rugged mountains and weakened trees already dry from years of drought. Los Angeles Times Environmental policy: Gov. Jerry Brown doesnt have time for people, like Donald Trump, who deny climate change. Trump says global warming is a hoax. I say Trump is a fraud, he told the Democratic National Convention. Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA CULTURE Remembering a tragedy: Its been 25 years since a school bus carrying a group of Girl Scouts crashed on Tramway Road in Palm Springs. The bus driver and six people were killed that day, and 47 more were injured. The rescue effort mobilized the entire community, including then-Mayor Sonny Bono, who helped carry victims to waiting helicopters. Desert Sun Beach access: Columnist Steve Lopez visited a stretch of beach that billionaire Vinod Khosla says belongs to him. There really is no reasonable theory on which [Khosla] can prevail, unless the Coastal Act is declared unconstitutional, said Mark Massara, an attorney representing the Surfrider Foundation in a lawsuit to allow access to Martins Beach. Los Angeles Times Special honor: An 8-year-old boy who is terminally ill was made an honorary member of the United States Marine Corps. Wyatt Gillettes father is a Marine drill instructor. He has fought harder in the last almost 8 years than I will ever have to. If I earned the title, I believe he has as well, said Jeremiah Gillette. Orange County Register Yummy, yummy: Here are 11 quintessential L.A. dishes. LAist CALIFORNIA ALMANAC San Diego will be foggy with a high of 79. Riverside will be sunny and 104 degrees. It will be sunny and 88 in Los Angeles. Sacramento will be sunny with a high of 106. San Francisco will be cloudy and 71. AND FINALLY Todays California Memory comes from Michele Hernandez: Raised in the foothills of the San Bernardino Forest in the 90s, we three kids had the best adventures roaming the streams, hiking up ravines, climbing trees and rocks or anything over 6 feet. Even our friends considered us wild as we all knew how to recognize and deal with poison oak, rattlesnakes and the occasional mountain lion. We commuted down the 15 to get anywhere: through fields of grapes, flocks of sheep and citrus orchards to get to school in Rancho Cucamonga. Im so grateful to have lived and grown up in a small rural town, a rarity in Southern California that is disappearing. If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad. Hillary Clinton had the privilege Thursday night of doing something no other woman has ever done: accept a major partys nomination for president. But her closing-night keynote at the Democratic National Convention was less a celebration of that milestone than a bid to unify her party and blunt the populist appeal of Republican nominee Donald Trump. To do so, she needed to portray herself as the legitimate heir of the increasingly popular President Obama while signaling that she would also satisfy the appetite of many voters for change. She had to capitalize on the optimism about America that animated the convention, while reassuring voters who are anxious about a sluggish economic recovery and alarmed about crime and terrorism. She had to reach out to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, many of whom still arent reconciled to her nomination And, finally, she had to go beyond portraying Trump as unfit to explain why she should be trusted with the nations highest office. The sprawling speech Clinton delivered Thursday evening achieved most of these objectives. She praised Obama for saving the nation from the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes and saluted real progress in job creation and the expansion of health insurance. But then she pivoted to an admission that none of us can be satisfied with the status quo and pledged to propose to Congress the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II to be paid for by taxes on the super-rich (one of many nods to Sanders supporters). Addressing working-class voters attracted to Trump, she said: Some of you are frustrated even furious. And you know what? Youre right. Advertisement She rejected Trumps description of a nation coming apart at the seams she called it Midnight in America, a sharp contrast to the more hopeful and optimistic vision Democrats had laid out at their agenda but admitted that powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. The solution, she argued, wasnt rule by a would-be president who claims that I alone can fix it but concerted action and political compromise. Our Founders, Clinton said, embraced the enduring truth that we are stronger together. Perhaps not surprisingly, the strongest passages in Clintons speech were often acid denunciations of her Republican opponent. Referring to Trumps acceptance speech, she said: He spoke for 70-odd minutes and I do mean odd. And he offered zero solutions. She was especially effective in skewering Trump on foreign policy and defense. Noting that Trump had said he knew more about Islamic State than the generals do, Clinton said: No, Donald, you dont. Clinton devoted much of the speech to a self-reintroduction. She acknowledged that, despite her decades in public life, some people just dont know what to make of me. She explained that her career as a childrens advocate and public official reflected the philosophy that to drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws; you need both understanding and action. She boasted that I sweat the details of policy whether were talking about the exact level of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, the number of mental health facilities in Iowa, or the cost of your prescription drugs. Thats a not-so-subtle dig at Trump, but also a nod to one of her real strengths as a candidate: a mastery of the intricacies, which is a useful skill when looking for common ground or new approaches to divisive issues. The problem is that some of the voters who have doubts about Clinton dont question her intelligence or industry; they have questions about her honesty and trustworthiness, some arising from her misjudgments (such as her use of a private email server as secretary of state) and some the figment of Republican propaganda. Clinton approached that issue Thursday night indirectly, as other speakers throughout the week have done: by emphasizing her tenacity on behalf of Americans who needed help and the results shes gotten for them, from disabled and minority children denied an equal education to first responders on 9/11 damaged by toxic fumes. Just as important, she raised doubts about Trump that should linger long in the minds of anyone who heard her words. As Clinton put it, A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook ALSO The Republican Party is dead Democrats united in (over)promising to reverse Citizens United Obama signals his intention to fight Trump to the end Baku, Azerbaijan, July 29 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Akinci military base near Ankara, which was the headquarters of those involved in the military coup attempt, will be closed, Binali Yildirim, Turkish prime minister, said, TRT Haber TV channel reported July 29. Yildirim added that Fethullah Gulen, who is directly involved in the military coup attempt, will be extradited from the US. He stressed that Gulens terrorist organization tried to break Turkeys national unity through a military coup. "The period of coups passed in Turkey long time ago," Yildirim said. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded. Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Five years ago, the people of southern Sudan seceded from the north and established their own independent nation. At midnight on July 9, 2011, thousands of citizens of the new country flooded into the streets, dancing and singing and proclaiming their freedom. In retrospect, perhaps they should have stayed home; their optimism has proved unfounded. Just this month, the government canceled the nations five-year anniversary celebrations as fighting broke out yet again between rival forces and scores of civilians were killed. Thats nothing new: Since the creation of South Sudan, tens of thousands of people have died in internecine violence and some 2 million have been displaced. A region already plagued by floods and chronic food shortages, by poverty, violence and illiteracy, and by a lack of institutions and infrastructure is now being further ravaged by tribal conflict, insurrection, graft and corruption. In South Sudan, children have been abducted to serve as soldiers, women gang-raped by army and militia members, detainees beaten and tortured. The oil industry, which once accounted for 98% of government revenue, is in steep decline. In what seemed like a positive development, President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar announced last summer that they were ending their 2-year-old civil war and resuming a power-sharing arrangement; Machar returned to the capital city of Juba in April to take up his post as vice president once again. But two months later, the tentative peace fell apart after a shootout at a checkpoint between militias. Advertisement By some accounts, conditions are worse for the people of South Sudan today than they were before independence from the Sudanese regime in Khartoum in 2011. Thats a tragedy for the people there, obviously, and also a grave disappointment for the Western and African countries that helped midwife the secession and the birth of the continents newest country. In the months ahead, the international community must continue its efforts to stabilize the situation. To that end, the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping forces should be extended, and if theyre deemed insufficient for the task, it may become necessary to deploy an additional African Union rapid reaction force. Once a measure of quiet has been established, the South Sudanese will have to take on the tougher job of eradicating corruption, building reliable institutions, ending patronage and depoliticizing the army. Understandably, some observers wonder whether the current government, which has failed so miserably to date, can possibly be entrusted with those tasks. Princeton Lyman, a former U.S. special envoy to Sudan, and Kate Almquist Knopf, a former director of the U.S. Agency for International Development in South Sudan, have recently called both Kiir and Machar irredeemably compromised and have proposed the establishment of a U.N.-African Union mandate to administer the country for an interim period. Meanwhile, some are arguing that Sudans unhappy situation ought to serve as a lesson for the United States. A recent opinion article in the Boston Globe, for instance, argued that secession was a mistake from the start, the disastrous result of an intervention into Sudanese affairs by well-meaning but clueless Americans. The article blamed lobbying by Christian missionaries and human rights activists like George Clooney as well as U.S. policymakers driven by a misguided sense of moral idealism rather than a clear-eyed recognition of national security interests. As usual, the article said, Americans failed to see the folly in their starry-eyed efforts to change the world and end suffering. Ignorance and self-delusion certainly have gotten the U.S. in trouble over the years. American troops were not, for instance, greeted by grateful Iraqis with flowers when they arrived in Baghdad in 2003, as the George W. Bush administration apparently expected. The U.S. became bogged down in Afghanistan for a decade and a half despite accomplishing its chief goal of toppling the Taliban within weeks of the wars start in 2001. The U.S. too often blunders overconfidently into foreign countries without clear goals, a coherent plan or an exit strategy. Surely some of that may have been at play in Sudan and South Sudan. Yet the situation doesnt fall neatly into that category. The move toward secession was in fact an outgrowth of a multinational effort to end Africas longest-running civil war. The north and the south had been shoehorned into a single country by the British in 1956 despite their overwhelming linguistic, racial, tribal and cultural differences and the result had been half a century of violence in which more than 2 million people died in cross-border raids from the Arab north into the black African south. When a comprehensive peace agreement was finally signed with the help of the African Union and the United States, it included a provision that southerners would be allowed to vote on whether to declare independence from the north. That referendum was a particular goal not of the United States, but of the southerners themselves; the U.S. went along with it. In the end, nearly 99% of voters in the south favored secession. Americans were not, in fact, under many illusions about the new states chances. In the run-up to the referendum, U.S. policymakers made it clear that the obstacles facing South Sudan were enormous and that success was not a foregone conclusion. The Times noted in a 2010 editorial that the likelihood of a happy, prosperous, democratic southern Sudan coming into being is low. Nation-building is in disrepute these days. Just listen to Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. But while it makes sense to be skeptical of military adventures, to be cognizant of the obstacles that may arise abroad and to be careful about spending taxpayer dollars on lost causes (the U.S. government has poured billions of dollars in aid into South Sudan), it would be a grave mistake for the U.S. to retreat from constructive engagement with the world. South Sudan has been a terrible, tragic disappointment, but whether or not it can be fixed, the United States should not forswear its important efforts to use its vast wealth to bring peace, stability and economic development to troubled countries around the globe. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: My husband, Kenneth, was murdered in cold blood at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Is the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. really telling me to move on? (Saudi ambassador: There is no smoking gun in the 28 pages, lets move on, Opinion, July 25) The assertions in his op-ed article with regard to the facts found within the newly released 28 pages of the 9/11 Commission Report are an affront to anyone with decent reading comprehension skills. Not only is there a smoking gun in the 28 pages, but Saudi Arabias fingerprints can be seen all over the gun. Instead of trying the case in the court of public opinion, with the Saudis spending millions of dollars on lobbyists and public relations firms, I would rather we meet in a court of law where Saudi innocence or guilt can be officially determined. Advertisement Lorie Van Auken, New York .. To the editor: The ambassadors interpretation of the 28 pages would be credible if he had addressed the fact that the Saudi government, while not having had direct operational involvement in the 9/11 attack, did in fact vigorously support (and continues to support, both financially and spiritually) the radical Wahhabi educational institutions that preach the most extreme versions of the Islamic faith, which arguably was why 15 of the 9/11 attackers were Saudi citizens. The Saudi ambassadors declaration of his countrys innocence is well stated but far from convincing. Tom Fleishman, Van Nuys Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Though Hillary Clinton has been on the Democratic National Convention stage before, this is her first time as the party nominee. How did she do? As we did after Donald Trump spoke, we again asked Toastmasters, a 332,000-member global organization focused on helping people become effective communicators and leaders. We invited its 2015 public speaking world champion and international president to offer snap evaluations similar to those done in two minutes at Toastmasters meetings, focusing not on the content or the politics but on the presentation and performance. Heres what they had to say, in their own words, edited for brevity: Jim Kokocki of New Brunswick, Canada, has been a Toastmaster for nearly 30 years and holds the title Distinguished Toastmaster. (Toastmasters) Toastmasters International President Jim Kokocki Hillary Clintons strength is her strong content and ideas, which she communicates very well. The quality of her ideas and her experience are strengths, which she illustrated well in her speech. Her style is simple, direct and competent. Her voice is strong, her gestures are authoritative and she makes solid eye contact with her audience. She started very well by acknowledging the audience response and letting the audience enjoy their initial moments with her. She did an excellent job of meeting the audiences energy and enthusiasm. As she began, she quickly delved into personal areas such as her pride in her daughter and challenges that tested her and her husband. Later on, she continued by speaking of her grandfathers career working at a mill, her mothers personal story and her experiences in New Bedford, Mass., and with Anastasia Samosa, Ryan Moore and Lauren Manning. These were good selections of personal stories that show a personal side to the audience. Audiences enjoy stories as they are memorable and usually relatable. She used some very strong structure in the speech contrasting and characterizing her opponents comments of I alone can fix it, versus her well fix it together, and none of us can fix it alone. In this section of the speech, she appealed to segments of her listeners by referencing teachers, doctors, police, entrepreneurs and mothers. Its almost unfair that President Obama set the bar with style and humor. However, Clinton showed some self-deprecating humor when she said her opponent offers zero solutions and she loves talking about her plans with a big smile. This plays well to her strength and the perception of being detail-oriented and strong on policy. A key message she landed was her statement that if fighting for child care is playing the woman card, then deal me in. This was well paced and delivered, and she allowed time for the audience to absorb the message. At times, the quantity and depth of ideas were almost overwhelming. However, Clinton displayed her strengths well, showing strong content and her more than competent style and technique. Mohammed Qahtani, a security engineer from Saudi Arabia, won the Toastmasters international speech contest in 2015. (Toastmasters) Mohammed Qahtani, 2015 Toastmasters speaking world champion When Hillary Clinton took the stage, she knew she had to bring power and strength. As the first woman to be nominated for president, she had to project the image of a strong woman and I believe she did that well. It was evident in the strong and sometimes high tone of voice during her speech. She used the word together often in the beginning of her speech, and I think that was her way of implanting it in the audiences minds. What also made her speech effective was the use of stories; she shifted from a lecturing style of speech into storytelling, which the audience appeared to love hearing. She also admitted knowing what people think about her, which created a strong connection with her audience. It seemed to be her way of saying, I know what is going on in your minds. The speech throughout was very uplifting and motivational: I loved Our founders fought a revolution and wrote a Constitution so America would never be a nation where one person had all the power, and also when she said more than once no one gets through life alone. However, she could improve in several areas, starting with smiling more. The speech was uplifting, but she rarely smiled, and she should invite the audience in with her smile. Also, the structure of the speech in the middle was a bit confusing. I got a bit lost on the outline of her speech. I felt she jumped back and forth between points. She raised her voice effectively during important points, but there were times she raised her voice too much that it was almost screaming. Lastly, it is important to pause long enough, especially when the audience is clapping. At several times, she talked through the clapping and at others she tried to stop the clapping by talking quickly. She shouldve taken her time and waited for the clapping to die down. michelle.maltais@latimes.com Chat me up on Twitter: @mmaltaisLA Too much 'my,' not enough 'we': Pro speakers grade Donald Trump's oratory skills in GOP convention speech 'We can all rise together,' Hillary Clinton proclaims in accepting her historic nomination Transcript: Hillary Clinton's Democratic National Convention speech, annotated Thursday marked the final night of the Democratic National Convention. Hillary Clinton gave her first speech as the official presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. But before she took the stage, there were a number of landmark moments. Transgender visibility was front and center Sarah McBride is an LGBT activist and former White House intern who is currently national press secretary of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. She is also, as she announced on stage, a proud transgender woman. In speaking, she became the first openly transgender person to address a major partys national political convention. Advertisement LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention, speaks at the Democratic National Convention. More coverage at latimes.com/trailguide. L.A. mayors, past and present, addressed the nation Mayor Eric Garcetti and former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa both spoke Thursday evening. Garcetti joked about our citys demographics, saying, Los Angeles is a city with such a huge, thriving Latino population that we expect Donald Trump to build a wall around us. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks at the Democratic National Convention. More coverage at latimes.com/trailguide. Villaraigosa spoke about immigration and addressed undocumented immigrants, urging them to have a voice in our party and our nation. Former mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa speaks at the Democratic National Convention about immigration. More coverage at latimes.com/trailguide. Republicans joined forces against Trump A representative of Republican Women for Hillary and a former Ronald Reagan White House spokesperson explained why they switched teams for this election. I campaigned exclusively for the GOP until this election, said Jennifer Pierotti Lim. In Donald Trumps America, it doesnt matter that Im an accomplished attorney and a policy expert, it just matters how attractive I am on a scale of 1 to 10. She called Trumps many comments about women and their appearance too many to list and too crass to repeat but too important to ignore. I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan. Doug Elmets Doug Elmets, a Republican public affairs consultant from Sacramento, addressed Trump directly: I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan. Republican Doug Elmets speaks at the Democratic National Convention. More coverage at latimes.com/trailguide Star power was on display There has been a parade of Hollywood A-listers all week, including Meryl Streep, Elizabeth Banks and Sarah Silverman. That trend continued on Thursday, with speeches from Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Chloe Grace Moretz and performances by Katy Perry and Sheila E. Kareem Abdul-Jabar introduces himself as Michael Jordan at the DNC. Families of fallen police officers appeared on stage The DNC took heat from some Republicans, including Donald Trump, for focusing on the Black Lives Matter movement and not showing support for law enforcement. On Thursday, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez from Texas introduced the families of the five police officers who were shot there earlier this month. When my officers report for duty, they have no idea what might come up that day, said Valdez, who is also the first openly gay Latina Democrat to ever be named Dallas County sheriff. Violence is not the answer. We have to start listening to each other. The father of a Muslim war hero questioned Trumps constitutional knowledge Khizr Khans son was a Muslim Army officer killed while serving in Iraq. Khan, a Pakistani-born legal consultant in Virginia who immigrated to the U.S. from the United Arab Emirates, took the opportunity to blast Trump, asking whether the Republican candidate had ever visited Arlington National Cemetery. He questioned whether he had ever even read the Constitution and to make the point, he pulled a copy out of his pocket and offered to lend it to him. You have sacrificed nothing and no one, said Khan. Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son the best of America. If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Khizr Khan, the father of a soldier killed in Iraq, speaks at the Democratic National Convention. Now that theyve formally been nominated, the two presidential candidates will meet head-to-head for the debates. The first presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 26. jessica.roy@latimes.com @jessica_roy On Tuesday night, former President Bill Clinton spent more than 40 minutes, and covered four decades, attempting to humanize his wife, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. A day later, President Obama did it in three seconds, with a hug that will go down in history. Addressing the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Obama spoke at great length about Clintons admirable qualities, saying, among other things, that she was the most qualified presidential candidate ever. Advertisement But it was the after-hug that, well, clinched it. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) As the president basked in the highly emotional response from Democratic delegates to what may have been his last big speech to the nation, the candidate made a surprise appearance onstage. First pointing at each other in mutual admiration, the two stepped together. Clinton looked up into the presidents face at 6-feet-1, hes got at least six inches on her and smiled, saying a few words, no doubt of gratitude. More columns by Mary McNamara What you missed on the third day of the Democratic National Convention. More coverage at latimes.com/trailguide. See other Democratic roundups here and catch up on the Republian convention here. Then they each stepped into a long and full-torso embrace, after which Clinton briefly rested her head on Obamas chest. The crowd went wild, in the arena and online. Although undoubtedly staged to provide a front-page photo-op, The Hug quickly became a collegial version of Klimts The Kiss, except the complexity of the context and relationships involved made it a far riskier move. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) Warm hugs the charm of Frozens Olaf notwithstanding are notoriously tough to pull off on television. Too little physical contact for too short a time and the gesture looks awkward, a sign of emotional ambivalence or even sublimated loathing. Too tight or too long and onlookers tend to get uncomfortable and shout things like get a room. And while Obama is something of a hugger just ask Chris Christie! Hillary Clinton is not known for her public cuddliness. Indeed, the emotional distance of her public persona has long been at odds with the warm and generous woman described by those who know her well. It makes sense, of course; women in power have long had to fight any sign or symbol that might suggest weakness why do you think power suits and shoulder pads were invented? Never mind the personal peculiarities of Clinton; for the first woman with a real shot at the White House to nestle, even for a moment, on any mans chest, particularly the one who, just eight years ago, dismissed her in debate as being likeable enough, well, as social media reflected in its frenzied reaction, the moment spoke volumes. Reddit may have tried to wreck it with obligatory attempts at sexualization, but it was a lovely visual amid two weeks of scorched-earth anger, conflict and seemingly unbreachable division. Mere hours before, Donald Trump called on Russia to cyberattack the Democratic Party. Obviously the context was political. Obama was there to pass the baton, and he needs Clinton to win for personal and professional reasons. As the president made very clear, he believes that a Trump presidency would spell utter disaster for this country. It would most certainly be a stinging repudiation of his administration, and a real part of his legacy. Full convention coverage (Susan Walsh / Associated Press ) Clinton, too, knows the importance of visibly respecting, and courting, her predecessor; Al Gores decision to immediately and markedly distance himself from Bill Clinton most certainly contributed to Gores defeat. Obamas speech did exactly what it set out to do; with his signature oratorical skill, Obama anointed Clinton, condemned Trump and offered an optimistic view of the world to counter the Republicans. Like First Lady Michelle Obama, he was there to unite the Democrats, to offer respect to the still-grumbling Bernie Sanders supporters and ask the American people, in very direct language, to rally for Clinton the way they rallied for him. But The Hug, that was something else. A physical exclamation point to the conventions theme of unity, yes. But the embrace was so obviously an act of mutual admiration, fueled by encouragement on his part, gratitude on hers, that for just a few minutes, politics did not go on as usual. It paused and considered the complexities of professional friendship. And frankly, only Barack Obama could have pulled it off. If Bill Clinton was, famously, our first black president, Obama is, in many ways, our first female president. He is tall and physically graceful and has never been shy about using those attributes to full advantage; during early debates, he often leaned against stools or chairs where others sat, used his hands when speaking. Although he did appear this year to hike and eat bear-chewed salmon with Bear Grylls, hes never embraced the horse-riding, brush-clearing, deer-hunting shorthand of other presidents. He has rarely been photographed holding a gun. Though many wished he would, Obama never lost his temper; though many wished he wouldnt, Obama almost always chose a path of cooperation and compromise. From the moment he took office, he spoke often and openly about his children, insisted on making it home for dinner, often putting them to bed. His relationship with his vice president is total unabashed BFF; hes not afraid to cry in public, or, for that matter, to sing. Fighting, consciously or not, against stereotype, Hillary Clinton may not be at ease with public displays of affection or emotion, but Obama certainly is. As the video that played before his speech made clear, he is possibly our most physical president, here reaching out to brush the cheek of a child, there letting a boy touch his hair. He hugs often and fully, but more than that, he is often seen in physical connection, leaning shoulder to shoulder with Joe Biden or automatically pulling people closer when he shakes their hand. So The Hug wasnt just about him passing the baton or her expressing gratitude. It was one president saying to a possible other: You got this, girl. mary.mcnamara@latimes.com Twitter: @marymacTV ALSO Full convention coverage Read the transcript Michelle Obamas stunning convention speech Bill Clintons poetic tribute to his wife In Trump family tradition, Ivanka uses spotlight to hawk her wares Donald Trump responded Thursday to scorching attacks by President Obama and others at the Democratic convention by saying they were not talking about the real world of Islamic terrorism, unchecked illegal immigration, rampant crime, a depleted military and U.S. jobs pouring into Mexico. Boy, am I getting hit, the Republican presidential nominee complained to supporters at a rally in Davenport, Iowa. Trump denied accusations that hed outlined a dark vision of America last week at the GOP convention in Cleveland, saying he had offered a very optimistic prescription for overcoming the nations troubles. Advertisement Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Sign up for the newsletter The normally unbridled New York businessman was relatively subdued at the first of two Iowa campaign stops. He said hed resisted the temptation to respond viciously to those attacking him at the Democratic gathering this week in Philadelphia. I was going to hit one guy in particular a very little guy, he said in an apparent reference to Michael R. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and political independent who branded Trump a con in a speech to Democratic delegates on Wednesday. I was going to hit this guy so hard, his head would spin. He wouldnt know what the hell happened. Trump said he was heeding an unnamed governors advice to stay focused on attacking Hillary Clinton. I was going to hit a number of those speakers so hard, their heads would spin, he said. Theyd never recover. Thats why I still dont have certain people endorsing me. They still havent recovered. Trumps restraint came a day after he sparked controversy by inviting Russian cyberhackers to unearth more than 30,000 deleted emails from when Clinton was secretary of State. Critics accused him of borderline treason for encouraging a foreign adversary to intrude illegally into a former Cabinet members email. Trump told Fox News on Thursday that his challenge to Russia was meant to be sarcastic. Undaunted by charges that he was too friendly toward President Vladimir Putin, Trump told the crowd in Davenport that the U.S. needed to improve relations with Russia. Wouldnt it be nice if we actually got along with Russia? he said. Trump bemoaned the U.S. fighting politically correct wars, but the only one he specified was the Iraq war. We shouldnt have been in Iraq in the first place, Trump said. I was totally against being in Iraq, right from the beginning. That statement is incorrect. In a radio interview on Sept. 11, 2002, six months before the war started, Howard Stern asked Trump whether he supported an invasion of Iraq. Yeah, I guess so, Trump answered. I wish the first time it was done correctly. Trump also told the crowd that the United States was one of the highest-taxed nation in the world. But the CIAs World Factbook ranks the United States 171st out of 219 countries in the percentage of gross domestic product spent on taxes. michael.finnegan@latimes.com Twitter: @finneganLAT ALSO Democrats celebrate their move left on minimum wage From the delegates: How would it be different with a woman in the White House? L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti introduces himself to nation at DNC: Im just your average Mexican American Jewish Italian A flutist, a conductor and an arts activist walk into a cafe ... This isnt the start of a joke. The three flutist Theresa Marino, local conductor Bill Nicholls and Laguna Beach Arts Commission member Carol Reynolds did gather at their favorite spot for a cup of coffee, friendship and a break from their career demands, but talk soon turned serious. One made a comment about forming a group that would entertain audiences while supporting music education in conjunction with other artistic organizations. Advertisement Eighteen years later, that group the Laguna Concert Band has done just that and then some. The volunteer nonprofit, which started with eight members, has grown to over 70 performers ranging from professional musicians and music instructors to ensemble players hailing from Laguna Beach and surrounding communities. Theyve played with celebrated guest artists Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats, Grammy Award-winning producer Peter Asher (of Peter and Gordon fame) and principal tubist Gene Pokorny. Theyve performed on local film soundtracks and recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. And they teach student musicians, whether through the bands summer school music program or at the Irvine Valley College Emeritus Institute, a collaboration coordinated by the bands associate conductor, Peter Fournier. If you want to play, we want to have you, said Craig Gordon, Laguna Concert Band president and executive director. Theres a place for everyone. The group members, led by music director Ed Peterson, range in age from 20 to 88 years. Within the main group are subsets, including two, full 18-piece swing bands, flute and woodwind ensembles, a brass quintet and a Dixieland band. Their next concert, at the Festival of Arts on Aug. 17, will showcase the groups 60-piece wind ensemble. The group performs more than 20 concerts a year, including at the Sawdust Festival and Art-A-Fair. But an important mission for the band is educational outreach. For the past two years, the Laguna Concert Band has been involved with the Laguna Beach Unified School District, presenting joint performances with Thurston Middle Schools band during the citys Holiday Hospitality Night and a concert with Laguna Beach High School instrumentalists at the Laguna Playhouse. Recently, the band joined music students from El Morro and Top of the World elementary schools for a performance of Star Wars and other music. Laguna Concert Band board member Jennifer Baker joined the group with her husband and daughter about five years ago. Baker works to connect the band to schools. Music is a great mind activity and especially wonderful for children to learn at a young age, because it gives them something to do and makes them smarter, Baker said. With grants and donations, the bands community efforts have grown over the years, attracting local talent and more opportunities for children to learn and practice an instrument. Supporting music education, fostering new talent and sharing it with the community will always be the mission of the band, Gordon and Baker said, because music has power to express the language of the mind and the heart. You pick up an instrument and it should be an ongoing learning process, Baker said. Music is for life. -- What: Laguna Concert Band Festival of Arts Concert When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17 Where: Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach Information: (800) 487-3378 or visit lagunaconcertband.com Anne Johnson has seen a lot in her 82 years, but what stands out is a day in October 1991 when she turned on the television to watch the U.S. Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, who was being accused of sexual harassment by law professor Anita Hill. The womens rights advocate considered it a modern-day witch trial, and it led her and other women in Laguna Beach to eventually reach out to Hill, who by then had taken a leave from her teaching post at the University of Oklahoma and moved to the seaside community to write. Hill was declining requests for interviews by news organizations, the Los Angeles Times wrote at the time. I dont have anything to talk about, she told the paper. Advertisement But apparently she did have something to talk about with Johnson and her group. Johnson shared the story July 22 with supporters who had gathered to honor the planning commissioner as the Womans Club of Laguna Beachs Woman of the Year. Friends and family offered a steady stream of good-natured jokes mingled with stories of dedication and selflessness. City dignitaries and past winners also testified to the contributions and character of Johnson, a former English teacher who has left an imprint on Laguna since arriving with husband Marv 28 years ago. Ive never seen anyone with more energy in my life, former Laguna Beach Mayor Elizabeth Pearson said, recalling a time when she thought she had broken her foot and Johnson drove her to the hospital. I consider her one of my best friends. Get her on painkillers, Pearson said, recounting Johnsons words while at the hospital, which elicited laughs from the crowd gathered at the Womans Club on St. Anns Drive. If you ever get hurt and need to go to the hospital, go with her. Johnson is in her 16th year on the Planning Commission. She is the commissions representative on the citys senior housing task force, charged with keeping as many of Lagunas seniors in their homes as possible. Eight years ago, Johnson initiated the citys Open for Business workshops, designed to give entrepreneurs a forum to ask questions about operating in Laguna. Im overwhelmed, Johnson told the gathered crowd. Each one of you has a special place in my life. Johnson, who was raised in Newton, Mass., moved to Laguna from Clairmont in 1988 with her husband of 58 years. Johnson was teaching literature and composition at Citrus College in Glendora when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She thought [Laguna] would be the best place to live out what little time she had left, according to a pamphlet prepared for the ceremony. But then a surprising thing happened. Monthly checkups revealed the cancer going further and further into remission. Doctors attributed the remission to a good immune system, Johnson said in a follow-up interview. I thought, Well, if Im going to be around, I should get involved in the community. Johnson said. In addition to serving on city committees, Johnson joined organizations and causes. In 1995 she agreed to lead programming as vice president of the Womans Club, shifting emphasis from fashion shows to more intellectual offerings. Two months into her stint, the clubs president died and Johnson finished out that term and was eventually elected to two more terms. A pivotal moment for Johnson came that day in October 1991, she said in her speech, referring to the Thomas hearings. I saw a modern-day witch trial with one of my political heroes fall from grace, Johnson said, alluding to Vice President Joe Biden, who at the time was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which was presiding over the hearings. Biden was widely criticized by liberal legal advocates and womens groups as having mismanaged the allegations of sexual harassment made by Hill against Thomas, her former employer at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, at those hearings, The New York Times reported in 2008. I have a bad temper, though its getting better, Johnson said. That is as angry as I had been in my life. The televised hearings stirred memories of unfair treatment for Johnson, whose career included middle and high school English teaching jobs in Massachusetts. Dont you realize youre taking away a job that is intended for a man? Johnson recalled a male colleagues words. Moved by the proceedings in 1991, Johnson and other women wanted to hear Hills story. They learned that Hill was staying in a house in north Laguna, so Johnson dropped off an invitation, hoping for a response but not holding her breath. Weeks passed. Then Johnson received a call from Hill. Will there be any press? Johnson recalled Hills question. Johnson assured her the meeting would not be public and coffee would be involved. About eight women, including representatives from Laguna Greenbelt Inc., met Hill at a house on Wilson Street, Johnson said. Laguna Greenbelt is a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting wildlife habitat. The sunlight came in ... it was one of the best mornings, Johnson said. Johnson said she couldnt remember all the specifics of the conversation except that after about three-quarters of an hour, [Hill] crossed her hands and said, What are all you liberals doing in coastal Orange County? She was very polite, Johnson said. No matter which side of the political spectrum one falls, Johnson will listen, Mayor Pro Tem Toni Iseman said. I say what I believe, she says what she believes, we disagree, then talk about it, Iseman said, referring to frequent phone calls with Johnson. Iseman said Johnson is a ferocious friend who is loyal and dedicated. Johnson is also a loving grandmother and maintains her penchant for good writing, said granddaughter Jana Heyman, 26. Heyman, who graduated from Pitzer College in Claremont, said Johnson would drive to meet her to edit academic papers. Ive seen how to be a woman because of her, how to live with integrity, said Heyman, recently hired at Citrus College to teach English composition and literature. Shell always be my hero. A Santa Ana man was charged Monday with murder in the death of a 19-year-old man whose body was found last year at an Irvine construction site. Jacob Michael Margo, 21, was charged with one felony count of murder with a possible sentencing enhancement for personal discharge of a firearm causing death, according to the Orange County district attorneys office. It did not specify a degree of murder; that is typically determined later, the office said. Irvine police arrested Margo on Thursday on suspicion of murdering Octavio Jesus Alcala of Santa Ana. Margo was booked into Orange County Jail with bail set at $1 million, according to jail records. He is expected to be arraigned Monday afternoon at the Central Jail in Santa Ana. Detectives began investigating the homicide early June 5 after a group of workers arrived at the construction site near Wolf Trail and Orchard Hills and discovered a body later identified as Alcala. Police said they served multiple search warrants in an extensive investigation before arresting Margo, but officials declined to release more details because the investigation is continuing. Its unclear whether Margo and Alcala knew each other. In 2012, Margo pleaded guilty to felony possession of stolen property and was sentenced to three years probation and 270 days in jail, court records show. A larger version of a boutique hotel slated to replace the former Newport Beach City Hall at the entrance to the Balboa Peninsula cleared its last hurdle with the city this week but still needs California Coastal Commission approval. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow R.D. Olson Development to expand Lido House Hotels lobby, management office, spa and restaurant and retail area. The plan would increase the projects footprint by 4,745 square feet, to 103,470 square feet, at 3300 Newport Blvd. Im thrilled to let this project move forward, Mayor Diane Dixon said. R.D. Olson also received permission to enlarge two guestrooms on the second floor into suites and to decrease the size of the ballroom space by 925 square feet. During the projects final design phase, R.D. Olson determined that it needed additional floor space. Lido House Hotel, to be operated by Marriott, will be a four-diamond destination resort that complements the distinguished culture and environment of the city of Newport Beach, Tony Wrzosek, vice president of planning and development at R.D. Olson, said during a Planning Commission meeting in June. The proposed plan is primarily intended to create back-of-house areas that would support and complement this four-diamond experience. But the citys general plan, coastal land-use plan and zoning code documents that help guide development in Newport Beach limit the total floor area for the site to 98,725 square feet, which prompted the developer to return to the city to request an increase. The City Council and the Coastal Commission have approved plans for a four-story, 98,725-square-foot Lido House with 130 guestrooms, meeting and retail space, a spa, restaurants, a pool and recreation area and a rooftop bar. Ground was broken on the project last month. The revised plan would not change the number of guestrooms. The proposal is expected to go before the Coastal Commission by the end of the year. The process is not expected to delay the project, which is planned for completion by summer 2017. Room rates are expected to average $212 per night, according to R.D. Olson. Turkey has not compromised over its laws even after the July 15 coup attempt, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday, Anadolu reported. Speaking at a Martyrs' Memorial Day ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara to commemorate victims of the failed coup, Erdogan said: "Even during the coup attempt process, we have not made the slightest compromise with the law. Every step we have taken, every decision we have made, every implementation we have launched, it has been under the constitution [and the countrys] laws." He said the post-coup attempt measures being carried out in the country's institutions such as the parliament, National Security Council, council of ministers and others ministries were in line with the law. "If deficiencies [and] mistakes stemmed from this extraordinary period occur, then a legal path is available," Erdogan said. During his speech, the president also shared latest figures of the victims in the failed coup. On the night of July 15, a total of 237 people, including 170 civilians, 62 police officers and five soldiers were martyred. As of today, 2,191 people were injured. We have an obligation to establish justice. What does everybody say? Death penalty, death penalty, death penalty. However, this is a democratic, constitutional state governed by a parliamentary system, Erdogan said. The president said the ruling government needs to listen to peoples demand for the death penalty in the parliament. The parliament will discuss the issue and everybody has to abide by that last decision, he added. Erdogan also harshly criticized some countries which they did not offer any condolences over the failed coup and its many victims. Those countries that do not worry about Turkeys future are not our friends, he said. Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly coup attempt, which martyred more than 230 people and injured nearly 2,200 others, was organized by U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen's followers and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). Gulen is also accused of running a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state. Rebecca Roudman has a complicated relationship with the cello. Classically trained from childhood, she performs with two Bay Area symphonies. But all things being equal, shed rather just shred. Ive never been a huge fan of classical music, she says from Berlin, where her band, Dirty Cello, is on an eight-city tour of Europe. (They perform at Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena on Aug. 12). Polite applause is great, but in-your-face cheering is so much better. As Dirty Cellos vocalist and co-leader (along with her husband, guitarist Jason Eckl), Roudman, 38, gets to hear that sometimes-deafening applause. Onstage, she channels heroes Yo-Yo Ma and Jimi Hendrix, with a little Bonnie Raitt and Axl Rose tossed in for good measure. The group seamlessly careens from blues to bluegrass and rock in a way that really shouldnt make sense but somehow does. But the band and its high-wire genre-busting nearly didnt happen. Roudman had majored in music in college, but, at graduation, thought shed reached the end of the line. She was about to pull the trigger on a career as a math teacher but Eckl, then her boyfriend, intervened. He focused on the idea that there are few things cooler than making a living as a professional musician, she says. He talked about things that I couldnt really imagine at the time, like traveling the world with my cello. But years later, his predictions came true. Theyve even incorporated their travel and travails into the creative process. Dirty Cellos fourth album, Road Trip, was wholly inspired by some oddball journeys. Jason and I stayed at seven of the weirdest places to stay in California, from a yurt to a buffalo ranch, Roudman says. And at each new place we stayed, we recorded a song; from having mice run across our legs to inadvertently angering a mother water buffalo, our crazy trip produced some great stories and an album were really excited about. Roudmans musical odyssey began with her first cello lessons at age 6. But even as a beginner, she knew she didnt want to draw inside the lines. My mom showed me a newspaper article where I had my first quote. A local reporter asked me when I was 7 years old why I liked to play the cello. I told her that I liked to move my fingers along the strings and make weird noises. At first, the weird noises took a backseat to convention. By her early 20s, Roudman had earned spots in four major Bay Area symphonies. But I wanted more, she says. At a Bay Area event called Vallejos Got Talent, Roudman says, I thought it would fun to audition for that on a rock song. Starting with a Bach suite, she quickly segued into the Scorpions hesher anthem Rock You Like a Hurricane. The audience went wild, and it was such a great turning point for me. I wasnt sure if people would actually like rock cello it seemed like a weird thing to do. I ended up winning that night, receiving $50, and having people coming up to me asking to buy one of my CDs. I had never recorded a CD, and this was the only rock song I knew at that point. The seeds for Dirty Cello had been planted. Originally the band was a hobby with the stated goals of doing something fun, she says. In five years weve gone from that to around 100 shows per year and were on our fifth international tour. Like the improv jazz and rock of decades past, Dirty Cello like to walk a tightrope when theyre onstage, Roudman explains. We start with the roots of all the American forms of music, a bunch of blues, a sparkle of bluegrass, the improvisation of jazz, and some good old 60s and 70s rock. As each show progresses, we see what the audience likes, often changing our sets on the fly. Its pretty clear Roudman will try anything once. She even found herself on Americas Got Talent a few seasons back. But her cello-shredding didnt appeal to the judges. The magic of editing made the experience look worse than it actually was, she remembers. Howie Mandel asked me before I even began playing something along the lines of, You cant really make a living playing cello can you? When I responded, Of course you can with a smile,that seemed to anger him and the judges. But, looks like I was right after all. -- What: Dirty Cello Where: Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 Lake Ave., Altadena When: Friday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m. Cost: $20 More info: (626) 798-6236, www.coffeegallery.com -- ERIK HIMMELSBACH-WEINSTEIN is a contributor to Marquee. No ones calling it a major retrospective, but the Luckman Gallery at Cal State Los Angeles is hosting the largest show by artist Walter Askin that has been seen locally in a very long time. Known primarily for his prints, Askin is also showing about 50 sculptures, paintings large and small, and translucent light boxes. The dry humor that runs through Askins output surfaces in conversation: My shows have been very efficacious in curing halitosis and dandruff, he offers, stifling a laugh. Askin, a Pasadena native, is somewhat coy about the scope of the show. It covers a period of time, he says from his home, but its not new work. To add to the mystery, guests to the Luckman will notice that there are no dates given to any of the work. Basically what I want is for people to look at the work, he says. Catalogs of retrospectives are usually a collection of essays by art history scholars. Askin himself wrote the accompanying catalog, Mainstreaming the Muse, and considers it part of the show: Its how I channel and develop ideas. The 86-year-old Askin praises the public school art education he received in Pasadena as quite fine. There were always materials available but they always let you alone. In his last years of high school, he saw a group of returning GIs get into art teaching. They were looking for an income, he states, and went after commercial art. That contrasted with an older, more traditional group of artists. We young sprouts were thrown into the middle. Because of the challenge of values, we had to define ourselves. He studied at UC Berkeley from 1949 to 1954 and describes it as a castle of abstract expressionism just what I wanted. He loved the process: I loved the fact that you didnt start with an image or predetermined idea, that you found the idea in the act of creating the work. Berkeley opened up a lot of things for me. I had my first one-man show there. Though he worked in abstraction, Askins work never precluded imagery. You could still find traces of subject matter, he points out. Ive never been interested in denying myself the ability to do that. His picture planes are populated with assortments of odd characters, and if we look hard enough, we realize weve usually seen them somewhere before. Dont look for crazy angles or chaotic compositions; Askins work often uses a theatrical format. Things can happen on a stage, he says. When I looked at the work of Titan, Tintoretto and Giotto they all presented scenes as though they were on a stage. A sense of pageantry and procession is also present. Well, Askin coyly notes, my studio is two blocks away from where every January 1st they do a lot of marching and floats down Colorado Boulevard. His influence on later artists continues to be felt. When asked to identify his most important teachers on Cal State L.A., muralist Kent Twitchell cites Askin: Walter had magic in being able to bring out the best in his students and he didnt even have to try. He came up with assignments that made students reach for new things. They were equal parts form and content. Askin transferred his imagery to light boxes, a few of which are in the show. I got tired of things resurfacing in the same way, he points out, so I used them on polyvinyl decals that went onto tinted Plexiglas. Asked about methodology and consistent themes, Askin says he only has one rule: Follow your weirds. Most of my work is about joy and delight. I dont deal with direct reality. What: Walter Askin: Mainstreaming the Muse Where: Luckman Gallery, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State L.A., 5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles. When: Through Oct. 24. Open Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. More info: (323) 343-6604, luckmanarts.org -- KIRK SILSBEE writes about jazz and culture for Marquee. _______________ FOR THE RECORD Oct. 13, 2015, 11:58 a.m.: An earlier version of this story misstated the gallerys hours of operation. _______________ A 45-year-old La Crescenta woman this week admitted to embezzling roughly $2 million while working as a payroll supervisor for two family-owned companies, using the scheme to bankroll vacations overseas and cosmetic surgery, federal court records show. For almost a decade, Claudia Calderon used names of former or fake employees to collect made-up reimbursements and wages from Onyx Inc., an earring and ear-piercing equipment manufacturer, and Quadrtech, Inc., a company that packages the earrings and equipment, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Calderon this week agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud. She worked for both companies, which are owned by the same family, for 15 years, starting in 2000. According to court records, Calderon would often pour into her own account more than $18,000 sometimes up to $28,000 a month via direct deposit, using names of up to four fake employees. With the embezzled money, she paid for trips to Europe and Hawaii, Caribbean cruises, cosmetic and dental surgery as well as furnishings for a second home in Florida, officials said. Calderons violation of her employers trust cost the companies millions, money that should have gone to the companies and their employees, U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said in a statement. Calderon, who faces up to 20 years in federal prison, is due in court next month. Charles B. Pironi, an Italian immigrant trained as a pharmacist, arrived in Los Angeles in 1880 and set up shop. He did so well that, 10 years later, he joined fellow Italian immigrants in the winemaking business. He began by purchasing an abandoned building that was once a tourist hotel on San Fernando Road, just south of the confluence of Verdugo Creek and the Los Angeles River or as we know it today the site of a huge orange and white building on San Fernando between Milford and Doran streets. MORE: Read more of Katherines columns>> The hotel that Pironi purchased was built after railroad rate wars created the 1886-88 land boom. However, it wasnt built in time to take advantage of the boom and went bankrupt, according to Stuart Byles, of Stone Barn Vineyard Conservancy, a support group for the 700-plus acre Le Mesnager property in Dunsmore Canyon. The property, acquired by the city of Glendale in 1988 and now known as Deukmejian Wilderness Park, has 71 grapevines that were planted in 2004. They are maintained by the conservancy, a part of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley. Byles, who researched local newspaper archives to find fascinating aspects of the history of Pironis winery, wrote about the winemaker for the conservancys membership and recently shared his information with me via email. After Pironi purchased the property, he and his wife a granddaughter of Spanish ranchero Jose Sepulveda and three children, made the place their home and he set out to create the West Glendale Winery. Pironis new property was in the midst of an Italian area of wineries and vineyards, including the long-established Pelanconi vineyard across Verdugo Creek. Pironi had another neighbor, Segundo Guasti, who went on to found a vineyard and winery in the Cucamonga Valley. That 5,000-contiguous-acre vineyard was the largest in the world in 1900, according to Byles research. His wine business developed so quickly that Pironi was soon hard-pressed to keep up with orders from all over the country. He began buying grapes from surrounding vineyards and even purchased Zinfandel grapes grown on the far-off Santa Cruz Island by a French immigrant winemaker. Although Pironis winery was one of the least known in the area, it was for a time a very large operation. The Los Angeles Herald, on Sept. 3, 1903, trumpeted that the large vintage expected that year showed his production was exceeded only by Guastis Cucamonga winery and by two in east Pasadena. In September 1901, the 60-year-old Pironi was approaching his office in the Baker Block building in Los Angeles. Bystanders suddenly saw him clap his hands to his head, cry out, and tumble head first out of his buggy. An ambulance took him to the hospital, where he died 30 minutes later. His winery was bought by H.S. Baer, who continued the booming wine trade started by Pironi. He changed the name to the Los Angeles Wine Co. around 1905. It is not known when the winery finally closed its doors, but Byles speculated that more than likely Prohibition put an end to the operation in 1920. The building went into other uses and was torn down in 1971. He added, however, the memory of the winemaking history of this place lives on in the citys official name for the area: the Vineyard neighborhood. -- Readers Write: A sharp-eyed reader, Donna McDonald, emailed regarding the photo caption used with the Great White Hut story on Feb. 25. The caption said the view was looking north on Brand, but as she pointed out, the photo was taken on Orange. Unfortunately, it was an editing error in the print edition. The street is properly identified in the online version. McDonald added that she recognized the Sears parking structure built in 55 or 56 when I was working part time there. Part of Sears Auto Center sign is behind a palm tree on the left. Brand Boulevard is to the right in the photo. Always look forward to your column. And, since she grew up in downtown Glendale, she also remembered the tent lady. -- Kathy Yuki emailed: Like many others, I remember the tent lady, and as a child in the late 40s and early 50s, was intrigued every time we passed her home on Canada Boulevard. She recalled another area character, a tiny, wizened man who apparently lived and worked on a chicken ranch where La Crescenta Nursery is now. He could be seen regularly walking on La Crescenta Avenue near the nursery, pulling a wagon. Old-timers may also remember the auto-wrecking yard that used to occupy the land near the wash east of La Crescenta Ave., where the housing development at Urquidez Avenue is now. So much has changed over the decades, its fun to recall long-demolished buildings and forgotten history. -- KATHERINE YAMADA can be reached at katherineyamada@gmail.com. or by mail at Verdugo Views, c/o Glendale News-Press, 202 W. First St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please include your name, address and phone number. Heres a great round-trip fare for off-season travel to Londons Heathrow from LAX on Air New Zealand: $782, including all taxes and fees. Heres the catch: You must buy this ticket by Friday, Aug. 5. Other rules: It is subject to availability and for departure between Nov. 1 and Dec. 13 or between Dec. 24 and March 31. You must stay at least a Sunday night but you may not stay more than 350 days. Advertisement Info: Air New Zealand, (800) 262-1234, www.airnewzealand.com Source: Airfarewatchdog.com ALSO Century Boulevard pothole fixes and repaving could thwart your next trip to LAX, starting now Weekend Escape: San Diegos Liberty Station entices with cultural attractions and food Is Meow Wolf an art complex? Maybe, but its mor elike an immersive Twilight Zone in Santa Fe Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is unique within the national park system for throwing a spotlight on an atrocity that took place on American soil a day of ethnic cleansing in contemporary parlance and a visit raises questions about the value of such remembrance and commemoration. One year after the massacre, three federal commissions condemned Col. John Chivingtons soldiers for their wanton attack on Indians who were suing for peace. The survivors were promised reparations, the payoffs never made, and in the decades that followed, the facts softened. Chivington was denounced, but the massacre became a battle. The soldiers were dismissed as either drunks or members of a ragtag militia, neither of which is true. Advertisement READ: Confronting our history and unspeakable acts at the site of the Sand Creek massacre A glimpse of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site near Eads, Colo. If history, as it is said, is written by the victors, the victors wanted the events of Nov. 29, 1864, to be framed as inevitable in the course of Western expansion, an outlier in the argument for American exceptionalism. But the descendants those who trace their genealogy to the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes who camped at Sand Creek in November 1864 tell a different story. At first fearful of speaking the truth, so deep was the betrayal of that day, they found a public voice nearly five generations later. They lobbied Congress, whose members authorized the National Park Service in 1998 to identify the location and the extent of the massacre area. As part of the work, the agency interviewed more than 30 descendants. Alexa Roberts, an anthropologist with the park service at the time, recorded their stories. Im sure that if my generation were taught more about what actually happened, taught more about their history, I think it would help. Marie Sanchez If the victors considered the massacre a distant and anomalous event, the descendants saw history as present and near, still defining their lives today. They connected the losses of that ruthless attack with the social problems tribes face today. Im sure that if my generation were taught more about what actually happened, taught more about their history, I think it would help, Marie Sanchez of the Northern Cheyenne told Roberts, who is now superintendent at Sand Creek. I know it wont alleviate alcoholism and drug abuse and crimes of passion or suicides, but it would help our children understand what happened to us as a people. Time has done little to ease the pain, which is one reason the park service for 17 years has helped the tribes organize an annual spiritual healing run at the end of November that starts at the site and ends in Denver. The tribes continue to make pilgrimages to Sand Creek, which some consider their 9/11. The Cheyenne even have a phrase that is hauntingly familiar: Komaahe tsesaaeva hosenehesootsehane, so it wont happen again. A few dozen yards from the bluff overlooking the location of the massacre, a rail fence forms four corners of the internment site, the final resting ground for the robes, headdresses, moccasins and scalps taken from the corpses. The National Park Service hopes that many items, thought to be in private or public collections, will be returned to Sand Creek. On June 2, 2008, the first burial took place here. Since then, there have been eight others. thomas.curwen@latimes.com ALSO Confronting our history and unspeakable acts at the site of the Sand Creek massacre Memorials to a tragic past: National Park Service sites that consider the dark side of our history Sand Creek is the story of individuals, soldiers, warriors, victims, heroes and criminals At the Tangshan Earthquake Museum, a replica of what is believed to be the worlds first seismoscope stands in stark contrast to haunting images of rubble. The barrel-shaped contraption, nearly 2,000 years old, has a built-in pendulum connected to levers intended to cause a bronze ball to spring toward the direction of a quake. However, thats not the only exhibit here that warns visitors of the earth-shaking forces that, 40 years ago this week, flattened this once-booming industrial town 110 miles east of Beijing. The 7.5-magnitude Tangshan earthquake remains the worlds third deadliest, with a death toll exceeding 240,000. An ancient seismoscope at the Tangshan Earthquake Museum in Tangshan, China (Violet Law / Los Angeles TImes ) Advertisement Toward the end of the exhibition is a panel of pictures showing farm animals and panda bears acting strangely, all aimed at educating the public about how to foretell earthquakes. Since the mid-1970s, Chinese scientists have trained in the West in the latest seismic technology. But one aspect of seismology with Chinese characteristics has endured: the quest to predict quakes even as seismologists in the rest of the world have deemed it impossible to do with any measure of accuracy. This was a quest born of a Mao-era ethos and Cold War politics. China spans two major earthquake zones, along the Pacific Rim in the northeast and in the southwest hugging the Himalayas. Since ancient times, earthquakes and other natural disasters often were read as omens of impending dynastic upheavals. There was also fear that any quake in the seismically active region around the capital would tempt invasion. So after a series of quakes in 1966, then-premier Zhou Enlai issued a rallying cry that mankind could conquer nature, and mobilized the masses to detect signs that the Chinese believed could indicate seismic activities. Under the banner of national defense, geologists sifted through a rich body of historical records few other countries have, while farmers observed well-water levels and abnormal animal behaviors from the field. Even middle-schoolers were called upon to supplement monitoring stations with homemade instruments. At the time, China was too poor to develop more advanced technology. In 1975, Chinas war on earthquakes scored a victory when a 7.3 temblor in Haicheng in the northeast was reportedly detected thanks to foreshocks just hours before it struck. This successful prediction and evacuation was the worlds first for a major quake. It caused an international sensation that prompted a delegation of American seismologists to visit China nine months later. The Chinese felt that they were on the right track, said Fa-ti Fan, a historian at the State University of New York at Binghamton. In hindsight, there was a bit of wishful thinking they believed prediction was something they could eventually achieve. Only 15 months later and 250 miles to the south, the Tangshan quake struck. Even so, the Chinese faith in prediction lingers, from the leadership down to the masses. In the past few decades our country boasts 30 examples of successfully predicting quakes in short to near terms, said Pan Huaiwen, the chief of Chinas Earthquake Networks Center, in May. So long as we keep practicing, well have a shot at succeeding. We still lead the world in this area. But some seismologists, especially those who have studied what made the Haicheng prediction possible, argue the focus on prediction can be hazardous. The promotion of prediction success stories led to a false sense of security, said Chen Qifu and Kelin Wang in an analysis of the 2008 Wenchuan quake, Chinas last big one, published in 2010 in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. As a high school boy in Beijing, Wang felt the Tangshan tremors. And he once had harbored hopes that predictions may help mitigate earthquakes until he completed his study on Haicheng. NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> In reality, prediction isnt that simple. In the scientific community, the seismologists have recognized the problems, said Wang, now senior research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada, in a phone interview from British Columbia. The problem with promoting predictions is that people are not thinking the right thing. Rather, Wang said its far more important to build to code and install warning systems that alert people as soon as a quake begins. So he felt encouraged by efforts he saw underway in Wenchuan to build to withstand 8-magnitude quakes. In the Beijing region, however, the quake warning system was put in place only last year, and the national building code is to be promulgated by 2020. For now, it seems only Tangshan, whose name invokes the Big One, is better prepared for the next big one. The green signs featuring a running figure for emergency shelters are widely posted in the rebuilt city, which the museum calls a phoenix rising from the ashes. Law is a special correspondent. ALSO Citizen science takes on Japans nuclear establishment Tiger mauls grandmother to death at Beijing safari park In China, a disappearance, a fatal crash and a man who came back from the dead Nobody doubted the dead mans identity. He had been disfigured in the crash, but the white hair, the short stature it all pointed to Ma Jixiang, who had gone missing in 2009. Still, officials required a DNA test, and its results quelled any doubts. His brother wept at the news. He had the body cremated and built a lavish tomb in the mountains. He put the tragedy behind him. No more waiting anxiously, no more haunting dreams. Advertisement And then, late last year, Ma Jixiang came home. Now 58, he is still unable or unwilling to account for his six-year absence, but his family believes he was kidnapped by human traffickers, sold to an illegal brick factory and released when he was too old and frail to work. And although his story still contains unanswered questions who actually died in that collision? the astonishing mix-up shines a light on the invisibility of Chinas mentally disabled and the reality that despite being ruled by one of the worlds most control-obsessed governments, citizens regularly manage to slip through the cracks. A walk, then no trace The Ma brothers, Jixiang and Jianjun, had lived separately in Xinlong village, a remote sprawl of rice paddies and tile farmhouses in the mountainous, southeastern province of Hunan. In summertime, the heat was crushing, and insects buzzed in the trees. Jixiang had no friends. A mental disability, never diagnosed or treated, made him erratic. Before he vanished, he spent his days wandering the villages paths, shouting nonsense at other villagers. But Jixiang wasnt always disabled, said Chen Xiaofen, his 70-year-old sister-in-law, as she sat in her spartan home in Xinlong village beneath a poster of Mao Tse-tung. As a young man, he was extraordinarily diligent, she said. He often woke at sunrise to plant rice and never complained about the villages many hardships the backbreaking labor, the occasional shortages of food. According to Chen, he began showing signs of mental illness in the spring of 1982, after failing repeatedly to find a wife. He would go on blind dates, set up by village matchmakers, but the womens families would refuse him. He was too short, his family too poor. The rejections made him taciturn and withdrawn, and gradually, he vanished into himself. He began yelling at other villagers in long, incoherent tirades. He stopped working and began wandering the village for hours at a stretch. Most heartbreaking to Chen, he ignored her dinner invitations, preferring to cook and eat alone. He stopped calling her sister. As the decades passed, Jianjun and Chen had two sons, both of whom found work in Jinan, the capital of eastern Chinas Shandong province, a long train ride to the east. Jixiang, who was unmarried, had no children; he remained in the village. In late 2009, he went for a walk and didnt come home. Jianjun went looking for him, but discovered no leads. The following day, he went to the police. The police never showed any willingness to find him, Chen said. Desperate, Jianjun and Chen posted missing-person fliers around the area, but nobody came forward. Jixiang began appearing in Chens dreams. In one, he suddenly came home carrying bundles of firewood. I also dreamed that he was taking a bus to go away, she said. My husband called for him to come back. But he never looked back. He just got on the bus and left. Then in February 2012, the village mayor called. There had been a car crash late at night on a windy provincial highway in a nearby city, Hengyang, according to a police report obtained by the news website NetEase. Authorities said a man from Xiangtan named Yang Zhiguang was responsible. He drove a minibus. No other details have been made public. Chen and Jianjun were in Jinan visiting their children, so they sent Jianjuns older brother and a neighbor to identify the body. The subsequent DNA test was performed by a lab in Hunan province. It found striking similarities between the DNA of the dead man and Jianjun, and concluded that it could not exclude the possibility that they were brothers. Upon hearing the news, Jianjun broke into tears, Chen said. She had never seen him cry. He hired a local artisan to build a lavish concrete tomb in the mountains, with thick concrete monoliths and high golden eaves. He had the body cremated and buried the ashes within the tomb. His sadness slowly faded into relief. Then, late last year, the Hengyang County Rescue Station, a temporary shelter for the countys lost and homeless, gained custody of another man who fit Jixiangs description. He had white hair and was short. He could recall little about his past, but he knew he came from Xinlong village. Two days later, Chen walked outside her home and found a car idling on the patio. Out stepped the Xinlong village party secretary and Jixiang. He had acquired a terrible limp perhaps hed been beaten, she thought but it was clearly her brother-in-law. Its not possible, she thought. She felt like he had come back from the dead. Jixiang looked at her. Sister, he said. Kidnapping suspected Chen and Jianjun believe that Jixiang must have been kidnapped. His sudden disappearance, his long absence and his injury comported with news reports theyd seen about illegal brick factories secretive institutions that prey on the mentally disabled. The cases are extremely common, said the director of a Beijing-based disability rights advocacy group, who requested anonymity as his organization has been under intense government pressure amid a crackdown on civil society groups. Ma Jixiang stands outside his room at the Baishi Town Central Elderly Home in Hunan province, China. (Jonathan Kaiman / Los Angeles Times) Human traffickers often target mentally disabled people in China, he said, especially in the countryside. Theyre easy prey, he said. They can do heavy but simple work as well as anyone, and yet theyre lacking in capabilities to rebel, and to escape. These cases are only the tip of the iceberg, he added. Because in the end, theres no well-established support system [in China] for mentally disabled people. Thats the real issue because a lot of the disabled people, theyre physically capable of doing work, and they have the willingness to work. Yet theres no way to match them with proper jobs. The lab that conducted the DNA test and the Hengyang police declined interview requests. Wang Chunguang, director of the Hengyang County Rescue Station, confirmed that the organization rescued Jixiang and processed his case according to the law, but said that it would be inconvenient to provide further details. While Chen still lives in Xinlong village, Jianjun now resides in Jinan with his children, a practice that is common in China. He could not be reached for comment about his brother. Jixiang now lives in the Baishi Town Central Elderly Home, a low-lying white building surrounding a grassy courtyard a few miles from Xinlong village. He has a small room, furnished with only a bed, a dresser and a television. On a scorching day in late June, he offered cigarettes to two guests, nodding his head politely in greeting. Yet he was unable to respond to questions; he glanced around the room uncomfortably and spoke in short, indecipherable bursts. Aside from having lunch and sleeping, he just wanders around, said Ma Guangquan, the homes director. He said that Jixiang generally keeps to himself and that his leg has healed over time. He added that the government provides $50 monthly subsidies to keep residents fed and sheltered. They spend their days eating, watching television and playing cards. Their lives are calm and simple. The government takes good care of these people, he said. jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com Yingzhi Yang in The Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report. ALSO Transcript: Clintons Democratic National Convention speech, annotated Reporter who added some swagger to the D.B. Cooper legacy comes clean Bill OReilly courts controversy with comments on slavery; Hollywood hits back Turkeys military formally ousted a large part of its general officer corps Friday for alleged participation in the failed July 15 military coup, and a public clash broke out between the Turkish leadership and senior U.S. security aides who appeared sorry to see the cashiered officers go. Turkish defense minister Fikri Isik said more than half the 358 top officers had supported the coup attempt as well as 1,676 rank and file soldiers and 1,214 military students. Of the senior officers, 149 generals and admirals were dismissed effective Friday. Meanwhile, some of the dozens of detained journalists appeared in court, suspected of ties to the coup. Advertisement Top Turkish civilian and military officials agreed late Thursday that chief of staff Hulusi Akar and the commanders of the land, air and naval forces, all of whom remained loyal to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will retain their posts, as will the commander of the army division who made it possible for Erdgoan to return to Istanbul. But the housecleaning was widespread below that. The mass firings apparently didnt sit well with senior U.S. military officials, who spoke in surprisingly positive terms about the ousted officers. U.S. Gen. Joseph Votel said the purge of the Turkish military is something to be very, very concerned about. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images ) The purge of the Turkish military ranks is something to be very, very concerned about, said Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, which overseas military operations in the Middle East. We have certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular, Votel told the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday. I am concerned that it will impact the level of cooperation and collaboration that we have with Turkey, which has been excellent, frankly. Echoing him was James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, who said the purge had affected all areas of the national security apparatus in Turkey. Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested. There is no question that this is going to set back and make more difficult the U.S.s Middle East strategy. But seen from the Turkish perspective, the stress on excellent relations with the accused officers suggested that official Washington didnt take the coup seriously and was even sorry to see fired officers go. Instead of thanking this government for thwarting the coup attempt and for [maintaining] democracy, you are standing by the putschists, Erdogan told reporters Friday. Who are you? You have got to know your place. Erdogan also criticized the U.S. for not handing over Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric and former political ally living in U.S. self-exile, whom Erdogan claims is responsible for the coup attempt. He stopped just short of accusing the U.S. of supporting the coup. The putschist is already in your country, you are looking after him, he said of Gulen. You can never deceive my people. My people know who is involved in this plot, and who is the mastermind. With such statement you are just revealing yourself, he said. Clapper had already upset Erdogan after asserting last week, in response to a columnists question, that Erdogans allegations against Gulen didnt pass the smell test of credibility. He said Secretary of State John F. Kerry was right on the ball in asking Turkey to provide evidence to support the request for extradition. We havent seen it yet, he said. The growing differences over Gulen indicated a rocky road ahead in relations between the two NATO allies, and the latest remarks by U.S. security officials seemed likely to add to the estrangement. Published opinion polls here indicate overwhelming public support for the governments contention that Gulen sympathizers staged the coup attempt, and even the main opposition parties in the parliament have demanded that the U.S. extradite Gulen from his home in Pennsylvanias Poconos mountains. The Turkish government is using language that suggests no compromise. We will absolutely bring back the head of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, the one responsible for the coup, who is now in the U.S., Prime Minster Binali Yildirim said Friday. We will bring him back to Turkey. Gulen has claimed that Erdogan himself staged the coup to tighten his increasingly autocratic control. The government has done its part to stoke patriotic fervor, promising pensions and salaries to the families of the 237 people who died in the coup attempt and decorations to members of the public who took to the streets to oppose the coup. On Friday, Yildirim announced the Akinci military base in Ankara, where military chief of staff Akar and the air, navy and land commanders were taken in handcuffs the night of the coup, will be closed and transformed into a place to commemorate our martyrs. Also to be closed are the barracks in Ankara and Istanbul from which coup plotters launched helicopters and tanks. But outside Turkey, Erdogans actions are being watched with skepticism and concern by government and human rights monitors shocked by the scale of the mass firings and detentions. Nearly 60,000 people have been suspended from their jobs on suspicion of being supporters of Gulens moderate Islamist Hizmet movement, judges and prosecutors have been thrown in jail, university rectors and deans ousted wholesale, and more than 1,000 schools and other institutions affiliated with Gulen closed. Under a week-old state of emergency, the government published a decree shutting down 131 media institutions, including 18 television channels, three news agencies, 23 radio stations, 45 newspapers and 15 magazines. A government official said the media, which included Zaman, once Turkeys biggest daily newspaper, were closed because they have financial ties to Gulen. Similarly, he said 42 journalists ordered detained on July 25 and another 47 ordered detained Wednesday are being questioned for their links to the movement. The prosecutors arent interested in what individual columnists wrote or said, said the official, who could not be identified by government protocol. At this point the reasoning is that prominent employees of Zaman are likely to have intimate knowledge of the Gulen network and as such could benefit the investigation. Meanwhile, the purge continued on Friday as officials confirmed that that nearly 50,000 people, nearly all state officials, have had their official passports suspended. And Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has announced that as many as 300 diplomats including two ambassadors, are likely to be fired from the Foreign Ministry for alleged links with Gulen. Gutman is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Brian Bennett in Washington and special correspondent Duygu Guvenc in Ankara contributed to this report. Turkish lawmakers approve state of emergency, giving President Erdogan more power after attempted coup U.S. officials assure Turkey of Americas support for democratically elected governments Powerful Syrian opposition group splits with Al Qaeda but not with its philosophy This Samsung Gear S3 wearable is expected to have a better design and features compared to its predecessors. (Photo : Facebook/PhoneArena) Samsung Gear S3 wearable device will be released on September 1 at the IFA 2016 technology tradeshow event in Berlin and will feature an improvised design, operating system, and built-in GPS. Gear S3 will come in a very stylish design with nice enhanced specifications, leading to be the most updated premium smartwatch from South Korean mobile company Samsung. It will be made available with a metallic chassis in the form of a wristband. It will support a built-in GPS for additional tracking capabilities to make it more efficient and extend further the traditional tracking features. It will feature in a variety of unlocked models such as the SM-R760, SM-R765, and SM-R770. It will also feature two carrier versions, namely, the SM-R765V and SM-R765S. Advertisement According to Digital Trends, Gear S3 has been code named as Solaris, which is translated as sun in Spanish. This codename indicates that the wearable device will have the sort of circular display and rotating bezel same as its predecessor. Gear S3 is assumed to be powered by the company's own Tizen operating system, which will offer better battery efficiency than most of the Android wearable nowadays. The operating system is also expected to improve the performance of the smartwatch, as The Verge reported. The sensational Gear S3 will feature with the Samsung Pay payment platform and will ship with an updated user interface. Furthermore, it will have an overhauled interface that is related to 36 mm Rolex Datejust 2. Meanwhile, the display of the device has not been confirmed yet whether it will come with the similar display from its predecessor. Alongside Gear S3, Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 will also be launched on the said event. It will have the 4:3 aspect ratio and a 4K display resolution which is a slightly improved from the previous predecessors of 2048 x 1536 pixels. It is powered by a Snapdragon 652 chipset that clocked at a speed of 1.8 GHz. It will run on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system and is expected to get an update on the Android 7.0 Nougat later on. It will come in two color variants, namely, white and black. Here is the latest video of the upcoming Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch that will be released on IFA 2016 event in Berlin. An organization representing the mayors of Mexico is calling on the government to take action after two of its own were gunned down in brazen shootings not far from one another. Ambrosio Soto Duarte and Domingo Lopez Gonzalez were both recently shot to death in bloody episodes that remain a mystery. According to the National Association of Mayors, over the last decade at least 40 local mayors have now been killed. Violence Tied to Drug Trade The onslaught of violence can be traced to the government's crackdown on cartels, resulting in a rising level of violence across the entire region. The mayor of the small town of Pungarabato, Soto Duarte was gunned down as he traveled with his security detail. Reports are two pickups stopped his vehicle and gunmen opened fire. In the last tweet he posted, Soto Duarte talked of being threatened by members of organized crime and pleaded with authorities for assistance. "They killed my cousin," he wrote. "I am being threatened. Now it is time to act, Mr. President. Tierra Caliente needs you." The town of San Juan Chamula where Lopez Gonzalez was mayor has a long history of high tensions between the government and some of its poorest people. Several media outlets have reported the mayor was walking with some of those very residents when he was gunned down in broad daylight near the town's main square. Four Others Injured Four others were also killed in the deadly rampage, including the city's vice mayor, and another 12 were wounded. The state attorney general's office is now investigating. "Violence will never be the way to resolve differences," said Chiapas Gov. Manuel Velasco. "The call is always to favor dialogue and understanding." Members of the mayor's Democratic Revolution Party said Lopez Gonzalez had recently taken "special protection measures," after security patrols had abandoned the area. Hillary Clinton still holds a comfortable lead over Donald Trump in the all-important electoral vote tally. According to a recent Benchmark Politics poll, the former first lady and New York senator still conquers Trump 308 electoral votes to 230, giving her more than enough to surpass the 270 needed to officially emerge as Barack Obama's successor. Swing States A great measure of Clinton's lead derives from her leads in such critical states as Florida, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Virginia, where recently named running-mate Tim Kaine hails from. With the Republican National Convention in the books and the Democratic gathering now in its final hours, a slew of recent general election polls have pegged the race all over the map. Recent surveys range from Clinton holding a five-point advantage to now trailing Trump by as much as three points. In addition, a recent Nate Silver polls-plus poll reveals Clinton still holds a 60 percent chance of besting Trump in November, while a The Upshot survey puts her odds at an even better 69 percent. The Benchmark Politics poll also shows Clinton winning in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and California. Trump, meanwhile, holds leads in Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas and Georgia. States Still in Play Meanwhile, a Freedom Lighthouse electoral vote poll puts Clinton up 227 to 180 with 121 votes still up for grabs. In that poll, Clinton leads in Wisconsin, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Maryland, Michigan and Illinois, while Trump leads in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri and South Carolina. Florida, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania are all considered tossups. Clinton Takes Center Stage Clinton is slated to make her own case on Thursday night, when she takes the stage to highlight her platform and policies on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Hours earlier, President Obama performed those honors for his former secretary of state, saluting her as the far superior candidate. "There has never been a man or a woman - not me, not Bill (Clinton), nobody - more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America," he said. Ducati's sales in China rose by 92.7 percent. (Photo : Getty Images) Ducati Motor Holding SpA announced a big boost in motorbikes this year, and customers are unfazed with the government ban in majority of cities. Sales nearly doubled in the first half of the year. The high-end motorbike manufacturer said that more Chinese realize that owning a Ducati is an expression of personality and lifestyle. Advertisement Marco Eli, head of Ducati China, said, "More and more Chinese are starting to understand that motorcycles are not only for commuting but can also give themselves character." The number of units sold was not disclosed, but the manufacturer announced that sales went up by 92.7 percent. In 2015, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali announced that the manufacturer sold 54,800 units. That was the first time in the company's history. The best-selling units then were the Scrambler, the Multistrada 1200, the Monster 821, the 1299 and 899 Panigale, and the Diave. Sales in China and in Asia account for a large chunk of Ducati's sales. In the coming years, China is predicted to overtake Japan, the biggest market to date. China is the second highest buyer of high-end bikes. Asia comprised 13 percent of total global sales. Ducati plans to bring in more products this year and is predicted to boost sales even more. According to Eli, their products will cater to their target market of "confident men aged 32 to 40, who enjoy a quality life." The cost of getting a license in Shanghai is 150,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan. The price tag of a Ducati ranges from 83,800 yuan, or $12,560, to 489,000 yuan. Zeng Zhiling, managing director of LMC Automotive Consulting Co. Ltd., said that Ducati's sales increase is due to the expanding middle class and the rising number of rich people. "The sales growth of high-end motorcycles would not surprise me," he said. The heat wave in China continues. (Photo : Getty Images) The National Meteorological Center announced that the heat wave currently on orange alert will continue to be raised for the next 10 days. Authorities in Shanghai and Hubei Provinces also issued alerts. The heat is expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Shanghai municipalities of Anhui, Hubei, Jiangsu and Fujian are expected to have temperatures above 37 degrees Celsius in the next few days. Advertisement The Xujiahui area in Shanghai already hit 40.3 degrees this week. This is the third highest in the city's history. Ma Xuekuan, the meteorological center's chief forecaster, said, "The recent heat, caused by a subtropical high, is noted for its wide scope, high intensity and long duration." Around 700 million people are affected by the heat wave. According to the center's heat map, the heat wave is spread throughout the country. The Hefei Commission of Urban-Rural Development issued a notice to remind citizens to take precaution. The statement read, "If the temperature is forecast to reach above 40 C, all outdoor work should be suspended for the whole day, while on days with daily highs between 37 C and 40 C, people should not work outdoors for longer than six hours a day." Four people died in Hefei, Anhui Province, 16 people in Jiangsu and one in Shanghai because of the heat wave. They were workers in construction sites or senior citizens. A doctor at the Fengxian District Central Hospital in Shanghai said that "the death rate of heat stroke patients can reach above 30 percent." Heat stroke occurs when the body reaches temperature beyond 40.6 degrees Celsius as an effect of environmental heat exposure. Symptoms like dizziness, weakening of the body and disorientation may occur. The body fails to manage its internal temperature and sweating stops. When experiencing a heat stroke, a person must hydrate and find a way to cool down immediately. Lack of response may lead to organ failure and death. A still image from the footage released by the Chinese armed forces' missile tests. (Photo : Twitter) Amid tensions in the East and South China seas, Chinese military officials released a footage showcasing its anti-ballistic missile capabilities. The 20-seco0nd clip, which was taken from footage of a ballistic missile test conducted in 2010, showed a land-based rocket lifting off from its launch pad. It is then shown flying towards a white target high in the atmosphere, which then exploded upon impact. Advertisement According to military expert Xu Chunguang, the earlier tests like3 the one shown in the video helped them solve potential problems that might arrive during actual combat use. A second missile test was conducted in 2013. It is the first time that footage from the highly classified test was released to the public, The Mirror reported. Some experts believe that the release of the footage is a warning sent to the United States and its allies that the country is ready to defend itself if provoked. China has heavily criticized the recent announcements made by the US and South Korea about the proposed deployment of the former's Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile system in the Korean Peninsula, saying that the system could be used against it. However, the US and Korea insisted that the anti-missile system is intended mere for defensive purposes and is meant only to thwart any potential missile attack coming from North Korea. Reuters reported. Russia also reportedly expressed its opposition to the deployment of the THAAD. Nevertheless, China maintained that the development of its own ballistic missile defense system is a vital part of its strategy, as the system will help it keep it at pace with other big powers. A man accused of trying to steal back a pound of marijuana he had just sold faces new charges after police searched his home, court records say. Jose I. Lucas Jr. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) Jose I. Lucas Jr., 29, of the 800 block of Dearborn Street in Bethlehem, was initially arrested Sunday night after arranging to buy back the marijuana he had just sold, then grabbing it from the buyer and running into a storage room inside Subway at 1 E. Fourth St. on the city's South Side, according to police. Police just before midnight Sunday served a warrant to search Lucas' home, records say. Investigators said they found a Sig Sauer P229 .40-caliber handgun, cocaine, five round pills stamped K9 identified via an Internet search as 30 mg oxycodone tablets and drug paraphernalia including vacuum-seal bags, torn sandwich bags, digital scales with cocaine and marijuana residue and electric grinder with cocaine residue. Mail and documents for Lucas were also seized, according to police. Lucas was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Barner on a felony count of drug possession with intent to deliver and misdemeanor counts of drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and prohibited possession of a firearm. He was ordered held in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail, in addition to $35,000 bail for robbery and drug possession with intent to deliver charges for the earlier incident. Preliminary hearings are scheduled in the robbery Aug. 4 before District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez and in the search Aug. 9 before Barner. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A 24-year-old Freemansburg man crashed a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse on Thursday in the S-curves of Willow Park Road and ended up in the nearby Nancy Run, Bethlehem Township police said. Dakota Thomas Maples was not hurt in the crash, police said. He was traveling south about 6:55 p.m. when he lost control of the car, police said. The car had moderate damage from a crash that involved speed, and road and weather conditions, police said. Maples was charged with failing to drive at a safe speed. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. An Allentown man accused of raping a woman at a call center in Bethlehem reached a plea deal Thursday. Michael Rodriguez, left, seen here at his preliminary hearing Nov. 24, 2015, is accused of raping a woman at the Wells Fargo call center in Bethlehem. (Sarah Cassi | lehighvalleylive.com) Michael Rodriguez, of the 200 block of South 17th Street, pleaded no contest to indecent assault, with contact without consent. A no-contest plea means Rodriguez doesn't admit guilt but acknowledges there's enough evidence to convict him of a crime at trial. It is treated as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped charges of rape and sexual assault, and agreed to a sentence of two years probation. The 29-year-old Rodriguez has been free on $50,000 unsecured bail. Chief of Prosecutions Matt Falk noted the accuser has suffered mental anxiety as she has dealt with the criminal case proceedings, and the plea deal was offered in accordance with her wishes. The victim was in the courtroom, but did not wish to make a statement, Falk said. But for the victim's position, Judge Robert Steinberg said he would not have accepted the deal. "The victim obviously wants to bring this to a conclusion and, therefore, I will do so," the judge said. Rodriguez must register as a sex offender for the next 15 years under the state's Megan's Law. Rodriguez must also obtain a sex offender evaluation; if he is deemed a sexually violent predator, he will have counseling requirements. Defense attorney Jim Burke said there is pending civil litigation in connection with the incident. Burke declined to comment after the hearing. Bethlehem police said the woman was raped the night of July 14, 2015, at the Wells Fargo call center at 1015 Club Ave. The call center is on the Bethlehem side of the border with Allentown. At the time of the incident, police said Rodriguez was an employee at the call center. After his arrest, Wells Fargo said Rodriguez no longer worked for the company. The woman told officers Rodriguez pinned her in a corner of a room, and that she told Rodriguez multiple times to stop before he raped her, police sad. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. President Xi Jinping Calls for More Military Reforms, Adjust PLA to Be Compatible with Changing International Situations President Xi Jinping wants more reforms in the People's Liberation Army. (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese President Xi Jinping called for more reforms in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in order to establish a military force compatible with the current international environment. On Wednesday, the Global Times reported how Xi who also serves as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee reiterated his call for better Chinese military force. Advertisement He said that the country needs military reforms that would drive "a comprehensive and revolutionary change" that could cope with the changing international situation. Reforms Needed Xi first introduced the idea of reform in the Chinese military in 2012. Speaking to the 18th National Congress of the CPC, he emphasized the significance of defense and military changes. Since then, Chinese lawmakers acted on his request. Following the conclusion of the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the Central Military Commission (CMC) drafted a reform plan and created a group that would lead it. The first draft of the reforms indicated the need for the establishment of the PLA Rocket Force, the PLA Strategic Support Force, and the general command of the PLA. Aside from that, areas of command in the military had also been regrouped from seven into five theater commands and four military departments. All these and more are expected to be implemented in order to make PLA a "mighty, modernized, new-style" military force, per a more recent report from the Global Times. "Our troops originated from army, developed on the basis of army, and have roots in the army," said Xi, praising the Chinese military's "immortal and meritorious achievements." Other changes to be implemented in the PLA include an improved military training particularly in certain skill sets that require development like speedy responses, precise strikes, seizing key forts, long-distance maneuvers, and sabotage operations. The International Community There is little mentioned about what sort of international situations that the Chinese military should be prepared for but a wild guess would dictate that it has something to do with conflict. However, China-US Focus believes that the massive reform in the military force of China brings forth a positive effect on its neighbors in Asia by servings as a sergeant at arms in preventing devastating warfare. Because of the reforms, China is now considered a powerful disciplinarian of those who incite conflict among neighboring countries particularly in East Asia where the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan Straits are traditional hotspots for conflict. China also served as an effective pacifier for the extremist terrorism that plagued Central and West Asia, not to mention its active participation in rescue and relief operations in neighboring countries. One of two men wanted in a brutal beating Wednesday night in Bethlehem is in custody, according to court records. John G. Zink Jr. was arraigned July 28, 2016, on charges related to a July 27 assault in the 800 block of Wyandotte Street. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) John G. Zink Jr., 42, of the first block of Packer Avenue in Whitehall Township, is charged along with Bryant Joseph Rivera, 22, of the 1000 block of Delaware Avenue in Fountain Hill, in an attack on Andrew Weiner at 11:40 p.m. in the 800 block of Wyandotte Street, police said. Werner's teeth were knocked out as the men repeatedly punched him, police said. Rivera stole Werner's cellphone and left with Zink in a black Kia, police said. Zink was arraigned Thursday night before District Judge Antonia Grifo on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment, according to court records. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000. Bethlehem police didn't respond to emails asking for the circumstances of Zink's arrest. Rivera is charged with robbery, simple assault and harassment. He remains at large, records show. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Lafayette College wants to build new student housing with restaurants and a bookstore, put in a new science center, relocate dozens of workers Downtown and along the Bushkill Creek and build a giant elevator to carry folks up and down College Hill. Next year will be a very busy year, admits Roger Demareski, the college's vice president for finance and administration. The growth is part of a larger plan to increase the student body and increase the pool from which the college can draw financial aid. The college hopes to increase enrollment from 2,500 to about 2,900 over the next six to eight years. By doing so, the school hopes to increase its financial aid budget from $43.3 million to $60 million. That would allow the school to accept every student who deserves to attend regardless of the ability to pay, officials said. Some students who qualify to attend are turned away because they can't afford to, according to College President Alison Byerly. "This expansion is really part of a larger plan about expanding financial aid, increasing the diversity of the student body and really giving ourselves a broader base to work from," she said. Here are Lafayette's plans throughout Easton: NEW STUDENT HOUSING Lafayette plans to tear down a series of "dated, expensive-to-maintain" buildings it owns for student housing on McCartney Street between Clinton Terrace and High Street and on High Street between McCartney and Cattell streets. They'd be replaced by three- to four-story apartment buildings for students. The new buildings would increase the school's housing in that area from 150 beds to 550 beds. Plans call for businesses on the first floor, a college-run diner and an urgent care doctor's office -- both open to the public -- and a new bookstore. The current college bookstore would move from the Farinon Student Center into a bigger space. The college may embark on a partnership with Follett or Barnes & Noble, and the store would carry books of general public interest as well as textbooks. Local restaurants in that area such as Campus Pizza, Don Juan's and Cosmic Cup would be given an opportunity to open in the newly-constructed buildings. When will it happen? The plan has five phases, the first of which involves building along High Street. The school wants to submit plans to the city by Jan. 1. Cost? $55 million. The college is exploring a public-private partnership where a developer would own the property and lease it to the school. What about parking? The college will encourage students living in the apartments to leave their cars in to-be-constructed lots along the Bushkill Creek. That will encourage a walkable campus and free up spaces for the public to use at the new businesses. The college also wants to expand a parking lot on Clinton Terrace. INTEGRATED SCIENCES BUILDING This building would go in the area of a steeply-sloping hill and parking lot between Watson Hall and the Acopian Engineering Center. It would house biology, computer science, environmental sciences, the office of sustainability and some smaller programs. It would take the place of a facilities building, which would move to Bushkill Drive. Cost? $75 million. The college has received a $28 million lead gift for the project. When will it happen? Groundbreaking is tentatively set for May 2017. Then what? The current home of the biology department, Kunkel Hall, will be renovated into a regular classroom hall. It's unclear which department will occupy the building. An auditorium in the hall will also be renovated. BUSHKILL CAMPUS The college will move the facilities and public safety departments to the former Hummel lumber building at Bushkill Drive and Detrich Road. The college wants to keep its academic offices in the core campus and move other functions out of the core to make room for academics to expand. The college bought the M.S. Reilly facility on Bushkill Drive. The building could not be repurposed and will be torn down to make way for some of the 350 planned parking spaces. The college bought Trinity Fitness on Bushkill Drive. It could become a gym for employees. When will it happen? Renovations will start in August in the Hummel lumber building. ALPHA BUILDING Lafayette College will take over a third of this Downtown building, the former home to city hall. Lehighvalleylive.com occupies the Alpha building's first floor. The community engagement department and some admissions workers will move to the third floor. The communications department will move to the fourth floor and the information technology department will move to the sixth floor. "The fact that were are now in town says a lot about our relationship with the city," Demareski said. When will it happen? Renovations start in September with a tentative move-in date of Jan. 1 EASTON SKYWAY A 170-foot elevator with an observation deck is proposed to help Downtown employees and residents ascend from the Third Street arts campus to the main campus on College Hill. Cost? $9.4 million, half of which would be funded through grants. When will it happen? Groundbreaking could be in spring or summer 2017. STREETSCAPES The college is pursuing millions in grants to promote a pedestrian-friendly campus. The college hopes to extend the curb to slow traffic descending College Hill to the Third Street arts campus. The college plans "bump outs" between on-street parking spaces on McCartney Street near March Street, similar to ones in front of the new city hall that allow pedestrians a better view to cross the road and allow oncoming traffic to better see pedestrians. The college plans to eliminate on-street parking on High Street between McCartney and Cattell streets to improve visibility for pedestrians. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. A 35-year-old Palmer Township man sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl he brought to his home for the weekend, township police said. Jerry Jones Jr., of the 4000 block of Nicole Place, was arrested Thursday and arraigned before District Judge Jacqueline Taschner on charges of indecent deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault without consent, endangering the welfare of children, indecent assault without consent and indecent exposure. The assault happened the afternoon of Friday, July 15, in Jones' house, police said. Jones' wife, Tatianna Williams-Jones, came home shortly after and confronted her husband about the assault on the girl they both knew, police said. The victim detailed the assault to Williams-Jones and Williams-Jones took her back to her home that night in New Jersey, police said. After the victim told her mother, the child was taken to an area hospital for a sex assault exam, police said. Evidence and clothing was turned over to investigators, according to court records. A warrant was issued for Jones and he surrendered on Thursday at the police station, said Detective Sgt. Tim Ruoff. Taschner set bail at $50,000 and Jones was taken to Northampton County Prison. He remained in custody Friday morning, online records show. A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 9 a.m. Aug. 11 in Taschner's township court. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice visits Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images) American President Barack Obama wishes to transfer stable ties with China to new United States leadership amid tensions between two of the world's most powerful nations. During her visit in Beijing, U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice expressed Obama's thoughts about maintaining a stable relationship with China, China Daily reported. Advertisement News of this comes amidst the growing tensions between the two countries for several reasons including the U.S. continued effort in pushing the Philippines to make use of the international ruling from The Hague. Stable Relations On Monday, the American National Security Adviser spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping where she expressed Obama's thoughts about the Sino-U.S. relations. Cited by the U.S. News & World Report, Rice emphasized that the success of China is in line with the U.S.'s interest since the two countries are interdependent with each other. Setting the climate change collaboration as an example, Rice pointed out that the two nations is capable of working together to resolve major global issues. "At the same time, we are confronting our differences with candor and clarity and we believe that clarity produces predictability, and predictability produces stability," she added. A source who refused to be named told China Daily that Rice spent 70 percent of her time speaking with Chinese officials about cooperation more than any other matter. "Both sides agreed that we won't let disputes define the relations," the insider added. On the South China Sea Rice is the highest-ranking American official to visit the Middle Kingdom since the release of the ruling from the international tribunal this month. Taken literally, her statements are good to hear in Chinese ears but Liu Youfa, the former vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said that there is more to it than appeasing the government. "Rice's remarks sent a signal to some Asian countries that the U.S.-China relations are not only about the South China Sea. It is also a warning that these countries' plan to take advantage of conflicts between the U.S. and China to seek their interests is unsustainable and shortsighted," Liu noted. Meanwhile, Jin Canrong of the Renmin University of China's School of International Studies believes that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also made a similar action when he talked to Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Monday. "Washington has noticed the anger in China against the U.S. on the South China Sea issue, not only from the government but also the ordinary people. They know that is not good for U.S. interests," Jin stated. Army sources have denied reports that a special review board is to decide on the future of Devoy Barracks in Naas, the Leinster Leader reported on July 11, 1996. Here follows the original report: It has been claimed that a board is to be appointed from the Chief of Staff's office to examine the role of the army apprentice school within the Defence Forces. But an Army press officer said no such board is being established. We haven't been told anyway, he said. He added that review boards are sitting on the Air Corps and Naval Service but certainly not Devoy Barracks. He continued: The Minister has said there will be no barrack closures for three years. Sources within the school which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, are optimistic it will remain open beyond that, even though the intake of apprentices for the coming term is down to 18. The fact that there is an intake means there is light at the end of the tunnel, said one source. I'm confident enough that when this board sits they will now realise the role the school plays within the Defence Forces. Meanwhile, Managing Director Mr Patrick Long and Mr Des Large, President of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry both stressed the valuable role played by the Army Apprentice School, while in attendance for last week's passing out ceremony at the school. The worst weather in nearly four decades of passing out parades didn't muddy the graduation of the 38th platoon at Devoy Barracks in Naas. The outdoor event went off with slick army precision as some 31 apprentices, including one woman, received their scrolls marking the culmination of three years intensive training. It's the worst day I've seen in 38 years, remarked Derek Butler, tutor. But the apprentices didn't seem to mind. Smartly standing to attention to squad of fully-fledged carpenters, motor technicians, radio technicians, fitters and electricians could scarcely conceal their delight as graduation certificates were presented. Apprentice Mark Flood from Monasterevin was justifiably thrilled at taking the award for Best Soldier. Grainne Cummins (21) from Carbury, the sole female apprentice, was also ecstatic. I never wanted to work in an office and I always thought it would be really exciting to be in the army, she said, adding: I always wanted to be different and this is definitely different. Grainne said she was totally undaunted by the gender imbalance. After a while I was just one of the lads, she laughed. The young apprentices, who are also trained in combat, were presented with their certificates by the GOC Curragh Command Brig. Gen Frank Colclough who said they could be Justifiably proud of their achievements. Two men, who claim they were dismissed by David Hall's Lifeline Ambulance Service because they were whistleblowers, were granted an order reinstating their pay in the Naas Circuit Civil Court today. Mr Hall is the man who was recently called in to review the workings of the charity Console. At Naas Circuit Civil Court on Friday, July 29, two senior staff members, Sean Clarke and Michael Dougan were granted a continuation order against Lifeline Ambulance Services Ltd. The company has contracts from the HSE to run ambulance services. Judge Francis Comerford was asked to grant the order reinstating the mens pay, pending the hearing of a case being brought against them for unfair dismissals. Following lengthy legal argument, he did that. The two men had been made redundant during the summer. The men refused an offer to be reengaged under different working conditions. Tom Mallon B.L., for the men, said they were contending they had been dismissed by the company, in which Mr Hall and his wife are directors/shareholders, because they had raised issues with the Revenue Commissioners over the companys tax affairs and concerns over the future of its staff. The men, who had been effectively running the company operations along with some others, brought the case under relatively new protective disclosures legislation, aimed at at protecting employee whistleblowers. They said they had been dismissed from the 85 staff, 32-vehicle company at a time when business was growing. The Court was told Mr Hall was largely absent from the company operations for five years when he was giving time to the charity sector, in particular, the Irish Mortgage Holders Association. Mr Hall denied this was the case. He said the company had been turning over 8m at one point and that had fallen to 4m, leading to a loss. He had called in a management consultant to assess the companys future. THOUSANDS of people, including leading lights from the racing world, will descend on St Michaels Church in Manister this Friday to say a final farewell to a father, a husband and a straight, honourable and decent man JT McNamara. The Croom man who was widely considered to be one of the leading amateur riders of his generation, was paralysed after suffering a broken neck after a fall on Galaxy Rock at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival. He passed away at his home early on Tuesday morning after suffering health complications. He was just 41-years-of age. Paying tribute to his nephew this Wednesday, Andrew McNamara Snr described the horseman as a rare individual. I think that cliche about breaking the mould, if it was ever to be applied to anybody it would be to John Thomas, Andrew told the Leader. He was tough in a very gentle sort of way. He was the most humble fella you would ever meet but he was steely - 100% steel, and determined. Andrew McNamara, an experienced trainer said JT was the inspiration for all the family including his owns sons Andrew jnr and Robert who both had successful riding careers. He never spoke about anything only racing. As he said himself he never wanted to talk about flowers or furniture, he smiled. I remember when he was very young, the first time he built a snowman, it vanished. When he built the second one, didnt he put a rope around him and said Ill make sure the fecker doesnt go anywhere this time. I think that summed him up for the rest of his life. Despite his devastating fall which left him entirely motionless from the neck down, JT was determined to use his vast knowledge of horses to pursue a career in the racing industry and turned his attention to training. He operated from his Springfield Stables in Croom where he and his wife Caroline were extremely popular. It was only five weeks ago that the father-of-three moved into a new home beside his Springfield Stables which was specially designed to meet his medical needs. He had been out with the horses, doing what he loved, up to Friday, said Andrew who paid tribute to JTs wife Caroline and her mother Phil for the exceptional care they gave JT since his accident. We can never thank them enough, he said. Racehorse owner JP McManus paid tribute to the wonderful kindness and loyalty of JT who was loyal to a fault either to man or horse. JT enjoyed many of his 600 race wins wearing Mr McManuss green and gold silks. When JT had his accident in Cheltenham he could have died that day, but the will of the man to live at the time, and the good that came out of that afterwards from the hundreds of people who rallied to support him and his family; that is his legacy, said Mr McManus. Trainer Enda Bolger who enjoyed many great days with JT in the winners enclosure recalled a great friend, who let the riding do the talking. We were the best of friends, said the Bruee-based handler.We missed him dearly since he got his fall and we are going to miss him even more now. His wife Caroline showed a great determination of spirit as did the whole family. JT was a straight-talker, there was definitely no bull. Nina (Carberry) said she learned so much from him as well. JTs close friend Mikey Joe Cregan from Athlacca recalled an hourable fella who was blessed with a fantastic brain. He was a very straight, honourable fella so he was. A spade was a spade and if he didnt like you, he didnt like you, and he could tell you that as well, he smiled. Oh he could be a grumpy fecker at times, never with me now, he emphasised. We often sat in a car for half an hour and we mightnt say nothing. I might be looking at the paper or something. We drove all around England. If we took a wrong turn, what the feck about it, we would go again. In his final days he was still talking about horses. Enda spoke to him about him riding the winner of the GPT in 2004 over the weekend. He was hard as nails, a very special fella and I was just privileged to know him. JT McNamara is survived by wife Caroline, sons Dylan and Harry and daughter Olivia, parents John and Kathleen, brother Aongus, extended family and a wide circle of friends in the racing community and beyond. JT McNamara was removed from his home at Toureen, Croom last night to St Michaels Church, Manister. His funeral Mass takes place at 11am with burial afterwards in local cemetery. AN INQUEST into the death of a man in his 20s, who lost his life following a boating accident in Castleconnell, found that he drowned despite numerous attempts by friends and emergency services to save his life. Noel Quinlivan, 27, of Scanlan Park, Castleconnell, died after he and three friends were flipped out of a boat that capsized at the Worlds End, in the early hours of February 4 this year. Limerick Coroners Court heard that Mr Quinlivan and his friends walked to Worlds End for a joint after consuming alcohol at a house, around 2am. The court heard that they spotted a steel boat tied to a compound fence by a light string. They then entered the river on the boat, and got into difficulty after the boat was moved away from the land by the strong current. One friend, Daniel Coffey, told the court: We tried to make our way back but the boat took on too much water. We let go of our oars and braced the impact. The boat then hit a rock under the water, which flipped the four men into the river. Friend Damien Keane, who gave evidence this week, said that Mr Quinlivan was attempting to keep his head above the water, after he lost his step and became trapped between the boat and nearby trees. While Mr Keane and friend Michael Hickey were trying to keep the deceased above the water, Mr Coffey was unable to assist as he was dragged by the strong currents, the court heard. Mr Keane said that it was a miracle that he was able to phone the gardai whilst in the water. Gardai were notified of the incident at 4.25am and arrived at the scene at 4.35am, moments before Limerick Fire Service and Limerick Marine Search and Rescue. When the Fire Service rescue team had to rev their boat to reach the deceased, this caused water to go over Mr Quinlivans head, Mr Coffey said. "It wasn't their fault. They were trying to find a way to help, he said, adding that the rescue team changed their approach and rescued me. Stating the medical evidence, coroner Dr Tony Casey said that there was 300ml of liquid in Mr Quinlivans lungs and that his lungs were heavy, concluding that the cause of death was drowning. He added that there was cocaine substances found in his body but not at a toxic level. Mr Keane said: I wish we had done enough to save his life. He died a hero. Mr Coffey stated that he discovered a plug at the bottom of the boat, adding: "If I had noticed that from the start, I would not have got into the boat." JOCKEYS from across Ireland and Britain stood silent, shoulder to shoulder, outside St Michaels Church in Manister this Friday morning, as the coffin of their brother in racing, JT McNamara, was carried to his final place of rest. AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty, Davy Russell and Nina Carberry were among thousands of mourners who paid their respect to the renowned jockey who passed away earlier this week. JT was left paralysed following a fall at Cheltenham three years ago and had suffered ill health since, with frequent admissions to hospital. He passed away at his home in Croom in the early hours of last Tuesday. At the start of the funeral Mass which was celebrated by Canon Garry Bluett, JTs two sons, Dylan and Harry walked forward to their fathers coffin on which they placed his red and white riding hat and whip. Canon Bluett described JT as a hero to many people. John certainly made use of his gifts and the life that God gave him. His life revolved around his family and racing, said Canon Bluett. Racing was his passion and the tributes paid to him in the last few days bear testimony to the respect in which he was held by all in the racing fraternity. Strong willed and determined, he had a great command of some words in the English language - some might not be found in the Oxford dictionary, he smiled. As Disraeli said - the life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. And now we say to John, goodnight sweet prince and hosts of the angels sing thee to thy rest. There were emotional scenes when JTs youngest son Harry, standing on a small stool to reach the microphone read a prayer of the faithful. He uttered the words, We ask the angels to take good care of you. We love you Dad. Speaking at the end of funeral Mass, JTs wife Caroline paid tribute to her husband. You always knew where you stood with John. He was straight, witty and honest. Caroline said her husband handled his injury with strength and courage. There was many, many difficult days but his sheer determination and strength of character gave him three years and four months together with us, she said. Speaking outside the church, racehorse owner JP McManus in whose racing colours JT enjoyed many wins, paid tribute to Caroline, describing her as a wonderful woman. He was blessed to have a girl like her. He was a very, very direct man. He never used two words when one would do. He told you everything exactly as it was., he continued of JT. Mr McManus mingled with many who had travelled to County Limerick for the funeral including Jonjo ONeill, Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Tom Taaffe, and Ted Walsh. President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny were represented by their ADCs at the funeral. The Taoiseach personally rang JT's wife, Caroline to express his sympathies. Pallbearers including JTs brother Aongus and his racing mentor and close friend Enda Bolger carried the coffin of the horseman to his final resting place in the local cemetery. JT McNamara is deeply regretted by wife Caroline, sons Dylan and Harry and daughter Olivia, parents John and Kathleen, brother Aongus, sister-in-law Vanda, mother-in-law Phil Maxwell, brother-in-law Declan and his wife Nicola, aunts, uncles, cousins, large circle of friends and the racing community. LOCAL experimental elect-ronic musician, Proper Micro NV is vying for a top place in a competition that will see 10 emerging Irish musicians perform at this years Electric Picnic. Rory Hall, 21, is in the top 30 of the RTE 2fm/Oxfam Play the Picnic competition, which invites the public to vote for who they want to see at the festival. Rory, who lives in the city, is inspired by the downtempo, post-dubstep and minimal electronic works of James Blake, Mount Kimbie and Roisin Murphy, and has recently released his first EP, entitled EP1. When it comes to my music it's electronic. It seems to vary. I try to touch on every aspect, every sub-genre of electronic music. One week I might go through a really chill, abstract ambient phase; another week I might make something totally dancefloor-driven. But at the moment its mainly chill. I like to keep things quite experimental and different. Rory, who expects to release a new EP in the next few months, has received positive reviews for his latest single, Revive a lush composition that effectively blends chill vocal samples and minimal beats and pads. Mr Hall said that, after attending Electric Picnic last year, he is hoping to be part of the festival schedule. It would be the absolute definition of a dream for me, it really would. Limerick's music scene is an emerging force at the moment and it would be great to boost the city and county's representation at the festival. Text 'PICNIC28' to 50300 to vote for Limerick's Proper Micro NV. Line's close this Friday, at 12 noon. All proceeds go to Oxfam. LeEco Gains Foothold in the US After Buying Vizio for $2B LeEco buys Vizio for $2 billion. (Photo : Twitter) LeEco is the new owner of Vizio after a $2 billion buyout deal and many are wondering what China's newest headline-grabbing firm is up to now. On Tuesday, LeEco became among the top subjects of media headlines for procuring the United States-based TV manufacturer Vizio at a hefty $2 billion tag price. Advertisement According to The Verge, the acquisition which was announced on Tuesday during an event held in Los Angeles, California just gave LeEco a steady foothold in American soil. This news comes as Vizio CEO William Wang revealed his leave from the company he founded. "I have mixed feelings," he told the press in a speech that The Verge believes sounded more like a eulogy. "As the owner and father of Vizio, I am very reluctant to let it go. But as the CEO and owner of the company, I know this is the right decision to make for our hard-working employees and loyal shareholders," he continued. LeEco has yet to name a new chief executive for their newly acquired company but most media outlets want to know the reason why the Netflix of China buy it in the first place. As Wired recalls, LeEco vowed to enter the U.S. online streaming services market in spring. When compared to Netflix, LeEco actually has an advantage because it is selling actual hardware where its services can be acquired. "Our strategy is to integrate our platform-including software and services-with devices," Leeco's global head of corporate finance and development Winston Cheng told Wired. Cheng explained that the acquisition of Vizio was strategic because the TV manufacturing company has already started on a path similar to what LeEco planned to go in. Because Vizio already began collaborating with content providers in order to bring Internet video to televisions, buying the company speeds up LeEco's process of integration of the technologies. May 3, 2021, 8 PM By Michael Baadke The United States Postal Service honored 10 stars of silent films on 29 stamps issued April 27, 1994, in San Francisco, Calif. Among those honored was actress Theda Bara, who was born Theodosia Burr Goodman on July 29, 1885, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Theda Bara is remembered as one of the most magnetic stars of the silent film era, the Postal Service wrote in its announcement about the stamp set. Her work in The Vampire led to the term vamp that was so much a part of silent movies. Bara also appeared in A Fool There Was, Cleopatra, and Salome, among other films. Studio publicists concocted a fictional history for the Ohio-born actress to accompany her exotic appearance, claiming she was a bewitching foreign beauty with supernatural powers. Sadly, most of Baras archived films were lost forever in the devastating 1937 Fox vault fire, which took place more than a decade after Bara permanently retired from filmmaking. She died April 7, 1955, and five years later a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was dedicated to her. The illustration on the Theda Bara stamp (Scott 2827) was created by noted American caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. Visitors view a model of the large sky area multi-object fiber spectroscopic telescope (LAMOST) at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center on Oct. 13, 2006. (Photo : Getty Images) A telescope in northern China has collected data on more than 7 million stars, surpassing that of all existing spectroscopic information on stars and making it the world's largest database in the field, the country's state media announced on Tuesday. The National Astronomical Observatories, which is administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), recently released the findings made with the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) in Hebei Province, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Advertisement LAMOST, also known in China as the Guo Shoujing telescope after a renowned 13th century Chinese astronomer, has been in operation since 2012. It is the world's first large-area telescope capable of observing and collecting data from 4,000 stars at any one time. The spectra of stars can shed light to important information, including the star's state of motion, its temperature, mass, and chemical composition, said Hou Yonghui, an astronomical researcher with CAS. "Data [taken by the Guo Shoujing telescope] are paramount for astronomical studies," Liu Chao, a fellow researcher with the national observatories, told Xinhua. The data collected by the telescope has previously led to a number of scientific discoveries in recent years. In 2014, the telescope was used by scientists to successfully track down a hypervelocity star, which is a type of star that is capable of travelling at speeds so fast that it can escape the gravity of a galaxy. Because of the recent data collected, dozens of hypervelocity stars are expected to be discovered in the near future, according to astronomers. The telescope also provides data for measuring the mass of "dark matter," a concept critical to the theoretical study of the universe. Thanks to a larger database that has been collected using the telescope, measurements of the mass of "dark matter" could become more accurate, according to Xinhua. Pupils Of The Islamic Boarding School For Transgenders Observe Ramadan (Photo : Getty Images) It is not just lack of access to hormones that transgenders in Hong Kong prisons deal with. Most of them also suffer from sexual assault because despite having some female body parts such as breasts, the offenders are assigned to male wards based on the gender listed on their identity documents. Advertisement To worsen their confinement, all transgender inmates such as Navarro Luigi Recasa are assigned to Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, a maximum security prison, since being transgender is still considered by Hong Kong a mental ailment. Recasa, from the Philippines, who was given a two-year jail term after being convicted on drug charges, was shocked she was escorted by male correctional officer to the male toilet, reported South China Morning Post. Because Recasa filed for a judicial review, which would be heard on Aug. 8, in which she challenged to transgender detainee policy, there is a chance she might be transferred to a female ward. Recasa was planning to visit Thailand to complete her gender reassignment surgery when she was arrested in Hong Kong in June 2015 for drug offences. She was initially assigned to the all-male Pik Uk Correctional Institution. According to Rain Lo Lan-wai, an advocate of the NGO Midnight Blue, other indignities that about 40 transgendered women prisoners in Hong Kong had undergone include forced shaving of hair, body searches by male correctional officers, refused to be given interpreters, denied hormones, disallowed to wear bras and given male clothes and verbal and sexual abuse by prison guards. Because of the difficult conditions, some of the transgender inmates in Siu Lam tried committing suicide, disclosed Patricia Ho, lawyer of Recasa from Daly & Associates, a human rights law firm. One inmate, Lo, went on a hunger strike. But after the NGO stepped in, Siu Lam no longer shave the hair of the transgender prisoners and sometimes grant them access to hormones. But the application is on a case-to-case basis. Because of lack of hormones, Recasa grew an Adams apple She was also anally molested by correction officers and have to endure seeing other prisoners masturbate in front of her when using the toilet. KickAss Torrents (Photo : Facebook) A ray of hope for the millions of KickassTorrents and torrents fans alike, that KAT could be coming back online soon as the site's alleged owner, Artem Vaulin, is likely to get out of jail soon with the help of the same legal expert behind MegaUpload's Kim Dotcom. Ars Technica reported that California-based lawyer Ira Rothken will be the lead defense counsel for Vaulin, who is currently detained in Poland and faces extradition to the United States. The Ukrainian-born Vaulin was tagged by the U.S. government as owner and operator of file-sharing site KickassTorrents, which allegedly facilitated the piracy of digital contents amounting to $1 billion. Advertisement Vaulin is charged with allegations of copyright infringement and money laundering and both are criminal charges that the U.S. government hopes will speed up the process of his extradition. However, Rothken's new mission is to expedite not the extradition but Vaulin's release from jail. As indicated by Ars Technica on its report, the lawyer's resume include the high-profile case of MegaUpload founder Dotcom. In 2012, Dotcom was arrested in New Zealand and U.S. worked for his extradition to face a criminal court in America. To date, such effort has been frustrated mostly thanks to Rothken, Ars Technica said. "Rothken serves as Dotcom's lead global counsel-his client still faces criminal charges over alleged massive copyright infringement on his now-shuttered site, MegaUpload. American prosecutors have failed to get Dotcom extradited to the US," the report said. But setting aside the extradition issue for now, it appears that the first order of the day for Rothken is to win even a temporary freedom for Vaulin. "We are working with local Polish counsel to try to get Artem out of the Warsaw jail so he can assist with his defense," the lawyer was reported by TorrentFreak as saying. Rothken is convinced that the case against Vaulin is weak, explaining that infringements involving torrents and trackers "happen off sites ... (and) KickassTorrents is devoid of any content files." "This type of copyright theory is known as secondary copyright infringement and there is no United States criminal statute for secondary copyright infringement - that type of theory is at most a civil liability issue," Rothken told TorrentFreak. The report said that Vaulin's defense will largely have the same approach as that of Dotcom's case. Dotcom has so far avoided the threat of extradition and has recently announced the relaunch of MegaUpload in 2017. With the same legal mind helping him out, it remains possible that Vaulin will be released from jail soon, allowing him to resume his work and foremost of which is to bring KickassTorrents back online. In its absence meanwhile, KAT mirrors, clones and alternatives are filling in the void led by The Pirate Bay, ExtraTorrent and YTS.ag. An unidentified flying object, or UFO, is any apparent anomaly in the sky. (Photo : YouTube/ Mystery Universe) A strange object giving off a spark of mysterious lights was recently spotted in the sky over parts of Las Vegas in the United Stated on July 27, Wednesday. The mysterious object was apparently burning in the sky. The streaking lights appeared in the sky at around 9:35 p.m. PDT, according to Fox 5. After witnessing the unusual phenomenon, hundreds of people contacted the station to inform them about the mysterious object that sparked in the night sky at that particular moment. Advertisement The lights were reported by residents living in parts of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Idaho, Northern California, Reno, Salt Lake City and Phoenix. A number of people hopped on to the social media to share what they just witnessed and it was just enough to create a buzz among everyone and instigate several UFO theories. Many people believed that it was some sought of space debris burning up in the sky. However, later it was identified as the remains on a Chinese rocket named Chang Zheng-7, according to the Huffington Post. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Strategic Command confirmed to the publication that the object could be a part of the Chinese rocket that burned up while re-entering Earth's atmosphere. Chang Zheng-7 was launched on June 25, 2016 and it stayed in low orbit for about one month. However, it re-entered Earth's atmosphere last week at around 18,000 mph, which may have burned it up. A few people believe that it must be a meteorite that burned up. Another theory put forward by a number of experts suggest that the lights could be a part of the Delta Aquarid meteor shower, which was expected to reach its peak between July 28, Thursday and July 29, Friday. There is another lot of people who believe that it could be a part of something extraterrestrial or a remnant of space station falling out of the sky. People who witnessed flares in the sky were prompt enough to capture the moment and upload the video on YouTube. One clear video of burning remnants was shot by a resident in the east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California's Alabama Hills. The following video shows the mysterious object falling through the sky: Gray wolves, which are not always gray, are protected under the Endangered Species Act. DNA tests of wolves across North America suggest that there is just one species of the canid: the gray wolf. What's more, populations of red wolves and eastern wolves, thought to be distinct species, are actually just hybrids of gray wolves and coyotes that likely emerged in the last couple hundred years, the study found. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday (July 27), could have implications for the conservation of wolves considered endangered in the United States, the researchers say. [In Photos: The Fight Over Gray Wolves' Endangered Status] Shared genes For the study, scientists sequenced the whole genomes of 28 canids, including gray wolves, eastern wolves, red wolves and coyotes in North America. The study revealed that gray wolves and coyotes are not very different from each other, genetically speaking. According to the DNA results, the two species likely diverged from a common ancestor in Eurasia about 50,000 years ago much more recently than previous estimates of 1 million years ago. Meanwhile, red wolves, thought to be native to the southeastern United States, and eastern wolves from the Great Lakes region, were found to be genetic hybrids. "These gray-wolf-coyote hybrids look distinct and were mistaken as a distinct species," study author Robert Wayne, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a statement. Gray-wolf-coyote hybrids (like the one shown here) were once thought to be a distinct species. (Image credit: Dave Mech, courtesy of UCLA) Compared with eastern wolves, red wolves were more coyote-like in their genetic makeup, the study found, which makes sense historically. Before the hybridization, humans dramatically altered the habitat of wolves in the southeastern U.S. Once gray wolves started to get hunted out of the region, the hybrid red wolves could mate only with other hybrids and coyotes, the researchers said. "If you did this same experiment with humans human genomes from Eurasia you would find that 1 to 4 percent of the human genome has what looks like strange genomic elements from another species: Neanderthals," Wayne explained. The researchers thought they would see a bigger chunk of such "strange genomic elements" in red wolves and eastern wolves, perhaps at least 10 to 20 percent of the genome that could not be explained by the animals' relation to gray wolves and coyotes."However, we found just 3 to 4 percent, on average similar to that found in individuals from the same species when compared to our small reference set," Wayne said. Conservation implications Wolves were nearly exterminated from the contiguous United States by the mid-20th century. After gray wolves and red wolves were given protections under the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s, conservation efforts led to a modest comeback in the animals' populations. Red wolves have been reintroduced in North Carolina, and gray wolves have been restored in several areas of the western United States, notably in Yellowstone National Park. But the predators' endangered species listing is still sometimes a controversial, even politically charged issue, opposed by ranchers and farmers who see wolves as a threat to their livestock. Compared with eastern wolves, red wolves (like the one shown here) are more coyote-like in their genetic makeup. (Image credit: Dave Mech, Courtesy of UCLA) A few years ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) put forth a controversial proposal to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list. Technical distinctions about wolf species were at the heart of the plan. The FWS argued that gray wolves had been restored in enough of their original habitat. The agency relied on a 2012 study to designate a new species, the eastern wolf, as a separate species from the gray wolf; if that were true, it would mean gray wolves had never lived in the eastern United States, and thus the FWS claimed it wasn't responsible for restoring gray wolves in that area. "The recently defined eastern wolf is just a gray wolf and coyote mix, with about 75 percent of its genome assigned to the gray wolf," Wayne said in the statement. "We found no evidence for an eastern wolf that has a separate evolutionary legacy. The gray wolf should keep its endangered species status and be preserved, because the reason for removing it is incorrect. The gray wolf did live in the Great Lakes area and in the 29 eastern states." The new results may also call into question whether the red wolf can be listed as an endangered species if further research proves this population is not even a true species. But Wayne and his co-authors argued that it is "antiquated" to require full species status for an organism to get an endangered listing. The researchers recommend that policy makers take a more flexible approach to applications of the Endangered Species Act so that they can also protect hybrids that fill important ecological niches (i.e., keeping deer populations in check). Original article on Live Science. Side view of new ant species: Pheidole drogon. (Photo : OIST) Pheidole viserion, a newly discovered ant species from Papua New Guinea, imaged with traditional photographic techniques. (Photo : OIST) Scientists discovered two new ant species that seem to possess a bizarre appearance similar to dragons where they are named after the two dragons from the hit HBO fantasy T.V. series, Game of Throne's Daenerys Targaryen's dragons, Drogon and Viserion. Advertisement Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University have now named these new ants Pheidole drogon and Pheidole viserion that are discovered in Papua New Guinea in the Pacific. Their dragon-like appearances are so uncanny that they possess some similar features like spiny appendages, making them look like dragon insects. P. Drogon is jet black like tar while P. viserion is a creamy off white, that resembles the spawn of the Mother of Dragons. In this new study, scientists utilized 3D imaging techniques known as X-Ray microtomography to study these newly discovered ants, which also marks the first time that this kind of technology has been used. Observations reveal how their spines are used as a protective shield to defend themselves from predators, possessing stronger muscles within these spiny appendages. According to Eli Sarnat of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, these spines suggest some sort of defense mechanism which have been pivotal during their evolution. The shoulder spines possess muscles unlike the back spines of these ants. Like other ant species the Pheidole species have their queens and minor workers, including major workers that are also soldier ants to protect their colony. Soldier ants possess larger heads and mandibles. They can lift heavier loads with their heads and have the ability to crush open seeds with their strong mandibles. Further study and investigation are needed to confirm the origins of the spines and muscles of the ants, according to the team. This new study is published in the journal, PLOS ONE. Joan of Arc's claim to fame the mysterious voices she heard and visions she saw during the Hundred Years' War may actually have been due to a form of epilepsy, Italian researchers suggest. Dr. Guiseppe d'Orsi, a neurologist at the University of Foggia in Italy, and Paola Tinuper, an associate professor of biomedical and neuromotor sciences at the University of Bologna, also in Italy, described their hypothesis in a letter to the editor, published in May in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior. Joan of Arc may have had a type of epilepsy that affects the part of the brain responsible for hearing, or "idiopathic partial epilepsy with auditory features (IPEAF)," d'Orsi and Tinuper wrote. ("Idiopathic" means that the epilepsy likely has a genetic cause, and "partial" means that the epilepsy affects only one area of the brain.) [Senses and Non-Sense: 7 Odd Hallucinations] When a person has epilepsy, they experience chronic, unprovoked seizures. A seizure occurs when electrical signals in the brain misfire. Where these misfired signals occur in the brain determines how a person acts during a seizure. For example, a seizure may cause a person's muscles to jerk, or cause them to become dazed and confused, or hear voices. D'Orsi and Tinuper said they first came up with their hypothesis 10 years ago, when examining documentation of Joan during her Trial of Condemnation, during which she was accused of being a heretic and a witch, and was sentenced to be burned at the stake. Historical clues Several aspects of Joan's symptoms, which have been detailed in historical accounts, help support this diagnosis, d'Orsi and Tinuper wrote. For example, Joan reported hearing voices and sometimes reported seeing different saints, such as St. Catherine and St. Margaret. These auditory hallucinations and occasional visual hallucinations are symptoms of this type of epilepsy, according to the researchers. Joan is reported to have said that the "sound of bells" sometimes triggered the voices. Hearing certain sounds can be a trigger for seizures, d'Orsi and Tinuper said. During a public examination on Feb. 22, 1431, Joan said, "It said to me two or three times a week," referring to how often she heard the voices. Several days later, on March 1, 1431, she is reported to have said, "There is never a day that I do not hear them [the voices]," according to the researchers. But the frequency with which Joan reported hearing voices is not entirely consistent with the researchers' diagnosis. Other researchers have pointed out that patients with this type of epilepsy have a low frequency of seizures, they wrote. Patients may have seizures infrequently at the beginning, and may also have seizures if they are withdrawing from certain drugs, they wrote. It's unclear if Joan of Arc had taken any substances that may have affected whether she had seizures, they added. Joan of Arc also sometimes experienced seizures during sleep. "I was asleep: the Voice woke me It awoke me without touching me," Joan was reported to have said during a private examination on March 12, 1431, the researchers wrote. According to d'Orsi and Tinuper, 40 percent of people with this type of epilepsy have seizures during sleep. [Top 10 Spooky Sleep Disorders] Of course, diagnosing a medical condition in a woman who lived in the 1400s is not exactly easy. Indeed, the researchers noted that "after six hundred years from Joan's death, we reaffirm the impossibility to arrive at a final conclusion." However, there may be one remaining opportunity to find an answer, and it lies in a missing strand of Joan's hair. History suggests that Joan of Arc sealed letters with red wax that had "the imprint of a finger and a hair" in order to prove her identity, the researchers wrote. If historians can locate these letters, scientists may have the opportunity to test the DNA of the hair. Indeed, in recent studies, scientists have discovered genes that are linked to the specific type of epilepsy that d'Orsi and Tinuper suspect Joan of Arc may have had. But efforts to find the letters and the hair have come up short so far. "After ten years from our first hypothesis, we are still looking for this hair" d'Orsi and Tinuper wrote. Originally published on Live Science. A gamer tests the PlayStation VR technology. (Photo : GettyImages/Christian Petersen) Sony is set to release the PlayStation VR in October 13 and the requirements are slowly being announced to the public with the newest one being the space needed in a room. The HTC Vive VR headset is recommended to be used in a large enough room because of its position tracking technology with the external sensors and cameras. However, the new Sony PlayStation VR documents show that their requirements will not be as big as their competitors. Advertisement New documents officially coming from Sony has revealed that the PlayStation VR is recommended to be played in a seating position with around 60-square-feet of cleared space, Polygon has learned. Some players are concerned that a seated play of VR games is not exactly as exciting as one may think considering that it is supposed to be a 360-degree experience and one cannot do that while sitting on a couch. The HTC Vive room scale VR is actually smaller at 6.6 X 5 compared to Sony PlayStation VR's 6 X 10. Players should not worry as Sony is still allowing developers to build their VR apps and games for the headset to be played while standing and turning around. Sony is allowing developers to be creative with their PlayStation VR games but they are required to provide the clear instructions and guides to players so that there will be no confusion at all, TechCrunch reported. The documents also mentioned details regarding how to stream the VR view to a TV or another monitor besides the headset. "Clear an area larger than the Play Area of all obstacles before using PS VR and remain seated whenever possible. If the application requires you to stand while wearing the VR headset, follow the application instructions carefully, and maintain awareness of your surroundings," the documents from Sony read. In terms of the height of the playing area, it would still depend on the user's setup of the PlayStation Camera. The angle would also be a huge factor as too low or too high camera placements could actually prevent the PlayStation VR from being detected by the system's sensors. A woman who pleaded guilty to two counts of drugs possession in Longford town last year was fined a total of 400 at last week's District Court sitting. Marta Ptak, 37 Pauric Colum Heights, Longford issued the pleas following two incidents which occurred atLongford Garda Station on July 7, 2015. At the start of proceedings there had been some confusion when defence solicitor Brid Mimnagh indicated her client would only be pleading guilty to one of the charges. She said Ms Ptak accepted her role in the possession of cannabis herb, but not heroin. But when she was asked to come forward and stand beside her solicitor, Ms Ptak said she acknowledged both charges. In mitigation, Ms Mimnagh said her client was residing in Ireland for eight years, had two children and earns around 150 to 200 a week. She added Ms Ptak was not a heroin user however, adding that a trace of heroin had been found in her bag which belonged to a man who had been staying in her house at the time. As a result, Judge Hughes issued fines of 200 each in respect of both charges. Local News, National & World News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: July 29 2016 NYS challenges the blatantly discriminatory North Carolina law that limits the ability of cities and localities to protect the rights of transgender and non-gender-conforming people. Pets & Animal, Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: July 28 2016 DEC Environmental Conservation Officers seized more than 1,100 pounds of undersized lobsters from Price Chopper in three different inspections over the last four months. On the left: ECO with box filled with undersized lobsters. On the right: ECOs inspecting lobsters seized from Price Chopper. Albany, NY - July 28, 2016 - The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) seized more than 1,100 pounds of undersized lobsters from Price Chopper in three different inspections over the last four months, the agency announced today. The case was sparked in March when ECOs in Region 7 found short lobsters at two Price Chopper stores in Binghamton. In May, ECOs executed random checks at Price Chopper stores across the state and found similar results. The distribution center for Price Chopper is located in Schenectady, and Region 4 ECOs performed a routine inspection at the facility Tuesday, measuring 297 cases of lobsters. ECOs determined that 820 lobsters (approximately 15 percent of the inventory) were under the legal size limit set by the state's Environmental Conservation Law (ECL). At least 105 undersized lobsters have been seized at the other stores, with the total seizure valued at more than $7,000. The law requires lobsters taken, possessed, bought, sold, imported and exported in New York measure between 3 and 3/8-inches and 5 and 1/4-inches from the eye socket to the end of the body shell. Size restrictions have been placed on lobsters, a valuable natural resource, to protect the fishing stock. Over the last several decades, American lobsters have experienced periods of population declines due to overfishing, and allowing lobsters to grow and reach maturity bolsters the stock. Price Chopper faces fines for violations of ECL provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Law of up to $100 for every shellfish involved. DEC will attempt to negotiate a settlement with Price Chopper in the coming weeks. The undersized lobsters were seized and donated to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York in Latham Wednesday. The parliamentary delegation has also met with President El-Sisi, the speaker of the Egyptian parliament, and the ministers of tourism, defence, justice and international cooperation Egyptian Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar discussed security cooperation with a British parliamentary delegation in Cairo headed by MP Gerald Howarth on Thursday, a ministry statement said. The delegation said the British government is eager to develop security cooperation with Egypt in terms of fighting terrorist organisations, and securing airports and ports, according to the statement. A delegation of British aviation experts visited Cairo airport earlier this month for security inspections and is yet to issue a report about security procedures. The British parliamentary delegation arrived in Cairo on Monday for a five-day visit, and have had meetings with President El-Sisi; the speaker of the Egyptian parliament, Ali Abdel-Aal; and the ministers of tourism, defence, justice and international cooperation. The MPs also said the British government looks forward to the resumption of the flow of tourists from the UK. The British government suspended flights from UK airports to Sharm El-Sheikh last year after Russian airliner crashed in Sinai, killing all on board. The ban has yet to be lifted. Abdel-Ghaffar reiterated government statements that fighting terrorism requires international cooperation. Search Keywords: Short link: 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 Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov discussed aviation security measures with his Egyptian counterpart, Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi, the Russian ministry said Friday Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov discussed step-by-step aviation security measures at regular consultations with his Egyptian counterpart, Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi, the Russian ministry said Friday. Sokolov held another round of technical consultations with his counterpart The meeting took place in a constructive atmosphere, the parties again discussed a step-by-step action plan for measures in the field of civil aviation, the ministry said. Sokolov said this week safety experts planned a visit to Egypt to inspect airport security in September. Fathi announced during a visit to Moscow earlier in July that an investigation into Russia's A321 passenger plane crash over the Sinai Peninsula in October 2015 was entering final stages. The plane, operated by the Russian air carrier Kogalymavia and carrying 224 people, was heading to St. Petersburg from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh. Russia's Investigative Committee has officially classified the plane crash as a terrorist attack. Search Keywords: Short link: The ministry has been setting topics for the weekly sermons since 2014 The ministry of religious endowments called on all of its employees, including its leadership, not to speak to the media on the unified pre-written Friday sermons except with the official approval of the head of the religious sector in the ministry if necessary. In a Friday statement, the ministry urged its employees to "stay away from 'controversy'" while calling on the media to report news concerning the sermons from its official website "as it is the only official source of information," MENA reported. The Al-Azhar mosque Friday did not abide by the endowment ministry's standardised sermon entitled Cleanliness is a Civilised Behaviour and intsead gave a different sermon on National Unity and the Rihts of Christians in Islam, as announced on Egypt's top Islamic body Al-Azhar's official website. The Council of Senior Scholars, headed by Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, said the latest move amounts to "freezing religious discourse." The endowments ministry announced two weeks ago that Muslim clerics would be required to read from the same pre-written script during the weekly sermon at Friday prayers, a move aimed at pushing moderate Islamic ideology and combating extremism. The decision already sparked outcry amongst many clerics earlier this month who say scripted sermons would waste an imam's talents and fail to cater to different communities. The ministry of religious endowments has been setting topics for weekly sermons delivered during Friday prayers across the country since 2014. Under the Egyptian constitution, the 1000-year-old seat of Islamic learning, Al-Azhar, is in charge of regulating Islamic preaching and Dawa. The endowments ministry is responsible for administering mosques and Islamic centres. Search Keywords: Short link: The U.S. military is investigating reports that an air strike near Manbij, Syria, on Thursday caused civilian casualties, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants conducted air strikes in the area in the last 24 hours, the statement said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said overnight on Thursday at least 28 people, including seven children, died in air strikes on the village of al Ghandour in the countryside north of Manbij city. The international coalition was believed to have conducted the air strikes, the group said. A U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab alliance, known as the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), has been fighting Islamic State in northern Syria with the support of air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition. The SDF fighters, who quickly took control of the territory surrounding Manbij last month, have in recent weeks taken western parts of the city in slower advances. The anti-Islamic State U.S.-led coalition said last week it was investigating another report of civilian casualties in an air strike near Manbij. Search Keywords: Short link: France's foreign ministry said Friday that humanitarian corridors allowing civilians to escape Syria's besieged east Aleppo were not a "credible solution". "International humanitarian law demands that aid must be sent urgently. The residents of Aleppo must be able to stay home in security and receive all the aid they need," said ministry spokesman Romain Nadal. "In this context, humanitarian corridors, which require residents of Aleppo to leave the city, do not represent a credible response to the situation." Pro-regime forces have surrounded Aleppo's eastern districts since July 17, leaving an estimated 250,000 trapped without reliable access to food or medical aid. Russia, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, on Thursday announced the opening of humanitarian passages for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit the city's rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods. Search Keywords: Short link: Abu Muhammad al Julani, the emir of Al Nusrah Front, delivered a short statement today concerning his organizations future. He read his message in a video that was rebroadcasted by television stations throughout the Middle East, publicly showing his face for first time. In previous appearances on Al Jazeera and other stations, Julanis image was obscured. Julanis group will no longer be known as Jabhat al Nusrah (or Al Nusrah Front), but instead as Jabhat Fath Al Sham (Conquest of the Levant Front). The move is being spun in press reports around the globe as Al Nusrahs official break or split from al Qaeda. But a careful examination of Julanis speech reveals that his wording was nuanced and he never explicitly renounced or truly broke from al Qaeda. Moreover, even if Julani did say that his group had really split from al Qaeda (which he didnt), there is no good reason to believe him. Julani himself noted that Al Nusrahs rebranding was necessary to obscure the vision of its enemies, especially the US and Russia. In addition, al Qaedas leaders have long sought to mask the extent of their influence in order to minimize Western scrutiny. Julani began the talk in which he supposedly broke from al Qaeda by praising al Qaedas most senior leaders for faithfully following in the footsteps of Osama bin Laden. We would like to thank our brothers, the commanders of Al Qaeda in general, Dr. Sheikh Ayman al Zawahiri and his vice [deputy], Sheikh Ahmad Hasan Abu al Khayr especially, may Allah protect them, Julani began his remarks. We thank them for their stance, whereby they gave priority to the interests of the people of Al Sham [Syria], their Jihad, their revolution, as well as their proper assessment of the general benefits [of] the Jihad. This noble stance will be recorded in the annals of history. Ahmad Hasan Abu al Khayr is an Egyptian al Qaeda veteran who is also known as Abu Khayr al Masri. Earlier in the day, Al Nusrah released a message in which Al Masri granted Julani and his men the permission to take whatever steps are necessary to preserve the jihad in the Levant. It is the first time that Al Masri has been identified as Ayman al Zawahiris deputy. Al Masri was held under house arrest inside Iran for years, but was reportedly freed along with several other al Qaeda leaders last year. Jihadists on social media say he is in Syria, which may explain why his message was released directly by Al Nusrah, as opposed to As Sahab, the propaganda arm that handles messages issued by Zawahiri and other al Qaeda leaders based in South Asia. The timing of Al Masris statement also indicates that al Qaedas senior leadership coordinated todays messages. The organizations senior leadership clearly approved of the plan set forth by Julani. Julani continues by praising Zawahiris and Al Masris blessed leadership, as they have been an exemplar of putting the needs of the community and their higher interests before the interest of any individual group. Zawahiri and Masri have practically implemented the words of Sheikh Osama bin Laden (may Allah have mercy on him), Julani claims. Julani goes on to quote bin Laden: The interests of the Ummah take precedence over the interest of any state; the interests of the state take precedence over the interest of any Jamaah (group); the interests of the Jamaah (group) take precedence over any individual. Jabhat Fath Al Sham will supposedly have no affiliation to any external entity After effusively praising al Qaedas senior leadership, Julani announces the creation of his new organization, but only after a lengthy preamble explaining the reasons why. He mentions Al Nusrahs obligations in serving the people of Al Sham and their jihad and Al Nusrahs desire to lighten the weight upon the shoulders of the people, but without compromising or sacrificing our solid beliefs. Julani also says he and his comrades strive to bridge the gaps between the groups of Mujahideen and ourselves, hoping to form a unified body based on Al Shura [consultation] that also unites the masses of the people of Al Sham. Earlier this month, The Washington Post published a version of a proposal that would pave the way for the US and Russia to cooperate against Al Nusrah Front. This and other reports have clearly influenced Al Nusrahs thinking, as several prominent members of the organization took to Twitter to denounce the proposed initiative. Julani argues that Al Nusrahs relaunch is fulfilling the requests of the people of Al Sham to expose the deceptions of the international community, the leaders being the US and Russia, in their relentless bombardment and displacement of the Muslim masses of Al Sham under the pretense of targeting Jabhat al Nusrah, an al Qaeda affiliate. In other words, Al Nusrahs overt relationship with al Qaeda made it easy for Russia and the US to justify bombing Syria. For this reason, others in the Syrian insurgency objected to Al Nusrahs status as an al Qaeda branch. (To date, American airstrikes have mainly targeted individual al Qaeda leaders embedded in Al Nusrahs ranks, not the organizations overall paramilitary force. However, the proposal for cooperation with Russia may have led to a change in that focus.) Julani and Al Nusrahs other leaders are sensitive to the complaint and so they wanted to eliminate this supposed pretext. For the aforementioned reasons, we declare the complete cancellation of all operations under the name of Jabhat Al Nusrah, and the formation of a new group operating under the name Jabhat Fath Al Sham, noting that this new organization has no affiliation to any external entity, Julani says. Press outlets and many analysts seized on this phrasing to argue that Julani had announced Al Nusrahs split, or break from al Qaeda. Some even reported that Julani had thanked commanders of al Qaeda for having understood the need to break ties. But that is not what Julani actually said. His remarks were far more nuanced and require careful analysis. Julani did not explicitly say that Al Nusrah had broken or split from al Qaeda, which is the language used by the press. He made no such claims. Instead, Julani said Jabhat Fath Al Sham would have no affiliation to any external [or foreign] entity. If Julani wanted to argue that he and his men no longer had any ties to al Qaeda, he could have said so. He didnt. And his precise wording allows for a considerable amount of wiggle room. Al Qaeda has a senior leadership cadre and a roster of members inside Syria, meaning al Qaeda itself is not an external entity. In fact, it is possible that Zawahiris top two deputies Abu Khayr al Masri and Saif al Adel are currently in Syria today, or are regularly in the country. (Some senior al Qaeda leaders have been able to move back and forth between Turkey, where they are safe from American drone strikes, and Syria.)* Furthermore, many al Qaeda jihadists will serve in Jabhat Fath Al Shams ranks, ensuring that they are not external to the newly-branded group either. For instance, Ahmad Salama Mabruk, a jihadist who has served Ayman al Zawahiri since at least the 1980s, sat to Julanis right as he spoke. Mabruks decades-long relationship with Zawahiri did not come to an end simply because Al Nusrah has now been rebranded. Mabruk, an Egyptian, is not considered part of an external entity because of his migration to Syria for jihad. Mabruk can be seen to the readers left, Julanis right, in the screen shot below: Then there is the issue of Julanis bayah (oath of allegiance) to Zawahiri. Julani didnt mention it. It is well-established that Zawahiri could allow Julani to end his formal fealty. But Julani did not say that Zawahiri had nullified Julanis bayah, nor did Julani say that he was breaking it. Although Zawahiri is presumably not located in Syria, one could easily envision a scenario in which this wrinkle is explained away. Julani could have easily stated that he was no longer bound to Zawahiri by a blood oath. But he didnt. This is curious for many reasons, especially because al Qaeda and the Islamic State have argued about oaths of allegiance for the past three years. Julanis wording on this point no affiliation to any external entity is similar to the phrasing he reportedly used in a proposal for rebel unity in January. As The Long War Journal reported at the time, Julani said a new group could issue a blanket statement denying any links with parties outside of Syria. But, Julani allegedly said, the statement would not specifically refer to Al Nusrahs al Qaeda ties. This offer apparently didnt go far enough for some in Ahrar in Sham, as some leaders rejected it. Yet, this same formulation is now being trumpeted as an end to al Qaedas relationship with Julani and his men. Al Nusrahs leadership has long sought to unite various rebel factions under a single chain of command. This is why Al Nusrah formed various coalitions throughout Syria, including Jaysh al Fath, which swept through the province of Idlib last year. It is no secret that Al Nusrah and some of its closest battlefield allies in Jaysh al Fath, such as Ahrar al Sham, have received assistance from various actors interested in toppling Bashar al Assads regime. Nations such as Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have bolstered the prospects of Jaysh al Fath and its constituents. Julani now seeks to formally unite some of these same organizations under Jabhat Fath Al Shams banner, but this raises an additional point of tension. Will the new organization eschew the support regional actors external or foreign entities, if you will are willing to offer in the war against Assad? That is highly doubtful, adding yet another reason to doubt that Julani has drawn a firm line. It is worth noting that while many have read external entity as a reference to al Qaeda, it is actually a blanket term that could be interpreted any number of ways. No change in ideology On multiple occasions in the past, Julani has been asked if he was going to break with al Qaeda. He knows this is what many are waiting to hear and yet his wording was still, at the very least, ambiguous. During an interview in Dec. 2015, Julani steadfastly refused to dissociate with al Qaeda. But he added a noteworthy observation. If we remain with al Qaeda or not, we will never give up our principles, Julani said. We will continue to say that we want to empower sharia and will strive to do so. We will [continue with] our jihad and will not make truces or stop a battle with [our] aggressor enemies. In other words, Al Nusrahs ideology would remain unchanged no matter what. Jabhat Fath Al Shams principles are the same as Al Nusrahs. The first goal for the renamed organization is to work toward establishing the religion of Allah, having His sharia (law) as legislation and to establish justice amongst all people, Julani says. It will strive toward unity with all groups and to unify the ranks of the Mujahideen and liberate the land of Al Sham from the rule of the tyrant [Bashar al Assad] and his allies. These have been al Qaedas goals since the war in Syria began. *Note: This sentence explaining that senior al Qaeda leaders have been able to move back and forth between Turkey and Syria was added on July 29. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Al Nusrah Front Al Qaedas largest branch in its history announced yesterday that it was changing its name to the Levant Conquest Front, a group it claimed would have no relationship with any foreign party. As a result, Qatar and some other Gulf states may soon send material support to the organization, a carrot they allegedly offered its leader last year, according to sources cited by Reuters. As these states main security guarantor, Washington may be the only actor capable of urgently deterring them from legitimizing a group that despite its rebranding is still a dangerous, extremist force. Shortly before announcing its new name, Al Nusrah released an audio recording attributed to Abu al Khayr al Masri, whom it identified as al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiris deputy. In it, Al Masri authorized Al Nusrah Front to proceed with that which safeguards the interests of Islam and Muslims, and protects the jihad of the people of the Levant. In a video released soon afterwards via television stations based in Doha and Dubai, Al Nusrahs leader Abu Muhammad al Julani declared his groups rebranding. He did not, however, revoke its leaders pledge of allegiance to Zawahiri or promise that his group would no longer work through Al Qaeda. Members of Al Qaedas senior leadership including likely Al Masri himself have relocated to Syria, so the new Al Nusrah could still report to Al Qaedas leadership without acknowledging foreign ties. Indeed, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper called Al Nusrahs latest announcement primarily a PR move, explaining that time would tell whether it was actually divorcing Al Qaeda. As the Long War Journal has previously documented, Al Qaeda has sought to downplay its relationship with Al Nusrah from the start. However, American and international media are widely interpreting Julanis announcement as a separation from Al Qaeda. Given how this development is being received, there may be reason to fear that Qatar or other Gulf states could imminently take steps to fund the newly-rebranded jihadist organization. In March of 2015, Reuters reported the existence of a Qatari-led attempt to rebrand Al Nusrah in order to provide it with greater support. Citing sources within and close to the group, the article stated that intelligence officials from Qatar and other Gulf states had met Julani more than once in recent months to that end. Although Qatari officials declined to comment for the story, it cited a source close to Dohas foreign ministry who purportedly confirmed that the country was promising Al Nusrah additional support including money and supplies once it cut ties with Al Qaeda. Another Reuters report, from Dec. 2015, noted that Qatar views Al Nusrah as one of the most effective fighting forces in Syria and has sought to moderate it in the hope it could eventually split from al Qaeda and be supplied with arms. A member of Al Nusrah cited by the Wall Street Journal yesterday said that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have pressed for a Nusrah-Qaeda divorce via their allied jihadist militia Ahrar al Sham. The same day, Reuters concluded that Al Masris message could pave the way for greater support to Al Nusrah from Qatar and other Gulf states. Such support could contravene US policy, a multilateral American agreement in the Gulf, and a number of UN Security Council resolutions. Soon after yesterdays news was announced, State Department Spokesperson John Kirby emphasized that they are still considered a foreign terrorist organization because we judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves. Further, Al Nusrah is subject to a binding asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo, which the UN Security Council imposed in 2013 invoking several of its past resolutions on combating terrorism and Chapter VII of the UN charter. Qatar and the other Gulf monarchies are also obligated to the 2014 US-led diplomatic initiative known as the Jeddah Communique. In it, they pledged joint action against all terrorism, including countering financing of ISIL and other violent extremists. There can be little doubt that the rebranded Al Nusrah fits that label, even under its different name. Qatars own record toward Al Nusrah is problematic at best. According to the State Departments Country Reports on Terrorism issued last month, entities and individuals within Qatar continue to serve as a source of financial support for terrorist and violent extremist groups, particularly regional al-Qaida affiliates such as the Nusrah Front. There is still no evidence that Doha, which was labeled a permissive jurisdiction for terror finance in 2014, has convicted a single such individual. In addition, Qatar reportedly allowed commanders of the group to visit Doha for fundraising and military consultations starting in 2012. Americas role as Qatars superpower patron means there may be little the international community can do to preclude the risk of Gulf support to a rebranded Al Nusrah unless Washington takes action first. Further, the US likely only has a short window to lay out the sort of clear penalties that would deter Doha or other Gulf states from directly or indirectly funding the organization. For one, the Obama administration could easily outline how doing so would violate Qatars international commitments. More persuasively, the US could make clear that directly or indirectly sending the group arms or money would be grounds for addition to the list of state sponsors of terrorism, a rarely-used designation that brings with it mandatory statutory penalties. Washington could also announce that it will be devoting intelligence resources to monitor such violations. It could work to confirm that the rebranded group is still subject to UN sanctions and legislate specific penalties at the Security Council for any state that violates such provisions. The US could also explicitly warn allies like Qatar not to take backdoor routes to aiding the organization, such as willfully letting advanced weapons reach it via other rebel militias or negotiating multimillion dollar hostage deals with the group. In addition, the executive branch could signal support for the timely passage of bipartisan legislation under consideration by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to penalize states that fail to stop terrorist groups from fundraising in their territory. As White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed this week, the administration believes Al Nusrah poses a growing threat to Europe and the American homeland. The window for cordoning off that threat may be swiftly slamming shut. David Andrew Weinberg is the Anti-Defamation Leagues Washington Director for International Affairs. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Abu Muhammad al Julani, the leader of Al Nusrah Front in Syria, announced yesterday that his organization will now be known as Jabhat Fath Al Sham. Julanis announcement has caused a lot of confusion in press reporting. You can read our analysis of Julanis speech here. The way Julani and his comrades choreographed the roll out of his announcement demonstrates that al Qaeda is fairly good at public relations. Julanis carefully crafted statement was rebroadcasted by Orient News, Al Jazeera and other outlets. You can watch Julani read his prepared remarks here. Many press outlets have reported that Julani said he and Al Nusrah broke or split from al Qaeda. But the transcript provided by Orient News does not support that conclusion. Some accounts even misquoted Julani, putting words into his mouth he didnt even say. As we noted, Julanis statement was nuanced, didnt include any explicit renunciation of al Qaeda, and was actually filled with praise for al Qaedas senior leadership. He even said al Qaedas leadership shall continue to be an exemplar for how things should be done. Julani did claim that Jabhat Fath Al Sham will have no affiliation to any external entity. But as we explained, that phrasing is deliberately ambiguous and al Qaeda itself is not an external or foreign entity at this point given that much of the organizations senior leadership has relocated to Syria. For example, Julani delivered his remarks while sitting next to a jihadist who has served Ayman al Zawahiri for decades. It is also possible that Zawahiris two top deputies are currently in Syria. For more on this point, see The Long War Journals analysis. Given the confusion over what Julani actually said, The Long War Journal has reproduced the transcript provided by Orient News with only minor edits for clarity. Readers can examine the transcript below for themselves to see if the sweeping reports of a break between al Qaeda and Al Nusrah (now Jabhat Fath Al Sham) is supported by the evidence. Transcript of Abu Muhammad al Julanis speech, as provided by Orient News: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all and may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon His Messenger, Muhammad, his family and his companions. As for what is to follow, to my fellow Muslims everywhere, to the honorable people of Syria: Assalam alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. We would like to thank our brothers, the commanders of Al Qaeda in general, Dr. Sheikh Ayman al Zawahiri and his vice [deputy], Sheikh Ahmad Hasan Abu al Khayr especially, may Allah protect them. We thank them for their stance, whereby they gave priority to the interests of the people of Al Sham, their Jihad, their revolution, as well as their proper assessment of the general benefits [of] the Jihad. This noble stance will be recorded in the annals of history. Their blessed leadership has, and shall continue to be, an exemplar of putting the needs of the community and their higher interests before the interest of any individual group. They have practically implemented the words of Sheikh Osama bin Laden (may Allah have mercy on him), when he said, The interests of the Ummah take precedence over the interest of any state; the interests of the state take precedence over the interest of any Jamaah (group); the interests of the Jamaah (group) take precedence over any individual. We, or the central command of Jabhat Al-Nusrah, in accordance with the general guidelines and directives of the aforementioned leadership, our obligations in serving the people of Al-Sham and their Jihad, lightening the weight upon the shoulders of the people, without compromising or sacrificing our solid beliefs, or laxity in the necessity of the continuity of the Jihad of Al Sham, which we will continue protecting, using all Islamically legitimate means which assist in the attainment of these objectives or ends in the achievement of these lofty goals as we strive to bridge the gaps between the groups of Mujahideen and ourselves, we hope to form a unified body, whose basis is Al Shura [consultation], uniting the masses of the people of Al Sham, liberating their lands, giving victory to their faith and upholding their testimony of faith, fulfilling the requests of the people of Al Sham to expose the deceptions of the international community, the leaders being the US and Russia, in their relentless bombardment and displacement of the Muslim masses of Al Sham under the pretense of targeting Jabhat al Nusrah, an al Qaeda affiliate. For the aforementioned reasons, we declare the complete cancellation of all operations under the name of Jabhat Al Nusrah, and the formation of a new group operating under the name Jabhat Fath Al Sham, noting that this new organization has no affiliation to any external entity. This new organization aims to fulfill the following: [1] To work toward establishing the religion of Allah (swt), having His shariah (law) as legislation, establish justice amongst all people. 2 Strive toward unity with all groups, in order to unify the ranks of the Mujahideen and liberate the land of Al Sham from the rule of the tyrant [Bashar al Assad] and his allies. Allah (swt) said [Koranic verse]: And hold onto the rope of Allah all of you together and do not be disunited. 3 Protect the Jihad of Al Sham and assure its continuity, utilizing all Islamically legitimate means to do so. 4 Strive to serve the Muslims, attending to their daily needs and ease their hardship in every possible way. 5 Ensure security, stability and honorable life for the general masses. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all. Your brother, Abu Muhammad al Julani. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused a top US general of being on the side of Turkey's coup plotters after commenting that the country's turmoil could downgrade military cooperation with Washington. "You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt," Erdogan said in angry remarks at a military centre in Golbasi outside Ankara, where air strikes left dozens dead during the failed putsch on July 15. Quoted by US media, US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel had said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of dozens of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. In particular, Votel suggested the US had lost key Turkish military interlocutors who are now in jail and accused of being behind the coup. "Know your place!" Erdogan told Votel, using one of his favourite expressions of anger. "The coup plotter is already in your country, you are already feeding him," he said, referring to the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who Ankara accuses of being the mastermind of the coup. Turkey is a key member of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria, with its Incirlik air base used as a launch hub for raids on the group. Search Keywords: Short link: Luton is a large town, borough and unitary authority area of Bedfordshire. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 258,000. Luton is home to Championship team Luton Town Football Club, London Luton Airport and The University of Bedfordshire. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. For all the latest news from Luton sign up to our newsletter here. Ellerman House Introduces First-of-its-Kind Diamond Safari The diamond safari' is the first of its kind in South Africa, which has been curated as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This exciting new package, exclusive to Ellerman House guests, is particularly attractive to couples planning an engagement, celebrating an anniversary or a milestone in their lives. Guests will follow the journey of an ocean diamond from its humble origins beneath the surface of the sea to its transformation into a symbol of love and object of beauty.The day-long excursion includes limousine and private air transfers to Port Nolloth with luxury villa, private chef, and gourmet breakfast and lunch accompanied by a selection of wines from Ellerman House's impressive collection. Benguela Diamonds is named after the predominant current, the cold, nutrient-rich Benguela Current, which flows in a northerly direction off the west coast of South Africa. Guests have the unique opportunity of joining the Benguela dive masters under the water where they can actually dive for their own diamond, or be on the boat for when the precious seabed gravel is brought up to the surface.Returning back at Ellerman House, guests round off the day by indulging in the hotel's signature Dom Perignon Experience. As the sun sinks into the ocean, pop the cork on a bottle of vintage Dom Perignon paired to a delicious bento box-style dinner prepared by the executive chef.The diamond safari will be available from September 1, 2016, and is strictly dependent on prevailing weather conditions. Available for a maximum of 6 guests, the trip costs R215,000 and includes the road transfers, return air transfer on a private jet, and all food and beverages including the Dom Perignon Experience at Ellerman House). The price remains the same, regardless whether 2, 4 or 6 guests travel together. Note that the price excludes the cost of any diamonds purchased from Benguela Diamonds and also excludes the cost of designing and manufacturing a piece of jewelry.Originally built for shipping magnate Sir John Ellerman, Ellerman House is located in the exclusive area of Bantry Bay in Cape Town, South Africa encompassing all the comforts of a private residence with the amenities of a luxury hotel. The hotel is situated in a dramatic mountainside setting with panoramic ocean views. An immaculate example of Cape Edwardian architecture and modern chic design, Ellerman House blends authentic hospitality with contemporary luxury and culture.For more information, please contact Ellerman House info@ellerman.co.za. Tel +27 21 430-3200, A maternity hospital supported by Save the Children was bombed Friday in Idlib province of northwest Syria, causing casualties and heavy damage, the Britain-based charity said. "Save the Children supported maternity hospital in #Idlib bombed, casualties reported - numbers unconfirmed," it tweeted. It said the hospital in Kafar Takharim was heavily damaged and left barely operational. Search Keywords: Short link: As someone who seems to live most of his life on the Internet, Ive always appreciated Apples thorough and thoughtful approach to security. The company realizes that we keep all sorts of important stuff in our devices, from our credit card numbers to our super-secret, handed-down-through-seventeen-generations French toast recipes. Hardly the kind of stuff we want plastered all over the world. Like every other technology company, Apple has to weigh the fundamental tradeoff between security and convenience. In general, the higher the level of security, the less convenient it isno surprise there, since making something more difficult for someone else to break into generally means making it more difficult for you, too. Apples security measures are pretty comprehensive, and theyre only getting better. With the latest additions to Apples lineup this fall, the company is getting one step closer to creating an interconnected web of authentication that should hopefully make your device security better and more transparent. The X factors When it comes to security, the safest options rely on a multi-factor authentication approach. That is, you ideally want to be able to prove your identity using not just one piece of information, but several different pieces. Traditionally, there are three types of factors: something you know (such as a password), something you have (such as a key), and something you are (biometrics). Apple has now implemented authentication via all these factors: passwords and passcodes, your mobile phone and Apple Watch, and Touch ID. In general, when you try to take an action that requires authentication, Apple asks for at least one if not more of these factors. For example, the companys two-step verification (and now its two-factor authentication) sends a code to an iOS device or a Mac when you try to log into your iCloud account or make an iTunes purchase from a new device. So, not only do you have to know the password to that account, but you also need to be able to prove that you have the device in question. With Apples new two-factor authentication, thats even further improved, since all your other devices will be alerted, letting you know if someone else is attempting an unauthorized login. My voice is my passport Once the thing of science fiction, biometric authentication has become pedestrian. Logging in to your phone with your fingerprint certainly makes it more convenient, especially when you do it so many times a day, and it allows you to, for example, create a far longer passcode since you hopefully wont have to enter it as frequently. Biometric security comes with its own risks, however. Unlike a password or passcode that can be stored in your memory alone, biometrics relies on something thats easily accessible. You leave fingerprints everywhere, for example, and face-based biometrics can in some cases be circumvented via video. And once compromised, that form of security basically cant be used again: you can change your password if your account is hacked, but you cant really change your fingerprints. Apple Some precautions can be taken to make that harder. For example, when Apple stores your fingerprint for Touch ID, its not actually scanning your fingerprint but storing a series of mathematical measurements and information about it. If that digital informationwhich is stored in the isolated secure enclave on an iOS devices processoris somehow compromised, it would be hard to turn that into something that could be used to create a fake fingerprint. Harder, anyway, than lifting an actual fingerprint from somewhere in your house and creating a fake fingerprint using that. Either way, it does require some degree of dedication. Rumor has it that Apple is investing further in biometrics, possibly including an iris scanner in a future version of the iPhone. If true, presumably it would use much the same methodology as Touch ID. Wear your authentication on your sleeve Apple announced one additional authentication feature debuting this fall. Using watchOS 3, iOS 10, and macOS Sierra, youll be able to unlock your Mac without entering your password when youre wearing your Apple Watch. This is an interesting and somewhat complex web of authentication, which essentially works like this: when you unlock your Apple Watch, you need to enter your passcode on it or on your iPhone. However, the Watch knows when its being worn, and can automatically lock when its removed from the wearers wrist. (There is a workaround, but its a little tricky.) As long as youre wearing your Watch, its considered to be an authenticated token, in the same way that you can use it for Apple Pay as long as its been unlocked. That could open up opportunities for the Watch to be used as an authenticated token in other places, too. Who knows? Maybe someday your Apple Watch will be the key fob for your Apple Car, letting you open the door and start the engine without having to take any actions. Maybe HomeKit-enabled smart door locks will use the Watch to authenticate you to your house. Perhaps you might even be able to watch content you own on a friends Apple TV if it detects your Apple Watch in the vicinity. I have no doubt that seamless security and authentication will continue to be major features that Apple pushes as it continues to improve its existing products and roll out new ones. After all, the company not only likes to boast of the things only its integration between hardware, software, and services can accomplish, but also about its stance on privacy and security. Why not take the opportunity to improve both? Creating community dialogue to combat malaria 29 July 2016 Malaria is one of the most significant health threats in Ethiopia where, in spite of available preventive measures, many people remain unsure of the ways to protect themselves from the threat of this disease. Thanks to Malaria Consortium's Integrated community based interventions for malaria services (ICIMS) project, which uses social mobilisation to spread the word about malaria prevention, infection rates in the project areas of Halaba and Boloso Sore are now dropping. Stocks of anti-malaria drug Coartem at Galato Health Post, Halaba, Ethiopia The district of Halaba is one area in the Southern Nation Nationalities Peoples Region (SNNPR) where malaria was rife, with 100 people on average testing positive for malaria each day during the peak malaria season. Since the beginning of the project, Health Extension Workers, like Yitaysh and Atrzebua, have noticed a significant decrease in the number of people testing positive for malaria. Yitaysh and Atrzebua have worked at the Health Post in the village of Galato, Halaba, for over 10 years. "Since the launch of the ICIMS project, there has been a decrease [in the number of people with malaria] because prevention awareness is done well and people know how to protect themselves. People are also seeking help earlier than before, because they now know that fever is a warning sign," said Yitaysh. Yitaysh and Atrzebua at the Health Post in Galato, Halaba, Ethiopia "Prior to the project, fever was not taken as a serious symptom of malaria. Malaria was seen as the result of superstition, the evil eye. Once the social mobilisation activities began, within 24 hours there was a peak in the number of people coming to the Health Post with fever. Most of those suffering were children," explained Atrzebua. Thanks to the ICIMS project, health extension workers like Yitaysh and Atrzebua have received additional training to educate people about ways to protect themselves from malaria. Their messages are strengthened by the messages shared by children benefitting from anti-malaria school clubs who tell their families how to properly use long lasting insecticidal nets and explain that pregnant women must sleep under nets every night. Thanks to the school clubs, students and communities now have a better understanding about malaria and how to prevent it. The roadshows that visit the community are also a great way to keep the community conversation about malaria going. We think these are the reasons why we are now seeing fewer people with malaria, said Atrzebua. The ICIMS project With the support of the James Percy Foundation, the ICIMS project was designed to support the Ethiopian health system and improve the lives of the community. Malaria represents a significant public health threat in Ethiopia, especially SNNPR where malaria awareness and health seeking behaviour was low. To boost awareness of the threat of malaria, this project encourages community dialogue about malaria and the associated risks. Community roadshows, school anti-malaria clubs and materials accessible to all play a significant role in the dissemination of information about how to prevent malaria. Country: Ethiopia Keywords: Public health communications | Community delivery Related content 29 July 2016 School children spread the word about malaria prevention 7 July 2015 Integrated community-based interventions for malaria services Solar powered mini-media kits support malaria prevention in Ethiopian communities 29 July 2016 During a recent visit to the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia, Malaria Consortium teams visited the Meja Primary School to hear how our awareness raising project has improved both health seeking behaviour and school attendance. Schools are a primary target of the integrated community based interventions for malaria services (ICIMS) project which is promoting malaria awareness and improved health seeking behaviour through the introduction of anti-malaria school clubs. Selected schools without electricity, like Meja Primary School, have been provided with solar panels and battery inverter systems to power mini-media kits. These kits, consisting of a cassette stereo, an amplifier, loudspeaker and microphone are used to share key malaria prevention messages throughout the school day and improve health seeking behaviour. Meja Primary School Prior to the arrival of the ICIMS project in Meja, few children attended the primary school as many worked with their parents in the fields. Rates of malaria were high and health seeking behaviour was poor, with many unsure about the ways to protect themselves from malaria. Thanks to the ICIMS project, not only has there been an increase in the use of long lasting insecticidal nets, but the availability of electricity at the school, use of music and mini media tools has also contributed to a rapid increase in the number of children enrolling in the school. Bedru, 17, explained what the arrival of electricity meant for the school and his community: "Not only is this project reducing rates of malaria, it is boosting school attendance. Now that we have electricity, children want to come to school and even stay after classes to make the most of the electricity and do their homework. Adults in the community have even asked the teachers to stay after school hours to provide classes for them, said Bedru. These classes provide key skills relating to basic literacy and numeracy, health, agricultural practices and other life skills. Teachers also benefit from the advent of electricity as they are now able to avoid lengthy journeys to the town simply to charge their mobile phones. Teachers gather in front of Meja Primary School Malaria represents a significant public health threat in Ethiopia, especially in SNNPR where there has been a lack of malaria awareness and health seeking behaviour. The ICIMS project, funded by the James Percy Foundation, is working to support the Ethiopian health system and improve the lives of the community by boosting awareness of the threat of malaria. This project encourages community dialogue about malaria and its associated risks using school anti-malaria clubs and community roadshows. To read more about Malaria Consortiums work in Ethiopia, click here. Country: Ethiopia Keywords: Public health communications | Maternal, neonatal and child health Related content 29 July 2016 School children spread the word about malaria prevention 7 July 2015 Integrated community-based interventions for malaria services At least 10 civilians were killed, including five children, in air strikes Friday on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province of northern Syria, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three strikes targeted the main road and centre of the town, warning the death toll could rise because of a large number of seriously wounded. It was unclear if Syrian regime warplanes or aircraft of its Russian allies carried out what the Observatory called "a new massacre" that left children dismembered. Search Keywords: Short link: Advent Construction is one of Tanzanias largest and most recognized construction companies. With a workforce of over 1000 staff, Advent's activities are spread all over the country, ranging from large scale civil works in the manufacturing and extracting sector, to 5 star lodges and hotels and everything in between. As one of Tanzanias most respected Class One construction companies, Advent Construction partners with a wide variety of clientele and the company acts as a local representative to various global contracting groups. Interview with Dhruv Jog, Director of Advent Construction Your company has built a very diverse portfolio of cutting-edge factories and educational facilities, mining facilities, residential and hospitality facilities, shopping and commercial complexes, and other very versatile multi-use projects. Could you just commence by telling us the role Advent has played in transforming both the country and the region? Advent is a 21 year old company now and it is a fully Tanzanian, family founded entity. It still works under the umbrella of the founding family, but is now run by a team of astute and experienced professionals. As you mentioned, we have worked across a wide spectrum and have been involved in all sorts of projects. What we have always tried to strive towards, and we believe we have been extremely successful at, is to push the envelope when it comes to quality. The construction sector has seen dramatic growth in Tanzania over the past 10 years, and we have always tried to be at the forefront of this, in terms of pushing for quality and standard compliance. We remain the first and only ISO-certified construction company in Tanzania, and we take that as a testament to our commitment to quality. What we strive to achieve is to increase the overall level of quality in the sector across the country, and thereby encourage other construction companies to 'keep up'. We are quite proud to say that we currently operate at a standard that is at a par with the best global practices when it comes to technology, equipment, speed and quality of construction. Therefore, the industry has seen a paramount change over the last 10 years, and we feel that we have contributed significantly to this. The acceleration in capacity of local construction companies has been explosive over the last 10 years and we are proud to be at its forefront. Tanzania's construction sector is currently witnessing an unprecedented growth phase. And, as demand soars in construction, real estate and the oil and gas projects currently underway, can you provide us with some insights as to how well placed Advent Construction is, in order to really take advantage of this explosion in activity, and could you also outline what projects you are currently working on? We were among the first companies to procure our own in-house batching facility, which means we batch our own concrete; we invest very heavily in R&D, trying to ensure that we absorb and bring over the best global technologies into this market. It's interesting that you mention the Oil and Gas industry. We are the only local construction company that has taken on as much work for this industry as we have done. At one point, we had three projects going on at the same time in Mtwara, in southern Tanzania, with our own regional office. The Oil and Gas industry has somewhat slowed down recently, pending legislative changes and so on, but when the industry was very active in terms of exploration, we did a lot of work for them. The main reason for this is that we were in line with their requirements in terms of quality and compliance. The fact that they stopped using international contractors and started using a local construction company was fantastic for us. Here was proof that we were in line with what they were used to, and the Oil and Gas industry has a very high threshold when it comes to performance. We have received written accolades and bonuses for early completion as well as perfect adherence to HSSE standards in the stringent OnG market. Advent Construction is the first and only ISO-certified construction company in Tanzania I just wanted to come onto that now, namely the issue of Advent construction having always been at the vanguard of new construction technologies. Can you share with us the ways in which Advent has really 'moved the dial' and the role the company has played in terms of enhancing overall quality standards in Tanzania? I can give you the example of safety standards. We were the first local construction company to have a dedicated Health and Safety department. We make use of best practices when it comes to Health and Safety on-site, throughout our various job locations, whether in our Head Office, on our batching and steel fabrication yards, or on the projects themselves. So, we have always been consciously committed to ensuring that we are at the forefront of whatever technology is available. For instance, we were among the first companies to procure our own in-house batching facility, which means we batch our own concrete; we invest very heavily in R&D, trying to ensure that we absorb and bring over the best global technologies into this market - as you will appreciate that back-up services and the like are not always readily available to us in this environment, we therefore also have a wide base of activities we engage in across our supply chain from materials sourcing and procurement, all the way through to quality control mechanisms and testing laboratories. So you are quite vertically-integrated? Absolutely. As opposed to the global norm of construction companies being very lean on their balance sheets, we operate differently. We own all our own assets, which means that we have to focus across the spectrum of construction activity. This not only includes construction plant and equipment, but also research and development, concrete batching, and so forth, as well as in-house testing laboratories on most of our job sites, i.e. sample testing laboratories that ensure quality assurance and control. And you currently work, as you mentioned, across a very diverse range of economic sectors: Oil & Gas, state and state-owned enterprises, as well as a mixture of corporate and private clients. Can you tell us what your projections are as to how you expect this mix to evolve in the medium to longer term, over the next 5 to 10 years or so? And, by extension, what this as a 'bellwether' will actually tell us, in terms of what we may possibly extrapolate, as to the growth and development of Tanzania's overall economy? We are in a very interesting phase at this moment in time. This is something of a transition phase, where we have a new government that is very serious about putting us on the global map. The government has taken drastic steps towards resolving some of the issues that have been holding Tanzania back over the past decade or so. There has been absolute non-tolerance towards graft, while promoting transparency and accountability, which are fantastic things and help put Tanzania on the map. As a result of this, the kind of investment coming into the country has seen something of a change towards industrial and infrastructure related projects. But the good news is that there is more investment coming in now than there ever has been. The government is very keen on developing infrastructure, which aims to increase the strength of our economy. We are going through a phase where we are seeking to industrialise the country, in the interests of being independent and self-sufficient in the long run, without requiring as much import input as we currently do. What we are seeing now as a construction company that is somewhat indicative of where the industry is going, is that there are more industrial projects coming into the pipeline. Infrastructure projects are also rising in prominence. Besides that, we are witnessing large-scale urbanisation, which means that there is a huge influx of people coming into Dar es Salaam every day. As such, we have a shortage in housing, which means that the housing market is picking up and funding is becoming available to regular Tanzanians, with mortgage facilities increasingly on offer. Housing therefore represents a humongous opportunity. In addition, there are all the other things that come with urbanisation, such as hospitals, shopping centres, retail and so on. All of that, coupled with some very large Gas based industries that are set to come onto the market which require heavy civil construction are all projects that are now being put into the pipeline and we foresee that the next 10 to 15 years will be extremely busy. Advent Construction is one of Tanzanias largest and most recognized construction companies In terms of some of the major hurdles and challenges that you are faced with within Tanzania's construction sector, do you feel that there is a sufficiently technically-skilled workforce here that you are able to draw on, and how challenging an operational environment is Tanzania more generally? You have just picked up on one of the two major challenges that we have to deal with. One is the issue of local skill availability, which is a challenge that you face in every emerging economy. We do not have the experience as a country, and therefore as individuals to draw from. So, if you want to build a complex skyscraper, for instance, this has not been done in the country before, which means that we lack the required experience to do it. Do we have the ability to do it? Yes we do, but in the short term what that sometimes means is that we have to spend a little bit more of our time and resources on training locally-available skill, in order to get them up to par with the standards required. We have been quite successful in doing this, I must say, and we have seen how locally available skill has shown incremental achievement. With that in mind, what is your view on how much more the government should be doing to invest; particularly in educating Tanzania's engineers, in order to be able to cope with new world trends and changing Science and Technology, in terms of the Civil Engineering and Construction sector more generally? If you look at things from a strictly quantitative angle, we do not in fact have a shortage in the number of engineers available. It is more to do with the on-site experience and training that these engineers require. Therefore, the government is taking solid steps to make sure that they churn out the right number of engineers. What would be a little more useful for us to encourage as a construction company would be skilled tradespeople, who could actually work under these engineers and achieve the quality of work that we require. Recently, in the past few months, the government has invested in that sector. Engineers need tradespeople to work under them. Engineers by themselves can't really achieve a great deal, and this is an area where the industry needs to be formalised a little more. The government is taking steps towards that. Obviously, this is not an overnight process, so it will take a few years by the time the first well qualified tradespeople hit the market. But we are quite confident that what the government is doing is going to be helpful in the long run. Of how much concern to your business is the influx of so many Chinese construction companies tendering for work in Tanzania? We have seen projects teeming with Chinese construction members all over Dar es Salaam. Are you worried that these Chinamen are going to come along and eat your lunch, as it were? And from what perspective should Tanzanian authorities perhaps begin to impose a marginal preference for local contractors, particularly with regards to public sector works? You will recall that a few minutes ago I mentioned that there were two key challenges we are faced with. This is the second challenge. We operate in a free market. Obviously, anybody is welcome to compete Tanzania, and in some cases this has helped us push the boundaries of what we can deliver. Competition is healthy for the environment. However, in some cases what happens is that many of these Chinese construction companies are state-owned, which means they have access to subsidised funding and supply of materials, in terms of the pricing of the goods that they bring in. This hurts the industry, because local privately-owned companies don't have access to such subsidies. The private sector naturally can't be forced to provide a margin of preference, but it would definitely be helpful if government sector projects could offer a margin of preference for local contractors, by ensuring that local Tanzanian companies such as ours are able to benefit and get the kind of impetus that we require to achieve growth. At the moment, we are competing in a somewhat unfair kind of landscape, in that we do not enjoy the same level of support that some of these Chinese companies have. It is intuitively counterproductive for government funds to be directed towards foreign firms that expatriate much of these funds to their home country where they buy their material, equipment and import labour from. Not only does it result in direct loss of free flowing funds from the economy, but the opportunity cost that local companies suffer as a result of this is unimaginable. Advent Construction has activities spread all over the country I have met with a number of construction companies in Africa. Generally, the consensus is also that their standard of workmanship is rather below par and shoddy. You have obviously placed much emphasis on attempting to enhance quality and standards, so is this also a concern? Absolutely. It would be unfair to say that every Chinese construction company does shoddy work, which is untrue. However, as an industry norm, the quality of Chinese construction companies would certainly tend to be more questioned than in our case. I believe this stems from past performance, to be quite honest, and I am pretty sure that they are taking some steps to try and fix that. But for us as a company, our corporate philosophy is to always put quality and reliability first, and this is the point that we try and drive home. Yes, there may be less expensive suppliers out there, for our product or service - however you decide to look at it. But we guarantee quality, and so we are not extremely keen on encouraging the Chinese to increase the level of quality that they deliver, because that's our USP (unique selling proposition). We try and drive that across to our clients, so that clients who are more serious about quality will come to Advent first. What do you think the long-term implications are for the country's economy if the government fails to put in place any protectionist measures? That's certainly a question that is forever crossing private companies' minds. Protectionist measures are sometimes looked at as being unfair, but they are necessary; especially if the company that we are competing with enjoys subsidies that we don't. If it were simply a foreign company wishing to expand into Tanzania, they are by all means welcome. But if the government doesn't offer us the right kind of support we require, in the long run Tanzania will suffer as a country. Some private companies are not as large, and therefore as resilient, as Advent might be. The smaller companies will be the first affected, either by being absorbed or being forced to shut down due to being uncompetitive. And if that were to happen, it will eventually affect the local market, as it would affect their suppliers and their workforce. In the long run, even larger companies may be forced to scale down operations in Tanzania due to unfair competition and take their presence to other, more growth friendly regional environments. A crowding-out effect? Absolutely. These Chinese companies also tend to import the materials they use. They don't buy locally, so there is no linkage into the value chain. Even the technicians and the workmen are brought in from overseas. Correct? Typically, what you will see on most Chinese construction projects is that there is a large number of Chinese individuals, and a large amount of Chinese materials being used on the project. I'm not an expert on the subject, but we understand that there is a requirement for the state-owned companies to use as much Chinese labour and material as they possibly can. Coupled with the fact that the majority of their building materials is also imported, the net positive impact of their presence on the ground is negligible and in fact, assists in the outflow of Tanzanian resources and capital. There is little to no skills transfer taking place and instead of leaving a positive incrementally growth oriented legacy, most of these companies end up packing up and leaving the country after making the most of its resources and available projects. Advent Construction is one of Tanzanias most respected Class One construction companies So would you say that this leaves little room for a multiplier effect? Well, it's surprising how this works out, but government or parastatal projects basically involve Tanzanian taxpayers' money being spent on Chinese companies, where a large chunk of that money leaves the country to procure equipment or material elsewhere. This is counter-productive and does not exactly encourage or stimulate growth among local companies. And are you now looking to partner with any other construction companies larger than yourselves, essentially as a way of ensuring your continued growth? Absolutely. We already represent some of the world's largest construction groups, with whom we have worked closely in the past and continue to do so, including European companies and regional South African companies. They are very comfortable when it comes to working with Advent, because we generally stand for what their corporate values are. We do intend to sustain these kinds of relationships, as we learn a good deal from these large companies and they also bolster our resources in certain cases, thus enabling us to take on projects that are larger than have been carried out before. In a growing economy, there's always the challenge of the next project being much larger than the previous one, and at times you require assistance from more experienced companies. Finally, we understand that Advent also now has operations in Mozambique? Are there any further international expansion plans on the cards across eastern and central African countries? We are a relatively conservative company, bearing in mind that we are 100% privately-owned and Tanzanian. As such, we are relatively modest when it comes to expanding. However, Mozambique was a fantastic market for us to get into and we did that about two years ago. Ideally, we would like to consolidate our Mozambican operations and bring them up to a stage similar to that of our Tanzanian operations. Once we achieve that, we definitely aim to move into at least one or two more countries in the region. We have looked at Rwanda and Uganda in the past, so we plan to move into one more country within the next 2-3 years. But cautiously? Yes, we want to make sure that we do so as 'close to the chest' as possible, in the hope of ensuring that the same things Advent is known for in Tanzania continue to remain the case in Mozambique, in terms of our quality and reliability - and in any other country we venture into. We would like to avoid explosive growth at the expense of the company's core values. Freight rates for shipping containers from ports in Asia to Northern Europe jumped 58 percent to $1,125 per 20-foot container (TEU) in the week ending Friday, a person with access to data from the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index told Reuters. The rise in freight rates on the world's busiest route came after major container shipping companies started to implement earlier announced price hikes around August 1. The shipping industry has been battling overcapacity linked to a glut of new vessels ordered during a boom period before the global financial crisis of 2007-2009. In the week to Friday, container freight rates increased 51 percent from Asia to ports in the Mediterranean, 2 percent to ports on the U.S. West Coast and 12 percent to ports on the U.S. East Coast, the person said. Maersk Line, the global market leader with a market share of around 15 percent and part of Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk, said in May its profit in the first quarter fell 95 percent from a year earlier to $37 million due to weak demand and record low freight rates. Reporting by Ole Mikkelsen U.S. drillers this week added oil rigs for a fifth consecutive week, Baker Hughes Inc said on Friday, but the oilfield services provider and some analysts cast doubts on a substantial recovery in drilling this year with crude prices heading for their biggest monthly loss in a year. Drillers added three oil rigs in the week to July 29, bringing the total rig count up to 374, compared with 664 a year ago, according to the closely followed Baker Hughes weekly report. U.S. crude futures have slipped below $41 a barrel for the first time since April, pressured by persistently high inventories. The market was on track for a monthly loss of about 15 percent, and is down about 20 percent from highs over $50 in early June when drillers started returning to the well pad. "I believe oil prices in the upper $50s at a minimum are required for a sustainable recovery in North America," Baker Hughes Chief Executive Martin Craighead said on a conference call on Thursday. Bigger rivals Schlumberger Ltd and Halliburton Co last week both said they expected a modest recovery in North American activity. "I don't subscribe to the hopeful commentary," Craighead said. Analysts and producers said $50 a barrel was the key level that would prompt a return to the well pad after the biggest price rout in a generation prompted a slump in the oil rig count since it peaked at 1,609 in October 2014. Since early June when U.S. crude prices tipped above $50, drillers have added 55 oil rigs before this week. A similar price rally last year to over $60 in May-June spurred drillers to add 47 rigs in July to August. But that return to the well pad was shortlived as prices fell to 12-year lows near $26 by February, resulting in the rig count tumbling by 359 between September 2015 and May 2016. "If oil prices continue to fall, rigs will turn down with the price," James Williams, President of WTRG Economics in Arkansas said in a report written this week when crude was trading at $43. He said $43 was "close to the point" the rig count could turn down, but noted there would likely be a one- to two- month lag before the count actually declines because it takes time to acquire needed permits, rigs and crews. "We anticipate slow rig growth. However, that is with all of the caveats about oil prices, which must stay at or above the current level," Williams said. Over the long-term, analysts still expect drilling to pick up with futures for calendar 2017 trading above $46 and 2018 near $49. Analysts at Simmons & Co, energy specialists at U.S. investment bank Piper Jaffray, forecast the total oil and natural rig count would average 492 in 2016, 686 in 2017 and 964 in 2018. The total oil and gas rig count bottomed at 404 in mid May, the lowest level since at least 1940, and increased by one to 463 in the week ended July 29, according to Baker Hughes data. In 2015, the total rig count averaged 978. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Marguerita Choy) One police officer has died and another remains in surgery after being shot in a San Diego neighborhood, authorities said early Friday. The San Diego Police Department gave an update on the officers on its Twitter account, but offered no additional details. There was no immediate word on what touched off the violence, which occurred around 11 p.m. PDT Thursday in the southeastern part of town. Police searched the area for suspects and urged residents to stay indoors. Video footage showed officers out in force with numerous squad cars with emergency lights flashing lining a street, officers on foot, and a helicopter buzz overhead. Police spokesmen did not immediately return calls for further comment, but the department said in a Twitter posting that one suspect was in custody and other possible suspects were being sought. The shooting comes with law officers around the country on alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. Search Keywords: Short link: Libyan oil exports from closed ports should resume in no more than one to two weeks after a deal was signed between the government and an armed brigade controlling the terminals, President Council member Mousa Alkouni told Reuters on Friday. "I think the resumption depends now on technical part... and I think too it will happen from a week to two weeks, but not more," he said. He said the agreement included payment of salaries to oil guards controlling the ports. Ras Lanuf and Es Sider ports have been closed since December 2014 and are controlled by commander Ibrahim al-Jathran's Petroleum Facilities Guards, one of the scores of brigades operating in Libya since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. (Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; writing by Patrick Markey, editing by David Evans) In contrast to the substantial numbers of reported incidents across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean in recent years, maritime crime now appears to have stabilised in these regions according to the latest Q2 maritime crime statistics released by Dryad Maritime today. There have been 34 incidents of maritime crime and piracy reported across Southeast Asia during the second quarter of 2016, taking the total for the first half of the year to 49. This is a 66% reduction for the half yearly total when compared to the first six months of 2015. However, despite the global downturn, maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and Sulu Sea continues to give cause for concern with kidnap for ransom the main threat. The Gulf of Guinea is now widely regarded as the most dangerous region in the world for seafarers and was designated a Pirate Danger Area by Dryad Maritime in April 2016. Since then the area has seen a continuation of high levels of piracy throughout the second quarter of the year. Indeed, April 2016 was the busiest month on record with 14 attacks occurring off the Niger Delta; resulting in the kidnap of 10 crew from three vessels as far as 110 NM from shore. Ian Millen, Chief Operating Officer, Dryad Maritime; The maritime crime picture at the half year point is very similar to the one we reported a few months ago. In some regions we continue to see significant progress as anti-piracy measures take effect and maritime crime de-escalates, but in others, violent crime and piracy continue. The Gulf of Guinea and Sulu Sea continue to give cause for concern with criminal gang and terrorist related kidnap respectively, but the situation in the wider Southeast Asia region is much better. In the Indian Ocean, we are witnessing a period of de-escalation as ship owners are placing less reliance on armed security in favour of information-based risk mitigation. Whilst the welcome containment of Somali piracy has come about as a result of a comprehensive, joined-up approach, including naval forces and embarked armed guards, we are very mindful of the fact that the situation at sea can change rapidly. In short, avoiding complacency and remaining vigilant is as important today as it was in years gone by, as any material change in the risk/reward ratio for Somali pirates could result in further hijacks of those that fail to prepare well or are reckless in straying too close to Somali shores. Other areas continue to give mariners cause for concern; from the conflict in Libya, Syria and Yemen to the humanitarian crisis of Mediterranean migration, there is plenty to occupy the minds of those with a duty of care to seafarers and passengers alike. Our advice is to encourage all to build the best possible awareness, thereby reducing uncertainty and enhancing preparation. Navios Maritime Midstream Partners LP (NAP) has reported second-quarter earnings of $5.9 million. It says revenue for three month period ended June 30, 2016 increased by $4.3 million to $22.7 million. The company said it had net income of 28 cents per share. The operator of contracted crude oil tankers posted revenue of $22.7 million in the period. Angeliki Frangou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Navios Midstream stated, We are pleased to report $16.4 million of EBITDA and $5.9 million of net income for the second quarter of 2016, representing increases of 17.5% and 9.2%, respectively, over the prior comparable period. We recently announced a distribution of $0.4225 per unit, representing an annual distribution of $1.69 per unit and a current yield of approximately 13%. Our total unit coverage was 1.14x for the quarter. The company has currently contracted out 100% of its available days for 2016 and 2017 and 99.4% days for 2018. Average expected daily charter-out rate for fleet is $42,707, $39,559 and $39,587 for 2016, 2017, 2018, respectively Elomatic Ltd and Deltamarin Ltd have signed a tri-party engineering contract with shipbuilder MV Werften for the design of Star Cruises new Global Class mega passenger ship, which, once completed, will be the largest passenger vessel ever built in Germany. The new cruise liner will measure over 340 meters long, 45 meters wide and have a gross register tonnage of 200,001. The general arrangement plans for the Global Class cruise ships were completed with Foreship Oy (Foreship) in June following Genting Hong Kongs purchase of the MV Werften shipyards in April. Signed by all parties on July 28, 2016, the contract is the largest in both Elomatics and Deltamarins histories. It includes large parts of the basic and detailed design of the vessel, and in total represents 860 man-years. The contract value has not been disclosed. The scope of work for Elomatic and Deltamarin both based in Turku, Finland includes engineering for the basic and detail design phases in all engineering disciplines. The two companies will also assist the shipyard during the construction with technical site services. Elomatic CEO, Patrik Rautaheimo, and Deltamarin Managing Director, Mika Laurilehto, said the engineering contract makes it easier for Finnish suppliers and turnkey companies to participate in the project, which represents a boost for the whole marine cluster in Finland. Previous cruise ship experience for Foreship, Elomatic and Deltamarin includes the development of the 223,000 gross ton Oasis of the Seas and the 225,000 gross ton Allure of the Seas. Jarmo Laakso, Managing Director of MV Werften, called the contract signing with Elomatic and Deltamarin a major milestone in the delivery schedule of the Global Class series. The project is expected to last almost four years, with steel cutting set to begin in late 2017 and delivery to Star Cruises scheduled for 2020. GasLog Partners LP has released its financial results for 2Q16, boasting a profit of US$17.38 million 38% higher than in 2Q15. Its demand outlook for LNG carriers with long-term charters remains positive. The company also generated US$49.64 million in revenue 51% higher than 2Q15 and an EBITDA of US$35.56 million also 51% higher than 2Q15. Gaslog Partners LP says for Q2, gaslog partners has declared a cash distribution of $0.478 per unit. Its says quartely earnings per unit $0.52. The CEO of the company, Andrew Orekar, said: We are pleased to report another quarter of strong financial results for GasLog Partners. Revenue, EBITDA, and distributable cash flow were in line with our expectations and include the impact of Methane Rita Andrea's scheduled dry-docking. The Partnership has no additional scheduled dry dockings until 2018." "In the shorter term market, spot market rates through 2016 have plateaued around multi-year lows. Whilst it is too early to predict a sustained increase in the spot market, there has been a marked uptick in spot charter terms in recent weeks, with slightly improved freight rates and the ability to achieve round-trip economics on a more frequent basis," says a staement from the company. Cancelled order part of Statoil's Bressay project. South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd on Friday said a 1.58 trillion won ($1.41 billion) order placed in 2013 for a fixed oil production platform has been cancelled. The shipbuilder said in a regulatory filing that the cancellation would have no effect on its balance sheet as no costs had been incurred. A company spokesman also said the order had not been factored into any earnings forecasts. Daewoo Shipbuilding said a European company placed the order and had cancelled due to deterioration in its global operating environment. The cancelled order was an option in a contract signed with Norway's Statoil ASA as part of the Bressay oil development project on Britain's continental shelf, said a person with direct knowledge of the matter, who declined to be identified as the information was private. The Daewoo Shipbuilding spokesman declined to comment on the counterparty beyond the content of the filing. A Statoil spokesman did not provide immediate comment. A drop in oil prices since mid-2014 has led to cancellations for many planned offshore oil facilities, as well as delays and contract renegotiation for facilities under construction as their hefty price tags became prohibitive. ($1 = 1,122.9900 won) (Reporting by Joyce Lee The first liquefied natural gas vessel from the lower 48 U.S. states is on its way to China, according to a Reuters interactive map on Friday, the latest sign that the expanded Panama Canal is allowing U.S. exports to reach the world's top LNG buyers in Asia. Royal Dutch Shell's Maran Gas Apollonia loaded up with gas at Cheniere Energy Inc's Sabine Pass LNG export plant in Louisiana, the map showed. It passed through the canal earlier this week and was moving northwest up the west coast of Mexico on Friday afternoon. Shell does not disclose the destination of its vessels, company spokesman Ray Fisher said. LNG experts at energy data provider Genscape confirmed the ship's destination was China, but said that could change. China's fast-growing demand for gas, to help alleviate high levels of pollution from burning coal, has outstripped its domestic supply since 2007, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. The Panama Canal shaves distances between export plants dotted along the Gulf of Mexico and Asia to 9,000 miles (14,484 kilometres) from 16,000, allowing U.S. producers to better compete in one of the world's biggest gas consuming markets. Since Sabine Pass started exporting gas in February, 20 ships have picked up about 65.9 bcf of gas from the facility, based on the capacity of the tankers. So far, gas from Sabine has been delivered to South America, India, the Middle East and Europe. The United States, which has been exporting LNG to Asia from Alaska since 1969, has not shipped gas directly to China at least since 1973, according to federal energy data going back that far. The United States, however, did re-export some gas from at least one other country to China in 2011, according to the federal data. A surge in U.S. gas production from the shale revolution stimulated billions of dollars of investment in building LNG export terminals, transforming the country from an importer of LNG to an exporter of the fuel. By 2019, the United States is expected to be pumping out around 60 million tonnes of LNG annually. So far only Sabine Pass is exporting LNG from the lower 48 states and output will double to 9 million tonnes per annum as Cheniere adds a second production line later this year. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Richard Chang) In a development first reported by Forbes on Thursday, scheduled delivery of the first Offshore Patrol Cutter, Argus, from Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Fla., may be affected by the discovery of Around 90 migrants on Friday ended a days-long hunger strike they had staged at Serbia's border with Hungary in a bid to be allowed to continue their journey across the closed frontier, the UN refuge agency said. The migrants, mostly young men from Afghanistan and Pakistan, arrived at the Horgos crossing at the weekend to protest against the closure of Hungary's border and tough new measures introduced this month to tighten security. Last Friday some 300 migrants set off on foot from the Serbian capital Belgrade, around 200 kilometres (124 miles) south. But only about 90 arrived at the border and went on hunger strike. According to their leader, some protesters had health problems due to the hot summer weather while also the "response to their demands was not what they have expected," a spokeswoman for UNHCR in Serbia told AFP. "They were hoping to go through (to Hungary), but nevertheless they managed to be heard at least." The migrants were to be transferred to reception centres in Serbia later on Friday, she added. The protesters staged their hunger strike just 300 metres (yards) away from a makeshift camp with several hundred migrants and refugees. Serbia lies on the so-called Balkan route taken by hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa since last year on their way to western Europe. Although the route was effectively shut down in March, migrants have continued to cross the region in smaller numbers, often with the help of smugglers. The number of migrants blocked inside Serbia has grown significantly since Hungary introduced tough new measures this month to stop them crossing the border. According to UNHCR in Serbia, there are currently around 3,600 migrants in the country, most of them in makeshift camps along the Hungarian border. Earlier this month Belgrade decided to launch joint police and army patrols to beef up its borders. Serbian authorities said recently that 102,000 migrants had been registered since the start of the year -- more than 500 a day. In Serbia's southern neighbour Macedonia, army and police prevented some 18,000 illegal entries since March, President Gjorge Ivanov said Thursday. Despite the closing of the Balkan route, the army noticed an "increased number of illegal (entry) attempts, as well as illegal trafficking of migrants through our territory," Ivanov said, quoted by state-run MIA news agency, while visiting the southern border with Greece. Search Keywords: Short link: Editors' note: MarketMinder does not recommend individual securities. The below simply represent a broader theme we wish to highlight. "All things being equal, one would expect that on the margin there would be a reduction in foreign direct investment given that level of uncertainty." So said BoE chief Mark Carney in early March, when he testified before Parliament's Treasury Select Committee about the risks of a vote to Brexit. He wasn't alone. The IMF, London School of Economics and a few dozen other economists and financial luminaries were sure Brexit would hit foreign and domestic investment alike, as uncertainty and a weak pound scared away capital. Yet so far, five weeks later, there isn't much evidence they were right. UK assets are in high demand, and investors globally seem eager for a piece of the growing pie. The fun started during the week after the referendum, when negative sentiment was at its peak. Chinese telecom firm Huawei, which in 2012 announced plans to invest over 1 billion in Britain by 2017, reaffirmed its commitment. Its R&D centers in Ipswich and Bristol aren't going anywhere. Simultaneously, France's government and state-owned utility, EDF, said the vote will have no bearing on their plans to build the infamous 18 billion nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point. (UK Prime Minister Theresa May has since delayed approval of the project, but that's domestic political gamesmanship, not an indictment from foreign investors.) And in an amusing turnabout, German industrial giant Siemens first warned it might rethink some UK investments after the vote, then changed its mind two weeks later. Sentiment is sure funny. Things really got cooking in July, when Japanese telecom giant SoftBank announced it would buy Cambridge-based chip designer ARM for a cool 32 billion-a 43% premium over its share price at the time-in an all-cash deal. And this isn't a "buy the firm and move everything over to Japan" deal. They plan to double ARM's UK-based operations over the next five years and keep R&D in Britain. In or out of the EU, SoftBank decided the UK should be their tech gateway to Europe. They aren't alone: Foreign firms have bought 59 other UK companies since the vote. Most of the deals are small, and the number is down a bit from the 79 foreign acquisitions during the month before the vote, but a deal is a deal. If a few dozen foreign firms believe in Britain's post-Brexit prospects, that is a pretty darned inspiring vote of confidence. So is the revelation that in the month after Brexit, UK startups attracted about $200 million from venture capitalists the world over. While that's down from the same period in 2015, this seems less tied to Brexit, as it's in line with a global VC funding slowdown. Venture capital is down year-over-year in the US, too. So don't get hung up on the difference versus 2015-just know funders see plenty of upside in new UK tech firms. Brexit hasn't derailed a certain in-progress megamerger, either. Just the opposite! Days after SoftBank's big splash, Belgium's AB InBev raised its offer for Britain's SABMiller to compensate shareholders for volatility in the pound. Yes, rather than try to push for a bargain, the Belgian brewer forked over some extra cash to ensure it could seal the deal and establish a strong UK foothold. After a bit of dithering, SABMiller accepted the bid Friday morning. (No word on whether the board sealed it over a few pints, but I secretly hope so.) Domestic firms are still eagerly investing, too. GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the UK pharma giant, just announced plans to invest 275 million at three domestic manufacturing sites. UK cybersecurity firm BAE Systems' pension fund arranged a 35 million deal to invest in local retirement housing. Insurance firm Legal & General announced it's on the hunt for property development deals in Wales. Investors are also still gobbling up UK Gilts-which also wasn't supposed to happen, according to the BoE et al. Supposedly, Her Majesty's Treasury would depend on the "kindness of strangers," who would demand an astronomical premium to lend to a Brexit-bound UK. Welp, at the four Treasury auctions since the referendum, the opposite happened. All were oversubscribed at lower yields. The 10-year Gilt auction on July 7 saw bids for 2.3 times the amount available, at a 0.912% yield. Two weeks later, investors bid a 24-year bond with a 4.5% coupon so high that the yield at the average accepted price was just 1.6%. In other words, the thing sold for over 50% above face value. Since when do kind strangers do that? Of course, it hasn't all been rosy. Sir Richard Branson claimed his Virgin Group shelved an acquisition due to the referendum, and one of the big four banks just announced 3,000 job cuts, citing Brexit. (We aren't 100% convinced Brexit is the full story, considering the same bank already had cost-cutting plans and has repeatedly cut jobs since 2008.) But those are the exceptions, not the rule. There is always some give and take, but overall and on average, investors see plenty of opportunities in the UK. As for that widely discussed "stampede" out of UK funds, don't overrate fund flows. For every seller, there is a buyer, and with the MSCI UK Index up nicely since the vote, demand for UK stocks is clearly alive and well. As we wrote earlier this week, it's still far too early to draw sweeping conclusions about Brexit's economic impact. But evidence is trickling in, and thus far, it isn't apocalyptic. Even if you're still sad about Brexit from a sociological standpoint, as far as the UK economy and markets are concerned, there are plenty of reasons for optimism. Church is under the stars at Mount Hermon Church of the Brethren in Bassett. The congregation and others are now worshipping and holding activities at its new Pneuma Pit, an outdoor worship site. The stone and concrete area features stone podiums, a fire pit and torches up front, and a curved area with four tiers of seating around it. It can accommodate 300 people comfortably. "Its a vision for outreach for the entire community," said Pastor Noel Naff, "a way to bridge for people who may not come into the building or into a church, but would be able to experience God outside in a place such as the Pneuma Pit." The Pneuma Pit provides an innovative way of worship, he said. "Pneuma" is Greek for "spirit" or "soul." "We feel like churches are just kind of in a rut, and theyre not creative enough and you dont meet the spiritual needs enough," he said. The Pit is part of creating "more ways to get people involved." One hundred eighty people came to the Pits dedication, held on the last Sunday evening in June. By the end of the service, it was nighttime, and the flames of the torches and fire pit provided the light. "It was awesome," Naff said. "You could truly feel the spirit" at the dedication. A few other local pastors attended the dedication service. "They were all commenting on how you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, the majesty, the awe, the mystic of the Lord; his presence was there. "Everyone felt it, and that was so amazing itself, I thought. The beauty that surrounds it, its just amazing. We had a time of feet-washing and also a time of being consumed by God, where they put a stone into the fire pit and we read Hebrews where it said God is consuming fire, and I think that was very powerful for people." Heather Minter was one of the people who put a blue glass stone in the pit. "Pastor Naff spoke to us about letting the fire of the Lord consume us," she said. "We all went up to the pit and placed our problems, worries, fear, et cetera in the pit, symbolizing that we give it to the Lord, for His fire to consume us and take over." Many uses are planned for the space, Naff said: "Weddings are already booked, concerts, different events Were just trying to have a place for people to come and meditate and just experience the presence of the Lord in a place where its kind of a neutral place for them." Member Heather Minter said her Sunday school teacher, Amy Scott, and the Rev. Eric Hairston, pastor of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, will be married there on Aug. 6. The church uses the site twice a month for worship and special events such as movies, storytelling and concerts. It also would be a good site "for fundraisers like Relay for Life, for Alzheimers (disease groups) or something on that realm," Naff said. "As far as I know, it is one of a kind for this area," Minter said. "Our hope is that this facility can be used for all types of events." "This has been about 18 months in the making, from drawing up the plans and the vision to it being done," Naff said. The World Changers Sunday School class raised the funds for the project and saw it to completion. Engineer Chris Waller, who led the project, "has been an inspiration for our church," Naff said. "He took on this project out of faith. He saw the vision with our Sunday school class." Though hes not a building contractor, Waller agreed to coordinate the steps of the project because "everybody was just so outrageous in bidding that he came along and did it," Naff said. "He went by faith rather than just money, and that was a huge thing and a help to us as well. He stuck with it, he worked on it and kept working on it even when the help wasnt there." Naff said the project had bad experiences with some subcontractors who would start part of it, then leave before their task was finished. "One guy was there helping him to pour the concrete and when the concrete was poured the guy left, and it was just a big mess, so we had to redo the whole sidewalk. Its beautiful now, but it took a lot longer with things like that happening." The Pneuma Pit is near the churchs cemetery. The churchs next project will be to renovate the picnic shelter, including building "more of an outside kitchen area to cook out," Naff said. "I encourage the community to come and use it and ask to use it," Naff said. "Let other churches feel free to use it. Thats why we built it. We make church a competition, and maybe this is a leaf branch or a peace branch, where people could use it for their thing as well." Antioch Baptist Churchs Missionary Society will host the Rev. Larry Younger at 11 a.m. Sunday. At 3 p.m., The Usher Board will celebrate its 86th anniversary with Deacon Kerry Fountain and the congregation of Mt. Sinai Holiness Church of Axton. Bassett Church of the Brethren will host a meeting of the community fellowship group Morning Glories from 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesday in the fellowship hall. Marvin Wade, pastor of Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren of Floyd, will speak. Mike Amos will provide music. Bring finger food and refreshing desserts to share. Drinks will be provided. Bassett Memorial United Methodist Church will have a one-night vacation Bible school for all ages at 6 p.m. Wednesday. There will be dinner, music, a chance to hear a life lesson, and more. Chatmoss Baptist Church, 400 Chatmoss Court, Martinsville, will have vacation Bible school Submerged: Finding Truth Below the Surface from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Christ Episcopal Church will have adult Sunday school at 9 a.m. Sunday in the Parish House, followed at 10 a.m. there by worship with Liturgy of the Word and Holy Communion Rite I. Guests and presenters at Sunday school and worship will be Donnie Wheatley, executive director of The Boys Home of Virginia, and some of the homes residents. A nursery is provided at the Parish House starting at 9:45 a.m. Lemonade will be served after worship on the patio. Christian View Missionary Baptist Church will host Elder G. Meadows at 11:15 a.m. Sunday for Missionary Day. County Line Christian Church will have its First Friday music night at 7 p.m. Aug. 5. A Deeper Shade of Blue will sing. The concert is free, and refreshments will be served. First Presbyterian Church, Kings Mountain Road, Collinsville, will have a fellowship breakfast at 9:30 a.m. Sunday in the fellowship hall. Dress is casual. Worship will follow at 11 a.m. also in the fellowship hall. High Ridge Baptist Churchs Stewardship Committee will sponsor an Afternoon of Music at 3 p.m. Sunday. The Faithful Travelers of Martinsville and The English Family of Bedford will perform. Lift Up Jesus Ministry, which meets in the Horsepasture Ruritan Building, will have guests including Krystle Paz and Next Generation from 4-6 p.m. Sunday. Mount Olive East Christian Church (DOC), 3611 Spencer-Preston Road, Martinsville, will have guest speaker Cleo Williams of Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church at 11 a.m. Sunday. VOICES of Mt. Olive East will render music. The Disciple Womens Fellowship is in charge of the service. Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Chruch, 2700 Soapstone Road, Ridgeway, will have a missionary worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday. Mountain View Church of God of Prophecy, 436 Mountain View Church Road, Patrick Springs, will have a Back-to-School Funfest starting at 10 a.m. Sunday. The theme will be Walk His Way. Chalk Artist Dwight Haynes will be there. Lunch will be served. Activities will include games, inflatables, bingo and a pinata. School supplies and blessings will be given. Bring lawn chairs. Progressive Prayer Temple, 64 Cameron Road, will begin The Restoring Womens Conference today. Dr. Diana Lyles of Atlantic City, New Jersey will speak. She is pastor of Victory First Presbyterian Deliverance Church and founder and CEO of Dr. Lyles Ministries. The conference will continue at 10 a.m. Saturday with morning glory prayer and worship. Margaret Perkins will speak at 11 a.m. on Restoring Women Through a Healthy Balanced Life. Lunch will be served at 1 p.m., followed by Prophetess Cynthia Carter at 3 p.m. Carter is pastor of Christ Miracle Temple Ministries in Danville. Providence United Methodist Church will have a concert of True Life Travelers at 7 p.m. Sunday for its Fifth Sunday Night Celebration. The group includes Patrick Springs residents Mary Jo and Charlie Leet on guitar and bass along with Ohio musicians Linda Tatarian on banjo and Chris Tatarian on guitar and harmonica. All sing. The church is located at 1021 Providence Dr., Patrick Springs. Smith River Missionary Baptist Association will continue its 102nd Session at 8:30 a.m. today with registration. The Rev. Ray Arrington, pastor of High Ridge Baptist Church, will speak during the morning session. At 6:30 tonight, the Rev. Dwight Steele and the congregation of Pilgrim Baptist Church in Roanoke will be the guests for Deacon and Deaconess and united Ushers Night. The Womens Missionary and Education Auxiliary session will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with Jeremiah Fitz Jr. The Rev. Antonio Logan and the congregation of New Light Baptist Church will close the session. Friendship Baptist Church and the Rev. Taylor Tolliver are serving as hosts. The Baptist Ministers Alliance will have its fifth Sunday service at 7 p.m. Sunday at Shiloh Baptist Church in Fieldale. The Rev. Jube Smith will speak. French authorities filed terror charges on Friday against two suspected members of the same Islamic State cell that massacred 130 people in Paris last November, a judicial source said. The 29-year-old Algerian and the 35-year-old Pakistani were charged with "criminal conspiracy with terrorists", the source said of the men turned over earlier Friday by Austrian authorities. Search Keywords: Short link: CHATMOSS The Henry County Public Schools School Board met Thursday morning at Chatmoss Country Club for its annual planning session. Board members, along with HCPS School Board Superintendent Dr. Jared Cotton, met with co-chairs of the action team over breakfast. First, the board discussed the strategic plan, Envision, which goes through 2018. Weve got some very positive results, which are very high, and weve got some challenges that we need to improve on, Cotton said. We show everything: the good, the bad, the ugly. Thats the only way we can improve. HCPS has a list of five main goals in its strategic plan: high quality instruction, high quality professionals, safe and orderly learning environment, innovative and cutting-edge technology and family and community engagement. The board touched on each issue, with a major emphasis on high quality instruction and safe and orderly learning environment. Vice chairman Curtis Millner said the industries care about advanced public school systems. When they go overseas and ask about bringing jobs here, they ask about the education system, Millner said. The group discussed ways to present HCPS as a great place to learn. Ideas ranged from having real estate agents tour the schools to working more closely with the Economic Development Corporation. Cotton spoke on a private level about the affect of schools on a community. I would not have come to Henry County if I thought my personal child wouldnt have gotten a good education, Cotton said. Dr. Joseph DeVault asked board members how high school prepared students for college, specifically asking for numbers of students in remedial community college classes. Cotton said that statistics about students after graduating from HCPS were not readily accessible to the county school system, but some students did take the remedial courses. All 10th grade students take the Virginia Placement Test to see if they are ready to take college-level courses, Cotton said. If they have to go to remedial English, we havent done our job. Statistics from the 2015 and 2016 school years show a significant increase in math and reading skills proficiency. While 49 percent scored proficient on VPT in 2015, 73 percent made a high mark in 2016. The proficient reading margin rose by 3.5 percent from 64 percent in 2015 to 67.5 percent in 2016. While high school students presented high scores in math and reading, elementary school students struggled. At the fifth grade level, student scores rose from 54.5 percent in 2015 to 61 percent in 2016 according to the Scholastic Reading Inventory exam. Thats certainly not where we want to be, Cotton said. However, DeVault noted the higher scores from the previous year. Thats not the same group of students. It sends the message that were doing something different, DeVault said. Somethings going on before the kids get to that level thats helping them improve. On the Standards of Learning math test, 12.5 percent of HCPS fifth graders passed with advanced scores in 2015, which rose to 30 percent in 2016. We need to continue working on math because the scores are incredibly low, Chairwoman Betsy Mattox said. Our numbers went way up, said board member Frances Zehr, adding a different perspective. Thomas Auker expressed frustration with standardized testing practices. Why was something important two years ago and needed to be included, but its not included now? Auker asked. Cotton said that while testing is important, overall learning takes precedence. A lot of strategic plans are focused on standardized test scores. Were far beyond that. If we focused on standardized test scores, everything we did would be focused on test prep. But thats not what were looking at here, Cotton said. The board discussed the relationship between recent low test scores and altered standards. The testing changed and the scores plummeted, Dr. Merris Stambaugh said. Now were back. We believe if you raise your level of expectations, youre going to get good results. The standards change, and thats when the tests change. Youve got to prepare the students for all those things. Guess what. The tests are about to change again, Cotton said. Creating a safe and orderly learning environment helps students flourish. Sandy Strayer, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, discussed a new disciplinary method gracing schools in the upcoming year. Children need structure. They need the same rules from all teachers and the same expectation for behavior in every classroom, Strayer said. Cotton said other school districts that implemented school-wide discipline guidelines experienced a significant decrease in discipline referrals. Mattox mentioned variations in discipline at Magna Vista High School and Bassett High School and noted that regulated behavioral expectations could aid the learning environment. Ive always said two things. Number one, they need to know you care about them. Number two, they need to know youre not playing, Cotton added. Monica Hatchett, director of communications and organizational learning, presented statistics based on student, teacher and parent surveys. According to the study, 77 percent of HCPS students feel safe at school. Hatchett created the average based on the level of safety elementary, middle and high school students felt. 85 percent of elementary school students and 83 percent of high school students said they felt safe at school. However, only 65 percent of middle school students felt secure throughout the school day. The reason we think the middle school numbers might be low is because students at that age are more self-conscious and prone to bullying. When they get to the high school level, they might have grown a little bit, Hatchett said. Whether discussing organized discipline or quality instruction, Hatchett said, Meeting the needs of students is our top priority. A local man was one of just 25 people invited to Washington D.C. on July 22 to meet Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto. Eli Salgado, 26, learned that he had been invited to D.C.s Mexican Cultural Institute to meet Nieto just a few days before the event was to take place. Salgado was invited to attend by the U.S. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Last August, he traveled to Mexico City as part of a program hosted by the ministry and the U.S.-Mexico Foundation. The program was aimed at Dreamers young people with the goal of immigration reform, named after the DREAM Act, a 2001 legislative proposal to provide conditional permanent residency to certain immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as minors. Salgado is the founder of a local Dreamers group MHC Dreamers established June 2013. It was because of his trip to Mexico nearly a year ago, Salgado said, that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered him for the meeting with Nieto. Initially, he said, he felt a bit conflicted: On one hand, as a Mexican citizen, he was excited to meet his President. On the other hand, he has some political differences with Nieto. I know theres a lot of discontent with the President of Mexico right now, Salgado said, stemming from allegations of election fraud when Nieto assumed office in December 2012; allegations of government involvement in a 2014 mass kidnapping of 43 students in the city of Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico; and also violent federal involvement in a mass protest regarding education reform that took place in Oaxaca in June. I know a lot of people who support me definitely dont support (Nieto), so its going to be odd, later on down the road, to express the fact that I met the President, Salgado said. But overall, I knew that I was meeting him to discuss immigration, not to discuss whats going on in Mexico right now. The meeting took the form of a town hall discussion at the Mexican Cultural Institute, which is a former Mexican Embassy in D.C. His main take-away from the meeting with Nieto, Salgado said, was that the Mexican government is appreciative of the hard work that Latino activists are doing in the U.S. to benefit undocumented immigrants. He gave us his support, Salgado said. That was one of the reasons we met with him to create a stronger relationship between Mexican activists and the Mexican consulates and embassy. He talked about the importance of the role we have here. Were from Mexico, but at the same time, were here fighting for our rights. We have a role in determining how immigrants are treated here. Nieto made it clear that the Mexican government wants to support the activists any way they can through their U.S. consulates, Salgado said, such as by helping undocumented immigrants in the U.S. obtain their GEDs or learn to speak English. Unfortunately, its not always possible for undocumented immigrants to get access to those resources, because the consulates can be some distance away. The closest Mexican consulate to Martinsville and Henry County is in Raleigh, N.C., Salgado said, but only North Carolina residents can take advantage of it. Virginia residents have to travel to the Washington D.C. consulate or visit Roanoke when the state consul holds office hours there, which isnt always possible. To help combat that issue, Salgado said, Nieto stressed his desire to see area activists form a network that can communicate their local needs to the different consulates. Another issue that several of the Dreamers brought up, Salgado said, is concern over what will happen to their parents when they are no longer capable of working, since they are not eligible for Social Security. Well have to figure out a way to support them as their children, he said. Salgado said that he got to shake Nietos hand, and that the President of Mexico was a friendly man with a good sense of humor. All of the Dreamers were a bit star-struck, he said, and he noticed that everyone stopped taking notes once the President arrived, because they wanted to simply experience the moment. Salgado said he was honored to be one of only 25 people nationwide invited to the event, and proud to see that his hard work was being acknowledged. I still have a lot to learn as far as activism goes, he said. Im only three years into this. I recognize my flaws and recognize that I have far more to learn. I know there are people in the same boat as me who have not been recognized, and I hope that one day they will be. But for me I feel proud to know that my work is being recognized, and Im excited to keep going. Patrick Henry Community College is one of six Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges selected to participate in a new initiative to engage part-time faculty as active contributors to their colleges reform efforts under the leadership of full-time faculty. Achieving the Dream, a national nonprofit organization working with more than 200 colleges to increase student success across the country, is administering the 24-month initiative. The initiative will help the participating colleges strengthen their relationships with their adjunct faculties to encourage instructional reform and make all faculty members skills and experiences fully available to students, according to a news release from Achieving the Dream. Achieving the Dream received $2.3 million from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation to fund the project. Other colleges selected for the initiative are Harper College (Illinois), The Community College of Baltimore County (Maryland), Delta College (Michigan), Community College of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and Renton Technical College (Washington). The initiative recognizes that adjunct faculty with close connections to their colleges can be more valuable to their students if they have access to information about college programs and resources, data on student performance and progress, and the informal knowledge developed by full-time faculty. Over time, the colleges may build capacity to include adjunct faculty in college governance structures and college-wide student success agendas. Teams from each of the colleges will formally begin their work at a launch event on Saturday at Evergreen State College, in Olympia, Washington. Following the one-day event, the colleges will participate in the Teaching and Learning National Institute, co-sponsored by Achieving the Dream. PALMOUR Helen Claire Philpott Helen Claire Philpott Palmour, 88, of Dunwoody, Ga., passed away on Monday, July 25, 2016. Helen was born into a large family in Philpott, Va. to John Elkanah and Mary Gertrude Philpott on January 6, 1928. One of six children, her family remained the underscore of her entire life. She attended high school in Bassett, Virginia and graduated in 1945. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Spanish and voice from Brenau College, in Gainesville, Ga., in 1949. She and her husband of 68 years embarked on seven moves while raising three children returning to Atlanta in 1969. She shared her gift of voice, singing with various church choirs throughout her life. She worked as an educator for a number of years ensuring her children had additional support for their own education. She was continuously recognized for her work as a volunteer and staunch supporter of many organizations. She volunteered with the Meals on Wheels organization for 22 years, delivering meals herself to members of the Doraville community. Her life was dedicated to her churches. A lifelong Presbyterian, her service included the choir, Witness Committee, and Innerfaith Outreach. She served as Key Woman for Church Women United since 1991 and was nominated for Woman of the Year 2015. She was a recognized member of the Delta Zeta Sorority earning awards for service and membership. She enjoyed reading and travel and most of all music, evidenced by her collection of hundreds of albums played daily during her later life. In addition to her parents, Helen was preceded in death by her brother, Albert Lee Philpott; and her sister Maxine Dorness. Helen is survived by her husband, Weldon Palmour of Dunwoody; her children, Jean Palmour, James Palmour; his wife, Julie; and grandchildren Callie, Virginia and Caroline, Karen Black, her husband, Phillip and children, Ben and John; and her three great-grand-children, Lillian, James and Margaret. She is also survived by her sister, Patricia Petty; brothers, Bobby Philpott and John Philpott; and an amazing number of nieces, nephews, and cousins. Helen unselfishly donated her body to Emory University School of Medicine, continuing to give to others even after her death. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, August 20, 2016 at the Bassett Memorial United Methodist Church, 2805 Riverside Drive, Bassett, Va. 24055; a reception for family and friends will follow in the fellowship hall. She would be honored by donations to her beloved Church of the New Covenant in Doraville, Ga. Luke 6:31 "Do to others as you would have them do to you." FRIDAY'S WORD is deedy (de-de). Example: His plan was so well-thought out and deedy, it was guaranteed to succeed. THURSDAYS WORD was dactylonomy (dak-low-no-me). It means the act of counting by using fingers. Example: His phones calculator died, so he had to add up the bill the old fashioned way, through dactylonomy. Learning to run a company The Stroller likes it when things are free. Its even better when a free event can help you get set up to run your own business. Coming up Aug. 25, the West Piedmont Business Development Center will host a seminar called Building the Foundation for Your New Business. Itll go over the strategies, financial resources and everything else you need, before you launch a company. So why are we talking about it now? Because, while its held on Aug. 25, theres a limited amount of seats, so registration is on a first come, first serve basis. To register, you can call (434)-395-2086. The John Kit and Polly Gravely Eggleston family reunion will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the fellowship hall of Highland Baptist Church, located 895 Mica Rd. (old 220). Enter through the back door of the fellowship hall. Bring a covered dish and drink to share, and also bring any family photos, mementos, etc. For more information, call 956-5601. Wanted: possible inventors Speaking of new businesses, do you have an idea for some new product or new way to use technology? If so, the Dalton IDEA Center wants to hear from you. The Centers Big Idea Challenge will take applications through Aug. 5 from individuals and teams. Want an application or just to learn more about the challenge? You can call Tiffani Underwood at (276)-656-0343 or email her at tunderwood@patrickhenry.edu. United Way needs volunteers The United Way could use some help, if people have free time. Theres quite a few spots needing to be filled, including some site navigators, used to staff the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance locations throughout the city and Henry County. Those people basically help coordinate services like showing people how to open a bank account, whats important about credit reporting and some general financial education seminars. Now before people volunteer, first they need to go through a training course, which starts in September. You dont need any tax prep training or experience, just an interest to help out. Training sessions will be held over at the walk-in VITA tax site, located at the United Way Prosperity Center, 10 Liberty Street in Martinsville. Anyone interested can schedule a training session by talking to Julia Hollandsworth at jhollandsworth@unitedwayofhcm.org or by calling (276)-403-5976. Time to perform Anyone feel like performing in front of a crowd? The Historic Star Theater will open its doors to musicians both young and old on Aug. 8. The show starts at 6 p.m. at the theater, located at 318 Patrick Avenue in downtown Stuart. There will be food from Joe Hyltons Bar-B-Q and cold drinks. There is a $3 donation being asked for anyone who wants to watch the performances. That money goes to support local musicians. TRIVIA QUESTION: Very few people know what the term OAS stands for, at least when it comes to the Organization of American States. The group has an interesting history, dating all the way back to 1889. But while many nations have joined, only one has ever been kicked out. Which nation was kicked out of OAS and why? The answer will be in Sundays Bulletin. TRIVIA ANSWER: Weve seen more than our share of hot days this summer, but while the humidity is just ugly, there have been some nice blue skies along for the ride. So for todays question, the Stroller goes back to one kids have been asking for ages. Why is the sky blue? The answer has to do with molecules. On a cloudless day, the molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than red light. Thats also why, when we look at the sun during sunset, those beautiful images we see are red and orange. The blue light was scattered away, in other parts of the sky. Events are now moving at a lightning speed. Everyday there is a new twist and turn in the situation. Britain has become the focal point of the European crisis and even the world crisis. As we have explained in previous articles, the crisis which began in 2008 represented a turning point and would have massive repercussions around the world. Editorial statement of Socialist Appeal - Britain Today, the movement towards revolution is expressing itself as a political and constitutional crisis. This is in reality a reflection of the limits of the capitalist system, similar to the 1930s. The special crisis of British capitalism, which has gone on for decades, has built up colossal pressures and contradictions. The factory closures, the loss of jobs, the constant squeeze and on-going austerity have become a nightmare for British workers. This has produced widespread anger, especially towards the establishment. This goes a long way in explaining the EU referendum result, which has been described as a pitchfork rebellion, a cry of despair and anger. Large sections, especially in those areas devastated by the years of decline, revolted against their plight. However, Brexit took a reactionary tone given the failure of the labour leaders to offer a real alternative. On the other hand, millions voted to remain, especially the youth, disgusted by the xenophobia of Farage and Johnson. This was a healthy reaction, despite its mixed character. The consequences of the Brexit vote have been earth-shattering. It has turned everything on its head. It is likely to plunge Britain into a recession, with investment frozen and output falling. We have seen the worst fall in the pound fall for nearly 40 years. Britain has also lost its top credit rating, meaning that the cost of debt will begin to rise. Impotently, Carney is saying that the Bank of England can do very little. With Britains current account deficit of 100bn, the wellbeing of the economy relies on speculators, who will shift their hot money to wherever they can make the most. The cracks which were papered over are now being exposed. Establishment panic Photo: Dave KellamThe British crisis has become a European crisis. For the first time in its history an important state has voted to leave the Common Market. The capitalist establishment are in a state of panic, fearing the contagion from Brexit. They fear that Italy could be next given its heavily indebted banks, but Greece is also on the brink. Many see Brexit as the beginning of the end. What has started to look shaky are Europes banks, with share prices tumbling and some bond prices also under pressure, states the Financial Times (8/7/16). In this period of sharp and sudden changes, this turmoil could easily provoke a new world slump, which is very much on the cards. Clearly globalisation has reached its limits. There are tendencies now in the direction of protectionism and isolationism, not least in the United States. Such tendencies can easily turn a world slump into a depression, as was the case in the 1930s. That is the perspective for the coming period and will everywhere intensify the widespread anger and bitterness. This explosive mood has given rise to the phenomenon of populism of the right and of the left. The deeper you go down into the working class the more intense is this mood. This has produced a widespread anti-establishment mood internationally. Britain has never been so polarised. A massive gulf exists been the billionaire class and those at the bottom, the 99%. This is having revolutionary consequences as the pillars of the establishment are undermined one after the other. Tory crisis Brexit has thrown the Tories into crisis. Cameron was forced to resign, after gambling everything on the Referendum result. The whole gamble opened up a Pandoras Box and set Blue against Blue. This completely poisoned relations, with Gove sticking the knife into Boris Johnson and sinking his leadership ambitions. Now, with Andrea Leadsom forced out of the race, Theresa May has been crowned Tory leader and therefore Prime Minister. But this will not prevent a future bust up. This is what we said in our most recent British perspectives: How the referendum, possibly set for the summer or autumn of 2016, will turn out is uncertain. At the time of writing, polls suggest a majority are against staying in the EU. This could change as the campaign heats up. The likelihood of a vote to leave the EU is greatly increased by the immense instability and crisis of the EU itself, which is in terminal decline. Another breakout of the debt crisis, a terrorist attack, a further influx of refugees, or the success of the far right in another EU country would make a vote to leave much more likely. Whatever happens, it looks like being a narrow outcome. The narrower the result the more this will fuel resentment. Given the volatility, it is possible that there will be a majority to leave the EU. This will be a shattering blow to Cameron, whose authority would be in tatters; he could be forced to resign. This, in turn, could force the SNP to come out forcibly for a new referendum on independence for Scotland. The way the mood is developing there, the most likely result would be Scottish independence. These perspectives are being borne out by events. The war inside the Tory party, which has temporarily been put on ice, could still prepare a split at a certain stage. In other words, the Conservative Party, in its present form, is unlikely to last, we have explained. The dominant sections of the ruling class are furious with Cameron and want to remain in Europe. Pressure will therefore be brought to bear on the Tory government to negotiate to remain in the single market no matter the cost. This will put Theresa May on a collision course with the ranks of the Tories who voted to leave. If she backtracks on Brexit she will face the wrath of the eurosceptics in parliament and outside. UKIP would capitalise on this. It will be viewed as a betrayal by the Brexiteers. These tensions and conflicts could provoke a split in the Tory party. In such a scenario, the Eurosceptic gang would end up fusing with UKIP to form a new reactionary nationalist party. Given its small majority, this would see the fall of the Tory government. Whatever happens, the Tory government will be prone to crisis. Whatever they do will be wrong. The crisis of British capitalism means a crisis of all the established parties. The Corbyn movement The election of Jeremy Corbyn transformed the political landscape. It reflected the colossal anger and resentment in society. The Corbyn victory sent shockwaves through the right wing, as well as the British establishment, which became alarmed at the possibility of Corbyn coming to power and the forces that stood behind him. The previous slow pace of events in Britain that characterised the last thirty years has been shattered. As we wrote in our Perspectives: A new turbulent period has opened up in Britain, more characteristic of the inter-war period. We see this graphically confirmed in the events of today. Again we wrote: As Marx once explained, there are times in which 20 years passes as though it were only days, but there are other times where 20 years of events seem to be incorporated into one day. For us, the slow days are over. Events are moving very quickly. These last months have been a roller coaster of events, one following quickly upon another. But this was only the beginning. Events were to happen much faster than we predicted. Of course, it is impossible to exactly predict the tempo of events. The task of Marxism is to outline the general processes developing in society. Our analysis did explain: The mood of discontent and anger did nevertheless find expression in the historic movement in Scotland over the Referendum. This provided a lightning rod for all the pent-up frustration and anger north of the border In the May general election, the SNP swept the board by winning 56 seats out of 59. The once dominant Labour Party, under the leadership of the Blairites, lost all its seats bar one. It was a humiliating defeat. It was a sign of what is to come, where sharp and sudden changes are on the order of the day. All that was needed in the rest of Britain was a point of reference. That point of reference came with the election of Jeremy Corbyn. The ruling class had in effect lost control of the Labour Party. Their only basis of support was in the Parliamentary Labour Party. Ever since Corbyn was elected, the right wing has been waging an all-out civil war to remove him. Behind them stands the ruling class, who are determined to restore the Labour Party back into safe hands, i.e. the camp of capitalism. At every turn, the Blairites have attempted to discredit Corbyn, whether over Trident or the bombing of Syria. Over Syria, 66 Labour MPs voted with the Tories, a real indication of their future intentions. Hilary Benn became their cheerleader and was the chief architect of the latest coup. As we predicted: In reality, this revealed the truth that there are two Labour Parties, which will inevitably split at a certain stage. Given this situation, more than half the new members who joined the Labour Party now support mandatory reselection of MPs. Unfortunately, the leaders of Momentum have strongly resisted pushing this democratic right of party members for fear of provoking the right wing. But the Blairites needed no provoking as they were determined to try and get rid of Corbyn at the earliest opportunity. Labour's civil war Photo: Socialist Appeal (UK)The latest coup attempt has served to increase the temperature in the partys bitter internal civil war. The entire British establishment is attempting to oust Corbyn. But this has also created a backlash, with mass meetings all over the country. Some 130,000 new members have joined the party since the Brexit result, most of whom would have supported Corbyn in any vote, if they had been allowed. Nevertheless, an astonishing figure of over 180,000 paid 25 and signed up as registered supporters in the space of just two days. These unprecedented numbers are a clear indication of the radicalisation that has taken place in Britain, with a fresh layer of thousands of workers and youth being drawn into political activity for the first time. As we explained previously, the right wing not only dominates the Parliamentary Labour Party but has reserves of support amongst right-wing Labour councillors and those right-wing cliques that control party structures at a local level. These are now being mobilised the graveyard vote to try and oust Corbyn. Originally, the right wing were forced to bide their time but events have forced their hand. They could not wait any longer. The referendum result gave them their excuse to act. The union leaders, under pressure from the ranks, have come out against the coup and have given support to Corbyn. They cannot be entirely trusted, however, and were seeking some kind of negotiated compromise at one point. But the right wing and the capitalists do not want a compromise that leaves Corbyn in place. They have tried to pull every trick in the book to remove him, including a failed bid in the High Court this week. But removing Corbyn has not been as easy as they previously thought. Corbyn has now been forced by plotting MPs to fight another leadership election. In a head-to-head race with Owen Smith, surveys of Labour members show that Corbyn could win a striking majority. And this is before the votes of registered supporters and affiliated trade unionist are included. Nominations from dozens of CLPs so far already show Corbyn leading 4-to-1 against Smith. It is even possible that Corbyn could win a larger majority than he achieved in last year's leadership election. This would be a devastating blow to the Blairites, who have been desperate from the beginning to avoid another humiliating democratic defeat. This time, however, there is no turning back. This is a fight to the finish. Big business has given them their marching orders. There is only one possible outcome to this: a split in the Labour Party. That is what they are preparing for. At a certain point, therefore, the ruling class will come to the conclusion that Corbyn cannot be removed and they will have no choice but to split the party and create a new pro-European Centre Party, like the SDP in the 1980s. The serious mouthpieces of the capitalists are already pushing this. With the Tory party divided and becoming increasingly unpopular they cannot allow a Corbyn Labour Party based on anti-austerity to come to power. As we wrote in our British perspectives: Once again, the idea of splitting the Labour Party would become part of their calculations. That could serve to keep Labour out of power as in 1983, when the SDP split the Labour vote. But, unlike in 1983, the ruling class could go further and champion the idea of a National Government as in 1931. That would be a way of creating a more stable government composed of elements from all the main parties. However, unlike in 1931, where a handful of Labour MPs crossed the floor, the vast majority of the 172 who passed the no confidence motion are likely to desert the party. They have so much in common with the pro-European Tories that the formation of a new Centre party would be plain sailing. This could easily lead to the formation of some kind of National Government. At a certain stage we could see the splitting of the Tory Party and the creation of a far-right party on one side and on the other, we could also the pro-European Tories fuse with a Blairite split, and also absorbing what was left of the Liberal Democrats. This is the realignment of British politics that the ruling class are now preparing for. However, the Labour Party, with the right wing being spewed out, would move dramatically to the left. Corbyn would preside over a radicalised left-reformist or even centrist party, with the support of the unions and hundreds of thousands of newly politicised workers and youth. We initially thought that this would open up over the next two or three years, but the process has unfolded far faster than we anticipated. Events are moving at lightning speed. This will open up big possibilities for the ideas of Marxism. We must urgently build up our forces so that we can shape events. Defend Corbyn! Fight for Socialism! The task is to clearly put forward a revolutionary socialist programme that can offer a way out of the capitalist crisis. All attempts to reform capitalism will fail and prepare the way for a shift to the right. However, even if a National Government is created it will not last long. A new world slump will shatter it. All attempts by the ruling class to restore the economic equilibrium will lead to political and social disequilibrium. The centre ground is collapsing everywhere, and this polarisation is destabilising the entire situation. Eventually, this will lay the basis for the coming to power of a left Labour government under Corbyn. This will open up a new convulsive chapter in Britain. The ruling class will attempt to undermine a left government, which will be under the pressure of the working class. It will be regarded as completely unreliable from the capitalists point of view. As in the 1930s, this will provoke all out class war. Behind the scenes, the ruling class will be preparing for a showdown with the working class. As was the case before the Second World War in Europe and even Britain, they will see the need to try and crush the workers organisations. As the capitalist crisis deepens, the ruling class will have no alternative but to turn towards reaction. For the ruling class, democracy is only a device to further their class rule. When democratic rights become a hindrance to capitalist rule, they will seek to end it. A reading of Trotskys writings on Britain in the 1930s can serve to illuminate the dramatic processes taking place today. We must warn the labour movement of what is at stake. The continuation of capitalism in a period of terminal decline will seriously endanger the democratic rights of the working class. The overthrow of the system becomes an ever-pressing task. Any attempt by a Labour government to resolve the crisis without overthrowing capitalism will simply intensify the crisis. It will mean that the bankers and capitalists will still control the economy. They will engage in sabotage and furious resistance. They will carry out a strike of capital, provoke a run on the pound and engage in all manner of blackmail to force the government to capitulate. The dead end of capitalism There are only two paths: either capitulate or overthrow the capitalist system. There is no middle road. Either the working class will come to power and establish socialism or it will lead to a crushing defeat. The whole situation in Britain will be transformed and re-transformed. This will provide the Marxists with great opportunities for building a mass movement. We must keep our eye on developments, which are now moving fast. We must participate fully in the struggle against the Blairites and energetically intervene with our ideas and programme. There is no way out on the basis of capitalism. We are facing permanent crisis. We must fully appreciate what this means and draw the necessary conclusions. In the present world situation, time is the most precious of raw materials, explained Trotsky. The crisis of society is a crisis of revolutionary leadership. We must approach the task of building the Marxist tendency in Britain with a sense of urgency. It is time for both Egypt and Algeria to stop playing a divisive role in Libya and start acting in a cooperative framework that would help resolve the conflict in the country Although the origins of the Arab Spring are pretty much the same in different cases that witnessed mass mobilisation in 2011, the outcome of those events varies significantly from one place to another. In each case, a number of factors have dominated the specific developments of fundamental events, and in turn, directly contributed to shaping the trajectory each country has taken. These factors can be divided and classified along many lines depending on questions raised and answers sought. However, in a very broad sense, these dominant factors were internal in some cases and external in others. The development of events in Egypt, for example, was shaped primarily by the role of the military, whether as a force of coercion or as a political actor. In Tunisia, elite alignments and interactions between political forces were determining factors in the countrys post-revolutionary trajectory. In other cases like Syria, Libya and Bahrain, regional and international actors had special significance in the development of events via direct military or political intervention. Understanding how and why each revolution diverged from its intended course, or simply failed to meet the expectations it once stirred up, lies within analysing the extent of influence and the policy impacts of those factors. In Libya, the current image cannot be detached from the wider framework of regional and international influence and intervention. It is true that the countrys division into two factions with two governments is, in essence, an internal division between Libyan political elites. However, it is also true that the political materialisation of the division and its militarised aspects are not free of foreign influence and behind-the-scenes politicking. Each of the two factions is supported by a number of regional and international actors, and each of these actors are engaged in an unofficial system of interaction with the faction they support. Whether oil sales, intelligence, arms supply or diverse empowerment, regional actors are present in overall developments of the Libyan conflict. Therefore, it is time to rethink their presence and reframe their interests in Libya in a cooperative framework that would have more positive effects on resolving the conflict. Although the map of regional actors in the Libyan conflict includes several countries like Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Tunisia, the central roles are still played by Egypt and Algeria. However, the interests of the two most powerful regional actors in the Libyan conflict are opposing without any tangible efforts at coordination. Regional actions of both Egypt and Algeria towards Libya follow the same rationale, favouring momentary border security and minimal direct intervention. However, this rationale is manifested differently by each actor due to geopolitics and domestic concerns. Egypt has a range of interests in Libya, ones that transcend the current conflict and its security implications. Apart from the political considerations of the conflict in Libya, Egypt had a massive labour force working in Libya, reaching as high as two million Egyptian workers in 2010. Assuming that each of those workers supported a family of four, at least 10 million Egyptians were benefiting from work in Libya in 2010. The number of Egyptian workers in Libya today is less than 700,000 and of course they suffer from an extremely insecure working environment. Stability in Libya would mean serious benefits for the Egyptian economy, whether through the Egyptian labour force in Libya, the range of opportunities available to Egyptian investors in Libya, or Libyan investment in Egypt. However, these vital economic interests are overshadowed by the Egyptian regimes war on political Islam. One of the pillars of the post-30 June regime in Egypt is its unwelcoming position towards political Islam in general and the Muslim Brotherhood in particular. Moreover, the Muslim Brotherhood of Libya were not happy with Mohamed Morsis ouster from the presidency in 2013, and the movement wanted to take a vote in the General National Congress to impeach then Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan on account of his visit to Cairo, a visit the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood called an acknowledgment of the coup. These reasons must be put next to the security threat that instability in Libya represents for Egypt, specifically during the second half of 2013 when Egypt was under frequent terrorist attacks. Issues related to border security and the Egyptian regimes war against terrorism (a fundamental pillar for the regime) made Egypt more and more interested in instilling relative security in the eastern part of Libya. Those are the facts and incidents that shape and explain Egypts current position towards the conflict in Libya. Motivated by its anti-Islamist sentiments and resting on international recognition, Egypt has supported the House of Representatives in Tobruk, its government and its military arm. The military and intelligence cooperation between the Libyan National Army and the Egyptian regime has helped in reducing the extent of the threat posed to Egyptian border security. However, the inability of the Libyan National Army to monopolise force in the eastern part of Libya makes border security relatively fragile despite all measures taken over the past two years. But while Egypt was pursuing its momentary security interests, it was also manipulating the balance of power within the Libyan conflict and playing a divisive rather than a constructive or reconciliatory role. In a similar manner, Algeria has been proceeding with its role in the Libyan conflict. Algeria is not known for its endorsement of political Islam. On the contrary, the Algerian regime has had more feuds with political Islam than the Egyptian regime. However, the reforms implemented in Algeria in 2011 allowed for more tolerance towards the idea. But more important than the regimes position on political Islam is its interest in its border security, which supersedes any political considerations. Algeria sees a serious threat posed by the geographical expansion and consolidation of Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb in the southwestern region in Libya. Similar to the case of Egypt, militias in the west of Libya have been able to offer Algeria momentary, though fragile, security in that matter. Both Egypt and Algeria are part of this exchange process with Libyan factions. Its important in this regard to notice that neither the Libyan-Egyptian border nor the Libyan-Algerian border have witnessed any manifestations of the Islamic State group throughout that time. Therefore, trying to rethink the role of regional actors in Libya must start with envisioning a strategy to reconcile the interests of Egypt and Algeria and direct the support they both offer towards one legitimate and unified entity. In order for this to happen, this strategy must rest on designing a concrete security structure capable of delivering border security for both countries. However, the security structure must not be dominated by an Islamist faction, as a precondition for Egyptian involvement. At the same time, the long-term interests of both states must be served, which is something that could start with official military cooperation between Libya and both Egypt and Algeria in border security and counterterrorism issues. If the Presidential Council in Libya receives actual and not mere diplomatic support from Egypt and Algeria, it could politically administer border security provided that it exerts sufficient authority over a capable military arm. Finally, both the EU and the Arab League should pressure both governments to participate in mutual talks on the Libyan crisis with the purpose of coordinating their efforts. Many Libya specialists believe that both Egypt and Algeria are walking in opposite directions when it comes to Libya. However, it is not too difficult to imagine that securing the interests of both parties is possible, and at that time less behind-the-scenes meddling and more constructive regional involvement in Libya could be achieved. The writer is senior researcher at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. Search Keywords: Short link: CHICOPEE -- The SilverBrick Group of New York City, which is already rehabilitating a major retail and housing complex in downtown Springfield, has purchased the Cabotville Industrial Complex in Chicopee, the office of Mayor Richard Kos said Friday. There is a purchase and sale agreement in place, according to Kos' office. The purchase price was not revealed. Kos said in a news release: "This begins a new chapter in Chicopee Center's redevelopment. Market rate housing is a necessary component to the economic success of any downtown and we will build and expand on this project's success. We will continue to work with the SilverBrick Group as this type of project has been called a game changer for our city." Joshua Guttman, another New York City developer who was known for converting former industrial buildings into lofts, purchased Cabotville in 2005 for $2 million. By 2014, he had the property up for auction with an opening bid of $3.6 million. Now, SilverBrick wants to start construction on 300 housing units at the site by the end of this year, the city said in a news release. It would be part of a two-phase project totaling 600 market-rate apartments and 200,000 square feet of commercial space. Silverbrick has already filed for a special permit with the City Council. SilverBrick's application is on the Chicopee City Council agenda for Tuesday, Aug 2. In that application, SilverBrick asks the city for four waivers from city rules. They are: noise restrictions, restrictions on the size and types of signs, required screening blocking parking from view and required screening blocking mechanical equipment from view and the total number of parking spaces required. SilverBick says city regulations require 1,043 parking spots for the size development it wants to build. But it would like to have only 623, saying the number is sufficient because residential units need parking at night and on weekends and commercial spaces need parking during working hours. Michael L. Vedovelli, director of Community and Economic Development for the city, said in a news release: "This is going to be a transformational project that will clearly benefit the community. We believe that this project will be a catalyst for further revitalization in Chicopee Center and throughout the city." Lee Pouliot, director of Planning and Development, describes the project as: "a significant development and investment in the West End neighborhood. For many years and through a number of planning exercises, Cabotville has been looked to as the key to unlocking the neighborhood's development potential. The catalytic impact of this redevelopment project on Chicopee Center will result in further revitalization truly making the West End a place to live, work and play." SilverBrick said it plans to highlight architectural elements that will accentuate the history of the buildings, such as old brickwork, rough-hewn beams and exposed steel and wood. Aaron J. Papowitz, SiverBrick's founder and managing principal, said: "SilverBrick is excited to move forward with a mixed-use development of up to 600 luxury residential units with world-class amenities, office and light manufacturing in the Cabotville Industrial Park. We think Chicopee's location and excellent reputation for quality schools, police and fire departments, and overall municipal services are a perfect fit for the luxury loft-style apartments we specialize in." In Springfield, Silverbrick purchased the Morgan Square Apartments complex on Main Street for $9 million and has since done $6 million in renovations. It is actively seeking more retailers for the first-floor spaces. Chicopee was awarded a $2.6 million MassWorks Infrastructure Grant by the state to support redevelopment of the neighboring Dwight Manufacturing Mill No. 7, the Lyman Mills, in 2015. This grant will also support infrastructure upgrades needed for Cabotville, the news release said. SPRINGFIELD In the news industry, it is easy to become overly cynical or to lose touch of the desire to serve and inform the public a concept that leads many journalists into the field in the first place. Luckily for her fans and all the viewers, Hampden native and Western Mass. TV personality Cherise Leclerc hasn't fallen victim to either pitfall. But Leclerc, 27, is poised to sign off from the Pioneer Valley airwaves as she and her Chihuahua "Chi Chi" head to Manchester, New Hampshire, to join ABC affiliate WMUR-TV. Her last local newscasts come on Monday, Aug. 1. "This is my community and I've loved being out there and meeting people," Leclerc said. "I'm excited to head to New Hampshire, but saying goodbye isn't going to be easy." Leclerc has been a local television fixture since 2011, when she was interning on-air with CBS 3 Springfield during her senior year at UMass Amherst. That opportunity came after she had already gained experience as a production intern at Springfield's PBS affiliate WGBY Public Broadcasting and as a news intern for the senior vice president of news at FOX News Channel in Manhattan. As an intern with CBS 3, she took every assignment head-on, and ended up landing a full-time gig with the station six months later. Fast forward three years and thousands of hours of on-air assignments later, and Leclerc had climbed the ladder to become the station's lead anchor, after Chris Stewart departed for an NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida. But even when she landed the promotion, it didn't diminish her desire to get out of the office, find out what is really happening out there and and report back to the public. In other words, Leclerc wasn't content on losing her hustle to simply become a so-called talking head who just stays in the studio. On Feb. 18, 2014, Leclerc was in the Monarch Place TV studio when she heard a call of a standoff in the parking lot of a local hospital. While she could have asked a less-senior staffer to take a ride and check it out, she and her boyfriend, fellow TV reporter Tim Callery, grabbed the keys to a company SUV and headed straight to the scene. While Leclerc eventually had to cruise back to the office to anchor the next news broadcast, Callery stayed and the two provided near wall-to-wall coverage live from the scene, which earned the station a Massachusetts Broadcasters Association Best Spot News award because the CBS 3 crew was the first on the scene, the first to confirm details for the local TV audience and they stuck with the coverage until the standoff was resolved. Leclerc, who is as much a fixture in the Pioneer Valley community as she is on the TV, said she will miss the people she's come to know through reporting and her outreach on behalf of the news station as well as a number of nonprofits she has lent her voice and time to. "I've done a lot with Spirit of Springfield as far as emceeing events, and I'm appreciative of the opportunities. Something I've never done anything quite like is the September 11 remembrance ceremony in Springfield," Leclerc said. "This is my community and I've loved being out there and meeting all the wonderful people I've come across. I'm proud to be from Western Mass. Even before my work in the news, I was talking in schools about body image and trying to break some ground there." Leclerc said that if she leaves the viewers of Western Mass. with only one thing, she hopes it is the knowledge that when she was reporting, she was also experiencing the same emotions as them, whether positive or negative. "Growing up here, I've felt like I'm in it together with the community. I've always felt like when a bad thing happens, I'm in it with them. When bad news hit them, it also hit me. We go through it together," Leclerc said. "When the Orlando nightclub shooting happened, I did a live Facebook video because it hit me hard. At the end of the day, when the news depressed me, I hope the viewers knew I was right there with them. I hope I can make the same connection with the viewers of New Hampshire." Leclerc says that while she is closing a significant chapter of her professional life, she is quite excited for the adventure that lies ahead. "It'll be good to take my lessons from here to New Hampshire, but also to learn from the experienced reporters at that station," Leclerc said. "It is the No. 1 station in the country in terms of political coverage, so I'm excited to be a part of that and glad I'll still be here in New England." Leclerc's departure is the latest among several staffers who have left since Meredith Corp. which owned CBS 3 Springfield since 2003 purchased ABC 40 and FOX 6 from Gormally Broadcasting for $53.8 million in late 2014. The stations were merged under the new name of WesternMassNews in April 2015. Most recently, meteorologist Nick Morganelli left the station in April while anchor Brittany Decker departed in early July. The latest Israeli visit to Ethiopia had indications of a mutual wish for wider cooperation. Meanwhile, an Egyptian vision to address this move is nonexistant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent tour of the Nile Basin provoked a storm of comments which ranged between shock by the obviousness of the successful Israeli encirclement in the Nile Basin to feelings of astonishment, indignation and perplexity towards the official Egyptian silence to what was declared during this tour, especially in its most important leg, Addis Ababa. This was also immediately followed by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry's trip to Israel in search of a warm peace, and the debate this trip has sparked. All this happened and there was not a single word about the water crisis amid vague indicators and scattered talks revolving around an Israeli mediation during the Renaissance Dam crisis. Some tried to minimise the significance of Netanyahus trip based on the meagre figures of the trade exchange between Israel and the Nile Basin countries including Ethiopia. However, the matter is far more complicated. In essence, it is based on the idea of security and confronting a common enemy -- which is in this case Egypt -- with promises of partnership and cooperation. Netanyahu pointed out twice in his speech before the Ethiopian parliament to the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt and their exodus to establish their state in the land of Israel. This is coupled with the negative emotions Ethiopians bear towards Egypt, and employing the legend of Solomons marriage to Belqis, the Queen of Sheba, a matrimony from which a section of Ethiopians draw a common lineage. The atmosphere of the whole trip was of warm welcome, jubilation, great hospitality and cheerfulness expressing the common objectives, ties, readiness and rush to confront what is portrayed as the common foe, specifically Egypt, and Islamic terrorism in general. During a talk with the media, Netanyahu said: The objective of constructing the Renaissance Dam is not electricity, but cultivating Ethiopia by an Israeli sponsorship, and that Israel will direct the water of the Nile to wherever the Ethiopians wish. He spoke in the parliament about the Israeli cow as being the most productive dairy cow in the world, which will soon be an Ethiopian cow. The media raised the idea of the Water Bank, which is the practical application of the Entebbe Treaty and the direct culmination of the idea of transforming the right of access to water into a commodity. In contrast, what is the Egyptian vision to address these movements? Unfortunately, we wont find clear policies or a vision based on a lucid logic or even a compact one. However, there is shy silence and powerless succumbing, fogginess in standpoints and lacking credibility statements. It is obvious that there are changes and transformations in traditional Egyptian pillars concerning the issues of water and national security whose features and orientations have not been crystallised yet; nevertheless all early signs do not bode well. Some voices call for being realistic and letting Israel enter as a party, through allowing it to a certain amount of water, as well as acting as a mediator in order to facilitate new agreements. This is permissible in the case of starting a truce or a settlement. However, do these voices think that Israel will be transformed into a friend not to mention an ally? Egypt is the land of former slavery in the Jewish history, identity and creed and it is the only probable foe in the future, that is, if it pulled itself and rose. Will Israel help in strengthening the enemy? Did not we learn from the lessons of Camp David which brought us to our current situation? Egypts internal crisis cannot be solved except through the arms of its sons and through a clear intentional vision based on an integrated project, whatever the sacrifices are, provided that we will not be involved in commitments and alliances that enchain Egypt, break its national spirit and defeat it from within. The writer is head of the Nile Basin Studies Department at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. Search Keywords: Short link: Each week, MassLive showcases pets available for adoption at shelters at rescue organizations in Western Massachusetts. With the participation of the shelters listed below, many animals should be able to find a permanent home. We also provide some pet-related news items that we hope you will enjoy. Dakin Humane Society to present "Super Small Saturday" half-price adoption fees for small animals Akela is one of the many small animals available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society in Springfield. The Republican Newsroom SPRINGFIELD - Dakin Humane Society has announced that it will reduce adoption fees for small animals by 50 percent on Saturday, July 30 at its Springfield and Leverett Adoption Centers. "Super Small Saturday" will take place from 12:30-5:30 p.m. in Springfield and 12:30-4:30 p.m. in Leverett. Small animals available for adoption include (based on availability) rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils and birds. Dakin's animal care specialists will be on hand to help people choose which pet might be best for them. "For people who find cats or dogs a bit much of a commitment, adopting a small pet can be a terrific choice," said Nancy Creed, president of Dakin's board of directors. "Many of these types of animals like guinea pigs and rabbits, for example, are very interactive and should enjoy some supervised time outside their cages on a daily basis to play and bond with their people. Animals like these are especially ideal for young children who are looking for their first pet and are ready to learn about the care and handling of them." People interested in viewing available pets at Dakin Humane Society at any time may visit www.dakinhumane.org/adopt-a-pet , an up-to-the-minute listing of adoptable animals in both Springfield and Leverett. Dakin Humane Society delivers effective, innovative services that improve the lives of animals in need and the people who care about them from its two locations in Leverett and Springfield. The organization shelters, treats and fosters more than 20,000 animals each year and has performed more than 69,000 spay/neuter surgeries since 2009, making it New England's largest spay/neuter provider. Dakin is a local non-profit organization that relies solely on contributions from individuals and businesses that care about animals to bring its services to the community. WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SHELTERS: Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society Address: 163 Montague Road, Leverett Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Telephone: (413) 548-9898 Website: www.dpvhs.org Address: 171 Union St., Springfield Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Telephone: (413) 781-4000 Website: www.dpvhs.org The following is a video of Trudy, a dog available for adoption at the T.J. O'Connor Animal Adoption and Control Center in Springfield. Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center Address: 627 Cottage St., Springfield Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Thursday, noon-7 p.m. Telephone: (413) 781-1484 Website: tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com Westfield Homeless Cat Project Address: 1124 East Mountain Road, Westfield Hours: Adoption clinics, Thursday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Website: http://www.whcp.petfinder.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westfieldhomelesscatprojectadoptions Westfield Regional Animal Shelter Address: 178 Apremont Way, Westfield Hours: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Telephone: (413) 564-3129 Website: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ma70.html Franklin County Sheriff's Office Regional Dog Shelter and Adoption Center Address: 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Telephone: (413) 676-9182 Website: http://fcrdogkennel.org/contact.html Polverari/Southwick Animal Control Facility Address: 11 Depot St., Southwick Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Telephone: (413) 569-5348, ext. 649 Website: http://southwickpolice.com/chief-david-a-ricardis-welcome/animal-control/ Berkshire Humane Society Address: 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Telephone: (413) 447-7878 Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/ Purradise Feline Adoption Address: 301 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington Hours: Monday and Tuesday: Closed; Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Friday,10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m. Telephone: (413) 717-4244 Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/contact-us/ Greyhound Options, Inc. Address: 43 Sygiel Rd., Ware, MA. 01082 Telephone: 413-967-9088 Website: greyhoundadoptions.org The Arab League must be revamped and restructured, according to Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit, but there is a lack of will among Arab states to do so The Arab reality is marked by urgency; it lacks a compass, and is being infiltrated from all sides. The urgency of Arabs does not need further explanation. Everything around us leads to this description, starting with the loss of key Arab countries that are now merely ink on a map, and ending with the lack of minimum consensus on Arab priorities in terms of action needed to achieve goals. There is continued Arab ambiguity in defining terrorism, terrorists and what should be done in solidarity and collectively to face this monster, which is like a chameleon, and strikes everywhere. However, there is no Arab mechanism for confrontation that Arab countries abide by properly, and thus the status quo continues. Each country prefers to fight terrorism individually and in the best case scenario, and when utterly necessary they exchange partial intelligence about terrorist acts and violent groups amongst themselves, but then the doors quickly shut, which prevents the accumulation of collective Arab experience in the battle. And so the problem continues to escalate and proliferate and is met with rising nonchalance which nurtures terrorism and its cancerous growth. The previous Arab summit in Sharm El-Sheikh took a decision to form a Joint Arab Force to protect collective Arab security and a means to confront threats to Arab countries including pressure, attacks or assaults that target their existence. For almost 18 months there were meetings among senior Arab military officials to discuss the Arab resolution and translate it into a reality. Despite a rocky start, it appeared matters were progressing until one Arab country, supported by others, suggested the issue should be deferred for further study. Everything ground to a halt as if the Arab world and each country was living the best security conditions, not facing any threats, and everything is under control. If one or more Arab countries used this logic, then it is certain they are living special conditions that are unrelated to the reality of Arabs and the region. It is true that some Arab countries are under the protective umbrella of major world powers, but this is contingent on the whims of the protector. Some will wake up to a catastrophe if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election, since he is proposing US protection would only be extended to those who pay the price, which is a systemic and extended attrition of these parties who could find themselves forced to accept this blatant colonialist formula. Since the world is living unprecedented political instability and confusion and the Middle East is prone to all bad and worse possibilities, it is wise for Arab countries to revert to a collective protection formula based on self-reliance in anticipation of what is to come in the very near future. However, Arab reality is moving according to archaic factors as if nothing matters, including its own existence. There is no doubt that Arab instability is a key component of regional and international instability, and in some Arab countries instability and confusion are leading a push to self-destruction rather than self-preservation and protecting the lives of people. Yemen talks in Kuwait between the legitimate government and rebel Houthi-Saleh forces continued for two months with negligible progress towards implementing UN resolutions. In Syria, there is bloodshed among civilians, military, and armed militants mistakenly called moderate groups, but they have revealed their true colours, inhumanity and lust for blood when a degenerate from a group that receives generous US and Turkish support slaughtered a Syrian child in front of the whole world. There is also death on a daily basis in Iraq and sectarian bias in power which is on the rise and threatens the very existence of a united federal Iraqi state. The same is true in Libya where terrorist groups, loyal to either ISIS or Libyas Muslim Brotherhood, are expanding. According to Arab custom during Arab summits, everyone looks for a paragraph in the final communique to confirm their position on a certain issue that serves their own interests and do not care about a common ground with the others. As a result of the complex, overlapping and complicated nature of pressing Arab issues, it would be difficult to reach collective united Arab positions on issues such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya and a joint Arab force. Or a fair assessment of the roles of regional players who are unduly interfering in Arab affairs such as Iran, Turkey and Ethiopia. For example, there are those who view Iran as a source of evil and a threat, and believe Turkey which is ambitious for a caliphate as a partner that should be blindly supported including accepting its fantasies and intervention in more than one Arab country without question. Under such Arab circumstances, the summit in Mauritania was important. It was held in the greater Arab Maghreb but it did not change anything in the reality of Arabs. No summit will make any change until Arabs themselves change and end their haste first. Hassan Abou Taleb is a consultant at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. Search Keywords: Short link: Montana State Universitys Montana Manufacturing Extension Center provides the state of Montana with an 8-1 return on investment, based on $250,000 the state invested in 2014, according to a recent study by the University of Montanas Bureau of Business and Economic Research. "Manufacturing is a vital part of Montanas economic future, and the growth in manufacturing in Montana outpaces the national rate," said Paddy Fleming, director of MMEC. "Eighty-one percent of Montana manufacturers have fewer than 10 employees and 55 percent of them have been in business for fewer than 20 years. During the past 20 years, however, the number of manufacturers has more than doubled to 2,841 companies, which means that were busier than ever. Most companies consider 30 percent (return on investment) to be a good investment, so 800 percent is truly amazing. We are proud to be one of the best investments the state of Montana makes to further manufacturing in Montana." Full Story: http://www.montana.edu/news/16286/mmec-provides-substantial-return-on-investment-to-montana-taxpayers Deer Lodge has a burgeoning business community with new stores and other commerce and the hopes of more to come. Its in a scenic valley thats halfway between Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. It boasts two well-visited tourist attractions on either side of town the old state prison and Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site. Housing is an issue, with many in this town of 3,000 thats 50 miles southwest of Helena living on fixed incomes and some structures are in need of repairs. Its also home to the Montana State Prison. And darn it, it needs a place that sells socks. These were just some of the observations made in a March report on Deer Lodge by the Montana Economic Developers Association http://www.medamembers.org/meda which sent a group of volunteers into the community to provide a resource team assessment. MEDA is a nonprofit association of more than 200 economic development professionals that includes business specialists, government employers and nonprofit organizations. Team members have experience in economic and community development, health, housing, workforce development, education, land use planning, grant writing, telecommunications, financing, emergency management services and strategic planning. Phil Drake, [email protected] Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2016/07/28/kindness-strangers-reports-offer-insight-fixes-communities/87673964/ More than 200 people filled The Commons at Baxter and Love to hear local and national business leaders talk about the importance of technology in businesses at the first Big Sky: Big Ideas conference on Thursday. The half-day event, organized by Livingston-based marketing firm PrintingForLess http://www.PrintingForLess.com , focused on business innovation using new and established technologies. "Were really excited to bring this kind of thing to Bozeman," said Daniel Gaugler, vice president of marketing for PrintingForLess. "We want to give the attendees some actionable items to take home and improve their businesses with." Full Story: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/economy/local-technology-conference-draws-crowd/article_360a5f78-7eb9-5abd-a1ed-c0d72e6be609.html Michael Manhardt has joined the staff of Montana State Universitys Montana Manufacturing Extension Center http://www.montana.edu/MMEC as the new business adviser for the west-central Montana region, including Missoula, where he will have an office with the University of Montanas Bureau of Business and Economic Research http://www.bber.umt.edu/ Full Story: http://www.montana.edu/news/16285/new-mmec-business-adviser-to-provide-assistance-to-missoula-and-west-central-montana Le ministre des Entreprises et des Cooperatives a prononce une allocution lors de la partie protocolaire du lancement du project for the development of an Intellectual Property and Branding Strategy for dodo handicrafts in Mauritius qui a eu lieu le 23 Mai 2019 au Labourdonnais Wsterfront HItel. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Entries are now open for the 2023 Food Manufacture Excellence Awards, which this year are offering even more chances to win with the launch of another new category. by Thom Forbes , Featured Columnist @tforbes, July 28, 2016 J.McLaughlin, which has grown to 109 shops selling classic American sportswear in tony locales primarily in the Northeast, was admittedly late to both the Web and social media. The basic fact is that our demographic is more mature, says co-founder and creative director Kevin McLaughlin, so they were not the first ones to the party on digital sales. But they are having a soiree there now. J.McLaughlin has been experiencing double-digit sales growth on its site for several years after more measured results following its launch in 2009, and he sees digital as the most important growth vehicle for the foreseeable future. McLaughlin credits public relations and social media director Anna Meacham, who was lured to the company two years ago after having previously worked on the account for an outside PR agency, with taking a hyperactive role in increasing brand awareness and driving people to the site. advertisement advertisement Prior to her arrival, he says, the company did not have someone dedicated to watching social every day, who is on brand and intimately understands the brand. It has also moved marketing dollars from traditional paid advertising to the digital side and now not only has a fully responsive site but also a very interactive presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and LinkedIn, as well as a blog and revamped look book. We have a strong, extremely loyal following on social, Meacham says. We dont spend the same amount of money that other brands do in our space, but were able to find new, interesting people to showcase the clothes, to showcase our stores across the country and to tell the story behind the brand. The social media team also is quick to respond to comments and questions, she says. There wasnt a lot of conversation before, but were able to do that now. The Customer Experience The customer experience, however, has been a driving force in the success of the business since Kevin and his brother Jay personally built and opened their first store in the middle of an Ivy League enclave on Third Avenue between 74th and 75th Streets in 1977. At the time, the Annie Hall look was upending fashion and they were located just two doors away from a popular restaurant that attracted its target prep clientele. The store itself was very clubby from the get-go, Kevin recalls. You could just tell that people came for the experience. It was a wild thing. In the early days, on a Saturday, literally we had someone at the door because the store was so crowded. A bouncer! Meacham exclaims. Not that he and Jay took even the browsers, hangers-on or just plain curious for granted. The motto of the company is very simple, he says. Its make a customer, not a sale. That drives all decision processes. Meacham has striven to bring that same sensibility and consistency to its digital efforts, even as it engages with a wide variety of influencers who respond to RFPs and work in kind or are paid. We have a strong point of view here. When you know yourself and where you fit in the marketplace and the wheel of fashion, it affects everything you do, McLaughlin says. Theres a lot of thought put into what the brand stands for. That hits the nail on the head, Meacham says. The tricky part with social media is to never push the envelope too far. You always want to be true to yourself, especially when youre working with people who are not in-house. The influencers supply their own photos. Theyre not at the level of a magazine spread, nor do they need to be. I really believe that social has expanded the boundaries of acceptable photography, McLaughlin says. As the moment is communicated, the technical side of photography has diminished. And he has no problem with that. Meacham cites her own off-the-cuff smartphone shots taken in Watch Hill, R.I., last weekend as a case in point. Because our social media team is so lean 10 people in all we are able to do things quickly and everything isnt so contrived, she says. And I think thats whats so great about it. Instagram Is The Medium Of Choice I ask if they have a favorite among their social media options. By far its Instagram, Meacham shoots back. The companys Facebook posts align more with its six-day-a-week email strategy of keeping customers up to date on new arrivals. Instagram is better for telling stories and, with adept hashtagging, goes viral in fascinating ways. I am on our Instagram all the time, Meacham says. I refuse to relinquish it. It seems to hit an emotional chord where people connect with whats happening in their lives, McLaughlin says. Just little vignettes. It has a very nice personality. And if a post or photograph or even a social media strategy is a bit off-kilter, just carry on. After maintaining earlier in our conversation that sales come naturally when you do things right, McLaughlin wraps it all up by saying, I always say, sometimes you have to get it a little wrong to get it right. by Barbara Lippert , Featured Columnist, July 28, 2016 "We don't look to be ruled we look for the capacity to shape our own destiny," said President Barack Obama, in his epic speech that brought down the house on the third night of the Democratic Convention. To add to the excitement, surprise guest Hillary Clinton emerged from the wings and walked out on stage to a standing ovation and thunderous applause. Then she and our exceptionally eloquent, departing president beamed and hugged each other for a very long time. As a powerful image, it was about as optically symbolic as anything weve ever seen in this countrys history: the first black president embracing the potential first female president. Many Democratic viewers shed tears of joy that night, while watching all the optimism, patriotism and inclusiveness on display. (That's after taming some of the obstructive Bernie bots in the hall, of course.) This was in topsy-turvy contrast to the dystopian description of our country that Trump offered at the Republican convention, when he talked about this being a moment of death, destruction, terrorism and weakness for the U.S. advertisement advertisement Certainly, the Democratic agenda included some tough takedowns of Trump. But there was no convention corollary for the violent level of Hillary-hatred expressed via Lock her up! in Cleveland. From what I could gather from real-time posts on social media, many Dem viewers, bathing in all the kumbaya, were wondering, How can hateful misogynist Donald Trump possibly be ahead in the polls? Cant they see how much more competent, compassionate, reasonable and realistic our side is? Well, perhaps this Philadelphia convention will produce a significant bump for Hillary, just as the one in Cleveland did for Trump. But certainly, Trumps persistent stickiness in the polls shows that we are hardly one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Rather, we are two warring tribes, hugely divided. And now, more than ever, each side preaches mostly to its own chorus. There has been much talk that the group Hillary needs to reach -- and persuade -- in order to win, are the people who comprise the heart of the Trump backers: working-class white men and women who feel economically displaced in our post-industrial jobless recovery and silenced by the voices of political correctness. Just about the best explanation Ive found in response to why Trump could win comes from cognitive researcher and political writer George Lakoff. (GeorgeLakoff.com). So bear with me, because I would like to quote him at length in order to do justice to his theory. He says, in essence, that despite all the radical social change weve lived through in the last 50 years, if the United States is seen as a family, its not one that identifies with the progressive, nurturant, self-esteem-building parental model that some Gen-Xers and many Millennials grew up with. Rather, psychologically, more of us are stuck in the old, conservative, punitive models, with clear gender divides, he notes. These families tend to be essentially dismissive of the mother, still looking toward the discipline of an authoritarian father. In the strict father family, he writes, father knows best. He knows right from wrong and has the ultimate authority to make sure his children and his spouse do what he says. ... When his children disobey, it is his moral duty to punish them. Thus, Donalds often rude and punishing style still appeals to evangelicals, despite the fact hes been married three times and is not, in the parlance that Obama used, a religion guy. Lakoff adds that of the at least tens of millions of conservatives in America who share strict father morality and its moral hierarchy, many are poor or middle-class, and many are white men who see themselves as superior to immigrants, nonwhites, women, non-Christians, gays and people who take public assistance. Before Trump, he says, they were not allowed to express it, because they would be seen as racists and bigots. Trump made it acceptable to feel this way. This explains how he can retweet clearly anti-Semitic or white-supremacy-based messages. They give his base a restored sense of self-respect and control. And what of the huge, modern, diverse population of people who elected Barack Obama? The election of President Barack Hussein Obama created outrage among those conservatives, and they refused to see him as a legitimate American (as in the birther movement), much less as a legitimate authority, especially as his liberal views contradicted almost everything else they believe as conservatives. Thats why Trump keeps repeating that Obama is weak, and a disaster. In fact, Lakoff says Trump makes very effective, and almost hypnotic, use of repetition and what he calls framing particularly when it comes to Hillary. Trump framed her as Crooked Hillary, meaning that she purposely committed crimes for her own benefit. Key words like Benghazi and emails are shorthand for that illegal framework. Then, he explains, there is a common metaphor that Immorality Is Illegality, and that acting against Strict Father Morality (the only kind off morality recognized) is being immoral. So, merely by being a powerful working woman and politician, almost everything Hillary Clinton has ever done has violated Strict Father Morality, and that makes all of her actions immoral. Thus, the audience feels a passionate hatred for her as an immoral actor, and feels justified in calls to lock her up. To add to Hillarys challenges in getting elected president, even some on the side of progressive, liberal families still seem to exhibit unconscious male bias. This results in a certain amount of no win for the first female candidate. Apparently, focus groups find it inauthentic when Clinton talks about her grandchildren. When she is forced to defend herself aggressively, people find her repulsive and shrill. Lakoffs theory explains Trumps Make America Great Again tag line. Thats all about going back to some fictional nostalgic time. Like Pepperidge Farm, Donald Trump remembers. The answer, I suppose, is just to be mindful. Check ourselves when the message is misogynist and woman-hating. Obviously, as a country, we cant go backward. Because in the end, men and women of every stripe have to learn to live together, in order to create, as the Founding Fathers put it so beautifully, a more perfect union. by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, July 29, 2016 The nominating conventions are over. What a tremendous two weeks it has been. We experienced dissent from the podium in Cleveland and the convention floor in Philadelphia, but the match-ups are in place. The politically untested Donald J. Trump and his pious sidekick Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will face off against former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and her Hispanophile ballot-mate Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine. Many have framed the 2016 election in absolute terms. Each pair of hopefuls has vastly differing views of the current state of affairs in this country and distinct prescriptions for the direction in which our nation should head. Last night, the Democrats aimed to accentuate those differences as Hillary Clinton accepted her partys nomination for President of the United States. An appeal to conservatives was also apparent, as dozens of former military personnel and members of military families took to the stage. advertisement advertisement One of the most effective denunciations of the various xenophobic positions espoused by Donald Trump came from the father of a Muslim American United States Army Captain who died in a suicide bombing in Iraq in 2004. Trump has continuously called for a travel ban on Muslims and has gone as far as contemplating a Muslim national registry. Khizr Kahn, whose son died as a U.S. soldier in Iraq, spoke with power and emotion to the delegates, flanked by his wife, about his son and forcefully took issue with Trumps propositions. Donald Trump, youre asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy, exclaimed Kahn as he pulled out a copy of our nations founding document. The crescendo of the night reached its peak as former and possibly our next First Daughter Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother. Her story line for the night was a personal description of Hillary Clinton, Mom. A side that we rarely see from the stately public figure. We heard about the wonderful, thoughtful, hilarious mother, as Chelsea gave an intimate but studied speech. Hillary Clinton took to the podium as the first woman to address a major party as a presidential nominee. The historical significance of the event cannot be overstated. Her speech was well-delivered and impeccably written. She argued in favor of her abilities and against the rhetoric of the GOP nominee. In the end, it comes down to what Donald Trump doesnt get: that America is great -- because America is good. So enough with the bigotry and bombast. Donald Trumps not offering real change. In terms of presentation, the Clinton women dont have the star presence on stage we saw during the first few days of the convention, or from the Trumps in Cleveland last week. But the election isnt a contest of oration or bluster. Its a contest of ideas and ideals, of knowledge and poise. Either Clinton or Trump will be the face of our country and spearhead policy for the next four years. Lets hope America elects someone we can be proud of. by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, July 29, 2016 Starbucks yesterday announced that it has hired Leanne Fremar as SVP, executive creative director. Fremar comes from Under Armours Womens and Concept Divisions, where she held the same titles. While there, she spearheaded the female-targeted I Will What I Want campaign. Prior to Under Armour, she served in senior positions at Theory, Gucci Group and Polo Ralph Lauren. Fremar will report to Starbucks global CMO, Sharon Rothstein, when she joins the company in October. She will lead the creative development of all global brand initiatives and marketing campaigns for the Starbucks brand, as well as the Starbucks Roasteries and Reserve brands. The role includes responsibility for overseeing the companys Seattle-based, 100-person, in-house creative studio, as well as its partnerships with agencies 72 & Sunny, Integer Group and Spark. advertisement advertisement Earlier this week, Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz announced other changes to his senior leadership team as part of organizational changes designed to enable him to focus on overall long-term strategy and innovation. Schultz said hell be working closely with Cliff Burrows, who has led the Americas business for eight years, and will now head a new retail group called Siren Retail. The new division will take on international expansion of the companys new premium Roastery coffee cafe chain and Teavana business; expansion of standalone stores and in-Starbucks locations for Princi, the Italian artisan cafes in which Starbucks invested last year; and development of Reserve stores, he said. by Larissa Faw , July 29, 2016 Kahlua and its agency Sew are introducing a new tone of voice for the liqueur brand that challenges the pretentious cocktail culture that thrives on "artisanal" and "craft" drinks. Sew partnered with Funny or Die as a production partner because the company has a strong appeal to the millennial market and a legacy of success in creating original content that is engaging and shareable, the agency said. This initiative also introduces a series of films under the "Tiny Rebellions" umbrella that riff on old school public service announcements popular in the 70s and 80s. Each film encourages consumers to step away from the mustachioed, cocktail-shaker-wielding mixologists and their 18-ingredient offerings. Instead, Kahlua suggests they stage a Tiny Rebellion and order a Kahlua cocktail, like the Mind Eraser. Comedian and actress Jillian Bell plays host Leesa Carols Tyler-Jacobs and introduces each PSA as a message. advertisement advertisement Four films will be promoted on a Tiny Rebellions microsite on Kahluas homepage, as well as through the brands owned social channels and digital marketing. The first two episodes launched the week of July 11 with the remaining films launching later this summer. The films will also be part of an integrated social and digital media plan developed by partner agency Dentsu's 360i. For this consumer, todays cocktail culture think reservations-only speakeasies or $20 drinks takes some of the pleasure out of going out, explains Monica Hohle, Global Brand Manager, who notes how extensive quantitative and qualitative research not only led to these insights, but also revealed that these qualities were extremely attractive to a consumer group that values authenticity and laid-back fun. Kahlua more naturally fits in with their lifestyle and personality. They associate it with the Dude and his love of White Russians and with good times with close friends, said Hohle. Parent company Pernod is the worlds second-largest distiller with other brands including Absolut, Chivas, Jameson Irish Whiskey and Malibu Rum. Pernod hasn't invested much in Kahlua advertising, spending $46,000 in 2015, according to Kantar Media. Healthcare professionals are benefitting from the launch of a new app, developed by the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, to help them learn to assess and detect skin cancer at an early stage and reduce unnecessary specialist referrals. Share on Pinterest The new Dermofit app helps healthcare professionals learn to detect early stage skin cancer. Image credit: Simedics Ltd. The new app, called Dermofit, has been designed to help train non-specialist doctors, nurses, and medical students to more accurately identify different skin lesions and growths along with their related diagnoses, using interactive, cognitive training techniques and an extensive image reference library. Launched earlier this month, Dermofit is already in use in a range of medical training settings around the world, helping healthcare professionals develop a greater knowledge of the variety of visual characteristics that different skin lesions have, and the way that these can be used to determine benign cases from more serious examples of skin cancer. Dermofit was first devised by Prof. Jonathan Rees, grant chair of dermatology at the University of Edinburgh, who came up with the idea to develop a digital tool to help medical professionals accurately identify malignant and benign skin lesion and skin growths at an early stage. The result of 4 years of research and development by the University of Edinburgh, Dermofit provides trainee doctors, nurses, and other non-specialist healthcare professionals with digital resources that allow them to hone their ability to correctly identify specific skin lesion types and, as a result, improve the accuracy with which they can determine skin cancer diagnoses. Algorithms group skin lesion photos based on color and texture In the case of suspected skin cancers including malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or basal cell carcinoma the need for prompt referral to a specialist for assessment and treatment is essential. However, in many cases, these referrals are often unnecessary. Thirty percent of doctors will automatically send a patient to a hospital if they have signs of a skin growth, says Prof. Rees. But the evidence is that the vast majority of people who are seen and referred do not have skin cancer or anything serious at all. Resources that can equip non-specialist care practitioners with the skills necessary to more accurately identify these different types of skin growth and lesion can therefore be extremely valuable, in terms of improving the quality of care provided to patients and also reducing costs for care providers. Dermofit uses algorithms that automatically groups library photos of skin lesions based on their color and texture properties. Selecting from a library of more than 1,300 images, the Dermofit app will take the user to further sets of similar lesion types to illustrate the difference in lesions that may look similar but are from different skin lesion classes. Other modules allow users to further build and test their skills of identification and diagnosis. Bob Fisher, who specializes in computer vision and helped design the computer algorithms for the app, adds: Dermofit contains a photo library of skin lesions to help inform practitioners to diagnosis more effectively. Practitioners can click on the image of a lesion of interest which then leads to further similar lesions. As lesions are selected, further sets of similar lesions are displayed. This gives familiarity with the different skin lesion types and allows users to differentiate between lesions that look similar, but that are from different skin lesion classes, he says. Locking the doors of mental health hospitals does not reduce the risk of suicide or of patients leaving without permission, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Share on Pinterest Locking doors in mental health care centers may not lead to the best outcomes. People with mental health problems have a higher risk of suicide than the general population. Some hospitals that offer psychiatric care lock their wards to try to reduce this risk, while others leave rooms open. Researchers in Germany have compared outcomes for locked and unlocked accommodation in a 15-year study of around 145,000 patients. The authors believe that an open door policy may be preferable, as it can promote a better therapeutic atmosphere and more positive health outcomes. Authorities around the world are increasingly using locked-door policies to keep patients safe from harm, but locked doors also restrict personal freedom. European countries tend to follow traditional approaches in caring for patients in psychiatric care, because there has been little evidence so far that one method is better than another. Similar outcomes whether doors are open or locked The current study examined data from 21 German hospitals between 1998 and 2012 to see how locked and open door policies might correlate with rates of suicide, attempted suicide, and absconding. Of 349,574 patients, they selected 72,869 cases from each hospital type, or 145,738 cases altogether. Creating matched pairs enabled a direct comparison between hospitals. Most of the patients had brain disorders relating to dementia, substance use, schizophrenia, and affective disorders, including mood disorders, such as depression, stress-related, and personality disorders. They looked at the numbers of completed suicides, attempted suicides, leaving and then returning, and absconding without return. They then factored in whether the hospital had an open door policy or not, and whether the wards were locked, partly locked, open, or if they were day clinic wards. Findings revealed similar rates of suicide and attempted suicide , regardless of whether a hospital had a locked door policy or not. Furthermore, hospitals with an open door policy did not have higher rates of absconding, either with or without return. Patients who left an open door hospital without permission were more likely to return than those from a closed facility. Patients attending open and day clinic wards were less likely to abscond, either with or without returning, compared with locked and partly locked wards. The number of attempted suicides was also lower among those staying in an open ward, compared with a locked ward, but rates of completed suicide were similar. Do locked doors unnecessarily create a sense of oppression? Given the similarity of outcomes between the two types of hospital, the researchers propose that an open door policy might be preferable. These findings suggest that locked door policies may not help to improve the safety of patients in psychiatric hospitals, and are not generally successful in preventing people from absconding. In fact, a locked door policy probably imposes a more oppressive atmosphere, which could reduce the effectiveness of treatments, resulting in longer stays in hospital. The practice may even lend motivation for patients to abscond. Dr. Christian Huber, of the Universitare Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel, Switzerland Since each hospital serves a specific location, there was no chance of higher-risk patients being allocated to hospitals with locked wards. This reduced the risk of bias. The authors warn that an open door strategy might not be appropriate everywhere, as mental health care provision differs in other ways, too, for example, how many beds are available, the percentage of acutely ill patients, and how long they are treated for. Germany has around 1.1 psychiatric care beds for every 1,000 people, compared with 0.5 beds per 1,000 in the United Kingdom and 0.3 in the United States. Where there are fewer beds, patients who receive treatment are more likely to be severely ill and more at risk. Nevertheless, the authors believe that the findings raise important questions, not just in Germany but beyond, and they call for further studies to confirm the applicability of their findings to mental health services elsewhere. The study did not look at suicide, self-harm, or harm to others among people who absconded and did not return, since data for these patients were not available. Co-author Professor Undine E Lang points out, however, that: Most people with mental health disorders are at greater risk of suicide and self-harm than of harming others. Other studies have suggested that very few people who abscond go on to harm themselves or others. The quality of life for patients following a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck can be greatly affected by the choice of treatment modality. This finding may determine the recommended plan for selected patients. An article in the latest issue of Plastic and Aesthetic Research examines a series of 45 studies which rate the patient's perspective on quality of life following various treatment modalities. It is suggested that the subsequent impact on quality of life can be a useful tool in individualizing treatment for selected patients. The author, Dr. Cristina Hernandez-Vila, is a maxillofacial surgeon in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University Hospital Infanta Cristina in Badajoz, Spain. Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The survival rate has improved dramatically over the past 20 years secondary to the development of specialized surgical techniques, including microvascular reconstruction and transoral robotic surgery, and adjuvant therapy, including chemotherapy and radiation treatment. While microsurgical reconstruction in particular has allowed an increasing number of salvage cases to be performed, its effect on the patient's quality of life remains controversial. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as an individual's or a group's perceived physical and mental health over time. Assessing the HRQOL is valuable in that it allows the physician to potentially select the optimal treatment for an individual patient based not only on efficacy, but also on any associated side effects. Survivors of head and neck cancer in particular can face debilitating side effects from treatment, including difficulty swallowing, airway obstruction, speech impediments, chronic infections, fistulae (connections between the oral mucosa and skin), aspiration, and the need for a permanent tracheostomy. Various tools have been developed to collect patient-reported quality of life outcomes. The University of Washington (UW) Quality of Life Instrument, for example, assesses 12 domains: pain, appearance, activity, recreation, swallowing, chewing, speech, shoulder symptoms, taste, saliva, mood, and anxiety. The evaluated studies generally demonstrated that the sensation of taste is frequently affected by the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while mouth dryness and dental problems tend to occur following radiation therapy alone. Both surgical patients and those treated with radiation alone note post-treatment difficulty with chewing and taste. Newer techniques, such as transoral robotic surgery, have shown better preservation of quality of life while achieving the same long-term results. While not every patient will be a candidate for conservative treatment or robotic surgery, Dr. Hernandez-Vila has demonstrated that considering treatment alternatives for patients diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck may have significant ramifications on their quality of life. Article: State of the Art in the Management of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Cristina Hernandez-Vila, Plastic and Aesthetic Research, doi: 10.20517/2347-9264.2016.20, published 24 June 2016. An investigation published by The BMJ reveals how the NHS is impeding access to high priced drugs for hepatitis C. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Bath, and The BMJ, show how NHS England, unable to budget for broad access to these drugs, tried to alter the outcome of the NICE process, and when it failed, defied NICE's authority by rationing access to them. The investigation also exposes key weaknesses in our current system of assessing the value of new therapies and delivering them to patients - and asks, is company pricing to blame? Hepatitis C is a virus that can infect the liver. There are an estimated 214,000 individuals chronically infected in the UK which, if left untreated, can cause life-threatening liver damage. In 2014, two new drugs for hepatitis C infection were launched (Sovaldi and Harvoni, manufactured by Gilead Sciences) - offering cure rates of over 90%. But with prices ranging from around $90,000 per patient in the US to almost 35,000 in England and 41,000 euro in France, they have sparked a global debate about access to high priced medicines for governments with limited resources. During the course of this investigation, it has emerged how apparent panic over high prices and affordability led NHS England to deploy many delaying tactics, which succeeded in hampering timely access to these drugs. For Sovaldi, NHS England spuriously asked for six months to implement guidance (the mandatory 90 days and an additional three months), saying it needed time to set up a proper database to audit patients and usage of the new drugs. NHS England also tried to completely block Harvoni and two other competitor drugs undergoing appraisals at NICE, and questioned the level of clinical evidence. Andrew Ustianowski, a consultant in infectious diseases at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, says: "I think some people in NHS England would love to clip NICE's wings and turn it into a kind of recommendatory rather than mandatory body. And if you are going to choose a fight then choosing this battlefield is quite a sensible thing to do - a marginalised population, very high-cost drugs." Dr Ustianowski resigned from NHS England's clinical advisory group, in protest at deliberate attempts to delay access to treatment. "I didn't want to be associated with what was happening," he told The BMJ. NICE did eventually succeed in publishing guidance recommending these drugs for the majority of hepatitis C patients. But NHS England is not fully following NICE's mandate, which requires that approved drugs are made available within the NHS. Instead it has restricted use of the new drugs by forcing quotas on clinical teams around the country. This rationing has left many clinicians facing hard decisions and difficult conversations with patients who have already seen their treatments delayed several times. And there is now growing evidence that some frustrated patients are turning to overseas "buyers' clubs" to source the drugs at their own expense. NHS England says its delivery of drugs is entirely within the parameters of the NICE guidance - and highlighted Gilead's pricing as the key reason why treatment was being delayed. This echoes major criticisms of Gilead's pricing strategy in the US, where legislators said the company had adopted a strategy "designed to maximise revenue with little concern for access or affordability." So why didn't NHS England strike a better pricing deal with Gilead? Under current rules, NHS England is unable to negotiate specific deals with individual drug companies. A spokesperson for NHS England said it was "exploring the potential for a longer term strategic procurement for a supply agreement with the industry to improve the affordability of and access to treatment further." Whatever the reason for the failure to achieve broad access to the new hepatitis drugs in England, the Hepatitis C Trust, a patient advocacy organisation, believes the NHS is risking legal action over its decision to ration them. Chief Executive, Charles Gore, said the Trust has "already spoken to solicitors to take on any cases that come up, because we are not going to have NHS England pick on a disenfranchised group." In a linked analysis, researchers argue that the acquisition strategies of drug companies magnify development costs and leave the public paying twice - for research and high priced medicines. Solutions, they say, include giving health systems increased power to negotiate pricing and payment models, limiting share buybacks, and testing other ways to encourage and reward drug development. In a linked editorial, Professor Mariana Mazzucato at the University of Sussex discusses why government must negotiate a better deal for publicly funded research. She believes that an effective pricing system "should ensure accessibility but also reflect the public contribution so taxpayers don't pay twice, through publicly subsidised research and high priced medicines." Importantly, she adds, "drug pricing must be completely transparent, so that governments can negotiate for better value on behalf of their populations." Article: A pill too hard to swallow: how the NHS is limiting access to high priced drugs , Jonathan Gornall, Amanda Hoey, Piotr Ozieranski, The BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmj.i4117, published 27 July 2016. Analysis: Betting on hepatitis C: how financial speculation in drug development influences access to medicines , Victor Roy, Lawrence King, The BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmj.i3718, published 27 July 2016. A two part paper published recently in Age & Ageing, the scientific journal of The British Geriatrics Society, reveals that pain profiling in older patients has the potential to improve quality of life, and help target resources to those most at risk of disability. The study also found that the use of new pain profiles, which took into account the impact of pain and its subjective nature, might enable better management of pain, and more accurate predictions of healthcare utilisation among older people. The research, 'Understanding pain among older persons' examines pain profiles in older patients, and their ability to predict disability, quality of life and help manage healthcare resources. The study, which was conducted by the University of Limerick in Ireland, highlights the fact that pain is a widely recognised problem in older people, and a common reason for enduring long-term disability. The data for the study was gathered from 8,171 respondents, aged 50 and over, living in a community setting. 65% reported not often being troubled by pain. Of the 2,896 respondents often troubled by pain, four pain profiles were identified using questions such as 'does the pain make it difficult for you to do your usual activities?', 'do you have a number of pain sites?' and 'are you taking medication to control the pain?'. Previous large population studies examining pain in older people have been limited to data related to frequency of pain, and/or the reported pain intensity. The study is unique in that it recognises that the impact of pain may vary considerably, and is a subjective experience. It also takes into consideration the degree to which pain affects a person's ability to participate in home or occupational activities, how widespread the pain is, as well as the use of analgesic medications. The study highlights the benefit of considering a greater range of variables in pain profiling to improve management, and reduce excessive medical investigations and treatment. The study also finds that pain profiling can be used to predict health care utilisation by older people. Identifying people with multi-site pain, or those with single-site pain which affects daily activities and requires medication, could prove a significant independent predictor of the utilisation of GP care and hospital outpatient visits. Access to such data could prove to be of enormous benefit from a health planning perspective. Kieran O'Sullivan Lecturer in Physiotherapy in the Department of Clinical Therapies at the University of Limerick, and one of the lead authors of the Age & Ageing paper, said: "For too long we have treated pain as an entity in itself, instead of treating the person in pain. These papers illustrate that a range of demographic, health and psychological factors influence the impact of pain on a person. By better matching pain treatment to the specific needs of each person, quality of life might be enhanced significantly while simultaneously reducing healthcare costs." Articles: Understanding pain among older persons: Part 1 - the development of novel pain profiles and their association with disability and quality of life, Kieran O'Sullivan, Norelee Kennedy, Helen Purtill and Ailish Hannigan, Age & Ageing, doi: 10.1093/ageing/afw131, published online 19 July 2016. Understanding pain among older persons: Part 2 - the association between pain profiles and healthcare utilisation, Norelee Kennedy, Kieran O'Sullivan, Ailish Hannigan and Helen Purtill, Age & Ageing, doi: 10.1093/ageing/afw128, published online 19 July 2016. Court of Appeal rules entitlement to proportional compensation from as low as 2.3%. In a landmark asbestosis case, The Court of Appeal ruled today that asbestosis sufferers could be entitled to proportional compensation from as low as 2.3% from negligent employers, based upon the number of years worked. The historic ruling confirms that proportional compensation is applicable even if the employer's overall contribution to the condition was minimal and the entitlement was as low as 2.3%. The ruling relates to retired electrician, Mr Albert Carder, who was exposed to asbestos whilst working at Exeter University. Although most of his asbestos exposure occurred earlier in his career, Mr Carder's lawyers, Moore Blatch, calculated that his employment at the university contributed 2.3% toward his asbestosis. The Court of Appeal today upheld the calculation and judgement made by The High Court in July 2015 that Mr Carder was entitled to compensation. But at the time Exeter University's insurers appealed, arguing the proportion of the exposure was minimal and had made "no discernible difference to his condition". Moore Blatch asbestos disease lawyer John Hedley, representing Mr Carder comments: "This decision is very important and will influence other asbestos cases. Whilst there is a long established principle around minimal contributions to asbestos exposure by employers, this case helps define what minimal actually means. We can confidently say this contribution can be as low as 2.3% or even less. Whilst the compensation is not substantial, it will help Mr Carder and the ruling will help many other people who are in a similar position." Mr Carder said: "It's a huge relief for this case to have finally settled and to also know that I can return to court, should my condition deteriorate, which is of great comfort to me and my family. When I started my career asbestos was thought to be such a wonderful thing; unfortunately we were not made aware of the dangers." Mr Carder's overall damages from his total exposure to asbestos were assessed at approximately 67,500, with the university's contribution confirmed to be 1,713. A new study published in the British Journal of Dermatology has shown that, on average, 70% of eczema patients are colonised with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (S. aureus, including MRSA) on their skin lesions. Patients with more severe disease had a greater risk of being colonised. These results provide an indication of the importance of colonisation as a possible trigger in eczema. The systematic review from Erasmus MC University looked at 95 observational studies comprising over 9000 patients. Interestingly, 39% of eczema patients carried S. aureus on healthy skin, compared with 70% that carried it on lesional skin where the dermatitis is present. This is an almost twenty-fold increase compared to healthy controls. In addition, up to 80% of eczema patients were found to have a strain of S. aureus that produced a toxin. These toxins have been known to stimulate the inflammatory response, contributing to the skin barrier defects in eczema, and may therefore be a primary trigger of the condition. Currently, eczema is mainly treated with corticosteroids and in the case of infection, with antibiotics. However, these drugs can result in side effects, drug-resistance and damage to the skin's normal beneficial bacteria, making them unsuitable for long-term use. Professor of Paediatric Dermatology at the Erasmus MC University Suzanne Pasmans, and senior author of the paper said: "This review demonstrates the importance of colonisation with S. aureus, as a factor in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. To decipher the exact role of S. aureus, studies using targeted antistaphylococcal therapy for the skin need to be done." Micreos, a Dutch biotech company who helped fund the review, is leading the way with the development of Staphefekt, a bacteria-killing enzyme, or endolysin, specific to S. aureus, which is as effective in killing MRSA as other strains of S. aureus. The mechanism of action of endolysins is unrelated to that of antibiotics, so even resistant bacteria, such as MRSA, are susceptible. Staphefekt is the first endolysin registered for use on the skin's microbiome, and is currently used as the active compound in Gladskin (a range of topical creams and gels for inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema). Unlike antibiotics, bacterial resistance to Staphefekt has not been observed or expected, and its specificity means beneficial bacteria are preserved, making it suitable for long-term daily use. Prof Pasmans added: "We have just enrolled the first patients in a prospective, randomised, placebo controlled trial using Gladskin. This study will provide insight in the effects of targeted S. aureus elimination on the overall skin-microbiome and clinical symptoms of eczema". "If you check the health of a woman, you check the health of society." - Rebecca Milner Health screening in women between 40 and 60 years helps to diagnose health issues in the early stages when they can be controlled. This ensures a more comfortable old age. Women tend to suffer from a number of health issues as they grow older. Some factors that contribute to increased health problems with age include: Menopause: Women usually undergo menopause between the ages of 48 and 55 years. The level of estrogen reduces during this period, resulting in a loss of its protective effect on various systems . Estrogen increases HDL or good cholesterol and reduces LDL or bad cholesterol. It also has a protective effect on the heart and blood vessels. It protects women from high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. It also helps to make bones stronger . Loss of estrogen makes the woman increasingly susceptible to heart disease and osteoporosis. Women usually undergo menopause between the ages of 48 and 55 years. The level of estrogen reduces during this period, resulting in a loss of its protective effect on various systems It also has a protective effect on the heart and blood vessels. It protects women from It also helps to make . Loss of estrogen makes the woman increasingly susceptible to heart disease and osteoporosis. Cancers : Cancers are more common in older women. Breast cancer and cervical cancer commonly affect women. : Cancers are more common in older women. commonly affect women. Other Age Related Changes: Like men, age also increases the chances of women developing conditions like diabetes and Alzheimer disease. Advertisement Though many of the above ailments may occur after the woman crosses 60 years, early changes may occur in the age-group of 40 to 60 years. Early detection through screening helps to treat the problem at the right time and ensures better health in the old age. Recommended Screening Tests Detailed examinations as well as several screening tests are recommended for women between 40 and 60 years of age. Though recommendations for different tests vary in different countries and ethnic groups, some screening tests that women between 40 and 60 years of age should undergo are listed below: Routine Examination by a Doctor A routine examination should be done preferably yearly. It should also include a breast and pelvic examination and a skin check for skin cancers. Women should be advised to do monthly self breast examination. They should also be advised about healthy lifestyle changes like avoiding smoking and alcohol and controlling weight. Dental Examination Women should undergo annual dental examinations. Eye Testing Eye examination should be carried out every 2 years above the age of 40 years. Testing for glaucoma should be done every 2 years over the age of 45. Blood Pressure Blood pressure should be checked once every 2 years and more often if it is above normal level. Lipid profile A lipid profile to check cholesterol levels should be carried out once every 5 years beyond the age of 44 years. Colon Cancer Screening Colon cancer screening is advised in women over 50 years of age with a stool test every year and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or a colonoscopy every 10 years. Mammogram Mammogram to check for breast cancer should be carried out every one to two years above the age of 40 years Pap Smear Pap smears are recommended after the age of 21 whenever the woman becomes sexually active. It is recommended every 2 to 3 years above the age of 40 years Advertisement DEXA Scan A DEXA scan to check for bone density should be carried out in women at a high risk for osteoporosis Blood sugar Testing A fasting and postprandial blood sugar should be tested once in 3 years to check for diabetes HIV Testing Women with multiple sexual partners or at high risk for developing HIV may need to undergo screening for the disease. Advertisement "In consideration of the possibility of an emerging local outbreak of Zika virus, and as a prudent measure to help assure the safety of blood and blood products, FDA is requesting that all blood establishments in Miami-Dade County and Broward County cease collecting blood immediately," said a statement from the US Food and Drug Administration."This freeze should remain in place until each individual unit of blood collected in the two counties can be tested with an available investigational donor screening test for Zika virus RNA or until the blood establishments implement the use of an approved or investigational pathogen inactivation technology," it said.Two of the suspected non-travel cases are in Miami-Dade County, and two are in Broward County which is just to the north of Miami.The FDA also said anyone who has traveled to Miami-Dade or Broward county in the past four weeks should be temporarily barred from donating blood."Additionally, FDA recommends that adjacent and nearby counties implement the precautions above to help maintain the safety of the blood supply as soon as possible," said the federal agency.Florida has already seen 381 cases of Zika, all involving people who were infected while traveling to parts of the world where the virus is circulating.For Zika to become a homegrown virus in the mainland United States, a mosquito would have to bite a Zika-infected person and then bite another person, passing on the virus.Health officials have warned of possible localized Zika outbreaks in the United States, particularly since the virus has spread quickly throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in the past two years.If a pregnant woman is infected with Zika, it raises the risk of her bearing an infant with microcephaly, a permanent defect which results in children being born with unusually small heads.Source: AFP Advertisement The two-year grant will allow for increased access to oral health care services for people living with HIV, while providing education and clinical training for dental care providers, especially those practicing in community-based settings.Dental care is one of the most common unmet needs for people living with HIV/AIDS in Kentucky. These needs include fillings, crowns and bridges, dentures and more."Patients who have issues with their teeth begin to limit the types of food they eat. This can result in malnourishment, which in turn affects the absorption of HIV medications. The end effect is a more compromised immune system," said Catherine Binkley, D.D.S., M.S.P.H., Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Surgical and Hospital Dentistry, and program director for the Ryan White CBDPP."Social interactions also can be negatively impacted by poor oral health. Patients with fractured or missing teeth all too often limit educational and career-seeking opportunities, as well as withdraw from friends and group scenarios. Restoring teeth to patients in all these situations impacts their lives in major ways. We want to help our patients put their lives back together and become part of society by providing a new smile," Binkley said.The dental school first received funding from the Kentucky HIV/AIDS Branch Ryan White Part B program for a six-month pilot in January 2014. The purpose of this funding was to expand the reach of oral health services and create a statewide network for improving access to comprehensive oral health care and improved oral health outcomes for individuals living with HIV/AIDS enrolled in the Kentucky Ryan White Part B program.Based on the success of the pilot program, the UofL School of Dentistry's CBDPP was awarded a $1.2 million two-year state contract in 2014-2016 and has now received $2 million for 2016-2018 to continue serving the oral health needs of Kentuckians living with HIV/AIDS. Last year, the UofL program performed more than 6,000 procedures for nearly 600 HIV/AIDS patients.Source: Newswise Advertisement The toxic ink could cause skin problems which could last for years, as well as increasing the risk of cancer. The agency is set to publish a list of suspect chemicals used in tattoo inks, which could result in many of them being banned across the European Union.Other side effects could include serious allergic reactions to the ink and painful itching which can last for years, the report said."Many reports show concerns for public health stemming from the composition of inks used for tattooing," the agency said. "The most severe concerns are allergies caused by the substances in the inks and possible carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive toxic effects," it said.Reports of health problems associated with tattoo ink prompted the agency to investigate. Despite being injected into the body, the inks are not currently regulated in the EU.In the U.K, the Environmental Protection Authority released tattoo ink guidelines in 2012. They contain a list of substances that tattoo inks should not contain, but are not mandatory. The guidelines also included recommended maximum levels in the inks of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In 2013 the Ministry of Health said a survey it carried out found most tattoos met the voluntary guidelines for heavy metals, but some did not.At the time then-Director of Public Health Dr Mark Jacobs said it was not known with any certainty what risks were posed by the higher than recommended levels of heavy metals.In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) has also warned of the dangers of 'black' or 'neutral' henna. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates chemicals in products including tattoo ink, cosmetics and color additives. But due to other public health priorities and a previous lack of safety evidence, the FDA has not traditionally regulated tattoo ink and pigments. A recent influx of cheap Chinese tattoo inks that aren't subject to safety checks are to blame, Rick Stevens, president of the Tattoo and Piercing Industry Union in the United Kingdom.Source: Medindia HOPE-Study Study Team An additional exploratory analysis on the ASPIRE study by Dr. Elizabeth R. Brown, the principal investigator of the Statistical and Data Management Center of the NIH-funded Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) has shown that the consistent use of the vaginal ring for a month at a time is far more effective - it reduced the risk of HIV infection in women by at least 56% and in some by 75% or more. Nearly 2,400 of the more than 2,600 women who participated in the ASPIRE study were included in the analysis. Adherence was defined using residual drug levels in the rings upon discarding. Moderate adherence was associated with a risk reduction of HIV infection of at least 56%. - while high adherence was associated with a risk reduction of potentially 75% or higher. Low adherence, on the other hand, did not provide statistically significant protection from HIV infection.This finding is being reported at the 21st International Conference On AIDS in Durban, South Africa. The ASPIRE results were published online in the"Adherence to HIV prevention strategies is not always perfect, and we knew that not all women used the ring consistently, so we developed an analysis to explore the degree of HIV protection that was associated with more consistent use," stated Dr. Brown "Across all analyses we saw high adherence was associated with significantly better HIV protection." Dr. Brown added."The findings from the ASPIRE study told us how much protection the dapivirine ring afforded the study population as a whole, which included women who used the ring often, sometimes, or not at all," explained NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci. "However, we know that HIV prevention tools work only if people use them. The findings of the exploratory analysis reported today give credence to the hypothesis that greater adherence to the dapivirine ring translates into a higher level of protection. The HOPE trial will provide additional data that either reinforce or refute this hypothesis," he added.Another clinical trial called HOPE (HIV Open-Label Extension) or MTN-025, will be build on ASPIRE study. Women eligible for this study will be those who have participated in the ASPIRE study earlier and have not contracted the HIV virus. All the women who enroll will be offered the ring. In the initial three months, the women will receive the ring on a monthly basis. Following this period, they will be offered three rings at a time on every quarterly visit, which is more likely to be the case in a real-world setting. The study period will last for one year.The choice to use the vaginal ring or not, however, will be the woman's. This would reflect the women's acceptance of the ring. Adherence to the ring will be determined by measuring residual levels of dapivirine in returned rings and blood levels of dapivirine. Women will be able to stay in HOPE for about a year after they enroll regardless of whether they accept or use new rings. The HOPE study will gather additional information on the ring's safety and how women use the ring."The HOPE study will give us the opportunity to learn why women do or do not like to use the dapivirine ring- information that might help us plan the optimal approaches for its delivery outside of research settings, improve upon the product and clarify how different HIV prevention options fit into women's lives," said Dr. Jared Baeten.The ASPIRE study was led by Dr. Jared Baeten, from the University of Washington in Seattle, and Dr.Thesla Palanee-Phillips, from the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute in Johannesburg, South Africa. They will also lead the HOPE study together with Dr. Nyaradzo M. Mgodi, from the University of Zimbabwe-University of California San Francisco in Harare.Source: Medindia Advertisement Not all animals are involved in pet therapy. Animals such as dogs and cats are trained to interact more protectively with the patient. Dogs are trained in such a way that they give a gentle poke to the patient if they are lost in bad memories or are stressed. Patients feel more relaxed and less distressed when a calm pet is next to them.In case of horses, it is observed that they perceive and respond to their masters' reactions during trail rides. They just don't react; they also reflect the mood of the person handling them. In cases where the rider is in relaxed and joyous mood, the horse will mimic that and if the rider's mood is negative, they reflect the same. Generally horses and ponies are gentle creatures that behave well in human company and even like to be stroked. Horses used in pet therapy are trained from young, by exposing them to distracting sights and sounds. This is done in order to help the horses overcome their natural instinct of fight-or-flight and stay with the patient even if the patient feels disturbed for some reason.Majority of pets involved in treatment are various breeds of dogs, specifically trained to deal with PTSD patients. The results of a few studies conducted on Animal-assisted therapy involving PTSD patients say that the stress level of such patients reduces by 82% when they have a pet dog with them as compared to those patients who don't have any pet animal at all. By being encouraged by such findings the Department of Defense USA has decided to invest $300,000 in further studies to explore the dynamics of animal assised therapy to cure the soldiers who are undergoing PTSD post wars.Pet Therapy is scientifically and medically proven to cure many psychological and mental disorders in the era when people tend to depend on "pills". Hollywood actress Ashley Judd, was in depression seeing her sister Wynona Judd in rehabilitation center for addiction. This incident pushed her to long term depression. Her doctors suggested that she might benefit from Pet Therapy. As per their recommendation, she adopted a dog and showed magnificent recovery from her depression. This case has inspired many to opt for Pet Therapy during depression and PTSD. However, studies are still being conducted to check the efficacy of this treatment for depression and various other mental disorders where Pet Therapy can be used to restore balance in the affected person.Source: Medindia Advertisement All three diseases are characterized by a high fever, rash and joint pain, Dr. Martinez says, although most of those infected don't experience any symptoms. Although these conditions are similar, each has its own unique characteristics.Dengue has been around for many years, Dr. Martinez says, while chikungunya and Zika emerged more recently. Each disease carries the risk of different complications, he says: Dengue can cause severe bleeding, which may lead to shock; chikungunya can cause severe joint pain and chronic arthritis; and Zika may lead to Guillain-Barr syndrome, a disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves.Unlike dengue and chikungunya, which are transmitted through mosquito bites, Zika can be transmitted from an infected person to another person via sexual intercourse and blood transfusions, Dr. Martinez says. Moreover, he says, Zika infections in pregnant women may spread to the fetus, resulting in birth defects like microcephaly, a condition in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head; women may pass the disease to an unborn child after contracting it from an infected mosquito or via unprotected sex with a person who has the virus."Zika may be the most dangerous of the conditions transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes," Dr. Martinez says. "Howver, all three diseases are serious threats to public health, particularly because many of those infected won't experience any symptoms and therefore won't know they're carrying the virus."There are no U.S. Food & Drug Administration-approved vaccines for these conditions, he says, and the only available treatment option is acetaminophen to control pain and fever. According to Dr. Martinez, the best way to fight these diseases is prevention. He says those traveling to regions where dengue, chikungunya and Zika are prevalent should protect themselves from mosquito bites by avoiding the outdoors at dawn and dusk, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, and using an insect repellant that contains the active ingredient DEET.Dr. Martinez also recommends that pregnant women avoid traveling to Zika-infected countries and suggests that travelers returning from these countries get tested for Zika before donating blood. Additionally, anyone who develops a high fever, rash or joint pain after returning from countries affected by any of these conditions should see a doctor as soon as possible, he says."It's important to be vigilant when traveling to areas where you could be bitten by a mosquito carrying dengue, chikungunya or Zika," Dr. Martinez says. "By taking preventive measures and monitoring your health when you return, you can protect yourself and help limit the spread of Zika to others."Source: Newswise Following the July 15-16 failed military coup in Turkey, Pakistani writer Abdul Qader Hassan wrote an article shedding light on the downfall of the Ottoman Caliphate in the early 1920s. In the piece, Hassan also noted that the Ottoman Caliph Sultan Suleiman (who ruled from 1520 to 1556) was poised to conquer Austria, but could not do so due to old age and the cold weather. The Ottoman Caliphate was abolished in 1924 by Kamal Ataturk, who began an era of secularization whose influences the current Islamist government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been trying to eradicate from the nation's public life by re-introducing Islamic influences such as the burqa (veil) and alcohol-free zones. The failure of the Turkey coup has been generally welcomed in the Islamic world, since Erdogan is seen as advancing the cause of Islam. Abdul Qader Hassan's article was published by Roznama Express, a mass-selling Urdu-language newspaper published in the Pakistani cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Multan. Following are excerpts from the article: "It Is A Sad Story That The Christian Western Powers Ultimately Terminated This Government Ruling From... Istanbul"; "You Will Be Surprised [To Know] That The Hindu Leader Gandhi Was Also Part Of The Khilafat Movement" "For those with interests in Islamic history, it seems like only yesterday the city of Istanbul was the city of their memories and dreams, where the flag of their Ottoman Caliphate flew for 500-600 years... For the Western powers, such a large Islamic government and such an expanding regime was unacceptable. It is a sad story that the Christian Western powers ultimately terminated this government ruling from a beautiful city like Istanbul. And the women of Istanbul were left with jewellery as symbols that Muslim women from the world over had sent to them as gifts of love and aid. "Among this jewellery there was a large quantity that the Muslim women in India had sent during the Khilafat Movement [that defended the Ottoman Caliphate] as gifts for the Turks so they could sell them and continue their war and jihad. This jewellery is still safe with the elderly women of Turkey. They are very dear to them and their price cannot be paid in material wealth. When a tourist would sometime go to Turkey from India, these women would proudly show this jewellery to him. "And such tourists would return carrying the treasures of their tears to India, which was a center of the [Khilafat] Movement for the Ottoman Caliphate; and the memories of the movement are still fresh. You will be surprised [to know] that the Hindu leader Gandhi was also part of the Khilafat Movement; and the point was that this movement was a movement for liberation from British imperialism; and Gandhi was the leader of the movement opposed to imperialism. "I want to talk about the Turkey of today... whose Muslims have refused to accept the regime [i.e. the coup leadership] they disliked, which the world has dubbed as a rebellion involving several [military] generals and senior civil officials who were dismissed. I did not expect such a rebellion by the public of a Muslim country but it appears that in Turkey some virus of past freedom is alive, which does not allow this nation to sit still, and remains active in its brain. " "With Much Sacrifice And Strategy The Western World Terminated This [Ottoman] Caliphate, Since If It Were Alive, It Would Not Have Been Possible For The Western World To Survive" "Turkey was not merely a Muslim country. It was the living reality of the Islamic world, which the West had terminated with much labor and sacrifice, and which had been a danger to its existence. There is [evidence in] history as to how much was done to end the Ottoman Caliphate; and with much sacrifice and strategy the Western world terminated this Caliphate, since if it were alive, it would not have been possible for the Western world to survive. There is a long history of the Ottoman Caliphate, which ruled over the world for nearly 600 years... "And history remembers the era when the ruling families of the Western world would wait for the consent of the Ottoman caliph to appoint their new king. The world remembers this statement of Sultan Suleiman [the Ottoman caliph]: 'Wherever my horse keeps its feet, that place comes under my rule'; and the reality was also the same. Whichever direction the Ottoman military moved, that region would be accepted as part of the Ottoman Caliphate because no one had the power that the Ottoman Caliphate had; and it was impossible to confront the Ottoman military. "The elderly Sultan Suleiman regretted that he could not conquer Austria due to his old age. The second [obstacle] was the extreme cold weather, which was intolerable for the Ottoman army, and war could not be waged in such weather. However, some generals were courageous enough so that if the Sultan gave the order, they could have won this battle too. However, the Sultan did not deem it correct to accept their advice and declared it an emotional judgement... "For the Ottoman Caliphate, which had conquered the world, this small European country [Austria] was nothing, but Sultan Suleiman remained regretful of his old age and the extreme weather. When the weather became good, the Sultan was advised to attack, but he refused to accept. Anyway, a small country in Europe remained safe from the sound and boom of Ottoman cannon, and even today it celebrates having escaped the military superpower of the time... It escaped from the Ottoman military but Turkey's disliked regime [i.e. the military coup leadership] could not, and was defeated by democracy." Source: Roznama Express (Pakistan), July 20, 2016. Following the ouster, in late June/early July 2013, of Egyptian president Muhammad Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) regime in Egypt after mass protests and military intervention led by then-defense minister 'Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi, Al-Sisi himself became president. His regime, often called the June 30 or July 3 regime,[1] was initially based on a wide coalition of elements, ranging from liberal revolutionaries to members of the pre-Morsi regime of President Hosni Mubarak, the Coptic church, and Salafis from the Al-Nur Party; what they all had in common was opposition to the MB regime.[2] As time went on, Al-Sisi's regime emerged as more authoritarian and less liberal than many in this coalition had hoped. While in the early days an atmosphere of shared goals prevailed among supporters of the June 30 Revolution (i.e., supporters of Morsi's ouster), cracks began to emerge among its various components, and its liberal elements turned critical, expressing disappointment with Al-Sisi. Though their criticism is less harsh than that of Al-Sisi's political opponents - such as the MB, the April 6 [Youth] Movement, which have both been banned under the Al-Sisi regime - it is nonetheless highly significant, and, since it comes from within his own camp, perhaps even more significant than that of Al-Sisi's opponents. President 'Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi (Image: alwafd.org) This criticism of Al-Sisi centers on several issues and trends that have prevailed in Egypt since 2013: the curbing of civil society, including by arresting members of the political opposition and human rights activists, even those who participated in the June 30 Revolution; the passage of a law restricting protests; police brutality against civilians; regime reliance on security apparatuses; the gradual return of members of the old Mubarak regime, including in key government posts, and recently the restriction of press freedom and an ongoing crisis between the Interior Ministry and the Journalists' Union following a security forces raid on the union building which sparked widespread criticism.[3] This report will present excerpts of articles by supporters of the June 30 Revolution criticizing Al-Sisi and his regime. Egyptian Journalist: Many Of Your Supporters Are Disappointed; If You Go On Like This, You Will Jeopardize Your Political Status In October 2015, Egyptian journalist Suleiman Gouda wrote, under the headline "The President Is In Danger!" that support for Al-Sisi among supporters of the June 30 Revolution was dropping because they felt marginalized by the regime. He warned that if Al-Sisi continued to run the presidency like an army general, his political future was at risk: "The Egyptians remember well that President Al-Sisi always said during his presidential run that he would absolutely not build the country alone, as that is beyond his capabilities or [the capabilities] of any one person... In every meeting with the public, Al-Sisi would say that he needed the efforts of every Egyptian [citizen] alongside him, and that Egypt could not be rebuilt without [the help] of all its sons - all of them, not some of them... The [presidential] candidate Al-Sisi stressed this and reiterated it again and again, so much so that this concept became one of his [trademark] attributes and commitments, and led millions to support him. "Now, 16 months after he became president, some Egyptians feel that things are not as he promised, and that he has probably forgotten what he specifically said on this issue - because he is rebuilding Egypt on his own, yes, on his own. This is the feeling of many whom I meet everywhere, [a feeling] that I only want to convey sincerely to the president and to his loyalists who surround him, so they may be aware of the prevailing climate among a not insignificant group, and maybe they will act based on this information. "One of these people stopped me [in the street] some two weeks ago and told me something I cannot put in writing. [This was] a citizen who voted for the president and who still supports him, but who as a citizen is concerned and feels that what he was told during the elections has no basis at all. If such a sentiment has so firmly established itself in the mind [of a person like this, who supported Al-Sisi], then all those concerned need to wake up... fast! "If anyone asks me the reason for my concern, I would say that the president announced, and launched, some great national projects, without considering any other opinions. For instance, when I follow what [agriculture expert] Dr. Mahmoud Emara, [professor of management at American University] Dr. Sabry Al-Shabrawy, and [physician and writer] Dr. Mohamed Makhzangi said about the '1.5 Million Feddan' [reclamation] project, the investment in Egyptian [citizens]... and the Al-Daba'a [nuclear project],[4] I find that nothing that they have been saying for weeks, and months, has prompted anyone in the country to stop [and listen] - as though all their efforts are in vain. I am not claiming that these three doctors have a monopoly on the truth, but someone should respond to them and to those like them, saying that what has been said about such and such a topic is wrong and that the country's path is the right one, for this or that reason. That is only logical and natural. "We are not arguing with the president over matters of security, since he is well versed in them, as are his experts... and he also has undeniable achievements in this area. But we are talking [here] about critical economic and political issues concerning the country's direction, and we sense that in this context, the president treats us, day after day, as if he is a military commander who must be answered, the moment he calls, with a Yes sir!, and whose orders must be answered with an Alright, Sir! - when the situation regarding these issues is absolutely not alright, sir! "Mr. President, the abovementioned individuals have supported you since day one, and among [those who have done so] is the author of these lines. But [this] support is not absolute - nor should it be. Furthermore, if things continue as they do now, then you, and the country, face political danger. So it is [my] duty to mention this..."[5] Al-Ahram Center Analyst: Many Hoped Al-Sisi Would Espouse Democracy And Freedom Of Speech - But Were Disappointed; More Regime Supporters Than MB Supporters Are In Prison In May 2016, Dr. Amr Hashem Rabie, political analyst and deputy director of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, wrote under the headline "Is the July 3 Regime Abandoning Its Supporters?" in which he stated that the Al-Sisi regime was using the same repressive tactics as the Mubarak regime had, and that this infringes on freedom of speech: "When the July 3 regime gained the people's support, its legitimacy was based on ousting the MB regime. Some believed that the [new] regime would quickly establish a foundation for its legitimacy - [but] this never happened. "Naturally, it was hoped that the [regime's] legitimacy following the removal of the MB would be based on support for the values of democracy and freedom of thought and speech. A close examination of the crisis of the Mubarak regime before it was removed would have made any wise decision-maker do the following: preserve human rights and citizens' dignity; protect equality and fight corruption; base the regime on experts and on the principles of true political accountability; and gather associates from among opponents before [drawing them from] supporters. But most of these [principles] were not realized, despite the good intentions that were manifested by the drafting of a new constitution. "In recent months, [these principles] have begun to crumble, one by one, and the Journalists' Union[6] events are only one link in a chain of administrative measures aimed at harming freedom of thought and speech - taking [the new regime] in the direction of the Mubarak regime in its last decade. The sights of July 3 [2013] are fading - the supporters [of the revolution] are no longer politically active. Some have been intentionally expelled and banished, and the rest refrained from continuing [their activity] after they saw a massive return [to power] by supporters of the previous [i.e. Mubarak] regime... Instead of bringing back [regime supporters who had stopped being politically active, the regime] turned to its associates. The previous prime minister [Hisham Qandil], who was popular, was removed simply for being popular and the political parties were disregarded... [The regime] deliberately tarnishes journalists' [reputations], claiming that they seek to be above the law, and entrenches itself behind a wall of cheerleaders who are also from the Mubarak school of thought. There is also much to say about the [regime's failure] to manage crises, as illustrated by the Egyptian lira crisis; the surprise of relinquishing the two islands[7] ... the crisis of the [murder of the] young Italian national;[8] the disasters [caused] by police; and more. During [this time], parliamentary elections were held in order to form a trained parliament. As for the civil society [focusing on] human rights, [its members] are harassed and accused of treason by security elements. "The important thing is that all this is happening in conflict with the press, media, and protestors, while it is they who brought the [Al-Sisi] regime to power... As a result, there are more regime supporters than MB supporters in prison. We expect the regime that rescued Egypt from a fate like that of Syria and Libya, and which still has achievements, to chart a new course: Utilize experts [but] a political prime minister [rather than a technocrat] and political advisors, and an apparatus for accountability that will not go easy on anyone; free the young people from the prisons; and [ensure that] the police maintain safety for the country, not for the regime. I believe we can do this - and if we cannot, the MB will successfully discourage us because of what we do, not because of what they do..."[9] Egyptian Writer: I Supported Him When He Was Elected, But Am Disappointed With His Policy, Which Has In Some Cases Led To Disaster Essam Al-Obaidi, a writer for the website of the Egyptian Al-Wafd Party, wrote in an article titled "Have I Become An Opponent Of The President?" that he did and still does support Al-Sisi but has criticism of him on many issues and is disappointed with his policies: "Following a recent increase in my criticism of the [Al-Sisi] regime, I have asked myself, and others have asked me, whether I have become an opponent of President Al-Sisi. [People assumed that this was the case,] so much so that several producers from the state satellite and TV channels were apprehensive about hosting me, as if I vehemently opposed the president. "In truth, I was one of the biggest supporters of the president; furthermore, I was among the first to call on him to run [for president] in order to finish the job of eliminating the terrorist Satanic Brotherhood [i.e. the MB] that was about to swallow up the homeland and change its identity. After the president began his term, we helped him with all our might, and lionized his successes in a number of areas and the massive projects that were actualized in the first two years of his rule... "In that case, why has my criticism of regime increased lately, so much so that many believe I am among the opposition? ... I believe that the president's intentions and love for his homeland are sincere - but none of this stops us from disagreeing with him when we feel he has strayed from the straight path. [In such a case,] it is our duty to him to stop and warn him that the ship of the homeland is heading straight for an iceberg... and that if he does not pay attention and avoid it, [Egypt] will sink... "From the start I disagreed with... how the president ran things, especially how he dealt with those who had robbed the country, those who had stolen land, and businessmen who exploit the crises [experienced] by the people - all he did was urge them [to rectify the situation], as if that were the only weapon he had [at his disposal]. [That is,] he urges them to return what they stole and urges them to donate to the 'Long Live Egypt' fund, and, recently, urged merchants to take pity on the people - an endless stream of urging, as though the president has no [other means for dealing with such things] - when the president has far more serious and powerful weapons to deal with such thieves - [that is,] the sword of the law. Only he can restore [the enforcement of] state laws, stop those who violate them, and deter the thieves and those who trade in the people's food. Moreover, the negative results of this 'policy of pleading' have impacted even the president's foreign policy, and this has become clear regarding Ethiopia's Al-Nahda Dam [the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam]. He treated the Ethiopians with the respect due a brother, and they exploited it in the worst possible way, [and nevertheless] received [Egyptian] legitimacy for the dam without giving us any water rights. This is a disastrous result for the agreement of principles signed by the three presidents [of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan] in Khartoum [in December 2015]. "Thus, I do not count myself among the president's opponents, unless he strays from the truth or from the interests of the citizens - that is, I am not one of his chronic opponents who object to every one of his policies and attack all of his orders or statements. I do not oppose Al-Sisi as a president - I oppose the policy he sometimes adopts, which we think are not in the country's or people's Former Culture Minister: Many People Are Withdrawing Their Support For The President - And That Should Be Causing Concern In an interview with an Egyptian magazine, former culture minister Dr. Gaber Asfour criticized the regime's security apparatuses, which he said imprison people and make them disappear, and added that President Al-Sisi should fear for his popularity among the Egyptian public: "Some are apprehensive that Egypt could once again become a police state, and that police have reverted to how they were during the era of president Hosni Mubarak, primarily with regards to making people suddenly disappear..." Asked about the difference between the Interior Ministry today as opposed to in the Mubarak era, he said: "In my opinion, there is no difference. Arrests and disappearances continue, as does the improper handling of union protests, such as in the case of the Journalists' Union, and of the Doctors' [Union] before that. [Yet] we are surprised, time and again, that most of these unions, as well as many [others], are taking a stand against the president and withdrawing their support for him, [which should be ] causing concern... Essentially, they do support him, but they are being pushed to oppose him instead... "Honestly, the president should fear for his public popularity. I say this for the first time - this is the sense of those who completely believe [in the president], because I believe in President Al-Sisi [myself], and if not for my faith in him, I would have never agreed to become a minister. Even after I left the [Culture] Ministry, I still believe in the president and his patriotism, and I support him. "However, because I love him and support him, it is my duty to tell him candidly that he should beware of many things that are happening around him that he is not noticing. For example, in the matter of the Journalists' Union, the Interior Ministry has no right to storm the union [headquarters]. If there are two criminals in the union headquarters, the ministry [security forces] should wait until they leave [the building] and head home [to apprehend them], or speak to the head of the Journalists' Union. But storming the union [headquarters] like that is a great threat to the constitution and the law..."[10] Writer Alaa Al-Aswany: "There Is Unjust Oppression In Egypt"; "Anyone With A Dissenting Opinion Is Charged With Treason" One prominent example of a June 30 Revolution supporter who has become a harsh critic of Al-Sisi and his regime is the well-known writer Alaa Al-Aswany, author of the novel The Yacoubian Building. Al-Awsany, a dentist by profession, was a member of the Egyptian Kefaya movement, which was formed in 2004 and opposed a fifth term of office for Mubarak and the apparent grooming of Gamal Mubarak to succeed his father as president. Following the June 30 Revolution, Al-Aswany praised Al-Sisi, even calling him a "national hero" who had saved Egypt from civil war and stating that he was entitled to run for president.[11] His attitude towards the regime gradually shifted, however, and he became a harsh critic of it, expressing this in articles and via his Twitter account. In an interview by the Egyptian daily Al-Shurouq marking the fourth anniversary of Egypt's January 25, 2011 revolution, Al-Aswany explained what had motivated him to oppose Al-Sisi mere months after he took office. He accused the regime of attempting to eliminate any real opposition by fabricating charges against, and arresting, anyone disagreeing with it, by using mouthpieces in the media, and by thwarting opposition party attempts to enter parliament. In the interview, Al-Aswany said: "My current opposition to Al-Sisi is based on two things: One is that the old, rotten, corrupt, and tyrannical Mubarak regime is trying to hijack the June 30 wave... just as the MB did to the January 25 revolution, with the help of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces [SCAF]. The second thing is my opposition to [Egypt's] security policy. In my opinion, Egypt is dealing with armed terrorism, and we must align with the army and police. But we must also learn from history, since it is not logical that we should repeat the same mistakes. Terrorism is eliminated by means of justice, not oppression, and today there is unjust oppression in Egypt... For example, one form of oppression is how easily people are tried by the military... The anti-demonstrations law is an oppressive law, and the claim that the sections [of this law] are in all laws regarding demonstrations around the world is a lie... and when international organizations claim that this law restricts freedoms, then [the regime] calls this is a plot... "Any person interested in public activity today has two options: Support all previous and future decisions by President Al-Sisi, and the media will praise them and their nationalism. Or, say 'I respect President Al-Sisi and see him as reliable, but he is wrong on this or that,' and they will endanger themselves and their families and risk being arrested and becoming collaborators. There is no respect for an oppositionist... "The current regime aims to eliminate any real opposition... [Mohamed] ElBaradei, for instance, was called an agent, even though he was vice president of the republic. Didn't they know then that he was an agent? Such talk is disgraceful. We have gone from the stage of accusations of apostasy to the stage of accusations of treason... Anyone with a dissenting opinion is charged with treason, and cursed... "Some sectors of the regime and security apparatuses see the young people of the revolution as enemies... But without these young people's courage, nobility, and dedication to the state and the revolution, President Al-Sisi would not be president and Hosni Mubarak would still be in power. [It is the young people] who paid the price for the change, and their reward [for doing so] must not be being thrown in prison under an inhumane [anti-demonstration] law that subverts the constitution that was approved by most Egyptians. What am I supposed to think about the regime when my son is serving four years [just] for holding up a sign outside the Journalists' Union - which was permitted in Mubarak's time - and when some say that 3,000 young people of the revolution are in prison... This law is rarely used against the MB; it seems to mostly be used to get rid of the young people of the revolution..."[12] Al-Aswany expressed similar criticism. In a April 2014 interview with the Egyptian ONTV channel, he accused the Al-Sisi regime of silencing and oppressing the opposition, arresting the young people who had carried out the January 25 and June 30 revolutions, and maintaining the mentality of the Mubarak regime. To watch a MEMRI TV clip of Al-Aswany's remarks, click below: The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to [email protected] with "Membership" in the subject line.) Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to [email protected]. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email. EXCLUSIVE: ISIS Releases Video Of Second Normandy Church Attacker, Who Calls On Muslims To Attack France, Coalition Countries On July 28, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) news agency A'maq released a video message by one of the July 26 Normandy church attackers, Ibn Omar, whom it identifies as Abdel Malik Petitjean. The previous day, the agency released a video showing the two church assailants, Abu Jaleel Al-Hanafi (Adel Kermiche) and Ibn Omar (Petitjean), pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. EXCLUSIVE: ISIS Video Touts Victory Over New Syrian Army (NSA), Shows Footage Of American, British Officers Training NSA Fighters On July 27, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a video targeting the New Syrian Army (NSA), one of the major factions supported by the U.S. in Syria. The video, posted on ISIS's official Telegram channel, features footage and audio taken from mobile devices of NSA fighters who were captured by ISIS, which shows them receiving training from American and British officers. EXCLUSIVE: Jabhat Al-Nusra Leader Al-Joulani Severs Group's Ties With Al-Qaeda, Changes Its Name To Jabhat Fath Al-Sham On July 28, 2016, Arabic News Channel Al-Jazeera aired a video recording in which Jabhat Al-Nusra leader Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani declared that his group has severed ties with Al-Qaeda and changed its name to Jabhat Fath Al-Sham (JFS). JTTM subscribers click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV EXCLUSIVE: Al-Qaeda Gives Jabhat Al-Nusra Green Light To Leave Its Fold On July 28, 2016, Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) released via its media wing, Al-Manara Al-Bayda, an audio message from Ahmad Hassan Abu Al-Khair Al-Masri, the deputy leader of Al-Qaeda. In the message Al-Masri announces that, following consultations among its senior leadership, Al-Qaeda has decided to instruct JN to "pursue whatever measures" are necessary to protect the jihad in Syria and unite the jihad factions in Syria. By this, Al-Qaeda has effectively complied with JN's request to sever its ties with Al-Qaeda, its parent organization, so as to promote unity among the Islamist militias in Syria. EXCLUSIVE: Belmokhtar Urges Libyans To Remain Steadfast In War Against French On July 24, 2016, Al-Murabitoun, an Al-Qaeda affiliate in North Africa, published a statement by its commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar. After consoling the Libyans for their losses in the fight against "the insolent Crusader campaign" that France is waging "in attempt to harm the people of honor who rebelled against oppression and tyranny," he urges them: "Persist in your giving and steadfastness in protecting your religion and homeland from the filth of the Crusaders and their agents." EXCLUSIVE: Jabhat Al-Nusra Expected To Announce It Is Cutting Ties With Al-Qaeda, Taking New Name According to reports from Syria and online discussions among Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) and Al-Qaeda supporters, JN will soon announce that it is officially cutting its ties to Al-Qaeda. Online supporters have begun circulating a new name that the group will adopt - Jabhat Fath Al-Sham, i.e. The Syria Conquest Front. Supporters are already promoting a Twitter hashtag with the new name. EXCLUSIVE: ISIS Continues To Threaten France, Germany With More Terrorist Attacks In last few days, the Islamic State (ISIS), along with its supporters on Twitter and Telegram, have posted images containing threats to the West in general and to France and Germany in particular. The images, which were published on Telegram and Twitter under different hashtags, show popular landmarks in France and Germany with messages threatening more terrorist attacks by ISIS fighters in retaliation for air strikes carried out by coalition forces. The threatening messages on these images were mainly in Arabic, English, and German. A photo of Mohammed Daleel, the attacker who had sworn fealty to ISIS before blowing himself up outside a music festival in Ansbach, Germany on July 24, 2016, appears in some of them. EXCLUSIVE: WARNING-GRAPHIC: Pro-ISIS Disseminator Lauded By Fighters For Spreading Graphic Propaganda On Instagram; Hints At Joining ISIS, Threatens To Kill Instagram Employees A pro-Islamic State (ISIS) disseminator on Instagram shares graphic photos and official ISIS videos containing gruesome violence. The account is frequently suspended; as of this writing he is on his 52nd account. It should also be noted that sometimes the spelling of his name differs slightly. His efforts are celebrated by ISIS fighters in Syria who promote his new accounts following suspensions. French-Speaking ISIS Media Operatives Justify The Murder Of Priests Following the July 27, 2016 terror attack in Saint Etienne Du Rouvray, France, in which an elderly priest was murdered, ISIS French language media operatives justified the killing of priests. ISIS Video Celebrates Nice Attack, Threatens Further Attacks Across France, Including In Paris, Marseille, And Nice On July 20, 2016, the Ninawa province of the Islamic State (ISIS) released a video featuring two French-speaking ISIS fighters who praise last week's attack in Nice and threaten further ISIS retaliation in more French cities. JTTM subscribers click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV ISIS Claims Responsibility For Church Attack In Normandy, France On July 26, 2016, the A'maq news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS), published an ISIS claim of responsibility for the July 26 attack in a church in Normandy, France, which left one priest dead and another person seriously injured. ISIS Video Features Message From Ansbach, Germany Attacker Promising Escalation In Attacks Against The Country The Islamic State (ISIS) news agency A'maq has released a video featuring the martyrdom will of Muhammad Daleel, the suicide bomber who blew himself up outside a music festival in Ansbach, Germany yesterday. ISIS Weekly Provides Details On Ansbach, Germany Attacker, Reveals He Had Joined ISIS In Syria, Was In 'Constant Contact' With 'Caliphate Soldier' Prior To Attack Issue 40 of the Islamic State (ISIS) weekly newsletter Al-Naba, published July 26, 2016, featured on article on Muhammad Daleel, the suicide bomber who blew himself up outside a music festival in Ansbach, Germany on July 24. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, and released a posthumous video of Daleel in which he pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and threatened more attacks against Germany. ISIS Claims Responsibility For Suicide Attack In Ansbach, Germany On July 25, 2016, A'maq, a news agency affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS), reported that the bomber who blew himself near the site of a music festival in Ansbach, Germany and injured at least twelve people was "a soldier of the Islamic State." ISIS Video Condemns International Support For Libyan Government, Features Fighters From Sudan And Kenya On July 26, 2016, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Tripoli, Libya released a video condemning the support provided by the international community to the Libyan government in its fight against terrorist groups. ISIS Claims July 23, 2016 Kabul Attack On Hazara Shi'ites On July 23, 2016, the Islamic State's "Khorasan Province" issued an official statement in which it claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing perpetrated that day in Kabul, Afghanistan, targeting a large gathering of Hazara Shi'ites. Pro-ISIS Hacking Group Releases Kill List Of Over 700 U.S. Army Personnel On July 25, 2016 the United Cyber Caliphate (UCC), a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) hacking group, released a kill list containing the names of over 700 U.S. Army personnel on its Telegram channel. Pro-ISIS Hacking Group Posts Infographic Highlighting Hacking Prowess On July 28, 2016, the pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Hacking group United Cyber Caliphate (UCC) posted an infographic on its Telegram channel highlighting the group's most prominent hacks. The infographic lists the group's hacks according to the countries targeted, the number of websites hacked, and the number of soldiers whose information was leaked. Both the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and the French TV5 Monde television station were hacked in 2015 by the Cyber Caliphate, which later went on to become part of the United Cyber Caliphate. The infographic reads: "Statistics About The United Cyber Caliphate Islamic State Hacking Division - "Prominent Hacks: "Hacking US State Department website and releasing information on its staff." In New Audio Speech, Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri Urges Followers To Free Jihadi Prisoners On July 23, 2016, Al-Qaeda released a new audio speech by the group's leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri. The speech is the third installment in the "My Brother, Carry Your Weapon" series of eulogies for jihadi leaders. In the speech, Al-Zawahiri urged Al-Qaeda and its offshoots to exert efforts to free jihadi prisoners, alluding to the need to kidnap Westerners. He also praised Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch Jabhat Al-Nusra for freeing female prisoners in a swap with the Lebanese government. Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Nasheed Urges Muslims In Western China To Stand Up To Their Oppressors, Seek Revenge, Join Mujahideen In Syria On July 21, 2016, the Turkestan Islamic Part (TIP) released a video for a nasheed (Islamic song) in the Uyghur language that calls upon Muslims, especially those living in East Turkestan (China's Xinjian region), to adhere to their faith, stand up to their oppressors, and seek revenge. Muslims are also encouraged to make hijra to Syria. Benghazi Rebels Call On Libyans To Expel French Forces The Benghazi Rebels, a coalition of Islamist militias in Libya that is fighting against the Benghazi parliament, has released a communique by its Shura Council calling upon all Libyans to take up arms against the French forces in Libya and against all other foreign forces and expel them from the country. Indian Armys role in the World Wars is hardly talked about. Laying out the facts in short, approximately 2.5 million Indian soldiers served during the entire World War 2. They fought primarily in Africa, Europe and Asia. 87,000 soldiers died in the war, 34,354 were wounded and 67,340 were taken as prisoners of war. While majority of the Indian soldiers fought as a part of the British Empire Army, there were a few who chose to go against the tide. They were called the Free Indian Legion or as the Indians know it, the Azad Hind Fauj, led by Subhash Chandra Bose. YouTube Just when the British and the Indian communists aligned to fight against the Japanese, Bose abandoned the left front and decided to shake hands with the Axis (Germans) by forming the Azad Hind Fauj or INA. In 1941, he left for Nazi Germany and started recruiting for The Indian Legion. The legionnaires were primarily expatriates in Europe and prisoners of war. The intended purpose of the Legion was to fight against the British occupation of India. Initially, the legion was inducted and trained as a part of the German Armys assault group to infiltrate Western Fronts on British India. They were trained in the strictest military discipline and were entitled to every amenity that a German soldier was entitled to. The intended purpose though, was never served. Most of the legionnaires either never saw any combat action or were primarily deployed in Europe. None of them actually fought against the British in India. YouTube In 1945, Nazis surrendered. The surviving legionnaires made escape efforts into the Swiss Alp but failed and were arrested by the American troops. They were eventually shipped back to India and were supposed to be tried for treason. The trials were never actually completed. YouTube In total, there were 2,600 legionnaires out of which 59% were Hindus, 25% were Muslims and 14% were Sikhs. The legion never really met with the purpose it was created with and even Hitler said that the Indian Legion was a joke and asked for their weapons to be handed over to a newly created regiment. Even in the German history, the Legion is less noted than other foreign volunteers. Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis met at the Foreign Ministry today with a delegation from the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA), headed by President Thomas Katsiantonis, State Representative of New Hampshire, USA. The discussion was carried out in a warm atmosphere, due to Mr. Amanatidis many years of collaboration with the WHIA Governing Board, and there was an exchange of interesting views on issues of concern to overseas Hellenism. The WHIA delegation included Peter Katsambanis, WHIA First Vice President and Member for North Metropolitan Region Parliament of Western Australia; Panagiota Merchant, B Vice President and Canadian Senator; Gerasimos Sklavounos, MNA for Laurier-Dorion, Quebec, Canada; Swedish MP Sotiris Delis; Philippe Kitsos, Deputy-Canton Neuchatel, Switzerland; Australian MP Steve Dimopoulos; State Representative for New York, USA, Nicole Malliotakis; and John Pandazopoulos, Honorary WHIA Secretary General and former MP for Victoria, Australia; as well as observers Efstathia Booras, State Representative, New Hampshire, USA, Theo Theophanous, former Industry and Trade Minister for Victoria, Australia, and Nicholas Kotsiras, former Energy and Multicultural Relations Minister for Victoria, Australia. Mr. Amanatidis presented to the WHIA members the initiatives the government will be taking in the coming time to provide substantial solutions to current issues, to the benefit of overseas Greeks. Special reference was made to Mr. Amanatidis actions to strengthen the cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Armenia in the diaspora sector, including on the occasion of his recent trip to Nicosia. Mr. Amanatidis asked the WHIA members to submit proposals in this direction and with regard to the bill that has been submitted on Greek-Language Education Abroad. Moreover, Mr. Amanatidis briefed the MPs on the Interior Ministers commitment to setting up a cross-party committee on the manner in which Greeks residing abroad can participate in the election process, as pointed up within the framework of the passing of the new electoral law. During the meeting, Mr. Amanatidis set out for the WHIA members the philosophy of the impending law on the restarting of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad. In this context, it was agreed that there will be a new meeting next week of the two sides, so that the WHIA members can take positions on all of the issues. Finally, the WHIA members thanked the Deputy Minister for the meeting and promised to carefully consider the government proposals so that they can submit relevant recommendations. The Deputy Foreign Minister for International Economic Relations, Dimitris Mardas, met at the Foreign Ministry today with representatives of the sector of renewable energy sources, subsequent to the interest expressed by the Kenyan government during Mr. Mardass recent visit to Nairobi and the more general interest in developing renewable energy sources. During the meeting, there was a discussion of the prospects for relevant Greek enterprises expanding into now target markets in Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, a now outline was provided of the Foreign Ministrys strategy for the renewables sector, and a new, expanded meeting was scheduled for early September. Angela Merkel, according to a Facebook page set up by Germans with a satirical sense of humor. The page "Danke Merkel" meaning "thanks, Merkel" blames the German chancellor for many of life's little problems, including burnt pizza, broken pencils and overloaded "Pokemon Go" servers. While it's unclear who created the page, it appears to be poking fun at German nationalists who regularly use social media to accuse the chancellor of trying to harm her own country. The "named person" plan approved by the Scottish government in 2014 seeks to assign an adult such as a teacher or health worker to monitor the welfare of everyone under 18. A coalition of charities mounted an appeal, saying the proposal is intrusive and breaches parents' human rights. Judges ruled Thursday the amount of personal information-sharing in the plan violates rights to privacy and family rights. Simon Calvert of the "No to Named Persons" campaign welcomed the ruling against what he called "state snoopers with intrusive data-sharing powers." The Scottish government says it will amend the legislation and then proceed again with the plan. 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. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Thursday accepted her party's nomination in Philadelphia, saying "keeping our nation safe and honoring the people who do that work will be my highest priority." The former secretary of state, senator and first lady criticized her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, for running a campaign that she said offered "dangerous proposals" and "zero solutions." Trump last week blasted Clinton for what he called her failed tenure as secretary of state while pledging to "defeat the barbarians of ISIS" if elected president. Clinton sought to detail her strategy for how her administration would "prevail" against the al-Qaida-inspired terrorist group that still controls significant territory in Iraq and Syria even after the U.S. launched airstrikes and deployed troops in both countries. "We will strike their sanctuaries from the air and support local forces taking them out on the ground," she said. "We will surge our intelligence so we detect and prevent attacks before they happen. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country. It won't be easy or quick but, make no mistake, we will prevail." Clinton also mocked Trump's claim that he knew "more about ISIS than the generals do," saying, "No, Donald, you don't." She also questioned whether he has the temperament to be commander in chief, saying, "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." The former senator touted her experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee, described the military as "a national treasure," and praised the service of those who serve in uniform, including the Marine sons of both vice presidential candidates, Tim Kaine and Mike Pence, as well as the late Army Capt. Humayun S. M. Khan, whose father spoke at the convention. While she acknowledged the threat from terrorism and referenced the recent attacks overseas in France and Belgium and stateside in Florida and California, Clinton didn't use the term "radical Islam" to describe the motivation of the attackers -- a point Trump and other critics have argued represents weakness. "We can't afford to be politically correct anymore," he has said. During her speech, Clinton defended her role in the Iran nuclear deal. "Im proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear program without firing a single shot," she said. "Now we have to enforce it, and we must keep supporting Israels security." The 2015 pact was meant to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, though defense hawks at the time expressed concern that the agreement would jump-start the Iranian economy and generate more revenue for the regime's military forces. More recently, the Associated Press this month reported "key restrictions" will ease before the 15-year accord expires, advancing the country's ability to build a bomb. Clinton said she's "proud to stand by our allies in NATO against any threat they face, including from Russia." Trump has suggested his administration would not automatically defend the member states unless they contributed more to collective defense, comments that triggered alarms in Europe, particularly in the Baltic States. Clinton also pledged to work to prevent terrorists from getting access to firearms. "I'm not here to repeal the Second Amendment," she said. "I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place. We will work tirelessly with responsible gun owners to pass common-sense reforms and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists, and all others who would do us harm." -- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry. The father of a Muslim American soldier who was killed in Iraq more than a decade ago joined other military speakers on Thursday at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia to deliver impassioned remarks on diversity. Khizr Khan, father of the late Army Capt. Humayun S. M. Khan, 27, who was killed in Iraq in 2004, criticized the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his proposal to bar Muslims from entering the country. "Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future," he said. "Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy," he added, pulling the document from his breast pocket and raising it in the air. "In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law," Khan said. "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You'll see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one." The younger Khan, of Bristow, Virginia, died June 8, 2004, in Baquabah, Iraq, after a vehicle packed with an improvised explosive device drove into the gate of his compound while he was inspecting soldiers on guard duty, according to a Pentagon release announcing the casualty. Assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 201st Forward Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, in Vilseck, Germany, Khan was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Before Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took the stage on the final day of the convention, Khan appeared on the platform with his wife, Ghazala. He was among a few speakers with military connections. Florent Groberg, a medically retired soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts to stop a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in August 2012, and retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, the former commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, both said Clinton would help to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. "Hillary Clinton has been training for this moment for decades," Groberg said. "In the Senate, she worked across the aisle to support wounded warriors and our families. As president, she will reform the VA, not privatize it," he added. Last week at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Trump called the Veterans Affairs Department a "public trust" and vowed to keep it a "public system" but also promoted a plan to allow veterans more access to private health care. Groberg said Clinton "will help heal the invisible wounds that lead to suicide and as commander in chief, she will defeat ISIS. When Hillary's moment comes, she will be ready -- ready to serve, ready to lead." Allen said, "with her as our commander in chief, America will continue to lead the volatile world. We will oppose and resist tyranny and we will defeat evil. America will defeat ISIS and protect the homeland." --Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry. A Marine Corps pilot was killed Thursday when an F/A-18C Hornet went down during training near Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Marine officials announced today. The pilot and aircraft were attached to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Marine spokesman Maj. Christian Devine said. The identity of the pilot has not been released, pending a 24-hour period following notification of family members. Officials said the cause of the crash is under investigation. Speaking at a think tank event in Washington, D.C., on Friday, the Corps' top aviation officer, Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, offered thoughts and prayers for the families of the pilot, adding that he didn't have all the details about the incident. While Marine officials have testified this year that readiness challenges have resulted in significant reductions in flight hours for Marine pilots across nearly every aviation platform, Davis said he did not believe that was a contributing factor in the tragedy. "I track [flight hours] each week. This particular unit was doing OK," he said. He said he did not believe that reduced flight hours had made squadrons less safe, but he said the Corps was "not as proficient as we should be" in its aviation component. This is the second fatal Hornet crash for the Marine Corps in the last 12 months. In October 2015, a Marine pilot was killed when a 3rd MAW F/A-18C aircraft attached to Marine Attack Fighter Squadron 232 crashed near Royal Air Force airfield Lakenheath in England during a flight from Miramar to Bahrain. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck. Related video: Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, was put in the position Friday of denying that he backed the attempted coup in Turkey following a tirade aimed at him by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Any reporting that I had anything to do with the recent unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey is unfortunate and completely inaccurate," Votel said in a statement. "Turkey has been an extraordinary and vital partner in the region for many years. We appreciate Turkey's continuing cooperation and look forward to our future partnership in the counter-ISIL fight," he said in response to Erdogan's inflammatory remarks accusing him of "taking the side" of the coup plotters. Erdogan, speaking at a police headquarters that was bombed by the coup leaders, took issue with an interview Votel gave Thursday at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado in which he said that there was "friction" in U.S.-Turkey military relations since the attempt to bring down the government. "We have certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders -- military leaders in particular," said Votel, the former head of U.S. Special Operations Command and one of the most respected officers in uniform. "I am concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue." Referring to Votel, Erdogan said, "It's not up to you to make that decision. Who are you? Know your place! You are taking the side of coup plotters instead of thanking this state for defeating the coup attempt" on July 15 that left more than 300 dead on the streets of Istanbul and Ankara. The immediate concern raised by Erdogan's outburst was for continued flight operations out of the U.S. airbase at Incirlik in southeastern Turkey against ISIS in Syria. Turkey briefly halted flights out of Incirlik following the coup and also cut off commercial power to the base. The power was restored five days later. "The coalition would prefer to fly out of Incirlik" against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, but could compensate from other bases in the region and naval aircraft, said Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook. "We're able to mitigate and deal with instances where we're unable to fly from certain locations," he said. On Thursday, at least 500 demonstrators Turkish media gave varying estimates on their numbers -- were at the gates of Incirlik burning U.S. flags and demanding an end to the U.S. presence. Pentagon officials said flight operations continued during the demonstrations. In March, about 600 of the 700 U.S. military families in Turkey were evacuated. Last week, Pentagon officials said about 100 dependents remained in Turkey. Cook said he was not aware of any changes in the status of the dependents still in Turkey. At a Pentagon briefing defending Gen. Votel, Cook said the "U.S. has repeatedly condemned the failed coup in Turkey" and added that "we continue to have excellent military relations with Turkey." Any suggestion that Votel was involved in a coup against Turkey, a close NATO ally, "would be absurd," he said. Cook said U.S. military officials were in constant contact with their Turkish counterparts but could not cite any contacts since Erdogan made the charges against Votel. He said that the last time Defense Secretary Ashton Carter spoke with Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik was on July 19. Turkish suspicions about the U.S. have been heightened by the presence in Pennsylvania of Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric and former ally of Erdogan who turned against him and went into exile. Turkey has demanded the extradition of Gulen, who has denied any involvement in the coup. Erdogan lashed out at Gulen again on Friday, and accused the U.S. of being ungrateful to him for putting down the coup by a faction of army leaders. "Instead of thanking this government for thwarting this coup attempt, and for democracy, you are standing by the putschists," Erdogan said of the U.S. He made clear that the main "putschist" to him was Gulen. "The putschist is already in your country, you are looking after him. This is a known fact," said Erdogan, who has ordered a crackdown since the coup attempt that has led to thousands of arrests, including those more than 150 generals and admirals. At the Aspen forum on Thursday, Votel made reference to the loss of contacts with many high-ranking Turkish officers since some were now behind bars. "Yes, I think some of them are in jail," Votel said. The general said he was concerned that the coup's aftermath "will have an impact on the operations that we do. I am concerned that it will impact the level of cooperation and collaboration that we have with Turkey." James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, offered similar views in his own remarks at the Aspen forum. "Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested," he said. "There's no question this is going to set back and make more difficult cooperation with the Turks" when it comes to intelligence, especially in counterterrorism, Clapper said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. She called the four most recent terror attacks in Germany "shocking, oppressive and depressing," but not a sign that authorities have lost control over the situation. "The terrorists want to make us lose sight of what is important to us, break down our cohesion and sense of community as well as inhibiting our way of life, our openness and our willingness take in people who are in need ," Merkel said. "They sow hatred and fear between cultures and they sow hatred and fear between religions. We stand decisively against that." Speaking to reporters Thursday in Berlin after interrupting her vacation, Merkel said the assailants wanted to undermine Germany's sense of community and the country's openness and willingness to help people in need. Germany firmly reject that, she said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has "firmly" rejected calls to reverse her open door policy toward refugees following a string of attacks in the country within a week. Referring to the four terror attacks in Germany since July 18 and deadly attacks in France, Belgium, Turkey and in the U.S. state of Florida, Merkel said that "taboos of civilization had been broken, when attackers targeted public places "where any of us could have been," Merkel said. "These attacks [in Germany] combined with what we've seen in Nice, and the horrible murder of a Catholic priest in Normandy the day before yesterday, the massacre of gay and lesbian people in Orlando a couple of weeks ago, the terrorist attacks in Belgium and again and again in Turkey with also German victims - these attacks are shocking, oppressive and depressing. Civilized taboos have been broken, the attacks happened in places where any of us could have been." Merkel said she will continue to insist that Germany "will manage" the challenges it faces. The government "will do everything humanly possible to ensure security in our free, democratic state of law," she said. A spate of attacks in Germany since July 18 left 15 people dead, including four attackers, and dozens injured. Three of the four attackers were asylum-seekers. For two of the assaults Islamic State claimed responsibility. Merkel, however, reaffirmed her position that Germany would uphold its principles in giving shelter to those who need and deserve it. Since last year, Germany opened its borders to over one million migrants and refugees fleeing war, persecution and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and most of them from Syria. Insecticide prices in Myanmar are much higher than they should be, because sellers are using a credit system, an official has said, with some farmers paying three or four times the market price to keep pests away from their crops. U Aung Kyaw Oo, director of the Crop Protection Division under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, said farmers are losing out, while insecticide manufacturers and distributors are able to make huge profits. Typically a large distributer sells pesticide to local sellers on credit, and local sellers also sell to farmers under the same system. Sometimes, in a third stage, farmers sell the products on to other farmers, taking their own cut. At each stage, the seller charges around 10 percent interest, on top of profit. Farmers therefore pay much higher rates than they should, said Ko Nay Soe who sells insecticide in Nay Pyi Taws Pyinmana township. For some brands farmers must pay triple or quadruple the market value, he said. Farmer Ko Myo Win of Aye Chan Thar village tract in Lewe township, Nay Pyi Taw, said he has to buy insecticide, including antifungal control, to make sure his crop succeeds. Farmers know they are paying more than the fair price, but they also know their crops cannot grow without help. They do not have enough money to pay upfront, so they have to use this system, he said. If farmers had money to invest it would make a big difference. The Crop Protective Division cannot reduce the high price of insecticides, said U Aung Kyaw Oo, because Myanmar is a market economy. Most farmers are unable to take out loans from banks, which usually require urban land as collateral, and state-owned Myanma Agricultural Development Bank only issues small loans for paddy. U Aung Kyaw Oo said the ministry can only take steps to regulate the quality of insecticide in the market, and that a new law passed earlier this year will make it easier for the ministry to control their use. Most insecticides sold in Myanmar are imported from China, often illegally, and farmers often buy counterfeit products because they are cheaper. Users can send insecticides from the market for examination in our laboratory, to assess the quality, he said. We are also working on a program to produce insecticides locally, as imported products tend to be sold at higher prices. Ko Nay Soe said farmers should also make sure they are using products in the right way to minimise losses. The Crop Protection Division is training farmers across the country to use products systematically, he said, but advertisements from insecticide manufacturers tend to have a greater influence than recommendations from the department. Farmers lack basic knowledge about insecticides, he said. There are two kinds: the first type only kills insects when they eat the plants. Farmers do not know this, and use much more insecticide than they need to. Its good that the department is sharing knowledge. Ministry data shows there are 2757 different types of insecticide legally on sale in Myanmar and 145 companies licensed to distribute pest-killer in the local market. Translation by Emoon and Khine Thazin Han The chair of Yangon Region parliaments economic committee has spoken out in support of developers, after they were ordered by a separate committee to change their project designs as part of a city-wide review of high-rises under construction. Daw Sandar Min, who heads the regional Finance, Planning and Economic Committee, said developers had suffered enormous losses because of the review, which aimed to ensure that all projects approved by the former government were in line with draft zoning plans. She accused her colleagues in the region government of jeopardizing economic growth and putting thousands of labourers out of work, after they suspended construction at all projects with nine floors or more. Our committee will watch this review closely because of the enormous losses to our economy, she told The Myanmar Times. Workers on a daily wage are suffering every day that this suspension continues and I would like to remind regional officials to take this into account. After receiving complaints from developers who had been told to alter their project designs, her committee carried out its own inspection of 12 projects, and found that they were not breaking any rules, she said. She has submitted their findings to the Yangon Region government and expects a response within three days. Earlier this month, the High-rise Inspection Committee found that all 12 projects violated draft urban plans, and told developers to reduce the number of floors, add more car parking space or resubmit their designs for approval. All the projects had been approved by the former government. Developers asked to reduce the scale of their projects complained to Daw Sandar Mins committee, she said. They asked us to review their projects again, so we went to the sites. We have reported our findings we dont think the government should ask companies to knock down floors that have already been built. We are waiting for a reply to our letter. Her committee has also asked the Yangon government to lift its ban on construction as soon as possible. If the regional government does not respond soon, we will take the issue to the hluttaw [Union parliament] and at that time Yangon Region government will need to respond, she said. A National League for Democracy MP who is also developing a high-rise project told The Myanmar Times she also planned to raise the issue in the Union parliament if it could not be solved at the regional level. The government should enact new laws, but it should also listen to the public voice, and needs to give everybody some time to adjust to new policies, she said, asking to remain anonymous. A second round of 28 inspection results has not yet been made public after it was submitted to Yangon Region government last week. In total, 185 projects under construction or at the planning stage have been suspended. U Ye Min Oo said the government would pass the results to Yangon City Development Committee, which would inform developers. Our committee just makes suggestions, which are sent to Yangon Region government for final approval, then sent on to YCDC, he said. Meanwhile, commentators have defended the review, arguing that it is critical at this stage for the government to reassess all projects. This move by the NLD is a positive one, to achieve sustainable long-term development, said Daw Marlar Tun of the non-profit Singapore Myanmar Exchange. Contrary to comments by business owners, a period of planning forward will impact positively on enterprise, both in the near and long term. The new government has a legacy of challenges to unfold and undo. Given their magnitude, it is understandable that all projects may not be allowed to happen at once. She said the government should outline a clear vision, before planning and executing priority projects. A city cannot have a thriving business environment without a defined methodology for infrastructure development, nor can it sustain itself in the absence of preparedness, she said. Others agreed the review is positive in the long term, but said it should be handled as efficiently as possible. Cyrus Pun, head of real estate for developer Yoma Strategic, said he believes this is a positive well-intentioned step to ensure that construction is line with the citys planning requirements. At the same time, it is important that these planning requirements are made publicly accessible and the review process is conducted swiftly and transparently, he said. For Tony Picon, managing director of Colliers International Myanmar, compensation is important. If projects now in the process of construction or in the approval phase may blight the urban landscape for generations then it would be appropriate to adjust the number of levels or design, he said. However if these projects have been approved legally then some form of compensation should be considered. Delays may create confusion and lack of confidence in the short term, he said, [but] I believe a clear plan for the future of the city that will enable it to be the pride of its residents is more important even if this takes time. Additional reporting by Clare Hammond Ethnic armed groups attending a summit in Kachin States Mai Ja Yang will extend their talks by one day, it was announced yesterday, as participants discussed issues of security and defence. Originally slated to run from July 26 to 29, the summit will now conclude on July 30. The participants do not have very diverse perspectives. But, because all of our discussions are based on democratic principles and need details to get a consensus, it is taking more time than usual, said Khun Myint Tun, chair of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation (PNLO). A daily press conference that the participating ethnic armed groups leaders had held the previous two days after their discussions was cancelled yesterday. A statement released by the summit attendees press team said yesterdays meeting included the submission and ensuing discussion of two policy papers on national defence and security, one each by the eight signatories to last years so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement and the United Nationalities Federal Council, an alliance of nine non-signatory groups. The statement also said that 10 points on national defence and security matters would require further discussion, while others addressing the constitution, putting the military under civilian control and protecting civilians were universally agreed. A working group was formed to come to a common stance on outstanding differences between the two policy papers. The statement did not provide details on the 10 points on which consensus had yet to be reached. Salai Lian Hmung, a senior official from the Chin National Front (CNF), said in opening remarks at yesterdays meeting that the ethnic armed groups work this week and in future talks with the government and the Tatmadaw is guided by three principles. A genuine federal Union can be established through democracy, equality among nationalities and self-determination. Therefore, we would like to declare to the whole country and the world that we will not stop in our efforts until these three principles are fully established, he said. Salai Lian Hmung said todays discussion would also turn to the framework for political dialogue, which NCA signatories his CNF among them reviewed with government and Tatmadaw representatives last month. We, the signatory groups, are in the sub-committee-1 formed for the 21st-century Panglong Conference. In the sub-committee, we already reviewed the framework. We will submit the points gained from the review meetings and try to redraft the framework of the political dialogue, he said. The 21st-century Panglong Conference is slated to begin by the end of August. Ahead of the conference, the National League for Democracy government formed two sub-committees to liaise with ethnic armed groups, one for NCA signatories and the other for non-signatories to the accord. Parliamentarians criticised the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) yesterday, while discussing a report, about the commissions work over the last year. Amyotha Hluttaw representative Naw Hla Hla Soe (NLD; Yangon 10) said that there was weak communication between the commission and government agencies. The commission has been working to get human rights curriculums in primary schools and law schools across the country. Amyotha Hluttaw MP U Ye Htut (NLD; Sagaing 5) said the commission should do more to ensure protection of human rights rather than focusing on education. Education does not do enough to ensure human rights, he said. We cannot educate a tiger to convert into a vegan. The tiger will never convert into a vegan. Ayeyarwady Region MP Daw Thanda (NLD; Einme) said the commission should broaden its scope, focusing on bigger human rights violations, not just the complaints submitted to the commission. Pyithu Hluttaw Arakan National Party MP U Ba Shein (ANP; Kyaukphyu) said the commission enjoys salaries and benefits awarded by the country so it should do more to protect the human rights for its citizens. MPs also asked why Myanmars commission remains one of the 29 worldwide that are not in compliance with the Paris Principles, which dictate how a country should install an institution to protect human rights. MNHRC chair U Win Mya responded that an expert that helped form the commission was also involved in drafting the Paris Principles. The draft of our commission was written by experts so I assume that what you said that our commission is not in compliance with the Paris Principles is just your opinion and just intended to put pressure on us, he said. MPs said they were not pleased with the commissions report. They want the commission to work more broadly as an independent organisation. Chair U Win Mya responded, saying that the commission is just a consultative organisation and that it has no right, under the law, to interfere with the judiciary body. The commission submitted complaints to the appropriate organisations or departments, he said, but less than 29 percent of the complaints were addressed. The commission can only promote cooperation with government departments with help from MPs and the media, he claimed. If there was no response to complaints, we collected them and submitted them again, he said. He said the commissioners are early in their terms and the commission will improve as the members gain experience. The MNHRC, which was formed under the military government in 2011, has been criticised in the past for an alleged reluctance to investigate human rights violations that might upset military officials. U Win Mra was Myanmars ambassador to the United Nations from 1994 to 2001, where, among other things, he defended the governments imprisonment and treatment of now State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In 2014, the commissions most vocal members were replaced in a nontransparent process and the commission was cut from 15 members to 11. Translation by Zar Zar Soe In what is shaping up as a showdown between human rights and security, parliament yesterday debated whether or not to modify or remove the regulation requiring people to report overnight guests to the local authorities. The longstanding provision was used by the military regime as a way of controlling the movements of its opponents and their supporters. Notoriously, the military authorities even deployed the law against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi when an uninvited American stayed overnight illegally in her compound. MPs were discussing a bill to amend the Ward or Village Tract Administration Law, designated by the government now led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a priority. The requirement to report overnight guests is one of its provisions. The original amendment was submitted by Amyotha Hluttaw MP U Min Oo (NLD; Bago 6). On July 27, the bill came before the Pyithu Hluttaw. The existing law requires any resident to report to the ward or village tract administrator the names of overnight guests from other wards or village tracts on pain of legal penalties. The bill approved by the Amyotha Hluttaw removed that provision. However, the bill now before the Pyithu Hluttaw has restored it, with a slight change. Now action would be taken against anyone who failed to report overnight guests on purpose. The revised bill apparently also seeks to involve legislators in the workings of the executive, in that it would require local administrators to take advice from or cooperate with the constituency MP in enforcing the law. The Amyotha Hluttaw endorsed that provision. Of the bill committees 33 recommendations, 15 suggested changes to the text were approved by the upper house, including the method of selecting the village head, setting qualifications for administrators, forming a supervisory team for administrator selection and reporting to the administrator in an emergency. U Nay Soe, a village tract secretary who served under the State Peace and Development Council, said, If overnight guest registration is no longer required, ward administrators wont know how many strangers are coming in or out. Translation by Zar Zar Soe Motor vehicles that have been seized by the government but cannot be repaired to working order will be melted down for their metal, said Deputy Planning and Finance Minister U Kyaw Myo at the Amyotha Hluttaw on July 27. When they are salvageable, they are sent to government departments in regions or states that need vehicles, he said. The information came in response to a question from the Sagaing Region constituency about what happens to vehicles confiscated by the government. There are vehicles that were fine when the state seized them, but by the time the court case is finished, they have been destroyed by weather from sitting in the field, said representative U Aung Myo (NLD; Sagaing 2). There are also theft cases where criminals stole parts from the vehicle. It would be great if these cases could be handled systematically to provide revenue for state finance. U Kyaw Myo said the state regards the confiscated vehicles as state-owned property. The Presidents Office gives final approval on the melting of unsalvageable cars. In May the government ran a field-check of all state vehicles. They found that 28,136 could be reused and another 7645 could not be returned to working order. Last December, ministry data showed that almost 504,000 vehicles had arrived in the country since 2011, just shy of the governments 530,027-vehicle quota for its five-year term. Translation by Khine Thazin Han and San Layy In a bid to strengthen its tourism market, the Shan State government is offering students the chance to get a degree in tourism and hospitality management from Taunggyi University. The new course will start this year, said U Htin Aung Naing, who serves as director of the Hotels and Tourism Supervising Department. Students from Yangon and Mandalay are welcome alongside Taunggyi students. There is no minimum number of marks for entry to the course. The first intake for the four-year BA course will number 100 students. Tourism Minister U Ohm Maung and state Chief Minister U Lin Htut said the market was ripe for further development. Tourism courses have been available since 2012 at the National Management Degree College in Yangon and Mandalar College in Mandalay, which also admit 100 students a year, provided they have scored at least 60 in English and 400 in total. We will publicise the new course through broadcasting and state-owned media, U Htin Aung Naing told The Myanmar Times yesterday. U Nyunt Soe Lwin, Shan State minister for planning and the economy, said that if more than 100 students applied, admission would be determined by matriculation scores. The Shan State tourism ministry is negotiating with the education ministry over the cost of accommodation for the new students, and discussions have already begun over expanding the course in Mawlamyine University next year. Both the tourism sector and the hospitality sector will be expanded, said U Htin Aung Naing. Taunggyi University was established in 1992 and offers bachelors and masters degrees in arts and science subjects. The Ministry of Education began offering bachelor of arts (tourism) courses at institutes in Yangon and Mandalay in 2012. The four-year, full-time course was launched at Yangons National Management College and Mandalar College in Mandalay. Prior to that, a post-graduate diploma in Tourism Studies Management was offered in Yangon in Mandalay starting in 2006. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism runs a training centre that offers short-term courses in guide training and basic tourism and hospitality management, as well as language immersion programs. The ministry has forecast a tourist boom this year, anticipating the number of international visitors will grow from last years 4.68 million to 6 million by the end of 2016. Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein is backing two education laws, which he says are necessary to give universities greater autonomy. Only if the two laws are enacted as soon as possible can we improve the standards of schools, he told students from National Management College on July 27. Even though the National Education Law guarantees autonomy, the law has yet to approach the higher level. The government has been working hard to enact the University Act and the Higher Education Law as soon as possible, he said. Once passed, governance councils from universities and colleges will be able to act on their own when making decisions like appointing teachers, choosing subjects, and forming students unions, he said. Currently, parliament is working on three new amendments to the National Education Law, which was enacted in September of 2014 and amended in June of 2015. The three new proposed amendments relate to primary, vocational and private education respectively. We have drawn a rough draft of the Higher Education Law, said Department of Higher Education director U Thein Win. Unless the first three laws are approved, we cannot move forward. So we will work step-by-step. In anticipation of the two proposed higher education laws getting approval, some of the 170 public universities and colleges have already finished drafting university charters, sources said. Controversy and disagreements over the amount of autonomy granted by the Nation Education Law saw thousands of students across the country take to the streets in protests. The demonstration came to a head when 127 students and activists were violently arrested in Letpadan during a march to Yangon in March last year. The Yangon Region chief minister also met with students from the University of Yangon on July 25 and the University of Languages on July 26 to speak about the topic. These kinds of meetings are pretty good because students have a chance to ask whatever they want and get to learn about the plans being implemented in townships, said Ko Maung Aung Phone Pyae, a student at the National Management College. Translation by Zar Zar Soe State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will visit Washington, D.C. this coming September, spokesperson U Zaw Htay told The Myanmar Times. U Zaw Htay confirmed that the State Counselor had accepted a previous invitation from White House, and will plan her visit t coincide with the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. President U Htin Kyaw will not be likely to join her, U Zaw Htay added. Ben Rhodes, Obama's Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, delivered the invitation on July 27 during a visit to Nay Pyi Taw in which the United States announced US$21 million in economic support. The visit will mark the first time Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has met with Barack Obama since last November's landmark elections. Mr Obama has visited Myanmar twice under the previous administration, the first in 2012, when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest. He visited again in 2014 and held a joint press conference with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her lakeside home in Yangon, where he criticised the constitutional provision barring her from the presidency. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's first official trip as head of state was in May, when she travelled with President U Htin Kyaw to Laos. She is planning a trip to Malaysia, which will be her third, and was also invited to visit North Korea during the ASEAN foreign minsiterial meeting in Laos earlier this week. More than 17,000 people have been impacted by rising Chindwin River waters across five townships in Sagaing Region, with floodwaters in Hkamti township forcing 748 households to evacuate this week. A total of 2560 households and nearly 14,000 people have been affected in hardest-hit Hkamti township, while hundreds more people in Homalin, Mawlaik, Paungbyin and Sagaing townships each have also been impacted, according to the regional department of relief and resettlement. Across Sagaing Region, water levels are above their danger mark in Hkamti, Homalin, Paungbyin, Mawlaik, Kalaywa, Mingin, Kani and Monywa townships, ranging in severity from 7 feet (2.1 metres) to 1 foot beyond the threshold. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology said those levels were expected to remain elevated over the next one to two days. Meanwhile, the Ayeyarwady Rivers water level in Mandalay crept ever closer to its warning mark yesterday, measuring just 12 centimetres (4.7 inches) below the line, according to U Win Than Hlaing, a water sentry at the citys No 1 river monitoring post. Yesterdays reading, 1248cm, is the highest water level measured in Myanmars second-biggest city in more than a decade, approaching the 1260cm height designated as hazardous. The emergency water level could be reached this evening, U Win Than Hlaing said yesterday. The DMH said yesterday the Ayeyarwady Rivers waters had surpassed danger marks by 2 feet in Shwegu township and 6 inches in Katha township, but levels are expected to drop below the warning line over the next two to three days. Some 2000 sandbags have been piled along a stretch of Strand Road west of City Park by the Mandalay City Development Committee in anticipation of a potential further rise in river water levels. If the warning mark is exceeded, Nyaung Kwel ward and the area along Strand Road west of City Park in Aung Myay Tharzan township are likely to be inundated. The last time measurements were this high was in 2004, when the Ayeyarwady River water level in Mandalay hit 1383cm. The DMH has advised people living near the banks and surrounding lowland areas of the Ayeyarwady, Chindwin and Nga Won rivers to be aware of the potential for flooding. As the water level of the Chindwin River has reached its danger marks, Sagaing Region needs to be on notice for floodwaters. Floodwaters have reached to some areas of Sagaing where the river water level surpassed danger markers by 5 feet or 6 feet at some weather stations, said a DMH spokesperson. While water levels are dropping on the upper stretches of the Chin-dwin and Ayeyarwady rivers, he said downstream townships like Pakokku and Hinthada in Ayeyarwady Region, where the danger level has already been exceeded, would see waters rise 2 to 3 feet in the coming days. Translation by Khant Lin Oo A Sagaing Region district court rejected the appeal of three activists yesterday, upholding a conviction and the sentencing to 52 days in prison and K5000 each in fines. In May of 2015, according to the courts, the three activists were involved in trespassing, obstruction and intimidation when they showed up on the property of a Chinese mining company. The activists, including Ko Tint Aung Soe, a representative of the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA), claimed that they were trying to secure a face-to-face meeting with authorities running the Sabetaung and Kyisintaung mine in Salingyi township. The activists said the mine operator, Myanmar Yang Tse Copper Ltd, a subsidiary of Wanbao Mining, had repeatedly denied their written requests to meet. The appeal, rejected today, was filed in June at the Yinmar Pin District Court. The district judge gave us the same decision as the township court today at 3pm, Ko Tin Aung Soe said yesterday. He read the same decision. Nothing changed. So we plan to try the next appeal level, regional court. They have a month to submit that appeal. Fifteen claims against the company, Myanmar Yang Tse Copper Ltd, filed last year by locals, are still pending, he added. Among other things, they want compensation for the land usage and blocked roads and they want improved labor contracts. For the land compensation issue, totalling of 5000 acres, they said they submitted the case to the regional office, said Ko Tint Aung Soe. And they said they intend to give 300 temporary workers permanent jobs. But actually, they fired one worker in July, accusing them of protesting against the company. We will continue to press the issues until they are solved. The activists have been charged sections 447, 341 and 147 of the penal code, and could have faced a combined sentence of a maximum of two years and four months in prison. They have been dubbed the trespassers. The 200 or so families who moved to Ingalaing when it was only an underdeveloped, unutilised field on the fringes of Yangon have now found themselves in the middle of a turf war. As the city expands, developers are eating up the no-longer-so-far-flung plots in Hlaing Tharyar, and attempting to rectify Yangons chronic housing shortage. The makeshift huts dotting Inga laing field are being ousted to make way for affordable housing with a price tag far above what they can pay. The 293-acre Kyan Sit Min Housing Estate is the governments fourth major low-cost development. Started this past February, the project intends to accommodate 3174 apartments across a series of 85 five-storey buildings with an estimated completion date in early 2017. The Ministry of Construction has pegged one-third of the apartments as low-cost housing, with the lowest-end price tag of K10 million. The first phase of the project, or 194 apartments, is scheduled to hit the market in December. But as the deadline looms, it seems an increasingly difficult target to meet, with ministry officials blaming the trespassers for planting new houses on land earmarked for the housing estate. The construction is being delayed because the trespassers houses are in the way, said U Min Aung Aye, deputy director of the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development (DHSHD). A negotiation will be held with the relevant township administrators and organisations to solve the problem. The trespassers will be checked to see if they were living there before [the new governments ban on new squatters] in May. There are a lot of difficulties, he said. U Min Aung Aye has said that developers in Hlaing Tharyar have to battle what he calls speculating squatters who pay families to move in to desirable property. He claims that after the Kyan Sit Min housing project was announced, overnight 300 huts appeared. But the alleged trespassers tell a very different account. We are from Myingyan in upper Myanmar. We are an older couple. We bought our land in the last two years. The price for our plot [about 20 feet by 40 feet] was K400,000 at the time. We did not know about the project then, said U Mya Maung. We are called trespassers We bought this land because we had nowhere else to live. I think the government needs to do something and provide us somewhere to relocate to if the company wants this land, because even if we sell our plot we will not have enough money for rental fees and cannot afford to live in these flats they are building. Most of the trespassers who live in Ingalaing said they had bought their land from farmers about three years ago. They said they have never had any interaction with the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development, or any of the other government branches. They get their electricity through neighbourhood generators, and have dug their own wells to access water. When they came to build the Kyan Sit Min housing no one came to negotiate with us trespassers, said Daw Hla Kyi, another resident of Ingalaing. If the authorities force us to move, I expect them to at least provide replacement land. I have five children and some are school-aged. The whole place was only farmland when we bought this plot. But the developers say they have the paperwork to back up their claim to the land for the Kyan Sit Min project. The area was slated for the new city expansion project, and before that it was purchased by the Yangon State Law and Order Restoration Council on September 6, 1989, with farmers given compensation of K10 million per acre, according to the DHSHD. The Kyan Sit Min Housing Estate was approved by the last government with the official greenlight given on July 31, 2012, in a letter sent from the Union government. Trespassers at a project site is not unusual, said U Min Htein, director general of the Department of Urban Housing Development. The construction project must go on and finish in the allotted time. A negotiation will have to be arranged so that the trespassers are satisfied and their needs met. While the previous government tended to address the unofficial tenants with bulldozers and plain-clothed enforcers kicking them off the desired property, the new government has vowed to alleviate the housing crisis without muscling families out of their homes. Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Theins administration announced a three-pronged approach: a census, a rehabilitation camp and more affordable housing. But so far the strategy has not proved effective, and the few affordable units that exist have not been allotted to the neediest families. More than 35,000 people applied for 1152 units in the Mahabandoola project, Yangons newest public housing development in South Dagon township. The apartments were doled out through a lottery system, but many successful applicants promptly sold or released their apartment. For Daw Hla Kyi and her neighbours, the affordable housing meant to cater to their income level is not only financial untenable, but its creation is pushing them out of the only home they can afford. We will not be OK if they push us out, I think. The housing rental fees are so high, Daw Hla Kyi said. Besides, we bought this land by selling everything what we had. Translation by San Layy Myanmar's Lady cosies up to the general: There was something about this BBC headline this week that made me uncomfortable and it wasnt just unease about what behind-the-scenes deals may have taken place to provoke Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaings apparent repositioning of himself as a born-again champion of religious freedom and military accountability. What was unsettling was the innuendo, which added just one more unnecessary piece of gender prejudice into the great cauldron of ridiculous ways some people attempt to undermine womens achievements or efforts. Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaings recent criticism of those promoting religious extremism, and his announcement that military personnel were to face court martial over the deaths of civilians in army custody in Shan State, may have been unexpected but, at face value at least, are to be welcomed. However, it certainly behooves observers of the negotiations between icon of democracy Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the military representative to question what concessions have been made on both sides for such apparent advancements to occur. The commander-in-chiefs first-time attendance at the Martyrs Day commemoration last week, and at a reception Daw Aung San Suu Kyi hosted later at the house where he had overseen some of her time under house arrest, was likewise naturally going to provoke some comment. But the pivotal events taking place in the country just now and the efforts of the woman tasked with overseeing them deserved better than the sly dig in the headline. Opinions as to just how much State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should be willing to overlook corruption and past and ongoing military abuses in order to secure broader stability for the country vary wildly. Some see her dealings with the countrys extremely powerful military leaders as necessary diplomacy. They say that progress toward peace and modernisation is more important than justice being seen to be done for the victims of decades of brutal crimes against humanity. It is a view that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appears to have taken herself, or at least has decided is the most pragmatic approach to take publicly under the circumstances. Others, myself included, have deep concerns that any peace deal done in a climate where there is little or no accountability or responsibility taken for past misdeeds will merely act as a temporary dressing and allow old wounds to carry on festering beneath, only to open up again before very long. Both views have their merits, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be aware of those and no doubt of many other pros and cons few others could possibly have the inside knowledge to fully recognise. But whether one agrees with her political decisions and collaborations, she should be free to carry them out without diplomacy being framed in terms that could be construed as sexual innuendo. She is, as she has made very clear, her fathers daughter and that has brought her a status denied any other woman in this country. But she is not, and never will be, a soldier. Despite her unique position, which many say places her above traditional gender stereotypes, she is still a woman in a mans world. And while there is a strong argument that, in elected parliamentary terms at least, it is a situation of her own making, this is not true when it comes to dealing with the unelected military. When US head deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes was in town last week on a mission that undoubtedly included building American links with the Myanmar military there wasnt a single headline that implied hed been snuggling up on the sofa with a man in uniform. He was simply here to do a diplomatic job. Certainly Hillary Clinton or Theresa May could attest that women aiming for top roles in politics across the world can face far worse sexist commentary than the sly allusion in the BBC headline about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the commander-in-chief. But they come from countries where womens rights are far better established and face different pressures. While Donald Trump may be a disaster waiting to happen, he, mercifully, doesnt yet have an army at his personal command. The state counsellor has faced some strong criticism for her apparent unwillingness to tackle key rights abuses head on. And rightly so. As the leader of the countrys first democratically elected government in decades, her political decisions must be held up for scrutiny in the same way as any other powerful national leader. With the 21st-century Panglong meeting set to take place next month, it is natural that indications that a person with ties to the Bamar majority and historic military elite is strengthening links with the current Myanmar military will sound alarms among sections of the oppressed ethnic minorities. But she has an incredibly tough job to do if she is to facilitate peace in this country, and even her fiercest critics must recognise there is no one else who can equal her position to do so. Her title as The Lady may carry a certain glamour and dignity, but it unfortunately also leaves her open to sexist jibes. Few are party to what is going on behind the scenes between the state counsellor and the senior general, but however much one questions the merits of such an alliance, Daw Aung San Suu Kyis unique position as one of the most influential women in the world should not be denigrated by cheap jokes inspired by her gender. After some months of uncertainty, a representative from Thailands Democrats Party last week declared in a televised seminar that the party would not support the proposed draft constitution in the August 7 referendum. This follows an earlier declaration from the pro-Thaksin Puea Thai party that it also opposed the draft. The announcement represents a rare moment of agreement between the two rival parties, the Democrats and Puea Thai, which have been at loggerheads since the 2006 coup. The Democrats represent the Bangkok establishment and the southern region, while Puea Thai (and its earlier incarnations) represents the rural and urban working classes, particularly from the north and northeast. Even though the military regime has all but forbidden campaigning against the draft constitution, agreement between the two parties now means that the draft will face an uphill battle to be passed in the referendum. The draft constitution envisages an appointed Senate, limits on parliamentary authority, enhanced powers for non-elected state agencies and a provision for a non-elected prime minister. It is widely seen as designed to create a constitutional framework that would allow the military and their royalist backers to oversee Thai politics for the foreseeable future, whatever the outcome of elections. The architect of the current draft is 78-year-old Meechai Ruchupan, a conservative lawyer with long-standing palace and military connections. Meechai embodies the political thinking of Thailand in the 1980s, when the military and the palace shared power. At that time General Prem Tinsulanonda, a palace favourite, was prime minister and Meechai ran the prime ministers office. Elections never threatened that control until the late 1980s. Then, as now, the tension was resolved by a coup in 1991. Then, as now, Meechai headed the constitutional drafting committee appointed by the coup-makers. The subsequent political conflict led to the Bloody May incident of 1992, when the military opened fire on pro-democracy demonstrators, killing scores. Meechai drafted the amnesty bill that exempted those responsible for the killings from prosecution. The military regimes tight control has spawned numerous conspiracy theories. One theory alleges that the current regime was never serious about having the constitution adopted in the first place. Rather, its aim was simply to distract the public from its unpopularity and to prolong its rule for as long as possible, at least until after the royal succession is settled. After all, Article 44 of the provisional constitution grants Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha the power to order a new constitution to be adopted if and when he chooses. An earlier draft constitution by another conservative lawyer, Borwornsak Uwanno, was rejected by a military-appointed National Reform Council in September 2015. The referendum comes at a time when the militarys post-coup popularity among its conservative supporters has been eroded. Prime Minister Gen Prayuts public appearances are by turns petulant, foul-mouthed and self-pitying. The regimes handling of the economy, even in the eyes of its own supporters, has been dreadful. Its foreign policy, which seems deliberately designed to rebuke the United States by exaggerating Thailands warm relations with China and Russia, appears reckless by the high standards of Thailands foreign affairs establishment. Given the evaporation of much of its support even among its conservative backers, its incompetence at managing the country and its lack of foreign friends, the question is, why is the military regime still in power more than two years after the coup? One answer is its skill in repression. This dates back to the lessons it learned in the Cold War years. While repression is undoubtedly ugly, the military has so far managed to regulate it to a level that it does not outrage enough people to spark a mass uprising that might threaten its political position. But the other answer is ongoing uncertainty about the future of the monarchy, which is the single reason for the conservative turn in Thai politics over the last decade. The resolution of Thailands 11-year-old political conflict depends on the outcome of the succession following the passing of the 89-year-old King Bhumibol, now in the 70th year of his reign. The crown prince is deeply unpopular. Many conservative Thais doubt his ability to manage the affairs of the monarchy at such a crucial moment in Thailands history. Because of the sensitivity in discussing the monarchy there is much speculation over the real state of the kings health. According to one conspiracy theory among some Red Shirt supporters, the king is already dead. The military regime and its supporters are keeping it a secret, in order to prolong their rule by living off their legitimacy of defending the throne from republicans. A more widely accepted view is that the king now cannot live without life-support, and no doctor would dare suggest that it be removed. If this were true, he could potentially be kept alive artificially for some time to come. Because of the monarchys centrality to the political system, at present, all sides in Thailands political crisis are playing a waiting game. One thing is for certain, though: No matter what the outcome of Thailands constitutional referendum on August 7, no one believes that it will resolve the political crisis. East Asia Forum Patrick Jory is a senior lecturer in Southeast Asian history at the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry at the University of Queensland. : Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs interview with the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Societys website Moscow, July 25, 2016 Question : Mr Lavrov, the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society has historical ties with the Middle East, the people living in this internationally significant region the land of three global religions. The Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society has always pursued noble goals and sought to strengthen Russias position in the Middle East. June 3, 2017 will mark 135 years since this ancient society was founded. What do you think of its current activities, including its friendly ties with Middle Eastern people, its contribution to cultural, historical and spiritual heritage, and mainly the phenomenon of "Russian Palestine"? Why do you think the Society has been so long lasting and instrumental in the Middle East as the oldest non-governmental organisation in the over 100 years of its history? Sergey Lavrov: To begin with, Id like to congratulate all Society members on the upcoming 135 th anniversary of the day Alexander III decreed the founding of the organisation following the initiative of many prominent personalities and public figures of the time. This society was designed to promote friendly relations with the people of the region, particularly to create favourable conditions for pilgrims. However, it didnt just seek to make it possible for Russian people to travel to the holy sites but also to ensure Russias presence in the Holy Land, to create the "Russian Palestine" you mentioned. Since then, the society has been pro-actively working in the Middle East. It has purchased a lot of land in this holy place for all Christians, Jews and Muslims. The society has implemented many educational, humanitarian and enlightening missions and has acquired an authority and a stable, reliable reputation in the region. The fact that we are energetically restoring the societys position after the Soviet-era pause is, I believe, meeting the fundamental interests of the Russian state and the noble goal of preserving the continuity of our history. Apart from the spiritual aspects, "Russian Palestine" today is an essential instrument for consolidating Russias positions, which adds another dimension to our diplomacy in this important area. Question: Sergei Stepashin, Chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IOPS), has a quite good rapport with the leaders of the Middle Eastern countries. He regularly meets with President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and President of Syria Bashar al-Assad. We met with the Pope back in 2014, as well as with patriarchs of Eastern churches, leaders of Muslim and Christian communities. As you said, the society has credibility in the Middle East. What do you think the society could do to be more efficient as an international NGO using its soft power and public diplomacy? And how can it use its peacemaking potential in the Middle East as a promoter of public diplomacy to settle conflicts? Sergey Lavrov: If I remember correctly, Mr Stepashin has been at the head of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society since 2007. The Society has become substantially more visible and active over that period. I am also a member of the IOPS. Remark : Honourary member. Sergey Lavrov: Yes, honourary member. But not "honourary" in the sense of "doing nothing." I try to be helpful, and I can see how the society is building up its achievements. First of all, in 2008, we signed an agreement on visa-free travel between Russia and Israel, which made the pilgrimage of our citizens, who have great interest in visiting Jerusalem and other holy places in Palestine, much easier. Since then, the society reclaimed several sites that belonged to it before the revolution, for example, several plots in Jericho, a plot in Bethlehem and St Sergius Metochion in Jerusalem the renovation of which is reaching completion. I hope we will soon celebrate its re-opening together. There are other projects, including the restoration of rights to St Alexander Metochion, a unique church in close proximity to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A museum and park were established on the grounds in Jericho. The ancient sycamore tree in that area is said to be the one where Jesus Christ rested in the shade and talked to his disciples. The societys land in Bethlehem was given to the Russian Science and Culture Centre. IOPS headquarters is also there. I think these achievements alone create conditions for expanding our presence in the Holy Land and help promote the moral values of tolerance, a peaceful life and harmony among all faiths. This work is without any doubt very important. In addition to being a personal example of building good relationships between faiths, there must be other measures. Lets be honest, these days Christians are subject to serious persecution in the Middle East and primarily in Syria and Iraq. The number of Christians in these countries has dropped sharply. Of course, the fleeing of Christians from the region where Christianity originated would have a massive impact on the entire history and the spiritual life of not just the Holy Land but the entire Middle East. So, the IOPS and our governmental organisations are seeking the assistance of international agencies in raising this urgent issue. Eighteen months ago, we had the first conference on protection for Christians with representatives of the Vatican and our colleagues from Lebanon and Armenia, in Geneva. Now we are preparing for a second conference that will be even bigger. Tentatively, it will take place this autumn. We believe IOPS participation in the conference will add to its efficiency. The society should not limit its activity to the Middle East. The IOPS has gained experience and won great influence. The interests of Christians in other parts of the world also require much attention, including in European countries where Christians, the religious majority, are often restricted in their rights on the pretext of tolerance. Celebrating Christian holidays publicly or wearing a cross is sometimes prohibited. It is a very dangerous trend. I think it would be helpful if the IOPS initiated the development of inter-state measures to promote an inter-faith dialogue around the world and instill respect for other religious and moral values which are, by the way, shared by all faiths. The Holy Land is a symbol of this cohabitation and cooperation. Question: The Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society (IOPS) expresses its opinions in the UN Human Rights Council and the OSCE. We attend conferences on Christianophobia and try to attract the attention of the international community at UNESCO to the plight of Christians not just in the Middle East but in Europe too, where basic Christian values are eroding. We have created a Public Centre at the IOPS for the Protection of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa. It was a great honour for us to accompany you and the foreign ministers of two other countries to the high-level panel of the UN Human Rights Councils session in Geneva in March 2015. A unique document was adopted at the session and signed by 65 countries, including the Vatican. Unfortunately, this has not stopped the genocide of Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East. What do you think about the future of Christians in the Middle East? Why are ISIS terrorists destroying Christian monuments and relics so violently and as much as they can? What can the IOPS do to help maintain a Christian presence in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East? Sergey Lavrov: ISIS terrorists do not limit their persecution to Christians. They also ruthlessly behead Shias and defile and destroy both Christian and Shiite shrines. Moreover, they also apply special criteria to Sunnis. Not every Sunni is acceptable to the ISIS ideologists. It is a fact that those who stand at the head of this organisation and who inspire its actions are not pious people. They are fighting for power and territory. ISIS is the first terrorist group whose goal is to create a caliphate from Lisbon to Pakistan, as they have declared. By the way, the core of the ISIS military power is comprised of Husseins former generals who lost their jobs in 2003 when the US broke up Iraqs army and security services, thereby leaving well trained military personnel without a living. Everyone understands this now. Yet we continue to hear hypocritical calls for government change, including in Syria, although we know what happened after Saddam Husseins overthrow in Iraq and the butchering of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. These hypocritical calls mean that those who make them are unwise people at the least, or even villains who enjoy destruction or seek to destroy entire countries and regions for their own benefit. Youre right: there are many examples; Palmyra is one of them. Archaeologists from Russia and other UNESCO member states are working in Palmyra. But we must still eliminate the root of the problem, which is the hatred of other people, refusal to accept other peoples right to choose their religious values, and attempts to exploit religious sentiment to incite hatred of people with a different faith. I believe that telling the truth about the origins of Christianity and Islam, the role of Judaism in the Middle East and the spread of these religions to other regions is a very serious educational work. The IOPS could be suited for it better than other organisations. I am convinced that many countries would be happy to work with the IOPS, and the upcoming celebrations are a good opportunity to say this loud and clear, and in unison. Question: In March 2013 we started providing humanitarian aid to the suffering people of Syria, both Christians and Muslims, who receive it through their spiritual leaders, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. We are preparing the 15th consignment of aid now. We are grateful to the Russian citizens who have responded to an appeal from our NGO. People from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad take part in these humanitarian missions. How would you assess Russians response to developments in Syria and to the IOPS contribution to the humanitarian mission in Syria? Sergey Lavrov: You got it right when you said that "people from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad" have contributed to your efforts. Im sure that Russian citizens have never lost and will never lose the tradition of charity and compassion, especially when this concerns friendly people who are close to us. Syria is a wonderful country. Russia and Syria have many things in common, because both are multinational and multi-confessional nations. The psychology and state traditions in Russia and Syria are based on interfaith, interreligious and interethnic peace and accord. The disruption of peace and accord do not benefit societies. We had a difficult period in our recent history. But now we have restored the unity of our people, and Im sure than nobody will be able to destroy it. It is important to preserve the Syrian nation as we know it, as a country where the values of the great global religions coexisted peacefully to the joy and satisfaction of all Syrians and the large number of tourists who went to Syria to enjoy this wonderful country and the people. We will continue to provide state humanitarian assistance to Syrians in addition to the assistance provided by our NGOs, including the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society. The Russian Government has sent dozens of consignments with humanitarian aid to Syria, including food, medicines and school and hospital equipment. We now plan to build a school in Syria, and the IOPS is cooperating with us in this. I hope this school will become one of the most popular schools in Syria. Question: It will be a gift from Russian society to the Syrian people. We strongly hope that the day will come when you and IOPS Chairman, Sergey Stepashin, conduct a peace lesson in this Damascus school. We will pray for the fulfilment of this dream. You spoke about the importance of pilgrimage and recalled the sites we visited in Syria. The IOPS is expanding the network of its foreign branches in the Middle East and has dozens of branches in Europe. Our goal is to attract tourists and pilgrims to Russia and to Orthodox pilgrimage sites in other countries. The IOPS has proposed opening national tourism centres in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. What do you think about our international efforts? Sergey Lavrov: I have a positive view of them, and the Foreign Ministry will provide all-round assistance to you. See also: Christians in Middle East Subjected to Severe Persecution Russian FM Article in Russian: - The proportion of U.S. households that own homes has matched its lowest level in 51 years -- evidence that rising property prices, high rents and stagnant pay have made it hard for many to buy. Just 62.9 percent of households owned a home in the April-June quarter this year, a decrease from 63.4 percent 12 months ago, the Census Bureau said Thursday. The share of homeowners now equals the rate in 1965, when the census began tracking the data. The trend appears most pronounced among millennial households, ages 18 to 34, many of whom are straining under the weight of rising apartment rents and heavy student debt. Their homeownership rate fell 0.7 percentage point over the past year to 34.1 percent. That decline may reflect, in part, more young adults leaving their parents' homes for rental apartments. Pinewood film studios home to the James Bond movies are set to be sold for 323.3m. Pinewood Groups two biggest shareholders have tentatively agreed to sell the famous film and television studios to a property investor. The deal depends on Aermont, which runs property investment funds, securing financing in the next four weeks. Pinewoods 007 stage is one of the worlds largest and was used to film parts of Spectre and Skyfall. Some of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was also filmed at Pinewood in Buckinghamshire. However, Harrison Ford, the actor who plays Han Solo, was injured when the door of the Millennium Falcon closed on him and broke his leg. Goodweather Investment Management, which is owned by property investors Peel Holdings, and Warren James Holdings, owner of the eponymous jewellery chain, together control 65% of Pinewood Group and have agreed to the cash sale providing the buyer secures financing. The prospective new owner intends to keep the existing management in place, led by chief executive Ivan Dunleavy. The company has film and TV studios all over the world including in the US, Canada, Malaysia and the Dominican Republic. Earlier this year, Pinewood Group retained investment bank Rothschild to examine its strategic options. In the past, it had been constrained from raising additional funding for investment via the stock exchange. Shares in Pinewood were down 4.8% at 552.1p in afternoon trading. Rev Isaac Owusu-Bempah, the General Overseer of the Glorious Way Chapel, has said that in December 2015, God specifically told him that the Supreme Court would jail the Montie FM presenter and two panelists who were sentenced four months each on Wednesday I prophesied that some people will be jailed for speaking against the Supreme Court judges and we prayed to stop it but people condemned me and it has come to pass, Rev Owusu-Bempah told Adom News hours after the jail sentence was announced on Wednesday. The 'prophet' is known for a special ability to generate controversy and his new claim was in reference to what happened in court this week when a presenter and two panelists of Montie FM were convicted of contempt by the Supreme Court and sentenced to four months in prison. The panelists Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and the host of the show, Salifu 'Mugabe' Maase were found guilty of contempt charges following threats by the panelists to kill the judges. Rev Owusu-Bempah described the development as an unfortunate one and advised that political commentators and radio presenters must be circumspect in their utterances ahead of this elections year. We have prayed against any violence but their action can plunge Ghana into chaos. He continuedPoliticians should take note and stay away from commentaries that are likely to compromise, embarrass or impugn the integrity of the Supreme Court and all other constitutionally mandated bodies which are dully performing their duties. The 'prophet' is on record for making rather alarming predictions, but often adds a caveat that the doom would not happen if fervent prayers are made. Rev Owusu-Bempah, however, disagrees with the assertion that he is a dooms day prophet who only sees negative things. I am not the only prophet in Ghana who sees bad things. The situation of the country is what I see. I don't know what has gone on or what our leaders have done but I don't see good things ahead. There are times I see positive things but when I see negative things I also have to say them. We have to say the bad things we are seeing so as to pray against them. Prophets are not only for saying good things. We also see negative things. I cannot lie that there is peace when I have not seen peace. Jesus Christ said he did not only come with peace but with the sword that would set up father against child and child against father. In the Bible, the people of Nineveh were there when one day, Jonah came out of the belly of a whale and said God would destroy Nineveh within 30 days. It was strange for someone to come out of the stomach of a fish, get the attention of everyone and then start to make scary prophesies. But the king organised his people to pray against it and God changed his mind Prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and told him to prepare his will because he was about to die. But, the king prayed about it and God changed his mind, he explained to Richmond Roland De-Graft Johnson on his popular midnight Christian show, Gospel Hitz on Hitz FM. Daasebre Gyamenahs family say they wont allow the late musician to be buried hours after he died in line with Islamic tradition. According to the family, the musician, although he was a Muslim, he will not be buried in line with Islamic tradition because he was a royal from the New Juaben Traditional Area. The remains of the musician has been conveyed from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) en route to Koforidua. Daasebre Gyamenah, 44, according to his manager Papa Loggy, passed away Friday, while he was on admission at the 37 Military Hospital. Papa Loggy confirmed on Daybreak Hitz with KMJ that the late artiste had not been well for some time now and had been in and out of the hospital. The late musicians manager explained to Myjoyonline.com that Daasebres wife informed him that the highlife artiste was on admission at the 37 Military Hospital where he died Friday morning. His body, he added, was then transferred to the KBTH morgue. Daasebre Gyamenah was expected to be buried on Friday after Jumah prayers according to Islamic tradition. But Yaw Boateng, an uncle to the late highlife musician, speaking in an interview with Myjoyonline.com, said his remains will be deposited at the St Josephs morgue in Koforidua as soon as it arrives from Accra. The added that the family will later meet to plan the way forward. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com Nas' album might be done , but in the mean time, the New York legend brings fans the soundtrack for his new film, The Land . The project is made up of 14 tracks including the single Paid performed by Pusha T and Jeremih. Nas' song with French Montana and Kanye West, Figure It Out, is also on the project after it was first released on the Coke Boys leader's Wave Gods mixtape. Nas teams up with Erykah Badu for This Bitter Land. Machine Gun Kelly is featured on Dopeman and stars in the film, which is set in his hometown of Cleveland and follows the city's skateboard scene. Fellow Ohio artist Jerreau is on Looking for Something. Other guest appearances come from Dave East, Fashawn and Stalley. The Land film, which is executive produced by Nas, opens today (July 29). Check out the soundtrack's cover art, tracklist and stream below: Intro by Nosaj Thing Paid by Pusha T and Jeremih Dopeman by Machine Gun Kelly Figure It Out by French Montana f. Kanye West and Nas Goodbye by Ezzy Cisco's Theme by Fashawn Frequency High by Stalley Angels by Nosaj Thing f. Sabina Sweetrice Never Been Told by Ezzy f. Machine Gun Kelly Bag by Dave East Looking For Something by Jerreau Fantasy by Alina Baraz and Galimatias This Bitter Land by Nas and Erykah Badu Outro by Nosaj Thing -hiphopdx 29.07.2016 LISTEN Aunty Cathy was in a delightful conversation with her junior sister when she excused herself for water. As she approached the refrigerator, she accidentally slipped and fell on her back. Her sister quickly rushed to her aid but found her unconscious. With support from nearby neighbors, they rushed her to the hospital. Nearly an hour later, Sammy, much excited, pushed the trap door yelling his mothers name, Sweet Cathy but immediately changed mood when he observed how disorganized the room had been. Neighbors who found him informed him of the sad incidence. He locked up the room and rushed to the hospital. On arrival, he saw his aunty whose eyes were filled with tears. They were asked to wait at the reception while the doctor attended his mother. In a silence mood, Sammy started reflecting the struggle he and his mum had gone through. Aunty Cathy came from a family where education was only a privilege of boys, and fathers were much particular in the welfare of their nephews and nieces than their own children. Through her mothers support, she started operating her own business. One evening, as she was returning home after delivering an order to a friend, she was approached by a stranger who attacked and raped her mercilessly which resulted in pregnancy. In order to avoid public disgrace and ridiculed, she was sent to her relatives far away from her village. No amount of words could describe the pain this woman went through during the entire length of pregnancy and after delivery. She learnt one thing, inspiration and encouragement comes from within. Day and night, rain and shine, she determined to make ends meet. To her, as long as God exists, all things are possible. Any time the thought of pains popped up her mind, the smiles from her little baby boy cleared them away. As Sammy grew, the bond between his mother and him kept tighter and tighter. Cathy taught her son three most important things. Firstly, the willingness to forgive others irrespective of the hurt they caused. She encouraged him to make the first step to approach and make reconciliation in situation where he was innocent. With this advice, Sammy was able to turn all his enemies to friends. The second lesson she taught Sammy was humility. She taught him to treat all persons, whether young or old, weak or strong, poor or rich, men or women, with respect, dignity and honor. She taught him never to measure peoples worth based on their material possession because the most powerful possessions were invisible to the eye. Lastly, Aunty Cathy taught Sammy that in all his decisions, he should measure the future impact of those decisions by asking two important questions. First, would the decision bring much pleasure to God such that the entire heaven hosts would give him a standing ovation? Second, would the people on earth and generation unborn be grateful and proud to emulate his actions and decisions? Sammy completed university with a first class in Business Administration. Just this morning, he had a call from a company for his interview results. He was the only one picked among several applicants. He rushed home to present the good news to his mum only to find out that she had been admitted at the hospital. As Sammy was reflecting on his future plans for his mum, he heard his name mentioned. He was ushered into his mums ward. Sammy asked of how she was faring but she brushed it aside and rather asked Sammy how his interview results went. Sammy couldnt hide the excitement, he read the content of his appointment letter to her, the benefits and the huge salary. His mum was so grateful. She made it and fought the good fight. She told him that the purpose of life is to take care of your responsibilities and make the condition you lived in better for others to enjoy and this is what she had done and this alone made her happy. She asked Sammy to help her sing a song they learnt together some years ago, Lean on me. He held his mums hand and together they sang the song. As the song came to an end, Sammy felt the silence and coldness of his mothers hand, with tears he called for the doctor. That was the last moment he spent with such a wonderful, inspiring mother. Her joy, her legacy, was to see her child grow to become a responsible adult. Jeffery Amo Asare According to a statement released today by the International Raelian Movement (www.RaelPress.org), the movements founder and spiritual leader, Rael, has been awarded the Golden Elephant Super Prize by the Pan African Organization of Francophone Youth in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The distinction marks the 8th time the prize, awarded annually, has been conferred. The Golden Elephant Super Prize rewards the person considered the best agent for development, said Ya Boni, Raelian Guide and national leader of the Raelian Movement in Ivory Coast. In this case, it was awarded to Rael for his dedication to the cause of world peace and the welfare of humanity. Boni, who accepted the award on Raels behalf, explained that the One Minute for Peace Meditation Campaign launched by Rael is very popular in the Ivory Coast. Several of the countrys administrative authorities, including Minister Adama Coulibaly, were present at the award ceremony. The peace meditation campaign is popular worldwide as well, Boni said. But there are multiple actions he launched that specifically focus on the well being of the African people. They include the promotion of United Kingdoms of Kama (the pre-colonial name used for the African continent by its indigenous inhabitants); decolonization of cultures and cults, and rehabilitation of traditional chiefdoms. Boni said the initiatives launched by Rael have inspired many African politicians. Raels Back to Kama initiative, which urges the descendants of those sold into slavery to return and assist African development, has gained momentum, Boni said. It has brought in a lot of capital for the development of our economy. He added that Rael has also done much to help African woman, especially by creating Clitoraid, an organization that helps repair the excised clitorises of female genital mutilation [FGM] victims for no charge. He shook up the establishment and enabled affected women to assert their femininity, integrity, and right to pleasure, Boni said. During his visits here, Rael has repeatedly stated that humanitys survival is linked to the development of Africa and the empowerment of African women. This award recognizes his actions on behalf of Africa and all humanity. Each action inspired by Rael and carried out by the Raelian Movement in Kama inspires Kamite youth to work toward a future of abundance and peace. 29.07.2016 LISTEN The matter of the trial and sentencing of the Muntie 3 brings into sharp focus the need to reconsider the urgent need for the establishment of an Independent Public Prosecutor to handle infractions of the law independent of the government and the ruling party. The trial of the trio and the directors of the company had to be at the instance of the court itself since the Attorney General (AG) was disabled by partisanship to take up the matter of threat of harm and death on members of the judiciary. Even the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) attempted to downplay the seriousness of the threats. According to the judgment, the Supreme Court recorded that the matter of threat of harm and death belonged to the realm of the executive arm of government and by extension the AG. The question therefore is that how come the Attorney General failed the nation by NOT exercising its sole burden of making ultimate prosecutorial decisions, as provided for under Article 88(1) of the 1992 Constitution? We believe that the AG who performs the role of Chief Legal Adviser to the government, Minister of State, and guardian of the public interest, is undoubtedly a constitutional crank. It is obvious that the AG was not interested in addressing the assault on the judges to bring sanity in our political discourse. It is time for Ghana to separate the Attorney General from the Minister for Justice. The PPP wishes to state that the ruling of the Supreme Court on this matter has dealt a huge blow to the politics of intimidation, violence and abusive words and the court has upheld the rule of law and the dignity of the judiciary. We urge the court to continue to be a vanguard of our fledgling democracy. (SGD) Kofi Asamoah-Siaw Director of Policy Of the 602 contestants from 109 countries, six were from North Korea. Two North Korean teachers who chaperoned the students and five other students went back to North Korea on July 19, the daily said. Hong Kong's Ming Pao daily reported on Thursday that the 18-year-old was part of an official delegation to the International Mathematical Olympiad at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on July 6-15. A North Korean student who was visiting Hong Kong to take part in an international math contest has sought refuge in the South Korean Consulate in Hong Kong. A day earlier reports said that a former North Korean military officer has also sought asylum in the South Korean Consulate, leading to beefed-up security around the building. Armed police are providing around-the-clock security while other security personnel in civilian clothes have been deployed in the building housing the mission. A South Korean government official said, "It's true that a North Korean defector entered the consulate in Hong Kong, but we can't reveal numbers or identities until they arrive safely in [South] Korea." Meanwhile, two North Koreans who had been working in the Mediterranean island nation of Malta defected and came to South Korea last year, the Unification Ministry said Thursday. They are a middle-aged man and a woman in her 20s who had been working at a restaurant there. Another North Korean who had been working in Malta apparently disappeared early this year. Malta has in effect deported North Koreans by refusing to renew their work visas in the wake of an international outcry that they are being exploited by the North Korean regime. Around 20 North Koreans who had been working at construction sites and textile factories in Malta left the country. One diplomatic source said, "Malta has a population of around 400,000, which is among the smallest in the EU, but it is quite significant that the country was the first in the EU to expel North Korean workers. Other countries that hire North Koreans may be affected by the decision." Around 800 North Koreans work in EU member Poland. 29.07.2016 LISTEN By Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK July 28, 2016 The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday July 27, 2016 passed sentences on the Montie Gang of Three, Directors of Networking Broadcasting Company (NBC) Ltd (owners of Montie FM) and the Director of ZeZe Media (owner of the frequency used by the station) for contempt of court. According to media reports, the radio presenter and his two guests who committed the original crime of contempt were jailed four months and fined of Ghc 10,000 each to be paid within twenty-four hours, failure of which will incur one additional month in jail. The Directors of NBC Ltd and the owner of ZeZe Media were fined Ghc 30,000 each also to be paid within twenty-four hours. This article is a review of the sentences passed by the SC. I will leave the legal argument of contempt of court versus free speech and press freedom to the lawyers and in this regard I refer readers to an excellent article by my good friend and classmate, Prof Stephen Kwaku Asare, entitled Matters Arising out of the Montie Gangs Gbeshie (Ghanaweb, July 9 2016). Let me also say that, I have less sympathy for the Montie Gang of Three because there is too much indiscipline and lawlessness on the airwaves in Ghana, which if not checked could lead the country into the abyss. I will therefore limit my argument to the convictions of the Directors or owners. Notwithstanding my lack of sympathy, I totally disagree with the SC on the severity of the sentences. In fact, the SC by these sentences no longer administered justice but was seeking revenge. What has happened in this case, the second in the history of the apex court is nothing but a show trial and what is known in International Criminal Law as victors justice. Its one sided and the accused have very little chance (if any), of receiving a fair trial as it happens after armed conflict resulting in genocide. Only the criminals on the defeated side are tried by the victorious side using their own standards of justice, which is nothing less than revenge. Examples were in Rwanda, the second World War trials and what is currently happening in Turkey. The most worrying aspect of this case is the fact that the contempt in question is one of ex facie curiae (indirect or happened outside court) and not in facie curiae (direct or happened in court). In such cases, there is a proper trial through due process in a different court by a different judge with the option for appeal. Sadly, in this case as was the previous one, Ghanas SC constituted itself into the prosecutor, judge and jury in their own court without the benefit of an appeal process. What sort of justice is that? Now let me address the convictions of the Directors. I am struggling to understand why the Directors of NBC Ltd and the owner of the frequency were also convicted, especially when there was no trial to prove that they were negligent and therefore vicariously liable? In fact, the reason given by the Presiding Justice for the conviction is laughable. According to media reports, the SC claimed as follows, the directors of Montie FM provided the platform for the contemptuous comments to be made and held that the NBCL and ZeZe Media ought to have paid more attention to the activities of the radio station. We are not impressed with the statements of the directors that they had not taken close interest in the operations of the station. Does the above constitute negligence and a criminal liability for the act of contempt? If so, what happened to principles of actus reus and mens rea in corporate liability? In other words, the general basis for imposing liability in criminal law that the defendant must be proven to have committed a guilty act (the actual act [actus reus]) whilst having had a guilty state of mind (mens rea). Or the concept that an act or omission alone could not constitute a criminal liability unless it was accompanied by a guilt of state of mind. Is it not the fundamental duty of the prosecution (the SC) to prove both of these elements of the offence to the satisfaction of the judge or jury beyond reasonable doubt and in the absence of such proof the defendant should be acquitted? Is the SC saying that even if the Directors were negligent by their actions and omissions, which was not proven in court, they also had in mind to let their station/frequency be used for contempt of court? Is that not ridiculous? Perhaps, the Justices were only interested in the legal doctrine of "respondeat superior" ("let the superior answer"). The doctrine that an employer is legally responsible for the actions and omissions of its employees (also known as vicarious liability). However, the Justices must have known and ought to know that this rule applies only if the employee/s acted within the course and scope of employment. In other words, the employer will generally be liable if the employee was doing his or her job, carrying out company business, or otherwise acting on the employer's behalf when the incident took place. Let me analyse the above. The two contemnors were not employees and therefore the Montie Directors are not criminally liable for their actions and omission. On the other hand, the host was an employee and therefore the Directors were liable. The question is, did the host act within the course and scope of his employment? We do not know yet because there was no proper trail and a defence for the Directors to present the job description, the terms and conditions of his employment as well as the company Vision, Mission, Goals/ Aims, Values, Policies, Strategy and Objectives, if any. These would have shown beyond any reasonable doubt whether the presenter acted within or outside the course and scope of his employment. These documents would have given a defence or otherwise to the Directors. The irony of this judgement is that, the Supreme Court has now ordered the Directors of the two companies to produce policies and measures which would attest to the fact that the frequency (100.1 FM) shall not give rise to any act of contempt. Does that mean no such documents as mentioned above existed and if they existed did the SC request to see them in court? Even if there were none, the governing documents such as Article of Association, Memorandum of Association and Memorandum of Incorporation should have given the Directors a defence but because there was no proper trial the Directors stood no chance of proving their innocence. This is a travesty of justice. Just imagine telling Rupert Murdoch, who owns many radio and television stations that he did not show interest in them so he is guilty of contempt for providing the platform for contemnors. Of course, in the media scandal in the UK led by some of his media houses, he was called into Parliament and held accountable but not held responsible for those criminal acts. The other question is why did the Justices not separate the companies from the individual directors/owners because the two are separate legal entities that could be sued? Both NBC Ltd and Zeze Media are legal entities by themselves and therefore these two companies should have been convicted and not the individual Directors or Owner. The Directors/Owner would only be made party to the case as defendants only if they were negligent in their duties as directors but as indicated above their negligence were not proven in court. In fact, they were arbitrary convicted and sentenced, I blame the Attorneys of the Directors because they behaved as shepherds who delivered their sheep to the abattoir to be slaughtered and butchered. Instead of challenging the legality or illegality, the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of the actions and omissions of the SC, they went begging for clemency and in so doing gave legitimacy to the SC constituting itself into prosecution, judge and jury in their own court. They did a bad job and behaved as if they were scared of the Justices. Judges should be respected and feared. What about the severity of the sentences? The objectives for administering justice are two folds, retributive and restitution or restorative justice. Both could have elements of punitive, deterrent and rehabilitation but should never be revengeful and must be within the Sentencing Guideline. For example, with fines, the court must consider the ability the convict to pay the fine, in reasonable time, the immediate impact on the convict, whether individual or corporate, etc. In cases where no injury or harm has been caused directly to persons or damage has not be caused to property, the fine should be a deterrent rather than punitive, let alone revengeful. The SC court ignored all sentencing principles and sought revenge. Why do I say so? The severity of the fines and the conditions were such that, the objective is to collapse the businesses and activities of the contemnors and the Directors or the companies. I do not know how much money radio stations make in terms of income from advertising and I also do not know how much radio presenters are paid or how much guests are paid to appear on programmes but considering the current economic situation in Ghana, the fines are excessive, probably calculated to bankrupt the contemnors and cause financial difficulties to the businesses involved. The SC should not seek revenge with the administration of justice. Never. In conclusion, Wednesday 27 July will go down in judicial history as a sad day for the judiciary in Ghana. What happened was disgraceful because the SC turned itself into a body above the law to administer revenge in the name of justice. The language of the Presiding Justice that even the President cannot control judges (though true) is in bad taste and it created the wrong impression in the minds of some of us that the SC believes it can act above the law. This judicial mob mentality of we will show you where power lies should not be allowed in a democratic society under the rule of law. Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK The Petroleum Bill currently being rushed through Parliament is one of the worst things that could happen to Ghana at this point in time. Unless Parliament takes very drastic steps now to stall the passage of the Bill, Ghana would lose a historic opportunity to end the predatory and practically terroristic attacks on our Policy Space; stop the pillage of our natural resources; stabilise our macro-economy once and for all; and realize the benefits of real, genuine and productive livelihoods, good healthcare, happy and secure families, and boundless opportunities for all. Since the discovery of oil in commercial quantities, Ghana has adopted the Royalty-Tax System (re-shaped into what is called the Ghana Hybrid System) as the mechanism for benefitting from her oil resources. This system is skewed towards the collection of taxes from oil companies. All progressive Third World Developing Countries with Oil and Gas reserves are moving away from this predatory system, not least because empirical evidence and experience have established that it is near impossible for countries that cannot collect taxes from petty traders living in-country, to collect the requisite taxes from multinational oil companies with complicated and tax evading and tax avoiding structures and systems. Yet it is this discredited system that is contained in the Petroleum Bill currently before our Parliament. Currently before Parliament are other very critical Bills. These deal with managing the governmental transition after the 2016 elections; the right to information; property rights of spouses; and many others crying for attention, some for up to 10 years. Yet, Parliament has prioritised over these the Petroleum Bill that was re-laid in Parliament last month. Already, Parliament has done for this Bill the first reading; referred it to the Committee on Mines and Energy; had the Committee on Mines and Energy meet severally over the Bill; met stakeholders over the Bill; completed a report on the Bill; laid the report before the entire Parliament; had Parliament accept the report; undertaken the second reading; held winnowing sessions on the Bill in order to streamline the many amendments proposed; and started the Consideration Stage for the Bill leading up to the Third and final Reading and Passage of the Bill into law! Actually, but for a hitch or two, the Bill could have been passed into law last week! How efficient of Parliament. The Principal reason why Parliament is in a mad rush to pass the Petroleum Bill, actively urged on by mostly foreign interests, and supported by their local agents, is because they do not want to risk having to do an in-depth consideration of three (3) sets of public challenges that are coming up whilst the Bill is festering in Parliament. First, there is a real sense that individual members of Parliament, deep down their hearts, are opposed to the Bill. MPs have previously proposed amendments to literally every substantive provision in the Bill, a very unusual scenario in Parliament. When the Bill was first laid, over 100 amendments were proposed, affecting all substantive clauses. Even after it was withdrawn, reworked and re-laid recently, 45 new amendments were proposed by MPs. When amendments are this many it is indicative of a tacit rejection of the Bill by Parliament. No wonder the Bill had to be withdrawn some two times after many years on the burner and finally re-laid in Parliament with some cosmetic changes, which changes in most cases greatly exacerbated the bad conditions of the Bills that were withdrawn in the first place. The reason why the Bill still faces about 50 proposed amendments is simple: the reworking of the Bill in its 2016 re-incarnation did not address the policy change that is mandated by the full effect of the array of amendments proposed by MPs themselves and the requirements of existing laws, not to mention those of Think Tanks and CSOs. The second reason why the Petroleum Bill is being rushed through Parliament is that the Executive and Parliament do not want to be confronted with the set of critical principles in the report of the Constitution Review Commission and the Government White Paper that are meant to ensure that Ghanas natural resources actually benefit Ghanaians and that, going forward, those resources are treated in a manner that aids our developmental march forward. After many years of research, country-wide consultations, diaspora consultations, consultations with Parliament itself, and international comparative analyses, the Commission teased out these cardinal principles which were accepted by government in a White Paper. It is, therefore, policy incongruity for the Executive and Parliament to completely ignore those principles in its consideration of the Petroleum Bill. Third and finally, Parliament is rushing the Bill because she does not seem to want to do what it must do for Ghana, for us, for our children, and for our childrens children, to the third and fourth generations and forever, that is, adopt for Ghana the Production Sharing formula for the distribution of Oil revenues and benefits. Simply, the Production Sharing formula operates along the lines of share cropping in agriculture, where the owner of the land grants a farmer the right to grow crops on his or her land, and shares in the proceeds with the farmer according to agreed proportions after the harvest. As the name implies, Production Sharing focuses on the sharing of the output of Oil and Gas produced in agreed proportions between the oil companies and Ghana. If Ghana had adopted this formula for the recent oil find, she would have earned over US $9 billion from her Oil resources between 2010-2015, representing 60% of total production revenue of over US $15 billion. Compare this to the paltry US $3 billion earned over the same period, representing 19.4% of total production revenue. This is the point GIGS, joined by the FTOS-PSA Ghana Campaign, have been making to the Committee for several years. Sadly, Parliament has been fed, and is in turn feeding the public with other figures and arguments to the effect that the cash receipts under the so-called Ghana Hybrid System and under Production Sharing are the same. This is absolutely not true. In this regard, we need to pose a few questions to Parliament: 1. Are they talking of mere cash receipts or the monetary value of all incomes and benefits that accrue to oil companies and their mother countries on the one hand, and to Ghana on the other? 2. Do the cost of production figures they have been fed take adequate account of inflated prices and especially sophisticated transfer pricing mechanisms used by the oil companies? 3. Have the figures been discounted for political, economic and social costs of drilling oil in commercial quantities in Ghana? From the analyses above, if we had adopted the Production Sharing mechanism, the current government would not have needed to contract so many loans to finance development projects. In fact, all the financing for all the development projects Ghana has undertaken in the last few years would have come from oil resources, even with the recent slump in oil prices, effectively weaning Ghana of development aid and marauding financiers. The above fact is what is so scary to many who want the current Bill passed into law. They cannot imagine and cannot live with a Ghana which is truly independent of loans, the IMF, the World Bank, Development Partners and the predatory and terroristic attacks on Ghanas policy space that comes with them. The policy of Production Sharing is the thing now! All serious and progressive countries, and even some not-too-serious and progressive ones have opted or are opting for Production Sharing. Togo, Sierra-Leone, Liberia, Cote dIvoire, Senegal, Republic of Benin, Niger, Mauritania, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Eritrea, Somaliland and South Sudan - have all opted for Production Sharing, following in the footsteps of the older oil producing countries: Nigeria, Angola, Libya, Egypt, Gabon, Chad and others. We hear that the Consideration Stage of the Bill is now scheduled for October this year. Before that date, we will work to produce a detailed brief for distribution to all MPs as to why they must use this opportunity to save Ghana by writing the Production Sharing mechanism into the Petroleum Bill or in the alternative, not pass the current Bill. Our Dear MPs Listen to your hearts Do not listen to your heads, chests, stomachs, hands, feet And do the right thing for yourselves, for your children and for Ghana. Otherwise we will be constrained to vote you out We need every Ghanaian to commit today that any MP who votes in favour of the current monstrous and unprogressive Petroleum Bill in Parliament will not be returned to Parliament come 7th November or 7th December, and definitely come 7th January. Dr. Raymond Akongburo Atuguba [email protected] 29.07.2016 LISTEN Morocco marks this years Throne Day uniquely proud of its status as a stable, peaceful Arab nation, governed smoothly by a democratically elected government; and, ready to assert itself in African politics with a demand for unconditional readmission into the African Union (AU) it had left 32 years ago. Throne day traditionally celebrates the day seventeen years ago in July 1999 when the king, whose original name is Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, took the throne as King Mohammed VI. Thanks to King Mohammed VI, the countrys successful transition from traditional kingdom to a modern global player, envied throughout the Arab and Muslim world, means that today more than ever Morocco is a key force not only in the region, but also throughout Africa. Seventeen years ago, King Mohammed VI faced a sizeable challenge: successfully juggling the need for change with the apparent political and economic inertia in his deeply traditional kingdom. Today, the monarch has met the challenge, taking Morocco through a remarkable political opening process that has encouraged social pluralism. Since ascending the throne, King Mohammed VI has instituted, accelerated and consolidated a range of social, democratic and economic reforms to improve the lives of Moroccans and strengthen the Kingdoms institutions. The Kings reign has seen him tackling issues of poverty, improving foreign relations and enacting a number of political reforms that have reduced his own powers and strengthened the Moroccan parliament. A Moroccan economic priority under King Mohammed VI has been renewable energy. The kingdom imports almost all of its fossil fuels. Because of this unsustainable situation, Mohammed VI has emphasized the need for the country to switch to new sources of clean energy. As announced by the king at the COP 21 meetings in Paris in December 2015, by the end of the decade, renewables should represent 42 percent of the energy mix (compared with the current 19 percent). Symbolic of this new green path are the Tarfaya wind park, Africas biggest, and the solar park, among the worlds largest, that is currently under construction at Ouarzazate. The COP 22 will be held this year in Marrakech. Morocco, over the last ten years, has also recorded an average growth of between 4.2 per cent to 4.3 per cent in a year, making it one of the most resilient economies on the continent. A new development model developed by the King after wide consultation seeks to double the countrys GDP in the next ten years which is expected to create more than a 100,000 jobs. Moroccan companies have presence in over 25 African countries with expertise in technology and communications, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, finance and many more. The Attijariwafa Bank is now the top banking group in the CFA franc zone by number of branches, and the cumulative economic weight of the five Moroccan banks makes them the major banking force in Africa; and, 55 percent of Royal Air Marocs traffic goes to African countries, making Casablanca a regional hub. Morocco is now the best-connected African country by sea routes, according to a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, and saw a 20 percent increase in 2015 in the number of containers going through its ports. The most recent visits by King Mohammed VI with more than 70 entrepreneurs to sub-Saharan Africa bear witness to the strategys achievements on the diplomatic and economic levels, and demonstrate the growing Moroccan influence in Africa. More than ever, the development of this South-South cooperation reinforces the role of the Kingdom of Morocco as a major geopolitical player within the continent and on the global economic stage. In an effort to improve agriculture and food safety in Ghana, OCP Africa, a Moroccan agro based firm, recently launched its operations to enable the country achieve its objectives in the agricultural sector. The company, which has global presence, with the view of producing modern farming equipment and improving the farming methods, also has the capacity to boost the agricultural sector. Other Moroccan companies, including Bank of Africa and Saham Insurance continue to play crucial roles in Ghanas financial sector, guaranteeing financial security and wealth in Ghanas developing economy. Moroccan construction firm, Addoha Group, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Ghana to construct 10,000 social housing units over seven years, valued at 250 million euros. And to ensure that essential materials needed for the construction of the social housing units are made in Ghana, Addoha Group also begun the construction of a cement factory at Tema, valued at 60 million euros. For the past 10 years sponsored a lot of Ghanaians to undertake various undergraduate and graduate programmes in Morocco. The programme is intended to help Ghana address its human resource challenges in the areas of health, education, tourism and agriculture. But, Moroccos involvement in Ghanas economy is not surprising: At independence Ghana and Morocco had similar continental ambitions. Ghana's first President Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah and Morocco's King Mohammed V played crucial roles in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, now African Union or AU) through their strategic leadership of the Casablanca Group. The Casablanca Group which also comprised Algeria, Egypt, Guinea, Libya and Mali pursued a radical, progressive stance in the then burgeoning Africa emancipation struggle, and shared values on the question of African unity, which culminated in the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. Ghana and Morocco have also been important members of the non-aligned movement since 1961, more reason why, as the Kingdom marks its anniversary, the two countries need to re-commit themselves to continue to work together to enable each of them attain her core objectives of improving the lives of their citizens. . Hitherto, the different languages spoken in both countries was a challenge. French is the dominant language spoken in Morocco while English is the dominant formal language spoken in Ghana. Now, however, increased investments in Ghana by Morocco indicates the challenge was being addressed by technology which currently makes it easier to bridge the gap of communication between the two countries. In February last year, in Rabat, Moroccos Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Salaheddine Mezouar, and the Ghanas Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hanna Tetteh, co-chaired the First Moroccan-Ghanaian Joint Commission in Rabat. The session was marked by the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) concerning the areas of export promotion, development of skills for Ghanaian students, technicians and professionals, technical training and the promotion of trade and maritime trade. The joint commission was geared towards the establishment of a political framework that would enlarge the sphere of exchanges to comprise other sectors and stakeholders in Ghana with their Moroccan counterparts. It sought to explore new areas and opportunities of cooperation and to develop the means of partnership between Morocco and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Indeed, many African countries through their relationship with the Kingdom have benefited from academic scholarship schemes, financial support, business training programmes among others. These are symbolic gestures which have deepened the bond between the Kingdom and fellow African countries, with Ghana being one of the beneficiaries. Recently, the Kingdom formally applied to the continents African Union to re-join the group it exited in 1984. The current bond between the Kingdom and dozens of African countries, through established diplomatic ties, reinforces its quest to re-join the continent. Therefore, as the continental body speeds up the processes for economic integration, the acceptance of Morocco to the AU is an urgent step whose time has come. In his article published on the prestigious Ghanaweb.com on July 29, 2016, the former presidential hopeful of the largest opposition party in Ghana, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Arthur Kennedy asserted as follows: Impartiality is a central tenet of impartial justice. Regardless of how one feels about the MUNTIE panelists and the others, the judges of the Supreme Court were not impartial in this case. By acting as prosecutors and judges in a case involving threats to their lives, they dealt a big blow to impartial justice in our country. Nobody would accept that a judge can sit on a case involving a threat to his wife or father. And they can sit in judgment of threats to their own lives? Justice Sophia Akufo was right that, "There is an element of criminality in their utterances which the Attorney - General should have noticed and acted upon." If this is the case, can the Supreme Court now assume the prosecutorial powers of the Attorney General? I strongly disagree with the good medical doctor. In the first place, if the Supreme Court judges who sat on the case were not impartial as suggested by Dr. Kennedy, how are we assured of the impartiality and neutrality of the attorney general? Who is the attorney general responsible to? The radio panelists involved in the case were speaking for the ruling party of which the attorney general is a member. So dear Dr. Kennedy: the value is the same and as such your argument is untenable. As a matter of fact, Ghanaians are increasingly becoming enigmatic and paradoxical. The main scaffolding of our society has been hypocrisy. We must try and allow the independence of the state institutions. Anything that is not quantitative in nature can hardly be devoid of human values. We must always look at the substance of the case and avoid resorting to technicalities. The horrifying tales of 1994 Rwandan genocide must motivate us to support our judges. As a guest speaker at Watson institute for international and public affairs, Brown University, USA, on September 30, 2014, the Nigerian poet and playwright, Wole Soyinka has the following words to describe the Islamic insurgency in Nigeria: Hatched from the egg of impunity: A fowl called Boko Haram. I humbly want to adapt to the aforementioned quote and intimate that hatched from the egg of impunity Fowls called death threat and contract killing. Serial killing is rising in Ghana. For example, in December, 2013, a staff of Stanbic Bank, Rosemond Nyampong was murdered in a cold blood. In March 2014, Fennec Okyere was murdered by unknown assailants. On May 23, 2015, Mr. Adams Mahama, the Upper East regional chairman of NPP was murdered. On February 9, 2016, the member of parliament of Abuakwa North constituency, Mr J.B Danquah Adu was murdered. Certainly, we must build a collective non -partisan effort as a country to rid our society of such heinous crimes. The American psychologist, Lawrence Kohlberg, best remembered for his theory of the stages of moral development propounded a dictum: reasons to dilemma make moral maturity but not the response. The reasons to Montie case (prevention of crime and discouragement of contract killings so that all and sundry will be assured of safety) make moral maturity but not the response that the sentence is very harsh. If every murderer and prospective murderer is treated with kid gloves, then where are we going as a country? Many Ghanaians are under the influence of a philosophical concept known as the gamblers fallacy. The gamblers fallacy is a situation whereby an individual has an erroneous conviction that the onset of a random event is less likely to happen following an event or a series of events. This line of thinking is not correct because past events do not change events that occur in the future. We are complaining about the verdict because of our knowledge of similar cases of criminal contempt during 2012 election petition. We must stop putting a lot of pressures on the Supreme Court judges for their decisions inure to the benefit of all. There is no place like home. Let us preserve our countrys peace. God bless our homeland Ghana. I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing. (Socrates) Feedbacks must be directed to [email protected] Nana Yaw Osei (Padigo), PhD Candidate, Psychology Grand Canyon University, Arizona, USA Few days after some of President Mugabes staunchest allies the war veterans decided to withdraw their support for their longest serving President in a letter that was first published by the Associated Press, President Mugabe has responded with a scathing rebuke of the dissenting voices as he addressed his party loyalists during a ZANU- PF rally last Wednesday. In the statement issued last week, the war veterans criticized Robert Mugabe for presiding over unbridled corruption in Zimbabwe. This rot needs to be uprooted, and right now," it read. "Mugabe's leadership has presided over unbridled corruption and downright mismanagement of the economy, leading to national economic ruin for which the effects are now felt throughout the land," the statement read. In a show of defiance last Wednesday, President Mugabe blamed the West for trying to divide his people as he threatened to deal with the "dissidents." The president also called for a change in leadership of the Veterans Association. We have ordered an investigation to identify authors of the statementThe punishment will be severe, he said to thousands who were gathered at the ruling ZANU- PF partys headquarters in the capital, Harare. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) spokesperson Douglas Mahiya has stated that the ex-liberation fighters were going to meet to discuss how to respond to Mugabes threats. Political scientist, Eldred Masunungure of University of Zimbabwe has expressed worry over Mugabes insistence to hold on to power arguing that, the succession war is driving towards a tipping point. The veterans criticism has unsettled Mugabe. This is a result of his failure to hand over power. The succession war is driving towards a tipping point, Masunungure argued. There have been massive protests in Zimbabwe in the recent past. A recent protest organized by Pastor Evan Mawarire, saw the streets deserted, shops shut and businesses closed in the capital, Harare, the southern city of Bulawayo and elsewhere-the most widespread demonstrations of dissent in Zimbabwe for many years. Also commenting on the recent developments in Zimbabwe, Ibbo Mandaza, a leading academic and political commentator in Zimbabwe said, Clearly there is a coincidence or intersection of national grievances across board, economic and political. We are in a new phase of politics. Is this an indication of the beginning of the end for Africas longest serving president? What will be next for Zimbabwe and President Mugabe? Time is surely our best ally as we attempt to understand events currently ongoing in Zimbabwe. G. K. Sarpong Twitter: @gideonsarpong Email:[email protected] As I stepped out of my house to work yesterday, I saw Hajia Amina Fulani, wailing Aww my people are being killed, our people are being slaughtered, aww God, what have we done to deserve this. I walked closer to her, trying to console her but she would not give up the heartbreaking tears. I felt remorseful for myself. In fact, I felt sorry for my whole being. I felt regretful because I am also a Fulani, born and raised here in Ghana. I held myself stretched to my Islamic garment, while I also began to breed tears, and so many weird and wonderful feelings started running through my mind. In point of fact, thoughts that could leave memorable scare on ones mind. Just one day insane young woman, I initiated a talk with myself and started asking basic questions. Why are my people suffering from these atrocities? Few minutes afterwards, the woman was still weeping. From a closer look one could visible see she was traumatized, weak and tired of life. I walked a bit closer again, then I said to her, Our people in the remote areas lack education She adjusted herself and looked straight into my eyes, then I continued, Its about time we do our best to get them educated We the Fulani people have been living in Ghana since early 20th century. We constitute a smaller portion of the total Ghanaian population. From the neighboring sahelian country during the colonial period, we subsequently settled in the beautiful land of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana. In the north, the pastoral Fulani and indigenes who are predominantly farmers established reciprocal economic relations. They entrusted their cattle to them. But in recent times, my people are considered as collection of criminals. This, I can say, is affecting our identity as humble people. I am beginning to understand why the Fulanis are regarded as an unattractive choice to humanity. With headlines like two Fulani arm robbers arrested, Fulani arrested for murder and the likes, why would not that wrong impression occur to some people? It hurts when such headlines are mischievously placed in the media. Just like any other tribe, I am a proud Fulani young woman. We the Fulani communities in Ghana feel unfairly treated by a section of the media who associate such crimes to us in general. The question is, why the media choose to mention only the Fulani tribe in a crime related issues but ignore other peoples tribe with same matter? In reality, the Fulanis are the only ethnic group being singled out by the media when they are in trouble. Wouldnt you agree with me that to judge a tribe merely by looking at the actions of some of the people is unfair? To create a bad picture of a tribe to sell your stories is also unfair? There are responsible and law abiding Fulanis who are contributing to the national development of the country. My plea to the President of Ghana Journalist Association is to intervene in this matter because the media is actually not being fair to the Fulanis in Ghana. I am also pleading with other ethnic groups who are vent on vengeance to please get the perpetrators of any evil act arrested and let the Law deal with them. On behalf Fulani Youth Association of Ghana, I would like to say sorry for any terrible thing caused by some of my people to the country. Lets try and settle our differences. Mother Ghana is for us all. Long live Ghana. Inna Hajar Osman. Ambassador Samantha Power - U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations; U.S. Mission to the United Nations AS DELIVERED Thank you, Minister Kishida, President of the Council, thank you Secretary-General Ban, Minister Mohamed, and Commissioner Chergui for your briefings. Thanks to all of you, and the Ministers who have shown the importance of this issue by making the long trip here to New York; we are very grateful. Preventing conflict and promoting stability in Africa is obviously an immensely important subject for the Council to focus on. The list of political, economic, and social factors to debate is long, as is the number of tools that we have at our disposal. But at a moment when conflicts are re-emerging in Africa and too many other states are on the brink, this Council needs to do more than debate lessons learned. This Council needs to reaffirm the principles that are fundamental to ending conflicts and take concrete steps to translate them into practice. National ownership of peacebuilding processes is important, as many speakers have highlighted today and will continue to highlight. But national ownership cannot be a pretext for the Council or the international community to defer reflexively to governments when we know their practices are undermining or failing to enhance peace and security and this happens too often. Especially when this Council authorizes major peacekeeping missions to restore stability, we must hold political leaders accountable for committing to the process of stopping violence, abiding by the rule of law, and strengthening state institutions. I will set out the importance of sustaining political will across the different stages of the peacebuilding process, drawing upon South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. First, the violence in South Sudan this past month shows what happens when political leaders fail to commit to peace at the start of a peacebuilding intervention. In just four days of fighting in Juba, from July 7 to July 11, more than 36,000 people were displaced. The UN reported that the number of refugees who arrived in Uganda from South Sudan on the 21st of July was the largest single-day total for this conflict in more than two years: 8,337 new arrivals, many of whom had spent days on foot, often with little more than the clothes on their backs, to reach safety. Women and children make up more than 90 percent of the refugees who have left South Sudan since July 7. The international community has spent billions of dollars trying to avert a famine in the country money, that if not for this manmade conflict, a conflict that contributes to severe acute malnutrition, prevents planting, stymies the economy completely, if not for this manmade conflict, that money could have been dedicated to building roads, economic development, girls education, boys education. Its a waste, and yet we have to continue to mobilize resources to try to keep this long-suffering population living with some basic dignity and living surviving in the first place. Gruesome atrocities are being committed daily: civilians targeted and killed, women raped, homes looted and destroyed. Both government- and opposition-affiliated soldiers have been implicated in these horrors. Yet, there has been no effort to hold the perpetrators accountable. This then compounds the tendency to ascribe collective guilt; that in turn fuels ethnic targeting, and the ethnic targeting further fuels the cycle of violence. Amid all of this Ill just quote one resident of South Sudan, a 42 year-old named James Benjamin Wani he asked a simple question to a reporter after days of fighting in Juba. The way he put the question was, Why dont our leaders want to sit down and solve their problems? Let them hear us. Let them cry. We dont want fighting. We want peace. The level of misrepresentation of the population by leadership that will not commit to the implementation of the steps that the international community has rallied behind. We have been asking a similar question to this 42 year-old mans question for years. In 2011, we invested heavily in South Sudans future by giving the UN Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, a mandate to assist the state at all levels with building institutions, fostering economic development, reforming the security sector, and promoting human rights. At every step, the mission sought to collaborate closely with the Government of South Sudan taking pains to avoid imposing solutions. UNMISS was designed with peacebuilding best practices in mind. It was South Sudans leaders who failed to live up to their end of the bargain by being unable to put their personal power struggles aside. We now have to come together as a Council, as an international community, around a single approach to end the violence in South Sudan and, more importantly, to prevent its reoccurrence. In the immediate term, this means working with and pressing South Sudans leadership to provide for security in Juba, to safeguard freedom of movement, and to provide for unfettered humanitarian access. This also means answering IGADs and the AUs call for strengthening UNMISS, so that the mission can better protect civilians and help establish a secure environment so the parties can, in fact, make political progress. Restoring security in Juba may be necessary, but we all know it is far from sufficient. South Sudans leaders must govern on behalf of their people and demonstrate the political will for peace. In practical terms, the parties need to carry out the reform pillars in the August 2015 peace agreement professionalizing the security sector, carrying out economic reforms, promoting justice and accountability, and drafting a constitution. What all of this underscores is that peacebuilding, as others have noted, is itself a form of conflict prevention. And it is one that collectively, we need to double down on in a country where too much tragedy has happened for too long. This formula is not revolutionary, or even new. The difference is that the members of this Council, together with partners in the region and the international community, must redouble our collective efforts to influence the choices made every day by individuals who comprise the South Sudanse leadership. On the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have a country now entering a later phase of its peacebuilding process. As the country prepares for elections, further progress depends on President Joseph Kabilas political commitment to uphold the constitution. The Congolese have spent many years building a relative peace, with the support of billions of dollars invested in the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission. President Kabila is barred from running for a third time when his term expires at the end of the year, but there are serious concerns that elections will not be held in accordance with the constitution. As the deadline for elections approaches, instability, as weve seen, is growing, and that is why the United States has stressed the need for an environment that supports international efforts to bring Congolese stakeholders together to determine a way forward. And yet, at precisely the moment a dialogue is needed to resolve these tensions, the government is closing off space for the political opposition and civil society groups to assemble and has not taken adequate steps to release political prisoners. In recent months, the government has continued to harass and imprison politicians and civil society activists, and peaceful protests have all too often ended up with arbitrary arrests, injuries, and even death. According to UN reports, the government arbitrarily detained dozens of people during opposition rallies in April and May, and clashes between protesters and security forces led to deaths and injuries on both sides. With major rallies planned for this week this very week and with the return of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi yesterday, we call on the government and security forces to respect the fundamental rights of citizens to peaceful assembly. This again is not a matter of pure domestic concern, but it is an extension of the objectives that this Council has supported since MONUSCO deployed six years ago to help build a fragile peace. Third and finally, Somalias leaders have to show the political will to extend state authority and develop functioning democratic institutions. The Federal Government must match AMISOMs achievements in building security with commensurate steps to build institutions to keep people safe. AMISOMs troop contributions deserve this Councils immense gratitude for the missions ability to improve security for the Somali people, especially around the capital, and the sacrifices, especially over the last year, have been mind-blowing. The United States condemns in the strongest terms the attack this past week by Al-Shabaab on a UN base in the Mogadishu International Airport, just the latest in a wave of heinous attacks. AMISOM has a critical role to play, as this UN Security council has recognized and embraced, but the Government does as well. And that is why the Councils interest in Somalia does not end with AMISOMs performance. Just as with DRC and South Sudan, Somalias progress toward a durable peace depends on the success of the political steps taken by the government. So the Council should welcome the agreement on an electoral model for 2016, and encourage its swift implementation as a step toward universal direct elections by 2020. Yet for this process to succeed, President Hassan Sheikh and his government must accelerate training of the Somali National Army and the process of building state institutions, and we, of course, all must chip in to support the government as they do that. In particular, the government needs to strengthen protections of human rights, including showing respect for free expression in the media and holding security forces accountable when they commit violations. We all know the conditions in Somalia and the circumstances, and the steps Ive described are not only difficult, they are downright daunting, and they will of course take time. But military victories alone will not bring peace unless the government takes concrete steps to establish itself and extend its reach. While South Sudan, DRC, and Somalia each face very, very different challenges, the common principle is that success in peacebuilding requires political will. There are only so many workarounds that the region or the UN Security Council can come up with. This Council has authorized a peacekeeping mission for each of these countries to help restore stability, but at every stage, this Council has to remain focused on taking steps to ensure that leaders make choices in service of peace. Amid the violence in South Sudan, the BBC reported recently that a group of musicians called the All Stars came together to write a song speaking out against revenge killing. The song, written in multiple South Sudanese dialects, contains the lyric, I wish my talent could be a weapon, I would use it to protect my people. I wish my talent could be a weapon, I would use it to protect my people. There are so many South Sudanese who share this groups desire to protect people from conflict, just to keep their families safe. We must harness our tools to help create an environment in which this talent can be harnessed and in which peace, at last, can take hold. I thank you. Psychologists all over the world have tried to explain what fear really is. There have been varied definitions of fear all over but one thing that is very common is that every human being born by man and woman has some fears as well as animals. A simple Oxford Advance learners dictionary on my phone defines fear as an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger. Wikipedia defines fear as a feeling induced by a perceived danger or threat that occurs in a certain types of organisms, which causes a change in metabolic and ultimately a change in behavior, such as fleeing, hiding, or freezing from perceived traumatic events. Psychologists have argued extensively that fear is a protective mechanisms employ by all living organisms when they anticipate danger or threat but the difference lies in how individuals overcome their fears. The truth however is that, those who overcame their fear rule this our very world. In September 30 2011, research conducted by Caty Medrano and same published by Listverse mentioned the following as top 10 strong human fears: 1. Failure 2. Death 3. Rejection 4. Ridicule 5. Loneliness 6. Miseries 7. Disappointment 8. Pain 9. The unknown 10. Losing your freedom I am very sure that if we are also to list our fears in order, we may fall within some of the above listed types of fears as human and police officers. We are humans with scares too despite trained. Through observations, interviews and personal experiences as a junior police officer, I tried to find out some fears as to what my colleague junior police officers think will let them lose their jobs easily as far the general public is concern. Some 715 junior police officers were interviewed at various duty points I found myself including barriers and checkpoints, charge offices, courts, operational grounds. I did some of my interviews in travelling vehicles and wherever I met my colleague officers. The following group of people or professionals top my list after 4 years: 1. Fear of politicians and government officials is number one on my list. Greater number of my respondents believe that politicians or government officials can determine their place in the police service. They believe politicians especially those in power can cause their dismissal, transfer and some cases their detention. They believe that their superiors listen to politicians or government officials more than them so for a police officer to last on his job, he must avoid confrontations with politicians and government officials. Many police officers who stood in the ways of politicians or government officials endured some constant victimizations. Politicians in oppositions will quickly make open pronouncements that the police are being used by the government to intimidate the opposition members and promise to deal with the police if his or her government comes to power. Some of them truly take their revenge if their party comes to power. 145 of the police officers I interviewed believed this. 2. Fear of senior police officers places second on my list. Many junior police officers I interviewed believe that their senior officers have capacity to determine their stay in the police whether the senior officer is right or wrong. Just say yes sir to your senior officer to save your job after all yes sir master does not spoil work. Having confrontations with your senior officers even if you are right is a first step to dismissal, avoid it. Always be the fool type and last on the job. Some 129 believe this is true. 3. Fear of journalists/Tv or Radio presenters comes third. Many police officers believe that journalists or Tv and Radio presenters can put them in controversies which can lead to them losing their jobs. They believe that journalists or Tv and Radio presenters can create sensations in the general public which will put them in public domain. They also believe that journalists or T v and Radio presenters have the power to demonise them no matter how angelic a police officer may be. You can become a toast of their morning shows even if you are executing your duties rightly. They are the first to cry abuse of human rights and freedom even when they are wrong. Some 105 junior police officers affirmed this. 4. Lawyers. Another class of professionals police officers believe that can be thorns in their flesh. They are fourth on my list.They call themselves learned colleagues. Police officers particularly police investigators believe that handling cases which the accuse person is being represented by a lawyer is a headache. Lawyers can walk to any District, Division, Region or even National police headquarters to report a police officer. Another group of professionals junior police officer think their superiors believe more than them the officers. Lawyers also feel they know the law more than the police officer who is enforcing it so there is always a fracas between the two. They always try to confuse the police with big legal terms and if they fail, they will walk to all the offices to report the police officer who did not yield to them. Some 89 junior police officers affirmed this. 5. Judges. Right behind the lawyers are judges. They are one of the most power wielding professionals in Ghana. They are not mostly seen in public but if you meet one, then you have to be very careful as a police officer. They believe that they are the law itself. They will give you their address and particulars and tell you if you think they have offended the law, bring summons to their court to arrest them. If you try to insist, your superiors will call you to order one time. Some 88 police officers responded positively to this. 6. Business men and women. Yes I mean the tycoons or money bags are the next after the judges. They break all protocols. Some of them initially try to negotiate if they realise that they have offended. They are quick to chant "chop make I chop some", "one man no chop" or "everybody dey chop for him job inside" slogans. If you refuse, they will bypass you to your boss and if your boss agrees, they will come back to you and tell you, they have never seen a foolish police officer like you and drive away as you watch the back of their cars. The women among them are so disrespectful and annoying. If you stand on their way, they will clear you. They have numbers of almost all the prominent people in this country. Some 63 junior police officer confirmed this 7. Lecturers. Next after business men and women comes lecturers. Lecturers have numbers of all their past students whom most of them are senior police officers, politicians, journalist and what have you. Some of them are friends to top senior police officer and the least confrontation with a lecturer will only lead to a lecturer pulling his phone from his pocket to dial a number and in the next minute, there is an order from above ordering you to leave him or her alone. You only have to say yes sir to save your job. Lecturers also feel they are repository of knowledge so they always want to school police officers though they have never been to police training schools. Some 51 junior officers responded positively to this. 8. Chiefs and opinion leaders come after lecturers. Chiefs and opinion leaders are another groups of untouchables. In traditional settings, they are the eye of their subjects. Touch a Chief or an opinion leader and see. The next day he will put on his kente cloth or smog with polished traditional sandals and golden chains around the neck and rings around the fingers to your commander or any high office to report you. He always comes with the Okyeame holding his royal staff which symbolizes his power and authority. They always come with nicely package gifts as a sign of appreciation for your superiors to deal with you. The first to come to charge office to seek for bail and if you refuse, they will bypass you to next office only for you to be called to that office to meet them comfortably sitting down there chatting nicely with your commander. Some police officers believe that they have power to transfer you if they feel they cannot control you the police officer. They are very manipulative. Some 45 junior police officers affirmed this. Above are eight group of people or professionals many junior police officers fear that they are threats to them in execution of their duties. For a period of 4 years at barriers, police stations, courts and other places where police duties sent me, I try to know why these group of people seem to be a thorn in the flesh of many junior police officers. I realized that levels of education really matters. Apart from Chiefs and opinion leaders who some of them have relative low levels of education, all of the remaining group of professionals are people who are likely to be masters, degree or a minimum of diploma holders. I also realized that even police officers who have a minimum qualification of WASCE or SSCE have some level of confidence to match these professionals whilst those with BECE and non-lettered police officers find it very difficult to deal with above mentioned group of people or professionals. An efficient police officer is the one who makes time to read about the challenges of his job and not the one with physical muscles like commando holding a bazooka gun with an empty thinking cap on a human body. Reading will increase your confidence level which will go a long way to make you bold to withstand the whims and caprices of the group of people discuss above and that is efficiency in policing. What happens if the police officer fears that he will lose his job ? Law is definitely applied and enforced selectively. Ahanta Apemenyimheneba Kwofie III (Daniel Kwofie)/Peki/Vr [email protected] #Ahantadiaries2016 GENEVA/ ACCRA July 25, 2016: UNDP and Impact Hub are joining forces to launch the #Accelerate2030 platform aimed at supporting and promoting the most promising impact-driven ventures across the globe who focus on tackling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Five entrepreneurs, selected with the support of the global Impact Hub network , will have the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Social Good Summit Geneva, Switzerland on October 6th 2016. During the event the entrepreneurs will showcase their innovation and explore opportunities for expansion and scaling of their solutions. They will be connected with a dynamic ecosystem of impact investors, representatives from international organizations and governments, experts from the global supply chain and fellow entrepreneurs - all committed to supporting innovative ideas that accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. To be eligible for #Accelerate2030, entrepreneurs need to be working on solutions focused on one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals. They dont have to be members of Impact Hub but they need to apply through the Impact Hub in their country. The aim of #Accelerate2030 is to empower impact-driven innovators and entrepreneurs who are committed to tackling the biggest social and environmental problems of our time. The role of the participating Impact Hubs is to scout for innovative solutions in their countries and identify the ones with the highest potential for impact and scalability to other contexts. I see the #SGSGeneva as a unique opportunity for these entrepreneurs to get visibility and exposure, as well as to explore scaling opportunities and to build strategic relationships with international peers, including the Geneva development and finance community - said Alexandra 'Santu' Boethius, Co-founder and Impact Hub Lead of #Accelerate2030. #Accelerate2030 will accept applications until August 25th for the Impact Hub to complete the first round of national pre-selection. The top three nominated ventures from each country will then be reviewed by an international jury which will select the top five ventures to take part in the Social Good Summit in Geneva. These five finalists will get the chance to pitch their ventures in front of the handpicked audience at SGS Geneva. Additionally, they will benefit from a variety of business and training opportunities. We will organize one-on-one meetings with strategic partners, as well as a Scaling-Up Clinic focusing on business development for entrance into the global economy; in conjunction with specialized partners, noted Sarah Bel, Communication specialist at UNDP Geneva. Impact-driven entrepreneurs play a crucial role in tackling the SDGs as they often have an exceptional understanding of pressing social needs in their local communities. Therefore, it is essential to support their work and to grow the Impact ecosystem. This being the main goal of #Accelerate2030, makes it a highly welcomed initiative noted Dominic Sam, UNDP Ghana Country Director. In addition to the event hosted in Geneva, the ventures nominated at national level will receive an invitation to the conference Impact Investment and International Development Organizations (IIIDO) hosted by UNDP and INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Initiative in Yerevan, Armenia in March, 2017. IIIDO will focus on the opportunities and mechanisms of impact investing and the role that development agencies can play in promoting it. This event will present the entrepreneurs with another great opportunity to present their projects to both impact investors and development organizations targeting sustainable development goals as part of their major missions. The national Impact Hubs participating in this first edition of #Accelerate2030 are: Sao Paolo (Brasil), Caracas (Venezuela), Bogota (Colombia), Accra (Ghana), Bamako (Mali), Khartoum (Sudan), Yerevan (Armenia), Moscow (Russia), Manila (The Philippines) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Sounds interesting? Then read more about #Accelerate2030 and how to apply here. www.accelerate2030.net . Application deadline is August 25th 2016. 29.07.2016 LISTEN It is refreshing to learn that the Muslim Ummah, through its own careful introspection and analysis of how events are unfolding, has decided to inaugurate a Committee in response to the existential need to create a framework for peaceful and smooth leadership succession plan. All the fine brains that have made this project possible deserve our commendations. Indeed, for such a project to be conceived in a Holy month like this one (Ramadan), we doff our hats to all the actors who have made this embryonic move possible. May Allaah (SWT) richly bless you allAmeen. It is our hope that He will guide you to bring your wisdom and perspectives to bear on such a noble cause. In fact, any close watcher and observer of how conversations around succession plans within the Muslim Ummah have been framed, would tell you the inauguration of such a committee has been long overdue. I dont intend to rehash or reiterate what the naysayers have been projecting and hoping forall this while. My task here is to share my Lifelong Learners perspectives on why the Ghanaian Muslim Ummah, needs to take this project very seriously. Before I even touch on the merits of such a plan, I would like to use this opportunity to congratulate (as well as thank) His Eminence the Chief Imam of the Republic of Ghana; Dr. Usman Nuhu Sharubutu for not only giving the Ghanaian Ummah the needed spiritual leadership, but for using his eminent presence to intervene in potentially violent confrontational situations between Muslims and non-Muslims. May Allaah (SWT) continue to guide him in every step of the way.Ameen. Now to the substance of my piece: From what I have gleaned, I understand the mandate of the Committee would include ensuring that adequate consultations are made, in order to build consensus around how transitions or succession plans are followed. This is very crucial, considering the not so good conversation that is already hovering in and above us. The issue of sectarianism and its potential to negatively influence the beauty of such a project should not be glossed over. Though not so pronounced, I am not naive to assume that such divisions do not pose a threat to the unity and stability of our Muslim communities. We need to engage in frank and open dialogue, to ensure that whatever final decision is reached, has a total resonance with all actors and stakeholders. We cant afford to allow such differences to drag us into abyss--like we are witnessing in other parts of the Islamic World. As the Committee focuses on its mandate, it must also begin to take steps to ensure that, we evolve sustainable architecture for peaceful Muslim and non-Muslim understanding. This is very crucial, considering how increasingly hostile encounters between Muslims and non-Muslims are becominga residue of 9/11 and subsequent extremists activities. We need an Ummah that is progressive and conscious of its secular and spiritual responsibilities to Ghanas overall development agenda. While I commend the brains behind the inauguration of such a committee, I would like to use this piece to make some humble suggestions to the Committee and the Ghanaian Ummah in general. These are germane issues that deserve some introspective attention and consideration. Dealing with Diversity within the Ummah The kind of Muslim Ummah that is present in Ghana can be described as Different Shades of .. The missing variable represents every ethnicity that is present in the Ghanaian Muslim Community. Historical literature is replete with various perspectives explaining how various Muslim ethnic groupings have emerged in Ghana. It is therefore imperative that, we make every single grouping feel represented, and its voice heard in the making of decisions that affect them in one form or another. The more represented people feel, the more inclined they are to going with the flow. In International Development circles there is a principle that is commonly referred to as the buy-in or ownership principle. The more people feel they own a decision making process, the better their chances of owning and buying into the collective agenda. From Kete-Krachi to Accra; from Tamale to Wa; from Kumasi to Cape Coast and from Koforidua to Takoradi, various shades of Muslim communities with diverse ethnicities exist. It is our responsibility to see to it that, beyond the local level aspirations, there is a conscious effort to bring all Muslims under one National agenda. That way, we can collectively strive to make ourselves relevant in the formulation and implementation of development policies. For instance, despite the political orientations some Muslim brothers and sisters may espouse, it is possible to have a grand Muslim agenda that resonates with all Muslims irrespective of their political persuasions. That is how we can use our strength (numbers) to influence policy decisions in the country. We need a leadership that is visionary, and has the capacity to put the wellbeing of the ordinary Muslim beyond and above personal agendas. As we strive to degrade tendencies that have the potential to draw a wedge between us, such efforts will help us to create sustainable frameworks for the pursuit of our collective agendas. Build a platform for consolidating Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding Globally, the geopolitical arena is riddled with issues of Islamic extremism and terrorism. As a result of the actions of some 0.001 per cent of some misguided Muslims, the narrative about Muslim and non-Muslim encounters across the globe is one of hostility and violence. For me, this is the time for the Ghanaian Muslim Ummah to take back the narrative, by pointing out to the ordinary non-Muslim Ghanaian that, Islamic concepts such as Jihad have contextual meanings that are distinct from what prevail in the lexicon of the violent extremists. It is time we used Darwah and other outreach programmes to create awareness among our non-Muslim brothers and sisters. The general anti-Islamic rhetoric is gradually shaping how Muslim and non-Muslim conversations are framed in most parts of the worldincluding Ghana. Reading comments on Ghanaian online news portals about Jihadi activities elsewhere, I cannot but conclude that, a certain perception about the Muslim is gradually being formed in Ghana. Which for me as a Muslim, is worrying. For instance, when the issue about the coercion of Muslim students to attend Mass and church services came up, the commentaries were, for me, in a bad taste. This is the more reason why we need to create a platform where Muslims and non-Muslims will continually engage in dialogue for consensus building. Prioritisation of youth and Gender imperatives It is shocking that in our part of the world where the youth constitutes a relatively larger proportion of the population, their perspectivesironicallyhave little or no significance in the way policy issues are framedright from the National to the grassroots level. I was therefore not surprised when somewhere last year a number of participants at a youth conference complained very bitterly about how their concerns have generally been regarded as peripheral, when issues are being considered in Muslim communities. I could feel and relate to the angst and anger coming from every single youth participant about why their voices matter in the broader decision making spectrum. I could sense the voices of youths who are passionately and genuinely looking for role models and mentors to help them shape their dreams. Unfortunately, our communities have become a world of everybody for himself; God for us all. There are a considerable number of youths that are willing and ready to change the tough-talk and violent narrative associated with Muslim and Zongo communities. But, the terrain has not been easy for their navigation. While strategic efforts are being done elsewhere to productively transform the so-called negative energies of the teeming youth, what we are doing in our part of the world is to continuously kill their spiritsby not engaging them and showing them the true path. Why wont our communities become the recruiting grounds for thugs and ballot box snatchers during elections? As it turns out, it is not only the voice of the youth that is suppressed. Our Mothers, sisters and daughters who play very critical roles in our communities still struggle to make their voices heard. As a young man whose life has been hugely influenced by a woman (mother), I know there are several other people who can relate to my experience. Their roles in raising and nurturing the family cannot be quantified. The way and manner some mothers have transformed their homes and communities with virtually nothing or little resources is fascinating. This is the more reason why we need to empower our women and girls to take up responsible positions in our communities. I know some women and girls are already making inroads and impacting our Muslim communities in diverse spheres of life. It is time we reminded the rest that, they can accomplish the greatest of all heights in life, if they can put their minds to it. We must especially, educate our girl-children to develop some belief in their capabilities. We need to support our girl-children to make the very best out of life. While we encourage them to pursue their aspirations, we must remind them to be mindful of the teachings and values of Islam. Especially, by reminding the few deviant ones: those who think calling people names; insulting and disrespecting everybody in their neighborhood is what is called civilisation. Until we recognise the need to make all these considerations a priority to the progress and incremental development of our Muslim communities, it would not matter how many Committees we inaugurate to develop blue-prints or succession plans, we will continue to be faced with a disorganised, disoriented, undisciplined and disjointed Muslim societies. I will end my piece by saying: Ramadan Mubarak to all Muslim Brothers and Sisters in Ghana, and across the Globe. Inusah Mohammed Awall Twitter: @Wagoooni Samsung Electronics' operating profit returned to the W8 trillion range in the second quarter of this year as all of its business divisions performed well (US$1=W1,126). It was the first time in around two years that quarterly operating profit rose above W8 trillion. LG Electronics saw second-quarter operating profit more than double thanks to strong sales of TVs and home appliances. Samsung's second-quarter sales totaled W50.9 trillion and operating profit stood W8.14 trillion. The smartphone division achieved an operating profit of W4.32 trillion, accounting for more than half of the company's total operating profit and above W4 trillion for the first time in two years. Sales of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which totaled more than 16 million units, powered the earnings growth. The TV and home appliance division also achieved an operating profit of W1.03 trillion, surpassing W1 trillion for the first time in seven years. The semiconductor division posted an operating profit of W2.64 trillion thanks to strong sales of smartphone chips. LG achieved second-quarter sales of W14.29 trillion and operating profit of W584.6 billion, the highest since the second quarter of 2014. The home appliance and TV divisions posted record operating profits of W433.7 billion and W35.7 billion. But the smartphone division posted an operating loss of W153.5 billion due to poor sales of the G5 smartphone due to supply shortages. The Ecumenical and Social Relations (ESR) Committee of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Madina District will hold a forum titled: How Credible, Free And Fair Would Election 2016 Be? on Sunday, August 14, 2016. The forum will take place at the auditorium of the Presbyterian Church, Faith Congregation, Madina Estate, during the forenoon service. Christian and Muslim leaders, politicians, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), traditional leaders, security officers, members of the media and academia have been invited. GKB Owusu, Chairman of the Communication Board of PCG, in a release stated that five renowned speakers had been invited to address the forum. They are Rt. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana; Charlotte Osei, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission; Prof. Kwame Karikari, Dean of Communication Studies, Wisconsin University; Alexander Kaakyire Duku Frempong, Senior Lecturer, Political Science Department, University of Ghana, Legon and Sheikh Awal Larry, a Muslim Cleric. Mr. Owusu deplored campaign of insults, intimidation and beating of war drums and therefore urged all political parties to desist from that. Elections are won with good manifestos and policies; therefore all those who are seeking power must concentrate on these. The time and energy being wasted to attack political opponents must be used to find solutions to the myriad problems confronting the nation, he admonished. Mr. Owusu called for reconciliation and tolerance before, during and after the elections. He hoped that the forum would inspire and propel Ghanaians to be tolerant and co-exist peacefully during and after the December 7 elections. The ESR Coordinator for Madina District, Francis Afoh, said the objective of the forum is to create a platform for all political parties contesting the elections to endeavour to exhibit maturity and decorum. Ghana has set a good example for democratic governance, and this must continue. For any nation to develop economically and achieve stability, the people must live in peace and unity. This is the reason why we are organising this forum to find ways to ensure credible, free and fair elections, explained Mr. Afoh. By Peter Atiemo 29.07.2016 LISTEN Wednesdays sentencing of what has become known as the Montie 3 to four months imprisonment has sparked interesting debates, both among ordinary Ghanaians and in the legal fraternity. While some say the journalist and radio panelists deserve the jail terms handed them by the apex court of the land, and will serve as a deterrent to others and ensure sanity in the media, others think the punishment is too harsh and constitutes an assault on free speech. While we at the Daily Statesman condemn cruel and threatening statements, we also do not want to encourage a situation where the Court will work in ways that will appear to put undue fear into the citizenry, render them docile and timid such that they cannot hold leaders accountable through free expression of their views. We, however, want to add that as we all push for a reasonable restraint by the Court, we should be careful not to create the impression that the freedom of speech Ghanaians are granted via the 1992 Constitution is a permission to voice thoughts encouraging fear and violence. In light of this, it seems fair to expect that the freedom of expression should be reasonably restrained so people can enjoy their lives without experiencing fear because of others misuse of their own freedom. It is important to note that the Supreme Court is a product of the 1992 Constitution, meaning that judges must be in complete conformity with the legal establishments. Any dialogue that risks disturbing the peace, law, collective order and national security, or is classified as hate speech, should not be allowed or encouraged in a modern society. All citizens should be provided with protection from harm, be it physical, emotional or mental. That is not to say that anyone should be walking on eggshells, but rather to expect people to act with responsibility and be conscious of the consequences of their actions. The fact cannot be gainsaid that unfettered freedom of speech, if not exercised in a responsible way, can spark civil unrest, strife and even wars. Hostility, encouraged violence and obvious distaste can, if given a big enough platform, influence people negatively and thereby enforce a distrustful and hateful society. The events in Rwanda in the 1990s are an example of this. By demonizing the Tutsi and radio broadcasting their hatred and propaganda to the entire country, Hutu extremists contributed greatly to the Rwandan genocide, where over 500,000 Tutsi were killed. Even though many Rwandans asked for international help prior to the genocide, alarmed by the message of the radio station, western diplomats dismissed it. The reason? They believed in the freedom of speech. Ghana might have freedom of expression, but that does not mean that people can abuse their right and spread hate or incite violence or threaten the lives of others. Your freedom ends where another persons freedom begins. In other words, our freedom of expression should not infringe on other peoples safety, as any freedom fails to be free the moment it endangers the freedom of others. This, however, does not mean there should be any condition that unjustifiably cripples free speech. As we continue to debate the issue of whether or not the current posture of the Supreme Court seeks to undermine free speech, let us all endeavour to make matters easier for the state by balancing the right to free speech, as guaranteed by the constitution, with reasonable responsibility. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has welcomed the UN General Assembly decision proclaiming the period 2016-2025 as the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa. UNIDOs Director General, Li Yong, said: This is great news. Last September, at a meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, UNIDO, together with the African Union Commission, the Office of the Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Africa, and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, called for this decade as a way to place the African continent irrevocably on the path towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Noting that Africa remains the poorest and the most vulnerable region in the world, the UN General Assembly highlights the need for the continent to take urgent action to advance sustainable industrialization as a key element of furthering economic diversification and value addition, creating jobs and thus reducing poverty and contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Li said that he was pleased to note that the adopted resolution specifically calls on UNIDO to develop, operationalize and lead the implementation of the programme for the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa, in accordance with its mandate and through voluntary contributions. The resolution also invites UNIDO to scale up its technical assistance to African countries in order to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Li said: We at UNIDO believe that the path to sustainable development is through inclusive and sustainable industrialization. As the Director General of UNIDO, but also as a citizen of the developing world with a deep personal commitment to Africa and a strong faith in its future, I want to reiterate the validity of the dream of a flourishing continent, in which all its extraordinary resources, both natural and human, can finally be harnessed effectively to generate lasting prosperity for all. The UN General Assembly encourages UNIDO's Director General to mobilize adequate resources for the implementation of the Decade, and reiterates that African countries have primary responsibility for their own economic and social development. In addition, the resolution invites UNIDO to foster partnerships, as appropriate, with other relevant entities in the UN development system. The General Assembly also calls for enhanced international cooperation, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, in support of Africa's industrialization, including through the implementation of the Third Decade. The First Industrial Development Decade for Africa was from 1980 to 1989 and the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa was from 1993 to 2002. At the sentencing of two NDC panelists and a pro-government radio host last Wednesday, the security services maintained a heavy presence at the Supreme Court to discourage any possible outbreak of violence. The trial was held amid a politically charged environment as pro-government supporters lined the streets outside to the Supreme Court in vain hope for the pardonning of Godwin Ako Gunn, Alistair Nelson and a host of a political programme at Montie FM, Salifu Maase. They were sentenced to four months in prison after they were convicted of criminal contempt. 2015 GJA Photojournalist David Andoh was there and captured this scene. Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com| President John Dramani Mahama has charged the Ministry of Transport, Customs, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and all stakeholders in the Port business to consolidate some charges at the Port. He said the Port Authorities, Customs, Ministry of Transport and all stakeholders in the Port business should take a look at the multiple charges that they continue to charge. There are some of the services that can be consolidated to enable a single charge. The President gave the directive when he paid a working visit to the Tema Port as part of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authoritys 30th anniversary. He noted that there are lot of complaints by importers and exporters about some charges at the Port which needs to be addressed. There are lots of complaints about some charges at the Port that add up to make a very big fee. So I would ask that the Ministry of Transport should sit will all the stakeholders to see how those issues can be rationalised. The President was however quick to add that, the single window is factoring into its system the rationalization of the fees charged at the Port, adding that once the single window is implemented, it will rationalize all the fees being charged at the Port to bring relief to clearing agents and all who do business at the Port. Mahama commissions net mending wharf The President earlier commissioned a five million dollar reconstructed net mending wharf at the Tema fishing harbour. He later commissioned some new marine crafts and unveiled a plaque at the new bulk cargo handling jetty. A tape was also cut for four new 28 million euro mobile harbour cranes. The cranes are capable of lifting 140 tons across deck and can handle any kind of cargo. Later in the day, President Mahama toured the new revenue centre which seeks to afford clearing agents the opportunity to make all payments at a one stop shop. He then visited the new reefer container terminal which has the capacity to handle about 840 containers, from the previous maximum capacity of 630 containers. He then made a final stop at the new 130-bed capacity International Maritime Hospital where he toured the facility before his departure. The Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Richard Anamoo, noted that the newly commissioned projects are geared towards the Port expansion agenda to meet its current demand. By: Elvis Washington/citifmonline.com/Ghana The founder of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Professor Kwame Karikari, has urged President John Dramani Mahama not to heed to calls for him to pardon the two panelists, and the host of the 'Pampaso' show on Accra-based Montie FM, who were convicted of contempt and jailed by the Supreme Court. Professor Karikari believes that President Mahamas chances in the election somewhat hinges on the decision he makes on the Montie FM trio, and that sanctioning their release would be politically suicidal. There's no serious president in a democracy that will cede to a call like that under our circumstances. It will be politically suicidal for the president to accede to the call of his party, he told the media. Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, were sentenced to serve four months in jail , after being found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court, for threatening the lives of the judges who were presiding over a case on the credibility of the voters' register. They are currently being held at the Nsawam prison. The lawyers for the trio say they intend to petition President Mahama to pardon them, prompting the opening of a petition book yesterday [Thursday]. The book, opened by a group calling itself the Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP), has garnered several signatures including those of high-profile government officials including the Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare and an official at the presidency, Valerie Sawyerr. But Professor Karikari believes if President Mahama bows to the pressure being mounted on him to use his prerogative of mercy, it will send out a wrong signal to other media practitioners that they wont be punished if they commit similar offences. If he does [release them], that he will be giving the orders to all the radio stations who will raise mayhem in this country. What he'll be saying is that, the radio stations can do as they please, court or no court. They can bastardize the courts, incite violence, threaten people's lives and even go ahead and get people to carry out the threats, he added. Some members of the NDC, who many believe the station sympathizes with, on Thursday protested at the party's headquarters requesting a Presidential pardon for the the three or risk losing their votes in the December polls. Montie boys jailed and fined The Montie FM trio, were also ordered to pay an amount of 10, 000 cedis each or risk serving an extra month in jail. The fines have since been paid. The directors of the station , were also fined by the court for failing to prevent the incident on their platform. Network Broadcasting Limited, and Zeze Media, which owns the frequency on which Montie FM is broadcast, were fined Ghc30,000 each. In presenting the sentences, the Presiding judge, Sophia Akuffo, stated that the two panelists had willfully attacked the Chief Justice and lowered the authority of the court by insisting that they will not accept its judgment on a controversial matter of the voter's register. Montie 3 should have gotten 6-months Meanwhile, a Former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Sam Okudjeto, has opined that the trio should have been handed a minimum of six months prison sentence. He argued that the four-month prison sentence is not enough to serve as a deterrent to others. If I were there, I would have given them more than that because I am so worried about what I call irresponsibility that has almost crept into political arena whereby people use the television and radio as a platform for vulgar abuse, threats.That is not what the media is meant for and I think that a lot of characters that are appearing on television should not be allowed. The station itself should have been punished heavier for them to put down rules, the rules which says that when you come here no abuse, no insult. I would have preferred to have given them at least six months and then ban them for a year or two to be of good behavior. Lawyer Sam Okudjeto also said it was immaterial that the three had apologized, saying the apology could not have undone the harm their utterances would have caused. By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana Accra, July 28, GNA - Mr Samuel Victor Quao, the Chairman of the 85th Planning Committee of the 1974 year group of the Accra Academy, has appealed to old students to contribute to support the school and the community. He said: 'As old students you owe it as a duty to the school and the community in which the facility operates to contribute in diverse forms to their development.' Mr Quao made the appeal in an address when the members of the 1974 group marked the 85th anniversary homecoming event at the school premises at Bubiashie in Accra. Activities programmed were medical screening, which was carried out for about 2,000 reside, an old boy of the community and a homecoming float on some principal streets in Accra. The 1988 year group held a minute silent in honour of Danny Nettey, an old boy who died recently while a roll call was undertaken for the various year groups. The Accra Academy was established in 1931 by four passionate individuals namely Dr Kofi George Konduah, Mr Samuel Mills Awuletey, Mr Godfred Narku Alima and Mr James Akwei Addo. The school is aimed at providing excellent but affordable education to Ghanaians from poor backgrounds. It has educated some illustrious sons of Ghana including Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, the present Speaker of Parliament and some members of the big six. It is the first second cycle school established initially at James Town in the then Gold Coast. GNA The publicity of the Electoral Commissions (EC) ongoing voters' register exhibition exercise needs to be intensified, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has suggested. CODEO, in its interim report following its observation of the exercise, recommended that public awareness campaign must be intensified by all key stakeholders, especially the Electoral Commission and the National Commission on Civic Education, NCCE. CODEO recommended further that the awareness campaign highlights the implications of failure to verify one's biometric voter registration details. Such public education should also aim at enhancing people's understanding of the other purposes of the exhibition exercise such as ridding the voters register of ineligible persons. CODEO also urged registered voters to take advantage of the remaining days of the exercise to visit exhibition centres, verify their details and support the EC in its efforts to clean the voters register. Political parties need to be more involved The civil society organisation noted the low participation of political parties in the exercise, and admonished them to significantly scale up their support for the on-going exhibition exercise. CODEOs observations revealed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had party agents in 32% of the centres visited by observers; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had 22%; and the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) had below 1%. Agents of the other political parties were not present at the centres. CODEO urged the parties to see the exercise as an opportunity to aid the process of ridding the register of ineligible persons. Political parties should use the remaining days of the exhibition exercise to encourage registered voters to go and check their registration details. About CODEOs observation of the exercise CODEO's observers have observed a total of 1,118 exhibition centres in 6 days (July 18, 20, 21, 22, 25, and 26) in the first and second weeks of the exercise, and their findings formed the basis of the interim report. The observers reported generally low presence of party agents at most centres visited. In about 84% of centres visited, less than 50 prospective voters turned out to check their names per day. The 21-day exercise which started on July 18, will end on Sunday August 7. CODEOs full interim report can be viewed here . By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana The fisheries sector plays a crucial role to Ghanas economic development in relation to employment, food security and poverty reduction. Fish is the countrys most important non-traditional export commodity and the fisheries sub-sector accounts for about 5 percent of the agricultural GDP. Export earnings from fish and fishery products on average account for approximately 60 million US Dollars annually. But the backbone to local fish production comes from the marine sub-sector, which delivers more than 80% of the countrys total supply. In spite of this, the marine sub-sector encounters immense problems resulting in massive decline in marine stock. The small pelagic resources, comprising sardinella, anchovies and mackerel, directly employing about 135,000 fishers in the marine sub-sector continuously face challenges including increase in canoes under open access while there have been a massive reduction in landings of these species. The Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP) by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID/Ghana) which seeks to rebuild marine fisheries stocks and catches through the adoption of responsible fishing practices expresses concern about this trend which could lead to collapse of the resources and fisheries sector. The five year USAIDs SFMP is implementing the project with local partners such as Development Action Association (DAA), Central and Western Region Fishmongers Improvement Association (CEWEFIA), Hen Mpoano, Friends of the Nation (FoN), among others to ensure optimal service delivery to people at the local level. For instance landings of most important species of the small pelagic resources have been decreasing sharply since 2007 and have reached in 2014 about 15% of the maximum landings realised in 1996. The Scientific and Technical Group (STWG) of the USAIDs project report reveals that small pelagic resources are severely overfished while overfishing continues to occur in the country. The STWG, which provides information on status of stocks to inform decision-making, says that the current fishing pressure on small pelagic fish stocks was estimated at 0.74, well above the acceptable level of fishing pressure estimated at 0.4. The situation is caused by excess fishing effort by the number of boats and fishing trips, stated the STWG. Open access allowed fishing pressure to increase, resulting in the decline of fisheries stock. The current total biomass, which looks at weight of fish in the ocean of small pelagic is estimated to be the lowest in more than 30 years, according to the STWG. The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Fisheries Commission have developed a Fisheries Management Plan in accordance with the Fisheries Act of 2002 in consultation with stakeholders in order to address issues facing the marine fisheries sector. The plan seeks to rebuild fish stocks to enhance the socio-economic conditions of fishing communities, create employment, improve food security to contribute to the countrys gross domestic product and foreign exchange as well as to meet international standards and frameworks. A policy dialogue was therefore organised by the DAA for women fish processors from Greater Accra, Western and Central regions at Apam, in the Central region to educate the women on the Fisheries Management Plan. Mr Thomas K Insaidoo, Deputy Director in charge of projects at the Fisheries Commission, says the decline in fish production has got serious economic effects for the country and could lead to fish deficit. That can results in Ghana importing a huge chunk of fish to meet demand, which is not a sustainable practice, he explained. That is why the government of Ghana is concerned about the fish situation. In Ghana, if you visit any cold stores a lot of them are filled with chicken that have been killed and stored for ten years, which is what we are eating. And all this is the source of the medical problem confronting most Ghanaians so it is important that we protect our fisheries so that we can get fish from our own waters, he stated. According to him, the fisheries act was created to prevent unapproved practices in the fisheries sector, but adherence to the provisions in the act has become a problem. He added that bold steps are needed to prevent further unapproved practices in the fisheries sector. One of the steps which others have taken is that, at a point in time, we will close the sea by making sure that fishermen dont go to sea for a certain period and believe that, that period will have the opportunity for the fishes to reproduce and replenish the stock. In fact we can even close an area for fishing, or we can decide that areas will be demarcated as marine reserves or parks so that those areas will be no-go areas and we expect that the fish will breed enough to populate the other parts of the sea. This is part of the management tools we want to apply now. The ones that we have been applying is not working and we have reached a time when we have to do additional management plan, Mr Insaidoo said. The close season has not started yet, but we will start with the trawlers in November. The players have agreed and in fact the minister has written that the sea will be closed in November for one month. Early next year, the sea will also be closed for two months and of course we are all going to monitor if it works, he emphasised. Mr Insaidoo said the closed season is not the only solution to protect the sea, adding, If we close the sea and people are still using dynamite, detergent, etc in fishing it will not help us. If you close the sea and replenishment takes place, then immediately people are still using same unapproved materials in fishing then we are back to square one or done nothing. He appealed to fishermen to desist from unhealthy fishing practices, stating that, enforcement of the law by the military and navy is good but it is difficult to sustain it given the high cost associated with sending a naval vessel to the sea. So voluntary compliance is what we are sensitising them on and if it fails then we will apply the force which we have been doing anyway, he noted. The Executive Director of the DAA, Lydia Sasu says the partners working on the SFMP project are working with people engaged in fishing activities to replenish the sea. Years past, the sea had abundant fishes but due to the usage of dynamite, DDT, have led to a rush for the limited stock in the sea accounting for the decline, she explained. According to her statistics shows that in 2008, fishermen had lots of catch from the sea, subsequently there has been a decline in the fisheries stock, noting that, best practices from many countries show that closed season can replenish the sea. Traditionally, fishing was not allowed on Tuesdays, but government intends to place two days ban on fishing beginning next year so that the fishes can procreate and replenish fisheries stock, says Sasu. It is good news and once that is done it can help to rebuild the fisheries stock. Other countries have demarcated places to promote marine reserves for six months before fishing activities take place. In Ghana that practice is low. That can help to provide fish processors mostly women with some revenue. Due to poverty, many along the coasts are engaging in child labour and trafficking which is detrimental to childrens development and national development, Sasu emphasised. Fish processing along the coast needs to be done in healthy environment and manner to promote heathy wellbeing, so we have taken the women through series of training aimed at sensitising them on proper fish processing, she added. Sasu says the event seeks to sensitise people on the fisheries law and management plan on policies that have been put in place by the government to safeguard the fisheries sector. The Apamanhen of Apam in the Central region, Obotantam Edu-Effrim X says to ensure sustainable fishing activities continue, the fisheries law must be enforced. Most of the time, the leaders who make the laws disobey the laws which does not support sustainable fishing. The beaches in the country are very filthy due to improper disposal of plastics, in addition, pair trawling as a practice kills the fishing industry, and dynamite usage. All these must be stopped to ensure the fisheries stock becomes adequate, he says. He called on fishermen to report cases of dynamite usage to marine police along the coast. Grace Ahor, fish processor from Elimina, also called for total enforcement of the ban on the usage of dynamite in the fisheries sector before it completely destroys the sector. She also urged stakeholders operating in the sector to engage in practices that would keep beaches in the country free from plastics and other unhealthy acts. Grace Ampah, another fish processor from Apam, called on the government to eradicate saiko, a practice where fish collectors use modified boats, go to sea without nets to collect or buy fish (mostly juvenile fish) from trawl vessels. Florence Arthur, a fish processors from Mimford, said laws are passed by leaders without consulting people at the local but there is always intense pressure on the local people in the implementation of the law. She stated that some of the women fish processors are not even aware of the law and therefore called for intensification of awareness creation among women fish processors. The Director of Hen Mpoano, Kofi Agbogah, one of the local partners of the USAIDs SFMP told the women that the Fisheries Management Plan seeks to create a sustainable environment in the fisheries sector. .Claimed CJ Was Part Of Plot To Kidnap Tony Lithur's Child 29.07.2016 LISTEN It has emerged that the latest Deputy Ministerial appointee of President John Dramani Mahama and NDC MP for Nkwanta North, John Oti Bless, was a member of the Montie FM Panel on 24th June, 2016 together with Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn and made similar contemptuous statements especially against Chief Justice, Georgina Woode. It is unclear how John Oti Bless's name has stayed out of the case till date but it appears to be the result of a deliberate scheme to save him from the contempt case by editing his contributions on the programme out of the tapes that emerged. Today we have a CJ who because of a Political favour done her will do anything to help the NPP. It is an agenda. The electoral commission should stop working and give it to Georgina Woode. Why? Meddling in the affairs of the Electoral Commission. And we have a whole CJ, look at how old you are; you have kids and grandchildren and yet you are at the Court doing politics; you deliberately appoint NPP Judges to do politics and scheme with NPP to give biased rulings. Are you not calling for war? Are you not calling for civil war? Are you not destroying this country? he said. After making several other disparaging comments, John Oti Bless, whose vetting is currently on hold, indicated that the CJ has to be watched and suggested that the CJ was part of a plot to kidnap a child of Tony Lithur, who was Counsel for John Mahama during the 2013 Election Petition case. We have to watch this Chief Justice. My brother Mugabe, I am telling you, when you go to the Supreme Court today, the Chief Justice is fighting one worker all because of politics. Let me give you a last filla. Do you know that during the Election Petition case, these people made a plot to kidnap a child of Tony Lithur, who was lawyer for our Excellency John Mahama so he would not concentrate on the case? the Nkwanta North MP told Mugabe, host of Montie FMs Pampaso. Greed Led To Jakes Death? The Deputy Minister-designate for the Local Government Ministry, also accused the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey of avarice saying the advertising titan could have still been alive if not for his unbridled desire to steal state properties. He argued that God might have prolonged the life of the late NPP Campaign Manager if he had not illegally acquired state lands and buildings at the expense of Ghanaians. Look at Jake Obestebi Lamptey and how he acquired the state bungalow, if that property was his would he have bought it for that price? And when this issue was taken to court, judges ruled in his favour. If the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey had left the bungalow for the state or allowed the state to sell it to construct some low cost building for the poor, maybe God would have saved him and not allow him to die, he stated. The one-time Chief of Staff in the erstwhile Kufuor regime died on March 20 in the United Kingdom after an unknown ailment. It is instructive to recall, that one of the jailed panellists, Godwin Ako Gunn, referred to these submissions by John Oti Bless and based on them to make the comments that has seen him jailed for contempt. It remains to be seen if and what action will be taken against the MP should it emerged that he did passed those disparaging remarks. -Peacefmonline More than 5 million people visited Seoul's four royal palaces and the Jongmyo Shrine in the first six months of this year, a fresh record. Tickets for night tours of the palaces sold out as soon as online booking began, and many visitors dressed in hanbok or traditional Korean costume. The total number visiting Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Changgyeong, and Deoksu palaces and the Jongmyo Shrine was tallied at 5.24 million from January to June, up 21.5 percent on-year, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday. Kinshasa (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people rallied in Kinshasa on Friday in support of Congolese President Joseph Kabila just two days after his leading opponent returned home to a massive welcome. Political tension is high in the country as the opposition fears that Kabila, whose mandate ends in December, will delay elections in a bid to cling on to power. "We came here to affirm our support for Joseph Kabila," Aubin Minaku, secretary general of the ruling majority and president of the national assembly, told a crowd estimated at over 40,000, an AFP correspondent at the scene reported. "Kabila, stay as long as possible," the crowd shouted, alluding to the political controversy raging in Democratic Republic of Congo. In power since his father's assassination in 2001, Kabila is suspected by opponents of eyeing a third term which would involve changing the constitution's two-term limit. Opposition protests erupted after the Constitutional Court ruled in May that Kabila could remain in office in a caretaker capacity beyond the end of his current mandate ending December. But now the DRC's opposition has achieved the rare feat of rallying behind a single figure, the immensely popular Etienne Tshisekedi who returned home Wednesday from Belgium where he had been medevaced in 2014. The 83-year-old first emerged as a leading opposition voice as far back as the 1980s when he became a critic of former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. In the DRC's last presidential election in 2011, he ran second to Kabila but contended he was denied victory by massive fraud. Thousands of supporters flanked his motorcade as it crawled its way into the city of 11 million people on Wednesday. An opposition rally is scheduled for Sunday. At the Kabila rally Friday, Meta, a sociology student at Kinshasa University, said they "were given a free T-shirt," but denied they had received money to show up for the event. - Talks postponed - Seven anti-Kabila activists were released from jail in Bunia, northeastern DR Congo, two days after they were detained, the pro-democracy Citizen Front's spokesman Claude Katende said. The seven had been taken into custody during a protest held in support of a "national dialogue" between the government and the opposition, to which they had brought banners that read: "Yes to dialogue, yes to alternation of power" and "We want elections within the constitutional timeframe". The Congolese authorities had branded their act as "provocation", but the prosecution found no reason to hold the seven for any longer, Katende said. Kabila's government has called for talks and former Togo premier Edem Kodjo has been named by the African Union as the talks' "facilitator." But Tshisekedi, who recently accomplished the rare feat of uniting the Congolese opposition, wants nothing to do with Kodjo. While the talks had been slated to start Saturday, Kodjo said in a statement that "the start of the preparatory committee's work has been postponed". He meanwhile urged "all the sides involved to ... create the conditions" necessary to allow the talks to begin "within the next few days". Harare (AFP) - A senior official with Zimbabwe's war veterans association appeared in court on Friday on charges of undermining President Robert Mugabe, after the group accused him of "dictatorial" behaviour. Douglas Mahiya, spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), was remanded in custody until a bail hearing on Saturday. "The accused is facing charges of undermining or insulting the president," prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema told the court. "The state is opposed to the granting of bail." Kasema said that as the war veterans' spokesman, Mahiya was responsible for distributing a hard-hitting statement last week that was highly critical of the 92-year-old Mugabe. In the statement, veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s independence war, who had previously been loyal Mugabe supporters, bitterly denounced the president, who faces growing signs of opposition. They vowed not to support Mugabe, in power since 1980, if he stands for re-election. After the court hearing a handful of veterans who had attended the session sang songs in support of Mahiya who is in custody at Harare police station. Police arrested Mahiya hours after Mugabe told party supporters that authorities were investigating the origin of the war veterans' statement warning the authors would face "severe" punishment. The prosecutor also claimed that Mahiya also denigrated Mugabe in an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The association's secretary-general, Victor Matemadanda, was also taken from his rural home after being summoned for questioning. Zimbabwe has recently seen demonstrations against Mugabe's government, prompted by anger over an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and a high jobless rate. Earlier this month, a one-day strike shut down offices, shops, schools and government departments as people protested over the economic crisis. 29.07.2016 LISTEN By Ken Sackey, Benjamin Mensah, GNA Accra, July 29, GNA - The minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said Government is not being factual with the claim on increasing expenditure on infrastructure development. They said the reality was that the country's expenditure on infrastructure relative to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is declining. 'The numbers indicate that relative to GDP, this government is investing about half what the previous government invested in infrastructure,' Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, Minority Spokesperson on Finance, told journalists at a news conference in Parliament, in Accra. 'It is in fact a travesty that Ghana before the discovery of oil was spending a higher proportion of its income on infrastructure investment than after the discovery of oil and the massive increase in debt stock. 'This decline in investment in infrastructure runs counter to what one would expected,' the NPP said. Mr Seth Emmanuel Terpker, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning last Monday requested Parliament to approve GHa1.8 billion to supplement the 2016 budget, due to recent developments in both domestic and global markets. He said Ghana's economy has turnaround with the prospects looking very bright despite the few challenges. The success, he noted, was a result of the country's 'Home Grown' policies which were designed to achieve fiscal consolidation; address short-term vulnerabilities; reduce a high budget deficit that had become harmful to the private sector; as well as stabilize and reverse the rise in public debt. 'Mr Speaker, we are on course to achieve these goals through the management of prudent fiscal, financial, sectoral and monetary policies', Mr Terkper said. For instance, he said, fiscal data up to end-December 2015 shows that total revenue and grants were higher than the budget targets by 5 per cent. The overrun in total expenditure including arrears, he added, narrowed to 2.1 per cent above target. 'These performances resulted in a cash budget of 6.3 per cent of GDP, much better than the budget target of 7.3 per cent and 10.2 per cent in 2014. Indeed, at 0.2 per cent of GDP at the end of 2015, the primary budget balance that shows our ability to service loans for development was a surplus for the first time in over a decade. GDP also grew by 3.9 per cent at end-2015, better than the projected 3.5 per cent', he said. He added: 'It is getting better with the economy growing by 4.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2016, compared to 4.5 per cent for the same period in 2015. In spite of unanticipated shortfalls in price and production of crude oil, GDP growth is projected to end the year at 4.1 per cent or better'. The Finance Minister said under no circumstances will Ghana become a Highly Indebtedness Poor Country (HIPC) again considering the rate at which the economy is recovering. However, the NPP said government has hoodwinked Ghanaians and has not come clean on fiscal data, because the evidence adduced from the current debt stock has exposed government's propaganda on spending so much on infrastructure. 'The evidence shows that notwithstanding the massive increase in the debt stock, capital expenditure as percentage of GDP has actually been on the decline from 9.1 per cent of GDP in 2008 to 4.1 per cent by 2015. 'Capital expenditure as a percentage of GDP averaged 11 per cent for 2001to 2008 without oil while that for 2009-t 2015 has averaged 5.7 per cent with oil,' Dr Osei said. He touched the energy crisis, saying the problem had lingered for too long and was even getting worse perpetrated by generation shortfalls, corrupt procurement inefficiencies and unsustainable debts. 'It is now clear that President Mahama has failed to end 'dumsor', blamed it on Nigeria, and publicly stopped ECG from publishing a 'dumsor' timetable to allow for planning by industry and businesses contrary to law. GNA By Lydia Asamoah, GNA Accra, July 29, GNA - A Social Accountability Clearing Platform has been held in Accra as a means to increase the contribution of civil society in promoting accountability and effective public service delivery in the country. The forum held by Penplusbytes, forms part of its implementation of a two-year "Tech Driven Social Accountability for Results" project being funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). Penplusbytes is a leading organization in Africa working in the areas of governance and accountability, new media and innovations as well as oil, gas and mining with the vision of being a leading institution that promotes effective governance using technology in Africa. The Open Society Initiative for West Africa on the other hand, is active in 10 countries in West Africa Region made up of Ghana, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone and focuses on law, justice and human rights, and economic and political governance. The initiative pursues the development of open societies by supporting and building partnerships with local and regional groups that promote inclusive democratic governance, transparency and accountability, and active citizenship. The Tech Driven Social Accountability for Result Project, therefore, seeks to equip ordinary citizens with usable information via online platforms mashed-up with social media and mobile based platforms to promote their participation in demanding accountability and responsiveness from decision makers. The forum, attended by heads of civil society organizations, state actors on the social accountability front as well as donor organizations, was also aimed at creating synergy and avenue for information sharing and building of a concerted advocacy drive to ensure that resources allocated for development are used to alleviate poverty and improve the standard of living. Mr Kwami Ahiabenu, the Executive Director of Penplusbytes, said the forum was also organised to help build an informed citizenry who are equipped with the appropriate digital tools to demand better service delivery within the framework of political and social accountability, 'The Stakeholder Clearing Platform on Social Accountability is to discuss the existing social accountability approaches and their associated advantages and challenges as well as the role of ICT tools in facilitating social accountability', he said. Mr Cosmos Kwame Akorli, the Programme Manager for Governance and Technology at Penplusbytes, said social accountability which involves the use of the actions that citizens, media and civil society organizations could use to hold public officials to account was key to development. Therefore, under the Penplusbytes OSIWA funded 'Tech Driven Social Accountability for Results project', social accountability will receive a major boost with the adoption of digital tools to promote interaction on development issues among citizens, public officials and service providers for effective public service delivery, he said. Mr Jerry Sam, Project Director of Penplusbytes, said the overall aim of the OSIWA project was to help create a culture where citizens are equipped with digital tools to actively engage in policy implementation and demand accountability. He said such digital tools would provide opportunities for answering key questions through formal and informal mechanisms for gathering citizen's feedback, social mobilisation and other complementary strategies, such as communications and media work, research and advocacy for reforms while increasing social accountability through civic engagement. This, he explained, would help to complement and reinforce conventional mechanisms of accountability such as political checks and balances, administrative rules and legal procedures. 'The outcomes are that we have an informed citizenry who are able to demand for better service delivery within the framework of political and social accountability as citizens are enabled to engage public officials on accountability issues in real time' Mr Sam said. At the end of the forum, participants agreed on the creation of a community of practice around social accountability; mapping of social accountability policies in Ghana; identification of a key priority areas for intervention and the documentation of lessons on social accountability in the country, among others GNA 29.07.2016 LISTEN By George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA Accra, July 29, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama on Friday announced Ghana's readiness to strengthen her trade and security relations with Liberia and other neighbouring countries. He said although the West African sub-region is engaged in some form of trade and commerce, cementing their regional integration would become the final endorsement that would strengthen the blocs and the entire continent. President Mahama announced this at a joint news conference with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the Flagstaff House, Kanda. The Liberian President who is on a day's visit to Ghana was at the Presidency to discuss diplomatic and bilateral relations with President Mahama. The news conference was held after the two West African leaders had held an hour-long closed door discussion. President Mahama said discussions hinged on trade, security, economy and regional integration and joint cooperation between the two countries would help accelerate development. He said the two countries also discussed cooperation in power generation and once Ghana had the comparative advantage in the commodity, efforts would be made to support Liberia to restore electricity to the West African country that was engrossed in numerous years of internal conflicts. President Mahama said Ghana through Volta River Authority and GridCo would also help train the Liberian technicians in power generation and extension to restore the damaged power generators that were affected by the prolonged conflicts. The Ghanaian President said a Memorandum of Understanding would soon be signed on those issues as part of the regional partnership programmes. On security, President Mahama said they had also agreed to come out with a regional decision that would help to ward off terrorism and other security threats on the continent. He said armed forces collaboration also came up for discussion and with Ghana's experiences in various sectors of the military and peace-keeping programmes, would help Liberia to re-build their army in the coming days. President Sirleaf on the other hand commended Ghana for her support to Liberia over the years, mentioning the Accra Peace Talks during the Liberian conflict as one of the landmark contributions Ghana made for the restoration of peace and harmony in Liberia. She said Ghana has been helpful to Liberia in several areas including energy, infrastructural development and mining sector and Monrovia would continue to seek her support to harness their potentials in those areas for development. She said although numerous Ghanaian companies were already in Liberia to support their re-building exercise, there was the need for more partnerships because of Ghana's vast experience in infrastructural development, energy and the mining sectors. "We have so many Ghanaian companies working especially on our roads, and we shall continue to collaborate effectively with Ghana because of your experiences in infrastructural development, energy and the mining sectors." The Liberian leader who paid a similar visit to late President John Evans Atta Mills in 2010 has since returned home. GNA Accra, July 29, GNA - Mr Gabriel Essilfie, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, has acknowledged that there is inadequacy in the extension delivery sector of the Agriculture Ministry. He has, therefore, given assurance that the issue would be raised on the floor of Parliament to elicit lasting workable policy to drive growth of agriculture and enhance the work associated with extension service delivery in the country. He gave the assurance when representatives of SEND GHANA and Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) presented a proposal on how to improve extension-farmer ratio to the members of the committee. In her opening remarks, Madam Clara Osei-Boateng, the Director of Policy Advocacy Programmes at SEND GHANA, said over the past years, one of the issues that had attracted attention was extension services. Ghana's agriculture sector has been underperforming over the years and a number of challenges account for this. They include climate change, access to credit and extension services among other things. It is acknowledged that government has put in place a number of interventions in addressing some of these issues. 'We believe that we can tackle one problem at a time, so what has occupied us in the past years is extension service research and using the evidence gathered to engage with the people who make decisions and laws for us in this country so that we can make the best policies which will inure to that benefit to our farmers, especially smallholder farmers,' Madam Osei-Boateng said. SEND GHANA and PFAG have conducted research on extension service and have put together a research document which essentially summarises the observation with regards to extension service provision in the country, and have also proposed specific recommendations for consideration. Presenting highlights of the proposal, Mr Charles Nyaba, the Programme Officer PFAG, revealed that the document was informed by suggestions and interactions held with farmers across the country. According to him, the situation whereby one Agric Extension Agent (AEA) is expected to serve One thousand five hundred farmers is worrying. Mr Nyaba said while MoFA has an agricultural extension policy that promotes active participation of the private sector, NGOs and Faith-based organisations in extension service delivery, the absence of clear standards and guidelines on the policy made it difficult for the alignment and harmonisation of the activities of private extension service providers. In order to drive growth of the sector and improve AEA-farmer ratio, it is recommended that extension services are treated as essential service/commodity to allow for recruitment of extension officers like health and education. In the short term, there should be a push for NSS personnel from agriculture institutions to be posted and given specific training based on the needs of where they will be working He said it was also important to review the disbursement guidelines to include agriculture to support extension service and clarity on Standards for Private Extension Service Delivery. There is need for guidelines for extension delivery with code of ethics and standards and accreditation of extension providers and practitioners. There is the need for strategic decision to develop and implement gender-sensitive recruitment policy to hire more women extension officers on the policy. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture should be given the mandate to ensure effective and efficient coordination of the RELC. The decentralized system of extension services should be properly assessed to ensure recognition and support agricultural directorate at the district level. At the end of the presentation, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana and SEND GHANA used the opportunity to appeal to Parliament to own and champion the Trust Africa funded campaign by calling for policy review in the above areas to ensure successful modernisation of agriculture. GNA The President and Chairman of Groupe Nduom, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom will chair this years (2016) Ghanafest organized annually by the Ghanaian community in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This years event falls on Saturday, July 30th, 2016. Ghanafest brings together the Ghanaian community in Chicago and elsewhere in the United States to celebrate indigenous Ghanaian culture and heritage. The event include a colourful durbar of Ghanaian chiefs, ethnic communities, display of traditional food and drinks and boasts of DJs from around the world playing traditional Ghanaian and dance-hall songs during pre and post Ghanafest parties held across the city of Chicago. Dr Nduom will be the special guest at a dinner organized by the Ghana National Council for business people and professionals during the event. He will take the opportunity to present Groupe Nduom investments and Ghanaian investment opportunities to the audience. He will be accompanied on the trip by some top management personnel of Groupe Nduom. They include Mr Kwame Ofori Asomaning, the Managing Director of Ghana Growth Fund, a private equity company; Mr Issa Adam, the Managing Director of GN Bank and Mr Fiifi Simpson, the Chief Executive Officer of GN Life Assurance. The rest are Nana Dufu, the Managing Director of Qualtek Company Limited, a technology company, Mr. Benjamin Ansah, the General Manager for Network Sysytems and Mrs. Hilda Malm, the Diaspora Account Manager of GN Bank. Richmond D. Keelson Manager, Groupe Nduom Corporate Affairs Story by Ghana/Myjoyonline.com Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. President Park Geun-hye made a surprise visit to the city of Ulsan on Thursday as part of her summer break itinerary. Park went on a brief walkabout in a market in the southern port city, which is in trouble due to massive layoffs in the shipbuilding industry. you are here: Companies should learn to temper their ambitions and long term strategies Make a mental note, dear reader. Next time I go on about China, buy iron ore! In Tuesdays Markets and Money, I commented on Chinas latest stimulus measures, the financial risk building in the country, and the risks to Australias iron ore industry. Australia was a prime beneficiary of Chinas historic steel expansion. And while the iron ore majors will continue to feed Chinas steel mills, they will do so at much lower levels of profitability once this stimulus starts to fade. Since writing that, the iron ore price has surged. Its now trading at US$59.20 a tonne, up from around US$55 a tonne at the start of the week. Clearly, Chinas stimulus spending is still in full swing. But dont let this distract you from the longer term dynamics. That is, China is churning out oceans full of unprofitable steel because its the only way it can keep economic growth from stalling. To state the obvious, this is an unsustainable growth model. Goldman Sachs knows it, too. From The Australian: Goldman has lifted its three-month target to $US50 a tonne from $US45 a tonne previously, saying port stockpiles remain at historically low levels. The bank also lifted its six-month target to $US40, from $US35. But Goldman still expects inventories to increase over the rest of the year and prices to fall to $US35 a tonne over the longer term. The longer term, of course, is a handy phrase that means some unidentifiable point in the future. Its also a good term to use when you own a stock that is doing poorly. As in, Im underwater now, but in the longer term it should do OK. With that in mind, I think the longer term outlook for iron ore miners is poor. But I wouldnt bet against them just yet. The market is saying the short term outlook remains strong. This throwaway phrase, longer term, got me thinking. It preys on the inherent uncertainty of investing. Successful investing is all about correctly anticipating the future. Nothing is ever certain. The future isnt written, and so we look to it with hopes and fears, depending on our demeanour. Longer Term Strategies The longer term is a place where we hope (or fear) our future expectations are realised. We do this based on irrational fears or hopes, or with some analysis thrown in to help guide us. But either way, its a guess about the future. For example, as an excellent article in todays Financial Review points out, Mike Smith, former CEO of ANZ, had a massive punt on the banks future by engineering an Asian Growth Strategy. The gist of it was: Lets expand into Asia, and in the longer term well be a bigger/stronger/better bank. It sounded good, as many grand sweeping strategy proposals do. But it was flawed. Flawed for shareholders, that is; not for Smith himself, as the Financial Review reports: For almost a decade under its swashbuckling chief executive, Mike Smith, ANZ Banking Group was the most enthusiastic proponent of Australian business engagement with Asia. Smith spent billions building a financial network from Jakarta to Chongqing designed to put the bank at the forefront of Asias historic growth spurt. Smith, who was paid $88 million over eight years, was feted by politicians, lauded in the media and travelled the world mixing with the global financial elite. But ANZs Asian operations never delivered the profit growth he promised, and the banks new chief executive, Shayne Elliott, is pulling back from Asia, reining in its investment bank and toning down the combative internal culture that flourished under Smith. In other words, the promised long term didnt work out. Although it worked out very nicely for Smith. $88 million for a bungled strategy! $11 million per year! Rewarded for Failure Thats a perfect example of asymmetric risk right there. That is, you have no downside regardless of the outcome. The grander the strategy, the greater the upsideespecially if you know how to sell it to the Board. Smith was clearly a good salesman. His best product was himself. Im not saying companies shouldnt have a crack, or that they shouldnt have grand ambitions. But the rewards are grotesque for strategies that dont pay off. It didnt take a genius to see that the Asian strategy would be a tough one. And Im not just saying that in hindsight. I remember writing about it in a former role when it was first announced. That is, ANZs strategy basically amounted to a shift of capital investment from a high returning, cosy oligopoly in Australia, into a lower return, competitive Asian region. There was a strong chance that ANZs profitability would decline. And thats exactly what happened. At the start of Smiths tenure, ANZ generated a return on equity of 20%. In the 2016 financial year, forecasts suggest it will generate a return of just over 10%. That might not be all down to the Asian strategy. But its not a good look for a bloke who has literally made out like a bandit because of it. Its not all Smiths fault, though. The board holds the ultimate responsibility for managing shareholder wealth, and they approved the strategy, and the billions of dollars in asset purchases, to execute it. But now those involved are tight-lipped. According to the Financial Review article, the former chairman of ANZ, who hired Smith, didnt want to comment on Smiths remuneration. Nor did Margaret Jackson, who was head of the Human Resources Board Committee at the time. But the most bizarre response goes to current Chairman, David Gonski. From the AFR article: Asked if Smith was overpaid, Gonski, who became chairman in 2014, said: Thats a strange question. He said it was difficult to determine the value of any executive and people would have to make up their own minds. The concept of saying $86 million he wasnt worth it is quite a stretch, Gonski said. Was he worth $85.5 million? Was he worth $2.50? Thats just weird. ANZ is still paying Smith a lazy $250,000 a year, by the way. For what reason, we have no idea. So heres a parting tip for the kiddies out there. If you have a sizable ego, a thick skin, and not a small amount of chutzpah, get into banking. Its the road to riches. Cheers, Greg Canavan, Editor, Crisis & Opportunity From the Port Phillip Publishing Library Special Report: The greatest mind of the modern era is about to embark on his greatest and most ambitious project yet A revolutionary, digital network designed to beam superfast internet to every inch of the planetfrom space! And for you as an investor it could mark the start of an epic 14-fold profit runif youre willing to take a calculated risk with a small portion of your capital(more) The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana. A dejected Morgan Hill City Council declined to place a local revenue measure on the November ballot at Wednesdays meeting, and warned residents they will have to accept degrading city streets until up to $5.8 million per year can be found to make repairs and upgrades. The councils decision July 27 followed a report from public opinion research consultants The Lew Edwards Group and Godbe Research, which presented survey results that indicate the voters would not support numerous ballot revenue measure options. Guided by previous council discussions about the possible revenue measure, the survey gauged likely voters response to a variety of potential sales tax and bond measures. The results showed the highest support59 percent of 398 respondentsfor a three-quarter-cent sales tax measure, with the favorability rate declining with subsequent options that included sales taxes of smaller value and bond issue measures, according to Charles Hester of Godbe Research. Hester said as an experienced pollster he would like to see the support percentage in the low to mid-60s before recommending placing anything on the ballot. He advised the council not to place a measure on the ballot this year based on these results. There is simply no support for additional taxes in Morgan Hill, said Councilman Larry Carr, who pulled papers last week to run for re-election in November. A voter-approved bond, which requires a two-thirds-plus-one majority to pass, would be repaid with higher property taxes. Councilman Gordon Siebert cast a symbolic vote against Mayor Pro Temp Rich Constantines motion to decline to place a measure on the November ballot. Siebert has been sounding the alarm for a new source of local revenue, reminding audiences frequently that Morgan Hill collects less per capita revenue from taxes$550 per residentthan almost every other city in Santa Clara County. City staff have said that they need another $5.8 million per year to get caught up on road and street repairs, maintenance and upgrades, and improve the overall pavement quality. Siebert said without a new source of revenue, the issue of street repairs and maintenance is going to be the most significant issue we have to face in the next couple of years. At the July 20 council meeting, the body approved a resolution of necessity for $38 million in general obligation bonds for capital improvements to streets, parks and public facilities. That approval was a precursor to the failed effort to place a bond measure on the November ballot. Im distraught, Siebert said. Ive been pushing this issue ever since I got on the council. Constantine added that Morgan Hill is the only city in the county that does not impose a local tax on its citizens. He cautioned that the city is currently paying for park maintenanceanother possible use of a hypothetical new sales taxwith fees paid by the developers of new residential units. Thats not a sustainable revenue model, Siebert added. In some ways I feel like we have failed, Siebert said of the council, suggesting they collectively havent done enough to convince residents of the need for more revenue. Councilwoman Marilyn Librers, who also pulled papers to run for re-election last week, was the only elected official July 27 to state overtly that she has opposed a new revenue measure since the council started talking about it more than two years ago. Still, Librers agreed the city doesnt have nearly enough money to repair and upgrade the streets. She insisted the funds are nowhere to be found in two-year city budget which was approved by the council in June. Our budget is lean and mean, and well-managed, but we still have a problem, Librers said. She wasnt the only council member who indirectly refuted the suggestionvoiced by resident Armando Benavides in public comments at the July 27 meetingthat if the city managed its funds better they would be able to pay for all the necessary street repairs. If theres anyone who can find money in our budget for a $5.8 million shortfall, please step forward, Constantine said. He added that he supports a new tax on residents, including himself, because he is willing to pay for a higher quality of life. The good news contained in the survey results, according to Hester, is that 66.2 percent of likely voters think the city is doing a good or excellent job of providing services. That number is up from 57.9 percent in a 2015 survey of likely Morgan Hill voters. But with declining quality of streets and parks, for example, this overall favorability might not hold up. Things are not going to stay looking pretty good if we continue to spend the way were spending now because we dont have the revenue we need to make adequate street and related infrastructure repairs, Siebert continued. Its going to be a public safety issue when people start hitting potholes, and going out of control, and 20 percent of the (streetlights) are going out because we cant afford to repair them, and the traffic signals are going dark. Mayor Steve Tatewho also plans to run for re-election in Novemberadded he and his colleagues should continue to inform residents of the citys per capita tax rate in comparison to nearby cities. Now is not the time to put anything on the ballot, Tate concluded. The results of the Godbe survey presented to the council July 27 are the culmination of an outreach campaign in which city officials have sought to determine residents and likely voters priorities when it comes to city services, and to determine the support for a revenue measure on the ballot. The effort also included online informational surveys, pamphlets and other literature to solicit input and provide information about city services. Emma Wall: Hello, and welcome to Morningstar. I'm Emma Wall and I'm joined today by Chris Mellor from ETF provider Source. Hi, Chris. Chris Mellor: Hi, Emma. Wall: So, we're here today to talk about the investors' favorite; gold. And it's been extremely popular this year, hasn't it? Mellor: It's been really quite incredible. I don't think we've seen a more unusual period of inflows for our gold products since it was launched back in 2009. We've had roundabout $1.5 billion of inflows year-to-date of which roundabout $1 billion came in the first quarter alone. So, there has been a big swing towards reinvesting in gold once again after a couple of years in doldrums. Wall: So, give us a comparison then. You say $1 billion in the first three months of 2016. That's comparable usually to about an entire year of inflows, isn't it? Mellor: Yeah, exactly. As I say, the product has been there since 2009. It was there throughout the last period of rising gold prices and the biggest year we did was just over $1 billion of net new assets flowing into the fund back in those years. As I said, in one quarter we've done that and this quarter passed we've done another $0.5 billion as well. Wall: And this is not just unique to your ETF. It has happened across the ETF sector spectrum. Gold has seen an incredible amount of money flowing into those passive products. What do you think the driver of this sort of flood to gold is? Mellor: I think, if you look at when it started, it's almost perfectly correlated in inverse, if you like, to the equity markets at the start of this year. We saw a big sell-off in January and February and that was when we saw a real urge towards gold. In particular, flows built up very rapidly from February onwards. It's because gold is a natural sort of diversifying asset in the portfolio. If you're worried about the future, if you're worried about growth, it's a natural place to hide and a sort of safe heaven asset, if you like. Wall: But this is not the first time that equities have sort of tripped up over the last five years, is it? If we look back over the last couple of years, we've had the Euro crisis led by Greece, last summer China dragged markets globally down. So, what's so special about 2016 that gold is suddenly so popular? Mellor: I think what's changed is to a degree it's about what the other opportunities are out there. During the Euro crisis, as you mentioned, during last year's problems in the second half of the year we didn't see the same sort of moves in gold partly because we didn't have the same sort of moves in market in other assets, but also partly because the gold price was still in a sort of long-term trend decline from the peaks back in 2012-2013 and it looks as though there is a point at which gold prices are bottoming out and investors are coming back in. I think the other thing that's important is how aggressive some of the moves were in the market in January and February. It was a pretty shocking start to the year for most investors. And the large institutional investors that we talk to, who invest in our product, are using coming back to gold, if you like, having been reminded of the risks that are out there by January and February's price moves. Wall: And you mentioned there the gold price. Back when we saw the last peak, it was 18-something and now it's around 1325. So, are you suggesting that we could have another 50% up from here or do you think those highs that we saw a few years ago are just unobtainable? Mellor: You can never say never, can you? The circumstances back in when the gold price was north of 1800 are pretty unusual post the financial crisis and during the Eurozone, the first round of the Eurozone crisis. If you see economic events and a backdrop like that then, yes, there is no reason why gold can't go back to those kind of prices. I think most investors buying today aren't expecting that. I guess it's a hedge against the worst of the risks, but it's also, I think, a hedge against just weaker growth, worse of economic outcome than people are expecting and the Brexit vote back at the end of June, the surprise there has induced to get more inflows into gold as people realized that this isn't a smooth process of economic recovery. Where are we seven or eight years on from the financial crisis again? Wall: Chris, thank you very much. Mellor: You're welcome. Wall: This is Emma Wall for Morningstar. Thank you for watching. Dont you just love it when official figures confound the economists? We were braced for disappointing second quarter GDP figures in the UK after a slowdown in the first three months. After all, the economy was put on hold until we got the referendum out of the way, wasnt it? Well no, apparently not. Growth of 0.5% was better than the 0.4% recorded in January to March and better still than the 0.3% forecast. Given that the first calculation of GDP tends to get revised higher subsequently, I take it we are not in recession yet. Ah, but the doomsters say, only one week of the 13 came after the Brexit vote was announced, so the second quarter doesnt really count. I have started to worry that we will talk ourselves into a recession, despite news of more investment in the UK from companies such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). However, I suspect that so many companies will use Brexit as an excuse for poor performance that we will stop worrying about it. The B-word was mentioned this week in relation to travel and holiday companies, most notably EasyJet (EZJ) and Thomas Cook (TCG), but I feel that this is a minor part of their problems. The profit warning issued by EasyJet immediately after the referendum looks increasingly like a case of getting your retaliation in first. Terrorist attacks in France, Germany, Tunisia and Egypt are a far bigger concern. While I think that the bad news is fully reflected in the lower share price, I wouldnt want to take the risk of investing in a company that bounces up and down so readily, a comment that applies to most of the sector. In contrast, it may be time to look at engineering, which could benefit from the lower pound. GKN (GKN) figures looked pretty good and the yield of 3.2% is attractive if not exceptional. Its overseas earnings are now translating into more pounds. The shares are well down from early last year and are worth a look below 300p. It may be too late, though, to consider trying to get into more domestically oriented stocks, the ones that suffered post-referendum. The FTSE 250 Index has recovered most of the losses suffered in the heavy crash at the end of June. Despite continuing wobbles, it is a full 2,000 points higher than it was in February. Are BPs Fortunes Turning Positive? Each time I relent on the warning I issued six years ago, and often repeated, not to touch BP (BP.) shares, the oil giant puts out another dampener. Profits plunged 44% in the second quarter despite a sharp reduction in costs in the industrys supply chain. There were, however, some pluses. With crude prices stabilising, the latest three months were actually an improvement on the first quarter. Secondly, we really may at last be seeing the end of provisions to cover the massive costs of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which haves now topped $60 million. More importantly, BP is pressing ahead with nine major new oil projects in places as far apart as the North Sea, India and Trinidad. It may seem mad to embark on spending while the crude price remains so subdued but this could be the time to do it, hoping that new fields will come on stream as energy prices recover. At around 425p the shares have recovered quite far enough from the lows of the past 12 months but if you have stuck with them so far then hang on. The worst is very much over. Im now actually more worried about Royal Dutch Shall (RDSB), in which I have held shares for several years to enjoy the dividend. Profits there were down 72% and the takeover of BG leaves a debt mountain. Shell, like BP, needs oil back to $60 a barrel soon, which is unlikely to happen. Rodney Hobson is a long-term investor commenting on his own portfolio; his comments are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. The media is ignoring the key takeaway in the 15% foreign tax debate, according to one broker who argues the move sends a bad message to the rest of the world about how Canada does business.The fact that existing transactions by foreigners -- who may have purchased pre-build properties years ago -- will be subject to the 15% tax sets a dangerous precedent, according to Dustan Woodhouse , a B.C.-based broker with Dominion Lending Centres Our government has put forth something that for existing transactions is wholly unfair. Its just wrong. If any reader of this story was directly impacted themselves, they would be up in arms, Woodhouse said. And they should be up in arms anyway because the ramifications of this on a larger scale are significant. What are we saying to the world about how we do business? How is this not being challenged in courts?The 15% sales tax for all properties purchased by individuals who are neither citizens nor permanent residents, which goes into effect August 2, will also apply to deals that had already been struck but have yet to close prior to that date. That includes pre-build transactions.If you wrote your offer on a pre-sale in 2013 that is nearing completion and your completion date is after August 2, youre going to have to come up with that tax, Woodhouse said. On a deal you negotiated three years ago, or three days ago, if you cant come up with the tax to complete it by this deadline youre going to lose your deposit.Most media coverage of the tax has focused on the impact it will have on Vancouvers real estate prices. It also mostly assumes its the wealthy Chinese buyers who will be impacted.However, according to Woodhouse, the effects will be felt by any foreigner, even the working class, who are trying to start a life in Vancouver. He provides an example of just such a person in his own blog.Just like one student we know of whose parents were assisting her on the purchase of a $400,000 condo to live in during her remaining six years of studies. Contract entered into three months ago, completing in about four months, Woodhouse writes. Boom! $60,000.00 extra please, in addition to the $140,000.00 minimum down payment required, or else forfeit your $80,000 deposit to the developer.If she completes, the government wins. ($60,000 in new tax revenue). If she cannot raise the extra $60K, the developer wins. ($80,000 deposit forfeited).Cases like this raise questions about the governments policy. And, perhaps, if there could be a better way to structure the tax.Why wasnt there a dollar threshold? Why wasnt it a scaled tax? If you want to hit the wealthy, hit the wealthy, Woodhouse said. But to hit the little guy, our future Canadians Does this set a dangerous precedent in the minds of foreign investors across Canada? If Im an international buyer, Im out. Im going to take a few steps back until I figure out what [Canada is] doing. Local hula group inspires global connections When the pandemic ushered everyone indoors, Moorpark resident and longtime dancer Lisa Rauschenberger decided to get people back outsidesocially distanced, of course. She began to hold weekly hula lessons at... Teens face high stakes in the Oval Office A press room befitting Americas commander in chief was set up inside the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. Journalists and others gathered inside. Ladies and gentlemen, I need you all... Tigers soon to prowl in new enclosure The brand-new Bengal tiger exhibit at Americas Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College is nearly complete, and some other animals hangouts are getting a makeover, too. Mara Rodriguez, zoo development coordinator,... This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CATEGORY IN BLUE: Salsa BUSINESS NAME: Jorges Mexican Cafe The votes are in and to the balloters Jorge Veloz says a hearty Muchas gracias. The longtime Midland restaurant Jorges Mexican Cafe nabbed honors in four categories to add more culinary ribbons to its long tradition of excellent dining service. Jorges Mexican Cafe is owned by Jorge and Angelina Veloz and serves a Gold Award menu focused on Tex-Mex fare using recipes developed by his mother, father and himself. Dishes are served freshly prepared and delivered hot from the kitchen. Food must be as fresh at 9 p.m. as it as 10 a.m., Jorge said. The menu is based on the original San Antonio-style Tex-Mex menu introduced in Midland in 1957 and tweaked for local taste, spices, ingredients and speed. Combining top notch preparation with consistent taste from visit to visit and thoughtful service yields victory for the northeast location that opened in 2002. What customers appreciate more is that things dont change much, Jorge said. Customers have been eating with the Veloz family restaurants for over 50 years, and they would eat the same plate every time they go in. Also, nailing a Gold Award is the salsa served when diners take their seats. Our salsa is like eating fresh vegetables. Its fresh all the time. No cans involved in any of this, Jorge said. We have our own secret recipe for the spicing. We make it several times a day, and these ingredients are blended and have to sit at least two hours before we serve it so the flavors will mesh. Served with homemade chips, the uncooked, secretly spiced salsa is fresh as a vegetable should be. So when you eat hot sauce, youre eating your veggies, Jorge said. In addition for the Gold Award for salsa, Jorges Mexican Cafe captured Silver Awards for Mexican food and guacamole. Again, Jorge focuses on freshness and simplicity with no added fillers in its guacamole. We only use Haas avocados from Mexico or California, he said. The pricier, oil-rich avocados can be mixed by diners with their preferred proportion of salsa or dipped with chips alone or a bite of their entree. Rounding out Bronze Award honors for Jorges Mexican Cafe is queso. Queso is a simple, smooth cheesy dip made of blended cheeses and three kinds of chile, Jorge said. Our queso is made out of a flat roux. Thats the consistency, Jorge said. In addition to the Tex-Mex items, Jorges Mexican Cafe serves as signature items menudo, which is tripe, and caldo, a beef-based vegetable stew, daily. In addition, lengua, which is the cows tongue, and barbacoa made from the cheek of a cow, are all day, every day items rather than weekend specials. The restaurant is known for having some of Midlands best margaritas, which can be made with strawberries and served frozen or on the rocks. The secret to the delicious margaritas is using the freshest ingredients. The bartender starts by stirring up a simple syrup using water that has been filtered by reverse osmosis, then using the freshest lemon and lime juices. If you dont have good sweet and sour, you dont have a good margarita, Jorge said. Nachos are another popular menu item with diners. Started as a type of decorative Mexican hors doeuvre, nacho chips decked with beans, meat and cheese have now become a meal. The difference, Jorge said, is the quality of the thin, crisp chip and the speed with which it is served. While employee turnover has been a big challenge in the last few years, Jorge explained it gets me up in the morning. We live in the best city in the world, Jorge said. The economy has always come through for the people who live here. We have some of the friendliest people, and I wouldnt call anywhere else home but Midland. Jorges Mexican Cafe 4400 N. Big Spring St. 432-683-6303 Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. Happy hour: 3:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. $1 off drinks. Bar: Full bar, a variety of domestic and imported beers. Kids menu: Yes Parking: Ample Outdoor seating: Yes Take out: Yes This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Auto Insurance Home and Property Insurance Life Insurance Health Insurance Banking Products Annuities Financial Services Mission Statement: Our mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. Laura Ingram is a face-to-face personal service, make-it-right agent for one of the largest insurance companies in the world. Laura and her husband, Drew, operate the Gold Award-winning State Farm Insurance on Andrews Highway, near Midkiff Drive that locals have learned to count on since 1988. To earn customers trust, Laura, Drew and their staff of eight, two of whom have worked in the agency for 20-plus years, explain how insurance works, comb current policies for discount opportunities, listen to their needs and finally, establish a relationship that can endure through time and tribulation. Insurance has become so complicated, Ingram said. A lot of people dont understand why we take into account their driving record, their claim history and their credit score. We have a lot of things we take in account, so we can give the best individual price for your premium. State Farm offers Discount Double Check, which mean agents look for about 10 different types of premium discounts that a customer might be eligible for depending on the household situation. For example, one household might have a teen driver who makes top grades and completed drivers education. Another household might have adults who took a defensive driving class at work that will make them eligible for a discount on a personal auto policy. Both households might be insuring cars and homes and be eligible for a discount for bundling policies with one agency. Other discounts include a longevity discount for customers at the three, six and nine year anniversary, a discount for installation of a Class IV, or hail-resistant, roof, monitored home burglar alarm and five year claim-free period. Service representatives, four of whom are bilingual in English and Spanish for customers comfort, provide the care that only longevity and training can assure. Linda Schneider, the receptionist, and Stephanie Hoffman have been with the agency 22 years. Bianca Bejarano, Theresa Bruce, Sharon Zarate, Rosie Ramos and Elva Saenz logged an average of 10 years service each. I have a higher number of service representatives per household that we insure. Thats so we can give excellent service and so our employees dont get overwhelmed and have a huge workload, Ingram explained. Part of Gold Award service is immediate attention to customer needs, especially the most catastrophic, Laura said. When you have a fire, youre dumbfounded. So we show up and give them a to-do list. There is so much we can do for them and its so much better face-to-face, she said. At other times, Laura and Drew meet new widows or widowers at home and answer questions about the family insurance or guide them to needed services during a tough time. On another day, Laura might pull out Consumer Reports to check on top vehicle recommendations and prices. Later, she and her staff might guide customers through the claim process and explain options regarding car repairs or rentals after a collision. Always, as a former claims adjuster and supervisor, Laura is able to draw on knowledge and experience to work out the risky business of life. All this leads to her philosophy of building a Gold Award business. If we seek to educate, counsel and give superior service, our business will have an abundance of customers, she said. Laura Ingram State Farm Insurance agency 3317 Andrews Highway Office: 432-699-1441; Mobile: 432-553-8376; Toll Free: 800-299-1465; Fax: 432-697-6305 www.lauraingram.net; www.statefarm.com Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment Languages: English and Espanol This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Wells Fargo Wells Fargo means living out its corporate values such that the customer the ones who really count in business stamp the bank with the Gold Award. We would like to thank all of the supporters in the community for voting for Wells Fargo. Without them and their support, we would not be able to get this Gold Award, said Juanita Mendoza, vice president of the Concho-Permian District, which serves Midland, Odessa, Big Spring and San Angelo. She described the Wells Fargo vision and values that guide daily operations and interactions. It starts with our vision of helping our customers succeed financially, Mendoza said. Making sure we build relations one customer at a time. Its making sure that we are available for our customers at our locations. A second element of company value system is the focus on quality hiring and retention of team members, which gives Wells Fargo a competitive advantage. We call our employees team members because we truly say that they are a treasured resource. They are an investment, not an expense to be managed out, Mendoza said. Third is ethical behavior. Fourth is diversity and inclusion in hiring and community and fifth is leadership. We have to step up and be leaders in the company and in the community as well, she said. The company, which has a 160-year history of providing for customers, employing a strong and diverse workforce and helping communities find solutions to issues that matter ranging from social to economic and environmental. We believe we are only as strong as the communities we serve, Mendoza said. Community support is a hallmark of the Wells Fargo commitment to leadership in the towns where it operates. We have a Partner in Education school, which is Scharbauer Elementary. We help them with field days by handing out water in sunshine and rain, Mendoza said. Partners in Education Midland is a program of Midland Independent School Districts Education Foundation that fosters relationships between the district and businesses with the goal of ensuring each student has access to quality education. The company also partners with the Midland Reporter-Telegram for its annual Project Literacy, which provides each first grader in MISD and local private schools with a copy of a quality age-appropriate reader. Wells Fargo also sponsors the Dinner of Champions, which benefits the West Texas Division of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Dinner of Champions is an annual fundraising event that pays tribute to community leaders for professional excellence and civic commitment. In addition, we are teaching financial education, providing custom financing for projects that do not have access to traditional financing, creating affordable and sustainable housing, and building an even stronger supplier network that reflects the demographics of this community, Mendoza said. She explained that she is personally passionate about financial literacy and Wells Fargo offers a comprehensive modular curriculum, Hands on Banking, for students, beginning in fourth grade, through senior citizens. It is available in both English and Spanish and can be found online at www.handsonbanking.org or www.elfuturoentusmanos.org. From day one, Wells Fargo has been committed to helping build strong communities. Its a commitment thats core to our companys vision and values. Our business, our economy, and our country cannot be strong unless our communities are. We want to be part of the solutions that strengthen our community. Serving our community and enhancing the quality of life for our neighbors and neighborhoods is at our banks core. This is why we do our best to be part of the positive changes were we live, work and play, Mendoza said. Wells Fargo 4307 N. Midland Drive, 432-688-8664 1030 Andrews Highway, 432-699-3170 3300 N. Big Spring St., 432-685-5196 Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Fasken Center 500 W. Texas Ave., 432-685-5000 Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday www.wellsfargo.com www.facebook.com/WellsFargo Managing capital flow or the lack thereof is challenging oil and gas companies across the industry, especially in the midst of low commodity prices. HudsonField, which works with clients on issues regarding logistics, financing and risk management across the oil and gas industry spectrum, recently raised equity growth capital from a consortium of private investors to support its growth initiatives. The Permian Basin is a key basin and will be a key basin for HudsonField, Scott Bormaster, president of HudsonField marketing and transportation, said in a phone interview. He said the company, which has worked with Permian Basin clients, plans to establish a local office and hire marketers to buy and sell oil and natural gas and look for acquisition opportunities. Bormaster said the company is looking to acquire a trucking company with Permian Basin assets, along with a sizable gathering system that takes oil and natural gas out of the Delaware Basin. Ben Freeman, HudsonField founder and chief executive office, also believes the Permian will remain a core area for the company. Buying and marketing oil and natural gas produced in the Permian is just one part of its four-pronged approach to business, Bormaster said. The first prong is producer financing, done with the help of HudsonFields strategic relationship with AB Private Credit Investors, the middle market direct lending platform of AllianceBernstein. Bormaster said the company receives origination fees for clients it brings to AB, which helps fund HudsonField operations, as does the marketing of oil and natural gas. The third prong is providing price hedging products for clients and the fourth and final prong is helping facilitate the movement of production, either through trucking, gathering systems or gathering systems that feed into major pipelines. Freeman said the company also works with clients in need of recapitalization -- such as smaller operators who have trouble accessing capital for acquisitions or recapitalization or (who) need help protecting themselves against falling commodity prices or managing risk properly. Without a doubt, he said, capital has been harder to come by for energy-related companies, though there is a lot of capital on the sidelines looking for investments. Its not a problem of finding capital but of finding the right match, Freeman said. Bormaster and Freeman said their company grows as their clients grow. Engineers throughout the oil and gas industry woke up to the news of a record-setting horizontal well drilled in the Utica Shale. Completed in May by Halliburton for Eclipse Resources, the Purple Hayes was drilled to a measured depth of more than 27,000 feet with a lateral of more than 18,500 feet. Halliburton completed it with 124 frac stages in 24 days. The Completions and Operations Study Group of the Permian Basin section, Society of Petroleum Engineers, convened a panel to discuss the well and its implications. Agreement at the meeting, held July 21 at the Petroleum Club, was that such a record-setting well was possible since it had apparently been drilled. Its doable. These guys did it and if they could do it, we can, said David Luna, completions engineer at XTO Energy. Tyler Rutherford, completions engineer with Apache Corp., said such a record-setting lateral could work in the Permian Basin, which has a number of different areas that could accommodate such a long lateral, such as Wolfcamp-Spraberry. I think the longer the better," he said. The Permian Basin oil industry is always up for a new challenge, said Imad Zaghmoot, completions engineer with BOPCO. The longer the horizontal, the bigger the challenge and the more expensive it becomes to complete those wells, he said. Advancing the technology could be important as drilling moves closer to residences and businesses, Zaghmoot said. One attendee at the panel discussion said such technology could be another tool the industry uses to help protect cultural sites and animal and bird habitats while still producing the minerals below ground. We dont want to leave reserves behind, Zaghmoot said. We want to get all the minerals, but there are risks and costs. Luna said one challenge would be getting the pipe that much deeper. You have to go from Point A to Point B as straight as you can, he said. Discussion about the technical challenges ranged from kick-off points to bottom-hole assemblies to the types of plugs to be used downhole. Bridge plugs have to be set throughout the lateral to distinguish the different fracturing stages, explained Reece Roberts, business development director with NCS Multistage and chairman of the study group. With a lateral that long, part of the challenge is getting to the plugs and drilling them out, he said. Roberts said coiled tubing is primarily used downhole, with drill bits on the end, to drill out the plugs. Coiled tubing comes on a big reel like knitting yarn, and theres only so much coiled tubing you can get on a reel. And overpasses are only so high, he said. Another issue is buckling of the coiled tubing the longer and deeper it goes into a wellbore, Roberts said. That buckling would make it difficult to put weight on the bit to drill out the plugs, he said. Work is being done to develop dissolvable plugs that would begin to dissolve amid fluids with a lot of salinity and temperatures of 150 degrees or higher. But, he said, those dissolving plugs leave bridges, and as frac sand accumulates after the wellbore is fractured, it could block the wellbore. Beyond the question of whether technology can efficiently allow for such lengthy laterals, are they really economic? Roberts said. The panel discussion illustrated the goal of the new study group, he said. Hopefully, teach someone something, he said. Halliburton said in a press release the fracturing operations utilized the companys Q10 pumps equipped with dual fuel technology, which performed with zero down time. The company also utilized SandCastle PS-2500 units equipped with Halliburton Dust Control systems. The job averaged 5.3 frac stages per day. Halliburton said the efficiencies achieved with this equipment allowed Eclipse to improve its daily completion rate by 20 percent over the original plan, lowering their ultimate cost per barrel of oil equivalent. Eclipse Resources, based in State College, Pennsylvania, estimated the well was completed at a total drilling and completion cost of approximately $854 per lateral foot. Thomas Liberatore, executive vice president and chief operating officer, said during a report on Eclipses first quarter results, that the well had been put to sales on May 3 and is being produced under an aggressive managed choke production method intended to tightly control the pressure drawdown over time to attempt to maintain what we believe to be the pressure dependent permeability of this formation and maintain pressures above dew point in the reservoir as long as possible. According to Liberatore, after the first 24 hours of flowback into sales, the well was producing at a rate of approximately 5 million cubic feet per day, approximately 1,3000 BTU gas and 1,200 barrels a day of condensate, with flowing tubing pressure of about 3,200 pound. He said the company is targeting a stabilized initial wellhead gas rate of 5.6 million cubic feet per day. Post traumatic stress disorder is an important issue to Gary Kennedy. As a former Midland police officer, he suffered from it himself due to some calls that led to violent images that stuck with him. Little did he know, he would be helping others with PTSD. Kennedy, 50, is one of the founders of HEART, a year-old, faith-based group that works to lessen the effects of the disorder through communication and positive reinforcement. Kennedy spoke with the Reporter-Telegram about how he came to his new calling and what is in store for the future of his organization. MRT: What does HEART stand for? Kennedy: Healing emotions above reason and thought. We thought that it shows that this can show the care from us to them. MRT: Who do you primarily work with? Kennedy: The group is mostly for veterans and first responders. Anne Schweining started this and came to me to lead it. At the time I had just retired from the Army Reserves in 2012 and was a full-time student at Midland College. But when her neighbor, a World War II vet, committed suicide, we had to do something. MRT: You yourself suffered from PTSD, is that right? Kennedy: Even though I was active in the army from 1987-1991, it happened when I was a police officer. I served for 10 years starting in 1997. We had gone to an accident on the loop at the time it was being built. I saw a baby carrier and inside it was a child who wasnt alive. It really worked on my emotions. Soon after, I had a call to a suicide where blood was everywhere in the bathroom on the blue wall. The color was always a trigger. MRT: And youre all better now? Kennedy: I dont have any problems with it now. MRT: How many people does HEART work with? Kennedy: We work with about 50 people. MRT: How then do you take that experience to work with others? Kennedy: People may think Im a counselor but Im not that at all. We simply communicate and talk out their issues. We discuss their triggers and list the positives. Its a shift in thinking. Im trying to find an alternative to where they can put themselves on the positive side of their trigger. I also tell them they are going to be OK because God is in control. Thats how people get through this but theyve usually lost that thought process. They only think how screwed up they are but I remind them that Gods in control. MRT: Youre currently in school at Midland College as well as a pastor at Heart of Worship Baptist Fellowship. Thats already a lot on your plate. Kennedy: God told me I can do this. He is the only one who has opened the doors and what HEART has provided for me when I talk to them is even more doors open. MRT: HEART is gearing up for its first fundraiser this fall. What is it? Kennedy. By then well have our 501c3 and this will help the organization get on better standing. So the board of directors and I are hosting a barbecue competition on Oct. 1 at The Field Office. Were open to 50 entries and were already halfway there. MRT: The organization is also about spreading awareness. How does it go about that? Kennedy: We just keep getting the word out. Next year, I will be doing Bike Cross Texas, which was inspired by Larry Hinkle who is walking across the country for PTSD awareness. He and I started talking and so in the formation of a cross, Ill ride east to west from Glenrio, New Mexico, to Benonine, Texas, then start north to south in Dumas all the way down to McAllen. MRT: Has the training started? Kennedy: Oh, yes. MRT: For more information about HEART or to get into the barbecue competition what do people need to do? Kennedy: They can email me at gary.kennedy15@yahoo.com. A former bookkeeper faces federal charges in connection with an alleged scheme to steal more than $2 million, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas. A 12-count federal grand jury indictment returned Friday charges Midlander Kimberley Dale Boyce, 51, with three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, three counts of engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived funds and three counts of tax evasion. SAN ANTONIO (AP) A 38-year-old Texas Mexican Mafia leader has pleaded guilty to all federal charges against him, including charges related to the slaying of a San Antonio-area police officer and four other gang members. San Antonio TV station WOAI reports (http://bit.ly/2aeV59q ) that Ruben "Menace" Reyes admitted he ordered the 2014 slaying of Balcones Heights Police Officer Julian Pesina, who Reyes said also claimed to be a member of the criminal organization. Netquest Hires Lacerda as Portugal Country Manager Iberian and Latin American online panel specialist Netquest has appointed Joana de Lacerda as Country Manager in Portugal. Acquired by GfK earlier this year, Netquest employs 220 staff at its HQ in Barcelona and offices in Madrid, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Santiago de Chile, Bogota, Lisbon, New York and Los Angeles. The firm provides access to an invitation-only online panel comprising 1.3 million consumers covering 21 countries across Latin America, Spain and Portugal. The Portuguese panel has more than 30,000 active survey respondents. Lacerda (pictured) joins from Ipsos-owned Spanish and Portuguese language research firm Livra Panels where she initially worked as Global Sales & Partnership Director in London. She then transferred to Buenos Aires, where she latterly served as Managing Director. Before joining Livra in 2000, she was a Media Analyst at MediaLink, and a Project Manager at GfK NOP. German Loewe, CEO of Netquest, comments: 'The Portuguese market research industry is very important for Netquest. We have strong relationships already with leading research and media agencies. I'm delighted to welcome Joana on board because thanks to her expertise we will be able to provide our clients the genuine opinion and behavior of the Portuguese consumers'. Web site: www.netquest.com . All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated. Youve done enough, go before ... CHP San Andreas logo View Photos Calaveras County, CA Three wrecks kept the CHP busy on Wednesday, two involved head-on collisions resulting in major injuries and closed Highway 12, twice. As reported here yesterday, a head-on crash on Highway 12 west of Highway 49 around 1 p.m. blocked the roadway for about hour as two people were trapped in their vehicles and had to be freed. The CHP reports 25-year-old Isabelle Guthrie of Sand Point, Idaho driving westbound in a 1991 Toyota pickup admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel causing her truck to cross into oncoming traffic. The pickup smashed into a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Linda Quesinberry of Valley Springs. Both women suffered major injuries, Quesinberry was flown to Modesto Memorial Medical Center and Guthrie was taken by ambulance to Doctors Medical Center. Later in the evening, also on Highway 12 east of Double Springs Road, another head-on crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. The CHP reports 17-year-old Nicole Speziale of San Andreas driving eastbound in a 1995 Nissan Maxima crossed the double-yellow lines smashing into a 2001 Dodge pickup driven by 58-year-old Mark Schlegelmilch of Valley Springs. The wreckage blocked the roadway for a short time as tow crews removed the debris. Speziale and Schlegelmilch suffered major injuries. The CHP report drugs or alcohol were not a factor in either crash, however, that was not the case in a solo motorcycle crash on Highway 4 near Hunter Dam Road around 7:30 p.m. The CHP reports 61-year-old Alfred Bustos of Forest Meadow driving westbound on a 1999 Harley Davidson Dyno Glide lost control of the vehicle on a curve and crossed the highway and smashed into a tree. Bustos was thrown down an embankment onto a dirt gutter along Hunter Dam Road below the highway where a passing motorist spotted him. Bustos suffered moderate injuries. The CHP states he may face criminal charges for DUI. A triple homicide in Orange County has investigators searching for suspects. The shooting happened along Grand Street near South Parramore Avenue at 10:18 p.m. Tuesday. Killings happened around 700 block of Grand Street When cops arrived, they fount Clarence Bryant III shot in street Rodedrick Smith, 40, and Joseph Slade, 36, found dead in nearby home Orlando Police said they got a call about shots fired in the 700 block of Grand Street. While in route, they got another call that said a man was found shot on the street. Orlando Fire Department personnel took him to a hospital, where he died. Meanwhile, the officers who found the man in the street made entry into a home on the 1200 bock of South Parramore Avenue and found two dead inside. Investigators have identified the two men who were found inside the home as Rodedrick Smith, 40, and Joseph Slade, 36. The home they were found in apparently belonged to Smith. Clarence Bryant III, 34, was identified as the man found shot on the street. Carl Woods, who lives down the road, said he's tired of the violence he says happens in Parramore too often. "People dying, people getting shot up is just unbelievable," Woods said. "To keep violence out of your neighborhood is one thing but people dying is another thing. Something's got to change." Police said they think the killings are an isolated incident, but they didn't explain why. According to reports, both Smith and Slade have a history of drug-related arrests. Investigators, however, did not confirm whether this shooting investigation is drug-related. For now, they are asking for the public's help. Anyone with more information is encouraged to contact crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. With a 26,000 mile paddle board voyage from Corpus Christi, Texas to New York City under his belt, a Merritt Island veteran is looking forward to the next leg of his journey around the world. Josh Collins created Veterans Voyage 360 Collins plans to cross three oceans during his journey Josh Collins began his "Veterans Voyage 360" to raise awareness for veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury). He just got home after the first leg of his trip to become the first person to paddle board unassisted around the world. "2,629 miles later, all the pain, all the struggle, it just kind of, pow, hit me right there," said Collins. Collins went on to say emotions bubbled up as he neared New York City and saw the Statue of Liberty. "When I saw it, I got choked up, when I got closer I got choked up," said Collins. Collins got quite the welcome from NYC firefighters as he entered the harbor. They gave him a ceremonial spray down by boat. The Special Operations veteran, who suffers from PTSD due to traumatic brain injuries inflicted during combat missions in the Middle East, said 94 out of 140 days spent on the water the past several months was grueling at times. "In four days, I covered 211 miles," said Collins. "I really had to dig deep and think about my brothers to 'my left and right', and why I was doing this." Photo courtesy of Josh Collins The 'why' for Collins is, among other things, veterans committing suicide. According to a 2013 Department of Veterans Affairs study covering suicides from 1999 to 2010, roughly 22 veterans commit suicide per day, or 1 every 65 minutes. "We have to take a really hard look at this," he said. While he's grateful to be back on his hometown Indian River Lagoon waters, Collins is still reflecting on the patriotism he witnessed as he paddled on the waters from state to state. People consistently asked if he was OK, which is what Collins believes struggling veterans must get. "'Is there anything you need today?'" said Collins, repeating the question he heard the most often. "'You can't fail.'" Collins is required to rest for 30 days per doctor's orders. According to his website, he'll begin his next expedition in January 2017. Thanks to the approval Thursday by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, over the next 18 months downtown Plainviews most prominent eyesore is expected to be transformed into a valuable asset. Moments before noon Thursday, the TDHCA board in Austin approved MRE Capital, LLCs 9 percent Housing Tax Credit application for an adaptive re-use multifamily project at the Hilton Hotel, 191 W. Sixth St., in Plainview. This is great news, not only for downtown but for all of Plainview, Assistant City Manager Andrew Freeman said in a press statements issued moments after the boards approval. We have been working with the MRE Capital team since June 2015 when Mike Fox of the Plainview EDC invited them to tour the Hilton Hotel, to see if it would be a viable redevelopment opportunity. Freeman, along with many other interested local individuals, watched the TDHBCA quarterly board meeting in a live webcast. The six-member panel convened at 9 a.m. Thursday in the John H. Reagan Building in Austin. Consideration of HTC project applications was the final item on its lengthy agenda. The actual vote was delayed for about half an hour as the panel heard a parade of individuals protesting a proposed multifamily housing project in Houston. Plainviews project drew no opposition. In fact, it received a dozen letters of support from the community. This is a great catalyst project to spur economic activity in the downtown area and meets many goals from our comprehensive plan, Freeman said of the redevelopment project. Plainviews multifamily project will be known as Conrad Lofts and will offer affordable rental housing. Next steps for MRE Capital include submitting plans to the Texas Historic Commission and the National Park Service for review and consideration of Historic Tax Credits for the project. Conrad Lofts will have some 27 units ranging from one to three bedrooms. Loft space will range from 410 to 1,181 square-feet. Rent will be based on a $25,000-$35,000 income limit based on family size. MRE said they are expecting to invest $7.7 million into the project that will touch every floor of the building. Construction will begin this fall and is expected to be completed by December 2017. We are very excited to move forward with our Conrad Lofts project after completing this critical step of our HTC application being approved, said Daniel Sailler, co-founder of MRE Capital. (City Manager) Jeffrey Snyder, Andrew Freeman, Mike Fox and many others were instrumental in this process and we appreciate all of their efforts. We look forward to bringing this historic structure back to life, with a project that Plainview can be proud of when it is finished. During the initial round in the competitive grant precess, the Plainview project reportedly was top ranked among rural developments. A final ranking of projects was not immediately available Thursday. MRE Capital, LLC, based in Kansas City, Missouri, is a firm that develops, invests, and consults in business and real estate transactions through full ownership, joint venture, and consulting opportunities. For more information, visit www.mrecapital.com. After outlining their plans for the Hilton Hotel in a series of meetings in February, MRE Capital received endorsements from both the Plainview City Council and Hale County Commissioners Court. In fact, the information packet on the project considered by the TDHCA board Thursday included letters of endorsement and affirmative resolutions from the City Council, County Commissioners, State Rep. Ken King, Kiwanis Club International of Plainview, Plainview Lions, Plainview Elks Lodge, Covenant Health Plainview, Plainview Downtown Association, Old World Antiques and Hunger Plus Inc. This company has a good track record with projects of this nature, Fox told County Commissioners in February. They have a real passion for historical buildings. Probably their closest project to Plainview is Guymon, Oklahoma, while one most similar to what they plan here is at Pratt, Kansas. In Guymon, MRE Capital LLC restored an old building into 45-multi-family units for the Dale Apartments. In Pratt, an old hotel is now the 23-unit Parrish Lofts. In Claremore, Oklahoma, the Will Rogers Hotel is now a 38-unit complex. The building itself is very sound, added Ranada Jack. Their engineers said that its perhaps more sound than any other building in town. They want to preserve the history of the building, and get rid of those ugly things (microwave relays) on top. It would really be uplifting to downtown. Jack said without MREs intervention, the Hilton was about 10 years away from a point of no return when it comes to restoration. As it stands now, I consider the Hilton Hotel economic undevelopment, Fox added. It being in such disrepair is a bad reflection on Plainview in general, and the citizens out there want something done. According to Herald files, Plainviews Hilton was the sixth hotel built by Conrad N. Hilton. Its grand opening was on July 3, 1929. At that time, Hilton already was operating hotels under that name in Abilene, Dallas, San Angelo, Wichita Falls and Waco, with the Lubbock Hilton under construction and a contract signed to construct another hotel in Marlin. The eight-story Plainview Hilton was completed June 4, 1929, and opened to the public a month later. Total construction cost, which included 125 guest rooms and 125 bathrooms, was $400,000 ($5.6 million in 2016 dollars). Its main floor included the hotel office, check room, porter's room, dining room, drug store, barber shop and coffee room. The mezzanine contained several private dining rooms, a lavish ballroom, writing room and lounge. More than 300 guests attended its grand opening on July 3, 1929. A scant three months later, after the stock market crash, ownership passed from Hilton to his main financial backer, The Great Southern Life Insurance Co., of Houston. Under a variety of managers during the next 15 years, the Plainview Hilton survived the Depression and wartime by offering an escape from the financial and emotional stresses of the day. During those years, its ballroom was used for high school dances, concerts by such notables as Tommy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo, and a host of banquets and conventions. The highlight of the week for many families was to go to the Hilton for brunch after Sunday worship services. The U.S. Army used the Hilton during World War II to house combat glider pilots training at the glider base at Finney. Conrad Hilton regained control of the Plainview hotel in 1944, but he quickly sold it to Porter Morgan of California. During the Morgan era, the local Hilton's conference rooms and ballroom continued to host many of the same functions as they did in the past. In 1973, Morgan moved to Plainview to actively manage the hotel while seeking a buyer. In December 1975, they sold it to Lawrence Garretson for a reported $160,000. Four years later, on Oct. 9, 1979, Garretson sold it to O.J. Bryson, who continued to operate it as the Hilton Hotel until 1981, when Bryson renamed it the Hilton Apartments. On June 22, 1982, Bryson sold it to Bruce Schoonover of Amarillo, who took down the rooftop "Hilton Hotel" sign and renamed it "Landmark Apartments." Under his ownership, the hotel was remodeled and the 125 guest rooms rearranged into about 50 apartments. Schoonover continued to use the ballroom, lobby, restaurant and various shops until March 16, 1983, when he closed the hotel being advised of numerous city fire and safety codes. Since then the building has been vacant and subject to vandalism while undergoing a parade of owners. A local group, the Sixth Street Corp., bought it from Schoonover on April 1, 1983. They sold it to another local group, Banc Share Inc., on Sept. 6, 1985. Banc Share Inc. in turn sold it to Thomas Stern and Ernest Hertz on March 19, 1987. A Miami-based investment firm, Casa Investment Co., bought it a year later with plans to turn it into a retirement hotel. On Nov. 6, 1990, Sterns and Hertz foreclosed on the building and reassumed ownership. In early 1991, Sterns and Hertz leased space on the hotel's roof, at $1,500 per month, to Claydesta Communications of Midland for a microwave relay tower. Although no longer used, the cone-shaped relays remain in place. In 1993, Sterns and Hertz donated the building to Guadalupe Economic Services, a not-for-profit group based in Lubbock. The Hale County Appraisal District online records still lists Guadalupe as owner. Local motorists are no longer enjoyed some of the lowest fuel prices in Texas. According to GasBuddy.com, none of Plainviews service stations are listed among the states fuel price leaders. For several weeks during June and July, Plainview dominated GasBuddys Top 10 for fuel value in Texas with at least five stations on the list. Those five stations are Murphy USA adjacent to the Walmart SuperCenter and Valero, CEFCO and Alon stations on the four corners of the US-70/I-27 intersection. According to GasBuddy late Thursday afternoon, Murphy USA in Plainview had regular unleaded priced at 1.74 per gallon. The four stations at US-70/I-27 were selling regular unleaded a penny higher, at $1.75. The lowest reported price in Texas for regular unleaded on Thursday was $1.69 per gallon, at five locations in Childress as well at one station each in Garland and North Richland Hills. Sams in Amarillo listed regular unleaded at $1.70 per gallon. Three stations showed regular unleaded at $1.71, including Costco and a Valero in Lubbock and Sams in Harker Heights. Amarillo showed two locations at $1.72. The highest price for regular unleaded in Texas on Thursday was $3.27, at a Shell in central Dallas. That was followed by gas selling at $2.89 per gallon in Fort Worth and Houston. GasBuddy reports that the average price in Texas for regular unleaded on Thursday was $1.986 per gallon, down from $1.991 on Wednesday. A week ago, the average price was $2.018. A year ago, it was $2.489 per gallon. AAA Texas on Thursday, according to the Associated Press, reported nationwide prices at the pump declined a nickel this week to reach an average $2.14 per gallon. Amarillo has the cheapest gasoline in Texas this week at $1.85 per gallon. The association survey found that drivers in El Paso have the most expensive gasoline statewide at an average $2.12 per gallon. AAA officials cited abundant U.S. fuel supplies and declining crude oil costs as gasoline prices continue to drop. GasBuddy reported the average price of crude oil on Thursday at $41.14 per barrel. MERIDEN A local grants foundation capped off its 60th anniversary year by giving away $25,000 in new grant funding to two nonprofit organizations one of the largest grants the foundation has issued in its history. The James H. Napier Foundation was founded in 1955, its namesake then the president of the prominent local jewelry manufacturer, the Napier Co. After the company was sold in 1999, the trust agreement set forth for the Napier Foundation was amended to make the foundation a private Connecticut grantmaker. Today, the mission of the foundation is to help nonprofit organizations meet the existing and emerging needs of children, youth, and families living in Meriden and Wallingford, according to a statement released by the foundation. It was really important to us that we do something to honor the 60 years of grantmaking, said foundation Chairwoman Sue Waas. So instead of throwing a gala to commemorate its 60 years, foun dation organizers created a one-time Innovation Grant for $25,000 and invited organizations to submit proposals that addressed a pressing organizational or community need, the statement reads. We specifically wanted to keep it very open-ended, said Daria Smith, foundation administrator. This was a good opportunity for us to look at some new organizations, some new community issues, to take a broad look at those issues. Further, the foundation has refocused on helping the local communities in recent years, Waas said. To see that our grant dollars are going to local organizations to help the most needy people, thats been very satisfying, she said. Smith said more than 25 organizations applied for the grant. Two organizations were selected Masters Manna in Wallingford and the Midstate Chamber of Commerce, located in Meriden. Sean Moore, chamber president, said the chamber of commerce partnered with the Meriden Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit group also known as Medco. These were very tough decisions for us, Smith said. Of course we wish we had triple the amount of money to give out so we could have funded more of these proposals. At Masters Manna, the grant was used to streamline a vocational and educational skills program. Cheryl Trzcinski, co-founder and CEO, said the initiative has already seen some success. Weve been able to get full time employment for several people through this initiative so were psyched, she said. Specifically, the grant money was used to provide hands-on training for Masters Manna clients as well as to ensure this program can be up and operational to get people the assistance they need, Trzcinski said. Lisa Berlinger, an in-house consultant for the organization, said they received the money earlier this spring and used it to help set up a partnership with the Connecticut Food Bank, where Masters Manna clients can get work experience. We have so many different things going on here, there are opportunities to learn all sorts of skills, Trzcinski said. Through Medco, the chamber will use its portion of the funding to conduct a study of the housing needs of two populations in particular: millennials and empty-nesters. Were trying to understand the various forces that appear to be structural changes, different than cyclical changes in the holistic housing market, Moore said. What were wondering is, there appear to be two audiences who are desiring quality and affordable housing. We really want both audiences here, so do we have the inventory here? Were trying to understand how a community can prepare to attract and retain those two audiences. As for the Napier Foundation, its leaders are trying to figure out what the next 60 years will look like. After 60 years, Waas said, were looking at how we can keep moving forward, how we can increase our impact. mcallahan@record-journal.com 203-317-2279 Twitter: @MollCal STAMFORD RBS plans to lay off 21 Stamford-based employees in September, the latest in a series of local job cuts made by the banking firm. The layoffs, which were reported to the state Department of Labor, brings the total reductions this year at RBS Americas headquarters on Washington Boulevard to approximately 150. Affected departments include IT, legal, operations, risk, sales and trading. RBS issued the same statement about the latest layoffs that it did earlier this month when asked by Hearst Connecticut Media about earlier cuts. In line with the strategy to make RBS stronger, simpler and more sustainable, we are reducing the size of the bank to focus on our core customers, products and locations, RBS officials said in a statement. This includes our trading and sales hub in Stamford. It is unclear whether RBS plans further layoffs in Stamford, as the company declined to comment further. The company also declined to answer when asked how many of its employees work in Stamford. The new reductions do not appear to be related to British voters recent Brexit decision to leave the European Union because RBS officials had earlier told the state Labor Department that they would make several rounds of layoffs this year. RBS, short for Royal Bank of Scotland, runs its global headquarters in Edinburgh. Its Americas headquarters has been located in downtown Stamford since 2008. The American hub was previously located on Steamboat Road in Greenwich. RBS Americas is part of RBS Corporate and Institutional Banking, which is a major banker for large corporations, financial institutions and government clients around the world. Other financial-services firms with major operations in Stamford have also reduced their presence in the city. UBS has moved out of the UBS Center across the street on Washington Boulevard to offices within RBS building. Signs for both firms now top the buildings exterior and hang in its lobby. RBS owns the building at 600 Washington Blvd., while UBS leases its space there. RBS still uses most of the structures space. UBS officials have not responded to multiple requests for comment. In an interview earlier this month with Hearst Connecticut Media, Catherine Smith, the states economic and community development commissioner, said that she was disappointed by RBS and UBS downsizing, but remained confident about their long-term commitment to Stamford. I follow those two companies in the announcement of their earnings, and theyve both been under considerable financial stress globally, Smith said. I try to remain in contact with them and stay supportive. Given the earlier layoffs, the latest cuts did not surprise many business leaders in the city. The fact that RBS is laying more people off shows that things havent settled yet in this economy, said Jack Condlin, president and CEO of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce. Were still dealing with the fallout of a bad economy. A message left Friday for Thomas Madden, the citys economic development director, was not immediately returned. RBS shares were trading Friday afternoon at about $5, up almost 3 percent from their closing price Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of approximately $30 billion. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The project has been in the making since 2009, but on Aug. 1, seven years of research, interviews, photo collection will hit shelves in Texas author Jayme Lynn Blaschke's tell-all of the rise and fall of the famed La Grange Chicken Ranch. Blaschke's book Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch:The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse gives what five-term Texas former governor William P. Hobby called "the best account of the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ever written." RELATED: Video: University of Texas Round-Up parade footage from 1949 gives a glimpse at college life then The Chicken Ranch is considered one of the oldest continuously run brothels in the nation, according to the Texas State Historical Association. While illegal, press materials for the release of the book say the whorehouse was "tolerated if not outright embraced" as the "madam" in charge, Madam Edna Milton, purchased an already-successful and established operation from Miss Jessie Williams in 1952. During Williams' time at the helm of the brothel, it became known as the Chicken Ranch because of modifications to prices and payments amid the Great Depression. RELATED: Texas State University yearbook photos show university life through the decades Establishing what the TSHA dubbed the "poultry standard," Williams became flexible with payment options, allowing "one chicken for one screw." After Milton's assumption of the role of madam, she maintained great relations with local law enforcement through daily conversations, the La Grange community through philanthropic contributions from brothel profits and women who worked in Milton's house assuming expenses including weekly doctor visits, laundry bills, chefs and cleaning services. It's believed that the brothel made profits in around $500,000, prior to the consideration of other sales including cigarettes and Coke, the TSHA said. A reporter from a television station in Houston, Marvin Zindler, challenged the brothel's success when he ran a week-long expose about the brothel and asserted it was involved with organized crime. A TxDPS investigation into the brothel found no evidence of such, according to the TSHA. RELATED: Texas State '80s photos show big hair prevailed with Bobcat pride However, facing pressures from local and state law enforcement, the whorehouse was shut down on Aug. 1, 1973. Despite the notoriety of the whorehouse, much misinformation surrounds the history of the house. Blaschke's book, to be released on the 43rd anniversary of the closing of the brothel, looks to set the record straight about the famed whorehouse, which was the inspiration of a Broadway musical and film, "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." "Many people think they know the story of the infamous Chicken Ranch," press materials for the release said. "The reality is more complex, lying somewhere between heartbreaking and absurd." The book may be pre-ordered online through the publisher's website for $24.99. MMedina@mySA.com Twitter: @MariahMedinaaa This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate All across San Antonio, when most of us are still sound asleep, hundreds of others are gathering in parking lots and parks to knock out squats, lunges, sprints and other stuff reminiscent of gym class, all aimed at making them healthier people. Theyre the campers that attend Camp Gladiator, a group-fitness program that won the Express-News Readers Choice award for best Gym/Fitness. Its designed to progressively tax the body so all fitness levels can come out and feel successful, said Madeleine Ebeling, one of two regional directors based here. We just have an amazing culture and an amazing community in San Antonio. The program began after husband-and-wife founders Jeff and Ally Davidson competed on the reality-sport television show American Gladiator. She was the driving force behind the program, which began in Dallas, Ebeling said. In a video on the Camp Gladiator website, Ally Davidson said she felt like the world needed a fitness program that was fun, and went on to create Camp Gladiator, which taps into the concept of group fitness. Campers bring a set or two of dumbbells 5 to 10 pounds for women and 10 to 15 pounds for men along with a mat. Camp Gladiator has spread to 10 regions around the country, including five in Texas. Campers can attend unlimited sessions anywhere theyre held. And since the camps programming follows a progressive four-week schedule which includes a week of speed and agility and a week of high-intensity interval training a camper could visit a location in San Antonio and then Dallas a day later and stay within the same focused programming. All around the nation, we follow the same schedule, Ebeling said. The camp offers its members a positive environment, lots of support and convenience, she said. While there is no typical camper, they all share in celebrating their personal victories whether thats getting a full push up for the first time or competing in the CG Games, the competitive side of Camp Gladiator. For more information, visit campgladiator.com or call 210-563-1775. jbaugh@express-news.net Twitter: @jbaugh SAN ANTONIO Pokemon masters across the Alamo City have been busier than any other group of people across the country when it comes to searching for pocket monsters on Google, according to a real estate website. San Antonio topped the list of cities that had the most internet search volume per capita, according to Google Trends, involving Pokemon, according to Red Fin. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Who killed Mary Badaracco, and will they be held responsible? Connecticut State Police have been vague about the status of an investigation into the Sherman womans disappearance more than 30 years ago as a man once labeled a prime suspect is released from prison. Dominic Badaracco, now 80, was released to a halfway house earlier this month after serving less than half of a seven-year sentence for attempting to bribe a judge for help in influencing a grand jury that was investigating his former wifes death. Mary Badaracco disappeared from the home in Sherman the couple shared in 1984. At the time, Dominic Badaracco claimed his wife left him, and took $100,000 in cash with her. Her daughters disputed that claim, and the case was later ruled a homicide. State Police maintain that the investigation is active and that detectives with the departments Western District Major Crimes division continue to follow any and all leads in the case. But at least one relative said she is concerned about the attention the investigation is receiving. Beth Profeta, who was 20 years old when her mother disappeared, said a meeting that was scheduled last month with the State Police to update her on the investigation and to introduce a new detective who was supposedly assigned to the case, never happened, and with little explanation as to why. I dont know who is involved in the investigation at this point, she said. We were supposed to have a meeting so I could find out whats going on, but it never happened, and I havent heard from anyone since then. But I guess thats justice in Connecticut. Profeta has been fighting to keep her mothers case on the front burner for three decades. Everyone deserves to have someone fight for them, she said. Profeta added she wasnt allowed to speak during a hearing held earlier this year before the state Board of Pardons and Paroles to object to her step-fathers release. They said that he was extremely remorseful, which is an out-and-out lie, she said. I watched the hearing, and he showed no remorse whatsoever. Badaracco was found guilty three yeas ago of offering a $100,000 bribe to state Superior Court Judge Robert Brunetti to influence a one-man grand jury convened in November 2010 looking into Mary Badaracco's disappearance. Brunetti testified that on Nov. 17, 2010, Badaracco telephoned him at his home and told him, "Bobby, I need your help. They've all been subpoenaed for Friday." Brunetti said he responded that there was nothing he could do, and that's when he testified Badaracco told him: "I'm only gonna say this one time, it's worth 100Gs." Badaracco was moved this month from his prison cell to the Renaissance East, a 32-bed work release facility, where he will remain at least until Oct. 12. After that date, he can be released only into the custody of a DOC-approved sponsor, and will remain on parole until 2020. State Police have asked anyone with information about the case contact detectives at 860-626-7900 or text TIP711 with the information to 274637. dperrefort@newstimes.com New, improved hats offered to delegates Members of the New York state delegation showed up at their final breakfast wearing handout hats emblazoned with "Make America Greater Than Ever!" a twist on Donald Trump's campaign motto. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown asked the delegates to wear them to Wells Fargo Center for the last night of the convention. Participation appeared sparse. Lots of thanks yous In his remarks to the breakfast reception, Gov. Andrew Cuomo thanked each state Democratic political group in turn, from the state Assembly's Democratic majority to the congressional delegation. Turning to the Senate's minority conference, whose leader Andrea Stewart-Cousin was sitting down front, he said its members were "in a frustrating position they're not in the majority. ... I can't thank them enough, Senate Democrats." He did not, however, issue any sort of call full- or even quarter-throated for the conference to take over the chamber's majority in the fall. New market in Albany? The New York delegation was based at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, two blocks east of Philadelphia City Hall. It's also a half-block from Reading Terminal Market, a bustling arcade of food stalls and gift stands. Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said a developer had expressed interest in a similar project in Albany's warehouse district. On the Web Visit the Capitol Confidential blog to hear the final episode of the "New York Now" ConventionCast, featuring a conversation with journalists Brigid Bergin of WNYC and Jimmy Vielkind of Politico discussing the New York cross-currents that swept through the Democratic National Convention. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Rev. Katherine G. Alonge-Coons Background: Born in Hudson and raised in Nassau, she received her degree in sociology from Siena College in 1980. She earned a master's from SUNY School of Social Welfare in 1984 while working part time at Catholic Family and Community Services in Troy. She also earned a master's in divinity in 2006 from St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Albany. She has worked full time for Rensselaer County since 1989 in different capacities, most of her career being in delivery and oversight of children's mental health services. In 2013, she was appointed commissioner of the department, which has about 100 employees. She and her husband Earl live in Lansingburgh where they raised their daughters, Melissa, 33, and Grace, 30. She's the pastor of Grace Church in Waterford. When did you decide to be a minister? In the 1990s, I began to think the Lord was calling me toward the ministry. I was quite satisfied in my secular career as well. I have had the pleasure of knowing a gentleman who is a retired priest who did bivocational ministry. I really respected him and embraced the idea of being bivocational. Around 2000, I answered what I believed was a call from the Lord for ordination to the priesthood. It was agreed upon by parish leaders and the bishop. I began my part-time studies at St. Bernard's. It took me six years. I began worshipping at Grace Church in the Waterford Episcopal Parish in 1982. That's where Earl and I were married that year. I've always been active in the parish with different lay ministries. I earn my own living. That is what Saint Paul did. He was a tent maker. Consequently, he did not rely on the church to pay for his expenses. Similarly, I am able to serve a parish that is very small and would not be able to afford a priest. I have no stipend and no benefits. What are your responsibilities at church? I am vicar. I preside at worship services every week, I preach almost every week. I visit the sick and shut-ins. I facilitate Bible study. Last year I launched a youth group. We are linked with other churches with ecumenical work like the Octave of Prayers and the food pantry. I have been part of the Cohoes-Waterford clergy and have helped out every January with Octave of Prayer, which is worship and prayer for Christian unity. I was recently elected to serve in our diocese standing committee and be a delegate to the national Episcopal church convention in 2018 in Texas. I mobilize and empower the laity for ministry. I work with laity to use their gifts to answer God's call, to share the joy of Jesus' example mission work. We now have a deacon at church. She is someone the parish has raised to ministry, the Rev. Denise Moore. This has allowed me to have some support. She has also launched a couple of new ministries at the church, including a women's discipleship and another Bible study opportunity. How has your church reached out to the community? The parish is in the village of Waterford, where we operate a food pantry once a week and people who have fallen upon hard times ask us for help. In 2011, Grace Church helped the flood victims in Waterford from Hurricane Irene. We did a lot of outreach. FEMA reached out to us. I took a temporary leadership role in developing Waterford area long-term recovery. How do roles as a commissioner and a vicar connect? While the church is not in the county where I work, we do end up ministering to people who are living on the fringes, many the same type of people I serve in my regular job: some live in poverty, have disabilities and are struggling. I find both roles rewarding. Each one informs the other. My faith has been a blessing in my call to be a social worker and my professional knowledge has informed my ministry. Azra Haqqie We get in our cars and do a few things routinely: We adjust the seats and mirrors, fasten our seat belts and start the ignition. So here is a modest proposal: In addition to doing all the above, we remove our drivers license from our wallet and slide it into a clear plastic license holder someone will manufacture one when this becomes law affixed to our dashboard or windshield. In this time of sad and sometimes fatal tension between police and our communities, the black community in particular, anything that might help defuse potentially explosive confrontations is worth trying. Philando Castile, 32, was shot during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul, Minn. earlier this month. While reaching for his wallet to produce his license, he was shot four times and killed. His girlfriend, whose video of her dying boyfriend flashed the horror of the situation around the world, had told the officer that he was in possession of a firearm and had a concealed carry permit. That no doubt caused a seismic shift in the atmosphere. But if thered been no need to reach for anything, there might very well have been a different outcome. It was not the first time, and wont be the last time, that in those tense moments at the start of a traffic stop, a driver reaching into a place the officer cant see, is going to understandably ratchet up the tension. In 2014, in South Carolina, as evidenced by yet another video available on the internet, a man was stopped by police for driving without a seat belt. He stepped out of his pick-up truck. The officer told him to produce his license. The man reached into the back seat, and, once again, all hell broke loose. The officer fired four shots. If the license and depending on the requirements of a particular state, a registration card and proof of insurance is in plain view, at least one layer of anxiety would be peeled back from the potential peril on both sides of what should be a routine matter. A driver can keep his hands in plain sight on the steering wheel, if so instructed and at least the issue of the license has come and gone. Now, thats not to say there still cant be trouble. Maybe an outstanding warrant pops up. But one element of danger is eliminated. One of the most instructive nights of my life was spent from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the back seat of a Bridgeport patrol car on a steamy summer Friday night. From the mundane, to the bizarre, to the bloody including a shooting and a beating to the perilous, cops walking with guns drawn into the pitch black alleyway behind an apartment building on the citys East Side, cops never know what theyre going to come face-to-face with on a shift. We ask them to make split-second decisions. And one of those gut-tensing situations is when a driver reaches where a cop cant see. Sure, there are bad cops there are bad editors, priests and teachers, too and there are bad guys and girls. Thats never going to change. But I think this modest proposal might ease the tensions, if only a bit. Michael J. Daly is editor of the editorial page of the Connecticut Post. Email: mdaly@ctpost.com. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK Even as libraries move away from their original mission and see the number of staff and patrons drop, an industrialists gift more than a century ago continues to benefit area communities, including Norwalk. Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune in mining and steel, grew up a poor messenger boy in Pittsburg with a passion for reading. He was too poor to afford books as a child so when he reached his fortune, he felt the best gift a community could have was a free library. Carnegie began giving money away for library buildings in 1883 in Pennsylvania and Scotland, the two places he had spent the majority of his childhood. Norwalk Public Library got wind of Carnegies charity work and applied for a grant for a new library building. In 1901, Carnegie granted Norwalk $20,000 which would create the first Carnegie library in Connecticut. The library was built in 1902 in an English Elizabethan style, just in time for the 250th anniversary of Norwalks founding. More for you Victorian-era libraries thrive in digital age As South Norwalk began to separate from Norwalk into its own community, it too requested its own grant and received another $20,000 from Carnegie in 1908. The city sold its current library and began construction on the corner of Washington and Franklin Streets. When Carnegie died in 1919, he had provided funds for 1,689 libraries to be built worldwide. Eleven were built in Connecticut, and still operate today. As of now, Norwalk still has two Carnegie libraries in use, the front portion of the main library on Belden Avenue and the front portion of the South Norwalk library. The main library was renovated in 1982 and Library Director Chris Bradley said the renovation was not kind to the character of the building, with the central staircase being removed and walls put up for individual rooms. The South Norwalk renovation in 2006 was very different. They were much more respectful to the old building, Bradley said. Since the main library renovation, the directors office has been redone as the Carnegie Room. The Friends of the Norwalk Library, a nonprofit, volunteer organization that sponsors library activities, insisted the room be called that to honor Carnegie himself. A portrait of the benefactor hangs on the wall and windows overlook the heart of the downtown. Bradley said it would be nice to restore some of the old grandeur that was sacrificed during the renovation and would like to see the Carnegie room become a public reading area. Wouldnt it be a lovely area for a reading room or a music program? asked Bradley. We dont have any nice spaces in our library. A little elegance wouldnt be such a bad thing. Library cardholders can learn more about the history of Norwalks Carnegie Libraries in the book Norwalks Carnegie Libraries: The History of Two Public Libraries, Two Cities, and One Connecticut Town, by Isabel Bullen. Carnegie also provided $3,400 to the Derby Neck Library in 1907 that allowed the library to have its own building and $50,000 to both the original East Branch and North Branch libraries in Bridgeport in 1914. Neither structure is still in use as a library. Earlier this month, the plight of many libraries in the digital age was underscored in Bridgeport, where Mayor Joe Ganim sought to cut seven positions from city libraries, a move some said would endanger the citys entire public library system. The pink slips were motivated by budget constraints, a Ganim spokesman said. After an outcry, the library layoffs were rescinded. But the Derby Neck Library is above the political fray, funded almost entirely by endowments, director Ian Parsells said. The Derby Public Library, a mile away, is funded mostly through taxes. Were one of the last Carnegie libraries to have a fireplace, Parsells said. Its a nice feature, but they went to boilers right after that. South Norwalks Carnegie library also has a fireplace, but it has been decommissioned. For all his generosity, Carnegie had a bit of a checkered past, being blamed for one of the most violent labor strikes, in 1892 at the Homestead steel mill he owned in Pennsylvania. Parsells said Derby Neck staff will discuss Carnegies disdain for unions and the sometimes violent means he used to oppose them but only if they are asked. Out of respect, we dont bring up his past ourselves, the director said. Carnegie also had a lot to do with the way the American library system developed differently than ones in Europe, which often required membership fees. It was a bit elitist there but in America libraries are open to everyone, the Derby Neck director said. And you can use your library card anywhere in Connecticut. WESTPORT When director Connor Einarsen pitched a noir, heist film for his brother, Carson, to write in December, his brother jumped at the idea and wrote the script for An Inconsistent Story in Stealing. The siblings, who grew up in Westport, attended Staples High School and went on to study the art of making movies at the university level, Connor at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., and Carson at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Three years ago, the movie-making duo made Ryan Hood, a 60-minute film shot in Westport over the span of six days and brought to fruition with the backing of the community. Shooting Ryan Hood was one of the most fun things weve ever done. It was just a blast, Connor Einarsen said. Around Westport, Westport locations, Westport actors, just with help from the community and we were like, well, lets do that again. With that same mind-set, the brothers teamed up with the Westport Public Library to make their no-budget feature film. They will be the librarys makers-in-residence for the month of August and expect to complete shooting over the first three weeks of the month. An Inconsistent Story in Stealing is a 100-minute, neonoir heist film, where a thief gets dragged back to the town she hates in order to find something she stole. The movie itself is really about a girl who doesnt know what to do with her life, and a lot of it deals with characters who are chasing after something that isnt exactly what they want, its what someone else wants, which is something people deal with a lot nowadays, Einarsen said. You dont have to know exactly what to do. The movie is a heavy undertaking, as it has 17 recurring speaking roles, filmed at over 40 locations, with a third of the shots taking place at night. I have never done anything this ambitious before, Einarsen said. These are all things that you just would not do on a no-budget feature, ever. Its written like were being produced in a studio, added cinematographer Jack Gibson. G oing forward, Einarsen said they are in the process of rehearsing with actors so everyone has a certain level of comfort before shooting. They are also figuring out all of the different shots for the film, creating shot lists and rehearsing the camera movements. The movie will have around 300 shots and is expected to be screened in October. What we love about making movies is how fun it is, Einarsen said. Whats really nice about working in a town like Westport is a lot of people, once they hear about working on a movie, think of ways that they can help. @chrismmarquette /cmarquette@bcnnew.com Salt Lake City Planned Parenthood Association of Utah won't give out condoms in packages borrowing a well-known Mormon phrase. The pink-and-white wrappers were meant as a playful safe-sex reminder for Latter-day Saints, the group said. But critics say it was distasteful to feature the phrase "CTR" or "Choose the Right," which the church uses to guide Mormon youngsters toward good decisions. "Our intent was never to offend," Planned Parenthood Association of Utah wrote Wednesday on its Facebook page, "but to use the idea of 'choosing the right' to spark open, honest conversations about sexual health and contraception. We strive to be sensitive to our community." The acronym CTR is a registered trademark owned by the Mormon church, spokeswoman Kristen Howey said in a statement. "We have not given Planned Parenthood permission to use it." Utah's Planned Parenthood office created a few hundred CTR condoms to hand out at the 2016 Salt Lake Summer Symposium of Sunstone Magazine, a series of discussions on Mormon faith and culture. But the group says it doesn't want to distract from the event or its own overall message of safe sex. On Facebook, some condemned the campaign on Planned Parenthood's page. "This is awful, and very distasteful," one critic wrote. "Come up with your own symbols and leave the church's alone." Others defended the condoms. "It's clever and harmless," wrote another commenter. "Anybody who's offended already hates PP with a passion, so I doubt you're losing any measurable amount of support." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches members to abstain from sex until marriage. But the Utah-based faith has not taken a side on the use of birth control among married couples, leaving it up to families. A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman said Wednesday that only CEO Karrie Galloway could comment, citing the group's policy, and that Galloway could not be reached because she was raveling. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in Denver ruled that the state must continue to pass $272,000 in federal funding through to the national organization's Utah affiliate, which had sued the state. The court wrote in its decision that Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's order for the state to drop Planned Parenthood's federal contracts was made in an attempt to "punish" the local affiliate after hidden-camera videos were released alleging that national Planned Parenthood clinics were acting illegally. It has been reported that the U.S. is expanding a program to admit a substantial amount of Central American refugees to the United States. At the same time, it has been charged that there are proposals to admit 500,000 Syrian refugees to the United States next year. Has our government ever considered requesting the 20-member Spanish speaking nations of South and Central America, from where these refugees come from, to do their part? In fact it would be a lot cheaper for us to help subsidize this program for the host countries than to admit them. Theres nothing quite as defeating as that moment you chance upon an interesting, sophisticated article that perfectly captures how you feel about a given topic, only to find it fall on deaf ears and unwilling eyes after you share it with friends. Thanks to the Rowayton Library, you wont have to experience that feeling any longer. The library will host its latest installation of its New Yorker discussion group on Thursday, Aug. 4. Join your fellow news junkies in a lively discussion about news events, contemporary culture, cuisine, profiles, fiction, humor and the political scene centered around articles from the New Yorker magazine. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot at rowaytonlibrary.wufoo.com/forms/snd1olp0vdfy0t/. You can check to see what the assigned readings from the Aug. 1 issue are at rowayton.org/the-new-yorker-discussion-group-facilitated-by-diana-b-loevy-3/. EAST NORWALK It can happen anywhere at home, the movies or even at work if you witness someone choking, will you be able to jump into action or will you be stuck standing there wishing that you had taken the time to learn a maneuver that could save a life. Dare to be a hero and attend Norwalk Recreation and Parks free Hands for Life hands-only CPR and AED training on Wednesdays at Calf Pasture Beach prior to the start of the concerts. The next available tutorials will be held on Aug. 3 and 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. All ages are welcome to participate in this Hands For Life event. Rain date is the following day. For more information, call 203-854-7806. WEST NORWALK As the doldrums of August start to give way to the nip and chill of September, college-age students must ready themselves for the rapid approach of yet another year of school. Local community college students can get a head start on shaking off those summer cobwebs when Norwalk Community College hosts its latest Super Saturday Registration Blitz on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the East Campus atrium. The event provides registrants the opportunity to meet with academic and financial advisers and register for fall classes on the spot. Also in attendance will be the schools president, David Levinson, to help students choose courses and plan their future. No appointments are necessary. The colleges fall classes begin Monday, Aug. 29. For additional advising and registration dates, go to norwalk.edu/default.asp. CRANBURY With its long, lively days and its frantic, fun-fueled nights, the summer is perhaps the perfect backdrop for Shakespeares more frolicking plays. No play does this hold truer for than his classic comedy, A Midsummer Nights Dream. Come watch as this comedic romp plays out in the vicinity of the scenic Cranbury Park on Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Carriage House Arts Center in Norwalk. General admission is free with a suggested donation of $20. Proceeds will benefit SAFER, which strengthens student-led movements to combat sexual and interpersonal violence in campus communities. Learn more at: safercampus.org/. You can reserve tickets by emailing: lipsticktickets@gmail.com. Do you have any questions? For answers, email info@lipstickprojectct.org. Share your neighborhood news To share your community and neighborhood news with The Hour, contact staff writer Pat Tomlinson at 203-354-1046, or at ptomlinson@thehour.com. LAKE GEORGE - People were taken into custody Friday in connection with the boat crash on Lake George that killed a 9-year-old girl and injured her mother, according to the Warren County Sheriff's Office. It was not clear if Alexander West, the local man who allegedly drove his boat over another craft in Lake George Monday, was among those in custody. Believing that its time for a change, Jeanette Snyder has decided to run for commissioner representing District 1. I believe we need good representation for our area. I have the time and energy to put into the position as Im not currently working a full-time position outside of the home. I want to be an advocate for District 1 while working together with the other commissioners to make the best ethical decisions for Midland County, said Snyder, who currently serves as Edenville Township deputy treasurer. The Aug. 2 primary will see Snyder facing incumbent and fellow Republican, Al Kloha. The winner then faces either Heather McLaughlin or Connie Methner, both Democrats, to represent the district that covers Warren, Edenville, Geneva and Jerome townships. I thank Al for his service but I do believe it is time for someone fresh that will get in and out of the community researching things thoroughly. I have the time, energy and experience to put into the position so I believe I am the best choice out of the four running. I am willing to serve our district, which I believe some folks that get elected arent truly willing to serve people, she said. This is the second time Snyder has sought a position on the county board. After the death of former commissioner Howard Schoenherr in 2012, Snyder was one of six residents who filed to replace him. At that time, the board chose Nicolas Finley. I believe you get a lot done by listening, Snyder said. I am an active volunteer in our community and in my church. Im vice president of the Sanford Lake Association. I believe we live in a wonderful community and I would be happy to serve to keep it that way. Snyder previously worked at The Dow Chemical Co. for approximately 15 years. I have left Dow three times, once to try other things, once when I had my children and just recently in a downsizing in 2015. Its a great company, I may go back, but for now Im more active volunteering and with my family, said the mother of two, an 11-year-old and 13-year-old. If elected, Snyders top priorities would be health and safety while balancing the budget. One thing she would not do is transfer road patrol officers to work in the county jail. I need to look at the budget and see what we can do to massage it. But I believe we need to hire new additional officers for the jail. I understand we are looking at our loan on the jail and change some items there for a cost savings, she said. Solving the meth problem in the county would take a combination of listening and research. Ive heard our prosecutor has some good programs he is spearheading and the police department has some ideas as well. I would like to give them my support in what they need to do to attack this problem head on. As commissioner you will see me supporting folks who are on the front lines serving to keep us all safe, she said. Besides serving as deputy treasurer, Snyder holds a dual bachelors degree in marketing/management from Northwood University, which gives her a strong financial background. I have a wealth of experience in finance. It is just something Im good at, she said. Although the economy is recovering, Snyder still believes that more can be done, especially in the area of decreasing regulations. I believe in helping businesses succeed in Midland and one way is by less regulations. Ive talked with some local business owners and they have some amazing input in this area. Again the information is there, the commissioners need to go get it, talk with folks, a lot of them already have done the research and are bright individuals who really need a commissioners support in what they want to get done at the county level, Snyder said. Wanda buys out leading movie website for $280m From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-07-29 11:21 Zeng Maojun (left), president of Wanda Cinema Line, shakes hands with Hou Kaiwen, the founder and CEO of Mtime.com. Wanda has bought out Mtime for $280 million on July 27, 2016. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] Wanda Cinema Line announced on Wednesday that it is buying another great asset for $280 million, Mtime.com, the biggest Chinese movie website that provides film news, ticketing, merchandise, an online community and film ratings. Wanda was a 20 percent shareholder of the movie website last year but it has now bought the website and plans to build it into an international platform to provide film marketing and media services. Mtime.com's brand and original management will remain and the website will operate independently. Hou Kaiwen will remain as the CEO of Mtime.com. Mtime.com, a platform for movie fans, was trying to survive by transforming itself from an information provider to a merchandise seller, leading the currently immature film merchandise market that China film industry has been trying to nurture. Mtime.com received licenses to sell official merchandise products from major Hollywood studios such as Disney, Sony, Warner Bros, Paramount, Universal and 20th Century Fox before the Wanda acquisition. Wanda wants Mtime to be the portal of its online strategy and to expand its online ticketing market share. Wanda is also exploring the merchandise market as it has already sold merchandise products for "Warcraft," a film produced by Wanda-owned Legendary Pictures, for more than 100 million yuan in China thus far. Related: Chinese film 'Bitter Money' to compete at Venice film fest 'Store' from online novel brought to life Master playwright's small-town experiment From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-07-29 15:21 Playwright Stan Lai speaks to media at his hotel after the performance, June 28, 2016.[Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily] Hidden along a modest alley and atop a crude concrete step, the unassuming doors to the Huichang county theatre swing open. Wide-eyed locals pour in and quickly fill the available seats - many are about to watch their first play, ever. Its hardly a fitting scene for a production by Asia's greatest playwright. But Stan Lai wouldn't be anywhere else. "It's absolutely amazing to perform here," Lai told chinadaily.com.cn on Thursday, after the final dress rehearsal for his iconic play Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, on the eve of it showing at the annual Huichang tourism and cultural festival in southeast China's Jiangxi province. "It's a place that would never see theatre like this ... never see the same level of theatre you can see in Beijing or Shanghai. "And the touring groups like our's would never come here. Not a possibility, ever. "Except for us." Why? It's the birthplace of Lai's father. Stars of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land perform heir last dress rehearsal at the Huichang theatre, June 28, 2016.[Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily] A man who - to his son's perennial amazement - learned perfect English, became a scholar and moved to the US, starting a family as a Washington-based diplomat. He emerged from the confines of a county which is yet to pull some 47,000 residents - or one in ten - out of poverty. "I always wanted to do something for my father's hometown and so to me this is sort of like, a social experiment," Lai said. "I'm seeing what's going to happen to this town after five years of constant theatre coming from me, every year. "I'm sure there's going to be a definite change and a definite advantage this town will have over thousands of other towns like it in China." Lai concedes it won't have a huge impact on Huichang's overarching problems - he'll leave that to local officials, who've pledged to promote tourism and fund industry. Instead, the US-born, Taiwanese playwright wants to give hope and perspective to young residents of a county lacking in opportunity. "It's how culture advances people. What is their future? What are they thinking of as they progress in life? Do they want to go to the big cities, or stay in town?" Lai said. "This is something that really excites me - the fact we can make a difference, not just in the cities but in the towns." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It's hard to get people to talk individually about Antonio and Dawn Armstrong. It's not "he" or "she" but "they" almost instinctively. It's because that's how the couple lived their life, as "we," relatives and friends said. Antonio Armstrong, a Kashmere High School graduate who became a Texas A&M University All-American and briefly played in the NFL, led an entrepreneurial family of five that included his wife and three children. The parents, both 42, were solid members of the community who operated a small chain of local fitness centers. He also was the assistant pastor at a Gulfton-area congregation where his mother presides. That cohesion was shattered early Friday morning when the couple's teen son allegedly opened fire inside their southwest Houston townhouse. Bullets flew and hit his mom and dad. She perished at the scene. Antonio Armstrong died hours later after transport to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition. All day Friday, friends and admirers expressed grief and surprise on the personal Facebook pages of Antonio and Dawn Armstrong. Loved ones started a growing memorial outside the couple's business headquarters in Bellaire with posters that read "Be Strong" and "Power of Prayer" amid bouquets of daisies and hydrangeas. Dawn Armstrong's second cousins, Vaun Lee and Clifton Downing, visited the floral tribute outside that gym on Friday afternoon, and both described their lost loved ones as pillars of the community. "Her and Antonio together, they were what they call a power couple a power team. When they unified, they began to make things happen 20-odd years ago," Lee said. "They are the family that everyone wanted to be like." Lee added that the pair were good parents who had "great" relationships with their offspring. According to public records and social media, the children include two sons, 16 and 20, and a younger daughter. "They kept them busy and they supported them in everything that they did. There was not any mark that they missed with their children," Lee said. "There was nothing that even could possibly have justified this situation. This doesn't even make sense." Downing, who calls his cousin "Dawn Renee," received the news early Friday via a phone call from his mother. "We get together every year at Christmas time," he said. "They're just great people. They're the rocks of our family." Houston police were sent to the 5300 block of Palmetto near Mapleridge around 1:30 a.m. Friday following reports of gunshots. Jimmy Dodson, a Houston Police Department homicide investigator, said authorities were trying to piece together what sparked the gunfire. Officers found no forced entry at the home. Two of the couple's children, who were at home at the time of the shooting, were not hurt. Dodson described the father as a "hard-working bread-winner" and said there appeared to be no friction in the household. "It was kind of an all-American family," the investigator said. The teen was placed in juvenile custody. The former college athlete was remembered fondly by R.C. Slocum, the head football coach at A&M from 1989 to 2002. "Antonio was a special young man. He was an All-American and an outstanding player, but he was an even better person," Slocum said in a statement released Friday afternoon by the university. "He was such a positive influence on his teammates. He always had a great big smile and was a joy to coach." Armstrong lettered for the Aggies from 1991 to 1994 and received Defensive Player of the Game honors in the 1994 Cotton Bowl. Current A&M Head Football Coach Kevin Sumlin also sent condolences. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Antonio Armstrong and his family, his old teammates and the entire Aggie family," he said in a statement. "Our strength coach Larry Jackson was a teammate of Antonio's and thought the world of him. This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts are broken." Antonio Armstrong extended his experience as a professional athlete to his business and to the Internet. This month, he founded a personal YouTube channel "Strong Talk" and began posting brief personal empowerment speeches. Words from his introductory video may offer comfort to those who are grieving now. "Through the healing process, you are strengthened," he said. "Life is about being happy and I hope that through these talks, you can take your own personal pains your own personal disappointments and find strength in it so you can be the best you that you can be." His final video was posted on his Facebook page around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, just about two hours before police were called to his residence. The 54-second snippet offers these words of encouragement and hope: "Remember this: You can never allow your talent to take you some place that your character cannot keep you. ... We spend too much time looking in the rearview mirror instead of dealing with that large window that's in front of us." He also reached out to high-school athletes who aspired to reach the big time, just as he did in the late 1980s and early 1990s at Kashmere. The Chronicle covered Armstrong in February 2015 when he delivered his "Tournament of Life" speech to 90 Houston Independent School District student-athletes on national signing day. The former linebacker was San Francisco's sixth-round pick in the 1995 NFL draft who watched his football life end and real life begin with a career-ending injury. He signed to the National Football League's Miami Dolphins in October 1995 and appeared in four games that season. He played in the Canadian Football League from 1998 to 2001. "Hard times can't stop you, because you've got a mind to think your way out of things," Armstrong told the youngsters. The Armstrongs were pillars at Spirit and Life Kingdom Center in southwest Houston, where the church color is a sunny shade of yellow and is led by Antonio Armstrong's mother, Pastor Kay Shorter. In an Facebook tribute on Mother's Day in May, he praised her for keeping him when she became pregnant as a young teen. "My then 14-year-old mother SAW ME AS A LIFE AND NOT A CHOICE!!!" he wrote, after offering bullet points on some highlights of his 42 years and 18 years of marriage: "3 Children, Assistant Pastor, Entrepreneur, Community Leader, Mentor, Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, NFL Player, All American."The Armstrongs' family-run athletic, fitness and wellness company 1st Class Training Inc. has three locations in the Houston area According to the web site, the couple's oldest son, 20-year-old Josh, was a front office worker for the business. Dawn Renee Whitely Armstrong belongs to a family from Atchison, Kansas that moved to the Houston area when she was a young girl. "Her parents raised her very well," Lee said. "She never had an unkind word to say to anybody. She saw the positive in every situation. She was very encouraging." Dawn Armstrong's autopsy was completed Friday, according to a spokeswoman for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. A cause and manner of death has not been released. The agency received a call about her husband's death around 6 p.m. Friday. Funeral arrangements are pending, according to a news release issued late Friday from A&M Athletics. Dale Lezon, Brian T. Smith and Mike Glenn contributed to this report. Texas health officials on Friday entered into an enforcement agreement with Blue Bell Creameries, penalizing the company $175,000 for last year's listeria outbreak. The agreement requires Blue Bell to continue practices mandated by the Department of State Health Services last year, such as holding each lot of ice cream until tests for pathogens come back negative. If the company fails to abide by the agreement during the next 18 months, the department can tack on another $675,000 in fines. AUSTIN The two candidates in the Texas House District 120 special runoff failed to file their latest campaign finance reports by the Monday deadline, according to the Texas Ethics Commission. Democrat Lou Miller and Independent Laura Thompson were required to file a report covering fundraising and spending for July 1-22 on July 25, eight days before the Aug. 2 election. Thompson declined to comment but after an inquiry from the Express-News, she sent an email Friday afternoon saying she had filed the report. The ethics commission confirmed it was filed at 1 p.m. Friday. For his part, Miller chalked up the missed deadline to a mistake, given the close proximity to the last filing period. He said he would look into it. In the earlier report due July 15, covering April 28 through June 30, Thompson said she had $200 on hand. Miller reported having about $1,507. According to the commissions website, reports must be filed even if there is no activity during the reporting period. The minimum late-filing penalty for a runoff report is $500. Friday is the last day of early voting for the election, which is expected to draw about 1,000 voters. The winner will hold the seat just until the legislative session starts in January. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins is running uncontested in the November general election; the winner of the general election will serve a regular two-year term starting in January. eleanordearman@express-news This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Former city council members Roel and Rogelio Mata became the latest Crystal City defendants to plead guilty to federal charges stemming from a three-year investigation of public corruption. The brothers were among six people indicted early this year as FBI agents conducted a predawn raid on the city located 130 miles south of San Antonio, making arrests and seizing city documents. Roel, 44, and Rogelio, 43, each pleaded guilty in federal court in Del Rio Thursday to one count of bribery. Sentencing has not been set. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison plus fines and monetary judgments. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, the defendants admitted to using their official positions to enrich themselves by soliciting and accepting cash bribes from people seeking to do business in Crystal City. In June, Ngoc Tri Nguyen, a North Texas businessman who operated an eight-liner parlor in Crystal City, pleaded guilty to bribing a city official in exchange for favors. He is set to be sentenced in November. The related cases of three other former city officials, Mayor Ricardo Lopez, City Manager James Jonas III and Councilman Gilbert Urrabazo, remain unresolved. The central figure in the corruption case is Jonas, who was charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery. Jonas, was a down-on-his luck lobbyist when he surfaced in Crystal City in 2012 as its new city attorney. He later also became city manager, earning $216,000 a year and deep resentment in the low-income city of 7,500 residents. The other city officials were each charged with a single count of conspiracy and a single county of bribery. Their arrests in February and subsequent ousters from the council ended a long-running political crisis in Crystal City. Since then, residents have elected a new mayor and three new council members. Urrabazo is set to appear before U.S. District Judge Alia Moses on Aug. 25, apparently to make a plea, while Jonas and Lopez are set for trial on Nov. 15 in Del Rio. jmaccormack@express-news.net China launches Asian-African Youth Festival to promote Bandung Spirit From:chinadaily.com.cn | 2016-07-29 16:21 Chinese President Xi Jinping called on young people from Asia and Africa to strive for the rejuvenation of the two continents under the guidance of the Bandung Spirit on Thursday. He made the remarks in a congratulatory message to the opening ceremony of the first Asian-African Youth Festival held in Beijing. Xi proposed to hold an Asian-African youth festival last year when attending the Asian-African Summit and activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia. The Bandung Spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation is a product of the Asian-African Conference in 1955, also known as the Bandung Conference. The Bandung Spirit has played a major role in advancing Asian-African cooperation and pushing international relations towards the correct direction, Xi said. He urged Asian and African countries to strengthen their unity and deepen their cooperation, so as to better serve the people of the two continents. Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech to 600 young delegates from 36 Asian and African countries. Li expressed the hope that young people from Asian and African countries would become a new force for Asian-African friendship and cooperation, and jointly create a bright future for the two continents. He called on young people to foster a keen sense of community of shared destiny and strive for building a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at its core, safeguarding the rights and interests of developing nations. T he Belt and Road Initiative has provided a platform to encourage innovation and start-up businesses among young people, he said. Li expressed the hope that Asian and African youths will strengthen communication and mutual learning, carry forward the traditional friendship between the two peoples and create a new culture of cooperation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO Three people accused of neglecting or injuring children were indicted on a slew of charges this week, the Bexar County District Attorney announced Friday. Porucha Phillips, 34, Deandre Dorch, 36, and Cheryl Reed, 30, were formally charged Thursday for their alleged roles in abuse of eight children, some of whom were found tied up with a dog chain and leash in a backyard, while others were left unattended at a home in the Camelot II subdivision on the Northeast Side on April 28. RELATED: Sheriff: 8 children rescued, woman arrested after 'horrific' abuse discovered at San Antonio home Reed, who was in California when authorities discovered the children, is the mother of the two toddlers a girl, 3, and a boy, 4 who were tied up in the backyard. The additional six children, ranging in age from 10 months to 10 years old and belonging to Phillips were found inside the home at 8105 Chipping Drive around 11:45 p.m. after a neighbor called 911. "It's sickening," Bexar County Sheriff's Office spokesman James Keith said at the time. "To call this horrific would be an understatement. If it wasn't for our deputies and this caller who tipped us off, we know that this could have had an even worse outcome." MORE: Toddlers found tied up now eating like they have never seen food, their attorney reports Reed came to San Antonio after being tracked down by authorities in the days after the arrest of Phillips, who was left in charge of Reed's children, was arrested. Dorch, the father of some of the children inside the home and Phillip's common-law husband, turned himself in in May. His charges stem from a separate incident, police have said. "The trio were all friends who had recently moved from California," according the the Bexar County District Attorney. The two children who were tied up were hospitalized but have been released to state custody. kparker@mysa.com Twitter: @KoltenParker A man allegedly attempting to smuggle $800,000 worth of drugs through Texas Wednesday recklessly drove the marijuana-laden vehicle into the Rio Grande to escape Border Patrol agents, according to a press release from Customs and Border Protection. Agents in Harlingen saw a minivan loaded with drugs driving away from the river and when the agents approached, the driver of the minivan turned around and sped south plunging into the Rio Grande, the release said. The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested a man in Kerrville Tuesday who had been on the run for felony charges out of South Texas since 1998. Danny Lee Craig, 45, had been living under the alias Skylor Craig for the past 18 years and was taken into custody without incident with the help of DPS Highway Patrol troopers, a news release issued Thursday said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 20-year-old man is dead after he was shot just outside of his apartment complex Thursday evening on the Northwest Side. Isaac Orozco was pronounced dead at 10:09 p.m. Thursday at University Hospital after being shot in the wrist. San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Steve Almanza said a man in his early 20s was returning from a restaurant and pulling into a parking space when a black SUV pulled up behind him at the Verdant Westover Hills apartments at 1530 N.W. Crossroads. One person, who has yet to be identified, exited the black SUV and fired two shots from a semi-automatic handgun, Almanza said. Police said the victim was hit once in the wrist and began knocking on doors in the breezeway for help, as a witness ran in the opposite direction and the SUV fled. Images of the SUV and the person exiting the vehicle could be seen on surveillance footage, police said. Residents who came out after hearing the shots said another person was standing over the shooting victim saying stay with me, as he bled. The witnesses added that the complex was quiet as many people continued walking about the complex just after the shooting. Police said the bullet may have traveled in the victims body after hitting him in the wrist, noting that the investigation into the death is ongoing. Detectives were working late Thursday to determine a motive for the shooting. Staff writer Tyler White contributed to this report. jbeltran@express-news.net While many have their special occasion go-to outfit, the Polk County Sheriff's office has their mini-fleet of personalized Humvees. Polk County Lieutenant Mark Jones said the sheriff's office had three Humvees donated to their office by El Paso's Fort Bliss through the Texas 1033 Military Surplus Property Program. Although the vehicles are used for parades and educational presentations at schools, Jones said the vehicles have their emergency uses including high-water rescues that are difficult to get to with regular patrol cars. Hillary Clinton made history on Thursday night when she accepted the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. As she spoke at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, many on Twitter rallied behind the historic moment, but she continued to have a wealth of critiques. Among the critics was Republican nominee Donald Trump. An armed robbery suspect was pulled from a burning vehicle by Fort Worth police officers earlier this month following a high-speed chase that resulted in a car crash. The car chase, which occurred July 16, had vehicles involved going more than 100 mph on Interstate 35, with a silver sedan with three men inside. They were being sought after by police for allegedly conducting an armed robbery at a location on Avington Way, according to WFAA. Mild-mannered San Antonio Congressman Lamar Smith faced some solid stiff-arming this week from the attorneys general of Massachusetts and New York. Two weeks ago, Smith, chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, sent extraordinary subpoenas to both attorneys general. He demanded that they turn over any and all correspondence, emails and other records concerning their staffs communications with environmental organizations in connection with an investigation into Exxon Mobil. Tuesday, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman told Smith they had no intention of complying. Both attorneys general are investigating allegations that as early as 25 years ago, Exxon scientists knew and even published scientific papers acknowledging the role of fossil fuels in promoting possibly catastrophic climate change. Yet the corporation reportedly cut its research budget in the 1990s and started doling out millions to so-called think tanks and other organizations engaged in climate change denial. For example, according to a spokesman for the Chicago-based Heartland Institute, Exxon Mobil gave the self-described nonprofit research organization $736,500 between 1998 and 2006. A little bit about the Heartland Institute: Before taking up climate change denial, the Heartland Institute mainly focused on denying problems with Big Tobacco. A fun footnote: San Antonian Jeff Judson, who ran against Texas Rep. and House Speaker Joe Straus this year, served on the Heartland board of directors for years. He is still listed on its website as a senior fellow. The seriousness of Heartlands research and scientific discourse may be judged by its 2012 billboard argument against climate change. The billboard featured a photo of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski with the message: I still believe in Global Warming. Do you? The New York and Massachusetts attorneys general are investigating whether Exxon, later Exxon Mobil, misled the public and their investors by downplaying the consequences of gasoline and other carbon fuels, despite the evidence presented by their own scientists. Exxon Mobil has denied the charge. The great irony here is that weve acknowledged the risks of climate change for more than a decade, have supported a carbon tax as the better policy option, and spent more than $7 billion on research and technologies to reduce emissions, a spokesman told the New York Times. But the potential parallel to the tobacco companies, which were found to have lied about the harms of tobacco despite what their scientists told them, must concern Exxon Mobil. Lawsuits by states led to $246 billion in judgments against tobacco companies. Smith denies he is riding to Exxon Mobils rescue. He has accused the attorneys general of hiding their coordination with environmental groups. He said these groups seek to act under the color of law to persuade attorneys general to use their prosecutorial powers to stifle scientific discourse, intimidate private entities and individuals, and deprive them of their First Amendment rights and freedoms. Exxon Mobil, like tobacco companies before it, argue that its public statements on scientific matters are protected by the First Amendment. The attorneys general have responded that speech is protected, but fraud isnt. Ironically, Smiths accusation that the states investigations are intended to stifle scientific discourse echoes charges made against Smith himself. Last year, Smith geared up a committee investigation, including massive subpoenas, of scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after they published a paper in the Journal Science rejecting the notion that global warming has slowed. Smith said a couple of whistle-blowers said the study was rushed for political reasons. To the scientists and some of Smiths colleagues, the subpoenas were a fishing expedition and an act of intimidation. Apparently for Smith, scientists are suspect. Corporations arent. This column first appeared as the Last Word on KLRNs Texas Week with Rick Casey. The program appears Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump I cant believe I wrote those words gave a news conference Wednesday. Shall we first count the outrages or the lies? I think we need to start at the top of the outrage column. Asked about the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails, which many experts believe was carried out by agents of the Russian government, Trump speculated that Russia might also have hacked into Hillary Clintons private email server. Then he asked the Russians to release any deleted emails they might have found there. Trump looked directly into the television cameras and said, Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. You read that right. The man one of our two major parties has nominated for president just encouraged cyber espionage by an adversarial foreign power against a former U.S. secretary of state. Weve become almost numb to Trumps wild and irresponsible declarations because there are so many of them. But this one, for me, was jaw-dropping. Fortunately, FBI Director James Comey said in his Capitol Hill testimony that there is no evidence Clintons server was ever hacked by anyone. There is plenty of evidence, however, that Russia is behind the DNC hack, according to widespread news reports quoting U.S. cybersecurity officials. This did not seem to bother Trump in the least, nor did the release of hacked emails embarrassing to the Democratic National Committee on the eve of the convention. He reveled in the disclosures with undisguised glee. Whats the deal with Trump and the Russkies? He said he has never met Vladimir Putin, but once again he betrayed his man-crush on the Russian leader, saying he had better leadership qualities than President Barack Obama. Trump denied he had business interests in Russia though it is known that he earned millions from staging his Miss Universe pageant there and was vague about any possible involvement Russian oligarchs might have in Trump-related projects. Of course, it would be possible to know a lot more if Trump would release his tax returns, but he still wont. Thats the second outrage. All recent presidential nominees have released at least some tax returns the actual returns, not cobbled-together summaries. (George W. Bush released only his Form 1040.) Trump claims he cannot release his because he is being audited. Thats ridiculous there is no such prohibition and the real reason must be that he has something to hide. This is a big issue, and it should be a big red flag for voters in November. The third outrage is that Trump called Obama the most ignorant president in our history. Put aside, for a moment, the degrees from Columbia and Harvard Law, the presidency of Harvard Law Review, the two terms in the White House. Anyone who has ever heard Obama speak or spent five minutes with the man knows that whatever you might think of him, ignorant he is not. Name-calling by Trump is not exactly news. But this one stands out because it shows such utter lack of respect for the dignity of the high office he seeks to hold. The words vulgar and ungracious come to mind. As for the lies: He said that the Islamic State hasnt been mentioned at the Democratic convention; it has. He said there were no American flags on the convention dais; there are. He said Putin called him a genius (that bromance again); Putin said no such thing but did call Trump talented. Trump mentioned the Orlando massacre to justify his proposed Muslim ban; the shooter was born in the United States. He claimed he had inspired NATO to begin focusing on terrorism; the alliance was heading in that direction long before Trump opened his mouth. I could go on, but why bother? Truth is irrelevant to Trump. All he wanted to do is steal a few hours of media attention in the middle of the Democratic convention. He got his wish but thanks to his Russia comments, its not the kind of attention he wanted. eugenerobinson@washpost.com The "city of brotherly love was consolidated from the small area William Penn surveyed in 1683 and planned and was established as a chartered city in 1789. Then 10 incorporated districts, 6 boroughs were deprived of their franchises, the 11 townships were abolished and all the franchises and property of these governments transferred to the city and county of Philadelphia on February 2,1854. The population mostly increased form the 1790 U. S. Census (28,522) to 1930 (1,950,961), then declined (1,931,334) and climbed to its highest total in 1940 (2,071,605) and then continually declined through 2000 (1,517,560), but gained 0.6 percent (8,456 residents) by 2010. The subject set registered voters at the end of 2015 to Democrat 804,137 (78 percent),Republican 118,145 (12 percent) + Other 105,018 (10 percent) to = 1,017,290 of the 1,221,037 population or 83.3 percent of those 18 and over. I grew up in that economic area, known as the Delaware (River) Valley (Southern New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania and Northeast Delaware). My father drove 22 miles to work one way, but it took about an hour, not the 32 minutes Apple maps indicates, from his Temple University graduation in 1934 until he retired in the 1980s. It was sad that the newspaper I delivered (the conservative Philadelphia Bulletin, a family-owned one, had to close its doors because the union labor would not work with management to keep it competitive with its progressive competition, the Inquirer). I left the area in 1957, moving to Illinois with my mother and brother, moving, again, to Arizona in 1959. Returning in 1964, I found South Philadelphia was still predominately Italian with an industry that was decaying, North Philadelphia was African-American and depressed (I worked in two of the three Northeast City-County prisons along the Delaware River north of the third of three bridges (Tacony-Palmyra), crossing it from New Jersey to Philadelphia. Like St. Louis, Missouri, all the nicer areas to live in were outside the arc to the west in other cities and counties and most of the areas across the river from New Jersey (Camden was the largest city) were decaying, too. I left in 1966 to join the USAF (Texas) in order to avoid being drafted into the USA. I returned to visit my father there a few times in the 1980-1990s (1995 for his memorial service), and again in 2006, and it was depressing to see its decline from when I was a child. Our older son went to graduate school in St. Louis from 1993-2000 and lived around Cleveland (2005-7) and the story was the same for both of them. We missed Detroit, but I did experience Chicago a few times while living in Belvidere, Ill., and in 1991, but, luckily, not the violence and crime that is so endemic there now. All these decaying cities are sometimes referred to as poverty plantations. From 1965 to today, the USA has been in decline (except for 1981-1988) and it is time to change. Durand C. Waters lives in Windcrest If you are not part of the solution, you might be the problem, is a loosely contextualize version of something that has bothered me for the last 10 years, and when I read Sundays paper about the Young Mens Leadership Academy, I took a breath. I thought, we are finally waking up; realizing the answers are within not around us; and as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz said, they exist in our own backyard. Its something to be ahead of your time; see dreams come true; get to rummage through newspapers and see old news become good news. Many people give up, but those peoples dreams die on the vine like a good wine, never harvested. The article in Sundays paper about Young Mens Leadership Academy was a shot of adrenalin for me as I read about people acknowledging that all male classrooms could be the answer to many of societys ills. When I read the story of young boys being taught like young boys not broken girls, I shouted Hallelujah. We have overcome! When I read lives being changed because of the testicular fortitude of men passionate enough to swim upstream I wanted to have my own convention, because I felt FINALLY somebody got somebody to listen. The idea that boys and girls learn differently was articulated years ago by renowned author Michael Gurian and recently by San Antonios own Dr. Mateen Diop. And despite the litigious argument of Title IX, these icons had the hubris to say if its broken, lets fix it! They knew the truth and fought against an education system set on trying to fix boys who were not broken. The research existed and though some people argued against it, the statistics were clear. Take away the distractions; the need to impress; the anachronistic ideas that boys are just lazy, dumb, or unable to concentrate like girls and you have a classroom of future Einsteins, Hamiltons and Obamas. Finally, we are awake! We are working together toward the same goal, sometimes I think we get so focused on the journey the destination is lost. We have no idea where we want to go so we never get there. With the YMLA, much like the Young Womens Leadership Academy, success is our goal, and YMLA is a gateway to achieve it. In many cases the answer was in our own back yard, as we have men and women aspiring for greatness and willing to go outside the box to show greatness. Thats what this school on the East Side is doing. And there are many more schools like this popping up in areas not populated by the wealthy. I dont think rich schools like Roxbury for boys, or Brearly for girls were challenged for being single-gendered like the all-male class I taught at one of our community colleges almost ten years ago with a degree of success until I was told it was illegal mainly because it was not private. I guess I was ahead of my time. I thought success in education was truly about the students. Authors Note: I was the first to teach an all-male class on a college campus in Texas. Taught this class two semesters, Spring 2007 & 2008. Presented at Achieving the Dream Conference in Atlanta and the model is being used in Houston and Dallas community college. Result of the work came from my dissertation from the University of Texas, Austin. Class generated an article call Separate but Equal, by Jack Stripling for the Chronicle of Higher Education, September 2008. Mine is to empower, not enable. Archie R. Wortham, PhD, is a professor of Speech at Palo Alto College. STAMFORD A city woman has been charged with animal cruelty after her dog was found left alone for an extended period of time in its crate full of feces and with no water, police said. Summer Parkman, 32, turned herself in this week after Animal Control officer Michael Franzetti seized the abandoned dog in January from her Taff Avenue apartment, police said. According to Parkmans arrest affidavit, the tan female bulldog mix named Baby was found covered in feces with some dry food in its crate and no water. Franzetti posted a notice on the apartment door saying he seized the dog and talked to a downstairs neighbor who said she hadnt seen Parkman for three weeks, according to the affidavit. The dog was taken to to Rippowam Animal Hospital for treatment. Franzetti called Parkman, 32, who said she was in Philadelphia and agreed to be interviewed four days later, but never showed up, according to the affidavit. Parkman, a single mother who is a bartender at a New York club, complained a few weeks later when she was reached that her landlord should not have entered her apartment without her permission, the affidavit said. How about you guys at the Stamford Police Department do something about that, she remarked about her landlord. You asked for the dog to be signed over, so fine keep the dog but I am seeking council for breaking and entering of my home that my landlord did, Parkman said, according to the arrest affidavit. Parkman said Friday she hired a dog watcher in January but the person didnt do their job when she was away, the affidavit said. Parkman was released after signing a promise to appear at court. jnickerson@scni.com; The San Francisco Board of Supervisors took just 25 minutes Friday to put three important initiatives on the November ballot, an unremarkable end to a month of drama when the fate of two appeared in jeopardy. Attention now turns to the election, where voters will decide if the city should create an Office of Public Advocate, a Department of Police Accountability and if they want the city to set aside $19 million a year in the budget so it can assume responsibility for street trees, an obligation that currently falls to property owners. Fridays meeting was the third of the week thats two more than normal and was prompted by the tight deadline the supervisors were up against to put measures on the ballot. The board clerks office warned the supervisors they had to finish their meeting by noon so that paperwork could be processed in time to meet the Department of Elections 5 p.m. Friday deadline. The low-key meeting belied the strife that led up to it. And while the three measures addressed different issues, each was dependent on the others in the negotiations to get them on the ballot. First on the list: David Campos proposal to create an Office of Public Advocate. Campos says it will offer an added level of oversight to a government lacking it, and that it will serve as a place where people can bring whistle-blower complaints. The boards moderate bloc views it as unnecessary because it duplicates some responsibilities of the supervisors. They also see it as a ploy by Campos to create a job for himself when he terms out as supervisor in January. While there was little doubt that Campos had the six votes needed to get it on the ballot the progressives hold a 6-5 majority on the board there was wrangling about the offices scope, size and budget. The final version of the measure eliminates reference to how much money it would receive the original version set aside roughly $13 million annually and instead says the city has to provide sufficient funding for the office to perform its functions. The final version also separated the proposed Department of Police Accountability from the public advocates office. That was a significant development since last week the boards progressive bloc had folded the Department of Police Accountability into the Office of Public Advocate. That enraged Supervisor Malia Cohen, who sponsored the police accountability measure and wanted it kept separate. In the end, everyone made nice and the two measures were allowed to move forward as stand-alone proposals. The supervisors voted 6-5 in favor of the Office of Public Advocate, and unanimously supported the Department of Police Accountability. Finally, the supervisors voted unanimously to put on the ballot a measure to return tree maintenance to the city, including a requirement that the city set aside $19 million for the program. The money will come from the revenue generated by anticipated new taxes, including a proposed transfer tax on properties worth more than $5 million. Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen Posted on 07/29/2016, 9:00 am, by Farmscape.Ca Manitobas Premier is applauding an agreement in principle that promises to lead to the reduction of barriers to trade within Canada. Last week in Whitehorse Canadas Premiers reached an agreement that will enable freer trade within Canada and begin to eliminate regulatory barriers between the provinces and territories. Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says his province believes in trade and relies on trade as a key part of building its economy. I was really impressed with the premiers of the other jurisdictions and their willingness to set aside some of the natural tendencies we all have to defend the parochial interests of our own jurisdictions and to take a look at what is in the best interest of the country as a whole. There are other pressures that are real and emerging, not the least of which is the United States Presidential race which is featuring an overt animosity toward things like NAFTA and trade with Canada and Canadians. We have to be prepared to make sure, if we expect trade to be enhanced with the United States, that we enhance it among our own members of this confederation. At the same time the federal government, past and present, has pursued new trade deals with other parts of the world. Again it is just incongruous to have more liberal trade with Germany and France and Japan than it is between Nova Scotia, Ontario and Manitoba so we are really pleased to say that we think the agreement, and of course it remains to be drafted so its not a fait accompli, but the agreement in principle has been reached on something that has been in negotiation for over two decades and were tremendously pleased to have been part of that. ~ Brian Pallister, Premier Manitoba Pallister says Manitoba clearly expressed its desire at the meeting for the removal of barriers to trade that drive up costs for businesses and complicate their ability to operate in more than one jurisdiction and that drive up prices for taxpayers. Posted on 07/29/2016, 11:00 am, by mySteinbach RCMP are requesting the publics assistance in locating a 41-year-old Oakbank man, Andrew Naaykens. Police say that Naaykens was last seen by his mother on July 1, 2016, in Oakbank. He had left his home for Northern Manitoba, seeking work. Naaykens was driving a red 2006 GMC truck with Manitoba license plate number GJR-317. Naaykens is described as a 41-year-old white male, 58 tall, weighs 200 lbs and has brown hair and blue eyes. RCMP report that on July 27, 2016, Naaykens vehicle was located on Highway 60, approximately 120 kms south of The Pas. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Andrew Naaykens, is asked to contact the Oakbank RCMP 204-444-3847 or call Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. You can also submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com or text TIPMAN plus your message to CRIMES(274637). By Roy Poses, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Brown University, and the President of FIRM the Foundation for Integrity and Responsibility in Medicine. Cross posted from the Health Care Renewal website The resolution of two related cases involving drug/ biotechnology/ device giant Johnson and Johnson opened a small window on the perverse incentives driving bad managerial behavior in health care. The Settlement of the Allegedly Illegal Marketing of the Stratus Device The basics of the case, which looks like a typical marcher in the march of legal settlements, were best explained by Ed Silverman in Stat on July 22, 2016, A Johnson & Johnson subsidiary has agreed to pay $18 million to resolve charges of causing health care providers to submit false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs, which then paid for a device that was illegally marketed. In particular, In 2006, Acclarent won FDA approval to market its Stratus device to be used only with saline to maintain sinus openings following surgery. But the feds alleged the company intended to market Stratus as a drug-delivery device for prescription corticosteroids and maintained the device was specifically designed and engineered for this use, according to court documents. Note that as is usual, the settlement involved a monetary penalty that would not even be spare change to Johnson and Johnson, which last year had total revenues of more than $70 billion according to Google Finance. As is additionally usual, the settlement did not seem to be informed by Johnson and Johnsons huge record of previous settlements and other legal actions suggesting its misbehavior (see a list of these in the appendix below.) As is also usual, the settlement involved no admissions of guilty or innocence by Johnson and Johnson itself, but as is further usual, a company public relations person said it was a long time ago, we have changed, and we will just move on. As the Wall Street Journal reported, A spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson said the company has since put in place tighter compliance controls. She noted the agreement, which didnt include an admission of liability or wrongdoing, resolves alleged conduct that took place almost entirely before Johnson & Johnson acquired Acclarent. Two Johnson and Johnson Executives Convicted of Distributing Misbranded and Adulterated Devices But one part of this case was unusual. Not only did US government authorities pursue a settlement with Johnson and Johnson, they prosecuted two executives who were involved in setting up the bad behavior alleged in the settlement. Per Mr Silverman in Stat, The settlement with the US Department of Justice, which was disclosed on Friday, comes just two days after a pair of former executives at the J&J subsidiary, which is known as Acclarent, were found guilty of several misdemeanor charges of distributing a misbranded and adulterated device. A federal court jury in Boston found the executives marketed the Stratus device for a use that was not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. So while the Johnson and Johnson spokesperson denied that the company was guilty of anything, it appears that two people who eventually became Johnson and Johnson executives were found guilty of having a company that Johnson and Johnson acquired distribute a misbranded and adulterated device. At best, the spokesperson seemed to be asserting a distinction in the absence of a meaningful difference. Especially, since the allegations that led to the convictions of the executives included actions that occurred after their company was acquired by Johnson and Johnson, per the Stat article, Between 2008 and 2011, the men allegedly concealed a scheme to illegally distribute and promote a device they planned to market for delivering steroids to sinuses. The feds charged, however, they deceived the FDA by falsely claiming the intended use was to maintain an opening to the sinus, and that the device was supposed to be used with saline. Acclarent, where Facteau was the chief executive and Fabian was the vice president of sales, was eventually sold to Johnson & Johnson in January 2010 for $785 million. Following the acquisition, Acclarent management was told to stop marketing the device for unapproved uses, but they continued to do so anyway, court documents stated. So why would Mr Facteau and Fabian do this? An article in Reuters implies an answer: Prosecutors said Facteau and Fabian had hoped to increase the companys revenue to make it an attractive acquisition target, and concealed the off-label marketing from potential buyers, including J&J unit Ethicon Inc. Ethicon bought California-based Acclarent in early 2010 for about $785 million. Facteau and Fabian received compensation worth about $30 million and $4 million, respectively, from the deal, according to the indictment. So the former Acclarent executives, later Johnson and Johnson subsidiary, made what seems to be a lot of money from directing their company to distribute a misbranded and adulterated product. In fact, they made considerably more money than Johnson and Johnson paid to settle the case. Conclusions So this case appears to be a step forward, in that not all the people who apparently authorized, directed, or implemented the bad behavior could escape any negative consequences. Keep in mind, however, that no one above the two convicted executives, no one at Johnson and Johnson who decided to acquire Acclarent, and let it continue its previous activities, seemed to suffer any negative consequences. How much money those executives might have received in response to the revenues that the new subsidiary brought in is unknown. In conclusion, this case shows the perverse incentives at work that drive bad behavior by health care oragnizational leaders. One can obviously become very rich by directing this bad behavior. Up to now, the likelihood that one would eventually pay any penalty for doing so was tiny. Now it is slightly higher. Whether those up the ladder, who might have authorized the behavior, turned a blind eye to it, or avoided enquiring about anything that could be bad behavior, as long as the money came in, will suffer any negative consequences from these actions or inactions in the future is still unclear. We will not make any progress reducing current health care dysfunction if we cannot have an honest conversation about what causes it and who profits from it. True health care reform requires ending the anechoic effect, exposing the web of conflicts of interest that entangle health care, publicizing who benefits most from the current dysfunction, and how and why. But it is painfully obvious that the people who have gotten so rich from the current status quo will use every tool at their disposal, paying for them with the money they have extracted from patients and taxpayers, to defend their position. It will take grit, persistence, and courage to persevere in the cause of better health for patients and the public. Appendix Johnson and Johnson Legal Record since 2010 Astronauts who reach deep space far more likely to die from heart disease Independent Tar Sands in the Atlantic Ocean: TransCanadas Proposed Energy East Pipeline Reader Supported News (furzy) Brexit Against Injustice: Corbyn launches his campaign Defend Democracy ECB policymaker seeks to ease concerns over cash hoardings Financial Times Three banks opt out of Monte dei Paschis proposed 5 bln euro cash call source CNBC Study says banks in EU stress tests could require 900bn Financial Times IMF admits disastrous love affair with the euro, apologises for the immolation of Greece Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Telegraph. A must read. Concerns over political influence at the IMF Financial Times IMF overly optimistic about success of EU bailouts BBC Bank of Japan Takes Modest Easing Action Wall Street Journal EUR/JPY clocks two-week low after BOJ disappointment FX Street Did Frank Lowy just call for lower immigration? MacroBusiness Ukraine/Russia Dangerous Propaganda: Network Close To NATO Military Leader Fueled Ukraine Conflict Der Spiegel (Fabian). A must read. Consistent with what we argued then, that the claims of Russian troop movements and other support were based on dubious evidence and looked to be exaggerated: The emails document for the first time the questionable sources from whom Breedlove was getting his information. He had exaggerated Russian activities in eastern Ukraine with the overt goal of delivering weapons to Kiev. PUGACHEVS PUGS LIONEL BARBER, NEIL BUCKLEY, AND CATHERINE BELTON EXPOSED BY SWISS PROSECUTOR IN COVERUP OF MONEY-LAUNDERING BY FRENCH, SWISS, ISRAELI AND US BANKS John Helmer. Important. Helmer does himself a huge disservice with this insider-y headline. Its about how the FT shamelessly defends a Russian oligarch who has been found guilty by 11 British judges, including a High Court (appeals) judge and is being pursued by Swiss prosecutors for money laundering. In other words, its a window into media politics. BTW, the pink paper is unhappy about Helmers story, see here. Syraqistan 2016 Anthem prepping for hardball fight over Cigna Salt Lake Tribune (Phil U) AT&T violated rule requiring low prices for schools, FCC says ars technica (Dan K) Police State Watch An oil price dilemma: The world may just need less fossil fuels to get by Globe and Mail Oil Rally Hopes Crushed As Inventories Hit All-Time High OilPrice Stiglitz Calls Apples Profit Reporting in Ireland a Fraud Bloomberg (Dan K). Economists should never do tax. Repeats the bogus idea that companies like Apple that use Irish or other offshore entities to lower their taxes are keeping money out of the US. The tax treatment has nada to do with the economics. In the case of Apple, the Irish entity has accounts with American TBTF banks and the money is managed out of Nevada as an internal hedge fund. See here for the gory details (and this is simplified from Sheppards version for tax professionals in Tax Notes). So Stiglitz is legitimating their propaganda when he repeats the cash overseas meme. Atlanta Fed Drops Second Quarter GDP Forecast WSJ MoneyBeat. We thought the cheerleading about the state of the economy was overdone. Class Warfare Antidote du jour. KM: This 3-some belongs to a young couple in Denver. They love black cats, so rescued an 8 week old black kitten, which now appears to be turning gray, apparently in effort to match its 2 new best friends. The Great Dane absolutely loves the kitten and when attacked by it which is quite frequently, picks it up, licks it, and cuddles with it. See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. By Michael Hudson, a research professor of Economics at University of Missouri, Kansas City, and a research associate at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. His latest book is KILLING THE HOST: How Financial Parasites and Debt Bondage Destroy the Global Economy Leading up to Mondays Democratic Party convention, Hillary chose Blue Dog Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her VP. This was followed by the Wikileaks release of Democratic National Committee (DNC) e-mail files showing it acting as the Clinton Campaign Committee even to the point of using the same lawyers as her own campaign to oppose Bernie Sanders. The response across the Democratic neocon spectrum, from Anne Applebaum at the Washington Post to red-baiting Paul Krugman and the Sunday talk shows it was suggested that behind the Wikileaks to release DNC e-mails was a Russian plot to help elect Trump as their agent. Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul lent his tattered reputation to claim that Putin must have sponsored the hackers who exposed the DNC dirty tricks against Bernie. The attack on Trump was of course aimed at Sanders. At first it didnt take off. Enough delegates threatened to boo DNC head (and payday-loan lobbyist) Debbie Wasserman Schultz off stage if she showed her face at the podium to gavel the convention to order. The down-note would have threatened the United Together theme, so she was forced to resign. But Hillary rewarded her loyalty by naming her honorary chairman of her own presidential campaign! If youre loyal, you get a pay-off. The DNC was doing what it was supposed to do. No reform seems likely. The Democratic machine orchestrated a media campaign to distract attention by attributing the leaks were to a Russian plot to undermine American democracy (as if the e-mails did not show how undemocratic the DNC had operated in stacking the primaries). A vote against Hillary would be a vote for Trump and a vote for Trump would really be for Putin. And as Hillary had explained earlier, Putin = Hitler. The media let it be known that attacking Wasserman Schultz and by extension, Hillarys neocon policies makes one a Russian dupe. This theme colored the entire convention week. Endorsing Hillarys presidential bid on Monday evening, Sanders joined in the chorus that this November will pit Good against Evil or as Ray McGovern put it on RTs Cross Talk, at least proxies for Netanyahu vs. Putin. Wall Street Senator Chuck Schumer went on TV to heave a sigh of relief that the party was indeed united together. Many Sanders supporters felt no obligation to follow his obeisance. Many walked out after he closed Tuesdays state-by-state roll call by throwing his support behind Clinton. Others chanted Lock Her Up. VP Kaine as Hillarys Stand-in if Shes Indicted or Seems Unelectable The potential Hillary Republicans who are turning away from Trump whose ranks include Mike Bloomberg, the neocon Kagan family (Robert and Victoria Nuland) and William Kristol far outnumber the Sanders supporters who may stay home or vote for Jill Stein on the Green Party ticket. Hillary sees more votes (and certainly more campaign contributions and future speaking fees) from the Koch Brothers, George Soros, Wall Street, Saudi Arabia and the corporatist Chamber of Commerce. Kaine recently has fought to free small and medium-sized banks from being subject to the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. He has long supported the TPP, deregulation of Wall Street, and most everything that Sanders opposes. Appointed as DNC head by President Obama in 2008, he dismantled Howard Deans 50-state strategy, not bothering to fight Republicans in the South and other solid Republican states. His move let them elect governors who gerrymandered their voting districts after the 2010 census. The DNC designated these neglected states to come first in the presidential primaries. They were the ones that Hillary won. Sanders won most of the swing states and those likely to vote Democratic. That made him the partys strongest nominee obliging the DNC to maneuver to sideline him. His criticism of big donors and Citizens United threatens to dry up the source of funding not only for Hillary but also for the DNC. They are going after the money whose chief providers are Wall Street, neoliberal corporatists and New Cold War neocons. Bernies campaign targeted Wall Street and corporate deregulation (the essence of TTP and TTIP) as the key to the One Percents monopolization of income and wealth since Obamas post-2008 sacrifice of the economy on the altar of rescuing banks and their bondholders. That is why the Wall Streets Donor Class that controls the Democratic Party machine want to discourage new voter enrollment and turnout. The last thing they want is an influx of new voters advocating real reform. Millennial newcomers are more progressive, born into a generation that has no opportunity to obtain jobs and housing as easily as their parents. So its best to keep out independents in favor of the old-time voters with brand loyalty to Democrats. Demonizing Trump for Saying what Bernie Sanders Has Been Saying Trump made his quip about Russia in what actually was an eloquent and funny press conference.[1] The media took this out of context to depict him as urging the Russians to hack into our e-mails. What he actually said was that if Russia or China, or somebody sitting in his bed did indeed read Hillarys State Department and Clinton Foundation dealings, they should do the world a favor and release them to reveal her self-dealing. Trump is right in saying that there has not really been a recovery for the Rust Belt or for the 99 Percent. Hillary brazens it out by claiming that Obamas neoliberal economics have helped wage-earners, despite the debt deflation blocking recovery. She promises to continue his policies (backed by his same campaign funders). That would seem to be a losing strategy for this years election unless the Democrats gain control of the electronic voting machines, especially in Ohio. But the Republicans may decide to throw the election to Hillary, who is fortunate to have Donald Trump as her opponent. Demonized as Putins Siberian candidate, he has become the Democrats unifying force: Hillary isnt Trump. Thats what voting for the lesser evil means. Hillarys message is: Even though we support TPP and a New Cold War, at least youll have a woman at the helm. Anyway, you have nowhere else to go, because the other side is even more evil! Her logic is that (1) if you criticize Hillary, youre supporting Trump; (2) Trump is the Siberian candidate; hence (3) Criticism of Hillary, NATOs New Cold War escalation or the TPPs anti-labor treaty and financial deregulation is pro-Russian and hence anti-American. All that strategists for the One Percent need to do is fund an even worse party platform to the right of the Democrats. So the choice will be between Evil A (economic evil with ethnic and sexual tolerance) and Evil B (without such tolerance). It doesnt have to be this way. But Sanders gave up, not feeling up to the task. Having mocked him as a socialist, Hillary is acting as the Joe McCarthy of the 2010s, mobilizing a wave of commie bashing against her Republican opponent. On Monday leading up to the convention, the Democratic Partys cable channel MSNBC kept juxtaposing pictures of Trump and Putin. Criticizing Hillarys neocon stance supporting Ukraines military coup is depicted as support of Russia while other commentators followed President Obama claiming that criticism of TPP means making China the new leader of Asia. The message is that criticizing NATOs adventurism risks being called a Soviet I mean, Russian puppet. Bernies Dilemma and That of Other Would-Be Reformers of the Democratic Party Back in the 1950s and 60s I heard labor leaders ask whether there really was nowhere to go except the Democratic Party. Most who joined got co-opted. Instead of moving the Democratic Party to the left, its leadership machine corrupted labor, and in due course the anti-war movement and socialists who joined hoping to move it to the left. What then is Bernies plan to save his followers from being forced to make one compromise after another? The party machine demonizes policies with which Hillarys neocons disagree, and demand support of NATO escalation and Obamas (and Hillarys and Kaines) underlying support of the TPP on the pretense that this will help rather than hurt labor. Hillary has denounced Bernies socialized medicine on the ground that it is utopian (as if Canada and the eurozone are anti-capitalist utopias). While Trump sent out tweets and gave interviews about how Hillary and Debbie have screwed Bernies supporters, Sanders made no parallel attempt to ask why progressive Democrats didnt applaud Trumps assertions that he would wind down confrontation with Russia, that NATO is obsolete and needs restructuring, and his opposition to the TPP. Bernie didnt seize the opportunity to mobilize non-partisan support for their critique of neoliberal economic policies. He cast his lot with Hillary, contradicting his claim during the primaries that she was not qualified to be president. After Sanders ended Monday evenings opening by endorsing Hillary Clinton, the MSNBC camera crew went down to talk to his supporters. They eagerly asked the first one who she would vote for, after hearing Bernies endorsement. For Jill Stein, the lady said, explaining that there was no way she would vote for Hillary. The next interview produced a similar result. I just dont trust her, the Bernie supporter said. A third said the same thing. The MSNBC booth tried to save face by assuring viewers that everyone they talked to had said they were going to vote for Hillary. But it sounded hollow. I suspect that viewers didnt trust the TV media any more than they trusted Hillary. The problem facing Hillarys rivals is that she has wrapped herself in the legacy of President Obama. Having shied from criticizing the president, Sanders and his supporters are facilitating what may be a Lame Duck session sellout after the November election. My fear is that Obama will try to save his legacy by joining with the Republicans to drive through the TPP, and also may escalate the New Cold War with Russia and China so as to make it easier for Hillary to sign onto these moves. Selecting Tim Kaine as her running mate means neoliberal, pro-TPP business as usual. Hillary didnt oppose TPP. She just said she would put in rhetoric saying that its purpose was to raise wages whereas most voters have shown themselves to be smart enough to realize that the effect will be just the opposite. Yet Sanders endorsed her. Evidently he hopes to keep his position within the Party chairing the Senate Minority Budget Committee, while simultaneously trying to promote a revolution outside the Democrats. I was reminded of a Chinese proverb: When there is a fork in the road, a man who tries to take two roads at once gets a broken hip joint. This straddle may have led Sanders to miss his big chance to make a difference. He is trying to take two roads at once, continuing to run as an Independent senator while caucusing with the Democrats without being able to block TPP and new Wall Street giveaways and more favoritism to the One Percent he has so eloquently denounced. Revolutions are a matter of timing. As a former YPSL he might have recalled what happened when Trotsky shied from breaking from Stalin after Lenin died early in 1924. Soon it was too late, and all Stalins opponents were purged. The moment was not seized. Bernie has been an effective catalyst in this years election campaign. But as in chemistry, a catalyst is not really part of the equation. It merely helps the equation take place. Sanders didnt say, Thank god for Wikileaks. It shows that I was right and the DNC needs radical reform. He left it to his supporters to hold up anti-TPP signs. His new message was trust Hillary. But even so, she will not forgive him for being against her before he was for her. He may still end up being marginalized in 2017. I had hoped that in addressing the convention, Sanders would have said that its aim was not only to elect a president but congresspersons and officials all down the line. He could have mentioned the people he is supporting, starting with Wasserman Schultzs opponent in Floridas House race (supported by Obama as well as Hillary). Bernies supporters who walked out on Tuesday have been duly radicalized. But he himself seems akin to be an American Alex Tsipras. Tsipras thought withdrawal from the eurozone was even worse than capitulating to austerity, while Sanders believes that withdrawing from the Democrats and backing a political realignment perhaps electing Trump in the interim is even worse than Hillarys pro-Wall street Obama-like agenda. Matters were not improved when Bill Clinton gave a hagiographic biography of Hillary emphasizing her legal aid work to protect children, without mentioning how the 1994 welfare reform drastically cut back aid to dependent children. Madeline Albright said that Hillary would keep America safe, without mentioning Hillarys promotion of destabilizing Libya and backing Al Quaeda against Syrias government, driving millions of refugees to Europe and wherever they might be safer. The many anti-TPP signs waved by Sanders delegates on Wednesday saw Hillary say that she would oppose TPP as currently written. This suggests that a modest sop thrown to labor a rhetorical paste-on saying that the TPPs aim was to raise living standards. This simply showed once again her sophist trickery at lawyering, giving her an out that she and long-time TPP supporter Tim Kaine were sure to take. Obamas brilliant demagogy left many eyes glazed over in admiration. Nobody is better at false sincerity while misrepresenting reality so shamelessly. Probably few caught the threatening hint he dropped about Hillarys plan for corporations to share their profits with their workers. This sounds to me like the Pinochet plan to privatize Social Security by turning it into exploitative ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Programs). The idea is that wage withholding would be steered to buy into the companys stock bidding it up in the process. Employees then would end up holding an empty bag, as occurred recently with the Chicago Tribune. That seems to be the great reform to save Social Security that her Wall Street patrons are thinking up. One might think that the Democrats would see the Obama administration as an albatross around their neck, much as Gore had Bill Clinton around his neck in 2000. Gore didnt want him showing his face in the campaign. Yet Hillary presents herself as continuing the Obama policies with business as usual, as if she will act as his third term. Voters know that Obama bailed out the banks, not the economy, and that Hillarys campaign backers are on Wall Street. So this year would seem to have been a propitious time to start a real alternative. Hillary is mistrusted, and that mistrust is spreading to the Democratic Party machine especially as the Koch Brothers and kindred backers of failed Republican candidates find neoliberal religion with Hillary. A third party Green/Socialist run might indeed have taken off with Sanders stealing Trumps thunder by pre-empting his critique of TPP, free trade and NATO, adding Wall Street and Citizens United campaign financing. This Falls Presidential Debates Hillary and even Bernie assured the Democratic convention again and again how much President Obama has revived the economy from the mess that Bush left. While Trump centers his disdain on the TPP (much as he knocked Jeb Bush out by saying that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake), he can reply, What recovery? Have you voters really recovered from 2008? Hillary and other speechmakers at the Democratic convention criticized Trump for saying that things are bad. But according to the July 13 NBC/WSJ poll, 73% of voters believe that the country is going off on the wrong track. If Trump shifts his epithet from simply Crooked Hillary to the more nuanced Crooked Wall Street and their candidate, Crooked Hillary, hell score a ratings spurt. Debt deflation and shrinking markets over the next two years do not provide much hope for increasing the minimum wage which wouldnt help much if one cant find a job in the first place! By 2018 the continued stagnation of the 99 Percent may lead to a midterm wipeout of Democrats (assuming that Hillary wins this year against Trump), catalyzing an alternative party (assuming that she does not blow up the world in her neocon military escalation on the borders of Russia and China). The problem with Trump is not mistrust; it is that nobody knows what policies he will back. The media are giving him the same silent treatment they did with Bernie, while accusing him of being in Putins pocket. He did admit selling some real estate to Russian nationals. Perhaps some of these gains fueled his presidential campaign The solution is not to save the Democratic Party, but to replace it. The debate reminds me of that about the Soviet Union in the 1950s: Is it a degenerated workers state, or a Stalinist bureaucratic mutation going the opposite direction from real socialism? I wonder how many years it will take for Hillary to end up booed so loudly that she has to leave hotels and other speaking venues via their back alleys, much as Lyndon Johnson had to sneak out to avoid the anti-war booers leading leading up to the 1968 election. ___________ [1] Available on https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HGHWou0h1kk). This should be seen as an antidote to most media coverage. For a run-down on Russia-Trump accusations see Lambert Strether, Hoisted from Comments: Can We Even Know Who Hacked the DNC Emails? Naked Capitalism, July 28, 2016. International team of scientists unveils fundamental properties of spin Seebeck effect (Nanowerk News) Thermoelectric effects are a fundamental building block for the conception and development of new processes for information processing. They enable to re-use waste heat obtained in different processes for the operation of respective devices and thus contribute to the establishment of more energy-efficient, ecofriendly processes. A promising representative of this effect category is the so-called spin Seebeck effect, which became prominent within recent years. This effect allows to convert waste heat into spin currents and thereby to transport energy as well as information in magnetic, electrically insulating materials. Physicists of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany together with their colleagues from Glasgow University in Scotland now succeeded to reveal essential properties of this yet to be fully understood effect. Their findings contribute to a more thorough understanding of the underlying processes of this effect and thereby support its further development for first applications. The research work has been published in the journal Physical Review X ("Influence of thickness and interface on the low-temperature enhancement of the spin Seebeck effect in YIG films"). Thermally excited spin waves carry a spin current from the ferromagnet (YIG in this case) into the metal layer. Depending on the YIG thickness and the interface condition the amplitude of the spin current as well as transmission properties change. (Ill./: Joel Cramer, JGU) The spin Seebeck effect belongs to the category of spin-thermoelectric effects. Previous work of the physicists at Mainz University in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Konstanz and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has shown that the creation of a thermal non-equilibrium leads to the creation of magnetic waves, so-called magnons, within magnetic materials. These transport both energy and torque and thus are able to induce a voltage signal in adjacent metal thin films. Important contribution in the new field of magnon spintronics By means of material-dependent measurements over a wide temperature range and with a varied thickness of the employed magnetic material, a direct correlation between the amplitude of the voltage signal and the intrinsic properties of magnons was identified. Furthermore, it was shown that the temperature dependence of the voltage generation efficiency additionally depends strongly on the atomic structure of the interface between magnetic material and metal thin film. "Step by step answers to the open questions about the fundamental processes of the spin Seebeck effect are given. Our results yield an essential contribution for the development of the aspiring field of magnon spintronics", said Joel Cramer, co-author of the publication and stipend of the Graduate School of Excellence "Materials Science in Mainz" (MAINZ). Professor Mathias Klaui added: "I am very glad that by means of the intensive collaboration with our colleagues we were able to correlate the transport of spins with the microscopic, atomistic structure. The cooperation with our colleagues from Glasgow already led to several mutual publications and an active exchange with leading groups from abroad is one of the central measures of our Graduate School of Excellence." 'It just flipped': Busch details final season with Joe Gibbs Racing in 'Race for the Championship' In the latest episode of USA Network's "Race for the Championship," Busch describes the change at JGR and is introduced with a new team. Clonmel features prominently in The Return of the Arinn, the fourth and final novel in the epic fantasy series written by a well-known author who spent much of his childhood in the town. Dr. Frank Ryan, whose books have been translated into nine languages. now lives in Sheffield in Yorkshire. He was born in Limerick, where his late father Frank was stationed in the army. When he was 18 months old the family moved to Clonmel, the home town of his late mother Mary Fitzpatrick, whose father Patrick was originally from Dundalk and moved to Clonmel to take up a position at The Borstal, having served as a sailor in the Royal Navy during the First World War when he survived being sunk three times in one day in 1914. As a child Frank Ryan attended the Presentation Convent and St. Marys Christian Brothers school. He was a scholarship student in the class of Brother Concannon in St Mary's school and was an altar server at the parish church of the same name. He remembers winning a medal for Irish recitation at the Feis Ceoil. He also fondly recalls hunting rabbits with his pet dog and swimming in the Suir among his very happy memories of growing up in the town. When he was 13 the family moved to Bolton in Lancashire, where he attended the local grammar school. Arriving into industrial Lancashire from Clonmel back in those days was like moving into an alien world, he says. He later studied medicine at the Sheffield University Medical School before graduating as a doctor and later becoming a teaching hospital consultant physician. He wrote his first book while still a student. He also ran an art gallery and became an international bestselling writer of both science (biology and medicine) and fiction, mainly epic fantasy. The Return of the Arinn was published towards the end of last year in tandem with another non-fiction book that he wrote, The Mysterious World of the Human Genome, which he says explains how the genome at the heart of your being actually works. "Fantasy is a very creative form of literature and I have no doubt that creative instinct, experiences long ago when I lived in Clonmel, all played a part", he says. "I began to write my first novel when I was a young medical student, so the artistic impulse was there very early on. I also ran an art gallery in Bolton for nine years, when I was a young and very busy doctor in the teaching hospitals of Sheffield, so you can see that the artistic side of my personality was showing through again. Even when I write I take inspiration very much from visual stimuli, whether films or still pictures. I wrote three thrillers and a contemporary novel before switching to fantasy. I felt a natural pull to fantasy as a particular art form because I liked the creative freedom it offers. I also discovered, to my surprise, that there was very little fantasy out there based on Irish mythology, given the huge wealth there was to draw on. Following the publication of The Snowmelt River, the first of the four books in the fantasy series, he was approached by John West in Ireland to help explain the benefits of the Omega 3 fatty acids to the Irish population. "Im a medical scientist as well as a physician, with a particular interest in the evolution and function of the human genome. And it just came up in conversation between myself and Brendan Murphy, the head of John West Ireland, that we might be in the position to help youngsters improve their literacy. We set up a nationwide fantasy short story competition in Ireland that ran for three successive years and attracted tens of thousands of entries. I wrote a free booklet that was used by teachers in the schools. It was all a bit of fun but also useful in helping literacy". The series opens with the first meeting of the four friends in Clonmel, when they quickly realise that they come with very different personalities. "There is a lot of local description here including the river Suir, Slievenamon and the Comeraghs, but I deliberately kept to my own childhood memories rather than portray Clonmel as it is today. We also meet Alan's grandfather Padraig, who is the guardian of the Sword of Feimhin. Slievenamon, with its gateway between the two worlds of Earth and Tir, is always there in the background, even when the adventure shifts to Tir and to England, Australia and London in the last two books. Padraig becomes a central character again in The Return of the Arinn and Alan and Kate return to Clonmel at the end of the book". Several of Frank Ryan's relations still live in Clonmel, including his aunt Veronica Sheehan (nee Fitzpatrick), whose late husband was Micky Sheehan; and his uncle Tony Fitzpatrick, who lives in the Old Bridge. Dr. Ryan is married to Barbara and the couple have two children, Catherine and John, and two grandchildren, Amy and William. Three former banking executives have been jailed for conspiring in a deceitful and corrupt 7 billion market deception scheme. Judge Martin Nolan said that former former Anglo Irish Bank executives John Bowe (52) and Willie McAteer (65), and the former Group Chief Executive of Irish Life and Permanent plc. (ILP), Denis Casey (56) took part in a scheme that was deceitful, dishonest and corrupt. He said they had failed to act with honesty and integrity by manufacturing 7.2bn in deposits in what were obviously sham transactions. The deals were done in September 2008 in order to make Anglo's books look healthier that they actually were. Judge Nolan said that it was a serious matter than two blue chip companies conspired together to manipulate public accounts. He said that individual depositors and investors relied on and made decisions based on the public accounts of companies. He said that if the public cannot rely on probity of blue chip companies and banks we lose all trust in them. He said that money was important to people, especially to older people who have nest eggs invested in banks. They are entitled to rely on honesty and integrity. In this case honesty and integrity were sorely lacking, Judge Nolan said. He said this conspiracy potentially affected thousands of people and that the starting point for his sentence was eight years. The judge said that certain State authorities turned a blind eye to optically driven balance sheet management which he said was a euphemism for banks entering into transactions which have little or no effect. The evidence during the trial was that Bowe believed the attitude of Financial Regulator was one of I'm not looking and that Casey became involved with the transactions after being told by the Regulator that Irish banks needed to don the green jersey and help each other out during the unprecedented global credit crunch. Judge Nolan said that Anglo's former CEO, David Drumm, was the driving force behind the scheme. He also said that it beggared belief that Anglo's auditors Ernst&Young (now EY) had signed off on Anglo's end of year accounts. They should have known what was occurring if they were doing their job properly, he said, and commented as to whether it was a case of blindness or wilful blindness. Bowe from Glasnevin, Dublin, McAteer of Greenrath, Tipperary Town, Co. Tipperary and Casey from Raheny, Dublin had all pleaded not guilty to conspiring together and with others to defraud by setting up a 7.2 billion circular transaction scheme between March 1st and September 30th, 2008 to bolster Anglo's balance sheet with the intention of misleading investors. On day 89 of the longest running criminal trial in the State's history a jury convicted Casey. They had already returned guilty verdicts on Bowe and McAteer a week earlier. The jury deliberated for a total of 65 hours. Jailing McAteer for three and a half years Judge Nolan said he had authorised the transactions when he knew what he was doing was underhand, deceitful and corrupt. He said he was a respected leader of huge experience whose actions in 2008 were reprehensible. He told Bowe that his was the chief man in Anglo's Treasury room and he had failed to act with honesty. He told him that in law following orders was no defence. He imposed a two year sentence on Bowe, telling him the lower sentence was because he was a lesser functionary and not a board member. He told Casey that he had made a grave error of judgement in authorising the transaction with Anglo. He said he was a man who should have known better. He jailed him for two years and nine months after telling him that Anglo were the authors of the scheme but that he had behaved disgracefully and reprehensibly in co-operating with it. Casey told gardai that he only agreed to the short term loans with Anglo on condition that there was no risk to his company and that he did not know or intend that Anglo would misrepresent the loans as customer deposits. McAteer is the only one of the three to have a previous conviction. He was convicted in 2014 of providing unlawful loans from Anglo Irish Bank to ten property developers, dubbed the Maple Ten, in July 2008 in breach of Section 60 of the Companies Act. He carried out 240 hours of community service in lieu of a two year prison sentence. The court also heard that McAteer had a large shareholding in Anglo that was once very valuable and had lost "tens of millions" of euro when the shares collapsed in value. Judge Nolan said that none of the men had gained from the scheme and that there was no loss to the State or the banks as the inter-bank loans cancelled each other out. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has reached an agreement with Citizens Bank to settle allegations that the bank discriminated against a woman on maternity leave. Per the agreement, Citizens Bank will pay the woman in question $40,000 and make a $75,000 donation to a HUD-approved fair housing or advocacy organization. The bank will also provide training to its staff on fair housing matters and adopt a policy to clarify that all loan products are available to an applicant regardless of their parental status. "The fact that a woman is on maternity leave should never be the sole reason that she is denied a loan," Gustavo Velasquez, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, said in a news release Friday. "HUD is committed to continuing to enforce fair housing laws and to ensuring that lenders understand their responsibility to treat all qualified applicants the same, even those that are on parental leave." The case arose when a woman filed a complaint with HUD that Citizens delayed the processing of her loan application because she was on maternity leave, even though she was receiving full pay at the time. In recent years, numerous lenders have paid fines for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act related to maternity leave, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America and PNC Bank. A battle is brewing over the best way to finance the retrofitting of homes to make them more energy efficient. The outcome could make or break the fledgling industry of administrators for Property Assessed Clean Energy programs, which are funded by local governments and repaid via annual assessments on owners' property tax bills. It has particular relevance in California, home to some of the nation's most expensive housing markets. Since 2010 dozens of counties and municipalities in the Inland Empire, an area of five million residents stretching from Riverside to San Bernardino, have made hundreds of millions of dollars of energy efficiency loans. The municipal bonds that finance this lending are themselves bundled into collateral for asset-backed securities, providing Wall Street with a relatively high-yielding investment product that can be marketed as "environmentally friendly." Last week, the Federal Housing Administration, part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, said it would insure mortgages on homes encumbered by Property Assessed Clean Energy liens. Department of Veterans Affairs followed suit. The July 19 announcements were part of a broader initiative by the Obama administration to increase access to solar energy and promote energy efficiency, particularly in low- and moderate-income communities. The FHA's endorsement of PACE upset mortgage lenders, who have long objected to this form of financing. Since both types of lenders have claims on the same collateral, the borrower's home, a PACE lien could potentially reduce a mortgagee's recovery in a foreclosure. Moreover, a tax assessment is generally considered to be a type of "super lien" that takes priority over all current and future encumbrances. Creating a 'Super Lien' Lien priority is an issue for the FHA, too, since taxpayers are on the hook for losses on loans that it insures. The new lending guidance tries to sidestep the issue, casting PACE liens structured as tax assessments as subordinate to a mortgage. But it also acknowledges that any assessments that are past due represent senior claims. Importantly, the FHA also said that a PACE lien can "travel" with the house, that is, it can be assumed by a buyer. This does not satisfy the Mortgage Bankers Association, which has issued a bulletin urging members to "proceed very cautiously" and to carefully review the consumer and lender risks before participating in the program. The trade group warned that the FHA's new guidance raises "critical" questions about the lack of consumer protections, poses risk to the agency's insurance fund and creates "significant compliance and indemnification risks for lenders and servicers." It advised members to evaluate other ways of financing efficiency improvements that better protect consumers and lower costs. The availability of FHA financing could spur additional states to adopt or implement residential PACE programs, which are currently available only in California and Florida. They will soon be available in Missouri and Colorado as well. Stacey Lawson, president and chief executive of Ygrene Energy Fund, said the number of government agencies involved in the Obama administration's green energy initiative "provides a really strong body of support that local elected officials and state legislatures can point to" when rolling out such programs. Without buy-in from the primary trade group for mortgage lenders and investors, however, this financing may not be easy to obtain. "It's lenders and servicers, and particularly the secondary market, that in the end will dictate the success or failure" of FHA funding for properties with PACE liens, said Richard Andreano, a partner in the law firm Ballard Spahr's mortgage banking group. "It's a classic government move, addressing one side of an equation and forgetting the other side. When you do that, you don't always get the result you want. That's why [the government-sponsored enterprises] had to revise HAMP and HARP," he said, referring to two federal programs designed to help struggling homeowners, the Home Affordable Modification Program and Home Affordable Refinance Program. In endorsing PACE, the FHA has also put itself in opposition to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan banks. FHFA Director Mel Watt released a statement last week saying that the agency "fully supports energy retrofit programs" but "continues to have serious concerns" with how PACE programs are financed and will continue to bar Fannie and Freddie from acquiring mortgages on a property with a PACE lien. To be sure, lien priority is not the only beef that the FHFA, or lenders and investors, have with PACE. In testimony before California's legislature last month, Alfred M. Pollard, the FHFA's general counsel, took issue with the fact that these programs look principally to the value of property to support a loan, rather than the ability of a homeowner to repay, a concept regulators have endorsed to prevent the kind of lending that contributed to the financial crisis. Pollard also pointed out that PACE programs charge high fees, as much as 10% of the loan, and offer narrow consumer protections. The FHFA's general counsel suggested that the regulator could take further action, noting that Fannie and Freddie "have additional authorities to protect their first-lien status." Solution to a 'Market Failure' PACE administrators say the financing was created to solve what they describe as a market failure. "Every year, about one in six American homeowners replaces a product or system in their home that affects the level of energy consumption," J.P. McNeill, chief executive of Renovate America, said in a statement welcoming the FHA's new guidance. "Three-quarters of the time, they select a less efficient option based on upfront sticker price, instead of factoring in the total cost of owning and maintaining the product or system over the course of its useful life." Homeowners may also have a disincentive to pay up for a more energy efficient option if they are unsure how long they will remain in the home. McNeill said that PACE law encourages them to make a long-term investment because the remaining balance can be transferred with the property to a new owner. There are a number of other ways to finance energy efficient retrofits that carry lower interest rates and lower fees. The FHA itself has launched an initiative with the Department of Energy that allows borrowers to obtain larger loans, roughly 2% more than the loan amount, to finance energy improvements. Fannie and Freddie also offer a number of products that allow homeowners to finance energy retrofits, including mortgages with high loan-to-income ratios and second-lien mortgages, some of which can be used to pay off PACE liens. But none of these products allow the lien to stay with the property when it is sold. Ygrene's Lawson cited two other reasons that homeowners choose PACE over other financing options: the lien is not considered to be personal debt, and so does not impact borrower's debt-to-income ratios; it can also be underwritten very quickly, compared with add-ons to mortgages. "The approval process is much speedier than it is for obtaining a second-lien mortgage," she said. "You can get a PACE loan approved in 15 minutes online." By comparison, underwriting a home equity line of credit can take months. PACE liens are also problematic because they can make properties more difficult to sell or refinance, since buyers cannot get conventional loans from Fannie or Freddie. The moves by the FHA and VA give prospective homebuyers additional options for financing the purchase of a home with an existing PACE lien, assuming that lenders embrace them. Still, some buyers may not want to assume the lien, even if they can get financing. That means that, in practice, a homeowner could be forced to pay off the PACE lien before selling. Lawson acknowledged that some lenders request that property owners prepay the PACE lien upon sale of the home. She said Ygrene discloses this fact to borrowers when it makes PACE loans, though it does not believe that the lack of financing options limits the universe of homebuyers. That's because the improvements financed by PACE improve the value of a home and lower its utility bills. Valuation Impact Disputed The cost effectiveness of home energy improvements is a matter of debate, however. Research published by Laurie Goodman and Jun Zhu in the Journal of Finance in December indicates that energy-efficient improvements financed by Renovate America in California increase the value of the property by more than the PACE assessment between $199 and $8,882 more, depending on which methodology the researchers used. "Homeowners can more than fully recover their full costs at resale, whereas most other home improvements can recover only about 60%," Goodman said in Urban Institute bulletin describing her research. However, she conceded that the study had few data points on the sale price of homes that went into foreclosure with PACE improvements, which would speak more directly to the risk to the FHA's insurance fund. Preliminary results from research being conducted by the California Association of Realtors are more equivocal. Alex Creel, the association's chief lobbyist, said that energy efficient retrofits appear to make more sense for homeowners with high-end homes than those with moderately priced homes. "While solar panels can be a market differentiator at the high end of the market and draw a luxury premium, they can negatively impact the resale value and the salability of a moderately priced home," he said. Foundation Asset Management has requested a special meeting of Stewart Information Services Corp. stockholders, where it will propose removing co-vice chairmen Malcolm Morris and Stewart Morris Jr. from the company's board of directors. Stewart is underperforming its three national competitors in the title insurance business and it needs changes to the board "for stockholders to realize the maximum value of their investment," according to Foundation's Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday. In February 2015, Bulldog Investors attempted to force a sale of Stewart, a year after the company entered into an agreement with Foundation Asset, along with Engine Capital, that halted that activist battle. Through a dual class stock structure that remained in place until earlier this year, the Morris family had significant control of the Houston-based title insurer. Current CEO Matthew Morris is Malcolm Morris' son. Foundation owns 5.6% of the outstanding shares of Stewart. It needs the additional support of holders of 19.4% of the outstanding shares to force a meeting. "We are concerned that due to their familial relationships, Malcolm S. Morris and Stewart Morris Jr. are at risk of placing the interests of CEO Matthew W. Morris and other members of the Morris family above those of the company's public stockholders," the SEC filing said. Foundation is proposing Roslyn Payne, currently president of real estate venture capital firm Jackson Street Partners and a former board member at First American Financial Corp. from 1988 to 2009, and Ernest D. Smith, a former executive with Fidelity National Financial, as their replacements. Stewart trailed its peers in terms of profitability in the second quarter at $24 million. Fidelity National Financial's title business earned $182 million, First American earned $102 million and Old Republic Title Insurance Group had pretax operating income of $45 million. Stewart believes in its strategic plan and the "go-forward business performance will reflect the positive impact of these significant restructuring initiatives," the company said in a press release, adding the board "regularly considersstrategic options to enhance shareholder value." Picks from the Past: October 1951 The Crowninshield Elephant The surprising story of Old Bet, the first elephant ever to be brought to America Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his introductory note to The Scarlet Letter, wrote: Here on the granite steps of the Custom House in Salem, Massachusetts, you may greet the sea-flushed ship master just in port with his vessels papers under his arm in a tarnished tin box. When he wrote this he may have been thinking of his own ancestors, who for over a hundred years had braved the salt spray and gales on ships that sailed the high seas to India and the Orient to bring back precious perfumes, spices, silks, tea, ivory, and other rare products. From the pages of one of these old logbooks, as well as from sea captains letters that have lain forgotten for more than a century and a half in the archives of the Essex Institute, comes an interesting story that was front-page news in its day. This story definitely fixes the date when the first living elephant set foot on American soil. It was on April 13, 1796, and the port was New York. It is the story of an enterprising sea captain who had something of the spirit of the great P. T. Barnum beneath his rugged exterior. [node:667] The logbook, now faded and stained with brine, was written in the handwriting of one Nathaniel Hathorne, the father of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, who later added the w to the family name. He must have been an officer on board the Private Armed Ship America. The captain of the ship America, was Jacob Crowninshield, who came from a family of shippers that ran the firm of George Crowninshield and Sons of Salem. There were five brothers, all in command of ships in trade with India about this time. The America set sail from Calcutta for New York on December 3, 1795. Nothing of interest appears in Nathaniel Hathornes Logbook until Wednesday, February 17, 1796, at St. Helena. This day begins with moderate breezes . . . latter part employed in landing 23 sacks of coffee . . . took on board several pumpkins and cabbages, some fresh fish for ships use, and greens for the elephant. Below is written in large letters ELEPHANT ON BOARD. On February 24, the America stopped at the island of Ascension, where the men got several turtles and saw a large sea lion. The last page in the Log records the sighting of Long Island at 7:00 p.m. on April 11. From the times and distances, it can be estimated that the elephant must have been landed in New York on April 13, 1796. The voyage had been a remarkably calm one. Except for a few squalls, no storms were recorded. The next important information we have concerning the elephant seems to be a clipping from a New York paper dated April, 1796. It reads: The Ship America, Captain Jacob Crowninshield of Salem, Massachusetts, Commander and owner, has brought home an elephant from Bengal in perfect health. It is the first ever seen in America and is a great curiosity. It is a female, two years old. From a pile of letters, sea journals, and charts that have lain securely ensconced in an old sea chest of John C. Crowninshield for well over a century, we can learn something of the human side of the venture. Jacob Crowninshield writing in India to his brothers John and George in command of the Belisarius on the way to India on November 2, 1795, says: We take home a fine young elephant two years old, at $450.00. It is almost as large as a very large ox, and I dare say we shall get it home safe, if so it will bring at least $5000.00. We shall at first be obliged to keep it in the southern states until it becomes hardened to the climate. I suppose you will laugh at this scheme, but I do not mind that, will turn elephant driver. We have plenty of water at the Cape and St. Helena. This was my plan. Ben did not come into it, so if it succeeds, I ought to have the whole credit and honor too; of course you know it will be a great thing to carry the first elephant to America. The fact that the America was the ship that brought the first elephant to the United States is corroborated in An Account of the Private Armed Ship America of Salem by B. B. Crowninshield, also in the Historical Collection of the Essex Institute. This record states that the ship arrived from Calcutta at New York in April, 1797, and mentions that the animal sold for $10,000. He had the facts right except that the year should have been 1796. Various writers on early American events fail to agree on the date of the landing of the first elephant in America. They put it all the way from 1776 to 1833. Much of the confusion seems to be due to the fact that there have been many ships named America. The one that carried the elephant was a French vessel bought for Elias Hasket Derby at the Isle of France by Jacob Crowninshield in 1794. She was insured in March, 1795, and was taken over by Jacob and Benjamen Crowninshield, who immediately sailed for Calcutta. She returned to New York April 13, 1796, and was sold in the early summer. A summary of the travels of the elephant can be traced through newspaper reports and public notices. The first account [is] in The Argus and Green Leaf Advertiser, which on April 23, 1796, and in many succeeding issues advertised the first elephant as being on exhibition in New York at the corner of Beaver Street and Broadway. The next record is from a handbill dated August 18, 1797, advertising the exhibition of the elephant at Boston. On September 5, 1797, the Salem Gazette states that, The elephant will leave town in two days and go to Marblehead for three days. On September 12, the Gazette carried this announcement: The elephant will be exhibited in Beverly at the new house opposite Captain Goodridges. The elephant appears to have been taken south about this time for the winter, and according to harbor reports was brought north to Philadelphia in April, 1798. (This entry evidently misled a writer in the Chicago Inter-Ocean in October, 1895, who claimed this date for the arrival of the first elephant in America.) Mr. E. Savage, one of Americas earliest showmen, exhibited the elephant in Boston on June 25, 1804, and on July 3 it was again in Salem and on view at the Sun Tavern. The most poisoned profession Roundup poisoning widespread (NaturalNews) On July 19, 60 farm workers in rural Illinois had to be treated for pesticide exposure after they went to work in a field too soon after it had been sprayed with pesticides from the air. Several of the sickened workers were teenagers.Such accidents are relatively common. In 2013, 80 field workers were actually sprayed directly with fungicide by a crop dusting plane.These cases highlight the constant danger that farm workers live under: As their bodies are slowly poisoned by long-term exposure to toxic chemicals, they also run the risk of being dramatically sickened or even killed by a single incident of high-dose exposure.Farm workers suffer from more chemical-related illness and injury than workers in any other profession. Toxic pesticides are so widely used in agriculture that the exposure routes are nearly endless.People working directly with pesticides mixing, loading or applying them might be splashed in the process or exposed due to leaking equipment. They may be exposed due to missing or defective protective gear, accidentally dosed while applying the chemicals, or even caught as the pesticides drift in the wind. Field workers like those recently poisoned can be exposed when they work in a field that was recently sprayed, and can also be hit by direct spraying or indirect drift.Even farm workers' families are at risk. Children regularly play outdoors, either in fields that have been directly sprayed or in neighboring fields, parks or schools exposed to pesticide drift. And workers bring home toxic residue on their clothing and skin.The risks of pesticides are both short- and long-term. Short-term exposure in high enough doses can cause eye irritation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches and rash. In higher doses, acute exposure can cause breathing difficulty, seizures, unconsciousness or death. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, between 10,000 and 20,000 farm workers suffer from on-the-job acute pesticide poisoning every year.But these numbers pale in comparison with the nearly 100 percent of farm workers suffering from chronic pesticide exposure. That's because even in minuscule concentrations, long-term pesticide exposure has been linked with health problems including cancer, hormonal and reproductive problems, birth defects and neurological diseases.The scale of the problem can be illustrated by looking at the example of just a single chemical that nearly all farm workers are exposed to: Monsanto's Roundup, the most used herbicide in the United States.A 2004 study intested the urine of farm workers and their families on the day they applied herbicides containing glyphosate (Roundup's active ingredient), as well as the day before and for three days after. They found that on the day of application, 60 percent of farm workers had detectable glyphosate levels in their urine, as did 4 percent of their spouses and 12 percent of their children. Maximum urinary levels ranged from 3 parts per billion (3 ppb) to 233 ppb.All the exposure levels were below that considered safe by the EPA. Yet studies have linked Roundup to endocrine disruption and cancer at concentrations to the order of one part per trillion a thousand times weaker than those found in the study.Glyphosate has also been linked to organ toxicity, and is classified by the World Health Organization as a probable carcinogen.Troublingly, studies have also found that some of Roundup's "inactive" ingredients are in fact biologically active, and may be more toxic than glyphosate itself. One of these ingredients, polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA), has been found to poison human embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells, leading researchers to warn that Roundup may cause birth defects and miscarriage.Be part of the solution, not part of the problem! Grow your own produce in the low-water, no-electricity Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow Box 2.0 , a hydroponics system developed by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger. (NaturalNews) You cannot rely on food producers to put food labels on products in a sufficient enough manner to describe what you're actually buying, and in the case of meat and animal products what you're allowing to continue through your purchase.(Article written by Claire Bernish, republished from http://www.thedailysheeple.com pig 'producer,' The Maschhoffs[1], slogan boasts but if the Hormel supplier truly believes what the pigs it raises go through is family-oriented, the company could easily qualify for psychological assistance. Disturbingly, though, The Maschhoffs are far from alone.Newly-released undercover footage from an investigation[2] by the Animal Legal Defense Fund[3], which as EcoWatch noted, is "the nation's leading legal animal protection organization," proves The Maschhoffs slogan cannot be described as anything short of grossly deceptive. EcoWatch described the footage[4], though the details are no less disturbing in print than on video:"Mother pigs and piglets alike are shown suffering and dying from a wide array of gruesome ailments. Undercover investigators documented pigs suffering for days or weeks with extreme prolapsed rectums, intestinal ruptures, large open wounds and huge, bloody ruptured cysts. The investigation also revealed that the pigs are left to go long stretches of time up to three days without food as the result of a failure of the electronic feeding mechanism," and though workers were aware of the malfunction, they didn't bother feeding the pigs another way.Footage (included below *warning: graphic) also reveals the common industry practice whereby runt and sickly piglets considered unusable as product are killed by workers smashing their heads on the ground known by the euphemistic term, "thumping[5]."While commentary about the commonality of these problems in the U.S. pig producing industry could fill vast tomes, the inability of Americans to vote with their wallets in trusting food labels constitutes the most imperative aspect of this issue. Those inured to descriptions of arrant animal abuse on factory farms aren't likely to change their buying practices to run such operations out of business.But everyone should be able to understand a food product's origins, quality, and manufacturing through accurate labeling so those who want can choose ethically raised, organic, or other specific products to suit their desires. This particularly pertains to people just beginning to change their eating habits. But if food labels deceive people, how can anyone reliably move toward healthier or more ethical choices?-labeled chicken illustrates this point handily. For those who don't have time to research what that description means or those who don't even realize they should the label suggests chickens milling peacefully about on the open 'range,' free from cages or any other constraints. In actuality, free-range generally describes warehoused[6] chickens who, though not in horribly restrictive battery cages, nevertheless might not set foot outside or even see daylight for the entirety of their short lifetimes.Technically, the birds should have access to some outdoor enclosure, however, "no information on stocking density, the frequency or duration of how much outdoor access must be provided, nor the quality of the land accessible to the animals is defined," writes[7] the Humane Society of the United States. And, alarmingly, "[p]ainful surgical procedures without any pain relief are permitted."Clearly, the vision of chickens pecking around in a sunny meadow is not what the free-range label has in mind. Nor does the popular label, "cage-free," another poultry product industry favorite term, also inaccurately summoning to mind chickens who if they must be considered product at least live somewhat normal lives. Again, not so much.come from hens who don't have the misfortune, as typical industry hens, of being confined with five to ten other hens[8] in wire-mesh cages where they're given the space equivalent[9] to an iPad. However, they don't fare much better and the label cage-free should be a matter of debate.Though cage-free hens are able to actually spread their wings, up to 100,000 of them typically inhabit a single warehouse where 'overcrowding' could be a rather laughable understatement. Sure, they might not be confined in cruel battery cages, but the sheer number of hens occupying such warehouse spaces can severely stress the birds, who frequently lash out by violently pecking at others. To reduce injury to their product, such 'farms' are permitted to "debeak" the birds an incredibly painful practice[10] where the tips of chickens' beaks are seared off without any pain-relieving medicine.According to Michigan State University animal scientist Janice Swanson, who led a study[11] about egg production techniques, as recounted[12] by Gizmodo's iO9, "cage-free birds have more feathers and stronger bones and exhibit more natural behaviors. But crowded aviaries also come with risks: reduced air quality, and twice the likelihood of dying. Over the course of their three-year study, less than 5 percent of birds in cages died, compared with more than 11 percent of cage-free birds. One of the most common causes of death was pecking by other chickens."On Friday, The Maschhoffs issued a statement about the investigation into the horrific footage published by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, which reaffirmed the company's putative commitment to ensuring its pigs' welfare. Though the company had previously said it would not allow such abuse to occur, The Maschhoffs now claim the manager in charge of the Nebraska facility in the footage has been terminated and all employees will be re-trained to uphold the rights of animals. While the undercover footage belies a different reality, The Maschhoffs President Bradley Wolter, said in a statement[13]:"As animal caregivers with a long-standing history of excellent animal welfare, we are appalled by the level of animal care depicted in the video at this sow farm. We are aggressively implementing improvements that will help to ensure excellent animal care every day and on every farm, and prove our ongoing commitment to the responsible and humane care of our animals."What's most apparent in the vast variance of food labels now plastering our food is the inability to fully trust their accuracy in describing the processes and practices employed before the products arrive conveniently on store shelves. With descriptions like "Family Style," "free-range," "cage-free," and many similar, it would seem the industry has striven to improve factory farming practices and overall food quality.Such food labels deceptively grant consumers a guilt-free and time-saving method to buy products conscientiously when, in actuality, the deft manipulation of language by the agribusiness industry constitutes just so much propaganda.Read more at: http://www.thedailysheeple.com Sources:[1] http://www.themaschhoffs.com/ [2] http://aldf.org [3] http://aldf.org/ [4] http://ecowatch.com/2016/05/25/shocking-pig-neglect/ [5] http://www.huffingtonpost.com [6] http://www.onegreenplanet.org [7] http://www.humanesociety.org [8] http://www.onegreenplanet.org [9] http://time.com/happier-chickens/ [10] http://www.humanesociety.org [11] http://www2.sustainableeggcoalition.org/ [12] http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-truth-about-your-cage-free-eggs-1675363108 [13] http://kticradio.com Russia sets an example for the world to follow U.S. falls behind in meeting public demand for healthy food (NaturalNews) Russian authorities have announced a limit on GMO animal feed imports as the country continues taking steps towards becoming GMO-free The Russian food safety regulatory agency Rosselkhoznadzor made the announcement on July 21 that animal feed that is either fully GMO or that contains a high percentage of GMOs would no longer be permitted to be imported into the country.This latest announcement follows on the heels of a complete ban on GM crop cultivation and GM animal breeding that was signed into law in June by President Vladimir Putin.Although the ban on GMO animal feed will not be a complete one, restrictions have already begun to limit some imports of feeds containing high percentages of GMOs.From"On July 15 the Rosselkhoznadzor put a temporary ban on imports from the Ukrainian company Katerynopil Elevator due to a large percentage of GMOs being discovered in imported chicken feed. From July 29 Russia will also introduce temporary bans on imports from a number of Brazilian, Chinese, Argentinian and German trading companies, due to the large percentage of GMOs in their animal feed products."Russia appears to be serious in its efforts to become GMO-free. In February, Rosselkhoznadzor imposed a ban on all imports of soybeans and corn from the United States, due to GMO and microbial contamination.The February move represented a "huge blow" to U.S. farmers. Although U.S. corn exports to Russia were relatively modest in volume, soybean exports totaled $156 million in 2013 and continued to increase during 2014 and 2015.Under Vladimir Putin's leadership, Russia has remained unbowed to biotech industry pressure and has chosen to take a "different path" in its approach to agriculture, opting for organic food production instead of GMO technology.In December 2015, Putin told the Russian Parliament why he supports organic food cultivation:"Not only can we ourselves eat it, but also taking into account our land and water which is particularly important resources Russia could become the world's largest supplier of healthy, environmentally friendly, high-quality food that has long been missing in some western producers."It's more than a bit ironic that a nation often characterized by the West as being backwards and corrupt should be taking such a bold stance in favor of "healthy, environmentally friendly, high-quality food," while the United States and other countries continue to give biotech companies free rein.Apparently, the Russian authorities have been able to see through the GMO industry's lies while resisting its lobbying efforts, and have managed to set an example for the rest of the world.In fact, the Russians seem to have a clear set of goals that will not only protect the health of its citizens, but could make Russia an even more powerful economic force, in terms of food exports.As the demand for organic food continues to increase, the U.S. has fallen woefully behind. For example, up to 92 percent of corn and 94 percent of soybean crops currently grown in the U.S. are genetically-engineered, while a majority of Americans say they don't want to eat GM foods.Meanwhile, Russia is making strides in the direction of meeting all of its own demand for healthy, organic food by 2020 and exporting it to other nations as well.In 2015, Russia adopted a completely new approach to food production and regulation. New laws were passed that will impose fines for vague or unclear labeling of foods containing GMOs, along with other measures designed to encourage the expanded production of organic food products.Russian authorities have vowed not to "poison their citizens," while the United States government continues doing exactly that despite the clear message from the populace that GMOs are unwanted.What's wrong with this picture? Don't forget: the country that makes most of our goods is a communist dictatorship (NaturalNews) The piracy capital of the world is cracking down on internet freedom of speech , proposing new guidelines that would censor so-called "original" news reporting that conflicts with state-sanctioned propaganda peddling a different narrative.The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) says two major news portals, Sohu.com Inc. and NetEase Inc., have already been ordered to stop publishing articles because they have "seriously violated" China's existing internet regulations, which apparently prohibit all content that results in "huge negative effects" to the reputation of the state.It's the latest attempt by the Chinese government, which only allows state-run media sources to disseminate news, to keep a lid on anythingthat might be occurring in the world. Hilariously, two of China's largest news sources, both run by the government, issued identical, word-for-word notices about the offending "violations," and how they would be handled.According to, CAC told the two independent news outlets being targeted to shut down their "current-affairs news" operations on Friday this, after previously warning another source, known as Tencent QQ, an instant messaging service in China, to do the same thing just days before. WeChat, another Chinese phone and instant messaging service, is also in the censorship cross hairs.As China's economy continues to boom, so is its people's appetite for newsnews which just isn't jiving with the country's authoritarian government. The only news that can be legally reported is that which is issued and approved by the Chinese government, of course and all in the interest of supporting the ruling communist party, says current Chinese President Xi Jinping."The sweeping ban gives authorities near-absolute control over online news and political discourse, in keeping with a broader crackdown on information increasingly distributed over the web and mobile devices,"writer Keith Zhai reported.The biggest threat to propaganda, of course, is information that might blow the lid on said propaganda in this case independent news that might call into question the authority of China's communist government. Such information could lead to an uprising of the likes of Brexit, potentially leading to Jinping and his cabinet facing serious backlash.Enterprise reporting not sanctioned by the state has been illegal in China for years, but only in recent weeks has aggressive enforcement action taken place. The new crackdown, says adjunct Chinese University of Hong Kong professor Willy Lam, suggests that the communist powers "really mean business" in protecting their power.Their first course of action is to impose fines on companies that violate the censorship mandate, which includes internet providers that feed third-party news to subscribers. The Chinese government also plans to install its own people onto the boards of these companies, giving them further control over the information they disseminate.What makes the latter effort especially egregious is the fact that online news services are technically outside the regulatory purview of China's existing censorship law, at least when it comes to the distribution of news that contradicts the government narrative they're still prohibited from providing "original" content, and they're not allowed to hire their own reporters or editors.As far as what constitutes "current-affairs news" reporting that's now off limits in China, the broad definition includes anything relating to politics, economics, foreign affairs, military and social issues in other words, pretty much Oldest trick in the playbook The real mystery (NaturalNews) Would a President Hillary Clinton , perhaps facing massive unrest and outrage over her election, actually use the power of her office to starve her political opponents into submission? Some sources say that is exactly what she is planning to do.A report incites as Clinton's authority for such a brazen move an Executive Order signed by her predecessor and the man who kept her out of court and likely out of prison President Barack Obama. In 2011 Obama signed EO 13603.According to the report , several claims are made:1) The Department of Homeland Security has been stockpiling food for years now in anticipation of .... A long-term-storage food supplier ( here ) claims to have been contacted by DHS personnel in 2013 inquiring how many meals per person, per day, the company could provide, whether it could mass-ship food supplies and whether supplies could be shipped within 24 hours. This source claims that DHS began soliciting for mass quantities of storable foods in 2010, ostensibly to prepare for some kind of major widespread disaster.And this source claims that the federal government began stockpiling food as early as 2008:Wall Street JournalABC News2) Clinton, as secretary of state, met with DHS officials and actually held operational planning meetings where the use of food as a weapon was brought up in case of mass civil unrest following her election. We could find no evidence online that this is true; it is being offered by the original source as some sort of intelligence from a "high level inside source" that is not further defined. But that isn't in and of itself proof that shehave those meetings; we wouldn't expect to find stories online reporting how Clinton was openly plotting to starve political opponents if she became president.What's more, talk radio host Dave Hodges of believed at one time that Obama was capable of using food as a weapon "in the administration and the application" of a state of martial law . It's possible; it is one of the oldest tricks in the political playbook.All said, the federal government certainly has claimed the right to essentially commandeer all food and water in the United States as part of dealing with any national emergency (whether real or contrived). EO 13603, as we have reported , certainly does give whomever is president the tacit authority to essentially nationalize the food supply.Called the "National Defense Resources Preparedness," Obama claimed authority under the Defense Production Act of 1950, a Korean War-era statute (50 U.S.C.) that gives the government the power to marshal whatever resources are necessary to protect and defend the country during "military conflicts, natural or man-caused disasters, or acts of terrorism within the United States," the statute says.Among its various directions and instructions, the order calls on various federal agencies and government officials to "identify requirements for the full spectrum of emergencies, including essential military and civilian demand," and "assess on an ongoing basis the capability of the domestic industrial and technological base to satisfy requirements in peacetime and times of national emergency, specifically evaluating the availability of the most critical resource and production sources , including subcontractors and suppliers, materials, skilled labor, and professional and technical personnel."Why Obama felt it necessary to cite a 1950 Korean War-era law to enact a new executive order of this magnitude, when so much previous disaster planning had been done prior to his arrival in the White House, is themystery not necessarily how some future president will use that power. Hospital mistakes third leading cause of death Doctors too proud to admit they screwed up Doctors who don't reflect on mistakes suffer emotionally (NaturalNews) Western medicine certainly has its benefits when it comes to emergency care, as advancements in technology are generally effective when it comes to saving one's life in the event of traumatic injury. Preventative care , on the other hand, is essentially nonexistent in most Western nations. Simple, every day treatments aren't all that safe, either.Treatments such as pharmaceutical drug prescriptions, routine dental checkups and non-life threatening surgeries often turn out to be just that: life threatening. Harm caused by medical error is a lot more common than you might think.In fact, an estimated 1.6 million Americans have died as a result of medical errors over the last decade and a half. In fact, death via medical error is so common, that it's now considered the third leading cause of death in the U.S., below heart disease and cancer.Hospital deaths purported to be accidental show no immediate signs of decline, either, because as it turns out, doctors aren't too concerned about it.The rise in these particular types of deaths prompted researchers from the department of Veterans Affairs at Boston University to take a closer look, and what they found may disturb you.Only 55 percent of surgeons actually apologize for botching up a surgery, while the remaining 45 percent never give it a second thought, according to reporting by theYes, you read that correctly. Nearly half of doctors don't apologize for doing a bad job. Why you might ask? Well, because they are just too damn proud.Making mistakes is too "difficult for the physician to admit to the patient," said study author Dr. Thomas Gallagher."For a long time in the field, people thought the primary reason physicians have trouble reporting adverse events is they were worried about being sued, but there are other barriers that are more important."The 21-question survey administered to 67 specialist surgeons from three medical centers, revealed that 13 percent of doctors do not feel any regret for the mistakes made during surgery.Unsurprisingly, a large majority do not discuss how to avoid repeating those same mistakes, either. Slightly more than half of doctors said they discuss whether or not the medical error could have been prevented.The research, published in the journal, sought to understand "how embarrassing and upsetting these events are for clinicians," failing to mention what patients and their families must be going through.But, according to the survey, doctors who do not reflect on their mistakes are ultimately impacted emotionally."Surgeons with more negative attitudes about disclosure were more anxious about patients' surgical outcomes or events following an operation."U.S. law requires doctors to fully disclose the occurrence of "adverse events or unanticipated outcomes" to patients, as well as to their family members. The survey found that the majority of them followed five of the eight recommended disclosure techniques, including: Explaining why it happened 92 percent Expressing regret for what happened 87 percent Expressing concern for the patient's welfare 95 percent Disclosing the adverse event within 24 hours 97 percent Discussing steps taken to treat any subsequent problems 98 percent"The other three were: apologising to patients (55 per cent), discussing whether the error was preventable (55 per cent) and discussing how it could be stopped from ever happening again (32 per cent)."Reduce trips to the doctor altogether by keeping your immune system strong with Health Ranger superfoods like spirulina and chlorella Sky gazers in North America has something great to look forward to this Thursday and Friday. The skies will shine bright as the Delta Aquarids create a celestial light show with an estimated of about 20 fire balls per hour. Unlike any other meteor rain show, the Delta Aquarids Meteor Show is what the experts think would captivate the heart of its audience more. That is because of the angle where the Delta Aquarids will enter the Earth and the position the surface where it will land. Unlike other meteors, every ball of fire will have a longer fiery paths of ionized gas that could possibly last for at most two seconds, as reported by the Weather Plus. "These are slow moving. They are more zoop than zip," Senior Editor of Sky and Telescope magazine Alan MacRobert shared. "Pretty much look wherever the sky is darkest and away from the moon," he added. Though the Delta Aquarids is best visible in the Northern part of the equator especially in North America, other places near its location can still enjoy the breathtaking show. The best time to watch it is when the constellation Aquarius is in the highest part of heavens, which is between 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. That is if the sky is clear, according to Sky and Telescope. And because the light of the moon can greatly affect the visibility of the meteors, it is best to look at the sky if it's dark. The Delta Aquari's name was taken from one of the magnitude stars of the Aquarius constellation, as reported by My Fox 8. That is because the constellation plays an important role on how and where the celestial show appears in the sky. In the Aquarius central point, the balls of light from this celestial show streak away. That central point is called the constellation's "radiant". During the meeting that was conducted by the NASA Advisory Council Tuesday, one of the important questions regarding the SpaceX's Red Dragon mission to Mars was tackled. That is when Jim Reuter, one of the company's agency deputy associate administrators, shared that the total estimated price to realize the project. That is about $320 million, way cheaper than other NASA's Mars missions. Reuter also shared how NASA is willing to support the project in exchange of the information that will be gathered through the Red Dragon Mission, as stated by The Verge. According to him, NASA is willing to invest about $32 million, which is the amount that will go directly to the employees working to realize the project SpaceX. Aside from that, the company is also willing to offer technical support and advices for the victory of the mission. The Red Dragon Mission's goal is to be able to land heavy equipment on Mars and start a Martian colony. Experts state that though the mission's success is possible, the company will surely have a hard time realizing it. That is because of the Mar's thin atmosphere cutting the pressure to one-hundredth as compared to that of the Earth's. With the planet's low pressure, aircrafts will have a harder time to land in the planet's ground with all its parts complete. NASA's former chief technologist Bobby Braun said that the mission can be risky. But despite that, he still believes that every step is an opportunity for technology's improvement, as reported by Arstechnica. "Don't get me wrong, it is certainly a risky proposition," Bobby Braun said. But, "that certainly improves their chances of success," he added. Though there is already a leaked information about the Red Dragon Mission Project, SpaceX is still yet to detail the complete data about it. The company also remained silent with regards to the total costs of the project and on how the company will finance the project. Elon Musk gave a sneak preview of Tesla's billion-dollar gigafactory that is expected to produce lithium-ion batteries for the company. .@elonmusk speaking to the media at the Tesla Gigafactory. pic.twitter.com/Rh41VqNK3y This Is Reno (@ThisIsReno) July 26, 2016 Business tycoon, Elon Musk presented the gigafactory to the press last Friday, July 22 located in a desert outside of Nevada. Although some say that the factory doesn't seem to special, Musk and his electric company is banking on the factory to revolutionize transportation in the world, said a report by Mashable. Tesla built its gigafactory to fulfill the demands for its target 500,000 cars per year. Elon Musk wanted to produce batteries in 2020 that are more than batteries produced in the whole world for the year 2013. "The factory is the machine that builds the machine," Elon Musk, Tesla CEO said in a statement published by Wired. But Musk wanted to walk the talk. The advanced factory is also in line with Musk's renewable energy advocacy saying that the roof will be covered with solar panels that will power the factory as well. According to the reports of the press who were able to peek into the gigfactory, there is a prominent gray floor and white walls with red trim inside. Innovative robots will do much of the work inside the factory supervised by human and is also supposed to employ about 6,500 employees. Batteries are one of the core parts Tesla electric cars and other Tesla products such as power walls; currently, they import batteries from Japanese electronics company Panasonic. Musk believes that this is a cost-effective move to lower the prices of batteries and to speed up the production as well. "Where the shipping costs start to become significant, the obvious way to combat that is to at least put a Gigafactory on the same continent," Musk said in a statement. Once completed it will be one of the world's biggest factories and according to plan, it will be powered 100 percent by renewable energy. Warp travel as portrayed in the science fiction film, "Star Trek Beyond" may just become a reality. According to NASA, the International Space Station (ISS) is discovering and creating ways for farther travels to the corners of the universe. First launched in 1998, the ISS continues to be inhabited by NASA since the year 2000. Aboard the ISS, astronauts are laying out a plan for man's travel across the solar system. The station currently serves as a test bed for microgravity technologies and astronaut health techniques. "For most of us, the thought of traveling to another galaxy probably seems like science fiction," states Victor Glover, who was selected in 2013 but has yet to fly into space. "But the truth is, the foundation for humankind's journey beyond Earth's solar system is being laid right now aboard our very own International Space Station." Before any other destination across the solar system, NASA is preparing for their mission to Mars. On July 21, a group of astronauts had dived into the Aquarius Reef Base for the NASA Extreme Environment Mission. The expedition under the sea is a preparation for NASA's trip to Mars set for the year 2030. There is a lot of preparation involved in NASA's expedition to Mars. One of the things astronauts have to watch out for is the effect of microgravity. When the force of gravity is taken off from the body, it affects bone density and muscle mass. In addition, the heart doesn't work as much. "But thanks to the International Space Station, we're able to study the effects of weightlessness and develop countermeasures in orbit, close to Earth," explains Glover. Astronauts spend approximately 90 minutes to two hours running on the treadmill and lifting weights to help slow down bone and muscle deterioration. While space exploration is still far from the likes of "Star Trek," traveling towards distant locations through space is a close possibility. A new U.S. spy satellite launched into space for a top-secret mission. The NROL-61 has blasted into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at around 8 a.m. on July 28 aboard the United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The NROL-61 mission is operating under the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the agency in charge of the U.S.'s fleet of spy satellites. NRO payloads are classified; authorities did not provide any information about the satellite's precise activities, apart from a brief description from ULA stating that NROL-61's mission is being supported by national defense, Space.com reports. The 20-story Atlas V rocket is powered by 1.5 million pounds of thrust from its Russian main engine and two solid rocket boosters. The ULA rocket will also be used for human launches in the coming years. "It's a 4-2 configuration of an Atlas V vehicle, which is the same configuration we use to support the crew mission in early 2018 and we're very excited to support this critical national security mission," Tony Taliancich of the ULA said in a statement in News13. The NROL-61 is the third NRO satellite to launch this year. In February, the NROL-45 launched atop a ULA Delta IV rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and in June, the NROL-37 rode a Delta IV Heavy - the most powerful ULA rocket in operation - from Cape Canaveral. Another mission dubbed NROL-79 is also scheduled to launch atop an Atlas V in December, also from Cape Canaveral. The NRO mission patch features a cartoon lizard named "Spike," which is depicted launching into space with the Atlas V. The NRO was formed in 1961, years after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 - the world's first artificial satellite. The agency worked in secret until 1992 when its missions were declassified. According to the NRO website, its satellites help track international terrorists, develop accurate bombing targets and bomb damage assessments, assess impacts of natural disasters, and monitor the construction of weapons of mass destruction. Scientists have found a new antibiotic produced by bacteria in the human nose. Researchers from the University of Tubingen in Germany that the bacteria Staphylococcus lugdunesis inside the human nose produces a chemical called lugdunin. This chemical was found to be capable of combatting the so-called "superbug" or MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccocus aureus), which is an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could cause potentially life-threatening infection. "Despite the urgent need for new antibiotics that are effective against resistant bacteria, very few compounds are in development," the researchers wrote in the study, which was published in the scientific journal Nature. Antibiotics have been widely used in the field of medicine, but many pathogens have developed a resistance against them. One such antibiotic-resistant bacteria is the superbug or MRSA. For this year, the U.S. has recorded two cases of superbugs. According to study co-author Andreas Peschel, in a matter of 10 years, more people could be expected to die from diseases caused by resistant bacteria than cancer, CNN reports. Many of current antibiotics were sourced from nature, but microbes inside the human body have not yet been fully explored. "It was totally unexpected to find a human-associated bacterium to produce a real antibiotic," Peschel told CNN. In the study, the researchers took nasal secretion samples from human subjects and isolated 90 strains of different Staphylococcus species. Among these species, the researchers discovered that S. lugdunesis killed S. aureus when the two were cultured together in a dish. The research team also identified its weapon, lugdunin, representing the first member of a new class of antibiotics. According to the researchers, lugdunin was also effective against MRSA infections in mice, but they were not able to see how the compound works. The researchers said that the bacterium itself could be a good probiotic, which could be applied nasally to combat staph infections in patients. Inhaling secondhand marijuana smoke for just one minute may impair blood vessels, a new study suggested. According to a new research from the American Heart Association, blood vessel functions are three times less likely to recover after only a minute of inhaling secondhand marijuana smoke, compared with a minute of breathing secondhand tobacco smoke. "While the effect is temporary for both cigarette and marijuana smoke, these temporary problems can turn into long-term problems if exposures occur often enough and may increase the chances of developing hardened and clogged arteries," Matthew Springer, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco's Division of Cardiology and senior author of the study, said in a press release. In the study, which was published in the open access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, the researchers examined blood vessel functions in rats before and after exposure to similar levels of secondhand marijuana smoke and secondhand tobacco smoke. After inhaling marijuana smoke, researchers found that the rats' arteries carried blood less efficiently for at least 90 minutes, while similar levels of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke caused damage in blood vessel functions that recovered only within 30 minutes. The researchers also found that it was not the chemicals in marijuana - such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - that cause blood vessel impairment, but rather the mere burning of the plant material. "There is widespread belief that, unlike tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke is benign," Springer said. "We in public health have been telling the public to avoid secondhand tobacco smoke for years, but we don't tell them to avoid secondhand marijuana smoke, because until now we haven't had evidence that it can be harmful." While the study involved animal subjects, the researchers noted that it is likely to have the same effect on human blood vessels. According to the researchers, the legalization of the drug in a number of states either for recreational or medicinal purposes could lead to more cases of exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke. As such, the researchers emphasize the importance of understanding the possible health implications of secondhand marijuana smoke. Grateful to be alive, a college student returned Wednesday to an Orange County nightclub where he almost died, so he could thank the men who saved his life. Jesse Anderson, 20, said he collapsed from dehydration at the Observatory nightclub in Santa Ana in March. He was carried outside where an in-house medic started performing CPR. Two officers working overtime at the club also started to help Anderson. Witnesses told the heroes to stop, believing Anderson could not be rescued. "I have a 14-year-old son, and the first thing that came to my mind is, this is somebody's son and there's no way I'm going to stop at this point," said Oscar Lizardi, an officer for the Santa Ana Police Department. Anderson stopped breathing twice during what officers called nine minutes of chaos, and then conviction. "I was so far gone that people told them to stop doing CPR, and one of them decided to keep going," Anderson said. "I'm just thankful." He stabilized enough to be taken to a hospital, where he was placed in a coma in order to save his life. Anderson stayed at the hospital for 10 days. He returned to the nightclub Wednesday with his parents and his girlfriend to thank the men who helped him. "I couldn't thank them more because he's here," Anderson's girlfriend, Jenna Wood, said. After fearing the worst for Anderson, his rescuers were happy to see him alive and standing. "I can't stop smiling seeing how tall this guy really is," said Duane Lewis, a security guard for the club. "Just to know that he has his life, live your life bro, don't take it for granted." Officials from the office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee announced that Bay Area Rapid Transit received a large grant Wednesday from the Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration. A total of $6,321,668 was granted to BART to use for upgrades to the 19th Street Station, house officials said. "BART is a critical part of our public transit system and these funds will help ensure safe and green transit for its riders, in the East Bay and throughout." Congresswoman Barbara Lee said in a statement. Additionally, funding will also be used to enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in the uptown area connecting to the BART station. Hillary Clinton may have made history as the first woman to be nominated for U.S. president by a major political party, but some in the Bay Area remain unconvinced of her ability to lead the nation. Young citizens gathered in San Francisco Thursday to watch the final night of the Democratic National Convention. Many, however, support Bernie Sanders and plan to pass out T-shirts and stage a silent demonstration. Alan Swislow, co-leader of the Contra Costa for Hillary club, said he saw Sanders supporters turn their backs on one of the speakers during the four day-long event at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. He didnt think they planned to behave the same way Thursday. Swislow believes that speeches given by President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and former President Bill Clinton, have helped Clinton make her case. But it was Sanders who probably did the most to convince his supporters to throw their weight behind Clinton, he said. Ive got a friend of mine today who is a Bernie person, Swislow said. Meanwhile, Amador City Mayor Tim Knox told NBC Bay Area that the DNC hadnt revealed anything new about Clinton that would encourage him to support her. Knox said he planned to listen to her speech Thursday before deciding whether she has his trust. Political experts predict that Thursday will be a challenge for Clinton, who must now top Obamas address, which many are touting as one of the best convention speeches theyve ever heard. After receiving the number of votes needed to secure the Democratic party's nomination, voters are now looking to Clinton to walk the line between promising to finish what Obama started and being a change-maker willing to shake things up, pundits say. I want to ask you to reject cynicism and reject fear and to summon what is best in us, Obama told attendees Wednesday. Today, the World Wide Web celebrates its 10,000th day of existence! Mozilla Firefoxs Twitter account used the hashtag #10kDays to raise awareness on the internets transformation and to highlight some of the webs most fond memories. According to the Digital Journal, the internet began in 1989 when Web inventor, Tim Berners-Lee, submitted a proposal for a distributed information center for CERN. Berners-Lees proposal is known today as the World Wide Web. The web proposal opened the door for many tech wizards, musicians, and web users today. From providing college degrees to communicating with doctors online, the internet has made an extraordinary impact on many lives around the globe. The internet has upgraded in a way where we have access to millions of apps online. There is literally an app for everything such as learning how to cook or reading a new book. You name it, its there! There are many people who rely heavily on the internet including college students and business owners We can all thank Mr. Berners-Lee for that! Internet users are looking forward to the next 10,000 days. Check out the tweets below to see how the Twitter world honored the internet with the hashtag #10Kdays The mother of Chandra Levy, a Washington, D.C., intern from Modesto, California, whose 2001 disappearance and death received national attention, said she is "totally in a state of shock" after learning the charges will be dropped against the man convicted of killing her daughter. Susan Levy said the news brought back feelings she had 15 years ago when her daughter vanished. "It kind of puts you back to the level of grief you originally had," she told NBC Bay Area. Federal prosecutors announced Thursday they are dropping all charges against Salvadoran immigrant Ingmar Guandique, citing "recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week." A spokeswoman for Guandique's lawyers said Thursday that the jailhouse informant who reported that Guandique confessed to the crime was found to have lied. "I only wish we could get the right person, whoever did what happened to my daughter," said Susan Levy. Levy added that she thinks of her daughter constantly and won't stop seeking justice. "I always want justice," she said, "but even if I get justice, it doesn't bring calm back to a family that's been fractured by a horrendous crime like this." Guandique was convicted in 2010 in Levy's death but later was granted a new trial, which was expected to begin this fall. But the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement Thursday that prosecutors have moved to dismiss the case charging Guandique with Levy's 2001 murder. Those charges were formally dropped later in the day. Chandra Levy's disappearance got national headlines after it was learned she was romantically linked to then-Congressman Gary Condit. Condit insisted he had nothing to do with the 24-year-old's disappearance. He was later ruled out as a suspect. Levy's remains were found at Rock Creek Park in D.C. a year after her disappearance. Prosecutors argued Levy's death fit a pattern of attacks Guandique committed on female joggers. At the time, he had been serving 10 years in prison for attacking two other women in Rock Creek Park. But prosecutors lacked hard evidence against him in the Levy case, presenting neither eyewitnesses nor DNA evidence. A jury found Guandique guilty in November 2010 on two charges of felony murder in Levy's death. He was sentenced to 60 years. Condit's attorney, L. Lin Wood, responded to Thursday's news in a statement: "Gary Condit was extremely disappointed to learn today that the prosecution has decided against a retrial of Ingmar Guandique, the individual previously found guilty of the murder of Chandra Levy. The failure of authorities to bring formal closure to this tragedy after 15 years is very disappointing but in no way alters the fact that Mr. Condit was long ago completely exonerated by authorities in connection with Ms. Levy's death. At some point in the near future, I expect Mr. Condit to speak publicly about the case but he does not believe that it is appropriate to do so at this time." A North Carolina voting law was struck down Friday by a federal appeals court, finding that Republican lawmakers intentionally discriminated against African-Americans, NBC News reported. According to the federal appeals court, the measures provisions "target African-Americans with almost surgical precision." The court found that African-American registration and turnout rates reached parity with those of whites by 2013. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, signed and championed the law, which imposed a voter ID requirement, cut early voting opportunities, eliminated same-day voter registration and banned voting from outside precincts. A district court upheld the law, but the appeals court found it erred in its decision by seeing the laws goals as partisan rather than race-based. "Before enacting that law, the legislature requested data on the use, by race, of a number of voting practices. Upon receipt of the race data, the General Assembly enacted legislation that restricted voting and registration in five different ways, all of which disproportionately affected African-Americans." Fresh off a spirited convention, Hillary Clinton told prospective voters Friday they face a "stark choice" in November and pressed ahead with the scalding rhetoric against her Republican rival that marked many of the speeches in Philadelphia. Another distraction arose, however, as her aides acknowledged that a hacking attack that exposed Democratic Party emails also reached into a computer system used by her own campaign. Rallying in Colorado, Donald Trump denounced Clinton's convention speech as "full of lies" and said he's starting to agree with those calling for Clinton to be locked up. Not long after, the intrusion into a system used by the Clinton campaign came to light, first reported by Reuters. The FBI said it was working to determine the "accuracy, nature and scope" of the cyberattacks. Campaign spokesman Nick Merrill said the newly disclosed breach affected a Democratic National Committee data analytics program used by the campaign and other organizations. Merrill said outside experts found no evidence that the campaign's "internal systems have been compromised" but gave no detail on the program or nature of the attacks. President Barack Obama and cybersecurity experts have said Russia was almost certainly responsible for the DNC hack, and the House Democratic campaign committee reported Friday that its information had been accessed. The developments followed the leaking of DNC emails earlier in the week that pointed to a pro-Clinton bias by party officials during her primary contest against Bernie Sanders. In the furor, party chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz resigned just as Democrats were launching their convention. Clinton is in the midst of a post-convention campaign bus tour through the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. She told supporters in a West Philadelphia arena the coming election is the most important one in her lifetime. "It's not so much that I'm on the ticket, it's because of the stark choice that's posed to Americans in this election," she said. In Colorado Springs, Trump at times seemed to brush off the fierce convention-week Democratic criticism, which went so far as to question his sanity. Sounding more like a pundit than the subject of all the vitriol, he pronounced her speech "so average" and "full of cliches." But he grew harsher as his event went on. "Remember this," he said, "Trump is going to be no more Mr. Nice Guy." And for the first time he encouraged his crowd's anti-Clinton chants of "lock her up." "I've been saying let's just beat her on Nov. 8," he said, "but you know what? I'm starting to agree with you." Polls find that most Americans question Clinton's honesty. But in her convention speech and her first events afterward, her priority was to go after Trump, not ask for trust. Joined on the bus tour by her husband, Bill Clinton, running mate Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, Clinton stopped at a toy and plastics manufacturer in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, where she and Kaine cast Trump as a con artist out for his own gain. "We don't resent success in America but we do resent people who take advantage of others in order to line their own pockets," said Clinton, addressing local officials and employees on the factory floor. Trump is also focusing on Ohio and Pennsylvania, as states where he might make headway with blue-collar white men. That group of voters has eluded Clinton and was perhaps a hard sell after a Democratic convention that heavily celebrated racial and gender diversity. Clinton is playing up economic opportunity, diversity and national security. Democrats hammered home those themes this week with an array of politicians, celebrities, gun-violence victims, law enforcement officers and activists of all races and sexual orientation. Their goal is to turn out the coalition of minority, female and young voters that twice elected Barack Obama while offsetting expected losses among the white men drawn to Trump's message. Democrats contrasted their optimistic message with the more troubled vision of the state of the nation presented by Trump and others at the GOP convention a week earlier. Kaine told CNN he found the Republican gathering "dark and depressing.' The convention provided hours of glowing tributes to Clinton, including deeply personal testimonials from her husband, daughter Chelsea Clinton and Obama. And Clinton offered an open hand to backers of Sanders, saying, "I've heard you. Your cause is our cause." But Trump said Friday that Sanders "sold his soul to the devil" when he unlike some of his loudly protesting supporters threw his support behind Clinton. Rep. Tammy Duckworth addressed the delegation at the Democratic National Convention Thursday, slamming Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. In Donald Trumps America, if you get knocked down, you stay down, Duckworth said to applause. By the way, Donald Trump, I didnt put my life on the line to defend our democracy so you could invite Russia to interfere in it. You are not fit to be Commander-in-Chief. The remark follows a comment Trump made Wednesday that encouraged Russia to uncover hacked emails involving Hillary Clinton. Trump said Thursday, however that he was "being sarcastic." My fellow Americans: We can choose a different path, Duckworth said. Duckworth, a U.S. Army veteran with a Marine father, stressed service and family values throughout her speech at the convention. The congresswoman recounted losing both legs piloting a Black Hawk helicopter over Iraq, reminisced about the sacrifices her family made to help her fulfill her dream of completing college and gushed about her daughter, Abigail. Duckworth, who is currently locked in one of the nations most highly-contested Senate races against incumbent Republican Mark Kirk, also gave a resounding endorsement of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In 102 days, when we elect Hillary, my daughters first memories of a president will be of a woman, Duckworth said. At the end of her speech, made a call to fellow Democrats. Lets go forward with confidence and pride in who we are and what we believe in, Duckworth said. Were Democrats because we stand up for the most vulnerable among us. We embrace the notion that lifting one another up doesnt cost nearly as much as leaving other Americans behind. We stand up for immigrant and people with disabilities. And we defend the basic values that have made- and will keep- America the greatest country in the world. Clinton is expected to address the delegation Thursday night to accept the Democratic Partys nomination. The Illinois Attorney Generals office confirmed Thursday that the plaintiffs in a workplace retaliation lawsuit against Rep. Tammy Duckworth cant refuse their settlement offer and that the case isn't going to trial. The AGs office denied reports that the settlement was rejected and Duckworth was headed to trial. "Weve obviously seen the stories, but that doesnt change that we have a settlement agreement, Attorney Generals office communications Director Maura Possley told Ward Room. The 8-year-old lawsuit, which alleged ethics violations and workplace retaliation, was settled last month. The plaintiffs, Denise Goins and Christine Butler, were reportedly offended by the Duckworth campaigns response to the settlement and moved to reject the offer within an hour of leaving the courthouse, the Daily Herald reports. We worked with the judge on June 24 and reached a final settlement, Possley said. Its typical practice that after finalizing a settlement that the parties sign our standard form. If a plaintiff declines to sign the form, that does not change whether the agreement is final." As a result, Possley told Ward Room that there is no scheduled trial. But, according to the Union County Clerks office, the case is still on the docket because a settlement order to remove it hasn't been received. Possley claimed the case is simply still on the docket from May. There is really nothing clear about what is going on with this case, an unnamed GOP insider told Ward Room. Duckworth continues to attack the whistleblowers, the whistleblowers want to reject the initial settlement offer and that Attorney Generals office continues to disseminate conflicting and incomplete information. The best approach right now for all parties involved is to let the legal process play out." Duckworth is locked in one of the nations most highly-contested Senate with incumbent Republican Mark Kirk. The congresswoman is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention Thursday Night. The government is unwilling to concede more than four of the seven demands raised by the fisherfolk. President Barack Obama confirmed Friday that he and First Lady Michelle Obama have chosen Chicago's historic Jackson Park as the site for the Obama Presidential Center. "Michelle and I are thrilled that the Obama Presidential Center will be developed in the heart of Chicagos South Side, a community we call home and that means the world to us," Obama said in a statement. "With a center in Jackson Park, not only will we be able to affect local change, but we can attract the world to this historic neighborhood, whose rich cultural heritage dates back to the 1893 Worlds Fair. We are proud that the center will help spur development in an urban area and we cant wait to forge new ways to give back to the people of Chicago who have given us so much." The center was expected to be located in one of two parks on the city's South Side, but a source confirmed to NBC News earlier this week that the president had picked Jackson Park. It will be home to Obama's archives and a museum about his presidency, and is expected to be completed in 2020 or 2021. The Barack Obama Foundation announced last year that Chicago would house the future library, capping an intense campaign for the library. The city of Chicago was instrumental in demonstrating to the President and First Lady the advantages of locating the future Obama Presidential Center in the city, and the University of Chicago brought to life the broad potential and vital energy of the South Side, foundation chairman Martin Nesbitt said in a statement. Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the project a "unique opportunity" for Chicago and advocated aggressively for the selection. "It can be on the South Side. It can be on the West Side, but it cannot be on the Upper West Side of Manhattan," said Emanuel, Obama's former White House chief of staff, while campaigning for a second term at City Hall. The foundation recently announced that the New York architects behind the nearby University of Chicago's Logan Center for the Arts would partner with a Chicago firm in designing the center. Two Cook County Jail detainees will face charges after holding another inmate hostage at shank-point for several hours Thursday evening. According to the Cook County Sheriffs office, two men obscured the facility's cameras before ripping them down entirely in Division 10, a maximum security wing of the jail, and covered the floor with soapy toilet-water during the incident. The standoff lasted about three hours before ending around 8 p.m., according to the sheriff's office. Authorities say the inmate who was held hostage is recovering from a leg injury. There are 16 other detainees housed in Division 10, according to police, including the hostage. No one else was hurt. The Bucktown burglar known as the creeper ghost is still on the loose, according to police. Chicago police said Friday they had detained a person of interest in the case, but the man was soon after released, therefore the investigation into finding the suspect behind a rash of eerie home break-ins is ongoing. The thief is believed to be responsible for a series of burglaries in the citys Bucktown neighborhood over the past few weeks. One resident, Jack Mackercher, captured the intruder on surveillance cameras installed inside his home. Footage showed the suspect had snuck in through an unlocked door on the home's upper deck. The creeper ghost moves so slowly during the home invasion, police said they originally had believed the footage was in slow-motion. In the video, the suspect stands over Mackercher and his girlfriend as they sleep on the couch just a few feet away. He even stops to watch what's playing on the TV that was left on for several minutes. Not even the couples dogs woke during the burglary. It wasnt until the next day they realized a purse was missing and Mackercher checked their home security cameras. Mackercher said he originally thought it was his girlfriend at the top of the stairs when he saw the frightening footage. I said, Why are you at the top of my stairs wearing a white hoodie? Mackercher said. Shes like, I dont have a white hoodie, and thats when I went flushed. The creeper ghost spent more than 15 minutes lurking around the home before slithering his way out with the purse. The fact that he stayed in this gentlemans house for 15 minutes is even scarier, said one man who works with the Bucktown neighborhood watch. Neighbors believe the intruder gains access to homes by simply checking for unlocked doors. Drew Peterson has been sentenced to another 40 years in prison after being convicted of a murder-for-hire scheme that involved trying to have the prosecutor who first put him in jail killed. A judge ruled Friday that Peterson will serve the additional time after he finishes his 38-year sentence for the killing of his third wife Kathleen Savio. He also was sentenced to three years of supervision. Peterson called the conviction "a scam." "Everything you've heard on these tapes was fake. It was fabricated," he said in court before the sentencing, adding that there were more than a dozen witnesses that "could have shown my innocence." He ended his statement by turning to Will County States Attorney James Glasgow, who he tried to have killed, and saying, "Jim Glasgow, I did not contract to have you killed." After the sentencing, Peterson picked up his papers, his hands shaking, and left the courtroom led by Department of Corrections officers. A jury found Peterson guilty two months ago of hatching a plot from Menard Correctional Center to have Glasgow killed. The downstate jury took barely an hour to convict the former Bolingbrook police sergeant after prosecutors said he offered $10,000 to a Satans Disciple known as Beast to have Glasgow killed. The fellow inmate wore an FBI wire and caught Peterson on tape. "[My family was] under a cloud and that cloud has been lifted," Glasgow said outside the courtroom. "It should have never been there in the first place." Peterson, 62, faced a minimum 20-year sentence in the murder-for-hire case. Randolph County States Attorney Jeremy Walker has said he would seek a sentence near the maximum of 60 years. "This is the type of case that screams a lengthy sentence," said Walker. Glasgow led the team of prosecutors that secured Petersons murder conviction. Peterson has been locked up at Menard Correctional Center since 2013, where he enlisted street-gang member Antonio Smith, an inmate serving 40 years for crimes that include attempted murder, to help pull off Glasgows assassination. Walker said Peterson was driven to have Glasgow killed for four reasons: Peterson wanted to protect his pension; he wanted to win his appeal; he didnt want to be charged with the murder of Stacy Peterson; and he was mad that his son lost his job at the Oak Brook police department. Petersons fourth wife, Stacy, vanished in 2007, and that set in motion the events that led to his 2012 conviction for Savios murder. No one has ever been charged in connection with Stacy Petersons disappearance. However, Peterson remains the prime suspect, and Glasgow told reporters in May we never stop reviewing that case. In court Friday, Glasgow detailed a series of unsettling events, including one where his son feared that the sound of a firepit breaking in their backyard was a gunshot from a potential hitman. "One of my sons was outside with the dogs and he came charging in the house and he had a look of terror on his face and he said, 'I just heard a gunshot,'" Glasgow said. He also mentioned other incidents where the family feared cars were following them "unusually." Meanwhile, a source familiar with the matter said Peterson has been complaining to the judge about his Randolph County defense lawyer after famously blaming his former lead counsel in 2012 for his murder conviction. The judge Friday denied a motion for Peterson to get a new attorney, and also denied a motion for a new trial. "He's not going to get out," said Savio's sister Sue Doman. "He's never going tog et out again and it's a good thing because now people will be safe from Drew Peterson because he is a murderer." A Cook County judge on Friday appointed Patricia Brown Holmes, a former judge who also has served as a federal prosecutor, as special prosecutor to look into whether additional Chicago police officers were involved in covering up the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting. Chief Criminal Court Judge Leroy Martin Jr. announced the appointment of Holmes, who previously was the trustee of Burr Oak Cemetery after a scandal forced the historic black cemetery near Alsip into bankruptcy. No one other than Officer Jason Van Dyke who is charged with first-degree murder has been charged in connection with the 2014 shooting death on a Southwest Side street. A special prosecutor to handle Van Dykes murder case was needed after States Attorney Anita Alavrez recused herself. Van Dykes partner, Joseph Walsh, and Detective David March, whose account of McDonalds shooting conflicted with the graphic dashcam video, were placed on administrative status in mid-December. Several other officers who were the scene also backed Van Dykes version of events that he fired at McDonald because he was in his fear for life as the teenager waved a knife and came toward the officers. One officer said she was looking down as she put her patrol car in park and apparently did not look up again in time to witness the hail of bullets. McDonald was moving away from police in the 4100 block of South Pulaski Road and was 10 feet from Van Dyke when he was shot 16 times. A Wisconsin police officer has resigned after an internal investigation revealed he had sex almost 100 times while on the job, officials said. According to documents obtained by the Hudson Star-Observer, which were confirmed by police to NBC Chicago, former Officer John Worden allegedly spent about four to six hours each work day making personal phone calls and had sex on the job roughly 98 times. The Hudson Police Department first began an internal investigation into Worden after the department received a citizen complaint alleging officer misconduct in April 2016. Hudson Police Chief Marty Jensen said in a statement that Worden was placed on administrative leave during the investigation "because of the seriousness of the complaint." Based on the findings of the internal investigation, Worden was asked to resign from the police department and his resignation was effective May 13, 2016. Officials also claimed Worden fabricated work logs 146 times and lied to his supervisor about what he was doing during work hours. The woman who sent the complaint in April told investigators she had been involved with Worden for an extended period of time. The woman allegedly told police that she would text and talk to Worden several times each night on his work phone. Sexual activity between the two occurred inside and outside of the police SUV that Worden drove, she claimed. Prior to the complaint, Hudson Police Lt. Geoff Willems said Worden approached him about a woman who was stalking him. Lt. Willems later wrote in the report that the phone records did not support his claim, however. Worden could not immediately be reached for comment, but in an interview with the Hudson-Star Observer he said "he screwed up," noting he hurt a lot of people and is not the same person he was before. A woman was stabbed on a downtown Chicago CTA platform early Friday. Police say two women were on the platform around midnight at the CTA's Adams and Wabash stop in the city's Loop when an argument broke out and one of the women pulled out a knife and started stabbing the other. The woman then fled, police said, leaving a 21-year-old woman bloody on the platform with two stab wounds to the leg and abdomen. Footage from the surrounding area showed the victim walking slowly to an ambulance around 1 a.m., before being transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where police say her condition was stabilized. Chicago police plan to go through the CTAs multiple cameras and massive surveillance system as the investigation into the incident is ongoing. An accused murderer was arrested in Groton for various charges relating to cocaine possession, police said. During his initial contact with police, Vernon Horn, accompanied by Ivaniette Marie Lopez, gave officers an Ohio state identification card with false information, Groton Police said. When officers found medication bottles with Horn's name, they looked him up and discovered the New Haven man was wanted by the New Haven Police Department for failure to appear in court, according to Groton Police. While the suspect continued to deny his identity, he was brought into the police station and fingerprints confirmed that he was rightfully identified as Vernon Horn, an accused murder who was convicted in 2000 before his case was overturned in 2014, police said. After he appealed the conviction and the case was overturned, Horn was released on a bond pending retrial. In July, a re-arrest warrant was issued with a $2 million court set bond, police said. Groton Police charged Horn with cocaine possession, intent to sell, possession of marijuana greater than a half-ounce, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal impersonation. Horn was also charged with third-degree criminal mischief for flooding a cell's toilet at the Groton Police Department Headquarters, police said. The United States Marshal's Fugitive Task have Horn in cutosdy. He is expected to appear in court on Aug. 11. Lopez was charged with cocaine possession, intent to sell, possession of marijuana greater than a half-ounce, possession of drug paraphernalia. A 91-year-old West Hartford resident is dead and a 49-year-old West Hartford man is in intensive care after a crash in Bloomfield this morning. The driver lost control of the vehicle at Simsbury and Mountain roads at 8:38 a.m., went off the road and hit a "for sale" sign at a house, as well as a utility pole before hitting trees and brush and coming to a stop, police said. When police arrived, the 91-year-old in the passenger seat was in cardiac arrest, police said. The 49-year-old driver was disoriented, but was able to move and showed no signs of life-threatening injuries, police said. The driver and passenger were transported to St. Francis Hospital and the passenger was pronounced dead. While at the hospital, the driver's condition worsened and he was admitted to the ICU, police said. Witnesses told officers the driver was showing signs of a seizure before police arrived. The North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Squad is investigating. Naugatuck police and Connecticut State police have arrested several people as part of an illegal gambling investigation. Naugatuck police said the investigation into possible illegal gambling at the Main Street Social Club on North Main Street began in January. On July 27, Naugatuck police and members of the Connecticut State Police Statewide Organized Crime Task Force executed a search warrant at the club. According to police, multiple employees were arrested and accused of organizing an running illegal gambling organization. Stephen Kloc, 47, of Naugatuck, Andrew Kloc, 44, of Naugatuck, Michael Santos, 33 of Naugatuck, Domenic Mancini, 27, of Watertown, Marisa Mango, 29, of Bristol and Sarah Bernier, 35, of Naugatuck all face multiple gambling related charges. Police said summons were also issued for several players at the club. In no uncertain terms, Senator Chris Murphy provided his personal feelings on the prospect of Donald Trump winning the presidency just hours after finished his speech at the Demcratic National Convention. "Donald Trump scares the hell out of me," Murphy said. Murphy went a step further and said he could see Americans losing their lives as a result of Trump's ascent to the nations highest office. "I think he'll get people killed the way that he's prepared to walk away from our alliances all over the world. I think he'll get people killed here in our country because of his insistence on putting guns in our schools. I just am very worried about this nation if Donald Trump becomes president." Murphy spoke on the penultimate night of the convention about the need for stricter gun controls, specifically more stringent background checks, and the need to prevent anyone on a terror watch list from being able to purchase a gun. The senator said he fears for what a Trump administrations gun policies may look like. Trump has promised that on his first day in office he will unwind all of President Obama's work to make our background check system safer and he will ban "gun-free school zones. Thursday night is the final evening of the DNC where Hillary Clinton will formally accept the partys nomination for president. Four bodies were recovered from a medical transport plane that crashed in a densely forested mountain range in Northern California after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, authorities said. The Piper PA31 was carrying a flight nurse, a transport medic and a patient about 360 miles from Crescent City, near the Oregon border, to Oakland when the pilot declared an emergency around 1 a.m. Friday. The pilot planned to return to Crescent City but the plane vanished from radar 5 miles north of the Arcata-Eureka Airport on the far northern coast, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. Rescue teams led by the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department found the crash site hours later on land owned by a private timber company in the county about 280 miles north of San Francisco. The county's chief deputy coroner, Ernie Stewart, said his office received four victims but he declined to identify them until next of kin were notified. The plane was part of Cal-Ore Life Flight, which transports patients throughout Northern California and Oregon. Don Wharton, a spokesman for parent company REACH Air Medical Services, said nighttime flights are common. The National Transportation and Safety Board will investigate the crash. A Bristol man suspected in a Meriden shooting was taken into custody in Virginia and extradited back to Connecticut on Friday morning. Deon Camp, 23, of Bristol, was wanted for the May 2 shooting on Willow Street where a man was shot in the head and neck area. Police apprehended him on July 20 in Richmond, Virginia. He has been charged with first-degree assault in the first degree, unlawful discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment in the first degree and criminal possession of a firearm. He was held on a $500,000 bond. The Hartford Yard Goats baseball team is threatening to find a new home for the 2017 season after a promise for a ballpark still hasn't come to fruition, according to letters sent to city officials. The team's owner, Josh Solomon, called the development of Dunkin' Donuts Park, with the completion deadline being missed over and over, "intolerable," letters obtained by NBC Connecticut say. "The city cannot tell the team when or if the stadium will be completed," Solomon wrote to city officials. "The city appears not to have sufficient monies available to fund the completion of the stadium." Solomon said he wants some kind of assurance from the city by December that the ballpark will be completed for the next season, or the team will search for a new place to play next year. "Since June 6, 2016, no work of any significance has been performed at the stadium and it now appears that the stadium will not be completed for many months, at minimum," Solomon wrote. The Yard Goats' owner said the insurance company for the stadium has made a decision about completion of the stadium, but the city responded, saying the company is still investigating and no decisions have been made. "To my knowledge Arch Insurance is actively involved in investigating the condition of the Project and negotiating agreements necessary to the resumption and completion of the Hartford Stadium Project," Howard G. Rifkin, of the city's office of the corporation counsel, wrote back to Solomon. Centerplan, the developer hired to build Dunkin' Donuts stadium, started construction on the stadium in February 2015 with a set completion date of mid-March. After delays came to light in December 2015, a new date of May 17 was set in January, but Centerplan did not meet that date and the city has since invoked the $46 million insurance policy on the project and fired the developer. Centerplan has also filed a complaint, looking for an injunction against the city, claiming it didnt use the proper dispute resolution channels laid out in their joint agreement before the city fired them. The ex-husband of a British woman whose death is being investigated as a suspected "honor killing" turned himself in to Pakistani police for questioning on Thursday, NBC News has learned. Samia Shahid, 28, had been visiting her estranged parents in northeastern Pakistan when she died. Her former husband had been on the run since the afternoon of her death but gave himself up to police in eastern Pakistan, according to the officer leading the investigation. Shahid 's second husband had claimed she was murdered because of their marriage, which he told police was against her family's wishes. The death has become a high-profile investigation in Pakistan. San Diego police identified a suspect in the shooting of two police officers following a traffic stop Thursday night. Jesse Michael Gomez, 52, was taken into custody Friday, San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Chief Shelley Zimmerman said at a press conference. Police located Gomez in a ravine in the 1300 block of 38th Street shortly after the shooting with a gunshot wound. He was taken into custody in critical condition. His condition was unclear Friday night. The two officers, Jonathan "JD" De Guzman, 43, and Wade Irwin, 32, were conducting a traffic stop shortly before 11 p.m. in the 3700 block of Acacia Grove Way near Boston Avenue in San Diego's Southcrest neighborhood when shots were fired, Zimmerman said Friday afternoon. Its still unclear whether the stop was for a pedestrian or a vehicle. Both officers were found with gunshot wounds. De Guzman, was rushed in a patrol car to Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest, where he was later pronounced dead. De Guzman was a 16-year veteran of the force. Irwin, a 9-year-veteran, is seriously wounded, but it expected to survive. "I cant begin to put in words the emotions and feelings that surround an event like this. This is one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching situations for police officers to go through," Zimmerman said following the shooting. A second potential, potential suspect was also in custody Friday night, Zimmerman said. Marcus Antonio Cassani was arrested on an outstanding warrant following an hourslong standoff at a home in the citys Shelltown area. Zimmerman said it remained unclear if Cassani was connected with the shooting of the two officers. Officials surrounded two homes on Friday. The first lasted nearly five hours, with SWAT officials attempting to negotiate with someone inside a home. "We hear you coughing in there," SWAT officials called out. "We know you're hurting in there. Man up. This isn't going to get any easier." Officials used tear gas and broke into the house from a back door, according to NBC 7 crews. Police also surrounded a second home Friday afternoon near 41st and Delta Streets in the Shelltown area, but it was unclear if there were any arrests made. Following the incident, Zimmerman said the shooting occurred "seconds to a minute or so," both officers were wearing personal body cameras, and "there is video evidence." San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer released this statement Friday morning on the tragedy: Last night we lost one of San Diegos finest. We grieve for our fallen officer and stand with his family during this very difficult time. We also pray for the second officer shot last night as he recovers from surgery. Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all. I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities. We need them and they need us. The mayor was out of town with his family at the time of the shooting. Zimmerman said she's been briefing Faulconer over the phone and he is now on his way back to San Diego. The National Action Network (NAN) San Diego, a community organization led by Reverend Shane Harris, released a statement regarding the shooting, "We condemn anyone who uses vengeance as a tool to kill innocent police or innocent victims." San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis also released a statement Friday morning which said, in part: "This senseless act once again highlights the dangers our peace officers face on a daily basis as they work to ensure and protect the publics safety. The District Attorneys Crimes Against Peace Officers Unit is working closely with SDPD to investigate and review this case so those responsible for this cowardly act will be held accountable." There is no indication the officers were specifically targeted, as in recent incidents in Dallas and Baton Rouge that collectively claimed the lives of eight officers. "I can tell you [De Guzman] is a loving, caring husband, father, talked about his family all the time," Zimmerman told reporters at Fridays briefing. "I personally worked with him when I was a lieutenant at Mid-City Division. I know him. This is gut-wrenching. He cared. He came to work every single day just wanting to make a positive difference in his community." NBC's Rajeev Dhir contributed to this report. The Wethersfield Town Council has given the green light to police to install stationary license plate readers to two busy roadways. The cameras will be installed at undisclosed locations along the Silas Deane and the Berlin Turnpike to record license plates of cars passing by around the clock. Wethersfield Police Chief James Cetran said the measure will help the department with criminal investigations. But the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut (ACLU) said installing license plate readers should raise a red flag. "It's just leads. That's what it's for. That's what it is designed to do and that's what we use it for," Cetran tells NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters. Over the past 8 years, Wethersfield's police chief says their two license plate readers have helped solve crimes including an armed robbery at the Mercury gas station. "We got video, got a piece of the marker plate. Ran it through our database for LPR and our recordings and had it 3 different times and we were able to find the car," Cetran added. Cetran is looking forward to implementing these 12 new license plate reader cameras in two unnamed stationary spots along the two busy roadways. Cetran stated, "I'm trying to get ahead of the curve. I truly believe our crime rate is going to go up substantially in the near future." David McGuire is interim Executive Director of the ACLU of Connecticut, "We have concerns about the data and how long it is collected and what it's used for," McGuire told NBC Connecticut. McGuire said motorists should be mortified; the license plate reader cameras will scan thousands of plates per hour, and store the data for years. Allowing officers access without court oversight or judicial review. "Essentially, its a digital record of everywhere you have been at incredible precision, down to the storefront you visited, the therapist office and mosque for prayer. It is Of real concern that police and the government will have this data." Crystal Filmore of South Windham said, "I'm mostly against it. However I do feel it's a good idea with all the crime we've been having, however I think that peoples' freedom and rights are really being infringed upon." Cetran adds the cameras will strictly be used reactively. "I understand certain groups are afraid of Big Brother, but obviously that is not what it's used for, only using for crime," Cetran stated. Tonight McGuire is also worried about third party sharing and the information getting into the hands of private entities. "And our bigger concern is government use," McGuire added. Cetran tells NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters anyone caught abusing the cameras are subject to arrest for computer crimes. The ACLU said they'll try again in the legislature to get the data stored for weeks or months instead of years. By the way, the cameras will cost $215,000 and will be covered by asset forfeiture funds seized by the department. The two initial license plate readers brought to the department in 2008, will also be replaced with two new ones. Those cameras will continue to be used on two police cruisers. Texas A&M officials are speaking out Friday after an NBC 5 story aired Thursday on the universitys efforts to take over a Deep Ellum bar and build a new nine-story dental school. Elbow Room has been a popular watering-hole for decades. The bar has 17 years left on their lease, but the bar owners don't own the building or parking lot. A&M officials said they had the land appraised and so far the property owner so far has turned down multiple offers to sell, including offers above fair market value. The university confirms its moving forward with eminent domain proceedings to get the spot condemned and taken over. A&M officials said its a last resort and the legal process is still ongoing. The university said it needs to expand its College of Dentistry near its current, seven-story location on Gaston Avenue. A new building needs to be close-by for college faculty, dental students and also the patients they serve. A&M said there are currently about 600 students in the college training to be dentists or dental hygenists. A new building next door will allow them to increase enrollment by 25 percent and treat 40,000 more patients a year. "Expanding the college next door definitely matters from a public health standpoint. There are so many underserved communities in the state of Texas," said Texas A&M College of Dentistry spokeswoman Susan Jackson. "In our own backyard, we have areas in Dallas that are designated as federally under-served dental communities. So being able to have 100,000 patient visits each year and increase it by an additional 40,000, I think its a true benefit." Jackson gave NBC 5 a tour of the cramped clinic space where dental students and their dentist advisors treat patients. A&M wants to add dozens of additional clinic labs and create more space and openness. "It'll make our patients more comfortable, and our students, who right now sometimes have to squeeze by each other, Jackson said. Jackson said the dental students under the careful guidance of their experienced and certified dental advisors treat patients of all ages and income levels, many whod go without care otherwise. With the new building across the street we would be able to increase our enrollment by 25 percent, which will provide more dentists and dental hygienists to be in the community providing care, she said. And 90 percent of our graduates stay and practice in the state of Texas. A Dallas police officer hopes to help save the lives of the cops who keep him safe in his hometown. Dallas Police Department Sr. Cpl. Eric Knight lives in the Denton County town of Sanger and is organizing a fundraiser for Saturday at HK Bar Ranch where 100 percent of the proceeds go to support the local police departments. Theres an officer killed like every 52 hours in the United States. And theyre not all big-city cops, Knight said about his motivation to raise money to buy better body armor for officers with the Sanger and Denton police departments. Knight said he was impressed with the generosity of officers from Sanger, Denton and dozens of other police departments from across the state who came to Dallas in the wake of the July 7 ambush to help out. We had cops from all over helping us. I think San Antonio sent 60 officers up, Knight said. And it wasnt, Hey, well do this. Its, What do you need? And they filled in, they back-filled in our gaps for us and allowed our officers time to grieve. Sanger has 13 police officers, each of whom is equipped with a Level IIIA ballistic vest, which is designed to stop pistol rounds. Money raised from Saturday's fundraiser will go to purchase trauma plates for the vest, which are designed to stop rifle rounds. I think its a great idea, said Chief Curtis Amyx, of the Sanger Police Department. Any outside help is appreciated. Any extra protection we have is beneficial for the officer. Despite what one might assume, given the size of the respective cities, Knight said he believes the officers in Sanger are in more danger on a regular basis that officers in Dallas are. One of [Dallas] main pluses is our backup is close. We have 3,500 officers. Someones gonna be there within a couple minutes, Knight said. But up here [in Sanger] the danger factor is, to me, a little bit more because you are kind of by yourself. And you dont ride two men [in a car.] Youre one person. My cousin is a State Trooper in east Texas. He covers 900 square miles. Its him [alone.] Eight North Texas fire departments worked to knock down a three-alarm fire that severely damaged a Lancaster motorcycle dealership early Friday morning. [[388632752,C]] Lancaster Fire Department officials said a witness spotted the fire at Cycle Town South on the 1600 block of North Interstate 35E at about 12:45 a.m. Lancaster firefighters tried to put out the fire but were forced to retreat due to multiple explosions coming from inside the building. Dallas firefighters arrived at about 2:30 a.m. to assist in the battle, according to authorities. Red Oak, DeSoto, Glen Heights, Ovilla, Wilmer and Hutchins firefighters also responded. Two Lancaster firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion at the scene and then released, authorities said. No other injuries were reported and there was no one inside the building when firefighters arrived. By 5:15 a.m., the fire had been mostly extinguished, though authorities said they were monitoring a few hot spots. Authorities said the fire originated at the back of the building, near a repair shop, but the exact cause has not yet been confirmed and a damage estimate has not been provided. The northbound I-35E service road is shut down near the scene just north of Bear Creek Road. Officials said they expect the road to be shut down for most of the morning. A 38-year-old Texas Mexican Mafia leader has pleaded guilty to all federal charges against him, including charges related to the slaying of a San Antonio-area police officer and four other gang members. San Antonio TV station WOAI reports Ruben "Menace" Reyes admitted responsibility for ordering the 2014 slaying of Balcones Heights Police Officer Julian Pesina. He was killed outside his "Notorious Ink Tattoo and Piercing Studio." The San Antonio Express News reported earlier Pesina had been under investigation. According to a federal indictment, Pesina claimed to be a gang member. When the gang looked at his Facebook page, they saw he identified himself as a police officer. Reyes faces a life prison sentence when he returns to court in September for his sentencing hearing. Dallas police said they arrested a 32-year-old man and charged him Thursday with two counts of indecency with a child. Police said their Child Exploitation Squad arrested Rayan Ganesh after an investigation stemming from claims of indecency between June and July. According to his web page, where he is listed as the president and chief legal officer at the Ganesh Law Firm in Dallas, Ganesh is a criminal defense lawyer who also practices immigration and family law. No further details of the incidents were released. Ganesh was taken to the Dallas County Jail where he remains on $40,000 bond. Police asked anyone with information about Ganesh or the charges to call Detective Rodriguez at 214-671-4299. It has been three weeks since police officers were ambushed in downtown Dallas, killing five officers, but the outpouring of support for law enforcement has not let up. "With all the negativity and all the hatred that's going on, one thing that always kills that is love. It's about 97 degrees out here, it may rain. That's love, Dallas love," said Officer Michael Lee, as he stood in front of sea of people who came out to race in the Run for the Blue. Nearly 5,000 people participated in the race along the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Bridge in Dallas. Proceeds will benefit the families of the fallen officers and the seven officers injured in the shooting on July 7. "This means a lot to us," said Officer Jorge Barrientos, his hand still bandaged from being hit during the ambush. "You can't do this job without the support of the community. You can't do this job without faith in your community. You can't do this without the faith from them in you." In just three weeks the Dallas chapter of the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization partnered with several corporate sponsors to organize a race that should have taken months to plan. Sgt. George Aranda, president of the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization, which organized the event, said this is one of the first steps for officers to move on from the shooting while still honoring those who died. "Eventually we have to come back home, come back to reality. This is a step right here," Aranda said. "There's amazing support from everybody. Everybody loves their police officers, but the message we're sending out, and hope we're getting, is don't forget about us. We're still going to be here." In addition to the race, restaurants in the Trinity Groves district donated half of their sales from Thursday night. Organizers said the total amount of money raised will surpass six figures. Dallas Democrats gathered Thursday night to watch history at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. "I want my daughters and my granddaughters and all the kids in the world to know it's possible," said Nancy Sanchez. "It's possible to be a woman and have power and be good." Noemi Sosa, 13, watched the last night of the convention too. "It makes me see that I can go far in life," Sosa said. "Without anyone judging me or anyone believing just because I'm female I can't do it." Before Clinton shattered the glass ceiling of being the first woman nominated for president by a major political party, there were other trailblazers and ceiling breakers. "It's history in real time," said Fort Worth City Councilwoman Gyna Bivens. "We've got to be able to appreciate it." Before Bivens was in politics, she was a reporter who interviewed politicans like President Bill Clinton. Bivens was a reporter at a time when few women were in the newsroom. "Things are different now, but not so much," Bivens explained. "Those men are still around and they still think they're the boss of us, but I think, day by day we're showing them, not so much!" Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez spoke at the convention Thursday night. She shattered her own glass ceiling in the male-dominated law enforcement professsion. "I was the first female elected in Dallas County and it was such a neat feeling," Valdez said. "But that has almost nothing to do with how this is going down tonight." Politics aside, the Democratic nominee for President of the United States made history Thursday night. A vehicle chase in Boyle Heights ended with an officer-involved shooting that left an armed man dead and another suspect in custody, authorities said Friday. The shooting took place in the 1200 block of Atwood Place about 7:45 p.m. Thursday, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. Officers began at 7:09 p.m chasing a vehicle reported to have been stolen, said LAPD Officer Tony Im. What led to the shooting was not immediately disclosed. Im said the passenger of the vehicle suffered a gunshot wound and the driver was unharmed. Both were taken into custody, according to police. The suspect who was shot was transported to a hospital, where he later died. The man's name was withheld pending family notification. Police said the man who was shot had a gun. There was no immediate word on how many officers were involved in the incident and whether a gun was recovered at the scene. The OIS was being investigated by the LAPD's Use of Force Division, the Justice System Integrity Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, and the LAPD Inspector General's office. A lawyer for a Charles Manson follower who killed a California couple more than 40 years ago says he wants a court to overturn Gov. Jerry Brown's decision to deny her parole. Attorney Rich Pfeiffer says he is filing a petition seeking a writ of habeas corpus for 66-year-old Leslie Van Houten in Los Angeles Superior Court. Pfeiffer says Van Houten has been a model prisoner and a parole board found she posed no threat to society. He says denying her release solely because of the heinousness of the murders of Leno and Rosemary La Bianca would effectively change her prison sentence. Brown denied parole for Van Houten saying she committed "extraordinarily brutal crimes" and failed to explain her transformation from an upstanding teen to a killer. A man being sued after refusing to pay about $90,000 for cutting down 153 trees in a popular park next to a wetlands in Seal Beach now faces a misdemeanor charge, prosecutors said Thursday. Rocky Gentner faces a charge of unlawfully injuring the greenery in Gum Grove Park near his home, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The city of Seal Beach filed a civil lawsuit against Gentner, alleging that he hired a local tree removal company in March to chop and grind up 153 Brazilian pepper trees. The sprawling shrub trees that can grow up to 33 feet formed a canopy of about 1,800 square feet, according to the city. "The canopy is gone, the public no longer has shade in that portion of the park, and habitat and nesting areas have been taken," the lawsuit says. Gentner did not return calls seeking comment. But earlier this month he told The Orange County Register in a brief phone interview that the trees were dead. He also told police they were a fire hazard and that he had been asking the city to cut them down for 15 years, according to the Seal Beach Sun, which cited police reports. City officials demanded he pay about $90,000 to cover the cost of replacing the trees, which he refused, said Seal Beach City Councilman Mike Varipapa. Gum Grove is a popular park for dog walking. It sits next to Los Cerritos Wetlands, the largest salt marsh in Los Angeles County and one of only about 30 Southern California coastal salt marshes still in existence. "People worked hard to preserve this open space," Varipapa said. "Every park is important, especially these days. We're very saddened by these circumstances." Mario Voce is one of several who have spoken out about the destruction. "If there was a problem with the trees, any problem, he should have contacted the city," Voce said. "That's not his part. It's the community's park." The mayor of South El Monte pleaded guilty to bribery Thursday as part of a plea agreement, according to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office. Mayor Luis Aguinaga was charged with bribery for accepting money from a contractor who was doing work for the city and accepting a bribe during an FBI undercover operation. Aguinaga admitted he took bribes from a contractor from 2005 to September 2012. The bribes started out at $500, and eventually increased to $1,000. In the agreement, he said he received at least $45,000 from the contractor, who was identified as a confidential witness. According to the press release, the contractor made payments every two to three weeks. In exchange, the contractor would be rewarded with city contracts, according to authorities. "The contractor made the bribe payments by placing cash in envelopes that were left in a bathroom at the South El Monte City Hall or were left inside the passenger side pocket of a car," the release said. "This long-running corruption scheme compromised the effective governance of South El Monte," United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in the release. "The residents of South El Monte deserve better." Aguinaga is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on August 10. He could face up to 10 years in federal prison. Police were searching for a thief who punched a woman in the face and dragged her several feet as he snatched her purse in Ontario. The victim's husband, John Young, said the man walked up to his wife, Cindy, about 1 p.m. Thursday and punched her in the head outside a Chinese restaurant they own, before grabbing her purse and dragging her down the sidewalk. She screamed as the thief ran off with her purse to an awaiting car with a female passenger inside. At that moment, longtime customer Chad Williams heard the screams and began following the car as it headed down Mountain Avenue and then onto the westbound 60 Freeway. He says the thief knew he was being followed because he kept speeding and making evasive maneuvers - but Williams kept in sight while keeping a safe distance away. Williams was able to get the license plate number and description of the car: a black, 90s Honda Accord. "As human beings, that's what we are supposed to do when you see somebody that needs help," Williams said. "You are supposed to help them out and that's what I did, and I think that anybody would do the same thing for me or anybody else." Cindy Young suffered injuries to her arm and head. She was being treated at a local hospital and was expected to be OK, her husband said. Investigators say they are confident that they will find the thief's car. Before Hillary Clinton could take the stage Thursday night in Philadelphia to give a historic speech, a Wilmington, Delaware, native made some history of her own when she stood at the podium and said, "My name is Sarah McBride, and I am a proud transgender American." McBride became the first openly transgender person to address a major political party convention. The American University graduate came out as transgender four years ago while serving as student body president. Today she is the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, and says that a lot of work remains on behalf of the transgender community. "Will we be a nation where there's only one way to love, only one way to look, and only one way to live?" McBride said on stage Thursday night. "Or, will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally; a nation that's 'Stronger Together?' That's the question in this election." McBride said the struggle for equality became more urgent for her when she learned that her future husband, a transgender man named Andy, was battling cancer. "Even in the face of his terminal illness this 28-year-old he never wavered in his commitment to our cause and his belief that this country can change," McBride said. The couple married in 2014, and Andy passed away just five days later. "Knowing Andy left me profoundly changed," she said. "But more than anything else, his passing taught me that every day matters when it comes to building a world where every person can live their life to the fullest." McBride has been a champion for transgender rights. After coming out in her colleges student-run newspaper, The Eagle, she later became the first out trans woman to work at the White House when she interned in the Office of Public Engagement. Several months ago she took a viral selfie inside a womens restroom in North Carolina, where a controversial law enacted in the state bans transgender people from using government building bathrooms in line with their gender identities. The spotlight continued to shine on McBride Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention, and she used the attention to continue to work for her cause. "Today in America, LGBTQ people are still targeted by hate that lives in both laws and in hearts, she said. "Many still struggle just to get by. But I believe tomorrow can be different. Tomorrow, we can be respected and protected -- especially if Hillary Clinton is our president. And that's why I'm proud to stand here and say that I'm with her." The passage of the Olympic torch through a southeastern Brazilian city was cut short Wednesday as police clashed with protesters who oppose the spending of federal funds on the Rio Games. Residents in the coastal town of Angra dos Reis, outraged over cuts to public services and delayed salary payments to federal workers, took to the streets in the Japuiba borough and blocked the torch relay route, according to Brasil's TV OGlobo. [[377968171, C]] Protesters carried signs and shouted slogans as they confronted law enforcement officials escorting the torch, Rio's local news agency EXTRA reported. Some of demonstrators began throwing rocks at police, who responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray, according to EXTRA. At least one child was hospitalized, but her condition was unknown, OGlobo reported. Videos posted on social media purport to show the torch extinguished as the runner carrying the Olympic symbol is escorted to safety by riot police. [[388591302, C]] In recent months, Angra dos Reis has endured funding cuts that forced a local hospital to close in March and suspended the municipality's public transportation system, leaving residents without cars stranded. One of the demonstrators wrote on social media that residents were not "revolting against the torch, but with the government that has done nothing in four years, yet made over the city in three days," Sidney Pinheiro wrote on Facebook, EXTRA reported. On Thursday, the torch will travel through the northwest municipalities of Ilha Grande and Volta Redonda in Rio de Janeiro. Two people were taken to the hospital after the car they were sitting in was shot at inside a Kendall neighborhood early Friday. Police say Christian Martinez and his girlfriend, Priscilla Macia, arrived at the home of her parents near SW 101st Avenue and 115th Terrace shortly after 1:30 a.m.. The drivers side window was shattered from bullets. Macias father said the couple was driving nearby when the shooters came up to their car and opened fire. The suspects, described as two men dressed in all black, fled and police are continuing their search. Martinez, 22, was hit in the shoulder while Macia, 21, was hit in the left leg. They were taken to Jackson South Hospital in stable condition. Macia was later released and returned to the house, while Martinez remains hospitalized. A Florida Keys man is facing charges after DNA linked him to the sexual battery of a woman in December, officials said. Raul Morejon, 52, was arrested Thursday on sexual battery charges, Monroe County Sheriff's Office officials said. He was being held on $200,000 bond Friday and no attorney information was immediately available. Authorities said Morejon's ex-wife had been out drinking with the 22-year-old victim and was at the home in Stock Island when the rape took place. The ex-wife told detectives she was sleeping and was woken up by Morejon, who dragged her by the hair to a bedroom and demanded she "see what he had done," officials said. Morejon's ex-wife said the victim was unconscious but the condition she was in and Morejon's comments led her to believe a sexual battery may have taken place, authorities said. The victim later told detectives she remembered waking up at one point and finding a man on top of her with his face close to hers, officials said. She remembered he was wearing blue shorts, like the shorts Morejon was wearing at the time of his arrest, officials said. DNA collected during the investigation was sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the DNA was later identified as coming from Morejon, officials said. A Florida Panhandle woman has pleaded no contest and accepted a 40-year prison sentence for killing her boyfriend and living in a house with his body for several days. Authorities say 42-year-old Melissa Kristine Kennedy accepted the plea deal Thursday. She was arrested last October after Bay County sheriff's deputies found her in a truck outside the home where she had been caring for her 59-year-old boyfriend Clifford Lewis. Lewis had been diagnosed with lung cancer. The Panama City News Herald reports defense attorney Kim Jewell says she had offered Kennedy a range of defenses, including insanity and the possibility that someone else killed Lewis. Kennedy chose the plea deal. Authorities say Lewis was shot twice and his body was decomposing. Kennedy told investigators he had abused her for years. Emergency workers responded after a tow truck crashed into a house in southwest Miami-Dade Friday. The crash happened in the 700 block of Southwest 97th Court, Miami-Dade Fire officials said. Footage showed the flatbed truck halfway into the home. The truck apparently crashed through a fence before driving into the home. The truck driver wasn't injured and none of the home's residents were injured, officials said. It's unknown what caused the crash. Pope Francis paid a somber visit in silence to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, with his only public comment a guest book entry begging God "forgiveness for so much cruelty." The Argentine-born pontiff made an early morning pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, during World War II. Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly in his white robes beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz that bears the cynical words "Arbeit Macht Frei (Work sets you free)." After meeting briefly with 11 death camp survivors, he moved on to nearby Birkenau, a sprawling complex where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in its gas chambers. There he greeted 25 Holocaust rescuers. Altogether, it was a deeply contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that Francis passed in total silence, except for a few words he exchanged with the survivors and rescuers. Vatican and Polish church officials explained that Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. However, he did express his feelings, writing in the Auschwitz memorial's guest book in Spanish: "Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty!" He then signed with his name in Latin, "Franciscus" and added the date "29.7.2016." Francis is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live himself through the brutality of World War II on Europe's soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal or historical connection to the site. St. John Paul II, born in Poland, witnessed the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation during the war. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before greeting survivors, one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners at Auschwitz were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who sacrificed his life to save that of a fellow prisoner who had a family, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the pontiff. He then traveled 2 miles (3 kilometers) to Birkenau, the vast satellite camp where the Nazis murdered Jews, Roma and others from across Europe. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths there. At one point the deep silence was broken by the wailing of an infant. When Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests applauded. Francis slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited, in Hebrew, Psalm 130, which starts: "From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord." Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read, first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish. John Paul's visit to the site in 1979 made history because it was the first ever by a pontiff, part of the Vatican's historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. As a pope hailing from another continent, Francis's presence highlights visit the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. The millions who now visit have put increasing stress on the site's aging barracks, prompting urgent conservation efforts that are being funded by governments worldwide. Francis' visit is also different in that it had a private character with no speeches. Benedict, for instance, spoke there in 2006 in Italian pointedly avoiding his native German language in a speech questioning why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. The pope's visit to Auschwitz came on the third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global celebration of faith. Friday is devoted to the theme of suffering. Later in the day Francis will visit a children's hospital in Krakow and take part in a Way of the Cross with the young people. What to Know Menendez is accused of accepting gifts in exchange for political influence His lawyer says the senator met with government officials to talk policy, not to benefit a wealthy friend Both Menendez and the friend, Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, have pleaded not guilty to bribery and fraud charges A federal appeals court refused to toss bribery-related charges against Sen. Robert Menendez, ruling in a unanimous decision that the New Jersey Democrat should face trial. Menendez had asked the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to throw out the case where he was accused of accepting gifts like free vacations and private jet trips from a wealthy Florida optometrist. In exchange, prosecutors said Menendez urged the government to adopt reimbursement policies that would benefit Melgen, to honor a Dominican port security contract with a company in which Melgen was an investor, and to get visas for Melgen's girlfriends. Menendezs lawyers had argued the senators actions on behalf of the eye doctor were protected legislative activity under the consitutions Speech or Debate clause. In a 3-0 decision, the court wrote that it rejects "Menendezs first argument that the Speech or Debate clause necessarily protects apparently legislative activity The predominant purpose of the challenge acts was to pursue a political resolution to Dr. Melgens disputes and not to discuss broader issues of policy." Under the clause, senators are not "super-citizens" who have unlimited protection on non-legislative actions, the panel said. Non-legislative acts are defined as legitimate constituent services, assistance in securing contracts or even accepting bribes in exchange for official action. "Even if these non-legislative acts involve policy or relate to protected legislative activity, they are not protected," the court said. The court also disagreed with Menendez's claims that he was addressing policy issues as a senator, writing "there is substantial record support for the District courts findings that those concerns were instead efforts to help Dr. Melgen. Friday's decision did not address the merits of the charges and noted that there is some evidence in favor of Menendez. That's for a jury to work out at trial, the court said. The Menendez ruling was being closely watched because it comes after the Supreme Court threw out the corruption conviction of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. But legal experts said the issues and charges in the Menendez case do not fit neatly into the 8-0 McDonnell decision. Attorneys for Menendez have said that they intend to appeal the decision and that "once all the facts are heard, the Senator remains confident that he will be vindicated." What to Know Officials say the night judges have been approved to go home early when defendant volume is low They say the judges are seeing defendants much faster than they did before the early adjournment policy took effect Advocates say taxpayers are paying for judges to work full shifts, and defendants ready to be arraigned shouldn't be left waiting After an I-Team investigation discovered Queens judges routinely closing night court early, law enforcement officials and lawmakers have emerged to oppose the policy, which sometimes leaves defendants stranded in jail even though they are ready to be arraigned. "There is no question that some defendants are being held in custody overnight as a result of the early closure of Queens night court," wrote Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. "Our office -- together with the New York City Police Department - vigorously opposed the early closure of night court when it was first proposed and we continue to oppose it today." Over the course of about a month, I-Team cameras caught courthouse doors locking well before the official 1 a.m. closing time. In one case, doors locked at 11:27 p.m. On another night they locked at 11:15 p.m. On yet another night, court officers closed the building at 10:58 p.m. The judge adjourned court and went home before 10 p.m. The New York State Office of Court Administration confirmed that for about the last six years, night court judges in Queens have been given the discretion to adjourn early on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights when the flow of defendants is lightest. Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the court, said Queens judges have improved on a record of getting defendants to arraignments quickly. "In Queens County it typically takes about three and one-half hours to arraign a case after the case is docketed a 5 percent reduction from last year," Chalfen wrote in an email to the I-Team. Despite that statistic, Helen Weinstein, who chairs the NY Assembly Committee on the Judiciary, said she is asking court administrators to review the go-home-early policy. "No judge should be leaving the bench early if there's somebody who could be arraigned that night," Weinstein said. "In probably the overwhelming majority of cases, the person is going to be arraigned and sent home." Despite the growing chorus of criticism, the Office of Court Administration stopped short of forcing judges to work their full eight-hour shifts. Instead, Chalfen said judges are getting a reminder not to strand defendants in courthouse holding cells. "We have reiterated to all judicial and non-judicial personnel that all cases delivered to the court and ready for arraignment must be seen before adjourning court for the night," Chalfen said. But advocates for the accused say, even when there are no defendants presently waiting to be arraigned, a judge who leaves at 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. cannot be certain defendants won't arrive and become ready to go before a judge in the hours and minutes left before 1 a.m. State Sen. Daniel Squadron, a Brooklyn Democrat, said closing court early may be against state law. Squadron has already proposed legislation to assure defendants get a speedy trial. He said legislation should not be necessary to stop judges from going home early. "In this case, it looks like the law already suggests this shouldn't happen. You should be getting folks to arraignment as quickly as possible," Squadron said. Although the NYPD declined to make its own statement addressing early closures of Queens night court, a police spokesman confirmed the NYPD agrees with the Queens district attorney. District Attorney Brown not only criticized judges for the go-home-early policy, he alleged public defenders in Queens were in favor of the early closings even though their clients would potentially suffer. [T]he public defender organizations supported the shorter hours despite the fact that it would delay the arraignment of their clients, Brown wrote in the statement. Tina Luongo, Attorney in Charge of Criminal Defense for the Queens Legal Aid Society, flatly denied Browns claim. We reject this blatant attempt to scapegoat our staff, Luongo wrote in a statement to the I-Team. Our dedicated public defenders always have been and always are ready to work until 1 a.m. or after if need be. It is outrageous to question their advocacy for their clients. The I-Team reached out to the borough's other public defender organization, Queens Law Associates, but the group did not immediately respond to the request for comment. City health officials are investigating two cases of Legionnaires' disease that emerged during the past 10 months at an apartment complex in Harlem. The two cases appeared at Savoy Park Apartments, health officials said. Both individuals have recovered, they said, stressing that the cases aren't indicative of an outbreak. Investigators haven't determined the source of the bacteria that caused their illness. Health officials met with Savoy Park residents Wednesday to discuss the investigation and allay any fears of an outbreak. Management at the apartment complex notified residents of the investigation about two weeks ago and in a July 26 letter added that an environmental company has been hired to test water samples from the buildings. The two cases are the first reported incidents since August, 2015, when city officials announced that they had largely contained an outbreak in the south Bronx that killed 10 people. The disease had affected 108 people at the time of the announcement. Ninety-four people had been hospitalized. The outbreaks were traced to cooling towers in south Bronx buildings. There are no cooling towers at Savoy Park. In most cases, people are exposed to the Legionella bacteria by inhaling contaminated aerosols from cooling towers, hot tubs, showers and faucets or drinking water. Police seized dozens of marijuana plants from a grow house on Staten Island, the NYPD says. The plants were found in the backyard of a Rossville home after police executed a search warrant there around noon on Thursday, authorities said. Police said they found 84 marijuana plants in all, as well as lighting equipment. Dilia Collazo, 53, and Michael Collazo, 25, were arrested. They face several charges, including criminal possession of marijuana. The relationship between the two of them wasn't immediately known and it's unclear if they have an attorney. What to Know Two robbers tied up a 19-year-old woman and assaulted a 60-year-old man at a business in Williamsburg The man and woman were taken to an area hospital and are expected to recover One of the robbers was captured on surveillance video Police are searching for two men who violently robbed a business in Williamsburg. A Roebling Street business was targeted by the robbers around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, an encounter that sent two people in the business to the hospital. Police say the men entered Y & I Accounting and demanded money. They tied up a 19-year-old woman at the business and attacked a 60-year-old man. Surveillance video captured one of the suspects running away from the crime scene. They escaped with an unknown amount of cash. Both of the victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital. The woman was treated and released and the man was listed in serious but stable condition. Residents who live near the business were shocked to hear about the robbery Thursday night. Very unusual for any crimes to happen here. This is a very safe place to live in, a resident named Gloria said. A man said the two people who were injured are very, very nice people. Police said an investigation is ongoing. Police on Friday released a sketch of a man who lured a young schoolgirl into his car in Queens, but released her after driving several blocks. The girl was physically unharmed, but the man faces a charge of endangering the welfare of a child, investigators said. Investigators on Thursday released a surveillance video showing what they believe is the silver-colored car driven by the suspect. The driver, sitting in his parked car, spotted the 10-year-old girl just before 7 a.m. Wednesday at a school bus stop near her home on 102 Street in the Woodhaven neighborhood, police said. He then offered offered to drive her to school. Benjamin Riera, the girl's grandfather saw her get into the car and rushed to the front of the vehicle to prevent it from leaving, he told NBC 4 New York. But the driver backed up, pulled out and sped off. After talking to the girl about her shiny shoes, the driver released the girl several blocks away, Riera said. The girl then walked to her summer school class, but her frantic mother picked her up. Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. What to Know Sarah Goode went missing after attending a party in June 2014 Her body was found in the woods five days after she went missing The young mother had been stabbed more than 40 times A man convicted of murder in the brutal stabbing of a 21-year-old single mother was sentenced Friday to life in prison with no chance for parole. Dante Taylor, convicted in June of first-degree murder and attempted rape, offered no apology for killing Sarah Goode before being sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice John Collins. "You may serve those dates on the calendar, but they will mean nothing because there is no date for you to get out," the judge said to him. Goode, a medical technician with a then 4-year-old daughter, disappeared in June 2014 after attending a party. Her family and community members had coordinated extensive searches in her hometown of Medford before officers found her body in a wooded area five days after she went missing. She had been stabbed more than 40 times. Prosecutors used cellphone records, a palm print and blood to tie Taylor to the case. His attorney argued Taylor had consensual sex with Goode and that someone else attacked her. He plans to appeal. Six current or former state employees were charged Friday with misconduct and other crimes in the Flint water crisis, bringing to nine the number of public officials facing prosecution over the lead contamination that alarmed parents across the country. Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a total of 18 new charges against three employees from the Department of Environmental Quality Liane Shekter Smith, Adam Rosenthal and Patrick Cook and three from the Department of Health and Human Services Nancy Peeler, Corinne Miller and Robert Scott. In addition to the misconduct in office charges, there were willful neglect of duty and various conspiracy counts. "Each attempted to bury or cover up, downplay or hide info that contradicted their own narrative, their story ... (that) there's nothing wrong with Flint water, it's perfectly safe to use. In essence, these individuals concealed the truth and they were criminally wrong to do so," Schuette said at a news conference in the poor, predominantly black city of nearly 100,000 people 55 miles north of Detroit. Under the leadership of a state-appointed emergency manager, officials in April 2014 began using the Flint River as Flint's water supply. State officials did not require that the river water be treated for corrosion, and lead from aging pipes and fixtures leached into Flint homes and businesses. The city remained on that water supply for 18 months, despite complaints from residents. Elevated levels of the toxin were discovered in children. Lead contamination has been linked to learning disabilities and other problems. Shekter Smith, former head of the state's drinking water office, appeared last month in a Detroit courtroom so her lawyer could assert her constitutional right against self-incrimination amid ongoing investigations. She hadn't yet been charged but was reassigned after the water crisis came to light and her firing was announced in February. Shekter Smith's attorney, Brian Morley, said Friday that he was surprised she was charged. "It's disappointing. ... I think we're going to be really hard-pressed to find that she did anything wrong, and certainly nothing criminally wrong," he said. Neither Cook, Rosenthal nor Peeler immediately responded to phone messages seeking comment. A listed number for Scott couldn't be found and Miller's attorney, Kristen Guinn, declined to discuss the case. It's the second round of charges stemming from the water crisis. In January, Schuette announced the appointment of a special counsel to help his office investigate whether laws were broken. In April, two state regulators and a city employee were charged with official misconduct, evidence-tampering and other offenses. At the time, the Republican attorney general guaranteed others would also be charged. Flint utilities administrator Mike Glasgow struck a deal with prosecutors in May, pledging cooperation in exchange for reduced charges as authorities continue investigating lead contamination of the city's drinking water supply. He entered a no contest plea to one count of willful neglect of duty, a misdemeanor, in exchange for dismissal of a felony charge of tampering with evidence. Two state Department of Environmental Quality officials also were charged with misconduct, conspiracy, tampering with test results and misdemeanor violations of clean-water law and await preliminary examinations. In June, Schuette filed a lawsuit against two water engineering companies, saying their negligence caused and exacerbated Flint's lead-tainted water crisis and demanding what could total hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Schuette and Andy Arena, the lead investigator who once led Detroit's FBI office, say nobody is off-limits from investigation or prosecution. "You don't start at the top," Arena said. "We're starting to work our way up, and expanding our investigation. ... The scope of the investigation is progressing exactly how it should be." The public health emergency was preceded by E. coli detections; resident complaints about color, odor and taste; and high levels of a disinfectant byproduct. A General Motors plant had stopped using the water just six months after the 2014 switch because it was rusting engine parts, and experts suspect a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak was tied to the water. Gov. Rick Snyder has apologized for regulatory failures, and the state environmental agency has said it wasn't required to add an anti-corrosion chemical until after a year of testing. In March, a state task force that investigated the Flint crisis concluded that it was a "case of environmental injustice." The Michigan Civil Rights Commission is holding public hearings on the matter. Federal experts now say filtered tap water is safe for everyone to drink in Flint, though some doctors still are recommending bottled water for pregnant women and children ages 5 and younger. Associated Press writer John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois, contributed to this report. To President Barack Obama, she is a leader who will blast through glass ceilings. To former President Bill Clinton, she is the best darn change agent he has ever seen. To former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, she is the sane, competent candidate in the race. On Thursday, the last night of the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton got the chance to talk about herself - and what she would do as president. [NATL-PHI] Scenes From the Democratic Convention in Philly Her biggest deficit: With 54 percent of Americans saying they have a negative opinion of her, she is not seen as trustworthy. She took to the stage after an evening featuring accomplished women and issues they care about. "We Are Not Afraid": Hillary Clinton Accepts the Presidential Nomination Remarking on Donald Trumps reliance on fear, Hillary Clinton quoted President Franklin Delano Roosevelts famous fear quote that he gave during the throes of the Great Depression. Clinton told the country it was facing a moment of reckoning, as it had 240 years ago when the founders came together in Philadelphia and the revolution hung in the balance. "Then somehow they began listening to each other, compromising, finding common purpose, she said. And by the time they left Philadelphia, they had begun to see themselves as one nation. That's what made it possible to stand up to a king." Hillary Clinton notes the historical importance of her nomination to a major political party. The country's founders had the courage that was needed then, and that courage is needed again, now that Donald Trump has taken the country from Ronald Reagan's "Morning in America" to "Midnight in America," she said. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had the perfect rebuke to Trump more than 80 years ago, during a much more perilous time: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, she said. [NATL] Standout Style at the Democratic National Convention "Now we are clear-eyed about what our country is up against," she said. "But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have." Her speech presented her vision of America and lambasted Trump's. She called Trump "a man you can bait with a tweet" and "not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." In her remarks at the DNC on July 28,2016, Hillary Clinton called her opponent Donald Trump a man you can bait with a tweet and not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. She thanked U.S. Sen.Bernie Sanders and his supporters for putting economic and social justice front and center at the campaign, and talked about what she wanted to accomplish. "My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States from my first day in office to my last," she said. And she contrasted her America with Trump's. She would: build an economy for everyone, offering a path to citizenship for immigrants already contributing to the economy; refuse to ban a religion, as Trump wants to do with Muslim immigrants; work with all Americans to fight terrorism. The first woman nominated as president by a major political party, she acknowledged the milestone, saying "After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." A Proud Daughter Chelsea Clinton Speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night. Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother as her hero and biggest role model, describing the "special window" she has had to watch her mother's hard work. Clinton, who spoke a day after her father, former President Bill Clinton, sought to show voters her mother's softer side, talked about how Hillary Clinton embraces her roles as a mother and as a grandmother. "My mom can be about to walk on stage for a debate or a speech and it just doesn't matter," she said. "She'll drop everything for a few minutes of kisses and reading 'Chugga Chugga Choo Choo' with her granddaughter." She described the many times she watched her mother throw herself into public service, working diligently to improve the lives of families and children around the world. [NATL] DNC Attendees Show What They Think of the Candidates "People ask me all the time how does she do it, how does she keep going amid the sound and the fury of politics? Here's how: It's because she never ever forgets who she's fighting for," she said. Clinton, 36, has been in the public eye her entire life, growing up in the White House. Throughout the primary season, Clinton traveled around the country acting as a passionate surrogate for her mother. Chelsea Clinton's introduction of her mother paralleled remarks delivered by Ivanka Trump, who introduced her father at last week's Republican convention. Before Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump rivaled each other in the race for the White House, their daughters shared a close friendship. Though the two have not appeared in public together since the start of the election, Chelsea maintained that she and Ivanka are still friends Thursday on "Today." Another First Before Clinton accepted the nomination for president, there was another historic moment Thursday evening. "My name is Sarah McBride, and I am a proud transgender American." With those words, McBride became the first transgender person to address a political convention. A graduate of American University, she came out four years ago when she was the student body president. "At the time I was scared," she said. "I worried that my dreams and my identity were mutually exclusive." [NATL] A Look Inside the 2016 Democratic National Convention McBride, 25, interned at the White House Office of Public Engagement, helped to pass legislation in her home state of Delaware banning discrimination based on gender identity and is now the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign. Will we be a nation where theres only one way to love, only one way to look and only one way to live? she asked. Or will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally, a nation thats stronger together. That is the question in this election. Her husband, a transgender man who fought for equality, died four days after they married. From his death, she learned that every day mattered when it came to building a more equal world. Will we be a nation where theres only one way to love, only one way to look and only one way to live? she asked. Or will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally, a nation thats stronger together. That is the question in this election. Fallen Police Officers At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez shared a story illustrating how the city of Dallas came together after police officers were killed there. The Dallas County sheriff and the families of three slain police officers described their legacies a counter to Republican criticism that Democrats cared little about law enforcement, only those who had been killed by police. The sheriff, Lupe Valdez, the daughter of migrant workers, said her father was angry when she told him she was joining the police. He and her older brothers had been beaten by the police for no reason. We put on our badge every day to serve and protect, not to hate and discriminate, she said, and asked for a moment of silence. Wayne Walker, the mother of 19-year-old Moses Walker, a Philadelphia police officer, said, "While were here, we must do the good we can." The mother of Derek Owens, a Cleveland police officer, said her son had left a legacy of service, integrity and love. We never want the sacrifice and all of the other fallen officers to ever be forgotten, Barbara Owens said. And the wife of Thor Soderberg, a Chicago police officer, said he once got charges against a boy who had stolen a belt dropped. The boy only had a rope to hold up his pants, Jennifer Loudon said. Soderberg also paid for the belt. He knew effective policing required treating people with kindness and respect, especially when he was most often called to their worst moments, she said. A Muslim Soldier Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim U.S. soldier who was killed in action, addressed the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The father of an Army captain killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq challenged Donald Trumps proposed ban on Muslim immigration, saying his son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, would never had been in the country if it had been up to Trump. Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims and disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own partys leadership, Khizr Khan said. Donald Trump you are asking Americans to trust you with their future, Khan said. Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution. I will gladly lend you my copy. Holding up that copy, he told Trump: In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of the law. Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim soldier who died to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, said that Donald Trump had made derogatory statements that smeared the patriotism of American Muslims. Humayun Khan, 27, died in a suicide car bombing at the gates of his base in Iraq in 2004. Khan told his troops to get back but he took 10 steps toward the car when it exploded. After his death he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Khizr Khan said his son, who was born in the United Arab Emirates and moved with his family to Maryland when he was 2, had wanted to be a military lawyer. He urged Trump to visit Arlington Cemetery, where he would see graves of all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one, he told Trump. [NATL] Wildest Moments in Convention History Donald Trump's stand on abortion has been inconsistent, but his running mate says Trump would be a "pro-life president." Mike Pence is campaigning in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and he makes clear he opposes abortion. And the Indiana governor told a town hall rally Thursday, "I don't apologize for it." Pence drew the ire of abortion rights advocates in March after he signed a law banning abortions that were being sought because of fetal genetic defects. That law has since been blocked pending the outcome of a court challenge. Pence says Trump would appoint conservatives to the Supreme Court who would send the Roe v. Wade abortion ruling to the "ash heap of history." Donald Trump was vigorously tweeting the morning after Democrats finished their presidential nominating convention. His targets? A few choice people who criticized him from the stage at the Democratic National Convention. The Republican presidential nominee on Friday referred to former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, also a billionaire, as "Little Michael Bloomberg," who "never had the guts to run for president" and whose final term as mayor was "a disaster." "Little" Michael Bloomberg, who never had the guts to run for president, knows nothing about me. His last term as Mayor was a disaster! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 That's a reversal from 2012, when Trump praised Bloomberg for reducing crime in New York City, declaring, "That's leadership." Trump also attacked retired General John Allen, saying he "failed badly in his fight against ISIS." The former deputy commander of the wars in the Middle East had called Hillary Clinton the kind of "commander in chief America needs." General John Allen, who I never met but spoke against me last night, failed badly in his fight against ISIS. His record = BAD #NeverHillary Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 As for Clinton's claim that Trump can't handle a political campaign, he noted that he defeated a field of Republican hopefuls to win the GOP nomination. Trump's campaign on Friday called Clinton's acceptance speech "an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric." The statement issued Friday on Trump's campaign Facebook page says Clinton's stance on immigration "will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries." In her remarks at the DNC on July 28,2016, Hillary Clinton called her opponent Donald Trump a man you can bait with a tweet and not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. Trump tweeted a link to the statement. It slammed Clinton for not mentioning the words, "radical Islam," ''her disaster in Libya" or the investigation of Clinton's private email server. The statement said Clinton's remarks were "delivered from a fantasy universe, not the reality we live in today." Clinton said Trump is offering America "empty promises" and what she called "bigotry and bombast." New Jersey senators have approved a new proposal to raise the gas tax, pay for road and bridge work and cut the estate tax. The Senate Budget Committee on Friday passed the proposal unveiled last week by Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto. It's the latest effort to renew the transportation trust fund, which expired July 1 without an agreement between the Democrat-led Legislature and Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Sweeney and Prieto say they're on the same page after the Assembly passed a different measure to raise the gas tax by 23 cents and cut the sales tax to 6 percent. Christie backed that deal and says he would veto the new legislation. Lawmakers are aiming for a veto-proof majority. A Delaware man was arrested for his sixth DUI, according to officials. A Delaware State Trooper who was parked on East Diamond Street in Dagsboro, Delaware Wednesday shortly after 9 p.m. spotted a 2012 GMC Sierra traveling northbound on Power Plant Road without a headlight, police said. The trooper pulled the pickup truck over on Iron Branch Road. He then spoke with the driver of the vehicle, identified as Gary Levis, 52, of Millsboro, according to investigators. The trooper said he smelled an odor of marijuana and alcohol coming from Levis. Levis was taken into custody and officials determined he had been driving under the influence, police said. State Troopers also found 16 Oxycodone pills and 16.74 grams of marijuana inside Levis vehicle, according to investigators. Levis was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while suspended or revoked, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of marijuana and driving without two headlights. He was arraigned and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institution on $12,650 secured bond. Officials say Levis was already convicted of DUI five times prior to his arrest Wednesday. Lifeguards pulled an 8-year-old boy out of a swimming pool at a Jewish Community Center in New Jersey Thursday afternoon when he began to experience a medical problem, authorities said. The boy, who was reportedly drowning, was given CPR by lifeguards and the police and rushed to Englewood Hospital. The boy was wading in the shallow end of an outdoor pool at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly, center officials said. He was later transferred to Hackensack Hospital. Information about his condition wasn't available. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as we all hope for a full recovery," JCC said. The pool was closed for the day after the 3:30 p.m. incident. The mother of a Philadelphia Police officer who was shot and killed close to four years ago told the Democratic National Convention crowd on Thursday the story of her son's generosity and kindness toward others including those he never even met. Officer Moses Walker Jr. was in street clothes and walking to a North Philadelphia bus stop after an overnight shift when two men crossed the street and tried to rob him on Aug. 18, 2012. Police said the 19-year veteran was able to draw his gun but was shot in the chest, stomach and arm. He later died from his injuries. One of the men charged in the incident testified that Walker looked like a college student and an easy target. The off-duty officer was dressed in shorts and was carrying a backpack. Walkers mother, Wayne, told the story about what she found in her sons home after his death. "In Moses living room, I found a pile of wrapped Christmas presents, she said. "It was in August. But Moses, he always thought ahead. He bought gifts for relatives, for single parents, for strangers down on their luck. One of these presents didnt even have a name on it. I still have it." Walker also was a church deacon who was survived by five siblings. He planned to retire in 2013. "Moses didnt live long enough to give all of the gifts he had to give," she continued. "While were here, we must do the good we can. We have to believe that were stronger together." Rafael Jones was sentenced to life in prison for shooting and killing Walker. Co-defendant Chancier McFarland pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and robbery and was told by a judge that he would be sentenced to 20 to 40 years, provided that he cooperate with prosecutors and testify in Jones' trial. Jones violated parole and should have been in jail at the time of Walker's murder, according to investigators. A parole officer and two supervisors were fired over the supervision of Jones, who failed a drug test days before the slaying. They have fought to regain their jobs, saying they were scapegoats. A federal lawsuit filed by Walker's family blaming the parole board for his death was dismissed by a judge, but Walker's mother said she planned to appeal. An influx of people in Philadelphia is helping bring in the money for merchandise vendors here for the DNC. As the days roll on, vendors have already made some serious cash after setting up shop around the city. David Mullen, from Springfield, Illinois, traveled to Philadelphia to sell both Hillary and Bernie gear on the city streets. His three-person operation treks around the country selling buttons, t-shirts, and bags. They were also at the RNC in Ohio. Mullen set his table up along, what he called, 'Protesters Alley' along the Wells Fargo Center before the crowds began. "Business is good! I think I sold about 80 shirts just yesterday People who love their candidates want to wear them and its something to remember the moment by," explains Mullen, who worked in a labor union for 25 years before becoming his own boss. Anastasia Weckerly Mullen explains there is a big difference in attitudes at the DNC than the RNC. Personally, he says he felt 'weird' about selling Trump gear at the RNC because the messages can be downright brutal. "They had shirts and buttons that just said really bad things, things you wouldnt see anywhere else and things that definitely would not fly here," he explains and mentions he might have done better business if he had been selling those things. "You dont see that type of stuff here, you dont see Hillary supporters making shirts saying mean things about Bernie or about Trump. " Mullens operation was based right by the Wells Fargo Center; and by the Convention Center, vendors are also seeing successful numbers. Brian X. McCrone Luke Montgomery, from New York, is campaign manager of a political action committee called 'First Lady Bill.' On the corner of 13 and Arch Streets, he and his boyfriend Santiago Durazzo, who was dressed as Bill Clinton in drag, sold shirts for $20 sporting the slogan 'Bill for First Lady.' The group supports LGBT initiatives and every shirt sold helps to make a difference. "We want to put the 'party' back into the Democratic Party," explains Montgomery, between purchases. Bill Clinton dressed in drag is a fan favorite and has helped sell "hundreds of t-shirts" since the beginning of the convention. Visitors who might not be interested in a new closet item or button can also find vendors selling artwork created for the event. One artist, Mark G, from Wildwood, New Jersey, gave passersby on Arch Street near the convention center a chance to sign a large portrait he drew in black pen of Hillary Clinton. Anastasia Weckerly "I was in advertising for 30 years but Ive been drawing my whole life, probably since 5 or 6," he explains while handing more pens out for people to sign the piece with and asking for donations, which many eager pedestrians were willing to give. A young girl was taken to the hospital after she was struck by a stray bullet during a shooting in North Philadelphia. Police told NBC10 the 10-year-old girl was walking with her grandmother on the 3100 block of N. Rosewood Street around 6 p.m. Thursday when at least one gunman opened fire. The girl was struck once in the left forearm. She was taken to Temple University Hospital where she is currently in stable condition. No arrests have been made. Police told NBC10 six to ten shots were fired and they're looking for two men who they believe are connected to the shooting. The shooting occurred around the same time a 26-year-old man was struck by stray bullets while driving with his 4-year-old daughter in Germantown. The man is currently in critical condition. His daughter was not hurt during the shooting. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and former Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter took shots at Donald Trump during their turns on stage Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention. Wolf compared his own experiences running his family business a kitchen cabinet supply company with Trumps own business dealings. "One of the keys to our success was that we recognized that in business, you are only as good as the people you have in your company, and thus, you had to treat everyone like they mattered, Wolf said. "Because, the truth is, they do." Wolf went on to tout profit-sharing with his companys workers and providing paid family leave. "Donald Trump? He runs businesses so that they only help -- you guessed it -- Donald Trump, Wolf said. Nutter took the stage earlier in the evening and touted how his administration and the host committee brought the DNC to Philly. While pledging his support to Clinton, he also took a few shots at Trump. "Hillary's plans have details. Because details matter, Nutter said. "Trump says he has plans. But when youre looking down at America from the top of Trump Tower, you cant see the details. Because there are none. After eight incredible years of progress under President Barack Obama, we cant afford to hand our country over to a con man who thinks the presidency is an entry-level job on 'The Apprentice." It wasnt the first time Nutter has sharply criticized the Republican nominee. In December, Nutter swore when describing Trump in front of religious leaders and compared Trumps words to Hitlers on the heels of Trump's proposal to block Muslims from entering the U.S. "until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses." "I apologize reverends, people of the religious community, I apologize, Nutter said after unleashing the swear word. "How can I take seriously any foreign policy idea from someone like him? It's impossible. He has no idea what he's talking about." The next day Trump fired back in a tweet directed at Nutter, saying ".@Mayor_Nutter of Philadelphia, who is doing a terrible job, should be ashamed for using such a disgusting word in referring to me. Low life!" DJ Alle Farben (aka Frans Zimmer) was in an incredibly good mood when he recently spoke with SoundDiego, especially given that he just spent 10 hours on a plane. The Berlin-based producer and DJ is in the U.S. to play three select dates stateside: Lollapalooza in Chicago and two club dates in San Diego (Bang Bang on Friday, July 29) and San Francisco. Touring on his recent, Ultra-released sophomore album, Music Is My Best Friend, Zimmer has seen its lead single Please Tell Rosie garner well past 20 million Spotify plays in less than a month. SoundDiego recently got on the phone to speak with the 31-year-old performer about the art of the album, quick trips to America, and where he plans on recording his next album. Scott McDonald: In a genre dominated by singles, what motivates you to continue to make albums? Alle Farben: When you have an album, I think it makes more impact. You can show off your repertoire. You can tour around it. But making an album is more of a wish from me as an artist, maybe, than it is useful. For me, it was important to make an album. I like to tell a whole story, not just a page. It feels good to put singles out, but an entire album feels better. SM: Is it something youll continue to do? AF: I will. I think its kind of a dying thing. With iTunes and streaming services, people just dont buy the whole album much anymore. But there are those who still like to have the whole story. And as long as they are there, I will continue to produce whole albums. SM: Youre in America for only three dates -- Lollapalooza and two club dates. Do you enjoy the juxtaposition of such dramatically different shows? AF: I do appreciate festivals. But its great to be able to still go into a club and be understood as an artist as well. A lot of bigger EDM artists will stop playing in clubs. For me, I came from the clubs. Its very familiar to me to see the audience and get connected with nearly every person there. After a set of two or three hours, you leave the DJ booth and it feels like you played in your living room with a better sound system. SM: Your new album, Music Is My Best Friend, just came out. Are you also looking ahead or just concentrating on that for now? AF: Im absolutely working on future plans as well. I already have a few musical sketches done for the third album. And I have a dream -- I want to work on it in the jungles of Thailand. Ive been there on tour and on holiday, and I started thinking, why dont I produce here? Im always wondering why I keep working in Berlin when its frozen and gray. So, next year, I think Im going to try that. I make happy music. Im going to try making it in a happy place. The United States Navy will be naming one of their ships after gay rights icon and San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, according to a report by the U.S. Naval Institute, which cites a Congressional notice obtained by USNI News. The July 14 notice, which was signed by Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, indicates that he plans to name a planned Military Sealift Command fleet oiler, USNS Harvey Milk, according to USNI. The ship is reportedly being built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, California. A Department of the Navy spokesman did not have a comment on the report. Milk, who moved from New York to settle in San Francisco in the seventies, was elected to the SF Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California. In 1972, he and his partner Scott Smith portrayed by James Franco in the film Milk opened Castro Camera on 575 Castro Street, which he operated until his assassination in 1978. His involvement in San Franciscos gay rights movement earned him the name Mayor of Castro Street. He joined the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and served on the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake (ASR-13) as a diving officer in San Diego. Milk came from a Navy family. He was honorably discharged from service as a lieutenant junior grade, according to USNI. On Nov. 27, 1978, Milk was shot inside San Francisco City Hall. He was wearing his U.S. Navy divers belt buckle at the time, according to the report. Ever since the 2011 repeal of the Department of Defenses Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy, California lawmakers have pushed to name a ship after Milk. This action by the U.S. Secretary of the Navy will further send a green light to all the brave men and women who serve our nation that honesty, acceptance and authenticity are held up among the highest ideals of our military, Milks nephew Stuart Milk told the San Diego LGBT Weekly in 2012. On Thursday, San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, who signed a resolution urging the Navy to name a ship after Milk, applauded the Navy's apparent decision. This is an incredible day for the LGBT community and for our country. As a gay man and a San Franciscan, I'm incredibly proud that the Navy is honoring Harvey Milk and the entire LGBT community by naming a ship after him," Weiner said. "This momentous decision sends a powerful message around the world about who we are as a country and the values we hold," he said. "When Harvey Milk served in the military, he couldn't tell anyone who he truly was. Now our country is telling the men and women who serve, and the entire world, that we honor and support people for who they are. Harvey Milk's strength continues to reverberate throughout our city, our country, and the world. Police are asking a Good Samaritan who helped a 23-year-old jogger attacked by a stun gun in a kidnapping attempt to come forward and help with the investigation. San Diego Police (SDPD) said the jogger was jogging near Cargill Avenue and Nobel Drive in University City Wednesday, just blocks from the Westfield UTC Mall, when a man got out of a car with a Lyft sticker and approached her, SDPD Capt. Mark Hanten said. Police would not reveal whether the suspect is a Lyft driver or not. The man, identified as 21-year-old Rahimi Baba Sheikhali Shayan, assaulted the victim and used a stun gun on her, leaving her with burn marks, Hanten said. The victim fought back, Hanten said, kicking and screaming before she managed to escape. It was then that the Good Samaritan stepped in. "Our victim ran out into the street and was trying to flag somebody down and the good Samaritan saw this, and recognized her as being distraught, stopped for her, allowed her to get in the car and drove away," said SDPD Capt. Mark Hanten. The Good Samaritan helped the victim call police. She later left the scene. Hanten credited the victim's courageousness in the face of trauma with helping police nab the suspect so quickly. The victim helped give police accurate information that helped them find the suspect's car. The jogger told police the man was driving a black four door Sedan with a Lyft sticker in the front window. Police found the car near the scene and shortly after found the suspect. As far as Hanten knows, he said, the suspect only has a traffic citation on his record. As the investigation continues, officers are asking people who may have witnessed the assault or who may know anything about the assault to give them a call. They're particularly asking for the Good Samaritan to come forward. "It would be great to have her come forward and possibly add something," police said. Critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs -- just six months old -- got the chance to explore a new habitat Thursday, pouncing and sprinting around the greenery. Mother Joanne and her three cubs, Cathy, Debbie and Nelson, let loose in the Tull Family Tiger Trail at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for the first time. Up until Thursday, the cubs had been roaming around the habitat's maternity yard. Now, the cubs will be able to run, jump, climb trees and gain an increased awareness of their surroundings as they grow bigger and stronger. At six months old its time for these cubs to graduate to a much larger exhibit," said Lori Hieber, senior mammal keeper, in a statement. "Exhibit B is roughly double the size of the maternity yard the cubs are used to, it offers new fun obstacles and challenges to explore and it has a pretty deep pond that actually has live fish in it." The habitat also has a pool, which which help teach the cubs how to swim. In the wild, tigers often have to swim long distances to cross rivers, get to their prey or find a mate. In the wild, tigers face a number of challenges, from loss of habitat to poaching. These cubs are part of a diminishing breed. Today, there are less than 350 Sumatran tigers in the wild. Scientists predict this species could be extinct in their native Sumatra by 2020, unless measures are taken to protect and preserve them. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is working to battle that extinction by participating in a collaborative breeding program to create assurance populations of the tigers. The Park helps provide funding for anti-poaching patrols. Friday is Global Tiger Day and guests at the Safar Park can celebrate by enjoying special activities at the Tiger Trail exhibit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., including tiger talks and a tiger training session. If you visit the park on Friday, you'll be able to see these adorable cubs in their new habitat! An Escondido teen has been arrested in connection to the shooting death of a 27-year-old man in March, officials said. Fabian Arellano of Escondido was shot just after midnight on March 16 in the area of Escondido Boulevard and Ninth Avenue. He was rushed to Palomar Medical Center, where he died, police said. Investigators believe the shooting was gang related. Escondido police detectives zeroed in on 18-year-old Javier Seda as a suspect. Police said Seda fled to Mexico after the shooting; officers coordinated with federal agents in the U.S. and Mexico to apprehend him. He is being held in the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of murder. No other information was immediately available. A plumber repairing an upstairs toiler prompted an accidental apartment fire in University City, which quickly spread to the attic and adjoining walls before crews knocked it down. The fire broke out on the 3900 block of Camino Calma around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, San Diego Fire-Rescue Officials (SDFD) said. When crews arrived, they could see smoke and fire rising from the second floor of a two-story condominium. Each condominum has four two-story units. The flames were contained to the one unit, but three other units were damaged by the fire as well. Crews knocked down the fire in 25 minutes. The unit where the fire broke out suffered heavy fire damage. Authorities on scene inspected the electricity to make sure it was not compromised in the fire. Once that is completed, residents will be let back into their units. Fire officials ruled the fire accidental, saying a plumber using a torch to complete repairs in an upstairs bathroom set off the fire. Sixteen people live in the four units, crews said, five of which live in the unit that suffered the most damage. The local Red Cross will assist those displaced with temporary housing and aid. The building suffered $400,000 in damage and there was $200,000 in damage to the contents of the unit. No injuries were reported. No other information was immediately available. A local civil rights group is calling for the resignation of San Diego City Councilwoman Myrtle Cole (Dist. 4) after she suggested police racial profiling is linked to black-on-black crime. In an exclusive interview with NBC 7, Cole says her statement was misunderstood and apologized. Did I make a mistake? Absolutely, I did, she said. Do I apologize for it? Absolutely, I do. But I am not going anywhere. Cole, made the controversial comments during Tuesday's City Council meeting. They were in reference to a community meeting held on July 19th in Encanto in reponse to the violence involving police officers and the black community. During the meeting, which was hosted by Cole, community members became heated, saying their needs were not being understood. In Tuesday's council meeting, Cole said, in part: Because blacks are shooting blacks, [police] are not going to stop a white male or a Hispanic male or Asian. Theyre going to stop an African American because those are the ones who are shooting. You can watch the full video here. Now, members of the local National Action Network are calling for Cole to resign, saying she doesnt serve the community she represents. Its a slap in the face to her district. These are her constituents. You are supposed to be hearing the voices of your people, said Rev. Shane Harris, President of the National Action Network San Diego Chapter. Protests are planned for Friday at Cole's office in Skyline as well as at next Tuesdays City Council meeting. You cant make these kinds of statements and affirm the police brutality and racial profiling around this country and stay in office, Harris said. But Cole told NBC 7, she will not resign from her position. I made one mistake, and you know. I just want them to accept my apology. I do apologize and if they do want to protest, that is their right, Cole said. In a statement sent to NBC 7, Cole wrote, in part: I want to be clear in telling you, my community, that I condemn racial profiling in all forms and all instances. I do not condone racial discrimination by the police or any institution. Tackling inequality has always been a priority of mine, and its why I serve on the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee. I regret that I failed to communicate my position on racial injustice earlier this week. The statement continued to state that Cole hopes the community would remember her attributions and accept her apology. This is the full statement. City leaders, volunteers and veterans met at San Diego High School Saturday for the second day of Stand Down for Homeless Veterans. The 29th annual event started Friday and offers participants medical checkups, new clothing, job counseling and housing assistance, among other things. Mayor Kevin Faulconer made it clear that housing for veterans is important to him. San Diegans have really stepped up, he told NBC 7 Saturday. Weve made it a goal that were going to house 1,000 veterans this year. Our message today is we need extra help from some of our landlords to help house these veterans. And our message to veterans here at Stand Down today your city stands behind you, your mayors with you, all of our partners are together to help give not only the tools you need to get back on your feet, but more importantly put a roof over your head. Organizers said it would be great if Stand Down was no longer needed. "And that's really the goal, Phil Landis of the Veterans Village of San Diego said. It's always been the goal and so, the very first couple of years they figured, okay, we're going to put this thing together and you know, and then we're not going to have to do this after the second or third year, wrong, we're still here." The event supports around 1,000 veterans and their families each year. More than 200 local vets already have houses thanks to the City's new Housing our Heroes program. The event finishes Sunday. The Marine Corps has now identified a pilot based out of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego who was killed in an F/A-18C Hornet crash in Twentynine Palms, California, this week. According to the Marine Corps, Maj. Richard Norton, 36, a pilot with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, stationed at MCAS Miramar died around 10:30 p.m. Thursday in the jet crash during a training mission. His death was announced Friday, and further details were released Saturday. Officials said the single-seat aircraft had departed from MCAS Miramar to perform a close air support mission as part of a training exercise taking place at Marine Air Ground Combat Center (MAGCC) at Twentynine Palms when the aircraft crashed. The cause of the deadly crash remains under investigation, officials said Saturday. A #3rdMAW pilot out of @MCASMiramarCA was killed as a result of an F/A-18C Hornet crash. More info as available. pic.twitter.com/hQ3fiROmT9 MCAS Miramar, 3rdMAW (@MCASMiramarCA) July 29, 2016 My heart goes out to our Marines family as we support them through this difficult time," said Maj. Gen. Mark Wise, commanding general of 3rd MAW, in a press release Saturday. Officials said Norton was a native of Arcadia, California, commissioned in the Marine Corps March 25, 2005. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, and also deployed to Japan several times. Over his military career, Norton was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star, according to the Marine Corps. Losing Maj. Norton is a tremendous loss to the MAG-11 Team, said Col. William Swan, commanding officer of MAG-11 in a press release. He was one of the best and brightest Hornet pilots our nation had to offer our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Twentynine Palms is located in San Bernardino County, about 175 miles northeast of San Diego County. This Marine was a top performer, stellar Marine by all accounts, Swan told NBC 7. Unfortunately the nature of our job as Marines is inherently dangerous. Maj. Norton leaves behind a wife. The Wingman Foundation, a non-profit that provides post-mishap support for the Navy and Marine Corps aviation community and their families, is collecting donations for Norton's family. Law enforcement agencies across the country, politicians, police unions and pastors lit up social media and issued statements after two San Diego police officers were shot on Thursday night. Officer Jonathan De Guzman was killed in the shooting and Officer Wade Irwin was seriously hurt. A flood of tributes poured in on Twitter, as law enforcement agencies learned of the news. "It's a sad day for us all," National City police tweeted on Friday morning. Others showed solidarity and even politicians took to social media to express heartbreak over the shootings. The San Diego Police Officers Association issued a statement that it was "grief stricken" over the loss of De Guzman. The association asked for the public to donate to De Guzman's family by mailing donations to the San Diego Police Officers Association at 8388 Vickers St., San Diego, CA 92111. San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said in a statement the shootings "sent a shock wave through law enforcement and the wider San Diego Community." San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer echoed Dumanis' sentiment, saying "violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all." Congressman Scott Peters, D-Calif., sent these condolences: "The loss of one of our police officers is a loss for all of San Diego. I send my deepest condolences to the officer's family and loved ones, and prayers for the full recovery of the wounded officer." Here's more on how police and politicians paid tribute. If you are on a mobile device, you can check out the social media posts here. Residents of San Diegos Southcrest community were plagued by uneasiness Friday after two San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officers were shot during a late-night traffic stop, one of them killed by the gunfire. [This] is a little scary. You can feel the effect, Southcrest resident Virginia Williams told NBC 7. When its far away, you feel the effect. When its right in your backyard it touches you deeply. Its almost as if it could be one of your own family members. My heart goes out to all the fallen officers families and all the gun violence on both ends. SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman said two officers with the departments Elite Gang Unit -- Officer Jonathan "JD" De Guzman, 43, and Officer Wade Irwin, 32 -- were conducting a traffic stop in the 3700 block of Acacia Grove Way near Boston Avenue when, suddenly, they were fired upon. The officers stopped their car and immediately called for cover. De Guzman a husband and father of two was rushed to Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest in an SDPD patrol car, but succumbed to his injuries. Irwin as seriously wounded and underwent surgery early Friday morning at UC Medical Center. Hes also a husband and father. Zimmerman said he is expected to survive. Following the shooting, dozens of law enforcement officers swarmed Southcrest. A manhunt was launched for the suspects, with police helicopters and patrol cars scouring the neighborhood. One suspect, later identified to be 52-year old Jesse Michael Gomez, was arrested in a ravine in the 1300 block of 38th Street. The search pressed on for additional possible suspects, police lights blaring. A poignant moment. Man prays in front of fallen officers plaque at SDPD headquarters. #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/AGJ85dPti2 Artie Ojeda (@ArtieNBCSD) July 29, 2016 Southcrest resident Francisco Navaloez told NBC 7 he couldnt believe how many officers lined the streets. He had just gotten out of the shower when he heard the police helicopter overheard and saw the bright lights of patrol cars outside his home. He walked outside to get a better view. I kid you not, about 50 cop cars rolled up, Navaloez recounted. He said he also saw at least 20 police officers, service weapons in hand, running down the street. I never experienced anything like this, where it feels like the military kind of rolled up. The police just kind of swarmed the streets, said Navaloez. I feel safe knowing the cops showed up that fast but, you know, I feel a little uneasy. He said officers from various agencies were in the neighborhood. Navaloez said he has a three-year-old daughter and this incident makes him anxious for the safety of his family and makes him want to move out of the neighborhood. In honor of our @SanDiegoPD officers, all flags at City of San Diego facilities will fly at half-staff. #SDPD pic.twitter.com/Tv02MMZxzA City of San Diego (@CityofSanDiego) July 29, 2016 NBC 7 San Diego viewer Raul Meza, who lives near Interstate 5, said he also saw a multitude of police cars racing down the freeway as officials descended on Southcrest. There were so many police vehicles, he lost count. Ive never seen anything like that before, Meza said on NBC 7s Facebook page. Another San Diegan, Melissa Sumera, also commented on NBC 7s Facebook page about the continuous sirens she heard around 11 p.m. as police made their way to Boston Avenue to provide back-up for their fellow officers. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer released a statement Friday morning about the tragedy that struck the SDPD. He said San Diego is grieving with the police department. His statement, in part, read: Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all. I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities. We need them and they need us. Meanwhile, flowers and candles were left behind at SDPD headquarters in downtown San Diego, at a plaque dedicated to fallen officers. At one point, a San Diego resident stopped to pray at the plaque. The City of San Diego said all flags at city facilities would fly at half-staff as a tribute to the fallen and injured officer. As of 8:10 a.m. Friday, SWAT officers had surrounded a home at 41st and Epsilon streets in Shelltown, in search for another possible suspect. That standoff ended several hours later. Soon, a second standoff ensued at 41st and Delta streets. Marcus Antonio Cassani was identified as the second potential suspect in connection to the shooting. He was arrested on the 4000 block of Epsilon Street for an outstanding warrant, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman confirmed Friday during a press conference. It's unclear if Cassani was involved in the shooting. Sources told NBC News the suspects involved in this shooting are believed to be part of a San Diego gang. At this point in the investigation, there is no indication that the SDPD officers were specifically targeted or ambushed, as in recent incidents in Dallas and Baton Rouge, which collectively claimed the lives of eight officers in those cities. The two San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officers who were shot Thursday night during a traffic stop in Southcrest are both husbands and fathers, deeply dedicated to serving and protecting, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman said. Officer Jonathan De Guzman, 43, was rushed in a squad car to Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest. The father of two did not survive. He was a 16-year veteran of the SDPD and a family man, according to Zimmerman. On Friday, Heritage Elementary School in Chula Vista issued a statement to the parents of students, informing them of De Guzman's death. The school stated that De Guzman was a "quality, involved parent" that many other parents knew and interacted with. In full uniform, kids would flock around him. He was an active parent, an amazing father. Chula Vista is mourning for him, Chula Vista Elementary School District Superintendant Francisco Escobedo told NBC 7 Escobedo says De Guzman was a role model for kids and had been active in several school clubs and loved the children. "We have a family that doesn't have a father, doesn't have a husband," Escobedo said. He told NBC 7 that the community was shocked to hear the news of De Guzman's passing. "We all feel it. We felt the loss and it's very tragic," he said. Escobedo says De Guzman was a tue hero. "[We're missing] a man who first, was great father, great teacher, and obviously an amazing police officer. We're missing a real American hero." De Guzman was awarded the police departments Purple Heart in 2003 after being stabbed by a suspect he stopped for speeding. I can tell you he is a loving, caring husband, father, talked about his family all the time, SDPD Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said of De Guzman in a news conference Friday morning. I personally worked with him when I was a lieutenant at Mid-City Division. I know him. This is gut-wrenching. He cared. He came to work every single day just wanting to make a positive difference in his community. Zimmerman called his killing "senseless" and said the only thing the officers were trying to do was protect the community. The second officer wounded in the shooting, Wade Irwin, 32, survived and was taken to UC Medical Center, also in Hillcrest, where he underwent surgery. Although he is in serious condition, he is expected to recover, according to Zimmerman. Irwin and his wife, who has not left his side, have a 19-month-old baby. By Friday afternoon Zimmerman said Irwin was resting comfortably and was awake. He has been informed of his partner's death, according to Zimmerman. Irwin has been with the department for nine years. Outside UC San Diego hospital. One officer recovers after surgery. His wife hasn't left his side. #SDPDShooting pic.twitter.com/D9vaGd625X Megan Tevrizian (@megantevrizian) July 29, 2016 "It's a long haul until he makes a full recovery, but the good news is that he is going to survive, and he is going to recover," Zimmerman said. The chief said Irwin has not yet been interviewed about the deadly shooting. She said the officers were both wearing body cameras and added, "there is video evidence." Both De Guzman and Irwin were officers in the departments gang suppression unit. De Guzman had been in the unit for a couple of years, while Irwin joined in June. The officers were conducting a pedestrian or traffic stop around 11 p.m. Thursday in the 3700 block of Acacia Grove Way, near Boston Avenue, when they were shot. They called for cover, and dozens upon dozens of law enforcement officers swarmed the area. Two men were in custody by Friday afternoon. Jessie Michael Gomez, 52, was arrested for murder and attempted murder, and Marcus Antonio Cassani, 41, a potential suspect, was arrested for an outstanding warrant. It is unclear if Cassini was involved in the shooting. Funeral service arrangements are pending. The San Diego Police Officers Association has established a fund for Officer De Guzmans family. Donations can be mailed to: San Diego Police Officers Association 8388 Vickers Street, San Diego, CA 92111 Checks can be made payable to the San Diego Police Officers Association (SDPOA). Please write Officer Jonathan De Guzman in the memo line. All donations will go directly to the family. The SDPOA is also accepting online donations through their website. Check back for updates on this developing story. A San Diego Police Department officer has died and another officer remains hospitalized after a late-night shooting during a traffic stop just south of downtown San Diego. Both officers are part of the force's Elite Gang Unit. On Friday evening, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman named Jesse Michael Gomez, 52, as the suspect linked to the shooting. Gomez is in police custody. The chief identified Marcus Antonio Cassani as a "possible" suspect in the case, though police have yet to confirm if Cassani had any involvement in the shooting. At an earlier new briefing Friday, Zimmerman identified the officers who were gunned down as Jonathan "JD" De Guzman, 43, a 16-year veteran of the force, and Wade Irwin, 32, a 9-year veteran. De Guzman died from wounds suffered in the shooting. Irwin is seriously wounded but is expected to survive. "I can tell you [De Guzman] is a loving, caring husband, father, talked about his family all the time," Zimmerman told reporters. "I personally worked with him when I was a lieutenant at Mid-City Division. I know him. This is gut-wrenching. He cared. He came to work every single day just wanting to make a positive difference in his community." "I cant begin to put in words the emotions and feelings that surround an event like this. This is one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching situations for police officers to go through," Zimmerman added. According to the chief, Gomez was arrested shortly after the shooting Thursday night. He was found by police in a ravine in the 1300 block of 38th Street. According to reports from the Associated Press, a trail of blood led police to Gomez. Zimmerman said Gomez had suffered a gunshot wound. As of 11 a.m. Friday, the suspect remained hospitalized in critical condition. BREAKING: We have an active search for the suspect(s) in the area of 3800 Boston. Residents need to shelter in place San Diego Police (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 Police believed there many have been additional suspects tied to the shooting of the police officers. A manhunt was launched in Southcrest and surrounding areas, including San Diego's nearby Shelltown neighborhood. A shelter-in-place order was issued to some residents as police scoured the area just west of where Interstate 15 and Interstate 5 meet, near Barrio Logan and Logan Heights. The manhunt continued into Friday morning as authorities used a helicopter, SWAT vehicles and patrol cars. At around 8:10 a.m. Friday, officers surrounded a home in Shelltown, at 41st and Epsilon streets, honing in on another possible suspect. A standoff unfolded, which continued for several hours. SWAT officials could be heard calling out to someone inside the home, Cassini, saying, "Come to the door. It's been a long night." [GALLERY] Images from Scene of Officer-Involved Shooting in Southcrest BREAKING: Two #SDPD Officers have been shot tonight. Their condition is unknown. Keep them in your prayers San Diego Police (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 The sounds of dozens of flash bangs filled the air as the SWAT standoff unfolded. Negotiators continued calling out to Cassini: "No one is going to hurt you. This has gone on long enough." "We hear you coughing in there," SWAT officials called out. "We know you're hurting in there. Man up. This isn't going to get any easier." About three hours into the standoff, officials outfitted themselves with masks and began running hoses into the house, getting ready to dispense tear gas. At 12:20 p.m., it appeared SWAT officers were making entry into the home. NBC 7 crews could hear glass shattering at the scene as officers entered the house from a back door. My statement regarding the shooting of two @SanDiegoPD officers. pic.twitter.com/Qhnv4SeV3s Kevin Faulconer (@Kevin_Faulconer) July 29, 2016 About an hour later, the standoff ended. Police confirmed Cassini had been taken into custody for an outstanding warrant at that location, dubbed a "possible" suspect by investigator. Shortly thereafter, just before 2 p.m., police officers surrounded a second home in the Shelltown area, at 41st and Delta streets, in search for additional possible suspects. That SWAT situation soon ended, and no arrests were made. Leading up to the manhunt and standoffs, here's how Thursday night's officer shootings unfolded: De Guzman and Irwin were conducting the traffic stop shortly before 11 p.m. in the 3700 block of Acacia Grove Way near Boston Avenue in San Diego's Southcrest neighborhood when they were fired upon, Zimmerman said. The chief said it is still unclear if the traffic stop was on a vehicle or a pedestrian. Shortly after stopping their car, the officers called for emergency cover. Additional law enforcement officers swarmed the area. They found both officers suffering from gunshot wounds. In this raw video clip, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman gives reporters an update on the officer wounded in the shooting in Southcrest. She said the officer is resting comfortably and is expected to survive. A second officer who was shot has died. De Guzman, who suffered multiple wounds, was rushed in a patrol car to Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest. Doctors were unable to save his life. Irwin was taken to UC Medical Center, also in Hillcrest. At around 3:30 a.m., the officer had come out of surgery and was recovering, the police chief said. Irwin has a wife and 19-month-old toddler, Zimmerman said. "It's a long haul until he makes a full recovery, but the good news is that he is going to survive, and he is going to recover," Zimmerman said. A San Diego Police Department officer was killed and another was seriously wounded in a shooting during a traffic stop in Southcrest. NBC 7s Elena Gomez reports. The mood at the hospital was somber as dozens of officers from all ranks came in and out of the building all morning. Zimmerman said the situation was simply heartbreaking for her police department. She too went in and out of the hospital, comforting the families of the officers. Other SDPD leaders, including Asst. Chief Terry McManus and Capt. David Nisleit, also visited the hospital. As officers filed in, they greeted one another with hugs and pained expressions. .@ChiefZimmerman just left the hospital where our second Officer has just come out of surgery. He is expected to survive!! San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 BREAKING: We have one suspect in custody. We are still searching the area for other possible suspects. San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 Zimmerman said the the shooting occurred "seconds to a minute or so," both officers were wearing personal body cameras, and "there is video evidence." With the preliminary investigation underway, Zimmerman said details of what happened could change. At this point, however, the chief did not say whether the shooting was an ambush. Sources told NBC News the suspects are believed to belong to a local San Diego gang and there is no indication at this stage of the investigation that the officers were specifically targeted, as in recent incidents in Dallas and Baton Rouge that collectively claimed the lives of eight officers. Meanwhile, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer released this statement Friday morning on the tragedy: Last night we lost one of San Diegos finest. We grieve for our fallen officer and stand with his family during this very difficult time. We also pray for the second officer shot last night as he recovers from surgery. Violence against the men and women who wear the badge is violence against us all. I ask all San Diegans and all people across our nation to join together in support of our officers who courageously protect our communities. We need them and they need us. https://twitter.com/WendyNBCSD/status/759053798388006912 The National Action Network (NAN) San Diego , a community organization led by Reverend Shane Harris, released a statement regarding the shooting, "We condemn anyone who uses vengeance as a tool to kill innocent police or innocent victims." Dozens upon dozens of law enforcement officers swarmed San Diegos Southcrest community overnight after two Elite Gang Unit officers were shot at on Boston Avenue. One officer died, the other was seriously wounded. This is raw video from the scene, via SDNV. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis also released a statement Friday morning which said, in part: "This senseless act once again highlights the dangers our peace officers face on a daily basis as they work to ensure and protect the publics safety. The District Attorneys Crimes Against Peace Officers Unit is working closely with SDPD to investigate and review this case so those responsible for this cowardly act will be held accountable." Zimmerman also called the shooting of her officers "senseless." "Police officers go out every single day, that wear a badge with pride. We all took an oath to protect and serve all of our communities. To have this happen to our police officers. We've seen this happen way too many times just in these last few weeks across our great country. It is tragic for everyone," Zimmerman added. The last time an SDPD officer was killed in the line of duty was in 2011, when Officer Jeremy Henwood was shot in San Diego's City Heights community. Since 1913, the city has lost 33 officers in the line of duty. The Department of Defense Inspector General announced Thursday it has launched a sex assault reprisal unit, which will now investigate complaints of retaliation within the military following a report of sexual assault. DODIG is supposed to be the agency to investigate any whistleblower report, including any type of retaliation. But a 2015 report by Human Rights Watch the agency had never substantiated a case brought to its attention. That finally changed this year, when it released a report substantiating a complaint made by retired Lt. Col. Teresa James of the West Virginia National Guard. James first came to the News4 I-Team in 2014 after spending years trying to stop retaliation that followed her 2010 report of rape by a superior officer. As the I-Team reported at the time, James is the highest ranking officer to come forward with a substantiated rape report in the National Guard. Its one of the hardest things Ive ever done, she said at the time. I lost everything and did nothing wrong. I know I lost my opportunity to continue to serve and be a full colonel. The new report from the DODIG found that her superior should not have made an unfavorable evaluation report, which investigators found cost James her promotion, a service award and other related pay increases. "If they can learn one thing from my story and apply it, then it's worthwhile to me," James said following the DODIGs announcement. But James said the militarys system to prove you were first raped, and then retaliated against, is too complicated for the average soldier. I do believe that people should be able to substantiate and support what they're saying, she explained. But it's just an overwhelming amount of resources. I think that one of the things that worked to my advantage was my time in the military. I had 35 years, so I had some knowledge and experience just going into the process. I knew it was going to be a very grueling process." Its now been six years since James first reported her rape. As the I-Team first reported in 2015, investigators also substantiated that report but her assailant was allowed to allowed to retire after receiving two letters of reprimand. The I-Team found this is not an unusual punishment. When the I-Team sent a survey to every National Guard unit in the country, we discovered there had been only one dishonorable discharge and just three incarcerations for sexual assault within the last five years. A Human Rights Watch report previously found service members are 12 times more likely to face retaliation than see their offender punished for the crime. DODIG said its received 40 reprisal complaints related to sexual assault already this year. James said after six years, her journey is still not over. She said she now has to navigate yet another military inquiry that will determine if she will, in fact, receive her promotion to colonel and related back pay. She emphasized it is critical for investigators to never forget the men and women who make these types of complaints are also grappling with the physical and emotional damage of being a rape survivor. "I struggle, she explained before tearing up. I do. Taking a deep breathe, she then whispered. But you know, I've got to keep going. I've got to keep going for the others." Reported by Tisha Thompson, produced by Rick Yarborough, shot and edited by Steve Jones and Jeff Piper. A suspect has been arrested in the death of a man who was shot in a Maryland apartment building Wednesday. Divonta Gatling, 23, was an acquaintance of the man who was killed, Prince George's County Police said. He confronted the victim shortly before the shooting. Officers found Desean Chapman, 28, at about 6:30 a.m. with a gunshot wound in his upper body in an apartment building on Walters Lane in District Heights, near the Penn Mar Shopping Center, police said. Chapman died at the scene, police said. Gatling lives on Minnesota Avenue, across the street from Fort Circle Park. He has been charged with second degree murder and assault, and he is being held without bond, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call 301-772-4925 or 1-866-411-TIPS to remain anonymous. You can also text PGPD and your message to CRIMES or submit a tip online. Riverfront Park in Laurel, Maryland, has been closed Friday after 1.5 to 2 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Patuxent River, Howard County Public Works officials say. WSSC crews are pumping water to clear the waste, which will flow through Laurel and eventually out into the Chesapeake Bay, Laurel officials said. Until this is resolved, residents are urged not to allow their children and pets anywhere near the water," said Laurel City Administrator Marty Flemion.People should absolutely avoid fishing in Riverfront Park until we sound the all clear. The park is closed until further notice, Flemion said. Crews are posting signs along the river to warn visitors of the hazards. Howard County officials said the sewage leak has been stopped. They have not released other details about how the spill happened. Lawyers for a Massachusetts teenage girl charged with involuntary manslaughter for sending her boyfriend text messages encouraging him to take his own life have asked a judge to suppress statements she made to police. The Boston Globe reports that the motion to suppress was among almost two dozen motions filed by lawyers for 19-year-old Michelle Carter at Friday's court appearance. The judge did rule on the motions but said her trial could start in December. Michelle Carter of Plainville sent Conrad Roy III, of Mattapoisett, dozens of text messages telling him to "get back in" a truck filled with carbon monoxide fumes. In July of 2014, Fairhaven Police found Roy's body in his car parked behind a store. They believe he committed suicide by means of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled earlier this month that a grand jury had probable cause to indict Carter. Carter's lawyer said she had repeatedly tried to talk Roy out of taking his own life, but gave up about two weeks before his death. He argued that Roy - who had made a previous suicide attempt - was determined to end his life. Springfield police were active overnight with officers responding to three shootings within two hours of each other in three separate areas of the city. Lt. Richard Labelle tells WWLP-TV (http://bit.ly/2ahf7iR ) that the first call came in around midnight for a person who was shot in the right shoulder and robbed of their cellphone in the Brightwood neighborhood. The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center and is expected to survive. About a half-hour later, a pizza delivery driver was shot in the back on Johnson Street. The worker drove himself to Baystate and is also expected to recover. An hour after the second shooting, a man was shot three times in the city's lower Forest Park section. Police are still actively searching for the suspects. An investigation into former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's failed video game company, 38 Studios, has resulted in no criminal violations. Rhode Island State Police Col. Steven G. O'Donnell and Attorney General Peter Kilmartin announced the results of the yearslong investigation Friday. They say there are "no provable criminal violations" of state law. Nearly 150 people were interviewed and thousands of documents reviewed. O'Donnell says a bad deal doesn't always equate to an indictment. The former ballplayer's company relocated to Rhode Island from Massachusetts in 2010 in exchange for a $75 million state loan guarantee. It later went bankrupt, leaving taxpayers on the hook. The state's economic development agency sued Schilling and others who aided the deal to try to recoup the money. A man who allegedly attempted to kidnap and rape a woman in Winthrop, Massachusetts, Thursday night is being held without bail. Gerardo Elenilson Portillo, 26, of Lynn, Massachusetts, was arraigned in East Boston District Court. He allegedly followed the victim, who was walking down Revere Street, in a grey Honda Civic around 9:30 p.m. According to police, after he pulled out in front of her and asked her to join him, the victim kept walking and told him she was not interested. Portillo then allegedly followed the victim on foot and offered her money and drugs. When she refused to get in the car, authorities say he proceeded to attack her. After the victim started screaming, the suspect fled. Police say he had his 3-year-old daughter in the car during the attack Detectives from Winthrop police, assisted by Revere, Lynn and Somerville police, tracked down the suspect at his workplace in Somerville, Mass. Portillo was charged with Assault with the Intent to Rape, Aggravated Assault, Attempted Kidnapping, Indecent A&B, Strangulation and Child Endangerment. Those who may have been similarly approached or assaulted are encouraged to contact the local police department. He is set to appear at a dangerousness hearing on Aug. 5. After Mayor Joseph Curtatone of Somerville, Massachusetts, decided not to remove a Black Lives Matter banner from City Hall, many spoke out. Members of the Somerville police department protested the banner on Thursday night. Some necn viewers agreed with Mayor Curtatone while others sided with police officers. One argument in favor of keeping the banner up was that it raises awareness to the "Black Lives Matter" issue. Chris Heaven posted on the necn Facebook page and said, "All the outrage about a sign that says "Black Lives matter" proves the movement is correct with their message." "Many of the comments below are the exact reason behind the need for awareness and discussions surrounding equality," added Somerville resident Elizabeth Stefan. Others sided with the police officers and believe the banner promotes violence. Christopher Paul said, "I may not like cops but I don't support a violent, terrorist organization that advocates for brutal, wanton, barbaric violence against the police." "I stand with the Police on this. Blue Lives Matter. Shame on the Mayor of Somerville," commented Bill Doherty. Another argument against the banner was that it does not belong on a public building. David Lannan Jr. said, "This banner is a politically biased statement which has NO PLACE on a govt building." Gary Kespohl agreed and added, a mayor should not "support a terrorist style group of any sort." According to Maura Donahue, "the mayor should support the police." The banner is still hanging on the building where the mayor says it will stay. As rising energy prices make it harder to heat homes, churches in Dereham are leading the way in creating warm spaces where people can go. As rising energy prices make it harder to heat homes, churches in Dereham are leading the way in creating warm spaces where people can go. South Norfolk church scoops national award A medieval Anglican church in a tiny hamlet in South Norfolk has won a national award and a 10,000 boost. Read more 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 Company's Burghfield site also placed under special safety measures this year AWE Aldermaston has been placed under special regulatory measures for the fourth year in a row. And the companys Burghfield site has also been placed under special safety measures this year. AWEs Burghfield and Aldermaston sites, where Britains nuclear deterrent, Trident, is manufactured and maintained, are both listed as safety priorities in a recent annual report published by Government watchdog the Office for Nuclear Regulations (ONR). There are 36 nuclear sites in the UK and AWEs Aldermaston and Burghfield sites are among seven earmarked for an enhanced level of regulation from ONR over the next year, due to shortages of skilled personnel, ageing plant and delays in building new facilities. AWE Aldermaston was first placed under special measures by ONR in 2013, originally for two years, but this was extended, after AWE plc, the company operating the site on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, had not met the ONRs requirements, according to Reading-based watchdog, the Nuclear Information Service (NIS). AWEs Aldermaston site is currently the subject of an enforcement notice dished out by ONR for failings over radioactive waste management. NIS spokesman David Cullen, said: The fact that AWE Aldermaston has been under special measures for twice as long as originally intended shows that the company running AWE are simply not up to the job of running the site to meet the standards the regulator and the public expect. Mr Cullen said the MoD had reviewed AWEs contract earlier this year, but AWE plc was allowed to remain in charge, in the interests of keeping costs low, rather than improving public safety. Despite 1bn taxpayers money being spent each year at AWE, according to NIS, the cash had gone on developing more powerful weapons of mass destruction, rather than on improving safety. In response, AWE issued a statement in which Paul Ress, the companys head of environment, safety and health, said: The [ONR] report recognises that, while it continues to rely on ageing facilities, AWE is undertaking periodic reviews of safety and engaging in a large and complex capital projects programme. He said that AWE aimed to continuously improve on all aspects of its operations and processes, including safety Delivering safe and secure operations remains the core priority for AWE, as is continuous improvement in environmental performance, he said. This includes an enduring commitment to manage our waste in a safe and compliant manner. He said AWE was making good progress towards a long-term strategy to manage its higher activity waste, and since 2011 has been working with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and other nuclear site licence companies to find solutions for the waste, while collaborating with the ONR and other regulators. A third car wash over a 2-mile stretch is being proposed in Middletown The Planning Board on Nov. 9 will take up a proposal for a 110-foot tunnel carwash with associated parking and vacuums. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Reporter/Columnist Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth). 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). Columnist Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich). One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Women who engaged on social media after a breast cancer diagnosis expressed more deliberation about their treatment decision and more satisfaction with the path they chose, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds. But the researchers found significant barriers to social media for some women, particularly older women, those with less education and minorities. "Our findings highlight an unmet need in patients for decisional support when they are going through breast cancer treatment," says lead study author Lauren P. Wallner, Ph.D., MPH, assistant professor of general medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. "But at this point, leveraging social media and online communication in clinical practice is not going to reach all patients. There are barriers that need to be considered," she adds. Researchers surveyed 2,460 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer about their use of email, texting, social media and web-based support groups following their diagnosis. Women were identified through the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. The study appears in JAMA Oncology. Overall, 41 percent of women reported some or frequent use of online communication. Texting and email were most common, with 35 percent of women using it. Twelve percent of women reported using Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites, and 12 percent used web-based support groups. "Women reported separate reasons for using each of these modalities. Email and texting were primarily to let people know they had been diagnosed. They tended to use social media sites and web-based support groups to interact about treatment options and physician recommendations," Wallner says. "Women also reported using all of these outlets to deal with the negative emotions and stress around their breast cancer diagnosis. They're using these communications to cope," she says. Online communication was more common in younger women and those with more education. Use also varied by race, with 46 percent of white women and 43 percent of Asian women reporting frequent use, compared to 35 percent of black women and 33 percent of Latinas. The researchers also found that women who frequently used online communication had more positive feelings about their treatment decision. They were more likely to report a deliberate decision and more likely to be highly satisfied with their decision. Despite these benefits, the study authors urge caution. "For some women, social media may be a helpful resource. But there are still questions to answer before we can rely on it as a routine part of patient care," Wallner says. "We don't know a lot about the type of information women are finding online. What are they sharing and what is the quality of that information? We need to understand that before we can really harness the potential of social media to better support patients through their cancer treatment and care." When a battlefield explosion injures a soldier's face or neck, the critical air passage between the head and lungs often becomes blocked, which can lead to brain damage and death within minutes. To help treat such injuries, a Johns Hopkins undergraduate team has designed a low-cost, low-tech device dubbed CricSpike that may boost the success rate when combat medics need to create an artificial airway and pump air into the lungs. The goal of this procedure is to keep wounded soldiers alive until more advanced treatment can be administered at a hospital. Although more tinkering and testing are needed, the students' early prototype design has already earned awards at two recent medical device competitions. The student invention focuses on the emergency neck-incision tactic called a cricothyrotomy. This procedure is often depicted on TV and in movies as a relatively simple series of steps, such as stabbing a ballpoint pen into the neck, that save the life of a crucial character. But in a real-life combat setting, this tricky treatment must be done very quickly under less than ideal conditionsand it does not always work. In their research, the students discovered that combat medics who attempt a cricothyrotomy in the field are unsuccessful about a third of the time. Even physicians and physician assistants failed about 15 percent of the time in hospital settings. Military experts say more soldiers could be saved if the battlefield cricothyrotomy success rate could be improved. Last fall, retired U.S. Army physician James K. Gilman, who until recently was executive director of the Johns Hopkins Military and Veterans Health Institute, presented this challenge to a group of biomedical engineering undergraduates in the Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design Teams Program. Gilman, who rose to the rank of major general during his 35 years of Army service, served as the team's sponsor and medical adviser. The need for better combat cricothyrotomy tools quickly became clear to the students. They learned that in recent American military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, 10 to 15 percent of the preventable battlefield deaths were due to airway obstructions or respiratory failure. Many of these injuries were blamed on the growing use of explosive devices. Preventing some of these deaths became the group's goal. "We were all excited by the emergency life-saving aspects of this project," said Antonio Spina of Streamwood, Ill., who served as team leader during his senior year. The students designed their prototype with an eye toward simplifying and speeding up the procedure, and improving the accuracy of the insertion. One of the main problems, the students discovered, was that the tools typically used in battle zones often do not manage to connect to the patient's trachea, commonly called the windpipe. Instead, these tools become lodged just under the patient's skin or bypass the trachea and instead strike the esophagus, which leads to the stomach, not the lungs. To remedy this, the students devised an improved intratracheal tip that is carefully crafted to extend beyond the skin layers to the windpipe, but not far enough to reach the esophagus. To insert this tip into the neck, the students devised a two-piece handle that easily breaks away once the tip is connected to the trachea. For demonstration purposes, the student inventors have packaged the CricSpike tip and its handle as part of a kit that also includes a scalpel to make the neck incision and an endotracheal tube to channel air to the windpipe. The kit also contains a bag valve mask that the medic can attach and squeeze to push air through the tip or tube and into the wounded soldier's lungs. In demonstrations with a medical mannequin and animal tissue, the students have shown that their prototype components can work. The main pieces of the students' kit will require much more refinement and testing before they could be used on human patients. But the early prototype impressed the judges at the recent medical device design competitions. On July 14, the device was awarded second prize in the student project category at the Innovation Lab Research Exhibition, presented at the Central Institute of Healthcare Engineering of Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany. In May, the CricSpike team also received a third-place prize in the 2016 Johns Hopkins Student Healthcare Design Competition, organized by the university's Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design. This center is based within the Department of Biomedical Engineering, which is shared by the university's Whiting School of Engineering and its School of Medicine. In addition, the students have worked with the staff of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures in obtaining a provisional patent covering the design of their CricSpike components. "The students did a great job," said military physician Gilman, the project's sponsor. "But the final prototype was still pretty rough. Relying on 3D printing techniques could only get them to a certain level. The next step in the development process would have to involve production of a more professional prototype." Team member Qiuyin Ren of Westborough, Mass., a rising senior, said she and the other team members who will return to Johns Hopkins in the fall intend to build a more polished prototype during the coming school year. The student inventors hope a healthcare device maker eventually will license their design and incorporate it into an improved cricothyrotomy kit for combat areas. Study Finds Sharp Increase in Patients Who Combine Prescribed Medications with Other Drugs; Two in Three Users of Heroin Take it with Benzodiazepines, a Potentially Lethal Combination The majority of American adults taking opioids and other commonly prescribed medications use them in ways that put their health at risk, including potentially dangerous combinations with other drugs, according to a new study from Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the worlds leading provider of diagnostic information services. Believed to be the largest ever examination of prescription drug misuse patterns based on physician-ordered laboratory tests, the multi-year analysis of 3,143,739 de-identified test results revealed that 54 percent of patient results tested in 2015 showed evidence of drug misuse, slightly above the 53 percent misuse rate in 2014. While high, the misuse rate declined 14 percent from 63 percent in 2011. The study is based on results of patients tested in 49 states and the District of Columbia between 2011 and 2015. The key takeaway from this massive, nationally representative analysis is that despite some gains, a large number of patients use prescription drugs inappropriately and even dangerously, said co-researcher Harvey W. Kaufman, M.D., senior medical director, medical informatics, Quest Diagnostics. The CDCs recent recommendations to physicians to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of opioid drug therapy are a step in the right direction, but clearly more needs to be done to address this public health crisis. Drug misuse is defined as evidence, based on lab test results, that a patient is using or combining non-prescribed drugs or skipping doses in a manner that is inconsistent with the ordering physician's directions. Quest's prescription drug monitoring test services help to identify evidence of use of up to 44 commonly misused prescription and illicit drugs, such as opioids, amphetamines, sedatives, and marijuana and heroin. Growing Percentage of Patients Combine Drugs The analysis also found that among patients whose test results showed evidence of prescription drug misuse, the percentage of those who combined their prescription medication with other drugs not known to the physician jumped sharply in recent years. In 2015, 45 percent of these patients had test results that showed evidence of one or more other drug(s) in addition to their prescribed drug(s). This compares to 35 percent in both 2014 and 2013, 33 percent in 2012, and 32 percent in 2011. The findings are significant because combinations of certain drugs, such as opioids and sedatives, can result in potentially dangerous interactions, including severe respiratory depression, coma and death. For some patients, opioids and sedatives are co-prescribed which is of concern. The discovery that a growing percentage of people are combining drugs without their physicians knowledge is deeply troubling given the dangers. Perhaps patients do not understand that mixing even small doses of certain drugs is hazardous, or they mistakenly believe prescription medications are somehow safe, said co-researcher F Leland McClure III, PhD, medical affairs director, Quest Diagnostics, and a fellow of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology. One in Three Patients Taking Heroin Combined it With Benzodiazepines About 1.6 percent of patients tested for heroin showed evidence of heroin use. Heroin use was detected across all age ranges in adults tested, including those above age 65, although it was most likely to be detected in patients 25-34 years of age (3.6% among those tested) and age 18-24 (3.24%). Men were tested for heroin less frequently than women, but had a positivity rate more than 50 percent higher than women (1.97% vs. 1.26%). The Quest researchers also found that nearly one in three patients (28.6%) who used heroin combined it with benzodiazepines, a class of prescription psychoactive medications that includes tranquilizers such as Xanax and Valium. In 92 percent of these patients, the benzodiazepines were not prescribed by a physician, meaning an illicit combination of heroin and benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines can have strong sedative effects, including respiratory depression, when combined with alcohol, other sedatives, or illicit drugs including heroin. Data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that from 2001 to 2014, there was a five-fold increase in the total number of deaths related to benzodiazepines. In March 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued final guidelines recommending that clinicians consider opioid therapy only if expected benefits for both pain and function are anticipated to outweigh risks to the patient, and that healthcare providers perform drug tests on their patients prior to starting (baseline) and periodically during opioid drug therapy as urine drug tests can provide information about drug use that is not reported by the patient. Study Strengths and Limitations The 2016 report is the fifth Prescription Drug Monitoring Report from Quest Diagnostics Health Trends, the medical informatics unit of Quest Diagnostics, examining patterns and trends observed from prescription drug testing data performed by Quest Diagnostics laboratories. Previous reports have focused on marijuana, misuse by adolescents, and detecting heroin use. The study's strengths are its size and national scope; use of an objective laboratory method, versus surveys or polls, which may be subject to user misrepresentation or error; confirmation of all positive drug screens by mass spectrometry, the most advanced drug testing method; and for consistency rate analysis the inclusion of patients under care by clinicians in a primary care or pain-management setting, but exclusion of those in drug rehabilitation or addiction treatment settings, where unusually high rates of drug misuse may be expected. Study limitations include geographic disparities; inability to confirm drug misuse through access to medical records or clinical evaluation; and technical factors and patient variations, such as drug metabolism and hydration state, that may affect the reliability of a minority of results. Quest Diagnostics does not provide services to all clinicians in the U.S., so results are not broadly representative of all patients taking prescription medications in the U.S. It is also possible some clinicians tested patients due to appropriate suspicions of drug misuse, and that some clinicians omitted to specify all drugs prescribed for the patient on a test order, skewing some results. The company's Quest Diagnostics Health Trends studies are performed in compliance with applicable privacy regulations, the company's strict privacy policies and as approved by the Western Institutional Review Board. Dialysis patients who smoke are much less likely to receive a life-saving kidney transplant and much more likely to die sooner according to researchers from the Health Research Institute (HRI) at the University of Limerick and ULs Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS). Professor Austin Stack MD, Lead Author and Consultant Nephrologist at UL Hospitals & Director of UL Health Research Institute (HRI) The findings, which are published in a study appearing online in the journal BMC Nephrology, provide compelling evidence that smoking reduces overall life expectancy of dialysis patients as well as their overall chances of receiving a kidney transplant. Approximately 2 million patients in the world are treated with dialysis every year. Kidney transplantation is by far the best option for most patients who develop kidney failure as it is associated with the best survival and quality of life. Patients with kidney failure who are on dialysis have life spans that can be one-fifth that of the general population according to Professor Austin Stack MD, Lead author and Consultant Nephrologist at UL Hospitals & Director of UL Health Research Institute (HRI). It is hugely important that we identify those factors that affect overall patient survival and quality of life, especially factors that can potentially be modified to improve patient lives. Although previous studies have clearly shown that smoking is a major risk factor for death in the general population, few studies have evaluated the impact of smoking among patients who develop kidney failure. In our study funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF), we assessed the impact of smoking among new dialysis patients and evaluated the extent to which it affected overall mortality rates and rates of kidney transplantation. Using data from the US Renal Registry, we followed 1,220, 000 patients, who began dialysis in the United States from 1995 to 2010, for an average for 2 years. Among the major findings we found that: Smokers were significantly more likely to die than non-smokers and this adverse risk was equally present for both men and women Smoking had a far greater negative impact on the lifespans of younger men and women than among older patients Smoking was associated with higher death rates for all patients but the adverse impact was far greater for those with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions including coronary disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease Smokers were significantly less likely to receive a kidney transplant than non-smokers and this adverse risk was equally present for both men and women Smokers with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions had the lowest risk of receiving a kidney transplant The relationship of smoking with higher death rates and lower kidney transplantation rates was not explained by concurrent illness, socioeconomic status, or differences in care provided to patients prior to or after initiating dialysis. Dialysis patients have extremely high premature death rates that are between 10- and 100-fold higher than in the general population, and smoking contributes substantially to lower patient survival, said Professor Stack, senior author of the study, Consultant Nephrologist at University Hospital Limerick and Director of ULs Health Research Institute. Smoking is a well-known risk factor for death and disability for patients in the general population. Our study, one of the largest ever conducted; found that smokers have alarmingly high rates of premature death. Quite strikingly, the risks of death were far greater in younger men and younger women than in older patients. Equally concerning, dialysis patients who smoked experienced lower rates of kidney transplantation and thus the opportunity to extend survival and quality of life. These risks were considerable in that smokers were between 26% and 50% less likely to receive a kidney transplant taking all other factors into consideration. Smoking is a major risk amplifier for all patients on dialysis said Dr Stack. Consequently, we believe that kidney specialists and all healthcare providers should engage with their patients to pursue smoking cessation strategies at each and every opportunity. Sophia Genetics, the global leader in Data-Driven Medicine, today unveiled SOPHiA, the worlds most advanced collective artificial intelligence (AI) for Data-Driven Medicine. A state-of-the-art technology, SOPHiA continuously learns from thousands of patients genomic profiles and experts knowledge to improve patients diagnostics and treatments. The unmatched analytical powers of SOPHiA rely on the genomic information pooled on Sophia DDM, the worlds largest clinical genomics community for molecular diagnostics, gathering to date 170 hospitals from 28 countries. Today, Sophia Genetics also revealed results proving how SOPHiA managed to obtain a 98% match with expert clinicians variant pathogenicity predictions for BRCA genes mutations, which bear a potential risk of susceptibility to breast cancer. To obtain such quality result, the Swiss technological companys AI considered data from thousands of patients genomic tests, building on the information pooled by hospitals in Sophia DDM, learning how to predict genomic variants pathogenicity almost the same way a clinical expert does, and evolving as more data became available. An initial 85% match was obtained with 10.000 patient analysed, improving to 96% match with 20.000 tests and 98% with classifications by expert clinicians. The final results are based on the genomic profiles of 30.000 patients, containing 28.000 unique genomic variants. The variants considered by SOPHiA were identified and sorted by Sophia Genetics three proprietary and patented advanced technologies, PEPPER, MUSKAT and MOKA, ensuring the 99.9% specificity and sensitivity that oncologists, clinicians and medical specialists need to confidently report clinical genomics variants to their patients. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today SOPHiAs revolutionary technology will soon be available to hospitals and clinicians members of the Sophia DDM community. Moving forward, the secure and private pooling of more patients genomic profiles on Sophia DDM will allow for similar advances from SOPHiA for 40 other genome diseases; oncology, hereditary cancers, cardiology, metabolic disorders and paediatrics, and the advent of a true Data-Driven Medicine for patients. Speaking about this breakthrough for breast cancer diagnostics and treatment, but also for Data-Driven Medicine as a whole, Jurgi Camblong, CEO and co-founder of Sophia Genetics declared: Women were less likely to have breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy if they had Medicaid or Medicare rather than private insurance or if they lived 10 or more miles from a plastic surgeon's office, a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center study has found. Researchers said the findings, published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, highlight additional barriers to breast reconstruction alongside other obstacles that have been identified including race, socioeconomic class and age. The new data are concerning, researchers said, as they say the procedure can help with self-esteem, sexuality and body image after cancer treatment. "We know that breast cancer affects not only the physical wellbeing of the patient, but also her psychosocial wellbeing, and we know that breast reconstruction can help address those issues," said the study's first author Michelle Roughton, MD, an assistant professor of surgery and the program director for the UNC School of Medicine Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. "These findings highlight the fact that there are more barriers to breast reconstruction access than we previously recognized." In the study, researchers analyzed insurance claims data for 5,381 women in North Carolina diagnosed with breast cancer between 2003 and 2006. The study included women with Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance health plans, who had a mastectomy within six months of diagnosis and who continued to maintain their insurance coverage for at least two years after the procedure. Twenty percent of women included in the study chose breast reconstruction. The study drew upon UNC Lineberger's Integrated Cancer Information Surveillance System (ICISS), a research tool that links to population and clinical data to health claims data for about 5.5 million people insured by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance policies. In the raw, unadjusted data, they found that 56 percent of women with private insurance received breast reconstruction, compared with 10 percent of women with Medicare, or 11 percent of those with Medicaid. The study found after adjusting for related patient factors such as age or stage of disease, Medicare recipients had 42 percent lower odds of receiving breast reconstruction than women with private insurance, and women with Medicaid had 76 percent lower odds. "Even when you control for age, the type of insurance patients had was still an independent predictor of whether patients received breast reconstruction," Roughton said. By federal law, group health plans that pay for mastectomy must also cover breast prosthetics and reconstructive procedures. Medicare does cover the procedure, while Medicaid coverage can vary by state. Roughton said one factor affecting access to reconstruction may be that not all surgeons accept all types of insurance for the procedure. "As doctors working for the state's flagship cancer hospital, we aim to provide breast reconstruction to every woman who desires it despite distance and payer," Roughton said. Distance to the nearest plastic surgeon was also predictive of whether women underwent reconstruction. The study found that women living 20 or more miles away had 27 percent lower odds of receiving breast reconstruction compared to women living within 10 miles of a surgeon. Women living 10 to 20 miles away from the nearest surgeon had 22 percent lower odds. The study also found that minority women had 50 percent lower odds of receiving reconstruction compared to non-Hispanic whites, and, consistent with previous studies, they found that increasing age at diagnosis, advanced cancer stage, and radiation treatment also decreased odds. Roughton said she has tried to overcome distance obstacles for her patients by using telemedicine for initial consultations, and by using text and email to help assess patients after the operation. New evidence suggests that it would be appropriate to remove the diagnosis of transgender from its current classification as a mental disorder, according to a study conducted in Mexico City. The study is the first field trial to evaluate a proposed change to the place of the diagnosis within the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The research, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal today and led by the National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de le Fuente Muniz, involved interviewing 250 transgender people and found that distress and dysfunction were more strongly predicted by experiences of social rejection and violence than by gender incongruence itself. The study is the first of several field trials and is currently being replicated in Brazil, France, India, Lebanon and South Africa. Stigma associated with both mental disorder and transgender identity has contributed to the precarious legal status, human rights violations and barriers to appropriate care among transgender people, says senior author Professor Geoffrey Reed, National Autonomous University of Mexico. The definition of transgender identity as a mental disorder has been misused to justify denial of health care and contributed to the perception that transgender people must be treated by psychiatric specialists, creating barriers to health care services. The definition has even been misused by some governments to deny self-determination and decision-making authority to transgender people in matters ranging from changing legal documents to child custody and reproduction. Our findings support the idea that distress and dysfunction may be the result of stigmatization and maltreatment, rather than integral aspects of transgender identity, says lead investigator Dr Rebeca Robles, Mexican National Institute of Psychiatry. The next step is to confirm this in further studies in different countries, ahead of the approval of the WHO revision to International Classification of Diseases in 2018. Transgender identity is currently classified as a mental disorder in both of the worlds main diagnostic manuals, the WHOs ICD-10 and the American Psychiatric Associations DSM-5. A major component of the definition of mental disorders is that they are associated with distress and impairment in functioning. The classification of transgender identity as a mental disorder is increasingly controversial and a WHO Working Group has recommended that transgender identity should no longer be classified as a mental disorder in ICD-11, but should instead come under a new chapter on conditions related to sexual health. The study is the first field trial to evaluate the applicability of the proposed re-classification. It was conducted in collaboration with the Condesa Specialized Clinic, the only publicly funded specialized clinic providing transgender health care services in Mexico City. Researchers interviewed 250 transgender people aged 18-65 who were receiving health care services at the Condesa Clinic. Most participants were transgender women, assigned male sex at birth (199 participants, 80%). Participants reported first becoming aware of their transgender identity during childhood or adolescence (ages 2-17). During the study, they completed a detailed interview about their experience of gender incongruence in adolescence (e.g, discomfort with secondary sex characteristics, changes performed to be more similar to the desired gender, and asking to be referred to as the desired gender), and recalled related experiences of psychological distress, functional impairment, social rejection and violence. Most participants experienced psychological distress related to gender incongruence during their adolescence (208, 83%), with depressive symptoms being the most common. Family, social, or work or academic dysfunction during adolescence related to their gender identity was reported by nearly all participants (226, 90%). More than three-quarters of participants (191, 76%) reported experiencing social rejection related to gender incongruence, most commonly by family members, followed by schoolmates/co-workers and friends. A majority of participants (157, 63%) had been a victim of violence related to their gender identity (table 3) in nearly half of these cases, violence was perpetrated by a family member. Psychological and physical violence were the most commonly reported, and some experienced sexual violence. The researchers then used statistical models to examine whether distress was related to gender incongruence per se or if it was related to experiences of social rejection and violence. They found that none of the gender incongruence variables predicted psychological distress or dysfunction, except in one case where asking to be referred to as the desired gender predicted school/work dysfunction. On the other hand, social rejection and violence were strong predictors of distress and all types of dysfunction. Although the study includes a relatively large sample of transgender people, the authors warn of some important limitations. For example, the study was a volunteer sample, so was not representative of the population and participants experiences were based on their recollection of events, which can be subject to bias. However, the authors note that a similar study would be difficult to conduct prospectively as this would involve children. Rates of experiences related to social rejection and violence were extremely high in this study, and the frequency with which this occurred within participants own families is particularly disturbing. Unfortunately, the level of maltreatment experienced in this sample is consistent with other studies from around the world. This study highlights the need for policies and programs to reduce stigmatization and victimization of this population. The removal of transgender diagnoses from the classification of mental disorders can be a useful part of those efforts, says Dr Robles. Writing in a linked Comment, Dr Griet De Cuypere, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium and Dr Sam Winter, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia, say: A prominent UN advocate has put it this way: Transphobia is a health issue. This study prompts primary caregivers and psychiatrists to be aware of a slope leading from stigma to sickness for transgender individuals, and to contribute to their mental health by a gender-affirmative approach. They also note that although the study provides evidence to support moving health-related categories related to transgender identity out of the classification of mental disorders in ICD-11, it does not address where in ICD would be the most appropriate place for the diagnosis, which should be a topic for future research. Source: http://www.thelancet.com/ Underserved Kentuckians living with HIV/ AIDS can continue to rely on comprehensive oral health care offered through the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, thanks to $2 million in federal funding. The funding has been awarded to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Department for Public Health HIV/AIDS Services Branch, Ryan White Part B program and contracted to the UofL School of Dentistry. UofL's Community Based Dental Partnership Program (CBDPP), is one of only 12 Ryan White CBDPP federally funded oral health programs in the United States, and the only one in the state. The two-year grant will allow for increased access to oral health care services for people living with HIV, while providing education and clinical training for dental care providers, especially those practicing in community-based settings. Dental care is one of the most common unmet needs for people living with HIV/AIDS in Kentucky. These needs include fillings, crowns and bridges, dentures and more. "Patients who have issues with their teeth begin to limit the types of food they eat. This can result in malnourishment, which in turn affects the absorption of HIV medications. The end effect is a more compromised immune system," said Catherine Binkley, D.D.S., M.S.P.H., Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Surgical and Hospital Dentistry, and program director for the Ryan White CBDPP. "Social interactions also can be negatively impacted by poor oral health. Patients with fractured or missing teeth all too often limit educational and career seeking opportunities, as well as withdraw from friends and group scenarios. Restoring teeth for patients in all these situations impacts their lives in major ways. We want to help our patients put their lives back together and become part of society by providing a new smile," Binkley said. The dental school first received funding from the Kentucky HIV/AIDS Branch Ryan White Part B program for a six-month pilot in January 2014. The purpose of this funding was to expand the reach of oral health services and create a statewide network for improving access to comprehensive oral health care and improved oral health outcomes for individuals living with HIV/AIDS enrolled in the Kentucky Ryan White Part B program. Based on the success of the pilot program, the UofL School of Dentistry's CBDPP was awarded a $1.2 million two-year state contract in 2014-2016, and has now received $2 million for 2016-2018 to continue serving the oral health needs of Kentuckians living with HIV/AIDS. Last year, the UofL program performed more than 6,000 procedures for nearly 600 HIV/AIDS patients. It's no accident that researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have taken a lead role addressing the Zika virus epidemic gripping the Americas. Many of them were already at work fighting viruses and mosquito-borne diseases in Central and South America. David O'Connor, a pathology professor, first learned of babies born with severe birth defects from his HIV research collaborators in Brazil. Jorge Osorio, professor of pathobiological sciences, and Matt Aliota, a research scientist, were first to identify Zika virus circulating in Colombia. Adding expertise in obstetrics, virology, radiology and public health from UW-Madison's rare breadth of scientific expertise, the researchers are now working to screen mosquitoes for the ability to carry Zika virus and infect humans, and to use a harmless bacterium to block mosquito transmission of the virus. They are studying Zika infection in monkeys to describe the progression of infection and its dire consequences in pregnancy. And they're sharing their findings with public health officials and scientists around the world to speed our path to the best vaccines, treatments and strategies to arrest Zika's spread. In a move to prevent a cholera outbreak from spreading, the Ministry of Health of South Sudan with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and health partners are ramping up disease surveillance and treatment efforts. Across the country, 271 cholera cases have been reported, including 14 deaths since 12 July 2016. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that causes massive loss of body fluids and can be deadly within hours if not adequately treated. WHO is taking all the necessary control measures to support the Ministry of Health to respond to the situation urgently, and put an end to this outbreak, says Dr Abdulmumini Usman, WHO Representative to South Sudan. This work is vital because the conditions are favourable for transmitting the disease. These include increased population displacement, overcrowding, poor hygiene and sanitation. WHO is working with the Ministry of Health and other partners on ground to contain and prevent further spread of the disease, added Dr Abdulmumini. WHO has reinforced its cholera outbreak response capability to prevent the spread of the disease. A National Cholera Taskforce (comprising the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, MSF and other partners) has been activated and is providing oversight and coordination for the response to the cholera outbreak. With more than 270 cholera cases, providing swift treatment is essential. WHO, with support from partners, has established a cholera treatment centre capable of treating 100 patients at Juba Teaching Hospital. To improve access to timely rehydration, eight oral rehydration points have been established by Health Link South Sudan with support from UNICEF. Priority locations for oral rehydration points in Juba include Gurei, Munuki, Kator, Lologo, Mahad, Nyakuron and Gumbo. Additional points are being set-up in El Sabah, Giada and Gorom. WHO has strengthened disease surveillance and comprehensive disease investigation, including following up on people who may have come into contact with the disease. As a proactive preventive measure, WHO along with the Ministry of Health and partners are planning to conduct an oral cholera vaccination campaign to reach over 14 000 people. The campaign is set to start on 26 July 2016 at various sites including communities in Gorom and Giada and special populations such as internally displaced people in Tomping. Additionally, WHO and partners are supporting social mobilization and community engagement activities. The media is currently airing cholera prevention messages and a toll-free phone line to report cholera cases has been activated. WHO and partners have delivered supplies including tents and cholera kits that provide treatment for 400 people. To improve case detection and treatment of cholera, WHO has also distributed cholera preparedness and response guidelines. WHO is appealing to all partners to strengthen preventive and control measures before the disease spreads to other camps and host communities. This outbreak further exacerbates an already weak health system which is also battling malnutrition, measles and malaria. The risk of further spread of diseases is a major concern. With the coming rains, it is realistic to expect an increase in malaria and water-borne diseases. Consequently, we can expect medical needs to increase in an environment where WHO and partners are already working hard to keep up with existing health needs, says Dr Abdulmumini. With 4.4 million people in need of health assistance, funding is urgently needed to respond to the rising needs. The South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan launched earlier this year requests US$ 110 million, of which US$ 31.3 million has been received (71% funding gap). Of this amount, WHO requires US$ 17.5 million for 2016, of which only US$ 4.3 million has been received. More funding will be required to respond to the additional needs arising from this recent crisis. We have this opportunity to save, improve and protect the health of millions of people before it gets worse, says Dr Abdulmumini. WHO is committed to containing the cholera outbreak in South Sudan but, without urgent funding, we cannot implement most of the planned interventions. We need donors and partners to urgently fund our operations. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Wellcome Trust of London, the AMR Centre of Alderley Park, Cheshire in the United Kingdom and Boston University School of Law today announced the establishment of one of the world's largest public-private partnerships focused on tackling antibiotic resistance, an emerging modern threat to public health worldwide. The Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator, or CARB-X, brings together leaders in industry, philanthropy, government and academia with the aim of rejuvenating the antimicrobial pipeline. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), will provide $30 million in research and development funding through CARB-X during the first year and up to $250 million over five years. The AMR Centre, a public-private initiative formed in February 2016 to drive the development of new antibiotics and diagnostics, aims to provide $14 million to support CARB-X projects in year one and up to $100 million over five years. The Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation focused on biomedical research, will contribute further funding and its expertise in overseeing projects of this kind. CARB-X grew out of President Obama's 2015 Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (CARB) initiative and will address several goals laid out in the U.S. Federal CARB National Action Plan. "Our hope is that the combination of technical expertise and life science entrepreneurship experience within CARB-X's life science accelerators will remove barriers for companies pursuing the development of the next novel drug, diagnostic, or vaccine to combat this public health threat," said Joe Larsen, Ph.D., acting BARDA deputy director. "In the same way BARDA's investment model has proven successful in advancing countermeasures through late-stage development, we believe this international partnership can identify promising candidates in the early stages of development that may offer treatment options for drug resistant bacterial infections." In 2014 the UK government and the Wellcome Trust asked economist Jim O'Neill to analyze the global problem of antimicrobial resistance and propose concrete actions to tackle it internationally. His final report, published in May 2016, called for concerted global effort to boost the supply of new antibiotics, and to develop rapid diagnostics to allow existing drugs to be used more sparingly. CARB-X will play a significant role in answering this call. "Drug-resistant infections are already costing lives all over the world. Many drugs that we have too often taken for granted no longer work, presenting one of the biggest threats to our future global health and economic security," said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust. "A problem of this scale can only be tackled through coordinated international effort to curb our massive over use of existing antibiotics, and to accelerate the development of new ones. I hope our new transatlantic partnership marks the beginning of a wider global effort to prevent untreatable bacterial infections from claiming millions of lives." CARB-X aims to deliver a growing portfolio of promising new antibiotics, diagnostics and vaccines, to tackle the threat posed by untreatable bacterial infections. The international partnership will support a suite of products through early preclinical development to a stage where they can be taken forward by private or public investment. "CARB-X is one of the most important steps yet in terms of rethinking how we deal with AMR and it will have an impact around the world," said Dr. Peter Jackson, Steering Group Chairman of the AMR Centre. "At the AMR Centre we share the same goal of accelerating a new pipeline of treatments and diagnostics by working on new drug development programs in our own labs as well as with other collaborating organizations, in particular providing support to small and medium-sized businesses and research institutes which have exciting new approaches to AMR." Led by executive director and principal investigator Kevin Outterson, the N. Neal Pike Scholar in Health & Disability Law and Professor of Law at Boston University, the CARB-X partners will pool their broad scientific, technical, business and legal expertise to help grantees navigate the maze of regulatory steps, studies and data collection required for new drugs and other products to gain approval by U.S. and/or European regulators. Drug Discovery eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today "The grant to establish the CARB-X project, with Kevin Outterson of the School of Law as executive director, is a major milestone for Boston University," said Boston University President Dr. Robert A. Brown. "That the leadership for this collaboration among very distinguished public and private entities comes from Boston University is testament to our range and depth as a research university. Most of us understand the arms race that is ongoing between the natural evolution of bacteria harmful to humans and our development of the drugs that combat them. The CARB-X project will accelerate drug development in this critical race with nature." The CARB-X partners include: The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) who will draw on its extensive experience of successfully advancing promising medical countermeasures through late-stage development and provide $30 million during the project's first year and up to $250 million during the five-year program; Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation in London, UK. They are a major funder of biomedical research with significant experience in infectious diseases and investment in early stage antibiotic R&D. In addition to providing funding, Wellcome will bring expertise in overseeing high quality international research projects; AMR Centre is a public-private initiative based in Alderley Park, Cheshire, UK that supports development of new antibiotics and diagnostics and will provide funding along with business mentoring and research support; Boston University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, will host the CARB-X executive team which will include experts with decades of experience in antibiotic drug development, including John Rex, Senior Vice President at Astra Zeneca. Starting January 1, 2017, Barry Eisenstein (formerly of Cubist and currently at Merck) will join CARB-X; The National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), which leads the U.S. government in determining the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases and developing better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. NIAID will provide in-kind services, including preclinical services, to projects that CARB-X supports. NIAID also is providing technical support for CARB-X from their internal subject matter experts in early stage antibiotic drug discovery and product development; MassBio in Cambridge, as an extension of the successful MassCONNECT program, and California Life Sciences Institute (CLSI) in the San Francisco Bay Area will provide world-class business support and mentoring services to innovative product developers selected for funding. The two accelerators will also share best practices with the Wellcome Trust and AMR Centre, expanding the scope of business support services globally; The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts will host a new inter-disciplinary Collaborative Hub for Early Antibiotic Discovery. This hub, aimed at early drug discovery, will work with multiple academic programs to advance promising antibiotic candidates that the CARB-X initiative can pursue; RTI International will provide technical and regulatory support services to product developers in the partner accelerators as well as build and run the computing systems to identify, track and monitor all research programs, including a real-time dashboard management information system. RTI will evaluate all CARB-X operations to identify and share best practices across all partners and support continuous quality improvement. Beginning in September, CARB-X will begin reviewing applications to determine the most promising products to fund. Decisions will be made by the Scientific Advisory Board, with input from the agencies, including BARDA and NIAID, and the funders. Applicants should check the website for updates. New Delhi: Government has filed cases under FEMA amounting to Rs 17,789.9 crore against 15 companies that have received FDI from tax havens like Mauritius, Singapore and Virgin Islands, Parliament was informed on Friday. "ED has registered cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against one company for Rs 18.27 crore and under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, against 15 companies amounting to Rs 17,789.92 crore, which have received FDI from tax havens like Mauritius, France, Cyprus, Singapore, Virgin Islands, Luxembourg, Dubai and Tunisia," Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. In recent times, Gangwar said, the government has taken several steps, both by way of policy-level initiative and more effective enforcement action on the ground, to tackle tax evasion, particularly with reference to undisclosed foreign assets or income. Replying to a separate query, the minister said, "The total quantity of destruction of illicit poppy cultivation for the calendar year 2016 (up to June) is 6,441.75 acres." Turkey has emerged as largest exporter of poppy seeds for India. It exported 7,056 tonnes poppy seeds to India in 2015-16, he added. The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, prohibits illegal cultivation of opium and other narcotic products in the country. A number of agencies have been empowered to carry out enforcement functions under the Act. To another query, Gangwar said in the first three months of the current fiscal, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has searched 125 groups and seized assets worth of Rs 185 crore. Banking operations across the country were hit on Friday as around 10 lakh employees from 40 private and nationalised banks struck work for a day to protest against the recent merger announcements in the banking sector. "The strike has evoked a good response nationwide as around 10 lakh have participated in it. Most of the nationalised banks are closed," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), told IANS in Chennai. Echoing this, K. Thamaraiselvan, General Secretary of Andhra Bank Employees Union (Tamil Nadu unit) said: "The banking operations have been paralysed nationwide." The unions were also protesting against the infusion of private capital in government banks. The strike call was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) an umbrella body of nine unions in the banking sector viz., AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO. "The strike involved around 10 lakh employees and officers of public sector banks, old generation private banks and foreign banks totalling more than 80,000 branches," Venkatachalam said. According to Venkatachalam, unmindful of the adverse implications, the government was pursuing the reform measures in the banking sector like inadequate infusion of capital in public sector banks, which will result in reduction of government's equity capital and create compulsion for higher extent of private capital leading to privatisation of banks. "In the last 40 years, more than 40 private banks have collapsed. We cannot allow to take that risk again. Banks must continue in public sector in national interest," he said. According to him, the total deposits in the banks today are more than Rs 116 lakh crore and this cannot be placed at the doors of private players by privatising the banks. He said the government wants to consolidate and merge 27 public sector banks to make them into some five or six big banks for the sake of global competition. "We need efficient banks and not necessarily big banks. Big banks do not automatically mean strong banks. In many countries big banks have failed and they are in trouble," he added. He said privatisation of banks will not help in recovering bad loans totalling over Rs 13 lakh crore and may result in handing over the banks to a loan defaulter. Criminal action against wilful loan defaulters should be taken instead of dealing with them with a velvet hand, he added. Meanwhile, industry body Assocham on Friday urged UFBU to call off their strike as customer transactions worth about Rs 12,000 crore-Rs 15,000 crore would be affected. "Public sector banks (PSBs) are already less profitable and have relatively higher ratios of non-performing assets (NPAs) compared to private sector banks, and such a complete halt of banking transactions following UFBU's decision to go on strike might result in significant losses," D.S. Rawat, secretary General of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said in a statement in New Delhi. "With a view to revamp the functioning of the PSBs, banking sector reforms is the need of the hour," he added. Kafer Takhareem (Syria): At least two people were killed and three others were injured in an air strike on Friday at a maternity hospital supported by 'Save the Children' in northwest Syria, the charity and its partners said. Syria Relief, the aid agency that manages the hospital in Kafer Takhareem, said those killed were relatives of patients. "We're heartbroken & outraged by the attack on our partners' maternity hospital in #Syria. Children must be protected," Save the Children tweeted. Save the Children said the bomb hit the entrance to the hospital, which is located in rural Idlib province. It is not clear who carried out the attack. The hospital is the biggest in the area, carrying out more than 300 deliveries a month and assisting over 1,350 women, according to Save the Children. Mumbai: The Bombay High Court pulled up the Maharashtra government on Friday, for its failure to obtain clarification from the Supreme Court on its order regarding the height of human pyramids for Dahi Handi celebrations. A bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed observed that the Govinda festival was approaching, and the state government had not yet obtained clarification from the apex court on the height of human pyramids. Last month, the High Court, while hearing a public interest litigation, had asked the state government to seek clarity from the Supreme Court on its order on the height of human pyramids. The bench once again asked the state government on Friday, to seek this clarification and posted the matter for hearing on August 12. The court was hearing a petition filed by city-based social worker Swati Patil, who is the secretary of Utkarsh Mahila Samajik Sanstha, an NGO. Patil alleged that the Maharashtra government and others were not following earlier orders of the Bombay High Court on the height of human pyramids during Dahi Handi celebrations. The High Court, on August 11, 2014, while hearing a petition filed by Patil, had ordered that the height of human pyramids should not exceed 20 feet and that children below the age of 18 years should not be allowed to take part in it. The state government challenged the Bombay High Court order in the Supreme Court which initially suspended the high court order, but later dismissed the petition. According to the state government, the apex court did not express any opinion on the restriction imposed by the high court on the height of human pyramids. Hence, they were not bound by the earlier order of the high court. The high court, however, is of the opinion that its earlier order would be in force unless it had been set aside by a higher court. Therefore, it asked the state government to get clarification from the Supreme Court about the same as the apex court order was silent on this aspect. All the Govinda organisations in the state are eagerly awaiting the court decision on the height of human pyramids in view of the forthcoming Dahi Handi festival. New Delhi: Former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Pradip Baijal has alleged that former prime minister Manmohan Singh looked the other way when the 2G spectrum scam happened. Hitting out at Singh in a tell-all interview to CNN-News18, Baijal said, It all happened under Manmohans watch. It is unfortunate that fabricated evidence was planted against me because I didn't comply with the UPA government. Baijal said the rot set in when Dayanidhi Maran was the Telecom Minister. Maran often called himself the Prime Minister of Telecom. He treated the ministry as his personal fiefdom. Then CAG Vinod Rai was not aware of the facts of the 2G case. The TRAI ex-chief also claimed that former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had officially complained that his ministry was being ignored in decision-making in the Telecom Ministry. New Delhi: More than 40 NGOs including from India joined hands and asked countries to end breeding of the wildcats for commercial purposes and phase out tiger farms, a move which comes in the wake of seizure of tiger pubs and skins from 'Tiger Temple' in Thailand. On International Tiger Day, the organisations noted that wild tiger population has declined by over 95 per cent in the last 100 years while this year alone, there has been an upsurge in tiger poaching in India with more tigers killed in the first five months of 2016 that in the whole of 2015. "If wild tiger populations are to be recovered and secured, the international community must provide support to end tiger farming and all trade in tiger parts and products from wild and captive tigers," a WWF India statement quoting the 45 organisations said. The organisations also extended their assistance to achieve the goals of zero demand for tiger parts and products and zero poaching of tigers. They said that the global wild tiger population is estimated to be less than 4,000 and these last remaining wild tigers are each threatened by trade for nearly all of their body parts from skins and bones to teeth and claws traded by criminals for huge profit. The main market for tiger products are consumers in China and Vietnam, followed by smaller consumer markets in Myanmar and Laos, they said. The organisations commended the recent bold enforcement efforts of Thailand government which in June this year seized 137 live tigers, thousands of tiger skin amulets, 70 preserved cubs and other tiger parts from the 'Tiger Temple'. "This represents a significant opportunity for Thailand to end all tiger farming within its borders and to play a leadership role in the phase-out of tiger farms in the region," the statement said. They said that there are currently two primary sources for trade in tiger parts and products, wild tigers in ten range countries that are home to the last remaining wild tigers and captive tigers largely found in four tiger farming countries - China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Lucknow: Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dayashankar Singh, who is accused of making a derogatory remark against BSP chief Mayawati, was on Friday arrested from the Buxar district in Bihar along the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border. He has been handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Police. Dayashankar's statement against Mayawati had led to a huge furore forcing him to go into hiding to evade arrest. He was last seen at a temple in Jharkhand before his arrest. At a party meeting in July, Dayashankar had called Mayawati 'worse than a prostitute'. He had said, "Mayawati is selling tickets. She is a three-time chief minister but she gives tickets to anyone who gives her Rs 1 crore. If someone comes with Rs 2 crore in the afternoon, she gives him a ticket. If somebody comes with Rs 3 crore in the evening, she dumps the previous candidates and picks him. Today her character is worse than that of a prostitute." The statement had evoked angry reactions in Parliament after which he was suspended from the party. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had condemned the statement in Rajya Sabha and apologised to Mayawati on party's behalf. The UP Police had registered a case against him under the SC/ST Atrocities Act but even before they could call him for questioning, he had fled. The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court had denied a stay on his arrest on Thursday and had ordered the state government to respond on the matter in a week. Union Highways and Transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday ordered National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chairman Raghav Chandra to clear the busy DelhiJaipur national highway as severe waterlogging in Gurgaon held up traffic for hours for the second day in a row. Gadkari, currently at his hometown Nagpur, called up higher officials of his ministry and ordered them to bring the situation under control. Traffic has halted since Thursday night on the DelhiJaipur national highway NH-8 which cuts through through Gurgaon. NHAI Chief General Manager BS Singla, who has been supervising operations at the busy Hero Honda Chowk, said they were using six heavy-duty water pumps to end waterlogging in that area. Singla said he was hopeful of clearing the highway for traffic by evening. Earlier, Haryana's BJP Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar sought to deflect public anger by putting the blame for the traffic mess on Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of neighbouring Delhi. Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party hit back at Khattar calling it an absurd comment, while the Opposition Congress slammed both BJP and AAP for the mess in Gurgaon. As the blame game continued, Gadkari stepped in to prevent embarrassment to the Centre, and put his own men on the job. New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife to appear before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in connection with a money laundering case lodged against him. Justice Vipin Sanghi asked Singh's wife Pratibha to cooperate with ED when she appears before it on August 9. The court, however, asked ED not to take any coercive step against her on August 9 and in case it wants to further question her it will have to give reasons for it. "In case the ED wants to further question her (Pratibha Singh), they will have to file a status report before it on August 24 and inform about the instances on basis of which they further want to interrogate her," the court said. Pratibha had not appeared before ED yesterday and has been asked to present herself before the agency on August 9. The court's order came on Singh's wife's plea seeking a direction to ED not to take any coercive step against her in the wake of the arrest of an LIC agent in the case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the CM's wife, told the court that she has no problem in joining the questioning by ED, but the agency should ensure that it will not take any coercive step against her. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain said that he was not in a position to give an undertaking that she will not be arrested as at the time of interrogation it will be up to the officer concerned to decided whether her further custody is required or not. He, however, said that on August 9, the agency will not take any such step and will file a status report with regard to the interrogation that takes place that day. The ASG said that in case any further appearance is required or her custody is required, it will be indicated in the status report. The court agreed with the ASG and said that the agency shall not take any coercive step. Besides his wife, Singh has also moved the court, seeking protection from arrest in the case. However, he has not been summoned by ED so far. The Government on Friday said it has sought help from the US for detection of the Air Force's AN-32 aircraft, which went missing on July 22. The government is seeking help from American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites had picked up any signal before the disappearance of the plane, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in Rajya Sabha on Friday. "At the time of disappearance, the aircraft was on secondary/passive radar and there was no SOS or transmission of any frequency. It just disappeared so that is the worrying part," Parrikar said. "It is total blank. There was not even a single signal recorded. That is the reason we are contacting American defence forces to ascertain whether their satellites picked up any signal," the defence minister said. "Besides our own satelleite imagery, we have asked the US for their imagery for the detection of emergency frequency to space based assets. Foreign countries we have already asked. I only hope that our efforts succeed," he added while replying to queries whether foreign help has been sought. The defence minister said the possibility of a sabotage in the mysterious disappearance of AN-32 aircraft was "comparatively very less". All types of techniques are being used to locate the aircraft, he said while replying to clarifications sought by members on his suo motu statement on the disappearance of the aircraft on July 22. As members expressed concern and raised questions over how the plane went missing, he said, "I can't speculate because we are searching for it and I will not like to speculate. But I can say only this much. The possibility, although we are checking all angles, of any sabotage is comparatively very less because they have standard operating procedures." While sharing the concern of the members, he gave details of the operation being carried out for the last one week in trying to locate the plane, carrying 29 people, which went missing during a flight from Tambaram in Tamil Nadu to Port Blair. "I appreciate anxiety of members. I am also disturbed at the sudden disappearance of the plane. I have spoken to several experts and former air chiefs who were also puzzled by the sudden disappearance," Parrikar said. Queried about the age of the aircraft, the Defence Minister said it was "almost as good as new aircraft". Elaborating he said, "I don't know exact age but it is well within lifetime. It has undergone first overhauling. Lot of replacement has been done.... They are considered as one of the safest aircraft." He said the accident rate of Indian Air Force is 0.23 out of 10,000 hours of flying against the global rate of 0.023 and assured the House that maximum efforts would be made to ensure that the mishaps come down. "If aircraft is not fit for flying we don't fly it. We have decided to check up whether we can improve the signalling system," he added. About the missing aircraft, Parrikar said that after the first overhaul, the plane had already done 279 hours and the pilot was experienced, having put in 500 hours on this route. The Defence Minister, who had made suo motu statement on the plane's disappearance in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday, said, "Let us hope that we track it down. I can assure that maximum efforts will be taken." Sharing details of the search operation so far, he said 10 Indian Navy ships as well as submarine 'Sindhudhwaj' are carrying searches and "virtually checking up everything". 23 inputs had been located, out of which 6 were of the nature of blinks and all inputs have been checked, he said. "If we locate something, then we can send deep water equipment to pick up. We have also diverted 'Sagar Nidhi' (vessel) from Mauritius. It will reach on August one and it can go upto 6,000 metres depth. But we have to locate objects. We have to locate it because at this depth you cannot keep on scratching the bottom," Parrikar said. The Defence Minister said he was personally monitoring the situation. "We owe that much to the people, I have seen (to it) that every family is kept in touch." On Thursday, Parrikar had said that "several inputs and leads" regarding floating objects have been picked up but there is no concrete evidence so far with respect to missing AN-32 aircraft of the IAF. Kolkata: Coverage of Hepatitis B vaccine at birth in India should be doubled by 2020 from the current 45 per cent, by addressing the administrative and logistic issues to safeguard the young against the deadly disease, the World Health Organisation said. WHO representative to India, Henk Bekedam, described the administration of Hepatitis B dose within 24 hours of birth as a "key challenge." Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease. If babies get infected, the virus usually remains in the body for a lifetime. Bekedam said non-availability of Hepatitis B vaccine at all delivery points, lack of awareness among healthcare workers, and private sector adopting a different policy for the birth dose vaccination are some of the challenges in India. "There are administrative and logistic challenges in the uptake of Hepatitis B birth dose. It is proposed that challenges identified be addressed systematically to increase coverage of Hepatitis B vaccine birth dose," Bekedam told PTI. According to the WHO official, the convergence of efforts between RMNCH+A (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health) and the immunisation programme is necessary to improve birth dose coverage. India should set a national target of 90 per cent birth dose coverage by 2020. Bekedam, however, described India reaching 86 per cent coverage of Hepatitis B third dose in 2015 as a "commendable" performance. "In 2015, India reached 86 per cent coverage of Hepatitis B third dose which is commendable," he said. The WHO is committed to supporting the Centre in "designing a comprehensive action plan for prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis with clear targets towards elimination as a public health issue", Bekedam said while talking about how the agency was assisting the India in tackling the disease. Recently, the WHO supported the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) with evidence generation on Hepatitis C prevalence in various population groups nationwide, in order to provide more reliable estimates of the Hepatitis C disease burden, he stated. "WHO is also supporting Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) with an injection safety project aiming to reduce demand for injections and increase the use of safety-engineered syringes for injections in health care settings. "And as a part of this project in India, WHO is closely working with MoHFW and select state governments to take concrete steps for making injections safe, both in public and private sector," the WHO representative to India said. It is part of WHO's project in three countries India, Egypt and Uganda. In 2015, the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) New Delhi was formally inaugurated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis and Liver Diseases, he added. New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave expressed hope on Friday, that India, home to 70 per cent of world's tiger population, would be able to double the number of wild cats by 2022 through "conservation and care". "India has 2,226 tigers spread out in over 17 states and 49 sanctuaries across the country," Dave said. "A healthy tiger is a symbol of healthy environment," he said on the International Tiger Day. He emphasised that India is contributing significantly towards achieving the St Petersburg target, commonly referred to as the global wildlife conservation goal 'TX2', which aims to double tiger numbers in the next six years. Although India has the maximum number of tigers among the 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRC) in the world, the status of the wild cats across the TRCs continues to remain endangered. Though there have been some gains in the population build-up in some TRCs like India, Nepal, Bhutan and Russia, the global scenario is a "major cause for concern", the statement said. Dave exhorted tourists from across the world to come to India to see the wild cats, and administered a pledge to students for tiger conservation after which he flagged off the 'Walk for Tiger' campaign. Tigers have become extinct in some TRCs and the status of prey, as well as the habitat, has declined, it said. The heads of governments of TRCs, have resolved to strive to double the number of wild tigers (TX2) by 2022 and adopted the St Petersburg Resolution on Tiger Conservation. Gurgaon: For any commuter, getting stuck for hours in incessant rains amid heavy traffic, is a horrendous experience. Having to wade through muddy waters is not something one would wish upon themselves. But the city of Gurgaon witnessed just that its worst civic nightmare in a decade. The Thursday rain led to chock-a-block traffic across the newly-built city, forcing lakhs of commuters to spend chaotic hours on waterlogged roads. Some of them took four to five hours to cover a mere 10km distance. Many abandoned their vehicles and managed to reach home across knee-deep water. Even after almost 24 hours, the situation seems abysmal in many parts of the national capital region ( NCR) city. Worse still, Gurgaon traffic has clogged neighbouring Delhi roads, causing blocks across many parts of South Delhi. What Led to Gurujam? The police, who had to clear miles-long bumper-to-bumper traffic, blame civic authorities for the mess. They argue the city is an unplanned one, lacking proper drainage. Even moderate rains can tear the IT hub down, they say. Gurgaon police commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk told News18 that the lack of adequate drainage flooded the city, causing massive jams. Before it tussled its way into the millennium city race, Gurgaon was mostly a flat agricultural land, nestled in the the foothills of Aravali range. The economic liberalisation of 1990s opened real estate opportunities for farmers. Haryana government realised the geographic potential and started acquiring thousands of acres of agricultural lands, converting them to commercial properties. Soon, IT majors and manufacturing companies landed in the new city because of its proximity to the national capital. In the last 15 years, Microsoft, Google, HCL, several big BPOs, telecom giant Airtel, automobile majors like Maruti, Hero Honda and countless small and medium companies have set up their Indian headquarters there. And in its zeal to convert farm land into real estate properties, the Haryana government forgot to pave the way for a good civic infrastructure. Hurried development led to complete collapse of civic facilities. Even today, many parts of the city lack functional street lights, sign boards, traffic signals, parking areas, and the like. The city, with its glittering skyline, looks miserable when it rains. Only in the last five years, has Gurgaon seen the Metro. A few parts of the city have access to monorails. Barring these, public transport is largely non-existent here. Blame Game Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar blames the Delhi government for its traffic woes. In his tweets he has attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not maintaining the Najafgarh drain and the roads leading to Gurgaon. His predecessor Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is credited for the real-estate boom, has slammed the Khattar-government for the chaos. "We never witnessed such a situation during the 10 years of Congress government. This new government has not been cleaning drains regularly over the last two years. They are not equipped for the monsoons at all," he said. The political blame game is worsening the situation further. All town planners agree that if Gurgaon really wants to become a millennium city, it needs to clean up the mess. Endless construction and acquisition of farm lands without scientific planning will only make Gurgaon squalid in the next 10 years. Bengaluru: More than 70 people have been arrested amid protests by farmers in three districts of north Karnataka. The protesters are up against the state government after a river dispute tribunal ruled against Karnataka in the Mahadayi river water dispute. The Mahaydai Water Disputes Tribunal, headed by JN Panchal, rejected the state's petition for 7.6 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water from the river, citing various grounds, including ecological damage the project may cause. At Navalgund in Dharwad district, police fired teargas and resorted to caning near a bus depot to disperse an angry mob from torching state-run buses parked in the bays. Besides the ruling Congress government in the state, leaders of national and regional political parties were criticised for failing to ensure drinking water from the river to the affected region, which has been reeling under severe drought over the last two years. The project to supply drinking water to Hubballi-Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot and Belagavi districts from the river through Kalsa-Banduri canals in the Malabrabha basin has remained incomplete due to standoff between the two states since a decade. Protests were also held at Ballari, Bengaluru, Mandya, Ramanagaram against the verdict, which deprived drinking water supply to the affected cities, towns and villages of five north-west districts in the state. "I believe my son will be back," said Sunita Verma, the mother of missing 22-year old Raghuvir Verma who was on board the AN32 aircraft with 28 others which disappeared over the Bay of Bengal on 22 July, in a low voice sitting in her quarters in Port Blair right next to the airport. Wife of a former police constable and mother to two sons of which Raghuvir was the younger, Sunita had a blank look on her face when I first visited the family four days after the plane went down. It was evening and the cramped looking living room was full of empathetic friends, relatives and neighbours. "Her tears have dried up," one of them said, "she hasnt stopped crying ever since heard about it on TV". I was taken aback by her resolve when Sunita uttered those words looking straight at my eyes. All I felt for her then, from an untouchable and safe distance of an observer of yet another tragedy in my journalistic career, was deep sympathy. But I am not so sure now. Three days later and a week after the plane went missing, when Raghuvirs family made the fantastic claim that they discovered his phone ringing till noon that day though no one picked it up, all I visualised was Sunitas face which was desperate to cling to hope. "It was she who first found out that the phone was ringing last evening. We did not pay much attention to her and thought it to be a rant of a depressed mind. But when we called that number which remained switched off since the plane disappeared, it was ringing. Miracles happen, dont they? said Lakhichand Verma, Raghuvirs father. What's even more baffling was the second claim which came from Shankar, Raghuvirs friend back home. "Heres the screen shot of the mobile messaging App Raghuvir used and it shows that he last viewed his messages on the morning of 26th July. That's four days after the plane went down!" he said while holding out his phone in support of his claim. "We have said all of this to the air force officials from the Andaman and Nicobar Command," informed Ranvir, Raghuvirs brother, adding, "they have promised us that would get back with their probe findings within a day." Raghuvir was stationed in Barmer, Rajasthan, his first posting after he completed his training in communications in the Indian Air Force two years ago. "He was coming home on a holiday and asked me to receive him at the airport minutes before he boarded his flight from the Tambram air base in Chennai, said Lakhichand, barely able to hide his emotions. Meanwhile, one of the biggest search and rescue operations for the missing aircraft by the armed forces continues some 150 kilometres off the Chennai coast. The Indian Navy and its Coast Guard wing under the Eastern Command have deployed 16 ships which are scouring an area of 120 by 120 nautical miles of rough sea. 13 aircraft and four helicopters are searching an added area of 360 by 300 nautical miles of choppy waters amid strong south westerly monsoon winds. The inclement weather, officials say, have only added to the challenges of this search operation in a region where the sea is over three and a half kilometres deep. Vessels and aircrafts deployed by the Andaman and Nicobar Command are scanning the eastern flank of the flight route under the assumption that even if the plane may have disintegrated upon its collision with the water, strong ocean currents may drift some its debris towards the islands. "Its still a far cry. The debris may take weeks, if not months to travel this far," explained a senior officer at the Command headquarters in Port Blair. And then there is, of course, the theory that the plane may have sunk to the bottom of the sea and flattened under the tremendous water pressure. There are, however, more questions than answers surrounding the mystery of the missing AN32, considered to be one of the safest carrier-cum-cargo aircraft ever since it was inducted in service of the armed forces between 1984 and 1991. The first, of course, is why did the Emergency Locator Beacon (ELBA) of the aircraft fail to work when it was most needed? The mechanism is designed to emit high frequency signals after a crash or a forceful impact. Why did the fleet of vessels fail to pick the signal up despite them covering such a vast search area? Secondly, even if the plane made a rapid descend from an altitude of around 23,000 feet where it flying before it went off the radar, why was there no 'May-Day' call from the pilot who should have had sufficient time to give that SOS signal if it had crashed the way it's believed to be? After all both the pilot and co-pilot of the ill-fated plane were experienced professionals with over 1500 and 900 flying hours in their kitty respectively. Thirdly, does India have the necessary cutting edge technology to tackle such critical situations where quick success could not only save valuable lives but also drag the collective conscience of a nation out of its anxious wait? India seeking US help in this matter seven days after the incident certainly seems to suggest that it doesn't. And till such time that elusive success is achieved, its the hope and resolve of mothers like Sunita Verma on which we would have to keep floating. The Kala Pani of the Bay of Bengal will forever remain to haunt us otherwise. The pop-up restaurant that launched in London this summer inviting diners to disrobe and eat in the buff is set to close up early and head across the Channel to Paris. In an interview with Country & Town House, founder Seb Lyall said he's decided to close up shop a month ahead of schedule in order to begin preparations for the move to France. Called The Bunyadi, the pop-up opened in late May and made headlines around the world, attracting more than 46,000 people to their wait list. Lyall said the decision to uproot ahead of schedule and move to Paris comes following high interest from the French, as well as an unusually hot summer in London that posed problematics for the air conditioning-less venue. Like the original concept, the Paris pop-up will center on a back-to-basics, naturalist ethos: Cell phones are banned and the menu is organic, prepared without the use of electricity or gas. Decor is likewise au naturel, with bamboo, wicker and wood furnishings. Diners tuck into raw dishes like pickled rhubarb-infused steak tartare and feta watermelon sorbet in candlelight. The restaurant offers both a vegan and non-vegan option. Bunyadi' is a Hindi word meaning fundamental, base and natural. The Paris outpost will feature a different menu, but preserve the overall Pangea-like atmosphere. In the interview, Lyall said his team is currently scouting three possible locations for the Paris pop-up. It's really positive and I'm excited to be going to Paris, he told Country & Town House. We'll be taking our team there and finding a venue...People came over from Paris, people in the industry, and said, we'd love you to open over here.' The move to Paris, however, doesn't spell the end for Londoners. Lyall revealed a larger vision for Bunyadi that includes the launch of the city's first naked private members' club, where naturists in London can get naked with like-minded folks. Lyall is the brainchild behind the owl bar and Breaking Bad-themed cocktail bar which likewise generated widespread interest. The Bunyadi will serve their final London meals this weekend. Lyall hopes to open the Paris outpost in September for a two-month run. : Steven Spileberg: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope WiltonRoald Dahls beloved childrens book about a young orphan and her bond with a big friendly giant couldnt have landed in better hands than Steven Spielbergs. Over the years, associated in different creative capacities on films like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Gremlins and The Goonies, Spielberg has delivered compelling stories about childhood, experienced largely through the wide-open eyes of innocent kids themselves.Yet, despite representing a marriage of two iconic imaginations, The BFG never achieves the greatness of other unlikely man-and-beast friendships like King Kong, Free Willy, or E.T. whose screenwriter, the late Melissa Mathison, is credited with writing this script.Its the script itself that is the problem here, lacking the warmth and the wit, and the sense of awe and wonder that might have rescued it from sinking into an abyss of mediocrity.When a plucky orphan named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) catches sight of a black-coated giant prowling the streets of London late into the night, he whisks her away to Giant Country in order to protect his secret. Petrified at first, once there she discovers hes a kind, gentle creature who catches dreams, bottles them, and distributes them to sleeping children. Hes also vegetarian, unlike his nastier brethren who like nothing better than to devour children.Theres an undeniable sweetness to the friendship that builds between Sophie and the BFG, who must hide her and then valiantly defend her from his fellow giants when they come sniffing. But the movie suffers from serious pacing issues, particularly around its meandering middle portion. It all feels interminably stretched out for no reason, and theres very little of that of spirit of adventure and excitement that has powered Spielbergs other family friendly films like The Adventures of Tintin and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.The film redeems itself to some degree in its final act, when Sophie and the BFG show up at Buckingham Palace seeking help from the Queen of England (an amusing Penelope Wilton). The humor, however, remains juvenile as a whole breakfast party including Her Majesty breaks into farts after consuming the BFGs fizzy concoction.British actor Mark Rylance who won an Oscar for his performance in Spielbergs Bridge of Spies, brings the lanky, jug-eared, five-storey tall giant to life with a (motion-capture) performance that is subtle and nuanced. Relying on the characters fractured, amusing vocabulary and his innate charm, he forms a winning rapport with young Barnhill, who is spirited but sadly trapped in a one-dimensional role.Theres no denying that The BFG is brimming with earnestness, but while its visually impressive and occasionally gripping it leaves you feeling a bit cold in the end. I came out feeling that an opportunity had been lost. Its far from one of Spielbergs unmissable gems. Im going with two out of five. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh have been granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 40,000 in the defamation case filed by Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia. Before appearing in a local court in Amritsar, Kejriwal challenged the Revenue Minister to arrest him or he would arrest Majithia. He also said that Majithia has flourished his drug trade which has affected most people in Punjab. Majithia had filed the case in the May against Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh and AAP leader Ashish Khaitan for tarnishing his reputation. While Kejriwal and Singh have been granted bail, Khaitan will appear in the next hearing on October 15. Majithia had alleged that Kejriwal, Singh and Khaitan had tried to malign his family name by levelling false, baseless and malicious allegations. Majithia said Kejriwal as well as other leaders have 'made it a habit' to target their political opponents by resorting to statements 'filled with lies with the sole motive of hoodwinking the people. Reacting to media reports that it is set to lay off 700-1000 employees for poor performance, e-commerce player Flipkart on Friday denied any such move."Flipkart denies all allegations of a layoff," a company spokesperson said in a statement.Earlier, media reports had said that under-performing employees - 700-1000 in number - will be given the option to resign or hand over the pink slip."At times, we have employees who do not meet the performance bar. In those situations, we work closely with employees to enable them improve their performance. In due course, if these employees are unable to make the desired progress, they are encouraged to seek opportunities outside the company where their skills can be better utilised," the spokesperson added."As a performance-oriented organisation, we follow a transparent evaluation process," the statement said.Flipkart-owned Myntra, this week, announced acquiring e-store Jabong from its London-based owners Global Fashion Group (GFG) for $70 million (Rs 471 crore) to consolidate its position in the fashion and lifestyle segment both operate in. Flipkart acquired Myntra in May 2014 for an estimated $300 million. Microsoft says it is cutting 2,850 jobs, about 2.5 per cent of its workforce, as it further scales back its troubled smartphone business.A spokeswoman says the layoffs will mostly affect workers in the company's smartphone hardware operation and related sales teams. She declined to say which geographic locations would be affected but added many of the laid-off workers had already been notified.Microsoft disclosed the planned job cuts in a regulatory filing, which said they're in addition to 9,250 previous layoffs , primarily affecting the company's phone business, over the last 12 months.The giant tech company reported earlier this month that its revenue fell 9 per cent in the previous 12 months, but its net income grew 38 per cent as it shed unprofitable operations like the phone business.Microsoft bought Finland-based handset-maker Nokia in 2014 in an ill-fated attempt to take on market leaders Apple and Samsung Electronics.Chief Executive Satya Nadella, who took the helm just two months before the deal closed, has since focused on restructuring the struggling phone business.Microsoft had about 1,14,000 full-time employees as of June 30. Hillary Clinton Formally Accepts Democratic Nomination for US President Jul 29, 2016 09:29 AM IST iVideos iVideos Share Philadelphia: Promising Americans a steady hand, Hillary Clinton cast herself Thursday night as a unifier for divided times, an experienced leader steeled for a volatile world. She aggressively challenged Republican Donald Trump's ability to do the same. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," Clinton said as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Clinton took the stage to roaring applause from flag-waving delegates on the final night of the Democratic convention, relishing her nomination as the first woman to lead a major US political party. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching at home, many of whom may welcome her experience as secretary of state senator and first lady, but question her character. She acknowledged those concerns briefly, saying "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me." But her primary focus was persuading Americans to not be seduced by Trump's vague promises to restore economic security and fend off threats from abroad. Clinton's four-day convention began with efforts to shore up liberals who backed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and it ended with an outstretched hand to Republicans and independents unnerved by Trump. A parade of military leaders, law enforcement officials and Republicans took the stage ahead of Clinton to endorse her in the general election contest with Trump. "This is the moment, this is the opportunity for our future," said retired Marine Gen. John R. Allen, a former commander in Afghanistan. "We must seize this moment to elect Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America." American flags waved in the stands of the packed convention hall. There were persistent but scattered calls of "No more war," but the crowd drowned them out with chants of "Hill-a-ry" and "U-S-A!" The Democratic nomination now officially hers, Clinton has just over three months to persuade Americans that Trump is unfit for the Oval Office and overcome the visceral connection he has with some voters in a way the Democratic nominee does not. She embraced her reputation as a studious wonk, a politician more comfortable with policy proposals than rhetorical flourishes. "I sweat the details of policy," she said. Clinton's proposals are an extension of President Barack Obama's two terms in office: tackling climate change, overhauling the nation's fractured immigration laws, and restricting access to guns. She disputed Trump's assertion that she wants to repeal the Second Amendment, saying "I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place." Campaigning in Iowa on Thursday, Trump said there were "a lot of lies being told" at Clinton's convention. In an earlier statement, he accused Democrats of living in a "fantasy world," ignoring economic and security troubles as well as Clinton's controversial email use at the State Department. The FBI's investigation into Clinton's use of a private internet server didn't result in criminal charges, but it did appear to deepen voters' concerns with her honesty and trustworthiness. A separate pre-convention controversy over hacked Democratic Party emails showing favoritism for Clinton in the primary threatens to deepen the perception that Clinton prefers to play by her own rules. Through four nights of polished convention pageantry, Democratic heavyweights told a different story about Clinton. The most powerful validation came Wednesday night from Obama, her victorious primary rival in 2008. Obama declared Clinton not only can defeat Trump's "deeply pessimistic vision" but also realise the "promise of this great nation." Clinton was introduced by her daughter, Chelsea, who spoke warmly of her mother as a woman "driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love." President Bill Clinton watched from a seat on the convention floor, beaming with pride and repeatedly leaping to his feet. Clinton was joined on stage at the end of the night by her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who addressed the convention Wednesday. Fireworks exploded inside the arena and red, white and blue balloons plunged from the arena rafters. Philadelphia: Terming her mother as a "doer", Chelsea Clinton on Thursday said she will vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton who is her "role model" and can protect the planet from climate change. "This November, I am voting for a woman who is my role model as a mother and as an advocate. A woman who has spent her entire life working for children and families," Chelsea said in her address to the Democratic National Convention introducing her mother Hillary Clinton. Clinton, 68, has been nominated as the presidential candidate of the Democratic party for the November elections. In her speech, Chelsea, 36, narrated the story of her mother, her values and family life and how she grew up. "My mom is a listener and a doer, a woman driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice and a heart full of love. Mother Clinton never forgets who she is fighting for," Chelsea said. "She has worked to make it easier for foster kids to be adopted. For our 9/11 first responders to get the health care they deserve. For women around the world to be safe, to be treated with dignity to have more opportunities," she said. Chelsea said she was voting for the progressive who will protect the planet from climate change, communities from gun violence, will reform the criminal justice system and believes that women's rights are human rights and LGBT rights are human rights. "I am voting for a fighter who never, ever gives up and who always believe we can do better, if we come together and work together," Chelsea said as she introduced her mother to the audience. Earlier, a new video on Hillary Clinton made by award-winning television producing partners Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers was released. Narrated by Actor Morgan Freeman, the twelve-minute film, "Hillary" featured interviews with the President and her husband Bill Clinton, US President Barack Obama, a 9/11 survivor and first responder, as well as Clinton's childhood friend. Jakarta: Indian convict Gurdip Singh, who was found guilty by Indonesian authorities for trying to smuggle drugs into the country, was spared of being executed at the last minute on Friday. Four other drug convicts including two Nigerians, one Senegalese and one Indonesian were on Friday executed for the crime India was in touch with the Indonesian leadership to get clemency for Gurdip Singh. Indian embassy officials in Jakarta were trying to ensure that all legal recourse is exhausted before the death penalty is carried out against Singh. "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Friday. "Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Gurdip Singh was of the view that he can file for presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of the Republic of Indonesia," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in his weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta on charges of drug trafficking, for attempting to carry 300 grams of heroin. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005 against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. Swarup said that Singh's appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May 2005. Pakistan was also in touch with top officials in Indonesia to halt the imminent execution of Pakistani national Zulfiqar Ali for drug smuggling. Washington: Donald Trump's son has claimed that President Barack Obama in his speech at the Democratic convention 'plagiarised' a line from his remarks, days after the business tycoon's wife Melania Trump was panned for lifting portions from Michelle Obama's 2008 speech. Trump Jr. suggested that Obama's speech in Philadelphia on Wednesday night lifted a line from his Republican National Convention remarks, pointing out that both addresses contained the line "That's not the America I know." "I'm honoured that POTUS would plagiarise a line from my speech last week. Where's the outrage?" Trump Jr. tweeted. The charge comes after Melania Trump was criticised for lifting significant portions of her address to the convention from Michelle's first convention speech in 2008. "Trump Jr. is correct that both he and Obama both used the single phrase in their speeches to their respective party conventions. However, it is also a line Obama, along with other past presidents, has used frequently in the past," NBC News reported. "And other than the brief sentiment about the version of America known to both men, the context of the statements was very different," the report said. "There's so much work to do. We will not accept the current state of our country because it's too hard to change. That's not the America I know. We're going to unleash the creative spirit and energy of all Americans," Trump Jr had said in his convention speech. Obama, addressing the Democratic convention this week, had said, "What we heard in Cleveland last week wasn't particularly Republican and it sure wasn't conservative. What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. "There were no serious solutions to pressing problems, just the fanning of resentment and blame and anger and hate. And that is not the America I know. The America I know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous," he had said. Obama has frequently used the construction of "the America I know" and "not the America I know" in public addresses. The use of the "America I know" refrain was also a common phrase for former president George W Bush. Melania had found herself in the midst of an embarrassing plagiarism controversy earlier this month after a prime-time defence of her husband Donald appeared to be lifted in part from a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic convention. Trump had termed as an "innocent mistake" the plagiarism surrounding his wife's speech and rejected the resignation by the speech-writer. Pakistan Military Needs to Shut Down Its Jihad Factory: Husain Haqqani Jul 29, 2016 06:09 PM IST iVideos iVideos Share It has to be driven by processes. Media cant drive 24/7 diplomacy. Diplomacy is a bit like falling in love in real life. Its a process and not an event. It has to be engagement without illusions." Haqqani who has been living in Washington DC since 2012 after being implicated in the Memogate scandal has some interesting observations about the current election cycle in the US and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani says "Pakistan's military establishment needs to shut down its jihad factory which they have run since 1979 in its own interest more than in the interest of India."He also added that "the Pakistani establishment can support Hafiz Saeed as much as they want but just as KGB couldnt silence the Russian people or the Stasi couldnt bring down the German people, ultimately the people of Pakistan will prevail."On Prime Minister Modi's peace overtures like when he decided to drop in to Lahore on Christmas day, Ambassador Haqqani was less than flattering when he said "diplomacy is not driven by events.Haqqani who has penned a new book titled, 'India vs Pakistan: Why cant we just be friends?' has long been a powerful advocate of friendship between both countries despite the obvious obstacles like terrorism and Kashmir.On the recent Kashmir dispute he urged India to address the genuine concerns of Kashmiris and their perceived alienation from the mainstream.He said the only realistic solution to the dispute was to eventually make the Line of Control into a de-facto border, something which General Musharraf and Former Prime Minister Manmohan Sngh came closest to achieving between 2004 and 2007 before Musharraf was ousted from power."Trump is a product of reality TV. He is not a serious contender. He is an anger candidate. He has tapped into the anger of White America. He says outrageous things and then walks back a bit. But in the process he appeals to the sentiments of white, males who feel things were much better earlier before the immigrants took over America."Ambassador Haqqani left with a parting shot and some food for thought for India."When the establishment in Pakistan collapses, it will be a bit like the fall of the Berlin Wall.India has to be ready for change in Pakistan just like the Americans were vis a vis the Soviet Union. They realized it was a failing state and when it did fail, they were in the right position to take advantage." MINERAL Bob and Helen Thiemann stood elbow to elbow, a two-person assembly line inside a tiny food truck where fresh doughnuts are served up six days a week. After 2 1/2 years in business, they work together as fluidly as the fresh batter flowing like little inner tubes down a lazy river of cooking oil. Within minutes, a dozen mini doughnuts covered in cinnamon sugar sat hot and ready in a shallow cardboard tray. Simply Donuts, encapsulated in a 5-by-8-foot trailer parked most days next to Lake Anna Realty in Mineral, was Bobs idea. He retired from the Navy 25 years ago and, in 2014, was looking for something else to occupy his time. Helen was happy to hear it. Shed recently retired after three decades with Louisa County, most recently as a cafeteria worker in the school system. To sit idle, she said, is to die faster. In the beginning, Bob knew only that he wanted a food truck of some sort. Everybody else does barbecue, he said. But Louisa was a doughnut desert. They bought the trailer and equipped it with a Lil Orbits doughnut maker, which promises on its website that even if you dont know how to boil water, you can make excellent profits with this marvelous machine. Its pretty simple. You read the directions and follow them, Bob said. Soon, the Thiemanns were turning out hot, bite-sized doughnuts made from a baking powder-based batter. Locals became regulars, and Lake Anna offered a steady supply of first-time customers from as far away as California and Canada. The Thiemanns found themselves capitalizing on the popularity of doughnuts, which have seen a boom in recent years. Google Trends, which measures peoples interests based on what they search for, shows that doughnuts are enjoying a heyday. The number of doughnut searches first surpassed cupcakes in 2013. Since then, the gap has only widened. Perhaps nowhere is the trend more evident than in the Fredericksburg region, home to Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Donuts, Pauls Bakery, Strites Donuts and Sugar Shack. The latter opened in the citys former William Street Market last September to lines that stretched out the door. Another is on the way. Duck Donuts, which started on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and has expanded as far north as New Jersey, will soon open a shop in Fredericksburgs Eagle Village. At Simply Donuts in Louisa, which sits against a field where deer play, a dozen plain, powered, sugar or sugar cinnamon doughnuts sells for $4.25. A dozen dipping doughnuts plain with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry or lemon sauce are 50 cents more. Also on the menu: BLTs, hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches along with coffee, hot chocolate, iced tea and bottled water. But nothing is as popular as the sugar cinnamon doughnuts, Helen said, and on weekends in summer they serve two and three carloads of customers at a time. The Thiemanns, who have been married for almost 34 years, occasionally hitch up the trailer for a festival or fair. But mostly, you will find them here every day but Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They havent tired of it yet, Bob said, or longed for a life of leisure. Helen likes to learn a little bit about each of the customers. And she savors the reaction of first-timers. The best feedback Helen ever got was from a woman who took a bite and compared it to heaven. Were not setting the world on fire, Bob said. But were having fun. Why Marvel Comics' Daredevil: Born Again may be difficult to adapt to the MCU Frank Miller's original comic book storyline will likely see significant changes for Marvel Studios Disney Plus version THA cant handle $andals project Calling the investment by Sandals a joint venture, the Chief Secretary did not agree with a reporters question that all the major announcements on the planned project were made by Rowley he said the Assembly has provided updates from time to time since the Assembly was always consulted and he speaks directly with the Prime Minister. He added that the Assembly has two representatives on the negotiating committee - Samuel henry and Dr Selvon Hazel and that various sectors in Tobago have been allowed to have a say on the issue. London said the proposed site of the Sandals resort was the Buccoo/Golden Grove estate which he said was over 600 acres and that maybe less than one percent, about four to five acres, of the Golden Grove Estate was what was traditionally known as No Mans Land. Persons who speak of the resort being placed on No Mans Land are either bent on mischief or are misinformed because the resort would not be placed there, only on the estate, he declared. He said what would happen to No Mans Land was up for discussion but that the real focus should be on placing two resorts on the Buccoo/ Golden Grove Estate. London said if persons dont look at the issue in its right perspective, many will be sidetracked and the proposal would become a highly emotional topic. The discussions should instead be focused on whether it was feasible, beneficial or responsible for the people of Tobago and of the country to place a resort on this estate, he said. London said he welcomes all discussions on the proposed projects as long as they were based on the available facts. He said any process that requires such extensive construction must, by necessity, have public discussions. Wallerfield crash victims undergo surgery Armstrong, who sustained a crushed kidney and a fractured pelvis, underwent surgery in an attempt to re-inflate a lung after it collapsed, while Persad, also underwent surgery to repair a crushed ankle. I went to see Amrika her on Tuesday. She has a broken wrist, five fractured vertebrae, a crushed kidney which is healing and a punctured lung. I understand that Tricia went into surgery for her ankle. When I saw her, she had tubes coming out of the cast, but she was awake, aware and able to eat. I dont know what the expected recovery period is like though. The relative said, while she did not believe the cousins needed additional surgery, both women were in severe pain. I think one of the doctors told us that Amrika may have to wear a back brace for some time. Mary renews call for home I need somewhere to live. One person told me to hold some strain and that I would get through. It is a consolation, but it is years I am out here, Pariah noted. For the past year, Pariah has been sleeping on chairs at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH). Earlier this month, Minister Mitchell visited the hospital and while speaking to reporters, Pariah loudly interjected saying: Ah living in the hospital... ah want ah house. The Minister responded with a steups for which he subsequently apologised. Speaking yesterday at Chancery Lane near the San Fernando Teaching Hospital, Pariah pleaded for the process to be expedited. Security officers are torturing me while on the compound of the hospital. I need to come out from here. I need to have a place to call my own. I got a place and for four months lived in it, it was hardship and torture. The last thing they did was kill a hog and put its blood on the step...so I had to leave there, Pariah said. Saying to rent an apartment privately is not cheap, Pariah noted if Government cannot facilitate her housing request then another possible option is granting her permission to squat. There I will build something to live in. I am asking permission to build a structure. I cannot count on anyone else because it is me alone. My son (aged 22) is renting a one-bedroom apartment in Couva and is unemployed, she said. Back in 2007, a storm destroyed her home in a squatting area of Claxton Bay US: We See No Signs Putin Will Use Dirty Bomb (Newser) While some worry about Russia influencing the US election, other countries are surreptitiously having a massive impact on our meals. Priceonomics takes a look at the practice of "gastro-diplomacy," through which governments spend millions of dollars buying access to our mouths. "The latest food trend that you're obsessed with may be the result of a government effort to capture the hearts and minds of foreigners through their stomachs," the website explains. Gastro-diplomacy truly started with Thailand. In 2002, there were 5,500 or so Thai restaurants in the world, mostly in Thailand. Then the government launched "Global Thai." Now, there are more than 15,000 Thai restaurants around the world, and tourism in Thailand has increased nearly 200%, with many of those new visitors citing the cuisine as a major reason for their trip. Now it's Korea's turn. This year, a restaurant serving Korean pizza waffles opened in Los Angeles. That a restaurant serving Korean pizza waffles is viable is at least partially due to a big investment from the Korean government. In 2008, South Korean officials were concerned about the country's brand and launched a $77 million gastro-diplomacy program called "Global Hansik." Then came the Kimchi Institute, countless Korean taco joints, a Korean-French fusion cookbook, a bibimbap version of Chipotle, and a Korean hot sauce hoping to unseat Sriracha. As Priceonomics puts it, Korean food "became a phenomenon." Since Global Hansik, tourism to South Korea has increased 70%. Read the full story here to find out what countries are paying to be the next hip food trend. (Read more Korean food stories.) (Newser) "I recognized through my 11 years of training and experience as a law enforcement officer the substance to be some sort of narcotic," the Orlando Sentinel quotes a police report by officer Shelby Riggs-Hopkins. Riggs-Hopkins must not have nearly as much experience with doughnuts. The Orlando officer pulled over 64-year-old retiree Daniel Rushing last December for minor traffic violations. That's when she spotted a "rock-like substance" she believed to be crystal meth on the floorboard of Rushing's car. She did two field tests that came back positive. Rushing, who had just dropped a neighbor off at chemotherapy and was driving an elderly church friend home, was arrested and strip searched. He spent the next 10 hours in jail. The only problem: The substance in Rushing's car was glaze from a doughnut. Rushing goes to Krispy Kreme every other Wednesday and enjoys a doughnut in his car. He triedand failedto explain this to Riggs-Hopkins during his arrest. Weeks later, a lab test of the substance cleared Rushing. There's no explanation for the original false positives. Rushing describes the experience as "scary." "It was incredible," he tells the Sentinel. "It's just a terrible feeling." An attorney says Rushing plans to sue the city for damages in August. (Read more weird crimes stories.) (Newser) Katie Dix, the Cal State Channel Islands college student who died of an overdose at a rave at the Los Angeles County fairgrounds last August, allegedly went without medical attention for half an hour after collapsing. She'd suffered a cardiac arrest by the time she arrived at the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Last Friday her parents filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Fair Assn., the city of Pomona, the county, and event host Live Nation for negligence, reports the Los Angeles Times. The suit alleges that the defendants "breached their duties to protect" those attending the Hard Summer Music Festival from people distributing illicit drugs and that the rave was overcrowded and understaffed. Dix's parents contend their "lively and vivacious" rising sophomore would have been saved "had medical treatment ... been timely and proper." Dix apparently thought she'd taken "pure Molly," or ecstasy, but had consumed "bath salts," NBC Los Angeles reports by way of the suit. The suit says there were four medical stations to service the festival's 65,000 attendees, and alleges that those who responded to Dix didn't have proper training. She was one of two young women to die from an overdose at the rave on Aug. 1, with 49 people total taken by ambulance to seven different emergency rooms over the fest's two days. Long before the Dix lawsuit was filed, the Times reports LA County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich called the rave operators "irresponsible" and said that "no one should have to lose their life by attending a music event at one of our facilities." (Read more raves stories.) (Newser) A historic first just happened at the Democratic National Conventionand this time we're not talking about the nomination of Hillary Clinton. When Sarah McBride took the stage to speak Thursday she became the first openly transgender person to address a national party convention, Vox reports. Introducing herself as a "proud transgender American," McBride told the convention: Today in America, LGBTQ people are targeted by hate that lives in both laws and hearts...But I believe tomorrow can be different. Tomorrow, we can be respected and protected. According to Haaretz, McBride went on to criticize Donald Trump as "an enemy of LGBTQ rights." Firsts are nothing new for McBride, the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign. She was the first openly transgender White House intern, according to People. She says she agreed to speak Thursday so that "any young girl" will know "they can be respected as the equal humans that we all are." The 25-year-old McBride also talked about the death of her husband from cancer shortly after their wedding, Slate reports. "His passing taught me that every day matters when it comes to building a world where every person can live their life to the fullest," she said. With more than two-dozen openly transgender delegates, Slate says the convention is likely the "most trans-inclusive official political event in American history." (Read more transgender stories.) (Newser) The US may have just joined the other 67 countries and territories worldwide where mosquitoes are spreading the Zika virus, Popular Science reports. Up until now, all 1,600 Zika cases in the US were people who either traveled elsewhere to contract it or had sex with someone who did. But on Wednesday, the Florida health department announced four cases in Florida in which officials have ruled out both travel and sex. That means it's possible mosquitoes in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are spreading the virus. Officials are surveying people within a 150-yard radius of the four cases, Reuters reports. That's the distance Zika-spreading mosquitoes are able to fly. So far, officials have interviewed about 200 people and asked for urine samples. They're also testing local mosquitoes. On Thursday, the FDA asked both Miami-Dade and Broward counties to stop all blood donations as a precaution, according to NPR. It's recommending neighboring counties do the same. (Read more Zika virus stories.) (Newser) The father of a Muslim American soldier who was killed fighting in Iraq got a rousing ovation Thursday at the Democratic convention when he invoked his son's memoryand pulled a copy of the Constitution from his pocket for Donald Trump. "I will gladly lend you my copy," said Khizr Khan. "In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of law." Trump "consistently smears the character of Muslims," he said, adding that under his proposal to ban Muslim immigrants, his son, Humayun SM Khan, might not have been allowed in the US to fight in the Army. Per the Guardian, Khan suggested that Trump visit Arlington to see the different races and ethnicities represented there. "You have sacrificed nothing," he said of Trump. (Read more Democratic National Convention stories.) (Newser) Five years after the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" law allowed gay sailors to serve openly, the Navy plans to name one of its ships after California's first openly gay elected official. A Military Sealift Command ship, one of several John Lewis-class oilers currently being built, will be named after Harvey Milk, according to a Congressional notification seen by USNI News. Milk, whose parents both served in the Navy, joined the service during the Korean War and served as a diving officer on a submarine rescue ship. He was elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1977 and was wearing his US Navy diver's belt buckle when he was assassinated in 1978. "When Harvey Milk served in the military, he couldn't tell anyone who he truly was," San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, who authored a resolution in 2012 asking the Navy to name a ship after Milk, said in a statement. "Now our country is telling the men and women who serve, and the entire world, that we honor and support people for who they are." The Navy Times reports that Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced earlier this year that the next generation of fleet replenishment oilers would be named after civil rights leaders. Others in the class will be named after RFK, former Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, and women's rights activists Lucy Stone and Sojourner Truth. (A gay man kicked out of the Army in 1955 was finally granted an honorable discharge in January.) (Newser) Indonesia executed four people convicted of drug crimes on Friday despite international protests and said it would decide later when as many as 10 others are put to death. The men were executed by firing squad not long after midnight local time as torrential rains hit the Nusa Kambangan prison island where the death row inmates were held, the AP reports. The government had said earlier in the week that 14 people on death row, mostly foreigners, would be executed for drug crimes. Those executed were Indonesian Freddy Budiman and Nigerians Seck Osmane, Michael Titus, and Humphrey Jefferson. Lawyers and rights groups had raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of the conviction of Jefferson, who had been in prison for more than a decade. Relatives, rights groups, and foreign governments had urged Indonesia to spare all 14 lives, but it was unclear whether that had any influence on the decision to not carry out all the executions at once. This was the third set of executions under President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who was elected in 2014 and campaigned on promises to improve human rights in Indonesia. Last year, his government executed 14 people convicted of drug crimes, mostly foreigners, sparking a huge outcry abroad and particularly in Australia, which had two citizens among those condemned. (Eight inmates refused blindfolds and sang hymns during a mass execution by firing squad in Indonesia last year.) (Newser) Pope Francis paid a somber visit to the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau Friday, becoming the third consecutive pontiff to make the pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitler's forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews. Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz bearing the cynical words "Arbeit Macht Frei" ("work sets you free"). He prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before meeting with several survivors of the camp, greeting them one by one, shaking their hands, and kissing them on the cheeks, the AP reports. He then carried a large white candle and placed it at the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed. In the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar who sacrificed his own life to save the life of another man, Francis prayed again, kneeling for many minutes before he crossed himself and rose to his feet. As an Argentine, he is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live through the brutality of World War II on Europe's soil. Francis' visit was also different in its private character, with no speeches planned. It marks a difference from the visit by Benedict, who spoke in Italianavoiding his native German languagein a speech in which he questioned why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. Vatican and Polish church officials explained that Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. (Read more Pope Francis stories.) (Newser) Two members of the San Diego Police Department's Elite Gang Unit were shot in the city around 11pm Thursday and one officer has since died. It isn't clear what led to the shooting in the Southcrest neighborhood; the officers were participating in a traffic stop when the shots were fired. NBC San Diego reports the officer who died was hit a number of times in the upper torso. The San Diego PD confirmed the news in a tweet, writing, "It is with a very sad heart that we announce the death of one of our Officers tonight. Pray for his family." Department Chief Shelley Zimmerman said he had a wife and children. The second officer is in surgery. "Keep him in your prayers," the department tweeted. Authorities were spotted searching the neighborhood hours later with helicopters and SWAT vehicles shortly before announcing one suspect is in custody, per the Los Angeles Times. "We are still searching the area for other possible suspects," police say. (Read more San Diego stories.) (Newser) Once punished over old toothpaste, Chelsea Manning could spend the next three decades in solitary confinement following her suicide attempt earlier this month. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Manning has been informed she is under investigation for allegedly "resisting the force cell move team," "prohibited property," and "conduct which threatens" in connection with her July 5 suicide bid. If found guilty, her potential consequences include having to serve the remainder of her 35-year sentence in solitary confinement, being slapped with nine more years in custody, or getting transferred to a maximum security facility. It could also affect her chances of getting parole. Activists say Manning has long been pained by a denial of medical care for her gender dysphoria, "which medical experts have clearly stated is the only course of treatment in which she would no longer be suicidal," according to civil liberties group Fight for the Future. "Now, while Chelsea is suffering the darkest depression she has experienced since her arrest, the government is taking actions to punish her for that pain," says an ACLU rep. "It is unconscionable." Earlier this year, Manning wrote about spending nine months in solitary confinement for the Guardian, noting, "within two weeks, I was already contemplating suicide." The UN has described Manning's treatment in prison as "cruel, inhuman, and degrading," reports the Intercept. (Read more Chelsea Manning stories.) (Newser) The man accused of killing a cyclist in Ohio could have more victims, police say, based on a horrifying discovery on his property west of Toledo. In a hidden room in a barn owned by James Worley, secured with a ratchet strap and blocked by hay, officers say they found a bloody, carpet-lined freezer and various restraints, reports the Toledo Blade. There was also blood on the walls, per BuzzFeed. Elsewhere, police say they found "female panties and undergarments one of which had blood on them," several cameras, jewelry, rope, zip ties, handcuffs, a ski mask, Mace, guns, and ammunition. Worley, 57, is charged with the murder of 20-year-old Sierah Joughin, whose body was found buried in a cornfield about a mile from his property. But an attorney suspects he could also be tied to the killing of 14-year-old Lori Ann Hill, whose body was found in nearby woods in 1985. After his conviction for the 1990 abduction of a 26-year-old cyclist, Worley allegedly told a therapist that he "learned from each abduction he had done and the next one he was going to bury," a warrant states. "Worley fits the profile of a serial offender and could potentially have additional unknown victims," an officer writes in a search warrant, adding "these types of offenders will often keep trophies." Police say Worley had fresh bruises on his arms and legs and cuts on his cheek and hands when he was first questioned about Joughin's disappearance. He said his motorcycle had broken down near where she went missingcellphone data reportedly shows he was in the area for two hoursand he'd found a bike that "his fingerprints would likely be on." He also said he'd lost his helmet, sunglasses, and other items, which police say were found next to Joughin's bike. (Read more Ohio stories.) (Newser) A Japanese lawyer who police say altered his appearance through plastic surgery to escape arrest for an alleged stock share manipulation scheme more than a decade ago has been captured, Thai police said Friday. Thailand's Immigration Bureau announced that Yasuo Tsubaki, sought by Japanese authorities for securities fraud amounting to more than $116 million from 2001 to 2005, was arrested when he sought to renew his Thai visa on Wednesday, the AP reports. He fled to Thailand in 2007. Displaying old and new photos of the 62-year-old Tsubaki, police alleged that after his escape, the fugitive had altered his appearance through plastic surgery, likening him to the characters in the 1997 movie Face/Off. A police rep says immigration officials became suspicious when they noticed Tsubaki's face didn't match his passport photo and checked his profile, which is when they discovered a Japanese warrant for his arrest, the Bangkok Post notes. Tsubaki has been living in an apartment in a suburb of Bangkok and used a cellphone number and bank accounts that were under the names of various Thai citizens. Tsubaki and his alleged accomplices bought shares in OHT Inc., the electric testing equipment company for which he worked, to drive up their price, then sold them to make a profit, a scam popularly known as "pump and dump." Tsubaki is set to be sent back to Japan on Monday. (Read more Thailand stories.) (Newser) You may think you can avoid coming into contact with the New Guinea flatworm by simply not visiting New Guinea, but the critter is closer to home than you might guess. Per the Palm Beach Post, the potentially deadly parasite is proliferating throughout South Florida, slithering from where it was first spotted in Miami all the way over to Cape Coral on the southwest coast. It's a cause for concern, since once a rat eats one of these invasive invertebratesdark worms with a thin orange stripe down their back, Lee County agricultural expert Roy Beckford tells WFTXthe rodent can then pass on a slew of spinal, lung, and brain diseases, including meningitis, to humans. Even if residents live in relatively rat-free areas, the worm is still a hazard: Beckford explains that those who touch it can suffer skin problems "because it actually vomits up this caustic substance." "This is very serious," he notes. Indigenous to the South Pacific, the flatworms likely showed up first in the Miami area last year with shipments of tropical fruit and plants. It's now believed that they've been in the Cape Coral area since September, though no one knew what they were. The New Guinea flatworms, with no natural predators to take them out, are also a menace to the environment, capable of causing damage to local flora and other small fauna like snails. Although the worms can reportedly be killed by dousing them with boiling water, Beckford says residents who spot one should take a photo and contact the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-IVE-GOT1. (A parasite in cat poop could make you rage.) (Newser) A half-dozen state employees in Michigan are officially in hot water in the ongoing investigation in Flint, Michigan, with the state's attorney general filing charges for their part in the tainted water crisis there, the Detroit News reports. According to testimony in Flint district court Friday morning, three workers in the state's health departmentNancy Peeler, Robert Scott, Corinne Millerand three in the environmental officewater regulators Patrick Cook and Adam Rosenthal and ex-municipal water chief Liane Shekter-Smithwere hit with charges filed by AG Bill Schuette, per the Detroit Free Press. MLive.com reports that all six were charged with misconduct in office, with willful neglect of duty and various conspiracy charges also being assigned. Schuette filed criminal charges in April against two other state employees and a city water utility official. In the Department of Health and Human Services, alleged transgressions include reliance on shoddy data and hiding or ignoring bloodstream test results that indicated the significant presence of lead. Within the Department of Environmental Quality, accusations include workers manipulating water monitoring reports, purposely "misinterpreting" federal drinking-water standards, and trying to mislead the EPA, as well as suggesting ways to keep an EPA expert quiet about concerns. Shekter-Smith, meanwhile, is said to have turned a blind eye as evidence of water contamination became clearer. Meanwhile, per the Wall Street Journal, federal experts say filtered Flint tap water is safe to drink, but Mayor Karen Weaver noted Wednesday at the Democratic convention that the city's crisis is far from over. "Our infrastructure is broken, leaking, and rusting away," she said, per CNN. (Read more Flint, Michigan stories.) (Newser) A restrictive 2013 North Carolina voter ID law was struck down for being passed with "racially discriminatory intent," Politico reports. Three federal appeals court judges ruled unanimously Friday that the law violated both the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. Judge Diana Motz says North Carolina lawmakers passed the new voting restrictions "in the immediate aftermath of unprecedented African American voter participation in a state with a troubled racial history and racially polarized voting." According to the Charlotte Observer, North Carolina voters will no longer be required to show a photo ID when voting, and 16- and 17-year-olds can once again pre-register to vote. The ruling also brought back a week of early voting, the Washington Post reports. The ACLU points out that all of the practices, including out-of-precinct voting, done away with by the 2013 lawand brought back by Friday's rulingare ones "disproportionately used by African-Americans." In 2014, the law kept 12,000 people from registering to vote on election day and tossed out 1,600 ballots mistakenly cast in the wrong precinct. Seventeen states moved to have stricter voting laws in the wake of high African-American voter turnout in 2012. Three of those lawsTexas, Wisconsin, and now North Carolinahave been struck down this month. North Carolina can appeal the ruling to a higher court, but that's unlikely to change anything before November's election. (Read more voter ID laws stories.) (Newser) For the first time in more than half a century, a domestic airline will be offering commercial flights to Cuba, and the price looks right. Consumerist reports that starting Aug. 31, JetBlue will be hosting three-times-a-week puddle-jumping jaunts from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Abel Santamaria Airport in Santa Clara, about three hours from Havana; daily service will begin Oct. 1. Fares are expected to start at $99 each way, or $210 round trip, which includes taxes and health insurance coverage required by Cuba, per the Miami Herald. For comparison, round-trip charter flights to Cuba have traditionally run from $400 to $460. JetBlue's website also lists upcoming fall itineraries from Fort Lauderdale to two other Cuban airports, as well as between Havana and Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and New York City. The Cuban government still needs to give a final OK. Other airlines expected to start fall flights to Cuba from the US include American Airlines and Silver Airways. (Read more Cuba stories.) (Newser) At least two people were killed when a small medical transport plane crashed early Friday in remote Northern California, the Los Angeles Times reports. The plane was carrying a pilot, patient, transport medic, and flight nurse. Officials did not give any information on the conditions of the other two passengers. The plane's wreckage was found on private timber land in Humboldt County. According to NBC News, the REACH Air Medical Services plane was flying from Crescent City to Oakland when the pilot radioed around 1am local time about smoke in the cockpit. He said they were returning to Crescent City, but the plane disappeared somewhere over Arcata. (Read more plane crash stories.) (Newser) Former suburban Chicago police officer Drew Peterson was given an additional 40 years in prison Friday for trying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor who put him behind bars for killing his third wife, the AP reports. During his sentencing hearing, Peterson told Judge Richard Brown he never wanted State's Attorney James Glasgow killed and claimed to know all along a fellow inmate was recording their conversations. He added that at the time of the recordings, in November 2014, he was suicidal and didn't believe he would live to see the scam come to fruition. "I never did try to have you killed," Peterson said toward Glasgow. "You can think what you want." After the hearing, Glasgow expressed skepticism about Peterson's statement, calling him "deluded." Peterson's fellow inmate, Antonio "Beast" Smith, wore a wiretap for prosecutors, and during the trial, jurors heard hours of Smith's recorded conversations with Peterson. Smith also testified Peterson enlisted him to help kill Glasgow. Glasgow said a lengthy sentence was necessary as a deterrent, otherwise convicts will believe they can kill a prosecutor and get the minimum sentence. The 62-year-old Peterson is serving a 38-year sentence for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. He is scheduled for parole in 2047, but Friday's sentence must be served consecutively, making it likely Peterson will die in prison. (Read more Drew Peterson stories.) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Gurgaon: Hundreds of commuters were stuck on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway for around 15 hours due to a massive traffic jam caused by heavy rains that left the Hero Honda Chowk inundated. People were stranded since Thursday evening and several vehicles ran out of fuel, reports said. However, in a huge relief for commuters after hours of misery, the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway finally reopened on Friday morning. The administration called an emergency meeting on Friday morning to tackle the situation. The District Magistrate directed that all schools in Gurgoan will remain closed on July 29 and 30, in view of unprecedented rainfall. The vehicles were stuck especially on the Delhi-Jaipur stretch. There was several feet of waterlogging as the Badshahpur drain breached. According to commuters, there was no help from the administration. "Visuals of traffic jam in Gurgaon. & we r made to believe "Mera desh aage badh rha hai" Lolz no, it's still struck," tweeted a commuter. "Gurgaon, one rain and it comes to a standstill. Some pics for you CM @mlkhattar," tweeted another commuter, Tapan Kumar Nayak. However, Gurgaon Police Commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk claimed that the traffic and district police force was there to help the commuters. "Waterlogging on several roads in Gurgaon has led to a gridlock in parts of the city. Entire traffic police is on road trying to do the best," tweeted Gurgaon Police. Gurgaon choked up pic.twitter.com/aarx32u2cO Tapan Kumar Nayak (@tapan_nayak) July 28, 2016 Situation improving gradually pic.twitter.com/EFQLzYl9yI Gurgaon Police (@gurgaonpolice) July 28, 2016 Visuals of traffic jam in Gurgaon. & we r made to believe "Mera desh aage badh rha hai" Lolz no, it's still struck. pic.twitter.com/FsN7M2nLu0 Cryptic Mind (@Vishj05) July 28, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed last night on drug charges in Indonesia, has not been put to death, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today. Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed, Swaraj said on twitter. However, it was not clear why the Indian was not executed while four other convicts were put to death by the firing squad. 48-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were to be executed but were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had yesterday said that Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian foreign office and the senior leadership of the country on the issue. Swaraj had said government was making last minute efforts to save Singh. Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. The Embassy sent a Note Verbale to Indonesias Foreign Ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out, Swarup said. Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The decision has been criticised by human rights organisations. The 14 convicts to be executed included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the High Court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed. Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 29, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ghaziabad: A day after a 13-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide after her father was taken to the police station following arguments with her school teachers over payment of fees, four of the six teachers, booked on the charges of abetment to suicide, have been arrested. Yesterday afternoon, six teachers of the school in Ghookna Sewa Nagar went the house of Ratan Singh Tomar who works as security guard in a private company, and heated arguments ensued over the three-month due fees of his daughter, a class IX student, SP (City) Salmantaj Patil said. During the argument one of the teachers allegedly slapped Tomar and called police who took him away. Distressed over the incident, the girl allegedly committed suicide, he said. On the complaint of the deceaseds father, the six teachers were booked on the charges of abetment to suicided and four of them were arrested, the SP said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Beijing: China and Russia will hold a joint naval drill in the disputed South China Sea in September, Chinese Defence Ministry announced today, days after an international tribunal struck down Beijings expansive claims over the strategic waters. Navies of China and Russia will hold a joint drill in South China Sea in September, Yang Yujun of spokesperson Defence Ministry said here.The drill, codenamed Joint Sea-2016, is a product of the consensus reached by the two sides, Yang said. Though the navies of the two countries have been holding annual exercises, this years exercises come in the backdrop of a tribunal appointed by the Permanent court of Arbitration struck down Chinas claims all most all over the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines rights over the area. Besides the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan opposed Chinas claims. US which extends tacit backing to them to assert their claims against China has been sending naval ships and military aircraft to maintain freedom of navigation in the disputed area.Washington called on Beijing to implement the tribunal verdict saying that it is binding. China has rejected the tribunal verdict but expressed willingness to resolve the dispute directly through the parties concerned.Held on both land and sea, the drill is a routine one between China and Russia, and does not target any third party, Yang said. The drill will consolidate and develop the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, deepen pragmatic and friendly cooperation between the two militaries, and enhance the capabilities of the two navies to jointly deal with maritime security threats, Yang said. Last year China and Russia held joint military drills in the Sea of Japan and the Mediterranean. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Delhi: Security agencies have discussed with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval certain advisory regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on Independence Day. This has been done in view of the high threat to his life. According to a report in a leading national daily, PM Modi has been advised by intelligence agencies and the Special Protection Group to address the nation within a bulletproof enclosure at the Red Fort on August 15. Sources were quoted as saying by the daily that it was hoped PM Modi wont ignore the advisory this time as threat is extremely high this time. PM Modi had ignored bulletproof enclosure during his speech last two years. The Daily quoted a senior officer as saying that the advisory was not just because of the Kashmir unrest or infiltration at LoC, but there are intelligence inputs about the usage of drones to breach the PM's security cordon. Another factor is the ISIS-led terror attacks across the globe. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Guwahati: Flood situation in Assam has worsened as five more people were killed in the current deluge related tragedies in the state. The fresh causalities have taken the death toll to 21, even as nearly 18 lakh people are reeling under the flood impact. Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) Joint Secretary Nandita Hazarika told PTI that reports of five deaths in the floods poured in today, taking the toll in the current calamity to 21 so far. Giving the break-up the ASDMA said, in Barpeta district, three persons have lost their lives at Barpeta town, Sarupeta and Barnagar. Hazarika said one person died at Gogamukh in Dhemaji due to rising water while one more person perished at Dotma in Kokrajhar district of Lower Assam. She said with the five deaths, the overall flood toll now escalated to 21. In the current wave of flood, nearly 18 lakh people are suffering across 3,374 villages in 22 districts, the officer said. The affected districts are Lakhimpur Golaghat, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Barpeta, Goalpara, Dhubri, Darrang, Morigaon, Sonitpur, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Kokrajhar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Biswanath, Kamrup Metropolitan, Chirang, Nagaon, Kamrup and South Kamrup. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Oscar winner and one of Hollywoods most famous stars, Leonardo Dicaprio has been invited by RSS to attend the golden jubilee of its overseas wing, the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, in the United Kingdom on July 31. This event will see the rise of ruling BJP's ideological mentor organisation on the International arena. This collaboration of RSS with Dicaprio, will boost Sangh's call on the countrywide ban on cow slaughtering and beef eating. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Joint secretary Dattatreya Hosable are expected to attend the event and meet international stars like Dicaprio, Richard Branson and Sir David Attenborough. The HSS has been working in Britain since 1968 to propagate the right-wing organisations views among people of Britain. This is the golden jubilee year of the HSS, UK. Yearlong celebrations, planned to mark the event, include a residential gathering of over 2200 Hindus from across the UK and Europe at Hertfordshire County Show Ground. Although the Sangh's main drive against the ban is purely religious, DiCaprio, who recently made headlines for raising awareness about climate change, is more concerned about the environment, animal rights and climate change. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Massive traffic jam in Gurgaon caused by rains and water-logging left thousands of commuters stranded for hours. Traffic jams have crippled lives in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Hillary Clinton launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump during her address at the Democratic National Convention. Here are the top 5 stories of the hour: 1. Traffic jams cripple lives in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru: Massive traffic jams across major metro cities today brought lives to a standstill. Heavy rains have created havoc amongst travellers as miles long traffic snarls are being reported from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Commuters were stuck on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway for around 15 hours due to a massive traffic jam caused by heavy rains that left the Hero Honda Chowk inundated. 2. 9 killed as multi-storey building collapses in Pune: 9 people were killed and 10 others seriously injured after an under-construction building collapsed in Pune today. The victims were working on the 13th floor of the under-construction residential building when the cement slab caved-in, Deputy Commissioner of Police, (zone-III), B Teli said. 3. Indian national Gurdip Singh not executed in Indonesia, says Sushma Swaraj: Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed last night on drug charges in Indonesia, has not been put to death, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today. However, it was not clear why the Indian was not executed while four other convicts were put to death by the firing squad 4. Donald Trump wants us to fear the future, says Hillary Clinton Warning that the US is facing a moment of reckoning, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton today asked Americans to unite against the divisive policies of her Republican rival Donald Trump as she promised to build a country where everyone has a job and millions of undocumented workers get a path to citizenship. 5. Ussian Bolt ready to strike after fitness scare By his own charismatic admission, Usain Bolt is a living legend. But if the Jamaican sprint king pulls off only part of his stated goals in Rio de Janeiro, a whole new vocabulary of superlatives will be required. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The much awaited Good and Service Tax Bill for consideration and passage in Rajya Sabha's agenda has been listed on Friday by the NDA Goverment for next week. Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, while making a statement regarding government business for the week starting August 1 in the Upper House, said the Constitution (122nd Amendement) Bill, 2014 will be taken up for consideration and passage. On July 27, the Cabinet had cleared changes in the legislation, dropping the controversial one per cent manufacturing tax and providing guarantee to compensate states for any revenue loss in the first five years of rollout of the ambitious indirect tax regime. The government is keen to get the GST Bill approved during the Monsoon Session of Parliament ending on August 12.The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May 2015 and vetted by the Rajya Sabha Select Committee. However, the measure got stuck in the Upper House where the government does not have majority of its own, as the main opposition Congress sought certain changes in it. Government is making efforts to hammer out a consensus on the bill and reaching out to opposition parties. Congress has described the exercise as "constructive and positive". Once the Rajya Sabha clears the legislation, the amended legislation would be returned to the Lok Sabha for its approval. The GST legislation, which intends to convert 29 states into a single market through a new indirect tax regime, was earlier planned to be introduced from April 1 this year, but the deadline was missed as the legislation to roll it out remained in limbo in the Opposition-dominated Rajya Sabha. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Amritsar: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leader Sanjay Singh were today granted bail by a local court here after they appeared in connection with a defamation case filed by Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. The court has fixed October 15 as the next date for hearing. Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh today appeared before the court here which granted them bail. Ashish Khetan has been asked to appear before the court on the next date of hearing which has been fixed as October 15, AAP member and advocate H S Phoolka told reporters here. The court had on July 18 issued summons to Kejriwal, Singh, who is AAPs Punjab affairs in-charge, and Khetan, a journalist-turned-politician, to appear before it in the defamation case. On May 20, Majithia had filed the criminal defamation case against the three in a court here alleging that AAP was bent upon tarnishing his and his familys image by levelling baseless allegations over the drug issue. A large number of AAP supporters, carrying placards, gathered at Amritsar circuit house here to express solidarity with Kejriwal and other party leaders. Tight security arrangements were made by the police to maintain law and order. It is Kejriwals third visit to Amritsar this month. He first came to the city on July 3 for launching partys youth manifesto ahead of the 2017 state Assembly elections and then on July 18 to perform Sewa (volunteer service) at the Golden Temple. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh was on Friday arrested from Buxar in a joint operation between Uttar Pradesh Police and Bihar Police. The arrest comes following an FIR against him for making derogatory comments against BSP supremo Mayawati. The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court had denied a stay on his arrest. Dayashankar Singh had moved the Allahabad High Court bench seeking a stay on his possible arrest and challenging the FIR lodged against him by BSP leaders for using derogatory language against BSP supremo. An FIR was lodged against Singh on July 20 at Hazratganj police station here under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for passing derogatory comments against Mayawati. The complaint, which was lodged by national secretary of BSP Mewalal Gautam, alleged that Singhs remarks had hurt the feelings of BSP workers and the Dalit community across the country and were aimed at provoking them. Singh, who was state BJP vice president, was expelled by the party for six years in the wake of the storm triggered by his remarks against the BSP supremo. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Public Sector Bank employees went on one day strike against the proposed merger of SBI associated with the parent and other issues. Services at around 80,000 bank branches in the country were hit . However, private sector banks like ICICI Bank were working as usual.Most of the public sector banks including SBI had earlier informed their customers of inconvenience if strike materialises.The United Forum of Banks Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine bank employees and officers unions representing 8 lakh staffers, has gone ahead with the strike, affecting services like cheque clearances, cash deposit andwithdrawal at branches and other facilities. "The All India State Bank Officers' Federation and the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation are members of UFBU. Thus, it is likely that the bank will also be impacted to some extent by the said strike calls," SBI had said in astatement. According to the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary, C H Venkatachalam, normaloperations at branches across all PSU banks were affected. The conciliation meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner on July 26 did not yield any positive results.However, UFBU is willing to reconsider the strike call if the government considers their demand and addresses it. "The unions were ready for meaningful discussion, but the government only tried to justify their present policy decision on banking reforms and hence, there was no meeting point," he explained. Unions, which are protesting FDI in banking sector, are pressing for various demands, which include one not to privatise public sector banks and increase private capital in such banks, he said. New Delhi: The Upper House on along with the Parliament agreement has given a green signal to the contentious Compensatory and Afforestation Fund (CAF) Bill, 2016 during the Budget session. The CAF bill permits States to assess nearly Rs 42,000 crore and channel into afforestation projects. The CAF bill was approved by the Rajya Sabha which assures that the rules are to be framed in such a way which will safeguard the interests of forest workers and the tribals. The Lower House had passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Bill during Budjet session. The bill will become institutional once it gets President's seal. Enviroment Minister Anil Dave assured the other parties in the Rajya Sabha that Goverment will be taking care of their issues, and will not let down the rights of tribals."The provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act are also powerful enough to ensure that forest rights and consent of gram panchayats are respected," said Dave, adding that deficiencies that emerge in future would be addressed after a year. On Wednesday, Congress MP and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh had raised concerns on behalf of his party with the apprehension that the legislation would ignore the rights of forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act of 2006. But disputing this, BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav on said: "This government wants to ensure that the country's green cover grows and the rights of those living in forests are protected. This fund will be spent in a transparent manner." Among the states, Odisha will get the highest amount of Rs 5,996 crore from the Rs 42,000 crore fund, which means that the state has seen the maximum diversion of forest land for non-forest use. Among all the Indian states, Odisha will be given highest amount of Rs 5,996 crore from the Rs 42,000 crore fund, which shows that the state has seen the maximum diversion of forest land for non-forest use. Any user agency found for diverting forest lands for nonforest purposes is at present, required to deposit an amount to the centeral goverment body. This amount will be utilized to mitigate the impact of diversion of forest land. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), is incharge of the accumulated amount of Rs 42,000 crore for the time being. The bill is also aimed at setting up the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund at the Centre and the State Compensatory Afforestation Funds. About 90% of the collected fund will be used by the states for afforestation and other related work, including forest regeneration and wildlife protection. It also provides for setting up a national authority at Centre and state-level authority in respective states to monitor the utilisation of the funds. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday raised concern over demands to pay dividend. He asked why should the railways pay dividend when it is already over-burdened with about Rs 60,000 crore worth of public service obligation and increased wage bill due to the latest pay commission report. I would just like to make a point. This paying dividend to the Finance Ministry is one area which really needs to be looked into. Why should the Railway pay dividend? This has been a recommendation of the Standing Committee. There have been several unanimous recommendations on this by several Standing Committees that the Railways discharge very useful public functions, the Minister said in Lok Sabha. Maintaining that the railways was doing a public service, he said the burden on it was as high as Rs 30,000 crore. This year, the Railways are even more burdened with an additional burden Rs 30,000 crore on account of the recommendations of the Pay Commission, besides paying bonus at the latest rates to its staff. All this has put additional burden on the railways, which has to bear the brunt of it being Indias largest employer, Prabhu said, adding that the issue has to be looked into by the House. He was speaking after tabling a resolution on several recommendations of the Railway Convention Committee, appointed to review the rate of dividend payable by the railways to the government. This is a recommendation of the Committee. I respect it. But over a period of time we really need to look into why the Railways which is already suffering due to several other problems also be over-burdened with the responsibility of paying a dividend and also how the main Budget can actually subsidise or take care of the subsidies which are already there, the Minister said, adding I think, we need to look into this issue. Countering the Minister, K H Muniyappa, senior Congress member and former Minister of State for Railways, said the railway committee had unanimously recommended regarding the issue of dividend. However, he joined Prabhu in saying that the Railways are running in public interest and for the common people under certain obligations. So, they could not pay the dividend. At the same time, the Finance Ministry is unable to help the common people of this country. The surprising thing is that the government is not coming forward to support the Railways. The projects which have been pending for the last two decades, there has been no thinking on this issue by the Government. The new Planning Commission called the NITI Ayog has not at all given any thought to this issue, Muniyappa said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ankara: Turkey today insisted its military will keep up the fight against Islamic State jihadists and other militants after the failed coup, saying the armed forces would emerge stronger from a purge of its top ranks. A senior US military commander had been quoted by American media as saying that the turmoil in post-coup Turkey could affect its role in the US-led coalition fighting IS jihadists in Syria. However, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara that he found such statements ridiculous and unfortunate. Turkish forces face the challenge of fighting both IS jihadists and guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Cavusoglu said making the militarys capacity to fight such groups an issue in the wake of the coup stemmed from a lack of knowledge and ignorance, if there is no ill intention. Turkey has embarked on a major military reshuffle after the putsch, which Ankara blames on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen and his followers. Authorities accuse the reclusive cleric of building a parallel structure inside Turkey. The government has ordered the discharge of 149 generals nearly half the armed forces entire contingent of 358 -- for complicity in the putsch bid. Almost all of these generals are currently under arrest. But Cavusoglu denied the army was weaker as a result of the ongoing purge. On the contrary. When we weed them (pro-Gulenist elements) out, our army will first of all be more dynamic, cleaner and more effective. The minister ridiculed the idea that it was only pro-Gulen elements in the military that wanted to fight IS militants. We dont find such assessments right, he said. Turkey, which has itself been hit by deadly attacks blamed on jihadists, regularly targets IS positions in Syria with artillery fire. Its Incirlik air base in the south also hosts US and other coalition warplanes launching deadly raids on jihadists in Syria. Cavusoglu said that Turkey had never dragged its feet in its cooperation with the United States in fighting terror. According to US media, Central Command chief General Joseph Votel said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. #stocks Seoul shares fall on lackluster tech earnings, Fed policy uncertainties South Korean stocks snapped a two-day gaining streak to close lower Friday, as investor sentiment was hurt by lackluster earnings and dim guidance from major U.S. tech companies, a... #football S. Korea coach Bento says doors to World Cup roster 'not closed' As the clock ticks down on this year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the decision time is nigh for South Korea head coach Paulo Bento. Save for a few obvious choices, there are sever... New Delhi: BCCI President and BJP MP Anurag Singh Thakur has been commissioned into the Territorial Army (TA) in the rank of Lieutenant. He was conferred the ranks by Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag in a Commissioning ceremony held at Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence at South Block in the presence of military dignitaries and his family members. Lieutenant Thakur cleared Services Selection Board (SSB) and was found fit for joining the Territorial Army. The officer has been commissioned in 124 Inf Bn (TA) SIKH, a statement by the Army said. I think it is an honour to be in the Indian army. It was my childhood dream which has come true today. I come from Himachal Pradesh which is known as veer bhoomi and many soldiers have scarified their life for the country, especially the first Param Vir Chakra awardee was from Himachal Pradesh Major Somnath Sharma, Thakur later said at a separate event. He said that during the Kargil War, the maximum number of people sacrificed their lives for their country came from Himachal Pradesh. Out of four Param Vir Chakras, two were given to Himachali youths. I feel honoured today and I pledge myself towards my country every step I will take will be in the direction where I can serve my country, he said. Territorial Army is part of Indian Army and is manned by officers and men who are embodied for training for two months in a year. Their actual role is during national emergencies, war and in support of Army when they relieve Regular Army for operations. The Territorial Army also guards vital installations like Headquarters, Ammunition Dumps, Airports among others as also vital lines of communications. New Delhi: Harinder Sidhu Australian High Commissioner to India said that her country will continue to support Indias bid to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other non-proliferation regimes. Sidhu said her country was in the forefront in supporting Indias application to the 48-nation elite club. We are both committed to a non-proliferation world. Australia wants to see India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other non-proliferating regimes mainly because India has the potential and we trusted Indias credentials. Australia had been in forefront of supporting Indias application at the Nuclear Suppliers Group. We will continue to support India, Sidhu said. She was speaking at interaction at the Foreign Correspondents Club. India and Australia has a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in place. India intends to import Australian uranium to quench its energy requirement. We did complete our civil nuclear cooperation agreement recently and we are hopeful that activity will take place on that front too, she said, adding that the matter lies between the commercial entities and India. Commenting on the verdict by an international court on the South China Sea, Sidhu said restrain really matters in the dispute. Nothing that Australia has strong economic interests in South China Sea, Sidhu said around 60 per cent of its countrys trade passes through the region. We dont take sides of competiting territorial claims. We have strong interest in regional peace and stability and respect for maritime and international law. The ruling clarified the maritime rights in the South China Sea and we call for the parties to abide by it, Sidhu said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Patna: Expelled BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh Dayashankar Singh has been sent to 14-day judicial custody after he was arrested from Bihar's Buxar district on Friday morning. He was on the run after an FIR was filed against him for allegedly making derogatory remarks against BSP President Mayawati. He was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) team with the help of the district police from a house in Chinni Mill locality, Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sharma told PTI. Buxar is about 100 km from Patna on the border of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Singh had gone underground after an FIR was registered against him on July 20 by UP police on a complaint by BSP leader Mewalal Gautam, alleging that Singh's remarks hurt the feelings of BSP workers and the Dalit community across the country. The controversy over his remarks erupted so hard that Bharatiya Janata Party had to expel him from the party. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. WASHINGTON Linda Greenhouse and Paul Cappuccio have been near the same cases, read the same decisions, sometimes walked the same halls, but theyve never met. That will change Aug. 7, when Greenhouse, who covered the U.S. Supreme Court for the New York Times for decades, and Cappuccio, Time Warners chief legal officer and a former clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy meet at St. Johns Episcopal Church. There theyll discuss the court for Conversations on the Green, a series of town hall style discussions that give ticket proceeds to local charities. The two hope the talk will help the public understand the world within the currently tumultuous eight-justice bench as we go into a presidential election that will prove to only complicate matters, they said. Were at a sort of hinge point of history in respect to the Supreme Court, said Greenhouse. Over the past six months, Scalia, who Cappuccio said had a gravitational pull all his own, died; his replacement, Merrick Garland, has yet to have a hearing after four months of waiting; and weeks ago Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg breaking tradition spoke out against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The coming years may also bring new vacancies through retirement or death. Justice Ginsburg is 83 years old; Justice Kennedy, 80. Both Cappuccio and Greenhouse said there is change afoot for the court, but they have different outlooks on just how much change this election will bring. More Information How to go: Conversations on the Green: High Court Drama, Predicting the Future of SCOTUS 3 to 4:30 p.m. St. John's Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 9 Parsonage Lane Washington, CT 06793 Tickets: $45 For more information visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=6pxmqkwab&oeidk=a07ecvkqeyif0983960&oseq= See More Collapse Greenhouse said she thinks that this election will chart the course of the Supreme Court for years to come. Cappuccio said he thinks that no matter what happens in November, the court will likely function like it has in years past. Its not like at the end of it youll end up with nine liberals or nine conservatives, Cappuccio said. Although the nomination process is often a raw political muscle affair, the court itself is high-functioning and isnt nearly as a polarized as the Democratic and Republican parties tend to say, he added. While the public may think the court and its future is in a moment crisis, Cappuccio said the Justices arent that worried. Whatever a new justices politics, any newbie will soon become part of the family, he said. There's a gap between how people perceive how the court functions and how it actually functions, Cappuccio said. blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY Detectives with the police departments Special Investigations Division said they found a significant amount of heroin Thursday in a city apartment after an investigation that lasted several months. According to a statement released by the department Friday, detectives searched a home on Linden Place, less than half a mile from City Hall in the downtown, after receiving multiple complaints of drug activity in the area from residents. Officers werent allowed into the house at about 8 p.m. Thursday and had to force the door open. Thats when police said they discovered Richard Ricky Cardwell attempting to flush a large amount of heroin down the toilet. Due to the large quantity of drugs, police said, the toilet became clogged. Detectives went to work and were able to recover more than 230 individual bags of heroin, police said, adding that the street value of the drugs is about $4,800. Mayor Mark Boughton said the arrest shows the continued good work that the citys police department is doing to battle the heroin epidemic facing the region. Out of the five drug-related deaths in the city from January through March, three were heroin overdoses, according to statistics provided by the state medical examiners office. Heroin deaths in the state have risen dramatically in recent years as the price of heroin has declined and more people are moving on to the drug from other opioids. From 2012 to 2015, heroin-related deaths in Connecticut jumped from 174 to 416. The medical examiners office estimates that there will be about 440 heroin-related deaths in the state this year. Boughton said members of the SID, led by Lt. Mark Williams, have been doing an exceptional job addressing the issue, but added that its an uphill battle. Every time you arrest a dealer, another one pops up in their place, he said. When we get a complaint from residents, who are our eyes and ears, like in this case, the police do everything they can to follow up. But there is an epidemic out there, and its the worst weve ever seen. Cardwell is faced with a number of charges after his arrest Thursday, including possession of narcotics with intent to sell, and interfering with a search warrant. He was held on a $50,000 bond. Tijuana Brown, who police said was also in the house and was found with a small quantity of crack cocaine, was also taken into custody and charged with possession of narcotics. Brown was released on a written promise to appear in court. dperrefort@newstimes.com EDMONTON, July 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Alberta's Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) are celebrating the collective achievement of 194 new students who have reached a career milestone: passing the national CPA Common Final Examination (CFE). The CFE is a comprehensive, rigorous, multi-day examination which all candidates seeking to become CPAs must pass in order to receive their designation. Among those 194 successful individuals, seven individuals distinguished themselves in their writing of the exam, placing on the National Honour Roll. As well, Betty Bai Xin of Capital Power in Edmonton was recognized as the CPA Canada Gold Medalist for her exceptional performance on the CFE. (The full list of National Honourees is included in the Backgrounder accompanying this release.) "All Alberta CPAs are tremendously proud of the success of our CPA candidates on the May CFE," said Rachel Miller FCPA, FCA, CEO of CPA Alberta. "All of the successful writers have taken the next step in their professional careers and can look forward to a bright future. Betty's remarkable achievement, and those of her fellow honourees, is indicative of the knowledge and skills that these future professionals already hold, early in their professional careers." In order to qualify for the CPA designation, Alberta students must complete rigorous course work through the CPA Western School of Business, pass the CFE and complete 30 months of practical experience with an Approved Chartered Professional Accountant Training Office. Once they have completed all of these steps, they will obtain their CPA designation. "The CPA Western School of Business extends congratulations to the 411 western Canadian candidates, including the 194 in Alberta, who were successful on the May 2016 CFE," said Steve Vieweg FCPA, FCMA, CEO of the CPA Western School of Business. "Through course work and in passing this rigorous exam they have demonstrated the technical skills, professionalism, and business acumen expected of new CPAs. We wish them the best as they continue in their careers." The CPA designation is Canada's pre-eminent business and accounting credential. CPAs are world-class strategic business experts, helping organizations succeed in every industry and level of business. CPA Alberta is the professional organization representing more than 28,000 CPAs across the province, with the goal of protecting the public interest and promoting the value of the CPA designation within Alberta. Backgrounder National Honour Roll List Congratulations to the following seven individuals whose exceptional performance on the CFE led them to be named to the National Honour Roll. Betty Bai Xin; Capital Power Corporation, Edmonton Betty was also named the CPA Canada and CPA Western School of Business Region Gold Medalist. Baasit Ali; Ernst & Young, Calgary Jon Faber; Pason Systems Inc., Calgary Melanie MacFarlane; Mancal Energy Inc., Calgary Mary McPhail; Westmoreland Coal Company, Edmonton Jon Tanner; Comco Pipe & Supply Company, Edmonton Mike Wong; Edon Management, Calgary Click here to see the full List of successful writers by location. SOURCE CPA Alberta For further information: Media Contact: Gordon Turtle, Senior Vice President, Communications and Business Development, Tel: (780) 420-2359; cell: (780) 504-8015, Email: [email protected] AVALON, NL, July 29, 2016 /CNW/ - More Newfoundland and Labrador students than ever before will be working under the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program this year, thanks to unprecedented interest shown by employers and students across the province. Ken McDonald, Member of Parliament for Avalon, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour. MP McDonald announced that in the constituency of Avalon, 529 summer jobs have been approved for funding, for an investment of $1.2 million. Across Newfoundland and Labrador, employers have received approval to hire 3,623 students this summer in seven constituencies. That is up 19 percent from the 3,041 student jobs approved through the program last year. The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, announced in June that more than 77,000 jobs were approved for funding for students across Canada through the CSJ program. That number is more than double last year's 34,000 and roughly 7,000 more than originally anticipated when the Government announced a boost to the funding in the federal budget earlier this year. Supporting youth employment and opportunities is part of the Government of Canada's approach to help the middle class and Canadians seeking to join it. Quotes "More young students are working across the country and will get the opportunity to earn valuable income and build friendships while learning new skills this summer. Canada Summer Jobs is an opportunity for students to prepare for their future and save for school." The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour "Canada Summer Jobs gives students the chance to break into the labour market, and it provides them with valuable work experience. Employers benefit from the new skills and perspectives that youth have to offer." Ken McDonald, Member of Parliament for Avalon Quick Facts Across Newfoundland and Labrador this summer: In BonavistaBurinTrinity riding, 608 jobs have been approved for funding, for a total amount of $1.4 million . In Coast of BaysCentralNotre Dame, 643 jobs have been approved for funding, for a total amount of $1.5 million . In Labrador , 166 jobs have been approved for funding, for a total amount of $385,857 . In Long Range Mountains, 679 jobs have been approved for funding, for a total amount of $1.6 million . In St. John's East, 417 jobs have been approved for funding, for a total amount of $1 million . In St. John's SouthMount Pearl, 581 jobs have been approved for funding, for a total amount of $1.4 million . and this summer: Budget 2016 increased funding for the Canada Summer Jobs program by $339 million over three years, beginning in 201617. Associated Link Budget 2016 Related Product Backgrounder Follow us on Twitter SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada For further information: John O'Leary, Director of Communications, Office of the Hon. MaryAnn Mihychuk, P.C., M.P., Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, 819-654-5611; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected] This quarterly earnings news release should be read in conjunction with our Second Quarter 2016 unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) as well as our 2015 Annual Report which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Unless otherwise noted, all amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars. GUELPH, ON, July 28, 2016 /CNW/ - Co-operators General Insurance Company (Co-operators General) today released consolidated financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2016. The consolidated net loss was $39.1 million compared to a net income of $58.2 million for the same quarter in 2015. The impact of the devastating Fort McMurray wildfire was $104.0 million before tax. This resulted in an earnings (loss) per common share of ($2.00) for the quarter compared to $2.57 in the same period last year. "The financial impact of the wildfire in Fort McMurray was very significant. Our thoughts are with all who have been so significantly affected by this devastating event and we add our voice of appreciation to the thousands of public safety responders and volunteers who worked tirelessly to keep everyone safe. Our staff and advisors continue to work long and hard to support our clients in their time of need; work that will be required for many months to come. Once again, we are clearly reminded of the need for more proactive efforts to strengthen the resilience of Canadian communities. Governments, industry and homeowners all have important roles to play in building safer, more secure communities," said Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of The Co-operators. "Despite the increased claims costs this quarter, our fundamentals remain very strong." CO-OPERATORS GENERAL'S SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS ($ in millions, except for earnings per share and ratios) 2nd quarter 2nd quarter 2016 2015 2016 2015 YTD YTD Key financial data Direct written premium (DWP) 722.6 681.0 1,242.1 1,170.0 Net earned premium (NEP) 576.5 567.4 1,164.9 1,117.9 Net income (loss) (39.1) 58.2 0.3 80.3 Total assets1 5,839.3 5,303.2 5,839.3 5,303.2 Shareholders' equity1 1,480.7 1,458.6 1,480.7 1,458.6 Key success indicators DWP growth 6.1% 4.0% 6.2% 3.8% NEP growth 1.6% 4.1% 4.2% 4.4% Earnings (loss) per common share ($2.00) $2.57 ($0.21) $3.55 Return on equity (11.2%) 18.4% 0.0% 12.3% Combined ratio - excluding market yield adjustment 114.0% 94.0% 104.6% 96.1% Minimum Capital Test (MCT)1 214% 225% 214% 237% 1 Balance sheet data and MCT results for 2015 are as at December 31 Second quarter review The second quarter results reflect before-tax losses of $104.0 million, net of reinsurance and inclusive of ceded reinstatement premium, related to the wildfire in Fort McMurray. With the aid of geo-mapping and satellite imagery a best estimate of the net impact was developed within the first few weeks of the event occurring. Based on current information, which includes visits to the impacted areas, this estimate is not expected to vary significantly in the coming quarters. DWP improvements during the second quarter were attributable to policy and vehicle count growth in all lines of business paired with higher average home and farm premiums. In the second quarter, DWP increased by 6.1% or $41.6 million to $722.6 million. NEP increased during the second quarter by 1.6% or $9.1 million compared to the same period last year. The increase in NEP is seen in the auto line of business and all geographic regions, except the West. Ceded premium of $23.4 million was recorded against NEP in the second quarter, mainly in the home and commercial lines of business, to reinstate our catastrophe coverage after the wildfires in Fort McMurray. The combined ratio, excluding the market yield adjustment for the quarter, was 114.0% compared to 94.0% for the same period last year. Undiscounted net claims and adjustment expenses have increased by 34.1% from the second quarter of 2015, bringing the loss ratio to 81.0%. The increase was mainly the result of the catastrophic wildfires. Excluding the impacts of Fort McMurray, the combined ratio was 95.8% compared to a combined ratio of 94.0% in the second quarter of 2015. An increase in the severity of current accident year claims and unfavorable runoff within the auto line of business was partially offset by expenses which grew at a slower pace than earned premium. The expense ratio improved 1.0 percentage points, to 31.7%, as compared to the same period in 2015, driven by lower information technology costs in the current year. Net investment income and gains increased by $5.8 million compared to the second quarter of 2015. Investment gains improved as a result of an increase in preferred and common share gains. This was partially offset by lower bond gains and declining yields in the bond portfolio. The Company's investment portfolio is comprised of high quality and well diversified assets. The credit quality of our portfolio remains high with 98.4% of our portfolio considered investment grade and 86.6% rated A or higher. The equity portfolio is 75.9% weighted in Canadian stocks. Capital The Company's capital position remains strong, as the Minimum Capital Test for Co-operators General was 214% at June 30, 2016, well above the internal and regulatory minimum requirements. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This document may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, including statements regarding the operations, objectives, strategies, financial situation and performance of Co-operators General. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "would", "should", "could", "trend", "predict", "likely", "potential" or "continue" or the negative thereof and similar variations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risk, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements or information. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Consequently, we make no representation that actual results achieved will be the same in whole or in part as those set out in the forward-looking statements and information. For further information, refer to our Second Quarter 2016 MD&A or our 2015 Annual Report. SHAREHOLDER AND INVESTOR INFORMATION About Co-operators General Insurance Company With assets of more than $5.8 billion, Co-operators General is a leading Canadian multi-product insurance company. Co-operators General is part of The Co-operators Group Limited, a Canadian co-operative. Through its group of companies it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, wealth management as well as investment management products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability, and is listed among the Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt. Co-operators General Class E, Series C Preference Shares trade under ticker symbol CCS.PR.C on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information can be found at www.cooperators.ca. SOURCE The Co-operators For further information: P. Bruce West, Executive Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Telephone: (519) 767-3036 Sunshine and Pokemon Can Be Found At Other Less Dangerous Places TORONTO, July 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Whether your town or city celebrates the upcoming holiday as Simcoe Day, Joseph Brant Day, Colonel By Day, Civic Holiday or Emancipation Day, the mid summer long-weekend is a time to put safety above all else, especially near OPG's hydro dams and stations. Obey the signs, booms, buoys and barriers and stay clear of hydro dams and stations. "Many have heard about or even played the highly popular Pokemon Go game," said Ted Gruetzner, OPG's Vice President of Corporate Relations and Communications. "Tracking Pikachu or Jigglypuff might be fun, just don't do it near any of our generating stations or dams." OPG owns and operates 65 hydroelectric generating stations and 240 dams across the province. In areas surrounding these stations, changing water levels and strong undertows can happen quickly. Disobeying warning signs and barriers is dangerous. Charges can and have been laid in cases where people trespass. "We take safety seriously," says Gruetzner. "Stay Clear, Stay Safe is our message." Through its nuclear, hydro and biomass generating facilities OPG provides about half the power Ontario relies on. The electricity OPG produces is more than 99 per cent free of greenhouse gas and smog causing emissions. To view OPG's public service TV ad, The Power of Water, and to learn more about water safety, visit www.opg.com/watersafety. Enjoy a safe holiday weekend. SOURCE Ontario Power Generation Inc. For further information: Ontario Power Generation, Media Relations, 416-592-4008 or 1-877-592-4008, Follow us @opg RICHMOND, BC, July 28, 2016 /CNW/ - MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. ("MDA" or the "Company") (TSX: MDA), a global communications and information company, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016. For the second quarter of 2016, consolidated revenues were $503 million compared with $524 million for the same period of 2015. The decrease reflected the variability in quarterly revenues inherent in long-term construction programs. Operating EBITDA1 increased to $96.4 million compared with $94.6 million for the same period of last year. Margins this quarter increased to 19% compared with 18% for the same period a year ago, attributable to the mix of programs in progress. Operating earnings1 were $57 million, or $1.57 per share1, on par with the same period of last year. Net earnings under IFRS for the second quarter of 2016 were $25 million compared with $44 million for the corresponding period of 2015. Net earnings this quarter were impacted by the inclusion of a large non-operational, non-recurring item that affected the comparability of financial results to prior period. The Company had total funded order backlog of $2.5 billion as at June 30, 2016, consistent with the balance at the end of March. The Company continued to advance its position in the low Earth orbit ("LEO") satellite market with strategic bookings during the quarter. The Company signed a contract with OneWeb Satellites to develop and build communication antenna subsystems for the OneWeb Constellation. In addition, the Company signed contracts with Telesat and an undisclosed customer to build LEO satellites. In the commercial geostationary satellite market, the Company won the only contract that was awarded in the market in the second quarter, signing a contract with Intelsat S.A. to build the Intelsat 39 satellite. In the Surveillance and Intelligence segment, the Company signed a key contract with the Government of Canada to deliver an advanced broad-area maritime and Arctic surveillance solution (Polar Epsilon 2) to the Department of National Defence. This contract includes two years of in-service support to operate and maintain the delivered systems. The Company continues to make substantive progress in its pursuit to obtain facility security clearance for its operations in Palo Alto, California, which is fundamental to the Company's U.S. access plan. The Company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per common share payable on September 30, 2016 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2016. Financial Highlights Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 ($ millions, except per common share amounts) Consolidated revenues 502.5 523.7 1,064.9 1,057.6 Operating EBITDA1 96.4 94.6 193.6 188.1 Operating earnings1 57.2 56.6 113.1 111.7 Operating earnings per share1 1.57 1.56 3.10 3.09 Net earnings 25.3 43.6 66.0 81.7 Net earnings per share, basic 0.70 1.20 1.82 2.26 Net earnings per share, diluted 0.69 1.20 1.80 2.26 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding: (millions) Basic 36.4 36.2 36.3 36.2 Diluted 36.5 36.2 36.5 36.2 1 See section "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" in this earnings release. MDA's condensed consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 are available at: http://mdacorporation.com/corporate/investor/financial-reports About MDA MDA is a global communications and information company providing operational solutions to commercial and government organizations worldwide. MDA's business is focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, primarily in the Communications sector and the Surveillance and Intelligence sector. In addition, the Company conducts a significant amount of advanced technology development. MDA's established global customer base is served by more than 4,800 employees operating from 13 locations in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol MDA. Investor/Analyst Conference Call MDA President and CEO Howard Lance and Executive Vice President and CFO Anil Wirasekara will host a Conference Call today, July 28, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. Pacific (5:30 p.m. Eastern) to discuss the financial results and to answer questions. To participate, dial toll free North America: 1-888-390-0546 Toronto: 1-416-764-8688 Vancouver: 1-778-383-7413 The Conference Call will also be Webcast live at: http://mdacorporation.com/corporate/investor/events Telephone replay will be available from July 28, 2016, 4:30 p.m. Pacific (7:30 p.m. Eastern) to August 11, 2016, 5:30 p.m. Pacific (8:30 p.m. Eastern) at the following numbers: Toll free North America: 1-888-390-0541 Toronto: 1-416-764-8677 Passcode: 904713# Related Websites: www.mdacorporation.com Non-IFRS Financial Measures In addition to results reported in accordance with IFRS, the Company discloses operating earnings, operating earnings per share and operating EBITDA as supplemental indicators of its financial and operating performance. The Company defines operating earnings as net earnings excluding the impact of specified items affecting comparability, including, where applicable, non-operational income and expenses, amortization of acquisition related intangible assets, share-based compensation, and other gains or losses. The use of the term "non-operational income and expenses" is defined by the Company as those that do not impact operating decisions taken by the Company's management and is based upon the way the Company's management evaluates the performance of the Company's business for use in the Company's internal management reports. Income tax expense on operating earnings is computed using an estimated annual tax rate, adjusted to account for the specified items affecting comparability. Operating earnings per share is calculated using diluted weighted average shares outstanding and does not represent actual earnings per share attributable to shareholders. The Company believes that the disclosure of operating earnings and operating earnings per share allows investors to evaluate the operational and financial performance of the Company's ongoing business using the same evaluation measures that its management uses, and is therefore a useful indicator of the Company's performance or expected performance of recurring operations. The Company defines operating EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and adjusted for certain corporate expenses and items affecting comparability as specified in the calculation of operating earnings. Operating EBITDA is presented on a basis consistent with the Company's internal management reports. The Company discloses operating EBITDA to capture the profitability of its business before the impact of items not considered in management's evaluation of operating unit performance. Operating earnings, operating earnings per share and operating EBITDA do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company cautions readers to consider these non-IFRS financial measures in addition to, and not as an alternative for, measures calculated in accordance with IFRS. Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 ($ millions) Operating EBITDA 96.4 94.6 193.6 188.1 Corporate expense (4.2) (2.2) (8.4) (5.3) Net finance expense (11.7) (11.4) (24.6) (23.0) Depreciation and amortization (14.4) (13.7) (29.5) (27.6) Income tax expense on operating earnings (8.9) (10.7) (18.0) (20.5) Operating earnings 57.2 56.6 113.1 111.7 Items affecting comparability: Share-based compensation recovery (expense) (23.6) 0.9 (27.5) (9.6) Amortization of acquisition related intangible assets (10.3) (9.6) (21.3) (19.4) Executive compensation settlement (3.0) - (3.0) - Enterprise improvement recovery (costs) - 0.3 (4.8) 1.9 Foreign exchange differences (2.2) 1.5 1.6 (0.1) Income tax expense adjustment 7.2 (6.1) 7.9 (2.8) Net earnings 25.3 43.6 66.0 81.7 The Company's MD&A for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 provides additional information regarding these financial metrics and the specified items affecting the comparability of net earnings. Forward-Looking Statements This earnings release and the associated conference call and webcast, which includes a business update, discussion of second quarter 2016 financial results, and question and answer session, may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, which reflect the current view of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. ("MDA" or the "Company") with respect to future events and financial performance. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "would", "could", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "plan", "foresee", "believe" or "continue" or the negatives of such terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and represent management's best judgment based on facts and assumptions that management considers reasonable. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. MDA cautions readers that should certain risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: changes in government policies, priorities, funding levels, contracts or regulations and the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; growth in the commercial satellite market is dependent on the growth in the businesses of the Company's customers and the ability of its customers to develop new services; failure of third party subcontractors to complete contracts for which the Company is the prime contractor and the limited number of suppliers for some components; inherent risks of performance on firm fixed price construction contracts and termination of contracts by customers for convenience; changes in estimates of total revenues and costs on contracts and non-receipt of payments on failure of the Company's satellites and products to perform successfully; potential for product liability or the occurrence of defects in products or systems and resulting loss of revenue and harm to the Company's reputation; quality issues and failure of systems to meet performance requirements or to be accepted by a customer; inclusion of construction performance incentives in many of the Company's customer contracts; potential for component failure or performance issues on the Company's on-orbit satellites and resulting loss of revenue and harm to MDA's reputation and failure of the Company to receive data for sales or of customers to purchase data; failure of the Company to manage its acquisitions and breaches of contract and indemnities and related risks on divestitures; certain customers are highly leveraged and may not fulfil their contractual payment obligations, including vendor financing; MDA's ability to obtain certain satellite construction contracts depends, in part, on its ability to provide the customer with partial financing of working capital and any financing provided by the Company may not be repaid or the Company may be called upon to make payments; many of the Company's costs are fixed and MDA may not be able to cut costs sufficiently to maintain profitability in the event of a downturn in its business; the availability of facility space and qualified personnel may affect MDA's ability to perform its contracts as efficiently as planned; dependence on electronic systems may be subject to data and system security threats and malfunctions; detrimental reliance on third parties for data; dependence on key employees, potential for work stoppages and lack of oversight over a U.S. proxy board and management; failure to anticipate changes in technology, technical standards and offerings or comply with the requisite standards; failure to maintain technological advances and offer new products to retain customers and market position; significant competition with competitors that are larger or have greater resources and foreign currency fluctuations may increase competition from the Company's non-U.S. competitors; potential infringement of the intellectual property rights of others through licensed software or otherwise; inadequate protection of the Company's intellectual property rights; exposure to foreign currency fluctuations; changes in economic and political conditions; inability of suppliers or subcontractors to effect technology transfer; failure to maintain business alliances; uncertainty in financing arrangements and failure to obtain required financing on acceptable terms; changes in regulations, telecommunication standards and laws due to political and economic instability in the countries in which MDA conducts business; changes in U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including U.S. export control and economic sanctions laws, governing MDA's business; wrongful call on letters of credit, guarantees and performance bonds; insufficient insurance against material claims or losses; exposure to fines and/or legal sanctions under anti-corruption laws; changes in customer security requirements and the resulting cancellation of contracts; reliance on information technology systems and threats of disruption from security breaches and cyber-attacks; and failure to comply with environmental regulations. You are referred to the risk factors described in MDA's most recent annual Management's Discussion and Analysis, Annual Information Form and other documents on file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, available on SEDAR, www.sedar.com or www.mdacorporation.com. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this earnings release and the associated conference call and webcast represent MDA's views only as of today's date. MDA disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law, rule or regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the form or content of the earnings release or the associated conference call and webcast. SOURCE MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. For further information: Wendy Keyzer, MDA External Relations, (604) 231-2743, [email protected] VANCOUVER, July 28, 2016 /CNW/ - Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX:NSU)(NYSE MKT:NSU) ("Nevsun" or the "Company") is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016. Unless otherwise noted, with the exception of earnings per share and realized price and cost per pound figures, all financial results are in millions of US dollars. Second quarter 2016 highlights Continued first quartile safety performance at Bisha Completed the acquisition of Reservoir Minerals Inc. at a purchase price of $512.5 million Completed the acquisition of significant additional exploration licenses in the Bisha District Delivered the Bisha Zinc Expansion Project on time and under budget Produced 21.6 million pounds of copper at C1 cash costs (1) of $0.92 per payable pound sold of per payable pound sold Total 2016 supergene copper production of 55.8 million pounds at a C1 cash cost (1) of $1.04 per payable pound sold significantly better than guidance of per payable pound sold significantly better than guidance Sold 30,000 gold equivalent ounces from stockpiles for a YTD sales total of 50,000 gold equivalent ounces Generated earnings per share attributable to Nevsun shareholders of $0.04 , and $34.9 million in operating income , and in operating income Ended period with working capital of $237.9 million , including $240.3 million of cash , including of cash Paid quarterly dividend of $0.04 per share "The Reservoir transaction is truly transformational and creates immediate diversification to our valuation. We now have two tremendous assets and a strong debt-free balance sheet. Nevsun is positioned as a leading mid-tier base metal company with production and growth. We have hit the ground running in Serbia with drilling already underway and ambitious plans to move the Timok Copper-Gold Project to pre-feasibility no later than the end of 2017," commented Cliff Davis, CEO of Nevsun. Financial Review Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Revenue $ 79.2 $ 104.2 $ 171.6 $ 221.4 Operating income 34.9 38.6 67.8 81.2 Net income 18.0 19.2 33.6 42.2 Net income attributable to Nevsun shareholders 9.6 9.4 17.1 22.0 Basic earnings per share attributable to Nevsun shareholders 0.04 0.05 0.08 0.11 Working capital 237.9 498.6 237.9 498.6 Copper price realized, per payable pound sold 2.11 2.59 2.16 2.53 C1 cash cost per payable pound sold(1) $ 0.92 $ 0.97 $ 1.04 $ 1.12 (1) C1 cash cost per pound is a non-GAAP measure see page 18 of the Q2 2016 MD&A for discussion of non-GAAP measures Operating review Key operating information Bisha Mine: Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Ore mined, tonnes(1) 964,000 771,000 2,301,000 1,428,000 Waste mined, tonnes 2,448,000 2,605,000 4,476,000 6,122,000 Strip ratio, (using tonnes) 2.5 3.4 1.9 4.3 Ore milled, tonnes(2) 471,000 429,000 1,055,000 870,000 Copper feed grade, % 2.5 4.2 2.8 4.4 Recovery, % of copper 82.9 82.5 85.2 83.2 Copper concentrate grade, % 21.2 24.9 22.2 24.9 Copper in concentrate produced, millions of pounds 21.6 32.4 55.8 70.4 Copper in concentrate produced, tonnes 9,800 14,700 25,300 31,900 Payable copper in concentrate sold, millions of pounds 22.9 33.6 57.8 81.0 Payable copper in concentrate sold, tonnes 10,300 15,200 26,200 36,700 Payable gold in concentrate sold, ounces 4,500 5,500 10,500 12,400 Payable silver in concentrate sold, ounces 192,000 329,000 418,000 698,300 (1) Ore tonnes mined for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 included no oxide ore (three and six months ended June 30, 2015 43,000 and 54,000 tonnes, respectively), 133,000 and 865,000 tonnes of supergene ore, respectively (three and six months ended June 30, 2015 462,000 and 980,000) and 831,000 and 1,436,000 tonnes of primary ore, respectively (three months ended March 31, 2015 266,000 and 394,000). (2) The supergene phase of the Bisha mine ceased on June 2, 2016. The processing figures presented in this table consist of the processing of supergene ore only. Cliff Davis commented on Bisha, "Bisha continues to produce cash for its shareholders. We exceeded our guidance on supergene production and cash cost expectations. Our cost-cutting efforts have been sustained. Strong gold and silver prices from our Direct Ship Ore stockpiled material also helped the bottom line. Pre-commercial production is underway with our first sale of zinc concentrate likely to occur in August. The zinc concentrate market remains very tight and we are very pleased to see zinc prices in excess of $1.00 per pound." Cliff Davis went on to say, "Our confidence operating in Eritrea, supported by the positive exploration drill results, has lead us to make an additional investment in Eritrea. This twenty-fold increase in our exploration licensed areas, with more advantageous relinquishment terms, was acquired in exchange for a portion of the amount receivable from our partner, the Eritrean National Mining Corporation." Conference call details The Company will hold a conference call on Friday, July 29, 2016, at 8AM Vancouver / 11AM Toronto, New York / 4PM London, to discuss the Q2 2016 results. Please call in at least five minutes prior to the conference call start time to ensure prompt access to the conference. Dial in details are as follows: North America: 1 888-390-0546 / +1 416-764-8688 / +1 778-383-7413 UK: 0800 652 2435 (toll free) Other International: +1 416-764-8688 / +1 778-383-7413 The conference call will be available for replay until August 5, 2016, by calling 1 888-390-0541 / +1 416-764-8677 and entering passcode 889772#. About Nevsun Resources Ltd. Nevsun Resources Ltd. is the 60% owner of the high grade Bisha Mine in Eritrea. Bisha has 9 years of reserve life, generating revenue from both copper and zinc concentrates containing gold and silver by-products. Nevsun has a strong balance sheet with over US$200 million cash, no debt and pays a peer leading quarterly dividend. Nevsun is well positioned to grow shareholder value through exploration at Bisha and the newly acquired Serbian assets that include the high-grade copper-gold Timok Project. Forward Looking Statements The above contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "hopes", "intends", "estimated", "potential", "possible" and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "wil", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are statements concerning the Company's current beliefs, plans and expectations about the future including but not limited to statements and information made concerning: the Company's acquisition of Reservoir, statements relating to the business, prospects and future activities of, and developments related to the Company, anticipated developments in operations, commercial production, estimated future production, future costs of production and capital expenditures, mine life of mineral projects, the timing and amount of estimated capital expenditures, costs and timing of exploration and development and capital expenditures related thereto, operating expenditures, and related cash flows, success of exploration activities, estimated exploration budgets, currency fluctuations, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, limitations on insurance coverage, the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, the timing and possible outcome of regulatory and permitting matters, goals, strategies, future growth, planned future acquisitions and explorations activities, the adequacy of financial resources and other events or conditions that may occur in the future, and are inherently uncertain. The actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, the risks that: (i) any of the assumptions in the historical resource estimates turn out to be incorrect, incomplete, or flawed in any respect; (ii) the methodologies and models used to prepare the resource and reserve estimates either underestimate or overestimate the resources or reserves due to hidden or unknown conditions, (iii) exploration activities or the mine operations are disrupted or suspended due to acts of god, internal conflicts in the country of Eritrea or Serbia, unforeseen government actions or other events; (iv) the Company experiences the loss of key personnel; (v) the Company's operations or exploration activities are adversely affected by other political or military, or terrorist activities; (vi) the Company becomes involved in any material disputes with any of its key business partners, suppliers or customers; (vii) the Company is subjected to any hostile takeover or other unsolicited attempts to acquire control of the Company; (viii) the Company is subject to any adverse ruling in any of the pending litigation to which it is a party; (ix) Reservoir's PEA is preliminary in nature and it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves; and other risks are more fully described in the Company's and Reservoir's Management Information Circulars dated May 18, 2016 with respect to the proposed arrangement between Reservoir and Nevsun and the Company's Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Company's forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made and the Company assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements in the future, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. Further information concerning risks and uncertainties associated with these forward-looking statements and our business can be found in our Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015, which is available on the Company's website (www.nevsun.com), filed under our profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on EDGAR (www.sec.gov) under cover of Form 40-F. NEVSUN RESOURCES LTD. "Cliff T. Davis" Cliff T. Davis President & Chief Executive Officer SOURCE Nevsun Resources Ltd. For further information: Nevsun Investor Relations, Tel: 604 623 4700, Toll free: 1 888 600 2200, Email: [email protected], Website: www.nevsun.com TORONTO, July 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Street Capital Group Inc. ("Street Capital" or the "Company") (TSX: SCB), today announced that it will host a conference call on Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. ET to discuss its 2016 second quarter financial results. The Company plans to release its financial results at 7:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 10, 2016. Conference Call Details Participant Dial-in Webcast Reference Number Conference Call 647-427-7450; or 1-888-231-8191 http://bit.ly/2aec9fJ Replay (available for 2 weeks) 416-849-0833; or 1-855-859-2056 58558540 About Street Capital Group Inc. (www.streetcapitalgroup.ca) The Company (TSX: SCB) is a financial services company operating in residential mortgage lending through its wholly owned subsidiary Street Capital Financial Corporation (www.streetcapital.ca), one of the largest non-bank mortgage lenders in Canada. Founded in 1979 and a public company for more than a quarter century, the Company's goal is to create shareholder value by building a substantial, diversified financial services organization. Street Capital Financial Corporation sources its mortgages primarily through a network of independent, high quality mortgage brokers across Canada with whom it has built relationships. Street Capital Financial Corporation offers a broad lineup of high ratio and conventional mortgages, to prime borrowers, and sells the mortgages it underwrites to top-tier financial institutions. Business revenues are almost entirely from the gain on sale of mortgages. SOURCE Street Capital Group Inc. For further information: W.E. Gettings, Chief Executive Officer, Street Capital, [email protected]; Jonathan Ross, LodeRock Advisors Inc., Investor Relations, [email protected], Tel: (905) 334-0095 Signs Formal Option Agreement at Aguas Calientes Norte Salar VANCOUVER, July 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Wealth Minerals Ltd. (the "Company" or "Wealth") - (TSXV: WML; OTCQB: WMLLF; SSE: WMLCL; Frankfurt: EJZ), announces that it has executed a Letter of Intent (the "LOI") to enter into an option agreement giving it the right to acquire a 100% royalty-free interest in the Quisco 1 to 9 exploration concessions (the "Property") located in the Quisquiro Salar in Region II of Antofagasta, northern Chile. The Company also announces that it has entered into a formal option agreement giving it the right to acquire the Salar 1 and Salar 2 mining concessions within the Aguas Calientes Norte Salar upon the previously announced terms (see NR16-15, June 22, 2016). Quisquiro Salar Details The concessions comprising the Property cover an area of approximately 2,400 hectares located in the southern portion of the Salar de Quisquiro in Region II of Antofagasta, northern Chile (Figure 1). The northern portion of the Salar de Quisquiro is held by Sociedad Quimica y Minera ("SQM"), one of two lithium-producing companies in Chile. Independent analysis published by signum BOX (2014) differentiates the top 15 lithium salars in Chile as Tier 1, 2 or 3. Quisquiro is listed as Tier 1, together with Atacama, Maricunga, Pedernales, and La Isla. Salars in this top-tier category have an expected lithium concentration ranging from 423 mg/l to 1,080 mg/l. Wealth has not yet completed sampling at the Property to validate these expected levels of lithium concentration and, accordingly, they should not be relied upon in relation to the Property. Access to the Property is via Route 27, a paved highway located to the north of the Property. Acquisition Terms - Quisquiro Under the LOI, subject to the completion of certain conditions precedent, including TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, Wealth would be granted the exclusive option to acquire a 100% royalty-free interest in the Project from the arm's length vendor (a private Chilean company) ("Vendor") by making the following payments to the Vendor: Date Payment Upon Signing Formal Option Agreement USD 300,000 March 12, 2017 USD 100,000 September 12, 2017 USD 500,000 September 12, 2018 USD 700,000 September 12, 2019 USD 1,000,000 Subject to satisfactory due diligence by Wealth, which is to be completed within 45 days, Wealth's Chilean subsidiary and the Vendor will execute a formal Option Agreement. There will be no work commitments under the Option Agreement, but Wealth Chile is responsible for maintaining the concessions in good standing during the term of the option. Trinity Lithium Project The Property, together with the Puritama 1 to 8 and Salar 1 and 2 concessions located in the Salar de Aguas Calientes and the Pujsa 1 to 7 concessions located in the Salar de Pujsa, defines the Company's Trinity Lithium Project; a consolidation of three high-priority Chilean salars. "The consolidation of three high-potential, highway accessible lithium projects has been in the works for some time and its completion helps to position Wealth as a notable lithium company in Chile" stated Henk van Alphen, Wealth's CEO. "We have essentially secured 100% of the Aguas Calientes Norte and Pujsa Salara, while our ownership at Quisquiro Salar, together with our neighbours SQM, completes the planned project consolidation in this region of Chile. Our relentless work to acquire and consolidate high-potential lithium interests in Chile is generating concrete results. Marcelo Awad A, the Executive Director of Wealth Chile and ex-President and CEO of Antofagasta Minerals S.A, will continue to lead Wealth's ongoing Chilean Lithium Salar acquisition drive." The non-producing salars in Chile have had limited exploration work completed and most of them are yet to be systematically explored. Exploration will be required so that any potential resources can be identified and fully evaluated and quantified. Accordingly, the initial program to be carried out by the Company at the Property will consist of a program of prospecting and sampling to determine the existence, nature, extent and distribution of lithium at the Property. Qualified Person Keith J. Henderson, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Henderson is a consultant to Wealth, but does hold common shares and incentive stock options in the Company. Issuance of Shares to Balmoral Resources Ltd. On July 13, 2016, the Company issued an aggregate of 148,477 common shares to Balmoral Resources Ltd. in settlement of a payment of $133,333 due to Balmoral in connection with the termination of the N1/N2 project. The shares have a hold period in Canada expiring on November 13, 2016. About Wealth Minerals Ltd. Wealth is a mineral resource company with interests in Canada, Mexico, Peru and Chile. The Company's main focus is the acquisition of lithium projects in South America. To date the company has positioned itself to develop the Aguas Caliente Norte, Pujsa and Quisquiro Salars in Chile and continues to aggressively pursue new acquisitions in the region. Lithium market dynamics and a rapidly increasing metal price are the result of profound structural issues with the industry meeting anticipated future demand. Wealth is positioning itself to be a major beneficiary of this future mismatch of supply and demand. The Company also maintains and continues to evaluate a portfolio of precious and base metal exploration-stage projects. For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's web site (www.wealthminerals.com) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of WEALTH MINERALS LTD. "Tim McCutcheon" Tim McCutcheon President Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the Company's expectation that it will be able to enter into agreements to acquire interests in additional mineral projects, including lithium properties, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, the proposed execution of a formal agreement for the option to acquire an interest in the Property and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis and filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. SOURCE Wealth Minerals Limited Image with caption: "Figure 1: Quisquiro Salar, showing Property (red outline) and SQM Ownership (green outline) (CNW Group/Wealth Minerals Limited)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160729_C4818_PHOTO_EN_744161.jpg Image with caption: "Figure 2: Wealth's most recent lithium project acquisitions totaling 6,400 ha., collectively referred to as the "Trinity Lithium Project" (CNW Group/Wealth Minerals Limited)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160729_C4818_PHOTO_EN_744163.jpg For further information: Tim McCutcheon or Marla Ritchie, Phone: 604-331-0096 Ext. 3886 or 604-638-3886, E-mail: [email protected] Donald Trump Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally Thursday, July 28, 2016, in Davenport, Iowa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Evan Vucci) Donald Trump referred to Upstate New York as a "ghost town" during a campaign swing Thursday in Iowa, calling the region a victim of free trade deals that have cost American jobs. Trump made the comment at a rally in Davenport, Iowa, while talking about his opposition to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. "We are not going to approve this horrible trade deal," Trump said, comparing it to the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. He said the trade deal, signed in 1992, is responsible for job losses in rust belt regions including Upstate New York. "NAFTA is probably the worst economic trade deal in the history of this world, not this country," Trump told the Iowa crowd. "You go to New England. You go to Pennsylvania. You go to New York state. Upstate New York, it's like a ghost town." It's not the first time Trump has mentioned Upstate New York as an example of communities that end up on the losing end of international trade deals. When Trump clinched the Republican nomination in May, he said Clinton doesn't understand trade, and blamed Bill Clinton for signing the NAFTA deal. "I was witness to the carnage over the last six weeks, especially," Trump said in May after campaigning heavily in Upstate New York for the April presidential primary. "I've known Syracuse and I've known Poughkeepsie...all of the different places I visited in New York and Pennsylvania...I've witnessed what it has done firsthand. We are going to change it around...We are not going to let Carrier and all of these companies just leave." Trump has said his path to the presidency will run through New York, which he insists will be competitive. A series of polls in the state have shown him trailing Hillary Clinton by double digits statewide. Some polls have shown Trump leading Clinton in Upstate New York. Trump boasted in February that in Upstate New York he's "like the most popular person that has ever lived." Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will launch September 2016 and travel to a near-Earth asteroid known as Bennu to harvest a sample of surface material and return it to Earth for study. The science team will be looking for something special. Ideally, the sample will come from a region in which the building blocks of life may be found. To identify these regions on Bennu, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) team equipped the spacecraft with an instrument that will measure the spectral signatures of Bennus mineralogical and molecular components. Known as OVIRS (short for the OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer), the instrument will measure visible and near-infrared light reflected and emitted from the asteroid and split the light into its component wavelengths, much like a prism that splits sunlight into a rainbow. OVIRS is key to our search for organics on Bennu, said Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for the OSIRIS-REx mission at the University of Arizona in Tucson. In particular, we will rely on it to find the areas of Bennu rich in organic molecules to identify possible sample sites of high science value, as well as the asteroids general composition. OVIRS will work in tandem with another OSIRIS-REx instrument the Thermal Emission Spectrometer, or OTES. While OVIRS maps the asteroid in the visible and near infrared, OTES picks up in the thermal infrared. This allows the science team to map the entire asteroid over a range of wavelengths that are most interesting to scientists searching for organics and water, and help them to select the best site for retrieving a sample. In the visible and infrared spectrum, minerals and other materials have unique signatures like fingerprints. These fingerprints allow scientists to identify various organic materials, as well as carbonates, silicates and absorbed water, on the surface of the asteroid. The data returned by OVIRS and OTES will actually allow scientists to make a map of the relative abundance of various materials across Bennus surface. I cant think of a spectral payload that has been quite this comprehensive before, said Dennis Reuter, OVIRS instrument scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. OVIRS will be active during key phases throughout the mission. As the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft approaches Bennu, OVIRS will view one entire hemisphere at a time to measure how the spectrum changes as the asteroid rotates, allowing scientists to compare ground-based observations to those from the spacecraft. Once at the asteroid, OVIRS will gather spectral data and create detailed maps of the surface and help in the selection of a sample site. Using information gathered by OVIRS and OTES from the visible to the thermal infrared, the science team will also study the Yarkovsky Effect, or how Bennus orbit is affected by surface heating and cooling throughout its day. The asteroid is warmed by sunlight and re-emits thermal radiation in different directions as it rotates. This asymmetric thermal emission gives Bennu a small but steady push, thus changing its orbit over time. Understanding this effect will help scientists study Bennus orbital path, improve our understanding of the Yarkovsky effect, and improve our predictions of its influence on the orbits of other asteroids. But despite its capabilities to perform complex science, OVIRS is surprisingly inexpensive and compact in its design. The entire spectrometer operates at 10 watts, requiring less power than a standard household light bulb. When you put it into that perspective, you can see just how efficient this instrument is, even though it is taking extremely complicated science measurements, said Amy Simon, deputy instrument scientist for OVIRS at Goddard. Weve put a big job in a compact instrument. Unlike most spectrometers, OVIRS has no moving parts, reducing the risk of a malfunction. We designed OVIRS to be robust and capable of lasting a long time in space, Reuter said. Think of how many times you turn on your computer and something doesnt work right or it just wont start up. We cant have that type of thing happen during the mission. Drastic temperature changes in space will put the instruments robust design to the test. OVIRS is a cryogenic instrument, meaning that it must be at very low temperatures to produce the best data. Generally, it doesnt take much for something to stay cool in space. That is, until it comes in contact with direct sunlight. Heat inside OVIRS would increase the amount of thermal radiation and scattered light, interfering with the infrared data. To avoid this risk, the scientists anodized the spectrometers interior coating. Anodizing increases a metals resistance to corrosion and wear. Anodized coatings can also help reduce scattered light, lowering the risk of compromising OVIRS observations. The team also had to plan for another major threat: water. The scientists will search for traces of water when they scout the surface for a sample site. Because the team will be searching for tiny water levels on Bennus surface, any water inside OVIRS would skew the results. And while the scientists dont have to worry about a torrential downpour in space, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft may accumulate moisture while resting on its launch pad in Floridas humid environment. Immediately after launch, the team will turn on heaters on the instrument to bake off any water. The heat will not be intense enough to cause any damage to OVIRS, and the team will turn the heaters off once all of the water has evaporated. There are always challenges that we dont know about until we get there, but we try to plan for the ones that we know about ahead of time, said Simon. OVIRS will be essential for helping the team choose the best sample site. Its data and maps will give the scientists a picture of what is present on Bennus surface. In addition to OVIRS, Goddard will provide overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta is the missions principal investigator at the University of Arizona. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASAs New Frontiers Program. NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages New Frontiers for the agencys Science Mission Directorate in Washington. General Robert Neller, Marine Commandant, thinks the Navy and Marine training systems we have as far as simulators and simulation are pretty good for individual task/condition/standard, for air crew, for drivers, for even firing individual weapons, gunnery, things like that, but he think the thing that we are looking for is, wheres the equivalent of our Holodeck, where a fleet commander or division commander or air wing commander can go in and get a rep. Right now that almost requires an actual provision of the real stuff, which is really expensive . . . . Wheres our Enders Game battle lab kind of thing where we can not just give our leadership reps, but we can actually find out who the really good leaders are. Description of Enders Battle Lab by Navy Everything I Ever Needed to Know about Simulation and Training I Learned from Enders Game Using virtual training environments, the children go head-to-head on an individual level against computers that simulate Formic battle tactics to gain the knowledge and abilities required to defeat the enemy. The children can then compete against one another in the virtual environments to further develop their strategies. The next phase involves live collective training. Divided into armies, the soldiers must learn to function as a single unit to accomplish a mission objective in the battleroom. With enough skill, soldiers can become commanders of their armies and must learn to lead them effectively. By merging these individual and collective training components, the soldiers knowledge, skills, and abilities can translate into operational readiness. While the concept of an Enders Game battle lab may seem like pure fantasy to some, the technology to build it may be right around the corner. In order to turn Nellers vision into reality, several organizational changes must occur. * The Navy needs to not pay to reinvent what exists. As the current Pokemon Go craze clearly demonstrates, working augmented reality is now widely available to the public at virtually no cost. * Senior leaders and acquisition professionals need to consider open source software (OSS) services, such as GitHub, as the new norm for software procurement. OSS services allow users to take available code and modify it for a specific use at potentially a much lower cost than developing their own version from scratch or purchasing a commercial software license. * Another form of technological advancement needing consideration is the rise of machine learning and bot technology. Sophisticated software algorithms show great utility in modern computer networks, with their ability to monitor computer systems, offer data access, and to check network activity, while adapting themselves to varying conditions without human direction. * traditional wargaming is a competition among participants based on a scenario that is conducted in a turn-based manner. They make people think and solve problems. This same process is easily replicated, repeated and expanded by using a virtual environment. Virtual wargaming offers many advantages over traditional simulations Enders Game Battle School Enders Game Zero G Training Combat In an examination of military innovation, Dima Adamsky notes a significant difference between the US and Soviet militaries during the Cold War in their approaches to technological adaptation. The Soviets would develop concepts and strategy for use ahead of delivering a technology, whereas the US military usually had the technology and then often took a decade to figure out how to turn it into an operational advantage. To prevent this problem in the future, DARPA and ONR could insert the latest weapons technology into the battle lab years ahead of its actual fielding. This would give future naval leaders the opportunity to experiment with weapons of the future, then speedily integrate them into their decision making cycle as soon the new systems arrive in the operating forces. There are many technical, fiscal, and organizational barriers which must be overcome to fully operationalize the naval battle lab concept. The most significant obstacle, however, will be cultural. Ultimately our leaders must see the lessons learned from traditional leadership tasks and day-to-day decision-making in an operational environment are invaluable and cannot be supplanted. As cognitive decision-making emerges as a critical capability on the battlefield of the future, we must leverage every opportunity to build the most tactically and operationally proficient naval officers possible. As we see in every aspect of society, technology will play a vital role. If a battle-hardened, infantry Marine like General Neller, who entered military service long before personal computing became part of our daily lives, recognizes the potential of a naval battle lab for building and testing naval leaders, others must take notice too SOURCES USNI, The first shots shattered the peace of the night at the Abeokuta Garrison of the Nigerian Army a few minutes after midnight on July 29, 19... The first shots shattered the peace of the night at the Abeokuta Garrison of the Nigerian Army a few minutes after midnight on July 29, 1966.Three casualties lay instantly dead in the persons of Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel Okonweze, the Garrison Commander, Major John Obienu, Commander of the 2nd Reece Squadron, and Lieutenant E. B. Orok, also of the Reece Squadron. It was the beginning of the much-touted revenge coup of Northern Nigerian army officers and men against the regime of Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi.By August 1, when Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon assumed power in Lagos as Nigerias second military Head of State, the bullet ridden bodies of both Ironsi and his host, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, the military Governor of Western Nigeria, lay buried in shallow graves at Iwo, outside Ibadan.Within three days of the July outbreak, every Igbo soldier serving in the army outside the East was dead, imprisoned or fleeing eastward for his life, observed Professor Ruth First in The Barrel of a Gun: The Politics of Coups dEtat in Africa [Allen Lane The Penguin Press, London, 1970, p317.] But Africas bloodiest coup did not stop at that stage, despite the shooting deaths of 42 officers and over 130 other ranks, who were overwhelmingly Igbo.The killing sprees and ever-expanding killing fields spread like wild fire across most of the country. There were three phases to the coup the Araba/Aware massacres in northern Nigeria pre-July that called for northern secession, the July Army bloodbath, and the ethnic cleansing that went on for months after Ironsi had been assassinated and his regime toppled.The maelstrom prompted Colonel Gowon into making a radio broadcast on September 29, 1966. This was the kernel of what he said: You all know that since the end of July, God in his power has entrusted the responsibility of this great country of ours into the hands of yet another Northerner.I receive complaints daily that up till now Easterners living in the North are being killed and molested, and their property looted. I am very unhappy about this. We should put a stop to it. It appears that it is going beyond reason and is now at a point of recklessness and irresponsibility. Salutary intervention But Gowons salutary intervention changed nothing, as the massacres continued unabated.Northern soldiers and civilians went into towns, fished out Easterners and flattened them either with rapid gunfire or with violent machete blows, leaving their properties looted or torched. According to the Massacre of Ndigbo in 1966: Report of the Justice G. C. M. Onyiuke Tribunal, [Tollbrook Limited, Ikeja, Lagos] between 45,000 and 50,000 civilians of former Eastern Nigeria were killed in Northern Nigeria and other parts of Nigeria from 29th May 1966 to December 1967 and although it is not strictly within its terms of reference the Tribunal estimates that not less than 1,627,743 Easterners fled back to Eastern Nigeria as a result of the 1966 pogrom. Counter-coup This is contemporary Nigerian history, only 50 years old.But when experts like Dr. Reuben Abati and Professor Jonah Elaigwu write about it, they lose all sense of numeracy and statistical acuity, and glibly state that the July 29, 1966 counter-coup cost many Igbo lives.Well, the truth is that the July 29 counter-coup appears to be the bloodiest in the worlds recorded history because the casualty figures it posted far outstrip those registered in decided bloody coups like the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in which King James II of England was overthrown by an invading army led by William III of Orange-Nassau; the 18 Brumaire of 1799 coup in which General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the French Directory on November 9, 1799; the Wuchang Uprising of 1911 that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and led to the establishment of the Republic of China; the Bolsheviks October Revolution of 1917 that led to the creation of the Soviet Union; and the Iraqi coup detat of 1936, the first among Arab countries. Each of these coups/revolutions led to war. But none of them managed anything near the sea of blood occasioned by July 29, 1966.Giving their interest in posting photographs and videos on the Internet by Instagram and Snapchat, and advertising mostly poor language on Facebook and other such portals, todays Nigerian youths may know next to nothing about what led to the catastrophe of July 29.But the details follow here for those of them interested in learning. The problem sat rigidly on the superficiality of Nigeria, a geographical expression contrived by colonialist Britain.At Independence in 1960, the country operated a federal system of government with three powerful regions that didnt take dictation from Lagos, the nations capital. A fourth region, the Midwest, with capital in Benin City, was created in June 1963.But destroying the very fabric of the artificial political entity were tribalism and corruption, corruption which by todays standards, would seem like cloistered nuns delightfully engaging in a game of Ping-Pong! Controversial census There were the 1960 and 1964-1965 uprisings in the Tiv country of the Middle Belt, and fractious elections in Western Nigeria in 1964 and 1965.There was the highly controversial national census exercise of 1963, and there was the military action of Isaac Boros Niger Delta Volunteer Force. Then, the military moved in on January 15, 1966, having contracted the germ of the idea of military putsches running riot across the world.In Algeria, for instance, Colonel Houari Boumediene and Ahmed Ben Bella overthrew Benyoucef Benkhedda on July 3, 1962. Three years later, on June 19, 1965, Boumedienne overthrew Ben Bella. More: In Argentina, General Eduardo Lonardi overthrew President Juan Domingo Peron on September 16, 1955. On March 29, 1962, General Raul Pogi overthrew President Arturo Frondizi.In Brazil on March 31, 1964, Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco overthrew Joao Goulart to set up a 21-year-long dictatorship. In Indonesia General Suharto overthrew President Sukarno on September 30, 1965. First West African coup Inside Africa itself, coups were also trending.Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser had overthrown Muhammad Naguib as far back as February 27, 1954. The first coup in West Africa was on January 13, 1963, when Etiene Eyadema overthrew Sylvanus Olympio. Colonel Joseph (later Mobutu Sese Seko) toppled Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba on September 14, 1960 and neutralized all political parties in Congo-Kinshasa. In neighbouring Benin Republic, Christophe Soglo overthrew Hubert Maga on October 28, 1963. Soglo carried out another coup on November 27, 1965, toppling Sourou-Migan Apithy.Both coups happened when the country still bore the name of Dahomey. On New Years Day of 1966, Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa overthrew his cousin, President David Dacko in Central Africa Republic. Two days later, Lieutenant Colonel Sangoule Lamizana overthrew President Maurice Yameogo in Upper Volta, which was renamed Burkina Faso in 1984 by Marxist revolutionary Captain Thomas Sankara.But there was a difference between the rash of coups that occurred elsewhere and the one of January 15, 1966 in Nigeria. The Nigerian coup took an immediate ethnic colouration, and for reasons that were all too obvious. Of the five Majors that formed the innermost circle of the plotters, four were Igbo Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna, Donatus Okafor, and Chris Anuforo.But there was also among them Major Adewale Ademoyega, a Yoruba. Then, there was also the more disturbing fact that most of the coups casualties were non-Igbo, like Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Northern Premier Sir Ahmadu Bello, Western Premier Chief Samuel Akintola, and Federal Finance Minister Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh. No Igbo politician had lost his life in the bloody action.Further, in executing the coup, the military had turned against itself in the killings of the following Northern military officers: Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari (Commander 2 Brigade), Colonel Kur Mohammed (Chief of Staff, Army Headquarters), Lieutenant Colonel James Yakubu Pam (Adjutant-General), and Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Abogo Largema (Commander 4th Battalion, Ibadan). Two Yoruba officers were also victims: Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun (Commander 1 Brigade), and his deputy, Colonel Ralph Sodeinde. The coup was, in effect, as bloody as they come. Its very nature fanned the fiction that it was an Igbo coup.Chuks Iloegbunam (iloegbunam@hotmail.com), is the author of Ironside, the biography of General Aguiyi-Ironsi. The chances are slim for Senator Ike Ekweremadu to continue as the Deputy Senate President over the emergence of Mr. Ben Uwajimogu as Okig... The chances are slim for Senator Ike Ekweremadu to continue as the Deputy Senate President over the emergence of Mr. Ben Uwajimogu as Okigwe North Senatorial district.With the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu may be in for a long battle.Just recently, on Tuesday, APC governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari to demand for the removal of Ekweremadu of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Deputy Senate President which media reported of the President's approval.Before the Governors meeting with Buhari, both APC chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha had spoken on the necessity of replacing him with an APC member with Okorocha saying that with the possibility of the Imo candidate winning in the senatorial rerun, the days of Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President was numbered.Nigerian Bulletin The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, said on Friday that the former Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin,... The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, said on Friday that the former Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin, solely worked on the 2016 budget.Rep. Chris Azubuogu, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, told newsmen in Abuja that Jibrins allegations against the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara were baseless. There had been accusations and counter accusation over budget padding between Jibrin and the leadership of the house.As members of the Committee on Appropriation, we want to state categorically clear that the ousted chairmans action does not in any way reflect the position of the committee.We wish to state that we totally dissociate ourselves with all the calculated plot to pull down the integrity of the leadership and members of the 8th House of Representatives,Azubuogu said. He said that after collating reports of the budget from various standing committees of the house, Jubrin failed to present the report to the committee for deliberation. He unilaterally took the entire budget to a hideout with his consultant without the consent of the committee.That was the last time the committee saw the budget, only for Jubrin to resurface about three weeks later, with a report purported to have come from the committee. Consequently, members approached Mr Speaker with a complaint and a demand to remove Jibrin as the Chairman of the Committee.He added that Jibrins confrontational approach irked the members to request for his urgent removal from office. On call for independent investigation into the allegations, Azubuogu said there was no breach in the appropriation process that would warrant any external interference.Jibrin is on his own and we as members of the Committee on Appropriation, saddled with the responsibility of treating the 2016 and subsequent national budget are solidly in support of Dogara and other principal officers of the House of Representatives.We, therefore, request that Jibrin should tow the path of honour and conduct himself in a manner befitting an honourable member of the House of Representatives, Azubuogu said. Twitter blew up when Hillary Clinton formally accepted the Democratic Partys presidential nomination on Thursday. The following is a sele... Twitter blew up when Hillary Clinton formally accepted the Democratic Partys presidential nomination on Thursday. The following is a selection of reactions, from Clinton supporters and her Republican opponent Donald Trump:President Barack Obama@POTUSGreat speech. Shes tested. Shes ready. She never quits. Thats why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (Shell get the Twitter handle, too)Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate@realDonaldTrumpNo one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes.Senator Bernie Sanders, Clintons primary rival@BernieSandersI congratulate @HillaryClinton on this historic achievement. We are stronger together.Donald Trump@realDonaldTrumpOur way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words. Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist@NickKristofHillary Clinton was never renowned for oratory, but tonights speech was the best Ive ever seen her giveesp when standing up to Trump Jon Lovett, TV writer and producer @jonlovett Last week was a convention about Donald Trump. This is a convention about America. I like America better.Bill Clinton@billclintonMore than ever, Im with her, our next President.Rich Galen, former press secretary to Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich@richgalenHow can it be that I am standing at my kitchen counter sobbing because of the messages being driven at the DNC? Where has the GOP gone?Sam Tanenhaus, author@samtanenhausHer best speech once she got to trump and loosened up. Didnt shed the trust baggage but no one trusted Nixon either and he won twice Former Minister of Defence (State) Musiliu Obanikoros head of security has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) how... Former Minister of Defence (State) Musiliu Obanikoros head of security has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) how his principal moved funds to Ekiti State for the June 21, 2014 governorship election.Lt. Commander A. O. Adewale gave a blow-by-blow account of the cash movement when he was grilled by some EFCC operatives.The EFCC is investigating the N1.299billion cash taken to Governor Ayodele Fayose by Obanikoro in chartered flight before the election.The cash was part of the N4.745 billion paid into Obanikoros company, Sylva Mcnamara by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).Fayoses associate, Abiodun Agbele, who received the cash from Obanikoro, is in EFCC custody awaiting arraignment in court. A court last week declared his dention illegal and ordered the EFCC to pay him N5million as damages.Some of those already quizzed by the EFCC over the cash movement are the General Manager of Gyro Air Limited, Jide West, a pilot Captain Ahmed Bashir Borodo, a bullion van driver, Omotoso Olaoluwa and some bank officials, among others.Lt. Commander Adewale told investigators how they started the Ekiti trip from Obanikoros Park View, Ikoyi, Lagos home on June 16, 2014.He said: I was posted as the Flag Lieutenant to the Hon. Minister of State for Defence from March 2014 to September 2014. Thereafter I proceeded to Defence Intelligence School for my basic French Language course from December 14 to June 2015.As at when I was the Flag Lieutenant to the Minister of State for Defence, my schedule of duties was being in charge of Very Important Personalities (VIP) protection, organisation and administration of the escorts and also coordination of convoys for movement, organisation and administration of the escorts means.I am responsible to all the security aides attached to the minister. Security aides include the personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force. I detail them on VIP protection.During my tour of duty as the Flag. Lieutenant to the Minister of State for Defence, I was reporting to the Principal Staff Office, (PSO), Navy Capt. O.O. Fadeyi. During my period as the Flag Lieutenant to the Hon. Minister of State Defence, the then minister was Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.On assumption of duty as the Flag Lieutenant, I embarked on several trips with the Minister to several military and civil parastatals, some of which included several visits to Lagos, the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Military Pension Board, Air Force Base in Enugu, also visits to Ekiti State, Port Harcout, Bayelsa and the commissioning of the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Okpabana in the United States. During my tour of duty, I visited Ekiti twice with the minister. The first was the presidential rally held in Ekiti and the second trip was sometimes in June 2014.The movement to Ekiti was by air through a chartered aircraft. It is not part of my duties to initiate movement for the minister. Every time, the minister informed me verbally of our intended movement, I complied.Adewale, who gave insights into how the trip was arranged, said he prepared the manifest of passengers on board the chartered flight.He added: A Gyro Air Limited passenger manifest dated June 16, 2014 with the departure DN MM with route DN AKR and the following passenger details, (1) the Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (2) Dr. Tunde Oshinowo and Lt. Commander A.O. Adewale was shown to me.I recognised the manifest via my handwriting and my name is also on the manifest. The flight was organised by the minister and I was given the contact of Mr. Jide West (the General Manager of Gyro Air) to liaise with. On June 16, 2014, we left the house of the former minister at Park View, Lagos to the airport. It is pertinent to state that I did not arrange or pay for the chartered flight to Ekiti. I was given the number of Mr. Jide West by the minister for liaison of timing of takeoff.We got to the airport in the morning of June 16, 2014. On arrival via road from Park View at the airport, the ministers son, Mr. Gbolahan was at the airport.A private discussion held between father and son. The minister then informed me of the delay in the movement to Akure. About an hour later, a bullion van pulled into the hangar where the chartered aircraft was parked. Shortly after, Mr. Gbolahan ensured that some bags were offloaded into the plane.As at when the bullion van pulled into the airport, I was at the waiting lounge close to where the plane was parked. Shortly after, I boarded the plane with the minister and his civilian friend in person of Mr. Oshinowo as indicated on the manifest.On arrival at the airport, the minister had private discussions with some of his political friends who received him at the airport in Akure. I was not privy to the discussions.However, a bullion van was driven down to the tarmac where the plane was parked. The bags were offloaded into the bullion van and the minister directed that we should escort the van to a particular Zenith Bank branch in Akure. I can recall the exact branch.On arrival at the bank, the bags were offloaded by the bank staff under the supervision of a particular civilian who was in company of the minister at the Akure airport. I dont know the man personally but with facial recognition, I can identify the man. After offloading the bags and the civilian took custody, the escorts thereafter proceeded to meet the minister. The caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the partys convention scheduled for August 17 will hold as planned. The caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the partys convention scheduled for August 17 will hold as planned.Okon Abang, a judge of the federal high court in Abuja had earlier ruled that the caretaker committee was illegal and could not conduct any function on behalf of the party.But in a statement issued on Thursday, Dayo Adeyeye, spokesman of the committee, accused Abang of deliberately engaging in acts capable of derailing the countrys democracy.We have just received information that Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court in Abuja has granted an order of interlocutory injunction stopping our scheduled national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, but we want to state that the judgment of the 4th of July, 2016 supersedes any ex-parte order or interlocutory Injunctions, he said.So, our national convention will hold as scheduled in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.He has penchant for abuse of court processes and actions of legal impunity. This judge Nigerians will recall, issued judgment against the governor of Abia State that led to INEC re-issuing another certificate of return to a man who did not contest election thereby causing unnecessary hardship on the people of that state.He also issued an order to INEC to recognise senator Sheriffs candidates in Edo and Ondo states before they could even plan their purported congress in Edo.In todays case, this same judge out rightly denied the PDP representation in court which is unheard of by serving the plaintiff (Sheriff & Co.) who instituted the case also as PDP (defendants).His excesses are extremely absurd, strange and unbecoming of a judge who enjoys putting the judiciary on the spot. We therefore bring this matter before the highest level of Judiciary in the country to stop this judge forthwith from waging war against the PDP.Finally, the party calls on all its members and teaming supporters nationwide to remain calm and law abiding and be rest assured that the PDP national convention will hold as scheduled and all preparation towards the August 17, 2016 national convention remains the same. Panic yesterday gripped residents of Ibafo, Arepo and other coastal communities in Ogun State as guns boomed in the creeks, fueling susp... Panic yesterday gripped residents of Ibafo, Arepo and other coastal communities in Ogun State as guns boomed in the creeks, fueling suspicion that troops might have clashed with militants.But the military head of operation reportedly assured that there was no cause for alarm and that lives and properties would be protected.It was learnt that military fighter Jets clamped down on militants at their base on the creeks yesterday evening, the fear of which made residents to make phone calls to their loved ones.The operation wont extend to the upland, the head of the military operations was reported to have said.Troops have been deployed to man the waterways in Arepo, where vandals had damaged pipeline facilities to scoop petrol.The police have also sent their men to strengthen security within the community following repeated attacks by hoodlums. Swansea City have announced the departure of striker Bafetimbi Gomis to Marseille on a season-long loan.The 30-year-old was left out of the Swans' squad for their pre-season tour of America.Gomis made 18 starts and 15 substitute league appearances last season, scoring six goals, having arrived from Lyon on a free transfer in 2014.The former France international graduated from the Saint-Etienne academy and went on to make 159 appearances.His return to the French top tier sees him replace Michy Batshuayi, who left Marseille for Chelsea in a 40 million deal at the start of July. General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has finally revealed why he has been silent over th... General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has finally revealed why he has been silent over the slain Abuja preacher.According to reports, Pastor Adeboye said he will not seek vengeance against killers of Abuja preacher, Deaconess Eunice Olawale Elisha.Forty-two-year old, assistant pastor at the RCCG, Divine Touch parish, Mrs Elisha was hacked to death by hoodlums on June 9 at Gbazango-West area of Kubwa, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory while preaching early in the morning.According to the revered man of God, if Dcns Elisha was actually preaching to win souls for Jesus Christ, it would be unscriptural and anti-Christ to seek to kill the same souls she sought to save.Adeboye made the declaration on the occasion of the second day of the ongoing Ministers Conference at the Redemption Camp, Kilometer 46, Lagos Ibadan Expressway on Friday morning ahead the 64 annual convention starting August 1.Im not looking for vengeance. I wont listen to people asking me to seek vengeance.I wont pursue the case. Thatll be contrary to what she wanted.She wanted them saved, not killed.What will their killing do for me?, the 74-year-old cleric queried. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, yesterday condemned the sharing of cash from the Office of National Security Adviser (NS... The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, yesterday condemned the sharing of cash from the Office of National Security Adviser (NSA) among some politicians, describing the act as ungodly.He endorsed the anti-graft war of President Muhammadu Buhari and sought more international support for the campaign.He spoke with some top officials at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington DC, according to a statement by Kogunan Sokoto, Malam Danladi Bako. Bako, a former Sokoto State commissioner for Information, was on the Sultans delegation to the United StatesFormer National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki is awaiting trial for allegedly using his office to share billions of naira and dollars to politicians from the cash meant for the procurement of arms to fight Boko Haram.The government said the money shared by the ONSA under the immediate past administration was up to $15 billion.Many top politicians have been quizzed and others are either on trial or awaiting trial for their role in the matter. Some have also refunded money to avoid trial.The statement said: The Sultan not only endorsed the war against corruption, but decried the conversion of funds meant for the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram to personal use by past government official.This was done with the connivance of some unscrupulous politicians. Such funds would have enhanced the capacity of the military to fast track the curtailment of insurgency in the north east of Nigeria.It added: The Sultan implored the international community to be patient with the Buhari administration in its agenda of improving on the economy, as well as the security situation in the country.Speaking on other security challenges like communal clashes, the farmers and herdsmen clashes, the Sultan said the government was on top of the situation with the support of traditional and religious leaders. Nigeria and Switzerland on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the repatriation of $321 million stashed in the European ... Nigeria and Switzerland on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the repatriation of $321 million stashed in the European nations banks by the late maximum ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha.The pact also seeks to block accounts linked to stolen funds.This is the second batch of the stolen money linked to the late Abacha.Switzerland also repatriated $722m to Nigeria in 2005.The Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Eric Mayoraz, hinted that both countries are now in the process of repatriating the looted fund.The MoU, he argued will help remove all the legal bottlenecks in the fund repatriation.The envoy spoke during the signing of MoU on Mutual Legal Assistance on criminal matters, between the Swiss government and the Federal Government in Abuja.Mayoraz noted that Fridays event is significant in the sense that it would eradicate every bottlenecks associated with the repatriation of stolen funds kept in his country.The ambassador, who stated that the pact is aimed at fostering understanding between the two countries as it relates to their different legal system said, We are now in the process of repatriating $321m from the second batch of the Abacha loot.Our countries enjoy excellent relations and we cooperate as partners in many fields, particularly on the return of looted assets, migration, human rights, humanitarian assistance and many others.Today, we decide to take this cooperation forward to deepen it in the field of judicial cooperation. By signing a Memorandum of Understanding in this important area, our two states further strengthen their ties of friendship and cooperation. The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian missions to Borno state, the nerve center of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nige... The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian missions to Borno state, the nerve center of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.A humanitarian escort duty and Nigerian soldiers were on Thursday ambushed and attacked by Boko Haram insurgents.The convoy which was en route Maiduguri from Bama, included staff from UNICEF, UNFPA, and IOM.A UNICEF employee and an IOM contractor were injured in the deadly attack which was managed and repelled by troops of the Nigerian ArmyAccording to Sani Usman, the Nigerian Army spokesperson, the terrorists were hiding in Meleri village, a few kilometres from Kawuri.The gallant troops however, successfully cleared the ambush and exploited up to Afunori, Usman said.Unfortunately, 2 soldiers and 3 civilians were wounded in the ambush, among whom were staff of United Nations agencies and other international humanitarian organizations. The wounded have been evacuated to University ofMaiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri and they are in stable condition.UNICEF regretted that a humanitarian convoy was attacked while returning from delivering desperately needed humanitarian assistance.UNICEF can confirm that a UNICEF employee and an IOM contractor were injured in the attack and are being treated at a local hospital. All other UNICEF, IOM and UNFPA staff are safe.The convoy was in a remote area of northeastern Nigeria, where protracted conflict has caused extreme suffering and has triggered a severe malnutrition crisis. This was not only an attack on humanitarian workers. It is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing.The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions pending review of the security situation.Also on Thursday, the United Nations Security Council harped on the need to increase military cooperation between West African countries to fight against Boko Haram.The UNSC acknowledged the progress made in the implementation of the Joint Multinational Force and urged member states to improve cooperation and military coordination in the region, refuse harbouring Boko Haram, facilitate the restoration of the rule of law in towns liberated form Boko Haram and to allow humanitarian access. John Cardinal Onaiyekan on Friday advised Nigerians to unite against divisive elements that he alleged were attempting to tear the country... John Cardinal Onaiyekan on Friday advised Nigerians to unite against divisive elements that he alleged were attempting to tear the country apart.Onaiyekan, the Cardinal Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, gave the advice in Makurdi at the requiem mass for Bishop Athanasius Usuh held at the IBB Square.he News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Usuh was the Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic diocese of Makurdi, Benue until some years ago. The prelate said that it was important for the people to leverage on the good works of the late bishop in uniting the people of the North-Central Nigeria through evangelism and establishment of schools.He said that Usuhs episcopacy was characterised by selfless service to the people regardless of his health constraints. The cardinal said the deceased bishop promoted peace and the unity among Nigerians through the services he rendered to the people under his apostolic care.He appealed to Nigerians not to take for granted the prevailing peace in the country by renouncing all forms of religious fanaticism and exposing those promoting them. He said the war against corruption was necessary and had to continue for peace to reign in the country.We must end all forms of religious pluralism and remove all that seems to tear us apart. Onaiyekan described Usuh as a tireless apostle and a hero of the Christian faith.He said the late bishop emeritus presided over the largest diocese in the country then; stretching from Benue to the city gates of Abuja through the Eastern borders of Cameroon.The cardinal said that it was through Usuhs tireless efforts that the dioceses of Lafia, Otukpo, Gboko and Katsina-Ala were carved out of the territory handed to him by his predecessor, the late Bishop Donald Murray.Onaiyekan reading from 2 Timothy 4:7 said of Usuh, He fought a good fight, finished the race and remained faithful.NAN reports that the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, was the chief celebrant at the requiem mass where no fewer than 1,000 Catholic bishops and priests concelebrated.They were joined by dignitaries of church and state to offer prayers for the repose of the soul of the bishop during the requiem mass. FORT LEE - A bicyclist on the George Washington Bridge helped a suicidal man step off a railing to safety Thursday afternoon, according to the Port Authority Police Department. It was the second time in two days a suicidal person was stopped from jumping off the bridge, police said. The latest incident occurred about 5:20 p.m., mid-span on the south walk of the bridge, according to Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for Port Authority police. Police responded to the bridge after receiving a 911 call about a possible jumper. Officers observed a 19-year-old man on on the bridge, being helped off the railing by a passing bicyclist, Pentangelo said. Pentangelo said the suicidal man had been walking his dog on the walkway for a period of time. "At some point, he tethered his dog to the rail and began to climb atop the rail," the spokesman said. "A passing bicyclist observed this and was able to get subject off the railing." The man who attempted to jump is from Franklin, Mass., police said. He was taken to a command center where he was evaluated by Fort Lee EMTs before being taken to Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus. On Wednesday, police grabbed a man threatening to jump from the bridge, also on the south walkway, according to Pentangelo. The 35-year-old, from Guatemala, was taken into custody for medical evaluation, Pentangelo said. So far this year, there have been eight fatal jumps from the GWB and 39 interventions on the bridge. There were 18 deaths in 2015. Retrofitting the bridge with an anti-suicide fence can be costly, complex and may affect the bridge's stability, including how it absorbs the stress of high winds, officials say. However, as part of an ongoing overhaul of the bridge, the Port Authority has plans to install a fence and suicide prevention system by 2024 at a cost of at least $35 million, officials have said. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. EAST RUTHERFORD -- Jim Kirkos, CEO of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, remembers sending his son to swimming lessons at the local YMCA. They took place in a "makeshift pool" in the back of a tractor-trailer. The Meadowlands Area YMCA has been known as the "Y without walls" since its founding in 1920, operating programs in rented spaces across the 20 towns it serves. That began to change Thursday, when the YMCA started transforming a practice facility once used by the NBA's former New Jersey Nets into the first full-service community center in its nearly 100 year history. "This redesigned facility secures the future for the Meadowlands YMCA, ensuring that thousands of men, women and children will continue to learn and grow at the Y in the century to come," Jane A. Egan, CEO of the Meadowlands Area YMCA, said. The YMCA had purchased a building at 235 Murray Hill Parkway in 2013, but it required an extensive and expensive renovation. In 2015, Rich Branca, president of his own property management company and a supporter of the Meadowlands YMCA, let the organization know that tenants of his were leaving a building just up the road at 390 Murray Hill Parkway that might suit their needs better. That tenant was the Nets, who were leaving the practice facility for their new home in Brooklyn. The YMCA jumped at the chance, selling the building at 235 Murray Hill Parkway and signing a lease with Branca under generous terms, Egan said. The YMCA is leaving the two practice courts intact and plans to overhaul the rest of the building into a 83,200-square-foot community center that will house 400 programs for 23,000 local residents. Aside from the courts, the center will include a day care center, exercise and dance studios, theater spaces, a rock-climbing wall and a meeting space. That first phase should open in 2017. The plan is for the YMCA to work on a second phase--a 9,600-square-foot aquatic center with a competition pool. Ron Simoncini, chairman of the Meadowlands Area YMCA board of directors, said the YMCA is about $2.5 million away from building phase two. Simoncini thanked the many supporters of the project for their help, and said the community would reap the rewards. "We have 250,000 people in our catch area," Simoncini said. "Those people are dying for a YMCA. And they'll be so thrilled when we open, so it's a great moment of anticipation." Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Logan Lerman is a frosh out of water in 'Indignation' (SUMMIT/ROADSIDE - ALISON COHEN ROSA) Indignation. It is the white-hot, dead-certain, absolutely righteous belief that the world is doing someone (probably you) a grave injustice -- albeit one it is too stupid to realize. It is the default position of most adolescents and, once they learn how to counterfeit it, the refuge of most pandering politicians. But it is pretty tiresome to be around, and rarely useful. This is something the butcher boy Marcus Messner has not yet learned, in 1951 Newark. Yes, as the scattered details in that sentence might suggest, "Indignation" is a movie set clearly in Philip Roth Land, based on his slim 2008 novel, populated with Mom and sex and class and shiksas, and now brought faithfully to the screen by James Schamus. The gentlemanly and literate Schamus has been a force in indie film for years; a long-time producer, he also wrote many of the scripts for Ang Lee's best films. For his first effort as a director, he chose this Roth novel, and adapted it carefully. Its protagonist, Marcus, is a good boy, a smart boy - as everyone around him, starting with his mother, has been telling him for too long. So when he gets to Winesburg College in Ohio (all hail Sherwood Anderson!) he can't help but loudly point out the stupidity he's forced to deal with. And we agree with him, of course, at first. But when a fellow student wonders why he doesn't just pay a little lip service to school traditions, observe the few harmless conformities and ignore the rest - go along to get along - we start to see Marcus through other people's eyes. And this view isn't quite as flattering. Comfortably insulated by his own convictions, Marcus is a little humorless, a trifle conceited and, frankly, a bit of a prig. Looking for arguments, sneering at compromise and finding phonies everywhere, he holds his own moral superiority like a club, and beats people over the head with it. The drama comes to a kind of climax halfway through the movie, in a meeting with the school's dean. He's everything Marcus hates - right-wing, religious, sanctimonious. He's also, in his own way, genuinely concerned about this prickly student. But Marcus is so constantly outraged by everything - so indignant - he won't give an inch. The great stage actor Tracy Letts plays the Dean, and - as he often does - makes an excellent authority figure, simultaneously projecting both calm and coldness. And Logan Lerman is an engaging Marcus - a hard job as his character is frequently annoying and, in his treatment of a coed who falls for him (played by Sarah Gadon), rather reprehensible. Schamus, not surprisingly, has done a surgical job of adaptation, inventing a helpful prologue and epilogue, and eliminating some extraneous scenes. Some of what's cut is missed - there's less of Marcus' father, and of Marcus' gay roommate - but on the other hand, nothing here feels unnecessary. And as a director, Schamus strips the visuals down to essentials, too. We see only a little bit of Newark, and just enough of Winesburg to see what a different world it is. The camera moves very little. There are few long shots, with the camera going in close on people's faces to catch a drop of nervous perspiration, or the flicker of annoyance. The studied calm of this approach can leave the film feeling a little stuffy, particularly when Marcus and the Dean square off, calmly arguing in Roth's sober, structured sentences. It's a thrilling scene, but also a coolly intellectual one -- it sounds sometimes like ideas clashing, not people. (It also makes you wish Schamus had left in some of the novel's more antic moments for contrast -- like the silly frat-boy panty raid -- or brought more passion to Lerman and Gadon's taboo-busting lovemaking.) But in a way, the stuffiness here is seen as a virtue, and central to Roth's point, and to Schamus' -- Indignation is an emotion best suited to the very young, and best grown out of before moving into the real world. Self-righteousness, you see, is not the same as self-knowledge; protest is not necessarily the same thing as change. But that is not a sermon that the young want to hear. Just as "Indignation" is the sort of story only the battle-scarred old would feel compelled to tell. Ratings note: The film contains sexual situations, strong language and very brief violence. 'Indignation' (R) Summit/Roadside (110 min.) Directed by James Schamus. With Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy Letts. Now playing in New York. 1/2 Stephen Whitty may be reached at stephenjwhitty@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwhitty. Find him on Facebook. NEWARK -- A 19-year-old Bloomfield man was arrested Thursday and charged in connection with a May 27 head-on car crash that killed a 33-year-old man, authorities said. Alan Faynzilberg was charged with vehicular homicide for the crash that claimed the life of Luis Davila of Belleville, acting Essex County Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Belleville Police Chief Mark Minichini said in a joint statement. The crash occurred at about 8:30 p.m on May 27 when Faynzilberg was traveling on Belleville Avenue and crossed into oncoming traffic, the prosecutor said. She said Faynzilberg's vehicle struck Davila's vehicle head-on. Authorities said Davila, who was behind the wheel, was pronounced dead around 9:40 p.m. at Clara Maass Medical Center. Faynzilberg and a 21-year-old girlfriend, who was a passenger in his car, were both taken to a hospital and admitted for treatment, officials said. Authorities also charged Faynzilberg with aggravated assault for the severe injuries sustained by his girlfriend. Faynzilberg is being held at the Essex County jail on $350,000 bail. Murray said the accident is still under investigation. Authorities ask anyone with information about the accident to call the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Homicide - Major Crimes Task Force at 1-877-847-7432. Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Hungarys populist and right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday (26 July) that the migration and the arrival of refugees in Europe is a poison. When speaking at a press conference with his Austrian counterpart, Christian Kern, he said that Hungary does not need a single migrant for the economy to work, or the population to sustain itself, or for the country to have a future. He added that this was the reason why there was no need for a common European migration policy. He commented that whoever needs migrants can take them, but dont force them on us, we dont need them. Mr Orban added that every single migrant posed a public security and terror risk. For us migration is not a solution but a problem not medicine but a poison, we dont need it and wont swallow it, he said. The Hungarian government has sued the European Union over its plan to redistribute migrants across the block and will hold a referendum on this issue on 2 October. Orbans cabinet is a fierce opponent of the EUs response to the migration crisis and has erected razor wire and fences along the countrys border with Serbia to discourage migrants from choosing Hungary as a transit route to richer EU countries. However, despite these measures, their numbers have been on rise again with estimated 18,000 migrants having crossed the border this year. Moreover, Budapest has also introduced other controversial policies, such as the forced return to no-mans land between Hungary and Serbia of any refugee found within 8 kilometers of the southern border. Austria was initially a harsh critic of Hungarys hardline treatment of refugees, but earlier this month Vienna promised to send 20 police officers to the Serbian border. Mr Kern, who visited Hungary for the first time since he assumed office in May, stressed that migration to Austria and Germany had declined thanks to Hungarys measures and therefore if we are beneficiaries from this process, then we have to assist it. JERSEY CITY -- A Jersey City man who's awaited trial for six years could have to wait even longer after a superseding indictment has charged him and three others with conspiring to murder a pair of witnesses expected to testify in his case. The new charges lodged against Anthony Shuler add to accusations that he murdered Darren Edwards, 22, in front of a bodega at Duncan and Olean avenues in Jersey City in June 2010. Shuler, who was 19 at the time of the fatal shooting, faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder. In February, the state charged Robert Dawson, Eric Dawson and Golden Williamson with tampering and conspiracy to murder two witnesses who were to testify at Shuler's murder trial. In April, the state obtained a superseding indictment against the three men, in addition to Shuler, whose murder charge was included in the new indictment. That would mean the four men would be tried together and the discovery process would start all over again, as would pretrial motions. At a hearing Monday, Shuler's attorney Mary Ciancimino again demanded a speedy trial for Shuler. She and the attorneys for the other defendants have filed motions to sever Shuler from the three other men. If successful, Shuler would be tried separately from the other men charged in the superseding indictment. In that scenario, Shuler's murder trial would move forward in the near future. "I have a feeling the state thinks this is going to be six more years and it is not going to be six more years," she said Monday's hearing. Anthony Gualano, who is representing Eric Dawson, argued against the inclusion of the murder charge in the superseding indictment, saying the new charges have "nothing to do with the homicide." But Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Karen Kazanchy said indicting the four defendant together was appropriate and the grand jury agreed. "As the grand jury found, the state believes that this matter should be tried together," the prosecutor said. "The witness tampering, the (conspiracy) to commit murder of this cases' witnesses goes straight to the murder." When Hudson County Superior Court Judge Sheila Venable asked Ciancimino if she was ready to move forward with the murder trial, she answered that she and Shuler are in fact ready. "I said it till I'm blue in the face...Now I have to litigate a severance motion in order to get a trial for Mr. Shuler," Ciancimino said. "And he's very patient because he wants his day in court, even though the state tendered an offer to him last year that he would be on the street right now and he refused." A person with knowledge of the case said the state previously offered Shuler a plea deal in which the sentence would be time served only. Shuler was arrested Aug. 8, 2010 during a motor vehicle stop in Clifton. The delay in Shuler's trial was caused by numerous pretrial motions, hearings, an appeal of a judge's ruling, the witness tampering allegations, the pregnancy of a witness and other factors. His first trial date was set for September 2015. Gualano said state evidence against Shuler's co-defendants includes "wire intercepts" and security video in the Hudson County Administration Building. Venable set Sept. 12 as a hearing on severance of the defendants before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Patrick Arre in the Hudson County Administration Building. Venable also said that if Arre severs Shuler from the superseding indictment, the date for his murder trial will be Oct. 4 before Arre. Venable added that if Arre rules against severance, the state must provide discovery for the four to be tried together by Aug. 12. DavisMartinez.jpg Davis Martinez, of North Bergen, (on right) appears in court in Jersey City today, July 29, 2016, on marijuana related charges. On left is a Spanish translator. JERSEY CITY -- A North Bergen man wanted on simple assault charges is now facing multiple drug counts after Guttenberg police went to his home and found a large amount of marijuana and $85,000 in cash, authorities said. Police say 35-year-old Davis Martinez, of First Avenue, repeatedly punched a woman on the back of the head, the left side of her face and left side of her body on July 15, causing pain, bruising and swelling, a criminal complaint said. The assault took place in Guttenberg, where the victim reported the incident and requested a restraining order, according to police. Police went to Martinez' North Bergen home the following day and found 20 large plastic bags, each containing about 250 grams of marijuana, the criminal complaint said. The $85,000 was found in a safe in the home. Police say the money is likely proceeds from a criminal activity. Martinez is charged with simple assault, making terroristic threats, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of North Bergen High School, the complaint said. During the incident, Martinez allegedly told the woman he was going to kill her, the complaint said. Martinez made his first appearance on the charges this afternoon in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City. angen.JPG John N. Angen, 38, of Toms River, was charged with DWI and drug counts after he was pulled over Thursday near the Holland Tunnel, police said. (Photo courtesy of Port Authority police) Police recovered drugs from Angen's car during his arrest Thursday afternoon, authorities said. A Toms River man was arrested on DWI and drug charges in Jersey City Thursday afternoon after police say he drove recklessly through the Holland Tunnel. John N. Angen, 38, was charged with two counts of possession of cocaine and Oxycodone, possession of drug paraphernalia, DWI, and reckless driving, Port Authority police spokeswoman Joe Pentangelo said. At about 3:05 p.m., an officer stationed at the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City received a report of a gray 2015 Volkswagen driving recklessly in the north tube of the Holland Tunnel, heading toward New Jersey. The officer intercepted the vehicle and tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver continued weaving in traffic and kept driving for three blocks, Pentangelo said. When Angen pulled over at 14th Street and Jersey Avenue, he failed field sobriety tests and police determined he was under the influence of a narcotic. A prescription bottle with no label was also found on the car's front seat, Pentangelo said. Angen was placed under arrest and also charged with failure to install an interlock device. His car was impounded, Pentangelo added. This isn't Angen's first brush with the law. Five years ago, he was arrested in Brigantine and charged with DWI, refusal to take a breath test, speeding and reckless driving, Pentangelo said. With $25M in credits on the line, New Orleans City Council vows scrutiny in Entergy restructure FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) Survivors of Hurricane Ian face a long emotional road to recover from one of the most damaging storms to hit the U.S. mainland. For those who lost everything to disaster, the anguish can be crushing to return home to find so much gone. Grief can run the gamut from frequent tears to utter despair. The Lee County medical examiner says two men in their 70s even took their own lives a day apart after viewing their losses. Experts say suicides climb after disasters and more funding for mental health should be provided as climate change makes storms and fires more frequent and devastating. The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts. WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all. SABMiller suspends AB InBev merger process Updated: 2016-07-29 08:09 (China Daily) SABMiller Plc has suspended work on integrating the brewer's operations with that of suitor Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, potentially throwing the industry's biggest deal ever into disarray. SABMiller Chief Executive Officer Alan Clark told employees "there should be no contact with AB InBev with immediate effect", while a new offer is reviewed, according to a memo seen by Bloomberg. Convergence planning is paused, and all meetings and calls between the companies should be postponed until further notice, the memo shows. The same applies to contact with representatives of Asahi Group Holdings Ltd and Molson Coors Brewing Co, according to the memo, both of which are buying assets from the brewers as part of the deal. Representatives for AB InBev and SABMiller declined to comment. The revelation came a day after AB InBev nudged its cash bid for the British brewer up to 79 billion pounds ($103.6 billion) to account for the pound's plunge in the wake of the United Kingdom's vote last month to leave the European Union. That followed pressure from investors who said the deal was unacceptable because stockholders weren't being treated equally. The acquisition is in the home stretch, receiving regulatory clearance from South Africa and the United States in recent weeks, and now risks becoming an unintended casualty of Brexit. Bloomberg Welcome to non league daily news now - your number one spot for all things relating to the National League System. Our dedicated reporters have come straight from the sidelines to bring you news fresh from the dugout - but not before theyve stopped off at the burger van first! We know that non league football fans are full of heart, passion, and belief. You trust the manager, you believe in the team, and, for some strange reason, you trust those rickety stands, too! Here at Non League Daily, we hope we can become your trusted non league news resource - a platform thats just as passionate about non league daily news now as you. Come rain or shine, well be out reporting on the latest non league fixtures. Well also be scouring the news, refreshing social media, and sourcing information from team websites in the hopes of finding the latest breaking non league daily news for our readers. As youll soon see, weve got exclusive match reports on the Vanarama National League, weve got transfer speculation thatll affect the National League South, weve found great stories thatll spice up the National League North, and weve even got news on the latest giant killers of the FA Cup. We may not be able to agree on who is going up this year, but we can all agree that any news on the NLS worth knowing will be published here, at Non League Daily. Life insurance revenues surge Updated: 2016-07-29 08:10 By Cai Xiao(China Daily) The premium revenue of China's insurers in the first half of the year grew rapidly to reach 1.9 trillion yuan ($285 billion), but their profitability was challenged by the gloomy stock market and rising expenses, said the insurance regulator. Revenue from premiums across the insurance industry in the first six months increased 37.3 percent year-on-year, of which life insurance revenue rose 45 percent and that of property insurance grew 7.1 percent, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission said on Thursday. "Chinese insurers grew quickly as they improved their business structure and paid attention to risk control," said Duan Haizhou, a deputy division chief of the information and statistics department at the CIRC. "Life insurance revenue grew quickly as the middle class are increasingly paying attention to their health. Furthermore, investment returns of life insurance products can be competitive when the capital market is not good," said Hao Yansu, director of the School of Insurance at the Central University of Finance and Economics. "The growth rate of property insurance in the first half is the lowest in the past 10 years," said Hao. "Auto insurance business has become more mature, and it's urgent for property insurers to have a business transformation," he added. The insurance regulator also forecast profit declines for the insurers in the first half as their portfolio income falls because of the gloomy capital market and expenses rise. The regulator said that total profits of the Chinese insurers would drop by 54.1 percent year-on-year to 105.6 billion yuan in the first half. Total investment returns of the Chinese insurers in the equities markets in the first half was only 24.1 sbillion yuan, dropping by 261.2 billion yuan from the same period last year, according to the insurance regulator. "The gloomy stock market can be the main reason for the decline in profit and investment return, and the trend will continue in the second half," said Duan. Wang Guojun, an insurance professor at the University of International Business and Economics, said Chinese insurance companies could try global asset allocation to have good investment returns and lower risks. "Chinese insurers can go abroad, offering insurance services as well as doing some investments," said Wang. Community Its now easier than ever to connect and chat with others in your local area. You can connect with your community by asking general questions, give area updates and recommendations and even let your community know about local events that are taking place. Carrefour profit beats estimates in first half, firm maintains outlook Updated: 2016-07-29 08:15 (Agencies) A Carrefour supermarket in Haikou, capital of Hainan province. [Photo provided to China Daily] Carrefour SA, France's largest retailer, reported higher first-half earnings and maintained its full-year outlook as European revenue held up despite bad weather. Recurring operating income rose 5.3 percent at constant exchange rates to 706 million euros ($781 million), the eighth straight increase, Boulogne-Billancourt-based Carrefour said on Thursday in a statement. Analysts predicted 683.5 million euros, the average of six estimates compiled by Bloomberg. "The dynamic of profitable growth has extended into an eighth half," Chief Financial Officer Pierre-Jean Sivignon said during a conference call. "Our results are solid in a particularly atypical social, political, economic or climatic environment in several countries which we operate in." Net sales rose 2.9 percent to 36.3 billion euros, matching the average estimate. Sales in Europe were stable, hurt by "a sluggish consumption environment", while emerging market revenue rose 10 percent. While the company is monitoring currency fluctuations closely, particularly in Brazil, the 2.5 billion euros full-year profit expected by analysts remains a reasonable scenario, Sivignon said. The company also maintained its outlook for higher free cash flow this year and investments of between 2.5 billion euros and 2.6 billion euros. Competition in its home market, losses in China and deteriorating economic conditions in Europe and Brazil have hurt Carrefour. The stock had lost 23 percent in the past year before Thursday. First-half profit above expectations will improve confidence in Chief Executive Officer Georges Plassat's plan to modernize stores and add collection points for online orders in France. Sivignon said there have been no new developments in the company's plan to conduct an initial public offering of Carrefour's shopping mall property unit Carmila. The company said in March it was waiting for the right moment to conduct an IPO of the unit. In China, the retailer expects to hit a low in the second half of the year after revenue improved in the first half compared with 2015. "Our plans are starting to have an impact," he said. Live Net broadcasts targeted Updated: 2016-07-29 08:17 By Zhang Yi and Meng Jing(China Daily) Cybercelebrities announce the launch of a new live-streaming app in Beijing, July 27, 2016. [Photo/China Daily] The Ministry of Public Security is to clean up live broadcasts on the internet and crack down on illegal activities associated with them. The operation, expected to be carried out nationwide from the end of July to October, will shut down the accounts, channels and platforms for online live broadcasts involving illegal activities, the ministry said. The operation will target information or material advocating pornography, violence, terrorism and other crimes, and programs organizing pornographic performances or gambling. Anyone involved in these illegal activities will be subject to punishment, the ministry said. As live broadcasts have become increasingly popular in China, problems have emerged. These include the broadcasting of pornographic performances and gambling, the ministry said. A joint working system will be set up between public security departments' internet safety units and broadcast platform providers. People are encouraged to report any violations to www.cyberpolice.cn, a website set up by the ministry. China has 150 major websites providing online live broadcasting platforms with a total audience of more than 200 million, according to the ministry. A statement from Inke, a widely used live streaming app that has been downloaded more than 100 million times since being founded a year ago, said: "We support the operation. Stricter supervision from authorities will help boost the sound growth of online live broadcasts." A 1,000-strong review team from the company oversees such programs around the clock. "It will report violations to police departments immediately and provide assistance in combating illegal activities," the company said in a statement. China's media watchdog has also stepped up efforts to clean up internet culture by banning indecent material in videos online. In April, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television ordered Papi Jiang, a video blogger, to take her videos offline for her use of "swear words and insulting language" in the show, which had more than 10 million followers and has raised 12 million yuan ($1.8 million) from investors. Shen Yi, a professor of cyberspace management at Fudan University, said there should be proper management of cyberspace and the parameters for indecent information should be stipulated and made public. These should be announced after fully consulting the public and be based on concerted opinion from society, Shen added. Offer of extra time off work sparks a travel rush Updated: 2016-07-29 09:15 By Shi Xiaofeng(China Daily) A seven-day paid holiday order from the Hangzhou municipal government last month brought a rush of overseas travel arrangements by local residents and increased competition between travel agencies and domestic tourist attractions. Hangzhou, the capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, will host the G20 Leaders Summit early in September. The municipal government released a notice on its website on June 30 that civil servants not essential to summit preparations, along with the employees of State-owned enterprises based in nine main districts of the city, can take an extra seven days of paid holiday from Sept 1 to 7. It also suggested private enterprises offer their employees a similar amount of time off during the summit. "I would feel bad if I wasted this extra holiday time," said Yang Tingxuan, a program manager at a magazine. Her boss decided to suspend the publication of two issues around the time of the summit. Many people felt the same as Yang. Xiao Xue had visited the Entry-Exit Administration of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau several times for passport-related matters. When she went the day after the notice, she was shocked by the long, winding line of people. Travel agencies reacted quickly. A leading online travel agency, Tongcheng, set up several special routes for Hangzhou residents. Its G20 route from Hangzhou to Phuket, Thailand, and Bali, Indonesia, provided a "second person free" offer. It also offers discount coupons. "About 4,000 coupons were downloaded a week after the government released its off-work notice," said Li Dan, a manager at Tongcheng's Zhejiang branch. Nearby cities and provinces are also pouncing on the potential market. Neighboring cities in Zhejiang provinceTaizhou, Wenzhou and Quzhouprovide free tickets to scenic spots for visitors with a Hangzhou identification. Jiangsu province offered an extreme incentive program under which visitors from Hangzhou can pay 1 yuan ($0.15) and enjoy classic travel service. Kanas National Geopark in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regionthe well-known scenic attraction 4,500 kilometers from Hangzhouoffered 500 free entrance tickets specifically for Hangzhou residents. Innovation becomes coveted city tag in China Updated: 2016-07-29 17:30 (Xinhua) Visitors take photos at a creative industrial park in Dafeng District, Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu province, July 22, 2016. [Photo/IC] BEIJING - Chinese cities, with their ubiquitous science and technology parks and entrepreneur roadshows, are fiercely competing to win reputations for accommodating business startups and mass innovation. China is aiming to become an innovation powerhouse by 2020, according to a national program for science and technology that was recently adopted as part of the 13th Five-Year Plan for national socioeconomic development. The plan, which Premier Li Keqiang said "fully demonstrates that we have given top priority to innovation," adds fresh impetus to a national movement of supporting and encouraging innovation since 2013. So far, more than 200 makerspace projects, 1,600 business incubators, and 129 high-tech zones and science and technology parks have been created nationwide. They help concentrate resources for innovation and nurturing start-ups launched by business executives, scientific researchers and even college students. "The local government has given much attention to and support for entrepreneurs," said Yang Rong, co-founder of XGimi Technology, a star tech start-up in the western Chinese city of Chengdu. Her company has benefited from favorable government policies such as free work space, financial awards for patent approval, and communication platforms with global investors and entrepreneurs, which helped kick-start XGimi at an early stage. In less than three years, the firm has grabbed more than half the market share for miniature, home-theater projectors in China, and shipped more items than the South Korean electronic giant LG, its main competitor in the global market. According to data released by the local government, the total of newly registered enterprises jumped 34 percent in Chengdu in 2015 compared with the previous year, with the number of invention patent applications up by more than 35 percent in the same period. Cutting red tape China is undergoing a transition from a labor-intensive "Made in China" model to an innovation-driven "Created in China" model, Francis Gurry, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, told Xinhua. In the southern city of Shenzhen, high-tech manufacturing already accounts for 66.2 percent of the city's total industrial value-added income. Shenzhen switched to innovation earlier than other big cities, and has a free business environment, strong policy support for start-ups, as well as efficient venture capital. Across China, local governments have taken the opportunity to deepen reforms, cut red tape and remove barriers to innovation. Chengdu, for instance, has simplified its procedures for business registration, worked aggressively to protect intellectual property, and spearheaded reforms in universities to promote technology transfer and commercialization. In another southern city, Guangzhou, companies buying scientific and technology patents can seek government subsidies of 5 percent of the value of research result transactions. Newly established tech companies can also apply for subsidies of up to 50 percent of their rent for three consecutive years. "We encourage enterprises to cooperate with universities and research institutes," said Chen Yanling, an official with the municipal government of Guangzhou. Global outreach From inland cities to the coast, local governments have also stressed global outreach to foster creativity. A high-tech development zone in the eastern city of Shanghai opened an enterprise park in Boston in February to promote China-U.S. technology innovation. The park, to be operated by a joint venture, will pool innovative resources from universities, enterprises and institutes in both countries, and integrate research and development incubation, industry, services, trade and finance. In Chengdu, a transport, business and technology hub in southwest China, a global innovation and entrepreneurship fair was held last year, the first of its kind in the country. The event attracted government officials, investors, research institutes and innovative enterprises from 30 countries and regions. Up to 109 projects from a total of 2,686 participants have changed hands as a result, with transactions totaling 5.32 billion yuan (about $817 million). The Canadian astrophysicist and 2015 Nobel laureate Arthur B. McDonald, who attended the second fair held in June, called Chengdu an international city with great appeal. "It's very suitable for start-up companies to invest and grow here," he said. Moreover, the city hosted the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting on July 23-24, the most high-profile international meeting for Chengdu so far. "Hosting the meeting will further boost the city's reputation globally," said Li Houqiang, head of the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. CROWN POINT The City Court, which has used a courtroom in the historic Lake County Courthouse for 40 years, has been asked to vacate the premises by the end of August. City Judge Kent Jeffirs said he was forwarded a letter July 18 from the Lake Court House Foundation giving notice of the termination of the lease. The court pays $1,000 a month for the use of the third-floor court and a small office for the court staff. Court sessions are held each Tuesday for cases involving local traffic tickets or things like small time thefts or battery with no serious injury. "It was quite a surprise," said Jeffirs, who has been the judge for 13 years. "You would think a community court and a community building would warrant some discussion if they are planning on changing. I have not received any calls or notifications from the foundation. I'm disappointed they took action without talking to the mayor or the judge." Foundation board President Marty Wheeler said the city has not talked to the board. She said the court had been on a long-term lease but has been on a month-to-month for several years because "this judge didn't care to sign a lease." She declined further comment on the situation. Jeffirs said he asked Wheeler if he could speak to the board and was told that isn't done. He said the only communication he's had from the board was two years ago when a toilet backed up in the courthouse and he was asked to pay for it because it was thought one of the people coming to the court had done it. He said the last lease expired in 2010, and, when Wheeler suggested a new lease, he sent her an updated version of the previous one with a rent increase to consider. After meeting with one of the board members, Jeffirs said he never heard any more about the lease until the eviction. "Marty has said she thinks the people who come to the court are the ones damaging the building," Jeffirs said. "They are citizens of the community, and they deserve a fair shake. I have a problem wanting to remain there knowing what the perception is of that board about the citizens who come to the City Court." The judge said he expects to have a new location lined up in time to get it approved by the city's Board of Public Works and Safety at its Aug. 10 meeting. Mayor David Uran said, "I support the idea of the City Court for our community. It has provided our city with a steady hand with fair and consistent rulings while having a good understanding and compassion for our community." An effort was made a couple of years ago on the council to eliminate the court and have all the cases sent to the county courts. Councilman Robert Clemons said he and former Councilman Mark Schweitzer opposed it and succeeded in keeping it with the help of the judge, who showed the court pays for itself. The city would keep less of the money if the cases are handled by the county. "Every year it seems we have a big to-do with someone on the council (over the court)," Clemons said. "Our officers can go there much easier, and we keep the money. It's ironic this comes up during budget time. I've got the support of the mayor, and I think I have the support of the council to keep it." City Attorney David Nicholls said, "The court is a creation of the city by ordinance, so it is up to the city to provide the court its space. The legal department has gotten along well with the court and the judge, and the convenience of having it right in town is a definite benefit." Jeffirs said, "I thought we were doing a service to the community by paying $1,000 a month to use the court. Apparently they don't need that money anymore. It amazes me the foundation that is supposed to be there for the community doesn't want the community court." EAST CHICAGO A 23-year-old man is accused of molesting a boy from December to March, according to court records. Richard L. Jenkins, of East Chicago, faces two counts of child molesting. He was being held Thursday without bail in Lake County Jail. East Chicago police began investigating Jenkins after a 9-year-old boy became a ward of the state and told officials that Jenkins had forced him to have sex, according to the affidavit. The incidents happened at an East Chicago home. Jenkins knew the boy. Direct flights increase as ties strengthen Updated: 2016-07-29 08:01 By Cecily Liu in London(China Daily Europe) But some fear the Brexit vote may threaten growth of aviation links between China, UK More direct flights are becoming available between Britain and China, highlighting growing mobility between the countries thanks to stronger economic, tourism and education ties. In June, Tianjin Airlines launched a direct flight between Tianjin and London Gatwick Airport, stopping in Chongqing. Hainan Airlines also added a direct flight between Beijing and Manchester. British Airways started to use the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to provide direct flights between London and Chengdu, Sichuan province, in 2014. Provided to China Daily However, analysts fear the British referendum vote in favor of leaving the European Union could hit bilateral air traffic between Britain and China, as Chinese investors become reluctant to invest at a time when the British economy faces such uncertainty. "I fear the adverse consequences of the decision to leave the EU will damage our economy for years to come, making it more expensive for British travelers to holiday or to transact business in China, while also making businesses less attractive to Chinese investment," says Paul Argyle, managing director of Flight Directors, an aviation industry sales and marketing company. A variety of direct flights already exist between China and Britain, including services between London and Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Chengdu. Manchester Airport also has direct flights to Hong Kong. "We've witnessed rapidly growing trade, investment and cultural exchanges between China and Britain in recent years," says Wu Hao, vice-chairman and executive vice-president of Tianjin Airlines. According to statistics from VisitBritain, the official tourism board, more than 1 million passengers traveled between Britain and China last year, an 11 percent increase on 2014. Last year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Britain grew by 40 percent. Meanwhile, Chinese student numbers have grown rapidly in Britain. In the 2014-15 academic year, their number exceeded any other nationality, with 89,540 Chinese enrolled in higher education in Britain. China-UK trade and investment relations remain strong, and a further boost was achieved in October during President Xi Jinping's state visit, which saw the signing of more than 30 commercial deals worth 40 billion pounds ($52.5 billion; 47.8 billion euros). Robert Goodwill, the British minister of transport, says he hopes the increased connectivity brought by direct flights between the two countries will help to grow an understanding of each other's culture and politics. London Gatwick's chief commercial officer, Guy Stevenson, is optimistic about the airport's future providing direct flights between China and Britain. "More than ever, as a country we need to be outward-looking, to establish trade and investment relations with countries like China," he says. "We will do our best to make (the Tianjin route) successful, and we hope the service will grow from a twice a week service to a daily service in time." Currently, British Airways is the only domestic airline with direct flights between Britain and China. Chinese airlines flying between the countries include Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Dan Elliott, head of aviation practice at the Frontier Economics consultancy in London, says Chinese airlines enjoy two potential advantages from flying these routes. First, he says, they are likely to have a cost advantage. They may have lower labor costs, and with shorter histories compared with Western airlines they are likely to have a younger fleet, meaning their aircraft are more fuel-efficient. Second, he adds, although Chinese and British airlines can provide exactly the same services to customers, the so-called brand default theory suggests that passengers flying from China and back are more likely to choose a Chinese airline, while those flying from Britain are more likely to choose a British airline due to familiarity with the brands. cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com (China Daily European Weekly 07/29/2016 page8) CROWN POINT A Michigan City man was sentenced Friday to four years in prison followed by two years in community corrections after he admitted to attacking a woman he solicited for sex. Kenneth S. Manley, 53, pleaded guilty to battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony. His change of plea happened last month during the middle of his second trial in the case. His first trial ended in a mistrial. A woman testified in court last month that Manley had offered her $300 in exchange for sex after he replied to her advertisement on Backpage.com. The woman told jurors she traveled by herself on July 12, 2015, to the 1000 block of High Street in Hobart where she met Manley. She said he pointed a gun at her and demanded she take off her clothes. She said Manley choked her, causing her to lose consciousness. When she awoke, Manley was on top of her. Later, Manley dragged the woman after she managed to open a window and door. The woman said Manley punched her in the eye and tried to put a zip tie around her head. Manley was arrested after Hobart police officers arrived at the home. Defense attorney Matthew Fech told Lake Criminal Court Judge Diane Boswell during Fridays hearing that the plea agreement was a fair resolution, because of the evidence heard at trial. He said Manley was part of the negotiations with the state. Manleys only statement to the court was to ask for a copy of his plea agreement. The sentencing comes about two years after Manley was accused of abducting a woman in LaPorte County. According to court records, he later pleaded guilty to patronizing a prostitute, a Class A misdemeanor. He was sentenced in that case to 364 days in jail. GARY A 33-year-old man who was wounded during a Tuesday shooting is facing three counts of criminal recklessness, according to court records. Rickey O. Smith Jr., of Gary, is accused of firing shots Tuesday into a home in the 5300 block of West Fourth Avenue in Gary, according to the affidavit. The homeowner told police she grabbed her gun and began firing back at Smith. The homeowners son at one point grabbed the gun and continued firing at Smith. According to the affidavit, the man told detectives Smith got out of his truck and fired more shots toward the house. Smith was shot in the head and taken by a friend to an area hospital. According to the affidavit, Smith later placed a call from his hospital room to a Gary detective and accused the homeowners of starting the gunfight. The family who lives in the home that was shot at told police Smith has been making threats against them for years, according to the affidavit. Gary police, the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, Gary/Lake County Metro Homicide Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later searched Smiths home and found three shotguns, three assault rifles and six handguns, police said. Officers also recovered ammunition, $7,847 and 355 grams of marijuana. Smith was not in custody as of Friday. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call Gary police Sgt. William Fazekas and Sgt. Daniel Callahan at (219) 881-1210 or (866) CRIME-GP. CROWN POINT The sheriff denied Thursday he is punishing a woman at the center of a Lake County Jail incident that has put five employees on job suspension. Andriana DeJesus, who said she is the mother of Elysia M. Jeronimo, complained Thursday that Jeronimo has been placed on 23-hour lockdown and is being denied visitation. She was disciplined for the mistake they made, DeJesus said this week. That is not true," Sheriff John Buncich said. "(Jeronimo) is allowed range time. She is allowed phone calls and everything else. She is on the floor where all the other women are. She is in a single cell, but she is absolutely not in isolation. Jeronimo, 21, of Hammond is awaiting trial on a charge of assisting her boyfriends escape from the jail earlier. She has been in jail since her arrest last spring, unable to post a $100,000 bond. Buncich this week suspended five corrections officers without pay for 15 days after officers on Saturday locked several male inmates in the same holding area with Jeronimo. The sheriff said male and female inmates are always separated in the jail. She called me just after the incident, DeJesus said. She said she happened to be in that room for an hour waiting to get her medication and fell asleep and woke up when the door opened. She was on one side of the room, and they were on the other. Buncich said Jeronimo eventually was removed unharmed from the holding area. Jeronimos attorney couldnt be reached Thursday for comment. Weeks earlier, the sheriff disciplined three corrections officers for dereliction of duty for permitting Richard Campos, 22, of East Chicago, to escape April 30 from the lockup. Campos walked away from an unsecured section of the jail and into a waiting car brought by Jeronimo. Authorities tracked the couple through their cellphone and arrested them four days later near San Antonio, Texas, and returned them here. Campos also is in the county jail awaiting trial. CROWN POINT Lakes E-911 Director Brian Hitchcock signs off today, leaving behind a $20 million call center ready for his replacement. Lake County Commissioner Mike Repay, D-Hammond, said Thursday that Jack Allendorf, the deputy director, will provide interim direction for the staff of full- and part-time dispatchers while the county interviews and assesses nine applicants for the permanent job of taking the countys public safety communications into the future. Hitchcock said his final goodbyes Thursday morning to police and fire chiefs attending the Lake County Public Safety Communications Commission meeting. He leaves for Clarksville, Tennessee, to consolidate the city and county police, fire and emergency medical service communications there. This was a fantastic experience for me. I havent worked with better people. Thanks for the opportunity, Hitchcock said. Repay said county officials went through 20 resumes before picking nine for telephone interviews in recent days. He said 911 directors from Illinois have volunteered to assess the candidates. I expect we will have live interviews with between four and six before the full (Lake County Public Safety Communications Commission). I hope we wont have more than a week or two before we have a decision, Repay said. Hitchcock has endorsed Allendorf for the job. Repay declined Thursday to name any of the current candidates. Hitchcock, who came from Davenport, Iowa, is leaving after three years. Hitchcock this week praised the cooperation of local public safety officials who assisted in meeting the state-mandated consolidation of 15 cities and towns into the county call center, which became operational last October. Cedar Lake and Schererville operate a separate communication center. They are in mediation with the county to get access to the countys state-of-the art radio system. No new date has been set for the talks. Dispatchers have taken more than 176,000 emergency 911 calls since Jan. 1. That includes more than 43,000 from Gary, 34,000 from Hammond, 32,000 from unincorporated county areas, 18,000 from East Chicago, 13,000 from Merrillville, nearly 8,000 from Hobart, 4,700 from Munster, 4,300 from Highland, 4,200 from Crown Point, 4,100 from Lake Station, 3,200 from Griffith, 2,400 from Dyer, 1,700 from St. John, 1,200 from Lowell and 1,100 from Whiting. The county also has been unable to fully staff its call center. Hitchcock said countys pay scale is lower than 911 operations in Illinois and elsewhere in Indiana. The Lake County Council raised its pay scale for dispatchers and supervisors by $2,000 this year. SPRINGFIELD The crowded field in the race for U.S. Sen. Mark Kirks seat is likely to get a little thinner before the Nov. 8 election. An initial Illinois State Board of Elections review found that independent Eric Conklin of LeRoy and Constitution Party candidate Chad Koppie of Gilberts fell well short of gathering the 25,000 signatures each needed to earn a spot on the ballot, said Bernadette Harrington, an attorney for the board. A hearing officer conducted the review this month after the elections board received objections to Conklins and Koppies nominating petitions from Republican precinct committeeman Mike Bigger of Wyoming, who serves on the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and Rob Sherman of Buffalo Grove, whos running as a Green Party candidate for the U.S. House in Illinois 5th Congressional District. The elections board will likely confirm the removal of Conklin and Koppie at its meeting Aug. 26, the deadline for certifying the ballot. Conklin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Koppie, a frequent candidate, said he knew he didnt have the necessary signatures to get on the ballot and blamed the high number required for independent candidates and those from lesser-known parties. U.S. Senate candidates from established parties only have to collect 5,000 signatures to get on the ballot. Illinois is one of the worst states there is for signature requirements, Koppie said, adding that hes contemplating a legal challenge to the requirement. Koppie said that given Kirks reputation as a moderate, he believes he could have defeated the Highland Park Republican if the states conservative and anti-abortion leadership had rallied behind his candidacy. Kirks main opponent in November is U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Hoffman Estates, and the field also includes Green Party candidate Scott Summers of Harvard and Libertarian candidate Kenton McMillen of Melrose Park. The contest between Kirk and Duckworth is widely considered to be one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races this year. CROWN POINT Decision-making for county road improvements this summer has been anything but smooth. Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, said he is pleased some rural subdivision roads, such as those in the Lake Dalecarlia community, are finally receiving the first new asphalt in more than three decades. But he also is fielding telephone calls from people asking if their road is going to be paved. "I have to say not this year," he said. Scheub's sprawling 2nd District contains more than 90 percent of the county highway system, but is only receiving a third of the money. The Lake County Board of Commissioners chose this year to divide the approximately $4 million in state road money equally among their three districts. Scheub said that creates a dollars-per-mile inequality. "Commissioner Mike Repay's district has 40 miles, and Commissioner Kyle Allen's has 10 miles. I have 510 miles," Scheub said. "I wanted the money spent proportionately, but I didn't have enough votes. So I lost out on a lot of paving, and I've got a lot of people upset that we can't do the roads we wanted to do." Commissioner Kyle Allen, D-Gary, said, "I understand there are more road miles in his district. But you also have to look at traffic count. I might have fewer roads, but I have more drivers." Allen said that is why Commissioner Mike Repay, D-Hammond, is committing $1 million to Ridge Road between Colfax Street east to Grant Street. The state shifted responsibility for that 3-mile section of the former U.S. 6 route to the county several years ago, County Highway Director Marcus Malczewski said. Allen said, "Ridge Road is a major artery for traffic going through Hobart, Gary, Griffith, Highland and Munster through to the Illinois state line. "I'm not opposed to cooperation and sharing, but I have a lot of bridges in my district I need to address. All of the bridges in the county not on state or federal highways come under the responsibility of county commissioners." Repay said the new formula is overdue, because in the past Scheub's district received more than 95 percent of the road money. "Nobody is super-happy, which is the mark of a good compromise. I would have liked to get more money, but happy to get pavement moving," Repay said. Two Republican candidates for commissioner also are finding fault with the way Democrats are spending road money. Jerry Tippy, a Schererville town councilman running against Scheub in the 2nd District, complains, "We really need to take politics out of the decision-making process. The roads that are in the worst condition should be repaved first whether they are in District 1, 2 or 3. Lake County should adopt a system like the PASER system we use in Schererville." Repay said the county does use PASER (Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating System), a way to measure a road's deterioration developed by the University of Wisconsin. Mark Leyva, the Republican opponent of Repay, said the county should focus on the "worst of the worst" roads. "Those potholes damage the cars of the taxpayers. I just had to have the front end of my truck repaired. The taxpayers deserve better. We need to have more common sense. Too many times, roads are being done on political aspects," Leyva said. Repay said the county gets more mileage by resurfacing those in fair to poor condition than it would pouring money into the expensive rebuilding of completely failed roads. "We need to make sure mediocre roads don't fall into the awful category," Repay said. Scheub said, "Not one of my relatives got a road paved. We've had no politicians' roads paved. We have to give first priority to the roads used by police, fire and school buses." Work in Allen's 1st District includes $500,000 for bridges around Hobart and another $98,000 for paving 71st Court and Parke Street in Ross Township. The remaining $1 million is being held in reserve for future projects. Scheub's 2nd District will receive $574,185 to widen 109th and U.S. 41, south of St. John; $517,942 for streets in the Lake Dalecarlia community; and $227,755 for Belshaw Road from U.S. 41 east to Austin Street. The remainder in the 2nd District will repave sections of 139th Avenue, 101st Avenue, Gerry Street, 83rd Lane, Hamlin Place and the Alicia Estates subdivision's streets. Repay's share will go to Ridge Road, $613,380 for storm drainage improvements on 41st Avenue, and repaving sections of King Court, Cleveland Place, 39th Place and Hendricks Street. The county also will spend $1.5 million on four bridges in the 2nd and 3rd Districts: Fairbanks Street over Turkey Creek, 153rd Avenue over Lake Dalecarlia, Main Street over Hart Ditch and Hart Street over Hart Ditch. The county also will spend $500,000 on purchasing two heavy duty trucks for snowplowing. LANSING The second annual End of Watch car show will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Bethel Church, 3500 Glenwood Lansing Road, to benefit the families of fallen police officers. The event is organized by Lansing police and several area departments will participate, including Munster, Portage, Orland Park, Matteson and Minooka. Lansing Officer Alex Ascolani said Munster plans to display its armored SWAT vehicle. The proceeds from the event will go to the Illinois Fraternal Order of Polices Benevolent Fund, which helps the relatives of officers who died during active service. Police have been taking a lot of negativity lately, Ascolani said. When an officers life is taken, it doesnt get a lot of attention and the family suffers. We want to raise some money for those families. Ascolani said despite poor weather, the event brought in about $4,000 last year with between 60 and 100 cars being judged. He hopes to double the number of cars this year. Thunder Road Production, which organizes Lansings cruise nights, helped put the event together. Thunder Road President Barb Vlietstra said the cars will be judged in 23 different classes, including a special class for police vehicles. Illinois State Trooper John Baldo, who is a national car show judge, will help judge the group. The public is encouraged to enter cars. Walk-up registration is $20 and will end at 1 p.m. Food will be available from Lynnie Ques barbecue restaurant, Aw Shucks Sweet Corn and El Rey Del Taco. Door prizes will be awarded and a 50/50 raffle will be held, Vlietstra said. T-shirts will be sold for $20. We just want to get this out there, especially with whats going on in the world, Ascolani said. We want people to interact with police and see that police are people, too. The sky turned a gray-blue color, clouds filled the skies over the Porter County Fairgrounds and the loudspeakers warned of impending rain. As people gradually made their way into buildings to take shelter, workers on food trucks closed their windows and doors. About a half-hour after the first warning, the storms hit. Matt Wellsand, Porter County Fair Board president, said all went as planned during the heat and storms of the fairs first few days. Wellsand made the call last Saturday to delay the Alabama concert, which was attended by 17,000 people, but the show went on after the gusty winds passed. In Lake County, sheriffs police said theyre ready for the onslaught of traffic and have plans in place to deal with severe weather when the Lake County Fair runs Aug. 5-14. Officials in both counties said public safety planning is done almost year-round and they try to issue warnings about approaching storms as early as possible. Fairgoers who cant leave the grounds before the rain starts should shelter in buildings. In Lake County, officials said sheltering in brick buildings is the safest option. Lake County sheriffs Cmdr. Matt Eaton, who oversees security for the fair, said residents can beat the traffic by parking near Crown Point High School and taking a shuttle bus. Police have refined their traffic plans over the years, but the fairgrounds were constructed more than 100 years ago and were not designed to handle the amount of traffic seen in recent years. Id urge everybody to be patient, he said. Go there expecting some traffic jams. The Sheriffs Department and Crown Point Fire Rescue monitor the weather and issue notifications, early warnings and evacuation orders over loudspeakers. The Lake County Fair Board added a second public announcement system two years ago for that purpose, he said. A number of people got stuck in the rain one night last year after a storm hit and a bus broke down at the same time, Eaton said. Police learned they could shuttle more people out faster by having buses do a three-point turn after picking up passengers. Lake County will be adding more buses this year, he said. A private contractor provides parking services, but a sheriffs officer will be stationed near Crown Point High to ensure traffic moves smoothly. In cases of extreme heat, Lake County fairgoers can shelter in the air-conditioned 4-H building, Eaton said. Wellsand said about 10 heat-related incidents were reported during the Porter County Fairs first few days, all of which were a sit down and take a break situation. EMS was on hand, and workers were making sure people stayed hydrated, he said. Porter County added a permanent air conditioner to the 4-H building this year. Fairgoers also can find air conditioning in the Expo Center and Expo East buildings, he said. The Porter County Fair continues through Saturday. OnSeptember 11, 2001, New York firefighter Stephen Siller realized his squad had already been dispatched to the towers during his day off, so he grabbed his gear and drove to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, which was blocked off to traffic. Since he could not drive through Siller put his gear on and ran to the towers, where he died working to save others. Now, the 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit works to memorialize Stephen Siller and the many other people who lost their lives during the Sept. 11 attack, and is currently at the Porter County Fair. They want to share the history, said Matt Wellsand, Porter County Fair president. The exhibit is in a long vehicle equipped with several TVs playing films about the events. There are also items that were found at the trade center and pieces of the building itself on display. The exhibit features volunteers Peter Daniti, retired lieutenant with the New York Fire Department, and Ronaldo Robledo, also retired from the New York Fire Department, there to inform people of the history of 9/11. Im a volunteer who comes out with this museum, just to kind of guide people through, Daniti said. The first part of the museum, is all about the events of 9/11 and has items from the day on display as well. The second part of the museum is dedicated to telling the story of Stephen Siller and showing what the Stephen Siller Tunnels to Tower Foundation does. The history is what makes the future, Robledo said, One thing that is up to us as parents that went through this, that saw this, that cried about this is to teach our children. The Porter County Fair office has receive a lot of positive feedback from those who have gone to see the exhibit, and Daniti said they see a couple of hundred people per day. Ages freshman down they didnt witness it, or remember, so I think it is really cool as far as the education and history part of it, said Kevin Hannon, fair manager. The exhibit is open from noon to 9 p.m. There will be special festivities Saturday at Central Park Plaza during the Valparaiso Market. Chris and Lou will perform live music from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and a free cooking demonstration will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon with chef George from Main & Lincoln. Valparaiso Events on Saturday staff will be on site collecting school supply donations for the Valparaiso Schools Foundation and Valparaiso Community Schools. Kids will enjoy free creations from Popos Balloons and are invited to visit the Valparaiso Events tent for a Market Scavenger Hunt to learn about the market and win a prize. The Valparaiso Market is held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday through Oct. 15 in Central Park Plaza in downtown Valparaiso. For more information about the Valparaiso Market, the Last Saturday Markets or other upcoming events, visit Valparaiso Events at valparaisoevents.com or call (219) 464-8332. Protecting peace as a nation rises Updated: 2016-07-29 08:02 By Giles Chance(China Daily Europe) The South China Sea dispute is about defining terms on which China reemerges into the global community as a major power In the early 1980s, Chinese reform policies set the country on a growth path. Onlookers then in the United States and Europe were interested to learn that China had changed direction. But most never thought then that China could have a major impact on their own lives. However, after two decades of fast growth, the developed world, led by the US, had to consider how a fast-growing China could fit inside their shrinking world. The issue of China's global integration was brought into sharper focus by the financial crisis of 2008 and its aftermath, as Chinese growth in 2009 and 2010 prevented the global economy from slipping into a depression. The challenge posed by a fast-growing China to the established global order prompted a rethink of US foreign policy. Without specifically mentioning China as its target, the US announced a "pivot" to the East, away from its deep military and political engagement in the Middle East. This expressed itself first by way of US military redeployment toward the eastern Pacific, and subsequently by a US-led broad Pacific trade agreement (the Trans-Pacific Partnership), which has been criticized for extending the power of large multinationals over the rights of individuals and signatory governments in matters like intellectual property. Until the 2008 credit crisis, China tended to regard the US financial and economic system as an ideal to which it should aspire. The global financial crisis came therefore as a huge shock to China, changing the underlying preconceptions of its global view. Suddenly, the US global superpower appeared to have feet of clay. Chinese policymakers realized that while US economic, military and technological leadership would ensure its continuance as a superpower, it would be dangerous for China to rely completely on the US for its security in the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, should China not attempt to regain its long-held former position as the dominant power in the eastern Pacific? China decided to turn to its own resources in order to guarantee the East Asian regional security on which its own, the Asian and ultimately the global economic community depends, ignoring an invitation in 2012 to join the TPP while searching for its own alternative Asiawide trade agreement as a response. In 2009, China asserted its rights in the United Nations to most of the South China Sea under the so-called dotted line, and followed this up in subsequent years by developing several islands and reefs in the middle of the South China Sea into landing strips and small military bases. On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague decided to support the Philippines in its claim under the 1982 Law of the Sea against Chinese infringement of its boundaries in the South China Sea. China has refused to recognize the court's right to make decisions concerning its rights in the South China Sea. China is not the first country to refuse such ruling. In 1982 Nicaragua sued the United States in the International Court of Justice for mining its harbors. The US then claimed that the International Court of Justice had no authority to hear Nicaragua's case. This is the same argument that China uses today in the South China Sea case. In 1982, the US vetoed, on several occasions, a motion brought against it in the UN Security Council to recognize the court's finding and pay damages to Nicaragua. The US ambassador to the United Nations at the time, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, dismissed the International Court of Justice as a "semi-legal, semi-juridical, semi-political body, which nations sometimes accept and sometimes don't". The US, the only country with the means to challenge China in the South China Sea, has said it supports a peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with international law, but did not itself sign the Law of the Sea treaty in 1982, and does not recognize it. Meanwhile, China has signaled its determination not to stand down or give way over the South China Sea issue. While the US position with respect to international courts and the Law of the Sea is unclear, there is no lack of clarity over the core issue. At its root, the South China Sea dispute is about defining the terms on which China reemerges into the global community as a major power. Today, the US remains the world's policeman, so the issue really concerns the Sino-American relationship. Is the US going to go to war over the South China Sea? Almost certainly not. But the question that Americans are asking themselves is: "Will China stop at the South China Sea, or could it go further?" It's not a coincidence that, as the US' senior general visited China to discuss military cooperation, the Chinese announced military exercises south of Hainan Island in the South China Sea. But it would be a serious mistake for the more aggressive elements in China's military to think that China could push the US in areas like the central and western Pacific, which the United States considers fundamental to its national security. China's rise brings with it the promise of a more balanced, multilateral world, in which the US, with a military capability that can be brought to bear anywhere around the world, will continue to play a central and a very important role. But the reality is that the US will share more power and influence with China (and other countries) than it did before. The South China Sea dispute marks an important stage in the transition from a US-dominated world to a multilateral one. This gradual transition, which will unfold over several decades, can occur peacefully and successfully only if all the parties involved, particularly the US and China, understand the process that is underway, communicate frequently with each other, and respect each other's core interests and "red lines". Yet it is very difficult for every country to be fully understood or for its interests to be fully appreciated. Misunderstandings and miscalculations between countries will occur. Like the South China Sea episode today, these carry the risk of local standoffs becoming regional points of friction, with the threat of armed conflict in the background. Globalization is an inevitable and unstoppable process, and so is the rise of China. Both these related trends have brought tremendous economic and cultural rewards to many millions of people around the world. But they also bring with them the dangers inherent in fundamental change to a new world order. For the world to continue on an upward path, the major players must appreciate the process of which they are a part, conduct frequent consultations with each other, and encourage an environment of shared communication. There is an alternative scenario to continued peace and prosperity, but it hardly bears consideration. The author is a visiting professor at Guanghua School of Management, Peking University. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily. (China Daily European Weekly 07/29/2016 page10) When the state passes laws to protect taxpayers from conflicts of interest among our public officials, we're going to kick, scream and drag our feet to resist. That's the message five Region elected officials sent in filing and continuing to push forth a selfish, frivolous lawsuit to defy state law for their own interests. Thankfully, a Lake County judge finally put an end to the madness Wednesday, but the five elected officials dragged it out far too long. All five of the elected officials Hammond Councilmen Michael Opinker and Scott Rakos, Hobart Councilman Matthew Claussen, New Chicago Councilwoman Sue Pelfrey and East Chicago Councilman Juda Parks are, or at one time were, double-dipping on the taxpayer dime. They were collecting paychecks for their elected jobs plus being paid for department jobs within the municipalities they were elected to represent. The also were in a position to supervise their own supervisors. This was a clear conflict of interest that a 2012 Indiana law sought to end. Finally on Wednesday, four years later, Lake Superior Court Judge William E. Davis issued a final order against the conflicted council members who sought to overturn the law. A federal judge came to the same conclusion last year that the law should be upheld. It should have ended there, but the case unfortunately was allowed to proceed in state court. The refrain of Region public officials trying to shout down and outlast good government reform has become all too common especially in Lake County. We've seen it before and continue to see it with the resistance of our municipal, county and court offices to consolidate or share services, despite recommendations from state commissions. We see it in a culture of cronyism in which partisan political allies appear far more interested in protecting each other than the taxpayers they represent. We can only hope Judge Davis' ruling this week sounds a death knell for the shortsighted selfishness that permeates our political landscape. Opinker, by most accounts a respected and accomplished councilman and assistant fire chief, told The Times Wednesday, "It's a sad day for my 5th District." He spoke those words as he confirmed he was relinquishing his Hammond City Council seat and continuing his job at the fire department in the wake of Davis' ruling. We couldn't disagree more with Opinker. Taxpayers deserve a political system free from even the slightest hint of conflict. Elected officials, already compensated for their legislative or executive roles, shouldn't also hold sway over public departments and pay scales in which they also hold jobs. Common sense laws and policies must continue to win over self-serving practices. We elect officials to protect the public's interest, not their own. With the Democratic convention ending, it's now official: two New Yorkers are running against each other for president for just the third time in history. And now, New Yorkers are weighing in. NY1's Vivian Lee has the story. Customers at the 7th Avenue Donut Shop in Park Slope mulled over the implications of two New York candidates battling for the White House as they sipped their morning joe on Friday. Because, New York being New York "I'm sure there will be mudslinging back and forth," one customer said. And, New York being New York "New York City has a concentration of government finance and business, so there's a greater likelihood that you'll have leaders of industry coming here," one Brooklynite said. "Maybe two New Yorkers ended up being front runners because New York City is such a multicultural, important city in America, and also in the world," one woman said. President Franklin Roosevelt defeated New York Gov. Thomas Dewey in the last presidential election between two New Yorkers, in 1944. The other time two New Yorkers ran against each other in the general election was 40 years earlier. So what do these voters think the 2016 matchup says about the candidates, the parties who nominated them, and the place they call home? "In my opinion, only one of them preserves New York values of [multiple] cultures, inclusion, welcoming immigrants, so I hope Hillary gets elected," one man said. "She represents New York values; he just wants to be a bully," one woman said. "Both of them are interested in their own personal interests," another customer said. Because Park Slope, like the city as a whole, is a Democratic bastion, the support for Clinton here is not that surprising, But there is some amazement that the Republicans nominated a New Yorker to oppose her. "I think Republican-leaning people in lot of parts of the country would, you know, if you asked them four years ago if they'd be supporting a candidate from New York, they'd say, 'Absolutely not,'" one man opined. "But here's the guy who stands for the dream of a deregulated capitalist society that has no empathy for people." The likelihood of a matchup between two New Yorkers increased as Donald Trump made his improbable rise during the primaries. Now it's a reality, and voters say the stakes are high for the country, as well as New York. A Brooklyn pastor was indicted Thursday on a slew of charges after a deadly fire in 2014 tore through an illegally subdivided building that he owned. Luckner Lorient, 78, is charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and other charges in connection to the Nov. 19, 2014 fire that killed a 24-year-old man and left nine others injured. Prosecutors said the fire broke out when a water cooler connected to an overloaded electrical outlet burst into flames. They said Lorient ignored citations to vacate the three-story building in Flatbush. Instead, he illegally turned two upper floor apartments into single room occupancy housing while operating his church out of a storefront, according to investigators. They said the subdivided floors were converted to 11 separate rooms and rented to 23 people. Lorient has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A man stranded in the water in Raritan Bay on Thursday was rescued by NYPD Aviation after he fell off his jet ski. A patrol helicopter spotted the 21-year-old victim off the coast of Kingsburg, New Jersey around 4:58 p.m. after NYPD Aviation received the radio call. Two divers helped guide the man onto a basket attached to a cable that was lowered into the water to bring him into the helicopter. The city police department said the man was taken to Staten Island University North Hospital for observation. Gail Collins responded to some of the thousand-plus comments she received on her Sunday Review cover story Behind Hillary Clintons Mask. Q: I mean this not as a criticism, but a neutral observation: This piece helped me understand those people who voted for George W. Bush because he seemed like the kind of guy theyd like to have a beer with. Gail is describing a candidate with whom secure middle-aged and senior women would like to have a mimosa ... I think Hillary deserves respect for what shes done, and the G.O.P.s attacks on her are horrifying. But my partner and I also are too tied up with student debt to buy a house and still struggling after the 2008 financial crisis, for which no one was held truly accountable. As a young feminist, Im grateful for the work of women in the past, but Im looking forward to my hypothetical kids future, hoping my partner and I can both work slightly fewer hours to raise them and not have to worry about the cost of their college while were still paying for our own. And as much as I respect Hillary, no one urging me to vote for her seems to understand my concerns here and now. This is the problem with puff pieces like this, even as I understand why people want to vote for a candidate like them, even if theyll never actually have a beer or mimosa with them. Jessie, USA Gail: Jessie, I really like your mimosa line. Youre absolutely right that the election will be decided by people like you who are trying to cope with life in the real world. I think you may underestimate how much Clinton cares about those issues, too. Shes certainly always been obsessed with things like early childhood education and shes talked a lot about college debt. A listing of discussions, film screenings, cultural activities and walking tours in New York City. Information on events for possible inclusion in Spare Times should be sent to weekend@nytimes.com by Friday at 5 p.m. for publication the following week. Longer versions of Around Town and For Children listings are in a searchable guide at nytimes.com/events. Museums and Sites American Museum of Natural History: Dark Universe (continuing) With the return of the Hayden Planetarium, which closed in August for renovations, comes the latest space show, Dark Universe. Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the film explores mysterious dark matter and dark energy, and the ways scientists are working to improve their understanding of these phenomena. Every half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, to 5 p.m. on weekends, Central Park West and 79th Street, 212-769-5200, amnh.org. American Museum of Natural History: The Secret World Inside You (through Aug. 14) In recent years, the microbiome the roughly 100 trillion bacteria living inside and on human bodies has been a popular talking point for science journalism. With ever-evolving research into this mysterious area of study, theres still plenty left to explore. Now its getting the exhibition treatment in this look at what scientists are learning about the role bacteria plays in health. Central Park West and 79th Street, 212-769-5200, amnh.org. Brooklyn Historical Society: Truman Capotes Brooklyn: The Lost Photographs of David Attie (through July 2017) Behind this new exhibition 40 photographs of Capote and Brooklyn Heights taken by David Attie in 1958 is the story of a sons rediscovery of his fathers long-lost work. Mr. Attie died in 1982, when his sons were very young. One of them, the television writer Eli Attie, has spent the last few years exploring his fathers archive for the first time; in the process he found photos his father took to accompany the Truman Capote essay A House on the Heights, printed in Holiday magazine in February 1959. Few of the photos were published, and the magazine included none of the Capote portraits. Now they are on view in an intimate show that feels like both a celebration and elegy of an unrefined Brooklyn that once earned the provocative opening line in Capotes essay: I live in Brooklyn. By choice. 128 Pierrepont Street, near Clinton Street, Brooklyn Heights, 718-222-4111, brooklynhistory.org. Satellite and airborne observations, of course, offer the most precise way to determine the decline of sea ice. Jaqueline Richter-Menge, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in New Hampshire, told me that the overall rate of decline is about 13 percent per decade since 1979. Theres another way to visualize that, she said: Over the past 30 years or so, the Arctic has lost roughly 50 percent of its cover of sea ice, an area equivalent to more than half the area of the continental United States. And what ice remains has grown thinner. That means the volume of ice is decreasing too. If you take into account the thickness, Jennifer Francis, a Rutgers University scientist, told me, its more like two-thirds of the ice has been lost. She added, This is pretty much a bad-news story. In the vast and chaotic climate systems that govern our atmosphere and oceans, making sense of how one change diminished sea ice affects places or people thousands of miles away is a task of such extraordinary complexity that it strains even the most sophisticated supercomputers. Nevertheless, what it means to be entering an era of new sea-ice minimums is one of the big scientific questions of the moment. Unlike the ice on land, sea ice, which derives from the ocean itself, has no direct impact on sea levels, so its melting poses no threat of coastal flooding. On the other hand, a recent group of scientific papers suggests that the steady retreat of sea ice may have a residual effect on all sorts of other things, like the ice covering Greenland or storms in New England. As the ice recedes, exposing the ocean waters beneath it, the regions surface appearance changes. Reduced ice cover means more open ocean water, which lowers the reflectivity the so-called albedo of the Arctic, which means that the darker surface absorbs more solar energy and less of it bounces back into space. A feedback loop ensues. More sea ice is lost, more energy is absorbed by the oceans, and this in turn can lead to lessened or thinner ice the following year as well as warmer temperatures. The process can continue, until the amplifying effects ultimately leave the Arctic ice-free in summer. In the past year or so, scientists have begun to consider whether the changes in sea ice are influencing moisture and atmospheric conditions in the region, too. Francis says there now appears to be a connection between a reduction of sea ice and the more frequent creation of what are known as atmospheric blocks weather patterns that can draw warm air to unusually high northern latitudes for long periods of time. If the block is in the right place, it can bring a lot of that heat and moisture into one side or another of Greenland and contribute to a lot of melt, she told me. And thats exactly what happened this past April. There was a huge strong block there, which brought a lot of very warm air up over the Greenland ice sheet. Large parts of the Greenland ice sheet, which a recent study noted has lost one trillion tons of ice between 2011 and 2014, experienced a remarkably early thaw. Some of the extreme warmth reappeared in June, too, when I visited Greenland for a second time this year. Nuuk, the countrys capital, reached 75 degrees on June 9. That was 30 degrees above average. It was warmer there than in New York City. Another recent paper, by Marco Tedesco of Columbia Universitys Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, largely accords with Franciss hypothesis that changes in the high Arctic are having serious weather impacts farther south: Tedesco pointed to an atmospheric block that resulted in unusually warm temperatures in 2015 over northern Greenland, which in turn led to an extensive melt on the ice sheet. Over the past three years, Ive interviewed Tedesco a number of times: in his university classroom; over coffee on the Upper West Side of Manhattan; even on a hotel veranda in Greenland that overlooked a bay cluttered with icebergs. He views the Arctic as a systems engineer would. He recently told me he has been trying to close the loop and connect the exceedingly complex interactions that drive the northern climate system, which includes its sea ice, atmosphere and ocean circulations, and land ice. He thinks he may be getting closer. Tedesco told me we cant yet quantify the link between sea-ice loss and land-ice loss. He is convinced, however, that these unusual warming events in Greenland create ripple effects that may extend for years. During warm spells, for instance, the top layer of Greenlands surface melts; and because meltwater is less reflective than ice or fresh snow and absorbs more solar energy, that in turn leads to more melting. But even when the meltwater refreezes, Tedesco said, the new grains of ice seem to be permanently altered in a structural way that makes them more vulnerable to future melting. You might have a warm-weather event that impacts things for a few weeks, Tedesco said, but that creates a memory in the ice that might create impacts for a few years. He called this preconditioning. Another way to think of it is that the melt that is now happening more frequently in Greenland (and in late July, the island endured yet another period of extreme warm weather) may be preconditioning the ice sheet for even more melting in the future. We recognize the need to provide a safe alternative path to our country, and that many from the region should be regarded as refugees, he continued. Mr. Russell said that once they are here, young migrants without access to lawyers struggle to navigate the immigration courts; nine in 10 minors who appeared without lawyers were ordered deported, according to a report by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a group that studies federal data. Because the program for minors is limited to children who have a parent in the United States with legal status, many young adults like the Doors client, Brayan, 19, never would have been eligible. Brayan, who spoke in Spanish through an interpreter, discussed his situation on the condition that only his first name be used because of his continuing legal case. He crossed the border on his own in 2015, when he was 17, to flee gang violence in Guatemala and came to live with a cousin in Queens. In June of that year, he appeared in immigration court, without a lawyer. Shortly after, his cousin returned to Guatemala, leaving Brayan to scramble to find a place to live. He missed his next scheduled court date in August and was issued a removal order in absentia, as is the judges right. Brayan said he did not get the order because he had moved in with a friend. Then in May of this year, just before his 19th birthday, he said he was woken up by a series of calls on his cellphone from a blocked number. On the 12th call, he answered. The caller said he was a federal official. When I heard federal, I thought, Well, I dont have a problem with federal because thats criminal, Brayan said. The federals are looking for criminals. In a few words he wrote just before going onstage on Wednesday night, Michael R. Bloomberg made a simple, arctic crack about Donald J. Trumps mental health at the Democratic National Convention. Its not just candidates: The political campaign this year is driving voters crazy. A friend who is a psychiatrist recently told me that he was seeing the emergence of a new disorder: patients gripped with worry that Mr. Trump, the Republican nominee, will become president. I thought the doctor couldnt be serious. Or was he? At least two sessions a day, Im listening to people who are in despair that Trump might win, the psychiatrist said. They are really consumed by worry about it. He asked that he not be identified, explaining that he was worried about trolling by fringe elements: I dont need a bunch of white supremacists clogging up my phone line, even if its just to gloat. (Put that in the story too.) EU needs forward-looking China plan Updated: 2016-07-29 08:02 By Luigi Gambardella(China Daily Europe) Bloc needs to be ambitious and more focused on opportunities for economic cooperation Ten years after publishing their last one, the European Union's foreign ministers on July 18 endorsed the Elements for a New EU Strategy on China, which contains a comprehensive overview of China-EU relations and the main challenges ahead. The document is not, first of all, addressed to the Chinese authorities but to EU member governments and the European Parliament, and seeks to build a consensus on EU-China policy for the coming years. I therefore wait impatiently for the response. Will the EU institutions support more-ambitious EU-China cooperation or will they come back on issues of the past? Let us see. Personally, I hope they will focus on the future, on the opportunities China brings and will bring to Europe, instead of raising a lot of preconditions before proceeding to further cooperation. We need an ambitious strategy and more focus on opportunities for economic cooperation. Let's not forget that the EU has daunting challenges to deal with internally: Brexit, the Greek problem, the refugee crisis, the over indebtedness of most governments. The Elements for a New EU Strategy on China acknowledges that enhanced China-EU cooperation is part of the solution. "The EU's economic strengths are complementary to the priorities of China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), such as innovation, services, green growth and balancing urban and rural development," it says. "Mutually beneficial cooperation on all aspects of investment should be increased, including by finding practical ways for China to contribute to the investment plan for Europe." The willingness of the EU to explore synergy between the two development strategies is a good start. For the time being, what is striking in the Elements document is the key role assigned to the EU-China Connectivity Platform, which was launched in June last year as a vehicle to connect the Eurasian continent through a physical and digital network. The network would enable the flow of trade, investment and people-to-people contact. China is moving fast, much faster than Europe. The EU has a strong interest in working with China. According to the EU strategy, cooperation on the digital economy should harness growth through open markets, common standards and joint research on the basis of reciprocity in areas such as 5G mobile communications and the internet of things. There is nothing more exciting than knowing two of the giant digital global players will join hands and lead the digital revolution. With the EU's know-how and mature legislation system, and China's huge market needs and fast-moving innovation on advanced technology, the EU and China are natural partners. The Elements list actions, but they should be complemented - once adopted - with concrete projects. It advocates "mainstreaming key themes and objectives across all EU-China dialogues and concentrating resources on a smaller number of priorities where the EU has the greatest added value". This year should be the year of delivery. The EU wants a China that is economically more open and stable, with significantly improved market access for foreign companies. A company like Alibaba could play a key role in this process by providing the EU companies - and in particular small and medium-sized enterprises - a platform to reach Chinese undertakings and consumers. In this context, deepening cooperation on customs and trade facilitation would be appropriate to boost e-commerce between the EU and China. At the same time, the EU should establish a common minimum definition of what constitutes critical national infrastructure in the context of inward investment, to provide legal certainty and promote investment. Leading Chinese telecom companies should have a clear framework to invest in European telecom operators and bring them the benefits of their critical mass and innovative management culture. The author is president of ChinaEU, a business-led association that aims to strengthen joint research and business collaboration and investment in internet, telecommunications and high-tech between China and Europe. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily. (China Daily European Weekly 07/29/2016 page11) A Brooklyn church pastor was charged on Thursday with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide two years after a huge fire swept through an illegally subdivided building he owned, killing a 24-year-old tenant and injuring nine others. For more than a decade, prosecutors said, the pastor, Luckner Lorient, 78, had ignored citations from the New York City Fire Department and orders from the citys Buildings Department to vacate the three-story, wood-frame building at 1434 Flatbush Avenue. While operating his church, Eglise Baptiste Clarte Celeste, out of a storefront on the ground floor, Mr. Lorient had unlawfully turned two upper stories of the building into single-room-occupancy housing, prosecutors said. Although the subdivided floors had been designed to be one-family railroad apartments, they added, Mr. Lorient had converted them into 11 separate rooms and rented them to a total of 23 people. Not long after midnight on Nov. 19, 2014, a fire broke out in the building after a water cooler on the second floor connected to an overloaded electrical outlet burst into flames, according to a 14-count indictment against Mr. Lorient issued by the Brooklyn district attorneys office. Almost all of the tenants were home when the fire started, most of them sleeping. If there was any lingering doubt about how Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday evening would address the shadow of his father, Mario M. Cuomo, it evaporated even before the younger Mr. Cuomo said his first words. Above the lectern rose an image of the elder Mr. Cuomo, who died last year, chin cupped in hand. And for 15 minutes, his son delivered a speech with tributes to his father, whose vision of the United States was conveyed in a landmark address at the 1984 Democratic convention, and laden with paeans to American unity, diversity and strength. My father was the keynote speaker for this nations better angels, and he was beautiful, Mr. Cuomo said toward the end of his own speech, repurposing a line from the well-received eulogy he gave for his father. Then he alluded to the ending of his fathers 1984 address: And tonight, Pop, wherever you are and I think I know where at this time of fear, please help this country remember what truly makes it great: that we are one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. It was a strikingly impassioned speech from a governor who more often restricts himself to PowerPoint-driven policy addresses. But that deference is being questioned in an era when millions of people are viewing footage of police shootings and making their own judgments. As more encounters are captured by surveillance systems, bystanders cellphones or officers body cameras, the public is scrutinizing, case by case, officers decisions to use lethal force. The laws posture toward the police is being measured against human lives, with the names of the dead becoming watchwords in the national debate over reforming the criminal justice system. Some lawyers and activists say the legal standards on top of the circumstances of individual police killings have contributed to racial tensions and the challenges confronting American policing. The legal standards we have do not hold police sufficiently accountable for their conduct, said Anthony L. Ricco, a New York defense lawyer whose clients over the years have included both a police officer accused of killing an unarmed black man as well as a man who murdered an officer. Of particular frustration for the movement, organized under the banner Black Lives Matter, is that the legal standard focuses not on the guilt or the innocence of the person who is shot but on whether an officer would have perceived a threat in the encounter. And, some legal experts said, there is the possibility that racial biases may account for why a particular encounter felt dangerous. If officers tend to respond more aggressively toward black suspects as opposed to white suspects in similar situations, Mr. Ricco said, we allow this mind-set to become the standard by which we judge these cases. While there have been indictments in a few recent high-profile killings by the police, like in Chicago and South Carolina, both of those cases involved video recordings that contradicted officers accounts. (Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.) Good morning. Heres what you need to know: A moment of reckoning. Thats what Hillary Clinton called the November election, casting herself as a steady and unifying leader. She asked for faith, if not trust, in her competence. Heres the full text of her speech Thursday night, which weve fact-checked. As Mrs. Clinton became the first woman to accept the presidential nomination of a major political party, women across the United States said they believed that a female presidency could be a force in their lives, even if they did not yet know how. The death while in police custody of Adama Traore, a 24-year-old black man, in a town near Paris on July 19 set off days of violent clashes between angry minorities and police officers. The police first claimed that Mr. Traore had died of a heart attack. Then, after an autopsy, the authorities blamed a severe infection. Mr. Traores family demanded another autopsy, saying he entered a police van alive and well, only to be found dead at the station shortly after. That autopsy suggested Mr. Traore had died of asphyxia but did not indicate how. The episode recalled the riots that followed the deaths in October 2005 of two minority teenagers who died of electrocution in a transformer station where they had taken refuge from pursuing police officers. This time, in a new twist for France, Mr. Traores death was immediately taken up under the banner of Black Lives Matter: The hashtag #BLMFrance went viral on Twitter, and protesters at a rally against police brutality and racism in Paris on Saturday chanted Black Lives Matter in English. There are important differences between the histories of race relations in the United States and in France, where racist attitudes have roots in Frances colonial past. However, that the Black Lives Matter movement resonates in France should not surprise: Multiple reports in recent years from human rights groups have detailed an entrenched culture of impunity among the French police, leading to abuses of minorities. A 2009 study indicated that individuals identified as black and North African were six to eight times more likely to be stopped by the police in Paris than whites were. In the end, Mr. Sanders ran more than a good campaign, he ran one that upended almost all of the political establishments expectations. Over the past year and over the past week, Mr. Sanderss supporters have brought long-submerged elements of progressive politics to the forefront of political conversations. They may not be happy, exactly, with what happened in Philadelphia this week. But they are not just going to boo, or wear neon T-shirts. They are committed to carrying that banner for progressive change. On Monday, a group called Democracy Spring organized protests against the convention all week, starting with a big march outside of the Wells Fargo Center in the sweltering heat. Thousands of people came to rally and chant; protesters held up signs; paraded a blocklong inflatable joint down the street; parents brought their kids along for the spectacle; people got in shouting matches over megaphones; and, as with any political event where cameras might be present, the Westboro Baptist Church was there. The scene demanded attention, and news outlets happily provided it. Later that evening, after the oppressive heat segued into a thunderstorm, I met up with Molly Grover and a friend at the Las Vegas Lounge in downtown Philadelphia. Ms. Grover is a leader in the group Women for Bernie, and had taken the bus down to Philadelphia from Ithaca, N.Y., for the week. We were all drenched from the downpour outside, and seemed to be the only ones even vaguely interested in watching the Democratic conventions proceedings taking place five miles away. We ordered beer and grilled cheese, and settled into a booth to watch the speeches. Since wed last spoken in June, Ms. Grover, 30, had gotten to meet Mr. Sanders in a small clutch of supporters in upstate New York. She said she was interested in running for office, but wanted to figure out where she planned to settle down first. At the meeting, she talked to another woman who was planning to run for City Council in Rochester, N.Y., and discovered they had already corresponded over email. You could be her campaign manager! Mr. Sanders told her. On TV in the Las Vegas Lounge, Senator Al Franken and Sarah Silverman a comedian who supported Mr. Sanders in the primary came onstage in another attempt to show party unity. Mr. Sanderss vocal delegates in the audience booed. To the Bernie or Bust people, youre being ridiculous, Ms. Silverman told them. Mr. Hainer, who describes himself as a socialist, was carrying a large red flag through the plaza next to City Hall. He said he was arrested after jumping over a barrier at the protests at the Democratic convention site on Monday. I see a rigged political system that doesnt allow for real progress to occur, he said. He said he was a Bernie or bust person, but recognized that others would end up voting for the candidate they see as the lesser of two evils. Hillary is definitely not nearly as bad as Donald Trump is, he said. Him getting elected is the worst-case scenario. But at the same time, I dont want to support a corrupt political system by voting for her. Majo Sanabria, 28 Washington Ms. Sanabria and her friend, Alice Driver, were taking shelter from the rain in Reading Terminal Market. Ms. Sanabria said she was dismayed that some Sanders supporters say they wont vote for Mrs. Clinton in November. Its a lot about privilege, she said. Thats privilege because youre not losing anything. Ms. Driver added, Youre not losing your reproductive rights, youre not going to be thrown out of the country for being a Muslim. Hillary Clintons life, in many respects, traces the arc of progress for women in American society. Her mother, Dorothy Rodham, was born in 1919, a year before the 19th Amendment gave women the vote. It has taken a long, long time for that amendments promise of womens full participation in American democracy to be realized. Mrs. Clinton moved it a big step closer this week, as she became the first woman nominated for the presidency by a major party. Mrs. Clintons nomination bringing women, barred first by law and then by custom, to the pinnacle of American politics is to be celebrated as inspiration for young Americans, and as hope for women in nations and cultures that deny them the most basic opportunities. It is further proof that opening doors to women elevates and strengthens our nation. At a moment when political discourse is divisive and dark, Mrs. Clinton acknowledged stiff challenges but summoned optimism in her call Thursday night for Americans to work together. America is once again at a moment of reckoning, she said. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying, she said. We are cleareyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have. Durham, N.H. One of the most powerful ironies in a political season full of perversities is a paradox that now defines Hillary Clintons campaign: The first female presidential candidate to overcome the obstacles that sank every single woman before her now confronts criticism for overcoming those very same difficulties. Lets start with money. Women have long been pushed aside for not having enough to run a presidential campaign. In 1987, Representative Patricia Schroeder of Colorado concluded her brief presidential campaign by admitting, The bottom line is, the moneys not there. Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine tried to take the high road in 1964 by eschewing campaign donations, a decision that crippled her ability to compete effectively in the Republican primaries. She lost handily. Senator Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, despite a sterling resume, bowed out of a 2000 Republican presidential race shaped by money in the bank and ads on the airwaves, as she put it, that could not be combated with inadequate funding. Mrs. Clinton, by contrast, has twice built a sizable war chest through prodigious fund-raising from Wall Street donors and super PACs, just as her male counterparts and opponents have always done. But her success in doing so has fueled charges that she is a captive of financial interests and all too willing to exploit a corrupt system of campaign financing. Part of what made fund-raising so difficult for women were the prevailing doubts that they could secure the nomination of their party, let alone win a national campaign. There were good reasons for such skepticism. When Senator Smith ran for president, over 40 percent of Americans said they would not vote for a woman for president even if she was well qualified and nominated by their own political party. It is little wonder that historians are eager to study the Vaticans Holocaust-era papers. The accounts by the parish priests may help answer lingering questions of when and what the Vatican knew about the Nazi murder machinery. The files are likely to shed light on whether the wartime pope, Pius XII, could have done more to try to stop the Holocaust. Also buried inside the secret archives are the early records of the scandal-ridden Vatican Bank, created during World War II. Those documents could resolve conclusively how much business the Vatican did with the Third Reich, as well as the extent of insurance company investments that yielded enormous profits from life insurance policies of Jews sent to Auschwitz, which I uncovered in my own reporting. And finally, the churchs secret files might resolve the debate over whether several postwar refugee-smuggling networks that were run from Rome separately by an Austrian bishop, a German priest and a Croatian priest and through which Nazi criminals escaped were freelance operations, or instead parts of a program that had the popes blessing. The church has since the 1960s released some wartime files, while refusing unfettered access by historians. In the 1990s, the administration of President Bill Clinton ordered federal agencies to release relevant Holocaust files, and also spearheaded an effort that persuaded several dozen other nations to do the same. The Vatican was an outlier. The 2013 election of Pope Francis held out the promise for a change in the churchs longstanding policy of secrecy. While still the archbishop of Buenos Aires, he had been asked about the dispute over the Holocaust-era files. The Vatican, he answered, should open them and clarify everything. Many Vaticanologists thought he would use a 2014 visit to Israel to free the files. But Francis did not say anything publicly about the papers on that visit. Francis last discussed the issue in a November 2014 interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot. The pope asked: Did Pius XII remain silent in the face of the extermination of the Jews? Did he say all he should have said? We will have to open the archives to know exactly what happened. According to Francis: There is an agreement between the Vatican and Italy from 1929 that prevents us from opening the archives to researchers at this point in time. But because of the time that has passed since World War II, I see no problem with opening the archives the moment we sort out the legal and bureaucratic matters. Brussels division on China's market status may backfire Updated: 2016-07-29 08:03 By Fu Jing in Brussels(China Daily Europe) European Union could rue delaying decision over WTO commitment, analysts say The European Commission has yet to finalize its stance on granting China market economy status, in line the commitment made when the nation joined the World Trade Organization 15 years ago. It has promised only to table a proposal this year. Analysts say Brussels' hesitation suggests the commission may refuse to recognize China as a market economy, which could see Beijing lodge a dispute with the WTO, a scenario neither side wants to see. Workers tear down the blast furnace at a steel factory in Langfang, Hebei province, on July 9. Issues such as steel overcapacity are obstacles to EU-China relations and need to be addressed. Jin Zhichao / Xinhua Brussels is required to stop using the Surrogate Country method for Chinese products on Dec 11, 2016, as per article 15 of the protocol on China's accession. The method is used to gauge whether products from a nonmarket economy are being dumped by comparing prices with those of a similar third country, or surrogate. Beijing has repeatedly said the EU should automatically recognize China as a market economy status after 15 years of WTO membership, as agreed. The issue is nonnegotiable, it says. However, the EU has used complicated institutional tools and mechanisms to delay the issue, which has been coupled with pressure from lobbying groups. Within the European Union, Britain, the Netherlands and some Nordic countries have come out in support of China gaining market economy status. Germany is supportive but wants safeguards for sensitive industries, while Italy is opposed. On July 20, EU commissioners gathered for a second orientation debate on the political, economic and legal implications of changing its anti-dumping and anti-subsidies policies against China after Dec 11, and the potential consequences. They discussed several options, including leaving the legislation unchanged, removing China from its list of nonmarket economies and applying the standard methodology for dumping calculations, or adopting a new anti-dumping methodology that would maintain a strong trade defense system while meeting international obligations. Jyrki Katainen, vice-president of the commission, says the talks were not about whether China is a market economy, but "about how to adapt our trade defense instruments to deal with the realities of overcapacity and a changing international legal framework". Christian Ewert, director-general of Free Trade Association, based in Brussels, says it was heartening to hear the commission talk about ending its discriminatory practices when conducting anti-dumping probes against China, but adds: "Although the new proposal is not discriminatory in letter, it will be discriminatory if in practice it only applies to China." The association understands the view of EU producers, who believe China is not a market economy and as such should not obtain such status by default, and that applying the usual method of calculating dumping margins will likely result in lower anti-dumping duties, or even none at all, he says. "However, we also believe there are ways in which the impact can be mitigated." The debate over China's market economy status came after EU foreign ministers endorsed Brussels' updated policy strategy toward Beijing on July 18. The nine-page document suggests both sides complete negotiations on investment before entering talks on a free trade agreement. Yet the Chinese government has said it is ready for FTA talks now, while some analysts suggest combining the talks on investment and free trade. "Right now, it's for China to request (such talks), but if the EU doesn't respond urgently, China may ignore the bloc when it realizes the importance in the years to come," says Chi Fulin, president of the China Institute of Reform and Development, a nongovernmental Chinese think tank. He says Brussels and Beijing should aim to finish talks on an FTA by 2020. China and Britain should also prepare for such combined talks, he adds, as London prepares to negotiate its exit from the EU. At the end of the two-day G20 meeting for finance ministers in the western Chinese city of Chengdu on July 24, Philip Hammond, the British chancellor, said he had "no doubt" his country would be able to agree a post-Brexit free trade deal with China. Being in the EU means Britain is "bound by rules", but after it leaves the bloc - as decided by the June 23 referendum - it will mean "more opportunities for countries like China that are outside the EU to do business with Britain", the British media quoted him as saying. The EU's updated strategy toward China also covers investment, project synergy, global cooperation and the shared role in international affairs. It states that the stance remains unchanged on the arms embargo on China. After reading the document, Tony Payne, director of the University of Sheffield's Political Economy Research Institute, described it as timely but not visionary. "It's coming 10 years after the last such strategy, and a lot has changed in the global political economy since then," he says. The positives, he explains, are that the document covers economic and security problems, and is honest in conceding that issues such as steel overcapacity are obstacles to EU-China relations and need to be addressed. "But it's not visionary," he adds. "It seeks to cover the obvious issues, running from trade to investment, to migration and security." He says the European Commission hasn't set any overarching rationale for the EU and China coming together. "Why is this important? Why is it important now? What values underpin the engagement?" he says. "Substantial parts of the document could have been framed eloquently and with effort." Payne says he wants to see the EU, China and the United States take shared responsibility for managing the global order and finding ways to seek collective responses to key issues regarding economic growth and political freedom. It should first and foremost be focused on delivering results, he says, adding that China and the EU should collaborate on trade, science, energy and military affairs, setting out areas of practical cooperation and then building on them. Fredrik Erixon, director of the European Centre for International Political Economy in Brussels, agrees the document is not visionary. The purpose of the EU strategy document, he says, is to build internal cohesion without committing to specific policies. "Even by that standard, it's a bland strategy. It's more concerned with immediate issues like steel overcapacity rather than ideas about what the EU wants to do with China," he says. "It's a sign that the relations between China and the EU are drifting, and that neither side seems to have a good idea what role they should play." The strategy should "set out a clear idea for what the EU wants to do with China over the next five years", Erixon adds. "The fact that it doesn't indicates how deep the rift inside the EU is about China policy." fujing@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily European Weekly 07/29/2016 page14) Gail: Have to admit Im losing my faith in polls. But tell me what your favorite speeches were before the finale. The Obamas and Joe Biden seem to have been the universal picks for top three. Let me throw in a kudo for Michael Bloomberg. He wasnt poetic, but I did love his real-billionaire contempt for Trump. Arthur: The Obamas were both sensational: positive, optimistic and aspirational. Just the note the Democrats needed to achieve to set their convention apart from the Republicans after Trumps Every Day Is Friday the 13th in America speech to close the Republican convention. The one over-the-top moment in President Obamas speech, in my view, was, Anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end. Comparing Hitler, Stalin, Bin Laden to Trump? Seriously? Gail: As our colleague Frank Bruni pointed out, the Democrats got to purloin all the old Republican arguments about patriotism, honoring the military, American exceptionalism. I took Obamas remark more along the line of a country that could beat Hitler can beat ISIS. Although the sense of Trump as some sort of Antichrist was certainly abroad in the auditorium. Arthur: At the beginning of the week, it seemed like it was going to be a total fiasco, with the WikiLeaks dump of Democratic National Committee emails that embarrassed the party leadership. Clinton couldnt have been happy to see secret emails dominating the headlines again. Gail: Im beginning to wonder how much the email fiasco is going to matter. On the one hand, voters have a woman who stupidly installed a private server. On the other, a man who says our military is a disaster and that the country is so corrupt we have no right to criticize dictators abroad. Im not seeing the equivalence. Arthur: But Trumps supporters are saying something similar: On the one hand we have a candidate who bloviates and is personally rude. On the other, a candidate who gambles with state secrets, lies to the F.B.I., and loses 33,000 emails when asked to turn them over. There are two almost completely parallel perspectives. The D.N.C. email leak brought down Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the party chairwoman, who was forced to resign when it was revealed that the Democratic machine was putting its thumb on the scale for Clinton. But can I stick up for Wasserman Schultz for a minute? (If shes reading this shes probably saying, Dear God, no!) PHILADELPHIA Donald Trump has found an ingenious way to save the Democratic Party. Basically, hes abandoned the great patriotic themes that used to fire up the G.O.P. and hes allowed the Democrats to seize that ground. If you visited the two conventions this year you would have come away thinking that the Democrats are the more patriotic of the two parties and the more culturally conservative. Trump has abandoned the Judeo-Christian aspirations that have always represented Americas highest moral ideals: toward love, charity, humility, goodness, faith, temperance and gentleness. He left the ground open for Joe Biden to remind us that decent people dont enjoy firing other human beings. Trump has abandoned the basic modesty code that has always ennobled the American middle class: Dont brag, dont let your life be defined by gilded luxuries. But Russia still has to seal the deal. Some work remains. If enough angered lefties wont go for the Democratic nominee, a longtime foe of Vladimir Putin, it will be just enough to put a Putin puppet in the White House. And it would also usher in the term that drove the right wing crazy when George H.W. Bush used it a New World Order. Whats in it for Russia? Well, everything. Territory. Hegemony. Its takeover of the Crimean Peninsula has brought sanctions and condemnation from the West. What stands between Putin and further aggression in, say, the Baltic States, is a NATO pact that has kept Europe safe for nearly 70 years. And if you thought Trump stiffed the poor suckers who signed up for his university, wait till you see how he treats some of our oldest allies. Plus, Putin despises Hillary Clinton. Like Trump, his skin is rice-paper-thin, albeit a paler shade of orange; and, like Trump, he never forgets a slight. He still hasnt gotten over Clintons comment on George W. Bushs infamous look into Putins soul. As a former K.G.B agent, said Clinton, he doesnt have a soul. Whats in it for Trump? Help at winning the ultimate throne of his gilded dreams. And maybe some investment money from Russian oligarchs close to Putin, one of many things Trump may be hiding in his tax returns. The two narcissists share a love of torture, authoritarian rule, and women on runways in bathing suits. That love of country doesnt have to be, and shouldnt be, uncritical. But the faults you find, the critiques you offer, should be about the ways in which we dont yet live up to our own ideals. If what bothers you about America is, instead, the fact that it doesnt look exactly the way it did in the past (or the way you imagine it looked in the past), then you dont love your country you care only about your tribe. And all too many influential figures on the right are tribalists, not patriots. We got a graphic demonstration of that reality after Michelle Obamas speech, when she spoke of the wonder of watching her daughters play on the lawn of a house that was built by slaves. It was an uplifting and, yes, patriotic image, a celebration of a nation that is always seeking to become better, to transcend its flaws. But all many people on the right especially the media figures who set the Republican agenda heard was a knock on white people. They cant stop talking about slavery, complained Rush Limbaugh. The slaves had it good, insisted Bill OReilly: They were well fed and had decent lodgings. Both men were, in effect, saying that whites are their tribe and must never be criticized. This same tribal urge surely underlies a lot of the rights rhetoric about national security. Why are Republicans so fixated on the notion that the president must use the phrase Islamic terrorism, when actual experts on terrorism agree that this would actually hurt national security, by helping to alienate peaceful Muslims? In the last few years, many states have tried to make it easier for people to vote. New York is not one of them. As a result, millions of New Yorkers fail to make it to the polls on Election Day. In 2014, barely more than one in four eligible voters actually voted the fourth-lowest rate in the country. Voters did a little better in this years presidential primary, but the numbers were still abysmal. Here are some of the ways New Yorks lawmakers make it harder than necessary to cast a ballot. In New York, there is no early voting in person elections are held on one workday, usually a Tuesday, and thats it. Absentee ballots are a pain voters have to claim they will be out of town or unable to appear because of illness or physical disability. The boards that run elections have barely acknowledged the arrival of the computer, let alone the internet. Anyone who votes in New York City, for example, must first sign a large paper ledger that looks like something from the Smithsonian archives. Attempts to move to computerized voting lists like other efforts to modernize the system have too often stalled in Albany because incumbents want to preserve the system that got them elected. The play is equally concerned with the social forces in Northern Ireland that stirred a political disagreement between mostly unionist Protestants and largely nationalist Roman Catholics into the kind of heedless, savage animosity that leaves a body count. You look at Ian and Jimmy, a couple of 52-year-old white guys from the same small city, and you wonder: How did the enemies even tell one another apart? Surely they have more in common than not. Yet the room, with these two quietly chatting, vibrates with a violent tension so taut that if you were a bystander like Robert (Robert Zawadzki), the Polish immigrant who tends the bar youd hardly dare to breathe. Ian is the one who requested this dialogue. Reserved, respectably dressed, hes not sure why hes rooting around in the past though maybe, he allows, it has something to do with not being able to look myself in the eye when Im havin a shave. Which might count as an acknowledgment of guilt if he didnt view his adolescent self as a wholly different person from who he is now. I cant speak for the actions of a 16-year-old child, he says. The shaven-skulled, quick-witted Jimmy confronts Ian with the hard look and menacing, I-dare-you manner of a thug, but hes probably good company on an ordinary day, as long as no one sets him off. The molten fury at his core makes him dangerous, yet theres decency inside him, too, and when he finally taunts Ian in a way that crosses a line, it takes Jimmy only a moment to rethink and utter, Sorry. Its startling, this small admission of fault nearly as rare an occurrence in this hard conversation as eye contact. There are things that cant be undone so easily, though. Thats why these two are meeting. Each has a stake in claiming moral innocence in the events of way back when; each has, ever since, marinated in regret. Ian is right to keep harping on how young they were, and to point out that adults were the ones who welcomed children into the battle. When Capt. Humayun Khan was ordered to Iraq a dozen years ago, his father wanted to talk to him about being an American Muslim soldier sent to war in a Muslim country. His son, though, was focused only on the job at hand. I asked him, How do you feel about the whole Iraq deal? recalled Khizr Khan, who became a United States citizen after emigrating from Pakistan in 1980. He said: Look, thats not my concern and thats not my pay grade. My responsibility is to make sure my unit is safe. And thats all he would talk about, and nothing else. Captain Khan, 27, died on June 8, 2004, after he told his men to take cover and then tried to stop a suicide bomber outside the gates of his base in Baquba. And on Thursday night, speaking about his son at the Democratic National Convention, Mr. Khan gave a voice to Muslim Americans outraged by the anti-Muslim pronouncements of the Republican nominee for president, Donald J. Trump. In a speech that electrified the convention and turned Mr. Khan into a social media and cable news sensation, he waved a pocket Constitution and challenged Mr. Trump, You have sacrificed nothing and no one. MIAMI Federal officials want to suspend blood donations in two Florida counties where officials are investigating four cases of Zika infection that may be the first spread by mosquitoes on the United States mainland. Blood centers in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas were being asked to stop collecting blood until they could properly screen each unit for the Zika virus, according to a statement on the Food and Drug Administration website. Florida health officials said the four infections in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties might not be linked to travel outside the United States, but they had not confirmed how the virus spread. Investigators were going door to door to talk with residents and collect samples. No mosquitoes collected in the affected areas had tested positive for the Zika virus, said Jennifer Meale, a spokeswoman for the states Agriculture and Consumer Services Department. Baton Rouge, Louisiana - 28 July 2016 1. Wide of audience and stage 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Baton Rouge Police Department Police Chief Carl Dabadie, Jr.: We gather here in memory of three remarkable men. Three men who represented the best of the blue and served on the front lines as our communitys protection and shield. 3. Wide of stage 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Governor John Bel Edwards, (D) Louisiana: Public safety, is obviously, for me, priority number one as your governor. And when an out of state individual with a deranged mind and a heart filled with hate shows up in Baton Rouge and targets our police officers, it is an attack on all of us, on the very fabric of our society. 5. Wide of stage 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Loretta Lynch, Attorney General: Its not just for all of you in Baton Rouge, it is for all of us. All of us who care about peace, all of us who care about safety. All of us who want to come together and make this world a better place, this message is for all of us do not let hate infect your hearts. Its for all of us. 7. Mid of Lynch on stage 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Loretta Lynch, Attorney General: Now we stand here in the wake of such a painful tragedy. We stand here in the shadow of mindless violence. We cant comprehend sometimes, why these things do occur. 9. Mid of Lynch on stage 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Loretta Lynch, Attorney General: We can feel as if we are alone in this grief. We can feel as if were separated by everyone by the weight of this loss. But, my friends, we are not alone. Look around this room. Look outside these doors, look across this country to the people who are standing with the families of the fallen, with the city of Baton Rouge, with the state of Louisiana, with everyone who wants to come together in peace and in love of community. 11. Wide of Vice President Biden approaching podium 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Vice President Joe Biden: I didnt have the privilege of knowing any of these brave men. But I knew them. I knew them. Confident. Committed, determined, trustworthy, passionate and above all always, always loyal. ++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++ 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Vice President Joe Biden: Thats who you guys are out there in uniform. Everyone of you. I dont know you, but boy, I do know you. I know who you are. Youre the best. Youre the best this country has to offer. 14. Wide of stage as guitar performs SOMERVILLE, Mass. Dozens of police officers and emergency medical workers from across Massachusetts gathered here on Thursday to protest a Black Lives Matter banner at City Hall, making this largely white, working-class suburb of Boston the latest flash point in the escalating national tensions between the police and advocates of the Black Lives Matter movement. The police were protesting the decision by the citys mayor, Joseph A. Curtatone, to keep the banner hanging on outside City Hall. The police contend that the banner is divisive and gives voice to a movement that has inspired violence against the police, including the recent killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La. Because some elements identified with the Black Lives Matter movement have resorted to killing innocent police officers and putting the lives of citizens in jeopardy, the Massachusetts Municipal Police Coalition cannot stand for the continued display of that organizations banner on a public building, Michael McGrath, an officer of the coalition and the president of the Somerville Police Employees Association, told the crowd. As he spoke, officers from two dozen nearby cities and towns, wearing street clothes, stood quietly around him, and television helicopters hovered overhead. The police unfurled a large blue banner that read Cops Lives Matter and held posters saying Support Your Local Police. About 100 residents looked on. Display of queen's wardrobe Updated: 2016-07-29 08:04 By Wang Mingjie(China Daily Europe) Queen Elizabeth visits the Great Wall with Prince Philip in October 1986. Provided to China Daily To celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, an exhibition of the British monarch's wardrobe has opened at Buckingham Palace. Top: The dress worn by Queen Elizabeth at the London Olympics opening ceremony. Above: An evening dress she wore at a state banquet in China. The show, Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style From The Queen's Wardrobe, which runs until Oct 2, includes two outfits the queen wore during her historic state visit to China in October 1986. Exhibitions also are scheduled at her two other official residences. "The pink silk evening dress embroidered with sprays of tree peony blossoms, the national flower of China and a revered symbol in Chinese art and culture, was worn for a state banquet in Beijing," says Caroline de Guitaut, curator of the Royal Collection, which manages public events at the queen's official residences. "The queen was the first British reigning monarch to visit China on a state visit, and it's a very key piece of her wardrobe on display here." Another piece that has a strong connection to China is the purple ensemble designed by the late couturier Hardy Amies. The queen was photographed wearing this ensemble when she visited the Great Wall of China with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1986. The show at Buckingham Palace, featuring more than 80 dresses and 60 fashion accessories, examines how clothes and fashionable dresses have supported the queen in various roles as head of state, head of the armed forces and head of the Commonwealth. It presents the fashions of 10 decades, from the 1920s to present day, showing the unique requirements of royal couture. The Buckingham Palace exhibition includes ceremonial attire as well as outfits worn at family celebrations, such as weddings and christenings. Wardrobes from the queen's early childhood, her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh and her coronation, as well as outfits created for royal tours and state visits, are represented. Also on display is the dress she wore for the Thames River Pageant, part of the celebrations marking her diamond jubilee in June 2012. Another very recognizable outfit is the one she wore when she appeared at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. wangmingjie@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily European Weekly 07/29/2016 page22) PHILADELPHIA The emotional divide between the supporters of Bernie Sanders and those of Hillary Clinton was clear this week during their party convention here. But night by night, the mood showed at least some signs of shifting. I knew he would not win, Sabrina Federigo, 24, a Pennsylvania resident, said of Mr. Sanders as she left the convention center on Monday night after he formally endorsed Mrs. Clinton. I am very disappointed. Jordyn Tannenbaum, 20, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, agreed. I finally found an honest candidate that offered real solutions, and he loses, she said. For their part, Mrs. Clintons supporters were just as disappointed. These people were insulting me as a Clinton supporter, and I could not believe it, Phil Denicolo, 61, a delegate from Texas, said on Wednesday evening. They were saying this is devastating. I say, You havent seen anything. PHILADELPHIA On a night when many people in her shoes might have made themselves scarce, she sat proudly in plain view, in one of the best seats in the house for Hillary Clintons convention speech. It was almost the same scene the night before, when President Obama spoke. And if she were not already so recognizable, the official-looking coterie traveling with her announced that she was for at least a few more moments still somebody. Even after a humiliating defenestration that left her sidelined the day before the Democratic convention began the convention that she had helped plan for the candidate she had worked so loyally and doggedly to nominate Debbie Wasserman Schultz would not be denied her moment. Ms. Wasserman Schultz, who resigned as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee on Sunday after an embarrassing email leak, nevertheless kept a full schedule, attending caucus meetings and delegation gatherings and meeting with Jewish Democrats. On Thursday night, she wore a bright blue sleeveless dress with a big H button affixed to it. And when Mrs. Clinton took the stage, Ms. Wasserman Schultz beamed, looking anything but self-pitying. PHILADELPHIA They saluted the valor and vigor of the American armed forces. They quoted Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt, iconic Republican presidents of the 20th century, as well as a beloved Republican former first lady. They talked plainly about faith, about instilling good family values, about the uniqueness of the American experiment. Over four days here, the Democratic Party sought to flip the magnetic poles of American politics, seizing on Donald J. Trumps unlikely rise to invade intellectual and rhetorical terrain held by the Republican Party for most of the last four decades. While Mr. Trumps convention in Cleveland described the United States as cheated, hapless and weak, a parade of prominent Democrats here summoned a country of limitless ingenuity, profound strength and majestic moral authority. For the Democrats, it was a carefully calibrated, precisely drafted assault on the Republican coalition. For months, they have sought to tar Republican politicians with Mr. Trumps essence, arguing that the New York developer and reality star was the true id of a Republican Party marbled with political extremism and racial antagonism. NATPOP of Clinton: The first time in our nations history that a woman will be a major partys nominee. VO: Its only have been a couple of generations that women have emerged as a force at political conventions. NATPOP of Hillary: We reached a milestone. VO: Im Carolyn Ryan, a senior editor for Politics at The New York Times VO: Womens prominence began to emerge in 1940. The convention was pretty raucous. President Roosevelt needed somebody who could essentially speak to the delegates and quiet them down and Eleanor Roosevelt turned out to be that person. VO: Late 60s early 70s is when womens liberation is taking hold in the country. VO: Anne Armstrong, who was a co-chair of the RNC, became the first female Keynote speaker at a major party convention. VO: Pat Nixon gives a speech, and her very presence and the reception that she received was significant at the time. NATPOP of Pat Nixon, former First Lady: Its the most wonderful welcome Ive ever had. NATPOP of speaker at DNC: The honorable Shirley Chisholm VO: The First African-American congresswoman, was also the first female Democratic Party candidate for president to be campaign at a convention. Shirley Chisholm said, she believed that her gender was a bigger impediment to her political success than her race. NATPOP: Shirley Chisholm: United States Constitution says that anyone that is 35 years of age and a natural born citizen can run for Presidency VO: When Geraldine Ferraro takes the stage, she just says her name, and that feels like a statement for women. NATPOP of Geraldine Ferraro, former Democratic vice presidential candidate: If you work hard and play by the rules you can earn your share of Americas blessings VO: This is a period in which Democrats seem to begin to seize on the idea that there is a gender gap in American politics. NATPOP of Ann Richards, Former governor of Texas: After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did, she just did it backwards and in high heels. Texas Governor Ann Richards became the second female Keynote speaker at the Democratic convention, twelve years after Barbara Jordan. VO: Its really interesting: despite the fact that Ann Richards so inspired the crowd, shes the last keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention to be a woman. NATPOP of Richards two women in 160 years is about par for the course. VO In 1996, spouses for both candidates of both parties, Elizabeth Dole and Hillary Clinton, addressed the convention delegates for the first time. But I think it was a frustration for some women in politics that women were appearing mainly as character witnesses who could testify to their husbands good values. NAT Bill Clinton: Id like to say a few word about Hillary. Clinton is speaking and his wife Hillary is running for Senate in New York, but most of his speech is not about his spouse, and hes framing her in a somewhat limited way. NATPOP Bill Clinton: Shes been a great First Lady. Shes always been there for our family. NATPOP of Sarah Palin, Former Republican vice presidential candidate, intro at 3.17: I will be honored to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States VO: In 2008, the democratic party was engaged in a very contentious primary, between a woman and an African American, and I think Sarah Palin was trying to put forward a message about her party, saying that we believe in equality. NATPOP of Palin at 11.17: This is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity. VO: Nikki Haley represented a new generation of Republican leaders, in what party members hoped would be a more diverse Republican Party. NATPOP of Gov. Nikki R. Haley, Republican of South Carolina , in 2012 in Tampa, Fla Aug 28 at 0.15: Only in America we can be successful as we can be and nothing would stand on our way Music break NATPOP My father will change labor laws that were put in place when women were not a significant portion of the workplace. What Ivanka Trump did was very unusual. She not only spoke as a candidates daughter who knows and loves him, but she also sought to convince female voters that Donald Trump is comfortable with strong and successful women like her. NATPOP: As a president, my father will fight for equal pay and equal work, and I will fight for it, too, alongside of him. VO: The question is, what will political conventions look like in the future, Will women be even more visible? Will it be unacceptable to have a ticket that doesnt include a woman? Thats what I wonder about. END When Donald J. Trump made provocative remarks on Wednesday about Russian intelligence services and Hillary Clintons email, readers of The New York Times responded with a record number of comments. More than 9,220 comments on the article were approved by moderators, who review nearly every one before they are published on The Timess digital platforms. Thousands more comments were posted on The Timess Facebook page. The article became the most-commented on in The Timess history. At his news conference, Mr. Trump said he hoped Russian intelligence services had hacked Mrs. Clintons email, and encouraged them to publish whatever they might have stolen, essentially urging them to commit cyberespionage. Here are excerpts from the comments, some of which have been lightly edited for clarity. He seems to be totally unable to control his outbursts Some readers said Mr. Trumps comments showed he lacked self-restraint and signaled that he could not be trusted to keep the nations secrets safe. DAVENPORT, Iowa Nearly every time a politician has dared to offer him censure, Donald J. Trump has responded by tagging his adversary with an impish nickname. In Mr. Trumps world, Ted Cruz became Lyin Ted, Marco Rubio was Little Marco, and Hillary Clinton remains Crooked Hillary. At a pair of rallies in Iowa on Thursday, Mr. Trump seemed to confer a new term of non-endearment, referring with great disdain to a certain very little guy. I was going to hit one guy in particular, a very little guy, he told a crowd of supporters in Davenport. I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin, he wouldnt know what the hell happened. Although this particular object of Mr. Trumps disaffection went unnamed, he seemed to be referring to Michael R. Bloomberg. The two have traded barbs for months. In February, Mr. Trump urged Mr. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, to run for president as an independent because he would beat him. PHILADELPHIA Hillary Clinton, in accepting her partys presidential nomination, described her love of tough issues, saying bluntly that I sweat the details of policy. But she delivered a speech that was remarkably without hard facts. Much of her address was a mix of descriptions of her upbringing, assertions of her opinions and generalized attacks on Donald J. Trump. She talked about marching toward a more perfect union and said Mr. Trump doesnt like talking about his plans. And even when she said I love talking about mine, she offered few concrete numbers or assertions to examine. Instead, she spoke in general terms about making college tuition-free for the middle class and giving a boost to small businesses. There were, however, a few factual assertions that could be checked so we did: CLAIM: Children like Ryan kept me going when our plan for universal health care failed, and kept me working with leaders of both parties to help create the Childrens Health Insurance Program that covers eight million kids in our country. The name Hillary Rodham first appeared in the pages of The New York Times 47 years ago, in a 1969 article about her commencement address at Wellesley, the womens college in Massachusetts. It was five years before her husband, Bill Clinton, would be mentioned in The Times. Since then, The Times has covered her rise, beginning with her role as a lawyer and governors wife who first gained the national spotlight in Arkansas. She then became an influential first lady, United States senator, secretary of state and presidential candidate (twice). Here are some highlights from over the years. KUNDUZ CITY, Afghanistan When President Ashraf Ghani visited the northern provincial capital of Kunduz last fall, after the city had finally been reclaimed after falling to the Taliban, he promised improvements to make sure things never got out of hand again. Among the changes was creating three new administrative districts to help improve government support in the province. But nearly eight months later, those three districts are firmly under the control of the Taliban and, in fact, government forces were never able to clear them and install the new officials. It is the same story in much of the rest of Kunduz Province, where the Taliban control or have mined many roads and have enforced their ban on smoking and listening to music in several areas. Even in some of the Kunduz districts nominally under government control, officials true reach remains limited to the bazaars and the administrative buildings, with the Taliban having free movement in the villages, according to local residents. And last week, the government all but lost control of another district in the province, Qala-i-Zal. The district administrative building is neither with us nor with the Taliban, the provincial police chief, Gen. Qasim Jangalbagh, said in an interview in Kunduz on Wednesday. We have planted mines, and they have planted mines. So, its back and forth like that. BEIJING Russian naval forces plan to join Chinese forces for a joint exercise in the South China Sea, highlighting Moscows partnership with Beijing after a recent international legal ruling underlined rifts between China and Southeast Asian nations over rival claims across the sea. The joint exercise will be held in September, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, Senior Col. Yang Yujun, said in Beijing on Thursday. But he gave no details about the size of the drill or precisely where it would take place in the vast stretch of sea from southern China nearly to the Philippines. Following a joint understanding reached between China and Russia, the navies of the two countries will hold a joint military exercise in the relevant sea and air areas of the South China Sea in September under the name Joint-Sea 2016, Colonel Yang said. Steel City forges solid China links Updated: 2016-07-29 08:04 By Cecily Liu(China Daily Europe) Chengdu developers to give $1.3b to Sheffield, adding to existing business and science ties Sheffield in northern England is to receive the largest Chinese investment in the United Kingdom outside of London, the latest sign of the industrial city's strong links with the Asian nation. Sichuan Guodong Construction Co committed in July to investing more than 1 billion pounds ($1.31 billion; 1.19 billion euros) over the next 60 years. Keith Burnett (second from right), vice chancellor of Sheffield University, and Xu Lin (third from left), director general of Hanban at the 9th Confucius Institute conference in Beijing in 2014. Provided to China Daily The announcement coincided with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond attending the G20 finance ministers meeting in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province and a sister city to Sheffield. The planned investment, which will focus mostly on commercial property development, comes after 18 months of negotiations and could create hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs, according to the company. No specific projects were identified. The Chinese developer says it will rely on suggestions from Sheffield City Council. The deal is the latest tie-up between the so-called Steel City and China. Last year, Hualing Industry and Trade Group agreed to fund the second phase of the Sheffield Digital Campus, a site for information technology and knowledge-based industries. Work is also underway to construct a 65 million pound, 20-story "Chinatown" development with shops, food and drink outlets, student flats and offices. The city's links with China began to burgeon in 2012, when Leigh Bramall, deputy leader of the city council, first visited Chengdu. "I was so impressed with its economic growth, high-tech zone and creative digital industry, and thought we really could do a lot more with our sister city link," he recalls. Frequent two-way exchanges between governments followed, and "we realized that developing personal relationships and trust is so important". The deal with Guodong Construction is also being touted as a demonstration that China-UK business relations can hold firm in the face of Brexit. "At a time of unprecedented uncertainty and turmoil on the national political scene, we've taken the bull by the horns and led by example here in Sheffield," Bramall adds. In addition to development projects, the Yorkshire city's close connection with China also includes collaboration in science and technology. The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Center, led by Sheffield and Manchester universities, has held extensive discussions with Chinese companies to help shape China's nuclear technology for the UK market. The center has an agreement with China National Nuclear Corp to help develop its small modular nuclear reactors should the company succeed in a competition run by the British government to select technology for future reactor programs. Small modular reactors are prefabricated in a controlled environment and assembled on site, with the intention to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Britain is an advocate for such technology. The University of Sheffield, which already has about 9,000 Chinese students and a Confucius Institute, has rapidly developed its links with China. "I've seen for myself the warm welcome extended to China in this city," says Keith Burnett, the university's vice-chancellor, who visits China frequently and speaks Mandarin. He was a vocal opponent of the British government's decision to tighten visa regulations for international students after they complete their studies. "The desire to work together as partners in the interests of the citizens of both our nations is mutual and sincere," he adds. In 2014, the university joined with Nanjing University to establish a joint research center to develop nitride semiconductor materials and devices. Wang Tao, a professor of advanced optoelectronics and one of the directors of the center, says academics at the two universities have already achieved results, and that his team is now talking with Chinese businesses to commercialize its pioneering technology. "Sheffield's reputation as an advanced manufacturing center gives it a great advantage to work with China in commercializing new technologies and helping China's manufacturing industry move up the value chain," he says. The University of Sheffield's engineering department is also training teachers from Shanghai's Tongji University for its two-year vocational program for Chinese high school graduates. cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com (China Daily European Weekly 07/29/2016 page30) CAIRO Egypts former top auditor, who was dismissed after he said that corruption had cost the country $68 billion over four years, was sentenced to jail on Thursday for spreading false news, court officials said. The auditor, Hisham Geneina, who had overseen the Central Auditing Organization, was fired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in March. The president then appointed a fact-finding commission that quickly concluded Mr. Geneina had misled the public by overestimating the scale of corruption. Mr. Geneina was also fined $2,200, according to court officials. This is the maximum penalty, and we will appeal, his lawyer, Ali Taha, said. Mr. Geneina, who did not attend the court session, said in an interview last month that he had done nothing wrong. He contended that he was being prosecuted to discourage others from speaking out in Egypt, which he said was increasingly in the grip of the security agencies. WASHINGTON The Obama administration has revamped a program designed to lure foreign fighters away from extremist groups like the Islamic State, focusing on a series of new advertisements and social media posts that seek to appeal to emotion rather than logic. Money for the program, which is managed by the State Departments Global Engagement Center, tripled this year, to $16 million, after administration officials concluded that past efforts that had attempted to scare potential militants away from the extremist groups were not working. It is the latest in a long series of efforts from the Obama administration at what diplomats and other officials euphemistically call public engagement, and the multiple reboots have shown how hard it has been for these programs to find traction. Recent attacks in Turkey, Iraq, France and Bangladesh seemed to show extremism has been spreading. But one thing has changed from similar efforts in the past. The new initiatives have been tailored to keep the United States governments involvement as low-key and in some cases, as secretive as possible, because overt American backing for some projects had turned off the exact group of disaffected young men that the campaign is trying to reach. Since Andrew Sullivan abruptly closed his blog, The Dish, in early 2015 after nearly 15 years and thousands of posts, he settled into a routine of reading, meditation and exercise along with work on a spiritual memoir about what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century. I was happy doing that and was hoping to continue, when this Grendel started stirring in the forest, Mr. Sullivan said on Friday by telephone from his home in Provincetown, Mass. You could almost see the coffee vibrate on the table, as this creature came out of the swamp. In May, Mr. Sullivan rejoined the political fray with a 7,000-plus-word cover article in New York magazine denouncing Donald Trump not just as a dangerous politician but a threat to democracy itself. The article spurred wide debate and whetted the appetite of fans for a fuller return to the arena. Mr. Sullivan a idiosyncratic gay Catholic conservative and unabashed Obamaphile spent the last two weeks live-blogging the Republican and Democratic conventions for New York, weaving in responses from his loyal if not uncritical crew of recovering Dishheads, as he put it. On Friday, Mr. Sullivan spoke about what has changed since he left the online fray. Here are edited excerpts. But the ballets potency gradually tapers off. Mr. Wheeldon resorts to ornamental and repetitive choreography steps are done again, yet rarely build to create a satisfying visual rhythm, except in the spirited second-act dance for the corps de ballet. His forced arm positions and use of a flexed foot which, depending on the scene, gives characters a touch of anguish or jauntiness feel forced, while lifts are more acrobatic than soaring; you see the dancers fighting for the right grip, a semblance of control. Mr. Wheeldon has reunited with the composer Joby Talbot, who contributes a mildly evocative score that is more cinematic than balletic, and with the designer Bob Crowley, whose tree in the second act is divine. (The three also collaborated on Alices Adventures in Wonderland.) But just as with Mr. Wheeldons Cinderella, it is Basil Twists silk effects that steal the show. In the play, there is a well-known stage direction for Antigonus, an adviser to Leontes, who is commanded by his king to abandon the baby Perdita: Exit, pursued by a bear. When Mr. Twists ravenous bear lashes out in the form of waves of fabric dancing through the air, The Winters Tale is never more chilling or alive. Edinburgh Edinburgh International Festival/ Edinburgh Festival Fringe Various venues, Aug 5-29 Every August, venues across this picturesque city open up, playing host to dance, comedy, opera and theater. There are actually two Edinburgh festivals: The Edinburgh International Festival, an elite lineup of Scottish work and highbrow imports that this year includes a celebrated American production of The Glass Menagerie, starring Cherry Jones; and the German Richard III. The vast Edinburgh Festival Fringe, meanwhile, showcases hundreds of up-and-coming acts (largely theater and comedy) at venues around the city. eif.co.uk; edfringe.com Melbourne, Australia Melbourne Film Festival Various venues, through Aug. 14 Down Under, a black comedy about racial tensions in Australia; Emo the Musical, about a cast of high school misfits; and Zachs Ceremony, a documentary about a young indigenous boys coming of age are among the Australian movies screening in this film festival. International movies will also appear in the lineup, like The Death of Louis XIV, a French film about the end of the kings reign; and Julieta, the latest from the Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. miff.com.au Image Franz von Stucks The Guardian of the Paradise is on view in an exhibition at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna. Credit... Museum Villa Stuck Vienna Sin and Secession: Franz von Stuck in Vienna Belvedere, through Oct. 9 The German painter whose work is featured in this show was a major name in late 19th-century Germany, though his reputation has faded somewhat since then. This exhibition looks at his artistic output, distinctive for its eroticism and its mystical bent. belvedere.at SALZBURG, Austria It takes some daring for a composer to choose a classic film as a subject for an opera. Comparisons are inevitable. But not much intimidates the prodigious British composer Thomas Ades. On Thursday at the Salzburg Festival, Mr. Ades conducted the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and an outstanding cast in the premiere of The Exterminating Angel, based on the 1962 Luis Bunuel film. Though Bunuel preferred not to specify the symbolism in his work, this dark fantasy, a macabre comedy, has long been seen as a critique of the elite classes during the Franco years in Spain. A wealthy couple invite some guests to their mansion for an elegant dinner. But after the guests adjourn to the salon, everyone, including the hosts, finds it psychologically, though not physically, impossible to leave the room. In his opera, Mr. Ades seizes the story and makes it his own, delving into its underground river of meaning, as he says in an interview in the program. His powerful score reveals the harrowing absurdity of the situation, as the guests become hungry, dirty and hostile. As the days go by, they turn upon one another with accusatory hysteria. Stranger Things nicely built suspense through having the various components the sheriff, Joyce, the kids and Eleven, the teenagers Jonathan and Nancy stumble upon different pieces of the story, culminating in the satisfying moment when they all finally start talking to one another. In the end Sheriff Hopper makes a deal to retrieve Will from the Upside Down, where hes being used as some sort of incubator, in exchange for giving up Elevens location to Dr. Brenner. But the girl kills several agents, then vanishes while vanquishing the monster before Dr. Brenner can find her. In a cliffhanger ending, we see signs that Sheriff Hopper is in contact with Eleven or is trying to find her and that Will might still have Demogorgon eggs in his gut. The Duffer brothers have said they have more story to tell if Netflix lets them. Will you come back if it does? Lets discuss. Lets get the pop-culture references out of the way first. The biggest influence is clearly E.T. specific nods included the blond-wigged dress-up scene, the humanizing junk-food obsession (Eggo waffles standing in for Reeses Pieces) and a fun inversion of the famous flying-bike sequence, with Eleven using her powers to make the pursuers vehicle fly instead. Stranger Things also borrowed heavily from King stories like Carrie (telekinetic powers ) and Firestarter ( bestowed on a little girl as a result of dark government experiments) as well as the Alien films, with the shorn Eleven like a junior Ripley facing off against a toothy, bloodthirsty creature. Other Alien analogues included the human incubator aspect (more on that in a minute) and the general gooey gloom of the Upside Down. The Demagorgon itself suggested the unholy offspring of Alien, Predator and a Venus flytrap. The other big touchstone is John Carpenter, primarily in the moody synth soundtrack, though his films like The Fog and The Thing informed the overall tone of Stranger Things. (The science teacher watched The Thing during his date night and one of the boys had a poster for it in his room.) Other obvious inspirations include kidventure movies like The Goonies and Stand by Me, and there were also glimpses of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (the Christmas light sequences); Indiana Jones (Hoppers hat) and Nightmare on Elm Street (the monster coming through the walls, teenagers setting booby traps in a suburban home). Today it is hard to imagine an American theatrical landscape as sparsely inhabited as the one Arena entered. Among the few notable ventures were the Cleveland Playhouse and the Goodman Theater in Chicago, which had established professional credentials in the first quarter of the century. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland had put on a seasonal program of Shakespeare beginning in 1935. In the late 1940s, Margo Jones had established Theater 47 in Dallas and Nina Vance founded the Alley Theater in Houston, and together, with Arena, they led a slow expansion through the 1950s of what became known as the resident (or regional) movement. The Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada, now known simply as the Stratford Festival, which began performances in 1953, helped as well; its first artistic director, Tyrone Guthrie, founded the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in 1963 at a time when the Ford Foundation was actively promoting professional theater around the country with significant donations. By then Arena was performing in a new theater in the round (more of a rectangle, really) of about 800 seats at its current location along the Washington Channel in southwest Washington. (The theater has since been renamed Fichandler Stage.) In 1971 it opened a second, smaller house with a thrust stage. Today, Arena is a modern complex (renovated in 2010) of three theaters with a total of nearly 1,400 seats, putting on 10 or so productions annually with runs of a month or more and selling 300,000 tickets. With a budget of about $20 million, it is among the largest of the nations more than 1,700 professional nonprofit theaters and the foundation of theater in Washington. All the citys 90 or so companies came into existence in the wake of Arenas early success. Zelda Fichandler is the mother of us all in the American theater, Molly Smith, the artistic director of Arena since 1998, said in a statement. It was her thinking as a seminal artist and architect of the not-for-profit resident theater that imagined resident theaters creating brilliant theater in our own communities. A revolutionary idea. Her thinking and her writing have forged the way we were created and the resident nature of our movement. Ms. Fichandler was born Zelda Diamond in Boston on Sept. 18, 1924, and grew up mostly in Washington after her parents, Harry Diamond and the former Ida Epstein, moved the family when she was 4. Her father, an immigrant from Russia, became an engineer and inventor who worked for the National Bureau of Standards. During World War II he helped develop proximity fuzes, devices that detonated bombs as they approached their targets. His wife was a secretary in his laboratory. Such is the climate that public unions now worry about suffering the same debilitating bleed as private sector unions, whose membership has dwindled from about 25 percent of workers in the early 1970s to under 7 percent today. If Mrs. Clinton wins this fall, Mr. Saunders may gain an even closer ally in the Oval Office. Certainly the Supreme Court would be more favorable than under a President Trump. But given that some of the greatest threats to public unions emanate far from Washington, is someone best known for navigating the citys corridors of power their most promising savior? On an unseasonably cold afternoon in May, Mr. Saunders was seated next to a bank of tables at a child services facility in Cleveland when one of the workers listening to him discourse on their union piped up suddenly: I have no idea who you are. Can you introduce yourself? If you happen to run one of the largest organizations in the country, you might be tempted to respond to such a question with thinly concealed annoyance. Mr. Saunderss immediate predecessor, Gerald W. McEntee, who built the union into a Washington force during his three decades as president, was famous for such outbursts. Instead, Mr. Saunders played the situation for laughs. You dont know who I am? he said in mock outrage. Then he deadpanned: Im thinking about joining the union. I wanted to hear from you guys as far as why I should do it. It is hardly the only way Mr. Saunders differs from his immediate predecessor. Mr. McEntee alienated members with his heavy-handed decision-making including ramming through a 2007 endorsement of Mrs. Clinton for president even though many senior officials thought Mr. Obama deserved more time to make his case and nursed blood feuds with rival unions. Above all, longtime Afscme officials say, Mr. McEntee grew less interested in nurturing his rank-and-file members, preferring to build the unions power mostly through political spending. A former aide challenged that view, however, saying Mr. McEntee cared about cultivating the grass roots, but the urgency simply was not as great until the last few years. LONDON A huge beer merger took two major steps toward completion on Friday. Anheuser-Busch InBev said it had received conditional approval from Chinese regulators for its merger with SABMiller after the companies agreed to sell SABMillers stake in the maker of Snow, the worlds best-selling beer. The conditional approval by Chinese authorities is the last major regulatory hurdle for the transaction. SABMillers board, meanwhile, said it would recommend that shareholders accept an increased cash offer by Anheuser-Busch InBev that valued it at about $104 billion. The merger would create an industry giant accounting for about 30 percent of global beer sales and would give Anheuser-Busch, already the worlds largest brewer, a substantial operation in Africa, where it has little presence, and greater dominance in Latin America. To win regulatory approval in China, Anheuser-Busch InBev agreed in March to sell SABMillers 49 percent stake in the maker of Snow to China Resources Beer, a state-owned brewer, for about $1.6 billion. China Resources Beer already owns the other 51 percent of the brewer, C. R. Snow. BBD spreads data expertise to UK Updated: 2016-07-29 08:04 By Cecily Liu in London(China Daily Europe) A fast-growing Chinese big-data firm is expanding into the UK with the ambitious goal of revolutionizing financial data analytics around the world. The company, BBD, hopes to help clients to increasingly use real-time big data for investment decisions. The startup from Chengdu in Sichuan province has grown fast enough in three years to serve big names like Guoking Securities, Shenzhen Stock Exchange and KPMG in China. The company is now preparing for the launch of a research and development center at the University of Cambridge after opening a London office in May. BBD's China New Economy Index, uses the power of data to help China's government and investors discover new sectors that are rapidly growing within the Chinese economy. Provided to China Daily Helen Wang, the company's CEO in Britain, says the R&D center in Cambridge will enable the firm to utilize the university's research strength in crowdfunding, and work with Cambridge experts to extend big data's application to biodata. "We expect that by working with a leading research institute in crowdfunding, BBD can bring contributions to China's peer-to-peer industry, which is increasingly in need of regulation and supervision," Wang says. Big data has taken off in recent years due to the global internet connectivity boom. BBD is perhaps best known in China for its China new economy index, which uses the power of data to help China's government and investors discover new sectors that are rapidly growing within the Chinese economy. Using the same methods employed in the China new economy index, BBD is using its presence in Britain to develop an international index, called BBD OBOR index. It tracks the growth of new economic sectors in all the countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. OBOR - for One Belt, One Road - is another name for the initiative, which is focused on investing in infrastructure that connects Asia and Europe. Alan Barrell, entrepreneur in residence at the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, says: "The development of new algorithms such as BBD's new economy index will result in a wider application of smart big-data systems for stock analysis by investors considering investment in newer companies with innovative online systems and new technology." Barrell calls the creation of such a real-time, big-data index particularly helpful for the UK, which has about 80 percent of its GDP and employment rooted in service sectors, classified as new economy sectors, which need to be measured by innovative matrices. BBD's activities in the UK should cause no data security concerns, he says. "BBD's approach will be open and transparent and the methodology employed in the new economy index, and the ethical basis of BBD's working method will not cause any concerns or problems regarding data exploration and publication," Barrell says. BBD's expansion into the UK is riding on the trend of a boom in China's big-data industry, which enjoys the advantage of abundant data due to the nation's big population, heavy investment in the sector, and large number of well-qualified engineers. While the size of the big-data sector is hard to determine because it has really just taken off in the past five years, the Beijing-based intelligence firm Analysis International estimates that big-data related marketing services in China grew over 150 percent to 2 billion yuan ($300 million; 272 million euros) in 2015, and is forecast to increase to 27.7 billion yuan by 2018. The leading big-data pioneers in China are the country's leading internet firms, Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent, which generate a large pool of data in the process of providing services to users, and use the data to create new commercial products. Alibaba, for example, makes loans to small businesses that do not have bank credit ratings, by assessing their credit risk based on their e-commerce activities. "China's investment in the big-data industry and its availability of data gives it a big advantage. This advantage has a degree of international transferability when Chinese firms take the model they develop and apply them to other countries" says Federico Pigni, an associate professor in the Department of Management and Technology at Grenoble's Ecole de Management. "In the past few years, the demand for data scientists globally has exploded, and schools were not anticipating this demand from industry, so there is a lack of big-data scientists worldwide, therefore Chinese firms that have capability in big data are making a wise decision to move into the UK market," Pigni says. Globally, the big-data market potential is huge. German-based data firm Statista estimates the big-data market value in 2015 to be worth $22.6 billion, which is expected to almost double to $40.8 billion in 2018, and reach $92.2 billion by 2026. cecily.liu@chinadaily.com.cn ( China Daily European Weekly 07/29/2016 page28) The long, sad saga of TXU may finally be heading toward a conclusion. The power producer NextEra Energy is buying the bankrupt companys 80 percent stake in the power transmission group Oncor Electric Delivery, valued at $18.4 billion. The $45 billion leveraged buyout of the TXU Corporation, now called Energy Future Holdings, ran into trouble soon after its 2007 completion. Most creditors will have to be satisfied with a slice of the former TXUs other assets. The deal, the largest-ever leveraged buyout, essentially involved the backers Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, TPG Capital and Goldman Sachs taking a huge chance on the price of natural gas. If it rose, the utilitys coal-powered generators would become highly profitable. With largely fixed costs, the power they produced could be sold at a relatively high price set by the cost of gas. The bet misfired as gas prices plummeted. Regulators, however, insisted that Oncor be ring-fenced and a 20 percent stake sold to outside investors before agreeing to the TXU buyout nearly 10 years ago. That proved sensible, saving Oncor from going bust. NextEra is taking control of the company, along the way repaying $9.5 billion to creditors and assuming additional debt. Ordinary sales are done in one of two ways: in a merger where the target is merged into a subsidiary of the buyer and the target shareholders receive the cash (or other consideration), or in a tender offer that gives the target shareholders a choice to tender into the offer or not. Then there will be a merger where the target is merged into the buyers subsidiary and the target shareholders are forcibly squeezed out, receiving the merger consideration. (if you want to know why you would choose one structure over another, I wrote a good primer in 2009.) In either case, shareholders get a say. They either vote on the merger or decide whether to tender into the offer. In both cases, there would be appraisal rights if the buyer pays cash. This means that shareholders can object to the deal by not voting for it or not tendering into the offer and instead asking a court to value their shares this is what happened in Dells buyout in 2013. The Yahoo deal, however, is not a sale of the public company. It is an asset sale, in which there is only a shareholder vote if there is a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the company. Yahoo is not all of the assets or even substantially all the Alibaba shares being left behind in Remain Co. are worth about $28 billion, or six times the value of the cash Verizon is paying for the Yahoo assets it is buying. The courts have held that the definition of substantially all includes a change of business in a company because of an asset sale where the assets are qualitatively vital. And that certainly applies here. So there will be a vote indeed, Yahoo has no problem with a vote and shareholders are desperate to sell at this point. There will be no appraisal rights, however. Again, in an asset sale, there are no appraisal rights. So anyone who votes against the deal and thinks this is a bum price is out of luck. The different standards for voting and appraisal rights apply because the structure of the deal is a quirk of the law in Delaware, where Yahoo is incorporated, that allows lawyers to sometimes work around these issues simply by changing the way a deal is done. Lawyers in the bitter fight over Sumner M. Redstones $40 billion media empire could be awfully busy come October. A Delaware judge ruled on Friday that the lawsuit over the move to replace five Viacom directors would go to trial, setting Oct. 17 as a tentative start date. The judge also instructed lawyers for the two sides to discuss the possibility of conducting an independent medical examination of Mr. Redstone, who is 93 and in poor health. His National Amusements holding controls about 80 percent of the voting shares in Viacom and CBS. A day earlier, a Massachusetts judge scheduled an October trial for a separate lawsuit over Mr. Redstones mental competence to make business decisions. And in California, a Los Angeles judge has set a tentative hearing on Oct. 18 for yet another legal fight over the future of Mr. Redstones business estate. The prospect that the dispute goes to trial in multiple states could increase the incentive for the two sides to resolve the fights outside the courtroom. It is not clear whether the sides are engaged in settlement talks. Four cases of Zika infection in Florida are very likely to have been caused by mosquitoes there, the State Department of Health said Friday the first documented instances of local transmission in the continental United States. Zika is now here, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news briefing. The C.D.C. and Florida officials said that for now, the area of concern is limited to one square mile in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, a gentrifying area with restaurants and art galleries just north of downtown. Health authorities are not advising people to stay away from the neighborhood, Dr. Frieden said. The four people appear to have been infected in early July; since then, mosquito control efforts have been stepped up in the area, and additional cases have not been identified. His best guess and it was nothing more than that was that his voice box was not injured in that earlier surgery but that something psychosomatic happened that convinced his brain that he could no longer speak. And then something about the M.R.I. experience convinced him that he could again. But who knew. Up and down East 74th Street, residents rejoiced. Ben had a voice. Miracles have expiration dates. They can come mercilessly fast. For years, Ben had had prostate cancer. The cancer had been in remission, but it returned and was spreading. Last fall, just a couple of months after finding his voice, he entered the hospital, then a nursing home in Queens. The doormen visited him there multiple times a week. A woman on the block bought him a radio so he could listen to music. He was always upbeat. The doormen went to cheer him up. He cheered them up. He left me a lesson, Mr. Arias said. Always be happy. Dont worry. He told the doormen he would recover and return to his little room on East 74th Street. And they assured him, why of course you will. On July 7, he died. There were no relatives to bury him. But there were the doormen. Mr. Grisales found his way to the Guida Funeral Home in Queens. Tom Habermann, the manager, said he would handle matters for a discounted $1,500. The two doormen put out fliers in the neighborhood to solicit donations. In two days, they had the money. Because Ben was a veteran, Mr. Habermann arranged for a military service at Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island. Ben was cremated, and the cremains went to a niche there. For the service at Calverton, Mr. Grisales brought his wife and children, and Mr. Arias came with his wife. Two women from the block attended. There was an honor guard detail. They played taps. An American flag was folded and presented to Mr. Grisales. Because this was one of the things that had been best in his life. Knowing Ben. Mr. Grisales has ordered a frame for the flag that will have Bens name engraved on it and the dates crossing the 83 years when his life began and ended. He intends to hang it on the wall in his home, in a special place where he will always see it. Then, if anyone notices it and asks, well, they will need to sit down. He will have quite a story to tell. When Maryellis Bunn was a child, she dreamed of jumping into a swimming pool full of sprinkles. So, here we are. On Friday, the 24-year-old Manhattanite threw open the doors to a spectacle worthy of the finest Instagram filter: a Museum of Ice Cream. The project, which arrives just as New Yorkers are recovering from a heat wave, will run until Aug. 31 in the shadow of the Whitney Museum of American Art in a strip of empty retail spaces in the meatpacking district. Apparently, many other New Yorkers also share her dream: The 30,000 tickets sold out in five days. Ms. Bunn, who is a creative strategist with clients that include Facebook and Instagram, and Manish Vora her boyfriend and a museum co-creator understand their target audience: millennials who need to prove to the rest of social media that they were out somewhere doing something really fun. The transition to the new school needs to be as seamless as possible for the children, said Joseph V. Erardi Jr., the superintendent of Newtown schools. That is why we are setting up this day and, therefore, asking everyone to give us the space we need to allow high-quality teaching and learning when we return for our first day of school. After a rampage that left 20 children and six staff members dead in 2012, the schools students moved to a temporary location in nearby Monroe. Officials there offered an unused school building because Sandy Hook was a crime scene. The Newtown school district decided to demolish the old building, out of respect for the tragedy that occurred there. Ultimately, after dozens of meetings, officials decided to build a new school in a different section of the same property. The new building, designed by Svigals & Partners of New Haven, will serve just under 400 students in preschool through fourth grade. It draws inspiration from nature, echoing the wooded, undulating landscape of Newtown itself. The entrance is tucked into a stand of trees, and three footbridges cross the property. The 59 first graders who survived the shooting, some of whom watched in horror as their teachers and friends were killed, will not return to Sandy Hook. That class, which had 79 students when the attack occurred, is moving up to the fifth grade at Reed Intermediate School. To the Editor: Re Justice Dept. Rejects Account of How Malaysias Leader Acquired Millions (news article, July 23): Ive been following your coverage of the scandal in Malaysia, in which $700 million in government funds was moved to a bank account controlled by the prime minister and billions more to the accounts of others close to him. The Justice Department has just moved to seize $1 billion of these embezzled assets located in the United States. It would be easy to dismiss this situation as just another example of corruption halfway around the world, but in this case Malaysia is a party to the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. If approved, the TPP would give Malaysia privileged access to the United States market in return for access to theirs. Setting aside the unbalanced nature of that proposition, this scandal raises serious doubts about whether Malaysia can live up to its end of the bargain. Our State Department has turned a blind eye to Malaysias complicity in human trafficking, but the Justice Departments recent actions underscore why we shouldnt enter into economic partnership with bad actors like Malaysia. This is one of hundreds of reasons Congress should reject the TPP. Below is an edited and condensed excerpt from that conversation. Ms. Mosbys team has just accused the Police Department of undermining the prosecution. Does that concern you? My concerns are first and foremost that moving forward, we are doing what we need to do to repair our city to improve community-police relations. I have spent a good deal of time over the last year working on body cameras, working on trainings with young people. The most important thing what gets lost in all of this, is that we are talking about the loss of a life. But I will be following up with the police commissioner, even though this happened before the current commissioner, to provide a response to those claims. You mentioned body cameras. Are the Baltimore police using them? They will, just like in New York or any other major city, theyre going to be rolled out. We already have body cameras out there; at this point, we are close to 200 officers. Body cameras were in the works before Freddie Gray, but most definitely it ratcheted up the pace. What else has changed? The department decided to improve the vans, so thats a change. And Im partnering with an organization called Community Mediation, fostering dialogue between youth and the police. Community Mediation is now mediating some internal affairs complaints. A lot of things have changed, things that people dont see because theyre behind the scenes. North Carolinas Republican-controlled legislature rewrote the states voting rules in 2013 shortly after the Supreme Court struck down a section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that had given the Justice Department the power to oversee changes in election procedures in areas with a history of racial discrimination. Forty of the states 100 counties had been subject to oversight. Civil rights advocates and the Justice Department had sued to block the law, but a Federal District Court judge upheld it in April, writing that the states significant, shameful past discrimination had largely abated in the last 25 years. On Friday, the three-judge panel emphatically disagreed, saying the lower courts amply documented ruling had failed to consider the inextricable link between race and politics in North Carolina. The judges noted that Republican leaders had drafted their restrictions on voting only after receiving data indicating that African-Americans would be the voters most significantly affected by them. We cannot ignore the record evidence that, because of race, the legislature enacted one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history, they wrote. The court seems to have missed the forest in carefully surveying the many trees, they stated. The panel stopped short of reimposing federal oversight on the states elections, saying that striking down the law was enough. Voting rights advocates called the ruling, which Republicans say they will appeal, a resounding victory. Fresh from speaking Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention, the Rev. William J. Barber II, the president of the North Carolina branch of the N.A.A.C.P., which is a plaintiff in the lawsuit, called the decision a moral and constitutional vindication of our constitutional critique of this extremist legislature and our extremist governor. A political majority doesnt give you the power to run roughshod over the Constitution, he said. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, who was in Baton Rouge, La., on Friday, also welcomed the decision, saying the law sent a message that contradicted some of the most basic principles of our democracy. EU may lure UK's yuan business Updated: 2016-07-29 08:04 By Cecily Liu(China Daily Europe) A European Union flag is held in front of the Big Ben clock tower in Parliament Square during a 'March for Europe' demonstration against Britain's decision to leave the European Union, central London, Britain July 2, 2016. Britain voted to leave the European Union in the EU Brexit referendum. [Photo/Agencies] Other European financial centers may see an opportunity in Brexit limiting British firms' renminbi-related activities European Union financial centers could gain a growing share of offshore renminbi activities after the UK's decision to leave the EU has triggered uncertainty regarding London's role, analysts say. A departure from the EU is likely to limit Britain's ability to enjoy the EU's "passport" rules, meaning London-based banks and financial firms may no longer be able to distribute renminbi products in the EU or finance China-related deals in the EU without a physical presence. London's offshore renminbi activities are the second largest, behind Hong Kong, but European financial centers like Luxembourg, Paris, Frankfurt and Dublin are all hoping to increase their share None of the European financial centers have announced concrete plans or policies to attract renminbi activities, but analysts expect each to grab a portion of London's share by playing up their respective strengths. Dublin could become a leading center because of its use of the English language. Frankfurt already has major trade with China. Luxembourg has a large concentration of renminbi-denominated funds. "I would expect a slowdown of London-based (renminbi) activity due to the uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote, and personally I am convinced that new activity, new players and new products will to some extent not be located in London but will rather be located within the EU," says Christian Cornett, corporate partner at the law firm King & Wood Mallesons. Andrew Carmichael, capital markets partner at the London-based law firm Linklaters, says London-based banks' challenges would depend on post-Brexit negotiations with the EU. "Some institutional investors only want to invest in products that are traded on a stock exchange in Europe. Currently, these investors are able to invest in renminbi products, such as bonds, listed on the London Stock Exchange, but this may be more difficult under the new rules," Carmichael says. The possibility of UK-domiciled funds no longer being eligible for EU distribution would lead to an increase in distribution of these funds in the EU financial center that has the biggest advantage in this area, says Nicolas Mackel, CEO of Luxembourg for Finance, who adds that Luxembourg has such an advantage. "Although funds issued in other EU countries enjoy the same policy for distribution, Luxembourg's strength as a center for funds would give it an advantage over other EU financial centers to attract renminbi funds that were set up in London," he says. By the first quarter of 2016, there were 175.8 billion yuan ($26.3 billion; 24 billion euros) of renminbi assets were held in Luxembourg-domiciled investment funds. Also, there were 581 RQFII funds under the renminbi qualified foreign institutional investor program domiciled in Luxembourg in the first quarter of 2016, compared with 34 in the UK, 21 in Ireland and 32 in France. Mackel says he also expects some financing and other support activities relating to Chinese acquisitions in Europe to shift into EU financial centers like Luxembourg. "Some of the financing activities for Chinese acquisitions in Europe, which are currently financed by Chinese banks' branches in the UK, may in the future be financed by the European branches of the same banks," he says. Ivan Chung, an associate managing director at rating agency Moody's, says Chinese businesses are likely to shift a part of their renminbi-related businesses to Europe only if there is an overall cost benefit. "Business decisions may not be driven by just one or two changes. Each offshore RMB center will adjust its regulatory treatment and improve its business environment to attract more business and reinforce its competitive niche," Chung says. Clara Ingen-Housz, a partner at Linklaters, says that if greater competition emerges between London and European financial centers over attracting Chinese business, this may be positive for China and the renminbi's rise. "If financial institutions feel their offshore renminbi activities must be located in the EU, cities such as Paris, Frankfurt or Dublin will become more attractive to the financial services sector," Ingen-Housz says. Cornett says he thinks Frankfurt also could greatly benefit from increasing renminbi activities. Renminbi liquidity in Frankfurt already is increasing, especially after the launch of the China Europe International Exchange in Frankfurt, and Brexit will accelerate this growth. Some analysts say London still is attractive as a leading offshore renminbi hub because Brexit will not affect London's existing renminbi activity infrastructure, including the Bank of England's renminbi swap arrangement with the People's Bank of China and the function of London's renminbi clearing bank. In addition, greater flexibility following Brexit may even allow the UK to increase trade flows with China, building up the foundation for more offshore renminbi activities in London. cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com ( China Daily European Weekly 07/29/2016 page26) FLINT, Mich. State prosecutors filed criminal charges against six more government workers here on Friday in connection with Flints water contamination crisis, accusing them of concealing urgent information about the lead that was leaching into the citys drinking water and doing nothing to stop it. The charges bring to nine the number of public employees criminally charged in the public health crisis, all midlevel bureaucrats or lower. Flint residents have been outraged that high-ranking officials have so far escaped any consequences. But the Michigan attorney general, Bill Schuette, hinted at a news conference on Friday that charges against higher-level officials might follow, saying that investigators were moving up the chain and going where the truth takes us, period. The widening inquiry comes as Flints residents continue to cope with the effects of the contamination. Concerns about the water emerged more than two years ago, but residents complaints were brushed off until last fall, when Gov. Rick Snyder acknowledged the scope of the problem. In a sign of changing times for the American military, the Navy plans to name a ship for Harvey Milk, the gay rights leader and San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated in 1978. Ray Mabus, the secretary of the Navy, has notified Congress that he will name a fleet oiler for Mr. Milk, the first openly gay elected official in a major American city. The notice was reported by USNI News on Thursday and was confirmed Friday by a Navy official. The move comes five years after President Obama ended the militarys dont ask, dont tell policy, a move that allowed gays, lesbians and bisexuals to serve openly. Last month, the Pentagon lifted restrictions on transgender people serving openly. Gay rights activists and friends of Mr. Milk in San Francisco were already celebrating the long-awaited news. In 2012, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution calling on Mr. Mabus to name a ship for Mr. Milk, who served in the Navy from 1951 to 1955. ST. PAUL The county attorney here said Friday that he would not step aside in the fatal police shooting of Philando Castile, despite requests from Mr. Castiles family that a special prosecutor handle the case. But John J. Choi, the Ramsey County attorney, did announce the appointment of Don Lewis, a former Justice Department official with roots in St. Paul, to help him weigh the evidence. I am not simply asking for his advice or approval of decisions that others have made, Mr. Choi said. As an appointed special prosecutor, Don will be an integral member of our team, who will review this case with me and be substantially involved in our decision. Mr. Castiles shooting on July 6 in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights has prompted sustained protests, and even Gov. Mark Dayton has suggested that the fact Mr. Castile was black may have played a role in the officers decision to shoot. Earlier this week, the St. Paul police arrested dozens of protesters outside the governors residence, where demonstrators had camped out since the shooting. PHILADELPHIA Democrats pushed on Friday to extend the excitement spurred by a four-day convention that culminated in the presidential nomination of Hillary Clinton, taking the fight against Donald J. Trump to the battleground states that could decide an election just over 100 days away. Two weeks of speeches, music, infighting and ultimately mountains of balloons and confetti for Democrats and Republicans have cemented the terms of the debate and left both parties as unified as they can be. Now comes the grueling homestretch of the campaign, where advertising will step up and the bickering between the candidates is likely to become even more biting. Signaling the importance of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Clinton and her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, stayed in Philadelphia to campaign early Friday, holding a rally at Temple University to begin a post-convention bus tour through Harrisburg and Pittsburgh and then Youngstown and Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Trump made his way west for campaign events in Colorado Springs and Denver. While en route, he lashed out on Twitter at those who were critical of him at the Democratic National Convention, specifically calling out Michael R. Bloomberg, New Yorks former mayor, and John R. Allen, a retired four-star general, as failures. PHILADELPHIA Democrats marked a decisive turn in their campaign against Donald J. Trump this week, moving to recast the 2016 race not as a conventional battle between left and right but as a national emergency that requires voters of all stripes to band together against a singularly menacing candidate. Abandoning their standard critique against conservative Republicans, allies of Hillary Clinton argued that Mr. Trump was not merely another champion of right-wing ideas, deserving of rejection for his views on the environment or health care. Instead, in an onslaught of astonishing ferocity led by President Obama, they used their convention to portray Mr. Trump as a dangerously unstable figure and a friend of foreign despots like President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Some Democrats suggested Mr. Trump might have authoritarian impulses of his own: Prominent in Mrs. Clintons acceptance speech Thursday night was a pointed reminder that the American system was designed to prevent the rise of a dictator. In effect, Mrs. Clinton and Democratic Party leaders signaled that they would seek to fight the general election, to some extent, in nonpartisan terms as a clash between the broad mainstream of American voters and a candidate they argue would put the nation in jeopardy. He believes he can attract liberal voters with this pitch, which he posted on Twitter this month, To all the Bernie voters who want to stop bad trade deals & global special interests, we welcome you with open arms. In some ways, Mr. Trump is pulling Republicans back to their protectionist prewar roots. They were the party of the ultimately disastrous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which raised tariffs on imports, a position that was later reversed. Democrats, with their deep ties to organized labor, have soured on trade deals in recent decades, especially in the wake of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was signed into law by the Clinton administration. They say the deals have cost manufacturing jobs and lowered wages, though global trade accounts for fewer lost jobs than automation and other technological advances. (The apparel and furniture sectors, which employed many of the workers now backing Mr. Trump, are exceptions.) How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Learn more about our process. In surveys, most Americans typically say free trade on the whole is positive, a fact often cited by its supporters. But polls also show that people are less optimistic about trades effect on jobs at home. Americans are more likely to say that international trade diminishes wages more than it improves them, and that it results in jobs losses. The anti-trade talk resonates with people who have been on the short end of the stick, said Jeffrey J. Schott, a trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. There are a wide range of reasons why this segment of the population has been left behind, he added. Both the attacks on trade and on Mrs. Clinton are a surrogate for concerns about globalization. They may both support the dissemination of government secrets, but Edward J. Snowden and WikiLeaks seem to disagree on how best to do it. On Thursday, Mr. Snowden, the former government contractor who released a trove of National Security Agency documents and now lives in exile in Russia, credited WikiLeaks, a clearinghouse for similar disclosures, with furthering the cause of transparency but also criticized its unfiltered approach. LAS VEGAS Maria Mendoza, a Mexican-born hotel housekeeper, was out of work and worried about supporting her two daughters when she said she attended a job fair about six years ago and glimpsed her future in a gold-windowed, 64-story hotel just off the Las Vegas Strip. Its name alone sold her. I thought, Wow, Trump, Ms. Mendoza, 52, said. I felt proud. I was working for Trump. I thought he was a good businessman. I thought that by working for him, my life was going to change. Today, she and a vocal group of fellow workers at the Trump International Hotel have gone to battle with Donald J. Trump, the Manhattan businessman and Republican presidential nominee, waging a raucous and rowdy effort to form a union that has run parallel to their bosss campaign for the White House. About 500 employees who clean the hotel and prepare and deliver food and drinks to guests narrowly approved unionizing in a vote in December. But the hotel has been challenging the vote, contending that it was anything but free and fair, and appealing a regional National Labor Relations Board decision in March that certified the union. Chief Shelley Zimmerman, San Diego Police Department: Im extremely heartbroken to report that we had an officer shot and killed tonight. A second officer has been shot and is currently in surgery. We are hopeful that that officer will survive and make a full recovery. This is what I can tell you to this point. So we had two officers put out shortly before 11 oclock making a stop. Almost immediately, very shortly after they put out that they were making a stop, they called for emergency cover. Other officers were in the area. They arrived shortly on scene and found both of our officers suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the officers was placed in the vehicle of another officer who had arrived on scene and taken to the hospital. Heroic efforts by the officers on scene. Heroic efforts by the doctors to save his life, but again, heartbroken to report that they were unable to save his life and he is deceased. The other officer was transported by medics to another local hospital where again, hes currently in surgery. The scene is still active. We do have a suspect in custody. The suspect was found somewhat nearby in an open area, a ravine-type area. The 1300 block of South 38th Street. And he is a Hispanic male adult. He is suffering from a gunshot wound, and he is being treated at a nearby hospital. If Russia was indeed behind last weeks leak of stolen data from the Democratic National Committee, we may be seeing one of the most sordid tools of its domestic politics deployed as a hostile weapon in foreign policy. There is a Russian word for this practice: kompromat. A portmanteau of the Russian words for compromising and material, it refers to the timeworn tradition of obtaining information and using it to smear or influence public officials. Unscrupulous Russian politicians have been doing it for decades; there are kompromat websites (which, unsurprisingly, are often blocked or harassed). The way it works is simple. First, Kremlin insiders or other powerful individuals buy, steal or manufacture incriminating information about an opponent, an enemy, or any other person who poses a threat to powerful interests. Then, they publish it, destroying the targets reputation in order to settle public scores or manipulate public events. If American officials and analysts are correct in their assessment that Russia was behind this springs hack of the Democratic National Committees computer servers, it seems that kompromat is being translated to the international stage. Norway is pondering an unusual birthday gift for its neighbor Finland: an Arctic mountain peak. Mount Halti is the highest mountain in Finland, but its 4,478-foot summit is in Norway. To help commemorate the 100th anniversary of Finlands declaration of independence from Russia on Dec. 6, 1917, a group of Norwegians is urging the government to move a point on its border with Finland some 490 feet to the north and 650 feet to the east. Haltis peak would become the highest point in Finland, surpassing a spur of the mountain that tops out at 4,344 feet. There are a few formal difficulties, and I have not yet made my final decision, Norways prime minister, Erna Solberg, told the national broadcaster NRK this week. But we are looking into it. The proposed gift is the brainchild of Bjorn Geirr Harsson, a 76-year-old retired employee of the Norwegian Mapping Authority, who came up with the idea in 1972, when he was taking measurements while flying across the border. KRAKOW, Poland Pope Francis walked in the footsteps of his two predecessors on Friday as he visited the former extermination camp at Auschwitz, where he paid silent homage to the more than one million victims, mostly Jews, who perished there during the Holocaust. Right before his visit, Francis said he would like to go to that place of horror without speeches, without crowds. He said he intended to go alone, enter, pray, adding, And may the Lord give me the grace to cry. The pope began his visit to Auschwitz in what is now the Polish town known as Oswiecim, about 30 miles west of Krakow by meeting 12 survivors of the camp. He greeted them one by one, mostly in silence, expressing his sorrow and respect by clutching their hands, looking into their eyes and kissing them tenderly, once on each cheek. Francis was the third pope to visit Auschwitz. Pope John Paul II visited on June 7, 1979, declaring No more war! and Only peace! Pope Benedict XVI, who as a young man was inducted unwillingly into the Hitler Youth and the German Army, went on May 28, 2006, and asked: Why, Lord, did you remain silent? How could you tolerate this? TEL AVIV When Talleen Abu Hanna was a boy in Nazareth, an Arab city in Israel, he gave up karate and took up ballet. As a teenager, he stole his mothers makeup and his sisters dresses. He and his buddies would change in gas stations outside town, then party at nearby gay clubs. They would see boys going in, and we would put on our eye shadow, our wigs and skirts and dresses, and walk out and say, Hiiii, Ms. Abu Hanna, 21, said in a recent interview, drawing out the last word. In her teenage days, she said, she favored a look she described as Arab kitsch heavy eyeliner, blush and foundation, topped with a cheap wig. After returning home, she had to remember to bite off her fake nails and replace her sparkly iPhone covers with plain leather ones. But it was at one of those parties, when she was 15 or so, that Ms. Abu Hanna met a woman who told her that she used to be a man. Laughing, Ms. Abu Hanna asked her friends what that lady was smoking. Her friends, laughing as well, explained gender reassignment surgery to her. Two years ago he visited Germany with his wife, Barbara. His tour company, European Focus, recommended a genealogist who found the house where his great-grandparents lived in Bergen, Lower Saxony. The record of its property transfer indicates they may have sold the house to finance passage to the United States. Mr. Tiedt still doesnt know why they left. In genealogy you never know what you are going to find or if you are going to find what you hoped to find, said Jeanne L. Bloom, president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, a Washington-based organization that was not involved in planning Mr. Tiedts trip. You cant guarantee results. He also met a fifth cousin once removed on his mothers side, Ida Muller, now 79, along with her two sons, who are in their 50s. They spent the day together and toured the family winery. Mr. Tiedt saw the church where his grandmother was baptized. He hopes the younger cousins and their children will visit the United States next year. I dont want to lose this connection, he said. Mr. Tiedt estimates the trip cost about $15,000 for two, including transportation, meals and lodging. He spent an additional $1,500 for a genealogist to complete about 40 hours of research. Ms. Albert said her two-day escorted excursion was $3,000 for her and her niece. Hiring a professional genealogist can be expensive; many searches start online. MyHeritage.com, an Israeli company with offices in Utah, said five years ago that it had 4.6 million baby boomers out of 58 million users. This year that total reached to 9.6 million baby boomers out of 84 million users. A basic package is free; a complete annual package is $175. Ancestry.com, which has two million members worldwide, offers monthly memberships from $19.99 to $49.99 and six-month memberships from $99 to $199. Familysearch.org, under the auspices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is free. Underwear can be a token of respect for elders of all sorts. Edward Shultz, a professor emeritus in the school of Asian and Pacific studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, received pastel boxer shorts from students he taught in South Korea six years ago. But when Korean friends have asked him how much his own children have given to him, he replies that it is the other way around. Image After the Korean War, it became common for young adults to buy their parents red thermal underwear. The tradition lives on, in some form, as this ad from a South Korean underwear manufacturer shows. Not every person can afford devoting the first paycheck to gifts, given the tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt that many recent graduates face. But some recent Korean-American college graduates who can afford it (or go into more debt to do so) tend toward gifts that are luxury products. The mother of Justine Chang, who just graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, spent many years driving a minivan dinged up from various children learning to drive in it. It had a patch over a dent that never did get painted because the family, which has had a lot of medical bills over the years, could not afford it. So Ms. Chang, who is now a litigation assistant for an international law firm in San Francisco, put about $6,000 toward a down payment on an Audi Q7 for her. She was able to afford this thanks to an insurance settlement after her own car was destroyed in a fire, but she has been using her earnings from part-time work since she was 15 to take her family out for meals and for other gifts. You should know intuitively how much they gave up for you and do whatever you can to make sure they have a comfortable life, she said. I didnt think it was a Korean thing. Her mother did, however. Sunny Chong handed over her first paycheck from Captain Ds Seafood Kitchen to her own parents. I was so proud that I could do something, she said. I said, This is my first earnings, and its all yours. When she opened her own sushi restaurant in Lodi, Calif., she gave money to her church to celebrate the occasion. When her daughter wanted to help with a new vehicle, Ms. Chong said that she hesitated until her husband talked her into just taking the help and being happy that her daughter could do it. I am going to pay her back, she insisted. According to her daughter, Ms. Chang, gifts like these sometimes serve as a sort of social currency among competitive Korean parents, who will compare notes on who got what from which children at what point in their lives. She said her mother was not that type, however. Ms. Chong, who sees plenty of lonely people in her restaurant who do not have family nearby, said she would never want to hurt another parents feelings. Yet for those who devote their lives to dance, dance floors arent all carefree all the time. Many dancers know the feeling of being asked in social settings to perform on the spot, of being treated like a show pony, as the choreographer Kyle Abraham put it in a recent interview. And formal training doesnt always lend itself to dancing just for fun. The choreographer Aynsley Vandenbrouke started out studying ballet and classical modern, where you were told what to do all the time, she said. I didnt have an improvisation practice like I do now. So my brain would sort of short-circuit in more informal situations. It was like, if there wasnt a barre, I couldnt dance. For others, dancing socially came first. Growing up in Pittsburgh in the 90s, Mr. Abraham was a regular at local raves. He started studying ballet, modern and jazz, he said, to widen his repertoire when he went out. While dancing at a friends wedding a few years ago, he said he began thinking about the reverse: how to translate the feeling of a rave to the stage. (That project, tentatively called The Social, is a slow burner, but he hasnt abandoned it.) In one sense, dancers with years of training are really no different from those without it everyone has a complex, individual relationship to the dance floor. In this season of festivals, pool parties and rooftop raves, Mr. Abraham, Ms. Vandenbrouke and other professional dancers elaborated on the pleasures and perils of dancing when off the clock. These are edited excerpts from those conversations. She lived the archetypal struggling New York actress life: working as a receptionist by day (at Garren New York, the high-end hair salon), briefly waitressing at Joe Allen, the unofficial canteen of Broadway, and sending out endless head shots wherever she could. (This method resulted in the acquisition of a New Jersey agent and a gig passing out bagel sandwiches for Dunkin Donuts.) On the stoop outside her old apartment building stood John Matejas, 78, enjoying the sunshine, his tank top tucked into belted jean shorts. His eyes widened when he saw Ms. Hahn; he had been the buildings super when she lived there. He punched numbers into his clamshell phone and summoned his wife, Minerva, down from upstairs. Another set of eyes widened; tears came to eyes. For us, she is like our daughter, Mr. Matejas said. (His own daughter had given birth to her own daughter in the years since Ms. Hahn had been a resident.) Ms. Matejas added that they heard about all her movies. After numbers were exchanged and photos taken to send to Ms. Hahns husband, and promises to stay in touch, Ms. Hahn clambered down the stairs. She agreed cheerfully to an alfresco palm reading by a psychic set up at a curbside card table, who advised her she needed more positivity in her life. Actually, things are looking pretty positive for Ms. Hahn, the rare Hollywood actress whose prospects have been improving, rather than declining, after 40. Our cultural and ethnic differences added to the difficulty. I used to live and study in America, where interracial dating was not a big problem, compared with our parts of the world. But as an Indo-Russian couple in Doha, we often seemed exotic to others. When we went out, people often stared. Sometimes it became a show, with people making grimaces of disgust when they saw us together. Sometimes we avoided going out altogether. We didnt like it, but we couldnt do anything about it. Neither of J.s parents could even think of her marrying somebody who wasnt Indian. When we decided to meet in Georgia, she told them that she was going there for a conference. Many Indian and Arab women who live in Doha do the same kind of thing they come up with explanations to give their parents so that they can travel abroad and secretly spend time with their boyfriends. For my part, I had found a job in Moscow, but the rubles collapse and sanctions made it hard for me to travel often. I slept in hostels and tried to save up every ruble. For a while, we would visit each other every two months, but soon it became too difficult, and we had to make it less often. My family accused me of being irrational and silly, especially considering how many single and beautiful women were in Russia. I did not listen; I could not imagine being with anyone but J. Our five days together in Georgia were unforgettable. It turned out Tbilisi was the perfect place for us. Perhaps we looked like an Azerbaijani couple and did not seem exotic at all. J. even got used to hugging me in public. Our feelings toward each other came back quickly. It was 21 degrees Celsius, which locals said was unusually warm for October. We strolled through the city and had our first lunch at the famous Cafe Gabriadze, right next to the marionette theater. We took the funicular to get to the Mtatsminda plateau to see the citys panoramic view. On our last night, we went to a restaurant to celebrate our two-year anniversary. We ordered a bottle of Kindzmarauli wine and stayed up late in the night. Then, as we were returning to the hotel, walking uphill to Iakob Gogebashvili Street, J. got scared: Chestnuts were falling from the trees and crashing onto parked cars. Every time a chestnut fell, she grabbed my hand. Whenever she did that, I felt as if we were a part of some fairy tale that couldnt last. I did not want to admit that we would be apart again soon. I could not return to Doha because of my visa issues. She could not move to Moscow because it is impossible to find a job there without speaking Russian. We thought of moving to some other country together, but it was hard because of our passports; besides, we were just building our careers, and it was a struggle to find suitable jobs elsewhere. We both came to the realization that our future was doomed. J. broke up with me two months after our trip. It was heartbreaking, but one of us had to do it. Francis Ford Coppola may have created the Godfather films, but these days, the real godfather of the Coppola clan is his uncle Anton Coppola. I dont know if I like the Mafioso connotations of that, said Mr. Coppola, who is 99 and still composing, conducting and devoting his life to opera. He is also uncle to the actress Talia Shire, and great-uncle to the actors Nicolas Cage and Jason and Robert Schwartzman, and the filmmakers Sofia and Roman Coppola. Creatively, the maestro is every bit as active as his younger relatives. Besides holding opera rehearsals and master classes, he spends his days composing and arranging in longhand, in the Central Park West apartment he has shared since 1956 with his wife, Almerinda. Mr. Coppola, a lifelong New Yorker, works at a card table with folding legs by a window overlooking Central Park and Tavern on the Green. He writes out his ideas on long pages, his baby grand piano next to him. Brujas has a special kind of bond, said Carla Cruz, 24. This right here is a sisterhood. As the young women skated through the 10,000-square-foot park, that bond quickly revealed itself. They not only cracked jokes and traded stories, they also provided one another with words of encouragement and guidance on tricks. Often, they filmed moves to show off later on their Instagram account. Each skater seemed to be honing her own specialty and style. On the smoothest stretch of pavement, Ms. Wilkerson was practicing one iteration after another of a move called the boneless, in which she grabbed the middle of her board with one hand and rotated it around to the opposite end before hopping back on, all in one seamless whirl. Ms. Cruz stuck mostly to the curved walls of the bowl, trying a variety of pivots and pull-ups. Ms. Olivieri seemed to be on a perpetual search for surfaces to pull off a 50-50 grind. Ms. Gil took particular joy in skating outside the park, popping nollie flips, shove-its and other tricks in front of the nearby condominium complexes, which have risen as part of a continuing wave of development in the area. To Ms. Gil, skateboarding represents a cry of dissent against the citys gentrification. Skateboarding is a political act, said Ms. Gil, whose family moved to Washington Heights in 2009 after being priced out of an apartment on the Lower East Side. It allows us to question private property and reclaim all the spaces in our city that have been rezoned and redeveloped into oblivion. These rapid changes are a pressing fact of life for the Brujas, all of whom have seen their neighborhoods shift in recent years. Though Ms. Olivieri has spent most of her life in Washington Heights, the influx of wealthier residents has led to an increased police presence, she said. Cops have taken over the entire neighborhood, but theyre here for the people moving in, not us, she said. Now Ive got officers giving me a hard time for skateboarding, even making me show ID in my own damn lobby. Its wild. Milton Glaser still loves New York, but these days, he said, it sometimes worries him. Mr. Glaser, 87, created one of the most potent designs of the last century: I NY, a rallying symbol for New York when the city and state were in crisis in 1977. On a recent afternoon, he puzzled over what design he would create for the New York of 2016. This city, he said, is in a different crisis, brought on by its own success. Thats an enormous problem, he said, seated in the canary-colored conference room of his design studio on East 32nd Street, where he has worked since 1965. Childish shrieks from the schoolyard next door rippled through the office. Scattered around the room were some of his recent designs, including bottles of Trump Vodka and a poster proclaiming, To Vote Is to Exist. You cant have this much development, and the consequential eviction of hundreds of thousands of people who will have no place to live, Mr. Glaser said. Theres some fundamental misjudgment about the balance between ordinary people and people who make enormous amounts of money. The idea of apartments for $50 million. What? On what basis? Its as intense and visceral a stretch of theater as Ive ever seen, and it consists simply of two men watching a computer screen. As the stock market reacts to an assassination, the risky positions Nick Bright and Bashir have taken begin to pay off in a very big way. Thanks to the taut acting of Eric Bryant and Fajer Kaisi, the excitement is contagious, and the audience at Westport Country Playhouse shares the heady intoxication and concentrated ferocity generated by the piling up of enormous amounts of money. Despite its Econ 101 title, Ayad Akhtars The Invisible Hand is not just about the allure and the dangers of the free market. Nick and Bashir, you see, are not your run-of-the-mill day traders. Nick, played by Mr. Bryant, is an American banker taken hostage in Pakistan, and Bashir, acted by Mr. Kaisi, is his captor, the right-hand man of a radical Muslim cleric, Imam Saleem, who wields de facto power in the Bahawalpur region of Punjab, Pakistans largest province. (He and his aides speak fluent, class-inflected English, but they regularly resort to Punjabi when stressed.) The two men at the laptop, in convincing costumes designed by Emily Rebholz, are trading stocks and currencies from Nicks grim, bare-bones cell, designed by Adam Rigg, and the stakes couldnt be higher: If they make $10 million, Imam Saleem will release Nick and he will be free to return to his family, if not necessarily to his job with Citibank. The fraught geopolitics of the situation, as well as the economics, are not lost on the imam, played with suave elegance by Rajesh Bose. We are prisoners of a corrupt country, he tells Nick sadly. He sees his organization as a surrogate government, fixing roads, providing vaccines, offering employment. But despite his intelligence and worldliness and his acute analysis of American society, Imam Saleem is not prepared for the corrosive effects Nicks trading skills will have on him. Mr. Akhtar, whose play Disgraced won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for drama, foreshadows these consequences with Dar, a low-level operative movingly played by Jameal Ali. Tending to Nicks everyday needs, Dar has picked up some basic principles of capitalism, and used them to leverage his cousins potato crop into serious money in dollars rather than rupees. Mr. Akhtar, whose parents came to the United States from Pakistan, has created nuanced, three-dimensional characters, and the shifting relationships among Dar and Bashir and the imam reflect the depth and complexity of his writing. Dar at first seems good-natured and unassuming, but he reveals a darker side as the story progresses. And when the play begins, Bashir seems little more than a London-bred thug, but when he becomes Nicks trading staff of one, his aggression takes on a new dimension. Mr. Bryant and Mr. Kaisi beautifully convey the subtle interplay as the prisoner becomes a mentor and his keeper becomes his student. But it stirred up a lot of debate. I was shocked, frankly, she said, especially by the fears that the product unleashed in the United States. When a mail-order New York firm tried to sell Organon test kits to American consumers in 1971, it faced opposition from the United States Public Health Service. In 1973, a New Jersey drugstore bought kits made by the drug company Roche and offered fast and private tests to their customers, and though the technology was similar to that available in medical clinics, the state medical examiner questioned the legality of the service. Why so much opposition? Some regulators worried that frightened 13-year-olds would be the main users of the test kits. But after the product did become available in the United States in 1977, it appealed instead to college-age and married women many of whom desperately hoped for children. Even so, the Texas Medical Association warned that women who used a home test might neglect prenatal care. An article in this newspaper in 1978 quoted a doctor who said customers have a hard time following even relatively simple instructions, and questioned their ability to accurately administer home tests. The next year, an article in The Indiana Evening Gazette in Pennsylvania made almost the same claim: Women use the products in a state of emotional anxiety that prevents them from following the simplest instructions. The tale of the home pregnancy test is not unique. Breakthroughs that give patients control over their bodies are often resisted. Again and again, the same questions come up: Are patients smart enough? Can they handle bad news? And do they have the right to private information about their bodies? When home H.I.V. tests were being developed in the 1980s, they inspired the same kind of fears as the pregnancy test including unfounded dread that if people learned bad news alone at home, many of them would kill themselves. The Food and Drug Administration approved the first home H.I.V. testing kit only in 1996. Customers would take a blood sample at home, mail it to a lab and hear results over the phone, often from a counselor. The first rapid, truly private H.I.V. home test didnt reach drugstores until 2012. Meanwhile, in most areas of the United States, women still need permission from a doctor to buy birth control pills, even though they are arguably safer than a lot of other drugs now sold over the counter and there are very few health risks involved. Its true that some women with conditions like liver disease, breast cancer and hypertension may be at risk of developing complications from the pill, but labels can warn them against using it. We can trust women to figure this out. Indeed, dozens of other countries make birth-control medications available to women without a prescription. According to a recent Reason-Rupe poll, 70 percent of Americans believe that we should follow their example. Grabbing done, the planning began. The couple envisioned the apartment as a chance for a do-over. Its unusual for people our age to feel were starting over, Ms. Clark said. But we really wanted that. Its true that in certain ways the apartment embodies beginnings. The couples midcentury-style bedroom set is new. Theres new wallpaper from the high-end British manufacturer Farrow & Ball in the kitchen Ms. Clark had always wanted a wallpapered kitchen and theres fresh paint on the walls and ceilings, also from Farrow & Ball, in lovely subtle shades of green, yellow, gray and white. It was a home-improvement choice that falls under the heading You cant go wrong but you can go broke. I insisted, Ms. Clark said. My husband fought me tooth and nail. He said, I dont see how its going to be worth it. He ate his words. It made such a difference. The bookcase in the foyer was ripped out and replaced with a deep closet, the urban equivalent of a garage, a black hole for stowing things like the couples folding Brompton bikes. The custom-built floor-to-ceiling wall unit in the living room holds scripts and scores, and displays treasures like an autographed photo of the actress Gertrude Lawrence, a gift from a pal who knew of Ms. Clarks desire to play Lawrences role in a revival of Lady in the Dark. (Producers: Take note.) Nearby is a pair of scrawled messages from Barack Obama. In 2011, a fund-raiser for the president was scheduled at the Broadway Theater after an evening performance of Sister Act, which starred Ms. Clark as a mother superior. Meticulous reconnaissance by the Secret Service determined that the most secure place for Mr. Obama to cool his heels was Ms. Clarks dressing room. I had a church pew in there and one of those wooden suggestion boxes and some preprinted forms, Ms. Clark recalled. And Obama wrote a note on one of them Thanks for letting me use your space signed it and stuck it in the box. I also had some stationery on my dressing table and he jotted out a note: Thanks for the support. The apartment is as much an appreciative nod to the past as a paean to fresh starts. A blue-and-white gingham quilt made by Ms. Clarks maternal great-grandmother more than a century ago covers the bed in T.L.s room. As a child growing up in Dallas, Ms. Clark learned to play and sing on the Sohmer piano that sits by the wall unit in the living room. The chairs around the glass-topped oak kitchen table also come from her childhood home. The pine hutch, a present from a friend when Ms. Clark first set up housekeeping in New York, holds her maternal grandmothers china. Tom was really nice about letting me drag all that stuff in, she said. A new luxury rental tower will open this fall on Flatbush Avenue, near the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Barclays Center, helping to transform an area once lined with parking lots into an upscale residential enclave. The building, at 300 Ashland Place, is a 379-unit development from Two Trees Management Company with a distinctive metal facade, dazzling views and dance studios for public performances. Its finally getting a sense of place, David J. Maundrell, the founder and president of Aptsandlofts.com, a residential real estate brokerage not involved in the project, said of the area. Its become like the gateway to Downtown Brooklyn. Rising near a spot where several neighborhoods meet, 300 Ashland, which is bordered by Flatbush and Lafayette Avenues, is technically part of Fort Greene, a neighborhood filled with low-slung rowhouses, and is also near Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill and Park Slope. But the soaring tower, which has 35 numbered stories, is more stylistic kin to Downtown Brooklyn, which in the past decade has sprouted several neck-craning towers. Designed by TEN Arquitectos, Enrique Nortens firm, the tower seems to pay tribute to its location near car-packed Flatbush with its facade, blanketed with 15,653 aluminum panels that evoke machinery. When its high season in the Northern Hemisphere, its deal season also known as winter in much of the Southern Hemisphere. Sales offer both immediate and far-horizon incentives. Through Sept. 7, Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa in northern Chile allows children up to age 17 to stay free when sharing their parents room over a four-night stay ($2,450 total per adult). The rate includes meals, transfers and excursions. The tour company Globus is selling many of its South American trips for 2017 at 10 percent off until Nov. 29. Trips range from seven days in Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls (on the border of Brazil and Argentina) for $2,222 a person after the discount is applied, to a 13-day tour of Patagonia for a reduced price of $4,427. Through Aug. 25, SmarTours will take up to $500 off per person on several trips in Africa and South America. Its 14-day South Africa trip visits Cape Town and safari regions, from $2,799 a person. SAN FRANCISCO After Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, lost her husband last year, she wrote a moving post about her grief that prompted questions about whether she might write a book that would help people cope with their own losses. Now Ms. Sandberg is moving ahead with the project. Ms. Sandberg, author of the best seller Lean In, which helped women think about their careers, plans to write a book titled Option B about resilience, according to her co-author, Adam Grant. Mr. Grant and Ms. Sandberg have previously collaborated on articles about women in the workplace. Option B is about how we can face the adversity in our lives, find meaning and bounce back stronger, Mr. Grant, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said in a post to his Facebook page on Friday. Along with resilience, the pair will touch on themes of hardship, finding comfort after marriage, raising children and experiencing suffering, he said. A spokeswoman for Ms. Sandberg confirmed her plans for the book and declined further comment. Recode earlier reported news of Ms. Sandbergs plans. SEATTLE Inside an office in this citys South Lake Union neighborhood, engineers in lab coats fuss over a contraption unlike the usual creations flowing from Amazon, Facebook and other technology companies with offices nearby. Its a satellite the size of a large duffel bag that will be lobbed into orbit in August, as part of a constellation of cameras that will take aerial pictures of Earth and deliver them to customers faster and cheaper than in the past. The company building it, Spaceflight Industries, is one of a growing number of start-ups springing up in Seattle for the same reasons the area has been so hospitable to internet and software companies. Its about software, big data, and its about capital, said Jason Andrews, the chief executive of Spaceflight, which also arranges ride-shares think Uber for rockets for small satellites to tag along on bigger missions. Seattle is an epicenter for all three. Our convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation. The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life. How great are our police? And how great is Cleveland? The irresponsible rhetoric of our president, who has used the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color, has made America a more dangerous environment than frankly I have ever seen and anybody in this room has ever watched or seen. There's a lot of work to do. Too many people haven't had a pay raise since the crash. There's too much inequality. Too little social mobility. Too much paralysis in Washington. Too many threats at home and abroad. We have the most dynamic and diverse people in the world. We have the most tolerant and generous young people we've ever had. So don't let anyone tell you that our country is weak. We're not. The city of Tuskegee recently entered into an agreement with Tuskegee Solar Services regarding a $39 million solar energy project that would be in the citys commerce park. Tuskegee Solar Services CEO Thomas Reed Jr. signed a lease with the city July 13 after the Tuskegee City Council approved an amendment to the agreement. Reed, who is originally from Tuskegee, plans to move back to his hometown from New Orleans. City Manager James Harper said 74 acres of the Tuskegee Commerce Park will be reserved to set up solar panels and facilitate solar energy development equipment and activity. From there he will generate solar energy and he will be able to sell it, Harper said. He will not be able to compete with the UBT (Utilities Board of Tuskegee), our local utility, nor will he be able to compete with any similar operations in our area. There will be several phases to the project, Harper said. The first phase, which is expected to begin in October, will provide 25 jobs to the city during its construction. A groundbreaking for the solar farm is planned for November 2017. Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford explained how the project will benefit the city. Were excited about it because it will provide an alternate source of energy, it will create jobs and it will be a boost to our local economy, Ford said. We are pleased that Mr. Thomas Reed Jr., the primary person who is developing this industry, this business, has decided to locate in our commerce park. "Solar energy is a good alternate source of energy for our area and the state of Alabama. Terms and Conditions Lee BHM Corp. ("Lee BHM Corp.") offers this Web site, including all information, software, products and services available from this Web site or offered as part of or in conjunction with this Web site (the "Web site"), to you, the user, conditioned upon your acceptance of all of the terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here. Lee BHM Corp. reserves the right to make changes to these Terms and Conditions immediately by posting the changed Terms and Conditions in this location. Your continued use of the Web site constitutes your agreement to all such terms, conditions and notices, and any changes to the Terms and Conditions made by Lee BHM Corp.. 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If Lee BHM Corp. removes materials posted by you as a user due to alleged copyright infringement, you may seek to have the materials reinstated by notifying Lee BHM Corp.'s designated agent in writing and including the following information: your full name, address and telephone number your e-mail address identification of the material that has been removed or to which access has been disabled, including its location before it was removed or disabled your statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material your statement consenting to the jurisdiction of the Federal District Court for the district in which your address is located, or, if you reside outside of the United States, Omaha, Nebraska (where Lee BHM Corp. may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided notice of copyright infringement or from such person's agent your physical or electronic signature Upon receipt of a notice meeting the above requirements, Lee BHM Corp. will send a copy of the notice to the copyright owner who initially claimed copyright infringement. Within 10 to 14 days following receipt of the notice, Lee BHM Corp. will replace or enable access to the removed material unless Lee BHM Corp. receives notice from the copyright owner who submitted the first notification that it has filed an action seeking a court order to restrain the user that posted the materials from engaging in infringing activity. Please note that parties who misrepresent that materials are infringing or were removed by mistake or misidentification are subject to substantial civil liability to Lee BHM Corp. and/or the copyright owner or Web site user. User Content Lee BHM Corp. may allow you to upload, post, transmit or otherwise provide content to Lee BHM Corp. Web sites, including, but not limited to, photos, video, audio, comments, articles, blogs, forums and any other such communication in which you provide content to the Web site ("User Content"). You agree that you are solely responsible for your communications and any content you provide. Rules Governing User Content: In consideration for being allowed to post or contribute content, you agree that your failure to abide by the following rules in using the Web site shall constitute a material breach of these Terms and Conditions: Do not disrespect the privacy and views of others, or use the service to stalk or harass another; Do not use or provide User Content for commercial purposes, including but not limited to the promotion of any specific goods or services; Do not provide User Content that is harmful to minors in any way; Do not provide obscene, profane, sexually explicit, libelous, slanderous, defamatory, harmful, threatening, illegal or knowingly false User Content; Do not provide User Content containing expressions of bigotry, racism or hate; Do not provide User Content encouraging conduct that may constitute or contribute to a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or violate any national, state or local law, regulation or authority; Do not impersonate another person, or permit any other person or entity to use your identification to post or view User Content; Do not provide User Content that infringes on the copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret or other intellectual property rights of others; Do not provide User Content that violates the privacy or publicity rights of others; Do not provide User Content that supports or provides resources to any organization(s) designated by the United States government as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and Do not provide User Content containing malicious code, including but not limited to computer viruses, Trojan horses, or other programs designed to disrupt, damage or restrict the use of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment. Respect the Intellectual Property Rights of Others. You may not post or transmit content belonging to any person or party other than yourself, without the prior written consent of such owner. Simply because material is available on the Internet does not mean it is in the public domain. The vast majority of materials on the Internet are protected by copyright and trademark laws. Lee BHM Corp. shall have the right, but not the obligation, to monitor any User Content areas of the Web site to determine compliance with these Terms and Conditions and any other operating rules that may be established by Lee BHM Corp. from time to time. Lee BHM Corp.'s Right to Remove User Content. Lee BHM Corp. does not assume any responsibility for the consequences of any user-generated or contributed content on the Lee BHM Corp. site. If notified by a user of communications that are alleged not to conform to the rules set forth in this Section, Lee BHM Corp. may investigate the allegation and determine in its sole discretion to remove or request the removal of the communications. Lee BHM Corp. reserves the right to remove communications that fail to conform to these Terms and Conditions. In addition, Lee BHM Corp. reserves the right (but is not obligated) to delete any User Content posted on the Lee BHM Corp. site, regardless of whether such communications violate these Terms and Conditions. Lee BHM Corp.'s Right to Use User Content. Lee BHM Corp. reserves the right to record, re-purpose or re-publish User Content on its Web sites, newspapers, broadcast stations or other publishing forums. By posting User Content, you are granting to Lee BHM Corp. and its licensees a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive and irrevocable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display any posting by you (in whole or in part) and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or hereafter developed. Responsibility for User Content. You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Lee BHM Corp. and its officers, directors, affiliated companies, employees, agents, licensors and suppliers, from and against any and all claims, actions or demands, liabilities and settlements, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, resulting from, or alleged to result from, your use of any User-generated or Contributed Content or use by others of any User-generated or Contributed Content with respect to you, including, without limitation, any claim of libel, defamation, harassment, violation of rights of privacy or publicity, loss of service or infringement of intellectual property or other rights, or violation of these Terms and Conditions. NOTE TO USERS. Lee BHM Corp. does not represent or guarantee the truthfulness, accuracy or reliability of any User Content or endorse any opinions expressed by such users. ANY RELIANCE UPON USER CONTENT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Termination of Privileges Lee BHM Corp. reserves the right to terminate your privilege of using all or any portion of the Web site if you breach any of these terms and conditions of use. If Lee BHM Corp. receives notice or otherwise discovers that you have posted material that infringes another party's copyright or trademark rights or violates another party's rights of privacy or publicity, Lee BHM Corp. may terminate your access to the Web site, including all of your privileges or accounts that you may have established in connection with the Web site. General These Terms and Conditions (including the privacy policy attached hereto, which shall be deemed to be a part of these Terms and Conditions) constitute the entire agreement and understanding between you and Lee BHM Corp. with respect to use of the Web site, superseding all prior or contemporaneous communications and/or proposals. These Terms and Conditions also are severable, and in the event any provision is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not in any way affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions. Lee BHM Corp. reserves the right to make changes to these Terms and Conditions immediately by posting the changed Terms and Conditions in this location. By continuing to use the Web site, you are agreeing to all changes made by Lee BHM Corp.. A printed version of these Terms and Conditions shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to use of the Web site to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. Jurisdiction The Web site is controlled and operated by Lee BHM Corp. from its principal office at 1314 Douglas Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America. Lee BHM Corp. makes no representation that materials on the Web site are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who choose to access the Web site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable. The Web site is not intended to subject Lee BHM Corp. to the laws or jurisdiction of any state, country or territory other than Omaha, Nebraska and the United States of America. Lee BHM Corp. PRIVACY POLICY For each visitor to the Web site, Lee BHM Corp.'s servers automatically collect information about which pages are visited and the domain name of visitors. This information is used for internal review, to tailor information to individual visitors and for Web site traffic audits. We also provide this information (as well as information from third-party market researchers) about our users on an aggregated, anonymous basis to our advertisers. Lee BHM Corp. may place a "cookie" on the browser of your computer. The cookie itself does not contain any personally identifying information. A cookie may be used to tell when your computer has contacted the Web site. Lee BHM Corp. uses the information for editorial purposes and for other purposes such as delivery of features and advertisements, so Lee BHM Corp. can customize delivery of information to you without compromising privacy. For example, cookies may be used to ensure that you will not see the same banner advertisement too often in a single session. Lee BHM Corp. may, in the course of providing services through its Web sites, ask you to disclose voluntarily certain information about yourself. This could include information that identifies you or your household. Any information in Lee BHM Corp.'s possession solely as a result of your use of the Web site and that is associated with you or your household is considered "Personal Information." It consists of both information supplied by you (e.g. name, address, telephone number and e-mail address) and information collected about how you use the Web site (e.g. the fact that you have bought merchandise through the Web site). 'Personal Information' does not include statistical data about large numbers of users, none of whom are identifiable, nor does it include information that you have posted for public view on the Web site or otherwise publicly disclosed. Like many other commercial sites, our site may utilize an electronic file called a Web beacon to count users who have visited a page or recognize users by accessing certain cookies. Our site and/or the Web sites of advertisers and merchants with which we have a relationship may use Web beacons (a) for auditing purposes and to collect information from the Web sites of certain advertisers or merchants; (b) to report anonymous individual and/or aggregate information about our users from such advertisers or merchants. Aggregate information may include demographic and usage information. No personally identifiable information about you is shared with such advertisers or merchants. You may choose to opt-out by contacting us in accordance with the information set forth at the bottom of this policy. In addition, Lee BHM Corp. service providers and third-party advertising service providers may use their own cookies, web beacons and other technologies to collect the information listed above. The data collected in connection with ad serving and ad targeting does not include your name, postal address, email address, telephone number, birthdate or gender unless you affirmatively provide information within the ad. However, it may include device identifying information such as the IP address, MAC address, cookie or other device-specific unique ID. These service providers also may assign an anonymous identifier to the tracking pixel or session cookie. The collection of information by our service providers and third-party advertising service providers is governed by their relevant privacy notices, for which we have no responsibility or liability, and are not covered by our Privacy Policy. If you have any questions regarding the privacy notice of one of our service providers, you should contact the service provider directly for more information. If you would like more information about the information collection practices of a particular third-party advertising service provider, or if you would like more information on how to opt out of a third-party advertising service providers information collection practices, go to www.aboutads.info, or for apps, at www.aboutads.info/appchoices. Additionally, some of our third-party advertising service providers are members of the Network Advertising Initiative ("NAI"). You can obtain more information about these third-party advertising service providers' information collection practices, and opt out of such practices (and at the same time opt out of the collection practices of other, or all, NAI members) by following the opt out instructions on the NAI's website at http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp. Please note that one of our third-party advertising service providers is DoubleClick. You can opt out of the use of cookies by DoubleClick by visiting http://www.google.com/settings/ads. How does the Web site use the information it gathers? Information collected on the Web site, including traffic patterns and user behavior, is used primarily for the following purposes: Internal research. The Web site is continuously assessing how visitors use the site. This data assists us in making decisions about how to improve the site and to better serve our users. Research data are aggregated and do not include data about specific individuals. We may share aggregated research (but not individual user information) with our advertisers or business partners. Additionally, the Web site may use your information to contact you to ask for your participation in a focus group, survey, or some other type of research effort. To customize your experience on the Web site. As the Web site improves its service, it may offer users more opportunities to customize content and other aspects of the site. Information provided by you may be used to assist in the customization process, if you elect to participate in these features. To tailor advertising efforts. Most of the information and services available to you at the Web site are free. In order to continue providing services free of charge, the Web site sells advertising. Advertisers prefer to target their communication toward audiences who are most likely to be interested in their products. The information gathered on the Web site helps us advise advertisers in general terms about certain aspects of site visitors (e.g. how visitors use the site, general demographic attributes of visitors, usage patterns on various parts of our site, etc.). This information helps both advertisers and the Web site make better decisions about where to place advertising. This information may also be used to send targeted marketing, such as emails, to users that we think would be interested in such marketing. Visitors who choose to conduct financial transactions with advertisers on the Web site may also provide specific data to those advertisers during the process of their transactions. Additionally, any information provided during the purchase on the Web site of products or services will result in the collection of certain information required to complete the transaction. To use third party service providers. We provide some services and products through third parties. These third party service providers may perform functions on our behalf, like sending out and distributing promotional emails. We may share your personally identifiable information with such service providers as necessary to allow those service providers to fulfill orders, send mail or email, administer contests or sweepstakes, remove repetitive information on customer lists, analyze data, provide marketing assistance, provide search results and links, process credit card payments, operate the Web site, troubleshoot, or provide customer service. We may also collect personal information from individuals and companies with whom we have business relationships ("Affiliates") and may share your information with service providers to accomplish our administrative tasks. For example, when you order a service, the third party payment processor we use releases your credit card information to the card-issuing bank to confirm payment for the service. The use of your personally identifiable information by these third parties is governed by the privacy policies of these third parties and is not subject to our control. More specifically, here is how the Web site may use information you provide: E-mail addresses. If you supply the Web site with your e-mail address, either by registering on the site, by communicating with us via e-mail, or signing up for promotional offers or emails we may, from time to time, send you information that we believe would be of interest to you via e-mail. This information may be from the Web site or sent by us on behalf of one of our quality advertisers. Note: If we send you e-mail on behalf of another company, your personally identifiable information is not disclosed to that company unless you purchase a product or service from that company in which case it may need your information to fulfill your purchase. Rather, the company provides us with the information it wants to send, and we prepare and send the e-mail directly to you. We may use a third party service provider to manage or send emails on our behalf, but that third party is only authorized to use your information as necessary to send our email to you and it is not authorized to sell or transfer your information. Postal addresses. If you supply the Web site with your postal address, we may send you periodic mailings with information on new products, coming events, surveys or other research materials, or other information we think might be of interest to you. Telephone numbers. If you provide your telephone number or cell phone number, the Web site may call or text you regarding orders you have placed online, to tell you about new products, services, or coming events, or to offer other information that may interest you. Additionally, the Web site or one of its agents may call you for research purposes. Sale transaction information. From time to time, we provide offers from our advertisers who, as part of their offer, request information on customers who purchased their offer in order to allow the advertiser to fulfill the purchase. In those cases, we share some of your personally identifiable information with that advertiser. Sharing this Information may allow that advertiser to market directly to you should it choose to do so. However, we will only share personally identifiable information with an advertiser if you provide us that information and enter into a transaction with that advertiser on or through our Web site. We are not responsible or liable for the actions of such advertiser. Business transfer. We may also share your information in the case our business is sold or transferred. If this occurs, the successor company would acquire the information we maintain, including personally identifiable information. Except as necessary to process your requests or orders placed with advertisers or merchants featured on the Web site, or as otherwise described above, Lee BHM Corp. does not rent, sell, barter or give away any lists containing Personal Information for use by any outside company. Lee BHM Corp. also respects the privacy of data on your personal computer and does not access, read, upload or store data contained in or derived from your private files without your authorization. Prohibited Uses This Site is not intended for use by persons located within the European Economic Area (EEA). We do not request or accept personal information concerning or supplied by persons who are located within the EEA at the time they access this Site. If you have accessed this Site from within the EEA, you should immediately discontinue your use. If you have supplied personal information to us in violation of this provision, whether through the registration of new user accounts or otherwise, please contact us via e-mail. Facebook Connect Our Web site may allow users to access Facebook Connect to interact with friends and to share on Facebook through Wall and friends' News Feeds. If you are logged into our Web site and Facebook, when you click on "Connect with Facebook" your profiles will merge if the email addresses match. If the email addresses don't match, we ask you if you want to merge them and you must enter your Web site password to validate that they control that account. If you are already logged into our Web site but not logged into Facebook, when you click on "Connect with Facebook" you will be prompted to enter your Facebook credentials or to "Sign up for Facebook." By proceeding you are allowing the Web site to access your information and you are agreeing to the Facebook Terms of Use in your use of our Web site. Similar access to your information may occur if the Web site allows users to access other social applications similar to Facebook. Conversely, if you are not currently registered as an the Web site user and you click on "Sign in Using Facebook," you will first be asked to enter your Facebook credentials and then be given the option to register and join the Web site. Once you register on our Web site and Connect with Facebook, you will be able to automatically post recent activity back to Facebook. You have the option to disable Facebook Connect at any time by logging into "My Profile" and clicking on "My Facebook Profile." Further, you can edit privacy settings for the reviews that appear on Facebook or disconnect this service by visiting the Facebook Application Settings page. Links The Lee BHM Corp. site contains links to other sites. Lee BHM Corp. is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites, including any sites that may indicate a special relationship or partnership with Lee BHM Corp. (such as co-branded pages or "powered by" or "in cooperation with" relationships). Lee BHM Corp. does not disclose personally identifiable information or unique identifiers to those responsible for the linked sites. The linked sites, however, may collect personal information from you that is not subject to Lee BHM Corp.'s control. To ensure protection of your privacy, always review the privacy policy of the sites you may visit by linking from the Lee BHM Corp. site. Opt Out Procedures You always may opt out of receiving future mailings or other information from Lee BHM Corp.. If the mailing does not have an e-mail cancellation form, send us an e-mail the type of information that you no longer desire to receive. You may opt out of any or all contacts from the Web site at any time. All e-mails sent to you from the Web site will allow you to opt out of any further e-mail from us. You may e-mail us to opt out of our email programs. You may also write or call us at the following address and phone number to notify us regarding use of your information: 333 Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23219; phone: 804.649.6588. When you register on the Web site, you will be given the opportunity to opt out of further communication from us. You may accept certain kinds of contact and decline others. For example, you may choose to accept e-mails, but not postal mail or telephone calls. If, at any time in the future, the Web site decides to use information provided by you in a way not described here, we will contact you beforehand to explain the use of the information and give you the opportunity to decline that use. Children's Privacy The following additional terms, conditions and notices apply to use of the Web site by children under the age of 13 years whenever Lee BHM Corp. becomes aware that a user is in that age range: Users under 13 years of age may not submit or post information on the Web site without the consent of the user's parent or legal guardian. Prior to collecting any personal information about a child under 13, Lee BHM Corp. makes reasonable efforts to obtain consent from the child's parent after informing the parent about the types of information Lee BHM Corp. will collect, how it will be used, and under what circumstances it will be disclosed. Although Lee BHM Corp. will apply these children's terms and conditions whenever it becomes aware that a user who submits Personal Information is less than 13 years old, no method is foolproof. Lee BHM Corp. strongly encourages parents and guardians to supervise their children's online activities and consider using parental control tools available from online services and software manufacturers to help provide a child-friendly online environment. These tools also can prevent children from disclosing online their name, address, and other personal information without parental permission. "Personal information" collected from children may include any of the information defined above as "Personal Information" with respect to general users of the Web site and may be used by Lee BHM Corp. for the same purposes. Except as necessary to process a child's requests or orders placed with advertisers or merchants featured on the Web site, Lee BHM Corp. does not rent, sell, barter or give away any lists containing a child's Personal Information for use by any outside company. If a child enters a game, contest or other activity sponsored by Lee BHM Corp. on the Web site, the child may be required by Lee BHM Corp. to provide the minimum Personal Information reasonably necessary for the child to participate in such activity. A child's parent or legal guardian may request Lee BHM Corp. to provide a description of the Personal Information that Lee BHM Corp. has collected from the child, as well as instruct Lee BHM Corp. to cease further use, maintenance and collection of Personal Information from the child. If a child voluntarily discloses his or her name, e-mail address or other personally-identifying information on chat areas, bulletin boards or other forums or public posting areas, such disclosures may result in unsolicited messages from other parties. Cancellation Your subscription will not automatically stop at expiration. To cancel your subscription, please contact customer service. Returning subscribers wishing to opt-out of premium editions must do so when restarting. Refund Policies Subscriber refunds will be issued within two weeks of cancellation. Refunds will be issued per the original method of payment. There is a $5 processing fee for all refunds remitted to the customer. Advertiser refunds will be granted upon cancellation of an entire run schedule if notice of cancellation is received from the advertiser prior to the beginning of the run schedule. Refunds will be issued per the original method of payment and will be processed within 10 business days of the request. Account Setup Fee All new subscriptions and restarts of subscriptions stopped for 30 days or more may be charged a one-time account setup fee of $8.95; if not paid in advance, this may shorten your subscription expiration date. Mailed Subscription Renewal Charge Your renewal notice now includes a $3.95 charge for mailing it. This fee will defray our cost associated with printing as well as postage and handling. You can avoid the fee by signing up for EasyPay or eBilling. General These Terms and Conditions constitute the entire agreement and understanding between you and Lee BHM Corp. with respect to use of the Web site, superseding all prior or contemporaneous communications and/or proposals. Lee BHM Corp. reserves the right to make changes to these Terms and Conditions immediately by posting the changed Terms and Conditions in this location. By continuing to use the Web site, you are agreeing to all changes made by Lee BHM Corp.. A printed version of these Terms and Conditions shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to use of the Web site to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. The Web site is controlled and operated by Lee BHM Corp. from its principal office in the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA. Lee BHM Corp. makes no representation that materials on the Web site are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who choose to access the Web site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable. The Web site is not intended to subject Lee BHM Corp. to the laws or jurisdiction of any state, country or territory other than the State/Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America. Premium Editions The Opelika Auburn News may enhance the newspaper with up to six premium editions annually. These special editions are not included in our standard subscription price, so they require an additional charge that could result in a slightly shortened subscription length. If you prefer to opt out, please contact us at the customer service phone number just above the remittance stub. Current Pricing Your subscription expiration date is based on current pricing and subject to change based on future price adjustments. Vacation No Credit We no longer offer vacation credit. All print subscribers are eligible for All Access, which will allow access to all on-line content, including the digital replica of the newspaper. Contacting Us If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of the Lee BHM Corp. site, or your dealings with Lee BHM Corp., you may contact us at: Lee BHM Corp. Contact us via e-mail ANAHEIM Airbnb retaliated with a lawsuit against Anaheim Thursday less than a month after the City Council banned short-term rentals and said home-sharing web sites would be fined for illegal listings. Airbnbs suit says the city is violating the Communications Decency Act and the First Amendment. The lawsuit is the latest for the popular online platform, which filed legal actions this summer against San Francisco for similar reasons. Anaheims City Council on July 12 gave the 363 permitted short-term rental operators in town 18-months to stop operating. But the lawsuit targets the stricter regulations the council adopted in the meantime to limit the impact of the rentals on the community. Come mid-August, Anaheim will require hosting platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway to remove listings the city has not permitted or face fines starting at $500 for each violation that could reach $2,000. Federal law clearly prohibits state or local governments from imposing this requirement, a letter Airbnb officials sent to operators Thursday says. Thats why we filed a lawsuit today in federal court challenging Anaheims ordinance. Airbnb says it is protected by the 1996 Communications Decency Act that prohibits states and local governments from holding websites liable for content and actions by users who post on their online platforms. The ordinance, Airbnb says, also violates the companys First Amendment rights: it is a content-based restriction on speech, in the form of rental listings. Airbnb fights economic inequality and brings real economic benefits to people and communities, Alison Schumer, an Airbnb spokeswoman, said in a statement. We want to keep working with governments to craft rules that work, but the city of Anaheim quickly banned this economic lifeline and created regulations that violate federal law This is not the approach we wanted to take, she said, but we believe its the best way to protect our community of hosts and guests. An Anaheim spokeswoman said the city could not comment on pending litigation. Anaheim is the most recent battleground in a fight between cities, residents and operators over the influx and popularity of the sharing-economy and short-term rentals. With 20 million annual visitors, many to Disneyland, Anaheim has become a popular place for out-of-towners using short-term rentals as an alternative to traditional hotels to shave costs off vacations. Residents have flooded City Hall complaining the vacationers could care less about quiet neighbors, hold rowdy all-night parties, leave trash on the streets and fill up parking spaces. Short-term operators argue they fix up neglected properties, raise property values and contribute millions in much needed taxes to the citys coffers. Airbnbs lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, asks the court to kick the penalties against the home-sharing website and for the city to pay the legal fees. Correction:Airbnb has sued Anaheim and San Francisco over short-term rental penalties. Because of a reporting error, New York was mistakenly named as an Airbnb defendant in an earlier version of this article. Contact the writer: 714-796-2443 or jpimentel@ocregister.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney Gazing into a clear sky to eye the International Space Station or mapping out a drive on a cellphone, aerospace giant Boeings Orange County facilities have impacted the lives of people around the world in ways they might not suspect. Boeing celebrated its 100th anniversary this month. The companys massive size today reflects mergers and acquisitions over the decades involving some of the most prominent aerospace companies in the world companies that had major facilities right here in the O.C. Michael Lombardi, Boeings senior corporate historian, said Orange County contributions have been critical not just to Boeing, but also to the history of aerospace advancement. While Houston and Florida are famously attached to Americas legacy of rockets, space stations and satellites, core components of some of historys most impactful projects were handled much closer to home, he said. When we went to the moon, most of the Apollo and Saturn vehicles that made that possible were built right there. Its incredibly important, Lombardi said. While the Apollo capsule was built in Downey, the second and third stage boosters that would rocket our first men to the moon were built in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach. These projects were by North American Rockwell and McDonnell Douglas divisions since folded into Boeing. Orange Countys history of striving for the stars doesnt stop there: The county has been home to major developments with space stations and satellites. In 1973, Boeings Huntington Beach site, then McDonnell Douglas, was responsible for converting a Saturn V rocket into Skylab, Americas first space station. Just a few years after Huntington Beach paved the way for humans to live in space, Seal Beach worked to ensure we wouldnt lose our way here on the ground. In 1978, the site developed Block I Global Positioning System satellites, the earliest GPS system. People relying on their phones to get from point A to point B wouldnt have map apps without the groundwork set by workers in Seal Beach. Its changed our lives, Seal Beach has touched every human being in the world now, Lombardi said. Boeings Anaheim facilities shut down in 2006, but half a century ago the area mirrored Orange Countys space feats with work in the sky and below the sea. Once known as Autonetics, a division of North American Aviation, and then Rockwell, the sprawling campus was renowned for cutting edge guidance systems that supported three generations of Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles and allowed the famed submarine, the USS Nautilus, to be the first to dive below the North Poles ice. At its peak, during the Cold War, the Anaheim facility boasted as many as 36,000 employees. Aerospace employment has dropped considerably over the years, but Boeing remains one of Orange Countys largest employers. Boeings Seal Beach facilities have evolved into a major commercial airplane operations center. Huntington Beach has been contracted by NASA to develop a Crew Space Transportation System to ferry astronauts between Earth and the International Space Station and recently designed a next generation underwater vehicle for ocean exploration. Orange County and Boeing over the century 1916: William Boeing incorporates the Pacific Aero Products Co. 1917: Pacific Aero Products becomes Boeing Airline Co. 1923: The company develops and tests its first fighter plane. 1960: NASA successfully launches the first Delta rocket. This family of rockets, which later would be developed at Boeings Space and Communication facility in Huntington Beach, were NASAs primary launch vehicle for more than 20 years. 1960s-70s: S-II and S-IVB, the second and third stages of the Saturn V rocket are built in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach. July 16, 1969: The Huntington Beach-built S-IVB upper stage pushes the Apollo 11 crew to the moon. 1973: McDonnell Douglas, at its Huntington Beach facility, converts a Saturn V rocket into Skylab, Americas first space station. 1978: Block I Global Positioning System satellites, which pave the way for modern GPS, are developed in Seal Beach by Rockwell International. 1980s-90s: Space shuttle parts are manufactured by aerospace companies in Orange County. 1996: Rockwell Internationals defense and aerospace businesses merge with Boeing, bringing the Anaheim and Seal Beach facilities under the Boeing fold 1997: McDonnell Douglas merges with Boeing, making its Huntington Beach campus part of Boeing 1997: Production of Delta III and design of Delta IV rockets spurs expansion at Boeings Huntington Beach facility. 2006: Boeing shuts down its Anaheim campus, which had 36,000 workers at its peak, shifting the remaining 3,700 jobs to Huntington Beach. 2015: An autonomous rendezvous and docking system for NASAs Crew Space Transportation is manufactured in Huntington Beach by Boeing. The pod is scheduled to carry astronauts to the International Space Station by 2017. March 2016: Boeing introduces the Echo Voyager, an extra-large unmanned undersea vehicle built at its Huntington Beach facilities. The autonomous vehicle requires no support vessel for launch or recovery. Source: Register archives, Boeing, Orange County Business Journal Contact the writer: jwinslow@ocregister.com Police are crediting Good Samaritans and their observance with helping them find a boy and possibly preventing a sexual assault Wednesday night in Santa Ana. On Wednesday at around 8:15 p.m. a woman lost sight of her 4-year-old son at Jerome Park, where he was playing on the playground during a birthday celebration, according to a statement from Santa Ana police. The mother called police after not being able to find him. Officers searched and a helicopter broadcast the description of the boy to the community near the park, which is on McFadden Avenue and Center Street. During this time, Adolfo Acosta was working on a car behind his store Force Electronics on McFadden Avenue. He heard the helicopter announce that the boy was missing. Shortly after, an employee of his store came to tell him hed seen the boy in a nearby market. They raced over to the man later identified as 28-year-old Armando Torreblanca Nunez of Santa Ana who they say had changed his hat from a red to a blue one seemingly to conceal his identify as the alleged captor. He also was holding a little boy by the hand. I asked him wheres your mom? And he started to cry, Acosta said about the boy. A father of four grown children himself, Acosta snatched the boy away while two of his employees and a nearby security guard chased and detained the suspect until police arrived. Acosta stayed with the unharmed boy until he was returned to his mother. Detectives believe Nunez intended to kidnap and sexually assault the boy. The helicopter was like a divine message for Acosta. It was a message from God for me to go get him. Police praised the actions. Thanks to the quick thinking and concern of these citizens, Nunez was stopped from sexually assaulting the victim, according to the police statement. The Santa Ana Police Department commends the actions of these Good Samaritans involved in this case. Nunez was booked into jail on suspicion of kidnap for the purpose of lewd acts with a child. He has lived in other cities including Orange, Irvine and Tustin. Anyone who suspects Nunez committed illegal activity is asked to call Santa Ana police detectives at 714-245-8343 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS. Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@ocregister.com GENEVA The U.N. special envoy for Syria on Friday urged Russia to leave the creation of any humanitarian corridors around the embattled northern Syrian city of Aleppo to the United Nations and its partners. Thats our job, said Staffan de Mistura as he explained his suggestion to Moscow at a press conference in Geneva, a day after Russia said its forces and those of the Syrian government would open humanitarian corridors around Aleppo and offer a way-out for civilians and surrendering fighters. Also Friday, Syrian activists said a U.S.-led coalition airstrike targeting a village in northern Syria held by the Islamic State group had killed 28 civilians the previous night, including seven children. Activists said that Islamic State militants recaptured the nearby village of al-Bouweir on Thursday and killed 24 civilians. In Geneva, de Mistura expressed support in principle for humanitarian corridors under the right circumstances. He said he is awaiting clarification from Russian authorities about that plan, noting the urgent situation in the northern city, wracked by devastating violence in recent months. The envoy also warned that the clock is ticking for the Aleppo population. How do you expect people to walk through a corridor thousands of them while there is shelling, bombing, fighting? de Mistura said. He added that no one should be forced to leave Aleppo, but indeed, some civilians may want to avail themselves of the possibility afforded by the corridor and by the Russian initiative. When they do, it is crucial that they be given the option of leaving to areas of their own choice. De Mistura also praised a statement from the International Red Cross about the Russian proposal, which said any such corridors should have the consent of all parties on all sides. ICRC regional director for the Mideast, Robert Mardini, said Friday he had no indication all sides were on board with the plan. There were no reports of civilians using the corridors on Friday. Rebel fighters were forbidding people from using the Bustan al-Qasr crossing, in the north of the city, out of fear for their safety, according to Khaled Khatib, a volunteer for the Civil Defense search-and-rescue brigade. He said civilians who leave the city risk being shot by government snipers or being detained because of their opposition sympathies. I havent seen any family or people trying to cross, said Khatib. Coalition airstrikes on the IS-held village of Al-Ghandour near the Turkish border killed 28 civilians Thursday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Friday. Observatory chief Rami Adurrahman said another 13 people were killed in the strikes but that he could not say if they were IS fighters or civilians. Al-Ghandour is 24 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of the town of Manbij, a key hub in the extremist groups Syria network and a supply route to ISs de facto capital of Raqqa. The international coalition had no immediate comment on the casualty figures reported by the Observatory. The bombings came a week after airstrikes, also blamed by Syrian activists on U.S. aircraft, killed at least 56 civilians in Islamic State-held territory in northern Syria. The Manbij area has seen extensive battles between IS extremists and U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, who have been advancing under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition. The town is encircled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF were able to evacuate another 1,000 civilians from Manbij Thursday, according to Mustafa Bali, a local media activist living in the town of Kobani. There has been a lot of pressure on the militants in Manbij, said Bali. After retaking the nearby village of al-Bouweir from the SDF on Thursday, IS extremists killed two dozen civilians, according to the Observatory. Hamoud Almousa, a founding member of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, an activist group, said IS sought retribution from the village for not defending Islam when the SDF initially drove out IS earlier this summer. Almousa said most of the villagers fled before the extremists retook al-Bouweir but the men who remained were killed. Late Thursday, the U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East, said in a statement that the American-backed coalition had conducted airstrikes in the area of Manbij during the past 24 hours and that it was looking into whether an airstrike had resulted in civilian casualties. It was not clear if the Manbij-area strikes that CENTCOM cited involved strikes on al-Ghandour. PHILADELPHIA Long a lightning rod on the right, Hillary Clinton is making a targeted appeal to Republicans who challenge Donald Trumps claim to the conservative mantle and fear his possible presidency. Clintons final day of the Democratic National Convention featured speeches from a former member of President Ronald Reagans administration and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce official who is heading a GOP group supporting Clinton, part of an expanded outreach to Republican voters and donors. I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan, said Doug Elmets, a Republican now backing Clinton. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan! Clinton pivoted to the left during the primaries, fending off self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. Trumps national security stumbles in questioning U.S. support for NATO allies and urging Russia to meddle in the race provides a general-election opening for Clinton and other Democrats to reach out to Republicans. In his speech Wednesday night, President Barack Obama evoked Reagan, reminding voters that the conservative hero famously called the United States a shining city on a hill. Trump, he said, calls the United States a divided crime scene and hopes to win votes by scaring people over immigration and crime. Shortly before Obama spoke, Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent Michael Bloomberg urged voters to back Clinton, calling her the sane, competent person. In her first post-convention TV interview, Clinton is slated to appear on Fox News Sunday this weekend. She is holding an event in Republican-leaning Nebraska on Monday, giving her the opportunity to reach Republican voters. Obama won an electoral vote in an Omaha area congressional district in 2008. Several prominent Republicans, including the two former presidents Bush and 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney, have not endorsed Trump. Clinton has picked up some Republican endorsements in recent weeks, including Brent Scowcroft, a national security adviser to President George H.W. Bush, and Hank Paulson, a Treasury secretary under President George W. Bush. You have to make them feel that theyre not traitors. And the way to do that is to roll out a bunch of well-known Republicans saying, Hey Im for Hillary, said former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. The former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state has been the frequent Republican target during her more than three decades in national politics, most recently for her use of a private email server for government business while at the State Department. Republicans said that history and her high negative numbers among rank-and-file Republican voters make it unlikely shell find many cross-over voters. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday in Philadelphia that Trumps fight against Washington insiders was prone to turn off some Republicans. Donald Trump is the outsider. Hillary Clinton is the corrupt insider. And if thats going to mean that were going to lose some Republican votes, so be it, Giuliani said. Republicans also argue she should pay more attention to her own base. Sean Spicer, chief strategist for the RNC, noted eruptions of boos inside the Democratic convention hall and omnipresence of Sanders fans, and said, Clinton should really focus on getting her own party in order before she worries about our party. But Democrats view Trumps provocative statements and the failed Never Trump movement as leading indicators in their ability to win over college-educated Republicans who have been wary of the businessmans foreign policy views or incendiary statements about Mexican-Americans, Muslims and women. John Stubbs and Ricardo Reyes, two former officials in President George W. Bushs administration, attended the convention to generate interest in their pro-Clinton grassroots organization called R4C16.org. For likeminded Republicans, they said sitting out the election is not enough. Reyes called Trump an existential threat, not just to the party but to the entire United States. Clinton hopes to win over not only the hearts of Republican voters but also the wallets of some of the partys donors. Her campaign has assembled a team to field calls from Republicans interested in giving money and helping with fundraising. In Chicago, former U.S. Attorney Daniel Webb told Clinton fundraisers in recent weeks that he supports her and wants to help gather contributions for her campaign. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Webb said Trumps bias against Hispanics and Muslims, among other groups, spurred him to action. Associated Press writers Matthew Daly in Philadelphia and Sam Hananel in Washington contributed to this report. ANAHEIM Disney has offered no timeline for its new Star Wars land, but Thursday park fans learned attractions closed temporarily for its construction will reopen in 2017. Park officials, on their Disney Parks blog, announced the attractions on the Rivers of America that went offline earlier this year as crews prepared for the construction of the 14-acre Star Wars land, will reopen next summer an exact date was not given. The Disneyland Railroad will chug around the park on a new route, traveling elevated railroad tracks over the water with scenic views of waterfronts and waterfalls on the north bank of the artifical river. The nightly Fantasmic! light and water fireworks show will also be back. Visitors will be able to explore Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, exercise their arms on Davy Crocketts Explorer Canoes and board the Mark Twain Riverboat or the Sailing Ship Columbia as they journey along the Rivers of America. A Disneyland spokesman said the attractions will operate as they did before the closures. The park has placed a steam locomotive and some passenger cars on display at the Main Street and New Orleans Square stations for visitors to get an up-close look during the closures. The Sailing Ship Columbia has been docked at Frontierland for guests to explore. Contact the writer: 714-796-2443 or jpimentel@ocregister.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney OSWIECIM, Poland Pope Francis paid a somber visit in silence to the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on Friday, with his only public comment a guest book entry begging God forgiveness for so much cruelty. The Argentine-born pontiff made an early morning pilgrimage to the place where Adolf Hitlers forces killed more than 1 million people, most of them Jews, during World War II. Francis entered the camp on foot, walking slowly in his white robes beneath the notorious gate at Auschwitz that bears the cynical words Arbeit Macht Frei (Work sets you free). After meeting briefly with 11 death camp survivors, he moved on to nearby Birkenau, a sprawling complex where people were murdered in factory-like fashion in its gas chambers. There he greeted 25 Holocaust rescuers. Altogether, it was a deeply contemplative and private visit of nearly two hours that Francis passed in total silence, except for a few words he exchanged with the survivors and rescuers. Vatican and Polish church officials explained that Francis wanted to express his sorrow in silence at the site, mourning the victims in quiet prayer and meditation. However, he did express his feelings, writing in the Auschwitz memorials guest book in Spanish: Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty! He then signed with his name in Latin, Franciscus and added the date 29.7.2016. Francis is the first pope to visit Auschwitz who did not himself live himself through the brutality of World War II on Europes soil. Both of his predecessors had a personal or historical connection to the site. St. John Paul II, born in Poland, witnessed the unspeakable suffering inflicted on his nation during the German occupation during the war. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited in 2006, was a German who served in the Hitler Youth for a time as a teenager. Francis prayed silently for more than 15 minutes before greeting survivors, one by one, shaking their hands and kissing them on the cheeks. He then carried a large white candle to the Death Wall, where prisoners at Auschwitz were executed. At the dark underground prison cell that once housed St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who sacrificed his life to save that of a fellow prisoner who had a family, Francis prayed again. A few shafts from a tiny window were the only light cast on the pontiff. He then traveled 2 miles (3 kilometers) to Birkenau, the vast satellite camp where the Nazis murdered Jews, Roma and others from across Europe. Invited guests, among them camp survivors and Christian Poles who saved Jews during the war, stood in respect as the pope arrived, his vehicle driving parallel to the rail tracks once used to transport victims to their deaths there. At one point the deep silence was broken by the wailing of an infant. When Francis arrived, the hundreds of guests applauded. Francis slowly observed each of the memorial plaques in the 23 languages used by the inmates. Polands chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, then recited, in Hebrew, Psalm 130, which starts: From the depths I have cried out to you, O Lord. Francis clasped his hands and bent his head as the psalm was read, first by the rabbi and then by a priest in Polish. John Pauls visit to the site in 1979 made history because it was the first ever by a pontiff, part of the Vaticans historical efforts at reconciliation with Jews. As a pope hailing from another continent, Franciss presence highlights visit the universal importance of a site that in recent years has drawn ever more visitors from around the world. The millions who now visit have put increasing stress on the sites aging barracks, prompting urgent conservation efforts that are being funded by governments worldwide. Francis visit is also different in that it had a private character with no speeches. Benedict, for instance, spoke there in 2006 in Italian pointedly avoiding his native German language in a speech questioning why God was silent at the slaughter of so many. The popes visit to Auschwitz came on the third day of a five-day visit to Poland that includes meetings with young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day, a global celebration of faith. Friday is devoted to the theme of suffering. Later in the day Francis will visit a childrens hospital in Krakow and take part in a Way of the Cross with the young people. Gera reported from Warsaw. Monika Scislowska in Krakow contributed to this report. WASHINGTON Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have each described the other as unfit to be trusted with classified information. But as is customary for the official nominees of both parties, the two candidates will get their first intelligence briefing as early as next week. U.S. intelligence officials will soon contact the two campaigns to schedule a wide-ranging briefing for each on global flashpoints, the status of American military campaigns overseas and the latest maneuverings by foreign governments, both friend and foe. This quadrennial rite of passage for presidential candidates usually takes place while few people pay attention. Not now. Recent statements on the campaign trail, and barbed accusations by both candidates about their opponents ability to handle classified information, have focused attention on the intelligence briefings and raised questions about how much or how little the spies will share with the candidates. The subject came up again Wednesday after Trumps comments at a news conference, where he said he hoped the Russians had hacked Clintons computer server and then encouraged them to publish whatever they had stolen. This drew outrage from current and former government officials, both Republicans and Democrats, who said a presidential candidate had for the first time invited a foreign power to carry out espionage on American soil. Some former senior intelligence officials said Trumps comments bordered on treason. For his part, Trump said that Clintons decision to set up a private email server during the time she was secretary of state means she cannot be trusted to receive classified briefings. Now why are they giving her briefings? Why are these people with great knowledge of the inner workings of our country and our security, why are they giving Hillary Clinton briefings? Trump asked. Because its going to get revealed. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence coordinates the briefings that the candidates will receive, and they will be conducted by intelligence briefers who will meet each candidate somewhere on the campaign trail, either at a nearby FBI field office or other secure government facility. The information given to the candidates hardly amounts to the crown jewels of U.S. intelligence. Current and former government officials said the briefings were broad overviews of how U.S. spy agencies see the state of the world, similar to the briefing that James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, gives to Congress each year. The briefings will contain top secret information, but the candidates are given no information about ongoing covert action programs or the identities of intelligence sources. During an appearance on Thursday at the Aspen Security Forum, Clapper said that the three most significant topics for the candidate briefings would be the threat of cyberattacks, the Islamic State and Russia. Earlier this year, Clapper said that career intelligence officers would conduct the briefings, and that neither he nor any other political appointee would attend the meetings. As a legal matter, the president can tell the nominees as much or as little as he believes is necessary or prudent, said Susan Hennessey of the Brookings Institution, adding that President Barack Obama has indicated that he will allow intelligence officials to make the determination about what information Trump and Clinton will receive. With all forms of sharing classified information, there is a strong tendency to err on the side of caution, she said. Shortly after the November election, the president-elect will receive a more detailed set of intelligence briefings intended to prepare him or her before taking office in January. The practice of giving intelligence briefings to presidential candidates dates back to the Truman administration, but not the politics surrounding them. On Wednesday night at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Democrats weighed in. Donald Trump, who wants to be president of the United States, is asking one of our adversaries to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts against the United States of American to affect an election, Leon E. Panetta, who served as a CIA director and secretary of defense under Obama, told the delegates. Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate minority leader, had a proposal for U.S. spy agencies planning to meet with Trump. I would suggest to the intelligence agencies: If youre forced to brief this guy, dont tell him anything, just fake it, because this man is dangerous, Reid, D-Nev., said in an interview Wednesday with The Huffington Post. Fake it, pretend youre doing a briefing, but you cant give the guy any information. Trumps position is that he is already schooled in national security issues, like how to defeat the Islamic State. I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me, Trump said in Iowa in November. In the storied history of San Juan Capistrano, the Rev. Jim Nieblas is recognized as the first local indigenous priest to enter the Catholic clergy since St. Junipero Serra founded the towns famous mission in 1776. Ordained in 1986 in the Mission Basilica, Nieblas says he has been pleased to represent his tribe. In 2015 he met with Pope Francis while the pontiff was in the United States to confer sainthood on Serra. Nieblas presented the Pope with gifts from the tribe. While serving the church primarily in the Los Angeles area, Nieblas has returned to San Juan from time to time to reconnect with his Acjachemen people, who since the founding of the mission have been known as the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians. This month, Nieblas celebrates 50 years of religious life and 30 years of priesthood. On July 16 in the Mission Basilica, he said a special Mass that many from the Juaneno community attended in his honor. A procession performed native rituals including song, dance and ceremonial burning of sage. We asked Nieblas about his role in his church and his tribe. Q. Why did it take until 1986 for a Juaneno to be ordained? A. The Juaneno people have a great respect for tradition and the sacredness of those who serve the tribe. I believe a good amount of them saw the good that the church did and they believed they were unworthy of such a calling in their life. Q. What led you into the priesthood? A. I believe most people were surprised that I entered religious life and priesthood as a Salesian of St. John Bosco. My grandparents were very good to me; however, my family suffered from the scars of divorce. I believe this was why I entered religious life, because I found a family. Q. How did the Acjachemen Nation respond? A. I was ordained a priest in the Mission Basilica 30 years ago with my family, my ancestral roots, and the parish people at large. The Native Americans were very proud of me and had some part within the service. Q. How do you continue to connect with your Juaneno brethren? A. I work at Bishop Mora Salesian High School in East Los Angeles as the rector. I try to be present whenever (the Juanenos) call upon me; however, it is very challenging for me to attend all the tribal gatherings. In my work in East Los Angeles, I see the brokenness of many families and the lack of forgiveness. My role as a Native American priest is the same there as within the tribe, to bring healing and comfort to hearts that are broken. Q. What was the Juaneno reaction to Serras canonization? A. There are people who struggle with the canonization of Junipero Serra, but from many of my families roots, we have always been close to the church. This is painful the tension but maybe it reminds me of the divorce within my family. What I have learned from that divorce is that people are hurt and in pain. And this is my ministry as a priest to listen, to reflect and to pray for healing. Q. What was your goal, entering the priesthood? A. It was difficult for me to not have a family and children. But God has fulfilled me in my calling as a Salesian of Don Bosco. Three major schools that I served at gave me gifts in the development of myself as a human being. At Don Bosco Tech, I was known as Brother Jim and I became a brother to my students. At Bishop Mora Salesian High School, I had been ordained a priest and I learned to become a dad to the young men. St. John Bosco High School gave me the gift of being a grandpa who listens to the students stories and makes them laugh. Q. What about priests from other California tribes? Do you communicate? A. I think this is an unfortunate area because we are not good at communicating with each as a tribal nation. Maybe in the future this might be a goal that I undertake. However, to my knowledge, I am sure there must be Native American priests, but I do not know them. Q. If you, as a Juaneno and as a Catholic priest, could say something today to Serra, what would that be? A. I would take Junipero Serra to see the powerful influence he and others of his community have made to the history of California. For example, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and many more, to the streets that are named in honor of the influences of their missionary ministry. I feel that he would be surprised along with his other brother Franciscans. Then I would take him to meet the tribes which existed and still exist and the gift that they have been to the history of California and how some of us struggle with some of the brutal treatments that happened to our heritage. Lastly, I would ask that he pray for me that I would be a good healer of their wounds and mistrust. So in summary, I would show him the influence that he made. Secondly, where the tribal people are now in their history. Lastly, to heal the wounds and the scars that may exist in some of our traditions since he was the first pastor of the mission. Contact the writer: 949-492-5127 or fswegles@ocregister.com Californias tough new immunization law, aimed at quelling the spread of disease, will be put to the test for the new school year with a medical exemption now required for students to skip immunizations. The law, which took effect July 1, was passed in response to a measles outbreak that started in December 2014 at Disneyland and sickened 147 people. Heres a guide to how the law works: To whom does the law apply? Nearly all public and private school students must be vaccinated against up to 10 diseases, depending on age. How can parents opt out of vaccines? Written medical waivers must be submitted by doctors to describe a childs physical condition or medical circumstances. The statement must include what vaccines are being exempted, whether the exemption is permanent or temporary, and if temporary, when the exemption expires. Permanent exemptions do not need to be renewed. Personal-belief exemptions for religious or other reasons are no longer issued. How difficult is it to get a medical waiver? The law does not specify what physical conditions or medical circumstances qualify, giving doctors some latitude and discretion. The schools are going to be prone to accept anything that a physician writes because our business is education and the physicians business is health, said Pamela Kahn, a registered nurse and the health and wellness coordinator for the Orange County Department of Education. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some reasons to avoid particular vaccines include life-threatening allergies to an included ingredient or a history of the rare autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome. Only licensed medical doctors can provide the exemption. I would hope with that high level of credential that providers will operate within the realm of expert guidelines and medical science and would not be providing exemptions for unscientific reasons, said Dr. David Nunez, family health medical director for the countys Health Care Agency. Unfortunately we dont really have any way of anticipating whether there will be those that try to game the system in some way. Is the law being challenged? Yes. On July 1, the day the law took effect, a lawsuit was filed in San Diego federal court by a group of parents and the nonprofit Education 4 All, alleging the law violates childrens right to an education. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Irvines law school, described the mandate as constitutional. Every court to rule on mandatory vaccination laws has upheld them, even when they have no exception for religion or the parents beliefs, Chemerinsky said. There is a compelling interest in protecting children and in stopping the spread of communicable disease. How are parents with unvaccinated children responding to the law? I have patients doing pretty much all the options, said Dr. Bob Sears, a Capistrano Beach pediatrician who opposes mandatory vaccination. Some are leaving the state. Some qualify for medical exemptions, and some go ahead and vaccinate. Others are considering home-schooling, although thats a daunting proposition, said Dotty Sunshine Hagmier, founder of Moms in Charge, a Dana Point nonprofit. A lot of the parents are working, and they cant really afford to quit to home-school their children, or a lot of the children are special needs and they dont have the wherewithal or skill set, Hagmier said. What happens to students who have previously submitted personal-belief exemptions? Depending on their grade level, some will be allowed to remain unvaccinated for the time being. For children who have already completed kindergarten or seventh grade, exemptions that were filed before Jan. 1 remain valid. For instance, a child entering first grade would not have immunization status checked again until seventh grade, the next vaccine checkpoint. For children who have completed seventh grade, vaccine status is not checked for entry into high school. But for a new student entering a California school for the first time, immunization status would be reviewed regardless of grade. Hagmiers children are currently covered by their personal-belief exemptions. What is the vaccination process like for an older child who has not been vaccinated? Nunez said the requirements vary slightly for a student entering seventh grade vs. kindergarten. Additionally, an older child would not need as many vaccine doses to become immune as would a younger child. He said the vaccines would be staggered over four to six months. A seventh-grader without any vaccinations still needs to get a Tdap series, polio, measles, varicella, but wouldnt need to get hepatitis B because thats not one of those checkpoint vaccines thats required. However, hepatitis B is an excellent vaccine for any child, so the recommendation would be to get that as well, Nunez said. What about children enrolled in special education? The law says children who qualify for an individualized education program cant be denied services based on immunization status. Those kids are allowed to come to school, said Kahn, the registered nurse. They are not exempt from immunizations, but while we keep reminding them that they need to get it, they will not be excluded from school. Sears said some districts have been improperly demanding medical waivers from students in special ed. Thats unfair, he said. Parents have to pay for those appointments, take time off from work, take their kids out of school. When will the impact of the law be measured? Not until early next year, when the state releases vaccination data by county. For the 2014-15 school year in Orange County, 92.5 percent of children entering kindergarten were fully vaccinated. The CDC says a vaccination rate of at least 95 percent is necessary to provide herd immunity intended to protect babies too young for vaccines and those with health conditions that preclude immunization. Contact the writer: cperkes@scng.com 714-796-3686 BEIRUT The Nusra Front, which was formed as al-Qaidas branch in Syria, announced Thursday it was ending its connection with the terror network and changing its name to the Levant Conquest Front. Heres a look at the move and what it means. Did it really leave al-Qaida? Nusras leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, said in a video announcement that the Front no longer had any ties to an outside group, meaning it is formally no longer a branch. But deep connections remain. The group retains its Islamic militant ideology and commitment to jihad, and the formal break was carried out with the blessing of al-Qaidas central leadership, which recognized it was needed to protect the group. Notably, seated next to al-Golani in the video was Ahmed Salama Mabrouk, an al-Qaida veteran who is close to its leader Ayman al-Zahwari and who recently came to Syria to join Nusra a sign of how intertwined the group and the parent organization remain. The United States immediately expressed skepticism over the announcement, saying it still considers Nusra a threat to the U.S. plotting attacks abroad. So why split? By claiming it is no longer al-Qaida, the Front hopes to deepen its alliances with other Syrian rebel factions, believing that will give it a degree of protection from U.S. and Russian airstrikes. The group already works alongside some factions, drawn to it because it is one of the most powerful forces fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. But others have been cooler, like the hardline Islamist Ahrar al-Sham, which has tried to stay closer to the mainstream Syrian opposition. Impact for the U.S. The move makes it even harder for the U.S. to draw a clear line between Syrian rebels, who it insists should not be targeted by airstrikes, and militant groups, which are targeted. That line is already hazy, hurting efforts at a peace process. A U.S.-Russia-backed cease-fire earlier this year did not cover the Nusra Front and the Islamic State group, meaning Russian warplanes and Syrian troops could continue to target them. But Russian strikes also hit rebel factions, including ones backed by the United States even while Moscow argued it was only hitting terrorists. The cease-fire soon fell apart. The U.S. and Russia are now trying to hammer out an agreement on a new military partnership in Syria. One leaked U.S. proposal would call for a sharing of intelligence and targeting for strikes against IS and Nusra on the condition Russia commits to convince its ally Assad to ground Syrias bombers and start a political transition process. But if rebels grow closer to an ostensibly al-Qaida-free Levant Conquest Front, they are likely to see such an air campaign as just a pretext for Moscow to help Assad defeat insurgents. Downsides for Nusra Breaking with al-Qaida, even if only in name, also could hurt Nusra: It loses the brand name that drew many of its fighters to its ranks. That could drive away members. Foreign fighters in particular could become disillusioned since many of them were drawn by the al-Qaida link and see their participation in the Syria war in more universal terms of global jihad rather than as simply a campaign to oust Assad, said Sam Heller, a Beirut-based analyst who writes about the Syria war. PARIS French authorities Thursday identified a second man who stormed a church in Normandy and killed an 85-year-old priest as he celebrated Mass. The Paris prosecutors office identified the man as Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean, 19. It was not clear how he knew the other killer, Adel Kermiche, also 19, who lived near the church, the Eglise St.-Etienne, in St.-Etienne-du-Rouvray, a working-class suburb of Rouen. Both teenagers were of Algerian ancestry. They were shot dead by police after the assault on the church, which also left an 86-year-old parishioner severely wounded; he is in stable condition. Islamic State released videos Wednesday in which the two teenagers pledged allegiance to the terrorist group before embarking on their assault. Petitjean was born in St.-Die-des-Vosges, in Lorraine in northeastern France, but grew up in Aix-les-Bains, in the southeast. He attended a high school there, the Lycee Marlioz, and his father lives in Montlucon, a town in central France, north of Clermont-Ferrand. Petitjean flew to Turkey on June 10 but was stopped at the airport, before he reached the passport-control desk, when he was seen talking with someone who was on the no-entry list, according to a Turkish official who spoke on condition of anonymity. He left Turkey the next day, and was placed on a blacklist, as a precaution, the following week, and French authorities were immediately notified, the official said. The Paris prosecutors office said on Thursday that Petitjean came to the attention of police on June 29. On July 22 four days before the attack a foreign intelligence agency sent his picture to French intelligence services, but without a name or description, the office said. Interviewed by French reporters, Petitjeans mother, who was identified by news agencies as Yamina Boukessoula, expressed astonishment. She said he had last spoken to her early this week. She said: He said, Dont worry, get some sleep, everything is OK. He had a soft voice. He sounded well. It wasnt worrisome. The mother told reporters, Daesh is not part of his language, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The killing of the priest has elicited condemnation worldwide. On Thursday, the French Council of the Muslim Faith urged Muslims to attend Mass on Sunday morning, to again express solidarity with and compassion for our Christian brothers. KRAKOW, Poland Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Thursday at one of Polands most renowned shrines, urging Catholics to embrace the humble love that brings freedom and to shun the lust for wealth and power. To be attracted by power, by grandeur, by appearances, is tragically human, Francis said at the 14th-century monastery of Jasna Gora, a pilgrimage site in the city of Czestochowa known for its painting of the Virgin Mary. It is a great temptation that tries to insinuate itself everywhere. But to give oneself to others, eliminating distances, dwelling in littleness and living the reality of ones everyday life: This is exquisitely divine. Later in the day, before an international crowd of 600,000 gathered in Krakow for the World Youth Day celebration, the pope urged people to welcome migrants and refugees, a stance resisted by the Polish government. A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home, Francis said. It is able to build a home and a family for those forced to emigrate; it knows the meaning of tenderness and compassion. A merciful heart can share its bread with the hungry and welcome refugees and migrants. Pope Francis has frequently tried to draw attention to the plight of migrants. Several days before the pope began his trip, his office admonished countries in Eastern Europe that have artificially created fear of Muslims, urging them to be more open to refugees and asylum seekers from places torn apart by conflict. Jorge Carrasco, 25, a volunteer from Spain at the Krakow event, said that after listening to the pope: I think I could share my home with one or two refugees. I mean I have the space, so why not? The pope also talked about finding meaning in life and expressed his concern for young people who waste their lives looking for thrills or a feeling of being alive by taking dark paths and in the end having to pay for it, and pay dearly. The message touched Arturo Sanchez, 21, one of a group of 31 pilgrims from Chile, who called the pope a superhero. I heard of these terrifying attacks in Europe and we are all afraid of the future, Sanchez said. But I believe that the Holy Father has super powers and can change peoples hearts, even bad peoples hearts, with his unconditional love for everyone. At the start of the Mass in Czestochowa, as the pope walked around the altar of the monastery and blessed it with incense, he stumbled to the ground, drawing gasps from the assembled pilgrims, who numbered in the thousands. Priests rushed to help Francis, grabbing his arm and helping him to his feet. The pope was not hurt. En route to the Mass, which commemorated the 1,050th anniversary of Polands conversion to Christianity, Francis stopped to greet enthusiastic pilgrims who had come from around the world. Francis, who has made a point of avoiding conspicuous manifestations of power and wealth, has been traveling around Krakow and Czestochowa in a modest dark blue Volkswagen. At one point, he stopped to bless a sick girl who was in a stroller. Poland is an overwhelmingly Catholic country; 92 percent of the population identifies itself as Catholic and 40 percent attend church on Sunday. The visit by Francis, his first to Poland as pope, has been eagerly awaited, in part because of his connection to one of his predecessors. Pope John Paul II, who was canonized in 2014, is the only pope to have been born in Poland, and he remains one of the nations most revered and cherished figures. Pope Francis is incredibly close to my heart; he was the one who elevated our John Paul II to sainthood, said Dorota Wisniowska, 24, who came to Krakow from Wloclawek, a town in central Poland. John Paul II was the first pope to become a bridge between Catholicism and other religions. And I hope Pope Francis, just like our pope, will continue to break the walls instead of making new ones. On Friday, the pope plans to visit the World War II-era death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. SANTA ANA A Laguna Beach man accused of running two investment scams has now been indicted regarding a third alleged scheme in which, officials said on Thursday, victims were conned out of more than $3 million. Peter Heinrich Conrad Reinert, 61, was arrested in April 2015 after a federal grand jury indicted him for two alleged investment fraud schemes causing $3.6 million in losses, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Authorities continued to investigate Reinert and determined that he ran a third scheme out of an Irvine-based company called Income from Waste Corporation. Prosecutors said Reinert told victims the company was developing a technology to convert used tires into oil. Prosecutors said he posed as a United States Secret Service agent and military veteran to make his scam appear more credible. From 2014 up until his arrest in 2015, Reinert was accused of using his company to generate $3.2 million from victims from across the country, including a family of farmers in Missouri. Prosecutors said he spent the money on personal expenses including luxury cars and sent funds to an account in Poland. Prosecutors also allege that Reinert used a fake passport under the name Peter Michael Berger, claiming he was born in Maine when he was actually born in Germany. Reinert has been in custody without bond since last year, when he was arrested on the original indictment that accuses him of fraudulently raising money for the two other companies. One claimed it was developing an electromagnetic motor that could increase gas mileage to 150 miles per gallon for any car, while the other company purportedly developed anti-counterfeiting technology to be used on state-issued identification documents, court records say. These latest allegations against Mr. Reinert suggest he is a serial con artist who continues to cheat investors into funding his schemes and his lifestyle, Deirdre Fike, an assistant director, said in a statement. Investors can verify federal and military employment and, in many cases, the legitimacy of an investment, by doing research before handing over their savings. In all, authorities say, victims lost $6.8 million. For the three cases, Reinert has been charged with multiple counts of felony wire, mail and passport fraud. Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com In an editorial on Monday, the Wall Street Journal characterized the California Attorney Generals now-concluded investigation into K12 Inc. and the 11 California Virtual Academies as a coordinated ambush targeting K12 and the online charter schools after they dared to resist the California Teachers Associations unionization campaign. In 2014, the CTA launched its unionization campaign of the CAVA schools. Over the next 2-plus years the teachers union spared no expense, marshalled all of its political allies, spun the media, and hurled dozens of allegations against K12 and CAVA schools no matter how unfounded. The union fired every arrow in its quiver. In early 2015, the CTA recruited several state legislators, all recipients of the unions massive political campaign war chest, to pressure the CAVA schools to bow to the unions demands. When that failed, the union crafted a bill aimed at shutting down the CAVA schools and other charters that contract with private providers. The CTA was successful lobbying it through the Legislature, but Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it in September 2015. Shortly thereafter, Attorney General Kamala Harris launched her investigation into so-called for profit virtual schools (public virtual schools in California are nonprofits). Organizations tied to the CTA joined the offensive. They leveled the same charges as the union, relying almost exclusively on accounts from a handful of teachers who were organizing for the CTA claims that were often contradicted by hard evidence and by the testimonies of other CAVA teachers. In December 2015, in the middle of proceedings with the California Public Employment Relations Board, State Superintendent Tom Torlakson sent a letter to CAVA urging the schools to abandon their appeal and immediately acquiesce to the CTAs demands. Months later, Torlakson directed the state controllers office to undertake a separate audit of the CAVA schools, despite the fact that the CAVA schools had a 10-year track record of clean audits conducted by auditors approved by the California Department of Education. The Wall Street Journal called all of this a mugging and likened it to the coordinated assault on for-profit colleges. The outcomes, however, were very different. The investigation of K12 and the CAVA schools ended with no findings of fact or law, wrongdoing, misconduct or illegal acts, and no penalties or fines. The claims repeatedly made by the union, and circulated across various media reports, were thoroughly and exhaustively investigated by the AG with full cooperation from K12 and the CAVA schools. All were resolved with no issuance of wrongdoing. CAVA schools continue to serve families across the state. Now, this is not to say that K12 and the CAVA schools are perfect. The academic challenges facing many online schools, including at CAVA, are acknowledged and taken very seriously. K12 is making significant investments in new academic programs aimed at improving outcomes, and there is real progress. If errors are made, they are addressed and corrected. K12 is a company with hundreds of committed educators who care deeply about serving kids. It is telling that after the settlement was reached, the AGs office issued a verifiably untrue press release that grossly mischaracterized the value and terms of the settlement. The release wrongly claimed K12 would be required to provide $160 million in debt relief to the CAVA schools. The problem? The schools have no debt. K12 never saddled its school partners with debt. In fact, the word debt doesnt even appear in the final judgment. The AGs office made it up. Apparently the political value of claiming to have secured debt relief payments from a for-profit education provider was too attractive not to include, regardless of its veracity. The AGs investigation is over, but the attacks continue. Assembly Bill 1084 is making its way through the Legislature aimed at shutting down the CAVA schools and other similar charter schools, putting at risk nearly 20,000 students whose parents have chosen these school options for their children. AB1084 is also supported by the CTA. Ironically, if the CTA gets its way and the bill becomes law, it would likely eliminate the jobs of the very teachers the union says it wants to represent. Id call that a mugging, too. Jeff Kwitowski is the senior vice president of public affairs & policy communications at K12 Inc., a leading online education provider to schools in California and across the U.S. Blazing on the back of a bus is the promise of big bucks if you have what Mom used to call an owie. Even better, make that a heck of an owie. Most of us shake our heads about what we sometimes call blood-sucking lawyers and remember simpler times when a slip and fall meant you dusted yourself off, sucked it up and hobbled around for years. But with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 17,000 annual slip and fall accidents alone, is the grumbling based on fact or fiction? West Seegmiller sits in his mock courtroom in Newport Beach thats right, a courtroom complete with judges bench, jury chairs, attorneys table where he tests cases before mock juries. He has invited me here to talk about the value of focus groups. But we stray far from the topic because straying often leads to soul-searching, which leads to sharing, which when the stars align uncovers shining beams of trust and truth. CHARACTER COUNTS We talk about Boy Scouts. I never made it past Tenderfoot. Seegmiller was an Eagle Scout, his oldest son was an Eagle Scout, and his second son made it through all the requirements. Then the 16-year-old stopped. He never took the Eagle Scout oath. Seegmiller glances down at the carpet, pauses and looks up. In almost a whisper, the attorney confides that his son said he wasnt comfortable with the pledges. He was gay. For the Seegmillers, the announcement hit especially hard. They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in the 1990s Mormons didnt exactly support such diversity. Well stand beside you, Seegmiller told his son. Dad hasnt veered since. In 2008, Mormons poured tens of millions of dollars into passing Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage. Every Sunday, Seegmiller went to church and silently laid fliers on a table explaining that sexuality wasnt a choice, that something Mormons call agency allows humans to act for themselves. In the office and across the table from Seegmiller is a man Ive known for years, just as he has known Seegmiller for years. My friend also happens to be gay. This is the first time he has heard Seegmillers story, the first time hes learned the lawyer has a gay son. He tilts his head back, overwhelmed. He breaths, Cool. It is not a tale about personal injury law, nor is it about million-dollar settlements. But it is a story about justice. FIGHTING GOLIATH Seegmiller grew up near Sacramento and attended UC Davis, where he planned to eventually become a doctor. He got as far as freshman chemistry. The periodic table looked more like hieroglyphics than an explanation of protons and electrons. After graduating as a political science major, Seegmiller earned a masters at USC and a law degree from McGeorge School of Law at the University of Pacific in Sacramento. He explains that rather than him finding personal injury law, a series of events caused the specialty to find him. As an intern, he handled a relatively simple auto accident settlement. His boss got the 30 percent split, common in personal injury cases. Not a bad way to make a living. In his 20s, Seegmiller also had a motorcycle crash. Treatment was painful and critical. Then he handled a slip-and-fall case in which a woman was shopping at a grocery store where a faulty freezer left water on the floor. Her back was badly injured and, Seegmiller says, the insurance companys lawyer visited the woman while she was still in the hospital and got her to sign a waiver for $500. Seegmiller believed people like her needed representation. Now 65 with five adult children and a 3-year-old daughter, Seegmiller has handled thousands of cases resulting in verdicts totaling more than $150 million. Why keep going? Insurance companies, he says, have fleets of highly paid attorneys from the best law schools. In school, I hated bullies. This is about leveling the playing field. CLEARING THE CLOG I ask about ambulance chasers. Seegmillers firm is in a modern Taj Mahal-like building, has more cases than it can handle and refers out many. But the attorney also defends so-called personal injury mills in which lawyers crank out quick settlements. He credits such firms with serving as clearinghouses, helping courts with an already clogged justice system. He points out that in personal injury cases, speed and paying bills often are factors. But what about greedy attorneys and clients exaggerating injuries for a fast buck? Thats more myth than reality, Seegmiller says. In the digitized world, its easy to spot sham attorneys and people who spam the system with bogus lawsuits. Insurance companies are quick to battle if theres a chance of winning. Personal injury attorneys make money only when they win. The lawyer says the system generally works. Rarely is an insurance company willing to throw money at a case unless its on all four legs, as we call it. The average settlements are small, something in the $10,000 range. The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics reports the median settlement in a civil case that reaches trial is $28,000; only 4 percent involve settlements of more than $1 million. To boost his odds, Seegmiller uses his mock courtroom to focus on certain critical issues in a case and presents them to a random jury pool he hires through Craigslist. The focus group doesnt know it is working for a law firm, thinking its for the California Jury Research Project. One time, a female client testified in the mock courtroom that she had a back injury. Though her claim was true, the jurors threw out her case because theyd seen her in 7-inch-high heels. Another time, a man with a back injury reported he suffered erectile dysfunction and listed the number of times his love life had suffered. Male jurors sympathized. But female jurors didnt. Yet when the man talked about how a lack of love-making had affected his spousal relationship as well as his self-confidence, the women responded. You never want to have your trial, Seegmiller says, be the first focus group. Seegmiller explains that before going to court, he shares the mock trial videos with insurance companies. The hope is to make the clients ordeal end as quickly as possible with a fair settlement. He calls what he does David versus Goliath. In September, Seegmiller plans for the first time to embed regular citizens in court during trial and later that day interview them on what worked and what didnt. It will add another rock to his sling. Contact the writer: dwhiting@scng.com The first reading came back with nothing. The second was the same no sign of sharks. But the third time Newport Beach lifeguards pulled data from three new beacons theyve set offshore to detect tagged sharks that pass the area, it told a surprising story: A 15-foot female shark had traveled from the San Francisco area and was cruising around Newport. Newport Beach officials are trying to figure out how to better educate themselves and the public about shark activity off the coast, and have launched a website Friday afternoon dedicated to disseminating shark-related information. Its the first website of its kind in Orange County. Because of increased shark activity off the coast, lifeguards now find themselves doing a job that marine biologists are more accustomed to: tracking and analyzing data to better understand shark behavior. The launch of the site comes after a swimmer was attacked in late May and nearly died after being bitten by what was thought to be a 10-foot great white. We asked the question and now we got the answer, said Newport Beach Lifeguard Chief Rob Williams. We want the public to have the information. The data isnt real-time and the three new beacons set off beaches near Corona del Mar, Balboa Pier and Newport Pier only track sharks that are part of a tagging program along California. The website gives details from four shark encounters in July. About a hundred receivers dot the coastline from Morro Bay to San Onofre, recording ID numbers, times and dates of travel. The process works in a way similar to how toll roads read your transponder when you whiz by. Chris Lowe heads the Shark Lab program at Cal State Long Beach and has tagged about a dozen sharks in recent years off Orange County since sightings increased. Researchers have also tagged 14 sharks off Santa Monica, more than a dozen off Ventura, and several in Northern California. A group from Monterey Bay Aquarium and Stanford University have also tagged several sharks in Northern California near the Farallon Islands. Thats where Newports most recent 15-foot visitor is believed to have traveled from, Lowe said. Southern California has long been popular among great white adult female sharks that come here May through September to give birth. The thinking is that warmer than normal water recently has caused the younger sharks which usually take off when winter arrives to linger in the area longer. As for the 15-foot female detected offshore in Newport Beach, she came here to have babies and shell likely leave after giving birth, Lowe said. The tough part about the notification of her arrival was that the information wasnt real-time, Williams said. The shark was detected on July 19, but the data wasnt downloaded until a week after the adult female had circled around and pinged the beacon three times in 10 minutes just past dusk. The tagged sharks from Northern California can be read by a transponder up to a kilometer away, so the 15-foot female could have been up to 3/4-mile from the beach, Williams said. It was likely farther out from where swimmer Maria Korcsmaros was swimming when she was attacked in May. In addition to regular weekly updates on sharks detected by the transmitters, the Newport city website will have information any time theres a sighting or shark warning in place. Its just like any other risk we have, we want to learn to educate the public, Williams said. If we educate ourselves and the public, we maybe can minimize the risks. If the beacons get regular readings of sharks, the city may opt to upgrade to transmitters that provide real-time reports but that technology is in its infancy and may be months away from being ready to use. If were not getting hits, we dont need to upgrade, Williams said. Well see how the pattern goes. Williams said in addition to a weekly download of information, theyll also pull data around events that could be impacted by sharks in the area. For example, theyll download information before next weeks Monster Mile junior lifeguard competition in Newport Beach. Its knowledge-based, so we can make informed decisions, he said. While Newports shark website is the first in Orange County, other governments have set up similar shark information sites. Western Australia, where several people have died in shark attacks in recent years, has a government-run site that lists when sightings occur and when attacks happen, along with government response, such as culling, or setting out big hooks to kill sharks, after attacks. Other high-shark areas such as Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean, have shark scouts who watch the water, as well as dedicated harpooners who will try to stop sharks from coming near shore. How in the world could Disney change the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror into a Guardians of the Galaxy ride? Thats the question that many theme park fans are likely asking, after Disney confirmed during Comic Con in San Diego that it would transform the Disney California Adventure version of its popular drop ride into Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT! by summer 2017. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror will drop its last elevator in January. Before you grab a pitchfork to join the online mob protesting this change, let me make a few points. First: Disney already has shown that it can install a successful Tower of Terror attraction without the Twilight Zone theme. At Tokyo DisneySea, Rod Serling is nowhere to be found in that parks version. Instead, DisneySeas Tower is said to be the former property of a character named Harrison Hightower. Hightower is a member of fun collection of Disney theme park characters called the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, who are referenced in a couple of Disneys Asian theme parks but who are beginning to show up in the back stories of a few new restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort, too. Anyway, Hightowers not exactly a nice guy. He traveled the world collecting (plundering?) treasures and artifacts from native cultures, bringing them all to his tower, where he kept them in a collection in the basement. If you are familiar with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise or if you just paid close attention to Disneys announcement last weekend this might be sounding a bit familiar to you. For in the new Guardian of the Galaxy ride, the Tower is said to be the property of Taneleer Tivan (aka The Collector), another bad guy who travelled around the Galaxy plundering stuff for his private museum. In Tokyo, the action gets going when one of Hightowers prizes, the Shiriki Utundu idol, turns out not to be as inanimate as it seemed. After dispatching Hightower and cursing his hotel, the Shiriki Utundu has been sending visitors on a wild ride up and down and up and down the hotels elevators as revenge upon those who would disturb sacred relics. At Disney California Adventure, the narrative catalyst will be Rocket Raccoon, who will have escaped the Collectors grasp and enlists our help in rescuing his friends, the Guardians of the Galaxy, who have been collected by Taneleer Tivan. Disney will be adding random drop sequences to the Tower for this rescue, which should make the ride more appealing to repeat visitors, such as Disneylands huge contingent of annual passholders. (Well, to the passholders who give the new ride a chance, at least.) OK, but how is this scenario any better than the current Twilight Zone theme? Heres my second point with some tough love for Tower of Terror fans. While I love the old shows and I love the ride, Tower of Terror makes for a pretty weak episode of The Twilight Zone. The best episodes illustrated ironic punishment: townspeople fearing aliens discover that they are their own worst enemy, or, a woman whom other characters consider a hideous outcast is beautiful to us. The show wasnt really about the supernatural. It just used supernatural tropes to hold a mirror to human attitudes and behavior. On Disneys Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, we visit an old Hollywood hotel thats been hit by a freak lightning storm. Visitors disappeared in the strike, and now were entering the decrepit remains of the hotel, only to fall under the influence of the weird forces that remain. Theres no irony. No statement about human behavior. Its just a wild elevator ride in a fried building. You want irony? With its story of a sacred idols revenge on a treasure hunter, Tokyos Tower of Terror does a better job it. Besides, those who want the Twilight Zone version can still travel to Walt Disney World. Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThemePark. Are you excited yet? Now that the nominating conventions are over and this wild election cycle has entered its final stretch, it seems weve finally returned to a political process were used to: two disappointing candidates who remain widely unpopular and disliked by large factions of the electorate have been formally named their respective partys presidential representatives. Consider it a new tagline for the nation: America, better living through lower expectations. As weve noted before, themes of populism and a resistance against the status quo have taken this election cycle asunder. Many Americans now seem less intent on expressing views than pathologies, and this has proven to be the sine qua non for Donald Trumps incredible ascendancy. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand who, like Trump, enters the general election as one of the most unpopular presidential nominees in modern history personifies the establishment candidate, and as a result, finds herself uniquely disadvantaged: to conservatives, she represents a continuation of the last eight years; to liberals, shes insufficiently progressive, too hawkish on military policy and largely unconcerned on issues pertaining to income inequality, Wall Street and campaign finance reform. The hold-your-nose-and-vote prospect facing so many Americans is made slightly more tolerable by candidates VP picks, where each contender basically has a chance to perform some final edits on his/her campaign message for the masses and work in spaces where there exists a perception deficit. Trump, who epitomizes everything thats wrong with our society, needed a vice presidential nominee to reel him in. Clinton, who embodies everything thats wrong with our government, needed someone to spread her out. It seems Clintons choice of Senator Tim Kaine didnt exactly blow Americas collective hair back. On first glance, I didnt understand why the Clinton camp, given the themes that have characterized this election cycle, would choose a running mate who appeals to centrists and GOP apostates turned off by the Trump ticket instead of working to galvanize a Democratic party that has made a marked shift to the left in the last twenty years. Clintons primary order of business, from my perspective, was to pick a VP who would rouse Sanders sizable base, and the strategy of instead creating a safe establishment ticket that pitches to waffling Republicans seemed to ignore where the energy is. As it turns out, Kaine is no slouch. He practiced civil rights law for nearly two decades and is a strong supporter of immigration reform, Planned Parenthood and the Affordable Care Act. Gun control has been a key part of his political platform (he currently holds an F rating from the NRA, a good sign if I've ever seen one). Hes also never lost an election, which is great, because Clinton will need Virginia. Hes no Bernie Sanders, but he gets things done, even if his record doesn't make for great TV. Still, theories abound as to why other, more popular names didnt make the cut. Labor Secretary Tom Perez has a history of scandals. Senator Elizabeth Warren who I think would have been a shoo-in has her own agenda and wont dance to the beat of Clintons drum (also, it turns out many of the big Democratic players who write sizeable checks absolutely hate her). Ditto on all counts for Sanders. Then theres New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, two widely popular party players who are from states where their vacant seats could conceivably go red if they up and leave for the White House, thus making a potential Democratic Senate takeover far less likely. The decision to bypass these two top-shelf politicos illustrates, I think, whats going on here. Clinton and her team have created a ticket aimed not only at a Democratic White House but a Democratic Senate, and this means she wants to keep the heavy hitters where theyre most effective while setting the foundation for a progressive administration that will be supported eventually by a similarly progressive Congress. Clinton has sidestepped a last-minute splash in the polls to work on the larger picture. In an election where beneath-the-belt-insults are mistaken for policy, Clinton has subverted our new reality TV political climate by offering a longterm plan and vision. A novel concept. Call it risk disguised as safety. In an unconventional election, Clinton is taking the biggest gamble of all by hoping voters, when faced with the prospect of a Trump presidency, will come to their collective senses, just like how Clinton supporters eventually backed Obama in 08. Shes hoping the Bernie or Bust crowd is all talk and will pull the lever, regardless of their grievances. Indeed, a large part of her stirring acceptance speech last night included a rousing refrain for Sanders supporters to join us. Clintons notion that your cause is our cause is shorthand for we might not align on every issue, but if you want to defeat Donald Trump, Im the only way to do it. And, of course, shes right. I feel that once people begin thinking about whats truly at stake here and what a threat to the country a Trump presidency could be, even those staunchly dissatisfied with establishment politics will see that, when faced with the prospect of an entertainer or a life-long public servant leading the country, the choice is clear. It wont be a contest. Im willing to bet money on it. A PORTARLINGTON councillor has backed the setting up of a community action group on drug crime following a big heroin seizure in the town. A PORTARLINGTON councillor has backed the setting up of a community action group on drug crime following a big heroin seizure in the town. The drugs, which had an estimated street value of 100,000, were seized by Gardai in Port last Friday where a shotgun was also discoverd during a search on a house in one of Ports newly built estates. The drugs and gun was discovered when gardai raided a house in Canal Court estate off the Station Road. A man was arrested during the operation which was carried out by local drug unit detectives, Port gardai and the armed Reigional Support Unit. An extensive search was carried out at the scene that led to the discovery the drugs and the shotgun. The firearm was not licenced to the man arrested at the scene. Gardai are investigating the possibilty that he gun may have been stolen. While, the drugs were understood to have been destinded for the Laois Kildare market, the gardai do not believe that the man was dealing from the house. He was not known to gardai in relation to drug activity and gardai are investigating the possibilty that he was acting as a caretaker for the drugs. The man, who is originally from Dublin and aged in his 40s, was taken into custody by gardai and questioned over the weekend before being released. The suspect is said to have co-operated with gardai. A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Cllr Ray Cribbin said the community must be vigilant and praised the gardai. It is great that these guys are apprehended because of all the devestation they are causing, he said. Cllr Cribbin said that while Portlington was no worse than any other similar sized small towns. A community task force exists in Edenderry to assist families hit by drugs. I would support the setting up of an action group like that, he said. Cllr Cribbin was concerned that the retirment of garda retirements at senior level could impact on policing locally. Loading... OilVoice will be with you shortly... A man in his 60s eating lunch at a Breckenridge, Colo., restaurant has reason to be grateful that a firefighters skill set goes far beyond dousing flames. Erin McCormick, a four-year firefighter with the Bellevue Fire Department, came to the mans rescue July 2 when he began choking on food. McCormick, who was lunching at the same restaurant with her family, was alerted to the choking man by her brother, Eric, who knew she was trained to deal with such crises. He was to my back and my brother noticed the family panicking so he called my name, McCormick said. I performed the Heimlich maneuver and we got the food out of his airway pretty quickly, which was important because it can go bad very quickly when you dont have an airway. McCormicks father, Bruce, who was also present, posted on his Facebook page that his daughters action was a testament to the fine training and dedication of first responders. He said his daughter was calm, professional and effective. Erin jumped up and firmly but calmly told the man he would have to try to stand up so she could get behind him, Bruce wrote. He was a big man, pushing 6 feet and well over 200 pounds. He said it took three attempts to dislodge the food, but that within 90 seconds the man was breathing freely and Erin was receiving tearful hugs from the mans relieved family. I knew thats what she did, but to actually see her in action, she was just so professional about it, and it all happened so fast that even the staff in the restaurant didnt know what had happened, Bruce said. She just leaped right up, took care of it, sat back down and we continued eating. Erin said the grateful man paid for her familys meal, a gesture she said was generous but unnecessary. I was just happy to be there and be able to help, she said. A correctional officer used her position to discover that one boyfriend was wanted in connection with the slaying of her second boyfriend, a prosecutor said Thursday. Doloma Curtis then helped Rolander L. Brown evade police twice following the fatal shooting of Carlos Alonzo, the prosecutor said. Brown is still being sought by authorities and has been charged in an arrest warrant with first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony. Curtis is charged with being an accessory to a felony and is being held at Sarpy County Jail. Curtis, 47, had been in relationships with the 26-year-old Brown and 40-year-old Carlos Alonzo, said prosecutor Chad Brown. Alonzo was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head outside 2019 Lake Street on May 28. Video surveillance shows Rolander Brown getting out of a vehicle with what appears to be a gun, the prosecutor said. Curtis had texted Brown before and after the shooting. Sometime after the shooting occurred, Curtis searched in a database accessible only by law enforcement and discovered that homicide detectives had put out a locator on Brown, the prosecutor said. Curtis helped Brown get from Omaha to Georgia sometime between June 23 and 26. On July 22, Curtis picked up Brown in Georgia and took him to an unknown location, Chad Brown said. Investigators knew she was helping Brown through family members in Georgia and electronic communication between the couple. Curtis defense lawyer, Nedu Igbokwe, said she has no criminal history. She was born and raised in Omaha, owns her own home and pays her mortgage on time, Igbokwe said. Curtis has worked as a Douglas County correctional officer for 12 years and her salary is $52,000. She has been married for 17 years to another man but is currently going through a divorce, according to court documents. Douglas County Judge Marcela Keim set Curtis bail at $500,000, meaning she must pay 10 percent, or $50,000, to get out of jail. Relatives and friends declined to comment outside the courtroom. The next hearing is set for Sept. 2. Contact the writer: 402-444-1068, alia.conley@owh.com Two separate fires at a Bellevue apartment complex in less than a week started the same way, officials said Friday. The fires at the Gateway Park Apartments in the 300 block of Fort Crook Road South were both started by careless disposal of smoking materials, according to Ray Nance, a spokesman for the Nebraska State Fire Marshals Office. A fire was reported about 4 p.m. Tuesday in the three-story complex with 24 apartments. Four people, including a Bellevue firefighter, were taken to the hospital as firefighters worked to control the blaze. The fire caused $1 million in damage to the building and $250,000 in damage to its contents, according to the Bellevue Fire Department. The apartment building has been deemed unsafe for inhabitants. On July 22, a fire started on the third-floor balcony of a different apartment in the same building, but it caused much less damage. Nance said smoking materials should be discarded in a metal container and ashes should be thoroughly wet down. Fires can also be started when people put cigarettes out in potted plants, Nance said. Potting soil has ingredients that are flammable and have been known to start fires. Things happen like that, Nance said. People do need to be cautious and careful out there. Contact the writer: 402-444-1192, emily.nitcher@owh.com Two Nebraska State Patrol troopers were struck Thursday by a pedestrian on Interstate 80 near Lexington, a spokesman for the patrol said. The troopers were assaulted when they encountered a 45-year-old man who was walking east on the interstate about 10:45 a.m., patrol spokesman Mike Meyer said. The troopers suffered minor injuries, Meyer said. They restrained the man and drove him to Lexington Regional Health Center for observation, Meyer said. Members of the senior high youth group at Resurrection Lutheran Church recently returned from a mission trip to Kansas City, Kansas, and theyre ready to do more. While there, the teens spent five days as part of the YouthWorks program where they spent time in smaller groups working on different missions throughout the area. Some painted, worked on landscaping and cleared yards at area homes. Others spent time helping with local childrens programs, reading and playing with youth of different ages. They also visited a nursing home and played bingo with some of the residents. During the trip, the group slept at a local church and spent time in spiritual activities as well. YouthWorks is located all over and works in areas of high need, said Lona Pinkall, a youth group leader. The trip was much more than service projects, Pinkall said, and the group had the opportunity to learn more about the area and the people they were serving. One day the group visited the Mexican Consulate and learned about immigration issues, she said. The teens also went on a mural tour to learn more about a citywide project to deter tagging. Now that theyre back in Gretna, the teens want to continue to serve in their own community. They want more opportunities to do outreach locally, not only Gretna but also in Omaha, wherever theres need, Pinkall said. More than 200 people jammed an Omaha funeral chapel Friday to remember a 30-year-old property inspector who was killed Monday in a natural-gas explosion at a Benson-area home. There were as many smiles as tears as friends and family shared memories of Clara Bender-Rinehart, a Mississippi native described as a spitfire by one friend and a firecracker by another. Many of those at the service at Korisko Larkin Staskiewicz Funeral Home were dressed in pink, Bender-Rineharts favorite color. They described a slight woman with a wide smile, a sassy tongue and fierce self-confidence. You knew who she was, thats for sure, she made sure of that, said her brother-in-law, Joshua Rinehart. Bender-Rineharts mother, Joyce Reese, called her my special flower. At age 13, she moved moved in with her aunt, Wanda Fulton. Everybody loved Clara, Fulton said. She was determined. When she put her mind to something, she did it. Her husband, Jake Rinehart, wearing a pink shirt and black fedora, collapsed in tears after reading a short tribute to the woman who had been his companion for 16 years. They were married last year and had a son, Dominic. I wanted her in my life forever, he said. We were just kids, but we had our entire lives planned out. She was the light in all of our lives. The mourners included the 30 employees of Certified Property Management, where Bender-Rinehart had worked in the maintenance division. Her job was to complete checkout maintenance checklists when tenants turn over properties. Thats what she was doing at midday Monday at 3858 N. 65th St., where a tenant had moved out two days earlier. What she didnt know was that a gas clothes dryer had been disconnected from the gas line, but the gas was not shut off, allowing natural gas to fill the house. The house exploded shortly after she arrived, destroying it and damaging several nearby homes. The blast could be heard throughout the area. Bender-Rinehart died after being taken to the Nebraska Medical Center. Her supervisors at Certified Property Management said she was hired last November and had no experience in property management, but they never doubted she would succeed. I never worried, because she had determination, said Emerson Bostrom, the companys maintenance director. The company has set up a GoFundMe page to raise $20,000 for her husband and son. On Friday, it had received $17,600 in pledges. She was a tough woman; she was strong. She was made of steel, said Jeremy Aspen, the company president. She became Irreplaceable Clara. Well miss her forever. Two people were injured, one critically, Friday morning in a crash involving a semitrailer truck and a dump truck northwest of Omaha. The crash occurred around 10:05 a.m. at U.S. Highway 275 and Nebraska Highway 36 northwest of Valley, according to reports to Douglas County 911 dispatchers. The critically injured person, who had to be cut free from the wreckage, was taken by medical helicopter to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The other person was taken to Fremont Health Medical Center with minor injuries. Traffic on Highway 275 was detoured off the roadway while the crash scene was investigated. The medical helicopter picked up the critically injured person after landing in the westbound lanes of Highway 275. Reports from the scene indicated that the semi ended up in a ditch, with 20 to 30 gallons of diesel fuel leaking. Also responding to the crash were an Omaha ambulance and rescue crews from Waterloo and Valley. The State Fire Marshals Office is warning the public about prank phone calls that in at least one instance have had costly consequences. In several Nebraska communities, individuals have phoned restaurants and hotels, advising actions involving the fire safety systems. In one instance, the caller asked a restaurant employee to pull the fire alarm to re-set it. In doing so, the employee unwittingly activated the kitchen hood extinguisher, which caused enough damage to disrupt business. Nebraska State Fire Marshal Jim Heine said his inspection staff wear uniforms, drive in marked cars and carry credentials. If you have questions, ask for identification or call the State Fire Marshals Office at 402-471-2027. DAVID CITY, Neb. (AP) Authorities say a crop-dusting pilot was killed Thursday in the crash of the plane he was flying in eastern Nebraska. The crash was reported just after 3 p.m. about three miles northeast of David City. The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. The Butler County Attorneys Office identified the pilot as Ragnar Emrich, 37, of Dorchester. The crash remains under investigation. Copyright 2016, the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. LINCOLN The Missouri River Bridge that links Decatur, Nebraska, and Onawa, Iowa, is due for $7.7 million worth of maintenance work. The project should add another 20 to 30 years to the lifespan of the 60-year-old structure, according to Kevin Domogalla, the northeast district roads engineer with the Nebraska Department of Roads. We can still get some good life out of the bridge. Its cost-effective to get as much life out of it as we can, Domogalla said. The Roads Department will host an informational meeting Aug. 9, from 4-6 p.m. at the Decatur Village Office, to explain the project. Domogalla said the project will begin in the spring and include repainting the bridge, replacing guardrails and repairing the substructure. Closing the bridge for a month will be necessary, but the exact dates havent been worked out yet. Domogalla said it would likely be in August or September of 2017. Weve got a number of local events that were trying to avoid, as well as the spring planting and fall harvest seasons, he said. The bridge, which opened in 1956, is a northeast Nebraska landmark and is known as the dry land bridge because it was built over dry land after the Missouri River channel was diverted. Because of a lack of funds, the re-diverting of the river channel beneath the bridge was delayed for several years, spawning jokes about a brand-new bridge that led nowhere. The Decatur bridge was owned by a local bridge commission, which had charged a toll to raise money for construction and maintenance of the structure. In 2013, facing an expensive repair bill, the commission turned over the bridge to the states of Nebraska and Iowa and the tolls ended. Both states will share in the cost of the bridge repairs. Contact the writer: 402-473-9584, paul.hammel@owh.com Patty Judge says she has nothing against hunting. She also supports the Second Amendment, saying Americans have the right to own firearms. But the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Iowa says the time has come to take aim at assault rifles. Judge, who is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, told Iowans Thursday that she would support some form of gun control. "When you can go into a night club or movie theater and murder a dozen, three dozen people? Weve got to stop it," said Judge, the former lieutenant governor and Iowa secretary of agriculture. Judge drew a few amused smiles Thursday morning when she noted that she planned to attend an upcoming Democratic fundraiser known as the Wing Ding. She then urged people to stop and share a veggie. "I think Ill be there early. So, if anyone wants to stop by and have a beer or a couple of carrots," Judge said. Robynn Tysver * * * * * Pioneering Delegate Brandi Bosier, 52, of Hastings is making her own history this week. Shes the first transgender delegate from Nebraska to the Democratic National Convention. The Bernie Sanders delegate said the LGBT communitys political muscle has been growing. "We have a voice now, were at the table," she said. "Were trying to make it a more respectable world for everybody." She said its notable that she didnt get elected as a delegate from the metropolitan centers of Omaha or Lincoln, but rather Nebraskas deeply-Republican 3rd District. Bosiers not just interested in LGBT issues. She talks about the need to tackle climate change and health care as well. She said being the first is exciting and a little scary. "I feel like Im a pioneer," she said. Joseph Morton * * * * * A different kind of crisis Nebraska delegate Aaron Ratigan, 22, took issue with suggestions in news coverage that the Democratic National Convention has been only about hope while the Republican National Convention was about an America in crisis. The UNL mechanical engineering student, who backed Bernie Sanders, said the idea of an existing crisis and hope are not mutually exclusive. "We have acknowledged that the American people are facing incredibly difficult and serious issues that threaten their livelihoods and their health and their childrens health," Ratigan said. He cited Nebraskans who are homeless or live without health insurance and said the difference between the two parties in the presidential campaign is how they would approach those issues. "Instead of relying on one man who can supposedly solve all the problems, we have to rely on each other," he said. "And we have to stand with our friends and our neighbors." Joseph Morton * * * * * Wesley Clark is really, really sorry he skipped Iowa Wesley Clark says he made a big mistake in his 2004 failed presidential bid when he decided to skip the Iowa caucuses and start his campaign in New Hampshire. The retired Army general says he listened to his advisors, who said he didnt have either the time or money to mount an effective campaign in Iowa. "It was a strategic mistake," Clark told the Iowa delegation Thursday. Clark then urged the Democratic delegates to not make their own strategic mistake in this election by allowing Republican Donald Trump to win the White House. Clark has endorsed Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. "We cannot let a demagogue take over the leadership of this country. Americas security doesnt depend on one person," said Clark, referring to remarks that Trump has made in the past saying he will keep America safe. Critics, such as President Barack Obama, have said such remarks underscore Trumps "strongman" tendencies and his disregard for how democracy works. Robynn Tysver * * * * * Nordquist on Ashford's race: 'Were the ones theyre going after first' Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., took a pass on this years Democratic National Convention, but his chief of staff Jeremy Nordquist has been here throughout the week. On Thursday morning he provided a state-of-the-race briefing to the Nebraska delegation and asked them if they wanted the bad news or the good news first. They asked for the bad. "Its the second-most Republican district held by a Democrat in the House of Representatives," Nordquist said. "We are the tip of the spear. We are the ones that the Republicans, if theyre going to knock off any incumbent Democrats in the entire country, were the ones theyre going after first." The good news, he said, includes polling that shows Ashford with good job approval ratings and a financial advantage Ashford has a $1 million advantage in cash on hand over GOP challenger Don Bacon. He also noted close cooperation between the Ashford campaign and Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. Joseph Morton * * * * * Christie Vilsack says it's time to get personal Former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack urged Iowans Thursday to tell their personal stories about Hillary Clinton. Vilsack noted that because Iowa holds the first-in-the-nation caucuses, many of the states citizens have met Clinton personally. Those stories need to be told, Vilsack said, so that people get a better understanding of the Democratic presidential nominee. Vilsack then told her own Clinton story, which centered around a trip she and her husband, former Gov. Tom Vilsack, took to Africa in 2008 with Bill and Chelsea Clinton. Vilsack said she was talking to a high-ranking official in Liberia and bemoaning the fact that America had never elected a female president. (At the time, Liberia had already had a female president.) The Liberian official, a woman, took issue with that. You Americans think its all about you. Hillary Clinton doesnt belong to you. Maybe shell be president, maybe she wont. But shes already done a lot for the women of this world," Vilsack recalled her saying. The Vilsacks and Clintons have been friends for decades. Christie Vilsacks brother worked with Hillary Clinton in Washington, D.C., in the 1970s when Clinton, then 27 years old, was a staff attorney for the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate investigation. Robynn Tysver * * * * * Vilsack accuses Trump of siding with Russia over U.S. Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is adding his voice to the chorus of critics who say Donald Trump crossed a line by appearing to ask Russia to investigate his Democratic opponent. "He invited a foreign country, in which we have an adversarial relationship, to inject itself into our politics," Vilsack told the Iowa delegates Thursday morning. "Donald Trump sided with Russia and not with us. He is not fit to be president," added Vilsack, who was the surprise guest at the Iowa breakfast. Trump sparked outrage among members of the foreign affairs community and others when he said he hoped Russian intelligence services had hacked Democrat Hillary Clintons emails and encouraged them to make them public. His remarks came as speculation grew that Russia was behind the recent hacking of emails at the Democratic National Committee. Trump has since said he was only being sarcastic. Vilsack is the current U.S. secretary of agriculture. He was considered a possible vice presidential pick for Clinton, but lost the job to S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. Vilsack graciously noted today that Kaine gave a great speech Wednesday night. Robynn Tysver * * * * * Fight for floor space Nebraska Democratic Party Chairman Vince Powers warned the states delegation today to make sure they go to their seats on time tonight. The crush of elected officials, guests and media on the relatively small arena floor means that security has been closing down access. And nobody wants to miss the big speeches on the final night of the convention. He also suggested that with all the people jostling for space, the Nebraska delegates should be a little more firm about one thing. "We are Nebraska nice but we want to be careful about letting delegates from other states sit in our seats," Powers said. "It just creates issues. ... So well be Nebraska law and order." Joseph Morton 5-year-old dies after being attacked by pack of dogs in MP Security tightened at Bhopal court over bomb threat Bhopal oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Bhopal, July 29: The district police are on their toes after receiving threatening call to blow up district court in the city. Security at the district court in Bhopal has been tightened on Friday after it received a call about bomb threat. Bomb disposal squad reached at the spot for thorough investigation. According to report, an official received a call purportedly from the banned terror outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), threatening that the Bhopal district court would be blown up on late Thursday. More than 100 officials and jawana arrived at the court for thorough investigation. Security were tightend at all four gates of the court. Important government offices like Satpura and Vindhyachal bhawans are located near the court premise. Madhya Pradesh: Security tightened at Bhopal district court after bomb threat pic.twitter.com/2zzB68lIzv ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 13:48 [IST] 5-year-old dies after being attacked by pack of dogs in MP MP CM hosts Diwali party for over 400 children orphaned by COVID Woman killed, 23 others injured as fuel tanker overturns and catches fire Agniveer drive in Bhopal: 3000 on Day 1; 40,000 expected to participate till Nov 7 Vyapam scam: CBI files chargesheet against two accused Bhopal oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Jabalpur, July 29: The CBI, probing the cases under Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, today filed a chargesheet against two accused in a court here. The agency filed chargesheet against two accused persons, including a candidate and middleman in a Vyapam case in a court here. The multi-crore rupee professional examination scam allegedly involves several high-profile professionals, politicians and bureaucrats as accused. Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), popularly known as Vyapam, holds examinations for various posts such as teachers, medical officers, constables and forest guards. The instances of irregularities in PMT are probed separately by the state and Central agencies. CBI files chargesheet against Vyapam scam accused Key accused in the MPPEB scam are: Laxmikant Sharma, former education minister of the state, Dhanraj Yadav, former OSD to governor, RK Shivhare, DIG, Ram Naresh Yadav, governor and OP Shukla, Laxmikant Sharma's OSD. Madhya Pradesh: CBI files chargesheet against 2 accused persons, including the candidate and middleman in a Vyapam case in a Jabalpur Court. ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 15:50 [IST] Assam floods: Death toll climbs to 190 as new areas inundated; over 8.80 lakh still affected Assam floods: Home Minister Rajnath Singh to make aerial survey tomorrow Assam oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, July 29: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will make an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kaziranga in Assam, tomorrow. He will aslo hold meeting with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other officers of the state government to discuss the situation. Floods have wreaked havoc in Assam killing many and affecting over a lakh even as monsoon rains brought temperatures below normal in several northern states. Assam State Disaster Management Authority said over 1.05 lakh people are reeling under the flood in 138 villages in Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Morigaon, Barpeta and Jorhat districts. Assam govt needs special assistance for flood and erosion Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat, Dhubri town, and at Numaligarh in Golaghat. Authorities are operating eight relief camps and distribution centres in two districts. The flood has also caused massive erosion in many parts of the state. HM will visit Bhagatgaon Camp of flood-affected residents in Morigaon (Assam),to also hold meeting with Assam CM & other state Govt officers ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 16:17 [IST] Doval-Jaishankar patience paid off in Nepal Feature oi-Vicky Pushpa Kumar Dahal (Prachanda) is set to be the next Prime Minister of Nepal. This comes as a major relief to India which had shared a cold relationship with former prime minister K.P. Oli thanks to his China tilt. Oli in his outgoing speech had blamed "external forces," for his ouster. The stage is set for Prachanda to take over as PM, but the process may take a few weeks as Nepal's President will likely ask its Parliament to elect a new PM by consensus. Who are the "external forces" Oli blamed? Oli, without naming anyone, said Nepal is being developed as a laboratory and foreign elements are conspiring to ensure that the Himalayan nation's new Constitution is not implemented. Clearly, Oli was pointing fingers at India. But did India have a role in his ouster? Highly placed sources say Oli is making false allegations to cover up his own failure. The writing was on the wall from the time he took over and handled the Madhesi protest in a ham-handed manner. "His style of functioning was bound to fail. We always only said that the Constitution of Nepal needs to be inclusive", the top Indian official said. For India, though, the fall of Oli is more than welcome. His anti-Indian sentiment led him to treat Madhesis, who constitute 51 per cent of the population of Nepal, inequitably. This led to crippling blockades along the Indo-Nepal border. Instead of resolving their issues, Oli sought to show India that he could instead rely on Chinese help to run the country. His confidence bolstered by a few trucks of petroleum shipments from China, Oli went on to project his anti-India sentiment across the country, leaving a majority of Nepalese unhappy. In India, the Modi government had come in for severe criticism over its handling of the Nepal issue. "We watched the developments all through, but it was patience that paid off", the official added. India had a two pronged approach in Nepal. A change of government as well as ensuring that the Madhesis get their constitutional rights, but in contrast to Oli's high-pitched anti-India tirade, India decided to be mellow and discreet. Key to this approach were National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar. Neither will India get too proactive now, the official said. It will continue to play a wait and watch game, while working on improving relations with the new regime. Will Prachanda be more friendly? China has built up anti-India rhetoric and sentiment in Nepal over a period of time. In fact, at one point of time, it had managed to change even Prachanda's mind about India. Prachanda, however, realised that ground realities were that a majority of Nepalese were not in favour of China's role in their country. He also realised that the growing anti-Oli sentiment was due to the latter's proximity to China and his cold vibes towards India. Indeed, as Oli began to appear shaky, China even sent in a team to steady his hold over power by intervening between him and his political partners. The Chinese intervention failed, however. India does have a lot more hope in Prachanda. He is seen as far more balanced in his foreign policy as well as his view of India's role. He has also made it clear that he was unhappy with Oli's handling of the Madhesi crisis and his tilt towards China. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 10:00 [IST] 'They want Congress-mukt Bharat': Kharge in his first address as Cong chief Nothing will change in Congress: For Gandhis, power stays but the onus shifts Congress will take Uttar Pradesh to the top spot: Rahul Gandhi India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Lucknow, July 29: In the run upto the next year assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Friday, July 29 addressed his party workers in the state capital Lucknow. On former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit's projection as state's next CM, Rahul said, "We made Sheila Dikshit ji the CM candidate of UP because we want her to fight for women." "Sheila ji transformed Delhi and developed it. Today, people of Delhi miss Congress", he said at Rama Bai Ground. "We will fight together and together will take Uttar Pradesh to the top spot. Party will fight with a plan", he said in an interaction with the party's office-bearers and booth-levbel workers. To boost the morale of the party, Rahul told his partymen, "If Congress Party stands together and if Congress works on the voice of it's workers then no one can beat us." While hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and batting for farmers, Rahul said, "When farmer sells his pulses, Modi ji gives him Rs 50 but when the same farmer buys his own pulses from the market, he has to pay Rs 200." "Modi ji promised bullet trains and announced tickets will be not less than Rs 15,000. Only Modi ji & his suit boot friends will travel in it", he added. Yesterday, the Gandhi scion had charged the Narendra Modi government with gross failure to keep prices of essential commodities under control. For next year assembly polls in the state, Raj Babbar has been made the new state Congress chief, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has been named the party's chief ministerial nominee for Uttar Pradesh. Congress, which is out of power in the hindi hinterland since last 27 years, had flagged off a three-day bus yatra - "27 saal UP behaal", aimed at reaching out to the public and highlighting the alleged failure of successive governments in Uttar Pradesh. OneIndia News 'They want Congress-mukt Bharat': Kharge in his first address as Cong chief Nothing will change in Congress: For Gandhis, power stays but the onus shifts Ex-Haryana Minister Ajay Yadav quits Cong, hits out at Kamal Nath, Hooda India oi-PTI Chandigarh, Jul 29: Accusing senior Congress leader Kamal Nath of "undermining his prestige", party's former MLA Ajay Yadav today announced his decision to quit the party. In a series of tweets and a Facebook post, the former Rewari MLA accused "some people of undermining" his "endurance and capacity to work for the party" and expressed his displeasure over "importance" being given to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda claiming "BS Hooda is Supreme and others are insignificant". Yadav claimed he had given his entire life to the party but said in return he got "humiliation and pain by those who had allegedly looted the state exchequer". "Some people are misleading and undermining my endurance and capacity to work for the party and I believe in destiny, God, karma and friends," Yadav said in a tweet. "Friends I gave my youth and life for the Congress party and worked as true soldier of the party but my ego has been hurt I quit congress," he said in another tweet. He attacked Kamal Nath saying,"Mr Kamalnath you in a month mislead high command and undermined my prestige, you have 40 years of experience but I too have 30 years of work." "My father (Rao Abhey Singh) was true Congressmen and I too had great faith in Nehru-Gandhi family but BS Hooda is Supreme and others are insignificant," he said. Though Yadav remained incommunicado, the former minister was reportedly perturbed for not being called by Kamal Nath, who is party incharge of Haryana affairs, in a meeting at Delhi to end party's "internal bickering". Initially Yadav was asked to attend the meeting but later he was told not to come. In 2014, Yadav had resigned from his ministerial post while accusing Hooda of sidelining him. At that time, he was posted as Power minister, but he later withdrew his resignation. PTI Karnataka to survey all Arabic schools to check if on same page as state board Mahadayi row: Karnataka bandh on July 30; security beefed up across the state India oi-Shreyas By H S Shreyas Bengaluru, July 29: After the recent verdict of Mahadayi water dispute tribunal that went against Karnataka, while favouring Goa and Maharashtra, the state is bracing itself for a bandh tomorrow (July 30, Saturday). "Support is intact to observe state-wide bandh to mark protest against the interim verdict passed by Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal", says Vatal Nagaraj of Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha who is spearheading this agitation in the state capital. Meanwhile, security too was stepped up across the state, informed Additional General Police (law and order) Alok Mohan to OneIndia. He added "though it is predicted, bandh would be strongly felt in Bengaluru and North Karnataka. Security has been beefed up across the state as a precautionary measure." Vatal Nagaraj, while speaking to Kannada OneIndia claimed as many as 1,250 pro-Kannada outfits pledged their support to the bandh call. Nagaraj strongly hopes bandh will be successful on Saturday. He also informed organisations will take out a protest march from Town Hall to Freedom Park. Another leader from a pro-Kannada organisation said this bandh has a purpose. And it is to demand the political parties of the state, mainly the BJP and the government to meet PM Narendra Modi to seek his intervention to settle water dispute out-of-court. However, Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban said, "We have not decided yet on declaring holiday to schools and colleges. We will come out with a decision studying the condition in the evening hours." It is likely schools and colleges may get holiday for security reasons. Sa Ra Govindu, chairman of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce said, "We too support bandh call. Moreover, film industry will remain shut tomorrow in display of solidarity to the bandh called by pro-Kannada organisations." Govindu added industry too is demanding PM Modi's intervention to resolve the issue. Security arrangement Alok Mohan, delineating the security arrangements said, "Security across the state has been beefed up and four platoons from Central paramilitary forces, Border Security Force and Rapid Action Force have arrived to major cities and towns in north Karnataka." The forces will hold a march across the city on Saturday. Karnataka State Police, from all the divisions will also be deployed. Though the focus of the security will be Bengaluru and north Karnataka, security forces will be deployed in every district. In view of the protest march, the police will tighten security at Town Hall, Mekhri Circle and Freedom Park. Deputy Commissioner of Gagad, Prasanna Kumar divulged that across the state, high police vigil will be kept. OneIndia News Why make even murder of a Dalit girl into a national Tamasha UP BJP chief to workers: Have tea with Dalits, make them understand votes are cast on nationalism, not caste LS opposition parties stage walkout over attacks on Dalits by cow vigilantes India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, July 29 Opposition parties on Friday staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha over incidents of atrocities against Dalits and the recent thrashing of two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh by cow vigilantes. Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, raised during Zero Hour the issue of beating up of two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh on beef rumours and slammed the BJP-led state government over the issue. "In Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh, two Muslim women have been beaten up for allegedly taking beef with them by the Gau Rakshak Dal, and that too in the presence of police. Later the meat was found to be of buffalo," Kharge said. He alleged that without support of the state government such acts can't happen. Kharge also raised the issue of atrocities against Dalits, saying it has risen since the Narendra Modi government came to power. "Everyday atrocities against Dalits are reported, and since this government came to power it has risen, but no action is being taken against the culprits," Kharge said, citing incidences of atrocities against Dalits. He also took on Prime Minister Modi for "keeping mum" on such issues. Responding to the matter raised by Kharge, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh confined himself to the Mandsaur incident. "The Madhya Pradesh government took prompt and effective action in the matter. I assure the House that justice will prevail in this case and the culprits will not be spared," Singh said. Not satisfied with the government's reply Congress members led by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Kharge staged a walkout from the Lower House. The Left, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal-United and Rashtriya Janata Dal members also joined them and staged a walkout. Two women were allegedly beaten up by a mob in Mandsaur, around 350 km from state capital Bhopal, by cow vigilantes following a rumour that they had large quantity of beef to sell. In a video, police was seen making attempts to stop the mob. IANS Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu among 4 states to join UDAY soon India oi-PTI New Delhi, July 29: Four states, including Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, may soon join the Centre's UDAY scheme meant for revival of debt-stressed power distribution companies. "Power Ministry talks with Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on UDAY scheme are at advance stages. These states are likely to join the scheme very soon," a source said. Madhya Pradesh can formally ink the agreement in a few weeks, the source said. Madhya Pradesh discoms have an accumulated debt of Rs 35,000 crore. The state is estimated to get benefit to the extent of Rs 11,500 crore during next three years of the turnaround. Following the reforms, it could go up to Rs 14,500 crore annually. In the case of Tamil Nadu, the source said the total debt is Rs 67,000 crore, including around Rs 46,000 crore in the distribution segment. It is estimated that during three years of the turnaround, the state will get cumulative benefit of Rs 18,600 crore. After three years, the annual benefits are estimated at Rs 22,420 crore. Power Minister Piyush Goyal has recently met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in an effort to get the state on board on UDAY. Similarly, Telangana discoms' debt stands at around Rs 6,700 crore. For the three years of reforms, the cumulative benefit is estimated at Rs 6,000 crore, following which the state will see it go up to Rs 6,100 crore annually. Puducherry has a debt load of Rs 423 crore and will get benefits of Rs 440 crore annually after implementation of UDAY scheme in three years. Earlier this week on Tuesday, Manipur became the 14th state to join the UDAY scheme, for which the gains translate into around Rs 263 crore. It is also the first North Eastern state to opt for UDAY for improving efficiency of its discoms. The UDAY scheme was launched by the Centre in November last year to revive debt-laden power distribution companies. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 16:45 [IST] A dream, a call and some courage: How a 15-year-old stopped her marriage Mahasweta Devi to be accorded state funeral, says Mamata Banerjee India oi-IANS By Ians English Kolkata, July 29: Describing Mahasweta Devi's death as West Bengal losing a "glorious mother", Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced the eminent writer and social activist will be cremated with full state honours. The Ramon Magsaysay Award winner died following cardiac arrest and multi-organ failure at a city hospital. She was 90. "India has lost a great writer. Bengal has lost a glorious mother. I have lost a personal guide. Her death is akin to Bengal losing her mother," Banerjee now in Delhi said. Kolkata: Eminent writer Mahasweta Devi passes away at 90 Banerjee said, "Her last rites will be performed with full state honours on Friday at a city crematorium." "Tonight her mortal remains will be kept at the Peace Haven and on Friday morning she will be taken to Rabindra Sadan for the people to pay their last respects," Banerjee added. Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring in from all quarters. "She will always remain a light to follow for all those who fight for the society. She would often ask us to go to the tribals and experience their extraordinary and beautiful world. She used to say that it's the tribals who actually can teach us about civilisation," said national award winning filmmaker Goutam Ghose. "There are some who attain immortality through their work. Mahasweta Devi is one of them. Mahasweta Devi is dead, long live Mahasweta Devi," said acclaimed actor-director Rudraprasad Sengupta. "Not only through her literary creation but personally as well she led from the front in the fight for the masses. I always found her busy writing letters to different organisations in her bid to solve people's problems. Everybody will feel her absence," said thespian Bibhash Chakraborty. Noted actress Shaoli Mitra also condoled her death hailing Mahasweta as a brave fighter. Filmmaker Govind Nihalni, who in 1998 directed the touching Hindi movie "Hazar Chaurasi Ki Ma", adapted from Mahasweta Devi's novel, recalled those times. "During the making of 'Hazar Chaurasi Ki Ma' and even after that she was always there to support me. She was happy at the way the film had turned out. Every director who adapts a work of literature looks forward to it, because if the writer doesn't like the adaptation the director feels sad," Nihalni said. Veteran Bengali litterateur Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay referred to her compassion for the downtrodden and the guts to protest all injustice. "I feel lonely. She was a personality imbued with the spirit of protest and humane feelings. "She had deep compassion for tribal people and those living in the margins. She was a complete human being," said Mukhopadhyay. Film director Aparna Sen said she was true to her beliefs in her work. "This is an irreparable loss not only for the literary world, the way she led her life, there was no gap between her work and belief". IANS For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 16:19 [IST] Gopuja at all Karnataka Temples today: Govt explains how it should be done Mhadei tribunal order generates heat in LS India oi-PTI New Delhi, July 29: The interim order of the Mhadei water tribunal generated much heat in the Lok Sabha today with Karnataka members seeking a solution to the water crisis in four districts of the state hit hard by the decision. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Prakash Hukkeri (Congress) spoke of the protests in Belgaum, Gadag, Bijapur and Dharwad districts in the wake of interim order. The tribunal had directed the Karnataka government not to divert 7.56 TMC water from the Mhadei river to the Malaprabha basin. The issue witnessed charges and countercharges from BJP and Congress members from the state and at one point, Congress members stormed the Well when the ruling party attempted to target the Congress chief. BJP member Suresh Angadi attacked the Karnataka government for "not acting properly" on the issue, which was strongly protested by Congress members. Angadi was supported by his party colleagues from the state including B S Yeddyurappa. Goa and Karnataka are currently battling out a dispute over the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura dam project across the waters of the Mhadei river at a central tribunal. Mhadei, also known as the Mandovi river, is known as a lifeline in the northern parts of the state. It originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Panaji in Goa. Congress members demanded that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar spell out the government's position, but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she would not allow anyone to speak. Ananth Kumar hails from Karnataka. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 19:02 [IST] FCRA registration: No foreign funding clearance for 6,000 NGOs for now, says SC Not the issue, it is the development: How NGOs fund protests to defame India NGOs, babus to file assets details by December 31 India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jul 29: Central government employees, NGOs receiving foreign and domestic grant and their executives need to file details of their assets and liabilities by the extended deadline of December 31. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) today issued an order notifying the new deadline. This is the sixth extension given to about 50 lakh government employees for filing details of assets and liabilities, along with that of their spouses and dependent children, as part of mandatory obligations under the Lokpal Act. Whereas, for Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and their executives, this is the first such extension. The existing deadline was to end on Sunday. The six-month extension came after Parliament had yesterday passed a bill to amend the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, following representations from Members of Parliament against one of the provisions of the law that mandates disclosure of assets by NGOs and their office-bearers. The Lok Sabha had on Wednesday passed the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Amendment) Bill, 2016. It got Rajya Sabha nod yesterday. With the latest extension, the declarations now need to be filed by December 31. The declarations under the Lokpal law are in addition to similar ones filed by the employees under various services rules. As per rules, notified under the Lokpal Act, every public servant shall file declaration, information and annual returns pertaining to his assets and liabilities as on March 31 every year or on or before July 31 of that year. For 2014, the last date for filing returns was September 15 of that year. It was first extended till December 2014, then till April 30, 2015 and third extension was up to October 15. The date was then extended to April 15 and then July 31, this year for filing of the returns. The DoPT had last month issued an order bringing NGOs receiving more than Rs one crore in government grants and donations above Rs 10 lakh from abroad under the ambit of the Lokpal. The order had mandated filing of mandatory returns of the assets and liabilities by such organisations and their executives -- director, manager, secretary or any other officer. PTI No plan by Dalits in TN village to embrace Islam: Authorities India oi-PTI Nagapattinam (TN), Jul 28: No Dalit family in Kallimedu village here has planned to embrace Islam following refusal of permission to them by upper caste Hindus to perform rituals during a temple festival, the district administration today asserted. There were reports that following denial of permission to the Dalits by caste Hindus to conduct rituals at the ancient Badrakaliyamman temple, coming under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Departments, at Kallimedu during the Tamil month of Adi, the Dalits had planned to embrace Islam. A R A Jayaraj, Revenue Divisional Officer of Nagapattinam, who conducted a spot inquiry at the village on the reports, said the Dalit families had stated that they have not taken any decision on converting to Islam. "The Dalit families had categorically pointed out that the reports about their alleged plan to convert to Islam were only rumours," Jayaraj told PTI. Vedaranyam DSP Pon Karthik Kumar, Tahsildar Ilangovan and Hindu Religious Charitable Endowment Executive Officer Manavalan were also present during the spot inquiry, Jayaraj said. People belonging to a particular Hindu community of this village and two other neighbouring villages act as the custodians for the five day festival beginning on August 8. Over 200 Dalit families of this village have long been claiming the rights to perform rituals during the festival. Ahead of the festival, a few days back, Dalit families reiterated their long pending demand. Following this, a large number of police personnel have been deployed at the village as a precautionary measure, Jayaraj said. He said the Joint Commissioner of HR and CE would hold talks with the leaders of the Dalits and various Hindu organisations tomorrow to find an amicable solution to the issue and ensure peaceful conduct of the festival. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 9:54 [IST] 'Not many reasons to be happy for tigers' India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, July 29: With over 10,000 tigers including other big cats in captivity globally, rampant tiger poaching in India, shrinking green-corridors in Asia and three sub-species extinct, experts see "no happy times" for the feline on International Tiger Day on Friday. "There were some 100,000 tigers a century back, now there are around 3,000 to 5,000 (in the wild), depending on who you ask. So, these are not happy tomes for the tigers," Joseph Vattakaven, Tiger Conservation Advisor, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) told IANS. Still, there are some positives for India, which has over 50 percent of world's tiger population (1,945 to 2,491) and other central Asia countries where the population is sustaining. [International Tiger Day on July 29: All you need to know about it] "There are rampant cases of poaching, offcourse," he added. The International Tiger Day was started in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, with the aim to double the population by 2022. While 2016 is the mid-way of the deadline, a rampant hike in crime and specific targeting of tigers for "medicine, skin and soup", is the biggest challenge. As per the Wildlife Protection Society of India, about 28 of tigers had been poached by April this year, while 25 were reportedly poached in 2015. About 97 percent of tigers had been poached worldwide since the last century, despite several the conservation efforts. Three sub-species -- Balinese Tigers, Caspian Tigers and Javanese Tigers -- out of nine are extinct. About 40 tiger cubs were found dead in a Thai temple in June. The United Nations Environment Programme and Interpol last month reported that the environmental crime industry -- worth $258 billion -- was the fastest growing among crime syndicates. Meanwhile, the rising in number of tigers in captivity in China and the US is another major threat to the conservation effort of this Asian big cat. As per Debbie Banks of the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency(EIA), China has about 5,000 tigers in captivity, raised in different tiger farms and culled as food and medicine. Meanwhile, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) keeps the number of "backyard tigers", including other big cats like lions, puma, leopards and panthers at over 10,000. "The number could be more. They could be well between 10,000 to 20,000. Many a time, when people can't keep the big cats, they kill them or free them, exposing people to danger" Vattakaven. The activists are thus demanding the US to pass the "Big Cat Public Safety Act" that would prohibit people from raising the big cats as pets. This is on the agenda at COP-17 CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to be held at South Africa this year. "The USA should check its backyard before pointing fingers at others, specially China," Vattakaven said, adding that for countries like China, more education and awareness is needed as killing of tigers for medicine is a traditional mindset, which needs to change. On a positive note, the tiger population has also increased and come on par with the historic density. Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, for instance, now has about 17 tigers in its 100 sq km. At the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, the population density is 15 to 16 tigers per 100 sq km. India today has about 250 tiger reserves while at the beginning of Project tiger in 1973 there were only 19. Speaking on the positives of the India, experts felt a lot has been done, but it's clearly not enough. "A lot is needed to be done in terms of increasing infrastructure. Can't simply send guards with sticks in hand to face better equipped poachers," said Sunayan Sharma, a former Forest Officer and a Rajasthan based Wildlife conservator. Sharma also pointed out the menace of extreme tourism in the forests, leading to behaviorial changes among animals. He said that the "Flight-Distance", a term used by conservationists to define minimum safe distance to observe an animal in wild, is being "breached in some national parks like Ranthambore by the tourist lobby resulting in a change in behavior of the tigers. "The reason behind the one such death of the forest guard in 2015 was because the same breech in Flight Distance," Sharma pointed out. On the positive side, the New Delhi this April hosted the Third Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for protecting the species. "To do that, all the 13 tiger range countries would have to take a strong stance against enemies of wildlife," said V.P Singh of the Tarai Nature Conservation Society. The recent arrest of a notorious wildlife trafficker in Delhi (whose father Sansar Chand left Sariska "tiger-less") could be a good start. IANS Former Jammu and Kashmir CMs to lose SSG security cover Court didn't uphold basic right, it's a travesty: Omar Abdullah on Hijab verdict 'The Kashmir Files' far from truth: Ex-CM Omar Abdullah Sad to see grand old party implode: Omar Abdullah on Azad's resignation from Congress Omar Abdullah welcomes Rajnath Singhs visit to Pakistan India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Srinagar, July 29: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has welcomed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's upcoming visit to Pakistan. Abdullah took Twitter to express his views on home minister's upcoming visit. "Good to see that in spite of the rants on TV & the trolls on Twitter @rajnathsingh will travel to Pakistan. We need to remain engaged," tweeted Abdullah. Amid tension over violence in Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to travel to Pakistan to attend the Saarc Home/Interior Ministers Conference in August. In the meeting, scheduled on August 3 and 4, Rajnath Singh would raise the issue of cross-border terrorism. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) leadership had agreed in 2005 during the 13th Summit in Dhaka that Home/Interior Ministers of the Saarc nations may meet annually to strengthen cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism. The first meeting of Home/Interior Ministers was held in Dhaka on May 11, 2006. Good to see that in spite of the rants on TV & the trolls on Twitter @rajnathsingh will travel to Pakistan. We need to remain engaged. Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) July 28, 2016 OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 10:23 [IST] Rajya Sabha to take up GST bill next week India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jul 29 Government today listed the much-awaited GST bill for consideration and passage in Rajya Sabha's agenda for the next week. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, while making a statement regarding government business for the week starting August 1 in the Upper House, said the Constitution (122nd Amendement) Bill, 2014 will be taken up for consideration and passage. On July 27, the Cabinet had cleared changes in the legislation, dropping the controversial one per cent manufacturing tax and providing guarantee to compensate states for any revenue loss in the first five years of rollout of the ambitious indirect tax regime. The government is keen to get the GST Bill approved during the Monsoon Session of Parliament ending on August 12. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May 2015 and vetted by the Rajya Sabha Select Committee. However, the measure got stuck in the Upper House where the government does not have majority of its own, as the main opposition Congress sought certain changes in it. Government is making efforts to hammer out a consensus on the bill and reaching out to opposition parties. Congress has described the exercise as "constructive and positive". Once the Rajya Sabha clears the legislation, the amended legislation would be returned to the Lok Sabha for its approval. The GST legislation, which intends to convert 29 states into a single market through a new indirect tax regime, was earlier planned to be introduced from April 1 this year, but the deadline was missed as the legislation to roll it out remained in limbo in the Opposition-dominated Rajya Sabha. PTI Report on roadmap to double farmers' income by September: Government India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jul 28 An inter-ministerial panel, which has been mandated to recommend a roadmap to double farmers' income by 2020, will submit the report by September, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today. Highlighting measures taken to boost farm output and farmers income, the Minister said in Rajya Sabha more funds have been allocated under various schemes like PMKSY and hence there are no plans for a separate agriculture budget. On the progress made in implementation of electronic national agriculture market (e-NAM), he said so far 23 mandis in eight states have been integrated and a total 200 mandis would be brought to the online platform by September. "By 2020, we want to double farmers' income. In April, an inter-ministerial committee was set up to study and recommend a roadmap for doubling the income of farmers. The committee will submit the first report by September," Singh said in the Upper House during Question Hour. The broad mandate of the panel is to study the current income level of farmers/agri-labourers, measure the historical growth rate of current income level and determine the required growth rate to double the income of farmers. The panel will not only recommend various strategies to be adopted to accomplish the target but also suggest an institutional mechanism to review and monitor implementation of the realised goal, he added. "The committee has begun its work and the approach adopted is that it shall work as a dynamic committee. It shall suggest interventions to be made on a continuous basis begining with the 2016 kharif itself," Singh noted. The Ministry is aware that in order to double farmers' income over the period of six years 2016-17 to 2021-22, in real terms the desired compound annual growth will have to be much higher than that achieved so far. The committee will recommend the desired growth rate, he added. Singh also said that the government is aiming to reorient agriculture sector by shifting the approach from pure production-centeredness to farmers' income-centeredness. PTI Rs 12.5 cr Siddha and Ayurveda hospital in Puducherry India oi-PTI Puducherry, Jul 29: A Siddha and Ayurveda hospital would come up here under the Central government's AYUSH hospital scheme at a cost of Rs 12.5 crore, a senior health official said today. The Centre had given the sanction for the hospital which would be set up soon, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services K V Raman told reporters here. He rejected reports that plans were afoot to shift the proposed hospital to Yanam, an enclave of the union territory in Andhra Pradesh. "We are mooting a proposal to have a separate hospital for Yanam and the one sanctioned for Puducherry would not be disturbed and it would come up as planned earlier," he said. Noting that incidence of dengue in Puducherry had drastically come down, he said the health authorities had taken special initiatives. He said the department had been holding special awareness programmes for school children on a regular basis. "We are catching the students young and use them as messenger of cleanliness to achieve prosperous Puducherry," Raman said. He said an open house session would be held here on July 31 to get feed back from the public on the facilities required and the shortcomings they faced in delivery of health care services. PTI Solar eclipse to be sighted in Bengaluru for 45 minutes: Report Karnataka to survey all Arabic schools to check if on same page as state board Siddaramaiah in Belgium; son Rakesh ailing from acute pancreatitis India oi-Shreyas By H S Shreyas Bengaluru, July: 29: The Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah who is currently in Belgium visited his ailing son Rakesh, who is admitted to Antwerp University Hospital. Siddaramaiah's son Rakesh passes away in Belgium Siddaramaiah who left India from Bengaluru International Airport was received by Manjeev Singh Puri, the Indian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and European Union at Brussels airport. It is learnt that the CM had earlier tapped Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj for help on learning his son's illness while on tour in Belgium. According to an official, Rakesh is suffering from acute pancreatitis. Currently, he is kept under observation. It is learnt that Rakesh has now started to respond to the treatment and is said to be recuperating. Some sources also say that if the condition worsens, he could be shifted from Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium to another country. OneIndia News Threat perception to PM Modi is extremely high on Independence Day: Reports India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, July 29: This year India is all set to celebrate its 70th Independence Day and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in the national capital for the third time. In 2014 and in 2015, PM Modi had snubbed the security cover and chose to directly connect with the people of the nation, without any bullet-proof glass enclosure. But this year, situation is different as intelligence agencies and Special Protection Group (SPG) have advised PM Modi to speak from within bullet-proof enclosure on Independence Day, after a discussion with the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. [Independence Day- Modi opts out bullet proof enclosure again] The security agencies believe that this time, the threat perception to the PM is extremely high and they hope that PM does not snub their advisory, like he did in last two years. The report added that few days back, central security agencies had received an information that there may be a possibility of coordinated or lone-wolf terror attacks on August 15, Monday, targeting the prime minister. [PM Narendra Modi snubs security to meet school children] The recommendation by the security agencies have come in the backdrop of an intercepted communication that "terror groups may use drones to breach the Prime Minister's security" and Islamic-terror group ISIS, al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islami terror outfits are also major threat factors. Nation wide alert: In addition to the PM's security, Intelligence Bureau officials have also alerted all states to remain on high alert on August 15. IB officials tell OneIndia that investigations and intercepts picked up in the wake of an ISIS module being busted have revealed that attacks may be attempted in other parts of the country as well. States such as Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal in particular have been directed to remain on very high alert. Intercepts suggest that lone wolf and coordinated attacks may be executed in crowded areas such as malls and market places. The central intelligence bureau is coordinating with the state agencies on a day to day basis to ensure that no untoward incidents take place. Further, the central IB has also suggested that the state units hold a security review meeting with the police officials to assess and analyse the threats. Some of the alerts picked up suggest that the Grade A in nature and hence excess caution must be exercised, the IB official also informed. To avoid any untoward incident, police has deployed elaborate security arrangements. Around 5,000 SPG personnel, IB, paramilitary forces and Delhi Police have secured the area covering Red Fort alone and high-resolution CCTV cameras have been installed around the Red Fort. After former prime minister Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984, bullet-resistant enclosure became a compulsory security cover for prime ministers to address the nation on Independence Day, but PM Modi broke the trend in 2014. OneIndia News Germany refuses to change refugee policy despite terror attacks International oi-IANS By Ians English London, July 29: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday (July 28) rejected calls to change Germany's refugee policy despite the recent attacks involving asylum-seekers. She said the asylum seekers responsible for deadly attacks in Ansbach and Reutlingen had "shamed the country that welcomed them" but that those fleeing persecution and war had a right to be protected, The Independent reported. The attackers "wanted to undermine our sense of community, our openness and our willingness to help people in need. We firmly reject this," BBC quoted Merkel as saying. Merkel proposes new counter-terrorism measures Merkel also proposed new counter-terrorism measures to improve security, which included information sharing, deciphering web chatter and tackling arms sales on the internet. Two recent attacks in Bavaria were both by asylum seekers. A suicide bomb attack in Ansbach on July 24 that injured 15 persons was carried out by a Syrian who had been denied asylum but given temporary leave to stay. Axe attack on train in Wurzburg On July 18, a teenaged Afghan asylum seeker attacked train passengers with an axe in Wurzburg after declaring allegiance to IS and was shot dead by police, The Independent reported. Both men had claimed allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group. Gun attack in Munich shopping mall The deadliest recent attack -- in Munich on July 22 which left nine persons dead -- was carried out by a German-Iranian teenager but was not associated with the IS terrorist group. Markel insisted that those fleeing persecution and war had a right to be protected, and Germany would "stick to our principles" in giving shelter to the deserving. Referring to the attacks that have taken place in France, Belgium, Turkey, the US and elsewhere, she said "taboos of civilisation" had been broken, and they were intended to "spread fear and hatred between cultures and between religions". But in reference to her famous phrase "Wir schaffen das!" --"We can do this" -- uttered in 2015 when she agreed to take in a million migrants, Merkel said: "I am still convinced today that we can do it." "It is our historic duty" "It is our historic duty and this is a historic challenge in times of globalisation. We have already achieved very, very much in the last 11 months," she noted. Merkel also said that "besides organised terrorist attacks, there will be new threats from perpetrators not known to security personnel". To counter this, she said: "We need an early alert system so that authorities can see during the asylum request proceedings where there are problems." Merkel added: "We will take the necessary measures and ensure security for our citizens. We will take the challenge of integration very seriously." IANS Godavari doubles it's flow in Greater Raleigh International oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer North Carolina, July 29: USA's fastest growing south Indian restaurant chain, Godavari is now offering a double delight for the people of Greater Raleigh, NC. Morrisville town witnesses the launch of the city's second restaurant and the largest Indian restaurant, for the neighborhood community to taste and experience the rich and gastronomic flavors of Authentic South Indian cuisine. Speaking on the launch occasion TEAM GODAVARI said; "With an overwhelming response we have received from our first restaurant, our franchisee partners Mr Srikanth Bala, Mr Satish Sunkara and Ms Haneesha are more than willing and supportive to expand the business by launching this 02nd restaurant here in Greater Raleigh". "We are proud to be the only Indian restaurant opening a second outlet in this area. We are also confident in seeing a tremendous success and our irresistible and delicious menu is sure to be an instant hit amongst the folks of Morrisville, NC with the biggest lunch buffet in the Carolinas. As part of the grand gala inaugural launch event a mouth-watering buffet will be rolling out with a classic theme 'Palletooru' which is a remarkable Silver Jubilee Telugu movie that started the trend of rural settings and social themes. In lieu with the theme, authentic rural delicacies having a modern twist in them, like "Paparao" Papad Bhajji, "Urvasi" Ullikaram Idly, "Kinnerasani" Kamju Pitta Vepudu, Yeta Mamsam Pulao, Bongulo Chicken Skewers, "Silk Smitha" Strawberry Junnu, etc. were served for the very first time in the United States. Other brand new signatures from Godavari's menu include "Chepa Chips", "Kodi "lo" Biryani" and many more. The restaurant also has a full enticing bar setup (#Spicy Indian Bar) which serves a variety of beer and liquors for the people to relax with, whilst enjoying the friendly ambience being naturally provided. The 200 seating restaurant is strategically located in the gateway of Perimeter Park which has more than 10000 corporate people working. The location is just 5 minutes away from the Raleigh/Durham airport and just 10 minutes away from the Research Triangle Park. Apart from a wide array of South Indian delights, Godavari restaurant will now start serving a variety of flavorsome "Pullarao Pulaos" as specials in many of its locations across the country. The recently launched outlet at Austin has received a huge response from the patrons and the "Panchakattu" Lunch buffet excited every single person. Godavari Austin thanks the entire community for their warm welcome and said that they will continue to serve them with commitment and new varieties of authentic items every other day. Here is the Grand Opening trailer of Godavari Austin: Godavari is also teaming up with 'Shutter Army' who has been shooting and photographing their grand opening trailers and events. With this association, we are attempting to enhance our services beyond food to help our customers & to the entire Indian community in the United States in getting quality photographs and videos for all their occasions at an affordable price. The vibrant and young team at Godavari restaurant is searching the length and breadth of India to discover authentic recipes and varied spices to present to its diners a novel experience of the South Indian cuisine across the world. We TRUST our Legacy Continues in the town of Morrisville, NC and surrounding areas. We would invite every food lover to taste our authentic recipes and send us their recipes. Looking forward to serve you from July 30th at: Godavari Morrisville 100 Jerusalem Drive, #108, Morrisville, NC - 27560. Ph: 919-234-6950 Thanks again.... Hope you all avail and enjoy our services. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 20:37 [IST] International Tiger Day today: We have lost three sub-species for ever International oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Canberra, July 29: The National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra has joined an Australasian breeding programme to help the Sumatran tiger---a critically endangered species, ABC Online reported. The initiative was made on the occasion of International Tiger Day, which is observed on July 29 every year to raise awareness over the reservation of the striped cat. ['Not many reasons to be happy for tigers'] The International Tiger Day was founded at the tiger summit held at Saint Petersburg in Russia in 2010 to bring focus on the fact that wild tigers are fast nearing extinction. Several welfare organisations have pledged to help the animal and raise funds for its protection and conservation. Bali, Caspian and Javan sub-species have become extinct The tiger had once existed widely across Asia but now it has disappeared from most of the places of its former range. Today, the number of wild tigers have come alarmingly down and the species have been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Three sub-species of tigers---Bali, Caspian and Javan tigers have become extinct. Six other sub-species still remain Six other sub-species---namely, the Bengal, Indochinese, Malayan, Siberian, South China and Sumatran---still live on this planet. Oneindia News Pope hopes Christmas will be like 'the first one' Relative of priest, abducted by Islamic State, seeks help from Pope, Centre Mute boy climbs on stage of Pope Francis and plays around; leaves pontiff delighted False: Pope is not killing feet of black people asking for forgiveness due to coronavirus Pope Francis offers private prayer at Auschwitz International oi-IANS By Ians English Warsaw, July 29: Pope Francis on Friday (July 29) offered a private prayer at the former Nazi concentration and death camp at Auschwitz in Poland. [World at war over money, not religious faith, says Pope] He walked alone and in silence around the concentration and extermination camp in what was Nazi-occupied Poland where 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed, BBC reported. Pope Francis also met elderly survivors of the notorious camp. After meeting them, he placed a candle at the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed by the Nazis. He is on his third day of a visit marking 1,050 years since Poland's adoption of Christianity, BBC noted. Francis has become the third Pope to walk through the main gate of Auschwitz, under its infamous inscription "Arbeit Macht Frei" -- work sets you free. IANS Protests in PoK continue, Pakistani flags burnt International oi-Vicky Neelam Valley, July 29: Protests in Pakistan occupied Kashmir continued with several persons burning the Pakistan flag and also blackening the posters of politicians. The protests which erupted in Neelam valley on Friday saw thousands of people taking to the streets and demanding that a free and fair election be held. Pak-held Kashmir, a region terrorised by ISI-Military A majority of the PoK residents have protested against the recently held elections that were allegedly rigged. The locals were not allowed to vote and the authenticity of the polls had come under question. In the protests that erupted at the Neelam Valley, protestors were seen blackening posters of politicians of the PML-N party which won the polls. Further people took to the streets and burned down flags of Pakistan. #WATCH Election posters in Neelam Valley (PoK) blackened by locals agitated over rigged PoK pollshttps://t.co/7XsQqiC7kH ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 Election posters blackened in Neelam Valley by people agitated by rigged PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) polls pic.twitter.com/E4zlYgJEcE ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2016 A large contingent of security personnel resorted to lathi charge to disperse the mob. Massive protests had broken out across the region after the July 21 elections. Protestors had taken to the streets in most parts of the region questioning the election process. They alleged that a majority of them were not allowed to vote and their demands to have an independent observer to oversee the process had also been rejected. In the recently held polls, the PML-N party won with a huge majority. OneIndia News Will Biden-Xi meet at G20 summit halt slide in US-China ties? At least 125 dead after violence at football match in Indonesia Temporary reprieve for Indian from Indonesian firing squad International oi-IANS By Ians English Jakarta/New Delhi, July 29 Indian national Gurdip Singh who was set to be executed by Indonesian authorities for drug smuggling has won a temporary reprieve as he was not among the four prisoners executed by a firing squad early on Friday in that country. Gurdip Singh was convicted along with 13 others and due to be executed at the Nusa Kambangan prison island. "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Friday. India has urged for clemency for Singh and the Indian embassy officials had been in touch with the Indonesian authorities to press his case. Muhammad Rum, spokesman for Indonesia's attorney general, told reporters outside the Nusa Kambangan prison that two Nigerians, one Senegalese and one Indonesian were executed at 12.45 a.m. on Friday in the midst of torrential rain. Rum said that authorities have not decided when the 10 other prisoners will be executed by firing squad. Petitions to review their cases had been denied. Those executed were Indonesian Freddy Budiman and Nigerians Seck Osmane, Michael Titus and Humphrey Jefferson. Relatives, rights groups and foreign governments had been urging Indonesia to spare the lives of the 14 convicts. It is not clear why the execution of the other 10 prisoners did not proceed. "Of course there are considerations for it," was all Deputy Attorney General for Crimes, Noor Rachmad would say, theage.com reported. He said those who had been executed had filed for judicial reviews twice and both were rejected. A Pakistani national, Zulfiqar Ali, is also among the 10 whose execution did not take place. He was also convicted of drug-related charges. Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said in a Tweet that a last-ditch attempt by her father to convince Indonesian authorities to halt Ali's execution proved effective "despite [a] bleak chance of success", Dawn reported. Gurdip Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta on charges of drug trafficking, for attempting to carry 300 grams of heroin. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005 against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Wednesday called on Indonesia to promptly stop executions. IANS Fact Check: Did Trump thank Musk for welcoming him back to Twitter Trump lashes out at Hillary on Twitter after her acceptance speech International oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New York, July 29: The battle between the presidential candidates of the two major parties in the US began soon after Hillary Clinton gave her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday (July 29). [What Hillary said about Trump at DNC] Donald Trump, who was formalised as the Republican nominee just a week back, posted a series of tweets attacking his rival who was nominated as the first woman presidential candidate from a major American party in the country's 240-year-old history. Trump, the real-estate tycoon, lashed out at the former US secretary of state for not mentioning the term "Radical Islam" in her speech and said it showed that the latter is "unfit to lead the country". No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary's wars in the Middle East have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary's vision is a borderless world where working people have no power, no jobs, no safety. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary will never reform Wall Street. She is owned by Wall Street! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 He also said Hillary's "vision" for the world is "borderless" and that the "working people" will "have no power, no jobs, no safet". Trump has been vocally promoting a kind of isolationism for the US in world politics in terms of economic and military engagements. He also said Hillary, also a former first lady, is accompanied by "corruption and devastation" wherever she goes. He said the latter would never reform the Wall Street as she is "owned" by it. The Trump campaign also issued a statement from Stephen Miller, a senior campaign adviser. It said: "Hillary Clinton's speech was an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric. She spent the evening talking down to the American people she's looked down on her whole life." "Hillary Clinton talks about unity, about E Pluribus Unum, but her globalist agenda denies American citizens the protections to which they are all entitled - tearing us apart. Her radical amnesty plan will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries. Her refusal to even say the words 'Radical Islam', or to mention her disaster in Libya, or her corrupt email scheme, all show how little she cares about the safety of the American people." Oneindia News At UNSC, US calls on world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats Two San Diego cops shot at, 1 dead International oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer San Diego (USA), July 29: Two local police officers were shot at on Thursday (July 28) and one suspect was in custody, said the San Diego Police Department on Twitter. One officer succumbed to his injuries later. The search was on for other possible suspects, as per the twitter handle. The department also tweeted that the condition of the two injured police personnel was not known. "Keep them in your prayers," it said. BREAKING: We have one suspect in custody. We are still searching the area for other possible suspects. San Diego Police (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 BREAKING: We still have an active search under way. Please stay inside and avoid surrounding area of 3800 Boston San Diego Police (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 BREAKING: Two #SDPD Officers have been shot tonight. Their condition is unknown. Keep them in your prayers San Diego Police (@SanDiegoPD) July 29, 2016 It also asked the residents to shelter in place while search operation was on in 3800 Boston area. Oneindia News Woman, her two children mowed down by train; Suicide not ruled out Blackbuck poaching case: Rajasthan govt sets up panel to review appeal Jaipur oi-Vicky Jaipur, July 29: The Rajasthan government on Friday set up a five member committee to review the options to file an appeal against the acquittal of actor Salman Khan in the blackbuck and chinkara killing cases. The committee would review the order of the Rajasthan High Court and then make recommendations on the filing of an appeal before the Supreme Court of India. Salman Khan acquitted in Blackbuck and Chinkara cases The Rajasthan High Court had recently acquitted Khan in the blackbuck poaching case. A lower court had convicted Khan in two cases and handed him out a sentence of 1 and 5 years. Following this, he moved the high court against both the verdicts. Khan and seven others were accused of killing a blackbuck and chinkara in two separate incidents. The incidents took place at Bhwad on September 26, 1998 and Ghoda Farms on September 28, 1998. The incidents took place when the actor was shooting for the film Hum Saath Saath Hain. The trial court had held him guilty in both the cases. It had handed out sentences of 1 and 5 years. OneIndia News Man booked for rape of 12-year-old after video of injured girl surfaces on internet Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh arrested Lucknow oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Lucknow, July 29: Expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh was on Friday, July 29 arrested in a joint operation between UP Police and Bihar Police from Buxar in Bihar. Yesterday, Dayashankar failed to get a stay on his arrest from Allahabad High Court which directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file its reply by August 5 on his plea challenging the lodging of FIR against him for allegedly using derogatory language against BSP supremo Mayawati. Singh had moved the HC challenging the FIR lodged against him by BSP leaders after he used derogatory language against party chief Mayawati. In his petition, Singh had sought direction for stay on his arrest in the case. An FIR was lodged against Singh on July 20 at Hazratganj police station here under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for his remarks against Mayawati. The complaint, which was lodged by national secretary of BSP Mewalal Gautam, alleged that Singh's remarks had hurt the feelings of BSP workers and the Dalit community across the country and were aimed at provoking them. Singh, who was state BJP vice president, was expelled by the party for six years in the wake of the storm triggered by his remarks against the BSP supremo and has since gone underground. OneIndia News (With agency inputs) Case filed against filmmaker Kamal Kishor Mishra for hitting wife with his car | VIDEO Fire breaks out in BEST AC bus, no passenger hurt | VIDEO Dubai-Kozhikode Indigo flight makes emergency landing in Mumbai after passenger creates ruckus Mumbai oi-PTI Mumbai, July 29: An IndiGo flight from Dubai to Kozhikode made an emergency landing at the Mumbai airport Thursday morning following alleged unruly behaviour of a passenger. "An IndiGo flight from Dubai to Kozhikode made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport at 0915 hrs due to unruly behaviour of a passenger," a Mumbai airport official said. "After offloading them, the flight took off to its scheduled destination at 1050 hrs," he said. The airport police said one passenger has been detained for questioning. However, the official denied reports that the passenger raised pro-ISIS slogans. The details of the detained passenger were awaited. In a statement, IndiGo airlines confirmed the diversion of its flight (Dubai-Kozhikode) to Mumbai this morning on grounds of unruly behaviour on board. A little before landing, a passenger seated on 5D (who was accompanied by his brother) suddenlystarted misbehaving with the crew. He jumped on the forward cart (which is used for food and onboard merchandise) and sat on it. The crew immediately informed the Captain-in-command and the lead crew. The crew politely requested the passenger to step down from the cart and he obliged. After stepping down from the cart, the passenger suddenly got violent and started physically abusing the co-passenger, IndiGo said. Taking precautionary measure, the Captain immediately informed the Air Traffic control (ATC) and the ground security staff about the situation onboard. The flight made the precautionary landing at the Mumbai airport where this passenger was handed over to the CISF for further investigations. The matter is now with the local authorities, the airline further said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 19:10 [IST] AgustaWestland: ED pins hopes on UAE to extradite James Christian Michel New Delhi oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 29: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is pinning its hopes on the United Arab Emirates to have James Christian Michel extradited. Michel, the middleman in the AgustaWestland case is currently in the UAE and the ED has been able to dish out proof regarding the same. A new extradition request will now be sent through the Ministry of External Affairs to the UAE where Michel is said to be based. The ED managed to corroborate evidence about his residence through the television interviews he had given and also on the basis of concrete intelligence inputs. For the ED having Michel in their custody for interrogation is extremely crucial. Although Michel had assured that he is ready to cooperate with the investigation, he has not approached either the CBI or the ED. The new extradition request will be armed with the latest chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate which deals extensively with Michel's alleged dealings. ED officials say that they are hopeful that the UAE will accept their request and make arrangements for his extradition. Earlier the ED had also sent a similar request to the UK. However, UK raised several questions which included the whereabouts of Michel and also his exact role in the scam. The ED after filing the chargesheet has communicated to the UK about the same with details. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 15:19 [IST] Aurangabad arms case: Weapons to eliminate Modi came from Pakistan New Delhi oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 29: The arms and ammunition seized during the 2006 Aurangabad case were sourced from Pakistan, a Special MCOCA court delivering its verdict had said on Thursday. The court which was hearing the Aurangabad arms haul case held 12 persons including Abu Jundal, the Lashkar-e-Taiba operative guilty. While the court had on Thursday held that the entire conspiracy was hatched to eliminate Narendra Modi, who was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the judge also accepted the prosecution's view that the weapons were procured from Pakistan. Aurangabad arms case: MCOCA court says there was plan to eliminate Modi Weapons were procured from Pakistan The prosecution had submitted that the weapons seized during the raid at Aurangabad were procured from Pakistan. The entire plot was being hatched to eliminate Modi and Hindu leader, Praveen Togadia, the court observed. The accused wanted to shake and reduce the faith of the common man in an elected democratic government by undertaking large scale violence, the court further held. They also wanted to exploit the communal sentiments of the Muslims and provoke them in the name of religion, the judge also observed. After the plan was hatched it was decided to move the consignment into Gujarat. They had loaded the ammunition into a Tata Sumo and a Tata Indica. Jundal was driving the Indica. The ATS however on May 8, 2005 intercepted the vehicle and seized the arms. However, Jundal managed to escape under mysterious circumstances. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 12:58 [IST] I did a course on human rights: terrorist tells court New Delhi oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 29: "I have a certificate in Human Rights." This was the last defence taken by Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, the Lashkar-e-Taiba operative who was on Thursday convicted in the Aurangabad arms hauls case. Jundal was called by the judge to give out his defence before the sentence could be handed over to him. Aurangabad arms case: MCOCA court says there was plan to eliminate Modi In his defence, apart from speaking about his good conduct while alleging torture, he told the judge, "I have done a course in Human Rights and also took an examination to complete my MA in sociology." A course in human rights Jundal apart from speaking about his Human Rights course also narrated about his good conduct. "I have always cooperated with the court, never misbehaved and despite this I was ill-treated," he says. He further spoke about being kept in solitary confinement in a dark room. Jundal who was convicted for his role in the Aurangabad arms haul case, is said to have plotted the assassination of Narendra Modi. However, when the ATS intercepted the cars carrying the arms at Aurangabad, Jundal managed to escape. He left for Bangladesh and then to Pakistan where he joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba. During the 26/11 Mumbai attack, it was established that Jundal had imparted Hindi tuitions to the ten terrorists. He was also the one giving out commands from the control room in Karachi to the terrorists in Mumbai. OneIndia News With mission of nation-wide ban on liquor consumption, Swami Agnivesh joins JD(U) Patna oi-Shalini Patna, July 29: To ensure total liquor prohibition in Bihar and across the country, the Janata Dal United JD(U) on Friday welcomed the renowned social activist Swami Agnivesh into his party for the further development of Bihar. In an exclusive chat with OneIndia, Swami Agnivesh said, "Earlier I was in the Janata Party because of the outcome of Jayaprakash Narayan's great historic movement called 'Total Revolution'. I was an MLA from the Janata Party in Haryana since five years from 1977 to 1982. Then I resigned as minister but later continued to be a part of the party and worked for the welfare of the party." While praising Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Swami said, "We have been associated with anti-liquor movement from last 48 years. Earlier, I alongwith my party members started this movement in 1968 in Haryana.When Nitish Kumar introduced total liquor ban in Bihar, I and my colleagues were simply thrilled and excited to strengthen this movement, as it's is a great opportunity for us to take it forward. I was surprised to see women of Bihar coming forward and taking up the political call and voting on their own choice", he added, while praising Nitish Kumar." On being asked about his sudden decision of joining the JD(U) after assembly elections in Bihar, Swami said "I am in the party to strengthen the anti-liquor movement and to spread it across the country. Total prohibition won't succeed in any of the state because states share borders, that will lead to smuggling and after sometime, crime will increase. This happened in Haryana. So for the successful implementation of complete liquor ban in Bihar, I have joined this party." "I think prohibition will help realise Jayaprakash Narayan's dream of total revolution. Nitish Kumar has taken a brave step and has inspired people," he said, claiming that it has given fillip to the demand of nation-wide ban on liquor consumption. Agnivesh also spoke against the Child Labour Law passed by Parliament on Tuesday and said he would launch a campaign against it. "There is another issue on which I have full assurance that Nitish Kumar will surely take up. The liberation movement of labour is close to my heart and I have discussed it with Nitish and told him, "I was close to the idea of getting National Minimal wages on the lines of the seventh pay commission for the whole unorganised labour." Swami Agnivesh was also a member of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement but had a fallout over allegation that he wanted the then UPA government to deal strongly with the campaign. OneIndia News An upper caste shopkeeper in Mainpuri hacked a Dalit couple to death with an axe for not repaying him his debt of a just Rs 15. He was demanding the money to buy some intoxicant and an argument over the matter led to the gruesome killing of the couple. the accused has been arrested. The couple died on the spot and police had been deployed in the village as residents were terrorized by the brutal incident. Kerala CM accuses Gov of 'acting as RSS tool' on his order to VCs to resign Kerala CM to meet PM tomorrow on Colachel port issue Thiruvananthapuram oi-PTI Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 28: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow to discuss among other things the state's concern over the Centre's recent decision to give clearance to Colachel port in Tamil Nadu. Vijayan left for Delhi along with state Ports Minister Kadanapally Ramachandran this evening. Kerala has expressed concern over the decision saying it would adversely affect Vizhinjam port, the construction work of which has already begun here. Colachel port is hardly 30 km from Vizhinjam and the issue had been taken up at the state assembly also. The minister's office said the state would inform the Prime Minister about the need to protect the Rs 7,000 crore Vizhinjam port project, one of the most ambitious projects taken up by the government. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, July 29, 2016, 9:19 [IST] 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Rumble 19 Oct 2022 This trip was back in October of 2021. We went to remember history. Rumble 21 Aug 2022 At the Caldwell Night Rodeo the cowboys are the stars, but for the second year in a row the Powder River Rodeo bulls had something.. Rumble 28 Dec 2019 According to the Associated Press, a U.S. district judge said she will formally halt the ID requirement sometime next week. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Learn more The 2016 Democratic convention concluded with Hillary Clinton's paean to American exceptionalism. She contrasted "morning in America" with Donald Trump's "the barbarians are at the gates." In addition to the stark contrast in the vision of the two candidates, we learned five things at the conventions. 1. Hillary Clinton was able to unite Democrats.Republicans came to Cleveland promising to unite around Trump. That didn't happen. Cruz, Kasich, and the Bush family didn't endorse Trump and he denounced them all. The Democratic convention started on low note with the DNC email scandal followed by the resignation of Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. For a few hours on Monday it looked as if Democrats would battle on the convention floor. Then the Monday program started and comedian Sarah Silverman -- previously a Bernie Sanders supporter -- ad-libbed, "Can I just say, to the Bernie or bust people, you are being ridiculous." Her mocking words punctured the Bernie or bust balloon. While a few Bernie supporters continued to be disruptive, the vast majority got behind Hillary Clinton. ( A Washington Post poll indicated that 90 percent of Bernie backers would support Clinton.) By Thursday night, the Democratic Party was unified. 2. Clinton did a much better job organizing the Democratic convention than Trump did organizing the Republican convention. Each day of the Republican convention saw some epic screw up such as Melania Trump's plagiarism or Ted Cruz failing to endorse Trump. In contrast each day of the Democratic convention worked well. Speakers kept to the script and stayed within the allotted time. As a result, the TV ratings for each night of the Democratic convention exceeded those of the Republican convention. The success of the Democratic convention is another indication that Hillary Clinton is a better manager than Donald Trump. 3. If Trump doesn't get the attention he wants, he will do something crazy. After the Republican convention, I wrote, "The GOP convention may give Trump a modest ratings bounce but it won't last because he can't stop acting crazy." On Wednesday -- evidently starved for attention -- Trump asked Russia to hack Clinton's emails. On Thursday, Trump said he felt like hitting convention speakers who disparaged him. (He followed this with a fundraising email begging recipients to not watch Hillary's acceptance speech.) Clinton denigrated Trump's character in her acceptance speech: "Imagine [Donald Trump] in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from Wallwritings UPDATE: I initially wrote that "presumably, the 'very little guy' in Trump's diatribe is Senator Tim Kaine, of Virginia, Clinton's choice as her vice-president." Now, two days later, Trump is tweeting that he was referring to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a speaker at the convention. News of that tweet arrived from the Forward, a Jewish publication and the New York Daily News. Is this the first of many moments in the Trump so-far "non" campaign, when the Republican nominee builds a case that he is not really serious about winning the election? ______________ On August 18, 1920, the U.S. Congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote. On Thursday night, July 28, 2016, just short of 96 years later, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was nominated by the Democratic National Convention to become the next president of the United States. Almost a century after women gained the right to vote, a woman is now one election away from becoming president. As the Raw Story website explained, her nomination delivered a "competing -- and compelling -- vision to the dark, dystopian fantasy served up last week by [the Republican nominee] Donald Trump." Clinton accepted her party's nomination "with humility, determination, and boundless confidence in America's promise," adding, "tonight, we've reached a milestone in our nation's march toward a more perfect union." It was her convention, a four-day televised production, that, as Raw Story wrote, wove "traditionally conservative themes, such as patriotism, military service, small-town values and the virtues of hard work, into an inclusive and socially liberal narrative lauding shared sacrifice and civic virtue." The election campaign, which includes races for the presidency and for congress, will be a significant chapter in American history, which History.com puts in context: "The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote -- a right known as woman suffrage. At the time the U.S. was founded, its female citizens did not share all of the same rights as men, including the right to vote. "It was not until 1848 that the movement for women's rights launched on a national level with a convention in Seneca Falls, New York, organized by abolitionists Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) and Lucretia Mott (1793-1880). "Following the convention, the demand for the vote became a centerpiece of the women's rights movement. Stanton and Mott, along with Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) and other activists, formed organizations that raised public awareness and lobbied the government to grant voting rights to women. After a 70-year battle, these groups finally emerged victorious with the passage of the 19th Amendment." 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 Caricatures of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump With the quadrennial political extravagances finally over and each party's "charlatan" now formally in place, the "Hillerator" Hillary Clinton and the "Donald" Trump will now spend the next three months or so in character assassination of each other saying he, she is unfit to be the next president. Political theatre (vaudeville really) revealing both are nothing more than a "charlatan" only in their particular way. Why "charlatan"? Well according to Merriam-Webster a "charlatan" is "a person who falsely pretends to know or be something in order to deceive people", a quack, fraud, faker, one making showy pretenses to knowledge or ability. Hmm. Pretty descriptive of the two posers wouldn't you say. Now the Hillerator and the Donald weren't the only "charlatans" performing in these spectacles and here I point to some of the Dems at the convention who have been passed off as progressives. Of course that begins with "Bernie", "charlatan" extraordinare who in April stated Hillary was "unqualified" to be president but now three months later "he intends to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States". How's that for deceiving his followers. Then there was Elizabeth Warren saying "Hillary will fight to hold big banks accountable". Sorry I almost choked on that one. Apparently to Warren Hillary taking all that scratch from talks at Goldman Sachs doesn't qualify, she'll still fight to hold the big banks accountable. Of course how silly of me. Former Congressman Barney Frank-he of the "Dodd Frank" law that was supposedly enacted to contain Wall Streets' excesses- is now a Wall Street executive. Cashing in now are you Barney? Frank blasted "Bernie or Bust"ers who vowed not to vote for Clinton saying in an LGBT caucus it was his "special mission" to get Sanders supporters to vote for Clinton. Hearing this they walked out. Good for them. Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont and 2004 primary candidate for the Democrat nomination spoke of Hillary's "poised and persistent" fight for expanded health care- Medicare for all not mentioned- and "she's going to win in Colorado, and in Iowa, and North Carolina, and Michigan and Florida and then we're going to the White House". Thank you Howard for those "screaming" insights. Then there was the biggest "charlatan" of all, Bill Clinton extolling his wife's virtues as a mother to daughter Chelsea t saying, "My experience is it's a pretty good thing to follow her advice". Oh you go "slick Willy". Recalling his "I smoked marijuana but I didn't inhale" retort in his 1992 campaign pretty much sealed the deal about "slick Willy" being the "charlatan" he was then and continues to be now. That he still seems to hold sway with people of color is mind boggling but a testament to his deceitful "I feel your pain" character. But there are politicos who are the real deal as in Jill Stein soon to be the Green Party's nominee for president and before her Ralph Nader to name two whose integrity was never compromised in their run for the presidency. It's sad that politicos with integrity have no chance being elected, much less nominated in our two party duopoly. That's because the two major parties are beyond redemption, incapable of reform and only a truly independent 3rd party, rejecting corporate largesse control could transform and overturn the current corrupt electoral system now exclusively in the hands of the two major parties. Maybe it's begun with the Green Party and Jill Stein particularly if she can garner enough votes in the November election to truly be on the future electoral radar because Hillary or Trump will only make matters worse domestically and internationally. The question remains can we survive the machinations of either "charlatan" in the oval office? -- The Endless Menace of Imaginary Hobgoblins -- After scrutinizing any number of analyses of the recently released Chilcot Inquiry Report -- the long awaited 'post-mortem' of U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to support the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq in 2003 and relieve its leader Saddam Hussein from the burdens of power -- one could not help recalling Henry L Mencken's indelible maxim: 'The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.' Without doubt, as so often happens with these things, we were all menaced with a plethora of 'imaginary hobgoblins' in the lead up to the war, not least the specter of "mushroom clouds", along with chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the possession of a rogue state led by a maniacal despot with Hitlerian ambitions (shades of Godwin's Law, again) who was supporting terrorists, which by 'definition', were the same ones who were responsible for the 9/11 attacks. The existential dangers to liberty, democracy, peace and freedom were so palpable they simply could not be ignored. Or so the story went. As we now know, none of these had anything to do with the real reasons why the United States and Britain (and several other nations including my own Australia) embarked on this unmitigated war of aggression and fraudulent exercise in hegemonic overreach. And as might be expected, there was no shortage of commentators keen to provide their perspective on Chilcot, in everything from Blair's culpability in the decision and whether he should be charged with war crimes; [to] whether the Inquiry addressed the real reasons the "Coalition of the Willing" actually went to war; [to] why other countries concerned (not least the U.S. itself, the instigator of the war) have not established their own commissions of inquiry; [to] what the implications of the findings are for all other countries involved -- directly or indirectly -- in supporting the decision. Much of the focus of said commentary seemed to center on the role of Blair (who drew the most flak from the 'opinionocracy'), and what his motives were in signing up for it in the first place. There were also the real and perceived inadequacies of the Report's findings, most of which focused on its failings to shed light on the real reasons for the war. On its face, the fallout for Blair personally and politically was considerable. In his address to the nation after the Report's release, the 'stunned mullet' look on his face -- to say little of his body language -- said much about the impact. Although not especially high in any event, his reputation and legacy are now in tatters. Yet somehow through all of it, Blair managed to resist suggestions he'd made the wrong call in lining up with U.S. President George Bush's belligerent 'bedlamites' on the side of war. Indeed, as we know, the man said he'd do it all over again. Say what you like about the estimable former UK premier, but he's doubtless a man of steadfast conviction. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). by Walter Brasch Hillary Rodham Clinton limped into the Democratic National Convention with enough pledged delegates to claim the Democrats' nomination for the presidency and enough hubris that forced her and her senior advisors to spend time and resources dealing with her own party rather than targeting Donald Trump. She had emerged from numerous Congressional hearings about Benghazi and the e-mail scandals with minimal or no culpability, but was sprayed by maximum venom by Trump, other Republican nominees for the presidency, and almost every conservative in the country who regularly watches Fox News and listens to partisan talk radio. Numerous polls had revealed about 58 percent of voters disliked both Clinton and Trump, with the numbers of voters favoring each of them trending downward. The Republican convention had been marked by a sharp division among Trump, Tea Party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and moderates who didn't like either of the last two remaining Republicans for their party's nomination. Many of Cruz's both ardent supporters were thinking about voting for Gary Johnson of the Libertarian party. The Democratic convention, which closed this past Thursday, was also marred by a major split. Clinton--a child and social justice advocate, First Lady, U.S. senator, and secretary of state--is seen as more conservative and less trustworthy than Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a Democratic Socialist who has led a major revolt against establishment politics and policies. During the primaries, he accumulated about 12 million votes and 1,894 delegates to Clinton's 16 million votes and 2,807 delegates. For much of the campaign, while Sanders was drawing as many as 20,000 to his rallies, and was broadening his appeal to those who wanted to follow his leadership on liberal issues, the national media gave him significantly less coverage than they gave to the Tweeting Trump. Three days before the convention, Clinton, who would become the nation's first female candidate from a major political party, announced that Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who had been chair of the Democratic National Committee, 2009--2011, was her choice as vice-president, angering the Sanders' supporters who saw Kaine as representing the established Democratic leadership. On the Sunday afternoon before the convention, a protest and a resignation furthered the division. The protest was carried out by more than 10,000 anti-fracking activists who marched a mile from City Hall to Independence Hall; the march was barely covered by the major national media. Clinton favors fracking as one part of an "all of the above" approach to energy exploration and delivery. Sanders is adamant there should be a ban on fracking and a greater push for renewable energy. The DNC platform committee closed some of the division between Sanders and Clinton's supporters by accepting or modifying some of what Sanders and his 12 million voters were fighting for, including a federal minimum living wage of $15 an hour, plans to break up large Wall Street banks, free tuition for most students attending public colleges, and several policies that would protect the environment and enhance medical coverage for citizens. The resignation was from Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the DNC chair who was caught in an e-mail scandal of her own. Among thousands of internal e-mails among Democratic politicians and senior staffers that were hacked, and then posted on Wikileaks, were those that had revealed a partisan campaign by DNC officials to discredit Sanders and to support Clinton. The release of the e-mails occurred three days earlier. The FBI said that cyber-tech experts hired by the DNC believed the hacking was done by Russians who preferred to deal with a Trump presidency. Trump, on the third night of the Democrats' convention, grabbed the media spotlight by suggesting Russia could hack into DNC and Clinton e-mails and make them available to the American citizens. A senior campaign aide hours later said Trump was being sarcastic. Trump's campaign staff had choreographed much of the Republican convention. Seeking to unify the party, they gave Cruz a speaking slot on the third night. Cruz, who was expected to endorse Trump, listened to his followers, spoke about Republican issues, did not endorse Trump, and told the 2,472 delegates they, and the nation's Republican voters, should "vote your conscience." There was only one day to counter the stinging rebuke by a large segment of the party that was divided before and during the convention, and is likely to remain divided for at least the next three months. The Democrats had learned a lesson. The liberal wing of a liberal party got prime-time speaking slots the first day of the convention. If there was any problem, it could be addressed the next three days and, hopefully, forgotten by Friday. Addressing the delegates during the prime-time first night, which carried the theme of "Unite Together," were Michelle Obama, Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.), all of whom enthusiastically praised Clinton, all of whom attacked Donald Trump, but didn't mention his name. Sanders, who had previously endorsed Clinton and spoke on her behalf the first night of the convention, had angered many of his followers who wanted him to defect to an independent race or, at the least, support Jill Stein, the Green Party's nominee. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). "Don't cry for us Syria".the truth is we shall never leave you!" Many Syrian youngsters vow never to abandon their country as they work to ease the suffering of others. (Photo 7/23/2016) (Image by Khaled Younis) Details DMCA Jablah, North Syria "Don't cry for us Syria" has recently become a motto/logo of sorts for many physically and psychologically brutalized youth around this ancient land. They are the youngsters who represent a new generation of Syrians, many of whom were born in this century. It is into their patriotic hands that the Syria's Torch has been passed. Amid all the dissension and fear-mongering surrounding refugees in the midst of a bloody civil/proxy war, many of Syria's youth are focused on helping fellow Syrians. As much of the rest of the world seemingly passes its time pontificating and posturing in padded chairs and security councils, volunteers around Syria are risking their lives to help those in dire need and who are attempting to find safety. Many Syrian youngsters vow never to abandon their country as they work to ease the suffering of others. (Photo: Khaled Younis 7/23/2016) The war statistics from Syria are fairly well known. As are the dangers of Syria's youth heeding seductive Sirene calls to violence with offers of salaries and various perks and escapes from reality. The conflict here has, according to some NGO estimates, now claimed the lives of nearly half a million Syrians, out of a pre-war population of 22 million. More than 11 percent of the Syrian population is estimated to have been killed or injured. More than five million have fled the country while approximately 8 million are internally displaced. The UN estimates that nearly 12 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, more than six million being children ranging from infants to age 12. These distressing numbers rise every day and have left few Syrian families untouched as they carve a deep psychological scar on the population, none more so than upon the youth. One consequence from more five years of civil war in their country is the pulling of Syria's youth toward extremist groups due to myriad deprivations and personal traumas, loss of economic and educational opportunities, the destruction of infrastructure and spreading fighting; besieged areas, and much more. Youth unemployment now reaches nearly 90 percent in some areas of the country with no end in sight for this conflict. These factors, more than ideology cause many youth to join extremist groups such that many male adolescents end up joining armed groups for lack of a better option and for some income. Many Syrian adolescents, who this observer has had the honor to meet, have experienced terrible psychological traumas, like losing family members and other conflict-related tragedies. The widely reported increase in the use of drugs and alcohol among adolescents, as a coping measure in the face of hardship, is a point of concern when it comes to the health of young Syrians. The financial resources of most Syrian families have become so limited, it is to the point that fathers cannot provide for their families and increasingly marry their daughters off prematurely. Where male mobility is hindered by security concerns, females may be the sole family support. Looking for basic necessities such as food, fuel and water, they often end up waiting in line for hours to receive relief assistance. Fragmentation of family structure, tensions due to the economic situation, contrasting political views, exposure to sectarianism, and tribal conflict often result in a rise of adolescents' insecurity and fear, a wish for rebellion, feelings of hatred, and radical thinking that can have potentially long-lasting results on their future and Syria's. This trend is particularly evident in areas where sectarian and tribal conflicts are widespread. At the same time, adolescents reveal great determination to improve lives here. Despite fearing for their lives as well as the lives of loved ones, Syria's youth are today exhibiting extraordinary resilience and freely discuss with foreigners, various strategies that would help them and their fellow citizens. Foremost is the need felt by youngsters for the return of security and peace in the country for their parents and the overall community. Paralyzing fear and extreme sadness resulting from the war permeates every discussion with Syria youngsters who see the end of the conflict as the only hope for a better future. One youngster in the Wadi al Nasra (Valley of the Christian) near Homs, explained, "We do not know what is coming. We have a very long, painful road ahead but I know that our involvement change our country's course." For this observer, some surprising reactions among Syria's youth include a strong rejection of the forces inside and outside of Syria who seek to manipulate religions and sects for political purposes. Student's frankness and detailed knowledge expressed is encouraging given their resistance to confessional political manipulation. It gives one hope for this country's future. Syrian youth generally want no part of turning sects against one another and vow that after this war ends Syria will embrace all her people whether they are believers or not and with a blind eye to what sect or religion someone belongs to. "This is who we are as a people, two medical students explained to this observer, this is our heritage and our values and we shall return to them and hopefully learn from this ugly experience that distorted us and gave the world the wrong impression of who we are." Syrian adolescents are also calling for more opportunities to actively help their community and the people most severely affected by the situation, through volunteering and joining charities and relief organizations. According to a UNICEF survey of last year, roughly 60 percent of the interviewed adolescents would like to engage in activities, especially in relief work and related trainings (e.g., first aid), and recreational and cultural activities for their countrymen. There is currently a serious shortage of centers available at key locations. Their strength and resilience comes from the love and support of parents and friends; from the community that shares their fate and the inspiring example of relief workers who devote their time to helping others as well as from within themselves and from their desire for a better future. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from Consortium News Defense Secretary Leon Panetta with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at NATO conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 4 (Image by (Official Defense Department photo)) Details DMCA As Hillary Clinton begins her final charge for the White House, her advisers are already recommending air strikes and other new military measures against the Assad regime in Syria. The clear signals of Clinton's readiness to go to war appears to be aimed at influencing the course of the war in Syria as well as U.S. policy over the remaining six months of the Obama administration. (She also may be hoping to corral the votes of Republican neoconservatives concerned about Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy.) Last month, the think tank run by Michele Flournoy, the former Defense Department official considered to be most likely to be Clinton's choice to be Secretary of Defense, explicitly called for "limited military strikes" against the Assad regime. And earlier this month Leon Panetta, former Defense Secretary and CIA Director, who has been advising candidate Clinton, declared in an interview that the next president would have to increase the number of Special Forces and carry out air strikes to help "moderate" groups against President Bashal al-Assad. (When Panetta gave a belligerent speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, he was interrupted by chants from the delegates on the floor of "no more war!" Flournoy co-founded the Center for New American Security (CNAS) in 2007 to promote support for U.S. war policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then became Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the Obama administration in 2009. Flournoy left her Pentagon position in 2012 and returned to CNAS as Chief Executive Officer. She has been described by ultimate insider journalist David Ignatius of the Washington Post, as being on a "short, short list" for the job Secretary of Defense in a Clinton administration. Last month, CNAS published a report of a "Study Group" on military policy in Syria on the eve of the organization's annual conference. Ostensibly focused on how to defeat the Islamic State, the report recommends new U.S. military actions against the Assad regime. Flournoy chaired the task force, along with CNAS president Richard Fontaine, and publicly embraced its main policy recommendation in remarks at the conference. She called for "using limited military coercion" to help support the forces seeking to force President Assad from power, in part by creating a "no bombing" zone over those areas in which the opposition groups backed by the United States could operate safely. In an interview with Defense One , Flournoy described the no-bomb zone as saying to the Russian and Syrian governments, "If you bomb the folks we support, we will retaliate using standoff means to destroy [Russian] proxy forces, or, in this case, Syrian assets." That would "stop the bombing of certain civilian populations," Flournoy said. In a letter to the editor of Defense One , Flournoy denied having advocated "putting U.S. combat troops on the ground to take territory from Assad's forces or remove Assad from power," which she said the title and content of the article had suggested. But she confirmed that she had argued that "the U.S. should under some circumstances consider using limited military coercion -- primarily strikes using standoff weapons -- to retaliate against Syrian military targets" for attacks on civilian or opposition groups "and to set more favorable conditions on the ground for a negotiated political settlement." Renaming a "No-Fly" Zone The proposal for a "no bombing zone" has clearly replaced the "no fly zone," which Clinton has repeatedly supported in the past as the slogan to cover a much broader U.S. military role in Syria. 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 29, 2016: The twentieth century was filled with nightmares: World War I and World War II and the Cold War. After World War I ended, Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) emerged as a literary force and cultural icon of hypermasculinity for many American men in Tom Brokaw's so-called "greatest generation" that emerged victorious in World War II and dominated the Cold War era -- such as President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). Hypermasculinity may be manifested as hostile sexism or as ambivalent sexism. Hemingway perfected his terse style of expression in his short stories and his famous novels The Sun Also Rises (1926), A Farewell to Arms (1929), and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). In the new book Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway's Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises (2016), the American journalist Lesley M. M. Blume details Hemingway's emergence as a novelist. She explains how he listened attentively in Paris in the early 1920s to the American authors Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) and Ezra Pound (1885-1972) tutor him about writing. Blume also details how the American authors Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) helped promote Hemingway's writing. In the book Tough, Sweet & Stuffy: An Essay on Modern American Prose Style (1966), Walker Gibson (1919-2009) in English at New York University discusses how influential Hemingway's tough-talk style became by 1966. For later American examples of tough-talkers, see Tom Wolfe's book The Right Stuff (1979). For an equally spare style of writing the English language but without the tough-talk style characteristic of Hemingway, see the Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe's novels Things Fall Apart (1958) and No Longer at Ease (1960). But make no mistake about it, Donald J. Trump is a tough-talker, as Gibson describes tough-talkers. By contrast, Hillary Rodham Clinton tends toward being a stuffy-talker, as Gibson describes stuffy-talkers. More to the point, Blume provides detailed information about the actual events and people portrayed in Hemingway's breakthrough 1926 novel. As the main title of her book suggests, everybody behaved badly. In the epilogue (pages 224-237), Blume provides us with biographical information about each person's life after Hemingway's 1926 novel was published. Now, in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States, so-called "second wave" feminism emerged as a significant cultural movement to counter the kind of hypermasculinity that Hemingway represented. But second-wave feminists sparked significant resistance in anti-60s conservatives -- resistance that is still strong in certain white men today who support the Republican Party's presidential candidate in 2016, Donald J. Trump. But the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in 2016, Hillary Rodham Clinton (born in 1947), was part of the second-wave feminist movement. So Blume's book is timely. The American Jesuit cultural historian and theorist Walter J. Ong (1912-2003) perceptively analyzes hypermasculinity in men in his brilliant book Fighting for Life: Contest, Sexuality, and Consciousness (1981), the published version of his 1979 Messenger Lectures at Cornell University. In his widely cited 1975 PMLA article "The Writer's Audience is Always a Fiction," Ong also discusses Gibson's book and Hemingway's style. Ong's article is reprinted in An Ong Reader: Challenges for Further Inquiry (2002, pages 405-427). "[T]he return of this information to the public marks my end," Edward Snowden told the Washington Post's Barton Gellman prior to telling that public -- under the auspices of several journalists and publications -- about the NSA's PRISM program and other horrors of the modern American surveillance state. Snowden did indeed suffer for his good deeds: These days he lives in exile in Russia, awaiting a day when he might return home to some fate other than life in a prison cell at the hands of the criminals whose misdeeds he exposed. It's a shame to see Snowden picking a public fight with Wikileaks, an organization dedicated to a similar mission whose leader, Julian Assange, himself suffers a form of exile in Ecuador's London embassy (one of his sources, American political prisoner Chelsea Manning, has it worse: She's serving a 35-year sentence in Leavenworth for her heroism in exposing US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan). On July 28, Snowden took Wikileaks to task via Twitter: "Democratizing information has never been more vital, and @Wikileaks has helped," he wrote. "But their hostility to even modest curation is a mistake." Presumably Snowden's ire applies to previous Wikileaks operations such as "Collateral Murder" and "Cablegate," not just to this last week's uncensored dumps of emails exposing the internal workings of Turkey's government and of the US Democratic National Commitee. The Wikileaks response (presumably tweeted by Assange) dripped vinegar: "Opportunism won't earn you a pardon from Clinton & curation is not censorship of ruling party cash flows." I hesitate to criticize Snowden, or to impute to him the motives implied in the Wikileaks response. The sacrifices he's made command a great deal of respect from those of us who value truth and transparency. Nonetheless, Wikileaks is right and Snowden is wrong here. Good and honest motives or not, Snowden and the journalists who help him disseminate "curated" selections from the information in his possession have set themselves up as little governments. They're not "return[ing] this information to the public" which theoretically owns it. They're merely parceling out the information THEY'VE decided it's OK for the public to have. But the the NSA and the US State Department do the same thing. Snowden and friends differ from those organizations merely on content selection criteria, not on the principles involved. Snowden and Assange both serve the public. But only one of them seems to actually trust that public. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. A couple years ago we featured drone footage shot above Los Angeles, New York, London, Bangkok, and Mexico City, the sort of metropolises that rank among the greatest works of modern man. But the pilot-photographers of small, unmanned, camera-bearing aircraft have produced equally fascinating visual revelations of the great works of not-so-modern-man. Just above, for instance, we have a drone flyover of the Nubian pyramids of Meroe, Sudan. You can see more such footage at National Geographic, whose engineer Alan Turchik has taken his own quadcopter out there. The part of the site that draws the most attention is the underground burial chamber of a Nubian king who conquered Egypt in 715 B.C., writes National Geographics Nora Rappaport. She quotes Turchik on the benefits of his chosen photographic technology, which allows him to fly over and gain this connection between all the other burial sites, between the pyramid and the temple, and get an understanding of what that is from the air. That holds just as true for other sites of interest, such as the famous pyramids of Giza, captured just above by a traveler-drone photographer from China. (Flying drones in Egypt, we should note, has recently become a more difficult proposition; an enthusiast called Izzy Drones made a video on the complexities of his own mission to shoot the pyramids last year.) Just as youll visit the pyramids if you take a trip to Cairo, youll visit the pyramids if you take a trip to Mexico City but the pyramids of the still-impressive, still-mysterious ancient city of Teotihuacan. Helicopters illegally fly over this area for foreign dignitaries, but we were told we might be the first to have filmed the pyramids with a drone, writes the uploader of the video just above. He and his collaborators shot it early one morning for a Boston University research project on what the ruins of a pre-Aztec metropolis can teach us about todays cities. History and urbanism buffs alike will want to read the accompanying article, but even just a glance at these clips tells you one thing for sure: whether old and long-ruined or relatively new and thriving, every city looks good from above. Related Content: A Haunting Drones-Eye View of Chernobyl Auschwitz Captured in Haunting Drone Footage (and a New Short Film by Steven Spielberg & Meryl Streep) A Beautiful Drones Eye View of Antarctica A Drones Eye View of Los Angeles, New York, London, Bangkok & Mexico City The Best Drone Cinema in the World Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities and culture. Hes at work on a book about Los Angeles, A Los Angeles Primer, the video series The City in Cinema, the crowdfunded journalism project Where Is the City of the Future?, and the Los Angeles Review of Books Korea Blog. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall or on Facebook. Southeast Asia Data Center Cooling Market Analysis, Trend, Growth Size, Share and Forecast Research Report 2016-2020 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=724217 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=724217 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Data Center Cooling Market in Southeast Asia 2016-2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Cooling solutions help lower the heat generated by IT equipment housed in data centers. Many computer room air conditioning (CRAC) and computer room air handling (CRAH) units are operated in data centers, including air conditioners, chillers, cooling towers, economizers, humidifiers, and modern containment systems that furnish rack cooling. These cooling units use air and liquid cooling techniques. The cooling process accounts for 40% of the electricity consumed in data centers. Vendors are inventing and testing many cooling methods to reduce the operating expenditure (OPEX) associated with data centers.Technavios analysts forecast the data center cooling market in Southeast Asia to grow at a CAGR of 16.11% during the period 2016-2020.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the data center cooling market in Southeast Asia for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the investments made in new data centers and the renovation of existing ones.The market is divided into the following segments, by country:SingaporeMalaysiaThailandIndonesiaOthersNew report, Data Center Cooling Market in Southeast Asia 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsBlack Box Network ServicesEatonEmerson Network PowerGeistRittalSchneider ElectricSTULZOther prominent vendors3MAlfa LavalBeldenClimateWorxColtDaikinData Aireebm-papstFuji ElectricHuaweiMuntersPentairTraneTripp-LiteWakefield-Vette (Coolcentric)Market driverIncreased demand for efficient cooling solutionsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeChallenges related to adaptabilityFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendConstruction of green data centersFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ IT Market In South Africa Will Grow At A CAGR Of 9.06 % Over The Period 2014-2019 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=275615 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=275615 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "IT Market in South Africa 2015-2019" to its huge collection of research reports.IT can be defined as an integrated platform that includes hardware, software, and IT services. The role of IT in an organization is to integrate various business processes and thus ensure smooth flow of information and processes. They also help organizations to align their business processes with various technologies and improve the overall efficiency.TechNavio's analysts forecast the IT market in South Africa to grow at a CAGR of 9.06 percent over the period 2014-2019.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Covered in this reportThis report covers the overview of IT market in South Africa. The report also includes market segmentation by its products: hardware, software, and services.New report, IT Market in South Africa 2015-2019, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes the profiles of key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsAccentureDimension DataGijimaGoogleHPIBMMicrosoftSAPOther prominent vendors3MAcerAegis GroupAgility Global Health SolutionsAppleBytes Healthcare SolutionsCapgeminiCernerCisco SystemsCSCDatatecDellEMCEnsign SolutionEOHGE HealthcareHutspaceInfosage Ghana LimitedIntelIntersystemsNetappNitsakOraclePamojaPhilips HealthcareRackspaceRoche GroupSage GroupSalesforceSekunjalo HealthcareSiemens HealthcareSoftlineSymantecTIBCO SoftwareTrifour HealthcareT-Systems Enterprise ServicesVerizon CommunicationsVMwareMarket driverIncreased government initiativesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeHigh attrition rateFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendIncreased adoption of cloud computingFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2019 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Global Semiconductor Packaging Materials Market 2016 Analysis, Research, Trends, Growth and Forecast 2021 Semiconductor Packaging Materials http://goo.gl/PYehLt http://goo.gl/Wp8sji Global Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry 2016The report provides a basic overview of Semiconductor Packaging Materials industry including definitions, applications and industry chain structure. Global market analysis and Chinese domestic market analysis are provided with a focus on history, developments, trends and competitive landscape of the market. A comparison between the international and Chinese situation is also offered.Global Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry Research Report 2016 also focuses on development policies and plans for the industry as well as a consideration of a cost structure analysis. Capacity production, market share analysis, import and export consumption and price cost production value gross margins are discussed.Browse Full Report With TOC @A key feature of this report is it focus on major industry players, providing an overview, product specification, product capacity, production price and contact information for Global Top15 companies. This enables end users to gain a comprehensive insight into the structure of the international and Chinese Semiconductor Packaging Materials industry. Development proposals and the feasibility of new investments are also analyzed. Companies and individuals interested in the structure and value of the Semiconductor Packaging Materials industry should consult this report for guidance and direction.The report begins with a brief overview of the Global Semiconductor Packaging Materials market and then moves on to evaluate the key trends of the market. The key trends shaping the dynamics of the Global Semiconductor Packaging Materials market have been scrutinized along with the related current events, which is impacting the market. Drivers, restraints, opportunities, and threats of the Global Semiconductor Packaging Materials market have been analyzed in the report. Moreover, the key segments and the sub-segments that constitutes the market is also explained in the report.Get Free Sample @Table of ContentsChapter One Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry Overview1.1 Semiconductor Packaging Materials Definition(Product Picture and Specifications)1.2 Semiconductor Packaging Materials Classification and Application1.3 Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry Chain Structure1.4 Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry Overview1.5 Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry History1.6 Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry Competitive Landscape1.7 Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry International and China Development ComparisonChapter Two Semiconductor Packaging Materials Market Data Analysis2.1 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Price List2.2 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Gross Margin List2.3 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Capacity and Market Share List2.4 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Production and Market Share List2.5 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Production Value and Market Share ListChapter Three Semiconductor Packaging Materials Technical Data Analysis3.1 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Product Quality List3.2 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Product Line Capacity and Commercial Production Date3.3 2016 Manufacturing Base(Factory) Global Regional Distribution3.4 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials R&D Status and Technology Sources3.5 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Equipment Investment and Performance3.6 2016 Global Key Manufacturers Semiconductor Packaging Materials Raw Materials Sources AnalysisChapter Four Semiconductor Packaging Materials Government Policy and News4.1 Government Related Policy Analysis4.2 Industry News Analysis4.3 Semiconductor Packaging Materials Industry Development TrendAbout Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803 Influx Rebel CT for CAN-Based Vehicle Recording Influx Rebel CT Vehicle Data Loggers www.DataLoggerInc.com www.dataloggerinc.com All-in-One Dataloggers Record Right out of the Box!CAS DataLoggers offers the Influx Rebel CT vehicle datalogger, a new all-in-one vehicle datalogger for CAN vehicular data collection applications. Now users can capture real-time data including Temperature, RPM, Brake and Throttle settings, Latitude/Longitude, Speed, and more. Rebel CT loggers record vehicle network and sensor data for extended periods without any user interaction. Call our Applications Specialists at (800) 956-4437 today!Influx Rebel series dataloggers provide a flexible and affordable communications interface for in-vehicle electronic modules. Utilizing multiple high-speed microprocessors, these CAN-based vehicle data loggers can simultaneously capture data from 3 different CAN sources with additional sensor options available.Offering a complete solution for vehicle network and sensor data, the new Rebel CT records vehicle data such as temperature, speed and pressure. All Rebel series loggers are compact and robust. Setup is easy with no need to write complex scripts so users can begin monitoring in minutes! The datalogger can also be used to collect raw CAN messages in a Listen Only mode.The Rebel CT vehicle datalogger is available in three models: Rebel CT Standard For applications which dont require a lot of external instrumentation Rebel CT Analog Enabling up to two H-Box instrumentation ports Rebel CT FlexRay Combines FlexRay, additional CAN channels, LIN, and an external H-Box instrumentation portThe Rebel CT is also equipped for Ethernet (LAN) communication and supports SDHC card data storage, with the SD card securely housed behind a flap panel. It is packaged in a robust IP68 enclosure and can be expanded to include GPS, accelerometer, WiFi, and 3G Modem. Users can also opt for a 1kHz internal XYZ accelerometer (+/-16G max), a K-Box, and a dash display.Features: 3x CAN buses 1x K-Line 4x digital I/O channels 4x analog input channels Ethernet (LAN) SDHC card data storage Dust and splash proof cover SD card securely housed behind a flap panelOEM Engineering Data Acquisition:The Rebel family of data loggers are also ideal for OEM vehicle and powertrain calibration engineering. The high-speed sampling rates acquire internal ECU parameters. Advanced protocols support CCP/xCP and UDS fast data acquisition, making the Rebel an ideal tool to support engineering projects.H-Box:The H-Box offers a simple solution to integrate external vehicle sensors with vehicle network data. It does this by connecting the Rebel instrumentation ports to the H-Box which has 7 BNC connectors for the analog input and up to 8 thermocouple inputs.The H-Box is ideal for applications where there is a smaller limit to the number of external sensors required (maximum of 14 Analog inputs and 16 Thermocouple inputs).Network Analyzer and Diagnostics:Module Analyzer is a 5-in-1 easy-to-use CAN bus analyzer with the following features: Automotive OBD ISO15765 Scan tool and J1939 functions Automotive UDS support ISO14229 Integrated ODX/MDX editor CAN and LIN BUS monitoring via DBC/LDF files Data acquisition and loggingThe Module Analyzer Plus version is enabled for module reprogramming and supports Pass Thru J2534 compatible devices.For more info on the new Rebel CT vehicle datalogger, additional Influx products, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS Data Logger Applications Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or visit our website atComputer Aided Solutions, LLC. dba CAS Data Loggers is a distributor of data loggers, paperless recorders and data acquisition equipment.CAS DataLoggers, Inc.8437 Mayfield Rd.Chesterland, Ohio 44026(440) 729-2570(800) 956-4437sales@dataloggerinc.com Waterproofing Membrane Market Global Industry Analysis Report, Share, Size, Growth, Price Trends and Forecast, 2015 2022: Global Market Insights, Inc. https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/waterproofing-membrane-market-size https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/173 The global waterproofing membrane market size is predicted to touch 32300 million square meters by end of the forecast period and is predicted to register CAGR of 6.6%. Increasing use of waterproofing membrane in mines along with growing mining activities is predicted to promote the growth of the industry during forecast period. Further, low production cost and cost efficacy are key growth aspects of the industry.In 2013, Sika AG acquired the firms like Texsa India Limited, JM Texsa and S.A. de CV of Mexico. These firms were the leading waterproofing membrane producers for roofing industry. It also acquired firms like Douro-Moza and Axson technologies in 2015. These acquisitions will help Sika to further speed its growth strategy in evolving markets.Browse Full Market Research Report on, Waterproofing Membrane Market Size By Application (Sheet Membrane, Liquid Applied Membrane), By End-Use (Building Structures, Roofing, Walls, Landfills & Tunnels), By Product (Polymers, Polymer Modified Cement, Bitumen), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2015 2022, please click on the link below:Danosa, one of the key manufacturers of the waterproofing products, had acquired Cefil UK & Nord Bitumi UK and brought more innovations with single point waterproofing services offered by the globally trusted brand to its customers.In 2014, RPM international Incorporation had acquired Betumat Quimica Ltda, a Brazil based firm producing waterproofing products, with yearly sales of about $ 22 million. This has helped it to increase its geographical presence and industry share in worlds most growing economies.The global waterproofing membrane market is segmented into key geographical regions including North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe and MEA.Europe waterproofing membrane market was the biggest contributor to the total revenue share of the industry in 2014 and contributed more than $ 1800 million. Growing concerns about waste & water management is predicted to drive the demand for waterproofing membrane technology in Europe. Heavy demand from countries like Russia, Germany, France and Italy are predicted to contribute towards the growth of the industry in Europe.Asia Pacific is predicted to grow significantly during forecast period owing to the infrastructural growth in the region.North America is predicted to experience heavy demand during the forecast period due to growing activities in construction & mining sectors in the region. Further, it is anticipated to observe rapid growth due to rising business expansions, growing mergers & acquisitions between key players and new product launches by industry players of the region.US waterproofing membrane market size contributed greater than 20% of the overall demand for 2014. It is predicted to experience moderate gains of more than 5.5% by 2022. Growing crude oil production in Middle East is predicted to drive the growth of the industry in future.Key industry players profiled in the report include: Carlisle Companies Incorporation LLC BASF SE Firestone Building Products Company LLC Fairmate Chemicals Private Limited GSE Environmental GAF Materials Corporation Soprema Group Cangzhou Jiansheng Building Waterproof Material Company Limited Sika AG W.R. Grace & Company Johns Manville Firestone Building Products Company The Dow Chemical Company Weifang Chenhua Waterproof Company Limited A.D. Global Synergies Private Limited Polymer Technologies PTE Limited Kemper System America Incorporation Paul Bauder GmbH & Company. KG CICO Technologies Limited Bayer MaterialScience AG Renolit SE Juta A.S. Saint-Gobain Weber GmbH Pidilite Industries Limited DuPont Fosroc Limited Maris Polymers Isomat S.ADownload a sample copy of this report:Global Market Insights offers in-depth and exhaustive off the shelf market research reports to enable clients to access accurate and granular data, along with penetrative business insights. At their core, these reports include a quality market forecast, forged using a robust research methodology and are designed for use across multiple disciplines and industries including chemicals, advanced materials, renewable energy, technology, biochemistry and biotechnology.29L Atlantic Avenue, Suite L 105 An alternative social media concept for connecting music artists and their fans is brought to market by Metis Partners RifTalk logo A unique social media concept connecting aspiring musicians with their fans, and helping music-lovers discover new music, is being brought to market by Metis Partners, the award-winning commercial intellectual property consulting firm specialists in the sale of intellectual property (IP) assets.The RifTalk concept envisions a space where bands can share their music with their fans in an interactive environment, with fans able to engage with their favourite up-and-coming musicians.The IP assets of RifTalk have been prepared for a UK and worldwide marketing campaign by Metis Partners on the instruction of Ryan Davies and Brian Baker of Kingston Smith & Partners, the Joint Liquidators of the company.Assets linked to the Riftalk sale include the registered RifTalk trade mark, goodwill rights in the RifTalk logo, domain names, user feedback from an initial trial, and organisational knowledge. The sale of RifTalk also includes the rights in the unregistered trade mark for companys the Rif dollar (Rif$) cryptocurrency brand, a similar concept to the successful virtual currency BitCoin. The Rif$ concept can be used for a number of purchases including merchandise, music downloads and access to live streaming of events.The opportunity is expected to be of considerable interest to those operating in the areas of media and social media, the music industry, online broadcasting, music/video streaming, events organisation, telecommunications, advertising and application and software development.The sale also reaffirms Metis Partners position as a leader in the sale of intellectual property assets and brands, following on from the successful marketing of the intellectual property assets of companies including WeeWorld and Blinkbox.Nat Baldwin of Metis Partners, who is co-ordinating the marketing process for the RifTalk assets, said: "This is a unique opportunity to purchase the intellectual property assets behind an enterprising company known for its alternative social media concept, and designed to connect unsigned artists from all genres with their fans."RifTalk envisioned that artists and fans could build their own profiles incorporating pictures, videos and biographies, as well as interact with, and follow, a number of different users."All offers should be submitted directly to Metis Partners by noon on Thursday, August 4, 2016.For further information, contact Morven Fraser at morven@metispartners.com or call 0141 353 3011.Issued by Michael Crawford at Blueprint Media, 0141 353 1515.Date: 28th July 2016Metis Partners is an award-winning commercial intellectual property consulting firm specialists in the sale of intellectual property (IP) assets.Metis Partners33 Lynedoch St,GlasgowG3 6AAe: morven@metispartners.comt: 0141 353 3011. Novotech Technologies Announces Availability of Digi Connect Sensor Now available at Novotech... https://novotech.com/Products/modems-routers-rtus/digi/connect-sensor www.novotech.com Wireless Sensor Monitoring Solution for No or Low Power Locations Expands Sensor-Based Remote Monitoring Capabilities without Adding InfrastructureOttawa, ON, July 28, 2016 Novotech Technologies, a distributor of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) products, services and solutions, today announced it has begun distributing Digi Connect Sensor, a battery-powered, enterprise-ready, cellular gateway solution for wireless connectivity at locations with either no power or low power. In offering a plug-and-play solution, Connect Sensor allows for remote sensor monitoring to be deployed in environments previously considered too harsh, remote or not economically viable.Digi Connect Sensor key features include: Flexible power source options: Features a long-lasting, non-rechargeable battery with two to three-year average life, sleep mode to conserve power between sensor readings and the option to power from an external source using the internal battery as backup power. As a result, users have the flexibility to make the device self-powered, or take advantage of existing power supplies, including solar. Cellular choice: For global connectivity, Connect Sensor is available in 3G HSPA+ with 2G fallback. North American users can also choose an LTE CAT 1 version. Supports LTE CAT 1: With support for LTE CAT 1, the band specifically created for IoT and M2M communications, Connect Sensor devices are highly efficient, require less power and are optimized for data transfer. Sensor variety and flexibility: Multiple I/O options and simultaneous connections offer solution flexibility to address multiple sensor-based environments. Connect Sensor can work with virtually any 4/20mA, Analog Out, Digital Out or Pulsed Output sensor, and can power multiple external sensors, eliminating the need for external supplies or batteries. Enterprise-grade security: Security may be implemented at the device, transport and platform level. Appropriate for harsh environments: Features weather-proof NEMA 4 enclosure to protect sensors from the elements, as well as ATEX Group 2 and UL Class 1 Division 2 ratings. Increased awareness and customized reporting: Integration with Digi Device Cloud provides visibility and centralized management for all Connect Sensor devices; Device Cloud also serves as the platform for sensor data collection. Increased levels of customization: Configurable read/report intervals and customizable alarms provide alerts when sensor value is above or below threshold levels.For more on availability, information and specifications on Digi Connect Sensor visit:Through strategic partnerships with many of the worlds most advanced Machine-to-Machine (M2M) / Internet of Things (IoT) manufacturers, Novotech Technologies is a leading distributor of M2M/IoT products, services and solutions. To produce tangible outcomes that include reduced costs, optimized fleets/workforces, improved productivity and enhanced customer service, Novotechs comprehensive portfolio of M2M/IoT solutions cellular, GPS and satellite enable immediate communication, tracking and reporting in a wide range of applications. Established in 2001, Novotech is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, with offices throughout Canada and the United States.| @NovotechM2MNovotech Technologies57 Iber Road, Unit 2Ottawa, ONK2S 1E7 Virtual And Augmented Reality Market Is Gaining Impetus From Rising Demand In m-Commerce Industry http://bit.ly/1U3qaLE http://bit.ly/1UKPqsx http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Virtual and Augmented Reality Market: OverviewDespite taking longer than usual to evolve into a mainstream consumer product, upcoming augmented reality gadgets, which combine the virtual world with the real world through sophisticated devices, are forecast to emerge as a thriving business by 2024. Virtual reality (VR) technology has been existent for several years now and augmented reality (AR) has now emerged as an advanced variant of VR.Augmented reality provides a live direct or indirect view of the users real-world environment with elements that are augmented using computer-generated images and data. Virtual reality, also known as immersive multimedia, is a computer technology used to replicate an environment, real or imaginary, to simulate the viewers physical presence in a way that allows the viewer to interact with the environment.AR technology has been exhibiting ubiquitous growth in the world of smartphones featuring global positioning system (GPS) and a camera. These features allow users to experience technology beyond their imagination. The growth reported by the AR market has been incredible and in the last year it successfully penetrated the field of advanced learning and teaching technologies. Additionally, virtual and augmented reality technologies will be increasingly used in projects related to smart innovations in the coming years ahead.Free PDF Sample For Technological breakthroughs is @The report provides an executive-level blueprint of the global virtual and augmented reality market. It analyzes the strategic contribution of the novel technologies on the virtual and augmented reality market and provides refined forecasts pertaining to the markets growth prospects. It compiles valuable information pertaining to the applications of VR and AR and reviews the present business models that have been put into practice by the existing players. Opportunities in the market for the entry of new companies have been also evaluated in the report.Virtual and Augmented Reality Market: Key Trends and OpportunitiesThe global virtual and augmented reality market is segmented into AR and VR components and sensors, applications, technologies, and geographical segments. The market is gaining impetus from the introduction of the latest advances in Internet connectivity and computing technology. The growing application of AR and VR in the healthcare industry has been a crucial factor fuelling demand from the market.Market Insight of Virtual and Augmented Reality can be Viewed @Enterprises operating in the virtual and augmented reality market have also been capitalizing on rising consumer demand in the m-commerce industry. As the use of GPS and other advanced features in smartphones increases, the demand for virtual and augmented reality is anticipated to rise significantly in response. Apart from smartphones, the technology is also integrated in smart glasses and lenses, the demand for which has been increasing at a rapid pace over the past few years.Virtual and Augmented Reality Market: Region-wise OutlookThe major regional markets for virtual and augmented reality are Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW). Of these, the demand for AR and VR has been exceptionally high in Europe and North America. However, the growing demand for sophisticated gadgets and smartphones is poised to boost the demand for AR and VR technologies in the emerging countries in Asia Pacific and Rest of the World.Virtual and Augmented Reality Market: Competitive OutlookProfiles of companies such as Qualcomm Inc (the U.S.), Total Immersion (France), Vuzix Corporation (the U.S.), Metaio GmBH (Germany), Wikitude GmBH (Austria), and others are included in the report to present a holistic report on the prevailing competitive landscape.Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Advertisement (Ad) Blockers Market Driven By Need of Online Privacy http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13199 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/advertisement-blockers-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Advertisement (Ad) Blockers Market: OverviewOnline advertising is method of marketing through the use of Internet to convey promotional messages to users and it is done in such a way that is diverts the Internet users attention. Online advertisements comes in a variety of forms including banner ads, text ads, sponsored links, sponsored stories, pictures and animations, and sometimes in the form of pop-up windows employing an auto-play of audio or video.Most of the time these advertisements are disturbing, thus annoying the end users. Moreover, these advertisements also compel user to watch full screen video, while the user is browsing to read an article. Furthermore, these ads cost users money in terms of data usage. To ensure safety and sidestep such incidences consumers are now using ad blockers.Free PDF Sample -Advertisement blocking is also referred as advertisement filtering. It is the removal of any undesirable advertising content in a webpage by installing an appropriate web extension/plugin. Suitable extensions are available on all key web browsers, besides they are fast and easy to install. Some of these extensions are available open-source, while rest are available in the form of commercial projects. In early days these advertisement blockers were only compatible with desktop browsers; however, with the recent rise in the use of mobile device advertisement blockers have made their way to smartphones.Advertisement (Ad) Blockers Market: Growth Enablers and RestrainsOne of the major factors driving advertisement blockers market includes need for privacy, these advertisements are programmed to monitor users browsing activity. Most of the Internet users are not comfortable in sharing their browsing data to these anonymous publishers and hence to safeguard their privacy and to preserve user identity the advertisement blockers are becoming rapidly popular which is likely to support expansion of the market. Furthermore, a lot of irrelevant content appears through these advertisements, which users find annoying and hence it is another factor boosting the growth of this market. Additionally, to ensure security from criminal activities, advertisement blockers are in great demand. Criminals have a huge reach and through malicious software that encrypts data, they can demand for monetary returns, hence this is one of the key factors driving the market.Though advertisement blockers benefits users by reducing page load time it also results into broken links and disturbs the web browsers settings, thus affecting the entire user experience. This is one of the factors hindering the growth of ad blockers market.Full Report With Complete TOC -Advertisement blockers are threats for the online marketing companies, as advertising is the only source of revenue for them and blocking of advertisement badly affects the companys earning and often leads to loss in terms of money.Advertisement (Ad) Blockers Market: Key PlayersThe key players the advertisement blocker market include Eyeo GmbH, Ghostery, Inc., Adguard and uBlock Origin, and Privacy Badger (Developed by Electronic Frontier Foundation). In coming years with rising impact of machine learning technology and analytics the ad blocking quality is expected to improve.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Worldwide Mobile Health Apps and Solutions Market : Facts, Figures and Analytical Insights 2015 to 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3744 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3744 The mobile healthcare integrates the healthcare application in mobile technology for healthcare solutions. Mobile health apps and solutions help clinicians to document more accurate and complete records, improve productivity, access information, and communicate findings and treatments. Mobile health apps and solutions also help to improve health outcomes, reduce error rates and maintain low cost. As the awareness for healthy lifestyle is increasing the demand for continue monitoring of vital signs is increasing. Mobile health apps and solutions are mainly used for cardiac monitoring and fitness tracking to provide better patient care. Mobile solutions for healthcare streamline treatment processes and automate management systems. It also enables discharge of information, data and manpower. Mobile health apps and solutions help in making healthcare accessible in remote and isolated areas in less time. It also helps in accessing patients records anywhere and anytime to improve treatment outcomes. Mobile health apps and solutions market is segmented as paid healthcare apps and connected medical devices. Some of the connected medical devices are diabetes management device, multi-parameter tracker and cardiac monitoring device. Similarly, paid healthcare apps include healthcare apps, such as medication management, women health and sleep monitoring, and medical apps such as medical reference.North America dominates the global market for mobile health app and solutions due to increasing healthcare awareness of chronic disease management. Asia is expected to show high growth rates in the next five years in the global mobile health app and solutions market. China and India are expected to be the fastest growing mobile health app and solutions markets in Asia-Pacific region. Some of the key driving forces for mobile health app and solutions market in emerging countries are large pool of patients and rising government funding.Thinking about report: Please observe the beneath the hyperlinks to satisfy your necessities; Request for the Report sample :In recent times there is increased use of mobile health app and solutions due to increasing adoption of tablets and smart phones. Advanced connectivity to improve the quality of healthcare solutions, penetration of 3G and 4G network to provide continuous healthcare service and improved cost efficiency to support medical professionals are some of the key factors driving the growth for the global mobile health app and solutions market. In addition, increasing healthcare awareness of chronic disease management is also fuelling the growth of global mobile health app and solutions market. However, strict regulations and data insecurity during mobile transfer are some of the major factors restraining the growth for global mobile health app and solutions market. In addition, mobiles connected to medical devices also inhibit the growth of the global mobile healthcare app and solutions market.In-appropriate patient doctor proportion in underdeveloped countries and expansion in mhealth apps solution would develop opportunities for the global mobile health app and solutions market. However, rapid evolution of technologies could lead a challenge for global mobile health app and solutions market. Some of the trends for global mobile health app and solutions market are. Some of the major companies operating in the global mobile health app and solutions market are Philips Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Inc., Airstrip Technologies, Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, Smart Online, Inc., Cardionet, Inc., Omron Corporation, Aetna, Inc., Qualcomm, Inc. and Diversinet Corp.Request TOC (desk of content material), Figures and Tables of the report:Key geographies evaluated in this report are:North AmericaU.SCanadaEuropeFrance, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UKEastern EuropeCISAPACChinaIndiaJapanAustraliaOthersLatin AmericaArgentinaBrazilOthersKey features of this reportDrivers, restraints, and challenges shaping the Mobile Health Apps and Solutions market dynamicsLatest innovations and key events in the industryAnalysis of business strategies of the top playersMobile Health Apps and Solutions market estimates and forecasts(2015 -2021)About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Carboxylic Acids Market - Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2015 2021 http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/request-for-sample.html?flag=S&repid=78649 http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/market-analysis/carboxylic-acids-market.html http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com The report covers forecast and analysis for the Carboxylic Acids market on a global and regional level. The study provides historic data of 2015 along with a forecast from 2016 to 2021 based on volume and revenue (USD Million). The study includes drivers and restraints for the market along with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. Additionally, the report includes study of opportunities available in the Carboxylic Acids market on a global level.Get Free Sample Report @In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view on the Carboxylic Acids market, we have included a detailed competitive scenario, and product portfolio of key vendors. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters five forces model for the Carboxylic Acids market has also been included, strategic development along with patents analysis is included in this report. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, where in type segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.Acetic, Valeric, Isovaleric, Formic, Propionic, Butyric, Isobutyric, Citric, Caproic, Stearic, and Others are the major types of Carboxylic Acids. Carboxylic Acids finds widespread applications in Food & Beverages, Animal Feed, Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care & Cosmetics, Consumer Goods, Lubricants, and Other. All the segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends and the market is estimated from 2015 to 2021.The regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S. Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India and Brazil.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Celanese Corporation, BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Company, Eastman Chemical Company, and Jiangsu Sopo (Group) Co. Ltd.This report segments the Carboxylic Acids market as follows:Browse Full Report @Carboxylic Acids Market: Type Segment AnalysisAceticValericIsovalericFormicPropionicButyricIsobutyricCitricCaproicStearicOthersCarboxylic Acids Market: Applications Segment AnalysisFood & BeveragesAnimal FeedPharmaceuticalsPersonal Care & CosmeticsConsumer GoodsLubricantsOtherCarboxylic Acids Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaSyndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries includsing energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite: Demand for Aloe Vera Extracts to Reach 60,720 Tonnes in 2016 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-903 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-903 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/aloe-vera-extracts-market www.futuremarketinsights.com Aloe vera extracts are gaining traction as an essential ingredient in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, with global volume to surpass 60,720.4 tonnes in 2016 end, representing revenues worth US$ 1.6 Bn.Demand for aloe vera extracts for manufacturing aloe vera gels, cosmetics products, juices, and yogurts will continue its upward momentum in 2016 as well. The all-pervasive health and wellness trend will also boost positive sentiment on aloe vera, with wide-ranging applications in low-calorie fruit juice and packaged drinking water opening up new avenues of growth.Cosmetics, the largest end-use sector for aloe vera extracts, will account for over 45% of global demand in 2016, with annual volumes totalling 27,458.5 tonnes - an increase of 6% over 2015.Among all the product type segments, aloe vera whole leaf extracts will continue to grow at a relative higher rate, representing 41% volume share of the market in 2016. Global consumption of aloe vera whole leaf extracts will surpass 25,280.2 tonnes by 2016 - an increase of 6.2% in 2016 over 2015.Request Free Report Sample@Germany was the largest consumer of aloe vera extracts in 2015, with total consumption at 3,139.2 tonnes. It will further its lead as the largest market in 2016, witnessing a y-o-y volume increase of 5.3%. Demand will continue to grow at a healthy rate in Asia Pacific, where a rapidly growing middle class with increasing disposable income is making a steady shift to natural and organic products.Lily of the Desert Organic Aloeceuticals, Aloe Farms Inc., Terry Laboratories Inc., Foodchem International Corporation, Natural Aloe Costa Rica S.A., Pharmachem Laboratories Inc., Aloecorp Inc., and Aloe Laboratories Inc. are the market leaders identified across the value chain in the global aloe vera extracts landscape. The global aloe vera extracts market is highly fragmented, with the top eight players accounting for around 67% revenue share of the global market in 2015. Leading companies are looking to expand their production capacity and launch new product offerings in a bid to increase market share, expand customer base and achieve a competitive edge.Request For TOC@Long-term outlook: FMI maintains a positive long-term outlook on the global aloe vera extracts market, estimating global revenues to surpass US$ 3.3 Bn by 2026. Volume-wise, the global aloe vera extracts market is anticipated to expand at 7.4% CAGR through 2026.The excerpts of the FMI study, Aloe Vera Extracts Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016 - 2026, can be accessed atABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Energy Harvesting Market To Increase at Steady Growth Rate http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-58 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-58 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/global-energy-harvesting-market www.futuremarketinsights.com Energy harvesting refers to the integrated approach of collecting, storing and harnessing energy; primarily ambient energy for various applications under the purview of both on-demand and off-grid usage. Although a greener and efficient solution, energy harvesting is expensive in nature and is adopted only when other sources of energy are not approachable. However, it is imperative to understand that harvested energy is preferred on the basis of demand and not on the basis of supply or availability of the energy sources.Market segmentation of energy harvesting includes segmentation on the basis of different energy sources/fields, applications and geography. The major drivers of the global energy harvesting market include the growing need of end-use application segments, especially for the consumer segment, along with rapid technological advancements and relatively economical, efficient and greener solution offerings. Some of the key restraints of the global energy harvesting market include the technological uncertainty associated with off-grid and on-demand usage of energy harvesting-based technology, associated expensive nature and lack of awareness about energy harvesting usage among consumers. Although gaining popularity, energy harvesting technology is not yet applicable in all domains; particularly unsuitable for powering mesh wireless networks due to capacity to generate relatively low current. The nature and availability of abundant renewable sources of energy, especially ocean and tidal energy along with enhanced awareness programs and efficient methods can serve as a positive opportunity for the energy harvesting market at a global level.Request Free Report Sample@On the basis of different energy sources/fields, the energy harvesting market can be segmented as: radiation (solar, electromagnetic and light, etc.), mechanical (fluid, elastic, kinetic and potential), chemical (battery, fuel cells and phase change), nuclear, magnetic, electric, thermal and gravitational. The usability of these energy sources depends upon the location of the energy harvester and can be restricted to a specific application for a given location. Among these, energy harvesting using electric and magnetic fields is most common.On the basis of application, the energy harvesting market is segmented as: wireless sensor network (WSN), consumer electronics, industrial, building, bicycle dynamo, military & aerospace, automotive, healthcare and others (research, animals, farming, etc.). Among these, consumer electronics including mobile phones, wrist watches, calculators, piezoelectric gas lighters etc., cover the maximum share of the global energy harvesting market. This is followed by military & aerospace-based applications of energy harvesting. However, building and home automation is the fastest growing application in the energy harvesting sector. Also, energy harvesting is an integral part in a wireless sensor network these days. On the basis of geography, the energy harvesting market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Japan, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Middle East & Africa. Among these, Europe is the fastest growing market, followed by North America, APAC and other regions. In North America, the U.S. accounts for the maximum share; whereas, in APAC, Japan accounts for the largest market share of the energy harvesting market. The global energy harvesting market is expected to grow at a double-digit CAGR over the next six years.Request For TOC@Some prominent players in the energy harvesting market global waste to energy market include:, ABB Limited, Arveni, Enocean, Fujitsu, Green Peak Technologies, Honeywell International, Inc., Levant Power Corporation, Marlow Industries, Inc., Microchip Technology, Inc., MicroGen Systems, Maxim Integrated, G24 Innovations Limited, Texas Instruments Incorporated, ST Microelectronics, Silicon Laboratories, Inc., Siemens AG, POWERleap, Inc., Schneider Electric, Linear Technology, Microstrain and Micropelt. Besides these companies, engineers and researchers from various universities and research centres such as the University of Washington in Seattle have been actively engaged in research and development work for the updated and efficient technologies to be mapped with energy harvesting solutions. These researches can also be helpful to overcome the constraints associated with the energy harvesting industry at a global level.Browse Full Report@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Why Digital Marketing Strategy is Important for Business Growth by Abaxsoft Worldwide digitalization has empowered online marketing. It plays significant role in the growth of the business of the various enterprises rapidly by making the customers to reach their favorite brands easily. By digital marketing you can engage your clients, customers to your website by asking them to take part in the discussion of your services. They can purchase the items, rate them, give feedback and you can improve your services accordingly.Best thing you would ask for if you get the instant information about your What popularity. Yes, digital marketing has made this possible; it allows you to see real time progress. Digital marketing helps in brand development, by giving it more time and space to sell. The website which is well organized has quality content and fulfills the needs of your target audience grows explicitly. Social media also plays the vital role in publicity of your business. Digital marketing campaigns are easier than traditional marketing. It helps in developing cheaper marketing strategies.Leading the digital market we at AbaxSoft focus on building attractive and interactive websites so that customers cant scroll down without visiting your website. We at AbaxSoft believe in providing best services to clients, we give website a professional look, private logo, make it user friendly and work on analytics of your website to improve its marketing.Abaxsoft Solution is a Fastest Growing IT Company in india.We Provide you Software & Web Development,Mobile Application ,Android Application,E-Commerce Website & Digital Marketing Services at a reasonable priceAbaxsoft Solution501, Industry House, Old Palasia, AB Road, Indore, 452001 Global Water Pressure Systems Market 2016 Industry Sales, Key Trends, Outlook, Research & Forecast 2021 Water Pressure Systems http://www.qyresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-water-pressure-systems-market-outlook-2016-2021.html http://goo.gl/Y8g77p http://www.qyresearchgroup.com Global Water Pressure Systems Industry 2016 Market Size Share Growth Forecast Research and DevelopmentThe Global Water Pressure Systems Industry report gives a comprehensive account of the Global Water Pressure Systems market. Details such as the size, key players, segmentation, SWOT analysis, most influential trends, and business environment of the market are mentioned in this report. Furthermore, this report features tables and figures that render a clear perspective of the Water Pressure Systems market. The report features an up-to-date data on key companies product details, revenue figures, and sales. Furthermore, the details also gives the Global Water Pressure Systems market revenue and its forecasts. The business model strategies of the key firms in the Water Pressure Systems market are also included. Key strengths, weaknesses, and threats shaping the leading players in the market have also been included in this research report.The report gives a detailed overview of the key segments in the market. The fastest and slowest growing market segments are covered in this report. The key emerging opportunities of the fastest growing Global Water Pressure Systems market segments are also covered in this report. Each segments and sub-segments market size, share, and forecast are available in this report. Additionally, the region-wise segmentation and the trends driving the leading geographical region and the emerging region has been presented in this report.Get Complete Report with TOC :The study on the Global Water Pressure Systems market also features a history of the tactical mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, and partnerships activity in the market. Valuable recommendations by senior analysts about investing strategically in research and development can help new entrants or established players penetrate the emerging sectors in the Water Pressure Systems market. Investors will gain a clear insight on the dominant players in this industry and their future forecasts. Furthermore, readers will get a clear perspective on the high demand and the unmet needs of consumers that will enhance the growth of this market.Table of ContentChapter One Water Pressure Systems Industry Overview1.1 Water Pressure Systems Definition1.1.1 Water Pressure Systems Definition1.1.2 Product Specifications1.2 Water Pressure Systems Classification1.3 Water Pressure Systems Application Field1.4 Water Pressure Systems Industry Chain Structure1.5 Water Pressure Systems Industry Regional Overview1.6 Water Pressure Systems Industry Policy Analysis1.7 Water Pressure Systems Industry Related Companies Contact InformationGet Sample Copy of Report @About Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651Web: Market Intelligence Report Military Vehicles and Aircraft Simulations, 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-703 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-703 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/military-vehicles-and-aircraft-simulations-market www.futuremarketinsights.com Military vehicles and aircraft simulation have now become critically important due to high safety and security reasons in every part of the world. Growing need to cut down the cost of pilot training, technological developments, and introduction of new generation aircrafts is escalating the growth in the global military vehicles and aircraft simulation. Additionally, increased environmental impacts, cost of fuel and real wear and tear on weapon system, is anticipated to be the major target market in near future. The simulation technology (imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time) allows both commercial and military trainees to learn faster and master to advance on and off road operations along with handling hazardous and dangerous situations without risk to machine and man. However, simulation of technology is used in many contexts such as safety engineering, education, training, testing, performance optimization, video games and others. It is also used in computer experiments to study simulation models.The military vehicles and aircraft simulation continues to gain importance in the aerospace, defence and military industry. With reduced financial resources, governments are taking initiatives to cut down on training budgets. Owing to this, currently militaries are focusing on attaining cheaper and more effective solutions for their training requirements. Owing to this, flight simulations has evolved to become an essential part of civil aviation operations and military capability. It is a device that artificially creates the environment for flight (where it flies) for pilot training and other purposes. Flight simulator may vary from one model to another and is widely used in commercial and military applications. As a result, training in a fight simulator is more operative than training in aircraft, also it has made a major contribution towards the aviation industry.Request Free Report Sample@Military Vehicles and Aircraft Simulations Market: Drivers & RestraintsTo accommodate new generation aircrafts, mission rehearsal and simulation technologies are moving forward along with embed in a variety of military systems to carry out training in reality at reasonable cost. Commercialization of unmanned aerial vehicles is the emerging trend and will give new opportunities to this market. A fundamental growth driver to the market is growing awareness over the benefits of virtual pilot training. Additionally, demand for trained pilots and crew members, technological advancements, rising demand for air transportation which has further resulted in growing needs for safety and security concerns along with cost advantages are the drivers identified in the military vehicles and aircraft simulations market. Safety regulations and push from the government side is also helping in increasing the degree of awareness among the users. However, high implementation cost, lack of reliable communication and complexity in system are the major setback for military vehicles and aircraft simulations market.Military Vehicles and Aircraft SimulationsMarket: SegmentationOn the basis of types global military vehicles and aircraft simulations can be broadly into: Virtual, Live, and Constructive and others. On the basis of application global military vehicle and aircraft simulation market is segmented into: Platform, System and Maintenance. On the basis of system, global military vehicles and aircraft simulations can be further segmented into: Flight simulation and Non-Flight Simulation.Request For TOC@Military Vehicles and Aircraft SimulationsMarket: Region-wise OutlookThe global military vehicles and aircraft simulation market is expected to register CAGR of 6.27 percent over the forecasted period 2015-2025. Depending on geographic regions, global military vehicles and aircraft simulation market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of regions, Europe accounts for the largest market share followed by North America. Asia Pacific market is projected to register a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing demand for training of pilots and rising demand for air transportation along with technological updates is fuelling the growth of global military vehicles and aircraft simulations market in Asia Pacific. Eastern Europe and Latin America are also forecast to register a significant growth in the global military vehicles and aircraft simulations market, as growing awareness over the pilot training is expected to grow in these regions as well.Military Vehicles and Aircraft SimulationMarket: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in the aircraft simulation are FLIGHTRiX (Command Sims Pvt. Ltd.), Presagis (formed through the acquisition of three industry leading companies includes Engenuity Technologies, MultiGen-Paradigm, and TERREX.), Rheinmetall Defence, Alsim, Atlantis System Corp., CAE Inc., Bae Systems PLC, FlightSafety International Inc., Moog Inc., Simteq B.V., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Thales Group, Rockwell Collins, PMDG, Israel Aerospace industries, ATC Flight Simulator, Mechtronix Inc., L-3 Communications Holdings Ltd., among many others.Browse Full Report@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Research report covers the Bio-Implants Market share and Growth, 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-873 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-873 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/bio-Implants-market www.futuremarketinsights.com An implant is a medical device which replaces, supports or enhances a missing, damaged or existing biological structure. An implant is man-made device which is inserted into the human body cavity. Bio-implants are made from biological cells which are compatible with the human body cells. For instance, bio-implants are used in the treatment of skin burns or sores caused by surgeries. Eye bio-implants are used in the treatment of cornea sores or chemical damages in the eye.Bio-implants Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe advantage of bio-implants over the conventional forms of implants is that bio-implants is a fast method of treatment with negligible complications. The bio-implant owing to its nature builds into the human body organ naturally. The bio-implants are similar in morphology to the original human body tissue. Bio-implants do not necessarily need incisions but bio-implants are pressed through the human body organ. Bio-implants provide lifetime guarantee and heal the human body organ rapidly. However, high treatment costs and reimbursement issues are the factors that could hamper the growth of the global bio-implants market. The bio-implant approvals are regulated by a large number of laws which could act as a hurdle in the global bio-implants market due to this time consuming approval process.Request Free Report Sample@Bio-implants Market: SegmentationThe global bio-implants market is classified on the basis of type of implant, therapeutic area and geography.Based on type of implant, the global bio-implants market is segmented into the following:AllograftAutograftXenograftBased on therapeutic area, the global bio-implants market is segmented into the following:OrthopedicsDentalOphthalmicOthersBio-implants Market: OverviewThe global bio-implants market is forecast to witness significant growth rates due to the rapidly improving healthcare infrastructure in developed as well as developing regions. The increasing prevalence of chronic health disorders especially in the aging population coupled with rising disposable incomes is expected to propel the growth of the global bio-implants market. The geriatric population is expected to double in 2030 as compared to 2010. This is a major factor that is expected to determine the growth of dental bio-implants and orthopedic bio-implants. The dental therapeutic area subsegment is estimated to account for a significant share in the global bio-implants market. By therapeutic area, orthopedics is the key growth subsegment in the global bio-implants market which is projected to register a high CAGR among other subsegments during the forecast period.Request For TOC@Bio-implants Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic regions, global bio-implants market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the largest market for bio-implants in terms of revenue due to the large number of players in bio-implants and strong healthcare infrastructure. Europe is the second largest bio-implant market owing to the technological advancements in healthcare and considerably high geriatric population in the region. North America and Europe together account for a major share in the global bio-implants market. The MEA region has witnessed mass productions of bio-implants in diverse therapeutic areas which makes the MEA a potential bio-implant market. Also, the bio-implants in MEA bio-implant market are cheaper as compared to the global prices and are able to meet domestic demand.Bio-implants Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players identified in global bio-implants market are LifeNet Health, Arthrex, Inc., Clinic Lemanic, Nobel Biocare Services AG, Osprey Biomedical Corporation, Alpha Bio Tec, MiMedx Group, Inc to name a few. The global bio-implants market players are involved in collaborations, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions in order to enhance product development process and expand the global bio-implant footprint.Browse Full Report@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Wind Energy Foundation Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024. http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13157 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ As reforms and policies stressing on adaptation of renewable energy are increasing, wind energy is expected to occupy a major market share of global power production in coming years. Demand for clean energy as well as depletion of conventional reserves have promoted use of renewable energy resources. Wind energy structures can be segmented on basis of location as offshore and onshore projects. Offshore wind turbines are now being installed in deep water also. These structures are extremely huge and heavy. The tower constructed for wind turbines carry weight of blades and also absorb static loads caused by fluctuations in wind power. Along with tower, foundation also carries weight of these structures. Hence to guarantee stability of wind energy project, the foundation should be strong enough to handle pressure exerted by slender structure above it.Foundation refers to support structure or geotechnical component for wind turbines situated between tower and seabed. In case of onshore wind energy project, foundation is constructed on different types of terrains under challenging soil and environmental conditions. For onshore construction, foundations can be segmented as raft, pile, and well foundations, among others. Raft footing is among frequently used structures and comes in different shapes depending upon various factors such as wind class, type of tower, and turbine capacity. The foundation designs varies according to the project, ground conditions, and the local rules and regulations.Interpret a Competitive outlook Analysis Report with free PDF Brochure:Wind Energy Foundation Market: Segment-wise InsightFor offshore wind energy projects, foundation structures can be classified as mono-pile, jacket-pile, gravity-type, tripod and suction caissons. Mono-pile comprises of steel pile that is situated at around 30-60 ft. into the seabed. Mono pile is among the most used types of foundations especially in Europe. However, they are not considered well-suited for large turbines, which are among latest trends of wind industry. Gravity-pile foundation are made of precast concrete and are ballasted with sand, gravel or stones. In these type of foundations turbines depend upon gravity to stand erect.Tripod foundations use the principle used in the oil and gas industry and are used for deeper depths. In this type, the foundation consists of three piles which are driven 32-46 ft. into the seabed. Jacket is another popular technology used for deep waters. It is made of steel beams welded together to form a jacket or cover. A floating offshore wind foundation is not used on a large scale. The deep water offshore wind structures are preferred as winds are stronger here as compared to the shores.However, the cost of offshore wind foundations is a major restraint for this market. The University of Dundee estimated in 2014 that foundations and installations can represent about 25% of the total wind turbine capital investment. Construction of foundations is critical as it depends upon many factors and requires extensive research. Apart from load that forms a major factor, motion caused by coupling of translational and rotational platforms and turbines are also considered. The foundation design also depends upon mooring lines for floating systems. Corrosion is another serious threat and requires extensive monitoring. As foundation contributes to major part of wind energy investment, these factors are critically analyzed.Mono-pile projects are most used form of foundations in Europe. Seabed structures and ongoing projects for sustainable energy promotions in Europe have helped in creating huge market opportunity for mono-pile foundation. The foundations market also depends upon the suppliers for materials. The suppliers for different types of foundation are not uniformly distributed globally. This is another reason for mono-pile being used extensively in Europe and jacket foundations is preferred in the U.S. Jacket foundation are light weighted as compared to other types and hence are easier to install. Mono-piles structures transportation is challenging as they are quite heavy. This may act as a restraint for mono-pile market in coming years.Wind Energy Foundation Market: Competitive OverviewMajor players in this market are Suzlon Group, Ramboll Group, Owec Tower AS, Offshore Wind Power Systems of Texas LLC, Blue H Engineering BV, SWAY AS, Marine Innovation & Technology, Statoil, Principle Power, Inc., DONG Energy Burbo Extension (UK) Ltd., Bladt Industries A/S, TAG Energy Solutions, MT Hjgaard, Fugro Renewable Services, and Dillinger Hutte.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.About UsTransparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700Albany NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453E-mail: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Pyridine Market is Expected to Reach US$ 1,741.4 Mn end of 2025 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3521 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/pyridine-market/toc According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research, titled Global Market Study on Pyridine: Increasing Demand for Synthetic Pyridine to Drive Growth During Forecast Period 2015 -2025 , the global pyridine market is estimated to reach US$ 1,741.4 Mn by 2025 from US$ 786.4 Mn in 2015.Pyridine is a toxic and soluble flammable liquid base with a distinct, strong odor. It is often considered the parent compound of several naturally occurring organic compounds. It is the preferred choice as a precursor to agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Initially, pyridine was extracted from coal tar or obtained as a by-product of coal gasification. The process was very expensive and inefficient as coal tar constituted only 0.10.2% of pyridine after extraction. Currently, pyridine and its derivatives are produced synthetically. The most commonly used reactions for pyridine synthesis are Chichibabin synthesis, Bonnemann cyclization, and Cobalt-catalyzed alkyne-nitrile cyclotrimerization, etc.Use For sample: Thinking about report: Please observe the beneath the hyperlinks to satisfy your necessities; Request for the Report sample:By region, the market in Asia Pacific has been estimated to account for 51.6% volume share of the overall pyridine market by 2015 end, followed by Europe and North America. Due to increase in usage of pyridine and its derivatives in agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals segments in Asia Pacific, the pyridine market in the region is projected to expand at a higher than average CAGR of 9.9% over 20152025 in terms of revenue. The U.S. pyridine market, which has been estimated to account for 89.5% revenue share of the overall market in North America by 2015 end, is expected to be driven by increasing adoption of pyridine and its derivatives in chemicals and pharmaceuticals segments. The pyridine market in the Middle East & Africa is estimated to register increased revenue due to a growth of pharmaceuticals and chemicals segments in the region. Europe market is anticipated to witness lower revenue growth in the coming years as compared to other regions due to the economic downturn in the region.Globally, pyridine N-oxide segment volume is estimated to expand at a lower than average CAGR of 7.4% over 20152025. Demand for 2-Methyl-5-Ethylpyridine (MEP) and gamma-picoline is expected grow significantly due to increasing application of these product types in chemicals segment. Alpha picoline finds wide application as a solvent in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food industries. The segment is projected to exhibit moderate growth over the forecast period. Key growth contributor for alpha picoline segment is 2-vinylpyridine, which is used as a raw material for styrene-butadiene-2-vinylpyridine terpolymer latexes (SBV latexes). Beta picoline is used to produce Vitamin B3. In terms of value, beta picoline segment is projected to experience significant growth rate over the forecast period. This is mainly attributed to rising demand for niacin in developing regions such as APAC and Middle East & Africa.Asia Pacific is the most attractive region in terms of CAGR and market share in the global pyridine market. India has been estimated to account for 24.4 % of the total APAC pyridine market by 2015 end due to expected increase in domestic pyridine production by 40%. In terms of value, gamma-picoline segment is expected to experience the highest growth rate during the forecast period in the Asia Pacific market. The Middle East & Africa accounts for the smallest market share. However, it is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.9% in terms of value over the forecast period. Food segment is expected to expand at the highest CAGR in terms of volume during the forecast period in the Middle East & Africa market. Pyridine manufacturers are strengthening their presence in the regulated markets of Japan, North America and Europe as well as in key emerging markets. They are also focusing on local tie-ups and out-licensing of local companies in order to strengthen their regional presence.Use For to: Request TOC (desk of content material), Figures and Tables of the report:By Product Type:Pyridine N-oxideAlpha PicolineBeta PicolineGamma Picoline2-Methyl-5-Ethylpyridine (MEP)By Application:AgrochemicalsPharmaceuticalsChemicalsFoodOthers (Dyestuffs, Alcohol)By Region:North AmericaEuropeAPACThe Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com 2016 Market Research On Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer Industry Analysis , Overview And Forecast Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer Industry http://goo.gl/AIBySo The QY Market research study, titled Worldwide Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer Market 2016, presents critical information and factual data about the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market globally, providing an overall statistical study of the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market on the basis of market drivers, Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer Market limitations, and its future prospects. The prevalent global Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer trends and opportunities are also taken into consideration in Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer industry study.Get Sample Report :Global Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer Market 2016 report has Forecasted Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in % value for particular period for Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market, that will help user to take decision based on futuristic chart. Report also includes key players in global Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market. The Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market size is estimated in terms of revenue (US$) and production volume in this report. Whereas the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market key segments and the geographical distribution across the globe is also deeply analyzed.The research report gives an overview of global Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer industry on by analyzing various key segments of this Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market based on the product types, application, and end-use industries, Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market scenario. The regional distribution of the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market is across the globe are considered for this Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer industry analysis, the result of which is utilized to estimate the performance of the global Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market over the period from 2015 to foretasted year.All aspects of the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer industry are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the global as well as regional Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition of the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market, prevalent Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer industry chain, and the government regulations pertaining to the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market are also discussed in the report.The product range of the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer market is examined on the basis of their production chain, Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer pricing of products, and the profit generated by them. Various regional markets for Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer are analyzed in this report and the production volume and efficacy of the Non-invasive Electronical Sphygmomanometer industry across the world is also discussed.About Us:QY Market Research is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Website: QY Market ResearchEmail: sales@qymarketresearch.com Global Iodine Market is Estimated to Reach US$ 1,224.3 Mn by 2016 End http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3591 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/iodine-market/toc According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research titled, Iodine Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 20162024, the global market for iodine is estimated to be valued at US$ 1,679.4 Mn by 2024, Driven by Increasing Use of Iodine as Contrast Imaging Agent across the Globe and as Industrial Catalyst and Sterilizing Agent.Use For sample: Thinking about report: Please observe the beneath the hyperlinks to satisfy your necessities; Request for the Report sample:Iodine is a halogen element in group seven of the periodic table, with atomic number 53. It is blue-black in color and has shiny lustre. Iodine and its derivatives are widely used as an intermediate in industrial chemicals and for human nutrition. The element is sourced from water bodies such as oceans and water pools as well as from seaweed. Iodine deficiency in humans results in various health-related issues such as goiter, mental retardation, heart diseases, and eyesight problems.In this report, the global iodine market has been segmented on the basis of regions. By 2024, the market in North America is expected to account for 21.6% volume share of the overall global iodine market, followed by APAC and Western Europe. Due to increasing prevalence of thyroid disorders among the aging population, especially in developing regions such as APAC, the iodine market in the region is projected to expand at a higher than average CAGR of 9.0% over 20162024 in terms of revenue. The market in MEA, which is anticipated to account for 7.0% revenue share of the overall global market by 2024 end, is expected to be driven by increasing use of iodine as catalysts in industries in the region. The iodine market in Latin America is estimated to register an average increase in revenue due to lower GDP growth in the region.The global iodine market has also been segmented on the basis of various applications. Catalysts segment in the global iodine market is expected to expand at a lower than average CAGR of 2.2% in terms of volume over 20162024, while X-ray contrast media segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.4% over the same period. Extraction of iodine from nitrite ores is expected to be the highest in APAC due to abundance of caliche ores in the region. Extraction of iodine from natural brines in North America is expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.6% in terms of value during the forecast period.Use For to: Request TOC (desk of content material), Figures and Tables of the report:Increase in GDP output is one of the major factors driving the iodine market. The market in APAC, which is expected to register exponential increase in GDP among various developing economies in the region, is expected to witness high revenue growth during the forecast period. Meanwhile, the market in developed economies is expected to decline in the near future due to lower GDP growth, thereby implying lower consumption compared to other economies.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Real-Time Innovations to Support New Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) Connected Care Testbed http://bit.ly/22VEE9U www.rti.com): www.rti.com www.lorenzoni.de SUNNYVALE (USA)/London, July 26, 2016 Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) connectivity platform company, today announced its support and involvement in the Industrial Internet Consortium's (IIC) newest testbed in partnership with Infosys, PTC and the Massachusetts General Hospital MD PnP Lab. The Connected Care Testbed is designed to develop an open Internet of Things (IoT) data management and analytics platform for clinical and remote medical devices. The system will gather and process patient monitoring data to improve patient care in hospitals and home care environments.According to Julian M. Goldman, Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital MD and co-leader of the healthcare task group for the IIC, in the U.S. alone, 200,000-400,000 people die in hospitals each year due to preventable medical errors. The advent of accessible IIoT technologies has the potential to remedy this, but the slow pace of technology adoption and proprietary solutions from medical device manufacturers makes it difficult. Caregivers must implement a cost-effective solution and streamline stages of a patient's treatment.RTI has joined fellow IIC members to demonstrate how IIoT technologies, such as the Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can address the challenges of complex hospital environments with the same reliability, security and scalability proven in other industries.RTI's Connext DDS technology will provide the connectivity platform for the Connected Care Testbed, leading the industry in providing quality care while improving the safety and efficiency of healthcare. The MD PnP Integrated Clinical Environment (ICE) will also support clinical and hospital device communication and PTC Thingworx will underpin the user interfaces and cloud applications. Infosys will be the primary system integrator for the project and will provide their Infosys Information Platform for data analytics.Phase one of the Connected Care Testbed project begins immediately with the integration of the various partner technologies and products into a solution stack. The initial remote care sites are a single volunteer household for home care and the Massachusetts General MD PnP laboratory for clinical care. For more information on the Connected Care Testbed and the IIC, please visit"While the growth of connected devices is exciting, the inspiring potential of the Industrial IoT lies in industries where technology will truly change the world, such as healthcare," said Stan Schneider, CEO of RTI. "At RTI, our goal is to power the connected world of our future and we believe the Connected Care Testbed will play a crucial role. We look forward to collaborating with our partners to improve the quality of life for patients, caregivers and doctors.""We are thrilled to have RTI contribute to the IIC's Connected Care Testbed and help convey our vision of a safer, more efficient healthcare system," said Dr. Richard Soley, Executive Director of the IIC. "RTI has been a large part of the successes of our previous testbeds and we are confident their expertise in IIoT healthcare solutions will deliver the same value.""RTI was an obvious choice in partners for the Connected Care Testbed as an established leader in the IIC with a proven track record of delivering superior IIoT solutions for the healthcare industry," said JayRaj Nair, Head of IoT Practice at Infosys. "We were impressed with RTI's enabling of connected, resilient medical devices, bringing real world experience to this initiative. We look forward to a successful partnership and drastically improving the healthcare industry."About Real-Time Innovations, Inc. (RTI) (RTI provides the connectivity platform for the Industrial Internet of Things. Our RTI Connext messaging software forms the core nervous system for smart, distributed applications. RTI Connext DDS allows devices to intelligently share information and work together as one integrated system. RTI was named "The Most influential Industrial Internet of Things Company" in 2014 by Appinions and published in Forbes. Our customers span the breadth of the Internet of Things, including medical, energy, mining, air traffic control, trading, automotive, unmanned systems, industrial SCADA, naval systems, air and missile defense, ground stations, and science. The total value of system designs that trust RTI for their fundamental architecture exceeds $1 trillion.RTI is committed to open standards, open community source and open architecture. RTI provides the leading implementation of the Object Management Group (OMG) Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard.RTI is the world's largest embedded middleware provider, privately held and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.RTI, Real-Time Innovations, RTI Data Distribution Service, Connext and 1RTI are registered trademarks or trademarks of Real-Time Innovations, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective companies.Real-Time Innovations (RTI)London Barbican, 88 Wood Street, 10th 11th Floor, London, EC2V 7RS, United KingdomContacts:Real-Time Innovations (RTI), Reiner Duwe, ph: +49 151 414 60561info@rti.comAgentur Lorenzoni GmbH, Public Relations,Beate Lorenzoni, ph: +49 8122 55917-22; beate@lorenzoni.de BlazeClan Recognized as Amazon Web Services Partner of the Year ASEAN and Consulting Partner of the Year - West India July 29, 2016: BlazeClan Technologies, a Premier Consulting Partner in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network (APN), today announced it was awarded the APN Partner of the Year 2015 - ASEAN as well as the APN Consulting Partner of the Year 2016 - West India during the AWS Summit series in Singapore and India.Receiving this award highlights BlazeClan Technologies expertise and domain knowledge in using AWS to provide innovative solutions for their customers.During the AWS Partner Summit in Singapore, Varoon Rajani, CEO BlazeClan Technologies presented a successful data center transformation project for Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd, the leading food and beverage brand in Malaysia and Thailand."Being a fast-moving consumer goods business, agility, speed-to-market and cost-effectiveness are critical to being competitive. The migration process to AWS Cloud platform, as our cloud computing strategy, was originally thought to take 18-24 months running on an "aggressive" timeline. Together with BlazeClan, we were able to complete the migration within 2 months and with a seamless user experience. Moreover, the internal team acquired skills to become quite self-sufficient in managing the AWS Cloud infrastructure. The experience in using AWS and the implementation by BlazeClan have been totally awesome! said June Ng, Vice President, IT Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd.We are pleased to recognize BlazeClan as the APN Partner of the Year 2015 ASEAN as well as Consulting Partner of the Year - West India, said Shane Owenby, Vice President of Asia Pacific, Amazon Web Services. BlazeClan has demonstrated a solid track record of successful deployments on AWS and in helping customers optimize their use of AWS in a variety of use cases."We aim to continue our growth and investment in this region with a laser focus on delivering customer success through innovative solutions built on AWS, said Sean Tay, Managing Director of BlazeClan Malaysia. We thank our customers who have supported us and given us the opportunity to work with them."We are delighted to win both the APN awards for the ASEAN and West India markets. It is a true reflection of how collaboration and our zeal to deliver value to our customers, contributes to excellent results. We are extremely proud to win these awards," said Varoon Rajani, CEO BlazeClan Technologies.About BlazeClanBlazeClan is a cloud-born AWS Premier Consulting Partner and an AWS Managed Service Partner. It has attained AWS Big Data Competency status and various accolades like AWS Leadership Partner Recognition- Customer obsession 2014 & 2015, Partner of the Year 2015 - ASEAN and Consulting Partner of the Year 2016 West India during its journey.Agility to business, reduced costs for customers, decreased time to market and the scalability of enterprise workloads are just a few of the many benefits its customers have experienced.Leading companies like F&N, Dominos, Mondelez International, Viacom 18, Cox & kings, BSE partner with BlazeClan strategically to get an edge over competition.BlazeClan offerings include Cloud Advisory, Migration & Deployment, Product Development, Managed Services and Big data & Analytics. Headquartered in India, it has presence across the globe with offices in ASEAN [Malaysia, Singapore], Europe [Belgium and France], US & Canada.4, Tara Heights, Pune-Mumbai Road,Wakdewadi, Shivaji Nagar,Pune-411003 A single place where you can get information about every educational programs and career in the USA www.w3education.org Every one of you might have seen a phone directory where you can look up in case you feel the need to contact a person in any state in the USA. Similarly, you may require gathering information about the educational programs as well as the schools that offer these courses at some stage in your life. You need not go groping for this information in the dark. You can just visit the website of w3education and the information would be available to you at the click of the mouse.This school directory has enough information about the schools and colleges offering the different kinds of courses you are looking for in life. You would be able to learn more about your passions as well as the employment opportunities available to you. We have categorized the information for you industry wise as well as skill wise to enable easy lookup.Be it Art and Design or Business or even Communication and Media, you would be able to find every bit of information under a single window. Knocking on the doors of this website would open vistas in fields as diverse as computer technology and culinary arts. We also cater to the basic subjects such as Engineering, Architecture, as well as Information Technology and so on. Persons with an artistic streak in them can browse the fashion as well as the interior designing sections to learn more about their respective fields. There may be people with a serious bent of mind too. They need not despair, as you would be able to find information regarding Business Administration, MBA, Legal studies, as well as other technical subjects too. You cannot expect us to leave health and medicine unattended. We have information about tailor made courses in medical studies as well as nursing.You would be able to contact the educational institute of your choice by using our school directory. This education directory has taken great pains to filter out information subject wise as well as state wise. You would not be able to find a better career guide than this website.This is the day of online courses and online university degrees. We have taken care to include these categories too in this education directory. Hence, for all your educational and career requirements, your final destination should beThis is a one-stop solution for all your educational and career needs. You will find the vital links to every kind of educational institution you are looking for to pursue your dreams. You have the right to dream. We shall ensure its fructification.Contact :Casella Postale 143,Castagnola, Ticino6976, Switzerland Audience Global launches new language translation & content management blog and website. Translation - localization service agency www.audienceglobal.com www.audienceglobal.com www.audienceglobal.com July 28, 2016 - Sophia Antipolis, France Audience Global, a fast-growing provider of translation and language services, announced the launch of a new website and blog dedicated to global communication, publishing and translation:Expanding to global markets is a strategic step that most companies will have to take. If they want to grow they need to engage with new customers in more countries, and surveys show that 73% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when the products are offered in their native language.Audience Global offers startups and international companies highly specialized language services and expertise to help them build a strong brand identity, engage their global audience and achieve profitable growth on global markets.In this new blog global executives will read tips and advice on how to make their global communication easier says Yves Vanneste, founder and CEO. We are also very happy to announce the launch of our redesigned website at. The fresh new look and user-friendly navigation provide easy access to our services, blog, online Quote Request form and contact details.About Audience GlobalMyriam Perez and Yves Vanneste started their first language business, ANTHEA Languages in 1993. They created the new company Audience Global early this year. The offices are located in the high-tech park of Sophia Antipolis, on the French Riviera.By providing comprehensive language translation and content management services Audience Global makes the management of global communications much more efficient.With our language management services our clients are able to:- Face growing translation/communication requirements- Keep control of the budget- Enforce corporate style guides and terminology for more consistency in communication- Take advantage of the reuse of existing content thanks to translation memories- Benefit from our efficient Translation Management SystemMore information can be found atContactAudience GlobalYves Vanneste, Partner & CEO1240 route des DolinesF 06560 SOPHIA ANTIPOLISFrancePh +33(0)4 84 79 00 50 Russell Bedford member firm launches SMP eGaming Russell Bedford member firm SMP Partners, Isle of Man, has announced the launch of SMP eGaming, a specialist consultancy practice. After six years as a major player in the industry, and a dominant force behind the growth of the Isle of Man's gaming sector, the SMP Group has decided the time is right to create a dedicated eGaming consulting company. SMP eGaming provides objective and unbiased advisory services, multi-jurisdictional licensing, regulatory compliance and operational support to established and early stage eGaming operators and software providers. With those operating on the periphery of this dynamic and fast-moving international sector also benefiting from these services. The new consultancy will help clients establish international operations that maximise global market opportunities through the design of an effective licensing strategy and ensure they remain compliant through the on-going provision of a suite of operational and regulatory consulting and outsourced services. SMP Group Director David Hudson said: SMP Partners has an eGaming team numbering more than 30 professionals and a service offering which continues to develop and adapt to the rapidly changing worldwide gaming market. He added: There are major changes taking place in the international gaming market and it is essential for our clients that we provide eGaming services and consultancy without borders. Following the launch of SMP eGaming, SMP Partners has announced a number of new appointments. Jade Allcock has been appointed as Manager of eGaming Development and Licensing. With almost a decade of industry experience, including as Head of Digital and Affiliate Marketing for a lottery operator, Jade adds further strength and expertise to the team at SMP eGaming. She is responsible for leading the firm's international gaming clients through the preparation and submission of complex licence applications across multiple international jurisdictions. In addition, SMP Partners has appointed Scott Young as Quality Assurance Manager. Scott has more than nine years' experience in the eGaming industry, most recently spending two years as a Gaming Inspector for the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission. He also has extensive background in management and compliance, including several years as Operations Manager with one of the longest-running eGaming companies in the Isle of Man jurisdiction. David Hudson summarised: Establishing SMP eGaming as an independent consultancy was a natural step for SMP Partners after advising and guiding more than 50 gaming operators and software providers, established and early stage, through the licensing process. It was also the best response to the growing complexities of operating within the international gaming market, ensuring we are best-placed to serve the needs of international companies as they come to terms with the changing regulatory landscape in which they have to operate and the increasing focus on compliance and regulation. About Russell Bedford International Established in 1983, Russell Bedford International is a global network of independent firms of accountants, auditors, tax advisers and business consultants. Ranked amongst the worlds leading accounting and audit networks, Russell Bedford is represented by some 600 partners, 5000 staff and 290 offices in more than 100 countries in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Russell Bedford International is a member of the IFAC Forum of Firms and a member of EGIAN, the European Group of International Accounting Networks and Associations. 3rd Floor, Paternoster House 65 St Paul's Churchyard London EC4M 8AB United Kingdom This release was published on openPR. Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release. Russell Bedford appoints KBBS as member in Mauritius Kross Border Business Solutions confirmed as member of Russell Bedford global accounting network in MauritiusInternational professional services group Russell Bedford has re-established its presence in Mauritius with Kross Border Business Solutions Ltd (KBBS) as the networks member firm.The new firm was the domestic arm of previous Russell Bedford member Kross Border Corporate Services (KBCS), which was acquired in 2015 by an international conglomerate.Now hived off as an independent practice, KBBS operates from modern offices in Ebene Cybercity, the island's hi-tech and financial hub.KBBS is headed by former KBCS CEO Jaye Jingree, and Dr Kevin Yasheel Jingree has recently been appointed as the firm's Managing Director.KBBS manages the Mauritian affairs of companies and HNWIs, offering bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, tax compliance and consulting, company secretarial and payroll services. Many of its clients have operations abroad, mainly in South and East Africa.Jaye Jingree, Chairman of KBBS, commented: Having already experienced Russell Bedford membership first-hand, I am confident that this move will support the development of our newly re-launched firm. We hope to not only enhance client services, but also benefit from access to global resources and expertise via the network.Russell Bedford CEO Alan Bezzant added: We are delighted to maintain our relationship with Jaye Jingree by restoring the networks presence in Mauritius, via Kross Border Business Solutions. I have full confidence that the team will continue to bring considerable value to the network through their expertise in accounting and tax practices in Mauritius.About Russell Bedford InternationalEstablished in 1983, Russell Bedford International is a global network of independent firms of accountants, auditors, tax advisers and business consultants. Ranked amongst the worlds leading accounting and audit networks, Russell Bedford is represented by some 600 partners, 5000 staff and 290 offices in more than 100 countries in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Russell Bedford International is a member of the IFAC Forum of Firms and a member of EGIAN, the European Group of International Accounting Networks and Associations.3rd Floor, Paternoster House65 St Paul's ChurchyardLondonEC4M 8ABUnited Kingdom Global 3D TSV Devices Market with business strategies and analysis 2016 Global 3D TSV Devices Market 2016 http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/QYR11052/global-3d-tsv-devices-industry-2016-market-research-reportn http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=qyr11052 www.marketintelreports.com The Global 3D TSV Devices Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the 3D TSV Devices industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The 3D TSV Devices market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Check Complete Report @Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Get Sample Brochure of the Report @Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the 3D TSV Devices industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.About us:MarketIntelReports (MIR) aim to empower our clients to successfully manage and outperform in their business decisions, we do this by providing Premium Market Intelligence, Strategic Insights and Databases from a range of Global Publishers.A group of industry veterans who are well experienced in reputed international consulting firms after identifying the sourcing needs of MNCs for market intelligence, have together started this business savior MarketIntelReports.MIR intends to be a one-stop shop with an intuitive design, exhaustive database, expert assistance, secure cart checkout and data privacy integrated. It curates the list of reports, publishers and studies to ensure that the database is constantly updated to dynamically meet the targeted, specific needs of our clients.MarketIntelReports currently has more than 10,000 plus titles and 35+ publishers on our platform and growing consistently to fill the Global Intelligence Demand Supply Gap. We cover more than 15 industry verticals being: Automotive, Electronics, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Chemicals, Building & Construction, Agriculture, Food & Beverages, Banking & Finance, Media and Government, Public Sector Studies.Contact us:Mayur SSales Manager2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statessales@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343 3D Switchable Lenticular Market: Japan is one of the main consumer and manufacturer of lenticular screen for 3D view. Global 3D Switchable Lenticular Market 2016 http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/QYR09988/global-3d-switchable-lenticular-market-professional-survey-report-2016n http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=qyr09988 www.marketintelreports.com The 3D Switchable Lenticular Market deals with the manufacturing and distribution of lenticular lenses, lenticular printing devices and other lenticular technology for commercial, industrial and other applications in various regions across the globe. This market has high scope in 3D packaging, lenticular advertising industry in the upcoming years.Check Complete Report @Scope and Regional Forecast of the 3D Switchable Lenticular Market:North America is the leading consumer of the 3D Switchable Lenticular Market with increasing applications of the lenticular printing 2D as well as 3D. There is increasing scope for the 3D lenticular prints and lenticular cards for commercial use and for advertisement in this region. Lenticular advertising and lenticular signage are the fast growing applications in this market in the upcoming period.Europe has high demand for the 3D Switchable Lenticular Market for various applications. Germany, France, Italy and Spain are the major consumers of this market with high use of lenticular lenses and switchable lenticular printing technology from 2D to 3D. The developing industries for commercial use are expected to have high use for lenticular graphics and lenticular screen.Get Sample Brochure of the Report @Asia Pacific is the leading region in the 3D Switchable Lenticular Market due to high manufacturing and utilization of the lenticular technology. China and Japan are the main suppliers of the lenticular systems and their components all across the globe. The companies in this region invest hugely for the development of the lenticular system efficiency.Segmentation and Key Players of the 3D Switchable Lenticular Market:The3D Switchable Lenticular Market is segmented into various categories by company and by region. By company: OK3D International, KNT 3-D Lenticular, DP Lenticular,3Dependable, Optigraphics, Donsense 3D Technology (Hong Kong),VIVGI, 3-D Images ltd., Joyter 3D, World3D, Ampronix, TruesunTechnology, Shenzhen Sunyo Smartech, Lenticular Mobi Technology,Guangzhou E-Sunrise 3D Card and Dongguan Doohoo Printing By region: the USA, China, Europe, South America, Japan and AfricaThe key players in the 3D Switchable Lenticular Market are as follows: OK3D International Donsense 3D Technology (Hong Kong) Lenticular Mobi Technology KNT 3-D Lenticular Truesun TechnologyThe3D Switchable Lenticular Market is a rapidly growing market with increasing use of 3D printing technology in the global market. This market is expected to witness high demand due to its applications for industrial and commercial purposes in many end user industries across the globe in the upcoming years.About us:MarketIntelReports (MIR) aim to empower our clients to successfully manage and outperform in their business decisions, we do this by providing Premium Market Intelligence, Strategic Insights and Databases from a range of Global Publishers.A group of industry veterans who are well experienced in reputed international consulting firms after identifying the sourcing needs of MNCs for market intelligence, have together started this business savior MarketIntelReports.MIR intends to be a one-stop shop with an intuitive design, exhaustive database, expert assistance, secure cart checkout and data privacy integrated. It curates the list of reports, publishers and studies to ensure that the database is constantly updated to dynamically meet the targeted, specific needs of our clients.MarketIntelReports currently has more than 10,000 plus titles and 35+ publishers on our platform and growing consistently to fill the Global Intelligence Demand Supply Gap. We cover more than 15 industry verticals being: Automotive, Electronics, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Chemicals, Building & Construction, Agriculture, Food & Beverages, Banking & Finance, Media and Government, Public Sector Studies.Contact us:Mayur SSales Manager2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statessales@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343 (Adds Safras statement, Bradesco shares) BRASILIA, July 28 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Bradesco SA, Brazil's No. 2 private-sector bank, will stand trial for trying to influence a tax appeal board, a court representative said on Thursday. Prosecutors told a news conference they charged Luiz Carlos Trabuco and three other Bradesco executives with plotting to avoid a three billion reais ($914 million) tax fine. "The bank agreed to participate in a criminal scheme," Prosecutor Frederico Paiva said. Bradesco said in a statement it was convinced nothing illegal had taken place and planned to present its arguments in court in a timely manner. Prosecutors cannot force Trabuco from his position. Bradesco shares sank 4.45 percent on Thursday after the bank missed estimates for second-quarter profit and announced a grimmer outlook for loan-loss provisions. Overall, 10 people have been charged in the case, which is part of a larger operation known as "Zealots" that is investigating kickbacks by companies through lobbyists. Officials at CARF, a government body that hears appeals on tax disputes, have been accused of soliciting bribes in exchange for favorable settlements. Prosecutors said the Bradesco charges related to events that took place between July and November of 2014 and that Trabuco knew about all Bradesco's efforts to influence CARF. Without citing names, prosecutor Hebert Mesquita said other charges involving financial institutions could be completed in the course of the investigations. Prosecutors in March charged Joseph Safra, the world's richest banker, with participating in a plan to bribe CARF officials. The Safra Group said in a statement that no representative had offered inducement to any public official and the Group did not receive any benefit in the CARF judgment. ($1 = 3.28 Brazilian reais) (Reporting by Leonardo Goy, writing by Caroline Stauffer; editing by Sandra Maler and Alan Crosby) Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, New York senator and first lady formally accepted the Democratic nomination for U.S. president in Philadelphia on Thursday, making history as the first woman to do so for a major party. The video that introduced her, narrated by Morgan Freeman, centered on Clinton's role in the senate following the Sept. 11 attacks. Clinton began by thanking her friends, family and President Obama. "We heard the man from Hope, Bill Clinton. And the man of hope, Barack Obama," she said. "America is stronger because of President Obama's leadership and I am better because of his friendship." She then went on to congratulate Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for bringing first-time voters into the fold. During her speech, Clinton called for Americans to embrace their neighbors, a stark contrast to Donald Trump's acceptance speech a week prior in Cleveland, who posited that he was the only one capable of solving the nation's problems. "We've been through it together," she said. "Now let's go out and make it happen together." Clinton talked about her upbringing. She said that nobody in her family ever had their name plastered on a building -- seemingly in contrast to the many buildings bearing Trump's name as his father was also in real estate. She used it as a lead up to her work with the Children's Defense Fund. In her family, Clinton said, overcoming obstacles was a team effort. "No one gets through life alone. We have to look out for each other and lift each other up," she said. She gave a nod to the history the Democratic party made that week -- of being the first major party to nominate a woman as president. And in doing so, Clinton took a semi-dig at remarks earlier in the week that posited her candidacy was unfairly discouraging young boys. "I'm happy for boys and men because when any barrier lowers in America, it clears the way for everyone," she said. "After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit." Clinton also took an extended dig at her opponent, saying Trump lacked the temperament to serve as commander-in-chief. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons," she said as cameras fixed on Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who's been doing just that in the last few months. The Democratic nominee also addressed a recurring myth about her: That she's been trying to undermine the Second amendment and take away Americans' guns. "I'm not here to repeal the Second Amendment. I'm not here to take away your guns. I'm just here to make sure you don't get shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place," she said. Much of her speech focused on campaign promises Clinton has made, such as her claim that she'd introduce a Constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United within her first 100 days as president. And she didn't shy away from hitting Trump once or twice before she was through, telling stories of how the real estate mogul reportedly refused to pay contractors for several projects in Atlantic City. "It's not that he couldn't pay them, but that he wouldn't pay them," Clinton said. "He stiffed them. She said she'd work with Sanders to introduce initiatives to offer free college tuition and to relieve student loan debt. She also said she'd work to fight income inequality and for civil rights, particularly for LGBTQ and minority issues. Clinton also denounced such Trump proposals as a border wall with Mexico and said she'd support a path for citizenship for the country's undocumented immigrants. She also said it was wrong to propose bans on Muslims entering the U.S. But, throughout her address, the former secretary of state said that Americans uniting -- not one person going it alone -- would ensure any of these things would get done. "Let's look to the future together with confidence," she said. "When we do, America will be greater than ever." Shortly before Clinton took the stage, several of Sanders's pledged delegates began to apply tape to their mouths before walking off the convention floor. According to Gregory McKelvey, a Sanders delegate and Oregon State University graduate, security personnel blocked the aisles before anyone could leave the venue. --Eder Campuzano 503.221.4344 @edercampuzano ecampuzano@oregonian.com Sgt. Jason Goodding Security has been stepped up for Oregon Gov. Kate Brown in light of recent threats directed at here. Her, Brown attends a memorial service to honor Seaside police Sgt. Jason Goodding, the officer gunned down by a suspect in February. (Beth Nakamura/Staff). (Beth Nakamura) When Gov. Kate Brown flew out of state late last week to be with her mother for her cancer surgery, Brown's office said only that she was in the "Midwest." Asked which city Brown was in, her office declined to say. That vagueness, it turns out, stems from a new policy. After a series of hostile threats this year -- beginning with the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation and continuing after Brown called for tighter gun rules in Oregon -- the governor's security detail has quietly taken steps to increase protection levels. Some measures remain unidentified. But others are visible. Her detail, formally known as the Dignitary Protection Unit and staffed by the Oregon State Police, has added a sixth member. Her office has also redoubled its unwillingness to release her advance public calendars, citing the threats in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. In June, the Bend Bulletin said Brown's office refused a request for the documents based on "an internal policy they say is backed up by an exemption in the records law and protects the governor." And while threats against Oregon governors aren't new, Brown's staff said it's taking the increasingly aggressive tone of recent threats seriously enough to keep in regular contact with the FBI. "Instead of voicing passionate opinions or dissent as part of exercising free speech, they express intent to cause her harm, ugly threats of physical violence and death," said Kristen Grainger, Brown's communications director. "Potentially dangerous individuals have attempted to breach security perimeters on more than one occasion." Grainger and others say Brown's role in calling for an end to this winter's armed occupation near Burns, along with her recent backing of three gun-control bills, appear to have ramped up threats. One recent Twitter post showed a photograph of Brown, the nation's first openly bisexual governor, with a caption calling her "the unelected sexually confused progressive Governor of Oregon who authorized FBI and [state police] use of deadly force against LaVoy Finicum." Finicum was a spokesman for the 40-day occupation of the wildlife refuge. He was shot dead by authorities during a traffic stop Jan. 26 as he and other occupiers traveled to a community meeting in Grant County. The sender of another expletive-filled text message appeared angry over the state's recent finding against a Gresham couple who refused to bake a cake for a lesbian couple's wedding. That decision was handed down not by Brown but by the state's labor commissioner, Brad Avakian. Avakian, a Democrat, is running for secretary of state this year. "You violated the rights of a couple for their beliefs," the message read. "A group of us are coming to your state and, we are going to every bakery and see which one won't bake us a certain cake... We will except [sic] the same attack on them that you did on the other bakery...I hope the next attack happens to your house." Grainger said these and other messages have prompted Brown's security detail to keep in daily contact with the FBI, which is investigating the threats. Part of the challenge in providing security for Brown is her tendency to travel to areas such as the recent trail derailment in the Columbia River Gorge when problems occur, said Travis Hampton, state police superintendent. "Governor Brown has proven to be a very 'hands on' governor, personally, responding to areas of the state where past governors would rely on state agency representatives or staff advisors," Hampton said. Former Gov. Barbara Roberts, the first woman elected to the state's top office, said threats go way back. "I governed during the spotted owl crisis of the early 1990s," she said, referring to the tumultuous period when enforcement of the federal Endangered Species Act led to reduced logging in Oregon and, consequently, bitter resentment in timber-dependent communities. "I was not everybody's favorite governor during that crisis." Roberts said she also received death threats for her pro-choice views on abortion. One man threatened to kill her, she said. Roberts added that the man never made clear his particular gripe. "He gave my security unit five different dates on which he was supposedly going to kill me," Roberts said. "Of course, nothing ever happened, but it's not unusual for a governor to be threatened simply because their views on almost everything are so public." When then-Gov. Ted Kulongoski was attending an event some years ago, someone phoned in a bomb threat. Within seconds, Kulongosi's security team was whisking him out the door. "While not often, when the (security detail) got the governor's coat and said, 'time to go,' you knew it was serious and you didn't ask questions," said Anna Richter Taylor, Kulongoski's former communications director. Threats to governors, along with subsequent efforts to protect them, aren't unique to Oregon. While California Gov. Jerry Brown's staff declines to discuss specific security measures, they help keep his whereabouts under wraps by releasing his monthly scheduling calendar only if someone files a public-records request -- and even then, it's released only after the fact. "We do send out advance advisories for all of his public events," said Deborah Hoffman, an office spokeswoman. "But anything else regarding his calendar is released only retroactively." The office of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey follows a similar policy, an office spokesman said. Policies designed to protect governors, including Kate Brown, are constantly being reviewed for possible changes, Grainger said. And sometimes, she added, the stress can take a toll. "She has had cause to feel apprehensive on occasion," Grainger said of Brown. "But it's clear she's not going to let anything stop her from doing her job." -- Dana Tims 503-294-7647; @DanaTims Portland's crop of City Council members may share an unlikely bond in January: All five could end up living west of the Willamette River. In a city 133 square miles in size, that surprising factoid is a distinct possibility now that Commissioner Nick Fish, a former eastsider, has downsized and moved with his wife and son into a Goose Hollow apartment. That type of westside concentration would appear to be a first in the 103 years since voters approved Portland's commission form of government, which doesn't require district representation. "I think it's about your values and about the work you do - not about where you live," Fish said. Combined with Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler (Southwest Hills), Commissioner Dan Saltzman (Hillsdale) and Commissioner Amanda Fritz (West Portland Park), Fish's move means four of five members next year will live in Southwest Portland. And Commissioner Steve Novick, who is seeking re-election, also lives in Southwest Portland's Multnomah neighborhood. Novick holds a commanding position heading into the November general election, having secured a 28 percentage-point lead in the primary over challenger Chloe Eudaly, who lives in Northeast Portland's Woodlawn neighborhood. Fish, for one, isn't concerned about the westside concentration. "I lived on the eastside for 20 years, and I'm an eastside person," said Fish, who until this month lived in a home just beyond Northeast Portland's Grant Park neighborhood. "I'm not going to stop advocating for the eastside just because I live in Goose Hollow." Two years ago, The Oregonian/OregonLive took an exhaustive look at the historic ramifications of citywide elections and the concentration of political power it allows. The news organization tracked the home address of each member of the City Council at the time they were elected - but not every address they subsequently moved to. A review of that data suggests the City Council has always had at least one person living east of the Willamette. Among America's 50 most populous cities, only Portland and Columbus, Ohio, elect politicians exclusively through at-large elections. Columbus voters in August will decide whether to scrap at-large elections in favor of some district representation. Efforts to change Portland's government structure have been shot down by voters eight times. This month, a ninth attempt failed to qualify for the November ballot. Proponents of Portland's at-large voting system say it's appropriate given the city's unique form of government, which assigns both legislative and administrative responsibilities to the mayor and commissioners. They also say citywide elections encourage elected officials to consider geographic equity and accountability rather than focusing on parochial issues. Opponents, however, say the system has historically left poor areas -- such as east Portland -- without representation or attention to local needs. Either way, each member of next year's City Council could end up sharing more than simply a Southwest Portland mailing address. Not only would all five members be white, but, should Novick win, each will begin the new year between the ages of 53 and 63. -- Brad Schmidt bschmidt@oregonian.com 503-294-7628 @cityhallwatch "I'm the damn fool that shot him." That sentence, uttered every night by the actor playing Aaron Burr on Broadway, is the one thing most Americans know about the third vice president of the United States. That in an 1804 duel he shot and killed Alexander Hamilton, the man whose face now heroically stares out at us from the $10 bill. Lin-Manuel Miranda's Pulitzer Prize-winning, smash-hit musical "Hamilton," which has taken over popular culture in the past year, presents Burr as a brilliant, natural politician, but also as an arrogant liar who believed only in his own advancement. A lot of people see parallels between this portrait and a man running for president right now. "Donald Trump is today's manifestation of Burr," a recent letter to the editor states in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "The electorate faces a critical choice. Will it allow itself to be driven by anger and shallow slogans, or will it take its responsibility seriously and give in-depth consideration to policies and their implications?" A columnist for The Easy Bay Times in Northern California called the Republican presidential nominee "the most reprehensible candidate since Aaron Burr" in 1800. Political scientist Donald Brand insisted in Fortune magazine that "Donald Trump would have reminded Hamilton of Aaron Burr. ... Like Trump, Burr had an outsized, narcissistic personality. Fidelity to principle never stood in the way of Burr's self-advancement." Historian Nancy Isenberg, author of a well-received 2008 biography of Burr, decries this view of the third vice president. After the duel with Hamilton ruined his political career in the fledgling republic, Burr headed for the western frontier with dreams of starting up his own country, leading to him being tried for treason. (He was ultimately acquitted.) But Isenberg, writing in the Washington Post in March, argues that Burr's reputation suffers 180 years after his death not because of the duel or the trial, but because of "a smear campaign invented by his political enemies" -- an early 19th century version of Trump's incessant Twitter attacks on Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as "Crooked Hillary." The plot of the late Gore Vidal's rigorously researched 1973 novel "Burr" is premised on the continuation of this smear campaign into the Jacksonian age. The novel's narrator, hired by real-life New York Post editor William Leggett to write about Burr's life, describes his subject as "a man of perfect charm and fascination. A monster, in short. To be destroyed? I think that is what Leggett has in mind. But do I?" (The Post, of course, was founded by Hamilton.) Author and literary critic Adam Kirsch wrote in 2012 that "the novel's Burr ends up on the wrong side of history because he was too good a man to hold his own against such enemies -- or, at least, too grandly unwilling to stoop to political intrigue." Is that giving Burr too much credit? Probably, but Isenberg makes a strong case for Burr having a bum rap. She wrote that he was a true war hero and a true husband, as well as a forward-thinking politician. "He was not just a disciple of the Enlightenment, but also an advocate for criminal-justice reform, freedom of the press, women's rights and the rights of immigrants," she wrote. Isenberg added that "Burr was far ahead of Hamilton, Jefferson and Adams in advancing the ideas of English philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, the leading Enlightenment advocate of women's rights." This clearly doesn't sound anything like Trump, who's insulted immigrants and women, argued for greater press constraints and admitted he doesn't read books. In at last one respect, Trump is more like Hamilton, who did read books. On Thursday, the GOP nominee said he wanted to verbally "hit a number of those speakers [at the Democratic convention] so hard, their heads would spin. They'd never recover." The first U.S. Treasury secretary also liked to batter and humiliate his political rivals with words. "Though he was a brilliant man, he was a vicious one," Vidal said of Hamilton. "He was the only person that Burr ever lost his cool with." Clinton, Trump's opponent in the general election, will spend the next three months trying not to lose hers. She's a student of history -- she knows how that turned out for Burr. -- Douglas Perry Reid.JPG Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called on the intelligence community to give GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump "fake" briefings. (The Associated Press) Harry Reid, an expert controversy stoker, brought the issue into the spotlight. "I would hope they would give him fake intelligence briefings, because they shouldn't give him anything that means anything because you can't trust him," the Democratic Senate minority leader said Thursday. He was talking about Donald Trump, who, as the Republican Party's presidential nominee, soon will begin receiving briefings from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has refused to be outdone in the PR battle over the secrets-worthiness of the major-party candidates. "I think the DNI, Clapper, should deny [Democratic nominee] Hillary Clinton access to classified information during this campaign given how she so recklessly handled classified information," he said. Now it's up to the people to weigh in through online petitions. The anti-Clinton petition, launched July 6 on the White House engagement site with the expectation that the Obama Administration will respond if the appeal receives 100,000 signatures within 30 days, has a paltry 812 signatures so far. Earlier petitions seeking Clinton's indictment over her use of a private email-server while serving as U.S. secretary of state did much better. The effort to stop Trump from receiving intel briefings, which states "Trump's encouragement of a dangerous dictator like Vladimir Putin to commit espionage and publicize state secrets poses serious national security concerns," is doing much better. It has more than 120,000 signatures, with a goal of 150,000. To be sure, the petitions are just to make partisans feel better. The briefings will happen, regardless of public worries about what the candidates will do with the information. Clapper said this week that the candidate briefings will involve "broad threat overviews," not operational specifics, and that the intelligence community is not concerned about Trump or Clinton receiving them. -- Douglas Perry Democratic National Convention: Day Four Khizr Khan, father of deceased Muslim U.S. Soldier Humayun S. M. Khan, delivers remarks on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 28, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received the number of votes needed to secure the party's nomination. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Although plenty of politicians tore at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week, none came close to delivering a condemnation as strong -- or as widely shared -- as Khizr Khan. He's the father of Humayun Khan, a U.S. Army captain who was killed in Iraq in 2004. Humayun was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star after running toward a vehicle armed with explosives after giving his men an order to take cover. "We are honored to stand here as the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country," Khan said as he stood with his wife. Khan denounced Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail, particularly the GOP standard-bearer's animosity toward minorities. "Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges and even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country," Khan said. "Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution?" I will gladly lend you my copy." But the mic drop, what's got much of the internet talking since Khan's speech, is his asking the Republican nominee if he's witnessed the rows of graves at Arlington National Cemetery. "Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America -- you will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities," Khan said. "You have sacrificed nothing. And no one." --Eder Campuzano 503.221.4344 @edercampuzano ecampuzano@oregonian.com One stock that might be an intriguing choice for investors right now is Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. CALM. This is because this security in the diversified food space is seeing solid earnings estimate revision activity, and is in great company from a Zacks Industry Rank perspective. This is important because, often times, a rising tide will lift all boats in an industry, as there can be broad trends taking place in a segment that are boosting securities across the board. This is arguably taking place in the diversified food space as it currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 63 out of more than 250 industries, suggesting it is well-positioned from this perspective, especially when compared to other segments out there. Meanwhile, Cal-Maine Foods is actually looking pretty good on its own too. The firm has seen solid earnings estimate revision activity over the past month, suggesting analysts are becoming a bit more bullish on the firms prospects in both the short and long term. CAL-MAINE FOODS Price and Consensus CAL-MAINE FOODS Price and Consensus | CAL-MAINE FOODS Quote In fact, over the past month, current quarter estimates have narrowed from a loss of 15 cents/share to earnings of 1 cent/share, while current year estimates have risen from $1.95/share to $2.08/share. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which is also a favorable signal. So, if you are looking for a decent pick in a strong industry, consider Cal-Maine Foods. Not only is its industry currently in the top third, but it is seeing solid estimate revisions as of late, suggesting it could be a very interesting choice for investors seeking a name in this great industry segment. 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 CAL-MAINE FOODS (CALM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. tca-the-get-down.jpg Nelson George and Baz Luhrmann at the panel discussing the new Netflix series, "The Get Down," at the 2016 TV Summer Press Tour. (Eric Charbonneau/Netflix) BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA -- With buzz-magnet projects like the new "Stranger Things," the U.K. import "Black Mirror," "Marvel's Luke Cage" and a "Gilmore Girls" revival, the streaming service Netflix has plenty to talk about. Kicking off the 2016 TV Summer Press Tour here at the Beverly Hilton hotel, Netflix executives shared information about current and pending projects, while stars and creators answered questions ranging from how this return of the "Gilmore Girls" might end to which '80s artifacts the young stars of "Stranger Things" found weirdest. Announcements included news that the "Chelsea" talk series hosted by Chelsea Handler, the Maria Bamford-starring comedy "Lady Dynamite" and the Rob Schneider comedy "Real Rob" have all been renewed. Here's a look at some of the surprising tidbits and quotes that also emerged during the press tour's Netflix day: "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life": When "Gilmore Girls," was canceled, after a 2000-2007 run, creator and executive producer Amy Sherman-Palladino said she wished she could have ended the show on her own terms. During a session about the new Netflix "Gilmore Girls," which will consist of four 90-minute movies taking place during the four seasons of the year, Sherman-Palladino was asked about the fact that Netflix binge-watchers will spoil the final four words online after watching. Sherman-Palladino responded with humor, saying, "You know, it would be great if people who wanted to see the last four words first got some therapy before it actually aired and got rid of that inclination, because it really is a journey leading up to the last four words. And I do think that it's going to mean a lot more if you've taken the journey, and it's going to mean a lot less if you just flip to the last page. That being said, what can I do? So I would hope that people would want to take the whole trip. It's a fun trip. It's worth it. There's peanuts." The fastest dialogue on Earth: Stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, who reprise their roles as mother-daughter fast-talkers Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, said getting back into the rapid dialogue swing was easy. " It's my favorite part of this show," Graham said. "It's something that, having done a different type of sort of performed a different type of language entirely on 'Parenthood,' I was actually kind of craving this structured, slightly more theatrical, elevated I mean, it brought me back to the first time I read this part and fell in love with it." Bledel agreed. "Jumping back in, it really was as if no time had passed," she said. "It's all on the page. Amy's writing just informs you right away. You know how it's supposed to be said, and it's all there for you." The downside of binge-viewing: Sherman-Palladino would have preferred the four movies be spread out, but Netflix said all of them had to be available on the streaming site on the premiere date, Nov 25. "I told them I was going to hang myself from a shower curtain if they put them all out" at once, Sherman-Palladino joked. "And they said, 'Well, OK.'" "What size shower curtain?" joked her husband, executive producer Dan Palladino, as journalists laughed. "Yeah," Sherman-Palladino continued. 'Can we help you with that? Because we have really nice shower curtains here.' And so you know, look, it's it was my hope to put them out separately because I am a thousand and I enjoy seeing it, walking away, having some coffee, a sandwich, seeing what the next one. And also because it's such a journey and it's such a build to the last four words and because we live in an age where I knew people were going to go right to the last four words and then put it on the Internet and possibly spoil it for people who are going to take the journey. However, you know, it's you don't always get what you want. Trust me. I don't have the ass I want." Why "Gilmore Girls" has such staying power: Asked why the show has remained so popular, and still draws young fans, Graham said, "I think it's because it's extremely comforting in a world that is lacking comfort and has a great choice of shows available that are stressful -- great, but stressful, and so this kind of stands out in the way that it did then. But also it's so smart. It's so well written that you can come to it at different ages, and maybe at a young girl's age you just got the relationships, and then as you watch it again, you get more of the references." "The Get Down": Even before its premiere, this drama about the intersection between the declining days of disco and the rise of hip hop in New York in the '70s has drawn attention because of its cost, and behind-the-scenes upheavals. At a panel, creator Baz Luhrmann, executive producer Nas, associate producer Grandmaster Flash and others talked about the production. "I always knew it wasn't my story," said Luhrmann, who credited his collaborators with filling in the context. Supervising producer Nelson George said, "One of the things that was very attractive to me about talking with Baz about the beginnings of it is it wasn't simply he wasn't doing the birth of hip hop. He was doing New York City 1970s, with disco having equal weight, with the context in which young people existed, which was budget cuts, crime, bad education, strikes." "Marvel's Luke Cage": Netflix and Marvel have a torrid romance going, as this new series featuring Luke Cage (Mike Colter), who "Marvel's Jessica Jones" viewers have already met. In a panel discussion of the show about the superhero, executive producer and showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker talked about his love of comic books and how Marvel comics stand out. "I'm a born geek," Coker said. "I've been reading comic books forever..."Yes, we're a hardcore genre comic book show, but at the same time what makes Marvel characters different than other characters is that Marvel characters live in the real world." "Stranger Things": The Netflix series has quickly earned a devoted fan base, as well as critics' praise for its '80s-set supernatural story about a missing boy, and its echoes of classic Steven Spielberg movies. During the panel for the show, the young actors who appear in "Stranger Things" were asked what they thought about the '80s-period artifacts and costumes they used in the show. "Well, holding the giant walkie talkies was crazy," said Gaten Matarazzo. "We would play around with them. Like, the antennas would go up to the ceiling...But I thought it was really cool, because, I mean, like nowadays you don't see kids riding their bikes. You don't see kids hanging out in their house. Like, in each other's houses anymore. They're always like, 'Hey, look. I caught a Pikachu. I'm gonna text my friend.'" Millie Brown said, "I think for me it was probably the freedom...I can't even go outside the house with my mom, like, right beside me, like, 'Where are you going?' So I think, like, the freedom for me is like riding on your bike and going to the store...for me, that's amazing. And also just also like the record player...I had no idea what a record player actually was." "Black Mirror": With new episodes of the British-made anthology series about the unexpected, often eerie ways technology intersects with the modern world on the way, creator Charlie Brooker and executive producer Annabel Jones were surprisingly cheery as they answered questions about the show. Brooker said, of how ideas for the show come about: "Generally they bubble up in conversation. Often when does a news story -- if, like, I don't know, Samsung invents a new phone that can beam flavors onto your tongue from five miles away or something, people will tweet me and say, 'Oh, this is a bit 'Black Mirror.' But when we've tried to sit there and think of stories based around some kind of technologic development, it doesn't quite gel. And similarly, if we're sitting there thinking, well, we've gotta do a story about the political scene at the moment, it doesn't feel like that's the best starting point. It's usually a 'what if' idea that just occurs and often is something usually something that makes me laugh initially that we then play straight. And in the conversations about it, I think we'll realize that thematically it's interesting." "If Charlie's laughing and I'm crying, then I know we've got a good episode." said Jones."That's the sort of gender stereotype we like to have in our production." Netflix premiere dates: "Chef's Table: France": September 2 "Easy": New anthology series created by Joe Swanberg and set in Chicago, with stars including Orlando Bloom, Malin Akerman, Marc Maron, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Aya Cash and Hannibal Buress. September 22 "The Ranch": Part 2 of Season 1 premieres October 7 "Black Mirror": October 21 "Lovesick": This is the new title of a romantic comedy that was formerly known as "Scrotal Recall." OK, then. November 17 "Beat Bugs": New animated show set to tunes by the Beatles. November 18 "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life": November 25 "Captive": New docu-series about international hostage cases from executive producer Doug Liman and producers Simon and Jonathan Chinn. "One Day at a Time": New take on the vintage TV series. January 6, 2017 Stay tuned for more reports from the Television Critics Association 2016 Summer TV Press Tour. -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Whole Foods Whole Foods' bid to trademark the broad slogan comes several years after CEO John Mackey told The Wall Street Journal that his stores sold "a bunch of junk." (Justin Sullivan/News/Getty Images) The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has rejected Whole Foods' application to trademark the slogan "world's healthiest grocery store." In a statement mailed to the grocer on July 16, the federal office explained the reasons for its refusal: It said the tagline was descriptive (rather than abstract), as well as laudatory. The proposed trademark doesn't meet the office's standards because "self-laudatory or puffing marks are regarded as a condensed form of describing the character or quality of the goods [or services]," the office wrote, citing past cases. In addition, the office attached several news articles and blog entries naming stores like Aldi, Kroger and Trader Joe's among the healthiest grocery stores. Whole Foods' bid to trademark the broad slogan comes several years after chief executive John Mackey told The Wall Street Journal that his stores sold "a bunch of junk" and that sales of healthy bulk foods like grains, seeds, nuts and beans were down from 15 or 20 percent to 1 percent. The trademark application comes as Whole Foods expands internationally. It currently has stores in Canada and the U.K. The Austin-based grocer already owns the trademark "America's healthiest grocery store," which was registered in 2012. But the patent office initially rejected that application, too, citing many of the same reasons. When Whole Foods responded by pointing to numerous trademarks containing the words "America's healthiest" that the office had registered, and saying customers could infer multiple meanings from the word healthy, the office overturned its decision and granted the trademark. The Austin-based grocery store now has six months to respond to the office's decision and once again convince officials to grant them the broad trademark. Whole Foods has not yet responded to a request for comment. -- Anna Marum amarum@oregonian.com 503-294-5911 @annamarum Friday 29 July 2016 9:25am Associate Professor Nigel Dickson From August 2016, paediatricians are being asked to report all cases of infants and children less than six months of age with microcephaly or other brain abnormalities, whose mother, or her partner, has been in a country with active Zika virus transmission during (or just before) her pregnancy. Reporting of abnormalities will be through the New Zealand Paediatric Surveillance Unit, which already monitors and reports on a number of uncommon but important childhood conditions. In Brazil, at the end of 2015 there was a marked increase in the number of infants born with microcephaly, a very small head due to poor brain growth. It is now clear the increase was due to mothers being infected by the Zika virus in the early months of their pregnancy, says Associate Professor Nigel Dickson, epidemiologist with the New Zealand Paediatric Surveillance Unit. The Zika virus is predominantly spread by the Aedes type of mosquito. Whilst the commonest vector Aedes aegypti is not in New Zealand, it is in many parts of the Pacific where the Zika virus has been known exist for several years. Not only are pregnant women who visited or lived in areas where Zika is prevalent at risk, but also those whose partner had been in such places as sexual transmission of the virus can occur. Associate Professor Dickson adds, While not appreciated at the time, a recent review of the outcome of pregnancies occurring during a large Zika outbreak in French Polynesia in 2013/2014, found a marked increase in cases of microcephaly. Fortunately only a few of the women infected with Zika had children with this problem. It is important that we understand the situation here to make sure that the appropriate advice is given to people who have or are considering visiting the Pacific while pregnant, says Dr Lesley Voss, an Auckland-based Paediatric Infectious Disease specialist on the study team. Such a form of monitoring is consistent with the advice from the World Health Organization, and the method being used is very similar to the surveillance being undertaken in the United Kingdom since April 2016 by the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit. The New Zealand Paediatric Surveillance Unit, is based in the Department of Womens and Childrens Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, and is funded by the Ministry of Health. Information on Zika virus and advice for travellers is available on the Ministry of Health website. For further information contact: Associate Professor Nigel Dickson New Zealand Paediatric Surveillance Unit, Department of Womens and Childrens Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago Email nigel.dickson@otago.ac.nz This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Earlier this month, reports of a "Wolf of Wall Street"-style bash at a lux rental home in the Hamptons that hosted revelers who allegedly broke property rules and prompted threats of a $1-million lawsuit against the host flooded the internet. Now, the host, Brett Barna, a 31-year-old hedge fund manager who ultimately lost his position at Louis Bacon's Moore Capital Management when allegations arose claiming he and his guests of the Sprayathon event "trashed" the $20 million Hamptons mansion, is offering his side of the story, according to The New York Times. RELATED: Instagram reveals 'Wolf of Wall Street-style' party that 'trashed' $20-million Hamptons mansion After the July 3 party, the disgruntled owner of the estate spoke to The New York Post's Page Six under conditions of anonymity. This week, Barna spoke with The New York Times to tell his side of the story one that names the man as Omar Amanat, arrested for alleged fraud days after the party. According to The New York Times follow up, transactions between the two men began on Friday, July 1. Recommended by a real estate contact, Barna worked out a deal to host Sprayathon at the home under a 5-day rental for $27,000. The owner asked for the money to be paid in cash, immediately, Barna told the Times. The following day, he arrived to find the property had been double-booked for the weekend and a separate party was occupying the inside of the home, but Barna went forward with the deal, he said. Before the party took place, Barna told the site he received "repeated texts and calls" from Amanat asking for an additional $13,000. In his statement to Page Six, Amanat claimed costumed dwarfs and attendees left the home awash in champagne showers, collapsed the side of a pool, broke into the house and stole art. However, Barna told the Times he took precautionary measures including hiring a "former police chief and eight security guards to keep the crowd outside and maintain order, and had eight portable seats set up" from noon until 6 p.m. RELATED: Lake Travis boat parties flood social media as 2016 summer revelers take over He insisted none of his party entered the home and has photos to prove "no visible damage." Barna also said his event was "good clean fun" which raised $100,000 to benefit Last Chance Animal Rescue by 500 guests, not "a thousand of them" as originally purported by Amanat. "We raised money for charity," Barna continued in his New York Times interview. "Nothing illegal happened, and no one complained." On the other hand, Amanat has allegedly been participating in illegal fraudulent activity, according to The New York Times. Amanat, a 43-year-old who "is a co-founding investor and partner in more than 36 different media, finance and technology companies" according to his website, was arrested on July 13 by Federal Bureau of Investigations agents in New Jersey under charges unrelated to the Hamptons party, the Times reported. He faces four counts of fraud for conspiring to defraud investors of Kit Digital, a technology startup, Bloomberg reported. Former Chief Financial Officer Robin Smyth pleaded guilty to fraud in March and the former CEO Kaleil Isaza Tuzman is awaiting extradition to the U.S. in Columbia. Amanat's arrest was also covered by Page Six in an additional article, which made no mention of his situation with Barna despite initial coverage of the "Wolf of Wall Street" style party. The July 14 piece reported "Amanat can't afford to make bail." RELATED: The rich kids of Instagram take Spring Break 2016 According to the site, Prosecutor Andrea Griswold challenged Amanat's claims of having only $2,700 in the bank, saying he resides in a $4.75 million rental home. His bond was set at $2.5 million, requiring three signers and "secured by $250,000 in cash or property." The court ordered Amanat to be released under home confinement and electronic monitoring, due to government arguments that he is a flight risk, according to Page Six. Amanat, who the Times reported has a "long list of disputes," was released from custody on July 26 and has declined to comment. The suspect transaction made sense to Barna following the arrest he told The New York times he presumes Amanat was pressuring him for extra cash to pay the bail of his impending legal troubles and demands were not satisfied, the media investor took his story to Page Six. RELATED: Outrageous Austin mansion party, #ATXSpillover, was not 'expected or allowed,' venue owners say "Omar knew exactly what he was doing when he planted this story," Barna told the New York Times. "His goal was to cream me in the press to pressure him into giving him more money." Barna shared text messages with the site from Amanat's phone number illustrating aforementioned threats. "I'll keep my cool for another 24 hours, then I'll handle things another way," one message said, followed by another stating "When you least expect it one night, something so unspeakably bad is going to happen to you (maybe it's karmic law, maybe it's a friend of me who heard what you did to me). Personally I won't do a thing to you." mmendoza@mysa.com Twitter: @MaddySkye With 26 nations, and more than 200 aircraft, 40 ships and submarines, and 25,000 personnel deployed in support of Rim of the Pacific 2016, keeping the base secure and ensuring operational security is a top priority for the 647th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. RIMPAC is the worlds largest international maritime exercise and is held every two years. The exercise provides a unique training opportunity that strengthens international forces for a wide range of operations. This year marks the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. The exercise helps to foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the worlds oceans. Master Sgt. Roy Lock, 647th Security Forces Squadron Joint Base Plans and Programs superintendent, said hosting such a large exercise can create a myriad of security concerns, but his team has risen to the unique challenges, ensuring the security of personnel and equipment on JBPHH. In addition to increased patrols and the continued gate guard duties, JBPHH security has been busy briefing the new arrivals on how to stay safe while on a foreign installation. We provided welcoming security briefs as each country arrived, said Lock. We boarded every ship and greeted each plane that landed and ensured they understood local security and anti-terrorism measures. We worked installation access for every single RIMPAC participant, military and civilian. Security was also responsible for the credentialing of media and ensuring special guests attending receptions and ceremonies were able to access the installation. Additionally, JBPHH security worked with security officers from each country to delineate the lines of security, ensuring all foreign assets would be appropriately protected at all times throughout the exercise. Lock said security efforts didnt just ramp up after the exercise began as security operations had to be in place before RIMPAC started, so him and his team worked closely with RIMPAC planners. It was critical that the JBPHH security team be involved from the very beginning and worked closely with the planning team to ensure the RIMPAC process met the JBPHH security standard operating procedures, and at the same time ensure the process was simple and efficient, said Royal Australian Navy, Lt. Cmdr. Evan Smith, operations and future operations RIMPAC coordinator. The security team has been extremely helpful throughout the entire planning process and on-point during implementation. Smith said without the security teams commitment, RIMPAC would not be as successful as it is. With the security team behind our process and enforcing it, the procedure has been extremely efficient and has allowed the RIMPAC team to focus on what makes RIMPAC so great; developing capable, adaptive, partners, he said. Lock said the squadron has also been working around the clock to see to it that RIMPAC 16 happens safely and without incident. The work done by the joint base security team is essential to the ability to undertake such a large and complex exercise as RIMPAC, said Claude Shaw, Navy Region Hawaii director of operations. In addition to safeguarding the thousands of personnel that come to participate in the exercise they provide security for a large number of high ranking U.S. and foreign dignitaries. He said the JBPHH security team coordinated with the U.S. Department of State for foreign visitor requests and background checks for invited U.S. and foreign guests, often working the requests with minimal suspense response time. Operations dont happen without security, Shaw said. Without security, planes dont get off the ground because you need these lines of defense to protect those assets. The main thing is ensuring that we instill confidence in the visiting countries that security is here to protect them and available in case there is an incident. Two boats race through the water to a designated landing zone and begin to circle, the crews eyes search the sky, while their ears listen and wait for all too familiar sound. First a rumble can be heard and the an MC-130J Commando emerges on the horizon and tracks a steady path toward the boats as crews ready themselves in anticipation for whats to come. The sun is setting fast and the water below promises a soft landing. After several passovers, pararescuemen walk out of the back of the aircraft, their feet in the wind and their lives in the hands of the parachutes packed by riggers. Aircrew flight equipment Airmen from the 31st Rescue Squadron ensured their charges had a safe landing during their water landing training scenario off the coast of Okinawa. During the scenario the, the 31st RQS pararescuemen had to deploy a jet ski from an MC-130J and then circle around in the aircraft and jump in after it. The pararescuemen use jet skis and other light, mobile watercraft to maneuver quickly throughout open water for quick and efficient rescues. If you have a fighter pilot or someone who punches out [ejects] from an aircraft, we can jump to them usually with just our bodies and secure them and wait until the helicopter comes in, explained Lt. Col. Mathew McGuinness, 31st Rescue Squadron commander. While the cargo and personnel jettisoned from the C-130 overhead, Tech. Sgt. Matthew Michels, 31st RQS aircrew flight equipment assistant NCOIC, recorded and watched for any deviations in the opening of the parachutes from launch to landing. To ensure no details are overlooked and each jump is completed properly to keep their team safe, Michel records jumps as the teams malfunctions officer and helps recover parachutes from the corrosive waves of the Pacific Ocean. Jumping over water is a little easier because you know its a soft landing, Michels said. You dont have to worry about someone rolling an ankle or landing wrong. The important part during the scenario for AFE is to hook the parachutes as soon as possible and get them back into the boat, he continued. From the time the parachutes hit the water, the AFE crew has less than 48-hours to recover, wash and dry them before they are condemned and deemed unserviceable since salt water will begin to degrade some of the components of the chutes. A normal parachute while dry weighs anywhere from 35 to 45-pounds, Michels explained. When they are wet and we are dragging them into the boat it feels like its at least more than 100 pounds, especially when the canopy is sinking below the waves. If its not hooked properly, it drags water like a giant cup and weighs it down that much more. The 31st RQS AFE Airmen know pararescumen can and will deploy at any time for unexpected rescue or recovery calls. The AFE team ensures parachutes and equipment are maintained and can be used at a moment's notice. Our lives are in their hands, McGuinness said. Ive been fortunate enough to have gone on several hundred jumps and every single time my chute has opened. Theyre awesome, the bottom line is we couldnt do our jobs without riggers. It didn't take long for Donald Trump to launch a tweetstorm in response to Hillary Clinton's major address to accept the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night at the party's convention in Philadelphia. The Republican presidential nominee, who laid out his own vision for the US last week at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, said that Clinton's "vision" for the world was "borderless" and that "working people" would "have no power, no jobs, no safety." Clinton, Trump said, is followed by "corruption and devastation" "wherever she goes." Read his tweets below: Hillary's refusal to mention Radical Islam, as she pushes a 550% increase in refugees, is more proof that she is unfit to lead the country. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Our way of life is under threat by Radical Islam and Hillary Clinton cannot even bring herself to say the words. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary will never reform Wall Street. She is owned by Wall Street! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary's vision is a borderless world where working people have no power, no jobs, no safety. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Hillary's wars in the Middle East have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 Clinton made Trump a recurring theme in her speech, contrasting what she portrayed as steady-handed leadership with Trump's quick-trigger unpredictability. "He loses his cool at the slightest provocation," she said. "When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protester at a rally." The Trump campaign also released a statement from Stephen Miller, a senior campaign adviser: "Hillary Clinton's speech was an insulting collection of cliches and recycled rhetoric. She spent the evening talking down to the American people she's looked down on her whole life. "Hillary Clinton talks about unity, about E Pluribus Unum, but her globalist agenda denies American citizens the protections to which they are all entitled tearing us apart. Her radical amnesty plan will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries. Her refusal to even say the words 'Radical Islam,' or to mention her disaster in Libya, or her corrupt email scheme, all show how little she cares about the safety of the American people. "It's a speech delivered from a fantasy universe, not the reality we live in today. "Hillary Clinton says America is stronger together. But in Hillary Clinton's America, millions of people are left out in the cold. She only stands together with the donors and special interests who've bankrolled her entire life. Excluded from Hillary Clinton's America are the suffering people living in our inner cities, or the victims of open borders and drug cartels, or the people who've lost their jobs because of the Clintons' trade deals, or any hardworking person who doesn't have enough money to get a seat at Hillary Clinton's table." NOW WATCH: INSTANT POLL: Clinton's convention speech was viewed more favorable than Trump's More From Business Insider NORMAL Normal Police continue to look for a man who robbed the Land of Lincoln Credit Union at 115 Susan Drive on Thursday afternoon. Police said the man was armed with a handgun and demanded money. He left in a silver Buick Rendezvous and was last seen at College Avenue and Veterans Parkway. The incident happened at 3:50 p.m. There were no injuries. A more detailed description of the suspect as not available Thursday night. It was the second bank robbery in Central Illinois this month. On July 1, Clinton Police said a man entered DeWitt Savings Bank, 302 W. Main St., about 3:51 p.m., approached a teller station and presented a handwritten note demanding money. That suspect remains at large. EUREKA Beinvenidos. Eureka College is issuing a special welcome to students from Spanish-speaking homes. The initiative is starting with a Spanish-language version of its website, found at www.eureka.edu/en-espanol. But it doesn't stop there. The college also plans to reach out to high schools in Central Illinois and the Chicago area that have a significant Spanish-speaking population, according to Emily Eaton, assistant professor of Spanish, who is leading the effort. The goal is to provide more effective communication with Spanish-speaking parents who are helping their children through the college selection and application process. Bilingual information sessions for families of college-bound students are part of the plan. Regardless of what language you speak, navigating the college application is overwhelming, said Eaton. When you have the addition of a language barrier on top of that, you have that additional type of burden. Jesse Paul Padilla, chair of Conexiones Latinas de McLean County, said, In my mind, what Eureka Collegee is doing is unique and special. Padilla, who has spoken with Eaton about the project, said having a Spanish-language website and bilingual information programs is empowering the parents. One of the pillars of Conexiones is education, Padilla explained, and the group is looking forward to collaborating with Eureka College to promote higher education among Latinos. The United States is second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, second only to Mexico, notes Eaton, and Illinois has the country's fifth largest Hispanic population. Colleges and universities are not doing enough outreach to populations whose first language is Spanish, she said. In addition, the rate of college attendance among Hispanics is accelerating very rapidly, said Eaton. That means this initiative could be a boost to enrollment at Eureka, she said, but that's not the driving force. Rather, it is meant to help Spanish-speaking families and help diversify the campus, according to Eaton. It's also a way to give practical experience to her students who are Spanish minors. Eaton intends to involve students in her applied learning class to help with the outreach, which would include Spanish-language campus tours. I have several Spanish minors who are already trained as tour guides, she said. My students will have a very hands-on learning experience. Eaton got the idea after seeing Eureka College had translated material into Mandarin as part of its recruiting process in China. She realized she had the knowledge to do the same with Spanish. Her work is being supported by a grant from the school's Fund for Advancement in Excellence in Learning, Service and Leadership. Eureka College also will reach out to elementary schools. Padilla already has spoken with principals at Bent and Cedar Ridge elementary schools in Bloomington, which have many Hispanic students and with whom he has been involved with other programs. He said the idea is to plant the seed of inspiration and ambition in young students. "Although I would love for the citizens to be able to have their say on the ballot ... my duty is to apply the law here," Circuit Court Judge Scott Kording said. NORMAL Normal Mayor Chris Koos will seek a fourth full term in office. Koos, who has been mayor since 2003, will file paperwork to run for that position in the April 4 consolidated election, he announced Thursday morning. "I have always felt that if you are doing something without the fire in the belly for it, you should move on to something else. As I stand here today, I will tell you that I still have that passion," he said. "Together we can continue to make this strong, vibrant community even more secure and special." Koos, 68, said he no longer has a specific finish line in mind for his time as mayor. He said previously his third full term would be his last. "I won't get put in that trap again," he said with a laugh. "I feel like I still have a lot to offer." Koos added he has no specific successor in mind. Mentoring Normal City Council members is a longstanding goal of his. Koos has been elected three times since succeeding Kent Karraker, who resigned before the end of his term due to health reasons. Koos was elected to council in 2001. During Koos' tenure, the town has overhauled uptown, including building Uptown Station, the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center and the Hyatt Place hotel, and improved its relationship with Illinois State University. He said those things were possible because of a dedicated staff and council. "I am quite frankly amazed at the progress, the innovation and the unique sense of place that has become today's Normal," he said. "Normal is now nationally recognized as a progressive and unique community." Koos said he hopes to expand collaboration among Bloomington-Normal agencies and improve outreach. The town's long-term plans also include expanding uptown to the south with a pedestrian underpass near the train station, a new Normal Public Library and commercial, residential and retail space. "The council and I share the thought that we have much opportunity to build on this success," Koos said. "There are challenges to the community as well, and I think my experience will be beneficial to the town in addressing and overcoming these challenges." Koos is still active in business as owner of Vitesse Cycle Shop and Often Running, a running and jogging shop. Both are adjacent to uptown at 206 S. Linden St. Three council members could also seek re-election in April: Cheryl Gaines, Kevin McCarthy and Scott Preston. McCarthy confirmed he'll seek a second term. Im leaning toward running for re-election but am not ready to make a formal announcement, said Preston, who was elected to his first term in 2013. Gaines could not be reached for comment Thursday. She's served on the council since 1993. Petition circulation for nonpartisan municipal candidates begins on Aug. 30; the the filing period is Nov. 2128; and the primary election, if needed, is Feb. 28. HEYWORTH The Illinois State Police has been asked to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by Heyworth's former police chief, whose February termination followed accusations of theft, dishonesty and incompetence as an administrator and a police officer. State police were contacted several months ago by Heyworth officials to investigate information related to Chris Lane's alleged misconduct during his nine years as police chief, McLean County State's Attorney Jason Chambers said Thursday. Chambers said he recommended a review of the allegations after village officials brought questions to him about the charges. The complaints leading to Lane's termination are listed in court documents filed by the village as part of Lane's wrongful termination lawsuit against the town. In January, city attorney and administrator Geoff Dodds provided Mayor Todd Zalucha with a 10-page report of Lane's alleged failures as a police officer, including a charge that Lane took home a 12-pack of beer and a former officer Ryan Kemp kept a bottle of vodka from an arrest made by Kemp. Dodds said in his report that he reprimanded Lane and ordered the alcohol, that was not required as evidence, be replaced, which Lane did several months later. "Related to honesty, Chris has committed what I consider theft," Dodds said in his report of the incident. Dodds declined to comment Thursday on why the village waited years to seek a review of Lane's performance. McLean Police Chief Rick Davis said he didn't feel the need to review Lane's Heyworth personnel file before hiring him as a part-time officer earlier this summer. "I'm familiar with Chris," said Davis, adding, "I've had nothing but excellent comments about his work" in McLean. Lane did not respond to a request for comment on Dodd's report. Citing the pending lawsuit, Zalucha said he was unable to comment on any investigation into the charges. "Any type of determination of criminality would not be made by the attorney, mayor or members of the Heyworth Village Board," said Zalucha. The mayor said he directed Dodds to review Lane's performance after he took over as mayor in 2015, following the death of former mayor Larry Mowery. Dodd concluded in his report that Lane is "good person" but not a good police officer "let alone a good police chief." In his lawsuit, Lane claims the village board acted improperly when it failed to provide him with a list of charges within 10 days of his Feb. 16 termination by the mayor. In its response, the village admitted the error, but claims the mistake was corrected in its decision to void Lane's Feb. 16 dismissal and move it to Feb. 25, the date he was given the charges. The village board held a second meeting on Feb. 23 to approve the termination. The village asserts Zalucha learned of new alleged misconduct by Lane after Feb. 16, including charges that he performed improper background checks, improperly deleted confidential work emails after forwarding them to a personal account and created a social media account for the department that was linked to his personal account without notifying village officials. SPRINGFIELD Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed a bill that wouldve blocked changes his administration wants to make to a program that provides services to help keep elderly Illinoisans out of nursing homes. Advocates say changes could mean the loss of services such as assistance with cooking, laundry and bathing for thousands of older residents, which could result in them requiring more-costly nursing home care. But in a veto message, Rauner says the bill would prevent the state from managing ever-rising costs and jeopardize our ability to ensure that essential community services remain available to more than 40,000 people served through the Illinois Department on Agings existing community care program who arent eligible for Medicaid. The program currently serves about 84,000 people. The Republicans administration has proposed shifting those people into its new community reinvestment program, which it believes can save $200 million a year by providing services more efficiently. Department on Aging spokeswoman Veronica Vera wrote in an email earlier this month that the department remains committed to its mission to continue providing the services necessary to keep seniors in their homes longer and do so in a fiscally responsible and sustainable manner. The department argues that the changes are necessary in light of the states fiscal constraints and a growing elderly population. Officials have been meeting with the local agencies that will implement the program ahead of a planned January launch, Vera said. State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, one of the sponsors of the bill, said the administration is rushing into large-scale changes to a program many people rely on. Biss said he has seen no evidence of how the community reinvestment program would work or what the governors office has in mind for tens of thousands of Illinois seniors in the current program. Ive talked to a lot of seniors who are very anxious about what the governors office has in mind for them, he said. State Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, the bills main sponsor, called Rauners veto another in his ongoing campaign targeting child care, people with disabilities and senior citizens. We should be encouraging seniors to remain in their own homes and low-cost community settings instead of driving them into more costly institutions and nursing homes, Harris said in a prepared statement. The bill would have codified eligibility standards for the program, which the Rauner administration had previously attempted to tighten. The governors veto message says thats unnecessary because he has since committed to leaving the standards unchanged. AARP Illinois, which backed the bill wholeheartedly because it saves significant money while also protecting our most vulnerable citizens, was anticipating the veto and has been working to win support for an override, said Ryan Gruenenfelder, manager of advocacy and outreach. The bill was approved with broad support in the General Assembly but didnt garner a veto-proof majority in either chamber. Why are some politicians, Republicans and Democrats, who are in office or seeking to be in office to represent the citizens of the United States of America, speaking a foreign language? If you are a legal citizen and can vote, then you should be able to read, write and speak English. Politicians who want to represent the people of America should address voters in English only. Great news "Attack on Titan" fans as creators of the popular anime have confirmed that season 2 will come on the first quarter of 2017. "Attack on Titan" Season 2 will finally come and it is even sooner than most of us expected. What to Expect on 'Attack on Titan' Season 2 As previously reported on the upcoming second season of "Attack on Titan" there will be more Titan fights, a serge on political uprising and probably death of some of the major characters. According to Parent Herald, "AoT" Season 2 will see a battle between Rogue Titan and Armored Titan with one of them possibly going down for good. Fans of the series are also anticipating the latest development on the storyline of Eren Jaeger where on "Clash of Titans" and "Uprising Arc" Eren became somehow of a liability instead of an asset as his recklessness caused a lot of good characters to perish. The same hard-headedness also was the cause of his friends to mostly rescue him in some difficult situations. To know that he is one of the main character of the series also made fans somehow disappointed. Krista Will Be More Important on 'Attack on Titan' Season 2 Krista joined the Survey Corp together with Eren and his friends. She is also the 10th best recruit of the 104th Training Corp, according to Movie Pilot. However, her friends will soon find out in "Attack on Titan" Season 2 that she is the actual heir of the powerful Reiss family. Once the corrupt King is overthrown on the second season of "Attack on Titan" it is possible that Krista will become the new queen although it is also revealed that the King is not actually the man running the show around but the Reiss family. It is also good to reveal that Krista's powerful family can transform into Titans which could also indicate that Krista also has that ability. With "Attack on Titan" Season 2 coming real close, it is expected that more spoilers and updates will come. Who are you excited to see on the second season? Do you think Eren will change into a better leader in "Attack on Titan" Season 2? Share us your thoughts below. Smart Vision Labs ( https://www.smartvisionlabs.com/ ), creators of smart autorefraction devices for vision testing, announced today the launch of the SVOne Enterprise , an intuitive, selfguided vision testing system now available in New York City optical stores. The SVOne Enterprise captures a person's refractive error and sends the data for analysis to a remote network of eye doctors who help provide updated eyeglass prescriptions within 24 hours. Patients can access a permanent record of their eyeglass prescription within a passwordprotected web portal and can choose where to purchase eyewear. Founded in 2013 by Yaopeng Zhou and Marc Albanese, Smart Vision Labs is transforming the way people get their vision tested. The company went to market in 2014 with the SVOne handheld autorefactor. Over 500 SVOne handheld autorefractors have been sold and over 40,000 refractions have been completed to date by Smart Vision Labs and its partners. The new SVOne Enterprise pairs Smart Vision Labs' core autorefraction technology with a proprietary telemedicine platform, allowing doctors the ability to analyze vision test results and other data without having to be onsite. The doctor can write a digital eyeglass prescription for a patient or make a recommendation for a full eye health exam where appropriate. "We initially founded Smart Vision Labs to make vision tests more portable and clearer vision more attainable for the public by providing doctors a new, highly accurate way to administer vision care to underserved communities around the world," said Yaopeng Zhou, cofounder and CEO of Smart Vision Labs . "After seeing how the SVOne was able to help administer better vision care for so many people, we saw that there was also a need for improved vision care here in the United States. With the launch of SVOne Enterprise, we're introducing the world's most convenient and intuitive selfguided vision test in New York City, and plan to make better vision more convenient for everyone." In the United States alone, nearly 200 million Americans are in need of vision correction but only 106 million eye exams are performed yearly. On average there is one eye doctor for every 5,000 people. Personalizing telemedicine promotes ownership of one's own medical data, and with Smart Vision Labs, prescriptions are always accessible with a click of a button. Watch the video: https://vimeo.com/154742336 Smart Vision Labs Media Kit: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7iMEIfWb8VRMDVlU0t5MS1xRVE; About Smart Vision Labs: Smart Vision Labs is transforming vision care through innovative technologies. A leader in wavefront refraction systems, Smart Vision Labs leverages telemedicine to provide access to eyeglass prescriptions anywhere, anytime. Over 500 doctors are using the SVOne autorefractor across 23 countries, and over 40,000 refractions have been performed to date by Smart Vision Labs and its partners. Since the launch of the SVOne Enterprise, over one thousand eyeglass prescriptions have been issued. For more information, please visit: www.smartvisionlabs.com CHARLOTTE, N.C.-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi shocked many last night during an interview at the Democratic National Convention, when she said that Hillary Clinton struggles with getting white men to vote for her because of the "3 Gs"-Guns, Gays and God. Dr. Alex McFarland (www.AlexMcFarland.com), a nationally known pastor, religion and culture expert, radio and television host, and author of the new book "Stand Strong America," says Pelosi's words are a stark reminder to every voter that our choices count not only at the polls, but for eternity. "Our first President George Washington would likely convey to Nancy Pelosi and others in her party that to take on the distinguishing name of 'patriot,' we should also distinguish the even greater name of 'Christian,' McFarland said. "Democrats, with their socialistic and libertine views, would have deep problems with all of the founders of this nation, who were most certainly concerned with the '3 Gs.'" Pelosi went on to say that the "God" factor for these male voters has to do with a woman's "right to choose," basically acknowledging that God is against taking innocent, unborn lives. And those who stand on biblical principles know that. Therefore, they will not vote for a leader who goes against the tenets of their own convictions and the teachings of the Bible-leaders such as Clinton, Pelosi, Obama and their ilk. "Our society today is very concerned about body-shaming, when someone calls out another person for the way they look," McFarland said. "So why is Nancy Pelosi 'conviction-shaming,' practically scolding millions of Americans for not being on board with Hillary Clinton because of their beliefs? "The Democratic Party should forget about facing the Electoral College," McFarland continued. "They should instead more be concerned with facing God. The Bible has a lot to say about rejecting well-known truths and being a righteous leader. We must remember that we will be held accountable with what we do with our vote in 2016. Our vote is a stewardship issue, and all of us, Democrat and Republican, will eventually be responsible if we are a poor steward of biblical truth here on Earth." McFarland has been gathering responses for the new "2016 Malaise Index," an online survey that gauges Americans' outlook on society. Learn more at www.AlexMcFarland.com/survey. McFarland recently released his latest book, "Stand Strong America." Co-authored with evangelist and apologist Jason Jimenez-McFarland's co-host of the "Viral Truth" television program, which airs on the National Religious Broadcasters network-"Stand Strong America" addresses the idea that Americans are weary of the poor character and decisions of their leaders, including laws that may not coincide with their faith. The book is available at AlexMcFarland.com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or Christianbook.com. He is also the author of "The God You Thought You Knew: Exposing the 10 Biggest Myths About Christianity," in which he dispels the myths and untruths about Christianity and replaces that with the truth of who God really is, as well as "10 Questions Every Christian Must Answer," "10 Issues that Divide Christians," "10 Answers for Skeptics" and the "Stand" series of devotions for teens. McFarland is an expert in the field of apologetics-the practice of defending the Christian faith in a world where faith in Christ is plummeting at alarming rates. McFarland has spent years working with young people and takes their questions to heart. He has preached in more than 1,300 churches and has been featured at conferences such as the Billy Graham School of Evangelism, Focus on the Family's "Big Dig" and California's "Spirit West Coast," sharing the platform with Chuck Colson, Eric Metaxas, Josh McDowell and others. He also serves as Director for Christian Worldview and Apologetics at the Christian Worldview Center of North Greenville University (www.ngu.edu) in Greenville, S.C. Part evangelist, part apologist, part educator and part broadcaster, McFarland focuses on communicating the message of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. He co-hosts the daily, live radio program "Exploring the Word" on American Family Radio's Talk Network, heard on approximately 140 stations across the country, and the weekly television show "Viral Truth," airing on the National Religious Broadcasters Network, which he co-hosts with Jason Jimenez. For more information on Dr. Alex McFarland, visit www.AlexMcFarland.com or follow him on Facebook or on Twitter @AlexMcFarland. It emerged earlier last month that Ingo Rademacher is returning to "General Hospital" and his character Jasper "Jax" Jacks is confirmed to appear on Friday, July 29. But not without a bang. Spoilers for this week tease that Jax made sure his presence would be noticed by the people in Port Charles. Jax To Solve Kidney Donor Puzzle When it was revealed that in June that Ingo Rademacher is definitely coming back on a recurring basis to "General Hospital," speculations are that his storyline would revolve around the kidney mystery that saved the life of his daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy). The organ was said to be from little Jake (Jake Hudson West), but since Jake did not actually die, it became a puzzle as to where the kidney came from. Perhaps Jax will provide closure to that. "General Hospital" spoilers tease that Jax return comes as his daughter's illness will worsen and test results will a reveal troubling news. His ex-wife Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) will be hearing shocking news regarding the source of Josslyn's kidney, as Parent Herald earlier learned. Spoilers for this week also showed that Carly, with the help of Nina Clay (Michelle Stafford), is trying to find Josslyn's kidney donor. Jax Learns About Franco? Another story arc in the rumor mills is that Jasper Jax would return to "General Hospital" when he was informed that Carly had Josslyn living under the same roof as Franco (Roger Howarth), via Celeb Dirty Laundry. And he doesn't approve of Franco. Another possibility is that he would also touch on the fake Luke Spencer storyline, in which the imposter is Jasper's brother, Jerry, according to fan theories. Ingo Rademacher, 45, is reprising his role in "General Hospital" on a temporary period only. He was recently seen in "Hawaii Five-O" as Robert Coughlin. The actor originated the role of Jax Jacks in GH back in 1999 and was last seen in Port Charles in 2013 during the soap's 50th anniversary. "General Hospital" airs from Mondays to Fridays on ABC at 2 p.m. Powerball's jackpot prize soared to a whopping $478 million on Wednesday after the winning numbers yielded no takers. And now people are scrambling to buy the ticket that would hopefully have the wining number combinations. Who wouldn't be attracted with a chance to win millions of dollars in an instance? Powerball Winning Numbers July 27 Powerball's winning numbers on Wednesday are: 10-47-50-65-68, Powerball: 24, PowerPlay: 2X, with an estimated jackpot prize of $434.8 million. And as there is still no winner, the pot has risen to $478 million. Powerball's jackpot has been climbing since May, with nobody being lucky enough to bring it home. Could it reach to billion again? In January, Powerball gave away $1.58 billion, the largest prize in the history of U.S. Powerball. If someone hit the almost half a billion prize this time, it will be the eighth largest jackpot ever. The next draw will be on Saturday, July 30, at 10:59 p.m. The deadline for buying a ticket is at 9:45 p.m. What is your chance of winning? According to NOLA.com, if you buy a $2 ticket, you get a one in 292.2 million chance at becoming a Powerball champion. For smaller prizes of up to $1 million, you have a one in 25 chance. As USA TODAY noted, the change in the Powerball rules last fall made it even harder to match up the six-number combination and win the jackpot. Powerball is held in 44 states in America, including the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. However, no Powerball tickets are sold in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah. $1 Million Ticket Purchased In Virginia While on one has taken home the biggest prize, there was one who won $1 million with a ticket that matched the five numbers drawn. According to NBC Washington, the ticket was purchased at the 7-Eleven at 4223 North Fairfax Drive, near the Ballston Metro station, in Arlington Virginia. He/she got 10, 47, 50, 65, 68 but not the Powerball 24. There were three other $1 million winners nationwide. "Stranger Things" really made a great impression among viewers and made them actually miss the 80s. However, news surrounding the second season of "Stranger Things" is still unclear since Netflix has still not confirmed if they will continue with it. 'Stranger Things' Season 2 May Not Happen Netflix chief Ted Sarandos is still undecided to whether "Stranger Things" will come back next season although there was an outpour of positive feedbacks regarding the show's success. Just released last July 15, and the show became a break-out hit for Netflix. After the success of "Stranger Things," one of its casts, Matthew Modine confirmed that the second season will commence. However, Sarandos announced that there is still no decision on the fate of "Stranger Things." "We always want to take some time to be thoughtful about the (renewal) process," Ted Sarandos said. Fans of Netflix newest breakout paranormal drama "Stranger Things" may still need a bit more time until they can watch the second season. Why Netflix is Still Undecided about 'Stranger Things' Season 2 During Netflix press event that happened last July 27, Ted Sarandos talked about the streaming service's ratings, Deadline reported. Although the company has long been guarding its rating information, the chief content officer revealed some information regarding a bit of its ratings and its paying customers. "Subscriber growth, not rating drives our revenue, Sarandos explained. And while "Stranger Things" may have peaked the interest of many viewers, but the second season may still need more time to be able to get the subscriber's growth Netflix wanted. Besides "Stranger Things" Season 2 that most viewers are expecting, Netflix also has a couple more shows that are known to be successful such as "Orange Is The New Black," "Jessica Jones," "Breaking Bad," and the upcoming "Gilmore Girls." Indeed, Netflix is pretty busy not just with the possible renewal of "Stranger Things" Season 2 but with a lot of shows and upcoming shows. We just need to wait a little longer for more news regarding "Stranger Things." The hair policy of a high school in Louisville Kentucky has drawn the ire of a Kentucky State Legislature representative. The policy bans its students from having dreadlocks, cornrows, twists and mohawks, which are natural hair styles for black people. Attica Scott, whose daughter will be a sophomore at Butler Traditional High School this year, tweeted about the policy, reported Yahoo News. "Soooo ... my daughter had registration today and let's just say she's not happy abt the #JCPS no natural hair policy," Scott said in a Twitter post that has been retweeted over 700 times and liked by over 500 Twitter users. Soooo...my daughter had registration today and let's just say she's not happy abt the #JCPS no natural hair policy. pic.twitter.com/ApPDyv3sbo Attica Scott (@atticascott) July 27, 2016 Policy Shows 'Institutional Racism' "And to find myself this year addressing an issue that stinks of forcing gender conformity, stinks of institutional racism -- it says we have so much further to go with our public school system," said Scott, as per WLKY. Scott said that she does not want children's hair to be policed as they have had enough of policing from authorities. Concern about the hair policy of Butler Traditional High School has led to a meeting. Jefferson Public County Schools, which Scott mentioned in her tweet by the hashtag #JCPS, reportedly put forth a statement wherein its superintendent Donna Hargens said they are encouraging all school-based decision making councils in their district "to review their own dress code policies currently in place." Hair Policy 'Should Be Scrapped Immediately' New York Daily News senior justice writer wrote an opinion piece on the Butler Traditional High School hair policy, calling it "disgusting" as it prohibited popular natural hair forms for African-Americans. "It's clear black culture is the target of this outrageous new policy. It should be scrapped immediately and the entire district should apologize to families who've been affected by this foolishness," said King. "The styles that were targeted in this policy are the most basic and essential styles for black people all over the world. To ban them, is essentially to ban blackness itself," King added. King said Butler Traditional High School did not respond when asked for comment on their hair policy. The "Bachelorette" will soon come to an end and fans are eager to know who she will end up with. A spoiler website announced that JoJo Fletcher will walk out with Jordan Rogers for the "Bachelorette" finale, but it was reported that the speculations may be wrong. Parent Herald previously covered an article from Reality Steve where it was mentioned that JoJo Fletcher ended up with Jordan Rogers. Not only did she choose Rogers to be her main man, but it was hinted that JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rogers could potentially call of the wedding as she rejected his engagement offer. The Reality Steve spoiler, however, were debunked by US Weekly and CelebDirty Laundry as both sites pointed out that Jordan Rogers was eventually eliminated that JoJo Fletcher went for Robby Hayes. It was mentioned that JoJo Fletcher's mom hinted Jordan Roger's exit as the rest of the family were not pleased with their first meeting. It was mentioned that Jordan Rogers did not ask JoJo Fletcher's hand in marriage, which her father thought was disrespectful. It was then added that Jordan Rogers might have bought JoJo Fetcher's mom a bouquet of flowers and the rest of the family "gag" gifts, it was mentioned that they were not pleased. Jordan Roger's gesture was said to be too smooth for the family, and they even referred to him as a player, thus they didn't get their vote. The meeting in Thailand was a big downfall for Jordan Rogers but gave Robby Hayes a huge advantage. "It was important to JoJo that the guys get her parents' permission before proposing," the source stated. "JoJo viewed it as disrespectful that he didn't." The source then added that JoJo's family were pleased with Robby Hayes as he asked JoJo's father if he could have her hands in marriage. He was then described by the family as someone genuine as they can see him genuinely caring for JoJo. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz, who backs Hillary Clinton's economic plan, said tha the U.S. tax law that allows Apple Inc. to hold a large amount of cash abroad is "obviously deficient" and called the company's attribution of significant earnings to a comparatively small overseas unit a "fraud." When you listen to Mr. Stiglitz you clearly see that Clinton and the Democratic party really are out for Apple's throat if they get elected. Make no mistake about it. So all of this fear from Silicon Valley over Trump and Apple is a joke compared to the Democrats view of Apple. Commentary by Stiglitz in the Bloomberg interview ties straight back to angry commentary made by House Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi kicking Apple and Steve Jobs. Mr. Stiglitz comes right out and says that what Apple is doing in Ireland is fraud plain and simple. Stiglitz, who advises Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, said in a Bloomberg Television interview with Tom Keene that "Our current tax system encourages companies to keep their money abroad, opens up a vast loophole through what is called the transfer-pricing system that allows them not only to keep their money abroad but, effectively, to escape taxation." Stiglitz was speaking in response to a question about whether policy makers like Clinton and Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, could develop a plan to encourage companies like Apple to bring their accumulated foreign earnings back to the U.S. Under current law, companies can defer U.S. income tax on their foreign earnings until they repatriate them, or return them to the U.S. About $215 billion of Apple's total $232 billion in cash is held outside of the country, third-quarter earnings results showed this week. Apple is making use of existing gaps in the U.S. tax system to shift its U.S. taxable earnings overseas to low-tax Ireland. Proposed U.S. Treasury regulations are aimed at curbing so-called earnings stripping, and European tax regulators are examining the company's tax practices. "Here we have the largest corporation in capitalization not only in America, but in the world, bigger than GM was at its peak, and claiming that most of its profits originate from about a few hundred people working in Ireland -- that's a fraud," Stiglitz said. "A tax law that encourages American firms to keep jobs abroad is wrong, and I think we can get a consensus in America to get that changed." The segment of the video about Apple worth noting is at the bottom of the Bloomberg report which begins at the 3:07 mark. In February, Patently Apple posted a report titled "U.S. Treasury Secretary Calls on the EU Commission to Reconsider their Tax Probes targeting U.S. Companies," followed by a report in March titled "U.S. Treasury Investigates Retaliatory Measures against the EU's Aggressive Investigation of Apple & Others." Perhaps the U.S. Treasury Secretary should pay Mr. Stiglitz and Hillary Clinton a visit to get them to tone their rhetoric about Apple. How can you blame the EU's commissioner taking a hard stance against Apple when the Democrats hold the very same view and want to score political points in an election year! About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Another video on Mr. Stiglitz view of Apple: In May 2015, Columbia University Business School Professor and Nobel Prize Laureate Joseph Stiglitz discussed global income inequality and what he would do differently at Apple. Patna: A merchant navy marine engineer in Patna on Thursday stabbed his neighbor multiple times after accusing him of having a relationship with his wife. The incident occurred on Rajendra Nagar Road Number 11 under Kadam Kuan police station when Vinod Kumar, a marine engineer and a resident of Narayani Vihar Apartments, called Narendra Kumar, his neighbor and a bank manager living in the same building, to meet him at a park nearby. When Narendra Kumar reached the park, Vinod assaulted him with a knife stabbing him multiple times before going underground to evade arrest. The victim was rushed to the Patna Medical College Hospital that referred him to a private nursing home where he remains in critical condition with wounds on his face, stomach, back and other parts of the body. Police are interrogating Vinod's wife to find the whereabouts of her missing husband who has apparently turned off his cell phone to avoid being detected. Patna: Every year around this time the Chief Minister of Bihar embarks on an aerial tour of Bihar to review the flood situation in the state. On Thursday, Nitish Kumar sat at a window seat of a small chopper and saw villages inundated with flood water and the scope of damages caused by the rising river water. Kumar, as always, made the remarks he has made for the last ten years. He directed the officials to carry on the relief operation at a war-footing level making sure no life was lost and flood victims were moved to higher areas and adequate food and other essential items were available to them all the time. The Chief Minister first flew over districts affected by rising Ganga and Gandak rivers including Vaishali, Gopalganj, Motihari, Bettiah, and Chhapra and then later surveyed flood situation in Bhagalpur, Katihar, Araria, Kishanganj, and Purnia. In Purnia, Kumar held a meeting with top state bureaucrats including Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary Water Resources Department Arun Kumar Singh, Energy Secretary Pratyay Amrit, and a number of Purnia officials to contain the flood water from further rising and to minimize the impact of flood by providing relief in timely and efficient fashion. This year's flood, however, is being seen as not as devastating as in the past with only moderate rainfall this season. So far less than two dozen people have been reported dead due to flood and the loss of properties have also been kept to a minimum. Patna: Three days after the badly mutilated body of a bank Probationary Officer was discovered from a house on Kanti Factory Road, police in Patna on Thursday arrested her husband from Patna Airport where he had arrived shortly from Delhi. Mrityunjay Deo Saket, the alleged killer and the husband of Charulata Mauar who had escaped to Delhi to avoid arrest, was taken into custody without any incident as soon as he arrived at the Patna Airport. Saket admitted of killing his wife but maintained that his father or mother had nothing to do with her death and the reports of her being tortured due to dowry were not true. Giving a grizzly account of the murder, Saket told the police that he did not plan the murder of his wife but became agitated when he caught her once again talking to someone who, he said, was her lover. "We went to Mahavir Temple last Saturday where I noticed that she was talking to someone on her phone. When I asked who she was talking to, she said it was her mother. However, I know it was not her mother since she had been having affair with someone since she started working at the bank," Saket said adding when they returned home, they got into an argument and in the fit of rage, he strangled her to death. Saket then, in his attempt to dispose of the body, tried to cut her in pieces but then gave up and just dumped the body in a room outside the main house and disappeared. All this while neither his father nor his mother was in Patna, he told the police. "My father was in Gujarat where he works and my mother had gone to Motihari on July 12 and had taken our son with her," he said. Authorities are trying to establish the veracity of his account. Afghanistan: On the Eve of a Religious War? 07/29/16 By Fatemeh Aman (source: LobeLog) Photo: Hazaras in Afghanistan courtesy of Nasim Fekrat via Flickr. The Islamic State (ISIS or IS) recently threatened the Shia Hazara minority in Afghanistan with more attacks in retaliation for fighting in Syria in defense of President Bashar Al-Assads regime. Unless they stop going to Syria and stop being slaves of Iran, we will definitely continue such attacks, the message said. Tensions are rising in Afghanistan over the governments inability to provide security for its citizens. On July 23, two suicide attacks left at least 80 dead and hundreds injured in a peaceful demonstration held by the Hazara minority. IS claimed responsibility. Demonstrators were protesting peacefully against changes in a government development project that they felt would adversely affect them. The Islamic State and former Taliban members who joined IS have conducted several bloody attacks against the Hazara minority over the last two years in a likely effort to instigate a religious or ethnic war in Afghanistan. Although Afghanistan is a multiethnic tribal society, no group or faction, including the Taliban, is interested in a religious war. Unlike in Iraq and Arab states, religion has not been a source of major conflict in Afghanistan. As a result, IS remains the sole proponent of a Shia-Sunni war in the country. What Is the Protest About? In May 2016, thousands of residents of Bamyan, a poverty-stricken province in central Afghanistan inhabited predominantly by Shiite Hazaras, started protesting a government decision to change the route of the TUTAP power grid to go through Salang-closer to the capital, Kabul-rather than Bamyan. The 500 megawatt electricity transfer project is aimed at increasing Afghanistans access to electricity. Financed by the Asian Development Bank, the grid stretches from Central Asian Turkmenistan to South Asian Pakistan through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. A Light Movement emerged to protest this plan. Some government officials initially supported the movement, promising to stay on the side of the people until their demands were met. A commission formed by the government to investigate the project route concluded that the route through Salang would be shorter more cost-effective. The commission also recommended that a 300 megawatt line be extended from the Doshi district of Baghlan to Bamyan. The protestors rejected these proposals, insisting that the route change from Bamyan to Salang discriminated against Hazaras by denying them a larger share of the electricity. Afghanistan has one of the lowest rates of electricity usage in theworld. Only about 38 percent of Afghanistan population, as of June 2015, is connected to the grid. After a number of incidents including abductions, kidnappings, and beheadings, Hazaras worry that they may have more to fear from IS and its sympathizers than from the Taliban. In 2015 a group of ethnic Hazara met with local Taliban commanders in the eastern province of Ghazni, asking them for protection against IS . According to one of the elders at the meeting, the Taliban agreed. Who Are the Hazaras? The origins of the Hazaras make up an estimated 10- 20 percent of Afghanistans population, are disputed. The widely accepted theory is that they are a mixed race of Iranians and Mongols who originally settled in the Hazarajat region in central Afghanistan. Nowadays they live in all parts of the country. In the mid-19th century, they suffered ethnic cleansing after staging a revolt, and the forces of the Pashtun Amir Abdul Rehman killed or displaced a major portion of their population. During the Taliban era, Hazaras experienced extreme brutality and discrimination, including cases of mass executions. In 1998, when the Taliban captured the city of Mazar-e Sharif, they targeted Hazaras through house-to-house searches. Thousands of Hazara men and boys are believed to have been killed. The massacre was revenge for the killing of a thousand Taliban soldiers after a failed attempt to take Mazar-e Sharif in 1997. The ethnic landscape of Afghanistan has changed since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001. The constitution recognizes all ethnicities in Afghanistan. Today Hazaras have achieved hard-fought gains and have an active presence in the political arena. In all recent elections, Hazara votes have heavily influenced the outcome. Once an oppressed minority, the Hazara are now a politically vibrant sector of todays Afghanistan and have shown that they are going to remain an essential component of Afghan society. In January 2015, after the lower house of parliament rejected 10 new Afghan cabinet nominees, some of them Hazara, hundreds of Hazaras took to the streets of Kabul to protest. All of these candidates were confirmed in April 2015 in the second round of voting. Hazaras fill several high-ranking academic and government positions, including several ministers in the cabinet of the National Unity Government. Hazaras have also been viewed as affiliated with Iran based on the similarities in the religion. Although the majority of Hazara are Shiite-primarily Twelvers and Seveners-they do not follow Irans theocratic political system. A large Hazara community in Iran lives and works as refugees. But their shared faith has not protected them from discrimination and occasionally harsh treatment. Most recently, Iran has encouraged thousands of Iran-based Afghan and Pakistani Shia to fight in Syria. The recent attacks have shaken confidence in the government and its ability to provide security for Hazaras. If this was one of the goals of Saturdays attack, it has been achieved. At the same time, it has highlighted the differences between the majority of Afghans and a fanatic religious group, thus serving to bring people together rather than sharpen tensions between Sunni and Shia. Riyadh failed to rally anti-Iran support in Arab League summit: Iran 07/29/16 Source: Press TV Tehran has slammed the Saudi regime for pushing ahead with its "divisive policies" in a recent Arab League summit, saying the outcome of the meeting showed Riyadh has failed to muster support against Iran. "A statement issued separately by a four-way committee of the Arab League against our country on the sidelines of the recent summit in Mauritania shows the failure of the Saudis in building consensus," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Thursday. "Iran's Foreign Ministry closely monitored all the developments in this summit, the documents that were issued as well as the actions of certain countries" during the Mauritania meeting, Qassemi added. The latest Arab League summit opened in Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, on Friday, with only a handful of the 22-nation organization in attendance. The forum is said to be the most poorly-attended summit of the Arab League, which is highly influenced by Saudi Arabia. The lack of participation led to the meeting being cut to a single day, in what analysts say is proof of a growing rift among member states of the Cairo-based organization over regional issues. However, reports say during the forum, the past initiatives, among them plans to establish a joint force to confront "Iran's spreading power," failed to gather steam. The summit's ending statement refused what it called "external interference in Arab affairs by Iran." Qassemi further warned the "few countries" that continue to back Saudi Arabia's "divisive policies," stressing that such support "would lead nowhere in the future, except that these countries will have a share in [Riyadh's] responsibility for crimes such as child killings and terror support." The Iranian official further slammed the Saudi regime for forcing other states into supporting its hostile approach in Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. Riyadh has betrayed the Arab world by openly forming an alliance with the Israeli regime, said the Iranian official, stressing that the poor participation in the recent summit was a result of such Saudi policies. A Yemeni child stands inside his house which was damaged in a Saudi strike, on March 12, 2016, in the capital Sana'a. AFP Under the new Saudi rulers, Riyadh has adopted an aggressive policy toward Iran and its allies, which are helping Syria and Iraq in their fight against terrorism. Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Iran in January. Under Saudi pressure, some of the kingdom's allies, including Bahrain, also followed its lead and severed relations with Iran. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is widely known as a staunch supporter of the terror groups operating in Syria. The clerics in the kingdom freely preach Wahhabisim, the ideological engine of terror organizations like the Daesh terrorist group and al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, which are wreaking havoc in Syria and Iraq. Since last March, Riyadh, backed by a number of its allies, is also engaged in a military campaign which has claimed over 10,000 civilians in neighboring Yemen. The Bahraini regime has also enjoyed Saudi support in its heavy-handed crackdown against opposition and political dissent. This is while Saudi Arabia has come under fire for a growing link with Tel Aviv, which has come to light in recent months. When it comes to online communications, Skype is the de facto method. The service makes it effortlessly easy to call other users and video chat. Despite its advantages, however, Skype is very much a consumer video conferencing and Voice-over-IP (VoIP) service, and not a business one. With Microsoft Skype for Business (which begins at $2 per user per month, with additional fees), Microsoft is closing the gap. The company combined Lync (formerly Microsoft Office Communicator), its enterprise communications platform, with Skype's familiar user interface (UI) to create software that's easy to use and has features businesses need. But it falls short of being a full-fledged business VoIP platform. Even so, Microsoft Skype for Business hits that sweet spot for small businesses that need more than the consumer Skype, our Editors' Choice personal VoIP service, but may not be interested in an enterprise VoIP system such as Nextiva or Editors' Choice RingCentral. Microsoft Skype for Business also comes with solid video conferencing capabilities. It's worth a second look even if you are happy with your existing service. Skype for consumers has grown up a bit over the past few years as it now lets you hold video chats with up to 10 participants for free via Skype Meetings, and offers some remote desktop features. And associated mobile apps make it easy to use Skype from devices other than your computer. There are also cool features such as Skype Translator and web-based Skype, and these features are present in Microsoft Skype for Business, too (except for Skype Translator; that's a solely consumer Skype feature). Skype does support conference calls and screen sharing, but doesn't provide for the level of operational control required by modern IT. Skype for Business, on the other hand, does. At one of my past jobs, there were no company-issued phones. We used Skype on our computers with decent headsets. We loaded up Skype credits to get a Skype-assigned phone number so that people could call us and we could make outbound calls to phone numbers. We used Citrix GoToMeeting ($12 Per Organizer Per Month at GoToMeeting)(Opens in a new window) for meetings and Jive Chime for group instant messaging (IM). And when all of that got too pesky (as it inevitably did), we fell back to using our personal cell phones. During the course of this review, I kept thinking Microsoft Skype for Business would have been perfect for that scenario. That doesn't mean, however, that it would be perfect for every business (as I'll explain). Microsoft Skype for Business Plans Microsoft Skype for Business is easy to use once you figure out how to navigate the maze of pricing and plan features. You have a choice of purchasing a standalone Microsoft Skype for Business plan with an annual fee or signing up with one of the business-grade Microsoft Office 365 ($99.99 at Dell)(Opens in a new window) plans that include Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft SharePoint. The standalone entry-level plan, Microsoft Office Business Essentials plan ($5.00 per user per month), offers only group IM, audio, and HD video calling to other users, as well as access to Microsoft Office's online-only products and 1 TB of data. Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium (at $12.50 per user per month) is a little bit more useful, also supporting group HD video calls, desktop and application sharing, and audio/video recording. This plan also lets you schedule meetings via Microsoft Outlook, join meetings from the web browser, remotely control attendee desktops, and keep attendees in a lobby area prior to starting a meeting. And you'll get fully installed versions of all Microsoft Office apps. You can also buy Microsoft Skype for Business as a standalone product for $2.00 per user per month, or $5 per user per month, depending on whether you need additional features such as scheduling meetings via Microsoft Outlook, joining meetings from the web browser, remotely controlling attendee desktops, and keeping attendees in a lobby area prior to starting a meeting. Compared with other VoIP providers such as RingCentral and Nextiva, Microsoft Skype for Business is dirt cheap. But the low price means that you have to be sure the plan you are signing up for has the features you need. Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2015 is the full-fledged VoIP platform, with dial-in audio conferencing and other enterprise VoIP features such as E911 and call forwarding. These heavier duty VoIP features are also available in Microsoft Skype for Business Online. You install the software on your own servers and get Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and gateway interoperability with PBX systems. You work with a Microsoft partner to get the pricing, software, and support. In this sense, Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2015 is similar to Kerio and CudaTel from Barracuda Networks since you are responsible for maintaining your own hardware. If you want to integrate your phone system with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SharePoint, optimize the network connection, and access Quality of Service (QoS) tools to make sure you have enough bandwidth, you should consider having a dedicated Microsoft Skype for Business Server. As I mentioned earlier, Microsoft Skype for Business also comes as an integrated feature for Microsoft Office 365 Business Essentials and Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium. Microsoft Skype for Business comes with Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise but not Microsoft Office 365 Business or any of the Home versions. Other than the subscription cost associated with Office 365, there's no additional cost. While Skype for Business itself does not provide persistent chat, the new Microsoft Teams service in Office 365 does. So if you purchase Skype for Business as part of Office 365, you'll have access to persistent chat in Microsoft Teams. There are also no archiving features in Skype for Business, but you can find them in Skype for Business Online or a different VoIP provider such as Jive Hosted VoIP or Broadvoice. Getting Started With Skype for Business Since Office 365 offers a 30-day free trial, I signed up with Office 365 Business Premium to test Microsoft Skype for Business. Once the Office 365 signup was complete, I saw Microsoft Skype for Business listed under available applications and was able to install the client software. After installation, Skype opens up a product tour with tips for using Microsoft Skype for Business or you log in to the service with your organization's sign-in address. In my case, Microsoft meant my Office 365 password since I was using the service as part of my Office 365 service. If you have a standalone plan, you would use the account you associated with Microsoft Skype for Business. And if you have Microsoft Skype for Business Server, you will use your standard corporate credentials after configuring the software to work with your organization's domain. Familiar User Interface Microsoft inverted its Skype color palette for Microsoft Skype for Business; blue on white rather than the opposite. The user interface (UI) is clean and professional-looking but still familiar, with the username on top along with presence status and a place to set my status and location. The Person icon shows all the contacts, the Clock icon displays all conversations, the Dial Pad icon shows voicemail, and the Calendar icon lists scheduled meetings. The Gear icon shows the menu options for recording calls and configuring devices. This is where Microsoft Skype for Business feels less like a phone system and more like a conferencing tool. Instead of thinking in terms of dialing a phone number, you are inviting a user to a meeting. The "Meet Now" option lets you set up a meeting that starts right away, without having to go through Microsoft Outlook or the Web Scheduler to create it. The software with either call your phone directly or launch a Microsoft Skype for Business session on your computer or mobile device. You click on the Invite Users icon to invite people to the meeting by name or phone number; up to 250 participants can be in the meeting at the same time. That total includes attendees who are using the client software, web apps, and phones as well as those taking part anonymously via the web. This makes it easy to have a conference callno fiddling with buttons on your phone to try to get multiple people on the same call. I can't count the number of times I've inadvertently hung up on people when trying to call someone else into an existing conversation. It's especially easy on the Microsoft Surface Hub. Tap the phone button and you're ready to get started. Participants have the option to see the meeting as Gallery View, which shows all of the participants' pictures or videos; Speaker View, which shows only the presenter's picture or video; Presentation View, which shows the meeting content (such as a presentation or demonstration); and Compact View, which shows only the titles of the participants. When you are on an audio call, you see the participants' pictures. Presenters are meeting attendees who have control of the screen and in-call tools. Microsoft Skype for Business allows all 250 participants to be elevated to presenter status, if needed. As in the consumer version of Skype, chat is available during the call and you can invite multiple users to the chat. People can click the Skype icon in the top navigation bar to access contacts, search their organization, and start a chat alongside their Microsoft Outlook mail and calendar experience. They can also begin conversations by clicking the IM button in a person's contact card. You can also see all of the people in the call by clicking on the Participant icon. The Participant Actions button opens up even more options you wouldn't see in consumer Skype such as the ability to mute everyone's microphones and turn off video, disable chat during the meeting, hide the participant list from everyone else, make everyone an attendee (taking away presenter privileges), and send invitations to the meeting via email. The Phone Settings icon at the bottom opens up a dialer in case you need to enter any keys. Most people are used to this UI from Skype and Google Hangouts and Microsoft left this user experience (UX) intact. If you navigate out of the call window (because you need to reference a different application, for example), Microsoft Skype for Business shows a smaller icon in the top corner, with the microphone and hang-up icons as the visual indicator that your meeting is still in progress. If you don't really want to rely on your computer for making calls but are intimidated by the smorgasbord of options from RingCentral, consider Ooma Office. The initial upfront costs are high but it provides you with a quality VoIP system with basic features and the ability to use practically any phone. Administrators who would like to integrate Skype into their own apps can use the new software developers kit (SDK) to integrate IM, audio, and video experiences into custom Android and iOS apps. Video Conferencing Capabilities Microsoft offers high-definition (1,920-by-1,080) video for peer-to-peer calls among users running Microsoft Skype for Business. Toggling between voice and video calls is simple; just click on the Video icon during the call or meeting. Initiate a video call with a specific user by clicking on the user's icon in the contact list. There don't appear to be limits on how many people can have video switched on, which is a little surprising as most video conference tools have specific limits. I was able to test with up to six different users; my local network struggled to support it but the application itself didn't choke. The video screens are displayed in gallery view, which makes it easy to see all of the participants at once. On video calls with more than five people, the application displays the icons for the five most active speakers on the top, with a row of smaller icons with the less vocal attendees on the bottom. You can always tell who is currently speaking. Video Conferencing Features Calls and meetings can be recorded. Desktop sharing is very robust, letting presenters broadcast any visuals, applications, webpages, documents, software, or part of their desktops. You can share the entire desktop or only a specific window. Meeting participants can take control of the keyboard and mouse, or let them share their screens during the call (if you allow it). If you are using Microsoft PowerPoint, you get access to presentation features such as animations, transitions, and embedded video through Microsoft Skype for Business. Skype Meeting Broadcast allows up to 10,000 meeting attendees who can join from most browsers or devices. Like Cisco WebEx Meeting Center (Visit Site at WebEx by Cisco)(Opens in a new window) and other web conferencing tools, Microsoft Skype for Business has a whiteboard that meeting participants can mark up during the course of the meeting. The Polling feature is a simple survey tool to collect anonymous feedback during the course of the meeting. The Lobby feature is where participants can wait in a separate virtual area before being allowed to attend the meeting. This is a good security feature if you have a large meeting planned since you can check who is coming in. Microsoft made a good decision to not restrict use to Microsoft Skype for Business users only. You can invite standard Skype users to your meetings, but they will need to use the Skype for Business web app, not the Skype consumer client. You can then add them to the Contact list or send a Microsoft Skype for Business meeting invitation to someone outside your organization, having them attend by signing in with a Guest account over the web. You create meetings directly from Microsoft Outlook or you can use the Web Scheduler website. You provide the name and time of the meeting along with the list of attendees to create the meeting. You have to cut and paste the resulting meeting invitation and email it yourself, but that's not so different from Citrix GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, and any number of other video conferencing platforms. The recording feature is easy to enable and includes meeting participants, all audio and video, chat conversations, screen sharing, whiteboards, and presentations. Even if you use Microsoft Office 365, all of the recordings are made and stored on the presenter's machine. To get server-side recording, you will need the Server 2015 version. Users will also need a third-party product, as server-side recording is not a feature available in the base server. You can choose 480p, 720p HD, or 1080p Full HD as the preferred resolution for the final recording. Even though this is a video conferencing feature, audio calls can be recorded, too. Remember that, for many VoIP providers, call recording is considered an advanced feature and not available to everyone. It's nice that it's built-in with Microsoft Skype for Business, much as it is for RingCentral. Phone Compatibility and Third-Party Integration Microsoft Skype for Business is primarily designed to work with computers and mobile devices so it supports Android, Windows, iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows Phone. Microsoft Skype for Business for Mac is also now available. Recent updates include the ability to see if contacts are offline or online and whether or not they're busy, in a meeting, or available; it is also easy to start an IM conversation. You can also use Skype as a VoIP tool on a Mac, including calling up to four meeting participants simultaneously. No love for BlackBerry, though. If you are using Microsoft Skype for Business Server and the associated enterprise VoIP features, you can connect to a wide variety of SIP-compatible handsets and devices. Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Conferencing lets you dial in to a Skype meeting from a traditional phone. If you want to have a dial-in number assigned to your specific meeting, you will need an Office 365 plan with Skype for Business PSTN Conferencing. If you are already integrating with an existing PBX or have the enterprise features enabled via Server 2015, you will be able to create a phone number, but that isn't available through Microsoft Office 365. Microsoft also doesn't skimp on the help and troubleshooting tools. I was able to figure out most of my issues based on existing documentation. Not Enterprise-Level VoIP But Still Useful Microsoft Skype for Business is not quite enterprise VoIP in that you don't get a lot of services such as call hunt, call groups, or an auto-attendantunless you set up Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2015. If you are looking for an enterprise VoIP system, our Editors' Choice for VoIP, RingCentral, will give you all of the VoIP features, without having to run your own server. However, most small businesses would still like Microsoft Skype for Business as a conferencing tool to set up video and audio meetings, share screens, and collaborate directly. The consumer version of Skype is still our preferred choice for personal VoIP and video conferencing needs, but the fact that you can call phone numbers, set up meetings, have one-on-one conversations, and record it all easily makes Microsoft Skype for Business a solid web conferencing and VoIP platform. Microsoft Skype for Business 3.5 (Opens in a new window) See It Visit Site at Microsoft 365 for Business (Opens in a new window) MSRP $2.00 Pros Allows contact of Skype users, phone numbers, and all employees within the organization. Video and audio recording in calls. Supports up to 250 attendees in a meeting. Cons Not a full-fledged VoIP platform. No integrated dial-in audio conference features. Online plans don't work with hardware phones. The Bottom Line If you find yourself cobbling together web conferencing tools, chat clients, and Skype to handle all your communication needs, then consider Microsoft Skype for Business to simplify your setup. Just don't expect a full-fledged VoIP service. When youre setting up a new or existing PC with Windows 10, Microsoft will offer to install the operating system with Express settings. Although Windows 10 Express settings will get you up and running quickly, that convenience comes at a cost: By skipping over custom settings, youre agreeing to all kinds of data collection and behavior tracking, much of which didnt apply in earlier versions of Windows. Heres our advice: Instead of blindly enabling Express settings in Windows 10, take some time to understand what youre agreeing to. Click the Customize settings link (in tiny text at the bottom of the setup screen), and disable the options you dont want. Below, well walk through all of the custom settings in Windows 10 setup, the benefits and drawbacks of enabling them, and how you can turn them off later. Customize Settings: Personalization and Location This Windows 10 setup page governs the data Microsoft collects for targeted ads and for certain online services, such as Cortana and Skype. Here are the settings you can control: Personalize your speech, typing, and inking input by sending contacts and calendar details, along with other associated input data to Microsoft. Microsoft uses this data for spell-check, auto-complete, and handwriting recognition. For instance, if you have a friend with an unusual name, Windows 10 can avoid correcting the spelling when you type on a touch screen or write with a stylus. This Windows 10 setting is somewhat contentious, with some critics calling it a keylogger. However, Microsoft told Lifehacker that it does not collect any personal information from writing or typing. The company chops up text into small bits that cant be put back together, and performs multiple checks to strip away sensitive data such as email addresses and passwords. You can disable the data collection, of course, but doing so will prevent Cortana from working. To change this setting after the Windows 10 setup process, head to Settings > Privacy > Speech, Inking, & Typing, and click the button under Getting to know you. Send typing and inking data to Microsoft to improve the recognition and suggestion platform. This setting doesnt provide any immediate benefits, but the aggregate data from lots of users could help Microsoft improve spell-check and auto-complete in the future. The same privacy contentions from the previous setting apply here, but youre free to disable this setting without losing access to any features. To change this setting after the Windows 10 setup process, head to Settings > Privacy > General, and uncheck Send Microsoft info about how I write Let apps use your advertising ID for experiences across apps. Windows 10 has several types of advertising built-in, and to personalize those ads, Microsoft generates a unique identifier that tracks your behavior across Windows Store apps. Unchecking this option doesnt remove the identifier, but it does prevent third-party apps from seeing it and showing you targeted ads. (If you dont use any Windows Store apps, this is a moot point.) To change this setting after the Windows 10 setup process, head to Settings > Privacy > General (the same menu pictured above), and uncheck Let apps use my advertising ID Let Skype (if installed) help you connect with friends in your address book and verify your mobile number. SMS and data charges may apply. If you have an address book that youve added in Windows (for instance, through Outlook.com, Exchange, or Google), this setting adds those contacts to Skype for messaging, voice calls, and video chat. PC users neednt worry about verifying a mobile number, as that setting only applies to Windows 10 phones. Keep in mind that if you enable this setting, the only way to undo it is to manually remove those contacts from Skype. Turn on Find My Device and let Windows and apps request your location, including location history, and send Microsoft and trusted partners some location data to improve location services. Sharing your location allows Microsoft to update your weather information, find you in the Maps app, and provide location services in Cortana. This setting also lets third-party Windows Store apps (such as Uber and TripAdvisor) access your location, but theyll have to ask for additional permission when you first open their apps. After Windows 10 setup, you can toggle location services by heading to Settings > Privacy > Location. Click the Change button to turn off location for your device, or switch the toggle underneath to disable location for your account only. To disable location for individual aps, scroll down to the Choose apps that can use your location section. Customize settings: Connectivity and error reporting The second page in Windows 10 setup governs how Microsoft deals with Wi-Fi networks and collects telemetry data. Here are the settings you can control: Automatically connect to suggested open hotspots. Not all networks are secure. Microsoft maintains a list of known Wi-Fi hotspots around the world, and with this setting enabled, Windows 10 will automatically connect to them. While this may be convenient in some cases, open hotspots can also be slow and unreliable, and are more susceptible to eavesdropping. If youre comfortable connecting to Wi-Fi networks on your own, its best to disable this setting. After Windows 10 setup, toggle this feature by going to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi, clicking Manage Wi-Fi Settings, and unchecking Connect to suggested open hotspots. Automatically connect to networks shared by your contacts. This setting lets you connect to any network thats been accessed by your contacts on Facebook, Skype, and Outlook.comand vice versawithout having to enter a password. Its part of a broader set of features called Wi-Fi Sense, and it stirred up a controversy due to security concerns. Microsoft may be killing this feature in a future Windows update, but for now youll have to disable it during setup. To disable this setting after Windows 10 setup, head to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi, and click Manage Wi-Fi Settings (the same menu pictured above). Uncheck the Connect to networks shared by my contacts option, and uncheck all the boxes under For networks I select, share them Automatically connect to hotspots temporarily to see if paid Wi-Fi services are available. This feature would come in handy if youre at an airport or other public space and are willing to buy premium Wi-Fi access, but dont want to dig through a list of other nearby hotspots to find the paid option. Again, turn this off if youre comfortable connecting to Wi-Fi networks on your own. To disable this feature after Windows setup, head to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi, and click Manage Wi-Fi Settings (the same menu pictured above). Scroll down to Paid Wi-Fi services, and turn off the toggle underneath. Send full error and diagnostic information to Microsoft This setting helps Microsoft fix bugs in Windows 10, but theres a trade-off: It allows the company to collect extensive data about your PC, including personal data from your own content. Microsoft says it only collects this data when it needs to diagnose a specific problem, and only from a small sampling of affected PCs. The company also says it wont use this data for identification, contact, or targeted ads. Theoretically, this information should benefit all Windows 10 users, but Microsoft is asking for a lot of trust in return. You can disable this feature in Windows setup, but Microsoft will still collect data about the third-party software youve installed, and about how you use certain features and apps. This Enhanced level of data collection is largely for diagnostic purposes, but Microsoft says it will also use the data to provide a more personalized Windows experience. Theres no way to stop Microsoft from collecting any diagnostic data, but you can minimize the data collection after setup by going to Settings > Privacy > Feedback & diagnostics. Find the drop-down menu under Send your device data to Microsoft, and select Basic. Rejoice: This is the last section youll have to deal with before youre ready to go. It deals with settings in Microsofts Edge browser, along with peer-to-peer distribution for Windows updates. Use SmartScreen online services to help protect against malicious content and downloads in sites loaded by Windows browsers and Store apps. With this security feature enabled, Microsoft downloads a list of malicious websites to your PC, and throws up a warning if you attempt to visit any of them. You could turn this off if youre not planning to use Edge (a similar feature exists in Googles Chrome browser), but its probably best to keep this enabled, just to be safe. If you want to turn SmartScreen off later, head to Settings > Privacy > General and uncheck Turn on SmartScreen Filter Use page prediction to improve reading, speed up browsing, and make your overall experience better in Windows browsers. Your browsing data will be sent to Microsoft. With the Edge browser, Microsoft can guess which pages youre about to click on, and load them ahead of time so you dont have to wait. Turning this on will make web browsing feel faster, at the expense of more data collection. (Google Chrome has a similar feature, called prefetch.) To turn off this feature after installing Windows 10, open Microsoft Edge, click the menu button (three horizontal dots) in the top-right corner, click Settings, then click View Advanced Settings. Scroll to the bottom and uncheck Use page prediction Get updates from and send updates to other PCs on the Internet to speed up app and Windows update downloads. When your PC needs updating, Windows 10 can download small portions of the update from other PCsboth on your local network and from random users over the Internetand those PCs can download bits of the update from you. This peer-to-peer distribution method can speed the download process and prevent Microsofts servers from getting overloaded, but it can take up bandwidth and eat into data plans. Disable this feature if your Internet service has data caps or slow speeds. After setup, you can turn off peer-to-peer updates through Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Update. Click on Advanced Options at the bottom of the page, then click Choose how updates are delivered. In this menu, slide the toggle to Off. One last thing: Express settings dont cover all cases of privacy and data collection in Windows 10. To take full control, complete the setup, then head to PCWorlds step-by-step Windows 10 privacy walkthrough. Satya Nadella isnt stopping the job cuts train at Microsoft any time soon. The company revealed Thursday that 2,850 people will lose their jobs by the middle of 2017, on top of the 1,850 cuts announced earlier this year. According to a regulatory filing, those impacted will primarily be in its phone hardware business, which has already been hit hard by layoffs, and in global sales. The cuts are more fallout from Microsofts decision to downsize its smartphone business, which it acquired from Nokia in 2015. Putting that acquisition in motion was one of the last things that former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer did before announcing that he would be leaving the companys top job. His successor hasnt taken the same shine to the phone hardware business that Microsoft bought. Microsoft declined to comment about the job cuts beyond what was disclosed in the 10-K filing. Nadella has cut thousands of jobs since taking the top spot, many of them in the phone business. It remains to be seen what this will mean for the companys business overall. While Microsofts most recent quarterly financial report showed a year-over-year revenue decline, the companys cloud businesses continued to grow. The phone hardware business has been a sore spot on Microsofts financials, seeing massive revenue declines for the past several quarters. The FBI is said to be investigating yet another suspected hack of a Democratic Party organization, this time of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that raises funds for Democrats running for the House of Representatives. The previously unreported hack of the DCCC is likely to have been aimed at gathering information on donors rather than steal funds, four sources told Reuters. The intrusion is likely to raise fresh concerns about Russia trying to meddle in the U.S. elections. Another hack of the Democratic National Committee, suspected by security investigators to have been perpetrated by Russians, led to an embarrassing dump on Friday of leaked emails that showed that the Democratic Partys national strategy and fund-raising committee had favored Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders, her rival in the presidential nomination campaign. The release of the emails by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, which did not disclose its source, led to the resignation of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The FBI said earlier this week it was investigating the attack on the DNC. A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, it said. The DCCC hack could have begun as recently as June and involved the setting up of a spoof website with a name similar to that of the main donation site of the organization. That tricked campaign donors for some time to visit the spurious site rather than the company that processes the donations, according to the Reuters news report on Thursday. A possible tell-tale sign of Russian intervention again is that the IP address of the spurious site was similar to one used by a hacking group linked to the Russian government, according to the report. This group is one of two such groups suspected in the DNC hack. The DNC is having a convention this week at Philadelphia at which Clinton is expected to accept on Thursday her nomination as candidate for president. The FBI could not be immediately reached for comment. Donald Trumps muddled stance on hacking has disturbed security experts at time when the tech industry is looking for clarity on the U.S.s cyber policy. On Wednesday, the outspoken presidential candidate seemed to call on Russia to break into rival Hillary Clintons email system. Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, Trump said, referring to emails Clinton had deleted from a private email server. On Thursday, he walked back his comment and said he was being sarcastic. Some security experts are concerned that Trump is taking the matter so lightly when the country is trying to halt a rash of cyberattacks against it, not promote them. Whether he was sarcastic or not, it was an open invitation to hack, said Justin Harvey, CSO with Fidelis Cybersecurity. And I guess Im deeply disturbed by that posturing. Its not the first time Trump has made a remark about hacking his own government. In 2014, he tweeted that hackers should uncover records about President Obamas birth place. Attention all hackers: You are hacking everything else so please hack Obamas college records (destroyed?) and check place of birth Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2014 Trump shoots from the hip about all manner of subjects, and his offhand comments serve partly to keep his name in the headlines. But they also show a willingness to be flippant about topics that are vital to national security. Supporting espionage that harms America is never okay,said Eric ONeill, national security strategist at security firm Carbon Black. However, he said, Trumps comment is only half of the story. Clinton didnt show the best judgment when using a poorly protected private server to exchange emails during her time as secretary of state, he noted. ONeill said it would be a nightmare for Clinton if Russian hackers have stolen some of her emails. Security is critical in both the policies we promote and the actions we take, he said. Trumps campaign staff have said he never explicitly invited anyone to hack Clinton, and that his comments were merely an invitation to produce 32,000 emails that she deleted during an investigation into her use of the private server. On Thursday, during an interview with Fox News, Trump called the email deletion illegal. Regardless of the intent, Trumps comments will cause concern within the security industry, said Kendall Burman, a data privacy lawyer at Mayer Brown. Cybersecurity issues have only grown in importance, and the next president will need to clarify the U.S. policy on the matter, she said. Just this week, President Obama issued a new directive to better coordinate the U.S. response to major cyber attacks. However, the U.S. hasnt defined its policy towards cyber war, and whether it would lead to retaliation. It could soon find itself in that very position. Speculation is building that Russian hackers may have breached the Democratic National Committee as a way to influence the outcome of the U.S. election. The FBI is still investigating the incident, but stolen documents have been leaked to the public and could undermine support for Clinton. Whatever the FBI concludes, the U.S. still needs to prevent cyberspies from stealing critical information, ONeill said. Trump has yet to outline his policies on cybersecurity, and comments like the one about Russia do little to inspire confidence, Harvey said. To hack another U.S. citizen, regardless if its a political candidate or a private citizen, I think that crosses a line, he said. A set of class action lawsuits relating to the controversy around Nvidias GeForce GTX 970 graphics card may be resolved soon. A court filing from Monday shows a proposed settlement that would see GTX 970 owners reimbursed $30 per card. The settlement would also see the defendantslisted as Nvidia, Gigabyte, Asus, and EVGApay out $1.3 million in attorneys fees. The court will hear the petition to approve the settlement on Wednesday, August 24, as first reported by Top Class Actions. A total of 15 lawsuits seeking class-action status would be settled if the proposal goes through. PCWorld tried to reach Nvidia for comment early Thursday afternoon. At this writing the company had not yet responded. The GTX 970 woes After the GTX 970 rolled out in September 2014, gamers started to notice that the cards performance would suffer when it used more than 3.5GB of the cards 4GB of VRAM. Nvidia later admitted that the design of the card was to blame, which split the cards memory into 3.5GB and 512MB segments. Nvidias CEO later explained that the memory segmentation was an inventive way to make the GTX 970 a 4GB card when it normally wouldve been 3GB. At the same time of the memory fallout, Nvidia also divulged that the card had 56 render output units as opposed to the originally stated 64 ROPs. Some online retailers offered refunds to irked customers as a result of the memory and ROP discrepancies, and the first lawsuit over the issue was filed in February 2015. The lawsuits largely claimed that Nvidia misled its customers. Nvidia denied those allegations. The proposed settlement would not force the company admit to any liability. The Register has a copy of the proposed settlement if you want to take a look. At the time of the controversy, we said the GTX 970 still delivered great performance for the price. Knowing those key details about the graphics cards capabilities makes it easier for buyers to understand its potential strengths and weaknesses. For example, the reduced frame buffer makes the GTX 970 less appealing for people looking to use two graphics cards in one PC to drive a 4K monitor. That said, the GTX 970 has since been overshadowed by newer graphics cards that offer higher performance at equal or better prices. The impact on you at home: Speaking of prices, GTX 970 owners will want to pay attention to court proceedings next month. Soon you may be able to get a $30 rebate on your card. In fact, if you bought your card from Amazon, you might even be able to get a refund right now. Users on Reddits PC forums are reporting that the online retailer is still offering a 20 percent refund on at least some GTX 970 purchases, similar to what it offered users in February 2015. Conspiracy theorists have always said that Microsoft will suddenly decide to extend its free upgrade period for Windows 10, perhaps indefinitely. Nope. When the Windows 10 upgrade expires tonight, its over. Just to make sure, we reached out to Microsoft this afternoon to confirm that no surprises were coming our way tomorrow, nor when the Anniversary Update rolled out on August 2. This is it, we were told. As weve previously announced, the free offer ends today. Officially, the free upgrade period for Windows 10 expires at 11:59 p.m. (UTC-10) on July 29, 2016. For Americans who never think beyond Pacific, Eastern, Mountain or Central time, that means that you have just a bit more time beyond midnight to complete the upgradeunless you live in Hawaii. One catch if youre a procrastinator: according to Microsoft, all upgrades must be fully completed by the deadlineyou apparently wont be able to wait until the last minute. As part of my update of how to install Windows 10, I found that I needed a solid two hours (maybe more, maybe less) to upgrade an older PC. We dont know what exactly will happen if youre in the middle of the upgrade when it expires, but its probably best not to find out. Theres good news, though: Microsofts intimated before that the Get Windows 10 (GWX) nagware will stop tonight, and that was confirmed today. On July 29, the notifications will end and clicking on the icon in the system tray will no longer launch the Get Windows 10 (GWX) application, Microsoft said in a statement. Over time we will be removing the application, but our priority on July 29th is ensuring a seamless deployment of the Anniversary Update. The window (ahem) is closing fast. Theres just one thing: We asked Microsoft PR to pinky swear that this was absolutely the end of the free upgrade period. They never responded. Suspicious? Why this matters: Microsoft has made it clear that the free upgrade ends todayand many have wondered if its all a bluff. Would Microsoft finally give in? Apparently not. Remember, for every free upgrade Microsoft offered, Microsoft lost at least $100 from a potential Windows 10 license. Its time to pay up. How does an eviction in Rialto become a free-speech problem in Manhattan Beach? When supporters of the evicted family, Mercedes and Pablo Caamal, protest outside the beach-town home of the CEO of the house-flipping company that took over the Caamals house, thats when. Greg Geiser, CEO of Redondo Beach real estate company Wedgewood Inc., told the Manhattan Beach City Council earlier this month that his wife had to sneak out the back door of their house to escape an angry, throbbing mob. He said residents should be allowed the quiet enjoyment of their home. And now the Manhattan Beach council is looking to outlaw picketing and demonstrating outside homes. The council should slow down and think more about it. A single incident involving no physical harm to persons or properties is not enough to warrant imposing restrictions on freedoms of speech. City Attorney Quinn Barrow said the incident is the only one of its type he is aware of in Manhattan Beach in at least the past decade, though there was a similar occurrence in 1992. If Manhattan Beach does impose restrictions on free speech, it could be inviting legal challenges that could be expensive and difficult to fight. In September, Wedgewood Inc. acquired the house the Caamals had owned for 10 years after the couples efforts to modify their mortgage was rejected. The Caamals claimed Wedgewood jacked up the modest homes price by $100,000 when they tried to buy it back. In response, supporters of the Caamals protested outside Geisers house. Manhattan Beachs proposed ordinance would ban protesting within 150 feet of any targeted home or 75 feet of its property line. Councilman Mark Burton, a former prosecutor, wisely pulled it from the consent calendar, warning that it needs to have more limited restrictions and citing the case Klein v. San Diego County. An ordinance should have more limited restrictions, such as number of picketers, time of day and duration. The more specific we can be, the better we can defend that ordinance, Burton said. Hes right. In the Klein case, appellate justices said any ordinance must balance competing interests: the right of residents not to be captive audiences to unwanted speech and the right of picketers to convey their message. If the council ill-advisedly moves ahead with an ordinance, that would be its charge. WASHINGTON A Riverside boy convicted of killing his abusive neo-Nazi father has allies in high places as he seeks a Supreme Court review of his case. In a challenge to state Attorney General Kamala Harris, human rights activists and child abuse experts are rallying around the boy. Everyone agrees that his early life was the stuff of nightmares. By all accounts, in his first 10 years, (the boy) endured a sad, abusive and traumatic childhood, and was in turn a difficult child, the California Attorney Generals Office acknowledged in a brief. Because the boy was tried as a juvenile, The Press-Enterprise is not identifying him by name. Nor is there any doubt that on May 1, 2011, the boy shot his father, Jeffrey Hall, a leader in the Southern California branch of the National Socialist Movement. At the time, the boy was 10 and, his attorneys wrote, the victim of substantial mental and physical abuse at the hands of his parents and stepparents. A serious dispute, though, arises over the police interview of the boy. Its a legal matter that likely affects hundreds of cases each year involving juveniles waiving their rights in police custody, California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu noted in a dissent after the court denied a petition to review the case. In particular, the case gives the shorthanded U.S. Supreme Court a chance to clarify when juveniles can voluntarily and intelligently waive their rights against self-incrimination and to legal counsel, and when additional protections such as mandatory appointment of an attorney may be needed. We got involved with the case because it raises an important question, Marsha L. Levick, attorney for the Juvenile Law Center, said this week, adding that this is a case which requires us to rethink how we calibrate childrens rights under the Constitution. The Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center joined with the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth in filing an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to hear the case during the next term, which starts in October. Human Rights Watch and the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children filed similar briefs pressing the high court. Its guidance is urgently needed, and this case presents an excellent vehicle to provide it, attorney J. Scott Ballenger wrote in the boys initial petition. A former clerk to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, now with the law firm Latham & Watkins, Ballenger is the lead counsel on the boys high-powered appellate team. The California Attorney Generals Office counters that while the issues raised may warrant further consideration, they do not need immediate Supreme Court attention. The boy, whose future turns on how the legal arguments are resolved, is slated to remain in a California juvenile facility until he is as old as 23, though at the time of his sentencing, prosecutors said that with good behavior, he could be paroled when hes 18. Exposed to his mothers drug use while still a fetus, and to his fathers methamphetamine addiction as a child, he has developmental disabilities. A defense attorney said he had been physically, emotionally and sexually abused since he was a baby. He had a long history of violent behavior at home and school, according to trial testimony, including stabbing his sister and other students with a pencil and trying to choke a teacher with a telephone cord. His father was the Southwestern states regional director for the National Socialist Movement, a white separatist group that held a rally in Riverside in 2009. He received national attention in 2010 when he ran for the Riverside-based Western Municipal Water District and garnered over 25 percent of the vote. I SHOT HIM The boy shot his father in the head about 4 a.m. May 1 as his father was sleeping on a couch. His stepmother and four younger siblings ages 9, 7, 3, and 2 months were inside the home. When police responded, the family was taken outside. As the boy sat with his 9-year-old sister, a police recording caught the girl asking, I thought you were going to shoot him in the stomach. The boy was taken in for an interview that lasted more than an hour. About two minutes in, a detective told him he had the right to remain silent. You know what that means? the detective asked. Yes, the boy said. That means I have the right to remain calm. That means you do not have to talk to me, the detective said. The boys stepmother, Krista McCary the victims wife remained present and continuously urged him to answer the detectives questions. In the interview, which was taped and shown at the boys trial, he said he was tired of his dad abusing him and his stepmother. He also worried they were going to get a divorce and he would end up with his father, not his stepmother. I thought it would be a good idea to end it to shoot my dad in the head, the boy said. I shot him because I was upset. He also said his father once threatened to kill his family by burning down the house while they were asleep, which both scared the boy and made him really mad. While he described planning out the shooting, he also asked police in the hours afterward whether his father was dead or would be OK, and apologized for what hed done. The boy said he wanted to teach his father a lesson and hoped they could be a happy family. The petition to the Supreme Court took issue with McCarys presence during the interview, saying she faced significant conflicts of interest because her husband was the victim and her own conduct was implicated in the shooting. Six months after the shooting, the boy told authorities that his stepmother told him to do it. His public defender acknowledged in closing arguments that the boy may have been lying. The prosecutor called the claim a red herring. WILL COURT TAKE CASE? The big hurdle for the boys attorneys arrives Sept. 29, when the eight current members of the Supreme Court meet to sort through upward of 2,000 petitions. Typically, fewer than 20 are granted during the so-called long conference held before the courts term starts on the first Monday of October. With most petitions routinely rejected, government lawyers often dont bother formally responding. On April 28, the California attorney generals office waived the states right to respond to the boys petition. The move indicated that officials were confident the high court would follow the lead of a closely divided California Supreme Court and simply decline to hear the case. The U.S. Supreme Court, though, subsequently asked California for a legal brief, suggesting that some justices were interested in the questions raised by the boys attorneys and their various legal allies. Harris office responded last month. The state does not discount the importance or difficulty of the legal and policy issues identified by petitioner and his amici, the California attorney generals office wrote, adding that those issues may well warrant further consideration, perhaps most appropriately in legislative rather than judicial forums. Staff writer Nikie Johnson contributed to this report. RELATED Neo-Nazi leader killed; young son suspected Police: Son, 10, says he shot Neo-Nazi dad Stepmom in slain neo-Nazi case charged VIDEO: Boy, 12, guilty of murdering neo-Nazi dad Boy doesnt testify in Neo-Nazi dads death Boy, 12, murdered neo-Nazi dad, judge rules Boys competency questioned in neo-Nazi fathers death Appeals court upholds sentence in boys murder of neo-Nazi dad Neo-Nazi dads 10-year-old killer legally waived rights, courts say ANAHEIM Disney has offered no timeline for its new Star Wars land, but Thursday park fans learned attractions closed temporarily for its construction will reopen in 2017. Park officials, on their Disney Parks blog, announced the attractions on the Rivers of America that went offline earlier this year as crews prepared for the construction of the 14-acre Star Wars land, will reopen next summer an exact date was not given. The Disneyland Railroad will chug around the park on a new route, traveling elevated railroad tracks over the water with scenic views of waterfronts and waterfalls on the north bank of the artifical river. The nightly Fantasmic! light and water fireworks show will also be back. Visitors will be able to explore Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, exercise their arms on Davy Crocketts Explorer Canoes and board the Mark Twain Riverboat or the Sailing Ship Columbia as they journey along the Rivers of America. A Disneyland spokesman said the attractions will operate as they did before the closures. The park has placed a steam locomotive and some passenger cars on display at the Main Street and New Orleans Square stations for visitors to get an up-close look during the closures. The Sailing Ship Columbia has been docked at Frontierland for guests to explore. Contact the writer: 714-796-2443 or jpimentel@ocregister.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney California Attorney General Kamala Harris office recently reached a settlement agreement with online education company K12 Inc. and the California Virtual Academies, the 14 online charter schools the company manages in the state, but the accord has been anything but harmonious. The attorney general had accused the company of misleading parents in claims about student success and parent satisfaction, inflating student attendance, on which public funding is based, and somehow coercing the nonprofit charter schools it manages into bad contracts. Yet, after a lengthy investigation, it settled with K12 and the CAVA schools for $6 million in reimbursement costs for the offices investigation and $2.5 million to settle a private lawsuit about attendance calculation. Under the terms of the agreement, K12 admitted no wrongdoing or liability but agreed to various reporting, staff training and other business practice reforms. In one of the most contentious provisions, the company agreed to expunge $160 million in balance budget credits. The attorney general characterized this as debt relief, which K12 vehemently rejects, describing the credits essentially as subsidies to offset the costs of its services to schools when those costs would otherwise exceed revenues. Given Californias education funding environment, the company never expected those credits to be repaid, it said. The attorney generals investigation always smacked more of politics than legitimate concerns over the quality of educational services provided. The Wall Street Journal characterized it as a mugging and an example of thuggish government. It is probably no coincidence that the investigation came shortly after the California Teachers Association launched a campaign in 2014 to unionize K12s charter schools and K12 challenged the union petition. That union support would be very important to Ms. Harris in her hotly contested U.S. Senate race with Rep. Loretta Sanchez. In June, the union-dominated California Public Employee Relations Board certified the CTA, ordering the CAVA schools to collectively bargain with the union. Opponents of K12 and skeptics of public online education have spent years making wild, attention-grabbing charges about us and our business, K12 CEO Stuart Udell said in a statement. 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 its because we are committed to deliver valuable education services within the laws and rules of every state. The latter point is probably the most important. If students and their parents are happy with the companys services and continue to utilize them, the state has no legitimate grounds to step in and intervene. K12 touts a customer satisfaction survey that shows that 92 percent of parents say their children have benefited academically from the K12 curriculum. This should be the ultimate test schools should have to pass. The sad truth is that public schools answer to the whims and agendas of teachers unions and politicians, not students and their parents. Policymakers should be embracing competition and new educational technologies and business models that offer students and their parents more options and greater flexibility to tailor educational services to their needs, not trying to destroy them while propping up the broken, monopolistic, one-size-fits-all status quo. Curt Hagman,a San Bernardino County supervisor and chairman of the San Bernardino County Republican Party, offered the following observations about the Democratic National Convention: In the most anticipated speech of the Democratic National Convention, the 44th President of the United States took to the stage to make the case for Hillary Clinton.The President began his message with a recap of things that he accomplished in office. Then he advocated for Clinton, stating the work they started eight years ago is nowhere near complete. The president was correct when he said that America is a generous, big-hearted, hopeful country. He was right that this nation has been tested by war, recession, and other challenges. He was right that the work is not complete in forming a more perfect union. America is strong and resilient. Yet, not all is well in our nation and no amount of beautifully articulated rhetoric can erase the damage that Hillary Clinton has done to this country in her more than 40 years of service. The president said that, In the midst of crisis, she listens. She never, ever quits. How do you explain that to the families of the men who lost their lives in Benghazi? As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton did not listen, and she quit on the families who cried out to her for help to find the truth. She was more interested in protecting herself from blame than in saving American lives. The president alluded to a powerful statement by former Republican President Teddy Roosevelt about failing while daring greatly. Any public servant who has been in office for any amount of time can relate to the inspiring message contained in his quote about the person who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly. Unfortunately, Hillary Clintons failures were not made while daring greatly, or striving valiantly or even putting Americas interests first. Public officials face a myriad of choices on a daily basis. We make decisions that affect the lives of the constituencies we serve. Sometimes these decisions involve life and death situations, and those decisions follow leaders for the rest of their career. These choices are not often made lightly, but they can be made carelessly or for the wrong reasons. Hillary did not strive valiantly, or dare greatly, when she failed to respond to the Libyan embassys cry for help. The administration deliberately blamed a YouTube video for an attack on American diplomatic soil that claimed the lives of four brave souls, including an American ambassador. This was not a mistake; it was negligence and an example of her failure to listen and lead. And most recently, she continued to tread the path of bad judgment with her decision to use a private email server to receive highly classified official government information. Choosing convenience over national security should concern even the most apathetic American. Once again, her flippant approach to sensitive information and careless decision making involving American national security shed light on the type of experience she will bring with her to the Oval Office if elected president. When the President stated, she is more qualified than me and Bill, he referred to her 40 years of public service. But, digging down deep to the results of that service experience shows a starkly different picture. Experience does not guarantee expertise. Examining her work as secretary of state, and the disastrous aftermath of her decision making in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, North Korea, and Russia demonstrates that, if the future is anything like the past, her experience and qualifications no doubt spell trouble for our nation. Finally, the president stated, If youre wondering about her judgment? Take a look at her running mate. Unfortunately, one good decision does not exonerate anyone from a history of poor judgment, least of all, someone running for the highest office in the land. The vice president wont have a finger on the red button. Because good judgment makes a great deal of a difference. Editors note: A previous version of this story contained information about the San Jacinto Unified School District incorrectly attributed to a Hemet Unified spokeswoman. Enhancing public safety may not be the only measure Hemet voters will be asked to pay more taxes for in November. Hemet school trustees are considering putting a general obligation bond on the ballot that would put $165 million into district coffers. They will discuss the measure at a study session Friday, July 29, according the Hemet schools agenda. San Jacinto Unified also is pondering a bond, one for $43 million. Decisions are due by Aug. 12 to make the Nov. 8 ballot. The Hemet Unified School District stretches well beyond the city limits, where voters will be asked to increase sales tax 1 percentage point to pay for more police and fire services. The bond measure would cost property owners $60 for each $100,000 of assessed value, according to an email from Hemet district spokeswoman Alex Cass. Recent Hemet school bonds have had success. Voters approved a $60 million measure in 2002, a $149 million bond in 2006, and a $49 million bond in 2012 to reauthorize the 2006 bonds. But it could be a tougher go this year, with the tax initiative on the ballot and many of the people who usually work to promote Hemet school bonds concentrating their efforts on the citys measure. According to a report to be presented to trustees Friday, the money would be used for modernization and renovation of current campuses, to build another elementary school and to buy back solar power leases. If the bond does not move forward, Hemet Unified would be ineligible for $53 million in state matching funds and be unable to accommodate enrollment growth due to new development, according to the report. San Jacinto Unified School District officials are expected to decide Aug. 9 if they are going to float a bond that would cost property owners $39 for each $100,000 of assessed value. Money would be used for renovations and upgrades at current campuses. It doesnt meet all the needs, but this is what the community can and will support, San Jacinto Superintendent Diane Perez said. San Jacinto Unified voters last passed a school bond in 2006, when they agreed to pay $150 million for improvements on campuses across the district, including major upgrades to San Jacinto High School. The district pondered a bond two years ago, but held back, in part because of other tax measures on the ballot. Contact the writer: 951-368-9086 or cshultz@scng.com A Taxi driver at Akyem Oda in the Eastern Region popularly known as Obontia, 28 has been murdered by suspected assassins in his residence. Youth of the area who were incensed about the murder stormed the crime scene and set the house occupied by both the deceased and the main suspect, ablaze. According to the police, the assailants deceptively hired the services of the deceased taxi driver to pick some items from the house but ended up killing him. The Oda District Police Commander, DSP Samuel Ntoso explained the Daily Heritage that the police received distress calls at about 8pm on Wednesday from the area, hence, led a team of police officers to the scene. According to DSP Ntoso, initial police investigations revealed that the assailants were led by Emmanuel Agyei, 22, a man who sometimes visits the home of the taxi driver to occupy the house whose owner is outside the country. He said the taxi driver was found dead with cuts and blood outside the house. Behind the body was a sack which contained a locally manufactured single barreled gun and a stick, while the KIA Picanto Taxi of the deceased with registration number GW9380-16 was packed in the walled house. He said the police moved into the house to mount a search and apprehend the assailants, but they absconded before police arrival. Informants told the police that the suspect brought two strange men to stay in the house three days earlier but they varnished after the murder. The informants also told the police that they heard distress noise of the deceased shouting they are killing me, prior to his demise. The angry youth in the area stormed the scene around 1am to set ablaze the house to avenge the death of the taxi driver. DSP Ntoso mentioned that a joint re-enforcement team of police and military from Achiease Jungle warfare came to the scene to prevent the rampaging youth from further damages. Later, fire service officials reported at the scene to put out the fire. He said the police have mounted manhunt for all the suspected assailants. Yesterday morning when news broke about the arrest of two of the suspects, Suleman Dauda, 20, and Joseph Arthur, the youth stormed the police station against to kill the two suspects, but were prevented by the armed police officer on duty. Source: Daily Heritage 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 Some sympathizers of Salifu Maase, Alistair Tahiru Nelson and Godwin Ako-Gunn are believed to be gathering some foodstuffs for the trio as they spend four months in their prison cells. The sympathizers have apparently arranged some foodstuffs for the convicts. The foodstuffs include some tubers of cassava, a bunch of plantain, kontomire and a fowl. The sympathizers also want the convicts to note that they are strongly behind them and so presenting the foodstuffs to empathize with them. Meanwhile, leadership of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the jailing of the Montie FM journalist and two panelists to four months in prison. The ruling party has further expressed utter shock that the Supreme Court Judges didn't temper justice with mercy. A private legal practitioner has also appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to exercise his powers under Article 72 to grant the convicts Presidential clemency. A group calling itself "Research and Advocacy Platform" has also opened a petition book aimed at mobilizing Ghanaians of all shades of opinion to Petition the President to invoke Article 72 of the Constitution to offer the imprisoned three a reprieve from this harsh sentence. Article 72 grants the President the power to "grant to a person convicted of an offence a pardon either free or subject to lawful conditions." 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 Mrs Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, has called on the western world to support and motivate committed African leaders in the fight against corruption on the continent. Mrs Banda, who was speaking at the fourth John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture on Monday, said fighting corruption was one of the difficult challenges facing many presidents on the continent. The lecture was organised by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in partnership with Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in furtherance of Professor Mills ideals and commitment to the advancement of law and governance in Ghana and across Africa. The lecture, which was on the theme Atta Mills the Servant Leader was attended by many including diplomats, ministers of state, academics, political, traditional and religious leaders as well as family members. She said corrupt Africans often operated from the West, but their practices were global and required a global response. She said only a tighter, more responsive and highly co-ordinated action between law enforcement authorities in both developing nations and the world's financial centres would be effective in the pursuit of this cause. We are doing everything we can to create a state built on transparency and the rule of law. Africa needs their support in this crusade because they allow people who steal our money from Africa to bank in their banks. She said it was hypocritical that criticisms came from them but monies meant for development, education and eradication of poverty in Africa was hidden in their banks adding that they allow leaders who steal from this continent to buy big mansions in their countries. Mrs Banda urged the western world to be on the alert to fish out corrupt Africans who stole money and saved it in their countries. Eulogizing the late President Mills, she said he was an embodiment of a redefined leadership in the face of a changing world and urged African leaders to emulate his leadership qualities and personality. The former Malawian President labeled him as a transformative leader whose inclusive policy contributed to the unity, integration and stability of not only Ghana but the ECOWAS Region and Africa as a whole. Atta Mills presents a different type of leadership, an epitome of new leadership and an embodiment of moral and servant leadership, exactly what Africa needs, she said. Mrs Banda said Atta Mills is a citizen of the world who lived a life of humility and dedicated his life to the development of education adding that his contribution to intellectual development all over the world is remarkable. She said though dead, Atta Mills remained an oasis of knowledge where a lot could be drawn from to shape the political, social and economic lives of Africans. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ace Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas has been honored again, this time by the Mayor of Worcester in the United States. The Mayor Joseph M. Petty also presented the investigative journalist with a key to the city. Anas Aremeyaw Anas was part of many awardees who were honored for their achievements at their various fields of endeavor at the African Youth Excellence Awards which took place in Worcester (Massachusetts). The Mayor congratulated him for his achievements in his journalism career, and touted the inspiration that he is to young people in a citation. The African Youth Excellence Awards is one that highlights the accomplishments of young Africans who are making strides in art, education, information technology, entrepreneurship, innovation, and humanitarianism. Abraham Attah the young Ghanaian actor was also honored at the event. Source: New Crusading Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A security Analyst, Adib Saani has said that Ghanas security will improve with the incarceration of the Montie trio. Reacting to the court ruling that saw the Supreme Court hand a four-month prison sentence to the Host of the Pampaso political show an Accra-based Montie FM, Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, and the two panelists, Alistair Nelson, and Godwin Ako Gunn, for threatening to kill judges of the Supreme Court during a radio discussion, he noted that the sentences would deal a big blow to the culture of impunity rocking Ghanaian society, hence improve our security in the run up to the December election. Saani described radio stations such as Montie and other radio stations as treading the same path as Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLMC), which stoked the 1994 Rwandan genocide that resulted in the deaths of nearly a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus. In the end, according to estimates in a study by a Harvard University Researcher, 9.9% of the participation in the genocidal violence was due to the broadcasts. The estimate of the study suggests that approximately 51,000 deaths were caused by the stations broadcasts Saani noted. According to Saani, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) since the beginning of a campaign dubbed Language Monitoring Project this year, Montie FM has recorded a total of 40 incidents of indecent expressions, the highest among all the stations being monitored. In its findings for the period April 18-30, 2016, the report identified one Mugabe Massie, host of Montie FMs Pampaso programme to have made a remark endorsing violence on the April 29, 2016 edition of the programme when discussing an alleged bussing of people to Dome Kwabenya. In the same report, it identified 22 cases of unsavory remarks on Montie FM and 15 on Oman FM. He, however, bemoaned the practice where people swarm court premises to support wrongdoers, describing their actions as unpatriotic and not good for our democracy. It beats my imagination to see some Ghanaians invading court premises, chant war songs and attack journalists in the name of supporting their own, when these guys have pleaded guilty, meaning they accept that they indeed did wrong, Saani lamented. Saani blamed it on the politicization of almost all national issues that has invariably polarized the country. He called on all to look at issues of national interest from a neutral perspective, rather than with political lenses because it has nothing to do with NDC or NPP, but our democracy. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Supreme Court has ordered the release of the agreement between the Ghanaian government and the United States government which allowed two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees to be relocated into the country. The Court, on Thursday, directed that the documents be made available to only the lawyers of the two Ghanaian citizens, Margaret Bamful and Henry Nana Boakye who sued the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, together with the Minister of Interior, accusing President John Mahama of illegally bringing in the two former detainees, without recourse to the laws of the land. The Court after scrutinising the documents decided that the release of the documents to the lawyers will not pose a security threat to the nation. The Attorney General unsuccessfully argued that the agreement was confidential and any disclosure to the public would violate section 1 of the State Secrets ACT, 1962 (Act 101). Background The two former detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby were in detention for 14 years for having links with terrorist group Al-Qaeda before their relocation to Ghana. In January 2016, the US Embassy in Ghana assured said the presence of the duo posed no security threat to national security. But Margaret Bamful and Henry Nana Boakye, believed the two former Gitmo detainees were illegally brought into the country wthout recourse to the laws of the land. The plaintiffs therefore sought among other reliefs a declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the President of the Republic of Ghana acted unconstitutionally by agreeing to the transfer of Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby. Source: Graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The two panelists, and the host of the Pampaso show on Accra-based Montie FM, who were convicted of contempt and jailed by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, have been taken to the countrys major prison facility at Nsawam. Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, were sentenced to serve four months in jail on Wednesday, after being found guilty of contempt by the apex court, for threatening the lives of the judges who were presiding over a case on the credibility of the voters register. One of the lawyers of the trio, George Loh, confirmed this on Eyewitness News on Thursday. My understanding is that they are at the Nsawam prison he said, when quizzed by the host of the show, Richard Dela Sky, on the whereabouts of the convicts. The trio, were also ordered to pay an amount of 10, 000 cedis each or risk serving an extra month in jail. Several persons, including the Foreign Affairs Minister, Hanna Tetteh as well as her party the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have described that the sentence handed out to the three as harsh. The lawyers for the trio say they intend to petition President Mahama to pardon them, prompting the opening of a petition book today [Thursday]. The book, opened by a group calling itself the Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP), has garnered several signatures including those of high-profile government officials including the Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare and the deputy Chief of Staff, Valerie Sawyerr. Sentence appropriate Others have applauded the judges for the sentence given to the three persons. A private legal practitioner, John Ndebugri, said that the 4-month jail terms given to the them were appropriate for the offences they were convicted of. I think that the sentences are appropriateA message has to be sent very clearly to media practitioners, social commentators and lawyers like myself who dont want to understand the meaning of the judicial process so that red lines are drawn and once you cross them, you come within the firing line and youll be fired, Ndebugri said on the Citi Breakfast Show. Montie 3 should have been jailed 6-months Meanwhile, a Former President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Sam Okudjeto, has opined that the trio should have been handed a minimum of six months prison sentence. He argued that the four-month prison sentence is not enough to serve as a deterrent to others. If I were there, I would have given them more than that because I am so worried about what I call irresponsibility that has almost crept into political arena whereby people use the television and radio as a platform for vulgar abuse, threats. That is not what the media is meant for and I think that a lot of characters that are appearing on television should not be allowed. The station itself should have been punished heavier for them to put down rules, the rules which says that when you come here no abuse, no insult. I would have preferred to have given them at least six months and then ban them for a year or two to be of good behavior. Lawyer Sam Okudjeto also said it was immaterial that the three had apologized, saying the apology could not have undone the harm their utterances would have caused. Source: citifmonline.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 Some die-hard supporters of the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC), believed to be ardent followers of the Pampamso political show on Accra-based Montie FM, hosted by Maase Salifu, alias Mugabe, have held a candle light vigil in honour of Mugabe, and the two panelists of the station, who are languishing in jail at Nsawam, after they were found guilty of contempt charges by the Supreme Court. The three were sentenced to four months in prison and fined Ghc10, 000 each, after they threatened to kill Supreme Court judges over their handling of the lawsuit on Ghanas voters register. Montie FM, a pro-government radio station owned senior members of the NDC, is the Twi affiliate to Radio Gold. The candle light vigil, which started at 7:00pm on Thursday at the premises of Radio Gold at Latebiokoshie in Accra, saw several individuals mostly clad in white, holding their candles. Some were seen saying prayers for the three. The night vigil comes barely hours after a Deputy Education Minister in charge of tertiary, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa the Deputy Chief of Staff, Valerie Sawyerr, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare and Deputy Energy and Petroleum Minister, Benjamin Dagadu, joined to sign a petition book, opened on the premises of Radio Gold, ostensibly to pile pressure on President Mahama, to free the Montie FM trio, jailed by the Supreme Court. A group calling itself the Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP), which opened the petition book, is pushing the signature collection in a bid to persuade President Mahama to activate his prerogative of mercy powers under Article 72 of the 1992 Constitution. The incumbent NDC leadership in particular has described the sentencing as harsh. Lawyers for the convicts have also served notice they will petition the President to pardon them. No Mugabe, No vote NDC supporters to Mahama Some party members numbering about 30, on Thursday protested at the NDCs headquarters asking the President to pardon the three or risk losing their votes in the December polls. Montie FM trio languish in Nsawam prison Meanwhile the two panelists, Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn, and the host of the Pampaso show Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, are languishing in jail at Ghanas major prison facility at Nsawam. Will he or will he not pardon them? It remains to be seen whether or not the President will yield to pressure from his party to free the three, or that he will uphold the sanctity and authority of the court. Source: citifmonline.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 Audio Attachment: click to listen to Oti Bless ....Claimed CJ Was Part Of Plot To Kidnap Tony Lithurs Child It has emerged that the latest Deputy Ministerial appointee of President John Dramani Mahama and NDC MP for Nkwanta North, John Oti Bless, was a member of the Montie FM Panel on 24th June, 2016 together with Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn and made similar contemptuous statements especially against Chief Justice, Georgina Woode. Today we have a CJ who because of a Political favour done her will do anything to help the NPP. It is an agenda. The electoral commission should stop working and give it to Georgina Woode. Why? Meddling in the affairs of the Electoral Commission. And we have a whole CJ, look at how old you are; you have kids and grandchildren and yet you are at the Court doing politics; you deliberately appoint NPP Judges to do politics and scheme with NPP to give biased rulings. Are you not calling for war? Are you not calling for civil war? Are you not destroying this country? he said. After making several other disparaging comments, John Oti Bless, whose vetting is currently on hold, indicated that the CJ has to be watched and suggested that the CJ was part of a plot to kidnap a child of Tony Lithur, who was Counsel for John Mahama during the 2013 Election Petition case. We have to watch this Chief Justice. My brother Mugabe, I am telling you, when you go to the Supreme Court today, the Chief Justice is fighting one worker all because of politics. Let me give you a last filla. Do you know that during the Election Petition case, these people made a plot to kidnap a child of Tony Lithur, who was lawyer for our Excellency John Mahama so he would not concentrate on the case? the Nkwanta North MP told Mugabe, host of Montie FM's Pampaso. Greed Led To Jake's Death? The Deputy Minister-designate for the Local Government Ministry, also accused the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey of avarice saying the advertising titan could have still been alive if not for his unbridled desire to steal state properties. He argued that God might have prolonged the life of the late NPP Campaign Manager if he had not illegally acquired state lands and buildings at the expense of Ghanaians. "Look at Jake Obestebi Lamptey and how he acquired the state bungalow, if that property was his would he have bought it for that price? And when this issue was taken to court, judges ruled in his favour. If the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey had left the bungalow for the state or allowed the state to sell it to construct some low cost building for the poor, maybe God would have saved him and not allow him to die, he stated. The one-time Chief of Staff in the erstwhile Kufuor regime died on March 20 in the United Kingdom after an unknown ailment. It remains to be seen if and what action will be taken against the MP should it emerge that he did pass those disparaging remarks. It is unclear how John Oti Blesss name has stayed out of the case till date but it appears to be the result of a deliberate scheme to save him from the contempt case by editing his contributions on the programme out of the tapes that emerged.It is instructive to recall, that one of the jailed panellists, Godwin Ako Gunn, referred to these submissions by John Oti Bless and based on them to make the comments that has seen him jailed for contempt. Source: 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 National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi Portuphy has described the ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) against the two panelists, and host of the Pampaso show on Montie FM as unfair and pathetic. I was shocked by the Supreme Courts judgment over the Montie 3 because our level of democracy does not demand the punishment given per the crime caused. Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, have been sentenced to serve four months in jail on the 27th July 2016, after being found guilty of contempt charges based on slanderous statements they made against judges who were presiding over a case on the credibility of the voters register. He added that the Supreme Court could have given a more flexible verdict than this current one because a lot of big men have pleaded together with the victims after they realized the harm caused. Speaking to KASAPA FM, Mr Portuphy insisted that We as a party still stand by our earlier statement issued after the Supreme Courts ruling, that we are unable to reconcile our claim of a free democratic state in which the rights of citizens are paramount with such excessive censure of the right to free expression. This judgment sends an unfortunate impression about Ghana, its judiciary and severely dents our enviable reputation as a beacon of democracy on the African continent and beyond. To be frank the laws used on the victims were laws used in the colonial days which even the British who are advanced in systems of democracy have removed from their constitution. Therefore for a developing country like Ghana practicing democracy, when one commits a crime, he/she must be arrested by the police, investigated and prosecuted before the judges come in. The verdict makes my heart bleed for this country, since it can be anyone else tomorrow. he said. Source: Elizabeth Semiheva/Peacefmonline.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 The four-month jail term handed to the three Montie FM contemnors Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn, and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, is unprecedented, Ebenezer Ato Sam, popularly known as Baby Ansaba, managing editor of The Punch, has said. On Wednesday July 27, the Supreme Court of Ghana handed the sentence to the three for scandalising the highest court of the land and also bringing it into disrepute. Apart from the jail sentence, each of the three contemnors has been fined a sum of GHS10000. The owners of the station including Mr Harry Zakkour, who is also the second vice- chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress, as well as Mr Edward Addo, Ato Ahwoi, and Kwesi Kyei Atuah, have been fined GHS30000 each. They were given up to Thursday July 28 to pay or risk a months jail term. The owners have also been asked by the Supreme Court to submit policy documents spelling out how to forestall similar happenings in the future. They have also been asked to ensure that none of their media outlets will be used to scandalise the court or bring it into disrepute. But Baby Ansaba, who once served a 19-day jail term for contempt when he was editor of the Free Press in 1998, said: As a journalist and somebody who writes and speaks a lot on radio and even on television, I think that it is unprecedented. He told Citi News on Friday July 29: There is nothing to show in our history books that any journalist or even lawyer has been sentenced to contempt or has been found guilty of contempt and sentenced to four months. The common one we have heard was maybe a number of days or one month but four months is too harsh for me and too punitive. I should like to believe that the judges were using their emotions. Source: Classfmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana will not extend the date for the re-registration of persons whose names were deleted from the register of voters for using National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards to register ahead of the 2012 elections, the Director of Communications at the EC, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, has said. The re-registration of the voters, which came to an end Thursday July 28, was in accordance with an order by the Supreme Court of Ghana to the election management body to delete the names because the use of the NHIS card was unconstitutional. But when it was just some few days to the deadline for the registration to come to a close, there were calls, especially from some leading members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), to extend the date following the low turnout. Mr Sam Pyne, Ashanti Regional secretary of the NPP, earlier this week told Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM that the low turnout was due to the low publicity of the event as well as power outages in most of the district offices of the EC, especially in the Ashanti Region. He, therefore, urged the EC to extend the date in order to capture all the voters, to avert disenfranchising affected voters in this years presidential and parliamentary elections. Also, Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin made a similar call after claiming about 5,000 voters were deleted in his strongholds within his constituency. But at a news conference in Accra on Friday July 29, Mr Dzakpasu said the low turnout could not be attributed to the low publicity of the event because there was adequate publicity on the exercise. It cannot be the case that the low turnout was caused by low publicity. The message was well disseminated; if people actually wanted to get registered, they could have done so within the 10 days. There is no evidence that when an extension of the date is granted, the remaining people will come out of their houses or communities and get their names re-registered, he explained. He added: In the considered opinion of the [Electoral] Commission, the re-registration exercise could not be extended. Apart from the fact that the exercise was extensively publicised, the decision not to extend the exercise has been informed by a number of additional substantive reasons. [These are]: we are required by law to exhibit the provisional register of the persons re-registered. Due to the deployment of additional registration kits to some heavily-populated districts, it necessarily follows that the data captured must be processed. This means we will require some time to be able to do that in order to be in the position to exhibit the provisional register for the re-registrants from 5th to 8th August 2016 as agreed at the IPAC. The process of the data will include configuration of data of all persons who registered with BVR kits and that takes not less than two weeks. Mr Dzakpasu continued: There is the need to set up district registration review committees to adjudicate all challenges to the re-registration of some of the affected persons. In this regard, regulation 20 (1) a, b, c of CI 91 provides that the district registration review committee shall within seven days examine the grounds for the challenge. Source: Classfmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video PEDESTRIAN.TV has partnered with The University Of Queensland to help make your transition from school to uni a lil easier. UQ Open Day taking place at the St Lucia campus on August 7, then at the Gatton campus on August 21 will give you an insight into what uni lifes all about. Keep reading to find out more about the event before planning your day by heading HERE. University, much like navigating your first fling with bae, is best entered into with some sound advice. Are we the best ones to be providing you with that advice? Hmmm, thats debatable. JOKES LEL. We reckon we know our stuff, predominantly because P.TVs staff have done their dash (and then some) at campuses Australia-wide. Collectively, weve rounded-up 11 points we wish someone wouldve bloody told us before starting at uni. Good luck, person of the internet, on all of your tertiary endeavours. 1. Your tutors / lecturers arent going to force you to do your work like high school teachers do. Tutors and lecturers want to see you do well, but theyre not gonna call up your rents and tell them you havent submitted something. The lack of pressure can come as a shock if youre not prepped for it. 2. Worship your course outline like a holy scripture, cause itll be your saving grace. Your course outline is designed to cover all bases in terms of whats expected of you, as well as when youll need to deliver your assignments / sit your exams. If you have any questions about your course or assignments, theres a good chance itll have the answer youre chasing. The most frustrating thing youll experience pre-semester will be waiting for your course outline to be released its enough to drive the average person to the brink of insanity. 3. Have a crack at making friends with your peers, cause those mates could end up being mates for life. Photo: Friends / NBC. Yknow when you meet someone whose interests are so similarly aligned with yours and youre just like damn, is this some sort of orchestration of fate, lol? If you keep an open mind, thatll happen a lot at uni. Why? Well, considering an interest in what youre studying is advantageous to your degree, youre bound to meet like-minded folk undergoing your program. 4. Study something you want to, not something youve been pressured into. If youre digging it, the motivation to do the work will come naturally. Unis an avenue for you to carve out the rest of your existence, which is ace. Dont study something your parents or friends want you to, cause aint nobody got time to wake up at 40 and think, what have I done with my life? 5. Even though theres a lot less contact hours than school, it aint gonna be super chill. The workload will likely be a lot more full on than what youre used to. Youll be needing to conduct in-depth research for assignments, manage your required readings and generally put a lot more effort into your work to succeed at uni. Just because youre not there from 9AM-3PM erryday doesnt mean its all going to be easy. 6. Make a bangin budget and stick to it. Balancing your finances at uni doesnt have to be as hard as its made out to be. Photo: David McNew / Getty. Depending on your employment sitch, balancing your cash while at uni can be hard. That being said, its not as if it isnt possible. Just like everything else with uni, its your responsibility to be a savvy saver, so make a budget and stick to it. 7. Dont let your new-found independence make you go cray cray. Just because you dont have to go to your lectures doesnt mean you shouldnt. Yep, your studys all on you. So is distributing your time to get everything done. If you reckon the freedom will go to your head, put some structures in place to keep you focused. 8. If youre chasing insider info, wanna make connections and generally have an A+ time, then head to a unis open day. UQ Open Day taking place at the St Lucia campus on August 7, then at the Gatton campus on August 21 is a must-attend if youre wanting to learn what uni lifes all about. In addition to chatting with tutors, lecturers and students wholl share pearls of wisdom about the transition youre about to make, theres a whole bunch of other fab stuff going down, including: Campus and accommodation tours Happy Paws Happy Hearts (PUPPIES, PEOPLE. PUPPIES?!?!) (PUPPIES, PEOPLE. PUPPIES?!?!) Orange Sky Laundry (the champs who wash clothes for the homeless) (the champs who wash clothes for the homeless) A virtual reef (using Google cardboard) cardboard) Food trucks (jam-packed with festival staples like popcorn and fairy floss) The Brisbane Broncos A Spotify chill out zone chill out zone Ben Milbourne (Masterchef finalist) If youd like to plan your day (yep, you can do that), or if youre just wanting more info, then head over HERE. 9. Be savvy and buy your books second-hand, but be sure to check theyre the edition you need for your course. Just like with many things in life, you dont need to buy things outright and that includes your text books. Be careful, however, to have the edition of the book your unit requires. Assigned readings or keeping up in lectures is near-impossible if your second hand text book and the latest version dont correlate. 10. Uni assignments arent like high school ones, which means leaving em to the last minute wont be possible. Uni assignments often involve conducting interviews, or scouring through 400-pages worth of research to back up your points. Get a jump on them ASAP. 11. Dont be afraid to throw ya hand up and ask a question. Odds are theres someone else wondering the same thing. If youre lost during a lecture or tutorial, make sure you ask what the hells going on. Seeing as lectures, for instance, cater to so many students (often more than 100), they just keep going unless otherwise prompted. If youre struggling, trust us when we say that someone else is in the same boat, so dont feel awkward about raising your hand. Wanna learn more about what to expect from uni? UQ Open Day is your go-to destination for answering your burning, uni-related Qs. UQs gawjus campus and world-class facilities will be all yours to explore to get you hyped for your academic kick-off. Oh, and if organisation is your forte, you can plan your day by heading HERE, or by downloading the nifty UQ Open Day app (iOS HERE and Android HERE). Photo: Gossip Girl / Warner Bros. A spokesperson for indigenous organisations in the Northern Territory has spoken out about not being consulted on the upcoming government inquiry into the horrendous abuse of children in the Don Dale juvenile detention centre in Darwin. The story of the abuse, which has now received widespread coverage and commentary across Australia, was originally covered in an in-depth report by ABCs Four Corners. It showed teenagers, including now 18-year-old Dylan Voller, being stripped naked, assaulted, restrained in chairs with hoods, and tear gassed. The guards use excessive force, and refer to the juvenile inmates as an idiot and a little fucker and one guard threatens to pulverise the boy. AMSANT chief executive John Paterson, speaking on behalf of the organisations the Northern Land Council, the Central Land Council and Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT, said that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls promised Royal Commission had already comprehensively failed us. Yet again the Commonwealth Government has refused to consult with Aboriginal people, in spite of Mr Turnbulls commitment, now hollow, to do things with Aboriginal people, not to us. He also spoke out against the appointment of former NT Supreme Court Chief Justice Brian Martin as the head of the Royal Commission, saying that it would be impossible for him to be independent due to his past involvement in sentencing juvenile criminals to detention, and due to his connection with people who are not only with the legal profession but also with the political players here, who are the subject of this investigation. We are also deeply disturbed that NT Chief Minister Adam Giles was party to developing the terms of reference and selecting the royal commissioner. Deputy chairwoman of AMSANT Olga Havnen said this about the decisions: Our objective is to provide a united voice, to be able to provide a key point of contact for government and for others to be able to deal with us and consult with us. To get a considered view. It seems to me this royal commission has been compromised from the outset. Because of the fact that the Territory Government, who is responsible for all of these atrocities, be it Labor or the Country Liberal Party, are the ones that are being consulted and have had the most input. This isnt an open, transparent, objective, independent process at all. Are they serious about getting a good outcome or is this really about just having a white wash? Source: ABC. Photo: Four Corners. WELP. This is a fun one. Former Prime Minister/that one weird Uncle who over-ennunciates and insists on drinking port at Christmas Kevin Rudd was quite keen on putting his hand up for the job of UN Secretary-General. The gig is currently held by Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, and will become vacant at the end of the year. Kevin Rudd would dearly like that job. Unfortunately, it seems like its not going to happen, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today making a Captains call to not endorse Rudds bid, thereby scuttling his attempt to apply. The decision of whether the Government should back Rudd in for the gig has been hotly contested amongst the Coalition, with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop reportedly arguing strongly in favour of supporting Rudds bid. But its the conservative arm of the Liberal Party (i.e. everyone who firmly remains in the Tony Abbott camp) who made the most noise about not endorsing the campaign. And in todays announcement that Turnbull will not give the Governments support to Rudd, it would appear that its that arm of his own party that Turnbull fears the most. Turnbull, in a short press conference, stated that he did not endorse Rudd because he believe he was not suited for the job. Meanwhile, in Kevin Rudds brain: Make no mistake about it, it wouldve been a profoundly awkward decision for Turnbull to actually endorse Rudds bid for the top diplomatic job in the world. But bending to the shouty people in your own party? Yeah, its a bit awkward. Albo, for one, is *pissed*. Turnbull. Pathetic. Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 29, 2016 If Turnbulls fresh term as PM is all about displaying how willing he is to play up to the conservative mob, things are gonna get real bloody interesting in the ole #auspol world in a big hurry, youd imagine. Photo: Sergio Dionisio/Getty. SIGN OF THE TIMES: North Korea declared war on the US, and American Twitter has responded with memes. North Koreas top diplomat, Han Song Ryol, told The Associated Press on Thursday that America had essentially declared war on them first by putting dictator Kim Jong Un on its list of sanctioned individuals earlier this month. The Obama administration went so far to have the impudence to challenge the supreme dignity of the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] in order to get rid of its unfavourable position during the political and military showdown with the DPRK, he said. The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown. We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war. Although North Korea is already heavily sanctioned thanks to its frequent play dates with nuclear weapons, this is the first time Kim Jong Un himself has appeared on the list of sanctioned individuals. He and 10 others were placed on it on July 6 this year for their blatant disregard for things like human rights (they abuse them). It was such a mess. Days later, North Korea cut off all official communication with Washington, and now theyve declared war. Twitter has declared memes. North Korea wouldnt have even stood a chance if our savior hadnt been gunned down by his own men pic.twitter.com/k9nauDhlOr El Sancho (@TylerWestlund) July 29, 2016 North Korea: Were declaring war Twitter: aye yall seen this new Arthur meme LIL DICK KIM (@LILDICKKIM) July 29, 2016 tell north korea to pull up, well blast j.cole and put them all to sleep BASED JE$U$ (@BASEDJESUS) July 29, 2016 When you laughing at all these North Korea memes but you low-key scared they might be serious. pic.twitter.com/9eKuegWadV Student Problems (@FactsOfSchool) July 29, 2016 When you find out someone declared war on the U.S. but its just North Korea. pic.twitter.com/4VgfFXpSTj Omni Uchiha (@InfernoOmni) July 29, 2016 when north korea is declaring war but yoongi still hasnt dropped his mixtape yet pic.twitter.com/yfVfasZ7a5 twerking jimin (@waveyakpopper) July 29, 2016 north korea please kill me first Single Dad (@Lonely_Dad) July 29, 2016 when youre laughing at all the north korea war memes but you lowkey scared pic.twitter.com/TjXceUu4CQ ? (@killminseok) July 29, 2016 tell North Korea i said pull up pic.twitter.com/5c6o4U2fr0 griffin ? (@thegriffinw) July 29, 2016 The only man that can stop North Korea https://t.co/pBlE56orS7 Lance Stewart (@Lance210) July 29, 2016 north korea just a hoax to distract us from the fact that harambe is actually alive and living in cuba Bill Nye Tho (@Bill_Nye_Tho__) July 29, 2016 North Korea just declared war on the U.S lol thank god i live in the U.S.A sage (@tdhansols) July 29, 2016 North Korea: You about to catch these nukes US: You about to catch these memes North Korea: pic.twitter.com/KIUMi4yfuj Jon (@AeonJon) July 29, 2016 north korea: you crossed the line! prepare for war! the US: this is the 25th time youve sai- north korea: pic.twitter.com/nNAmiRxTmj WORLD STAR FANS (@WorIdStarLaugh) July 29, 2016 Our Air Force is ready. Good luck North Korea. https://t.co/TRInvVRxbq Nynxii (@Nynxll) July 29, 2016 North Korea: *Declares war* The US: *memes* Papi Memes (@TheBardockObama) July 29, 2016 north korea might have nukes but ive never felt safer pic.twitter.com/TafDZmBBRr Elijah Daniel (@aguywithnolife) July 29, 2016 Well see who wins this bitch. Source: USA Today. Photo: Twitter. Australian Pokemon Go trainers, we are sorry to be the ones to break this news to you, but it is our duty to inform and protect the most innocent and vulnerable within our society. In a world we must defend, you know? With that being said, PEDESTRIAN.TV has it on heartbreakingly good authority that there are several regular Pokemon that cannot, and will not, be captured on this island we call home. Conversely, our nation is home to one particular critter, Kangaskhan, which other continents are yet to stumble across in the wild. This information gives credence to the fan theories, collated through thousands upon thousands of lived experiences (and some data-mining) that posit the geo-locked nature of some non-legendary Mon. American Reddit users have alleged theyve hatched Farfetchd (locked in Asia) and Mr. Mime (from Europe) from eggs, but those two are yet to be seen in the wild outside those regions. Furthermore, if youve caught yourself a Tauros outside of North America, you must truly have been blessed by the overlords at Niantic, who seem to have plonked em all in and around the States. Those three Pokemon stuck abroad join the ranks of Ditto and the original legendaries as currently un-catchable in Australia. Were sorry. This means that to actually catch em all, youre going to do more than walk. On the plus side, more motivation to explore the world which seems to be the apps primary purpose. But still, come on guys. Source: Business Insider. Photo: Paul Watson / Getty. Ahhhh, Joe Biden. Proud Democrat, President Barack Obamas right hand man, and hunky man-crush of devoted Parks Department employee Leslie Knope. Now, the Vice President of the United States of America will be guest-starring on Law and Order: SVU. In case youve lived under a rock since the 90s, the hugely popular show focuses on sexual crimes committed in the US, with SVU standing for Special Victims Unit. The show has a cult following spanning generations, all which idolise OG detectives Elliott Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). And rapper Ice-T who mainly just repeats the importance of obvious clues. It is truly fantastic television. Bidens episode is set to centre around the massive backlog of untested rape kits plaguing many American cities. So, if the below meme is you, then yall are in for a damn treat: Source: Vulture. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture oversees restaurant inspections in the state. Inspection reports are "snapshots" of the day and time the inspections took place. In many cases, violations are corrected on site prior to the inspector leaving. The following restaurants and other establishments in Lebanon County that handle food were inspected during the week of July 3-9 and were recorded as of July 20. READ MORE: READ MORE: Establishments with no violations. July 7 WAL-MART SUPERCENTER #2023 1355 E. LEHMAN ST., LEBANON Complaint inspection. July 6 GRETNA TIMBERS 350 TIMBER ROAD, MOUNT GRETNA Regular inspection. JIGGER SHOP ROUTE 117, MOUNT GRETNA Regular inspection. LESORELLE PORCH & PANTRY 106 CHAUTAUQUA DRIVE, MOUNT GRETNA Regular inspection. REFRESHMENT STAND 130 LAKEVIEW DRIVE, MOUNT GRETNA Regular inspection. SCHNADER FUNNEL CAKES 952 SOUTH MEADOW LANE, PALMYRA Regular inspection. DO NOT REUSE Despite the recent uncertainty, Turkey is an amazing place to visit. (Jim Cheney | Special to PennLive) For over a year now, I've been bringing you the best things to do in Pennsylvania in this weekly column. However, this week, I wanted to talk about something a little different. Before I started traveling Pennsylvania back in 2013, I spent most of my time traveling outside of the country. All told, I've spent close to three years of my life working and traveling through other parts of the world and have visited more than 30 countries. In all that time, I have come across few places that were as wonderful and welcoming as Turkey. Turkey has been in the news a lot in the last month -- first for a terrorist attack at their main airport in Istanbul and, more recently, for the coup that was quickly put down. Despite all of this negative attention, I can honestly say that I would go back to Turkey in a heartbeat. My visit to Turkey a few years ago lasted for three weeks and took me from Trabzon, in Turkey's northeastern corner, across the country to the southwestern corner and finally to Istanbul. My travel was done independently and on local buses, giving me a great chance to see into the real Turkey during my brief stay. Istanbul's Hagia Sophia is one of the most impressive religious structures in the world and is over 1,000 years old. Istanbul is the country's largest city, and it both figuratively and literally spans the border between Europe and Asia. Walking along the city's streets, through its large markets, and past its beautiful mosques gives visitors a chance to see the many cultures that have influenced the city over the millennia. Two of the most well-known sites in the city are the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Hagia Sophia was built in the 4th century and has served as both a church and a mosque, while the Blue Mosque is newer (16th century) and still functions as a mosque. Since these two religious structures sit opposite each other, they offer visitors the chance to see how artistic and architectural styles changed over the years. Istanbul is also a city along the water, spanning the length of the Bosphorus between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Frequent ferries run along the Bosphorus, taking locals and visitors between the European and Asian sides of the city. These ferries also offer an inexpensive way to see the city from the water. East of Istanbul, Turkey continues to offer a unique mix of culture, nature, and history to visitors. One of the most popular destinations in the country is the ruins of Ephesus. This ancient Greek city was occupied for over a millennia, starting in the 10th century B.C., and was mentioned on several occasions in the Bible. The ruins of Ephesus. The ruins here are some of the most impressive ancient ruins in the world and are worth the trip from Istanbul to see. While in the area, don't miss the single pillar remaining from the nearby Temple of Artemis, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Another fascinating destination in Turkey is the Cappadocia region. This area is known for its Fairy Chimneys, stone pillars which dot the landscape. Visitors can walk amongst these amazing natural formations, see ancient homes and churches carved into their walls, stay in cave hotels and even ride in a hot air balloon over the formations. The Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia are some of the most unique geological features in the world. Turkey is also known for its beaches and seaside resorts, especially along its Mediterranean coast. Visitors flock from all over the world to vacation at these seaside resorts in southern Turkey. Clear water, beautiful weather, and a myriad of small islands make this a perfect destination for beach lovers. Another great reason to visit Turkey is the amazing food. This ancient culture is known for having some of the world's best food, and dishes such as baklava, Turkish delight, and kebabs can be found at various restaurants in the United States. There's no question that Turkey is fraught with uncertainty right now. However, there are few more amazing destinations in the world and a trip to Turkey should be on every traveler's bucket list. Having spent several weeks exploring this fantastic place, I can't wait to go back and uncover even more of this beautiful country. Jim Cheney is the writer behind UncoveringPA, Pennsylvania's most read travel blog. He has traveled to every county in Pennsylvania, and to many countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. He lives in Harrisburg, Pa. ClintonTrump PHILADELPHIA_Hillary Clinton made it clear here that she's not just ready to fight for the country as the first woman president. She ready to fight Donald Trump during the next three months. In her historic acceptance speech Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention, she slammed the GOP nominee dozens of times. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons," Clinton said. She also took aim at his campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." "Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again. Well, he could start by actually making things in America again," Clinton said. This is the rhetoric voters can and should expect throughout the general election in what political analysts are predicting as one of the biggest slugfests in U.S. history. "It's going to be brutal," said CNN commentator and Camp Hill resident Jeffrey Lord. Lord, one of Trump's most loyal supporters and a former Reagan staffer, said the GOP nominee won't change course or parse his words before November. "Republicans want a fighter," he said. Actually, the entire electorate wants a fight, according to Terry Madonna, veteran political analyst and pollster at Franklin & Marshall College. "There's a real bitterness in the electorate. Voters are very bitter with each other," he said. Moreover, Clinton and Trump are still polling in negative territory, with unfavorable ratings more than 50 percent. A Pew poll this month shows voters are more likely to vote against something than for something in this election. Some 50 percent of Clinton's supporters said their vote was mostly against Trump, while 55 percent of Trump supporters said their vote was mostly against Clinton. The electorate more divided than anytime in modern history, Madonna said. "They (Clinton and Trump) can't move to center without alienating their base," he said. "They don't have a choice but to keep running negative campaigns. This election is going to be very, very negative." A federal appeals court on Friday struck down North Carolina's requirement that voters show identification before casting ballots and reinstated an additional week of early voting. The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit was an overwhelming victory for civil rights groups and the Justice Department that argued the voting law was designed to dampen the growing political clout of African-American voters, who participated in record numbers in elections in 2008 and 2012. "We can only conclude that the North Carolina General Assembly enacted the challenged provisions of the law with discriminatory intent," Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote for the majority. The challenge to North Carolina's law is one of several cases throughout the country seeking to eliminate strict voting rules in place for the first time in the November presidential contest. Opponents of the law, lead by the state NAACP, asked the three-judge panel to reverse a lower court ruling that upheld the voting rules. In 2013, North Carolina lawmakers overhauled the election law soon after the Supreme Court got rid of a requirement that certain states with a history of discrimination receive pre-approval before changing voting rules. Legislators eliminated same-day voter registration, rolled back of a week of early voting and put an end to out-of-precinct voting. During oral arguments, Judges James Wynn and Henry Floyd remarked on the timing of the changes, and on comments from a state senator who said lawmakers were no longer restrained by the "legal headache" of the Voting Rights Act. The timing "looks pretty bad to me," Floyd said, prompting murmurs of agreement from the courtroom packed with opponents of the law, some of whom traveled from North Carolina to the Richmond-based appeals court. The same three-judge panel - Judges Wynn, Floyd and Diana Gribbon Motz - had earlier ordered the state to keep same-day voter registration and out-of-precinct voting in effect as the case made its way through the courts. As a result of North Carolina's new election rules, Justice Department attorney Anna Baldwin told the court that thousands of voters were "shut out of the political process" in 2014. About 1,600 ballots cast in the wrong precincts were not counted. Another 12,000 people were unable to register to vote on the same day as the election. In April, a lower court judge rejected the argument of opponents that the legislature had intentionally discriminated against minority voters and that large numbers would be disenfranchised by the changes to the voting system. Lawyers representing the state pointed out that overall African-American participation increased in 2014. Lawmakers also amended the measure a week before it was scheduled to be tested at trial to allow voters to cast ballots without an ID if they submit affidavits attesting to "a reasonable impediment," including a lack of a birth certificate or transportation. Gov. Pat McCrory, R, who supports the law, has said it would help prevent voter fraud. Days after being booed off the stage of the Democratic National Convention, Debbie Wasserman Schultz returned to Philadelphia to attend Hillary Clinton's after-party on July 28. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. The party was held at the Kimmel Center along the Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia. Music ranged from Bruno Sanders and Mark Ronson to the Backstreet Boys. You can see her entering the party in the video. Earlier that evening, Clinton had formally accepted the Democratic Party's invitation to be their presidential candidate in the race for the White House against Donald Trump. Wasserman Schultz did more than attend Clinton's party. Earlier in the day she had accepted an award for planning the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia from the Jews for Progress Super PAC. She had kept a low profile since being boo-ed at a Florida delegate breakfast on July 25. Wasserman Schultz had resigned from her position as Democratic Party Chair the day before, after WikiLeaks published emails showing how staffers of the DNC had worked against Senator Bernie Sanders receiving the nomination. Wasserman Schultz was meant to open the convention, but after the boos on July 25, she opted instead to let Baltimore mayor and DNC secretary Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake have the honor. Her resignation had been a high point for protesters on July 24, who cheered when they heard the news. This story has been updated to clarify who opened the convention. APTOPIX San Diego Officers Shot A San Diego Harbor Police officer helps to secure the scene near the corner of 39th Street and Boston Avenue in San Diego near where two San Diego Police officers were shot Thursday night, July 28, 2016. (John Gastaldo/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) SAN DIEGO (AP) -- One San Diego police officer was killed and another was wounded in a shootout following a late-night traffic stop, authorities said Friday. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody a short time later and hours later police surrounded a home as they searched for an accomplice. The slain officer, a husband and father of two children, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died early Friday, Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said. The other officer underwent surgery and was expected to survive. His wife was at the hospital. The officers, members of the department's gang suppression unit, made the traffic stop around 11 p.m. Thursday in San Diego's modest Southcrest area and were shot in the upper torso. They quickly called for assistance from other officers, and the critically injured officer was rushed to the hospital in a police vehicle. The male suspect was captured in a nearby ravine and was being treated Friday at a hospital. Police did not identify him and his condition was unknown. Residents were ordered to stay in their homes throughout the night as San Diego police and officers from other law enforcement agencies scoured ravines, yards, streets and alleys for other possible suspects. A helicopter hovered over the neighborhood. About nine hours after the shootout, heavily armed police officers surrounded a house about a half-mile away, one of them using a bullhorn to urge a man to surrender. Authorities also detonated several devices at the scene that made deafening booms. It was unclear whether the standoff was related to the shootout with the officers. A police spokesman didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment. After visiting the wounded officer later at UC San Diego Medical Center, Zimmerman told reporters that the officer's prospects for recovery were good. "It's a little bit of a long haul until he makes a full recovery, but the good news is that he is going to survive and he is going to recover," she said. The shooting came as law officers around the country are on high alert following the killing of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month. PHILADELPHIA_Days after U.S. Senate candidate Katie McGinty apologized for calling Republican Sen. Pat Toomey a curse word, she said we may hear that rhetoric again. McGinty, a former environmental adviser to President Bill Clinton and a chief of staff to Gov. Tom Wolf, used the expletive Monday to describe Toomey while speaking at a union event. She quickly apologized. Sort of. "I regret the language I used and apologize to Senator Toomey," McGinty said in a statement released by her campaign later Monday afternoon. We would refer @KatieMcGintyPA to her campaign chairman @GovEdRendell, who called Pat Toomey a man of uncommon decency. Apology accepted. Pat Toomey (@PatToomey) July 25, 2016 But after delivering a speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention, she said, "First of all, I am my father's daughter...a salty, old Irishman, so you'll hear some of that salt from me on occasion." After winning a four-way primary in April, McGinty is running to unseat Toomey in November. The National Republican Senatorial Committee jumped at the opportunity to use her curse word against Toomey in ad rivaling Hillary Clinton's about the language Donald Trump uses. With Clinton as her candidate - a candidate calling out Trump's strongest rhetoric - does McGinty need to parse her words? "I did apologize to the senator, but here's the deal: When it comes to standing up for families, families really can't take anymore of Pat Toomey's agenda of privatizing Social Security, getting rid of Medicare, telling us to turn everything over to Wall Street," McGinty said in a Thursday evening interview at the DNC. "You're going to see some passion and, every once in a while, some sass from yours truly on that," she said. Gen. John Allen, (Ret.) stands with veterans as he speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) A retired four-star general, flanked by dozens of veterans, took the stage during the last night of the Democratic National Convention to off full-throated endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president. The speech by retired Gen. John Allen, former commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, came amid Republican criticisms that the threat of terrorism and ISIS had received little mention during the first days of the Democratic convention. That changed Thursday, with an appearance on the convention stage by Khizr Khan, father of U.S. Muslim soldier Humayun Khan, who died fighting in Afghanistan. He spoke with emotion of his son's sacrifice. Then he spoke of Republican nominee Donald Trump's statements about Muslims and other minorities. "You have sacrificed nothing," he said to Trump. "Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future," he said. "Let me ask you: have you even read the United States Constitution?" Allen told the audience that they must vote for Clinton, saying "she knows how to use all instruments of American power, not just the military, to keep us safe and free." He declared that with Clinton as commander-in-chief, the U.S. would defeat ISIS, and would remain a leader among nations. "I tell you without hesitation or reservation, that Hillary Clinton will be exactly, exactly, the kind of commander in chief America needs." Then came an appearance by Florent Groberg, a Medal of Honor recipient who lost part of a leg in Afghanistan trying to protect his comrades from a suicide bomber. "America lost four heroes that day," Groberg said. "I remind you in their memory that your military protects you with their lives. And that our president should protect us in return." He endorsed Clinton, saying "As our commander in chief, she will defeat ISIS." police-lights-image-crime-photos.jpg (File) The body of a man found near the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks in Penn Township Thursday night is that of a man reported missing by his family earlier in the day. His name has not been released. The man was found around 8:30 p.m. about 50 feet off the tracks, near Junction Road in the vicinity of West Sun Hill Road, and a handgun was recovered at the scene, Northern Lancaster County Regional police said. There is no threat to the public, police said. On Thursday morning, a 48-year-old man's family contacted police, and based on information they provided, he was classified by police as an endangered missing person. About 6:30 p.m., police acting on information, used search dogs from the Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Team to begin looking for the man in the area he was later found. A body matching the description of the missing man was found in a wooded area with heavy dense vegetation. A cause and manner of death determination will be determined by the Lancaster County Coroner's Office. The NLCRPD continues the investigation and requests anyone with further information to contact the NLCRPD at 717-733-0965 or via nlcrpd.org. IMG_1095.JPG Maria Key of Carlisle addresses the Employee Relations and Citizen Participation Committee at Borough Hall on Thursday, July 28. (Lizzy Hardison) More than 100 community members gathered in Borough Hall in Carlisle on Thursday night, where they spent over two hours debating the merits of a proposed non-discrimination ordinance. The ordinance, which was first announced on June 15, would extend employment, housing, and public service protections to LGBT citizens. Proponents of the ordinance say that it would protect the rights and peace of mind of LGBT citizens, while critics fear it would infringe upon the religious liberty of local merchants and service providers. Pennsylvania has no statewide legislation that outlaws discrimination based on a citizen's sexuality or gender expression. Sean Cramprie, the borough councilmember who is spearheading the legislation, said that the ordinance is motivated by state's inaction on LGBT protections. "We have waited a long time for the state and the federal government to act, and that hasn't happened," Crampsie said. "In lack of their leadership, we can be leaders on this issue." Crampsie reminded the public that the Employee Relations and Citizen Participation Committee was not holding a vote on the ordinance that evening, but that the open meeting was an opportunity to hear public opinion. Crampsie said that the ordinance would not appear before Borough council until August and would not be ready for a vote until October "at the earliest." Crampsie began by reading a letter from Dickinson College Interim President Neil Weissman, who wrote that "as a business and an employer, we are less attractive than other municipalities" where discrimination against LGBT people is outlawed. Weissman called on the borough to continue drafting and eventually approve the ordinance. Crampsie then introduced Miller Hoffman of the YWCA in Carlisle, who advocated for passing the ordinance. Hoffman pointed out that an LGBT person "can legally get married on Saturday and fired on Monday," or be denied housing or service in a restaurant without any legal recourse. Hofffman said that discrimination and harassment "take a toll" on LGBT lives. "Updating the law means protection for all and peace of mind for me," Hoffman said. Randall Wenger, chief counsel of Independence Law Center in Harrisburg, followed Hoffman. He warned that under the ordinance, "reasonable people living within their beliefs" would be "treated as bigots" if they denied service to an LGBT person. Wenger said that the legislation would "force an orthodoxy of belief" and "harm one group in the community at the expense of another." After Wenger spoke, Crampsie opened the issue to public discussion. A line of more than 15 community members had already formed along one side of the meeting hall, beginning with Les Hurley, a resident of North Milton township. Hurley identified himself as a former business owner and said that he was "concerned about the freedom of merchants in Carlisle." He said that the borough would be overstepping its municipal power by passing the ordinance and that the council members have "no authority to impose the credo and lifestyle of a tiny minority on a vast majority who find that lifestyle utterly obnoxious." Some community members, such as Dave Wenger of Carlisle, rejected the claim that discrimination occurred in Carlisle. Wenger said that "our community cannot be labeled as discriminatory," before he addressed what he called "the ethical issue" of "homosexual behavior," calling it "reprehensible" under "the moral code of Judeo-Christian" belief. Many community members, however, recognized a need within Carlisle for legislation that would prohibit discrimination. "Just because you are not aware of discrimination does not mean it does not exist," Paul Richards of Carlisle said. "This ordinance harms no one but can help many." LGBT people and allies spoke about the impact of discrimination on community members and families. Rev. Aja Simpson advocated for children of LGBT couples, saying that "there are plenty of children whose parents could be affected" by discrimination in employment or housing. The ordinance would help ensure that "every member of an LGBT family isn't afraid" of upheaval, she said. Christin Kapp of Carlisle said that LGBT people "live every day [knowing] we can be denied access to employment, housing, or healthcare if the wrong person finds out who we are." Kapp said that LGBT people "always have to have a contingency plan" in case they lose their income or accommodation. "Please put yourselves in our shoes," Kapp said. "We're just asking for a level playing field." Many critics of the ordinance asked the council to revise and specify its legal language. Maria Key of Carlisle saw the need for "a lot of revision," noting that the list of protected classes it outlines is inconsistent. Key also pointed to paragraph 7A of the ordinance, which states that "unlimited financial damages" can be levied against someone found guilty of discrimination. Key called it the "scariest" part of the proposal and said that "a good ordinance will not bring fear to any member of the community." Crampsie reiterated that the ordinance was "not set in stone" and would be redrafted before it came before Borough council. He also said that the ERC needed to draft bylaws to govern the Human Rights Commission. If Carlisle passes the nondiscrimination ordinance, it would become the 35th municipality in the Commonwealth to adopt local protections for LGBT citizens, according to data from EqualityPA, an advocacy group that fights discrimination against LGBT people. An inmate's excessive force complaint has been reinstated because a federal appeals court panel says the State Correctional Institution at Rockview waited four months to respond to his grievance and repeatedly ignored his requests for a decision. "We hope the events that transpired in this case are not reflective of the way in which SCI Rockview responds to inmate grievances generally," a three-judge panel of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday. The Department of Corrections does not comment on pending litigation, spokeswoman Amy Worden said Friday. The ruling vacates the decision of U.S. Middle District Judge Robert D. Mariani in Scranton, who had dismissed the complaint filed by Mark A. Robinson on the grounds the inmate had not exhausted his administrative remedies. In reversing Mariani, the appeals court found the prison's administrative remedies "unavailable" to Robinson because Rockview repeatedly failed to respond to his grievance. The record reveals Robinson pursued his abuse claim properly at every step including submitting immediately in compliance with the Corrections Department's abuse policy two written reports dealing with his excessive force claim, the opinion states. Not only did Rockview fail to respond by its self-imposed deadline, the "prison refused to update Robinson on the status of his grievance after receiving three requests," the document states. After not receiving a response from the prison, despite repeated requests, Robinson filed suit on Feb. 5, 2010. Six weeks later, Rockview notified him his grievance had been denied. Robinson, who is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder from Philadelphia, alleged in his complaint a lieutenant at Rockview, upon removing his handcuffs after escorting him to his cell from the showers on Oct. 9, 2009, twisted his left arm real hard. Robinson, who is now at the Fayette state prison in LaBelle, claimed the guard said "since this is my last day, I wanted to leave you with a present." Although provided prescription medication, the inmate claimed he experienced pain for months. HARRISBURG--Hillary Clinton will speak in Harrisburg Friday night, one night after accepting the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. It's her first stop in the capital city during her presidential campaign although her husband Bill Clinton visited the city in April to stump for her. PennLive will cover the rally in front of the Broad Street Market in midtown and post live updates below. We already have several reporters on the ground who will pass along information about crowds, traffic and the rally. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the rally is set to begin at 8:30 p.m. The outdoor rally is one of four events Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine have planned across the state at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention, which ended Thursday night. Harrisburg shooting.jpeg An unidentified man, possibly in his late 20s, was gunned down in the 1900 block of Holly Street at about 10:42 p.m. on Thursday. He was rushed to the hospital, where police said he was pronounced dead. Police did not know his identity as of 1 a.m. Friday. (Eric Veronikis. ) Update: Police have identified the victim HARRISBURG - An unidentified man died after he was gunned down in Harrisburg Thursday night. Police responded to several reports of shots fired in the 1900 block of Holly Street at about 10:42 p.m. When they arrived, officers found the man possibly in his late 20s, shot and lying on the ground. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, said Harrisburg Bureau of Police Capt. Gabriel Olivera. Olivera said police did not know the identity of the man as of about 1 a.m. Friday. His death mark's the city's eighth homicide of the year. Neighbors said they heard about seven shots ring out during the murder. Olivera said it would be up to the coroner to determine how many times the man was shot. The 1900 block of Holly Street remained closed as police continued to investigate the scene at 1 a.m. No additional information was immediately available. Starting August you will have the rare opportunity to tour a Mormon temple. (If you happen to be a Mormon in good standing, you can enter the temple freely). The Philadelphia Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in just days will open its doors to the public for about a month. Once the temple is dedicated in September only Mormons in good standing will be be allowed inside the building. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to come inside a Mormon temple and see what it's like," said Corinne Dougherty, a spokeswoman with the church's Philadelphia region. "We are inviting the community and our friends and neighbors. There might not be another opportunity ever to get inside." The temple - located at 1739 Vine Street - is about 61,000 square feet and was built with the style of the historic Philadelphia architecture in mind. "It's meant to look like it's being in Philadelphia for a long time," Dougherty said. "Instead of gleaming marble, it's gray granite. That aligns better with Philadelphia." The unassuming life of Mormons - they drink neither coffee, tea or alcohol nor smoke - came under national spotlight in 2012 when former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney - a Mormon - challenged Barack Obama in the presidential election. Up until then, the Mormon church garnered much of its attention from 1970s teen heartthrob Donny Osmond and his famous family. Members of the 14.5 million-strong church founded by Joseph Smith consider Jesus Christ their savior. Mormons, however, do not subscribe to many of the creeds established in the Christian church in the 3rd and 4th centuries. They regard the Book of Mormon to be an augmentation of the New Testament. The LDS church has thousands of meeting houses across the country but only 152 temples. "We build temples as close to membership as possible so they can take part in the sacred worship that we have in our temple," Dougherty said. The Philadelphia region boasts approximately 15,000 to 20,000 members, Dougherty said. The Harrisburg region has approximately 6,000 members. Mormons tithe 10 percent of their income to the church, which in turns, uses the money to build temples and meeting houses. Dougherty said that increasingly in the East Coast the church's membership is growing as a result of members who have converted to the faith. The majority of Mormons in the western states trace the faith back multiple generations. Mormons attend Sunday worship service in the meeting houses. They enter the temple for special services, including weddings and to make dedications to faith covenants. Mormons are largely politically independent but most lean toward the conservative right. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that 7-in-10 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (in the U.S.) identify with the Republican Party or say they lean toward the GOP. Only 19 percent of Mormons said they identify as or lean Democratic. Still, while Romney was popular among the members of his church, Mormons in 1986 swung their vote in Nevada to elect then-Rep. Harry Reid to the U.S. Senate. The Senate's most powerful -- and arguably one of its most liberal -- Democrat is also a Mormon. In recent years, despite the image of young missionaries dressed in clean white shirts, the church has had to refurbish its reputation as a racist and chauvinistic institution, even as it deployed missionaries across Africa and Latin America. In 2013, the LDS Church published a groundbreaking official statement on the history of a pre-1978 ban that prohibited men of African ancestry from holding the priesthood. Read the statement: "Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form." The Philadelphia temple will be open from Aug. 10 to Sept. 9 except Sundays. Dedication is scheduled for Sept. 18. Harrisburg shooting.jpeg Police flooded the 1900 block of Holly Street after an unidentified male was shot here at about 10:40 p.m. on Thursday. (Eric Veronikis. ) UPDATE: An unidentified man was killed in the shooting. HARRISBURG - Police flooded the 1900 block of Holly Street after an unidentified male was shot here at about 10:40 p.m. on Thursday. The victim was rushed to the hospital, but police would not immediately release any additional information. Neighbors said they heard seven shots ring out as the victim was hit. The 1900 block of Holly Street, near 19th Street, remained closed as police continued to investigate at 11:35 p.m. Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night, becoming the first woman in American history to accept the presidential nomination of a major political party and laying out a case for American voters to elect her in November. During her speech to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, she said the country was at "a moment of reckoning," presenting herself as the responsible choice for president instead of Republican nominee Donald Trump. Clinton cited President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's best-known remark in a rebuke of Trump's platform, saying "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." She later took a shot at one of Trump's comments from the Republican convention in Cleveland last week by telling the audience they shouldn't "believe anyone who says, 'I alone can fix it.'" She would later rip his lengthy speech, saying "he spoke for 70-odd minutes and I do mean odd," drawing laughs and cheers from her supporters in Philadelphia. The former secretary of state, in wrapping up her four-day convention, acknowledged the gravity of the moment. She said the US must "keep going until every one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she deserves to have." "But, even more important than the history we make tonight is the history we will write together in the years ahead," she continued. Hillary Clinton Clinton praised the work of President Barack Obama, saying the US was "stronger" because of his leadership. She also thanked Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, her main opponent in the Democratic primaries, for having "inspired millions of Americans." The Democratic nominee also spent a good portion of her speech comparing the founding of the nation to the choice in 2016 between her and Trump. She said her primary goal as president would be to create jobs with rising wages. Story continues "From my first day in office to my last," she said. "Especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind. From our inner cities to our small towns, Indian Country to Coal Country. From the industrial Midwest to the Mississippi Delta to the Rio Grande Valley." GettyImages 584448540 Clinton also made a point of mentioning that she wouldd appoint liberal Supreme Court justices and vowed that the court would overturn the Citizens United decision related to campaign finance. She promised to work with Sanders to make college "tuition-free for the middle class." And she made the case that she had the proper temperament for the Oval Office while Trump could not be trusted. "You want a leader who understands we are stronger when we work with our allies around the world and care for our veterans here at home," she said. "Keeping our nation safe and honoring the people who do it will be my highest priority. I'm proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear program without firing a single shot now we have to enforce it and keep supporting Israel's security." She added that she was "proud" to stand by NATO allies against threats including from Russia, a nation to which Trump has appeared sympathetic along the campaign trail. Clinton also said she laid out a strategy to beat ISIS. "We will strike their sanctuaries from the air and support local forces taking them out on the ground," she said. "We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks before they happen. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country. It won't be easy or quick, but make no mistake we will prevail." "Now Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, 'I know more about ISIS than the generals do,'" she continued, taking aim at the Manhattan billionaire. "No, Donald, you don't." GettyImages 584447774 Continuing to lambaste Trump, Clinton said Trump didn't have the temperament to be president because he was "a man you can bait with a tweet." "Donald Trump can't even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign," she said. "He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protester at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Clinton went directly after one of Trump's biggest claims against her that she would look to repeal the Second Amendment and take away guns from citizens. "I'm not here to take away your guns," she said. "I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place." Finally, in some of her sharpest criticism of Trump, she said there was no other version of the Republican nominee "this is it." GettyImages 584448566 "For the past year, many people made the mistake of laughing off Donald Trump's comments excusing him as an entertainer just putting on a show," she said. "They think he couldn't possibly mean all the horrible things he says like when he called women 'pigs.' Or said that an American judge couldn't be fair because of his Mexican heritage. Or when he mocks and mimics a reporter with a disability. "Or insults prisoners of war like John McCain a true hero and patriot who deserves our respect," she continued. "At first, I admit, I couldn't believe he meant it either. It was just too hard to fathom that someone who wants to lead our nation could say those things, could be like that. But here's the sad truth: There is no other Donald Trump. This is it." Clinton said "in the end" the election came down to something Trump didn't understand: "that America is great because America is good." Trump, she said, is not "offering real change." "He's offering empty promises," she said. "What are we offering? A bold agenda to improve the lives of people across our country to keep you safe, to get you good jobs, and to give your kids the opportunities they deserve. The choice is clear." Watch some of the best moments of the speech below: The best quotes from Hillary Clinton's big DNC speech NOW WATCH: Watch the most touching moment of the DNC Bill tears up when Hillary takes the stage More From Business Insider Khizr Khan, father of fallen US Army Capt. Humayun S. M. Khan waves as he stands near the podium before speaking during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Director of U.S. Office of Indian Education visits East Jordan schools Julian Guerrero Jr. visited the district to discuss their Title VI policies and see their Native American education opportunities. CARACAS Petroleumworld.com 07 29 2016 Russian oil company Rosneft and Venezuela's state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) signed an agreement expanding their strategic cooperation and working together on Venezuela's oil development, as well as oil and petroleum products trading, according to Venezuela's Energy Ministry, reported Sputnik News. "Today we are signing important agreements between Rosneft and PDVSA. A strategic alliance!" the South American nation's Energy Ministry tweeted. The strategic cooperation, including plans on the reciprocal deliveries of oil and petroleum products this year, Rosneft said Friday. "On the basis of the key conditions, the needed legally binding documents will be signed in respect to oil and petroleum product supplies by Rosneft in exchange for Venezuelan oil and oil products manufactured by PDVSA. The parties expect delivers to begin in 2016," Rosneft said in a statement. It noted that the new documents would bolster mutual cooperation pursuant of 2014 and 2015 trade agreements, and allow Rosneft to step up its presence on the global oil and oil product market, according to Sputnik News. A source close to the talks between the two national energy giants told RIA Novosti that the companies planned to work together on Venezuela's shale oil development, as well as oil and petroleum products trading. "The parties expect that the volume of gas production will amount to approximately 9 billion cubic meters per year," the Russian energy giant said. Natural gas offshore blocks Rosneft has been active in Venezuela, which is seen as Moscow's political ally. It is working on five upstream projects jointly with PDVSA. Analysts have worried that Rosneft's large-scale projects, including heavy oil development in Venezuela, will challenge Rosneft's finances, Reuters reported. According to reports Igor Sechin, a long-standing ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, had signed deals with PDVSA on a feasibility study of three natural gas offshore blocks in Venezuela. Production of gas there could total 9 billion cubic metres per year., according to Reuters. Venezuela is chasing investment to meet its ambitious oil production goals and to try to counter a biting economic crisis. Venezuelan electricity industry Rosneft and PDVSA discussed a range of cooperation options in the Venezuelan electricity industry development, including building generating capacities on petrocoke, gas, coal, as well as with the utilization of hydropower, Rosneft said Friday, Sputnik News reported. "This will replace the existing power plants running on diesel fuel, and to direct the freed oil product volumes to be placed on the market In particular, Rosneft and PVDSA discussed the prospects of transferring Venezuelan diesel power stations to APG [associated petroleum gas] and gas," Rosneft said in a statement. Rosneft is one of the largest foreign investors in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Together with Venezuelan PDVSA, the Company implements successfully the following 5 upstream projects in Venezuela: three production-stage projects - PetroMonagas (Rosneft - 40%), Petroperija (Rosneft - 40%), Boqueron (Rosneft - 26.67%), one project on the pilot-development stage - PetroMiranda (Rosneft - 32%), and one exploration-stage project - Petrovictoria (Rosneft - 40%). Implementation of projects in Venezuela is related to heavy oil production mainly. Original oil in-place reserves of these projects are estimated to be over 20.5 billion tons. Rosneft and PDVSA expand their cooperation in supply of oil and oil products. In June 2015, Rosneft and PDVSA signed the Term Sheet of the export contract for URALS supplies to Venezuela. Sources: Sputnik News, Reuters. * Chevron's Bangka project to start operation in Aug * Eni's Jangkrik set for July 2017 start-up * Aims to increase returns on deepwater projects to 25 pct (Adds quotes, details of projects) By Wilda Asmarini JAKARTA, July 29 (Reuters) - Indonesia expects to start natural gas production from two deepwater fields this year and next, even as major oil companies are reviewing the economics for other projects, a senior energy official said late on Thursday. The Bangka project, majority owned by Chevron, will start operation in August, Wiratmaja Puja, the director general of oil and gas at Indonesia's Energy Ministry, told Reuters in an interview. Italian oil firm Eni's Jangkrik project is 80 percent complete and is expected to commence operation in July 2017, he said. Both projects are located in the Kutai Basin offshore East Kalimantan province where several projects are being planned under the name of the Indonesia Deepwater Development (IDD). Two other IDD projects - Chevron's Gendalo-Gehem and Eni's Merakes - have been put on hold after oil and gas prices fell (LNG-AS), Puja said. The Indonesian government is in talks with the companies on providing more incentives to raise the internal rate of return for the deepwater projects to at least 25 percent, up from 10 to 15 percent currently, Puja said. The companies have proposed incentives that include extending the length of the production sharing contracts for the deepwater projects beyond the initial 30 years because of their complexity and a longer exemption period for being obligated to sell to the domestic market. "We're still discussing it. It's not decided yet," Puja said. Chevron has a 62 percent interest in the Bangka project, according to its website. The project has a design capacity of 115 million cubic feet of natural gas and 4,000 barrels per day (bpd) of condensate, a light oil typically produced in association with gas. The Jangkrik project, which Eni holds a 55 percent stake, is expected to produce 450 million cubic feet of natural gas and 4,400 bpd of condensate, according to the project contractor Saipem's website. Separately, Indonesia has offered 17 oil and gas blocks in an auction this year, including the deepwater Surumana block, Puja said. (Reporting by Wilda Asmarini; Writing by Florence Tan; Editing by Richard Pullin and Christian Schmollinger) Three people were killed in separate incidents from Wednesday through Thursday morning in the city's Nicetown, Fairhill and West Oak Lane neighborhoods, Philadelphia police said Thursday. About 4:30 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to a report of a man down on the 3900 block of North 16th Street in Nicetown. There, they found a 26-year-old man facedown on the street, his body partly under a pickup truck. The man had been shot in his upper right back, and was pronounced dead by medics at the scene. His name was not released pending family notification. Earlier, about 11:20 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a report of a person with a gun on the 2700 block of North Darien Street in the Fairhill section of North Philadelphia and found two victims, one dead. Joel Montanez, 18, who lives on that block, was found on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene. Officers found the second shooting victim, a 37-year-old man, inside a home. He had been shot in his abdomen and was taken by medics to Temple University Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. The first homicide in the string of shootings was reported about 8:10 p.m. Wednesday. Police responded to a shooting on the 2000 block of Haines Street in West Oak Lane, where they were told that the victim, later identified as Khalid Harris, 39, of the 1800 block of East Pastorius Street, also in West Oak Lane, had been taken by private vehicle to Einstein Medical Center. Harris, who was shot multiple times, was pronounced dead at the hospital at 9:30 that night. According to surveillance video, Harris had been walking to his black pickup truck on Haines Street when two men approached him, one with a gun. One of the men shot Harris, and both drove off in the truck, police said. No arrests have been made in any of the shootings, and no other details were available. shawj@phillynews.com 215-854-2592 @julieshawphilly After spotting these Vibram soled Moab shoes when they first appeared at Eurobike last year and being an avid platform pedal user myself, I was intrigued to give them a try and have been putting them through their paces over the last six months. Moab Low AM Shoes Details Terracare suede upper Vibram Vert sole - flat pedal specific Anti-slip heel lining Colors: Black / Pebble Grey Weight: 1008g - Uk 9.5 / EU 44 (actual) MSRP: $140 USD / 140 www.vaude.com Terracare suede upper Vibram Vert sole - flat pedal specific Anti-slip heel lining Colors: Black / Pebble Grey Weight: 1008g - Uk 9.5 / EU 44 ( MSRP: $140 USD / 140 Construction The Vibram sole isn't as sticky as Stealth, but it stood the test of time and was adequate for most riding situations. Performance The seal skin inspired heel lining slides in one direction but grips in the other, helping to keep you heel in place. The Vibram Megagrip sole after a lot of punishment. I actually like the way the sole has been deformed by the pins as you can feel when you have your foot in the right place. Pinkbikes Take: Environmentaly friendly products don't come cheap, but this flat pedal shoe offered by Vaude is no more pricey than its competition. Overall grip still doesn't challenge Five Ten, but the Moab offers great all-round performance and durability for general mountain biking. - Paul Aston Vaude is Germany's "most sustainable clothing brand" and has been committed to environmentally conscious products since its inception in 1974. From a general outdoor brand offering hiking and mountaineering apparel, bike products have become more and more popular from the Tettnang based company, and it's good to see another choice of footwear for platform pedal pushers. Decent flat pedal riding shoes are hard to come by, aside from the obvious offerings from Five Ten. Manufacturers like Giro, Shimano, Specialized and O'Neal add a couple of extra choices, but it's still slim pickings. Most brands plow budgets into wide ranges of hi-tech clipless pedal compatible shoes, despite many mountain bikers preferring to not lock themselves into the bike.As the name suggests, the Moab Low AM is a low-cut, all-mountain shoe, but there is a 'Mid AM' model for those who want increased ankle support and protection. The shoe's upper is made from Terracare certified leather wrapped around a 50% recycled hydrophobic mesh to help expel water. A removable Ortholite insole is also on the green side of the spectrum, with 25% of its material coming from bio-based castor oil.The most important part of a shoe for platform pedal users is the sole. The white pedal contact patch is made from Vibram's Megagrip rubber, while the black heel and toe are constructed using Vibram's XS Trek compound that's borrowed from their hiking shoes. The mid-sole is made from shock absorbing EVA foam to absorb trail chatter and uneven terrain underfoot.A combination of recycled PET laces that reach far down the shoe are combined with a velcro strap and a seal skin-like material in the heel, which slides in one direction and grips in the other, preventing heel lift. Picture a cat's tongue, but inside a shoe.The most important factor for me when it comes to shoes is grip, and since discovering Five Ten shoes over a decade ago nothing comes close, but that gap is closing. The Vaude shoes' Vibram sole is a great effort but doesn't quite have the stick of Stealth Rubber. Having said that, they are tacky enough that I was comfortable riding these shoes across the Portes du Soleil's washboard braking bumps on a downhill bike, never feeling like I was forcing myself to risk life or limb for the sake of this test. In fact, I will happily continue riding this pair in the future as months of abuse have barely taken any visible toll on the Moab.They've also broken in and are now a lot more flexible and fitted compared to when they arrived, having a homely feel every time I slip my feet inside. The outers still look good, and the sole has plenty of life, although the pin contact points have become permanently embossed, but not shredded. The hydrophobic material is still doing its duty, even after the Moabs have taken washing machine trips well into double figures.The fit is slim, and might be tight for people with wide feet. Thanks to the laces reaching far down from the top of the shoe towards the toes and the velcro retention strap, finding a comfortable yet supportive fit is easy. The base of the shoe also feels more precise and firm than an Impact from Five Ten, where I find the deep midsole is spongy and my feet are always rolling outwards (supinating) on the pedals.When walking, relying on the white pedal zone of the sole needs to be avoided if you want to walk through any kind of mud, but the black areas and square edges can easily be dug into the dirt. The Moab has even been on a few hikes and has been my pick on recent trail building trips. Inside Gaming: Winning Quarter for Wynn, the Sands Slide; British Bookies Merger Goes Forward July 29, 2016 Martin Harris This week's installment of Inside Gaming begins with a couple of quarterly earnings reports from two of the industry's biggest players (one good and one not so good), moves on to report on the merger between two of the U.K.'s bookmakers being given the go-ahead, and also shares news of a federal judge blocking a new Massachusetts casino. Wynn Resorts Enjoys Better Than Expected 2Q On Thursday, Wynn Resorts Ltd. reported net income of $70.4 million for the second-quarter of 2016, exceeding the expectations of many prognosticators. That income figure translates to around $1.07 per share for the company's stockholders, notes the Associated Press. Meanwhile three Wall Street analysts asked by Zacks Investment Research had predicted an average estimate of $0.97 per share. Total revenue for the 2Q was $1.06 billion for Wynn Resorts, also ahead of the analysts' prediction of about $1.01 billion. For more on Wynn's favorable second quarter and its having exceeded expectations, go to the Associated Press. Macau Slide Affects Las Vegas Sands Corp. By contrast, the news from this week's report from the Las Vegas Sands Corp. about their 2Q was less sanguine, as earnings for the company fell by 30% during the quarter. According to The Wall Street Journal, total revenue fell 9.3% to $2.65 billion worse than the analysts' estimates with the ongoing slide in Macau affecting the company greatly thanks to its significant exposure in the Special Administrative Region. The Las Vegas Sands' Macau sites all showed significant declines, including the world's largest casino, the Venetian Macao, suffering a 9.9% revenue decrease during the quarter. Meanwhile its Las Vegas-based operations were up 3% in revenue for the quarter, with the Sands Bethlehem in Pennsylvania also up by 6.5%. Looking ahead, before the next quarter is done the Sands will be introducing a new property in Macau when The Parisian opens on the Cotai Strip. Complete with a half-scale Eiffel Tower, the new property the construction of which began three-and-a-half years ago is scheduled to open September 13, 2016 with over 3,000 rooms and suites, 450 gaming tables, and 2,500 slot machines. For more on the Sands' 2Q, see the WSJ. British Bookmakers Merger Gets Go-Ahead, 400 Shops to Be Sold Regulators in the United Kingdom have confirmed that a merger between bookmakers Ladbrokes plc and the Gala Coral Group Ltd can proceed, with the companies' intention to sell approximately 350-400 shops helping resolve any final questions about the deal, The Telegraph reports. The merger was first agreed upon by the two groups just over one year ago, with Ladbrokes CEO Jim Mullen to move into the CEO role for the new company, to be called Ladbrokes Coral. On Tuesday, the Competition and Markets Authority gave its final approval regarding the deal, doing so contigent on the selling of the shops. "It is understood that rival bookies Betfred and Boylesports and a number of private equity firms are already in talks with Ladbrokes and Coral about snapping up sites," says The Telegraph. A study of the merger by the CMA concluded the sale of the shops would be necessary in order to prevent a "substantial lessening of competition" in 642 different areas. The 350-400 shops represent about a tenth of the total presently owned by the two companies. It's also a considerably smaller number than some thought the newly-merged group might have to sell in order for regulators to allow the deal. The yet-to-be-completed merger comes on the heels of the one forged between Paddy Power and Befair now Paddy Power Betfair earlier this year. The Telegraph also reports how the Ladbrokes-Coral alliance "heaps pressure on William Hill, which has been left behind by the spate of deal-making and become isolated." Not coincidentally, as PokerNews reported Wednesday, 888 and Rank are teaming up in a bid to join forces with William Hill, having made a bid to do so. Read more about the Ladbrokes-Coral deal and other implications for U.K.'s gambling scene in The Telegraph. Judge Blocks Tribe's Plans for New Massachusetts Casino Finally, plans for a new $1 billion casino in Taunton, Massachusetts were thwarted yesterday when a federal judge ruled the United States government did not have the authority to designate land to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe desiring to build the property. According to The Boston Globe, United States District Judge William G. Young "ruled in favor of a group of Taunton property owners who had sued to block the casino, contending that the US Department of Interior erred when it approved the Mashpee reservation last year." Said Young, the land in question was not federally recognized at the time of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, which meant the Department of Interior hadn't the authority to make its prior approval. An appeal of the ruling is forthcoming. Meanwhile the plaintiffs expressed vindication after the judge's decision in their favor. "It isn't about a casino," said one of the residents who had filed a suit, "it's about land in a trust, and it's now under state and local control." The ruling comes just three months after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission shot down another proposal to build a $677 million in nearby Brockton, Massachusetts, located about 20 miles from Taunton. Interestingly as we shared here in late April the prospect of the Taunton casino had partly swayed the MGC's decision against allowing a Brockton property. Learn more about the Taunton decision and what may come next by visiting The Boston Globe. Photo: "Wynn ~ Las Vegas," VasenkaPhotography. Creative Commons Attributions 2.0 Generic. Want to stay atop all the latest in the poker world? If so, make sure to get PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+! After three police officers were acquitted in recent months of charges related to last year's high-profile death of Freddie Gray, prosecutors announced Wednesday they were dropping all charges against the three remaining officers facing trial in connection with Gray's death. The news was a defeat for Mosby, who had announced the charges against the six officers in May 2015 -- four months after she took the job as the city's top prosecutor. Still, Mosby struck a defiant tone. Standing at the intersection where police arrested Gray in April 2015 she railed against police officers whom she accused of kneecapping her office's investigation. Police investigating police is "problematic," she told CNN, citing "the obvious bias consistently exemplified" by some officers throughout the case. Officers who were witnesses were placed on the investigation team, lead detectives were uncooperative, the department launched a "counter-investigation" to disprove her case and officers created notes after the case was launched and gave them to the defense months before they were provided to the state, she alleged. Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police President Gene Ryan called Mosby's accusations "outrageous" and "simply not true." The former police commissioner in charge when Freddie Gray died in custody said State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby is "in over her head" and has added more flaws to a broken justice system by prosecuting innocent officers. "She's immature, she's incompetent, she's vindictive and that's not how the justice system is supposed to work," former Baltimore police commissioner Anthony W. Batts told the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday. "The justice system is supposed to be without bias for police officers, for African Americans, for everyone." Batts led Baltimore police from the fall of 2012 until Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake fired him in July 2015 amid a surge in city homicides that followed weeks of criticism from the police union over his handling of the city's riots two months before. Batts said Mosby never should have filed charges against the six officers involved in Gray's arrest, and that her decision Wednesday to drop charges against the remaining three officers facing trials was long overdue. Officer Thomas Abrahamsen of the San Francisco Police Department has been charged with weapons violation for allegedly assembling a .50 caliber AR-style rifle. A San Francisco police officer has been arrested on suspicion of assembling his own illegal AR-15-style assault rifle, officials announced Wednesday. Officer Thomas Abrahamsen, an 18-year veteran of the department, surrendered to authorities Tuesday and was booked and will face two felony weapons charges, San Francisco police said in a statement. Abrahamsen, 50, is accused of violating a state law against assembling an assault rifle or weapon capable of firing a large .50-caliber BMG bullet. Under a law approved by Gov. Jerry Brown on July 1, rifles with a bullet button that allows for a clip to be dropped with the press of a button and quickly replaced were banned. The law Abrahamsen was charged with violating would include an AR-15-style rifle modified with a bullet button or any weapon that fired the large BMG bullet. This cow escaped a fairgrounds and rampaged through Longview, WA, and injured an officer. (Photo: Facebook) A Longview, WA, patrol officer was taken to the hospital Tuesday after an angry cow ran over him. The cow escaped from the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds at about 3:30 p.m. and took itself for a walk through Longview. At one point, the cow was in the slough near Pacific Way and Pershing Way, said Mike Berndt, patrol officer with Longview Police Department. Berndt said the cow became frightened and eventually angry. The farm animal, which Berndt estimated weighed about 800 pounds, charged out of the slough and ran over one of the officers. Berndt said the officer suffered a leg injury. At that point, Berndt said the cow took off running. During the hour-long frenzy, it also ran over its owner, dented several Longview patrol vehicles and ran into two civilian cars. Couldnt control the animal, Berndt told TDN.com. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Bernie Sanders is telling his delegates to be respectful during Hillary Clintons acceptance speech. Here is the message that was sent to the Sanders delegates: Delegate shares this message that's been sent to Sanders supporters pic.twitter.com/SWvqIO7BYK Kathleen Ronayne (@kronayne) July 29, 2016 Bernie Sanders himself has been nothing but a team player during the Democratic convention. As the convention has gone on the amount of booing and jeering has become virtually non-existent. There are some Sanders supporters who used the Sanders campaign as a vehicle for their Clinton hate. These people arent going to listen to Sen. Sanders, but the delegates who believe in Sanders, but understand that Hillary Clinton has tried to meet them halfway, are who the Senator from Vermont was talking to. Bernie Sanders has been shown courtesy and respect during the Democratic convention, and Sen. Sanders is reminding his supporters that they should show Hillary Clinton the same respect that she and her supporters have shown them. Sanders is slamming the door on all attempts by Donald Trump to sway his supporters. If any Sanders delegates misbehave, it wont be in the name of Bernie Sanders. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Speaking on day 4 of the Democratic National Convention, Leader Nancy Pelosi praised Hillary Clintons genuine strength that differs profoundly from her opponents bluster. Pelosi started off by saying her House caucus was honored to serve with one of the greatest Presidents in our history, President Barack Obama! Together we passed the Affordable Care Act, which would not have been possible without the courage of House Democrats. We are a caucus proud that we look like 21st-century America; more than 50 percent women, people of color, and LGBT Members. What a contrast with the narrow and restricted club that met in convention in Cleveland last week! Continuing with the comparison to the Trump disaster fest that was the RNC last week, the Democratic Leader said, We come to public service and to this convention not to trumpet darkness, but to light a way forward for our country. We come here conscious that we are approaching a milestone moment in the American journey the election of the first woman President of the United States. But Hillary Clinton knows this is about so much more than one womans achievement, Pelosi said. Its about what electing a woman President will mean for achieving the dreams and hopes and aspirations of every woman, every daughter, every son, and every family, all across our land, for generations to come. Pelosi laid out specific policies that are part of the Democratic agenda, including breaking the grip of the gun lobby on Congress, keeping guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists, passing no fly, no buy, investing in education, a living wage with equal pay and paid leave for everyone, quality health care, removing barriers to voting, getting dark money out of politics, overturning Citizens United and fighting ISIS by being strong and smart, not reckless and rash. Pelosi spoke for so many Americans when she said that not far from here (Philadelphia), our Founders pledged their lives, their liberty, and their sacred honor to create a democracy. A government of the many, not a government of they money. Pelosi closed by vowing that Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine would win in November. We will fight to restore Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House, and I tell you this: We can do it. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Muslim parents of fallen U.S. soldier Humayun Khan, addressed the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night in what was one of the most emotional moments of the entire convention. Instead of going to law school as he intended, their son Humayun decided to enlist in the U.S. Army, where he eventually became a captain. In 2004, when his unit came under attack by a suicide bomber, Capt. Khan warned his unit to get back, while he stepped toward the car filled with explosives. Capt. Khan died but certainly saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. We still wonder what made him take those 10 steps [towards the car]. Khans father has said. Maybe thats the point where all the values, all the service to country, all the things he learned in this country kicked in. It was those values that made him take those 10 steps. Those 10 steps told us we did not make [a] mistake in moving to this country. After Donald Trump has spent over a year denigrating Muslims like the Khans, Khizr and Ghazala Khan took the stage of the DNC to give the Republican nominee a lesson in American values. Video: Khizr Khan asks Trump: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy #DNCinPHL https://t.co/jTGPxm3GCV NBC News (@NBCNews) July 29, 2016 Khizr Khan said, If it was up to Donald Trump, [my son] never would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, youre asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, Have you even read the United States Consitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of the law. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. Youll see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and we can not solve our problems by building walls and sowing division. We are strong together, and we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our president. Khan concluded by saying, I ask all patriotic Americans, all Muslim immigrants, and all immigrants to not take this election lightly. This is a historic election, and I request you to honor the sacrifice of my son and, on election day, take the time to get out, and vote for the healer. Vote for the strongest, most qualified candidate, Hillary Clinton. It was one of the most moving and heartfelt moments of the convention and could deal a real blow to Donald Trump, who has spent his entire campaign denigrating Muslims. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Former Reagan administration official Doug Elmets took to the DNC stage on the last evening to tell Donald Trump, Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan. I havent just voted Republican. I worked in President Reagans White House, the Iowa native said. I recently led an effort to place a statue of Ronald Reagan in Californias Capitol. Im here tonight to say: I knew Ronald Reagan; I worked for Ronald Reagan. And Boom: Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan. Elmets explained why a lifelong Republican is voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016, This years Republican platform is the most alarming Ive ever seen. Its laced with anti-immigrant, anti-gay, anti-women positions that do not represent the views of most Americans. That is why this year, I will vote for a Democrat for the first time. The former Reagan administration official told his fellow Republicans that if they believe loyalty to our country is more important than loyalty to party; if you want a President with a good judgment, a steady hand, and the temperament to represent our Nation to the world and our children; I ask you to join me in voting for Hillary Clinton as President of the United States. This is pretty awkward. Many Republicans with integrity are running so far away from the toxic Trump that they are now urging their fellow Republicans to vote for Hillary Clinton. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump is on the verge of a breakdown and is begging people not to watch Hillary Clintons acceptance speech at the Democratic convention. CNN reported in a Trump fundraising email where he begged his supporters not to watch Hillary Clintons speech: On Thursday morning, Trumps campaign sent a fund-raising email urging supporters not to tune into Clintons acceptance speech on Thursday night. Unless you want to be lied to, belittled, and attacked for your beliefs, dont watch Hillarys DNC speech tonight, the email read. Instead, help Donald Trump hold her accountable, call out her lies and fight back against her nasty attacks. . Trump frequently boasts about the high ratings his interviews and speeches receive, but the Clintons and Obamas are demonstrating their ratings power this week. Coverage of the DNC in the 10 p.m. hour on broadcast and cable has been higher-rated than the same convention in 2012 and higher-rated than the RNC proceedings last week. Monday nights speeches were seen by 26 million viewers across seven channels, versus 23 million for night one of the RNC. Tuesday nights DNC coverage averaged 24 million, versus 19 million for night two of the RNC. Trumps email wasnt about mobilizing supporters, or even raising money. Donald Trump is worried that more people will watch Hillary Clintons speech than tuned for his long-winded screaming tirade in Cleveland. Media image and ratings remain more important to Donald Trump than doing the work necessary to be elected the next President Of The United States. Make no mistake about, Trump is getting desperate after getting beaten in the ratings over the first three nights of the convention. If Hillary Clintons speech beats Trumps ratings, the GOP nominee may need to be placed on suicide watch. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse* Its likely that little will come of Donald Trumps call for Russia spy agencies to launch another cyber-attack on America; its typical of Republicans to allow foreign nations to meddle in American politics and government; see Canada and Israel. However, Canada and Israel are allies and although it is still an abomination that Republicans embraced foreign nations interests over those of Americas, they at least were in bed with foreign allies. Donald Trump is inciting a non-friendly foreign nation to interfere in American politics and its government; it is what a sane human being would label treason. What is curious is that there has been little outrage from Republicans that he is and has been cozying up to Russia for some time now. There was hardly any Republican screaming that Trump told a German reporter, Mareike Aden, that as president he will not only accept Russias illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory Crimea, but he will also unilaterally lift the American and international sanctions imposed on Moscow after they invaded and annexed the territory of a sovereign nation. Add to that, Trumps recent comments on NATO, and how under a Trump presidency America has no reason to honor its commitment to defend member nations from invasion, and it begins looking like Trumps allegiance to Russia rivals most Republicans devotion to Israels interests over America. Its little wonder, then, that many Americans are growing increasingly suspicious of Trumps intimacy with Russia and its dictator Vladimir Putin. Obviously Donald Trump does not want to be a Russian citizen or he would pack it in, drag his children and at least on wife and emigrate to the nation he wants desperately to be friends with. There must be something very appealing driving the Donalds adoration of Putin, and his glaring willingness to give the Russian leader free rein to rebuild the former Soviet Union by force of invasion without interference from America or NATO. As it turns out, the primary reason Trump is courting Vladimir Putin, pleading for more cyber-attacks on America, intimating Americas non-commitment to NATO, and not standing firm on protecting Ukraine is because of the deep financial ties between him and Russian oligarchs. It is noteworthy that Trump would certainly deny theres a connection between promising most favored nation status to Russia if he is president over his financial ties to Russia, but he would be lying, as usual. However, no matter what kind of mendacity Trump might employ to deny his embrace of Putin is over money, his son revealed what Russian oligarchs know as fact. According to a report in The Washington Post, Donald Trumps son, Donald Jr., spoke at a real estate conference in 2008 and said, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia. As an aside, the issue of Donald Trumps refusal to release his tax returns certainly has to be over his close financial ties to Russias oligarchy. One highly-respected conservative pundit, George Will said: Perhaps one more reason why were not seeing his tax returns because he is deeply involved in dealing with Russian oligarchs and others. Whether thats good, bad or indifferent, its probably the reasonable surmise. Now, there is a good reason Trump is dependent on foreign investment, much of it coming from his deep involvement and financial dependency on Russian oligarchs who make no move whatsoever without the expressed consent from Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump is shunned by United States banks and it is most certainly due to his predilection incompetency that has led to his company filing bankruptcy six times and stiffing lenders, suppliers and contractors alike. Look, Donald Trump is an incredibly slimy piece of work who would sell out America just as quickly as he will sell out NATO member nations, particularly those Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has his sights set on. And it is becoming glaringly apparent that his dedication to advancing the interests of Russia are closely related to his deep financial ties. According to The Washington Post, at the heart of Trumps dedication to Russia, and Putin, is his close relationship with Aras Agalarov, a billionaire Russian real estate mogul and notorious Russian oligarch with very close ties to Russian leader Putin. As if to verify those close ties, the Russian ambassador to the United States recently broke a long-standing diplomatic tradition of steering clear of any countrys domestic politics. But because of its deep interest in the U.S. election, particularly in a Donald Trump victory, the ambassador attended Trumps April foreign policy speech where he called for an end to this horrible cycle of hostility between the two nations. The hostility entails, of course, America being a member of NATO and preventing Russia from invading NATO member countries, and the sanctions placed on Moscow for cyber-attacks as well as its invasion and attempted takeover of Ukraine. According to one American ally, Georgias defense minister Timan Khidasheli, Trumps campaign rhetoric is the biggest dream of everyone in the Kremlin. Its scary, its dangerous, and its irresponsible. It is also very profitable for Donald Trump and it adds more questions as to why Republicans are staying mum on a presidential candidates treasonous calls for a foreign nations intelligence services to launch more cyber-attacks on America and his pledge to weaken the defense of Americas democratic allies that Putin wants under his control. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse* It is increasingly telling that there is one group of Americans who have been on the forefront of defending and upholding the United States Constitution, and they are also one of the most reviled groups in the nation. While Republicans in the employ of the religious right and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) claim they love the Constitution, they regularly violate it with literal impunity and massive amounts of taxpayer-funded government money. Over the past couple of years Satanists have defended a womans constitutional right to choose her own reproductive health, and atheists have fought courageously for taxpayers whose hard-earned dollars are being doled out to incorporated religious organizations at a higher rate than those hated corporations and the oil industry. It is always curious why so many Americans rail against corporate welfare, when the real outrage is the level and frequency of government handouts to religious organizations despite the religious clauses in the U.S. Constitution. Now, in another abominable waste of taxpayer dollars, it is the American Atheists who stepped in and filed a lawsuit to stop a patently unconstitutional violation of the Establishment Clause, the Equal Protection Clause and the Missouri Constitution. The American Atheists sued Kansas City in Federal Court to put an immediate halt to the City Council handing over $65,000 of taxpayer money to a local incorporated ministry to aid the Baptist National Convention. According to the atheists complaint filed last week, Last April the Council agreed to pay $65,000 in municipal funds from the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund (NTDF) to Modest Miles Ministries, Inc. in aid and support of the National Baptist Convention. The tax exempt corporate church is owned and operated by a Baptist minister and current chairman of the National Baptist Conventions Kansas City Local Host Committee. The Baptist preacher, Modest Miles, on behalf of his tax-exempt Modest Miles Ministries Incorporated, asked the City Council for, and was granted, the $65,000 of taxpayer money to cover the cost of transporting other Baptist preachers and conventioneers during a September convention. Any reasonable American with an IQ higher than an amoeba understands that the American Atheists called the $65,000 handout exactly what it is according to the Founding Fathers intent in the Constitution, an unconstitutional expenditure of tax dollars. The atheists lawsuit said, Defendants expenditure of funds from the public treasury in the amount of $65,000 for the National Baptist Convention, if paid, would impermissibly aid the national Baptist institution and advance its religious purpose in violation of plaintiffs right to be free from compelled support of religious institutions and activities. Aiding religious activities establishes support of religion. Defendants authorized this grant in aid of religion in spite of the fact it fails to comply with NTDF program criteria. The American Atheists, advocates for the Constitutional civil rights of atheists and defenders of the First Amendments separation of church and state didnt automatically take the City Council to Federal Court. In fact, in April they protested the taxpayer-funded church welfare and received a letter that fundamentally blew off the complaint. The letter from the assistant district attorney stated: It has been represented to the NTDF Board that there are secular events that will be held during the National Baptist Convention that funding has been requested by the Modest Miles Ministries, Inc. If funding is approved the City will require Modest Miles Ministries, Incorporated to provide documentation of what secular events such monies were used for reimbursement. The American Atheists called bullshit and promptly cited the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment, Article I, 7 of the Missouri State Constitution and most importantly, a 2015 ruling by the Eighth Circuit Court. In that case, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia Incorporated v. Pauly as their reason for calling the City Councils letter bovine excrement. In that case, this court refused to allow public money to be spent on a Lutheran day care. The Federal Court ruled that the state had previously appropriately denied the grant under Article I, 7 of the Missouri Constitution, even where the purpose of the grant (to improve playground surfaces) was wholly secular, because the Lutheran Church used the day care to inculcate its religious beliefs to attendees. It should be an outrage that the Lutheran Church took the state of Missouri to court because it refused to dole out more taxpayer money to inculcate its religious beliefs, and fairly defines just how entitled to more free stuff incorporated churches sincerely believe they are. There is little doubt whatsoever, in fact it is certain, that the Modest Miles Ministries Incorporated, as well as the National Baptist Convention, will be using taxpayer money to inculcate its Old Testament hate-beliefs to attendees; it is just what the religious right, and Baptists in particular, do as a matter of course according to their biblical mandate. If this was a first time affront to the Constitution and the Founders intent to protect taxpayers from having to fund a religion, it may not be so infuriating; but its not. Remember a couple of years ago the theocrats in Kentucky gifted Answers in Genesis with roughly $18 million; this is despite the creationist ministry demanding, and a Bush-appointed federal judge condoning the religious employment practice of requiring employees to fulfill a scriptural prerequisite of submitting a creation belief statement and a salvation testimony. Those oaths of allegiance are in addition to a submission of a statement of: Confirmation of your agreement with the [Answers in Genesis] Statement of Faith. A statement of faith that includes items such as Scripture teaches a recent origin for man and the whole creation, spanning approximately 4,000 years from creation to Christ, and The only legitimate marriage sanctioned by God is the joining of one naturally born man and one naturally born woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. This unconstitutional employment discrimination practice is one of the aspects of North Carolinas HB2, the so-called toilet law and completely in line with the official Republican National Conventions Rebirth the Constitution platform approved last week in Cleveland. It is part of the enact HB2 nationwide and enshrine its theocratic edicts permanently in the Republican rebirthed Constitution. All the American Atheists are asking is a declaratory judgment and an injunction to stop the unconstitutional disbursement of the taxpayer money for the sole purpose of aiding and supporting the National Baptist Convention in violation of the Establishment Clause, the Equal Protection Clause; and the Missouri Constitution. One wonders exactly how much more money taxpayers have to hand over to religious organizations, primarily Christian religious organizations and incorporated churches, before the faithful will be satisfied. As of last year, a very conservative amount that churches receive from the taxpayer-funded government is creeping upwards of $100,000,000 annually. Thats right, about 100 billion dollars every year and instead of a massive outcry to bring that unconstitutional practice to a screeching halt, it is left to groups like American Atheists to take the fight to the courts, albeit for only $65,000. But at least they are advocating for, defending, and doing everything in their power to do what every politician in America swears an oath of office to do; uphold the U.S. Constitution and defend it from the theocracy Republicans lust to impose on Americans and the precious Constitution. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print For years Fox News has catered to the kill the president crowd, even cracking jokes about killing the president on air, and that call continues for the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. And theyre happy to give these people air time. Back in May, frequent Fox News guest Ted Nugent, shared a fake video showing Hillary Clinton being murdered by a pistol-wielding Bernie Sanders during a presidential debate, an action that would have gotten any liberal banned with demands of apologies: And no, that did not stop Fox News from having Nugent visit them, and Nugent just tweeted the other day that Democrats are the sickos. Right. Well file that appropriately, Ted. On Thursday, conservative wet dreams continued as Deirdre Bolton of Risk & Reward with Deirdre Bolton welcomed New Hampshire State Rep. Al Baldasaro. The pro-Trump Baldasaro has previously said Clinton should be shot for treason because of her use of a private email server. Her opening words damned the entire Fox network apparatus: Al, great to have you here. Yes, a major news network says its great to have a guest who wants someone killed for no other reason than he claims shes guilty of crimes Fox News and other conservatives have conjured up out of thin air. Baldasaro makes a big deal about the Constitution, but the Constitution doesnt say using a private email server is treason. He insists in his opinion that it is, and therefore that she should be shot. It would be a messy world if we all just made up laws as we went along and killed people for it, wouldnt it? Watch the interview courtesy of Media Matters for America: DIERDRE BOLTON (HOST): He was the first in the spotlight after sticking up for Donald Trumps contributions to vets. Then the secret service questioned him at the RNC for saying that Hillary Clinton should be shot for treason, over use of a private email server. [] Al, great to have you here. You have had have an intense a few weeks. Did you have to re- assure Secret Service youre not planning to harm anyone physically? Specifically, Hillary Clinton? AL BALDASARO: Nobody actually talked to me at the convention. it was I called on the phone. when I got home to the Secret Service here in New Hampshire. I was in the same hotel with all the Secret Service, and Donald Trump. Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing when you quote the law. You know, the US Code and the Constitution. BOLTON: Well, as a vet, we do take your perspective a little bit more seriously perhaps than just somebody who hadnt served. But do you have second thoughts about the comments that you made? BALDASARO: No. Why would I have second thoughts? Because what she did with the e-mails with agents, special you know, DEA, or Secret Service, or FBI agents that are in other countries, that couldve been my son on that e-mail, whos in the Marines, who served in Iraq. If those e-mails got in the wrong hands, like they said her emails were hacked, she knowingly had those on a private server. And my opinion, as a military man, I speak for myself as a veteran, as a state representative. Thats treason. Thats aid and comfort to the enemy. What dont the liberal media get when I said that? BOLTON: Alright, its a fair point. But obviously there are many who would say Listen, she went and she answered questions in front of Congress, and the matter is settled. BALDASARO: Shes above the law. The matter may be a settled with the FBI and the protection from Obama, and the Attorney General, but the American people are smarter than you think. I hear it all the time in my district, they said Al, you say things that I only wish I could say. So, I stand by what I said. I never said she should be assassinated. What I said be she should go in front of the firing squad for treason. What that means to the slow people is that you gotta be found guilty. BOLTON: Alright. What takes place via Fox News is a sort of Im not saying, Im just saying routine, where plausible deniability is maintained while the suggestion is planted that somebody should be killed without actually saying they should be killed. Baldasaros defense that I never said she should be assassinated. What I said be she should go in front of the firing squad for treason, is not only offensive but indefensible. If Baldasaro were as knowledge about American laws as he claims, he would know we have these things called trials, which are proceeded not by opinions but by investigations and not feelings but fact. As he is no doubt aware, people more knowledgeable than him have found that Hillarys actions do not even warrant charges being leveled against her, so the proposal to shoot her for a crime with which she has neither been charged nor found guilty, is about as vile as it gets. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print You can tell Republicans are desperate because though at no time do they dish out actual facts, they really go crazy when things arent going their way. Look at the rousing success of the Democratic National Convention. First a whole slew of effective speakers from mothers to 9/11 survivors to celebrities to elected officials, culminating in the big three of Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton. Last night, it was Hillary Clinton herself, putting Trump, crying into his pillow, to bed for the night. Yes, it was brutal, a pound-down for the ages. So we have Donald Trump blaming wars in the Middle East on Hillary Clinton of all people, tweeting last night some truly despicable and highly inventive exrement, including this one: Hillary's wars in the Middle East have unleashed destruction, terrorism and ISIS across the world. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016 What wars would those be? President Bush invaded Afghanistan in 2001. He invaded Iraq in 2003. Hillary Clinton, back in 2001, was a newly elected senator from New York. In 2003, she was still a senator from New York. She didnt start any wars. Previously, of course, President Obama has been blamed by Republicans for Bushs wars, even though in 2001 and 2003 he was an Illinois state senator and could not have started a war had he wanted to. She did support the Iraq War, and has since apologized. Donald Trump was also all for the Iraq War. As Hillary Clinton said, We have evidence and audio of him supporting it. He has not apologized. He has pretended he was always against it though. She became President Obamas first secretary of state and served in that role from January 21, 2009 to February 1, 2013. This was about the same time (2009) that former Bush White House Press Secretary was claiming on National television, We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bushs term. Im just throwing this out there to show Trump is not paving any new ground with this latest insanity. This is a well-warn path he is following. So what did Trump do meanwhile? Well, besides lying about his support for the Iraq War, he became a war profiteer, collecting $150,000 for properties that were not damaged in the 9/11 attacks. Oh, and he also didnt raise any money for 9/11 charities. Remember when David Gregory said Donald Trump is like a child playing with matches? WellDonald Trump, having just invited a foreign government to engage in cyberwarfare against the United States, actually tweeted in a staggeringly monumental act of hypocrisy, No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes. That was Trumps answer to Hillary Clintons warning last night: Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. In truth, no one has distanced himself more from reality than Donald Trump. Were just waiting now for him to start frothing at the mouth. Lets just keep him away from that big red button when the froth starts to fly. Portfolio English Edition's premium content is available only for subscribers Learn about the hottest news of the day, along with immediate follow-up analyses and 1000's of exclusive articles with full access to the premium content. Register and apply for a 14 days free trial period. The owners of the Zzestrestaurants in Rochester are planning two new restaurants and bars in the old Chicago Great Western railroad depot, on the Zumbro River just across from downtown. The historic depot most recently was occupied by El Loro , a Mexican restaurant that closed last winter. The 115-year-old building at 20 Fourth St. SE was bought by Med City Restaurant Groupin January for $800,000. Among its attractions: the wrap-around deck for outdoor seating, with one of the best views in town. LeeAnn Zubay, owner of Zzest Cafe & Baron 16th Street Southwest and the Zzest Lunch Counter and Market in the First Avenue Food Court downtown, says on her website they'll lease the depot and open two new businesses there. In October or November, the plan is to open Porch, a restaurant featuring "urban farm fare," on the main level. In early winter, they'll open Cellaron the lower level, featuring craft cocktails, "dynamic, chef-driven" food and a "gentleman's club" vibe. The restaurants will be led by Jason Zubay, Lindsay Zubayand chef Justin Schoville. Also on Zzest's to-do list: moving the lunch counter and market from its current space to the former Dunn Brothers Coffeeand Hot Potspaces near the front of the Food Court. The owners of Dunn Brothers and Hot Pot told the Post-Bulletin's Answer Man last week that they chose not to renew their lease in the Food Court and are looking for a new spot downtown. Jay Furst WASHINGTON In her speech accepting the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton wrongly implied Donald Trump has proposed banning Islam in America and sketched out a plan for defeating Islamic State militants that merely mirrors what the U.S. is already trying to do. Clinton spoke Thursday night to the largest TV audience she is likely to have until the presidential debates, meaning many Americans were probably hearing of her agenda for the first time. Although she brings plenty of policy detail when stacked against the broad-brush ideas of her Republican rival, in some cases there's less than meets the eye to what she says she will do. A college education, for example, might not end up as debt-free for everyone as she suggested. For his part, Trump spun a story about the Iran nuclear deal that was more fiction than fact at an Iowa rally that preceded Clinton's convention speech. A look at some of the claims from the political maelstrom: ADVERTISEMENT CLINTON:"I've laid out my strategy for defeating ISIS. We will strike their sanctuaries from the air, and support local forces taking them out on the ground. We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks before they happen. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country. It won't be easy or quick, but make no mistake - we will prevail." THE FACTS:Clinton might as well have said she laid out President Barack Obama's strategy for defeating Islamic State militants. Everything she mentioned, the Obama administration already is trying to do. --- CLINTON: "Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all." THE FACTS:Tuition-free for students who go to an in-state public college or university. Debt-free is a harder lift. Clinton has adopted parts of Sanders' plans to defray some of the costs of higher education. Under her proposal, the government would pay for tuition at in-state colleges and universities for students from families earning less than $125,000 a year. That would leave students still bearing the cost of room and board, which makes up more than half of the average $18,943 sticker price at a four-year public university, according to the College Board. Experts worry about other impacts: Will colleges raise tuition once the government starts paying, increasing the cost to taxpayers? Will more students flock to public colleges because of the subsidy, also raising costs? --- ADVERTISEMENT CLINTON:"In my first 100 days, we will work with both parties to pass the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II." THE FACTS:It would be the biggest since World War II only if you don't count Obama's $814 billion 2009 stimulus. Clinton doesn't have price tags on all her proposals, but the bulk of the investment appears to be her plan to spend $275 billion over five years on roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Obama's stimulus included infrastructure as well as tax cuts and aid to state and local governments, all intended to boost the economy and hiring. --- CLINTON:"We will not ban a religion." THE FACTS:Trump never proposed banning Islam in the U.S., as Clinton seems to suggest. He proposed a freeze on the entry of all foreign Muslims into the U.S., then adapted the idea with several iterations. Recently he said he'd stop immigration from any country compromised by terrorism, or impose "extreme vetting" on people coming from places with a history of terrorism. He's also spoken in support of surveillance on mosques in the U.S. As contentious as his thinking has been on the subject, it hasn't extended it to outlawing a religion. --- TRUMP, boasting about how he would have conducted talks with Iran over reducing its nuclear weapons capabilities: "I would have said sorry, we can't give you the $150 billion back. We want to give you the money back, but we don't have it. It's not there." THE FACTS:The Iranians immediately would have called Trump's bluff. That's because the U.S. never had $150 billion to give back in the first place. ADVERTISEMENT Iran had foreign assets spread across numerous banks and countries before it struck a deal with the U.S. and other countries to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. The sanctions meant Tehran couldn't access these funds abroad. But Iran's government knew very well where its money was. Much of the revenue came from Iran's oil sales to China, India, Japan and South Korea. These countries were able to purchase Iranian petroleum before the July 2015 nuclear agreement, but U.S. financial restrictions made it all but impossible to facilitate payments. So the money mainly sat in escrow in those countries, instead. These were not funds within the grasp of a U.S. president. Trump's comment also doesn't reflect how banks work. Money is fungible. If you have a bank account, it doesn't mean specific bills of currency or bars of gold are sitting in a box waiting for you to pick them up. The can't-find-your-money argument doesn't work. Trump got the sum wrong, too. Iranian and U.S. officials agree that the amount of frozen funds totaled about $100 billion. --- CLINTON, on taxing the wealthy and corporations: "Because when more than 90 percent of the gains have gone to the top 1 percent, that's where the money is." THE FACTS:While vague, Clinton's claim probably relies on outdated figures and exaggerates inequality. Her assertion echoes similar claims made by Sanders during the primary campaign, though it's not clear if she is referring to income or wealth or over what time frame. According to Emmanuel Saez, the University of California at Berkeley economist whose research on the wealthiest 1 percent helped spark the Occupy Wall Street protests, income gains have been more widely shared in recent years. The top 1 percent captured 52 percent of the growth in incomes from 2009 through 2015, still a hefty amount. But that's down from the 2009 through 2012 period, when the top 1 percent captured 91 percent of the growth. --- CLINTON:"In Atlantic City, 60 miles from here, you'll find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Donald Trump refused to pay his bills. People who did the work and needed the money, and didn't get it not because he couldn't pay them, but because he wouldn't pay them." THE FACTS:Indeed, Trump casinos failed on several occasions. During the bankruptcy of the Taj Mahal Casino in the early 1990s, some contractors who'd helped Trump build the property went bust because Trump's company didn't pay what it owed them. Trump himself was short on cash at the time, though his bankers did give him a $450,000-a-month allowance to maintain his lifestyle while his debts were renegotiated. --- DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION VIDEO, narrated by Morgan Freeman: "She could have joined a big law firm, been a corporate bigwig. Instead she chose the Children's Defense Fund. There, she went door-to-door gathering stories to help children with disabilities over denied schooling." THE FACTS: She had a "bigwig" path in her legal career, too. Although Clinton did devote her early career years to the Children's Defense Fund, she also worked at the Rose Law Firm, a prestigious Little Rock, Arkansas, firm and the third oldest in the United States. Clinton became its first female partner when her husband, Bill, was the state attorney general and then governor. Among the firm's clients were Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart and several brokerage houses. It became well-known during the Whitewater scandal, when investigators probed real estate deals between the Clintons and a Rose client, Jim McDougal. --- CLINTON:"Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again well, he could start by actually making things in America again." THE FACTS:Trump has regularly sourced his branded products from overseas, including his menswear line and products for his hotels. Trump has defended himself on the grounds that as a private businessman his priority is to make money. But in stump speeches, Trump has regularly shamed companies like Apple for doing the same and manufacturing products elsewhere. --- TRUMP:"We pick up 73 percent of the cost of NATO. We're paying to protect them. Wouldn't it be nice if people would pay, and we could do things properly? ... That's got to change." THE FACTS:No, the U.S. picks up just over 22 percent of the cost of NATO operations, based on last year's figures. Trump's figure of 73 percent is based on the U.S. share of overall military spending by NATO member countries, not of the money devoted to the alliance. Because of high spending and unique military resources possessed by the U.S., the alliance acknowledges that it is over-reliant on Washington in areas such as intelligence, surveillance, in-flight refueling, ballistic missile defense and airborne electronic warfare. NATO asks member nations to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. Of the 28 NATO nations, only five the U.S., Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland meet or exceed that percentage. --- TRUMP:"We're fighting in Yemen." THE FACTS:Only a small number of U.S. special operations troops are in Yemen and they've not been near the fighting. In Yemen, Houthi rebels backed by Iran are fighting government forces backed by Saudi Arabia. The United States has provided logistical and intelligence support to longtime ally Saudi Arabia. Separately, the Pentagon has provided military support, intelligence, ships and a small contingent of special operations forces to help fight al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as part of the ongoing counter-terrorism fight. U.S. officials have acknowledged that U.S. special operations forces have advised the Yemeni and Emirati forces in the region, but they are working at the headquarters level, not near the conflict. --- TRUMP:"We're right now the highest-taxed nation in the world." He acknowledged his numerous past assertions of this have been questioned, and added, "OK, we're one of the highest taxed." THE FACTS:Closer, but still wrong. The U.S. tax burden is actually one of the lowest among the 34 developed and large emerging-market economies that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Taxes made up 26 percent of the total U.S. economy in 2014, according to the OECD. That's far below Sweden's tax burden of 42.7 percent, Britain's 32.6 percent or Germany's 36.1 percent. Only three OECD members had a lower tax bite than the U.S.: Chile, South Korea and Mexico. --- TRUMP:"Religion's voice has been taken away. It was taken away by Lyndon Johnson in the 1970s because of a dispute he had, I think, with the church. And this was his way of silencing the church." THE FACTS:Trump was two decades off on the timing, and stretching in saying religion's voice in politics was silenced by LBJ. Churches still have a loud political voice. Before his years as president (1963-1969), Johnson as a senator in the 1950s achieved a law that prohibits religious groups and certain other tax-exempt organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates. The potential penalty for doing so is the loss of tax exemption. As Trump noted, the GOP platform calls for the repeal of that law so that religious groups could engage more directly in partisan politics. Opponents say that would clash with the constitutional separation of church and state. Since the law's enactment the rise of the religious right, the continuing influence of evangelical conservatives, the clout of the Roman Catholic church on social issues of the left and right and advocacy by liberal religious organizations are evidence that religion has not been silenced in politics. --- TRUMP:"Median household income is down for the middle class since Obama took office." tweet. THE FACTS:True, if using the latest official data. More recent, though unofficial, estimates suggest that household income has gone up marginally on Obama's watch. Either way, it's a weak spot in Obama's economic record. Median household income declined by 3 percent from 2008 through 2014, according to U.S. Census data. According to more current estimates by Sentier Research, a private firm whose founders include former Census officials, median household income increased in 2015 and into 2016. That would mean median household income has risen 2 percent from June 2009, when the recession ended, to $57,206 in June 2016, Sentier says. --- Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor, Deb Riechmann, Jim Drinkard, Jeff Horwitz and Cal Woodward contributed to this report. Growing demand for Medical Assistance and a failing software system have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional cost to Olmsted County. The county on Tuesday agreed to add five new full-time employees to its family support and assistance division, at a cost of $52,400 for the remainder of this year and $161,600 next year, after state and federal reimbursements. Olmsted County Board of Commissioners member Ken Brown said he was "outraged" by the unexpected costs passed down to counties by inefficiencies in the state and federal governments. "The public should be absolutely outraged, calling their legislators on a daily basis for this," Brown said. "It is an appalling waste of resources and stuffed down to the local level once again, with no thought, no appreciation, no funding, nothing to help us out. And they simply continue to reinvent the damn thing and get nowhere." Medical Assistance in Olmsted ADVERTISEMENT Medical Assistance provides health insurance to individuals and families who qualify, based primarily on their income. The program is federally funded through Medicaid. The state of Minnesota sets policy rules for the program and counties are required to do the work of determining eligibility of participants and handling their casework. In Olmsted County, nearly 25,000 adults and children receive health insurance Medical Assistance about 17 percent of the population, according to Heidi Welsch, director of Olmsted County's family support and assistance division . Enrollment in Medical Assistance has grown by 40 percent from 2013 to 2016. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed down new mandates for individuals to hold health insurance, and the act also expanded eligibility to Medicaid and Medical Assistance. Minnesota in 2013 rolled out new software to assist counties in managing Medical Assistance eligibility cases . The new system is called METS (Minnesota Eligibility Technology System). It has been phased in over several years to replace an aging system called MAXIS. Olmsted County this year processed a little less than half its cases using the new software. Next year, the eligibility casework will transfer primarily to the new system. 'Not what we were promised' When the state introduced METS in 2013, counties were told as much as 80 percent of cases would move through the software without interaction from an eligibility worker or case aide. "It hasn't worked out this way," Welsch said. "This system is not what we were promised." ADVERTISEMENT According to Welsch's most recent analysis, the METS software only moves 11 percent of cases without worker interaction meaning 89 percent of cases require hands-on work from a county employee. Another complication to the county's work system is on the way in September: the Minnesota Legislature in 2015 passed a new requirement for METS work, called periodic data match (PDM). The data match requires review of every Medical Assistance eligibility case, each year. The added requirement is projected to increase the county's workload by another 33 percent, Welsch said. Staffing need To cope with the inefficiencies of the METS software and take on new requirements in the Medical Assistance program, Welsch and the family services division requested four full-time eligibility workers and one full-time case aide to begin in the last quarter of this year and continue in 2017. The actual cost of the added positions is $162,904 this year and $378,765 next year. Reimbursements from the sate and federal governments bring the net costs to the county to $52,417 this year and $161,598 next year. Olmsted is not alone in dealing with the inefficiencies of the METS system. In the state's nine largest counties, 249 full-time employees have been hired or are requested by county governments to work with the system. The Olmsted County Board begrudgingly approved the staffing request. ADVERTISEMENT "The state should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for this, and the public should look at this and realize just how detrimental this is," Brown said. Board member Sheila Kiscaden said the issue should be a top legislative priority for the county next session, particularly the periodic data matching requirements. "A lot of this boggles my mind, but this PDM just seems like a superfluous, bureaucratic, make-work, no-benefit requirement," she said. Rochester City Council member Michael Wojcik has apologized for a comment made during an interview with the Post-Bulletin this week when he said that several local business leaders are "pathological liars" for denying involvement in a fundraising effort. Wojcik made the comment when interviewed about reports that John Wade, Andy Chafoulias and others are planning to raise as much as $200,000 and form a 501(c)(4) corporation to influence local elections this fall. The effort was first reported on the Med City Beat website; Wade denied that a nonprofit organization has been set up in a Post-Bulletin story published Wednesday . In that story, Wojcik was quoted as saying, "They're all pathological liars. That's my statement on it." Wojcik , who's seeking re-election this fall and is being challenged by attorney and real estate agent Scott Hoss , apologized on his Vote Wojcik blog Thursday. "I was contacted by a number of friends upset that I described the five individuals that are known to be involved in creating a 501(c)(4) dark money PAC as 'Pathological Liars,'" Wojcik said. "A few people contacted me that were upset that I used that language. One of them was my wife. As such I apologize for using that language, I should do better." ADVERTISEMENT The two-term Ward 2 council member said the comment was intended as a "tongue-in-cheek response." "I do, however, remain very angry that this is going on in my community and hope Rochester will come together to fight these special interests and their agenda. ... I hate apologizing, but it is the right thing to do here." A Rochester man was shot in the leg early today near the intersection of 17th Street and 20th Avenue Southeast. Officers responded around 3:15 a.m. to a report of a 22-year-old man with a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg, according to Rochester Police Department Lt. Mike Sadauskis. When officers arrived they found a woman tending to the victim and others on scene. The man was uncooperative and wouldn't tell officers any information about the shooter or altercation, so they began talking to others on scene. The 22-year-old and as many as five to 10 others had been involved in a fight at Kwik Trip on Marion Road earlier in the morning, Sadauskis said. The victim was with a group of friends and was confronted by a man who pointed a gun at him but did not shoot at the time. Officers said they believe there was some fighting among the groups at Kwik Trip, though it's unknown what about, Sadauskis said. ADVERTISEMENT The group that included the victim then left Kwik Trip and drove to the area near 17th Street. The man with the gun followed shortly after and was looking for someone, demanding the victim tell him where the person was. He didn't get an answer, and shot the victim in the leg. Police say they have a suspect, but he is not in custody. They say more information may be available this afternoon. Police later received a call from Kwik Trip about a man who had entered the gas station with blood on him. He had been punched in the earlier fight, left the area, and then returned to clean up. He was transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital - Saint Marys campus. PHILADELPHIA It was a moment America had never seen: a woman accepting a major party's nomination for president. Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination Thursday, pledging to unite a divided country and casting herself as a tested, steady hand in troubled times. She said she would work to improve the lives of all Americans, not just those at the top. Rochester delegate Randy Schubring, a Clinton supporter, said he was impressed by the former secretary of state's speech. "She looked every bit the president," he said. "You really could get the sense she has a backbone of steel." Clinton closed a convention that tested the party's ability to unify after a divisive primary fight. After a rocky opening day featuring protests and jeers, the opposition settled down, but never faded completely. ADVERTISEMENT Byron delegate Keith McLain supported Sanders' presidential bid. He said he thought Clinton delivered a good speech but for him personally, one speech isn't enough to win him over. "I understand that this is a vote about a lot of things not the smallest of which is the fact that Donald Trump is a demagogue. He is someone that does not need to have the amount of power of a dog catcher, let alone president of the United States," McLain said. Here are the top takeaways from the final day of the Democratic convention: The real audience Clinton was greeted by cheering delegates eager to see her win in November. But her real audience was the millions of voters watching on television who may welcome her experience but question her character. Clinton tried to make the case for why she deserves a second look. "I get it that some people just don't know what to make of me," she said. Noting her family's humble roots, Clinton hailed her parents and grandparents, saying they instilled in her a work ethic that allowed her to go to college and law school and begin a career as an advocate for children before becoming a political spouse and a politician herself. ADVERTISEMENT Clinton contrasted her decades of experience as first lady, senator, and secretary of state with Trump's inexperience in politics. And she questioned his temperament. "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons," she said. Introducing mom Chelsea Clinton continued the family effort to show the warm side of her mother. Nearly a quarter century after America got to know her as a gangly 12-year-old, Chelsea Clinton described Hillary Clinton as a mother who always made her feel "valued and loved" and a doting grandmother who will drop everything to FaceTime her 2-year-old granddaughter, Charlotte. Chelsea Clinton spoke two days after her father, former President Bill Clinton, addressed delegates in what was as much love story as political speech. Chelsea Clinton followed suit. "I hope that someday my children will be as proud of me as I am proud of my mom," she said. Trump's family offered similar loving tributes at last week's Republican convention. Both candidates have low popularity ratings and their campaigns have been trying to emphasize their personal, human sides. ADVERTISEMENT Still Bern-ing Most Bernie Sanders supporters heeded the Vermont senator's call for unity - or at least his plea not to be disruptive. But there were exceptions. As Clinton spoke, several people in the crowd unfurled a banner that said "Wikileaks." It's a reference to the leaked party emails that some say show the Democratic National Committee favored Clinton over Sanders. Clinton struggled to keep command of the arena. Supporters chanted "Hillary" to drown out hecklers. Some Sanders supporters chose a less disruptive way to express their views. They wore neon-green, glow-in-the-dark shirts emblazoned with the Sanders battle cry "enough is enough." Reaching out Clinton wasn't only looking to charge up the Democratic base. She was trying to win over Republicans. The convention's last day featured speeches from a former member of President Ronald Reagan's administration and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce official who is heading a Republican group supporting Clinton. "I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan," said Doug Elmets, a Republican now backing Clinton. "Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan!" Glad it's over Trump appeared to be relieved that the Democratic convention was finally ending. He's had enough criticism. In fact, he said Thursday that he wanted to hit some speakers "so hard their heads would spin." He didn't identify anyone in particular, but mentioned "a little guy" who particularly bothered him. Could be former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who is listed as 5 feet, 8 inches. Local Democrats enjoyed pizza, people and politics on Thursday as they watched a historic moment in United States politics. Community members gathered at Valentino's restaurant in Rochester on Thursday to watch the last day of the Democratic National Convention and see Hillary Clinton become the first woman to accept a major party's nomination for president. Lynn Wilson, a longtime Clinton supporter and volunteer for the Clinton campaign, organized Thursday evening' event. Having been a delegate for Clinton in 2008, Wilson said that the road to Clinton's nomination has been a long time coming and will stand out in history. "This is an opportunity. This isn't just a presidential election that we're voting for in November, we're voting for our way of life," Wilson said. "Our way of life is on the ballot this November, and people need to realize that." ADVERTISEMENT Wilson recalls being young and giving up the career she wanted because she was told it was a man's job. Still holding the guilt of giving up her dream, she said that she knows that Clinton will help to teach girls and women to follow theirs. "She's going to teach my granddaughter and girls and boys out there that women can be anything they want to be," said Wilson. "I've been crying in my heart all day thinking about that." Sitting at tables in the back of the restaurant, about 30 people ate pizza, watched the convention on television, and talked about the future of the country. Stefan Orfanakos, once a German citizen, was among those in the crowd at the Rochester watch party. Having applied for U.S. citizenship about a year and a half ago, Orfanakos will be voting in his first United States election in November. He said that he had heard about the watch party from Democratic Party emails, and was interested in getting to know members of the community, as well as exchanging his thoughts and ideas. "Being from Europe, I also have perhaps an outsider's perspective on a lot of different issues. I think that I can give a lot of people some food for thought," Orfanakos said. Cheers filled the restaurant as Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother as the United States' next president. During her hourlong speech, Clinton touched on many things, including the war on terror, Donald Trump, and her plans for health care, student debt and gun control. Throughout the speech, Clinton's words brought cheers and sometimes standing ovations to the Rochester watch party. Kathy Sullivan, of Rochester, is a longtime supporter of Clinton and has been involved in the women's movement since the '70s. With tears in her eyes, she explained the empowerment she felt after listening to Clinton's speech. "I think that she spoke to my values, my ideals, and I think that she really pulled it together on so many issues that are facing us," said Sullivan. "I just am really proud. Really, really proud." ADVERTISEMENT Community members eventually shuffled out of the restaurant and the lights dimmed, but for longtime Clinton supporters like Wilson, it was just the beginning. "It's been an opportunity of a lifetime," said Wilson. "I really think we're going to win this time. I really think it's going to happen." Image 3_Jup_GRS_Dillon Yothers_Luke Moore Jupiters Great Red Spot is the largest storm in the solar system. Located in Jupiter's lower atmosphere, this storm living is so big that you could fit two or three Earths inside of it. And this perpetual hurricane has been raging for centuries. Now, a team of scientists at Boston University believe that it might just offer an explanation for one of the biggest mysteries about Jupiter. Their results were published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. Mysterious heat The temperature of Jupiters upper atmosphere is a curious thing. Based on Jupiters distance from the sun and what we know about how the sun heats planets, it should only be about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. But regions of Jupiters atmosphere can range from 800 to 1340 degrees Fahrenheit. And though scientists know that Jupiters giant auroras could boost the temperature a little, these glowing swirls of electrically charged particles arent enough to explain the heat and how its distributed across the planet. And Jupiter isnt the only planet with mysterious heat. Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all experience unusually high temperatures in their atmospheres. We call this the energy crisis nowadays, because its been unresolved since the 1970s, ODonoghue told National Geographic. The great red hotspot Image 1_Jup_SuperHighRes_GRS_Art by Karen Teramura _ James ODonoghue_6705x4400 Using the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility in Hawaii, the team of scientists located a hot spot conveniently lingering above the Great Red Spot. They studied light emitted by a form of hydrogen called H3+ in the upper reaches of Jupiters atmosphere to figure out the temperature of the area around it. "We could see almost immediately that our maximum temperatures at high altitudes were above the Great Red Spot far belowa weird coincidence or a major clue?" O'Donoghue said in a Boston University press release. About 500 miles above the Great Red Spot, temperatures rise above 2400 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than the hottest lava on Earth. Story continues The team believes that acoustic (sound) waves rising from the storm are crashing into Jupiters upper atmosphere, shaking its atoms and heating it up in the process. "A good analogy for this is its pretty much like stirring a cup of coffee with a spoon," ODonoghue told the Verge. "If youre stirring it clockwise, but then you suddenly stir it anti-clockwise, there will be a lot of sloshing around... And that sloshing around, you can actually hear that. It indicates there are actually some sound waves coming from that sloshing." Because its unlikely that the Great Red Spot is warming the entire planet, this wouldnt entirely solve the mystery of Jupiters heat. And Amy Simon of NASAs Goddard Spaceflight Center told NPR that although these observations are intriguing, they should be viewed with caution since methane can produce similar signals to that of the H3+ molecules. Back on Earth But if these scientists are right, what we learn can teach us a lot about other planets including our own. According to the National Geographic, similar processes happen on Earth. The atmosphere above hurricanes and tsunamis here can be slightly warmer. Air moving over large mountain ranges like the Andes mountains might crash into rocks, sending acoustic waves into the upper atmosphere and heating it up. Jupiter is like a giant laboratory for extreme physics, ODonoghue said. Its teaching us how storms interact with the upper atmosphere in a way that is difficult to measure on Earth. And with NASAs Juno spacecraft venturing closer to Jupiter than any spacecraft before it, scientists expect to get an even better look at the Great Red Spot, possibly getting a better idea of what caused the storm in the first place. NOW WATCH: NASAs historic mission to Jupiter will answer one of the most important questions about our solar system More From Business Insider PHILADELPHIA If the Republican convention resembled a shaky shotgun marriage, the Democrats are like a sprawling modern family with the adults on the same page and a few unruly siblings and children doing as they please. But their mostly solid outward unity reflects weeks of intensive behind-the-scenes work and didn't come without some continuing stress. For weeks, Hillary Clinton's campaign worked closely with runner-up Bernie Sanders, accepting compromises on the party platform and some contentious rule conflicts to ensure this week's unity. But a firestorm from last weekend's release of thousands of embarrassing internal party emails dominated pre-convention news, forcing party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz's resignation. When the Rev. Cynthia Hale mentioned Clinton's name in her opening invocation, many Sanders delegates booed, chanting, "Bernie, Bernie, Bernie." "The Democrats are in a total meltdown," Republican nominee Donald Trump gleefully tweeted. ADVERTISEMENT But after several raucous hours with Clinton-deriding outbursts provoking counter chants of "Hillary, Hillary, Hillary" a Sanders email urging respect helped quiet the protests, and her forces gradually regained control of the Wells Fargo Center. Monday ended on an upbeat note with several universally cheered pleas for unity, led by Michelle Obama's rejoinder to Trump's signature slogan, "Make America Great Again." When Democrats formally made Clinton the first major-party woman nominee Tuesday night, both sides' nominating speeches accentuated the positive. And Sanders himself like Clinton eight years ago moved to give Clinton the party's presidential nomination. The motion was loudly endorsed by all but several dozen reluctant Sanders supporters, who left the hall and groused loudly outside. That underscored the fact that, like the Republicans, the Democrats still show scars from their intense primary battle. But there are significant differences. GOP holdouts included many top leaders former Presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush, past nominees Mitt Romney and John McCain, defeated rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich. Republican disunity was vividly on display when Cruz pointedly refused to endorse Trump, setting off loud boos on the eve of Trump's acceptance speech. Here, every significant Democratic leader backs Clinton, starting with Sanders. Unity appeals from his supporters Monday included a memorable scold from comedian Sarah Silverman, telling "the Bernie or bust people: You're being ridiculous." The Vermont senator provided the climax by detailing reasons for backing his yearlong rival, concluding: "Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States. The choice is not even close." Second, leaders of the dissident factions have very different motivations. Cruz's seemingly stem primarily from personal ambition, reflecting his calculation that Trump will either lose or be an unsuccessful president, opening the way for a second presidential bid in 2020. Kasich may also be looking ahead. ADVERTISEMENT But Sanders, three decades older, wants mainly to press his agenda of economic and political reforms, which Clinton said she will fight for. Third, the Democrats proved more efficient in controlling and channeling threats to the facade of unity. Trump and top aides took nearly three days to acknowledge Melania Trump's lifting of lines from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech. But Democrats took barely 24 hours to force Wasserman Schultz's resignation, convincing her before the convention began to prevent an ugly scene by relinquishing the opening gavel. In contrast to heavy-handed GOP efforts to squelch floor challenges, the Democrats let the Sanders forces voice their support on Tuesday's roll call. And they quickly reiterated Tuesday that Clinton opposes the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, after longtime backer Terry McAuliffe suggested the contrary. Finally, while speeches at both conventions hailed their nominee and denounced their rival, the Democrats highlighted domestic issues barely mentioned in Cleveland income inequality, climate change, the student loan crisis. Every day, figures from Clinton's life plus her presidential husband testified to her personal history, compared with Trump's family and business associates. But, as Trump himself pointedly noted Wednesday, Democrats only minimally decried instability abroad, making few references to terrorism and the Islamic State until Wednesday night, while challenging GOP allegations of a breakdown of law and order at home. This week's polls show Trump's support up among recalcitrant Republicans and independents; Clinton's strategists hope next week's will show similar gains with Democrats. But conventions matter, Democratic pollster Peter Hart noted on a Wall Street Journal blog, declaring the tenor often foretells the ultimate outcome. ADVERTISEMENT Citing the "potential for a strong finish" from speeches by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Clinton, he said, "If that happens, Democrats would head into the general election with history on their side." Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. You can't make this stuff up. No, you wouldn't want to make this stuff up about a presidential candidate who could wind up running this country. Donald Trump actually said Wednesday that he hoped Russia had hacked Hillary Clinton's email server and would now release 30,000 emails. In other words, the GOP candidate sanctioned cyber-spying by a foreign nation in order to influence an election in his favor. This just as U.S. intelligence agencies say they are highly confident as are well-known cybersecurity firms that it was Russian government spy agencies that hacked into the Democratic National Committee's emails, 20,000 of which were released the day before the convention with the clear intent of undercutting Clinton. "It gives me no pause," the Republican candidate said about Russian hacking. "Now, if Russia or China or any other country has those e-mails, I mean, to be honest with you, I'd love to see them." He pointedly refused to call on Russian President Vladimir Putin not to meddle in U.S. elections. Never mind that Russian intelligence agencies are also believed to have hacked into servers at the State Department, White House, and Pentagon. This is one more example of a man who unabashedly puts personal gain above the security interests of his country. ADVERTISEMENT No wonder many observers believe Russia is trying to facilitate the victory of Trump. Of course, the Donald calls such theories "far-fetched and ridiculous." And there's no concrete evidence yet that Russia handed off the emails to those who leaked them. But the timing of the leaks certainly encourages that conclusion, and Putin is known to dislike Hillary Clinton (falsely blaming her for 2011 demonstrations by disaffected middle-class Russians). Moreover, there are clear reasons for Putin to favor Trump, who openly admires the Russian's strongman style and takes positions that serve Russian interests. So the candidate's congrats to Kremlin hackers should spur Americans to examine his links to Moscow and question why Trump is urging Russia to do more of the same. Trump has long-standing business interests in Russia, including oft-thwarted plans for a Trump Tower in Moscow that he still hopes will come to pass. In 2013, he held his Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and sent a personal invite to Putin (who canceled at the last minute). "Almost all of the oligarchs were in the room," Trump bragged to the media on returning home. And indeed, since the 1980s, Trump and his family have repeatedly visited Moscow in search of business opportunities, according to a detailed Washington Post study. They have corralled a lot of private Russian investors, some of them with shady backgrounds. Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has also had extensive business dealings in Russia, as have other Trump advisers. In addition, Manafort worked as a political strategist for a Putin ally President Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine. He was overthrown by popular revolt in 2014, after which Putin seized Crimea and invaded eastern Ukraine. Keep this one in mind. One can't surmise from business interests alone how Trump would relate to Russia, although this history gives some hints, especially given his relentless focus on deal-making. But fast-forward to the past couple of weeks and you get a few clues. First came Trump's interview last week with The New York Times, in which he indicated that on his watch, the United States might not come to the aid of small NATO members such as the Baltic states if Putin invaded a statement that undercut the very foundation of the Atlantic alliance. ADVERTISEMENT Then came a very strange move: Trump operatives intervened at the Republican convention to change one item in the party platform, watering down the provision that called for giving defensive weapons to Ukraine. (Language supporting sanctions on Russia for its seizure of Crimea was left untouched, probably because changing it would have set off an uproar.) At the Democratic convention, I spoke with Hanna Hopko, a heroine of Ukraine's democracy struggle and now chairwoman of the foreign relations committee in the Ukrainian parliament. I asked her about this Trump move on the platform and she told me: "It's very painful. Trump's policy is very scary for us and the Baltics." Ukraine, she said, gave up the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world at the urging of President George H.W. Bush "because of U.S. guarantees of our territorial integrity." Russia violated those guarantees (to which it also signed on) with its actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Hopko doesn't expect Washington to use force (Ukraine is not a NATO member), but, she says, "We expect the West to pressure Putin." Trump, on the other hand, appears ready to appease the Russian leader and expresses repeated admiration for Putin's strength. Admiration for a strongman who invaded a European country, bombs Syrian civilians, and presided over a Sochi Olympics deliberately rigged by his intelligence service. Admiration for a strongman who would run rings around Trump should he be elected. So it's not hard to understand why Putin would want to help elect a candidate who ignores such behavior and cheers on Russian hackers. It's harder to understand how a GOP candidate who invokes Ronald Reagan can be such a chump. Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Hillary Clinton demonstrated again in her DNC acceptance speech that she is a terrible public speaker. Politic has posted the text of the speech here. C-SPAN has posted video of the speech here; PBS has posted it on YouTube here. Having received some of the best instruction in the world on how to do it, Madam Hillary has absorbed this lesson: speak slowly. Speak as if youre talking to children. Emphasize the enunciation of your words. Talk down to your audience. When your material consists of a concatenation of cliches, you have a soporific combination. As Bill Clinton showed By my calculation, the Dems pushed roughly one-third of Hillarys speech beyond prime time last night. I thought that was a mistake, but on second thought it seems to me that, if it didnt help, it certainly did no harm. The Dems new laundry list of sexual varieties and preferences puts me in mind of the graffiti sequence that became famous in the sixties. The first item announced, I love grils. The next item responded, That should be girls, you moron, or something to that effect. A final item inquired, What about us grils? My guess is that Bill was dreaming of grils last night. Officials of the United Nations were among those injured on Thursday in northeast Nigeria as Boko Haram terrorists ambushed their vehicles as they from Bama where they had gone to offer relief services to displaced persons, officials said. The convoy was attacked despite being escorted by armed soldiers. The attacks on the UN officials and soldiers came four days after personnels of Medicins Sans Frontier narrowly escaped being killed by landmines some few kilometres from where Thursdays ambush attack was carried out. The landmine incident occurred on Sunday but was never reported in the media because neither the military nor the MSF officials talked about it. The spokesman of the Nigeria Army, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, confirmed Thursdays incident via a statement emailed to journalists on Thursday. Troops returning from Bama on humanitarian escort duty, were ambushed enroute Maiduguri by suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in Meleri village, a few kilometres from Kawuri, Mr. Usman said. The gallant troops however, successfully cleared the ambush and exploited up to Afunori. Unfortunately, two soldiers and three civilians were wounded in the ambush, among whom were staff of United Nations agencies and other international humanitarian organizations. The wounded have been evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, and they are in stable condition. The Nigerian Army wishes to sympathize with our wounded colleagues, the United Nations and other non-governmental organizations whose personnel were also injured in this sad incident. We wish to reiterate our determination and commitment to ensuring safety and security in the North East and safeguarding the lives of all persons. Bama has been one of the most haunted towns since the Boko Haram insurgency began. Along the route to Bama lies the official gateway to Sambisa forest which is at Kawuri village. The distance between Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, and Bama is about 85km. Until recently, the badly damaged road was not in use for over a year as Boko Haram terrorists took charge of the area. The authorities of the Nigeria Police Force have removed the contacts of some key officers from the organizations official websites, www.npf.gov.ng, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today. Checks by this newspaper showed that the telephone numbers and electronic mail addresses of some of the officials had been taken off the site, leaving just a few. Shortly after his appointment in January 2012, former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, created the website, making it the most public-friendly online platform in the forces history. The force under Mr. Abubakar listed the telephone numbers and email addresses of its senior officials in the website, including the inspector generals number. On the platform were two telephone numbers 0810255558 and 08077446699 on which Mr. Abubakar could be reached directly by SMS, by members of the public making complaints or seeking urgent police action. Others, whose contacts were provided on the site, were the then seven Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, 22 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Police commissioners of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. There were also the contacts of the Force Public Relations officer and the public relation officers in zonal commands and in the 36 states and Abuja. As a result of the innovation, it was easier for citizens to call the attention of the police to emergencies, and for journalists to reach top officials of the force for comments on issues bordering on security. Apart from the contacts, the website also contained other information, including press releases issued by the Force, thus providing a major link between it and the public. Mr. Abubakar also created an opinion poll page as a feedback platform from the public. The aim was to know the public perception about the activities of the Force, officials said. For instance, there was a poll on whether the decision of the Force to remove road blocks in the highway was good or bad. The options given included: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor and Very Poor. Before then, the only link Nigerians had with the Force on its sites Home Page for lodging complaints was a contact form expected to be filled by users of the site. The users would have to wait for at least 48 hours to get responses. The innovation was sustained by Mr. Abubakars successor, Suleiman Abba. Mr. Abba however did not however allow his direct line on the Forces website. Under him, the website contained the telephone numbers of all the eight DIGs at the time, as well as those of 19 AIGs, 36 state police commissioners and that of the FCT. That was in addition to the phone numbers of the public relations officers of all the zonal commands, 36 states and FCT police commands. But as soon as Solomon Arase became inspector-general in April 2015, one of the first tasks he undertook was the removal of the telephone numbers of top officers from the website. He only allowed the telephone number of then Force PRO, Olabisi Kolawole, and those of the spokespersons of the state commands. That situation remained until he retired last month. The current IGP, Ibrahim Idris, who assumed office in June retained the tradition introduced by his predecessor, Mr. Arase. Although, Don Awunahs name was listed on the site as the new Force PRO, his telephone number is conspicuously missing, making it difficult to reach the main face of the force. Some of the police spokespersons in the states have been changed since Mr. Idris came to office. PREMIUM TIMES however observed that the list and contact telephone numbers of the police commands spokespersons were yet to be updated. Several reporters across the country also told this newspaper that unlike his predecessor, the new Force PRO, Mr. Awunah, hardly answer or return calls or respond to text messages. He also did not respond to multiple telephone calls and text messages seeking his comment for this story. Members of the civil society and dozens of community people chanted solidarity songs and danced to Afrobeat king, Felas music, as they marched across Lagos metropolis Wednesday in protest of a continued government plan to privatize the state owned Water Corporation. The protesters said despite their petitions and public advocacy, the body language of government officials conveyed a message that they were going ahead with the plan. They also said they were angry with statements attributed to Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, that water privatization was the only way out of the states water crisis. On the 6th of June, the Speaker publicly addressed the press and said the only solution to water problem in Lagos is to privatize it. It was published in the newspaper, said Subair Muali. Chairman, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Lagos Council. On the 12th of July, we wrote a letter to this House (of Assembly) and this House invited us to a meeting. The meeting was chaired by Dayo Fafunmi (Ifako-Ijaiye 1), the chairman of the committee on Environment and he told us that they will look into our agitation and demand. We said no to any form of privatization in Lagos. But in his speech and his character, we saw that the issue of selling the water in the name of PPP, which is another form of privatization, is still in their blood. We now said if that is the case, we want to publicly tell Honourable Speaker today that we the masses and the Lagos workers said no to privatization of water in Lagos State. Since the last quarter of 2014, civil society groups had continued to mount pressure on the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), to back-pedal on its alleged plans to privatize public water supply in the state. There had been ongoing talks between the LWC and the International Finance Corporation, an arm of the World Bank, on designing a water scheme for the state. In January 2015, the World Bank announced that it was terminating the discussions with the LWC. The LWC had, however, continued to insist that it was only seeking partnerships with private companies to optimize water supply to Lagos residents. Speaking at an event to mark the Lagos House of Assemblys one year in office on June 9, Mr. Obasa had said privatization was the way out of the states water crisis. If you want clean water and to stop people from digging borehole, you must privatize the agency (Lagos Water Corporation), Mr. Obasa was quoted as saying. Foreign partners want to come in and this is at a cost. Then come to think of the dangers of sinking boreholes. So what we are trying to do now is to create the conducive environment for the foreign investors to come in. The protesters, led by the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth International, included key representatives of Public Services International (PSI), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Peace and Development Project (PEDEP), as well as community representatives from Agege, Shomolu, Epe, Ikorodu and Ketu. Akinbode Oluwafemi, a Director at the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, said Mr. Obasas statement was ill advised. Since October 2015 we have made representations, Mr. Oluwafemi said. During the campaigns, we sent correspondence to the current governor, Governor Ambode, about our aversion to privatization of Lagos water and we have been very articulate in telling them what needs to be done, because we are not saying no to water privatization, we are saying there is a solution. We were shocked that the Speaker of the House that is supposed to represent the people now came out and said the only solution is to support corporate profit. Betty Abah, Executive Director at Cee-Hope, appealed to the state government to halt the planned privatization adding that Lagosians ought to have free access to water. If the road we travel on is privatized in the form of toll gates, water should at least be free. If we do not speak now one day they will privatize the air that we breathe. The protesters had drafted a two-point petition addressed to Mr. Obasa demanding a public statement informing his constituents about his commitment to protect Lagos water from PPP water privatisation scheme as well as propose and develop a comprehensive plan for achieving universal access to clean water in the state. They were also armed with a petition to the lawmakers demanding a rejection of all forms of water privatization and commodification, revision of all water sector laws prmoting PPP, and making adequate budgetary provisions to the water sector. However, when they arrived the Lagos State House of Assembly, security officials shut the gate, prompting them to block vehicular movement entering or exiting the Complex. It took the intervention of a lawmaker, Segun Olulade, for the gates to be opened. Theyve opened the gates eventually and that is to tell you we are in a democratic government, Mr. Muali told the crowd. We are no more in the era of military whereby we the masses that put them there, we want to tell them our no and our yes and somebody locked the gate. That is why we said You lock the gate, we block the road. One-one. Responding, Mr. Olulade said the lawmakers would look into all the matters raised in the petitions. We have received your petition, and I want to assure you, though we are on recess, that this petition will receive urgent and positive attention, said Mr. Olulade (Epe Constituency 2). I also want to assure you that your House will forever stand with the people of Lagos State. We are your voice. Your pain is our pain, your gain is our own gain. We believe in you. Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo says he is considering reducing the number of work days in the state from five to three, to enable the government cut salaries. Mr. Okorocha said this while briefing journalists on the state of affairs in Imo at his residence in Owerri on Friday. He said the reduction of work days would enable workers to attend to other activities that would generate money to supplement their monthly salaries to take care of their families. I encourage Imo workers to find additional things to do to support their families because of the economic situation we are facing in Nigeria. We are considering to reduce the working days from five to three in Imo, so that workers will use the rest of the days to work and support their families, he said. Mr. Okorocha, who was not specific on when it may commence, added that Imo government was equally planning to review workers salaries downward. He said that in spite of the current payment of 70 percent of salaries to workers, the state still paid the highest salary scale among South-Eastern states of Abia, Anabmbra, Ebonyi and Enugu. Directors in these other South-Eastern states receive something a little above N90, 000 while in Imo they receive more than N100, 000. We intend to clear salary arrears up to July by next week. After that, we will consider downward review of salary to workers to be at par with other states of South-East, he said. On the just-concluded rerun election, Mr. Okorocha commended Imo people for electing the candidates of APC in Imo North Senatorial District, Isiala Mbano and Oru East State Constituencies. He said with the victory, APC had shown that it was strong in the South-East and should be given its due right. With these victories, it shows that APC candidates won most of the national and state assembly seats during the 2015 general elections. I call on the leadership of the National Assembly (Senate), to correct the abnormality in its leadership which resulted in an opposition member occupying the Deputy Senate President seat, he said. On his urban renewal programme, Mr. Okorocha said the relocation of Ekeukwu-Owerri market, Orji and Nekede Mechanic villages to Avu was irreversible. From Monday, Aug. 1, a taskforce to enforce the relocation order for the mechanics will commence work, and I am advising vehicle owners not to take their vehicles to any of these places from Monday, he said. (NAN) Police in Nasarawa State on Friday shot four workers as the Nigeria Labour Congress began talks with the state government over the protracted labour crisis rocking the state. NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, told journalists at the police clinic in Lafia that the workers were shot by a policeman at the gate of the Government House where they had gone to wait for the outcome of the NLC meeting with Gov. Umaru Al-Makura. Workers in the state had embarked on an indefinite strike following the decision of the state government to slash their salary by 50 per cent. According to Mr. Wabba, one of the workers died, while three others, including a woman, were being treated for gunshot wounds at the clinic. He said the dead victim was a staff of the state Ministry of Education, while the three others who sustained gunshot wounds included a staff of Doma Local Government Council, the Judicial Service Commission and a journalist with the defunct Nigerian Newsday, a state-owned media outfit. The workers were unarmed and peacefully protesting for their rights only to be shot at by policemen stationed at the government house gate. We do not know what prompted them to shoot at unarmed workers who were waiting for us to finish discussion with the state government over the issue of their emoluments. They were attacked with maximum force. You can see one dead, two critically injured. They were very peaceful, unfortunately the police, under whatever pretense opened fire. It is most unfortunate, he said. Mr. Wabba said when the NLC officials got wind of the incident and approached the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Bello, he said there was no casualty. The NLC boss called on the police authority to fish out those responsible for the shooting or face a nationwide protest by the congress. The rules of engagement in such a situation must be adhered to as everybody around the world has a right to protest. These workers have a right under the law, he said. Mr. Wabba appealed to workers to remain calm and law abiding as the national leadership would take up the issue and will inform them on the next line of action. Reacting over the alleged shooting, the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Bello, said he was yet to be briefed as he was attending the meeting between NLC and the state government. He said the command would investigate to ascertain what really transpired. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed five institutions in Nigerias health sector. The appointments were announced via a statement issued on Friday by the director, press, in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Bolaji Adebiyi. Babatunde Salako is now head of the National Institute for Medical Research. Chikwe Ihekweazu was appointed the new head of the National Centre for Disease Control, while Sani Aliyu heads the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA. Echezona Ezeanolue was also appointed the new boss of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency; and Usman Yusuf is the new Head of National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS. Until his appointment, Mr. Salako was the provost, College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan. He graduated from the same University in 1986. He is also a fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians in both Edinburg and London. He is also a member of an International Panel of Experts, United States Institute of Disease Control in Atlanta. Mr. Ihekweazu is currently the managing partner of EpiAfric, a public health consultancy firm that focuses on Africa. He obtained his medical degree at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1996 and had worked in Berlin, Germany, the United Kingdom and in South Africa before he established his consulting firm in 2014. Mr. Aliyu is currently a Consultant in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Cambridge University, United Kingdom. He got his medical degree from Ahmadu Bello University,ABU, Zaria in 1993. He worked as a medical officer at the State House Medical Centre, Abuja and from there moved to Cambridge in 1998. He rose through the ranks until he became a Consultant in Microbiology. Mr. Ezemolue is currently a professor of Paediatrics and Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA. He got his medical degree at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1995. He did his paediatric internship and residency at the Howard University, Washington DC, USA and obtained his Fellowship in Paediatric Infectious Disease from New Jersey Medical School. He moved to Nevada in 2005 where he remains to date practicing Paediatric medicine. Mr. Yusuf is currently a professor of Paediatrics at St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, United Sates of America. He graduated in medicine from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and worked in the University Teaching Hospital from 1984 1989. Mr. Yusuf worked in the United Kingdom from 1990 1995 from where he moved first to South Carolina, USA, where he rose to become a fellow in Paediatric Hematology/Oncology in 1998. He is a Fellow of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the West African College of Physicians and the American Academy of Physicians. The Ogun State Police Command on Friday said it rescued a 10-year old girl, Promise Udeh, chained by her auntie in Adigbe area of Abeokuta, the state capital. The commands Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspect, Chiamaka Okafor, now on the run, chained the girl after accusing her of stealing N4,000. She was said to have been chained and kept in an uncompleted building in the area. Mr. Oyeyemi said police swung into action after a tip-off by residents of the area, leading to the rescue of Promise. He hinted that the victim had been transferred to Stella Obasanjo Motherless Home located in the GRA area of Abeokuta at the time of this report. According to him, the suspects husband, Sunday Okafor,had been arrested. He assured that Mrs.Okafor would be apprehended and made to face the law. The news came nearly a week after the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, in colloboration with the police in Ogun State, rescued a nine-year-old boy chained for weeks by his father. The Kano State government has released N789.5 million for the state Pilgrims Welfare Board for the successful conduct of 2016 Hajj operations. Briefing journalists on the outcome of State Executive Council meeting held at Kano Government House on Wednesday, the state Commissioner of Information, Youth and Culture, Muhammad Garba, said the amount is meant for operational expenditure and other related logistics. The commissioner remarked that as a result of the national austerity measures and devaluation of the naira, the state government had reduced its Hajj operation staff from 80 to 40 while supporting staff were scaled down from 175 to 99 personnel. Mr. Garba also said henceforth, the state government would only sponsor four members of the board of the agency to Hajj as against the usual ten members for this years Hajj exercise. Also affected by the rationalization in the state Hajj contingent, according to Mr. Garba, are the medical team cut from from 21 to 13, Hajj training facilitators minimized to 10 from 21, Hajj Tribunal from 10 to 3, adding that the number of pressmen and Hisbah Guards was also reduced from 7 and 10 to five respectively. The commissioner further said that the council approved N56, 567,233 for the Ministry of Education to construct additional classrooms and hostels in five Tsangaya Model Schools, noting that the schools to benefit are at Doguwa, Tsanyawa, Dandishe, Garo and Harbau towns. He said the programme was initiated by the immediate past federal government and continued by the present on. The Commissioner also said that approval for N136, 558,100 for payment of outstanding balance in respect of students studying at American University, Yola Adamawa state, assuring parents and students that the Ganduje administration would not let the studies to be truncated either within or outside the country. The management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital has denied referring Mayowa Ahmed, a cancer patient at the hospital, for treatment abroad. The hospital also denied being involved in any fund raising activity on the patients behalf. In its first official statement on the controversial case, the hospital said the patients family requested to fly her overseas barely 24 hours after her admission, thus stalling all the planned investigations meant to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. The LUTH said Ms. Ahmed, 31, who was an old patient at the hospital, was brought to their private wing on Monday with a history and clinical features of an intra-abdominal mass. The family and the patient brought along some results of laboratory investigations ordered and done from outside LUTH. Three different Specialists were invited to review Mayowa. The Gynaecologist, Oncologist and Haematologist all arrived at a tentative diagnosis of an abdominal malignancy. They planned to conduct a series of fresh tests to confirm the definitive diagnosis, since the earlier tests were neither requested nor authorised by any doctor from LUTH. An online fund-raising campaign supported by Nollywood actress, Toyin Aimakhu, with the hashtag #SaveMayowa, and aimed at raising money for Ms. Ahmed treatment abroad, had gained popularity on social media during the week. Her family said she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In its statement, the LUTH said the hospital was able to transfuse Ms. Ahmed with much-needed blood only after lots of persuasion, and after the family was told it was risky for her to travel by air, given her low blood count. Today (Thursday) is the third day after admission and a definitive diagnosis has not yet been made while the relations insist on their own to carry her abroad. LUTH has only dealt with Miss Ahmed and her relations throughout her stay and not with any other third party. Contrary to any circulating information, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital did not refer Miss Ahmed overseas and this Institution is not involved with any fund-raising activity or activist on her behalf. The #SaveMayowa hashtag had garnered over 11,000 mentions on Twitter by Thursday, with unconfirmed claims that the family had raised over N30 million. However, news began circulating on social media that the fundraising was a scam because the patient was beyond help, prompting the family to quickly issue a statement insisting they were planning to raise $100,000 for her treatment at Emory International Hospital, Atlanta, USA. On Thursday, the police broke up a heated exchange between some social media campaigners and Ms. Ahmeds relatives inside LUTHs premises, and whisked all parties to the Area D Command in Mushin. The police later issued a statement saying it had begun a full scale investigation into #SaveMayowa fundraising campaign, adding that it had frozen the Access Bank account opened in Ms. Ahmeds name. The Command wishes to inform all the good spirited people who had donated generously to this course that it will ensure it does not return as a hoax and every outcome of the investigation shall be made open, said Dolapo Badmus, the Lagos police spokesperson. ( Read 9880 Times) State has sold out mother earth and the tribals,her children ,to the corporates who have threatened the very existence of the planet earth.Earth is a woman,our mother.We should have the same regard for her as we have for our mother.But unfortunately in India the governments have sold out natural resources to the corporates who ,in order to maximize their profits have destroyed nature and the lives of the tribals who are the children of nature.This was the concern shared by the noted writer and activist Mahashweta Devi in a special interview on Saturday morning in Udaipur.Mahashweta Devi arrived in Udaipur on Friday evening.She is the recipient of an honour instituted by Jeevan Rakshak Trust founded by noted educationist of Udaipur late Shri Kesri Lal Bordia.The trust awards a sum of Rs.one lakh every year to some well known educationist, man of letters or social activist. Mahashweta Devi is a well known writer and a social activist who has been honoures with Sahitya Akadamy,Bhartiya Jnanpeeth and a number of organizations.She is also a recipient of the Magasaysay Award.The honour will be conferred on her by veteran Gandhian Narayan Bhai Desai on Saturday evening in a public function at Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal,Udaipur.Mahashweta Devi said that the present time is extremely important.The planet earth is in danger.The greed of the capitalist world specially the corporates has caused the depletion of those safeguards of nature which can only ensure the longevity of mother earth.She said that the forests were being destroyed in West Bengal and the government has recently given forest and tribal peoples land to an industrialist Jindal in Chalwani Anchal of Medinipur district.This is a punishable offence, giving the land of the tribals,giving the land of the forest is a punishable offence.She was also critical of the Naino plant in Singur.She said that TAta was to invest Rs.2000 crores but the West Bengal government invested three thousand crores in building roads.providing free electricity and water.Only six hundred fifty people were to get employment while more than 22000 persons were displaced.That part of the state is most fertile which was being given away in the name of the industry.She refered to the movement of the people and said that there were pathetic stories of women who were raped during the movement against the industry.But nothing has been done to book the culprits.She said that the judicial inquiries constituted by the state government are farce.When asked about her movement in the support of once notified tribes,Mahashweta Devi talked in details about her crusade against the state and the society who still consider some tribes and some castes as criminal.She said that in West Bengal Lodha and Shabar are dubbrd as notified (criminal)tribes.Even other tribes consider them as criminals and the police does not need any case to apprehend and beat them.That they are Lodhas or Shabars is reason enough to be held guilty.She said that even after government of India declaring these tribes as denotified the situation has not improved much.Mahadevi started her dialogue with describing her struggle in Purulia and Palamu against bonded labour.She said that even after the formation of a law to abolish bonded labour,it exists in one form or other.Talking about her literature she said that whatever she saw in the life she wrote about that. The struggle and suffering of the people finds expression in her writings.She said it was for the readers to judge her work.She said that writing in newspapers and magazines affects her creative writing.Participation in struggles of the people,working in their organizations and guiding them takes a lot of her time.She invited me to visit her house saying ,you come to the house of Didi and see that she has no time to bother about even her dresses and personal needs.The complete collection of her works is being published in Bangla.Already twenty volumes of 300-350 pages have been printed and the editor says that this work is far from completion.Mahashweta Didi showed her familiarity with Rajasthan ,remembered VijaydanDetha and recited a song in Bangla:Mewar Pahad,Mewar PahadJujhe chhile jotha Pratap Veer. ( Read 11541 Times) Udaipur. Rajasthan is one of the largest producer of paddy in India with nearly 1.2 Lakh hectares under rice cultivation. However Rajasthans yield per acre is just about 1800 KG/ Hectare which is about 55% lower than Punjabs average paddy yield of nearly 4000 KG/Hectare. Heavy infestation of insects, weeds and diseases in the paddy crop is a widespread crisis faced by Rajasthan farmers.The Mumbai headquartered Indofil Industries Ltd has commenced KHARIF 2016 Paddy Protection Campaign in Rajasthan specially in, Banswada, Baran, Bharatpur, Durgapur, Hanuman Nagar, Kota and Shree Ganganagar. Indofil has deployed many well trained Krishi Doots to work closely with farmers to ensure a healthy and record paddy crop in KHARIF 2016. Mr. Maheshkumar Khambete a senior manager of INDOFIL INDUSTRIES LTD said Farmer meetings are being organised at important paddy villages. Farmers are being trained on advanced diseases diagnosis techniques and modern cost-effective paddy protection solutions. Seed treatment products like SPRINT provides protection from seed and soil borne diseases and enables uniform germination, better root development and increased number of tillers. Uncontrolled growth of weeds reduces soil nutrients available for uptake by crops. ZECHOR & KILLOG are effective herbicides for easy cost effective control of weeds. AVTAR a unique combination of Contact & Systemic fungicide is an ideal remedy for important fungal disease complex during the rainy season like Sheath Blight, Brown spot, besides it helps to correct the zinic nutrition to paddy crop. Indofils BAAN and BAAN GOLD are protectant fungicide for Rice blast disease control. Absorbed rapidly by the paddy crop BAAN is relocated towards the tips of leaves for protection from fungal attacks and is very effective if applied in the prescribed dosage at the right time. BAAN not only controls blast but significantly improves grain quality, grain shining, grain weight (yield) and reduces milling losses. Indofils MERGER is a one shot fungicide for the control of all types of leaf , node ,neck and grain blast , grain discoloration diseases and brown spot. In addition to disease control, It also improves the yield and quality of grains. It is developed by Indofil Research and Development team. The insect fauna in paddy fields is composed of resident, migratory and aquatic species, but the biggest threat being the BROWN PLANT HOPPER (BPH). Indofils TOKEN with a quick knock down action is an ideal protection against BPH. TOKEN is effective because it acts on the insects nervous system through contact & ingestion resulting in the cessation of feeding within few hours and death shortly after due to paralysis.Mr. Maheshkumar Khambete concluded that To optimize paddy yield farmers have to protect their crop and respond in time to fungal diseases and manifestation of insects and pests. Indofils well-researched, easy-to-use and economical range of products ensure protection from the heavy infestation of diseases, weeds and insects at different stages of paddy cultivation. Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday said that Florida has become the first state in the nation to have the Zika virus transmitted locally via mosquitoes. Gov. Scott said four cases of the virus in Miami Dade and Broward counties were likely local mosquito-borne cases of Zika, involving one woman and three men. He noted, however, that no mosquitoes in Florida have tested positive for the virus. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there was evidence that the virus was being transmitted in South Florida. The mosquito-borne virus, which can cause a rare birth defect and other neurological conditions, has been spreading across the Americas and the Caribbean, with cases reported among travelers returning to the U.S. These cases fit similar disease transmission patterns for other mosquito-borne diseases like chikungunya that's been seen in South Florida in years past, the CDC said in a statement. Florida health officials said in a statement last week they were investigating a case of Zika virus infection that did not appear to stem from travel to another region with an outbreak. U.S. officials predicted local outbreaks would begin as the weather warms, particularly in southern states such as Florida and Texas , according to Reuters. There have been 1,658 reported cases of the virus in the continental U.S., according to the CDC. Zika, which can cause birth defects, is spreading more widely in U.S. territories, with nearly 4,700 cases in Puerto Rico alone. More than 430 pregnant women in the continental U.S. have been diagnosed with Zika, along with 422 in the territories, USAToday reported. The CDC wants doctors to more aggressively screen pregnant women for the virus and take advantage of new testing technology to improve the diagnosis, follow-up and monitoring of those who have been infected. The Florida Department of Health was not immediately available for CNBC's request for comment. Reuters contributed to this report. More From CNBC 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. LONDON, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BAILEYS XC is new innovation from world's number one liqueur brand* BAILEYS, the brand that brought about an innovation in Irish whiskey with cream, today announced the launch of an exciting, new, premium product available exclusively to shoppers in duty free - BAILEYS XC. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160727/393430 ) (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160727/393432 ) BAILEYS XC combines cream, Cognac and fine spirit and takes its name from the 'Exceptional Cream' liqueur showcased in this luxury blend. BAILEYS XC heralds an innovation in drinks alchemy from BAILEYS, bringing together cream, Cognac and fine spirit of unquestionable quality for a smooth, indulgent flavour and a new taste experience for liqueur lovers. Inspired by timeless French sophistication and the growing popularity of luxury liqueurs amongst shoppers in duty free, BAILEYS XC gives travellers a new product which cannot be purchased elsewhere. Presented in a stunning gold and blue, intricately designed bottle featuring an eye-catching hologram effect, BAILEYS XC is designed to appeal to those shoppers looking for something unique and indulgent. Peter Fairbrother, Global Marketing Director of Diageo Global Travel, said, "We are thrilled to bring shoppers in duty free this exclusive new product from BAILEYS. BAILEYS XC is a liqueur of the highest quality, showcasing premium ingredients and beautiful packaging - and it tastes as good as it looks." "We know that BAILEYS traditionally performs well with female shoppers and those looking an escape from the ordinary, and we're confident that this luxurious new product will appeal to new and existing BAILEYS customers." Designed to take pride of place in the drinks cabinet, it makes for a gift of unquestionable style, retailing at 15.00/16.00/$22.50 (RRSP) for a 50cl bottle. From today, travellers can pick up BAILEYS XC from selected airports worldwide. ABOUT BAILEYS Baileys is the world's first Irish cream liqueur, a unique blend of smooth Irish cream with quality spirits and whiskey. It has won more medals than any of its competitors in the 'cream liqueur category' at the prestigious San Francisco world spirits awards and is the 2012 Gold Winner. It's the number 1 liqueur brand in the world, with over 70 million bottles sold across 150 countries each year. For more information please visit the Baileys website: http://www.baileys.com ABOUT DIAGEO Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JB, Buchanan's and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com , for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere. Please drink responsibly, visit http://www.DRINKiQ.com The BAILEYS word and associated logos are trademarks R&A Bailey & Co 2016 SOURCE Diageo Global Travel PUNE, India, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The blood collection market is expected to reach $9.90 billion by 2021 at CAGR of 5.3% from 2016 to 2021 propelled by the increasing number of surgical procedures requiring blood transfusions, growing number of accidental and trauma cases and rising prevalence of diseases. Complete report on blood collection market spread across 156 pages, profiling 10 companies and supported with 103 tables and 59 figures is now available at http://www.marketreportshub.com/blood-collection-industry-research-marketsandmarkets.html . In this report, the blood collection market is segmented on the basis of products, applications, end users, and regions. On the basis of products, the blood collection market is categorized into blood collection needles and syringes, blood collection tubes, blood lancets, blood bags, vials, and others (microscopic slides, slide strainers, and test tube racks). The blood collection needles and syringes segment is expected to account for the largest share of the blood collection market in 2016. The increasing demand of blood collection needles and syringes in blood collection procedures (due to the increasing number of surgeries) is the major factor contributing to the growth of this segment. The blood collection market, by application, is segmented into diagnostics and treatment applications. The diagnostics segment is further divided into infectious diseases and non-infectious diseases. The diagnostics segment is expected to account for the largest share of the blood collection market in 2016. The increasing demand for blood in diagnostic procedures and increasing number of accidental and trauma cases are the major factors driving the growth of the diagnostics market. North America is expected to account for the largest share of the blood collection market in 2016. The implementation of favorable government initiatives for blood safety is the major factor driving the growth of the blood collection market in North America. The Asia-Pacific market, on the other hand, is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the forecast period. This market is primarily driven by the increasing incidences of infectious diseases. The key players in the blood collection market are Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), Abbott Laboratories (U.S.), Nipro Medical Corporation (Japan), and Terumo Corporation (Japan).Order a copy of Blood Collection Market by Product (Syringes, Needles, EDTA, Heparin, Serum, Tubes, Blood Lancets, Blood Bags, Vials), Application (Diagnostic, Treatment, Infectious Diseases, Non Infectious Diseases) & End User (Blood Banks, Hospitals) - Forecast to 2021research report at http://www.marketreportshub.com/purchase?rpid=4107 . On the basis of end users, the blood collection market is segmented into hospitals and diagnostic centers, blood banks, and other end users (long-term acute care centers, trauma centers, and nursing homes). The hospitals and diagnostic centers segment is expected to account for the largest share of the blood collection market in 2016. The large share of this segment is primarily attributed to the increasing demand of donated blood, growing number of organ transplantation surgeries, and increasing number of blood donations worldwide. On a related note, another research on Blood Culture Tests Market Global Forecasts to 2021 says, the global market is to reach USD 4,768.9 million by 2021 from USD 3,252.6 million in 2016, at a CAGR of 8.0%. North America commanded the largest share of the global blood culture tests market in 2015. In this report the company profiles comprise basic views on key players and their product portfolios, developments, and strategies adopted. Companies like Becton, Dickinson and Company, bioMerieux SA, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Cepheid, Inc., Nanosphere, Inc., Roche Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter, Bruker Corporation, IRIDICA and T2 Biosystems have been profiled in this 249 pages research report available at http://www.marketreportshub.com/blood-culture-test-industry-research-marketsandmarkets.html . Explore more reports on life sciences market at http://www.marketreportshub.com/categories/life-sciences. About Us: Market Reports Hub is your one-stop online shop for syndicated industry research reports on 25+ categories and their sub-sectors. We bring to you to the latest in market research across multiple industries and geographies from leading research publishers across the globe. Connect with Us: G+ / Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/110654518968238222746/about Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarketReportHub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marketreportshub/679736978808693 RSS / Feeds:http://www.marketreportshub.com/rss.xml Contact: Ritesh Tiwari UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune - 411013 Maharashtra, India. Tel: +1-888-391-5441 sales@marketreportshub.com SOURCE Market Reports Hub RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) has brought home yet another prestigious award from the inaugural BURJ CEO Awards, winning "Best Global Free Zone," at Washington DC, USA. This is RAK FTZ's third recognition from award-giving bodies this year. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160515/367695LOGO ) (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160728/393772 ) Izzat Barakat, RAK FTZ's Chief Commercial Officer accepted the award from HH Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum Al Maktoum - Patron & Chairman of CEO Club Network and the BURJ CEO Awards on behalf of the free zone on 27 July 2016 during an Awards Ceremony Gala Dinner at The Mayflower Hotel - attended exclusively by the UAE officials, US government officials, and CEOs as well as local and international high executive business community. "The year 2016 is really turning out to be another remarkable year for RAK FTZ," Mr Barakat said. "Holding this trophy makes me feel proud of what we have accomplished for our clients in the free zone. We are grateful to be recognised for our quality performance. The feeling is always priceless when our dedication to delivering excellent services to the growing international business community in Ras Al Khaimah pays off." A high-calibre judging panel composed of respected executives, entrepreneurs, innovators and business educators carefully selected the winners of the BURJ CEO Awards based on their achievements and outstanding contributions to the business network. "This recognition goes straight to our long list of accomplishments but our journey to becoming a premium investment agency that effectively supports businesses of all sizes continues. Being named once again as the best in the field motivates us to come up with more optimal business solutions, infrastructure, technology and support to meet the needs of our over 8,600 stakeholders," Mr Barakat said. About Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone: Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) provides award-winning services and world-class facilities, enabling clients to quickly and efficiently set up and grow profitable companies in the United Arab Emirates. Home to more than 8,600 active companies from over 100 countries and over 50 industry sectors, RAK FTZ offers a completely tax-free status to its clients, allows for 100 per cent foreign ownership and unrestricted repatriation of profits, in addition to a host of other business-friendly incentives. Less than an hour's drive from Dubai, RAK FTZ offers significant geographical advantages for clients to easily access markets in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. It caters to the unique requirements of small, medium and large businesses with four free zone parks including business centre facilities, offices, warehouses and land for development, as well as facilities for educational institutions. Since its inception 15 years ago, RAK FTZ has diversified from its traditional focus on industrial manufacturing to also support trading, sales and marketing activities, a wide range of service sectors, as well as logistics and distribution platforms. To learn more about RAK FTZ, please visit http://www.rakftz.com. SOURCE RAK Free Trade Zone DUBLIN, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Growth Opportunities in the Global Steam Turbine MRO Market 2016-2021: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis" report to their offering. According to a new market report, the future of the steam turbine MRO market looks good with opportunities in maintenance, repair and overhaul segment. The global steam turbine MRO market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2016 to 2021. The major drivers for the growth of this market are increasing age of operating steam turbines and installation of new steam turbines, especially in the APAC region. In this market, there are mainly three services practiced, i.e. maintenance, repair, and overhaul. On the basis of comprehensive research, the report forecasts that the maintenance and overhaul segments of the steam turbine MRO market are expected to show above average growth rate during the forecast period. Within the steam turbine MRO market, the maintenance service is expected to remain the largest segment. Increasing concern by steam turbine owners for maintaining the turbine efficiency and to reduce the risk of turbine breakdown as much as possible are the major driving forces, which would spur growth for this segment over the forecast period. APAC is expected to remain the largest market and is likely to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to increasing fleet of ageing turbines and installation of new steam turbines. For market expansion, this report suggests establishment of collaboration and ventures to increase customer proximity. Emerging trends in the global steam turbine MRO market, which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the industry, include growing interest of steam turbine OEMs to service the equipment of other OEMs and collaboration activities by competitors to gain access to APAC market. Shanghai Electric, Harbin Electric, Dongfang Electric, Siemens, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and BHEL are among the major competitors of steam turbine MRO market. The report analyzes growth opportunities for the global steam turbine MRO market by type of service and region and has come up with a comprehensive research report, Growth Opportunities in the Global Steam Turbine MRO Market 2016-2021: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis. The report serves as a spring board for growth strategy as it provides a comprehensive data and analysis on trends, key drivers, and directions. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Industry Background and Classifications 3. Market Trends and Forecast Analysis 4. Competitor Analysis 5. Growth Opportunities and Strategic Analysis 6. Company Profiles of Leading Players - BHEL - Dongfang Electric - Harbin Electric - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - Shanghai Electric - Siemens For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ctl2g6/growth 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 - Signs agreement to acquire PEERING Gmbh - Acquires OM-NIX Group AD BRISBANE, Australia, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Megaport Limited (ASX:MP1) today announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Germany's second largest Internet Exchange operator PEERING GmbH which operates under the brand ECIX, based in Berlin, Germany. ECIX provides services to over 180 customers throughout its 30 points of presence within Germany. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160510/365602LOGO Megaport CEO Denver Maddux said: "Europe represents a tremendous opportunity for Megaport and our acquisition of PEERING GmbH gives us depth within Germany, one of the largest economies in Europe where cloud services are forecast to grow significantly." Stefan Wahl, CEO of PEERING, GmbH said: "In terms of culture, capabilities, and neutrality, Megaport was the obvious choice to extend ECIX's industry-changing services outside Germany. We are nimble which gives us the ability to deploy quickly and align our services to our customers' needs. "Megaport is the same and understands the importance of maintaining those values and capabilities while growing their business. The ECIX team are absolutely thrilled to join such a phenomenal company and team and are committed to supporting Megaport's success in Europe," Wahl said. Megaport also announced the acquisition of OM-NIX, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. OM-NIX is a carrier-grade pan-European network services provider with access to key interconnection facilities throughout Europe. Combined, the acquisitions represent 48 European sites. "OM-NIX has extensive reach into Eastern Europe and the Balkans region and, combining these acquisitions with the original Megaport build footprint, we now have extraordinary opportunity to extend our Elastic Interconnection across Europe," Maddux said. Yuliy Nushev, Founder of OM-NIX said: "It was immediately clear OM-NIX could play a big part in Megaport's vision to bring Elastic Interconnection to Europe. Our unique footprint is an excellent complement to the core Megaport footprint and offers a great number of locations and ecosystem partners with which to connect." "This service footprint will provide all our existing customers and partners cloud connection and internet exchange capabilities via Megaport Virtual Cross Connect services (VXCs) as well as Internet Exchange services. The ECIX Internet Exchange service has become one of the top IX platforms in Europe. I could not be happier to welcome ECIX and OM-NIX to the Megaport family," Maddux said. Combined, the acquisitions of ECIX and OM-NIX represent 48 European sites. These acquisitions coincide with Megaport today officially launching its elastic interconnection platform in Europe. As foreshadowed in the IPO prospectus of December, 2015 the Megaport Elastic Fabric is now available in nine sites throughout London, Dublin, Stockholm and Amsterdam with an additional four sites due to come online in the coming weeks. Denver Maddux, Chief Executive Officer, Megaport Limited said: "I'm really pumped that we are formally launching services in Europe as well as announcing the acquisition of these two great companies that are accretive to our business and align with our values and culture. When you consider the market coverage each acquisition brings to our build they dovetail perfectly and leapfrog our initial plans for Europe. On completion of the transactions Europe will become Megaport's largest market in terms of coverage and revenue. That's pretty incredible." Details of Megaport's European launch and acquisitions: Combined European footprint in 13 countries across 19 cities and 57 locations with these acquisitions representing 48 of those. Combined acquisition cost $3.1M AUD with combined estimated annualised revenue of $4.5M AUD and the acquisitions are earnings accretive AUD with combined estimated annualised revenue of AUD and the acquisitions are earnings accretive Acquisitions are all cash consideration funded from current cash reserves Combined acquisitions bring 180+ customers Core PEERING GmbH leadership team will remain as managers of the combined operation The sale and purchase is subject to customary conditions precedent and is anticipated to complete in early August. Supporting Resources Visit Megaport: https://megaport.com/ Follow Megaport on Twitter: @megaportnetwork Like Megaport on Facebook Follow Megaport on LinkedIn About Megaport Megaport is the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. Using Software Defined Networking, the Company's global platform enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services across the Megaport Fabric. Services can be directly controlled by customers via mobile devices, their computer or our open API. The Company's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various markets. Established in 2013 and founded by Bevan Slattery, Megaport built the world's first SDN-based elastic interconnection platform designed to provide the most secure, seamless and on-demand way for enterprises, networks and services to interconnect. Led by industry veteran Denver Maddux, Megaport has been built by a highly experienced team with extensive knowledge in building large scale global carrier networks and connects over 500* customers throughout its 132* locations in 36* markets in 19 countries. Megaport is an Amazon AWS Technology Partner, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Partner, and Google Cloud Interconnect Partner. To learn more about Megaport, please visit: www.megaport.com. * Includes announced acquisition of OM-NIX and ECIX which are due to be completed in August, 2016. Media enquiries about Megaport: Email: media@megaport.com WENDY HILL SAPPHIRE COMMUNICATIONS PH: +614-2717-3203 EM: wendy@sapphirecommunications.com.au Related Links http://www.megaport.com SOURCE Megaport DUBLIN, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Consumer Banking and Borrowing: U.S. Market Trends" report to their offering. Consumer Banking and Borrowing: U.S. Market Trends, provides trend-forward analysis of the consumer banking and borrowing market, focusing on commercial banks, credit unions, and savings institutions, with supplemental analysis of finance companies, as well as emerging banking alternatives. In doing so, the report emphasizes 2007-2016 trend patterns that highlight consumer behavior, attitudes and usage of banking and borrowing products and services; and related deposit, asset and loan trends. The report does the following: Assesses the consumer's future prospects, blending economic forecasting, employment trend analysis and HH income shifts in affluence; consumer attitudes toward debt, money management trends and savings trends; and consumer debt ratio, delinquency rate and charge-off trends. Provides direction on the importance of checking accounts and primary checking accounts to consumers, with analysis of factors important to opening a bank account; assesses banking institution consolidation trends; and banking institution asset, deposit and loan growth trends; and discusses how technology impacts consumer decisions that curtail banking revenue. Analyzes consumer banking revenue streams and amounts for three major banking institutions with varying product emphasis, and discusses consumer security and trust concerns. Discusses the primary banking relationship, including identifying primary banking choices among major banking institutions, assessing factors relevant to choosing a primary bank, primary bank relationship length, and number of banking institutions used. Studies factors that can strengthen the primary banking relationship; the degree to which major banking institutions cross-sell credit cards to bank users and the degree to which they cross-sell banking services to credit card users. Studies the impact of mobile banking, including the importance of banking apps to the account opening decision and shifts in bank channel usage. Details checking and savings account usage trends, emphasizing age, generation, and HH income shifts in usage; banking account and card usage, by type of account and card; and checking account usage, by bank channel and emerging account types. Assesses consumer deposits and deposit service charges, providing a consumer checking and savings deposit market size; a breakdown of consumer service charges by type; and analysis of banking institutions by total consumer deposits, by consumer deposit fees, by highest share of consumer deposit fees, and by the ratio of overdraft fees to deposits. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1: Executive Summary Chapter 2: Trends Shaping Consumer Banking Chapter 3: The Consumer Banking Relationship Chapter 4: Consumer Account Ownership and Service Charge Trends Chapter 5: Consumer Loan Trends For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/nnckwp/consumer_banking About Research and Markets Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: 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 Students come from all over the world and count on the University to prepare them for their chosen industry. University students will have the opportunity to work with JONCKERS at the Global Business and Language Center and in other JONCKERS centers around the world. JONCKERS will move to new premises within the University campus able to house JONCKERS full-time employees, subject matter experts and other specialists. "We focus on creating strong relationships with key organizations. In the same way our particle physicist students' work with CERN, our international business and language students will work with JONCKERS," said Dr. Ing. Branislav Hadzima, PhD, the director of the University of the Zilina Research Centre. "JONCKERS gives us a strong commercial partner for future spin-off and start-ups as well as for global expansion of products generated by research activities throughout the University." "We are looking forward to working closely with the University," said Peter Smith, JONCKERS Chief Executive Officer. "As a growing global business we are always looking for management talent through our internship program and by offering career opportunities to graduates. Our internship program will allow us to share the mind-set as well as imprint global business ethics and work attitudes." About JONCKERS JONCKERS is the world's foremost global communications company. Our award winning technology and service provides solutions for global adaptation across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Learn how JONCKERS can help you reach customers everywhere. Visit www.jonckers.com. About University of Zilina University of Zilina has a burning ambition to continue in dynamic growth, to provide high quality education, to educate well-prepared and demanding graduates, to develop international cooperation both in science and education; however, its major aim it primarily to provide space and opportunities for the young generation to discover new and broaden their horizons, to learn how to cooperate, communicate and respect each other. Related Links http://www.jonckers.com SOURCE JONCKERS Financial Highlights Robust EBITDA margins during the quarter Q1 FY2017 Revenues at Rs. 14,364 crore EBITDA of Rs. 3,543 crore with strong EBITDA margin 1 of 32% with strong EBITDA margin of 32% Attributable net profit before exceptional items increased significantly from a loss of Rs 62 crore in Q4 FY2016 to a profit of Rs. 615 crore in Q4 FY2016 to a profit of Rs. Gross Debt reduced by Rs. 606 crore during the quarter during the quarter Strong financial position with total cash & cash equivalents of Rs. 52,299 crore Operational Highlights Aluminium, Power and Iron ore ramp-up progressing well Aluminium: Commissioning of pots at BALCO-II and 1st line of Jharsuguda-II smelter nearing completion, 2nd line ramp-up commenced Aluminium: exit production run-rate of 1.1mtpa Iron ore: Production at Goa ramped-up; produced 40% of allocated EC capacity in Q1 ramped-up; produced 40% of allocated EC capacity in Q1 Power: Third 660MW unit of TSPL synchronized, to be capitalized in Q2; second 300MW IPP unit of BALCO capitalized Oil & Gas: Production stable; contribution from Mangala EOR increased to 42kboepd, world's largest polymer EOR program Oil & Gas: Rajasthan water flood opex at $4.4 /boe, blended cost at $6.4 /boe /boe, blended cost at /boe Zinc India : Silver production up 20% y-o-y; mined metal production of 127 kt as per mine plan, with 2nd half to be substantially higher 1. Excludes custom smelting at Copper India and Zinc India operations Tom Albanese, Chief Executive Officer, Vedanta Limited, said: "We have made good progress on the ramp up of capacities at our Aluminium, Power and Iron Ore businesses during the quarter. These would be significant contributors to earnings as the year progresses. Zinc India was impacted by lower mined metal production as per the mine plan, and the second half is expected to be substantially higher. We are focused on generating stronger free cash flow and delevering the balance sheet, in line with our strategic priorities. Another of these priorities, the simplification of the group structure, is also on track following the recent announcement of the revised and final terms for the Vedanta Ltd and Cairn India merger." Consolidated Financial Performance The consolidated financial performance of the company under Ind AS during the period is as under: (In Rs. crore, except as stated) FY 2016 Particulars Q1 Q4 Actual FY 2017 FY 2016 % Change FY 2016 % Change 63,913 Net Sales/Income from operations 14,364 16,944 (15)% 15,826 (9)% 15,183 EBITDA 3,543 4,139 (14)% 3,480 2% 30% EBITDA Margin1 32% 32% 28% 5,782 Finance cost 1,393 1,373 1% 1,566 (11)% 4,482 Other Income 1,094 955 14% 1,251 (13)% (23) Forex loss/ (gain) 67 28 (16) 13,874 Profit before Depreciation and Taxes 3,140 3,670 (14)% 3,200 (2)% 6,134 Depreciation 1,492 1,502 (1)% 1,423 5% 7,740 Profit before Exceptional items 1,648 2,168 (24)% 1,777 (7)% 13,862 Exceptional Items2 41 13,723 1,894 Taxes 491 534 (8)% 760 (35)% (8,016) Profit After Taxes 1,157 1,593 (27)% (12,706) 5,573 Profit After Taxes before Exceptional items 1,157 1,635 (29)% 747 55% 2,915 Minority Interest 542 750 (28)% 522 4% 58% Minority Interest excl.Exceptional Items % 47% 46% 108% (10,931) Attributable PAT after exceptional items 615 843 (27)% (13,228) 2,329 Attributable PAT before exceptional items 615 884 (30)% (62) (36.87) Basic Earnings per Share (Rs./share) 2.07 2.84 (27)% (44.62) 7.86 Basic EPS before Exceptional Items 2.07 2.98 (30)% (0.20) 65.46 Exchange rate (Rs./$) Average 66.93 63.50 5% 67.50 (1)% 66.33 Exchange rate (Rs./$) Closing 67.62 63.75 6% 66.33 2% 1. Excludes custom smelting at Copper India and Zinc India operations 2. Exceptional Items Gross of Tax Note: All numbers are as per Ind AS. Previous period figures have been regrouped / rearranged wherever necessary to conform to current period presentation. Revenues Revenues in Q1 were 9% lower sequentially due to lower volumes at Zinc India and Copper India, partially offset by higher metal and oil prices. On y-o-y basis, revenues in Q1 were 15% lower, on account of the fall in oil and metal prices, weaker power market and lower zinc volumes, partially offset by ramp up in volumes at Iron Ore, Power and Aluminium. EBITDA and EBITDA Margins EBITDA at Rs. 3,543 crore was 2% higher sequentially due to higher metal and oil prices, and higher volumes at Iron Ore, partially offset by lower Zinc volumes. However on a y-o-y basis EBITDA was lower by 14% primarily due to lower commodity prices. EBITDA margin was strong at 32% in the current quarter. The higher margin was a result of strong cost saving initiatives and volume ramp-up at Aluminium and Iron Ore. Cost saving initiatives include clean-sheet based negotiations, optimizing sourcing mix in key raw materials, logistics, and consolidation of spend and contracts. Depreciation Depreciation in Q1 was at Rs.1,492 crore, higher by Rs. 69 crore sequentially mainly at Cairn India where Q4 FY2016 depreciation was lower due to actualization of entitlement reserves at year end. Depreciation was marginally lower y-o-y, mainly on lower volumes at Cairn India, and closure of the Lisheen zinc mine in Q3 FY2016, partially offset by capitalization of aluminium & power capacities over the period. Finance Cost and Other Income Post commencement of Aluminium pots ramp-up at Jharsuguda-II, the Company with effect from March 2016, has revised the accounting methodology with regards to the finance cost pertaining to the non-capitalized pots at Jharsuguda-II, wherein the interest cost will be expensed following actual capitalisation of the pots (the complete interest cost pertaining to Jharsuguda-II was being expensed earlier). Hence, finance cost during the quarter at Rs. 1,393 crore was 11% lower sequentially. Finance costs were marginally higher by Rs.20 crore y-o-y, primarily driven by capitalisation of power units, increase in temporary borrowing at Zinc India, and due to change in INR/USD borrowing mix. These were partially offset by refinancing benefits and the change in methodology in expensing of interest pertaining to Jharsuguda-II, as explained above. Other income at Rs.1,094 crore decreased by Rs.157 crore sequentially due to lower investment corpus on account of pay out of special dividend at the beginning of the quarter at Zinc India. Other income increased by Rs 139 crore y-o-y primarily due to higher mark to market gain on investments in current quarter partially offset by lower investment corpus on account of pay out of special dividend at the beginning of the quarter at Zinc India. Non-Operational Forex Loss/Gain During the quarter, rupee depreciation of 2% led to a forex loss of Rs.67 crore primarily on restatement of MAT assets at Oil & Gas business. Taxes Tax expense was Rs. 491 crore during the quarter, implying a tax rate of 30% (excluding DDT Rs. 434 crore, 26% tax rate) compared with tax rate of 10% for FY 2016 (excluding DDT and one-offs). Higher tax rate during Q1 FY2017 is mainly on expiry of tax holiday period at Zinc India and Oil & Gas business. Tax rate for Q4 FY2016 was (14)% (excluding DDT). Q1 FY2017 tax rate is not comaprabale to Q4 FY2016 due to one-time write backs during Q4. Tax rate for FY17 (excluding DDT) is likely to be lower. Attributable Profit After Tax and Earnings Per Share (EPS) Attributable Profit After Tax (PAT) for the quarter is at Rs. 615 crore and Attributable EPS for the quarter was at Rs. 2.07 per share. Ind AS implementation Ind AS implementation Company has adopted Ind AS for preparation of accounts. Comparative periods have been restated under Ind AS as per the guidelines. These are not audited. The opening balance sheet as at 1st April 2015 and the sub periods would get finalized along with annual financial statements for year ended 31st March 2017. Key differences / impact of Ind AS on numbers are: 1) Fair Value of investments 2) Goodwill amortization changes 3) FX variation in US$ functional ledger 4) Dividend distribution tax accounting 5) Goodwill amortisation Please refer to financial results and pro-forma in the investor presentation, available on our website. Balance Sheet Management The Company is actively managing its balance sheet with a focus on maximizing free cash flow, refinancing and terming out maturing debt, and simplifying the group structure. Our financial position remains robust with cash and liquid investments of Rs. 52,299 crore, which is invested in debt related mutual funds, bank deposits and high quality bonds, and undrawn committed facilities of c.Rs. 6,500 crore as on June 30, 2016. As on 30 June 2016, gross debt reduced by Rs. 606 crore during the quarter to Rs. 76,953 crore given repayment of inter- company loan of Rs 5,736 crore to Vedanta Resources Plc, partially offset by borrowings at Zinc India and Aluminium businesses. Net debt increased by Rs. 6,400 crore to 24,654 crore mainly on pay out of special dividend at Zinc India during the current quarter. Out of the total debt of Rs. 76,953 crore, the INR/USD split is approximately 63%/ 37%. Further, the gross debt comprises of long term loans of Rs. 59,263 crore and short term loans of Rs. 17,690 crore. FY2017 debt maturities are Rs. 12,406 crore, which we intend to meet through a combination of roll over, refinancing, internal accruals and working capital initiatives. We continue to evaluate different structures and options for future maturities with an objective to lower funding cost and/or extend the maturity profile. Corporate Revise Term for Merger Vedanta Limited & Cairn India The Boards of Vedanta Limited and Cairn India have approved revised and final terms for the Transaction on 22nd July 2016, taking into account prevailing market conditions and having regard to underlying commercial factors. Pursuant to the revised and final terms, each Cairn India minority shareholder will receive for each equity share held: 1 equity share in Vedanta Limited; and 4 Redeemable Preference Shares with a face value of INR 10 in Vedanta Limited, with a coupon of 7.5% and tenure of 18 months from issuance. The Jurisdictional High Courts have convened the shareholder meetings for each of Vedanta Limited and Cairn India on 8 September 2016 and 12 September 2016, respectively. The Notice convening the shareholder meetings will be sent to shareholders in due course. The Transaction is expected to close by Q1 CY2017. Results Conference Call Please note that the results presentation is available in the Investor Relations section of the company website www.vedantalimited.com Following the announcement, there will be a conference call at 6:00 PM (IST) on Friday, 29th July 2016, where senior management will discuss the company's results and performance. The dial-in numbers for the call are as below: Event Telephone Number Earnings conference call on 29 July 2016 India 6:00 PM (IST) Mumbai main access +91 22 3938 1017 Mumbai standby access +91 22 6746 8333 Singapore 8:30 PM (Singapore Time) Toll free number 800 101 2045 Hong Kong 8:30 PM (Hong Kong Time) Toll free number 800 964 448 UK 12:30 PM (UK Time) Toll free number 0 808 101 1573 US 8:30 AM (Eastern Time) Toll free number 1 866 746 2133 For online registration http://services.choruscall.in/diamondpass/registration?confirmationNumber=5267915 Replay of Conference Call (29 July 2016 to 4 Aug 2016) Mumbai +91 22 3065 2322 +91 22 6181 3322 Passcode: 63835# For further information, please contact: Communications Roma Balwani Tel: +91 22 6646 1000 President Group Communications, Sustainability&CSR gc@vedanta.co.in Investor Relations Ashwin Bajaj Tel: +91 22 6646 1531 Director Investor Relations vedantaltd.ir@vedanta.co.in Vishesh Pachnanda Manager Investor Relations Sunila Martis Manager Investor Relations About Vedanta Limited (Formerly SesaSterlite Ltd.) Vedanta Limited is a diversified natural resources company, whose business primarily involves producing oil & gas, zinc - lead - silver, copper, iron ore, aluminium and commercial power. The company has a presence across India, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, Ireland, Liberia and Sri Lanka. Vedanta Limited, formerly SesaSterlite Limited is the Indian subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc, a London-listed company. Governance and Sustainable Development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information please log on to www.vedantalimited.com Vedanta Limited (Formerly known as SesaSterlite Limited) Vedanta, 75, Nehru Road, Vile Parle (East), Mumbai - 400 099 www.vedantalimited.com Registered Office: SesaGhor, 20 EDC Complex, Patto, Panaji (Goa) - 403 001 CIN: L13209GA1965PLC000044 Disclaimer This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should" or "will." Forwardlooking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different that those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150422/740375 Related Links http://www.vedantalimited.com/ SOURCE Vedanta Limited Strategically located in Ho Chi Minh City, VIETSTOCK 2016 reaches across the Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) markets to bring together an expected 9,000+ visitors ready to do business on 19-21 October, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC), Vietnam. "No other feed, livestock and meat show in the CLMV region comes close in size or scope," said UBM Asia Business Director, Rungphech (Rose) Chitanuwat. Noting the rapid growth in exhibitor numbers, Ms. Rose said, "The level of support we are receiving from local, regional and international companies confirms the attractiveness of the livestock and allied sectors market in Vietnam and the surrounding region -- and the important role VIETSTOCK plays in the industry." VIETSTOCK 2016 has again attracted many of the industry's best known names, and with exhibitors from more than 30 countries it will bring a strong international perspective to the region's livestock sector. Moreover, it also encourages valuable business partnerships, knowledge transfer and investment by which we can help to increase the region's competitiveness by further improving the quality and safety of feed, livestock and meat products. Exhibitors are optimistic about the growth and evolution of the livestock and allied industries, not just in Vietnam, but in CLMV. The region has become increasingly important to the livestock market as with continued economic growth, consumers are demanding higher quality and safe food products. This is making the region especially attractive to suppliers of inputs, such as animal health, feed, meat processing equipment, food safety solutions and so much more. "As the livestock, aquaculture and allied industries in Vietnam and the surrounding area continue to grow and innovate each year, so does VIETSTOCK. With every show, VIETSTOCK has moved from strength to strength, due in large part to the support of the industry, including our valued partners the Department of Livestock Production, Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development of Vietnam (MARD) and Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam (AHAV)," Ms. Rose said. "VIETSTOCK is much more than the industry's leading tradeshow," noted Ms. Rose. "And this year there's more opportunity than ever to connect with the industry and the people driving it. With the theme, 'Enhancing Food Safety for Domestic & Export Markets,' an extensive program of activities alongside the Expo will include conferences and seminars where you will be able to hear from leading experts who keep you informed about the latest products and solutions and a broad range of issues and trends affecting the industry that are designed to equip delegates with new ideas that will focus on improving the competitiveness of the feed, livestock and meat industries and upgrading food safety. For further information, or to pre-register, please visit www.vietstock.org. Note for Editors About VIETSTOCK Expo and Forum Organized by UBM Asia (Malaysia), VIETSTOCK Expo and Forum has developed an outstanding reputation since its launch in 2004 as Vietnam's premier event for the feed, livestock and meat industries and continues to grow bigger and better with each version. SOURCE UBM Asia (Malaysia) MELBOURNE, Australia, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the release of Rhys Hagan's anticipated debut novel, Hunting Taylor Brown, around the corner, the Australian thriller writer describes what life was like for six years in a Christian cult. In late 2012, Open Doors Christian Churcha small congregation in regional Victoria, would hit breaking point. By this time Hagan and his family had been attending the group for almost six years and found themselves entirely devoted to extreme religious ideals, but more so, the Pastor. The front cover of Hunting Taylor Brown Author, Rhys Hagan With a theatrical personality and cunning manipulation, the pastor had ensnared many into believing that she, and only she, was capable of deciphering the will of god. All members of her church were in vulnerable positions; either in old age or youth, single mothers or broken families. Each needed a support base which they found in the 'ordained' arms of Open Doors. "Fear and isolation are key ingredients to keeping people indoctrinated," said Hagan. "The leader of the church was particularly good at inducing both in the members. I lost most of my friends during my time there and found myself dreading the thought of severing ties to her as I was convinced it would also sever my ties to god and, therefore, life itself. "It's impossible to describe the control that another person can have over your lifefrom choosing who you associate with to separating you from your family members. If you control a person's faith you control every decision they make." Hagan began questioning the validity of the church when he witnessed the Pastor physically assault a child. "She snapped after a sermon one night and took it out on one of the kids." Hagan recalls, "He was wearing a shirt with a skull on it, which she suddenly decided wasn't okay. This lead to her picking him up by his feet, and dropping him on his head. She later mentioned that she expected him to throw up." Hagan's family, unable to justify her actions, left shortly after. The ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) developed a fifteen-point list which describes key characteristics of a cult. After several former members of Open Doors examined the list, the general consensus was that the church checked fourteen of the extremist traits. The aftermath of these events is ongoing and those responsible for facilitating them are expected to meet consequences in the near future. "The road to recovery was long and, for many, continuous. However, it served us well after getting back to the normal world; for example, it's given me a lot of depth in my writing, especially where my characters are concerned," Hagan remarked. Hagan's novel is available for purchase from all major online retailers with the eBook currently available for pre-purchase. Media contact: Rhys Hagan +61434011878 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160728/393805 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160728/393806 SOURCE Rhys Hagan Related Links http://www.rhyshagan.com/hunting-taylor-brown.html DALLAS, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alon USA Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ALJ) ("Alon") today announced results for the second quarter of 2016. Net loss available to stockholders for the second quarter of 2016 was $(20.4) million, or $(0.29) per share, compared to net income available to stockholders of $36.4 million, or $0.52 per share, for the same period last year. Excluding special items, Alon recorded net loss available to stockholders of $(14.9) million, or $(0.21) per share, for the second quarter of 2016, compared to net income available to stockholders of $46.4 million, or $0.67 per share, for the same period last year. Net loss available to stockholders for the first half of 2016 was $(55.9) million, or $(0.80) per share, compared to net income available to stockholders of $63.3 million, or $0.91 per share, for the same period last year. Excluding special items, Alon recorded net loss available to stockholders of $(44.2) million, or $(0.63) per share, for the first half of 2016, compared to net income available to stockholders of $68.0 million, or $0.98 per share, for the same period last year. Paul Eisman, President and CEO, commented, "The refining environment in the second quarter of 2016 remained challenging as crack spreads were pressured by high product inventories. The average Gulf Coast 3-2-1 benchmark crack spread for the second quarter of 2016 was approximately $6.50 per barrel lower than the average for the same period last year. We continue to optimize our operations and control our costs in this difficult environment. "As previously discussed, the Big Spring refinery's second quarter results were negatively impacted by a power outage in late May. We estimate the lost opportunity cost and maintenance cost associated with the power outage negatively impacted Alon's operating income by approximately $10 million. Big Spring's refinery operating margin of $8.53 per barrel was negatively impacted by approximately $1.30 per barrel due to the unplanned downtime during the quarter. Despite the interruption to normal operations, the refinery achieved low operating costs of $3.59 per barrel. We expect to perform maintenance on the Big Spring refinery's reformer in August. As a result, we expect total throughput at the Big Spring refinery to average approximately 69,000 barrels per day for the third quarter and 70,000 barrels per day for the full year of 2016. "The Krotz Springs refinery's results were negatively impacted by weakness in crack spreads, a larger premium in LLS crude relative to Brent crude and maintenance performed on the fluid catalytic cracking unit in the first half of April, which was previously discussed. We estimate the downtime associated with this maintenance work negatively impacted Krotz Springs' refinery operating margin by approximately $0.86 per barrel and Alon's operating income by approximately $5 million. Based on the projected margin environment, we expect total throughput at the Krotz Springs refinery to average approximately 63,000 barrels per day for the third quarter and 66,000 barrels per day for the full year of 2016. "Our asphalt business performed very well in the second quarter with the onset of paving season. Relative to the second quarter of 2015, our asphalt sales volumes were up 43 percent, and our asphalt margin was up by 6 percent to $107 per ton. This business is benefiting from a stronger demand environment, as well as operational improvements implemented over recent quarters. "Our retail results were negatively impacted by headwinds in the Permian Basin. However, we believe we are positioned well to benefit as the markets in which we operate improve and are expecting greater profitability in the second half of the year. "The results of the AltAir renewable fuels project in California were negatively impacted by an increase in the price of feedstock costs (tallow) relative to the first quarter of 2016. A test run of soybean oil was successfully completed in late June, validating the feedstock flexibility of the unit." SECOND QUARTER 2016 Special items increased net loss by $5.5 million for the second quarter of 2016 primarily as a result of employee retention expense of $2.0 million, losses of $2.0 million associated with an asphalt inventory adjustment and unrealized losses of $3.8 million associated with commodity swaps, before income tax and non-controlling interest impacts of $2.4 million. Special items reduced net income by $9.9 million for the second quarter of 2015 primarily as a result of employee retention expense of $1.3 million, losses of $3.3 million related to an asphalt inventory adjustment and unrealized losses of $10.5 million associated with commodity swaps, before income tax and non-controlling interest impacts of $5.2 million. The combined total refinery average throughput for the second quarter of 2016 was 133,413 barrels per day ("bpd"), consisting of 71,153 bpd at the Big Spring refinery and 62,260 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery, compared to a combined total refinery average throughput of 152,092 bpd for the second quarter of 2015, consisting of 75,491 bpd at the Big Spring refinery and 76,601 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery. The reduced throughput at our Big Spring refinery was the result of unplanned downtime during the second quarter of 2016 due to a power outage caused by inclement weather, which affected multiple units. During the second quarter of 2016, we performed maintenance on the fluid catalytic cracking unit at the Krotz Springs refinery, which reduced total throughput for the quarter. Refinery operating margin at the Big Spring refinery was $8.53 per barrel for the second quarter of 2016 compared to $17.22 per barrel for the same period in 2015. This decrease in operating margin was primarily due to a lower Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread, a narrowing of the WTI Cushing to WTI Midland spread, a reduced cost of crude benefit from the contango market in 2016 and the unplanned refinery downtime discussed above, partially offset by a widening of the WTI Cushing to WTS spread. Refinery operating margin at the Krotz Springs refinery was $3.96 per barrel for the second quarter of 2016 compared to $7.95 per barrel for the same period in 2015. This decrease in operating margin was primarily due to a lower Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread, a narrowing of both the WTI Cushing to WTI Midland and the LLS to WTI Cushing spreads, the premium in LLS compared to Brent, the refinery downtime discussed above and a reduced cost of crude benefit from the contango market in 2016. The average Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread was $13.16 per barrel for the second quarter of 2016 compared to $19.71 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread was $7.92 per barrel for the second quarter of 2016 compared to $10.21 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average WTI Cushing to WTI Midland spread for the second quarter of 2016 was $0.17 per barrel compared to $0.60 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average WTI Cushing to WTS spread for the second quarter of 2016 was $0.75 per barrel compared to $(0.21) per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Brent to WTI Cushing spread for the second quarter of 2016 was $(0.18) per barrel compared to $3.66 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average LLS to WTI Cushing spread for the second quarter of 2016 was $2.04 per barrel compared to $6.28 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Brent to LLS spread for the second quarter of 2016 was $(1.64) per barrel compared to $0.32 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The contango environment in the second quarter of 2016 created an average cost of crude benefit of $1.49 per barrel compared to an average cost of crude benefit of $1.90 per barrel for the same period in 2015. Asphalt margins for the second quarter of 2016 were $106.90 per ton compared to $100.92 per ton for the same period in 2015. On a cash basis (i.e., excluding inventory effects), asphalt margins in the second quarter of 2016 were $105.55 per ton compared to $99.51 per ton in the second quarter of 2015. Retail fuel margins increased to 20.8 cents per gallon in the second quarter of 2016 from 20.3 cents per gallon in the second quarter of 2015. Retail fuel sales volume increased to 50.9 million gallons in the second quarter of 2016 from 49.5 million gallons in the second quarter of 2015. Merchandise margins decreased to 31.0% in the second quarter of 2016 from 31.8% in the second quarter of 2015. Merchandise sales decreased to $83.7 million in the second quarter of 2016 from $84.9 million in the second quarter of 2015. YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 Special items increased net loss by $11.8 million for the first half of 2016 primarily as a result of employee retention expenses of $6.7 million, losses of $2.0 million related to an asphalt inventory adjustment, unrealized losses of $7.1 million associated with commodity swaps and $2.1 million associated with losses recognized on disposition of assets, before income tax and non-controlling interest impacts of $6.2 million. Special items reduced net income by $4.6 million for the first half of 2015 primarily as a result of employee retention expense of $1.3 million and losses of $14.0 million related to an asphalt inventory adjustment, partially offset by unrealized gains of $7.9 million associated with commodity swaps and $0.6 million associated with gains recognized on disposition of assets, before income tax and non-controlling interest impacts of $2.1 million. The combined total refinery average throughput for the first half of 2016 was 136,206 bpd, consisting of 69,345 bpd at the Big Spring refinery and 66,861 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery, compared to a combined total refinery average throughput of 148,679 bpd for the first half of 2015, consisting of 73,934 bpd at the Big Spring refinery and 74,745 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery. The reduced throughput at our Big Spring refinery was the result of planned downtime to complete a reformer regeneration and catalyst replacement for our diesel hydrotreater unit in the beginning of the first quarter of 2016, as well as unplanned downtime during the second quarter of 2016 due to a power outage caused by inclement weather, which affected multiple units. The reduced throughput at the Krotz Springs refinery during the six months ended June 30, 2016 was the result of our election to reduce the crude rate to improve the refinery yield structure, as well as maintenance that was performed on the fluid catalytic cracking unit. Refinery operating margin at the Big Spring refinery was $8.16 per barrel for the first half of 2016 compared to $15.56 per barrel for the same period in 2015. This decrease in operating margin was primarily due to a lower Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread, a narrowing of both the WTI Cushing to WTI Midland and the WTI Cushing to WTS spreads and the refinery downtime discussed above, partially offset by the cost of crude benefit from the market moving further into contango in 2016. Refinery operating margin at the Krotz Springs refinery was $2.69 per barrel for the first half of 2016 compared to $8.71 per barrel for the same period in 2015. This decrease in operating margin was primarily due to a lower Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread, a narrowing of both the WTI Cushing to WTI Midland and the LLS to WTI Cushing spreads, the premium in LLS compared to Brent and the refinery downtime discussed above, partially offset by the cost of crude benefit from the market moving further into contango in 2016. The average Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread for the first half of 2016 was $12.20 per barrel compared to $18.73 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread for the first half of 2016 was $7.33 per barrel compared to $11.79 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average WTI Cushing to WTI Midland spread for the first half of 2016 was $0.02 per barrel compared to $1.27 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average WTI Cushing to WTS spread for the first half of 2016 was $0.32 per barrel compared to $0.76 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Brent to WTI Cushing spread for the first half of 2016 was $0.15 per barrel compared to $4.54 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average LLS to WTI Cushing spread for the first half of 2016 was $1.82 per barrel compared to $4.48 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The average Brent to LLS spread for the first half of 2016 was $(1.26) per barrel compared to $0.57 per barrel for the same period in 2015. The contango environment in the first half of 2016 created an average cost of crude benefit of $1.66 per barrel compared to an average cost of crude benefit of $1.28 per barrel for the same period in 2015. Asphalt margins for the first half of 2016 were $97.96 per ton compared to $94.41 per ton for same period in 2015. On a cash basis (i.e., excluding inventory effects), asphalt margins in the first half of 2016 were $99.87 per ton compared to $105.77 per ton in the first half of 2015. Retail fuel margins decreased to 20.4 cents per gallon in the first half of 2016 from 21.9 cents per gallon in the first half of 2015. Retail fuel sales volume increased to 100.9 million gallons in the first half of 2016 from 95.6 million gallons in the first half of 2015. Merchandise margins decreased to 31.3% in the first half of 2016 from 32.5% in the first half of 2015. Merchandise sales increased to $161.5 million in the first half of 2016 from $161.0 million in the first half of 2015. Alon also announced today that its Board of Directors has declared the regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share. The dividend is payable on September 6, 2016 to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 19, 2016. CONFERENCE CALL Alon has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet on Friday, July 29, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time (9:30 a.m. Central Time), to discuss the second quarter 2016 financial results. To access the call, please dial 877-407-0672, or 412-902-0003 for international callers, and ask for the Alon USA Energy call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time. Investors may also listen to the conference live by logging on to the Alon investor relations website, http://ir.alonusa.com . A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available through August 12, 2016 and may be accessed by calling 877-660-6853, or 201-612-7415 for international callers, and using the passcode 13640012#. A webcast archive will also be available at http://ir.alonusa.com shortly after the call and will be accessible for approximately 90 days. For more information, please contact Donna Washburn at Dennard Lascar Associates at 713-529-6600 or email [email protected]. Alon USA Energy, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products, operating primarily in the South Central, Southwestern and Western regions of the United States. Alon owns 100% of the general partner and 81.6% of the limited partner interests in Alon USA Partners, LP (NYSE: ALDW), which owns a crude oil refinery in Big Spring, Texas, with a crude oil throughput capacity of 73,000 barrels per day and an integrated wholesale marketing business. In addition, Alon directly owns a crude oil refinery in Krotz Springs, Louisiana, with a crude oil throughput capacity of 74,000 barrels per day. Alon also owns crude oil refineries in California, which have not processed crude oil since 2012. Alon is a leading marketer of asphalt, which it distributes primarily through asphalt terminals located predominately in the Southwestern and Western United States. Alon is the largest 7-Eleven licensee in the United States and operates approximately 300 convenience stores which also market motor fuels in Central and West Texas and New Mexico. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations regarding future events, results or outcomes. These expectations may or may not be realized. Some of these expectations may be based upon assumptions or judgments that prove to be incorrect. In addition, our business and operations involve numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could result in our expectations not being realized or otherwise materially affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Additional information regarding these and other risks is contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of offers to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Contacts: Stacey Morris, Investor Relations Manager Alon USA Energy, Inc. 972-367-3808 Investors: Jack Lascar Dennard Lascar Associates, LLC 713-529-6600 Media: Blake Lewis Lewis Public Relations 214-635-3020 - Tables to follow - ALON USA ENERGY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED EARNINGS RELEASE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - FINANCIAL DATA(ALL INFORMATION IN THIS PRESS RELEASE EXCEPT FOR BALANCE SHEET DATA AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2015, IS UNAUDITED) For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per share data) STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA: Net sales (1) $ 1,008,388 $ 1,301,341 $ 1,858,361 $ 2,404,581 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of sales 871,394 1,069,931 1,606,538 1,964,419 Direct operating expenses 63,182 62,856 131,799 127,061 Selling, general and administrative expenses (2) 51,644 49,193 100,345 94,789 Depreciation and amortization (3) 36,985 31,267 71,847 63,229 Total operating costs and expenses 1,023,205 1,213,247 1,910,529 2,249,498 Gain (loss) on disposition of assets 6 (2,082) 572 Operating income (loss) (14,811) 88,094 (54,250) 155,655 Interest expense (18,799) (18,217) (37,106) (39,254) Equity earnings of investees 4,305 1,828 4,683 1,274 Other income, net 146 13 218 59 Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) (29,159) 71,718 (86,455) 117,734 Income tax expense (benefit) (8,529) 23,856 (29,765) 35,817 Net income (loss) (20,630) 47,862 (56,690) 81,917 Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest (260) 11,452 (783) 18,568 Net income (loss) available to stockholders $ (20,370) $ 36,410 $ (55,907) $ 63,349 Earnings (loss) per share, basic $ (0.29) $ 0.52 $ (0.80) $ 0.91 Weighted average shares outstanding, basic (in thousands) 70,493 69,684 70,318 69,584 Earnings (loss) per share, diluted $ (0.29) $ 0.50 $ (0.80) $ 0.87 Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted (in thousands) 70,493 72,501 70,318 72,395 Cash dividends per share $ 0.15 $ 0.15 $ 0.30 $ 0.25 CASH FLOW DATA: Net cash provided by (used in): Operating activities $ 17,342 $ 135,112 $ (12,009) $ 115,891 Investing activities (21,437) (22,332) (68,454) (33,945) Financing activities 16,565 (39,415) 52,189 (33,077) OTHER DATA: Adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders (4) $ (14,916) $ 46,354 $ (44,152) $ 67,993 Adjusted earnings (loss) per share (4) $ (0.21) $ 0.67 $ (0.63) $ 0.98 Adjusted EBITDA (5) $ 30,430 $ 131,680 $ 31,724 $ 211,720 Capital expenditures (6) 13,784 20,302 37,230 31,051 Capital expenditures for turnarounds and catalysts 7,662 2,030 24,272 4,363 June 30, 2016 December 31, 2015 BALANCE SHEET DATA (end of period): (dollars in thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 205,853 $ 234,127 Working capital 39,005 78,694 Total assets 2,245,464 2,176,138 Total debt 552,264 555,962 Total debt less cash and cash equivalents 346,411 321,835 Total equity 626,907 664,160 REFINING AND MARKETING SEGMENT For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per barrel data and pricing statistics) STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA: Net sales (7) $ 829,913 $ 1,126,040 $ 1,526,526 $ 2,085,532 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of sales 746,324 940,861 1,372,360 1,724,252 Direct operating expenses 56,913 55,966 119,706 112,292 Selling, general and administrative expenses 18,930 18,940 37,205 36,279 Depreciation and amortization 31,514 26,692 61,298 54,003 Total operating costs and expenses 853,681 1,042,459 1,590,569 1,926,826 Gain (loss) on disposition of assets 9 (2,079) 522 Operating income (loss) $ (23,759) $ 83,581 $ (66,122) $ 159,228 KEY OPERATING STATISTICS: Per barrel of throughput: Refinery operating margin Big Spring (8) $ 8.53 $ 17.22 $ 8.16 $ 15.56 Refinery operating margin Krotz Springs (8) 3.96 7.95 2.69 8.71 Refinery direct operating expense Big Spring (9) 3.59 3.54 3.83 3.56 Refinery direct operating expense Krotz Springs (9) 4.10 3.49 3.96 3.64 Capital expenditures $ 11,560 $ 12,470 $ 30,119 $ 16,876 Capital expenditures for turnarounds and catalysts 7,662 2,030 24,272 4,363 PRICING STATISTICS: Crack spreads (3/2/1) (per barrel): Gulf Coast (10) $ 13.16 $ 19.71 $ 12.20 $ 18.73 Crack spreads (2/1/1) (per barrel): Gulf Coast high sulfur diesel (10) $ 7.92 $ 10.21 $ 7.33 $ 11.79 WTI Cushing crude oil (per barrel) $ 45.48 $ 57.86 $ 39.39 $ 53.20 Crude oil differentials (per barrel): WTI Cushing less WTI Midland (11) $ 0.17 $ 0.60 $ 0.02 $ 1.27 WTI Cushing less WTS (11) 0.75 (0.21) 0.32 0.76 LLS less WTI Cushing (11) 2.04 6.28 1.82 4.48 Brent less LLS (11) (1.64) 0.32 (1.26) 0.57 Brent less WTI Cushing (11) (0.18) 3.66 0.15 4.54 Product prices (dollars per gallon): Gulf Coast unleaded gasoline $ 1.42 $ 1.86 $ 1.25 $ 1.69 Gulf Coast ultra-low sulfur diesel 1.34 1.83 1.19 1.76 Gulf Coast high sulfur diesel 1.22 1.68 1.06 1.62 Natural gas (per MMBtu) 2.25 2.74 2.12 2.77 THROUGHPUT AND PRODUCTION DATA: BIG SPRING REFINERY For the Three Months Ended June 30, For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 bpd % bpd % bpd % bpd % Refinery throughput: WTS crude 25,698 36.1 29,605 39.2 31,126 44.9 37,193 50.3 WTI crude 43,040 60.5 43,659 57.8 35,400 51.0 33,952 45.9 Blendstocks 2,415 3.4 2,227 3.0 2,819 4.1 2,789 3.8 Total refinery throughput (12) 71,153 100.0 75,491 100.0 69,345 100.0 73,934 100.0 Refinery production: Gasoline 33,744 47.6 37,755 49.8 33,922 49.0 36,978 49.8 Diesel/jet 26,627 37.6 28,052 37.0 24,655 35.6 27,074 36.5 Asphalt 2,572 3.6 2,479 3.3 2,860 4.2 2,876 3.9 Petrochemicals 3,354 4.7 4,915 6.5 3,485 5.0 4,863 6.5 Other 4,569 6.5 2,537 3.4 4,298 6.2 2,466 3.3 Total refinery production (13) 70,866 100.0 75,738 100.0 69,220 100.0 74,257 100.0 Refinery utilization (14) 94.2 % 100.4 % 93.7 % 97.5 % THROUGHPUT AND PRODUCTION DATA: KROTZ SPRINGS REFINERY For the Three Months Ended June 30, For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 bpd % bpd % bpd % bpd % Refinery throughput: WTI crude 15,921 25.5 29,429 38.4 14,859 22.2 29,888 40.0 Gulf Coast sweet crude 42,624 68.5 45,069 58.8 45,987 68.8 41,076 55.0 Blendstocks 3,715 6.0 2,103 2.8 6,015 9.0 3,781 5.0 Total refinery throughput (12) 62,260 100.0 76,601 100.0 66,861 100.0 74,745 100.0 Refinery production: Gasoline 31,112 49.0 35,511 45.4 33,693 49.4 35,021 45.8 Diesel/jet 24,201 38.1 32,496 41.5 25,595 37.5 31,599 41.4 Heavy Oils 959 1.5 1,378 1.8 1,246 1.8 1,356 1.8 Other 7,226 11.4 8,838 11.3 7,692 11.3 8,419 11.0 Total refinery production (13) 63,498 100.0 78,223 100.0 68,226 100.0 76,395 100.0 Refinery utilization (14) 79.1 % 100.7 % 82.2 % 95.9 % ASPHALT SEGMENT For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per ton data) STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA: Net sales (15) $ 68,097 $ 69,900 $ 121,596 $ 120,552 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of sales (15) (16) 51,326 60,771 95,191 115,054 Direct operating expenses 6,269 6,890 12,093 14,769 Selling, general and administrative expenses 4,047 2,755 7,245 4,531 Depreciation and amortization 1,261 1,207 2,521 2,352 Total operating costs and expenses 62,903 71,623 117,050 136,706 Operating loss (19) $ 5,194 $ (1,723) $ 4,546 $ (16,154) KEY OPERATING STATISTICS: Blended asphalt sales volume (tons in thousands) (17) 158 108 243 173 Non-blended asphalt sales volume (tons in thousands) (18) 18 15 47 33 Blended asphalt sales price per ton (17) $ 389.95 $ 505.54 $ 398.28 $ 498.83 Non-blended asphalt sales price per ton (18) 135.06 229.20 141.30 317.36 Asphalt margin per ton (19) 106.90 100.92 97.96 94.41 Capital expenditures $ 335 $ 238 $ 1,075 $ 1,644 RETAIL SEGMENT For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands, except per gallon data) STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA: Net sales (1) $ 187,262 $ 206,634 $ 350,233 $ 382,619 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of sales (16) 150,628 169,532 278,981 309,235 Selling, general and administrative expenses 28,484 27,322 55,521 53,627 Depreciation and amortization 3,350 2,943 6,749 5,980 Total operating costs and expenses 182,462 199,797 341,251 368,842 Gain on disposition of assets (3) (3) 50 Operating income $ 4,797 $ 6,837 $ 8,979 $ 13,827 KEY OPERATING STATISTICS: Number of stores (end of period) (20) 306 294 306 294 Retail fuel sales (thousands of gallons) 50,877 49,511 100,882 95,606 Retail fuel sales (thousands of gallons per site per month) (20) 57 58 57 56 Retail fuel margin (cents per gallon) (21) 20.8 20.3 20.4 21.9 Retail fuel sales price (dollars per gallon) (22) $ 2.03 $ 2.46 $ 1.87 $ 2.32 Merchandise sales $ 83,673 $ 84,878 $ 161,498 $ 160,980 Merchandise sales (per site per month) (20) $ 91 $ 96 $ 88 $ 91 Merchandise margin (23) 31.0 % 31.8 % 31.3 % 32.5 % Capital expenditures $ 1,200 $ 6,202 $ 3,911 $ 9,518 (1) Includes excise taxes on sales by the retail segment of $19,864 and $19,369 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $39,389 and $37,425 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. (2) Includes corporate headquarters selling, general and administrative expenses of $183 and $176 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $374 and $352 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are not allocated to our three operating segments. (3) Includes corporate depreciation and amortization of $860 and $425 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $1,279 and $894 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are not allocated to our three operating segments. (4) The following table provides a reconciliation of net income (loss) available to stockholders under United States generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") to adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders utilized in determining adjusted earnings (loss) per share, excluding after-tax employee retention expense, after-tax loss on asphalt inventory adjustment, after-tax unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps and after-tax (gain) loss on disposition of assets. Adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders is not a recognized measurement under GAAP; however, the amounts included in adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders are derived from amounts included in our consolidated financial statements. Our management believes that the presentation of adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders and adjusted earnings (loss) per share, excluding these items, is useful to investors because it provides a more meaningful measurement for evaluation of our Company's operating results. For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands) Net income (loss) available to stockholders $ (20,370) $ 36,410 $ (55,907) $ 63,349 Exclude adjustments: Employee retention expense 2,000 1,334 6,700 1,334 Loss on asphalt inventory adjustment 2,003 3,284 2,003 13,950 Unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps 3,811 10,478 7,144 (7,925) (Gain) loss on disposition of assets (6) 2,082 (572) Total adjustments 7,808 15,096 17,929 6,787 Income tax impact related to adjustments (2,302) (4,983) (6,070) (2,065) Non-controlling interest impact related to adjustments (52) (169) (104) (78) Adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders $ (14,916) $ 46,354 $ (44,152) $ 67,993 Adjusted earnings (loss) per share * $ (0.21) $ 0.67 $ (0.63) $ 0.98 * Adjusted earnings (loss) per share includes the effects of dividends on preferred stock on adjusted net income (loss) available to stockholders necessary to calculate earnings per share. (5) Adjusted EBITDA represents earnings before net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest, income tax expense (benefit), interest expense, depreciation and amortization, (gain) loss on disposition of assets and unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps. Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized measurement under GAAP; however, the amounts included in Adjusted EBITDA are derived from amounts included in our consolidated financial statements. Our management believes that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry. In addition, our management believes that Adjusted EBITDA is useful in evaluating our operating performance compared to that of other companies in our industry because the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA generally eliminates the effects of net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest, income tax expense (benefit), interest expense, (gain) loss on disposition of assets, unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps and the accounting effects of capital expenditures and acquisitions, items that may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to overall operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are: Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt; Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the prior claim that non-controlling interest have on the income generated by non-wholly-owned subsidiaries; Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in or cash requirements for our working capital needs; and Our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA may differ from EBITDA calculations of other companies in our industry, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these limitations, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered a measure of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results and using Adjusted EBITDA only supplementally. The following table reconciles net income (loss) available to stockholders to Adjusted EBITDA for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015: For the Three Months Ended For the Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (dollars in thousands) Net income (loss) available to stockholders $ (20,370) $ 36,410 $ (55,907) $ 63,349 Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest (260) 11,452 (783) 18,568 Income tax expense (benefit) (8,529) 23,856 (29,765) 35,817 Interest expense 18,799 18,217 37,106 39,254 Depreciation and amortization 36,985 31,267 71,847 63,229 (Gain) loss on disposition of assets (6) 2,082 (572) Unrealized (gains) losses on commodity swaps 3,811 10,478 7,144 (7,925) Adjusted EBITDA $ 30,430 $ 131,680 $ 31,724 $ 211,720 Adjusted EBITDA does not exclude losses of $2,003 and $3,284 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $2,003 and $13,950 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, resulting from a price adjustment related to asphalt inventory. (6) Includes corporate capital expenditures of $689 and $1,392 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $2,125 and $3,013 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which are not allocated to our three operating segments. (7) Net sales include intersegment sales to our asphalt and retail segments at prices which approximate wholesale market prices. These intersegment sales are eliminated through consolidation of our financial statements. (8) Refinery operating margin is a per barrel measurement calculated by dividing the margin between net sales and cost of sales (exclusive of certain adjustments) attributable to each refinery by the refinery's throughput volumes. Industry-wide refining results are driven and measured by the margins between refined product prices and the prices for crude oil, which are referred to as crack spreads. We compare our refinery operating margins to these crack spreads to assess our operating performance relative to other participants in our industry. The refinery operating margin for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 excludes realized and unrealized gains on commodity swaps of $96 and $461, respectively. The refinery operating margin for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 excludes realized and unrealized gains on commodity swaps of $7,512 and $37,355, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, $8,926 related substantially to inventory adjustments was not included in cost of sales for either the Big Spring refinery or the Krotz Springs refinery. (9) Refinery direct operating expense is a per barrel measurement calculated by dividing direct operating expenses at our refineries by the applicable refinery's total throughput volumes. (10) We compare our Big Spring refinery's operating margin to the Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread. A Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread is calculated assuming that three barrels of WTI Cushing crude oil are converted, or cracked, into two barrels of Gulf Coast conventional gasoline and one barrel of Gulf Coast ultra-low sulfur diesel. We compare our Krotz Springs refinery's operating margin to the Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread. A Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread is calculated assuming that two barrels of LLS crude oil are converted into one barrel of Gulf Coast conventional gasoline and one barrel of Gulf Coast high sulfur diesel. (11) The WTI Cushing less WTI Midland spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of WTI Cushing crude oil and the average price per barrel of WTI Midland crude oil. The WTI Cushing less WTS, or sweet/sour, spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of WTI Cushing crude oil and the average price per barrel of WTS crude oil. The LLS less WTI Cushing spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of LLS crude oil and the average price per barrel of WTI Cushing crude oil. The Brent less LLS spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of Brent crude oil and the average price per barrel of LLS crude oil. The Brent less WTI Cushing spread represents the differential between the average price per barrel of Brent crude oil and the average price per barrel of WTI Cushing crude oil. (12) Total refinery throughput represents the total barrels per day of crude oil and blendstock inputs in the refinery production process. (13) Total refinery production represents the barrels per day of various products produced from processing crude and other refinery feedstocks through the crude units and other conversion units at the refineries. (14) Refinery utilization represents average daily crude oil throughput divided by crude oil capacity, excluding planned periods of downtime for maintenance and turnarounds. (15) Net sales and cost of sales include asphalt purchases sold as part of a supply and offtake arrangement of $4,054 and $11,864 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $18,172 and $23,782 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The volumes associated with these sales are excluded from the Key Operating Statistics. (16) Cost of sales includes intersegment purchases of asphalt blends and motor fuels from our refining and marketing segment at prices which approximate wholesale market prices. These intersegment purchases are eliminated through consolidation of our financial statements. (17) Blended asphalt represents base material asphalt that has been blended with other materials necessary to sell the asphalt as a finished product. (18) Non-blended asphalt represents base material asphalt and other components that require additional blending before being sold as a finished product. (19) Asphalt margin is a per ton measurement calculated by dividing the margin between net sales and cost of sales by the total sales volume. Asphalt margins are used in the asphalt industry to measure operating results related to asphalt sales. Asphalt margin excludes losses of $2,003 and $3,284 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $2,003 and $13,950 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, resulting from a price adjustment related to asphalt inventory. This loss is included in the operating income (loss) above. (20) At June 30, 2016, we had 306 retail convenience stores of which 296 sold fuel. At June 30, 2015, we had 294 retail convenience stores of which 283 sold fuel. The 14 retail convenience stores acquired in August 2015 have been included in the per site key operating statistics only for the period after acquisition. (21) Retail fuel margin represents the difference between retail fuel sales revenue and the net cost of purchased retail fuel, including transportation costs and associated excise taxes, expressed on a cents-per-gallon basis. Retail fuel margins are frequently used in the retail industry to measure operating results related to retail fuel sales. (22) Retail fuel sales price per gallon represents the average sales price for retail fuels sold through our retail convenience stores. (23) Merchandise margin represents the difference between merchandise sales revenues and the delivered cost of merchandise purchases, net of rebates and commissions, expressed as a percentage of merchandise sales revenues. Merchandise margins, also referred to as in-store margins, are commonly used in the retail industry to measure in-store, or non-fuel, operating results. SOURCE Alon USA Energy, Inc. Related Links http://www.alonusa.com VANCOUVER, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Alterra Power Corp. (TSX: AXY) announces that its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 will be released on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 after market close. A conference call and live audio webcast to discuss the results will be held on Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 11:30 am ET (8:30 am PT). Conference Call and Webcast Information for June 30, 2016 Second Quarter Results Date: Wednesday, August 10, 2016 Time: 11:30 am Eastern Time / 8:30 am Pacific Time Dial-In Numbers: North American toll-free number: 1-888-390-0546 Switzerland toll-free number: 0-800-312-635 UAE toll-free number: 8000-357-036-32 United Kingdom toll-free number: 0-800-652-2435 Other international: 1-416-764-8688 Conference ID: 17047515 Audio Webcast: A live audio webcast can be accessed at: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1235231&s=1&k=5FFBEFA29195B7323A9D2B993ADE39F9 Playback Available for One Week Following the Call: North American toll-free and international: 1-888-390-0541 / 1-416-764-8677 Replay PIN: 047515 # SOURCE Alterra Power Corp. Related Links www.alterrapower.ca/ SAN FRANCISCO, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Silicon Valley AI services company, Predicta, Inc., announces that it has hired Brian Feucht as its Chief Revenue Officer. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160729/394308LOGO Predicta has created an AI service that automates market research about brands and their products. Predicta's customers include CPG brand companies, from cosmetics, outdoor and sporting goods, home improvement, food and beverage and more. Predicta's service was launched in June of this year after 4 years of development. Brian Feucht, an Alaskan resident, performed a tour of duty as a Marine, is a former CIO and CEO of Hire Quality, as well as played several critical roles for a number of high tech companies, including Alaska-based national market companies Recreational Data Services, Unique-Wire, and more. "In addition to being one call away from 100's of brand company CEO's across an incredibly diverse product range, Brian is a technologist, an innovator, a leader, and a proven can-do revenue generator," said Roger Lang, CEO and co-founder of Predicta. Predicta distills massive unstructured data found publicly on the web into facile, intuitive intelligence about consumer perceptions, thoughts and feelings, about any topic. Initially, Predicta focuses topics on consumer packaged goods (CPG) for various vertical markets. 555 De Haro Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94107 predicta.com Contact: Roger Lang 406-579-1775 Email SOURCE Predicta, Inc. Related Links http://www.predicta.com DOVER, N.J., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio America, Inc. is excited to announce that it is once again joining forces with the Dallas Songwriters Association (DSA) to sponsor the 26th Annual Dallas Songwriters Association Song Contest. Each year, the DSA offers amateur songwriters from around the world the opportunity to share their music writing talents with industry professionals and compete to win over $5,000 in grand prizes. The contest is now open, and this year, Casio is offering the grand prize winners of the contest their very own Privia PX-350 digital piano. "The Dallas Songwriters Association Song Contest is one of the longest running international songwriting contests for amateur songwriters, and Casio is excited to be a part of this great tradition once again," said Stephen Schmidt, vice president of Casio's Electronic Musical Instruments Division. "The DSA Song Contest runs parallel to Casio's mission of providing innovative musical instruments to those who have a passion for music, and encouraging musical creativity among consumers." The PX-350 is part of Casio's Privia digital piano line and comes equipped with Casio's proprietary AiR technology which redefines the digital piano experience with richer and more genuine sounds. The keyboard features simulated ebony and ivory textured keys and an 88-note Tri-sensor scaled hammer action to capture the dynamics of a performance with unparalleled speed and accuracy. The combination of the keyboard's action and a powerful sound engine provides a level of detail, nuance and expression that delivers a superior grand piano experience. The PX-350 is currently available at select music dealers nationwide for an MSRP of $1,099.99. To learn more about Casio's full portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.CasioMusicGear.com. For more information about the DSA Song Contest, please visit www.dallassongwriters.org/dsa-annual-song-contest/. The deadline to submit entries is September 30, 2016, and finalists and grand prize winners will be announced in December. About Casio America, Inc. Casio America, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and business equipment solutions. Established in 1957, Casio America, Inc. markets calculators, keyboards, digital cameras, mobile presentation devices, disc title and label printers, watches, cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio has strived to fulfill its corporate creed of "creativity and contribution" through the introduction of innovative and imaginative products. For more information, visit www.casiousa.com. About Dallas Songwriters Association: Dallas Songwriters Assoc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing information about the craft and business of songwriting. All styles of music are welcome in the DSA, and membership includes writers of all ages. DSA monthly activities include meetings with guest speakers, song critiques and performance showcases that are open to the public. In addition, the DSA supports and promotes workshops and contests and publishes a monthly newsletter. For more information, visitwww.dallassongwriters.org. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336539LOGO SOURCE Casio America, Inc. Related Links http://www.casiousa.com The leading furniture fair have successfully concluded the spring exhibition 37 th CIFF (Guangzhou) in March, which attracted a total of 3,868 exhibitors along with 168,881 visitors in the fruitful eight-day fair. The CIFF (Shanghai) will be highlighting customized furniture and smart furniture, two of the hottest trends in the global furniture industry. "More large-scale exhibitions are concentrated in big cities, the high quality platform we provide for our exhibitors and buyers helps to connect all chains in the furniture industry, we have full hope and expectation for the upcoming CIFF (Shanghai) that will feature dozens of international brands as well as the trendsetting smart home customization," said staff from CIFF committee. Leading the trends in the furniture industry, CIFF (Shanghai) will showcase more customizable and personalized products that meet the market demand, bringing special focus to smart furniture as many traditional manufacturers are now incorporating modern technology in the new designs while adopting new production model to transform to modern digital production. The Modern Home Furniture Show of CIFF will feature dozens of western and eastern brands including Ashley, Lifestyle, Global Views and Uttermost from the U.S., Chateau d'Ax, Biesse, SCM and Cefla from Italy, Homag from Germany, Beard, Boori and Lounge Innovation from Australia as well as Chinese companies Landbond, Qumei, Kuka Home and more. In September, global buyer groups from Italy, U.S., Germany, Russia, Belgium, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey will gather at CIFF (Shanghai), VIP buyers recommended by brand enterprises will receive free accommodation. Designer, architect, real estate professional and furniture dealer groups will also be present at the CIFF (Shanghai) for business discussions. The CIFF (Shanghai) will be hosted at the NECC in Hongqiao area that's only 1.5 kilometers away from the Hongqiao transportation hub connecting Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station. The complex can be reached by taking metro line 2 to Xujingdong Station. The fair will also operate free and direct shuttle service from airports, railways stations and other transportation hubs to the fair. The NECC is now supported by fully operational commercial centers in Hongqiao, and the InterContinental: Shanghai NECC will open in September to provide the best exhibition experience for exhibitors and buyers. About CIFF As the first and largest furniture fair in China, the 38th CIFF will be organized by China Foreign Trade Center (Group), Guangdong Furniture Association, China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Light Industrial Products and Arts-Crafts and hosted by China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition General Corp. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160729/394090 SOURCE China International Furniture Fair DALLAS, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chron Organization, Inc. (OTC: CHRO), announced today that Ms. Joy Krumwiede has joined the Zen Technologies management team as its new Director of Service & Quality Control. In this role, Ms. Krumwiede will be responsible for national licensing and customer provisioning, and she will also work towards establishing a national dealer network for purposes of managing the Zen Customer Experience. Doug McKinnon, CHRON Chief Administrative & Compliance Officer, stated, "Bringing Ms. Krumwiede's extensive experience as a licensed alarm professional into our smart home business marks an important step to our gaining market share across the country. With our imminent full scale launch, our goal is to become licensed in as many states as possible, as quickly as possible." In addition to the 'Manager's Security License' that she holds, Ms. Krumwiede also has seventeen years of experience in the security industry, serving residential, commercial and new construction customer demographics. She has held multiple leadership and management positions across various organizations. Most recently, she worked as Vice President of Sales for Ranger Technology Solutions. Prior to that, she held the position of Director of Sales for HomePro, Inc., where she was able to increase the company's annual revenues eightfold. In all of her diverse capacities during her long tenure in the security industry, Ms. Krumwiede has been a consistent difference maker for the organizations she served, often increasing revenues and improving operations processes. Alex Rodriguez, CHRON President, added, "The addition of Ms. Krumwiede brings an unparalleled level of depth and expertise to our team. While we pride ourselves on becoming the most modern and forward-thinking company in our industry, it takes great experience and know-how to make that future a reality. And that is the advantage Ms. Krumwiede gives us." ABOUT THE CHRON ORGANIZATION, INC. The Chron Organization, Inc. (OTCPK: CHRO), is an entrepreneurial-minded company founded and envisioned by Mr. Byron Young and Mr. Alex Rodriguez. The Company's purpose is to develop a portfolio of highly successful and unique wholly owned businesses by providing incubation, advisory and capital services to the same. CHRON's interests include the smart home services, Internet of Things (IOT) platforms, deregulated energy & energy efficiency offerings. To learn more about CHRON, visit the company's corporate website at www.chronorganization.com. ABOUT ZEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Zen Technologies, Inc. (Zen), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Chron Organization, Inc. (OTC: CHRO), is a 21st century home services company whose mission is to make the "Smart Home" a reality for the millions of homeowners and apartment homes across the United States. Zen provides homeowners with the latest in security, monitoring and automation controls enabling homeowners to have a Smart Home at an affordable price. Zen combines that with its green energy services, reducing both their carbon footprint and their monthly energy expense. The Company's plan is to capture 5% of the homeowners' market while dramatically reducing the nation's peak electricity demand. To learn more, visit www.zenhomeservices.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "should," "intend," "estimate," "projects," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the company's filings at www.OTCMarkets.com . INVESTORS & MEDIA CONTACT: Email: [email protected] Phone: (469) 626-5275 Fax: (469) 626-5277 SOURCE The Chron Organization, Inc. Related Links http://www.chronorganization.com/ "Having a ready-to-use dose of naloxone in a nasal spray device makes administration of this life-saving medication quick and easy for friends and families of loved ones struggling with addiction in an emergency overdose situation," said Tom Davis, RPh, Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Practices at CVS Health. "Through this partnership with Adapt Pharma, NARCAN Nasal Spray will be more affordable for CVS Pharmacy patients who don't have insurance. CVS Health is dedicated to helping communities address and prevent prescription drug abuse, which is why we have worked to increase access to the opioid overdose-reversal drug naloxone for patients. Using a physician's standing order or collaborative practice agreement, we have eliminated the need for patients to obtain a prescription for naloxone in 31 states across the country." "This partnership is an important milestone in increasing access to FDA-approved naloxone formulations across U.S. communities. We are encouraged by the progress marked by CVS Pharmacy's decision to improve affordability of NARCAN Nasal Spray, especially within states with standing orders, which allow patient access to this opioid overdose treatment without physician-written naloxone prescriptions," said Seamus Mulligan, Chairman and CEO of Adapt Pharma. "NARCAN Nasal Spray was designed with communities in mind, specifically breaking down barriers to a medication that has been proven, intuitive and ready-to-use by those most likely to encounter an overdose emergency, the friends, loved ones and caregivers of patients susceptible to opioid-related overdose. Now these community members will be able to access the first and only FDA-approved, ready-to-use nasal spray version of naloxone in thousands of CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide." CVS Health's naloxone program establishes a standing order with a physician, which permits CVS Pharmacists to dispense naloxone to patients without an individual prescription. By August 2016, CVS Health will make this life-saving medication more accessible to CVS Pharmacy patients in 31 states: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Virginia and Vermont. CVS Health's commitment to help communities address and prevent drug abuse also includes drug abuse prevention education, outreach and access to safe medication disposal. Patients visiting CVS.com can find recently launched drug abuse prevention resources for themselves and their families. The company has also launched a community outreach program called Pharmacists Teach, which brings local pharmacists to high school health classes to talk to students about the dangers of drug abuse. More than 100,000 students have already been part of the program. CVS Health has also joined with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids for the Medication Disposal for Safer Communities Program, which has donated more than 600 drug disposal units to police departments around the country. The program gives members of the community a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of unwanted medication and has already collected more than 43 metric tons of prescription drugs. Members of the community can use a zip code locator at CVS.com to find the disposal unit closest to them. About CVS Health CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,600 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 80 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com. Adapt Pharma Adapt Pharma is a privately-held pharmaceutical company committed to positively impacting the lives of patients. Adapt Pharma's strategy is to identify, evaluate, selectively acquire and enhance the value of late stage development, and FDA approved, pharmaceutical products. Adapt Pharma's company headquarters is in Dublin, Ireland and its U.S. headquarters is in Radnor, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.adaptpharma.com. CVS Media Contact: Carolyn Castel Corporate Communications (401) 770-5717 [email protected] Adapt Pharma Media Contact: Thom Duddy Executive Director, Communications & Marketing (484) 532-5470 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140905/143585 SOURCE CVS Health Related Links http://www.cvshealth.com TUCSON, Ariz., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally accredited laboratory CWC Labs, the analytical science branch of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center, today announced water and soils testing services that analyze samples for 20 elements, including 7 toxic metals. Details are available at CWClabs.com. The service, available via a sampling kit purchased online, allows anyone to collect a soil or water sample and send it to the laboratory for authoritative scientific analysis. There, accredited scientists analyze the sample to determine its parts per billion concentrations for 20 elements, including 7 toxic heavy metals (like lead, arsenic and mercury), 3 major minerals (such as magnesium) and 10 trace elements (such as zinc and selenium). The director of the laboratory, Mike Adams, author of the No. 1 bestselling science book on Amazon.com entitled "Food Forensics," directs the scientific analysis of all water and soil samples. His recent analysis of hundreds of water samples from across America revealed that 6.7% of municipal water systems contain high levels of lead and other toxic elements in violation of EPA limits. "The citizens of America no longer trust cities to provide them with safe, clean water," Adams explained. "Our private testing service allows water consumers to get their water tested from a trusted, accredited, independent science lab that can't be influenced by local city politics." (Three water science officials in Flint, Michigan were recently charged with felony crimes for their part in an alleged science fraud scheme to hide water contamination data from the public.) Because of increased fracking activity across the nation, many Americans are also concerned about the possible contamination of private well water from fracking-related activities. CWC Labs' water testing service allows individuals to sample their own well water and receive authoritative scientific analysis of metals, minerals and trace element contaminants. CWC Labs is internationally accredited under ISO 17025 requirements, the "gold standard" for laboratory analytical excellence. The laboratory uses ICP-MS instrumentation and EPA methodologies to conduct an expanded elemental analysis covering all the following elements: Aluminum (Al) Arsenic (As) Cadmium (Cd) Nickel (Ni) Lead (Pb) Copper (Cu) Mercury (Hg) Magnesium (Mg) Iron (Fe) Potassium (K) Zinc (Zn) Manganese (Mn) Molybdenum (Mo) Selenium (Se) Strontium (Sr) Uranium (U) Vanadium (V) Silver (Ag) Chromium (Cr3) Cesium (Cs) Learn more about CWC Labs water and soil testing services at CWClabs.com Press Relations: Lacey M. [email protected] 520-232-9300 SOURCE Consumer Wellness Center Related Links http://www.consumerwellness.org NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Cybera has earned the prestigious Gold status in the Golden Bridge Awards for Company of the Year in Information Technology Services and for the Best Deployment of the Year in Canada, for its recent partnership with a leading Canadian retailer. "Today's distributed enterprise needs to meet customer's expectations wherever they are, without impacting the existing network," said Andrew Lev, chief executive officer, Cybera. "We're proud to be recognized as the secret weapon for companies who want to move quickly to the highest caliber of customer experience, no matter the location, without sacrificing security, reliability, or speed." A pioneer in software-defined security and application-centric networking, Cybera has emerged as the disruptive alternative for easing the burden of data security and compliance and accelerating business agility. Cybera's Secure SD-WAN is widely adopted because of how easily, rapidly and economically it can be rolled out to tens of thousands of locations worldwide, spanning geographies from North America and Europe to Angola and Papua New Guinea. In this award winning example, the company recently worked with a leading Canadian retailer to roll out two critical customer applications across more than 1,000 sites in a matter of months. The coveted annual Golden Bridge Awards program encompasses the world's best in organizational performance, innovations, products and services, executives and management teams, women in business and the professions, innovations, best deployments, product management, public relations, marketing, corporate communications, international business, and customer satisfaction programs from every major industry in the world. Organizations from all over the world are eligible to submit nominations including public and private, for-profit and non-profit, largest to smallest and new start-ups. Winners will be honored in San Francisco on Monday, September 12, 2016 during the annual Red Carpet Golden Bridge Awards Ceremony. About Cybera Cybera is a leading provider of secure, software-defined WAN to many of the world's top enterprises. The company provides a simple solution to the growing complexity that distributed enterprises face at remote locations in managing payment networks and other sensitive, complex applications. The Cybera ONE platform reduces customer cost, complexity and time to market by integrating cloud and premise-based security technology into a single, easy-to-use offering. Founded in 2001, Cybera is a privately held company headquartered in the Nashville, Tennessee area with technology installed in over 60,000 business locations in 23 countries. For more information about Cybera, visit www.cybera.com. About the Golden Bridge Awards Golden Bridge Awards are an annual industry and peers recognition program honoring best companies in every major industry from large to small and new start-ups in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin-America, Best New Products and Services, Best Innovations, Management and Teams, Women in Business and the Professions, Case Studies, Customer Satisfaction, and PR and Marketing Campaigns from all over the world. Learn more about The Golden Bridge Awards at www.goldenbridgeawards.com Media Contact: Amy Dalkoff Hill+Knowlton Strategies 1 312 255 3078 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160722/392280LOGO SOURCE Cybera Related Links http://www.goldenbridgeawards.com NEW YORK, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a significant ruling on the issue of Title IX in campus sexual assault investigations, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today vacated a district court decision and will allow a male student's lawsuit against Columbia University to proceed. The Second Circuit clarified the standard for accused students pleading a violation of Title IX, and suggests the possibility of a Title VII framework, which would be much better for males suing schools due to alleged sexual discrimination. The student claims Columbia University violated his due process rights and discriminated against him based on his gender in a wrongful sexual misconduct investigation that resulted in his suspension. The plaintiff is represented by attorney Andrew Miltenberg, who specializes in Campus Assault Due Process, and the appeal was argued by Philip A. Byler, of Nesenoff & Miltenberg, LLP. "From the outset, Columbia University manipulated this investigation and engaged in gender bias against the accused, ignoring evidence and conflicting accounts presented by witnesses; motivated, in part, by public pressure," said Miltenberg. "This case illustrates the critically flawed process by which sexual misconduct investigations are handled at many colleges and universities, including Columbia, where there is an inherent bias against the accused male students, and recognizes that public criticism of Columbia University policies as not being aggressive enough towards men, provided a plausible inference of discriminatory bias against males." In granting the Plaintiff's appeal, the Second Circuit ruled that the case has the legal standing to proceed on the grounds that Columbia University engaged in systematic gender bias and breach of contract in mishandling a sexual misconduct investigation against the plaintiff. The outcome of this case could set an important precedent in the manner in which colleges and universities conduct sexual misconduct investigations in regards to Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. The court documents show that the plaintiff, referred to as John Doe, engaged in a consensual relationship with his accuser in May of 2012 and was notified of the allegations against him the following school year, in September of 2013. The day following Doe's notification of the allegation, the University issued an order barring him from contacting his accuser and restricting his access to residence halls on campus. The Title IX investigator, whose experience and background were not gender neutral, was charged with creating the narrative account that was eventually adopted by the disciplinary panel. Despite being told there were witnesses who could confirm the encounter was consensual, the Title IX investigator remained hostile to the Plaintiff and failed to reconcile the accuser's account with conflicting information presented by witnesses. According to the complaint, the investigator's questioning of the plaintiff was akin to cross-examination calculated to elicit confession. Additionally, the University representative failed to tell the accused male student that he could submit his own written statement to the disciplinary panel and failed to advise him that he was entitled to seek the support of a student advocate or consult with legal counsel. The Second Circuit vacated the district court's judgment dismissing the case and remanded the complaint for further proceedings. SOURCE Nesenoff and Miltenberg, LLP "This is an exciting time to lead Huawei's enterprise business in the U.S., as it continues to grow and strengthen its position in the American market through innovative technology solutions and a robust network of enterprise partners," said Mr. He. "In my new role, I look forward to continuing this momentum and expanding our business by raising awareness of Huawei's state-of-the-art enterprise solutions and getting more partners involved in Huawei's channel and service programs." As president of Huawei Enterprise US, Mr. He will direct and oversee the sales, partners, marketing, and service activities for Huawei's enterprise business accounts in the United States, and coordinate sales and marketing campaigns with Huawei headquarters in China, while developing and maintaining key relationships with U.S.-based clients and business partners. Since joining Huawei in 1998, Mr. He has served in a variety of executive roles at the company. Prior to this appointment, Mr. He served as president of Marketing and Solution Sales for Huawei's Enterprise Business Group, where he was responsible for the group's global marketing strategy and pre-sales activities. Before that, Mr. He was the president of Huawei Enterprise's Global Solutions Sales, Director of Technical Sales in China and Asia Pacific, and supervised the company's global IP network solution sales. He received two bachelor's degrees in Thermal Engineering and Computer Science, and a master's degree in Thermal Engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University. About Huawei Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei's 170,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on: http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei http://www.twitter.com/Huawei http://www.facebook.com/Huawei http://www.google.com/+Huawei http://www.youtube.com/Huawei Huawei Media Contact: Huawei Analyst Contact: Francis Hopkins Sarita Kincaid Director, Corporate Communications Director, Enterprise Analyst Relations (240) 472-1724 (mobile) (408) 330-5324 (mobile) [email protected] [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160728/393961 SOURCE Huawei Related Links http://www.huawei.com SOZO is considered by ImpediMed to have the world's most accurate technology for use in body composition, fluid status and hydration management, combined with the technology of remote patient monitoring. This next generation system features convenient and easy-to-use characteristics along with compatibility to interact with either the medical clinic or the user's own device. ImpediMed will update the market as SOZO receives appropriate regulatory clearances for the relevant indications. A copy of the presentation is available on ImpediMed's website at https://www.impedimed.com/newsroom/news. About ImpediMed Founded and headquartered in Brisbane, Australia with U.S. offices in Carlsbad, Calif. and Bloomington, Minn., ImpediMed is the world leader in the development and distribution of medical devices employing bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) technologies for use in the non-invasive clinical assessment and monitoring of fluid status in patients. ImpediMed has the first medical device with FDA clearance in the U.S. to aid healthcare professionals to clinically assess secondary unilateral lymphoedema of the arm and leg in women and the leg in men. For additional information, visit www.impedimed.com. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uMBA2Il_qA&feature=youtu.be Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160322/346772LOGO SOURCE ImpediMed Limited Related Links http://www.impedimed.com LOS ANGELES, CA, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - INNOVA Gaming Group Inc. ("INNOVA" or the "Company") (TSX: IGG), today announced that it will host a conference call on Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. ET to discuss its 2016 second quarter financial results. Richard Weil, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of INNOVA and Stephen Koo, Chief Financial Officer, will chair the call. The Company plans to release its financial results at 6:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, August 11, 2016. Conference Call Details Participant Dial-in Webcast Reference Number Conference Call 647-427-7450; or 1-888-231-8191 http://bit.ly/2a8MT9n Replay (available for 2 weeks) 416-849-0833; or 1-855-859-2056 58562499 About INNOVA Gaming Group Inc. INNOVA develops unique games and products for the global gaming industry, with particular focus on state and provincial lotteries. Through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Diamond Game, INNOVA focuses on enhancing the revenues of government-sponsored lotteries and other regulated operators by offering its unique "extended play" products in traditional and non-traditional gaming venues. Its primary product is the LT-3, an instant ticket vending machine that dispenses tickets while simultaneously displaying the results of each ticket on a video monitor in an entertaining fashion. For more information, please visit www.innovagaminggroup.com. SOURCE INNOVA Gaming Group WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - July 28, 2016) - US Special Envoy for Climate Change Dr. Jonathan Pershing traveled to Rabat, Morocco Wednesday and Thursday to discuss plans for the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 22), which will be held in Marrakesh this November. Meetings and roundtable discussions with Moroccan officials and members of the COP 22 commission and steering committee, who are responsible for planning and hosting the event, prioritized the "rapid entry-into-force of the Paris Agreement, implementation of countries' Nationally Determined Contributions, mobilizing private sector finance for low-carbon climate resilient solutions and clean energy, and climate adaptation and resilience," according to a State Department release. In statements to the press following meetings with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Salaheddine Mezouar, Moroccan Minister of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries Aziz Akhannouch, and other dignitaries, Mr. Pershing praised the "effective" partnership between the two countries in planning the November conference, and stated, "Morocco is a world leader in clean energy and many countries are looking to be inspired, especially in the implementation of renewable energy projects on a large scale, like the NOOR project." Noor 1, the first phase of what will become the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, was inaugurated in Morocco earlier this year, and is just one of many environmental initiatives helping Morocco reach its goal of generating 42% of the country's energy needs from renewable sources by 2020 and 52% by 2030. In 2016, the Climate Change Performance Index ranked Morocco alongside Denmark, Sweden, and Belgium in the top ten most climate-conscious countries and number one in the newly industrialized world based on criteria including CO2 emissions, renewable energy development, efficiency, and climate policy. Story continues King Mohammed VI has been an outspoken advocate for climate change action, noting in a speech at COP 21 in Paris last November, "The climate change predicament is the ultimate injustice suffered by the most vulnerable." "The consequences of climate change are affecting developing nations as much as -- if not more than -- developed countries, especially the least advanced African and Latin American States and small island States." The Moroccan American Center for Policy (MACP) is a non-profit organization whose principal mission is to inform opinion makers, government officials, and interested publics in the United States about political and social developments in Morocco and the role being played by the Kingdom of Morocco in broader strategic developments in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. This material is distributed by the Moroccan American Center for Policy on behalf of the Government of Morocco. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. PITTSBURGH, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) announced today they will attend Jefferies 2016 Industrial Conference on August 10, 2016 in New York City, NY. Ron De Feo, President & Chief Executive Officer, Jan Kees van Gaalen, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, and Kelly Boyer, Vice President, Investor Relations will be attending. The presentation slides will be available on the company's website www.kennametal.com, August 10, 2016. Once on the homepage, select "About Us", "Investor Relations" and then "Events". At the forefront of advanced materials innovation for more than 75 years, Kennametal Inc. is a global industrial technology leader delivering productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day nearly 12,000 employees are helping customers in more than 60 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated more than $2.6 billion in revenues in fiscal 2015. Learn more at www.kennametal.com SOURCE Kennametal Inc. Related Links http://www.kennametal.com RAS LANUF, Libya, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 28, 2016, the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) under the leadership of Executive Director Ibrahim Jadhran and key members' of the Government of National Accord's (GNA) Presidential Council signed an agreement to reopen the ports of Ras Lanuf, Zuwetina, Es Sidra and Brega. This move marks a resumption of national oil export activities as requested by the Presidential Council and reiterates the recognition of the GNA by the PFG and willingness to cooperate for the future of Libya. These negotiations come just a few days after a visit to Ras Lanuf by UN Special Envoy Martin Kobler who met personally with Jadhran to discuss the economic future of Libya and how the PFG can and should play a vital role. The physical security of the regional infrastructure to include the ports was made possible through extensive counter terrorism operations conducted by the PFG from June 2015 to July 2016 and resulted in the liberation of the cities of Bin Jawad, Nawfaliyah, and Harawah from ISIS and virtual elimination of terrorist activities in the critical Oil Crescent Region of Libya. PFG Executive Director Ibrahim Jadhran stated, "We again reiterate our unwavering support for the Government of National Accord and would do whatever is necessary to protect Libya's economic prosperity and bring peace and stability to the Libyan people." The resuming of port operations in the region is expected to bring in an additional $700M in revenue to the struggling Libyan economy over the next several months. The PFG is the singular paramilitary security force within Libya entrusted to secure the oil infrastructure of the country. The PFG operates in conjunction with the Libyan Government of National Accord and its Presidential Council. The organization employs over 20,000 personnel covering a region of over 170,000 Square Kilometers and 212 separate oil, gas and port facilities. The PFG's website contains additional information and can be viewed at www.PFGLIBYA.org Petroleum Facilities Guard Ras Lanuf, Libya [email protected] SOURCE Petroleum Facilities Guard AUSTIN, Texas, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeLine Software, Inc., a worldwide leader in dosimetric quality assurance tools, and Radyalis LLC, a pioneer in advanced radiotherapy software, will be demonstrating the next generation of Monte Carlo quality assurance solutions at the 2016 AAPM Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. This joint collaboration allows LifeLine Software to bring to market industry changing 3D dose volume independent dosimetric verification products which utilize Radyalis' revolutionary Monte Carlo dose calculation engine for photons and electrons. Through fundamental advances in large-scale optimization and high-performance computing, LifeLine Software offerings make practical today the significant advantage of Monte Carlo accuracy for clinical usage. In contrast to approximate analytic methods, Monte Carlo is widely recognized as the gold standard dose calculation method. Monte Carlo precisely models all relevant particle physics and materials including machine head and beam-limiting devices such as jaws, MLCs, and wedges. The most challenging clinical cases and complex structures are analyzed with the highest accuracy and confidence including heterogeneous head, neck, and lung regions, soft tissue, bony structures, and metal implants. Flexible deployment options allow users to combine the precise accuracy of a Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm with the levels of speed and productivity that allow busy radiation departments to meet their workflow needs. LifeLine Software offers unparalleled quality assurance accuracy and performance on current generation desktop and server platforms. A GPU is not required or necessary. "We are excited to be demonstrating our world-class quality assurance software benefiting potentially millions of cancer patients worldwide at this year's AAPM meeting in Washington, D.C. This effort represents our hard work and commitment to our customers to bring the best tools to market with accuracy and speed that has been unimaginable until now. Our goal is to receive FDA clearance before the end of 2016. We will immediately market RadCalc 3DMC to all of our non-U.S. markets after beta testing and regulatory requirements are met," said LifeLine Software's Co-Founder and President, Jim Dube. The flagship demonstration at AAPM is the first of two new software products both companies are collaborating on to provide more advanced modalities and capabilities for radiotherapy treatment providers. Demonstrations can be booked directly at the LifeLine Software booth #4063. LifeLine Software's CEO and Co-Founder Craig Laughton said, "At LifeLine Software, we have always strived to meet and exceed our customers' expectations and to listen to their needs. With the increasing complexity of treatment delivery, the demand for sophisticated quality assurance tools has grown. This demonstration represents our hard work and commitment to our customers to bring the best 3D dose validation tools to the market. We believe the Monte Carlo dose calculation technology provided by Radyalis will not only meet our customers' needs but exceed their expectations." About LifeLine Software, Inc. Founded in 1999 by Craig Laughton (CEO) and James Dube (President), Lifeline Software Inc. is a privately held software company headquartered in Tyler, Texas servicing over 2,100 radiation oncology centers worldwide. RadCalc was developed to provide the most comprehensive QA software program FDA 510(k) cleared to perform independent dosimetric validation calculations including 2D/3D, IMRT, Compensator IMRT, VMAT, 3D Dose Volume-Brachytherapy, Superficial, CyberKnife, Diode, and EDW support. Press Contact LifeLine Software, Inc. Jim Dube LifeLine Software, Inc. +1 866.592.1343 ext. 8 [email protected] For more information, visit http://www.lifelinesoftware.com About Radyalis LLC Radyalis LLC develops and markets leadership software for radiotherapy applications that enables next-generation treatment planning and patient workflow. Based in Austin, Texas, the Radyalis team collectively brings 60+ years of related research and development experience to the particle therapy arena with focus on ultra-fast and accurate simulation and analysis methods. Radyalis has research collaborations with premier oncology research hospitals and is committed to fundamentally impacting the accuracy, productivity, and cost of treatment planning through the increased use of software automation. Press Contact Radyalis LLC David LaPotin Radyalis LLC +1 512.584.8088 [email protected] For more information, visit http://radyalis.com SOURCE LifeLine Software, Inc. Related Links http://www.lifelinesoftware.com HOUSTON, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucas Energy, Inc. (NYSE MKT: LEI) ("Lucas", "us", "our" or the "Company"), an independent oil and gas company with its operations in central Texas, today announced that a special meeting of stockholders will be held on August 23, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Central time at River Oaks Executive Center, Highland Village Boardroom, located at 4265 San Felipe, Suite 1100, Houston, Texas 77027. The purpose of the meeting will be to consider and vote upon a proposal to approve the issuance of approximately 13 million shares of common stock in addition to preferred stock and debt transactions in connection with the previously announced strategic acquisition under which Lucas has agreed to acquire assets from various sellers including Segundo Resources, LLC, and other related matters. Stockholders will also be asked to approve an amendment to our Articles of Incorporation to change our name to Camber Energy, Inc. and to ratify the appointment of GBN CPAs, PC as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. Common stockholders of record as of the close of business on July 18, 2016 will be entitled to vote at the special meeting or by proxy. Proxy materials related to the special meeting of stockholders are expected to be mailed to stockholders on or about August 1, 2016. Lucas has engaged Issuer Direct as its proxy solicitor in connection with the meeting. About Lucas Energy, Inc. Based in Houston, Texas, Lucas Energy (NYSE MKT: LEI) is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the development of crude oil and natural gas in the Austin Chalk and Eagle Ford formations in South Texas. For more information, please visit the updated Lucas Energy web site at www.lucasenergy.com. Safe Harbor Statement and Disclaimer This news release includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward looking statements give our current expectations, opinions, beliefs or forecasts of future events and performance. A statement identified by the use of forward looking words including "may," "expects," "projects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "estimate," "should," and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements. Although Lucas believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release. These include risks inherent in natural gas and oil drilling and production activities, including risks of fire, explosion, blowouts, pipe failure, casing collapse, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, environmental hazards, and other operating and production risks, which may temporarily or permanently reduce production or cause initial production or test results to not be indicative of future well performance or delay the timing of sales or completion of drilling operations; delays in receipt of drilling permits; risks with respect to natural gas and oil prices, a material decline which could cause Lucas to delay or suspend planned drilling operations or reduce production levels; risks relating to the availability of capital to fund drilling operations that can be adversely affected by adverse drilling results, production declines and declines in natural gas and oil prices; risks relating to unexpected adverse developments in the status of properties; risks relating to the absence or delay in receipt of government approvals or fourth party consents; and other risks described in Lucas's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. The Company's SEC filings are available at http://www.sec.gov. Important Information In connection with the planned acquisition described above, Lucas has filed a definitive proxy statement on July 29, 2016 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") that includes important information about the assets and the proposed acquisition, and Lucas also intends to file a resale registration statement with the SEC. This communication is not a substitute for any proxy statement, registration statement, proxy statement/prospectus or other document Lucas has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. Prospective investors are urged to read the definitive proxy statement and registration statement, when filed, as they will contain important information. The definitive proxy statement will be mailed to stockholders of Lucas. Prospective investors may obtain free copies of the definitive proxy statement and registration statement, when filed, as well as other filings containing information about Lucas, without charge, at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). Copies of Lucas' SEC filings may also be obtained from Lucas without charge at Lucas' website (www.lucasenergy.com) or by directing a request to Lucas at (713) 528-1881. This document does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. INVESTORS SHOULD READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY BEFORE MAKING A DECISION CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Participants in Solicitation Lucas and its directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees are potential participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Lucas' directors and executive officers is available in Lucas' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on July 13, 2016 and Lucas' definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on February 18, 2016. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is included in the definitive proxy statement filed on July 29, 2016 with the SEC by Lucas in connection with the proposed transaction and in other relevant documents filed by Lucas with the SEC. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Contacts: Carol Coale / Ken Dennard Dennard Lascar Associates LLC (713) 529-6600 SOURCE Lucas Energy, Inc. Related Links http://www.lucasenergy.com EDISON, N.J., July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI) today announced that it executed 74 leases totaling 660,373 square feet for its office and flex commercial real estate properties during the quarter ending June 30, 2016. Of the 660,373 square feet leased, 154,069 square feet (22.8 percent) were for new leases and 506,304 square feet (77.2 percent) were for lease renewals and other tenant transactions. At quarter end, Mack-Cali's Core, Flex, and Waterfront properties achieved 89.8 percent leased, while its Non-Core properties were 72.8 percent leased. The total percentage leased for the Company is 86.7 percent, up 440 basis points from the same quarter last year, and down slightly from the first quarter's 87.2 percent. The second quarter leases had a direct impact on the Company's 2017 expirations, reducing the total by over 275,000 square feet. Additionally, just after quarter end, our newest tenant took advantage of the Grow New Jersey Tax Incentives and signed a lease at Harborside Plaza 2 on the Jersey City Waterfront. Omnicom, a global leader in marketing communications, signed a new lease for 79,771 square feet. The Omnicom lease, and the July 1 acquisition of 111 River Street in Hoboken, New Jersey, would increase our June 30 percentage leased from 89.8 percent to 90.4 percent at our Core, Flex, and Waterfront properties, and from 86.7 percent to 87.3 percent overall. With the new Omnicom lease, Mack-Cali's Waterfront portfolio is projected to be approximately 94 percent leased as of September 30, 2016. "We are proud of the significant leasing momentum across our portfolio, particularly along the Hudson River Waterfront," said Mitchell E. Rudin, chief executive officer of Mack-Cali. This quarter we produced GAAP roll up in excess of 27 percent and cash roll up of more than 17 percent. Over the last year, we've repositioned Mack-Cali-refocusing on core markets and key properties with an eye toward transforming these assets with first-class amenity packages. Over the first six months of this year, we have executed 156 leases totaling 1.8 million square feet (8 percent of our core portfolio) with 98 leases having GAAP rent roll up, one lease flat and 16 leases down for a total GAAP rollup of 22.2 percent. Large block transactions of over 20,000 square feet were represented by the following deals, totaling approximately 270,000 square feet: HUDSON RIVER WATERFRONT Deutsche Bank, a financial service provider, extended its lease for 125,916 square feet at Harborside Plaza 1 in Jersey City, New Jersey . The tenant's lease was originally set to expire in 2017. CORE NEW JERSEY SUBURBAN MARKETS Verizon New Jersey, a unit of Verizon Communications, has signed a lease renewal at 600 Horizon Drive at Horizon Center Business Park in Hamilton . Verizon leases the entire 95,000-square-foot office building, and also represents mitigation of a 2017 expiration. . Verizon leases the entire 95,000-square-foot office building, and also represents mitigation of a 2017 expiration. Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., a provider of home health care services, has signed a lease renewal at 11 Commerce Way at Mack-Cali Commercenter in Totowa for 26,125 square feet. for 26,125 square feet. Medical technologies firm Stryker Corporation signed a new lease for 22,081 square feet at 10 Mountainview Road in Upper Saddle River . NEW YORK Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a financial services firm, signed a lease renewal for 22,500 square feet at 50 Main Street at Westchester Financial Center in White Plains . About Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Mack-Cali Realty Corporation is a fully integrated, self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) providing management, leasing, development, and other tenant-related services for its two-platform operations of waterfront and transit-based office and luxury multi-family assets. Mack-Cali provides its tenants and residents with the most innovative communities that empower them to re-imagine the way they work and live. Additional information on Mack-Cali Realty Corporation and the commercial real estate properties and multi-family residential communities available for lease can be found on the Company's website at www.mack-cali.com. Statements made in this press release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "plan," "potential," "projected," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "target," "continue," or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate, and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading "Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise. Contacts: Anthony Krug Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Chief Financial Officer (732) 590-1030 [email protected] Ilene Jablonski Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Vice President of Marketing (732) 590-1528 [email protected] Deidre Crockett Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Director of Investor Relations (732) 590-1025 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150903/263589LOGO SOURCE Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Related Links http://www.mack-cali.com BRISBANE, Australia, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Megaport Limited (ASX:MP1) today announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Germany's second largest Internet Exchange operator PEERING GmbH which operates under the brand ECIX, based in Berlin, Germany. ECIX provides services to over 180 customers throughout its 30 points of presence within Germany. Megaport CEO Denver Maddux said: "Europe represents a tremendous opportunity for Megaport and our acquisition of PEERING GmbH gives us depth within Germany, one of the largest economies in Europe where cloud services are forecast to grow significantly." Stefan Wahl, CEO of PEERING, GmbH said: "In terms of culture, capabilities, and neutrality, Megaport was the obvious choice to extend ECIX's industry-changing services outside Germany. We are nimble which gives us the ability to deploy quickly and align our services to our customers' needs. "Megaport is the same and understands the importance of maintaining those values and capabilities while growing their business. The ECIX team are absolutely thrilled to join such a phenomenal company and team and are committed to supporting Megaport's success in Europe," Wahl said. Megaport also announced the acquisition of OM-NIX, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. OM-NIX is a carrier-grade pan-European network services provider with access to key interconnection facilities throughout Europe. Combined, the acquisitions represent 48 European sites. "OM-NIX has extensive reach into Eastern Europe and the Balkans region and, combining these acquisitions with the original Megaport build footprint, we now have extraordinary opportunity to extend our Elastic Interconnection across Europe," Maddux said. Yuliy Nushev, Founder of OM-NIX said: "It was immediately clear OM-NIX could play a big part in Megaport's vision to bring Elastic Interconnection to Europe. Our unique footprint is an excellent complement to the core Megaport footprint and offers a great number of locations and ecosystem partners with which to connect." "This service footprint will provide all our existing customers and partners cloud connection and internet exchange capabilities via Megaport Virtual Cross Connect services (VXCs) as well as Internet Exchange services. The ECIX Internet Exchange service has become one of the top IX platforms in Europe. I could not be happier to welcome ECIX and OM-NIX to the Megaport family," Maddux said. Combined, the acquisitions of ECIX and OM-NIX represent 48 European sites. These acquisitions coincide with Megaport today officially launching its elastic interconnection platform in Europe. As foreshadowed in the IPO prospectus of December, 2015 the Megaport Elastic Fabric is now available in nine sites throughout London, Dublin, Stockholm and Amsterdam with an additional four sites due to come online in the coming weeks. Denver Maddux, Chief Executive Officer, Megaport Limited said: "I'm really pumped that we are formally launching services in Europe as well as announcing the acquisition of these two great companies that are accretive to our business and align with our values and culture. When you consider the market coverage each acquisition brings to our build they dovetail perfectly and leapfrog our initial plans for Europe. On completion of the transactions Europe will become Megaport's largest market in terms of coverage and revenue. That's pretty incredible." Details of Megaport's European launch and acquisitions: Combined European footprint in 13 countries across 19 cities and 57 locations with these acquisitions representing 48 of those . Combined acquisition cost $3.1M AUD with combined estimated annualised revenue of $4.5M AUD and the acquisitions are earnings accretive AUD with combined estimated annualised revenue of AUD and the acquisitions are earnings accretive Acquisitions are all cash consideration funded from current cash reserves Combined acquisitions bring 180+ customers Core PEERING GmbH leadership team will remain as managers of the combined operation The sale and purchase is subject to customary conditions precedent and is anticipated to complete in early August. Supporting Resources Visit Megaport: https://megaport.com/ Follow Megaport on Twitter: @megaportnetwork Like Megaport on Facebook Follow Megaport on LinkedIn About Megaport Megaport is the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. Using Software Defined Networking, the Company's global platform enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services across the Megaport Fabric. Services can be directly controlled by customers via mobile devices, their computer or our open API. The Company's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various markets. Established in 2013 and founded by Bevan Slattery, Megaport built the world's first SDN-based elastic interconnection platform designed to provide the most secure, seamless and on-demand way for enterprises, networks and services to interconnect. Led by industry veteran Denver Maddux, Megaport has been built by a highly experienced team with extensive knowledge in building large scale global carrier networks and connects over 500* customers throughout its 132* locations in 36* markets in 19 countries. Megaport is an Amazon AWS Technology Partner, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Partner, and Google Cloud Interconnect Partner. To learn more about Megaport, please visit: www.megaport.com. * Includes announced acquisition of OM-NIX and ECIX which are due to be completed in August, 2016. Media enquiries about Megaport: Email: [email protected] WENDY HILL SAPPHIRE COMMUNICATIONS PH: +614-2717-3203 EM: [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160510/365602LOGO SOURCE Megaport Related Links http://www.megaport.com DULUTH, Ga., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 570 veterinary researchers and students are attending Merial's 2016 Veterinary Scholars Symposium this weekend, representing veterinary schools in the United States, Canada, France and The Netherlands. The annual event exposes students to veterinary research as part of the Merial Veterinary Scholars Program (MVSP). In addition to supporting industry-leading research through keynote speakers, cutting-edge scientific sessions and poster presentations, Merial recognizes and awards one graduate student and one undergraduate student for their exemplary research during the symposium. Dr. Victoria Baxter will receive the 2016 Merial Research Award for Graduate Veterinarians. Baxter earned her DVM from Texas A&M, is boarded in Laboratory Animal Medicine and completed her Ph.D. in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Cellular and Molecular Medicine program in January 2016. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Baxter will present on interferon gamma modulation of disease manifestation and the local antibody response to alphavirus encephalomyelitis. Laura LoBuglio, a third-year veterinary student at the University of Minnesota, will receive the 2016 Merial Veterinary Scholar Research Award. LoBuglio conducted the research for which she is being awarded at the University of Minnesota Stem Cell Institute and Schulze Diabetes Institute. She will present on the identification and inhibition of oxidative stress-induced apoptosis pathways in beta cells in diabetes. Both award recipients are contributing significantly to industry biomedical knowledge, and support Merial's greater program goal of advancing world-renowned and industry-leading research. "A large percentage of MVSP participants end up with a career in science," said Fabian Kausche, Global Head of R&D, Merial. "To me, that's a clear long-term benefit of this program. Merial's priority is to provide solutions to help care for the well-being of animals, and this program furthers the advances in veterinary and human health research that make that possible." In 2017, Merial will continue to co-sponsor the symposium with the National Institute of Health at the NIH headquarters in Washington, D.C. For more information on the program, visit www.merialscholars.com. About MERIAL MERIAL is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products that focus on disease prevention and overall health and wellness in animals. MERIAL has three main business areas: pets, farm animals and veterinary public health, and our health solutions target more than 200 diseases and conditions across a variety of species. MERIAL employs 6,900 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide with over 2.5 billion of sales in 2015. MERIAL is a Sanofi company. For more information, please see www.merial.com; @Merial. SOURCE Merial Related Links http://www.merial.com NEW YORK, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Middle East & Africa UPS market to grow on account of rising demand from commercial and industrial sectors New Age TechSci Research Logo (PRNewsFoto/New Age TechSci Research) (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140117/663730 ) According to a recently published TechSci Research report "Middle East & Africa UPS Market By kVA Range, By End User, By Country, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2011 - 2021", the UPS systems market in Middle East & Africa (MEA) is projected to register sales of 4.2 million units by 2021, on account of widening energy demand-supply gap, high influx of new technology & systems, increasing IT spending and booming trade & tourism sector. Growing demand from diverse sectors, such as IT & ITeS, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), government, manufacturing, telecom, energy, etc., is expected to drive the MEA UPS market during forecast period. Middle East & Africa Telecom Services Market Size, By Value, 2013-2018F (USD Billion) Year Telecom services Revenue 2013 84.9 2014 87.2 2015 89.5 2016E 91.9 2017F 94.2 2018F 96.5 Source: TechSci Research Browse 2 market data Tables and 60 Figures spread through 147 Pages and an in-depth TOC on "MEA UPS Market" https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/middle-east-africa-ups-market-by-kva-range-less-than-5kva-5-1-20kva-20-1-60kva-60-1-200kva-above-200kva-by-end-user-by-country-saudi-arabia-uae-south-africa-nigeria-competition-forecast-opportunities-2011-2021/739.html UPS in the range of less than 5 kVA accounted for the largest share in Middle East & Africa UPS market in 2015 on the back of its various applications in banks, hospitals, retail outlets, educational & financial institutions, amusement parks, etc. Commercial sector was the largest end user of UPS in the MEA region in 2015, and the same trend is expected to continue over the next five years as well. Country-wise, Saudi Arabia dominated the Middle East & Africa UPS market in 2015 on account of widespread adoption of Cloud computing, big data analytics and mobile technologies in the country. Download Sample Report @ https://www.techsciresearch.com/sample-report.aspx?cid=739 Customers can also request for 10% free customization on this report. "The government of countries falling under the Middle East & Africa region are introducing various initiatives to computerize their departments. For instance, the 2003 Telecom Law, which was introduced by Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) based at Abu Dhabi, mandates the promotion of e-government, ensuring service quality and management of every aspect of information technology (IT) and telecommunications industries in the UAE. All these initiatives are expected to positively influence the MEA UPS market over the next five years." Said Mr. Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research, a research based global management consulting firm. "Middle East & Africa UPS Market By kVA Range, By End User, By Country, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2011 - 2021" has evaluated the future growth potential of UPS market in MEA and provides statistics and information on market structure, policies and regulations in the MEA UPS market. The report is intended to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges and opportunities available in MEA UPS market. Browse Related Reports Global Lithium-ion Battery Market By Type (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (Li-NMC), Lithium Iron Phosphate (Li-IP), Lithium Cobalt Oxide (Li-CO), etc.), By End User, By Region, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021 https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/global-lithium-ion-battery-market-by-type-lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-li-nmc-lithium-iron-phosphate-li-ip-lithium-cobalt-oxide-li-co-etc-by-end-user-by-region-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011-2021/715.html Global Gas Gensets Market By Rating ((Low Rating (1kVA-75kVA), Medium Rating (75kVA-350kVA), High Rating (350kVA-750kVA), etc.)), By End User (Industrial, Commercial and Residential), By Region, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021 https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/global-gas-gensets-market-by-rating-low-rating-1kva-75kva-medium-rating-75kva-350kva-high-rating-350kva-750kva-etc-by-end-user-industrial-commercial-and-residential-by-region-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011-2021/683.html Global Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Market By Type (AC Charger & DC Charger), By Installed Location (Commercial & Residential), By Region (North America, Europe & Asia-Pacific), Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021 https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/global-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-market-by-type-ac-charger-dc-charger-by-installed-location-commercial-residential-by-region-north-america-europe-asia-pacific-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011-2021/688.html GCC Switchgear Market By Type (Low; Medium and High Voltage), By End User (Utilities, Residential, Industrial and Others), Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021 https://www.techsciresearch.com/report/gcc-switchgear-market-by-type-low-medium-and-high-voltage-by-end-user-utilities-residential-industrial-and-others-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011-2021/645.html] About TechSci Research TechSci Research is a leading global market research firm publishing premium market research reports. Serving 700 global clients with more than 600 premium market research studies, TechSci Research is serving clients across 11 different industrial verticals. TechSci Research specializes in research based consulting assignments in high growth and emerging markets, leading technologies and niche applications. Our workforce of more than 100 fulltime Analysts and Consultants employing innovative research solutions and tracking global and country specific high growth markets helps TechSci clients to lead rather than follow market trends. Contact Mr. Ken Mathews 708 Third Avenue, Manhattan, NY, New York - 10017 Tel: +1-646-360-1656 Email: [email protected] Connect with us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/TechSciResearch Connect with us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/techsci-research SOURCE TechSci Research ATLANTA, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- OpsDataStore, the company delivering the first real-time big data platform for data driven IT Operations, today announced that Navis, provider of operational technologies and services that unlock greater performance and efficiency for the world's leading terminal operators, has deployed OpsDataStore across its global, virtual environment. With the adoption of OpsDataStore, Navis will now be able to more readily improve the speed of its decision-making around IT resource consumption and allocation. "OpsDataStore provides an ingenious solution that enables and simplifies the complex process of IT Operations Analytics," said Dave McCandless, vice president of information technology, Navis. "OpsDataStore allows us to realize our Business Value Dashboard vision in Birst, our BI tool of choice. As OpsDataStore matures with new features, Navis is well positioned to accelerate our integration strategy, further optimizing the value of our IT investments. We anticipate we will receive a full return on our OpsDataStore investment within the next six months." Furthermore, OpsDataStore delivers Navis: Aggregation of systems activity data regardless of source Due to OpsDataStore's integration with various management solutions rather than point products, the solution delivery focus is based on optimized data analysis and aggregation rather than system connectivity and agent management. The idiosyncrasies of the various IT operations data type network, server, application are filtered out of the process, allowing for analysis and conversations about system behaviors rather than personalities. Due to OpsDataStore's integration with various management solutions rather than point products, the solution delivery focus is based on optimized data analysis and aggregation rather than system connectivity and agent management. The idiosyncrasies of the various IT operations data type network, server, application are filtered out of the process, allowing for analysis and conversations about system behaviors rather than personalities. Expansion and customized connectivity Specifically, the OpsDataStore feature that enables a "plug-in" capability to allow products outside of the supported ecosystem to be integrated into the data aggregation process. This feature will allow Navis to build capture capabilities around its own products, making them a candidate for technologies manageable via the OpsDataStore ecosystem. Specifically, the OpsDataStore feature that enables a "plug-in" capability to allow products outside of the supported ecosystem to be integrated into the data aggregation process. This feature will allow Navis to build capture capabilities around its own products, making them a candidate for technologies manageable via the OpsDataStore ecosystem. Seamless global view of all IT data With OpsDataStore, Navis can pull together and analyze all types of IT data operations, utilization, performance, manpower, and financial to create holistic IT insights. Before, Navis was able to effectively report these various business segments separately, but without a process to include IT metrics. With OpsDataStore, Navis can pull together and analyze all types of IT data operations, utilization, performance, manpower, and financial to create holistic IT insights. Before, Navis was able to effectively report these various business segments separately, but without a process to include IT metrics. A modern low latency big data pipeline OpsDataStore is built on Cassandra, Spark, Kafka, AKKA and a scale-out decision support data store EXASOL. This allows OpsDataStore to seamlessly scale as Navis expands their environment and adds new sources of data, and makes all of the data immediately available to Birst or any other BI tool Navis wants to use. OpsDataStore is built on Cassandra, Spark, Kafka, AKKA and a scale-out decision support data store EXASOL. This allows OpsDataStore to seamlessly scale as Navis expands their environment and adds new sources of data, and makes all of the data immediately available to Birst or any other BI tool Navis wants to use. Simplified IT systems integration Navis' installation required the inclusion of multiple VMware vCenter deployments, and OpsDataStore was able to eliminate the restriction of multiple views, creating one, global view. Therefore, as more types of IT solutions are added, the depth of information value will increase while the complexity from systems diversity will be avoided. "OpsDataStore is the first and only real-time, multi-vendor platform for IT Operations Analytics and is the only credible foundation for a Business Value Dashboard initiative. Our multi-vendor ecosystem based strategy makes us the only platform that allows leading edge enterprise IT organizations like Navis to keep up with and benefit from the rate of change and innovation in the IT industry," said Bernd Harzog, CEO, OpsDataStore. "Navis' ability to integrate our comprehensive data into Birst the BI tool of their choice with no work required on the part of either Birst or ourselves is a direct outgrowth of our strategy to make all IT data available to all BI tools." To learn more about the OpsDataStore solution, visit: www.opsdatastore.com. About Navis Navis, a part of Cargotec Corporation, is the global technology standard for managing the movement of cargo through terminals, standing the test of time. Navis combines industry best practices with innovative technology and world-class services to enable our customers to maximize performance and reduce risk. Whether tracking cargo through a port, automating equipment operations, or managing multiple terminals through an integrated, centralized solution, Navis provides a holistic approach to operational optimization, providing customers with improved visibility, velocity and measurable business results. www.navis.com About OpsDataStore OpsDataStore provides enterprises with complete and real-time operational transparency across the IT stack by providing a common data plane for all management data and vendors. OpsDataStore and its ecosystem of partners replace outdated frameworks with a modern best-of-breed solution to improve service quality, increase business agility and drive revenue. Founded in 2015, OpsDataStore is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. To read more, visit the OpsDataStore blog at opsdatastore.com/blog/. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151026/280726LOGO SOURCE OpsDataStore Related Links https://opsdatastore.com SPRINGFIELD, Ill., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The recorded debates from the state's 1970 Constitutional Convention and previous Illinois Supreme Court rulings could not be clearer the Illinois Supreme Court should reverse a recent Cook County Circuit Court ruling and order the Independent Map Amendment be put before voters in the upcoming November election, according to the coalition's opening brief filed Friday with the Court. "The language of the Illinois Constitution and legislative history of the convention debates are indisputable," said Dennis FitzSimons, Chair of Independent Maps. "Redistricting reform is clearly a topic that can be addressed by a citizen initiated amendment, and the Independent Map Amendment is exactly what the men and women who wrote the constitution had in mind when they granted Illinoisans this power." The 50-page brief is available on the Independent Maps website (www.MapAmendment.org). The brief argues that the Cook County Circuit Court ruling is an erroneous interpretation of the Illinois Constitution and is contrary to both the plain language of the constitution and the legislative debates of the constitutional convention. "Indeed, if allowed to stand, the circuit court's ruling would effectively nullify the constitutional right of Illinois citizens to amend the legislative article through the initiative process, making it virtually impossible to craft a redistricting proposal that offers any meaningful change," the brief states. Quoting extensively from the debates by the members of the convention, the brief demonstrates that the framers of the constitution identified redistricting as one of the "critical" areas that voters could address in a citizen-initiated amendment. While citizen-initiated amendments are limited to structural and procedural subjects contained in the legislative article, the constitution's "limited to" language was designed to prevent initiatives on substantive issues like taxes, abortion or the death penalty, but the language was not intended to stifle creativity of initiatives related to the legislature. To continue reading the full news release, please click here. To read the full text of the brief, click here. For key points taken from the brief, click here. Paid for by Support Independent Maps. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board's official website (http://www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the Illinois State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150423/201324LOGO SOURCE Independent Maps Related Links http://www.mapamendment.org MIAMI, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Next Group Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: NXGH) (the "Company") today announces that it has signed definitive Agreements with 4 separate Finance Groups that hold an aggregated value of $713,250.00 in Convertible Notes. NXGH has reached agreements with Cerberus Finance Group, Ltd., LG Capital Funding, LLC, Mountain Ranch partners, Inc. and Quorum Holdings, LLC to buy back the remaining Convertible Notes. The Note amounts are: $131,250 for Cerberus Finance Group, Ltd., $357,000 for LG Capital Funding, LLC, $100,000 for Mountain Ranch partners, Inc. and $125,000 for Quorum Holdings, LLC. "Next Group Holdings, Inc. has reached a certain level of success and now we believe that we need to take control of our finances and show support to our shareholders," said Arik Maimon, NXGH's Chairman and CEO. "This repurchase of financial instruments will avoid the possibility of these note being converted to shares at abnormally high rates due to the current value of NXGH on the OTCQB exchange.", added Maimon. "These financial groups have been instrumental in supporting Next Group Holdings, Inc. through its development and we are truly grateful for their support" said Michael De Prado NXGH's President & COO. "We have faith in the future of NXGH and we want to show our shareholders that we are willing and able to stand up for our future." added De Prado. About Us: NXGH is a corporation headquartered in Miami, Florida, which, through its operating subsidiaries, engages in the business of using proprietary technology and certain licensed technology to provide innovative mobile banking, mobility, and telecommunications solutions to underserved, unbanked, and emerging markets. NXGH's principal executive offices are located at 1111 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2200, Miami, Florida 33131, and its telephone number at that location is (800) 611-3622. NXGH's web address is http://www.nextgroupholdings.com. THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS", AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION 27A OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND SECTION 21E OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, WHICH ARE NOT PURELY HISTORICAL, ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INCLUDE ANY STATEMENTS REGARDING BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS REGARDING THE FUTURE. EXCEPT FOR THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION PRESENTED HEREIN, MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH STATEMENTS. STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS, INCLUDING STATEMENTS THAT ARE PRECEDED BY, FOLLOWED BY, OR THAT INCLUDE SUCH WORDS AS"ESTIMATE", "ANTICIPATE", "BELIEVE", "PLAN" OR "EXPECT" OR SIMILAR STATEMENTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE INCLUDE STATEMENTS RELATING TO OTHER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY. Contact: NEXT Group Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: NXGH) Telephone: +1-800-611-3622 [email protected] SOURCE Next Group Holdings, Inc. HOUSTON, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NYSE: OAS) ("Oasis" or the "Company") announced today the election of Mr. John E. Hagale to Oasis' Board of Directors. Mr. Hagale's election brings the number of directors to eight. Upon joining the Board of Directors on July 27, 2016, Mr. Hagale was appointed as a member of Oasis' Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. John E. Hagale has served as our Director since July 2016 and serves on our Audit and Nominating & Governance Committees. Mr. Hagale served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Rosetta Resources Inc. from November 2011 until the completion of the merger of Rosetta with Noble Energy, Inc. in July 2015. Prior to joining Rosetta, Mr. Hagale was Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of The Methodist Hospital System from June 2003 through October 2011. He was also employed with Burlington Resources Inc. and its predecessor Burlington Northern Inc. for 15 years where he held a series of executive financial positions with increasing responsibilities, including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Burlington. Mr. Hagale began his career with Deloitte Haskins and Sells. Mr. Hagale holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame. He has more than 30 years of financial and accounting experience and is a certified public accountant. Mr. Hagale currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cobalt International Energy, Inc. "John Hagale will be a valuable addition to the Oasis Board due to his extensive financial and corporate governance experience combined with his deep oil and gas expertise," said Mr. Thomas B. Nusz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are looking forward to benefiting from his leadership and insight as we navigate the current macro environment." Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, forward-looking statements contained in this press release specifically include the expectations of plans, strategies, objectives and anticipated financial and operating results of the Company, including the Company's drilling program, production, derivative instruments, capital expenditure levels and other guidance included in this press release. These statements are based on certain assumptions made by the Company based on management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, anticipated future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or expressed by the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, changes in oil and natural gas prices, weather and environmental conditions, the timing of planned capital expenditures, availability of acquisitions, uncertainties in estimating proved reserves and forecasting production results, operational factors affecting the commencement or maintenance of producing wells, the condition of the capital markets generally, as well as the Company's ability to access them, the proximity to and capacity of transportation facilities, and uncertainties regarding environmental regulations or litigation and other legal or regulatory developments affecting the Company's business and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected as described in the Company's reports filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made and the Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. About Oasis Petroleum Inc. Oasis is an independent exploration and production company focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional oil and natural gas resources, primarily operating in the Williston Basin. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.oasispetroleum.com. SOURCE Oasis Petroleum Inc. Related Links http://www.oasispetroleum.com COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland (UMD) and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), the central laboratory that provides world-class research for the Army, today announced a strategic partnership to provide high-performance computing (HPC) resources for use in higher education and research communities. As a result of this synergistic partnership, students, professors, engineers and researchers will have unprecedented access to technologies that enable scientific discovery and innovation. The partnership was formed under ARL's "Open Campus" initiative, which aims to build a science and technology ecosystem. Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX), a University of Maryland center that operates a multi-state advanced cyberinfrastructure platform, will connect ARL's high-performance computer "Harold" to this ecosystem on its 100-Gbps optical network. Collaborators from the UMD, MAX and ARL communities will be able to build research networks, explore complex problems, engage in competitive research opportunities and encounter realistic research applications. "The UMD/MAX-ARL partnership provides a unique opportunity for both organizations to create a national model of collaboration in the HPC field," said Tripti Sinha, MAX Executive Director and UMD Assistant Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. "Collaborative partnerships are key to maximizing our technological potential and ensuring our nation's strength and competitiveness in the critical fields of science and research. UMD and MAX are very excited to work with ARL on this endeavor." In addition to increasing accessibility and enhancing HPC resources for researchers, the collaboration between UMD/MAX and ARL will also support innovation activities conducted by private and startup companies that connect through MAX's infrastructure. "Our goal is to take the cutting-edge computational power that we use for defense research, development, test, and evaluation and put that in a place that will benefit the wider scientific community," said Dr. Raju Namburu, Chief, Computational Sciences Division, Computational and Information Sciences Directorate, U.S. Army Research Laboratory. UMD, MAX and ARL's combined effort not only benefits the mid-Atlantic region, but also aligns with the federal government's strategic initiative to maximize the benefits of supercomputing for economic competitiveness, scientific discovery, and national security. An executive order announced in July 2015 established the National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI) to support the United States in its efforts to remain a leader in the development and deployment of HPC systems. "The university is in full support of the federal government's leadership on this critical HPC initiative," said Eric Denna, UMD Vice President and Chief Information Officer. "The creation of the UMD/MAX-ARL partnership is just one step in the promotion of HPC innovation, and UMD will continue to actively participate by contributing technical expertise and sharing knowledge with our key collaborators." The UMD/MAX-ARL partnership also lays the foundation for the organizations to expand their reach and make additional HPC resources accessible to the communities they serve. Harold will become available once the machine is scrubbed, declassified and brought into ARL's demilitarized zone, or perimeter network. Under ARL and UMD's collaborative research development agreement (CRADA), the HPC resource will be allocated to MAX's Internet Protocol (IP) address space and will be accessible to the collective communities of UMD, MAX and ARL's Open Campus. As a result, researchers will have supercomputing-caliber computational capability and leading-edge advanced networking research at their fingertips that is designed for application development and networking experiments. "This joint research venture with UMD/MAX will leverage ARL's high-performance resources and the Army's groundbreaking research programs in emerging scientific computing architectures, such as non Von Neumann computing architectures, distributed ad-hoc computing and programmable networks," Namburu said. "The result is a unique opportunity for synergistic collaboration between two prominent organizations on the forefront of research and innovation." The ultimate goal is to share HPC resources for the good of the community and ensure that groundbreaking collaborative projects have the necessary tools. "An HPC resource like Harold will significantly enhance the capabilities of the University of Maryland's faculty and student researchers," said Patrick O'Shea, UMD Vice President and Chief Research Officer. "The partnership between UMD/MAX and ARL opens up connections for our community and enables research opportunities. We are eager to see the expansion of our creative ecosystem." About University of Maryland (UMD) The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 56 members of the national academies, and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.8 billion operating budget and secures $550 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, visit www.umd.edu. About Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) is a center at the University of Maryland that operates a multi-state advanced cyberinfrastructure platform. MAX's all-optical, Layer 1 core network is the foundation for a high-performance infrastructure providing state-of-the-art 100-Gbps network technology and services. MAX participants include universities, federal research labs, and other research-focused organizations in the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas. MAX serves as a connector and traffic aggregator to the Internet2 national backbone and peers with other major networks. Its mission is to provide cutting-edge network connectivity for its participants, tailored and generic data-transport solutions, and advanced services to accommodate and optimize large data flows and to facilitate network and application research. For more information about MAX and MAX services, please visit www.maxgigapop.net. About U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) The U.S. Army Research Laboratory is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. SOURCE University of Maryland Related Links http://www.umd.edu PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) today reported a second quarter 2016 income from operations of $234.8 million as compared to income from operations of $273.8 million for the second quarter of 2015. Excluding special items, second quarter 2016 income from operations was $77.0 million as compared to income from operations of $167.8 million for the second quarter of 2015. Special items in the second quarter 2016 results include a net, non-cash, after-tax gain of $95.3 million, or $0.92 per share, lower-of-cost-or-market ("LCM") inventory adjustment which increased operating income. Additionally, included in our results were net after-tax charges totaling approximately $5.9 million, or $0.06 per share, related to acquisition expenses and accelerated equity-based compensation expense. The company reported second quarter 2016 net income of $120.6 million, and net income attributable to PBF Energy Inc. of $103.5 million or $1.06 per share. This compares to net income of $158.5 million, and net income attributable to PBF Energy Inc. of $135.8 million or $1.57 per share for the second quarter 2015. Adjusted fully-converted net income for the second quarter 2016, excluding special items, was $13.9 million, or $0.14 per share on a fully exchanged, fully diluted basis, as described below, compared to adjusted fully-converted net income of $80.5 million, or $0.88 per share, for the second quarter 2015. PBF Energy's financial results reflect the consolidation of PBF Logistics LP (NYSE: PBFX), a master limited partnership of which PBF indirectly owns the general partner and approximately 49.4% of the limited partner interests as of quarter-end. Tom Nimbley, PBF Energy's CEO, said, "Our refineries ran better than last quarter, generating positive results as the East Coast returned to profitability. Our margins were negatively impacted by several factors, including narrower light/heavy crude differentials and a 35% increase in the flat price of crude versus the first quarter. These factors contributed to lower realized margins due to increased input costs and higher relative losses on our low-value products across our system. In addition, rising RIN expenses and persistent above-average inventory levels weighed on product margins." Mr. Nimbley continued, "Looking forward, seasonal demand remains strong but inventory levels could continue to pressure refining margins in the third quarter. The crude market continues to be well-supplied and feedstock differentials are showing signs of improvement." Mr. Nimbley concluded, "Despite the recent market volatility, we are excited about the increased diversification of our system with the addition of Torrance. We have grown our business significantly over the past twelve months and increased the earnings potential of our company." Previously announced Torrance Refinery acquisition On July 1, 2016, PBF announced that its subsidiary had closed its previously announced acquisition of the 155,000 barrel per day Torrance refinery, and related logistics assets, from ExxonMobil. The purchase price for the assets was $537.5 million, plus initial working capital of approximately $460.9 million which is subject to final valuation within ninety days of closing. The estimated working capital expenditures include existing feedstock, intermediate and finished product inventories as well as certain environmental credits. The Company expects the net working capital related to the Torrance Acquisition to ultimately be less than the working capital acquisition price as the pre-paid inventory and credits are cycled through its normal operations in the coming months. PBF Energy Inc. Declares Dividend The company announced today that it will pay a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share of Class A common stock on August 23, 2016, to holders of record as of August 9, 2016. Outlook For the third quarter 2016, we expect East Coast total throughput to average 300,000 to 320,000 barrels per day; Mid-Continent total throughput is expected to average 155,000 to 165,000 barrels per day; Gulf Coast total throughput is expected to average 155,000 to 165,000 barrels per day and West Coast total throughput is expected to average 145,000 to 155,000 barrels per day. For the full-year 2016, we expect East Coast total throughput to average 310,000 to 330,000 barrels per day; Mid-Continent total throughput is expected to average 150,000 to 160,000 barrels per day; Gulf Coast total throughput is expected to average 160,000 to 170,000 barrels per day and West Coast total throughput is expected to average 145,000 to 155,000 barrels per day. Adjusted Fully-Converted Results Adjusted fully-converted results assume the exchange of all PBF Energy Company LLC Series A Units and dilutive securities into shares of PBF Energy Inc. Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, resulting in the elimination of the noncontrolling interest and a corresponding adjustment to the company's tax provision. Non-GAAP Measures This earnings release, and the discussion during the management conference call, may include references to non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) measures including Adjusted Fully-Converted Net Income, Adjusted Fully-Converted Net Income per fully-exchanged, fully-diluted share, gross refining margin, gross refining margin per barrel of throughput, EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization), Adjusted EBITDA and projected EBITDA related to the refinery acquisitions. PBF believes that non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about its operating performance and financial results. However, these measures have important limitations as analytical tools and should not be viewed in isolation or considered as alternatives for, or superior to, comparable GAAP financial measures. PBF's non-GAAP financial measures may also differ from similarly named measures used by other companies. See the accompanying tables and footnotes in this release for additional information on the non-GAAP measures used in this release and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Conference Call Information PBF Energy's senior management will host a conference call and webcast regarding quarterly results and other business matters on Friday, July 29, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. ET. The call is being webcast and can be accessed at PBF Energy's website, http://www.pbfenergy.com . The call can also be heard by dialing (888) 632-3384 or (785) 424-1675, conference ID: PBFQ216. The audio replay will be available two hours after the end of the call through August 14, 2016, by dialing (800) 723-0389 or (402) 220-2647. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release relating to future plans, results, performance, expectations, achievements and the like are considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which may be beyond the company's control, that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ include but are not limited to the risks disclosed in the company's filings with the SEC, as well as the risk disclosed in PBF Logistics LP's SEC filings and any impact PBF Logistics LP may have on the company's credit rating, cost of funds, employees, customer and vendors; risk relating to the securities markets generally; and the impact of adverse market conditions affecting the company, unanticipated developments, regulatory approvals, changes in laws and other events that negatively impact the company. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by applicable law. About PBF Energy Inc. PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) is one of the largest independent refiners in North America, operating, through its subsidiaries, oil refineries and related facilities in California, Delaware, Louisiana, New Jersey and Ohio. Our mission is to operate our facilities in a safe, reliable and environmentally responsible manner, provide employees with a safe and rewarding workplace, become a positive influence in the communities where we do business, and provide superior returns to our investors. PBF Energy Inc. also currently indirectly owns the general partner and approximately 49.4% of the limited partnership interest of PBF Logistics LP (NYSE: PBFX). PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited, in thousands, except share and per share data) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Revenues $ 3,858,467 $ 3,550,664 $ 6,658,652 $ 6,545,800 Costs and expenses: Cost of sales, excluding depreciation 3,249,444 2,994,745 5,661,539 5,496,960 Operating expenses, excluding depreciation 276,598 194,970 576,597 432,088 General and administrative expenses 43,373 39,223 80,955 75,269 Loss (gain) on sale of assets 3,222 (632) 3,222 (991) Depreciation and amortization expense 51,060 48,562 106,993 96,268 3,623,697 3,276,868 6,429,306 6,099,594 Income from operations 234,770 273,796 229,346 446,206 Other (expenses) income: Change in fair value of catalyst leases (1,748) 1,949 (4,633) 3,988 Interest expense, net (35,940) (26,876) (73,467) (49,068) Income before income taxes 197,082 248,869 151,246 401,126 Income tax expense 76,434 90,409 53,934 139,547 Net income 120,648 158,460 97,312 261,579 Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 17,118 22,650 23,170 38,447 Net income attributable to PBF Energy Inc. $ 103,530 $ 135,810 $ 74,142 $ 223,132 Net income available to Class A common stock per share: Basic $ 1.06 $ 1.58 $ 0.76 $ 2.62 Diluted $ 1.06 $ 1.57 $ 0.76 $ 2.57 Weighted-average shares outstanding-basic 97,836,366 86,036,809 97,822,875 85,175,066 Weighted-average shares outstanding-diluted 103,278,622 91,659,906 103,364,478 91,665,081 Dividends per common share $ 0.30 $ 0.30 $ 0.60 $ 0.60 Adjusted fully-converted net income and adjusted fully-converted net income per fully exchanged, fully diluted shares outstanding (Note 1): Adjusted fully-converted net income $ 109,207 $ 143,842 $ 78,345 $ 235,822 Adjusted fully-converted net income per fully exchanged, fully diluted share $ 1.06 $ 1.57 $ 0.76 $ 2.57 Adjusted fully-converted shares outstanding - diluted 103,278,622 91,659,906 103,364,478 91,655,081 See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF AMOUNTS REPORTED UNDER U.S. GAAP (Unaudited, in thousands, except share and per share data) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO June 30, June 30, ADJUSTED FULLY-CONVERTED NET INCOME (LOSS) (Note 1) 2016 2015 2016 2015 Net income attributable to PBF Energy Inc. $ 103,530 $ 135,810 $ 74,142 $ 223,132 Add: Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest (Note 2) 9,399 13,432 6,958 21,220 Less: Income tax (expense) benefit (Note 3) (3,722) (5,400) (2,755) (8,530) Adjusted fully-converted net income $ 109,207 $ 143,842 $ 78,345 $ 235,822 Special Items (Note 4): Less: Net non-cash LCM inventory adjustment (Note 5) (157,780) (105,958) (216,843) (127,166) Add: Recomputed income taxes on special items (Note 5) 62,516 42,595 85,870 51,121 Adjusted fully-converted net income (loss) excluding special items (Note 4) $ 13,943 $ 80,479 $ (52,628) $ 159,777 Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding of PBF Energy Inc. (Note 6) 97,836,366 86,036,809 97,822,875 85,175,066 Conversion of PBF LLC Series A Units (Note 7) 4,947,813 5,129,114 4,952,115 5,980,462 Common stock equivalents (Note 6) 494,443 493,983 589,488 499,553 Fully-converted shares outstanding - diluted 103,278,622 91,659,906 103,364,478 91,655,081 Adjusted fully-converted net income (per fully exchanged, fully diluted shares outstanding) $ 1.06 $ 1.57 $ 0.76 $ 2.57 Adjusted fully-converted net income (loss) excluding special items (per fully exchanged, fully diluted shares outstanding) (Note 4) $ 0.14 $ 0.88 $ (0.51) $ 1.74 Three Months Ended Six Months Ended RECONCILIATION OF INCOME FROM OPERATIONS June 30, June 30, TO INCOME FROM OPERATIONS EXCLUDING SPECIAL ITEMS 2016 2015 2016 2015 Income from operations $ 234,770 $ 273,796 $ 229,346 $ 446,206 Special Items (Note 4): Add: Net non-cash LCM inventory adjustment (Note 5) (157,780) (105,958) (216,843) (127,166) Income from operations excluding special items (Note 4) $ 76,990 $ 167,838 $ 12,503 $ 319,040 See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF AMOUNTS REPORTED UNDER U.S. GAAP EBITDA RECONCILIATIONS (Note 8) (Unaudited, in thousands) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO EBITDA 2016 2015 2016 2015 Net income $ 120,648 $ 158,460 $ 97,312 $ 261,579 Add: Depreciation and amortization expense 51,060 48,562 106,993 96,268 Add: Interest expense, net 35,940 26,876 73,467 49,068 Add: Income tax expense 76,434 90,409 53,934 139,547 EBITDA $ 284,082 $ 324,307 $ 331,706 $ 546,462 Special Items (Note 4): Less: Net non-cash LCM inventory adjustment (Note 5) (157,780) (105,958) (216,843) (127,166) EBITDA excluding special items (Note 4) $ 126,302 $ 218,349 $ 114,863 $ 419,296 RECONCILIATION OF EBITDA TO ADJUSTED EBITDA EBITDA $ 284,082 $ 324,307 $ 331,706 $ 546,462 Add: Stock based compensation 9,359 2,439 12,709 5,394 Add: Net non-cash change in fair value of catalyst leases 1,748 (1,949) 4,633 (3,988) Less: Non-cash LCM inventory adjustment (Note 5) (157,780) (105,958) (216,843) (127,166) Adjusted EBITDA $ 137,409 $ 218,839 $ 132,205 $ 420,702 See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET DATA (Unaudited, in thousands) June 30, December 31, 2016 2015 Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities $ 1,549,079 $ 1,178,578 Inventories 1,308,536 1,174,272 Total assets 6,988,050 6,105,124 Total debt 2,363,712 1,840,355 Total equity $ 2,175,856 $ 2,095,857 Total equity excluding special items (Note 4) $ 2,712,143 $ 2,763,118 Total debt to capitalization ratio (Note 15) 52 % 47 % Total debt to capitalization ratio, excluding special items (Note 15) 47 % 40 % Net debt to capitalization ratio (Note 15) 27 % 24 % Net debt to capitalization ratio, excluding special items (Note 15) 23 % 19 % SUMMARIZED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOW DATA (Unaudited, in thousands) Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 2015 Cash flows provided by operations $ 216,134 $ 317,675 Cash flows used in investing activities (235,757) (113,575) Cash flows provided by financing activities 488,238 21,849 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 468,615 225,949 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 944,320 397,873 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 1,412,935 $ 623,822 Marketable securities 136,144 234,249 Net cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities $ 1,549,079 $ 858,071 See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Note 9) (Unaudited, in thousands) Three Months Ended June 30, 2016 Refining Logistics Corporate Eliminations Consolidated Total Revenues $ 3,855,773 $ 40,659 $ $ (37,965) $ 3,858,467 Depreciation and amortization 47,540 2,142 1,378 51,060 Income (loss) from operations 248,724 23,888 (37,842) 234,770 Interest expense, net 1,142 7,634 27,164 35,940 Capital expenditures (Note 14) $ 88,480 $ 99,963 $ 6,559 $ $ 195,002 Three Months Ended June 30, 2015 Refining Logistics Corporate Eliminations Consolidated Total Revenues $ 3,550,664 $ 34,868 $ $ (34,868) $ 3,550,664 Depreciation and amortization 44,421 1,637 2,504 48,562 Income (loss) from operations 287,442 24,734 (38,380) 273,796 Interest expense, net 4,575 4,930 17,371 26,876 Capital expenditures $ 126,107 $ 144 $ 425 $ $ 126,676 Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Refining Logistics Corporate Eliminations Consolidated Total Revenues $ 6,655,958 $ 77,208 $ $ (74,514) $ 6,658,652 Depreciation and amortization 100,136 3,782 3,075 106,993 Income (loss) from operations 253,691 50,211 (74,556) 229,346 Interest expense, net 2,114 14,863 56,490 73,467 Capital expenditures (Note 14) 228,080 100,402 12,259 340,741 Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 Refining Logistics Corporate Eliminations Consolidated Total Revenues $ 6,545,800 $ 67,713 $ $ (67,713) $ 6,545,800 Depreciation and amortization 87,451 3,270 5,547 96,268 Income (loss) from operations 476,081 44,450 (74,325) 446,206 Interest expense, net 9,290 6,885 32,893 49,068 Capital expenditures 250,575 220 1,610 252,405 Balance at June 30, 2016 Refining Logistics Corporate Eliminations Consolidated Total Total assets (Note 16) $ 5,956,975 $ 458,582 $ 594,397 $ (21,904) $ 6,988,050 Balance at December 31, 2015 Refining Logistics Corporate Eliminations Consolidated Total Total assets $ 5,087,554 $ 422,902 $ 618,617 $ (23,949) $ 6,105,124 See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES MARKET INDICATORS AND KEY OPERATING INFORMATION (Unaudited, amounts in thousands except as indicated) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, Market Indicators (dollars per barrel) (Note 10) 2016 2015 2016 2015 Dated Brent Crude $ 45.65 $ 62.01 $ 40.08 $ 58.21 West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil $ 45.53 $ 57.85 $ 39.64 $ 53.25 Light Louisiana Sweet (LLS) crude oil $ 47.39 $ 62.93 $ 41.51 $ 57.97 Crack Spreads: Dated Brent (NYH) 2-1-1 $ 15.32 $ 19.83 $ 13.30 $ 17.83 WTI (Chicago) 4-3-1 $ 16.51 $ 20.57 $ 12.77 $ 18.05 LLS (Gulf Coast) 2-1-1 $ 10.76 $ 15.01 $ 9.76 $ 14.32 Crude Oil Differentials: Dated Brent (foreign) less WTI $ 0.11 $ 4.16 $ 0.44 $ 4.97 Dated Brent less Maya (heavy, sour) $ 7.83 $ 6.70 $ 7.94 $ 8.39 Dated Brent less WTS (sour) $ 0.96 $ 3.44 $ 0.95 $ 5.09 Dated Brent less ASCI (sour) $ 3.67 $ 2.66 $ 3.96 $ 4.10 WTI less WCS (heavy, sour) $ 11.75 $ 8.29 $ 11.55 $ 10.12 WTI less Bakken (light, sweet) $ 0.43 $ 2.14 $ 0.98 $ 3.61 WTI less Syncrude (light, sweet) $ (2.72) $ (4.02) $ (3.56) $ (2.27) Natural gas (dollars per MMBTU) $ 2.25 $ 2.74 $ 2.11 $ 2.77 Key Operating Information Production (barrels per day (bpd) in thousands) 702.7 492.6 678.0 472.5 Crude oil and feedstocks throughput (bpd in thousands) 698.1 491.1 674.0 479.5 Total crude oil and feedstocks throughput (millions of barrels) 63.5 44.7 122.7 86.8 Gross margin per barrel of throughput $ 4.56 $ 7.15 $ 2.68 $ 6.17 Gross refining margin, excluding special items, per barrel of throughput (Note 4, Note 11) $ 6.50 $ 9.35 $ 5.77 $ 9.93 Refinery operating expense per barrel of throughput (Note 12) $ 4.27 $ 4.30 $ 4.63 $ 4.90 Crude and feedstocks (% of total throughput) (Note 13) Heavy 18 % 13 % 16 % 14 % Medium 44 % 48 % 47 % 47 % Light 27 % 28 % 25 % 28 % Other feedstocks and blends 11 % 11 % 12 % 11 % Total throughput 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % Yield (% of total throughput): Gasoline and gasoline blendstocks 47 % 45 % 48 % 47 % Distillates and distillate blendstocks 32 % 36 % 31 % 36 % Lubes 1 % 1 % 1 % 1 % Chemicals 4 % 3 % 4 % 3 % Other 16 % 15 % 16 % 13 % Total yield 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING INFORMATION (Unaudited, amounts in thousands except as indicated) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Supplemental Operating Information - East Coast (Delaware City and Paulsboro) Production (barrels per day (bpd) in thousands) 347.3 348.6 328.5 328.1 Crude oil and feedstocks throughput (bpd in thousands) 351.7 349.0 333.9 337.4 Total crude oil and feedstocks throughput (millions of barrels) 32.0 31.8 60.8 61.1 Gross margin per barrel of throughput $ 3.95 $ 5.14 $ 1.14 $ 3.17 Gross refining margin, excluding special items, per barrel of throughput (Note 4, Note 11) $ 6.68 $ 8.26 $ 5.54 $ 8.58 Refinery operating expense per barrel of throughput (Note 12) $ 3.90 $ 4.03 $ 4.50 $ 4.75 Crude and feedstocks (% of total throughput) (Note 13): Heavy 17 % 19 % 13 % 21 % Medium 56 % 56 % 61 % 52 % Light 12 % 10 % 11 % 13 % Other feedstocks and blends 15 % 15 % 15 % 14 % Total throughput 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % Yield (% of total throughput): Gasoline and gasoline blendstocks 45 % 44 % 46 % 46 % Distillates and distillate blendstocks 31 % 36 % 29 % 35 % Lubes 2 % 2 % 2 % 2 % Chemicals 2 % 2 % 2 % 2 % Other 18 % 16 % 19 % 14 % Total yield 98 % 100 % 98 % 99 % Supplemental Operating Information - Mid-Continent (Toledo) Production (bpd in thousands) 176.0 144.0 168.0 144.4 Crude oil and feedstocks throughput (bpd in thousands) 174.2 142.1 165.9 142.1 Total crude oil and feedstocks throughput (millions of barrels) 15.8 12.9 30.2 25.7 Gross margin per barrel of throughput $ 4.31 $ 9.57 $ 2.41 $ 11.00 Gross refining margin, excluding special items, per barrel of throughput (Note 4, Note 11) $ 6.65 $ 12.02 $ 5.45 $ 13.18 Refinery operating expense per barrel of throughput (Note 12) $ 4.02 $ 4.97 $ 4.45 $ 5.26 Crude and feedstocks (% of total throughput) (Note 13): Medium 32 % 28 % 36 % 37 % Light 66 % 70 % 62 % 61 % Other feedstocks and blends 2 % 2 % 2 % 2 % Total throughput 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % Yield (% of total throughput): Gasoline and gasoline blendstocks 52 % 49 % 52 % 50 % Distillates and distillate blendstocks 33 % 35 % 35 % 36 % Chemicals 5 % 5 % 5 % 5 % Other 11 % 12 % 9 % 10 % Total yield 101 % 101 % 101 % 101 % See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING INFORMATION (Unaudited, amounts in thousands except as indicated) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 Supplemental Operating Information - Gulf Coast (Chalmette) Production (bpd in thousands) 179.4 N/A 181.5 N/A Crude oil and feedstocks throughput (bpd in thousands) 172.2 N/A 174.2 N/A Total crude oil and feedstocks throughput (millions of barrels) 15.7 N/A 31.7 N/A Gross margin per barrel of throughput $ 3.65 N/A $ 3.63 N/A Gross refining margin, excluding special items, per barrel of throughput (Note 4, Note 11) $ 6.00 N/A $ 6.54 N/A Refinery operating expense per barrel of throughput (Note 12) $ 5.30 N/A $ 5.05 N/A Crude and feedstocks (% of total throughput) (Note 13): Heavy 39 % N/A 38 % N/A Medium 31 % N/A 30 % N/A Light 17 % N/A 17 % N/A Other feedstocks and blends 13 % N/A 15 % N/A Total throughput 100 % N/A 100 % N/A Yield (% of total throughput): Gasoline and gasoline blendstocks 47 % N/A 47 % N/A Distillates and distillate blendstocks 32 % N/A 32 % N/A Chemicals 6 % N/A 6 % N/A Other 15 % N/A 15 % N/A Total yield 100 % N/A 100 % N/A See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF AMOUNTS REPORTED UNDER U.S. GAAP GROSS REFINING MARGIN / GROSS REFINING MARGIN PER BARREL OF THROUGHPUT (Note 11) (Unaudited, in thousands, except per barrel amounts) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended June 30, 2016 June 30, 2015 RECONCILIATION OF GROSS MARGIN TO GROSS REFINING MARGIN $ per barrel of throughput $ per barrel of throughput Gross margin $ 289,944 $ 4.56 $ 319,258 $ 7.15 Less: Revenues of PBFX (40,659) (0.64) (33,766) (0.76) Add: Affiliate cost of sales of PBFX 2,661 0.04 1,536 0.03 Add: Refinery operating expenses 271,539 4.27 192,150 4.30 Add: Refinery depreciation 47,540 0.75 44,511 1.00 Gross refining margin $ 571,025 $ 8.98 $ 523,689 $ 11.72 Special Items (Note 4): Add: Non-cash LCM inventory adjustment (Note 5) (157,780) (2.48) (105,958) (2.37) Gross refining margin excluding special items (Note 4) $ 413,245 $ 6.50 $ 417,731 $ 9.35 Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 June 30, 2015 RECONCILIATION OF GROSS MARGIN TO GROSS REFINING MARGIN $ per barrel of throughput $ per barrel of throughput Gross margin $ 328,799 $ 2.68 $ 535,585 $ 6.17 Less: Revenues of PBFX (77,208) (0.63) (64,330) (0.74) Add: Affiliate cost of sales of PBFX 5,322 0.04 5,276 0.06 Add: Refinery operating expenses 568,178 4.63 425,527 4.90 Add: Refinery depreciation 100,136 0.82 87,727 1.01 Gross refining margin $ 925,227 $ 7.54 $ 989,785 $ 11.40 Special Items (Note 4): Add: Non-cash LCM inventory adjustment (Note 5) (216,843) (1.77) (127,166) (1.47) Gross refining margin excluding special items (Note 4) $ 708,384 $ 5.77 $ 862,619 $ 9.93 See Footnotes to Earnings Release Tables PBF ENERGY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES FOOTNOTES TO EARNINGS RELEASE TABLES (1) Adjusted fully-converted information is presented in this table as management believes that these Non-GAAP measures, when presented in conjunction with comparable GAAP measures, are useful to investors to compare the company's results across the periods presented and facilitates an understanding of the company's operating results. The company also uses these measures to evaluate its operating performance. These measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The differences between adjusted fully-converted and GAAP results are explained in footnotes 2 through 7. (2) Represents the elimination of the noncontrolling interest associated with the ownership by the members of PBF Energy Company LLC other than PBF Energy Inc., as if such members had fully exchanged their Series A Units for shares of PBF Energy's Class A common stock. (3) Represents an adjustment to reflect the Company's statutory corporate tax rate of approximately 39.6% for the 2016 periods and 40.2% for the 2015 periods, respectively, applied to the net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest for all periods presented. The adjustment assumes the full exchange of existing PBF Energy Company LLC Series A Units as described in footnote 2. (4) The non-GAAP measures presented include adjusted fully-converted net income excluding special items, income from continuing operations excluding special items, EBITDA excluding special items, and gross refining margin excluding special items. The special items for the periods presented relate to a lower of cost or market adjustment (LCM). LCM is a GAAP guideline related to inventory valuation that requires inventory to be stated at the lower of cost or market. Our inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory valuation methodology, in which the most recently incurred costs are charged to cost of sales and inventories are valued at base layer acquisition costs. Market is determined based on an assessment of the current estimated replacement cost and net realizable selling price of the inventory. In periods where the market price of our inventory declines substantially, cost values of inventory may exceed market values. In such instances, we record an adjustment to write down the value of inventory to market value in accordance with GAAP. In subsequent periods, the value of inventory is reassessed and an LCM adjustment is recorded to reflect the net change in the LCM inventory reserve between the prior period and the current period. In addition, the special items shown in the 2015 balance sheet include changes in the tax receivable agreement liability reflecting a benefit attributable to changes in our obligation under the tax receivable agreement due to factors outside of our control such as changes in tax rates. Although we believe that non-GAAP financial measures excluding the impact of special items provide useful supplemental information to investors regarding the results and performance of our business and allow for more useful period-over-period comparisons, such non-GAAP measures should only be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. (5) During the three months ended June 30, 2016, the Company recorded an adjustment to value its inventories to the lower of cost or market which resulted in a net pre-tax benefit of approximately $157.8 million reflecting the change in the lower of cost or market inventory reserve from $1,058.3 at March 31, 2016 to $900.5 at June 30, 2016. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the Company recorded an adjustment to value its inventories to the lower of cost or market which resulted in a net pre-tax benefit of approximately $216.8 million reflecting the change in the lower of cost or market inventory reserve from $1,117.3 million at December 31, 2015 to $900.5 million at June 30, 2016. During the three months ended June 30, 2015, the Company recorded an adjustment to value its inventories to the lower of cost or market which resulted in a net pre-tax benefit of approximately $106.0 million reflecting the change in the lower of cost or market inventory reserve from $668.9 at March 31, 2015 to $562.9 at June 30, 2015. During the six months ended June 30, 2015, the Company recorded an adjustment to value its inventories to the lower of cost or market which resulted in a net pre-tax benefit of approximately $127.2 million reflecting the change in the lower of cost or market inventory reserve from $690.1 million at December 31, 2014 to $562.9 million at June 30, 2015. The impact of these LCM inventory adjustments are included in the Refining segment's operating income, but are excluded from the operating results presented in the table in order to make such information comparable between periods. Income taxes related to the net LCM adjustment were recalculated using the Company's statutory corporate tax rate of approximately 39.6% for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 40.2% for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2015. (6) Represents weighted-average diluted shares outstanding assuming the full exchange of common stock equivalents, including options and warrants for PBF LLC Series A Units and options for shares of PBF Energy Class A common stock as calculated under the treasury stock method (to the extent the impact of such exchange would not be anti-dilutive). Common stock equivalents excludes the effects of warrants and options to purchase 3,467,125 and 2,919,125 shares of PBF Energy Class A common stock because they are anti-dilutive for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively. Common stock equivalents excludes the effects of warrants and options to purchase 2,874,500 and 2,874,500 shares of PBF Energy Class A common stock because they are anti-dilutive for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, respectively. (7) Represents an adjustment to weighted-average diluted shares to assume the full exchange of existing PBF LLC Series A Units as described in footnote 2 above if not included in the diluted weighted-average shares outstanding as described in footnote 6 above. (8) EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) and Adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We use these non-GAAP financial measures as a supplement to our GAAP results in order to provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are measures of operating performance that are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered substitutes for net income as determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not calculated in the same manner by all companies, they are not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have their limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. (9) We operate in two reportable segments; Refining and Logistics. Our operations that are not included in the Refining and Logistics segments are included in Corporate. As of June 30, 2016, the Refining segment includes the operations of our oil refineries and related facilities in Delaware City, Delaware, Paulsboro, New Jersey, Toledo, Ohio and New Orleans, Louisiana. The Logistics segment includes the operations of PBF Logistics LP ("PBFX"), a growth-oriented master limited partnership which owns and operates logistics assets, currently consisting of the Delaware City Rail Terminal, the Toledo Truck Terminal, the DCR West Rack, the Toledo Storage Facility, the Delaware City Products Pipeline and Truck Rack and the East Coast Terminals, which were acquired in connection with the PBFX Plains Asset Purchase completed in the second quarter 2016. Prior to the PBFX's initial public offering and subsequent acquisitions, PBFX's assets were operated within the refining operations of PBF Energy's Delaware City and Toledo refineries. Apart from the East Coast Terminals, the assets did not generate third party or intra-entity revenue, other than certain intra-entity revenue recognized by the Delaware City Products Pipeline and Truck Rack, and were not considered to be a separate reportable segment. All intercompany transactions are eliminated in our consolidated financial statements and are included in Eliminations, as applicable. (10) As reported by Platts. (11) Gross refining margin and gross refining margin per barrel of throughput are non-GAAP measures because they exclude refinery operating expenses, refinery depreciation and amortization and gross margin of PBFX. Gross refining margin per barrel is gross refining margin, divided by total crude and feedstocks throughput. We believe they are important measures of operating performance and they provide useful information to investors because gross refining margin per barrel is a better metric comparison to the industry refining margin benchmarks shown in the Market Indicators Tables, as the industry benchmarks do not include a charge for refinery operating expenses and depreciation. Other companies in our industry may not calculate gross refining margin and gross refining margin per barrel in the same manner. (12) Represents refinery operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization, divided by total crude oil and feedstocks throughput. (13) We define heavy crude oil as crude oil with American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity less than 24 degrees. We define medium crude oil as crude oil with API gravity between 24 and 35 degrees. We define light crude oil as crude oil with API gravity higher than 35 degrees. (14) The Refining segment includes capital expenditures of $2.7 million for the working capital settlement related to the acquisition of the Chalmette refinery that was finalized in the first quarter of 2016. The Logistics segment includes capital expenditures of $98.3 million for PBFX Plains Asset Purchase in the second quarter of 2016. (15) The total debt to capitalization ratio is calculated by dividing total debt by the sum of total debt and total equity. This ratio is a measurement which is presented in our annual and interim filings and management believes this ratio is useful to investors in determining our leverage. Net debt and the net debt to capitalization ratio are non-GAAP measures. Net debt is calculated by subtracting cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities from total debt. We believe these measurements are also useful to investors since we have the ability to and may decide to use a portion of our cash and cash equivalents to retire or pay down our debt. Marketable securities included in net debt fully collateralize PBFX's Term Loan and our cash balance includes the amount held in escrow at June 30, 2016 to fund the Torrance Acquisition, which closed on July 1, 2016. Additionally, as described in footnote 4 above, we have also presented the total debt to capitalization and net debt to capitalization ratios excluding the cumulative effects of special items on equity. June 30, December 31, 2016 2015 Total debt $ 2,363,712 $ 1,840,355 Total equity 2,175,856 2,095,857 Total capitalization $ 4,539,568 $ 3,936,212 Total debt $ 2,363,712 $ 1,840,355 Total equity excluding special items 2,712,143 2,763,118 Total capitalization excluding special items $ 5,075,855 $ 4,603,473 Total equity $ 2,175,856 $ 2,095,857 Special Items (Note 4) Add: Non-cash LCM inventory adjustment (Note 5) 900,493 1,117,336 Add: Change in tax receivable agreement liability (Note 4) (12,600) (12,600) Less: Recomputed income taxes on special items (Note 5) (351,606) (437,475) Net impact of special items to equity 536,287 667,261 Total equity excluding special items (Note 4) $ 2,712,143 $ 2,763,118 Total debt $ 2,363,712 $ 1,840,355 Less: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities 1,549,079 1,178,578 Net Debt $ 814,633 $ 661,777 Total debt to capitalization ratio 52 % 47 % Total debt to capitalization ratio, excluding special items 47 % 40 % Net debt to capitalization ratio 27 % 24 % Net debt to capitalization ratio, excluding special items 23 % 19 % (16) The Refining segment assets include $998.5 million of cash utilized to fund the Torrance Acquisition that closed on July 1, 2016. SOURCE PBF Energy Inc. Related Links http://www.pbfenergy.com CHARLES TOWN, W.Va., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For the quarter ended June 30, 2016, Potomac Bancshares, Inc. (OTC-QB: PTBS) earned $658 thousand or 20 cents per share compared to $584 thousand or 17 cents a share in the quarter ended June 30, 2015. Overall earnings through June 30, 2016 were $1.146 million compared to earnings for the same period last year of $1.143 million. Loans for the quarter were $309.3 million which is an increase from $262.7 million as of June 30, 2015. Deposits and cash management accounts were $324.0 million compared to $279.7 million for the same period last year. These are increases of 18% and 16%, respectively. The 10% improvement in net interest income for the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2015 is due to volume increases in both loans and deposits. We have seen loan growth along all business lines and this increase in loan volume has required an increase in the provision for loan losses to keep pace with the growth. In addition, several new mortgage products were introduced to focus on meeting opportunities in our markets. Looking ahead to the remainder of 2016, additional attention will be directed to growing non-interest revenue and to a reduction in non-interest expense areas. President and CEO, Robert F. Baronner, Jr. stated, "With the continued challenges to grow net interest margin we feel other areas need added attention to increase future earnings." At the July Board meeting, based on the bank's performance and good capital position, a dividend of 6.5 cents per share was approved to all shareholders of record on July 25, 2016. This cash dividend will be paid on August 1, 2016 and is an 8.3% increase over the 6 cents dividend paid on May 2, 2016. To better serve the residents and businesses in Middleburg and Loudoun County, Virginia, we relocated our Middleburg Office from The Noble House on Washington Street, which we have occupied since 2013, to a brand new building at 115 The Plains Road. Our new branch, which opened on July 1, 2016, is within walking distance of downtown Middleburg and offers expanded services to not only include residential and commercial lending, but personal and business banking as well. We are excited about our new location and the opportunity to continue to serve Middleburg and the surrounding communities. The performance in many areas of our bank is very promising. The dividend has been increased and continues to yield close to 3%. Should you need information on PTBS, feel free to contact President and CEO, Robert F. Baronner, Jr., at 304-728-2431. As always, thank you for your support. Bank of Charles Town, a wholly owned subsidiary of Potomac Bancshares, Inc., is a locally owned community bank with seven offices serving the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Washington County, Maryland and Middleburg, Virginia. For more information, visit us at our newly designed website www.mybct.com or speak to our staff by calling 304-725-8431. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS POTOMAC BANCSHARES, INC. Three Months Ended Six Months Ended (Unaudited - dollars in thousands, except share and per share data) June 30, 2016 June 30, 2015 June 30, 2016 June 30, 2015 Earnings Performance Interest Income $3,559 $3,168 $6,946 $6,269 Interest Expense 430 357 854 728 Net Interest Income 3,129 2,811 6,092 5,541 Provision For Loan Losses 204 65 304 97 Non-Interest Income 1,139 1,106 2,171 2,155 Non-Interest Expense 3,044 2,963 6,195 5,849 Income Before Income Tax Expense 1,020 889 1,764 1,750 Income Tax Expense 362 305 618 607 Net Income $658 $584 $1,146 $1,143 Annualized Return On Average Equity 8.11% 7.59% 7.11% 7.52% Annualized Return On Average Assets 0.73% 0.72% 0.64% 0.71% June 30, 2016 June 30, 2015 Balance Sheet Highlights Total Assets $370,590 $323,888 Investment Securities 28,362 35,108 Loans, Net of allowance of $2,725 in 2016 and $2,650 in 2015 309,297 262,698 Deposits And Cash Management Accounts 324,047 279,645 Shareholders' Equity $32,674 $30,871 Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 June 30, 2015 June 30, 2016 June 30, 2015 Shareholders' Value (per share) Earnings Per Share, Basic $0.20 $0.17 $0.34 $0.33 Earnings Per Share, Diluted 0.20 0.17 0.34 0.33 Cash Dividends Declared (per share) 0.06 0.0525 0.12 0.105 Book Value At Period End (per share) $9.77 $9.11 $9.77 $9.11 End of period number of shares outstanding 3,345,001 3,390,178 3,345,001 3,390,178 June 30, 2016 June 30, 2015 Safety and Soundness Tier 1 Capital Ratio (Leverage Ratio)* 9.28% 9.79% Non-Performing Assets As A Percentage Of Total Assets Including OREO 0.44% 1.87% Allowance For Loan Losses As A Percentage Of Period End Loans 0.87% 1.00% Ratio Of Net Charge-Offs Annualized During The Period To Average Loans Outstanding During The Period 0.09% 0.09% * The capital ratio presented is for Bank of Charles Town. When computing capital ratios, the net of unrealized holding gains (losses) on securities available for sale and the unfunded liability for pension and other post-retirement benefits, all computed net of tax, are added back to these shareholders' equity figures. The capital ratio is preliminary. SOURCE Potomac Bancshares, Inc. Related Links http://www.mybct.com NEW YORK, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform. EXPERT ALERTS Experts Caution Against CMS Mandate of Unproven Bundled Payment for Emergency Episodes Addiction Recovery and Treatment Summer 2016 Menswear Trends Should Nannies Work for Families That Share Opposing Political Perspectives? MEDIA JOBS Senior Producer CBS News (NY) Facebook Live Producer Washington Post (DC) Senior Writer CNN International (GA) OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES Upcoming Twitter Q&A: Tips From a Top Ghostwriter Podcasting for Beginners: A 101 Guide to Starting Your Own Digital Radio Show 11 Ways to Captivate Your News Audience With Snapchat Stories EXPERT ALERTS: Experts Caution Against CMS Mandate of Unproven Bundled Payment for Emergency Episodes Deirdre Baggot, Ph.D., RN Principal ECG Management Consultants "The announcement of the new bundled payment pilot for bypass surgery and heart attacks shows CMS is doubling down on mandatory bundled payments. The evidence continues to mount supporting the efficacy of bundled payments for elective procedures, to be sure. The evidence to support bundled payments in emergency procedures, however, is non-existent. While I fully support Dr. Patrick Conway's work at CMS, providers deserve to understand that bundling heart attacks is a very different exercise compared to elective procedures, such as bypass surgery and joint replacements. It is extremely difficult to control costs when your mind and efforts are focused solely on saving a patient's life. The truth is, bundles for bypass surgery will be successful, but the effectiveness of bundles for emergency procedures is not entirely clear." As the former expert reviewer for the CMS Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative and former lead of the CMS Acute Care Episode (ACE) Bundled Payments Demonstration, Baggot is uniquely qualified to offer insight and experience to providers so they can truly understand the risks, benefits, and implications associate with the expansion of bundled payments. She has been a featured expert on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition," "All Things Considered" and "Planet Money." She has also been invited to testify before Congress on bundled payments. ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/deirdrebaggot Website: http://www.ecgmc.com Contact: Kim Miller, [email protected] Addiction Recovery and Treatment Michael Carlton, M.D. Addiction Specialist Detox to Rehab, A Better Today Recovery Services "Once people cross into addiction, they can still participate in negative behaviors, unless they personally change their ways. Everyone is different." Dr. Carlton is available to discuss addiction recovery, addiction treatment, detox and medically assisted detox. He received his degree from the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona. He has had articles published in the fields of toxicology and biomedicine in various publications, including WebMD. Website: https://detoxtorehab.com Contact: Sarah Niemann, [email protected] Summer 2016 Menswear Trends Joseph Abboud Chief Creative Director Tailored Brands "Stripes are back but then, they have never really gone away. One of the cornerstones of menswear, stripes have always been prevalent in all categories: suits, sport jackets, shirts, ties, sportswear, and in just about every accessory possible, such as socks and bags for example. Recently, we have seen menswear dominated by plaids and checks in these same items, but the cycle appears to be changing once again in favor of stripes, yet in a somewhat different way. Stripes come in all shapes and sizes -- chalk stripes, bead stripes, pin stripes, club stripes, regimental stripes, just to name a few. They can range from the ultra-conservative to uber-modern, but they certainly are a perennial in men's clothing and sportswear. You may even see dressy worsted suits cut on the horizontal from the runway shows of Paris and Milan, great for the cover of fashion magazines, but a long way away from reality, even though one might say it's trend right. That's the thing about fashion, we sometimes take it a little too far and, before you know it, we overreact to an idea and inadvertently overplay it. So it is with stripes. Yes, very exciting and they are coming back with a vengeance, but let's keep it in perspective -- we don't want them to disappear again anytime soon, and even the 'new horizontals' should be shown with restraint and in designs and styles that make sense when it comes to wearing this current fashion trend." ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/josephabboud/ Website: www.josephabboud.com Contact: Caroline Smith, [email protected] Should Nannies Work for Families That Share Opposing Political Perspectives? Florence Ann Romano Nanny Magic "The family should ask their potential nanny about their political views before hiring them, if politics are an important value to them. Beyond that, if the parents expect the nanny to educate the child -- in terms of current events -- that needs to be assessed from the onset, as well." Romano is a dedicated philanthropist and former nanny who shares her experiences in "Nanny and Me" (Mascot Books, May 2015), her beautifully illustrated debut book for children making the transition from being cared for solely by their parents to having a nanny in their home. Born and raised just outside Chicago, Romano is the owner of Trinity, LLC, a 100% woman-owned and new family company that runs the Original Six Media production company. She also serves as president and founder of a junior board for young professionals that support autism awareness for children and adults. Website: www.florenceannromano.com Contact: Ryan McCormick, [email protected] MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Senior Producer CBS News (NY) Facebook Live Producer Washington Post (DC) Senior Writer CNN International (GA) OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line. UPCOMING TWITTER Q&A: TIPS FROM A TOP GHOSTWRITER. Ghostwriting can be a lucrative niche for writers, and demand for ghostwriters is on the rise. Want to know what you'll need to succeed? For our next Twitter Q&A, we'll talk with Jenna Glatzer , a multi-award-winning author and ghostwriter. Jenna will give us a glimpse into the world of ghostwriting and share her tips on doing it successfully. Details here: http://prn.to/2aeW9KO , a multi-award-winning author and ghostwriter. Jenna will give us a glimpse into the world of ghostwriting and share her tips on doing it successfully. Details here: http://prn.to/2aeW9KO PODCASTING FOR BEGINNERS: A 101 GUIDE TO STARTING YOUR OWN DIGITAL RADIO SHOW. In today's fast-paced environment, a well-written blog post or article can capture the attention of its reader for only a few minutes. A well-delivered podcast, however, can keep its audience steadily engaged for up to an hour -- perhaps even longer. Megan Calcote , podcast producer for @EducatingGeeks and @BizJournalism, recently held a beginner's tutorial, where she shared a high-level look at how to get started: http://bit.ly/2azSCbP , podcast producer for @EducatingGeeks and @BizJournalism, recently held a beginner's tutorial, where she shared a high-level look at how to get started: http://bit.ly/2azSCbP 11 WAYS TO CAPTIVATE YOUR NEWS AUDIENCE WITH SNAPCHAT STORIES. Snapchat is broadening its appeal beyond its fanatical teen base. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that 14 percent of U.S. smartphone users over age 35 are now on Snapchat. With critical mass achieved and a rapidly growing user base of older millennials and above, mainstream adoption now may be firmly cemented. This is good news for those in the media and blogging world who are looking for new ways to reach these previously untapped demographics in addition to younger generations. Here are some tips for growing your brand and audience through Snapchat stories: http://bit.ly/29XDfuL PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150416/199234LOGO SOURCE ProfNet Related Links http://www.profnet.com BELOIT, Wis., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark J. Gliebe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC), announced that the Board of Directors, at its regular quarterly meeting held on July 28, 2016, declared a dividend of $0.24 per share. The dividend is payable on October 14, 2016, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 30, 2016. This represents the 225th consecutive quarterly dividend declared by the Company. Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC) is a leading manufacturer of electric motors, electrical motion controls, power generation and power transmission products serving markets throughout the world. The company is comprised of three business segments: Commercial and Industrial Systems, Climate Solutions and Power Transmission Solutions. Regal is headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin, and has manufacturing, sales and service facilities throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit RegalBeloit.com SOURCE Regal Beloit Corporation Related Links http://www.regalbeloit.com PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- I'm here tonight not as a Democrat or a Republican. I'm here as a proud immigrant to this country, a proud veteran of the United States Army, and the proud recipient of our country's highest military honor. Soldiers spend years training for one moment. We don't know when it will come. We don't know what it will require. But we know that when it arrives, we'll be ready. My moment came four years ago in Afghanistan. A suicide bomber approached my men. I grabbed him by the vest. I threw him as far as I could because that's exactly what I was trained to do. The vest exploded. It took a part of my leg with it. I was a runner in college. But the run to that vest was the last run of my life. America lost four heroes that day: Army Command Sgt. Air Force Maj. Kevin Griffin, Army Maj. Walter David Gray, Maj. Thomas Kennedy, and USAID Foreign Service Officer Ragaei Abdelfattah. I remind you, in their memory, that your military protects you with their lives. Our President should protect us in return. Hillary Clinton has been training for this moment for decades. In the Senate, she worked across the aisle to support wounded warriors and our families. As President, she'll reform the VA not privatize it. She'll help heal the invisible wounds that lead to suicide. And as Commander-in-Chief, she will defeat ISIS. When Hillary's moment comes, she'll be ready. Ready to serve. Ready to lead. And ready to defend those who defend you. Media contact: [email protected] Phone: 215-398-5252 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357779LOGO SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee Related Links http://www.demconvention.com PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Donald Trump: Basta! Abajo! Like Hillary Clinton, I've spent my life fighting for human rights for workers, for women, for immigrants, for the LGBT community, for every person who needs a voice. And with Donald Trump on the ballot, we can't be quiet. He insults Latinos like we're second-class citizens like we're visitors to this country. But I've got news for him: We've been here all along. We helped build and continue to build this country. My great-grandfather, Marshall St. John, fought in the Civil War on the Union side. My father, Juan Fernandez, was a farmer, an accountant, an assemblyman, and served in World War II like Cesar Chavez. My mother, Alicia St. John, was a businesswoman. Eight hundred thousand Latinos turn 18 every year and their contributions will sustain Medicare and Social Security for our seniors. We aren't a footnote in the American story. We're helping write it! And we're going to take our Latino power and use it this November. Our votes will increase paychecks. Our votes will get immigration reform. Our votes will ensure reproductive rights for women. We have to be active Democrats. Every Democrat is a potential activist. Every moment is an organizing moment. Every minute is a chance to get voters ready, to educate them, to knock on doors, and make sure they get involved. Election day is the most important day in our life. I've known and worked with Hillary for 25 years. And this is why I trust her. During my lifetime, Hillary and the Democratic Party have always stood up for Latinos. With an experienced and visionary leader like Hillary in the driver's seat and Tim Kaine as the copilot she will lead us on the journey for justice and equality. But she can't do it alone. We are the energy. We are the wheels. And she can't go forward without us. Donald Trump needs to get out of the way. And if he doesn't, we're going to move him out of the way. We will show Donald Trump and his friends who's got the power. Who's got the power? Who's got the power? What kind of power? Voting power. Now let's use it this November. Abajo Trump! Si Se Puede. Media contact: [email protected] Phone: 215-398-5252 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357779LOGO SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee Related Links http://www.demconvention.com PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- I would like to acknowledge my father, who we lost last year. He gave the keynote speech in 1984, and he loved the Democratic Party. The 1984 election was important because it was more about two opposing philosophies than two people. Even more profoundly, at stake this November is not which person or party wins or loses at stake is the soul of America. Last week, we heard the Republicans lay out their strategy. Unfortunately, it offered no new solutions. But it's clear that their plan is to fan the flames of fear and offer a scapegoat for our problems. The Trump campaign is marketing a great distraction, using people's fear and anxiety to drive his ratings. Their message comes down to this: Be afraid of people who are different religions, colors, language. Stop immigration and the nation will automatically rise. It's not right, it's divisive, it's delusional, and we must expose the truth. Republicans are suffering from short-term memory loss. Unless Republicans are all Native Americans, they are immigrants too! Republicans would cut this nation in half and turn one against the other. It would take our greatest strength our diversity and make it a weakness. Fear is a powerful weapon. It can excite and motivate and get people to yell and scream. Fear can even bring you into power. But fear has never created a job, educated a child, and fear will never build a nation. Fear is not strength. Fear is weakness no matter how loud you yell and our America is never weak. Republicans say they want to make America great again, to take us back to the good old days. What good old days do they want to take us back to? Before the Civil Rights Act? Before minimum wage and worker protection laws? Before Roe v. Wade? We have a different vision for this nation. We want to go forward. They say "Make America Great Again"; we say make America greater than ever before. Imagine how great America can be when every child, rich and poor, is educated; when we judge people by content of character; when we understand that the greatest feast is the one enjoyed by the most people at the table; and when our government has the strength to fight for freedom but the intelligence to know that the strongest four-letter word is not hate but love. We know what Republicans will say: that Democrats are dreamers. We are dreamers, but we are also doers. FDR lifted a nation from its knees. JFK launched our mission to the moon. LBJ enacted voting rights for all. President Obama delivered health coverage for 20 million uninsured Americans. Mario Cuomo was a dreamer too, but our progressive government is working in New York. We raised the minimum wage to $15 because we insist on economic justice. Enacted paid family leave because all workers deserve dignity. Are rebuilding our middle class by working hand in hand with organized labor. Protecting the environment by banning fracking. Fought the NRA and won and outlawed assault weapons to keep them from the hands of madmen. Passed marriage equality and GENDA, not because the Supreme Court said we must legally but because we believed that we should morally. These are not dreams; they are realities. Progressive government works, and we proved it. And we did it together, without leaving anyone out or anyone behind. Because we believe that we are interconnected and interrelated there is a cord that connects you to you and you to you. Maybe you can't see it, but it's there, and it weaves the fabric of community, and when one of us is raised we're all raised, and when one of us is lowered we're all lowered. The Republicans say our vision of community is not possible, but we know it is. Fifteen years ago, on September 11th, we saw death and destruction, unimaginable horror and cruelty; but we saw something else we saw this nation come together. We were not Texans, Californians, or New Yorkers. We weren't Democrats, Republicans, or Independents. We weren't Muslims, Christians, or Jews we were Americans. We weren't black, white, or brown we were red, white, and blue. And we were there for each other as one family. We cried together, we mourned together, and then we got up and we rebuilt together. That was America at its best. Today the Freedom Tower stands higher than anything before, a monument to the fact that there is nothing that we can't do when we come together. E pluribus unum out of many, one. This is our founding premise and our enduring promise. That is our goal, and Hillary Clinton is the person to make it a reality. I spent eight years in the Clinton Administration and worked with Hillary all over the globe. I've seen her in the trenches and in the good days and bad. She stood on the world stage and declared that human rights were women's rights. She fought for health care for all Americans. As Secretary of State, she repaired America's reputation. And she won't just shatter the glass ceiling; she has the vision, intelligence, and qualifications to be a transformative force. She will unify, not divide this nation and move us forward together. That's why we must make Hillary Clinton the next President of the United States! And that was my father's timeless message in 1984. He was the keynote speaker for this nation's better angels, and he was beautiful. And Pop, wherever you are and I think I know where at this time of fear, help this country remember what truly makes it great: that we are one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Media contact: [email protected] Phone: 215-398-5252 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357779LOGO SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee Related Links http://www.demconvention.com PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Good evening! I am the youngest of eight children born to migrant workers. When I told my father that I was going to join the police, he got angry. You see, he and my older brothers had been beaten by the police for no legitimate reason. But I stuck with my decision. Years later, whenever I visited, he'd show my badge off to his friends. He saw the good I was doing in my job, and he was proud of me. And I am proud of my fellow officers. When my officers report for duty, they have no idea what might come up that day. When they respond to a domestic violence call, they don't know whether a relieved victim or an abuser with a gun will answer the door. When they stop a vehicle, they have no idea whether the driver is racing to the hospital to deliver a baby or fleeing the scene of crime. They don't know whether the next 911 call will be their last. But they keep showing up. They keep answering the call. They keep putting their lives on the line. They are doing the best they can to protect our communities. We put on our badges every day to serve and protect, not to hate and discriminate. We lost five officers in Dallas on July 7. They were gunned down as they were protecting citizens protesting the police. It has been a tough time for Dallas, Baton Rouge, and other law enforcement communities all across America who have lost officers to violence. I've been trying to make sense of it. Violence is not the answer. Yelling and calling each other names is not going to do it. Talking within our own group in a language only our group understands leads nowhere. We have to start listening to each other. My deputies have worked hard to reach out to the communities we serve. We attend all sorts of events: Ramadan, Cinco de Mayo, Juneteenth, Pride, veterans' parades you name it. We show up, and some of our officers are uncomfortable at first. But, the only way to serve your community is to know your community. Last Sunday, after working in the morning, I went in uniform to meet my partner for lunch at a nice restaurant. As I handed the server my credit card, he smiled and said that at least four tables had already offered to pay for our meal. My girlfriend and I both teared up. There wasn't a single person in that restaurant I knew. The people of Dallas knew that even though our men and women in uniform were hurting, we never stop doing our job. Please help me to honor ALL of America's fallen officers with a moment of silence. I am privileged to introduce to you some of the brave family members left behind by our fallen officers. Let's hear from them. Media contact: [email protected] Phone: 215-398-5252 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357779LOGO SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee Related Links http://www.demconvention.com PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- I am honored to stand before you as a proud member of the progressive California delegation. I'm also very happy to acknowledge my D'Alesandro Maryland roots. It is a privilege to stand before you as the Leader of the House Democrats a caucus honored to serve with our partner Sen. Harry Reid and our friend Vice President Joe Biden; a caucus honored to serve with one of the greatest Presidents in our history, President Barack Obama! Together we passed the Affordable Care Act, which would not have been possible without the courage of the House Democrats We are a caucus proud that we look like 21st-century America; more than 50 percent women, people of color, and LGBT Members. What a contrast with the narrow and restricted club that met in convention in Cleveland last week. Our convention is different, and so is our mission. We come to public service and to this convention not to trumpet darkness, but to light a way forward for our country. We come here conscious that we are approaching a milestone moment in the American journey the election of the first woman President of the United States. Hillary Clinton knows that this moment is not just about one woman's achievement. It's about what electing a woman President will mean for achieving the dreams and hopes and aspirations of every woman, every daughter, every son, and every family, all across our land, for generations to come. This moment is about the landmark progress President Hillary Clinton will achieve for families everywhere yearning for a better life, a better chance, in a better America. Hillary Clinton has a vision rooted in deeply held values. She has a genuine strength that differs profoundly from her opponent's bluster. She has a gift for strategic thinking, seasoned by knowledge and experience. And she has a connection to hard-working American families forged in her lifetime of leadership and service to others. Leadership and public service are our cause and our calling as Democrats. Here is our commitment to the American people, for a stronger America. First, secure our nation with strong action to keep Americans safe, fighting terror at home and abroad, and eliminating ISIS. We must be strong and smart, not reckless and rash. At home, safer communities demand courage, not cowardice, in the face of the NRA. For the sake of the 91 Americans who are killed by gun violence each day, we must break the grip of the gun lobby on Congress and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and suspected terrorists. If you're on the no-fly list, then you belong on the no-buy list. That is why Democrats, led by Congressman John Lewis, held our historic 26-hour sit-in in the Capitol. And we won't stop until Congress heeds the will of the American people and disarms hate. Second, secure our future by investing in education, innovation, and opportunity. Our imperative is to create more good jobs and a living wage, with equal pay and paid leave for everyone, so that every family can earn their dreams buy a home, send their children to college, retire with dignity and never have to worry that their Social Security will be privatized or Medicare's guarantee will be taken away. And our imperative is quality health care that builds on the Affordable Care Act which now covers 20 million more Americans. Third, secure our democracy by removing barriers to voting and draining the poisonous swamp of secret money in our politics. We Democrats believe the future of America should be decided by the voices of the voters, not the pocketbooks of the powerful. Not far from here, our Founders pledged their lives, their liberty, and their sacred honor to create a democracy. A government of the many, not a government of the money. So Hillary Clinton and Democrats in the House and Senate are sworn to free our democracy by overturning Citizens United. Then and only then can we make America truly fair. And only then can we have fairness in a budget that is a statement of our values, that invests in the future, creates jobs, reduces the deficit, and ensures that everyone is paying their fair share. We know what is on the line in what truly is the most important election of our lifetime: for the future of the Supreme Court, for the fate of a planet imperiled by climate change, for the sake of immigration reform, for the promise of an America that rewards hard work instead of those who exploit America's workers, for women's reproductive rights, equal rights, civil rights, and to do what is right for our service members, veterans and military families who have given so much for our country. We will stand and speak and campaign for Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. And I tell you this: They will win in November. We will fight to restore Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House, and I tell you this: We can do it. Are you ready to work for a great Democratic victory? Are you ready to make history, electing Hillary Clinton President of the United States? I thought so. Onward to victory! God bless you. God bless our men and women in uniform. God bless America. Media contact: [email protected] Phone: 215-398-5252 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357779LOGO SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee Related Links http://www.demconvention.com PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It's an honor to be in the birthplace of our democracy this evening. I grew up in Mansfield, Ohio. My dad was the town doctor. I never saw him turn a patient away. He didn't see profit margins, he saw people who needed help. My mother, who grew up in Mansfield, Georgia, raised three Eagle Scouts. She taught each of us to fight for justice. My wife, Connie, grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio. Her father worked at the electric plant and was a proud member of Utility Workers Local 270. Her mother was a nurse's aide and hospice homecare worker. They wore their bodies out working long days so their children could go to college. For too many Americans today, that same hard work isn't paying off. People work longer hours and produce more. But while corporate profits have gone up, workers' wages haven't kept pace. Hillary Clinton knows that a job is not just a paycheck. It's about building a better life for your family. She's a progressive who gets things done. And she has a real plan to give American workers the chance to share in the profits they create. Donald Trump believes "wages are too high" those are his words. Too high? And he wants to be President? How do you help Americans build better lives for their families when you outsource jobs? This suit I'm wearing? Made by union workers ten miles from my Cleveland home in Brooklyn, Ohio. Trump suits? Made in Mexico. Trump glassware? Made in Europe not Toledo, America's glass city. Trump furniture? Made in Turkey, not Archbold, Ohio. Donald Trump's hat may be stamped with "Make America Great Again," but his ties are stamped "Made in China." I've been fighting for a trade agenda for more than 20 years that puts American workers first. And I can tell you, in all those years, I've never even seen Donald Trump. No the only thing I've seen Donald Trump do when it comes to U.S. trade policy is run his mouth and line his pockets. While Trump outsources jobs, Hillary Clinton has a real plan to bring jobs back to America like $10 billion in "Made in America" tax credits to revitalize manufacturing. Trump proposes tax cuts, too: $3 trillion for millionaires like himself and $2 trillion for corporations like his. Of course we can't say for sure how much Trump will take for himself because he's refused to share his tax returns with the American people. The one thing we know for sure is, Donald Trump looks out only for Donald Trump, no matter who he steps on along the way. Just ask the Friel family. They had a cabinetmaking business based here in Philadelphia that is, until they signed a contract with Trump Plaza. They finished their work, but Trump refused to pay them what they were owed, starting a downward spiral that ended in bankruptcy. They'd spent nearly five decades in business, providing jobs and livelihoods to workers and families. It all came crashing down after a contract with Donald Trump. Trump says he wants to run our country like one of his businesses. I guess that means he wants to slap his name on it, make false promises, and then scam innocent people out of their savings. Look, there's no question we've got work to do. We face serious challenges today. Too many families struggle just to get by, let alone get ahead. Donald Trump thinks people in states like mine will choose his counterfeit campaign over the genuine solutions we're fighting for tonight. He is wrong. Donald Trump looks at towns in the middle of America and sees a "rust belt" of decay. Well, we reject the term "rust belt." Hillary, my friend Tim Kaine, and I see vibrant and innovative communities throughout the industrial heartland: Cleveland is pioneering the country's first freshwater wind farm. Youngstown is leading the way in advanced manufacturing. And that power plant where Connie's father worked? It isn't rusting. It's been converted to a water processing plant, supporting hundreds and hundreds of Ohio jobs. That's how we rebuild a thriving American middle class. Those are the kinds of solutions Hillary Clinton will deliver, solutions that make a real difference in people's lives. And that's why Hillary will win Ohio and as everyone in this hall knows, as Ohio goes, so goes the nation. In this hall on Tuesday, Connie and I were overtaken with emotion when our longtime friend Bernie Sanders moved to nominate Hillary Clinton to lead our party on to victory in November. It took me back to Mansfield, Ohio, when I was a third grader at Brinkerhoff Elementary School. I remember looking up at the poster on the wall of our American Presidents. Other than a few mustaches and powdered wigs, they all looked pretty much like me. My two granddaughters and three grandsons are too young to appreciate the historic nature of this moment. But when they go to school and look up at those same presidential posters in their classrooms, they won't see faces that look only like mine. They'll see Barack Obama. And because of the work we do over the next hundred days, my granddaughters will see themselves in the face of President Hillary Clinton. Media contact: [email protected] Phone: 215-398-5252 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357779LOGO SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee Related Links http://www.demconvention.com PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2016 Good evening! Buenas noches! Thank you! And how about we thank all the volunteers, the police officers, and security; the workers who set up, cleaned up, and fed us who've made this convention a success. Anyone here an immigrant or the child or grandchild of immigrants? Anyone the first in your family to go to college? Who here makes a living working with your hands, making this country better? This is what a GREAT America looks like. So when I hear someone say, "America isn't great," it hits me, like when someone says, "your father was just a ditch digger; your mother wasn't even born here." This election is about us. It's personal. It's about telling every little boy and every little girl: You can grow up to be the President of the United States. When she was 18, my mom came from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She was the boss. She juggled her jobs at home and as a clerical worker. My father, he had to leave school by the sixth grade to help support the family. I remember: He would leave for work long before my three sisters and I would get up for school. When you work in the fields, and in construction, you rise with the sun. In winter, when Sacramento turned cold and rainy, and the construction jobs disappeared, my dad would somehow find other work laying a tile floor, canning tomatoes, or hauling someone's trash. My parents didn't go to college, but they encouraged us and like so many of you, I became the first in my family to graduate with a four-year degree. I know that education opens doors. Hillary Clinton gets that. She understands that every child deserves a great education, no matter their zip code. As First Lady of Arkansas, Hillary had what she called the Chelsea test. If a school wasn't good enough for her daughter, it wasn't good enough for anyone's child. That's why as President, she'll bring preschool to every four-year-old in America. She'll rebuild our crumbling schools. She'll give our teachers the support and tools they need, and the pay they deserve. How many of you have student debt? Hillary will fight for debt-free college tuition, because nobody should be priced out of college. And she'll ensure folks can refinance their student loans, because nobody should be held down by the crush of student debt. I recently went with Carolina my wife to witness our youngest daughter Natalia graduate from high school. Natalia knows the sky's the limit. Hillary wants for all children what we give to our children. Hillary wants to build schools Donald Trump wants to build walls. His idea of an education plan Trump University. He once demanded that President Obama release his college transcripts because it would be, "very revealing." I think it would be "very revealing" for Donald Trump to release his college transcript. Who here thinks he did as well as he says he did? At every stage in his life, Donald Trump has exploited America's laws to put himself first. He uses lawsuits the way my mom uses coupons to drive down prices. He uses bankruptcies six of them like a wealthy man's get-out-jail-free card. I can't tell you if this man has ever had a callous on his hands. Does he know the price of a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread? And why won't he release his tax returns? What is he hiding? Why won't he show the American people who he is? Let me tell you who Hillary Clinton is. A few months ago, Hillary came to my city of Los Angeles and sat down with people like my parents: grandmothers, DREAMers, and men who work all day in the sun, yet remain in the shadows. As the meeting ended, the crowd swelled around her. She took every photo requested with families who had never been anywhere close to a future President. People who couldn't even vote. She embraced them and consoled them and she listened to them. It's those moments that make this election personal, that define a President. The Hillary I've known for 24 years is someone who has always listened to those who have been silenced. Our next Vice-President Tim Kaine nos escucha tambien "he listens to us too." We've come a long way from the days when my dad couldn't walk into a restaurant because of signs that read, "No dogs or Mexicans allowed." Now is not the time to turn back. There's a saying in Spanish Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres "Tell me with whom you walk and I'll tell you who you are." Hillary Clinton has walked with us all her life. No matter who we are, or where we come from, or what we look like, or how much money we have, or who we love, Hillary Clinton walks with us. So, now, the question is: Are we going to walk with her? Are we going to fight for a nation where love trumps hate? Are we going to build an America that's Stronger Together? Then, together, let's elect the next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton! Media contact: [email protected] Phone: 215-398-5252 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357779LOGO SOURCE 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee Related Links http://www.demconvention.com VANCOUVER, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros., the world's largest industrial auctioneer (NYSE & TSX: RBA), announces that Rob McLeod, Chief Business Development Officer, has made the decision to retire from the Company, effective September 30, 2016. After 23 years with Ritchie Bros., in numerous geographies and roles, most recently as Chief Business Development Officer and prior to that Chief Financial Officer, Rob is looking to begin a new phase of his career. He will continue his board involvement with not-for-profit organizations, while seeking opportunities to share his global experience sitting on public and private company boards. He is also planning to launch a consulting practice, of which Ritchie Bros. will be one of his first engagements. "Rob has been an excellent business partner and a very smart and capable executive, who is highly regarded in the company as a true team player. He has made significant contributions to Ritchie Bros. throughout his career. We wish him the very best in the future," said Ravi Saligram, CEO of Ritchie Bros. About Ritchie Bros. Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, and one of the world's largest sellers of used equipment for the construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, forestry and other industries. Ritchie Bros.TM asset management and disposition solutions include live unreserved public auctions with on-site and online bidding; EquipmentOneTM, an online auction marketplace; Mascus, a global online equipment listing service; private negotiated sales through Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty; and a range of ancillary services, including financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. Ritchie Bros. has operations in 19 countries, including 44 auction sites worldwide. Learn more at rbauction.com, EquipmentOne.com, mascus.com, rbauction.com/privatetreaty and rbauction.com/financing. SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Related Links http://www.rbauction.com EDISON, N.J., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI) today announced that Roseland Residential Trust ("Roseland"), in the second quarter of 2016, completed the acquisition of various partners' interests in Port Imperial on the Hudson River Waterfront and in East Boston, as well as the disposition of its subordinated ownership in two Port Imperial communities. In addition, Roseland entered into an agreement to sell Andover Place in Andover, Massachusetts. Roseland closed on the following acquisitions: Port Imperial, Weehawken, New Jersey: The buyout of its partner's interests in five Port Imperial waterfront development parcels, inclusive of RiverHouse 11, currently in construction. The buyout of its partner's interests in Port Imperial South 4/5 Garage and Retail, increasing Roseland's ownership to 70 percent. The cost of the Weehawken transactions was approximately $36 million. East Boston, Massachusetts: Acquired its majority partner's interest in the 175-apartment Portside at East Pier 7 on the East Boston Waterfront, thereby increasing Roseland's interest to 85 percent. Subsequently, the Company acquired its historical joint venture partners' interest in East Pier 7, as well as the remaining Portside development parcels. As such, Roseland is now the 100 percent owner of the operating East Pier 7 (175 apartment homes), Portside 5/6 (296 apartment homes currently in construction), and the future rights of Portside 1- 4 (160 apartment homes). The cost of the combined acquisitions was approximately $39 million . Roseland closed on or agreed to the following dispositions: Weehawken, New Jersey : Sale of the Company's subordinate interest in RiversEdge at Port Imperial (236 apartment homes) and RiverParc at Port Imperial (280 apartment homes) for a total of approximately $6.4 million . : Sale of the Company's subordinate interest in RiversEdge at Port Imperial (236 apartment homes) and RiverParc at Port Imperial (280 apartment homes) for a total of approximately . Andover, Massachusetts : Entered into a contract to sell the 220-apartment home Andover Place for approximately $40.5 million . The Company anticipates closing the disposition in August. In addition, the Company marked recent activities through the following events: Morris Plains, New Jersey : Closed on a $42.5 million construction loan for the development of Signature Place at Morris Plains . : Closed on a construction loan for the development of Signature Place at . Jersey City, New Jersey : Officially cut the ribbon on M2 at Marbella, the latest addition to Marbella on the Hudson River Waterfront. M2 features 311 luxury apartment homes and the latest state-of-the-art amenities. : Officially cut the ribbon on M2 at Marbella, the latest addition to Marbella on the Hudson River Waterfront. M2 features 311 luxury apartment homes and the latest state-of-the-art amenities. Weehawken, New Jersey : Held ceremonial groundbreaking for RiverHouse 11 at Port Imperial, the 10-story, 295-apartment home luxury residential community, which is the latest addition to Port Imperial. : Held ceremonial groundbreaking for RiverHouse 11 at Port Imperial, the 10-story, 295-apartment home luxury residential community, which is the latest addition to Port Imperial. Worcester, Massachusetts : Held ceremonial groundbreaking for 145 Front Street at City Square, the 237-apartment home community in the burgeoning Worcester market. Next week, Roseland will proudly host the ceremonial groundbreaking for Signature Place at Morris Plains, marking a Mack-Cali/Roseland milestone-the first office to luxury multi-family repositioning. "Through strategic acquisitions, we continue to strengthen our portfolio with smart investments in valuable properties. Our position in core markets like the Hudson River Waterfront and East Boston will lead to strong returns for our investors," said Andrew Marshall, President and Chief Operating Officer of Roseland. "We are particularly excited to take a major step forward in realizing the strategic benefits of the Mack-Cali/Roseland partnership through our Morris Plains repositioning-a template we look forward to replicating elsewhere in our portfolio." "The multi-family portfolio is projected to grow to over 13,000 operating or in-construction apartments by year-end 2018," said Michael J. DeMarco, President of Mack-Cali. "Regarding the Roseland equity raise, we have made significant progress in identifying investors and look forward to completing that process by early fall on terms beneficial to us. However, we believe that we have sufficient capital to complete all of our 2016 and 2017 projects either through capital on hand or previously invested sums." About Roseland Residential Trust Roseland Residential Trust (Roseland), a subsidiary of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI) was recently formed to own, manage, and develop Mack-Cali's luxury multi-family residential portfolio. Roseland is a premier, full-service residential and mixed-use owner and developer in the Northeast with an industry leading reputation for successful completion, execution, and management of class A residential developments. Roseland's scalable and integrated business platform oversees the Company's operating and in-construction assets, geographically desirable land portfolio, sourcing of new development and acquisition opportunities, and repurposing activities on Mack-Cali's office holdings. The Company is a recognized leader in multi-family innovation, carefully integrating each development with its surrounding cultural context to enhance the beauty, economic vitality, and energy of its environment. From thoughtfully designed residences to distinctive amenity offerings, Roseland has earned a reputation for providing residents with the most visionary communities that empower them to re-imagine the way they live. The Company is the master developer for several nationally recognized mixed-use destinations, including Port Imperial, a $3 billion, 200-acre, mixed-use community on the Hudson River Waterfront facing Midtown Manhattan; The Highlands at Morristown Station, NJ TRANSIT's first Transit Village project which, along with Roseland's 40 Park/Epstein's redevelopment, have spearheaded the revitalization of downtown Morristown; and Portside at East Pier in East Boston, where Roseland is redeveloping one-half mile of Boston Harbor into a premier luxury mixed-use community. Additional information on Roseland is available on the Company's website at http://www.roselandres.com/. About Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Mack-Cali Realty Corporation is a fully integrated, self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) providing management, leasing, development, and other tenant-related services for its two-platform operations of waterfront and transit-based office and luxury multi-family assets. Mack-Cali provides its tenants and residents with the most innovative communities that empower them to re-imagine the way they work and live. Additional information on Mack-Cali Realty Corporation and the commercial real estate properties and multi-family residential communities available for lease can be found on the Company's website at www.mack-cali.com. Statements made in this press release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "plan," "potential," "projected," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "target," "continue," or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate, and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading "Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise. Contacts: Anthony Krug Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Chief Financial Officer (732) 590-1030 [email protected] Ilene Jablonski Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Vice President of Marketing (732) 590-1528 [email protected] Deidre Crockett Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Director of Investor Relations (732) 590-1025 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150903/263589LOGO SOURCE Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Related Links http://www.mack-cali.com SAN FRANCISCO, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today announced that its second quarter fiscal 2017 results will be released on Monday, Aug. 29, 2016, after the close of the market. The company will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. (PT) / 5:00 p.m. (ET) to discuss its financial results with the investment community. A live web broadcast of the event will be available on the Salesforce Investor Relations website at www.salesforce.com/investor. A live dial-in is available domestically at 866-901-SFDC or 866-901-7332 and internationally at 706-902-1764, passcode 57940359. A replay will be available at (800) 585-8367 or (855) 859-2056 until midnight (ET) September 29, 2016. About Salesforce Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information about Salesforce, visit: www.salesforce.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130612/SF30598LOGO SOURCE Salesforce Related Links https://www.salesforce.com "This award will help us demonstrate that the cost of solar can be drastically cut by taking advantage of renewable fiber-reinforced composite materials," said Dr. Philip Gleckman, Sunvapor's CEO. "Our digitally optimized designs look different and have a simpler construction because we are liberated from the rules that apply to steel," he added. Fuel for process heat represents nearly half of all the primary energy used by manufacturers in the USA, contributing a fifth of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. "Solar process steam is the Sleeping Giant of renewable energy," said James Valenti-Jordan, formerly with Campbell Soup Company and now a Sunvapor Advisor. "Sunvapor's breakthrough collector will enable food processors to purchase steam at lower prices than natural gas," he continued. About the SunShot Initiative The U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative is a collaborative national effort that aggressively drives innovation to make solar energy fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources before the end of the decade. Through SunShot, the Energy Department supports efforts by private companies, universities, and national laboratories to drive down the cost of solar electricity to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour. Learn more at energy.gov/sunshot. About Sunvapor Sunvapor, Inc. develops technology solutions to sustainability challenges. In addition to SunShot, Sunvapor participates in the ARPA-e program as an industrial partner with Arizona State University. Sunvapor is based in Livermore, California. For more information: www.sunvapor.net Media Contact: Dr. Philip Gleckman, Sunvapor, Inc., Email, mobile (650) 625-7818 SOURCE Sunvapor, Inc. Related Links http://www.sunvapor.net CHICAGO, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) and United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) will be webcasting their second quarter operating results conference call on August 5, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. central time. To listen to the webcasts, please visit the Events & Presentations pages of investors.tdsinc.com or investors.uscellular.com . The presentations will be webcast both live and on-demand. It is recommended that you register at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the presentation to register, download and install any necessary multimedia streaming software. About TDS Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS), a Fortune 500 company, provides wireless; cable and wireline broadband, TV and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million customers nationwide through its businesses, U.S. Cellular, TDS Telecom, OneNeck IT Solutions, and BendBroadband. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, TDS employed 10,600 people as of March 31, 2016. For more information about our subsidiaries, visit their websites at: TDS: www.tdsinc.com U.S. Cellular: www.uscellular.com TDS Telecom: www.tdstelecom.com OneNeck IT Solutions: www.oneneck.com SOURCE Telephone and Data Systems Related Links http://www.uscellular.com CHICAGO, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Oakmark Global Fund (OAKGX), the Oakmark International Fund (OAKIX) and the Oakmark International Small Cap Fund (OAKEX) reopened to all investors effective today. The Funds are advised by Harris Associates L.P., which announced the reopening. In addition, Harris Associates announced the retirement of partner, portfolio manager and senior international investment analyst Robert A. (Rob) Taylor, CFA, effective on or about September 30, 2016. Rob will be resigning from his position co-managing the Oakmark International and the Oakmark Global Funds at that time as well. The three reopened Funds had been closed to most financial intermediaries since October 2013 (OAKIX) and October 2014 (OAKGX and OAKEX). Existing shareholders, all retirement plans and direct investors have been able to purchase shares of the Funds during this period. All seven Oakmark Funds are now open. "We're excited about the investment opportunities we're seeing around the world and believe that restoring the balance between purchases and sales is in the best interest of Fund shareholders," said David Herro, portfolio manager of the International and International Small Cap Funds. Rob has co-managed OAKGX and OAKIX since 2005 and 2008, respectively. Upon Rob's retirement, the Oakmark International Fund will continue to be run by portfolio manager David Herro, who has managed the Fund since its inception. There are no immediate plans to replace Rob as co-manager on the International Fund. David will join portfolio manager Clyde McGregor as co-manager of the Oakmark Global Fund. Clyde has co-managed the Global Fund since 2003. "Working for Harris Associates for over 20 years and serving on the management team for the Oakmark Funds has been a true honor," said Rob Taylor. "I will miss my colleagues and I believe that they will continue the tradition of excellence and success for many years to come." The Oakmark Global Fund invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of common stocks of U.S. and non-U.S. companies. The Fund's all-cap mandate allows investment across the market-cap spectrum. The Oakmark International Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of common stocks of non-U.S. companies. The Fund generally focuses on mid- and large-cap companies, though small-cap companies are also eligible for investment. The Oakmark International Small Cap Fund seeks capital appreciation by investing in small-capitalization companies located outside the U.S. ABOUT OAKMARK AND HARRIS ASSOCIATES The Oakmark Funds are a $66 billion mutual fund family (as of June 30, 2016) that utilizes a long-term value investment approach. Oakmark's investment philosophy centers on the belief that superior long-term results are achieved through investing in companies priced at a significant discount to their true economic value, with strong growth prospects and owner-oriented management teams. More information about the Oakmark Global Fund, the Oakmark International Fund, and the Oakmark International Small Cap Fund, as well as other funds in the Oakmark family, is available at www.Oakmark.com. Harris Associates L.P., a Chicago-based investment management firm founded in 1976, serves as the Adviser to the Oakmark Funds. Harris Associates also manages domestic, international and global portfolios for institutional and high-net-worth investors worldwide. Including Oakmark, assets under management at Harris Associates totaled $103 billion as of June 30, 2016. More information about Harris Associates is available at www.HarrisAssoc.com. SOURCE Harris Associates Related Links http://www.harrisassoc.com OAK BROOK, Ill., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE: THS) today announced it has expanded its Board from eight to nine members with the appointment of Linda K. Massman, 49, President and Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Paper Corporation, a publicly traded company, to its Board of Directors. Sam K. Reed, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of TreeHouse Foods, said, "We are pleased to welcome Linda Massman to our board. She brings extensive management experience in finance and business strategy development, and has a great deal of knowledge of the manufacturing and retail grocery industries. I am confident that her background will be instrumental to TreeHouse." Ms. Massman was elected Clearwater Paper's Chief Executive Officer in 2013 and served as President and Chief Operating Officer since 2011. Prior to that, Ms. Massman served as the company's Chief Financial Officer from 2008 to 2011. Before joining Clearwater Paper, she served as group vice president of finance and corporate planning for SUPERVALU Inc., following its acquisition of Albertson's Inc., where she served in a similar capacity. Prior to that, Ms. Massman was a business strategy consultant for Accenture. Ms. Massman serves on the Board of Directors of Clearwater Paper Corporation and Black Hills Corporation. In 2016, she was elected as the first vice chairwoman for the American Forest & Paper Association. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from The University of North Dakota and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. ABOUT TREEHOUSE FOODS TreeHouse Foods, Inc. is a manufacturer of packaged foods and beverages with more than 50 manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada and Italy that focuses primarily on private label products for both retail grocery and food away from home customers. We manufacture shelf stable, refrigerated, frozen and fresh products, including beverages and beverage enhancers (single serve beverages, coffees, teas, creamers, powdered beverages and smoothies); meals (cereal, pasta, macaroni and cheese and side dishes); retail bakery (refrigerated and frozen dough); condiments (pourable and spoonable dressing, dips, pickles, soups and sauces) and healthy snacks (nuts, trail mix, bars, dried fruits and vegetables). We have a comprehensive offering of packaging formats and flavor profiles, and we also offer natural, organic and preservative free ingredients in many categories. Our strategy is to be the leading supplier of private label food and beverage products by providing the best balance of quality and cost to our customers. Additional information, including TreeHouse's most recent statements on Forms 10-Q and 10-K, may be found at TreeHouse's website, http://www.treehousefoods.com. SOURCE TreeHouse Foods, Inc. Related Links http://www.treehousefoods.com Dr. Zedillo is a leading voice on globalization and economic development. He is currently director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization and a professor of economics and politics at Yale University, as well as a member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders who use their collective experience and influence to promote peace, justice and human rights worldwide. In 2015, he was named a Presidential Counselor by Laureate International Universities , the world's leading higher education network, which includes Walden University. In this role, he advises Laureate and its more than 70 institutions on academic innovation and private and public sector collaboration to increase access to higher education. During his speech, Dr. Zedillo discussed the key role he believes educational institutions have in teaching students to think beyond the classroom as well as the need to close the huge educational and skills gap that exists. He said, "It is not only about providing everybody with an opportunity to be educated, it is also about acquiring the skills required to prosper in a world driven by technology, competition and rapid change. In other words, it is about acquiring education and skills and these must be constantly retooled and even recreated with new knowledge and technologies." Addressing the graduating class, which he noted is one that has already spent several years active in the job market, Dr. Zedillo congratulated them saying, "Your aspiration and drive to fulfill it certainly constitute a highly worthy personal accomplishment, but in addition, these qualities exemplify the attitude that should prevail now and in the future if, as individuals and societies, we truly want to be up to the challenges posed by the 21st century." Twice a year, the Walden University community gathers to honor its graduating students at summer and winter commencement ceremonies. "We are pleased that our newest graduates had the opportunity to hear Dr. Zedillo's message. His words have great meaning and importance in a world that today has too many resentments, too many threats, and too much instability," said Jonathan Kaplan, president of Walden University. "His words will help guide us all as we work to address today's societal challenges together." The Walden graduates in attendance were part of a graduating class of more than 5,330 students, representing 50 states and 96 countries, who have completed bachelor's, master's, doctoral and education specialist degree programs at Walden in the past 6 months. Many of the graduates and guests participated via live webcast. About Walden University For more than 45 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 52,600 students from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 155 countries are pursuing their bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs with more than 400 specializations and concentrations. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu . Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities networka global network of more than 70 campus-based and online universities in 25 countries. For more information, visit www.laureate.net. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160729/394112 SOURCE Walden University Related Links https://www.waldenu.edu DINUBA, Calif., July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Dental & Orthodontics, one of the nation's leaders in accessible, affordable oral healthcare, today announced the opening of a new, state-of-the-art dental clinic in Dinuba, located at 285 West El Monte Way. The new office will serve residents of Dinuba and surrounding communities with nine patient treatment rooms, the latest digital equipment and a highly trained, bilingual staff. In addition to accepting uninsured and privately insured patients, Western Dental welcomes patients covered by the Medi-Cal Dental program (known as Denti-Cal) at this location and all of its 160 California offices. Western Dental is the leading provider of services to the Denti-Cal program, which provides health care benefits for more than 13 million low-income individuals and families in California. Western Dental dentists provided care to over half a million Denti-Cal beneficiaries in 2015. Western Dental is committed to continuing to partner with the State to help improve the program. Western Dental's arrival in Dinuba fills a significant void in dental services in the area. Until now, patients seeking braces, oral surgery or more extensive dental services had to travel to Fresno for treatment. "We're particularly excited to be here because there's a real need for quality oral healthcare in Dinuba," said Dr. Dina Mattar, Managing Dentist. "Our office is staffed to serve patients throughout the area, including Reedley, Orange Cove, Orosi, Cutler and Parlier." The office will begin seeing patients on Tuesday, August 2nd, and a public ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration will be held at the office August 17. The new office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit www.westerndental.com or call 1-800-6-DENTAL. ABOUT WESTERN DENTAL Western Dental (with its affiliate, Brident Dental & Orthodontics) is one of the nation's largest dental providers and is the leader in accessible, affordable oral health care, serving over two million patient visits annually in more than 200 affiliated clinics throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. Western Dental is the #1 provider of orthodontic services in California and last year expanded its network of orthodontists, oral surgeons, pedodontists, periodontists and endodontists, to better service patient needs all within the office. All of Western Dental's services are backed by a unique quality assurance system that electronically monitors all patient visits, treatments, dental staff and clinical performance to enable high-quality care. For more information, please visit www.westerndental.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151202/292693LOGO SOURCE Western Dental & Orthodontics Related Links http://www.westerndental.com HOUSTON, June 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Willbros Group, Inc. (NYSE: WG) announced today plans to release its second quarter financial results on Friday, July 29, 2016 after the close of market. The Company will host a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the internet, on Monday, August 1, 2016 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (9 am Central Time) to discuss its second quarter 2016 results. This schedule should avoid conference call overlap within our peer group and allow interested parties additional analysis time prior to the conference call. What: Willbros Second Quarter 2016 Earnings Conference Call When: Monday, August 1, 2016 - 10 a.m. Eastern Time How: Live via phone - By dialing 412-902-0030 or 877-404-9648 a few minutes prior to the start time and asking for the Willbros' call. Live over the internet by logging on to the website at the following address: http://www.willbros.com. The webcast can be accessed from the investor relations home page. A replay will be available through August 8, 2016 and may be accessed by calling 201-612-7415 or 877-660-6853 using pass code 13639813#. Also, an archive of the webcast will be available shortly after the call on www.willbros.com. Willbros is a specialty energy infrastructure contractor serving the oil and gas and power industries with offerings that primarily include construction, maintenance and facilities development services. For more information on Willbros, please visit our website at www.willbros.com. CONTACT: Stephen W. Breitigam VP Investor Relations Willbros 713-403-8172 SOURCE Willbros Group, Inc. Related Links http://www.willbros.com YIWU, China, July 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Yiwugou.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market, which is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world, provides suppliers with free export inspection and quarantine services in cooperation with the Comprehensive Technical Service Center of Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of Yiwu. Such services can not only increase the faith of overseas buyers in trading via the platform, but also paint exporters a clearer picture of the defects, if any, of their products and thus mitigate the risks of recall. At present, accessories, cosmetics, shoes, toys, daily necessities, garments & underwear, and children's stationery are inspected and quarantined as per American Standard, European Standard, International Standard, Japanese Standard or Korean Standard. European Standard, the strictest yardstick, has found application for the majority of products. The inspection of dolls, for instance, includes the tests of physical and mechanical properties, flammability, and migration of certain elements, and each test around multiple indicators, such as cord length, stuffing, warning and instructions are among the indicators of physical and mechanical properties testing. According to Yiwugou.com, the acceptability rate of products inspected is so far so good. The main defects include the marking of exterior packaging. Yiwugou.com will provide the free services until the end of October, aware that higher quality of products is, per se, a boost for its credit transaction guarantee system. Yiwugou.com has constantly improved the credit transaction guarantee system depending on the physical market of Yiwu City. Launched in September 2013, the system comprises credit rating, complaint handling, secured transaction, and compensation scheme for defrauded buyers, ensuring each transaction is "manageable, controllable and traceable". So far, 98% suppliers have registered with their real names with Yiwugou.com, and 100% registered businesses have been rated and scored. In March 2015, Yiwugou.com went one step further and inaugurated the online business license, which is issued to registered online businesses upon certification by government authorities. By the end of August 2016, an estimated 50% of registered businesses will display the license on the website. This is intended to regulate operation activities more effectively in accordance with China's laws and regulations. About Yiwugou.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141215/164355LOGO SOURCE Yiwugou 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 Ranchi, July 26 : The Jharkhand assembly proceedings were disrupted on Tuesday as the opposition questioned the Raghubar Das government's move to send an ordinance to the President of India to make changes in two land Acts. Leader of Opposition and JMM leader Hemant Soren asked how could the ordinance be issued when the assembly session had already been notified. "The Chief Minister should have come out with an announcement to withdraw the ordinance and bring it in the assembly for discussion," he said. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA Stephen Marandi moved an adjournment motion over the ordinance that seeks to make changes in the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) and Santhala Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act. The motion was, however, rejected by Speaker Dinesh Oraon. Soren said the issue was serious and claimed that the ordinance was sent to the President by keeping Governor Draupadi Murmu in the dark. "The ordinance was sent to the President when the Cabinet had decided to convene the assembly session," the opposition leader said. Echoing his views, JMM leader Stephen Marandi said: "The two land Acts were formulated to protect the land rights of the state's people as well as the tribals. Even the British admitted to its relevance. Both Acts were formed after much fight against brokers and moneylenders." The opposition members then trooped to the well of the house, which was adjourned till 12.30 p.m. The opposition claimed that the BJP government in Jharkhand was making changes in the law to acquire land for industries. When the house reassembled at 12.30 p.m., the opposition again raised the issue. Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Radha Krishna Kishore said: "The ordinance will be brought before the assembly once the President's consent is obtained. The opposition should air its objection when the bill regarding the changes is introduced in the assembly." He claimed that changes in the Acts will help the tribals get education and house loans against their land, adding that land will be acquired for roads, hospitals and other public works only with their consent. The opposition members again trooped to the well, shouting slogans of 'stop working as land broker'. The Speaker then adjourned the house till 2 p.m. The assembly session that began on July 22 is witnessing a tussle between the ruling and opposition parties over different issues. On Monday, the Jharkhand assembly proceedings were disrupted over the opposition demands for a probe into an audio recording and the sacking of a senior police officer who allegedly figured in it. Philadelphia (Us), July 27 : Hillary Clinton wrestled her way into history on Tuesday becoming the first woman to be nominated by a major political party for the President of the United States and was hailed by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, as "the best darn change-maker I ever met". Her insurgent rival in the Democratic Party, Bernie Sanders, put a dramatic end to a fractious campaign by personally having her nominated unanimously by acclamation at the party convention here. Hillary came on a video link to thank the Democratic convention delegates and said, "I can't believe we just put the biggest crack in the glass ceiling yet." If she is elected in November, she will join Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh as women leading major nations -- 50 years after a woman, Indira Gandhi, became India's Prime Minister. Her nomination came 24 years after her husband's and eight years after her first bid. In 2008 she was thought to have an easy road to the White House, but President Barack Obama emerged virtually out of nowhere to walk away with the nomination and eventually made history by becoming the first African-American to win the presidency. The convention that started on Monday in disarray with the party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz having resigned over the weekend after a leak of internal emails showed the leadership undermining Sanders, and his supporters trying to disrupt the meeting, hit a high note on Tuesday by the time Bill Clinton spoke. The boos and jeers of Sanders' supporters faded away and the popular President was greeted with a standing ovation. In a sentimental speech that began with being drawn by her magnetism when he first saw Hillary at Yale University in 1971, Bill Clinton traced their courtship and their life that took them once to the White House and her, afterwards, to the Senate and the State Department. "We have been through good times and bad, through joy and heartbreak," he said. Bill Clinton spoke of the two rejections he received when he proposed marriage to her and the third time he got lucky when she accepted him after he had bought a house she had fancied. He recounted her career as an activist for the causes of children and for civil rights and her eventual rise to Secretary of State. She is trusted and respected by world leaders, he added. "Knowing her is one of the greatest gifts she ever gave me," he said. In keeping with the tradition of the nominee not coming on stage till the last day of the convention, Hillary Clinton spoke by a video link. "If there are any little girls out there who stayed up late to watch, let me just say I may become the first woman President but one of you is next," she said. When the voting results of all the states and territories were announced, Sanders asked to suspend the process and nominate her by acclamation without counting the delegate votes. The convention immediately approved the nomination with loud cheers. However, some of his supporters persisted in opposing Clinton and shouted their opposition. The formal nominating session began with Tulsi Gabbard, the first and only Hindu to be elected to Congress, invoking Mahatma Gandhi to formally nominate Sanders, the progressive with broad appeal. Gabbard spoke of the revolutionary changes Sanders brought to the political discourse with his progressive, anti-establishment agenda, and said the movement would continue. She quoted Mahatma Gandhi, "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." "We will fight for the change we need and we will never forget our leader," she said. Gabbard resigned as the Vice Chair of the Democratic Party in February to openly work for the election of Sanders. In the November election, Hillary Clinton will be locked in a nasty race with Republican Party's Donald Trump, who has been accused of being anti-woman. He loomed as an ominous presence at the Convention as speaker after speaker hit out at his opposition to abortion rights and maternity benefits, his unabashedly sexist remarks about women, and what they asserted were his extremely negative statements about immigrants and Muslims. Trump and the Clintons, though, were once friends as fixtures on New York's social scene. They even attended Trump's third wedding to Slovenian immigrant Melania. But once he began running for President, Trump has unleashed a torrent of vitriol against Clinton whom he now calls "Crooked Hillary". Earlier as the counting of delegate votes from states and territories was underway, a young Indian woman, Sruthi Palaniappan introduced Iowa's vote announcement. India West newspaper reported that Palaniappan, an 18-year-old high school student, is the youngest Indian American delegate at the Convention. Her father, Palaniappan Andiappan, is a member of the Convention's credentials committee, the newspaper said. Sanders won the majority only in 11 states and territories although he polled 12 million votes to Clinton's 15.8 million in the primaries and caucuses. His state, Vermont, passed on its alphabetical turn to announce its vote and after all the states had announced theirs, its leaders took their turn and announced a majority for him. Sanders then dramatically asked to suspend the vote and nominate Clinton by acclamation. But the party still has to get all his supporters on board as some have persisted in opposing the Clinton nomination. Despite calls for unity from Sanders, his diehard supporters held up a banner predicting a defeat for the party because it rejected Sanders. (Arul Louis can be reached at the Democratic Party Convention in Philadelphia at aru.l@ians.in) Toronto, July 27 : Second seed Stan Wawrinka headlined the seeded players to advance on the second day of action in Rogers Cup Main Draw tournament at Aviva Centre here. The 31-year-old Swiss battled Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in a two-hour match that went to tie break in both sets on Tuesday. Wawrinka won 7-3 in the first tie break and 8-6 in the second to secure his spot in the third round of the tournament, reports Xinhua. In the only other second round match on Tuesday, No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic overcame a first set loss to beat Borna Coric of Croatia in three sets. Tuesday saw three seeded French players in first play. No. 10 seed Gael Monfils and No. 13 seed Lucas Pouille were victorious while No. 14 seed Benoit Paire was bounced in straight sets by 37-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek, who reached the main draw as a qualifier. The final seeded player in action, Steve Johnson of USA, the No. 15 seed fell in straight sets to Italian Fabio Fognini. Tuesday also featured Canadian Vasek Pospisil, one of six Canadians in the Main Draw. The 26-year-old was victorious over Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy, who was forced to retire with a right foot injury in the opening game of the second set. Of the 30 remaining players in the tournament, five are Canadian. No. 4 seeded Milos Raonic will play his opening match Wednesday evening, his first match since losing to Andy Murray in the finals of Wimbledon earlier in the month. In doubles action, World. No. 1 ranked Novak Djokovic and partner Nenad Zimonjic fell in three sets to the Canadian team of Philip Bester and Adil Shamasdin. Islamabad, July 27 : The parents of a Pakistani-origin British woman along with her former husband were booked for killing their daughter in Punjab province, police has said. Syed Mukhtar Kazim, the husband of 28-year-old Samia Shahid, said his wife was killed in Jhelum district by her family for "honour", Dawn online reported. Samia married Kazim against her parents' will, police said on Tuesday. Kazim lodged an FIR on July 23 against Samia's father Chaudhary Shahid, mother Imtiaz Bibi, sister Madiha Shahid, cousin Mobeen and her former husband Chaudhary Shakil. Samia's death was reported on July 20 by her father, who denied the charges and insisted that his daughter died of cardiac arrest, police said. The police had detained her father but set him free after an initial inquiry. According to a police official, body samples of the woman were sent to the forensic laboratory in Lahore. Results were awaited. Samia had previously been married to her cousin Shakil but the couple divorced in May 2014. The woman lived in Dubai after marrying Kazim in September 2014. Kazim claimed that Samia was killed by her relatives who had refused to accept their relationship because of their different communities. Samia's mother, in a phone conversation on July 11, asked her to come to Pakistan to see her ailing father. She arrived in the country on July 14. She told Kazim over phone that her father was alright and she was feeling insecure and threatened. Samia's phone was switched off on July 20. Kazim contacted Mobeen, her cousin, who said Samia had suffered a heart attack. According to a report in The Guardian, the deceased woman's family denied Kazim's claims. Her father termed the allegations "lies". "An investigation is under way and if I am found guilty I am ready for every kind of punishment," he said. Naz Shah, a member of British parliament from Bradford, had asked Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene. Shah in a letter to Sharif, said: "Should this be [an honour killing] case then we must ensure justice is done for Samia and we must ensure this never happens again." The British High Commission in Islamabad was in contact with the authorities in Jhelum regarding the developments in the case, the report said. Kolkata, July 27 : Four days after the mysterious death of a 17-year old boy during a birthday party, the city police made their first arrests by rounding up a liquor shop owner and two others on Wednesday for allegedly selling liquor to teenagers. Police said the three were apprehended suo motu for violating a law that forbids sale of liquor to anyone below 21 years of age, and the matter was delinked from the murder case initiated into the death of Aabesh Dasgpta. Dasgupta's autopsy report has also failed to prove conclusively whether it was a murder or accident. Police have also confiscated the mobiles of Dasgupta and more than a dozen of his friends and others who had attended the birthday party of author Amit Chaudhuri's daughter in the basement of a south Kolkata apartment on July 23, where the incident is believed to have taken place. The special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe Dasgupta's death have questioned a number of teenagers present at the spot of the incident. Police have claimed that they have got some witnesses who have detailed the happenings. The secretary and president of the housing association where the incident took place would also be questioned, police said. Chaudhuri, who had visited the city police headquarters and apprised the investigators about the happenings that evening, on Wednesday claimed his daughter did not know Dasgupta. "My daughter and indeed, most of that group did not know the boy who later died of an injury," the author said in a statement. A grievously injured Dasgupta, a Class 12 student, was found in a pool of blood in the ground floor car park of the apartment complex in Ballygunge and later declared dead at a hospital. While police have registered a murder case based on a complaint by the Dasgupta family, the cause of the death is yet to be ascertained. The investigators have also have found evidence suggesting Dasgupta consumed alcohol on the day of the incident. Rejecting suggestions that her son died of wounds caused after falling accidentally on the broken bottle, his mother Rimjhim Dasgupta iterated he was murdered. "It was not an accident. He was murdered and those present in the party know what actually happened that day. I think there are attempts to cover up the issue by giving it an accident angle," she said. Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, was a speaker at the Democratic Party\'s national Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Credit: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Congress from Illinois, was presented as Democratic Party\'s ?New Leader of Tomorrow? the Party\'s national Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 27, ... Image Source: IANS News Ami Bera, the only Indian Congressman, spoke at the Democratic Party\'s national Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (Credit: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Sruthi Palaniyappan, who is 18 years old, is the youngest Indian American delegate to the Democratic Party\'s national Convention in Philadelphia in July, 2016. (Credit: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Philadelphia (Us), July 28 : Three leaders from the Indian American community took the stage before the 4,765 national delegates and the national media as the Democratic Party Convention turned the spotlight on the community, recognising its rising role. The president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Neera Tanden, made an impassioned speech on Wednesday in support of the party candidate for president Hillary Clinton, declaring: "Hillary will always have our backing." She spoke candidly of her family's travails after her father divorced her mother when she was five and how the public safety net saved them and helped her eventually get an Ivy League law degree and to become Hillary Clinton's adviser and play important roles in her campaigns. Congressman Ami Bera of California was presented as a leader reflecting the diversity of the Democratic Party in Congress. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Congress from Illinois, came on stage as a "New Leader of Tomorrow." He told IANS about the moment in the party limelight: "I am thrilled." If elected, Krishnamoorthi will be the fourth Indian American to serve in the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Grace Meng, the head of an influential Asian American political action committee, called at the Convention for supporting Krishnamoorthi and said the presence of the Asians in Congress would grow with his election. Krishnamoorthi, a lawyer and a technology and environmental entrepreneur, joked that he probably had a "mutant gene" that made him turn to politics in a community that focuses on careers in medicine, technology and education. He said his family was in "dire economic straits" and had a difficult time when he was a baby, but the "generosity" of the United States helped them come out of it. "Ever since then, I have been wanting to make sure that others have a shot at the American dream" like his family, he said. Reflecting the rise of the Indian American millennials, an 18-year-old delegate from Iowa, Sruthi Palaniyappan, introduced her state delegation's announcement of its votes during the Convention roll call Tuesday. She told IANS that she "definitely" plans to run for public affairs. A Hillary delegate, she said she started at the local precinct level and worked her way up to get elected as a national delegate. She said Indian American youth were organising in politics and her message to them was "Step up to the plate or you are on the menu" - take responsibility and become active or you will be swallowed by the system. She just finished high school and starts college at Harvard University in September. Her father, Palaniyappan Andiappan, was elected to the national Convention credentials committee, which verifies the credentials of delegates and adjudicates disputes over representation. He said his daughter "inspired" him to join politics through her activism and enthusiasm. Among the young Indian Americans starting out in politics is Neil Makhija, a candidate for State Representative in Pennsulvania. The 29-year-old said that while people are more focused on the presidential elections, issues that directly affect the people like education are decided at the state and local levels. That was why he was running for the state legislature. Samai Kindra from Maryland has taken a year off after high school to work as an intern with the state Democratic Party working on mobilising people to register to vote. While an exact count of Indian American delegates was not available, according to party sources there were about 300 Asian American delegates and a "sizable" number of them were Asian Indians. There were also scores of Indian Americans volunteering at the convention. Even though Indians are less than 1 percent of the US population, they can play a crucial role in the "battleground states" - the six or so states like Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio where both parties are almost evenly balanced - according to Toby Chudhuri, a former White House strategy and communications adviser. "There is no longer a mainstream, but many streams" in the US and it was important for the Indian American community to actively get involved in politics and have their voices heard, he said. Indians have founded organisations to rally support for Clinton and other candidates and to raise funds for campaigns. Indian Americans for Hillary Clinton (IAFHC) founded by Rajan Natarajan, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in Maryland, is working at the grassroots level on mobilising Indian Americans to register and vote. When the organisation held a rally in Maryland in April, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta attended it. Natarajan said that presence of high political figures at their rallies was a sign of the recognition the Indian American community was now receiving from politicians. IAFHC Co-Chair Devang Shah explained how a small community like Indian Americans can play an outsize role in elections in the battleground states. In the last election, Obama won in Virginia with just 4.3 per cent of the votes, he said. In such a tight race, the Indian American community, which is concentrated in some states, can make the difference between victory and defeat, he said. Shekhar Narasimhan has set up the Asian American Pacific Islander Victory Fund, which he said had raised $300,000 and has a target of $1.5 million. It will fund drives to mobilise voters in the six swing states and promote progressive candidates. On August 12, Indian American leaders will be meeting in Las Vegas to see how they can help put more of their community in public offices, according to one of the organisers of the meeting. (Arul Louis can be reached at the Philadelphia Democratic Party Convention at arul.l@ians.in) New Delhi, July 28 : Cross-border infiltration and terrorism will be the focus area of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's talks with his Pakistani counterpart during the Saarc Home/Interior Ministers' Conference in Islamabad early next month. Amid bilateral tensions over violence in Kashmir, Rajnath Singh will travel to Pakistan to attend the seventh meeting of Saarc Home/Interior Ministers on August 4, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said on Thursday. "The meeting will be preceded by the seventh meeting of Saarc Interior/Home Secretaries on August 3 and seventh meeting of SAARC immigration authorities on August 2," he added. The Home Minister has already pointed fingers at Pakistan for stoking unrest in Kashmir following the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The violence has claimed nearly 50 lives and left hundreds injured. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) leadership had agreed in 2005 during the 13th summit in Dhaka that Home/Interior Ministers of the Saarc nations may meet annually to strengthen cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism. The first meeting of Home/Interior Ministers was held in Dhaka on May 11, 2006. Such meetings discuss regional cooperation on a number of security-related matters and take stock of progress in various regional mechanisms. "Our participation is in the context of our 'neighbourhood first' policy and our commitment to regional cooperation within the SAARC framework. The meeting also provides an opportunity to underline the high importance we attach to achieving forward movement on security cooperation in the region," Swarup said. Islamabad, July 28 : Pakistan on Thursday said it was in touch with top officials in Indonesia to halt the imminent execution of Pakistani national Zulfiqar Ali for drug smuggling. Ali is set to be executed by a firing squad in the next 24 hours on a prison island in Indonesia. Pakistan will keep up efforts to halt Ali's imminent execution "till the last moment", a Pakistan Foreign Office official said, adding that it was in talks with Jakarta and remained hopeful about the possibility of clemency for Ali, Dawn online reported. Indonesia rejected the appeals from the UN and European Union to halt the execution of 14 drug convicts including an Indian and Zulfiqar Ali. The group, besides Ali and Indian national Gurdip Singh, includes four Indonesians, including a woman, six Nigerians, a Zimbabwean, and a South African. They have been placed in isolation on a prison island -- Nusakambangan island -- where Jakarta carries out executions. On Wednesday evening, the Attorney General of Indonesia announced the death penalty would be applied to 13 men and one woman as a punishment for drug-related crimes. Ali's family had been informed that he would be executed on Thursday night. His family carried out a protest in Lahore on Wednesday. Rights groups in Pakistan claim Ali was beaten into confessing. Pakistan summoned Indonesian Ambassador Iwan Suyudhie Amri in Islamabad this week to convey their concerns, Dawn online reported. Ali was arrested in November 2004 in connection with a 300 gram heroin case in Jakarta. Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, who was in Laos for an Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum meeting, sought a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on the issue. After restarting the death penalty last year, Indonesia has planned to execute 16 prisoners this year and up to 30 in 2017. As of June, some 152 inmates in prisons nationwide are awaiting execution, according to Indonesian authorities. Srinagar, July 29 : Authorities on Friday imposed curfew and restrictions in the Kashmir Valley to prevent separatist called protests in Srinagar. "Curfew and restrictions have been imposed in many parts of the Valley including Srinagar city," a senior police official told IANS. "People are advised to cooperate with the administration to prevent anti-social elements fro causing trouble." Life across the Valley remained paralysed for the 21st day as the separatists extended their protest shutdown till July 31. Separatists have, however, said people should engage in activities like shopping for few hours after 7 p.m. during this period. On Wednesday, curfew was only imposed in three south Kashmir districts including Anantnag. In Srinagar, some semblance of normal life could be seen as private transportation and pedestrian movements were witnessed in many areas. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that the security forces had no knowledge about Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani's presence inside the house in Bsmdoora village of Anantnag district where he was killed on July 8. "If the security forces knew about Burhan's presence inside the house, he would have been given a chance to surrender," Mehbooba said. Fifty people including 48 civilians and two policemen have been killed since July 9. Washington, July 29 : Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, after hearing speeches at the ongoing Democratic National Convention (DNC), said he wanted to "hit a number of those speakers so hard, their heads would spin". The Republican nominee zoomed in on one speaker especially, though he did not mention his name, CNN reported. "I was going to hit one guy in particular, a very little guy," Trump said on Thursday at a campaign rally in Davenport, Iowa. "I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin, he wouldn't know what the hell happened," CNN quoted Trump as saying. The real estate mogul said this individual "came out of nowhere" and said had worked with Trump in the past. "He made deals with me. 'Will you help me with this? Would you make this deal and solve the problem?' I solved the problem," Trump said. His campaign did not respond to a request asking to clarify who Trump was talking about, reports CNN. Several speakers this week have gone after Trump at the convention in Philadelphia thate started on Tuesday, including Michael Bloomberg. The former New York City mayor made a surprise endorsement over the weekend for Hillary Clinton, and described Trump in his DNC speech on Wednesday night as a "dangerous demagogue". Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine also targeted Trump, mocking the businessman's tendency to accentuate his promises with a plea of "believe me". Sydney, July 29 : Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday declared that former premier Kevin Rudd would not be nominated by the government to be the next UN Secretary-General, declining to endorse him and declaring him unfit for the job. "The fundamental threshold point is this: does the government believe, do we believe, do I as Prime Minister believe Rudd is well suited for that role?" Turnbull told the media here, adding "My considered judgement is he is not". The decision by Turnbull effectively crushed Rudd's hopes of nabbing the post after he spent months lobbying for government support. Without the backing of the Turnbull government, Rudd, the former Prime Minister of the opposition centre-left Labour Party, cannot run for the next UN chief. Rudd had hoped Australia's conservative government would take the crucial step of formally nominating him to succeed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when Ban's second five-year term ends on December 31. A final nominee will not emerge before October once the UN Security Council offers its candidate to the General Assembly for consideration. The Security Council is set to hold its second straw poll next week, which had strong support for former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres. There currently 12 contenders vying for the post, with six being female, and eight from Eastern Europe. Australia will consider its position with respect to other candidates, including compromise contender, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark in due course, Turnbull added. New Delhi : Title: The Diary of a Lutyens' Princess; Author: Bindu Dalmia; Publisher: Rupa Publications; Pages: 227; Price: Rs 500 The patriarchal structure, where men are in authority over women in all aspects of society, has sadly been predominant in India for years. Addressing the issue, which has for long caged the freedom of expression of women, author Bindu Dalmia relates the experience of one such independent woman who faces it all with confidence. The book is about a girl who belongs to a middle-class family, and she has a strict father whose rulebook for her reads: "Daughters are not allowed to mingle with the opposite sex as all men are rascals." He also mandated that the men his daughters would marry were to be "good, virtuous Punjabis, preferable from the services, who had no vices like smoking or drinking". And if this basic premise was not met, "the girls dared not step out" of the Laxman Rekha he drew -- perhaps a sentiment shared by most fathers to this day. "The Diary..." charts the protagonist Akshraa's life over five decades full of turbulence. But no matter how difficult the situation, she braves it all. Through this book, Dalmia has penned situations which in her words, shows that Delhi and its elite is all about "power, power and power". She says that for an outsider who hails from a comparatively small city, Delhi is "fascinating and equally intimidating". In a situation where the protagonist is climbing the stairs of success in her career, where work becomes her dope, Dalmia writes a very hard-hitting line that her character had "gotten over the human need of feeling complete only if one was in a relationship". Summing up Akshraa's experience over the years, Dalmia says that "royalty, as also stiff-upper-lipped business aristocratic families and their scions, were reared in the most robotic manner to never express joy, mirth, grief, heady laughter or tears". A single mother, Akshara's life sees a lot of ups and downs where she was eyed by wannabe men, while her child was sent to a boarding school. She is also seen being apologetic to her son in some parts of the story. It's a read that you won't be able to put down for sure. The flow keeps you engrossed until the end as many would be able to connect with the story in some or the other way, in one or the other situation. (Kishori Sud can be contacted at kishori.s@ians.in) New Delhi, July 29 : Veteran actress Shernaz Patel says it's a good time for the Indian film industry as stories and good scripts are getting importance. Shernaz has been part of the film industry for about three decades now, and she says it has evolved over the years. "Stories are becoming much more important. I think the audience also wants to see films where script and story matter. People are exploring so many different stories and that's fantastic," the actress, who has featured in Bollywood films like "Guzaarish" and "Black", told IANS. Without naming anyone in particular, she also shared that the young actors are challenging themselves when it comes to their craft. "The younger lot of actors... As much as they may be stars, they are also actors. They are also challenging themselves and doing different things. So, I think it's a very good time for cinema. Regional cinema is doing so well. The way Marathi cinema has taken off... it is a good time," she said. Shernaz has also heaped praise on the online medium, which is increasingly gaining popularity. "Online is a lovely medium that has opened up. It's especially a boon for young actors. They don't have to target just Bollywood when they come into the industry. They have lots of options to choose from. It's fantastic," said Shernaz, who is also a theatre artiste. But she has no preference when it comes to mediums. "As an actor, you enjoy every medium as every medium gives you its own experience. They have their own way of working and attract different audiences. Actors want to do everything... every possible medium," she said. And yes, she is exploring mediums and formats. The audience can watch her in Adhiraj Bose's latest short film titled "Interior CafA Night", presented by Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films -- a portal which is the hub of Indian short films. It is a 12-minute short that depicts love, loss and reunion. "The script is lovely. That's what attracted me to it. It's a well told story. It's sweet and Adhiraj is a very talented director. He was clear about what he wanted. It sounded like a nice film to do," she said. The short film also stars Naseeruddin Shah. How was it working with her "John Day" co-star? "We are old friends. We have known each other for many years. It was comfortable and wonderful to work with him. He is a great actor and a great friend," she said. The strong bond between the two is evident in the film, which has been viewed over 6,00,000 times on YouTube. In recent times, talented actors like Manoj Bajpayee and Radhika Apte have also tried their hand at the short film format. Is it the future then? "No. It's a lovely thing to do. It's not time-consuming. It's like writing a short story and writing a novel. You can't compare the two. They are completely different. It's an interesting way to communicate a story in just 10 minutes. "But it can never replace a long format," said Shernaz, who simply wants to continue working. "I think an actor would just want to do good challenging roles regardless of the genre or medium... to work with people who will push the boundary," she said. (Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in) Philadelphia (Us), July 29 : An Indian American, Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, stood out in his pink turban among a group of US military veterans at the Democratic National Convention stage to root for Hillary Clinton as the party's presidential nominee. Kalsi, accompanied retired General John Allen on stage along with a group of military veterans at the Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia on Thursday night. Standing behind Allen as he spoke, Major Kalsi's pink turban grabbed eyeballs. Allen said that under Clinton the country will not "abandon the world", and pursue enemies, defeat the Islamic State and stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Kalsi, an emergency room doctor, served 15 years in the US Army, some of it in the "very violent and bloody theatre" of the war in Afghanistan, according to News India-Times newspaper. There he had treated many victims of improvised explosive devices, the crude home-made bombs. In 2009 he became the first Sikh in the US military to receive permission to wear a beard and turban, according to The New York Times. On Wednesday, the spotlight was shone on three leaders from the Indian American community recognising their rising role in the US. The president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Neera Tanden, spoke of her own family's difficulties and how she was helped by the US government programmes that Clinton wanted to preserve and strengthened. Representative Ami Bera of California was on stage to demonstrate the party's diversity in Congress. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Congress from Illinois, was presented as a "New Leader of Tomorrow". (Arul Louis can be reached at the Philadelphia Democratic Party Convention at arul.l@ians.in) Kolkata, July 29 : Dissatisfied with the Kolkata Police for calling the mysterious death of Aabesh Dasgupta an "accident", the family of the teenager on Friday knocked on the doors of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking justice. Aabesh, 17, was found lying in a pool of blood on the ground floor car park of well known writer Amit Chaudhuri's apartment complex in south Kolkata's Ballygunge, where he had gone to attend a birthday party on July 23. A blood soaked neck of a broken bottle was recovered from the spot. While the family has been claiming that Aabesh was murdered and the police registered a murder case, investigators on Thursday, citing circumstantial evidence, ruled out any foul play or conspiracy and suggested the death could be accidental. Based on CCTV footage, the police have claimed that Aabesh tried to jump a ramp in the parking lot while holding an alcohol bottle in his hand. While jumping, he tripped and fell on the broken bottle and suffered an injury to the armpit, resulting in profuse bleeding which ultimately caused his death. Police, however, have said their findings are still inconclusive. The Dasgupta family, which has been claiming it to be a "pre-planned murder", dubbed the police's 'accident' theory as an attempt to cover up and met Chief Minister Banerjee on the day. "We told her (Banerjee) that there are still many unanswered questions, many loose ends. She gave a patient hearing to all our apprehensions and assured the truth will be unravelled," Aabesh's mother Rimjhim Dasgupta said after the meeting. "The Chief Minister said whatever the police have said needs to be proved. She assured us that everything will be done to ensure justice," added Dasgupta. Besides arresting three people for selling liquor to minors, the police has interrogated the teenagers accompanying Aabesh on the fateful day as also writer Chaudhuri. New Delhi/Chennai, July 29 : Banking operations across the country were hit on Friday as around 10 lakh employees in around 40 private and nationalised banks struck work for a day to protest against the central government's policies for the sector. "The strike has evoked a good response nationwide as around 10 lakh have participated in it. Most of the nationalised banks are closed," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), told IANS in Chennai. Echoing this, K. Thamaraiselvan, General Secretary of Andhra Bank Employees Union (Tamil Nadu unit) said: "The banking operations have been paralysed nationwide." The unions in the banking sector had given the strike call to protest the mergers in the sector, infusion of private capital in government banks and others. The strike call was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) an umbrella body of nine unions in the banking sector viz., AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW and NOBO. "The strike involved around 10 lakh employees and officers of public sector banks, old generation private banks and foreign banks totalling more than 80,000 branches," Venkatachalam said. According to Venkatachalam, unmindful of the adverse implications, the government was pursuing the reform measures in the banking sector like inadequate infusion of capital in public sector banks, which will result in reduction of government's equity capital and create compulsion for higher extent of private capital leading to privatisation of banks. "In the last 40 years, more than 40 private banks have collapsed. We cannot allow to take that risk again. Banks must continue in public sector in national interest," he said. According to him, the total deposits in the banks today are more than Rs 116 lakh crore and this cannot be placed at the doors of private players by privatising the banks. He said the government wants to consolidate and merge 27 public sector banks to make them into some five or six big banks for the sake of global competition. "We need efficient banks and not necessarily big banks. Big banks do not automatically mean strong banks. In many countries big banks have failed and they are in trouble," he added. He said privatisation of banks will not help in recovering bad loans totalling over Rs 13 lakh crore and may result in handing over the banks to a loan defaulter. Criminal action against wilful loan defaulters should be taken instead of dealing with them with a velvet hand, he added. Meanwhile, industry body Assocham on Friday urged UFBU to call off their strike as customer transactions worth about Rs 12,000 crore-Rs 15,000 crore would be affected. "Public sector banks (PSBs) are already less profitable and have relatively higher ratios of non-performing assets (NPAs) compared to private sector banks, and such a complete halt of banking transactions following UFBU's decision to go on strike might result in significant losses," D.S. Rawat, secretary General of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said in a statement in New Delhi. "With a view to revamp the functioning of the PSBs, banking sector reforms is the need of the hour," he added. Kabul, July 29 : Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has vowed to keep up pressure on corruption as the country prepares for the Brussels conference in October, the Presidential Palace said on Friday. On Thursday, Ghani chaired the first meeting of the National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, Xinhua news agency cited a statement as saying. "We witnessed a 22 per cent increase in national revenue last year and we are determined to take practical steps in different areas to fight corruption before the Brussels Conference," Ghani said. Tadamichi Yamamoto, special UN envoy and head of UN mission in the country, welcomed the establishment of the Council and assured cooperation to fight corruption. The conference will focus on the development of Afghanistan. Paris, July 29 : Following recent terror attacks, the French government is considering a ban on foreign financing of mosques in the country, the media reported on Friday. According to Le Monde, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that the prohibition would be for an indefinite period but gave no further details. "There needs to be a thorough review to form a new relationship with French Islam," he added. "We live in a changed era and we must change our behaviour. This is a revolution in our security culture... the fight against radicalisation will be the task of a generation," the Independent quoted Valls as saying. France was "at war" and further atrocities were predicted, Valls said, following the murder of a priest at a church in Normandy and the attack in Nice in Grench Riveira by Islamic State supporters. "This war, which does not concern only France, will be long and we will see more attacks," the Prime Minister said. "But we will win, because France has a strategy to win this war. First, we must crush the external enemy." The French government has come under increasing criticism for failing to prevent atrocities, including the attack in a Normandy church. Security services were tipped off that Abdel Malik Petitjean, 19, was planning an attack but police were reportedly unable to identify him from photos and a video showing him declaring allegiance to the Islamic State terror group, the Independent reported. He was already on country's "fiche S" terror watch list -- an indicator used by France law enforcement apparatus to signal an individual considered to be a serious threat to national security. He attempted to travel to Syria in June but was intercepted by Turkish authorities and forced to return to France. Petitjean and Adel Kermiche, 19, took six people hostage at a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy and slit the throat of its priest, Father Jacques Hamel. Both were shot dead by police. Kermiche was also known to security services and was wearing an electronic surveillance tag while on bail as he awaited trial for membership of a terror organisation at the time. It came less than a fortnight after the Nice attack, when a Tunisian man killed 84 persons and injured over 300 when he ploughed a lorry into crowds celebrating Bastille Day. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was not among the 10,000 names on the "fiche S" but the inclusion of terrorists -- among them, several of the Paris attackers, the two Charlie Hebdo gunmen and their accomplice Amedy Coulibaly, as well as a lorry driver who beheaded his manager and attempted to blow up a chemical plant -- has shown the system to be ineffective, said the Independent. Intelligence officials have admitted that they are under-resourced to deal with the potential threat from each individual, who would need up to 20 people monitoring them every day. France's continuing state of emergency has drastically expanded security forces' detention powers, sparking a wave of controversial house arrests since November. Responding to criticism, Valls said his government would not create a "French Guantanamo" or be swayed by populism. New Delhi, July 29 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Deputy Manish Sisodia on Friday took a dig at the BJP government in Haryana over the massive rain-induced traffic jams in Gurgaon and said it "reflected the quality of governance in the state". "That's BJP's governance (on traffic jam and water-logging in Gurgaon)," Kejriwal said, quoting a tweet from a journalist who said his friend slept in the office because of traffic jams in Gurgaon since Thursday evening. Taking a potshot at the Bharatiya Janata Party's claim on "good governance", Sisodia tweeted: "Merely changing the name of Gurgaon to Gurugram does not bring development. For development, it is necessary to formulate policies and ensure their proper implementation." "Jumlo se jam nahi khulega (Glib talk will not end traffic jam in Gurgaon)," Sisodia quipped. The remarks from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders came in the wake of suffocating traffic jams on National Highway-8 in Gurgaon, which connects the Millennium city with Delhi. Following heavy rains in Gurgaon and resultant traffic snarls, Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to rush a team of officers to the area. The Haryana government has declared a two-day school holiday on account of water-logging on Gurgaon's roads. The police told people to avoid needless travelling. Kolkata, July 29 : With Mahasweta Devi's death, the world has lost a renowned writer-activist, but for the Lodhas and Sabars - two primitive tribal groups from West Bengal - they have lost their mother, an unrelenting voice that championed their cause for the last four decades. Mahasweta, who had deep respect for tribal life and culture and penned telling commentaries on the sufferings and oppression of tribals, crusaded for the Lodhas of the erstwhile Midnapur district and the Kheria Sabars of Purulia -- who were among those notified by the British in 1871 as "criminals". Though these tribes were denotified after independence, the stigma remained and they faced trouble whenever crimes were committed in their vicinity. Assembled under the banner of "Lodha Sabar Kalyan Samiti", the members of the twin communities came down to city to pay their last respects to the Magsaysay awardee who was cremated with full state honours on the day. "It is because of her efforts that the world came to know about us. She continuously through her writings highlighted our plight. She had always fought for our cause, and today it feels that somebody has taken away the roof from above our heads," said one of them. "She had freed us from darkness... We have lost our mother," said Jaladhar Sabar, echoing the sentiments of his community in Purulia where Mahasweta Devi later came to be revered as "The Mother of the Sabars". Mingling with the tribals and sharing their food and huts, Mahasweta vividly portrayed the sufferings the tribals endured at the hands of upper-caste landlords, money-lenders and government servants, and chronicled the stories of tribal resistance and protests. Among her many creations on tribal issues is "The Book of the Hunter" (first published in Bengali as "Byadhkhanda" in 1994), which deals with the story of Chuni Kotal, who in 1985 became the first woman graduate among the Lodha Shabars but subsequently committed suicide after facing harassment and discrimination. "She used to mix with us as if she was one of them. We have lost out mother. "Now who will speak for us? She was our guide, our guardian, she has been fighting for us since 1978, now who will fight for us," said another member of the community wiping his tears. Carrying copies of letters Mahasweta had written to various authorities highlighting the plight of the twin tribes, the Lodhas and Sabars walked in silence, accompanying the author on her last journey. New Delhi, July 29 : Following recent incidents of ordnance depot fires, the government is planning to upgrade the storage facilities as well as considering underground storage of the ammunition to reduce the risk, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in the Lok Sabha on Friday. Answering supplementary questions from members, including Anandrao Adsul (Shiv Sena), Parrikar said the government is aware of the "inherent" risky proposition around ordnance depots and "that too in thickly populated urban areas". "Most of the ordnance depots are storage facilities which were created many years ago when there was no population around. I myself am aware of such areas like Dehu Road (in Maharashtra) and I used to travel on that road about 30 years back. There was hardly any population around that ordnance depot then," he said, adding that as population has increased in the vicinity, this has added to problems lately. "We are trying to find out solutions to the issue. First, improve the storage facility, go for upgraded storage facilities and go for underground, so that the risk itself reduces and better storage improvement takes place," he said. This will require additional expenditure, he noted. The government is examining these options, he said and maintained that it is also "considering the distance parameter" from depots to ensure safety. An expert committee is reviewing the situation based on the "international norms", Parrikar said. Members, including Kalyan Banerjee of Trinamool Congress, expressed concern over fire accidents happening from time to time in and around ordinance depots. Paris, July 29 : French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Friday acknowledged that the previous release of Adel Kermiche, one of the two perpetrators of the attack on a Normandy church, was a mistake. Valls said the court releasing Kermiche and subjecting him to electronic surveillance in the months leading up to the attack was a blunder, but rejected the fight against terrorism should turn to creating a French Guantanamo, EFE news reported. However, he would not fall into blaming the judges for the terrorist act, Valls said, explaining that every court decision is of incredibly complex factors. The Prime Minister said he was open to any proposal for improving the fight on terrorism, as long as it did not go against the rule of law, and stressed that locking individuals in centres on the sole basis of suspicion was morally and legally unacceptable. Kermiche and second suspect Abdel Malik Petitjean took hostage six people in a Normandy church on July 26, before slitting the throat of an 84-year-old priest and seriously wounding another hostage. They were shot dead by police. In a video broadcast by IS official Amaq news agency, the two teenagers pledged allegiance to them. New Delhi, July 29 : The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) not to arrest Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife when she joined the ongoing probe in a money laundering case. Justice Vipin Sanghi directed petitioner Pratibha Singh to join the ED investigation on August 8 and said she will not be arrested on that day. The court asked the ED to file a status report after August 8 and listed the matter for further arguments for August 24. Pratibha Singh had filed a plea to seek restraint orders against the central agency from taking any coercive action against her, in the wake of the arrest of LIC agent Anand Chauhan, a co-accused in the money laundering case. The ED arrested Chauhan from Chandigarh on July 9 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). His was the first arrest in the case, in which the Himachal Chief Minister is an accused. Both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation have accused Chauhan of investing Virbhadra Singh's "tainted" money of Rs 5 crore in Life Insurance Corporation policies in Virbhadra Singh's name and those of his family members, including wife Pratibha Singh. The ED reportedly found that Virbhadra Singh had accumulated assets worth Rs 6.03 crore in his name and in the name of his family members, which were disproportionate to his known sources of income, during his tenure as the Union Steel Minister from 2009 to 2011. Ahmedabad, July 29 : The Gujarat Police on Friday arrested two more persons for flogging four Dalit youngsters in Una on July 11, taking the total number of arrests to 24. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had entrusted the CID Crime Branch to take up the case 10 days ago. It immediately picked up eight persons. Earlier, the local police in Una had nabbed 16 persons, who were accused of lynching the Dalit youth in full public view. The incident was captured in a video which went viral on social media, triggering outrage. On Friday, two more accused, Kishoresinh Rathod from Kanak Barad village and Shivbhai Sankhat from Umej village were arrested. Four others were arrested on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the four victims who were shifted to the Government Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad from Rajkot on Wednesday after one of whom vomited blood were also being given psychiatric treatment as they had undergone severe trauma because of the incident. A doctor said: "The boys were under post-traumatic stress and have developed sleep disorder." Besides the regular treatment, a team of two psychiatrists and two psychologists has been formed to assist them. The flogging had triggered violent protests across the state during which a large number of vehicles and public property were damaged. A police head constable, who received head injuries during a clash with the protesters, also died. The incident was raised in Parliament and several political leaders, including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, visited Mota Samadhiyana village to express solidarity with the victims' families. New Delhi, July 29 : The whereabouts of Salesian Order priest Father Thomas Uzhunnallil who was abducted in March this after a terrorist attack on an old-age home in Yemen are still not known despite the capture of the attackers. Sources here confirmed, based on information received from the Indian embassy in Djibouti, news reports about the capture of the terrorists involved in the attack. "However, no information is yet available on the whereabouts of Father Tom," the sources said. "Our mission in Djibouti continues to work with local authorities to ascertain information on him." On March 4, the priest from Kerala was kidnapped after Islamic State terrorists barged into a Missionaries of Charity care home in Aden of which he was the caretaker and shot dead many people, including four nuns, one of them from India. New Delhi, July 29 : Pushing for "zero demand" of tiger parts, at least 45 animal conservation organisations across the globe urged countries with tiger farms to shut these down. On International Tiger Day, organisations including World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), IFAW, EIA, Wildlife SOS, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals and others from China, Vietnam, Nepal, Thailand, the US, the UK, Japan and India urged countries to phase out tiger farms. China is considered the global hub of tiger breeding due to huge traditional demand of tiger parts, while some tiger farms are also located in Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Over 7,000 tigers are currently estimated to be raised and culled in tiger farms for their skin, bones, teeth and claws, used for luxury items, wine and traditional medicine. "The main market for tiger products are consumers in China and Vietnam, followed by smaller consumer markets in Myanmar and Laos," said a joint statement of 45 non-government organisations. They added that tiger farms have expanded rapidly over the last few decades. Activists also took on the United States, which has over 10,000 captive tigers and other big cats raised as "back yard" pets. These big cats are procured through poaching, posing one of the biggest challenges before the global conservation efforts. Wild tigers in the 10 main tiger range countries -- where the last remaining wild tigers (3,500 to 4,000) live -- are also being poached rampantly. Animal activists also pointed out rise in cases of poaching in India, which was more in the first five months of 2016 than in entire 2015. The organisations also praised the "bold enforcement" efforts of Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), which in June 2016 seized 137 live tigers, thousands of tiger skin amulets, 70 preserved cubs and other tiger parts from the 'Tiger Temple' in Kanchanaburi province. "Other countries should also take action to ensure that they are not implicated in the trade in captive tiger parts and products," the NGOs added. The animal right activists have their hopes fixed on the next Conference of Parties (COP-17) of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to be held two months later in South Africa. The organisations hope to raise issue of tiger farms in China, pressurise USA to pass the much sought after 'Big Cat Public Safety Act' to stop raising the big cats as pets, and to stop trophy hunting of lions in Africa. New Delhi, July 29 : Joint military exercise "Maitree" between India and Thailand concluded on Friday at Krabi in Thailand, an official statement said. At least 90 soldiers of Indian Army and Royal Thailand Army participated in the two-week-long exercise that began on July 15, 2016, under the aegis of the Royal Thailand Army. The exercise included combined training, familiarisation with weapons and equipment used by both the countries, analysing groupings, drills and tactics while operating in counter-terrorism environment, and modalities for conduct of Area Domination operations in urban environment. It also included operations like cordon and search, raids, and seek and destroy missions. "The combined training was an excellent opportunity to understand and learn from each other's experiences," the statement said. Ahmedabad, July 29 : Patel agitation spearhead Hardik Patel and his Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on Friday decided to resume their agitation for reservation for members of their community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. A meeting of the PAAS core committee met at the three-storey house of a former Congress MLA in Udaipur in Rajasthan where Hardik Patel has been putting up. They discussed the Patidar issue and felt the 10 per cent quota the Gujarat government announced for economically weaker sections among non-reserved category was too meagre. "Our agitation for reservations to the Patidar community in government jobs and educational institutions under the OBC category will continue in a peaceful manner," the 23-year-old Hardik Patel told reporters after he emerged from the meeting. The Gujarat High Court had on July 8 granted bail to Hardik Patel in two sedition cases on the condition that he would stay outside the state for six months and thereafter for three months from the North Gujarat town of Mehsana in another case. Hardik Patel said the agitation would be re-launched on August 14, ahead of the Independence Day, with women across Gujarat announcing it with beating of rolling pins on steel plates. "The families who have lost their sons in police violence during the agitation would also pay homage to the martyrs that day by lighting up a diya (lamp)," the Patidar leader said. It was also decided at the meeting to press for the withdrawal of "wrong criminal cases slapped" on the Patels during the 10-month-long agitation that began in July last year. "Our taluka (tehsil) and district leaders in the state will on August 28 together submit a memorandum to the mamlatdars and collectors demanding dropping of cases against us," Hardik Patel said. New Delhi, July 29 : Assuring the Lok Sabha that the government is "vigilant" to control various diseases, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Friday urged the states also to draw adequate plans to fight the maladies. "We have been able to arrest malaria. We have been able to curtail and bring down kala azar incidents a lot. We are trying to do our best, but it is the state governments who have to take the initiative," Nadda said in the Lok Sabha during question hour. Answering queries from members, he said till July 24, there were 21 deaths due to dengue, 70 due to Japanese encephalitis and 57 due to malaria. "If a state comes out with a programme, the central government is always there to help. We can also give them technical support and also capacity-building support," Nadda said, adding that the Centre also supported the states to deal with various other vector-borne diseases. To supplementary questions from members, including from Rajiv Satav (Congress), Nadda said the government had issued 10 advisories till recently on dengue. "Moreover, I have conducted video-conferencing with state health ministers." "...all types of financial supports are there. We are vigilant in this regard. For vector-born diseases, even urban local bodies have to play a part," the minister said. Responding to a question from Ratan Lal Kataria (Bharatiya Janata Party), Nadda said members of parliament have been given power to oversee the functioning of the National Rural Health Mission. "Elected MPs are chairmen of the district-level vigilance committees. They have to see whether in their districts, all types of activities are going on," Nadda added. New Delhi, July 29 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday chaired a meeting to discuss the way forward towards a permanent solution to the fishermen's issue between India and Sri Lanka. Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare/ Fisheries Radha Mohan Singh co-chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Minister of State for Transport, Highways and Shipping Radha Krishnan. The meeting was held in the context of the invitation to Sri Lankan Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera to visit India in August for discussions, according to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry. The release of 77 Indian fishermen on July 25-26 and their repatriation to India on July 27 set the immediate backdrop to the meeting. "The Ninth India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting on February 5, 2016, had agreed on the need to work out a permanent solution to the fishermen issue during a visit by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development of Sri Lanka to India," the statement said. The discussions between stakeholders on the Indian side focussed on different aspects requiring attention, including the livelihood concerns of Indian fishermen and introduction of sustainable fishing practices. "All stakeholders agreed with External Affairs Minister that it was important to resolve the issues quickly," the statement said. "There was consensus that the various measures proposed by the External Affairs Minister would help efforts towards a permanent resolution of the issue." It was also agreed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries would take action on specific measures suggested to meet livelihood concerns of Indian fishermen. "There was agreement amongst all stakeholders that practical and pragmatic solutions needed to be pursued so that fishermen on both sides can pursue their livelihood in a safe, secure and sustainable manner," the ministry statement said. The meeting was attended by representatives of the state governments of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and 13 representatives from the Fishermen Association of Tamil Nadu as also five representatives from the Fishermen Association of Puducherry. Besides, representatives of the Coast Guard, senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture/Department of Animal Husbandry/ Dairying and Fisheries, Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, the Indian Navy and the Prime Minister's Office attended the meeting. Mumbai, July 29 : Complying with the Supreme Court order, the Indian Army on Friday took possession of the controversial 31-storied Adarsh Society building, an official said here. A team of army officials along with the registrar of the Bombay High Court went to the skyscraper in Colaba, took it over from the Adarsh Society and secured it against any encroachments or demolition during pendency of the society's SLP in the apex court. "The Supreme Court has ordered the central government to take over possession of the Adarsh building, during the pendency of a Special Leave Petition filed by the Adarsh society in the Supreme Court. "On behalf of Government of India, the Indian Army is taking over the possession of the building from Adarsh society to ensure its security and prevent any encroachment," a Defence Ministry statement said. The army team made an inventory and handed over all records and documents of the building to the Soceity. Last week, the Supreme Court had ordered the central government to take possession of the building before August 5 with the entire process supervised by either the Bombay High Court registrar or his nominee. It had also ordered the Society to refrain from dealing in the matter any more and hand over to the government all responsibility of the building, situated in the vicinity of sensitive defence installations in Mumbai. The development came after the Bombay High Court, on April 29 ordered the building to be demolished, upholding the January 2011 order of the Ministry of Environment. This was challenged by the Society in the apex court and is currently pending disposal. The Adarsh Society scam in which the prime flats meant for Kargil war widows or war heroes were doled out to politicians, bureaucrats and army personnel, came to light in 2010 and claimed the scalp of then Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. New Delhi, July 29 : There will be no bilateral meeting during Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Pakistan next month to attend the Saarc Home/Interior Ministers' meeting, the External Affairs Ministry made it clear on Friday. "Let me categorically state that @HMOIndia is going for SAARC event. There will be no bilateral meetings w/ Pakistan," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. Amid bilateral tensions over violence in Kashmir, Rajnath Singh will travel to Pakistan to attend the seventh meeting of Saarc Home/Interior Ministers on August 4. The meeting will be preceded by the seventh meeting of Saarc Interior/Home Secretaries on August 3 and seventh meeting of Saarc immigration authorities on August 2. The Home Minister has already pointed fingers at Pakistan for stoking unrest in Kashmir following the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The violence has claimed nearly 50 lives and left hundreds injured. Also, earlier this week, India directed its officials in its mission in Islamabad to send their children outside Pakistan for their continuing education. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) leadership had agreed in 2005 during the 13th summit in Dhaka that Home/Interior Ministers of the Saarc nations may meet annually to strengthen cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism. The first meeting of Home/Interior Ministers was held in Dhaka on May 11, 2006. Such meetings discuss regional cooperation on a number of security-related matters and take stock of progress in various regional mechanisms. "Our participation is in the context of our 'neighbourhood first' policy and our commitment to regional cooperation within the Saarc framework. The meeting also provides an opportunity to underline the high importance we attach to achieving forward movement on security cooperation in the region," spokesperson Swarup said in his weekly media briefing on Thursday. New Delhi, July 29 : The government has decided to go ahead on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill which has been listed on the Rajya Sabha's agenda next week, despite the Congress saying it has not given any "final assurance" as it still has some apprehensions. "Discussion on the matter is going on with different political parties to build a consensus. The government is hopeful of passage of the Bill," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters outside Parliament on Friday. "Most of the parties are on board," he said. Asked about the passage of the bill, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: "We have our fingers crossed". A date for taking up the bill has, however, not been announced yet. Dubbing the GST as an "instrument of growth", the Congress, however, said on Friday that it must be passed but it must be practically implementable. "There is no final assurance yet given to government either by Congress or other Opposition parties," Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala told a press conference. "GST is not a political instrument but an instrument of growth which was blocked by then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj," he added. The Congress leader said that "issues" are still being deliberated and the party is willing to negotiate. "GST shouldn't be only consensus-based but it should also reflect the will of the nation," he said. The party, however, welcomed the Union cabinet's decision to approve key changes in the proposed legislation, including dropping the proposed one per cent additional tax on inter-state sale. The Congress demands on the bill include capping GST rate at 18 percent and mentioning this in the Constitution Amendment Bill. It also wants an independent dispute resolution mechanism. "The government has acceded to demands made by Congress and it hopes to persuade the government to agree on other issues," Surjewala said. "GST Bill must be passed but it must be a practically implementable GST which you and me and 125 crore people will not regret of having passed including the members of parliament," he said. Surjewala added that in democracy, deliberation is the only way forward to settle issues but it must be meaningful. "Last time we had given to the government a list of 8-9 suggestions after due deliberations and we said that we are ready to sit down and discuss. Government, for some reason, was not willing to work with Opposition which led to this delay," he said. A day earlier, Jaitley and Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian held several rounds of talks with leaders of Congress and other parties, including the Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal-United and the Communist Party of India-Marxist. Congress sources said party Vice President Rahul Gandhi also expects a positive outcome from these consultations, which have entered a "decisive and positive phase". House prices at a national level in the UK fell slightly in April, led by a downturn in London and the South East in particular, according to the latest index. At a regional level the market is mixed but overall both new buyer enquiries and agreed sales have stabilised following recent declines but there is a positive 12 month growth outlook for most of the country, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows. The national RICS price balance slipped to -8% in April, having been flat in both February and March. Although this figure signals only a slight decline at this stage, it is still the most negative figure since November 2012. The RICS index report points out that the national reading is being heavily weighed down by the feedback from London, where 65% more respondents saw prices fall over the month rather than rise, the weakest reading since February 2009. Falling prices were also still being reported in the South East, and also in the South West for the first time since May 2013. By way of contrast, house prices continue to rise in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Looking ahead, the near term outlook for prices remains broadly flat, but further out, 31% more respondents expect house prices to be higher in a years time. Nearly all areas of the UK show positive 12 month price expectations, led by the strongest sentiment in Scotland and the North West of England. However, expectations remain downbeat in London, with 20% more respondents predicting a further decline over the year to come. New buyer enquiries were more or less unchanged during April arresting a sequence of four straight months in which they had declined fairly sharply and it has been 13 consecutive months since the reading was last positive. As with buyer demand, agreed sales also held relatively steady over the month, having fallen back noticeably over the last few months. The regional picture still remains varied with sales only rising to any meaningful extent in four of the 12 areas covered by the survey. RTCS points out that London was one of those four areas, where a net balance of 10% of contributors cited an increase in sales, the first positive reading in over 12 months. Going forward, near term sales expectations point to a broadly flat picture and at the 12 month horizon, expectations are not much stronger, although a marginally positive net balance of 8% nationally expect sales will rise over this time frame. Alongside this, new instructions continued to decline, albeit the net balance of -7% represents the least negative reading since last September. Consequently, average stock levels on estate agents books were essentially unmoved, standing at 42.2 and still within a whisker of the all-time low set back in February of this year. In the lettings market, tenant demand in the three months to April was stagnant, as the net balance slipped to 1% from 6% in the previous quarter. The report says that part of the softness may be down to the dearth of new landlord instructions coming onto the rental market, with this indicator remaining negative for an eighth successive quarter. Overall, rental growth expectations, although still slightly positive, moderated both on a three and 12 month view on the back of subdued momentum demand momentum. The housing market typically tends to see a pick-up in activity at around this time of the year and the feedback from respondents to the latest survey does seem to be capturing this tone. However, once this seasonal pattern has been allowed for the underlying trend in transactions still remains broadly flat, said Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist. Meanwhile, the impact of recent tax changes appears increasingly visible in the letting results with new instructions from landlords in the three months to end April falling again and at a faster pace than previously. Given what this says about the buy to let market at the present time, it is imperative that Build to Rent begins to take on a greater role to ensure those seeking to rent in private sector over the coming years have sufficient choice, he added. The data points to the lettings market offering opportunities for landlords, according to Alan Collett, fund manager of Hearthstone Investments. We expect price growth to continue in areas such as the Midlands and northern regions of the country, where average earnings are keeping pace making property ownership affordable. These areas also offer prospects for continuing rental growth, highlighting the benefits of a nationally diversified investment portfolio, he said. With chapters written by a whos who of the educational research worlda collection of authors that Larry Cuban describes as a cast of all-star scholars and Gloria Ladson-Billings calls some of the nations best mindsthe National Education Policy Center released its latest book: Learning from the Federal Market-Based Reforms: Lessons for ESSA. Editors William Mathis and Tina Trujillo brought these researchers together to create a critique of recent reforms followed by a series of proven, research-based reform strategies. With states now finalizing their improvement plans for the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the book provides a timely guide for policymakers and practitioners. BookPointing to the need to move beyond the discredited test-based, discipline-and-punish mentality, David Kirp says the volume makes a clear and convincing case for a genuine reform agenda. Its a must-read for anyone concerned about the quality of American education. Pedro Noguera adds, This book points to what we must do differently if we are to succeed in providing all children an education that will prepare them for life in the 21st Century. Throughout the book, scholars such as David Berliner, Gary Orfield, Mike Rose, Janelle Scott, Richard Rothstein, and Angela Valenzuela remind readers that reform requires society to address the root causes of inequities within schools and beyond the school walls, closing opportunity gaps wherever they arise. The community must address deprivation, poverty, racism and the inadequate and unequal distribution of resources. Among the federally promoted reforms examined in the book are school choice, testing, teacher evaluation and school reconstitution. Other chapters look at the research around class size, early education, adequate and equitable funding, community involvement, and detracking. In its foreword, Jeannie Oakes praises theBack cover book as a tool for closing the gap between research knowledge and education policy decisions: We must marry the best empirical evidence with efforts to shift cultural norms and increase the political power of those who are seen as the beneficiaries of research-based reforms. We must convince our communities, large and small, of the relationship between having better facts and being better people. . . . [W]e have this book to help. The book is available from Information Age Publishing here and from major booksellers. EARLY ORDER SAVINGS Purchase the book on the IAP website at a substantially reduced price of $30 per paperback or $70 per hardcover plus s/h. The code to use at checkout is LFMBR30350. The book will also be available as an eBook within the next 90 days from Google, Apple, and over 25 other online outlets. The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu Find Documents: Press Release: http://nepc.info/node/8137 Eminent domain attorney Andrew Prince Brigham has been invited to speak at the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference at The Hague. Since 2004, the Conference has been a powerful force in uniting both scholarship and practice on the virtue and value associated with the civil right of private ownership. Jacksonville-based eminent domain lawyer Andrew Prince Brigham, principal attorney at Brigham Property Rights Law Firm, PLLC, will be a panelist at the upcoming Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference in The Hague, The Netherlands. Brigham will join fellow panelists in a discussion focused upon the relationship between private property rights, equality and freedom. Established by the Property Rights Project of William & Mary Law School, this extraordinary international event will gather property law scholars, practitioners and members of the judiciary to discuss current topics in international takings law and property rights. The 2016 Conference will be presented in collaboration with the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies of Leiden University and will take place October 19-21, 2016 at the Peace Palace, the seat of international law, in The Hague. Annually during the conference, the William & Mary Property Rights Project recognizes one individual for his contributions to the field of property rights scholarship. The 2016 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize will go to Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute of Liberty and Democracy (ILD). De Soto will be honored for his work designing and implementing legal and property rights reforms in developing nations around the world in an effort to alleviate global poverty and inequity. The Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference and Prize are named in recognition of property rights advocates, Toby Prince Brigham, a Florida eminent domain attorney, and Gideon Kanner, a California property rights and appellate lawyer and Loyola Law School Professor Emeritus, for their lifetime contributions to the protection of private property rights. I look forward with tremendous enthusiasm to participate in the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference, said Andrew Brigham. Since 2004, the Conference has been a powerful force in uniting both scholarship and practice on the virtue and value associated with the civil right of private ownership. This is having a profound effect on the recognition of the importance of property rights not only in the context of American jurisprudence but also overseas. Like his father, Toby Prince Brigham, one of the annual symposiums namesake, Andrew Brigham has devoted his law practice to representing private property owners in eminent domain, inverse condemnation and private property rights matters throughout the State of Florida. He is routinely asked to speak before businesses, individuals and lawyers on property rights, eminent domain, and trial advocacy. He is the Co-Chair of the American Law Institutes national Condemnation 101 course and CLE-Internationals Florida Eminent Domain seminar. He is also the Florida member and President of the Owners' Counsel of America, a nationwide network of eminent domain and property rights attorneys focused upon the representation of property owners facing eminent domain. About Brigham Property Rights Law Firm, PLLC: Brigham Property Rights Law Firm, PLLC focuses its law practice upon the representation of individuals and businesses throughout the state of Florida in matters of eminent domain, property rights and real estate valuation litigation. The firms attorneys remain dedicated to representing clients both large and small across Florida. To learn more or review the firms case results, visit http://www.propertyrights.com. The digital age presents a significant opportunity for the Philippines to embrace this shift and reap the upside benefits of these trends. The acceleration of both technology and innovation has disrupted the way societies and communities function. In almost every aspect of everyday lifefrom communication to how information is consumed and sharedthis tectonic shift has redefined the way people live, work, learn, and experience. It has permanently transformed the society and economy, arguably, for the better. This years International IT-BPM Summit (IIS), organized by the IT-Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), will delve into the disruptive power of technology and how it can be harnessed to accelerate the countrys development and make it future-ready. The Philippines is one of the global leaders in the field of IT-BPM, this is an undisputable fact, Catherine Salceda-Ileto, IBPAP Trustee and Sutherland Global Services Senior Director and Asia Pacific Leader for Marketing & Public Relations said. But we are not complacent with our success, we want to continuously work towards a future where we will continue to be relevant whatever the technological landscape looks like. We are meeting every challenge head on to chart a brighter future for our industry through the 8th IIS. Since the inception of the 2012-2016 Philippine IT-BPM Roadmap, the local IT-BPM sector has seen exponential growth both in terms of employment and revenue. This year, it is expected that direct employment within the IT-BPM industry will reach 1.3 million while revenue will grow to US$25 billion. As it reaches this milestone, the industry and its stalwarts are setting their sights on the next six years, and whats clear today is that technology will redefine everything we know about IT-BPM. Technology now influences every aspect of life, from the way people live, work, and learn, and now even how the world is experienced.This shift has been ushered in by the evolution of the devices that are used everyday, with the introduction of smartphones with nearly limitless processing power and internet connectivity. This gave way to an era of hyperconnectivity, where people from across the world, though living in different cities with different timezones, can see each other face to face. And this form of connectivity doesnt stop with humans, because now even everyday appliances and accessories are tethered to the web. Even education is evolving in the face of unprecedented technological developments. It has become democratized by the internet--giving the marginalized access to learning on a scale that had been reserved for more developed countries. The same goes for how businesses are conducted as the very concept of work has been altered by the advancement of tech infrastructure. It enables people from around the globe to work simultaneously regardless of distance and time difference, resulting in faster, easier, and more accurate information dissemination. But it does not stop there as technology has even transcended the physical realm, allowing more people to experience technology in a more engaging and captivating way. Augmented and virtual reality allow people to inhabit and explore faraway and imagined worlds. The digital age is ushering in trends in analytics, intelligent automation, and cloud-based as-a-service delivery models, among others, said Benedict Hernandez, IBPAP Executive Committee Chairman, Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) President, and Accenture Philippines Service Delivery Operations Lead. This presents a significant opportunity for the Philippines to embrace this shift and reap the upside benefits of these trends. People now live in a connected world at the cusp of accelerated evolution, where even the initial stages of technological advancement changes the learning process, how industries and communities are shaped, and ultimately transforming both personal and shared experiences. Witness the continued disruption of the way people live, work, learn, and experience, and move further in the digital world. Be part of the IT-BPM industrys acceleration to become a future-ready sector at the 8th International IT-BPM Summit on October 28 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Pasay City. For more information about IIS 2016, visit http://www.internationalitbpmsummit.com. MOHAWK GROUP NAMES GEORGE BANDY JR. AS NEW VP OF SUSTAINABILITY George Bandy is the consummate sustainability leader on every level you can name. Mohawk Group, a leading commercial flooring company known for cutting-edge and innovative flooring solutions, announced today that George Bandy Jr. has joined the organization as its Vice President of Sustainability. Bandy has spent over 22 years working in the sustainability field, and has amassed a rich experience within the disciplines concepts and practices as they relate to positioning environmental, economic and socially responsible solutions for business. George is a seasoned sustainability leader who will bring a wealth of knowledge and valuable industry relationships to Mohawk, said Michel Vermette, president of Mohawk Group. Over the past few years, our company has made significant strides in our sustainability journey, embracing new ideas and leading the building materials industry in transparent manufacturing. We are confident that George will bring a fresh perspective to our approach and catapult us to new levels of leadership in the industry. We are incredibly proud to have him join the Mohawk team. He comes to Mohawk Group following 16 years with Interface, where he most recently served as the flooring companys VP of Sustainability, and was also a member of Interfaces Americas Sustainability Council. In his role at Interface, Bandy traveled extensively as a highly sought after presenter on key topics including the business of sustainability, innovation in relation to nature, social sustainability and changing mindsets to a greener focus. Mohawks sustainability ethic already sets a high bar for businesses around the world at a time when the stakes for our efforts have never been higher, said Bandy. As a manufacturing powerhouse, we can continue to make outsized contributions to solutions that ensure our childrens future. At the same time, we nurture the communities in which we live and work through our environmental stewardship, inspire actions that advance our society and provide the innovation that drives growth for our shareholders. I am excited to join the Mohawk team and contribute to the companys success. Before working at Interface, Bandy was employed as the University Sustainability Officer for the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He is the immediate past board chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and has also served on the board for Second Nature, a non-profit that champions for higher education institutions to make the principles of sustainability fundamental to every aspect of learning. When asked what truly sets Bandy apart, the sustainability industrys most notable leaders point to his experience, charisma and depth of understanding: George Bandy is the consummate sustainability leader on every level you can name, said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. As chair of the USGBC board of directors during a time of explosive growth and change, his amazing ability to lead others to consensus and action was so critical to advancing our work to create a healthier, more sustainable built environment. He deeply understands what needs to be done, and is brilliant in sharing with others why it matters in ways that are both inspirational and instructive, and were all better for it. George Bandy is highly regarded for his thoughtful approach to sustainability, said Jason McLennan, founder and chair of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). He joins a strong team in place at Mohawk. The company has been a tremendous partner to the ILFI and an early adopter of our programs and ideals. Georges passion and leadership abilities will undoubtedly breathe new life into an already successful sustainability platform at Mohawk. Bandy received his bachelors degree in English from Morehouse College, where he minored in Environmental Business Management. While in Houston, he also took part in continuing education training in sustainability. Additionally, Bandy holds LEED Accredited Professional certification from the USGBC. He is a native of Opelika, Ala. About Mohawk Group Mohawk Group, the worlds leading producer and distributor of quality commercial flooring, delivers industry-leading style, cutting-edge innovation, unmatched service and superior sustainability. As the commercial division of Mohawk Industries, Mohawk Group has a heritage of craftsmanship that spans more than 130 years. The companys enduring family of brandsKarastan, Lees, Bigelow and Durkanare widely regarded as the most trusted names in the commercial flooring business. Together, these brands function beautifully, delivering the perfect flooring solution for all markets and price points. Rounding out its esteemed product offering, the Mohawk Group also offers a full spectrum of hard surface flooring products and installation accessories that exceed the most rigorous performance standards. For additional information about its proven design solutions, and to learn more about what is next from Mohawk, visit http://www.mohawkgroup.com or call (800) 554-6637. Teresa James, Sr. Dir. Information Systems, Globalization Partners Past News Releases RSS Globalization Partners is pleased to announce that Teresa James has joined the company as Senior Director of Information Systems. Based in Boston, Teresa draws on her creativity and passion for improving productivity and workflow to solve problems and move companies forward. Teresas experience with building out technology systems and her emphasis on ensuring that the technology supports the strategy is so exciting to us as we expand our Global Employer of Record Platform. Were growing very rapidly and its great to have her on board to help us achieve our goals. Nicole Sahin, CEO, Globalization Partners Before joining Globalization Partners, Teresa co-founded Studio Crossings, a co-working space for entrepreneurs in the Boston area and her own technology consulting practice, TJ Solutions Group. She was also Cloud CIO at Advance 2000 where she developed and delivered end-to-end IT managed services and cloud-based solutions. Prior to Advance 2000, Teresa was also CIO at Sasaki Associates where she was responsible for IT strategy. Teresa is a graduate of Missouri State University and holds a Masters of Science degree in Education from Emporia State University. She is quite the mix of an educator, technologist and leader. She also volunteers as the Site Manager for South Shore Habitat for Humanity and dedicates time to her local community of Medfield MA in town-related planning efforts. ABOUT GLOBALIZATION PARTNERS Founded with the goal of making it easy to hire employees around the world, Globalization Partners eliminates the barriers to global business by empowering companies to hire the most talented people in more than 150 countries. Using tailored International PEO Services and our Global Employer of Record Platform, we minimize the risk of global expansion and enable speed to market. Less risk. More reward. Streamlined Global Employment. Find Globalization Partners Online: Globalization-partners.com LinkedIn Signature Bank, Chicago-based boutique commercial lender, announced the launch of Signature Chicago Wealth Management, its new investment advisory and wealth management division. Signature Chicago Wealth Management provides personalized, comprehensive investment advice to help clients pursue their financial goals. Wealth management is a natural extension for Signature Bank, said Signature Bank President & CEO Mick ORourke. We want to offer our customers an array of products, services, and strategic advice that can best serve their financial planning needs. Patrick A. Quinn recently joined Signature Chicago Wealth Management as Managing Director. Patrick has more than twenty years of experience in the banking and finance industry. He holds his Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations through LPL Financial and is a frequent speaker on investment planning strategies in the Chicagoland area. Prior to Signature Bank, Patrick owned and operated his own investment advisory firm. I understand that no two investors are alike when it comes to managing money, said Quinn. Thats why I take a collaborative approach with my clients to understand their needs and work through their financial goals. Signature Chicago Wealth Management leverages the unique customer service that Signature Bank is known for and works with the banks existing customersas well as new clientsto help with financial planning. The firm uses LPL Financial, a leading organization of independent financial advisors, as its broker/dealer (Source: Financial Planning Magazine, June 1996-2015, based on total revenue). Signature Chicago Wealth Management welcomes the opportunity to work with new clients. Learn more by calling 847.268.1036 or visiting: https://www.signaturechicagowm.com/. About Signature Chicago Wealth Management Signature Chicago Wealth Management is the comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory division of Signature Bank. Signature Chicago Wealth Management is wholly owned by Signature Bancorporation, Inc., the largest privately funded de novo bank holding company in Illinois. Based in Chicago, Signature Chicago Wealth Management provides personalized, comprehensive investment advice to help clients pursue their financial goals. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. Signature Bank and Signature Chicago Wealth Management are not registered broker/dealers and are not affiliated with LPL Financial. The investment products sold through LPL Financial are not insured Signature Bank deposits and are not FDIC insured. These products are not obligations of Signature Bank and are not endorsed, recommended or guaranteed by Signature Bank or any government agency. The value of the investment may fluctuate, the return on the investment is not guaranteed, and loss of principal is possible. Mediaclip Inc., a leading provider of white-label software solutions that allow customers to offer the personalization of any product, is thrilled to announce today that the company is launching a new Printer Partnership Program for HP printers. Mediaclip very recently gave wind to this new exciting project, and plans to officially launch the Partnership Program in the first half of August 2016. With this program, the company aims to help print production houses who use HP presses to increase their printing opportunities and sales revenues, and to facilitate and streamline the workflow between online/mobile processes and printing machines. The Printer Partnership Program consists of different packages based on three models of partnerships; each of the packages focuses on generating new revenues and business growth. Depending on which partnership packages fits the Printers business strategy, they can pair with Mediaclip to either offer a B2B2C option of Mediaclips solution to their online retail customers, deploy the robust Mediaclip B2C solution on their own e-commerce platform, or simply become a print fulfillment centre for Mediaclips retail customers who currently do not have fulfillers. In all cases, Printers will be able to offer the products they manufacture to their own customers, as well as be included in Mediaclips product catalogue, thereby increasing the pool of potential product orders exponentially. Furthermore, the integration of Mediaclip Hub with PrintOS streamlines the workflow between the front-end of Mediaclip Product Designer and the HP printers output processes, making it easy for Printers to manage and deliver top quality print jobs in record times. The process from project creation to rendering to printing will be fully automated to save time and cut printing costs. Partnering with Mediaclip in offering product personalization to consumers has the potential to help both organizations involved to penetrate new market segments and build a new base of customers for continued success and growth, says Marion Duchesne, CEO at Mediaclip. Mediaclips core strength is creating personalization solutions for online stores that contribute to higher conversion rates and less abandoned projects; thus, increased sales. Adding a Printers expertise in their business and putting their unique products into our products catalogue will open up endless opportunities for years to come. For detailed descriptions of the three partner packages, please read Mediaclips recent blog post on the subject and set up a meeting with one of the representatives to discuss which partnership model will best work with your growth strategy. ABOUT MEDIACLIP Mediaclip develops easy-to-use software solutions for online stores, enabling the creation of any personalized products from photobooks and calendars to home decor, promotional products, gifts, and much more. Our solutions are offered in a wide range of business models to address the specific needs of our customers market strategy. Available on premise or as a hosted solution. A privately-held company headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Mediaclip offers worldwide support. Our software solutions are currently integrated into hundreds of leading photo websites around the world. Many Christian churches, from varied histories and perspectives now support the full leadership of women in church ministry and Christian marriage. A new volume, entitled Women in Pentecostal and Charismatic Ministry: Informing a Dialogue on Gender, Church, and Ministry, will explore the history, justification, examples, and concerns of womens ministry in the Pentecostal tradition. Among the contributors to the volume is Dr. Mimi Haddad, president of Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE), an organization dedicated to advocating for the full equality and inclusion of women in church leadership. This book, says Haddad, is representative of the fine egalitarian scholarship of the Pentecostal community. Women have been changing the world since the beginning of time. Often, poor biblical scholarship leads Christians to question the justification for the leadership of women, while a poor historical understanding causes many to remain ignorant of the countless examples of womens vibrant leadership in the church. This book corrects both of those errors, providing leading scholarship on the issue, as egalitarian academics have consistently done throughout history. I am proud to contribute to this volume, which is just the latest in a long line of outstanding academic work on womens leadership in the church. Women in Pentecostal and Charismatic Ministry: Informing a Dialogue on Gender, Church, and Ministry is edited by Margaret English de Alminana, assistant professor of theology at Southeaster University and executive director of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and Lois E. Olena, associate professor of theology and Jewish studies at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. The volume will be published by Brill and is expected to be released by the end of 2016. In its effort to advance a biblical foundation for gift-based rather than gender-based ministry and service, CBE sponsors annual conferences, facilitates local chapters, hosts an online bookstore, and publishes two award-winning journals. For more information, visit http://www.cbeinternational.org. Valerie Gossett, CCRA Chapter Director | Savannah, GA Ive been watching all of the changes going on since CCRA acquired OSSN and the TRUE network, and have been anxiously awaiting an opportunity to get involved... I'm honored to lead this region and establish a new chapter in Savannah! CCRA is excited to announce the addition of Valerie Gossett to their team, in not just one but two positions. Valerie will join CCRA as the new Regional Director for the Southeast, as well as serving as the first ever Savannah Chapter Director. In these positions Valerie will use her experience and expertise in the travel industry, as well as training and recruiting to grow and strengthen the Southeast Region of CCRA. In the position of Southeast Regional Director Valerie will oversee and provide leadership to chapters in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and the Carolinas. The role of Savannah Chapter Director was created to nourish the travel industry in the Savannah area. CCRA is very excited about the growth of this chapter and are confident that Valerie will be able to bring people together and establish meaningful connections with like-minded travel professionals in the area. Im so excited to welcome Valerie to our team, says Margie Jordan, Vice President of Membership Services. Not only has she built a wildly successful travel agency, Valerie is a talented team builder with a passion for helping travel entrepreneurs new to the industry. Valerie brings a wealth of experience to the position, including being the current owner of Premier Travel Resources, an international full-service travel agency. There she specializes in leisure, luxury, and romance travel experiences. Prior to her career in the travel industry Valerie worked for 25 years in the placement industry with a strong background in Sales Management, Recruiting, Training, and HR. Ive been watching all of the changes going on since CCRA acquired OSSN and the TRUE network, and have been anxiously awaiting an opportunity to get involved. There are so many fabulous things going on with our membership in the southeast, and Im honored to lead this area as well as establish a thriving chapter in Savannah, GA, one of the USs top destination cities. I'm very excited about working with CCRA and the opportunities they bring to all agents! Gossett joins the ranks of 3 other Regional Directors, well-known speaker and agent advocate Hema Khan, based in Southern New Jersey leads the Northeast Region, while reknown speaker and author Keith Powell leads the Western Region. CCRAs most senior Regional Director, David Appleby leads the Midwest Region. See: http://www.ccra.com/chapters/savannah About CCRA: Based in Ft. Worth, Texas, CCRA Travel Commerce Network is a global hub for travel technology, marketing, accreditation and education. For over forty years, CCRA has connected travel professionals and suppliers with the products and services they need to drive revenue, relationships and brand recognition in the travel marketplace. From the TRUE accreditation and coding system to hotels, air, call center services and more, CCRA is truly where the travel industry connects. For more information, visit http://www.ccra.com. Byndr is changing the LMS model. Mobile-first learning management platform Byndr has raised $700,000 in seed funding from the Education Design Studio (Ed-tech accelerator at the University of Pennsylvania), Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and a group of angel investors. The firm will utilize these funds to expand its sales and development team and grow the product scope in terms of giving more access to educational content for students and providing more administrative features for colleges. Since its launch in March of 2015, Byndr has grown rapidly and is now used by more than 50 top colleges in India and has a total installed base of over 50,000 students on its platform. The founding team (Joseph Freed, Praveen Vangeepuram and Marc Garabedian in Philadelphia and Satish Nampally and Prashanthi Vangeepuram in Hyderabad) noticed that in many emerging markets students in higher education had limited access to educational resources that were mobile-based, and a majority of students were not connected to their colleges on any online platform. Byndr was incepted to plug this gap to become a single point of access for students in higher education to connect to their college and to educational resources. The app is now being used by colleges ranging from small set-ups to those amongst the 100 most prestigious institutions and universities in India, including Osmania College of Engineering and Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology. Commenting on raising the seed round of funds, Joseph Freed, Co-founder & CEO said, In 2017 it is projected that 80% of the internet users in India will be mobile. So the only way to truly create a single point of access for students in mobile-dependent markets like India is with a mobile-first product. With Byndr, students stay engaged and connected to educational resources outside the classroom, enabling the concept of anytime and anywhere learning with a fast and light platform. This round of funding will allow us to accelerate expansion and continue providing easy-to- use, and mobile-first products for all stakeholders in higher education. Commenting on Byndr's traction and market fit, Praveen Vangeepuram, Co-founder and CTO said, "We are very encouraged by the response from our users so far. Our mobile first approach is working, our users like the product and want more from it. This seed round will not only help us grow our user base, but also enable us to continue iterating our product to make it more useful to our students, teachers and colleges." Bobbi Kurshan, Executive Director of Academic Innovations at The University of Pennsylvania GSE, and Chairman of the Education Design Studio, which participated in this round, said, Byndr is changing the LMS model. It is creating a solution for emerging economies with lack of persistent internet, lower cost points and need for a lightweight solution. The new funding will be used to support and continue to grow the excellent team and to help expand the impact of this unique mobile solution across India and other emerging edtech ecosystems. About Byndr Launched in March 2015, Byndr was founded by a team of tech startup enthusiasts split between the US (Philadelphia) and India (Hyderabad). Byndr is a mobile-first learning management platform that helps colleges collaborate with their students, administer their coursework, and connect their students to the educational resources they need to succeed. Byndr takes away all the friction points traditional LMS systems run into, such as setup cost, infrastructure needs, and higher price points. Built with a fast, light and scalable technology, the platform has been designed around a feed for minimal clicks and faster consumption of information. Moreover, its complete usability on a mobile device makes it a perfect fit for mobile-dependent internet markets. Byndr is a graduate of the Education Design Studio, the Ed-tech accelerator at the University of Pennsylvania, and was a venture prize winner at the Milken/Penn Education Business Competition. Byndr is also supported by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority. Get hired at the Dallas Job Fairs Don't just hire anyone, hire the best hire for the job. - Andrew Parker Best Hire Career Fairs is hosting another free Dallas job fair on Thursday, August 11th. It will take place from 11am to 2pm at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas Market Center, 2015 Market Center Blvd Dallas TX 75207. The event will have jobs available in sales, customer service, business administration, information technology, hospitality, management, medical, marketing and education. Job Seekers will have the opportunity to get hired on the spot. Job seekers interested in finding a job or advancing their career, should attend this event. For those that are in search of a job or tired of sending resumes that go nowhere, dont worry. Dress for success, update your resume then head on down to the Dallas Job Fair. Here, participants will seek employment from the top employers in the city. These employers are the people who decide who gets hired. Those who participate will get a chance to market themselves to companies as the best candidate for the job. If you are an employer looking to hire, give Best Hire Career Fairs a call there is limited space available. 714-495-2428 Featured Companies include: Farmers Insurance, SCI, Allies in Service, New York Life, Silver Leaf Resorts, US Border Patrol, Teleperformance, ISG, Asher College, Colorado Christian University, Professional Progressions, ITT Tech, Solar City and many more. The Masonic cornerstone ceremony is a time-honored tradition which has taken place for hundreds of years in the United States of America. In 1944, at the height of World War II, Board approval was sought for the building of Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles. With time, patience, and determination, the Shriners of Al Malaikah temple raised 1.5 million dollars, and thus began their legacy of care for children in need. Under the guide of Potentate Virgil Frizzell the Cornerstone was laid atop the foundation at the corner of Geneva St. and Commonwealth Ave. in 1950. Now after 62 years, Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles (SHC-LA) will be moving to a brand new state-of-the-art medical center located in Pasadena. To celebrate the transition, SHC-LA leadership alongside with officers of the California Grand Lodge, and the Chairman of the Board will perform a traditional ceremony post removal of the hospitals cornerstone. The highlight of the event will be the opening of a time capsule that was placed inside on June 19, 1950. This public ceremony will be one step closer to the hospitals transition to the new Shriners for Children Medical Center (SFCMC) scheduled to open in summer of 2017. What: Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles Cornerstone Ceremony When: Friday, July 29, 2016 Time: 11:30 am 2:00 pm Where: 3160 Geneva Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020 About Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles is a specialty hospital for orthopaedic conditions, prosthetics and orthotics, hand disorders, burn scars, and cleft lip and palate. We provide world-class care to children under 18 regardless of the families' ability to pay. Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501 (3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by laws. For more information, please visit the hospital website at SHCLA.org. About the Masons of California Masonry is the worlds first and largest fraternal organization, based on the belief that a man who strives to improve himself can also improve his community and the world at large. The Masons of California have more than 60,000 members and over 340 lodges located throughout the state. The California Masonic Foundation is committed to making a profound difference for our communities, and touches the lives of thousands of Californians each year. Learn more at freemanson.org/discoverMasonry. Cellular Sales has opened its newest store in Goleta, Cali. Our primary goal is to become the communitys destination for all wireless needs by providing exceptional service, one client at a time. Cellular Sales, the nations largest Verizon premium retailer, expanded its West Coast presence on July 14 with the opening of its first California store, located in Goleta. The store is located in the newly built Hollister Village Shopping Plaza, a neighborhood retail center with a diverse list of retail stores and restaurants. The location, which attracts many local residents, students and visitors and includes an on-site apartment community, allows Cellular Sales to provide convenient and quality service to its customers. Weve enjoyed meeting the people here in Goleta and Santa Barbara. Each customer that walks through our doors has different needs, so our team is trained to help them find the right solution, Jahi Edwards, Cellular Sales regional director, said. Our primary goal is to become the communitys destination for all wireless needs by providing exceptional service, one client at a time. Cellular Sales, which currently operates approximately 550 stores across the nation, has targeted California as a growth market. The Knoxville, Tenn.-based company is the nations largest Verizon Wireless premium retailer, and it has been named to Inc. Magazines Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing privately owned companies for eight of the past nine years. Those interested in applying to be a Cellular Sales sales representative at the Goleta store may contact Recruiter Joe Cherrix at Joe.Cherrix(at)cellularsales(dot)com or call (805) 801-5396. About Cellular Sales Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Cellular Sales was founded in 1993 and has been named by Inc. Magazine as one of the nations fastest-growing privately owned retailers for eight of the past nine years. The company currently employs nearly 4,500 people and operates approximately 550 stores nationwide. Job seekers may visit jobs.cellularsales.com. For more information on the company, visit cellularsales.com. ### Cal Net Technology Group With the addition of the inhouseIT team to the Cal Net family, we further our position as the #1 provider of IT services in Southern California. --James Hwang, Cal Nets Chief Executive Officer Cal Net Technology Group is excited to announce its acquisition of inhouseIT, the largest Managed Services Provider to companies in the Orange County area. With this acquisition, Cal Net has solidified its position as the largest Managed Services Provider in Southern California. This acquisition was announced on July 25th 2016. With the addition of the inhouseIT team to the Cal Net family, we further our position as the #1 provider of IT services in Southern California. We will continue to to add to our deep and experienced technical bench, while building out critical solutions to address our clients most critical needs. Our vision is to empower every small to mid-sized business in Southern California and the Southwest US with the ability to access affordable Enterprise Level IT services that enable their businesses, stated James Hwang, Cal Nets Chief Executive Officer. Glen Ackerman, CEO of inhouseIT, remarked Our clients require an extremely high level of service, so it is important to continue to improve and mature our offering. As inhouseIT grew, we saw the advantages of joining Cal Net to build a truly unique business for clients in the Southern California area. Together with Cal Net, we create the largest managed service providers focused on the Southern California region, with an unmatched depth and breadth of technical expertise, while remaining steadfast in our commitment to the highly attentive, hands-on support our clients demand. This is an incredible win for our team, our clients, and inhouseITs future. Cal Net has acquired three companies in the past 8 quarters and combined has grown to work with 1500 clients annually and managing over 30,000 endpoints for its clients. At the same time it has invested in and grown its point solutions such as: managed security, cloud migration, document management, unified communications and telecommunications services, disaster recovery and back-up, and infrastructure implementation. In order to accelerate the growth of our products and services, we are continuing to look for companies with great technology, talent and a strategy that aligns with ours, Luca Jacobellis, President of Cal Net said. The acquisition of inhouseIT will allow us to accelerate this growth in the Orange County region and we are incredibly excited to join hands with them. About Cal Net Technology Group Cal Net Technology Group is the premier provider of outsourced IT, cloud, security services and Unified Communications in the Southern California market, servicing organizations with 10-2000 employees. Through its implementation and support services, Cal Net Tech excels in tackling the complexities of partially and fully outsourced IT and voice systems implementation and support services with both onsite and remote delivery models. Cal Net has also been recognized as a Dell Security Partner of the year for 2015, Southwest Region Partner of the Year by Microsoft three years in a row, including 2015, IT Service Partner of the Year by the Los Angeles Business Journal, has been named a top 50 Managed Services Provider in North America by the MSPMentor 501 List, is a CRN MSP Elite 150 list member and is a seven-time Inc. 5000 honoree. Businesses interested in IT support or services can contact Cal Net Technology Group at (866) 999-2638, info(at)calnettech(dot)com or visit http://www.CalNetTech.com. Please follow Cal Net Technology Group on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. # # # Contact: Laryssa Mereszczak Tel: 818-721-4342 Mobile: 208-794-4298 Email: lmereszczak(at)calnettech(dot)com http://www.CalNetTech.com Media Contact: marketing(at)calnettech(dot)com Shareholders Fred E. Karlinsky and Hal S. Shaftel of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP participated in the American Conference Institutes (ACI) 12th National Forum on Insurance Regulation. Serving in his role as co-chair as he has for six years, Karlinsky welcomed insurance industry leaders and executives Monday, July 25 at the start of the two-day conference at The Carlton Hotel in New York, N.Y. Karlinsky was also a co-presenter on a panel titled, Status of the Price Optimization Debate, with attorney Daniel Cotter and Steven Harris, Deputy General Counsel in AIGs US Regulatory Group. The panel addressed issues related to price optimization, including the recent NAIC White Paper on the topic, state activity, and litigation. Shaftel was a co-presenter on a panel titled, Wave of the Future for the Compliance Professionals, about managing compliance risk through metrics reporting, data, and predictive analytics. Karlinsky is co-chair of Greenberg Traurig's Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice and a shareholder within the Government Law & Policy Group in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. He represents insurers, reinsurers, producers, and other insurance interests throughout the U.S. and internationally in a wide variety of business, operational, regulatory, transactional, and governmental matters. Karlinsky received a bachelor's degree from the University of Miami and a Juris Doctorate from the Florida State University College of Law, where he currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law. Shaftel is a trial lawyer in Greenberg Traurigs New York office who focuses on complex commercial litigation covering a range of areas and business sectors. His experience includes successfully handling jury and bench trials and appeals in court rooms across the country; financial and antitrust regulatory proceedings; and domestic and international arbitrations. Shaftel is a frequent commentator at conferences and in the media on general business litigation and trial practice topics. Shaftel earned his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, and his J.D. from Yale. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 1900 attorneys serving clients from 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is No. 1 on the 2015 Law360 Most Charitable Firms list, third largest in the U.S. on the 2015 Law360 400, Top 20 on the 2015 Am Law Global 100, and among the 2015 BTI Brand Elite. For additional information, please visit http://www.gtlaw.com. Banza's Four New Mac and Cheese Skus. With our new mac and cheese, we wanted to bring mac lovers the accessible, cheesy comfort food they love, but without the guilt. Today, Banza announces the official release of its newest product line: healthier mac and cheese. Banza Mac revitalizes the mac and cheese category, mixing their signature chickpea pasta with delicious cheese sauces. The new mac and cheese products represent the brands first packaged meals. Were excited to release Banzas twist on everybodys childhood favorite, said Brian Rudolph, co-founder of Banza. Our mission is to take the foods that people love and make them better. With our new mac and cheese, we wanted to bring mac lovers the accessible, cheesy comfort food they love, but without the guilt. Banzas boxed mac and cheese is made with their chickpea pasta, and includes a cheese pouch. Banza Mac has 18g of protein, 8g of fiber per serving, and far fewer net carbs than your average mac and cheese. The new products are made with their non-GMO chickpea pasta and real cheese. Banza Mac is an excellent source of calcium, fiber and protein with zero grams of trans fat per serving. Its gluten-free and rBST-free. Banza mac and cheese is available in four varieties: Shells and Cheddar (mini-shell shaped chickpea pasta) Mac and White Cheddar Mac and Cheddar Mac and Creamy Deluxe Cheddar Banza's new products are rolling out to select retailers nationwide: H.E.B, Fairway, Wegmans, ShopRite, Harris Teeter, and Whole Foods in Southern California, Hawaii, Arizona, and Nevada. For more information and store availability, visit their store locator. Banza Mac is currently available in all varieties on their website eatbanza.com, and on Amazon. Media Contact: Cathryn Woodruff cathryn(at)eatbanza(dot)com (914) 330-6571 ** High-res Images Available ** About Banza: Banza, founded by brothers Brian and Scott Rudolph, is a food innovation company with the mission to take the foods people love and make them better, by using more nutritious ingredients. Banzas first product is a pasta made from chickpeas - with double the protein, four times the fiber and nearly half the net carbs of traditional pasta. In 2013, seeking a healthier version of his favorite food, Brian started making chickpea pasta by hand in his kitchen. Since launching in retail in 2014, Banza pasta has expanded from 2 stores to over 2,700 nationwide. Banza has gained recognition as one of Time Magazines Best Inventions of 2015, and been featured in NYT Food, Forbes 30 under 30, Entrepreneur Magazine, The Today Show, and most recently, Good Morning America. If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity. PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move. A new research replication project, involving 24 labs and over 2100 participants, failed to reproduce findings from a previous study that suggested that self-control is a depletable resource. The findings are published as part of a Registered Replication Report in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Over the last twenty years, numerous studies have provided evidence supporting the idea that our capacity for self-control is finite using self-control on one task reduces an individuals ability to exert self-control on a subsequent task. But recent analyses have challenged the strength of this so-called ego depletion effect. Gaining a clearer understanding of the ego depletion effect is important given that our ability to override impulses is critical to everyday functioning and has been implicated in long-term outcomes related to health, achievement, and well-being. To investigate the strength of the ego depletion effect, psychological scientists Martin S. Hagger and Nikos L. D. Chatzisarantis of Curtin University in Australia proposed a Registered Replication Report (RRR) in which researchers from multiple labs use the same methods and procedure to conduct independent replications of an experiment. The particular study used for the RRR was from a 2014 article published in Psychological Science by Chandra Sripada, Daniel Kessler, and John Jonides. Computerized tasks were performed in succession to test the ego depletion effect, which meant that the procedure could be standardized and implemented across multiple labs. Hagger and Chatzisarantis developed the protocol for the RRR in close consultation with Sripada and Kessler, using the tasks and procedure from the original study. A total of 24 labs from countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Indonesia, Sweden, and the United States completed independent replications with a combined total of 2141 participants. Each labs implementation plan was vetted by Alex O. Holcombe (University of Sydney), editor of the RRR, to ensure consistency with the protocol. As in the original study, RRR participants completed a computer task that involved pressing a button when the letter e appeared in words presented onscreen. Those who were randomly assigned to the depletion condition were asked to refrain from pressing the button if the e was near a vowel; this condition was thought to deplete self-control because it required participants to inhibit a tendency to respond. Participants in the control condition did not have to withhold responses. Participants then completed a digit task a set of three digits appeared on screen and participants had to press the number key that corresponded to the digit that differed from the other two. On some trials, the value and position of the target digit were congruent (i.e., 121); in other trials, the value and position were incongruent (i.e., 112). The original 2014 study showed an ego depletion effect: Participants in the depletion group on the letter e task performed worse than those in the control group on the subsequent digit task. But the combined results of the independent replications failed to reproduce this effect. Do the current results suggest that the ego-depletion effect does not exist after all? Certainly the current evidence does raise considerable doubts given the close correspondence of the protocol to the standard sequential-task paradigm typically used in the literature, and the tightly-controlled tasks and protocol across multiple laboratories, Hagger and Chatzisarantis write in their report. Sripada, Kessler, and Jonides acknowledge that the RRR does not replicate their earlier findings, but urge caution in interpreting the results too broadly. They note that tasks used to measure ego depletion vary considerably across studies and may depend on somewhat different underlying mechanisms. Caution is thus required in drawing implications from the results of this RRR for the phenomenon of ego depletion writ large, they write in a commentary accompanying the RRR. In a separate commentary, psychological scientists Roy F. Baumeister (University of Florida) and Kathleen D. Vohs (University of Minnesota), who have conducted several studies investigating self-control as a limited resource, question whether the procedure used in the original study and subsequent RRR effectively target the psychological processes thought to be involved in ego depletion. Hagger and Chatzisarantis agree that further research is needed to draw broader conclusions about the ego depletion effect: [T]he current replication provides an important source of data with regard to the effect given it is based on a preregistered design with data from multiple labs, but we recognize it is only one source, Hagger and Chatzisarantis write. We have outlined possible avenues as to how the research community can move the field forward in providing additional data for the depletion effect and exploring the possibility of converging evidence from multiple replication efforts across different depletion domains. The complete RRR and accompanying commentaries are available to the public online: Introduction to a Registered Replication Report on Ego Depletion Alex O. Holcombe A Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion Effect Martin S. Hagger and Nikos L. D. Chatzisarantis Misguided Effort With Elusive Implications Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs Sifting Signal From Noise With Replication Science Chandra Sripada, Daniel Kessler, and John Jonides Cookies What are cookies ? How do we use cookies? How to control cookies? Managing cookies in your browser see what cookies you have got and delete them on an individual basis block third party cookies block cookies from particular sites block all cookies from being set delete all cookies when you close your browser X A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.Website use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to help analyse the use of this website. For this purpose, Google Analytics uses"cookies", which are text files placed on your computer.The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website - standard internet log information (including your IP address) and visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form - will be transmitted to and stored by Google including on servers in the United States. 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The add-on communicates with the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js) to indicate that information about the website visit should not be sent to Google Analytics.Cookies are also used to record if you have agreed (or not) to our use of cookies on this site, so that you are not asked the question every time you visit the site.You can control and/or delete cookies as you wish. You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed.Most browsers allow you to:If you chose to delete cookies, you should be aware that any preferences will be lost. Also, if you block cookies completely many websites (including ours) will not work properly and webcasts will not work at all. For these reasons, we do not recommend turning cookies off when using our webcasting services. An Itasca, Ill., man was sentenced Thursday to serve up to 10 years in prison for committing sex crimes against a child. Jordan L. Brewer, Sr., 71, was ordered by Scott County District Court Judge Henry Latham II to serve 10-year terms for each of two counts of lascivious acts with a child. The sentences will be served at the same time. Per a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed two counts of second-degree sexual abuse. If convicted, the Class B felonies were each punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Mr. Brewer was arrested in November 2014. Charges accused him, between 2002 and 2011, of fondling a child who was younger than 13 in Bettendorf. EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) East Chicago officials say as many as 1,200 residents have been told it would be safer if they relocated from a housing complex in the city because of health risks from lead in the soil around their homes. In a letter residents began receiving this week, Mayor Anthony Copeland said the Environmental Protection Agency recently informed the city and the East Chicago Housing Authority that the ground within the public housing complex had high levels of arsenic and lead. "Now that we know the levels of lead in the ground in the West Calumet Housing Complex, we feel it is in your best interest to temporarily relocate your household to safer conditions," the mayor's letter said. Copeland also said the housing authority is asking the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to give vouchers for clean and safe housing as soon as possible. "Even though this may be a great inconvenience to you, it's necessary to protect you and your children from possible harm," Copeland wrote in the letter. Copeland ordered the East Chicago Health Department to offer lead testing to residents and their children, The Times of Northwest Indiana (http://bit.ly/2a7nKLX ) reported. About two-thirds of the residents advised to relocate are children. Lead levels in the top 6 inches of the soil triggered the need for cleanup, and residents have been notified, according to Rachel Bassler, spokeswoman for EPA Region 5. The neighborhood is part of a 79-acre U.S. EPA Superfund site that used to be home to the USS Lead facility. DAVENPORT As Donald Trump prepared to make his appearance at the Adler Theatre, Thursday, protesters and supporters voiced their opinions, while lining the streets outside the venue. Hours before the rally was set to begin, protesters slowly congregated outside Mississippi Lofts, on East 3rd Street, next door to the Adler. Their chants included "love trumps hate" and "build the dream, not the wall," as they held up homemade protest signs highlighting their disapproval of the now official Republican nominee. Some drivers on 3rd Street showed support for the protest by honking as they passed, which was greeted by cheers from the protesters. One driver took the chance to stop her car, step out and raise her hands in praise, causing traffic to stop momentarily. Other drivers showed their support for Mr. Trump by chanting his name and waving campaign flags out their car windows. Dante Alcaraz, 17, of Rock Island, said if he could impact just one Trump supporter with his words and sign, which read "honors student, not a rapist. Soy Americano," he would be happy. Throughout the past year I have never felt more disrespected," he said. "Theres no reason that someones hateful thoughts should hurt so many people in this country." Rudy Hernandez, of Davenport, held two signs, which read "dump Trump" and "war is not the answer," as he called Mr. Trump a traitor to America. As a Vietnam veteran, Mr. Hernandez said Mr. Trump would have been shot for treason during the war. He said Mr. Trump asked Russia to gain access to Hillary Clinton's emails. Mr. Hernandez argued with several Trump supporters who passed him. One of these supporters was Rod Clement, also a veteran from Davenport. Mr. Clement said they would have shot Secretary Clinton for treason. He also compared Hillary Clinton's policies to President Obama's and said he fears the loss of Second Amendment rights under a Democratic Administration. I just dont think we can take eight more years of the current policies," he said. Marcella Williams, 17, of Rock Island is a self proclaimed "die-hard conservative." She said she's excited to vote in her first election and that she is focusing more on economic policy than social views. "I know that Ill be able to make a difference this election," she said. Trump is a bit more of a centrist when it comes to abortion and stuff like that, which I think will appeal to more voters. Ms. Williams had registered for a ticket to the rally online but was unable to enter because the theater had reached capacity by the time she arrived. According to others waiting to be admitted to the theater, it had reached the 2,500-person capacity about 3 p.m. Outside the theater, dozens of protesters marched from outside the Mississippi Lofts to the lobby of the RiverCenter, through which people were entering the Adler, continuing to chant, wave signs and blow whistles. Im sort of appalled by the protesters," Ms. Williams said. "Theyre a little obnoxious. They have every right to be here, but its out of control. Molly Vance, of LeClaire, who dropped of a friend for the rally, said the protesters were demonstrating hypocrisy. The people across the street talking about hate and stuff, theyre spending their time and energy hating Trump right now," she said. Ms. Vance said she would like to vote third party but felt her vote, for Gary Johnson, was wasted in the 2012 election, she said she thinks her vote will matter more if she votes for one of the two major candidates. Although Ms. Vance is supporting Mr. Trump in this election, she said, its interesting to see all the protesters interacting and everybodys points of view. DAVENPORT Donald Trump repeated well-worn themes Thursday during his first visit to Iowa as the official Republican presidential candidate. Speaking at a standing-room-only Adler Theatre (capacity 2,400), Mr. Trump said the debt-ridden United States will continue facing problems with national security, border control, unfair trade agreements and a dwindling middle class if Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton wins in November. Joined by Gov. Terry Branstad, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and Iowa Republican state chairman Jeff Kauffman, Mr. Trump spoke for a little over an hour on themes he has repeated throughout his campaign. Mr. Trump said America is losing the fight against ISIS and "radical Islamic terrorism." He called the North American Free Trade Agreement signed by former President Bill Clinton a failure and a potential Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal a looming disaster. "I love this country," Mr. Trump said. "You see factories, buildings ... you could envision them 25 years ago they're crumbling. Thousands of businesses." He said the proposed TPP agreement is similar to ObamaCare, long and complicated and unworkable. "NAFTA is probably the worst economic trade deal in the history of the world," he said. He said China is salivating over the proposed TPP deal. "They're going to come in through the back door," he said. Mr. Trump said Ms. Clinton is bought and paid for by political action committees and lobbyists. He also called her character into question, referring to the recent investigation into her use of a private email domain while serving as secretary of state. James Comey Jr., FBI director, testified earlier this month there was nothing illegal in her use of the email server, though he criticized her judgement in using it. Ms. Clinton deleted thousands of what she described as personal emails before turning over the servers. Mr. Trump said, "It's a rigged system. Thirty-three thousand emails were deleted, and that's okay?" He said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who unsuccessfully challenged Ms. Clinton for the nomination, should have held firm instead of lending his support to Mrs. Clinton. "Bernie got tired, and he made a deal," Mr. Trump said. "And, I was so surprised he made a deal. His legacy would have been much stronger. What Bernie should have done, instead of selling out to the devil, he should have quietly let everything happen, have his protest, go home, and he would have gone home a hero." Mr. Trump said Mr. Sanders, a longtime opponent to the TPP, was right on trade. "He is the only one that gets it on trade," Mr. Trump said. "The difference is I can make phenomenal deals. He can't do that. He said our country is getting ripped off, our jobs are being taken away." Mr. Trump criticized U.S. policy in the Middle East, saying America made a poor deal with Iran, dropping economic sanctions in exchange for nuclear agreements. He criticized Secretary of State John Kerry on the deal, saying Mr. Kerry walked into the negotiations after breaking his leg in a bicycle accident. "He walks in with crutches," Mr. Trump said. "They're (Iranians) looking up and saying, 'Do you believe this man?' "They're even saying, 'What the hell happened to the United States.'" He said America never should have invaded Iraq in 2003. "We fight politically correct wars," Mr. Trump said. "How many times have I said, 'Keep the oil. Keep the oil.' "We shouldn't of been in Iraq in the first place. I was totally against it right from the beginning. I said it's going to totally destabilize the Middle East. Did it ever. But, we shouldn't have got out the way we got out. ISIS formed. "We have a lot of things we can do. They can be done." Mr. Trump also said the election is critical to the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court. "If Hillary Clinton gets in, she's going to put super liberal judges on the court that's going to make our country Venezuela," he said. "We can't have it." Other Iowa luminaries spoke before Mr. Trump went on stage. Gov. Branstad said Iowa is a leader in wind energy, ethanol and bio diesel and bringing, "more good jobs," to the state. "I would really like to have a president on my side instead of working against me raising taxes," Gov. Branstad said. "The Democratic Party used to claim to be the party of the working people, but they've abandoned the working people. "They've abandoned middle America. They are now the party of the establishment, the elite in Washington, D.C." Iowa Sen. Ernst said Ms. Clinton failed the country on national security. "With Hillary Clinton, it is all about her," Sen. Ernst said. "It is all about her. This election should be about you." Mr. Kaufmann said Iowa Republicans are going to support Mr. Trump, "10,000 percent." Mr. Kaufmann said to every Democrat and independent in the crowd, "Welcome." After leaving Davenport, Mr. Trump traveled to Cedar Rapids for a rally Thursday night. Prosecutors announced Thursday that they will not retry a man convicted of killing Washington intern Chandra Levy, saying they can no longer prove their case in the 15-year-old slaying that thrust former congressman Gary Condit into the national spotlight. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia issued a statement saying it has moved to dismiss the case charging Ingmar Guandique with Levy's 2001 killing. According to the statement, prosecutors concluded they can no longer prove the murder case against Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt, "based on recent unforeseen developments that were investigated over the past week." The statement does not elaborate, and Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney, declined comment. "After investigating this information and reviewing all of the evidence in this case, the government now believes it is in the interests of justice for the court to dismiss the case," prosecutors wrote in a one-page motion. Within hours of prosecutors' motion, a judge officially dismissed the case. Guandique's lawyers in the public defender's office issued a statement Thursday saying their client has been vindicated. "Finally, the government has had to concede the flaws in its ill-gotten conviction," the lawyers said, noting that Guandique had passed an FBI-administered lie detector test regarding his involvement. They accused prosecutors of hiding information that undermined their star witness at Guandique's 2010 trial. Levy's 2001 disappearance created a national sensation after the Modesto, California, native was romantically linked with then-Rep. Gary Condit. The California Democrat was at one point a prime suspect in the investigation, police acknowledged. Levy's remains were not found until 2002, in Washington's sprawling Rock Creek Park. Eventually, police cleared Condit and in 2009 charged Guandique with Levy's murder. Guandique had already been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for attacks on female joggers in Rock Creek Park, and prosecutors argued Levy's death fit the pattern of those attacks. He was found guilty in 2010 and sentenced to 60 years in prison. But Guandique was granted a new trial last year after doubts were raised about a jailhouse informant, Armando Morales, who was the key witness at Guandique's trial. Morales testified that Guandique confessed to the killing. Defense lawyers have argued, though, that Morales lied during the trial and that prosecutors knew or should have known the testimony was problematic. "It is now clear that the jailhouse informant, who was central to the government's case, was a perjurer who too easily manipulated the prosecutors," Guandique's lawyers said in their statement Thursday. In recent months, Guandique's attorneys have raised questions about Condit. At a January hearing, one of Guandique's attorneys told a judge that Condit misled the jury with his testimony at the 2010 trial, but he did not elaborate. In May, defense lawyers sought to take depositions from several women who said they had sexual relationships with Condit. Defense lawyers said two of the women said they feared Condit. And the defense lawyers said Condit had "obvious motive to kill Ms. Levy in order to keep the relationship secret." Condit testified at trial that he didn't kill Levy but evaded questions about an intimate relationship saying, "We're all entitled to some level of privacy." Lawyers who represented Condit did not return calls seeking comment Thursday. Efforts to reach Levy's parents by phone were not immediately successful Thursday. Prosecutors say that as a result of their action, Guandique, who is from El Salvador, will be released to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and faces deportation. G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now! The work is part of the project to improve connection to the Britains busiest airport and create a global gateway for western England. The link will enable passengers to travel directly to Heathrow Airport from Reading and Slough without having to change at London Paddington. As a result of this link carbon dioxide emissions should be reduced by the equivalent of 48 million passenger road-km per year. The link will provide an economic boost in the region, and ease road congestion. The project will be executed over the next 27 months. After an in-depth 16-month investigation, the EC has decided that the 358.6m project for a 58km standard-gauge ring near Antequera does not meet a genuine objective of common interest nor does it contribute to promoting a sustainable development in the region. The EC explains that, in the absence of demand for testing trains above 350km/h, for which testing centres already exist in the European Union (EU) and tests are performed on commercial rail networks, the whole project would have been commercially unviable because the centre would have duplicated the existing facilities and was likely to generate losses. Spains Ministry of Public Works and Transport failed to attract interest from private companies in 2013 after the proposed public-private partnership (PPP) scheme tender in 2013 despite the public funding that was allocated. The EC also believes the centre would have created a distortion of competition by subsidising a new entrant in the market while only having limited, short term effects on the economy of Andalusia. Adif has started discussions with the Ministry of Economy to return the aid. TfL and Britains Department for Transport (DfT) selected Bombardier in February 2014 for a 1bn contract to supply 66 nine-car 25kV 50Hz trains, with an option for 18 more. Each 200m-long nine-car train will accommodate around 1500 passengers, 450 of them seated, with a combination of longitudinal and 2+2 transverse seating reflecting the mixture of metro, commuter and airport journeys Crossrail will be used for. The air-conditioned trains are equipped with full-width gangways, CCTV and passenger Wi-Fi. Each train will have four dedicated wheelchair spaces and multi-functional areas to accommodate pushchairs and luggage. The first train is due to be moved from Derby to the Old Dalby test track south of Nottingham next month. Delivery of the first train to the London area is scheduled for November. There will then be a period of compatibility testing and mileage accumulation on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML). Driver training will begin in April 2017 and the first trains will enter service with TfL Rail between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield in May 2017. The trains will use the British TPWS and AWS train protection systems on the GEML, with CBTC in the core tunnels and ETCS on the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington to Heathrow Airport and Reading. Testing of operation under CBTC will begin at Old Dalby before the end of this year and ETCS testing will start in early-2017. A fleet of 15 trains will initially operate on the GEML as seven-car sets. The first nine-car train will be delivered to Crossrails main depot at Old Oak Common in west London in mid-2018 and the longer sets will initially operate between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport. Mid-2018 will also see the start of dynamic testing in the core Crossrail tunnels beneath central London. The first section of Crossrail will open between Paddington and Abbey Wood in December 2018. The Shenfield line will be connected to the Crossrail tunnels in May 2019 and the full route from Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east to Heathrow and Reading in the west will be operational by December 2019. All of the seven-car trains will be lengthened to nine cars by the end of 2019. The trains will be maintained by Bombardier at Old Oak Common under a 32-year fleet servicing contract. The contract calls for the renewal of nearly 200km of track per year in various French regions. It is planned to use a high-output track renewal train for much of the work which will be able to renew nearly 1km of track per day, rather than 150m per day using less efficient methods. To limit disruption to services, trains will continue to use the adjacent track where possible. For the first time under this type of contract, the joint venture will be entrusted with setting up temporary speed restrictions and lineside warnings. The joint venture will also be responsible for associated signalling works and the autonomous operation of work trains. 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 The Olympics is more than a competition among athletes with exceptional strength, skills and abilities. As previous Olympics have shown, there are other trials at play. For example, the Beijing Olympics was a test of resilience against airborne pollutants, other Olympics overcame logistical hurdles like making sure all the sporting venues and other infrastructure were built on time and all modern Olympics have faced security challenges. Now, the 2016 Rio Olympics might present a new test: the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The potential for bacteria and other bad bugs to survive despite treatment with drugs intended to stop or kill them is likely to be one of the greatest global threats to public health and the economy in our lifetime. This threat was highlighted by an independent UK Review on AMR the O'Neill Review which was published in May 2016. RAND Europe's analysis for the O'Neill Review found that the potential costs of AMR globally could reach $3 trillion and cause a population decline of up to 10 million people per year if it is not addressed. With only a couple of weeks before the Olympic Games begin, a group of Brazilian scientists detected drug-resistant bacteria growing off some of Rio de Janeiro's beaches, close to where it will host sporting events, such as sailing and wind-surfing. These super bacteria are believed to have entered the city's waterways through sewage from local hospitals, which was channelled into the bay, despite a commitment to clean up Rio's sanitation in the run-up to the Olympic Games. More of the super bacteria were also found in the Olympic lagoon where the rowing and canoeing events will take place. Even back in 2013, water samples showed that the lagoon was a potential breeding ground for drug-resistant bacteria, which could cause harm to humans, animals and the environment. The threat posed by super bacteria has led to the U.S. rowing team developing antimicrobial suits to protect themselves as they train in the lagoon. Health experts believe that such measures will ultimately be futile. Longer-term initiatives after the Olympic Games will be required to manage the risks posed by the super bacteria in Rio de Janeiro. International initiatives aim to tackle the threat of AMR, including the World Health Organisation's Global Action Plan on AMR, and the U.S. AMR National Action Plan. The EU's AMR Action Plan, which RAND Europe evaluated, has already made progress in addressing the problem of AMR at an EU level, focusing on the appropriate use of antimicrobials, infection prevention, surveillance, communication and the development of new antimicrobials. More concerted contributions and collaborations will be required to tackle AMR, particularly in low- and middle-income countries that have limited resources to respond to the AMR threat. These efforts to tackle AMR should take a holistic approach that addresses human health, animal health and environmental issues related to AMR. This means not just focusing on the development of new antibiotics, but also paying attention to other issues, such as limiting the damage to the environment through effectively managing sewage and waste. The detection of AMR in Rio's water just weeks before the Olympics highlights how environmental problems accelerate the risk of AMR to humans and animals a true challenge long after the Olympic torch is extinguished. Jirka Taylor is an analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and Elta Smith is a research leader at RAND Europe. This commentary originally appeared on Medical Xpress on July 28, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. As we see a surge in inflation globally, it is now critical that everyone is aware of the implications this will have along every step of the insurance and reinsurance value chain. For decades, millions of devout evangelicals and Catholics have voted for Republicans in national elections based in part on the GOP platform on abortion. The 2016 presidential election may muddy this trend. Presidential elections are won at the margins, and the Democrats have spotted an opportunity. Donald Trump obviously breaks the mold for traditional presidential contests. But Trump realized months ago that he could not win without evangelicals. He has been talking to highly visible evangelicals for months. In June he participated in a widely publicized event in New York with almost a thousand evangelicals, and then set up an Evangelical Executive Advisory Board (full disclosure: I have friends on the board). Last week, Trump chose a running mate with solidly evangelical credentials. Despite a major misstep last year on religious liberty, Indiana governor Mike Pence has been a consistent social conservative and outspoken Christian since his days in the US Congress. Im a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order, he said during his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention in Cleveland. The evangelical strategy seems to be working, especially with older white evangelicals, who at the moment overwhelmingly favor Trump over Clinton. Notice anything missing? The New York Times did. As soon as Mike Pence was announced as Trumps running mate, the Grey Lady published a long story: Mike Pences Journey: Catholic Democrat to Evangelical Republican. You see, Mike Pence grew up in a big, Democratic, Irish Catholic family, and most of his family is still Catholic. Mike, however, became an evangelical, and that fact still distresses the rest of his family. Hmm. Its almost as if the nations newspaper of record wanted to highlight a weakness in Trumps campaign strategy and recommend a counter-strategy to the Democrats. If so, the Clinton campaign got the message. For vice president, Mrs. Clinton picked Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Kaine is a lifelong Catholic who did mission work with the Jesuits as a young man and who, until fairly recently, was more or less pro-life. He still claims to oppose late term abortions and he can talk the Catholic talk. Hillary was already touting his faith when she introduced him in Tampa over the weekend. Tim Kaine is Joe Biden without the awkward gaffes and creepy gropes. In a normal election, the Kaine choice might not make much difference. But this is anything but a normal election. The Democrats suspect that the Trump Campaign has a Catholic problem. Of course, the Democrats also have a Catholic problem, or, more precisely, an abortion problem. Planned Parenthood has given awards to Hillary Clinton and given Tim Kaine, who is personally opposed to abortion, a perfect score on its ghoulish reckoning. Procured abortion, according to settled Catholic teaching, is an intrinsic evil. For faithful Catholics, this should be a vote-killer. Yes, Democrats have had this problem for decades, and still managed to get millions of Catholic votes. But for those Catholics who are moderate on economics but tilt conservative on social issues, this makes it hard for them to pull the lever for Hillary and the Democrats. Another way to look at Trumps Catholic problem, then, is to see it as a missed opportunity. He could be using some of his vaunted salesmanship skills to invite these Catholic swing voters over to the Republican side, but the invitation seems to have been misplaced on the way to the post office. Other GOP candidates, such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, had diverse religious liberty advisory boards that included Catholics and evangelicals. Trump has only an Evangelical Executive Advisory Board. Does he know that Catholics make up 22% of the American population, and fill the ranks of the pro-life movement? Simply put, the Trump campaign has neglected to reach out to swing voters as Catholics, and Democrats and the mainstream media wont neglect to exploit that oversight. Will Clinton/Kaine help bring in millions of homeschooling, daily-Mass-attending Catholics on November 8th? No, but in such a tight race, they dont have to. There are millions of Catholics in the muddled middle who could swing either way in any particular election. Their political choices are shaped as much by appearances and impressions as by policies and ideas. Many of them could opt for the optics of Clinton/Kaine. Add to them the many conservative Catholics such as Robert George who refuse to vote for either ticket, and we could get a Democratic victory won on the margins by the choices of those Catholics who in any other year would vote Republican. If the GOP is not yet worried about this, it better get started. Scotland has garnered more headlines because Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has argued that Scots, who voted strongly for Remain, deserve a second independence referendum when the British government finally does leave the European Union. But if Remain' proponents are looking to the one part of the United Kingdom that could impossibly prevent Article 50's invocation, they should look to Northern Ireland, where Brexit could unravel two decades of peace, and where Brexit is already causing some anxiety about the region's future. Property details: You Are Bidding On The Down Payment Only for 20 Acres in Montana! Lake and Mountain Views. Trees and Grassland. Canyon. Secluded. Parcel: This auction is for legal description: Township 7 North, Range 18 East, Section 15: Tract 27. This is a 20.13 ACRE parcel of land in Wheatland County, Montana. This land is about 4 miles northeast of Shawmut, MT. The land has lake views! The land is only about 1 mile to Deadmans Basin Reservoir. 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Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/29/2016 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. host Chris Harrison insists JoJo Fletcher said goodbye to men she never thought she could say goodbye to, Chase McNary being one of them."We all saw how [ Jordan Rodgers ] and [ Robby Hayes ]'s overnight dates went, and it is clear, at least now, that JoJo has feelings for both of them that are irreversible," Harrison wrote in his Yahoo! TV blog. "And it seemed as if Chase was going to further complicate things for JoJo."McNary was offered a Fantasy Suite date invitation in Monday night's episode only to be unexpectedly rejected by Fletcher before the cameras left them alone. McNary took a leap of faith and confessed his love to the Bachelorette, but she realized in that moment she didn't feel the same way and therefore sent him packing.The way it was shown on television, Rodgers and Hayes' overnight Fantasy Suite dates with the Bachelorette were filmed before McNary's. Harrison therefore suggests the deck might've been stacked against McNary before his special date in Thailand even began."[JoJo] already really knew she was falling madly in love with two men, and that was something she never thought would happen," Harrison said."Part of me wonders if JoJo accidentally closed herself down with Chase because she already knew she couldn't say goodbye to either Robby or Jordan. We may never know. She may never know."Harrison elaborated how it's possible Fletcher might've unintentionally sabotaged her relationship with McNary, a 27-year-old medical sales representative from Denver, CO."The heart works in mysterious ways, and sometimes the mind overrides the heart and tries to protect you by not letting anyone in. Was this the case with Chase?" Harrison wrote in his blog.Right when McNary was eliminated , he was very angry and made it known Fletcher had chosen the worst moment to break his heart. However, after McNary got some time to reflect on his exit, he apologized to Fletcher for the way he acted and patched things up so the pair could leave on cordial terms."Sometimes during a breakup, you say things you don't want to say and sometimes you know you made a mistake. Chase felt that way, and I'm glad he got the opportunity to express his kindness and gratitude to JoJo before he flew home to America," Harrison said."Chase is a great guy, and it would be so unfortunate if someone viewed him otherwise just because of a few angry moments."Before starring on , Fletcher didn't even understand how it was possible for Ben Higgins to love both herself and Lauren Bushnell on The Bachelor. But walking a mile in Higgins' shoes clearly opened her eyes. Matt Graham of Graham Tradecraft appeared on the news again recently to opine on the topic of terrorism. He appeared on the Fox Business Network shortly after the Bastille Day murders in Nice, France, to discuss that and similar Islamist attacks. During the course of the discussion Graham suggested that we, the United States, would be better off operating under a formally declared state of war against terrorism. Likening it to the war on drugs, he believes such an act (which is the purview of the United States Congress) would allow us to go after leadership, finances, materiel and other aspects of international terror and extremist organizations (which lets face it are effectively the same thing). A formal declaration of war against a non-state belligerent (like ISIS) would seem to be possible, and might be the only such option available in the face of fourth generation warfare. Would it have any efficacy against an ideology, though? Photo credit unknown, Vantage News The Bastille Day attack came shortly after an Islamist suicide bomber killed seven near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, which itself occurred immediately after bomb attacks killed over 300 and injured another 200 in Sha'ab, in Baghdad. Those murders happened not too long after five men attacked a cafe in Bangladesh, killing 23, and three others killed 44 people at an airport in Turkey with rifle fire and explosives. Four days after the deaths in Nice (which killed over 80 people and wounded another 300), there have been at least four more attacks we know of as of this writing), an Afghan refugee attacked and wounded five people on a train near Wurzburg, Germany with a hatchet. Five days after that two bombs delivered by ISIS militants exploded in Deh Mazang square in Kabul, killing at least 80 and wounding nearly another 300. Photo credit unknown, Reuters The very next day 15 people were wounded when a Syrian refugee pledged to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (leader of the Islamic State) blew himself up in a wine bar in Ansbach, Germany. The day after that two Islamists entered the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray while Fr. Jacques Hamel was celebrating Mass. They slit the vicar's throat on the altar and injured three others before members of the Brigade de Recherche et d'Intervention killed them. Yesterday a VBIED (Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device) blew up near the town of Qamishli, in Syria, killing at least 50 and wounding scores (the exact numbers are not yet known). It's almost like there's a pattern here, if only we could see it Would a declaration of war in accordance with Article One of the Constitution (vs. a congressional authorization) make any difference? Unknown photo credit, Getty, via CNN Although US military personnel have fought in Korea, Lebanon, Vietnam, Kuwait, Bosnia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Libya, Panama, the Philippines, and numerous other countries in the last several decades, none of those troops deployed as part of a formal declaration of war. The last such Congressional action made by the United States was in June of 1942, when war was declared upon Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania during World War II. It is, perhaps, a semantic difference, but there might just be something to what Graham suggests, both domestically and abroad (particularly with our NATO allies). There will of course be handwringers and apologists and vast numbers of people on the left who discount such an idea out of hand, fearing a label of bigotry or religious intolerance. Those people, however, are either ignorant or willfully obtuse. For those who are capable of facing realitywho can understand a pragmatic response to violent ideologues is the only way to reduce the body count (nothing is going to make it go away entirely)would such a declaration make a difference? Or are Matt and realists like him just tilting at windmills? Declaring War on Islamism We Need to Kill the Ape Follow Graham Combat on Instagram, @grahamcombat. Fore more news of international conflict, check out the Grey Cell Conflict Network (also on Facebook here). Cover photo from the New York Times. It's been nearly three decades, but The Rocketeer is getting a reboot. This time instead of a young man using a jetpack to fight Nazis it will reportedly be a team of females (The Rocketeers), led by a black female lead (not yet cast), doing battle with dirty commies during the Cold War. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the sequel will be written by Max Winkler and Matt Spicer, and produced by Brigham Taylor (The Jungle Book) along with Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil (of the LA Clippers and the Carolina Panthers, respectively). Rocketeer was based on the popular 1980s indie comic by Dave Stevens and, like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, was a loving homage to the serials of the 1930s and 1940s. The story followed Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a rocket pack and suit to die for and become embroiled with mobsters and Nazis, as well as Howard Hughes and the FBI. The Joe Johnston-directed movie starred Billy Campbell as Secord, Jennifer Connelly as his aspiring actress (a Betty Page homage) girlfriend, Timothy Dalton as an Errol Flynn-type actor who is a Nazi spy and Alan Arkin as Secord's mechanic. When the movie was released, it grossed only $46.6 million and came in fourth in its opening weekend (it was pummeled by Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, City Slickers and Dying Young). Its performance was considered a disappointment by the studio and its creative team. But a rare thing happened: The movie took on a life of its own, engendering a massive following who loved its un-ironic, bright and straightforwardly heroic take on characters, all abetted by a score by James Horner. When Disney hosted a 20th anniversary screening of the movie in Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre in 2011, fans many in Rocketeer costumes lined up for blocks. It was around that time that the studio began mulling a reboot of the movie, but sources said it sought a way to differentiate it from another rocket-propelled flying hero: Iron Man. The new take keeps the story in a period setting and offers a fresh view on the characters. Set six years after the original Rocketeer and after Secord has vanished while fighting the Nazis, an unlikely new hero emerges: a young AfricanAmerican female pilot, who takes up the mantle of Rocketeer in an attempt to stop an ambitious and corrupt rocket scientist from stealing jet-pack technology in what could prove to be a turning point in the Cold War. Your driving habits may developed in a city, rural, or on the long-haul. You may drive a car, truck, or SUV. Whatever your mode of transport, theres probably space for a few items that fall into the better to have and not want, than want and not have category. This isnt a list of which grenades to pack into your rooftop carrier in anticipation of urban collapse, nor a tally Mylar blankets for that time nuclear winter surprises you on I-80: it's just stuff normal people might actually utilize sometime in a lifetime of non-apocalyptic driving. We're not here to help you with TEOTWAKI driving that's another list entirely. Bullet Points: Ten Onboard Fourwheel Fundamentals 1. Lithium Jump Starter/Powerpack. The bulky scramble of old-school jumper cables filling your trunk is a thing of the past: Visit the local Costco. It will have high output 8000mAh powerbanks complete built-in low-profile cables, an LED flashlight, and USB charging ports for under$60 cheaper than a service call from a tow truck, less creepy than stalking and flagging down strangers in a mall parking lot asking for a jump. No longer will you need to count on someone else to bail you out when lights were left on or a door was left ajar. As added benefit, this may one day help you meet the stranded damsel-or-dude in distress youve always dreamed of, you always-prepared nerd-knight, you. http://www.costco.com/Lithium-Jump-Starter-and-Portable-Power-Bank.product.100230151.html 2. Multitool. A jack-of-all-trades Leatherman, SOG Switchplier, Gerber Crucial or suchlike in the glovebox can be used for everything from roadtrip-chip-bag-opener to discreet self-defense tool, along with the ability to meet most expected needs with the ensemble of screwdrivers, pliers, and whatnot it provides. Get one with scissors for cutting coupons if you roll in a grocery-getter SUV, or perhaps one with a blasting cap crimper if your Walter Mitty lifestyle leans thataway. We dont know your business, and who are we to judge? Personally, wed lean away from the fallacy of having too many gimmicky blades and tools. You generally wind up using the main four or five things, and if the tool itself becomes too clumsy or heavy to get a good grip on, you havent done yourself any favors having extra useless stuff that gets in the way. The Skeletool RX is an interesting choice because its most everything you need, with the addition of a some items envisioned for the first responder/EMT client, such as a more heavily serrated 154CM sheepsfoot blade for cutting clothing or seatbelts, a high-vis Cerakote finish, as well as a carbide glass breaker just in case you have that nagging concern of being trapped underwater in your Mini Cooper. MSRP of $102. http://www.leatherman.com/skeletool-rx-464.html#q=skeletool&start=1 3. Zip-seal Bags. Ziploc, Hefty, whatever, but a selection of heavy-duty, small to large moisture proof, sealable and disposable bags that fold down to nothing might come in handy in the most mundane ways. Muddy boots? Wet beach towels and swimsuits? Toss them in and dont worry about your leather seats getting polluted. Picking up brass at the range? Waterproofing your pocket contents for that impromptu hot springs dip youve offroaded up to? Yep, bag that stuff up. Isolating that exploding tube of whatever your copilot used for skincare? Ziploc crap-catcher to the rescue. If its really horrible, like someone crapped their pants (Non-parents all laugh. People with children just nod sagely here) and you need to stash the offending odored garment, youre gonna appreciate the inherent value of a .30 cent disposable plastic bag with a vapor seal. On that note, whether youve got toddlers or drunk friends, you never know when a field-expedient barf bag is going to be needed. You might also consider a couple of trashbags for unanticipated larger needs. Be the hero of your hatchback. 4. Tire Inflator/Sealer. From a security-minded perspective, being able to get off the X isnt just for combat: getting mobile quickly means moving past the need to depend on strangers/be the wounded prey of others. The ubiquitous can of Fix-A-Flat lives in your trunk until needed. It's able to inflate your tire and plug a leak long enough to get you to an autoshop to patch things up for real This is also potentially a good option for kids and inexperienced drivers to have as an option to mounting a spare tire. Watching amateurs try to figure out a jack for the first time as traffic whizzes by, feet away, on the high side of 80 mph, is cringeworthy. (So Whats this chock thing they say you should use anyway?) 5. Med Kit Even if you dont require actual prescription medicines, a small pouch (may we suggest the Magpul DAKA?) containing rudimentary roadtrip rescue pills is going to come in handy at *some* time in your car career. Tablets may be a better choice than liquids and gels, because theyre less heat and time sensitive (and watch those expiration dates!) Basics like small bottles or packs of: Pain/Headache meds; Allergy/flu meds if the cruds get you when youre out of town without access to a pharmacy (have you seen what the local gas-n-sip charges for a small handful of Tums?); Stomach meds like Pepto or Mylanta, Band-Aids for blisters and cuts, Imodium, mosquito wipes, and a proper tourniquet and the knowhow to use it (its not all tummyaches: car accidents happen too, you know). If you're rolling in a 1980s Econoline with airbrushed van art and folding back seat, you might consider your favorite form of birth control too. 6. Paperwork. The cars registration and title, manual to your car (with the important repair info pages pre-earmarked), medical and car insurance cards, any AAA membership or roadside assistance memberships and phone numbers should all be organized in one place (Hey! How about in one of those aforementioned pouches or bags!). Beats hunting for it when you need it most. 7. Defensive Tool It goes without saying that you should carry a gun, and be trained in its use. However, not all of us can carry in all jurisdictions. Being stranded on a roadside in the dark or blocked in during a street riot is not the place to begin considering your field-expedient alternatives and plans of action. Think tire jack handles, bats, hatchets, and other discreet multipurpose items that dont scream weapon, but can be used as one if necessary. Check local laws, use common sense, and know that leaving a fight is often far better than getting into one. Remember too, your car itself is a heck of a high-grain-weight projectile. 8. Bottled Water From roadside washing off of the many, many things you probably dont want to smear on your upholstery (again, those muddy boots), to cleaning cuts or burns, to just plain drinking, that hydrate-or-die mantra holds true. Secure a couple liters in the back so they dont roll around and fly under your pedals: youll never wish you didnt bring them along for the ride. If you need a little long-haul or hiking pick-me-up, throw in some pouches of flavored electrolyte powder such as MATBOCKs Strike Force caffeinated energy drink to the trunk supply. http://www.matbock.com/pages/strike-force-energy 9. Phone Charger(s) USB and iPhone cables are reasonably cheap: Our smartphones are our lifelines. They act as everything from backcountry GPS, city map directions, flashlights, emergency communication tool, and even give us the ability to watch BBC British period dramas while stuck in hours-long traffic jams. If you run out of power while literally driving around a generator with a battery guess who the real tool is? Buy and stash an extra cable if you havent already. If your car doesnt have built-in USBs, then a double-port USB lighter jack wouldnt hurt either, so your co-pilot can charge their phone at the same time. Monoprice.com has good quality, generic cables in many lengths if you dont feel like paying brand name prices. 10. Duct Tape If more needs to be said here, you should have your keys taken away. The decision to bring bugspray along is, of course, entirely up to you. SHARE FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2015 file photo, Roger Ailes attends a special screening of "Kingsman: The Secret Service" in New York. 21st Century Fox says Fox News Network CEO Roger Ailes is resigning. The announcement comes amid charges by former anchor Gretchen Carlson, who claims she was fired after refusing his sexual advances. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) By FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) Here are the key events leading up to Roger Ailes' resignation from Fox News Channel, the cable-news juggernaut he built from scratch two decades ago: June 23: Fox News Channel anchor and former "Fox & Friends" co-host Gretchen Carlson is quietly let go after 11 years with the network upon the expiration of her contract. July 6: Carlson sues network chief executive Roger Ailes, claiming she was cut loose after she refused his sexual advances and complained about harassment in the workplace. Though the complaint is filed against Ailes, she also cites her former "Fox & Friends" colleague Steve Doocy for alleged sexual harassment. Ailes, in a statement, denies the allegations and accuses Carlson of filing the lawsuit in retaliation for her contract not being renewed. Doocy doesn't respond. Parent company 21st Century Fox, while stating that "we have full confidence in Mr. Ailes and Mr. Doocy," it is launching an internal review. July 9: New York magazine publishes allegations of sexual misconduct by Ailes from six other women, two of whom speak on the record. July 12: Veteran Fox News Channel host Neil Cavuto publishes a defense of Ailes in the Business Insider website, describing the accusations against him as "sick." Cavuto joins a number of female Fox News on-air personalities including Martha MacCallum, Sandra Smith, Greta Van Susteren and Maria Bartiromo who publicly push back against Carlson's allegations. July 15: Ailes' lawyers declare they are seeking to move Carlson's harassment case against him from a New Jersey court to a closed arbitration panel in New York. Ailes claims Carlson's contract compels her to submit to arbitration for employment disputes. Carlson argues that the arbitration clause doesn't apply because she's suing Ailes personally, not Fox News Channel or its parent. July 18: A New York magazine story, citing anonymous sources, reports that company heads Rupert Murdoch and his sons, Lachlan and James, have decided to remove Ailes. The company states there has been no resolution to its probe into Ailes' conduct. "This matter is not yet resolved and the review is not concluded," the company states. July 19: New York magazine reports that Megyn Kelly, who is arguably Fox News' biggest star, has told investigators that Ailes made unwanted sexual advances toward her about 10 years ago when she was beginning at the network. The report also says that, the day before, the company gave Ailes a deadline of Aug. 1 to resign or be fired for cause. July 21: Roger Ailes resigns, effective immediately. Rupert Murdoch takes over as acting CEO. In this Thursday, July 7, 2016, photo, Courtney Hartman poses for a photo with her children Lois, 2, and Declan, 4, as they wear gender-neutral clothing of Hartman's in Seattle. Hartman owns Jessy & Jack, a collection of unisex T-shirts, and Free to Be Kids, where a shirt with the slogan, I'm a Cat Guy comes in blue, gray and yellow. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) SHARE By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO, AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) Pink for girls. Truck motifs for boys. A growing number of parents want to get outside those parameters when it comes to dressing their kids. Kristin Higgins was adamant about not pushing "girly" stereotypes on her daughter, and painted her room in shades of green. Higgins later dressed her up in superhero costumes. But as her daughter got older, it took more work to locate items that broke the mold. For "Star Wars"-themed pajamas, she had to go to the boys' section. "It's hard to find gender-neutral clothing," said Higgins, 35, of Little Rock, whose daughter is now 6. "I want her to just get up and put on the clothing without thinking of putting on a costume, an identity." Shopping for her 7-month-old son, Higgins finds clothes mainly have pictures like fire engines or sharks. What about cats, cupcakes or hearts, she wonders. For parents looking for clothes that defy gender norms, the options for back-to-school shopping are still limited but they're growing. Some big retailers like Lands' End and Zara are making small changes to their offerings, while some frustrated parents have launched their own companies to make the items they wanted to find. "There is really a sharp divide between what is considered girls' stuff and what's considered boys' stuff," said Courtney Hartman. She started Seattle-based Jessy & Jack, a collection of unisex T-shirts for kids that have robots and dinosaurs, and Free to Be Kids, where a shirt with the slogan, "I'm a Cat Guy" comes in blue, gray and yellow. Companies like Jessy & Jack and a collection called Princess Awesome, where dresses have trains and planes, are among nearly 20 online brands that formed a campaign called Clothes Without Limits last year that they're reprising for the back-to-school season. Still, many of the items are not cheap T-shirts at $20 can be pricey for growing kids. Bigger companies are offering some options, after similar shifts in the toy and bedding aisles to more neutral signs and products. Lands' End launched a line of science T-shirts two years ago after a customer complained on social media that there was only one version for boys. As part of its new Cat & Jack brand of children's clothing that kids helped design, Target offers unisex-fit T-shirts online with slogans like, "Smart & Strong" and "Future Astronaut." And fast-fashion chain Zara launched a collection in March for teens and older called "Ungendered" under its TRF line, which focuses on basics like T-shirts, sweatshirts and jeans. Experts and parents also notice that some images like dinosaurs are popping up on girls' clothing under the Boden brand and others. More has changed for girls' clothes than for boys, but the vast majority of children's clothing is still gender-specific, says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at market research group NPD Group Inc. Martine Zoer, who founded Seattle-based Quirkie Kids because her sons wanted to wear pink, said that in response to her selling unisex shirts in that hue, she says she got emails saying "boys should not wear pink as it would turn them gay." A good portion of children's clothing buyers are grandparents who tend to embrace more traditional ideas, says Cohen, who doesn't expect large-scale change until the next generation starts having children. "Once we get past the cultural discussion, that's when you'll see the (major) brands step out," Cohen said. "No one wants to risk the chance of rocking the boat." Chris Guerin of Portland, Oregon, says teaching his mother-in-law to buy clothes that don't reinforce gender stereotypes is a work in progress. "When she goes shopping with Nana, she comes back with princess (outfits) and tiaras," Guerin says of his 3-year-old daughter. "We don't care for that. But it's hard to bring up the issue." The differences crystallized in the late 1980s, according to Jo B. Paoletti, a professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland and author of "Pink and Blue: Telling the Girls from the Boys in America." Paoletti noticed it when buying clothing for her daughter, who was born in 1982, and her son, four years later. By the mid-1990s, "pink-washing was widespread," she said. Even disposable diapers came in blue and pink. In part, manufacturers and marketers wanted to boost sales to American couples having fewer kids, Paoletti said. She also reasoned that parents were rebelling against the more unisex fashions like corduroy pants they grew up with. But Paoletti said the change is harmful. "It encourages very young children as young as 2 to judge and interact with others in highly stereotyped ways," she said. "We know, based on nearly 50 years of social science research, that stereotyped thinking hurts all of us, whether we are dealing with racial, gender, or any other form of stereotype." Macy's says kids' clothes are generally separated into boys' and girls' sections, but with an array of colors and styles in each. "A lot of kids' apparel today is active sweatpants and sweatshirts, graphic Ts, etc. and are inherently unisex," spokeswoman Holly Thomas said in an email. Stores like J.C. Penney and Nordstrom say they listen to shoppers, but aren't getting customer requests to blur the gender lines. Those behind the new brands say they're seeing the demand. Hartman said annual sales are pushing six-digit figures. Higgins recalled that when her daughter was in day care, she came home crying because some boys made fun of her navy blue sneakers, calling them "boy shoes." She often puts together kid outfits from thrift shops, and as she thumbs through the racks reminds her daughter: "There are no boy colors. There are no girl colors." First Lady Michelle Obama takes the stage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Monday, July 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) SHARE By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press Michelle Obama, who ditched the boxy jackets and dowdy style of so many first ladies before her, addressed the Democratic National Convention in a custom, royal blue dress by designer Christian Siriano. Never predictable or boring when it comes to clothes, her choice was in line with the modern and cool approach she has taken for the last eight years. "Stuffy is not her signature, and in that sense her fashion choices reflect that sensibility and the mood of the times," said Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor for Harper's Bazaar magazine. Mrs. Obama wore her hair loose, parted to one side, with the cap-sleeve, A-line dress. Her jewelry was minimal, large silver earrings a prominent touch. The look was low-key, Graham said, calling it "of the people, not stiff, simple, appropriately elegant, mannerly so as not to upstage." Fashionistas will miss this first lady, Graham said. "I think it's fair to say Michelle Obama has been the darling of the fashion set. She has championed young design talent and highlighted existing designer names with a very confident approach to her wardrobe choices," she said. The 30-year-old Siriano, who won the fourth season of "Project Runway" in 2008, has been growing his New York-based brand ever since. His custom convention creation included high-belt detailing, a tight bodice and a flared hem that lent the look movement. Siriano dressed Mrs. Obama for the first time for a much sadder occasion: a black dress for the July 12 memorial service for five police officers killed by a sniper in Dallas. Mrs. Obama wears color and prints with confidence and mixes up the clothing shapes, or silhouettes, she chooses. She has worn an eclectic roster of designers, from the Europeans to the home-grown. Among her favorites: Jason Wu, Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez, Thakoon, Azzedine Alaia, Sophie Theallet, Naeem Khan and Junya Watanabe. "Right from her early days as first lady she made the fashion elite take note," Graham said. But she's no label snob, donning mom cardigans and other pieces from J. Crew and Gap. And she's been clever in her attitude to beauty, Graham said, experimenting with different hair and makeup styles that are of the moment. Courtesy of Dave Jacobs Professional Guide Service Fishing guide Dave Jacobs (left) and Bob Loggins display a Sacramento River king salmon that was caught last August near Red Bluff. The salmon season above Red Bluff opens Monday. SHARE Sacramento, Feather River salmon The upper Sacramento River below Red Bluff has continued to be very slow for all anglers trying to land the famed Sacramento River king salmon. Salmon fishing has remained spectacular for charter boats out of the Golden Gate, but the king salmon just have not committed to their upriver migration. This will definitely change in the near future, but until then, anglers can expect slow salmon action. The Barge Hole opener is just days away with the upper river above Red Bluff opening Monday. With the slow salmon fishing since July 16, the Barge Hole opener may come and go quietly as well. Salmon fishing was expected to be very good with all of the high releases on the Feather River, but this river, too, has been just dead slow for salmon fishing. Best bets on the Feather River have been back-bouncing roe/puffball combos, large blue fox spinners and sardine-wrapped kwikfish-style plugs. One of today's best go-to lures is the Brad's Killer Fish plug in the KF-15 and KF-16 sizes. Sacramento River trout Anglers wanting to experience some better fishing may want to give the Sacramento River a try in downtown Redding as the 5.5-mile closed section from the Highway 44 bridge up to Keswick Dam reopens Aug. 1 as well. This section of the Sacramento River has been closed to all fishing since April and the trout fishing should be spectacular when it reopens. Fly fishing best bets are caddis sizes 14 and 16, Mr. Fox's cinnamon poopahs, bird's nest, blue wing olive mayflies sizes 16 and 18, Mr. Fox's baetis and olive flashback pheasant tails. Many trout are coming in at 14 to 18 inches on most drifts. This week's Sacramento and Feather River salmon fishing report is courtesy of Dave Jacobs Professional Guide Service. Fly fishing best bets are courtesy of Greg Hector. For more river fishing information here in Northern California, call guide Dave Jacobs direct at 530-646-9110 or visit his website at www.sacramentofishing.com. Sean Longoria/Record Searchlight Anthony Baxter appears in Shasta County Superior Court on Friday, where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing in double murder, attempted murder and other felony cases. SHARE By Sean Longoria of the Redding Record Searchlight A man accused of stabbing an Anderson couple to death with a butter knife, trying to kill a jail inmate and other crimes waived his right Friday for a judge to determine whether enough evidence exists to hold him for a jury trial. Anthony Harrison Baxter, 38, signed the waivers against the advice of his defense attorney Joseph Ahart. Yes, sir, Baxter said in response to retired Tehama County Judge Richard Scheulers question as to whether Baxter wanted the waivers despite Aharts advice against them. Baxter was set to return to court Tuesday for the preliminary hearings on the double murder, attempted murder and robbery cases. Instead, hell return to court Aug. 29 to set a trial date. The delay in setting a trial date came at Aharts request. Were in some discussions now on how to proceed so I think 30 days would behoove all parties, Ahart said. Baxter is accused of killing Michael Helsby, 57, and his girlfriend, Georgia Engelhaupt, 61, in Anderson and trying to kill fellow Shasta County Jail inmate Gary Jamie Cushman. Baxter, who has an extensive criminal history and history of violence, has said he killed Helsby and Engelhaupt because they disrespected the mother of his 6-year-old daughter. That woman, as well as her sister, lived with the couple, but Baxter told police he believed Helsby and Engelhaupt had threatened to evict them. In the jail case, Baxter is accused of attacking and assaulting Cushman in a housing pod at the jail, forcing the unit to go into lockdown. According to a sheriffs investigative report, Cushman required four stitches on his face, but initially declined to press criminal charges against Baxter. He changed his mind two days later. Baxter told a jail correctional officer that Cushman threatened his family, according to the report. Cushman, who said he never before met Baxter, told an officer he had once dated Baxters sister, the report says. But in that same report, Baxter said Cushmans stepdaughter is his brother-in-laws wife and that Cushman threatened both of them. Baxter remains in jail without bail. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty against Baxter. SHARE By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight A North State nurse practitioner is facing prosecution after felony charges were filed against her alleging prescription fraud, identity theft and forgery, the Shasta County District Attorney's Office said. Naomi LeGate, who also used the name Katy LeGate, has a warrant out for her arrest. LeGate worked at Redding Health Care on Hartnell Avenue and wrote prescriptions using Dr. Raymond Merlo's prescription pads between June 17, 2015, and Sept. 29, 2015, the District Attorney's Office alleges. "She's facing some jail time with these charges," said Anand 'Lucky' Jesrani, senior deputy district attorney. "It's clear she wasn't supposed to be writing prescriptions without a furnishing license," he said. LeGate's nursing license was already under probation from Santa Cruz County for similar charges, where she was specifically ordered by a judge not to possess medical prescription pads, practice medicine, prescribe medication, or be in possession of any medication that wasn't prescribed for her, authorities said. DA's office officials found that in September 2015, she ordered Bactrim DS, an antibiotic, and Ketamine, a general anesthetic for maintaining anesthesia, for two patients. At the time, she didn't possess a furnishing license, which would have allowed her to order medications for patients, the office said. According to a records search at the Department of Consumer Affairs, she obtained a furnishing license after she had written the prescription, on Oct. 2, 2015. Jesrani said it's undetermined at this time whether any patients were injured or harmed under her care. But he said LeGate's licensing issues date back to 2010. LeGate was issued a registered nursing license in 2008, and began her nursing career by working in various emergency departments in the Bay Area. She was investigated by the California Board of Registered Nursing in 2011 and admitted to withdrawing narcotics such as Dilaudid, Fentanyl, Ativan and morphine at multiple times while working at Marin General Hospital and Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in 2010, authorities said. She also forged a physician's signature while working at Children's Hospital and Research Center, and withdrew 10 milligrams of morphine for a patient, instead of the ordered 3 milligrams, authorities said. In the documents, LeGate stated that she "stockpiled" the drugs to help her sleep, but mostly "used them just to get high." She also said she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, according to the documents. The investigation also shows that in 2011 she obtained a prescription pad from the Davis Street Primary Care Clinic in San Leandro, and used the names of a physician assistant and another nurse practitioner to prescribe herself various skin creams, antibiotics, birth control and Celexa, which is used to treat depression. She continued to write prescriptions for herself using the name "Dr. J.O." from Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, and various other names through prescription pads obtained from Santa Cruz Family Doctors and Family Practice in Santa Cruz, documents show. During this time, LeGate wrote an antibiotic prescription for a patient by the name of "J.B." and prescribed Ambien, a sleeping aid, for her own brother, records show. After the findings, LeGate was sentenced to 180 days in jail in Santa Cruz County and her license as of January 2015 was revoked, and she was placed on three years' probation. She began attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings and was also ordered to undergo physical and mental health examinations, abstain from "mood-altering" drugs, submit to random drug testing and enter into a counseling or therapy program. Officials with the Department of Consumer Affairs said they've have placed a "cease and desist" on her license and are reviewing new information they've received. David Bishop was sentenced in Shasta County Superior Court to 16 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in January to five felony counts of child molestation. SHARE By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight The former senior pastor of the First United Pentecostal Church in Redding was sentenced Thursday to 16 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in January to five felony counts of child molestation. David Leon Bishop, 65, did not make any comments during his sentencing. Bishop was arrested in early October and charged with 47 felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 14, as well as 47 related enhancements. He pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd and lascivious conduct in exchange for the 16-year prison sentence. Bishop could have faced life in prison if convicted on all the charges, said Shasta County Deputy District Attorney Ben Hanna, who prosecuted the case. Bishop had been pastor of the First United Pentecostal Church on East Cypress Avenue, now called the Hope Center, since the early 1970s. But he resigned several months ago after the alleged child molestation accusations began to surface. An investigative report released by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office last year said that Bishop telephoned a social worker with Child Protective Services (CPS) on Jan. 28, 2008, and admitted to having fondled a child while she sat on his lap 25 years ago. The statute of limitations, however, has expired in that case. The district attorney's office cannot file child molestation charges if such incidents occurred before 1988, a prosecutor has said. But CPS later learned of allegations that Bishop had fondled another girl from the time she was about 7 until she was about 12 years old, the report said. She is now about 16, the sheriff's investigative report said. Bishop is also accused of molesting another girl, who is now an adult, Hanna has said. The Record Searchlight does not publish the names of sexual assault victims. Bishop must serve 85 percent of his sentence, or about 13.6 years, before he becomes eligible for parole. He will be on parole for five years upon release. Jim Schultz can be reached at 225-8223 or at jschultz@redding.com 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. SHARE By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight Shasta County Child Support Services wants the public's help in filling some backpacks with basics such as pencils, binders and other items for children heading back to school in August. August is Child Support Awareness Month and the backpack giveaway is open to families with an open case with the department. There are 11,600 open cases in Shasta County with families receiving some type of assistance from the department. So far there are only 20 to 25 backpacks in the Child Support Services lobby, according to Director Terri Morelock. A majority of those backpacks were filled by staff members and Morelock said it had not crossed her mind to go to the public with the giveaway until a recent meeting. Morelock discussed what her department has planned for the month at a board of supervisors meeting and Chairman Pam Giacomini asked where backpack donations could be sent. Then it clicked with Morelock to go outside of the office for more supplies. "It became clear that we could ask the public. After we made that clear at the board meeting a woman brought in supplies," said Morelock. The last day for families to apply for the giveaway is Aug. 5 and winners will be drawn on Aug. 10. The department will accept items until 5 p.m. on Aug. 9. Donations can be dropped off at the Child Support Services office at 2600 Park Marina Drive in Redding. Families can also pick up applications to be entered into the drawing. Staff could have asked local businesses to donate or participate in the giveaway, but Morelock said because her department is not a charity there would be no tax write off to show for the donation. "This is just a chance for people to take care of the children of Shasta County," she said. California has the highest child poverty rate in the country and Shasta County has 38,906 children, with 26 percent living below the poverty line, Morelock said. The department determines paternity as well as collects and distributes child support. In the most recent fiscal year the department collected $19.63 million in child support. "When you look at the state as whole, we have a lot of parents with children who are trying to make ends meet and they have an obligation to pay child support. Some people have a difficult time meeting that due to circumstances of the economy going south or they lost jobs or they are trying to take care of a family financially and emotionally." To help What: Donations of school supplies and backpacks sought for backpacks to give to kids. Where: Shasta County Department of Child Support Services, 2600 Park Marina Drive. When: Backpacks and school supplies can be donated until 5 p.m. Aug. 9. For more information: Call 229-8816 Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight Firefighters extinguish a vehicle fire on Caterpillar Road in north Redding on Thursday afternoon. The flatbed trailer, which was hauling industrial generators, caught fire about 4:10 p.m. Firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection put out the fire at 4:30 p.m. SHARE Flatbed trailer catches fire Firefighters put out a vehicle fire on Caterpillar Road in north Redding on Thursday afternoon. A flatbed trailer hauling industrial generators caught fire on Caterpillar Road, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection put out the fire at 4:30 p.m. Fire crews hosed down the trailer. There is no official cause for the fire at this time. Eight-vehicle pileup injures seven people California Highway Patrol officers said a pileup on southbound Interstate 5 at North Street in Anderson on Thursday afternoon was a chain-reaction crash caused by one initial collision involving two vehicles. Seven people were injured and were either treated at the scene or taken to local hospitals, the CHP said. Two passenger cars that collided about 3:30 p.m. blocked the roadway, the CHP said. As a result, six other vehicles collided into one another while attempting to slow down and stop. An investigation is ongoing to determine collision details. Officers said they don't believe impairment is to blame for any of the crashes. In addition to the CHP, the incident was handled by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Anderson police and fire departments, the California Department of Transportation, three towing companies and emergency medical response teams. The freeway's southbound lanes were blocked, leading to a traffic backup for about 5 miles between North Street and a few miles south of the South Bonnyview Road off-ramp, Caltrans said. The southbound lanes reopened about 4:45 p.m., but it took a while for traffic to get back up to speed. Jury indicts pair on pot-growing counts Two men were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of growing marijuana on national forest land. Agents seized from two sites more than 14,700 marijuana plants. Antonio Guadalupe Lopez-Garcia and Pedro Madriz Rodrigues, both 57, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cultivate marijuana and cultivating marijuana in separate cases, acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced Thursday. Lopez-Garcia's arrest came July 11 after Talbert said he was found working at a grow site with about 8,000 marijuana plants in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Screwdriver Creek. The case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. Rodrigues' arrest happened four days later on July 15 at a cultivation site in the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County near Cody Creek. Investigators with the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife, and the North State Marijuana Investigation Task Force found about 6,700 marijuana plants. Lopez-Garcia and Rodrigues are Mexican nationals. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison and fines of $2 million each. Woman sentenced for identity theft U.S. Department of Justice officials said a Montague woman has been sentenced to two years in prison for an identity-theft scheme that included stealing mail from a slew of Siskiyou County post offices. Stacy Miranda Phillips, 29, was sentenced Thursday by Judge Troy L. Nunley and also ordered to pay $2,163 in restitution to the U.S. Postal Service over aggravated identity theft, said Office of the U.S. Attorney Eastern District of California spokeswoman Lauren Horwood. Horwood said Phillips conspired with others between September and December 2015 to steal from Siskiyou County banks and merchants by taking mail and property to get personal information. Phillips stole mail from post offices in Hornbrook, Grenada and Montague in the process, Horwood said. After obtaining victims' signatures, PINs, account numbers and more, Phillips got cash from their accounts and also tried to open a credit card under the identity of a Weed victim, Horwood said. CHP: DUI driver arrested in crash A drunken driver crashed a truck into a utility pole at 9:12 p.m. Wednesday, taking out power for customers near Big League Dreams on Old Oregon Trail, officials said. The driver of a Chevy pickup drifted off the road on Old Oregon Trail while driving south, rolled the vehicle and crashed into a utility pole, the California Highway Patrol said. The driver, Michael S. Jackson Jr., 33, of Palo Cedro, told officers he drank before getting into his truck, and the CHP also said he showed signs of being impaired. Jackson had an elbow injury and, after receiving first aid, was arrested. A PG&E spokesperson said that about 1,200 customers lost power Wednesday night and that full power was restored by 5 a.m. Thursday. The pole and lines were knocked down in the crash but were being replaced Thursday morning. Fire burns home off Highway 299 Firefighters extinguished a fire that engulfed a 1,200-square-foot home on Holiday Way and Highway 299. The fire was reported around 4:30 p.m., according to scanner reports. Mark Mack, fire captain with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said one firefighter suffered a "heat-related injury." The cause of the fire still is under investigation. Kayak overturns; woman rescued A kayaker was thrown into the water of the Sacramento River on Thursday afternoon and needed to be rescued from the shore. The kayaker, Lucie Hambergerora, 25, of Pizen, Czech Republic, held onto the bushes on the bank after her kayak overturned and she was thrown into the water near Kutras Lake, said Sgt. Rob Sandbloom of the Shasta County Sheriff's Office Boating Safety Unit. Hambergerora was wearing a life jacket while she held onto the bushes of the bank but could not free her kayak, which was submerged in the water. It was the fast water that initially threw her into the bushes of the bank. That's when she began to yell for help, Sandbloom said. Hambergerora was the last in a group of kayakers, and she tried to swim to them, but the water was too cold. She was able to swim to shore, and that is where Redding firefighters and sheriff's deputies found her. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office remind people boating on the Sacramento River to be aware of their surroundings and to always wear a life jacket. In this July 25, 2016, photo, a supporter for former Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., holds up a sign during the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. As Democrats rally around Hillary Clinton, the lingering Bernie or Bust movement is stirring frustration at the Democratic convention among delegates of color, who say theyre upset at the refusal of the Vermont senators most fervent backers to fall in line behind the partys nominee. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) SHARE By Bartholomew Sullivan, USA TODAY PHILADELPHIA Bernie Sanders' delegate Karen Stevens of Thousand Oaks broke down in tears Thursday afternoon as she contemplated returning home without a victory, cheated, she said, by a Democratic National Committee intent on making Hillary Clinton its standard bearer. Im under a lot of pressure, the semiretired 59-year-old psychologist said while taking a smoking break outside the Wells Fargo Center. Were being cheated. Were being treated like this because the DNC doesnt like our candidate. She was summoned early to the convention venue by groundless rumors that Sanders' delegates would be denied their seats during the final night of the four-day partisan celebration. We want corporate Wall Street influence out but its pay-to-play in this country and we want it to stop, she said. I had a Democratic Party person call me today to say I was hurting the candidate, she said. People want integrity. This is why we want to elect somebody who speaks for us. Anyone with any intelligence will tell you we dont have a seat at the table, she said. The California Democratic Party breakfasts show big screen logotypes for the variety of corporate underwriters of the convention, which include oil, bio-engineering and insurance companies. The optics are a problem, she said, smiling, noting shes staying in a party-designated $729-a-night room. I dont want to take down the party, she added. But the party can do better. She said she hated returning to California having let down her 28- and 23-year-old kids. I have to leave them something or my time here has been a waste. Asked about Hillary Clintons historic nomination, she paused and said the nomination of a powerhouse woman was long overdue. It wasnt altogether clear she meant that woman is Clinton. * * * After the balloons and confetti dropped but before the conventions final benediction, state Assemblyman Luis Alejo of Salinas offered some thoughts on the evening: It was a historic night. To see the first woman accept the nomination it makes all of our children and our families proud. Now we want to make sure she wins in November. * * * As balloons popped around her, Mary Jane Sanchez, a community college trustee from Palm Springs, called the evening a dream come true. She said that some efforts to disrupt the proceedings appeared to come from the upper rows of the California delegation that had been identified early on and surrounded by party-appointed crowd control officials in lime green vests. From the vantage of the floor in front of the California delegation seated in the stands, it sounded like a small group was shouting No More War every few minutes, but their chant was immediately drowned out with much of the arena erupting in chants of Hill-a-ry! Hill-a-ry! The protests did not appear to affect Clinton or delay her steady delivery. While most in the crowd held signs, such as Clinton-Kaine or the trademark letter H with the blue arrow pointing to the right some in several delegations waved non-conformist anti-Trans-Pacific Partnership or anti-fracking posters. We have a lot of dissention in the California delegation, Sanchez conceded. A lot of people were saddened by the loss of their candidate (Sanders). We have to unite and make America stronger. * * * U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley of Westlake Village took in the spectacle and wore a broad smile at the end. It was a really extraordinary, exhilarating night, she said. The mission is clear. This is an extremely important election for the country. We say that at every election but this one is extraordinary. Were at the tipping point and we need to push forward for the greatness of our country. On Trump, I think she got the message across very clearly, Brownley said. Theres a big difference between Trump and Hillary Clinton and I think people are beginning to understand what those differences are. * * * Gabriela Gonzalez, 42, of Downey, attended a climate event before the session got under way Thursday and talked of 17 years as a public school teacher and a career prior to that inspecting garment workers conditions in South America and Asia. She said some of the younger Sanders' delegates appeared to have a demand for instant gratification, and were unfamiliar with the value of steady progress toward a goal. Delegation breakfast speaker Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor and DNC chairman, appeared to be delivering a similar message Thursday morning. He said students couldnt imagine a black president when he was a college freshman in 1968 but 40 years later he saw Barack Obama elected. Change doesnt come overnight, he said. We didnt get there taking our marbles and going home. When you dont win, you fight another day. * * * Another former DNC chairman, Terry McAuliffe, the governor of Virginia, illustrated a similar point about persistence in working toward a goal at Thursdays breakfast. When a court recently said he could not restore voting rights to former felons en masse, he said had another option. He was returning to Richmond Friday to begin restoring those rights to 206,000 people, individually. * * * The Democratic Party invited some guests to its breakfasts and some guests invited themselves. Victoria Thompson, 56, an AFL-CIO union organizer, walked in Thursday morning with a Jill Stein sign pinned to a green shirt. Stein is the Green Partys presidential candidate. She was asked to leave. * * * Tom Steyer, a former San Francisco-based hedge fund manager and philanthropist, said by phone Thursday he is going to work on a three-pronged approach to the coming elections, with a major effort to get 7 million unregistered voters onto the rolls in California to affect down-ballot races; reaching out to Millennials on energy and climate issues; and working with families of color on economic, environmental and racial justice issues. * * * While listeners to WHYY, the public radio affiliate in Philadelphia, heard of delays and road closures, inconveniences and headaches caused by the Democratic National Convention in the oppressive heat punctuated with heavy thunderstorms this week, Cradle of Liberty native Daisy James, 74, was welcoming strangers to the convention at the Broad Street subways City Hall station. Every time I see a visitor, I ask them are they comfortable with the city, the impromptu civic booster said after first importuning a visitor for guidance in getting access to the Wells Fargo Center. Im interested in talking to people from out of town. The retired florist watched President Obamas speech on CNN Wednesday. Oh, it was wonderful, she said. Of course he always speaks well. I was just savoring that this could be his last big speech. SHARE A kayaker was thrown into the water of the Sacramento River Thursday afternoon and needed to be rescued from the shore. The kayaker, Lucie Hambergerora, 25, of Pizen, Czech Republic, held onto the bushes on the bank after her kayak overturned and she was thrown into the water near Kutras Lake, said Sgt. Rob Sandbloom with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office Boating Safety Unit. Hambergerora was wearing a life jacket while she held onto the bushes of the bank, but could not fee her kayak which was submerged in the water. It was the fast water that initially threw her into the bushes of the bank. That is when she began to yell for help, said Sandbloom. Hambergerora was the last in a group of kayaers and she tried to swim to them, but the water of the Sacramento River was too cold. She was able to swim to shore and that is where the Redding Fire and Sheriff's Office Boating Safety Unit found her. The Shasta County Sheriff's Office remind people traveling on the Sacramento River to be aware of their surroundings and to always wear a life jacket. SHARE By Scott Mobley Donna Stapp will be the first to tell you she wasn't a stellar Redding Electric Utility customer. Stapp - who moved to Shasta Lake in November - routinely paid "in the pink," or during the 15-day extension between the first delinquent notice and the final disconnection notice. But she'd never missed a payment. Last summer, Stapp was traveling. And then her grandchildren were visiting. She did not notice the final disconnection warning in the mail following her unpaid $350 utility bill. The city shut off her power one August day. And when Stapp went to City Hall to pay up, REU demanded $800 in late fees, new deposits and reconnection fees before it would restore service. "I did not pay the bill," Stapp said. "I was wrong because I did not pay the bill. But I never expected to have to pay $800 to get my power back. I did not have it." The city had refused to let Stapp break the deposit payment into chunks, since she already had a checkered credit history with REU. Stapp considers herself fortunate compared to many Redding utility customers who fall behind on their payments. As an American Indian, she was able to come up with the money needed to restore power with help from the Redding Rancheria. Quick to disconnect Redding disconnects power for nonpayment far more swiftly than Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which serves the city of Anderson and unincorporated Shasta County. PG&E does not impose late fees but tries to work out payment arrangements with customers, spokesman Paul Moreno said. Shasta Lake Electric Utility is even quicker to shut off service for nonpayment than Redding, though its late fees aren't quite as steep. Redding's stringency toward late-paying customers is necessary to keep rates lower in the long run, officials say. "The city of Redding is not an investor-owned utility, so there are no shareholder dollars to offset uncollectible amounts," said Paul Hauser, REU director. "The burden of any uncollectible debt ultimately falls on all our utility customers." Helping customers Like all public and private utilities in California, REU is required to devote some of its ratepayer money to programs that help lower-income customers avoid shutoff for nonpayment. REU's expenditures to help lower-income customers pay their bills and lower their electricity consumption went from $318,000 in 2007 to $583,000 in 2008, or an 83 percent increase, Hauser said. The process Redding utility customers must pay their bills within 20 days to avoid the pink "account delinquent" notice with a $16 late fee. Customers can incur that late fee three times each year and still stay in good standing, said Bernie Fargen, customer service manager for REU. If the bill is still unpaid after 15 days, the city will mail out a red final disconnection notice with an additional $20 late fee. The city will disconnect seven days later if the bill's still unpaid, or 44 days after the bill is created and mailed. The account is turned over to code enforcement for possible abatement three to five days after shutoff. Shasta Lake will disconnect for an unpaid bill after 41 days. For PG&E, the shut-off comes 58 days after the bill is mailed at minimum. Redding customers wanting their power restored must pay their closing bill or past-due balance, any outstanding debt, a deposit that's double their average monthly utility bill and a $50 reconnection fee ($89 for after hours). Redding earns interest on the deposits, which City Council policy requires for service that's reset after disconnection. Customers may provide a certificate of deposit or savings passbook to keep the interest earned. Otherwise, the city credits cash deposits to a customer's account without the interest, said Hauser, REU director. The city's electric, water, sewer, storm drain and solid waste utilities collected $2.1 million in late fees last year, Hauser said. All those dollars go into the city's general fund, he said. Redding's late fees and deposit requirement are too high for the customers who struggle most to pay their bills, said Stapp, the former city utility customer. "They need to be more flexible," Stapp said. "They are a public utility, not a bank." Hauser said the fees are necessary to encourage customers to pay their bills on time. "If fewer customers pay on time, this increases the cost to serve all utility customers," Hauser said. Reporter Scott Mobley can be reached at 225-8220 or at smobley@redding.com. Cash-strapped utility customers facing shut-off can turn to at least a half-dozen organizations and agencies for help, including the utilities themselves. Go to your utility before shut-off: Try to negotiate smaller payments on a past-due bill (provided you can pay what's due that month). Pacific Gas & AElectric Co. customers can spread such payments over an entire year. City of Redding customers in good financial standing (no more than three late payments per year) can spread deposits over three months and large payments over 36 months. Try to postpone the shut-off date if you know you will have the money a couple of days later. Go in person to the utility company if you're facing shut-off. For financial help before utilities are shut off: The Golden Umbrella Power to Seniors Program (223-6034) can help seniors 62 or over. Salvation Army (222-2207) can help Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and city of Shasta Lake customers who face unexpected expenses (medical, car repair, job or income loss) but would otherwise be able to pay their bill. The CARES program (339-7200) can offer up to $200 in assistance to Redding customers whose income qualify, have Asuffered a temporary financial hardship and can pay the non-electric portion of their utilities. Assistance is available once every two years. Self Help Home Improvement Project, or SHHIP (378-6900) administers the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Alocally. HEAP can provide shut-off prevention funds when funding is available. Redding Rancheria (225-8979) provides financial assistance for Native American customers. If power is already shut off: SHHIP (378-6900) can pay reconnection fees and past-due bills when funds are available. The California Public Utilities Commission (1-800-649-7570) can help PG&E customers who require utilities for medical reasons but cannot pay their bills. People of Progress (243-3811) may also be able to help customers who must have power for medical reasons. "The best darn change-maker I ever met in my entire life." So said Bill Clinton in making the case for his wife at the Democratic National Convention. Considering that Bernie Sanders ran as the author of a political revolution and Donald Trump as the man who would "kick over the table" (to quote Newt Gingrich) in Washington, "change-maker" does not exactly make the heart race. Which is the fundamental problem with the Clinton campaign. What precisely is it about? Why is she running in the first place? Like most dynastic candidates (most famously Ted Kennedy in 1979), she really doesn't know. She seeks the office because, well, it's the next the final step on the ladder. Her campaign's premise is that we're doing OK but we can do better. There are holes to patch in the nanny-state safety net. She's the one to do it. It amounts to Sanders lite. Or the short-lived Bush slogan: "Jeb can fix it." We know where that went. The one man who could have given the pudding a theme, who could have created a plausible Hillaryism was Bill Clinton. Rather than do that the way in Cleveland Gingrich shaped Trump's various bar stool eruptions into a semi-coherent program of national populism Bill gave a long chronological account of a passionate liberal's social activism. It was an attempt, I suppose, to humanize her. Well, yes. Perhaps, after all, somewhere in there is a real person. But what a waste of Bill's talents. It wasn't exactly Clint Eastwood speaking to an empty chair, but at the end you had to ask: Is that all there is? He grandly concluded with this: "The reason you should elect her is that in the greatest country on earth we have always been about tomorrow." Is there a rhetorical device more banal? Trump's acceptance speech was roundly criticized for offering a dark, dystopian vision of America. For all of its exaggeration, however, it reflected well the view from Fishtown, the fictional white working-class town created statistically by social scientist Charles Murray in his 2012 study "Coming Apart." It chronicled the economic, social and spiritual disintegration of those left behind by globalization and economic transformation. Trump's capture of the resultant feelings of anxiety and abandonment explains why he enjoys an astonishing 39-point advantage over Clinton among whites without a college degree. His solution is to beat up on foreigners for "stealing" our jobs. But while trade is a factor in the loss of manufacturing jobs, even more important, by a large margin, is the emergence of an information economy in which education, knowledge and various kinds of literacy are the coin of the realm. For all the factory jobs lost to Third World competitors, far more are lost to robots. Hard to run against higher productivity. Easier to run against cunning foreigners. In either case, Clinton has found no counter. If she has a theme, it's about expanding opportunity, shattering ceilings. But the universe of discriminated-against minorities so vast 50 years ago is rapidly shrinking. When the burning civil rights issue of the day is bathroom choice for the transgendered, a flummoxed Fishtown understandably asks, "What about us?" Telling coal miners she was going to close their mines and kill their jobs only reinforced white working-class alienation from Clinton. As for the chaos abroad, the Democrats are in see-no-evil denial. The first night in Philadelphia, there were 61 speeches. Not one mentioned the Islamic State or even terrorism. Later references were few, far between and highly defensive. After all, what can the Democrats say? Clinton's calling card is experience. Yet as secretary of state she left a trail of policy failures from Libya to Syria, from the Russian reset to the Iraqi withdrawal to the rise of the Islamic State. Clinton had a strong second half of the convention as the Sanders revolt faded and as President Obama endorsed her with one of the finer speeches of his career. Yet Trump's convention bounce of up to 10 points has given him a slight lead in the polls. She badly needs one of her own. She still enjoys the Democrats' built-in Electoral College advantage. But she remains highly vulnerable to both outside events and internal revelations. Another major terror attack, another email drop and everything changes. In this crazy election year, there are no straight-line projections. As Clinton leaves Philadelphia, her lifelong drive for the ultimate prize is perilously close to a coin flip. Charles Krauthammer's email address is letters@charleskrauthammer.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group. How does the buzzed-about Hawaiian eatery in Wicker Park stack up? Mini-review: Mahalo 1501 N. Milwaukee Ave. 708-328-3091 Rating: ! 1/2 (out of four) Proceed with caution >>Read more about our ratings There's one restaurant I haven't been able to escape this summer. Every time I ask friends where they'd like to grab drinks or dinner the answer is almost always the same: Mahalo. By now, you too have probably heard about the trendy new Hawaiian fusion restaurant in Wicker Park. The pink neon lights and pineapple-clad tropical drinks are just too tempting to resist. Throw in a 1,000-square-foot rooftop escape, and most Chicagoans are helpless to its pull. I stopped in recently to find out if the hype is legit or a figment of my Instagram-fueled imagination. Mahalo in Wicker Park The scene: Sea-blue floors, mounted surfboards, pineapple-printed wallpaper and white-washed everything are all part of Mahalos initial charm. The airy space on the first floor is only made better when the massive windows are opened, allowing for top-notch people-watching courtesy of Milwaukee Avenue. The crowd itself is filled with rose-sipping, Snapchat-taking 20-somethings vying for a seat at the bar. My friend and I joined the club after putting our name on the 30-minute wait list with the hostess. After a round of cocktails (more on those later), we were escorted to a cozy table on the second floor. Decked out in matchy-matchy decor and string lights, the spacious dining room looked like a backdrop for a Tommy Bahama catalog photo shootand not in a good way. Though the decor at Mahalo feels cliche, I have to give the team credit for blasting open the space in a way that its beloved predecessor Bom Bolla did not. Theres a seat in every nook and cranny of the place, and you certainly wont hear me complaining about another rooftop option in Wicker Park. Passionate Margarita at Mahalo The drinks: Nothing makes me happier than tequila and bendy straws, and after spotting both at Mahalo, I had sky-high hopes on the booze front. I opted for the Hula Kula, a mix of gin, green Chartreuse and pineapple and lime juices, while my friend went for the Passionate Margarita ($13 each) with mezcal, triple sec, lime juice, demerara syrup, passion fruit puree and lava rock salt. While the presentation was phenomenal, both cocktails ultimately fell flat. Mine turned into a sticky, sugar-induced headache that I couldnt wait to finish, and my friends margarita tasted like a salt lick after five minutes as that fancy lava rock salt slid off the rim and into her drink. We both agreed to stick with wine the rest of the night, and the tailored list of nine by-the-glass choices made it easy to pick something fast and continue on with conversation. Coconut shrimp at Mahalo The food: The menu is divided into five user-friendly sections: pokes, pupus (appetizers), large plates, salads and sides. We started with tuna poke ($14), which is topped with green onion, macadamia nut, sesame seeds and strips of crispy nori. A stack of fried wonton pillows accompanied the dish, but Id be tempted to eat the decadent ruby-red hunks of tuna solo next time. Nest-like coconut shrimp ($15) proved to be another tasty starter option with fresh coconut, coconut cream sauce, tangy mango chutney and cilantro. A side of cold macaroni salad ($5) served only to soak up booze, but didnt impress beyond that. We opted to split the Huli Huli chicken ($18) as an entree, which was a good call considering the dish could easily feed three hungry humans. Though the charcoal-roasted Amish chicken was cooked to perfection, a candy-like sweet purple potato puree and coconut jus make the whole dish feel unsophisticated. Bottom line: After two disappointing visits to Mahalo, I wont be returning anytime soon. But if the neon lights and tropical drinks do pull you in, grab a spot at the bar and stick to wine, beer and appetizersif only for the Instagram. The board of directors will review the position of Vijay Mallya, under self-exile in Britain, at its next meeting on August 12. Vijay Mallya would continue to be chairman of United Breweries (UB), majority stake held by Dutch beverage maker Heineken, after a legal panel gave its affirmation for the liquor baron to continue in office. The board of directors will review the position of Mallya, under self-exile in Britain, at its next meeting on August 12. The Economic Times first reported the development, on Thursday. UB had sought legal opinion on Mallya's status after a notification by the Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said a person named a wilful defaulter could not be nominated to a board position. Mallya, who has been so named, has contested the Sebi move, saying that he's chairman and promoter of the company and did not require a nomination. Mallya holds 30.71 per cent stake in UB, personally or through his companies such as United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd and other investment arms. However, half of it is pledged with banks and financial institutions as collateral for loans taken to run the long-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Vijay Mallya saga: Complete Coverage Mallya, who once presided over the country's largest organised liquor and beverage empire, lost majority stake to global giants Diageo and Heineken after his airline venture went bankrupt in 2012. Mallya pledged most of his shares to repay dues, while still owing banks Rs 7,200 crore in unpaid loans. The banks, led by State Bank of India, have filed cases against Mallya in several courts to recover the money. Mallya is also being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering. And, the government has cancelled his passport, after he failed to respond to notices and jumped bail. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court asked Mallya why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him after he failed to honour its direction to disclose all his assets globally. HEAD OF BOARD? The board of directors will review the position of Vijay Mallya at its next meeting on Aug 12 UB had sought legal opinion on Mallyas status after a notification by Sebi said a person named a wilful defaulter could not be nominated to a board position Mallya has contested the Sebi move saying hes chairman and promoter of the company and did not require a nomination. He holds 30.71% stake in UB, personally or through his companies such as United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd and other investment arms. Services at around 80,000 branches in the country were hit on Friday as employees of public sector banks went on a one-day strike. IMAGE: Nationalised bank employees staged one-day token strike in Mumbai on Friday. Photograph: Sahil Salvi A day-long strike by public sector banks' employees to protest proposed merger of SBI associates with the parent and other issues is likely to affect transactions worth Rs 12,000 crore (Rs 120 billion) to Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 150 billion), Assocham has said. Services at around 80,000 branches in the country were hit on Friday as employees of public sector banks went on a one-day strike. The United Forum of Banks Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of nine bank employees and officers unions representing 8 lakh staffers, has gone ahead with the strike, affecting services like cheque clearances, cash deposit and withdrawal at branches and other facilities. "Public sector banks (PSBs) are already less profitable and have relatively higher ratios of non-performing assets (NPAs) compared to private sector banks. As such a complete halt of banking transactions following UFBU's decision to go on strike might result in significant losses," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said. Rawat termed banking sector reforms as the "need of the hour" with a view to revamp the functioning of the PSBs. Private sector banks like ICICI Bank, however, were working as usual. Most of the public sector banks including SBI had earlier informed their customers of inconvenience if strike materialises. IMAGE: Bank employees hold placards while rallying on their bikes during a nationwide bank strike in Ahmedabad. Photograph: PTI 40,000 bank employees in Bihar join nationwide strike About 40,000 employees of various public and private sector banks here joined the nationwide strike called by United Forum of Bank Unions. B Prasad, president of Bihar Bank Employees' Federation, said about 40,000 bank employees took part in the nationwide strike paralysing banking services in the state. Transactions to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore (Rs 30 billion) have got stuck due to the strike, he said. Prasad claimed that about 8,000 branches of nearly two dozen public and private sector banks remained closed during the day. The United Forum of Bank Unions have given a protest call against the merger and privatisation of public sector banks and "anti-workers" labour law reforms, besides rooting for effective steps to recover huge amounts of bad loans from the borrowers. IMAGE: Services at around 80,000 branches in the country were hit on Friday. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Strike: Bank ops hit in 4,000 branches in Andhra Pradesh,Telangana Services at around 4,000 bank branches in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were hit as employees of public sector banks went on a day's strike on Friday to protest proposed merger of SBI associates with the parent and other issues. All India Bank Employees Association Secretary B S Rambabu said clearing operations across the two states were paralysed as almost 70,000 employees working in various banks participated in the stir. "About 4,000 branches in both the states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) have been shut down today as part of the strike. Processions were held at all important locations throughout both the states," Rambabu told PTI. Around 20,000 employees working in 2,800 branches and offices of Andhra Bank across the country along with 10 lakh bank employees and officers participated in the nationwide bank strike, Andhra Bank Award Employees' Association said in a statement. The Association has demanded that the government take stringent measures to recover loans from defaulters and declare willful default of bank loans as criminal offence. IMAGE: The Association has demanded that the government take stringent measures to recover loans from defaulters. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Bank strike total in Bengal Banking operations came to standstill in some 15,000 bank branches in West Bengal due to one-day strike by the bank unions protesting against the government's measures and actions toward banking. "The strike was total across the state and nationwide. Some 15,000 bank branches remained closed," National Confederation of Bank Employees' Assistant General Secretary Debashish Basu Roy said. All India Reserve Bank Employees Association General Secretary Samir Ghosh said RBI cheque clearing activity also remained non-functional as participating banks were not present due to strike. The nine-bank unions under umbrealla of UBFU went on strike protesting against merger of SBI associates, proposed privaisation of IDBI Bank, consolidation and merger plan for the PSU banks, demanding disclosure of defaulters, stringent action for non-performing assets recovery and amendments in various acts impacting trade unions. Nationally, some 80,000 bank branches were affected due to strike. The new Ghostbusters movie is just what a reboot should be, says Raja Sen. Hang on to your hats, ghosts. Theres a brand new gunlickin gunslinger in town and she aint in the mood for prisoners. One other thing she aint is alone. Dr Jillian Holtzmann has friends alongside her on screen in the new Ghostbusters wearing proton packs of her own dangerous design but, more importantly, she and the fine comediennes rocking the boat in this warmly silly reboot are giving company to cosplaying girls everywhere who have wanted goofy heroes like this for so, so long. This is a gleefully dumb summer feature, unapologetically silly and often too smitten with its own leads in short, its what a big dumb shaggy-dog blockbuster should be. Only with ladies rocking the jumpsuits this time. The original Ghostbusters, from 1984, is a deliriously daft film raised occasionally to sublime heights by Bill Murray finding his groove. An actor finding his brilliance is a thing that happens gradually, over many a moment in many a movie, but Murray seemed to roller-skate into magnificence almost entirely at one go, and most of us watching Ghostbusters were privy to that bit of magic. Ivan Reitmans film is fine its crazily enjoyable and gets better with each viewing, and if you didnt see it in the eighties, well, youre never going to love it the same way but the actors were what made it sparkle, and the characters remain unforgettable. (Im an Egon man, myself.) Director Peter Feig understands that, and while his reboot celebrates women as well as the spirit(s?) of the original, it never tries to replicate the sparkle those gents conjured up. This film doesnt mimic the superb silences and slow-burn, rolled-eye jokes of the old film. Instead, it lets these wonderful ladies try on the suits and situations and let their hair down their own way. It turns out to be giddily, infectiously fun and frequently forgettable. This is not a film trying to be brilliant; instead, it stays simple while it breaks ground. It is as if Feig has made it his mission statement to tell the world with films like Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy that hey, women are allowed to be juvenile too. Like in the original, the plot is flimsy and peppered with gags. Like in the original, characters who believe in ghosts are laughed out by respectable naysayers. Like in the original, there is a Mayor who gets very hands-on with what our heroes are upto. Like in the original, Slimer is around, big and green and disgustingly infatuated with hotdogs only this time he is, rather unnecessarily, in 3D. (The 3D is a waste in Ghostbusters simply because Feig lays it on a bit too thick and the climax gets especially tedious and shouty, when all we really want is more of Kristen Wiig giggling at their sexy receptionist.) Speaking of which we need to talk about Kevin. A picture-perfect specimen of manhood and doltishness, Kevin the receptionist can barely handle picking up the phone, but is kept around (and shamelessly, repeatedly objectified) because of the way he looks. Played by Thor star Chris Hemsworth, this sounds like a simple dumb blond gag a gimmick even but because of the way Feig and Hemsworth commit to the sheer imbecility of the eye-candy-only character, the result is as hilarious as the jibe is well-deserved. Kevins bosses are Dr Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), Dr Erin Gilbert (Kirsten Wiig), the aforementioned Dr Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) and Patty (Leslie Jones). Each actress picks a flavour and sticks with it, and the cast mostly breezes through it. McCarthy, Feigs muse, has the straightest role but shes the one who makes exposition appear momentarily reasonable, and has a great, great line about soup; Wiig is awkward and only eventually enthusiastic, but she sounds wrong and tragically stupid whenever she uses Ghostbustin jargon; and Jones, broad and reckless, creates a character who knows New York and is thus the only one with street smarts. Like in the original, one Ghostbuster is much more memorable than the rest. A lot of this films players have come from Saturday Night Live, but Kate McKinnon is one of that shows finds I implore you to look up her Hillary Clinton sketches and in this film, as she describes potato chips as salty parabolas, she is unstoppable. Wearing a lopsided bouffant that looks styled in Pisa, her Holtzmann is a thing of loony energy and joyous abandon, a nutcase who would rather go nuclear than go home. Shes jawdroppingly good and I cant wait to see her again. Some people have an issue with women taking on roles originally written for men. The film addresses this fantastically by having the leading ladies read out (and get repulsed by) comments from online haters, but anyone who cant enjoy these women having a good time without even pretending to be Venkman and Stantz for such dimwitted reasons doesnt deserve to laugh with this film. It may not be a classic, but the laughs it earns are all its own. As you may have imagined, the original Ghostbusters all have cameos in this new film. Yes, even the late great Harold Ramis. We see him as a bronzed sculpture at Columbia University, smiling at this new film and, in many ways, that is the single greatest cameo ever. For it lets Egon Spengler live on as both ghost and bust. Rediff Rating: 'It should be of concern that some youth in Kashmir have started raising Daesh flags along with those of Pakistan.' IMAGE: CRPF troops move towards their camp as curfew was lifted after 17 days, at SafaKadal in Srinagar, July 26, 2016. Photograph: PTI Photo Curfew was lifted on Thursday, July 28, from across Kashmir, barring Anantnag town, following improvement in the situation in the aftermath of the violent clashes that broke out after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed on July 8. Radha Kumar was one of the interlocutors appointed by the United Progressive Alliance government on Jammu and Kashmir in 2010, after at least 120 youth were killed in clashes with security forces. Kumar, below, left, tells Aditi Phadnis what India should do for the state where 47 people have died in the last month alone. You were part of a committee appointed by the UPA government on Kashmir. You conducted extensive interviews and made several recommendations which, if they had been followed, could have brought some semblance of normalcy to the state. Tell us what the report said. We were appointed at a terrible moment for the Kashmir Valley, when close to 120 youth had died. Our task was to engage with all sections in the state and suggest both short-term and long-term measures to end the conflict. We visited all 22 districts in the state and met government and civil society representatives across the opinion spectrum. We also sought inputs from people residing in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, who have their own grievances. The key conclusion of the report: Though the Kashmir Valley had pulled back from the brink of greater conflict, the situation remained volatile with the youth likely to erupt again and perhaps take to the gun. Therefore, a renewed peace process was urgently required, beginning with a series of political, security, human rights and economic confidence-building measures. Is a new Kashmiri militant on the rise? If so, why has the youth opted for militancy? There is a new Kashmiri militant insofar as it is a new generation of youth that is picking up the gun. Like the earlier generation, some are educated but most only partially (the recently slain Burhan Wani dropped out in Class 10 to become a militant). They also seem to be younger than the earlier generation of militants when the latter picked up the gun. They are using social media for recruitment and publicity -- something the earlier generation did not have access to. This new wave of militancy has elements of Islamic militancy and is also a protest against the Indian State. As interlocutors we held a meeting with the youth in Sopore. I was struck by how little they knew about Kashmiri Islam; for them, Wahhabi Islam was the one true path. On the other hand, very few Kashmiri militants or their supporters call for a caliphate; Unlike Islamic State, they have not yet filmed themselves in acts of gross brutality, though they have engaged in them, for example, by murdering sarpanches. Why is the Kashmiri youth opting for militancy once again? What happened in 2010 could be a reason: Seeing 120 youngsters like themselves die could have pushed some of them over the edge, given that there are active recruiters for militancy all over the valley. But at present the number of youth taking up militancy is still relatively small. The real problem is the swell of street militancy -- stone throwers and their supporters. Public support for militants and protesters had dropped to a trickle; now it appears to have spread throughout south Kashmir and even parts of Doda and Kishtwar. For us, as Indians, the most important issue should be to recognise and amend the behaviour of the Indian State, including its image in the valley. The death of at least 30 Kashmiris and injuries to hundreds of others, including poilcemen, should be unacceptable. Those who ask why Wani was allowed a public funeral when he had killed Kashmiri sarpanches have a point; but those who ask why the police were not equipped to better deter angry mobs have an equally strong, if not stronger, point. When we wrote the report in 2011, we opened by saying that we should resolve that such deaths would never happen again. But six years later we seem to be there again. Kashmir has a legislature. It has panchayats and local self governance. It has members of Parliament and Union ministers. How much autonomy is enough autonomy? Panchayats are not an issue of autonomy; they are an issue of governance. The Panchayati Raj institutions have not been empowered yet, though the elections took place six years ago. This is a massive failure of the state government. More than 20 sarpanches have been killed by militants. The government cannot protect all 30,000 sarpanches, but it can empower them to carry out their duties. If they are seen to perform, local support will offer them protection. Regarding the legislature and elected government, we have a long history of New Delhi's political 'interference' -- from the imprisonment of Sheikh Abdullah when he was chief minister to the propping up of proteges rather than accountable governments. For the past 28 years, the state has been in a situation of both cross-border and internal armed conflict, in which the first casualties have been the institutions of governance. The state is dependent on New Delhi for economic aid as well as security. In such a situation, democracy does not hold sway, either between the people and the state government or between New Delhi and Srinagar, and the state is seen as being ruled by New Delhi, not by its own elected government. Regional political parties such as the National Conference have a long list of areas in which the original autonomy provisions of the Indian Constitution as well as the state constitution have been rolled back. I believe that many of those provisions are no longer valid, but there has never been a free and frank discussion between the state and the central leadership on whether the amendments/rollbacks were necessary and acceptable. Some of these issues have been dealt with in the Agenda of Alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Peoples Democratic Party, but no action has been taken on them. In the current geopolitical situation -- different locii of power in Pakistan, disturbances in Afghanistan, and the rise of Daesh (Islamic State) -- where do you see militancy in Kashmir heading? In the immediate sense, Pakistan will continue to seek turmoil and violence in the Valley. The different locii of power in Pakistan do not really matter as far as we are concerned, as the Pakistan military are in charge of India policy and thus far no civilian leader has been able to change that equation; Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is not even trying. The rise of Daesh and the situation in Afghanistan both have an impact. It should be of concern that some youth in Kashmir have started raising Daesh flags along with those of Pakistan. More importantly, it was already forecast that the drawdown in Afghanistan and the pressure that would then fall on Pakistan to deliver the Taliban to peace talks might lead that country to escalate cross-border militancy. However, let me stress again that we can marginalise Pakistan if we ourselves take the political healing touch and security steps required. Pakistan acquired a foothold in the valley due to our omissions in the 1980s. Having compounded those omissions exponentially in the years that followed, the task of getting Pakistan out is far more difficult than before. We have a strength that we have failed to use adequately: The fact that there is great disaffection in Pakistan-held Jammu and Kashmir (especially in the Neelum valley and Baltistan) due to the coercive policies of the Pakistan government. Highlighting Pakistan's own behaviour and the need to address grievances there will, over time, lead Pakistanis to de-escalate their Kashmir policy. This was one lever that worked during the 2004-2007 period. IMAGE: Dalits at a protest rally against the Una incident in Ahmedabad Photograph: PTI 'If Modi sincerely thinks that Dalits are also Hindus then spread this message to the entire nation through programmes like Mann Ki Baat.' 'We would love to listen to the PM tell the nation to look upon us as fellow Indians and human beings.' Subodh Parmar, a member and spokesperson of the Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti, which plans to bring one million Dalits to Ahmedabad on Sunday, July 31, and submit a charter of demands to the Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, speaks with Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore. What are your five major demands? Whenever those arrested in the Una attack on Dalits get bail they should be arrested again as per provisions of PASA (Prevention of Anti-Social Activities) Act so that not only these people but nobody else will dare to commit such crimes against humanity. These gaurakshaks have terrorised Gujarati society. Not all the people who are seen in the videos that have gone viral have been arrested. If you look at the way these attacks were carried against Dalits it reeks of a pre-planned conspiracy. The police and the sarpanch were also involved and hence they should also be arrested and tried in a court of law. We have now decided to end to the undignified job of skinning dead animals, for which we are being attacked. As it will be a question of our livelihood then, we are demanding land for those rendered jobless. Our economy depends on skinning of animals; we do not own any land. The fourth demand is that safai karmacharis, who too are engaged in such inhuman and undignified sources of livelihood, and who are not even getting minimum wages guaranteed by various laws of the land, should also get the benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations and instead of employing them as contractual labourers, they should be made permanent. The final demand is the government should make provisions for giving housing units to Dalits in urban areas because even after Independence Dalits have been socially boycotted, discriminated against and exploited socially, economically and sexually in Gujarat's villages. Casteism in villages is extremely high. We are not allowed to enter temples, we are not given rations and food; and if we raise our voices for our fundamental rights, the upper caste people in the village boycott us socially. We want the government to build housing colonies for Dalits in urban areas. Will such urban housing colonies for Dalits end casteism in Gujarat/India? Do you think Dalits will be accepted by people living in urban areas? Yes, that may not happen in urban areas. If you look at instances of such exploitation and casteism they are more prevalent in rural areas. In rural areas, those who own the capital, the land, hold sway over lower castes. If we are resettled in urban areas then as per Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's views we will be spared of caste atrocities. How many Dalits from Gujarat do you plan to bring to Ahmedabad on July 31 to push your charter of demands to the Anandiben Patel government? Not just from Gujarat but people from outside Gujarat too will be joining us in our protest. As per our estimates there will be around 8 lakh to 10 lakh (800,000 to 1 million) people coming to Ahmedabad this Sunday. We are making all the efforts to get more than a million people there and are confident that at least 10 lakh people will come. What if the government doesn't accept all these five demands? The government will have to accept (these demands). For ages we are facing such injustices and brutalities. If they can sit across the table and accept the demands of Patidars (Patels, who have been agitating since last August for reservations in government jobs and admissions to government colleges) -- to give them 10 per cent reservation under economically backward class category -- then why can't they accept our demands? Who will be responsible for a law and order problem, if any, on July 31? That will be solely the responsibility of the government (of Gujarat). Why shouldn't the organisers also be equally responsible if there is breakdown of law and order? It is entirely our responsibility that we will not let such a thing (breakdown of law and order) happen, but I am sure the government will incite the demonstrators or create such conditions to taint us. But if our demands are not accepted in the coming days then anything can happen; and then we will not take any responsibility because what will happen next will entirely depend on this government. We have called this demonstration under Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti, an umbrella for around 3,000 Dalit organisations across Gujarat, and if the government doesn't accept our demands, then we will also be pondering over, though we have not given it a serious thought yet, converting to some other religion and get rid of the stigma of being Dalits in a democratic country like India. Why should we remain Hindus when we are just Hindus for the sake of symbolism, but do not enjoy the rights and benefits like other Hindus? Why should we belong to a religion that doesn't accept us as one among them and give us dignity and respect? They (upper caste people) do not consider us Hindus and torture us brutally for doing a job they will never ever do in their lives and that happens because our varna vyavastha (caste system) has been designed with Dalits at the bottom of the caste pyramid. Shudra main bhi hum ati shudra hai (We, the people who skin dead animals, are at the lowermost rung in the caste system). Whatever happens now, you have decided that you will not engage in skinning or burying dead cows? Yes, 100 per cent. Who then, will do this job? That will be THE government's responsibility. What are the reasons for the Dalits of Gujarat to organise themselves in such large numbers and so spontaneously like they have never done after Independence? In Mehsana district alone, in the last six months, Dalits have been socially boycotted in four villages. Two of these villages are just about 15 km from the village that our country's current prime minister hails from (Vadnagar): they are Nortol and Nandali. Abhrampura, which is about 3 km away from the village of the Gujarat chief minister, has also seen a similar social boycott of Dalits; the fourth village Bechar, in Becharaji taluka, and falls under the constituency of Gujarat's Minister of State for Home Rajnikantbhai Patel. The upper caste people in all these four villages have been obeying a boycott of Dalits since the last six months. Again, in Rajula, the upper castes tried to burn alive four Dalits a few months ago, but that case has been suppressed because of political pressure. The video of the beating of Dalits by gaurakshaks in Una finally sparked a spontaneous protest. What message do you, as somebody who has plans to organise almost a million Dalits in Gujarat, have for the chief minister of Gujarat and prime minister? For decades politicians have been coming to Dalits only for their votes and have brought no systemic changes for their welfare. We only request the chief minister and the prime minister to think about our welfare too. Please stop those symbolic lunches, dinners and tea-drinking sessions at the houses of Dalits before the elections. Please accept our five demands. If both of you sincerely think that Dalits are also Hindus then we request you to spread this message to the entire nation through programmes like Mann Ki Baat. More than Hindus we would love to listen the chief minister and the prime minister call upon the nation to look upon us as fellow Indians and human beings and not Dalits of India or people of India belonging to a particular religion. We believe in humanity and if you too believe in humanity, then why aren't you raising your voice against the inhuman treatment meted out to Dalits? Why do you think the prime minister has not spoken against the atrocities against Dalits so far? Dalits were subjected to a lot of inhumanities not just in Gujarat, but across many other states belonging to those ruled by the Congress and other regional parties? He hasn't yet spoken because he doesn't have any place for Dalits in his heart. So, how will he talk about us in his Mann Ki Baat? If you remember Amit Shah (the Bharatiya Janata Party president) bathed with Dalit sadhus in the recent Kumbh Mela. I am surprised these politicians manage to get caste equations even among sadhus. Once a person becomes a sadhu he shreds himself of all material aspects of existence and people like Amit Shah bathe with them just to appease Dalits. If they can bathe with sadhus, then Una, which has now become a national stigma, has not seen any words of comfort from Shah or Modi. 'I just did my duty,' says the captain, who will become the first woman in history to receive the International Maritime Organisation Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for her dramatic rescue. Nikita Puri reports. IMAGE: Captain of the Sampurna Swarajya, Radhika Menon was the first Indian woman to command a merchant ship. Photograph: @m_lekhi/Twitter Amid reports of fishermen drowning in the turbulent Bay of Bengal last year, the second officer of the Sampurna Swarajya, an oil products tanker, spotted a boat off the coast of Gopalpur, Odisha. Following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather, this fishing boat called Durgamma had long lost sight of the shore after it drifted away from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. The seven men on the boat -- the youngest, a boy of 15, and the oldest a 50 year old -- had given up any hope of survival. All their food and water had been washed away, and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage. Back on the shore, when these men hadn't returned from the sea for a week, their families had already considered them to be lost. Sampurna Swarajya's Captain Radhika Menon was not deterred by the waves that rose up to 25 feet; she wasted no time in ordering a rescue operation amidst winds that hollered at 60 knots and as heavy rains lashed down on the tumultuous sea. "Rescue operations at sea are not easy because of many reasons," explains Menon's other half, Praveen Venugopal. "When you try to approach a smaller boat, like it was in this case, the boat could have rammed into the ship and broken. Visibility reduces drastically during bad weather, so the possibility of sighting another boat also reduces." Venugopal has had a stint with the merchant navy before joining a private telecom company in Kochi. That Menon was manoeuvring a big vessel was in itself a tough task. The ship takes its time to move. After three arduous attempts in the swelling sea, Menon managed to get all seven fishermen on board the Sampurna Swarajya. Recognising Menon's role in what is described as a 'dramatic rescue,' the government had nominated her for the 2016 International Maritime Organisation Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. This award was instituted in 2007 by the International Maritime Organisation, a specialised arm of the United Nations. Come November, Menon will become the first woman in the world to receive this award. 'I am humbled, honoured and grateful,' Menon told the media. '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.' Ships can be out sailing for six months or more, and communication with the world is often limited. Though Menon couldn't respond to e-mails because she had already shipped out, she has in the past spoken about the perils of being at sea. 'It has so many different moods; the sea can be unforgiving if you make a mistake. Carelessness and complacency has led to disasters. The sea must always be treated with respect.' Menon's focus and dedication to the job has been unmissable -- when her and Venugopal's son was born 20 years ago, they decided that her husband would be the one to 'stay grounded.' Back in 2012, Kochi-based Menon had become the first Indian woman to command a merchant ship; this was the Suvarna Swarajya (also an oil products tanker). She started out as a trainee radio officer with the Shipping Corporation of India soon after her Class 12 examinations in 1991. Though the news of her captainship had made a splash everywhere, for Menon it was only a gradual progression: she had been with the merchant navy for over two decades, after all. Moving from port to port, Menon has said that her work is scrutinised more than a male captain's, but she has no problems with her primarily-male crew. 'The crew knows me well and has no problems in taking orders from me,' Menon has said. In the midst of all the media attention, Menon's steadfast focus remains on her crew and the sea. The Opposition on Friday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over an attack on two Muslim women in Madhya Pradesh on the beef issue and alleged that Dalits and Muslims were being increasingly targeted, prompting Home Minister Rajnath Singh to assert that justice will be done in the case. Raising the matter in Zero Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge reeled out statistics to highlight attacks on Dalits and cited the incident in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, besides one in Gujarat and the killing of two Dalits in Uttar Pradesh to buttress his point. Demanding a ban on cow vigilante groups like 'Gau Rakshak Sangh', he alleged that they have become a law unto themselves and were being encouraged by BJP governments in states. Kharge also attacked the Sangh Parivar alleging that their members and those of the BJP are also involved in such incidents. "Such incidents can happen only when they have government's support," he said, while also referred to reports on Friday that a Dalit couple was hacked to death in UP. Amid cries of 'shame, shame' from opposition benches, the Congress leader said the two women pleaded with the attackers that they were carrying buffalo meat and not cow meat and had produced receipt to make their point. "They were still thrashed in front of the police. They were told that if they were men, they would have been killed," he alleged. The forensic report, Kharge pointed out, also said it was buffalo meat. He also cited national crime data to take on the government, saying every 80 minutes a crime against Dalit was taking place, three Dalits raped and two murdered every day. "You (government) will say that it has been happening earlier too, but it has risen after you came to power. It has your support," he said, drawing support from Trinamool Congress. In his brief reply over the incident in Madhya Pradesh, the Home Minister "this is a law and order issue. We all know it is a state matter. The Madhya Pradesh government has acted swiftly and effectively. Investigation is being done. I assure the House that justice will be done and the guilty not spared." Unhappy over his response, opposition members, including those of the Congress, TMC and the Left, walked out. Photograph: PTI Photo Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dayashankar Singh who was on Friday arrested from Bihar's Buxar district has been sent to a 14-day judicial custody. "UP CM should take action against the people who have insulted my family. I dare Akhilesh Yadav to arrest Naseemuddin Siddiqui," Singh told the media after his arrest. A case was lodged against Dayashankar on 20th July for making a derogatory remark against BSP chief Mayawati. Singh's comment caused a huge furore inside and outside Parliament, forcing the BJP to expel him for six years. The state police was searching Dayashankar with a non-bailable warrant issued by a SC/ST court of Lucknow for his alleged derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati. Earlier, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high vourt had rejected his plea for a stay on his arrest. Dayashankar Singh was arrested by Uttar Pradesh special task force team with the help of the district police from a house in Chinni Mill locality, Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sharma said. Buxar is about 100 km from Patna on the border of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Singh had gone underground after an FIR was registered against him on July 20 by UP police on a complaint by BSP leader Mewalal Gautam, alleging that Singh's remarks hurt the feelings of BSP workers and the Dalit community across the country. The arrest comes a day after Singh failed to get a stay from Allahabad high court which directed the UP government to file its reply by August 5 on his plea challenging the lodging of the FIR against him. The remarks by Singh, former UP vice president of BJP, had stoked a major controversy with BJP expelling him from the party. A photograph of Dayashankar Singh at a temple in Deogarh in Jharkhand had gone viral on social media and was also published in newspapers, triggering angry reaction from Mayawati against the BJP which is in power in Jharkhand. Dayashankar Singh hails from Ballia in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He is a Thakur and even though the caste accounts for only 7.6 per cent of the population, they wield enormous influence. The BJP has initiated a fight in the name of daughter's honour giving a slogan "Beti ke samman mein, BJP maidan mein" after BSP leaders targeted Singh's family. The party threw its weight behind Swati Singh, wife of Singh, demanding action against BSP leaders for making derogatory remarks against her daughter and mother-in-law. In a show of strength the BSP staged a massive dharna at Hazratganj on July 21 and has been demanding Singh's arrest terming the BJP as "anti-Dalit". The government on Friday said in Rajya Sabha that it is "not in favour" of abolishing the capital punishment considering the "prevailing circumstances" in the country. "The prevailing circumstances in which we are living does not warrant abolition of death penalty," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said while replying to a private member's resolution moved by Communist Party of India's D Raja for the abolition of capital punishment in the country. India has its own basis of formulating laws and it has to respect the "sentiments of the people", Rijiju added. He said there are several provisions in the Constitution such as Articles 71, 134 and 161 for commuting of death sentence and the Supreme Court has made it clear that it should be used in "exceptional circumstances" and as an "unavoidable alternative". Enumerating the remedies available regarding death sentence, he said even if capital punishment has been awarded by a lower court and has been upheld by the high court, the person can approach the Supreme Court. "Even if that fails, one can approach the governor and the President of India," the minister added. On awarding of the death sentence, he said several factors such as the accused's socio-economic condition, health, age and sex are considered before awarding such a sentence. Referring to recommendation made by the Law Commission, Rijiju said it suggested abolishing death sentence except for terrorism and for waging war. The minister, as well as Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, suggested to Raja to withdraw his resolution, but he did not agree saying he has taken up the issue as a "mission and a missionary zeal". Raja said: "It is not a question of technicality or legality, but we should look at it philosophically and morally. Now the time has come when India should emphatically say no to capital punishment." The resolution was negated by the House by voice vote. Earlier, during the discussion on the resolution, Bharatiya Janata Party's Basavaraj Patil said government should amend rules related to capital punishment and until then "death penalty should be stopped". However, he said "some kind of fear is needed and the government should do serious thinking in this regard". Samajwadi Party's Vishambhar Prasad Nishad said rules that provide for death penalty for "some crimes" should be changed, arguing that "many crimes are committed due to deprivation". Trinamool Congress leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's A Navaneethakrishnan also favoured abolition of the capital punishment. Communist Party of India-Marxist leader T K Rangarajan favoured a review of the death penalty by the Law Commission. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Tiruchi Siva said the number of crimes, especially heinous crimes have increased, which suggest that capital punishment has not been able to contain crime. Supporting abolition of capital punishment, DMK's T K S Elangovan said about 36 countries including India, China, the United States and Indonesia practice the penalty. However, Congress leader Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu said he is taking the resolution moved by Raja with "cautious deference". Referring to the Nirbhaya case, he said it is important to keep in view the gravity of the crime. Rapolu said that such punishment should be used only in the rarest of the rare cases. Indian national Gurdip Singh, who was to be executed on Thursday night on drug charges in Indonesia, has not been put to death, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed on Friday. "Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed," Swaraj said on twitter. However, it was not clear why the Indian was not executed while four other convicts were put to death by the firing squad. Forty-eight-year-old Singh was among 10 convicts who were to be executed but were not put to death. He was found guilty by an Indonesian court of trying to smuggle in 300 grams of heroin and was handed death penalty in 2005. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had on Thursday said that Indian Embassy officials in Jakarta were reaching out to the Indonesian foreign office and the senior leadership of the country on the issue. Swaraj had said government was making last minute efforts to save Singh. "Afdhal Muhammad, the legal representative of Singh was of the view that he can file for Presidential clemency under the relevant law before the President of Indonesia. The Embassy sent a Note Verbale to Indonesia's Foreign Ministry requesting that all legal recourse should be exhausted before the death penalty is carried out," Swarup said. Singh, who hails from Jalandhar in Punjab, is among 14 people who were facing execution after the authorities decided to resume implementing death penalty. The decision has been criticised by human rights organisations. The 14 convicts to be executed included persons from Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Singh was arrested on August 29, 2004, at the Soekarno Hatta Airport on charges of drug trafficking. The Tangerang Court awarded him capital punishment in February 2005, against the prosecutors' request for 20 years imprisonment. His appeal against the death penalty was turned down by the high court of Banten in May, 2005. He then appealed to the Supreme Court which also upheld his death penalty. He is presently detained at Nusakambangan Pasir Putih, Cilacap. Image: Gurdip Singh's wife Kulwinder Kaur and other family members, in Nakodar in Jalandhar. Photograph: PTI Photo It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in Americas promise that I accept your nomination for president of the United States, said Hillary Clinton the first American to stand on the brink of being called madame president. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and US Vice President nominee Tim Kaine acknowledge the crowd at the end on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Aaron P Bernstein/Getty Images Hillary Clinton on Friday portrayed her Republican rival Donald Trump as a volatile and short-tempered man who cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons as she scripted history by becoming the first women presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States. Presenting her vision of inclusive growth for America that maintains its global leadership and military power, Clinton, 68, he warned voters the nation is facing a serious moment of reckoning from economic pain, violence and terror. America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. Its truly is up to us. We have to decide whether were going to work together so we can all rise together, Clinton told fellow Americans while accepting the Democratic Partys nomination to run for president in the November general elections. Clinton said she would build an economy that gives jobs to every one and not a few and a country where love trumps hate. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and US Vice President nominee Tim Kaine (2nd-L) stand with their families on stage at the end of the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images That is the country she is fighting for, she said. It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in Americas promise that I accept your nomination for president, Clinton said as thousands of party delegates, leaders and supporters at the Wells Fargo Center erupted in cheers and applause. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state set her sights on the White House and blasted Trump, portraying him as a small man, who got rich by stiffing workers, peddles fear and lacks the temperament to be commander in chief. He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When hes gotten a tough question from a reporter. When hes challenged in a debate. When he sees a protester at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons, she charged. Ask yourself: Does Donald Trump have the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief? she asked. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is embraced by her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, at the end of the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, I know more about Islamic State than the generals do. No, Donald, you dont, Clinton said. Clinton alleged that Trump wants to divide Americans. We heard Donald Trumps answer last week at his convention. He wants to divide us... He wants us to fear the future and fear each other, she said. I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. For the struggling, the striving and the successful...for all Americans, Clinton said. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton plays with balloons on stage at the end of the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images A president should respect the men and women who risk their lives to serve our country, she said, adding that Trump cant even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign. Clinton said if Americans are serious about keeping the country safe, they cant afford to have a president whos in the pocket of the gun lobby. She was making a reference to Trumps opposition to gun control laws. Im not here to take away your guns. I just dont want you to be shot by someone who shouldnt have a gun in the first place, she said. For the past year, many people made the mistake of laughing off Donald Trumps comments -- excusing him as an entertainer just putting on a show. They think he couldnt possibly mean all the horrible things he says. Or said that an American judge couldnt be fair because of his Mexican heritage. Or when he mocks and mimics a reporter with a disability, she said. Hillary Clinton delivers remarks during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Clinton said Trump has taken the Republican party a long way from morning in America to mid-night in America. And in the end, it comes down to what Donald Trump doesnt get: that America is great because America is good. So enough with the bigotry and bombast. Donald Trumps not offering real change, she said. He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other. Hes betting that the perils of todays world will blind us to its unlimited promise, she said. Clinton said Trump is offering empty promises. What are we offering? A bold agenda to improve the lives of people across our country -- to keep you safe, to get you good jobs, and to give your kids the opportunities they deserve, she said. The choice is clear, Clinton said. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea Clinton embrace at the end on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention. Photograph: Aaron P Bernstein/Getty Images I want to tell you tonight how were going to empower all Americans to live better lives. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States, Clinton said. We will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism, she said. We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have, she said. Clinton also promised a comprehensive immigration reform arguing that this will grow the economy and keep families together. We will not build a wall -- instead, we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good job can get one... And well build a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants who are already contributing to our economy, she said. The choice is clear, Clinton said. She smashed the glass ceiling and made history on Friday. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images When we have millions of hardworking immigrants contributing to our economy, it would be self-defeating and inhumane to kick them out, she stressed, adding that keeping the nation safe and honouring the people who do that work will be her highest priority. Anyone reading the news can see the threats and turbulence we face. From Baghdad and Kabul, to Nice and Paris and Brussels, to San Bernardino and Orlando, were dealing with determined enemies that must be defeated, Clinton noted. No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance. Looking for steady leadership. You want a leader who understands we are stronger when we work with our allies around the world and care for our veterans here at home. Im proud that we put a lid on Irans nuclear programme without firing a single shot -- now we have to enforce it, and keep supporting Israels security, she said. Im proud that we shaped a global climate agreement -- now we have to hold every country accountable to their commitments, including ourselves. Im proud to stand by our allies in NATO against any threat they face, including from Russia, she said. Singer Katy Perry performs at the convention. Perry has been a long time supporter of Clinton and the Democratic party. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Clinton said she has laid out her strategy for defeating IS. We will strike their sanctuaries from the air, and support local forces taking them out on the ground. We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks before they happen, she said. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and radicalize young people in our country. It wont be easy or quick, but make no mistake -- we will prevail, Clinton said. A couple of days of rainfall and the Bengaluru residents are struggling to stay afloat. Residents being rescued from their flooded homes by the fire department. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Overflowing drains, uprooted trees and collapsed walls were reported from across the city following heavy rains that continued to lash the city till late Friday morning. The fire department used boats to rescue people who were stranded in the rain waters. Water logging at Bilekahalli Ward, Banneragatta Road. Photograph: @BlrCityPolice/Twitter According to media reports, Yemalur and surrounding areas, abutting Bellandur Lake in southeast Bengaluru, were inundated after the lake overflowed on Thursday evening over the past two days. Fire & Emergency Service personnel rescue the flood affected people from the Kodichikkanhalli area in Bengaluru. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI The worst affected were many areas in Bommanahalli zone. Following the breach of a lake, Kodichikkanahalli, Bilekahalli and surrounding areas were flooded, forcing the ground floor residents to move to the upper floors early on Friday morning. Fire department officials are rescuing some people using boats near Bilekahalli. The situation in Veersandra Jn, Electronic City. Photograph: @goyal_abhei/Twitter Old Madras Road, Hosur Road, Outer Ring Road, Bannerghatta Road and Ballari Road faced traffic jams and witnessed bumper to bumper traffic as crucial junctions on these roads were waterlogged. Many people residing there -- most of them are techies who did not go to work. Anup, a techie said he did not go to office. Photograph: @FtownTraffic/Twitter "My car has problem as water entered. No power at home as ups is not functioning. I cannot work from home too," he told the Indian Express newspaper. R Hitendra, Additional Commissioner of police (Traffic), told the Hindu that incessant rains and inundation of crucial arterial roads had put the traffic in the city out of gears. Photograph: @yaminip/Twitter "We, along with Fire and Emergency Services, have been trying to remove water from these inundated roads clearing them for traffic. But even after clearing water, we observe that the waterlogging has created large potholes and bad road stretches which have drastically brought down the traffic speeds on the citys roads in the last one week," he said. Here's a recap of events that occurred in India in the past 24 hours. RJD Chief Lalu Prasad looking at his waterlogged residence after a press conference in Patna on Thursday. Photograph: PTI photo Commuters were stuck for hours on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Thursday evening after heavy rain lashed the national capital. Photograph: @ravijoon/Twitter A gold crown worth Rs 23 Lakhs that was donated by a devotee to adorn the idol of Saibaba in Shirdi on Thursday. PTI Photo Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal paying obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo A demonstrator carrying a placard sits on a pavement as he waits to participate in a protest organised by a Muslim minority forum against terrorism in Kolkata. Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Thursday during the ongoing monsoon session. Photograph: PTI Photo/TV grab Bharatiya Janata Party women wing activists clash with police during a protest regarding Bahujan Samaj Party's remarks on expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singhs family members. Photograph: PTI Photo People moves during heavy Monsoon rain in Patna on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo Protesters shout slogans and wave flags during a clash in Srinagar on Thursday. Photograph: S Irfan/PTI Photo A villager uses a boat to cross flood water near a submerged electric transformer in the flood-hit Rajabari village in Kamrup district of Assam on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo Padma Vibhusan and Magsaysay award winning social activist Mahasweta Devi passed away at a hospital in Kolkata on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo A commuter looks for transport as taxis and auto-rickshaws are on strike for the third day at the old Delhi Railway station in Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo INS Viraat, the oldest serving aircraft carrier of the world, arrived at Kochi on Thursday on its last sailing prior to decommissioning later this year. Photograph: PTI Photo Farmers and activists block a road during a protest against Mahadayi river tribunal verdict in Hubli on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo Thousands of people from all walks of life on Friday filed past the body of Mahasweta Devi to pay their last respects before the eminent writer and social activist was cremated with full state honours. Thousands of her admirers, artists, writers, painters and political leaders including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gathered at the Rabindra Sadan auditorium where her body was kept. The eminent writer-activist died on Thursday after a cardiac arrest following multi-organ failure at the age of 91. After the tributes were paid, the body of Mahasweta Devi was then taken in a convoy to the Keoratala crematorium. Her grandson Tathagata Bhattacharya accompanied her in her last journey. Recalling many fond memories of his childhood and youth with her grandmother, Tathagata said he always admired her dedication to fight for the cause of tribals and ensure their uplift. "Her most famous works were not her best ones. People know her for writing 'Hajar Churashir Maa' but not 'Sri Sri Ganesh Mahima'," he said. Twitter was flooded with condolence messages saluting her indomitable spirit to fight for the rights of tribals, Dalits and other oppressed classes. Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen recalled that Mahsweta had stood by her during her bad times while acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh described her death as a "terrible loss for literature". "RIP Mahasweta Devi. A terrible loss for literature. A great writer and extraordinary activist; a woman with a warm, generous heart," he said in a tweet. Bollywood actor Rahul Bose said, "Tremendous loss. Meeting her you were struck by her principles and courage. And what writing. #MahaswetaDevi #RIP". Photograph: @AITCofficial/Twitter Floods have forced people to eat rats to survive as there is nothing left to eat. M I Khan reports from Patna. IMAGE: A village inundated by flood water near Kunauli Panchayat in Supaul District of Bihar. Photographs: PTI The flood situation in Bihar remained grim on Saturday with more than 20 lakh people have been affected in several districts of the state. Thousands forced to flee their homes and take shelter on high rise embankments, national highways, railway lines, in schools and other buildings including relief camps set up by the state government, officials said. According to the disaster management department officials, the flood affected more than 20 lakh people in 11 of the 38 districts in the state. The floods have affected state districts of Kishanganj, Purnea, Saharsa, Gopalganj, Araria, Supaul, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Madhepura and Darbhanga, an official of water resources department said. "Till date at least 22 people have been reportedly died after they drowned in flood water at different places in the state," officials said. IMAGE: People use rope to cross a flooded road in Patkaua Panchayat in Kishanganj district. All the major rivers are in spate and posing serious threat to people living in some towns and villages. In worst flood-hit Saharsa district, people have been forced to eat rats to survive as there is nothing left to eat. "People in Banahi village under Salakhua block have been forced to consume rats to survive," a district official said. In a bid to exploit situation, some villagers have been catching rats and selling them at Rs 40 per kg. "Rats are in high demand as there is nothing to eat," officials said. IMAGE: People walk through a submerged bridge. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with officials has carried out an aerial survey of the affected areas to take stock of the situation. The CM has ordered the concerned officials to survey the loss of houses, crops and other properties in the flood. Kumar has also directed officials to speed up rescue and relief operations in the flood affected areas. The chief minister asked the state health department officials to arrange for medicines and DDT sprays to check outbreak of diseases once the flood water subsided. Officials said that standing crops worth crores of rupees have been damaged and road communication at several places has been snapped in the district. Other affected districts include Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Munger, Katihar, Araria, Purnia, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Madhepura and Saran. IMAGE: People wade through flood waters in Supaul. The government has announced to provide one quintal of food grain to the flood victims and directed district officials to open relief camps. Five teams of the National Disaster Response Force were camping in the flood affected districts to provide emergency services to people. The principal secretary of state disaster management department said that people living in low-lying areas have been asked to move to higher ground. The controversial Islamic preacher has asked the television anchor to withdraw defamatory statements made by him and tender an unconditional apology. Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore reports. Televangelist Zakir Naik has served Times Now television anchor and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami a legal notice (a copy of which is available with Rediff.com), seeking damages worth Rs 500 crore (rs 5 billion) for running a 'hate campaign' and 'media trial' against him. In the notice, issued by Naik's lawyer Mubin Solkar, the controversial preacher has also sought an unconditional apology from Goswami. "The legal notice seeks that Goswami furnish in writing his sources of information and any evidence for making defamatory statements and charges against Dr Zakir Abdul Karim Naik and withdraw the defamatory statements made by him during the live telecast of The Newshour Debate on Times Now," Solkar told Rediff.com Solkar clarified that they had not filed a defamation suit yet, but sent Goswami a legal notice seeking an apology. "Peremptorily, we have fixed the damages at Rs 500 crores and asked for those damages as well," the lawyer added. "Dr Naik has claimed Rs 500 crore for the damages that has been caused to his reputation and his image in India and in the entire Islamic world," Solkar said. "In fact, the damage that Goswami has caused my client is far more than Rs 500 crore." When asked about the controversial preacher's return to India, Solkar said his client has no plans to return to the country till next year or till the time any investigative agency summons him. Initially, Solkar added, the preacher had planned to return to India for a day-and-a-half to clarify his stand to the media. Dr Naik, Solkar said, had booked his ticket to return, but he was then made aware of the fact that the central government had asked investigative agencies to probe the issue. "He was then of the view that the agencies should come out with their probe report because there was no point in clarifying the issue to the media when the investigation was already on. What if the agencies had a contrary report? Then the media would have asked him another million questions and so he decided that he would remain in abroad till after the probe report comes out and answer all the clarifications," Solkar said. Interestingly, Solkar said, despite the media hue and cry not a single investigating agency has summoned Dr Naik for questioning or to record his statement. When asked if Dr Naik should have voluntarily reported to the investigative agencies to silence his critics, the lawyer asked, "The point is for whom should he come to India for? Ideally, he should have come -- and he will come if the agencies summon him. However, he doesn't need to return only for the media trial." However, when it was asked why he bought an air ticket to fly to India, Solkar explained, "His coming to India and answering the media's questions wouldn't have silenced everybody permanently. The media would have asked him more questions after the completion of the probe against him." "Dr Naik is confident that nothing will come out of the probe," Solkar said, "because all his lectures are available in the public domain and if the agencies see only the authentic lectures and not the doctored ones available online the agencies would definitely come to a conclusion that he is not a person who will inspire terrorists and terrorism." 'She never desisted from calling a spade a spade and that's what made her such a unique character.' IMAGE: Mahasweta Devi: Will we see the likes of her again? Author and activist Mahashweta Devi, who passed away after a prolonged illness on Thursday, July 28, wrote more than a hundred novels and 20 collections of short stories. She was not only a celebrated writer, she was also a firebrand social activist who strongly raised her voice against the oppression of the tribals. The winner of the 1996 Jnanpith Award and the 1997 Magsaysay Award, Mahasweta Devi firmly believed that 'real history is made by ordinary people.' Rediff.com's Indrani Roy, who has known the great writer since her childhood, salutes Mahasweta Devi's memory. I was all of 9. Thanks to my grandfather, who was a well known author, and my father, a publisher, I was introduced to the world of literature early on. For reasons unknown to us, my grandfather's library had many rare books on Indian tribes which came to be most of my bedtime stories. Whenever he read out chapters from those (rather unimpressive)-looking books, I was all ears. During one of my father's customary weekend visits to writers' homes, he decided to take me along. On the way, he told me we would be meeting one Mahasweta Devi, a writer who had a bag full of tales about the tribes of India. It was an exciting piece of news, indeed! Our first meeting was brief, but eventful. As I touched the feet of a middle-aged lady wearing a crumpled saree and a casual bun, she scooped me up, kissed me on the cheeks and asked my name. "You are known as Indrani to the world, but I christen you princess," she said. As I grew older, I met her several times both at her home and at ours. And I remained her little 'princess.' When I called her for interviews for Rediff.com, she would pick up the phone herself and in an unmistakable matter-of-fact voice, would ask, "Ke bolcho?" (Who is it?) "Oh, it's you, my princess!" As my husband called me on Thursday afternoon to share the sad news, I could almost hear her whisper into my ears, "It's time, little princess." Mahasweta jethima would rarely miss the adda sessions that my grandfather hosted at our home and would almost always be the centre of attention. She was a foodie to the core and if anyone dared to warn her about her high blood sugar levels, she would frown and concentrate harder on the irresistible snacks on offer. To her, life was a great journey that needed to be enjoyed to the hilt. Her personal woes notwithstanding, she always wore a special one-sided smile that was affectionate yet strong, gentle yet resolute. Praising her courageous fight against the odds of life, the late Leela Majumdar, a wonderful writer of yesteryear, once told my father, 'Mahasweta built and rebuilt her stupendous life with bricks of pain.' Jethima was a like a banyan tree for us. She was there like a solid rock when my grandfather passed away in 1994, was one of the first people to call after my mother's death in 2008. When my father wrote his autobiographical history of College Street, the famous bookbazaar of Bengal, she volunteered to write the foreword. "It's my duty," she said. Beneath the veneer of an apparently rough exterior, lay a mind that was full of warmth, affection and love. She had a heart of gold that never stopped appreciating those who deserved it. She spearheaded the movement against the Left regime in Bengal and was a key architect behind the so-called poriborton (change) that overthrew the Left Front rule in Bengal and ushered in a new Trinamool Congress government under Mamata Banerjee. In an interview to me in 2009, she was vehement in her protest against the Left. "Without a change, the state will be doomed," she said. "For 32 long years, the Left leaders have dragged the state back to the dark ages. There has been no improvement whatsoever in the field of education or literacy, health or infrastructure." When I spoke to her again in December 2012, she did not mince words to voice her grievances against the Trinamool Congress government. "If the TMC too goes the Left's way, it won't be long before the people decide to go against it," she said. She never desisted from calling spade a spade and that's what made her such a unique character. She was always there for any social cause that she thought was worth fighting for. One could almost touch this steadfastness and uncompromising nature of hers in almost all her novels -- Hajar Churashir Maa, Aranyer Adhikar, Agnigarbha, Chotti Munda evam Tar Tir, Bashai Tudu to name a few. Her love for the tribal people was phenomenal. She was a part of their existence. During my visits to a modest flat in south Kolkata that she stayed in for some time, I have seen tribal people from remote corners of Bengal sharing her bedroom. She was a mother to all of them. She would share a bidi with them, have muri (puffed rice) and cha (tea) and would recount to me that how she had enjoyed rat meat for lunch during her stay in a tribal village. I listened to her spellbound. Her winning awards as prestigious as the Sahitya Akademi, Jnanpith and the Magsaysay Award thrilled me. My amazement knew no bounds when I learnt that she had donated whatever money she won for the cause of the tribals. That was her. She was selfless in her fight for the cause of the tribals. She dedicated her entire life to it. Mahasweta jethima had not been keeping well for the last few years. Yet, with her indefatigable spirit she ignored her age and related ailments. "To her, nothing was impossible," my father once told me, adding, "Only once has she refused my invite to attend a seminar as her blood sugar level was alarmingly high at that time." According to her grandson Tathagata Bhattacharya, an acclaimed journalist, it was the fighter in her that had been challenging death for the past few months. Jethima led a very humble life. She never thought of herself as a celebrity. Neither did celebrities matter to her. She had great faith in the power of the people as she believed that 'real history is made by ordinary people.' 'People like Mahaswetadi can never die. They live in our hearts and minds.' Mahashweta Devi, who passed into the ages on Thursday, July 28, was a mother, friend and Didi to so many people. Writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen, a winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award, was very close to Mahashwetadi. It's too difficult to write a tribute to Mahaswetadi. I was way too close to her. Her father Manish Ghatak, a well-known poet and novelist of the Kallol movement, (who used the pseudonym Jubanashwa) was very close to my father Narendra Dev, who too was deeply involved with the same movement. We had a lot in common. We shared a birthday and a nickname, khuku. Mahaswetadi had 10 siblings and was deeply involved in household chores from an early age. She was a mother figure to her younger siblings and took very good care of them. I was my parents' only child and led a rather protective life in this city (Kolkata). Mahaswetadi was always there for me when I needed her. The day my father died, she sat beside my father's body and sang a number of Rabindranath Tagore's songs. Having spent her formative years in Santiniketan, Didi had a melodious voice that was devoid of the typical urban grooming. It was a voice that had an infectious overtone. Her powerful rendition reached one's soul. As she continued to sing, Ma, silenced by her grief, listened to her. That scene is still etched in my mind. After my mother died, I had made elaborate arrangements for her shraddh and there were about 800 invitees. Mahaswetadi was with me throughout. "You are jethima's perfect daughter. There couldn't have been a fitting tribute to her," she said while hugging me tight. There is no point in discussing her literary skills. The whole world knows about them. What always fascinated me is her passion for the topics that she wrote about. She wrote what she believed in and penned her conviction with such vigour and eloquence that her novels and short pieces became powerful statements that shook the root of all conventional thoughts. All her life, Mahaswetadi fought for the cause of the tribals and the downtrodden. She was their Ma, their comrade, their saviour -- rolled into one. She would often visit the tribal villages and spend days with them in their houses. Hers was a life bereft of any pretention. If she was fighting for a cause, she needed to take the plunge head on. There were no two ways about it. During her stay in a modest apartment in south Kolkata, I saw many tribal people visiting her. She would play the perfect hostess. She would not only share her rooms with them but would also cook and have lunch together. Her fight for tribal causes got reflected in her novels and short stories. They were no mere literary works, but hard-hitting statements that spoke for the marginalised people. When she got the Jnanpith Award in 1996, I was the first to break the news to her over the telephone from New Delhi. I was a member of the Jnanpith Award selection committee. "O, accha, tui thik janish??(Is it so, are you sure?)," was her only reaction. She was nominated for the award on an earlier occasion too, but some people then denied her the honour on the ground that her works were 'anthropological' by nature. I met her last in 2014. She had sung quite a few Tagore songs on that day too. I could not visit her after 2014 because of my ill health and work pressure, but we kept in touch over the telephone. Distance could not mar our love for each other. I knew she would always be there for me. However, today, she has travelled way too far. There is a queer lump in the throat. As I get old in years, the world around me gets emptier. But then I know for sure people like Mahaswetadi can never die. They live in our hearts and minds. Souls like her become a part of our existence. They define eternity. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Court orders Brazilian blogger to delete posts Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 3 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Court orders Brazilian blogger to delete posts, 3 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe4824.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. June 3, 2016 Two judges in the southern Brazilian state of Parana ordered blogger Marcelo Auler to remove 10 articles from his website on the grounds that they offend police officers taking part in a federal investigation into corruption, Auler told the Committee to Protect Journalists. The 10 articles in question, published between November 2015 and April 2016, all point to possible procedural irregularities in the so-called "car wash case," a broad investigation into corruption that has seen dozens of politicians and business leaders indicted and jailed. Two of the investigators named in Auler's stories took him to a small claims court in the city of Curitiba asking for the maximum amount in damages, 35,200 Brazilian reals ($9,795), and demanding that he remove the stories, Auler told CPJ. The same lawyer represented the two officers and claimed the blogger's reports defamed his clients, Auler added. A judge in March ruled against the blogger and said he had denigrated the image of federal police investigator Erika Mialik Marena. He was ordered to remove two stories, according to court documents. Another judge followed suit on May 5, and told Auler to take down stories that offended another investigator, Mauricio Moscardi Grillo, according to press reports. The second judge also prohibited Auler from publishing any future articles containing "content that could be interpreted as offensive to the officers," according to court documents. The judge did not ask to hear Auler's defense before making his decision. The blogger's lawyers have appealed the ruling, he told CPJ. The measure amounts to censorship that is incompatible with the country's constitution, the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalists said in a statement. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Venezuela: Journalists attacked, equipment stolen during protests in Caracas Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 3 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Venezuela: Journalists attacked, equipment stolen during protests in Caracas, 3 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe4ae.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 3, 2016 Several journalists were attacked and some had equipment stolen while covering protests in Caracas Thursday, according to news outlets and a local freedom of expression group. Some of the journalists who were attacked said that the Venezuelan National Guard did not intervene to prevent the attacks and in one case, forced a journalist to delete footage, according to reports. Security forces and residents clash during a protest over food shortages in Caracas on June 2. Several journalists were attacked during the protest. (AFP/Juan Barreto) The journalists were covering a protest in the center of the capital, which started after a supply truck was apparently diverted by the National Guard to a local supply committee, according to El Nacional. About 200 protesters blocked a central street shouting, "We're hungry," according to press reports. Venezuela is in severe economic crisis and many citizens wait in line for hours for scarce goods, according to reports. A presidential decree issued last month gave the armed forces and supply and production committees the authority to distribute food. "The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the violence against journalists in Venezuela and calls for a thorough investigation so that those responsible can be brought to justice," said Carlos Lauria, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "Venezuelan authorities must ensure the right of journalists to report freely on protests without fear of violence." According to the Venezuelan freedom of expression organization Espacio Publico, 19 journalists were attacked during the protest, and at least seven had equipment stolen. Journalists from El Universal and the video news website VivoPlay were among those attacked, the organization reported. CPJ was not able to independently verify all 19 cases. Espacio Publico reported that armed civilians took equipment from the journalists. Members of the National Guard also harassed journalists, confiscating one reporter's identity card, and forcing a journalist from the international channel NTN24 to delete footage, according to reports. Calls by CPJ to the National Guard for comment were not immediately answered. Three photographers and a reporter from El Universal were injured and had equipment stolen during the protest, the Venezuelan daily reported. Four armed men approached photographer Pablo Pupo, hit him on the face and back and stole his equipment and personal belongings. Two other photographers, Adolfo Acosta and Luis Morillo, were also beaten and journalist Deivis Ramirez had his phone stolen, the paper reported, without providing further detail of the attacks. El Universal said that that its journalists filed a complaint with authorities Thursday and that the Public Ministry announced it had designated a prosecutor to investigate the attacks. In another case, also documented by local media, armed men forced Andrea Cedeno from VivoPlay, her cameraman, and their driver to the ground at gunpoint. The men threatened the news team and robbed them, reports said. In a VivoPlay segment of the attack, footage shows two members of the Venezuelan National Guard drive by on a motorcycle within a few feet of the attack without intervening. Espacio Publico also reported that armed civilians attacked Francisco Bruzco, a reporter from the newspaper Diario 2001, and broke his camera. A video published by the organization shows Bruzco fleeing and another journalist being restrained by members of the National Guard while a civilian tries to steal his camera. Carlos Correa, the director of Espacio Publico, blamed armed civilians for the violence, but said that state security forces were complicit. He told CPJ: "The aggression against journalists has to do with making sure that they don't show the actions of security forces in this context of food distribution." CPJ research shows that under Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, press freedom has deteriorated and independent journalists are restricted in their reporting. Journalists covering protests in Venezuela have faced violence and detentions in recent years. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Somalia: Journalist shot and killed in Mogadishu Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 6 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Somalia: Journalist shot and killed in Mogadishu, 6 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe4d6.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 6, 2016 Somali authorities should thoroughly investigate the killing on Sunday of journalist Sagal Salad Osman and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The 24-year-old journalist, who worked as a producer and presenter for the state-run Radio Mogadishu, was leaving her university campus in the Hodan neighborhood of Mogadishu when three gunmen shot her in the head and the chest, killing her, police Major Nur Ali told Reuters. The gunmen fled the scene, according to news reports. "Somalia has long been among the worst offenders for allowing the killings of journalists to go uninvestigated and unpunished," said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney "Sagal Salad Osman's death comes as a painful reminder of that legacy of impunity, and we call on Somali authorities to bring her killers to justice." The motive for the murder was not immediately apparent, and no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, according to news reports. Members of the state-run media are often threatened and attacked by militants in the region, including Al-Shabaab, CPJ research shows. CPJ could not immediately determine if Sagal had received threats prior to Sunday's attack. At least four journalists and one media worker affiliated with Radio Mogadishu have been killed in direct relation to their work since 2010, CPJ research shows. Somalia is the deadliest country in Africa for journalists, according to CPJ research. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Syrian journalist in Turkey survives second assassination attempt Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 13 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Syrian journalist in Turkey survives second assassination attempt, 13 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe4f9.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Beirut, June 13, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns the attempted assassination of Syrian journalist Ahmed Abd al-Qader in the southeastern Turkish town of Urfa. Sunday's attack on the journalist was the second in three months. Two gunmen riding a motorbike shot Abd al-Qader, founder of the exiled Syrian news outlet Eye on the Homeland, three times, Eye on the Homeland said in a statement. Abd al-Qader is hospitalized, in stable condition, The Associated Press reported. The Islamic State group's Amaq news agency on Sunday claimed that the group had carried out the attack. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for killing Abd al-Qader's brother, Ibrahim, and his colleague, Fares Hamadi, in October 2015. In March 2016, two men ambushed Abd al-Qader outside his residence in Urfa, the journalist told CPJ at the time. "Even in exile Syrian journalists are not safe if they dare to report on the Islamic State group," CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said. "The Turkish security services should step up their efforts to protect all journalists in the country and ensure that vital news sources such as Eye on the Homeland can operate safely." The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for killing four journalists in Turkey, including Hamadi and Abd al-Qader's brother, Ibrahim, since October 2015. Syrian journalists working in Turkey have told CPJ on many occasions that they fear for their safety in the country. "For media work, Turkey feels as dangerous as Syria these days," a Syrian journalist in southern Turkey told CPJ in January 2016. Despite the dangers in Turkey, Syria remains the most dangerous place in the world to work as a journalist, according to CPJ research. On June 5, Syrian photojournalist Osama Jumaa was killed by Syrian government artillery fire in the northern city of Aleppo, his employer reported. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Bolivian officials threaten journalists with jail Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 16 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Bolivian officials threaten journalists with jail, 16 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5115.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Bogota, June 16, 2016 Enraged over press coverage of a government influence-peddling scandal that helped crush President Evo Morales's reelection hopes, high-ranking Bolivian officials are lashing out at the country's independent media and demanding that journalists be sent to prison. Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera speaks to reporters in La Paz, February 21, 2016. (Juan Karita/AP) In a speech Wednesday, Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera said that several news outlets had lied to the country and defamed Morales ahead of a February referendum in which voters narrowly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed Morales to run for a fourth consecutive term. "These unsubstantiated accusations and threats against Bolivian media are clearly aimed to curb critical reporting on sensitive topics," said CPJ Americas Senior Program Coordinator Carlos Lauria, from New York. "We call on Bolivian authorities to abstain from threatening journalists for their reporting and allow the media to work without interference." The vice president also took journalists to task for articles investigating whether a child born to Morales and Gabriela Zapata, his former romantic partner who stands accused of influence-peddling, was still alive. "Those responsible will have to go to jail," Garcia Linera said. "The law will be applied to all of these liars." Garcia Linera singled out the independent Pagina Siete, Los Tiempos, and El Deber newspapers, the Erbol radio network, and the Catholic church-run Fides News Agency. He said they were part of a "political-media mafia" that had carried out "ruthless attacks" against Morales. His speech followed declarations last month by Presidential Minister Juan Ramon Quintana, who called those same news outlets a "cartel of liars" whose true aim was to block the left-wing government's economic and political reforms. Following Quintana's remarks, Carlos Valverde, a television journalist who has closely covered the scandal, fled to Argentina and then to Brazil, according to news reports. Another Bolivian journalist, Wilson Garcia Merida, editor of the Sol de Pando newspaper, fled to Brazil last month after he said Quintana had accused him of sedition, according to news reports. The scandal erupted in January when Bolivian news outlets reported that a Chinese company that employed Zapata had improperly won government contracts worth half a billion dollars. The Morales government denied any wrongdoing but then abruptly arrested Zapata and charged her with influence-peddling. Zapata, speaking to reporters from jail in March 2016, contradicted Morales's claims that a baby she and the president had together had died in infancy, saying the baby was still alive. Later, Zapata reversed herself and said that the baby had died in 2009. CPJ's requests for comment from the ministries of communication and the presidency were not immediately returned. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Brazilian newspaper faces judicial harassment Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 20 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Brazilian newspaper faces judicial harassment, 20 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe542b.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Sao Paulo, June 20, 2016 A series of court cases filed against journalists and employees at the Brazilian newspaper Gazeta do Povo constitute judicial harassment and should be dropped immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Judicial officials in the southern Brazilian state of Parana have filed 46 individual civil suits against five employees at Gazeta do Povo since March, a representative of the newspaper told CPJ. The court cases all center on a series of reports, published in Gazeta do Povo on February 15-17, 2016, alleging that judges, magistrates, and district attorneys in the state were earning more than the constitutionally imposed ceiling by adding benefits, bonuses, back pay, and other additional payments. All the remunerations were legitimate and reported openly by the authorities on their websites, the paper said. The Parana Magistrates Association (AMAPAR) said in a statement sent to reporters and seen by CPJ that it considered the reports "offensive" and that judges across the state experienced "some kind of unpleasantness or embarrassment caused by the popular outrage over the super salaries." Officials in the southern state launched a series of court cases that the newspaper claims seeks to intimidate the five employees who worked on the series. Judges, magistrates, and district attorneys filed all but one of the 46 individual court cases alleging "invasion of privacy" in small claims courts, Fernanda Yanaze Maia, spokesperson for Gazeta do Povo, told CPJ. CPJ has documented how civil suits lead to press censorship in Brazil. Courts have often ruled in favor of the hundreds of political figures, government officials, and businessmen who have filed cases alleging that critical journalists have violated their privacy and honor, imposing fines or ordering newspapers to delete the offending content. "We urge officials in Parana to drop any suits against employees of Gazeta do Povo related to reports on judicial pay," said Carlos Lauria, senior program coordinator for the Americas at CPJ. "Such harassment is a threat to the essential reporting that holds the courts and public officials to account in Brazil." Almost all the suits ask for the maximum, 35,200-real (US$10,365) damage award allowed in small-claims courts, Yanaze Maia said. She said the suits were almost identical in wording and content, leading the newspaper to believe they were coordinated. Frederico Mendes Junior, the president of AMAPAR, sent an audio message to association members soon after the reports first appeared, encouraging members to "take joint action." He said AMAPAR was "looking at a model for individual suits filed by many people." AMAPAR confirmed to CPJ that the recording was genuine, but in a statement sent to journalists last week, Mendes maintained that the suits filed since were not coordinated. "There is no attempt to intimidate but there is a use of a constitutional right that is the right to take action," the statement said. "There is no coordinated action by AMAPAR." The suits named journalists Chico Mares, Euclides Lucas Garcia, and Rogerio Galindo, as well as systems analyst Evandro Balmant and designer Guilherme Storck, Gazeta do Povo said. They were filed in different towns and cities in order to be troublesome for the defendants, the paper claimed. The five have together traveled more than 3,700 miles across the state and have missed a combined total of 19 days of work while attending court dates, the paper said. The paper and the five employees who worked on the project were awarded the National Association of Newspaper's 2016 Freedom of the Press Award last week. Separately, last month, two judges in Parana ordered blogger Marcelo Auler to remove 10 articles from his website on the grounds that they offend police officers taking part in a federal corruption investigation. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Syrian journalists critically injured in bomb attack on home Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 17 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Syrian journalists critically injured in bomb attack on home, 17 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe546.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 17, 2016 Independent Syrian journalist Hadi Abdullah and cameraman Khaled Eissa were wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED) that destroyed their house in the Syrian city of Aleppo late Thursday night, according to media reports. Eissa is reported to be in critical condition. Smoke rises over Aleppo's Saif al-Dawla district in this October 2, 2012, file photo. (Manu Brabo/AP) The IED exploded at around midnight in front of Abdullah's home, where he and Eissa were staying. Eissa was taken to a hospital where he is being treated for wounds to the head and abdomen. He is in a coma, according to reports. Abdullah remained trapped beneath the rubble for a longer period. Members of the Syrian Civil Defense, a volunteer organization which is also known as the White Helmets, were able to remove him early Friday morning, and took him to the same hospital as Eissa, Kenan Rahmani, a Syrian-American lawyer close to both journalists, told CPJ. Abdullah has multiple fractures in his left leg, as well as an injury to one eye and to his jaw, Rahmani said. Syrian activists and the pro-opposition website Orient.net described the attack as an assassination attempt. Abdullah has been outspoken against the Syrian government since protests against President Bashar al-Assad swept the country in 2011, and has reported from different cities in the country since then. "Reports that Khaled Eissa and Hadi Abdullah may have been targeted because they are journalists are deeply distressing and underline the enormous risks Syrians are taking to do even the most basic reporting," CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said. A post published on Abdullah's Facebook page on his behalf today stated that he was in stable condition and expressed concern for Eissa, who is described as "still in a dangerous and critical state." Both journalists were injured by a barrel bomb on Tuesday while covering government airstrikes in Aleppo. An online video shows Abdullah immediately after the bombing. The next day, the journalists shared a photograph on social media of themselves back at work. Abdullah and Eissa have been based in Aleppo to cover the conflict there for the past three months, according to Rahmani. Abdullah and Eissa have been working together for more than a year. Turad al-Zahouri, a photographer Abdallah used to work closely with, died from injuries sustained while reporting in early 2014. Syria has been the deadliest country for journalists since 2012, according to CPJ research. At least two journalists have been killed in direct relation to their work in Syria in 2016. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Mexican reporter killed covering protests Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 21 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Mexican reporter killed covering protests, 21 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5515.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Oaxaca, Mexico, June 21, 2016 Mexican federal authorities should thoroughly investigate the case of a journalist killed on Sunday in the southern state of Oaxaca while covering protests, establish a motive, and bring all those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Protesters fight with police near Nochixtlan, Oaxaca, Mexico, June 19, 2016. (Luis Alberto Cruz Hernandez/AP) Elidio Ramos Zarate, a reporter for regional daily newspaper El Sur, was shot in the head by two unknown assailants driving a motorcycle, according to media reports. Authorities found Ramos Zarate's body at a restaurant at approximately 4.00 P.M. with a fatal gunshot wound in the neck. A 9-millimeter bullet case was found on the scene. According to media reports, Ramos Zarate was eating there with Raul Cano Lopez, the brother of the owner of Punto Critico, another regional newspaper. Cano Lopez was also killed in the attack, and it remains unclear whether he was targeted. The attack happened shortly after Ramos Zarate had finished reporting on several blockades and buses set on fire by teachers protesting in the city of Juchitan. The teachers' union recently set up a series of blockades and protest marches across Oaxaca and other states to oppose changes to educational policy. In some places police have forcibly dispersed the protesters. The day before the killing, masked men at the protest had threatened Ramos Zarate and other reporters, El Sur's editor, Luciano Pacheco, told CPJ. A spokesperson for El Sur told the Mexican news website Animal Politico that the men threatened the reporters not to document acts of violence. "We call on Mexican federal authorities to bring all those responsible for the killing of Elidio Ramos Zarate to justice," said Carlos Lauria, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "Mexico's shameful record of impunity only emboldens those who seek to silence journalists." Ramos Zarate, 45, was a crime reporter for El Sur and, according to Pacheco, had not been threatened for his work until last weekend. "He had not received death threats in the normal line of duty. This was something, we believe, that happened in the moment," Pacheco told CPJ. Pacheco said reporters of El Sur and other media regularly suffer harassment and violence during protest marches and other kinds of demonstrations. "During these marches they're regularly being pushed and shoved around, harassed, cursed at, threatened... their equipment is taken," he told CPJ. "As a journalist, in this area and in these situations, you are extra exposed. We're not safe from anyone. Sometimes it's the protesters, other times the police, other times criminals, like now." Confrontations between protesters and security forces are a common occurrence in Oaxaca, an ethnically and culturally diverse state with a large indigenous population, widespread poverty, and myriad social conflicts, according to press reports. The Tehuantepec Isthmus, a region of tropical lowlands in the Oaxacan southeast where Juchitan is located, is often the stage for such clashes. According to CPJ research, three journalists were murdered in the state over the past 18 months. Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to work as a journalist, according to CPJ research. Since 1992, at least 36 journalists have been killed there for their work, while dozens more have died in unclear circumstances. Mexico ranked eighth on CPJ's 2015 Impunity Index, which highlights countries where journalists are murdered and their assailants go free. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Iran suspends license of reformist newspaper Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 24 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Iran suspends license of reformist newspaper, 24 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5615.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. June 24, 2016 An Iranian court prosecutor suspended the Iranian reformist newspaper Ghanoon's license following a legal complaint from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IGRC), the newspaper announced on June 20, 2016. The newspaper's website said the ban was implemented to "prevent a crime," after the paper was accused of "publishing falsehood with the intent to cause disrupt in public opinion." The IRGC, a powerful security agency, did not specify which of the newspapers reports had inspired the complaint. At least two recent articles in the newspaper angered Iranian officials, however. On June 11, Ghanoon published an article, "A Doomed 24 hours," under the byline of its legal and judicial desk, which included testimony from of an unnamed prisoner who described mistreatment in Tehran's Great Penitentiary, including being allowed only two hours of access to dirty water for drinking a day. Tehran's prosecutor General Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi described the article as false, the BBC's Persian Service reported. He added that the Iranian Prisons Organization had filed a legal complained against the newspaper's publisher, Mahnaz Mazaheri. Ghanoon also came under attack in January for criticizing the way the IRGC handled the arrest of 10 U.S. Navy sailors who on January 12, 2016, were captured in Iranian waters. That article, titled "Why was the American Hostage Crying?", was no longer on Ghanoon's website as of June 24, 2016, but was republished on Iranian websites. It likened videos the government circulated to journalists after the incident showing the captured sailors kneeling with their hands behind their heads to videos of beheadings carried out by the Islamic State group. IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari called the article "a big mistake," and said Ghanoon "must repent for what it had said," according to news reports. Ghanoon was temporarily banned in 2014 over a report about possible corruption charges against a former member of the IRGC after he was released on bail, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, an advocacy group. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. South African reporters attacked covering protests, broadcaster suspends journalists Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 24 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, South African reporters attacked covering protests, broadcaster suspends journalists, 24 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5715.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 24, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by media reports that South Africa's public broadcaster suspended three journalists for opposing an editorial decision not to cover a protest. CPJ also calls for credible investigations into reports that police assaulted journalists covering unrest. Locals try to gain access to a shop during protests in Atteridgeville, a township west of Pretoria, on June 21. Several reporters were attacked covering protests and looting this week. (Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko) At least five people have been killed and almost 200 people have been arrested this week as supporters of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party have taken to the streets of the capital and environs in often-violent protests against the ANC's leadership, according to media reports. Police and protesters have threatened and attacked reporters filming protests, reports said. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), meanwhile, has avoided airing footage of the violence, prompting outcry from South African press freedom groups. On Thursday the SABC suspended economics editor Thandeka Gqubule, producer Foeta Krige, and Afrikaans news producer Suna Venter, according to press reports. A spokesperson for the broadcaster told reporters that the three had been suspended, but declined to discuss the reasons for their suspension. News reports and the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF), which advocates for press freedom and media ethics, today said the journalists' suspension followed their disagreement with an editorial directive not to cover a protest against SABC. "Attempts by parts of the African National Congress leadership to suppress coverage of protests are deeply worrying and fit into a broader narrative over the past few years of increasing suppression of South Africa's hard-won media freedoms," said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney. "Reports of attacks by police on reporters are particularly alarming. We call on the government of President Jacob Zuma to send a clear message that such violence must stop and that all media organizations are allowed to cover the news free of political interference." SABC Chief Operating Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng on May 26 announced the broadcaster would no longer air videos of violence directed public institutions, arguing that to do so would risk encouraging further violence. Three press freedom groups Media Monitoring Africa, the SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition, and the Freedom of Expression Institute in May filed a complaint with regulators, arguing that the ban contradicted the legal and regulatory framework that governs the SABC. At a hearing in response to that complaint today, the SABC argued that it had a responsibility not to place its journalists in danger and to protect children from images of violence, according to press reports. SABC representative Bantubonke Dakota argued that images of violent protests were discouraging foreign investment, the privately owned broadcaster EWN reported. Police and protesters have threatened and attacked journalists covering the violence. Police officers on Wednesday hit and kicked Jeff Wicks, a reporter for the private broadcaster News24, as Wicks attempted to film police shooting rubber-coated bullets at protesters in Ga-Rankuwa, on the outskirts of Tshwane, News24 reported. Police confiscated Wicks' mobile phone and that of fellow News24 reporter Karabo Ngoepe and forced them to delete photographs and videos they had taken of the violence, the station reported. A police officer further threatened to "deal with" both journalists, and took a picture of the News24 vehicle they were driving, News24 and SANEF reported. Two men in the Mamelodi township on the eastern edge of Tshwane robbed reporter Jody Jacobs and camerawoman Noluthando Hlophe, who both work for the privately owned broadcaster eNCA, at gunpoint while they covered the unrest. The assailants took the journalists' equipment including a camera, microphone, and tripod according to press reports and eNCA's Twitter account. Mujahid Safodien, a freelance photographer on assignment for Agence France-Presse, was also robbed at Mamelodi, according to news reports. Horisani Sithole, a journalist with SABC, wrote on Twitter that protesters looting a shop in the township of Mabopane bit him and stole his money and car keys as he tried to film them. Sithole "almost lost his thumb," he wrote. Protesters chased Tshidi Madia, a reporter for the privately owned radio station Power FM, out of the area, threatening her with violence, SANEF reported. A group of men likewise robbed Clement Manyathela and Kgothatso Mogale, both with EWN, of their mobile phones and cameras, and threatened to attack them with a brick, according to SANEF. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Iraq/Syria: Fresh threats to journalists from Islamic State group Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 27 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Iraq/Syria: Fresh threats to journalists from Islamic State group, 27 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5815.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 27, 2016 Threats made against journalists in a video purportedly showing militants from the Islamic State group murdering five Syrians accused of working with media and nongovernmental organizations underscore the need to protect Syrian and Iraqi journalists fleeing the conflict, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The 15-minute video, entitled "Inspiration of Satan," is marked as having been produced by the local media branch of the Islamic State group in Deir al-Zour, Syria, and was released on June 25 by pro-Islamic State group social media accounts. The video, which CPJ reviewed, shows five men confessing, apparently under duress, to collaborating with various media outlets and nongovernmental organizations. The men also perform re-enactments of their alleged reporting. Militants kill each of the men, all purportedly residents of Deir al-Zour, separately in the video. Between the apparent murders, a narrator warns all journalists "warring against Islam and the Islamic State" that "soldiers of the Caliphate will reach" them, regardless of their location. The video displays images of journalists whom the group claims to have murdered in Turkey, including Fares Hamadi, Ibrahim Abd al-Qader, and Zaher al-Shurqat, while the narrator warns journalists, "This will be your fate." The consultancy SITE, which monitors websites and social media accounts of violent Islamist groups, said on its website that the video was from the Islamic State group. "Journalists from territories controlled by the Islamic State group are fleeing to escape its lethal censorship, yet too often they remain at grave risk where they have taken shelter," said CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, Sherif Mansour. "Governments of countries where these journalists have sought refuge must do more to protect them. It is a matter of life and death." CPJ is withholding the names of the apparent victims in the June 25 video until their identities and employment can be independently verified. The Islamic State group has previously accused individuals of working for media outlets, forced them to confess, and murdered them, although the news outlet named denied that the victims had worked for it, according to CPJ research. Militants associated with the Islamic State group have killed at least 27 journalists and media workers around the world, with at least 11 more missing and feared dead. Separately, independent Syrian cameraman Khaled Eissa succumbed to his wounds on June 24 in a hospital in Antakya, Turkey, according to his friends and news reports. An improvised explosive device planted in front of his colleague Hadi Abdullah's house in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where Eissa was also staying, injured the two on June 16. No one has claimed responsibility for that attack. Abdullah is in stable condition, recovering from his injuries. At least 95 journalists have been killed covering the Syrian conflict, according to CPJ research. Only in Iraq have more journalists 174 in total been killed in relation to their work since 1992. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. TV station staff who produce satirical news shows arrested in Algeria Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 27 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, TV station staff who produce satirical news shows arrested in Algeria, 27 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5915.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 27, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the arrest of two senior staff at a privately owned television station in Algeria on June 24. Mahdi bin Issa, the manager of KBC, and Riyadh Hartouf, a producer, face charges of falsifying permits and complicity in abuse of position, and were ordered detained by a judge, according to reports. The charges against Issa and Hartouf relate to the satirical studio talk shows "Ki Ki Hna Nass" (We Are Like Everyone Else) and "Nass el Sath" (People of the Roof), which premiered during the current month of Ramadan. The shows deal with political, economic, and social issues, including allegations of corruption against long-time president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and other government officials, according to reports. If convicted, Issa and Hartouf face sentences of up to three years in prison on the first charge, and up to 10 years on the second, according to reports. "No journalist should be put behind bars because of work at a television station," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said in Washington, D.C. "We call on Algerian authorities to immediately release Mahdi bin Issa and Riyadh Hartouf and to let journalists and media professionals do their jobs without the threat of imprisonment." Security forces closed the studio where "Ki Ki Hna Nass" is filmed on June 19, with authorities saying the closure was because the studio had been used by the shuttered station Atlas TV, according to reports. Atlas TV was shut down by the government after a police raid in 2014, according to reports. No reason for that raid and closure was made public, according to reports at the time. Issa was summoned as a witness in the case about the studio on June 22, and asked to present KBC's filming permits and registration, according to reports. Issa, Hartouf, and Munia Nedjai, an officer in charge of licensing at the Ministry of Culture, were then summoned for questioning June 24. Nedjai was charged with abuse of position, and Issa and Hartouf were charged with complicity in the abuse of position and falsifying permits, Issa's lawyer told reporters. The investigative judge who questioned Issa and Hartouf said the channel obtained permits for "Ki Ki Hna Nass" and "Nass el Sath" on the basis that the shows would focus on culture and arts, but instead the journalists used the show to discuss politics, according to news reports. KBC is part of the privately owned El-Khabar media group, which runs a daily newspaper of the same name, and has been known for its criticism of the Algerian government since the media group was founded more than 25 years ago, according to Arabic media reports. Separately, the Algerian government has opposed the recent sale of the El-Khabar media group to businessman Yesad Rebrab, on the grounds that it violates the country's anti-monopoly law that prevents an individual owning more than one outlet, according to reports. El-Khabar's lawyers filed a petition for Issa and Hartouf's release on bail Sunday, which news reports said would be reviewed by the court in the coming days. CPJ was unable to determine if the journalists have responded to the charges against them. CPJ was unable to reach the television station for comment. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Egypt expels prominent TV host Liliane Daoud Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 28 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Egypt expels prominent TV host Liliane Daoud, 28 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5a15.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 28, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the expulsion of TV host Liliane Daoud by authorities in Egypt late on Monday. Liliane Daoud prepares to present her program on the Egyptian satellite channel ONtv in this file photo. (David Degner/Getty) Daoud, who holds British and Lebanese nationalities, was seized from her home in Cairo by eight men in civilian clothes who claimed to be from the Passport Authority. The journalist gave her account of the ordeal in a series of Tweets posted late on Tuesday. According to Daoud's account, the men seized Daoud's phone and her British passport, and refused to show an arrest warrant. When she asked to exercise her legal right to call a lawyer and to contact her embassy, the men began shouting and threatening her. She was then taken directly to Cairo International Airport, where she was told by officials that she would be ejected from the country. Daoud said she chose to be sent to Beirut, where she has family. The journalist wrote on Twitter that she is pursuing all legal and diplomatic channels in order to return to Egypt, where she has an 11-year-old daughter, of whom she is the primary guardian. "It is outrageous that Liliane Daoud was seized from her home and forced to leave the country without warning," Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington. "Where independent journalists are concerned, Egypt has given up even the pretense to rule of law." Daoud was seized from her home hours after she announced the end of her contract with privately owned channel ONtv on social media. She had hosted the talk show "Al-Soura al-Kamila" ("The Full Picture") on ONtv twice a week since 2011. Daoud hosted activists, politicians, and government and security officials on the show. She was often critical of government policy and performance under the leadership of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his predecessors. Egyptian state media reported that Daoud was deported to Lebanon because there was no justification for her presence in Egypt. The Associated Press on Monday cited an unnamed security official as saying that Daoud was deported because her residency permit had expired. The official added that she would not be allowed to return to Egypt because she had "crossed red lines" on her television program. The channel on Monday released a statement announcing that it had begun a restructuring process, with the aim of increasing its ratings, and that Daoud's contract had been terminated with the consent of both parties, according to media reports. Businessman Ahmed Abu Hashima bought ONtv from its former owner, Naguib Sawiris, on May 15. In a statement released to the media the day the deal was completed, Abu Hashima said ONtv would continue its support for Egypt's "nationalist leadership." The deal sparked fears of increased censorship on the channel, which has seen prominent, critical presenters and journalists such as Yosri Foda and Reem Maged depart since el-Sisi took office in 2014. Daoud's show, "The Full Picture" ceased airing immediately after the purchase, according to news reports. In a post to her Facebook page on May 20, the journalist said that she was on sick leave. Daoud spoke out against the suspension of another television show, hosted by Reem Maged on ONtv, in 2015, and hosted Maged on "The Full Picture." During the segment, Maged spoke about the pressures channel executives told her they had received from the authorities and which led to the suspension of her show. The channel later denied Maged's account, saying the show had been postponed while the channel reviewed its programming. CPJ was unable to reach Daoud directly for comment. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Radio journalist murdered in Guatemala Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 28 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Radio journalist murdered in Guatemala, 28 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5be.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 28, 2016 Guatemalan authorities should conduct a thorough and credible investigation into the murder of the director of a radio station and bring all those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Guatemalan radio journalist Alvaro Alfredo Aceituno Lopez, shown here in a frame from a video posted to YouTube, was murdered on June 25, 2016. (CERIGUA) Unidentified assailants shot Alvaro Alfredo Aceituno Lopez, director of the local station Radio Ilusion, at around 4 p.m. on Saturday, on the street where the station is located in the small, southeastern city of Coatepeque, according to his colleagues and press reports. One of the bullets hit Aceituno, 64, in the back of the head, according to press reports. The Guatemalan Red Cross rushed him to the hospital, where he died later on Saturday. "The murder of Alvaro Alfredo Aceituno Lopez is likely to further chill the climate for freedom of the press in Guatemala, where lawlessness and impunity already perpetuate a cycle of violence and intimidation," said Carlos Lauria, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "In addition to investigating and prosecuting his case, the government must step up its efforts to protect journalists and to ensure they can work safely without fear of reprisal." Leonel Merida, who worked with Aceituno at Radio Ilusion, said that he mostly presented the news on his own radio show, "Acontecer Coatepecano," but sometimes made guest appearances on other programs and expressed opinions about local issues such as bad road repair. Merida said that Aceituno had not told his colleagues he had received any threats before his murder. Family members told the Guatemalan press freedom group CERIGUA they were also not aware of any threats against Aceituno. Alex Coyoy, a journalist in Coatepeque who said he had known Aceituno for nine years, told CPJ that the radio reporter was critical of local authorities, hospitals, and companies, and that he would take calls to the radio station in which people would often criticize local officials and municipal programs. Aceituno had worked in radio for around 37 years, and was also a retired teacher, Coyoy told CPJ. A spokesperson for the National Civil Police told reporters that investigators had been dispatched to Coatepeque to investigate the crime, and that there was no information about a possible motive. At least six journalists have been killed in direct relation with their work in Guatemala since CPJ began keeping records in 1992, while another 16 have been killed for unclear motives. A 2014 CPJ special report found that most murders of journalists went unpunished. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Zambian editors arrested trying to enter newspaper's offices amid tax dispute Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 28 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Zambian editors arrested trying to enter newspaper's offices amid tax dispute, 28 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5d15.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Nairobi, June 28, 2016 The editor-in-chief of independent Zambian newspaper The Post was arrested trying to enter his newspaper's offices today, after authorities closed it in a dispute over allegedly unpaid taxes. Fred M'membe, his wife Mutinta, and his deputy managing editor Joseph Mwenda, were released on bail, but face charges of breaking into a building, according to reports. The charges come after the Revenue Appeals Tribunal overturned an order for The Post's property to be seized by the Zambia Revenue Authority, according to reports. M'membe and his co-accused were arrested at around 1 a.m. today when they tried to enter the headquarters of The Post after the tribunal's ruling, according to news reports. Police said the order allowing the paper to resume publishing had not been signed by the revenue authority. All three are due to appear in court next week, according to Reuters. "By disregarding the orders of the Revenue Appeals Tribunal, Zambian authorities make clear that shutting down The Post was not about procedure, but rather a politically motivated attempt to silence criticism," said CPJ Senior Africa Research Associate Kerry Paterson. "Authorities must drop the charges against Fred M'membe, Mutinta Mazoka-M'membe and Joseph Mwenda immediately, and respect the order that all control of Post property be returned to the paper from the Zambia Revenue Authority." The appeals tribunal, a Zambian court that deals with tax-related issues, ruled Monday that the Zambia Revenue Authority must hand back control of all seized property, and stopped an order to freeze Post accounts until a court hearing scheduled for July 11, according to news reports that featured the court documents. The property was seized on June 21 because of alleged tax arrears, according to news reports. The Post reported that armed police arrived at the offices that day and demanded 68 million Zambian kwacha (US$6.1 million) in arrears. A finance director told police nearly the full amount had already been paid to a court. Members of the revenue authority said the funds had not been received, then locked the offices and printing presses, and stationed armed guards at the building, The Post reported. In an interview published in African Independent on June 24, M'membe, who was awarded CPJ's International Press Freedom Award in 1995, said he believed the act was politically motivated and an effort to silence The Post over its critical coverage ahead of presidential elections on August 11. Hellen Mwale, chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa's Zambia Chapter, also said she believed the move was politically motivated. The vice-chairman for elections for the ruling Patriotic Front party denied in the same report that the party was involved in the decision. The Zambia Revenue Authority has not publicly commented on the case, according to Reuters. Zambian President Edgar Lungu, who is seeking re-election, has been supportive of the actions taken by the Zambia Revenue Authority, according to news reports. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Somalia: Police raid, close independent radio station in Puntland Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 30 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Somalia: Police raid, close independent radio station in Puntland, 30 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5e15.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Nairobi, June 30 2016 Authorities in the Puntland region of Somalia should immediately reopen an independent radio station closed in a police raid and ensure its journalists' safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police armed with assault rifles raided the offices of Radio Daljir on June 23 and closed the station's offices, silencing its broadcasts, according to media reports and a statement from the U.S. mission in Somalia. Radio Daljir managing director Jama Abshir told CPJ today that anonymous callers have threatened the station's journalists with death in recent days. Puntland news websites said the Ministry of Information's order to close Radio Daljir followed the station's June 21 interview with Abdisamad Mohamed Galan, the former governor of the Bari administrative region, where Puntland's commercial hub, Bossasso, is located. Abdisamad in recent months has led an armed rebellion against the Puntland government since Puntland President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali fired him from his post in May 2016. In the interview with Radio Daljir, Abdisamad vowed to "liberate Puntland," according to news reports. After that interview aired, Puntland Information Minister Mohamud Hassan So'adde threatened journalists who interview "terrorist elements" with "bullets," according to media reports. "Raiding radio stations and threatening journalists with violence for doing their jobs is the behavior of thugs, not government officials accountable to the rule of law," said CPJ Senior Africa Research Associate Kerry Paterson. "Authorities in Puntland should allow Radio Daljir back on the air immediately and thoroughly investigate any threats made against its staff." Puntland is a semi-autonomous region of Somalia with its own government under Somalia's federal system. Journalists have frequently been the target of violence in the region. In May 2011, an unexploded bomb was found in front of Radio Daljir's gate, the Somali journalists' union reported. In August 2010, unidentified assailants threw a grenade at Radio Daljir's offices. On September 14, 2011, unknown assailants shot and injured Radio Galkayo journalist Horroyo Abdulkadir after she left the station. On September 22 that year, unidentified gunmen shot and wounded Radio Codka Nabdda (Voice of Peace) reporter Hassan Mohamed Ali at a tea shop just outside the station, local journalists told CPJ at the time. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Turkey releases journalist, press freedom advocate Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 30 June 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Turkey releases journalist, press freedom advocate, 30 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe5f11.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, June 30, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today's release of Erol Onderoglu, the Turkey representative of the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Oebnem Korur Fincanc, an academic, columnist, and president of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, and called on Turkish authorities to drop all charges against them. RSF Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu, shown here at a May 2, 2016, press event in Istanbul, was released from pretrial detention today, following his June 20 arrest for participating in a campaign to show solidarity with embattled, pro-Kurdish newspaper Ozgur Gundem. (Ozan Kose/AFP) Onderoglu and Fincanc still face trial on terrorism charges. Istanbul's 13th Court of Serious Crimes today indicted the two on charges of "propagandizing for a [terrorist] organization," and "praising a crime and criminals," in connection with articles run in the pro-Kurdish newspaper Ozgur Gundem when they individually acted as co-editor of the newspaper for a day to protest authorities' relentless judicial harassment of its staff, according to press reports. The two were arrested on June 20, alongside Cumhuriyet columnist Ahmet Nesin, CPJ reported at the time. Nesin's case is before a different court, according to press reports. "We call on Turkish authorities to release Ahmet Nesin immediately, and to drop all charges against him, Erol Onderoglu, and Oebnem Korur Fincanc," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. "Turkey must stop using its overbroad anti-terror laws to attempt to silence journalists and press freedom advocates." Dozens of people mostly journalists, but also including rights activists, academics, and an actress have participated in the campaign since it began in May. At least 16 of them have been referred to trial Ozgur Gundem's lawyer, Ozcan Klc, told CPJ. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Ethiopian police arrest Somaliland journalist Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 1 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Ethiopian police arrest Somaliland journalist, 1 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe60e.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Nairobi, July 1, 2016 Ethiopian authorities should immediately release a television journalist from the semi-autonomous republic of Somaliland, Muktar Nuh Ibrahim, who has been held since June 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Farhan Ali Ahmed, the CEO of Muktar's station Horn Cable TV, which broadcasts from Somaliland, told CPJ that several journalists at the station saw Ethiopian police arrest Muktar in Wajale, a town straddling the border of Somaliland and Ethiopia. The arrest came soon after Muktar reported that Ethiopian police and allied militiamen from the Somali regional state in eastern Ethiopia had killed dozens of villagers on the Ethiopian side of the border region between Ethiopia and Somaliland in early June, Horn Cable TV's Kenyan director, Abdifatah Mohamed Elmi, told CPJ. Abdifatah and Farhan said they had not heard any news of the reporter since, and that it was unclear if Ethiopian authorities had charged Muktar with any crime. Ethiopian police and Ministry of Interior officials did not return CPJ's calls or emails inquiring about Muktar's arrest, his location, and whether he faces any charges. "Journalists should not be jailed because a government objects to their coverage," CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said from New York. "Ethiopian authorities should immediately disclose Muktar Nuh Ibrahim's whereabouts and whether he has been charged with any crime." Abdifatah told CPJ that Horn Cable TV's signal went dark worldwide on June 20 and remained unavailable until June 26. Ethiopia's information minister, Getachew Reda, did not respond CPJ's request for information on the alleged killings in the border region, or reports that the Ethiopian government had asked the satellite operator that carries Horn Cable TV's signal to remove its broadcasts from their service. Horn Cable TV is an independent, privately owned station which broadcasts in the Somali language from its headquarters in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, to audiences in the Horn of Africa and the large Somali diaspora around the world. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Gunmen injure Philippines radio journalist and son Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 1 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Gunmen injure Philippines radio journalist and son, 1 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe61c.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 1, 2016 Philippine authorities should credibly investigate Thursday's shooting of a Filipino journalist and his son outside their home in Surigao City, Mindinao, and bring the gunmen to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Two assailants riding a motorcycle shot Saturnino "Jan" Estanio three times in the back, according to a statement by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. His 12-year-old son was also hit, according to news reports. Estanio is an anchor for a nightly program that features a public-affairs segment on Radio Mindanao Network, the country's largest radio network. Estanio drove himself and his son to a hospital, where he was in stable condition, Estanio told The Philippine Daily Inquirer, an English-language daily. A hospital worker told the newspaper that the son was in critical condition on Thursday night, but by Friday his condition had improved, and he was in stable condition, the daily Sun Star newspaper reported. "We call on the newly elected government of President Rodrigo Duterte to ensure that authorities conduct a swift and thorough investigation into this brutal attack on Saturnino Estanio and his son, and that they bring the perpetrators to justice," said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler. "Successive Philippine governments have failed to reverse the country's long history of violence against the press. President Duterte could have a different legacy, but he needs to start now." In recent broadcasts, Estanio had criticized illegal gambling, illicit drugs, and alleged corruption in local government agencies, according to reports citing Jocelyn Ferol, program director of the radio station. Estanio told The Philippine Daily Inquirer that three days before the attack, an individual had threatened him regarding his coverage of illegal gambling machines in Surigao City. At least 77 journalists have been killed in the Philippines since 1992, when CPJ began keeping records, making the Philippines the third deadliest country in the world for the press. The Philippines ranks fourth on CPJ's Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are murdered and the killers go free. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Argentina: Newspaper and radio station offices damaged during forced entry linked to ownership dispute Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 6 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Argentina: Newspaper and radio station offices damaged during forced entry linked to ownership dispute, 6 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe6213.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 6, 2016 Argentine authorities should investigate the forced entry and damage caused at the Buenos Aires offices of the newspaper Tiempo Argentino and radio station, Radio America, on July 4, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The newspaper was being run by a journalists' collective after a dispute over ownership earlier this year. Journalists view the damage caused by a forced entry at the Argentine paper Tiempo Argentino on July 4. (AP/Victor R. Caivano) A group of men led by Mariano Martinez Rojas, a businessman who says that he bought the newspaper and radio station earlier this year, allegedly entered the offices in the early hours of July 4, forcibly removed three employees, and vandalized the newsroom, workers from Tiempo Argentino said. The employees in the building at the time of the raid called police and journalists to alert them to what was happening, according to reports. Photos of the offices published in local media outlets after the attack show a smashed wall, broken computers, and cabinets covered in a thick layer of debris and dust. The newspaper was allegedly sold to Martinez Rojas in January, but journalists at the paper said that after the original owners and then Martinez Rojas failed to pay salaries and costs associated with running the business, they formed a cooperative in March so they could continue to produce news, according to press reports. A statement by the cooperative said that the men who entered the offices "destroyed important equipment crucial to the editorial process with the clear intention of obstructing the dissemination of the newspaper and its web production." Workers said that the internal network was disrupted when cables were cut throughout the office. Martinez Rojas told the news site Perfil that his entry to the offices "was authorized by the police," whom he said entered with him. He denied vandalizing the offices and accused a local political youth organization known as La Campora of causing the damage. "The newspaper is mine, the brand as well, so is the company," he told Perfil. La Campora did not publicly comment on the accusation that its members were involved, but on its website it condemned the raid and described it as a violation of press freedom. Martinez Rojas and 10 others are facing charges over the forced entry and damage, the Argentine daily La Nacion, reported. The businessman was allegedly seen on security cameras and in photos taken by employees during the incident, according reports. Attempts by CPJ to reach Martinez Rojas for comment were not immediately successful. "The willful destruction of property in the offices of Tiempo Argentino and Radio America is a clear attempt to prevent the outlets from producing news, and it is concerning that the person who the journalists' collective says is responsible is a businessman who says he owns the paper," said Carlos Lauria, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "Argentine authorities must conduct a timely investigation and prosecute all those involved." CPJ called the local police for comment, but a representative said she was not authorized to speak. The Buenos Aires prosecutor told journalists at the outlet that they could continue to work and provided them with police security, according to reports. It is not the first time Martinez Rojas has allegedly tried to disrupt the work of the outlets. The Argentine press freedom organization Foro de Periodismo Argentino (FOPEA), reported that Martinez Rojas allegedly interrupted the transmission of a program by Radio America about three weeks ago. He allegedly entered the offices and forced staff to play music instead of the program they were broadcasting. Ownership of the outlets has been in dispute since the start of the year. Under the previous owners, Sergio Szpolski and Matias Garfunkel, the newspaper Tiempo Argentino received state advertising funding under the government of former president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, whom the paper supported. Argentine news organizations reported that Martinez Rojas allegedly purchased the newspaper and radio station in January, but later tried to cancel the sale on the grounds that he was unaware of the newspaper's debts. In an interview with Perfil in May, Martinez Rojas said that that the National Communications Agency did not recognize him as the owner. A representative from the Public Ministry told CPJ, "Mariano Martinez Rojas said that he bought the newspaper from Sergio Szpolski, but he never presented documentation to prove this purchase. The workers at the newspaper claim that the owner is still the previous one." The cooperative set up by the outlets' journalists was recognized by the Ministry of Labor earlier this year, which gave them custody of the building, according to El Diario 24. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Georgia journalist arrested over open records request related to court Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 6 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Georgia journalist arrested over open records request related to court, 6 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe6310.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 6, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists called on prosecutors today to drop all charges against Mark Thomason, the publisher of local weekly newspaper Fannin Focus, in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Thomason, who was arrested June 24, faces felony charges including making a false statement in an open records request. Mark Thomason may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. (Fannin Focus) Thomason, who was released on a $10,000 bond June 25, told CPJ he could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. As well as being accused of making a false statement, he said he faces additional felony charges of identity fraud and attempted identity fraud in relation to a subpoena for information about court bank accounts. The open record request and subpoena relate to a legal battle over a previous open records request filed by Thomason when he was investigating allegations that a judge used a racial slur, according to statements by the journalist and court documents reviewed by CPJ. The attorney who helped him file the subpoena, Russell Stookey, also faces charges, according to reports. "The use of open records requests is fundamental to democracy and a free press, so it is chilling that a U.S. journalist is facing felony charges for seeking public information," said Carlos Lauria, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "Prosecutors should immediately drop all charges against Mark Thomason and his attorney." The legal dispute is connected to a defamation case brought against Thomason in 2015 by court reporter Rhonda Stubblefield, who accused the journalist of libel over a story that said her transcripts may be incomplete, according to The Associated Press. Stubblefield sued the journalist after he filed a records request for a court transcript and audio recording, after it was alleged that a judge used a racial slur in court and that not every instance of the slur being used was recorded, according to reports. The case, in which damages of $1.6 million were sought, was dropped but in April, Stubblefield sued Thomason for $16,000 to cover her attorney costs, the AP reported. Thomason told CPJ that he and his lawyer subpoenaed checks from two public checking accounts that are used to pay court expenses. He said they believed the accounts, one of which was a courthouse account in the name of Chief Superior Court Judge Brenda Weaver, would show that the court had paid the court reporter's legal fees. Thomason also filed an open records request to a bank where the Appalachian judicial circuit operating accounts were allegedly housed, to seek records of checks that the county had written to the judges. In the request, Thomason said that "some checks appear to have not been deposited but cashed illegally," reports said. Weaver, chief judge of the local superior court, told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that she was upset by the subpoena and the records request. Weaver told the newspaper she believed Thomason's reporting was part of a vendetta against her. According to Gawker, Weaver asked district attorney Alison Sosebee to file the indictments against the journalist. The indictments for identity fraud relate to the subpoena and claim that Thomason sought the bank information to "unlawfully appropriate resources of [Judge Weaver]." It said that he issued the subpoena "without the consent of Brenda S. Weaver." The indictment of making a false statement relates to the open records request and says Thomason knowingly submitted a false representation when he said that checks had been cashed illegally. Sosebee said the charges are not related to the journalist's use of the Open Records Act and told the AP that the charge "relates to the statement that he included within his request." Attempts by CPJ to contact Weaver and Sosebee were not immediately successful. CPJ left messages for Weaver today on the office numbers provided for her on the court webpage. CPJ also left a message seeking comment with an assistant for Sosebee. No one immediately responded to the requests for comment. Thomason denied the claims to CPJ. He said that as part of his bond conditions he must call the Applachian Pretrial Probation Program every morning between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m to see if he needs to submit to a drug test at a pretrial center. He is prohibited from being within 200 feet of Weaver or any of the subpoenaed witnesses, a condition that he says has prevented him from reporting at the courthouse. All three judges in the Appalachia circuit have recused themselves and the trial will be held in a different circuit, according to press reports. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Liberia forces critical radio station Voice FM to stop broadcasting Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 7 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Liberia forces critical radio station Voice FM to stop broadcasting, 7 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe64e.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Nairobi, July 7, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the decision by Liberian authorities to shut down the privately owned station Voice FM and called on the government today to allow the station to resume broadcasting immediately. The Liberia Telecommunications Authority, a regulatory body that issues frequencies in the country, ordered Voice FM, a local political station, to cease broadcasting on July 4, and locked its Monrovia offices, according to news reports. The authority said that the station, which has been broadcasting for two years, failed to register properly as a commercial station and did not pay the required fees and taxes associated with registration, according to reports. The station, owned by Henry Costa, who also hosts the station's morning show "The Henry Costa Show," is known for its critical coverage of the government, according to reports. Costa denied that his station was not properly registered and provided CPJ with receipts that he said showed outstanding fees had been paid. "The government is using the telecommunication authority to silence political criticism," said CPJ Africa Senior Research Associate Kerry Paterson. "This is not acceptable in a democracy like Liberia. The authorities must allow Voice FM back on air immediately." In a legal petition that the Liberia Telecommunications Authority filed through the Justice Ministry, the authority claimed that Voice FM was operating on a frequency that had been allocated to a different radio station. The petition said the frequency was not transferred or renewed when that license expired in 2014, reports said. The Liberia Telecommunications Authority did not immediately respond to CPJ's request for comment. Costa told CPJ that the station's lawyers are appealing the decision to force the station off air. He added, "They may succeed in shutting us down today, but they can never take away my voice, they can never silence the Liberian people whose anger, disenchantment, views, and aspirations we espouse." In a statement to press on July 4, Henry Benson, the acting commissioner for Liberia Telecommunications Authority, told local news outlets that other stations operating without the necessary permits could also be closed, adding, there would be "more to come." Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Kyrgyz Supreme Court leaves Azimjon Askarov in jail Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 12 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Kyrgyz Supreme Court leaves Azimjon Askarov in jail, 12 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe65c.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 12, 2016 Kyrgyz prosecutors should drop all charges against Azimjon Askarov and ensure the journalist's immediate release, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court today overturned its December 2011 decision to deny the journalist's appeal of his life sentence on trumped-up murder and incitement charges and ordered a retrial, according to a statement from the court and press reports. Askarov, an independent reporter and human rights advocate who has been jailed since June 2010, remains in state custody pending his new trial. CPJ considers the charges against him to be retribution for his work as a journalist. "Kyrgyzstan should stop delaying and derailing justice in Azimjon Askarov's case, and should abandon this cruel farce of a legal process so he can be released without delay," said Muzaffar Suleymanov, Europe and Central Asia senior research associate. "Each day Askarov spends behind bars compounds the injustice he has suffered since his wrongful arrest more than six years ago." CPJ on July 8 called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to use her visit to Bishkek tomorrow to call for Askarov's release. The court's decision followed the UN Human Rights Committee's March 31 findings that the journalist had been arbitrarily detained, tortured, mistreated, and that he had been prevented from adequately preparing his defense. Askarov is a 2012 recipient of CPJ's International Press Freedom Award. CPJ has advocated for his release since he was arrested. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Thailand harasses critical website ahead of constitutional vote Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 12 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Thailand harasses critical website ahead of constitutional vote, 12 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe66c.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 12, 2016 Thai authorities should cease harassing independent news website Prachatai and drop all charges against one of its journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In recent days, police have detained and released one of the website's reporters and have raided its office, according to press reports. The raid and the detention came as Thailand prepares for a constitutional referendum scheduled for August 7. Police, backed by uniformed soldiers, today raided Prachatai's Bangkok office to search for leaflets urging a "no" vote on the referendum, but left without seizing any evidence or making any arrests, according to news reports. That raid followed the July 9 arrest of Prachatai staff reporter Taweesak Kerdpoka, along with four political activists accused of possessing materials urging a "no" vote in the western province of Ratchaburi, according to news reports. The reports said Taweesak was traveling to Ratchaburi to report on a separate group of 18 activists who had been charged with illegal assembly. "Thai authorities should drop its investigation into Taweesak Kerdpoka, who was merely doing his job as a reporter when he was arrested," said Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia Program coordinator. "If Thailand's military junta wants its referendum to be seen as credible, it must stop harassing journalists covering the campaign and let information flow freely to the public." Taweesak and the four activists were freed on bail on Monday, according to news reports, but police are still investigating them to determine whether to bring charges under article 61 of the April 22, 2016, Referendum Act, which criminalizes distributing information about the proposed charter that authorities determine "deviat[es] from the facts, contains rude and violent language, or [which] threateningly discourages voters from participating in the referendum." If charged and convicted, Taweesak and the four activists each face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The police raid aimed to determine whether Taweesak possessed or Prachatai produced leaflets campaigning against the referendum, according to a Prachathai report. Junta spokesman Colonel Winthai Suwaree yesterday said that police should investigate Taweesak to determine why he was traveling with the activists, Prachatai reported. Authorities have used the Referendum Act to block activists from establishing voting-fraud monitoring stations and to threaten opposition politicians who have used social media to campaign for a "no" vote, according to press reports. Prachatai, which specializes in covering under-reported news topics, has faced harassment under successive governments. The site's editor, Chiranuch Premchaiporn, was given an eight-month suspended jail sentence in May 2012 for anonymous comments posted to one of Prachatai's online forums that authorities considered anti-royal. CPJ provided expert written testimony in her defense at the trial. EDITOR'S NOTE: The text has been revised to correct Steven Butler's title. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Lesotho editor in critical condition after shooting Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 13 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Lesotho editor in critical condition after shooting, 13 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe674.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 13, 2016 Lesotho authorities should launch a credible investigation into the shooting of veteran editor Lloyd Mutungamiri and bring all those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Mutungamiri is in critical condition in a hospital in South Africa, his employer told CPJ today. An unknown number of assailants shot Mutungamiri, who is the editor of both the Lesotho Times and the Sunday Express, outside his home in the capital, Maseru, as he returned from work the night of July 9, according to news reports. His wife, Tsitsi Mutungamiri, found him on the ground next to his car after the shooting, she told the South African news website the Independent Online. Mutungamiri's attackers did not rob him, according to press reports. Police on June 23 interrogated Mutungamiri regarding a news report about the head of Lesotho's military, according to press reports and the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network, an advocacy organization. He was released without charge the same day. Also, Basildon Peta the CEO of Africa Media Holdings, which publishes the Lesotho Times and the Sunday Express faces criminal defamation charges in connection with a satirical column about the military published on June 23, according to press reports. Police briefly detained him on July 6 and released him on bail, the reports said. His trial is scheduled to begin on July 19. "Rather than dedicating their time to harassing the Lesotho Times, we call on authorities to thoroughly investigate the vicious attack on Lloyd Mutungamiri," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. "When violence against journalists goes unpunished, the free flow of information is impeded, to society's detriment." International human rights instruments and a growing body of international legal opinion clearly state that criminal defamation laws can have a chilling effect on speech, hampering the right to freedom of expression and the right to be informed. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and the Pan African Parliament have urged African Union member states, which includes Lesotho, to repeal criminal defamation laws. According to a report by Amnesty International, Mutungamiri was also charged with criminal defamation for critical reporting in 2014, but the case was never brought to court. EDITOR'S NOTE: Paragraph six of this text has been modified to specify that criminal defamation laws can have a chilling effect on speech. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Two Congolese journalists held by police for critical reporting on military Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 15 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Two Congolese journalists held by police for critical reporting on military, 15 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe686.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 15, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arbitrary detention of two radio journalists in the Ituri district of Oriental Province in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and calls on Congolese officials to release them both immediately. Jacques Unyuta Tuambe and Joel Ular Wedunga, both radio reporters for Radio la Colombe, based in the town of Mahagi, were arrested separately on July 8 and 9 respectively, according to the Observatory for Press Freedom in Africa (OLPA), a Congolese press freedom organization. According to the OLPA, both Tuambe and Wedunga have been held without charge by Congolese National Police since the dates of their arrests. The journalists were both arrested while at the radio station's office, in both cases while reporting on a petition led by local lawyers gathering signatures condemning military harassment of the public in Mahagi, according to Congolese press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED). The country has seen a number of press freedom abuses over the past 18 months, including internet blackouts, arbitrary arrests, attempts at censorship, and physical attacks on journalists, according to CPJ research. Presidential elections are scheduled later this year, but according to a Reuters report, at a July 14 press conference, Maman Sidikou, the head of the UN mission in the DRC, said, "I do not see the elections (taking place) on Nov. 27." "The purpose of journalism is to hold powerful institutions, including the military, to account, particularly with significant elections on the horizon," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. "Congolese officials must respect the role of the media, and we urge them to release these reporters immediately." CPJ's calls to the Congolese National Police and to the Congolese consulate in New York went unanswered. CPJ's calls to the managing director of Radio la Colombe also went unanswered. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. In Turkey, one journalist killed, several newsrooms seized in attempted coup Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 16 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, In Turkey, one journalist killed, several newsrooms seized in attempted coup, 16 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe696.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Istanbul, July 16, 2016 Turkish soldiers shot and killed one journalist and seized control of several newsrooms last night as factions of the Turkish military attempted to topple the government of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A night of violence, which was most severe in Ankara, left hundreds of people dead and more than 1,400 injured, according to press reports, but did not immediately appear to have dislodged the government. Soldiers shot and killed Mustafa Cambaz, a photographer with the pro-government newspaper Yeni Oafak, in the Cengelkoy neighborhood of Istanbul last night, according to his newspaper. Soldiers also took control of the Ankara studios of the state broadcaster, Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) and forced news anchor Tijen Karas to read a televised statement at gunpoint, she later told journalists. "We were held hostage for hours," the daily Hurriyet quoted Karas as saying. "Our arms were tied behind our backs, we were threatened. Our every move was watched. I was forced by armed people to read the text," she said, referring to a statement in which the military officers attempting the coup said they were taking power to restore democracy in Turkey. "We call on Turkish authorities to punish those responsible for killing Mustafa Cambaz to the full extent of the law," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said from New York. "In the aftermath of the attempted coup, we urge the Turkish government to allow journalists to report on news events freely and independently, and to do their utmost to guarantee the safety and security of all journalists." Soldiers also took over Istanbul offices of Dogan Media Center, which houses several media outlets, including Hurriyet newspaper, the English-language Hurriyet Daily News, and the television stations CNN Turk and Kanal D, taking several journalists and other staff in the building hostage for part of the night, Hurriyet Daily News reported. Police and civilians loyal to the government detained the soldiers shortly afterwards. Kanal D and CNN Turk broadcast empty studios while the standoff continued. CNN Turk later published videos of the event on its website. Several reporters were attacked while covering the events. Unidentified individuals attacked CNN Turk reporter Kenan Oener while he was reporting near the offices of the military's chief of general staff in Ankara, CNN Turk reported. Police dispersed the assailants, and Oener was not injured, his employer reported. In Istanbul, civilians protesting the attempted coup beat Selcuk Oamiloglu, a photojournalist for the daily Hurriyet and the Associated Press, the opposition daily Cumhuriyet reported today. Prime Minister Binali Yldrm stressed the importance of journalist safety at a press conference Saturday afternoon, saying, "Get well, members of the press. The duty of journalists is to transmit the events to our nation." Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Indian authorities shut down media outlets in Jammu and Kashmir Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 18 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Indian authorities shut down media outlets in Jammu and Kashmir, 18 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe6a9.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Washington, July 18, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to stop harassing and obstructing the media. Several newspapers in the state have been prevented from publishing for three days, while mobile internet services are shut down, and cable television has been blocked. In this July 16 photo, Kashmiri journalists protest against the government in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, where authorities have shut down printing presses and banned newspapers after days of anti-India protests.(AP/Mukhtar Khan) Police raided newspaper offices in Srinagar early on the morning of July 16, halting printing presses, confiscating printed papers due for delivery, and briefly detaining printing and delivery staff, according to local news reports. Publications including Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Daily Kashmir Images, Kashmir Observer, and Kashmir Reader have been affected. Although many publications have been able to continue online operations, mobile internet services in the region have been shut down by authorities since July 8, making it harder for readers to access current and accurate information, according to the news reports. Authorities also blocked cable television on July 16, reports said. CPJ was unable to determine whether it has been restored. "The Indian government should immediately lift its ban on newspaper operations and restore the free flow of information," said Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia program coordinator. "It's obvious that Kashmir's longstanding difficulties have nothing to do with the operation of a free press, and that preventing professional journalists from doing their jobs can only make the situation worse." The crackdown on the press follows a period of unrest in Kashmir, marked by the July 8 killing of separatist leader Burhan Wani. Protesters have defied a curfew imposed by authorities, and daily clashes with police have left at least 39 people dead, according to national news reports. State Education Minister Naeem Akhtar was quoted as saying the measures blocking the press were aimed at saving lives and strengthening peace efforts. Newspaper editors and owners met on Saturday night to draw up plans to counter the ban, the newspapers reported. An editorial in the Kashmir Times defended the industry, saying, "to have considered the media a threat to peace is ridiculous." Instead, the paper argued, the press ban opened the door to rumors by unscrupulous players. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. South Sudan authorities arrest editor, order Juba Monitor to cease publishing Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 18 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, South Sudan authorities arrest editor, order Juba Monitor to cease publishing, 18 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe6b6.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Nairobi, July 18, 2016 Authorities in South Sudan should immediately and unconditionally release South Sudanese journalist Alfred Taban, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Taban, editor-in-chief of the independent English-language daily Juba Monitor, has been held without charge since July 16, according to colleagues and media reports. A camp in Juba for South Sudanese displaced from their homes by unrest. An editor at Juba Monitor has been arrested over a critical column about a renewed round of fighting in the country. (Beatrice Mategwa/UNMISS/Handout Reuters) Anna Nimiriano, the paper's editorial director who was summoned to security headquarters on July 16 alongside Taban, told reporters that members of the National Security Service said that a column Taban published the previous day was incitement. Taban has not been charged, Nimiriano told reporters. "We urge South Sudanese authorities to release Alfred Taban immediately and allow the Juba Monitor to publish freely," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. "It is unacceptable that Taban is in jail for publishing his view of current events, which is the media's role." Nimiriano said that officials from the National Security Service called her early on July 16 to say they were looking for both her and Taban. When the two editors arrived at the security service headquarters in Juba, Taban was immediately detained, Nimiriano told the Sudan Tribune. Nimiriano said she was neither questioned nor held, but was asked to leave without her colleague, Radio Tamazuj reported. Authorities also ordered editors at the paper to stop publishing, according to media reports. CPJ was unable to determine the details of the order forcing Juba Monitor to cease publishing. The newspaper announced on its website that it would resume publication tomorrow, but provided no further details. The day before his arrest, Taban published a column calling on President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar to step down from power for failing to improve the security situation in the capital Juba, reports said. The column came in the wake of unrest. Dozens of people were killed and thousands have been uprooted from their homes in a renewed round of fighting between supporters of Kiir and Machar on July 11, according to reports. The power struggle between the president and vice-president set off a civil war in 2013. After a peace deal was signed in December 2015, Machar recently returned to his role. CPJ has reported on efforts by the government in South Sudan to muzzle the press this year, including the beating and arrest of journalists and the closure of several newspapers. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Journalist Pavel Sheremet killed in Ukraine car bombing Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 20 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalist Pavel Sheremet killed in Ukraine car bombing, 20 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe6c23.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 20, 2016 Ukrainian authorities must credibly investigate the murder of award-winning journalist Pavel Sheremet and ensure all those responsible are swiftly brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Sherement, 44, was killed in Kiev today after an explosive device detonated under the car he was driving. Flowers and a portrait of Pavel Sheremet mark the site of the journalist's murder in Kiev, July 20, 2016. (Sergei Chusavkov/AP) Sheremet, who wrote for the independent news website Ukrainska Pravda, was driving to the offices of the independent broadcaster Radio Vesti, where he also hosted a morning radio show, when the car he was driving exploded, Ukrainska Pravda and The New York Times reported. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy V. Lutsenko said that a car bomb had caused the explosion, according to press reports. Sheremet was a 1998 recipient of CPJ's International Press Freedom Award. "We honored Pavel Sheremet in 1998 with an International Press Freedom Award in recognition of his courage, his integrity, and his commitment to the highest ideals of journalism," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. "He upheld those standards through his years even as he mentored and inspired a generation of journalists in Ukraine. His killers cannot be allowed to get away with this terrible crime." In September 2000, Georgy Gongadze, then the editor of Ukrainska Pravda, was abducted and beheaded. The manner in which the investigation into his murder was conducted made many in Ukraine doubt its sincerity, CPJ reported at the time. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko condemned Sheremet's murder, requested that top law enforcement officials personally oversee the probe, and urged them to seek assistance from the FBI and other international law enforcement experts, according to a statement on the president's website. In his work for Ukrainska Pravda, Sheremet commented on political developments in Ukraine, Russia, and his native Belarus. He had recently written about Ukrainian volunteer battalion fighters' joining criminal gangs after leaving the militias, petty corruption among police in Belarus, alleged corruption among Ukrainian government officials and police, and the work of Russian government propagandists. According to reports in the local and international press, investigators said that they were investigating Sheremet's journalism as the primary motive in a case of premeditated murder. Authorities also said they were investigating the possibility that the killers had sought to kill Alena Pritula, owner and former editor of Ukrainska Pravda, whose car Sheremet was driving when he died, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Poroshenko ordered law enforcement agencies to place Pritula under protection, Ukrainska Pravda said. Sheremet's friends told journalists that he and Pritula had complained of being followed in Kiev. Sheremet told Reuters in October 2015 that he did not feel safe visiting Moscow, where had previously worked as a journalist. "I'm threatened often and given hints. Every time I go to Moscow, it's like I'm in a minefield," he told the news agency. Sheremet was originally from Belarus, where he edited independent newspaper Belarusskaya Delovaya Gazeta. He had also worked as a bureau chief for the now defunct Russian television station ORT, which was often critical of authorities. In 1997, Belarussian authorities jailed him for three months in connection to his reporting, and stripped him of his citizenship in 2010. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Azerbaijan suspends TV station's license for Turkey coverage Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 19 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Azerbaijan suspends TV station's license for Turkey coverage, 19 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe6c6.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 19, 2016 Azerbaijani regulators should immediately reverse their decision to suspend the license of broadcaster ANS TV, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Broadcasting regulators yesterday said they were suspending the station's license to broadcast for one month because of its coverage of events in Turkey. In a statement, Azerbaijan's National Television and Radio Council said it was suspending pro-government television station ANS TV's broadcasting license because of the channel's coverage of a July 15 failed coup attempt in Turkey, including plans to air an interview with Fethullah Gulen, a preacher whom the Turkish government accuses of leading a terrorist organization and "parallel state structure" within Turkey from his self-imposed exile in the United States. The Turkish government has alleged that his followers were behind the attempted coup. The statement alleged the station was inciting terrorism, and said its decision followed protests from the Turkish Embassy in Baku. "Azerbaijani officials should stop their shameful attempts to censor the media and allow ANS TV and all journalists to report the news without interference," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Senior Research Associate Muzaffar Suleymanov said. "Foreign embassies should not make editorial decisions for television stations, and journalists have a right to interview anyone, regardless of the subject's political affiliation or allegations made against them." Azerbaijan's state-owned news agency APA reported that the broadcasting authority accused ANS TV of repeatedly violating national media laws, and said that the station's reporting on events in Turkey had affected relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. CPJ last year ranked Azerbaijan as the fifth most censored country in the world, and among the world's worst jailers of journalists. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Abdelqadir Fassouk second Libyan photojournalist to be killed in a month Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 22 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Abdelqadir Fassouk second Libyan photojournalist to be killed in a month, 22 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe6d15.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Washington, July 22, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the killing of Arraed television correspondent and prominent Libyan photojournalist Abdelqadir Fassouk, who was shot yesterday while covering clashes between government-allied forces and the militant group Islamic State, according to his news outlet. This June 20, 2011, photo by Abdelqadir Fassouk shows rebel fighters firing a rocket toward pro-Qaddafi forces on the front line in Misrata, Libya. Fassouk was killed on July 22, 2016, while covering clashes between government-allied forces and the militant group Islamic State. (AP/Abdelqadir Fassouk) According to CPJ research, Fassouk is the second Libyan photojournalist to be killed in conflict in less than a month. Freelance photojournalist Khaled al-Zintani was shot while covering clashes on June 24 in Benghazi. "The death of Abdelqadir Fassouk is a reminder of the terrible price that journalists in Libya are paying to do their jobs," said CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, Sherif Mansour. "International attention to Libya's conflict may have faded, but reporters and photographers are still battling dangerous odds to gather and share the news." Arraed, a satellite news channel based in Istanbul, said Fassouk was covering fighting between forces loyal to Libya's unity government and the Islamic State group in the Ouagadougou neighborhood on the outskirts of the coastal city of Sirte. He was taking footage of a young fighter allied with the government as the forces circled Islamic State bases in the area. A shot from the Islamic State side hit Fassouk directly in the head, killing him instantly, the channel said. In a statement issued on its website yesterday, the local press freedom group Libyan Center for Freedom of the Press said that Fassouk spoke to its researcher the day before he was killed and emphasized that journalists covering the war against the Islamic State group face serious risks, including lack of safety equipment, and that journalists had been repeatedly trapped in the fighting. The channel published several reports by Fassouk from recent days, saying that he was insistent on obtaining exclusive footage from the front lines, at the risk of his life. "His motive was always (finding) the truth and nothing more. He was our first source for information and verification," his colleague, Yasin Khattab, said in an interview published on the broadcaster's YouTube channel today. Fassouk had worked as a photojournalist since the 2011 Libyan uprising against the late President Muammar Qaddafi. His work appeared in outlets including The Associated Press and Time magazine. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Mexico: Veracruz journalist under police protection shot dead Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 22 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Mexico: Veracruz journalist under police protection shot dead, 22 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe6e15.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Mexico City, July 22, 2016 Mexican federal authorities must conduct a credible and thorough investigation into the July 20 killing of Pedro Tamayo Rosas, a Veracruz journalist who was shot while under the protection of state authorities, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police tape cordons off the road outside the home of Pedro Tamayo Rosas, a Mexican journalist who was shot dead on July 20. (Roberto Mendez/AFP) Tamayo, 43, was shot in front of his wife, outside their home in the town of Tierra Blanca, in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, by unknown assailants. He died on the way to a nearby hospital, according to media reports. At the time of the attack, the freelance correspondent for the regional newspaper El Pinero de la Cuenca and news website Al Calor Politico was enrolled in a Veracruz state-sponsored protection program for journalists who have been threatened and was under police protection after temporarily fleeing Veracruz earlier this year. Colleagues and authorities were unable to tell CPJ if the threats were in relation to his work. "It is outrageous that a journalist who was under the protection of state police in Veracruz because of threats has been murdered in front of family," said Carlos Lauria, CPJ Americas senior program coordinator, in New York. "The state of Veracruz is the most lethal place for the press in the Western hemisphere, and state authorities have shown themselves to be unwilling and incapable when it comes to solving the murders of journalists." According to initial law enforcement and news reports, a black vehicle pulled up to Tamayo's residence at approximately11 p.m. At the time, the journalist was sitting outside by a food stand that his wife runs from their home, a friend of the family's told CPJ. Two occupants of the car approached Tamayo and spoke with him briefly, then shot him at short range multiple times before fleeing. In an interview with CPJ, Veracruz state Attorney General Luis Angel Bravo said that the victim died of "at least" 10 bullet wounds while in an ambulance on his way to the hospital, and that "more than 10" 9-millimeter bullet shell casings had been found at the crime scene. He said initial investigations suggest that the suspect's car had four occupants. "Our main line of investigation is focused on the victim being killed because of his work as a journalist," Bravo told CPJ in a telephone conversation yesterday afternoon. "But we are not disregarding other possible motives." Bravo said he was unaware of any threats Tamayo may have received in recent days or weeks, citing the ongoing investigation. As part of the state protection program, police checked in on Tamayo on a daily basis. Bravo told CPJ that there was record of a state police patrol checking in with Tamayo in the morning of the day he was killed, but he did not provide further details. A close friend and colleague, who asked to remain anonymous because of fear of reprisal, told CPJ the police patrol did not show up on the day of the attack. Tamayo's colleague said that the journalist had worked with Veracruz law enforcement as an informant. "He would provide law enforcement with information about organized crime he gathered while he was working as a reporter," the colleague told CPJ. "It is not an uncommon phenomenon in Veracruz, though not openly spoken about." Bravo confirmed to CPJ that there was a "registry of a professional relationship" between Tamayo and state law enforcement, but said he was unable to provide more details as to what the relationship entailed. The working relationship with state authorities ended after Tamayo fled Veracruz temporarily on January 25 following death threats, his colleague told CPJ. The colleague did not specify what the threats were related to. He said that Tamayo, his two sons, and his daughter-in-law found refuge in the state capital of Xalapa for 40 days and then spent another two weeks in Tijuana, in the state of Baja California, before returning to Tierra Blanca on March 8. According to federal human rights sub-secretary Roberto Campa, interviewed yesterday by Mexico City newspaper Reforma, at the time Tamayo was offered the chance to enroll in the federal mechanism to protect journalists and was warned that it was still too dangerous for him to return to Tierra Blanca, but that the journalist refused. Tamayo's colleague said he was unaware of such an offer being made to the journalist. Tamayo reported mostly on crime, social issues, and protests. According to Al Calor Politico, Tamayo's last report was on the murder of a regional police commander and five others in the region. "He covered news about crime and police operations," Roberto Hernandez, editor of El Pinero de la Cuenca, told CPJ yesterday. "I know he had received numerous threats in the past, but he never specifically discussed them with me." Veracruz is one of Mexico's most violent states. A number of organized crime groups have been involved in bloody gangland warfare over lucrative drug and human trafficking routes. Journalists working in Veracruz told CPJ yesterday that Tierra Blanca is one the state's most dangerous cities due to its location near a railroad, making it a strategic hub for criminal gangs. "We urge President Enrique Pena Nieto to put the full weight of his administration into ending the vicious cycle of violence and impunity that is decimating the local media," added CPJ's Lauria. At least six reporters have been killed in Veracruz in direct relation to their work since Governor Javier Duarte Ochoa assumed office in 2010, according to CPJ research. CPJ is investigating a further nine cases, including Tamayo's, to determine if the journalists were killed in direct retaliation for the work. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. India refuses to renew visas for three Chinese journalists Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 25 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, India refuses to renew visas for three Chinese journalists, 25 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe7011.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 25, 2016 Authorities in India have refused to renew the visas for three journalists from China's state-owned Xinhua news agency. The bureau chief Wu Qiang, who is based in Delhi, and his Mumbai-based colleagues Lu Tang and She Yonggang were ordered to leave the country before their visas expire on July 31, according to reports. No official reason for the decision was given. "The Indian government's decision to effectively expel three Chinese journalists sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom worldwide," said CPJ's senior research associate for Asia, Sumit Galhotra. "Excluding journalists from the country that claims the mantle of the world's largest democracy raises deep concerns, and we call on Indian authorities to provide an explanation." Indian, Chinese, and international news reports published a variety of conflicting reasons for why the visas were not renewed. Several news outlets that reported on the journalists being expelled mentioned that it comes at a time of strained relations between New Delhi and Beijing following China's opposition last month to India seeking to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Reports suggested the journalists were possibly either being expelled for security concerns over their alleged meeting with Tibetan activists in Bangalore, or because they had allegedly impersonated individuals to gain access to restricted government departments. CPJ was not able to immediately contact the journalists for comment. A number listed for the Xinhua office number in Delhi is no longer in service and CPJ's call to the headquarters in Beijing for comment went unanswered. CPJ called Vikas Swarup, the spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs, to request comment today, but the call went unanswered. The Associated Press cited an unnamed Indian official as saying the journalists had received several visa extensions previously and that Xinhua was welcome to send replacements. The official, who the AP said was not authorized to speak about the case, declined to say why the visas were not being renewed. The Hindu cited an unnamed source in the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs as saying that the journalists had recently visited Tibetan activists in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, which may have been cause for concern from authorities. The Indian Express reported allegations that the journalists were impersonating individuals to access restricted government departments. An editorial in the Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times warned of "serious consequences" if the decision to expel the journalists was found to be in retaliation to China blocking India's proposal to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Indian news accounts reported. The editorial was not accessible to CPJ at the time of publication. Membership to the group would allow India to expand its nuclear power generation and enter the export market, according to news reports. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Turkey issues at least 42 arrest warrants for journalists Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 25 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Turkey issues at least 42 arrest warrants for journalists, 25 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe724.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 25, 2016 Turkish authorities should cease using a failed coup attempt as a pretext for purging critical journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In the latest in a series of moves against the media, police have issued arrest warrants for at least 42 journalists, Turkey's official Anatolia news agency (AA) reported today. "Journalists should not pay the price for military officers' unlawful attempt to overthrow the government," CPJ's Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. "We call on Turkish authorities to stop imprisoning journalists for their views." Police have already detained at least five of the 42 journalists on the list, the Associated Press reported today, citing AA. At least six other journalists not on the list were detained in Turkey over the weekend, according to press reports. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 20 declared a state of emergency in order to catch all those responsible for a failed July 15 attempted military coup that left at least 200 people dead. Authorities have made thousands of arrests since, according to press reports. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. China sentences Hong Kong publisher, editor Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 26 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, China sentences Hong Kong publisher, editor, 26 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe73e.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. New York, July 26, 2016 The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the convictions and prison sentences by a mainland Chinese court of Wang Jianmin and Guo Zhongxiao, the publisher and editor, respectively, of two Hong Kong magazines, alongside an editorial assistant and the publisher's wife. The Nanshan District Court in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, today sentenced Wang Jianmin, publisher of two Chinese-language magazines in Hong Kong, New-Way Monthly and Multiple Face, to five years and three months in prison on charges of operating an illegal business and on bribery and corruption charges in relation to his other business, in the natural gas industry. The court sentenced Guo Zhongxiao, editor of the two magazines, to two years and three months in prison. Wang and Guo, who have been imprisoned since May 2014, said they would not appeal, the U.S.-government-funded broadcaster Radio Free Asia reported. The time they have already served will count against the remainder of their sentence, and Guo is scheduled to be released next month. Liu Haitao, an editorial assistant at the magazines, was sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for three years. The court sentenced Wang's wife, Xu Zhongyuan, who helped mail the magazines to the mainland, to one year in prison, suspended for two years. Guo, Liu, and Xu were all convicted of operating an illegal business, according to the South China Morning Post. The two publications specialized in publishing insider information and speculation about Chinese political elites before authorities detained Wang and Guo and the magazines ceased publishing, according to their websites. In an editorial at the time of their arrest, the Hong Kong- and Taiwan-based newspaper Apple Daily described Wang's magazines as "close" to the political factions of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin and former Vice-President Zeng Qinghong. CPJ believes the corruption charges against Wang are in retaliation for his activities as a publisher. Under China's "one country, two systems," residents of Hong Kong are entitled to civil liberties, including freedom of speech and of the press, that have traditionally supported a flourishing industry for books on Chinese politics that are banned on the mainland. But Hong Kong's once-vibrant publishing industry is increasingly under pressure. "Chinese authorities apparently are not content with tightly controlling information on the mainland they are trying to restrict what is published in Hong Kong," said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Rob Mahoney. "We call on Beijing to stop harassing and jailing journalists like Wang Jianmin and Guo Zhongxiao and to allow citizens free access to any news media." Prosecutors said Wang's company, National Affairs Limited, had made more than 7 million Hong Kong dollars (US$900,000), including 66,000 Chinese yuan ($10,000) in sales from the two magazines in mainland China. Defense lawyers disputed this, saying copies of the magazines were sent to only eight people on the mainland, according to press reports. But at a November 5, 2015, hearing, the three journalists and Wang's wife pleaded guilty to the charges against them, Hong Kong newspapers reported at the time. Guo, originally from the mainland, is a Hong Kong resident. Wang holds passports from Hong Kong and the United States. China does not recognize dual nationality. In the past couple of years, Hong Kong-based publishers and journalists have been detained, journalists have been physically attacked, and self-censorship is on the rise, amid increasing influence from Beijing. Over the course of the last months of 2015, five employees of Mighty Current, a Hong Kong publishing house that specialized in publishing and selling books about China's political leaders, went missing. They later reappeared in mainland China, and were televised saying that they had illegally sold books to customers in mainland China. Lam Wing-kee, one of four booksellers subsequently released, told reporters upon returning to Hong Kong that he had confessed under duress. One of the five people to disappear, Gui Minhai, is still missing. On May 8, 2014, Hong Kong publisher Yao Wentian, who was preparing to release a book critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for "smuggling ordinary goods" to Shenzhen. His family told CPJ at the time of his detention that Yao believed he was bringing bottles of paint over the border for a friend. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. In South Sudan, editor arrested as harassment of press increases Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 26 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, In South Sudan, editor arrested as harassment of press increases, 26 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe7411.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Nairobi, July 26, 2016 South Sudan should immediately release Michael Christopher, a journalist who was arrested in the capital, Juba, on July 23, and take action to stop the harassment of the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Bullet holes mark a wall where a sign celebrating five years of South Sudan's independence hangs. The country's press has come under pressure after renewed fighting. (AFP/Peter Martell) Christopher, the editor-in-chief of the independent Arabic-language daily al-Watan, was arrested by the National Security Service after his paper allegedly published an inaccurate report, according to the website of Radio Tamazuj. His arrest comes as journalists in the country report increased pressure amid fighting between the supporters of President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar this month. A local rights group reported that Alfred Taban, the editor-in-chief of Juba Monitor, was charged and denied bail on July 24 over a column about the fighting, and two other journalists told CPJ they have been attacked. "We urge President Salva Kiir to take all necessary steps to protect journalists in South Sudan and to ensure that their right to freedom of expression is not violated," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. "Michael Christopher and Alfred Taban should be immediately released from jail and allowed to continue their journalism in the interests of the people of South Sudan and the region, who need to be kept abreast of developments." Radio Tamazuj cited Abraham Malek, head of the South Sudan Journalist's Network, as saying that Christopher was arrested after his paper mistakenly reported that a peacekeeping force from neighboring countries would arrive this week in the South Sudanese capital. Malek said the paper's deputy chief editor apologized for the error at a news conference over the weekend. Malek could not be reached by phone when CPJ tried to contact him today. The story was published as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the African Union called for a peacekeeping force to protect civilians from fighting between supporters of Kiir and Machar, according to media reports. Kiir has opposed the proposal, local media reported. Edmund Yakani, the director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, which campaigns for the protection of the rights of journalists and civil society activists in South Sudan, told CPJ that Christopher has not been charged and efforts by campaigners to visit him at the National Security Service headquarters had proved futile. Separately, Taban, the Juba Monitor editor who was arrested on July 16, has been charged under Article 75 of the penal code, "publishing or communicating false statement prejudicial to Southern Sudan," and Article 76, "undermining authority of and insulting the president," according to the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization. The day before his arrest, Taban published a column calling on Kiir and Machar to step down from power for failing to improve the security situation in the capital Juba, according to reports. Taban was denied bail, Yakani, who was in court, told CPJ. The clashes between supporters of the president and vice-president have created a hostile environment for the press, journalists told CPJ. Two journalists, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said that a few days after the July 11 clashes they were attacked on their way back from their offices. One of the journalists told CPJ he was riding home on a motorcycle taxi when he was accosted by men who arrived on two motorbikes, forced him off the bike, and attacked him with kicks and blows before taking his computer and phone. The other journalist said he is awaiting medical treatment for injuries after being abducted outside his office and beaten and dumped near the outskirts of Juba. Both of the journalists told CPJ they had been threatened before the attacks and they believe they were targeted because of their work for independent news outlets. The power struggle between South Sudan's president and vice president set off a civil war in 2013. After a peace deal was signed in December 2015, Machar returned to his role. The vice president allegedly left the city after clashes on July 11, according to reports. On July 22, a spokesman for the president said Machar had been temporarily replaced with Taban Deng, according to reports. Observers said the move would further undermine efforts to support the peace process. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Muckraking Brazilian journalist killed outside his home Publisher Committee to Protect Journalists Publication Date 26 July 2016 Cite as Committee to Protect Journalists, Muckraking Brazilian journalist killed outside his home, 26 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579afe760.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Sao Paulo, July 26, 2016 Brazilian authorities should conduct a thorough and timely investigation into the murder of Brazilian journalist Joao Miranda do Carmo, establish the motive for his killing, and bring all those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At least two men in a car parked next to do Carmo's house in Santo Antonio do Descoberto, a small town roughly 30 miles west of the capital, Brasilia, the night of July 24 and shouted his name, according to local news reports. When do Carmo appeared, they shot him seven times in the chest and sped off in a red Fiat Palio, according to press reports. He died instantly. Do Carmo edited a pugnacious news website called SAD Sem Censura (Santo Antonio do Descoberto Uncensored, by the town's acronym). "We call on authorities to conduct a swift and credible investigation into the murder of do Carmo and bring those responsible to justice," CPJ Deputy Executive Director Rob Mahoney said. "More journalists were killed for their work last year in Brazil than any other country in the Americas. The killing of do Carmo shows that the risk to reporters has not abated." Do Carmo had told police that he had been threatened at least twice. He spoke to police in May 2014, when his car was set on fire, and again in February this year, when he reported having received death threats, Gilson Ferreira, a police spokesman with access to his records, told CPJ by telephone from the state capital, Goiania. Ferreira said the journalist did not specify who was threatening him. The president of the Goias State Union of Professional Journalists also told CPJ that do Carmo had angered local authorities with his outspoken reporting. "He was very controversial in his city, he demanded answers from politicians, police, and local officials," Claudio Curado told CPJ via telephone. "We believe the crime has a political component. He questioned local politicians." Ferreira, the police spokesman, also said do Carmo had been accused of defamation and other offenses three times. On his website, do Carmo had recently criticized the city's unpaved roads, a local tax on garbage collection, and had featured complaints from local municipal employees that they were not being paid on time. News reports said police were investigating whether the crime was a contract killing. The National Federation of Journalists (Fenaj) said do Carmo was a member of the Communist Party of Brazil and Curado said the 54-year-old journalist planned to run in municipal elections later this year. Despite some progress in combatting impunity for crimes against journalists, the Brazilian media continue to face enormous threats, with independent journalists outside of the major cities particularly vulnerable, CPJ research shows. In 2015 alone, six Brazilian journalists were killed for their work, and another two journalists were killed in unclear circumstances. CPJ research shows that 38 journalists have been murdered in direct relation to their work since 1992. Copyright notice: Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ. Azerbaijan: Imprisonments, trial and torture of Muslims Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley Publication Date 29 July 2016 Cite as Forum 18, Azerbaijan: Imprisonments, trial and torture of Muslims, 29 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b4e6a4.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The criminal trial of Shia Muslim Elshan Mustafaoglu Mustafayev for treason has begun, and Imam Elchin Qasimov (arrested after protesting against torture) has been tortured during his pre-criminal trial imprisonment. Shia Muslim Inqilab Ehadli remains in prison hospital in Baku in a "poor state". UN appeals for halting imminent execution of prisoners in Indonesia Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN appeals for halting imminent execution of prisoners in Indonesia, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b528cdb.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 28 July 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and a group of UN rights experts today appealed to the Government of Indonesia to stop the reportedly imminent execution of a number of prisoners for alleged drug-related crimes. "Under international law, if the death penalty is to be used at all, it should only be imposed for the 'most serious crimes,' namely those involving intentional killing," said Mr Ban in a statement issued by his office. "Drug crimes are generally not considered to meet this threshold," he added. Before the end of the week, 14 people who have been sentenced to death for drug related offences are scheduled to be executed by firing squad. Noting that the UN opposes the use of capital punishment in all circumstances, the Secretary-General urged Indonesian President Joko Widodo to consider declaring a moratorium on the use of the death penalty and to move towards its abolition. The Secretary-General's appeal follows yesterday's call by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, on the authorities in the South-East Asian country to immediately reinstate a moratorium on the death penalty. A similar call was also made by three UN human rights experts. In a joint statement, the UN Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial executions, Christof Heyns; on torture, Juan E. Mendez; and on the independence of the judiciary, Monica Pinto urged the Indonesia Government to halt executions to re-try the 14 persons in compliance with international standards. "Such death sentences are unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution as they are undertaken in contravention of Indonesia's international human rights obligations," warned the Special Rapporteurs in the statement issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "Resorting to this type of punishment to prevent drug trafficking is not only illegal, it is also futile," they added, stressing that is a lack of persuasive evidence that the death penalty contributes more than any other punishment to eradicating drug trafficking. The joint statement also noted that most of the persons scheduled for execution did not get a fair trial or had exhausted their appeal avenues. Of the 14, ten are foreign nationals who generally have no adequate interpreting services, the right to a translator or a lawyer at all stages of trial and appeal. The experts also expressed alarm at reports that at least four of those scheduled for execution were tortured and forced to incriminate themselves. They called on the authorities to urgently investigate, prosecute and sanction those abuses. "Confessions extracted under torture are impermissible in a court of law," the experts emphasized. The statement added that Indonesia has rapidly become region's 'most prolific executioner State', with 19 executions in the last three years. The Government resumed executions in March 2013, after a four-year de facto moratorium, in a decision that was heavily criticised by the international community as running counter to the international trend towards the abolition of the death penalty. Resorting to this type of punishment to prevent drug trafficking is not only illegal, it is also futile It further added that according to reports, the Indonesian authorities are actively pursuing the policy of executing drug offenders sentenced to death, and exercise a blanket refusal to consider clemency applications in all such cases. The experts reiterated that they had, from time to time, urged the Indonesian authorities to reconsider the death penalty for drug related offences or following judicial proceedings which fall short of international standards of fair trial and due process. "We urge once again the Government of Indonesia to establish a moratorium on execution with a view of its complete abolition," they concluded, urging the authorities to adopt all necessary measures to avoid further unlawful executions, including granting clemency. Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. Security Council urges cooperation among countries in West Africa and the Sahel to tackle Boko Haram Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Security Council urges cooperation among countries in West Africa and the Sahel to tackle Boko Haram, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b5313411.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 28 July 2016 - While welcoming recent political developments recently observed in West Africa, the United Nations Security Council today stressed the need to increase military cooperation between the States in the region and Sahel to fight against the terrorist group Boko Haram. In a Presidential Statement approved by the body, the Council's 15 members welcomed political developments including, the holding of elections "free and peaceful" in Niger, Benin and Cabo Verde. At the same time, they stressed the importance of ensuring the forthcoming elections in Ghana and Gambia are also "free, fair, peaceful, inclusive and credible." The Council, however, expressed specific concern over recent political events in Guinea-Bissau and called on national actors "to respect the Constitution and the rule of law, while trying to find a political solution to the crisis." Regarding the promotion of stability in West Africa and the Sahel in general, the Council welcomed the merger of the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel and the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA). It also welcomed the increased cooperation between the new UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and sub-regional and regional organizations, including the African Union (AU), the Community economic of West African States (ECOWAS), the group of five Sahel countries (G-5 Sahel), the Lake Chad basin Commission and the Mano River Union. The Council 15 members "strongly condemned" all attacks perpetrated by the terrorist group Boko Haram, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin, and in Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and in the Sahel region. However, they noted the progress made in the implementation of the Joint Multinational Force (FMM) and urged Member States participating in that Force to "improve cooperation and military coordination in the region," to "refuse harbouring Boko Haram," to "facilitate the restoration of the rule of law" in areas liberated form Boko Haram and to" allow humanitarian access." Specifically, the Council reiterated its grave concern at the "dire humanitarian situation" caused by the activities of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin area. In this regard, the Council urged the international community to "immediately support the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance" to those most affected by the crisis in Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and Chad, including by fulfilling the appeal for the Lake Chad Basin region launched by the UN. UN and OSCE experts condemn Turkey's crackdown on media Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as UN News Service, UN and OSCE experts condemn Turkey's crackdown on media, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b5347411.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 28 July 2016 - Two top media freedom experts of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) today condemned the ongoing crackdown on journalists and the media by the Government of Turkey in the wake of the recent attempted coup. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), reports indicate that the Government ordered the closure of three news agencies, 16 TV channels, 23 radio channels, 45 papers and 15 magazines. Since the 15 July attempted coup, authorities have issued arrest warrants against 89 journalists and have already arrested several of them, blocked access to more than 20 news websites, revoked the licenses of 29 publishing houses, and cancelled a number of press accreditations. "The simultaneous arrests of independent journalists and shutdowns of print and broadcast media strike a major blow against public debate and government accountability," said the experts - David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media - in a statement. "We strongly urge the Turkish authorities to reconsider these decisions and confirm their obligations to media freedom," they said. Numerous academic institutions, schools, civil society organizations were also ordered to close down by decrees issued after the adoption of the measures that could be taken under a state of emergency on 23 July. "The attempted coup cannot justify such a broad attack against almost all voices, not just critical ones but analytic and journalistic," Mr. Kaye said. "The widespread and abrupt nature of the measures, lacking even the basic elements of due process, is shocking and unprecedented in recent times in Turkey." "It is quite clear that this wave of restrictions against media groups does not meet the basic international standards concerning restrictive measures even in times of emergency," Ms. Mijatovic said. Both experts expressed their continued willingness to discuss their concerns with Turkish authorities. Proposed humanitarian corridors in Aleppo must be guaranteed by all sides, says UN relief chief Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Proposed humanitarian corridors in Aleppo must be guaranteed by all sides, says UN relief chief, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b537140b.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 28 July 2016 - Amid reports that Aleppo is 'de facto besieged,' as the war-battered city is now almost completely encircled by Syrian troops, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator today reiterated his demand for safe, regular and sustained access to the quarter of a million people trapped behind the front lines, and stressed that "all options must be considered." "The situation for people trapped in eastern Aleppo remains of the gravest concern," said Stephen O'Brien, noting that he is aware of the measures proposed today by the Russian Federation to set up humanitarian corridors. Media reports suggest that Russia has proposed establishing several so-called "exit corridors" that would allow for the distribution of food, as well as provide an opportunity for civilians to flee the city. While underscoring that the situation is so dire that all options must be considered, Mr. O'Brien stressed that it is critical that the security of any such corridors is guaranteed by all parties and that people are able to use them voluntarily. "No one can be forced to flee, by any specific route or to any particular location. Protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of neutrality and impartiality," he stated. Mr. O'Brien said that his proposal for 48-hour humanitarian pauses to enable cross-line and cross-border operations is what humanitarian actors require. This would ensure that relief workers are able to see for themselves the dire situation of the people, assess their needs, adjust to logistical constraints and assist people where they are now with their life-saving and protection needs. "In any event, all parties are required and obliged, under long-established and accepted international humanitarian law, to allow safe, unimpeded, impartial and immediate humanitarian access for civilians to leave and for aid to come in," he said. Earlier in the week, Mr. O'Brien, who is also the UN Under- Secretary-General for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, warned the Security Council that the clock is ticking and the parties, and those with influence, "must act now" to establish a weekly, 48-hour humanitarian pause so much-needed assistance could be provided to the people trapped in Aleppo. "This must be a full United Nations call - not just from me as the UN's humanitarian chief - this has to come from you, the Security Council," he said. Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, spoke to reporters in Geneva today and told them that fighting on the ground is impeding humanitarian aid in the country. Noting "serious concern" about the situation in Aleppo, saying that the city is "de facto besieged," because it is almost completely encircled militarily. "The clock is therefore ticking; there is no doubt about that. If Aleppo becomes a [] major besieged area - and we are very close to that - we would have a huge number of additional besieged - humanitarian wise- people in the country, when we were actually having a reduction," he said. On the humanitarian side, the Special Envoy is urging the two co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the Russian Federation and the United States, to expedite discussions on how to reduce the violence, along the lines of the meetings in Moscow and then in Laos, particularly between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and United States Secretary of State John Kerry. Along with Russia and the US, the ISSG comprises the UN, the Arab League, the European Union and 16 other countries that have been working on a way forward since late last year. Mr. de Mistura said that his Deputy Special Envoy, Ramzy Ezeldine Ramzy, will head to Damascus in the next few days to discuss with the Syrian authorities some ideas that the Office of the Special Envoy has developed in order to facilitate the launch in August of the intra-Syrian talks. The Special Envoy in the meantime is proceeding to Tehran to talk to the Iranian authorities. Turkey: Intensified crackdown on media increases atmosphere of fear Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 29 July 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Turkey: Intensified crackdown on media increases atmosphere of fear, 29 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b53dd4.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. As Turkey enters its second week of a three month state of emergency, the ongoing crackdown on civil society and the assault on media freedom has reached disturbing levels, said Amnesty International. Arrest warrants have been issued for 89 journalists, more than 40 have already been detained and others are in hiding. A second emergency decree passed on 27 July has resulted in the shutdown of 131 media outlets. "Rounding up journalists and shutting down media houses is the latest assault on a media already weakened by years of government repression. The passing of this second emergency decree leaves little room for doubt that the authorities are intent on silencing criticism without regard to international law," said Amnesty International's Deputy Europe Director, Fotis Filippou. "Even under a state of emergency, restrictions must be necessary, proportionate and for a legitimate purpose. The provisions of the two emergency decrees passed this week fail all three of these tests and fly in the face of the government's claim that they are upholding rights and the rule of law." The second decree follows the first, passed on the July 23, which increased the pre-charge detention period to 30 days. Amnesty International revealed credible reports of widespread ill-treatment and torture of detainees. Lawyers have been denied access to detainees in violation of law. The authorities must bring to justice those responsible for unlawful killings and other human rights abuses during the coup attempt. But this must be done in a manner that respects the right to fair trial, the prohibition of torture and other human rights. The intenstified crackdown on freedom of the press does not serve this purpose and is unlawful," said Fotis Filippou. "We reiterate our call for Turkish authorities to end ill-treatment and torture of those being detained and allow international monitors to visit all detainees in the places they are being held." CRACKDOWN BY NUMBERS Statistics on brutal backlash after failed coup Human rights in Turkey are in peril following a bloody failed coup attempt on 15 July. The Turkish authorities' reaction was swift unleashing a crackdown of exceptional proportions that has continued after a state of emergency declared five days later. Amnesty International has been on the ground in Istanbul and Ankara to document human rights violations amid these events. Here are some alarming statistics on the situation: 131 media outlets and publishing houses have been shut down including 3 news agencies, 16 TV channels, 23 radio stations, 45 newspapers, 15 journals and 29 publishing houses. At least 89 arrest warrants were issued for journalists. More than 40 have been detained At least 260 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured amid the failed coup attempt in Istanbul and Ankara, according to government accounts. More than 15,000 people have been detained since the failed coup. More than 45,000 people have been suspended or removed from their jobs, including police, judges and prosecutors, and others. Over 1,000 private schools and educational institutions have been closed and 138,000 school children will have to be transferred to state schools 48 hours: the length of time Turkish police in Ankara and Istanbul have reportedly been holding detainees in stress positions. Detainees have been denied food, water and medical treatment, and been verbally abused and threatened. Some have been subjected to severe beatings and torture, including rape. 3 months: the initial period of state of emergency imposed late on 20 July, granting the Prime Minister and his cabinet the power to rule by decree and bypass Parliament. 30 days: the pre-charge detention limit was increased from four to 30 days on 23 July, in the first decree issued under the state of emergency. 15: the Article of the Turkish Constitution which outlines that the authorities cannot "suspend" the European Convention on Human Rights. Even during a state of emergency, they can only derogate some rights. 0: the number of independent human rights monitors with access to detention facilities in Turkey after its National Human Rights Institution was abolished in April 2016. For details of Amnesty Internationals latest findings visit - https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/07/turkey-independent-monitors-must-be-allowed-to-access-detainees-amid-torture-allegations/ Visit our campaign action - https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/turkey-rights-hard-won-cannot-be-taken-away/ Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Turkey: Media Shut Down, Journalists Detained Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Turkey: Media Shut Down, Journalists Detained, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b62b44.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Turkish government's news media shutdown shows how the State of Emergency law is being used to deny the right to free speech beyond any legitimate aim of upholding public order today. The government ordered 131 newspapers, news agencies, publishers, television, and radio stations to close down. The decree (no. 668) ordering the closures, published in the Official Gazette on July 27, 2016, comes after prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 89 journalists, media workers, and executives over two days. The closures and detentions demonstrate an accelerated campaign against media the government identifies as supportive of the Fethullah Gulen movement, which it blames for the violent coup attempt in Turkey on July 15. "The government crackdown is on media outlets and journalists it accuses of being linked to the Fethullah Gulen movement, which it blames for the foiled military coup," said Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey director at Human Rights Watch. "In the absence of any evidence of their role or participation in the violent attempt to overthrow the government, we strongly condemn this accelerated assault on the media, which further undermines Turkey's democratic credentials." The decree orders the closure of 45 newspapers, 15 magazines, 16 TV channels, 23 radio stations, 3 news agencies, and 29 publishers and distributors. Among them are the dailies Taraf and Ozgur Dusunce newspaper, the Cihan News Agency, and Can Erzincan TV. Earlier on July 27, media reported that an Istanbul prosecutor had issued an arrest warrant for 47 journalists, media workers and executives who worked for the daily Zaman newspaper before it was taken over by government-appointed trustees in March 2016. Among those detained were former Zaman columnists Sahin Alpay and Mumtaz'er Turkone. On July 25, the daily Sabah newspaper reported that another Istanbul prosecutor had issued arrest warrants for 42 journalists working for various other media. Among those detained were Bulent Mumay, former online editor for Hurriyet newspaper and a columnist with Birgun newspaper, and Nazl Ilcak, most recently a columnist for the daily Ozgur Dusunce. Several reporters for whom there is an arrest warrant have left Turkey, according to Sabah newspaper. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Syria/Russia: Safe Corridors Don't End Duty to Avoid Civilian Loss Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Syria/Russia: Safe Corridors Don't End Duty to Avoid Civilian Loss, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b63324.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Syria's and Russia's creation of humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians besieged in eastern Aleppo in Syria does not relieve them of their obligation to avoid civilian casualties and allow aid to those who remain. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on July 28, 2016, that Russia and Syria will open three humanitarian corridors out of eastern Aleppo to allow civilians to flee, and a fourth corridor for surrendering fighters. The previous day Syrian forces, with the assistance of Russian aircraft, completed their encirclement of eastern Aleppo, gaining control over all roads to the area. The Syrian army dropped flyers in eastern Aleppo advising residents to leave areas where fighters were present and providing a map of the four humanitarian corridors out of the city. "Syria and Russia should provide civilians with safe exit routes, but these routes can't be used to presume that no civilians remain or to justify attacks against those who do," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director. "Many civilians may be unable or afraid to leave, and those who don't or can't evacuate remain entitled to protection from attack." The United Nations estimates that eastern Aleppo currently has a population of between 250,000 and 275,000, and aid agencies estimate that a third of them have been dependent on aid delivered via the recently closed Castello Road. The state-appointed governor of Aleppo province said that three corridors were now open and that the local authorities have "set up temporary shelters to welcome citizens leaving Aleppo's eastern neighborhoods." Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also issued a decree to provide amnesty for members of armed groups who surrender within three months. Feras Badawi, a local journalist in the eastern part of the city, said that "there are no corridors open yet, and we don't trust that they will let us out. If we wanted to leave Aleppo, we would have done so earlier. One of the corridors the flyers said was safe and open is Bustan al-Qasr, but we are getting news that the Syrian army is targeting it with artillery weapons." Ibrahim Abu al-Laith, from Aleppo's Syria Civil Defense, a search-and-rescue organization that operates in opposition-held Syria, said that to his knowledge the three corridors were not yet open. He added that many Aleppo residents "refused to go" to government-held areas and wanted safe passage to rural areas in northern Aleppo controlled by armed groups. Residents of eastern Aleppo and aid workers told Human Rights Watch by phone that as the Syrian government siege has tightened since July 11, food prices have soared and supplies have decreased to alarming levels. UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O'Brien, told the Security Council on July 25 that food in eastern Aleppo is expected to run out by the middle of August. Under international humanitarian law, parties to the conflict should take all feasible steps to evacuate the civilian population from the vicinity of fighting or military objects. The creation of humanitarian corridors and the issuance of effective advance warnings of attack to the civilian population do not relieve attacking forces of their obligation to distinguish at all times between combatants and civilians and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians from harm. That is, the corridors and warnings do not permit Syria and Russia to treat civilians who remain in eastern Aleppo as combatants subject to attack. All parties are also obligated to facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need. Starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited. Armed groups in eastern Aleppo should not block or impede the evacuation of those wishing to leave and avoid deploying military forces in or near densely populated areas, Human Rights Watch said. "Russia and Syria's humanitarian gesture will be more credible if their relentless indiscriminate attacks on eastern Aleppo stop and civilians can safely leave the city," Houry said. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Thailand: Army Detains Referendum Critics Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 29 July 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Thailand: Army Detains Referendum Critics, 29 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b64034.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Thailand's junta should stop bringing sedition charges against critics of the draft constitution, Human Rights Watch said today. A referendum on the proposed constitution is slated for August 7, 2016. Critics of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) held in military detention on politically motivated charges of sedition or other offenses should be immediately released and the charges dropped. "The junta's use of its draconian sedition law against critics of the draft constitution creates a climate of fear ahead of the referendum," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "Military repression has become a daily reality in Thailand, and it's intensifying as the August 7 vote approaches." On July 27 in Bangkok, military authorities arrested Tassanee Buranupakorn, the vice president of the Chiang Mai provincial administrative organization and former member of parliament from the deposed Pheu Thai Party. She was accused of involvement in the distribution of letters that the NCPO claimed presented distorted information about the proposed constitution the so-called draft constitution letters. The day before, soldiers arrested Tassanee's sister, Thanthip Buranupakorn, at her house in Chiang Mai on the same allegation. Tassanee and her sister are among 11 people that the junta has accused of committing sedition in relation to the draft constitution letters. If found guilty in a military tribunal, they could face imprisonment of up to seven years. Article 116 of Thailand's Criminal Code defines sedition as public statements or writing intended to "bring about a change in the laws or the government by the use of coercion or violence; raise confusion or disaffection amongst the people to the point of causing unrest in the kingdom; or have people violate the law." Also accused in this case are Boonlert Buranupakorn, Tassanee's uncle and the president of the Chiang Mai provincial administrative organization; Khachen Jiakkhajorn, the mayor of Chiang Mai province's Chang Phuak municipality; Wisarut Khananitisarn, Atipong Khammoon, and Kritkorn Paitaya, Chang Phuak municipality officials; as well as Aim-orn Tabsok, Supawadee Ngarm-muang, Tevarat Inta, and Kobkarn Sukita. The junta has ignored concerted calls from the United Nations and foreign governments for Thai authorities to respect people's rights to freely express their views on the draft constitution. The NCPO, chaired by Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha, has imposed conditions for the constitutional referendum that have increasingly hindered open public discussion. In addition to the sedition law, article 61 of the 2016 Referendum Act criminalizes "anyone who disseminates text, pictures or sounds that are inconsistent with the truth or in a violent, aggressive, rude, inciting or threatening manner aimed at preventing a voter from casting a ballot or vote in any direction or to not vote." Violators face imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines up to 200,000 baht (US$5,600). The junta has deemed criticisms and dissenting opinions about the draft constitution to be "false information" and a threat to national security. As a result, the only sources of information for many voters about the draft constitution now come from government agencies all of which have taken the position that the proposed constitution would benefit the Thai people. "The combination of sedition charges and military detentions suggests that the junta wants to stifle information and turn up the heat on Thai voters so they accept a constitution that would prolong military control," Adams said. Using the NCPO orders 3/2558 and 13/2559 issued by Gen. Prayut, the junta continues to flout international legal protections by detaining and interrogating dissenters in military camps without access to lawyers or other effective safeguards against abuse for up to seven days. On June 27, the military authorities put Tassanee, Thanthip, Khachen, Supawadee, Kobkarn, Atipong, and Aim-orn in detention at the 11th Army Circle Camp in Bangkok. Under article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is a party, no one may be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. Furthermore, governments are prohibited from using military courts to try civilians when civilian courts can still function. The UN Human Rights Committee has stated in its General Comment on the right to a fair trial that "the trial of civilians in military or special courts may raise serious problems as far as the equitable, impartial and independent administration of justice is concerned." Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called on the Thai junta to immediately transfer all civilians detained at the 11th Army Circle military base to an officially recognized civilian place of detention that complies with international standards, and to ensure no further non-military prisoners are detained at this facility or any other similar facility. Human Rights Watch submitted a letter to the Thai government on November 24, 2015, raising serious concerns regarding conditions at the 11th Army Circle Camp after the deaths of fortuneteller Suriyan Sucharitpolwong and Police Maj. Prakrom Warunprapa during their detention there. On May 17, 2016, Bilal Mohammad (also known as Adem Karadag) complained that he was tortured at the 11th Army Circle Camp into confessing to the August 2015 bomb attack at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine. "The world is witness to the junta's broken promises to return Thailand to rights-respecting, democratic rule," Adams said. "A free and fair constitutional referendum can't be held when the rights of people to speak and exchange their views are suppressed." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Welcome to modern Islamic Europe. England is destined to be one of the first new Islamic states. You should worry less about Merkel and more about getting your papers in order so you can emigrate to Russia. Better yet, buy a prayer mat and a Quran. Talk to selfsame. You'll be neighbours when he goes to England to assist with your "re-education". Lebanon: Syrian Women at Risk of Sex Trafficking Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Lebanon: Syrian Women at Risk of Sex Trafficking, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b65724.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Weaknesses and a lack of coordination in the Lebanese government's response to sex trafficking is putting women and girls at risk, Human Rights Watch said today, on the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. The government should enforce its anti-trafficking law more effectively, remove obstacles to reporting trafficking, improve police coordination, and provide support to trafficking survivors. "Trafficking into forced prostitution is a grave crime, and Lebanon should continue to step up its response," said Skye Wheeler, women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Survivors of trafficking need justice, services, and support." Authorities have taken some important steps to end trafficking. The United States government lifted its ranking of Lebanon from "tier 3" to "tier 2" in its 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report. These annual rankings reflect the US government's assessment of the records of countries around the world in responding to trafficking. The 2016 report said that Lebanon had made "significant efforts" to meet minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, including increasing numbers of prosecutions. In 2015, the report said, Lebanon convicted 30 people for trafficking crimes. However, the report noted that, "the law was applied unevenly, as most judges lacked understanding of the crime and knowledge of best practices to handle trafficking cases appropriately." It also said that "some judges gave convicted traffickers weak sentences." Human Rights Watch interviewed two women who had been in Chez Maurice. They said that traffickers lured them from Syria with promises of marriage or jobs, but instead forced them into prostitution in the brothel, in Lebanon's Ma'ameltein red-light district. They said that the alleged traffickers never paid them, regularly beat them, would not let them leave, and confiscated their identification papers and mobile phones. Authorities were aware that trafficking had occurred previously at Chez Maurice. In late 2011, the Internal Security Forces, Lebanon's police, raided the premises and, news reports said, found a 17-year-old Syrian girl trapped there. Engaging children in prostitution is a crime and constitutes trafficking under Lebanon's 2011 anti-trafficking law. Chez Maurice closed for approximately three months and then reopened. In March, the General Security, the agency that oversees the entry and exit of foreigners into the country, raided it again. The two former captives said that four of the women freed in the raid told officers that they had been trafficked and forced into prostitution. Chez Maurice's owner, Maurice Geagea, had been arrested and released after short periods at least three times prior to the March raid, police officers said. When Chez Maurice was raided in March he was already in prison on charges of trafficking women into forced prostitution in two other locations, said the head of the police counter-trafficking unit, Lt. Colonel Johnnie Haddad, who also said the police knew that Geagea owned Chez Maurice. Haddad said that he had Chez Maurice under surveillance at the time of the March raid by the other police unit. "The fact that trafficking at Chez Maurice was uncovered repeatedly over years calls into question the effectiveness of the authorities' response," Wheeler said. "Lebanon should review how it has handled trafficking at Chez Maurice, and its approach to sex trafficking more broadly." Human Rights Watch is concerned that survivors of trafficking are not getting the services and support they need in Lebanon. In the Chez Maurice case, some of the survivors had to wait two or three days in police stations or an apartment before they were given spots in shelters run by nongovernmental agencies. A police officer and staff of a nongovernmental agency described their scramble to find shelter spots. Staff from an international organization that provided health services to the women said there was a substantial delay before the women received care. This suggests problems with coordination and capacity to help survivors. Security officials also released many of the women rescued from Chez Maurice and Silver-B without questioning them or offering protection or access to shelters. Some of the victims were picked up again by their captors before being freed for a second time by police officers. The country's 2011 anti-trafficking law directs the Social Affairs Ministry to establish a trust fund for victims of trafficking with assets seized from traffickers. The ministry has not yet established the fund, and ministry staff told Human Rights Watch that the Chez Maurice case had demonstrated weaknesses in their referral chain, which they said they planned to strengthen. Many obstacles deter victims of trafficking from reporting crimes. Staff of organizations working with trafficking victims told Human Rights Watch that the criminalization of sex work in Lebanon is a significant obstacle. They said that authorities tend to perceive all women in "prostitution" even if they are trafficked into forced prostitution as criminals. This means that those forced into prostitution fear being arrested if they approach the authorities. Human Rights Watch opposes the criminalization of consensual adult sex work. Human Rights Watch believes that criminalization of sex work also creates barriers for those engaged in sex work to exercise basic rights, such as protection from violence, access to justice for abuses, and access to essential health services. Coercing a person to provide sexual services (whether this amounts to sexual assault, trafficking, forced prostitution, or other forms of exploitation) should be criminalized and prosecuted. In addition, many Syrian women in Lebanon have no legal residency status in the country, which increases risks of sexual and other exploitation and also leaves them afraid to file criminal complaints against abusers. Human Rights Watch interviewed officials in the Internal Security Forces, nongovernmental service providers, judges, and journalists about the broader problem of sex trafficking in the country and documented at least six cases that appeared to involve groups of Syrian women and girls. Those interviewed said that survivors of trafficking have had to wait months or years to testify in court. Lawyers for nongovernmental agencies and United Nations officials said that cases can take between one and three years to conclude. One lawyer said that three Syrian women she had worked with who were sex trafficking victims returned to Syria rather than press charges because they did not want to stay in Lebanon to testify. "For the sake of the survivors, the authorities should ensure that all trafficking cases are handled efficiently and fairly in the courts," Wheeler said. "But prosecutions are not enough. The authorities need a plan to fix broader problems of coordination among government and security agencies, inadequate services, and lack of justice for survivors of trafficking." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in advance of its review on Greece July 2016 Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 27 July 2016 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in advance of its review on Greece July 2016, 27 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b66fb4.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Introduction This memorandum, submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the Committee) ahead of its upcoming review of Greece, highlights areas of concern Human Rights Watch hopes will inform the Committee's consideration of the Greek government's ("the government") compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ("the Convention"). It contains information on Greece's treatment of migrants and asylum seekers that is inconsistent with the Convention, and proposes issues that Committee members may wish to raise with the government. Human Rights Watch has closely monitored the human rights situation in Greece and, in particular, the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers over the past eight years. As part of this work, we have documented violations against refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, including unaccompanied migrant children, and have produced reports and other documents describing our research findings. For fuller analyses, please see the Human Rights Watch reports Refugee "Hotspots" Unsafe, Unsanitary (May 2016); First Turkey Deportations Riddled With Abuse (April 2016); Asylum Seekers Locked Up (April 2016); Humanitarian Crisis at Athens Port (March 2016); Attacks on Boats Risk Migrant Lives (October 2015); Chaos, Insecurity in Registration Center (October 2015); Humanitarian Crisis on the Islands (July 2015); Unwelcome Guests: Greek Police Abuses of Migrants in Athens (June 2013); Turned Away: Summary Returns of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adult Asylum Seekers from Italy to Greece (January 2013); Hate on the Streets: Xenophobic Violence in Greece (July 2012); The EU's Dirty Hands: Frontex Involvement in Ill-Treatment of Migrant Detainees in Greece (September 2011); No Refuge: Migrants in Greece (November 2009); Left to Survive: Systematic Failure to Protect Unaccompanied Migrant Children in Greece (December 2008); and Stuck in a Revolving Door: Iraqis and Other Asylum Seekers and Migrants at the Greece/Turkey Entrance to the European Union (November 2008). We welcome the opportunity to provide information to the Committee ahead of its review of Greece's compliance with the Convention. We recommend that the Committee members ask the Greek government to provide information that demonstrates how its legal and policy reforms have contributed to concrete improvements in the treatment of migrants generally, as well as asylum seekers, unaccompanied migrant children, and other vulnerable groups. We do not underestimate the challenges Greece faces in light of the unprecedented numbers of migrants and asylum seekers due to the refugee crisis, but we strongly believe that continued attention and sustained pressure on the government by the UN and other rights bodies are crucial to ensure that the rights of migrants and asylum seekers are fully respected. Treatment of Migrants and Asylum Seekers in the Context of the Refugee Crisis Since the beginning of the 2015 refugee crisis Human Rights Watch has interviewed hundreds of asylum seekers and migrants on the Greek Aegean islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros, and Kos, as well as in mainland Greece, including in Northern Greece and the Attica region. Human Rights Watch has found that thousands of asylum seekers and migrants in the country face appalling reception and detention conditions. Human Rights Watch has also found that the already broken asylum and reception system has further deteriorated as a consequence of the exceptional number of arrivals in Greece and of the closure of borders with northern neighboring countries. According to data by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), some 56,000 asylum seekers and migrants are currently stranded in Greece, including some 8,700 in the Aegean islands. Poor government organization, scarce resources, as well as lack of information and services, anxiety, and fear about the new European Union-Turkey agreement that went into effect on March 20, 2016, are contributing to insecurity and suffering. A key aim of the EU-Turkey agreement is to reject as inadmissible to the asylum procedure almost all asylum applications from people arriving in the Greek islands on the grounds that Turkey is a safe country for refugees and asylum seekers, and to enable swift deportations back there. Since the migration agreement between the EU and Turkey went into effect, the vast majority of asylum seekers and migrants that arrived on the Greek islands have been restricted to the islands, often held in the "hotspots." Asylum seekers who arrived before March 20 and those admitted to the Greek asylum system following admissibility interviews conducted on the Greek islands are living either in reception facilities in continental Greece, or in informal sites and other informal facilities. Abusive Deportations Under the EU-Turkey Agreement On April 4, 2016, Greek authorities deported a first group of 66 people from the Greek island of Chios to Turkey under the EU-Turkey agreement. In research conducted on the island of Chios on April 7 and 8, Human Rights Watch found that this first round of EU-sanctioned deportations under the EU-Turkey agreement, was rushed, chaotic, and violated the rights of those deported. Human Rights Watch spoke with 12 friends and one relative of 19 Afghans who were deported from Chios on that day. Based on those interviews and text messages exchanged between those interviewed and the deportees, Human Rights Watch documented an array of irregularities and violations. The authorities did not inform people that they were going to be deported, did not tell them where they were being taken, and did not allow some of them to take their personal possessions. The deportation from Chios was carried out by Greek police with "escort officers" from the EU external borders agency, Frontex. The Greek government and Frontex said that most of the deportees, including from the island of Lesbos, were from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan, and that none of the people returned to Turkey had wanted to seek asylum in Greece. Greek and EU officials repeatedly claimed that all of the people deported from Chios and Lesbos had not wished to seek asylum in Greece. But, according to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, 13 of the deportees from Chios had expressed such a desire, 11 from Afghanistan, and 2 from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The number who wanted to seek asylum may actually have been greater. During our research at the VIAL detention camp, we found that many detainees lacked adequate information about seeking asylum in Greece and were unable to access legal aid. They also were not informed about the reason for their detention or their right to challenge it. The deportations from Chios began around midday on April 3, when Greek police at the VIAL detention facility took dozens of people to the main building where police and Frontex register new arrivals, and where the Greek asylum service is located. The authorities separated the 66 people they had identified for return, witnesses told Human Rights Watch. They said that the police had called people on the false pretext that they were to be registered, including for asylum. The police took the deportees to an abandoned factory in Chios called Tabakika, which served as the registration center for new arrivals on the island before the VIAL facility opened in February 2016. A person who visited the factory that night told Human Rights Watch that he saw people sitting or sleeping on the concrete floor, some with mats. Between 15 and 20 of the people in Tabakika Afghans and two people from the Democratic Republic of Congo told the visitor that the police had taken them from VIAL without allowing them to gather their personal belongings: backpacks, clothes, and in some cases their mobile phones and documents. Human Rights Watch observed eight of the bags that people had left behind in VIAL. These deficiencies raise doubts that asylum seekers who arrived in Greece after the EU-Turkey deal came into effect on March 20, including those deported on April 4, have had a fair chance to request protection. Reception and Detention Conditions on the Islands In research conducted in April and May 2016, on the islands of Lesbos, Chios, and Samos, Human Rights Watch found that thousands of migrants and asylum seekers living in the so-called refugee "hotspots" face appalling detention and reception conditions. Human Rights Watch found the detention facilities on all three islands to be severely overcrowded, with significant shortages of basic shelter and unsanitary, unhygienic conditions. Long lines for poor quality food, mismanagement, and lack of information contribute to a chaotic and volatile atmosphere in the three hotspots. Camps on the islands began operating as open reception and registration centers for the hundreds of thousands of people who had reached the islands since early 2015 but they were converted suddenly to prison-like camps on March 20, 2016, when the deal between the EU and Turkey came into effect. Asylum seekers and migrants who have arrived since then are automatically detained by Greek authorities, with help from the EU's border agency, Frontex, and forbidden to leave the camps. On April 2, the Greek parliament adopted a law that allows blanket "restriction of movement" on new arrivals inside closed facilities at border entry points such as the islands for up to 25 days during reception and identification. UNHCR and several nongovernmental aid agencies suspended many of their activities when the hotspots were converted into detention centers, though UNHCR continues to monitor conditions and provide limited services. During our visit in May, Human Rights Watch found Moria and Vathi to be strictly closed. The authorities only allowed asylum seekers to go in and out if they had been detained for more than 25 days. But we found that police had not issued the necessary documentation to allow some people who had been detained for more than 25 days in either place to go in and out. The police in VIAL allow everyone to come and go, in what appears to be an ad hoc and informal decision to ease the tensions. The vast majority of asylum seekers are unable to leave the islands. Under Greek and international law, all detainees, including irregular migrants and asylum seekers, must be informed, in a language they understand, of the reasons for their detention and their rights and have a right to challenge their detention. Under Greek law those detained in connection with immigration or asylum laws also have a right to legal aid. Despite this, none of the people interviewed by Human Rights Watch in these facilities in May 2016 had been given a detention order or were informed about the reason for their detention. While to our knowledge, no formal step has been taken to officially transform the hotspots into open facilities, there are recent indications since our visit in May that local authorities including the police have made efforts to increase flexibility of movement in and out of the hotspots, allowing most asylum seekers and migrants to leave and re-enter the hotspot facilities as soon as their individual registration process is finalized, on the condition they remain on the Islands. Human Rights Watch heard consistent accounts from camp residents in all three locations of the police's routine failure to protect people during frequent incidents of violence. Camp residents said fights occured daily, particularly in the food lines, with no police intervention. Despite a police order that directs all police working with refugees and migrants to ensure protection and security for women and children, the centers on Chios and Samos have no segregated sections for single women, family groups, or women with children. Human Rights Watch observed unaccompanied children and families living in common areas at Moria. Moria has sections for children and families, but they are not large enough to accommodate all the women and children in the center. Women reported frequent sexual harassment in all three hotspots. "The men get drunk and try to enter our tent every night," said a 19-year-old single woman from Eritrea living in Vathi. "We went to the police and asked to be taken to a separate part of the camp from the men who try to abuse us, but the police refused to help us. We fled our country for exactly this reason, and here in this camp we are afraid to leave our tent." Women in the Moria hotspot on Lesbos and VIAL hotspot on Chios spoke of similar problems and expressed deep concerns about their and their children's safety. Women also described being sexually harassed routinely, particularly when going to and from or while using the camp bathrooms. In Moria, Human Rights Watch observed a large number of men loitering next to the women's latrine. Women in VIAL also described a lack of privacy at the women's showers. Bathrooms and showers do not have doors with working locks and/or adequate lighting, as per international standards on protection and prevention of gender-based violence. Women and girls said they feel particularly exposed to the threat of sexual violence during episodes of fighting between other migrants/asylum-seekers in the centers. In VIAL, a 23-year-old single Afghan woman said: "Yesterday there was a fight between Sunni and Shia Afghans. One Afghan came and threatened me and said, 'I will come back at night and rape you.' I feel insecure here. They [the police] haven't taken any measures to protect us. Another time, they [the men fighting] hit me on the head and I went to report it [to the police] and no one would listen to me." Children in the hotspots are also exposed to violence and abuse. "Some days you don't get food," a 16-year-old unaccompanied Afghan boy in the Moria center said. "There are long lines for food and fighting often happens. The police just watch when the fights break out." This boy, a young-looking 16-year-old, was separated from his 17-year-old brother who had been segregated in the high-security section in Moria for unaccompanied boys. "I have an ID with my age on it, but the doctor here said I was not a minor." All three hotspots were overcrowded and in all three many people were sleeping on the ground in small tents or makeshift shelters constructed of blankets, plastic sheeting, and scraps of fencing, cardboard, and other building materials. According to one of the camp administrators at Moria, Spyros Kourtis, at the time of the Human Rights Watch visit on May 9, about 4,000 people were living in the camp. He said that it had a 700-bed capacity. Everyone interviewed said the food was of poor quality and that there was not enough. A 36-year-old Syrian woman with two small children in Vathi said: "We have to line up a long time for food, and the food is very bad, not suitable for children, no milk." Residents at all locations described shortages of soap, shampoo, and detergent. Some said they were given one bar of soap and one bottle of shampoo upon arrival, but nothing since. During the visit to VIAL, the water was cut off. VIAL has no hot water. People in all locations also said health care was inadequate. Health care in the hotspots is provided mainly by nongovernmental organizations, including Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World), Praksis, the Hellenic Red Cross, Medical Intervention, Boat Refugee Foundation, as well as the Greek army. Other groups, like Medecins sans Frontieres, pulled out of the hotspots when they were converted into prison-like facilities on March 20. Detention of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Asylum-seeking and migrant children who are unaccompanied are often detained much longer than adults or children traveling with their families while authorities search for shelter facilities for them. A lack of shelter space has led to the prolonged detention of children in police station cells, pre-removal centers, and hotspots on the islands. On visits to two police stations and two detention centers in northern Greece, northwest Greece, and the Attica region from June 26 to July 3, Human Rights Watch researchers spoke with children as young as 14 who had been detained for lengthy periods of time and who described unsanitary, overcrowded conditions and lack of access to information or services such as counseling and legal aid. Children described poor, unhygienic conditions, including dirty blankets and bugs. At a police station in northern Greece, children said a broken shower drain was causing water to flood their cell and described using their own clothes to block the water. The detention of unaccompanied children due to a shortage of sufficient and adequate accommodation is a chronic problem in Greece; a 2008 Human Rights Watch report called the routine detention of unaccompanied children "a fundamental dysfunction at the heart of theGreek immigration and social welfare systems." Human Rights Watch continued to document the detention of children in closed facilities on Greek islands in 2015 and 2016. According to the National Center for Social Solidarity (EKKA), the government authority responsible for managing the placement of unaccompanied children in shelters, there are only 641 spaces for unaccompanied children in the entire country. As of July 18, all facilities were full, and 1,394 requests for placement were pending. EKKA received more than twice the number of requests for transfers of unaccompanied children to shelters in the first quarter of 2016 than in the first quarter of 2015. According to UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, more than 60,300 children have reached Greece by sea since the beginning of 2016, 38 percent of total sea arrivals. There are no reliable statistics on how many of these children are unaccompanied. According to EKKA, as of July 11 an estimated 25 children were locked in police stations awaiting transfer. Hundreds of other unaccompanied children, EKKA reported, were held in special sections of large detention centers, including on the Greek islands. However, at the time of a May 2016 visit to the Moria hotspot on Lesbos Human Rights Watch observed unaccompanied children living with adults in common areas because the section for unaccompanied children was not large enough to accommodate the number of unaccompanied children being held there. Under a Greek law adopted in April 2016, unaccompanied children can be detained pending referral to a dedicated reception facility for a maximum of 25 days, though detention can be prolonged by a further 20 days if the child cannot be transferred to such a facility due to exceptional circumstances, such as a large number of arrivals of unaccompanied children. This law improves upon the previous framework, which provided no clear time limit, but does not provide the necessary safeguards to prevent unjustified prolonged detention. According to police records at a station Human Rights Watch visited, five children had been in police custody in excess of 25 days and two had been in custody more than 45 days. Recommendations The real economic crisis, the unfair and inadequate EU system (Dublin Regulation) for allocating responsibilities for examining asylum claims, and the unprecedented numbers of migrants and asylum seekers pose serious challenges for Greece but do not relieve it of its obligation to protect vulnerable groups, including women, children, and people with disabilities, and to ensure that all migrants and asylum seekers in the country are treated in a humane and rights-respecting way. Greece's treatment of asylum seekers and migrants remains insufficient across the board. The government keeps migrants and asylum seekers in appalling and inhuman conditions and has failed to offer acceptable reception conditions. The Greek government is not providing minimum standards for meeting the needs of specific groups such as women, unaccompanied and other children, and people with disabilities who by any standards, should be among the first to benefit from specialized protection and care. In particular, the Committee should raise the following specific points regarding the treatment of asylum seekers and migrants and urge the Greek government to: Suspend deportations under the EU-Turkey agreement of March 20, 2016, until effective safeguards are in place to guarantee the right to seek asylum and to challenge deportations; Convert the hotspot facilities on Greek islands into open camps with appropriate services and security measures; Take appropriate measures to ensure that no one who has indicated an intent to seek asylum will be detained in facilities on the islands absent evidence that the detention is necessary and for a legitimate purpose or reason, such as that the person presents a specific and individualized security threat; Refrain from detaining asylum seekers and members of particularly vulnerable groups, such as children, migrants with disabilities and victims of trafficking or gender-based violence; Create alternatives to detention, including open reception centers for asylum seekers, and provide suitable accommodation on the islands for particularly vulnerable asylum seekers, including children, people with disabilities, survivors of torture, and victims of trafficking or gender-based violence; The authorities should not detain people in overcrowded and unsanitary facilities. Until hotspots are converted into open centers, improve detention conditions on the islands, including by taking immediate steps to ensure the security and protection of women and children in the hotspots as well as all other residents. Women traveling alone and unaccompanied children should have separate, secure sleeping areas, and families should be provided with secure sleeping, toilet, and bathing facilities separate from those for single men. Ensure adequate reception conditions and provision of services, including shelter, toilets, food, and access to basic healthcare as well as enough interpreters, human resources, and technical capacity to support people, identify their vulnerabilities, and process their asylum claims more quickly; Take measures to mitigate risks for female migrants and asylum seekers (especially those traveling without adult male family members), including providing separate, secure shelter and facilities, making female staff and female interpreters available and screening for gender-based violence, including domestic abuse; Expedite processing of asylum claims of families with children, unaccompanied children, , people with disabilities, survivors of torture, victims of trafficking and gender-based violence and other vulnerable groups on the islands, and avoid detaining children, in line with recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; Immediately adopt a policy of not detaining migrant and asylum seeking children, until such time as legislative reform is enacted; and Ensure sufficient capacity in shelters for unaccompanied migrant and asylum-seeking children to minimize detention time pending transfer to shelters. Discriminatory and Abusive Police Stops Human Rights Watch research has found that Greek police rely heavily on overly broad powers to stop people, require them to provide proof of their identity, and hold them for long periods, amounting to unjustified deprivation of liberty, without any reasonable and individualized suspicion of criminal wrongdoing. These powers have been used in a discriminatory manner to target persons based on their race or perceived nationality or ethnicity. Under Presidential Decree 141/1991 (P.D. 141/1991), the police have the authority to stop anyone on suspicion that a crime has been or might be committed, and to conduct searches of persons, bags, vehicles, and public spaces for preventive purposes. In areas designated by the police as "suspicious public areas," officers may conduct stops and searches without any grounds. The police may take people to a police station if they do not have proof of their identity, have identity documents the police believe require further verification of their legal records, or, because of the place, time, and circumstances, as well as their behavior, create suspicion that they have committed or intend to commit an offense. These powers, combined with orders to target specific social groups, have enabled repetitive, unjustified stops of migrants and asylum seekers. In February and April 2013, Human Rights Watch interviewed forty-four people who had been subjected to at least one stop since the launch of anti-immigrant Operation Xenios Zeus, in August 2012. Thirty-five of them had a legal right to be in Greece at the time of the stops because they were registered asylum seekers, legal foreign residents, or Greeks of foreign origin. Many told Human Rights Watch they felt they were stopped because of their physical characteristics and gave disturbing accounts of clear targeting on the basis of race or ethnicity. We heard twelve accounts of identity checks where people described being stopped explicitly based on physical appearance, including two cases where people were not stopped themselves but witnessed what they felt was a discriminatory stop. People interviewed said that police officers regularly harassed them, stopping them without any specific suspicion of wrongdoing and conducted intrusive searches. The police beat and yelled at the people they stopped, and held them for long periods. International human rights bodies have criticized Greece over the years for not acknowledging that police ill-treatment is a serious problem and have repeatedly recommended setting up a credible, independent, and effective police complaints mechanism to investigate allegations of abuse. The Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection created an office in 2011 to address complaints of police misconduct, but the office is not yet operational and has a limited mandate, able to rule only on the admissibility of the complaints. Admissible cases will be transferred to the relevant disciplinary bodies of the security forces for further investigation, raising concerns about the independence of such investigations. The end of anti-immigrant Operation Xenios Zeus in early February 2015, shortly after the then newly-elected government of Alexis Tsipras came into power, was a positive step. A key tactic of Operation Xenios Zeus, a police operation launched in early August 2012 and aimed at cracking down on irregular immigration and crime in Athens, was the use of police powers to conduct identity checks to verify the legal status of individuals presumed to be irregular migrants. Identity checks for the purposes of immigration control, such as those conducted on a massive scale during the ongoing Operation Xenios Zeus, are not prescribed explicitly in law. Human Rights Watch doesn't have any current information on identity checks since the end of Operation Xenios Zeus, but the broad police powers of P.D. 141/1991 continue to leave far too much discretion generally, in the absence of clear and detailed guidance, to police officers when it comes to choosing whom to stop for an identity check, and leaves far too much room for abuse of power. It is a basic precept of law, well-established in international human rights jurisprudence, that laws must be sufficiently clear and well defined to limit the scope for arbitrary action and interpretation by law enforcement and judicial authorities. Legal precision is also important so that people know what conduct is prohibited and can regulate their behavior accordingly. Recommendations We hope to see the Committee take these findings into account when discussing Greece's report. In particular, we recommend that the Committee raise the following specific points regarding police stop-and-search powers: Request information on the steps taken to ensure that all measures to identify irregular migrants during police operations are conducted in full compliance with national and international law prohibiting discrimination, including discriminatory ethnic profiling, ill-treatment, and arbitrary deprivation of liberty; Request information on disciplinary and/or criminal investigations into law enforcement officials for allegations of ill-treatment of migrants in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, and the number of cases in which sanctions have been imposed as well as the nature of these sanctions. The Committee should also urge the Greek government to: Develop a national strategy on combating racial discrimination by law enforcement officials that sets out concrete measures and a timetable for implementation; Reform current stop and search powers and adopt clear and binding guidelines for law enforcement officers with respect to identity checks to require an individualized suspicion of wrongdoing, including the permissible grounds for conducting a stop, a pat-down, and search of personal belongings, and for taking a person to a police station for further verification of their documents; Develop and coordinate strategies for minimizing police abuse and harassment against vulnerable groups; Issue clear guidance to police officers on the use of force, clarifying the prohibition on unjustified force, and ensure diligent and independent investigation for all complaints of police abuse and hold anyone found responsible to account, including by improving human rights training, and establishing an independent complaints mechanism. Xenophobic Violence In recent years, Greece has seen an alarming surge in xenophobic attacks on migrants and asylum seekers, with gangs of Greeks chasing down and attacking migrants and asylum seekers, particularly in downtown Athens. Human Rights Watch interviewed 59 people who experienced or escaped a xenophobic incident, including 51 serious attacks, between August 2009 and May 2012. The Racist Violence Recording Network, an umbrella of Greek nongovernmental organizations, coordinated by the UNHCR and the Greek National Commission for Human Rights, recorded 484 racist incidents between October 2011 and the end of 2015. Human Rights Watch research found that the vast majority of the victims of xenophobic attacks had little chance to see justice done. We found that attackers were rarely arrested and police inaction was the rule. Many victims did not report attacks to the police because of lack of trust and the police themselves actively discouraged many victims from filing complaints. The police told the victims it was not worth filing a complaint because they cannot recognize the assailants, that they should fight back themselves, or, in the case of undocumented migrants, that they could be detained and deported. Those who insisted faced a 100 Euro fee to file an official complaint. In addition, the failure of the police and prosecutors to investigate properly and collect evidence on the racist motivation of a crime made it harder for courts to apply penalty enhancements. The Greek government has taken some positive steps in the past four years, including establishing specialized police units and offices within the police to tackle racist violence and appointing a special hate crimes prosecutor in Athens and Thessaloniki. The government also introduced measures granting humanitarian visas to undocumented victims and witnesses of certain crimes, including hate crimes. A 2014 anti-racism law increased minimum penalties for hate crimes and improved the scope and application of racist motivation as an aggravating circumstance. But the new law failed to remove significant obstacles to effective investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. More recently, during the 2015 refugee crisis, the Greek population has been largely generous and welcoming to asylum seekers and migrants, with incidents of xenophobic attacks taking place on a rather spontaneous and isolated basis, despite the challenges posed by the large numbers of asylum seekers and migrants since the beginning of 2015, particularly on the islands. However, according to reports by the media and non-governmental organizations from early July, residents have attacked and intimidated asylum seekers, migrants, and international aid workers on Leros Island, which shelters about 690 of the approximately 56,000 migrants that are currently in Greece. Similar reports have emerged from other Greek islands, including Lesbos. It appears that reports of uncontrolled fights inside the camps have created fertile ground for far-right extremism and anti-immigrant rhetoric among the local population. Information from the islands suggests that the police have failed to take adequate steps to prevent and punish xenophobic violence. Recommendations The Committee should: Request information on concrete steps and strategy to improve state response to racist violence, and address racism and xenophobia particularly in the context of the refugee crisis. The Committee should also urge the Greek government to: Launch a public campaign on the island hotspots and refugee camps in the mainland to encourage reporting of hate crimes, including racist and xenophobic violence, particularly among migrants and asylum seekers; Ensure that each police station on the islands has at least one officer, or a group of officers, with advanced specialized training in hate crimes, including racist and xenophobic violence, as well as experience with investigating extremist activities; Develop and disseminate specific guidelines for police working in the refugee context, including on the islands, for the investigation of hate crimes, including racist and xenophobic violence; Ensure appropriate training, including through inclusion of special seminars in continuing professional education courses, for prosecutors and judges in national and European anti-racism legislation, and in particular the aggravating circumstance of racial motivation in the commission of a crime; Require prosecutors to investigate bias as a possible motive in a crime and to present any evidence of bias to the court. Courts should be also required to consider evidence of bias motivation, and to explain the reasons for applying or not applying a penalty enhancement for bias crimes. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Prime Minister and Minister of Information urged to revise Cybercrime bill Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 27 July 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Prime Minister and Minister of Information urged to revise Cybercrime bill, 27 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b6bcd4.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has sent the following letter to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and Minister of Information Camillo Gonsalves addressing its concerns with the Cybercrime bill currently being debated in Parliament. RSF calls for the revision of several clauses that are extremely damaging to the free flow of news and information and to public debate. Washington, DC July 27, 2016 Dear Prime Minister Gonsalves, Dear Minister of Information Gonsalves, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international organization that defends freedom of information, would like to express to you its concern about Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Cybercrime Bill currently being debated in Parliament. We do not dispute the principle of this law or some of its provisions. The Internet should not escape the authority of the law altogether and we believe that it is perfectly legitimate to sanction such crimes and offences as the theft of documents or data, online identity theft, cyberbullying or, even more serious, child pornography. However, we regard some of the clauses in this bill extremely damaging to the free flow of news and information and to public debate. For example, Section 16 (2) of Part II incorporates criminal libel, which is already a criminal offence in Section 274 of the criminal code. Section 16 (3) states: "A person who, intentionally or recklessly uses a computer system to disseminate any information, statement or image; and exposes the private affairs of another person, thereby subjecting that other person to public ridicule, contempt, hatred or embarrassment, commits an offence." Offenders can be sentenced to up to 5 years' imprisonment and/or pay a fine of 200,000 East Caribbean dollars. Under what criteria can information be considered to expose "private affairs" of another person regardless of factual accuracy (which this subsection refrains from mentioning)? This provision could very easily constitute an obstacle to the dissemination of information of public interest. It could, for example, provide any demonstrably corrupt public figure with a strong argument for refusing to be held accountable. Clause 16 also defines cyberbullying as using "a computer system repeatedly or continuously to convey information which causes fear, intimidation, humiliation, distress or other harm to another person; or detriment to another person's health, emotional well-being, self-esteem or reputation." This language remains subjective and could be broadly interpreted in a manner that negatively impacts the free flow of information. We are also concerned about the range of the bill's applicability. Clause 31 of Part III states that "an act [constituting an offence] is carried out in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines if the effect of the act, or the damage resulting from the act, occurs within Saint Vincent and the Grenadines." Here again, the lack of precision about the nature of the effect to which this clause refers could result in significant obstacles to freedom of information. The danger posed by these provisions is, in our view, all the greater because the law gives the police and judicial authorities a great deal of scope to access the personal data of someone who is being investigated. Furthermore, RSF considers criminal defamation to have a chilling effect on freedom of the press and freedom of expression and has repeatedly urged countries to decriminalize this offense. For all these reasons, we urge you not to pass this bill into law in its present form and to amend the most sensitive clauses. We also urge you to amend the criminal code in order to de-criminalize defamation. We thank you in advance for the attention you give to this letter. Sincerely, Delphine Halgand US Director, Reporters Without Borders Image Credit: Luis Acosta/AFP Belarus: RSF calls for release of blogger held for past six months Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Belarus: RSF calls for release of blogger held for past six months, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b6c3f4.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for more transparency in the judicial proceedings against detained Belarusian blogger Eduard Palchys and for a revision of Belarus' legislation on media offences. Palchys, who operated a political blog called 1863x.com under the name of "Jhon Silver", has been held provisionally for the past six months, first by the Russian authorities after his arrest in Russia in January and now by the Belarusian authorities since his extradition to Minsk in June. He was originally arrested in May 2015 by the Belarusian KGB, who had him confined in a psychiatric hospital for "expert evaluation." He spent a month in the hospital in prison-like conditions, without the right to receive visits and without access to hot water. After his release, he was told that two charges had been brought against him. One, "inciting racial hatred" in two political posts on his blog, is punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison. The other, "disseminating pornographic content" in the form of a collage illustrating a blog post, is punishable two to four years in prison. Fearing an arbitrary trial, Palchys left Belarus for Ukraine in August 2015 but was arrested during a visit to Russia in January. Thereafter, the Russian authorities held him until his extradition. "We call for the conditional release of Eduard Palchys, whose preventive imprisonment is out of all proportion to what he is alleged to have done," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "The posts and illustrations should be examined by independent entities, such as the Association of Belarusian Journalists. At the same time, Belarus' legislation on media offences needs to evolve. The penalties that can be incurred, up to five years in prison, are utterly disproportionate." The human rights group Vyasna filed a complaint on 14 June about the fact that Palchys' lawyer had not yet been allowed to see him. The next day, the lawyer was allowed to see Palchys in the detention centre where he is being held. No one has yet been allowed access to the original blog posts or the illustration, so no independent expert evaluation has so far been possible. A demonstration in support of Palchys was held in Minsk on 23 June. Belarus is ranked 157th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Cameroon : RSF seeks release of RFI reporter held for past year Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 29 July 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Cameroon : RSF seeks release of RFI reporter held for past year, 29 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b6c724.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reiterates its call for the immediate release of Radio France Internationale's Hausa-language correspondent, Ahmed Abba, who will complete a year in detention tomorrow, and urges the Cameroonian authorities to abandon the proceedings against him. RSF has been condemning Ahmed Abba's arbitrary and improper detention ever since his arrest in the far-north city of Maroua on 30 July 2015. He is now being tried before a military court in Yaounde and is facing a possible death sentence under the 2014 anti-terrorism law on charges of "complicity in terrorist acts" and "failure to report terrorist acts." During the eight months since his trial began in November 2015, only five hearings have been held and the court has yet to begin considering the substance of the case. The repeated adjournments have been due to changes in judges, scheduling issues and, above all, the prosecution's apparent inability to produce witnesses. The sixth hearing is cheduled for 3 August. Abba's lawyer, Charles Tchougang, reports having been kidnapped and drugged by unidentified individuals on the eve of a hearing on 25 April with the apparent aim of preventing him from defending his client. In the event, he did make it to the court for the hearing, but only just. Tchougang discussed the case in an interview with RSF. RSF: The 3 August hearing will be the sixth to be held in the year that Abba has spent in detention. But the judges have yet to examine the substance of the case? CT: That is correct. It must be said that his case is special. Firstly, for the first three months after his arrest, no one knew where he was or no one wanted to say. The authorities eventually admitted they were holding him secretly. And even then, the matter had to be raised with the president's office. He had been transferred to the intelligence services in Yaounde, he had been questioned without a lawyer being present, and he had been transferred directly to a military court without a proper judicial investigation. During this period, he was also clearly subjected to physical and psychological mistreatment. At the next hearing, we will ask for a special session to be scheduled so that the substance of the case can finally be considered. RSF: So Abba is being tried before a military court? CT: Yes, Ahmed Abba is being prosecuted under an exceptional jurisdiction established by the December 2014 anti-terrorism law, which departs from the penal code. The principles of a fair trial have not in any way been respected. We have drawn attention to these many violations of his constitutional rights and, in April, we asked for the proceedings to be voided. But the judges ignored the request. He is facing a possible death sentence and yet the prosecution has absolutely no evidence against him. RSF: Other journalists who are being prosecuted on similar charges - Baba Wame, Rodrigue Ndeutchoua Tongue and Felix Cyriaque Ebole Bola - are not in detention. Why is Abba being treated differently? CT: I think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was initially arrested in the course of a routine check, but when the police learned that he was RFI's correspondent, he was handed over to the political police in Yaounde and was accused of passing information to the country's enemies. I have checked all of his reporting and it is beyond reproach. In my view, the only aggravating circumstance is the fact that he works for a leading French radio station. As you know, there is a big anti-French current of opinion in Cameroon and some officials may have wanted to pull off a stunt. What we now want is for Ahmed Abba to be freed, to be reunited with his family and, very importantly, to be able to return to work. I am convinced that I am defending an innocent man. Ranked 126th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index, Cameroon has ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects journalists and their sources. Russia urged to free journalist held for 12 months on spurious charge Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 29 July 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Russia urged to free journalist held for 12 months on spurious charge, 29 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b6d004.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Alexander Sokolov, a Russian investigative journalist who was arrested exactly a year ago today and whose detention was extended yesterday until the end of October. The flimsy nature of the "extremism" charge against Sokolov suggests that he is being persecuted because of his reporting. He specializes in investigating large-scale corruption. At the time of his arrest, Sokolov was working for the RBC media group, which recently fired its editors and adopted a pro-government line. He has a PhD in economics for which his thesis was about the consequences of the investment of public funds embezzled by major Russian companies. His last, well-researched, article was about the embezzlement of public funds in the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome. His claims seem to have been corroborated by the Russian Court of Accounts in December 2015, when it announced the discovery of "financial irregularities" in connection with this massive federal project and gave an estimate for the amount embezzled that was close to Sokolov's own figure - around 93 billion roubles (1.27 billion euros). When his article was published, Sokolov was arrested along with two other people for helping to create a website for a group called "For Responsible Government" (IGPR "ZOV") that was calling for a referendum to amend the Russian constitution so that politicians could be held accountable under criminal law. The website revived the call of a group that was created in the 1990s and was banned in 2010, which was the pretext used by the prosecutor's office for initiating the case. But IGPR "ZOV" had done virtually nothing in the two years prior to the launch of the investigation and all of Russia's human rights groups agree that it did not break any laws. The Sova Centre, a leading authority on hate crimes, insists that it did not incite violence. The public prosecutor's office nonethless decided to charge Sokolov with "creating an extremist community," which carries a possible eight-year prison sentence. The prosecution case is nonetheless completely empty. There is just an old leaflet with the slogan: "You have voted, so you should judge." On the basis of the leaflet alone, he should not be charged with anything more serious that "intent to distribute extremist texts," for which the penalty is just a fine. "Alexander Sokolov is the victim of a profound injustice," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "It is hard to account for his prolonged detention except in the light of his investigative reporting and his academic specialization in the most senstive subjects. We call for his immediate and unconditional release and the withdrawal of all the charges against him." The investigators claim that Sokolov "was aware" that the real aim of IGPR "ZOV" was "destabilizing the authorities" and not a referendum. Sokolov says he is being a accused of "thoughtcrime" in the Orwellian sense, because "being aware" is not listed in the Russian criminal code. Sokolov's request to be given a lie detector test has so far been refused. Sokolov has appealed to the Russian Ombudsman and to the Europea Court of Human Rights, claiming that he is the victim of arbitrary detention. An RBC journalist even raised the issue with President Vladimir Putin during Putin's traditional question-and-answer session with Russian citizens in December. Putin promised to look into the matter but a fourth person was arrested in the case the same day. Russia is ranked 148th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Azerbaijan: RSF outraged by court's decision to confirm journalist's sentence Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Azerbaijan: RSF outraged by court's decision to confirm journalist's sentence, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b6d354.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled by yesterday's Azerbaijani appeal court decision to uphold journalist Elchin Hasanov's conviction on a trumped-up hooliganism charge and to confirm his sentence, which is to pay part of his salary to the state for one year. The act of hooliganism supposedly took place when, after being the target of a smear campaign, Hasanov met with one of the campaign's organizers to ask him to end the smears. This person attacked Hasanov verbally and physically during the meeting, as attested in a medical certificate issued at the time. Hasanov immediately filed a complaint with the police but, in the course of the ensuing two months, the case backfired. After he gave his initial statement, the police responded by banning him from leaving the country. Then he found himself accused of having attacked his aggressor. This role reversal occured shortly after the publication of an article by Hasanov describing how goods reserved for the army were being sold on the black market. The charge was upgraded to "knife attack," for which the prosecutor requested a sentence of three and a half years in prison. But, in the absence of any supporting evidence, it was quickly changed again to hooliganism, the charge on which he was finally convicted and sentenced to a year of work in the general interest. In Azerbaijan, this means handing part of your salary over to the state every month. "We are outraged by this decision, which condemns Elchin Hasanov to destitution," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "We are only too familar with the methods of Azerbaijan's government, which shamelessly uses the judicial system to silence outspoken journalists. These methods must stop." Charges of hooliganism, assault or possession of drugs are often brought against journalists in Azerbajian. RSF is aware of at least seven journalists and bloggers who are currently detained on trumped-up charges because of their reporting. The best known of these detainees is Seymour Hazi, the presenter of the Azerbaican Saati programme, who has so far served nearly two and a half years of a five-year jail sentence for supposedly attacking a man at a bus stop with a plastic bottle. Azerbaijan is ranked 163rd out 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. 43 NGOs to Bahrain: Rights of Nazeeha Saeed and all Journalists to Report Must Be Respected Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, 43 NGOs to Bahrain: Rights of Nazeeha Saeed and all Journalists to Report Must Be Respected, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b6de84.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. We, the undersigned, express our deep concern with the Bahraini Public Prosecution's decision to charge Nazeeha Saeed, correspondent for Radio Monte Carlo Doualiya and France24, with unlawfully working for international media. We consider this an undue reprisal against her as a journalist and call on Bahrain's authorities to respect fully the right of journalists to practice their profession freely. Nazeeha Saeed is an award-winning journalist and correspondent for Radio Monte Carlo Doualiya and France24. She has previously reported on the protest movement in 2011, and has reported on the mounting dissent against the Bahraini government for the last several years. On Sunday 17 July 2016, the Public Prosecution summoned Nazeeha Saeed for interrogation based on a legal complaint from the Information Affairs Authority (IAA). The prosecution charged her under article 88 of Law 47/2002, which regulates the press, printing and publication. Article 88 states that no Bahraini can work for foreign media outlets without first obtaining a license from the Information Affairs Authority (IAA), which must be renewed annually. Prior to the expiration of her license, Nazeeha Saeed applied for a new one at the end of March 2016, at which point, the IAA refused a renewal. This is the first time she has received such a rejection. Following this, Saeed continued to work as a correspondent for France24 and Radio Monte Carlo Doualiya. She now faces trial in the civil courts and a fine of up to 1000 Bahraini Dinars (USD $2650) if found guilty. This is not the first time Nazeeha Saeed has been subjected to harassment by the Bahraini authorities. In May 2011, during a state of emergency imposed in response to Arab Spring protests, police summoned Saeed to the station and detained her there. For her coverage of events in Bahrain Nazeeha Saeed witnessed police killing a man at a protest and rejected the government narrative of events police allegedly subjected her to hours of torture, ill-treatment and humiliation, which only ended when she signed a document placed before her. She was not allowed to read it. Despite complaining to the Ministry of Interior and the new Special Investigations Unit, the body under the Public Prosecution charged with investigating claims of torture and abuse, in November 2015 the authorities decided against prosecuting the responsible officers on the basis of there being insufficient evidence. In June 2016, Bahrain's authorities placed Nazeeha Saeed on a travel ban, preventing her from leaving the country. The ban was applied without informing Saeed, who only discovered it after she was refused boarding on her flight. The police officer at the airport was unable to explain the reason for this travel ban, and officials from the immigration department, the public prosecution and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), told the journalist that they were not even aware of its existence. Saeed is one of approximately twenty individuals known to have been banned from travel in Bahrain since the beginning of June 2016. Other journalists working for international media face similar threats and have also reported facing increased pressure from the government in the last year, making their work difficult. RSF and the Committee to Protect Journalists both list Bahrain as one of the leading jailers of journalists in the world. One of them, Sayed Ahmed Al-Mousawi, was stripped of his citizenship by a court in November 2015. As organisations concerned with the right to freedom of expression, we call on the Government of Bahrain to end the reprisals against Nazeeha Saeed, lift her travel ban and drop the charges against her. We also call on the authorities to stop arbitrarily withholding license renewals and to allow journalists to report with full freedom of expression as protected under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Signed: Adil Soz, International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech ACAT Albanian Media Institute Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain ARTICLE 19 Bahrain Center for Human Rights Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy Bahrain Press Association Bytes for All Canadian Journalists for Free Expression Cartoonists Rights Network International Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility Committee to Protect Journalists Egyptian Organization for Human Rights English PEN European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Foro de Periodismo Argentino Freedom Forum Freedom House Free Media Movement Front Line Defenders Gulf Centre for Human Rights Hisham Al Miraat, Founder, Moroccan Digital Rights Association Human Rights Network for Journalists - Uganda Independent Journalism Center - Moldova Index on Censorship Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information Instituto de Prensa y Libertad de Expresion - IPLEX International Press Institute Justice Human Rights Organization Maharat Foundation Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance Media Watch Norwegian PEN Pacific Islands News Association Pakistan Press Foundation Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms - MADA PEN American Center PEN Canada PEN International Reporters Without Borders Social Media Exchange SMEX Vigilance pour la Democratie et l'Etat Civique Turkey: in latest escalation, 102 media outlets closed by decree Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Turkey: in latest escalation, 102 media outlets closed by decree, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b6e174.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is dismayed to learn that the Turkish authorities closed 102 media outlets yesterday. It is the latest in a series of increasingly shocking developments in a purge of independent media launched after the coup attempt nearly two weeks ago. The closure and expropriation of 45 newspapers, 16 TV channels, 23 radio stations, three news agencies and 15 magazines were ordered yesterday evening in the second decree-law issued under the state of emergency. Twenty-nine publishing houses were also closed. The complete list, published in Turkey's official gazette, is available here. All are suspected of "collaborating" with the movement headed by the US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, which the authorities say was responsible for the 15 July abortive coup. "The authorities have eliminated an entire swathe of the media landscape in one fell swoop," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "The irreparable damage they are inflicting on pluralism and the rule of law goes far beyond the state of emergency. Punishing the coup attempt does not justify such extremes." The targeted media include such leading national publications as the newspaper Taraf and magazine Nokta. They also include many local newspapers. Fahrettin Dokak, the owner of the Izmir-based newspaper Ege'de Son Soz, issued a statement voicing his inability to understand why it was closed. "Since 2009, the newspaper has always pursued an editorial line respectful of democracy, the law and universal press principles," he wrote, adding that it was "never a FETO mouthpiece." FETO is the acronym used by the government to brand the Gulen Movement as a "terrorist" organization. Some of the media outlets closed under the decree-law had already been reined in by the authorities. They include Zaman, a daily that was placed under judicial control in March. Since 25 July, arrest warrants have been issued for 89 journalists suspected of links with the Gulen Movement and several dozen of them are already in police custody. Fearing reprisals, some lawyers are now refusing to defend them. Others prefer not to challenge the proceedings initiated against their clients for fear that the authorities could apply drastic measures allowed under the state of emergency, such as extending the maximum permitted period for police custody to 30 days. Turkey is ranked 151st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. RSF's previous press releases on the abortive coup and its consequences can be read here. bank The trio will be among the first senior bankers globally to be jailed for their role in the collapse of aduring the crisis.The lack of convictions until now has angered Irish taxpayers, who had to stump up 64 billion euros - almost 40 percent of annual economic output - after a property collapse forced the biggest state bank rescue in the euro zone.The crash thrust Ireland into a three-year sovereign bailout in 2010 and the finance ministry said last month that it could take another 15 years to recover the funds pumped into the banks still operating.Former Irish Life and Permanent Chief Executive Denis Casey was sentenced to two years and nine months following the 74-day criminal trial, Ireland's longest ever.Willie McAteer, former finance director at the failed Anglo Irish Bank, and John Bowe, its ex-head of capital markets, were given sentences of 42 months and 24 months respectively.All three were convicted of conspiring together and with others to mislead investors, depositors and lenders by setting up a 7.2-billion-euro circular transaction scheme between March and September 2008 to bolster Anglo's balance sheet.Irish Life placed the deposits via a non-banking subsidiary in the run-up to Anglo's financial year-end, to allow its rival to categorize them as customer deposits, which are viewed as more secure, rather than a deposit from another bank."By means that could be termed dishonest, deceitful and corrupt they manufactured 7.2 billion euros in deposits by obvious sham transactions," Judge Martin Nolan told the court, describing the conspiracy as a "very serious crime"."The public is entitled to rely on the probity of blue chip firms. If we cant rely on the probity of these banks we lose all hope or trust in institutions," said Nolan.None of the defendants reacted visibly to the sentencing before being led away by officers to Mountjoy Prison, the country's largest and used in the past to hold Irish Republican Army prisoners. Syrians make easy scapegoats in Lebanon Publisher IRIN Author Tom Rollins Publication Date 28 July 2016 Cite as IRIN, Syrians make easy scapegoats in Lebanon, 28 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/579b6f2e4.html [accessed 28 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Baalbek International Festival is in town. Under silvery bunting, telltale tourists drift around in shorts in the sleepy mid-afternoon heat. But it's less of a lark for more than 130,000 Syrian refugees who live in the wider governorate of Baalbek-Hermel, in eastern Lebanon. Days before the first note was sung, the governor, Bashir Khodr, was reported to have tightened the existing curfew for Syrians, requiring them to stay inside between 6pm and 6am. He later denied the change, but in a sense it didn't really matter they would just face the usual 8pm to 6am restrictions instead. On opening night, 19-year-old Abdu, originally from Homs in Syria, decided to ignore the curfew and go down to Baalbek's ancient ruins, where he found crowds and people eating ice cream. But he also found a man with endless questions: Was he Syrian? Why was he there? Didn't he know about the curfew? It makes you feel like you're not welcome here," Abdu told IRIN, referring to both his encounter and the curfew. "But I don't see why I should be imprisoned in my house." Why such antipathy? One month ago, on 27 June, multiple suicide attacks hit al-Qaa, a predominantly Christian village some 30 kilometres north of Baalbek. Five civilians were killed and several more injured. The authorities have made no connection between the attack and the more than one million registered Syrians in Lebanon, but that didn't stop the finger of suspicion falling on them anyway. Lebanon's army, intelligence agencies and security forces have detained several hundred Syrians. Refugees residing in mountainous, rural communities have experienced scattered reprisal attacks by civilians and even local police. Towns and villages up and down the country have meanwhile doubled down on existing curfews, imposing new restrictions on refugees' freedom to move and ability to work. The reprisals It was only 24 hours after the al-Qaa incident when the first reprisal attack happened. High up in the mountains above Beirut sits Hrajel. The predominantly Maronite Christian village is one of the last settlements along the mountain road before it climbs up into the dusty brown peaks and drops down into the Bekaa Valley, home to around one third of the country's registered Syrian refugees. Ahmad, a Syrian-Kurd originally from north Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood, was one of six Syrians badly beaten in the village that night. He lives in a shabby block of flats with other refugee families, separated from the rest of the village by a bumpy dirt road. "It was about 10.30pm. The electricity was cut (a regular occurrence in Lebanon) and some of the families were sleeping in the building," he recalled. "Three or four cars came outside, and we heard shouting. They were using really bad words, and ordering the men to come down." Ahmad said he and the others went downstairs, while their families looked on from the balconies above. "They made us kneel like this (he put his hands behind his back) and started beating each of us, in groups of three or four, with wrenches and knives." Fathi, from Jisr al-Shughour in northern Syria, was also hurt that night. "We were humiliated in front of our wives and children, and the feelings of fear that we experienced back in Syria started to come back," he told IRIN. Hrajel's mayor, Tony Zugheib, said there had been "fighting" on the evening in question between locals and Syrians but that it was born of one refugee's earlier refusal to produce identification. No arrests were made, but Zugheib said the perpetrators were given a warning. Ahmad believes the attack took place with the full knowledge of the authorities, but Zugheib insisted that his municipality treats Syrians "with the utmost humanity". "We feel that our only duty is to keep the village secure and safe," Zugheib said. "[But] of course we respect humanity and individual freedoms." In the days that followed, Lebanon's security services moved in on Syrian refugees across the country. According to a tally of arrests announced on the Lebanese army's official Twitter account, at least 600 Syrian nationals were arrested in the first three days after al-Qaa. Raids and arrests have continued and the number has reportedly topped 700. In mid-July, several police officers in Amchit, about 40 kilometres up the coast from Beirut, were investigated (and released) after images appeared online showing up to 30 Syrian men kneeling over with their hands on their necks, uniformed men hovering over them. The incident prompted accusations of racism, and, later, condemnation from Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk. "Lately, there has been a rise in the abuses committed by members of the police in several municipalities concerning Syrian refugees," Machnouk said, warning that officers abusing their power would face "disciplinary measures". Vicious cycle But for many Syrian refugees in Lebanon, increased raids, arrests and ID checks are simply confirmation of longstanding grievances. It is difficult and expensive to renew the residency papers that Lebanon has required since 2014, and invalid papers leave refugees vulnerable to arrest. Arrest leaves them open to fines or re-arrest. The circle continues. An estimated two thirds of Syrian refugees in Lebanon lack the proper papers. Seventeen-year-old Mustafa was at home in Baalbek when the army turned up a week ago. He rushed to the balcony and hid there, terrified, while the officers took away his father for not having valid papers. Although Mustafa's father was released the same day, his family said they were told to get their papers in order in 20 days or face either re-arrest or deportation back to Syria. Mustafa's father can't find regular work or a Lebanese person willing to sponsor his visa, let alone afford the costs of renewing residency papers. The family is stuck. "We still have two weeks left, but the documents require a lot of money so we haven't done anything," Mustafa said. "I've been here for about four years, and I haven't been able to renew my documents for the last two." Lisa Abu Khaled, spokeswoman for the UN's agency for refugees, UNHCR, told IRIN that most of those detained in the past month had been released a day or two later and that threats of deportation weren't yet being enforced. "No Syrian refugee who was arrested for not having legal residency has been forced to return to Syria," she said. But not all of those arrested have been released. George Ghali, programmes manager at ALEF, a Lebanese NGO that monitors arbitrary detention, told IRIN that more than 400 individuals are still locked up. The authorities are reluctant to discuss the matter. The Internal Security Forces, the army, and the General Security intelligence agency all declined to comment. Monitoring the situation has been difficult, said Ghali. "We have no information on charges or indictments being issued and actually we doubt that until now anyone has been before a court." Because many of the raids were conducted by the army or the intelligence services, "there's a problem with accessing legal aid or even knowing [refugees'] whereabouts", he added. Jobs and security Lebanon is a country of only four million, so the addition of another million-plus Syrian refugees has been the subject of much debate since the war in its neighbour began more than five years ago. There are concerns that the economy can't cope with the influx, and some blame Syrian refugees for Lebanon's high unemployment and widespread poverty. In Hrajel, where the first reprisal attack happened, mayor Zugheib said his village had been generous to Syrians, to the point that half the population is now made up of foreigners. But there has been real pressure on waste management services, schools and the local economy. "There is competition for jobs," he said, adding that his municipality needs support "in the same way that displaced people get it from [aid] organisations". Another Hrajel local told IRIN that Syrians take on informal work at lower wages, shutting out Lebanese from many already low-paying jobs. There are also fears that militant Islamists are amongst the refugees, fuelled by the occasional arrests of suspected extremists and seizures of weapons from inside informal Syrian camps. For the first few years of the Syrian war, the eastern border with Lebanon was a fairly fluid way for those fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad to transport weapons and fighters. For Assad, against Assad There's politics at play here too. Lebanon's two major political camps are broadly divided on Assad. One side, which includes Machnouk, the interior minister who spoke out against the crackdown, is opposed. The other, which includes Hezbollah (itself fighting inside Syria), has stood with the regime. Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, a member of this bloc, has become something of a poster-boy for what critics see as a particularly politicised, pernicious form of anti-Syrian incitement. The day before al-Qaa, Bassil called for mayors from his Free Patriotic Movement party to clear out the "existence" of Syrian refugees from their towns and villages. "The existence of camps and gatherings of Syrian refugees in the hearts of our towns is unacceptable," Bassil said. The day after the suicide attacks, his party lauded its leader for having "voiced responsible remarks and (for) anticipating the threats". This type of language doesn't sit well with some Lebanese. On 18 July, activists organised a silent march from the Ministry of Foreign of Affairs to the Interior Ministry, a couple of miles' walk through central Beirut, in protest against racism, xenophobia, and punitive regulations against Syrian refugees. At least 200 people joined. Gilbert Doumit, who helped organise the march, condemned the "racist discourse" spreading through Lebanese society that blames Syrian refugees "for the crisis that Lebanon is suffering from, whether economically, socially, or in terms of security". "The narrative of politicians is that Syrian refugees are responsible, so we, as a group of Lebanese citizens, are saying: 'No, actually it's the policymakers who are the reason behind the problem'." More of the same? While activists decry a crackdown, Maja Janmyr, researcher at the University of Bergen and the American University in Beirut, argues that al-Qaa has not led to a significant expansion in restrictions. "Curfews have more or less been in place for years," she told IRIN. They began gaining ground in 2014, mostly after intense clashes between the Lebanese Army and Islamist militants in Arsal, close to the Syrian border. At the time, Human Rights Watch reported that more than 45 local municipalities had imposed the restrictions, and pointed out that they appeared to be illegal under Lebanese law (not to mention international human rights law). Janmyr argues that what has changed since al-Qaa is renewed enforcement of the rules. "A defining feature of Lebanon's approach to Syrians since 2014 has been to create rules and regulations such as curfews, tacitly allow for their widespread violations, and then occasionally enforce them," she explained. This means that the picture differs around the country. Syrians in urban, Sunni neighbourhoods of Baalbek, for example, say they can go outside at night after curfew. But in pro-Hezbollah areas of the city, the situation is quite different. This jives with what Umm Mohamed, a middle-aged refugee from Homs, has seen, living now in Baalbek. "Laws in Lebanon are not really that well enforced in general anyway, so people still come and go easily. Because the Lebanese and Syrians look alike, it's only really when people speak that they recognise them as Syrians," Umm Mohamed told IRIN. "If someone gets arrested, then sure there'll have problems," she said. "But people still go out." However, in isolated, rural settlements or communities like Hrajel, refugees appear to self-police themselves more. "We finish work at 4 or 5pm, buy everything we need and then just stay at home," explained Ahmad. "Bread, cigarettes, water, everything. We can't go out after 8pm." Abdu, who defied the curfew in Baalbek, remains frustrated but stubborn. "Every time I get home, I get the same thing from my mother: 'Why are you going out late [after curfew]? This isn't your country. You have to respect their laws.'" "But I'm not afraid and I don't care about these rules," he said, with a hint of a smile. "Syrian people are dying and I just feel like I should live my life." Names of Syrian refugees in Baalbek were changed to protect their identities. With additional reporting by Layal Hamze and Hiba Hussein Studio City, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/29/2016 --America's highly recommended hands-on spray tanning training school Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy proudly announces that their latest graduate Aileena Minoshima has now launched her own independent airbrush tanning business. Aileena named her airbrush tanning business "Spray Me Golden" and is now offering airbrush tanning services in Wichita, Andover, Rose Hill and surrounding areas in Kansas. Based in Los Angeles, Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy is the nation's most appreciated training academy to learn the intricate art and science of sunless tanning, popularly known as airbrush tanning or spray tanning. The Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy has the track record of helping hundreds of their students kick start an alternative career as an entrepreneur in the field of spray tanning. Prior to learning spray tanning, Aileena was living in Alaska and working as a bartender at the Anchorage airport. She recently moved with her family to Wichita , Kansas and realized that Kansas did not have many choices in getting a spray tan. When asked about the reason behind her interest in learning spray tanning, Aileena says, "I wanted to do something fun and rewarding that would give me more freedom. And I wanted to make people feel as beautiful as I felt every time I got a spray tan." Having launched her business now, Aileena is extremely hopeful about her career in spray tanning. Her airbrush tanning business is located within the popular Soho Salon at 2146 North Collective Lane, building #108, Suite 208. In addition to growing the business, she is serious about becoming an airbrush tanning trainer in the near future. Aileena also plans to be a distributor of different sunless tanning products. She can be contacted for spray tanning service inquiries via her business website http://spraymegolden.com or phone number (316) 425-8993. The popularity of the Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy as a training center can be attributed to the skills and mentoring qualities of the academy's founder Simone Emmons. As a very experienced spray tanning technician in Hollywood, Simone is now engaged in grooming up the aspiring airbrush tanning technicians all over America and beyond. Her contribution towards popularizing the concept of sunless tanning throughout the nation in undeniable. Simone is an extremely respected personality amongst all her students for her exceptional training methodology and approachable nature. Discussing her own training experience with Simone, Aileena Minoshima stated, "The training that I got is cutting edge - what you would expect from California where there are models and superstars. It exceeded my expectations. No one here in this town has seen any technique like it. It is very special! It gives me the edge for sure. I love that there is ongoing support. Simone is just a text message away." About Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy is located in Los Angeles, California and offers an extensive Spray Tanning Certification program to individuals who want to start their own full or part-time airbrush tanning business. Founder and trainer, Simone Emmons is a professional spray tanning expert and teacher and has trained over 300 entrepreneurs from 27 states (and counting) including international students from Trinidad, South Korea, Kuwait and Canada. Simone's airbrush tanning business has won the "Best of Los Angeles Award 2015" for airbrush tanning in Los Angeles. The spray tanning training provided by the Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy is private and hands-on and prepares the student to start in business immediately. Prior to the hands-on training, over four hours of videos lessons are provided to students covering everything from safety and technique to marketing and Search engine optimization. Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy does not sell any of their own products and provides training and education on all equipment and spray tanning solutions in the sunless industry. The academy provides hands-on spray training classes in Los Angeles and Connecticut area as well as online airbrush tanning certification classes. Visit HollywoodAirbrushTanningAcademy.com to sign up for the next spray tanning class or call Hollywood Airbrush Tanning Academy at 818-674-9621 for more information. Manassas, VA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/29/2016 --Gary West, a retired Air Force Colonel, fighter pilot and current Skyway Air Taxi pilot, is riding 2,500 miles from Lubec, Maine to Key West Florida in honor of fallen and disabled soldiers. His ride begins August 1st and he will finish on his birthday, October 1st. Gary flew over 130 combat missions over Iraq and Bosnia during his 26 years in the Air Force and he continues to fly as a Skyway Air Taxi pilot, however this new mission is to raise $60,000 for Folds of Honor, a charity who provides educational scholarships to children and spouses of our fallen and disabled service men and women. Also, Gary and his team will engage the public along the way, to fold and fly 16 US flags dedicated to 16 Folds of Honor recipient families from each of the states he is traveling through, as a way to show their gratitude for the sacrifice. "Skyway customers love flying with Gary, who is more than an accomplished pilot, but has a big heart to bless others. Our team is proud of him and looks forward to flying to meet him along the way." Carol Scott, Skyway Air Taxi President. Flags will be honored in numerous places of history and interest along the way to include the following: USS Constitution, Ground Zero, Freedom One Tower, Ten House Fire Station ,State Buildings in MA, RI, NJ, VA , venues, Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park, Camden Yards, Homestead Raceway, Independence Hall, Ft. McHenry, Ft. Knox, DC Monuments, Military Installations and monuments, WITH Civic Groups, schools, and organizations. "I am proud to partner with Folds of Honor as I ride to honor the fallen and disabled and to help fund scholarships for these military families who have sacrificed so much." Gary West. For more information to follow Gary and to donate to Folds of Honor, you can find them at www.patriothonorride.com and on Facebook under Patriot Honor Ride. About Skyway Air Taxi Skyway Air Taxi offers Affordable Private Air Travel and the Freedom to Fly Direct on Your Schedule. With Skyway you can enjoy the freedom and convenience of private aviation at a fraction of the cost of traditional air charter. Enjoy an exclusive experience, free from security lines, parking hassles and long airport walks with private air travel. (www.skywayairtaxi.com) When to trick or treat around Indianapolis this Halloween Tackling TIF takes tasking toughness. Even the very words Tax increment financing, (TIF), turns the tongue in twisted tangles like some Seussical tongue twister, and to the uninitiated it can tie the brain in similar confusion. Over the next three days the Fremont Tribune attempts to untangle this economic incentive mechanism by taking a closer look at TIF history, how it works and its pros and cons. Today the focus is history. FREMONT TIF TUMULT: A BRIEF RECAP In Fremont the story of TIF inhabits a larger narrative involving the discourse and divisions over Costco Wholesales proposal that aims to construct a largescale poultry plant in Fremont, known as Project No. 1: Costco Poultry Complex. The most recent dispute concerns a lawsuit filed against the city of Fremont over the alleged illegal blighting of land containing 421 acres eyed by Costco for construction the facility. The lawsuit challenges the citys interpretation of the Nebraska Community Development Law which sets the standards and regulations by which a community and/or developer must abide when officially declaring properties blighted and substandard, a legal designation enabling use of certain financial incentives for development. TIF is one of those incentives. At its most basic interpretation, TIF serves as a community redevelopment tool. It borrows against the incremental increase in property tax generated property values rise because of development on those properties. That borrowed incremental increase, the so-called TIF indebtedness helps pay for some of the development. But more on this tomorrow. TIF HISTORY Depending on the source, the story of TIFs emergence as a common redevelopment tool in the United States follows various genealogical lines over the last 50 years. Some people are by-the-book interpreters of the law and hold that TIF represents a largely urban renewal tool and should be used as such. For others, TIF has evolved with time and continues to be reshaped by the social, economic and political context. (TIF has) been around for several decades, said Lee Hamman, outside council for the City of Fremont who is assisting the city with TIF related matters. (Its) an attempt to look at an area of the city or the community that needs redevelopment and has not been able to attract investment. The roots of TIF lead back to the 1949 Federal Housing Act. According to a 2013 policy study on TIF utilization in Nebraska, performed by the Platte Institute for Economic research, the 1949 Act required cities with populations more than 50,000 to finance redevelopment activities paid for with federal funds at a 2-to-1 match. In California, at that time, those federal redevelopment funds were provided through bond issues voted on by the citys populace, who often voted no, creating budgetary difficulties for a city. To solve that conundrum Californias municipalities began using TIF as a way to match those funds. Initially TIF was slow to catch on. A professor in the Urban Planning and Policy Department at the University of Illinois-Chicago Rachel Weber provided the Fremont Tribune with a 2013 research paper published in the Economic Development Quarterly co-authored with Sara ONeill-Kohl. The paper traces a TIF history that weighs heavily on the story of TIF as it relates to changing roles of real estate consultants and urban renewal after the undoing of the Federal Housing Act. Largely due to decreases in federal funding and changes in social ideology, the paper argues, the 1970s and 1980s experienced a tumultuous decentralization of the federal government which had operated in a caretaker role. That stormy era led to the dismantling of the 1949 Housing Act, removing much of the assistance for states Urban Renewal redevelopment that had been provided under federal policy and funding. Weber and ONeill-Kohl detailed how that decentralization lead to the need for local initiatives in urban development that were guided by economic strategies based on American principles of market, competition and entrepreneurship instead of federal funding. Urban development initiatives emerged at more local levels where community leaders and community entrepreneurs were often one-and-the-same. Consultants in real estate and economic development with experience and connections in public service became the intermediaries between the local government official who created policy and the individuals working in the real estate development field. Consultants played a critical role in assisting private sector developers to appropriate property for public purposes and receive public subsidies for new construction and redevelopment, Weber and ONeill-Kohl reported in their paper. The authors argue that consultants, developers and policy makers continued to utilize many aspects the 1949 Housing Act in redevelopment. However, it was not until the latter decades of the 20th century that use of TIF flourished, an increase that Weber, ONeill-Kohl and the Platte Institute Policy Study credit to the gradual decrease of federal funding for urban renewal during those same years. On average, in 1978 some 15% of city revenues came from the federal government (more than 25% for some major cities), whereas in 1998 less than 3% were derived from federal sources, Weber and ONeill-Kohl wrote. In short, following that era of federal funded economic growth, national funding for redevelopment dried up, many U.S. cities turned to more creative tools in their approach to economic development and urban renewal. TIF served as one of those tools. TIF IN NEBRASKA In Nebraska, according to the Platte Institute Policy Study, legislation facilitating TIF passed in 1979. Over time TIFs utilization showed climbing trends first, in terms of the numbers of TIF projects implemented across the state; and second, in the financial TIF revenue captured due to the way TIF projects increased property valuation and thus, the increment of excess property tax generated. Since 1996, when the number of Nebraska TIF projects stood at only 149, the use of TIF has rocketed skyward. In 2015, according to a report by the Nebraska Department of Revenue Property Assessment Division, the number of TIF projects stood at 766, including five projects in Fremont. The Platte Institute Study breaks down the Nebraska trends in TIF revenue captured by classifying them into three categories: commercial, industrial and residential. According to the report, since 1997 residential projects have shown the most success in increasing property values and in generating that excess tax increment to pay off the TIF indebtedness; commercial projects showed the least successful; and industrial have shown moderate success. The installation of public infrastructure at the Nelson Business Park Subdivision for the Bruce Nelson-Eagle Distributing Budweiser Company represents one TIF example in Fremont. Started in 2006, the total excess value of TIF funds generated beyond the baseline property valuation (of 2006) reached almost $3.2 million by 2015. That amount reflects an approximately 1,300-percent increase over the 2006 baseline of just $241,500. If the Costco train continues, Project No. 1 will soon become a part of TIF history in Nebraska. But history is only the beginning in understanding TIF. Just like a Dr. Seuss tongue twister, the beginning (i.e. the first word) is always the easiest to pronounce. SHARE FRIDAY 4-H horse show The Texas State 4-H Horse Show will continue with general riding at 6 a.m. at the Taylor County Expo Center. Stock horse showmanship prelims will begin at 8 a.m. Other events include stock horse showmanship finals, ranch sorting, stock horse trail and working cow horse finals. For more information, including a full schedule, go to http://animalscience.tamu.edu/livestock-species/equine/state-4h-show. 'The Totalitarians' Abilene Live Theatre will present a production of the comedy "The Totalitarians" at 8 p.m. at the Down Centre Stage Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is free. Other ... Blood drive, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Abilene State Supported Living Center, 2180 Maple St. Abilene Chinese Corner, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Abilene Christian University library. lld09a@acu.edu. Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304. SATURDAY 4-H horse show The Texas State 4-H Horse Show will continue with general riding at 6 a.m. at the Taylor County Expo Center. Stock horse pleasure finals will begin at 11:30 a.m. Other events include stock horse horsemanship finals and reining finals. For more information, including a full schedule, go to http://animalscience.tamu.edu/livestock-species/equine/state-4h-show. Car show LAWN A car show benefiting On the Way Home Ministries will begin with registration from 8-10 a.m. in downtown Lawn. Registration is $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the event. To register, call 325-201-2108. Swimming for dogs Doggie Splash Day will be open from 10 a.m. to noon at the Rose Park Pool, 2642 S. Ninth St. Admission is $3 per dog. Sinatra tribute A presentation of "Dave Halston's Tribute to Frank Sinatra" will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, and proceeds will go to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center. For tickets, or for more information, go to WestTexasRehab.org or call 325-793-3512. Dance Under the Stars The Friends of Abilene State Park will conduct "Dance Under the Stars" at 7:30 p.m. at Abilene State Park. Muddy Creek will perform. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under. 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' A shadowcast of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"will open with live music at 8 p.m. at Play Faire Park, 2300 N. Second St. A costume contest and ceremonies will begin at 10:45 p.m., with the film starting at 11 p.m. Admission is $8, with a $5 cooler charge. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. 'The Totalitarians' Abilene Live Theatre will present a production of the comedy "The Totalitarians" at 8 p.m. at the Down Centre Stage Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is free. Other ... Overeaters Anonymous, 10 a.m., Shades of Hope, 402A Mulberry St., Buffalo Gap. 800-588-4673. Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 10 a.m. to noon, 2043 N. Second St. SUNDAY Out & About Group LGBT AA Meeting, 6 p.m. Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, Lower Level Parish Hall, 602 Meander St. SATURDAY 4-H horse show The Texas State 4-H Horse Show will continue with general riding at 6 a.m. at the Taylor County Expo Center. Stock horse pleasure finals will begin at 11:30 a.m. Other events include stock horse horsemanship finals and reining finals. For information, including a full schedule, go to http://animalscience.tamu.edu/livestock-species/equine/state-4h-show. Car show LAWN A car show benefiting On the Way Home Ministries will begin with registration from 8-10 a.m. in downtown Lawn. Registration is $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the event. To register, call 325-201-2108. Swimming for dogs Doggie Splash Day will be open from 10 a.m. to noon at the Rose Park pool, 2642 S. Ninth St. Admission is $3 per dog. Sinatra tribute A presentation of 'Dave Halston's Tribute to Frank Sinatra' will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, and proceeds will go to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center. For tickets, or for more information, go to WestTexasRehab.org or call 325-793-3512. Dance Under the Stars Friends of Abilene State Park will conduct 'Dance Under the Stars' at 7:30 p.m. at the park. Muddy Creek will perform. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under. 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' A shadowcast of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'will open with live music at 8 p.m. at Play Faire Park, 2300 N. Second St. A costume contest and ceremonies will begin at 10:45 p.m., with the film starting at 11 p.m. Admission is $8, with a $5 cooler charge. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. 'The Totalitarians' Abilene Live Theatre will present a production of the comedy 'The Totalitarians' at 8 p.m. at the Down Centre Stage Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is free. Other ... Overeaters Anonymous, 10 a.m., Shades of Hope, 402A Mulberry St., Buffalo Gap. 800-588-4673. Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 10 a.m. to noon, 2043 N. Second St. SUNDAY Out & About Group LGBT AA Meeting, 6 p.m. Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, Lower Level Parish Hall, 602 Meander St. MONDAY Dance SWEETWATER A dance featuring Men With Hats will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Nolan County Coliseum Annex. Admission is $6. Other ... Overeaters Anonymous, noon, Hinds Square Building, 100 Chestnut St., Room 112. Schizophrenia Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Anorexics Bulimics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Shades of Hope, 402A Mulberry St., Buffalo Gap. 800-588-4673. Central Texas Gem & Mineral Society of Abilene, 7 p.m., 7607 Highway 277 South. 325-692-0063. Abilene Toastmaster's Club 1071, 7 p.m., Conference Center, Texas State Technical College, 650 E. Highway 80. 325-692-7325 or abilene.toastmastersclubs.org. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007. Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304. Memory Men (4-part a cappella singing), 7 p.m., Calvary Baptist Church, 1165 Minter Lane. Park on east side, enter through kitchen. 325-676-SING. Taylor County Libertarian Party, 7 p.m., Winery at Willow Creek, 4353 S. Treadaway Blvd. 325-675-0266. Abilene Community Band rehearsal, 7:30 p.m., Bynum Band Hall, McMurry University. 325-232-7383. South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave. Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Avoca United Methodist Church. 325-773-2611. Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Group. 325-676-1400. TUESDAY Veterans benefit meeting, 10 a.m. to noon, Disabled American Veterans, 2555 Grape St. 325-793-9699 or 325-480-6175. Mission on the Move Soup Kitchen, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Southwest Drive Community United Methodist Church, 3025 Southwest Dr. Abilene Southwest Rotary Club, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. High Noon Al-Anon, noon, Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3666 Buffalo Gap Road (south end; follow the yellow signs). Blood drive, 1-6 p.m., Hamlin Cash Saver. Stroke/Aphasia Recovery Program support group, 1:30-2:30 p.m. West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3535. Betty Hardwick Center board of trustees, 5:15 p.m., Betty Hardwick Center, Suite 150. Dystonia Support Group, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Not Without Us, 3301 N. First St. Suite 117. Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), 5:30 p.m., Brook Hollow Christian Church, 2310 S. Willis St. 325-232-7444. Legacies Al-Anon Family Group, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-280-7584. Dining For Women Abilene Chapter, 6 p.m., First Christian Church, 1420 N. Third St. Family (of Mental Health Consumers) Support Group, 6-7 p.m., Mental Health Association in Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. MHAA Bipolar/Depression Peer Support Group, 6-8 p.m., Ministry of Counseling & Enrichment, 1502 N. First St. 325-673-2300. Free certified nurturing parent class (pregnancy to toddler), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398. Abilene Star Chorus, 6:15 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1333 N. Third St. 325-829-1470. Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Exodus Metropolitan Community Church, 1933 S. 27th St. Al-Anon Parents Group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. Use Church Street entrance. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., Doug Meinzer Activity Center, Knox City. 940-658-3926. Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 7-8:30 p.m., 2043 N. Second St. Parents, Family, Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) of the Big Country, 7-9 p.m., Unity Church, 2842 Barrow St. 325-232-4726, www.pflagbc.weebly.com. Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. WEDNESDAY Square dance workshop TYE The Wagon Wheel Squares will conduct a square dancing workshop at 6:30 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel. Other ... Overeaters Anonymous, 8 a.m., Hinds Square Building, Room 112, 100 Chestnut St. Blood drive, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Abilene Regional Medical Center. Abilene Cactus Lions Club, 11:45 a.m., Cotton Patch Cafe, 3302 S. Clack St. Abilene Wednesday Rotary Club, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway. $12 for lunch. Jo Ann Wilson, 325-677-6815. Kiwanis Club of Abilene, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd. Clearly Speaking Toastmaster Club, noon, Westgate Church of Christ, 402 S. Pioneer Drive. 325-795-5570. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Veterans Peer Support Group, 6 p.m., 765 Orange St. 325-670-4818. Mid-week Al-Anon Family Group, 6-7 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-698-4995. Advanced Square Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wagon Wheel. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007. DivorceCare support group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. 325-691-4200. THURSDAY WWII exhibit EASTLAND 'Images of Valor: U.S. Latinos and Latinas in World War II' will open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eastland County Museum, 114 S. Seaman St. The exhibit will be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 10. For information, call 254-631-0437. Art reception A closing reception for the art exhibit 'Curtain Call ... Harmony in Art, Song, and Life,' by Dr. Christina Wilson, will be presented from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Amy Graves Ryan Gallery at McMurry University. Wilson will speak and present song selections. Dye workshop A workshop on Shibori indigo dye will be presented from 6-8 p.m. at The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St. Registration is $30 for members and $35 for nonmembers, and includes all supplies. For information, or to register, go to www.thegracemuseum.org. 'The Totalitarians' Abilene Live Theatre will present a production of the comedy 'The Totalitarians' at 8 p.m. at the Down Centre Stage Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is free. Other ... Veterans Association Club, 10 a.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center (in Rose Park, South Seventh and Barrow streets). Chronic Pain and Depression Group, 11 a.m. to noon, Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St., 325-673-2300. Abilene Founder Lions Club, 11:30 a.m., Al's Mesquite Grill, 4801 Buffalo Gap Road. Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. 325-695-0092. Retired Military Wives Club business meeting, 1 p.m., Rose Park Senior Activity Center, 2625 South Seventh St. 325-677-9656 or 325-793-1490. Mental Illness Open Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. Blood drive, City Hall, 555 Walnut St. Abilene 42 Club, 6 p.m., Rose Park Senior Center. Teen Recovery Group, 6-7 p.m., Mission Abilene, 3001 N. Third St. Free certified nurturing parent class (all ages), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398. Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 6:30 p.m. Brook Hollow Christian Church. Weigh-in begins at 5:30 p.m. 325-665-5052. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 6:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Gambler's Anonymous, 6:30 p.m., Unity Spiritual Living Center, 2842 Barrow St. 325-338-2575. Key City Coin Club, 6:30 p.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center, Room B. 325-675-0266. Round Dancing, 7 p.m., Wagon Wheel. 325-829-1517. Old Town Abilene Neighborhood Association, 7 p.m., Shining Star Baptist Church, 302 Palm St. 325-676-4068. Big Country Audubon Society, 7 p.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center. American Legion Post and Auxiliary 661 meeting, 7 p.m., Lueders Legion Hall, Highway 6, Lueders. South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave. Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. FRIDAY 'The Music Man' CLYDE The Clyde Center for the Performing Arts will present a production of 'The Music Man' at 7:30 p.m. at Clyde High School. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for students and $10 for seniors. 'The Totalitarians' Abilene Live Theatre will present a production of the comedy 'The Totalitarians' at 8 p.m. at the Down Centre Stage Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Admission is free. Other ... Abilene Chinese Corner, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Abilene Christian University library. lld09a@acu.edu. Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304. The Texas Department of Transportation has awarded a $3.5 million emergency contract to Flatiron Constructors Inc. of Austin to build a bridge on State Highway 6 adjacent to Lake Cisco, just north of the city of Cisco. The new bridge will replace a portion of the roadway that was washed out by floodwaters on June 2. The bridge will have an overall span of 255 feet and is designed to reduce the risk of roadway damage as a result of any future floods, according to a news release from the transportation department. Construction is scheduled to begin Aug. 8 and be completed in December, weather permitting. (Via GoSanAngelo.com) SAN ANGELO - Lupe Martinez Chappa III, a San Angelo teen suspected in a double homicide in Temple, has been indicted on murder charges. A Bell County grand jury on Wednesday indicted Chappa, 17, on two counts of murder, a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. Investigators from the Temple Police Department, the San Angelo Police Department, the Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety arrested Chappa on May 9 at a residence in the 2400 block of Culver Avenue in San Angelo, according to authorities. He was released from the Tom Green County Jail to the Bell County Sheriff's Office on May 11 and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail. Authorities are looking for a second San Angelo suspect, Justin Lane Slatton Jr., 20. Chappa and Slatton are suspected in a shooting incident in April that resulted in the death of two men, Johnathan Hess, 26, of Temple, and Vicente Hernandez, 36, of Killeen, according to an affidavit. About 7:38 p.m. April 13, police responded to a shots fired call at a home in the 400 block of North Seventh Street in Temple, according to a news release from Temple PD. Officers found Hess, who had been shot several times, on the couch, according to the affidavit. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary autopsy report said he died of multiple gunshot wounds. Officers found Hernandez lying on the floor inside the home with a large amount of blood around his head, the affidavit stated. He was taken to the Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, where he died of his injuries. A preliminary autopsy reported showed a single gunshot wound killed him, the affidavit stated. A woman who witnessed the deaths told authorities she was at home with Hess and Hernandez when the three 'walked outside and two unknown suspects walked up to her residence and shot Jonathan Hess and Vicente Hernandez inside the residence.' The witness said one of the suspects also demanded money from her. The witness later identified Chappa and Slatton in a photo lineup as suspects after describing them to a sketch artist, according to the affidavit. Chappa allegedly shot and killed Hernandez, and Slatton is suspected of shooting Hess, according to the affidavit. On May 6 the Bell County Sheriff's Office issued two warrants for Slatton's arrest on murder charges. On May 10 the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office issued a warrant for his arrest on a burglary of a building charge. Slatton has been convicted of theft of a firearm, burglary of a building, theft and evading arrest, DPS said. Chappa does not have any criminal history listed in Tom Green County's jail records. DPS said Slatton has gang-related ties and is considered armed and dangerous. Slatton was added to the DPS' Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list June 15. DPS is offering up to $7,500 for information leading to Slatton's arrest. To submit a tip to DPS, call the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-8477; text the letters 'DPS' followed by a tip to 274637; use the web tip information system on the Texas 10 Most Wanted website or Facebook page; or use the DPS mobile app. Temple PD is offering a $1,000 reward for information called in to 254-298-5500, and San Angelo Crime Stoppers is offering a $250 reward for information leading to an arrest. Tips can be made by calling the anonymous tip hotline at 325-658-4357 or 800-756-3434, visiting sanangelocrimestoppers.com or downloading the free mobile app P3 Tips. SHARE By Timothy Chipp of the Abilene Reporter News Although the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessment and Accountability stopped short of recommending replacement of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, a member of the panel from the Big Country said he believes the group's efforts served the original intent. Kim Alexander, superintendent of the Roscoe Collegiate Independent School District and serving on behalf of the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium, said the commission's main goal was to suggest changes to the state's testing and school accountability system and present them to Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature before the next legislative session in 2017. With an eye on increasing the number of students attending college, Alexander said the commission simply is seeking to speed the process of legislating. "Everyone wants to get from point A to point B, with B being a more educated workforce," Alexander said. "The goal of all of this ... is to have by 2030, 60 percent of the workforce in this state educated beyond a high school diploma. Because a high school diploma is no longer a guarantee of success." According to the Texas Tribune, the commission did recommend that Texas implement a number of online examinations throughout the school year, but did not say that these new tests should replace the STAAR exams, which are given from March to May each year. Members said the gap in technological infrastructure between districts would make it difficult to offer online testing statewide. The report also doesn't address high-stakes testing, in which Texas is one of just 14 states participating. "High stakes" testing requires students to pass standardized tests to earn promotion from fifth to sixth grade and from eighth to ninth grade. High school students also must pass five end-of-course exams to graduate. Nine of the commission's 15 members, including Alexander, voted in favor of the report Wednesday, with only one voting against it. Five panel members were absent. Alexander said his long-term recommendation would be to end the STAAR exams and move away from high-stakes testing. Such exams, he said, encourage teachers to teach to the test. Instead, Alexander said, the focus in the classroom should move back to learning outcomes, which more numerous tests would encourage through informing teachers more quickly of the needs of individual students. And because tests not only are used to determine student progress but also are likely to become part of the teacher evaluation process through the new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System, a lot of attention is being focused on the testing process. It's why the commission was formed. The panel includes superintendents and school leaders, parent advocates and lawmakers. The final recommendations are set to be made by Sept. 1. Jeannie Forehand, director of accountability for the Abilene Independent School District, said the recommendation to offer testing throughout the year would be beneficial for students. "We always want decisions to be made in the best interest of students and that will ensure the most appropriate education for them," Forehand said. "Smaller, more frequent online assessments will provide districts with more timely data that we can in turn use to adjust instruction at a more appropriate pace." Twitter: @TimothyChippARN Conversation between a property owner and Abilene residents led to a compromise on a controversial zoning request in South Abilene, opening the way for the Abilene City Council to approve the revised request on Thursday. The area, 26 acres in the 4500 block of Antilley Road next to the Legacy Subdivision, will be zoned for patio homes and neighborhood offices. Patio homes are single-family homes with a minimum lot size of 4,500 square feet. The homes range from 1,600 to 2,400 square feet, and are considered middle-range in terms of price. Krista Hale, representing those who live in the area, told the council that the proposed changes were agreeable. She and her sister polled those living on Tradition Drive, with the majority of residents there agreeing to the proposed changes. 'There were a few in opposition, but for the most part the majority' said yes, she said Residents who live near the undeveloped property said at previous public hearings that rezoning the property under the original plan would have devalued their property and increased traffic in front of the high school. The change required the vote of a supermajority of the council since a sufficient number of property owner complained about the potential development. The council, responding to community concerns about uses in the area designated for neighborhood offices, disallowed multiple family dwellings in that area of the affected property, creating a planned development district. There is currently a contract pending to build a dentist's office on the west end of the property. Dale Scoggins, representing LBHDS, LLC., told council members, the intent of the neighborhood office zoning to attract 'dental offices, legal offices, accounting offices, (and) insurance offices that will provide services to the people in the neighborhood in a convenient and efficient way.' A planned extension of Velta Lane will be done in incremental phases in combination with the current developer and an adjoining property owner. The Council also approved a one-year action plan for the use of Community Development Block Grants and Home Investment Partnerships Program funds for the coming fiscal year. The CDBG program is designed to develop viable urban communities, including decent housing and suitable living environments, and to expand economic opportunities primarily for people of low and moderate income. Public service projects include access to jobs a program that helps, in partnership with CityLink, people travel to work. Nonpublic service projects include items such as critical/limited repair of homes, condemnation and demolition, and money given to FaithWorks of Abilene, a program that offers job training. The HOME Investment Partnerships program's goals are to expand the supply of safe, sanitary and affordable housing for very low and low income people. It includes a program for first-time homebuyers and funds for Abilene's Habitat for Humanity, assisting the organization with three homes in the upcoming fiscal year. Projects will be funded using 2016 entitlements of $806,099 for community block grants and $329,092 for HOME. Councilman Anthony Williams and others encouraged increased dialogue with neighborhoods that could benefit from the programs about the best use of the current and future funds. In other business, council members: Authorized city manager Robert Hanna to execute a contact with AAR, Inc., for demolition of two buildings for the expansion of the Abilene Civic Center parking lot and to execute an amendment with Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc., for design services for the Civic Center parking lot. The council also authorized Hanna to execute a change order for the rehabilitation of the Terazzo Floor in the Civic Center lobby and to purchase furniture for the South Branch library from Library Interiors of Texas. Approved an application from Sojourner Drilling Corp. to drill a well on property located at 290 S. Danville Drive. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Runners take off at the start of the Run for the Blue 5K on Thursday at Nelson Park. By Scott Kirk, Special to the Reporter-News More than 400 people showed up for the Run for the Blue at Nelson Park on Thursday evening, offering their support in a nationwide wave of violence against law enforcement officers. Among the runners was Abilene resident Jeff Deynzer, who said he wasn't there because of some last-minute impulse. "When I found out about this, I knew I was going to run," Deynzer said. Deynzer, who described himself as a regular runner, said he has respect for law enforcement officers after observing them do their jobs up close. "I always tell people you really don't know how hard (the officers') job is until you do a ride-along with them," he said."I have. Their job is very stressful." Thursday's event, sponsored by the Abilene Runner's Club, raised money for the families of the five Dallas police officers who were slain in a July 7 ambush. David Atkins, president of the club and a lieutenant in the Taylor County Sheriff's Office, said the club decided to have the run a week ago Tuesday. "The police departments in Dallas and Fort Worth are having runs tonight and we asked if we could have a run at the same time and donate the money to the families," Atkins said. "They told us to go ahead. That's why we're having the run at kind of a strange time (7 p.m.).We wanted to do it at the same time the other runs were going on." Atkins said the images of the attack on the Dallas officers were jarring. "I don't like to use this word because everybody's been using it, but it was surreal," he said. He said it was gratifying to see the response from the community in support of law enforcement officers. "I'm a hometown kid and I've been doing this for 31 years," Atkins said of his law enforcement career. "We still have community support." Although there was no advance registration, Atkins announced that more than 400 people had signed up by the time the race began. There was no registration fee, but runners could make a donation. Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge and Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop addressed the crowd before the run. Standridge noted that so far in 2016, 32 peace officers have been "murdered," mostly in ambushes "because they were wearing a uniform." The deaths represent a 68 percent increase year to date, he said. Standridge noted, however, that good eventually will arise from the events in Dallas. "One is because God is in control," he said. "The other is because communities like ours are going to look at what happened in our sister city and say 'not in Abilene.' We have a good relationship between law enforcement and the community here, and this just makes it stronger." He motioned to the crowd, saying "This looks strong to me." Bishop also was struck by the size of the crowd. "This is an amazing turnout we have here," he said. "Some people might be surprised, but I'm not. It speaks to the community we have." Donna Kleman, chaplain for the Texas Department of Public Safety's Abilene office as well as the Sheriff's Office, presented the invocation. "In tragedy, we learn community in a new way," Kleman said before beginning her prayer. "You're getting ready to walk or run to bless people you've never met and probably never will. That's a definition of community." Except for a few isolated sprinkles, rain stayed away from the event. In its place was temperatures in the mid-80s and a welcome breeze. Atkins said it signaled a providential OK. "If you have any question he's not on our side, just look at this weather," he said."Yesterday it was 102." 2022 Abilene, Big Country high school volleyball playoff pairings Find out who your favorite Big Country high school volleyball team plays in the playoffs Black votes matter. If Republicans could get 20 percent of black votes, the Democrats would be ruined. This is highly unlikely, given the approach used by Republicans. However, the point is that Democrats must not only continue to get nine-tenths of black votes, they also need to get a high turnout of black voters on election day. People who expected the election of President Barack Obama to lead to racial healing and a post-racial society failed to take account of the political reality that racial healing and a post-racial society would, at a minimum, reduce black voter turnout. Black votes matter to many politicians more so than black lives. That is why such politicians must try to keep black voters fearful, angry and resentful. Racial harmony would be a political disaster for such politicians. Racial polarization makes both the black population and the white population worse off, but it makes politicians who depend on black votes better off. Hillary Clinton desperately needs black votes in this year's close election. Promoting fear, anger and resentments among blacks and, if possible, paranoia serves her political interest. Barack Obama has mastered the art of keeping black voters aroused while keeping white voters soothed thanks in part to the gullibility of much of the public, who mistake geniality and glib rhetoric for honesty and good will. Obama repeatedly has put the weight and prestige of the presidency on the side of those who denounce the police before any facts are verified and even after facts have come out, exposing the fraudulence of such claims as the claim that the 'gentle giant' Michael Brown said, 'Hands up, don't shoot.' When a career race hustler such as Al Sharpton, with a history of hoaxes, is a regular visitor and adviser to the White House, that is a reality that whites and blacks alike ignore at their peril. The fact that Sharpton owes millions of dollars in unpaid income taxes ought to be a devastating revelation of what lucrative careers there are in race hustling. Nothing reveals the political cynicism of the Obama administration as its campaign to force schools to reduce the number of black male students who are disciplined for misconduct. Because black male students are cited for disruption and violence more often than other categories of students, that is automatically taken to mean that racial discrimination is the reason. The most obvious alternative explanation is that black male students engage in more disruption and violence than Asian females or some other students. But that possibility is implicitly ruled out. What makes this such a farce is that many, if not most, of the teachers and administrators in ghetto schools are black themselves, and have no reason to discriminate against black males. What makes it a disaster is that only a few thugs in a classroom are enough to deprive all the other students of a decent education which, for many, is their only chance for decent lives as adults. If black lives matter at all to the Obama administration, they obviously don't matter as much as black votes that can be won by posing as defenders of blacks, even in situations where defenders of thugs are destroying black children's futures. Even the thugs themselves will be worse off in the long run, if somebody does not put a stop to behavior that can lead them to prison as adults. Hillary Clinton plays the same political game of posing as a defender of blacks from enemies threatening them on all sides, as she tries to win an election that would amount to a third term of the Obama administration's policies most of which have left blacks worse off than before Obama took office. The ancient phrase, 'By their fruits ye shall know them' has been replaced by the current notion that by their rhetoric you should judge them and vote for them. One of the key questions this election year is whether black lives matter more than black votes that can be won by racial charades that undermine and endanger those lives. The answer to that question will affect all Americans, because racial turmoil is to no one's interest, except some politicians and race hustlers. Contact Thomas Sowell, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, through his website, www.tsowell.com. A veteran of the Fremont Fire Department died Wednesday morning at Nebraska Medicine after a 7-month-long battle with lung cancer. Rob Taylor, 46, of Fremont served on the Fremont Fire Department for 12 years before he was diagnosed with stage-four metastatic lung cancer in December 2015. Soon after being diagnosed, Taylor was informed that the cancer metastasized into his right femur, resulting in Taylor having a steel rod inserted to stabilize the bone so he could return to work. Capt. Tom Christensen of the Fremont Fire Department said that although Taylor was in a great deal of pain, he did everything in his power to return to work even though he was in the process of undergoing rounds of chemotherapy. He was always stubborn, Christensen said during a Thursday phone interview. He was off duty for a while and then came back to work and we were all kind of worried about him. But he was able to hang in there for a few shifts he worked hard to control his pain and get fit again, just so he could come and work this crazy job we do. We were all really proud of him. Eventually, though, Taylor was forced to take a permanent leave. Being a firefighter, Christensen said, one must meet specific levels of fitness and cannot be on any sort of pain medication while on the job. To make matters even more difficult for Taylor, chemotherapy weakens a persons immune system making him or her far more susceptible to catching something bad. Chemo (therapy) depletes the immune system, Christensen said. It makes it easier for somebody to catch a common cold, and they can even pick up something like a staph infection. We took the precautions we could but theres nothing 100 percent out there (to prevent illness). While Christensen didnt work during the same shift as Taylor, over the years he grew to know him well. He was great at his job, could be humorous and cared deeply about his community. Previously an EMT, Taylor joined the Fremont Fire Department in January 2004. Immediately he wanted to become the best servant to his community that he possibly could. To do this, he completed paramedic training in Omaha. He even worked when he wasnt being paid. He also joined Fremont Rural (Volunteer Fire Department) because he had the attitude that he wanted to help the community no matter where he was, Christensen said. Christensen wont forget what kind of team member Taylor was, and how hard he worked to fight through his illness, even though the chances of him overcoming it were slim. His passion to survive and beat this was big, he said. It was even evident in the recent days when his troubles started getting worse. He was a good fighter. Christensen encourages the Fremont Community to keep Taylors family in their thoughts and prayers. Keep his family in mind and we will all get through this, he added. Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's decision to pursue charges against the officers involved in Freddie Gray's arrest was the right one. His treatment and the circumstances surrounding his fatal injury while in custody raised serious questions about the legal standards to which we hold police, and the evidence warranted the kind of open airing that can only happen in court. Her decision Wednesday to drop all charges against the three remaining officers also was the right one. Judge Barry Williams' thorough and dispassionate explanations of his not-guilty judgments in the cases of Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., Lt. Brian Rice and Officer Edward Nero made clear that the evidence the state presented was insufficient to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The remaining officers' cases presented no substantially new circumstances or legal issues. Dropping charges in cases Mosby could have had no expectation she would win was the responsible, ethical thing to do. Many in the community will surely be disappointed that Gray's death led to no criminal consequences for anyone. He was treated badly, and he wound up dead, and surely someone must be responsible, right? Had Mosby declined to take on these cases in the first place we have little doubt that an inchoate sense of injustice would have threatened to spark more violent unrest. But the trials forced us all to closely examine what is known and unknown about the circumstances surrounding Gray's death, with the result that reaction to the acquittals has been calm and thoughtful. For all the invective the Baltimore police union has directed toward Mosby over what it calls her 'malicious' prosecution of the officers, surely the city's rank and file must recognize that the process of these trials has helped rather than hurt the cause of repairing the rift between the police and the community. Mosby's decision has one other important effect. There is now no impediment to the department's internal review of the officers actions. Officers from counties outside Baltimore already are conducting extensive investigations into the three officers who have been acquitted, and the process of evaluating the actions of the other three can now begin. Judge Williams' decisions made clear that the state presented insufficient evidence for a criminal conviction, but they by no means absolved the officers of potential violations of department policies. Given the inter-related nature of the criminal cases, Commissioner Kevin Davis might well have been reluctant to make a final disposition in any of the internal disciplinary proceedings for fear of prejudicing any of the future trials, which were scheduled to stretch well into the fall. Now he faces no such impediment. After months of being forced by a judicial gag order to hold her tongue, Mosby came out swinging in a news conference Wednesday morning, accusing some members of the police department of effectively sabotaging the investigation into the officers involved in Gray's death. At the very least, there is reason to question just how forthcoming were the officers who witnessed Gray's arrest and treatment in the police van. We urge Mosby to make a full report of her concerns to Davis, and we expect the commissioner will investigate them thoroughly. Neither he nor the city can afford elements in the police department who would be any less impartial in a case involving fellow officers than they are in any other. At a time when police-community relations are at a breaking point across the nation, with fear and apprehension on both sides, Baltimore is in a better place than it was 15 months ago. Mosby highlighted an important series of advances since then, many of them directly tailored to prevent another case like Gray's. Police are being equipped with body cameras. Vans such as the one in which Gray was injured have been retrofitted and outfitted with cameras as well. Police have issued a new and far more detailed use of force policy that emphasizes de-escalation. Policy now ensures that officers call for a medic when a detainee requests one. A software upgrade ensures that officers can no longer claim not to have read departmental general orders. The Department of Justice is poised to issue a report on the department's policies and practices that is expected to lead to substantial additional reforms. And the trials themselves have proved that we as a city take the issue of police violence seriously and will pursue criminal charges when warranted. Indeed, even as these cases were dropped, city prosecutors were in court pursuing an attempted murder case against an officer who is accused of shooting an unarmed man in 2014, the first such case the city has seen in eight years. At the outset of these trials, the Gray family's attorney said justice didn't mean a particular outcome, it meant that the officers would be held to the same standards of due process that Gray was denied. Mosby provided that. Now it's up to the rest of us to produce the kind of lasting, systemic justice that is necessary. The Baltimore Sun DALLAS When the shots rang out in downtown Dallas on July 7, Sgt. Ivan Gunter thought it was fireworks. They were far away, he said. And then, as the shots continued, you realized these aren't fireworks. When the shooting stopped the night of the ambush, three of the eight officers under his command Michael Krol, Patricio 'Patrick' Zamarripa and Lorne Ahrens were dead. Another three were injured. Its unfortunate for the city, for my unit, and for the station, said Gunter, a 25-year veteran. We paid a heavy, heavy cost for protecting the public. I thank God that it wasnt worse. Gunter has long been a proponent of the type of heavy ballistic gear that could have saved one or more of the five officers killed that night. Gunman Micah Johnson used a semi-automatic assault file to carry out the attack, which also killed Dallas Police Sgt. Michael Smith and Dallas Area Rapid Transit Officer Brent Thompson. Gunter purchased his own heavy ballistic gear. Ceramic plates on the front and back of the custom-fit vest can protect against rifle rounds. It goes on over an officers uniform shirt with the regular bulletproof vest underneath it. Regular vests provided by the department will not stop rifle rounds. Gunter also has a standard, military-issue Kevlar helmet that helps protect against those high-capacity rounds. It provides needed protection, Gunter said. I'm not saying you have to have it in every instance, but I am saying that if a situation warrants extra protection, I'd rather have it than not. Ceramic plates go in the front and back of the vest to protect against rifle rounds. (Photo: WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth) For six years, Gunter has been taking it upon himself to help officers buy the gear by coordinating orders in bulk. The gear is fitted to each individual officers measurements. It costs about $550 for the vest, plates, and helmet. Gunter makes no money doing it. Hes seen more officers coming to him wanting to order the gear since the ambush in Dallas, as well as the one in Baton Rouge. Three officers died July 17 in Baton Rouge when they were ambushed while responding to a report of an armed suspect. Mike Green, owner of the Army Store, says hes seeing more officers coming in from around north Texas buying the protective gear. Theyre definitely wanting better security than what they have, he said. Theyre definitely worried, cause they dont know if it could happen again. The Dallas Police Department requires its officers to go through an eight-hour class that teaches them how to wear it properly. They also learn how to administer basic tactical medicine during a hostile situation. Dallas Police Deputy Chief Jeff Cotner said officers would be wearing this type of gear at Friday's protest rally. Officers will be authorized to wear the additional vest and helmet when they are in the role, when their vulnerability has been increased, said Cotner. The Dallas Police Department is still the guardians of this community and we cherish that role, but we have a responsibility to protect our officers. The department announced this week that theyre buying about 200 rifle plates, rifle plate vests, and helmets for its officers so they can be better prepared for the worst. Its an unwritten rule for the officers on Gunters squad that they have the extra protective gear. Krol, Zamarripa and Ahrens had it. They just weren't wearing it that night. Dallas Police Sgt. Ivan Gunter's body armor. Gunter was on patrol July 7, 2016, when five police officers were killed. (Photo: WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth) The department didn't want its officers to look like the military. The crowd did not warrant the gear. The crowd wasn't the problem, Gunter said. You have some individual who took it upon himself to be judge, jury, and executioner. He was standing at an intersection with his squad when the ambush started. We were getting ready to go home, he said. It was, Thank you officer.' 'Have a nice night.' 'Thank you for being here. High fives all around. Everyone was comfortable. And that's when it happened. The unspeakable happened. Gunter said ambush-style attacks are 'an exception, but it's something we have to prepare for.' He said hell never forget his three officers who died that night. Krol was quiet, funny, and a hard worker. Zamarripa was enthusiastic and constantly wanted to try new things. Ahrens was the outspoken one. They are some of the best officers I know, Gunter said. Follow Tanya Eiserer on Twitter: @tanyaeiserer Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This just in... The Christian faith has always been an important aspect of who Scott Langemeier is. Growing up in Alliance, Neb., Langemeier said that his family was affiliated with the church, however, it took until he was 15 for it to set in that his mission in life was to serve God. Traveling to Belize in Central America, Langemeier saw the poverty-stricken country. During his time there, he traveled through several orphanages and worked closely with a number of schools and other church congregations. During this time, he felt a calling. While I was there God touched my heart and I really loved the work, Langemeier said during a Thursday phone interview with the Tribune. I wrote one day in my journal that I could see myself doing this work for the rest of my life. And sure enough, thats what the 25 year old did. After graduating from Alliance High School, Langemeier studied business for one year at Chadron State College, however, his hunger to learn more about the Christian faith continued growing it was an unquenchable thirst. He decided he wanted to pursue a full-time career as a missionary. To do this, he needed a different type of education. Traveling to northern England, Langemeier enrolled in Capernwray Bible School where he learned the ins-and-outs of spreading the word of God. I found a school in England that seemed to be exactly right for everything that I was looking for, he said. It served as a place I could go to get more training and it also provided me with a place where I could make a good decision on what would happen next for me with ministry. As it would turn out, Capernwray was also the place Langemeier found the love of his life Mani. They were a perfect match. Growing up in a family of missionaries, Mani had the same drive for reaching people that Langemeier did. Mani, who grew up in Chile and Argentina, is trilingual; speaking German, English and Spanish. After a little bit of practice, Langemeier managed to become fluent in all three languages, as well. Since 2014, Langemeier, his wife and 16-month daughter, Emely, have lived in Chile mentoring youth and adults. Prior to that, he and his family spent 3 years in Germany. Moving back to the place his wife spent her childhood is special, Langemeier said. It is really special, he said. Latin America is kind of her heart so it was really a special move for her. Mani Langemeiers father, Thomas, founded Movida USA, an international mission organization whose goal is primarily to reach out to youth. Our goal is to help young people discover their gifts and talents so they can serve in their local church and in world missions. Currently, Movida USA has ties in 11 countries, Langemeier said. On Aug. 6, Langemeir will be in Fremont speaking from 9-10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 16th and Luther Road. He was invited to speak by his great- aunt and Trinity member, Judy Ilten. His grandparents, Gary and Jeannette Langemeier are also from Fremont, released information says. The public is welcome to join for the occasion. We will be having a bit of a bible study, look at the book of Colossians and talk about our ministry work in South America and Europe, he said. We want people to know the vision of our ministry, to study the word of God together and hear all about what God is doing all around the world. Langemeier said that the children he works with generally have some understanding of Christianity 76 percent of Chileans are Roman Catholic. And while this is the case, many dont have a grasp of how loving God really is, he said. In South America people are very receptive to what we have to say, he said. They come with head knowledge but often times they arent really feeling it in their hearts. But they are very passionate people so we see people making decisions quite quickly and giving their entire lives to the kingdom of God. Langemeier said that he has personally grown as a person through his missionary work. Being able to work internationally has shown me how big and incredible God really is, he said. So whether its working in extreme poverty situations or in Europe which is fairly similar to us (U.S), Ive realized and seen how we have a god who works for every person, every ethnic group and every social class. He is a God who can identify with every person in those specific categories. Cambodias opposition party will file an appeal on Aug. 1 of a court decision to convict its president Sam Rainsy on defamation charges, though it doubts that its action will result in a fair ruling, defense lawyer Sam Kokong said Friday. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Thursday convicted Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Sam Rainsy of defaming National Assembly President Heng Samrin in a closed-door session that lasted less than an hour. The court fined Sam Rainsy 10 million riels (U.S. $2,439) and ordered him to pay Heng Samrin, who is also a senior leader in the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), 150 million riels (U.S. $36,586) in compensation. Sam Rainsy, who has lived in exile since late 2015, did not attend the trial, but Heng Samrin and his attorney Ky Tech did attend. We will appeal because during the court process on July 28 Sam Rainsy and his defense lawyer were not present, and the courts decision to punish him [Sam Rainsy] with fines is not appropriate per Article 305 of the criminal code, Sam Kokong told RFAs Khmer Service. In my mind, there is not likely any hope [of a fair decision], he said. But we as lawyers must do what we can in accordance with the law. RFA could not reach Ky Tech, defense lawyer for Heng Samrin, for comment. After the court issued the verdict on Thursday, Sam Rainsy told RFAs Khmer Service that he was not concerned about the decision because the trial was based on politics and corruption rather than an impartial judicial review. The politician has been living abroad since he was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in 2015 because of a warrant issued for his arrest in another defamation case in which he accused Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong of having run a prison for the Khmer Rouge regime. The verdict comes as political tensions between the CPP and the CNRP have grown worse in recent months. The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen has sought to arrest acting CNRP president Kem Sokha in an attempt to force him to appear in court in connection with an affair he is alleged to have had with a young hairdresser. CNRP supporters and many civil society organizations argue that the cases are politically motivated as the CPP tries to tighten its grip on power before elections in 2017 and 2018. Reported by Vuthy Tha for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Yanny Hin. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Cambodians lay flowers on a car carrying the body of political analyst Kem Ley outside the convenience store where he was shot dead earlier in the day in Phnom Penh, July 10, 2016. Several Cambodian eyewitnesses to the chase and apprehension of the man accused of killing popular political analyst Kem Ley inside a convenience store earlier this month describe the suspect as walking calmly away from the crime scene as police followed him at a distance before closing in. Kem Ley was shot dead on July 10 inside a Star Mart store beside a Caltex gas station in the capital Phnom Penh and was buried in southwestern Cambodias Takeo province on Monday after a weekend funeral procession that drew around two million mourners. Just days before he was gunned down, he had discussed on an RFA call-in show a report by the British nongovernmental organization Global Witness detailing the extent of the wealth of Prime Minister Hun Sen's family. Ta Phane, a tuk-tuk taxi driver who was taking a nap at a gas station at a nearby intersection, told RFAs Khmer Service that he woke up on the morning of the murder at 9 a.m. to shouts of Thief! Thief! and saw two men in black chasing another man toward the home of Hun To. Many people believe Hun ToHun Sen's nephewis behind the murder of Kem Ley, a frequent critic of the government and the ruling Cambodian Peoples party (CPP). Sok Kheng, a security guard at a nearby Fare Mart convenience store, told RFA that he saw the suspect cross the intersection of Mao Tse-Tung and 63rd streets on the day of the murder I saw [him], but dared not do anything because he had a gun, he said. They were shouting Thief! Thief! so I went there to see what was happening. The suspect, who was holding a gun under a small bag and shirt, walked slowly at first, then about a dozen people from places near the Caltex gas station started shouting and chasing him, he said. When they reached here [Fare Mart], they turned back, and about 10 minutes later police arrived and the SWAT team chased after him, Sok Kheng said. Only two SWAT team members rode motorbikes. The man he saw running away from the crime scene wore the same blue shirt as in the photo shown on the national news later that day, he said. Towards the Russian embassy Several tuk-tuk drivers who also witnessed the chase gave RFA similar accounts. A driver named Heng Mab said he saw the suspect wearing a blue shirt with policemen far behind him. The suspect had the same face and blue shirt as did the man in a photo later shown on Cambodian news the day of the murder, he said, but he questioned why the man had walked at a normal pace toward Russias embassy while police were pursuing him. If it werent for the police at the Russian embassy pointing a gun at the suspect and telling him to drop his gun, he might not have dropped it, he said. Then the police SWAT team who were riding motorbikes as they chased after him arrived and kicked him from behind. Inn Bona, a barber who works in a shop near the Svay Por Pe temple close to the Russian embassy, said he saw the suspect raise his right hand in which he held the gun. Police shouted to him to drop the gun, and he dropped it with no sign of protest, he said. At that time, I did not think he was wearing a hat. The shirt in the picture [shown on television] is the shirt he was wearing. The person who was arrested at that time is the same person I sawthe suspect shown on the news. Some employees from the Star Mart where the killing occurred also talked to RFA but refused to give their names for fear of reprisal. One staff member said that just before the shooting occurred, a police car had pulled into a parking spot next to Kem Leys vehicle, but then disappeared immediately after he had been shot. Another told RFA that the video camera that captured the assailant killing Kem Ley had produced clear high-quality images. Yet another employee said the convenience store did not experience an electrical blackout that day, despite statements by authorities to the contrary. A Cambodian court has charged a former soldier named Oeuth Ang with premeditated murder for the execution-style killing. Authorities have said that Kem Ley was killed over an outstanding $3,000 debt to Oeuth Ang, who gave his name as Chuob Samlab, a Khmer name meaning meet to kill. So far, authorities have half completed their investigation of the murder and will soon publicly disclose video of the crime taken from a security camera at the convenience store where he was killed, said Khieu Sopheak, spokesman of Cambodias Ministry of Interior on Thursday. Authorities have confirmed that Chuob Samlab was the gunman, and the court will show the video to the suspect first once he gets a defense lawyer, he said. I would like to affirm that the murderer is the genuine one, Khieu Sopheak said, adding that police have sent Kem Leys cell phones as evidence to the court trying the case. Monk denies theft In a related development, But Buntenh, the Buddhist monk who is rumored on social media and in local media reports to have stolen more than U.S. $30,000 from Kem Leys funeral fund donations and fleeing the country, denied that he took any money and said he went to Bangkok, Thailand, for medical treatment. As a member of the Kem Ley funeral commission, But Buntenh helped arrange an elaborate public procession for the slain political pundit. The funeral commission worked very hard and tirelessly, especially during the funeral procession, he said. We did not have time for proper meals for a few days and our bodies were worn down, especially for me because I only eat one meal per day, he said. So after the funeral, I went for a routine health check-up because I usually go every six months though Ive had to cancel several appointments. He told RFA on Friday that he will return home after his treatment is completed to resume his duties as president of the Independent Monk Network for Social Justice and work on projects to protect virgin forest area in northern Cambodias Prea Vihear province. He said he will also help people in Kampong Cham province in the countrys central lowlands get identification cards so they can vote in the 2017 and 2018 elections, and organize a traditional 100-day funeral for Kem Ley. Kem Leys brother and wife have defended But Buntenh from the theft accusations, saying that the funeral donations have been properly managed. On Wednesday, The Phnom Penh Post reported that But Buntenh had gone into hiding after receiving a tip that he was being hunted by authorities, according to a friend and local media reports. Reported by Vuthy Huot for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Yanny Hin. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Chinese political refugees in Thailand, many of whom smuggled themselves across Southeast Asia to escape persecution by the authorities back home, say the country is no longer a safe haven for dissidents, as the Thai authorities seem increasingly willing to hand them back over to Beijing. Several Chinese asylum-seekerssome of whom were recognized by the United Nations as genuine refugeeshave been deported for immigration violations, throwing the expatriate dissident community into a state of constant fear, some told RFA in recent interviews. "The Thai government began an operation to round up any foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas," Wu Yuhua, a rights activist who escaped to Thailand more than a year ago, told RFA. "This means that the Chinese refugees are now living in constant fear, every day," she said. "We fear that one day, it'll be us who gets taken in." Thailand is no longer the safe haven it once was for Chinese dissidents fleeing persecution, according to Wu and many others like her. "It's not so much being locked up in immigration detention. That's not so bad, but if we get repatriated, we will definitely wind up in jail," Wu said. Some rights activists never even make it as far as Thailand, she said, citing the case of Liu Jiaqing, who was arrested by police in Myanmar. "I heard recently he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment," Wu said. Those who do get to Thailand face the constant threat of detention, as well as official retaliation against loved ones back in China, she said. Chinese activists in Thailand now face being followed and watched on a regular basis by personnel hired by the Chinese government, refugees say. "The following, the surveillance, the monitoring: all of this makes it much more risky," Yu Yanhua, who fled persecution in his hometown of Xuzhou, in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, told RFA. "I don't dare go back to where I am living; I'm too frightened," Yu said. "There is nowhere safe to hide." Agents everywhere Fellow asylum-seeker and former Henan rights activist Xing Jian said Thailand now seems to be full of Chinese agents. "People get suspicious if you ask after them, because China has sent a huge number of agents to Thailand, planting them among the refugees and messing with their relationships," he said. "The refugees here have very few dealings with one another now, even at the UNHCR," Xing said. "Even if we see them there, we won't go over and greet them." Zhang Wei, from the southwestern Chinese province of Guangxi, said he was followed by suspected Chinese agents when he helped organize an event commemorating the 1989 Tiananan massacre. "There were three suspicious-looking people there," he said. "They looked exactly like Chinese state security police, to judge from the way they were dressed." "Somebody even went to the home of [Thailand-based refugee] Li Xiaolong and tried to visit him," he said. Thailand-based dissident Liu Xuehong said the Chinese agents are busy eroding any support for refugees, either among each other or from supporters in Thailand. "Their aim is to obstruct us, and to stop us from speaking out," Liu said. "Even the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is concerned about our safety." Two handed back Last November, Chinese asylum seekers Jiang Yefei and Dong Guangping, who had fled persecution in their home country, were handed back to Chinese authorities in a move that drew strong criticism from the U.N. at the time. They are now in pretrial detention in the southwestern city of Chongqing. "We call on the U.N. to speed up our applications for resettlement as refugees so that we can live life like normal human beings," Liu said. The fear of meeting a similar fate has left many Chinese asylum-seekers in serious financial difficulties, he said. "Some people are reduced to eating waste or leftover food, or rely on friends to live," Liu said. "There isn't much support in place, and the UNHCR is overwhelmed by too many international refugees." Earlier this month, Zhao Changfu, a prominent rights activist from the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, skipped bail for subversion and fled through mountains and jungle, using Google Maps as a guide. Liu said that he and Zhao were followed by an unidentified person when they went to the UNHCR to process Zhao's asylum application. "It was just one person, following us ... The security situation hasn't been quite right since Zhao Changfu arrived," he said. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. North Korean soldiers walk on the banks of the Yalu River at the town of Sinuiju across from the Chinese border town of Dandong, Feb. 10, 2016. Police in northeastern Chinas Jilin Province are conducting a manhunt for three North Korean soldiers who deserted their units and crossed into China and went on an armed robbery spree, sources in both countries told RFA on Friday. The three were part of a group of five who crossed from North Koreas Yanggang Province into Jilins Changbai Korean Autonomous County on Sunday and went on robbery rampage for several days, sources in Changbai told RFAs Cantonese Service. The North Korea deserters were surrounded by Chinese armed police on Thursday and exchanged fire, injuring two Chinese police. Two of the deserters were captured in the Malugou area of Changbai, the sources said. A staffer at the Changbai Binguan, a local hotel, told RFA that authorities issued an alert telling local residents to be vigilant and avoid going out at night until the three men are caught. We didnt know the North Korean soldiers had entered our area until we received a notice from the public security bureau 5 days ago. They said four or five Koreans came to our area, and they told residents to stay alert, said the hotel worker, who declined to be identified because China treats such matters as a secret. We havent had any problem in the hotel, but we cant guarantee our safety, so were just not going out at night, the worker said. A source in Yanggang province told RFA that the five had deserted the 47th Infantry Sniper Unit and were among several dozen soldiers who had deserted recently. According to the military police and state security in Hyesan, 44 soldiers have deserted from military unit in Yanggang Province as of July 27, the source told RFAs Korean Service. A second North Korean source, based in Changbai, gave a slightly different account of the incident, saying some of the deserters had murdered an elderly couple on Wednesday, but that the two soldiers arrested were robbers who were not involved in the killings. The murder involving North Korean soldiers took place at dawn on July 27, at an isolated house, the source told RFA. This source said the five troops had deserted during a training mission and that only the unit leader was armed. China has imposed blanket secrecy on the case, as it normally does on sensitive issues surrounding its relations with North Korea. Attempts by RFA to clarify facts and details with police in Malugou were rebuffed. Why are you asking this? I cant tell you, understand? This is our internal affair, an officer from Malugou police station told RFA. Reported by RFAs Korean and Cantonese Services. Translated by Jacqueline Yoo and Vivian Kwan. Written in English by Paul Eckert. Leaders from Myanmars United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Mongla Army told State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday in the capital Naypyidaw that they strongly believe the governments upcoming Panglong Peace Conference is the only way for Myanmar to attain peace through dialogue, a government official said. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars de facto national leader, extended the USWA and Mongla Army, also known as the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), a formal invitation to attend the conference, though they had both decided previously to participate in the peace conference, said Zaw Htay, spokesman of the Presidents Office. The UWSAMyanmars largest non-state armywas one of the armed ethnic groups that refused to sign a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) brokered by the former government last October. Both Wa and Mongla groups said that they believe in the 21-Century Panglong Peace Conference Aung San Suu Kyi is leading and support it as the means for dialogue to have peace, Zaw Htay said. Leaders from the two groups met with Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also chairperson of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center and the governments Peace Dialogue Joint Committee, and military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to try to build trust prior to the conference. They also brought with them about 100 young people whom Aung San Suu Kyi praised as future leaders, Zaw Htay said. Next, the UWSA and Mongla Army will meet with the committee arranging the peace conference scheduled for late August to discuss how the groups will work together on the peace process, he said. Achieving national reconciliation and peace is one of the main goals of President Htin Kyaws administration, according to government statements. The Panglong Peace Conference, spearheaded by Aung San Suu Kyi, is named after the original Panglong conference led by her father General Aung San nearly 70 years ago to grant ethnic groups greater autonomy. His efforts fell apart when he was assassinated, and ethnic rebel groups then took up arms against the central government in wars that have ground on in some cases for more than five decades. Daw [honorific] Aung San Suu Kyi offered to work together with the ethnic leaders on the governments peace process, Zaw Htay said. Aung San Suu Kyi also proposed that the Wa, Mongla, and members of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a coalition of nine ethnic rebel groups that did not sign the NCA, participate in a review of the political dialogue framework, he said. Mai Ja Yang summit Meanwhile, the leaders of 17 of Myanmars armed ethnic groups are wrapping up a four-day meeting in the town of Mai Ja Yang in Kachin state to discuss a framework for the governments peace conference in late August, said Naw Si Pho Ra Sein, vice chairwoman of the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the participating groups. Because these points [that we are discussing] are important to go forward, we need to get the armed ethnic groups to agree on them, she told RFAs Myanmar Service. Observers from the United Nations and China who have attended the summit have pledged to continue offering their assistance in the peace process, she said. The United Nations will continue to work and will extend its support and cooperation [to] all, with transparency, with the stakeholders here, said Vijay Nambiar special adviser on Myanmar to the secretary-general. Sun Guoxiang, Chinas special envoy on Asian affairs who attended the Mai Ja Yang summit, told the online journal The Irrawaddy that China supports all forces that back internal peace in Myanmar and expects all armed ethnic groups to participate in the Panglong Peace Conference. By Wai Mar Tun and Ye Htet for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Alice Wayne Johnson, 78, of Fremont passed away on Sunday, July 24, 2016, following an informal concert in her honor by friends, colleagues and former students at Nye Legacy. Alice, a warm and kind woman who cherished, faith, family, music and community throughout her life, was born on March 25, 1938, in Fort Worth, Texas. She grew up in Texas until, inspired by her mother and hero, Alice W. Woodard, she moved to Lindsborg, Kan., where she attended and graduated from Bethany College with a degree in Music Education. At Bethany, she also met the love of her life and husband of 55 years, J. Ronald Johnson, with whom she raised two sons, Paul and Andrew. Alice then embarked on a career in music education over the span of 38 years in Kansas and Nebraska. Alice began teaching in the Fremont Public Schools as a general music teacher in 1973, and shortly thereafter founded the Fremont Orchestra Program. Throughout her career Alice inspired and was loved by hundreds of music students. After retiring from the Fremont Public Schools in 1998, she served as a Master teacher at the University of Nebraska String Project to prepare the next generation of music teachers. Alice received many awards for excellence and dedication to teaching over her career, including being elected to the Nebraska Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2003. In addition to teaching, Alice was an accomplished musician on the violin and viola, playing with the Duluth Symphony Orchestra, Heartland Philharmonic and Orchestra Omaha. She provided music for numerous events and celebrations solo or as a part of a music ensemble. She is survived in death by her husband, J. Ronald Johnson; son, Paul Johnson (and his wife, Beth) and son, Andrew Johnson (and his wife, Anna); her beloved grandchildren, Wes Johnson and Lyla Johnson; her sister, Marsha (Ron) Rolander; her brothers, Joel (Freda) Woodard and Nate (Cynthia) Woodard; as well as hundreds and hundreds of music students, colleagues and friends. Family will visit with friends from 5-7 p.m. Friday at Sinai Lutheran Church in Fremont. A Celebration of Music and Prayer will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Sinai Lutheran Church in Fremont with refreshments and fellowship directly after. The Rev. Al Duminy will officiate. Memorial donations can be given to the Sinai Church Organ Fund, Omaha Area Youth Orchestra, or the Omaha Conservatory of Music Sprouts Program. Dugan Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. He calls it matrimony. Her parents call it kidnapping. Whatever the case -- and it's a complicated case -- an Afghan mullah finds himself behind bars following his purported marriage to a 6-year-old girl. Sayed Mohammad Karim, a 50-something religious figure in a village in the central province of Ghor, was arrested this week and charged with kidnapping and marriage to a minor. The convoluted affair has once again brought the issue and legality of child marriages in Afghanistan to the fore. Karim claims he received the girl as a "gift" from her parents, who were his religious followers. The parents claim Karim kidnapped their daughter, whose name is being withheld by RFE/RL due to her status as a minor, from their village in June. Under Afghan civil law, the legal age for marriage is 16 for girls. But the Afghan Constitution also allows for Shari'a law, which can provide an avenue for child marriages. A common interpretation of Shari'a law in Afghanistan allows for child-age girls to be married, while granting the bride the right to forfeit the marriage upon reaching puberty, when the union can be consummated. Some of the more liberal and democratic elements contained in the Afghan Constitution are often pitted against its declaration that "no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam." Girl 'Given As A Gift' "The girl was given to me as a gift and we were married so I could raise her," said Karim, who was arrested by police in Ghor on July 27. Religious and social norms in Afghanistan dictate that girls can only live with a man who is not part of the family if they are married. Adoptions are rare in the country. "After the parents gave their daughter to me they said 'you can take her wherever you want,'" said Karim, who is being held by police in the provincial capital, Firuz Koh. "I gave her to my nephew to take care of but he returned her after a week." Karim gave no explanation as to why the girls' parents would have provided him a gift. But it is not uncommon in rural areas of the country for people to offer money, livestock, and land to religious figures in a bid to gain favor with God. In rare cases, parents have given away their children to be raised by religious leaders. "The marriage was performed during [the holy month of] Ramadan in the presence of 30 to 40 people," added Karim, claiming the purported child bride's parents were also in attendance. Medical Examination The girl's parents, who live in neighboring Herat Province, strongly deny the claims made by Karim, whom they reported to the police in Ghor, where they say the girl was kidnapped. "This man has said his wedding to this girl was approved by her mother and father," said Mohammad Zeman Azami, the deputy police commander of Ghor. "We spoke to her parents and they strongly deny they attended the wedding. On the phone, the parents told me their daughter was kidnapped." Karim says he did not have sexual intercourse with Bibi, a claim that has been backed by a local health official. "An examination was carried out in the presence of two midwives," said Dr. Nashafarin Shihab, who works at the main hospital in Firuz Koh. "The examination showed that the girl had endured no physical or psychological harm." Masooma Anwar, the head of the provincial women's affairs office in Ghor, described the alleged marriage as "shocking," although she added that some of the details of the case remain unclear. "Perhaps this girl has been kidnapped, trafficked, or was married to this man," said Anwar. "We cannot determine the facts yet. We are working to find out the 100 percent truth of what happened." Uptick In Child Marriages Child marriages are on the rise in Afghanistan, according to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). "In some regions because of insecurity and poverty the families marry off their daughters at a very early age to get rid of them," AIHRC chief Sima Samar told reporters earlier this month. Fifteen percent of Afghan women under 50 years old were married before their 15th birthday, and almost half were married before the age of 18, according to the nongovernmental organization Save the Children. On July 16, a pregnant Afghan girl was burned to death in Ghor. The family of 14-year-old Zahra claimed she was tortured and set alight by her husband's family. Relatives of the teen's husband insist her death was by self-immolation. Some Afghan women have turned to self-immolation to escape forced, and often abusive, marriages. The Afghan government lost control of nearly 5 percent of its territory between January and May 2016, despite the delayed U.S. troop withdrawal, a new report from the top U.S. government watchdog says. The report, published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, said the Afghan government was in control of 65.6 percent of the districts in the country in May -- a drop from 70.5 percent near the end of January. Citing U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the report said the loss of territory to the Taliban was because Afghan forces were redeployed from lower-priority areas to "conduct offensive operations, gain and maintain the initiative, exploit opportunities, and consolidate tactical gains." According to the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, John Nicholson, most of the areas the Taliban control are rural. The report says that in addition to losing ground to the Taliban, the Afghan National Army has come under pressure from other militant groups, such as the Islamic State group and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. U.S. President Barack Obama announced earlier in July that he will leave 8,400 troops in Afghanistan through 2016, a reversal of his earlier plan to lower that number to 5,500 by January 2017. Based on reporting by Reuters and The Guardian Armenian security forces have shot and wounded three more gunmen in a continuing standoff with an armed opposition group barricaded inside a police compound in Yerevan. Armenian police spokesman Ashot Aharonian said they "returned fire" after the gunmen again started firing gunshots in defiance of warnings issued by law-enforcement authorities. "One of the shooters, Arayik Khandoyan, was wounded," he said. Aharonian said the gunfire continued after Khandoyan was struck by a bullet. "Two more shooters were wounded by retaliatory fire from law-enforcers," he wrote on Facebook on July 29. Riot police later used stun grenades and batons to prevent demonstrators who back the armed opposition group from reaching the besieged police compound. Police detained a number of protesters late on July 29. RFE/RLs Armenian Service says three of its correspondents reporting from the protest were beaten with batons, apparently by plainclothes policemen. LIVE STREAM: Standoff In Yerevan (natural sound) The gunmen -- supporters of jailed opposition leader Zhirayr Sefilian -- stormed the Erebuni district police headquarters on July 17, killing one officer and taking several more hostage. All of the original hostages were released by July 23 but the gunmen remained holed up inside the building surrounded by security forces. Earlier this week, they took hostage three medics sent in to treat wounded attackers. In addition to the three gunmen wounded on July 29, five others were wounded in previous exchanges of fire with police. The gunmen have demanded the resignation of President Serzh Sarkisian and the release of Sefilian, who was arrested along with six of his supporters on June 20 on illegal weapons charges. Russian President Vladimir Putin says the world faces the most dangerous decade since World War II and predicted that the historical period of the West's "undivided dominance over world affairs" is coming to an end. Speaking on October 27 at a conference of international policy experts in Moscow, Putin said the decade ahead is "probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important...since the end of World War II." 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. Putin laid the blame for the situation at the feet of Western countries, which he said have cast aside the norms of international affairs in order to maintain dominance and hold down countries they see as "second-class civilizations." The Russian leader also said he had no regrets about sending troops into Ukraine and sought to explain the conflict as part of the efforts by Western countries to secure their global domination. Putin claimed in his speech to the Valdai Discussion Club, a think tank, that the West had helped incite the conflict and also seeks to stoke a crisis over Taiwan in an attempt to enforce global dominance. Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, triggering the biggest military conflict in Europe since World War II and driving relations with Western countries that back Ukraine and its drive to be part of the European Union and NATO to their lowest depths since the Cold War. Putin cast the conflict in Ukraine as a battle between the West and Russia for the fate of the second-largest Eastern Slav country. It is partly a "civil war," he said, as Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Kyiv has flatly rejected both of those ideas. The goal of what Russia refers to as a "special military operation" is to take the eastern Donbas region, Putin said, adding that in his view the region would "not have survived" on its own had Russia not intervened militarily in Ukraine. WATCH: A local official told Russian conscripts "You are not cannon fodder" in a video published online recently. The men responded by angrily shouting that, actually, that's exactly what they are. But the war has gone far beyond the Donbas region, with Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, and other nonmilitary structures, killing tens of thousands of Ukrainians across the country. Putin used the speech largely to rail against the West, saying it has nothing to offer to the world "except its own domination," and the goal of globalization "is neocolonialism to dominate the world." He said Russia is only trying to defend its right to exist in the face these Western efforts. Putin also asserted that more and more nations refuse to follow Washington's demands and Russia will never accept the West's attempts to dominate the world. Citing gay pride parades and the acceptance of transgender people in Western countries, Putin also defended "traditional values" and said "nobody can dictate to our people how to develop and what society we should build." He also said Russia has never considered the West an enemy and has many things in common with it but will continue to oppose the diktat of Western neoliberal elites. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Putin's speech presented no new ideas. "We don't believe that Mr. Putin's strategic goals have changed here. He doesn't want Ukraine to exist as a sovereign, independent nation state," Kirby said. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Putin's speech can be described as "for Freud," referring to psychoanalysis founder Sigmund Freud. "The person who invaded a foreign country, annexed its land, and committed genocide accuses others of violating international law and the sovereignty of other countries? One truth: The person who started a wind will get a storm. The storm is coming," he said on Twitter. Answering questions from journalists after his speech, Putin reiterated the Kremlin's assertion that Ukraine plans to use a so-called dirty bomb on its own territory. The claim has been dismissed as false by Ukraine and its allies, who say Russia may have raised the matter because it plans to use such a bomb in Ukraine as a pretext for escalation. "It was me who ordered [Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu to inform by phone all his colleagues about it," Putin said, adding that Russia does not need to use dirty bombs in Ukraine. Putin also said he supported plans by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit Ukraine's nuclear power plants for inspections. "It must be done as soon and as openly as possible because we know that Kyiv authorities are now working to cover up such [dirty-bomb attack] preparations," Putin said, without giving any exact information proving the claim. Ukraine invited IAEA inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities after the Kremlin made its unsubstantiated claim about the preparation of a dirty bomb -- which would use the explosion of a conventional warhead to spread radioactive material or chemicals over a wide area. Ukraine said it would welcome inspections because it had "nothing to hide." According to Putin, Russia has never talked about the use of nuclear weapons in the war with Ukraine despite his own promise to defend Russian territory with any means at our disposal" and saying his words were "not a bluff." "We see no need for [using nuclear weapons in Ukraine]," Putin told reporters. "There is no sense for that, neither political, nor military." Authorities in Azerbaijan have closed an independent television station that was planning to air an interview with Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric whom Turkey accuses of being behind a failed coup attempt earlier this month. Azerbaijan and Turkey have close ties and Ankara has backed Baku in a conflict with Armenian-backed separatists over its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The country's court of appeal revoked the license of the ANS television station based on a lawsuit filed by the National Television and Radio Council (NTRC). The law allows authorities to close media deemed to be broadcasting extremists. "ANS took a position that contradicted the strategic partnership between the Azeri and Turkish people by offering support to Fethullah Gulen and his supporters, who organized the bloody events that led to multiple deaths," the NTRC said in a statement on July 29. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his former ally Gulen, who has a wide following in Turkey, masterminded the July 15 coup attempt. Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, denies the charges. Based on reporting by Reuters In a move first rumored in April, Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Sergei Melikov, an Interior Ministry forces lieutenant-general who for the past two years has served as presidential representative to the North Caucasus Federal District, as a first deputy director of the recently-created National Guard. At the same time, Putin named Oleg Belaventsev, a former career naval officer and Hero of Russia, to succeed Melikov as his representative to the North Caucasus. For the past two years, Belaventsev, 65, has served as presidential representative to the Crimean Federal District, which Putin has now abolished as a separate entity and subsumed into the Southern Federal District. Putin established the National Guard only a few months ago, on the basis of the Interior Ministry troops in which Melikov made his career, and appointed to head it First Deputy Interior Minister Viktor Zolotov, one of his former bodyguards. Its personnel number 350,000-450,000. Although Putin defined the National Guard's primary tasks as combatting terrorism and organized crime, it is clearly intended, as Russia analyst Mark Galeotti points out, to serve as Putin's personal Praetorian Guard, maintaining public security and stamping out disorder and any manifestations of disaffection among either the public at large or within the ruling elite. Melikov's promotion to serve with the National Guard is interesting for three reasons. The first is the North Caucasus connection. Zolotov has been identified as a former patron of acting Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov, whose own private security forces have (at least in theory) been subsumed into the National Guard. Interior Ministry Troops Colonel General Sergei Chenchik, who was named in April as one of Zolotov's deputies, served since 2010 as commander of the Interior Ministry Troops deployed to the North Caucasus. According to the independent Daghestani weekly Novoye Delo, Chenchik is reportedly one of a very small number of top Interior Ministry personnel whom Kadyrov respects. (Kadyrov himself holds the rank of Interior Ministry major general.)Although Melikov focused far less on Chechnya than on Daghestan, he, too, has cordial relations with Kadyrov. The second is just how little Melikov achieved during his two years in the North Caucasus. True, as he himself has pointed out, the threat of terrorism posed by the North Caucasus insurgency has diminished over that period. But that is primarily the result of two developments for which Melikov cannot claim credit: the eclipse of the insurgency as a military force following the death by accidental poisoning of its long-time commander Doku Umarov, and the parallel exodus of many fighters to Syria. Basket Case Economy The region's economy (admittedly the preserve of the federal Ministry for the North Caucasus) remains a basket case: the seven regions' combined state debt increased by 24 percent last year to reach 67 billion rubles ($1 billion). Corruption, too, is on the rise: 1,873 cases were reported in 2015, an increase of 11.6 percent over the previous year, resulting in financial damage to the state estimated at 4.4 billion rubles. Only 57 people -- 7.6 percent of the defendants in North Caucasus corruption trials in 2015 -- received prison terms. Melikov's one undisputed triumph was his contribution to the preparations for the celebration in September 2015 of the 2,000th anniversary of the town of Derbent that, until he set up a working group to coordinate and expedite restoration work, were months behind schedule. Melikov's father was a Lezgin, the majority ethnic group in Derbent, which may partially explain his success in motivating (or intimidating) the local officials directly involved in the jubilee preparations. Third, Melikov's new appointment will rekindle speculation about the political future of Republic of Daghestan head Ramazan Abdulatipov. For over a year, pundits have been speculating that Melikov would be named to succeed Abdulatipov, who turns 70 on August 4. As for Belaventsev, his lack of first-hand familiarity with the North Caucasus may prove a disadvantage, especially in light of what one commentator termed the propensity of some unnamed local leaders to act without regard for either the law or the financial cost. On the other hand, he is said to be skilled at behind-the-scenes bureaucratic maneuvering. Kadyrov, whom some analysts had earlier identified as a possible successor to Melikov as presidential representative to the North Caucasus, noted Belaventsev's "broad theoretical knowledge" and "considerable management experience." How the relationship between the two will develop remains to be seen. The failure earlier this month of a bid by opposition parties to mobilize the population of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia to participate in a referendum on holding an early presidential election has not defused political tensions. On the contrary, the Bloc of Opposition Forces (BOS) -- which initially backed the proposed referendum but called a boycott just days before it was due to take place -- has already announced its intention of convening a rally of at least 10,000 people in October in a new attempt to force de facto President Raul Khajimba to resign. Meanwhile, the standoff between the opposition and Khajimba has shifted to the parliament, which has sought since early February to force a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Artur Mikvabia. Mikvabia finally submitted his resignation on July 26 rather than suffer the indignity of such a vote. Prosecutor-General Aleksandr Lomia stepped down the same day. Mikvabia, 66, is a professional economist whom Khajimba named to head the cabinet in March 2015 following the resignation of Economic Revival Party Chairman Beslan Butba. But he has proven unable to deliver the economic upswing that figured among Khajimba's preelection promises two years ago. Abkhazia's economy has stagnated since the end of the 1992-93 war that culminated in the region's de facto independence from Georgia, and much of the economic assistance Russia has provided since formally recognizing Abkhazia as an independent state in 2008 has not been invested in the economy. Whereas Khajimba's predecessor, Aleksandr Ankvab, gave priority to reviving the agro-industrial sector, with the aim of capitalizing on the region's balmy climate, providing employment for the rural population, and resuming traditional exports of fruit and tea, Khajimba sees no point in reviving agriculture and is betting on tourism, which benefits primarily the population of Black Sea coastal towns. In addition, the region's ambiguous status and the ban on the purchase of real estate by noncitizens have deterred investment. The rationale adduced by opposition lawmaker Alkhas Japua in early February for a no-confidence vote in Mikvabia focused less on the economy than on his imputed bungling of the program to issue new national passports in exchange for old ones. In June, Japua also criticized the work of the cabinet as a whole, and Mikvabia's alleged failure to undertake any measures to eradicate corruption. Mikvabia rejected that criticism as unfair and slanderous. The Prosecutor-General's Office declared it unfounded. Announcing his resignation, Mikvabia claimed his cabinet had done what it could in adverse economic conditions, and with a budget of just 13 billion rubles ($196 million) at its disposal, to tackle the most important problems it faced, including raising salaries and pensions. He subsequently complained to the news site Caucasus Knot that all his efforts to increase tax revenues met with furious resistance. The introduction in January 2016 of a value-added tax, for example, immediately triggered outraged protests from the owners of small businesses. What motivated Prosecutor-General Lomia to resign is less clear. According to parliament speaker Valery Bganba, Lomia did so for a combination of reasons, including that "he felt he couldn't cope." Lomia's office had just completed a detailed assessment of the chain of events in late Mayearly June 2014 that culminated in Ankvab's ouster and formal resignation under pressure from the then-opposition Coordinating Council spearheaded by Khajimba. That assessment exonerated Khajimba and his supporters of acting illegally in seizing control of the presidential administration building, and ruled that the subsequent nomination of Bganba as acting president and the scheduling of new elections did not violate the Republic of Abkhazia's constitution. Aslan Bzhania, one of three rival presidential candidates whom Khajimba defeated in August 2014 and a leading member of the BOS, said that assessment itself is unconstitutional. Khajimba has named First Deputy Prime Minister Shamil Adzinba acting prime minister pending the unveiling of a new cabinet. Journalist Filipp Gromyko opines that Khajimba may take the opportunity to include a handful of opposition politicians in acknowledgment of demands by several opposition forces, including A Just Abkhazia and the People's Front of Abkhazia for Justice and Development, to create a government of national unity. A mini-opinion poll of 1,292 people conducted by those two parties from May 12-15 found that 61.9 percent of respondents assessed the performance of the current government as "bad," 79.7 percent thought its style of work should change, and 66.7 percent advocated the creation of a government of national unity in which all political parties would be represented. Any such concession to opposition demands would stand Khajimba in good stead if he decides to reappoint as interior minister Leonid Dzapshba, whom he suspended in early July, but who reportedly nonetheless continues to discharge his duties. Opposition supporters had demanded Dzapshba's dismissal after he publicly warned his subordinates that they and their relatives risked losing their jobs in the event that they participated in the planned referendum on an early presidential vote. China and Russia will hold "routine" naval exercises in the South China Sea in September to strengthen military cooperation, China's Defense Ministry has said. The exercises come at a time of heightened tension in the South China Sea after a Hague arbitration court ruled this month that China did not have historic rights to the entire sea, as it asserts. China rejected the ruling, and Russia has backed China in its territorial dispute with the Phillippines and other south sea neighbors. "This is a routine exercise between the two armed forces, aimed at strengthening the developing China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said. "The exercise is not directed against third parties." Last year, China and Russia held joint military drills in the Sea of Japan and the Mediterranean. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby urged China and Russia to comply with international law. "There's no need for [the drills] to raise tensions. Exercises and operations are meant to hone capabilities," Kirby said. "It really depends on the way it is conducted. Our expectation is that these exercises and operations, like ours, will be conducted in accordance with international obligations and the law." Based on reporting by AP and Reuters Croatia's Supreme Court has quashed a verdict against a former lawmaker convicted of war crimes for killing Serbian civilians and ordered a full retrial. Branimir Glavas was sentenced in 2010 to eight years in jail over his role in the gruesome killing of Serbs during the 1990s war in the former Yugoslavia. But last year the Constitutional Court annulled the verdict on procedural grounds and ordered the Supreme Court to review the case, leading to the July 28 decision upholding the verdict's annulment and ordering a retrial. Glavas, a former general and far-right lawmaker, declared he was vindicated by the court decisions. He was the highest-ranking Croatian politician to be convicted for war crimes during the 1991-95 conflict. Glavas, a Bosnian national, had been found guilty of ordering the 1991 abduction, torture, and murder of at least 10 Serbs in the eastern town of Osijek. The court's ruling sparked outrage in neighboring Serbia on July 28.. "The message of this shameful act is that unpunished crimes against Serbs are normal and allowed," Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said. The proper handling of war crimes cases involving Croatian nationals was a key criteria in Zagreb's bid to join the European Union in 2013. Based on reporting by AFP and Nacional.hr Armenian officials say 75 were injured and more than 20 detained in clashes between riot police and protesters in the capital. The unrest erupted late on July 29 in Yerevan when demonstrators tried to approach a police station where gunmen from an opposition group have barricaded themselves. The violence, which left three RFE/RL journalists injured, unfolded amid the sound of gunshots and explosions coming from the compound located in the citys southern Erebuni district. It was not immediately clear whether security forces were conducting a large-scale operation there. The protesters sympathetic to the gunmen unexpectedly tried to approach the building from the nearby Sari Tagh neighborhood overlooking it. Some of them threw stones when they were confronted by rows of riot police, who briefly fired stun grenades in response. The chief of Yerevans police department, Ashot Karapetian, and other senior law-enforcement officers warned two protest leaders -- Amen Martirosian and Levon Barseghian -- that they must lead the crowd back to the city center. Armen, you cant control them, said Karapetian. They threw stones. Some policemen were injured. Tell the people to go back to where you held rallies [until now.] Martirosian said the stones were thrown by provocateurs and assured the officers that the crowd did not intend to break through the police cordon and enter the police compound. The officers dismissed the assurances. They said that the rally was illegal and that gunshots fired around the compound were too dangerous for its participants. About 10 minutes later, the police charged at the protesters, firing tear gas and throwing stun and flash grenades. Some protesters as well as three RFE/RL journalists -- Karlen Aslanian, Hovannes Movsisian, and Garik Harutiunian -- were attacked and beaten up by a large group of plainclothes men armed with sticks and metal bars as they retreated towards downtown Yerevan. The men, who appeared to be police officers, were clearly aware that they were assaulting reporters. Are you filming? one of them said before punching Movsisian, smashing his camera and tearing off his ID badge. I told them that I stopped filming but they kept hitting me, Movsisian said by phone as he ran for safety and took cover in a local shop shortly before midnight. They are chasing us and trying to arrest everyone in sight, he said, adding that he witnessed dozens of protesters injured and detained at the scene. WATCH: Fresh Clashes In Yerevan (natural sound) The two other RFE/RL reporters were also injured before fleeing to safety through another Sari Tagh street. At about the same time, the police also dispersed a smaller crowd that gathered on a section of Khorenatsi Street leading to the seized police building. The street section has been the scene of rallies held nearly every day in support of the gunmen. The police used force moments after a senior officer told 200 or so people standing there that their gathering was illegal. Dozens of protesters were subsequently detained. One young man had blood all over his face as he was dragged away by several officers. The officers claimed that he fell to the ground and injured himself before being caught. The police did not attack journalists or obstruct their work in that area. Another RFE/RL correspondent saw seven people rushed to the Erebuni Medical Center, the nearest hospital, more than an hour after the outbreak of the violence. Four of them were injured policemen. It was not immediately clear who the three others were. A police serviceman suffered a gunshot wound outside the [Erebuni] police compound and was transferred to hospital, Armenian police spokesman Ashot Aharonian wrote on Facebook at midnight. He did not say who shot the officer. At least 20 injured protesters were taken to another Yerevan hospital, Surb Grigor Lusavorich. A senior doctor there told RFE/RLs Armenian service that most of them suffered burns apparently caused by police stun grenades. Two of them are in serious condition, he said. Meanwhile, Aharonian defended the use of force at Sari Tagh. He claimed that the protesters tried to join the besieged gunmen from that neighborhood. In a Facebook post, Aharonian insisted that security forces were not conducting any operation against the armed oppositionists. Aharonian promised that the police would immediately investigate violent attacks on journalists from RFE/RL and other media outlets that covered the dramatic events. The Armenian Human Rights Ombudsmans office said they were investigating reports that those who attacked the journalists were policemen dressed in plain clothes. "Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is outraged by this attack on journalists carrying out their professional duty," said RFE/RL President Thomas Kent. "We expect the Armenian authorities to bring the attackers to justice and protect journalists carrying out their legitimate work." WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton has called for unity, mocked her Republican opponent, and pushed a message of shared prosperity, as she accepted the Democratic Partys nomination to be president with "determination and boundless confidence in America's promise." Clinton's July 28 speech was the capstone of the Democrats' four-day convention, and marks the beginning of what many expect to be the costliest and possibly nastiest election in U.S. history. "Tonight, we've reached a milestone in our nation's march toward a more perfect union. The first time that a major party has nominated a woman for president," she said. "It is with humility, determination, and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for president," she told cheering delegates chanting "Hillary! Hillary!" WATCH: Hilary Clinton made history by becoming the first woman to accept the presidential nomination by a major U.S. party. (Reuters) Her opponent will be billionaire Donald Trump, who has surprised many with his quick rise to the top of the Republican party this year, due in part to an uncanny knack for stealing the spotlight. Polls show Trump has also tapped into a well of discontent about the countrys uneven economic growth, and fear about terrorism and the threat from Islamic State's radical militants. Earlier this week, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump with a narrow lead over Clinton, in a likely bump from the favorable public exposure he received at last weeks Republican convention. The conventions final night saw speeches by a former four-star general who commanded forces in Afghanistan, the father of a American Muslim soldier killed in Iraq, and Clinton's daughter, Chelsea. Earlier in the week, the gathering featured former Democratic Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, as well as Barack Obama, who defeated Clinton in the Democratic nominating contest in 2008 and then brought her into his administration as secretary of state. By contrast, at last weeks Republican convention, no former Republican presidents spoke or even attended the event, underscoring how uneasy many Republicans are with Trump's brash style, outsized personality, and lack of experience. On July 27, Obama told Democratic delegates that Clinton was unrivaled in her qualifications to be president. "This year, in this election, I'm asking you to join me -- to reject cynicism, and reject fear, and to summon what is best in us, to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States," Obama said. The convention, held in Philadelphia, got off to a rocky start this week amid determined resistance from supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders, whom Clinton defeated in state primary elections to secure the nomination. Many of his supporters, and other protesters, have held demonstrations outside the convention arena all week long, facing off with police officers. The protests, however, have been smaller and less violent than feared. Philadelphia police officials said 103 protesters had been ticketed and fined as of July 28. The convention was also stunned at the start by the abrupt resignation of the partys chairwoman, after e-mails that had been hacked from the partys computer servers were leaked and published by Wikileaks. Among other things, the e-mails showed party leaders discussing how to undermine Sanders' campaign, which fueled outrage and resentment among his supporters. In a statement released earlier on July 28, Trump accused Democrats of living in a "fantasy world" during the convention. He said they ignored economic and security troubles as well as Clinton's controversial e-mail use at the State Department. In his vision of the world, Trump said, "we will put America first." The long-running scandal over Clinton's use of a private e-mail server while she was secretary of state has been a major distraction for her campaign, and Republicans have sought to paint her as careless and a liar. In her speech, Clinton sought to show the breadth and depth of her knowledge and experience, ranging widely across subjects, domestic and foreign. She touched on economic issues such as stagnant middle-class incomes, and paid homage to Sanders with her call for more affordable college education and less student debt for graduates. Some delegates who supported Sanders repeatedly heckled and jeered Clinton during her speech, but were drowned out by the larger crowd who chanted "Hillary!" and "U.S.A.!" and "Deal me in!" -- a reference to one of her campaign slogans. Clinton touched on burning domestic issues such as immigration, raging gun violence, rising health-care costs, and equal pay for women. And she taunted rump repeatedly throughout her speech. "Ask yourself: Do you really think that Donald Trump has the temperament to be commander in chief?" she said. "He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protestor at a rally," she said. "Imagine, if you dare, imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." Trump and Clinton will face each for the first time on September 26 in the first of several presidential debates before Election Day on November 8. Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front, announced that it is splitting from the terrorist mother-group -- with its blessings -- in an apparent move to avoid being targeted by Russian and U.S. bombing campaigns. Al-Qaeda affiliates and the Islamic State militant group have been specifically excluded from a Syrian cease-fire and peace negotiations and both a U.S.-led coalition and Russia have been targeting them with air strikes. The Syrian group's leader Abu Mohamad al-Jolani said on Al-Jazeera television on July 28 that it will henceforward be named Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and "have no links whatsoever with foreign parties." Al-Qaeda leaders in a separate broadcast urged the split to "preserve the good of Islam." But the Syrian group continues to espouse the goal of founding a caliphate based on Islamic law. U.S. officials were skeptical of the change. U.S. intelligence chief James Clapper called the split "a public relations move." "Whether or not they are actually separating from Al-Qaeda -- that remains to be seen," he said. "We certainly see no reasons to believe that their actions or their objectives are any different," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. "They are still considered a foreign terrorist organization." Based on reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and dpa ON MY MIND July has been the deadliest month in the conflict in Ukraine's Donbas region in nearly a year. But what is driving the escalation? Is it a sign that Moscow is intent on reigniting a full-scale conflict? Or are the Kremlin's proxies in eastern Ukraine going rogue? To what extent do the agendas of the Kremlin and the armed separatist forces it conjured, nurtured, and assisted converge at this point? This week's Power Vertical Podcast will explore these issues. Joining me will be co-host Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague and a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Christopher Miller, RFE/RL's Ukraine correspondent who is on the front lines in the Donbas. Be sure to tune in later today! IN THE NEWS In a massive reshuffle, Vladimir Putin has replaced four governors, four federal district chiefs, the disgraced head of the Federal Customs Service, and the ambassador to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the shakeup an "ordinary rotation." Peskov also said appointing a large number of security-service veterans to key posts was Putin's "personal decision." U.S. tech giant Google has come under fire in Russia for using Ukraine's "decommunized" names of streets in parts of Crimea, which Moscow annexed illegally from Ukraine in 2014. Google Maps has adopted new names for some 900 places in Crimea in line with a "decommunization" law Kyiv passed last year. Some Russian media, meanwhile, are reporting that Google has agreed to restore the old Soviet-era names. Russian media is reporting that the Moscow offices of PriceWaterhouseCoopers have been searched by police. China and Russia will hold naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, China's Defense Ministry announced. A depleted Russian team has departed for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro without more than 100 athletes who have been banned in connection with the country's scandal over the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that it has not yet decided to resume a bailout of Ukraine, which was halted over corruption concerns last year. WHAT I'M READING The Putin Shuffle With all the moving parts, the minutiae of yesterday's massive reshuffle of regional and federal elites can make your head spin. Fortunately, some Russian media have weighed in with useful pieces unpacking Vladimir Putin's day of the long knives. Slon.ru has an explainer, complete with useful infographics, that unpacks exactly what happened, who were the winners, and who were the losers. Kommersant argues that the reshuffle is seeking a new management model for government. RBK has a piece, that also includes infographics, claiming that Putin is seeking to eliminate troublesome regional conflicts and promote mid-level functionaries. And writing in Slon.ru, political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya argues the reshuffle is part of a partial purge of the elite as Putin dumps some longtime allies. That Cold War Trick Writing in The National Interest, Olya Oliker argues that Russian foreign policy aims to make Russia the main focus of U.S. attention. "The Russians are messing with the United States," Oliker writes. "Russias actions are meant to center U.S. policy on itself, to recreate a bipolar global structure reminiscent of that during the Cold War. Such a relationship, however, runs counter to U.S. interests, which are much broader than Russia." Putin's Global Reality Show Bloomberg's Henry Meyer has a piece on how global turmoil is playing into Putin's hands. "If Vladimir Putin were scripting ways to weaken NATO, he couldnt do much better than whats happening right now," Meyer writes. Suddenly, with little effort, the KGB veteran is reaping a surprise windfall from the internal politics of two pillars of Europes collective defense structure. The Pros And Cons Of Crony Capitalism Writing in Foreign Affairs. George Washington University professor David Szakony explains how the system of crony capitalism Vladimir Putin created keeps him in power. "The real threat to Putin's hold on power does not arise from societal discontent, whether it's from Moscow's and St. Petersburg's so-called creative class or the lower class, which has been further impoverished by the economic downturn. Instead, the current Russian government survives because it has successfully placated the elites who have become fabulously rich and powerful thanks to Putins crony capitalism," Szakony writes. "This transfer of wealth into the hands of such a small group of elites has created a system of mutual dependence with Putin: he orchestrated their rise but cannot rule the country or sustain economic growth without their backing." You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Bruce Schneier, a lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and author of the book Data And Goliath: The Hidden Battles To Collect Your Data And Control Your World, has a disturbing op-ed in The Washington Post claiming that by November, Russia could be hacking U.S. voting machines. "Russia was behind the hacks into the Democratic National Committees computer network that led to the release of thousands of internal emails just before the partys convention began, U.S. intelligence agencies have reportedly concluded," Schneier writes. "The FBI is investigating. WikiLeaks promises there is more data to come. The political nature of this cyberattack means that Democrats and Republicans are trying to spin this as much as possible. Even so, we have to accept that someone is attacking our nation's computer systems in an apparent attempt to influence a presidential election. This kind of cyberattack targets the very core of our democratic process. And it points to the possibility of an even worse problem in November -- that our election systems and our voting machines could be vulnerable to a similar attack." Podcast: Ukraine Calling And be sure to tune into Hromadske Radio's excellent new podcast, Ukraine Calling, hosted by Marta Dyczok, a professor at the University of Western Ontario. The last episode looked at the killing of journalist Pavel Sheramet. A new podcast is due to be posted later today. I have been watching Turkey 24/7 since July 15, the day that a coup attempt shattered the country for about 20 hours, failed, and dragged the entire Turkish nation through a trauma that is still continuing in various ways. Close to 300 people were killed, mostly while resisting the coup attempt, but plotting officers -- or soldiers under their command who were unaware what was going on -- also lost their lives. The U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen was immediately declared by the government as the mastermind of the coup attempt. In the first 48 hours, around 7,000 people were detained, arrested, or dismissed from their jobs. That number has been rising constantly, reaching around 66,000 people from all layers of society, but consisting mostly of government employees. Add to that the family members of those arrested and dismissed and you will reach a number of 250,000-300,000 potential new opponents, most of whom were not involved with the "other" side or had no direct links with it. The memory of the killings, the hatred, and violence, the split in the army and government agencies about who was on which side -- all of this is truly traumatic for the Turkish nation. Many people from different political parties and media joined forces with the government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to defend democracy against the coup. The detentions and dismissals have not stopped. But two weeks after the coup attempt, the Gulen movement with all its real or suspected supporters, and sympathizing soldiers and security men, government employees, teachers and journalists or businessmen can generally be considered to have been "cleansed" in its entirety. Nonetheless, the air of crisis, division, political hostility, alarmism, rumors, the race to declare allegiance with the government, and blaming enemies is overwhelming. I will try to summarize for you my personal impressions about how I perceive the Turkish public's mood and feeling now -- two weeks after the "worst national conflict" since the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923: -- A large majority, including supporters and opponents of the government, seems to be convinced that coups, regardless of who is behind them, are a disaster and must be rejected and prevented by the government, even through the use of force. The idea that elections should be the only way to change the government is something that even the fiercest political adversaries of Erdogan believe. -- Many people, regardless of their political inclination, think that Erdogan needed to be defended from the coup plotters. -- Still, it seems that the fear generated by the overwhelming government and media campaign against the Gulen movement prevents people from expressing their opinion freely in public. Most media outlets compete in bashing the Gulen movement. Occasionally, this campaign and media reporting on public shaming go far beyond ethical standards. The state agency for religious affairs has denied the dead coup plotters the usual religious burial rites. A university professor was fired because she didn't want to use the term "martyr" for the dead on the government side. -- A majority of people and media seem convinced that Gulen is the main and primary mastermind of the coup attempt. It is not clear how much of this is genuine or simply being said out of fear. -- Yes, Erdogan has even strengthened his popular base and support by uniting the people against the coup and crushing it. -- A race has begun to fill the tens of thousands of job vacancies caused by the dismissals and arrests, mainly in the army, the justice system, the department of education, and other state agencies. There are not enough qualified people to replace those who have lost their jobs. These positions will have to be filled by people who are less educated or who even have no training whatsoever. A similar situation was reportedly caused by Gulenist prosecutors, judges, and other higher government employees in the years leading up to 2010. They initiated the firing of thousands of military personnel, government employees, and military commanders. These people were then apparently replaced by their own supporters who were less prepared for the new jobs. At least half of the coup officers were reportedly promoted at that time by Gulenist conspiracies. This was tolerated by the Erdogan government since Gulen and Erdogan were then allies against the secular Turkish establishment and pro-republican army and justice system. -- Most media and political figures, including the opposition, and obviously the government believe that the West has left them alone. A prominent liberal columnist, Murat Yetkin, said: "What would happen in the West if the U.S. Congress or the German Bundestag were bombed, the White House bombed, the Brooklyn Bridge and Champs-Elysees blocked, civilians there shot dead, and attempts made to kill the presidents, prime ministers and chiefs of staff?" -- Unlike the West, where there are mixed views on Gulen, in today's Turkey it seems that the majority is on the same anticoup, anti-Gulen side. Most of his supporters have now switched sides (mostly to the government), or they have been arrested or gone on the run. -- The request of the Turkish government to the United States to extradite the Pennsylvania-based Gulen has turned into the main point of contention between Ankara and Washington, as if everything depends on that decision by the Obama administration. The Turks believe that Washington can do it, but is reluctant to do so for political reasons, while Washington says they would consider it after reviewing the evidence of Gulen's alleged masterminding of the coup and other legal considerations. -- The overwhelming feeling I observe is that the West did not demonstrate any empathy, let alone sympathy, with Turkey in those dramatic days. Everybody was rather focused on how authoritarian Erdogan is and they were even mulling the scenario of the coup's success and thinking "Actually, why not?" -- On top of this, some rather radical and Islamist-minded political and media figures have been circulating or even creating rumors or rumor-based claims that the United States ("the Americans"), and primarily the CIA or Pentagon, were behind the coup; that they granted Gulen a visa back in 1999 and they helped him organize the coup. For example, Abdurrahman Dilipak of the Yeni Akit daily says that the insurrection was conducted by the United States and was not limited to Turkey, but directed against Islam in general. At the same time, the Vatican, Britain, France, Germany, and "obviously Israel" had their own interests in this scenario. -- So far, I have seen no solid evidence supporting these claims and rumors -- just murky reports without sourcing or statements and writings by a selected group of a few former CIA or State Department officials discussing the Gulen movement from different perspectives. Interestingly enough, Turkish government officials have not been reacting to these unsubstantiated accusations against their NATO ally. -- The "black PR" against the West and specifically the United States is so persistent that even statements and comments by U.S. officials, including President Barack Obama, the State Department spokesmen, or the U.S. ambassador in Ankara have not succeeded in setting things right. They have repeatedly stated that they condemn the coup attempt, that accusations of U.S. involvement in it are "absurd," and that they are ready to look into Turkish requests for Gulen's extradition. -- Meanwhile, the Russian media, including Sputnik, is campaigning with rumors that Gulen "will not be extradited by the U.S. because he is a CIA agent." Many people in Turkey seem to have bought into this. Also, in Iran, a Revolutionary Guard commander has said that the coup attempt in Turkey "could not be crushed without a foreign country's assistance." That Iran offered immediate and strong support for Erdogan's government in thwarting the coup attempt seems to have been welcomed in Turkey. Turkey's ambassador to Kazakhstan has warned the Central Asian nation over its schools linked to Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric whom Turkey accuses of being behind a failed coup attempt earlier this month. Ambassador Nevzat Uyanik raised the issue of "Kazakhstani-Turkish schools" believed to be run by foundations loyal to the 75-year-old Gulen's ideas, saying Ankara does not support them. "These schools have no relationship to Turkey's official state organs whatsoever," Uyanik told a news conference in the Kazakh capital of Astana on July 29. He called the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey "a warning to other countries," adding that "we are sure that the relevant bodies will start taking the necessary measures." Cooperation "is not only in the interests of Turkey, these questions touch on the interests of Kazakhstan too," he said. The ambassador was speaking after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on July 28 warned that followers of the controversial cleric could stage a coup in Kazakhstan's neighbour Kyrgyzstan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his former ally Gulen, who has a wide following in Turkey, masterminded the July 15 coup attempt. Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, denies the charges. Based on reporting by AFP U.S. tech giant Google has reinstated existing Soviet-era place names on online maps of Russia-annexed Crimea after it angered Moscow by changing them to correspond with names that Ukraine hopes to adopt in future under its "decommunization" law. Google Maps had briefly changed about 900 Crimean place names, using names Ukraine plans to give to towns and streets under legislation passed in Kyiv last year banning Soviet symbols -- part of a campaign that Russia has called Russophobic. However, under a resolution adopted by Ukraine's parliament in May, the new names do not take effect until Kyiv restores control over Crimea, which Russia took over in March 2014 after sending in troops and staging a referendum widely dismissed as illegitimate. Google's press service in Moscow said in an e-mailed response that it has restored the existing names, and included links to Russian-language Google maps showing towns such as Sovyetsky (Soviet) and Krasnogvardeiskoye (Red Guard). It did not immediately explain its reasons. The names appeared to have also been restored on the Ukrainian-language version of Google Maps. Under decommunization, Sovyetsky is to be renamed Ichkiy and Krasnogvardeiskoye is to be called Kurman. Google's changes had been swiftly condemned by Russia, whose communications minister suggested that it was illegal. The head of the Russian-imposed government in Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, accused Google of producing a "propaganda product rather than real maps." Ties between Moscow and Kyiv have been severely damaged by Russia's seizure of Crimea and its separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine. Many of the names that Ukraine hopes to give places in Crimea come from the language of the Crimean Tatars, an ethnic minority whose members were deported en masse by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin during World War II and activists say, have faced new repression from Russia since the annexation. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and RBK The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that it has not yet decided to resume a bailout of Ukraine, which was halted over corruption concerns last year. IMF spokesman William Murray said on July 28 that the IMF's executive board would not vote on a release of the next portion of Ukraine's $17.5 billion bailout package until at least mid-August, after the board returns from a two-week break. The Washington-based organization earlier said that a review on unlocking the next loan tranche was nearing completion and it could be considered in July. Since August 2015, Ukraine has received no new IMF disbursements from the bailout package approved in April last year. Ukraine is currently awaiting the next $1.6 billion tranche from the bailout, intended to help stabilize the country, engulfed in a military conflict with Russia-backed separatists for more than two years. Kyiv has been struggling to implement deep structural reforms, including rooting out endemic corruption, to meet conditions attached to IMF assistance. The IMF has been frustrated by the slow passage of reforms in Ukraine. Kyiv has so far received $6.7 billion of the IMF's loan package. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations has downplayed a comment by U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that he would consider recognizing Russia's widely condemned annexation of Crimea. "Mr. Trump is not the president of the United States, at least not yet, " Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko said in New York on July 28 as he urged the UN Security Council to declare a recent Russian move to incorporate Crimea into southern Russia "null and void" and once again reaffirm that the peninsula belongs to Ukraine. "There are the well-known decisions of the United Nations" condemning the annexation as illegal in 2014, he said. "I'm pretty sure that any U.S. government will pay full respect to those decisions." Yelchenko was responding to comments by Trump on July 27 that appeared to create an opening for Russia by leaving open the question of whether he would recognize Crimea as Russian territory and lift sanctions on Moscow. "We'll be looking at that," Trump said at a news conference. "Yeah, we'll be looking." Yelchenko said: "If this is his opinion as a candidate for the president of the United States, well, this is his opinion. I hope and I'm almost sure that this opinion will change." The Obama White House said on July 28 that there was no change in its stance on Crimea's annexation, which led to several rounds of sanctions on Russia. "The United States has been very direct about our view that the attempted annexation of Crimea by Russia is a flagrant violation, an egregious violation of international norms," spokesman Josh Earnest said. "And it's not a violation that the United States is prepared to tolerate." With reporting by dpa, AFP, Reuters, and AP Two top U.S. diplomats working to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine have accused Russia of continuing to supply separatist fighters with fuel and weapons and creating a "deteriorating security situation" in the region that is as bad as it was a year ago. Ambassador Daniel Baer, head of the U.S. mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt made the statements during a July 29 telephonic press briefing from Vienna. The briefing came one day after the head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine, Ertugrul Apakan, and OSCE special representative on Ukraine Martin Sajdik briefed the OSCE Permanent Council on the situation. Baer said the United States and other OSCE members were increasingly concerned by what they see as a disconnect between Russia's words and its actions regarding the conflict. "We see continued resupply of weapons and fighters; we see continued provocations to keep the conflict going; we see continued restrictions of the SMM and its monitors; we see continued shoot-downs of SMM UAVs [drones] after they have seen Russian heavy weaponry in places where it shouldn't be," Baer said. "And so, the message that was delivered to the Russian Federation yesterday by many, many participating states in the [OSCE] Permanent Council is that it is time to match your words with action." Pyatt stressed the same point, saying that Russia's continued material support of separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine was "driving the conflict." "Rather than terminating this conflict, Russia's actions are having the effect of escalating it once again," Pyatt said. The ambassadors also accused Russia of failing to implement the Minsk agreement that was signed in September 2014 and which, along with a second agreement signed in February 2015, is supposed to provide a road map for resolving the crisis. Pyatt said Russia had failed to withdraw troops and equipment, fully implement the cease-fire envisioned under the Minsk agreements, and release all hostages. Baer said that the Minsk accords had "all of the steps that are necessary" to end the conflict. "We have known what needs to be done for two years now," he said. "The problem is not in solving some sort of difficult puzzle. This is not a puzzle. The problem is political will." Baer added that the U.S. position on not recognizing Russia's 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea remained unchanged. "A point that we have made here [at the OSCE] when Russian representatives say they want to have a conversation about the future of European security is that any conversation about the future of European security will have to start with Crimea," Baer said. According to the United Nations, more than 9,400 people have been killed in fighting between Ukrainian security forces and Russia-backed militants in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. Turkey's purge of its military after a failed coup attempt is hindering cooperation with U.S. military and intelligence operations against the Islamic State (IS) militant group, U.S. officials have said. U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper and U.S. Central Command chief General Joseph Votel said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on July 28 that the purge had swept aside many Turkish officers who assisted the United States in its efforts to defeat IS, and landed some of them in jail. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a major overhaul of NATO's second-largest military after the abortive coup and on July 28 moved to put the military under his control. Nearly 1,700 military personnel received dishonorable discharges over their alleged role in the July 16 putsch, including around 40 percent of Turkey's admirals and generals. Around a third of Turkey's roughly 360 generals were detained, and more than 100 of them have been charged pending trial. "It's having an effect, because it's affected all segments of the national security apparatus in Turkey," Clapper said. "Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested.... There's no question this is going to set back and make more difficult cooperation with the Turks." Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and AP Thank you! You've reported this item as a violation of our terms of use. This content was contributed by a user of the site. If you believe this content may be in violation of the terms of use, you may report it. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. Expect less gore and a larger scope in the second season of PBS shot-in-Richmond drama series Mercy Street when it returns in January. The cast and producers of Mercy Street met the press Friday during a PBS news conference at the Television Critics Association summer 2016 press tour. We already identified we wanted the show to have more scope and expanse than it had in the first season, said showrunner and executive producer David Zabel. In the first season, we felt good about a lot of what we had, but there was an element of feeling it was contained and we wanted to make the world bigger. That includes more time spent with the African-Americans in the contraband free-black community and taking characters closer to the battlefield. Scenes of battles were also filmed. Mercy Street is set largely in a former Alexandria hotel during the Civil War; the hotel has been turned into a hospital for the Union Army, much to the chagrin of its Southern owners, the Green family. The shows second season picks up immediately after the first season ended in June 1862 and will continue through September 1862 and the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam and publication of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Tony Award-winning actress Patina Miller, who also has a role on CBS Madam Secretary, joins the cast in season two as Charlotte Jenkins, a former runaway slave and abolitionist who comes to Alexandrias Mansion House Hospital as a relief worker. Shes been up North for 10 years and shes (coming down South) because she knows there are a lot of newly freed slaves, runaways in the contraband camps and she comes down to educate them, Miller said. She wants to empower others. She believes if we can educate these slaves, if we can get them to read and write, they can make something of themselves. Production on season two wrapped last month in Richmond and Petersburg with filming also taking place at Berkeley Plantation and Tuckahoe Plantation, which played the Maryland plantation of Dr. Jedidiah Foster (Josh Radnor, How I Met Your Mother). We have a lot of love for Richmond, Radnor said. We really love that town.